#not sure if/when they'll come to global

[nyansequitur]

let the doggo go home please.

[orchres]

Hey friends! Sharing a pretty urgent fundraiser for myself. I have been invited to some really cool residency in Europe and have been raising funds all week to cover the costs of the residency and visa fees. So far I'm up to 178 dollars out of 300 yay! which may seem like nothing but I live in a country in East Africa and at present we are under economic assault in the name of IMF "structural adjustments" and my community has still rallied around me to support. It honestly is so heartwarming 😭💗 Anyway I would love any assistance at all to raise the remaining 122. I need to pay the first deposit on or before September 1st this coming Sunday (and they sent my invitation letter w this info on Monday btw!!) or they'll give away my place so time is not on my side. I have many complaints about this whole state of affairs and all the assumptions made but this is also just the reality of being an artist from the global south lol I'll be mad about it when I know for sure I can attend. Thank you so much!

0/122

[empressgeekt]

Transformers - TFO/Earthspark Time Travel fic summery - An Aged Reflection au (part 1...maybe)

Okay, so the recent movie (GO WATCH IT!) Transformers One, had reignited my hyper fixation for this franchise and as such I come barring a plot summery for a fic prompt. If anyone wants to use this plot in a fic, please just link me so i can read it!

Once more I'm assuming people have seen the movie and at least the first season of the EarthSpark cartoon.

On to the plot!

We start in the past. After getting thrown from the transport train, Orion, Dee, Elita and Bee, are stuck on cybertron's surface, and while a very beautiful place, it is also filled with unknown things, not all of them safe...though it doesn't stop Orion from being curious. What little vegetation the rust wastes have, is fascinating to him and it's only Dee holding him back from him faceplanting into his first patch of grass to "See what it feels like". There are abandoned buildings and some part of Orion wonders what they mean, likely there were some bots who lived on the surface long ago before the quintessions, and he wants to know what their lives were like. To live in a world underneath the sun, with stars to sing them to sleep.

Dee is the only one who actually entertains Orion's questions. Elita is too focused on her map, and Bee is rambling too much to pay attention to anyone else talking. And Dee has to admit, it does make him wonder too. Sure the surface is clearly dangerous, especially to some bots who don't have any survival instincts, but seeing all that was left behind before they were forced underground, there is a sense of loss. What would've been life if the Quintessions never invaded? It likely wouldn't have effect him being a no-cog, but would there be cities up here? The Primes would still be around, maybe they would've expanded globally. Some part of him imagines living a city built by Megatronus. It would've been grand, no question. Looking out on the horizon of his home planet, he hopes to come back here once it's all over. Maybe with the Matrix returned, Sentinel would start construction on a city on the surface. Maybe Dee could visit. He would like to see the sun rise again in his life.

However, Dee would later regret Orion influencing him with curiosity As half way through the journey, the ever shifting surface of Cybertron opens a fissure a head of them, and they can't cross until the landscape changes again. Deciding to camp out and try again in the morning. During the night a weird light comes from the fissure and long story short they all get sucked in...and blackout...

Orion wakes up in a pool of water, though he doesn't recognize the liquid. He's in an underground cave but the walls aren't made of the metallic stone he's used too, they are too soft and crumbly. The others are knocked out around him, but quickly come too. Thankfully the cave isn't too deep and they make there way back to a surface...but it's not the surface of Cybertron. The ground is too soft, the sky is blue, and the world is covered in "weird nature". First theory, the fissure transferred them to a new biome on Cybertron's surface, however that is quickly disproven when their map glitches out saying their location is not found. Much everyone's but Bee's frustration. Orion tries to keep the spirits up, saying they'll find help. If this is another planet they could be the first to make contact with aliens, to which Elita responds, "Oh great aliens, you mean like when the quintessions found us?"

His efforts are unappreciated...Especially when they were sudden surrounded by Arachnamechs.

All this is going down late season one of Earthspark, so Mandroid has already joined up with Croft, and once four unknown energon signatures showed up on their surveillance systems, they would be going after our no-cog crew. Especially since they don't read as a Con or a Bot.

Our youngling group have no weapons to defend themselves with, Miners weren't allowed to have any and they didn't have any built in, so they try to run. Dee making sure that the others have shielding from the laser fire, however the GHOST troops mistake him for a decepticon due to his Megatronus decal. So, they end up focusing most of their assault on him, eventually nailing with a T-cog disrupter. However, due to his lack of cog, the only thing the device can do is paralyze him. Which freaks Dee the frag out, like he already can't transform, moving is really the only control of his body that he has. These aliens are tiny, but they already have an effective way of taking them down. He sends one last comm to the others, to run, and find the matrix, the planet needs it more then him...even if he's scared out of his mind.

It takes a lot for Elita and Bee to pull Orion away from the sense but they can't help Dee if they captured too. They need to regroup, get more information.

Let's switch gears. Megatron had been sticking around the Malto home for the past day or two. Robby is supposedly cured from what ever was making him ill, but the big mech wants to stay close by just to be sure. He hadn't been able to be around while his Nephew was ill due to Croft sending him out on a useless assignment, but the moment it was over he demanded the time off he was in fact entitled too (all Ghost employees got two weeks of vacation a year). The only reason that the agents who did his release papers didn't die of fright was that he was more concerned for the children, and he was more pissed off at someone else. Quintus Prime. Fancy title or not, dead or not, Primus above you don't mess with his niblings. And as far as Megatron understood it, it was Quintus' cyber-sleeve that was making his nephew ill. Now he was grateful that the aliment was treated quickly, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Robby was a child, and didn't deserve what happened.

Though, maybe his frustrations with the whole situation came from his own personal experiences with Primes. Sentinel's betrayal against his people is something Megatron had never been able to forget, and the cyber-sleeve is sort of the same non-consensual body alternation that Sentinel pulled so long ago with the mining class's T-cogs. Don't get him wrong, Megatron cared about his niblings, all seven of them, but the other's lives shouldn't cost one of their siblings'. It's a good thing the little ones have him distracted with a game of dodge ball, otherwise he'd be researching how to hunt ghosts, despite him not believing in them.

Twitch gets him out and he's forced to sit on the sidelines with Dorothy. The human gripes about her signature scanner acting up again, and Megatron takes interest. Apparently for the last couple hour a few un-identifiable signals, popped up and three of them hadn't gone away. Seeing as the children were still far from done with their game, He decides to give the location a fly by before the next round started up. He doesn't notice Twitch sneaking off to follow him.

Meanwhile, with D-16, he's kept paralyzed during the transport and is eventually taken down to the brig. Which doesn't not make him feel better. Every decepticon inside of there is staring at him, and it makes him feel much smaller then he really is. The bots in the cells had cogs, weapons. They were taken down by what ever these aliens were, no wonder he didn't stand a chance. What were these little things, hopefully they couldn't get off world, if they invaded cybertron...Dee is uncermoniously thrown into a cell, where he curls up in the corner, trying vary hard not to be noticed.

Croft does however. The bitter human woman, when informed of the weird reaction that Dee had to the T-cog disrupter, is paranoid that the cons are finding a way to hack into their defense systems/weaponry. So, she clues Mandroid in on the new...specimen. She wants to know what makes this little con tick.

Soundwave, keeps his eye on the little new comer, for two reasons. One, no one had seen any cogless bots since before the fall of sentinel prime, and two, merely the age of this con. He's young far too young to be in a place like this. No way this little one committed any war crimes yet. And judging by the pity filled glances shared between him and his fellow decepticon's he's not the only one to notice. Heck, this kid wasn't even using a translation program, still speaking Iaconian and looking very confused whenever the humans spoke in English. Perhaps the little one was a recently activated protoform that was saved when they left Cybertron? Soundwave doesn't know and he doesn't get a chance to ask. The little con is paralyzed again and is taken to the room, where bots are broken.

The remaining miners are still wandering around aimlessly. Bee is now rendered silent after Dee was kidnapped. Elita is still trying to get the map to work, while Orion is just trying not to have a break down. He wanted to help his planet, not get his best friend abducted by aliens. They had stumbled onto what looked by a settlement, but even Orion's curiosity about these creatures was overridden by fear of getting captured. Clearly they weren't friendly. So needless to say when the Arachnamechs, track them down again. They run, and Orion tries to draw the attention of the drones away from Bee and Elita, and accidentally jumps off of a cliff. In the middle of his screaming as he watches the ground ever quickly rushing to meet him. and un-known voice calls out "grab on!" A rusty red colored drone flies over head and he latches on with all his might.

Twitch might have gotten lost, when she chased after he uncle, but in her defense his alt-mode was much fasters then hers, besides she wasn't really lost, mom had taught her all about navigating the woods. However, the weird bot that just leaped off of the water fall cliff, clearly didn't have the same training. Twitch immediately turns back and catches him, shooting the Arachnamechs with her emp, and then landing on the far river bank. It's only after she transforms that she realizes this guy is just a little bit taller than her and that's kind of surprising, after all, she's tiny compared to other transformers. Though his size is probably the only reason she could carry him.

She's not the only one surprised by the size similarities, Orion is as well. No bot with a cog was ever this small, or at least he hadn't seen one. Twitch as she introduces herself, is wonderful in his understanding, most cogged bots would've let him fall and Orion knows this, however she saved him and helped calm his panic ranting when he realized that only some of the Arachnamechs followed him when he broke off from the group. Twitch listens and is horrified to learn that Dee was kidnapped and offers to help, saying they need to find her "uncle" (whatever that word meant), and transforming to take off. Orion is baffled by her confusion over the fact that he's cogless. When he gestures to the empty slot in his chestplating, he wasn't expecting the heartbroken look on her faceplate, but thankfully Twitch doesn't dwell on it, and instead leads Orion through the forest on foot.

While running in the direction of where he, Eltia and Bee split off from each other, Orion just can't help but ask a number of questions on his mind. Like Where they were? How did a cybertronian get here? What were those little drone things

"Oh wow, lot's of questions. Okay first off, we're on earth, and I didn't get here I was born here. I guess you like call me a sub-species of cybertronian, created by Quintus prime."

"Quintus Prime? But he's been dead for cycles."

"Yeah I know, he once sent off little emberstones, to planets far out of reach to make new life on them, me and my family are the result of one of those stones."

"Oh, so, you're earthians???"

"*giggle* We call ourselves Terrons, thank very much."

Orion is fascinated to learn that Quintus had tried to make colony worlds before his demise, maybe it had been a last ditch effort to escape the quintessions, or some way to make new recruits for the high guard in secret. Either way it didn't matter, clearly Twitch or her "family" (what did that word mean?) hadn't been in contact with cybertron for a long time, likely meaning what ever Quintus was planning failed to happen. Still, this meant Orion could actually get help with a home team advantage, and Twitch did say she's help get Dee get back. Twitch had already proven she understood the weird planet around them when she pointed out that she was tracking Elita and Bee by following the footprints in the soft ground and broken nature surrounding them, two factors that Orion had completely missed. He'd have to meet this "Mom" to see if she'd teach him how to read an organic world like that.

Meanwhile with Megatron, tracking the signals had been easier then he thought, whoever these saps were they were not good at covering their tracks. When the signals split up he decided to go after the bigger group. One bot was easier to pin down then two. Besides one of them was screaming very loudly, and it was for a good reason as Megatron would soon find out. Two very small figures, one pink one yellow, were dashing away from a sizable snare of Arachnamechs. Later he could let himself ponder as to how Mandroid survived, and why he was still going after transformers, but first he needed to keep these little ones out of the madman's hands. He calls out for the bots to take cover as he swoops in to make quick word of the drones.

Elita wasn't expecting for a giant warframe to come flying out of nowhere, but she wasn't about to disobey someone of higher stature when they were helping them. She didn't recognize the grey mech, though Bee's quiet panic rambling through out the chase gave a couple of theories, a surviving member of the high guard, maybe one of the mechs sentinel trained, or maybe a rogue gladiator who decided to say frag it and go find real monsters to fight for the pit of it. By watching him fight it was clear that he was at least trained in combat. Then Bee mutters something that sends chills down Elita's nerve struts, "He's wearing the same sigil as the guys who took Dee!" Elita, in probably the most stupid thing she could do (she blames pax's influence), punches the unknown mech when he gets close.

Megatron was not upset at the pink bot for hitting him as soon as he turned, some bots just had lasting battle reflexes and would lash out against a stranger...or more likely a perceived enemy...it was actually a really good hit too. They wont come of the large rock they too cover behind, and the yellow one won't stop screaming, but eventually Megatron gets a good look at who he's dealing with and is suddenly struct with flashback galore. The first thing he notices is their cogless status and parts of him burn with rightous anger and need to protect them. Then he notices their faceplates, faceplates from a time before, a Bumblebee who was still slightly crazy from long term isloation, and an Elita who was young and brash before Optimus softened her drive for success with his love and dorkyness. Denial sets in rather then acceptance, no way was this happening now, then Megatron hears the voice of his young niece and with her is someone who makes it very clear THIS IS NOT A DREAM!!!

Orion was initally very concerned when he heard the sound of blasters in the woods, but Twitch recongized the sound, as her "uncle"s gun, so he tried not to panic. They end up catching the tail end of the scrummage, and wow, this Terron, as he was lead to believe, was huge! Big, silver, covered in weapons, and with red optics that burned with the fire of a great warrior. It was both awe inspiring and terrifiing to watch, sure Orion had seen violance in the mines, Darkwing was not a peaceful person, but it was nothing like this. Twitch wasn't shocked, clearly used to this, if Terrons had to deal with whatever those little creatures that took Dee were, maybe Terrons had to fight to stay alive. Twitch only added more to Orion's wondering when a lone Arachnamech leaped out of the trees, after the fight was seemingly over, and shot it point blank, ("Uncle Megatron! Look out!" "Well, done Little Bird").

Megatron never thought he would see Orion Pax again. Yes, he saw Optimus on the daily, has for centuries but Optimus wasn't Pax. When Orion was given the matrix, when he shot Orion, some part of Megatron was convinced his friend was dead, gone with the allspark. That he had killed his brother...his grief and guilt coming out as unchecked rage...when Optimus ascended, Megatron rejected him, this wasn't his brother, this was a monster, the Primes were using his brother's corpse to hold power over all bots like him, puppetting him around with that matrix they held so dearly. When he had swore to kill Optimus all those stellar cycles ago, it wasn't for revenge, it was to put his brother to rest peacefully. It had taken a long time, bad blood, and many mistakes for Megatron to see the Pax in Prime again. Yet, here standing in front of him is a perfect re-creation of Orion Pax. However, Twitch pulls him out of his trance by rambling, about everything that happened to her and orion, and hearing that his niece met the young version of his brother after he fell from a cliff, only convinces him that this is a case of time travel.

Orion tries to ignore the look the bigger terron gave him in favor of talking to Elita and Bee, he starts rambling about how this planet also had transformers and everything else Twitch told him, however his excitement is dampered when Elita pointed out Bee observation about the big terron's sigil. He doesn't' want to believe it, looking at the mech, and how he is so gentle with Twitch getting down to her level and paying close attention to her flurry of words, but at the same time, he was still such a fearsome warrior,. Orion really wants to the trust Twitch, after all she had no reason to lie to him, and she did save him from the fall. So, Despite Bee and Elita 's hesitanece, when the big silver mech turns to them.

The mech introduces himself as Megatron (big fan of Megatrounus, obviously, Dee would like him) and seems to be questioning Orion about everything that he had told Twitch, the younger cybertronian was a bout to ask why, when this jem of a line left Megatron's mouth, "Of course, you are from right before everything went to the slag, Dang it, Pax I just had to forget your horrible timing."

Orion never told this mech his name, nor did twitch, which prompted the young terron to ask if her uncle knew Orion.

"I'd recognize the mech i woke up to every morning for the first cycles of my life."

"Dee...?"

"It's good to see you Pax."

Megatron is almost surprised that he can still read every single emotion, that rapidly washes over Orion. Denial, disbelief, and everything else. Thankfully though it only took Megatron mentioning the incident where Orion tired to transform with out a cog, for the group to believe him. Though he could've done without little bee sobbing and clinging to his leg, saying "What did those monsters do to you!" Which led to an explanation about how he was not their kidnapped friend, but rather who D-16 would become in the future. There's a lot of very fast questions from all the younger bots and eventually Megs has to tell them to go one at a time, And that he'll answer their question as they walk, because he needs to get them all out of the open and back to the Malto farm to keep them safe.

And boy do they ask questions..."How long has it been for you?" "Couple million cycles." "Why are you wearing that sigil." "to stay our of trouble." "You changed your name?" "D-16 doesn't really count as a name on earth." "What's an uncle?" "Earth functions differently socially then on Cybertron, the youth are given to older members of society to be cared for and taught, rather then being put to work right after the well. I am not one of Twitch's main caregivers, her "mom" and "Dad", however i am close to one of them, making me a secondary role model for her, an "uncle"." "How'd you end up on earth?" "A very long story." "How'd you get a cog?" "A very VERY long story."

Twitch is a little baffled through out the ride home like, it's weird enough to meet the younger version of the older bots in her life, but they are all so different then their older selves. Orion is so much more energetic and reckless then Mr. Optimus (Uncle Megatron had to talk him down from storming the Ghost headquarters at least twice in the same conversation), B-127 is constantly chattering and Twitch feels so bad he doesn't have an actual name either (she tells him he changes it, and he asks if it's "badassatron", which makes bother her and Megatron laugh), and young Miss Elita is such a stickler for rules!

Bumblebee is the one who first sees them at the the farm, seeing Megatron first ....

Megs: Bumblebee! Do you recall how we met?! before all the slag his the fan?!

Bumblebee: Do you mean back in sub-levels? Yeah why?

Megs: Do you ever remember taking an unplanned visit to the future after we reached the surface?!

Bumblebee: What?!

-----

I'll do a part two if people want to see it

[seat-safety-switch]

Have you ever thought about how weird it is that you can buy pineapples at the grocery store? Someone pulled this shit off a tree tens of thousands of kilometers away, and then sent it to me. If I don't buy it, they'll just throw it in the trash.

Global trade is a really remarkable invention of our species. My neighbour's Hyundai was born in South Korea, shipped here on a boat, and will never see its mother or most of its siblings again. Even so, it was only slightly more expensive than a locally-made Ford. Sorry, did I say "locally-made?" That was also made in a different country and shipped here under duress. We don't even notice such a miracle unless we check the registration.

My Volare was sent here from The America, a country which has been going through some rough times lately. I figured that maybe it would want to go back and see Missouri, its land of creation, at least once. That Hyundai would never get the opportunity: who would bundle an Elantra into a steamer ship? Driving there, though, was basically feasible. Well, feasible for anyone who wasn't operating a badly-maintained, 47-year-old example of one of Mopar's shittiest cars.

You guessed it: I broke down at the end of my block. There is good news, though. A couple months ago, I found a bicycle clogging the sewage drain near my office, and I was able to bang it mostly straight with a hammer. Ever since then, I've been throwing it in the trunk, and using it to ride home whenever one of my cars leave me stranded. It's been great for my cardio, but more importantly, it was built here. Plans changed. Volare out, whatever this bicycle is "in." I rode it to the bike shop that assembled it, stopping periodically to ingest fried food, craft beer, and ice cream so as not to unnecessarily improve my health from over-exercise.

Unfortunately for everyone, when I got to the bike store, the snooty repair-shop crew considered my quest incomplete. They didn't make the bikes there, just threw them together. The frame and wheels had come from China, they explained, a big integrated factory that punches out the parts, spitting out thousands of proto-bikes per second without any form of human involvement. You'd have to get on a plane and take it to go visit the mothership in Guangdong.

Confronted with the choice to either abandon my quest or willingly board a Boeing product, I decided to take the safer route and return home. Perhaps it was foolish to try and figure out the maternal bonds of soulless, inanimate methods of transportation. Or perhaps I just picked the wrong kind of product, I decided, picking up an apple at the grocery store on my way home. Surely, this thing came from here, I thought right before I read the label.

As soon as I figure out where "Northern Spy" is, you'll be the first to know.

[discordiansamba]

I've been sort of passively rotating this one idea for a few days now, of like... not exactly a soulmate type thing, but an AU in which Rin and Shiemi are able to communicate with one another through the usage of mirrors. They both stumble upon it when they're around seven years old, and are shocked to see a face that isn't theirs reflected back in the mirror. The key difference here is that the attack upon Amahara has not happened, so Shiemi is still in training to be the Saio.

They don't really understand what's going on, but they end up becoming fast friends anyways. They each start carrying around a little foldable pocket mirror so that they can talk to each other whenever they want. Rin gets an eyebrow raise from Shiro when he asks for a full length mirror to be put in his room (Shiemi already has one in hers) and they talk in secret whenever they get the chance.

Some key points:

Rin learns about the existence of demons through Shiemi, though he still can't see them. Shiemi holding Nee in her hands and Rin just squints intensely at them until he gives up and Shiemi resorts to drawing a terrible picture instead.

Rin now stuck in the position of having a friend that he can't tell anyone else about, so yes. He has a friend, who is a girl. But uuhhhh. you can't meet her. for reasons. but he totally has one!

Rin realizes Shiro probably isn't joking about being an exorcist, but he just thinks he's like. a regular priest who does exorcisms on the side, not the Paladin of an entire global exorcist order.

Despite having met Shiro once or twice herself, Shiemi doesn't realize he's Rin's father. She hears Rin talk about a 'Father Fujimoto', but she doesn't have any reason to associate him with the Paladin. It's not like she's ever seen a picture of him or anything.

Rin gradually recognizing that he's slowly starting to fall in love with Shiemi, even though he's pretty sure they'll never have a chance to meet in person.

(Shiemi is a little bit slower to notice this.)

All good things must come to an end, and when Shiemi is fifteen, Amahara is attacked. She's in her room, speaking with Rin when she hears a loud commotion from outside that seems to be drawing closer. Without thinking about it, Rin reaches through the mirror and pulls Shiemi over to safety just as her door breaks open.

...which is not something they knew they could do, by the way!

I mulled a lot over what point in the timeline this event should happen, but I settled on pre-awakening ultimately because the mere idea of Shiro hearing a loud sound come from Rin's room, and upon investigating, he finds Rin lying on the floor with an ornately dressed girl lying on top of him is just. so incredibly funny.

shiro: is that the fucking saio

shiemi: the paladin!?

rin: HUH!?

(something something shiemi ends up borrowing rin's clothes at some point because he's the only one even close to being her size.)

[studentbyday]

week 1. a stuttering start.

i can't believe autumn is already approaching. i feel like i haven't done much to truly live on my own terms this year... (the majority of my time was spent either chained to my desk, living the studying hermit life as usual, or...and this is a new one for this era of my life, feeling like a child following the real adults around on my travels which @zzzzzestforlife documents way better tbh. the travels, that is...)

in addition i've been feeling very unmotivated and numb this school year. even more so than usual. i've never been as zesty as...well, Zesty when it comes to new school years, but it has slowly been getting worse since i started uni and i think i'm getting dangerously close to falling off some cliff i'll later realize was an important cliff to not fall off of. do you get what i mean? i'm only speaking vaguely because i myself do not quite know.

i oscillate between wanting to be extraordinary and extra ordinary. i have fallen back into bad habits, which do not set a good precedent. and overall i feel lost. so so lost that i started reading designing your life. and dulled by the isolation of school i can hardly focus. it's not a new problem, i've just finally been able to put words to it after all these years. engaging and/or cathartic verbal conversation brings me back to life, whether i'm listening or speaking, but i don't get enough of that in my daily life...this is just a very weird mundane state to be in. don't get me wrong, i was relieved to get back to this life with a very predictable pattern after the hectic-ness of travel, but something about it always felt off and i almost can't believe that only now i've realized why.

anyway, feelings pass. and i have overcome the jet lag, so i am that much more energized (and perhaps a little more desperate) to bulldoze through this problem.

Study:

Read/skimmed all the syllabi for anything new (much of it is the same year-to-year as they're all courses in the same faculty and i am resigned to the fact that there will be weighty group work in at least one course out of every year)

Caught up on course announcements

Finished microbiology module for this week (hmmm i read like half of this module last year when i attempted and then dropped this course so it wasn't the most interesting the second time around but i think it'll get better as i get to the new stuff and the nitty-gritty details 🔬 mwahahaha 🦠 i also decided last minute to make flashcards for these and had to transfer my notes to anki. i wish there weren't so many isolated facts or similar but distinct processes i need to remember.)

Made flashcards for half of this week's immunology content (seems to be a memorization-heavy course and i think i really need the active recall since i barely remember the pre-req info 😅 luckily they review it in the module... 🤭)

Reviewed some of the flashcards made this week

Worked on (but didn't finish) global health slides for this week (i'm...not entirely sure what i should be taking notes on or how because...this all seems either very common sense or kind of..."woo-woo" based on my way of understanding the world...but ig that's my own biases talking? i hope they'll just test us on the common sense stuff. that will be easier for my brain 🥴)

Around half of pathology slides are left from this week (probably the most work intensive course i'm taking rn based on the timeline 😵 but also it's shaping up to be my favorite subject this semester because the modules are so well designed AND it's large processes or, even if it's smaller concepts, they're all connected to each other so i don't need flashcards!...i think! i can just pull on the thread of memory and it all unspools (...ideally...)!)

Wrote down due dates for all assessments this semester

Other life things: (yeah idk what to call this section)

I became a 6AM girlie!!! 🥰🥰🥰

Unpacked

Washed my water bottle

Caught up with a friend 💗

Health:

Yoga x2

Journalled x2

Early morning walk in nature x1 (the air smelled so so fresh i was so glad i went out...and even gladder that i went out when i did because after that the air quality got super bad from wildfire smoke 🥺)

Pilates x1 (i made it! in 2 split sessions, but still! and i feel great!!! 😃 i'm so glad i found this channel because she explains the moves in a way that i can get it even with my bad coordination 😅 she also goes slowly and there is no annoying workout music so i can completely focus on the movements and how they feel, it's perfect. 😊)

Music in My Head:

Blue Danube Waltz (OG piano version)

Treat People With Kindness

On the Sunny Side of the Street

Hikaru Nara (the perfect song for my current ambivalent mood because the whole theme of the anime, which is reflected in the sound of this arrangement, is the need to reignite your spark for the things that mean something to you and make the absolute most of it because life is short)

a few dark academia playlists that i put on loop to study to (links under the cut) (somehow the ones with new age music are the only ones i can listen to...light/quiet enough that it doesn't interrupt my thoughts but intense and melodic enough that it puts me in the mood to focus 😅)

[hourglass-meadow]

My ideal version of a Rain Meadow (RW online multiplayer mod in development) server:

Server is persistent and tracks reputation (global, local and individual), lineaging and key items. You wanted the Drainage System pearl but someone else took it first and then logged off? Better look for every corner of the map for it. Your friend tamed a lizard but it hates you? You're gonna have to befriend it quick. A carnivore slugcat overhunted and now Farm Arrays is crawling with red centipedes? Too bad.

New players spawn in a random shelter as a slugpup, and grow up after a number of cycles. There's no notification when a player joins or leaves a server, you'll just have to hope that a fellow slugcat finds you before a predator does and that they'll be willing to take care of you until you can pull your own weight. NPC pups will not spawn regardless of the campaign the server is set in to avoid confusion.

Cycles progress regardless of player deaths, if all players die you can force skip to the next. (I think Rain Meadow's story mode already has this?)

No text or voice chat whatsoever. To communicate you must rely on movement, pointing and whatever signs the players come up with.

No names either, players pick a symbol to be represented by. Add made up ones if there's not enough to go around, multiple players can pick the same one and Karma 10 symbol would be the only one off-limits. You would only be able to see another slugcat's symbol after you shelter with them once. Alternate idea: you asign a symbol to the other slugcat yourself. Alternate alternate idea: the symbol you have as a name is based on passages unlocked or what you do the most, you'd be able to tell that an Outlaw is probably going to shank you or that a Mother likes to help out new players.

Dying resets your character: passages, reputation with creatures, everything. You're respawned as a slugpup and have to start all over again.

Ascending permanently removes you from the server. Make sure you're really done before taking the plunge.

I doubt that any of this is feasible or that anybody other than me would enjoy it, but its fun to think about.

[miguel-manbemel]

There's one thought that came to me today about Sanders Sides, and specifically the nature of the Sides. So many people have missed one important, crucial point about the Sides. They're not human, and I don't mean that they can shapeshift, appear and disappear and all that stuff. I mean that each of the Sides represents just one limited zone of c!Thomas' psyche, and therefore they're only confined to that zone of Thomas.

What does it mean to judge them as humans? It means many people demand of them the complexity of action humans have, the same capacity to grow and evolve as if they were a fully fledged human, and that, my friends, just cannot happen, because it's not in their nature. I'll try to explain my point. We've seen the Sides learn and grow from different situations they went through in the past, and I say "have we?"

Don't mean they didn't go through the situations, I mean, did they really get a long term growth? In some cases they did, in others, the growth was incomplete or null, because the Sides are only able to grow in their own area of action in Thomas' psyche, and will remain, not oblivious, but, like that student that simply doesn't get how to solve a problem at school, and tries and tries to solve it right, but it just doesn't stick in their head. They will only learn the part of the solution in their area of expertise, and the rest will simply not stick at all.

For instance, Virgil knows if he causes a panic attack, Thomas will suffer and that will help no one, but he just can't help it, it's in his nature to cause panic attacks if the conditions are met. Other example, Roman knows that too much fantasy can be harmful, it can disconnect you from reality and that can break Thomas' heart. He knows, he's been told, but he can't help it. He's literally Thomas' dreams. Same way, Patton cannot escape the morality he was created with during Thomas' growth, Janus can't help making Thomas deceitful, Remus will show his creative thoughts at all cost no matter how it makes Thomas suffer, and Logan will always have problems to put feelings in the equation when trying to find solutions to an issue.

Does that mean that the whole show is a lie and the Sides are hopeless beings that can't learn from their mistakes? Not entirely, because when they face issues, they all face them together as a team, they go through them together and find a global solution that can help Thomas grow.

Then why do they revert back after learning so much about Thomas in the past? As I said, any item the Sides are not capable to learn according to their nature will not fully stick and they'll be prone to repeat problematic attitudes, even if they try not to.

What can be done then? The solution comes from Thomas. The Sides are Thomas and Thomas is all of them, and most important, he knows, or is learning, how to combine the different aspects of himself. In another analogy, the Sides and Thomas are like an orchestra and the orchestra conductor. Each instrument has only access to their partiture and can only play their own sound, even if they know how they're all supposed to sound together, only Thomas has the full information of the song, and only he can tell any of the Sides when to play and when to stand back.

To be fair, Thomas still doesn't have the full partiture ready, he's still writing on the fly, that's why the song is incomplete and both the Sides and Thomas are still struggling, but as the series goes on, the song keeps writing itself, slowly but surely and when it's complete, Thomas will have the full song and will learn how to make their Sides sound perfect in harmony...

Well, most probably, the song will never be fully complete or perfect, but eventually it will reach a grade of completion enough to make Thomas and his Side harmonious enough to make good, melodious songs. That is, eventually, Thomas will know how to be the best of a person he can be, because no one is perfect, but he will learn how to feel good enough, and how to be happy with himself and get as best as he can be.

That means the Sides will learn how each can help the other Sides in the areas they lack expertise so they don't repeat the same mistakes from the past. But they must learn to work together to reach that goal, they can't do it each on their own. When they learn this ultimate lesson, everything will get better for Thomas and the Sides.

[mariacallous]

In the run-up to the Switch 2 launch, part of Nintendo’s focus has been on ensuring it can meet the demands of an audience hungry for a new console. And that new system comes with a hefty price—$450—which could go up even more due to President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs announced last week.

But in an interview a day after Trump’s announcement, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser told WIRED the tariffs “weren’t factored into the pricing” of the console.

The company is “actively assessing” the situation and its impact, he adds. “It creates a challenge,” Bowser says. “It’s something we're going to have to address.”

Trump’s tariffs sent the stock market into free fall; prices on many products are about to go up, and companies in the tech sector will be turned on their heads. On Friday, Nintendo made the unprecedented move of delaying preorders in the US for the hotly anticipated console “in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.”

Part of the company’s business strategy, to this point, had been “to diversify the places where we're manufacturing our hardware and our accessories,” Bowser says. The company has already shifted much of its production to Vietnam and Cambodia and away from China.

According to Bowser, that diversification allowed Nintendo to move production around as needed during the Covid-19 pandemic. “That also applied to the early stages of tariffs,” he says. “The situation [on April 2] changed that.” Among Trump’s new tariffs: 46 percent on Vietnam, 49 percent on Cambodia, and 54 percent on China.

An additional price hike on the console would be problematic for Nintendo. The current top Switch model, the OLED, is $350, while a standard edition comes in at $300. The price was oddly missing from the console’s big announcement on Wednesday, a fact that hasn’t been lost on would-be customers already clamoring for Nintendo to “drop the price.” At the New York event, journalists were discouraged from asking hardware developers about the console’s cost.

Games have not been spared from high price tags either; Mario Kart World will cost $80. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a tech demo masquerading as a game that explains the ins and outs of the Switch 2, will be an experience people have to pay for. (Notably, this got a huge laugh from the crowd present.)

Two former Nintendo public relations managers, Krysta Yang and Kit Ellis, have broken down the criticism around the pricing on their YouTube channel, as well as criticized how news about the price was presented to fans.

“Obviously it was intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason but handled poorly in terms of the information being in all these different places,” Yang said, lambasting the decision to leave consumers to get answers themselves. “It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer.”

In the past, Nintendo products, including the original Switch, have been hard to find due to problems like chip shortages or global pandemics, but the company has taken efforts to “make sure that consumers can find a console when they're ready to buy the console," Bowser says.

Part of that includes a new loyalty program that aims to stop scalpers by requiring those who want to purchase the console to have an active Nintendo account. They'll also need to get a Nintendo Switch Online membership for a year and to have clocked at least 50 hours of gameplay. Console sales will be limited to one per person.

“We wanted to make sure that we were rewarding loyal players,” Bowser says. “Those that have been playing on [the Switch] for quite some time that we knew would be those upgraders—those that were eager to dive into play. That's why some of the gates, if you will, have been a part of the preorder process.” Other retailers, Bowser says, have their own systems to thwart scalpers.

The Switch 2 will soon move into global events, including those that are open to the public, ahead of its June launch. Bowser says that the company hopes to show its audience that “this is the next generation of platform” from Nintendo. The Switch 2 “obviously takes what you know and love so much from the Switch and then adds a lot of powerful features,” he says.

If tariffs force Nintendo’s hand, the company may find it harder to win over players than ever before. However, it’s unlikely Nintendo will face that dilemma alone. In an interview with IGN last Friday, ESA spokesperson Aubrey Quinn said that if people believe only the Switch 2 will be affected, “then we aren't taking it seriously. This is going to have an impact.”

The Switch 2 may yet be a bellwether for what’s to come.

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

I'm actually sick of Americans comparing what's going on in our country right now to some eastern bloc shit. What's happening in America right now is all fucking American. Fascism is to the American Empire what Settler Colonialism was to our father Great Britain in the 1700s.

What you have to understand is that Nazi Lebensraum is American Manifest Destiny applied to Germany's eastern border. Hitler was very explicit about that point. He said what Americans are doing to their indigenous population is based and we need to do it to the Slavs. The ghettoization of the Jews before the final stage of shipping them off to camps was also explicitly stated by Hitler to be heavily inspired by the Jim Crow model. And THEN when the Nazis were defeated (by the Soviet Union primarily) Americans took both the Nazis and the Japanese Fascists and gave them fucking jobs and made sure that the western bloc never denazified. Why? Because communism was getting really fucking popular and Fascism is a really good way to kill a lot of communists. And then we spent the second half of the 20th century setting up fascist military dictatorships in the global south from South Korea to Chile and everywhere in between. Every time you say the words "Land Reform" in a house of parliament in a developing country the CIA will show up with a gun and Chicago boy and appoints him supreme leader and they'll call it spreading democracy.

So one of our primary global exports have come home. Oh Say Can You See motherfucker. Trying to compare it to anything but us is futile. This is what giving an entire country over to protestant work ethic ghouls and slave owning freaks and letting it fester for two centuries gets you. This is Yankee shit all the way down. The supreme dictator is a fucking reality TV star for fucks sake. No one could pull this off but us.

It's gonna hurt and it might end in the death of the species if we can't control this climate change shit, and there will still be multiple genocides if we can, but whether millions or billions die because of it, it will have been American all the way down. Its the logical conclusion of the past 200 years. Anyone who pretends it's not is being paid off by the Koch brothers.

[creature-wizard]

Something that the folks into New Age beliefs (ascension, starseeds, etc) need to understand is that conspiratorial worldviews (like the idea that there's an ancient global conspiracy manipulating everything behind the scenes) are inherently divisive. It doesn't matter how much you like the idea of peace, harmony, and unity consciousness, and it doesn't matter how much you personally try to keep your vibrations up; if you believe that everyone who disagrees with you is secretly controlled by the shadow government or whatever, you're never going to be able to maintain any kind of long-term relationship with most people, including the ones who generally share in your beliefs and values, because at some point you're going to disagree with each other on something, and when that happens, you're going to suspect each other of being government plants, controlled opposition, disinfo agents, or whatever. Conspiracy theorists are constantly accusing each other of being agents of the conspiracy.

Now like, there's a bunch of scammers in New Age communities, sure. And said scammers just make up whatever to make money. And that's bad, but that's not the same thing as being a government plant, ya know? Also, conspiratorial narratives actually benefit the scammers, because whenever anyone tries to call them out on their shit, they'll just say the government is out to get them and people will believe them.

But most of you? Most of you are just incredibly passionate people with firm convictions. You're not disagreeing because one of you is a double agent; you're disagreeing because you're people and people always have different points of view because no two people live the exact same life experience. Now sure, some of you are real dicks sometimes, and some of you get carried away by your own egos, but none of you are part of an ancient global conspiracy.

You need to understand, this conspiracy narrative does not come from good people. It comes from some of the worst, in fact. It's made from the same tropes used to justify the witch hunts and the Holocaust. Now, I know conspiracy theorists often believe that these people were actually part of the conspiracy and put this information out there in this form to throw people off the scent, but you gotta understand, there's no evidence of this, because there's no actual evidence of the conspiracy in the first place. Literally it's always been a bunch of assholes thinking of the most heinous actions they can imagine to slander those they hate and want to oppress, it's just that simple. When you adopt a conspiratorial worldview, you are internalizing this hatred and making it part of your inner matrix. Even if you're experiencing a high vibrational state 99% of the time, these beliefs - this programming - is going to affect how you perceive and respond to those who don't believe the same way as you in a very, very negative way.

[94erz]

what type of music do you hope bts makes when they come back ? it seems like they’ve been hinting at hyyh type music for the anniversary? but i also have a bad feeling. that we’re going to get dynabutterptd 2.0. maybe not that extreme but maybe more english pop songs. which is not the end of the world, i’m sure there will be good some parts, but still. i get the sense that bts (and if not them directly then hybe for sure) really want a grammy. i think we’re not going to see the end of it until they do

imo it’d be so much cooler for them to get one based on a korean song than an english one

I think they'll continue to do what they've been doing and release both. I know they'll keep trying for a Grammy, even if at this point the guys seem to not give a fuck anymore it would STILL be huge if they got one, and they'll keep trying until they do that's a given. But whether they get it with a Korean song or an English one depends entirely on BigHit/HYBE and their willingness to invest in huge-scale promotion, because they need to hit the general public like Dynamite did in 2020 for it to be nearly as successful. My main concern now though is not what language it's in but if it'll be by themselves or dependent on some huge-name Western artist(s)...

Not to be a petty bitch and name any names but more and more k-pop acts are relying on global western acts to get their foot into mainstream (western) success and while BTS' name is big enough not to need it to be famous the Grammy's are still xenophobic and might not let BTS get a foot in otherwise. They tried with Coldplay, and while Coldplay is popular, they aren't nearly as (chart) successful these days as in the past, they were never gonna get a Grammy with My Universe and they were genuinely fooling themselves (HYBE, BigHit, whoever) if they thought that would work. It's like how Bang thought a collab between TXT and the Jonas Brothers would get them a top 10 Billboard hit without looking at the fact they haven't had a top 10 hit since Sucker and that was only because it was their first song together in YEARS after breaking up, they have not touched it since. Like they think some of these artists are more successful than they actually are, and just by tacking a popular k-pop group to them will make it better? It's just a dumb way to go about it IMO.

The HYYH thing, I dunno what that entails yet but if they make some new music in that same vein it'll be well received amongst fans probably. But I doubt they can ever recapture that same magic, both the music and the feeling of that time are a capsule, they aren't those people anymore, they aren't that age anymore, they aren't experiencing life in that way anymore, so I doubt they can tap into that mindset again and do it all over but 'new'. I'm genuinely interested to see what they decided to do for it though, I'm open to being wrong.

BTS need more songs like MIC DROP IMO, they need songs that are hype as fuck again. Run BTS got close to that vibe, but they just barely missed it. They didn't go hard enough to promote it because they chose a softer, more emotional song to prioritize instead, and again, as well as it did WITHIN the fandom, no one gave a fuck about it, and by the time they decided to do dance challenges and bring more attention to Run BTS to meet the energy OTHER people were bringing to it, its time was over. But if people are attracted to a song they need to go all in on it, ride that wave and embrace it, rather than try and force a hit that has low energy and only means something to a collection of established fans, that's not how charts work long-term and that's not what's gonna win them a Grammy.

[charlesollielandooscararthur]

Anual Holdiay-Maldives Lily Zneimer

Summary: Y/n's family asks lily to go on their annual Family holiday in which she cannot believe she’s going on holiday with Ariana Grande.

Y/n and Lily were curled up on the sofa in y/n's dad's house, comfortably lounging after dinner. A movie was playing in the background, though neither of them was really watching—Lily was distracted by y/n tracing lazy patterns on her thigh, and y/n, well... she looked like she was about five seconds away from dozing off.

That peace was interrupted when the door opened, and in walked Ariana, Frankie, and Sabrina.

"Y/n," Ariana began with a warm smile, "we were just talking, and we wanted to know if Lily would like to come on holiday with us."

Lily blinked. "I—sorry, what?"

"We're going on holiday next week," Frankie said, "and since y/n's coming, we thought it'd be fun if you came too."

Y/n groaned, stretching her arms. "Oh, yeah, I meant to tell you about that."

Lily snapped her head toward her. "You meant to tell me?!"

"Oops," y/n mumbled with zero remorse.

Ariana chuckled. "It's totally up to you, of course. But we'd love to have you there."

Lily stared at them all, her brain completely failing to process the fact that Ariana Grande was standing in front of her, casually inviting her on holiday.

"I—um—" she stammered.

"You don't have to answer right now," Sabrina added kindly. "I know it's a lot to consider. Plus, I'm sure you'll need to ask your parents first."

Lily snapped out of her daze. "Oh! Yeah, definitely, I'll have to ask them first."

"Of course," Sabrina nodded. "If they want to speak to us, I'd be happy to call them and make sure they're comfortable with everything."

"That would probably help," Lily admitted.

"Great! Just let us know what they say," Ariana smiled.

And just like that, they left the room, leaving Lily frozen on the couch, completely and utterly overwhelmed.

Y/n stretched again, yawning. "That was nice of them."

Lily turned her head toward her, staring blankly. "Nice? Nice? Y/n, do you understand what just happened?!"

Y/n raised an eyebrow. "Uh... they invited you on holiday?"

Lily threw her hands up. "I'M GOING ON HOLIDAY WITH ARIANA GRANDE!"

Y/n winced. "Babe, indoor voice."

Lily ran her hands through her hair. "Y/n, this is NOT normal. Like, not even remotely normal. Do you understand how insane this is?!"

Y/n smirked. "I mean, not really. She's just my sister."

Lily let out a frustrated groan. "You grew up with her. That's why you don't get it. But to me? Ariana Grande is a global superstar! And I'm just supposed to casually go on holiday with her?!"

Y/n shrugged. "Yep."

Lily buried her face in her hands. "I can't do this."

Y/n laughed, shifting closer. "What's your plan then? You gonna ask for a duet?"

Lily's head shot up. "I will actually strangle you."

Y/n smirked, leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek. "Relax, babe. They wouldn't have invited you if they didn't want you there. My family already loves you."

Lily exhaled. "I still have to ask my parents."

"Yeah, yeah," Y/n waved a hand. "But they'll say yes. They love me."

Lily scoffed. "You're ridiculous."

Y/n grinned. "You love me though."

Lily sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately."

Y/n gasped, feigning offense. "Wow. After all I do for you."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Shut up, rich girl."

Y/n grinned wider, wrapping her arms around Lily's waist and pulling her closer. "You're gonna have the best time, I promise."

Lily groaned. "I can't believe this is my life."

Lily had barely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes, her brain screamed, YOU'RE GOING ON HOLIDAY WITH ARIANA GRANDE.

The next morning, she sat at the breakfast table with y/n's family, still in a daze, half-listening as Frankie talked about where they were staying. Y/n, on the other hand, was casually scrolling through her phone, completely unbothered.

"So, Lily, did you get a chance to ask your parents?" Sabrina asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Lily blinked. "Oh—uh, no, not yet. But I will."

"Want me to call them now?" Sabrina offered. "Might help to ease their minds."

Lily nodded quickly. "Yeah, that would actually be great."

"Perfect. What's their number?"

A few minutes later, Lily sat anxiously beside y/n on the couch, listening as Sabrina spoke to her mum over the phone.

"Yes, of course, we'd be more than happy to have her with us. She'll be safe, I promise. We'll take care of everything—flights, accommodation, expenses... No, no, you don't need to worry about that at all. She's more than welcome."

Y/n nudged Lily's leg, smirking. "Told you it'd be fine."

Lily shot her a look. "Shut up."

A few minutes later, Sabrina ended the call and smiled at Lily. "They said yes!"

Lily's eyes widened. "Wait, really?!"

"Yes! Your mum just wants you to call her later, but she said she trusts us and thinks it'll be a great experience for you."

Y/n threw her arms around Lily, pulling her into a tight hug. "See? What did I tell you?"

Lily groaned into y/n's shoulder. "I can't believe this is actually happening."

Frankie grinned from across the room. "You're one of us now, Lily. Welcome to the madness."

Y/n laughed, squeezing Lily's waist. "Oh, she's been in the madness for a while now."

Lily sighed dramatically, but a smile tugged at her lips. "I really have, haven't I?"

Lily still couldn't believe it. She was standing in front of a massive villa, the kind of place she'd only ever seen in movies or on the Instagram pages of celebrities. The white-washed walls, towering palm trees, and crystal-clear infinity pool shimmering in the afternoon sun made it look completely unreal.

"Holy shit," Ella whispered beside her, gripping her suitcase. "This is actually insane."

"I feel like I'm trespassing," Ally added, looking around in awe. "Like at any moment, someone's gonna come out and tell us to leave."

Y/n, standing beside them with her sunglasses perched on her head, let out a laugh. "This is just how my dad does holidays."

"Just?" Lily repeated, shaking her head. "Y/n, this is a mansion."

"Well, yeah," y/n shrugged, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Ariana, who had been talking to Frankie, turned to them with a warm smile. "Come on, let's go inside and pick rooms before Frankie tries to claim the biggest one."

"I heard that!" Frankie called from across the driveway.

As they stepped inside, the interior was even more stunning. Marble floors, high ceilings, and wide glass doors that led straight to the pool. The place was so open and bright, filled with natural light from the huge windows.

"Right," Sabrina said, clapping her hands together. "Everyone, go pick your rooms. But no fighting."

Y/n grabbed Lily's wrist and pulled her up the grand staircase. "Come on, I already know which one I want."

Lily and Ally followed, dragging their suitcases behind them. They passed several massive bedrooms, each with king-sized beds, ensuite bathrooms, and balconies overlooking the ocean.

Y/n stopped in front of one of them and grinned. "This one."

Lily stepped inside and gasped. The bed looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel, the floor-to-ceiling windows gave a perfect view of the beach, and the bathroom had a bathtub so big it could probably fit four people.

"Yeah, okay, I'm never leaving," Lily said, spinning around to look at y/n.

"You're so rich, it's actually offensive," Ally muttered, flopping onto the bed.

Ella poked her head in. "Can I claim the one next door?"

"Go for it," y/n said, dropping her bag. "And Ally, you're staying with Ella because I'm not sharing a bed with your lanky ass."

Ally rolled her eyes. "Wow. Rude."

After everyone settled into their rooms, they met outside by the pool. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges. The air was warm, and the faint sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the silence.

y/n sat on one of the loungers, her sunglasses back on, sipping a drink. Ariana sat beside her, chatting with Sabrina while Frankie messed around in the pool, splashing water at everyone.

Lily, still overwhelmed by everything, leaned into y/n. "This is the craziest thing that's ever happened to me."

y/n smirked, resting a hand on her knee. "Get used to it, babe."

Lily shook her head with a laugh. "I don't think I ever will."

Lily sat quietly beside y/n, her fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on the fabric of her sundress. The poolside buzzed with laughter and conversation, but she felt oddly out of place. Not uncomfortable, exactly—but she was very aware of where she was and who she was surrounded by.

She was sitting next to Ariana freaking Grande.

y/n's older sister. A person Lily had seen on TV, listened to for years, and even had songs saved in her playlist. And now, here she was—lounging in a chair beside her, chatting with Sabrina like it was just a normal family vacation.

It wasn't like Ariana had done anything to make her feel weird—if anything, she had been nothing but warm and welcoming—but it was Ariana Grande. Lily had no idea how to act normal.

Ariana must have noticed because, after a while, she turned her attention to Lily. "You alright?" she asked softly, offering a small smile.

Lily blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Just... taking it all in."

Ariana gave her a knowing look. "I get it. It's a lot, huh?"

Lily hesitated before nodding. "A bit, yeah. I mean, this whole trip, this house, you—it's all kind of insane." She let out a small, nervous laugh. "Sorry, that probably sounds weird."

Ariana shook her head. "No, I totally understand. I'm used to people being a little weird around me at first." She tilted her head slightly, studying Lily. "You knew who I was before you met y/n, right?"

Lily snorted. "I'd have to be living under a rock not to."

Ariana laughed. "Fair point." She leaned back in her chair, tucking her legs up. "Honestly, I forget sometimes that my life seems so... big to other people. To me, it's just normal. But when I was younger, I'd meet people I looked up to and completely freeze. So I get it."

Lily felt herself relax a little at that. It was kind of surreal—Ariana Grande telling her that she used to feel the same way.

"When I first met my y/n's favorite singer, I swear, I almost embarrassed myself," Ariana admitted with a grin.

"Wait—who's your y/n's favorite singer?" Lily asked curiously.

"Beyoncé."

Lily's eyes widened. "Oh my God."

"Yeah. Nine-year-old me was not built for that experience." Ariana smiled. "So trust me, I get it. But you don't have to be nervous around me, okay? I'm just y/n's sister. And you're her girlfriend, which means you're basically family now too."

Lily felt a warmth spread in her chest at that. "That's... really nice of you to say."

Ariana reached over and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "Well, it's true. So, take a deep breath, and just enjoy yourself. I promise, we're all just people here."

Lily exhaled slowly, some of her nerves melting away. "Thanks, Ariana."

"Anytime," Ariana said with a wink.

Lily let out a small laugh, finally feeling more at ease. Ariana leaned in, eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Okay, I need to know—how exactly did you and y/n end up together? Because I love my sister, but I also know she can be a handful."

Lily smirked, glancing over at y/n, who was currently in the pool, messing around with Ellie and Ally. "Oh, she absolutely is."

Ariana gasped playfully. "I knew it! So spill—how did she convince you to date her?"

Lily shook her head, biting back a smile. "You say 'convince' like I didn't want to."

"Oh, so you were the one simping for her?" Ariana teased.

Lily scoffed. "Absolutely not." She paused. "...Maybe a little."

Lily still couldn't believe she was sitting here, casually talking to Ariana Grande like this was just a normal thing.

It had been a few months since she and y/n got together, and she still wasn't over the fact that y/n—the most popular girl in school—had picked her.

And now, somehow, she was on holiday with y/n's dad's side of the family, including Ariana freaking Grande.

It was surreal.

Ariana must have noticed Lily was still a little tense because she gave her a knowing smile. "So, how's dating my sister treating you?"

Lily let out a small laugh, trying not to seem too intimidated. "It's... a lot. But in a good way."

Ariana grinned. "Yeah, y/n tends to have that effect. I love her, but let's be real—she's a menace."

Lily smirked. "Oh, definitely."

Ariana leaned in. "So, tell me—how did all this happen?"

Lily chuckled. "Trust me, I was just as confused as everyone else."

"Okay, start from the beginning."

Lily sighed, shaking her head as she thought back to it.

"So, we went to the same school, but we were in completely different worlds. y/n was... well, y/n—rich, popular, everyone either wanted to be her or date her. Meanwhile, I was just some nerd who kept to myself."

Ariana nodded, smirking. "And yet, here you are."

"Yeah, I don't know how it happened. One day, she just decided we were going to be friends. She started sitting with me at lunch, talking to me between classes—like, fully inserting herself into my life."

Ariana laughed. "Classic y/n."

Lily smiled. "At first, I thought it was some kind of joke. Like, she was never mean to me, but her friends were. And then suddenly, she's hanging out with me, defending me, shutting them down when they made comments. It was... weird."

"And then?"

Lily sighed. "And then she asked me to be her girlfriend."

Ariana's eyes lit up. "Oh, this I have to hear."

Lily hesitated, but then she smiled, shaking her head. "It was... kind of unexpected."

Ariana raised an eyebrow. "Oh, now you have to tell me."

Lily laughed, setting her drink down. "Alright, alright. It was late, and we were sitting outside at school. Just the two of us. I wasn't sure why she'd started talking to me in the first place. I thought maybe she was messing with me, because y/n never talked to people outside of her little circle. But then she said, 'They think I like you.'"

Ariana's eyes widened slightly. "Oh?"

Lily nodded. "I was so confused. And she just smirked at me, like she was enjoying how flustered I was. She told me she thought they were right. And I just... I didn't know what to say."

Ariana grinned. "That sounds so like her."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, it was. And when I finally said yes, she had the audacity to say, 'Good. 'Cause if you said no, that would've been so awkward.'"

Ariana burst out laughing. "I knew it! That's classic y/n."

Lily shook her head, smiling despite herself. "Yeah. That's how we got together."

Ariana gave her a warm look. "You make her happy, you know."

Lily glanced down at her hands, a soft smile on her lips. "She makes me happy too."

Ariana nudged her gently. "Good. Because I really like you, and I don't say that about just anyone."

Lily felt a little burst of pride at that. "Thanks. That means a lot."

Ariana smirked. "And, I mean, if y/n ever pisses you off, you let me know. I am the older sister, after all."

Lily laughed, feeling lighter than she had all day. Maybe this wouldn't be so overwhelming after all.

Lily found y/n curled up in bed, her body half-buried under the covers, one arm lazily draped over a pillow. The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of a bedside lamp, casting warm shadows across y/n's relaxed face. She looked so peaceful, her blonde hair tousled against the pillow, her breathing slow and steady.

Lily hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should even wake her, but the thought of not telling y/n about the conversation she just had was unbearable. So she climbed onto the bed, settling next to her, careful not to disturb her too much.

"y/n," Lily whispered, nudging her lightly.

A sleepy hum. Barely a reaction.

Lily tried again, brushing a strand of hair from y/n's face. "Babe."

y/n groaned, turning her face further into the pillow. "Mm. Sleep."

Lily rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "y/n," she said, more insistent this time.

y/n sighed dramatically before cracking one eye open, her voice groggy. "If this is not an emergency, I swear to God, Lily—"

Lily grinned, resting her head on her arm so she was closer to her. "I just had a whole conversation with Ariana."

y/n blinked, still half-asleep. "My sister?"

"No, the other Ariana," Lily deadpanned.

y/n let out a breathy laugh, her lips curling into a sleepy smile. "What'd she say?"

Lily bit her lip, shifting slightly so she was facing her properly. "She just... she noticed I was feeling a bit out of place, and she sat with me. We talked. About you, mostly."

y/n smirked lazily. "Good things, I hope."

Lily rolled her eyes but smiled. "She said she really likes me."

y/n's grin widened, her eyes fluttering shut again. "Course she does. You're my girl."

Lily's heart warmed at that. "She also said if you ever piss me off, I should go to her."

y/n huffed a laugh, eyes still closed. "Traitor."

Lily giggled, playing with the fabric of the blanket between her fingers. "I told her how we got together. The way you said, 'Good. 'Cause if you said no, that would've been so awkward.'"

y/n opened one eye again, mischief twinkling in her sleepy gaze. "I stand by that, by the way."

Lily laughed softly, nudging her forehead against y/n's. "You're ridiculous."

y/n smiled, her arms lazily snaking around Lily's waist, pulling her in closer. "Mm. But you love me."

Lily sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately."

y/n chuckled, her voice muffled as she buried her face against Lily's shoulder. "Go to sleep, babe. We got another day of being ridiculously rich tomorrow."

Lily shook her head fondly, pressing a soft kiss to y/n's forehead. "Fine. But only because I am kinda exhausted."

y/n hummed in approval, holding her even tighter. "Night, love."

Lily smiled. "Night, y/n."

The next morning, the sun was high in the sky, casting golden light over the villa's backyard. The pool shimmered under the warmth, the water reflecting the bright blue sky. Most of the family had gathered outside, lounging on the chairs or standing near the edge of the pool, watching the chaos that was unfolding in the water.

y/n and Ally were in the middle of the pool, laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

"Okay, okay, watch this," y/n announced, flipping her wet hair back dramatically. "I'm about to do the best handstand you've ever seen in your life."

Ariana, sitting on one of the lounge chairs, sipped her drink. "I feel like this is gonna be a disaster."

y/n turned to her sister, placing a hand over her heart. "You doubt me?"

Ariana raised an eyebrow. "I know you."

Ignoring her, y/n took a deep breath and submerged herself underwater, sticking her legs up in an attempt to do a handstand. For a second, it actually looked decent—until her legs flailed wildly, and she lost balance, toppling over with an exaggerated splash.

When she resurfaced, gasping, she dramatically wiped water from her face. "Oh my God, I almost died."

Ally was practically crying from laughter. "You literally just fell over."

"I drowned," y/n insisted, pointing a finger at her. "You witnessed it."

From the edge of the pool, Lily sat on the steps, legs dangling in the water, watching with amusement. She was wrapped in one of y/n's oversized hoodies, the sleeves slightly damp from where she'd splashed herself earlier.

She couldn't stop staring.

y/n was... different here.

At school, she was the definition of untouchable—sharp words, confident smirks, always a step ahead of everyone else. People feared her, envied her, wanted to be her. She had this air of effortless superiority, this reputation of being a little mean, a little ruthless.

But here?

Here, she was just a fifteen-year-old girl.

She was dramatic and ridiculous, laughing so hard with her best friend that she could barely keep herself afloat. She was playful, whining when she failed at something but never truly upset about it. She was teasing Ariana, rolling her eyes at her brothers, letting her younger siblings climb on her back in the water. She was carefree.

Lily had never seen her like this before.

"y/n/n," Frankie called from the side, smirking, "your handstand was so bad, I actually think I forgot what a good one looks like."

y/n/n gasped. "Betrayed by my own brother."

"Just saying."

y/n/n dramatically crossed her arms. "Alright. Fine. Y'all wanna doubt me? Ally, we are doing a synchronized handstand."

Ally raised an eyebrow. "Are we?"

"Yes. And we are going to make it beautiful."

Lily rested her chin on her hand, still watching.

She liked this version of y/n/n.

A lot.

y/n/n and Ally stood in the middle of the pool, gripping each other's wrists dramatically as if they were about to perform the most high-stakes synchronized swimming routine in history.

"Alright," y/n/n said, eyes narrowed in concentration. "On the count of three, we go under and gracefully do our handstands. Got it?"

Ally nodded. "Got it."

Ariana, lounging comfortably, called out, "I'm giving you both a strong two out of ten already."

"THE HATRED IN THIS HOUSEHOLD!" y/n/n shouted, clutching her chest as if she'd been personally attacked.

"Just do the handstand!" Frankie laughed.

y/n/n rolled her shoulders back, then looked at Ally. "One... two... three!"

Both of them pushed off the bottom, disappearing under the water. For a second, it seemed like maybe—maybe—they'd pull it off. But then y/n/n's legs wobbled mid-air, Ally lost her balance trying to correct hers, and suddenly, both of them came crashing down in a mess of limbs and splashes.

When they resurfaced, gasping, y/n/n dramatically flailed in the water. "I'VE BEEN BETRAYED!"

"BY WHO?!" Ally screamed back, laughing.

y/n/n turned in circles, as if searching for an answer. "By the laws of physics!"

The entire family burst out laughing. Even Ariana, who had been prepared to make fun of them, was covering her mouth, trying not to choke on her drink.

Lily shook her head, biting her lip to keep from smiling too hard.

y/n/n swam over to her, resting her arms on Lily's legs where they dangled in the water. "You enjoying the show, babe?"

Lily hummed, running her fingers through y/n/n's damp hair absentmindedly. "You look ridiculous."

y/n/n grinned. "Good. As long as I'm entertaining."

Lily tilted her head. "You know, you're really different here."

y/n/n blinked. "Huh?"

"At school, you're..." Lily hesitated. "Intimidating. People are scared of you."

y/n/n smirked. "Good."

Lily rolled her eyes. "But here? You're just... normal. You're funny and loud and kind of stupid—"

"Wow."

"—and dramatic and playful," Lily continued, ignoring her. "It's nice to see."

y/n/n stared at her for a moment, something unreadable in her expression. Then, slowly, she rested her chin on Lily's knee, looking up at her with a small smile. "You like this version of me?"

Lily shrugged, trying to act casual. "Maybe."

y/n/n's smile grew. "I like this version of me too."

Lily felt something warm settle in her chest.

"Alright," Ariana suddenly announced, standing up. "Since we've established that y/n/n sucks at handstands, who wants lunch?"

y/n/n gasped. "I do not suck!"

"Sweetheart, you drowned doing a handstand," Sabrina reminded her.

y/n/n threw her hands up. "You all hate me."

Lily laughed, grabbing y/n/n's hand and squeezing it. "Come on, drowned rat. Let's eat."

And just like that, with laughter still echoing around the pool, the group headed inside, y/n/n still dramatically complaining about her handstand slander the whole way.

[mezzy303]

HI IN LIGHT OF CHAPTER 1114 OF ONE PIECE I AM COMBINING SOME THEORIES A BIT

It might be safe to say that I can axe my theory (here) that the world is sinking due to natural phenomena lol. BUT I'm gonna keep the idea that the people of the Great Kingdom knew the event would happen sometime in the future, and add on the one that connects Lulusia and Enies Lobby (here).

To summarize the latter, the One Piece Wikia has a trivia note on the Lulusia page that points out that the crater formed after Lulusia was destroyed is similar to the circular falls that surround Enies Lobby. This had got me thinking that 800 years ago, the same or similar weapon was used on an island (possibly the Great Kingdom itself) and the World Govt placed their judicial island over the subsequent crater as a monument to their victory and an example of the lengths they'd go for their "justice."

And now from the new chapter, Vegapunk has directly connected the rising sea levels from the Mother Flame weapon to the Void Century. “In order to understand where the world is heading, we must first address the past, specifically what happened 900 to 800 years ago.” This likely means that the weapon Imu and the Five Elders used existed 800 years ago, if one would need to know the past to understand what's currently going on. A threat from the past is also threatening the future. And I feel like with every chapter, there are more hints that suggest this weapon could be Uranus, the final Ancient Weapon. We know next to nothing about Uranus, except that it's one of the three Ancient Weapons mentioned in the Poneglyphs. Since the other two relate to the gods they're named after, many fans have theorized that Uranus will relate to the sky somehow. And as the lasers that annihilated Lulusia came from the sky, it's likely that the weapon is somewhere above the clouds, which would fit in the theorized theme for Uranus. Also the amount of destruction it caused aligns with what we've been told about the Ancient Weapons' potential. An island-sized crater in the earth that causes global earthquakes and rising sea levels certainly counts as mass destruction!

I've been mulling in my head since the last chapter that the Elders have had this weapon at least since the end of the Void Century, but that it could only be used with the Ancient Energy (the same energy the Iron Giant had run on) of the Great Kingdom and that technology was lost after its fall. And then comes Vegapunk who was researching this energy to create his own everlasting energy source to better the world, thus developing the Mother Flame. On a side note, I wonder if the Elders were using Vegapunk this whole time in order to create something that Uranus could run on. Idk I get that York tipped them off, but it seems too coincidental that the Elders would get a sample of the Flame and a guaranteed loyalist that can create it, and then order Vegapunk's death soon after. Vegapunk just seems like too much of a wild card to have been kept alive for so long.

But back on topic!! When the Elders were "testing the Mother Flame" on Lulusia, what I think they were really doing was seeing if that energy would work with Uranus. And because it did, they are desperate to make sure the Flame stays intact on Egghead, as it's they're only way to use Uranus. They've already shown the extent they'll go to in order to keep the world under their feet, it would be just a minor inconvenience for the world's land to sink if it means they can continuously subjugate entire islands in an instant (they live on the Red Line, what does it matter to them if sea levels rise?)

And if the Elders, likely some of the original 20 allied monarchs, had similar views 800 years ago as they do now, then it probably wasn't hard to conclude how they would use Uranus when they got their hands on it. And that could be the reason why Noah was built. Those of the Great Kingdom, a highly advanced civilization, knew the ramifications of using Uranus and thus were preparing for the inevitability of a world with little land. As Doflamingo mentioned, just 5 more meters of rising sea level would swallow up most urban spaces, so it would only take at least 5 more times of using Uranus to sink the majority of land globally (if each use causes sea levels to rise 1 meter). The World Govt then erased records of the Ancient Weapons to make sure no one else could threaten them with the other two, but also to hide the fact they already had one in their possession. And as a counter, the shipwrights of Water 7 passed down Pluton’s blueprints in case the World Govt got hold of that weapon too, which I had brought up in one of my posts.

I feel like with every chapter I'm reforming and rerouting theories lmao. Let's see how this holds up in two weeks 😂

[12pt-times-new-roman]

IT'S MIGHTY NEIN DAY LET'S GOOOO

god, the SET, the COSTUMES, travis in full half-orc makeup — fucking gorgeous. but I do have the sneaking feeling that Matt is dressed as young Ludinus.......

The time: seven years after the peace treaty that ended the War of Ash and Light, immediately after the ignition of the Malleus Key. The level: 20. The setting: the Encanter's Rest, Blightshore, where Caleb and Beauregard have landed.

In the midst of this, Caleb has a terrifying realization: if his own collar has been disenchanted, what others have been, too? But Beau's priority is to get to Yasha, who was with Caduceus, and Caleb teleports them there with a chipped piece of gravestone.

The Blooming Grove is healthier than they've ever seen it, and the curse of the Savalirwood has been driven away slightly. Caduceus' hair is a vibrant pink again.

"We made it to the Malleus Key like we planned, but nothing ended as we planned. Da'leth brought down a champion of the Matron, into the heart of the dig site, and he did something — our vision went white, we woke up in a different part of the world —" "Long story short, everything's fucked. I think we need to rally the troupe."

Next stop: the deck of the Nein Heroez, docked in Nicodranas.

Fjord update: his level 20 multiclass is warlock 14/paladin 6, and holy fuck his new art—

Stone's Throw has acquired multiple new ships, including the Rumblecusp Express and the Sapphire of the Sea.

As they travel through Nicodranas toward Veth, they catch wind of something having spooked sea-beasts into the streets.

"I'm sorry, the place is a mess, the world has been turned upside down—" "Wait, something happened here too? What's wrong?" "I have a teenager!"

They sit down to have a conversation, alongside Yeza.

"Uh... Cerberus Assembly, global fuckery, the moon is not where it's supposed to be, Trent may not be imprisoned anymore — and we're getting the Nein back together to deal with it."

Jester update: she took flash recall as her 19th level feat.

Jester attempts to scry on Trent and it doesn't work. They immediately assume that he's broken out and has an amulet, but it could still be that the entire prison is warded against scrying.

"Caleb, do you need an amulet so he can't look in on you?" "Let him come." that's what we call character development!

The Nein, in true Nein fashion, decide to tackle the immediate problem first, rather than trying to push the moon back into space when they don't really know anything about it. Trent joined with Ludinus is far more dangerous than Ludinus on his own, so they'll take down Trent first and play whack-a-mole with the rest of the Assembly later.

Veth isn't sure if she should go with them, but Luc slams his door open — "mom, don't be a coward! You do this every time! You have to be an adventurer for everyone, that's our calling! You can ground me all you want, but I learned it from you!"

Caleb cuts in. "Young man, you do not take your mother's love for granted. Do you understand me?"

They start to leave, but Veth doesn't want to. Caleb draws the circle to the Cobalt Soul archive in Rexxentrum, he steps through, the last to go — and Luc, rogue 5/wizard 3, dashes through at the last second!!

The way the entirety of the Mighty Nein turns on Luc the second they realize he's there and are so protective of him is fucking adorable. Beau challenges him to hit her with a spell, but ol' uncle Caleb counters it and puts him in a wall of force. "We are dealing with people who could kill you with a blink. You are not ready. You are talented, and I'm proud of you, but you're not ready." Luc is out here using Sam's 22 charisma to convince everyone — including Caduecus — to let him stay. Caleb agrees, too, on one condition: that Luc will stay under his eye at every moment, and that he reserves the right to teleport Luc back home the second it becomes too dangerous.

On the upside, it appears that the teleportation circles in the Cobalt Soul are still working.

Since the solstice, the Cobalt Soul has closed its archive doors. They discovered that the master vault has had its wards interfered with and has actually been infiltrated and trapped from within — with Yudala Fon meeting with the king, they ask the Nein to investigate.

Caleb update: Fortune's Favor is his second-level spell mastery choice.

The hallway to the vault leads to a massive adamantine door covered in runes — though it would usually glow blue upon approach, the runes are cold and lifeless. It creaks open without issue.

Inside is a storage room filled with various chained crates, tomes, display cases, and other such things.

In the middle of the floor is a toothy mouth. "Welcome, Bren. You are nothing if not reliable. It feels good to be free — have had so much time to ponder. I can now see how solitude forged you, I now know the greatness that can come from endless quiet and conjecture. At the edges of my mind, many seek me in silence. I wonder If any partnership would meet my standards. I have much to thank you for, my exemplary pupil. It is only fitting you have now taught me, and I return renewed. I must confirm my theories, for they keep many secrets beneath this library. You are welcome to learn what I have, Bren." The magic mouth spell vanishes.

At the far end of the room is a figure, crouched — Aggy, a dwarvish monk (way of the drunken fist, presumably), level 5, played by Wembly Arena's announcer Daniel! The monk was sent into the archive ahead of them, but got caught in some kind of explosion. "Without being too rude, who the living fuck are you?"

Beau update: She got promoted to High Monk!

Fjord uses see invisibility, revealing a handle on the wall that was previously hidden. Aggy goes and headbutts it, inadvertently turning the lever and opening a secret door in the wall.

Through this new door, another mouth appears. "We have all done terrible things, Bren, and we all must be punished for them. I still pay the price, and so too shall he. The Shadowhand must step into his own might. I will tell the Bright Queen of his betrayal, and in this, he shall be made free to follow your path of pain. Only in suffering are we made paragon, and I will make you better; you will be my proudest achievement."

The passage leads to a series of terraced platforms that then lead to a room covered in lockboxes. Each is hidden with invisibility, and protected by various wards.

Aggy, brazenly running down the passageway and sticking his hand on one of the lockboxes, gets instantly killed by a disintegrate.

One of the lockboxes is slightly ajar, and no longer has a trap on it; the inside is empty except for a piece of paper, and another magic mouth appears. "To bleed is to scab, to break is to mend stronger, to hurt is to learn; but recklessness will only leave you dead and forgotten. I was called here to take of its blessing and release one of its forgotten nightmares; arrogance thinks it can use me, but I am the master here. I am he who feeds on ambition, he who drinks of promise and leaves nothing unearned." He tells Caleb to meet him at the ruins of his childhood home — "dinner will be waiting."

Beau comforts Caleb in the way that she does. "You've worked really hard to overcome this. You are above this." "You are right. I don't care that he taunts me. But he doesn't need to be breathing anymore."

With at nat20 plus true seeing, Beau can see the name of what each lockbox contains. The two that were ajar read "adrenus sap," a rare unholy ichor distilled for use in abyssal rituals to bind servants of the abyss or undeath to their domains, or to ensnare such creatures; and "afterimentahl," an arcane binding stone used to capture powerful beings for study, syphoning, or experimentation. The ones known typically contain an entity from the Calamity or before, but the process of creating them has been lost.

back from break and so ready to watch them finally kill this motherfucker—

They put up the tower to sleep for the night, and cast a heroes' feast preemptively.

Caleb uses wish to cast simulacrum on himself to create a copy. He then gives Luc his luck stone, re-attunes his ring of evasion, and casts mind blank on himself before going to bed.

And with a night's rest, Caleb can prepare another 9th level spell or can keep wish — he didn't even have to roll for it because he duplicated a spell! 20th level wizards are a hell of a thing.

With potions drank, fog clouds created, and a heroes' feast had, the Nein plus Luc teleport to Blumenthal.

As they approach, Caleb feels the ghost of his grief, but he has come to terms with it. The house that stands here looks exactly like his childhood home. "I have done what I have needed to do in this world. If I don't walk from this, I need you to get that boy to safety."

Inside, there is laughter — Una's, followed by Leofric's, mingled with Trent's. Caleb walks in, followed by Jester and Fjord. With divine sense, Fjord reads both Una and Leofric as undead. Caleb's simulacrum is polymorphed into a sabertooth to protect Luc. The rest flank the house and watch through the windows.

Breakfast is set at the table. There are seven empty chairs.

"Mother, don't you think it's strange, you haven't changed one iota?" "Not at all. He has given us a second chance." With an insight check, Caleb sees them for what they are: just bodies, reanimated.

Jester leans, says "I'm sorry" to Caleb — and casts turn undead. Both parents fail their saves, fall back. Trent's face falls. "Wery well, then. Perhaps the lesson should start with me." The entire house explodes, but their preparation reduces the damage significantly, and before them is Trent Ikithon, floating up in the air — and where Una and Leofric were are two ghoulish corpses.

time for initiative and combat updates!

Trent's spell save DC is 22. That's just about on-par for a 20th-level wizard with money; a 22 INT plus a robe of the archmagi gets him there, and an arcane grimoire can compensate for no robe or a 20 INT.

Trent can use 2 legendary actions to cast a spell.

Caleb Prime: *downed* Caleb 2: immediately turns into a fucking t-rex

Luc casts see invisibility and reveals that Trent's avatar is an illusory duplicate, and the real Trent is crouched behind a tree like a little fucking creep.

After a chain lightning, a meteor swarm that did higher-than-average damage, and a massive house explosion, everyone's back to full with a mass heal! So with two clerics in the party with a 9th level each, plus a guaranteed divine intervention that can duplicate a mass heal, these fuckers have a latent health pool of 2800 hit points.

Beau update: Her 19th level feat is mobile.

In an antimagic field, Trent is cowering — "but this is why the intelligent prepare. Omentis, be unleashed." The field doesn't suppress artifacts, and he breaks the afterimentahl against his chest. From where he stands, an orb of pitch darkness grows, and a 40-foot entity made of purplish and black shadow, with four arms and glowing purple orbs begins to stalk toward Blumenthal itself.

Seeing that, Caleb plants one palm, two palms on the ground — and uses shapechange to transform into Gelidon, the Nightmare in Ivory.

KAIJU FIGHT!!

and then, just to top it all off, Luc casts enlarge on the fucking t-rex!

"Arty, if there's ever a time we needed you—" Jester uses gate to pull Artagan out of the feywild and right into this fucking kaiju fight. "Don't worry, Jester, I've got y—oh, what have you brought me into?! Really?!"

An archfey, an ancient dragon, a giant t-rex, and the avatar of an abyssal archfiend tethered to the soul of a 20th-level archmage walk into a bar...

With holy weapon active, Yasha does 168 damage in a turn without a crit.

Its full name is Omentis, Scion of Ruin. Everyone within 60 feet gets hit with its "void hunger," automatically takes necrotic damage at the top of its turn. It also has "aura of oblivion," a beam that emits from its face and deals massive (as in, 150 points on a failed save) force damage. Its AC is 24, and it is considered undead.

With his passive perception, Caleb notices that the crystal that Trent shattered is still visible in its chest.

Luc notices and targets the artifact, which causes the shadow holding the creature together to flicker.

Caduceus uses divine intervention (which automatically succeeds) to cause the creature's shadow to become translucent, so that they can see the artifact clearly within it. In the center, with the crystal at his heart, is the shadowy echo of Trent, hanging like a puppet.

what is it with live shows and nat20s at crucial story moments???

With a nat20 strength check, Beau rips the heart from the creature. All the shadows swirl around it and get pulled back into the egg, and as it reforms, Trent himself gets pulled, screaming, into it — Beau tosses it up, Gelidon catches it and smashes it into the ground.

As the dust settles, the people of Blumenthal gather, and the sun begins to rise.

The heart remains intact, but sealed forever with Trent inside it.

Caleb uses demiplane — which opens into a familiar nine-sided tower — to seal the heart away for..... future use.

They decide that after all this, Luc deserves a party — not least of all to celebrate Fjord and Jester's engagement!

At the end of it all, Caleb uses the tower to cook a feast for all of Blumenthal.

"While this was a singular victory, it is still the beginning of much work to be done."

[outsidereveries]

The questions regarding smngg are

They had a global audition in many countries even in southeast asian countries this year They even had a live audition of girls from India so do you think they will add any girls from this audition in their girl group or any indian girl as kpop entertainment are welcoming indians too.

When they will debut

No of members

Concept and nationality too also rumors are this time its going to be south east asian group

Their impact on 5th gen

Will they be big as blackpink

Level of success

thank you for the.. repeating asks.

About rough energy (general reading), SMNGG as a collective group are all over the place. I believe there was change in the lineup in the recent weeks, possibly because of them being different tham the rest. They could've broke a rule as SME trainee. Nothing else. I could see a few girls close with each other, bu the way but nothing much.

About whether they'll debut in the 4th quarter of this year, yeah, I can see it, but there will be delays for their debut preparations in a way or another. I can see SMNGG debuting in December this year if they solve everything as soon as possible. There could be a scandal in the company that will be revealed publicly. If related to the girls, it can be similar situation to Karina's before aespa debuted (not saying it will be bullying 100%).

As amount of members, I see 8. They were going to be 9 if that girl wasn't kicked out. The original plan was 5-member girl group but they scrapped it out.

I do see their concept being versatile rather than having specific vibe. Maybe like Red Velvet's (oh, their impact!) but they haven't decided it very specific what and how exactly it should be.

Girl #1: The most hardworking out of all of them. The most talented but the most introverted too. She might be an it-girl of her generation, or has the potential to be very impactful. Basically, her personality is very relateable and loved. Possibly Na Haeun. As positions, I don't feel any. Maybe a bunch of them at once (Like Vocalist, Dancer, FOTG..). Might be interested in songwriting/producing songs in the future.

Girl #2: Being a trainee from quite some time. Also very hardworking and plans quite a lot. Might receive the leader position.. so possibly she's the oldest girl. I don't feel other positions. If that's Helen, then she can receive also a dancer position.

Girl #3: Very intiutive and optimistic person. She learns dances and everything else slower. If the other idols are way greater dancers, then she might receive criticism from k-netizens bc of it. Don't feel specific positions yet.

Girl #4: Might be foreigner. She feels determinated to debut, but also feels this isn't worth it to some extent. Very emotional too. Might receive vocal position (Lead?). I don't feel she's from India but she might be from an island - Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan or Malaysia. Definitely Asian.

Girl #5: Although as hardworker as the first girl, she doubts her own abilities and talents. Might have issues with her confindence, her mental health, these things. This doesn't make her less talented but she's not on her best time when I asked. Therefore, I don't feel any certain positions.

Girl #6: Might receive dancer position. Very hardworking, also very realistic mindset (with optimistic tendencies). She tries to be a good.. rapper? but doesn't feel this is her thing. SME seems to have in mind for her to be "dancer, (something else)" as positions. She tries with rapping but doesn't work as of now.

Girl #7: Might be the second most popular member in the future. Extremely emotional, very talkative, very creative too. She gives me Ningning vibes, I won't lie (because of her Libra stellium). Main vocalist, I feel so.

Girl #8: Overthinker for sure, might be very critic to herself. She is also working very hard, might come from a wealthy family. She's not rigged for sure, she might be the 2nd all-rounder of the group. I don't feel specific positions yet.

So far I sense 1 (certain?) foreigner.. and the rest of them Koreans. The 2nd girl might've lived in foreign lands, maybe Australia if that's Helen.

Their popularity in the 5th generation won't be that great, they might be overshadowed by other groups. So far I feel ther relevance will be similar to Red Velvet (just enough). Might be more popular outside of Korea.

Their success will be "just enough". The half of the girls will be more relevant than the rest. I don't feel anything prominent.