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professorscrooge · 29 days ago

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Sleeping Soldiers AU Draft - circa August '23

Feel amidst continuing to necro-post on this AU, I should probably actually post the draft of my attempt at turning this into a fic, bit more than a year ago. Ran out of steam, as I tend to, and it's a bit rough (also don't know if tumblr has a character limit, but fair warning, this is ~3k). Diverged from where ideas on this ended up going.

References to the original inspiration(s) can be found on posts here and here, and I will emphasise credit @phoenixyfriend, @epicmusic42 and @graylinesspam whose work I have been butting in on (and I think this may rip off some of their wordings). Leans largely into bits and pieces of the Legends timeline, but only through vague references as that's a whole monolith of a thing to try and understand. --

Coruscant is a city of metal and glass; the planet that once was is buried beneath eons of sharp edges growing out ever further. As the centre of the Galactic Republic, it is demanded to be continuously modern (at least on the surface), with a slick and shining outer coating. Its noises are of technology; the heavy thrum of electricity is the heartbeat of the city, speeders and aircraft fill the air with their droning, and there are an abundance of holoscreens to display the inauguration of the new Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

The Jedi Temple is perhaps the one exception: its tranquillity is unmatched on Coruscant, and its construction is old and solid. All the same, when the silence within the Temple was broken by noise, its nature was unnerving in its irregularity; not the shattering of glass or creaking of metal, not the whine of engines, not an explosion or a turbolaser or any such thing, it is a noise unheard on Coruscant for Millenia.

It is a grinding, of stone upon stone, echoing up from its very deepest recesses.

–

Circa 500 BBY

The Jedi Temple is an ancient relic of bygone times; old enough, that the only records that might say how old are held within its own walls (or rather, were, given the unfortunate number of sackings and assaults in its history had frequently damaged the famous archives). Its grand size is a symbol of strength against the dark, but also something of an impracticality in certain times. Its lower reaches are vast, stretching all the way down to the forgotten mountains of Coruscant; a surface where sunlight hasn’t shined in millennia. Construction kept reaching upwards for the longest time, keeping up with the rising levels of the city-planet as its foundations became buried under smog and filth, forgotten.

In the wake of wars’ end, many lower levels were sealed away; who needed such vast halls, impromptu barracks and storage, when the Jedi no longer served as military leaders? There was no need to house so many people as to require them, and it was more effort to clean and maintain them than necessary for a monk order of a few thousand. After all, this was a Golden Age, with the Sith defeated, and a time of the High Republic.

Age lent itself to secrets, and with time, many of those secrets were lost with their keepers.

The newly minted Chancellor paused only briefly in taking his oath of office. Most present simply chalked it up to the weight of the vows involved being taken seriously. In truth, the hidden Darth Sidious that lurked under the unassuming garb of Sheev Palpatine had shivered at a tremor in the Force; local and distinctly, searingly Light in its origin, piercing the veil of darkness he and his master had woven over the planet for but a moment. Quickly, he steeled himself and resumed his words; it would not do to falter or drop his mask at this stage. And after all, what could stop The Great Plan now? Sidious had a thousand years of his Order’s planning behind his back. It wasn’t like the Jedi could think on such a grand scale.

–

Circa 1000 BBY

The history of the Jedi Temple site may as well be a timeline of the Republic itself. With the ever-recurrent war that was fought over its location, and how often Coruscant changed hands, it wasn’t just built upon, but rebuilt, several times. The Grand Ziggurat of the High Republic era was built over the ashes and ruins of the Temple before it, reaching to the sky not far from where the newly built Senate District would form the seat of the Galaxy. A symbol of strength to a unified Galaxy that had defeated the evil of the Sith, once and for all.

The Jedi Council scrambled to action, of course (in as dignified manner as they could). Even with their senses long-blinded by the veil that consistently hampered their sight, there was no missing the stirring beneath their feet.

“Awoken, something has,” Master Yoda was heard to declare.

–

Circa 3653 BBY

The Soldiers’ Hall, as it came to be known, was a real anomaly. It was unearthed in the wake of the Treaty of Coruscant, and the Great Sacking of the Jedi Temple. The respite granted by the armistice with Sith Forces withdrawing from the world was a balm to the Coruscanti people, yes, but the Jedi had returned to a Temple filled with death and desecration. Their holiest relics had been plundered, and the numbers of dead were horrific; a toll only growing as they uncovered the deadly traps spiteful Sith had left behind to further ruin them. It was a painful experience for the survivors, not helped by the lack of justice and repercussions the treaty afforded them.

With their returned forces in peacetime, however, it was decided to fully survey the Temple to account for all possible traps. The survey unearthed many lower chambers forgotten for centuries, which would soon be repurposed as bunkers for military assets. Naturally, the opportunity was also taken to strengthen ancient foundations with modern materials, which came with looking over the foundations of the ancient Temple grounds atop a mountain of Coruscant, and the Dark Shrine hidden there. It was known to the High Council alone that the old Temple had been built atop a Dark Vergence in the Force in an attempt to cleanse it, and a handful of masters yet survived to share that information to a select few. What surprised them more was the discovery of older ruins beneath the Shrine, built into the mountain itself, and seemingly dating to before the Alsakan conflicts, perhaps even the Jedi Order itself (though few dare voice this thought). The shift from precision, machine-poured duracrete that has been in use for millennia, to the more rough, hand-hewn stone is a sight that excites the archaeologically inclined allowed to see it.

Most of the tunnels are collapsed, but slowly, over several years of uneasy peace, a path is unearthed to a large atrium, central beneath the Dark Side Nexus. The discovery is shocking to those who uncover it; they’d gone from archiving very faded murals (amidst admonishment that such pre-Jedi religious teachings are not worth great regard), to cracking the door open to a great chamber filled with an army of statues. A thousand men – clearly soldiers – each expertly carved with incredible detail, each set of armour uniquely battle scarred and hand painted, each posed differently, and every single one perfectly preserved in defiance of their ancient surroundings. The warriors sat, or lay, or kneeled, in great concentric circles, facing inwards to a central figure, the only one not wearing armour; a Togruta woman, dressed simply, and with lightsabers resting at her hips. Where the soldiers were wrought from a pale white stone, she was crafted in warm terracotta in a relaxed pose, face bowed in conference with the Force. It was almost as if she were made of flesh.

Despite the gathering of Masters who quickly investigated the room, none could quite manage to lay a hand upon her. The sense of foreboding was just too strong. Every gaze in the room was pointed towards her; an even thousand visors of solid stone, focused on this one woman, every one so lifelike as to be uncanny. In-fact, sometimes, in the corner of the Jedi’s eyes, it was almost like they moved; a chest rising and falling with breath, tiny fluctuations in the Force that evaded the senses, or flickers of dreams. Almost as if they were waiting for something.

The Council ordered the chamber sealed; what markings upon the soldiers that could be identified were Mandalorian in origin, so clearly this was some work of those great adversaries and their common allies, the Sith. That those forces combined had so recently sacked their home likely aided this decision. Knowledge and warnings were recorded within the Council’s private library only, and would be lost some centuries hence by the passing of those who saw the sight and another sacking of the upper Temple.

Beneath them all, the feared warriors continued to sleep.

The sounds of shattering stone echoed within the long-forgotten chamber, even as dust filled the air from the broken remains. This noise was swiftly drowned out by a thousand throats all drawing breath at once.

–

Circa 5000 BBY

Recapturing Coruscant was not the final victory of what came to be called the Great Hyperspace Wars, but it was perhaps the most important, given that all that followed became much easier with forces scattering. However, there was an interesting discovery made upon their landing; an empty Shrine, where once the Sacred Spire peak of Mount Satorl had stood.

The destruction of the Sacred Spire had been one of the opening gambits of the conflict, so this was expected. The Jedi amongst the Republic Forces were most dismayed that the legendary Vergence in the Force that had rested there had been twisted into a Dark nexus, but this too had been rumoured by spies and propaganda. No, what was surprising was the lack of occupants, particularly Sith acolytes. This was a powerful nexus in the Dark Side, and a clear site of investment to build the new Shrine, but there was nobody present; just the signs of conflict that predated Republic arrival to the planet.

Eventual interrogation of Sith Forces revealed rumours of a ‘curse’ upon the site; no force had managed to occupy the site for long, somehow always turning up dead. Construction of the Shrine had taken several years, and a great many slow attempts, always stymied by poor fortune.

The Jedi took this as a sign that the Force itself resisted the corruptive attempts for as long as possible, and when granted a boon for their aid in the war, chose to claim the land for themselves. There, they built a new Temple, in the hope that the presence of many Jedi may once again cleanse this place that had long been sacred to a great many religious and Force-sensitive sects throughout the Galaxy. The Jedi Order would build their new headquarters at the heart of the Republic and therefore claim the site instead of any other religion having access.

Of course, throughout construction, there was plenty of investigation of the ruins being built over (padawans got bored hanging around and waiting, naturally, and the Galaxy’s archaeologists were most invested in seeing how this location had suffered under Sith rule). Of particular note is a surviving chamber of the old Sacred Spire that is unearthed; a grand chamber filled with statues. Sadly, no records from prior to the Sith occupation persist, but a great many experts descend on the room to catalogue what they can of the astoundingly beautiful find that is far more interesting than dusty old clay vessels. The General’s Legion, they are quickly dubbed, given the militaristic bent.

They bring in first art experts, then body language experts, even a scholar on Mandalorian culture once some symbols are defined. Most of the markings they find mean nothing, however; while Mandalorian symbols are identified a few dozen times, including Jaig Eyes on one of the more prominent soldiers directly facing The General, there’s no real commonality with any clan, or any real consistency. Many more besides are marked with nonsense; a loose word or number in some language, even some unrecognised languages that cause head scratching. The holstered blasters cause them to bring in antique weapons dealers to unsuccessfully identify them, causing yet more headaches at the clear mass-manufacturing on display, since most the soldiers bear the same weapons, but they are entirely unfamiliar. Artists are baffled at how perfectly detailed and well-preserved the figures are; the level of work on display would have taken hundreds of artists thousands of hours, but the style implies a singular sculptor. The historians flail wildly at whether these soldiers throw all the old theories about the Taung originating Mandalorian culture into doubt.

The only experts who could agree upon something were those who attempted to psychoanalyse the figures; the way the men were arranged was with deference for the General, and those closest to her were the officers with the most decoration and adornment (and battle scars), while those nearest the edge were the lowest ranks. Originally, they thought the much smaller central figure was being threatened by the soldiers, but she sat in such a relaxed pose of confidence it seemed more clearly a commander’s position.

Still, as time goes on, their observations are recorded and stored in the new Jedi library, and a towering new Temple is built over the ruins. Gradually, this fills with masters, knights and younglings looking forward to a new era of peace and prosperity. The past is not forgotten, but it is not the focus of an Order trying to rebuild after centuries of conflict. And so, the statues sit in their atrium, still and silent. Masters study them for decades, photos and essays are included in the new archives; they are a fascination, a mysterious piece of history.

But, time passes, and slowly the fascination fades. The wider galaxy captures attention, the Regions are expanding in a new era of colonisation and there is great need for Jedi aid. Only those particularly intrigued by art and archaeology look through the old archives. The statues become more of a ghost story.

Padawans sometimes gossip about them over latemeal. They dare each other to sneak down to the lower levels, and walk between the rows upon rows of sleeping soldiers. The truly brave (or reckless) of the classes make the journey, past the point where the air lifts reach, down long staircases and through the dusty thick air. Lightsabers raised high over their heads, they tiptoe between the first few rows, twisting wildly at jumping shadows cast over the room. Some stare petrified into the visors of the men, convinced that if you peer close enough, you can see eyes peering back at you.

Very, very few brave padawans make it all the way to The General – one or two per generation – but those that do, swear they hear her breathing.

Over the years, those children grow into knights, into masters and grandmasters, and then they pass into the Force. Still, the tradition survives, for a time, until one day, when the new Temple has become old and known many Councils, the chamber passes from memory, and is lost for many centuries to come.

But still, the soldiers look to their General for orders.

The first breath is the hardest.

Going out, the air feels abrasive and dust-filled, and her throat is drier than a desert. Then, she must try and breath in, and it’s an effort to fill lungs that have sat still for so very, very long. She coughs once, and then struggles through it, going through the motions a few times as she slowly registers her montrals ringing from the similar sounds about her.

Finally, she looks up, eyes open and awake.

“Orders, sir?” Rex asks.

“Form up.”

–

Circa ??? BBY

The Mountains were a safe place. A sacred place, to many. So when war came to Coruscant, it was to the mountains people fled.

The One-Thousand-And-One, a group of warriors who spoke no language anyone understood, but under whose strength, Coruscant stood against Alsakan [– Tion instead?]. They could never leave the Mountain, though.

—

And that’s all I managed to write out, couldn’t quite figure a) what I wanted their arrival period to be like/what they did there, and b) how I wanted the present-time to work out (likely marching on the Senate building and demanding Sidious’ surrender). Ended up with some Jedi-negative things in there that I'm not entirely sure where they came from (probably something emerging from my frustrations with Christianisation on mythology). May have been a bit uncharitable.

Much as I kinda like the framing of current day swapping back and forth with older and older eras, I don't think I'm coming back to this version - I think I prefer the more recent ideas related to the chamber's unveiling in more modern eras, and drama resulting therefrom.

#star wars #fanfiction #fic ideas #fic draft #unfinished #wip #work in progress #not originally my idea #ahsoka tano #501st legion #time travel #au #time travel au #Sleeping Soldiers AU #star wars legends #I'm uncertain of etiquette #Is this a faux pas?#this is still living rent-free in my brain

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murasaki-cha · 2 years ago

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Cale: *commits calebab*

Clopeh + God of Despair temple: Caught you in 8K UHD surround sound 16 Gigs ram, HDR GEFORCE RTX, TI-80 texas insturments, Triple A duracell battery ultrapower100 Cargador Compatible iPhone 1A 5 W 1400 + Cable 100% 1 Metro Blanco Compatible iPhone 5 5 C 5S 6 SE 6S 7 8 X XR XS XS MAX GoPro hero 1 2 terrabyte xbox series x Dell UltraSharp 49 Curved Monitor - U4919DW Sony HDC-3300R 2/3" CCD HD Super Motion Color Camera, 1080p Resolution Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Microwave Oven with Smart Sensor, Easy Clean Interior, ECO Mode and Sound On/Off, 1.2 Cu. ft, Stainless Steel HP LaserJet Pro M404n Monochrome Laser Printer with Built-in Ethernet (W1A52A) GE Voluson E10 Ultrasound Machine LG 23 Cu. Ft. Smart Wi-Fi Enabled InstaView Door-in-Door Counter-Depth Refrigerator with Craft Ice Maker GFW850SPNRS GE 28" Front Load Steam Washer 5.0 Cu. Ft. with SmartDispense, WiFi, OdorBlock and Sanitize and Allergen - Royal Sapphire Kohler K-3589 Cimarron Comfort Height Two-Piece Elongated 1.6 GPF Toilet with AquaPiston Flush Technology., Quick Charge 30W Cargador 3.0 Cargador de Viaje Enchufe Cargador USB Carga Rápida con 3 Puertos carga rápida Adaptador de Corriente para iPhone x 8 7 Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Mix 3 A1 Samsung S10 S9 S8AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 Cargador de Pared 39W Dual Puerto Cargador Móvil para Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+/ Note 8, iPhone XS / XS Max / XR, iPad Pro / Air, HTC 10, LG G5 / G6 AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 Cargador USB 60W 6 Puerto Cargador Móvil para Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+ / Note 8, LG G5 / G6, Nexus 5X / 6P, HTC 10, iPhone XS / XS Max / XR, iPad Pro/ Air, Moto G4 SAMSUNG 85-inch Class Crystal UHD TU-8000 Series - 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (UN85TU8000FXZA, 2020 Model) GE 38846 Premium Slim LED Light Bar, 18 Inch Under Cabinet Fixture, Plug-In, Convertible to Direct Wire, Linkable 628 Lumens, 3000K Soft Warm White, High/Off/Low, Easy to Install, 18 Ft Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Trane20,000-Watt 1-Phase LPG/NG Liquid Cooled Whole House Standby Generator

#if you read all that congratulations because even I didn't #tcf #trash of the count's family #lcf #lout of the count’s family #cale henituse #clopeh sekka #god of despair #tcf incorrect quotes #incorrect tcf quotes

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moonlighter-at-midnight · 2 years ago

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ror | shiva x reader | the hot spring screwup

hi there! this is my first writing piece in yeeeears so sorry if it’s booty. i originally was working on a buddha chapter piece but got this idea and decided to post this first since it’s just a little one off thing. the idea of the reader’s character is basically the same as the one that i will be writing about in the buddha piece. so if you like this, be on the lookout for that release! also, i have only watched the anime so what I know is solely based on that (with some additional research courtesy of professor google) so if there are any inaccuracies, i apologize! anyway, please enjoy! ♡

warnings: nudity, no sexy time but heavily alludes to it, basically straight up mentions wanting to bang shiva

spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

You sigh dreamily as you step into the steaming water, sinking down until you were submerged from the neck down. Your tense muscles unraveled and the dull ache of your wounds waned, sending you into a state of pure euphoria. In life, you had fought in a myriad of brawls, but none quite like this. It was a battle of souls, a bout that would affect humanity’s fate, and against a god no less. However, you had managed to overpower your opponent in the very end, saving your soul from decimation and adding another triumph under humanity’s belt — and all at the cost of a badly broken arm, cracked ribs, and bruised lungs. Despite the advanced technology and medicine of the god realm, it did little to quell your pain. Thankfully, one of the nurses told you about the incredible hot spring, and you were all too pleased to learn that the bandages were infused with some type of magic that allowed it to get wet. Valhalla was sure an interesting place.

The idyllic silence is abruptly broken when you hear several pairs of feet shuffle into the area. You grumble quietly at having to share the divine space. You were not in the mood to interact with people especially if they were gods. That was the very last thing you wanted. But, the hot spring seemed spacious enough and paired with the heavy shroud of steam, you’d probably have very minimal to no contact with whoever else had entered. As long as you stayed in your little nook at the far side of the spring, they wouldn’t bother you right?

“This was a good idea. I’m getting riled up and tense waiting for my turn to fight. If only old man Zeus hadn’t browbeat me into letting him take my turn. This will definitely help loosen me up.”

You freeze, your once relaxed muscles stiffening at the sound of the booming voice.

What?? Is that a man’s voice? It couldn’t be.. No, it has to be a mistake…this is the women’s hot spring…maybe it’s just a woman with a deep voice. Yeah, that’s it..a woman with a deep voice, you think to yourself trying to assuage your panicking mind. Your breathing grows shallow as you nervously listen for affirmation that these were indeed women. Females. Girls. Fellow vagina owners. And not men.

“Always itching for a fight huh Shiva? Glad to know you haven’t changed,” another voice says as multiple laughs erupt into the air.

Your stomach drops, and you feel like it’s falling out of your butt as your fears are dismally confirmed. Not only were they men, but at least one of them, if not all, were gods.

Fuck me.

You try to ever so silently press yourself against a rock in the farthest corner possible, dipping yourself lower into the water so that you were only visible from the nose up. If it weren’t for the thick steam emanating from the spring, you surely would have already been noticed.

The water sloshes and ripples as the men make their way into the spring, causing your anxiety to further skyrocket as your chances of a clean escape begin to dwindle. You had to get the hell out of here. You try to devise a plan to flee undetected or at least without your identity being discovered. If you ever meet the legendary Mulan, you’d have to ask her how the hell she did it. But, here were the cold, hard facts: You were butt ass naked. At least five to six men were here, probably all gods, one of them being the all powerful Shiva. The exit and your towel were on the completely opposite side of where you were. You had a broken arm, broken ribs, broken everything really; you were in no condition to fight.

Plan A: Jump out of the spring from where you were and run like hell. High risk of slipping, falling, breaking your neck, and then having your dead, naked body discovered by a bunch of male gods. Next.

Plan B: Walk across the spring and hope that you don’t get noticed. High risk of getting caught and bumping into someone who will kill you and then having your dead, naked body discovered by a bunch of male gods. Next.

Plan C: Swim underwater. The water seemed clear enough. However, your lungs were bruised, and although not fatal or very serious, that put your breath holding capacity to maybe like five seconds. Ten if you were feeling daring. Not to mention you had only one good arm. You were sure this plan would probably also lead to your dead, naked body being discovered by male gods. Next.

Plan D: Quietly stay behind this rock and hope they leave without ever detecting your presence. Hmmm. Alright, (y/n), okay. I might be on to something here. They haven’t discovered me yet, and they’re probably on the other side and are totally not going to come over here. No risk of being discovered dead and naked. None whatsoever.

You nod to yourself, stupidly confident in your plan and so totally absorbed in your own thoughts that you failed to notice the white haired, smoking man that had peered at you from over the other side of the rock.

“Who are you? Why you hiding behind this rock?” the man asks nonchalantly.

You jerkily pause your head mid-nod and slowly look up at him. At this point, you were still only visible from the nose up. And just like that, your plan had gone up in flames.

“Well? Are you going to say something or are you just going to hide in the water?” he speaks again.

“Indra, who are you talking to over there?” yells one of the men.

“I found some guy hiding over here. Varuna, clear the steam will ya?”

Suddenly, the dense haze of steam dissipates. You peek out from behind the rock and are confronted by five other pairs of intense eyes. The white haired man, who you gathered as Indra, gets down from the rock and joins the rest of the group. Among the men was a blue man with an elaborate headdress, a long, white haired man with some sort of weird mask over his face, a large, tan man with purple beads around his neck, a black, spiky haired man with four arms adorned with several tattoos, and last but not least, the one with the most intense aura of them all — a purple, four armed man, with a third eye in between his eyebrows. You gulp.

This isn’t good.

“Yo, who are you and why are you hiding?” says the purple guy aggressively.

He locks eyes with you as he approaches. You instinctively scoot back. As you watch him scrupulously, something in his demeanor and appearance tells you that this guy is Shiva. And if it you weren’t so unnerved and being backed into a corner by him, you’d say he was actually quite hot. Too bad he was probably going to snap you like a twig.

“I’ll ask you one more time before I force the answer out of you,” he asserts, cracking his knuckles to emphasize his point.

You feel your body slump in defeat. There was no way out of if it. You were out of options and better to maybe try and explain yourself instead of foolishly staying silent. You take a deep breath through your nose before standing up fully. It was the first time you felt truly blessed for being vertically challenged as the water was about chest deep on you, covering your goods.

Everyone looks at you with some degree of surprise and shock as they realize that you’re a human woman. Shiva specifically gazes at you hard. Something about you seemed familiar, although he knew he’d never seen your face before. He would never forget a human who looked as exceptionally stunning as you. But then it clicked. The broken arm, the (y/c) eyes — you were one of the Einherjar. He had witnessed your fight earlier, but your all black shinobi outfit revealed nothing but your eyes, thoroughly concealing your appearance. You had been introduced with only the first initial of your given name revealed which further added to the obscurity. He, the other gods, the humans, and the legends passed down about you, all speculated you were a man, but clearly history was very wrong. Regardless, he was too enamored in the battle itself to have paid any attention to the individuals fighting in it. But now that you were in front him, fully exposed and vulnerable, he couldn’t take his eyes off you. He also couldn’t help but observe the way beads of water sensually glided down your body and into the valley of your breasts, disappearing into unseeable territory — territory he wanted to explore and conquer. And the way you shyly looked up at him through your lashes only made him curious to know what that pretty face would look like when he did it.

Shiva smirks. ”A human huh? You were that one fighting earlier weren’t you? (first initial f/n) (l/n) right?”

You couldn’t help but feel incredibly flustered from being basically naked in front of bunch of a men whose eyes were all on you. Especially Shiva’s. You could feel him unabashedly scrutinizing every inch of you, his eyes darkening with desire. Your face burns red, and you look away.

Damn, he has me so hot and bothered. Why is he so good looking?

“Yeah, that’s me…you can call me (f/n). Uhm, look I don’t want to cause any trouble so if you could just let me pass, I’d really appreciate it…” you manage to utter.

“Go right on ahead,” Shiva says, still smirking. He steps aside making way for you to pass. The other men follow suit.

Why does this seem too easy?

“Thank you…also, could you guys turn around?”

The other gods glance at each other and shrug and start moving at your request. All except Shiva of course.

“I prefer to watch,” he says impishly, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Your eyes widen, and you snap your head towards him. “But!” you start to object.

“You can walk out yourself or I can do it for you. Which one will it be, Miss (y/n)?” His smirk only grows wider. The other gods only shake their heads at his antics.

A shiver runs down your spine. You weren’t sure if you wanted to know what the latter meant (or maybe you did), but you had set your mind on getting out of there. Taking another deep breath, you start making your way out of the water. You put your good arm across your breasts as the water level curtails the closer you get to the edge of the spring. Shiva’s eyes remains fixated on you, not daring to miss a single moment.

Here goes.

Taking the final step out the water, the cold air swathes your naked body and you break out in goosebumps. You briskly rush to your towel in a desperate but futile attempt to cover your ass from Shiva who’s enjoying every second of it. You try to ignore his scorching stare on your backside as you finally grab your towel and wrap it around you, gripping it tightly with your good hand. You sigh heavily.

So much for not letting the gods see me naked. But at least I’m not dead and naked.

You’re about to head towards the exit when a hand grips your towel, jolting you forward into them. Your startled eyes come face to face with Shiva’s devilish ones. You somehow maintain the grasp on your towel, although it becomes dangerously close to being pulled off you. Your eyes unintentionally trail down, half relieved to see a towel around him, yet half disappointed. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Shiva who could only revel in the reactions he elicited from you.

What is wrong with me?

Normally, you’d never let someone toy with you like this, never mind this overwhelming sexual desire you had for this man. But the carnal look in Shiva’s eyes, his sexy smirk, his muscular physique, his tantalizing, brazen demeanor — it was enough to make you putty. You couldn’t imagine how you’d act if he touched you.

“(y/n), you know what? I decided I don’t want you to go. Why not stay with me from a while?” His grip tightens on your towel, his knuckles grazing your skin.

You shudder at the slight brush of his skin on yours. It feels like an electric shock has run through you and into your very core. As you consider the tempting offer, a little voice in the back of your head starts to emerge from the depths of your lust smitten brain.

No matter how hot he was, he was still a god. Someone who wanted the destruction of humanity and who undoubtedly would be participating in Ragnarok on the side of the gods. The answer is obvious. I should say no… plus I mean, like, a god and a human? Is that even allowed? There’s just no way. I can’t just do naughty things with him…right?

“I should really go..” you say half heartedly, clearly conflicted.

“It wasn’t a request (y/n),” he says, his eyes darkening as he pulls you against him.

Before you’re able to respond, someone clears his throat behind you. You both look to see the other four armed god, a pair of arms resting on his clothed hips and the other pair of arms crossed loosely at his waist. “Shiva, you should let her go. Don’t force her.”

You almost object to his usage of the word force but decided it would be best to keep your mouth shut.

“Ahh, Rudra. You’re always so serious. I was just having some fun,” Shiva responds light heartedly, loosening his grip on your towel. “But, I guess you’re right! You know best!”

Before you had a chance to protest, Shiva had already let you go and was headed back towards the water, a pair of arms nonchalantly behind his head. You stood there, stunned at the abrupt loss of his closeness and touch. Feeling disappointed would be an understatement. You turn and manage to mutter a thank you to Rudra who nods his head in acknowledgment before also heading back to the water where the other gods had silently been watching everything unfold.

You watch Shiva as he descends further into the spring, his back facing you. You sigh dejectedly. Steam begins to fill the air again, but before Shiva is completely engulfed, he looks back at you, smirk plastered on his face as he winks at you. Your face flushes, and you could feel heat rushing to your core. Something told you that this wouldn’t be the last time you would see him.

extra scene

You hastily leave the hot spring and into the locker room. As you start to change, you replay the events of what happened in your head. The more you think about it, the more increasingly irritated you become. You were unsure if it stemmed from pent up sexual frustration or from being cornered in a potentially perilous, but completely avoidable, situation. Whatever it was, you were peeved and wanted to take it out on someone, and you knew exactly who. Once you’re fully dressed, you storm to the reception area of the hot springs and furiously approach the front desk. The same teen who checked you in was still there, face still buried in the same magazine as when you had first arrived. If he had taken his eyes off his magazine for two seconds instead of just waving you over to the male side, you wouldn’t be in this mess.

“Excuse me!” you say sharply, slamming the key card down on the counter. This spooks the teen boy into dropping his magazine, face twisted in bewilderment and fear.

“Y-Y-yes ma’am? How can I be of service to you?” the young kid stutters, scared shitless by the cross look on your face and the intense aura you exuded.

“You waved me into the male side of the hot spring! Do you know the kind of mess you got me into?! Do I look like a man to you?!”

His eyes widen, mortified. He had only hoped nothing bad happened to you. He couldn’t afford to lose this job. His mom would kill him.

“I am so sorry ma’am! No, of course I don’t think you look like a man. I must’ve made a mistake when I scanned your key card!”

He was sure that all the key cards he had scanned today belonged to all males, but even he couldn’t deny that he never really paid attention to the actual person coming in and could’ve easily made a mistake. He takes the key card and scans it, scouring the information on the computer. He looks at the screen then looks at you then back at the screen. Well no wonder he waved her over to the male side. She raises an eyebrows questioningly.

“Is something wrong?”

“Uh, your name is (f/n) (l/n) right?”

“Yes, and?”

He turns the computer screen to you. A picture of you in your fighting attire served as your ID picture and in bold letters under “sex” read male. It suddenly all made sense. You can only snort at the revelation.

“I’m sorry ma’am! I believe there was a mistake when creating your key card! I can get that fixed up. We just need to take a new picture and change you over to female-“ but before he could finish, you snatch the key card from him.

“Nope, that’s okay! That’ll be all! Thanks!” you exclaim hurriedly, setting a generous amount of bribe money down on the counter before scurrying away.

Maybe I can “accidentally” run into Shiva again.

You smile giddily to yourself as you fantasize about your next encounter with the devilishly handsome god.

The teen watches you run away, dumbfounded. “I need another job,” he complains to himself. He gathers the money and slowly grins to himself as he counts the stack of bills you left. “Or maybe not,” he says to himself, tucking the money into his pocket. He had a feeling he would probably be “accidentally” waving you over to the male side again.

shoutout to those who caught the mean girls reference! sorry if you read this nonsense lol i kept editing and rewriting for days and eventually got fed up and decided to just post it. hopefully, i’ll get better at writing!

#shiva #shiva ror #ror #record of ragnorak #anime #fanfic #shiva record of ragnarok #rudra ror #rudra #snv #snv shiva #snv rudra #shiva x reader #shiva ror x reader #ror x reader

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edaworks · 8 months ago

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Wasteland Survival Guide: The Institute, Fusion Reactors, and M.I.T.'s Actual Basement

It's that time again. Periodically I make unreasonable longposts about Fallout-related topics (it's a good way to keep track of fic research). Today I'm tackling nuclear fusion, the Institute, and the real-world Massachusetts Institute of Technology's basement.

Yeah, Yeah, M.I.T. is the Institute, We've All Seen - Wait, What Do You Mean, "The Vault Laboratory?"

M.I.T. - the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - is a highly exclusive research university with a well-deserved reputation for hosting brilliant minds.

It also got its serial numbers filed off in order to host the in-game Institute. Why? Probably because of all the very real research into robotics, artificial intelligence, and power armor (no really). And because M.I.T. is actually doing now what the Institute tries to do in-game with nuclear fusion.

And, of course, because of the vaults in the basement.

You know what? I'll just start at the top...Read on below.

I'll be focusing on fusion-related research in this post, and comparing in-game Institute work on fusion to what's actually happening over at M.I.T. (We'll get to the Media Laboratory and robotics and AI and the, uhm, power armor stuff in a separate post. Or three.)

all actual M.I.T. researchers/faculty/students and/or nuclear physicists have my sincere apologies, I don't know shit about shit but I'm doing my best

I Didn't Sign Up for a Physics Class, but Okay

Here's the thing about nuclear fusion generators - y'know...the ones powering nearly** the entirety of pre-war in-game America?

Including self-contained, miniaturized reactors (fusion cores, fusion cells, microfusion cells, Corvega engines, assaultron and robobrain power supplies, recharger weapons, G.E.C.K.s, etc.) and full-scale reactors (powering vaults, the Lucky 38, the Prydwen (and Rivet City before Maxson Happened), missile silos, etc.)...?

We don't have them yet.

Of course we have nuclear power generation, what are you talking about?

Yes - but nuclear power plants currently operating use fission reactors! Fusion reactors, though? Well...

For the pre-war in-game universe, even more than for us, that fuel-to-energy ratio would have been absurdly important. Companies rushed to implement fusion for damn near every possible use, but waited until the Resource Wars left them no other choice. "No more (viable) oil reserves? Well, shit. Fusion it is."

Because of this, by October 23, 2077, pre-war Western markets were still somewhat new to adopting miniaturized nuclear fusion reactors.

For instance, Chryslus' first fusion vehicles - intentionally reminiscent of the absolutely wild Ford Nucleon concept car dreamed up in 1957 - came to market in 2070, less than a decade before the nuclear exchange.

As for the other benefits of nuclear fusion...Atom knows the in-game universe could do with less radioactive contamination:

It is no wonder the Institute wants to get the reactor in their basement up, running, and running better than originally designed.

Real-life M.I.T. is no stranger to running fusion reactors - they've been at it since the late '60s - but as it turns out, they are currently also "building a better mousetrap," and if they succeed they will be achieving all the Institute would hope for in clean energy production - without the moral deficit.

If nuclear fusion is so great, why aren't we using this technology yet IRL?

Because - and I cannot stress this enough - we are attempting to levitate bits of the Sun inside a donut to make really hot things boil water* so steam will turn a fan attached to a dynamo to power light bulbs.

*(there are two other ways to generate power using this heat)

Naturally...this comes with some complications.

We know fusion reactors can be the most energy-efficient form of power generation - we just need better reactors. That's where M.I.T. comes in.

The biggest problem right now is efficiency:

TL;DR - as of April 2024, all fusion reactors as a matter of course still consume more power to run than they are able to produce (meaning they do not reach "breakeven"). Many cutting-edge reactors also require tritium (very rare) as well as deuterium (very common) fuel.

We did not even see a fusion reaction that reached "breakeven" for power production until December of 2022. That reaction occurred at the National Ignition Facility in California, and their results just passed peer review in February of this year (2024).

Several in-progress reactors aim to improve on this, including ITER (the combined work of dozens of nations) in France, and SPARC: the new reactor under development by Mass Fusion Commonwealth Fusion Systems and M.I.T.'s Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC).

Another big problem with this technology is that it involves plasma.

Plasma, as a particular song reminds us, is what the Sun is made of and The Sun Is Hot. That means plasma carries some very real 'we're-losing-structural-integrity, the-warp-core-is-breaching' risks, and we must jump through all kinds of hoops to work with it.

Why are we shoving the Sun inside a donut, again?

The most well-funded, well-researched way of smashing atoms together involves plasma and magnetic confinement fusion.

This shit is beyond cool. It may also look very familiar:

In-game, the Institute is trying to get what appears to be a spherical tokamak reactor up and running.

Bethesda's choice of reactor was no coincidence: M.I.T. operated the Alcator C-Mod, a spherical tokamak, while Fallout 4 was under development - but that reactor could not achieve "breakeven" IRL, and per Shaun's in-game dialogue, the fictional Alcator C-Mod couldn't either. (Weird given the miniaturized fusion devices everywhere in-universe, but okay, Shaun.)

However, M.I.T. stopped operating that reactor in 2016, a year after Fallout 4's release. SPARC, their planned replacement reactor actually has the sort of power potential we see in-game - and they aim to bring fusion power to market in this decade.

M.I.T., right now, in real life, is doing exactly what you're asked to help the Institute do in-game: build a fusion reactor that surpasses "breakeven."

What the hell is a tokamak and why does it look like half of a Star Trek warp core?

Your typical tokamak reactor is a great big donut-shaped vacuum chamber (the torus), traditionally surrounded by AT LEAST three sets of electromagnets (sometimes many more). M.I.T.'s design for the new SPARC reactor is a bit different, but let's start with the basics.

Why so many magnets?

Because plasma, being Literal Sun Matter, cannot come into contact with the torus containment walls or it will instantly burn through. (This happened in France in 1975. Following initial "well, fuck"s and a couple years' repairs, the logical next step was to publish a paper about it.)

The magnetic fields work to heat the plasma and provide current drive (keep electrons moving in a consistent direction through the plasma and around the torus), while also keeping it from touching anything, preventing a "warp core breach." I'll take a stab at explaining it but the Department of Energy probably does it better.

Meet the magnets:

Toroidal field magnets (blue, above): These enormous D-shaped magnets wrap around and through the torus, conducting an electrical current. This creates a magnetic field that keeps plasma from drifting horizontally into the containment walls.

Central solenoid (green, above): Inside the "donut hole" sits a massive, stacked electromagnet that generates enough electromagnetic force to launch two space shuttles at once. This heats the fuel to about one hundred million degrees Celsius so that it reaches plasma state, and helps "drive" the plasma current around the torus. (Radiofrequency or neutral beam injection heating/drive may be used as well for reactor prototypes aiming for power generation, because current drive from just the solenoid isn’t practical for continuous operation.) The central solenoid also creates another magnetic field called the "poloidal field," which "loops" around the plasma like a collar to prevent it from drifting vertically into the walls. The strongest central solenoid in existence was made for the ITER reactor...by General Atomics.

Outer poloidal field magnets (grey, above): A third set of electromagnets "stacks" up the outside of the torus, and helps maintain and adjust the poloidal field.

Together these three sets of magnets force the plasma to "float" inside the torus, shape it, and provide current drive. The stronger the magnetic field, the higher the reactor's power output.

Okay, and then what?

Given sufficient heat and drive/stability, the plasma fuel mixture undergoes fusion.

Neutrons released during fusion have plenty of kinetic energy (the kind of energy a kickball has midair before it hits you in the face), but no electric charge.

Since magnetic fields only affect negatively or positively charged particles, neutrons completely ignore the fields, sailing straight through and slamming into a "blanket" of metal coating the donut's insides. Neutrons passing into the 'blanket" lose their kinetic energy, which is converted to heat and absorbed by the "blanket." (ITER's "blanket" involves a lot of beryllium, which...behaves a bit differently IRL than it does in-game.)

Heat captured by the "blanket" is then used to generate power. For instance, a water cooling system can bleed heat from the "blanket," regulating temperature and creating superheated highly-pressurized steam to run turbine generators.

I notice you described a "typical" tokamak above -what's the atypical option?

Check out SPARC.

Its huge design departure is that it uses new high-temperature superconducing magnets (most existing types have to be cooled to vacuum-of-space temperatures using something like a liquid helium system to achieve superconductivity, which is a huge power drain) to create a monstrous magnetic field - and its size is tiny in comparison to its projected power output.

Neat. So why did you refer to plasma as a problem?

Well...between the heat and the neutrons, the "blanket," the "first wall" and all plasma-facing surfaces inside the torus take one hell of a beating:

"Neutron degradation of wall surfaces-" "Energy is released in the form of the kinetic energy of the reaction products-" In practical terms, that just means countless neutrons are doing THIS:

...but to the containment wall and other surfaces inside the torus, instead of to Batshuayi's face. And so:

Basically, this stuff breaks fast enough - and the only materials that don't break quickly are rare enough - to create a real barrier to commercial use.

And THIS is one of the problems they're working on solving in M.I.T.'s basement.

Now we can talk about the Vault. FINALLY.

M.I.T. is home to the Center for Science and Technology with Accelerators and Radiation (CSTAR). CSTAR's splash page announces:

Linear plasma devices? You mean like -

No, not like plasma rifles. Instead of weapons, we're talking about tools being used to solve the "plasma fucking destroys everything it touches" problem.

How does CSTAR do this? They've got CLASS. ...No, really:

This field is called plasma-surface interaction science, and if you want a really long but very informative read on how CSTAR's work helps move it forward, check this out. It involves the DIONISOS Linear Plasma Device - a "let's shoot it with plasma and see what happens" tool.

CSTAR also works to better undertstand how materials handle radiation damage, and how they behave after becoming irradiated.

And to handle this sort of work, one needs a...

The Vault Laboratory for Nuclear Science "combines high-intensity particle sources, precision particle detection, and a heavily shielded experimental area to create a facility for nuclear research in high-radiation environments." It contains, among other things:

the DT Neutron Generator, which is used in a variety of experiments, including radiation detector development (pretty damned important) and characterization, fast neutron imaging, and material activation (stuff becoming radioactive).

the DANTE Tandem Accelerator, which was "originally designed to produce high neutron yields for use in cancer therapy research."

And that is what's actually going on in M.I.T.'s basement: truth is cooler than fiction.

The takeaways:

Yes, M.I.T. really is building a revolutionary fusion reactor with parts from Mass Fusion Commonwealth Fusion Systems.

Yes, there really is a secure underground facility where incredibly advanced research related to nuclear fusion, radiation detection, irradiated materials, and degradation of materials due to radiation exposure takes place.

Yes, I really would spend eight hours researching nuclear physics instead of doing more dishes. Shoutout to @twosides--samecoin for tolerating my absurd hyperfocus on researching this.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk on what M.I.T. is really doing in its basement.

Tune in next time for M.I.T.'s Media Laboratory, and how it is related to real-world power armor, plus: the relationship between Langley, P.A.M.'s IRL cousin, and Vault 101.

** (Fallout is wildly inconsistent re: how widespread fusion is in-game and when it was developed. I mean we're talking a two-decade spread of inconsistency! And somehow the technology - first available to the military - was then miniaturized and made available to the general public before becoming widespread for commercial power generation? And somehow we both do and don't have impossible cold fusion in game? It's a mess. I reject this reality and replace it with a fish, hence this post. Also, I hate fission batteries. don't talk to me about fission batteries, "fission batteries" are small fission reactors but they are definitely not "battery sized" - the "fission batteries" in-universe are so miniaturized that they are more likely another kind of atomic battery like a radioisotope thermoelectric generator and those are subject to a law of diminishing returns as the fuel decays/not producing a reasonably useful power output after over 200 years due to the isotopes normally used/can be VERY dangerous if the shielding is breached or removed, and - you know what, that's also a whole different post.)

#actual insanity #fallout #fallout 4 #why am I like this #nuclear fusion #physics #institute #fallout institute #the institute #worldbuilding #meta #oneifbyland #wasteland survival guide

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augment-techs · 3 months ago

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Sorry, @ajgrey9647, this was supposed to be a proper fic, but my brain wasn't cooperating so an approximation was the best I could do with web weaving and basic (so basic) summary.

Title: a machine to rage against//not asking permission Rating: M Relationships: Lord Drakkon/Coinless Jason; Jason Scott/Tommy Oliver; Coinless Zack/Coinless Trini; Kimberly Hart/Zack Taylor/Trini; Billy Cranston/Matt Cook; mentioned Coinless Bulk/Slayer Kim. Characters: Lord Drakkon; Coinless Jason Scott; Prime Jason Scott; Prime Mighty Morphin Rangers; Prime Tommy Oliver; Prime Matt Cook; Coinless Zack Taylor; Coinless Trini; Coinless Bulk; Coinless Kimberly Hart. Additional Tags: Drakkon Very Pointedly DOES NOT raise Skull Back to Life; Because He's Still a Petty Bitch; So Many Uses of Mirrors; Nirvana Lyrics; Jewel Lyrics; eating snails; Drakkon had a thing for The Lost Boys and it SHOWS; I am Talking About the Saxophone; watching someone sleep; gently stalking (not stabby with a knife stalking); drive-in theaters; masturbation; makeout sessions. Summary:

When the Grid Beasts appeared in Drakkon's perfect world, he saw the writing on the wall and shifted gears instead of just fighting and fighting until the strongest alternate version of Tommy Oliver could break through into his personal dream. He wiped the slate clean from his trying to be a superhero on his own and played with another option.

This go around he made everything as simple as it ever was in his own Coinless dimension. Yes, there would be no poverty, no starvation, crime held at bay by competent individuals he plucked out of space time to make a go at civil order, actual medical assistance and free housing, but--there would be nothing akin to mass technology. Drakkon couldn't stand the idea of smart phones and plastics and the constant noise of planes and jets and the like.

There were wind and sun powered sailboats, steam powered trains for mass transit, horse drawn carriages, and bicycles.

The wildlife, the natural world prospered, and people...connected.

There were also the Rangers in positions and lives they never would have lead (that seemed too dangerous to lead into now), with a sort of...grunge aesthetic lurking at the edges.

He takes up learning an instrument in this version of the Youth Center to see if he can expand his flirtation techniques.

(Which is why BOTH Jasons woke up on their own.)

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therightrighthand · 10 months ago

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Sharing some 40k lore of OC's homeworlds among friends, got me eager to create some for Delgoth's home world Arkwright

Arkwright

Before the great fracture of humanity when the webways shut down, Arkwright stood as a luxury colony made up of small towns and villages scattered across a mineral-rich planet. It stood as a holiday location reminiscent of rural England back in the 20th century, with its novelty industrial technology, steam trains, and factory relics.

After being cut off from the rest of the galaxy, Arkwright was consumed by war and conflict until peace out of necessity prevailed, leaving its people fractured into a class-based society, the noble, rich and powerful, and the working masses.

With no fabricators and little knowledge of its advanced technology, Arkwright was left to rely on the relics of the past to rebuild its future. Retrofitting steam machinery with electronic hardware developed a bastardised backward technology, feeding off the toxic emulsion that resided deep in the planet's core. This turned the once beautiful green planet into a toxic polluted wasteland.

Prior to being re-discovered by the Imperium of Man, Arkwright survived the Age of Strife by forging city-sized factories known as 'Great Works'. Each Greatworks functioned as an independent city, refining its rich minerals and pumping out thick pollution into the atmosphere. Its citizens who resided in these mega structures were considered cogs in a much larger machine, each one playing a role from birth to death.

Image on the left: Inspired by British working-class Victorian attire, Arkwright's citizens' fashion is based around functionality. Any and all wealth (for what little there is) is spent on food and small comforts over fashion that would no doubt not survive the workday. Flat caps are a commonplace uniform piece used by various militias and gangs that rule the lower factory levels, often having some signifier as to which gang they belong to (playing cards, patch colours etc.)

Image on the right: Whilst there are many roles in Arkwright's Great Work's cities, none are as prominent as the 'Scrubbers', workers whose job it is to scrub, clean and repair the deepest recess of the factory, where it is its most dangerous. Scrubbers are often picked based on their physical prowess or ability to endure heavy pollution. Given the amount of heavy-duty equipment, armour and tactical gear, Scrubbers are the closest thing Arkwright has to law and order, often being outsourced by higher-class nobles to handle the lower-level gangs.

Psyker bonus!: Psykers are a highly valued commodity to the workforce on Arkwright, to the point where they've created their own means of managing chaos and corruption by pumping the body with a type of refined emulsion. Most Psykers are often hidden from Blackships because of their usefulness, but the cost of long-endured emulsion often cuts their life short fast.

-- Find my Discord and other sites: linktr.ee/The_red_right_hand Do not use, repost or claim (rp) my art/character Art © The-Red-Right-Hand

#my artwork #oc #sci fi #del-verse #warhammer 40000 #darktide #delgoth #40kart #warhammer 40k

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iamarealkat · 9 months ago

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SECOND COURSE - KITCHEN

(or at least the main parts i recognized)

mads mikkelsen and lydia hearst for "euroman", april 2010 by kenneth willardt.

1. GE Monogram 36" Rangetop

First up, the rangetop. Unlike a cooktop, which sets into a pre-cut space in a counter or island, a rangetop overflows the sides and extends beyond the boundaries of the counter with front-facing knobs. This unit in particular is the GE Monogram 36" Rangetop (ZGU366NPSS), with an MSRP of $3400, reversible grates, and six 18,000 BTU power boil burners.

2. 30" GE Monogram Tri-Zone Counter Depth Integrated Refrigerator

Next, a dual installation of 30" GE Monogram Tri-Zone Counter-Depth Integrated Refrigerators (ZIC30GNHIl, shown with optional custom panels for seamless appearance). With an MSRP of $6999 each, these units are made more shallow, known in the industry as counter-depth, to integrate properly with standard cabinetry. Featuring fridge, freezer, and convertible middle-drawer climate zones, this unit has a capacity of 14.09 cu. ft. overall, per unit. It has two separate sealed systems for constant temperature control, and uses the first HFC-Free refrigerant, which has a lower global-warming impact.

3. 30" GE Monogram European Convection Double Wall Oven

A 30" GE Monogram European Convection Double Wall Oven (ZET2SHSS). An MSRP of $5300, with two 5.0 cu. ft. capacity oven cavities. With easy-to-clean all-glass interior door panels, both self-clean and steam-clean options, ten-pass baking elements, and two True European Convection ovens, these units boast convection bake and roast features with closed-door broiling as to not overheat a kitchen, and a built-in temperature probe for perfectly cooked roasts. It also offers a proof mode to assist dough-rising for avid bakers, convection conversion as to not overcook standard recipes, can be monitored remotely with use of a smart phone and GE's WiFi Connect app, and is programmable in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.

4. GE Monogram 240v Built In Oven with Advantium Speedcook Technology

Behold, the GE Monogram 240v Built In Oven with Advantium Speedcook Technology (ZSC2201JSS).

This bad chicken has an MSRP of $3200 and has settings for Speedcook, microwave, convection, and warming. What the hell is Speedcook? It's a combination of microwaves and convection, delivering results up to eight times faster than conventional cooking, and without the need for pre-heating. This thing can reheat, microwave, toast, brown, bake, and gently warm to your heart's content, and has the ability to remember custom recipes.

5. 30" GE Monogram Warming Drawer

Next up, the 30" GE Monogram Warming Drawer (ZW9000SJSS). With an MSRP of $1600, this drawer has a 1.9 cu. ft. capacity, and has variable temperature settings of anything from 75*F to 230*F, and humidity controls from crisp to moist. Gross. It also has a half-rack so you can store more on the inside, and has ball-bearing glides so it pulls out and closes smoothly while making that soothing whoosh noise.

6. 24" GE Monogram Undercabinet Wine Reserve

We also have the 24" GE Monogram Undercabinet Wine Reserve (ZDWR240HBS). With a cool MSRP of $2000, undercabinet wine refrigerators are notoriously tricky because of their front-facing venting needs. If you suffocate refrigerators, even small ones, (like humans) they die.

This fridge features cooling settings suitable to red or white wines, full-extension sliding racks with both horizontal and vertical storage, and has a capacity of 5.5 cu. ft, or 57 bottles.

Hannibal also, apparently, does not believe in dishwashers-panel-ready, drawer-style or otherwise.

What he does believe in? Is coffee, apparently:

7. Royal Paris Vacuum Balancing Coffee Siphon by Royal Coffee Maker

This, dear Fannibals, is a Royal Paris Vacuum Balancing Coffee Siphon, specifically noted by Bryan Fuller to be crafted by Royal Coffee Maker.

Handmade by artisans with affordable materials such as genuine Baccarat Crystal, malachite, copper, obsidian, azurite, and plating of silver and 24k gold, these start at the low, low price of approximately $15,500.

Hannibal's model is the Royal Classic finished in silver, on a Piano Black base. It is, perhaps surprisingly or unsurprisingly, the most tasteful and least ostentatious of all available models.

This brings the approximate total of all Hannibal's kitchen appliances, plus or minus a few of the minor ones, to $45,000.

8. Additionally in his stolen borrowed home in Florence: La Cornue 43" CornuFé Range

In 1908, in the heart of Paris, Albert Dupuy ignited the flame of elite cuisine. It was there that Dupuy premiered the world's first convection oven. At the time, most ovens were mere flat-topped cavities that held racks suspended over a fire. The majority of people simply considered cooking to be heating food to eat. But Dupuy pondered: "What does it really mean to cook?" He developed his oven with a vaulted ceiling to usher heat around the food, rather than trapping it to burn beneath. To enable optimum precision, the oven drew upon the city gas lines that were winding their way to homes and street lamps throughout the City of Light. Dupuy christened the oven La Cornue after the French term cornue - the system for refining the gas that warmed the new creation.

Each range is made by hand and the labor is intensive. Each worker is a specialist, understanding the greater goal.

However they are not just craftsmen, but companions to each range along its journey from inception to crated final product. They are experts in steel, copper and brass, inspired by great design, working as a team to create an inspired tradition.

True excellence can only be achieved when every step in the process is in pursuit of perfection.

For over 100 years, La Cornue has continued to build upon Albert's initial convection innovation and they've expanded the designs and introduced new styles. As a result, the name La Cornue is supposed to represent a renowned spirit.

Hannibal's version runs about $10,000.

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tornadoyoungiron · 1 year ago

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Traintober | Day 5 - It’s Only Me

Blue Peter breaks down when he realises that he’s the only one of the A2 Peppercorns left and that his best friend and cousin Saint Mungo, never made it to preservation.

TW for suggestions of self-harm, suicide and depression

~~~

The sound of metal grinding against metal rattled in his smokebox as the daylight from outside pierced through the dark musty interior of the shed making him wince in pain and squint against the blinding light. He could hear the voices of men talking as his eyes adjusted to the light.

“Is this the one?” A man’s voice asked nearby and Blue Peter looked down to find a man staring up at him.

“Yes sir, a LNER A2 Peppercorn, the last one,” another man came up behind him with a British Railway pin on his lapel. “He’ll make a fine companion to Bittern.”

The man snorted and shook his head.

“I would have preferred an A1 Peppercorn but they’ve all been cut up,” the man dismissively waved at Blue Peter.

A chill ran through Blue Peter’s boiler. His cousins… the A1s, no they couldn’t have.

“My cousins are gone?” Blue Peter suddenly croaked out weakly. “But I thought… Saint Mungo.”

The men looked towards him and a look of sympathy passed on their faces.

“There was an incident regarding Saint Mungo,” the British Railways man frowned. “He was cut up despite being slated for preservation.”

“A true shame, I would have very much liked to own such a magnificent engine!” The other man declared but then looked at Blue Peter with a critical gaze. “I suppose an A2 will have to do.”

Blue Peter said nothing, still reeling from the news that Saint Mungo was gone.

Blue Peter didn't know quite how long he had been kept in storage. He wasn't even sure if they remembered him. After all, his last crew had simply parked him in storage and left without even cleaning out his firebox or doing proper procedures to maintain him.

The thought of maybe seeing Saint Mungo once, even if it was a final goodbye as he was sent for scrap had kept him hopeful, been the one thing that had helped him hang on to hope.

He was startled from his thoughts as the BR mam snapped his fingers at him to get his attention.

"Pay attention!" The man barked but Blue Peter barely heard him. "Mr. Drury has agreed to purchase you, you should show him thanks and not be rude! Do you want to be sent for scrap, engine?"

"I-" Blue Peter quickly returned his attention to the threat and quickly masked his despair. "Yes sir! I apologise for my rudeness, sir. If you purchase me I shall serve you well!"

The man, Mr Drury, nodded at him.

"Still seems to have its wits about it, no sign of Cold Iron," he examined before eyeing the nameplate on his smoke deflector. "Blue Peter eh?"

"Yes sir, I am Blue Peter, at your service!" The Peppercorn chirped.

Mr Drury looked thoughtful for a moment before a wide grin appeared across his face.

"Yes, yes actually that would be perfect!" The man was delighted now. "I have the best idea for how to restore this one!"

"You're going to use the Blue Peter show?" The BR man pointed out and Drury nodded excitedly.

"It's the perfect way to teach younger generations about an obsolete technology!"

Blue Peter almost guffawed at that.

Obsolete? Obsolete!

He was most certainly not obsolete, no matter how much these humans clung to their disgusting, smelly diesel. Steam engines were one of a kind! They were charming and full of personality!

He kept quiet though and did not voice his displeasure. He kept his face straight, his tender aligned and his attitude proper. He would rather not be left to rust in this storage shed any longer.

"How about that? You could be a part of the children's television show, Blue Peter, isn't that exciting?" Mr. Drury enthusiastically implored.

It sounded appalling and Blue Peter wanted no part in it. If anyone would have loved it, it would have been Saint Mungo.

But Blue Peter didn’t want to be scrapped and so he put on his best and most amicable face.

“Yes sir, that sounds incredibly exciting sir, I cannot wait to do my part!”

Mr. Drury clapped his hands together.

“Excellent! What a fortunate turn of events, instead of getting A1 I’ve been blessed with an engine that could pay for its own restoration with its name alone,” he exclaimed.

“So you’ll take him?” The BR asked excitedly and Mr Drury nodded enthusiastically.

“I most certainly will my good man!”

“Right! This way sir! I’ll have you fill out the paperwork and then we can organise to get him out of our storage sheds!”

“Excellent, excellent!” Mr. Drury turned back to Blue Peter as he and the man began to leave.

“I trust that you’ll be a good addition, Blue Peter, so rejoice in the fact that you won’t be scrapped!” He told him and Blue Peter managed to muster a pained smile.

“Yes sir, thank you sir!” He gratefully retorted.

Without another word, the two men left and shut him in darkness once again.

The painful smile Blue Peter had kept up vanished the second that the shed doors closed and he felt tears flow down his face, unable to stop them.

All his siblings, his cousins, they were all gone. They had all left him.

For however many years he had spent wasting away in this shed had only ever been tolerable due to the fact that he may once again see Saint Mungo. Only now, he was to find that something had happened, that Saint Mungo had found himself at the cutter’s torch.

Blue Peter felt empty, his boiler felt like there was rust creeping into his tubes, his frames felt heavy with grief and aching that he couldn’t quite describe.

Maybe it would have been more of a relief to be finally hauled out to the scrapyard knowing that his entire family was gone.

That it was only him left in this cruel dark world.

~~~

#traintober #traintober 2023 #ttte fanfic #ttte blue peter #ttte young iron #tw suicide #tw self harm #tw depression

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blackhistorychatgpt · 10 months ago

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Black inventors

From Perplexity:

Famous black inventors have significantly contributed to various fields, from everyday household items to groundbreaking technological advancements. Here are some notable figures:

George Crum (1824-1914): A chef who is credited with inventing the potato chip in 1853[1].

Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961): Developed refrigeration equipment for trucks, trains, ships, and planes, receiving over 40 patents. His invention, the Thermo King, revolutionized the food and medical transport industries[1].

Granville T. Woods (1856-1910): Accumulated almost 60 patents, improving railroad functioning. Notably, he invented the induction telegraph system for train communication[1].

George Washington Carver (1864-1943): An agricultural chemist who developed 518 products from peanuts and sweet potatoes, including ink, dye, soap, and synthetic rubber[1].

Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919): Became the first African American woman self-made millionaire by creating a line of hair products for African American women[1].

Garrett Morgan (1877-1963): Invented the traffic signal and a safety hood that served as a prototype for the gas mask[1].

Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner: Patented the sanitary belt in 1957, a significant advancement in women's health and hygiene[1].

Thomas L. Jennings (1791–1859): The first African American to receive a U.S. patent, for a dry-cleaning process[4].

Patricia Bath (1942-2019): Invented a laser cataract treatment, becoming the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent[4].

Mark Dean (1957-present): Holds over 20 patents, including contributions to the creation of the color PC monitor and the first gigahertz chip[4].

Elijah McCoy (1844-1929): Known for his invention of the automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines, leading to the phrase "the real McCoy" to denote something authentic[4].

These inventors have left a lasting impact on society, demonstrating ingenuity and perseverance in the face of challenges.

Citations: [1] https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/work-money/g30877473/african-american-inventors/ [2] https://www.parents.com/kids/education/world-changing-black-inventors-that-every-kid-should-know-about/ [3] https://www.black-inventor.com [4] https://www.biography.com/inventors/g46697619/famous-black-inventors [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_inventors_and_scientists

From Gemini (formerly Bard):

20 Famous Black Investors with Short Descriptions:

Dr. Shirley Jackson: First Black woman to earn a doctorate in nuclear physics, invested in research and development for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Robert F. Smith: Founded Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm with over $85 billion in assets under management. Known for his philanthropic endeavors.

Oprah Winfrey: Media mogul and investor, known for her investments in cable channels, production companies, and Weight Watchers.

Udayan I. Lekhraj: Founded CMG Partners, a private equity firm specializing in healthcare investments. Advocate for diversity and inclusion in venture capital.

Catherine Hughes: Founded Urban One, a media company serving the African American community. First Black woman to chair a publicly traded company in the U.S.

Rodney Bryant: Co-founded JUST Capital, a firm that measures and incentivizes corporations to prioritize stakeholder capitalism.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Former President of Liberia, Nobel Peace Prize winner. Focused on economic development and investment in her country.

Ronald Lauder: CEO of Estee Lauder Companies, known for his investments in the beauty industry and philanthropic work.

Charles R. Bronfman: Chairman of The Seagram Company Ltd., invested in various industries including entertainment, real estate, and philanthropy.

John Rogers Jr.: Founded Ariel Investments, a mutual fund company with over $28 billion in assets under management. Advocate for responsible investing.

Marc Morial: Former mayor of New Orleans, currently president of the National Urban League. Focused on economic empowerment of Black communities.

Ronald Watkins: Founding CEO of Watkins Investing Group, invests in real estate and businesses within the Black community.

Melody Hobson: President and CEO of Ariel Investments, known for her work on financial literacy and diversity in boardrooms.

Aisha Evans: Founded BE Capital, a venture capital firm focused on Black and Latinx tech entrepreneurs.

Kevin Hart: Comedian and investor, known for his investments in production companies, streaming platforms, and sports teams.

Jay-Z: Rapper and entrepreneur, known for his investments in music streaming, sports teams, and venture capital funds.

Will Smith: Actor and investor, known for his investments in production companies, media platforms, and venture capital funds.

Serena Williams: Tennis champion and investor, known for her investments in venture capital funds focused on women and diverse founders.

Rihanna: Singer and entrepreneur, known for her investments in beauty brands, fashion lines, and technology startups.

LeBron James: Basketball player and investor, known for his investments in media companies, production companies, and technology startups.

Please note: This list is not exhaustive and can be debated in terms of individual importance and impact.

Reading List on Black Inventors:

Black Inventors: Lives That Mattered by Darlene R. Medford

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

Lifting the Veil: Celebrating the Unsung Heroes of Black History by Michael Hill

Lost Genius: The Forgotten Black Inventors Who Changed the World by Dennis Freeman

Pioneering Women in American Mathematics: From Agnes Scott to Emmy Noether by Pamela Prochazka

Black Inventors in Science and Technology by Shirley J. Smith

A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James M. Whitfield: With Recollections of the Early Struggles of Colored Men in Boston by Wilbur H. Siebert

Inventing the Future: Black Inventors in Science and Technology by Geneva Gay

African Americans in Science, Math, and Invention by Darlene R. Medford

Black Inventors in the United States by Darlene R. Medford

This list offers a variety of books covering different periods and areas of innovation by Black inventors. Consider exploring further based on your specific interests.

I hope this information is helpful!

#african american history #black history month #black history month 2024 #dalle3 #midjourney #black inventors #blackhistorymonth #africanamericanhistory #afrofuturism #solar punk #steampunk

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nebby-the-cat · 27 days ago

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Caught you in 8K UHD surround sound 16 Gigs ram, HDR GEFORCE RTX, TI-80 texas insturments, Triple A duracell battery ultrapower100 Cargador Compatible iPhone 1A 5 W 1400 + Cable 100% 1 Metro Blanco Compatible iPhone 5 5 C 5S 6 SE 6S 7 8 X XR XS XS MAX GoPro hero 1 2 terrabyte xbox series x Dell UltraSharp 49 Curved Monitor - U4919DW Sony HDC-3300R 2/3" CCD HD Super Motion Color Camera, 1080p Resolution Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Microwave Oven with Smart Sensor, Easy Clean Interior, ECO Mode and Sound On/Off, 1.2 Cu. ft, Stainless Steel HP LaserJet Pro M404n Monochrome Laser Printer with Built-in Ethernet (W1A52A) GE Voluson E10 Ultrasound Machine LG 23 Cu. Ft. Smart Wi-Fi Enabled InstaView Door-in-Door Counter-Depth Refrigerator with Craft Ice Maker GFW850SPNRS GE 28" Front Load Steam Washer 5.0 Cu. Ft. with SmartDispense, WiFi, OdorBlock and Sanitize and Allergen - Royal Sapphire Kohler K-3589 Cimarron Comfort Height Two-Piece Elongated 1.6 GPF Toilet with AquaPiston Flush Technology., Quick Charge 30W Cargador 3.0 Cargador de Viaje Enchufe Cargador USB Carga Rápida con 3 Puertos carga rápida Adaptador de Corriente para iPhone x 8 7 Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Mix 3 A1 Samsung S10 S9 S8AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 Cargador de Pared 39W Dual Puerto Cargador Móvil para Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+/ Note 8, iPhone XS / XS Max / XR, iPad Pro / Air, HTC 10, LG G5 / G6 AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 Cargador USB 60W 6 Puerto Cargador Móvil para Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+ / Note 8, LG G5 / G6, Nexus 5X / 6P, HTC 10, iPhone XS / XS Max / XR, iPad Pro/ Air, Moto G4 SAMSUNG 85-inch Class Crystal UHD TU-8000 Series - 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (UN85TU8000FXZA, 2020 Model) GE 38846 Premium Slim LED Light Bar, 18 Inch Under Cabinet Fixture, Plug-In, Convertible to Direct Wire, Linkable 628 Lumens, 3000K Soft Warm White, High/Off/Low, Easy to Install, 18 Ft Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Trane20,000-Watt 1-Phase LPG/NG Liquid Cooled Whole House Standby Generator.Caught you in 8K UHD surround sound 16 Gigs ram, HDR GEFORCE RTX, TI-80 texas insturments, Triple A duracell battery ultrapower100 Cargador Compatible iPhone 1A 5 W 1400 + Cable 100% 1 Metro Blanco Compatible iPhone 5 5 C 5S 6 SE 6S 7 8 X XR XS XS MAX GoPro hero 1 2 terrabyte xbox series x Dell UltraSharp 49 Curved Monitor - U4919DW Sony HDC-3300R 2/3" CCD HD Super Motion Color Camera, 1080p Resolution Toshiba EM131A5C-SS Microwave Oven with Smart Sensor, Easy Clean Interior, ECO Mode and Sound On/Off, 1.2 Cu. ft, Stainless Steel HP LaserJet Pro M404n Monochrome Laser Printer with Built-in Ethernet (W1A52A) GE Voluson E10 Ultrasound Machine LG 23 Cu. Ft. Smart Wi-Fi Enabled InstaView Door-in-Door Counter-Depth Refrigerator with Craft Ice Maker GFW850SPNRS GE 28" Front Load Steam Washer 5.0 Cu. Ft. with SmartDispense, WiFi, OdorBlock and Sanitize and Allergen - Royal Sapphire Kohler K-3589 Cimarron Comfort Height Two-Piece Elongated 1.6 GPF Toilet with AquaPiston Flush Technology., Quick Charge 30W Cargador 3.0 Cargador de Viaje Enchufe Cargador USB Carga Rápida con 3 Puertos carga rápida Adaptador de Corriente para iPhone x 8 7 Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Mix 3 A1 Samsung S10 S9 S8AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 Cargador de Pared 39W Dual Puerto Cargador Móvil para Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+/ Note 8, iPhone XS / XS Max / XR, iPad Pro / Air, HTC 10, LG G5 / G6 AUKEY Quick Charge 3.0 Cargador USB 60W 6 Puerto Cargador Móvil para Samsung Galaxy S8 / S8+ / Note 8, LG G5 / G6, Nexus 5X / 6P, HTC 10, iPhone XS / XS Max / XR, iPad Pro/ Air, Moto G4 SAMSUNG 85-inch Class Crystal UHD TU-8000 Series - 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (UN85TU8000FXZA, 2020 Model) GE 38846 Premium Slim LED Light Bar, 18 Inch Under Cabinet Fixture, Plug-In, Convertible to Direct Wire, Linkable 628 Lumens, 3000K Soft Warm White, High/Off/Low, Easy to Install, 18 Ft Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Trane20,000-Watt 1-Phase LPG/NG Liquid Cooled Whole House Standby Generator.

NOT ASHAMED!

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blindrapture · 4 months ago

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SATURDAY AUGUST 6TH, 2011 (Don't Speak Its True Name VI: The Ghost)

12:00 AM We took some time to finish our coffees, then Lilith had us get equipped. She took us to some more rooms (this building has so many rooms!) and gave us hazmat suits. Fentzy asked if we're dealing with something radioactive, but apparently that's inconclusive, and the suits are to make us feel safer. I've asked to see a map, and she's gone digging for a paper one I can carry around with me.

12:01 AM danny "Yo, so, uh, are we really gonna stick around for this? Shouldn't we just dip?" fentzy "Well, how bad could it be?" danny "That's a question with no upper limit." She's asking us for help. I don't know if she'd want us to die in the process. donnie "We did kill a bunch of her security…" bones "So it could be a trap. For revenge." danny "We really should just go. There's no way she's not tricking us." she's back. "Having second thoughts? That's not surprising. But there are five of you, and you have weapons." she's brought Danny's machete. gave it to him. he's looking at it. at her. lilith "Wouldn't you at least like to see what I'm asking you to deal with? I do have a plan."

12:02 AM Paper maps. The warehouse is a separate building that's slotted into this one, making the overall structure a clean rectangle, but this building itself, with the offices and labs and corridors, is more of an L. It has three floors. All three have similar layouts, though each floor has an additional corridor somewhere exclusive to it. The first floor is the only one that connects to the warehouse. The monster is currently loose on the third floor. Lilith thinks it's gotten into the vents. She doesn't want us to kill it, because it is a spidercat spliced with important technology. "It was an experiment." We want to protect the merchandise. And Lilith wants that technology back.

12:03 AM Down the corridor that led to the cages, but in the other direction, is a stairwell. Up we go. The doors to the third floor are currently blocked with a broom through the handles. "Just in case." Lilith will hang back, but we have been given a cat carrier. We're removing the broom. danny "feel like a bunch of chumps."

12:04 AM "here, kitty... here, kitty kitty…" "this is so stupid. what the fuck are we doing." "kitty... kitty kitty… little pussycat..." "thirty-one waves of professionals couldn't wrangle a fucking cat? and we supposedly could?" "baby? where's the little baby, where are you, little cabbage?" "I had trouble even getting my cat to the vet… this one's got eight legs!" "tch tch tch tch, kitty! cat cat!! where cat? where are you, cattacat?" "how many security guards are even in a wave? we fought like a dozen of them. that was just one wave? how many guards does the Genera have? where does it get the money? especially now?" "bubbly-boo, where are you? little bubba... weetohl buhhbba…" "and this technology! way to be specific, lady! it could be as simple as a tracking chip or as dangerous as laser beams coming out of its eyes. we were given hazmat suits, for fuck's sake!"

12:05 AM The third floor has dim lights, many of which are flickering. The bulbs haven't been changed in a while. This floor's exclusive corridor is down near where the corridor would connect to the warehouse, but instead it keeps going and takes a right turn where I'd expect it to turn left. And it's down there that we hear skittering in the walls. pit pat. pitter pat. Bones has the cat carrier at the ready. We were given keys to open any of the doors we need, to find the vent where we can get at this cat. We picked a door. We hear meows. We're going to remove the vent cover.

12:06 AM REEEOWWWWW HISSSSS "I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT IT-- SATAN'S STEAMING CUNT" RRRRRRRRRRRRRAO skitter-skatter pitter-patter pat pat pat pat… it ran back into the vent. okay, cats are bad enough to wrangle when they only have four sets of claws. everyone's groaning. back to listening for where it's gone.

12:08 AM "here kitty... cat cat c-cat cat cat... we're not gonna hurt you... do we have any, like, treats for it or anything?" "my fucking hazmat suit's torn up, he scratched my arm. someone else needs to take the lead next time. can't fucking believe this is what we're doing." "little meow meow! oh little meow meow! little mrrkgnao! little tower-jumper with your little pink button-nose!" "did anyone see anything different about that cat? it looked normal to me. so at least we're not dealing with laser eyes. maybe it is a tracking device. or some weird vaccine deal." "oh youuu are a kitty-cat, youuu arrre a cat, youuu are a kitty-cat, and kitty is your name, rrowr!" "this is such bullshit."

12:10 AM ..you hear that? movement from this room. doesn't even sound like it's in a vent. who's got the keys? bones, give me that carrier, you try to get the cat this time.

12:11 AM dark room, lights off, but there's desks and computers here much like Lilith's office. ..the cat ran straight into the carrier and made itself small. o_o fentzy's a little pale. what's. what's wrong? "I thought I saw something for a moment. But this room's empty now." bones "Shit, you saw that too?" "Wait, it wasn't just in my head? What'd you see?" "A fucking ghost? Walked right through the wall." A. what? o__o bones "It had a mangled face and was looking right at us, walking backwards into that wall right there. I think it's what scared the spidercat." ..let's go to lilith. please. I don't like ghosts. bones "No complaint from me."

12:12 AM On the way back to the stairwell, Danny volunteered to watch our six and see if anything appeared behind us. Just in case. Entering the stairwell, he said "fuck" and hurried us through the doors. We passed Lilith on the second floor, telling her to just.. come with us, we didn't want to talk there.

12:13 AM Lilith's lab. She took the cat carrier from us. "That was fast. Can I.. hire you guys? Full-time?" looked at us for a moment. "..something wrong?" fentzy "You didn't tell us there was a ghost up there." lilith "A what? What did you see?" fentzy "We only saw it for a moment before it walked through a wall. It was pale, mangled, and vaguely human-y." lilith "Human? Mangled? Through a wall?" danny "It was crawling across the floor. But it was like something else's approximation of 'crawling.' Its limbs rotated like wheels on axles." he's looking around the room, like I do when I've just seen a spider. "Pale skin. Really smooth. The eyes had static.. like, TV static... You have, like, all these top-secret projects and stuff. Anything you're not telling us about the third floor?" she's thinking. taking this seriously. lilith "..no? There's.. projects up there, yes, and it's stuff you don't need to know about, but it's in the nature of information on computers, some petri dishes. You say this thing is on the third floor, for sure?" bones "We didn't see it until like ten minutes into our search. But I get the feeling that cat hadn't even seen it until then either, which tells me it just got here." Does it sound familiar to you, Lilith? Is it anything you can explain? lilith "No. Even amongst the fossils, the, uh, gods, I've never known something to pass through walls. Maybe Passacaglia? I guess that might also account for limbs on axles? But if multiple people are seeing the same thing, then I have no idea?" !!! noise. sounded like powered machinery shutting down. ...the lights went off. lilith turned on a flashlight. "What in the world...?" donnie "Do you have any more of those? Flashlights." "There's another over there, next to Abe. Listen, uh, I don't recognize this thing you saw, and dramatic timing all but screams at me that it's probably what turned the power off. Maybe we should.. leave." donnie's got the extra flashlight. SCREAMED ran to us. "LOOK" the wall, near where she got the flashlight. a face is poking through. eyes filled with static bleeding out noisily. mouth is all teeth, too many teeth, poking out through a closed mouth. while I was writing all that the others said a lot of things but point is we're going now, going now, going now

12:14 AM to the warehouse. through the warehouse. past the corpses. the corpses are raising. zombies. just slip past them. jesus christ they're nothing. get to the car. just get to the car!! the car has space for five, and there's six of us. plus the damn spidercat. donnie "oh fuck it, jordan I'm sitting on your lap." fentzy "that works. lilith, either keep the cat on your lap, or leave it, I don't care which. I'm driving." the zombies are screeching. sounds like they're being torn to shreds.

12:15 AM [donnie] We're in, and we're off. Jordan can't write in this position, so I've got the journal again. As we pulled away, we could see a gnarled figure move into the parking lot, limbs pointing in illogical directions, eyes glowing and flickering and wide, a mouth of teeth opening wide and letting out a scream that sounded like... a normal human's.

12:34 AM We have been talking with Lilith. She truly doesn't know what the creature is that we encountered. She's spent some time trying to identify what it might be but has drawn a blank. She says the only Fear that can do anything close would be the Musicians, but Jordan was assertive about this not being them, and Lilith agreed, as the Musicians' hallucinations are supposed to be centered on one subject at a time. So instead, we've asked Lilith to tell us about the people held in pods. That was what she had agreed to tell us in exchange for securing the spidercat, after all. The pods in the trucks contained the original citizens of Dominiere, who were Canadians from across the country who had died long ago. They weren't.. actually residents of Dominiere, as they died before the town even existed, but they do serve as the models for the current population. Lilith came from the UK branch of the Topography Genera Center and had flown over to Canada to do some field research when she discovered an instance of underscore beginning to grow, so she proposed to her higher-ups that she run a program to study the process. They accepted, with a catch: Rather than allow people to wander in and get taken by the town organically, she was to make use of the Genera's connections and include another Fear. So: Zombies. The people in the pod are all zombies. But that still doesn't account for the full details. We had been in Dominiere for five days and didn't notice anything strange about the people there; they did not look like zombies. And that gets into why the Archangel agreed to be involved in this project, the full details of which Lilith is not privy to; she has had to piece together even that what she knows. The Archangel came to the Genera shortly after the apocalypse began, that much she knew. She can surmise he came to trade notes and to make use of their expertise. She suspects he sought to learn the truth about Indisen. And she knows he succeeded, because. The citizens of Dominiere, the people that we met, are Indisen. They are Indisen off-shoots of his own zombies. Lilith's team, studying underscore, used zombies to (somehow) produce Indisen who were given to the town in sacrifice, to become the lifeblood of Dominiere. And that's the story Lilith gave us. It's spotty, but it's all she knows.

12:42 AM Rauri wants to drive us into Vancouver, where we can find a place to sleep. Lilith can figure out what she's doing in the morning. My poor Jordan needs that sleep.

1:04 AM These streets are wrought with potholes. These house windows scattered with cracks. Very few cars are left here. The people who once lived here might have decided to move closer to the city centre. What's left are houses not even scavengers would want.

1:18 AM [jordan] got the journal back. we just.. took the first house we saw that was anything like decent. danny and fentzy want to sleep on the ground floor, listen for intruders. I think bones is down there with them too. lilith is doing something in the back garden, I don't know. donnie and I are sleeping here on the second floor.

11:37 AM FINE FINE I'm getting up just want to sleep forever.

11:38 AM today's another scorcher, even up this far north. donnie wants to have a meeting and actually, like. figure out what we're doing.

11:40 AM I'm not even the last one to wake up. Huh. Gotta wait for Danny. And Fentzy's in the bathroom. I see Lilith out there in the yard, behind the house.

11:41 AM She's got bowls of cat food and water next to her, and she's watching the spidercat roll around in the grass. They are pretty cute. I'm thankful they don't really move like spiders. "It's not used to the extra legs. Apocalypse or no, it's still a cat." chirp Now it's licking itself as it lays on its side.

11:42 AM "So, you know about the Fears?" Yeah. What'd you call them, Fossils? "Genera policy. Hard to shake." I do know about them. I've been dealing with them since not long after the red sky. "And you talk to them?" When they let me. Some of them aren't the talking sort and just try to kill me instead. "But some of them do talk. What is it like? To talk with them?" It's not the most calming! Sometimes I kinda forget that, with the more friendly ones, but then they remind me that they're.. eldritch and shit. Do you know Salmacis? "EAT. Do you talk to EAT?" Y. Yeah. Am I not supposed to? "I hardly think you're 'supposed to' talk to any of them, but EAT? Something about that one gives me the creeps most of all." It's.. taken to me. Even when it's scary, it's protective of me. "You know what it's capable of?" That's a hell of a question. It has countless bodies, human and bird alike. It can bend and change the bodies to its will. ..her will? "'It' and 'Her,' never 'She.' It maintains all her bodies simultaneously, independently. It could be having completely opposite conversations with other humans at the same time it talks to you. It spreads via water, which is a damn good vector for contagion. And it's been here for a long time." Here, like, Earth? Haven't they all? "Some are short-term, trading places with new Fears once a decade, sometimes even once a year. A rare few are long-term. EAT is long-term. Everything we know about her points to an age of billions of years. And EAT doesn't trade. It's been the same EAT all this time." ..it did tell me it was our god. Which, like, they all are. But EAT seemed.. dead serious. I'd have thought you guys would have loved her, though? Salmacis is all about the science, the knowledge, the cooperation. "EAT? Cooperation? I don't think 'cooperation' is in her vocabulary. I haven't kept up with our studies into her; I've spent the last few months focused on underscore. But before the apocalypse, EAT viewed the Genera as competition. Our policy was to avoid her at all costs. The last I'd checked, it was still trying to break into and take over our Icelandic branch. We'd lost many good minds to her." But meanwhile you guys were making deals with the Archangel, of all things. What'd you call him last night? Hades? "That's our.. internal designation for him. He's not really evil, you know. I mean, I haven't spoken to him, but from what I'm told, he's just very selfish. He navigates social situations through power games, so as long as you can make a deal with him, he will respect that." Do you know what he did to San Francisco? "What I saw on the TV suggests it was the Judge that did that." Yeah, but before that happened, like the day before, he'd managed to manipulate thousands of people to a bloody death. Massacre in the streets. I was there for it. "Huh. Well, do you know what EAT did in the last underscore I'd seen?" Evidently not? "A colleague of mine, Blackcap, had found it during some fieldwork. He didn't even know about underscore at the time; he reported in that he'd found EAT's Camper moving in on a town. I was sent to assist him, and when I got there, the death toll was already in the tens of thousands. EAT had figured out that the people had fallen prey and were defenseless, and had seized on the opportunity. Not even to take bodies, but to practice murder. Literally, practice." o_o But isn't underscore, like. Another Fear? A baby Empty City? "The Fears aren't all friends with each other. EAT preyed on that baby city like it had found a freshly laid egg. And with all the people dead, her Camper tore up the foundations of the town to get at the blood and guts and transfer fluid circulating in the sewers. It knew this was a living town, and it drained it of blood and left it to die mid-vivisection." Jesus. "You say EAT's cooperating with you? Maybe even it's protective? That's great if true. Use her for all it's worth. But know the context: It is a Fear, not a human. If it has no use for you, you are fodder."

11:45 AM Back inside. Still processing all that. But it's time for our meeting. Lilith's staying outside, as she's not part of the group, though she thanks us for our hospitality. We're here in a front room, sitting on the floor in a circle. Danny, Bones, me, Donnie, Fentzy. bones "Alright, uh. I should start us off by saying, like. I know my last attempt to navigate Xanadu landed us in a sticky situation. And I'm sorry for that. But, I'd be willing to try that again, like, if that's what we decide on." donnie "That's good to know. We have that option." fentzy "Yeah, we don't blame you for how that went, Derek. Or, I mean, I know I don't." danny "It's whatever." I nodded donnie "But it might actually be to our benefit to stay in Canada for a while? How many Fears have we run into up here? Versus the whole ensemble down in the States." counting zombies, we have run into at least four, including two we'd never seen before. donnie "Four? I know you found the Musicians, but what was the fourth?" woman in the mirror. bones "Should zombies really count? They're not like.. eyes for the Archangel, from what you guys have been saying." donnie "Okay, well, four in a week is maybe a bit higher frequency than I'd thought. Maybe three, maybe we shouldn't count the zombies. But, actually, the Musicians and the woman in the mirror are both following you, Jordan, so maybe they shouldn't count for or against a particular location." fair enough. was just answering a question. danny "The Fears are following Jordan? What?" donnie "They've been.. rather harmless ones, all things considered." danny "Still, I feel like that's something worth talking about?" fentzy "If you want to leave the party and go out on your own, you're free to." danny "Hey, I'm not saying that!" yeah he's not saying that. it's a good concern to have. I obviously can't promise we'll fix it. actually I think the Musicians are on our side now? haven't seen them since the other day, can't update that. the woman in the mirror, though, I'm pretty sure cannot hurt us, she's confined to mirrors. she actually tipped us off about the genera. donnie "I can attest, from months of travel with him, that we're not in any more danger than we'd be just running into Fears blindsided." danny "Alright, yeah. Sure." donnie "So, do we.. do we have any ideas on where we need to go?" well. I do have a thought. bones "Bring it, bro." so, like. this whole time Donnie and I have had plans. first we wanted to leave England, and it took us a month but that's what we managed to do. then we were headed west, but it wasn't actually for anything in California; we were trying to pursue the Ciphers, on Tiresias's instigation and Salmacis's advice. the rabbit holes we entered on the way got us close enough. like, I can't claim to know how intrauniverse navigation really works in there, maybe we'd have found the Ciphers from any rabbit hole if we dug deep enough. but that is what we were doing. and anyway, so, we've finished the Ciphers. we took care of the last of them just before meeting you three. and. what comes next is something about Knights. I remember that much. I can probably find the right journal, hang on...

11:48 AM huh. tiresias just mentioned Seven Dialogues. where did I get "Knights" from? bones "I'm especially baffled, because next is the Seven Knights." what? bones "Yeah. You remember Operation Ground and Pound? The, uh, DragonForce we did? The guitar duel." yeah. yeah, that was weird. I never did ask you about that, I'd always just assumed you were as confused as I was? it was just another rabbit hole, xanadu being weird. bones "It was the first of seven guitar duels with the Knights of Xanadu." the what? you're joking. bones "Nah, I thought it was a joke when I was first told about it at the start of the red sky, I was visited by some freaky prophet and told, if I lived long enough to see it, I'd need to take my plastic guitar and duel the Lamb. That's actually why I brought my Les Paul with me all this time." the Lamb. is that supposed to be.. me? bones shrugged. "I dunno, man. That does seem to be what the information's pointing to." danny "Who was the prophet?" bones "It's.. been a while, I remember the words more than the person, but I think it was some guy in a robe." fentzy "Oh, of course. Naturally." bones "So when the world went silent for half an hour, and then you came walking into the fancy starfield, and I saw an extra guitar controller by my feet, I.. thought to give it a try. And then DragonForce happened." So you're.. a Knight of Xanadu? bones "Yeah. That's what made me want to spend time in the Doors in the first place." So. So. So next up will be another guitar duel. It'll still be in the rabbit holes, I take it? Since that one was. So we should still be looking for Doors. donnie "More Doors. Got it." fentzy "Would it make sense to.. start.. heading... east?" donnie "Why east?" fentzy "Like when you guys headed west. It gave you more time to focus on looking for Doors, you had plenty of wiggle room, and. God, how do you say it. It's just easier?" danny "Like we head east in the real world, which will take a while before we need to change direction. Gives us more time to find Doors. It's optimal for focusing on Xanadu navigation. Right?" fentzy "Yes! Thank you." donnie "Alright, I think that makes sense. That gives us a plan. Unless anyone else has something more specific they need to do?" I think everyone here is from the east coast anyway, you and me excepting. so whatever people might want to do is already over in that direction. donnie "Ah, right. Okay, then shall we.. settle on that? Head east, but our ultimate goal is really these Knights. Or maybe anyone who can tell us more about them." fentzy "Yeah!" bones "Cool with me." danny "Go team!" :D

11:53 AM Danny went and got Lilith. We're getting back into the car. Gonna look for supplies first, and maybe a better car, with more seats. Then we're heading east. But for now, gotta give the journal to Donnie, 'cause it's time to get sat on!

12:09 PM [donnie] What tongueless ghost of sin crept through my curtains?

12:23 PM [jordan] We found a Wholesale Club. There should be some nonperishables inside. Food is good.

12:24 PM The lights are on in here, and we hear voices. In the centerre of the store are several people. They see us and look with some suspicion. "What do you want?" fentzy "Food." "You can't have any flapjacks. They're ours." fentzy "That's okay. Have you got any canned stuff?"

12:25 PM We've been making conversation. This is just.. a bunch of people who've set up here. They had been living in the area, and after Wholesale closed down they were skeptical that there'd still be anything left inside, but apparently it was abandoned just after a fresh restock. They've been living in a squatter's heaven for about a month now. They brought tents and camping supplies from the nearby MEC, and the area is not lost for additional shops. It's Vancouver! They're suspicious of anyone coming by, as they'd been able to keep the stock going with some rationing, and they've had some run-ins with "traitors and bandits" before. This also means they're not gonna open up to us beyond what we reasonably need, but that's fine, we weren't gonna stay here. And the cat's gotta stay in its carrier.

12:31 PM Refrigerators are kept running with generators; there's still a dairy aisle. Jesus, score. It's been ages since I've just pigged out on a good block of cheese. Lilith is surprised at this. "The amount of energy required to keep this food fresh is.. a lot."

12:32 PM Danny's grabbed an armful of packs of hot dogs. "They're good hot or cold." Is that.. actually true? "I don't care, they're hot dogs, I've been craving these. They got any ketchup?"

12:33 PM Fentzy's got some little boxes of pocky from the candy aisle, and some packets of easy-to-make pasta. I guess it's not out of the question that she can find a way to prepare them. And they just need water. I see Bones sneaking a whole carton of Monster cans inside his jacket, looking around to see if anyone saw.

12:34 PM Donnie's found the Canadian pot noodles! ooh get me some beef "I saw slim jims in the last aisle" can't hear you, already gone to grab them

12:35 PM We've all put some food in the car for now, Fentzy wants to watch over our stuff, but some of us are going back in. Lilith's with the residents here, talking. She's asking about how they keep the fridges on. "It's the damndest thing. They just never turned off. They've always been on." "But the wattage... where does this building get its power?" "Well, there's the trucks..." the others shut him up. "Trucks? Where, out back? I want to see."

12:36 PM Big blue trucks. No logos, no text besides the health and safety. Thick wires go into the back doors, open by a crack. I'm looking at Lilith. I don't know if we should open these. But she's madly curious. Inside is a long, long passageway with cool white walls and dried muck on the ground. Like I might find in the basement of an old hospital, where they take the bodies to dispose of them. It stretches into darkness.

into darkness The cables carry on down the body chute. As soon as we climbed into the trucks and took our first step onto solid rock, we heard a distant screech echo from the other end of the corridor. It sounded human, but near the edges of what sounds a human will make. Lilith needs to see for herself. She's walking on. I'm looking back at the Earth behind us, reluctant to go digging in this rabbit hole.

predator Lilith has stopped. I'm coming up from behind. She's stopped because there's two glowing eyes deeper ahead. They've seen us. Something scratches a wall. The eyes dart closer. Closer. Something heavily pants. Says two words in a torn and jagged voice. A name. "Lilywhite... Lilith…" Into our vision crawls the ghost with a mangled face of teeth. And everything spins around me, or is it me that spins? Start to revolve.

revolve When the spinning stops, I I'm in the Genera. The labs, the corridor of doors, and not the first floor. I feel a gaping emptiness inside. Like something has been drained from me. The lights are off. I have a flashlight. I am alone. People are screaming, coming from below. More people rush out of the doors around me. They're security guards, with their own flashlights, and with military-grade weaponry. They see me. They do not point their weapons. They expected to see me. One gestures for me to keep close, and stay behind. They'll protect me.

stairwell We exit double doors into the stairwell. A sign on the wall says "5." The fifth floor. There weren't that many floors. The building rumbles. The stairs stop at the fourth floor. We have to cross the floor to get to the next set of stairs.

4 Following the guards, pointing my flashlight at the walls, the doors are all labelled with names. Harold Demure, Lucius Sunsetto, Wormwood, Bishop, Mad Man Moon. More. The building rumbles again. The corridor turns more times than it should. I hear a guard utter "location warping." Another replies "we must be dealing with a new one." "you know the drill. diamond formation. look for stairs. they might not be where we expect. keep your eyes peeled for monsters." They surround me, walking in formation, scanning the walls, the doors, the floor, the ceiling. And we walk, stopping when we hear noises. Something falling over. Tapping that might be footsteps or pipes. We walk until we reach the stairs.

3 This floor is recognizable. This is the third floor of the labs. The stairs we came out of were not there before. We walk a little faster now, getting closer to the ground floor. Getting closer to Lilith. then a guard steels his breath and shoves me, as hard as he can, out of the way and into a door. and the ghost rolls and crawls and skitters its way through the corridor, raking the guards with claws so long they pass right through the floors. the claws do not pass through the guards. the teeth do not pass through the guards. with one motion, the ghost opens its jaw, revealing insides of absolutely nothing at all, not black void, not the corridor behind the ghost, but a cascading mirror effect that bleeds into my eyes. like the area behind a map in a video game. which snaps a realization into place in my panicking head. the limbs making crawling motions yet rotating on axles... the flickering static of the eyes, like textures fighting for priority... the inconsistent proportions stretched out to pass through the floors and walls, like clipping... the ghost is a glitch. a glitch in reality. and then its jaw motion concludes, with a fetid chomp. tearing holes in the guards through which its center of mass slides. the ghost passes and goes right through the wall at the end of the hall. the guards are mangled messes, bleeding out, organs mingling in a pile, those with their heads intact are screaming and coughing and begging. their guns are on the floor. ...I shoot them all to put them out of their misery. and now I'm alone again. u_u

stairs to 2 On the stairwell down to the second floor, I heard heavy breathing, felt it on the back of my neck.

2 The hallway here is redder. It's not blood, it's not the light, it's just... everything is redder. Like the textures have been replaced with identical ones with an added hue. I can hear someone crying. It could be Lilith. I've got to find her. Do any of these doors open?

room of red Endless expanse, vault of stars. Far in the distance are a crowd of figures. They're emitting red. They're coming closer. They know my name.

2 Closed that door. I hear the pitter-patter of rolling footsteps as something crawls around the corner up ahead. Trying the next door.

just a lab Thank god. Gonna.. make myself small and hide out in here for a second. Hope the ghost just crawls past. I can hear it making noises. "hhhhhh" and "eb. eb. eb." step step. step step. its limbs jut through the walls into here. it's passing.

2 I poked my head out in time to see it pass through another wall. I'm nearly at the stairwell. should I make a run for it? is it attracted to noises? is it just patrolling at random? why has it even latched onto this building? fuck it. making a run for it.

stairs to 1 I fell down the stairs. I just. I took the first step, and then I felt like my stomach got ejected out of my throat. I feel so empty. so fucking drained. what is it doing to me? but it hasn't come to the stairs. it's leaving me be. I've gotta get up. I've gotta keep going. If Lilith's still here, she'll know what to do.

1 walls of blood. oozing red. soaked in it. all the directions, all the corridors, terminate in blinding glowing TV static. all the directions except the one where I'm going. Lilith's lab. breathing down the back of my neck. claws grabbing my shoulders. like it's riding on my back. but when I look, there's nothing there. body draining of energy. I feel pale. I feel like I'm going to fucking die. Lilith!

lilywhite lilith She's hiding under a table, pointing a pistol at me with shaking hand. Recognizing me. Lowering her hand. Tears in her eyes, sobbing. "I shouldn't have been so curious. I shouldn't have taken this fucking job. I should have.. known. I should have seen it coming." What? C'mon, we need to get out of here. "That thing. That thing is no Fossil. That thing is human." ...what? "That thing is Doctor Cloud." .....what. "He wanted to find me. He wanted to.. he wanted to…" Kill you? "God, no! He's my husband!" ..okay look, ordinarily I'd love nothing more than to sit here and patiently let you talk it all out, I'd love all kinds of answers, but we really can't stick around here. if that ghost is what happened to Doctor Cloud, if he's your husband, then, maybe you're fine, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to die. I need to leave. and I need your help with that. "I'm not fine!! The abyss did that to my Cloud! He's a monster now! If he's not here to kill me, I don't.. I don't want to know… is he going to turn me into a monster too?" Lilith, please, how do we get out of here? I need you. >_< I need your smarts, I need your inquisitive bravery, I need your nerves of steel! "What do you need me for?! You've got the bravery, you're inquisitive, you're the kid who stands up to the gods!! Don't you hear the voices?" The. Voices. "They're coming from the other room. I can hear them through the walls, through the screams, through the... oh god." … Behind me is the ghost. The mangled remains of Doctor Cloud. He's here.

the ghost "lilywhite... lilith…" drool drops to the floor. his teeth are stretched so far, he can't close his mouth. lilith "Stanford… what happened to you? What foul god did this to you?" "lilith... lilith... I did this…" stepping closer to her. moving at an even pace that does not match his limbs. lilith "Yes, I suppose that.. would be true. You did this to yourself... when you found the Abyss." "the abyss... is alive... our dead universe floats in a sea of life... and even the dead is life... I saw the.. the face of the abyss... I saw what waits inside... and it saw me... it saw our universe... it's coming... it's coming…" Rapture...? he looked at me, eyes boring into my skull. confused. I'm not supposed to be here. "rapture was already coming... this is something else…" lilith "What, Stanford? What's coming? What did you see?" "I.. saw... red." and with that, he grabbed her in his arms. and all went white.

9:05 PM And I woke up. Took a moment to come to my senses. I didn't feel like I was dreaming, had to adjust to the new reality of being in bed. Plus, the Musicians are standing in the corner of the room, so it's not like this feels any more real. ..Musicians? "Rael. You are in grave danger. You need to leave right away." What is it? Was it Doctor Cloud? Did he get me? Was he draining me? Did you guys save me? Where's Lilith? "One at a time." "Rael, this is not going to be easy to communicate to you." "Perhaps we should ask him to describe his surroundings? Let him come to the realization on his own? And then we can provide clarity when he inevitably asks questions." Describe my.. well, it's a room. It's, like, the room, nothing wrong with it. The bedroom. Y'know, where I've been staying. Paper Mario's still on the TV, I must have fallen asleep playing it. And I'm alone in bed, and the bathroom door's open, so Donnie's not in there, she.. went out. She. I. No. What? No! No, no, no, this isn't. I was dreaming, but, this has got to be the dream. How can I. How can I tell? If I'm dreaming or not? "Please, stay where you are, do not try to get up so quickly." "You have lost a lot of fluids." But. Please, tell me. How can I tell? "In dreams and in reality, you will be engaged with the reality of your world. Experientially, the difference is very subtle, too subtle for you at this point in your life." "We suppose that you cannot tell the difference." "We suppose we ask you to trust us." Trust you. But. But if you're right, then. I'm still in Dominiere. "And you never left." o___o

9:13 PM threw up. bathroom. I'm paler than ever. and there's a woman in the mirror. "Good, they managed to wake you. I'm relieved." I feel faint. "I'm not surprised. The town has been feasting on you." oh jesus. >_< the tubes and everything? "Oh yes. They were working overtime. Ever since you stole a meal from its mouth, it needed to replace her." Her? Stole. You mean.. Fentzy? That part was real? "Mhm. It was brave of you. Sometimes you can be quite endearing." But. That's when we left. What actually happened? Did you see? "She left in a hurry. I bet she thought you were ahead of her." Didn't the police chase her? "Police? Chase? Is that what your dreams are like?" ...I guess so. o_o;; "You were knocked unconscious after you left her room. The tubes dragged you back into your room and into bed." Christ. Then I have no idea what happened to her, if she got away. "And that's what you have us for, dear. With me, you have access to any mirror in the world. And with them, you have the rest." You guys.. kept track? For me? "I.. guess we did?" But why? "We said we would help." "Well, we said that we would have to see." "Yes, and we saw." behind me now, hovering in the bathroom. the Musicians came in to join the conversation. And you guys all worked together? "I did tell you, we know each other. I find you fun to watch, so I didn't take much convincing. I don't want to see you die here." Okay. Right. But I have questions. Specific questions.

… So. First. Was all of my dream a lie? We found Danny and Bones in a, like, warehouse, the Genera. We met someone named Lilith. There was a ghost. And she told us that Dominiere is something called underscore. Was that all fake? "Well. No." "Your dreams are a product of your mind, and as we have demonstrated to you, we can provide stimuli for your mind." "Lilith is real, though none of you have met her. The Genera is real, and we have a working relationship with them. We have met Lilith through our connections. We know what she knows. As your dream took you, logically, to the nearest Genera waystation, we elected to insert her into the narrative there, as a means of filling you in on some things you needed to know." "Dominiere is a.. what they call 'underscore.' It is an offshoot of the Empty City, one that latches onto other universes, such as your own, and pulls environmental nutrients until it is mature enough to travel the void on its own." "There are many such underscores on Earth." "You are in one of them." And the. The people here are Indisen zombies? "We found this revelation surprising too. There is a lot that the Archangel does not tell us. The same is said about the Genera. But Lilith was willing to impart this information to us." "She did not tell us how the zombies produced Indisen, otherwise we would have included that." Then. The ghost. Doctor Cloud. "That part is unconfirmed." o_o What? "Last we checked, Lilith is still alive, working in the waystation, studying underscore, oblivious to anything wrong." So you. Added the ghost thing just for, what, entertainment? To test me? "While we would love to take credit for this, no, we had nothing to do with it." "We suspect it was a manifestation of your body breaking down, trying to wake you up." Right. Got it. I guess that's better than knowing it was real. But then, okay, so what about my friends for real? What happened to Fentzy and Donnie? Where is Bones, where is Danny? "The reality is not altogether removed from the narrative of the dream." "If we are to call you 'Rael,' it would make sense to use Salmacis's names for the others. Donnivan is Victoria. Did it ever name the other three?" "The other trilby is probably going to be John." "..yes, that would be predictable enough for the naming convention." "But Daniel and Rauri are unknown to her." Can't you.. just... call them by their regular names? "Fine. On this occasion. But getting the names right is a part of the deal. If we are to help you, we must call you strange things." sigh. "The reality is that Victoria and... and Rauri, caught up with the trucks. Victoria was captured, stored in the back of the truck, but Rauri eluded capture and followed close behind until they reached the Genera waystation. Victoria was taken inside and encaged, discovering Daniel and D.. John, also imprisoned. Rauri used espionage to infiltrate the facility and free the others." Did they fight their way out? O: "No. The four escaped from the Genera without incident, though they were nearly seen by a few guards." "It was exciting to watch." "They did not meet Lilith, who was working just a few rooms away. They did not find the truth about Dominiere, though John and Victoria both had seen the bodies inside the trucks and at least pieced together that the town was dangerous." "They stopped somewhere to rest for the night, and searched for a working vehicle today. They are on the way to come back for you." Oh! :D "They did not unanimously agree to this, as your behavior over the last week has raised concerns. However, Rauri was adamant, and she fills the role of group leader without argument." "You will probably have to make some apologies after they save you." "But not to Rauri." "No. You saved her life. And she knows this." .w. "Any further questions?" Yeah. When will they get here?

(Attached: "The moment that Donnie, Danny, and I saw the door open and Fentzy walk in has stuck with me for all my years. I think we really did consider, beforehand, that we were going to die in that cage. But in she came anyway, that raging protective Connecticut steel, and she saved our asses. It's not entirely true that we left without fighting anyone. I mean, it's.. literally accurate. But on the way out, overcome with hatred and spite for our captors, I found a corkboard and a blank piece of paper. I did consider writing something insulting, something bragging about the Genera's security vulnerabilities. Instead, I elected to write a new bit of Genera policy. 'This building has been renamed to the Candle Jack Labs. Failure to address the building by its proper name will result in a pay decrease.' Did it work? Did it get anyone to say 'Candle Jack?' I don't actually know. But on the way out, I'm sure I heard screams.")

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#ogtrib #oh god the rapture is burning #ogtrib act 2 #horror

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