#this has been sponsored by pan being pan

[prototypelq]

Pan thoughts because I am normal TM about him:

- Unless Grace shows her interest in him (aka romance route / Let's Dance), Pan is almost absent from the story.

He only appears twice - in the beginning, and at the end for the trial - cause that's a formal procedure all gods have to be present for. There are four optional encounters: if you come meet him before the Reliquary, he'll ask to complete a favour for Asterion, another encounter is handing in that the favour, Medusa encounter, plus the final meeting before the trial. Freddie is present with Grace for the most of the game, Apollo - has at least 6 encounters, even if you don't play the game with him (apartment, Underworld, Aphrodite's Party, Hades, Trial), Persephone - 3 encounters (Underworld, Hades, Trial). Back to Pan - none of the gods really speak about him. Except Persephone and Apollo, who are trying to both dismiss and point fingers at him at the beginning. After that, none of the gods ever mentions Pan again.

It's almost like he is very much an outsider among the pantheon, probably right until he needs a favour, or somebody needs his favours.

- It's kind of logical that Pan is the outsider in the pantheon, if you think about it thematically. All the other gods have clear niches they control and keep in order. Nature is anything But order, in fact, if nature is anything - it finds order only in constant struggle or the constant redefining of scale, in Change. So yeah, a god of Dis-order could very much be antithetical to other gods of Order. If Calliope was looking to shake things up, then he would certainly be one of her first choices for allies in her quest.

- This makes it easy to understand how exactly Pan got tangled up in the whole mess. He span his web of favours, which were all small little things (probably), but it caught a prey so big Pan was stunned so hard, his agency basically went out the window, until the case was closed.

- Okay, now for the particular lines in different versions of I Can Teach You (aka Lost Girls, Time To Shine and Morning Fades), if, For Some Reason you haven't finished the game yet - please do. It's short and definitely worth your time, cause it's amazing. also I really need to talk about this so Big Tangent Ahead

I'll do these song by song.

Morning Fades - It's in the name of the song - Pan is... pretty much the only god who reminds Grace she is or a strict timer. Every other god, by some reason or another - drags her into their own problems, which she helps to solve, and only after that can she make progress in the case. You know. While being sentenced to death in a week. Grace has to solve the problems these gods have been brewing in for, at least, decades AND prove her innocence, so her sentence to death can be prevented. Pan is the only one, who reminds Grace, multiple times, that 'Time's a wasting', she needs to hurry, and doesn't take any more of her time than he should.

Morning fades and the day wastes away, Grace You can't wait, Grace, don't delay

Another line, that gives us a very clear insight into Pan is this line right here:

This Freddie is a friend you can use, but this isn't playtime Time to choose

You get this line only in the purest form of Morning Fades (aka all blue), in which Pan leads unsure Grace along through the song, but Freddie is ignored and she does a final solo to try to get through to Grace. Pan sings those lines with remorse, he values the devotion Freddie demonstrates, even if he did call her Lost Girl a few times throughout the song. But despite his own lines - previously they were Time To Play, now that time is over, cause the song is over. This is the time to solve murder of a goddess, and while Pan does not like dividing the girls, he sees there is no place for Freddie in this adventure, and thinks that it would be too dangerous for her.

There will be more evidence of Pan's personal motivation later, I have only just remembered the Green version of Morning Fades, and it's very interesting. This is the song where Grace tries to follow Pan's advice and direction in her first steps, then gets carried away by the song and her bestie into their own fun musical, all while ignoring Pan.

You think you don't need me, just cause' you can't read me

This line is quite straightforward - Pan knows he is acting shady, but reinforces that his intentions are genuine, if only the girls could see through their first impression of him.

Time To Shine - now, this version is interesting, cause here we have Grace who is rebelling against every possible notion of control, or even help, and Pan loves this song anyway. This song proves that Pan was honestly just trying to help (and quieten the misguided guilt he feels), so as long as Grace can use her power and has a mind sharp enough to find the proof the needs - he is satisfied. And he really is! It's clear from the get-go that Grace is independent, clever and fiery enough to handle everything herself, so he rolls along with her, confident in her abilities.

Actually, in this version he is quieter than normal - he throws a line about Freddie, but otherwise between the first Time to Shine and the star scene chorus he keeps silent - Grace wants spotlight, so he steps aside to hear her out.

Yes! This is your time! Time to shine!

It's also fun that, in his first verse he always Grace to hurry up, here instead he is getting so excited about her number that he throws in

Yes, a solo! Go for it, we got time! (solo) Grace, you're starting to comprehend Let me show you more, or show me the door!

He sings that line very excitedly, which is very silly and fun xD. It is to be expected then, that Pan joins in Grace's final Time To Shine chorus almost instantly.

Lost Girls - this song is very interesting, cause in this version the girls are pretty much dismissing Pan completely, and fully give into the song, they get carried away to have their own fun musical number. This time Pan has to ground them back into reality - in other versions he gets excited over the number, well, not in this one. This Pan is grumpy - his advice is being dismissed, he is not taken seriously, and he cannot fully deliver the message he wants to convey, or the lesson he wants Grace to learn.

Grace: Lost girls, lost girls, you all love your lost girls, A rescue that you can take home Pan: I won't say you need saving, you're not drowning, you're waving

In this first Lost Girls verse he is still being playful, but even in the beginning he has to placate with both hands that he is not a danger and only wants to help. But if Grace keeps ignoring Pan's advice, he starts to get more serious.

You're lucky I got to you There's people who'll come for you I'm hurt you're making so much ado You're lost and I'm trying to help!

Okay so, knowing the events of the game, I can't be the only one thinking of Aphrodite here, right? That's my best guess as to what Pan is referring. The girls keep on getting carried away, and he has to just straight-up state he only wants to help.

Interesting, that even after being ignored and rightfully grumpy about that, Pan is still willing to join into the trio singing together. He's also delighted by that solo is particular xD

I never knew I had that in me!

Even after half a song, Freddie still keeps freaking out about the whole 'musical' thing, and to that Pan says, with a literal facepalm:

You don't understand Nothing for Grace will ever be the same!

If Grace goes for the full song here and green ending, then Grace and Eddie happily continue singing their troubles away, and at this, Pan really gets frustrated. So much so, that he goes plainspeak, even though the Green Lost Girls solo seems to be his favourite moment in any variation of I Can Teach you.

Really? Now you're just being silly Maybe the Muse isn't feeling the gravity? Or do you refuse and, like ostriches, happily stick your heads in the sand? Grace, I could be your right hand Freddie, you'd better leave her alone Let me do what I do, or she'll sink like a stone

The way Pan keeps on insisting so hard that Grace needs someone's guidance has me thinking that either there have been accidents with new idols, who were unable to control their powers properly before, or maybe it was his own personal struggle with control over the abilities, and he was wishing hard for someone's help at the time.

It's also weird that he keeps on pressing that Grace needs assistance here, even after she has choreographed an entire musical number right before his very eyes, all without a hitch, and she is clearly a natural. For some reason the way Grace and Freddie get so much carried away scares him particularly? Then again, in the Time to Shine versions Pan is perfectly fine with letting Grace do whatever she wants, because she demonstrated skill and independence. In this version, she demonstrates the same things, but uses them to have a song with her bestie, and This triggers Pan for a reason. Interesting.

Kind of a similar situation happens with Green version of Morning Fades, actually. The end of the song has Pan start the usual Morning Fades chorus, but then the girls come in and literally steal the spotlight from him, and this forces Pan into plainspeak.

Pan: You think I'm the danger? You have no idea. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to hide, But do we make merry or should you get ready? Finally grow up and take it outside. Grace: So wait, are you saying you won't work with Freddie? Pan: She couldn't be less qualified

A stark contrast to the original full-blue Morning Fades, where Pan regrets dividing the girls, isn't it.

So Pan has mentally allowed a very specific fun-zone, meaning this one musical number, which he is happy and excited to engage in, but he won't let the girls get carried away with their fun forever, and tries very hard to ground them back if they do.

[pucksandpower]

I have so many thoughts on why this is a horrible idea and not enough words to properly describe it.

The age regulations were put into place for a reason — just because Toto Wolff is obsessed with finding the next Max Verstappen does not mean that Kimi Antonelli should be granted an exception that will only serve to rush his development.

The fact of the matter is that only Max Verstappen is Max Verstappen … forcing Kimi into a struggling Williams team with barely any time in Formula 2 under his belt after completely skipping Formula 3 will only serve to hurt him.

Kimi Antonelli deserves time to develop. He deserves time to at least finish a feeder series season before being thrown straight from the frying pan into the fire. There are very few cases in which rushing young athletes does not ultimately cause more harm than good.

On the other side of the coin, dropping Logan Sargeant (and doing so in the middle of the season) has the potential to massively hurt Williams from a business standpoint. They are finally in a trajectory to recover financially after years of struggle thanks in large part to the many American sponsors who ended up signing thanks to — you guessed it — them having an American driver in Logan Sargeant. This comes at a time when Williams has already taken numerous hits to its image throughout the earlier races of the season. Considering Formula 1 is just as much about business as it is about what actually happens on the track, I would be concerned about the repercussions that such a move could have.

Now, on to Logan Sargeant himself. It is no secret that he is far from the best driver on the grid, but improving performance requires support from your team, something that has unfortunately been quite spotty to start the season despite the pretty words James Vowles often spins. Logan has been given the short end of the stick race after race after race at a crucial time for his development, the opposite of what any driver that has to prove themselves needs at such a point in their career.

Last, but certainly not least, James Vowles famously said that he is not looking to turn Williams into a “mini-Mercedes” … but is that not exactly what dropping a driver from Williams’ own development program in favor of doing Toto Wolff’s bidding would mean for the team? Williams has no hope of moving away from being viewed as Mercedes’ B-team if their actions directly counteract these words.

I’m sure there is so much more I should say about this, but I hope I managed to adequately explain why I think Williams dropping Logan Sargeant in favor of Kimi Antonelli in the middle of the season has a lot of potential to backfire for all involved.

[trans-axolotl]

Bo Laurent created the Intersex Society of North America in 1993, starting the intersex rights movement in the United States. Describing the founding of ISNA, they wrote:

"Over the course of a year, simply by speaking openly within my own social circles, I learned of six other intersexuals--including two who had been fortunate enough to escape medical attention. I realized that intersexuality, rather than being extremely rare, must be relatively common. I decided to create a support network. In the summer of 993, I produced some pamphlets, obtained a post office box, and began to publicize the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA) through small notices in the media. Before long, I was receiving several letters per week from intersexuals throughout the United States and Canada and occasionally some from Europe. While the details varied, the letters gave a remarkably coherent picture of the emotional consequences of medical intervention. Morgan Holmes: "All the things my body might have grown to do, all the possibilities, went down the hall with my amputated clitoris to the pathology department. The rest of me went to the recovery room--I'm still recovering." Angela Moreno: "I am horrified by what has been done to me and by the conspiracy of silence and lies. I am filled with grief and rage, but also relief finally to believe that maybe I am not the only one." Thomas: "I pray that I will have the means to repay, in some measure, the American Urological Association for all that it has done for my benefit. I am having some trouble, though, in connecting the timing mechanism to the fuse."

ISNA's most immediate goal has been to create a community of intersex people who could provide peer support to deal with shame, stigma, grief, and rage, as well as with practical issues such as how to obtain old medical records or locate a sympathetic psychotherapist or endocrinologist. To that end, I cooperated with journalizes whom I judged capable of reporting widely and responsibly on our efforts, listed ISNA with self-help and referral clearinghouses, and established a presence on the internet. ISNA now connects hundreds of intersexuals across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. It has also begun sponsoring an annual intersex retreat, the first of which took place in 1996 and which moved participants every bit as profoundly as the New Woman conference had moved me in 1993.

ISNA's longer-term and more fundamental goal, however, is to change the way intersex infants are treated. We advocated that surgery not be performed on ambiguous genitals unless there is a medical reason (such as blocked or painful urination), and that parents be given the conceptual tools and emotional support to accept their children's physical differences...To provide a counterpoint to the mountains of medical literature that neglect intersex experience and to begin compiling an ethnographic account of that experience, ISNA's Hermaphrodites with Attitude newsletter has developed into a forum for intersexuals to tell their own stories.

...When I established ISNA in 1993, no such politicized groups existed. I was less willing to think of intersexuality as a pathology or disability, more interested in challenging its medicalization entirely, and more interested still in politicizing a pan-intersexual identity across the divisions of particular etiologies in order to destabilize more effectively the heteronormative assumptions underlying the violence directed at our bodies."

-Cheryl Chase, Mapping the Emergence of Intersex Political Activism, Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 1998, 189-211.

[starryriize]

Hey Queen! Since you like and know stuff about F1 : I'd like to request your opinion on how &Team would be as a racer.

Which sponsor would they have? What kinda outfit would they wear? What would their racing style be like?

P.s. : feel free to include pictures we love men in racingsuits.🙏🏻

how &team would be as… | F1 drivers

〔 author’s note 〕 oh my god. racers…yes. this…yes. this ask actually helped me get my motivation to write up and running :(( pls nonnie ilysm <3

(lowercase intended)

〔laur’s taglist 🏷️〕 @kehnarii @lunicho @rizzkisworld @cherrycolaberry @hyvelxve

fuma - aston martin

i feel like he’d fit so well in formula one. he strikes me as the more experienced driver who teaches the rookies how it’s done. he’d be an aggressive, competitive yet clean racer. you’d never see him deliberately force people off the track, but he’d definitely switch up his speed in order to get first place.

he’d wear typical aston martin race suits but would switch up to his regular style when he enters the paddock for media appearances! very classy style~ i think he’d have a style similar to ej with a “boyfriend” look!

kei - mclaren

i am definitely not being biased when i say that mclaren lowkey has fast cars…anyways i could 100% see him in mclaren. i feel like he’s a bit on the “daredevil” side when racing because he tends to race according to his instincts. he gets competitive when overtaking and curses at drivers who don’t know what they’re doing. i mean…you can’t expect racers to be sunshine and rainbows with each other all the time!

he said usually enters the paddock with his buddy, fuma. even their managers are good friends! they have quite contrasting styles as to what they wear besides the racing suits. kei is more playful and expressive in his appearance. he can be seen in bright colors, patterns, etc. overall, he’s incredibly eye-catching hence why the cameras pan towards him instantly.

ej - mercedes

ej radiates class as a racing driver so it’s obvious he’d be part of mercedes. now mercedes isn’t doing that well this season, so best believe he’s making complaints to the chief engineer. it’s all in good faith that his team can improve, but he knows he’s not going to be in the podium anytime soon.

despite this sad outlook, he does race his hardest against aston martin and pushes the car to its limits. when he enters the paddock, he has a typical “boyfriend” style that includes backwards caps. of course, when he does mercedes events, he’s dressed in a full suit.

nico - red bull

anyone who says that nico isn’t redbull is lying. i mean…the recklessness and the killer instinct is 100% there. he’s so intentional about his racing lines and he separates personal life from his work life. red bull is known for having drivers willing to go above and beyond for the podium and for their team.

his typical style is something you’d see on the runway. the world is practically his runway and it’s obvious in the way he carries himself with the kind of confidence you’d see in movies! most drivers always say they wish they had nico’s fashion sense too!

yuma - ferrari

“you have to be devilishly handsome to be in ferrari” and yuma takes his seriously. he’s a reckless driver, willing to do whatever it takes to get on the podium. does it seem cold? heartless? possibly. but does he get results? hell yes. his driving style is ruthless. he pushes the car to its breaking point and then asks the engineer to improve the speed. he knows when the car is not performing as it should on the straight.

people underestimate him because they think he’s just a pretty face so he loves proving people wrong by getting win after win. when he comes into the paddock, he’s decked out in full “typical celebrity crush” style~

jo - mclaren

jo drives for mclaren because he loves the sport and knows it’s not the car that matters but the driver. he’s been practicing and perfecting his skills just for this moment. his favorite race is the Suzuka circuit because it’s inspiring for him to see all his fans and family at his home race. he doesn’t drive for the fame or the money, rather he drives for himself. it’s more about proving to the world that he’s more than capable of being an f1 champion.

i feel like his outfits would be street style/chic mix because he has the proportions of a model. due to his height, he doesn’t need to do much to stand out (it’s a bonus with his striking visuals)! he can pull off virtually any color scheme so he likes to switch it up and wear outfits to match the vibe of the country he’s in.

taki - ferrari

anyone who can’t see taki at ferrari is probably lying because he fits it perfectly. he has that raw talent to be able to adapt to anything the race brings. bad weather? he’s already asking to switch tires. race restart? he’s already planning who to overtake after the safety car lap. he has that motivation to win at all costs.

i think taki’s style would be similar to nico only because i feel like he looks up to nico, especially when it comes to having fashion sense. he’d look so good in his classic red race suit but when he changes to what he wears in between the race weeks, he’s so much more attractive. he pulls off the “bad boy/leather jacket” style so well!

harua - aston martin

the class? the elegance? the iconic legacy of aston? it’s perfect for harua. i think he’s a careful, calculating driver. he knows how competitive it is but he knows not to be rough on the track. he knows exactly where to best utilize the car’s speed and power which gives him an advantage to overtake drivers who are falling behind.

i feel like him and maki have a cute, out-of-the-box style that leaves everyone speechless. more often than not, he has a seemingly simple outfit, but he adds his personality to it! whether it’s an accessory or it’s the layering of the clothes, everyone loves harua! at events, he’d be more dressed up with a classic black suit, perhaps channeling his inner james bond.

maki - red bull

now you can tell me all you like how he should be on a german team but hear me out: he’s perfect for red bull! i think he’d be a big inspiration to little boys in both Japan and Germany. his racing style is unique in the way he’s patient. he’s competitive but he thinks logically about his next move.

as i said above, i think his style would be similar to harua’s. they’re both creative, but i feel like he’d lean more towards a soft palette. i could see him having a style where he always looks as though he’s going on a date after the race!

pics for reference:

[drwernicke]

I made a zine! About a fictional videogame! Sponsored by a dear industry friend, who I approached while panicking about my food insecurity and bills.

WO, the Zine, is the reprint of the instruction manual of a videogame made for the AKASA Entertainment System stands as evidence for the existence of Hole Eye Games, a developer who went bankrupt shortly after the release of said game. WO, panned by critics as being too dark for its core audience, is mostly forgotten by the casual player, though it has developed something of a cult following in the passing decades. Hole Eye Games' other titles fared no better, and are mostly forgotten. However, WO might have just saved two kids who chanced upon it in their late teens. WO, the zine, reprints the game's manual in its entirety, including the handwritten notes of Fiver (Jonah Lovelace) and Rosary Sepulchur (James Patron) as they traded the cartridge and the booklet back and forth during the darkest days of their lives. Solace can come in the strangest forms. Sometimes, it comes as a videogame about being a giant rabbit and climbing into your best friend/crush's corpse to defeat Satan.

If you want your own copy, you can buy it here!

It's 48-pages long, full color, glossy cool paper and stuff. I'd be super grateful for any support you can give, and spreading the word. I'm too shy to talk about my stuff. I don't even know where I should be talking about it.

Fun fact: I broke my left arm (my radial neck) and my right hand (my trapezium) while in the process of making this. Not due to the process (it was a stupid skating accident where a giant dude barreled into me hockey-style), but the fact it's actually been made and is out now is something of a miracle to me.

Another fun fact: the printing studio I hired for the project was so helpful, understanding, and knew what I wanted to a T. And the weirdest thing is, I found them from a ten year old Reddit post where they were discussing making a SNES-style manual with another Reddit user. I sent them a message, and what'd you know, it turned out they live in the same country and the same province as I do. What are the odds?

Thanks so much for reading this far! Videogames were my main source of escapism through a very rough childhood, and have continued to be, and I felt I owed that its due homage. I also wanted to emulate what it feels like to love something that may be critically panned for being unentertaining, but is still very dear to your heart because of what it means to you and your friends. I'll stop yapping now. Thank you so much. ❤️

[prommethium]

The first Woman President is amazing news, what isn't amazing, is the abolition of democracy and republic in México.

The actual president of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador is erratic and authoritarian; he considers himself a messiah of the people and faces his adversaries, not through dialectic and logical thinking but with power and out-of-context folkloric sayings.

Morena (Obrador's party,) won six years ago because Mexicans were tired of voting for the same breed of politicians, it was a way for the people to reprimand the two greatest political parties of the country (PRI [left] and PAN [right].) Six years ago, an elderly lunatic was a better choice (for many,) than the same type of candidates that have been on the chair for almost a century. So, Obrador won, and Obrador started to "give to the people," he promised pensions, money for students, and money for the poor. His team created "Banco del Bienestar" (bank of well-being,) which he distributed across the republic, there, people could get their money. But people who received pensions didn't get extra income, now their pensions were managed by the Well-being bank, banks with no personnel and empty ATMs. Some of these people are still waiting for months of delayed money. People who spoke a native language received compensation and were encouraged to keep speaking the said language; that program disappeared during Obrador's regime. During the last six years, young students (high school) received approximately 100usd twice per year. Because of the programs of "giving money," the resources of public institutions decreased, particularly public justice local (state) systems. When Obrador Won, he promised to end the Violence in Mexico, instead of starting wars against groups who trade with people, drugs, and guns, he offered "abrazos no balazos" (hugs no bullets); many criminals were forgiven, and he gave amnesty to the heads of cartels and Narco groups.

After six years of his government, we have seen a circus, we, Mexicans like to laugh about our politicians' stupidity, about their poor attempts at joking, the misspelling words, memes are part of Mexican culture; but the last six years, we didn't want to laugh, most of us were afraid of the erratic decisions of Obrador, a man who after receiving money of dealers, with a son with a mansion abroad bought with resources of the nation, a man who didn't hesitate to sponsor the business of close friends with Mexico's money stills smiles, and claims that "we are the best country in the world, Mexico's money is of the Mexicans."

Journalists who questioned him were killed (more than 150) or harassed (hundreds, like Carlos Loret de Mola.) So we have been silenced, media has been silenced.

In this election, Morena (Obrador's party) promised more money for the people and threatened that other parties would take it away. Morena kept reminding people that over the last hundred years, the PRI and PAN (old Mexican parties from the ''left'' and ''right'' respectively,) were the wrong choice since they already got their chance. Humorous it is to find the most corrupt people from the PRI and PAN militating in Morena, politicians that after Morena's success moved to the winning party. The PRI and PAN joined forces, it was a study-worthy event, these enemy parties joined forces, and their opposition of ideas (now together,) was challenging to keep in a balance.

In terms of ideology and values, Morena always supported Venezuela and Cuba, those were the politicians our President hung out with and still supports. Isn't a secret that Obrador is a socialist.

In this election, people voted for Morena because indeed, with Xóchitl (candidate for the opposition and candidate of the PRI-PAN) the students no longer would receive money every six months, but they would receive education, and the money dedicated to old-fashioned unsustainable projects that caused irreparable damage to Indigenous communities and environment (like the Mayan Train) would be given to hospitals and public institutions. Mexicans voted for Morena because they were afraid of famine, and of not receiving support. With Claudia's triumph, they would keep getting their money, and in exchange, we have a president who sits with populists and dictators, an authoritarian president who now, in this "democratic" system, has a majority at the senate, which means, Morena can do as they please, Morena can change the constitution.

How beautiful is to hear the saying "We don't need international trade, we don't need foreign investment, we can do it ourselves," but we are citizens of the world when the economy is globalised when there is little to no investment, and therefore a decrease of work opportunities with a stagnant economy.

How beautiful is it to hear "The public institutions will be ruled by Mexicans, by the people," Indeed the federal Commission for electricity, water, petrol, etc., are ruled and controlled by Mexicans, like politicians who support Morena and not experienced suited people for the job.

In the last six years, for the first time in my life, I experienced power cuts, not having running water, and no oil to fill the tank of my car. In the last six years prices of food have increased exponentially, but how beautiful "this government, Morena increased minimum income by 20%"

I've seen the comments and reasons behind people voting for Morena, they preferred to vote for Morena than for the "right" when there is no right and left anymore. There was just democracy and obradorism (autoritarism). Journalists who spoke and questioned Morena and Obrador have been killed, same for senate members, and the same for candidates of the opposition (37 in the last six months.)

The elected president, Claudia Sheinbaum is under Obrador's wing, she has been supporting him for a long time, and we expect the same. She has been saying: "is time For a New México, it's time to wake up, is time for a new system." When we see the reforms that Morena announced instead of excitement I'm worried:

-Using trains to transport cargo (built in the 70's) to transport people. -Kids can't study in the school of choice, but the public nearest to their home. -Decrease the number of legislators in the senator's chamber (because one head thinks better than two). -Magistrates will not be elected by the executive-power but by the people (most people don't even know what a magistrate does, with a good campaign, any idiot can be a magistrate now.) -The army will support the police (this means the army in the streets.) -Eliminate the elite.

[the-delta-42]

Pulling the Trigger

Pulling the Trigger

Marinette nervously bit her bottom lip; her new school was a boarding school just outside of Paris. Kaalki had agreed to help her get back to the city in the event of an Akuma attack. She’d been forced to change schools after Adrien had gotten her a meeting with his father, Gabriel Agreste, one of Marinette’s idols. In the meeting, Gabriel had torn into Marinette’s designs, belittling them and mocking her choice of style, before tearing into Marinette as a person and her effects on his son and then, quite coldly, informed her that she would never have a future in the fashion industry and if she was ever near his son again, he’d be sure to have her behind bars.

So, here Marinette was, sitting in a hallway, waiting to be called into a classroom full of strangers. No pressure.

PTT

A blonde-haired girl with tanned skin, called Allegra, pulled Marinette through the halls, talking at a mile-a-minute and introducing Marinette to other students along the way.

“Claude, Allen!” Yelled Allegra, waving at a light-skinned boy with brown hair and a dark-skinned boy.

“Who’s this?” Joked the light-skinned boy.

“This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng!” Said Allegra, making the dark-skinned boy choke on his drink.

“That designer you’re obsessed with?” Asked the boy, as Allegra nodded eagerly, “I’m Allen, this wannabe magician is Claude.”

Marinette waved nervously.

“Sorry, we’re not used to being in the presence of a celebrity.” Said Claude, grinning, “Speaking of, what are your next designs like?”

Marinette winced, “It’s not, I’ve, erm, I’ve kinda been black-listed.”

The three froze.

“Um, can I ask by who?” Asked Allegra, her voice strained.

“Gabriel Agreste.” Responded Marinette, as Allegra sighed in relief.

“Oh, phew, for a moment I thought it was someone relevant.” Said Allegra, “The Gabriel Brand has really gone downhill lately, it doesn’t help that the new model keeps making Adrien look uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, she’s always like that,” Said Marinette, folding her arms, “trust me I went to school with them.”

Allegra froze, and then started squealing.

PTT

Adrien’s leg bounced as he waited for class to start. His father had spoken to him last night about how he had issued a restraining order against Marinette, as well as blacklisting her. He’d made a similar announcement at a social dinner with other fashion designers and members of the elite. His father didn’t like the fact he’d been laughed out of a room.

“Hey, dude!” Greeted Nino, Alya and the rest of the class behind him, “How were your holidays?”

“Could’ve been better.” Said Adrien, glumly.

“How’d things pan out with Marinette?” Asked Alya, smirking slightly.

“Terribly, my father issued a restraining order against her and black-listed her.” Answered Adrien, glaring at the table, “All because Lila claimed Marinette was a stalker and was crazy.”

“Lila, said that?” Asked Alya, in disbelief.

“She practically gloated about it at the photoshoot, actually,” Said Adrien, looking around for Juleka, “Juleka, I need to borrow some of your makeup.”

“Why?” Asked the Goth, frowning slightly.

Adrien pulled back his sleeve, revealing crescent-shaped scars all along his arm, “Lila got handsy and refused to let go.”

“Didn’t anyone do something?” Asked Rose, tears gathering in her eyes.

“They did, but father,” Adrien spat the word out like it was a curse, “refused to listen to anyone but his precious little Lila.”

Alya looked Lila up on her phone, dread filling her when the only result was her interview and Lila’s social medias.

“The lying bitch.” Said Alya, collapsing into her seat, “Marinette told me, and I didn’t think to check!”

Adrien glared at the table, trying to set it on fire with his gaze, “Father’s lost two of his biggest sponsors because of this.”

Alya frowned, just as Lila walked into the class.

“You guys aren’t going to believe what Marinette did to me!” Whimpered Lila, as everyone in the class glared at her.

“You mean telling us about your lies?” Snapped Alya, burning holes into Lila’s head.

“I’m not a liar!” Gasped Lila, her eyes darting to Adrien with a silent command to defend her.

“What?” Scowled Adrien, glaring at Lila as well, “If you’re expecting me to defend you, that deal only worked while Marinette was still in school.”

Lila gaped like a fish, as Adrien leaned forwards, “You do know that lying to my father made him lose two of his biggest sponsors? The Cheng’s and the Ricca’s cut their contracts immediately. The thing is, they had a little clause in their contracts that should their partnership with my father was ever terminated for whatever reasons, he would have to pay back every penny they gave him?”

Lila continued to gape, before clearing her throat, “Well, my mother is a Ricca, they’ll be back in the fold soon enough.”

“Lila, they’ve started proceedings to claim the mansion and they’re claiming all the bank accounts in my father’s name.” Stated Adrien, “Your lies have practically cost my father everything.”

“What’s going to happen to you?” Asked Nino, breaking his glare form Lila to look at Adrien.

“Father’s been under investigation, and I’ve been moved into a temporary home.” Shrugged Adrien, leaning back in his chair, “I’m not getting my hopes up about anything yet.”

Lila went pale, if Gabriel went under, she could kiss her dreams of being rich, famous and wanted goodbye. Lila’s eyes darted around the room, before she scarpered out and started to make her way home. Perhaps it was time for a fresh start somewhere else, somewhere far away from this mess.

PTT

“I can’t do that!” Protested Marinette, as Allegra stared at her with starry eyes.

“Please?” Begged the girl, forming a pout, “I can ask him for modelling tips, and you can just happen to be in the classroom?”

“That would only succeed in getting you in trouble, Allegra.” Said Felix, a blonde-haired, grey eyed boy a couple seats away from them. Marinette felt she’d met him before.

“Oh, please, Felix,” Sighed Claude, “just because you can’t meet Kitty section doesn’t meant I can’t meet Adrien Agreste.”

“Ms. Dupain-Cheng, Ms. Grey, Mr. Cadabra, Mr. Ricca, please be quiet and face the front.” Said the teacher, making the four flush.

“Sorry.” They all muttered and focused on their books.

The name Ricca niggled in the back of Marinette’s mind, trying to remember where she’d last heard it. Her Nonna’s maiden name was Ricca. Marinette’s mind screeched to a halt, and the girl’s head snapped up and stared at Felix.

“Is there anyone in your family called Gina?” Marinette asked Felix, making the boy look up.

“Yeah, my great-aunt, she travels around the world, why?” Responded Felix, as Marinette gaped at him.

“Her surname wouldn’t happen to be Dupain, would it?” Questioned Marinette, leaning forwards.

Felix frowned, before he made the connection.

“Holy shit.”

PTT

Candence Ricca jumped when the phone went off, she quickly checked the caller ID and frowned when she saw it was Felix.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Asked Candence, before quickly pulling the phone away from her ear.

“Why didn’t you say Great-Aunt Gina had family here?!” Demanded Felix, making Candence sigh.

“Rolland doesn’t want to be part of the family, Felix-” Felix cut her off.

“No, not him, Aunt Gina’s son and granddaughter!” Said Felix, making Candence frown.

“I thought they were still in China.” Mused Candence, as the dog ran behind her, chasing the cat.

“Marinette’s attending my school!” Said Felix, making Candence freeze.

“Felix,” Said Candence, her tone serious, “Keep Marinette with you, I’m coming to you.”

“Why?” Asked Felix, confused at his mother’s tone.

“Because we’ve been operating under the assumption that Marinette and her parents died in that plane crash.” Growled Candence, before hanging up.

Candence grabbed her coat and walked out the door towards her car.

PTT

Marinette stared at Felix’s phone. She and her parents were believed to be dead? But they weren’t. They were alive. Weren’t they? Marinette pinched herself, wincing as her nails dug into the skin on the back of her hand. Nope, definitely not dead.

“Any idea what that was supposed to be about?” Asked Felix, looking at Marinette.

“This is the first I’ve heard of being dead.” Shrugged Marinette, frowning, “Unless everyone’s actually dead and this is the afterlife.”

“The afterlife fucking sucks.” Said Felix, before looking at his phone, “Should we head outside and meet her, or should we just wait for the wardens to collect us for death row?”

Everyone stared at Felix.

“Boy, you’re a freak.” Said Claude, after a moment had passed.

The sound of squealing tyres made them look towards the window, a woman with brown hair and forest green eyes all but charged out of the car, while a chauffeur calmly started reading a book.

Felix shrunk slightly, Candence was tall and boarder line intimidating and the impassive expression on her face was usually reserved for the paparazzi. Candence stopped in front of her son and looked down at the, ridiculously, short girl next to him. A familiar pair of blue eyes stared back up at her.

“Marinette?” Murmured Candence, frowning.

“Hi?” Marinette gave a small wave.

Candence grabbed her face and looked either side of Marinette’s head. After letting Marinette go, she turned to Felix, “Wait here.”

Marinette and Felix watched Candence stalk over to the school’s receptionist. A moment later, both of them were in the back of the car Candence arrived in, while Candence was snarling down her phone in Italian. Marinette prided herself on how much Italian she’d learnt from her Grandmother, but now she was silent in shock at the number of profanities coming from Candence’s mouth.

The car came to a stop and Candence hopped out and stalked into a building. Marinette paled that the bakery, before sinking into her seat in an attempt to hide from any passers-by. Felix idly watched his mother speaking with one of the bakery’s owners, a short Asian woman who looked confused. His mother’s posture relaxed, before she calmly made her way back to the car. Opening the door, she gestured for Felix and Marinette to get out. Marinette rushed into the bakery as fast as she could, in an attempt to avoid being seen.

“Marinette?” Asked Sabine, as Felix and Candence came in after her.

“Hi?” Marinette waved.

“What’s this about?” Asked Sabine, looking at Candence, “I’m not sure I understand what you meant when you said we’re ‘supposed to be dead’.”

“You were in a plane crash, ten years ago.” Said Candence, “The majority of my family were under the impression that you, Tom and all five of your children were on board.”

Marinette frowned, “What do you mean ‘five’? The only siblings I have are Michael, Skye and Toby.”

Sabine groaned, before locking the Bakery door and leading the group upstairs.

“This is going to take a while.” Muttered Sabine, as they entered the apartment.

PTT

Adrien shifted uncomfortably as Chris ran around being chased by the twins. The rest of the class were scattered around the living room, Chloé was hugging her legs to her chest, in an attempt to prevent either Chris or the twins from touching her.

“Why are we here again?” Complained Chloé, getting scowls from most of the group.

“Chloé, you weren’t invited, you just followed Adrien here.” Said Alix, leaning back against the sofa.

Chloé huffed, but didn’t say anything.

“We’re here to figure out how to get Adrien’s dad to withdraw the restraining order and blacklist on Marinette.” Said Alya, “She’d do the same for us. Now, we need to focus on what Lila said to him and how we can disprove it.”

Meanwhile, across Paris in Gabriel’s office, Gabriel was fighting off an incoming headache.

“The Chengs and the Riccas are willing to come back to the table if you reverse you decision on Dupain-Cheng’s restraining order and Blacklist status.” Said Nathalie, standing by the door, “It would seem your attempt to akumatize her has failed. Again.”

Gabriel groaned, but Nathalie found she had little sympathy for him, “There’s also the matter of Mlle. Rossi, she’s at risk of being sued for defamation and/or slander by a number of parties. A number of Gabriel employees have now come forward and have reported that Mlle. Rossi has been harassing Adrien during the photoshoots.”

“Release her from her contract, as get M. Hayworth on the phone.” Grumbled Gabriel, as Nathalie sent the various messages off.

“Today couldn’t possibly get any worse.” Muttered Gabriel, taking his glasses off and looking up.

PTT

Hector frowned at the letter in his hand. He’d just posted his notice; he was getting too old to deal with the mayor and having to cave to his whims and wants. He hoped Arthur would accept his request.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t tolerate Bourgeois, any of them. He only bowed to their wishes because otherwise the school’s funding would ‘mysteriously’ get cut. But, Arthur’s school was independently funded. It had a lot of wealthy doners, preventing Bourgeois from taking full control of the school for their principle. Hector knew he wasn’t a good man, evidenced by his handling of the Dupain-Cheng-Rossi incident. He acted to hastily, due to the fact that Rossi was shaping up to be another Bourgeois. A headache within a migraine, within another migraine. Hector ignored the pain in his chest, putting his proposal to Arthur in an envelope, before getting to his feet and walking out of the school to find the nearest post box.

PTT

Marinette choked on her drink as she saw the headline on the common room tv.

Local Paris School Principal found dead

Marinette quickly located the remote, before turning up the volume.

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just news,” Said Nadja, to the camera, “Earlier today, Hector Damocles, Principal of College Francais Dupont, was found dead near the Eiffel Tower. Police are not treating his death as suspicious, and believe it to natural causes.”

Marinette stared at Damocles’ picture before it faded away as Nadja moved on to other topics she had to cover.

PTT

Arthur Coleman frowned down at Damocles’ letter to him. The Academy had been looking to expand its reach, as well as find an appropriate campus for ‘day’ students. He decided to put the letter to the side and bring it up at the next governors meeting.

PTT

“Don’t be bemused it’s just news,” Marinette idly listened to the TV in the common room, as she scribbled in her sketch book, “earlier today, Gabriel Agreste, Head designer and owner of the ‘Gabriel’ brand, formally ‘Papillon’, has declared bankruptcy. This occurred after two of his main investors unexpectedly withdrew their support after nearly twenty-five years. Neither Gabriel Agreste nor the investors were available to comment.”

Marinette stared at the TV, before Allegra dropped down onto one of the sofas, “Didja hear the news?”

“You know, you have the powerful ability to chew and swallow before you speak.” Said Felix, snapping his book shut, “But of course, you have to get the first word in, as always.”

Allegra chewed a couple of times, before getting up and walking over to Felix, crouched down to they were level and opened her mouth, showing him the mess of chewed food and saliva, “Blegh!”

Marinette internally groaned, before resting her head against her sketchbook. Claude and Allan were greeted to Felix trying to hit Allegra with his book, with Marinette curled into a ball with her hands over her ears, nursing a headache.

PTT

Adrien stared down at the pile of paper in front of him, “You mean I own everything?”

“More or less.” Said M. Hayworth, “The house, the company, practically everything your father had been using.”

Gabriel scowled as Hayworth spoke.

“If he hadn’t made that ridiculous restraining order, no one would’ve known.”

“Oh.”

“As it stands, your father made illegal modifications to your property, as well as some other, far more serious, charges.” Stated Hayworth, “Mdm. Sancoeur has volunteered to look after you while this matter has been settled.”

“Okay, what were the other charges?” Asked Adrien, making Hayworth sigh, before he cast a dark look at Gabriel.

“It came out that your father has some…connection to Hawkmoth.” Revealed Hayworth.

“What the fucking shit?!”

PTT

Ladybug skidded to a stop on the roof of the police station, before looking up at the detective, “Sorry, I’m late. I had to sneak out of my dorm.”

“You’re in university?” Asked the detective, getting a wince from Ladybug.

“No, I’ve started to attend a boarding school.” Answered Ladybug, rubbing her arm.

“And you’ve snuck out and come here,” Said the detective, slowly, “on a school night?”

“You, erm, you said you had a lead on Hawkmoth.” Excused Ladybug, looking up at them.

“Gabriel Agreste had been allowing Hawkmoth to use modified areas of his home as a lair.” Said the detective, “He’s been cautioned and is currently being questioned. We’ve also made sure to confiscate everything he had on him, minus his clothes and glasses.”

“And you want me to go over the stuff and see if any of them are a miraculous.” Stated Ladybug, getting a nod from the detective. “Okay,” Sighed Ladybug, “let’s do this.”

PTT

“Settle down.” Yelled M. Coleman, looking out at the sea of students, “SILENCE!”

Everyone went quiet, allowing M. Colman to continue, “As everyone knows, the foundations beneath our school has started to degrade and, as we are a private school, we lack the funds to repair it.” Coleman took in the faces of the students in the first few rows, “Which is why we are entering a partnership with College Francois Dupont, allowing us to continue your education while were repair and decided what to do with this campus.”

Some muttering broke out amongst the students.

“As of January, everyone will be attending Dupont.” Said Coleman, “We have been allocated dorms by Dupont, so that any students who live further away from Dupont will still be able to attend and keep with any groups they may have made or joined.”

The muttering started up again, as Coleman walked away from his podium, talking quietly with another member of staff.

PTT

“So,” Said Allegra, looking up at the school, “I guess this is the last time we can look at the dump before we go to your old stomping ground.”

Marinette hummed, “Part of me doesn’t want to go back. I haven’t been in contact with my friends there, I didn’t want to find out if they’d agreed with Adrien’s dad. I mean, I know they probably didn’t, but I didn’t want to take that risk, and I didn’t know if the restraining order covered allowed me to contact them, since there were around Adrien so much.”

“Being scared is normal,” Shrugged Claude, playing with his deck of cards, “unless you’re Felix, who has no emotions.”

“Say that again and I shove those cards right up your-” Felix was cut off by Allan clearing his throat, “rear.”

The group silently looked up at the school.

“Two and a half years.” Said Allegra, suddenly.

“What?”

“It’s been two and a half years since Marinette came here.” Answered Allegra, wistfully, “It’s been a fucking ride.”

“You can say that again.” Muttered Allan, before picking up his bag, “I think I can hear the bus arriving.”

“Thank god, I’m freezing my tits off.” Shivered Allegra, getting a snort from Felix.

PTT

Tom helped Marinette carry her bags into the apartment above the bakery, with the latter making sure she didn’t walk into anything. Marinette blinked as she tried to adjust to the darkness of the living room, after placing her bag on the floor, she reached out for the light switch and clicked it on.

“SURPRISE!” Everyone yelled, making Marinette yelp and jump a foot in the air.

All of Marinette’s former classmates, and the friends she made at the boarding school stood in front of her.

“The, the ‘surprise party’ trick,” Gasped Marinette, “is for birthdays only.”

“No, it isn’t.” Disagreed Alya, before throwing her arms around Marinette, “I’ve missed you girl.”

Marinette gingerly wrapped her arms around Alya, “Me too. I’m, I’m sorry that I haven’t been in contact with you.”

“Allegra explained everything, with the whole restraining order and phone troubles you’d been having.” Said Alya, “Adrien’s had his lawyer rescind the restraining order, but I think they’re attempting to use it as evidence in his dad’s trial.”

Marinette winced, before glancing over at Adrien, “Yeah, I heard about that. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not.” Chirped Adrien, his hair streaked with green, “I brought a copy of the restraining order. And a cigarette lighter.”

Marinette gave Adrien a small smile, before the sound of someone choking got her attention, “Allegra, you're supposed to chew before swallowing.”

[silentreigns]

US GP 2023 Reflection

I really enjoyed this race! Although many things happened that left me with a lot of questions. This is gonna be a long one because A LOT happened

Lando did very well being in control during the first half of the race. Jenson got a laugh out of me when he said that if this was a Sprint Race, Lando would have won. I don't think Lando found that as funny though

With Lando getting P3, McLaren have moved up in the constructor's championship. Very excited to see how McLaren vs Ferrari will pan out

Ferrari putting Charles on a one stop when he started on pole is CRAZY. Charles did well to manage his tires though. But they gave Carlos a better strategy when he qualified behind? What are they cooking over there? We will never know honestly

And also why did it take Checo so long to overtake Charles when Charles doesn't even have functioning tires? Like come on 😭😭😭

Someone on the tl said that Daniel had contact at the beginning of the race, that's why he had like no pace. His car was like damaged the whole time. Gonna have to look into this

Speaking of Daniel, why did they box him on softs to take the fastest lap point off of Checo. Then they boxed Yuki to take the fastest lap point off of Yuki? What is going ON?

Also congrats to Yuki for finishing in the points! Also, is this his first fastest lap point? Pretty cool for him to get, it means that they're taking the car in the right direction

And another thing: I read an article that AlphaTauri was supposed to reveal their new title sponsor this weekend but we never got that. Need the Hugo Boss Bulls Racing announcement quickly so I can make fun of how dumb that team name sounds

FINALLY Lance got points! Its been too many weekends where he's just been so unlucky. Starting from the pitlane and climbing up to 9th is amazing! Let's hope he can keep the momentum going.

They said Esteban and Oscar's collision was a racing incident. Which is very unfortunate, i never like seeing people get taken out in the first lap

6 DNFs in 18 races. I don't know how Esteban hasn't found it in him to lose his composure. I would have by now.

Pierre finishing in the points with both races is good! Considering up until this weekend he has never scored points here. He really wasn't shown on TV but I know he did well!

Lewis sweetie you deserved that win and everyone knows it. Imagine if he had 2.4 and a 2.6 second pitstops. He would of had the pace to catch Max. Mercedes needs a whole new pitcrew period.

Mercedes really set Lewis up for failure. Y'all have already done this 303839337393 times like Max always undercuts people. They waited too long to pit Lewis after that first stint and it cost him so much time.

That team relies on Lewis being the greatest driver ever too much to cover up their shortcomings and I am tired of it. They better get it together for these last couple of races

Mexico will be interesting for the simple fact that thr fans will just chant for Checo regardless of who's on the screen. I think that's adorable

[flaylore]

DIRECTORY (2024)

Jan 1, 2024, Red Mecha Pilot Tries Blender To Make Goo Cat!!!!!!

As Flayon’s about to end the stream, he reminds viewers to love themselves… and for a split second, his eyes swirls, telling them to never leave him.

Jan 2, 2024

‘Can you have a late growth spurt in your 18000's???’

Jan 4, 2024

'i cant wash the black strands out of my hair so i guess i didnt dye it WEIRD'

Jan 4, 2024

imo it looks like it's spreading

Jan 6, 2024, The Roons Got Me A Place At Time Square!!! || + Granblue Fantasy

Flayon starts to pan over a fanart of X. The screen glitches as he stares at it, saying nothing. He turns the page and the glitching stops.

MINOR: Jan 8, 2024, 【debut watchalong】o . o

Flayon revisits his debut, occasionally interrupted by glitchy moments, and ends with a brief cameo of the original pilot that got his place taken by him. Please read the summary for more information.

MINOR: Jan 13, 2024, the anxiety of happiness roon

A new Machiroon asset was introduced, which warped into a scene where a figure with swirly eyes appears. Please read the summary for a more detailed information.

MAJOR: Jan 20, 2024, Content Warning|【Machiroon Appreciation+ NEW OUTFIT】AAAAAAAAA

He compares his old outfit and his recent one, lamenting how he has changed from before.

Jan 22, 2024, UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes] I Need To Play Kuon Immediately #sponsored #ad

Up until this point, Flayon’s height is 171cm.

Jan 30, 2024

‘there are many me and there are many you’

Feb 7, 2024 

‘THE RUBIX CUBE IS BEATING MY ASS’

‘its a mirror cube its so confusing’

‘apparently pre debut i was able to solve stuff like this so effortlessly’

‘idk what happened’

‘i cant pilot things like I used to either’

‘the memory is so hazy’

‘but maybe its better it stays buried’

Feb 11, 2024

‘Sometimes it feels as if the R-TRUS is going to destroy me from the inside’

‘Oh-oh shut down rtrus sometimes maybe- wait can rtrus be shut down?’

‘yes

if i have no energy then he won't work

or if im too stressed then he wont work

sometimes when im inside, he'll move on his own a bit

it hasn't been happening often but every now and then’

Feb 12, 2024

‘I’m losing apart of me every time I pilot…’

Feb 13, 2024,【POKEMON UNITE】Duo's w/ The Regis ALTARE, Hero of Elysium & Your Heart

R-TRUS was found in Xenokuni and Flayon gets visits from scientists.

Feb 17, 2024, Experiencing The Wholesome Door 2 w/@Octavio_en in【The House in Fata Morgana】| Spoiler Alert!

Flayon does not have a reflection in the mirror.

Feb 17, 2024, Experiencing The Wholesome Door 2 w/@Octavio_en in【The House in Fata Morgana】| Spoiler Alert!

Flayon questions if the person inside your reflection is a doppelganger rather than yourself.

MINOR: Feb 20, 2024, x teaser

This video is best watched in its entirety.

March 4, 2024 

‘Do you wanna know how it feels to be crushed by 100+ tons of reinforced X-metal? Just because the R-TRUS is big doesn’t mean your death will be quick You’ll feel your bones pull apart and slip out Your eyes will leave your sockets ever so slowly and if I aim right I can play’

‘around with you like food. not to mention if I choose to absorb your very life force into the R-TRUS It’s the equivalent of taking out your soil and throwing it into a sea of memories. You’ll experience all the pain of everyone who met their death to me Just when you think it’s’

‘over, the cycle will loop and I’ll use your remains as fuel which I will then have concentrated into energy that flows through my spinal cord Basically you’ll be connected to my nervous system and have to share each and every waking moment with me without being able to leave’

March 8, 2024

‘I’m getting rid of old clothes and there is a lot of oversized shirts/jackets/hoodies from school SLIGHTLY 

Nostalgic but I’m bitter about something when I see it too’

‘I have one green jacket that is made out of fleece and was way too big for me

idk how I wore that and why I would wear green’

Mar 12, 2024

‘japan public transportation so cool IM STILL CONFUSED but I can feel myself getting the hang of it just slowly’

(Someone asked if he parked the R-TRUS somewhere.)

‘i have him on standby at the guild

he keeps moving on his own sometimes

just lil twitches’

April 11, 2024, 【CORPSE PARTY】Nah, I'd Live (Does He Know?) | CONTENT WARNING

Flayon loses a lot of blood when he fights with the R-TRUS overdoing it.

April 12, 2024

‘This pilot is going to go back to sleep, that is a warning from my body that I need more rest 

Hard to understand it without the R-TRUS directly telling me what's wrong with me’

April 15th, 2024, THIS CAT IS BANNED IN 44 STATES!!!! (ROON DAY 2)

This a series of clips where he turns on the red eyed toggles.

He reaffirms that he is a genius.

April 15th, 2024, THIS CAT IS BANNED IN 44 STATES!!!! (ROON DAY 2)

Rudely responding with, ‘What’s your problem?’

April 15th, 2024, THIS CAT IS BANNED IN 44 STATES!!!! (ROON DAY 2)

Flayon with red eyes grumbles as he confirms that the outfit he’s wearing is the one he wore when he attended Elysium Academy.

April 15th, 2024, THIS CAT IS BANNED IN 44 STATES!!!! (ROON DAY 2)

Flayon with red eyes confirms that the TEMPUS members do not attend the Elysium Academy.

April 15th, 2024, THIS CAT IS BANNED IN 44 STATES!!!! (ROON DAY 2)

Flayon with red eyes questions if the viewers actually want to be crushed by the R-TRUS.

April 15th, 2024, THIS CAT IS BANNED IN 44 STATES!!!! (ROON DAY 2)

Flayon with red eyes calls viewers filthy.

April 20, 2024,【UNARCHIVED KARAOKE】LET'S PARTY WITH THE BOYS BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY 🎂🎈【OFF COLLAB】

He turns into particles to teleport in and out of the R-TRUS. The sensations feels like it’s ripping his flesh apart, claiming that he’s used to it.

27 April, 2024

This a series of tweets where he turns on the red eyed toggles.

‘Do you know how painful it is to be the only one in Elysium with this kind of fire power? No other *mechs* except MINE? No one worth my time.. Until now. Do your best or you'll just become fuel for /my/ R-TRUS.’

[responding to a tweet congratulating Flayon, and pointing out his red eyes]

‘Hah?’

27 April, 2024

[responding to a tweet saying that they’re excited to fight him in Idol Showdown, 1st tweet, 2nd tweet]

27 April, 2024

[replying to a tweet of an image of X]

‘why did you send a blank image??’

May 1, 2024

[responding to yatogami fuma, who asked flayon to come over]

‘im afraid senpai

 i want to retreat to the insides. 

while i stay outside’

May 5, 2024

Flayon is referencing a monologue of his first post on Twitter/X, with updated information such as his age being 18433 years old and being put on leave after being questioned over his mental stability. Original monologue

My name is Machina X Flayon. I'm 18433 years old. I currently reside in Japan, an area associated with Xenokuni, with the rest of my guildmates and I am not married. I work as the mecha pilot for the TEMPUS GUILD, but was put on leave after the board questioned my mental stability

May 14, 2024

[responding to someone asking if he gets any weird alerts/updates from the R-TRUS when doesn’t get to use it]

‘his mental state mirrors mine’

May 14, 2024

[responding to someone asking if he’s worried he’d forget to pilot the R-TRUS if he doesn’t get to use it]

[an image of flayon with red eyes looking down disapprovingly, shadow looming over his face]

May 16, 2024, I am Hakumen. THE END HAS COME【BLAZBLUE: CENTRALFICTION】

Flayon has various weapons outside of the R-TRUS. He has his shields where he can propel off them, and his energy drinks that act as bombs that its properties similar to lava.

[gossipgirloff1]

i really hope the teased netflix show pans out well bc i think everyone involved has really been doing the f1a girls a disservice. it's fine to have major fashion and makeup brands as sponsors, bc the lack of willing sponsors has long been one of the major barriers for women trying to get into f3 and beyond. but there are several prominent female athletes (literally can name some active in motorsport off the top of my head) that can come to promote the races on social media as well. how is anyone going to take this endeavor seriously when the only faces we see talking about it are someone's girlfriend (who may or may not even be around for the next season) and it ends up actually being a promo for one of the sponsors? i was wondering why, but it makes sense to me now why we never majority of the women currently active in motorsport really talk about or bring up f1a. if anything, it's holding some of these girls back

I don’t expect more from the Netflix show if they are not bringing any drama because in the end drama sells 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yeah you are so right anon there is so many woman athletes who can promote this and they choose f1 driver’s gf their job isn’t even about f1

And people coming in here saying we are being misogynistics should open a dictionary and read the meaning before claiming that I won’t be posting hateful asks against my blog keep your hate to yourself ✌🏻

[f0point5]

Lando and Charles both seem to be okay with staged shots and keeping their name in the media any way they can. It’s all marketing, and making sure they aren’t forgotten. Lando being seen with her gets a lot of chatter going and same with Charles and the little dog he recently got. Lando has his side hustles going and Charles has recently started a new business venture so they are doing what they can to keep people searching them online. Especially with these every other weeks where they aren’t racing they need to find some way to keep their names in the news/media cycle before the next race starts. They don’t want to be forgotten or overshadowed by other drivers and team drama.

I think they all do it.

Whenever I see Max getting on/off his place with that blue Tag Heuer watch on that he wears on GP weekends I presume that’s also pre planned paparazzi.

Everyone has sponsors to please and name recognition is just part of the marketing game. Some people do it more than others.

It’s the same thing about them always hanging out by the casino in Monaco. They know they’re going to be filmed, that their cars are noticeable and that’s where tourists hang out, that’s where they just to get out of their car, etc.

Actors and actresses do the same thing, they call paparazzi to get shots of them walking down the street as if the paparazzi camp outside their house or something - they don’t. They’ve been called because that person has something they want to promote by keeping their name in the press.

Idk what the reason was for the Lando shots but yeah, it’s not odd to think that was a pre panned event

[mightymizora]

So i'm sending in some of these asks....

For Glim: Intimacy, Mentor, Meet strange For Manva: Loss, For good

ohh thank you friend!

GLIM ASKS

Intimacy: Is your OC the type of person to engage in long-term relationships, or are they more casual in their intimacy and affection? How do they feel about intimacy and relationships in general?

Until Gale, she was very casual about things. She's like 60, so she's had relationships, but they've usually petered out or been a little more like a muse. Sex is sex, romance is usually a bit more distanced. Gale is just a bit of a perfect storm for her (excuse the pun) because he combines the intellectual rigor she loved from learning with being wildly poetic like her muses and actually being sexually interested in her. Usually it's not all of those things at once. They fall for each other very fast.

Mentor: Does your OC have a mentor? Have they ever reached out to anyone for guidance or teaching, or been taken under someone's wing? How does your OC get along with their mentor?

Glim was a leading student at Utrumm and had one particular tutor that was particularly keen to have her succeed. The Half-Elf Astre Leonin took her under her wing and sought sponsors to keep her in education. She has had a lot of tutors though; she is a multi-instrumentalist and studied across the college. Her main instrument is the flute, but her great love is the violin.

Meet Strange: What's the most memorable way your OC has ever met a new person? Was it a good experience? Bad experience? Just plain weird? How's their relationship with that person now?

Definitely Volo. He was friends with her mother then turned up unannounced after 100 years. It was all a bit Peter Pan, definitely weird, but Glim LOVES him and sees him as family.

MANVA ASKS

Loss: Is there anyone important to your OC who has passed away? How did they handle the loss?

At the point of the game starting, anybody Manva cared for that was killed was done by her own hand (with some influence.) She still thinks of those she killed in her home temple sometimes, but she has convinced herself that it was necessary.

For Good: Is there anyone in your OC's life who had an undeniable positive impact on who they are as a person? How did knowing this person improve your OC's life?

I'd tentatively say all of her evil exes have - Minthara, Lae'zel, and Astarion. Even if they might encourage her towards darkness, she genuinely does feel affection for them, especially in her friendship with Astarion. Min and Manva have the same aligned goals, Lae'zel shares her bed, but there is genuinely nothing but friendship between Astarion and her.

[cloverplayssnakegame]

I had a dream that there was a movie where it was scooby doo but in a sort of narnia type world ( I haven’t seen all of the narnia movies so I don’t even know where that came from). I don’t remember most of it but I remember the last scene. Scooby has been replaced by a horse just known as white horse. And the gang was being transferred from one prison camp to the other. White horse had the entire gang on his back and if he went too slow or too fast he would get whipped. He slowly began to realize that he would get whipped for no reason. Even when he tried to behave he would still be subject to constant torture. He began to run as fast as he could and although he was carrying so much weight he was able to put a couple miles between the gang and the guards. But they eventually came to a force field thing that they could tell was the entrance to the next prison camp and no matter what path they tried to take they would always end up hitting this wall and that this torture would be inevitable. The gang realize that at least they are able to take the next step into torture together. They link hands and disappear into the unknown. The camera lingered on path in the now empty woods, looking at a the illusion of a path forward. It is a dreadfully long moment before the camera pans up and…

A Walmart logo fades onto the screen.

Don’t forget your holiday shopping.

The movie in my dream that is about the inevitability of suffering was sponsored by Walmart

Don’t forget your holiday shopping

[mariacallous]

Protests in Iran spurred by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the country’s so-called morality police have continued, with escalations by the regime—including the executions of a well-known wrestler and a dual national—failing to dampen public anger. Looking for a silver bullet to silence its restive public, Tehran has failed to find one. But the Iranian people have failed equally, being yet unable to find their own silver bullet to topple the ayatollahs for once and for all.

But it may be that bullet exists: corruption. And it’s lacking only a responsible Western power to pull the trigger.

Before digging into the ordure of Iranian official thievery, take a moment to recall the tales of other deposed regimes. In too many cases, leaders and cronies of various tyrannies were fully fledged members of the community of nations—with a seat at the United Nations, reception at the White House, and/or a nose at the U.S. taxpayer’s trough, among other seals of approval—only to be ousted and for the world to discover with shock—shock!—that the despot had been skimming billions of dollars from their country’s coffers.

Remember Washington’s dear pal, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak—a Camp David attendee who conducted annual visits to Washington and received tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military and economic assistance? He was ousted in 2011, but his corruption was legend inside Egypt—unofficially, of course—with only the smarmiest of admirers ignoring its manifest evidence. It should have been obvious in Washington as well. Mubarak owned property in Beverly Hills, a share of resorts in the Egyptian seaside city of Sharm el-Sheikh, and houses in London and New York. Experts estimated his fortune at a cool $70 billion, with his two kids also allegedly billionaires.

Or how about former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who had been Washington’s darling before that embarrassing 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Throughout the 1990s, he used a United Nations-administered oil-for-food program to skim millions of dollars for his and his sons’ personal profit, with some of his dealings also reportedly enriching then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin and a young Vladimir Putin. The U.S. government was also well aware of Saddam’s evasions of oil sale restrictions, including to U.S. allies in Jordan, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf. (By the way, guess who was also profiting from Saddam’s dirty business? Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. Also, one-time U.S. ally in the war on terrorism Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.)

And then there was former Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, the same Qaddafi who sponsored the downing of U.S. carrier Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing all 259 people aboard as well as 11 people on the ground. True, he was no one’s darling, even after a brief post-9/11 rapprochement with the West. But after then-U.S. President Barack Obama finally turned on the aging Qaddafi in 2010, implicitly supporting the Libyan mobs that ultimately captured and killed him, the press professed itself shocked: “As Libya takes stock, Moammar Kadafi’s hidden riches astound,” the Los Angeles Times marveled. The mercurial Qaddafi was discovered to have more than $200 billion stashed around the world. The kicker? Around $37 billion were reportedly in U.S. banks.

And like his neighbor Mubarak, the Libyan dictator shared with his kids, as did everyone seeking to curry favor with the leader. A friend of his son Saif earned $58 million in “advisory fees” from French financial services firm Société Générale, per Transparency International. The international anti-corruption watchdog also noted a Canadian company with Qaddafi’s daughter-in-law on its payroll. In 2019, the Independent reported on a “deadly web of global corruption” that risked entangling Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The stories go on and on and on. And apparently, someone is still stealing the money Qaddafi stole first.

As this litany makes clear, any exposé of kleptomania in the Middle East could stretch for terabytes. Lebanon alone suffers from titanic levels of elite and government corruption that have destroyed what little Iran and Syria have left for the Lebanese people. Also clear is that most (though not all) such corruption is revealed after the fact; serious U.S. government action against corruption in, for example, Russia only came after Putin’s second invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Which brings us to Iran.

There was a time when both Sunni and Shiite Islamists prided themselves on their resistance to the corruption endemic in the Middle East, but those days are long gone. Infamous former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was said to have millions of dollars to his name. Anti-regime organization United Against Nuclear Iran runs through a timeline of official thievery, detailing billions of dollars stolen inside the Iranian oil ministry, billions more embezzled from state banks, tiny percentiles of government appropriations for health actually spent on medicine and supplies. After current Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was appointed to run the nation’s judiciary in 2019, his predecessor was nailed for depositing bail money into 63 different bank accounts to the tune of almost $100 million.

Some of this corruption has been detailed in domestic newspapers and reports inside Iran. But the closer to the top the miscreant gets, the less likely there is to be any news. Infamously corrupt former senior IRGC officer and Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf allegedly bribed state officials to avoid fraud charges. Former IRGC-Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani was also implicated, with all revealed in a leaked recording.

The story received extremely limited coverage inside Iran because of Ghalibaf’s ties to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Soleimani’s so-called martyrdom. Indeed, Khamenei slammed newspapers for reporting the story at all, labeling the leaks as enemy efforts to “[slander] the central elements that played a role in the advancement of the revolution; one day it’s the Majles [Iran’s parliament], one day it’s the Guardian Council, and one day it’s the IRGC. Today, it’s the IRGC’s turn. Today, they slander the IRGC and try to tarnish it and the great martyr Soleimani.”

Khamenei similarly swept sexual assault charges away in the case of a favored Quranic orator, censured newspapers and ministers that reported on corruption within the government, and denounced charges of corruption against former Chief Justice Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani, who was accused of tolerating widespread theft. (His former deputy was actually arrested for financial crimes in 2019.) Larijani was ultimately replaced by Raisi, who is now considered a likely candidate to replace the ailing supreme leader after his death. And when Rafsanjani began detailing Khamenei’s sons’ vast wealth in 2016, his own son was quickly arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi, who has been under house arrest since 2011, wrote an open letter to the supreme leader in 2018, accusing him of tolerating systemic corruption and impoverishing tens of millions of Iranians while enriching a small elite. “Under such conditions,” he warned, “it is natural that the lower classes, who were the grassroot supporters of the Islamic Revolution, will turn into a gunpowder barrel.”

Given widespread awareness of corruption inside Iran, curious people may wonder why additional sordid details could tip the balance of what is already a widespread revolution inside Iran. But there is a huge hole in reporting on graft at the most senior levels of Iran’s government, with allegations about Khamenei’s own crimes appearing only on exile and hostile foreign websites.

In short, Khamenei does not want his citizens (or lesser government officials) to know about the breadth of his own sins. And small wonder: Iran’s own Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare reported in January that around 60 percent of the country’s 84 million people live below the poverty line, with one-third living in “extreme poverty”—double the number of the previous year.

Far from blaming the United States or international sanctions for their strife, Iranians have made clear they blame their own government. Were they to know in real time—rather than after the fact, Qaddafi- and Mubarak-style—just how much money their supreme leader and his cronies had stolen, it could, as Karroubi warned, tip the balance and finally turn the regime’s remaining supporters in the security forces and the public against them.

How could this happen? Trump administration officials accused Khamenei of being worth around $200 billion. (A previous Reuters investigation detailed assets worth at least $95 billion.) But that’s the extent of U.S. government jabs at the supreme leader. Much as the Trump administration began detailing Khamenei’s personal wealth, the U.S. and European governments could begin unraveling the web of concealed assets owned by the supreme leader and his family—and act on the information.

Subsequent to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, the U.S. government froze Saddam’s assets. Ditto the assets of Qaddafi and his cronies once the United States decided he had to go. True, some of these assets were sovereign—nominally the foreign government’s money. But not all. So why wait? If corrupt enemies of the United States can have their assets frozen in the event of their ouster or war, then why not do it preemptively? As the Biden administration has made crystal clear in the case of Russian oligarchs and Putin’s cronies, it has the legal authority to freeze the proceeds of corruption.

Most of the Middle East’s late dictators had money and real estate in the United States under the jurisdiction of the U.S. federal government. The United States has multiple avenues to communicate details to the Iranian people, whether through whatever U.S. press leaks in, Persian-language Radio Farda (part of U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty), or the U.S. president’s own bully pulpit.

If, as senior U.S. officials have suggested to me, corruption is truly the Iranian regime’s Achilles’ heel, isn’t it time someone started exploiting that weakness to the benefit of the long-suffering Iranian people?

[the-last-dillpickle]

In the sham state of Manchukuo, spies often featured in stories published in its government-sponsored magazines as villains threatening Manchukuo. Manchukuo had been presented since its founding in 1931 as an idealistic Pan-Asian experiment, where the officially designated "five races" of the Japanese, Han Chinese, Manchus, Koreans and Mongols had come together to built an utopian society. Manchukuo also had a substantial Russian minority who initially been considered as the "sixth race", but had been excluded. The spy stories of Manchukuo such as "A Mixed [Blood] Woman" by the writer Ding Na often linked the willingness to serve as spies with having a mixed Russian-Han heritage; the implication being that people of "pure" descent from one of the "five races" of Manchukuo would not betray it. In "A Mixed [Blood] Woman", the villain initially appears to Mali, the eponymous character who has a Russian father and a Han mother, but she ultimately is revealed to be blackmailed by the story's true villain, the foreign spy Baoerdun, and she proves to be loyal to Manchukuo after all as she forces the gun out of Baoerdun's hand at the story's climax. However, Ding's story also states that Baoerdun would not dared to have attempt his blackmail scheme against a Han woman and that he targeted Mali because she was racially mixed and hence "weak”.

When Japan invaded China in 1937 and even more so in 1941, the level of repression and propaganda in Manchukuo was increased as the state launched a "total war" campaign to mobilise society for the war. As part of the "total war" campaign, the state warned people to be vigilant at all times for spies; alongside this campaign went a mania for spy stories, which likewise warned people to be vigilant against spies. Novels and films with a counterespionage theme became ubiquitous in Manchukuo from 1937 onward. Despite the intensely patriarchal values of Manchukuo, the counter-spy campaign targeted women who were encouraged to report anyone suspicious to the police with one slogan saying "Women defend inside and men defend outside". The spy stories of Manchukuo such as "A Mixed [Blood] Woman" often had female protagonists. In "A Mixed [Blood] Woman", it is two ordinary women who break up the spy ring instead of the Manchukuo police as might be expected. The South Korean scholar Bong InYoung noted stories such as "A Mixed [Blood] Woman" were part of the state's campaign to take over "...the governance of private and family life, relying on the power of propaganda literature and the nationwide mobilization of the social discourse of counterespionage". At the same time, she noted "A Mixed [Blood] Woman" with its intelligent female protagonists seemed to challenge the patriarchal values of Manchukuo which portrayed women as the weaker sex in need of male protection and guidance. However, Bong noted that the true heroine of "A Mixed [Blood] Woman", Shulan is presented as superior to Mali as she is Han and the story is one "...of female disempowerment in that Mali is completely subordinate to the racial order Shulan sets".

- excerpt from the wikipedia page on Spy Fiction

[pandabibble]

Knowledge Fight #233

Basically listening to Knowledge Fight's archives from the start to find out the context for some of their later out of context drops and & taking occasional notes:

This episode covers the distant present of november 28 2018 and is a weirdly interesting episode, full of augurs and portents, all around.

This episode marks I think the first time Drag Queen Story Hour comes up, and while Dan & Jordan do a good job explaining what it really is and debunking the lies Alex Jones and his Neo-nazi guest spout, they naturally don't note it as being as important as it now seems because at the time there was no reason why they should have; Even on infowars it plays a distant second fiddle to Alex Jones spending an entire episode really hyping up the deeper meaning behind trump retweeting a meme. While both Drag Queen Story Hour and neo-nazi armed terrorising of libraries had both been happening for years by 2018 point, Drag Queen Story Hour in particular had been spreading across the US since 2015, and Neo-nazi targeting of it as an excuse to attack libraries had been happening for a few at least 5 years by 2020, neither had been important to the wider far right either in their messaging or in legislative priorities until 2021.

In 2018 of course, in the deep Trump era with republican control of SCOTUS, congress, the senate, State Legislatures & POTUS, the far right media-sphere, alex included, was busy doing apologetics for or literally building concentration camps for toddlers & hyping up an annual refugee protest into that "migrant caravan"... which they immediately stopped caring about the moment the 2018 Mid Term Elections were over.

Drag Queen Story Hour thus had the twin problem of a) involving too much white supermacist literal terrorism than a lot of the far right was happy covering at the time, as it was a pan-rightist media tactic to just ignore & downplay white supremacist violence 2018, and b) Trump did retweet a meme, which is so important for real fr (note: it was not).

But even through the farce of Alex Jones really being excited by trump's retweet, we have a weird prelude to where shit's going to go in 2020, because it's not really about the meme, it's about the deeper secret signal the meme is totally for real fr is announcing. This announcment of course being that Trump is going to, within a week, lock up all the right's political enemies starting with hilary and Soros [note: this did not happen]. But that rhetoric of trump's gibberish tweeting having "deeper meaning" that would grow into the 2020 paradolia politics of Q and Louis Mensch, kinda starts here; prior to this Jones & his ilk would at least make up an "insider source", and the predictions would be less specific; "Something big" might be coming via the trump whitehouse and this would be coming from "insider sources" but after the 2018 midterms it's just "trump will lock up hillary within a week, because of this meme retweet". Pathetic. Hilarious. Ominous.

The final thing that needs saying about the drag queen story hour bit is also that it really does bear noting how malleable neo-nazis and their rejection of a reality that isn't enforced by violence is; a minor bit Alex uses to fill time becomes the pivot around which the far right seeks to impose literal state censorship just 4 years later, with no real changes in the material facts surrounding that pivot: Drag Queen Story Hour isn't that much bigger today than in 2018, the right's marginally protesting it more but then getting btfo by counter-protests more. There is no reason it should suddenly matter more now than in 2018. Well, I suppose the right has centered anti-trans violence in their sights more than in 2018, but again, trans people ain't done shit differently in the intervening time, the change is entirely in right wing shifts in which hate groups their billionaire sponsors decided should get some more money.

Interestingly, Dan & Jordan both seem to have found a spark of hope again in this episode of Infowars, and are having fun again after the duldrums of Jones' Mid Terms election coverage.

& why shouldn't they have fun? unlike Alex Jones, neither of them have technically killed a guy