#why is globe… succumbing

[inkizblog]

bro is NOT making it out alive ❌❌❌❌

(HOW THE FART DO YOU DRAW FOG)

the original drawinf (the digital one) was drawn by @zee-thezebra and the other one is mine

siiigh

[asmotheavatarofhorny]

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Lucifer’s Little Lamb 💙

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⚠️Warnings:

— self deprecation

— panic attacks

— implied romantic but can be read as platonic

— GN!MC you/yours

— fluffy comfort with no plot

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A/N: im writing this at 3am when im sad so if this is bad pls excuse me;; anw i have to get up in the morning so enjoy, and goodbye

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You had been in the Devildom for a few months now, and everything was going well. That is… you’d like to think it was.

You really wished everything was fine, but it was a new environment with new people- er.. demons. And you were scared out of your mind. It didn’t help that people tried to kill you left and right down here either… that and the fact that you had anxiety. BUT it was fine. Usually. You opted to just hide away in your room most of the time. To avoid lashing out at anyone, that is. Or.. having an episode.

But you had to go to school, unfortunately. And today was not a good day.

You weren’t sure what exactly set you off, but it wasn’t a good day regardless. You felt incredibly out of place and jumpy all day long, almost like you were in another person’s body… if that makes any sense.

By the time school ended you wanted to collapse and start crying, but you knew you couldn’t. You knew you had to get somewhere secluded fast, but you were so overwhelmed that you just ran out of the building. Your instincts led you most of the way as your overwhelmed brain distorted your sense of direction.

Your legs ached with every harsh step you took as you ran, your head a blur like some little kid just shook you up like you were a snow globe.

You came across a lake out behind what you would later recognize as the Demon Lord’s Castle. You collapsed suddenly, your legs throbbing and the adrenaline that currently held your brain at gunpoint not going to stop anytime soon.

You curled in on yourself, breathing in the cold Devildom air as you waited for the attack to fade. You felt warm tears pool on your cheeks and stain your eyes a shameful shade of red, displaying to the rest of the world how much of a disgrace you were. How stupid and sensitive you could be.

You were only human, how could you survive in hell? You weren’t strong. You’re just a stupid little human with no sense of self preservation. The tears fell faster at that thought, the sensation of water rolling down your flushed cheeks was almost too much to bear as you grit your teeth and breathed as hard as you could to get a grip on your emotions, inadvertently causing you to start hyperventilating and thus making everything worse.

You watched the water in the lake ripple as you dug your nails painfully into your palms, the soft skin becoming marred and bruised. The lake seemed to cry with you, and maybe it did as the water glowed with a soft pink from the large moon in the sky.

You could felt the wind hard on your back, as you succumbed to your tiredness and laid on your side, your knees to your chest. The cold dirt below you was a harsh reminder that this was real. It was grounding, and yet oh so impossible to bear.

You felt yourself shaking violently and had to bite your inner lip to stop from whining. Your eyes burned from the never ending flood of tears, and your throat was seemingly on fire. You could hardly breathe out of your nose anymore so you resorted to letting hiccup-ey gasps out through your sore throat.

The lake distorted some more. It rippled and shook along with you, it’s black and almost pink hue a reflection of your sorrow. And also a reflection of… wait. Is that a person-!?

The reflection of a tall man loomed over you, and you knew exactly who it belonged to. The eldest brother, Lucifer.

You held yourself tighter, hoping he would go away if you just ignored him. To have the Avatar of Pride see you like this… you felt pathetic. Why did you have to be like this?

You heard him cautiously step around you before he sat effortlessly next to your crumpled body, looking out towards the lake. He didn’t say anything for a while. It almost seemed like you were sitting there for an eternity before he started to talk,

“Belphie used to come out here when he was younger,” he started, his voice calm and slow as he spoke. “When we first fell, I think it was the hardest on him,” he paused, considering, “I would come out here in the pouring rain looking for him, only to see he had fallen asleep right where you’re sitting now,” Lucifer said with a breathy chuckle, the sadness evident in his voice from the memory. He didn’t look at you, and you didn’t look at him. You just looked at the lake, sharing this moment of solitude.

After a few moments of quiet, you looked up at the demon, his black-silver locks curling perfectly around his beautiful face. They really didn’t call him the Avatar of Pride for nothing. “Why are you telling me this…?” You asked, you could hear your voice cracking pathetically throughout. You didn’t have the strength to even talk properly.

“I thought it might help,” he stated, “My younger brothers always liked me to tell them stories in times like these.”

You looked up at him in awe, then. You could feel your eyes glazing over with a fresh set of tears at that; he wanted to help me…?

“Can you… t-tell me another one?” You squeaked out, your voice barely above a whisper.

You could see him smile slightly as he closed his eyes, his perfect lashes complimenting his pale complexion perfectly. His soft voice echoed through the expanse of space for what seemed like hours, telling tales of himself and his brothers.

He had never shown anyone this side of himself before, at least no one outside of his immediate family. So he wasn’t sure what exactly came over him that night, but he remembered that it ended in him picking up your exhausted body and holding you close, as soft snores fell from your mouth. He took you back to the HoL, being sure to give many a death glare to anyone who so much as glanced in your direction.

When he arrived at your room, he laid you down gingerly on your bed and covered you up in a soft blanket. He almost felt his heart melt when you snuggled into it and smiled slightly. He was happy he was able to make you even a bit more comfortable in the Devildom. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on your forehead, lingering there for a few seconds before pulling back.

He had never expected to become to attached to a human, much less one such as yourself.

Rest assured, MC. You will never have to go through any hardship alone again. Not now that you’ve weaseled your way into his heart, and obtained the title that came with it. Now, you were;;

Lucifer’s Little Lamb.

[sirowsky-stories]

The Old Prince

Part 7

Author's Note: This is nice and cozy at first, but do not be fooled. Here there be monsters... Also, I'll be working on my follower celebration for a while now, which is why I'm so sorry for how this part ends.

Description: Oberyn tells you what he can remember of his human life and how he became what he is. But tranquility is sparse in your lives, and as has become custom, you're soon in trouble once more.

Rating: Mature 18+ONLY Warnings: Monster Oberyn Martell x Female Reader, AU fic, obviously Halloween themed, reader cusses. Descriptions of the death of a child, as well as people being violently murdered. Angst. Reader experiences shock. Word Count: 5865 Author's Masterlist

   He doesn’t need nearly as much sleep as humans do, so even after the exhaustion of three releases and a total of two and a half hours of lovemaking, Oberyn remains wide awake. Calm and pleasantly satisfied, with a harmony in his blood that knows no equal, but still not tired in the sense that he requires sleep to recover.    So instead, he watches you. And stars above… what a sight you are.

   Heavy with total relaxation, without a single crease of worry, tension or stress to your expression, you look only peaceful. Peaceful in the most precious of ways, a feeling born from the knowledge that you are safe, trusted and loved.    He is proud to be the one to give you this serenity, but also immeasurably grateful that you have chosen to trust him with your heart, because he knows how closely you have always guarded it from others.

   It has fascinated him from the start, the nearly immediate trust you had showed towards him, and he wonders sometimes if there could be a deeper truth behind it. If perhaps the transformation that he triggered in you was always there, just waiting for him to initiate it.    Such a thing would suggest that the two of you are linked by much more than circumstance or coincidence. That you were always destined to cross paths in this manner. Which is a both comforting and endlessly frightening thought.

   Because it would mean that the cosmos has a path laid out for you and that nothing you do will be of your own volition. That even this night was not a choice for each of you to make, but rather a compulsion, entirely beyond your conscious perception.    He refuses to believe that anything could have such influence over you. Over him, certainly, but not you.

   There is a power to your being which cannot be seen or even sensed, merely perceived at the very fringes of perception. A whisper carried across the globe by a million different voices since the day you were born, so scattered and distorted by now that it can no longer be heard, other than by the most sensitive instruments of the ether: the soul.    Barely even there, and yet he does not doubt its existence for a moment.

   The hours pass with ease, even though you do not move or even twitch in your sleep, so satiated that every muscle has succumbed to the depths of unconsciousness.    Resting on your belly with your lower arms hidden underneath the pillow, and your head turned to the man beside you. Nothing but your eyes moving underneath your heavy lids indicates that you are merely asleep.    At least, not to a human’s senses.

   Oberyn, however, can also hear your heart beating and the steady flow of your slow and tranquil breaths. He can smell the dried sweat on your skin and even the mild, musky scent of your earlier arousal.    And like everything to do with you, these smells are incredibly pleasant to him, in a way that nothing has been in the past.

   It’s not like he has never before smelled the tantalizing aroma of a person’s desire, but to his sensitive nostrils, those scents have always seemed exaggerated and almost overpowering sometimes.    Not yours though. Thus far, every smell or taste he has detected from you has only increased his affection for you, as if your very chemistry appeals to him. And perhaps that is exactly what it does. Perhaps your bodies truly do complement one another.

   In any case, what is certain is that you have become integral to his very survival.    He may not have aged much in his many years, but he is not incapable of dying. The dragon is nearly indestructible, but the human form is weaker. He heals quickly, but a severed limb would not grow back, for instance, so if one were to cut his head from his shoulders, he would die.

   There have been many occasions in his six millennia on this Earth when he has come close to the jaws of death. But for all his episodes of depression, when the endless toils of eternal life have left him unwilling to fight for even one more day, he has never truly wanted to end his own existence.    The thoughts have been there, loud and hounding at times, but more often like a growling dog in the corner of the room, as though waiting to rip his throat out. Yet it never has.

   Somehow, his life has retained a sliver of value to him, despite the many horrors he has witnessed, and been responsible for, and now that he sees you beside him, he cannot help but think that you have always been that value. That some part of him has been waiting for you, knowing that you would come to exist and that if he just held on for long enough, he would be rewarded with finding you.

   It is well after sunrise that you finally stir, twisting your head around and then slowly pulling your arms out from under the pillow, so that you can turn on your side.    You don’t appear to be aware that you’re moving, and your body is clearly terribly sluggish and unwilling to leave the restful softness of the bed, so he shifts himself closer and helps you finish the movement, before he settles in behind you, molding his body after your contours.

   And when you sigh and lean into him as though it is the most natural and obvious thing to do, as though something you have done a thousand times before and now come to out of habit and familiarity, he cannot help how his embrace tightens as his body responds, not with lust, but with unfathomable awe.    That you can be so at ease with such a creature as him, to let you rest beside him without fear or discomfort, even though his touch is largely new to you. Even though you have not slept beside another living being in years.

   Another hour passes before you begin to wake, and as you do, you reach for his hand which rests over your waist, pulling it up to your mouth for a few light kisses of your dry lips.

   “What time is it?” you ask, and your voice is raspy from the many hours that have passed since you last used it, and the fresh memory of your wordless vocalizations as he had found your most delicious spots of pleasure, fill his ears while he replies.

   “Almost lunchtime.”

   “Ugh…” you groan, and then start shifting to your back so that you can see him. “I don’t even know what time I fell asleep last night… or was it this morning?”

   You can barely keep your eyes open, but it seems less to do with fatigue and more like you are simply too comfortable to want to return fully to the waking world.

   “It was around 2 am,” he recalls, and you frown.

   “Haven’t you slept at all?”

   “No. The dragon and I are in some ways quite separate, but we are also one and the same, which is why I have his strength and the potency of his senses, even in this form.”

   “So, the dragon doesn’t need sleep?”

   “Not nearly as much. I can stay awake for several months if the need arises, but generally, I’ll sleep around four hours in a fortnight,” he explains, to which you grow silent for a minute.

   “You talk about it like it’s a separate being. Is that how it feels?” you ask then, seemingly curious while also apprehensive regarding his alter ego, no doubt because of the discomfort he has displayed each time you’ve asked about his past before.

   “In a way, yes. When I transform, it’s not simply my body that changes, it’s everything else as well. From my emotions to my thought-process and even my basic instincts.    It took me centuries to learn how to not let him out at every spike in emotion, and then even longer to figure out how to retain rational thought and control those same emotions, in order to prevent massacring people everywhere I went.”

   “Right, you’ve mentioned before that you were born human. So, what happened? Were you bitten by something as well?” you question, clearly looking for common ground and answers about your own transformation.

   Unfortunately, he still doesn’t have those answers, because his own experience was entirely different.

   “No. I don’t remember the details, and I believe that this is by design, but I know that whatever happened, it was done to me by someone or something much more powerful than anything walking this Earth today.”

   “What do you mean?”

   “Call it a god or supernatural being, but whatever it was, it vanished after doing this to me,” he says, and you look only more perplexed.

   He has not spoken of these things with anyone else before, because there has never been reason to, nor has he ever had cause to think that anyone would believe it.    But you deserve to know as much as he can remember, so that you may make up your own mind about what he is or isn’t anymore.

   “I have told you before that I can’t recall much of my human life beyond my mother’s face, and this is true. But I do remember a few things quite clearly.    For instance, that there was a conflict between our family and another tribe of people, whose origins I have forgotten but who were rich in numbers and therefor a considerable threat to the safety of the people under my family’s rule.    Whether we enraged them by attempting to force them into our ranks or if they attacked for their own reasons, I don’t know anymore, but the outcome was too devastating to forget,” he ponders, trying in vain to keep the terrible images away from his inner sight, as they always cause him such anguish.

   “There was a war?” you guess, and he nods while you shift around to your side, facing him, getting comfortable as you realize that he is willing to tell you everything now, which probably means a lengthier conversation.

   “Our peoples clashed so forcefully and with such rage that even after the battles were won, the losing army continued to be executed until none was left standing. There was so much blood in the sand that it remained red for months after each violent clash.    And the reason why I still remember this, even after my own family has been forgotten, is because as much as I might wish to, I will never forget what happened after our final victory.”

   This subject always tortures him, even to merely think of, let alone speak of out loud for the first time, so he pauses to check himself. To make sure that he is in control of his senses and not at risk of harming you.

   “Every time I hear a small baby crying,” he continues, unable to keep the unfathomable regret from filling his voice with pain, “I remember what was either my sister’s or brother’s newborn and how it cried when it was wrung from their arms and thrown on the floor to be stomped to death by the assassins who had infiltrated our home.    Defeated, they had decided to take their revenge upon our family, by means of blood and torture.    Thankfully, I cannot recall the imagery, only the sound. But that’s more than enough.”

   His pulse jumps as his heart reacts to the memory, and he pauses again.

   “I know that I was made to watch this, because that was where my rage was born. A rage that would become a companion of mine for the next two millennia. Because it was in that moment, when this helpless child was killed, that the desert turned from night into day in a single second. Not by sunlight… but by fire.    This I remember more clearly than anything else. How it erupted everywhere at once, as if drawn from the depths of the earth itself, covering our lands as far as the eye could see in every direction, even though there was nothing but blood-drenched sand to fuel it.    And once every living thing had turned to ash, somehow leaving me untouched even as I stood among the flames, they did not go out.    Instead, all that fire was drawn into me, making a home for itself within my chest, where it burned and stoked my anger, my rage, for what I now know to be at least five centuries.”

   “But… where did it come from? What conjured it?” you ask, teary-eyed even just hearing this, because your empathetic heart almost feels his pain and despair as if it was your own.

   “That I do not know. But as it flooded into me, I felt as though something else detached itself from it. Something vast and incredibly old. Millions of years, if I had to venture a guess.    It seemed to let go and fade away as the fire took hold of me, and the one theory I’ve managed to come up with, is that it was also a dragon.    Perhaps there can only be one of us at a time. It would explain why there are no others like me anywhere in the world.”

   You merely nod in agreement, at a loss for words, because what could anyone say to such a thing?

   “It took me five hundred years to bring the beast under control after the initial transformation, and in that time, I flew across the entire world, burning it everywhere I went. But this I know only because of the aftermath. I have no memory of that time at all.    When I finally managed to calm myself enough to return to my human form, which I had not yet realized that I could do until that moment, I was met by nothing but charred lands everywhere I went. And while I could not remember it, I knew in my heart that it was all my own doing.    The child’s screams, which still echoed through my being, now paled in comparison to the countless thousands that I had burned alive in my maddened state, and to this day, I don’t know why any of this has happened.”

   He must close his eyes again for a bit, not for fear of losing control now, but simply because the pain in his being is too overwhelming.    These words have never left his lips before. Never entrusted to another living soul, never even spoken aloud to the cold stones of the castle, which have surrounded him for hundreds of years now.

   You say nothing at first, content to merely rest beside him as he attempts to stomach the horrifying memories before locking them away once more. But when you do eventually speak, your voice is so soft and warm that he feels as though it must be a thick blanket, enveloping not just his person but his mind and heart as well.

   “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve suffered. But perhaps, if we do manage to figure out what’s happened to me, we might find some answers for you along the way as well.”

   “I hope so. But… I am also afraid to learn more,” he admits, and you frown again, so he elaborates. “That being, the one I felt within the flames, it was so old.”

   “And you’re worried that you’re gonna have to live that long as well?” you correctly deduce, to which he nods.

   “If I… replaced that being somehow… then whatever it was that kept it alive for that long is now inside of me. And I have no idea what it is, much less how to free myself of it.”

   He has cried countless times before, and often much more devastatingly than he does now. This time it’s a mere trickle of a few tears down the side of his face, brought out only by the fear of the unknown, rather than any real pain within him.    And yet, this time feels different. These tears feel purposeful in a way he has never experienced before. Perhaps merely because you are here, and he’s never cried in front of another person before, but it feels like it’s about something bigger than that.

   “I think that you are exactly what you’re supposed to be, Oberyn,” you say then, while gently wiping the wetness from his face. “And I think that I am too. Whether to darken the world or not, I think we’re both on the path we’re meant for.    I just hope that we get to choose how it ends.”

-=<>=-=<>=-=<>=-

   After a large brunch, the two of you return to the discussion about your transformation and everything that your partner knows about Darklings, and you end up learning about his bizarre realization that the pull coming from the basement has seemingly vanished.

   “See? I told you that it disappeared,” he says, sounding mildly surprised himself where he stands beside you in front of the basement door.

   “Yeah, and I believed you even before we got here, I’m just worried about the why.”

   “Indeed. Which is why I feel it’s necessary to investigate.”

   You have to swallow against the bile that rises in your throat at the mere thought of going back in there, but he’s right. The last time you’d stood here, you’d been practically enchanted, drawn inside despite all the warning signs along the way, from the smell to the sounds and finally the sight of those things.    But now, there’s nothing.

   Nodding to let him know that you agree, he opens the door, and you try to brace yourself for the odor, but it still hits you like a sledgehammer. It’s somehow even worse this time, probably because there’s nothing to dull your senses now.

   “Oh, god…” you breathe in between your body’s attempts to react to the assault on your olfactory functions. “Your senses are stronger than mine, how can you stand it?”

   “Sadly, this is not the worst thing I’ve ever smelled,” he replies nonchalantly before stepping inside.

   You pinch your nose shut with your fingers and then follow him, but it still feels like you’re just eating the disgusting scent instead.    He could’ve gone down here alone, but the creatures don’t react to him the way that they do to others, and he wants to gauge their reactions in full, so that he might be able to figure out what could’ve changed to stop them from emitting the pull.

   When you’d walked through this corridor before, it had felt much shorter than it does now, even though you’d walked much slower then. Which leaves you wondering just what the pull had done to your brain in those few minutes that you’d been under its influence.    You forget all about that, though, when you eventually round the corner at the end of the corridor and see the cages once more.

   “Oh, god…”

   This time it’s Oberyn who breathes the words, brought to a stop by the sight before him because this is so much worse than either of you could’ve imagined.    All the cages are empty.    No doors have been broken open, no holes have been dug through the concrete floor, and yet, they’re all gone.

   “It’s starting,” he says as he takes a few steps forward, slowly looking from one side to the other. “The darkness is already spreading.”

   “Wait, are you saying that… I did this?” you question, already trembling at the thought that it could be true.

   That you could’ve freed these monsters without even knowing it.    You’d felt their hunger when you’d met them. Their need to consume and destroy life. If this is somehow your fault…

   “Valya, listen to me,” he says, coming back to you and putting his hands around your upper arms when he sees you begin to spiral. “Whatever happened here, what matters is that we must find and stop these creatures.”

   “But if I freed them, if this fucking darkness inside of me can set them loose even from a prison, how can we hope to stop them?”

   “I don’t know, but we must try. That’s as much as we can do, my love.”

   He pulls you along, out of the basement and back to his room, where he asks you to get dressed for the cold weather outside.    But you don’t start right away. You need a minute. Just a few moments to think and try and understand what’s happening. Because if you are responsible for this then there’s every chance that even if you manage to capture the creatures again, the same thing will happen.

   Oberyn had noticed the absence of the pull when he’d passed the basement door on his way to find you over three days ago. Before you’d been attacked and almost died, so if you somehow freed them, it must’ve happened while you were at the Thanksgiving party.    But what could’ve triggered it? This darkness you apparently possess. What could’ve drawn it out and allowed these monsters to feed off it?

   “I’m not sure that I should go with you,” you say to him, while still just standing there in the middle of his bedroom, afraid of so many things now that you can’t even name them.

   He’s been looking through his weapon’s drawer with his back to you, so he hasn’t noticed that you haven’t started getting dressed yet. But he realizes what you’re doing as soon as he hears you speak.

   “Whether you caused this or not, I need you to help me find them. And if we do, then that will give us some answers.”

   “How?”

   “Because if you do possess the qualities of a Darkling, they’ll be drawn to you. Whereas if you don’t, they will merely wish to destroy you.”

   “Oh… great.”

   “I know that this is frightening, but we need answers. So, please, dress warmly and let us be on our way.”

   You don’t argue. He’s right, nothing’s gained from hiding, especially when you don’t even know what you’re really trying to hide from.    A few minutes later, you’re back out on the courtyard watching Oberyn transform once more, and this time you’re able to enjoy the sight a bit more, since you’re no longer scared of the beast. Even the weapons he’s chosen to take with him are engulfed by the scales as they emerge. It truly is a mesmerizing thing to see.

   But it also reminds you of how far away from yourself you’ve gotten.    There’s no real comparison to be made anymore. Nothing about your life has remained the same ever since your own transformation. And as much as you try not to, you can’t help but think about the horror you could, and probably will, unleash if you are a Darkling.    These creatures would only be a sidenote if you end up covering the world in death.

   He picks you up like before, cradling you to his chest with his front paws. He’d told you earlier that he’d like for you to ride on his shoulders but that he fears the deadly spikes that his hair become whenever he gets agitated or even just startled, so you stick to this form of transportation for now.    It makes little difference to you. His broad chest and the comforting thumping of his heart within, soothes your worries and brings your mind back to a lighter tone.

   The sound, and the breeze, takes you to fond memories of summer mornings, and all the lovely treks you’ve taken into the seven hills. The rustle of leaves, the rhythmic thumping of your feet, or Casper’s hooves, against the ground, the birds singing and the sun rising along your back.    If only life could be that simple again.

   He circles outwards from the castle, increasing the circumference of each circle on every turn so that he covers all directions. From this height, you can barely even see the ground much less what might be moving across it, but his eyesight is better than yours.    You worry about people, though. Because it’s broad daylight and anyone that looks up could spot his large form against the cloudless sky. Which does tell you something about the urgency of his need to find these beings and stop them.

   It somehow feels like only minutes have passed since you set off, when he suddenly ducks his head and falls into a dive, folding his wings down along his body to enable him to cut through the air like a razor.    The wind seems to pass by your mouth so fast that you can’t inhale it, but only a few seconds later it’s already over.

   He opens his wings so close to the ground that it takes all his strength to break your fall and land, rather than crash, but it’s still a rough touchdown after only three powerful pushes of his wings.    And the moment you’re down, he drops you and leaps after something that scurries off through the streets.

   You never have a chance to land on your feet after he releases you, because he does it when he’s already moving away from you, so by the time you’ve gotten up and oriented yourself, both Oberyn and his quarry have disappeared around a corner.    That’s when you realize that you’re in a city, somewhere in the outskirts but it must be a bigger city, because the buildings are tightly packed, and the streets are long.

   Afraid that he won’t find you again, you don’t move from the spot where the dragon dropped you off, except for leaving the alley where he landed so that you can look up and down the street, which is thankfully not particularly crowded at the moment.    He ran off to the north, and you can see a few people staring down that way in what appears to be mild shock, but he probably passed them so quickly that they never managed to get a good look at him, or what he’s chasing.

   You keep to the shadows in the corner that leads to the alley while you wait, but it doesn’t take long before something happens.    Unfortunately, it’s not what you’d expected, or hoped, would happen.    Directly across the street from you there’s another alley which is even narrower than the one you’re waiting by, and from the protective shade of the buildings and waste bins, something strikes at a person passing by.

   You only notice it because you were watching the man that got attacked even before it happened, since he was one of those who had likely seen the green streak of scales pass him, and you were checking to see that he wasn’t on his way to alert anyone about it.    He’s pulled into the alley so quickly and harshly that he doesn’t manage to even scream in fear, and despite the shadows, you can see what happens to him next.

   Another one of the creatures is here, and once it has the poor man in its claws, it rips him to pieces. Literally.    You can see the blood spray clear across the entire alley as his arteries are ripped open when the monster tears him in half, from his right arm down to his left hip. His organs spill out over the ground and then the fucking thing picks up his heart and gulps it down in one big mouthful, before just leaving the rest of him there for the rats and crows to feast on.

   You’re too scared to do anything. You just stand there and stare in absolute shock, because what can you do? What can you ever hope to do against something like that?    For your safety, and your partner’s, you don’t carry a mobile phone anymore, but there’s a payphone halfway down the block, next to a bus stop, and you don’t need money to be able to call the emergency services.

   Slowly, hindered by some form of haze that seems to cloud your mind, you walk towards the phone, picking it up without a clue of what you’re gonna say to whoever picks up at the other end, but dialing the emergency number anyway.    The responding voice is soft and warm. A woman, middle-aged by the sound of it, practiced and at ease with her task. She asks if you need assistance, and when you don’t reply, she asks if you’re hurt.

   “No…” you finally manage to say. “No, not me. I need… There’s a man in the alley. He’s been killed…”

   “Where are you, miss?” the operator asks, and you realize that you have no idea what city you’re even calling from.

   “Uh… I don’t know where I am. What city is this?”

   “You’re in Chicago, miss. Are you sure you’re okay?”

   “Yeah, I’m just… a little shocked. I saw it happen. I saw him get torn apart,” you explain while trying to expel the images from your mind, entirely without success.

   “Are you with the man now?”

   “No, I’m across the street and a little further down the block, this was the nearest phone.”

   “Okay, can you see any street signs?” she asks, and you suddenly feel stupid.

   There are signs fully visible on every cross-street. Apologizing, you give her the names and she starts a new line of inquiries, focusing more on the victim now.

   “You said that the man was torn apart, what did you mean by that?”

   “I mean literally. He’s in at least two pieces. And I think the…” you pause, looking for a suitable way to address the thing responsible.

   You simply can’t call it a man, but you also can’t call it a thing without spurring the operator into even more questions that you can’t answer.

   “…assailant,” you finally settle on, “ate his heart.”

   “I’m sorry, did you just say that the person who did this ate the man’s heart?”

   “Yes, ma’am,” you reply, stifling the urge to add that it wasn’t a god damned person who did this.

   “Is the assailant still on the premises?”

   “No, I don’t think so.”

   “Okay. I’m gonna need you to remain where you are until emergency services arrive. What’s your name, miss?”

   You can’t stay there because you don’t have time for the police to question you, and you can’t give her your name because that would just complicate things so much more.    So, you drop the phone without ending the call, letting it dangle while you walk away, back into the alley where Oberyn had dropped you off, moving far enough away that no one investigating the murder will be able to spot you.

   It doesn’t take long before you hear the sirens, but just as the vehicles begin to arrive, the thing re-emerges from the shadows of that alley.    From your hiding spot less than two hundred yards away, you see the police and ambulance personnel step out of their vehicles, the former shielding the latter in case the assailant is still there, and head towards the alley, leaving you with a terrible dilemma.

   If you try to warn them, you’ll put yourself in danger, and potentially increase the risk to their lives by whatever darkness it is that you might possess. But if you remain hidden and say nothing, they’ll definitely be killed.    You don’t know that you could live with the cowardice of not even trying to warn them, so you set off running towards them, screaming as loud as you can.

   “NO! Don’t go in there! It’s still there, it’ll kill you!!”

   They react, turning to see who’s yelling at them, and that’s when the creature strikes.    The two policemen have their weapons drawn, and when the thing takes down one of the paramedics, tearing the young man to shreds in a matter of seconds, they both try to shoot it. Unfortunately, it moves too fast for the bullets to find their mark, and within moments, the policemen are meeting the same fate.

   By the time you’ve run the two hundred yards to reach them, all four of them are dead, and the monster is working on ripping their bodies apart just for the fun of it.    It doesn’t eat anything from them this time, so the heart must’ve just been a random act of destruction, rather than some compulsory ritual or feeding requirement.    None of the creatures in those cages had been fed anything for years, so clearly, they don’t actually need to eat to survive. Consumption must serve some other purpose for them.

   It stops tearing at the bodies as you reach the street, refocusing on you instead, and you freeze to the spot just as more sirens can be heard approaching.    In the bright daylight, it somehow looks even worse than it had in the sparse lighting of the basement. Its sickly broken skin and black oozing blood seeping out of every crack, its broken bones poking out at odd angles throughout its crouched form. Not quite walking on all fours, but so deformed that its original human shape can no longer be discerned.

   You stand there, as if locked together with the thing, neither of you moving an inch while the additional emergency vehicles get closer. And when they reach your odd little standoff and screech to a halt, the creature finally breaks eye-contact with you.    It appears almost enraged by the metal and plastic cars that stand between it and its prey and attacks the newly arrived firetruck with a fury unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

   Mere seconds is all it takes before its carved its way through one of the doors and is inside the cabin, after which nothing but blood can be seen inside.    Two of the firemen manage to get out before it reaches them, but then it pauses its efforts to kill the ones its already gotten started on, so that it can go after those that escaped its clutches.

   Evil, malicious beings, with no purpose save for destruction and pain. That’s how Oberyn had described them, and that is exactly what you’re seeing.

   “Stop…” you whisper, unable to get your voice to cooperate while you watch the monster finish with the firemen and then set after the second pair of policemen, who like their coworkers have opted to try and shoot the thing rather than just flee.

   This can’t be your doing. You can’t be the one that set this in motion, you could never live with that if it turns out to be true.

   “STOP!” you roar at the creature just before it reaches the desperate policemen, who have now taken refuge in their car, even though they’ve seen that thin metal doesn’t keep it out.

   Amazingly, unbelievably, it does stop at your command.    For one fraction of a second, time seems to slow as the thing halts and turns its head to glare at you.    The moment ends, however, when the giant green dragon crashes through the corner of a building further down the street, while in pursuit of the other creature.

   And that’s when everything goes horribly wrong.

Part 8

The Ten Spirits of the World Air - Forest - Water - Stone - Night - Autumn - Winter - Spring - Summer.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! If you wish to be notified when this story is updated, follow @sirowsky-stories and turn on notifications, or just ask nicely, and I'll tag you.

@harriedandharassed @kittenlittle24 @joelswritingmistress @pedrostories

[itsthedreamon]

Welcome to your stop for all things Unleash the Dark!

This post will answer any questions or concerns you might have regarding this little fic. It will be updated when common questions arise, or if I detect a new content warning should be added or removed. It may be called the "final draft," but it's still a draft nonetheless! Things could change!

[SYNOPSIS]

Sonic is a well-renouned hero of Mobius. Countless times he has risen against the Eggman Empire and emerged victorious, winning another peaceful day on his home planet. An easy jog, compared to the end of the world.

When a God of old breaks apart the globe, Sonic assembles old friends, and a little amnesiac, to mend it back together. The way becomes more clear with each new friend by Sonic's side, but the journey winds at night. In the darkness, people all over the world succumb to senseless frenzies. Monsters lurk in the shadows, killers, and before Sonic can join the fight, he realizes he's not the only one who's forgotten something important.

[GENRE]

Suspense, Drama, Supernatural, Character Driven

‼️ [CONTENT WARNINGS] ‼️

Please note that Sonic: UtD contains the following themes (ordered from most to least intense)

- Body Horror/Dysphoria/Dysmorphia ⚠️

- Mental Breakdown ⚠️

- Blood ⚠️

- PTSD ⚠️

- Self Sabotage (Reverse-Character Development) ⚠️

- Child Endangerment ⚠️

- Gender Dysphoria ⚠️

- Violence ⚠️

- Guns & Artillery ⚠️

- Swearing ⚠️

What you won't find:

- Major Character Death ❌

- Character Death ❌

- Bad Ending/Tragedy ❌

- Ships (Albiet one popular ship is mentioned only for plot's sake. No one is shipped together in this story) ❌

[Q&A]

What is SONIC: UNLEASH THE DARK?

This is my "love letter" to Sonic Unleashed, a 2008 mainline title. The story--at it's core--is a retelling with a few new twists and turns!

Why UNLEASH THE DARK? Dear God, why?

It's wild, I know. This was supposed to be a fun project I kept to myself, but I started to let my ego get to me, so here we are.

How often will you post chapters?

I hope to post chapters once a week. Please keep in mind I work 40+ hours a week so there may be delays. I will be taking brief 2-3 week hiatuses between acts in the story in order to keep up!

How many Acts are there? 

I'm following the five act paradigm. (Four mini-hiatuses!)

What's up with the darker tone?

I like to make an impact. I tend to be a bit more serious about cause-and-effect in my storytelling. While things are going to get pretty tense, I hope the ends justify the means; I feel like there's something in the story that Sonic's character has always needed.

Why are they humans?

Honestly it doesn't make a big plot difference if they are or are not humans, I don't know why I was so compelled to write them this way but feel free to interpret them as their "the [animal]" counterparts lmao

Where are you posting this?

AO3! Info on where to find me there will be updated soon.

Please feel free to dm me any questions! My asks are open and I am also available under the same name on Instagram. I hope you like Unleash the Dark!

Please look forward to chapter 1's release on the 30th!

[frannyzooey]

I’ve been trying to figure out just why I love SDLN so much, and what the special feeling is that it gives me. I figured it out. It’s a really specific brand of cozy. It’s rare to read a story almost exclusively built of two characters. There is so, so little outside influence beyond like, ya know, the world as is. But I think that’s part of what makes it so special. It’s this singular cozy bubble, like living in a snow globe. It reminds me even of being a kid and making little forts and “cabins” and decorating with sticks and leaves and mom’s old dish towels and an old candle or something out in the woods (maybe that’s just me lol). Anyway, it’s such a unique feeling I get from this fic ❤️ I love the way there isn’t time away from each other to let problems fester. They’re forced to, and want to, confront their issues quickly and it’s in everyone’s best interest to resolve any differences. The only looming threat of separation is death, which though absolutely terrifying, is a lot different from an emotional parting.

Anyway thank you for writing such a beautiful story and finding a way to give so much life to these two (three!).

I am so in love with this description and this feeling, I can't even express to you how warm this makes me feel 🥺❤

I was very much striving for this sense of isolation with them, not only for their safety, but also for their healing? I didn't think it would be possible to let this man heal without a chance to let his guard down, but I also wanted someone there to support that growth in him ❤

Stories that center around individuals with little to no significant plot outside of just "life" happening are my favorite kind of stories: Poldark, Mad Men, etc - gimme all that character development 😍

Just writing that makes me think of TMTC: a hardened bounty hunter whose only time to relax is when he's locked in a room with someone softer than he is, to coax him out....both stories take place in singular environments, both stories involve a hard man who tries to resist but succumbs, both stories involve joint healing when given a safe space to do so -- yikes, I guess I only know how to write one thing lmao

Thank you thank you thank you for sending this to me -- I am so in love with you feeling cozy ❤ and feeling the life within these characters! ❤

[noctomania]

Patient persistence

A genocide doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't end overnight. It's a cumulation of several choices made over a period of time, perhaps years or evendecades. YesterEra, when globalization wasn't so pronounced, information was slow to travel and even slower to make its impact and be synthesized into action.

Now? Lightening speed. But that doesn't change the fact that the distance traveled must be retraced backwards. What takes years to become will often take years to undo.

As we have become accustomed to things traveling so fast - information, trends, life in general - we have become impatient and unobservant. Even at times, thoughtless and calloused to the realities of life. Reactionary. We get in our own way at times even with all the advances we have made.

Modern day we collect more information at a rate far faster than we can figure out what to do with it. Those who have failed to develop the skills to navigate this terrain can quickly burn out and turn inward, shutting out all the relentless information. They turn wholly selfish.

"I can't carry the burden of knowing others are suffering," they will plead. While those who suffer then continue to suffer in near silence until they are no more. People who have not developed patient persistence will succumb to the overwhelming amount of atrocities being committed across the globe.

Balance is a fundamental to life, always has been even before humans were in existence. Every living thing seeks balance... unless convinced not to. We, as humans, do not know better than any other animal. We are manipulated on the daily.

Want to fight back? Want to be a voice for the voiceless? Take care of yourself and learn what your needs are so you can prepare yourself to help others. Putting your oxygen mask on first, if you will.

Persistence doesn't mean non-stop. It is endurance, it is obstinace, it is continuing indefinitely even after what needs to be resolved is to ensure it never happens again. It doesn't mean using every waking hour. Cross country isn't a sprint. You can't persist by running yourself into the ground. It takes kindness to oneself. Understanding. Patience.

Patience is enabled through knowledge. Even patience isn't bottomless. That's why you need to take breaks. Do not overshadow the big issue with your own foolish folly. Be prepared to endure. We are not superheroes, even though some think humans are a superior animal for some unsubstantiated reason.

The people who need you need you to be patiently persistent.

[warningsine]

favourite succession episodes?

My favorite episodes are—naturally—the ones that cause me the most pain. Either they tear me apart emotionally or they terrify me with their spot on sociopolitical commentary.

It's hard to watch a democracy crumbling in such plausible ways when you take a look at what's happening around the globe, you know?

Anyway, my top 10+1 episodes are:

All the Bells Say (Season 3, Episode 9). The back-to-back epic betrayals and tragedy (Shakespearean, Greek, Roman, Jacobean — you name it) have bewitched me body and soul and I love them. And the cinematography? Some frames look like Renaissance paintings.

Connor's Wedding (Season 4, Episode 3). Honestly, this episode is why I watch television. Now excuse me while I sob.

America Decides (Season 4, Episode 8). Give Kieran all the trophy awards for managing to make Roman so loathsome and disgusting when 5 episodes earlier he had me crying like a baby because of how pitiable his character was. "Succession" had always made it clear that these characters are awful yet human. That being said, I love how this particular episode focuses on how complicit they all are (Jess, Greg, Hugo, Gerri, Karl, Frank, the dude that takes the "pending call" decision) and how it makes you hate the Roy siblings for damning an entire nation. Kendall? Unlike Roman, he knows right from wrong and how terrible of a father he is, but when it comes down to it, he's a spineless coward. Shiv? Believes that she cares for the world (democracy, misogyny, racism), but is actually a huge hypocrite. When her country is about to succumb to fascism, the first thing she can think of is to double down on her deal with another amoral and abusive billionaire. She cares more about sticking it to her brothers more than anything else.

This Is Not for Tears (Season 2, Episode 10). Everything about this episode is perfect: the music, the script,the direction, the acting. I'm a Shiv stan, but Tom's "I wonder if the sad I’d be without you, would be less than the sad I get from being with you" absolutely breaks me. Logan mentioning the Incas and Kendall Judas kissing him before fucking him over? [chef's kiss]

With Open eyes (Season 4, Episode 10). Sad to see you go, happy that you chose to keep your legacy and not drag, beloved show.

Church and State (Season 4, Episode 9). Please respect my privacy while I cry. There was Roman's heartbreaking breakdown of course, but what really got to me was Marcia touching Kerry's hand and then telling Shiv that Logan hurt all of them. Hiam Abbass is there for 5 mins and unsurprisingly manages to steal the show.

Nobody Is Ever Missing (Season 1, Episode 10). When the series turned from capitalist satirical drama to tragedy of the highest caliber was when it really won me over. "You're my number one boy" indeed.

What It Takes (Season 3, Episode 6). Like Shiv said about Jordan-Peterson-meets-Trump Mencken, it's terrifying to watch a “YouTube provocateur” whose vibes are “aristo-populism … ‘rape is natural, it’s all red pill, baby'" gain power.

Chiantishire (Season 3, Episode 8). Dickpicgate, comedy gold. Hearing your mother tell you that it'd have been better if she had had dogs instead of you and that you'd make a terrible mother too? Harriet Walter, the actress that you are.

Tern Haven (Season 2, Episode 5). I love season 2. I love the Pierces. I love Rhea. I love Nan. Holly Hunter and Cherry Jones should have been regulars is all I'm saying.

Dundee (Season 2, Episode 8). "L to the OG" way before "R to the IP" took place.

--

Honorable mentions:

Tailgate Party (S4E7). That Tom/Shiv balcony scene... Give Snook all the awards.

DC (S2E9). When Shiv manipulated and silenced that victim of sexual harassment and abuse, showing us her true colors. When Rhea proved that she had something resembling a moral backbone after all. “This doesn’t feel right" indeed.

Rehearsal (S4E2). Because the last thing that Logan said to his children was, "I love you, but you are not serious people."

Honeymoon States (S4E4). Had not expected this episode to be so funny and yet.

Too Much Birthday (S3E7). Always a pleasure to watch Kendall fall apart and the 3 siblings backstab and be awful to each other.

Which Side Are You On? (S1E6).

Safe Room (S2E4).

The Disruption (S3E3). For Snook's acting after Kendall interrupts Shiv with Nirvana's "Rape Me" and Kendall's cowering in the server room after Shiv published that letter about him. Jeremy Strong's acting says so much even when his character doesn't utter a word.

The Munsters (S4E1). Greg's "Where are your kids?" was pure savagery. Logan should have been given some aloe vera for that burn. No, but how dare Brian Cox make me feel bad for the fallen king? It's "Breaking Bad" all over again.

[chefboiblobbies]

And on a Tuesday morning at a Bus stop, there was an old lady. And she noticed me, saw me, gazed upon me as if she wondered why I was here, why I was alive. As if she saw that I did not know why I was there, why was I alive? How does it work? And her gluttony filled globes, wrinkles and redness and a bit of rashness, twinkled at me as a sort of curse left her lips. And she asked me if I would like to sit next to her. I hesitated yet moved and sat. And when my pants hit contact with the bench, the old lady stood up as if burnt and walked away.

She didn’t turn around, she just walked into the burning planet shining something akin to energized nothingness onto her. I was - am - utterly confused and my head burns and turns and lets my eyes not close at night. I stare at the ceiling and I see the shadows dance, pretending to be alive. Why does a shadow know? Why can’t I? Why can’t we? And when my back melted into the soft fabric of the bedsheet and getting up was harder than sleeping - I succumbed.

And I wondered in my dreams, how do I learn to be alive? And as I wondered - again, again, again and again, the hour glass turned around - again, again, again and again - I was alive and breathing. And when I wondered why, when I wondered how, I was alive and breathing. And when the old lady stood up and cursed me into madness, I was alive and breathing.

Then, pray, tell me if I’m not alive - if I have to learn - why did the energized nothingness burn my eyes as I watched the old lady leave on a Tuesday morning at a bus stop when I was sitting on a bench. And I ask the air, I ask the nature and I cannot seem to understand. I hear but it makes no sense. I cannot seem to understand. I do not want to understand because I know the reason is that we’re not here for much.

So I curse the old lady back, hope she falls into madness herself and lets herself burn under the nothingness of the sun - and while she succumbs to sleep and her skin melts into her soft bedsheets, I hope she begs how to live - while being alive and breathing. And just doesn’t know it yet.

Will someone help me learn to be alive? I am looking through mirrors of futures past and present, eating visions and throwing up innards. I hear whispers of people gone and living and they do not speak on how to live but mostly how to die. I have seen other mothers speak on how to fold shirts into fours and make your bed. You ask them how to live but she is folding into herself and out again. I’ve had a father, I think, and yet he is cracking, always cracking, under an unseen weight of leaving and being left. “How did you learn to live?” I have asked, desperate and forced. The living and the dead and the living do not die and I’ve had grandparents who shake their heads, unsmiling and gray. Six feet under and haunting in my handshakes, heartaches, vowel sounds. They ask me how you live.

[jimitjain]

Exploring Corrosion-Resistant Fasteners for Extreme Environments

Caliber Enterprise is a leading Fasteners Manufacturers in India. In the world of engineering and construction, fasteners are critical components that hold structures together, ensuring stability, safety, and durability. However, in extreme environments—where factors like moisture, salt, chemicals, and high temperatures come into play—standard fasteners can quickly succumb to corrosion, leading to potential structural failures. 

Why Corrosion Resistance Matters

Corrosion is a natural process that occurs when materials, particularly metals, react with their environment, leading to degradation. In fasteners, corrosion can cause a loss of strength, leading to structural failures or the need for frequent replacements. This is particularly concerning in extreme environments such as coastal areas, chemical processing plants, and high-temperature settings.

Materials Used in Corrosion-Resistant Fasteners

The effectiveness of a corrosion-resistant fastener largely depends on the materials used in its manufacture. Here are some of the most common materials known for their corrosion resistance:

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is one of the most popular materials for corrosion-resistant fasteners. It contains chromium, which forms a passive layer of chromium oxide on the surface, preventing further oxidation. Stainless steel fasteners are ideal for environments exposed to moisture, salt, and other corrosive elements. Grades like 304 and 316 stainless steel are commonly used, with 316 offering higher corrosion resistance due to its molybdenum content.

Titanium: Titanium fasteners are known for their exceptional corrosion resistance, especially in saltwater and acidic environments. Although more expensive than stainless steel, titanium is lightweight, strong, and offers unparalleled resistance to corrosion, making it suitable for aerospace, marine, and chemical processing applications.

Nickel Alloys: Nickel alloys, such as Inconel and Monel, provide excellent resistance to corrosion in highly acidic and alkaline environments. Nickel alloys fasteners are often used in chemical plants, oil and gas industries, and high-temperature applications where both corrosion resistance and strength are required.

Coated Fasteners: In some cases, fasteners made from standard materials like carbon steel are coated fasteners with protective layers to enhance their corrosion resistance. Common coatings include zinc, hot-dip galvanizing, and phosphate. While not as durable as stainless steel or titanium, coated fasteners are a cost-effective solution for less extreme environments.

Choosing the Right Fasteners Manufacturers in India

When sourcing corrosion-resistant fasteners, it is crucial to partner with experienced and reputable Fasteners Manufacturers in India. Indian manufacturers are known for their expertise in producing high-quality fasteners that meet international standards. They offer a wide range of materials and coatings tailored to specific environmental conditions, ensuring that the fasteners you choose are up to the task.

In addition to quality, Fasteners Suppliers in India provide competitive pricing, timely delivery, and technical support, making them a reliable choice for businesses across the globe. By working with a trusted supplier, you can ensure that your projects are equipped with fasteners that offer superior performance, even in the most challenging environments.

Corrosion-resistant fasteners play a vital role in ensuring the safety and longevity of structures exposed to extreme environments. Whether you are working in the marine, chemical, or aerospace industry, choosing the right materials and partnering with reliable Fasteners Suppliers in India can make all the difference. With the right fasteners, you can protect your investments, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure the continued success of your projects.

[stevedeschaines]

(LifeSiteNews) — Various governments have made commitments to expand the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative energy systems. The stated objectives include reducing pollution, improving human health and the environment, protecting the environment and providing reliable energy at lower costs. Among those jumping on this band wagon are the governments of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union, and the Governorate of Vatican City State.

Here’s the big question: Will adopting these technologies achieve these goals? To get an answer, we will examine what they require for operation, decommissioning and supporting infrastructure.

For starters, EV batteries require lithium, whose mining needs 2 metric tons of water for every 1 kilogram (kg) of extracted metal. To put things into perspective, each Tesla battery requires about 10 kg of lithium, which means that 20 metric tons of water are needed for each battery. To make matters worse, lithium is usually found in deserts that lack readily available water in large quantities.

EV batteries also require cobalt, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo being the largest producer and exporter of cobalt. Unfortunately, the expansion of cobalt mines has turned green areas into barren lands and often employs child labor in the extraction. For instance, Kasulo, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and formerly a popular urban neighborhood, has been made unlivable since underground ores began to be exploited in 2014.

As if these weren’t enough, EVs and wind and solar energy systems require rare earth metals. The mining of these results in environmental destruction, including deforestation, soil erosion, water contamination, loss of wildlife habitats, changes in landscapes, air pollution and adverse health effects to miners, including lead poisoning.

Thus, instead of reducing pollution and protecting the environment, switching to EVs and alternative energy systems does the opposite, beginning with the mining of necessary materials.

The construction of the infrastructure needed for alternative energy systems (e.g., hydro, solar, wind and geothermal) requires more than four times the amount of materials (e.g., steel, glass, copper, cement/concrete, aluminum, iron, lead, plastic and silicon) than conventional energy systems (coal, natural gas and nuclear). Compared to coal-fired power plants, land requirements for solar and wind energy systems are about 33 and 179 times more, respectively. These high material and land costs increase the cost of energy.

During their operation, solar energy systems and wind turbines kill birds, with the latter being fatal to bats as well, and have proved to be unreliable.

Reliability issues induced by over-reliance on wind and solar have arisen in numerous locales around the globe. For instance, California has been converting to solar, decommissioning all but one of its coal-fired power plants and all but one of its nuclear power plants and minimizing its use of gas-fired power. As a result, the state experienced rolling blackouts during a heat wave in the summer of 2020.

Similarly, Texas invested heavily in wind and solar only to have both fail miserably during a winter storm in February 2021. Frozen wind turbines and snow-covered solar panels left much of Texas without electric power for long periods, which led to the deaths of more than 200 people and billions of dollars in economic losses. The following July, natural gas power plants were called upon to make up for failing wind and solar energy systems during a heat wave.

During the winter of 2020-21, Germany had an experience similar to that of Texas when wind and solar succumbed to the effects of cold and snow. Since the country began switching to wind and solar around 2000, the price of German electricity has more than tripled.

In short, wind and solar energy systems are not cheap, reliable or environmentally friendly.

EVs also prove to be dangerous, unreliable and expensive. Because their lithium-ion batteries store so much chemical and electrical energies, EVs have become known as fire hazards. Compared to internal combustion engines, the power systems of EVs produce fires that are harder to extinguish because the batteries could reignite and cooling the battery pack is difficult. To make matters worse, EV fires may release large amounts of poisonous gases, such as hydrogen fluoride.

READ: Trudeau’s electric vehicle mandate could cause Canada’s power grid to collapse, analysis shows

Cold weather is a nemesis of EVs, as it is for many battery-operated devices. Temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C) can cause the driving range of EVs to drop significantly or even render the vehicle useless due to the increase in the internal resistance of lithium-ion batteries at cold temperatures. Charging EVs in cold weather can significantly increase the time needed for recharging and may cause permanent battery damage.

While it’s true that EVs do not have exhaust emissions, one needs to consider that there are other types of emissions, including particulate matter (PM) from brake wear, tire wear, road wear and resuspension of road dust. Because EVs are 24 percent heavier (due to their batteries) compared to their equivalent internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs emit about the same amounts of PM10 and emit only about 1-3 percent less PM2.5 than internal combustion engine vehicles. In fact, there is a positive relationship between the vehicle weight and its particulate matter emissions.

Finally, the disposing of EV batteries and the decommissioning of wind turbines and solar panels are both problematic environmental issues.

EV batteries last about 5 to 10 years and need to be replaced when their output goes below 80% of their initial capacities. Storing, burying, and exporting these used lithium-ion batteries are no longer acceptable. Unfortunately, the direct recycling of these batteries, with high remaining capacities, would be prohibitively expensive and highly energy- and resource-intensive, and would pollute the air, water and land.

READ: ‘National EV mandate’: Biden administration regulations aim to end sale of gas-powered cars by 2032

Similarly, the blades of wind turbines last about 10 years. The life of wind-turbine towers and solar panels is about 25 years. Only a few landfills in the United States are large enough to handle the wind turbine blades. Solar panels are not particularly welcome in landfills, because they contain toxic materials, such as lead and cadmium, that can leach into soil. Dr. Wallace Manheimer noted that despite these dangers, solar panels have been put in landfills because “the cost of the recycled materials is considerably more than the cost of the raw materials.”

EVs and wind and solar energy are not environmentally friendly nor provide reliable and affordable energy and transportation. They should be discontinued for the well-being of humanity and the environment.

[babyawacs]

#obvious #pander .@thehague .@scotus .@scotusblog .@fisa .@snowden #govt #guiltysystems #witnessprote ct #intelc0ma #superpower #s #exploit #theft #badensen #style #thebunch #framing #now #hooker_memberships @veritas ‎.@law @law @harvard_law .@harvard_law @bbc_w hys @france24 @haaretzcom @snowden @dw  @all @world @snowden #fraudsystems #usually #rules #bot ch_and #publicperson_101 #wieso_sind_alle_zombis_unschuldig? @deutschland .@deutschland .@phoeni x_de @bild #book_notforspies_whatisahumanbeing  #judges #intel #you #handle #101 #basics ‎ #fact #implied #simply #thetruth #intelhandled #theba sis #is #outsourced #babycare #is #thetruth #the #truth #precisely #luck #with #goodpeople #luckwith #brave #people lawyers banks insurances germans did countless times thingsthat proove selfevidently  inwhat spirit they mess not what is their alibi or for safety or such but simply mean criminal things from make chow disgusting pierce nipple or balls torture mengele rape  terrorise catapult gas  itwasnot only poison and killtrick  it was uncounted times selfevidently cheap terrorise like make chow disgusting  ass to finger flush crap and touch things open wounds rob implants make heart disease suffocate and terrorise for genius motives like give up or succumb or make nervous breakdown other side of globe wouldbelike why dothey dothis tohim a l l k n e w they are scum and in dynamics that are that bad that itis anoffense when the ci villian doesnot let them suddenly how dares not toletthemterrorise that itis more than whatthey twist victimblame  itis how dares the underhuman to not let us while they have geniusmotives of repeat. habit. prerogative. excess .monstrosi ty. germannothinghappensness inthis dynamic ‎ /// noone will say later those took on immunised govt caused systemcaused scums that raped and tortured civillians govt caused system caused empowered worst over civillians in crim inal securitypolicy itwouldbemorelike the helpless innocent helpless wellmeaning german dictatorships   theeeeencame thatguy along and drank cola  in his chamber behind helpless barricades ‎ that this is allalong govt caused system caused all in criminal s ecuritypolicy ina fucktup northkorea system where somuchworse happens and that this baby is only alive because someone organised totake on scums the govt caused system repetition unpunished repetition systemcaused covered  obliged to avert crimes but were causing it as targetted individu al treat it is germany all in tight order except the regular excesses monstrosities  germannothinghappensnesses for decades daytime charged and quelled to commitmore of that will a l w a y s gladly take on anyone that uncovers it  makesuremysupport isok the completely allalong of alltimes support ofmine not only recen tly ////

#obvious #pander .@thehague .@scotus .@scotusblog .@fisa .@snowden #govt #guiltysystems #witnessprotect #intelc0ma #superpower #s #exploit #theft #badensen #style #thebunch #framing #now #hooker_memberships @veritas ‎.@law @law @harvard_law .@harvard_law @bbc_whys @france24 @haaretzcom @snowden @dw @all @world @snowden #fraudsystems #usually #rules #botch_and #publicperson_101…

[escapethepovertytrap]

Let's start from the beginning... Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”— Nelson Mandela "Poverty is a trap that captures more than just the wallet; it ensnares the spirit and dims the light of hope, making it the cruelest of cages." -Keisha Adair Poverty is one of the most pressing issues facing our world today. It affects every corner of the globe – from developing countries to developed countries – with devastating effects that can be seen at both an individual and societal level. Understanding the causes and potential solutions to poverty is key to helping those in need, which is why education and awareness are so important. Understanding Poverty Understanding poverty starts with knowing what it looks like and how it affects individuals, families, and communities. For example, people living in poverty tend to have less access to opportunities such as education, housing, medical care, and job security; this often leads to a cycle of poverty as they struggle to break free from it due to limited resources. In addition, people who are impoverished also experience higher rates of depression and other mental illnesses due to their difficult circumstances. These can lead to further complications if left unaddressed or untreated. Knowing the causes of poverty is just as important as understanding its effects; factors such as economic inequality, political instability, lack of access to basic services (such as clean drinking water), war/conflict, and environmental degradation/climate change are all contributors that can lead a person into poverty or make it harder for them to escape it once they’ve fallen into it. Overcoming Poverty Access to quality financial education is essential for overcoming poverty. By providing access to the knowledge and skills needed to succeed both professionally and personally, economic opportunities can be created not only for individuals but for their families and communities as well. EscapeThePovertyTrap.com is an example of a program that offers such financial education – helping people escape the cycle of poverty and gain control over their finances. How Financial Education Helps Financial education is important for understanding the fundamentals of responsible money management– from managing expenses and setting realistic budgets to understanding credit scores and making smart investments for the future. These are all key elements in developing an effective strategy that leads to long-term success when it comes to cutting down debt and building wealth. By providing access to these resources, people are empowered to make sound financial decisions, rather than succumbing to predatory lenders or “quick-fix” solutions that don't address underlying issues (such as lack of job prospects due to living in a rural area). This type of education provides a more holistic approach– one that looks at the big picture when it comes to improving individual, familial, and community economics. At EscapeThePovertyTrap.com, we provide individuals, families, and small business owners with the tools they need to escape poverty. We offer life insurance policies, employee benefits, retirement plans, wealth management services, legal protection and assistance, identity theft protection, debt relief assistance, and comprehensive financial education advice for life’s unexpected events. With our help, you can build a brighter future for yourself and ensure your family’s security after you’ve gone. We are dedicated to helping people break free from the poverty trap. Read the full article

[iambelieb]

Entry 3 - The importance of personal marketing, branding and your unique value proposition. What is your brand and what areas do you need to improve?

This week the main focus was branding and personal marketing. Mendoza et al. (2023) explains personal marketing as a way of creating a memorable impression of an individual to potential employers or stakeholders. It is a way to stand out among peers and colleagues in a certain field or industry. Personal marketing is a great way to make my brand stand out compared to the rest of the world. Building a brand is important to my overall dream of having a sport agency one day.

As we scaled past this week, the activities in class and content from the lectures made me think of my brand. Keywords such as values, integrity, goals and reputation came to mind. As an emerging professional, my ability to succumb to certain standards will shape my thoughts in the sporting world and will ultimately forge my legacy. As I pondered on these words, I realised I already align to certain attributes such as consistency, dedication, ambition and grit. These attributes helped me to create my unique value proposition. As explained by Sassanelli and Terzi (2022), a unique value proposition is the feature which makes a product or service stand out in comparison to competitors. It is the reason why customers or stakeholders prefer a brand compared to others as shown in Image 1.0.

Image 1.0 shows employability skills which helps to create a unique value proposition.

By putting together a list of my strengths and weaknesses, I discovered that my excellent customer service skills complied with my communication techniques are what makes me stand up among my peers as displayed in image 2.0. My experience from working in customer service and the health industry has better prepared me in these two critical areas. Part of my job in customer service revolved around recruiting staff, holding business meetings and delegating tasks to others. During that period, I mastered the craft of communicating effectively with others whilst taking time to understand and relate with team members and stakeholders.

Image 2.0 showing exploration of personal employment connections.

As the week drew to a close, I was more inclined to look into an area of weakness and develop strategies that can help me overcome such weakness. The dream for me is to be a leader one day, one that paves the way for African athletes to have an education and a pathway to various sporting circles across the globe. This is the one area I have come to realise I am deficient in. I do show traits of leadership, however, there is more for me to learn in this area. Ahmadi and Vogel (2023) argue leadership as the ability to inspire, motivate and capture the minds of others towards a common goal. This definition simplifies what I am hoping to achieve in both my personal and professional goal.

References:

Sassanelli, C., & Terzi, S. (2022). The D-BEST Based digital innovation hub customer journey analysis method: Configuring DIHs unique value proposition. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 14, 184797902211246. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790221124634

Mendoza, X. L., Tadeo, J., Dela Cruz, M., Gonzales, D. C., & Pamintuan, R. (2023). Personal Marketing Strategies of Online Game Streamers. International Journal of Computing Sciences Research, 7, 1790–1815. https://doi.org/10.25147/ijcsr.2017.001.1.144

Ahmadi, A., & Vogel, B. (2023). Knowing but Not Enacting Leadership: Navigating the Leadership Knowing–Doing Gap in Leveraging Leadership Development. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 22(3), 507–530. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2020.0534

[newskart65265]

Unveiling the Layers: The Importance of Daily News Analysis in a Dynamic World

In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, staying informed is not just a choice but a necessity. The constant flow of information can be overwhelming, making it essential for individuals to engage in daily news analysis. This process goes beyond merely skimming headlines; it involves delving into the nuances of current events to gain a deeper understanding of their impact on society, politics, and the global landscape. In this article, we will explore the significance of daily news analysis and why it is a crucial habit for individuals seeking a well-rounded perspective on the world around them.

Contextual Understanding:

Daily news analysis provides a context that goes beyond the surface-level information presented in headlines. It allows individuals to comprehend the background, historical significance, and underlying factors that contribute to a particular news story. Understanding the context is pivotal for forming informed opinions and making sense of the complexities inherent in global events.

Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills:

Engaging in daily news analysis hones critical thinking and analytical skills. It encourages individuals to question the information presented, evaluate the credibility of sources, and discern between facts and opinions. This process of critical analysis is instrumental in developing a discerning mind, enabling individuals to navigate through the vast sea of information with a thoughtful and rational approach.

Informed Decision-Making:

Whether it's decisions related to personal finance, career choices, or voting in an election, being well-informed is the cornerstone of making sound decisions. Daily news analysis equips individuals with the knowledge needed to make informed choices, reducing the likelihood of being influenced by misinformation or biased narratives.

Global Awareness:

The world is increasingly interconnected, and events in one part of the globe can have far-reaching consequences. Daily news analysis broadens individuals' perspectives, fostering global awareness. It enables them to understand the interconnectedness of global issues, appreciate diverse cultures, and recognize the shared challenges that humanity faces on a larger scale.

Adaptation to Change:

The pace of change in today's world is rapid, and being aware of ongoing developments is vital for adaptation. Daily news analysis keeps individuals abreast of emerging trends, technological advancements, and societal shifts. This awareness empowers them to adapt to change proactively, whether it's adjusting to a shifting job market, embracing new technologies, or understanding evolving social norms.

Civic Engagement:

An informed citizenry is the backbone of a thriving democracy. Daily news analysis encourages civic engagement by keeping individuals informed about government policies, societal issues, and political developments. Informed citizens are more likely to participate in civic activities, vote responsibly, and hold their elected representatives accountable for their actions.

Media Literacy:

In an era of information overload, media literacy is a valuable skill. Daily news analysis contributes to developing this skill by teaching individuals to evaluate the reliability of sources, recognize bias, and differentiate between various media formats. Media literacy is crucial for navigating the digital landscape and consuming information responsibly.

Mitigation of Information Overload:

While staying informed is essential, information overload can be counterproductive. Daily news analysis helps individuals sift through the vast amount of information available, focusing on what is relevant and important to them. This selective approach ensures that they are well-informed without succumbing to the overwhelming nature of constant news consumption.

Conclusion:

In a world inundated with information, daily news analysis stands out as a beacon of knowledge and understanding. Beyond being a routine habit, it is a practice that cultivates critical thinking, global awareness, informed decision-making, and civic engagement. By engaging in daily news analysis, individuals not only stay abreast of current events but also actively contribute to the development of a well-informed and discerning society. Embrace the habit of daily news analysis, for it is the key to unlocking a deeper understanding of the world we live in.

[sciencespies]

The Toxin That Helps Oyster Mushrooms Devour Worm Flesh

https://sciencespies.com/news/the-toxin-that-helps-oyster-mushrooms-devour-worm-flesh/

The Toxin That Helps Oyster Mushrooms Devour Worm Flesh

Consider the oyster mushroom. It’s a mild thing, a pert, often creamy-colored whorl of fungus that goes well with thyme sautéed in butter. But among scientists who study mushrooms, it has earned a reputation for activities more sinister than you’d expect from a fungus found in fine dining. The oyster mushroom is a carnivore.

The mushroom’s usual diet of damp logs is low in nitrogen. To get that essential element, it feeds on microscopic nematodes, a type of worm. When a worm makes the mistake of passing over the fungus, the oyster mushroom paralyzes and kills it, devouring the animal’s nitrogen-rich flesh with root-like tendrils called hyphae.

Outside the animal kingdom, Venus flytraps, pitcher plants and others are well known for their macabre meal-making. But fungi, too, have an appetite for flesh, and it’s not just the oyster mushroom, although it is the only carnivorous fungus you’ll generally find in your grocery store. Some fungi craft sticky nets laced with tempting scents to snare their prey. Others create deadly collars that constrict as the worm struggles, immobilizing the prey as the fungus’s hyphae penetrate its body. Some even release tiny sickle-shape spores that, when swallowed by a nematode, wreak havoc from within.

The scenarios all end with the worm’s body invaded by the threads of its hungry captor.

The oyster mushroom’s weapon of choice seems to be a toxin: Worms that touch the fungus are paralyzed, and their cells fall apart as they succumb to the hyphae. In a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, researchers report that they’ve identified the substance, which is contained in globes that they compare to lollipops. To the scientists’ surprise, it is a fairly common molecule, rather than an exotic, highly evolved substance. But to the hapless worms, it’s deadly.

Fluorescence imaging of mitochondria in nematode skin tissue before and after exposing them to oyster mushrooms.Ching-Han Lee

Before they knew the toxin’s identity, the researchers were familiar with its effects, said Yen-Ping Hsueh, a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, and an author of the new paper. In 2020, the team described how toxins get into worms’ bodies through the sensitive tips of the creature’s small sensing organs.

“They really paralyze the worms within a minute,” Dr. Hsueh said. “It’s very dramatic.”

Once the toxin reaches the worm’s neurons and muscle cells, it destabilizes the normal flow of ions across the cells’ membranes, causing catastrophic failure.

For their latest paper, Dr. Hsueh and her colleagues used ultraviolet rays and a chemical that causes mutations on oyster mushrooms and looked for individuals whose touch did not kill worms. They found that all of these fungal mutants lacked small globes called toxocysts that hang like fruit from the hyphae. These, they reasoned, must be where the substance was kept.

But attempts to pinpoint the toxin by harvesting the toxocysts from non-mutant mushrooms failed, and the researchers only understood why when they found that physically disturbing the globes made them harmless to worms. The substance must be volatile — floating away in the air as soon as it is released.

A scanning electron microscopy image of toxocysts on an oyster mushroom.Yi-Yun Lee

Using a machine to analyze the air above disturbed toxocysts revealed a single molecule: 3-octanone. That was surprising, Dr. Hsueh said. 3-octanone is a relatively commonplace substance made by plants and fungi. It is also a common ingredient in fragrances and flavors. But applying the substance to worms made it clear 3-octanone had all the gruesome effects of a brush with an oyster mushroom. They had found their culprit.

Nematode worms have been known to destroy the roots of crops, and antiworm substances from nature have inspired drugs like ivermectin, the antiparasite medication that made headlines during the height of the pandemic. Because 3-octanone is volatile, it is unlikely it could be used as a pesticide against worms — it would just drift away. Furthermore, the oyster mushroom only goes to the trouble to make toxocysts when it is in a nitrogen-poor environment. So oyster mushrooms likely could not serve as a form of natural pesticide alongside crops slathered with nitrogen-rich fertilizers.

But perhaps, Dr. Hsueh said, understanding how the oyster mushroom came to use this substance as a toxin and what triggers the creation of toxocysts could open the door to a new kind of pest control. If oyster mushrooms could be made to arm themselves, even in the richness of a fertilized field, we might someday see their talents for destruction deployed on our behalf — and not just in the service of making themselves plumper and tastier for our plates.

#News

[darknesscrowned]

michelle yeoh. 60. cis woman. she/her. ┊┊ AMELIA MCBRIDE, better known as agent MIDNIGHT has been with cerberus corp as an eo since 2020 and is LEVEL II. A LATE NIGHT PRISION BASHING has gifted them DARKNESS EMPOWERMENT, though LIGHTWEAKNESS has also been noted. when they aren’t protecting the tri-state area, they are fond of PARKOUR and are never seen without A GOLD COIN. civilians think they are INTELLIGENT & CUNNING , but some of the other agents see them as OBSESSIVE & UNPREDICTIABLE. cerberus corp should consider the fact that their last mission status was SUCCESSFUL THOUGH A NOTE WAS MADE ABOUT MISSING ITEMS. ┊┊

002.  EXTRA ORDINARY

(violence tw) near death experience…

Amelia was in and out of prison most of her teens and never quite learned to keep her mouth shut while inside. 19 years old, on her third stint in prison and her first in the adult system, Amelia was brutally bashed by 3 other inmates. She was cornered by the three women and forced in a dark room away from the prying eyes of guards. She was found barely alive an hour later by a patrol.

power...

The first year after her NDE was spent mostly in bed. No one could quite work out why she seemed to recover and crash repeatedly. She was released from Prison into home detention at her parents house (Amelia would have preferred prison) to receive more treatment. The wounds were gone but it seemed she was sick. During the day she would have excruciating headaches and would pass out simply walking around her parents home. At night however she felt strong and well. It took another year of experimenting (still doing her best to play the poor victim when her parents were looking) before she really clicked onto the fact that light was the reason she was sick.

Amelia's powers are completely connected to dark, without darkness she has the average strength/powers of any 59 year old. She doesn't instantly lose her powers during the day/light however her powers will drain substantially the longer she is exposed to sunlight/bright light. Its important during the day/bright situations that she paces herself. If she drains her powers too quickly and there is no darkness to recover she can't use her powers and becomes physically vulnerable.

Amelia can manipulate the darkness to create a cover for herself and others (think smoke bomb but pitch black) She can't create darkness nor manipulate shadows. Amelia ages slower than normal/Has the ability to never age or at least never suffer the ravages of aging. Because of this, she will always be at her physical prime as long as she is in the dark. Her physical durability (ability to endure/resist damage) is extremely high, allowing her to take numerous blows of internal or external assaults before succumbing to the effects. Amelia’s body is highly resistant to the build-up of lactic acid in her muscles, allowing her to be physically active for considerably longer periods of time than the average human. She has strength beyond that of a normal human. She can rapidly regenerate. She recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs and limbs (this is incredibly taxing), sometimes slowing, or even stopping, ageing. Amelia can sustain herself/her powers by feeding of the darkness. Her physical needs are greatly reduced or completely removed. These needs include sleep/rest, food, drink shelter from environmental effects (except light) Amelia is also able to stay unmoving without the normal effects this would have.

drawbacks / vulnerabilities… 

Light is Amelia's greatest enemy. Most kinds of lights (including your average light globe) have some kind of effect on Amelia. The effect can range from a tiny amount of drain to full burns (on bare skin, clothes help avoid burns). Constant exposure to intense light could kill her. Light Manipulation is highly effective against her. Amelia is constantly trying to monitor her exposure to light and can often be standing in the corners of rooms to avoid the light in the centre.

(if applicable)  cerberus corp… 

Amelia auditioned for Cerberus. She has a very long and shady past. She was a thief, (Something she does admit when asked.) However, she doesn't admit her work with others. The work that would get her branded a villain is something she holds to her chest. She had joined Cerberus for information, a spy looking for information to sell to the highest bidder. She had loved the idea of getting in and causing issues from inside however after her first year she found herself getting attached to several agents (including her new girlfriend) Three years into her service at Cerberus and she feels as if she is a completely different person than when she entered and not entirely sure what she wants anymore.

Amelia prefers to work alone but has some favourite partners to work with. She is a level II agent and at first had been offended at not being level I but she's found it much easier to do things without being noticed

codename… 

"Midnight strikes again"

A local newspaper had began the headlines during her early twenties. When Amelia would simply steal for the joy of stealing. She got attached to the name and has continued to use it ever since. She answers to both Midnight and Amelia

003.  EXTRA

(death and murder tw)

Amelia was born in Malaysia. She was adopted by an American couple shortly after her birth and brought to the United States to be raised in Chicago. She has no idea who her birth family is or the circumstances around her birth and adoption. She has an incredibly frosty relationship with her adopted parents for various reason including this.

Amelia prior to 2020 was a villain for hire. She worked for the highest bidder and anyone who could convince her that what they wanted to do was worth her time. She specialised in theft and assassinations. Her abilities (especially the ability to provide herself cover in the form of darkness) played well into these fields. It was said victims would simply be engulfed in darkness one moment and on the floor the next.

She hides most of her face in her "superhero uniform" just like she did in her villain outfit years prior. She believes it's important for only those who need to know who is under the mask actually find out. During her time as a fulltime villain, if you saw her face while in her suit you were either incredibly privileged or about to be incredibly dead.

She had earnt the moniker "The Queen of Shadows" by 1990. She loved this moniker far more than any she had ever been given. She had a golden crown added to her outfit and whole heartily took on the name.

She doesn't have a crown on her Cerburus uniform but does wear a gold bangle gifted to her by a friend from her past.