#defense squad powers activate

[so-no-feint]

Painted in Red (Lilith x Reader)

Hi all, after having the brainworms for Diablo 4 for a while I really wanted to write something like this :) I hope you all enjoy.

Content: Lilith x Reader, violence, dubcon kissing, descriptions of blood, biting Words: 7.1k After being ambushed by Lilith's forces while investigating demonic activity under order of the Cathedral of Light, you wake up a prisoner, the Daughter of Hatred your captor. No amount of training could prepare you for what she had planned.

(and you can find it on ao3 here!)

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The first thing you feel when you come to consciousness is pain. Twisting, excruciating pain, exploding across your chest. You don’t have enough energy to open your eyes, so you decide to focus on breathing instead. You crawl through your memory, trying to find where everything went wrong.

The Cathedral of Light had heard whispers of demonic activity in the west, and decided to investigate. At the behest of Prava, you and several other commanders were instructed to organize squads and march to the last reported site of activity.

Upon arrival, the first thing you had noticed was how wrong the atmosphere felt. This place should have been temperate. Some of the finest drink in the region originated from here. And yet the sky was dark and churning, almost violent. The flora that you could identify looked wilted. Life itself seemed to have been sucked from the earth, and as your fellow captains took note, your grip tightened on your spear.

Being high up in the Church afforded you luxuries not seen by the common soldier — embossed armor bore the mark of the Cathedral, providing both ample comfort and a powerful defense. Your holy weapons, forged on blessed anvils, almost hummed with their purity. But nothing could be created to defend your mind against its own worst enemy: fear.

You heard several of the men behind you begin to fall behind as whispers broke out among them. You almost couldn’t blame them. Most of the common knights Prava had sent with you hadn’t seen anything resembling battle outside of drunken brawls in the late hours of the night on Kyovashad’s streets; the mere thought of demons was likely shaking them to their core.

You held up your hand and turned to face them.

“Men. You must believe in the Light. We have been blessed by Inarius and the Light to remove scourge from this land. Remember your honor, your faith. We press forward.” You took note of the deep breaths your words inspired, calming and reassuring the young soldiers.

And so you and yours continued on, until one man fell to his knees.

The squad leader next to you turned, marching towards the fallen soldier who was clutching his head in his armored hands. Was he… trembling? Your senses heightened as your heart began pumping into overdrive, sending adrenaline coursing through your body.

The soldier removed his helmet. His eyes were missing the spark you expect to see in a man of faith. It was then that his voice reached your ears, loud enough to hear through your helmet.

“She is here. She is come. She is here. She is come.”

Stabbing your weapon into the ground, you closed the distance between the two of you in three massive steps — not a difficult feat for you. Part of your election as commander was due to your physical stature. You towered nearly a head over most. Your body was covered in muscle, scarred and burned by the fifteen years of combat you had seen.

Those fifteen years hadn’t prepared you for what was about to come. And those soldiers who didn’t have that experience were afraid.

Clutching his face in your hands, you shouted through your helmet at the soldier.

“Who is coming!”

“Our… Mother.”

Any remaining words were drowned in the blood that began pouring from his orifices and he collapsed to the ground.

The third commander reacted quickly. “Formation C, now!”

Training took over as the remaining men formed a defensive circle around you all. Searching the horizon yielded nothing, except — had the sky always been this dark?

And then you remember a flash of red light, and screams. Horrific, piercing screams. And then darkness.

Now, sitting against what seemed to be a stone wall, with your hands chained above your head, you managed to blink open your eyes.

There was nothing holy here.

Viscera was scattered in varying corners of the room, whose only light shined through several iron bars dotting the top of the wall. You spotted another captain, his armor pierced through. He was dead.

Nearly overcome with anger and fear, you managed to still yourself and began to think of escape. Tugging on the restraints proved useless; they were bolted directly into the stone above you and offered no movement. You were flexible enough to get your feet under you, but trying to stand to was futile — your torso protested and you collapsed back to the ground with a scream. You’d been injured sometime between blacking out and being taken to this dungeon. A seven inch gash across your armor exposed your bare chest as fresh blood began to seep from the wound.

That scream caught something’s attention, and a solid iron door across the room swung open. Whatever walked in wasn’t human, and you wracked your brain, poring over the mental notes you’d made over the years of different demons. What was it? Wings, exposed skin, long hair, she was almost…

A succubus. It was a succubus.

Your eyes narrowed and you bared your teeth, ready to defend yourself against her attacks that never came. Instead, she hissed at you and left the room with the door ajar.

The encounter had stirred a body from stillness in another corner. It was one of the soldiers, his eyes bloodshot and heavy. He made eye contact with you, mouthing words you could not hear.

You called out to him. “Speak up, knight!”

He took a deep inhale before trying again, and you barely caught pieces of his speech. “-her … she is — Queen — coming,” he uttered, before his head fell backwards and his chest grew still. You cursed every deity you could think of. Queen? Which Queen? And of what?

Heavier footfalls echoed outside the door as their owner walked down the hallway towards your cell. Footfalls and… the dragging of chains?

Your previous questions were answered as soon as you caught first glimpse of who had entered the room with you. So that’s what he had meant by ‘Queen’.

The Daughter of Hatred, Queen of the Succubi, the ‘Mother’.

Lilith.

The demon stood in the doorframe, her presence commanding every cell in your body to give into fear and anguish. But you were strong. Inarius himself had given you his divine blessing to protect against such incursions into your mind.

She extended her wings, spanning nearly the width of the room, and raised them to block the light coming in from outside. Here in this blackness, the only light came from her multicolored eyes. It was a sinister light, a devious one. Lilith had plans for you.

“I see that our…” She paused, glancing over at the dead soldier, “sole survivor has wakened from his slumber,” she spoke. Her voice was as smooth as the finest spirits you had drank. The words emanated from her, enveloping you in a near-suffocating embrace. You shook your head in protest.

“The Light protects me, demon. You hold no power over me.”

Lilith clicked her tongue and stepped towards you. As she drew closer, you noticed a long, thin tail dragging along the floor behind her. Spikes extended from its tip as it rattled along the stones in her path. She had gotten close enough to nearly stand directly over you.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, little Light. Who is protecting you here now? Certainly not your Inarius. There is no light here,” she said, her lips curled into a sneer. “There is only me.”

Lilith’s tail had moved, poising itself to the side of your face. She brought it down on your cheek in some twisted caress you could only assume brought her delight.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you, yet. Answer my questioning, and I might let you live.” She stepped back, and the spikes on her tail dragged down your cheek, cutting it open. Lilith smirked at your pain as she stepped out, leaving you with a new cut and in complete silence.

Your eyes flicked open once more as the door rattled before flying open. Two of Lilith’s succubi were standing at the entrance; one holding a key, and one holding what looked to be a plate?

You almost laughed at the idea. Lilith, the Daughter of Hatred, taking care of a prisoner? You might as well be dead already.

That ‘idea’ was anything but. The two drew near, and the one holding the plate set it aside for the moment, before stepping onto your outstretched legs and holding you still. Her skin was colored like ruby and her green eyes pierced through into your soul. You looked away, gritting your teeth as her clawed feet tightened their grip on your armored joints, causing the metal to groan. The second reached above your head to the chains holding your arms in place, brushing her upper thigh against the throbbing cut Lilith had given you the day before.

Were they trying to taunt you?

The shackles fell loose, and for a brief moment, the one standing on you relaxed. Ignoring the pain in your chest, you swung your arms with wild fury, catching the closest succubus in the navel. She collapsed to the floor heaving as you tried to push the one on your legs to the side to no avail. The surge of energy died as the pain exploded again, and you leaned over to vomit or pass out. You weren’t sure which your body would choose.

You didn’t have to.

The succubus standing on you held her foot high, kicking square into your head as your skull cracked against the stone behind you, and you fell to the floor barely clinging to consciousness. The two succubi whispered amongst each other, and one left. You aren’t sure how much time passed until she returned — you were struggling to stay awake as your chest and head throbbed with pain.

She returned holding a locking belt and roughly ten feet of chain, which was swiftly fitted to your waist and the wall. Better than having your arms bolted to it. Your body won against your mind and you gave into sleep once more.

The second day you awoke to an unknown substance sitting on a small dish in front of you. It didn’t smell bad, and your stomach protested the thought of not eating with a loud grumble. As you ate, you heard that familiar rattling again, and your body began to panic as Lilith opened the door once more. With the daylight streaming through above you, you could make out more of her details clearly.

She was nearly two heads taller than you, and her intricate horns increased that difference even more so. She wasn’t wearing armor, but rather a flowing, deep purple robe which seemed to meld into the skin on her chest. And the eyes — her multicolored eyes which saw through all veils. Your own eyes traveled downwards. She had mostly human-like features, with some notable exception being the length and sharpness of her nails. Her legs seemed to ripple with power as she took step after step towards you.

Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. “I see my daughters have taken appropriate care of you. Good.”

You regarded her with caution, but knowing that you were in no position to attack or provoke, humored her conversation.

“And why me, demon? Why save me?”

“Did my dear mate not tell you of me, when you received his blessing? I can sense it on you. His twisted Light,” she spat. “How like him to hide such secrets.” ‘Mate’? Inarius? She knew of Inarius?

“Yes, I know of Inarius. You Knights Penitent are sharp, yes? You can put the details together,” Lilith continued. Had she heard his thoughts? “We knew each other once, long ago. But that is irrelevant now. You shall tell me the plans of your Cathedral and your Order. Do not lie to me.”

You swallowed at her demands. “And how does the bitch of Hell not know that already?”

Her eyes squinted at the insult and she reared her hand back, before delivering a powerful slap to your face. As you stumbled, she shot out her other arm, gripping your neck in her hand. Her strength was powerful, more than you had expected. Lilith leaned close to you, her lips only an inch from your ear.

She whispered. “Now now, little Light. You don’t get to be feisty yet. Now answer me: why were your knights so far west?” Her hand around your throat tightened, and spots began to form in the corners of your vision.

“We were investigating demonic activity on behalf of the Cathedral,” you sputtered out. “Slain villagers. Missing men. Ritual circles scattered across the wastes. Markings of your kind,” hissing emphasis on the last four words. You felt Lilith’s skin touch yours as she grinned.

“Good boy,” she purred, pressing a kiss to your cheek as she released her grip. “Was that so hard?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, and yet it lit every hair on your body on fire.

“Do not touch me, demon!”

“If you cooperate, I won’t have to.” Lilith, you realized, was cunning. Moreso than anyone you had met. “I do hope your face is alright — wouldn’t want the only pretty thing here to be ruined.” She pouted mockingly, raising her hand to the light to inspect it.

This caught you off guard. Speechless for several seconds, you struggled to find any appropriate response to what she had just done, before a brief smile flashed across your face.

“Not the first time I’ve been hit by a woman. Not the hardest, either,” you taunted. Perhaps challenging the most powerful demon in modern times was not a good idea, but if you were going to die anyways, why not have fun with it?

She smiled at your retort, before bringing her tail up to your chin. Your eyes watched the end warily, all too aware of the damage it can inflict. Instead, Lilith turned it onto its flat side, tilting your head to meet her icy gaze.

Whatever semblance of fun you thought you could have disappeared with the next question. “And, my dear, where is Inarius?” As she formed those words, something behind her eyes shifted and her eyebrows narrowed. A visage you had seen often danced across her face: hatred. Fear began to flow in your veins as you came up with an answer.

“We are not privy to that information.” A… partial truth.

Lilith bared her teeth at you as her hatred choked the atmosphere. “I told you no lies,” she hissed. She drew her tail back, only for it to sweep your legs out from under you, sending you crashing to the floor back-first. She stepped on your outreached arms, wrapping her tail around your armored legs, immobilizing you. As much as you struggled you were no match for her strength.

She squatted down to get close to your face once more, practically straddling your chest. Normally, you would have considered this intimate. Unfortunately, this situation was anything but.

“I did answer your question of his location, ‘Mother’,” you replied, injecting as much venom into her title as possible. Lilith smirked and grabbed the sides of your head with her hands, and your eyes darted to the edges of your vision as you tried to understand what was about to happen.

The Daughter of Hatred moved her mouth to yours, drowning out your sound of protest with a deep kiss. Your emotions swirled; on one hand, the desires and feelings you felt as a baser human beat against their cage, repressed by the years of training in the Order. On the other hand, the antithesis to all your beliefs and existence was currently trying to force her way into your mouth.

That concern grew smaller and smaller as Lilith held you still, almost savoring the forbidden, as her tongue mingled with yours and your mind went blank and time stood still. Your pulse quickened and your body grew hot as the reality of what was happening set in. Tugging your head back, you spit onto the floor, praying to the Light that whatever saliva of hers had entered your mouth was there no longer.

You panted, catching your breath. “Do you treat all of your prisoners like that?”

She stood, no longer crouching above your chest, stepping off your hands and unbinding your feet.

“Only the ones that amuse me,” she said. “We are done for today. Unless, of course, you feel comfortable answering more… questions.” She raised her hand, holding a small orb of blood in stasis above her palm, before clenching her fist together. You gasped in pain as the wound on your chest reopened and Lilith’s temptations swirled in your head.

Give in to me. It will all be over. Return to your origins. Reveal the truth. Set yourself free.

She let out a chuckle. “Unfortunate that your body betrayed your beliefs, isn’t it? Such is man. Simple creatures. But don’t worry, little Light. Mother is here to save you all.”

The last of your controlled conscious slipped away as Lilith slipped into your mind. She wielded your thoughts and actions with finesse. You had let her get close enough to ingest her saliva. You never had the possibility of being a match against Lilith. It was over before it even began. Before you woke up in this forsaken cell. You were playing right into her hands the entire time.

And you wanted to.

Lilith’s smirk turned into a grin as the last pieces of you lost their battle to her willpower. You, a knight who once stood proud before Inarius the Father, had been reduced to no more than a plaything for the Daughter of Hatred. And it was good.

She stepped towards you, inches away from touching your chest. She raised a hand, laying it on the cusp of your armor, before wrenching it off of you piece by piece. Your chest was bared to the world, angry and inflamed as the flesh tried its best to heal.

“You should keep still while your body repairs itself. Don’t want to get hurt, do you?” she said. As she spoke, Lilith was winding the slack in the chain between yourself and the wall into her hands, trapping you between the stone and her overpowering form. Was it a trap, or a luxury? Your mind hadn’t yet decided.

With imperceptible quickness, Lilith tugged the chain from its socket in the wall, swinging her arm above your head and impaling it into the stone above. Her lips curled in a smile as she took your hands in front of you, wrapping your wrists together with the remaining chain.

She leaned in close to your ear. “Now be quiet, dear. I like to work in silence.” You nodded in acceptance (or was it willingness?) as she dropped her mouth to your collar, sinking her canines into your weak and bruised flesh. You moaned quietly in pain, and her eyes flitted to your face as she pressed a finger to your lips.

“Hush.”

Lilith recreated the bite on the other side of your body, stepping back to admire her handiwork. She stood before you, your blood smeared across her lips, and you felt desire to submit. Your only purpose was to serve Mother, was it not? You were willing to give her the power over you she needed.

Some voice in the back of your mind screamed and raged against the very idea, and you stifled it. Lilith had noticed and pressed you between her and the wall, your arms high above your head. Her body was warmer than it looked, you realized, as the tapering slit of her dress pressed her bare skin against your chest.

Her tail had snuck its way into your lower armor, and coiled around your upper leg with pressure. “This last one will hurt,” she said, licking your blood from her lips. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes, but you didn’t see it.

Lilith traced her fingers along the surface of your chest, skirting down to your stomach and back again. Her nails danced upon your skin as she locked eyes with you, before stabbing under your sternum and into your chest. The only noise you can make is a whimper as the pain radiates across your body, threatening to bring you to your knees.

She grabbed the back of your neck, cradling you against her as your body begins to shut down. “Give in, little Light. You’re so, so close.” Her scent whirls around your head and you nearly experience a twisted euphoria. A mix of sweat, perfume, hatred, and death. Sickeningly sweet.

You can only manage a whisper. “…Yes, Mother.”

“Good.”

You feel her finger hook onto something and tug. As she pulled it out, the room became illuminated with the dim yellow glow of an Angel’s wing fragment. Her eyes narrowed as she squeezed, screaming with her last might of strength, before the fragment shattered.

Whatever voice was in the back of your head was gone, scattered across the bloodied floor beneath you both.

Lilith let out a subtle sigh before she began to work her magicks. You briefly remember learning of her powers in the Order. But she was helping you, wasn’t she? Showing you the path to salvation. Yes, that must be it.

The last thing you remember of that day is catching her gaze as she licked her canines, tasting the essence of your life, and giving you a cruel smile.

Day three. Or was it four? You had lost track of time. But time didn’t matter now. She did.

She. The Queen of the Succubi was standing before you, her wings folded in tight to her back.

“Good morning, little Light,” she cooed. “I have something to show you today.”

For the first time in a long while, you felt… normal. No weight in your chest. There was no feeling of being forced into something. You felt free. Standing to your feet, you lightly rattle the chains around your wrist, smirking at Lilith.

“What about these?”

She grunted and your arms came free from the wall. Your eyes didn’t see it the first time, but as you brought your hands back down towards your body, her tail skittered across the stones back towards her. Your eyes widened ever so slightly in fear. Had she always been that fast?

“You need not be afraid. Come along, now.”

For the first time in several days, you stood up to your full stature, spreading out your chest and legs. Even still, Lilith towered over you, dominating your vision.

“Where are we going, Lilith?” You asked.

“The Gardens,” she paused. “Do you remember yesterday, my knight dearest?”

You nod in affirmation. Lilith sneers.

“Good.”

The rest of your walk is done in silence. You arrive to a massive pair of wooden doors, and Lilith flicks her hand lightly, swinging them open. She knelt down to your height, placing her hands on your shoulder, and you felt her horns press into your head.

“Grown just for you.”

Lilith’s manipulations and destruction of your mind unraveled as you processed the scene before you. All of your men, every single one, sat dead in the field before you. Some were missing limbs, while others hung gruesomely from massive stakes rammed through their bodies. At first, you feel nothing. The anger, the hatred, boiled up from the pits of your stomach, exploding out of you into a scream so fierce that even the Daughter of Hatred stepped back in surprise.

Your rage rapidly gained direction as you spun to face the demon once more. “What have you done,” you mutter through clenched teeth.

“What I needed to!” She hissed back.

You felt her tail hit you before you saw it move. The force of the impact knocked you down spinning, and you lay on your stomach trying to process what had happened. Lilith took no pause moving to your incapacitated body, placing a single leg atop your back, extending her claws into the skin around your spine.

You cry out in pain as tears begin to form in your eyes and pour down your face. She took note of your pain, wrapping her tail around your torso and lifting you off the ground as your head lolled forward.

“You had done so well, little Light,” she said as she lifted a hand to your face, wiping the tears from your skin.

“My name is not ‘little Light’, it’s—“

Her hand dropped from your cheek to your lips, pinching them shut as you writhed against her. She lets your mouth free when you slowly return to silence.

“I will ask you again, knight,” venom dripping from her voice. “I can sense if you lie. Where is the Angel Inarius?”

You swallowed hard, blinking the wetness from your eyes as you and Lilith stared into each other’s eyes.

“We were blessed in the eastern peaks, but that was months ago. I swear on my life.”

“Then I will hold you to that,” she growled, dropping your weakened body to the floor. Your legs crumpled as they hit the stone and you tattered on the edge of consciousness. There was a low snap, and two succubi appeared from the doorway to the ‘Gardens’, holding a small chalice. Lilith spoke to them in what you can only imagine was demonic, and your strength failed you once more, leaving you unconscious on the stones beneath her.

She waved her hand towards the two succubi, before extending her wings to their fullest, and took flight with her army to the east. She had an angel to hunt.

You awoke, head and back pounding with pain. There was a dull taste in your mouth, one of iron and sweetness. You’re in restraints once again, this time exposed to the world: your arms and legs are chained diagonal from each other, forming an X. Your armor has been removed and taken, and you’re covered in only simple linens.

The chains holding your limbs are so tight you can only afford mere inches of movement as you tug on your bindings, trying hopelessly to twist yourself free from your prison.

Lilith’s demons open the door to your cell — it’s the same two you punched days ago. You growled, spitting onto the stone in front of you, challenging them to live up to their Mother’s punishments.

This time, they did not bring food. This time they brought whips.

You chuckled, gritting your teeth for the coming torture. It hadn’t been your first time being whipped; no, the Order made sure of that. Their “training”, they claimed, would pay off one day. And here you were, Lilith’s toy. The irony of the situation nearly made you burst out with laughter.

The first whip strike was light, almost playful. You gave a wicked grin to your tormentors. “Try your hardest, hellspawn.”

They snarled back, unleashing a flurry of strikes that scathed your flesh through the shirt. The protection, or lack thereof, of your linens rapidly deteriorated as hit after hit cut through the fabric and into your skin.

The two were smart. They took breaks, paused between whippings, exchanged tips on their weapons. All to break you. Sometimes they would give you water — just enough to keep you awake for the next round of attacks.

Your body screamed under the pain of hundreds of cuts. It had been hours since they had started. Blood had pooled on the ground beneath your feet, crusted and drying. Some were shallow and stung; others reached deep, gouging open your skin. Your voice had given out long ago. You protested the torture, of course, but no longer could you voice the screams of pain.

You closed your eyes as they continued again. Your body had mostly grown numb to their whipping; likely from the amount of blood you had lost. You wanted help. You wanted it to stop. So you asked, begging, in your mind, for the torture to be over.

You hadn’t expected an answer.

The Daughter of Hatred entered, her eyes trained not on you, but on her daughters. Their attitude changed immediately, quickly morphing from pleasure at your pain into fear of upsetting their Queen. No words were exchanged, but the two succubi immediately left the room, exiting behind Lilith whose glare at them sent shivers down your spine.

They’d left their whips behind.

In your current position, you were lifted off the floor enough to be eye to eye with Lilith. At this level you could see her face clearly in the light. She was slightly smiling; not the loving, concerned smile of a Mother. Her smile concealed angered amusement. You were completely, utterly helpless before her, at her beck and call.

Lilith sighed, glancing down at the dried blood beneath your feet. “Always so eager to please their Queen, they are,” she said. She nearly looked… disappointed?

Raising her hand, the redness scattered across the stones slowly reconciled itself into a bubbling liquid, hovering in the air between the two of you. You raised your eyes in confusion, and then surprise, as she pushed the orb of blood into your chest. Its contents were absorbed through you, invigorating your body as the blood you had shed entered you once again.

“The succubi have never been skilled at torture,” she continued, running her hand along the length of one of the whips. Lilith hadn’t come to save you. She’d come to do the job herself. She stepped closer, with only a foot of distance separating you two. In the light, you could clearly tell that she had been fighting. Her wings were covered in dust and gunpowder, and blood spattered the bottom of her dress.

“I take it you didn’t find Inarius.”

Lilith held up her hands, inspecting her nails for any imperfections. She ignored, you noticed, the blood caked on her palms. “No.”

Her gaze settled back onto you as she unfurled the whip in her hands. Fuck.

Her first swing lacerated your chest, cutting down from your shoulder to your sternum. The second echoed the first, this time on the other side of your body. And so she continued — like an artist painting on her canvas, Lilith carved her hatred and fury into your body as symbols and icons. First on your chest, and then she moved onto your arms and face. Once she was satisfied with her work there, her strikes aimed for your thighs, your muscles jumping every time the whip sliced through your flesh.

You never bled. She was keeping your body from doing that, her twisted magic ensuring that you were awake for all of the pain to come.

Her onslaught eventually slowed, the time between each lash of the whip increasing until she dropped it from her hands. You look up in a haze, your eyes barely able to focus as every square inch of your body is on fire, eyes searching for anything to focus on. They land on Lilith’s.

Her eyes, normally sharp and blue and grey, were blurred by both your tears and hers.

“You do not deserve this, little Light,” she says quietly, gazing at your red and raw body hung broken before her. Her shoulders lowered as the tension and sadness evaporated from her body.

Lilith’s voice swirled, containing an amalgamation of despair and anger. “Did you know that I had a son once? Not your mankind,” she continued with a sigh, “but a real son. My son. Rathma.”

“And your Father, Rathma’s father, killed him where he stood. All in the name of returning to Heaven.” A single tear fell down the her face. In this moment, Lilith was not the Daughter of Hatred, but a mother broken who lost her child.

Her visage hardened back into its cold and unforgiving self, but there were cracks now. Chinks in her armor, weakened by the death of her son. She stretched out her hand towards you, and a surge of warmth filled your body as cut after cut slowly seal themselves closed.

You look up from yourself in disbelief to find that Lilith’s face is directly in front of yours. You flick over her features: the weariness in her eyes, the edges of her jaw, and the red of her lips. This time, you do not struggle as she kisses you. This time, you are willing to afford her the twisted, grieving comfort she desires.

The restraints on your legs fall to the ground, leaving you dangling by your arms. Lilith pulls away from you, her tail wrapping around your chest as she undoes the remaining clasps on your wrists.

As she sets you down on the ground, your brows furrow in confusion.

She grasped your head in her hands as you looked up to maintain eye contact with her. There was no malice here, only gentleness.

“I want this war to end. I want to free humanity from its chains. No longer will you all be pawns in the Eternal Conflict,” she replied. “Follow.”

This time you followed, not in acceptance, but curiosity. You trailed Lilith into another stone room, this one larger and more elaborate than your cell. There were small glass windows dotting the walls, and several wooden chairs and tables were scattered across the room. She stopped, raising her hand and twirling in a small circle.

The air in front of you cracked and hummed as the energies of Hell surged out from the rift that she had opened in space. A small portal whirled in front of you as Lilith turned around.

“This will return you to Kyovashad.” She paused, smirking, raising both hands to your face. She took the sharper edges of her nails, slowly cutting from the tops of your eyebrows and down to your cheeks, barely missing your eyes.

“That is for my own amusement. And this,” she continued, dropping her palm to your navel, “is for you.”

Lilith’s skin glowed hot against yours as you grunted in pain. Her hand pulled away, leaving a small sigil stamped into your skin. “You’ve piqued my interest, knight. Not many of my… captives have been as amusing as you,” she says.

You can only stammer out a single question.

“Why?”

The Daughter of Hatred gives you a low bow, her wings extended. “I was curious to see what would happen. Now go, little Light.”

With that, you stumble backwards into the portal, facing your captor the whole time.

And so you returned to as normal a life as you could, your body bearing the sins and beatings of your imprisonment. You told Mother Prava what you had learned, but pieces of you were in doubt of the Cathedral and the Order. Had Lilith been right? Had Inarius’ lust for victory been fueled solely by selfishness and vengeance? Had you suffered and your brothers died just to become stepping stones for some higher power?

Your doubts took root silently, at first, before their growths began to blossom in your head. Over the next several months, Inarius’ conquests grew more and more daring. Each mission came back with fewer and fewer men as your numbers dwindled faster than knights could be trained. Soon, those remaining were Inarius’ most loyal. Or perhaps, his most fanatical?

Winter came, bringing its sharp winds blasting across Kyovashad and the surrounding area.

And then He made his announcement. The Order would be marching on Hell, to conquer its fiery threats once and for all. To slay Lilith and put an end to the madness. The night before that final march, you didn’t sleep. Your mind was swirling with conflict. Perhaps she had been right. Inarius never deigned to ask about your capture; he’d never listened to your concerns about his mission plans. He had forged ahead, disregarding anything Man had told him.

He was an Angel, after all. How could he be in the wrong?

But hadn’t he always been wrong? Falsely leading so many men to their deaths under the guise of permanent remembrance and salvation, only for them to be torn limb from limb while their great leader pursued his true goals? This war would not end under Inarius.

Your stomach burned hot and you winced as the sigil Lilith had placed months ago glowed faintly. You could almost feel it all again: the beatings, the cuts, the… kisses. And so you stand, walking outside your barracks, and stumble blindly into the cold until your feet can pull you no further.

If you go just a little further, you could reach her.

You press both hands to the mark, and that warmth surges once more as the surrounding air cracks and hums with her energy, forming a portal that sends you hurtling through inky blackness.

You land roughly on your knees, the skin bruising as your body comes to a halt on the stone floor beneath you. The air is hot and dry, and a warm glow is emanating from outside of the expansive room you appeared in. As your eyes drift around, you find her. Her.

Your Holy Mother, Creator of Sanctuary, sat, legs crossed on her throne at the end of the room.

You stood slowly, walking towards Lilith. Step after step, second after second, until you were close enough to make out the grooves on her horns.

“And so the little Light returned to the darkness to illuminate it once more,” she teased, giving you a devilish smile before she turned serious. Lilith lifts herself to her full height and walks slowly towards you. “What brings you back to me, knight?”

You’re silent for several seconds, trying to come up with an appropriate response to that question you knew she would ask.

“After your… internment,” you growl, “of me, I expected to return to as much normalcy as I could. But I was scorned. Shamed and discarded by our Father. Watching him lead my brethren into pointless death was too much for me.”

Lilith arches her brow, circling you as she inspects your body. You continue on, watching her smile grow as she sees the scars left upon you by her and her spawn.

“Your goal is true, Lilith, but the lengths that you go to in order to achieve them is too far for one to respect. But if your dream will finally free these men, not knights, men, from this perpetual slavery and demise, then I shall support it.”

She leans in close to your ear, one hand snaking its way from your shoulder and down your chest. “You didn’t answer my question, little Light. What brings you here?”

You grab Lilith’s wrist, wrenching it off of you and tugging her down to your level.

“He’s coming. He knows.”

A blink of emotion flashes across her face — disgust, hatred, concern — before being replaced with a snarl. Moving her hand to your chin, she tilts your head upwards to watch her as she stands to her full height, extending her wings and unleashing a buffet of wind around the two of you.

Her thumb drags lazily across your cheekbone. “And what will you do, knight?”

You grit your teeth. There’s no other way. You can’t go back to the angels now, only the devils. There is no god that you can pick and pray to any longer.

“Submit.”

The Daughter of Hatred almost seemed excited.

“And finally, the children begin to understand. Let’s do this properly this time. Do not resist, little Light. Soon you will be free.”

Lilith draws a nail along her palm, slicing it open, letting the blood pour out of her wound. “Drink,” she commands.

Her blood drips into your mouth from her open palm. It is bittersweet, thick and metallic. Like old wine that had been sitting out for too long. Yet you obey, drinking, swallowing, until she pulls her hand away.

“My turn.”

Lilith wraps the two of you in her wings, putting you in her own little bubble, bringing you close to her. She leans down towards your collar, where she first bit you months prior. She smirks as she closes the gap between her mouth and your skin.

“I’ll be gentle,” she purrs.

The Queen of the Succubi breaks your skin with her teeth, pulling her tail up to your face in a twisted caress. You feel a weak suction as she drinks from you. Converting you into what you always should have been. There is no pain. Only bliss.

She removes her teeth from your flesh and holds the back of your head in her hands. Lilith pulls your forehead to her lips, and then your nose, and then your mouth, staining each with your redness. Her wings pull you in even tighter, pressing you into her as she holds you in her loving embrace. And you submit.

Lilith’s kiss is returned by one of your own as you push each other back and forth, tongues meeting and hands exploring. Her nails scrape down along your back as your fingers dance across her dress. Your hesitancies fade away as she grabs your head tight, almost pressing you into her so that you can be consumed, devoured by her, and become a part of her as much as she becomes a part of you.

She pulls away, curling her wings back in as you stare into her very being. Of course Lilith had been right — the Creator of Sanctuary would know what is best for her children. You laughed at the irony of it all: the belief in the Order, in Inarius; in man believing that they can break the cycle through their own powers, and always spiraling back into conflict; and in the realization that you were finally and truly free.

Lilith reaches her hand out into the space between the two of you and twists, squeezing her fist in the air. Your body feels light as you drop to your knees before your Mother. She bends down to sit behind you, pulling you into her chest as your strength wanes. It is almost serene, you think, as your mind is fogged by her scent wrapping around your body.

She speaks into your ear. “You did so well, little Light. But now you shall serve the darkness.”

Your pulse races as Lilith’s blood and saliva begin to course through your body, breaching every defense you held against Hell’s sick allure. Your body twitches as it fights to its very last protective breath, until it finally comes to peace with Lilith.

She releases you as you both rise from the stone floor, newfound strength in your limbs. The Daughter of Hatred speaks to you in a language you haven’t recognized, yet one you perfectly understood. So you respond in kind.

And she smiles.

“Come then, dearest Penumbra. We have an angel to kill.”

end

#diablo 4 #diablo iv #lilith x reader #lilith diablo iv #lilith #lilith likes to bite #and you enjoy it #diablo

[silviakundera]

Underrated aspect of A Journey to Love is how the ensemble's perspective is being widened & complicated by their experiences. Intro talks about a war that just ended between An and Wu. An are assholes, going around kicking everyone's ass for $$

First the spy squad from Wu country just want to complete 1 stupid doomed mission, in order to clear their sworn brothers' names who fell in the final battle. No real agenda or deep thoughts besides this personal obligation and Employee Following Orders. Avengers assemble! Our FL Ren Ruyi is on the run and was a Scarlet Guard spy member from enemy country An who are holding the Wu emperor hostage... but the Wu spy chief ML does only a spot of mild torture and basically tolerates this secret because (a) he's determined to retire and (b) she is retired (c) her identity doesn't match any know big enemy of his spy org and the state. But he doesn't want her around.

... record scratch: He compromises. Ok. I do want her around. I won't get attached but ok, she's helpful. I'll even trust her to mentor the princess as we travel to rescue the Wu emperor.

She is only a tutor, though! Won't get her involved in his country's buisness.

Yet then she joins a battle and risks her life to save a bunch of theirs. Ok, ML widens his POV again. She can be their partner!

Everyone loves the mysterious friendly & feral assassin.

Then the squad finds out her identity and tries to kill her. His defense of her inclusion in the group has expanded: (a) her identity doesn't match any known enemy of his spy org and the Wu state, (b) she saved our lives, and crucially (c) she Isn't Born in An Country [isn't truly An] + (d) she was working at the command of her superiors just like we do, a cog in the war machine, and also only killed shitty members of our spy org we don't like

Ok. Now she's on the team. ML & FL are dating now and all the kids ship it. There is 1 (one) Scarlet Guard enemy county spy they accept and support.

But at the same time, she's begun to care about them in return. And we're really IN IT now.

Let's mentor the princess and throw shade on the Wu emperor, considering how our actions matter & how powerful people affect the average person. Caring for the citizens of Wu. They deserve better than their ruling class.

Being generally supportive & respectful of Ren Ruyi's love for the fallen An empress and RR's quest to avenge her.

The Wu delegation willing to (tentatively) ally with RR's former disciple, a marquis of An.

An marquis revealed to have gone against orders to respectfully bury the bodies of their Wu soldier friends, because in his view all loyal soliders deserve it.

The Wu delegation digging up the bodies of their dead friends, to give them a final send off, and mastering their grief to wrench it back from turning into hatred of the An people - focusing their rage and hate on selish & war hungry leaders, not the soliders and generals ordered to fight.

The focus of their resentment now turned to the right direction, expands their thinking & their plotting to have a consideratiom for all the residents of An and Wu, a care for humankind. An citizens are no longer the automatic enemy. ML tells the emperor of Wu to go fuck himself, directly to his face.

Caring about injustice done to some Scarlet Guards and wanting to save active !! "innocent" Scarlet Guard lives. (So far from the starting point! No background check to validate that X, Y, Z don't apply to these people. No rejection of the ML by the delegation or threats for daring to care about a random Scarlet Guard's life or death.) I sure hope the An emperor pays big for being bad at his job, but we gotta be careful about how we deal with him and not mess up An for the nice jewelry makers & brothel workers who live there.

"Having compassion doesn't mean irresolute."

#a journey to love #cdrama #meta #“a journey to love” 🤔 #is this dumb title Actually Good 🤔🤔🤔 #cdramaedit #its not that they wont kill scarlet guard anymore #thats not it #its that they have wholly personalized these people now #they operate their spy craft as necessary tasks #to achieve goals #without dehumanizing or depersonalizing #without othering #if they could save An or Wu regular people #the main cast would all care to do that now #galaxy brain is understanding that #states are bad actors #and people are people who should not be disposible and without agency #knowing in a better world that would be true #free the White Sparrows ✊

[ralfmaximus]

Here's the complete list of DHS flagged search terms. Don't use any of these on social media to avoid having the 3-letter agencies express interest in your activities!

DHS & Other Agencies

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Coast Guard (USCG)

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Border Patrol

Secret Service (USSS)

National Operations Center (NOC)

Homeland Defense

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Agent

Task Force

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Fusion Center

Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

Secure Border Initiative (SBI)

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)

Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS)

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Air Marshal

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

National Guard

Red Cross

United Nations (UN)

Domestic Security

Assassination

Attack

Domestic security

Drill

Exercise

Cops

Law enforcement

Authorities

Disaster assistance

Disaster management

DNDO (Domestic Nuclear Detection Office)

National preparedness

Mitigation

Prevention

Response

Recovery

Dirty Bomb

Domestic nuclear detection

Emergency management

Emergency response

First responder

Homeland security

Maritime domain awareness (MDA)

National preparedness initiative

Militia

Shooting

Shots fired

Evacuation

Deaths

Hostage

Explosion (explosive)

Police

Disaster medical assistance team (DMAT)

Organized crime

Gangs

National security

State of emergency

Security

Breach

Threat

Standoff

SWAT

Screening

Lockdown

Bomb (squad or threat)

Crash

Looting

Riot

Emergency Landing

Pipe bomb

Incident

Facility

HAZMAT & Nuclear

Hazmat

Nuclear

Chemical Spill

Suspicious package/device

Toxic

National laboratory

Nuclear facility

Nuclear threat

Cloud

Plume

Radiation

Radioactive

Leak

Biological infection (or event)

Chemical

Chemical burn

Biological

Epidemic

Hazardous

Hazardous material incident

Industrial spill

Infection

Powder (white)

Gas

Spillover

Anthrax

Blister agent

Exposure

Burn

Nerve agent

Ricin

Sarin

North Korea

Health Concern + H1N1

Outbreak

Contamination

Exposure

Virus

Evacuation

Bacteria

Recall

Ebola

Food Poisoning

Foot and Mouth (FMD)

H5N1

Avian

Flu

Salmonella

Small Pox

Plague

Human to human

Human to ANIMAL

Influenza

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Drug Administration (FDA)

Public Health

Toxic

Agro Terror

Tuberculosis (TB)

Agriculture

Listeria

Symptoms

Mutation

Resistant

Antiviral

Wave

Pandemic

Infection

Water/air borne

Sick

Swine

Pork

Strain

Quarantine

H1N1

Vaccine

Tamiflu

Norvo Virus

Epidemic

World Health Organization (WHO and components)

Viral Hemorrhagic Fever

E. Coli

Infrastructure Security

Infrastructure security

Airport

CIKR (Critical Infrastructure & Key Resources)

AMTRAK

Collapse

Computer infrastructure

Communications infrastructure

Telecommunications

Critical infrastructure

National infrastructure

Metro

WMATA

Airplane (and derivatives)

Chemical fire

Subway

BART

MARTA

Port Authority

NBIC (National Biosurveillance Integration Center)

Transportation security

Grid

Power

Smart

Body scanner

Electric

Failure or outage

Black out

Brown out

Port

Dock

Bridge

Canceled

Delays

Service disruption

Power lines

Southwest Border Violence

Drug cartel

Violence

Gang

Drug

Narcotics

Cocaine

Marijuana

Heroin

Border

Mexico

Cartel

Southwest

Juarez

Sinaloa

Tijuana

Torreon

Yuma

Tucson

Decapitated

U.S. Consulate

Consular

El Paso

Fort Hancock

San Diego

Ciudad Juarez

Nogales

Sonora

Colombia

Mara salvatrucha

MS13 or MS-13

Drug war

Mexican army

Methamphetamine

Cartel de Golfo

Gulf Cartel

La Familia

Reynose

Nuevo Leon

Narcos

Narco banners (Spanish equivalents)

Los Zetas

Shootout

Execution

Gunfight

Trafficking

Kidnap

Calderon

Reyosa

Bust

Tamaulipas

Meth Lab

Drug trade

Illegal immigrants

Smuggling (smugglers)

Matamoros

Michoacana

Guzman

Arellano-Felix

Beltran-Leyva

Barrio Azteca

Artistics Assassins

Mexicles

New Federation

Terrorism

Terrorism

Al Queda (all spellings)

Terror

Attack

Iraq

Afghanistan

Iran

Pakistan

Agro

Environmental terrorist

Eco terrorism

Conventional weapon

Target

Weapons grade

Dirty bomb

Enriched

Nuclear

Chemical weapon

Biological weapon

Ammonium nitrate

Improvised explosive device

IED (Improvised Explosive Device)

Abu Sayyaf

Hamas

FARC (Armed Revolutionary Forces Colombia)

IRA (Irish Republican Army)

ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna)

Basque Separatists

Hezbollah

Tamil Tiger

PLF (Palestine Liberation Front)

PLO (Palestine Libration Organization)

Car bomb

Jihad

Taliban

Weapons cache

Suicide bomber

Suicide attack

Suspicious substance

AQAP (Al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula)

AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb)

TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan)

Yemen

Pirates

Extremism

Somalia

Nigeria

Radicals

Al-Shabaab

Home grown

Plot

Nationalist

Recruitment

Fundamentalism

Islamist

Weather/Disaster/Emergency

Emergency

Hurricane

Tornado

Twister

Tsunami

Earthquake

Tremor

Flood

Storm

Crest

Temblor

Extreme weather

Forest fire

Brush fire

Ice

Stranded/Stuck

Help

Hail

Wildfire

Tsunami Warning Center

Magnitude

Avalanche

Typhoon

Shelter-in-place

Disaster

Snow

Blizzard

Sleet

Mud slide or Mudslide

Erosion

Power outage

Brown out

Warning

Watch

Lightening

Aid

Relief

Closure

Interstate

Burst

Emergency Broadcast System

Cyber Security

Cyber security

Botnet

DDOS (dedicated denial of service)

Denial of service

Malware

Virus

Trojan

Keylogger

Cyber Command

2600

Spammer

Phishing

Rootkit

Phreaking

Cain and abel

Brute forcing

Mysql injection

Cyber attack

Cyber terror

Hacker

China

Conficker

Worm

Scammers

Social media

SOCIAL MEDIA?!

#dhs #privacy #paranoia #security

[vmures]

🔥 as salty/petty as you can get

Oof, I rarely let myself go off on anything. So here goes.

Not sure if this is truly a hot take, but it is salty. The ringleaders of character defense squads and many of their followers aren't actually interested in defending their favorite character. They're just bullies who want a target they can claim deserves their bullying and abuse. They use social justice terms as dog-whistles and those who think that it's really about defending a character probably need to revisit grade school or rewatch Mr. Roger's Neighborhood for tips on telling reality from fantasy.

And anyone who thinks it's okay to suicide bait or use violent language to "educate" someone about their choices is nothing more than a bully and an abuser getting off on feeling like they have power and authority. Those who feel the need to hide their abuse behind "protecting" fictional characters or "ridding fandom of the 'bad' apples" are again just using dog-whistles to find like-minded bullies and the poor, delusional souls who truly believe that fictional harm equates to real-world harms.

The defense squads and the abusers who run them also make it really difficult to talk about real issues in fandom spaces because they have overused certain words (pretty much any of the -ist terms) to make their abuses sound righteous that it becomes impossible to talk about actual racists, sexists, ableists, and homophobes. They boil these terms down to cartoonishly simple concepts and make it really hard to address the actual underlying issues in media and fandom spaces. They'll accuse people of horrific shit and when asked for proof or explanations, they'll just respond with "educate yourself" or "read their stuff and you'll see." The problem is, if you don't see what they're on about and agree with them, you're just a bigot too. Makes it really easy to make everyone who disagrees with you a monster, and very hard for any real change to take place.

No, it is not a minority group's responsibility to educate the majority on the issues of the minority's oppression. Still, if you call someone on their bigotry, it helps to point to what was bigoted. At least if you are concerned about change and not just beating up those you think deserve it. Because by calling them on it, you've started a conversation. If your response is just abuse and circular arguments, you may as well not have called them on it. And if you're so called activism ignores the voices of the minorities you are supposedly protecting...then you are honestly just an asshole.

#asks answered #hot takes #character defense squads #are really just bullies looking for a way to abuse without consequences #fandom discourse

[shuttershocky]

Hey shutters, is it alright If I could ask for a guide on WB9? I ain't got a clue on how to deal with two ya's at the same time

No problem!

So the thing about Ya is that while other bosses attempt to beat you with overwhelming offensive power, incredibly tough defenses, or by messing with the event mechanics, Ya has none of those options and instead simply tries to trick you with illusions, making them an incredibly easy boss once you figure out what they do (and have appropriate medics, they still deal arts damage after all)

Once the stage begins and you're printing DP with a vanguard, place a sniper anywhere on the red square to deal with the first wave of upper lane trash. Just marksmen will do, as the enemies in this stage all have pretty low DEF.

Do NOT let the enemy get far onto the high ground, some of the early enemies are Relayers who place Cipher Machines on every tile of high ground they can get on, boosting the movement speed and ASPD of all enemies on the field. If you let them plant all over your high ground, the enemies will get far too strong as Cipher Machines stack.

Next, you'll want a tank (i suggest a Guardian Defender, as Ya uses arts damage, but anyone with decent self sustain will do) on the bottom green circle to block Ya. This starts Ya's first trick, creating a floating illusion as soon as they're blocked, and then teleporting to that illusion if it's not destroyed which lets them "jump" over your operators. However, you are prepared for this, because on the red arrows are your Lord Guards like Arene and Lappland (you can also use Casters) ready to shoot down Ya's illusion. Without the illusion, Ya will remain blocked by your tank in the green circle, which isn't good news for Ya as they only do 600 (800 in the EX modes) Arts damage, which any decent Guardian can ignore. Take note that the biggest threat in bottom lane isn't actually Ya, it's the Desperados, as they're quite tanky and will need arts damage (or high phys) to properly take care of. Good thing arts or high phys is common with Lords!

The Lords will continue to pelt Ya with damage, and your snipers in the red circle should have no issue dealing with the trash, meaning it's time to set up for phase 2.

On any of the yellow arrows, you set up an ambush of burst damage (you can also move them back a bit if your operators are a bit more on the squishy side). Heavyshooters, Spreadshooters, Silverash, or Mlynar will do great, but even a buffed Marksman will delete Ya quickly as their DEF is only a measly 450. Remember to support them with a medic on the green squares.

Now once the Lords in the bottom lane kill Ya once, Ya's going to realize they came to the wrong neighborhood and will create a new, stronger illusion on the upper red gate, before swapping places with the illusion (meaning the real Ya goes to the upper red gate, while the illusion goes to the bottom one.) Ya is also going to realize that getting blocked is stupid, because they could fly all this time, and so both them and the illusion start flying.

This is when you make Ya see they fucked up, because you have a squad of burst damage boss-killers waiting right on the spot they fled to. Activate all skills and make Ya explode. Once Ya reaches low HP and see that this situation is even worse, they swap places with the illusion again, and move back to the bottom lane.

Now if you want the medal, you must retreat your ambush operators here, as the medal requires killing Ya without killing her special illusion (their Delusion). If you've already got it however, you can keep attacking the illusion, as killing it deals 35% of Ya's HP as damage to them. You can tell which is the illusion by looking at Ya's sword. Glowing gold means it's NOT the real one, the real Ya's sword is black.

If your Lords in the bottom lane are strong enough (or if one of them is just Thorns who can omegalul solo kill everything in the bottom stage with just one tank helping), they should be more than enough to finish off the weakened Ya. If not, just add more support.

Congratulations, the boss fight is finished! now you just have to kill the rest of the stage. Take note that Ya has a special skill where whatever tile they pass through, now gets the ability to spawn additional enemies every 30 seconds. Don't worry about it, the spawned enemies are all trash mobs any sniper can kill.

Now, what if you don't have the DPS numbers to finish Ya off before they get too far into the bottom lane? Their strategy will then be attempting to kill you by pincering you between both themselves and their illusion, making you take double damage.

Worry not. Place a Guardian Defender on any of the middle green circles. In Phase 2, Ya gets a really long attack range, which means placing a Guardian in those tiles will actually draw attacks from both themselves and their illusion, and Ya's ATK stat is so tame at 600 that even when they double up they'll have a hard time killing even Gummy.

Good luck!

#Arknights

[warframestuff]

Gargoyle's Cry 35.0.3

Tenno: The following Operation is designed for players who have finished the “Whispers in the Walls” quest. Review at your discretion!********

OPERATION: Gargoyle’s Cry

“Your attention, please.

The Murmur threat demands immediate action. Our first order of business must be surveillance. An early detection system lest we be caught sans trousers.

You would agree that a Vigile Jahu Gargoyle installed within each Tenno Dojo is the obvious solution. Not a whisper could be uttered in the system without the connected Dojos overhearing it first.

Your compliance is appreciated. The Vigile Jahu Gargoyle awaits you within your Dojo - simply place it as a Decoration. The enemy does not hesitate. We must do no less.” - Fibonacci

The Murmur encroaches on our systems, Tenno. The Whispers beyond the Wall are a new threat; we must ensure they stay confined to Albrecht’s Laboratory.

Operation: Gargoyle’s Cry is a limited-time event launching today,December 18 at 2 p.m. ET and ending on January 15, 2 p.m. ET across all platforms.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Murmur continues to scrape deeper into our realm of existence. Having devised a solution to detect such whispers, Fibonacci won’t allow such trespassing to threaten our system.

This Operation relies on Tenno across the Origin System to construct an invisible ‘living defense’ against the growing Murmur threat.

To join this living defense, or ‘Murmur Telemetry Chorus,’ you must hunt down the power source that’ll continuously power your Vigile Jahu Gargoyle. Fight against the ominous Murmur to earn new and returning rewards from previous Operations.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Operation: Gargoyle’s Cry is no small task. Only those who have finished the “Whispers in the Wall” Quest can join and complete the event and the associated Mission. This event is for players on-content.

After finishing the “Whispers in the Wall” Quest, Tenno will find a Vigile Jahu Gargoyle decoration to place within their Dojo. This will require a member of your Clan to be capable of placing down decorations, which players will then build via resources gathered from Albrecht’s Laboratories. Once all the resources are contributed, the Gargoyle only takes 60 seconds to build.

Tenno must then complete the Effervo Mission on Deimos to collect Cursed Murmur Energy to activate the Gargoyle. You’ll acquire this energy by defeating one of the Fragmented Trio, with the whole squad earning one of three curses:

Curse of Knowing from The Fragmented Suzerain,

Curse of Seeing from The Fragmented Anchorite,

Curse of Hearing from The Fragmented Zelator.

You’ll acquire only a singular amount of one type of Curse on Normal Path but double of one Curse on Steel Path. Curse acquisition is unaffected by Resource Boosters.

The Murmur is not the only threat, however. Void Angels have breached the in-between of the Laboratories and The Indifference, desiring to consume the Cursed energy. If you do not kill the Angel lurking around, it will consume the Curse dropped by the Assassination Target, leaving you Curseless.

Return to your Dojo afterwards to lift your curse by feeding it to the Gargoyle. Spend time with your new decoration, as the Gargoyle is also a vendor, allowing you to purchase new and returning Operation items while netting progress towards the community reward.

Seek and destroy, Tenno. Uphold the living defense.

(VIDEO DEMONSTRATION OF EVENT)

OPERATION REWARDS

When you defeat one of the Fragmented Trio, you’ll acquire the event currency: Grotesque Splinters. 1-3 Grotesque Splinters are earned on normal difficulty and 3-5 on Steel Path.

Fibonacci beckons your safe return to your Vigile Jahu Gargoyle to spend your yield of Grotesque Splinters. You’ll acquire rewards like new Entrati Sigils, a Color Palette and returning rewards from events like Operation: Scarlet Spear.

New Cosmetics

Fibonacci Sigil

Fibonacci Sketch Glyph

Tagfer Sigil

Tagfer Sketch Glyph

Bird 3 Sigil

Bird 3 Sketch Glyph

Gargoyle’s Cry Emblem

New Color Palette: Cavia

Krios Signa

Returning Cosmetics

Gilded Clan Sigil

Glyphed Clan Sigil

Phased Clan Sigil

Prominence Wisp Totem

Fluctus Rahk Skin

The Ballroom Simulacrum

Weapons and Power

Ceti Lacera Blueprint

Basmu Blueprint

Stance Forma Blueprint

Trials/Eidolon Arcanes

Not all rewards are warranted by Fibonacci’s hand (or fin...). This is a communal effort, Tenno. Each feed to the Gargoyle strengthens the community, resulting in the new Krios Signa debuting from the Void into your Arsenal. If the goal is met, the Signa can be purchased from the Vigile Jahu Gargoyle Vendor!

The Vendor store will be open until February 15, 2024.

SCORING AND FEEDING

Trophies earned are determined by how often your clan fully feeds your Vigile Jahu Gargoyle with Cursed Murmur Energy before each Weekly Reset (Monday at 0 UTC).

Terracotta is one full feed, Bronze is two full feeds, Silver is three full feeds, and Gold is four full feeds. One full charge depends on the size of your Clan. A full charge for a Ghost Clan is two of each Curse, with Shadow Clans needing six of each Curse, Storm will need ten, Mountain thirty and Moon at one hundred of each Curse.

TL;DR:

Once the Vigile Jahu Gargoyle is constructed in the Dojo, Clans will fully feed it with Cursed Murmur Energy from the Effervo Mission to enable the living defense.

Feed your Gargoyle before the weekly reset for four weeks to keep the Gargoyle fully fed and earn a trophy, depending on the number of charges added.

Each full feed adds to unlocking the community reward.

All Operation Rewards can be purchased from the Vigile Jahu Gargoyle for Grotesque Splinters.

THE MURMUR THREAT

On the rare occasions when Murmur fragments assemble themselves into a whole, the result is a monstrous and potent entity. It may manifest in three different forms: The Fragmented Suzerain, The Fragmented Zelator and The Fragmented Anchorite

Together, as heralds of the Indifference, they tether down the Strands of Khra which their bizarre master must travel.

Source

#warframe #whispers in the walls #gargoyles cry #witw spoilers #warframe news #long post

[ghostly-penumbra]

Seven Ways to Summon the Ghost King

Chapter One: Traditional way

[Here] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Ao3

Summary: Harry makes a nice acquitance... in a dark wizards raid, of all places.

Warning: Attempted murder.

- - -

Harry ran down the dilapidated manor’s hall, with his best mate watching his back as they approached the eerie room lit only by candlelight.

They pressed themselves against the wall, with Harry taking the lead and his wand ready, listening to the chanting go on.

Whatever these dark wizards were summoning, it was powerful, and they couldn’t just barge in and cut it out, that would just end up activating the defensive drawings in green ink all over the place and that wouldn’t end up nicely.

(They had done their research, unfortunately for their foes, and knew they could enter in an exact certain moment, when the ritual became welcoming, but right before…)

“And now we present this sacrifice! For only death can call Death!”

“Now!” Harry commanded in a low voice that only Ron heard, and they entered the chambers wand blazing, with the rest of their squad following close behind. “Expeliarmus!” He bellowed, making the dagger held by the dark witch soar through the air and fall to the floor with a clatter.

A myriad of colours flew through the air as spells were cast, with their light reflecting on the cold stone walls.

“Depulso! Protego!” Harry yelled, sliding next to the unconscious muggle tied down to the stone table.

“Bombarda! Mate, cover me!” Ron began casting, seeking to undo the magical bindings as well as the muggle ones.

In between the battling and the arrival of the back-up Aurors, Harry and Ron could be excused for not noticing the ground shaking right away, or how the candle lights flickered before turning green…

“Potter! Weasley!” Kingsley Shaklebolt yelled at them whilst fending off two opponents at once. “What’s going on?!”

What they knew he had actually asked, though, was ‘Why is it going on? Didn’t you just stop the sacrifice? Is that person dead?’

Ron took a limp wrist in his grasp and said, “It’s still beating.”

“Sir, the ritual wasn’t completed!” Harry reported to his superior, then hastily put up another shield. “It shouldn’t have worked…”

“Oh, but he’s here!” One of the dark wizards said, a manic gleam on his face, right before Ron knocked him out with a desmaius.

Above them, green clouds began to spread in a spiral, thundering and glowing, slowly bringing out a royally-clad figure.

Ron, now carrying the victim bridal-style, looked at him with apprehension.

“Go.” Harry said firmly.

“But-”

“Ron, go!” Harry looked pointedly at the unconscious muggle in Ron’s arms, and his best mate reluctantly relented, and took off running towards Kingsley.

“Bow down before Pariah Dark! King of the Gho-!” The frantic cry of joy was cut short when Harry sent a knock-back jinx at the witch.

The Man Who Lived stood straight, staring at the coalescing mist with his jaw set, ready to face Death down once again.

-

Danny opened his eyes and found himself in a room(? Chamber?) full of people in various states of consciousness, with the ones awake looking all at him.

“Uh, hi…” He said with a little wave of his hand.

The guy closest to him looked him up and down with a serious face.

“Uh, can someone tell me where are we?”

-

The magic world never really stopped surprising Harry, but that was alright, because it seemed to keep surprising itself as well. Take for example Phantom, the Ghost King, who seemed unable to stop fidgeting as he floated next to Harry.

“So, uh, can I leave, officer?” The boy asked.

Harry lifted an eyebrow. “You are not detained, I just need to ask you a few questions. Besides,” he eyed the flaming crown perched atop his head (which was quite big for him, and looked about to fall down his head and end up as a collar), “I don’t really believe I have enough authority as to detain you.”

The boy king put a hand on his nape and pursed his lips, so clearly not used to this that Harry took pity on him and chose to be straightforward.

“Why did you come here?” He started. “The ritual wasn’t completed, no one died, so why- how did you get here?”

“Oh, well, I still don’t know much about that, but I think I got an idea.” The boy looked at him seriously, and continued. “These guys tried to summon the Ghost King, but their information is outdated, just a bit; the last King accepted sacrifices, but I don’t, they are anathema to me and my Obsession.” He explained. “I think that’s why it worked, I mean, it probably wouldn’t if they had actually killed someone, but outside of that, their stuff was pretty solid.”

Harry watched as emotions crossed the boy that died’s face, seriousness, solemnity, anger… then calm, and lastly, sheepishness again.

“You’re not doing as they say, then.” Harry barely asked, and mostly stated. “If the blood sacrifice didn’t tie you to them, you can do as you please.”

“Yeah, I guess so…”

Phantom looked around, and Harry looked around, and when their gazes met again, there was an understanding only a pair of trouble-magnets could share.

“Say, did they even know how to summon me, officer…?”

“Auror.” Harry corrected.

“Officer Auror.”

“No, that’s- you know what? That’s okay.” The dead Kin seemed to notice Harry’s brief struggle, but chose to ignore it and let Harry “Auror” Potter answer. “They had this book, an old thing, really, rather fragile, with all these dark spells and rituals and stuff. A lot of drawings of clouds and doorways…” That actually interested him, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t be getting more answers from the teen.

“Shame if something happened to it and it… disappeared.”

“Shame indeed.”

They shared a moment of silence, barely a minute.

“Well, officer Auror, it was nice meeting ya but I got stuff to do back home.”

“Oh, no, how could I possibly physically stop you?”

“You can’t.”

With a little wave, King Phantom disappeared from sight, far neater than Harry’s Invisibility Cloak and was soon replaced by questions and exclamations from his fellow wizards.

Later, Harry would find out about an important, dangerous book disappearing into thin air.

For now, though, he just smirked and huffed out a laugh.

“Long live the dead King.”

#Danny Phantom #Danny Fenton #Harry Potter #Ron Weasley #Auror Harry Potter #Auror Ron Weasley #Ghost King AU #Summoning Shenanigans #crossover #Danny Phantom Crossover #Harry Potter Crossover #ghostly-scrypts #crossposted on ao3

[callsign-bunnie]

Exposition (Magic Users)

Phillip Graves, head of the Shadow Company, sits down to explain the information he has on his targets.

This is for my magic users au.

--

“Speak to me, Phillip.” Shepherds sighed. Graves watched him pace on his screen and he crossed his hands on the desk.

“Well, I’ve built files on each of them. Just like you asked.”

“Perfect. Throw em at me.”

Graves leaned back and put his feet on the desk. “Starting with the leader of the Los Vaqueros. One Colonel Alejandro Vargas, aged 32.”

“Young for someone who’s been Colonel as long as he has.” Shepherd commented and Graves gave a knowing smile. He’d get back to that.

“He’s a torch with blood boiling as his secondary ability. Considered to be one of the most powerful torches in North America. Especially with his prism pair, Rodolfo Parra, added into the mix. In his second year of training, he managed to demolish an entire training field. 

His special ability is lighting himself on fire with a moment’s notice. Known to have a volatile temper, especially without the prism around. However, he and the prism are deeply bonded. Far closer bonded than most pairs, apparently, which can be to their benefit but I don’t care about benefits. I care about detriments. The Prism is a weakness.”

“Any others?”

“None that I could find, General, besides his aggression. Potential alcoholism but most Torches deal with that.

So, let’s move onto that Prism, shall we. Rodolfo Parra, 32 years old as well, top in his training squad for combat and self defense skills, even compared to the other prisms. Considered ruthless, you should see this man’s kill list, general.

They grew up together in Las Almas and joined the military together. Makes sense as bonding in their way would require an already existing connection. Pure Prism, however from everything I could see, he’s not nearly as strong as the others. It did say he was part of initiate B.E.P.U, but from what I can see, it’s so classified I doubt even the Mexican President could tell you what it is.”

“He is disposable.” Shepherd nodded and Graves clicked his fingers.

“Exactly. Vargas keeps him alive, but should Vargas need to be taken down, the Prism will be the first thing that needs to go. As a prism, his only weakness is being vulnerable.” 

“Vargas is not his weakness?”

“It’s fairly well known amongst the Los Vaqueros that taking out Vargas would be potentially… knocking loose the rest of the bolts, essentially.” Graves clicked his tongue and then continued. “Colonel Vargas was promoted at the young young age of 26, far out of regulation. The Mexican Government has all but abandoned them, likely due to the severe cartel activity.”

Shepherd nodded. “So they’ll stay out of the way.”

“Exactly, General.” Graves nodded and flipped more through the file. “The Los Vaqueros have a tight bond, apparently. But, we can handle that.

Now, moving on to your little taskforce. The Captain, John Price. He is 37. A fairly weak prism, though he may have an undiscovered, or unrevealed, secondary ability which causes heightened senses. Fascinating military history, none of it important. His ability centers on muting, rather than magnification. 

One weakness, his Sergeant by the name of Kyle Garrick, though he goes by Gaz. They have a close bond, apparently. Garrick is a telekinetic. A flicker, specifically. Strong mental strength, aced his RTI training, apparently. Only one to escape the facility. Therefore, termination will be the preferred method of removal for either of them. He’s 26 years old, by the way.

Grew up an orphan, joined the military at 18. Essentially a military cop before he was picked up by Captain Price and joined the SAS.”

“I’ve worked with John before.” Shepherd nodded. “He follows orders, well.”

“I like to have all my bases covered, general.” Graves shrugged, flipping through Price’s file. “Has a kill list taller than me. It’s better to be safe than sorry. However, moving on. Johnny Mactavish, or Soap. Couldn’t for the life of me find out why. Would love to know what a firecracker does to get labeled Soap. But, that information was deeply classified.”

“It’s not an important reason.” Shepherd shrugged.

“Right.” Graves wasn’t convinced. “Anyway, primary firecracker with the sonic boom special ability, 24 years old. Known to be fairly impulsive. Blew up several vehicles during overwhelm training. SAS as well, which is just fascinating. A sniper firecracker. Well rounded. Fairly vulnerable, though. We won’t be blowing him up, at least. Not much is known about his childhood beyond his parents dying when he was young.

That leaves us with the last one. Ghost. Simon Riley. This one was a challenge. 28 years old, went missin’ at the ripe age of 22 years old for an entire year, rejoined the military 23, before disappearing for another 6 months. Was picked up by John Price, essentially his pet. Primary Spirit ability, explains the disappearing, with a secondary as a metal minder. Two weaknesses, though only one will be accessible to me. John Price. Apparently he considers him a father figure. And a mercenary, who I cannot access any information on.”

“Special ability?”

“Underutilized. Can make his limbs disappear at will. Mostly uses his metal minder ability to throw knives. I don’t think he’s as big of a threat as the files would lead me to believe but caution will be used. Considered a loose cannon. Doesn’t work well with others.”

“Alright. I want to know about you.” Shepherd finally sat again, smiling. 

“I’m flattered.” Graves half grinned and then shrugged. “I don’t exactly have a file on myself, sir, but… I can give you the rundown. I am Phillip Graves, leader of the shadow company. I run a mercenary unit and I tackle… tricky problems. I’m a primary persuader with a secondary in illusions. I am immune to all Prism and mind abilities. I think I’ll keep my weaknesses to myself, though. If you don’t mind.”

Shepherd laughed and nodded. “Tell me about the drug lord. You have her detained, you said?”

“She’s… a handful. Wasn’t able to get much on her but I think it’s enough. Valeria Garza. Shit story, there. Shitty childhood, shocker. Served with Alejandro Vargas and Rodolfo Parra, same unit, separate squads. Equal to Alejandro’s power without a pair to hold her back. Primary Torch, secondary with a Pain Infliction ability. Get this, her special ability is also flicking. I have never met a torch who could flick. Fascinating. Anyway, not much in the way of weakness, but she’s detained. She’s a low level threat.”

“She and Vargas have a history?”

“No, sir. Not beyond a burned friendship. Vargas has eyes for the Prism.” Graves shook his head. “She was also part of BEPU. Volatile.”

“Continue on the same course. Track down Hassan, clear the loose ends. Take down anyone who steps out of line.” Shepherd nodded.

--

Hey, want to get added to a tag list for this ship or AU? Reply to this with "add me to the tag list for [ship/au]" and I will tag you in everything I post for whichever you choose. If you want to be added to a different tag list, send me an ask or dm.

@angstkings

#Alejandro Vargas #Rodolfo Parra #Alejandro x Rodolfo #Aledolfo #Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II #Call Of Duty #John Price #Kyle Gaz Garrick #Gaz COD #Price COD #A father and his son #Call of Duty Modern Warfare II #Johnny Soap Mactavish #Simon Ghost Riley #Soap Cod #Ghost COD #Soapghost #Ghostsoap #Soap x Ghost #Ghost x Soap #Macriley #Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 #Phillip Graves #general shepherd

[thommi-tomate]

Holger Badstuber Column

Hello football fans!

New Year's Eve is just around the corner and the Bundesliga presents us with a few nice surprises when we look at the table. Bayer 04 Leverkusen with coach Xabi Alonso in first place, VfB Stuttgart in third, Union Berlin close to the relegation zone, BVB 15 points behind the leaders - I watched a lot of games, I was at the Allianz Arena and visited my former club in Stuttgart.

I've seen good football, exciting football, thrilling football. This season offers much of what I have loved about this sport for decades. Time for an interim assessment with four highlights and three weak points, and of course I won't let the championship prediction get away from me. How do you think the race for the championship will go? You can read my assessment in the text below. First the highlights.

Leverkusen enjoys winning

First place for Leverkusen is no surprise in principle. Coach Xabi Alonso's team plays consistently and has not yet been defeated. The style of play is clear, structured, sometimes ruthless. It's well-rounded, harmonious. It shows me that the coach's idea is being implemented consistently.

What's more, they have slowly taken a liking to winning. They're really up for it! That makes them extra dangerous for the competition. With his skills, Florian Wirtz stands out for me among a number of top players such as Boniface, Xhaka, Hofmann, Frimpong and Grimaldo.

The star, however, remains Alonso. As a player, he used to have everything under control on the six, but now he has managed to impart his knowledge as a coach. He combines competence with authority. Xabi Alonso will be coaching a really big team sooner rather than later.

Soothing calm in the Bayern environment

The leak at Säbener Strasse seems to have been plugged. Hardly any disagreements or disputes have been reported. For the club, this is a welcome development after the constant unrest surrounding the club in recent years

A number of positions have been filled - the decision to bring Christoph Freund on board as sports director was absolutely the right one. He is a good man with a good eye for talent and experience in developing players. Together with coach Thomas Tuchel, whom I hold in high esteem, I trust him to set up a framework that is Bayern-like again. The seed has been sown.

Harry Kane: More than a 9

25 goals in 22 competitive games, plus eight assists: WOW, what a record! What makes Harry Kane so valuable is his versatility. Compared to Robert Lewandowski, for example, Kane is not "just" a goalscorer, but also a ten-man who often plays the decisive final ball.

Kane combines the numbers 9 and 10, which is what makes him so dangerous, he also lets himself drop at times and is therefore less tangible for defenders. Every cent of this immense investment has already paid off for FC Bayern. I can only congratulate him once again on this transfer.

VfB Stuttgart: A very strong block

I once experienced how much the region lives and shakes when VfB plays, both as an active professional and as a guest in the stadium this season. These fans, this club and its environment deserve a stable season. The people in charge speak with one voice, the squad has been super strengthened in terms of positions with Stiller, Mittelstädt and Undav. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß has established a gallant power football that perfectly suits this dynamic club.

The players also look fresh and fit. With keeper Nübel, the back four and the two back sixes, there is a very strong block, a real unit. That creates consistency and reliability and, last but not least, defensive balance. I hope that VfB don't lose any top players in the winter and simply see the season through in this constellation. Then at least fifth place is certain!

Squad gaps at FCB: Transfers are needed for titles

First of all, a big compliment from me to Aleksandar Pavlovic. I liked what I saw of him. He has potential. He'll get his chance to really gain a foothold at Bayern in the future. But he's not the solution to achieve the goals now. Experience is the trump card in this position.

If FCB still want to win titles, which I logically assume they will, they need to bring in quality reinforcements in the winter. A physically strong, tall, simple-playing six-man and a right-back are urgently needed. To a certain extent, the season hinges on the winter transfer window. I can't say whether Bayern will be able to close the gaps in the squad. We'll have to be surprised.

Too fast, too much at Union

It's a bit of a shame, but it was also a bit predictable. Triple the workload, mixing it up with transfers, that's what messed up the team. It even got to the point where coach Urs Fischer had to go.

I didn't expect that and that Union would slip so far down the table. I still like the club, it has established itself in the Bundesliga with a well thought-out style of play and unity. Recently, it seemed as if the "Irons" had regained their composure. Please keep it up!

Köln's fall from grace

It had already become apparent in the summer that coach Steffen Baumgart's energy-sapping philosophy was continuing to wear thin. Added to this were crucial departures such as Ellyes Skhiri. Now the team has not only lost its greed, but also its balance. The quality is no longer sufficient.

Baumgart is now gone and his successor will not get any new players because the International Court of Arbitration for Sport has confirmed FIFA's ban on transfers for two transfer periods. Fear of relegation is rampant in Cologne - and rightly so.

And who will be champion?

In January, many professionals from the Bundesliga will be at the Africa Cup and the Asian Championships. One team that will be particularly hard hit is Bayer 04 Leverkusen. They could be missing up to six players. At Bayern, Minjae Kim and Noussair Mazraoui are likely to be traveling. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was surprisingly not nominated for Cameroon's national team.

Depending on which team compensates better for the losses, the second half of the season will start with a boost. There will be a duel between Leverkusen and Bayern right up to the last matchday. But FC Bayern will always be my favorite to win the championship.

#holger badstuber #xabi alonso #bayer 04 leverkusen #harry kane #fc bayern münchen #vfb stuttgart #fc union berlin #fc koln #holger badstuber columm

[usafphantom2]

India approves development of the 5ª generation 'AMCA' fighter

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/07/2024 - 20:03in Military

In a significant move, the Indian Cabinet Security Committee approved the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) poaching project to be executed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

With an estimated cost of approximately US$ 2 billion, the project will be carried out by the Aeronautical Development Agency of the Defense Research and Development Organization. The goal is to develop poaching and its associated technologies in collaboration with several public and private sector entities. The plan includes the construction of approximately five prototypes within a period of about five years.

According to sources, the project will involve the production of the prototype by industry players, including the public sector company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

AMCA ??

As CCS Chaired by PM Modi Clears India Stealth Fighter Jet Program. The total Program cost would be Rs 15,000 Cr & total 5 Prototype will be built in 5 Years with first Proto Roll out in 3 Year

All the Tech required for it already built & devloped.

— Vivek Singh (@VivekSi85847001) March 7, 2024

The government has actively sought the development of national technologies in the defense sector.

The Ministry of Defense predicts that the fifth-generation aircraft project will create numerous employment opportunities and may result in substantial commercial contracts worth millions of dollars for Indian companies. This initiative is expected to generate large-scale employment opportunities.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian Air Force has significantly strengthened its support for Indian fighter aircraft projects. This is evidenced by the government's acquisition of more than 200 light combat aircraft and the approval of engines for the LCA Mark-2 project.

The introduction of the AMCA into operational functions is expected to begin after 2030. The two initial squads are planned to be equipped with GE-414 engines, while discussions are underway for the co-development of more powerful engines for the subsequent squads.

India is expected to introduce more than 200 of these advanced fifth-generation fighters, which will also contribute to the country's ability to develop future generations of jet fighters in the domestic market.

Source: ANI

Tags: Military AviationHAL - Hindustan Aeronautics LimitedHAL AMCA - Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft/Advanced Medium Combat AircraftIAF - Indian Air Force/Air Force of India

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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Cavok Brazil - Digital Tchê Web Creation

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Cavok Brazil - Digital Tchê Web Creation

[lilyblackdrawside]

Inam - 6-Star Lord Guard

Elite 2, Level 90 Stats

2650 HP 701 Atk 380 Def 10 Res 70s Redeploy Time 20 DP Cost 2 Block 1.3s Attack Interval

Trust Boni

+400 Hp +70 Atk

Potential Boni

2 Deployment Cost -1 3 Redeployment Cooldown -4s 4 +200 HP 5 +27 Def 6 Deployment Cost -1

Talent 1 Maximize Available Assets When deployed, increases the SP recovery rate of all Vanguards by +0.2~0.4/second (only the highest effect of this type takes place) and all Vanguard Operators’ Def +10%~20%

Talent 2 Acquire Knowledge Gains +3% HP for each Vanguard, Guard, Defender and Sniper in the squad and +3 Res for each Caster, Medic, Supporter and Specialist in the squad

Rank 7/Mastery 3

Skill 1

Wicked Chop On-Attack Charge, Auto 3 SP, 0 Initial SP

The next melee attack deals 400/460% atk pure damage over 4s to the target.

Skill 2

Great Chief’s Show of Artistry On-Attack Charge, Manual 20/15 SP, 7/10 Initial SP, 16s Duration

Gain +50/80%Atk, Attack interval halved. Attacks leave a stacking mark on the target that inflicts -3/4% movement speed and -3/4 aspd per stack. One second before skill ends, the mark is removed and deals 80/110% atk physical damage per stack to the target.

Skill 3

Power of Money Automatic Charge, Manual

35/30 SP, 0 Initial SP

Consume all currently held DP to gain permanent, stacking buffs to Atk, ASPD and Phys/Arts damage reduction. +7/10% Atk, +7/10 aspd, +1/1.25% Phys/Arts damage reduction per 20 DP. If used at >=99 DP, refunds 50% SP.

Base Skill 1 Great Chief’s Coordination When stationed in a Trading Post, sets order acquisition efficiency of other Sargon operators, Gavial and Gavial the Invincible to 0 and then increases it to +35%.

Base Skill 2 Lead by Example Gains +10% order acquisition efficiency per other Sargon Operator stationed in trading posts, up to +50%.

The theme here is being a Lord Guard who doesn't do any Arts damage that she would have above average basic tankiness just through her stats. She's still not tanky-tanky, but within her subclass she's quite sturdy. She can then leverage her defensive bases by using her very strong S1 or with S3 (I'll go more into S3 in a bit). I also worked her background into the whole thing a bit.

Initially I had S1 modular with it letting her ranged attacks ricochet if she uses it not in melee, but I think this is better. It's more interesting and could incentivize different positioning. I made the dot pure damage because that's funny.

S2 is more for ranged play and designed to take down elites and bosses. It's very straightforward to use, even if it might look a bit complicated. Activate it and she goes nuts on whoever is the closest in her range and when it's about to time out her target is vaporized. I made the stats up with around 20 attacks within 15 seconds in mind. With just the halved attack delay she actually manages just above 24, but the slowing effects shouldn't be too harsh, since by the time they're stacked that high, the skill is about to expire anyway. Would be mildly busted in Integrated Strategies if you get enough aspd and stack -100% move and aspd onto an enemy, but that's okay. Don't worry about it.

Okay, S3. So that's the meme skill. It's the one you make funny videos with. Yes, she can reach 100% Phys and Arts resist. It costs 1600 DP, up to 2000 if you also go for the SP discounts. At that point she also has +800% ATK and +800 ASPD. (7 attacks/s) The earliest you could get this, going just by pure SP is after five and a half minutes. Of course you also need to generate the required 2000 DP + however much you need to deploy your operators within that time. Stages don't tend to last that long, but if you want, you can also give her some form of SP charge and go for it. Something like Ptilopsis, Warfarin, Inam, Myrtle, Elysium, Saileach and the next six best DP generators. Probably a bunch of Pioneers, I don't know. Might be problematic in Annihilation I guess, but nobody's looking.

Anyway, this was fun. I was going to do a full fake operator sheet but Krita krashed and I lost Kritacal progress so this is what I got.

#arknights

[askbiggreen]

First Squad Differences From Canon

(CW: trauma and PTSD mention)

Lin Chung

-autistic (though that might as well be canon)

-PTSD (this takes place after Twin Master’s defeat, and he’s gotten help)

-Bi (no specific preference)

-Part melanistic leopard (long story but it has to do with his ancestor Lin Chong)

-Married to Mighty Ray (rupphire, lumity, roger and Jessica rabbit dynamic)

-Canonically 6’5 (husband is 5’1 lol)

-learns some new abilities related to his kitty side, better air control, “lightning” eyes, slight plant manipulation using harmonic energy, temp floating

Mighty Ray

-ADHD

-ftm bi (with male preference)

-has a lot of hidden insecurities that he’s gotten both professional help and encouragement from hubby for

-can manipulate fire and electricity through his body (mainly his fists) and has learned to harness the harmonic energy

-has been friends with Kowloon and Alpha Girl since they were kids (their dynamic is kinda like amity with her siblings since he’s the youngest, he’s their little cringe idiot)

Mystique Sonia

-ADHD

-bi (male preference)

-married to Mano

-has trauma from her home life that she’s been working through

-from a rich family that ended up investing in this world’s version of crypto island, where Sonia and her four sisters grew up

-still loves yaksha (who is one body that shares two souls), who accepted Mano while also making sure the guy knew that Yaksha would fuck him up if he broke Sonia’s heart

Jumpy Ghostface

-joined Big Green when he was 15 (didn’t tell the others at first and by the time he did it was too late)

-baby who also wants to be taken seriously

-autism + ADHD

-ace het

-gains access to transformation candies that allow him to turn into others but not use their abilities

Mr. No Hands/Li Shen

-oldest of the team

-family friend of Ray’s family

-doesn’t have the tickle curse, it’s been replaced by a choking curse

-PTSD from previous war experiences, which is when he got his curse

-gains some earth, levitation, defense, and healing powers by using a book to activate them or with little slips of paper (think glyphs from The Owl House)

-Married to Lady Green (who’s around his age with a teenage daughter from a previous relationship)

#hero 108

[dancegender]

Organizing my thoughts and theories on Murder Drones episode 3

Under the cut!

Thoughts on Doll

I don't necessarily think Doll is on a "Kill all the disassembly drones" spree. When she realizes Uzi's infected with the solver too, she says that she feels sorry for Uzi and that she'd help Uzi if she found what she was looking for. In my opinion, the plot to kill V wasn't the start of Doll's plans; it was just a prerequisite. She wanted swift and easy revenge for her parents before she started her search.

What's Doll looking for? Based on the aforementioned interaction with Uzi, it's definitely something solver related. Maybe a cure of some kind?

Thoughts on Uzi

I don't think Uzi fully understands the solver, at least not as much as Doll does. She doesn't ever activate it at will; it activates itself as a means of self defense.

Thoughts on Nori and Yeva

There's a chance they could've been related, but either way, it seems they both passed the solver down to their respective daughters.

Thoughts on the story as a whole

If Uzi and Doll are both infected, why does Doll know so much more than Uzi? Well, it could just be th differences in their parents.

Try this hypothetical: There was a certain age both Nori and Yeva wanted to start training their daughters to use the solver effectively. However, Nori died before Uzi was old enough to start training. Doll gets taught some of the basics of solver usage, but then Yeva dies, too, and Doll's training remains unfinished.

The girls' relationship with the solver

Uzi doesn't know anything about the solver; Nori died before she could teach Uzi what it was. Khan, a little scared of the solver without Nori there, decided against trying to teach Uzi himself.

So why doesn't Uzi's solver show itself sooner? It might have to do with her relationship with Khan. The strain on their relationship was probably stressful for her, which was suppressing the solver. Once she left at the end of the pilot, she found herself relaxing; and her powers relaxed with her.

Doll, on the other hand, was able to get a little bit of training before Yeva died. She probably learned the basics: some of the stuff we see Uzi struggle with (look at this mirror without breaking it, discard this projectile in a safe manner). Even after Yeva passed, she had enough basic knowledge to continue to expand on her powers by herself, albeit not in the most healthy way, using them for murder/cannibalism.

Other notes

Is Lizzy going to be an ally in the future? If she and V can make up, it looks possible for her to be Uzi's frenemy, at the very least.

WHAT DOES V KNOW?? I didn't touch too much on whatever N and V have going on, mainly because their wasn't much information in this episode, but I'm curious as to what V's keeping from the others.

Where was Thad :( I miss him :(

Khan got some character development! Ya love to see it! Maybe their relationship gets less tense as the series progresses.

WHY was Doll eating the other workers? Is it the same impulse that made Uzi want to try the oil?

I hope J gets betrayed. Maybe the protag squad lets her join them after; maybe they tell her to go kick rocks. I don't care, but I want the company to leave J for DEAD. They don't deserve her dedication.

#murder drones #episode 3 spoilers #murder drones theory #mic check

[zachdefense]

In my latest of book trades with my brother, he's finishing up Mistborn with The Lost Metal while I'm catching up on the Villains' Code series with

Bones of the Past

And not to be a "guy who's only seen Boss Baby" about this but I get some heavy Worm vibes from this series. Girl who gets super powers and ends up working with villains due partly to circumstances outside her control, but mostly due to her own choices. Moral ambiguity asking questions about if the villains are really worse people than the heroes. And hell, they use the term "capes" to refer to powered people, which I haven't seen anywhere else outside of Worm.

This being the second book in the series, it really works to test the lines between hero and villain. Tori, our main character, I don't think she commits a single crime in this book. But what keeps her squarely in the villain camp is her attitude. She kills and orders the deaths of a not-insignificant number of people in self-defense; while on the flip side, the heroes focused on in the book are actively training to tone down the casualties when they're stopping crime. And of course, the final showdown ends with heroes and villains working together to stop a greater threat, as in the previous book. almost like that's a theme or something

This book also does a lot more to play with the idea of secret identities than I've seen elsewhere, which was a lot of fun to read. After the last book Tori had one out-of-costume friend who joined the hero's side. In this book she not only gets to know his team, but is introduced to a new squad of heroes that she meets and befriends. Watching her get to know and care about people that she may have to fight the next day introduced some interesting conflict.

The worldbuilding feels very comic-booky, which took me out of it a bit in the first book (what do you mean one organization controls all super-powered crime in the world???), and I don't really agree with one or two of the larger themes (don't really like what you're saying about punitive justice so far, Mr Hayes), but aside from that it was a really fun read. Feels like the kind of series that should have a much larger fandom than it does (only one result on AO3? Seriously?). Would give it a thumbs up, especially if you're a fan of

large casts of super heroes with unique powers

side characters that are interesting enough that they should have their own novels

unlikely allies who have to work together

Superman being a genuinely nice person to talk to

worldhoppers that know too much, stir shit up, and leave

the kind of villains that would name themselves Johnny Three-Dicks or Captain Bullshit

I might have to pick up some of Drew Hayes's other stories to check out after this. His Super Powereds series sounds like it could be fun while I'm on this superhero kick, but that's his only series that my brother doesn't have in person for me to borrow, thus slightly inconveniencing me.

#villains code #drew hayes #bones of the past #also I'm totally shipping Johnny Three-Dicks with Thuggernaut

[shuttershocky]

I've beaten Highmore and The Last Knight with all the different squads and now I'm planning on going after Ishar'mla, but I don't fully get how their transformation mechanic works or how to deal with it. Any advice?

The Heart of Corruption fight is actually a fight over Skadi's SP bar. Skadi can't hurt you while she's in her Skadi form, and NEEDS to activate her skill to transform into Isharmla to actually fight you directly (otherwise she just heals the other enemies on the stage)

So during the bossfight, you'll see Skadi deploy stage hazards called Isharmla's tears around the battlefield. These tears charge Skadi's SP, but they can be blocked by placing an operator over them. The operator will take 500 True damage every time the tears attempt to charge Skadi, but they'll also block her SP gain.

It's critical to stop these tears because Skadi's transformation costs 120 SP, but each tear if successful grants skadi a whopping 25 SP every 3 seconds. If all the tears are blocked however, Skadi only gets 1 SP per second like a typical operator and will take two whole minutes to transform.

You can treat Skadi's transformation into Isharmla's Leviathan form as a more dangerous version of Big Sad Lock's shield, in that you cannot progress with the bossfight without DPSing this phase of the boss before they make too much progress. While in BSL's case the shield bought it time to regenerate HP, Isharmla's Leviathan form wastes your time AND wastes your defense by being a very powerful enemy that deals 1000 True damage per attack to 3 operators at once every time it attacks, all while continuing on the same path Skadi takes towards the blue gate. Killing the boss in this form will only revert him back to Skadi's body, though you still get to keep your progress over her HP pool.

Skadi's a very tanky enemy. She has 90k HP, 1.2k DEF, and 70 base RES, so the strongest Skadi slayers are units with very high physical damage per hit. Spinach relic users are very strong picks, Cutter especially is extremely good at ripping chunks out of her healthbar with S1.

In Leviathan form though, Skadi has only 360 DEF and half health (45k HP), so very high DPS units with much lower DPH (like Marksmen) can take down the Leviathan form very quickly. A unit dedicated to taking down the Leviathan is a good backup plan to have, because below 50% HP it actually becomes really hard to keep Skadi from transforming since so many tears keep spawning.

#arknights

[publicopinionrp]

Some of my favorite citzens of Tinred, my current fort.

Baron Bembul is not the Baron of Tinred. When I was at 20 dwarves, I suddenly got the notification that he had inherited the barony of a completely different place and suddenly I had to give him noble accomodations. Son of a bitch is absolutely nuts about figurines. Figurines are normally my favorite trade chaff because I like to check them for interesting historical figures and events, but now they're basically never legal to export and when they are I worry about trading them because he might change his mind. Every time he mandates the production of figures I make them of bad things happening to him, just out of spite. When I went to check his description he really was just carrying two in each hand.

Erush is one of my initial 7 and is my broker, which she probably hates because she dislikes commerce. She is absolutely disgusted by merrymakers and finds artwork boring, so she's probably not a fan of the giant engraved tavern either. When an ettin showed up while she was at the depot, she ignored the burrow activation to go and fight it and managed to hold her own just fine until the militia came and dismantled it. She is the height of fashion wearing a dress, a toga, and a skirt all at once.

Sigun is another of the initial 7 and is notable for having the rare dream of ruling the world. I fucked up by not making her the baroness when we got elevated. She loves power over others and wants a world that operates in complete harmony without strife or disorder. Her good quality is that seeing one of the fort members die gave her a respect for sacrifice. She is also wearing 7 earrings,

Lefty is one of the fort's humans, an old treasure hunter who loves peace. No idea how she lost that arm, it's on my notepad as something to check in legends once the fort wraps up. She's a legendary butcher and member of the fort's farmers guild and has hung around the tavern enough to flawlessly perform one of my civ's poems, an ode to alcoholic beverages that's an extremely long series of quintains. Each line of the quintain is only two syllables long, so making something that fits that form and is actually about something is pretty impressive.

Asmel was the only member of the militia to suffer an injury when a cyclops showed up. It punched her in the head and exploded her cheek, leaving her with a massive scar. Currently infected but she's incredibly tough so I have faith she'll pull through. She also works as a scribe, and has a weird pre-Tinred history of being a bookkeeper for and then a prisoner in another fort (going to go out on a limb and guess she was an embezzler), then joined a performance troupe before settling down and then immigrating to Tinred where she gets to beat things with a mace. She's not the only criminal in the mace squad, the leader handed an artifact over to a necromancer but he took his beating and I forgave him because he's incredibly skilled with a mace. He can earn the respect back by continuing to risk his life in defense of the fort.

#dwarf fortress #art #fantasy #dwarf