#(sprocket 50)

[duck-in-the-universe]

I think it's funny when robots in fiction are just,,, super old and they outlive multiple generations of humans and are kinda treated as functionally immortal but irl tech is like "Your car is 20 years old???" or "I get a new smart phone every two years!"

Lemme see old ass bots who are mocked for being all ancient and outmoded and then when someone asks "How old are you??" it turns out they're like five.

[melgillman]

Next Tuesday 11/26 at Silver Sprocket, I'm going to be teaching a workshop on Fairy Tale and Fable Comics! Come join us to learn about fable and fairy tale comics, and draw an original one of your own! The class has a $0-50 sliding scale fee (with no one turned away for lack of funds), and there's still time to sign up on Silver Sprocket's website. Hope to see you there, Bay Area folks!

[olderthannetfic]

Can confirm as someone into that scene too that music/punk/feminist/activist zines still use the old school printer aesthetic for newly created zines. If you go to stores that sell that stuff (like Silver Sprocket in the Bay Area, but there’s also a fair amount on Etsy) they still look like that. It’s largely fandom where “zine” now means glossy artbook or whatever that costs $50+

On Etsy it’s actually interesting how if you go even on a store that primarily sells fandom stuff, if they have a zine they sell that’s about some topic that’s closer to activism or whatever (e.g. queerness or neurodiversity or self care) it’ll be in the old 90s printer zine style. (And a lot of those are still pretty cheap, it just depends on where you look for those.)

--

Yeah, for sure! I ran around to various coffee shops, bookstores, music stores, etc. to get zine pics here, and there are still a lot of new oldschool ones around. (RIP the old Cody's Books and its huge zine rack. ;__;)

The zines I find current fans are most unfamiliar with are old fic ones. People generally know that there were K/S zines in the 70s, but they imagine them to look like either punk zines or modern artbook zines depending on what they're familiar with.

[hirocimacruiser]

Pit Road M 6G72 engine packages.

MFR Fighter SPECIAL ENGINE

TD06-20G•8cm²

Twin turbo specification

Engine model……………………6G72

3100cc

At boost pressure 2.0kgf/cm²

output 800ps

torque 88. 7kg-m

M Lightweight forged piston

M Lightweight reinforced valve spring

M-Camshaft IN66/EX66

M cam sprocket

M H cross section connecting rod 2 Trust TD-06SL2・20G 8cm²

Trust waste gate S×2

M SPL 3 layer prefix intercooler

M SPL Port polishing Combustion chamber processing

M SPL16 stage oil cooler

M aluminum intake pipe

Nismo pump modified power amplifier

M big 1000cc injector

HKS Twin Power

M Earthing System

M plug cord 8mm

M aluminum 3 layer radiator

M thermostat

M-SPL engine damper

__________________________________________

T88 33D 18cm²

Big single specification

Engine model........6G72

At boost pressure 1.8kgf/cm²

Power 750ps

Torque....85.2kg-m

M Lightweight forged piston

M Lightweight reinforced valve spring

M Camshaft IN66/EX66

M cam sprocket

MH section connecting rod

Trust wastegate type c x2

Trust T88・33D-18cm² x 1

M SPL 3 layer prefix intercooler

M-SPL port polishing Combustion chamber processing

M SPL16 stage oil cooler

TM aluminum intake hive

・NISMO pump modified

M big 1000cc injector

M surge tank 90 throttle

M earthing system

M frac cord 8mm

M aluminum 3 layer radiator

M・Thermostat

M-SPL engine damper

_____________________________________________

MFR fighter

M-SPL Triple Layer Twin Intercooler Kit

NEW!

Three-layer type R core. Comes with silicone hose band. 50~60ф in~80ф out. Completely shiny bub finish. Supports everything from boost up to full tune.

Best in performance and beauty! ¥248,000

[snufflysam]

'Sprocket Spies The Fraggles' 50 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, 1983

Finally put together this puzzle from my Fraggle Rock collection and took photos to share with all o' you!!

[diabolus1exmachina]

Maserati  A6G/54 Spider by Frua (1 of 10). 

From 1954 Maserati offered the final edition of the A6G sports car. As with its predecessor, the sales designation 2000 GT was frequently used in brochures and advertisements. On the race tracks of the World Sports Car Championship, the corresponding offshoots were called A6GCS. By 1957, only 60 Maserati A6G/54 cars had been built, with the bodies being exclusively built by external coachbuilders such as Allemano, Zagato and Frua. 

So the A6G/54 presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1954 had to meet high expectations. On the one hand, its driving performance was to clearly exceed that of its direct predecessor. On the other hand, Maserati naturally also wanted to increase its production figures again. And last but not least, there was direct competition with Ferrari, an up-and-coming company that had been enticing customers by building sports cars in the immediate vicinity since 1947. Accordingly, the engineers under Gioacchino Colombo began to thorougly rework the two-liter inline six-cylinder engine. Compared to the A6G, the ratio of bore to stroke was changed, turning a long stroke engine into a short stroke engine with two overhead camshafts. Compared to the A6GCS, Maserati used a chain instead of sprockets to drive the camshafts in the A6G/54 to improve reliability in everyday use. These measures increased the revs and thus the power output, which in this case was around 50 percent higher than that of the predecessor. Expressed in figures, 110 kW/150 hp was initially available, later even 118 kW/160 hp thanks to dual ignition.

As already mentioned at the beginning, Maserati at that time only produced the engines, transmissions and the tubular frame made of steel tubes including suspensions for the A6G/54. Then they sent the components to the coachbuilder selected by the individual customer. The official brochures offered a choice of four bodies. Tipo A and Tipo B came from Frua, Tipo C from Allemano and Tipo D from Zagato. Pinin Farina had previously fitted various A6 and A6G chassis, but then fell out of favour with Maserati when they entered into close cooperation with Ferrari. Only for the A6GCS, a few bodies were still being built there at the request of Maserati dealer Mimmo Dei.

This dealer was also the one who started the ball rolling for the A6G/54 Frua Spider. After a Spider based on a A6GCS chassis with the engine of the A6G/54 was completed in Pietro Frua’s workshop in the spring of 1955, Mimmo Dei ordered a small series of ten vehicles. However, only the first one was given the same design as the original model. The other nine were given an extended front and other modifications in detail. Different bumpers and small fake air intakes on the rear fenders for example.

[falselyprofound]

Got tagged by @geist19 in one of those "shuffle your playlist" thingos, so I decided to turn it into my art warmup for the day! All of the above were doodled during the duration of the song(s).

Playlist under the cut.

ODDLOOP by Frederic (4:22): Hat and Albin fleeing from the horrors in their own ways.

Hatchet Town from Nerdy Prudes Must Die (3:40): Bernard's students sure do love spreading rumors about him. His friend Alice doesn't take it well.

Donna's Theme from The Runaway Bride (3:14): Vinny engaging in a spot of arson.

A Sardine Grows from the Soil by (2:50): Daniel David Dalton, a retired supervillain, contemplates distant destruction on his way to his dayjob.

Raiko Taiko Disco from Taiko no Tatsujin (2:22): I have never played Touhou. there's a rabbit girl right

Goodbye Declaration by Chinozo (2:51): Sprocket doin' the thing, because he too is a professional shut-in. (Can you tell I was grinding for Taiko's 2nd Kyu while making this playlist yet)

Train Rush from A Hat In Time (4:57): Ingrid realises Haas really is just that good of a painter.

Saitama 2000 from Taiko no Tatsujin (1:54): "8-Ball" calls in late to work. (Again can you tell I was grinding for 2nd Kyu--)

A Million Gruesome Ways to Die from Billie Bust-Up (3:26): Dasha, a fear demon currently possessing a mattress store! ...She's a lot nicer than she looks, I promise.

Luminaire by FM Skyline (4:16): The roof of Video Nine is the only place Clarissa and Joseph can catch a break most days.

[siriuslynettey]

See Previous Chapter Here!

PLATINUM

[The Last Pater]

Defence Against The Dark Humans

[Chapter 4]

The children throughout the Gryffindor commons woke up and started to prepare for their first day of classes. The night prior, Jas and Ophelia raced to a room together, placing their suitcases on two neighbouring beds. The room they picked had three beds and the other was occupied by a girl called Willow, whom they were not able to get to know, due to how tired they were after dinner.

Ophelia had eight classes, all of which she shared with Jas, and six of which she shared Gallagher:

Breakfast is at 7:30 am till 8:50 am.

Lunch is at 11:45 am till 12:45 pm.

Dinner is at 7:35 pm till 8:35 pm.

Students in their dormitories by 10:00 pm.

MONDAY

Class 1: 9:00 am till 9:45 am: Charms

Class 2: 9:55 am till 10:40 am: Potions {without Gallagher}

Class 3: 10:50 am till 11:35 am: Defence Against the Dark Arts

Class 4: 12:55 pm till 1:40 pm: History of Magic

1:50 pm till 7:25 pm: Free Time

TUESDAY

Class 1: 9:00 am till 9:45 am: Free Period

Class 2: 9:55 am till 10:40 am: Astronomy

Class 3: 10:50 am till 11:35 am: Defence Against The Dark Arts

Class 4: 12:55 pm till 1:40 pm: Flying

1:50 pm till 7:25 pm: Free Time

WEDNESDAY

9:00 am till 11:35 am: Free Time

Class 1: 12:55 pm till 1:40 pm: Transfiguration

Class 2: 1:50 pm till 2:35 pm: Herbology {without Gallagher}

Class 3: 2:45 pm till 3:30 pm: Defence Against The Dark Arts

3:40 pm till 7:25 pm: Free Time

THURSDAY

Class 1: 9:00 am till 9:45 am: Potions {without Gallagher}

9:55 am till 11:35 am: History of Magic

1:50 pm till 3:30 pm: Transfiguration

Class 2: 3:40 pm till 4:25 pm: Flying

FRIDAY

Class 1: 9:00 am till 9:45 am: History of Magic

Class 2: 9:55 am till 10:40 am: Free Period

Class 3: 10:50 am till 11:35 am: Herbology {without Gallagher}

Class 4: 12:55 pm till 1:40 pm: Charms

1:50 pm till 7:25 pm: Free Time

SATURDAY

Quidditch Game: 2:45 pm till end of game.

SUNDAY

Free Day

After getting dressed in their uniforms, Jas and Ophelia meet Gallagher in the Gryffindor common room before making their way to their first class.

“How does anyone make it to their classrooms on time in this huge castle?” Gallagher thought out loud as they walked down their 4th, long, stone hallway. Other kids walked beside the group of three. The first years walked with haste, racing to their classes with their books in hand, which looked comically large compared to their petite bodies.

They arrived at their Charms class and found 3 three seats right next to each other. A large orange cat unexpectingley jumped on their desk, causing them to flinch.

“Sprocket, come now, get down.” A person at the front of the class called to the cat. The cat, who they now knew was named Sprocket, leaped off the table and pranced towards the front of the class.

"Ah, good day, everyone!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, his voice high-pitched but warm. "I am Professor Flitwick, and I will be your Charms professor this year." He gave a little bow as he spoke. "Ahem, yes, yes—please do make yourselves comfortable." He paused for a moment as the students settled in, then, with a pleased smile, reached down and carefully scooped up the scruffy cat. "And this," he continued, holding the cat aloft, "is Sprocket."

He placed the cat gently in a tiny chair beside a matching tiny desk, its nameplate engraved, spelling out the name Sprocket. "A fine little assistant, he is," Flitwick added, beaming with pride. "He’s here to help demonstrate some of the more… playful aspects of our lessons!" He turned back to the class, his eyes twinkling behind his spectacles.

"Now then, shall we begin?"

Charms class ended and Jas and Ophelia made their way to their Potions class, while Gallagher went to his Herbology class.

“Ugh, Snape is the Potions professor.” Jas scoffed in disgust,

“Is he not a good teacher?” Ophelia asked, not being familiar with Professor Snape.

“You know, for someone who’s dad is a Professor AND went to Hogwarts, you don’t know a lot of the Magic world.” Jas chuckled. “Does your dad not tell you anything about Hogwarts?”

“Mmm, not really. I didn’t even know he was a wizard until I was like 6 or 7. He never really liked talking about his past in general.” Ophelia replied, shrugging her shoulders.

“Wow, the moment we found out my oldest brother was one, our family never shut up about magic.”

Jas’ observation about Ophelia’s lack of knowledge of the wizarding world made her start to think. She thought back to one of her first memories, sitting in their living room, toys surrounding her as Remus cooked them dinner. As soon as her young mind had grown bored of the toys around her she looked towards her favourite stuffed animal, a patchwork teddy bear she took everywhere. The normally inanimate bear started to slowly levitate in the air, then flew towards her, its nose rapidly moving between each of her cheeks in a friendly kissing motion. The young girl erupted with giggles at her favourite toy giving her kisses.

Remus, who was focused on the food he was preparing, smiled at his daughter's adorable laugh. He soon looked over to Ophelia and his smile immediately dropped at the sight of the floating teddy bear.

He quickly ran over to Ophelia and grabbed the bear, ripping it away from her. His facial expression was one that little Ophelia had never seen before. A mix of fear, shock, and anger.

“Ophelia…we don’t…you can’t do that.” He stuttered to the 4 year old.

Her eyebrows furrowed thinking back to the memory, she had never really taken the time to ponder why her dad was so against speaking of magic but was quick to become a teacher at Hogwarts.

“So what’s wrong with Snape?” Ophelia asked, as they were nearing Snape's class.

“I’m not sure, I just remember both of my brothers coming home every break and saying he had a stick stuck up his…and don’t tell my parents I said this…ass….and that he has greasy hair.” Both of the girls cackled, the sound reverberating through the echoing halls.

“What does that even mean?” Ophelia asked between laughs.

“I don’t really know.” Jas replied, also through her continuous laughs.

The girls arrived at Professor Snape’s class, sitting next to each other trying to get a glimpse of his “greasy hair”, while also trying not to make eye contact with him.

"Well, well, look who we have here. The cotton bud hair girl in our class." Ophelia and Jas looked behind them to see Judas and Acacia Kincaid and their snarky slytherin buddies behind them. “She can blind traffic with that hair!” Judas exclaimed, making fun of Ophelia’s platinum white hair.

“Sit down. Take out your books.” Professor Snape demanded with his deep timbre voice, saving Ophelia and Jas from having to get into a conflict with the Kincaid twins

The moment all the student’s books were on the table, Professor Snape waved his hand and every book slammed open to the same page, making each student jolt back.

“Jeez, what a nice introduction.” Ophelia whispered to Jas.

“I apologise, did you perhaps wish to introduce yourself to the class?" Snape drawled, his dark eyes narrowing.

“I, um, no…sorry.” Ophelia stuttered, not realising Snape was behind her when she made her remark.

"There is no need, Miss Lupin," Snape sneered, his lip curling as he uttered her name with obvious distaste. He took a step closer, lowering his voice until it was a whisper, his teeth visibly clenched. "This is your first day. Your second class. I would strongly advise against earning the ire of your professors so soon." He paused, his black eyes locking onto hers with an unsettling intensity. "Your father’s position will not earn you special treatment here, no matter how familiar you might think you are with this school."

But I know I’m not familiar with this school, Ophelia thought, but stayed quiet. The only thing that could be heard in the room was her heavy, shaky breaths. Snape slowly walked away with his arms crossed across and his black robe slightly trailing behind him.

Professor Snape began his lesson, introducing the students to potions, potion brewing, and not “making a fool of yourself” in his class (he gave Ophelia a glance when he explained that one). Not one child dared to even breathe the wrong way. Jas and Ophelia didn’t even glance at each other until they were well out of the classroom.

“I told you.” Jas said just above a whisper.

“I didn’t think he would be that bad that quickly.” Ophelia replied, exhaling the large breath she didn’t realise she was holding in.

“At least we have your dad next, he seems cool.” Ophelia nodded, knowing her dad wouldn’t give her any special treatment, but that he also wouldn’t insult her in front of the entire class. “And he washes his hair!” Jas added, checking behind her to make sure Snape wasn’t following them.

They arrived at the Defence Against The Dark Arts classroom. Remus was organizing papers at his desk, a small furrow in his eyebrows as he focused. Without any hesitation, Ophelia walked to the front of the classroom, Jas and Gallagher following behind her, and sat at the first desk parallel to Remus’ desk.

The classroom was cozy and dimly lit, but not in a way that made the first-year students feel uncomfortable. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books, jars of mysterious substances, and what appeared to be odd instruments. A fireplace crackled gently at one end of the room, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

“Good morning class,” He welcomed everyone, turning towards the class and seeing Ophelia front and center. To avoid embarrassing her, he gave her a small smile before introducing himself to the class. “I'm Professor Lupin, and I’ll be your instructor for Defense Against the Dark Arts this year.” He gave a small, reassuring nod, as if acknowledging that some of them might be nervous. "I know this subject can sound a bit... intimidating, but I assure you, we’ll take things one step at a time. My goal is for all of you to leave this class with the skills to protect yourselves—not to frighten you, but to empower you."

He paused, scanning the room with a kind, understanding gaze. "I’m sure you’ll have plenty of questions, and I’ll be happy to answer them as we go along. But, first and foremost, I want you all to feel comfortable here. So, if there’s anything you don’t understand or if you need help, please don’t hesitate to ask."

He smiled again, his eyes bright. "Now then, let's get started, shall we?"

“Now, I know many of you might already have some preconceived ideas about this subject. Perhaps you think we’ll be learning about dragons, or how to battle giant spiders, or maybe you’re hoping for some very exciting lessons with dark magic.” He chuckled lightly, seeing some of their eyes widen at the mention of dragons.

“Well,” he continued, his smile never wavering, “you’ll learn about creatures and curses, certainly. But the most important thing I want to emphasize is that this class is about protection. You will not learn how to curse or harm others. We will focus on how to defend yourselves from dark magic, and more importantly, how to recognize the threat before it’s too late. It’s not just about knowing the spells—it's about understanding the danger and reacting quickly."

He glanced around the room, making sure to catch each of their eyes.

“This year, we’ll cover a range of topics. We’ll start with basic defensive charms and protection spells, before moving on to more advanced techniques as you gain confidence. We’ll also spend some time on how to recognize when something—whether it’s a creature, a curse, or even a person—becomes a real threat."

There was a slight pause, and Lupin's expression became a little more serious. He took a breath, leaning forward slightly as if to speak on a more personal level.

“You’ll also need to be aware of something very important this year: Defense Against the Dark Arts is not always about facing things—it’s about understanding people, too. Dark magic doesn’t always come from creatures in the Forbidden Forest or the dark places of the world. Sometimes, it comes from places you might not expect." His eyes flicked briefly over to Ophelia, seeing her watch intensely, making sure to approach his next point with caution. He thought before he continued.

“Humans, unfortunately, can be as, if not more, unpredictable than the darkest magic, even the one who you love and care about,” He took another pause. “And that means your defense isn’t just about the spells or creatures you’ll face—it’s about how you deal with people who may choose to use magic for darker purposes. That’s something we will talk about as the year goes on. For now, just know that the most dangerous magic is often that which comes from a person’s choices, not the wand they carry.” He gave the students a moment to absorb this.

“Like Sirius Black?” A student blurted out from the back.

"I see we’re getting ahead of ourselves," Professor Lupin said, his voice steady, though there was a brief flicker of something in his eyes at the mention of Sirius Black. "Yes, someone like that... someone who makes choices to use magic in dark ways."

He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and carefully gathering his thoughts before continuing. "But, for now, I ask you to focus on the principle behind it. Dark magic can come in many forms, and those who choose to wield it, like any other individual, must be studied in the context of their actions, not just their past."

Lupin’s tone remained calm, but his gaze momentarily sharpened. "This is why it’s essential to understand the difference between the magic itself and the intentions of the person casting it. That, I’m afraid, is often the hardest part to defend against."

"But Sirius Black isn't a threat to us, he's just a nutty prison escapee." Another student called out. Ophelia looked back and forth between the student and her father, remembering back to the train ride. How scared she was, how scared her father was. It definitely didn’t feel like her father thought Sirius Black wasn’t a threat.

"I would be very careful with your choice of words, Mr. Fawcett," he said, his voice soft but firm. "Sirius Black is a very dangerous individual, and it would be unwise to underestimate the threat he poses."

He paused for a moment, watching the student with a steady gaze before continuing. "A prisoner’s escape, regardless of their state of mind, is not something to be taken lightly. The fact that he’s on the loose means that he is actively avoiding capture, which, as I’m sure you can understand, makes him a threat to everyone—not just to Hogwarts, but to the wizarding world as a whole. It is the unpredictability of people—of anyone, really—that makes them dangerous. And that unpredictability is something we will explore in this class." He continued to outwardly contains his composure.

"So we will be learning about him? About the threat he poses? About how to defend ourselves against him?" Ophelia blurted out, surprising both herself and Remus.

Remus glanced at his daughter, his expression slightly softening. He took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully.

“I understand your concern, Miss Lupin,” he said, his voice steady but softer than usual. “But, while Sirius Black is indeed a dangerous individual, he is not the focus of this class." He paused for a moment, as if weighing his next words, then continued, his gaze sweeping the room, addressing everyone. Some of the students who were with Ophelia in Snape’s class stared at her, connecting the dots that Professor Lupin was her father.

“Our primary goal here is to prepare you for a range of potential threats—both magical and human. It’s important to understand that defense is not just about fighting creatures or casting spells—it’s about anticipating danger, understanding when and how a threat might appear, and knowing how to protect yourself." He explained, trying his best to avoid the ‘Sirius Black’ aspect of the questions.

He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod toward his daughter before shifting back to his usual calm, measured tone.

“If, in the course of your studies, you encounter information about individuals like Sirius Black, or other criminals who might use magic for dark purposes, we’ll certainly discuss how to defend against such threats. But your focus should remain on the skills you need to protect yourself. We cannot control every danger that exists, but we can control how well we prepare for it.”

Lupin allowed a brief pause, the weight of the subject hanging in the air. He then gently moved the class forward, sensing that lingering on the topic wouldn’t help anyone.

Remus’ class finished and all of the students rushed to get to lunch. Ophelia turned to Jas and Gallagher as they got prepared to walk to the dining hall and told them she would catch up after talking to her dad.

“You’re staying behind, Phie?” Remus asked gently, making sure he said his nickname for her quietly, his voice warm but with a hint of concern. His daughter had a habit of keeping quiet, but lingering, when something was on her mind, as if there were more she wanted to ask, but wasn't sure how to.

Ophelia hesitated for a moment before standing, walking slowly toward him, her eyes flicking down to the floor as she approached.

“I… I wanted to talk about what you said in class,” she began, her voice a little shaky. She looked up at him with wide, uncertain eyes. “About Sirius Black…you didn’t really say much about him, or who he is…you never do.”

Remus froze for a split second, his heart tightening in his chest. He had hoped to keep the topic of Sirius at bay for a while longer, especially with Ophelia, but he knew this moment would come eventually. His daughter wasn’t stupid—she could sense something was off. He knew he couldn’t explain everything, if anything, to her, but he could try to ease her growing worries. He took a breath and gave her a soft, reassuring smile.

“Ophelia,” he said quietly, choosing his words carefully. “I understand you're worried. I know you’ve heard a lot about Sirius Black, but right now, it's not something you need to focus on. Your safety here at Hogwarts is my top priority.” He reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “There’s no reason to be afraid of him right now, alright? He’s not going to hurt you. Just remember what I said in class: focus on what you can control—the things you can defend against. Not the things you can’t.”

Ophelia bit her lip, clearly not entirely convinced. She knew he was trying to calm her down, but the unease in her chest wasn’t so easily soothed. She opened her mouth to ask more, but Remus’s expression grew a little firmer.

“Ophelia, you don’t need to worry about Sirius right now.” His voice was still gentle but started to become stern. “I’ll handle that, alright? You focus on your lessons and let me take care of the rest.”

She hesitated but nodded, forcing back her questions. She wanted to ask him why Sirius Black was so dangerous, and why he wasn’t saying more, but she could tell from his expression that he wasn’t going to answer those questions now.

Remus gave her an encouraging smile. “I know it’s a lot to process. It’s new and overwhelming, but Hogwarts will become familiar to you, I promise. Now, how were your first two classes? Charms and Potions—how did they go?”

She let out a small sigh and began to recount her day, her nervousness fading a little as she spoke about her classes.

“Well, Charms was okay… Professor Flitwick is cool. He’s funny,” she said, her voice lightening. “He’s not scary, which is good. He’s a lot more enthusiastic than I thought he’d be. He has this little cat, Sprocket, who has his own desk….but Potions…” Ophelia’s voice dropped as she started to recount the events in Snape’s classroom.

She shifted uncomfortably, clearly recalling the tension of the class, but she knew if there was anyone she could talk to about it, it was her dad. “It was horrible. There were these two Slytherins, Judas and Acacia, and they just… made fun of me. They were talking about my hair, in front of the whole class.”

Her voice faltered a bit, and Remus’s expression tightened, though he kept his tone neutral. He hated hearing about his daughter being picked on.

“I see,” he murmured, taking in her words. “And what did you do?”

Ophelia shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. “I just… didn’t say anything. Professor Snape came in before I could. And then Snape—” She rolled her eyes, causing Remus to chuckle. He had seen too many people rolling their eyes after saying Severus Snapes’ name. “He’s…really mean. He yelled at me in front of the class.” She held back, knowing any stronger words would get her in trouble with her father.

Remus’s eyes sharpened, but he didn’t interrupt her. He already knew Snape’s tendency to make first years feel small, but this was his daughter, if they weren’t colleagues, and if he didn’t have any interest in continuing to be a professor, he would storm down to Snape’s class without any hesitation.

“I’m sorry, love,” he said quietly, his voice gentle. “But you handled it well, didn’t you? You didn’t get into a fight. You just… got through it. That’s what matters.” He assured her, trying to look in the bright side himself.

Ophelia nodded, though she still looked a bit shaken. “Yeah… but then he told me that my dad’s position wouldn’t get me special treatment here. Which... is obvious, but still made me feel stupid.”

There was a long pause. Remus, though, kept his voice calm and steady as he spoke, though his jaw tightened slightly at the mention of Snape’s words.

“Snape thrives off of making students feel uncomfortable. But don’t take it personally. You’re here to learn, not to impress anyone.” He gave her a warm smile, trying to reassure her. “And you’re doing just fine.”

Ophelia looked up at him, her eyes a bit more steady now, though there was still the lingering hint of nervousness. “Thanks, Dad,” she said quietly.

“Anytime,” Remus replied, ruffling her hair gently. “Now, I think it’s time you go have your lunch. I’m sure your next classes will be much better, and I’ll be here if you need to talk, alright?”

“Yeah, love you, see you later.” Ophelia gave Remus a tight hug before walking towards the door.

“Love you too Phie, everything will be okay.”

Ophelia turned her head back and gave one last smile, still not fully believing her dad.

Remus stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door. He had to be strong for her. He had to protect her, even if that meant hiding the truth, hiding just how dangerous things were.

He pressed his fingers to his temples for a moment, his head beginning to ache.

The hardest part wasn’t seeing his daughter struggle or even dealing with the harsh words from the likes of Snape. No, it was knowing that he couldn’t tell her what was really at stake, that he couldn’t tell her why she should be scared. Because if he did, it might break her in ways she wasn’t ready for.

The danger wasn’t just about Sirius Black anymore. It was about how close the threat was, and how little he could tell her to prepare her for it.

[moonlit-lina]

"I know it hurts. No one asks to be left behind. But in a hundred years, when you and I are both long gone, any time someone threads a frame of yours through a sprocket, you will be alive again. You see what that means? One day, every person on every film shot this year will be dead. And one day, all those films will be pulled from the vaults, and all their ghosts will dine together, and adventure together, go to the jungle, to war together. A child born in 50 years will stumble across your image flickering on a screen and feel he knows you, like... like a friend, though you breathed your last before he breathed his first. You’ve been given a gift. Be grateful. Your time today is through, but you’ll spend eternity with angels and ghosts"

[an-unusual-ac-adventure]

Update on the new island again. I finally figured out how to transfer several things from my original island to the new one. And with all of that settled, I finally did a proper villager hunt. I haven’t done one of these in a very, very long time. I believe the last time I did one was with Tiffany a few years back.

I originally wanted a cranky villager or a snooty villager. I even made a list of who I wanted. So for the cranky villagers, I wanted either Ike, Static, Marlo, Lobo, or Walt. And for the snooty villagers I wanted either Petri, Pecan, Freya, or Vivian. However, things didn’t turn out how I expected.

Here’s what happened.

This is villager hunt #1

1. Bertha

2. Tabby

3. Nan

4. Mathilda

5. Amelia (also money rock island)

I was really surprised that I ran into money rock island this early.

6. Gruff

7. Quinn

8. Octavian

9. Ione

10. Sly

11. Rodeo

12. Kidd

13. Biff

14. Hornsby

15. Beau

16. Keaton

17. Wade

18. Rocket

19. Soleil

20. Robin

21. Tutu

22. Tank

23. Tia

24. Pekoe

25. Diva

26. Mallary

27. Bree

28. Rolf (He’s a permanent resident on my original island) ((I forgot to take a picture of this 😭))

29. Sprocket 

30. Skye

31. Clay

32. Azalea

33. Fang

34. Fang (again!)

35. Lyman

36. Tipper

37. Bianca

38. Bertha (again)

39. Maelle

40. Frita

41. Hopkins

42. Apollo

43. Patty

44. Beau (again)

45. Tank (again)

46. Olivia

47. Wolfgang

48. Ursula

49. Mott (money rock island again)

50. Hornsby (again)

51. Gladys

52. Vic

53. Daisy - Daisy is one of my dream villagers that I really wanted and I got super excited when I saw her. So I invited her to my island.

I then skipped to the next day and she is finally here!

Now here is the thing. I accidentally placed down TWO vacant home lots instead of one before I went villager hunting and the second lot had autofilled. This autofill really took me by surprise and it was a very nice one too.

Yep, Mac is coming back and I am super happy! (For those who don’t know, Mac was a resident on my original island for quite sometime before he had moved away.) I had really missed him and I can’t wait for him to show up. (But now I have two dogs on the island lol)

I did another villager hunt after I put down another lot. That will be in part 2. So stayed tuned!

[fictionalafvsmybeloved]

"Tankette" from Spore. (I do not expect you to have this on hand, so i have provided images.)

Oh, What is this abomination that you have brought upon my door-step?

This is a half-track, that is fairly obvious, but I can't pick out any inspiration other then the presence of some '50s era chrome accents on the front fender.

Half-Tracks fell out of style almost immediately after WWII, being replaced by non-hybrid vehicles. There are more than a few problems with its chassis, so I'll be brief with them. There is no drive sprocket, the central suspension element isn't connected to anything, there are no intermediate road wheels, the track pieces are crude, and the front wheel guard blocks them from steering the vehicle.

I can tell from a single look at this that it probably has paper thin armor.

And now for the strange armament it carries. Its primary weapon is a small cannon (that looks like it's a WWI antique) mounted in the super-structure. And it has.... five, fixed frontally firing machine-guns... This is a land vehicle, not a pursuit fighter. Fixed frontally firing machine-guns have appeared on various vehicles though-out the history of armored vehicles, but two is generally no more than and ALMOST ALWAYS ON A VEHICLE THAT CAN TURN ON THE SPOT.

The fields of view from this thing have got to be terrible. You'd be able to see fine out the front with the front view port, but you have less than slits for the diver, and only grates in the back for the commander and gunnery crew.

Depending on how big the vehicle is (and on the shape of the crew) number of crew could be anywhere from two-to-five.

And to finish off, there is only one (big) hatch at the back, two handles, and no hooks or maintenance access points.

FINAL SCORES

Credibility: 1/10 - 3 year olds Crayon Drawing

Coolness: 2/10 - Ghana’s Latest Prototype

BONUS

one of these will be entertaining for you

[animalcrossingshowdown]

Round 2 least popular villager results:

Reminder that the villager who got the LEAST votes moves on for least popular. Round 3 will start on Tuesday April 4th

Biggest sweeps (85% and over):

Yodel 5.6% / Winnie 94.4% (Yodel twice in a row getting the lowest percentage)

Louie 8.6% / Lobo 91.4%

Boyd 8.9% / Boris 91.1%

Al 9.3% / Alfonso 90.7%

Rizzo 12.7% / Robin 87.3%

Closest Matches (55% and under):

Filbert 45.1% / Felicity 54.9%

Tiansheng 45.2% / Tex 54.8%

Filly 45.5% / Flip 54.5%

Spork/Crackle 45.5% / Sprocket 54.5%

Tammi 46% / Tabby 54%

Nibbles 46.1% / Naomi 53.9%

June 46.2% / Judy 53.8%

Petunia 46.2% / Penelope 53.8%

Broccolo 46.3% / Broffina 53.7%

Axel 46.4% / Ava 53.6%

Chadder 47.4% / Champ 52.6%

Jacob 47.4% / Inkwell 52.6%

Alli 47.6% / Analog 52.4%

Dora 48.3% / Doc 51.7%

Plucky 48.3% / Pompom 51.7%

Klaus 49.1% / Kody 50.9%

Cyrano 49.2% / Deena 50.8%

Iggly 49.6% / Ike 50.4%

Yuka 49.7% / Zoe 50.3%

Sven 50% / Sue E 50% (Sue E technically had more votes, though it was close enough to read as 50/50)

Middle of the pack:

Limberg 15.1% / Liz 84.9%

Moose 15.1% / Monique 84.9%

Chico 15.6% / Chester 84.4%

Barold 16.3% / Beardo 83.7%

Clara 16.5% / Claudia 83.5%

Sylvia 16.6% / Sydney 83.4%

Sandy 16.8% / Savannah 83.2%

Quillson 17.2% / Queenie 82.8%

Pigleg 17.7% / Piper 82.3%

Tiara 17.8% / Timbra 82.2%

Gruff 18.1% / Groucho 81.9%

Prince 18.1% / Poncho 81.9%

Jambette 20.2% / Jay 79.8%

Paula 20.6% / Peanut 79.4%

Ricky 20.9% / Rhonda 79.1%

Rory 21.5% / Roswell 78.5%

Elise 21.7% / Egbert 78.3%

Cesar 21.9% / Cece 78.1%

Mott 22.8% / Murphy 77.2%

Rocket 23.1% / Rod 76.9%

Croque 23.4% / Cranston 76.6%

Benedict 23.6% / Becky 76.4%

Charlise 23.6% / Cheri 76.4%

Weldon 23.6% / Willow 76.4%

Hippeux 24% / Holden 76%

Emerald 24.1% / Étoile 75.9%

Twirp 25.2% / Twiggy 74.8%

Gigi 25.5% / Gloria 74.5%

Rasher 26.3% / Quinn 73.7%

Harry 26.8% / Hector 73.2%

Graham 27% / Gonzo 73%

Leigh 27% / Leonardo 73%

Cashmere 27.3% / Carrie 72.7%

Sheldon 28% / Shari 72%

Flossie 28.2% / Francine 71.8%

Peewee 28.4% / Peggy 71.6%

Astrid 28.8% / Aurora 71.2%

Annalise 29% / Antonio 71%

Midge 29.2% / Merry 70.8%

Truffles 29.3% / Toby 70.7%

Aziz 30.1% / Bangle 69.9%

Curly 30.1% / Cupcake 69.9%

Candi 30.4% / Carmen 69.6%

Vladimir 30.4% / W. Link 69.6%

Bitty 30.7% / Bill 69.3%

Derwin 30.7% / Del 69.3%

Admiral 31.4% / Agent S 68.6%

Puck 31.4% / Pudge 68.6%

Rowan 31.7% / Sally 68.3%

Anicotti 32.1% / Angus 67.9%

Huck 32.7% / Hopper 67.3%

Marcy 33.3% / Marcel 66.7%

Dozer 33.4% / Drake 66.6%

Megan 33.6% / Meow 66.4%

Diva 33.7% / Dizzy 66.3%

Kitt 33.7% / Kit 66.3%

Madam Rosa 33.8% / Lyman 66.2%

Simon 33.8% / Sly 66.2%

Wart Jr. 34% / Walt 66%

Buck 34.2% / Bud 65.8%

Boone 34.2% / Bonbon 65.8%

Masa 34.4% / Medli 65.6%

Keaton 35.1% / Katt 64.9%

Oxford 35.6% / Otis 64.4%

Ganon 36% / Gabi 64%

Rodney 36.1% / Rollo 63.9%

Stinky 36.1% / Sterling 63.9%

Rhoda 36.5% / Renée 63.5%

Chops 36.7% / Chuck 63.3%

Phil 36.8% / Pierre 63.2%

Kevin 37% / Kidd 63%

Olaf 37% / Olive 63%

Mira 37.2% / Moe 62.8%

Shinabiru 38.2% / Shoukichi 61.8%

Elvis 38.6% / Elmer 61.4%

Fruity 38.6% / Friga 61.4%

Biff 38.9% / Betty 61.1%

Pancetti 39.4% / Paolo 60.6%

Gaston 39.6% / Gen 60.4%

Patricia 39.8% / Pate 60.2%

Violet 39.9% / Vic 60.1%

Coach 40.5% / Clyde 59.5%

Valise 41% / Velma 59%

Tank 41.1% / Tarou 58.9%

Marlo 41.4% / Margie 58.6%

Maelle 41.6% / Mallary 58.4%

Frank 42.4% / Frett 57.6%

Hank 43.1% / Hambo 56.9%

Sparro 43.1% / Snooty 56.9%

Lucha 43.5% / Lulu 56.5%

Nindori 43.6% / O'Hare 56.4%

Jitters 43.8% / Jūbei 56.2%

Buzz 44.1% / Cally 55.9%

Colton 44.4% / Cole 55.6%

Faith 44.5% / Eugene 55.5%

Blaire 44.8% / Bluebear 55.2%

Benjamin 44.8% / Bessie 55.2%

[subject-2-roll]

Cainan Sprocket

“You’re wondering if I’m worth all the trouble. Well everything I’ve done that has made me such a ‘prodigy’ is because of the shit I get into. That’s a fact, whether you like it or not.” 

Stats: human alchemist (artificer) lvl 8 AC: 14 (17 with shield infusion), HP: 89, Init: +2 Str: 11 (+0), Dex: 14 (+2), Con: 18 (+4), Int: 18 (+4), Wis: 12 (+1), Cha: 8 (-1)

Story: Cainan was raised in Breland, in the Cragwar Asylum for Orphaned Youth. His parents and origin are a mystery, but children born during the last war often became orphans. He was born only 6 months before the Mourning, and assumes his parents died in the tragedy. He was left on the steps of the Cragwar Asylum with a journal that said ���Merry” in lovely cursive, and “for Cainan” in scratched writing, clearly not from the author. Practically as soon as he could read, he noticed the journal had codes hidden in its entries and scientific notes. He has been deciphering it since. At the Cragwar Asylum, he got into trouble with his experiments. These include, but are not limited to killing a litter of puppies in an effort to feed them dehydrated food, and causing a cave in when trying to speed up a mining job the orphaned youth were forced to do. 

Because of all this, Cainan’s supplies were confiscated and he took matters into his own hands. He became a thief to gather materials again. One such merchant he stole from was a man in his 50s, Diogenes, who traveled through Cragwar regularly. Cainan was caught, but instead of turning him in, Diogenes saw his talents and offered to take him in as his ward. For the last few years, Cainan has been living in Black Pit, experimenting and scavenging, performing fetch quests for his master, and decoding the mysterious Cannith journal, written over a hundred years ago. 

When the party converges on Black Pit, they rope the boy into their job. Cainan rejects the Patron’s offer for power. While the idea of working with a bunch of flagrant killers is frightening at first, their acceptance and even admiration of his chaotic and destructive brilliance keeps him on the hook. Plus, it is kinda fun...

“You think you are so much smarter than the rest of them for rejecting my offer. Don’t worry. I’m confident you’ll come to me in your most desperate moment. Shouldn’t be long now.” - The Patron

Song for vibes

[redgoldsparks]

February Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut:

Please Destroy The Internet by Michael Sweater (Silver Sprocket)

A short and funny collection of one page comics, many referencing the terribleness of the internet, miscommunications, the fickle nature of the creative process, and/or werewolves.

Writing The Other: A Practical Approach by Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward (Aqueduct Press)

I've been hearing about this guide to writing characters outside your own lived experience for years, and as someone who wants to include rich diverse casts in my stories, I thought I should check it out! This book was published in 2005, and I think the conversations about own voices and diversity in the publishing world have developed quite a lot since then. I did find the first half of the book a bit dated. However, I loved the last essay in the book, "Appropriate Cultural Appropriation," specifically it's categorization of different writer's approaches to borrowing from other's cultures as Invaders, Tourists, or Guests. I'll be thinking about that metaphor for a long time, and trying my best to be a Guest as often as I can, and at worse a Tourist who pays for the directions and expertise I need to do a good job and not misrepresent cultures I didn't grow up with.

In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire and read by Cynthia Hopkins (Tordotcome)

My fourth read in the Wayward Children series. It's very interesting to me how Seanan McGuire keeps writing books in this series which the reader already knows the ending of, and how she maintains narrative tension when aiming towards a known ending. This one didn't hit quite as hard as Down Among the Sticks and Bones but I did enjoy seeing Lundy's life unfolding. The Goblin Market is a very magical and tempting setting, even if McGuire chose to skip over the biggest magical adventures Lundy had there and focus on the more mundane connective tissue of the going and coming from Earth. Honestly, part of why I keep reading these books is that they give me a lot of thoughts about writing, structuring a story, and what pieces of a tale you chose to tell- or not. 

Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case (Margaret Ferguson Books/Holiday House)

This is an ambitious sci-fi comic set in the near future, 50 years after a change in the sun's radiation killed all mammals on earth who lingered in the sun's rays. Small groups of humans managed to survive by hiding in basements, subways, tunnels, and caves and only venturing out at night. Now, 10 year old Elvie and her adopted guardian Flora travel the Pacific Coast trying to invent a cure. Flora has developed a medicine from the scales of monarch butterfly wings that keeps people temporarily safe, but it's not a final solution. They encounter various windfalls and dangers on the road- earthquakes, shipwrecks, a lost child, butterflies, enemies and allies. The art is dynamic and beautifully watercolored, but I got bogged down by the occasional dense text-heavy page, and overall the book took me a lot longer to read than comics usually do. But I still enjoyed it, especially recognizing the ravaged remains of classic west coast landmarks and Elvie's inventiveness and bravery. 

A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt (WW Norton Company)

I must be honest and say that this book was too literary for me, and that's on me, not the book. There were individual moments and lines that made me sit up and reach for a pen to underline, but the overall framing/voice of the book didn't work for me. However, if you are currently or have ever considered dropping out of a PhD program, returning to your small home town, and trying to process your entire community's grief and joy in one 150 page book, this one might just the read for you! 

The City We Became by NK Jemisin (Orbit)

This is my sixth NK Jemisin read, and while I enjoyed it a lot, it has a pretty different feel than her others, and didn't knock me over in quite the same way. Set in present day New York City, this book chronicles the first few days of the city awakening as a conscious entity and fighting the latest battle against an ancient and alien enemy that wants to prevent the birth of Earth city-beings. The story is fast paced and very easy to consume, and I had a good time reading it, even though I liked some of the six different POV characters more than others, and still don't feel like I fully understand the multi-verse conflict at the heart of the narrative. This book felt more cinematic and less literary than what I tend to expect from Jemisin, so if you've wanted to try one of hers but been intimidated by the dense world building of her fantasy, this might be a good one to start with. I will be very surprised if we don't see a film adaption of this series soon, as it feels almost written for the screen. 

And bonus, review of a Harper Collins book I read back in January and didn’t want to review until the strike was over:

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer (Katherine Tagen books/HarperCollins)

Now that the HarperCollins strike is over, I can post my review of this book! The beginning of this book is a solid, but conventional, slow burn romance between two teens on a long term space mission responding to a distress call from a space station on one of the moons of Titan. The main character is Ambrose Cusk, the smart, handsome, privileged son of the Cusk corporation, which invented much of the technology on the spacecraft, including the AI operating system. The distress call is from his sister, Minerva, who like Ambrose graduated from the top of her class in the astronaut academy. But Ambrose wakes up aboard the Coordinated Endeavor with no memory of takeoff. Also, he learns he is not alone on the ship. A second young man, from a rival country, inhabits the second half of the ship, sealed away behind one central connecting door. Initially suspicious of each other, the two must begin working together as they discover more and more strange incongruencies on their craft. If this isn’t enough to whet your interest, the book throws out a huge twist at around the 40% mark, one that absolutely surprised and hooked me in for the rest of this wild journey. Queer, original, and a page turner. 

[trekkitkat]

"In a hundred years, when you and I are both long gone, any time someone threads a frame of yours through a sprocket, you will be alive again. You see what that means? One day, every person on every film shot this year will be dead. And one day, all those films will be pulled from the vaults, and all their ghosts will dine together, and adventure together, go to the jungle, to war together. A child born in 50 years will stumble across your image flickering on a screen and feel he knows you, like... like a friend, though you breathed your last before he breathed his first. You've been given a gift. Be grateful. Your time today is through, but you'll spend eternity with angels and ghosts."

Babylon is a trippy movie, but this dialogue here got to me the most. As someone who has always found comfort, happiness and support in stories and music, this quote is so very true. Many of the storytellers that I love passed on either before I was born or before I could appreciate them. But when I watch their movies, read their stories, listen to their music, their souls are still very much alive. In that moment, you're crossing time and space and every feeling and emotion is immortal. Nothing and no one are every really gone because you still sing, laugh, cry with them. There's something truly beautiful and wonderous about the immortality of feeling.

[tristeng121]

“I know it hurts. No one asks to be left behind. But in a hundred years, when you and I are both long gone, anytime someone threads a frame of yours through a sprocket, you will be alive again. Don’t you see what that means? One day, every person on every film shot this year will be dead. And one day, all of those films will be pulled from the vaults, and all their ghost will dine together and adventure together, go to the jungle, to war together, a child born in 50 years will stumble across your image flickering on a screen and feel he knows you, like - like a friend, though you breathed your last breath before he breathed his first. You’ve been given a gift, be grateful. Your time today is through, but you’ll spend eternity with angels and ghosts.”

- Babylon, Dir. Damien Chazelle, 2023