#He's a being from the beyond. A being that exceeds human limits.” Like!!! That's all that there is to it!!!!!!

[sskk-manifesto]

Ep 4 :)

[cosycafune]

INTIMATE COMFORT ; EREN JAEGER:

a summary of the chapter: sometimes, you just wanted love and comfort. so, what wrong would it be to burrow in your husband’s arms, even if you have two children and have been married for a few years. you’re still human.

a synopsis of acts: crying, cuddling, talks of children, kissing, promises, happiness, forehead kisses and fluff.

Loved, that’s what you are. You are loved beyond a comprehensible repair, that’s all your boyfriend, Eren, allowed you to feel. Even in moments where your heart felt void, from the troubles of the woeful world, he would artistically paint you with meaningful love. Love no over being could ever gift you.

Even now, as you linger responsibly within Eren’s arms, his gentle lips skimming upon the top of your head. The top of your head with fondness, tinting you with a love you fall incapable of not cherishing. Eren’s your everything, your soul, your heart, your very will to conquer an uncherished day.

“Are you okay, my love?” Softly accustoming to the raspiness of Eren’s beautiful tone, your heart puddles at the attentiveness of each of his given kisses.

“I’m okay, just really tired,” Informing your lover, you cast yourself into being coddled by his toned arms — holding back the entirety of your held back tears.

“You’re tearing up, so what’s up?” Eren’s gentleness exceeds your limits, leaving you to glimpse up at him with desperation. Desperation from him being capable of reading you, even if your heart is reformed by the tragedies of the world.

That’s why you love him; he’s the same.

“Navigating the world as a woman is hard, Eren,” As your wavering saying falls from your lips, you feel Eren reposition you so you are now capable of listening to his treasured heartbeat.

“Be more specific, my love,” Smearing a kiss upon your forehead, his viridian eyes tinting you, you softly bask within his homeliness.

“I hate having to work two times harder than everyone else, but at least I have you,” Beaming at knowing that he’ll forever be yours, your lips waver as Eren drifts his head lower to capture your lips.

“With me, you’ll never have to work twice as hard, and that’s a promise, my love,” Smitten with you, Eren proposes his only reform — his lips enamoured by the gentleness of your lips and your supple cheeks.

“Can we stay like this?” Speaking through subtle sounds, you feel Eren use his broad hand to clear the clustered emotions of your tears.

Eren hated when you cried; you’re his everything so your aching was also his own burden.

“Yes, and I love you more than anything, my love,” Enamoured by Eren’s peaceful declarations of gifted love, you glimpse at his starry eyes and crimson cheeks, curling further within his company and love.

“I love you more than anything in life, my galaxy,” Proposing your aged nickname for him, you observe him smile beautifully. Smile at being gifted the nickname that you had gifted to him since you were no more than youthful children, coated in ageless sand.

“We can go Hawaii if you want? I’ll spoil you for all there is,” Eren suggests to you, grinning effortlessly as you contently smile — welcoming the comfortability of him.

“Who’s going to take care of Eden and Noa?” Glimpsing at Eren with puffed out cheeks, your tension melts away the moment he smothers your forehead with relentless, love-stuffed kisses.

“My mum, as she always has,” Eren’s reassuring statement blankets you with a beautiful numbness, with not a care adorning the beauty of your cherished mind.

“Rest your beautiful mind, my love,” Softly, Eren’s voice reaches your attentive ears, “I’ll have everything sorted out because I love you and you deserve all the comfort it the world.” His promises adorn you with further tears, even if you remain no more than in a tight pencil skirt — your bra so beautifully on display for him.

“Being rich comes with its perks, but the world is still so cruel to me,” Adding to Eren’s suggested plan, you halt, “Even our little babies, I’m tired of people acting like they’re not mine because they look like you and only have my tone.” Eren continues to wipe your twinkling tears, his heart thudding at the ache you continuously carry.

“Who’s specifically making you cry, my wife, because I promise I’ll get them, my love?” The anger within Eren’s calm tone cools the moment he realises that all you yearn for is lovely, beautiful comfort. Comfort, healing and for the burden that adorns your crashing heart to rise — to be easily lifted.

“Agatha,” With your lips trembling, you plaster Eren with the truthfulness of your heart.

“I’ll have her fired by tomorrow, along with anyone who sends micro-aggressions towards my beautiful wife.” Eren eagerly informs you, smearing you with playful kisses that elicit a fond laughter from you.

He loves your laugh more than anything.

“Thank you, my love,” Extremely excited, you can’t stop beaming as Eren attacks your lips with kisses, “I’m still going to hold you to Hawaii and Germany.” Comfortable within his broad arms, you discover yourself lulled and soothed within his arms.

You’re home.

“We can get that sorted by tomorrow.” Eren implies, gifting you intimate security that not a soul could ever spare to you.

Minus your two children, and your pending one.

—

do not copy my work; simply enjoy it. all rights reserved, vampiified, 2024.

[darksiders-scenarios]

I'm so happy you're doing better! Would you mind doing the boys as fathers/husbands to a human s/o if you feel like it? Thank you!

I'm so sorry dear it took me so long to write this, you probably don't even remember it.

War: As a husband, War would be fiercely loyal and protective, ensuring his family is safe at all costs. As a father, he would instill a sense of justice and fairness in his child, teaching them to face life's battles with courage and integrity.

Death: His profound depth of feeling is reserved for his partner, offering a sanctuary of peace in a tumultuous world. He would be deeply committed and surprisingly tender, showing a softer side only his family sees. As a father, Death would teach his child about the cycles of life and death, instilling wisdom and respect for all living things.

Strife: With a penchant for humour, Strife would keep his partner laughing and lighten the mood during tough times. As a dad, he would be the fun parent, always ready with a game or adventure; he’d be the master of disguises, turning lessons into games and teaching his child to find joy in every moment but also instilling a strong moral compass.

Azrael: As a spouse, Azrael's wisdom and calm demeanour would provide a grounding force, offering guidance and understanding. He would be a thoughtful father, nurturing his child's intellect and encouraging their curiosity about the universe. He would inspire his child with stories of the cosmos, teaching them to look beyond the visible and question the universe.

Draven: Charismatic and brave, Draven as a husband would be passionate and deeply supportive. Draven ensures life with him is never dull, fostering a partnership of equal adventurers. As a father, He would instill a sense of honour and bravery, encouraging his child to live boldly and true to themselves.

Samael: A commanding presence as a husband, Samael would be intensely devoted, offering strength and protection. As a father, he would encourage independence and power, pushing his child to exceed their limits while ensuring they understand the responsibility that comes with it.

Abaddon: Strong-willed and decisive, Abaddon would be a husband who's committed to his family's well-being, fiercely defending them from any threat. His parenting style would emphasise discipline and courage, preparing his child for any challenge.

Ulthane: A craftsman at heart, Ulthane would provide for his family with dedication, creating a home filled with love and stability. His hearty nature and warmth make his home a haven of joy and laughter, rich with stories of old. He would encourage creativity in his child, teaching them the value of hard work and the beauty of creating something with their own hands.

Vulgrim: Cunning and resourceful, as a husband, Vulgrim would ensure his family always had what they needed, using his wit to navigate any situation. He would teach his child the art of negotiation and the importance of knowledge, preparing them to face the world with sharp minds and open eyes.

[imjusthereforironwood]

What Does it Mean to be Human?

"And that's time."

Penny drew her swords into her backpack, standing stiffly as she smiled.

"Thirty-seven Beowolves killed in a minute and a half," the scientist said from behind the observation window. "That's a new record for that simulation!"

"Thank you, sir!" Penny chirped as she folded her arms behind her back. "Will that be all the tests for today?"

The scientist nodded as he scribbled down something on a notepad, waving her off.

"Yes, yes, you may go."

Penny marched out of the testing chamber and into the halls. This lab, tucked deep in the core of Atlas, was where Penny went to have her limits tested in secret. Of course, Penny's limits were not set by biology, but rather by hardware.

As Penny walked down the sterile halls, she passed by other test chambers, where Atlas's best and brightest experimented with new technology and weapons. She began to ponder her own abilities. People could train, push their bodies past their limits, and exceed them, but what could she do? Penny realized that she was limited by technology, and she could never go beyond what the technology was.

Wasn't overcoming limitations a vital part of being human? If so, did that mean she wasn't a person? This wasn't the first time Penny had questioned her own personhood. Her father treated her like a human, but most of the other scientists treated her like an experiment or a weapon.

Penny stared down at the synthetic skin that covered her body of steel and titanium. Beneath that lay wires, engines and circuits. Her brain analyzed things as a computer would, everything cross-referenced with previous observations, memories tucked away in files, data pulled up in nanoseconds. It was for this reason her speech was often awkward and stilted. She was processing so much at once.

Did this make her not human?

Turning her hands over, Penny noticed a scuff where the artificial skin rubbed off, exposing the metal. She could ask her father to help, but this was a fairly routine maintenance, so all she would need is some materials from a lab.

As she entered the robotics laboratory, she noticed another person. General James Ironwood, sitting at one of the tables. His coat and shirt had been removed, revealing that his right half was made entirely of prosthetics. The steel was broken up by blue lights, black joints of flexible material, and complex wiring. A panel on the robotic forearm was taken off, exposing the circuitry and complicated Dust mechanisms inside. Ironwood was using a screwdriver to adjust something inside his arm.

The door that Penny had entered through unexpectedly slammed shut, breaking James's concentration.

"Oh, Penny...hello," Ironwood said, awkwardly nodding, not wanting to drop the screwdriver in his left hand. "I apologize for my state of undress."

"Salutations, Mr. Ironwood," Penny said, her eyes fixated on James's right side. "It's quite alright."

Penny had met General Ironwood before, several times in fact. Sometimes he would oversee her training and testing, sometimes he would be down in Mantle at her father's shop, discussing different matters. Ironwood seemed kind, if a bit strict at times. She had heard the talk about him from people on the news, and they often painted him as tyrannical or subversive. On the other side, her father often spoke highly of him, saying that she wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for James. Every time he spoke with Penny, he seemed commanding, yet at the same time respectful.

However, this was a unusual sight to her.

"Are you an android like myself, sir?" Penny blurted out, her head cocked to the side.

James was so taken back that he started chuckling.

"No, not quite," the general said with a small, almost amused smile. "It's simply prosthetics."

"Oh...but I have never seen prosthetics so..."

Penny scanned up and down Ironwood's torso, making note of the large amount of scar tissue where the robotics met the flesh.

"Extensive."

"Well, several years ago, I was severely injured in the line of duty," Ironwood said, his prosthetics twitching a bit as he involuntarily recalled some bad memories. "If it wasn't for the skill of Dr. Polen-, I mean, your father and several other Atlas doctors and scientists, I probably wouldn't be alive today."

"I see," Penny said, slowly approaching as she eyed the robotics with an air of curiousity. "Well, if my father made them, shouldn't he help you repair them?"

"It's just a minor maintenance issue," Ironwood said, turning his attention back to his forearm.

"How do you feel about them, Mr. Ironwood?"

"What?"

"Your prosthetics," Penny reiterated. "How do you feel about them?"

"I..." James started, his voice catching in his throat as he thought over his response.

For a while, he despised his prosthetics. He hated how they looked and how they made him feel weak, or less than human. Sometimes, when at his lowest and loneliest, those feelings would rise up again. However...he has accepted his robotics, recognized them for what they are.

"They are a part of me, but not the most important part," James settled on, his expression one of calm resolution. "I am alive today because of these prosthetics. Because I am alive, I can continue to help others, to protect others. But the most important part of me, the part that drives any person, is the heart."

Seeing Penny pause for a moment, James realized that he should explain.

"Not the physical organ, but rather the emotional center of a person," Ironwood said with a chuckle. "What matters isn't anatomy, but what's in the heart of a person, and the actions they take."

"Oh," Penny said, looking at where the synthetic skin had scraped off, revealing the metal below. "So...what does that make me, Mr. Ironwood?"

The Headmaster of Atlas paused, thinking over his next words carefully.

"You think, you care, you try to do right. That means you have a heart. That means you're human."

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Muta’aali— The Supremely Exalted, The Most High— on one occasion in the Quran. He’s the One who is exalted above the whole creation. Al-Muta’aali is beyond the highest, far beyond any thoughts, limits, and ideals of mankind, He is sublime and is above everything due to His might and perfection!

The Supreme One, The Highest of All

Muta’aali comes from the root ayn-laam-waaw, which points to four main meanings. The first is to be high, lofty, and exalted and to ascend. The second main meaning is to overcome and overwhelm and the third to advance and exceed. The fourth main meaning is to be eminent.

This root appears 70 times in the Quran in fourteen derived forms. Examples of these forms are ‘aaliyatin (elevated), al-‘ulyaa (the highest), fata’aalayna (“then come”) and la’aali (“a tyrant”).

Linguistically, uloow points to the attribute of loftiness and a person is ‘alee when he is prominent. The names Al’Muta’aali and Al-‘Alee— meaning “Allah is the highest, above any fault, above any imperfection”— are interrelated.
Al-Muta’aali is the One whose highness exceeds any limits. He is the most lofty and exalted and the One who advances, overcomes and exceeds all of creation in His being and all His attributes. He is proud and great and His glory is too high to be comprehended by us!

Al-Muta’aali Himself said: [He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Grand, the Exalted [Quran, 13:9]

Supreme Oneness – Devoting All Deeds to Him

As Muslims we should believe that Allah is One with no partner or associate in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (‘uloohiyyah) or names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).

Tawheed al-‘Uloohiyyah means devoting all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allah (Al-Muta’aali) alone, and not worshiping anything or anyone other than Allah, no matter who he is: Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship). [Quran, 4:36]  It is called tawheed al-uloohiyyah because it is based on ta’alluh lillaah which is worship and devotion of Allah accompanied by love and veneration.

This is the purpose for which the universe was created and laws were prescribed. Concerning this disputes arose between the Prophets and their peoples, so the stubborn were doomed and the believers were saved! [al-Hujjah fi Bayaan al-Mahajjah, 1/305; Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah, 1/57] Our goals, our will, and our actions should all be defined to seek the face of Al-Muta’aali alone!

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Prioritize.

Is Allah really muta’aali in your life? You can find out by looking at where the deeds He lovingly wants you to carry out– like salah– are on your list. Do you fit your prayers around your daily life activities, delaying them, or do you put your prayers first, above anything else?

Do you first finish watching your favourite TV shows and then see if you have time left for the Quran? Do you start your day by checking messages on your phone or by reciting from the book of Al-Muta’aali? Test your daily schedule; if your acts of worship don’t have priority, change it and you will see how blessed, productive, and peaceful you will feel. Start and end your day by reciting the words of Al-Muta’aali!

2. Don’t place yourself above others.

You cannot do anything except through the power of Al-Muta’aali and everything that you have comes from Him. Your position with Al-Muta’aali is determined by one crucial factor: the level of your taqwa and righteousness.  Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah´s sight is the one with the most taqwa [Quran, 49:13] Never place yourself above others because of your wealth, intelligence, looks, or your lineage!

3. Call others to Al-Muta’aali.

You as a human being are the most honoured creation of Al-Muta’aali; live up to your purpose by not only worshiping Him yourself, but also show others who He is. Do da’wah to be successful! And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful [Quran, 3:104]

4. Know that He is high, yet close.

Sometimes you are so absorbed with stress or grief that you forget Al-Muta’aali, who is higher than and above everything, is closest to you.  And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein [Quran, 50:16] In times of hardship, know that He is the supreme above the throne, but also the only One who knows exactly what you are going through, so tell Him all you feel and ask Him to help you battle your trials!

5. Never despair.

You know you should not despair in the mercy of Al-Muta’aali, however Shaytan often tricks into another kind of despair: despair in yourself. Did you ever say: “I will never change” or “I will never be able to do this, so why start?” or about someone else:  “they will never change”? Indirectly you are despairing in the power of Al-Muta’aali!

When you say “Allah will never forgive me, I’m doing so many bad things”, you are actually lowering Him, exalted is He, to human standards of forgiveness! So next time you feel like you cannot change a certain habit, or you keep committing the same sin, call upon Al-Muta’aali and ask Him to assist you with unshakable belief in His Highness and abilities.

6. Ask Al-Muta’aali.

Paradise has seven levels; the highest one is Firdaws-al-‘aala, the highest level is right under the throne of Al-Muta’aali. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: When you ask of Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is in the middle of Paradise and is the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it spring forth the rivers of Paradise [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]  Call upon Al-Muta’aali!
O Allah, Al-Muta’aali, we know that You are the Supreme. Give us knowledge of and lead us  to prioritize the deeds most pleasing to You and assist us in calling others to You. Adorn us with firm belief in your Highness and admit us to the Highest Paradise without Reckoning, ameen!

[herehavesomeheadcanons]

On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 11 Christmas Disasters!

Unfortunately, Tumblr has a 10 image limit, so you don't get pictures :(

Rogue Cheney

🖤🐉To absolutely no one's surprise, he lost Frosch while Christmas shopping. He turned around for a split second, and the little exceed was gone. He proceeded to spend the next several hours looking for Frosch, and didn't actually get any of the shopping done. Next year, he had you stay home and babysit Frosch while he got his Christmas shopping done!

Hitoshi Shinso

💜🐱One Christmas, his daredevil antics led to a visit to Recovery Girl. It was a sledding accident. He overestimated his ability to turn at blinding speeds. You ended up with several missing teeth, and he ended up with a sprained wrist. It could have been worse, but it still hurt like hell and wasn't a fun day.

Envy

🌴🖤He actually made you cry once with how mean he was. He's used to you being able to ignore everything he says, so it was a nasty surprise when you suddenly burst into tears! He really had no idea what to do in that situation. If you weren't so upset, it'd probably be pretty funny to watch him struggle to figure out how to get you to stop crying. You can use the incident to force some cuddles out of him!

Rene Simm

🖤♦️He got into a fist fight with Lacus over the gingerbread houses. Rene has a lot of patience, but he finally snapped when Lacus got sprinkles in his hair. You could try to break up the fight… but it's more fun to stand there and film the two vampires going toe to toe in the kitchen.

Freed Justine

❤️🎄Freed is so careful and prepared that it's rare for him to make mistakes, but when he does they're astronomical disasters. One Christmas, he quite literally made himself sick with worry. His body just shut down from all the stress he was putting it under, and he was literally paralyzed for a couple of days. He apologized profusely for the next week and a half for 'ruining Christmas.'

Enmu

🖤🚂He almost got the two of you cornered by the Demon Slayers when he tried to arrange a feast for you (I'm deciding that you're also a demon, because why the hell would a human willingly associate with this crazy bastard.) He's actually done this multiple times throughout the years. He really tries to go above and beyond for you, so you can't really be mad at him for it.

Lacus Welt

💜✨He got WAY too competitive with a snowball fight and ended up hurting you. Don't worry, he apologized and tried to make it up to you with cuddles and kisses. After that you decide to stay away from snowball fights with your vampire lover! Instead, you encourage him to pester Rene!

Ogai Mori

🖤🩺Mori loves to organize Christmas events for the Port Mafia. more often than not, those events end in disaster. One year he tried to organize a free-for-all snowball fight. He apparently neglected to account for the fact that the PM is full of trained killers. Chuuya reigned supreme, and Akutagawa ended up in the hospital somehow.

Ash Landers

🤍💜He almost burned the house down. Literally. Ladders are dangerous, so being the absolute genius he is, he decided to fly up to put the star on top of the tree. In the process, he knocked over a lit candle. He then proceeded to panic when the carpet caught fire, flapping his wings like a deranged cockatoo and making the fire bigger. You saved the day with quick thinking and a bucket of water, and Ash is no longer allowed to fly in the house.

L Lawliet

🖤🍰L doesn't usually make mistakes. He's just too clever to slip up. But sometimes, when he's deep in thought, he doesn't pay attention to his surroundings. Yeah, he got trapped under the mistletoe with Light. The funniest part was watching Light freak out! Of course you didn't actually make them go through with it, you were just giving them a hard time. L knew this, and joined in to pester the fuck out of Light! Soichiro did not find this as funny as you and L did.

Tamaki Amajiki

💙🐱You trapped him under the mistletoe once and he got so flustered that he legitimately fainted! You had to act fast and catch him before he hit the ground. He was so worried when he woke up and you told him what happened! Just reassure him that everything is ok and that you think he's adorable regardless.

[aishangotome]

Minamoto no Yoshitsune: Chapter 25

Chapter 24

♡———♡

Yoshitsune: I won't allow it.

Yoshitsune: Anyone who tries to hurt Yoshino, all of them...

(His eyes and hair color...)

My gaze was fixed as if time had stopped.

...Yoshitsune-sama's eyes were red like the color of blood, and his hair was dyed jet black.

Yoshino: Yoshitsune-sama...?

Yoritomo: That is...

Benkei: ...!

Everyone here, both people and beasts, were captivated by Yoshitsune-sama.

Benkei, who rushed over after sensing the change, also gasped sharply at Yoshitsune-sama's transformation...

The raging wind prevented them from approaching.

(If I let my guard down for even a moment, I'll be blown away.)

Kicking up sand and dust, the wind grew rapidly.

Yasuchika: ...Haha, this is a cruel joke.

Yasuchika: There's no way this amount of magical power could dwell in a human vessel.

Yasuchika coughed while kneeling on the ground.

The inugami's whimpered as if frightened.

Yoshitsune: Scatter here, along with the pitiful souls bound to the onmyoji.

Yoshitsune-sama, with frozen flames in his eyes, raised his sword above his head.

(...!)

The wind turned into a blade and instantly slashed the beasts apart.

Benkei: The inugami's are disappearing!

(This power is on a completely different level than before.)

(But...)

At the same time as being overwhelmed, a certain memory resurfaced.

**flashback**

Tamamo: However... as I mentioned before your departure, there's a limit to the amount of magical power a human vessel can handle.

Yoshino: Yeah. If you exceed the capacity, it'll affect your body, right?

Tamamo: Yes. In the worst case scenario, you may never wake up again.

**flashback over**

(Yoshitsune-sama is clearly using his power differently than before.)

A shiver ran down my spine, and I tightly grabbed Yoshitsune-sama's arm.

Yoshino: Yoshitsune-sama! Don't go any further...

Yoshitsune: It's alright.

Amidst the raging wind, Yoshitsune-sama's fingertips touched my cheek.

Yoshitsune: My power is here to protect everyone, including you.

(With such a serious expression, I have no choice but to believe him.)

Once again, invisible blades danced freely in the air.

Yasuchika: ...!

Yasuchika held up his silver ornamental sword horizontally and chanted something.

(Ah!)

With a high-pitched sound as if something was breaking,

The wind blade that fell on Yasuchika's head was deflected.

But...

Yasuchika: ...Guh, ah...

Still, the wind endlessly swirled, and the created blades attacked Yasuchika.

Yoshitsune: It's over.

The ornamental sword slipped from Yasuchika's hand as if he had lost his strength.

The freely controlled wind returned all the inugami's to dust without harming the soldiers.

(Amazing! In the blink of an eye...)

Yoshitsune: ...Ha...

Yoshino: Yoshitsune-sama!

I was startled by Yoshitsune-sama's slightly pained breath.

Yoshitsune: Don't worry.

(Ah...)

His hand was placed on my head as if to soothe me.

And then...

(The wind is weakening...)

Yoshino: ...! Yoshitsune-sama, your hair color...

His hair, which had been dyed jet black, slowly returned to its original beautiful purple as it fluttered in the calming wind.

The blood color in his eyes also receded, except for one eye...

Yoshitsune: ...Ah, it's back.

(Thank goodness...)

Beyond the still swirling dust, everyone was wide-eyed in disbelief.

Shogunate Soldiers: ...Did he do it?

Rebel Soldiers: Yeah! Yoshitsune-sama did it!

The soldiers, who had been silent, erupted in cheers of joy.

Both enemies and allies raised their swords to the sky and celebrated their victory together.

Kicking away the smoke with his horse's legs,

Yoritomo-sama and Benkei, who had been watching from a distance, arrived at our location.

Yoritomo: Yoshitsune, Yoshino, are you alright?

Yoshino: Yes, I'm...

Yoshitsune: I'm fine.

Benkei peered at Yoshitsune-sama, who had gracefully dismounted from his horse, with a relieved expression.

Benkei: Yoshitsune-sama! What a reckless thing to do...

Yoshitsune: I apologize for the worry.

Yoshitsune-sama reassured Benkei.

Then, as the soldiers watched, he walked towards Yasuchika, who was crouching on the ground.

Yoshitsune: I will decide your fate after hearing the whole story. Are you prepared, Yasuchika?

Yasuchika: ............

( ...Yasuchika-san)

With a sword held to his throat, Yasuchika looked up at Yoshitsune-sama.

Yasuchika: You're insane, Yoshitsune-sama.

Yasuchika: Just because your soul exists between ayakashi and human...

Yasuchika: If you harbor even a shred of doubt or fear like an ordinary human, you wouldn't be able to control magical power like that.

Yoshitsune: If you call that madness, I'll gladly accept it.

( ...Ah, Yoshitsune-sama has changed.)

Yoshitsune-sama once told me about the time he was ostracized for his unusual soul.

(That's why, even though he was passionately admired by his comrades,)

(Yoshitsune-sama only knew a dangerous way of fighting that would hurt himself, and he was rushing towards destruction.)

But now... I don't sense even a trace of the fragility he once had in Yoshitsune-sama, who stands before me.

Yasuchika: .....

After briefly widening his eyes,

Yasuchika shrugged, looking at me and Yoshitsune-sama.

Yasuchika: Love, huh? You believe in such a vague thing.

Yasuchika: Then, how about the beautiful brotherly love?

(This guy, still...)

Even with a sword pointed at him, Yasuchika's eyes showed not fear, but provocation.

Yasuchika: You were betrayed by Yoritomo-sama, whom you once loved.

Yasuchika: Even as we speak, Yoritomo-sama might be plotting to betray you, Yoshitsune-sama.

Yoritomo: ........

Yoritomo-sama remained silent at Yasuchika's words.

(If it were the usual Yoritomo-sama, he would have responded to provocation with provocation...)

His night-sky-blue eyes were fixed on Yoshitsune-sama, as if waiting for an answer.

Yoshitsune: I don't believe in Yoritomo-sama--my brother.

Yoshitsune: I merely reached out to him.

His amethyst eyes captured Yasuchika without wavering.

( ...No matter what words are thrown at him, Yoshitsune-sama won't be shaken.)

A small smile seemed to appear on the corner of Yoritomo-sama's lips.

Before I could confirm it...

Yoritomo: ––Capture Yasuchika.

At that command, the shogunate soldiers moved and restrained Yasuchika.

Yoshitsune-sama sheathed his sword and walked towards me.

Then, mounting his horse, he declared to the soldiers.

Yoshitsune: A temporary ceasefire.

Yoshitsune: Return to camp and assess the situation of each unit. Then, we'll have a meeting with the shogunate.

Rebel Soldiers: Yes, sir!

Even the injured soldiers raised their voices, their faces filled with joy.

(With this, we've finally settled things with Yasuchika-san.)

(But, the battle between the shogunate and the rebels...)

Yoritomo-sama and Yoshitsune-sama's eyes met, and they both urged their horses forward simultaneously.

Yoritomo: We'll take custody of Yasuchika for now.

Yoritomo: I'll send a messenger as soon as the meeting place is ready. Is that alright?

Yoshitsune: That's fine. We'll also interrogate Yasuchika later.

Yoritomo: Very well.

Yoritomo: And also––

Yoritomo-sama's gaze suddenly caught mine.

Yoritomo: It would be good to bring Yoshino to the meeting as well.

Yoshino: Eh?

Yoritomo: ––Later, Yoshino.

Yoritomo-sama added in a voice that couldn't be heard by the surrounding soldiers and grinned.

Yoshitsune: Don't decide on your own, Yoritomo-sama.

Yoritomo: Women hate men who restrict them, Yoshitsune.

Yoritomo-sama said leisurely and turned his horse around.

We watched as he gave orders to his soldiers and left.

(He's gone...)

Benkei: As always, he's a cheeky fellow.

Benkei, who had been watching the situation, furrowed his brow.

Benkei: Shall we go too, Yoshitsune-sama?

Yoshitsune: Yes.

Yoshitsune-sama kicked his horse's belly, and the soldiers followed in formation.

-

Yoshitsune-sama led the way, Benkei guarded the end of the formation, and soon we were out of the depths of the forest.

Rebel Soldier 1: We're glad we were able to safely repel the beasts.

Rebel Soldier 2: Yeah, the shogunate guys were pretty skilled too.

I could faintly hear the voices of the soldiers talking excitedly, still not over the excitement.

(For the rebel soldiers, who were supposed to hate the shogunate, to say such things...)

(That's how significant the joint fight was.)

The horses' pace quickened slightly, and our horses created some distance from the other soldiers.

Yoshitsune: Yoshino.

Yoshitsune-sama's arms, which were holding me from behind, tightened, and he whispered in my ear.

Yoshino: ...Yes.

Yoshitsune: Thank you.

(Why...?)

Yoshino: I should be the one thanking you.

Yoshino: Yoshitsune-sama, thank you for saving me... everyone.

I managed to utter the words with all my might, feeling a tightness in my chest.

Yoshitsune: When you were in danger, my memory is actually vague about what I thought.

Yoshitsune: But my bones creaked, my flesh ached, yet my blood boiled with an overwhelming impulse...

Yoshitsune: I felt like every part of my body was being rebuilt on the spot.

(He felt that strongly for me...)

A sad sigh brushed against the nape of my neck, and my heart skipped a beat.

Yoshitsune: Surely my body now has been rebuilt to protect Yoshino.

Yoshitsune: So, this victory is thanks to you.

Yoshino: ...I'm happy.

Yoshino: And more than anything, I'm glad that you're safe, Yoshitsune-sama...

My eyes stung and slightly moistened.

Yoshino: Is your body still okay?

Yoshitsune: My one eye and the pattern on my neck haven't returned yet, but it's the same for you, Yoshino, isn't it?

Yoshitsune-sama smiled and gently pulled back the hood I was wearing.

(Ah, indeed...)

My hair--and probably my eye color--are still dyed silver and gold.

Yoshino: Based on my past experiences, I think it'll return soon...

Yoshitsune: I think so too.

Yoshitsune-sama gently combed my hair with his fingertips.

Yoshitsune: But, it's a bit of a shame.

Yoshino: What is?

Yoshitsune: You're so beautiful in this state that I can't help but be captivated.

Yoshitsune: And besides...

Yoshitsune-sama added, sounding a little ticklish after pausing.

Yoshitsune: It wouldn't be wrong to say we're matching, as those who have made a pact with ayakashi.

(M-Matching...)

(I've never thought of it that way, but...)

Yoshino: Yes, you're right.

I peered into his heterochromatic eyes, and my cheeks gradually warmed up.

(This eye and hair color are a testament to the fate that led me to meet Yoshitsune-sama.)

Yoshino: I was confused at first, having such a strange power...

Yoshino: If I didn't have the power of kitsunetsuki, I wouldn't have met Yoshitsune-sama or fallen in love with him, right?

Yoshitsune: Yes.

Yoshitsune: You appeared before me as a kitsunetsuki... and my path changed.

Yoshino: Mine too.

(Even if you were an enemy, even if I knew our paths shouldn't cross,)

(I loved you so much.)

If the war starts again, I'll return to being a captive of the rebel army.

(This might be the last time we can touch like this.)

My chest ached, but strangely, no tears flowed.

We just stared into each other's eyes.

Yoshitsune: ...Yoshino.

Yoshitsune-sama's eyelashes lowered, and his handsome face slowly approached...

Yoshino: ...Nn.

A sad sigh mingled with our lips as they touched.

A moment later-

-

(What will happen from now on?)

The shogunate and rebel armies, having returned to their respective camps, were to hold a meeting as planned.

Inside the headquarters, only Yoritomo-sama, Yoshitsune-sama, and I were present.

Yoritomo: I'm impressed you actually brought Yoshino, Yoshitsune.

Yoshitsune: I didn't intend to indulge in your nonsense.

Yoshitsune: But Yoshino was caught up in the war. It's her right to know the outcome.

(Yoshitsune-sama is truly a sincere person.)

Yoshino: ...Thank you very much.

(No matter what the outcome may be, I won't look away.)

I listened to their conversation nervously.

Yoshitsune: Have you finished interrogating Yasuchika?

Yoritomo: As expected, he doesn't seem inclined to reveal his true intentions.

Yoritomo: We've captured other onmyoji, but they were just following Yasuchika's orders.

Yoshino: So, we still don't know his goal.

(What did Yasuchika want to achieve by causing such chaos on the battlefield?)

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find an answer.

Yoritomo: Now, about the future...

(...!)

Yoritomo-sama's sharp gaze was directed straight at Yoshitsune-sama.

Yoritomo: The shogunate will withdraw its troops at dawn.

Yoshitsune: What?

Yoshino: Eh!?

(Why...?)

I was surprised by Yoritomo-sama's words and widened my eyes.

Yoshitsune: What are you planning?

Yoritomo: It can't be helped.

Yoritomo: Haven't you noticed it too? The soldiers' morale for battle is declining.

Yoshitsune: ....

Yoritomo: The joint fight worked out a little too perfectly.

( ...Now that you mention it...)

I recall the moment when all the inugami's were defeated, both enemies and allies cheered...

The rebel soldiers, who were supposed to hate the shogunate, praised the shogunate soldiers.

Yoshitsune: When I checked the situation of each unit at our camp,

Yoshitsune: I also noticed that the soldiers' feelings were different from before the battle.

(So that's what it was...)

Yoshitsune: The battle against the onmyoji and the inugami's--unknown enemies--

Yoshitsune: Probably strengthened the bond between friend and foe enough to fade past hatred.

Yoshino: A sense of solidarity sprouted in the midst of battle...

--CHOICES--

Even the two of you fighting together...

Someday, the hatred too...

I'm glad

---------------

Yoshino: Even the two of you fighting together was truly in sync.

Yoshitsune: Surely not.

Yoritomo: Are you dreaming?

(Ah, what?)

Yoshitsune-sama stared unblinkingly at Yoritomo-sama, as if trying to see through his inner thoughts.

Yoshitsune: But I didn't expect you to suggest a ceasefire.

Yoshitsune: Boosting the morale of the soldiers in any situation is your specialty, Yoritomo-sama.

Yoritomo: Are you trying to be sarcastic?

Yoritomo-sama leaned against the armrest and raised the corner of his lips.

Yoritomo: I didn't make a lenient decision and overlook you.

Yoritomo: I merely––

Yoritomo: Reached out.

Yoshitsune: ......

(Yoshitsune-sama...!)

After a brief silence, Yoshitsune-sama spoke again.

Yoshitsune: As long as our aspirations differ, we will eventually fight.

Yoshitsune: But––

Yoshitsune: If we fight when neither of us has the will to fight, it will only increase unnecessary sacrifices.

Yoshitsune: There are things we can do for the future rather than creating unnecessary hatred.

Yoshitsune: ––Let's promise to withdraw our troops at dawn.

Yoritomo: Yes.

(...The war is completely over.)

I felt as if the scene before me suddenly brightened.

(There's a deep rift between the two of them that cannot be filled.)

(Even so, they can still reach out to each other like this.)

If someday the rift between the two of them disappears––

This step they took was so significant that it made me think of such a dreamlike thing.

Yoshitsune: ––However, there's a condition for withdrawing.

Yoritomo: Let's hear it.

Yoritomo-sama calmly accepted Yoshitsune-sama's words.

Yoshitsune: I want you to recognize Hiraizumi's autonomy.

(Ah...)

I remembered the time when Yoshitsune-sama showed me around the town of Hiraizumi.

**flashback**

Yoshitsune: I'm not a god.

Yoshitsune: In the past, I couldn't protect what was important to me in the face of Yoritomo-sama's power.

Yoshino: Yoshitsune-sama...

Yoshitsune: But my vassals and people believe in me and follow me.

Yoshitsune: It's my mission to give them a country where no one can threaten them.

Yoshitsune: ––Even if I can't see it with my own eyes.

**flashback over**

(If autonomy is recognized, there will be no more invasions.)

(Yoshitsune-sama's wish will be granted.)

I looked at Yoritomo-sama with a prayerful feeling.

Yoritomo: It's fine.

Yoshino: Really...?

Yoritomo: Yes. Or rather, it's convenient for us.

Yoshino: Convenient?

Yoritomo: Yasuchika's intentions are still unclear,

Yoritomo: But it's obvious that the imperial court wants to regain the power it had before the shogunate was established.

Yoshitsune: In that case, it's better to grant Hiraizumi autonomy... and in turn, make the Kanto region's foundation unshakeable.

Yoshitsune: Is that what you mean?

(I see...)

Yoshino: It means that both sides can focus on domestic affairs since there will be no more conflict.

Yoritomo: Exactly.

Yoritomo: The country girl who knew nothing has become quite clever.

Yoshino: Well, not really...

I laughed jokingly.

Yoshino: We've been through a lot.

Yoritomo: Well, I suppose so.

Yoritomo-sama turned to Yoshitsune-sama again and spoke.

Yoritomo: We'll use Yasuchika's case as a shield to keep the imperial court in check.

Yoritomo: They won't make any big moves for a while.

Yoshitsune: Yes.

Yoshitsune: And one last thing.

Yoritomo: What is it? You're still making demands? You're a greedy fellow.

Yoshitsune: It's an important condition.

Yoshitsune: I want to receive Yoshino as a spoil of war.

(Eh?)

Yoritomo: Oh?

Yoshino: Wait a minute. Me as a spoil of war...?

Yoshitsune: Do you object?

My heart skipped a beat as he looked directly at me.

Yoshino: It's not that I object, I'm just surprised...

Yoshitsune: I intended to take you as a prisoner during the war, but if the war with the shogunate ends in a ceasefire, your treatment will change.

Yoshitsune: Even so, it's my wish to keep you by my side.

(Even though we love each other, I thought we could never be together.)

(But, if we're allowed to be together in a different way from now on...)

My heart trembled with anticipation for the unseen future.

Yoritomo: .....

Yoritomo-sama stared at Yoshitsune-sama, then at my expression.

Yoritomo: Yoshino is an important asset to the shogunate.

Yoritomo: If you want to take her away, we'll have to make our own demands.

Yoshitsune: What is it?

(What kind of conditions...?)

Yoritomo: You'll allow her to meet with Tamamo regularly,

Yoritomo: And in return, she'll help remove magical power from ayakashi that cause harm to humans, and eventually, break the pact.

(Huh? Meet with Tamamo...?)

Yoshino: Is Tamamo staying with the shogunate?

Yoritomo: Yes. I talked to her and decided to officially hire him.

Yoritomo: His magical power has recovered considerably due to the inugami incident, and he'll be an asset as powerful as a kitsunetsuki.

Yoritomo: Even more so if the pact is broken.

(When did you recruit him!?)

Yoshitsune: You've always been shrewd.

Yoritomo: Because I'm the shogun.

Yoritomo: So, what will it be?

Yoshitsune-sama paused for a moment and smiled slightly.

Yoshitsune: Very well.

After that...

Yoshitsune-sama and the others settled on other minor conditions, and the meeting ended successfully.

-

(Yoshitsune-sama said he would tell his vassals about the decision, but I wonder if it went well.)

After the meeting with Yoritomo-sama, I returned to the rebel camp with Yoshitsune-sama.

I went to the tent first and waited nervously for Yoshitsune-sama's return...

Yoshitsune: Sorry for the wait, Yoshino.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 25 Premium Story

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[tseecka]

I drove a two-hour round trip to go buy a treadmill off of someone on Facebook Marketplace, and I spent the entire drive talking to myself about Aggie---or more specifically, tonight, his Sire. Now you get to benefit from my highway monologuing.

So, DeVry. Beauregard DeVry. (Formerly Dorian Du Vrai Beau-Regard, formerly Dorian Beauregard).

He was handsome, once; its written all over his features, though age has shown him little mercy. Though he hasn't aged a day since he was 56 years old, the centuries he has seen still managed to write themselves into the lines and creases of his face, smudge their fingerprints ever darker under his eyes. He is, now, a tired sort of handsome, with salt-and-pepper hair cropped neatly around a tall, wide forehead, and a square jaw, not striking, nor pretty, but dignified and elegant nonetheless.

As far as vampires go, he's on the older side--a few centuries, at least. He was born sometime in early 17th century France, and was turned on the cusp of the Age of Enlightenment, but I don't actually care to get into it any more than that, because I'm not really very interested in French history and I don't want to get bogged down in details about DeVry when Aggie is RIGHT THERE. This is just to establish three and a half particular details: He's old, he's French, and he--and by extension, Aggie--are of a lower generation than might be expected. (I'm thinking he is 9th or 10th, making Aggie 10th or 11th, because I like the idea of my insatiable little hedonist being of a lower generation and giving other vampires conniptions.)

Like all Toreadors, DeVry has an eye for beauty; and like his childe, he finds that beauty in fine art. What DeVry seeks, though, rather than experience or sensation or emotion, is perfection. Precision. The epitome of beauty is a perfectly executed brushstroke, the flawless line of arm and leg in a ballerina's leap, technical expertise. Where Aggie wants to experience beauty--sink up to his elbows in it, crush it through his fingers and lap up the creative juices trickling down his wrists--DeVry would preserve it behind glass--immaculate, distant, untouchable, even those art forms that require air and movement in order to breathe. Over the years, this seeking of perfection has become a nearly pathological impulse, a flavour of madness, the standard for said perfection ever impossibly higher. Rather than finding beauty in the unique nature of a slight flaw, or in the evidence of humanity, it rings out discordant to him. He doesn't care for breaking new ground or trying something new, the evolution of style that comes with the passing centuries and changing human minds; rather, he knows what art should be, in his opinion, based on his experiences, and continually tries to seek out those he thinks are capable of being molded into that perfect model. DeVry doesn't want to experience art; he wants to observe it, for art's own sake.

Because, in his mind, the vagarities of human emotion are an impediment to achieving the platonic ideal of art, DeVry holds a belief that only a Kindred will be able to create it; though he accepts that a Kindred with no taste or aptitude for art in their human life will not become magically adept upon Embrace. Therefore, those he chooses to support and patronize--like Aggie--are humans who show an aptitude beyond that of their peers, one which could be molded and shaped and tended to the uppermost extent to which they are capable; and then, if they continue to show promise, Embraced so as to allow them to exceed the limitations of humanity, accessing the ability to create what he thinks of as art--something divine, to which humanity can only aspire.

To this end, Aggie is something of a failure. His artistry, while technical perfection in practice, is far too human in its expression; while he is capable of singing without his technique being overshadowed by emotion, he doesn't typically care to. Rather than unlocking hidden ability and potential, being Embraced only served to further feed the infusion of raw emotion that Aggie pours into his music, now inspired by the distance he is forced to take from Alastair and Phillip in his new unlife and the impact that his experiences with his heightened senses have on his emotions.

DeVry has only sought approval for Progeny a handful of times in his long life; he is incredibly discerning in bestowing the gift he offers, and so despite Aggie not living up to his expectations post-Embrace, he still harbours a great deal of care and affection for the younger Kindred. Aggie, for his part, is giddy with the new sensations on offer, and thankful to DeVry for the privilege of experiencing them and the faith that DeVry has always shown in Aggie's ability. (Another commentary on Aggie's relationship with music and with DeVry is forthcoming.) So the two share a fairly genial, familial relationship; the core of their disagreements and conflicts tends to boil down to their individual natures. Where Aggie is loud and unabashed, and free with his affections, DeVry is reserved; where Aggie is messy, even sloppy, DeVry is fastidious; where Aggie has a tendency to be emotional, DeVry is cold. If they do have a conflict, it is often smoothed over by Aggie giving DeVry a private concert in which he brings all of his technical skill and expertise to bear, as though to remind DeVry, "This is why you Made me; this is why it was worth it." (Aggie's technical skill does, indeed, improve once his ear becomes more capable of hearing the finest distinctions between notes, and he no longer needs to worry about breathing to sustain himself while singing.)

DeVry has been married a few times, once as a human and twice after his own Embrace. His first wife was a ballerina; his obsession with the pursuit of perfection in art has its roots in the way that no other ballerina was ever able to compare to her talent and beauty after he lost her, and has since--over time, with the erosion of rational thought, and the loss of connection to his more human emotions--perverted itself. He is currently unmarried, has no mortal descendants, and Aggie is his only childer.

[wolfspiders-web]

Sapience re: Constructs

I continue to go down the rabbit hole of "how do I bullshit science and magic together" for my headworld, today it's enchantments

In this world, "artificial intelligence" is the magical manifestation of a will on a physical object via enchantment, often referred to as "constructs" or "cons" for short. The level of AI is limited by the inclusion of technology or lack thereof; a maximum of Stage 3 is capable on low to no tech objects, while all Stages are theoretically possible on a sufficiently technologically advanced object. The stages are as follows:

Basic: The enchanted equivalent of a simple tool and usually only possesses an on/off switch of sorts. Cannot improve upon itself nor be trained.

Competent: Designed for a specific task and can accept new data to improve functionality. May respond to inputs in a human-like manner, but has no sense of self.

Refined: Capable of being trained beyond its original parameters and develop mastery in a specified domain. Can pass or exceed tests for human-like intelligence.

Awakened: The beginnings of sapience with reasoning and emotions. However it lacks creativity and requires external input, possessing no initiative at all.

Autonomous: Possesses true self-awareness and is completely indistinguishable from a human. It acts on its own initiative and can creatively solve problems.

Master: Similar to Stage 5, but is also capable of outperforming any expert in any field and can do the work of multiple people to manage or solve complex tasks.

Omniscient: Improves itself at a rate that gets exponentially faster over time. For better or worse, once started its growth cannot be stopped nor reversed.

Stage 7 is Literally the Singularity but I wanted it to be called something else because the term feels overused in sci-fi settings. Based on the 7 Stages of Artificial Intelligence outlined in this Stack Exchange post.

Despite AI being near unexplainable except "lol magic", advanced technology and materials are still required to create a framework for the enchantment to latch onto and create a functioning artificial brain. There was nothing remotely like sapient AIs before the Great War spawned magic itself. On that note, trying to enchant a will onto a dead or even a braindead complex organic body is a very bad idea. Do Not Do. Talking animal familiars are still strictly the domain of fiction as well.

The scale is also more than a bit controversial and sparks a lot of debates along the lines of "then what are people if not Stage 5 meat constructs?", does it matter if it's wetware instead of hardware? Arguments are formed around the fact that humans are born with wills and not enchanted to have them.

The reason why this is all here is that I realized something about what I wrote about magic/tech earlier and how I've basically bullshitted a semi-plausible way to have Chasseur in my headworld, lmao. He's technically an enchanted object/construct, with a "will" put upon him to give him intelligence and a heart. Chasseur falls under Stage 5 due to being completely self-aware and has intelligence levels on par with that of the average human or slightly beyond, but he can't "multitask" on gargantuan projects like a Stage 6 can.

On that note, Stages 6 and 7 cannot be created, but a construct with the appropriate frameworks and hardware can grow into them with enough time. While Stage 4 and above are exceedingly rare, the fact that the scale already exists during my narrative means the members of the 553 Unit were not the first autonomous robots on record. c:

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The future is symmetrical

When Mitch Kapor articulated the principle that “architecture is politics” at the founding of EFF, he was charging technologists with the moral duty to contemplate the kinds of social interactions their technological decisions would facilitate — and prohibit.

At question was nothing less than the character of the networked society. Would the vast, pluripotent, general purpose, interconnected network serve as a glorified video-on-demand service, the world’s greatest pornography distribution system, a giant high-tech mall?

Or could it be a public square, and if so, who would have the loudest voices in that square, who would be excluded from it, who will set its rules, and how will they be enforced?

As with its technical architecture, the political architecture of the net is a stack, encompassing everything from antitrust enforcement to spectrum allocation, protocol design to search-and-seizure laws, standards to top-level domain governance.

Among those many considerations is the absolutely vital question of service delivery itself. What kinds of wires or radio waves will carry your packets, who will own them, and how will they be configured?

For decades, a quiet war has been fought on this front, with two sides: the side that sees internet users as “mouse potatoes,” destined to passively absorb information feeds compiled by their betters; and the “netizen” side that envisions a truly participatory network design.

This deep division has been with us since the internet’s prehistory, at least since the fight over Usenet’s alt.* hierarchy, flaring up again during the P2P wars, with ISPs insisting that users were violating their “agreements” by running “servers.”

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/11/altinteroperabilityadversarial

Above all, this fight was waged in the deployment of home internet service. The decision turn the already-monopolistic cable and phone operators into ISPs cast a long shadow. Both of these industries think of their customers as passive information consumers, not participants.

As an entertainment exec in William Gibson’s 1992 novel Idoru describes her audience: “Best visualized as a vicious, lazy, profoundly ignorant, perpetually hungry organism craving the warm god-flesh of the anointed. Personally I like to imagine something the size of a baby hippo, the color of a week-old boiled potato, that lives by itself, in the dark, in a double-wide on the outskirts of Topeka. It’s covered with eyes and it sweats constantly. The sweat runs into those eyes and makes them sting. It has no mouth…no genitals, and can only express its mute extremes of murderous rage and infantile desire by changing the channels on a universal remote. Or by voting in presidential elections.”

Contrast this with the other cyberpunk archetype, the console cowboy who doesn’t merely surf the digital, but steers it — the active participant in the technological/media environment who is more than a recipient of others’ crafted messages.

For a long time, Big Tech and Big Telco tried to have it both ways. AT&T promoted teleconferencing and remote family life conducted by videophones in its 1993 “You Will” marketing campaign. Youtube exhorted you to “broadcast yourself.”

But AT&T also set data-caps, kicked users off for running servers, and engaged in every legal, semi-legal and outright illegal tactic imaginable to block high-speed fiber networks.

Youtube, meanwhile, blocked interoperability, leveraged vertical integration with Google search to exclude and starve competitors, and conspired with Big Content to create a “content moderation” system that’s two parts Kafka, one part Keystone Kops.

https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/12/fairy-use-tale/#content-id

While the questions raised by broad participation in networked society are thorny and complex, one question actually has a very simple and factual answer: “How should we connect our homes to the internet?” The answer: “Fiber.”

There is no wireless that can substitute for fiber. Wireless — 5G, Starlink, whatever — shares the same spectrum. We can make spectrum use more efficient (by tightly transmitting the wireless signals so they don’t interfere), but physics sets hard limits on wireless speeds.

Each strand of wire in a wired network, by contrast, is its own pocket universe, insulated from the next wire, with its own smaller, but exclusive, electromagnetic spectrum to use without interfering with any other wire on the other side of its insulation.

<img src=”https://craphound.com/images/broadband_comparison.jpeg" alt=”EFF’s broadband comparison chart, showing the maximum speeds of 4G (100mb), DSL (170mb), 5G (10gb), cable (50gb) and fiber (100tb).”>

But copper wire also has hard limits that are set by physics. The fastest theoretical copper data throughput is an infinitesimal fraction of the fastest fiber speeds. Fiber is millions-to-hundreds-of-millions times faster than copper.

https://www.eff.org/wp/case-fiber-home-today-why-fiber-superior-medium-21st-century-broadband

We should never run copper under another city street or along another pole. Any savings from maintaining 20th century network infrastructure will be eradicated by the cost of having to do twice the work to replace it with 21st century fiber in the foreseeable future.

Trying to wring performance gains out of copper in the age of fiber is like trying to improve the design of whale-oil lamps to stave off the expense of electrification. Sure, you don’t want anyone sitting in the dark but even the very best whale-oil lamp is already obsolete.

But besides future-proofing, there’s another reason to demand fiber over copper or wireless: symmetry. Our copper and (especially) wireless infrastructure is optimized for sending data to end-points, not getting data back. It’s mouse-potato broadband.

(this is especially true of any satellite broadband, which typically relies upon copper lines for its “return path,” and even when it doesn’t, has much slower uplinks that downlinks)

By contrast, fiber tends to be symmetrical — providing the same download and upload speeds. It is participatory broadband, suited for a world of distance ed, remote work, telemedicine, and cultural and political participation for all.

Fiber is so obviously better than copper or wireless that America paltry fiber rollouts needed to be engineered — they never would have happened on their own. The most critical piece of anti-fiber engineering is US regulators’ definition of broadband itself.

Since the dawn FCC interest in universal broadband, it adopted a technical definition of broadband that is asymmetrical, with far lower upload than download speeds. Despite lockdown and broadband-only connections to the outside world, Congress is set to continue this.

The latest iteration of the Democrats’ broadband bill defines “broadband” as any connection that is 100mb down and 20mb up (“100/20”). Both of these speeds paltry to the point of uselessness, but the upload speed is genuinely terrible.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/07/future-symmetrical-high-speed-internet-speeds

US broadband usage has grown 21%/year since the 1980s. 100/20 broadband is inadequate for today’s applications — let alone tomorrow’s (by contrast, fiber is fast enough to last through the entire 21st century’s projected broadband demand and beyond, well into the 2100s).

Any wireless applications will also depend on fiber — your 5G devices have to be connected to something, and if that something is copper, your wireless speeds will never exceed copper’s maximum speeds. Innovation in spectrum management requires fiber — it doesn’t obviate it.

Today, the highest growth in broadband demand is in uploads, not downloads. People need fast uploads speeds to videoconference, to stream their games, to do remote work. The only way a 100/20 copper network’s upload speeds can be improved is by connecting it with fiber.

Every dollar spent on copper rollout is a dollar we’ll forfeit in a few years. It’s true that cable monopolists will wring a few billions out of us if we keep making do with their old copper, but upgrading copper just makes the inevitable fiber transition costlier.

China is nearing its goal of connecting 1 billion people to fiber. In America, millions are stuck with copper infrastructure literally consisting of century-old wires wrapped in newspaper, dipped in tar, and draped over tree-banches.

https://mn.gov/commerce-stat/pdfs/frontier-service-quality-report-final.pdf

Indeed, when it comes to America, monopoly carriers are slowing upload speeds — take Altice, the US’s fourth-largest ISP, which slashed its upload speeds by 89% “in line with competitors’ offerings.”

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/27/immortan-altice/#broadband-is-a-human-right

America desperately needs a high-fiber diet:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/03/30/fight-for-44/#slowpokes

But it has a major blockage: the American right, who have conducted history’s greatest self-own by carrying water for telecoms monopolists, blocking municipal fiber:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/01/17/turner-diaries-fanfic/#1a-fiber

It’s darkly funny to see the people who demanded that “government stay out of my internet” now rail against monopoly social media’s censorship, given that a government ISP would be bound by the First Amendment, unlike Facebook or Twitter.

Luckily, Congress isn’t the only place where this debate is taking place. In California, Governor Newsom has unveiled an ambitious plan to connect every city and town to blazing-fast fiber, then help cities and counties get it to every home.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/15/how-to-rob-a-bank/#fiber-now

In tech circles, we use the term “read-only” to refer to blowhards who won’t let you get a word-in edgewise (this being one of the more prominent and unfortunate technical archetypes).

The “consumer” envisioned by asymmetrical broadband futures is write*-only — someone designed to have other peoples’ ideas crammed into their eyeballs, for their passive absorption. A consumer, not a citizen.

As Gibson put it, it’s a person who “can only express its mute extremes of murderous rage and infantile desire by changing the channels on a universal remote.”

Cyberpunk is a warning, not a suggestion.

[askhubertvonvestra]

Which Genshin Impact Vision (elemental abilities) would fit the Black Eagles?

It’s strange, but I do believe this will vary from those elements used by Benders. I imagine it’s due to the perceived facets of the elements that go beyond a simple definition.

Bernadetta von Varley: Dendro. There may be an insightfulness typically associated with those in possession of this Vision that one may not see in Bernadetta at a glance, given her isolated nature. However, I would argue that she is able to find perceive more than others might on account of her prolonged time spent alone with the ability to reflect in peace. She often brings a unique perspective to matters that one might not have considered otherwise, and I do believe that warrants the interest of a being claiming to rule wisdom. As well, the abilities provided by this Vision would cater to her interests in the most unusual plants, I should think. Poisonous creatures would likely strike her as adorable.

Caspar von Bergliez: Pyro. Largely on account of his fearlessness in the face of a challenge, he would make a natural choice for the Lady of Fire to bestow her Vision upon. Not that he would require it, of course. His passion and fervor are more than sufficient without supposedly divine intervention. It is also rather fitting that Pyro can easily interact with every other variety of Vision within this realm. I’ve not met anyone yet who can’t find a way to collaborate with Caspar, despite his boundless enthusiasm that some may find overwhelming. His friendship with Linhardt has shown how adaptable and accommodating he can be of people who, on the surface, appear as his very opposite.

Dorothea Arnault: Anemo. A free spirit is a defining characteristic of Dorothea’s, and I’m certain the being overseeing these Visions would recognize that swiftly. His decision not to smother his people with oppressive rule and permit them worship if they so choose would also resonate with her, no doubt. The talents of Anemo are not as immediately apparent as more combative and responsive Visions, yet the capacity it does have is undeniable should one care to notice. With Dorothea’s own talents concealed behind her showmanship for those who gloss over her based on assumptions, only to later realize their mistake, Anemo is a promising reflection of her character.

Edelgard von Hresvelg: Cryo. The power of prismatic ice, applied in any manner of protection or devastating attacks, is a perfect parallel to Her Majesty’s own considerable strength. Tsaritsa, Archon of Cryo, is one who may also understand the decisions that Lady Edelgard has had to make for the better of humanity. Hers is a compassionate heart that she was forced to harden in the name of her people, so that peace may truly be secured and not merely pretended at by false gods and greedy nobles. Of course, her propensity for powerful strikes for staggering physical damage does support the elemental reactions of this Vision neatly.

Ferdinand von Aegir: Pyro. Similarly to Caspar, he brings a formidable drive to whatever task he undertakes that would presumably still appeal to the entity associated with this vision. His temper would likely draw in the Lady of Fire as well, given her reputation, but one should expect a self-proclaimed god to be so short-sighted. In particular, his ability to change as a situation demands complements the elemental reactions for Pyro. Large damage in a single blow, steady damage as determined by surrounding events, or even a shield to guard allies... Yes, the versatility of Pyro suits Ferdinand quite well.

Hubert von Vestra: Geo. For this realm, Geo seems most suitable for my disposition. The extremely limited range of elemental reactions aside, it seems that a Vision is provided largely due to the individual themselves, unlike the magic of Fódlan. Between the Geo Archon’s own attentive and methodical habits and the protective qualities of Geo, this would be chosen for me rather than being my choice. I’m confident I could find a way to apply this Vision to my combat strategies for the best outcome nonetheless.

Jeritza von Hrym: Electro. The fact that these are no longer being distributed by the Archon, and indeed actively hunted down, almost makes it more ideal for Jeritza, in all honesty. His is a rare resolve, after all. One that arguably exceeds the self-importance and aggrandized air of this Vision’s Archon. She could attempt to wrench it from him if she wished to, and I doubt she would succeed. The emphasis on power and indomitable force affiliated with the Electro Vision does lend itself to Jeritza’s own combative prowess, however. He simply did not let the mentality of that overpower him as wholly as the conceited Archon for Electro did. The powers resulting from Electro are notably more tactical than the Death Knight might employ... Yet I believe Jeritza himself could find them useful.

Linhardt von Hevring: Hydro. Not simply for the healing abilities found with Hydro, this Vision is exceptional for Linhardt. Its reliance on elemental reactions with other Visions to have significant effects in combat would please him, I’m certain. The more distance between him and battle, the better. I presume he learned Physic for that reason. The commitment to equal judgment by the Hydro Archon would also speak to his own nature, I believe. He cares little for the empty perceptions or accusations of others, but he would accept criticisms that had any measure of value to him.

Petra Macneary: Anemo. Much like Dorothea, her open-minded and free nature is undeniable. It is uncharacteristically passive as a Vision for Petra, similarly to how Geo is for me, but she is likewise more than capable of compensating for that by her own merits in battle. I imagine the abilities it provides her would blend seamlessly into her agile fighting style. Truthfully, it would likely be a sight to behold. Her path to freedom for herself and her people has been complex in several aspects, yet she never relents. It is this commitment to free will and the human spirit all people share that empowers her, both in regards to this Vision as well as her position as Princess of Brigid.

[mellifluousoctopus]

I decided to make a character analysis post about my observations of the tv show and what i know about the comics. I’ve bolded my main points.

abuse TW, canon incest mentioned

On Diego

Diego is often mischaracterized as gruff, insensitive, resentful of all his family, abrasive and rude. Especially towards Vanya. But in reality he’s big softie, although a less emotional one than Luther. Diego hides his feelings and   vents them in other ways.  No matter how visibly present they are, his has a disdain for his emotions. Maybe because they are so present. He feels very strongly. (anger and love being a very easily seen example) Reginald is cold and calculating and emotion is a blindness on the battle field as well as a liability to be manipulated by Reginald and by others. Diego hates his emotions not only to appear competent in his fathers eyes but to also hide from Reginald’s wrath. No doubt that boxing and vigilantism are whats keeping him from going insane.  

He will try to deny it but his father’s teachings have big bearing of who he is now. The duty of the strong to protect the weak, vigilantism, striving to to hone and train your powers and body so that you are useful a better hero. These are ideals that Diego has taken from his upbringing and we see him live by even so much as to abandon all reason and try to save a doomed man at the price of the timeline. This devotion to the teachings of his father despite Diego’s resent of him, is an ironic circle of his father’s manipulation that birth his hero complex. 

He does everything that Reginald instilled in them with the same subconscious motive. He is in confliction with his own emotions and his own motivation. Diego’s strive to be something in his fathers eyes as compared to Luther, who was seemingly given extra attention and praise. As Vanya wrote in her book, they were all starved for attention, but Diego was in such close proximity to Luther, that the extra weight attention that Luther had was in stark contrast to Reginald’s neglect. This explains both his obsession with the numbering system and his connection with Grace. In an attempt to be noticed by his father and to prove himself upon comparison to Number One. Diego pushed himself harder and harder towards more and and more impossible standards of what he thought would achieve his father’s love. But Reginald has no love and Diego broke. He began to resent Reginald and what he believed was a rank system. Before the dinner we find that Diego still believes that number is associated with rank. He appoints them as Team Zero, because the number one/number two bullshit would divide them in the face of Reginald. There is no proof that any of the others believed in the rank system.( Luther obvious believes that he is the leader, but in no way does he use his false authority as a palanquin over the other others.) 

Grace supplemented Diego the attention that he lacked from his father. To all the children she was fair, gentle, calm, and understanding. She was a guiding hand and beacon of love in a cold and isolating household. To Diego she was salvation. A chance at be given love and support that he so obviously was missing. Grace probably spent more time with Diego. Both from the boy’s own choosing and from the duties given to her by Reginald, A cold, commandeering, traditionalist. Diego’s stuttered was stamped out of him out of him by all means. While corrections and punishment would come at anytime, Diego’s real speech therapy most likely given out by Grace, who is the only governess the children the remember and is seen reciting tips to him when he struggled. This extra attention validated Diego and strengthened his connection with Grace. This connection opened his eyes a bit faster to Reginald’s narcissism. Grace is Diego’s mother, she is the only thing in his life that provides unconditional love. He has seen her beyond Reginald’s programming. Seen her think and feel. Shes a person him. A person that Reginald mistreats as severely as he does the children. He treats her like an object despite her humanity and she is oblivious to Reginald’s abuse of her and the others. It makes him hate Reginald even more. Grace’s treatment is confirmation of Reginald’s. He wants to save her, but until he can he will hate Reginald for her.

As I’ve said before Luther, Diego, and Allison were the golden trio, the jocks, the children which Reginald placed most of his attention as they were the first 3 and therefore the three most manipulable. Like Luther, Diego’s emotions and his powers (which require Reginald’s shaping to be a more than average threat) earned him the title of second useful. 

Diego was the third wheel among the 3. When he first began training Diego was most likely like Luther. Eager to learn, eager to help, however he was most likely motivated by fitting his father’s expectation. Later on trying to exceed his fathers expectations in order to compete with Luther. Luther was his rubric, but as it become more and more frustrating to become equal to him in his father’s eyes as well as more and more apparent that Grace was tool rather than a person Diego began to hate Reginald. Luther refused to see their father’s cruelty and Diego began questioning authority as result of this blindness. He saw Allison in a similar light. At this point she was self absorbed denier according to Diego and both Luther and Allison’s relationship (they were not subtle) reduced them to moon-eyed freaks. further fueling Diego’s self isolation and defiance.

Saving Klaus is saving people. To Diego, Klaus is a civilian that should not be. They are a victim much like Grace and their(Diego and Klaus’) siblings are to Reginald, but they have the ability to do more. Klaus is representive of Diego’s frustration with the inabilty to respond to the academy’s greater purpose.

Diego shed tears on his missing brother, but there were few good memories behind it. Five is a self assured asshole, he’s pretentious and spends little time with the siblings (except maybe with Vanya). He’s also able get to dads attention with little effort which Diego wants. His powers allow him shortcuts too. Diego was bound to be jealous and feel slighted. Diego does not instigate competition with Five because Five does not bathe in the attention nor acknowledge it. Diego also thinks the attention is less of something he compete with as such attention comes from the meeting of minds.

Ben was a great friend. They had quiet and limited friendship, though  as there was a rift between their motivations. As much as both hated how they were used by Reginald, Diego focused on Reginald and his experiments rather than the powers and crime fighting (which was where Ben directed his ire) but they had great times.As we know Ben and Diego played at least one prank on Allison as children however it is implied that this was a common occurrence. These pranks could have been a form of rebellion or simple play by them that didn’t involve their powers or Reginald. I’ve chosen to believe that Ben was actually a large part of these pranks creating them and doing a lot of heavy work with them, and that Diego was the enabler, willing to help, and coming up with wackier and wackier ideas. Luther, Allison, and Five were the likely targets because they were the ones that refused to have fun on their own time, or chose to eat out of Reginald’s palm.

A lot of people think that Diego hates Vanya, for some reason. He doesn’t. He loves her. She’s his (little) sister. She sweet and timid. And she’s an innocent and a bystander to the teams greater responsibility to the innocent. When Hazel and Cha-Cha broke in, Diego is mad at Vanya for being there. Not because she’s there but because she is unable to protect herself. She has no training and she is at very very dangerous site. She is still his (little) sister and he still is obsessed with protecting the innocent. The reason people think he hates her is he feels betrayed by her.  He is short and sharp, but that’s his defense. It keeps her away and keeps him from showing any other emotions. To him, she first banked on their trauma. Not only is this grossly upsetting and violating. Having all your scars presented in a public sphere is wrong especially without your consent, especially when you refuse to be vulnerable. The book is also dramatic from Diego’s point of view. Diego shuts down any extra emotion that isn’t rage. In his mind Vanya should have dealt with it and kept dirty laundry unaired or at least have been direct in her grievances, especially since she had nothing to complain about. He (and the others) believed that Vanya had it the easiest. She has no training, she was not put in the ways of violence, he believes she was never subjected to experiment. She is ordinary. She has no greater responsibility. She should be fine. His distrust is granted and validated in the second season. Born of further betrayal and fear. Vanya has gone against Diego’s raison d‘etre, she has also wiped out entirety of earth and after years of underestimating her. Shock and distrust, (but not despise) are bound to arise.

[wisdomrays]

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Why Can't We See God?

God is absolutely other than His creation, for the Creator cannot have the same kind of being as His creation. Although this is self-evident, some people still ask why we cannot see God directly.

Direct vision is very limited. Consider the following: A tooth contains innumerable bacteria. No bacteria is aware of the tooth in which it lives, for that would mean that it has removed itself from the tooth and used some artificial means (e.g., telescopes and microscopes) to obtain an approximate idea of the tooth's surroundings and its relationship to the human body. Even if this were possible, such awareness does not mean understanding.

Our senses are in a similar situation. We know a great deal about our environment, but all of our knowledge is just a minute fragment of the whole. However, our knowledge is conditioned by understanding. We need to have a general idea about what we see in order to understand it. For example, how could we make sense of a tree without some prior idea, no matter how vague, of it? Given such limitations, how can we know or see the Creator of everything?

As created and finite beings, our potential and capacity are limited. Our Creator, on the other hand, is Infinite. We live and die within His creation, strive for understanding and virtue, and seek our salvation by His Mercy. Prophet Muhammad said: "Compared with the Seat of Honor, the whole universe is as small as a ring thrown upon a desert. Similarly, compared with the Throne, the Seat of Honor is as small as a ring thrown upon the desert." These statements show just how far His Infinitude exceeds our power of apprehending it. If we cannot conceive of the reality of the Seat of Honor and the Throne, how can we even begin to conceive of Him?

In the Qur'an, we read that: Vision comprehends Him not, but He comprehends all vision (6:103). After the Prophet's ascent to the heavens, his Companions asked him if he had seen God. [3] Abu Dharr reported that, on one occasion, he answered: "What I saw was the Light. How could I see Him?" [4] On another occasion he answered: "I saw a Light." [5] These statements clarify the well-known saying: "The light is the limit or veil of God." [6] This light, which He created, stands between us and God. We can only see by within that light, which makes limited sight possible, and also shields or veils us from God. Just as we see only a part of it, we also see only a part of what veils Him.

Consider the matter from another angle. Ibrahim Haqqi says: "In all of creation, there is nothing like, equal, or contrary to God. God is above all form. Indeed, He is immune to and free of form." We can distinguish different things only because they have a like, an equal, or a contrary thing. For example, we know "long" by comparing it to "short." In the absence of such means of comparison, as in the case of God, we have no way to compare or distinguish. This is the meaning of "God is above all form."

Those who ask to see God directly seek to think of or know His Being directly. Just as we cannot see Him, we cannot think of or know His Being, for He is beyond all form, quality, quantity, and human conception or reasoning. In the words of Muslim theologians: "Whatever conception of God we form in our minds, He is other than it." And the Sufis say: "God is beyond all our conceptions, and we are surrounded by thousands of veils."

Men and women of wisdom have said that God exists but cannot be comprehended by human reason or perceived by human senses. The only way to acquire knowledge of Him is through the Prophets, whom He appointed as bearers of His Revelation. Given this, we must accept the guidance of Revelation if we want to know about Him.

Consider the following analogy. Imagine that you are in a closed room. When someone knocks on the door, you might be able to form some vague impressions about who is knocking. However, you can only guess at his or her attributes. All that you know for certain is that someone is knocking. You can open the door and ask the person knocking to make himself or herself known to you. In this way, you can acquire more accurate knowledge of his or her true attributes.

This analogy helps us approach the question of how to seek God. Look at creation. Its sheer immensity, unity of form, beauty and harmony, usefulness and demands upon our labor and understanding make us aware of the Creator's existence. When we see a wide range of diverse fabrics produced from a single material, we know that someone has produced it, for we understand that it could not have produced itself. Similarly, we can deduce from what we can see of this creation that someone—the Creator—has made it.

But this is where the similarity ends. While we can find those who made the fabric and persuade them to make themselves known to us, we cannot do so with the Creator. This would be like the pieces of fabric demanding that their producers reveal themselves. Clearly, such a thing is impossible. Without assistance from the Creator, all we can do is speculate about who is knocking.

What opens this door for us is Revelation. Through God's Revelation to the Prophets and their teaching, we can respond to creation as signs manifesting the Creator's Existence and Attributes. [7] Through the Prophets, we learn to contemplate and call upon His Attributes. A true understanding of them requires that we follow the way of the Prophets: inner experience and contemplation, which can be achieved only by our sincere and total observance of the Divine decrees, objective study, and profound meditation. If our inner faculties are not developed, we cannot grasp the meaning of creation and so cannot contemplate the Divine Attributes manifested within creation.

Even then, it is not possible for just anyone to comprehend the Divine Essence. That is why it is said: "His Names are known, His Attributes are comprehended, and His Essence exists." In the words of Abu Bakr: "To comprehend His Essence means to confess that His Essence cannot be comprehended."

Our duty is to remain committed to our covenant with God, and to beseech Him as follows:

O You alone who are worshipped. We cannot attain to true knowledge of You, yet we believe that You are nearer to us than our jugular veins. We feel Your existence and nearness in the depths of our hearts through the universe, which You created and opened to us like a book, and through the wonderful harmony of form between all parts of Your creation. We come to perceive that we are integrated into the whole realm of Your theophanies, and thus our souls are rested and consoled, and our hearts find serenity.

[moonlightscholar]

Does Conrad’s magic operate like spell slots or is it more like a TP bar? Is his number of spells in a day limited in any way? Or is it unlimited? What happens if he tries to exceed his spell limit?

(The short answer? Yes.

If you want the more complicated answer, then honestly it depends as to if this was before his turning or after. Since the way humans use magic actually differs from vampires a little bit, even though he always did have an inherent ability to use magic.

(Put under the cut because of length)

Human magic did operate on a method a bit closer to spell slots. Each mage could feel and sense how much energy they had a day for their spells, and thus they knew they would only have the strength to use the highest tier of spell they are capable of maybe on or two times. Also being able to use higher tiers of spells took time and practice as well. But regardless, a mage's use of specific tiers of spells was limited on a day by day basis, as there was no way to recover the energy that was expended on the spells outside of resting. (And even if you expend the energy on a higher tier spell, a mage would be able to still cast a few lower tier spells as well similar to how spell slots work. And there would exist some magic that hardly expend any energy at all too. A mage wouldn't be able to go beyond their spell limit, even trying to would just result in there being no effect happening no matter what they do.

(Also There is no such thing as a mana potion in his world, the closest thing in composition to one even back then would be similar to today's energy drinks but they would be ill effective for magic due to the mental focus involved for casting. And such a drink would only be useful for those that use physical-based skills instead really. So the only way for a human to recover use of their magic is through resting.)

Now then, Vampire magic on the other hand you could say does operate on a more MP/TP type basis. Since the amount of blood he has consumed and has in his body acts as the amount of energy he has for his spells too. Casting his spells does actually drain him of some of his strength too in that regard and thus will drain his blood reserves. Though as opposed to when he was human, he actually no longer has a hard per-day/per-rest limit on most of his spells though he does have to manage how much energy he has and how hungry he gets as well.

Considering the spells do drain on his blood reserves, he has to be cautious as to not use too much. (Though smaller and easier spells don't touch his reserves, but those are ones for more mundane use and thus not for combat use) since if he pushes himself too far, he will find himself slipping into bloodlust and frenzy and thus could be a liability to any of his comrades or even any innocents that could be within the area. (He keeps some vials on him so that if he does hit that point he could drink one just to keep some of his sense of self after a fight, but he still will need to find some meal source in order to recover himself fully)

Though why does this hit more closer to being of a MP/TP system? Because he can recover his strength and thus use of his magic without the need of resting or can do so on the fly if he has a source of blood to consume as well since having some blood (especially if it is human blood) is pretty close to having what would be a mana potion basically. Though taking the time to drink from someone would leave him open most of all if it is in the middle of a conflict, and he really dislikes getting his 'food' the old fashioned way as it is unless he has no other choice.

Either way, both forms do have their limits. Humans have a hard per-rest limit, trying to use any further just results in the spell not even being casted as their body wouldn't have the energy to expend anyways (there is the rare chance that the spell could activate upon trying, but then doing so would render the caster unconscious). Vampires don't have a hard limit per day/rest, but they have to be more mindful of their use since trying to overextend themselves would lead to them falling into a mindless, bloodthirsty state until they are able to find and consume enough blood to refuel.)

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Muta’aali— The Supremely Exalted, The Most High— on one occasion in the Quran. He’s the One who is exalted above the whole creation. Al-Muta’aali is beyond the highest, far beyond any thoughts, limits, and ideals of mankind, He is sublime and is above everything due to His might and perfection!

The Supreme One, The Highest of All

Muta’aali comes from the root ayn-laam-waaw, which points to four main meanings. The first is to be high, lofty, and exalted and to ascend. The second main meaning is to overcome and overwhelm and the third to advance and exceed. The fourth main meaning is to be eminent.

This root appears 70 times in the Quran in fourteen derived forms. Examples of these forms are ‘aaliyatin (elevated), al-‘ulyaa (the highest), fata’aalayna (“then come”) and la’aali (“a tyrant”).

Linguistically, uloow points to the attribute of loftiness and a person is ‘alee when he is prominent. The names Al’Muta’aali and Al-‘Alee— meaning “Allah is the highest, above any fault, above any imperfection”— are interrelated.
Al-Muta’aali is the One whose highness exceeds any limits. He is the most lofty and exalted and the One who advances, overcomes and exceeds all of creation in His being and all His attributes. He is proud and great and His glory is too high to be comprehended by us!

Al-Muta’aali Himself said: [He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Grand, the Exalted [Quran, 13:9]

Supreme Oneness – Devoting All Deeds to Him

As Muslims we should believe that Allah is One with no partner or associate in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (‘uloohiyyah) or names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).

Tawheed al-‘Uloohiyyah means devoting all acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allah (Al-Muta’aali) alone, and not worshiping anything or anyone other than Allah, no matter who he is: Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship). [Quran, 4:36]  It is called tawheed al-uloohiyyah because it is based on ta’alluh lillaah which is worship and devotion of Allah accompanied by love and veneration.

This is the purpose for which the universe was created and laws were prescribed. Concerning this disputes arose between the Prophets and their peoples, so the stubborn were doomed and the believers were saved! [al-Hujjah fi Bayaan al-Mahajjah, 1/305; Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah, 1/57] Our goals, our will, and our actions should all be defined to seek the face of Al-Muta’aali alone!

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Prioritize.

Is Allah really muta’aali in your life? You can find out by looking at where the deeds He lovingly wants you to carry out– like salah– are on your list. Do you fit your prayers around your daily life activities, delaying them, or do you put your prayers first, above anything else?

Do you first finish watching your favourite TV shows and then see if you have time left for the Quran? Do you start your day by checking messages on your phone or by reciting from the book of Al-Muta’aali? Test your daily schedule; if your acts of worship don’t have priority, change it and you will see how blessed, productive, and peaceful you will feel. Start and end your day by reciting the words of Al-Muta’aali!

2. Don’t place yourself above others.

You cannot do anything except through the power of Al-Muta’aali and everything that you have comes from Him. Your position with Al-Muta’aali is determined by one crucial factor: the level of your taqwa and righteousness.  Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah´s sight is the one with the most taqwa [Quran, 49:13] Never place yourself above others because of your wealth, intelligence, looks, or your lineage!

3. Call others to Al-Muta’aali.

You as a human being are the most honoured creation of Al-Muta’aali; live up to your purpose by not only worshiping Him yourself, but also show others who He is. Do da’wah to be successful! And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful [Quran, 3:104]

4. Know that He is high, yet close.

Sometimes you are so absorbed with stress or grief that you forget Al-Muta’aali, who is higher than and above everything, is closest to you.  And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein [Quran, 50:16] In times of hardship, know that He is the supreme above the throne, but also the only One who knows exactly what you are going through, so tell Him all you feel and ask Him to help you battle your trials!

5. Never despair.

You know you should not despair in the mercy of Al-Muta’aali, however Shaytan often tricks into another kind of despair: despair in yourself. Did you ever say: “I will never change” or “I will never be able to do this, so why start?” or about someone else:  “they will never change”? Indirectly you are despairing in the power of Al-Muta’aali!

When you say “Allah will never forgive me, I’m doing so many bad things”, you are actually lowering Him, exalted is He, to human standards of forgiveness! So next time you feel like you cannot change a certain habit, or you keep committing the same sin, call upon Al-Muta’aali and ask Him to assist you with unshakable belief in His Highness and abilities.

6. Ask Al-Muta’aali.

Paradise has seven levels; the highest one is Firdaws-al-‘aala, the highest level is right under the throne of Al-Muta’aali. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: When you ask of Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is in the middle of Paradise and is the highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it spring forth the rivers of Paradise [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]  Call upon Al-Muta’aali!
O Allah, Al-Muta’aali, we know that You are the Supreme. Give us knowledge of and lead us  to prioritize the deeds most pleasing to You and assist us in calling others to You. Adorn us with firm belief in your Highness and admit us to the Highest Paradise without Reckoning, ameen!

[mhenvs3000-20]

Not feeling well? Here, have a dose of nature.

Nature is a cure. A cure for what exactly? Well, that’s hard to say. Not because I have trouble finding an answer for what nature might be a cure for. Instead, it’s hard to say because I have trouble not saying “everything”.

Photo of an artistic representation of nature as a cure. The plants are cleverly placed in a standardized pharmaceutical pill container. Retrieved from here.

My personal guiding ethic as a nature interpreter is that nature is a cure. Richard Louv, based on our readings during the course, seems to agree. He invented the term “nature-deficit disorder” because of research he has performed that spans over a decade. He’s studied how there are physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and environmental consequences from having a “nature-deficit disorder” (Beck et al., 2018, p. 50). Louv’s work includes effects on children (2005), adults (2011), and entire communities (2016).

My beliefs are in line with Louv’s because I have witnessed the healing power of nature through my own experiences. Spending time in nature and learning about the details consistently reignites me and makes me feel at peace. The stresses of modern life melt away when I am engulfed in nature. It’s the best medicine I have, but I’m aware that’s my own subjective experience.

Photo of Hamilton Pool, USA. Seeing this in person blew me away and it was the moment that I began to see nature as magical. Being here for a brief moment healed me from poisonous psychological mind states that are an inevitable result of modern society. Retrieved from here.

In my opinion, experiencing things for yourself is much more valuable than scientific data proving something. This is because science is always behind. It takes years to perform a flawless experiment that has conclusive evidence. Additionally, science can only study a few variables at a time by definition, since scientific experiments rely on altering one variable at a time for the purpose of establishing cause and effect relationships. In real life, there are infinite variables. Therefore, science is powerful, but I always make the argument that our own experience is far more valuable because we can reach conclusions faster.

So, my opinion that nature is a cure is not founded on scientific principles. Of course, there are some scientific experiments that can demonstrate why nature helps with certain illnesses such as the ones Louv carried out (Beck et al., 2018, p. 50). But, when I say nature is a cure, I mean it is a cure that exceeds beyond what science can definitively confirm in the foreseeable future. 

This is why I feel responsible for sharing nature with the world. I think our current society has a twisted perversion with science. Science is the modern God. As a scientist myself who has been studying biology for the last half decade, the problems with science are clear to me. I feel a personal responsibility to stop this perversion and make people realize that science should not be our primary guiding principle.

It’s a nuanced idea that I want to share with the world. That nuanced idea is not meant to take away from the power of science and its incredible utility, but to help differentiate the power of science versus the longevity of conclusive data. To put it simply, a real scientific finding that has practical application to our lives and is irrefutably correct usually takes a long time. A really long time.

Through nature interpretation, I can bring this idea to people. For example, I can show people the amazing scientific discoveries related to bees such as how they communicate through sophisticated dances that are similar in precision to a modern GPS. I can outline how honey is made, what constitutes it, and how honey can be synthetically made through chemistry. I can share discoveries related to global bee species decline as a result of several factors such as neonicotinoid pesticide usage and climate change. But, I can also be honest about the limitations of science. I can say that we don’t really know what the answer to bee decline is. I can even say we don’t know if we need an answer. Perhaps, the bees can decline and nature will smoothly go on because other species will take its place. Perhaps, some plants that heavily rely on pollination may go extinct and be replaced with other ones. Is every “problem” worth solving? Dinosaurs, mammoths, and countless other species have gone extinct, but Earth remains. Nature always has a way of balancing everything in a beautiful and harmonious way that humans have historically never managed to do properly. They stopped forest fires in British Columbia, only to now purposely have controlled fires because they realized the positive biodiversity effects of forest fires (British Columbia Wildfire Service, 2010).

Nature interpretation is a way for me to tie all these complex ideas together into presentations that can bring genuine peace to people. People can leave an interpretative session with me realizing the power of nature and its harmonious ways.

I’d place emphasis on explaining connection. How everything connects together in a seamless fashion that is infinitely perfect. How the tree produces a seed and wraps it up with a fruit. How an animal will enjoy the nutrition of that fruit, but how that indirectly helps the tree reproduce by dispersing that seed as a result of eating the fruit. How that seed will eventually thrive as its own tree and continue the cycle. The cycle of never ending perfection.

All we can do is relax and enjoy this perfection, if only for a brief moment. We can breathe in the oxygenated air and feel grateful for nature. We can bask in its power and energy just like we love to bask in the sun. Then we can get back to our busy lives of obligations and responsibilities, but recharged with a potent kind of energy that is capable of worldly success.

As Robert Frost wrote originally almost 100 years ago (2000),

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

[References for entire post included by clicking below]

References

Beck, L., Cable, T., and Knudson, D. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage for a Better World. Urbana, IL: Sagamore – Venture Publishing LLC.

British Columbia Wildfire Service. (2010). British Columbia Wildland Fire Management Strategy. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/wildfire-status/governance/bcws_wildland_fire_mngmt_strategy.pdf

Frost, R. (2000). Stopping by woods on a snowy evening: For SATB choir and keyboard. London, Ont: Jaymar Music.

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Louv, R. (2011). The nature principle: Human restoration and the end of nature-deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Louv, R. (2016). Vitamin N: The essential guide to a nature-rich life. Chapel Hill, NC: Alqonquin Books of Chapel Hill.