#and mystified the solutions

[greenerteacups]

What are your thoughts on the magic system, both how JKR has created it in canon and also how you have tried to deepen or change it in Lionheart? In a lot of fanon/other series there’s more clear rules surrounding use of magic and magical strength or talent than it seems like JKR developed in canon.

Current fantasy publishing has trended hard towards hard magic systems, i.e. systems with clear rules, limits, and costs, because those systems make it really easy to establish stakes. Sanderson's books are a great example of hard magic used well, because his books are really interested in how societies built around magic would use them to solve problems.

Soft magic, in contrast, doesn't operate on clear limits. But that doesn't mean it's bad, it's just a different kind of worldbuilding. In his article, Sanderson points out that while hard magic systems thrive on getting the reader invested and scheming with the characters, it de-mystifies the "magic" of it all; it basically becomes technology. Meanwhile, soft magic systems are great at mustering awe and wonder. The risk of a hard magic system is you make your world feel mundane. The risk of a soft magic system is you make your stakes feel irrelevant. Neither of these are necessarily true, they're just risks you need to manage when you're writing. And good authors can manage them. For soft magic writers, you need to be really careful to show that your universe has problems that magic can't solve, even if you don't break down why it can't solve them. Martin and Tolkien are great examples of this. Why can't the eagles fly everyone to Mount Doom? I dunno, but I know they can't! And I trust that a world with his richness and verisimilitude, things happen for reasons, and those reasons, if explained to me, would be satisfying. When Tolkien tells me the eagles aren't a viable solution to the problem of the Ring, I just trust him. Because he's put in the work to make this world believable. Do I need him to invent some fictional rule about eagles being, like, physically unable to cross over that mountain range? What would that accomplish? The thing about magic being soft is you can just accept that sometimes It Doesn't Work, and you're fucked. So there's still a sense of tension and stakes for your characters, because they can't always depend on magic to get the job done. Another way around this problem is just to make the stakes of your series rest on something that magic can't solve, like emotional conflict, or a mystery. This is actually most of the Harry Potter books, in my opinion; they have pretty good stakes that almost always stem from human beings in conflict with each other, which isn't something that you can wave a wand and make go away.

Rowling's magic system is somewhere between hard and soft, whereas you can do X and reliably expect Y magical outcome, but also, it's pretty soft where the limit is. I don't mind this, because I'm pretty willing to handwave glitches in the magic system where it improves the story — so long as it's not a glitch that opens a plot hole, I'm fine not understanding How or Why Exactly a given piece of magic was executed. Dumbledore's escape from the aurors in fifth year, for instance. I don't know how he did that! Doesn't bother me. Because plot-wise, it doesn't make a difference. Because whether or not Dumbledore uses a mechanic I'm familiar with doesn't change the impact of the scene or my understanding of his abilities. The point is that he's super powerful and it would take way more than four aurors to nab him. Cool! Got it. No problem. But if Dumbledore was able to cast a spell that made Umbridge resign? I would be pissed. I don't want magic to fix that problem! I want the characters to develop and emotionally respond to challenges! Don't fuck with my stakes, man!

What also bothers me is when the books introduce technology that does work like straight-up hard magic, i.e., Time Turners. There is no reason a Time Turner should ever fail. It doesn't have a cost; it doesn't have a limit. This is insanely OP, and Rowling has admitted that it kind of fucked her worldbuilding. So I took it out in my fic, because I didn't want to be assed. I've peppered in a few limitations of my own on some things; I've hardcore nerfed Apparation, because I like travel sequences and I think teleportation is boring. The nature of the resurrection magic used by Voldemort seems big enough that there frankly should be a cost, so I'm thinking about that as I'm writing Book 6. Same with the horcruxes. In general, I think the nature of "dark magic" wants more explanation, so I'm trying to get into that more in the future. Plus also Lily's blood protection, and the horcrux/soul-splintering thing, and basically What All Went Down, Magically Speaking, With The Potters—? I'm interested in that. It implies the existence of much older and weirder magical mechanics than we've seen in the rest of the series. How can you do magic unintentionally? Was it unintentional? Much to figure out.

The spell system in general I don't mind, although I think Avada Kedavra is a terrible idea. you have this beautiful unbounded combat system that could be so creative and then you just. gave every wizard a gun. Sad! Also, I really like the idea in the last book of "you have to mean it," with respect to the Unforgivables, which ties in with how the Patronus requires an emotional component; it implies something about intention and willpower that seems like a potentially interesting mechanic.

[tokidokitokyo]

謎

音読み　メイ、ベイ

訓読み　なぞ

英語　riddle, puzzle, enigma, hint, tip

この謎の答えを考え付きますか。 この なぞ の こたえ を かんがえ つきます か。 Can you guess the answer to this riddle?

Common Compounds

謎を解く　なぞをとく　to solve a mystery/riddle

謎を掛ける　なぞをかける　to pose a riddle, to hint (at), to drop a hint

謎めく　なぞめく　to be enigmatic, to be puzzling, to be wrapped in a mystery

謎々　なぞなぞ　riddle, puzzle, enigma

謎解き　なぞとき　solution of a riddle

謎い　なぞい　mystifying, puzzling, perplexing, baffling, bewildering

謎染め　なぞぞめ　dyeing pattern incorporating a riddle

謎語　めいご　mysterious words, confusing words

[transmutationisms]

have u read bullshit jobs by david graeber? the book or the article i think they make mostly the same point

yeah i think he's overreliant on a historical argument that is fundamentally idealist and specifically he frequently attributes economic developments to the bad terrible horrible weberian conception of the 'protestant work ethic' or to a really rudimentary analysis of managerial psychology as depending on the creation of underlings. it's just mystifying what is actually very straightforwardly a basic result of capitalism, the creation of and reliance on profit-generating markets and positions regardless of underlying use-value or social worth. also i think he's wrong about some of the jobs he claims are socially useless, eg receptionists and administrative assistants and such are only as useless as the firm overall imo; the work structurally is often p load-bearing.

fundamentally though the real issue is revealed by the fact that he proposes UBI as a solution; this is only possible because ofc this entire framework is blatantly only applicable to an imperial core exploiting the labour of the rest of the world and concerned to distribute the fruits of this arrangement more equally internally without challenging the conditions that make such wealth possible in the first place. fatally liberal analysis at heart.

[purplesweetpotatoes]

adding this to my reading list

at this point we should just start tagging everything under every synonym under the sun just so it really hits

Deeply important. When purity-consciousness overwhelms a movement, it often ends up doing its enemies work for it. Direct link to thread below, above images screenshotted for posterity:

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

Do you have any thoughts on makeup and its connection to femininity and people who say makeup isn’t meant to satisfy men, it’s for enjoyment/fun etc? Not sure if I’m clear

I have so many thoughts about makeup anon. I've been really distressed to watch both the amount of beauty work expected of women and the gap between the beauty work expected of women and the beauty work expected of men grow over the last couple of decades. To make it worse there has been a really active effort to deploy rhetoric that sounds feminist to mystify what is actually going on.

Your ask is a really good place to start - because you are asking about an idea that is part of that process of mystification. The idea that motivation for why someone is participating in beauty culture is important is fundamentally individualistic. It suggests that both the problem and the solution with beauty culture is individual - and actively shuts down structural analysis.

In our culture, make-up is both an expense and a form of labour that falls disproportionately on women. In a lot of circumstances make-up isn't optional for women, and in many, many more it doesn't feel optional. That's political problem that needs to be solved - the compulsory nature of beauty work and disproportionate burden on women. Individual motivation isn't important politically and doesn't change that underlying dynamic.

Part of the problem is that it is very hard to find places to collectively fight the rising demands of beauty culture. I really like Jessica DeFino's work - and strongly recommend it - but her solutions are often focused on individuals disinvesting from beauty culture. It's really important that there are voices doing this - particularly in a world where people will with all seriousness suggest that skincare is feminism.

But I don't know what the political solution would be. I don't know how to fight the uneven and compulsory burden of beauty on women in a collective way. I maybe have some ideas for first steps, but the problem is obviously much bigger than these ideas

Fight where beauty work is actually compulsory. Usually the compulsory nature of femininity is a bit of a metaphor - there are consequences for not performing femininity - rather than explicit power structures. But there are plenty of places, particularly workplaces, where beauty work is compulsory. Seeing fights against compulsory make-up and unequal dress-codes as important political fights - and mobilising solidarity when they happen - is an important first step.

Build a feminist movement that cannot be co-opted by the beauty industry - and actively work against that co-option. A large part of that is rejecting individualism (a great start is reading the actual personal is political essay and grappling with how distorted those ideas have come). Feminism isn't about what we do as individuals (or even worse what other people do as individuals) - but about how we collectively build a better world.

Take the question of how to challenge beauty culture seriously and collectively. Acknowledge that we don't know how to change it at the moment and form groups that discuss that question.

But the most important starting point is that it doesn't matter how women personally engage in beauty culture as individuals, or why. What matters is the fact that beauty work is both compulsory and an uneven burden.

[racke7]

Sometimes, I really fucking hate Skyrim.

So, a long time ago, I created a simple little mod for Skyrim that just replaced the "Riekling death noise" with sound-files that were silent. A simple, elegant solution that Skyrim has always been okay with.

Of course, for some fucking reason, this didn't work. I spent hours upon hours trying to figure out what was wrong, to no avail.

In the end, I threw my hands up, left the mod installed (since it didn't get in the way) and started a new save. Boom, no death-noise.

Obviously I was mystified and vaguely horrified at the possible implication that the sound-file was somehow hardcoded into the save-file, because how the fuck would that even happen????

But it worked, right? So who gives a shit. Live and let live.

Killed a riekling today, and it made the death-noise.

Immediately went to check that I'd installed the mod, and yeah, it'd been installed from the start. So, clearly it'd become quiet back then for some completely different reason.

Was very unhappy about it, but decided to open the Creation-Kit to see if I could track something down. Ended up finding a "riekling death-noise"-file that clearly linked to all of those aforementioned sound-files, and-...

And nothing was using that file. As in, nothing was referencing or calling to this file at all.

Which would mean that the Creation-Kit is telling me that SOMEHOW the game just spontaneously without any references or anything at all, just plays the death-noise (that has already been erased from the game) exactly when it needs to.

And like... what the fuck dude?

[liebgotts-lovergirl]

💖 Ship Trade for @witchthewriter 💖

Lord of the Rings

I ship you with...

Aragorn!!

Description:

I had to think long and hard about this one because there was one other person that I thought could work but in the end, I think you and Aragorn are just too perfect for each other! You both are very reserved personalities with strong moral compasses and a fierce sense of loyalty to those you hold dear. You're the definition of a mirror couple and I think that would be so beautiful because your connection to each other is literally soul-deep! Idk, I have lots of feelings about this one. He is reverent in his love for you and it's clear just from the way he looks at you that he adores you. When he speaks to you, it's as though you are the only person in the room because to him, you absolutely are.

Species: Elf!

You have a very ethereal energy and that, combined with your strong connection to nature and your natural eloquence, immediately made it clear to me that you were a member of the Elven race! Also your natural wit reminded me a lot of Legolas!

Headcanons:

When you first meet Aragorn, it is in the company of your brother, Legolas. From the moment you are introduced, Aragorn can't take his eyes off of you. He is absolutely smitten and even despite his usual composure, it's written entirely in his eyes. Legolas, noticing the immediate chemistry between the two of you, invites you to walk with them, seamlessly including you in the conversation. Aragorn is pleasantly surprised by your wit and good humor throughout the course of the conversation and he finds himself smiling at things you said even days afterwards. You bring him a much-needed levity and he finds himself seeking out your company more often, with your brother's permission, of course.

He is very protective of you but he shows it in quiet ways. A hand resting on your hip to keep you close, always locating you first in every room, always choosing to sleep closest to the door in case of attack, looming silently behind you as a threat to any who would dare approach you in any sort of ill manner. He knows that you can handle yourself just fine -- after all, he taught you how to wield a blade and your father made sure you were a skilled archer as well-- but you are his whole heart and he will always defend you as such. He treats you like a precious treasure because to him, that is exactly what you are.

You two know each other so well that, without even realizing it, you soon have a language all your own, made entirely of meaningful glances, raised or furrowed brows, soft smiles, and barely-noticeable changes in expression that speak volumes only to the two of you. Others around you are often mystified by it because you always seem to be on the same page without trying to be. There is never any pretense between the two of you because you two just connect on a deeper level. Meeting each other was like coming home in a way, like finding the perfect missing piece you hadn't even known you needed.

When you are traveling together, he is the world's biggest Mother Hen. He saves portions of his own rations for you just in case you get hungry, he is constantly glancing over at you to see if you might need to rest, he'll never let you take the watch unless he is literally seconds away from sleep, pulling up your blanket over you so you stay warm, etcetera. He wants nothing more than to make your life easier because it is what you deserve.

He consults you in all matters! Aragorn has great respect for your intelligence and your love of knowledge is one of the many things he finds so admirable about you! He values your counsel above all others and he often seeks you out to discuss important affairs of the day. The perspective and insight of his queen are invaluable to him and he treasures these conversations where you work together to come to a diplomatic solution that benefits all parties involved.

Theme Song:

"I Wouldn't Mind" by He is We

"Go There With You" by Steven Curtis Chapman

"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri

Relationship Tropes

Brother's Best Friend

Mutual Pining

"I'd Kill For You" (You) x "Please Do Not" (Him)

Plot Trope:

Royal Romance

Their Favourite Thing About You:

Your sensitivity and open-mindedness! Aragorn values both extremely highly as they reflect not only the quality of your own personal moral compass but also, shared values between the two of you. It warms his heart to know that you share his compassion for those around you and that together, you can usher in a period of much-needed peace and harmony to the kingdoms.

Your Best Friend:

Legolas, your brother! You were virtually inseparable as children and in your adulthood, you both still enjoy each other's company. A bit of sibling rivalry developed at one point due to your strong personalities but it's turned into friendly banter more than anything else. You always have each other's back, no matter the circumstance, and you know that you can come to him with any problem you might have and he will always lend a sympathetic ear.

Which Character You Are Most Like:

I have to say Aragorn again! I really do see you as his female counterpart. You share a lot of similar personality traits including your firm loyalty to your moral compass, your seemingly reserved outward persona that hides the sensitive soul within, your love of nature, your eloquence, your passion for helping others and offering support when it is needed most.

Your Pet:

A large hunting hound named Huan after Huan the Hound of Valinor! He is your constant companion, fiercely protective of you and always at your side. Some people find him intimidating due to his size but you absolutely adore him and he, you! He is remarkably well-trained and a great judge of character! If he growls when someone approaches you, Aragorn is immediately suspicious of them. There is a running joke between the two of you that he should be fitted with armor, since he behaves as a member of your household guard.

• ──────�� •°•❀•°• ─────── •

House of the Dragon

I ship you with...

Addam of Hull!

Description:

Addam would be absolutely enchanted by you! You come from an entirely different world than the one he grew up in and there is a beautiful complexity about you that draws him in. Your quiet self-assuredness and introvertedness contrasted with the fierce, passionate fire that you exude when confronted with injustice all fascinate him and make him want to get to know you all the more. Addam is a shipwright, an architect, with a mind for puzzles and you are one he could spend his whole life figuring out.

Species:

Human but with some distant Valyrian ancestry!

A noble daughter of House Tully, the pride of the Riverlands, you are the elder sister of Oscar Tully and a valuable ally for Team Black. Your blue-grey eyes and strong-willed, opinionated personality were what sold me on this, although I could also definitely see you belonging to House Stark as well.

Headcanons:

He heard you before he saw you. On his way to the shipyard, he heard raised voices coming from the edge of the marketplace and decided to investigate. You were arguing with a fruitseller who had a clearly-starved young mother by the arm, loudly verbally accosting her as he accused her of stealing and threatened to go to the authorities. She was pleading with him but only when you stepped in did the man finally back down. Taking the girl aside, you offered to buy her whatever she needed for her and her family at another stall, where the merchant wasn't an ass. Addam had never seen a woman so fierce and yet so kind. The memory stayed with him and at night, he dreamt of the fire in your eyes.

Every night, he sits with you by the window of his cottage, holding you as you read by candlelight. It's a pasttime that you both look forward to, especially after long days. Words are rarely spoken -- they don't need to be. Feeling you in his arms, silently reading over your shoulder, seeing the soft smile on your face as you completely engross yourself in another world is more than enough. When he's caught in a storm whilst out fishing one night, it is that little nook in the window that he goes back to in his mind -- the soft flicker of the candlelight across your face, the way your eyes scan each page, the feel of you safe and warm in his arms -- and he knows he is going to make it home to you, to that moment, even if he has to abandon his catch and swim for shore.

Addam has yearned for something greater his whole life, to be more than what he's been given. And when he first meets you, that feeling only intensifies. After all, the beautiful daughter of a noble house? Surely you wouldn't even glance his way -- after all, he's no lord or even a knight. His mother and father are a great example of what happens when nobles and commonfolk mix -- he should know better than to get his hopes up. But even so, he can't help it. He works twice as long and twice as hard, hoping to make at least enough coin to afford a decent-looking coat so he wouldn't look as woefully inadequate as he feels. But once he gets to know you, that old restlessness and insecurity slowly begins to melt away. You show him every day that his birth status means little to you. You put so much more stock in the man that he is: the kind, honorable, hardworking dreamer who treats you better than any puffed-up lordling ever could. You remind him every day of your love and over time, he begins to believe you. The way you look at him makes him feel worthy just as he is.

He may not be able to buy you expensive things but what he can do is work with his hands. His hands have built some of the finest ships in Westeros, but his favourite creations will always be the little figurines he leaves around the cottage for you to find. It's always an animal from one of your stories too -- dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, sea serpents, cockatrices, you name it. The smile on your face every time you discover a new one he's made warms his heart. He would do anything in the world for that smile. So he's positively beaming when you ask him to teach you. He loves getting to share a piece of himself with you. Putting your hands on the chisel, he gently places his own atop yours as he guides you through the steps. He is a great teacher, eager to share not only his knowledge but his encouragement as well. He ensures that your creations always get center stage on the mantle.

You hear him humming different songs to himself all the time, especially while he cooks, and one day, you finally ask him what song it is because you don't recognize it. "You wouldn't," he chuckles as he stirs the pot of stew. "It's just an old sea shanty my mum used to sing for my brother and me." "Teach me," you insist. He is reluctant at first because the language is bound to be coarser than what you are used to, but you are one determined music lover and finally, he relents. You delight in the shanties he teaches you and they become a staple of your household. Sometimes he'll be preparing your bath (something he loves to do for you-- he wants you to have all the luxuries he can reasonably provide), singing quietly to himself, and you'll join in the lyrics. It's just another one of the many moments where he falls in love with you all over again.

Theme Songs:

"Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez

"Here, There, and Everywhere" by The Beatles

"You're My Home" by Billy Joel

Relationship Tropes:

"Doing What They Love" (You) x "Quietly Admires Them" (Him)

"Full of Compliments" (Him) x "Shyly Accepts Compliments" (You)

"No Way! You Like Me??" (Him) x "We're Married, You Idiot" (You)

Plot Trope:

Different Worlds Collide

Their favourite thing about you:

Your passion for what is right! You stand behind your convictions 100%, no matter how afraid you are, and that is true bravery. Addam watches you with the world's biggest heart eyes.

Your best friend:

Alys Rivers! Y'all are like soul sisters and from the moment you'd met, you both knew you'd found a lifelong friend. Recognizing how stifled you felt in the role you were born to as the daughter of a noble house, Alys taught you simple magics first-- home remedies using herbs to cleanse your space and calm your mind but you were a quick study and soon, she began to teach you more advanced practices. The two of you spend your free time chatting about life over tea -- it's a nice retreat from the pressures of court.

Which character you're most like:

Am I allowed to say Alys Rivers again? 😅 Strong-willed and intuitive but also introverted, you have found freedom and independence in witchcraft much like Alys did. She is also very composed like you but outspoken when she is confronted with an injustice and seeks to remedy it, which reminds me a lot of you! She has a subtle intensity to her magic that can be either kind or dangerous and it all depends on how she is treated, which fits you as well!

Your Pet:

We were robbed of any real Dreamfyre content in the show but from what we know of her in the books, she is a beautiful blue she-dragon with a strong empathic link to her rider, so I think that would go great with you since you also have a strong connection to auras and just general energies. You first meet her on a tour of the Dragonpit and she senses your energy immediately, awakening from her slumber to stare at you with those large eyes. She approaches cautiously yet curiously, mirroring your own apprehension but when you speak your first command, she immediately obeys. Very few people are around for the initial encounter so your story remains a secret between Addam and yourself. But eventually, your bond with Dreamfyre is revealed to the world when everyone sees you taking to the sky on her back.

[marta-bee]

It's the weekend so I finally have the time for deep thoughts. And I've been thinking about a line I saw on someone's posts. I'm paraphrasing it, but it was something like "the more I learn about ______, the further I move from soup kitchen progressive to Molotov-throwing progressive."

Not to call that particular person out. The way they phrased it stuck with me, but it's not the first time I've seen the thought. And that's the point.

I've been wondering where this sense of hopelessness came from. Things are really dark right now, the news is legitimately horrifying if you're a progressive or even just have basic empathy for people. And while it got worse after the election and worse still after the inauguration, it wasn't all sunshine and roses before that. Things like the rule of law and preserving basic American civic institutions weren't enough to get people to vote for Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. And while we're all learning there was a whole heck of a lot else going on with Joe especially, I do think for a lot of people those things for some reason weren't worth saving. Whereas for me, they were of course imperfect but the kind of thing we needed to fight to preserve even as we improved them.

I keep thinking that I've been through economically tough times before. Job loss from globalization has been a concern my whole life. I lived through the recession in 2008 where there just weren't jobs to be found and no one could afford their mortgage. So this sense that the world is, like, uniquely on fire now is odd to me. Not that there aren't real problems, but that they're suddenly so bad, they demand a more urgent solution. Usually some sort of revolution if not full-scale destruction of the status quo.

It's weird. I didn't love a lot of the old institutions. I wasn't blind to their limitations. But at the same time there were a lot of things I used to be able to say ".... you just don't get to do that," and I miss that. It's like the Overton Window has been blown to smithereens, and I'm still a bit mystified about just why it's happening now. Not how things are bad, but how they're so much worse to the point they're more of an emergency.

I could blame COVID, the fear and isolation (for those of us who could isolate).

I could blame the news ecosystem, the way misinformation is so much more weaponized and we're not getting our facts from the same place. I mean, Walter Cronkite was before even my time but we seem to get further and further from that ideal. It doesn't help people don't seem to be learning critical thinking any more, how to interrogate their information.

I could blame virtue signaling, the drive on both the left and the right to tap into the moral purity that comes with outrage. And the way the social media algorithms feed into all that.

But more and more, I'm taken by the idea that there's just not much local "space" left, so whenever something horrible is happening somewhere in the world, so much of us feel it as keenly as if it was happening in our own corner of the world. There's a lot to be said for that, but I don't think humans are hard-wired to bear up under all that bad news.

Maybe things really are worse than they used to be. I don't know. I like to think they'd be a little more mitigated if we actually used the tools that could make things better in an incremental, step-by-step way. But maybe I'm just fooling myself.

Whatever the cause, I do find myself longing for a ball-bearing to help the world rotate a little easier. Not to be cliche, but the constant tilt is starting to feel like vertigo.

[tuliptiger]

Every time there's a "breakthrough" from a native American source I'm always so disappointed in humans NOT BECAUSE it's native America but because white Americans ruined everything for so long and they continue to do so. I am a white American.

Like, it was there all along right. Not mystisizing native American culture, medicine, beliefs etc. They just have knowledge and solutions to problems that we ignore for multiple, invalid and horrible reasons.

This is a group of people who evolved with and lived with this continent for centuries. Who learned the native plants, the local weather, and experimented with the science of the land. And then we just fucking. Bring in non native shit, animals, ornamentals, crops, and we create our own problems consistently.

I've been screaming for ages I wish history would have been different. I wish we could've befriended the tribes and shared the land. I wish we could've cultivated local plants into new foods and medicines. To learn where to build houses and where to avoid living year round.

And I can't stress enough, this isn't fucking mystifying this, it's literally oh damn there was a word of mouth story about how there's a tornado there every fucking year maybe we shouldn't build there. Oh shit the herd of bison come through here every year maybe don't build in the main migration path. Oh shit this plant PREVENTS CANCER we should cultivate this in its native habitat and work on a broader cure. Oh shit this local and native animal is really good at turning the local forage into calories. Let's manage the population and foster that vegetation instead of making a monoculture crop that spreads hundreds of thousands of acres.

I know it's such a fucking fantasy but I wish we would have been kinder and smarter. I wish we would've had better intentions. We had everything we needed in moderation. And now we're one of the most violent, wasteful and dishonest nations in the world. But hey we're the richest too, no relation with the other stuff.

I'm happy that people haven't given up, this news about the chokecherry pudding preventing cancer is something to celebrate but I can't help but be so incredibly sad. It was ripped away from them and we prevented them from sharing it with us because of our hate and ignorance and in doing so we prevented people from finding that cure as well. For so, so long. Chokecherries are so easy to grow, so readily available in the part of the world I'm from. Every single living thing in this world is so, so important and we throw so much of it away.

[juststeveandtonythings]

X-Men #30. Scott, following Ben Urich's exposé on Orchis (published in Uncanny Avengers #5), has been moved to Paris since anti-mutant sentiment in the U.S. has shifted. Meanwhile, Tony, in his Mark Nil armor, has a clandestine meeting with Firestar (I am still mystified as to how their alliance came to be, but I am glad it's a thing - oh wait, now I can edit this and say Hellfire Gala 2022 likely played a role), and tells her how to bait Feilong and pals, which subsequently happens in IIM #14. As for the solution mentioned in that second panel above - basically, part of the X-Men's woes have been that they were providing medicines to humans which were helping them with a lot of bad stuff, but Orchis implanted a kill switch in said medicine and has been using that to threaten the X-Men, so they need to find a way to get rid of the kill switch. This comes in the form of Synch (Everett Thomas) and Talon (Laura Kinney) visiting the High Evolutionary to retrieve some sort of bioweapon that would sterilize all of humanity. There is definitely backstory here that I am not aware of, but whatever.

Happily, they succeed and give the bioweapon to Tony. Yay Tony. It's not all fun and games, though, because apparently Talon pseudo-died in the process, which is probably going to result in an X-Men side story that I won't know the resolution to since I am only reading X-Men for Avengers reasons. But that's a thing.

- X-Men Vol 6 #30 (2024)

[eradicatetehnormal]

You know it's interesting because so many people will talk about sex scenes and how they glorify and over romanticize sex, but it's like, is the solution to that completely censoring it and potentially mystifying it even further? I don't think so. I think that's going to make people more horny and more clumsy. Idk, thought-vomit

[sburbian-sage]

if a seer's job is to compile information and share it with others/teach, then what about the other classes jobs?

Oh boy, elementary game guides. This chapter contains most of the information you need, but to boil it down... I'll describe each Class Type and the broad theme, the Active and Passive Classes and how they augment or channel that theme, and an example of someone doing their job.

Combat Classes (one who fights) engage and succeed in strife, wielding their Aspect like a weapon. The Page (+) fights for themselves, growing though conflict into becoming their own paragon, while the Knight (-) fights for another, setting aside their own desires to do what must be done. A Page kills a Titachnid because it stands between them and their goals, and because triumphing in this conflict sharpen's the Page's will. A Knight kills a Titachnid because it is their duty, a task passed on by someone else, who in a way turn the Knight into a weapon.

Inheritor Classes (one who accepts) take on responsibility, and then gain empowerment from their Aspect to be able to carry out that responsibility, which enables them to undertake more responsibility. The Ward (+) is more directly protected by their Aspect, but will grow into their own (while learning to rely on others) while the Heir (-) is more guided by their Aspect, and will need to accept responsibilities for the needs of the many. The Ward undertakes an impossible trial because it's part of becoming their best self. The Heir undertakes an impossible trial because others are counting on them.

Tactical Classes (one who planifies) gather information, with their Aspect either being the subject of investigation, or the tool used for said investigation. When the information is gathered, the Sage (+) is the one who acts on it, acting wisely instead of acting smartly, while the Seer (-) devises a plan and lets someone else enact it, taking a more advisory role. A Sage would uncover the solution to a mystifying puzzle, and then solves it themself. A Seer would uncover the solution, and instruct someone else on how to solve it. The irony that I, a Native Sage, have been effectively reduced to the position of a Seer is not lost on me.

Cryptical Classes (one who bewilders) are to engage with the more confusing and esoteric aspects of the game, using their Aspect as a torch and as a lever, while complexifying the situation for their fellow players. The Witch (+) leans more into delving into the odd, while the Mage (-) involves others in the strangeness. A Witch would be the first one to intuitively understand how Dreaming, Alchemy, and other befuddling game mechanics work, but remains a figure of mystery through refusing to let others in on the secret. A Mage has a similar level of understanding, but gets the other players wrapped up in it, simultaneously confusing them while indirectly teaching them.

Champion Classes (one who strides forward) are inspiring exemplars and spiritual leaders, meant to advance a cause and stick by their principles. The Sylph (+) wields their Aspect like a baton (or like an axe), relentlessly pushing forward to see their dreams come to reality, while the Bane (-) is a beast brought forth by their Aspect, awakening in times of need. A Sylph who has resolved to protect their friends would look forward to identify any dangers, and then takes care of them immediately. A Bane who has resolved to protect their friends is for the most part docile until the danger rears its head, at which point the Bane cannot be stopped as they crusade to tear off said danger's head. You'll note that jobs can overlap, with Combat/Champion/Protector especially being somewhat superfluous at times. The execution is half of the point, the other is intent.

Explorator Classes (one who discovers) delve into the unknown, charting unexplored territory (literal or metaphorical) with their Aspect as the locale or the polestar. The Scout (+) goes it alone, gathering information that can be acted on by them or by another, while the Guide (-) assists another person (or event) in reaching their desired destination. A Scout enters a dangerous and forbidden region out of a desire to discover (and make use of) all of its secrets. A Guide takes another into the same region because there's something they need in there.

Protector Classes (one who defends) fight for the sake of somebody else, and the ideals of their Aspect, prioritizing survival of all parties involved over triumph in vanquishment. The Dame (+) proactively takes care of threats, like a bodyguard "casing the joint" before their charge arrives and taking care of things ahead of time, while the Guard (-) sticks by their charge and handles them as they come, deriving strength the more people are in danger. If a Consort village was being threatened by roving Imps, the Dame would do patrols, repel attacks, and drive them off, potentially even following them back to their den to finish them off (as long as this doesn't endanger their charge). The Guard in the same situation would hold the line until the Imps don't have any more forces to send.

Displacement Classes (one who steals) are about movement, both physically changing your position and location, and metaphorically shifting results in your favor or appropriating intangible concepts, taking their Aspect and using their Aspect to take. It's about tipping the odds in their favor, but the Thief (+) tips the scales for their own benefit, while the Rogue (-) tips the scale to the entire party's benefit, the difference between stealing something and hoarding it, or stealing something and redistributing it to those who need it. A Thief would "acquire assets" from a foe and keep the riches for themselves, even if it means hogging the spotlight. A Rogue would give those assets to their allies, even if it means the Rogue doesn't profit as much.

Destroyer Classes (one who brings to an end) bring closure to things, resolving threads and stories, as well as reducing more tangible things to nothing. The Prince (+) directly destroys their Aspect and can destroy things with their Aspect, while the Bard (-) influences things in such a manner that the thing ends when the Bard desires it. A Prince ends their Quest and kills the Tyrant by walking up and beheading them, wordlessly. A Bard's Quest ends after all the dominoes have fallen, with things reaching their engineered conclusions, and the Tyrant doing themself in.

Performer Classes (one who fulfills) are meant to ensure the session goes smoothly, helping things along and smoothing out the rough edges, with their Aspect as the lubricant (get your head out of the gutter). The Maid (-) enhances the capabilities and development of the people and events around them, serving the role of an all-purpose assistant. A Maid would stand with their ally and help them bring an end to their Quest, physically aiding them with the final action, or psychologically providing council and support. The Clown (+) is not a "real" Class, and you don't need to worry about it.

Creative Classes (one who creates) expands and builds upon things, creating their Aspect and creating with their Aspect. The Smith (+) is the most active Class in the game, sparking massive change and kicking off events any time they act, while the most passive Class in the game, the Muse (-), acts through intermediaries, inspiring intricate chains of events and change through presence alone. A Smith leads their Session to success by taking charge, directing the course of events with their own two hands. A Muse does much the same without ever needing to be there, with each action creating a ripple effect that pays off in the long run, over and over again.

Cataclysm Classes (one who ignites) bring change to their Session, often causing disaster, but it never ends with a bang or a whimper. Some people see this as the "bad" Class, but change is an inevitable force, and better for powers that can alter the course of events to be on your side than left to the whims of Skaia. The Waste (+) causes waves with every action, and can move mountains to suit their needs. The Grace (-) is a more insidious force, lighting fuses that culminate in the desired change. To prevent a potential TPK, the Waste would step forth with the force of a hurricane, bending, twisting, destroying, and rebuilding until they get what they want. The Grace would act with seeming discretion, events proceeding as normal until the moment of truth, where things change just as dramatically, averting a grisly fate.

I hope that was a bit clear. The Aspect matters a lot here. A Seer of Mind, for example, will bring about the results they want because they can see the consequences of any action, and select for the desirable actions, while a Seer of Time can scan the infinite timelines and push for the desirable one, while a Seer of Blood probably does something weird and metaphorical like create cohesion and unity between the situation now and the situation then, or maybe they know how much blood gets spilled in the future and tries to minimize that amount or something. In all cases though, your Class defines what you'll be doing, your Aspect determines how you do it, and your Active/Passive status determines why you do it. As a (former) Sage of Mind, I plan for the future (what I do) using logical deduction and the outcomes of results (how I do it) and I'm motivated by a desire to solve problems decisively and comprehensively (why I do it).

[cogitoergofun]

Microsoft hired Andrew Harris for his extraordinary skill in keeping hackers out of the nation’s most sensitive computer networks. In 2016, Harris was hard at work on a mystifying incident in which intruders had somehow penetrated a major U.S. tech company.

The breach troubled Harris for two reasons. First, it involved the company’s cloud — a virtual storehouse typically containing an organization’s most sensitive data. Second, the attackers had pulled it off in a way that left little trace.

He retreated to his home office to “war game” possible scenarios, stress-testing the various software products that could have been compromised.

Early on, he focused on a Microsoft application that ensured users had permission to log on to cloud-based programs, the cyber equivalent of an officer checking passports at a border. It was there, after months of research, that he found something seriously wrong.

The product, which was used by millions of people to log on to their work computers, contained a flaw that could allow attackers to masquerade as legitimate employees and rummage through victims’ “crown jewels” — national security secrets, corporate intellectual property, embarrassing personal emails — all without tripping alarms.

To Harris, who had previously spent nearly seven years working for the Defense Department, it was a security nightmare. Anyone using the software was exposed, regardless of whether they used Microsoft or another cloud provider such as Amazon. But Harris was most concerned about the federal government and the implications of his discovery for national security. He flagged the issue to his colleagues.

They saw it differently, Harris said. The federal government was preparing to make a massive investment in cloud computing, and Microsoft wanted the business. Acknowledging this security flaw could jeopardize the company’s chances, Harris recalled one product leader telling him. The financial consequences were enormous. Not only could Microsoft lose a multibillion-dollar deal, but it could also lose the race to dominate the market for cloud computing.

Harris said he pleaded with the company for several years to address the flaw in the product, a ProPublica investigation has found. But at every turn, Microsoft dismissed his warnings, telling him they would work on a long-term alternative — leaving cloud services around the globe vulnerable to attack in the meantime.

Harris was certain someone would figure out how to exploit the weakness. He’d come up with a temporary solution, but it required customers to turn off one of Microsoft’s most convenient and popular features: the ability to access nearly every program used at work with a single logon.

He scrambled to alert some of the company’s most sensitive customers about the threat and personally oversaw the fix for the New York Police Department. Frustrated by Microsoft’s inaction, he left the company in August 2020.

Within months, his fears became reality. U.S. officials confirmed reports that a state-sponsored team of Russian hackers had carried out SolarWinds, one of the largest cyberattacks in U.S. history. They used the flaw Harris had identified to vacuum up sensitive data from a number of federal agencies, including, ProPublica has learned, the National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the United States’ nuclear weapons stockpile, and the National Institutes of Health, which at the time was engaged in COVID-19 research and vaccine distribution. The Russians also used the weakness to compromise dozens of email accounts in the Treasury Department, including those of its highest-ranking officials. One federal official described the breach as “an espionage campaign designed for long-term intelligence collection.”

[kidge-planet]

Space puppies

Hello people, I wrote that fic for @alphaofdarkness because a while ago ( years ago) She drew Baebae's and Kosmo's puppies and she told me that she hopped that someone would write a fic about them, that she waited long but yet, no one did it! SO I NEEDED TO DO IT---

(I took a lot of time to finally write that so idk if anyone wrote it in the meantime but anyways, I hope you like it!)

tw- That fic is a kidge fic! don't like it, don't read it!!!!

Pidge sat cross-legged on her bed, scrolling through data on her computer while Baebae, her dog, lay at her feet. It had been a week since the Paladins returned to Earth to prepare for their next mission with the Atlas. It was a quiet evening at the Holt residence when she noticed something peculiar about her furry friend....

"Hey, Baebae," she mused, scratching the dog behind her ears. "You've been eating a bit more, huh?" It wasn't an accusation, just an observation.

But as she continued to pet her dog, she couldn't ignore the subtle bump beneath Baebae's fur. Her dog's tummy was definitely more prominent than usual. It puzzled her. Baebae hadn't been around any male dogs for months. How on Earth—or in space, for that matter—had she ended up pregnant?

Concerned and mystified, Pidge decided to consult with her family about her discovery. A trip to the vet was in order to confirm her suspicion, and she took her family and Baebae along for the visit. The vet's examination confirmed that Baebae was indeed expecting puppies, much to everyone's amazement.

As they pondered the enigma of Baebae's pregnancy, the days passed. Soon, Pidge's dog gave birth to a litter of adorable puppies that, to everyone's surprise, bore a striking resemblance to Keith's space wolf.

Quickly, Keith got called to see...

"What is i-... HO! wow..." Keith stopped himself in front of the small balls of fur next to Baebae.

"Tell me that you think the same as me..." Pidge showed the puppies with a finger.

"Kosmo is literally the father!.." He answered, not quitting his eyes from them...

"So... What are we supposed to do with them now?"

"Well-" Keith couldn't finish his answer as the puppies teleported away.

That was it, they lost the puppies...

"OK, Kosmo is LITERALLY the father...".

"WE HAVE TO FIND THEM, KEITH!" she grabbed his arm and pulled his face toward hers.

At this gesture, he blushed, "huh, yeah... Let's find them and then figure out what to do..."

They rushed through the Garrison's hallways, searching for any sign of a puppy...

"Should we split up? Or maybe we should stay together?"

"Splitting up sounds good..." As Keith said that, they heard a strange noise coming from a nearby closet... They opened it, and inside, they found a small blue and fluffy dog crawling on the ground...

"One! Now gotta find the four others..." She picked the puppy up, and then turned toward Keith.

He quickly nodded...

So they searched... And searched... But found only 3 puppies... Where was the last one?

They kept looking for it but it was in vain... No blue puppy around...

So they decided to go back to the room where Baebae was peacefully resting, and finally, they found it! The last one stayed here all along! Cuddling with his mother... At the sight of the last puppy, both Keith and Pidge felt relief on their shoulders... They placed the puppies next to Baebae, hoping that they would not teleport away again...

"They will disappear again... That's for sure... Now, what do we do? Is there something that you do with Kosmo for him to not teleport?" Pidge sighed as she sat next to Baebae and patted her head.

"No, nothing... I let Kosmo do whatever he wants... I always did..."

"Well, we have to find a way..."

As they were both thinking of a solution, Kosmo finally teleported into the room...

He walked toward Baebae and licked the tip of her nose very quickly, which got her to yawn, take a look at him, and sleep again....

He then took a look at his five puppies and gave them a few sniffs before actually licking their backs, as if he was recognizing that they were his kids...

"Keith, look, the droll mark that he left on the puppies' backs is different than the one he left on Baebae's nose... The one on Baebae is totally invisible, while the one on the puppies' backs is glittery and a bit blue... Maybe that's how he marks the fact that they are his kids... HO! maybe, that's how he does it for the babies to not teleport everywhere!"

Keith blinked twice and turned toward the babies, "hey, you're right! Maybe we should stay and see what they do? Like... You know... Make sure that they don't teleport again?"

At this exact moment, one of the puppies teleported away... But then, Kosmo disappeared too, and a few seconds later, he was back with the baby and placed it back next to Baebae...

"OK! I get it now! The lick on the back was a way for him to find them whenever they teleport! Awesome!"

Keith smiled and patted the space wolf, "you're doing a great job, buddy."

Keith and Pidge stayed in the room for a while, discussing their options but also taking pictures of the puppies cuddling with their parents because GOSH, who wouldn't capture that sight of cuteness?!

"They're a beautiful family," Pidge sighed.

"They really are."

"I wish I can form a family as beautiful as this one, one day."

"Shouldn't be hard... You're amazing..." He turned toward her.

She blushed, "thanks."

[supremeuppityone]

Klaroline fanfic update: Romancing the Brimstone

Working on the next chapter of my Klaroline story, Romancing the Brimstone. Here's a quick peek:

Chapter 16: Sixteenth Circle (Corporate Greed)

            May curses rain down upon the diabolical kitchen minions of Cuisin and Art, Klaus swore, wrestling with the rotted, scarred flesh on the counter. It had to be perfect. Seared, grilled, broiled, baked — what was the most palatable way to prepare Mikael’s head?

            “Bloody hell, Nik, what’s taking so long,” Kol asked, poking his head past the veil of braided of intestines to glare at his brother. “Our siblings performed the ritual to breathe stolen breath into Caroline, but you know it’s a temporary solution. We need that cure!”

            It was heartening to hear his brother’s concern, as well as the use of “we”. His siblings had accepted Caroline as one of their own. It disarmed him, and he felt something unpleasant bubble to the surface. Uncertainty. Shame. Fear. “What if it doesn’t work? What if I lose Caroline after everything we’ve been through? After everything I’ve put her through,” he blurted out, hurling a cleaver with enough force to split the collection of Beowulf’s armor that lined the corridor.

            Kol looked just as mystified by his outburst as he was, hastily plucking several searing flames of damnation and juggling them. “Ah. Well, on the bright side, you kidnapped your lover AND she didn’t run away OR try to kill you when you brought her to hell, and I believe that’s like half the problems most couples face, so you’re already winning.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Graham Kates, Katrina Kaufman, and Stefan Becket at CBS News:

Twelve New Yorkers have been selected to serve as jurors in former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan, filling out the panel on the third day of proceedings.

The 12 jurors include seven men and five women, chosen from a pool of dozens of potential jurors who submitted to questioning about their personal lives and political views. The selection process will continue Friday, since six alternate jurors are needed before the trial can move to opening arguments. One alternate had been selected as of Thursday afternoon. "We have our jury," Judge Juan Merchan said after the new jurors swore an oath to decide the case in a "fair and impartial manner." Trump, seated at the defense table, stared at the newly sworn-in members as they exited the courtroom. Merchan said the court is on track to begin opening statements as soon as Monday. Prosecutors will present their case first. Before court ended for the day, Trump's attorney Todd Blanche asked if the defense could find out the names of the first three witnesses prosecutors plan to call to the stand. Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office, replied that doing so is a courtesy they normally extend, but refused in this case. 

"Mr. Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses. We're not telling them who the witnesses are," Steinglass said.  Merchan said he "can't blame them." Blanche seemed mystified, and asked if the defense is not going to find out who the witnesses are until they walk in the door. He offered to "commit to the court and the [prosecution] that President Trump will not [post] about any witness" on Truth Social, Trump's social media platform. "I don't think you can make that representation," Merchan said. Blanche offered another solution: giving the witness names only to the lawyers, who wouldn't share them with Trump.

[...] Trump pleaded not guilty when he was indicted more than a year ago on 34 felony counts of falsification of business records. He denies all allegations in the case, which revolves around reimbursements to former attorney Michael Cohen for a "hush money" payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say Trump covered up the reimbursements in order to distance himself from the payment, which days before the 2016 presidential election temporarily bought Daniels' silence about an alleged affair. He has also denied having the affair. Trump has raged against the case, accusing prosecutors of charging him for political reasons. He has also frequently lashed out at the judge on social media, accusing Merchan of bias. "I'm supposed to be in New Hampshire. I'm supposed to be in Georgia. I'm supposed to be in North Carolina. South Carolina," the presumptive Republican nominee for president said in the hallway outside the courtroom. "I'm supposed to be a lot of different places, campaigning. But I've been here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial."

All 12 jurors and one alternate juror was seated during the 3rd day of the jury selection process in the Trump falsification of business records trial. 5 more alternate juror spots need filled before opening arguments begin. #TrumpTrial