#basu does it again

[dmitryswifeyy]

Let's remember what happened in the previous update !

🎨❤ DRACULA: A LOVE STORY

Lale learns that Vlad has not returned from the war, as the Sultan has sent him to Wallachia to take his rightful place as ruler and restore order in the state. The Sultan's health is failing, and when he does not regain consciousness for seven days in a row, the Grand Vizier announces his final order - the youngest newborn son will become the heir to the throne, and the eldest, Mehmed, will be regent until his brother comes of age. Having accepted the post, Mehmed announces that Lale's wedding will take place in three days, and her husband will be Yavuz Pasha. Meanwhile, the main character brings news from the Dark World that the Septentrion adviser has been arrested for the murder of the Adytum Oculus. And at the new forum, which is taking place in the Güzelçe aqueduct, a real bloody rain begins, and the heroine finally understands that Mephis has been hiding under the guise of the friendly Ezel all this time...

💀📜 SONG OF THE CRIMSON NILE

According to Anubis, to go further into Duat, the entire company must pass several tests. In the first test, everyone will face their fears. While Eva, Livius and Amen are resting, Agnia is already immersed in her nightmare. Memories lead her to the day when she refused to marry according to her father's will and was sold to the house of hetaerae...

🔎👻 CHASING YOU 2

The handkerchief found by the twins leads Miss Harrison to its owner - Reginald Henry Flower, the youngest son of Viscount Ashburk. The thread of the investigation first leads the friends to Reginald's house, where they learn about a geisha given to him by influential people, who fell silent forever, and then to dinner at Arthur Balfour's, where among a gathering of aristocrats the young detective and her friends learn about the connection of radical members of the Liberal Party with a whole network of spies. Meanwhile, Ezra, who on the one hand is playing his own game, and on the other - actively helps with clues, does not hide the fact that the use of geishas is connected with his father ...

🌘☀ W: TIME CATCHER

Renato became a Limenalite. It turned out that he had not received the necessary treatment in the shelter, and when this was discovered, there was no other way to save him except the curse of the Limenalite - the one who hears the dead. After the ritual, Renato spent some time searching for himself, and now he returns and says that he will not join the Union of Burning and will go his own way. Meanwhile, the team turns to Savita - the Other, who specializes in astrology. With the help of her Presence, she draws up a Natal chart based on the data that the Hunter saw on the Medici Column. Now their path lies in the Tuileries Garden. There, the Hunter, Shen and Bea find a cube. However, only after taking it in her hands, Bea loses control of her magic ...

🌙🗡 KALI: FLAME OF SAMSARA

Thanks to de Clare's convincing arguments, Doran's arrest is avoided. Christian, Devi and Katie go to Clara Swinford's funeral. They learn that Clara's Indian maid has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her mistress. At the end of the funeral service, Devi again has visions of the Dark Mother, who wishes death to all Englishmen. Upon returning from the funeral, Christian orders everyone to pack - he wants to stay at a friend's country estate and observe Bernard Swinford's reactions and actions. Ram shares with Divya that he feels the approach of Kali Yuga due to the mixing of Dubey and Basu blood, and Devi herself suddenly senses something approaching while reciting a mantra. Meanwhile, at the London police station, little Leela confesses during interrogation that Clara's killer is Doran Basu...

🎤💞 GARDEN OF EDEN

RK3 takes on a new member and appoints Cassiel as the leader. The guy finds out that Lin is being held in a psychiatric clinic. With the help of Dean and Minhyuk, who distract the managers, Cassiel and Luna get to Lin. However, the former idol is under strong drugs and does not perceive reality, but only repeats that there are many Edens. At the same time, Donghyun plays his own game, reporting that a potential investor has scheduled a meeting at Eclipse. At the appointed time, Luna gets to a closed restaurant, where she agrees to cooperate with investors, and also unexpectedly meets Tuyeon and shares information from her investigation with him. On Queendom, the direct rival of the heroines, Lassie, weaves intrigues and tries to separate Aria, Yeonu and Jiyoon. And Minhyuk asks to look at Soyun's phone and suddenly discovers a hidden folder in it that requires a password ...

💋😈 SOULLESS

Waking up, the demoness realizes that she and her friends have ended up in a certain gap, where everyone is locked in their dark memories. The heroine herself sees herself in the role of the obstinate sister of Queen Velantis. As soon as everyone manages to free themselves from the visions, the teleportation ends, and the heroes find themselves in front of Ladora, the witch that Xanthea spoke of. The sorceress greets the company warmly and says that Trexio is in danger and needs help...

⛪❄ HEAVEN'S SECRET REQUIEM

In the flooded New York, the squad finds a Ferris wheel and the necessary building. In it, they meet Portia, the wife of the last member of the Order, who died shortly before the first cataclysms. In exchange for joining the squad, the woman shows the way to a hidden bunker, which contained documents about the Order and, probably, may contain the remaining pages of the book. In the building itself, the Squad is attacked by cultists, and Nick kills Kira, after which he himself dies. Escaping from a building mined by cultists, the squad is attacked by spawns. Portia is bitten and dies, telling Ian before her death that he is the heir of one of the members of the Order, and therefore its last member. Returning to Oxford on an old fishing barge, after a strange dialogue with Cain, the heroine realizes that the scar on her hand contains the blood of the spawn. And the found pages of the book finally begin to reveal their secrets ...

💼👻 ASTREA'S BROKEN HEART

Raphael stops the heroine, who tried to kill him under the influence of the Beast. The next day, the heroes ask Somnus for help, and that same night he visits the girl's dreams to close her consciousness from the Beast. The plan succeeds, and soon Mikael, Cassiel and the heroine go on another mission - at the location of a new unusual sect, they find a piece of the Ladder of Atonement and destroy it, which entails the death of all the people whose souls were attached to it. The heroine returns to the agency, where a conflict soon occurs between Somnus, Fury and Felonia - having forced the celestials to hide under a protective dome, Felonia persuades the heroine to help her steal an artifact from the basement. After that, the girl goes to Malek and accidentally discovers in his back room the files of all her acquaintances associated with the Beast, whom Malek protected ...

🦊👑 7 BROTHERS

After reading the correspondence on Sophie's phone, the heroes learn that the father of the murdered student deprived her of money so that she could improve her grades, but instead of studying, the girl began to blackmail a certain Jonathan Mauzy. Thanksgiving, spent with Ba and Ray, brings information about illegals who previously worked on the Wolcott farm and were then taken abroad. The heroine remembers that earlier Esmeralda, a servant from Rosewood, also had a missing illegal husband. Jasper invites the main character to his party, which, apparently, is needed by his parents. Among the invitees is Jonathan Mauzy, and Jasper tells the girl to stay away from him and run away if he shows interest in her...

🌑💀 AND THE HAZE WILL TAKE US

The long night is over. The Koshcheis have left. Having given a stranger lodging in her house, the heroine learns his name - Novak, and he does not remember how he survived in the fog and what is happening in it. The next morning, almost all the cattle in the village perish. The embittered residents blame Novak, saying that he is evil spirits. Ventsena stands up for him. In a conversation with Dragan, Lada suddenly realizes that Milon's beloved was Siana. Together with Tata, they go to the priestess's house and confirm their guesses. On the way home, the heroine dreams of an overturned tree and the call of the fog. The next day, near the bones of the gods, the girl hears the call again, she and Ozar follow the voice and find a temple with three sculptures and unknown runes. The heroine saw the same runes on the birch bark at Ventsena's house. Ozar sees the girl off and leaves in thought. Suddenly Volot appears and grabs the heroine. The last thing she sees is an overturned tree, and then she is stabbed by a priest.

🧝🏻‍♀🐉 THE THUNDERSTORMS SAGA

The elf learns that Sha'arnez and Genesh will teach her how to summon and ride a dragon. In the evening, the sorceress goes to replenish her magic, but on the way back after the ritual, she suddenly becomes a witness to a strange and terrible murder - some darkness literally smears the second jailer, who had previously mocked the heroine, on the walls. The invited court sorcerer confirms to the guards that this murder is not the work of the Esshayan sorceress. The next morning, classes with Genesh begin. The elf tells more about dragons, how they are summoned, and that they use thunderstorms to break through the space between worlds. Soon Prince Tai tells the girl that she and Sha'arnez will fly to the city of Ardzang, located in the mountains, where she will try to summon her dragon. Just before the flight, an unexpected fellow traveler joins them - Griaran. On the way, the heroes are overtaken by a strong thunderstorm, and they have to make a stop in a mountain cave...

🧙‍♀🐸 SHAKESPEARE'S CODE

Roxanne meets her new student. During the first lesson, young Aurora shows a book that affects the witch in the same way as the Bible - the skin burns and tingles when touched. It turns out that the book was given to the girl by Joan and she tells about M. The sorceress suspects that the sought-after artifact is somewhere in the forest - that is why the phantom that kills people appears there, and that is why her inner darkness is so drawn there. The heroine continues to care for the sick in the hospital, teach the girl Latin and share her thoughts and observations with Edmund. One of these days, they find Desdemona, Othello's wife, praying to the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary, which is a forbidden Catholic symbol. At this time, someone in the city curses Eugenie, Joan's assistant, and thanks to this, the witch manages to be alone with Christopher Marlowe, who, as it turns out, is only pretending to be possessed. Robert Dudley returns to the city on an official visit. In order to distract themselves from the ongoing murders and accusations, the townspeople decide to stage a play authored by Shakespeare. On her way to another meeting with the Earl of Leicester, the witch suddenly hears an inner voice reading poetry...

🧚‍♂🍃PARARELL UNIVERSES BUREAU

Nettie and the main character persuade Albert to go to the supernatural world to meet the mysterious "friend" who sent them the letter. The "friend" turns out to be Glim, who offers to take the company to Orion's personal library to look for the information needed to remove the geas. The company agrees, while warning the mayor of Belchester about Orion's possible unpleasant reaction. He is indeed displeased to find the heroes in the library, but allows them to attend the celebration, deciding to judge them later. And then he punishes them by sending a headless horseman after the poor guys, adding the condition that if they manage to escape, the horseman will not pursue them. Fortunately, Dullahan fails to overcome the portal and, returning to the Earth World, the heroes find themselves safe. Later, new details of the case are revealed - the heroine was sent on a mission, deliberately hiding its true complexity. In an attempt to stop Orion, the girl and Albert go to the mayor again, and then receive unexpected help from Glim - she tells them about a special amulet of the fairy king, with the help of which they can deprive him of almost all his power...

👮🏻‍♀🚔 THE MISSING

Young police officer Blom gets her first case as a lead investigator. She is partnered with Safaa Muhammad. The girls go to the small village of Sønder Esne, where a search is underway for a baby who disappeared from the cradle during the night. The young mother Leah Holt is in a state of shock and is reluctant to contact the police. However, the heroine and her partner find a strange runic symbol on the victim's house, and also learn that the girl has been excommunicated from the Pagan Church of Christ - the local religious community...

Source: Nvta's telegram

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

From this one: "Send in a "🪶" with a character, ship, etc and I'll make up a random headcanon for them!"

Radha Basu🪶 and Amala🪶 if you can 💖

YAY MY BELOVEDS 🥹♥️ ty for asking about them!! Ok unfortunately for Radha’s headcanon I have to bring up Raj 🤡 🤢 so tw for…that

Radha: After she takes over as the head of the Basu family, she feels like she has to overcompensate for the Dozen because she feels guilty about “her mistake” (make no mistake I blame Raj but unfortunately Radha was assigned most of the blame 🙄). She doesn’t show weakness, it’s not like she could, but she’s more fueled by guilt and the fear of disappointing her family/legacy.

You didn’t ask about Indira but she DESPISES Raj for treating her mom like that, and is more fueled by rage/spite. She gets upset with her mom every time she expresses an ounce of sympathy for Raj, and wants to prove to him that she would be the BEST leader of the Basu family. I’ll stop there because this isn’t her headcanon but yea imao

Amala: In the Rage ending it’s mentioned she opens her own Indian restaurant and it’s really successful. I feel like she would donate food to orphanages or people in need! She seems like someone who always wants to keep herself busy to avoid dealing with her emotions/grief. She becomes really good at managing time so she manages to run a store, restaurants (probably multiple), attend Kiran’s games even after he’s a famous athlete, babysitting her niece and nephew, etc. But she does get a lot of help from Sana too! I could talk about this aspect of her character for hours but I already went on a tangent in this post so I’ll stop 😭

I want them to meet so bad (especially if you romance Amrit) I feel like they would have such an interesting conversation! Ty again for asking <3

[puckpocketed]

sorry to start late night habsposting again (pour one out. a canada team finally got to me) but arpon basu gassing up david reinbacher on a podcast has me HOOTING!!

transcript from 17:56 onwards

We’ll see what happens with Reinbacher. Not a lot of people are all that convinced about him. I think he’s a hell of a player, personally. What he did in the AHL this year, coming over after a month off in Switzerland waiting for the second division season to end to see if they’d have to play again, and then coming over stepping right into a playoff race. Small ice, long travel on bus rides, staying in hotels. All things that they don’t do in Switzerland. I mean, you know, he drove — he went to Cleveland by bus you know. You don’t have a trip like that in Switzerland.

i know he’s saying Reinbacher’s done well and been resilient in the face of big changes and gruelling travel times but in a vacuum it truly does sound like. GUYS he took the BUS 🥺 to CLEVELAND🥺🥺🥺

and like yeah so true arpon basu my very best friend david reinbacher has suffered so much . he’s beene thru it. and we think he’s done sauurrr well. braving the bus seats and going to cleveland good lord get him a fruit snack.!!!!!

[rhetoricandlogic]

A Tale as Old as Time: The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu

Mahvesh Murad

Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:00pm

A ring. A lamp. A storytelling bot that gathers all the narratives as they unspool. An idealist, her bitter mother, her monkey-bot brother. A not-Prince. A crime lord after world domination. A city that exists against all odds. And a story that refuses to die.

Samit Basu’s The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is a fun, exuberant romp that’s being pitched as Aladdin meets Murder-bot. Which is pretty much what it is. It’s smart, bursting with ideas and novel concepts; fun, full of snappy dialogue and humour; complicated, with plenty of political, post-colonial commentary. It is also chaotic, info-dumpy at times, tells a lot more than it shows, and can feel like a detailed TV series treatment, or elaborate RPG bible.

The titular Shanitport is a vibrant, chaotic city, falling apart but bustling, inventive but disastrous. Violent, loud and torn between rival political parties and megalomaniacs and oligarchs and thugs. The city is quite literally drowning. The rich live in palatial homes and the poor suffer in the mud; a huge economic disparity is accepted as the norm. Surveillance is rampant, and bots are commonplace yet mostly considered second-class citizens, even though many are sentient. Everyone says the world is ending, so those who can are jetting off to other lands while those who can’t are surviving as best they can until the inevitable complete decline. Shantiport may hold on to ancient stories and clans and alliances, and it is both the future, and the future apocalypse coexisting in a shared chaos.

Anyone from a major city in the Indian subcontinent will be familiar with this scenario; we’ve lived like this for years, in collapsing cities trapped between hungry, corrupt powers who “may have their own differences, but always somehow manage to work together in the end.” What these powers always overestimate though, is the sheer will of the citizens, and their desire to be more than the city allows them to be. And that’s where Lina comes in. A local tour guide, she carries the heart of the city in hers, with a great love for Shantiport and its people. Lina’s parents, both raised in opposing clans, were joined together not just in their love for each other but also for their city. As young idealists they hoped to create revolutionary ways to improve Shantiport, but when Lina’s father vanished suddenly, her parents’ plans were abruptly discarded. Now, though she has been raised to stay under the radar, Lina wants to bear their torch onwards and is in search of an artifact her father had left behind—tech that could help lead her to improving the lives of everyone in Shantiport.

Her monkey bot-brother Bador has delusions of Bollywood hero-style grandeur, and mainly wants to get off this rock so he can make his heroic fortune across the galaxy, but while he’s stuck here in Shantiport, he is helping Lina with her search. It is during one of his searches in the mud, muck and rubble of the city that he finds Moku, a floating sentient storybot who is actually the narrator of the whole novel. Moku is very much a character too, and grows into himself during the course of the book. It can be a little distancing to always only hear the story from the storybot’s perspective.

We don’t ever really get inside Lina or Bador’s heads, and are always in Moku’s, with his bot-thoughts and perspectives. And Lina tends to hold back from sharing too much with Bodor and with Moku; she’s secretive and has her reasons for this, but it does make her journey a little harder to connect with, though it’s easy enough to write off her motivations to a generic saving-the-world-before-bedtime idealism.

It can also mean that there is, again, a lot of telling going on. Moku’s the storybot who tells the story, which could be fun, if we didn’t end up having to hear him—literally—tell the story quite so often.

Conversations can get long, entire debates are presented as is (albeit about important topics; Basu isn’t going to shy away from heftier topics), and there is a lot of banter—fun, but also a little grating at times, as it takes on the pace and cadence of a snappy superhero movie a little too well, a little too fast. Same can be said for the plot—some quick inferences that are a little too convenient, many cinematic action sequences, huge scale bot fights and chase sequences, some dramatic sudden plot twists that are just aching to be a penultimate episode of a TV series.

There are so many things going on, all the time, at the same time, that it may feel as overwhelming as cities like Shanitport could be. There’s a leaner novel in here, or if fleshed out into multiple episodes, a very fun TV show. That does not take away, though, from the sheer aplomb with which Basu has built and explored this world of fables and ancient cultures and futuristic possibilities, its people and their desires.

[cinemapremi]

Sara Ali Khan Controversial Ramp Walk in Golden Outfit

In the glitzy world of Bollywood, appearances are everything. Celebrities are constantly under the spotlight, and every move they make is closely scrutinized. The latest star to find herself in the midst of controversy is Sara Ali Khan, the talented actress from B-Town. Sara attended the launch event at Jio World Plaza in Mumbai, donning a stunning golden outfit, and her ramp walk has caused quite a stir on social media.

The Golden Glamour

Sara Ali Khan made a stylish entrance at the Jio World Plaza launch event. She chose a stunning golden sequin skirt paired with a matching full-sleeve top. To complete the look, she had her hair styled in an elegant high bun. Sara looked absolutely stunning in this glamorous attire, drawing the attention of everyone present at the event.

The Unexpected Backlash

However, as soon as a video of Sara's ramp walk surfaced on social media, it led to a wave of trolling and criticism. Some users couldn't resist making fun of her walk and outfit, with comments like, "She looks like a cartoon," and "This isn't a fashion show; she should use some common sense." Others added, "Teach her how to walk; this looks so funny," and "She's overacting even in her walk." https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzEnnUpvuzx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link It's not uncommon for Bollywood stars to face online criticism for their appearances and actions. While some fans praised Sara's unique style and confidence, others couldn't help but take a dig at her. It's essential to remember that everyone has their own fashion choices, and what may seem unusual to some could be a bold statement for others.

Sara's Career and Upcoming Projects

Sara Ali Khan, part of the young brigade of talented actors in Bollywood, has made a name for herself in the industry. With several successful films under her belt, she has proven her acting prowess time and again. Most recently, she appeared alongside Akshay Kumar and Dhanush in the movie "Atrangi Re," which garnered positive reviews and performed exceptionally well at the box office, crossing the 115 crore mark. Sara's upcoming projects include the eagerly awaited "Metro...In These Days," directed by Anurag Basu and co-starring Aditya Roy Kapur. This film is set to release on March 24, 2024. She's also set to dazzle the audience in director Jagan Shakti's upcoming thriller film, "Mission Lion," where she will share the screen with Tiger Shroff and Hiten Patel. In the world of Bollywood, fame and fortune are always accompanied by scrutiny and criticism. Sara Ali Khan, despite the recent trolling, continues to shine in her career and is eagerly anticipated in her upcoming films.

Conclusion

In the world of showbiz, public opinion can be unpredictable and harsh. While Sara Ali Khan's ramp walk in a golden outfit garnered both admiration and criticism, she continues to establish herself as a talented actress in Bollywood. Her upcoming projects promise exciting performances, and it's clear that she's here to stay.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What was Sara Ali Khan wearing during the Jio World Plaza event? Sara Ali Khan donned a stunning golden sequin skirt paired with a matching full-sleeve top for the event. 2. What was the audience's reaction to Sara Ali Khan's ramp walk? The audience had mixed reactions to Sara Ali Khan's ramp walk, with some praising her unique style and confidence, while others criticized her for overacting. 3. Which of Sara Ali Khan's films was a box office success? Sara Ali Khan's film "Atrangi Re" was a box office success, earning over 115 crore rupees. 4. What are Sara Ali Khan's upcoming projects? Sara Ali Khan's upcoming projects include "Metro...In These Days" and "Mission Lion," where she will be seen sharing the screen with other Bollywood stars. 5. How does Sara Ali Khan handle criticism in the entertainment industry? Sara Ali Khan continues to shine in her career despite facing criticism, showcasing her determination and resilience in the industry. Also checkout: Read the full article

[amalaabasu]

KCD Interview

A few days ago Alexandra, writer of Kali hosted a live broadcast in which she answered some questions. I translated and compiled some of them under the cut.

Source

Why Ratan is Shiva and not Vishnu?

⁃ Shiva is a very dual god. He is responsible not only for the destruction of the world, but also for male energy. He can be calm, and fits the plot more than Vishnu.

Will Gods or someone else like Ratan appear in the story?

⁃ No, as it has been already said in the story. 

Is Ratan omnipresent or does he only have powers in India?

⁃ I imagined that all gods exist, and just everyone rules in their own territory. So I think that Ratan is omnipresent, but he just commands only in Indian territory.

Why Rita-Shiva and not Shiva-Hatakeshvara? To make it easier to remember?

⁃ Not really, the problem is that Ratan is an avatar. This is pure fiction not from Hinduism, I came up with it myself. The prefix "Rita" I took from Sanskrit. Therefore, I did not begin to take some kind of existing avatar, so that it was impossible to draw a parallel.

Was Ratan created as a child or as an adult?

⁃ Already an adult. I thought about whether to make him a navel if he was not born, but without a navel it would look strange.

How old is Ratan?

⁃ I don’t know, probably a hundred years old.

Will we learn something about Lady Basu?

⁃ Well, of course we'll find out!

Will we return to Kliphagrami again?

⁃ This is a spoiler.

Why the city of Kolkata?

⁃ Because it is literally the city of Kali.

Will we see Amala's father?

⁃ It was just an English man, nothing interesting.

How did you get the idea to write Amrit's scene with Yashvi? Were you afraid that many would not understand it?

⁃ I knew that many people might react strongly to this scene, but I did not expect such a response. This scene came to mind immediately, Amrit is to some extent an antagonist and this very accurately describes his character.

Amrit can be considered an antagonist?

⁃ Yes, he can.

How will Devadasi feel about Amala?

⁃ We'll see.

Amrit performs the ritual only with Yashvi or maybe with others?

⁃ Only with Yashvi. He's not some kind of male prostitute.

How many children are in the Doobay family?

⁃ I won't say, you understand that this is a spoiler.

Does Priyanka know the Amrit's family?

⁃ Well, she knows them.

How many seasons will there be in KCD? When is the story supposed to end?

- 3, but if I don't meet it, it will be 4. According to very rough calculations, the story will end in six months.

How did the Doobays punish Shekhar?

⁃ Beaten up.

Will there be a suicide ending?

⁃ No.

Will there be tragic endings?

⁃ there will be.

What will the ending of the story depend on? Different combinations of stats?

⁃ Yes, different combinations of stats and relationships.

If the ending depends on the stats, then which way is better to go?

⁃ The endings of course depend, but you understand that I cannot say more.

Will there be a choice to take part in Maithuna?

⁃ See for yourself!

Will Ratan somehow react to Maithuna with Amrit?

⁃ Who said that he would.

Why is Amrit talking about where to look for the diplomat's body? Isn't that equivalent to a sincere confession?

⁃ Yes, roughly speaking. This will be discussed in the next update anyway.

Will it be known in the next update why Amrit summoned Amala to India?

⁃ Likely yes. Or you can guess.

Why did Amrit order Ratan if he is a semi-god?

⁃ He did not control him, but gave some instructions. And why so, we will soon find out.

Why is Amala acting like a rude woman? How do you feel about the fact that she is called boorish?

⁃ It is not necessary to be a villain to go for independence, you can choose loyalty. In general, I don’t think that she is rude and has seen worse heroines.

It seems to me that Amala, even on the path of loyalty, is too rough.

⁃ Well, I don't know... The fact is that opinions are divided and I can understand. After all, some people are fine, and some are not. In terms of loyalty, she is already soft, much more so, she must stand up for herself, right?

Which path do you choose? Kindness or Rage of the goddess?

⁃ I won’t say otherwise, a spoiler will slip through.

How could Amala be interested in India when there is a "Rage of the Goddess" stat that overrides her positive attitude towards the religion of the country she is interested in studying?

⁃ How to say interested? I think I said that it was her mother and grandmother who sent her to the Faculty of Indology.

If you were in Amala's place, what path would you choose?

⁃ I'd go straight home. In general, loyalty is closer to me.

Don't you think that the stats contradict each other?

⁃ Kindness and rage are clearly opposite, loyalty and independence are not so different, a person can combine them themselves.

Is Kiran a minor character or will he be part of the "puzzle"?

⁃ He is an important character, in the foreground, but important at the same time.

Why did Amala let her brother come to Calcutta if it's so unsafe there?

⁃ He can't stay with a nanny forever. Amala doesn't know when she'll be back, and he can't be on his own.

In the future, will Kiran find out what is going on in Calcutta?

⁃ He has no choice. He will not be able to miss the entire main plot.

Are there possible consequences after Priya's transfer to Amala's body?

⁃ If you did this, then there will be more consequences from this.

Will we learn something about Lima's relationship with Gabriel?

⁃ Yes, we will find out.

Can one of the gang die?

*mysterious grin*

Hindus at the time of story hate the English, but Lima wears a Sari at Sana's wedding. How do residents view it?

⁃ This is just a small detail that I mentioned in one line, but in general, I think that not everyone likes it and they just stare at it.

Will Sana appear again?

⁃ If she was saved, then it will be, if she died, then...

Will Amala be able to talk to her grandmother?

- I can't answer that question...

What are Amala's favorite drinks and foods?

⁃ Since she lived in Britain all the time, it must be something European. I was not thinking about it.

When can we expect closing branches with our LIs in story?

⁃ In the next update (in September).

"Closing branches" - how is it?

⁃ When a character says: "You either come with me or you leave." And you choose how to act.

Is it necessary to take all paid choices for a high level of relationship with the favorite? Is it possible to skip 2-3 choices?

⁃ Yes, it is possible to skip some scenes. I am not very strict in this regard.

Can we see the wedding with the favorite at the end of the story?

Let's see, I don't know yet.

You didn't plan a lesbian branch in KCD initially?

⁃ Why? Lima was one of the first branches I wrote.

Whose character is the most difficult, in your opinion?

⁃ Killian and Amrit.

Will we learn about childhood favorites?

⁃ At least about youth for sure.

Has Amala been in a relationship in the past?

⁃ Yes she has. She is not a "girl" so to speak.

Why does Lima play so little role in the plot?

⁃ Because she doesn't understand anything and she's scared. As a criminologist, she does her job well. Her strength lies in understanding and compassion.

Have you seen cosplays of your characters?

⁃ I saw Ratan, Killian, Lima. This is very cool! Everyone is very similar.

Are any of the characters bisexual?

⁃ Yes, Lima, which is logical, because she can be with MC or with Killian.

Killian is so lucky, since he found 2 pretty girls at once per square meter.

⁃ I thought that if I give the opportunity to bring Killian and Lima together, then everyone will start saying that he doesn’t care who he is with, but I think it’s nice when you know that other favorites are not sad without you. He is not very affectionate. It's just impossible not to fall in love with Lima!

Do you like Ratan or Killian more?

⁃ I love them all very much! Do you know what I noticed? That it was as if the first season was dedicated to Killian , the second to Ratan and the third to Amrit. Well, Lima is just a bunny throughout all seasons.

Will Amala have a child with a favorite?

⁃ Don't ask me about Mc's pregnancy, I'm not sure I could describe it well. While I do not have a maternal instinct to at least a little imagine what a woman feels at that moment.

How do you feel about the fact that many preferred Amrit to Ratan because he (Ratan) is "sentimental "?

⁃ The beauty of the novel is that people are free to choose what they like. When I create characters, I rely on some type that people like. I can't make everyone the same. Therefore, I am absolutely fine with the fact that someone does not like this or that character.

What level of empathy does Amala have? Doesn't she seem too callous to the feelings of others?

⁃ No, it's just that a lot fell on her. She has many problems, she is nervous and worried. She does not have the strength to empathize with others when she needs it.

In order for Amala not to think about Amrit on the line with Killian / Lima, then it is necessary not to improve relations with him at all?

⁃ Firstly, yes, do not improve, and secondly, she will still have some thoughts, because he is a significant character in story.

Is it possible to expect scenes of jealousy from the MC or favorites?

⁃ Of course.

It seems to me that dark colors suit Amrit rather than light ones, like the costumes in the update. Will there be more outfits? Will we still be able to change the favorites?

⁃ Don't worry, there will still be an opportunity to change your favorites.

Which character is the hardest to write love scenes with, and which one is the easiest?

⁃ In general, I usually tune in easily to the favorite and the scenes are simple. But recently I was writing a scene with Amrit and I felt that there was no vibe of the character, I erased and wrote again. In the end, after 4-5 days, it all worked out. Sometimes they resist. But it's usually pretty easy because I'm "connecting" with the character.

Will there be quarrels between Amrit and Ratan over Amala?

⁃ The conversation will definitely take place.

Amrit:

More interactions with Amrit please! Prior to this update, there were very few of them.

⁃ Of course, he just entered the plot. Now it will accelerate.

Are those feelings and chemistry between Amrit and Amala just a result of some connection that Amrit spoke about or is there a place for personal sympathy?

- Of course, there is personal sympathy.

Is Amrit jealous?

⁃ I think yes.

How do you feel about the rituals of Amrit, don't you think that this is wrong in relation to Amala?

⁃ If he had promised her something, then I would have condemned, otherwise everything is fine.

Did Amrit have relationships with men?

⁃ I don't think so.

Will it be possible to leave Amrit or go to someone else?

⁃ You can dump him.

Will there be an ending with Amrit on the path of the rage of the goddess?

⁃ Of course, where will he go?

Does Amrit have duties to conduct rituals of this kind, as in the renewal? Will this mean that during the relationship with the MC, these responsibilities will continue?

⁃ There will be a conversation about this, you will soon find out the answer.

Tell a fact about Amrit!

⁃ He's sexy.

Ratan:

How did you create the image of such a sensual and courageous Ratan?

⁃ I just imagined a person who is calm, reasonable and at the same time lives a very long time.

Why did Ratan fall in love with Amala? For her chic sari?

⁃ Undoubtedly.

Will Amala show her love and tenderness towards Ratan along the branch?

⁃ Of course she will.

Can Amala and Ratan's branch hurt Ratan in the final?

⁃ Yes.

Is there a chance he won't die at the end of the Ratan route?

⁃ it's all in your hands!

Was Ratan a virgin?

⁃ I dont know! I don't think so, but who did he sleep with? He's a deity.

In the latest update, Ratan announced that he is an avatar of God Shiva, and literally: "I have no power of my own or my own consciousness." His body and mind is the mind of Shiva.Then how did it happen that love for MC appeared? Is this Shiva's love?

⁃ This means the absence of your own body, your own strength, but on a branch with Amala she says: “If you have such feelings for me, then you still have a soul and you are not empty ». His feelings are his feelings, not Shiva's.

Will it be possible to braid Ratan's hair?

⁃ No kidding, but I thought about it! I think it will be very nice.

Will it be possible to replace Ratan's hair in intimate scenes?

⁃ Wait and see.

What is Ratan's favorite color?

⁃ Probably black.

Why does Amala get so scared when Ratan suddenly appears?

⁃ Just the same, because it appears abruptly. This is unexpected for her. People have their own space. 

There was a moment when Amala herself found Ratan on the street and asked him: “Are you following me again?” . Don't you think this is strange?

⁃ Doesn't it seem strange to you that you are walking down the street and your friend is standing in a dark corner, looking at you?) Amala lived among people and was not used to the fact that a creature can appear when he wants and sees what he wants.

Does Ratan get hurt by Amala's fears?

⁃ No, I think he's used to it.

In the scene where Ratan leaves Amala flowers - did he watch her reaction?

⁃ He said he didn't. Let's believe him.

Is it possible to avoid the touch dialogue with Ratan?

⁃ No.

Killian:

Will there be a happy ending with Killian?

⁃ Of course, there will definitely be such an option.

How tall is Killian?

⁃ 190. Some people think that this is too high, but my ex was that tall, and I'm 164 and it's quite normal. You quickly get used to it.

Lima:

Can Lima dump Amala?

⁃ Everyone can leave the main character.

What type of temperament does Lima have?

⁃ I think she is a melancholic sanguine. These are the people who can be sharply unsettled by a negative event that affects the most important area of ​​their lives. After this, they can become melancholic for a long time. And those around them will completely cease to recognize in them the former positive and active person.

How do you feel about the fact that some players in the branch with Lima do not like the division into who leads?

⁃ You see, this division is not about who is passive and who is active, it's about who leads. This is when someone takes more steps in a relationship, takes the lead.

Lima will react sharply or more or less with understanding to Amala's leaving her for other favorites.

This will definitely break her heart. But she won't scream, it's not in her nature.

[papenathys]

Hi !! I wanted to ask if you have any recommendation on short stories ? Specially food related . I barely read short stories tbh . Aside from Rabindranath tagore's ' Galpaguchchha ' I have zero reading experience on short stories. 🖤

I wasn't sure how to go about this ask, since I felt you were maybe asking me for Bengali reading recs. So here are some of my favourite shory story collections in Bengali:

Rajkahini by Abanindranath Tagore: to be honest, it's built like a novel comprising several chapters, each dealing with a different historical/quasi-mythical figure from Rajasthani history. But to me it reads very much like a collection of very descriptive, very immersive short folk/historical stories.

Ek Dojon Goppo and Aro Ek Dojon by Satyajit Ray: a mix of horror, SciFi, pure psychological mind games, and satire. I urge you to read the untranslated Bengali version because so much of Ray's sparkling wit is lost in translation.

Short Stories by Rabindranath Tagore: You've mentioned Galpaguchcha but if one wants a headway into the classics then I suggest his 1918 version which includes the most beloved ones like The Postmaster, The Kabuliwala etc. I have always preferred Tagore's shorter works to his novels personally.

Parashuram (Rajshekhar Basu) has written some extremely funny stories which are typically and ridiculously Bengali in their appeal. I recommend Birinchi Baba (where a group of young adults try to expose a fraud baba) and Bhusundir Math (guy with a nagging wife makes an unfortunate deal with goddess Kali). Once again, read the Bengali editions!

Stories by Ashapurna Devi typically deal with refugee crises, feminism and rural Bengal. Admittedly she is more famous for her Subarnalata trilogy but even her shorter work is so good.

other short story recommendations:

Road to the Bazaar (Ruskin Bond): charming collection of tales centred around children growing up in the Gharwal region of North India. Includes nighttime trains, beetle races, secret gardens and the typical Bond-esque desi Ghibli charm. Anything by Bond should be a good place to start actually, I believe the Best of Ruskin Bond collection has amazing short stories and travel essays, many of which include sumptuous descriptions of food.

The Interpreter of Maladies (Jhumpa Lahiri): putting this here to purposely spite the people who accuse me of "prioritising diasporic authors like Lahiri" I'm so sorry I should find comfort in the works of Bengali authors. This collection is gorgeous, stories about Bengalis in India, Bangladesh and Boston (the last being where the author grew up) and stands out for the amazing portrayal of messy, complicated relationships, cultural identity issues and an amazing cast of characters. [Food related stories: A Temporary Matter, Mrs. Sen, When Mr Pirzada Came To Dine; food and cooking is extremely important to Bengali culture and these stories are fantastic at exploring this].

The Short Stories (Guy de Maupassant): don't @ me but I think Maupassant >>>>>> O. Henry and Saki, and I'm not just saying that as he was the first short story author I ever read. His stories aren't always reliant on twist endings or sudden reversals, but it's the way he studies the ugly and beautiful sides of human nature and the way he describes horrifically tragic scenarios with a kind of beauty that I feel Henry and Saki lack. [Food related stories: Boule de Suif (rather horrifying symbolism), Two Little Soldiers, Mademoiselle Pearl (set against a feast and cake-cutting ceremony)]

Her Body and Other Parties (Carmen Maria Manchado): grotesque, brilliantly written stories that combines the feminist narrative with the surreal, the experimental and the quasi-horror. It does have a lot of triggers (Manchado's works do usually, I recommend looking them up) and not all the stories have the same impact, but it's still a great collection. [ Cooking and food figure in certain stories like The Husband Stitch and Eight Bites but the implications are not always of comfort and warmth, be cautious. ]

Friends in Small Places (Ruskin Bond): this one is basically if you read the one above and get depressed. One more Ruskin Bond!! This collection includes personal anecdotes and fictional short pieces about people who are seemingly unimportant but have impacted the writer/the narrator greatly due to a variety of reasons, a dawdling uncle, an ex schoolteacher, a vegetable vendor, a kite-maker. Often funny, and equally often poignant. [ Food related stories: Uncle Ken, Uncle Bill, Prem. Look for more in his Best of collections. ]

On my TBR:

Hungry Hearts: I feel you would really enjoy this one, as you mentioned stories of food! It's an anthology set in a fictional street called Hungry Heart Row, each story centred around food and cooking in some way. Contributing authors include Anna-Marie McLemore, Sandhya Menon and Elise Chapman among others.

Mohanaswamy (Vasudendhra): a gay man in Karnataka reminisces about his experiences after his partner marries a woman. I keep hearing mixed reviews about this short story collection, some people praise it as a nuanced portrayal of homosexuality in rural India but others say the translation (from Kannada to English) is poor and the depiction falls flat. I guess I'll let you know once I read it.

The Adivasi will Not Dance (Hansda S. Shekhar): ever since I heard of this collection I've been wanting to purchase it, and now that my exam is over I will definitely read it. It's mostly centred around the Santhal community in Jharkhand, and deals with issues like religious riots, class privilege and the treatment of Santhali women. The author also wrote the beautiful "My Father's Garden" I'm sure you've seen this novel in multiple south asian queer literature recs.

I hope these help. I have other food related fictional recommendations but most of those are novels, so this is all I can think of.

[mirrorshards]

thank you very much!! homeless cartman still hurts me but I love butters and kenny in both timelines 🥺

that’s hilarious to me ngl cuz that’s just getting cartman’s sloppy seconds again (paraphrased from basu) sddfsds

like how many times to you intend to steal cartman’s girl kyle

I LOVE con artist butters. SO MUCH. it took me a second upon seeing him because, i am not a big fan of facial hair in gen (also like why do they all have it please-) but the fact he wasn’t actual evil but like.. a future brand of evil was amazing to me. you see, one of the most important qualities in an in-character butters for me is him being an on-the-surface good guy but accidentally or not intentionally doing nasty things. he’s a weirdo and an airhead and before this I really preferred people making him sort of.. incoherent in his speech.

I really feared how they might age him up and I think they found a really good solution to it!! I’ve always thought butters’ self denial mechanism worked especially strong and its just another proof of that happening so now his “incoherence” is him insisting he doesn’t remember his past and his name is Vic.. whatever. he clearly does remember, at the very least, his dynamic with cartman which is all I needed hehe

and for the NFTs.... well i mean. he wouldn’t be butters if he didn’t make you want to strangle him just a little bit

sigh.. yeah...

to begin with the broship tore apart because stan and kyle weren’t getting along anymore and cartman saw he couldn’t bridge over it no matter how much he tried.

and I mean stan really did have a miserable life and kyle was a loser which is hilarious but i guess he also was lonely most of his. i can’t really blame them both because it was still kenny’s idea.. which implies kenny was deeply hurt that their friendship fell apart. like sure, eventually he had a great life but think about how he never showed interest in science yet became a renowned scientist - i figured it was out of necessity to create the option of time travel to begin with. like that’s how hurt he was by it. (and why i think him still being a scientist in the “good” ending is lazy writing cuz there’s no reason anymore-)

but stan, who’s always been kinda neutral with cartman, aside kyle have always had a weak spot for cartman in need... I do believe a part of his personality loves it because by helping cartman he feels like a better person. so that’s ooc. and kenny knows life in poverty up close.. like I wrote in a diff ask he’d have at least taken care of cartman. and it’s weird they just make him not care if even in the bad route timeline kenny and cartman kept in contact...

[loulikesyansim]

Hoshiko x Info-Chan? (Platonic) fanfic?

Disclaimers go as usual: fic requests are closed right now, I'm calling her info because I don't know what name you use for her.

i didnt expect to like writing them platonically as much as i did but this was rly fun

Bounties

5:32

Info: Do you have what I asked you for?

Hoshiko: of course i do

Info: Good. Be in my room twenty minutes after school ends tomorrow.

6:11

Hoshiko twists her knees around. The boiler room is cramped, muddy, and frankly disgusting, but it’s one of the few places the teachers don’t check. In her many runs for Info she’s learned the after-hours routine almost entirely, but there are only two things she really needs to remember: the faculty never check the boiler room, and they always leave the campus at 6:15 exactly.

6:16 

She holds her bag as tightly as she can as she sprints out of the boiler room. If her bag opens on the way there and something falls out - well, she learned the hard way last time. She digs her stolen key out of her pocket and swings the door open. The lights are off. Perfect. This hallway’s lights are the last to go out, so there shouldn’t be anyone else in the building.

6:18

She shuffles her papers in her hands. She’s shaking and sweaty, but being outside Info’s door a few minutes early pays. One, she can’t be late if she’s early, and two, she can go over what she needs again. Her hands tremble as she pulls up Info’s most recent list.

Bounties 19/5 - 23/5

- A photo of Ryuto Ippongo gaming during school hours.

- A photo of Otohiko Meichi after falling near the school gate.

- A photo of Musume Ronshaku smoking on school property.

They’d been easy this week, easy enough to get all the photos on Monday morning before her first class. She checks them all anyway. Better safe than sorry. 

They’re all there. Crystal clear images shot on her phone camera, only to be distorted physically by the school printers and a pyschologically by Info’s deception.

6:20

The moment her phone clock says 6:20, she knocks on the door and stands back. It opens in front of her mere seconds later. 

“Come in,” Info says. Her mechanical voice doesn’t shock Hoshiko anymore.

“I have what you need.” Info reaches out behind her back, already turning to her desk, and she sets the papers in her open palm. She sits down on the extra chair as Info inspects what Hoshiko’s presented.

“Perfect.” 

“Anything for me?” They have a… deal… of sorts. It’s simple: Hoshiko works as Info’s spy, going around and getting the blackmail material only a student can get, and Info gives her gossip for her blog that only someone who knows all can give her. It works out for them.

“Nothing much. Gema Taku got new glasses - not to interject, but they look awful -” Hoshiko snorts. Info rarely gives opinions on gossip, but when she does they’re memorable at worst and bust-your-ass-laughing good at best. “- and there are more rumors about the Basus being supernatural creatures.” Info grimaces at the last part, enough to hear it in her voice. She always does. Hoshiko doesn’t question it. “Like I said, nothing fit for your blog. I’ll text you if more comes up.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Hoshiko.”

There’s a lull in conversation - it happens a lot, where they have nothing more to discuss, but the silence stays comforting regardless. 

Info is the first to break it. “Would you like to know something about yourself?”

“What?” Hoshiko bites at the corner of her lip. The phrases Info uses to get what she wants usually blend together but this one is too prominent in her mind; the start of any conversation she has to get people working for her, blackmailing them into being directly under her control.

She’d known Info would do this eventually. She has secrets, so many secrets, and they both knew it.

“You’re the only person doing this for me that isn’t in my debt.” Oh. Oh. She’d known it would happen, but she didn’t expect it to happen like this. To be the last item on Info’s list. To start working for her not because she’s useful in any way, but because she’s the only one who isn’t already.

Info studies her, for once looking her in the eyes for more than half a second, reading her like she’s a magazine left open on someone’s bed.

“Oh?” she says, her throat too dry to say more as if all the fear in her body coated itself across the inside of her body and then settled itself into the pit in her stomach.

“And honestly? -” Info gives one of the few small smiles Hoshiko has seen on her near-robotic face “- I think I like it this way.”

[distapata]

[ID: A dark background with clusters of white dots, reminiscent of a rocky texture and lightning bolts. In the middle, there are two rectangles, the outer rectangle holds the words 'penned by shaon' in the right hand corner, the inner rectangle has a design of flowers in the right corner and 'B for Bilu, B for Baba' written on it in the middle]

[Bengali words used in this Fic are: Baba, meaning Dad; Kaku, meaning Uncle, and Kakima, meaning Aunt.]

INFORMATION

category: one-shot | word count: 3133 according to Docs

fandom: pandob goyenda | alternate universe

canon-compliant timeline: after Astadhatu Murti Rahasya

characters: Subinoy and Bilu | third-person POV (Bilu)

triggers: conversational hints of children being in danger

foreword: this, like everything that I write, is unbeta-ed. Most of the mistakes are mine, unless autocorrect has played its nasty game.

Pandob Goyenda have never failed, until now. And although it comes as a shock to many, one member takes it to close to heart. Blaming himself for something that is not at all his fault and unable to deal with the guilt and shame, or share his feelings with others, Bilu reaches out to the only source of comfort he knows of - his Baba.

Bilu boards the bus after Bichu, dragging his feet over the steps. He is the last one to get on the bus, having chosen to wait until the last possible moment. He doesn't want to board the bus, the scene waiting for him isn't calling to him, but the one that seems tempting, is all but a fever dream, so he gives in to fate, and climbs in, slowly. Once inside, he stands near the gate, taking in the scene in front of him. The other parents are already in there, forming a cluster of heads different from the one his friends make. Saheli Di and Kunal Basu are sitting near the front, and they urge him inside with their eyes. Everyone is a bit shaken up, so none of them speak. They nod at him, and he lets go of the handle in favor of the back of a seat, the cracked rexine hard and dry under his fingers. He scans the throng of heads, and just as he had expected, the person he is looking for isn't among them. 'Of course he isn't here, he will never come.' With a quiet sigh, he moves to the back of the bus, passing his friends and their parents. Arunava Kaku says something, so does Shiuli Kakima, but the words slip in and out of Bilu's ears, the syllables a sound he recognizes, but doesn't register. Lighting flashes against the windows, slashing through the dark sky and illuminating the inside of the bus, and Bilu lurches forward so fast it is a surprise that his legs don't get tangled, that he is still upright. 'Baba.'

His father is sitting near the back, staring out of the window. One of his arms is spread over the seat beside him, draped over the back of the seat, the other rests in his lap. By the time Bilu slides into the empty seat, both of Baba's hands are in his lap, and he is still looking out of the window. "You could have sat near the front with your friends and everyone else, why come all the way to the back?"

'Because it is you I need,' Bilu thinks, but he doesn't say that. Instead, he leans into his father, for that had been his plan all along. 'Here, now, I need you and you only, and you are here, in the back.'

Baba shifts, extracting his arm from where it was pinned to his side, and lets his hand hover between them. "Did you hurt yourself?" He asks, probably because this is reminiscent of how Bilu clings to him when he is sick and in pain. "Bilu," he asks again, "are you hurt?"

In response, he drops his head on Baba's shoulder. He isn't hurt, but he is in pain. He just doesn't know if his father will understand, or even, want to listen to Bilu's adventures. Baba never does. If anything, Baba hates Pandob Goyenda's adventures.

Silently, Baba wraps his arm around him, and uses the other to caress his head. "What happened?"

"I…we… couldn't save them," Bilu mumbles into his father's shoulder, and hopes that this time, he isn't met with a lecture about how this isn't his job and how a bunch of inexperienced teenagers are bound to fail against hardened criminals. It is a thought that has been circling his head for the past twenty odd minutes, he doesn't want Baba to add to that. Realistically, he should have gone to the other adults, they will never think of such things let alone say it, but Baba is Baba, and Bilu needs him the most, even more than words of comfort.

Baba's words are soft when he says them. "Who, the children?" He asks, and Bilu scrambles up to stare at his father, because Baba knows what the case was about, and that's something Bilu hadn't expected.

Belatedly, he realizes that Baba is still looking at him, expecting an answer. "Yes," he says, and feels how the word leaves him weary. His eyes sting with unshed tears, because they have failed, and what more can he do than cry? "We couldn't save them Baba, he took them with him, and now he will….now he will…" his voice cracks, and he burrows his face into his father's shoulder and cries, childishly hoping that if he doesn't say it out loud, it won't happen. He doesn't know how long he cries, only that he does, and that the entire time, Baba's hand is on his back, massaging up and down. It's all he needs, for the time being. So he cries and cries and cries, his sobs muffled by the coat between them.

"We failed," he chokes out between the harsh sobs tearing themselves out of him. 'We failed,' he thinks, then immediately corrects it to 'I failed,' a fact he hides from his father, half in guilt, half in shame. Baba already considers him a failure, a vagrant, he doesn't need to hear how Bilu has failed here. "If only I had been quick enough," he muses, his insides flooding with shame.

"What?" The inquiry is soft, but he stiffens all the same. How could he say that aloud?

"Nothing," he mumbles, straightening up and wiping his face with his sleeves. "What are you looking at?" He asks, cringing at his choice of words, wondering if his voice is steady and hoping that it is.

"What am I…." Baba sounds confused, more than concerned, and Bilu breathes a sigh of relief.

"The window -" he says, pointing to the dark landscape moving past them, the bus going slow because of the storm. "You have been looking out of the window. What do you see?"

"Darkness." The answer, is obvious. Dry. Perfectly on brand for Baba.

Bilu snorts, then, in a bout of self-consciousness, immediately swipes at his nose, lest snot comes out of his nostrils.

Beside him, Baba makes an annoyed noise. "We have handkerchiefs for that," he says, then adds - "at least the civilized ones do."

One of the aforementioned tokens of civilization is pressed into his hand, and Bilu blinks in the darkness, questioning his sanity for wanting to break into a fit of giggles. "Heh," he says instead, considering it to be a better option. "Heh," he repeats, the absurdity of the situation, and the contrast between this moment and the one where he was crying into his father's coat running through his head.

"I gave you that to wipe your face," Baba reminds him, and the warning edge to his words pulls Bilu away from the ledge. He squeezes the handkerchief in his hand, then presses it to his face. It is soft, and as he scrubs at his face with the soft fabric, he feels clean, even when he knows that today's failure, partly, at least, lies with him.

"Have you ever…" he gestures, wildly, slapping his hand against the seat, and what looks like his father's cheek, the latter forcing him to put his hands and the tear stained handkerchief clutched in his fist in his lap. "Have you ever made a mistake?"

"Often."

He hadn't been expecting this complete honesty, but he takes it in stride. Perhaps Baba can feel that he needs it, this chance to open up about his own mistakes. "And has that ever….cost you?"

"Yes."

He is slowly inching into dangerous territory, Baba's curt answers are pointing to that only, but Bilu needs to put this out there, he needs to talk about how…how...."And what do you do afterwards?" What can he do, what options does he have, except for sitting here, basking in the comfort his father is providing for him and crying over his mistakes?

Fingers glide over his fist, slotting into the gap between his fingers. Baba holds Bilu's fist, squeezes it, passing some of his strength to Bilu. "Is this about what happened tonight, or in general?"

"Tonight," Bilu nods, and feels himself being pulled into his father's side. Baba is silent for a moment, holding Bilu, and that is enough, but Bilu wants answers…he wants advice, something telling him what he should do next. "Baba?" He prompts.

"Learn how to ask the right questions, Bilu." The words come out sharp, a reminder that this is the very man who stands in Bilu's path towards fulfilling his goals. Disappointed, Bilu attempts to wriggle out of his father's grasp, only for his father to tighten the hold. "What I do is not important, what you need to do, now and always, is to acknowledge your mistakes, and learn from them."

'Oh.' Bilu doesn't have anything to say to that. It is good advice, solid, even, but it fails to show him the light. What can he learn from today's experience? He knows where he went wrong. He wasn't fast enough, and he certainly wasn't strong enough. Tomorrow onwards, he will train harder. But then what? How will any of that help chase away the guilt he is feeling now? "And if that doesn't help? If I still feel like I…we…have done nothing?" He hates himself for explaining it like all five of them, as a group, have failed, when it had only been him who had messed up, but it hurts to admit failure, especially in front of Baba. "What if I made a mistake, and what if it led to….terrible things?"

Baba ruffles his hair, then smooths it out when he protests. "Then you will prove that I am right to call you a kid, and the next time you are this upset, you will do the same thing - you will come to me."

"And what, you will fix everything?" Once upon a time, that might have been a possibility, but he is no longer a kid, and his father, although powerful, one of the few (few compared to the total population of the city) influential men of Kolkata, does not possess any special powers. "You are not a magician, Baba, nor are you a superhero."

"No. But I am your father, I'll always be."

It is a simple statement. A truth Bilu knows, and one he knows well. Yet, the powers behind it, the assurance, the shelter they provide, prompts the tears to fall, because there is nothing he can do now to make up for his mistake, but if he doesn't take this opportunity to give in to his pain and cry, then that will result in another grievous error. So he cries, loud, noisy sobs that give way to muffled cries of anguish, the handkerchief sitting inside his fist.

Time passes like a blur, and the next time he focuses on his surroundings, he realizes that his fingers feel weak, his palm is open, lying flat against his thigh, the handkerchief trapped between the two limbs, and he has little energy to pick up the handkerchief and return it to his father. He lies there, thankful that the bus is not moving faster. Baba has let go of his hands, he is only loosely holding him, and had the bus been moving with more speed, Bilu would have slid off his seat - probably not, Baba is still there, and now that Bilu's eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness, he can see that Baba's eyes are on him only, Baba would have prevented his fall. He is still crying, tears trickling out, his eye burns, itches, and he wants nothing more than to close them, for the pain and irritation to vanish, for the memories to fade, but none of that happens, the tears don't stop. So he keeps crying until they do.

"What will happen to them?" He asks when the tears subside. His insides still feel hollow, empty of blood and bones, but he has no tears left in him. Or that's how he wants it to be. It won't surprise him, if, ten minutes later, he breaks out a fresh supply. That's how terrible everything is, how bleak and bland, where nothing matters, where he doesn't know how he feels, only that he wants it to stop. He can't move through life feeling like he has a hole - like he is the hole. "What happens to those kids, Baba?" He asks, pulling himself up straighter in his seat. It is a struggle, for the fight has left him, and he doesn't want to leave Baba's side, but he figures, he needs to be strong, and he needs to give his father the space he needs to collect himself, because just as this isn't easy on him, it isn't easy on Baba either, they don't lean on each other, not like this. If only….if only he hadn't failed tonight. "Do you think there is any hope left for them, the children?"

"I don't know." Baba's words mirror the emptiness that resides in Bilu, and he is shocked to find that his father does not lack compassion, not when it matters. Still, the absence of hope hits him, hard, and weakly, he reaches out, fiddles with the first thing he gets to hold - his father's shirt sleeve.

"Do you think….could we have done it differently….did we lose because we are stupid?" He asks. His voice is small, nervous of what he might hear, if they will reinforce his thoughts on the issue. They have had close calls before, near misses, but they haven't lost, until now. "We did….we…" his voice cracks, a few tears fall, and that's the only warning he gets before he is bodily throwing himself (where he gets the strength, he doesn't know,) at Baba, and bawling (for the second time) into his father's chest, his arms looped around Baba's neck - exactly how he used to cry back when he had been three years old and had woken up from a nightmare.

"Bilu," he can feel his father give in to the helplessness swarming the air, and he tightens his grip. 'Baba can't fall apart, I need him.'

And perhaps it is his pincer-esque hold, or his prayers, or the desperate plea he is broadcasting into the world, but Baba remains strong, the rock - the superhero he is meant to be, the one he is. "I know you did your best."

"But that doesn't matter," Bilu chokes out, and feels Baba pat his arms, another reminder from his childhood, one he is fortunate to have. Along with this, the hand on his back is still there, rubbing soothing circles, and once again, Bilu feels grateful for the thunderstorm raging outside. 'Thank you,' he thinks, but he is unsure as to who he is thanking, the storm or his father. "I love you," he mumbles, and this time, he knows who he is speaking to.

"Sleep," is the reply - more like an instruction, only softened by the hands caressing his back and his wrists - he gets, but he picks up on the words unsaid, after years - decades - of practice.

"It is cold," he sniffs, not because he is cold - although he is, the chilly wind sneaking in through the gaps in the window cutting through his sweatshirt - but because he doesn't want to sleep, doesn't want to lose out on these moments with Baba. "And I am not sleepy," he lies, even as sleep and exhaustion pull at his eyes.

Baba hums disapprovingly, then moves out of the hug. The loss of contact disappoints Bilu, and he frowns, squinting in the dark. "Baba?" There is another flash of lightning, and Bilu feels a protest bubbling in his throat. "No," he says, slapping away the coat that is being offered to him. "What will you wear?"

"Good to know that up until now, you were under the impression that I wear the coat with nothing under it," his father snaps, his voice light, a hint of a smile underlining his words, and ignoring Bilu's protests in classic 'Subinoy Dutta' fashion, he forces Bilu's arms into the sleeves of the blazer. "There," he says, tugging it close around Bilu. "Now sleep." He offers to let Bilu use him as a pillow, and Bilu agrees, immediately giving in to the hug.

"I am still not sleepy," he says, shifting until his head is in the perfect spot - "but this coat is warm." One sleeve, and some of the front, is wet from his tears, but that doesn't matter. The coat is his father's - and as such, is an extension of the man he calls Baba, the man who has held him for the past hour or so (maybe two, maybe three), comforting him. Loving him. That's enough. However, the coat is too big on him, more of a blanket than a blazer, slipping past his palm, and he pulls at the sleeves in a futile attempt to fix the issue. "This is soft!" He exclaims, smoothing his thumb over the fabric. He had never thought that the coats his father wears will be anything other than stiff and uncomfortable - apparently, he has a lot to learn. "I like this," he says, a loose thought, one of many, that slips out.

Even though it is dark, this close, he can see the smile break out. Baba smiles, soft, indulgent. "I'll get one made for you," he replies, adjusting the coat around Bilu's shoulder. "Then it won't slip off every minute or so."

Bilu plays with the button at the cuff, tries to wrangle it into position, and then, after failing thrice, gives up. The day's events are catching up to him, making his movements uncoordinated. As he finds out, it has also rid him of his filter. "Where will I wear a coat?" Bilu asks, and instantly regrets it.

"You can wear it to the office."

Bilu blinks, opens his mouth to argue, then closes it, because this isn't the time, or place. Furthermore, Baba is already looking away, his words are a foreign concept for both of them (and an unattainable dream for him). Bilu hates the lull in conversation, but he has nothing to offer. "Maybe I can simply borrow one of your slim ones the next time I need one," he says, if only to return to their previous state. He has missed his father, he misses him everyday, throughout their arguments, and when he is sitting in his room and worrying about something. Without meaning to, he shuffles closer to his father's chest, his ears picking up on the systemic heartbeat. He is rewarded with fingers carding through his hair, and he knows that he has been forgiven. "I am sorry," he says to no one in particular - he has a lot of people to apologise to - and swathed in the comforts of his father's coat, with Baba's hand on his back, he falls asleep.

If you are wondering what everyone is doing riding a bus to Kolkata from a potential scene of crime, I don't know. It was dangerous, the kids were missing, the parents went there, something something. The idea came to me in a dream, do not ask me to expand on the background information, I don't know it, my creativity loves to keep her secrets. <- joking, ask me all the questions you want, I'll think of something. Hehe. I love interaction, okay?

If you read this Fic, know that I love you.

If you enjoy this Fic, know that I love you.

If you find this boring, still, I love you.

I have a lot of love to give.

[nielsphotographingthecity]

When I ask myself in which medium or in which place I could best imagine my project, it is in an exhibition, in a gallery. There are projects and themes that gain strength through this direct confrontation. I vividly remember the exhibition "Fireflies" by Poulomi Basu.

Her pictures are emotional, strong, and you couldn't escape them, you were confronted with their message, whether you wanted to or not. An exhibition/gallery is perfect for achieving this. But of course you also have to ask yourself how you want to encase your art, what does the space or spaces look like in which the paintings are exhibited? How important this is for the overall picture of the project became really clear to me during the lesson in week 10, when we were able to admire the gallery with the exhibitions that were nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize. The task of giving points helped to understand how important the aesthetics of the room are, and also how the pictures are displayed, simply on the wall? Hanging freely? All aspects to think about.

As far as these aspects are concerned, I can also draw inspiration from the fashion world for my project. For example, I really like the way Rick Owens presents his clothes in his store in Soho, New York.

He is a self-confessed fan of the brutalist architectural style, which can also be seen in his furniture creations.

He contrasts his monochrome, sombre, mystical clothing creations with the light room, but complements it with the style of the furnishings and presentation. Very fascinating.

Of course, one has to ask oneself: do I want to contrast my pictures with the exhibition space, or should the space complement the aesthetics of the pictures, or does one achieve that the contrast complements the pictures?

I imagine a room completely immersed in black. The room is virtually empty, except for bare trees that are also painted black. The pictures are attached to these treetops, so you walk along like a little forest path and the pictures hang to the left and right. A dystopian future, because these exhibited structures have outlived humanity, the dictatorship of technical progress has wiped out humanity, and now you are literally standing in the forest again, as before, when humanity had not yet exploited nature. The fusion of nature with the geometric forms of brutalist buildings, the origin, the core, the essence. A constant defying constant change.

[tellywoodtrash]

Hi TTji, here I am with more TV digest. SP: MHRW - Amma replaced by new actor with HECK LOT foundation to 'darken' her and Raghav is TPDBD. Same plot (luck again FL, ML taking badla, FL turns innocent, ML being savior) in a loop. YRKKH - Sensible for time being. Sirat's ex is in picture. Kartik & Sirat have healthy convos. Obv Rhea is dying to break the marriage and grab most wanted Munda for herself. SNS - Most sensible leads as of yet? The show still remembers she wants education??? [1/4]

Aksjdlsakjdlskajdlskajldkjslj TPDBD has truly entered myyyyy daily vocabulary as well. It’s such an amazingggggg acronymmmm. Fitteh muh on these fucking ppl who can’t just hire one actual dark skinned actress. I hate this show without even watching it because of everything it stands for. It offends me on a personal level. 🤬🤬🤬

Ofc YRKKH mein abhi bhi shaadi ka silsila jaari hi hai. Ouff, India ke wedding industry ko iss ek hi couple ne kaayam rakha hua hai. 🤑🤑🤑

SNS ke baare mein I never cared, and I never will. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

YHC - Not Chaahat, only mystery and horror like Aahat. FL attempting to expose villains but ML blind cuz it's his true mum and step bro. Anu - Overdramatically yet sensibly depicting divorce and it's ripple effects on fam (kisses for healthy maa-beta & saas-bahu jodi). SM - Preeti is replaced by Nupur from MJHT.  KT pretends to be good friend Keertan and shitty rich dude KT to Nu-*cough* Mohi/Preeti. Idk abt the kids. Imlie - Malini reacts normally seeing Imlie wear her sindoor. Finally [2/4] 

NO CHAAHAT, ONLY AAHAT 🤣🤣🤣

Anupama, SM, aur Imlie reiterating the life lesson ki pyaari beheno, zindagi mein kuch bhi karo, parrr shaadi mat karo, saaaaalon tak siyaapa hi siyaapa hai. Just be single, have awesome friends and pets, aur mazze ke life jiyo.

SAAKK - FL thinks ML in love with ex. ML clears the air, tells *cough* yells I LOVE YOU DAMNIT *oh wait that was another show* but same and FL is like WOAH. PANDYA - No one realises the DISASTER getting FL forcibly married to her beloved's brother (who marries his own lover) cuz now she gotta live in the same house with her beloved but as his bhabhi? ANNS - The  blind ML has been the most aware ML in ITV history. Understands to-be-wife being slighted and flips shit! Next is Zee, Sony & Colors 

SAAKK ki incredibly cute FL is stuck in such a michmichi-inducing (for me) show ke mera dillllllllllllll dukhta hai. Koi isko aur GHKPM ke Sai ko bas foreign bhej do where they can do padhaai and become their best selves without being distracted by boy troubles. Sahi kehte hain desi maa-baap, padhai ke waqt ladkon ke chakkaron mein nahi padna chahiye, warna poori zindagi kharaab ho jaati hai. Abhi dekh bhi liya.

Pandya mein seeing Sonakshi from KHKT ki bitchy choti behen be one abla bechaari, and Nazar show waali achchi behen being a hellraising chantomayi is giving me whiplash. Beech mein bechaare bhaiyya-bhaabi jabaran phasein, who kinda deserve it coz honestly wtf were they thinking forcing this bloody shaadi no one wanted. 🙄🙄🙄

ANNS ka hero is wholesome bean but ouff the FL’s family (???? is it even her family? Or her sister’s sasuraal or some shit in which case, phew.) Anyway kaafi off-brand Gauri Kumari Sharma vibes mil rahe mujhe FL se toh I can’t somehow get into it yet. 😐😐😐

ZEE. Kumkum - Pragya asking fam members to help her (Abhi in jail) Rhea (the twin who hates Pragya) agrees. Kundali - Preeta has her hair perfect in jail while ML tries to fix shit. Jindri - Locking wife in room is the new way of showing love. Katti Batti - shit show from promo so no info (total biwi#1 when she should be dumping his dumb ass). Rest IDK, the plots above my head. SONY. 7 1/2 - The show has bad prod quality for some reason. Not watching. (need more space for next so see you in #5) 

Yeh poora ka poora ZEE channel hi nahi chahiye mereko. Nothing on it has appealed to me since Qubool Hai and I highly doubt anything ever will. Bleargh. 🤢🤢🤢

Yeh 7 1/2 kaunsa show hai Sony pe??????? 🤔🤔🤔

KUDCA - FL runs away from marrying Veer. He hires fake bride (turns out it is FL who was briefly reunited with her bff who is now kothewaali). COLORS. Namak - Always abusive ML (can't act) now in love with FL (can act) and his family is shitty, as usual. Pinjra - Makers pulled a Main Na Bhoolungi. SSK - archaic shit is back. Shakti - ML post plastic surgery trying to convince FL that he is ML. Fans hate new actor btw. BB - Kid topped, so going to hostel? Bawara Dil - TOXIC SHIT!!! Love, Baby J

KUDCA ka main kya hi boloon, whole thing sounds like a clusterfuck.

Namak is such a weird mindfuck of a show, beech mein kuch kaala jaadoo type bhi hain. ML nafrat se pyaar tak pohunch gaya lekin majaal ho jo uske chehre pe shikan tak aaye. Someone explain to me why that Nazar waali daayan ki character is the mom to two of the ladies (who are easily in their 30s, yet mummy looks younger......... Must be all the kaala jaadoo), but everyone calls her didi, including her daughters??? Also why do these two families live together???? Why does this show exist in general??????////

Pinjra waali shaayad na bhoolegi but I sure forgot this show exists. Thank god for my brain just filtering out the info it doesn’t want and being like sorry 404, page not found. Saves me a lot of rage.

SSK mein I just need to know what new species Simar (or choti Simar, or whoever) is gonna metamorphize  into. May I suggest a cow, since that’s the only animal that gets any respect and protection in this country these days.

The way I gaspeddddddddddddddd when I saw OG Anurag Basu backkkkkkkkkk??????// Bhai is on what virgin-blood-drinking regimen ki he still looks exact same???? Sir pls to share sekrits.

Bawara Dil - First I’m ever hearing of this show, and thus, I really dgaf.

[cinnella]

Name: Libelle Abrams (chosen name); Varda Lesedi (birth name)

Age: 22 years old

Sex: Female

Sexuality: Demi-homosexual

Zodiac sign: Libra

Birthday: October 7th

Patron Arcana: Justice (Major); Queen of Swords (Minor)

Occupation: Magician, healer, painter and gardener

Height: 5'9" (1.76 m)

Weight: 194 lbs (88 kg)

Relatives:

Briella Lesedi - mother (deceased)

Abanus Lesedi - father (deceased)

Gushvin Basu - distant family friend

Origin: Born in the Catclaw Desert, grew up in Vesuvia

Race: African-American

Powers: White (purification) and healing magic, as well as telekinesis and precognitive dreaming

Intelligence Level: On a scale from 1 to 10, she's a strong 8.5

Backstory:

During the beautiful sunset of the Catclaw Desert, little Varda was born not far off from their home, where her parents had built their sculpture selling stand.

About 7 months later, while they were enjoying their time at home, their friend, Gushvin, hurried to tell them that an unexpected aggressive sand storm started heading their way.

They made sure to give Varda to him as he was faster and went ahead of them. They tragically got swept away by the storm and inhaled too much sand. They were found without breath or pulse hours later.

As selfish as it was of him, Gushvin didn't want to take care of a child, so he made sure to find someone willing enough to do that, soon running into a person who said they specifically searched for orphaned children that needed care.

After a couple of days of traveling, they arrived in sunny Vesuvia, where Varda was brought to the orphanage in the South End. There she was cared for and raised like promised.

She grew up to be one of the sweetest but most naive kids there. One day during lunch, she noticed a kid was sitting alone at his table, sulking and not eating. She approached him and offered to eat with him.

He had silverish eyes and ash-blond hair and the kindest smile she'd ever seen. She'd heard the adults call him Lucas and she knew he was kind of a troublemaker, but he seemed so lonely. They became best friends almost instantly, and always spent time together.

Some years later, when both of them were around 5 years old, they befriended three other kids, all significantly older than them. She learned that their names were Eris, Syro and Morana, and immediately became worried.

They were the biggest scoundrels in the entire orphanage, and quite honestly, all of South End. But Lucas insisted that they join their group. And she trusted him.

She didn't think that these four kids would become so important to her, that they'd become her family. But they did, and she couldn't be more thankful.

When it became clear enough to the adults that they couldn't raise nameless kids, the more capable ones took to teaching them the importance of knowing how to read and write and then they could choose a name for themselves, on their 7th birthday.

Soon enough, her sweet 7th rolled around and after months of searching, she found a name that would complete her.

And so, Varda Lesedi became Libelle Abrams.

Lucas, not much later, also changed his name, to Calyx. Libelle thought it was such a beautiful name for him.

Many years passed by with the four causing as much trouble as possible, to her unfortunate luck. But once she approached her preteens, devastating news came with them. When they'd reach the age of 17, they would need to leave, one by one, and search for a different home.

They discussed about it, made plans and set goals to find their homelands, their roots and possibly their families.

Obviously, Eris was first in line to leave as the eldest between them. Then Morana with Syro. It was only her and Calyx left. She made the promise to not abandon him there and take him with her when the time would come.

And she did. After celebrating her 17th birthday and talking with the one that had found her so many years ago, they set out to travel towards the Catclaw Desert. The journey was a couple of days long and it took them almost as much to find the one who knew about her parents.

Gushvin was sat on the bench in front of his home when they approached, and when Libelle called out to him, he recognized her immediately. There was some confusion with her name at first, but they quickly caught onto everything.

He told her everything that had happened the day she became an orphan and although he was hesitant, he confessed how selfish he'd been back then, something he regretted deeply and hadn't let him sleep properly since then.

All of the discoveries shocked her beyond belief, so much so that she wanted to go back to Vesuvia right away. After a while of mulling over everything she found out, she decided to focus on helping her best friend.

Luck had seemed to smile upon them, because Eris insisted on tagging along with them. After all, they had to travel across the sea all the way to the Macawi Port.

After even more shocking reveals about Calyx' parents, none of them wanted to know anything more, so at dawn they started back home.

Now, Libelle could focus on the things that she wanted to do most. She learned how to become a professional healer and magician, so she would help people in need. Around that time, her secret powers slowly surfaced as well.

She realized she could move objects with the will of her mind and at night, she would have visions and dreams of the future. After consulting with an expert in healing magic, she discovered that most people have these gifts and adviced her to learn to control them.

Everything was fine in her life until the Red Plague rained upon them and they each made the decision to leave Vesuvia. Well, all except for Eris. She wanted to help the doctors with the dead, confided to Libelle that she'd taught herself necromancy and wanted to reverse their deaths.

Eris had been too stubborn to listen to reason, so they had no choice but to leave her behind. Syro and Morana left for the Southern Spines, while Eris specifically told Libelle and Calyx to go to Venterre and find her brother, Sethos. He would shelter them until the nightmare would be over.

So they did, they took the first boat straight to the west coast of Venterre, where they ran into the young man in question.

When they finished explaining everything to him, he insisted they go back and get her too, but there would have been no use in doing so. His sister would have been way too stubborn to listen to anyone.

Days later, a letter arrived in their mailbox and all three were devastated to find out Eris died from the plague. Libelle and Calyx were sobbing messes and Sethos almost thrashed the room before collapsing too.

They informed the other two through a letter as well, but they figured there would be massive delays because of the distance, so they didn't expect an answer right away.

Suddenly, about 6 days later, Libelle had a dream, of Eris being alive. It had felt so real she woke up in a cold sweat and with tears in her eyes, she went to wake up the other two, shaking them hard.

She couldn't form clear words but Calyx caught onto it right away, and while with shaky hands, Libelle explained that she could sense Eris' aura and presence in the real world.

Although Sethos was very skeptical about it, he would have rather held onto the tiniest string of hope that she was indeed alive than live with the thought of losing his sister a second time.

So they wrote another letter to Syro and Morana and immediately packed their things and headed back to Vesuvia in plain midnight.

True to everything Libelle said and sensed, Eris was alive. How, they didn't know, until they spoke to Asra, one of her older friends and apparently, the one who brought her back. She was shocked to find it involved a deal with the Devil. She'd heard of the sacrifices needed to make such deals.

After about 3 years of total absence, Syro and Morana also arrived in Vesuvia and the shock cycle began again.

Not much later, when Eris got assigned to solve the mystery of Count Lucio's murder and catch his fugitive murderer, everyone offered to do something to help her out.

Though she was shy about it, she could sense that the Countess, Nadia, needed help as well. So Libelle suggested assisting her in whatever Nadia would need.

She didn't expect to catch feelings, but she didn't complain either.

Personality: shy, sensitive, kind-hearted, gentle, imaginitive, creative, generous, loyal, honest, trustworthy, observant, reliable, cheerful, too forgiving and sometimes naive

Interesting facts:

Although it isn't very noticeable, she does have a white lotus tattoo on her left middle finger.

Her wrists are littered with past self-harm scars, which the others love to kiss just to make her feel better about them.

She is very insecure about her body, but she has the others to lift her moods up when she's down.

Has an entire collection of earrings, but her favorites are the peacock feathers.

Even though she wakes up early in the morning, she usually takes a nap in the afternoon.

Her thighs and hips are full of stretch marks.

Has the biggest sweet tooth in the world.

Can play the clarinet, but you would have to really indulge her to get her to sing on it for you.

Appearance: Dark espresso skin tone, neck-length curly chestnut brown hair, dyed periwinkle blue halfway down, jade green eyes, chubby slight hourglass body shape, D cup breasts

Familiar: Lumi, a cute and sweet stoat but a sneaky little thief all the same

Voice claim: Dana Gourrier

Full sprite:

WOOOHOOOO I FINISHED ALL MY MCS' BIOS AND I'M SO HAPPY!!

My girl turned out so damn beautiful too and I'm just hhnnnnn- 😖💜

PLEASE SHOW HER SOME LOVE AS WELL!!! ✨

[hridoyf1s]

10 Motivating Digital Marketing Quotes

1. “Take a risk and keep testing, because what works today won’t work tomorrow, but what worked yesterday may work again.” ~ Amrita Sahasrabudhe 2. “We must move from numbers keeping score to numbers that drive better actions.” ~ David Walmsley 3. “Without a strategy, content is just stuff, and the world has enough stuff.” ~  Arjun Basu 4. “Tell a story. Make it true. Make it compelling. And make it relevant.” ~ Rand Fishkin 5. “Content is anything that adds value to the reader’s life.” ~ Avinash Kaushik 6. “Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue” ~ Andrew Davis 7. “Know what your customers want most and what your company does best. Focus on where those two meet.” ~ Kevin Stirtz 8. “People ignore design that ignores people.” ~ Frank Chimero 9. “Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.” ~ Brian Solis 10. “Focus on how to be social, not how to do social.” ~ Jay Baer

[clevelandrocklovesick]

Michaela & Patrick Stream Highlights

The Michaela Laws and Patrick M. Seymour stream has ended! Here are some fun highlights:

Patrick referred to the game as “the LoveSicks and whatnot.”

Michaela “fell in love with Ayano again” after seeing her upcoming character model.

Michaela wants to voice the lingerie shop owner, but she thinks her voice would sound too much like Ayano’s.

Patrick: “It's Oka! Summon the Flame Demon, my girl!”

The Yakuza elimination will be “gruesome as hell.”

Michaela knows what the game’s ending will be.

Patrick imagined Osana waking up Senpai by going to his house and yelling, “Hey, helicopter pants! Sink or swim, bitch!”

Patrick did a spot-on impression of Patrick Warburton doing a commercial for “Mr. Peter.”

He later did Patrick Warburton as Budo.

Patrick laughed at the message “Learned opinion: Drama.”

They both did voices for the kitten.

Patrick joked that Budo’s username is GamerMaster696969.

Michaela compared this to the last stream, when Austin Hively said his headcanon is that Senpai yells at people in online games.

They love Horuda Puresu a lot.

Patrick mistook Seiyo Akanishi for Bandit Keith.

Patrick wants Kestin Howard to play Seiyo.

Michaela is afraid of knives, but she plays a yandere. Patrick is sensitive to light and sound, but he plays a loud character.

Michaela thinks “Kokonavirus” is hilarious.

Patrick is a “sucker for light blue” hair like Saki’s.

Michaela doesn’t understand why people ship Ayano with Budo.

“Ayano only cares about Senpai. Legitimately.”

They joked that Senpai can't read and he just sits with a book trying to read it.

Later, they joked that the book is cursed, and anyone who tries to read it becomes illiterate.

Kira Buckland plays Sakyu Basu and Kayli Mills plays Inkyu Basu.

Michaela’s usual rate is $5 per line (up to 30 seconds) or $200 per hour.

She does Yandere Simulator for free.

Patrick referred to the video game shopkeeper as “wife” and Kiba Kawaito as “goth girlfriend.”

Neither of them knows who voices the headmaster.

It’s possible that he wants to remain anonymous, since his name isn’t in the credits.

She wants to do another stream and suggested the possibility of inviting Razzbowski.

[rjzimmerman]

Recent studies on what extreme heat does to our bodies

This is an excerpt from the weekly essay of Bill McKibben published in The New Yorker. This one is entitled, “It’s Not the Heat - It’s the Humanity.”

I happened to be talking with Dr. Rupa Basu, the chief of air-and-climate epidemiology at California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, on Friday, a day after Palm Springs had tied its all-time heat record with a reading of a hundred and twenty-three degrees Fahrenheit. That’s hot—hotter than the human body can really handle. The day before, with temperatures topping a hundred degrees before noon, a hiker in the San Bernardino National Forest had keeled over and died. “We talk a lot about biological adaptability, but as humans we’re not supposed to adapt to temps that high,” Basu said. “If your core body temp reaches a hundred and five, that means death can be imminent. As humans, we can only adapt so much. Once the air temperature is above a hundred and twenty, there’s only so much you can do, except rely on air-conditioning and other mitigation strategies. And that puts a lot of pressure on the power grid, and that could result in brownouts and blackouts. It’s not really a long-term, chronic solution. It’s just living for the moment and hoping it works.”

And often it doesn’t work. Last summer, Basu published a remarkable paper, a “systematic review” of research on pregnant women. The studies she looked at—which collectively examined more than thirty-two million births—found that higher temperatures in the weeks before delivery were linked to stillbirths and low birth weights. “It’s weeks thirty-five and thirty-six that seem to be the trigger,” she told me recently. “What we think is happening is that a lot of the mechanisms from heat-related illness start with dehydration. If there are symptoms of dehydration, those might be overlooked. If someone doesn’t connect it with heat, they might not get to a cooler environment. You see vomiting—and people might say, ‘That’s O.K. Bound to happen when you’re pregnant.’ But it’s because of the dehydration.” Further along in the pregnancy, she said, “your body releases oxytocin, which triggers contractions. And if it happens prematurely—well, heat raises the level of oxytocin faster. If you’re not able to thermoregulate, get the temp down, it can trigger low birth weight or, earlier on, miscarriage or stillbirth.” Past a certain point, the body diverts blood flow to the subcutaneous layer beneath the skin, where the body’s heat can radiate out into the air. That diverts the blood “away from vital organs,” Basu said. “And away from the fetus.”

The brain is an organ, too. For all its metaphysical magnificence, it’s a hunk of cells that comes with operating specs. Again, don’t let its temperature get too high: in 2018, Basu published a study showing the effect of seasonal temperatures on mental health. A ten-degree-Fahrenheit jump in temperature during the warm season was associated with an increase in emergency-room visits for “mental-health disorders, self-injury/suicide, and intentional injury/homicide” of 4.8, 5.8, and 7.9 per cent, respectively. Those are big numbers, and the search for mechanisms that explain them is fascinating. Among other things, certain medications impede the body’s ability to thermoregulate: beta-blockers, for instance, decrease the flow of blood to the skin, and antidepressants can increase sweating, Basu told me. “There’s also some evidence to show that heat affects neurotransmitters themselves—that everything is just a little bit slower.”

Both these effects show up more strongly in this country in Black and Hispanic patients—probably, as Basu explained, because those groups disproportionately live in low-income neighborhoods. “They’re often in areas where there are more fossil-fuel emissions, fewer green spaces, and more blacktop and cement, which really absorbs and retains the heat,” she said. “And also living closer to freeways. That exacerbates air pollution. And, with the heat, that’s a synergistic effect. It’s environmental racism that leads to these differences in exposure.” Some people, she added, bristle at hearing that: “Someone said to me, ‘Oh, so now we’re breathing different air?’ And I said, ‘Yes, that’s exactly right. We can track it down to the Zip Code level.’ ” Call it critical race epidemiology.

Which leads us, of course, back to politics. There’s only so much that doctors can do to help us deal with heat; ultimately, it’s up to the Joe Bidens and the Joe Manchins—and the Xi Jinpings—of the world. “We’re seeing these kinds of extreme temperatures in Palm Springs right now,” Basu said. “If we start to see those in more populated areas, imagine the public-health impact.” That’s obviously what’s coming. Last week, researchers at nasa and noaa found that, according to satellite data, “the earth is warming faster than expected” and that the planet’s energy imbalance—the difference between how much of the sun’s energy the planet absorbs and how much radiates back out to space—has doubled since 2005, an increase equivalent to “every person on Earth using 20 electric tea kettles at once.” And the National Weather Service is forecasting a heatwave this week for the Pacific Northwest that could smash regional records.