#but I just need the fodder components to get

[katfreaks-hidyhole]

The newest +10 club member, Titania the Warm Knight!

[blackjackkent]

Highlights from investigating the Reithwin morgue:

Like so many other places in Reithwin, it smells very badly of blood. Rakha is feeling exceedingly tense. She's not quite at breakdown level again yet but she's certainly feeling the strain of being around the remains of so much brutal death, mixed with the strain of all the mysteries around Moonrise and the strain of the continuing temptation to cut Isobel into component parts.

Lots of zombies wandering around. I'm not entirely clearly, in retrospect, on WHY there are so many zombies, except to provide combat fodder. I might be forgetting something obvious, but I'm assuming they were either corpses touched by the shadow curse in a weird way, or the result of Malus's experiments, or something Balthazar was doing down here. The impression I get from Malus's notes is that he was trying to be a necromancer too but wasn't as good at it as Balthazar.

Based on what Rakha sees of the laboratory deep in the bowels of the morgue, many of the people who died in Reithwin were subject to experimentation afterwards. Again, this resonates unpleasantly with the memory from the noblestalk of Rakha and Sceleritas working in some indeterminate lab cutting apart someone who was still alive. She hates the recollection - but also clings to it, in an odd way, because it means there are other memories somewhere, unreachable.

She is, however, utterly fascinated by the notebooks in another room, near the body of a dead Harper. One of the notebooks details the events immediately surrounding the curse's initial onset when Ketheric was initially defeated. The other is notes on magical experimentation:

Rakha definitely sits and stares at this book for a LONG time, reading it intently. (Perhaps Wyll goes and checks out the laboratory while she does so, since being there definitely makes her uncomfortable anyway.) This is very interesting to think about. For her, magic is simply something that happens naturally; she can instinctively determine the way the Weave needs to move and stretch to accommodate whatever she's trying to accomplish.

This is more like how Gale studies magic, she thinks. Learning, experimentation. Practice. A little like how she draws magic from Alfira's lute, finding right notes and chords that resonate into light.

She takes the book back to Gale later, curious if he can make anything out of the experimental spells the Harper was working on when he died. Gale can't - but does immediately try out Vita Cava just to see. Chaos ensues in camp afterwards.

I almost never remember to try out Speak with Dead on corpses; finally remembered in this case and got the message "Corpse Too Damaged." This always happens when I do manage to remember the spell exists. XD

Another of the notebooks in the lab ("Blood and Bodily Fluid Log", ewww), notes:

I just realized this is probably referencing the enormous behemoth-sized enemy that's hanging out in Balthazar's lab in the mausoleum. :O

Once again, big shoutout to Rakha's whole team now being loaded up with Misty Step, bc I'm pretty sure there's no other way to get to the Kuo-Toa fight besides Dimension Door or hurling everyone off a cliff for 50dmg apiece.

Unlike when Hector was here, Rakha has encountered Kuo-Toa before - they were the ones trying to summon "the great god BOOOAL" which the beast in Rakha's head did not like at ALL. Rakha, at the time, was pretty unnerved by her own instinctive and very destructive response to the fish-creatures' religion. For that reason, she might have made more of an effort to leave them alone here, as some kind of symbol to herself. However - they are all massively curse-soaked and consequently don't do her the same courtesy.

So she sets them all on fire instead.

[peanutbutterandbananasandwichs]

whats ur ranking of the og star trek movies

I feel like this is gonna be a pretty uncontroversial ranking lol because there absolutely is a Correct answer to (most of) this, if I were ranking TNG era movies things might get slightly spicier lmao). 1) ST II: Wrath of Khan - you just can't beat it, gold standard Trek movie. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." "Or the one." yes thank you eating it with a spoon.

2) ST IV: The Voyage Home - Lowkey, highkey my fave to rewatch its just GOOFY, and fun, and a DELIGHT! (All things a lot of modern Trek - except LD godbless - tends to forget are KEY components of Star Trek. I'm also just a sucker for any time Trek does the "timetravel to the present in which the show/movie was made" thing, also a big fan of when Voyager did this in Future's End, always assures for good high-jinx.

3) ST VI: The Undiscovered Country - It doesn't get the attention it deserves, even ST V gets talked about more (for all the wrong reasons lol), but it really is great, honestly almost as good as Khan, its just not as fun as Voyage Home hense third place. Also Captain Sulu my beloved.

4) ST III: The Search for Spock: LOOOK its is NOT a good film, but the Kirk/Spock fodder is delicious, and the aesthetics of the film are so hugely influential on the franchise going forward I've gotta give it its dues. Also it does have Robin Curtis' Saavik <3

5) The Motion Picture: Its not a good MOVIE, it is in my opinion good Trek, the slower pace, the focus on the voyage, on discovery and self-discovery. But its not particularly fun to watch stretched out to the runtime of a film. BUT we do owe it, without TMP we absolutely would not have the Trek we have today (which of course is mostly down to the fans <3).

6) ST V: The Final Frontier: DEFINETLY not controversial to put this one last lmao. An absolute MESS of a film, godbless, who thought giving Shatner this much power was ever a good idea. However I will give it one thing in that it did gift us with the most unhinged Shatner interview of all time, which lead us to the glory that is Shatner of the Mount. Also the "Go Climb a Rock" shirt is iconic (also I literally have a Kirk/Spock drag act that uses Shatner of the Mount and a version of the go climb a rock shirt altered to say "Go Climb a Spock" so I owe it my life really.) Thaaankkk you for the ask this was FUN.

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

You know, I still think about how like... Katsuki has never actually had a proper 1v1 vs a villain character ever. Like, it's always been with another person. All of his fights where he could shine... are against other heroes. And most of the fights where villains are involved, he loses pretty badly. But it's more than just that. Izuku's original design was going to basically be Japanese Anime Batman, being quirkless and using equipment and an adult. Katsuki's original design was going to be a nice person who just had no tact and was brutally honest. Apparently, that original design for Izuku was believed that it would cause him to fade into the background according to Horikoshi's editors, and Katsuki's original design was considered too freaking boring according to Horikoshi himself. And yet fast forward to the current events of the manga where... I genuinely don't even know what Izuku's personality is any more because all his idea of strategy is basically gone, it's just basically 'unleash overwhelming power', and he really has no character outside of being a vessel for the Protag Powers. And then you have Katsuki, who jobs constantly, the entire story basically feels like he was intended to be the original protagonist with how often he's shoved into everything and is just sucked off despite his jobbing as if he's more important to the plot than anyone else. Like fuck, Katsuki is literally listed as being an abusive egotist in the guidebook, and Kirishima has an entire thing in his backstory about being the victim of bullying yet he's completely okay with Katsuki, a character who is actively hostile to everyone and is abrasive AT BEST. Like I get they're high schoolers (which I genuinely don't understand with how they act considering high schoolers were more intelligent than this for me growing up) but fuck Horikoshi's writing makes fucking everyone so god damn stupid the moment Katsuki is involved. Anyway, I needed to vent after I was catching up on World Trigger and realising 'yeah I actually enjoy this arc because we have character personality conflicts and the individuals have to work them out because they're stuck together for a week. Oh and they actually talk to each other and you know, HAVE FUCKING BRAINS, and actively try and work on these flaws that are coming up', and getting incredibly mad that the entire character writing into MHA at this point is basically SMASH THIS NO STRATEGY and personally I blame the story constantly sucking off Bakugou who's supposed intelligence just feels informed and contrived because of his behaviour. Intelligent strategist but incredibly socially dumb my god. And he's so socially dumb he subtracts from everyone else's intelligence to get him to suck him off. I genuinely do not understand why the Bakusquad exists considering the personality conflicts there, especially with Kaminari outright stating his personality was raw sewage at one point early on and yet we're supposed to believe that Bakugou has grown and atoned as a person whilst still being a rabid dumbass who gets his ass kicked.

That’s an interesting point. A majority of Katsuki’s fights, the ones where he wins, are against fellow heroes in training. In terms of villains, he’s only ever fought Tomura, Nine, the canon fodder in the USJ, and the minions in the movies (with help).

I agree with what you said about Proto Katsuki in that he would’ve been far more interesting, or at least far more tolerable. I’d rather have a boring character than an outright terrible one. Like you mentioned before, everyone who interacts with Katsuki is made 100% dumber and is forced to neglect key components of their character just so that Hori can wank off his fave and push this “he has potential and is strong” narrative. I also agree that unfortunately it does feel like Izuku’s been reduced to “punch everything with a lot of force” rather than the creative fighter he was before. There was a really great analysis I just read that explains this. I blame it on Hori trying to wrap up his story as quickly as he can.

This is the analysis in question btw:

[thessalian]

Astrid vs Grymforge

In the midst of old ruins

Astarion: So now we're doing more favours for mushrooms. We steal a boat, get stopped by cultists, and the next thing you know, we're in here apparently trying to save the person whose head we need to bring back to King Mushroom. This is ridiculous.

Astrid: It's the life of an adventurer, Astarion. You know how all the bard tales go.

Astarion: Yes, but a good bard glosses over the stupid parts. ...No offense intended.

Astrid: Look, we're in the remnants of a Sharran temple, so Shadowheart's happy. We're just a little ways away from getting to Moonrise Towers, so we should all be happy. And we're tracking down that forge I read about, so I'm happy.

Astarion: When do I get to be happy?

Astrid: When you get to drain a drow and maybe get whatever gifts the parasite he's got in his head left?

Astarion: You are dangerous, aren't you. Very well.

Astrid: Good. Now, I hear these guys talking about not being very happy with this Nele's leadership so I'm going to go talk him into some help, okay?

Astarion: We couldn't just ... slaughter everyone in the place and move on to the elevator?

Astrid: Objectively ... no.

Astarion: Damn.

Awhile later, being trailed by another scrying eye

Gale: I honestly wish I had a command word to blind these things. Where are we going to find a quiet, unobserved space to get rid of it?

Astrid: I know just the place! *points at duergar throwing bodies into the river*

Gale; Astarion: Oh, ew.

Shadowheart: How are you two that repulsed by dead bodies after all we've been through?

Gale: There is a threshhold, Shadowheart.

Astrid: Okay, I talked them into letting us dump the bodies for them and I found you a shiny, Astarion. It'll make you invisible which should really help your stealth. Not that you really need it, but hey. Anyway, do the honours?

Astarion: I really wish it was easier to just dislike you.

A whoooooole bunch of stabbing later

Astrid: Okay, so Nele's gone, the duergar are clearing out--

Astarion: I don't believe you made them give up their slaves and didn't even keep any.

Astrid: Astarion, what would we do with slaves at this point?

Astarion: Turn them into cannon fodder? Give me a nice little buffet?

Astrid: .........Aaaaaaaaaanyway, now we need this guy's head. Um. Nuts.

Astarion: What is it now?

Gale: I don't think she's physically strong enough to hack off someone's head. Um ... if you'll lend me a blade, I could--

Shadowheart: She wouldn't force anyone else to do it. Astrid. Here. *tosses a Potion of Hill Giant Strength to her*

Astrid: You know, it's nice and all that we have them, but I know what goes in these things. Oh well. *chugs* UGH. Do you think crushed mint would make it stop working?

Gale: You'd probably have to experiment. Though it could be dangerous depending on what changes the extra ingredients make.

Astarion: Another reason to have kept the slaves, perhaps.

Astrid: Face. Shut.

After a whooooooole lot of fiddling and hopping around; at the Adamantine Forge

Shadowheart: Why are we doing this, again?

Astrid: You're basically our front-liner at this point. I want some better armour and a better mace for you. So I'm going to use this spiffy forge to craft them.

Shadowheart: ...Aw...

Astrid: Now, I think all this is going to fill with lava so maybe stand on these platforms. Okay? Okay! PULL THE LEVER, ASTARION!

Astarion: I will turn this winch, if that's what you mean.

Winch: *is turned*

Grym: *exits*

Astrid: Ooooooooooh so that's what they meant by the guardian.

Gale: That thing is massive! How are we going to even hurt it?!?

Astrid: It's okay! I've got this! Remember how I handled those automatons?

Astarion: *dodging giant mace* This thing is not in the mood for a poem, Astrid!

Astrid: No, no, I meant the more recent automatons, from when we came down here. Ahem. *dead-on imitation of Gale* IGNIS!

Grym: *becomes Superheated*

Gale: ...wut.

Astrid: Heat Metal. I needed a verbal component for a fire-related spell; who did you think I was going to borrow? Now let's lure him onto that place where the hammer strikes and turn him into a pancake!

Astarion: What?!? ...Oh. Ooooooh. *runs for the Forge Lever*

Astrid: *pulls lute; to the tune of Hammer to Fall, obviously* Hey there, Grym ; just hear my call / Don't bother with my friends at all / You've held this place a thousand years / But we've just brought it down around your ears...

Gale: So ... wait, I'm not supposed to hit it? I don't really want it to hit her!

Shadowheart: None of us do!

Astarion: Neither of you do; honestly, better her than me.

Grym: *stomps towards Astrid and stops on Forge platform*

Astrid: *still singing* Sorry, Grym, you poor dead slob / We're gonna hit you like a crumbling wall / Just came out to do your job / But now it's time for the hammer to faaaaaall!

Astarion: *hauls on the Forge Lever*

Hammer: *falls*

Grym: *is a pancake*

Astrid: Nicely timed! And look, Shadowheart; your mace is ready!

Astarion: The cinnamon roll is a continuous pain in my backside most of the time ... but I have to admit, she has style.

[bersergner-blog]

Escape from Tombstone - Enemies (pt. 1)

Finally we get to talk about what's going to make this whole thing work. A cool character is only so much, they can not exist in a vaccuum. Enemies reflect the opposite side of the coin, both are needed to create a complete whole (speaking only on the genre we're working within, of course). Rules outside of the Beat 'em up can, of course, vary.

The enemies will follow a rule of slow escalation. I take a lot of my inspiration for enemies from the classic video game DOOM. Even back then id software understood game design. The enemies all have a few distinct functions and traits that make them unique. The player learns the game's systems by fighting them. Once the player understands the game's systems the encounters start to mix enemies and you gain a greater understanding of the elements they bring to the table in the context of the cast as a whole.

For example: the humble Pinky demon. Absorbs a lot of damage, moves at slow to moderate speed, has a large hitbox and a powerful but slow melee attack. Even in large groups, given enough space they are easy to kite and whittle down. The even more humble Zombieman. Fragile, slow with a low damage hit-scan shot. They are basically fodder. However you add them together with DOOM's equally considered, elegant level design and you have a completely different encounter. The Pinky's will swarm you in the centre while the riflemen chip your health down with shots from a distance. You will have to make dynamic decisions using your understanding of the game's mechanics and the simple, archetypal enemy behaviour. This is why DOOM gets by with only 10(!!!) enemies (and that's including 2 Bosses and one palette swap).

Of course the vital third component to bring the whole thing together is the level design (and we will touch on that in a later post).

Of the games we've already covered the Dark Souls series is another great representation of this design. Enemies are simple and complexity is added by the mixture of their archetypes and the way they interact with the Level Design.

Other games we looked at that were notable for this were: SoR 4, Final Fight, Battle Circuit, Aliens vs. Predator, Sifu, Double Dragon Gaiden and the The Warriors. All featured enemies that posed interesting challenges, added to the environment they were in, varied the gameplay or were just plain fun to beat up and throw around.

Games that struggled with their enemy designs lead to decidedly less engaging experiences. For example POW, Cobra Kai, Skinny and Franko, River City Girls, etc. Often these featured either overpowered, cheap (usually due to deceptive or just generally excessively unfair hitboxes or poor telegraphing), too tanky or dull and repetitive.

The point we have the re-iterate again is that the player will be fighting A LOT! So this needs to be as enjoyable an experience as possible. Enemies should challenge the player in different ways but not every enemy needs to be a challenge.

Bibliography:

ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN (2023) [Online]. Available at: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/doom-at-30-does-doom-1993-hold-up-for-first-time-player DOOMWIKI [Online]. Available at: https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Zombieman THEGAMER (2021) [Online]. Available at: https://www.thegamer.com/dark-souls-3-hardest-enemies-feel-like-bosses/ PINTEREST [Online]. Available at: https://au.pinterest.com/pin/668292032185458812/ FACEBOOK [Online]. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=782431373887106&set=ecnf.100063607509649

[thaisibir]

Pediatric Cardiac Anesthetist Plays Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition: A Medical Perspective On Faced Mechon

I’m a nerd in many ways more than one: when I’m not in the OR taking care of kiddos with heart problems, I play video games to decompress. As I’m a first-time player having the time of my life with XCDE, I find the Faced Mechons fascinating and wanted to dive deeper into concept and biomedical science behind it. (Spoilers and science talk abound below the cut!)

One of the game’s many plot reveals is that Faced Mechons are fueled and powered by the blood of a Homs pilot, and this is how they’re able to exploit the Monado’s inability to harm people. This may seem like a thing of science fiction, but I think it actually has some real-life basis. 

I’m referring to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). 

This process and technology behind CPB is amazing but also wildly complex, so I’ll do my best to break it down in a way that makes sense to people with no medical background.

You may be wondering how open heart surgery is possible if the heart is normally always pumping and moving blood. Wouldn’t all that movement and bloody mess get in the way if you’re trying to fix a bad heart valve or jacked up coronary arteries? Yes it certainly would, and that’s where CPB comes in. 

Here’s a very VERY simplified representation of bypass setup:

More or less the process of cardiopulmonary bypass:

-Connect the heart to a bypass machine by surgically inserting cannulas through the aorta (the vessel that lets oxygenated blood go out the heart) and the vena cavas (the vessels that let blood flow into the heart)

-Stop the heart from beating by injection of a cold potassium-rich cardioplegia solution (this appears as a flatline on the EKG monitor during bypass, so this is to be expected, and no one in the OR team is panicking and starting CPR. All that potassium forcibly arrests the heart.)

-Reroute blood to and from the bypass machine circuit so the surgical field is clear, blood gets oxygenated and the body stays perfused

Some caveats, though:

-The tubes and circuit of the bypass machine are foreign material. Any time blood comes into contact with things outside the body, its response is to form clots. This is the same mechanism behind transplant organ rejection. That’s not good at all. Blood needs to flow freely and cleanly without resistance throughout the CPB circuit.

-There’s a drug that makes sure those clots don’t form: an anticoagulant called heparin. Anesthesia gives heparin and measures blood levels to make sure it’s sufficiently anticoagulated before the green light to “go on pump.”

Some questions I asked myself and attempt to reason out here:

Those Face Mechons are obviously at least three times the size of their pilots. The average blood volume in a human/Homs is 4-5 liters. Even if CPB takes pulsatile cardiac output out of the picture, there’s no way they have enough blood to distribute throughout the machine without being bled dry and dying of blood loss. Where’s all the blood coming from?

-I propose that somewhere in the frame is a reservoir of either autologous blood or same-type blood. In real life, autologous blood donation is a method of blood salvage and transfusion: the patient donates a portion of their blood preoperatively for it to be given later in surgery to replenish intraoperative blood loss. I imagine that when they’re not in the field, Seven and other mechanized Homs spend part of their time having a bit of their blood drained over the course of weeks and months for later use. And by same-type blood, I’m referring to the blood transfusion most people typically think of, where the source of blood is from someone else but has the same blood type. This other blood (or allogenic blood, to use the proper clinical term) may come from those people deemed not worthy to become Face Units. Maybe the Mechons grabbed random people off the streets just for blood supply fodder. In the bypass schematic, the reservoir is just another component added to the circuit that allows blood to flow freely between the machine and its pilot.

What about the circuit itself?

-It’s mostly under the skeletal framework of the Mechon, some parts visible (as in the glowing red lines you see in the game). The oxygenator and centrifugal pumps are deeper inside the machine.

Where does the heparinization of blood come in?

-I think it would happen at whatever docking bay the Face Mechons launch from. Maybe the frame is advanced enough to deliver a pre-programmed dose intravenously to its pilot as they board their frame and integrate with it. In real life, if a proper dose of heparin is given to the patient, this preparatory step before going on CPB doesn’t take long at all, only a few minutes.

How do the aortic and venous cannulations fit into this?

-What with the extensive surgery, all the mechanical additions and implants into Seven and the others, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine permanently grafted cannulas that extend past their insertion sites in the heart vessels and connect with tubing from the Mechon frame. If the pilots need to disengage from their machines for whatever reason, the cannulas can just attach on some port on their mechanical bodies and their heart resumes normal pulsatile flow/beating and pumping like it usually would. The cannulas are ready for reattachment with the Mechon frames at any time.

Normally patients on the pump are intubated and under deep anesthesia throughout surgery. If the Homs pilots aren’t anesthetized and intubated, how are they functioning inside the Mechon frames?

-Since the pilots are not having surgery, and of course they’re wide awake and conscious, I’d say they have no need for invasive airways. Some patients need intubation to secure their airway and be hooked to the anesthesia machine, since general anesthesia renders you unable to breathe on your own, so the machine breathes for you. Safe to say that doesn’t apply to the Faced Mechons. I can see them having face masks and nasal cannulas available in the cockpit for enhanced oxygenation, but nothing more than that.

Basically, to boil it all down, I like to think that the Mechon frames function like highly advanced, mobile, weaponized cardiopulmonary bypass machines. It’s a twisted, horrifying mesh of the biological and mechanical. 

I hope that this isn’t too over your head and you found it plausible and interesting. Maybe I’m diving too much into this. Oh well, it’s fun to think about. Next I plan to make another post about Seven’s mechanized anatomy and physiology.

[scalproie]

did transformers ever took a bite of the regular "giant robots vs giants monsters" formula from mecha anime (from which tf came from anyway) in any continuity at all or not?

[1eos]

“Gross weirdo nerds are comparing the divine comedy to fanfiction! as if fanfiction could ever have real literary merit!” is my least favorite Flavor of Post right nowbecause instead of, ya know, thoughtfully discussing “fanfiction” and “Real Literature” as social categories of writing, this Flavor of Post relies on mocking anyone who disagrees as a gross weirdo nerd who does not read Real Books. There is no reasoning for the supposedly Obvious Fact that fanfiction is Not Real Literature

genuine question. is anyone who insists that the divine comedy or other pieces of lit of that ilk are fanfiction ever someone who actually reads real books meant for age 20+ on the regular? bc that's literally an argument i see from ppl who only read fanfiction nd maybe a popular YA so they can ship teenagers.

and it's like.... yeah we COULD discuss fanfiction and prose as two social categories of writing but that's not gonna change the fact that calling greek myths fanfiction is just inherently not true 😭😭😭😭 the divine comedy is not fanfiction and no one is going to take fanfic writers seriously for as long as they refuse to take criticism on their work. like you can't demand to be treated like a professional using amateur rules.

im totally fine with fanfiction being a place for fledgling writers to exist without getting eaten up in more serious circles but the problem is ppl can't stay in their lanes. you can't say 'i enjoy fanfiction more bc i have a hard time getting into new characters and i like mindless smut' no it's almost always 'fanfic writers are better than published authors bc they will write 30k abt sex' and then try to say the building blocks of literature are bad. fanfiction obsessed readers are literally saying character development is overrated, symbolism isn't real nd doesn't matter, themes should be ignored etc etc. and it's like.... if the prose you're reading makes you actively dislike the core components of creative storytelling...... then no it is not Real Literature. LMAO?

there are logical reasonings for these arguments i think ppl just want to ignore that to justify all the bland fodder they shove into their heads. and it's like if you never want to have a critical thought over anything that's not a sexuality headcanon of a fictional teenager that's not my business but also expect to get mocked??????

maybe i just haven't seen the actually well read ppl arguing random pieces of lit are fanfiction even tho it goes against the literal definition of the word. but i feel like if you want a nuanced conversation you need to be annoyed with the ppl who are actually comparing the divine comedy to fanfic not the ppl critiquing that el oh el

[ofhouseadama]

Does it ever make you uncomfortable when people bring up BDSM or d/s unprompted with you as something to talk about?

Sometimes. There are some asks I get that I just delete right off the bat because it feels like the anon just wants some lesbian BDSM content to get off on and I have no desire to give someone that kind of access to myself or to my relationship -- my marriage isn't anyone's masturbation fodder.

These always have a distinctly different tone than the anons who come into my askbox regarding sex acts that are largely not discussed even among close friends if you don't have a close friend group or a partner with whom very little is taboo -- I don't mind if someone asks me about how fisting works, or face sitting, or bondage, or spanking. There are safe and unsafe ways to do those things and I'm more than happy to talk about them and help lessen the taboo of talking them and talking about pleasure, even when the tone skews more chatty than informational or psychological.

Sometimes I get anxious that someone thinks that this is all that I think about and all that I like and all that I do -- it's not. I like vanilla sex. I like reading about vanilla sex. There's also a common misconception that BDSM can't be tender, or sweet, or loving. That it's only degrading and humiliating. And it's not! BDSM, like many other things in life, is not one thing to one person all the time. Sometimes I want my wife to sit on my face and call me a sloppy whore. Sometimes I need her to cuff my wrists to the headboard and be soft and tender and make me feel seen and loved because I feel wretched and monstrous and unlovable. It's a component of our marriage that works for us, and it's brought me a lot of peace, so I enjoy exploring it in a fictional setting in addition to real life.

I absolutely understand it's not for everyone, and what's brought me peace and healing is triggering and traumatizing for others. But one thing I appreciate BDSM teaching me is that (barring some obvious exceptions) sex and sexuality are morally neutral. Your needs and wants are morally neutral. You are not entitled to having every need and want met, based on your partner's needs and wants and most importantly their boundaries... but you are not a shameful thing. Your desires and pleasure are not a shameful thing. Sex can be whatever you and your partner want it to be. Have fun and be safe and go with god, etc.

Anyway, this was a very long way to say I don't mind when people come to me with BDSM or D/s or general sex questions unprompted. And the people who do make me uncomfortable, I just delete their ask and move on.

[foodjusticeisus]

African Indigenous Agricultural Practices

Increasing Soil Fertility Using Raised Beds

Figure: Ovambo People.

The Ovambo people are indigenous to Namibia and Southern Angola. They hold the belief that soil quality is not necessarily an inherent quality of nature, but rather something acquired through careful nurture, such as mounding, digging, and application of OM. When their land was colonized, they were forced into other lands with less soil fertility than what they had cultivated in their soils over generations. As a result, the Ovambo people were forced to start afresh and apply the traditional techniques that nourished the soils that they originally owned. In doing so, they created raised beds by setting the desired boundaries, clearing the brush within those boundaries, and building raised rectangular mounds. The pathways between these mounds doubled as irrigation ditches. Within the mounds, farmers add all kinds of OM to increase fertility, such as cattle urine, muck from wetlands, termite earth, and manure; this aerates and concentrates fertile topsoil, as well as prevents water logging. The Ovambo farmers also integrate a rotating fallow after harvesting millet for a few seasons. During this fallow, livestock such as cattle and goats will graze the brush of the resting crop, excreting manure and urine that plant nutrients into the soil and increase fertilization. Additionally, the practice of crop rotation, in this instance, including a fallow on a rotational basis, is one that is practiced by Indigenous groups across the world, as was briefly mentioned in the post about American Indigenous subsistence practices.

Terracing

In addition to crop rotation, terracing is another agricultural practice that is done by Indigenous communities across the world. In East Africa, this practice is called fanya-juu, which means “throw it upward.” What these farmers “throw upward” is soil from the bottom of slopes, which is then thrown to create terraces and thus revive degraded lands. As a result, SOM levels can be increased by 35% or higher than is found on conventional farms. Additionally, this practice sequesters CO2 , which helps mitigate climate change.

The Benefit of Trees in Agriculture

Figure: Yacouba Sawadogo of Burkina Faso. 

Silvopasture is an agricultural method that uses the various benefits provided by trees on livestock farms. In Burkina Faso, this is called zai, or tassa. Traditionally, pits were dug before the growing season started to catch water and concentrate organic matter. This practice was revived and built upon by Yacouba Sawadogo, who sought to revive his family farm when others were fleeing the Sahel due to the severe drought. Sawadogo dug the pits, as traditionally done, and filled them with manure and compost in order to attract termites, which would create tunnels that helped to further decompose OM by exposing it to air. This led to an increase in grain yield, and native trees began growing out of his field, which anchored the soil, buffered the wind, and helped retain soil moisture (insert here, an ode to the ability of native plants to supply our ecosystems with all the features and resources they need. Thank you native plants!). The trees also provided mulch for crops, and fodder for livestock (in addition to wind protection, this is a reason why many agroecologists promote zai/tassa/silvopasture). Other folks who stayed in the Sahel employed the same techniques as Sawadogo, and as a consequence, water tables in the region began to rise for the first time in decades. Sawadogo’s work is steadily transforming the Sahel into a green landscape again.

Figure: Sahel Desert.

Market Susus and Their Benefit for Market Women

A traditional market system that is believed to have originated in Nigeria is the susu. This system is an alternative economic system that consists of 15-20 members on average, and is led by a trusted elder in the community, the susu ma, or susu mother. In a susu group, money is collected from each member on a periodic basis, whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly. After a specified amount of periods, the lump sum of collected cash, held on by the susu ma, is distributed to one person, and the cycle begins again. This occurs repeatedly until every member of the susu has received a disbursement. Members are also able to double or triple their input to receive a proportional return, and these collections, calculations and distributions are taken care of by the susu ma. How does this benefit market women specifically? Starting a business requires a large amount of capital at once, something that can be difficult for women to obtain in certain places due to economic customs or certain situations such as ones where women have to be the primary breadwinner for multiple people. A susu group is supportive to these women because it allows them to accumulate a large amount of capital at once, which can be used to jumpstart or upgrade their business. 

I wanted to highlight this African Indigenous market strategy because the United States’ main economic system is capitalism. This system seeks the endless accumulation of capital, that is, the acquisition of mass amounts of wealth achieved through minimized costs and thus maximization of profits. By minimizing profits, you are incentivized to engage in exploitation, of people for their labor, or the environment for its resources--and don’t even get me started on how advertisements are used to exploit people for their interests, pleasures, fears, dreams, ideologies, and financial ability. Capitalism was the driving force behind chattel slavery (which sought to maintain white supremacy), commodifying African bodies, wiping away their humanity to position them as property. After all, what greater way to minimize the cost of labor than by forcing hundreds of thousands of human beings to work for free, with minimal food, covering, and health care to barely keep them going? This exploitative economic system still hurts Black people, Indigenous Americans, People of Color, women, and poor people today. It also causes devastation to the environment, as is being increasingly talked about. The minerals used in our phones, tablets, and computers are often acquired through trafficked labor and blown off mountaintops, mainly in the Congo. Capitalism just can’t keep its hands off of the African continent, even 400 years later. As folks are coming to recognize the empty promises of economic tokenization of its most oppressed groups, the women and young girls cheated by cost cutting tactics, and the plants, animals, and resources that are impacted by direct and repeated environmental exploitation, reimaginations of our economic systems are happening. With the more recent attention on Indigenous practices, and Black people and POC seeking a veneration of their ancestral knowledge, we have the opportunity to take a page from the book of the Nigerian susu as a way to support small businesses, market women, and build community interdependence and connectedness.

Remediation of Eroded Hillsides Through Soil Fortifying Plants

*While not indigenous to Africa, I want to include this erosion remediation story to highlight its regenerative nature and the efforts and successes of Haitian farmers.*

Erosion occurs when water from storms or wave action comes into repeated contact with a substance, and, over time, diminishes the substance by breaking its components down to be washed into the water source. The country of Haiti, once a colonized nation by the Spanish and French, saw its hillsides experience such great erosion that much of it fell into the ocean. This occurred due to deforestation for sugar plantations and coffee, indigo, and tobacco crops, which caused the earth to give way, as there were no tree roots to hold the soil in place. As such, farmers in Haiti have organized to find solutions to this colonial issue. Their efforts have, thus far, resulted in forests covering 30% of land area, slowly replenishing these necessary oxygen-producing, carbon-sequestering, sometimes fruit-bearing organisms that are a vital component of our natural ecosystems and environment. The ways Haitian farmers have been able to remediate their eroded hillsides was by planting vetiver, a densely-rooted perennial grass, in contour strips along the hillside. Due to the dense branching of vetiver roots, soil was held in place so that farmers could plant trees with thinner stems such as cherry, moringa, or mango trees. This is a way that the farmers could progressively fortify their soil, first using the grass, vetiver, to make way for lighter trees like moringa trees, which then make way for larger trees with thicker and more extensive roots, which has even greater potential to hold soil in place. Haitian farmers also dug meter deep trenches at 20 foot intervals in order to catch soil and runoff that would wash down the hillside during heavy rains. The trenches were dug out repeatedly, and the soil caught would be returned to the hillsides to manage erosion. The combination of vegetation in contour strips along with trench digging worked to increase water infiltration and maintain soil health.

Figure: Vetiver Grass.

Figure: Contour Strips.

Figure: Moringa Tree.

Source: Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman

[allmydokkuns]

Long post but uhh I don't know if you can insert a cut on mobile so sorry in advance, skip if you're not abut reading about Lan Xichen and ABO-verse characterization I guess? Vague spoilers for MDZS if you haven't read or watched it yet too, lmk if I miss a smth u think I should tag for

Okay y'all don't come at me with a pitchfork or anything but like... I've read my way through so. Much. A/B/O fic in MDZS/The Untamed ship tags and I kinda can see y'all Alpha Twin Jades if I squint, and I have opinions on the stereotypes/tropes but I can't focus enough to pin down why it bothers me so I'll just drop this take for y'all:

Instead of alpha Lan Xichen, how bout omega Lan Xichen who's supersensitive to pack/intersect dynamics growing up in the hyper repressive Cloud Recesses that further encourages him as sect heir and then leader to not make ripples and just compromise or mediate like the world's gonna end bc he just doesn't feel safe on a biological level if tensions are high and shits bout to go down?

Like hear me out, he leaves his home on fire never knowing if he'll return or ever see his family again and he feels uprooted in all the worst ways, head and heart screaming in equal measure that is your pack, you were sworn to nurture them how could you let it get this far with Obey shufu, that might be his dying wish and If anything happens to Wangji, Gusu Lan will need another heir and suddenly, he runs into Meng Yao, who smells like a safe haven, someone he can trust, someone who is not a threat.

Like you can even interpret his status as the number one ranked gongsi as him refining a natural talent through overcompensating because internalized biases? I like to imagine Wangji being petty when people say shit like that about his big brother around him from a very young age, because in comparison to Wangji's more distant personality, xiongzhang's warmth and natural empathic drive to take care of Gusu Lan is obviously much better suited to the role of leader (less stuff said about the fiasco that was Qingheng-jun's marriage, the better, and this is an interesting dynamic to have no matter what Wangji ends up presenting as).

It would fit in well with why Xichen seems to still believe in Meng Yao for far longer than anyone else does, why he always seems to walk a tightrope between trying past the point of no return and failing to reconcile, and why he tends to emphasize the group to the detriment of the components of said group. Him equating the well-being of his pack(s) with safety is just a hornet's nest of unresolved issues just waiting to become angst fodder. I'm aware this is more of a cultural thing, but honestly the aggressive independence of an alpha don't jibe for me for him (though it might be interesting to see someone interpret how his emotional repression interacts with alpha Xichen instincts, and how that all comes to a head instead?) because Xichen's seclusion after Guanyin Temple like this has more angst potential if his secondary pack disintegrates so spectacularly (and he blames himself) while at the same time Wangji has finally found Wei Wuxian again and while on some level Lan Xichen is happy for his Didi, on some instinctual level Lan Huan is going DANGER DANGER DANGER bc this is the guy that Wangji would have broken himself for, no one is allowed to do that to my brother and especially not you, guy who's been playing with his heart with a little dash of why are you leaving? All these years I know you loved him but why do you get to be happy at the cost of my own happiness? I have no brothers left, not you, not Huaisang, not the ones I've killed. Where is my safety now?

Alternatively, him failing to reconcile his sworn brothers + Wei Wuxian coming back into their lives just to rip a Jin Guangyao-sized hole in his life takes on a different flavor if Xichen is an alpha or a beta like imagine him getting real protectively aggressive over the one brother left that he can still claim as his without reservation. Like he's inclined to think more kindly about Wei Wuxian after everything but boy oh boy what a great time for all that repressed anger, despair and guilt that you didn't have time for when you were bandaging your baby brother's back and being a caregiver for a recovering young'un and being Sect Leader at the same time to suddenly come out, huh. I think Xichen got robbed not being able to actually get fucking pissed at him on Wangji's behalf. We could use some cathartically mad Xichen in the fandom. Like I know y'all like to joke that Jiang Cheng is angry grape but 1) let them both have some kind of venting mechanism because that's better than simply containing it, arguably and 2) I'd argue that when Jiang Cheng actually does get mad and not just irritated it's not without some reason. I've seen sad Xichen, happy Xichen, smooth af Xichen, drunk Xichen, "I know something that you don't" Xichen, etc., but angry Xichen? Also, guilty Xichen is a rare flavor hereabouts

Like you could also interpret Xichen as a beta who's always kind of skirting the edge of the dynamic between the other 2/3rds of 3zun who are each one of the other two secondary genders (one of each in the Triad) which might also explain how he seems to be so unruffled all the time; rather than sublimating his instincts or leaning so hard into them he doesn't know how not to be politely protective, he kind of exists in a space where scent/genders doesn't subconsciously play in as much to his behavior (or even make that a Gusu Lan Sect specialty idk) and just. Steers people into that which tends to be kinda mediating in a nudging way I don't know I'm getting fuzzy on the details but world building fam.

Anyway I think the idea of Xichen having to navigate a world in which he has to deal with people who pepper him with microaggressions about his secondary gender if he presents as omega or a world where his status as a beta blinds him just enough to the degree and real nature of the tension in the brotherhood is kind of fascinating, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[meatheadosis-sf]

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I'm light years more comfortable in the gym than I used to be, but I still can't bring myself to just go up to people and introduce myself like this guy is talking about. I've had, I think, two conversations with people who don't work there, both initiated by them. One guy asked me where I got my Levi's 514s, and the other... Hell I can't even remember. I just remember the mildly alarmed look on his face when I asked what his name was, as if to say "dude I was just being social, I don't actually want to get to know you". I mean, he gave it to me, but it's not like I would ever do anything but nod at him after that. I dunno, it's a pretty gay gym, maybe he thought I was going to hit on him or something. Maybe he saw the hunger for a lifting friend in my eyes, and of course being needy is a turnoff for most people (myself included).

Just for the record, I can jack off just imagining myself working out in the the gym. Hell, I've jacked off to pictures of dumbbells once or twice. Just the sexiest dumbbells, mind you. And I'd be lying if I said I never looked at the incredibly hot guys there. But I never stare, never flirt, never get hard. My libido is completely turned off when I'm in there. If some hot guy begged me to let him blow me in the shower, I literally wouldn't be able to get hard. Workout mode is completely divorced from horndog mode. Maybe it's some lingering influence from when I felt imposter syndrome every time I was in there, when I would have been mortified if anyone thought I was just some old fag hanging out in order to ogle guys; maybe something else. I don't feel the need to figure out the roots of it. Hell, most of the time I'm looking at other guys, I'm legit just watching what they're doing, looking at exercises I'm not familiar with, or checking their form against mine. Even then, it's never for more than a few reps.

I used to have a straight (actually heteroflexible as it turned out), kinky Dom personal trainer who assumed that I was paying him to be flirty and sexual, and he would make me smell his crotch or feet while I was working out hard. This was in my garage gym, so there was no "what will the other gym guys think" component, and certainly no shame in it. Ordinarily a hot Dom making me smell his sweat would be the high point of my day, but during my workout it was just annoying and distracting (afterward was a different story). I specifically sought out a Dom trainer so he would be stricter with me, harder on me, push me more - not as jack-off fodder. Though he was that too. I was happy he said he was straight when we started talking. Ultimately, he wasn't into weight training much (he did expose me to a bunch of other stuff, from new bodyweight exercises and submission wrestling to hot yoga), and he wasn't really strict at all, so we parted ways.

I'm fucking weird.

Anyway, I'm hitting the gym four out of every five days now, 5-6 days a week. Maybe familiarity will help people start conversations with me, and maybe some day I'll even have (gasp!) a real life friend who's into lifting. But after that last guy, I doubt I'll be trying to initiate conversations for a long, long time.

[bladesquall]

Nights of Dragons and Genies:  Chapter 1

Chapter 1:   "Work of the Smith Dragon"

The town of Witherbrand was quite a close-knit community. Despite the numerous species that lived there--from the versatile humans to the aged and experienced elves, to the calm and passive halflings and the boisterous orcs, even the sharp gnomes and the ever-curious goblins, Witherbrand was a very blended town. It wasn't really famous for a lot, but it had representatives of almost every race on the continent of Odiosera.

The fires of the smithy burned bright, as the metal inside of the heat glowed brightly in the dark of the shop. Weapons, armor, tools, horseshoes, and all sorts of objects made from metals decorated the shop. A giant warhammer with a dragon-shaped hammerhead hung from the wall with a sign that said, “Do Not Touch”. The hill dwarf smith, wearing a black mask over his face, a brown apron over his red shirt, and brown pants with black thick boots, grabbed the piece of metal with a black glove-clad right hand and held it over an anvil. The dwarf grabbed his smithing hammer and began pounding away at the hot metal. His hand kept a firm grip on the non-heated part, allowing him to calmly shape the heated metal, turning it into a sword. Once he was satisfied with the shape of the weapon, he quickly turned to a nearby cooling tub and dunked the sword into it.

As the dwarf cooled the weapon, a red-haired human male walked in, wearing a set of fine blue and black clothing, complete with a black cape. He gave the smith an annoyed glare as he didn't look back, and raised an arm to wave.

"One second!" the dwarf called. "Gotta let that project cool." He walked over to the desk, flipped the helmet up, revealing a red-headed dwarf with a pair of thick sideburns and a short mustache that culminated with a short beard. The dwarf greeted, "Welcome to the Forgefang Hall! I'm Gunnar Fireforge. Are you interested in a particular product, or do you have a custom order in mind?"

"Seriously, Gargec?" the noble asked aloud. Gunnar's eyes widened at the name. "Fifteen years since you gave up your position as heir, you could have done anything, been anyone, ruled wherever you pleased in Odiosera, and I find you simply living amongst the lesser beings... as a common dwarf smith? 'Gunnar Fireforge' was the best alias you could come up with? You couldn't even bother creating a noble identity?"

"Stratreo," Gargec frowned. "I should question what you're doing here, but there is a tone of hypocrisy, considering you're disguised as a human, right now."

"Only because Father ordered me to not just burn the Odioseran countryside we allow these weak vermin to occupy down looking for you," Stratreo answered. "And until he either retires, dies, or I make my move to properly challenge him for leadership, his word is the law. Of course, big brother, accidents CAN happen. That is unless you obey his order to assemble." He then pulled a letter from his pocket and handed it to the dwarf.

"Father truly wants me to return?" Gargec asked opening the sealed letter. His eyes scanned the contents of the letter.

My son,

If you are reading this, then Stratreo finally tracked you down after all of this time. You certainly kept quiet when you renounced your title as my heir. You impress, Gargec with your desire for privacy.

But our people's politics have called for an end to this silence, and your exile. I am ordering all members of Tribe Raithwall--you included--to return to Raithwall territory. The fate of our people is on the line, and it's going to require ALL of us to decide this. We will begin the assembly on the first day of the Waxing Cachou Moon, and I'd like my sons to be by my side when we decide this.

Gargec, I know I'm asking a hell of a lot by calling you back, but... I feel that the fate of our people is about to be decided are going to need you to return. I'm not going to ask for you to retake your position as heir. I'm asking you to be a voice of reason in the next coming moons. We will need it, especially once Stratreo finally inherits the position. Please, son... come home.

Raithwall Tultoc

"You weren't the easiest to track down," the human replied as Gargec dropped the letter. "But yes... Clan Raithwall is being summoned together. Now, we can do this the easy way or the fun way. Your choice."

"Just let me add the finishing touch on this project, brother," Gargec said, looking at the scimitar.

"It looks complete to me," Stratreo observed. "Brother, why waste yourself on such insignificant drivel such as these lesser beings' mere cutlery they call 'weapons'?"

"The smaller races have a lot to teach us," Gargec answered, walking over to grab the sword, and held it up to Stratreo. "Tell me something, brother: what do you know about the 'smallfolk'? What trait is each of their races famous for?"

"You ask that like it matters," Stratreo scoffed. "These creatures are mere parasites on Skyeria. We only let them live because of tributes of wealth and food."

"That's it?" Gargec asked in disappointment. "It seems that somebody ignored the lessons about other races in Odiosera." Pointing to the sword, Gargec began, "This blade was made with the techniques of dwarven artisans who dedicate their lives to creating the sturdiest weapons and armor. It was made with the metals found by orcs, who take pride in their combat skills and strength. The goblins' style of experimentation taught me how to fold and forge pieces like this and more, encouraged by their sheer determination through trial and error. Lupine unity taught me how it was okay to ask for help and advice when I wasn't improving during my first few weeks at smithing.

"Gnomish research allowed me to understand where I came up short, and how to improve my technique, even inventing a style that works for me the same way a gnome would. The halflings' calm, cool, and collected nature and peaceful ways taught me how to properly barter and haggle to fetch a good price for all of the components, and their luck taught me how to know what was the best deals. Kitsune wit makes one question if the material is legitimate or an illusion. Felkin wit and speed taught me how to predict when the metal is just hot enough to work on or cooled enough to pull out of the water. Featharian sharpness showed where to spot imperfections. Human creativity taught me how to think outside of the box. And elven magic... well, I learned this from elves."

He reached behind his desk counter and grabbing a small, teal and brown chest. He then placed it atop the counter and opened it to reveal the collection of glowing stones shining in the shop's dimmed light. He picked one out and placed it into the hilt of the weapon before clipping the hole he had inserted the stone in shut, causing the blade to glow with a dark green hue.

"Enchantment," Gargec smirked. "And the patience of our true race made this possible. And this is only a sample of what the races of Skyeria can teach us... imagine what we can learn from studying the smallfolk more closely."

"Has anybody tell you that you talk far too much, older brother?" Stratreo asked.

"I get excited," Gargec said. "The humanoids that are easily written off by our kind as mere fodder, when given a chance, can not only impress us with a mere fraction of their capabilities... they can offer us something legendary with the full extent. Humanoids will rule this world, one day, Stratreo, and I'm excited to see what they'll bring to it."

"You should be excited that your self-imposed exile is finally coming to an end," Stratreo scoffed. "Now, I have orders to bring you home, but Father wants it to be YOUR decision. So, I'm going to ask this one last time: are you going to come on your own, or am I destroying this little life you've built and dragging you back?"

"No need," Gargec answered his brother with a wave. "I'll pack this place up." Stratreo finally offered a smile.

"Glad you're seeing things my way," the younger of the brothers declared. He then hunched over, only for Gargec to stop him.

"Not in here," the dwarf begged.

"Fine," Stratreo scoffed. "One hour, by the gate. If you're not there... I'm not going to be held responsible for what happens." He then left, leaving Gargec to look around.

“Fifteen years, huh?” Gargec asked. “We dragons live way too long for this to feel so short.” He began packing his supplies, taking one final look around the shop. He then looked at the fire that he once used for his shop. "Here's hoping it's not the worst-case scenario." He then inhaled, causing the fires to suddenly die out as Gargec, formerly Gunnar, absorbed the magical flame that burned bright, leaving the shop in darkness save for daylight.

When someone would later come to the shop to place an order, almost an hour later, they would find a locked door with a note placed on it:

Attention, Citizens of Witherbrand:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Forgefang Hall shall be closed until further notice. And if I do not return or write back in a month, assume I’m dead and return the shop and the land to the town... or better yet, quite possibly leave Witherbrand altogether. The dragon clans that rule the continent may be preparing for war with each other. I apologize that I cannot explain the reasons for my sudden departure beyond that. But know that I’ve grown to care about this town enough to risk everything for its safety. So I plan to name my final piece created here after the town itself, to carry a part of it with me.

Sincerely,

Gunnar Fireforge

A.K.A.,

Raithwall Gargec

On the outskirts, Gargec looked at the town of Witherbrand, a familiar warhammer hanging from his back, and a bag of things he took from his shop adorned to his side. Stratreo rolled his eyes.

“These small, weak creatures live such quick, insignificant lives,” the human scoffed. “They’re parasites on Skyeria. Without guidance, they’re barely good for food, let alone worshipping us as gods. One day, they’ll be nothing but dust, and yet, we’ll be here for millennia. Why bother with them?”

“Because eventually, you’ll figure out we’re not immortals,” Gargec reasoned. “And they, the weak, will inherit this world, outliving us as a species. If I can build them up… forge our successors… make them remember us for the good we did for them… then THAT is the definition of godhood for me.” He then hunched over, and a pair of brass-colored, leathery, scaled wings sprouted. He then was surrounded by fire, and in his place stood a massive brown and yellow dragon.

A red and yellow dragon, somewhat smaller than Gargec, stood by him. “You are incredibly lucky we’re brothers and I’ve yet to become Chief, Gargec. Any other dragon who would have suggested that would find themselves eviscerated under my rule.” With a mighty roar, Stratreo took to the skies, Gargec behind him.

[darkmachinedev]

Dev Blog #1: Crabs?

Hey there! If you’re here, it’s probably because you’ve been following the game on some of my other social media platforms (AKA: @futilrevenge on twitter or reddit.com/r/warisshell), but if not, let me give you a primer! 

War is Shell is a hermit crab PVP/PVE game where you play as cute hermit crabs doing hermit crab things. Here’s a gif of an ordinary day in the life of a crab:

And, er there are aliens invading. I guess.

And your shells are guns. That’s normal hermit crab stuff, right?

So whats the deal with these crabs?

Development of this game started around a year and a half ago. Since then it’s been a long road, but I’m really excited about these dang ol’ crabs and I just want to get them out there!

Even though it’s been in the oven for that long It’s still super early in development! I have a day job, and while I just took a new position that should be lighter on the hours this game still has a long way to go. But in the interest of transparency, and to kick my ass into high gear, I’ll be working to get these devblogs out every other Tuesday.

Just tell me about the crabs

Sorry to tangent there, here’s the deal with this game:

War is Shell is a Crab on Crab battle and survival game, where sessions are short and sweet, filled with action and ending before they become a slog. It’s visuals are primarily inspired by PS1 era games with vertex jitter and chunky polygons, with some fancy shader tricks thrown in to spice things up.

You play as an adorable hermit crab on various procedural islands using your claws, guns, rockets, saw-blades, laser beams, occult books, and magic wands to chop and blast your way to the top. Each session is unique, with different threats and mutators being combined to ensure that you are always on your feet. A Deathmatch might be interrupted by the lord of the sea rising, aliens may invade, your dead opponents may rise from their graves.

Maybe you need to team up for a moment to stop this boss from winning the match (And taking the win from any player!), before fighting over the spoils.

Or, maybe, you’ll team up with your friends to survive an onslaught, collecting components for your rocket to blast you all to the next island, where you’ll fight off even harder and harder monsters. How long can you survive, and what powers will you gain?

The game is split into two distinct modes of play:

PVP - War is Shell’s PVP modes consist of a number of gameplay variants, many of which are staples from the genre, while introducing some new others

Team Deathmatch & Deathmatch

King of The Cache

Rising Tide

Shiniest Shell

Longevity of these modes and the online community in general is a big sticking point in my mind. To supplement them, the game is built from the ground up with bot support and custom servers in mind (With server side modding planned)

If you want to host a server between you and your friends with some dumb bots to act as cannon fodder, or, you want to supplement your larger server with nasty machines that will act as a challenge for even experienced players, you will be able to!

Not to mention - the mutators, environmental hazards, map types, and more. I’ll be making a PVP specific post in the future, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

PVE - Co-operative play is my favorite aspect of online gaming, and over my years I have found myself drawn to these sorts of games more and more. Taking heavy inspiration from games such as Left 4 Dead and Risk of Rain, I really want the PVE aspects to shine. I’m going to make PVE it’s own post as well, so have your shells at the ready for that!

More info to come! Follow me here, on Twitter @Futilrevenge, or check out the Reddit: /r/WarIsShell

Any questions? Comment on this post and I’ll try to hit as many as I can in the next post. See you in two weeks!

[thetypedwriter]

The Music of What Happens Book Review

The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg Book Review 

I don’t think I like this book. 

I know that’s a strong statement right off the bat, but it’s mostly true. However, there was also something about it that I didn’t quite hate and, as usual, I will try my very best to put forth both the positives and the negatives of this read into some sort of subjective semblance of rationality. 

Now, firstly I’d like to thank @chapterhappy98​ for the recommendation. I love getting book recommendations (just not when people actually buy me books-see previous reviews) and this one seemed totally up my alley. 

For a novel I’d never heard of before it had a lot of components that excited me. An LGBTQ+ romance? I’m here for it. One of the main characters being half-Mexican and half-white? Love the representation. A cute plot centered around summer and food trucks? Yes, please. 

All the ingredients were there for a good book, but the way the book was written, the perspective of the characters, and the characters themselves made this a slog for me. On paper, this should have been lauded as a cute fluffy novel with some very deep feels, but instead I found it tedious, aggravating, and thankful that it was at least short. 

The positives are everything I mentioned above. The plot itself is cute. Food truck summer romance is not a plot I’ve read before, but it's original enough to be intriguing and cute enough to be endearing. High quality fanfiction fodder right here. 

Although the representation could have been better, it was sufficient. I enjoyed the fact that Max’s mother was Mexican while his father was a whiter-than-toast comedian from Indiana. Both Max and Jordan have friends who are white and friends who are not and I enjoyed that Konigsberg portrayed the distinct friend groups as such and that moments of race do come up. 

For example, like when Jordan suggests they steal prickly pears from people’s yards and Max shuts it down before the idea can even coalesce because a white boy stealing pears from yards is a hooligan move, a Mexican kid stealing pears from yards is a crime. 

Small introspective moments like this were very interesting and added a layer of reality to the novel that I appreciated. On this same route, both Max and Jordan, our two main characters with revolving perspectives, are going through some deep trauma and while it wasn’t amazingly handled, I did appreciate moments towards the end where Konigsberg actually has the characters face what they are going through and take appropriate routes to fix them or start the healing process (acceptance, counseling, etc). 

By no means did I think the book handled sensitive topics such as rape, addiction, bullying, and self-esteem issues well, but at the very least, most of the issues were adequately addressed and on the right path towards healing and rehabilitation which is more than I can say for some other novels. 

Now, for the negatives. Buckle up, people. 

First off, the writing. 

I found it abhorrent. I don't know if this is just Konigsberg’s style of writing, but it did not vibe with me at all. I found his writing and dialogue superfluous, cheesy, and gag-inducing. 

To me, this is not how real people talk, think, or interact, but instead a grown ass man’s idea of how teenagers think, talk, and interact. It made me truly wonder if Konigsberg has actually ever met a teenager in his life. 

As a high school teacher, I interact with teenagers on a daily basis. I know how they talk and interact, and through their journals and papers, I can generally grasp at least a preview into how they think. 

It’s like Konigsberg took every adolescent stereotype that exists and stuffed it onto his pages with mediocre words and subpar humor. The Music of What Happens is a pantomime of the teenage experience and I found it extremely irritating. 

Secondly, the perspectives of both Jordan and Max are maddening and irksome, although Jordan more so I have to admit. Both of these characters suffer from what I call “Woe is Me” syndrome. This is the idea that making a character have a sad or tragic backstory or circumstances also makes them deep and complex. 

This is so far from the truth it hurts. 

Trauma and tragedies are not simply fodder to build a cheap and easy way for a character or a plot to build depth. It should be handled with care, with consequences, and with other characteristics built in that are reasonable and befitting of the whole character. Both Max and Jordan were almost laughably tragic. 

Max’s parents split up, and while his mom Rosa is the MVP of the book, his dad is nothing more than a useless caricature of the absentee father, so much so that when Max admits to his sexual assault his dad does nothing, but makes a joke and talks about a stand-up routine he has coming up. 

Jordan is much, much worse. This boy is the most self-deprecating, pitying thing I have ever read.

 (Spoilers ahead for the novel and Jordan’s circumstances). 

His friends who he calls his “wives” (cue eye roll) bully him, his mother is a gambling addict with bipolar disorder, he believes he killed his father by giving him a heart attack on his sick bed, and he’s about to be homeless unless he can make money from his dad’s old food truck and save his mortgage. 

It’s absolutely ridiculous. 

I’m not trying to make light of these issues, but the way Konigsberg handled these characters went like this: “Hmmmm how can I make interesting teenagers? I know! Let’s make everything in their life miserable. Yes, that will make readers care!”

In case you were wondering, no, it didn’t work. 

Just because Jordan and Max are tragic characters did not mean I cared for them or even liked them. If the idea was to build complexity and sympathy that absolutely failed. If anything, I felt frustrated by the circumstances, vexed by the way both boys handled their issues, and galled at how the surrounding world allowed it to happen. 

In addition, going back to the idea that Konigsberg has never met a single teenager in his life, both Max and Jordan fell into such archetypal teenage tropes that I felt my teeth rotting. 

They fell in love after hanging out twice, their reasons for liking each other were abysmal and perfunctory, and if anything, the only reason I actually saw these two working in any way was simply because they were both the only other gay person they knew, which is not even an adequate component. 

The romance felt strained and uncomfortable and the “dates” they went on made me laugh with absurdity. Picking up stuffed animals at midnight to put them at the front of the zoo? Who does that? I didn’t find it charming, I didn’t find it unique, and I didn’t find it cute. 

I found it odd and unrealistic. 

Which, at the end of the day, is what irked me about this book the most: it was unrealistic. 

You might say: “Typedwriter! That’s unfair! You read about vampires and fairies and all sorts of fantasy creatures and worlds!”

You’re right, I do. But fantasy and unrealism are not synonyms. Fantasy I love. Even within fantasy worlds there needs to be rules and order. There are still expectations and realistic behaviors and laws that govern fictional creatures and lands. 

For a novel that is supposed to depict real life and real teenagers The Music of What Happens edges on the side of surreal for me. Surreal is also fine if that is the targeted result. 

In Konigsberg’s case, however, I don’t believe that was the intention. I got the feeling that Konigsberg wanted this to be a real and deep portrayal of love and adolescence and instead I found it ludicrous and nonsensical. 

Everything about this book bordered on nonsensical. Two boys running a food truck without any knowledge or prior experience and ending up making thousands of dollars? Okayyyyy, sure. Jordan’s mother’s behavior, gambling addiction, and speech? Preposterous. The way Max and Jordan talked to each other and their friends? Almost like a robot’s depiction of how they think humans communicate. 

At the end of the day, this book’s unrealistic look at life, love, relationships, trauma, and consequences ruined it for me. It’s certainly not the worst thing I’ve ever read, but most of this book was just a mindless jumble of words that didn’t form a proper connection to me as a reader. 

As listed above, not everything was horrible and I’m not trying to make it out like it was, but for the most part, I didn’t enjoy this book as I stated from the beginning. 

As always, this is just my opinion. I still love that it was recommended and I mean no harm to anyone who does love this book. Perhaps if I was a young teenager I would have connected more with the self-deprecating monologues and pity parties. Perhaps if I wasn't so skeptical I could actually believe two sixteen-year olds could pull off a food truck success, but alas I’m not and I couldn’t. 

If this book brought out tender feelings and emotions for you, however, I am glad because isn’t that why we read? 

Unfortunately, this was not the case for me for The Music of What Happens. 

Recommendation: Unrealistic everything made this book toiling drudgery for me. Take the idea of a cute summer romance on a food truck, apply it to your favorite fandom and OTP for a Valentine's Day prompt, and then happily move on with your life without having the need to pick up The Music of What Happens. 

Score: 3/10