#gifts from mastodon

[fantasyfantasygames]

Several Donated Games

I recently had the good fortune to meet Lily Vers at ProseAndCon, a semi-yearly interactive fiction convention in the backwoods of Maine. I mentioned that I write reviews, the next thing I know she hands me a pile of books and offers to buy me a drink if I promise to never give them back. I think she just wanted them out of the house because she's moving. They're not that bad. Well, most of them.

These are short games (well, most of them), so here are some short reviews!

Edge: Blades in the Kill (Hurtful Press, 2021) Long-time followers of the blog will remember HellBlaster and whether I wasn't really sure whether the game was in on its own joke. E:BitK is absolutely in on the joke. The game's aesthetic is part emo, part Hannibal fanfic, part Black Adder. You are a group of serial killer assassins murdering for fun and profit, then getting stiffed on the profit part by your clueless employers who seem not to realize what's going to happen after they stiff a bunch of murderers. Cool stuff: Manages to boil down systems stolen from Blades in the Dark and Kill Edge to their very essence, accomplishing 90% of what they do in 20% of the combined space.

D.E.S.P.O.N.D.E.N.C.Y., A Friendship-Ending Role-Playing Experience (Delta Elf, 2020) Have you ever played Diplomacy? This is Diplomacy in RPG form. One-player RPG form, thankfully. You write the stories of a group of (initially) friends playing a diceless RPG that slowly escalates into a series of alliances and betrayals that eventually leave the entire group and hostile. It reminds me of an Amber game I ran once where people got a little too into the intrigue and backstabbing. Cool stuff: The prompts really get you into the heads of all the characters you make. All your decisions on their part have to come from part of the short backstories you write for them.

Unexamined Fantasy Racism (anonymous, 2018) Hoo boy this one sets you up right from the title and doesn't let up. The book is a 64-page clone of OD&D that provides an absolutely scathing commentary on exactly what the tin says. Anyone who goes on to play a standard D&D (or related) game after playing or reading this one is going to feel real uncomfortable, and for good reasons. I don't think the game is going to get much play, but it's designed more for reading. (See "queerweird" below for another "you might never actually play it" game.) Cool stuff: Never becomes its own target. It's easy to write something like UFR and fall into the "actually doing what you're trying to satirize" trap. UFR instead sets up extremely standard FRPG situations and then slams you right into the exact problem with them.

Hackerface 1999: Don't Roll A Hacker (Crack the Hacker, 2000) I'm not sure who the audience for Hackerface is. It's a parody of Cyberpunk 2020 with references to 1990s floppy game hacking, so you would normally be able to perfectly zero in on the target audience. The game does not treat that audience with any sort of love, affection, or respect, so you come away either not getting a lot of what it's trying to say or feeling uncomfortable. And not a productive UFR-type uncomfortable, just the kind of uncomfortable you get from bullies. Even the hacking rules aren't worth stealing. The book reads like it was written by the kind of person who stuffs nerds into lockers, and how in the hell does that person end up writing RPGs? Cool stuff: The art is pretty great, especially for an indie game in the year 2000. It's done in an extremely stylized approach, with plenty of black ink, chiaroscuro, and anatomy that looks like it belongs on an actual human.

This turned into a longer post than I thought, so I'm going to split it in half. Tune in next time.

[lingthusiasm]

Lingthusiasm Episode 99: A politeness episode, if you please

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, if you have a spare half hour, could we possibly suggest that you might enjoy listening to this episode on politeness? Or, if you'd prefer a less polite version, "Listen! Now!"

In this episode, your hosts Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne get enthusiastic about what politeness and rudeness are made up of at a linguistic level. We talk about existing cultural notions of "saving face" and "losing face", aka the push and pull between our desire for help vs our desire for independence, and how they've been formalized in a classic linguistics paper. We also talk about being less polite to show intimacy, addressing God in English and French, which forms of politeness are and aren't overtly taught, different uses of "please" in UK vs US English, levels of indirectness, email etiquette across generations and subcultures, rudeness and pointing, nodding norms in Japanese and English, smiling at strangers in the US vs Europe, and how a small number of politeness ingredients can combine in so many different ways that are culturally different.

Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice or read the transcript here.

Announcements:

In this month’s bonus episode we get enthusiastic about science metaphors and learning everything with Tom Lum and Caroline Roper, cohosts of Let's Learn Everything! We talk about whether programming languages should count as a language credit, numbers and ritual stock phrases like seventeen and "once upon a time", as well as etymology and metaphor in ecology, chemistry, and linguistics. We also talk about turning the "constantly trying to figure things out" part of your brain off, attending the word of the year vote, and how linguists have a tendency to be curious about language all the time, which... sometimes gets us into trouble.

Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 90+ other bonus episodes. You’ll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds. Looking for a last minute gift for the language nerd in your life? Or are you trying to get someone in your life to love linguistics as much as you do? Patreon have newly added a gift memberships feature! So if you'd be excited to receive a patreon membership to Lingthusiasm, forward this link to your friends and/or family with a little wink wink nudge nudge.

Here are the links mentioned in the episode:

'Politeness: Some universals in language use' by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson

Wikipedia entry for 'Politeness'

Lingthusiasm bonus episode 'The Most Esteemed Honorifics Episode'

'Routine politeness in American and British English requests: use and non-use of please' by M. Lynne Murphy and Rachele De Felice

@killersundy video about the Irish offering cake to the Irish on TikTok

Lingthusiasm episode 'If I were an irrealis'

Lingthusiasm episode 'Look, it’s deixis, an episode about pointing!'

'Nodding, aizuchi, and final particles in Japanese conversation: How conversation reflects the ideology of communication and social relationships' by Sotaro Kita and Sachiko Ide

'Why Americans Smile So Much' by Olga Khazan for The Atlantic

'Three-year-olds infer polite stance from intonation and facial cues' by Iris Hübscher, Laura Wagner, and Pilar Prieto

You can listen to this episode via Lingthusiasm.com, Soundcloud, RSS, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also download an mp3 via the Soundcloud page for offline listening.

To receive an email whenever a new episode drops, sign up for the Lingthusiasm mailing list.

You can help keep Lingthusiasm ad-free, get access to bonus content, and more perks by supporting us on Patreon.

Lingthusiasm is on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Mastodon, and Tumblr. Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com

Gretchen is on Bluesky as @GretchenMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic.

Lauren is on Bluesky as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.

Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins, our editorial assistant is Jon Kruk, and our technical editor is Leah Velleman. Our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles.

This episode of Lingthusiasm is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license (CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA).

[magicalcelestialgem]

Bubba Bubbaphant Headcanons & TPoJ AU info

Now, Bubba Bubbaphant is here!

A little info before looking at the headcanon and AU info below:

The Smiling Critters are young adults in this AU. This is DogDay as a young adult (20 years old). Art of him in his younger years will appear later in the future.

The Protectors of Joy AU will be focused primarily in the cartoon universe, with a few elements from the game.

Because the AU is still in the works, some of these planned infos/headcanons will change.

There will be ships involved, especially CatNap x DogDay.

WARNING: Mention of KickinChicken x Bubba Bubbaphant

Bubba is gifted. And because he is gifted, his family (parents) expected him to be perfect. And in turn, they became emotionally neglectful to Bubba when he was just a calf. They scold him when he failed and they pressure him to remain Number 1 at school.

His family are extremely successful. And they expect Bubba to be just as successful.

Bubba grew up thinking being perfect and being a people pleaser will led people to love him or at least be his friend. His intelligence helped him meet his childhood friends (The other 7 SCs), but it also made him feel scared of being abandoned when he messes up.

He was part of a proboscidean critter club in high school, where the elephant critters and prehistoric relatives (mammoth, mastodon, even a stegotetrabelodon) use their gifts for the greater good.

The pressure to be perfect led to Bubba becoming depressed. And develop a grudge against his family.

He moved out at 18 and headed to the Land of Joy. He made this choice after he had enough of his family.

Bubba's species is the African Elephant. And like all elephants, he is known for being empathetic and intelligent.

And because he's an elephant, it also gives any critter the reason to fear him just as much as any large elephant/proboscidean. Bubba is not short-tempered, but he can, however, become extremely angry when someone he cared about was hurt. Like, very hurt (physically and most ESPECIALLY emotionally).

Bubba usually sasses his enemies off when he believes fighting is not worth his time. But, once Bubba is really pissed off, expect him to charge and attack like an elephant, followed by him releasing angry elephant sounds (growls, trumpets, etc.).

Kickin was hurt one time by bullies and Bubba, as well as the other members of the SC group, was nearby. And let's just say that after that, DogDay wondered how he was the leader and not Bubba. Because the bullies left with minor injuries and marks of being stomped on.

Bubba looked at his friends with his normal expression and he found his friends huddling in one spot, shaking from fear. Meanwhile, Kickin was staring at awe and fear.

💡🐘 : Alright, then! What are we doing next, guys? *sees his friends huddled in one spot* Guys?

☀️ 🐶 : HAVE MERCY!!!

⭐️ 🐓 : That... was so cool! And scary!

That moment often led the other SCs to question how Bubba feels about Kickin. Bubba always replied with very vague answers like:

"He's cool." 

"Kickin is a little reckless and may not be the smartest, but he always knows when to stop when it's too much."

"Aside from DogDay, he always tries to spread positivity around by reminding us how cool we are."

All of his friends suspect Bubba actually likes Kickin in a romantic way, even though it's very vague. Bobby, however, was very observant and believes that Bubba really does like Kickin.

Bubba as a Protector is also quite dangerous. Why? He has a gun on his wrist as a weapon and he can create and control matter (mostly non-living matter) as long as he understands the molecular structure. He's often teamed up with CraftyCorn, as she can create anything with her paintbrush (her weapon).

Bubba's trunk was shorter when he was younger. As an adult, his trunk is longer.

On hot days, Bubba flaps his ears. If it's too hot, he'll go to a watering hole and use his trunk to spray his entire body with water.

His friends often wonder why he has a darker coloration when he gets wet. And of course, Bubba explains.

[scrapimmortal]

Mastodon fanprompt: Rich

Though he was married to the richest ghost in all three realms, probably the richest being in existence, Xie Lian still wasn't used to wearing fine fabrics again. 

Of course, it was far from a hardship to wear the robes Hua Cheng gave him. They were comfortable, and he enjoyed wearing them. Still, the festive robes of the Crown Prince Who Pleased The Gods were a little much.

Layer upon layer of red, pink, gold, blue. Beads, tassels, jewellery shimmering in the candlelight. Xie Lian felt constricted, and when he glanced at his reflection in the mirror, he also felt a little ridiculous. 

His gaze lingered as he took in all the little visible changes that he had gone through – apparently getting a little caught up in it, because suddenly there was a gasp from beside him.

“Your Highness!”

Xie Lian turned just in time to see a cloud of butterflies burst from Hua Cheng’s body, and his heart stopped momentarily, only starting up again when he confirmed that his husband was still there, staring at him.

“San Lang! Don't do that!”

Hua Cheng crossed the room in three long strides, knelt in front of him, took his hand and pressed his cool forehead to the back of it.

“Apologies, Your Highness, I–”

“Up here, San Lang, please.”

Hua Cheng got to his feet and pulled him into a crushing hug. Xie Lian felt his hardness even through the many layers of fabric and swallowed, pushing his blushing face against Hua Cheng’s shoulder. 

“I take it San Lang likes his birthday gift?” His voice was muffled by red robes.

“Let me show Your Highness how much I like it,” Hua Cheng said, and without further ado, he swept Xie Lian up into his arms and carried him to bed.

[tryslora]

Support your favorite creative(s) this season!

So, it’s the holiday season (for values of holiday which can be anything you care to celebrate during the winter months) and you would like to support your favorite creative(s). What are some good ways to do that?

Tell the world about them

If someone is a favorite of yours, there’s a good chance that you know someone else who will enjoy their work. Signal boost the creative’s posts. Create your own post with links to their work. Showcase some of your favorite pieces of theirs with a snippet and a link to the original. Talk about why you love the work (trust me, your favorite creative will love to hear this just as much as your friends will appreciate finding out about something new).

Important side note which I know you know but it bears repeating: please reblog and link to your favorite creative’s posts; do not repost their material. Reposting might sound like a great way to show off what the creative does, but it doesn’t help anyone find them. Please be considerate.

Post reviews of their work

Instructions for this depends on what type of creative you are following. If they are a writer, leave a review on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, B&N, whatever platform you choose. Positive reviews are how writers get discovered.

If your creative is an artist and has a platform where they offer commissions, leave a review there if appropriate. Give them five stars. Help your creative climb the ranks from unknown to well-reviewed!

Follow them on social media

If your creative has a list of social media accounts, follow them! This gives you a better chance to help signal boost their cool stuff (as well as hearing about it when they post!). It also gives you a chance to interact, and to see what they’re like when they aren’t creating. If you like their creations, you might have other things in common. 

Does your creative have a newsletter? Subscribe! You can even forward copies to your friends if there’s something really cool you want to share. A Patreon? Check to see if they have free material posted. Many Patreons allow people to follow at a free level, and while there might be paywall-locked material, there might be unlocked material as well.

Social media is wide and varied these days, with everything from Bluesky and Mastodon, to old-school Facebook pages, to even older-school platforms like Dreamwidth. Don’t forget the little known Pillowfort, or the highly fannish Tumblr. Even better, be aware that your creative may present different faces in different spaces. They are just as human as the rest of us!

Talk to them

I’m serious! Being a creative is like shouting into the abyss… if the abyss happens to shout back, that’s emotional food that can sustain a creative for days. Most creatives have several places where they can be found, either for private communication (check to see if they accept messages/DMs/emails first, please) or for public conversation (social media can be wonderful!). 

Create a transformative work

This won’t work for all creatives. BUT. If your creative is a writer, I would place a bet that they would LOVE fanart of their work. Or maybe that’s just me.

Buy their stuff

Yes, this one requires money, and I am well aware that most of us don’t have the budget for monetary support. And that’s fine! As shown above, there are so many other ways to support your creative and help them grow. But if you do have the budget, picking up copies of their work means you can get great gifts for your friends (and help spread the word!). And if you’re up for it, monthly support via Patreon, or random tips are always nice and appreciated things.

Ask them what will help

In the end, every creative has their own list of things that will help them most, and almost every single one would be happy to tell anyone what would help Right Now.

I’m putting this next bit behind a cut/read-more/clicky-link — whatever is appropriate to the platform you’re reading this on. Because this is the personal bit where I add links to the places you can find me. 

And if you are a creative and you are reblogging this on a platform which allows reblogs, please add your own list of helpful information. If it’s a place with comments, please comment! I want to help by giving other creatives a way to get information out.

Where can you find me…?

TrisLawrence.com is my professional website, with blog posts, upcoming appearances, and links to where to find my Stuff.

I post blog entries on Tumblr, Pillowfort, and Dreamwidth (which mirrors on Livejournal and Insanejournal).

I babble randomly on Bluesky and Mastodon. While I exist on Twi-X, I no longer post there.

I have a professional Facebook page. I have an Instagram. I have a TikTok that I am trying to learn how to use.

I am also active in several Discord communities, if you happen to find me there.

Want to support me? -- Patreon | Ko-Fi | Reblog & Comment

Want to hear more from me? — Join my mailing list

[bathic]

3. Sunday Newspaper Spectacle: Fin.

Word Count: 9k.

Chapter Warnings: Sexual Content, Destruction of government property and… goat theft?

Diary Entry: 005-1

I don’t mind him so much. Although sometimes it feels like I’m the only one carrying our companionship. Is it wrong to wish he’d put in more effort? Perhaps reciprocate my hugs without screaming bloody murder in my ears and thrashing around erratically like a wet cat after a bath. Kang Yeosang, why must you wound me? I beg of you, accept my affections kindly or I might just chew on Seonghwa’s hair and you know how much he hates having it messed with after taking an hour to fuss it over. Hair does not taste good. Seonghwa’s hair does not taste good. Smells good, not taste good. There’s a difference.

San.

~~~~~~~~

Wooyoung could hardly get ahold of himself. His foot mindlessly tapped, arms uncrossed then recrossed only to uncross again, another sigh for the nth time and the venture of his tongue from one corner of his bottom lip to the other. Yes, he was restless. Practically vibrating in his platform sneakers. He doesn’t really recall the last time he was this excited (that’s a lie, he was excited last night when Faust took him to bed— her bed) especially over something as petty as what he had brewing in his mind’s caldron.

It was grand, it was absolutely crazy, diabolical even. You could even say it was… explosive. Wooyoung turned to fluff his hair in the mirror by the grand entrance, ignoring the probing eyes of Yeosang standing just an arms length behind him.

“I know you are up to something, Wooyoung. I just can’t exactly pinpoint what it is.”

“Oh, I definitely am.” Wooyoung puckers his lips, a fresh coating of chapstick making the skin pinker and slightly glossed. It was his favorite, a gift from Hongjoong when he wasn’t suffering from the perpetual curse of having a ‘rod up his ass’.

“Will you tell me?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Might be better to solo this one, buddy.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes at the nickname, “You always solo your outlandish endeavors, and if anyone happens to be there on the sidelines with you that’s because they were either bribed or forced against their will or threatened with one of your stinky socks.”

Wooyoung looks at the other man through the mirrors reflection with a less than humored expression. “One, my socks do not smell that bad. Two, anyone who is easily persuaded by me clearly has some personal problems to work out within themselves. You know the saying, ‘it’s you not me’.”

“That is so far from correct that I want to be surprised but since it’s coming from you, I’m just mildly disappointed.”

“Don’t care.”

The space shared between them eclipses into silence. Yeosang hates knowing that his fellow maid is scheming up something foul while they are going into town for the day. He also hates that he doesn’t know exactly what his little conniving brain is planning. It’s like watching doom draw over the horizon and yet not caring enough to warn anyone, instead just standing there idly as it approaches. Yeosang could technically still tell everyone else, especially their wife that Wooyoung was going to do something that’ll most likely cause bigger problems between the house of mastodon and the county but what if they don’t believe him? What evidence does he really have to make an accusation like that? Sure, Wooyoung confirmed it himself but he never implicitly admitted what he was going to do. And the man hardly found it worth snitching if the ‘up to something’ was just Wooyoung lighting dog crap on fire on the doorsteps of townspeople.

“If I said please will you reconsider whatever it is you are planning on doing?” Yeosang said this with a bit of hope of roping his companion into place, to avoid the trouble the other is keen on stirring up.

Wooyoung turns, smacks his lips together and points a singular finger towards the ceiling. “Nope.”

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong’s frown is definitely on the cobblestone drive once he sees who is behind the wheel of the Windsor. “Nuh-uh— No— get out.”

Seonghwa pouts, “Come on! Just this once, please? It’s a special occasion, Joong.”

“Need I remind you that you voted against this special occasion. Now, get out.” Hongjoong’s arms cross over his chest as the driver side door flies open and a sulking Seonghwa steps out with the keys in hand. A black fuzzy rabbit hangs from the ring, sporting a pair of sunglasses and several gold embellishments on its two long ears.

“Keys.”

“I can drive, you know. Very well, actually.”

“No you can’t. Keys.” Hongjoong’s fingers stretch flat and then curl, awaiting the familiar weight of the keys in the center of his palm.

Seonghwa huffs, dropping the object where it clinks and chimes within the other man’s hand.

“I would be an amazing driver if you’d let me learn instead of waxing doom and gloom about the incoming end of your short-lived life every time you sat in the passenger seat.”

Hongjoong chooses to pat his shoulder instead of replying. “Jongho.”

The youngest perks up at his name, his spot beside Mingi taken by Seonghwa once he steps a forward. The group of nine stood out on the drive awaiting their designated ride to make an appearance. The black Chrysler Windsor freshly washed and waxed beaming like the freshest cut onyx in a jeweler's shop. Faust had chosen the car at an auction, a bit scuffed up at the time but a little bit of TLC in the form of San, Yunho and Jongho made the darling car shine like new.

The keys in Hongjoong’s hand are quickly passed over to Jongho without another word. It was no secret that the younger could drive the best out of everyone— second being Yunho and tied at third, Hongjoong and San. Wooyoung could also drive sufficiently enough if he didn’t feel the need to crank the radio up to the ten’s and act like he was trying to win first place at a driving derby every time he was allowed behind the wheel.

“I call shotgun!” Wooyoung practically leaps towards the passenger side door, hand grappling at the handle until someone plucks him away by the lace collar on his uniform.

Hongjoong looks at the younger man disapprovingly, “Shotgun is for the missus. The second row backseats is the only place you will be calling.”

Faust waves a flippant hand, long nails the color of tar catching the sunlight the same way the Windsor does. “Nonsense, darling. I have no qualms on seating arrangements.”

But despite her reassurance that no matter her place in the front or back, Hongjoong wouldn’t let Wooyoung take the passenger seat. No, that means the brat would get his way and if the older had anything to say about it (and he does— always), Wooyoung would be stuffed into the trunk instead.

San swoops in to swiftly open the door for Faust, smiling like the cat that ate the canary when she gently places a chaste peck on his cheek followed by an adoring pat to his shoulder before dipping down (mindful of her horns) and settling next to Jongho in the drivers side. The door closes and the two back ones open in perfect synchronization. Hongjoong lets go of Wooyoung’s collar to shove him in, grumbling under his breath a lengthy monologue lost on all ears except his own. Mingi follows close behind with Yunho in tow. Seonghwa, Yeosang and San round the Windsor to the other side where they slip in one by one until the car is packed like a tin of finely dressed sardines. Honestly speaking, it was more akin to a clown car on the day of a funeral.

“Well, my darlings, are we all set and ready for a glorious day on the town? Oh— hold those pretty little thoughts, I almost forgot.” Faust runs a hand from one horn to the next and the growths disappear in a twinkle of dark glitter. Next is her blood red skin, human pigmentation overtaking her natural color until she looked like nothing more than an average woman somewhere between her late twenties to early thirties. Beneath her wide-leg trousers, the spade-tipped tail she wags and flicks about curls into itself until nothing is there but a flat surface at the base of her tailbone.

Jongho is swift to pull a scarf from one of the hidden pockets in his uniform’s skirt, handing it to her with a shy smile. The demon plucks it from his fingers with an approving nod, tying it around her head.

“I think we should stay out no later than—“

“Booooring. Don’t stamp a curfew on our outing, Hwa.” Wooyoung says from the second row backseat, arms crossed over his chest and posture slumped against the right side window.

Seonghwa turns to look over his shoulder with a displeased expression, eyes narrowing at the interruptive source.

“I am not soliciting a curfew,” He faces forward again with a sigh, “Just suggesting that we set a time to leave just in case the locals get a little antsy by our lingering. Nothing more than a precaution.”

“I agree—“

“You always agree, San.” Yunho teased, poking a long finger into the dimple on San’s cheek provided by his forced smile. It was true though, no matter what the eldest said Sannie would always be the first to backpack off of his suggestions without hesitation.

Faust hums from the front seat, “I think that’s fair. As much as I like seeing the townspeople squirm, nothing humane comes from a bunch of idiots with twitchy fingers.”

“It’s settled then. I suggest we pack up our rendezvous at three o’clock sharp.” Seonghwa gave a nod of finality, basking in his proffered advice’s win. Because if his wife agrees then it is final.

~~~~~~~~

Wooyoung had the calculations added up to the very T. Leaving the manor half past ten and arriving just five minutes before eleven meant he had about five hours to execute his plan and get out without the county noticing. Of course that last bit was wishful thinking. The county will have them sniffed out within seconds. And while that thought should worry him, he knew his beloved wife would have the entire town shredded into chum for the fish at the bottom of the sea cliffs before they even dared to lay a finger on any of them.

Jongho parked near the road in the grassy field just outside of the innocuous welcome sign into town. It’s canary yellow and coral and lilac coloring clashing against the black stylized writing, an established year of 1836 leaving behind trails of green algae near the bottom. It was both befitting of a seaside sleepy town and absolutely ugly. Faust’s nose wrinkles a bit at the sight of it.

“You would think a nautical palette would be better suited for a town neighboring the ocean. These pastels are horrid and frankly, an eyesore.” The demon snaps her fingers and a pair of large framed sunglasses appear on the bridge of her nose. “Much better.”

“You shouldn’t do such things when so close to the town, my love.” Seonghwa looked from side to side once he stepped out of the Windsor, his long black hair lightly shifting with the ocean’s breeze. “Anyone could be watching.”

“Rest your worries, darling. You know I wouldn’t be so frivolous in my actions.”

Wooyoung is quick to shove past Mingi who stood blocking the way to the right-side exit, the taller yelping at the sudden force. Hongjoong and Yunho tailing after him while San and Yeosang slips out from the same side Seonghwa did. Jongho exits last after he’s turned the motor off, pocketing the keys into his skirt.

“Well… where to first?” Yunho looks around as far as he can, the equally pastel buildings lined in two neat rows with bright white roofs and little picket fences.

“I think we should split up.” Wooyoung draws the attention of everyone like a fresh carcass in the sights of several buzzards. His hands immediately raise up in defense.

“That’s an awful idea, Wooyoung.”

“Why would you even suggest that?”

“Are you dumb or stupid or both?”

“Hear me out,” Wooyoung knows if he can’t separate himself from everyone than he won’t be able to pull off his plan and all the daydreaming and late night scheming was all for naught.

And of course his biggest haters— obstacles just had to be Seonghwa, Hongjoong and San.

Yeosang remained silent at the side and while he could have voiced his own opposition against Wooyoung’s suggestion, even adding that his companion was in fact planning something nefarious, instead he kept his mouth shut. Honestly, he didn’t know if he was doing that to protect his longtime friend or because a part of him was just the smallest bit curious about what he was going to do. He knew it wasn’t going to be dog crap on fire, no, Wooyoung wouldn’t be as persistent over something like that despite having suggested it in their conversation beforehand. That meant whatever was actually going to happen would be bigger and likely more destructive.

“I don’t see an issue with separating,” Mingi pauses, shifting a bit under Hongjoong’s sudden glare on him, “‘S long as we have a buddy with us or something, you know?”

“Honestly, it’s not that bad of an idea.” Yunho gave a supportive pat to Mingi’s shoulder, the latter slumping a bit in relief.

“You all seem to missing the fact that we are beyond hated by the townspeople. If they see any form of us, be it in a group of nine, or several groups of two to three, they will begin spreading word of omens and be on our heels every step we make. We will be safer in a larger group, bigger numbers are always greater.” The longer Seonghwa tried to stress his fear, the more his words came out rushed and slurred and his home-rooted accent began to slip through the cracks. It was endearing to hear, at least Faust thought so as she listened on.

“I’m so tired of being held back from doing something just because it’ll hurt the townies feelings. Fuck those judgmental assholes. They don’t control me or any of us.” Wooyoung feigns his anger into a bratty stomp and two balled fists at his sides before striding off down the road towards the town. He ignored the calling of his name, fighting the wicked smile threatening to split his lips apart.

The others seem to rally forward after him except for Faust, who watches on with a knowing squint behind the lenses of her shades.

~~~~~~~~

The buddy system separated into four groups. Faust had taken her picks first without a single beat, Hongjoong and Yunho now hanging off both of her arms. Seonghwa and San decided to stick together since they had a like-minded agreement on the entire situation. Mingi and Jongho attached at each other’s hips almost instantly and quickly set off down the sidewalk while babbling back and forth on what store to go in first. That left Yeosang, and while Wooyoung wanted to enact his plan alone, having the extra help might have been beneficial. Even if Yeosang didn’t want to be an accomplice to anything the younger was cooking up.

“That settles it then. We meet back at the eyesore at three, no later unless mischief comes calling.” Faust doesn’t elaborate but there’s a barely concealed twinkle in her eye when she lingers on Wooyoung.

He knows. She knows. They both know because Wooyoung had asked her last night for a helping hand— and not just between the sheets. Yeosang knows something but also doesn’t know very much. And the rest are as clueless as a newborn baby fresh out of the womb.

Everyone disperses in different directions, some chatting low and discreetly while others laugh and yap away their excitement. It wasn’t every day that they get to be normal. Somewhat normal.

~~~~~~~~

Seonghwa and San treaded to the left, heeled boots crunching against loose sediment blown from the sea breeze across the sidewalk. Only a few people were out, an old sleepy woman dressed in blush staring wistfully at an antique record player displayed in a storefront window. San could see the smallest of movements in her feet, a tiny shuffle and toe tap with the tips of her strappy ballet flats. It almost made him smile— almost. Once she turned and spotted them behind thin wire frames, her already age-worn face seemed to pull downward even more and whatever mirth previously homed in her eyes had turned sour. She eyed them with a disapproving frown, thin lips smacking together. It was all in preparation, a wad of spit hurled at their feet upon passing.

San’s jaw clenches and Seonghwa, more than inclined to ignore the nasty behaviors of a less than innocent old hag, brushed a comforting hand across his nape. A reminder, unspoken but felt. She’s not worth a million and one words, she’s not worth a dime in a dozen, she’s not worth more than the dirt she’ll be buried with.

When they finally clear her path, San speaks, “I hate it, Hwa. I really do.”

“I know,” And after a moment, “I do too.”

“They treat us like fruit gone bad. Fly infested, dirty— filth.” San kicks a stray rock out of frustration but misses instead scuffing the toe of his boot. That makes him more upset. Enough to croon loudly like an old alley cat.

Seonghwa is quick to clamp a hand over his mouth, eyes casting around frantically to any of the townspeople out and about. Of course, nothing goes unnoticed and those meandering around are already mean-mugging the two, some even whispering openly. Seonghwa bows his head and uses his body to shove San into a random shop to their left. The inside is bright and disarming. Small trinkets, stationary, stuffed toys, and collectibles line shelves upon shelves from wall to wall. Above their heads plays a catchy little tune.

A young girl stands behind the counter towards the back, flipping through a magazine and barely looking up at the two standing frozen near the door. “Welcome. If you need any assistance let me know.”

She doesn’t even bat an eye at them. No scowl, no harsh words, no wads of spit or threats of bullets or fire. San looks at Seonghwa, the other man’s hand still firm over his mouth. Seonghwa blinks a few times before clearing his throat, his head bowing a bit.

“Oh… uh, thank you.”

“No problem.”

San nudges him with his elbow and Seonghwa removes his hand. “Does she not know who we are?”

“I don’t know, but if she doesn’t,” He observes her long enough to see her nose wrinkle at something she reads, mumbling low under her breath before flipping the page away, “Then we better make nice and enjoy the peace while we have it.”

Seonghwa browses along the wall closest to the entrance, every so often glancing over to see if the young clerk finally recognized them and would, inevitably, hurl unsavory words in their direction but her nose remained in the magazine. It was a bit unsettling. San had strayed to one of the short aisles, bending a bit to look at the selection of keychain’s hanging on display. He cooed at the sight of the cute little animals— two cats, two dogs, a pink bunny, the cutest bear, a pouty chick and a rather unhinged looking squirrel. The itch in his hand gravitated towards one of the cats, its purple fur soft to the touch and curled smile making his own lips lift at the corners. Oh— and what a delightful surprise awaiting him when he turns the feline over in his hand, one pink heart embroidered on each butt-cheek.

“Just so you know, those are buy one get one half off or buy two and get one for free. Outfits aren’t included.”

San startles slightly at the girl’s voice and turns to look at her at the counter. She’s already looking at him and with his attention now on her, she points a bright orange nail at the keychains in front of him. He expects her to react negatively now that he’s somewhat closer to her but she remains as passive as she did when they stumbled in. He blinks rapidly and then stutters out, “Ah— thank you.”

She nods and once again returns to her magazine.

San settles his gaze back on the cat in his hand before looking at the other keychains. He’d hate to leave the remaining ones behind after selecting his three picks. He casts a look over to Seonghwa, the latter seemingly preoccupied with browsing over several boxes with different themes sprawled across the fronts— flowers, houses, spacecrafts and other objects. Perhaps he could get him to buy the remaining five keychains so that none are left behind. San plucks one of the dogs off the metal hanger, its fur is white and ears long. His final choice is the other cat, black with a little bell attached to a red collar.

Seonghwa is… overwhelmed. His eyes bounce from one object to the next, something cute and soft catches his attention one second and then something else that’s more displayable and stiff and less for touching and more for decoration draws him in. There’s so much to look at, so much to overlook, too much to not see. He wished he was some kind of eldritch creature with thousands of eyes just so he could absorb everything all at once without the possibility of missing something. But he does finally settle on a large sized box, an overly big and complicated looking spacecraft that draws him in like a bird to a window.

He blinks and suddenly he’s standing shoulder to shoulder with San with the box under one arm, his hand struggling to grip the bottom of it while his other arm is curled around the other five keychains that San had convinced him they needed to get (“It’s unfair to see your friends getting chosen while you are left behind. They should all stay together.”) and a much larger version of the pink rabbit. San had his three chosen keychains and what looked like a fawn and white colored dog under his arm. Its little black eyes looked to be squinting, as if fighting off the impending approach of the sandman.

They stand nervously at the counter, waiting for the girl to take notice of them. The unease has yet to wear off despite her hospitality being nothing but welcoming since they stepped foot in the shop.

She glances up and immediately shifts the magazine away to make space for their haul. “Find everything you wanted? I would say need but nobody ever comes in here for needs just wants.” She gives a humored wink before gesturing to the box under Seonghwa’s arm. He’s quick to place it on the counter, an awkward smile providing far too much teeth in return.

“Is— Is this place new?” What he really wants to ask is if she’s new.

She hums, yanking a handheld scanner over from beside the register. “Been here for about two and a half months. Originally was located in the north but business had gone stale and needed some place fresh to keep things… fresh. At least that’s what my mom says. She grew up here but left, like, a long time ago.” She’s meticulous with scanning and quick to bag everything up for the both of them. Seonghwa decides to pay for everything using the fat-bellied envelope that Faust had distributed to each group before everyone dispersed, inside held large amounts of cash with every desired want and need written along each piece of paper.

“So, you don’t know who we are?” San lets the question slip without a second thought.

Seonghwa is torn between grabbing all the bags and running as quick as he can in his heeled boots or throttling San until he is nothing but a meaty heap.

The girl looks between the two, “Yeah, I’ve heard about the two of you. Well, technically I’ve heard about ‘eight weirdos in maid uniforms and their equally off-putting mistress’. I assume that’s what you mean. The talk of the town or whatever.” She waves a flippant hand.

Both men look at each other, unsure how to respond.

“Don’t worry or anything. I don’t care what a bunch of old assholes say. If anything, I think it’s pretty cool that you’re comfortable being yourselves despite the judgement. Can’t say I don’t admire the confidence.”

If they didn’t know what to say before than they definitely didn’t now, every single word took an early vacation to somewhere far away and left both of them standing there like two brainless deers in the path of two bright headlights.

~~~~~~~~

Jongho could acknowledge the daggers hurled at his back but he finds the assortment of paintbrush sets and little bottles of every imaginable color of paint to be far more worthy of his attention. His stash from over the years has significantly decreased and the quality of his brushes rivaled the hair on ears of corn. Truly, it was a pitiful sight and every time he dared to glance at his unfinished work on the canvas banished to the corner of his room, it served as a reminder of what he didn’t have anymore. Which was good art supplies.

Mingi was somewhere else in the shop, the cozy bookstore and hobbyist retreat blended together to make a creatives ideal sanctuary for crafting and collecting.

The older was browsing the large selection of books from one end of one dark-wood shelf to another— fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, horror, historical, young adult; the list of genres offered went on and on and on. Mingi had only seen one library that was as extensive as what the shop had and that was the one he used to frequent when he was just a teenager back in his home town. The smell, the assortment, the feel of the spines against his fingertips brought back the memories of weekends spent browsing for his next adventure between paperbacks or hardcovers and late evenings taking study breaks to escape into the contents offered by printed pages.

Faust, during the early days of her courtship with Mingi, had inquired about a singular desire of his. He assumed she expected something as mundane as bottomless riches or immortality to fall past his lips but before he could even surprise her with what he truly wanted— she had already manifested it in the form of a floor to ceiling library capped off with more books than he’d seen since his adolescent days. Admittedly, and to his immediate embarrassment, the three forbidden words may or may not have slipped past his lips in that moment despite the two just starting to see each other romantically. She still teases him every so often about the slip up when he’s caught staring wistfully at the books.

Mingi feels the back of his neck grow warm at the memory, enough for him to rub at the skin a bit.

“Look, over there. It’s one of them.”

“Well I’ll be damned, you’re right.”

“Why the hell is one of those freaks here?”

And suddenly the heat from the memory wasn’t so much from his remembrance but from the burning hatred aimed right at the back of his person. It made him squirm in place, going from foot to foot with unease. The bubble of comfort he had surrounded himself in was popped with the sharp edges of unsavory remarks and hurtful comments.

Jongho sidles over without a word, a shopping basket hanging from one of his forearms. Mingi casts his eyes downward, roving over the various paint bottles, brushes, a wooden palette and a few medium sized canvases piled into the basket.

“That’s a lot.”

“Go big or go home.”

“I’m beginning to feel like we should…” Mingi’s voice drops into a low murmur, almost whispered into his chest.

But Jongho hears it perfectly clear, as one would if each word was screamed directly into one’s ear. It makes him frown; big and pouty.

“Why? Because some lowlife half-wits can’t put the breaks on their motormouths?”

Mingi startles at the younger’s sudden rise in tone, not at all keeping the exchange private. That draws more attention than previously. Suddenly the two are under a spotlight, one that burns with the intent to hurt.

“Jongho—“

“Tch— don’t, Jongho, me. We have every right as the spiders in the corners of this place to be here.” Jongho turns, immediately narrowing his eyes at the group standing near the checkout counter, the ones responsible for badmouthing Mingi. “We have the means to pay. Which means our business should be no different than anyone else’s.”

One man, sun-worn and homely looking steps forward with a scowl. “Don’t rope us together. You ain’t one of us and we as hell are nothing like you freaks.”

Jongho let’s out an over-exaggerated sigh of relief, swiping a hand across his fringe. “That’s such a relief to hear you say that. I mean, honestly. I don’t know what would be worse— any of you standing on the same ground as us freaks or us having even the smallest of relation to any of you.”

“What the fuck did you say, boy?”

There’s an uncomfortable tension blanketing the shop, one that has everyone on edge. Mingi knows that if he doesn’t step between Jongho and the man then the younger will abandon his words for swipes of his fists. But as he opens his own mouth to say something, there’s a loud sound outside and then suddenly the floor underneath them shakes enough to knock things off shelves and rattle everyone where they stood.

Within a second of the tremor settling, blares a grating alarm. The shop erupts into a fit of chaos, panicked screams and hurried bodies rushing from every corner and crevice towards the doors has the visceral energy of cockroaches when they are suddenly cast into light. Jongho looks to Mingi and Mingi looks to Jongho. There’s something unspoken exchanged between them, agreed upon, and sealed tight under a silent pact. The taller of the two rushes towards a shelf, yanking books off and throwing them down into what little space the basket hanging from Jongho’s arm has to offer. He was eyeing this series for a while now (or rather since he saw it in the junk mail tab on the old outdated computer in the library back at the manor) and luckily the shop had the entire collection in stock.

Mingi goes for another few books, ones that he skimmed over while walking aimlessly through the aisles until the basket is weight down enough for the handles to dig uncomfortably into Jongho’s forearms.

“Anything else?”

“Don’t you think that’s enough?”

Jongho smiles, cheekily. “No such thing as enough when you’re getting it for free.”

~~~~~~~~

Hongjoong should have known by the wicked gleam in Faust’s eyes that she wasn’t stepping foot in this store with the intentions to buy anything— or rather, not initially. Of course, now she has to. She may be a demon and doesn’t necessarily have to abide by the laws of humans but that doesn’t mean she will be anything but honest and respectful. She’ll buy the pretty sheer lilac and powder green lingerie set when she’s finished giving it a thorough run-through.

There’s a muffled whine hidden between the layers of thin fabric stuffed into Hongjoong’s mouth, his hands pressed flat against the mirror on the farthest wall from the dressing room door. Faust is stretched over his back, still fully clothed for the most part minus her trousers holding snug around her knees. She’s got a not-so little secret buried into her beloved husband, a conjured cock manifested just above her stuffed pussy. Yunho stands behind her, pressed firmly forward, his breathing harsh. She hadn’t bothered willing the crimson skin to match the rest of her disguise, finding it erotic to see how her mound fades from the human complexion she’d chose to her natural red flesh which disappears and reappears from Hongjoong’s slightly tanned complexion.

In the mirror, she watches. Eyes alight when gazing over at her husband just over her shoulder, his wide eyes drawn partially closed, face flushed so prettily across the apples of his cheeks to the knob of his nose. Yunho had the enthusiasm of an overzealous puppy, taking all that he could and giving back half as much and in a fashion that was uncoordinated and self-centered. His hips could hardly part very far, the enveloping heat around his cock too much to stray from. Fast ruts is all he can manage, soft yet sharp plap plap plap’s sounding too loud in the small space. Faust has a knowing smile on her lips, one that she keeps buried into the back of Hongjoong’s head.

“Feel’s good, hm?” She purrs to nobody in particular.

Yet both men answer simultaneously— Hongjoong’s head bobbing up and down while Yunho parts his lips with a pitiful whine. Faust sinks her cock into Hongjoong relentlessly, prying one of his supple cheeks apart while her other hand follows a sneaky trail over his hip and down to his flopping cock. His head drops downward, forehead lightly smacking against the mirrors surface. Hongjoong was intending on willing his eyes shut, to drown and succumb to the pleasure rocking through his body but instead he kept them open to witness the private show just below him. Fausts hand had his leaking dick in quite a firm hold, pumping his shaft quickly to match not only her own thrusts but Yunho’s. Everything had a pattern, a certain synchronization. While Yunho pounded forward, Faust used the momentum to bury herself further into Hongjoong which made his cock drag past her ring of fingers.

“‘M going to come—“ Yunho removed his hands from the demon’s hips, instead shifting them past Faust and Hongjoong to splay against the mirror.

This causes Faust to be forced tighter against Hongjoong and the shorter man to be pressed firmly into the glass.

It’s nothing short of his undoing, the head of his cock hitting the mirrors cool surface and rubbing against it just enough to snip the thread holding his entire person together. Hongjoong shoots his load in wild ropes, flinging cum from the sides and across the mirror. And he watches it all, like it’s his own personal viewing of an erotic film. Faust enjoys the way his body shudders, convulsing around her own cock until she’s stilling inside to bask in her own euphoric spiral. It isn’t necessary for her to spew cum like her husbands do but she finds the act so utterly tantalizing that she wills it without a second thought. Her orgasm splits and rampages down two different paths. One to her cock buried in Hongjoong and the other to her cunt holding Yunho’s dick captive.

Such a visceral feeling, like being torn apart from the line of her scalp down the center of her body. It’s enough to draw a round of laughter deep within the pit of her stomach, loud and layered as if she was only one of many enjoying an inside joke.

Yunho doesn’t even last a second longer, pressing his pelvis tight against Faust’s backside as his cock empties every bit of what his balls had to offer inside of her.

Faust is still laughing despite the raucous knocks against the changing room door and the voice of the woman running the place questioning the happenings occurring out of her line of sight. But that’s hardly the most concerning thing. What is, is the sudden commotion shaking the walls and making the floor nearly convulse beneath their feet. Yunho pulls back in alarm, eyes wide and looking from one wall to the other.

“What was that?”

Faust draws away, cock slipping out of Hongjoong and fizzling into nothingness. She’s adorning that ever-knowing grin, one that holds the answers yet gives absolutely nothing away.

“That, my darling, is our cue to make like a banana and split.”

Hongjoong lifts his head, turning it only slightly to look over his shoulder. The fabric in his mouth is spat out, the panties belonging to the sheer set the demon had snatched off a rack in passing now lying in a damp heap on the bench the man was kneeling on. “What do you mean by ‘cue’? Cue for what?” Despite the dry scratch of his throat, his questions are laced with an insistence that’s fairly understandable.

“Last night I was asked for a little… favor. I expected the results to be something along these lines but as far as the timing, I’m a bit disappointed he decided to do it so early into our rendezvous.” Faust tugs her trousers up and snaps them closed by the buttons, caring little about the cum sticking against her and inadvertently soaking into the crotch of her pants. She’d forgone any underwear specifically for this occasion, the plan to get naughty somewhere with one or two of her husbands at the top of her to-do list of the day.

“Favor?” Yunho hurries to right the skirt of his uniform, mouth slightly parted.

Hongjoong places his feet onto the ground, his knees popping in protest and sporting abnormal shaped splotches. He shoves and tugs his own dress into order, or as good as he can. “He?”

Faust scoops up the soiled panties from the bench and snatches the bralette from the hanger abandoned on the ground. She shoves both items into her purse with a wiggle of her brows.

~~~~~~~~

Yeosang figured out just where Wooyoung was going rather quickly once they cleared the shops, his steps hasty leaving behind clouds of dust that the other man had the unfortunate circumstance of running right through. It was a building that was far more ornate than any of the others in town, sporting gold domes above cleanly sculpted coquina exterior walls and columns. A large staircase that fanned out wider at the bottom lead up to two large mahogany doors with golden accents to match the gold scripture right above the wood— Town Hall.

Wooyoung could practically feel his blood rushing in his veins. With his target in sight and right at his fingertips was the revenge he’s been spending night and day dreaming about. From where he had stopped in his pursuit, he could see the outcome playing out and it was far more satisfying than he could have ever imagined.

“Wooyoung, will you tell me your plan now?” Yeosang stood beside him, a bit winded.

“I’m going to blow the town hall up.”

Silence eclipses the two, only the soft whistle of the ocean’s breeze and the very faint murmur coming from the shops fills the open air. Yeosang slowly turns his head to the right; if he were made of metal and gears and had decades of rust built up on his joints there would have been a very audible creak much like an old door in a long forgotten house.

“You… what?!”

Wooyoung smacks a hand over Yeosang’s mouth, not caring in the slightest that it has a bit of perspiration gathered on it. Yeosang does, however, nose immediately wrinkling at the moisture now transferred to his lips. He yanks away quickly, lifting the back of his own hand to wipe away the mild saltiness.

“You can’t be serious, Wooyoung? This isn’t lighting bags of dog crap on peoples doorsteps, this is a destruction of government property.” Yeosang looks from shoulder to shoulder before crowding closer to the other, voice dropping lower just in case the breeze decided to carry their secrets to any of the townspeople out and about. “You will go to prison. We will go to prison— oh my god, I’ll be charged with accessory just for fucking being here with you!” Wooyoung hastily places his hand once again over Yeosang’s mouth when the whispering turned not-so quiet.

“We are not going to prison. ‘S long as we don’t get caught. Simple as that— now shut up and let me explain the plan before you rat us out to the entire town.”

Wooyoung removes his hand with a huff, pouting slightly when Yeosang wipes away at his mouth for the second time with a frown.

“Stop that, I wasn’t sweating that bad.”

“Feels like I got splashed by the ocean.”

Yeosang yelps suddenly, the skin of his bicep wedged between Wooyoung’s teeth in a swift bite. It leaves a mark behind when the younger unlatches himself from the bulging muscle. Yeosang inspects it with a grumble. He would have preferred the hand over his mouth for the third time.

“The plan is simple. You will stay out here and keep anyone from going in the building, lie if you have to or start coughing everywhere. You know these assholes will run for the cliff sides if they think you’ve got something contagious. I will go inside, find the mayors office and implant the bomb—“

“Bomb? How the hell did you get a bomb?”

Wooyoung’s lips part into a toothy grin, hand disappearing beneath the layers of his skirt before yanking out the contraption that looked, well, nothing like the usual explosive. In fact, it’s in the shape of a small book or journal. Totally unassuming.

“That’s… the bomb?”

“Neat, right? Had our lady whip it up last night. Think she did a pretty good job.”

Yeosang blinks incredulously, “Wait, wait, wait. Faust made you a bomb? Does she know about your plan?”

“Well, yes and no. I asked her for a favor after we were done making hot and steamy—“

“Save the details, I would rather eat nails than listen to what you and our wife does in private.” Yeosang had raised his hand, his line was drawn and he wasn’t going to have it defiled by Wooyoung’s need to yap.

Wooyoung rolls his eyes, “So dramatic. Anyways, I asked if she could make me an explosive that could obliterate an entire building but not, like, wipe out a piece of the planet from existence. It needed to be innocuous, something that would fly under anyone’s radar. And this baby, is what she produced.” He gives it a shake and something akin to knuckles on a hollow box reverberates back.

“Okay, that only partially answers my questions. Did she know you were planning on blowing up town hall?”

“Yeah— no. Obviously she knew I was blowing something up but as far as what…” He trails off with a shrug.

“Great, just great.”

“Zip it. You should be grateful that you are in charge of the easier part of this plan. Not that you were even supposed to be here in the first place.” The last half is mumbled, lost within his dramatic turn and ascent up the stairs. “Now be a good little lookout and let daddy Wooyoung take care of the main event.”

Yeosang audibly gags to which Wooyoung answers with a singular middle finger before slipping beyond the mahogany doors of the town hall. That leaves the older outside alone and suddenly he feels very much out in the open. As if the sight of him wasn’t worthy of suspicion and here he stands like a drop of black paint against a completely white wall.

“Should’ve went with Jongho and Mingi instead.”

“Bahhh.”

Yeosang freezes, looking from left to right.

“Bahhhhh.”

The sound is redundant, sourcing just around the corner of the town hall. Yeosang follows it hesitantly, not at all attuned with barnyard animals. What greets him is a goat, a bit plump and brown in color tied to one of the magnolia trees framing the building. He blinks and the goat blinks and then another ‘bahhhh’ or maybe it’s ‘wahhhh’ comes out of its mouth. Yeosang isn’t so sure.

“Look, it wasn’t my idea. I just wanted to do a little shopping and then go home but now I’m here playing lookout with two empty hands.”

The goat repeats it’s elongated noise and Yeosang answers it with an agreeing nod.

“Trust me, I know. I live with the guy— even share a wife with him. Isn’t that crazy?”

“Bahh.”

“Mhm.”

“Bahh-bahh.”

“Yeah, totally.”

Yeosang goes to say something more but he’s suddenly thrown to the ground as the front entrance of the town hall blasts right off followed by the roof and the sides. Everything happens so quickly— from the explosion to the smoke and fire and the debris raining down. Between the ringing in both of his ears, Yeosang can hear varying degrees of screaming, some closer and others much farther away. And the goat, he can hear the goat. Bahhhhh!

~~~~~~~~

Wooyoung slips in and dips behind a fake fern stuck in one of the corners by the front doors. He separates a couple of the leaves with his fingers to peek around. So far nobody is in sight. Which could be good or bad depending on the situation. Either no one is here and he’s free to plant the bomb and then roll out without issue or there are actually many people around but he just can’t see them and that will definitely make everything far more challenging than he would like.

Slowly, he creeps along the closest wall. Every so often pausing to hear if someone is moving around.

The mayor’s office isn’t hard to find considering it’s right across from the entrance beyond an extravagant archway with a large golden plaque nailed right at the top. Wooyoung couldn’t help but scoff at the sight of it. Of course the bastard needed a big fancy sign to broadcast his rather overly large ego.

Surprisingly, the grand room is empty. Bone-dry of life yet perfect for Wooyoung to scurry in. Except, in his haste the man trips over the oval area rug and slams down onto the floor. The book-bomb flies out of his hand on impact and slides under the mayor’s desk. Wooyoung groans, rolling over onto his back with a flurry of curses. Then he freezes, hearing a couple of unmistakable beeps. His head flops back and the sight that greets him is enough for him to stumble to his feet. The hardcover of the book opens and the bomb inside is revealed— nothing exceptionally special about it but the trigger mechanism for it to go off is attached to the cover and Wooyoung somewhat remembers Faust telling him to keep the book closed until absolutely necessary.

Now it was wide open and a red light was blinking rapidly to match the beeping.

Wooyoung is rushing out of the room, running (unfortunately) into the mayor and his right-hand seemingly coming back from lunch if by the smell of barbecue clinging to their tightly fitted suits.

“You— what are you doing in here?”

“Just leaving!”

The two men are yelling after Wooyoung but the man continues onward, reaching the entrance just as the bomb detonates and tosses him through the doors and onto the front lawn.

~~~~~~~~

Yeosang isn’t sure what compelled him to do it but the rope that was holding the goat to the tree is now hanging loose over his shoulder while the goat itself is nestled between his arms. It didn’t even protest at being lifted, as if accepting a fate far more better than whatever it has been living up until this point. Despite the slight hearing loss and the fact that his body was definitely shaking uncontrollably— Yeosang was capable enough to somewhat move in a straight line if not leaning a bit to the side.

When rounding the side, he immediately sees Wooyoung laying flat on his front like a starfish. He would’ve found the sight amusing any other day but they had to get out before they were apprehended by the police.

“Wooyoung, get the hell up! Unless you’re dead, then stay down.”

Wooyoung groans, shuffling onto his knees and then staggering to his feet. “Sorry to disappoint you but… fuck— I’m still living to see another day.”

“The only person who will be happy to hear that is our wife and now let’s go!”

“Wait— why the fuck do you have a goat?!”

Both men take off on unsteady feet, bumping into each other and the crowd of townspeople rushing towards the scene. Yeosang barely hears the question over the ringing in his ears. “Finders keepers!”

The shops coming into view is like seeing water in the desert— actual water and not a mirage. Both men hurry down the sidewalk on the left and just in time to see both Seonghwa and San emerge from one shop with matching expressions of bewilderment. Seonghwa is the first to notice their hurried approach, zeroing in on the dust coating their uniforms and the dirt smeared across their faces. He’s quick to gather that the loud noise had been their doing and felt quite a mouthful about to spill past his lips. However, before he could lay in on either one, Wooyoung had latched onto San’s arm and nearly yanked him out of his shoes.

“You can lecture us later, we’ve got to go!”

Seonghwa snaps his lips shut and follows behind Yeosang, eyes widening at the sight of the goat in his arms suddenly peering over his shoulder.

The next to appear is Mingi and Jongho, the younger now sporting two baskets full of art supplies and books and random items used as decor that he thought would look rather nice in the Mastodon. Mingi had an armful of more or less the same things along with pillows he snatched from the reading armchairs and a lamp with a frog on the bottom lounging with a book in its hand.

They don’t even say anything, just merging into the group as everyone runs.

The last to appear is Hongjoong, Yunho and Faust.

“What the hell is happening?!” Hongjoong is nearly trampled over if not for Yunho yanking him out of the way.

“Wooyoung blew up the town hall!” Yeosang didn’t even care if he had just ousted the younger, wanting nothing more than to reach the Windsor and ride off to the safety of their home.

“You did what?!”

Now everyone was booking it, blazing past the ugly welcoming sign and towards the Windsor. Jongho fumbled with the keys a bit but managed to quickly unlock the doors just in time for Wooyoung to nearly slam into them. He yanks one side open and throws himself into the second row of seats. Yeosang follows him closely, a bit more mindful of the goat still in his arms with San and Seonghwa joining them. Hongjoong, Yunho and Mingi scurry into the first row and Jongho and Faust settle into the driver’s and passenger seats respectively.

The key is shoved in the ignition and the motor roars to life. Jongho stomps his foot onto the gas pedal and jerks the wheel to the side, the Windsor sharply turns and peels out in a rush.

“Tell me,” Hongjoong turns to look at Wooyoung and Yeosang, “Why is it when shit hits the fan it is always you two at the scene of the crime?!”

“I don’t know, might be a medical problem or something.”

“And the goat?” San looks over at the animal with an eyebrow raised.

“Her name is Goatrude.” Yeosang pets the coarse hair on her side gently.

“Welcome to the family, Goatrude. I believe you will find this new life of yours quite exciting.” Faust adorns a wide grin, watching the aftermath of Wooyoung’s little escapade in the side view mirror, the smoke from the explosion reaching far up into the sky.

[vincent-marie]

"What Baby Wants"

Another proud gay riff on an Alice Cooper song.

In this case, Anubis giving Johnny Long-Legs a lap dance as a very generous gift from Johnny's wife Velvet Ophelia.

Check out my Patreon for the pre-cleanup “chicken-scratch” versions of my art every Sunday.

Follow & support my work on Patreon, or make a one-time donation to my Ko-Fi.

Also follow me on Instagram, Bluesky, & Mastodon.

[charring58]

Octopus mask made from fossilized ivory (mastodon or whale) with inlaid #abaloneshell, Tlingit, 20th century, Gift of Dorothy and Joseph Palombo.

[dapolyshipping]

2023 Updates & Changes

The DA Poly Website has been fully updated for 2023, and boy were there a lot of updates to be made. Please read through the changes below the cut and let us know if you have any questions. Also don't forget:

Nominations open in just over a month!

Changes

Communications

After a lot of thought and consideration, we've decided to shut down the exchange twitter. We're sorry for those of you who use that as your main source of news, but the platform has become openly hostile to small projects and creators and it's going to be impossible for us to post there and ensure you actually see our updates. Instead, you can follow our announcements in the following ways:

Our Website We have added a blog to our website which will have an archive of all of our posts from today onward. You can follow the blog in your RSS reader of choice! (Have no idea what RSS is? I highly recommend the in depth blog RSS for Post-Twitter News and Web Monitoring, but you can also find a more bite-sized intro on mod enigmalea's website here.)

Tumblr Our tumblr will continue to host announcements and information about the exchange and will continue to host Poly Sharing (the new name for the former DA Polyshipping Day/Week).

Mod enigmalea's Mastodon If you're on Mastodon, enigmalea will be posting updates there. If you'd rather not follow them directly, you can also follow the dragon age chirp.social and gup.pe groups and see the updates that way!

The Hanged Man Dreamwidth & The Hanged Man Pillowfort If you have an account on Dreamwidth or Pillowfort, we'll be sharing updates in The Hanged Man communities on those sites!

Fandom Calendar Dreamwidth We will be posting a schedule and reminder for each stage of the exchange on Fandom Calendar!

General

Polyshipping Week info was renamed to "Poly Sharing" and updated to reflect that we reblog DA poly content at any time!

Collections for the exchange will remain open at all times for additional treats. If you have a prompt you still want to write from any previous years, feel free to do so!

Website has been updated with all new info. The tumblr pinned post has all updated info, as well.

The AO3 collection now features a short version of the FAQ to save space. Please refer to the website for the in depth FAQ.

The countdown was removed from the tumblr layout. The website homepage still has a countdown!

The website was updated to show all deadlines in your local time.

Rules Updates

The rules have been updated to clarify that previously posted works cannot be added to the collection. An exception to this might be a transformational work of a work already in the collection (for example, if someone makes a podfic for a fic in the collection and doesn’t add it to the collection initially, it could be added later.)

The rules were also clarified to disallow works which are entirely AI generated. Our Exchange Info gives a more detailed explanation of what we mean.

Nominations

There have been no changes to nominations.

Sign-Ups

Sign-Ups require a minimum of 3 ships for requests and offers instead of one. We've received sign-ups with very limited requests and offers lately which makes producing a match very difficult.

Sign-Ups now allow for up a maximum of 60 ships requested and an unlimited number of ships offered. Please see Tutorials - How to Sign-Up for more details.

Your requests cannot consist of entirely ships which use a DNW to limit your creator to creating for only your OC. For at least one of the three ships you request you should be open to receiving any OC (generic, one created specifically for your gift, or your gifter's OC) or should be a ship which has no original characters. Creating for other people's OCs is complex and is not something that everyone is able or willing to tackle within the context of an exchange, so participants should be willing to be flexible for at least one request.

If you are requesting art of your OC we ask that you have more than one reference for both face and body. Otherwise, artists may have a difficult time filling your request.

Other Exchange Stuff

Last, but certainly not least, the mods will be posting a separate Treatless list this year. The link has not been added anywhere yet, but will be shortly after sign-ups close!

[lingthusiasm]

Lingthusiasm Episode 98: Helping computers decode sentences - Interview with Emily M. Bender

When a human learns a new word, we're learning to attach that word to a set of concepts in the real world. When a computer "learns" a new word, it is creating some associations between that word and other words it has seen before, which can sometimes give it the appearance of understanding, but it doesn't have that real-world grounding, which can sometimes lead to spectacular failures: hilariously implausible from a human perspective, just as plausible from the computer's.

In this episode, your host Lauren Gawne gets enthusiastic about how computers process language with Dr. Emily M. Bender, who is a linguistics professor at the University of Washington, USA, and cohost of the podcast Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000. We talk about Emily's work trying to formulate a list of rules that a computer can use to generate grammatical sentences in a language, the differences between that and training a computer to generate sentences using the statistical likelihood of what comes next based on all the other sentences, and the further differences between both those things and how humans map language onto the real world. We also talk about paying attention to communities not just data, the labour practices behind large language models, and how Emily's persistent questions led to the creation of the Bender Rule (always state the language you're working on, even if it's English).

Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice or read the transcript here.

Announcements: The 2024 Lingthusiasm Listener Survey is here! It’s a mix of questions about who you are as our listener, as well as some fun linguistics experiments for you to participate in. If you have taken the survey in previous years, there are new questions, so you can participate again this year.

In this month’s bonus episode we get enthusiastic about three places where we can learn things about linguistics!! We talk about two linguistically interesting museums that Gretchen recently visited: the Estonian National Museum, as well as Mundolingua, a general linguistics museum in Paris. We also talk about Lauren's dream linguistics travel destination: Martha's Vineyard.

Join us on Patreon now to get access to this and 90+ other bonus episodes. You’ll also get access to the Lingthusiasm Discord server where you can chat with other language nerds.

Also, Patreon now has gift memberships! If you'd like to get a gift subscription to Lingthusiasm bonus episodes for someone you know, or if you want to suggest them as a gift for yourself, here's how to gift a membership.

Here are the links mentioned in the episode:

Emily Bender

Emily Bender on Bluesky and Twitter

Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000

Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000: The Newsletter

The AI Con by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna

'Data Sovereignty and the Kaitiakitanga License' on Te Hiku

wordfreq by Robyn Speer on GitHub

Lingthusiasm Episode ‘Making machines learn language - Interview with Janelle Shane’

Bonus with Janelle Shane: we do a dramatic reading of the funniest auto-generated Lingthusiasm episodes

You can listen to this episode via Lingthusiasm.com, Soundcloud, RSS, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also download an mp3 via the Soundcloud page for offline listening.

To receive an email whenever a new episode drops, sign up for the Lingthusiasm mailing list.

You can help keep Lingthusiasm ad-free, get access to bonus content, and more perks by supporting us on Patreon.

Lingthusiasm is on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Mastodon, and Tumblr. Email us at contact [at] lingthusiasm [dot] com

Gretchen is on Bluesky as @GretchenMcC and blogs at All Things Linguistic.

Lauren is on Bluesky as @superlinguo and blogs at Superlinguo.

Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins, our editorial assistant is Jon Kruk, and our technical editor is Leah Velleman. Our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles.

This episode of Lingthusiasm is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license (CC 4.0 BY-NC-SA).

[airadam]

Episode 173 : ...after all this rain.

"...kick rocks or kick rhymes..."

- Jean Grae

The seasons are most definitely changing on this side, and the heavens have been pretty open the last couple of weeks while I've been putting the show together. Unfortunately during that time, we lost a couple of respected DJs and producers, DJ Mark the 45 King and Groove Damoast, both of whom are included in this month's mix. May they rest well.  The selections for this month span a time period of almost fifty years, from a 1975 funk classic to a brand new release from one of Manchester's finest, making stops in the 80s and the independent Hip-Hop wax era of the 90s - something for all the heads!

Don't forget - you can always get an up-to-date list of my next few upcoming streams and gigs @ events.airadam.com!

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Mastodon (because Twitter is basically on fire) : https://mastodon.me.uk/@airadam

Playlist/Notes

DJ Muggs, Roc Marciano, Meyhem Lauren, and Rome Streetz : 67 Keys

Two MCs I've seen live recently with another (Rome Streetz) I would have seen if it wasn't for work's on-call schedule, talking pure drug business over some thriller film-type production courtesy of DJ Muggs, who has constructed an amazing second act post the Cypress Hill classics that everyone knows him for. Everyone gets busy on the mic on this new single, with Meyhem killing that last verse.

David Cutter Music : Upstart

UK beat action here with this London beatmaker cooking up a quintessential boom-bap type of beat with a little of that DJ Premier flavour and heaviness - I might need to blend this with some M.O.P! Get this on the recently-released "Follow Dreams" LP.

MF DOOM : Lickupon

I went back to the "Viktor Vaughn Vaudeville Villain" LP after being gifted an amazing alternate cover for display recently, and this was a standout on my first listen in a while. The producers (Heat Sensor) work the same sample as Biggie's "Warning" but with all sorts of other stuff going on, and DOOM just goes nuts from beginning to end. Bars upon bars with no hook, purely the sounds of someone who loved to flip words every which way.

Doo Wop ft. Raekwon : Castle To Castle

You've got to be brave to hop on a track with the crime-rhyming slang master Raekwon if MCing isn't your full-time gig, but Doo Wop (one of Biggie's favourite DJs) gives a good account of himself here as well as holding down the production! A classic jazz sample is the basis for this track from "The State vs Doo Wop" which is also available on a 12" if you need the clean version and instrumental.

Little Brother ft. Rhymefest and Supastition : Do It To Death

A personal headphone favourite I could have sworn I'd already played on the podcast, but which somehow missed the selection for the last fourteen-plus years! All four MCs kill it, but my favourite is absolutely Phonte on the opening verse, with his "American Pie" reference never failing to make me smile! Focus... is on production and those drums are absolutely smacking here, making this track a highlight of "...And Justus For All".

Marley Marl : Hip-Hop History #4

Short and sweet, with a chunky and bouncing beat from the godfather of sampling as we know it today, and no rhymes - just a few words about his own history in Hip-Hop. Find this one on the 2000 "Hip Hop Dictionary" release, which I thought might be a big hard to find but is actually available digitally.

Kev Brown & Dre King : Black Champions

Tough, tough instrumental that I've had on repeat this month, taken from the seven-track "King Kev" project from these two musical masters. Dre King is, amongst other things, a sample pack producer who provides top-shelf instrumental pieces for producers to sample, and his work is used to great effect once Kev Brown gets it into his MPC. No hi-hits on this, just the kick and snare smashing through the whole beat, giving you little spaces where just the bass and keys play before the drums kick you in the head again!

Pharoahe Monch ft. Jean Grae and Royce Da 5' 9" : Assassins

An appropriately named track from the "W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)" album, with all three MCs fitting perfectly into the roles of Hip-Hop assassins (check the full version to get the intro), since none of them have ever encountered a beat they couldn't kill. M-Phazes is on the beat, and it's appropriately loud and dramatic - not something that blends into a mix naturally, because so many things don't sound quite like this.

[DJ Premier] Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, and Benny The Butcher : Headlines (Instrumental)

I was surprised to find I hadn't played the vocal version of this Griselda track before, but DJ Premier's instrumental provides a nice bridge here between a track with no outro and one with too little drum intro - coming in hard with the aggressive stabs before transitioning into string-led production.

Redman : Bricks Standup

A short freestyle-ish expedition from Redman's "Ill At Will Mixtape Vol.1", which sees one of the all-time greats killing it over the instrumental for Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say?". That instrumental was produced by Brooklyn duo The Buchanans, who somehow cooked this up as one of their first creations and got it placed on "The Black Album" - talk about coming in hot!

Peanut Butter Wolf ft. Rasco and DJ Q-Bert : Run The Line

Taking it back to some late 90s underground Hip-Hop that brings back memories of the tail end of my time at university in Manchester, and especially the time when turntablism was starting to break out of the preserve of only the absolutely most in-the-know to the wider Hip-Hop world and beyond. Q-Bert obliterates it on the scratch as he does literally every single time, with all kinds of flaring action that might as well have come from outer space to many of us! Stones Throw founder Peanut Butter Wolf is on production of course on this track from his debut solo LP release "My Vinyl Weighs A Ton", and the all-California lineup is completed by Rasco on the mic. Cleveland-born, but as one of the Cali Agents...he counts.

Tyler Daley : These Cards

One half of Children of Zeus and a certified triple threat, Tyler shows off his singing, rhyming (in case you forgot), and production skills on this bumping new single. And he's 100% correct...he's done alright, to say the least.

The 45 King : Meganizm

While The 45 King is best known for his 80s productions, he was also the producer of tracks like Jay-Z's "Hard Knock Life" and "Stan" for Eminem as well as a number of far more underground collections of beats, like 2006's "Grooves For A Quiet Storm" from which this track is drawn. A chilled head-nodder with a straightforward and clean drum track on top of some summery keys and bass, this fits just as well at a BBQ as on a mixtape!

SoulChef, Steph Pockets, and DJ Groove Damoast : When It Comes To This

RIP Groove Damoast, who passed away this month. I didn't know the full extent  of his work, only knowing his name as a DJ on Twitch, but he was a well-regarded DJ and producer out of Philadelphia who is deeply missed by many. Having heard this 2021 single on one of the many tribute shows, I decided I wanted to share it here. New Zealand's SoulChef is on production, Groove Damoast is the man on the turntables cutting it up with precision, and his Philadelphia compatriot Steph Pockets controls the mic from start to end. Quality Hip-Hop.

Dynamic Syncopation ft. Mass Influence : 2 Tha Left

Early 2000s pick here that I encountered on the Ninja Tune "Xen Cuts" compilation, but was also on the 2002 "In The Red" LP by the combo of producers Loop Professor and Jonny Cuba. As much as this breezy, acoustic guitar-laced track could have been a great instrumental, they stepped it up by drafting in Mass Influence, an underground crew of MCs out of Atlanta who sound very different to what would come to most people's mind when they think of Atlanta Hip-Hop! Apparently some people know this from an advert for Adult Swim segment of Cartoon Network, so it's interesting to know that stuff like Ninja Tune had that kind of reach within the generation who are not making the decisions :) 

Fred & The New JB's : (It's Not The Express) It's the J.B.'s Monaurail, Pt. 1

(Not my apostrophe placement, by the way!) I had a bit of a play with the cue points feature on Serato to extend this live-drummed intro a little bit, just because those hi-hats are so fire. A classic funk workout from Fred Wesley and the rest of James Brown's famous band of that era (from the "James Brown's Funky People" LP), and one that has been sampled on at least three tracks I can think of - I don't know if the sample was cleared on my favourite usage, so I won't mention it here even though you might have heard me play it in the past...

EPMD : Let The Funk Flow

I'll be real - this is far from my favourite of the tracks on EPMD's classic debut "Strictly Business", but I couldn't pass up the chance to blend into it off the back of the original sample! Listening to the cuts on this makes me smile, performed by the group's original DJ K La Boss (who is still working today under the name Dj4our5ive) in his early years.

[Rashad Smith and Sean "Puffy" Combs] The Notorious B.I.G. : One More Chance (Hip-Hop Instrumental)

In a then-contemporary example of the new school calling back to their Hip-Hop inspirations, Rashad Smith and Puffy essentially lifted the monster Marley Marl beat for Craig G's "Droppin' Science (Remix)" for this drastic remix of a track that was already a remix...ok, stay with me on this. The original "One More Chance" was on "Ready To Die" and was pretty raw on the X-rated rhymes, and was then essentially re-recorded with Faith Evans on the hook with a bit of a bow tie on the production, sampling DeBarge's "Stay With Me" for radio appeal. However, the winner for many of us was taking the lyrics from this version and putting them alongside the undeniable break that Marley used seven years before!

Latee : This Cut's Got Flavor

Closing with a DJ Mark the 45 King production, a real classic for heads of a certain age that you don't hear often enough nowadays! This 1987 single has an absolutely monster drum track highlighted by those heavy kicks, and the slowed-down guitar riff is a perfect era-appropriate backing. Latee only had a few releases under his own banner, along with a decent number of guest appearances, but these to me will always be the rhymes that come to mind whenever this Flavor Unit MC is mentioned. This track just makes me want to put on a Dapper Dan suit and drive an AMG Benz somewhere. To my desk job, I suppose 😁

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[dzgrizzle]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/23/transgender-adults-transitioning-poll/

Forwarded from Mastodon: "Amazing article in Washington Post today - data from a massive survey of trans adults, no political invective, that just lets us talk about our LIVES"

Here's a gift link from my Washington Post account: https://wapo.st/40CC4Fy

[mygogglesdosomething]

Cross-pollinator - I search the other sites and bring gifts from Mastodon and Reddit and Discord

it's a poll to find out the ratio of what kind of users exist on tumblr pls reblog

[botanyone]

An Anonymous Botanist has Poisoned a Herbarium in New York in an Unusual Way

An Anonymous Botanist has Poisoned a Herbarium in New York in an Unusual Way https://ift.tt/0DR9SqU Herbaria are essential tools for Botany. They’re collections of preserved plant remains that can be used for reference by other botanists, but they have a problem. Herbaria don’t just attract botanists, they can attract insects. In the nineteenth century, a popular pesticide was corrosive sublimate (mercury [II] chloride), a colourless but toxic chemical often mixed in with alcohol or ether to preserve the plants from bugs. It’s a health hazard. That’s why Catherine Stephens and colleagues were inspecting old collections of plants in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanic Garden, for telltale signs of grey blotching. These stains in the paper around plants give away the presence of mercury traces in the poison. What they found when they examined the pages of “158 Plants Collected in Little Britain Township, 1837” surprised them. Stephens used a handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. This is as close to a Star Trek tricorder as you could hope for. You point the spectrometer at the thing you’re interested in. The spectrometer sends a very low power beam to the target. This beam has enough energy to ‘excite’ electrons, knocking them up to higher energy levels. These electrons aren’t stable in the higher levels, so they quickly drop down to their normal state. When they do, they release the extra energy as a photon. The energy and wavelength of the photons is directly connected to the energy levels around the atoms in the sample, and each kind of atom has different energy levels. So these photons act as a chemical fingerprint for what’s in your sample. There wasn’t any mercury in this herbarium. There was a lot of arsenic. But the arsenic was not where they expected. It wasn’t the plant as such. The strongest signals for arsenic were found where the glue was thickest. It seems that the collector of these samples didn’t use the standard techniques, but instead mixed a chemical, likely arsenic trioxide, in with the glue to preserve the samples. It seems to have been effective. There’s little damage to the specimens ever after almost 200 years. But it’s an unusual method of protection. The team haven’t found any other examples of botanists poisoning their glue. The Botanist, whoever they were, wasn’t trying to poison future generations but rather to send a gift to the future, and preserve it. That meant using what they could get their hands on. Stephens and colleagues discuss the history of preservation in their article, and point out how much Americans loved to use arsenic. “For much of the nineteenth century, arsenic was an indispensable everyday commodity that could be purchased in now-astonishing quantities by anyone who desired it, even by children.” Stephens and colleagues note that XRF scanning is expensive, and it’s not an option for all institutions. But they also point out they were lucky to use it. “In the case of this 1837 bound herbarium, spot-testing might have given a false sense of security to Library staff, because the presence of mercury would have been ruled out, while the presence of arsenic might not have been suspected or explored.” They also add there is no safe degree of arsenic exposure. If you’re seeking adventure in botanical research, you might find more surprising discoveries exploring these early botanical artifacts than you will in the field – though perhaps with more unexpected hazards than you bargained for. Stephens, C.E., Miller, K.O. & Marder, O.S. (2025). ‘Dash on the Poison’: Analysis of an 1837 Bound Herbarium Laced with Colorless Arsenic Trioxide. Studies in Conservation. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2024.2448101 Cross-posted to Bluesky & Mastodon. The post An Anonymous Botanist has Poisoned a Herbarium in New York in an Unusual Way appeared first on Botany One. via Botany One https://botany.one/ February 02, 2025 at 09:00AM

[dynamo-deepblue]

Artemis setting up for the holidays and getting some help from Xander, the biggest bat she knows! Christmas gift for my friend Kurrikage, because he's a sweetheart <3

---

Website | Commission Info | Shop | Ko-fi | Telegram Art Feed

Twitter | Tumblr | Mastodon | Bluesky | Fur Affinity

[daveg65]

338 - Apple TV+and Vision Pro What to Expect in 2025

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by guests Patrice Brend’Amour,, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, and Ben Roethig. We share insights on the Vision Pro's transformative potential in fields like healthcare and productivity. We delve into iOS development with a look at the upcoming iOS 18.3, discussing new features and the importance of APIs for developers. The conversation also covers the anticipation surrounding Apple TV+ and its upcoming original content. As we shift to holiday tech gifts, we share personal anecdotes that highlight their impact. Finally, we reflect on Netflix's venture into live sports, considering its implications for the streaming landscape. 

The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com

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Give us a review on Apple Podcasts! CLICK HERE we would really appreciate it!

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Summary and Topics and Links

We kick things off with a deep dive into the Apple Vision Pro, exploring its applications beyond gaming to fields such as healthcare and productivity. The team engages in a thought-provoking conversation about the device’s potential. Patrice draws from her experience in healthcare, highlighting how the Vision Pro can revolutionize medical procedures with augmented reality features that enhance surgical precision. Marty echoes this sentiment, likening the device to advancements in pilot training with the introduction of flight simulators. The discussion turns to consumer perceptions, with a consensus forming around the need for better understanding of what the Vision Pro can offer.

We also review the current state of iOS development, touching on the beta release of iOS 18.3 and some potential updates we might expect in the near future. This segment includes a breakdown of the latest features, improvements in functionality, and the importance of developers gaining access to new APIs that will enhance their applications’ capabilities. Jeff offers an optimistic perspective on the future of the Vision Pro and its role as a standalone computing platform, which could reshape how consumers evaluate computing devices.

Later in the episode, we pivot to discuss the latest updates from Apple TV+. There's excitement surrounding the mysterious event slated for January 2025 and the release of new original content. Patrice shares her enthusiasm for Apple TV+ and its ability to consistently deliver high-quality programming. The chat quickly transitions into a discussion about the larger market landscape, where we compare Apple’s growth trajectory with competitors, emphasizing how Apple is setting itself apart with original content instead of relying on nostalgic back catalogs.

The conversation takes a light-hearted turn as we discuss holiday gifts, showcasing tech gadgets that have made a remarkable impact on our daily lives. With a mix of humor and nostalgia, we recount personal experiences with new devices and what we appreciated most about them during the holiday season.

In Touch With Vision Pro this week. 

Apple Vision Pro is driving VR use from games to healthcare productivity

Patrice, Marty, and Dave have the Vision Pro as we know, with the end of year upon us, we discuss what are our 2 favorite features, and what we would like to see in the future.

Beta this week. iOS 18.2.1 for iPhone Now Confirmed as iOS 18.3 Beta Testing Continues 

Not happy with the Photos App? How to Make the iOS 18 Photos App Suck Less

How to change what the iPhone 16 Camera Control button does

21 Time-Saving iPhone Tips to Make You a More Efficient User

What did we get for Christmas? We review the great tech gifts. 

Rode NT USB mini

News

Apple Set to Become First $4 Trillion Company

Apple TV+ teases mysterious announcement on the first weekend of 2025

Severance season 2 is almost here, and you can watch the first 8 minutes now

'Silo' scores a third and fourth season from Apple TV+

Netflix Scores a Touchdown: NFL Christmas Day Streams Without Any Major Issues

Announcements

Macstock 9 is next summer. It's back again for 3 Days on July 11, 12, and 13th, 2025. Newsletter link here: https://mailchi.mp/0c81790aa2a8/macstock8-10132503?e=eb0c7039b1

Macstock 8 wrapped up for 2024. But you can purchase the digital pass and still see the great talks we had including Dave talking about Apple Services and more. Content is now available! .  Click here for more information: Digital Pass | Macstock Conference & Expo with discounts on previous events. 

Our Host

Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, and the show @intouchwithios

  Our Regular Contributors

Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer’s managing editor, and Smile’s TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet as well as Instagram and BlueSky @jgamet  His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet

Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at jencius@mastodon.social  https://thepodtalk.net 

Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. Twitter @benroethig  Website: https://roethigtech.blogspot.com

About our Guests

Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group.

Patrice Brend’amour loves to create podcasts, automations or software. She also enjoys working with diverse sets of people, leading them to success and making a tiny difference in the world. Which she does as VP of Development at a Healthcare Software provider. She can be found at https://the-patrice.com podcasts Retro Rewatch https://retrorewatch.com/ and Foodie Flashback at https://foodieflashback.com

Here is our latest Episode!