#i ought to apply to a place where i can study something interesting..

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Mike Nayna

Published: May 19, 2023

In the deleted scene above, Peter proposes a thought experiment to his philosophy class. He asks his students how they would have gone about discrediting the pseudoscience of phrenology at the height of its popularity. This not-so-subtle dig at the identity studies departments is an interesting way to think about how theories can flourish into fields with almost no connection to material reality.

The scene highlights Peter, James, and Helen's fundamental critique of the identity studies canon, which is that it gains legitimacy by mimicking scientific forms but doesn’t adhere to the expectations of the scientific method. Allow me to flesh this perspective out by drawing a comparison.

A scientific theory emerges from the observation of facts. It’s a kind of story we tell about how certain groups of facts relate to each other and why they show up in the way they do. There’s an expectation among scientists that you should be able to familiarise yourself with a scientific theory and then use its principles to predict something new and verifiable about the world.

A Critical Theory, however, which is the genre of theory studied in the identity studies departments, doesn’t hold itself to this expectation. Critical theorists claim that the social sciences must integrate philosophy into their methods to make their findings work practically toward a moral cause. Where the purpose of a scientific theory is to understand the world as it is, the purpose of a Critical Theory is to change the world into something it ought to be.

Critical Race Theory, Postcolonial Theory, and Queer Theory, the three heads of the Social Justice hydra, are all different methods of criticising Western social norms from the perceived perspectives of outsider identities. I use the word “perceived” here because critical theorists are self-appointed representatives of the groups they study and they seek to generate a particular kind of “oppressed” perspective among thier subjects rather than exploring their authentic thoughts and feelings.

They critique everything, from the way we form couples, to how buildings are designed, right down to the way white people prepare food. Thier seemingly bottomless body of criticism is now decades old and is actively disseminated with the aim of “liberating” non-normative identities from the bondage of conservative social values and customary expectations.

“Criticism, yoked to a fixed set of conclusions, turns into an orthodoxy.”

-- Kenneth Minogue

While some scholars working with Critical Theory use these theoretical frameworks as starting points to do real research, the standards of the field have devolved so badly that a fundamentalism has emerged from their vast body of work. This happens through a process I call “theoretical laser surgery,” where a scholar imbibes so much abstract theoretical philosophy that they can’t unsee it. Critical Theory is no longer a lens to apply to particular phenomena but a worldview grafted into every aspect of their consciousness.

“The question is not ‘did racism take place?’ but rather ‘how did racism manifest in this situation?’”

Differing from scientific practitioners who are required to attempt to disprove their starting assumptions, these fundamentalists start with their conclusions and move into the field to accumulate proof and punish dissent. They write papers, books, articles and tweets, devise courses and workshops, create art and films, and contort statistics to reify their beliefs and evangelise their worldview.

The quasi-religious movement that proceeds from this body of work is my narrow definition of “Woke.” They themselves call their worldview a “critical consciousness,” and they seek to create a mass awakening to the oppressive superstructures of patriarchy, heteronormativity, and white supremacy, through our centres of cultural production - academia, law, media, religious institutions, and the arts.

I think it’s important to keep this label narrow and avoid applying it to the vast array of left-wing sensibilities that are now popularly deemed “Woke.” The work done by the fundamentalists in these fields, and now far beyond, informs many people I wouldn’t consider fundamentalists at all. If you make a distinction between the activists I’ve described above and your garden-variety leftie with technocratic leanings, you can paint a more detailed picture of how something like this has been able to claim so much power from within ostensibly liberal institutions.

==

We're living in a world created by phrenologists.

[blirpus]

got an exam tomorrow and i am NOT prepared lol

[pridelessdaydreamer]

🏚- A memory about exploration

// memories. (Also asked by @fangedjustice)

Heir of Hevring sits down with a book, a deep forest green cover with yellowed parchment pages. Every so often, he’d flip the sheets with his ten-year old fingers, unveiling more and more of the world he sought to discover.

It was the tale of an adventurer — one who was smart and careful about her actions, and yet daring enough to travel the uncharted wilderness nonetheless. In the face of the adversary, she had a solution at the ready — and if she didn’t? She’d make one.

Through its prose and its pacing, the boy was easily captivated. His mind painted pictures of the landscapes the adventurer saw, deciphering each letter like he was piecing together a puzzle (and the final picture was a grand, moving masterpiece). Every adjective evoked a sight, every verb a grand gesture — an epic where each sentence said something, every paragraph paid off, and chapters were catered to one’s sense of being.

It was unthought of — such a sensation — separated from Lin by the pages beneath his fingertips. He grew up so far away from his own backyard, raised to be proper and polite and all the things it’d be so much easier to live without paying attention to. When once, he could sneak out and bask in the stars at night, now his every move had at least one eye watching it.

And so, he often retreated to the estate’s study.

His father had a large library of books, covering both fiction and non-fiction alike (the man often spent more time with the latter, as duty recognized him as the Empire’s Minister of Domestic Affairs). Linhardt, however, had been a quick learner and had been reading since he was three and a half years old. His heart, therefore, lay in the world of stories — an escape from the expectations he was yet to bear in full.

The quiet of the study is disturbed just a moment, drawing Linhardt’s attention to his teacher.

“It would seem there’s no sneaking up on you, Linhardt,” they remark, taking a seat beside him, only hesitating to make sure the child is okay with it.

“Were you attempting to catch me off-guard?” Linhardt asks plainly. “Because we both know it was never going to work.” His teacher laughs in response.

“Yes, I suppose I had no chance.” They glance at the book laid open on the young Hevring’s lap. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Mhm.”

The Hevring returns to his story, snapped near instantly back into its world, leaving his teacher behind. They watch him wordlessly, letting a few moments pass before remarking, “You know, you have the makings of a great scholar.”

I know, the boy thinks to himself. It’s not the first time he’d heard the remark, after all. A child with prodigious reading ability, the drive to consume writing for hours on end, and a clear interest in understanding the world as a whole (‘if only he could apply his skills to something useful’).

“I’m not going to force you to partake in literature that doesn’t interest you,” they say, “but perhaps you ought to give it a try? Perhaps there’s a topic you have some interest in that you’d like to learn more about, like monsters or magic?”

Truth be told, magic did fascinate the Hevring heir. It was such an interesting fact of life — a power that can heal and hurt (and all by the intention of the wielder). To protect and to preserve, both violent and peaceful, an ally and an enemy (a question to whom the answer was very clearly, “Yes, I will help others.” It was so effortlessly clear to him, that it felt odd that others could falter on it).

Even stronger within him, however, was the desire to understand crests.

They eluded him, an intangible that seemed to be acknowledged everywhere (the main character of the book he was reading had a minor crest of Indech, for example). He knew he had one, as did his father (Caspar did not).

Why did people value them so? What makes them appear in the first place? What exactly do they even do?

The question is not lost on his teacher, who seems to expect his answer well before Linhardt does.

“I would like to find something on crests...”

They nod, standing up and navigating the rows of non-fiction books, seemingly searching for one specific sought after volume (when they return, it’s a hardcover treatise entitled Power Incarnate: An Introduction to Crests, written by a Hanneman von Essar). Drawing attention to the sheer size of the guide, they add, “It’s alright if you don’t finish it. It’s a big read, but I think you’d enjoy it.”

“It’s alright,” Linhardt assures, flipping through the pages to size up the text. A lot of it is smaller print than he’s used to, and there’s certainly a lot more pages than in anything else he’d ever read, but that was all fine. If it really interested him, it’d end up read regardless in roughly four to five days.

“I’ll start later,” he declares, placing down the volume to continue his book. His teacher nods understandingly, leaving to give him the space to truly enjoy it.

He reads over 200 more pages that afternoon, finishing the story in one grand burst. It’s not how he would normally go about it (generally, he’d take a few breaks along the way for snacks and naps), but something about his new volume — his non-fiction volume — threatens to steal him from his comfort zone, away from the unknown world of stories and into the unknown world beyond his four walls.

It didn’t scare him — that’d be an inaccurate claim, — rather, it promised him something. Something he couldn’t ignore:

Once you head down this path, you will scarcely return.

At the end of the story, the adventurer is honored by her homeland, a hero who mapped the unknown. Her exploits ultimately aided her people, and her knowledge became the basis of grand inventions previously inconceivable. It was a satisfactory ending, although Linhardt would’ve preferred something different for himself.

All that attention was far more than he was willing to put up with — he’d much rather be a silent contributor to society (assuming he contributed at all). As he pages through the preface, he thinks to himself how he’d simply like to research things that are of interest to him — nothing more, nothing less. If that helped people, then that was good. If not, then ah, well! That was never the intention to begin with.

The prose is different, unsurprisingly. What is surprising to him, however, is just how much character the text carries. You can feel the passion behind the crestologist’s writings and the pure joy he experiences in his research.

It pulls him in, and he finishes the tale over the course of the next two days.

[theoreticslut]

The Truth that you Deny // Part 1

pairing: fred weasley x reader x george weasley

word count: 2,644

warnings: none, fluff

A/N: apologies that this is a day late! I wasn’t feeling great yesterday, but i’m posting it now so I hope you all like it! also, i don’t have a lot of followers yet, but if you like my wrting and/or just this imagine maybe I could start a taglist?? let me know what you think!

“I don’t know what to do anymore, steph. I don’t understand this at all.” You pout, sighing as you lean back in your chair.

You’d been studying for hours now, which is the last thing you wanted to do on a Saturday, and the only thing you’ve managed to do is waste time and get maybe one or two questions/paragraphs done on a number of assignments. You had yet to actually complete anything.

Stephanie looks at you frowning, more than just a little bit annoyed with you.

“Maybe it’d help if you didn’t drift off thinking about your little crush every five minutes.”

“Who?” You ask, having not been paying attention.

“You’re seriously going to play dumb right now? We both know who you’re constantly thinking about.”

“I honestly don’t.”

“Oh come on, y/n. You so totally have a crush on the twins!”

“I do not. Why would you even think that?” You scoff. You, Stephanie, Katie, Lee, and the twins have been friends since first year and you had never once mentioned having a crush on either of them. Sure you might’ve been quiet and distracted around them sometimes, but you get stressed about school so easily. You spend most of the time worrying about grades and whether you know the material. In fact, while the twins were amazing friends, their pranks often drove you insane.

“Why would I think that? Y/n, have you seen the way you look at them? Do you even realize what you say to them?”

“What do you mean? I don’t say anything different to them than I do you.”

“Uh, yeah. You do. You are way nicer to them then you are me or katie or Lee. Remember when gryffindor won the last quidditch game and you couldn’t tell Fred and George enough how well they did?”

“Well they did. I was just saying the truth. It was a really good game.” You defend, not liking how steph seems to be grilling you for a yes.

“Okay, well then how about when either of them show up you’re suddenly ten times happier then you were beforehand?” She looks at you smugly like she knows she’s correct.

“Afternoon, ladies.” Fred greets as both him and George suddenly appear and sit down at the table you and Steph were studying at.

“Hey guys,” you smile catching the knowing look Steph throws your way. You roll your eyes at her and turn your attention to the twins. She can believe whatever she pleases, but it still doesn’t make it true.

“Are you girls studying?” George asks, a hint of disgust in his tone.

“Trying to. I’m not having much luck.” You sigh, throwing a playful glare at your best friend which doesn’t go unnoticed by any of them.

“Well then how about you put it away and come play a game of quidditch with us?” Fred asks, hope glowing on his face.

You sigh as frown takes hold of your face. If only you had gotten all this done already, or even better, didn’t have it to begin with.

“I’d love too, but I really need to get all of this done. I can’t put it off any longer.”

Both twins join as you pout. You know that they know that you’d absolutely love to play. While you hadn’t made the team (because you never tried out), you loved playing and were even really good at it.

You had surprised the twins over summer break two years ago when you visited the burrow for a week. Obviously since all the Weasley’s love playing quidditch and it’s almost a daily occurrence, it was bound to happen that they’d play a game while you were there. However, they really needed another player so you joined in and gave them all a run for their money (if only you had placed bets beforehand). Since then, the twins love asking you to play because you’re actually a bit of competition to them.

“Not even one game?” George asks, leaning towards you ever so slightly to try to catch your eye.

“Guys, I...no.” You sigh, frustrated that the professors gave you this much homework to begin with.

“Honestly, I’d love to play. You both know that, but I really need to get this done. Maybe tomorrow?” You ask.

“How about you put this up for awhile, come and play a game of quidditch with us, and then you finish this tomorrow?” Fred asks, looking to persuade you.

“You’re too persuasive for your own good, Weasley. As much as I’d love to play, I really ought to get this done or else I’m just going to be worrying about it tomorrow.”

“What if we study with you?” George asks, catching all of your attention.

“You two studying? That’s a really good one, George.” Stephanie replies, saying exactly what you were thinking.

“I’m serious,” he chuckles. “Believe it or not.”

“If we were to study with you later tonight and tomorrow, would you come and play a game with us?” He asks, giving his best impression of a sad puppy dog.

“George, I can’t. I’m already so behind and I want to make sure that I don’t fail. We do have the O.W.L.s this year you kn-“

“Pleeeeeease.” Both the twins beg, cutting you off.

“No, I-“

“Pleeeeeease.”

“It’s just one game, I promise.” George pouts.

You look over at Steph who’s only smirking and shaking her head at you, knowing you can’t say no. You hate that you can tell what’s she’s thinking with just that expression; ‘this is your problem, sweetie. Your the one that likes them.’

You roll your eyes at her again, mentally thanking her for all the help and give in.

“Fine! Fine. I’ll play one game.” you agree.

“Yes!” The twins shout simultaneously, high-fiving across the table.

“But you both better keep your word and study with me or else I won’t play with you again.” you threaten, even though it sounds empty even to you.

“Of course we will, gorgeous. We wouldn’t want our little lion cub upset.” Fred smirked, winking at you and George as you groan at their nickname for you.

Another lovely thing that’s come out of your few visits to the burrow. After another one of your empty threats, George laughed and made the point that even though you try to come off strong and threatening, you often fall short and sound like a child who just doesn’t quite have the bite to back up the bark. And since you’re all in gryffindor together, they made the connection to a lion cub.

Since then, it’s been expanded upon given different circumstances. Like when you were standing up for Ron one time, it changed to mumma lion. Then another time when you were confronting a girl that had been spreading rumors about one of your other friends, the twins joked about how you had become a lioness. So while it’s not your favourite nickname, it isn’t the worst one that you could’ve gotten and it’s only ever used by Fred, George and occasionally their family.

“You better watch it, Freddie.” You warned as you started packing up your books.

~.~

“And that’s another point for Y/n’s team!”

“Bloody hell, y/n. Give us a chance would you.” Fred nearly begs, rubbing his side where you may have just hit a bludger into him.

“You guys begged me to play and you both know that I don’t play nice.” You retort, not feeling any remorse.

You’d deny it if someone pointed it out, but the truth is you are extremely competitive, no matter the situation as long as it interests you. Quidditch? Bloody hell, you’d think your life depended on you winning. Proving to Lee that you could out drink him? You better have a full bottle of replenishing potion because you are going to have one of the worst hangovers of your life. Basically, if you were presented any sort of challenge, you tackled it head-on.

“He’s just upset that he’s losing. You know how he is.” George says, winking at you as his brother grumbles to himself.

“Want to play once more and whoever gets the point wins? I’m getting awfully tired.”

“Sounds good to me.” George nods.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Fred grumbled as he and George fly back to their positions.

~.~

“Oh bloody hell” you grumble as you wake up and stretch. You don’t often play quidditch, therefore you’re a little out of shape and currently very sore.

That doesn’t even take into account that you stayed up much later than you should have last night trying to get something done.

You groan as you roll over to look at the clock to find it to be 8 AM. You’d certainly love to sleep in a bit more, but if you didn’t get a move on you’d miss breakfast and that’s the last thing you need to do if you were going to be studying with Fred and George today. You loved them, but boy could they get in your nerves sometimes. You didn’t need to be hungry on top of it.

Dragging yourself out of bed, you change into a pair of leggings and an oversized black sweater that tends to hang off one shoulder. You pull on your favourite pair of black heeled boots and move onto brushing your hair and apply the minimal makeup you’re comfortable wearing.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty. You look like your ready to spend the day studying with Fred and George.” Steph teased as you sit down next to her.

“Let me eat first, and hopefully get a cup of coffee. Then you can taunt me all you want.” You say, rubbing at your eyes as you’re not quite awake yet.

“Take my fun away.” She pouts, picking up a bite of pancake with her fork.

“But seriously, how are you feeling about today? You get to spend ALL the quality time with your boys as you like.”

She smiles, staring at you to see your reaction.

“I don’t like them like you’re implying, Stephanie. How many times do I have to tell you?” You huff, taking a sip of your much needed cup of coffee.

“Yeah-huh. You keep telling yourself that. Eventually you’ll believe it.”

“Maybe eventually you’ll get the hint.” You grumble, moodily stabbing a piece of pancake yourself.

“Someone seems to be in a mood this morning.” Fred states as he and George sit down across from you two.

You send a glare over at him as you continue eating your breakfast.

“Definitely. What have we missed already this morning?” George asks, looking from you to Stephanie as he gets himself a cup of coffee.

“Someone is denying that she has feelings for a couple certain people when it’s glaringly obvious.” Stephanie states.

“Ooh, who does our little lion cub have a crush on? Anyone we know?” Fred asks, not missing the opportunity to try and tease you.

“Steph just needs to learn how to take no as an answer. I’ve already told her that I do not, in fact, have feelings for them, but she can’t seem to accept that.”

“Again, who are they?” Fred asks.

“Don’t worry about it because I don’t like them. And even if I did I’m positive neither of them would see me in the same way so it really doesn’t matter whatever way you try to look at it.” You rant, stabbing your fork into some scrambled eggs.

You notice Fred and George share a look that can only be translated to ‘well she isn’t having a good morning. Yikes.’ You huff as you continue eating in silence, feeling all three of them look at you.

~.~

“Y/n, what does this even mean?” Fred asks exasperatedly.

“What does what mean, Freddie?” You sigh, looking up from your own parchment where you are attempting to write a paper for Potions.

“I don’t know. I can’t make sense of any of it anymore.” He pouts.

“Well then I don’t know how to help you.” You say, watching as he pouts in frustration.

“What about you, Georgie? How is everything going?” You ask, looking over to find George staring down at his parchment.

“Uh, decent?” He asks, seeming awfully confused.

“You two are some of the worst study partners around. How have you made it this far, honestly?” You chuckle, leaning back in your chair.

“Our charm and wit.” George jokingly says, winking at you which only causes you to laugh a bit more.

“Why don’t we take a break for awhile? We’ve been working at this for nearly two hours now.” Fred sighs.

You look over at him and give him a small smile. You honestly can’t believe that both of them came along with you and haven’t done much complaining until now. Neither of these boys liked their homework much, in fact it was rare to find them ever working on it.

“You two can if you’d like. I’m nearly done with this paper and if I stop now I’ll forget what I was doing.”

“Then finish the paper and then we’ll all take a break.” He smiles.

I shake my head as I smile back at him and continue working on my potions paper. I just need another paragraph or two to finish it off and then I’m early done with all of my work.

“There, done.” I say as I set my quill down. I lean back to find both of the twins staring at me.

“What?”

“Who were you and Stephanie talking about over breakfast?” Fred asks, a smile on his lips yet he sounds fairly serious, not trying to joke around at all.

“Back to this again?” You sigh, tossing your head back in annoyance. “It doesn’t matter, Freddie. Let it go.”

“C’mon y/n, we’re just curious. Maybe we could help you find out if they like you back.” George offers.

“Yeah, you’re one of our best friends, y/n and you deserve to be with someone that makes you happy.” Freddie says, looking directly at you.

“Besides, you haven’t ever been with anyone at all have you? Like not even just dating?” He adds on.

“No, and I don’t really care to. I’ve got too many other things on my mind.” You say, still ignoring the main question at hand here.

“You have no interest at all? Really?” Fred asks knowing otherwise. You know both of them have heard you talk about guys before with the other girls and you all know that you’ve said not once, but multiple times, that you can’t wait to have a boyfriend to cuddle with and to just love.

“Can’t we just drop it? I really don’t want to talk about it. Steph’s made it into a bigger deal than it needs to be.”

You look at George for some sort of support. You know he and his brother are very much alike, but he’s always been a bit

more considerate when it comes to things people don’t feel like sharing.

“If it’s not a big deal, then why don’t you just tell us? No big deal, no harm in telling right?” George asks, doing the complete opposite of what you were hoping.

“I don’t want to talk about it because if I do I’m afraid...well, I’m afraid it’ll make everything more complicated that what I want to deal with.” You truthfully state.

Both twins watch you as you go silent again, not meeting either of their gazes. If they had known it was this difficult for you to acknowledge, then they wouldn’t have pushed it so much, but here you all were; past that line that pushes your relationship with each other into uncharted territory. You guys don’t share your emotions with each other like this, so now that you have, where do you all go from here?

[robininthelabyrinth]

Fire and Light (ao3) - on tumblr: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6

- Chapter 7 -

There was an incident at the Cloud Recesses.

Nie Mingjue offered to go deal with it, and Wen Ruohan was so busy laughing at the sheer absurdity of the idea that he allowed Wen Xu to go in his stead, which was what they had all been hoping for. Nie Huaisang had come up with the idea of the staggered offer; he was surprisingly adept at predicting how Wen Ruohan would behave, which secretly worried Nie Mingjue more than a little.

(The plan did result in a few more ‘walks’, Wen Ruohan being temporarily reminded of Nie Mingjue’s existence, and Nie Huaisang was so upset by that side-effect that he wanted to resign from making any more plans in the future. That wasn’t plausible, of course, given where they lived, but Nie Mingjue would happily suffer a little if it meant that his little brother wouldn’t turn too scheming as a result of his success.)

Wen Xu returned a while later with a letter in his hand and a twitch in his eye that refused to go away for a while. He was of a nervous disposition, whether naturally or because of how he was raised, and his anxiety was only made worse by stress – the Nightless City, unfortunately, being full of stress. Wen Qing said that he used to be cruel and vicious, obtaining relief from his own pain only by hurting others; she said, with a little too much perspicuity given her age, that it was the inevitable result of his having found out long ago that there was no consequence to his actions and, moreover, that his meanness was the only quality of his of which his father seemed to approve. Nie Mingjue hadn’t seen much of that, except maybe for some arrogance in the beginning, but Wen Qing had rolled her eyes at him when he said as much, saying that of course he hadn’t seen it, it’d been different ever since Nie Mingjue showed up.

Why that made a difference, Nie Mingjue had no idea. He hadn’t done anything, or at least he hadn’t done it intentionally.

“What happened?” he asked. “Is –”

“A-Chao is fine, no thanks to Wen Zhuliu,” Wen Xu said, grinding his teeth in a way that would probably hurt his jaw and require copious amounts of Wen Ning’s medicinal soup later to ease the soreness and strain. “We were right about him trying to get A-Chao kicked out of the Cloud Recesses and dependent on him.”

“More brothels?”

“I wish. A-Chao has been refusing to go to them –”

According to the letters Nie Mingjue has seen from both Wen Chao himself and Lan Xichen, his reaction has been to all but burst into tears at the very thought – Wen Xu’s impassioned speech had apparently made a rather large dent in his impressionable psyche. He wouldn’t even risk walking thought a red-light district at night out of concern that he might succumb to some previously unknown predatory instinct and then die horribly as a consequence.

“– so Wen Zhuliu, shall we say, creatively interpreted his refusal into being a fear of disease.”

“I mean, it is a fear of disease,” Wen Qing said dryly. “Disease is how you scared him. With the information from my books, no less.”

“No, you don’t –” Wen Xu waved his hands, looking distressed. More distressed than usual, even. “On second thought, maybe I shouldn’t be talking about this with you lot. You’re all far too young. Mingjue, you understand what I mean?”

“I have no idea what you mean,” Nie Mingjue said blankly. “You haven’t even said anything yet.”

“He’s saying that Wen Zhuliu brought A-Chao a girl he could be certain wasn’t diseased,” Nie Huaisang said, his nose wrinkled. “Let me guess, the ‘incident’ in question was A-Chao being accused of rape? Probably someone young?”

“How did you figure that out?” Wen Xu demanded.

“I read a lot of pornography,” Nie Huaisang said. “Some of it involves less savory subjects.”

“Did I know you were reading about less savory subjects?” Nie Mingjue demanded, a little appalled. “Huaisang, everything we said about A-Chao being too young applies to you too, you know –”

“I read it for the art, da-ge. And the insight into what people like when they think other people aren’t looking; it’s surprisingly transferable to the rest of life. Anyway, since you’re here without A-Chao, I take it that he got out of it?”

“When he saw the girl lying in his bed, he remembered all of Mingjue’s scolding,” Wen Xu said. “He immediately ran out to find an adult to assist him. He’d been dosed with something to make him more susceptible - you know what I mean, that sort of thing, but also something to make him dizzy and forgetful, probably so he wouldn’t know for sure if he’d done it or not - but luckily he found a Lan who recognized it.”

“A Lan that knows something about drugs? That’s the most implausible part of everything you’ve said so far.”

Nie Mingjue poked Wen Qing in the forehead for excess cynicism.

“Not only did he know about it, he was able to eliminate the effects while preserving evidence regarding it,” Wen Xu said, sounding begrudgingly impressed. “His testimony of A-Chao’s innocence is rather unimpeachable.”

“What did he do, run to Teacher Lan?” Wen Ning asked, eyes wide. He’d been inexplicably terrified of Lan Qiren ever since they’d met briefly at a discussion conference – apparently Lan Qiren had imparted some wise words and Wen Ning had said something stupid in response, and now he wanted to dig himself into a giant pit any time the man’s name was so much as mentioned.

“Oh no,” Wen Xu said. “That’s the best part of this story, actually. This whole thing happened in the middle of the night, a dark one with barely any moon, and you know how A-Chao is with directions –”

“Tell him something he wants is the next town to the east and he’ll immediately go to the west, south and north before he makes it.”

“He got lost,” Nie Mingjue guessed. “And ended up…where? With who?”

“Qingheng-jun.”

The entire room simultaneously buried their faces in their hands.

“He intruded on Sect Leader Lan’s seclusion,” Nie Huaisang moaned. “The seclusion that’s been going on for nearly twenty years. Because of course he did, that’s our A-Chao for you. Oh, Lan Wangji is going to kill me…”

“You’re still in contact?” Nie Mingjue asked, surprised.

“We exchange letters, it’s no big deal. Tell me more about what happened – did they actually have to get Qingheng-jun to testify?”

“Oh yes, the family made a big stink about it. They wanted to get the girl married in as a concubine or the sect to pay out; they weren’t exactly happy when all the doctors confirmed that she was still pure. They even accused the doctors of being paid off! Lan sect doctors!”

“What did you do with Wen Zhuliu?”

“He claimed he had no idea how it happened. Somehow while also implying that I was being unnecessarily overzealous in A-Chao’s defense, since there’s nothing that unusual about taking a concubine – as if everyone wouldn’t understand it as being all but an outright admission that he was a rapist! I pretended I believed that he wasn’t responsible for the whole thing - he was, of course - and told him that if something like this happened on his watch without his knowledge, he was clearly a piece of shit bodyguard that ought to be replaced.”

“I bet he liked that!”

-

“I want to learn archery,” Wen Ning said.

“You already know archery,” Nie Mingjue said, ruffling his hair. “You’re very good at archery.”

“Not in public I’m not.” Wen Ning firmed up his jaw. “I want to be good enough at archery that I can win honor for the Wen sect when the main competition is archery.”

“That won’t be until the next time we host,” Wen Xu pointed out. “Which is years from now. You’ll be sixteen – no, seventeen by then.”

“Ancient,” Nie Mingjue, who was about that age himself, said solemnly. “Doddering. Almost decrepit. The only thing worse would be if you were twenty and on your way to twenty-one –”

Wen Xu glared.

“I’m serious,” Wen Ning insisted. “Everyone else has a talent. Why not me?”

“All right, then,” Nie Mingjue said, because mentioning how good a cook of medicinal cuisine Wen Ning was would clearly not be appropriate at this juncture. Lots of boys eventually wanted to learn a martial skill, no matter where their real talents might lie. He might have even said all boys, except of course there was always Nie Huaisang to be the glaring exception to the rule. “We’ll adjust your training regime, invite some specialized tutors…”

Wen Ning was shaking his head. “I want to go to the Jiang sect.”

“What?”

“They always win, don’t they? Maybe they lose out on first place to the Lan sect, with their arm strength, or by some fluke to someone else, but if they have a strong contestant, they win, and even when they don’t win they always place. It’s the best place to go learn.” He shrugged. “Anyway, it’s not like I’m going to get invited to the Cloud Recesses.”

Nie Mingjue had half a dozens protests on his lips, and they all died at once. It was true. Wen Ning would not be invited to study at Gusu, possessing neither an exceptional talent for some facet of learning nor a family willing to push him in. Nie Huaisang would go without question on the basis of Lan Qiren’s former friendship with their father, assuming Wen Ruohan would allow it, and Wen Qing, only interested in the study of medicine, had recently started corresponding with various medicine halls and could maybe get an internship somewhere. She’d been talking recently about Lanling, and though he’d objected to that on the basis of Jin Guangshan, the whole world would welcome a promising doctor.

Only Wen Ning would be trapped here, in the Nightless City.

(With Nie Mingjue, who could not leave, because he wasn’t broken enough yet. Who might not ever be, might live and die without ever being allowed out any further than a closely supervised night hunt, like a bird in a cage.)

Nie Mingjue didn’t especially like the idea of staying here in the Nightless City alone, but his own interests had never been as important as those he could protect. Unlike him, Wen Ning had a future, a life of his own, to look forward to, and so Nie Mingjue looked at Wen Xu. “Do you think…?”

Wen Xu made a face. “I’m not sure,” he said, frowning at Wen Ning in a way that Nie Mingjue knew meant something to Qishan Wen minds because of the way that Wen Ning ducked his head in embarrassment. “They don’t normally take outside students the way that the Lan sect does. I guess we could ask, though, using the way the Lan sect blew up as a cover.”

“They’re readjusting,” Nie Mingjue corrected, trying to be diplomatic. “Qingheng-jun was in seclusion for such a long time – it’s a big change for them for him to come out. For his sons, especially.”

He wished that he could write to Lan Xichen. Not because he had something intelligent to say about it, but more so that he could listen to all the emotions Lan Xichen was undoubtedly trying to suppress – Nie Mingjue couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling. His father, locked away for so long so as to be little more than a myth, suddenly and abruptly brought back to life –

Perhaps it was better that they didn’t write. Given what had happened to Nie Mingjue’s own father, Lan Xichen would probably refrain from saying anything at all.

“In other words, they blew up,” Wen Xu said dryly. “I’ll write to the Jiang sect and make some inquiries, not naming any names. If we get their approval, we can figure out how best to petition Father. He’ll like that angle, though; winning honor…Huaisang came up with that, did he?”

Nie Mingjue was going to protest, but Wen Ning nodded.

“I figured. We’re still going to adjust your schedule, start getting you ready – we need to make it believable.”

“Why does it have to be believable if it’s true?” Nie Mingjue asked, looking from one to the other. “Why would A-Ning do something if he doesn’t want to do it?”

“I do want to do it!” Wen Ning exclaimed, his little face red but determined. “I want to do it really badly, Mingjue-ge. Really.”

“All right, then,” Nie Mingjue said, convinced despite his suspicion that they were up to something – but then, they were always up to something, and he was usually not included.

For very good reason, and at his own request.

“All right,” he said again. “If you want it, then we’ll find a way.”

-

“Tell me everything you know,” Wen Ruohan murmured. “And it can stop.”

For today, he meant. A fool’s promise, false gold, worthless – meaning nothing.

Nie Mingjue talked anyway.

-

Wen Chao arrived home from the Cloud Recesses, to everyone’s joy, and even managed, with some hurrying, to make it back a week before Wen Ning was scheduled to set out.

“I brought wine for everyone!” he announced.

“You did not,” Nie Mingjue said sternly, though he wasn’t quite able to stop himself from smiling.

“Okay, okay, I got gifts for everyone. But I also brought wine, if you want some – it’s called Emperor’s Smile, you’ll like it –”

“Forget the wine,” Nie Mingjue said. “You’ve grown!”

He had – at least half a hand’s worth, and his face was starting to show the curves of adulthood, despite the considerable baby fat remaining.  

“I’ve grown?” Wen Chao laughed. “Look who’s talking!”

Everyone laughed, even Nie Mingjue, who ducked his head – it wasn’t his fault that he kept on growing. His father had been especially tall, and his mother even more so; it was to be expected!

Admittedly, it wouldn’t hurt to start slowing down a little. Any time now.

“Yes, well, I grow any more and your father will chop me off at the ankles,” he said, shaking his head. Wen Ruohan seemed torn between pleasure at having such a hulking beast tamed at his feet – his words – and irritation that Nie Mingjue would shortly be able to look down at him. “Tell us about your studies, A-Chao. Did you make any friends?”

“Did you pass?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“Of course I passed! And I only cheated once –”

Nie Mingjue covered his eyes and groaned dramatically.

“When I go, I’m going to cheat all the time,” Nie Huaisang announced.

Nie Mingjue aimed for an even more dramatic groan.

“And you probably won’t pass even if you do,” Wen Qing put in.

Now it was Nie Huaisang’s turn to moan. “Has anyone ever told you that your tongue is as sharp and piercing as your needles, A-Qing?”

“No. You want me to demonstrate why?”

“Help! Help! Have mercy!”

[denizincarptigiseyy]

How to Come Up With a Successful Invention

Determining a Trouble

When you decide you are going to generate a fantastic invention idea, you are preparing an invention; this is different from having a surprise eventually. Well, if you want to spend, then you have come to the appropriate location, here is an article to obtain you started and also normally lead you via the invention procedure. The initial step in thinking of a rewarding invention idea is determining trouble in society.

Locating an Issue

Initially, you have to locate the trouble. What is the issue? I think most everyone knows what a problem contains, particularly a problem when we are on the subject of creating. An issue is anything that prevents one from reaching a wanted objective or item. There are issues throughout our culture, as you know. You probably encounter around 20 problems a day and also most likely honestly grumble about fifty percent of them. Up previously, you haven't seen when you did this, but going through everyday life as a human is your top vendor permanently issues. Listen to on your own, when you whine think of if it could be fixed with a nice invention. It's tough to be concentrated enough to observe when you complain or see an issue; nevertheless, with some technique, it starts to come to be extra visible. Additionally, I advise lugging around a little journal or using a phone to record these concepts when they concern you.

When looking to identify an issue there is likewise one more resource that is conveniently offered - people around you. People locate troubles and pronounce the demand for the issue to be resolved, thus we have an invention idea or development in innovation. Pay attention to the people around you, they will tell you the troubles they have in their lives.

People have trouble; they upload it on the internet. There are thousands of blog sites and forums where individuals have jumped on the web as well as published trouble they are having. If you begin to master using these three sources of info for identifying issues, after that you will soon have as well several troubles to keep in mind. Learn more https://www.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/2020/03/24/444881-everything-need-know-inventhelp.htm

Is the Trouble Common?

So there is no confusion, you do desire the problem you determine to be typical. You don't want to be the only person having that trouble, otherwise, the invention idea you create to solve that issue will just be useful to you. There are several straightforward means to decide whether the trouble is common:

1. Ask individuals you understand. Ask them if they have the same trouble. This is a straightforward means to see if an issue is usually without telling individuals concerning your inventing strategies.

2. Once more, make use of the net! If the trouble prevails, then a thousand people have currently posted concerning it on the web. Search on Google, and see if the problem ends up being preferred.

3. Go to an area that consists of many individuals whose interest you can get, such as institution, and ask them to raise their hands if they have this trouble. This can be a little even more intimidating to some people, as well as it will certainly expose you are up to something.

Don't take this action lightly; your issue needs to prevail. A rewarding invention idea has to interest a lot of individuals.

Has the Problem Already Been Resolved?

This is likewise a vital point to recognize. Fixing a problem is mosting likely to do you no good if there is currently something that fixes it. So, you have to do a little research study to validate that your issue is free for you to solve. As you would probably think, an excellent place to start is the web. Now, you have probably currently looked for your problem on the web, so ideally, if it is evident that it has been resolved, then you would have currently observed. I would do a more in-depth search to ensure you did not miss anything the first time.

Searching for trouble instead of an invention is rather tough, so it may take a while. You can try looking for an obvious invention idea that applies to that trouble for better outcomes.

I find it assists a lot to ask about. A lot of times somebody will say something like "I assume I have read about something that does that," or something along those lines. Do not fail to remember the value of individuals.

Is Addressing the Trouble Viable?

The supreme concern: is the trouble most likely to be profitable to solve? There is no precise answer to this question. There are numerous points to think about once you have made it to this question.

Does it conserve people's money? We are also in the midst of a financial recession, so people are always looking for methods to save money. If you are firing to conserve people's cash, there is one essential point to consider; your invention has to be very inexpensive.

Does it conserve people's time? The ordinary person despises spending time on points they don't take pleasure in. People wish to get back to their spare time, so conserving them time can be attractive. Throughout the years time has come to be quite important to us for lots of reasons.

Does it produce convenience or enjoyment? This is a really tough thing to think about because it is very opinionated; for that reason, it requires you to make a judgment call. Some people get convenience or home entertainment from various things, so if you select to take this course, you need to make sure your invention will relate to great deals of people. If you are going to try to tackle this, I would certainly advise doing the extra study, online as well as in studies.

This is one more big one and leads to extremely lucrative invention ideas. There is constantly going to be a wonderful means to market an invention that conserves lives.

Does it assist people who are prevented? This is a wide group and nearly chooses conserving lives. Several points impede people such as allergic reactions, diseases, physical limitations, and so on

Would certainly people pay for this problem to be addressed? To address this take some thought. You need to consider many variables. You have to type of beginning to consider just how much an invention to resolve this trouble would certainly cost and also if that quantity of cash is worth resolving the issue. You need to additionally think about the financial state of your customers. As an example, in today's economic situation people are spending a whole lot less cash, but you can do some research as well as locate short articles to find out what people are still spending money on. The most awful thing is to have a fantastic invention, but not have the ability to make money because of an absence of study at this action.

Currently, you ought to have a favorable problem to solve; you are on your method to a profitable invention idea.

Research

At this moment, you ought to have an issue that you have an interest in addressing. You have hopefully already done some research study on your issue; nevertheless, the research study has just begun. This will be an extremely easy step to avoid or not fully dedicated to, yet it is very essential for several reasons. You require to research your task completely to be furnished to begin to solve it. Make certain you know everything about your issue; review books, reviewed magazines, checked out the web, and anything else that might inform you regarding your problem. I understand most individuals do not enjoy reviewing and want to skip straight to pioneering the best invention of the last 10 years, however, creating is a tiresome procedure if it is done properly. A lot of fantastic inventions took years to completely establish, as well as I do not think we can also fathom how much study these creators did because I assure you they didn't just rest as well as think for ten years. Studying will certainly assist you to engineer a solution, yet it additionally serves an additional function. Studying aids to submerge you in your invention; it causes you to assume constantly concerning your trouble and boosts your desire to distinctively fix it. If you are curious about developing I would highly advise you to do lots of studies.

Discovering an Invention Idea

Usage Trouble Fixing

All problems require analytic; nonetheless, some are easier to address than others. An invention calls for a high degree of analytic; this is why it is difficult for the majority of people ahead up with a unique invention. Some individuals are normally proficient at analytical and they can fix issues with ease, however, lots of people have established ways to instruct individuals just how to resolve issues. Some several great sites and also publications provide full lessons in analytical, as well as I, would suggest examining some out. I am going to detail several things that I think are important to analytic in designing.

Simplify the issue. It is simple to take a look at the problem and also obtain caught up in the complexity of addressing it, and also this can dissuade you. Take the problem you have determined and also find the underlying reason. You want to have a basic problem to have the easiest service. Basic inventions are typically very lucrative.

Adjustment to the setting of your trouble. This may be difficult to recognize, so I will give you an instance. Let's say your trouble is entering the shower and then recognizing you neglected to obtain a then-brand-new hair shampoo bottle as well as currently you are all wet. Adjustment the setting from a shower to your car; remembering to obtain a brand-new pack of gum tissue to place in your before you entrust to take place a warm date. Doing this will enable you to look at the problem from numerous angles. Don't be afraid to do this numerous times for some different settings.

Problem-solving has to do with addressing a problem by using reasoning and also making use of methods to improve your reasoning. Nonetheless, rational issue solving isn't the only way to deal with addressing your trouble; you ought to also think about the abstract side of identifying suggestions, which I will certainly discuss the following.

Creative imagination

Creativity is built almost completely around the vision. The vision includes 2 aspects, one of which is frequently ignored. The very first part of the vision is the retina receiving light rays and also sending them to the mind, this is this part of a vision that everybody recognizes with. The 2nd component, what takes place hereafter, is the part that associates the most to the creativity The part of a vision where the mind interprets the details from the retina differs from one person to another. Just how the brain perceives the details it gets from the retina is based mainly on past experiences, and also some experiments prove this. If imagination takes location when the brain perceives the info, and the method the mind views details is based on experience after that imagination is restricted by experience. That could have looked like a stretch, however, think of this. When you are a child your creative imagination is free-flowing and also untamable, but when you age as well as obtain experience your creative imagination begins to decrease.

How does this put on invent?

Most of the terrific inventions that end up turning over a huge revenue or changing the world result from an invention idea that is crazy to the ordinary person. They do this by rolling out 12 actions of just how to come up with an ideal invention idea, each step advises you precisely just how to proceed and think. Well, I think if designing could be composed in 12 steps to an ideal invention idea, after that everybody would be coming up with exceptional inventions.

Exactly how to break down the barriers to creative imagination.

As I said above, the brain perceives info based upon past experiences. It does this because it needs to conserve energy; as a result, the longer you live and also the even more experiences you experience, the more your brain will certainly make use of the experience to save energy. This preservation of energy is the enemy when you are attempting to extend your thoughts and be imaginative. Compiling your brain to depend less on experience is an extremely challenging task or everybody would certainly be creative.

A wonderful way to begin believing differently is to do brand-new points - go to brand-new areas, participate in new points, and also fulfill new people. Swamping the mind with all these brand-new points triggers it to damage down categories developed by the experience. Increasing your imagination is a tough job to achieve, however when you do the outcomes can be gratifying.

Assessing Your Invention Idea

If you have an interest in producing revenue with your invention idea, after that you aren't done. If you wish to earn money, you are most likely to have to invest a significant amount of money to patent and also possibly market your invention. You need to be particular you are completely happy with your invention which it will certainly pay when it is put on the market. This calls for even more research studies. I know you are most likely tired of research study now, however it is necessary. There are three major means to evaluate your invention.

1. Look at effective past inventions as well as look at unsuccessful ones. Research study just how the economy was when the invention was released and also exactly how the economic situation compares to today's economic situation.

2. Ask individuals you understand. Talk with people about your concept and also ask their take on it. Speak to individuals that will certainly be honest with you; incorrect assistance can lead you to make a poor decision. Don't worry about them stealing your concept; the majority of people are way as well lazy to try that.

3. There are innovator organizations created to assist developers with concepts. To be straightforward, I have never utilized them in the past, I have only check out about them online.

Related: https://blog.chron.com/frugalconfessions/2020/03/how-much-can-you-make-from-patenting-your-idea/

[pet-genius]

Benedict - A Tom Riddle One Shot

Benedict lived in a forest in Albania, where he had magically fashioned for himself a dwelling place that seemed untouched by man, yet offered every convenience and dignity magic could afford a wizard.

He had a forest elf who cared for him, Adriel, and very little company. Wild elves were known to be very selective in their choice of company, attaching to the worthiest wizards if at all, to give companionship rather than service. They regarded the breeding of house elves an insult to their kind and a crime against magic. Benedict was a philosopher of magic who had written about the Dark Arts, and of the very few visitors he had had, none had come from England; not since Albus Dumbledore had become the Transfiguration Master and Deputy Headmaster of their School of Magic. Regardless, he was as comfortable speaking English as any other language, and he accepted Tom Riddle with cordial respect.

"I am surprised to see a Hogwarts alumnus here. I didn’t know the library still carries my books now that Dumbledore is a teacher there."

"It's not the only magical library in the Great Kingdom,” Tom said. "You've heard, perhaps, of the Rosiers and the Dolohovs?"

Tom had been to their libraries, had “borrowed” copies of the books they owned, had seethed at the paternalistic denial of true magical knowledge.

"Yes, the Dolohovs. I know the Karkaroffs, who are related to them by marriage. Many scholars in that family, though I've not had the pleasure of meeting any of them in person."

If the Karkaroffs were scholarly, all the Dolohovs Tom knew were interested in books only insofar as they could be levitated and dropped on an opponents' head. He was sure the books he had stolen from them would not be missed.

Still, he nodded. “Gossip is beneath us – I do not wish to waste your time. I have come to study the Dark Arts, Sir. You are the foremost authority on this subject. You must know I'm worthy, as I’ve broken every curse and passed every obstacle you placed along the path to finding you.”

Tom despised these pleasantries and longed for the day his reputation would precede him. To come here had already required him to use location spells, apply his knowledge of the magical creatures and plants of Albania and how to escape them, and crack ciphers and anagrams and secret passwords. "Those who walk the path deserve to climb the mountain," he continued, quoting out of Benedict's own magnum opus to the author himself.

Benedict summoned his elf, and Adriel returned with a mirror that he held so reverentially its surface remained as smooth as water, even in the forest - not a speck of dirt was allowed to touch it. "Have a look," Benedict ordered, and Tom looked. Only his own reflection stared back at him. Adriel and Benedict exchanged inscrutable glances and after what seemed an arbitrary length of time, Benedict closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"I shall teach you. Not since Gellert Grindelwald have I encountered a soul such as yours. You possess extraordinary power, Thomas (Benedict stressed the "mas"), and you must exercise it with great caution. The Dark Arts are as dangerous to those who use them as to those they are used on, and best wielded by those who have true power. Do you know why Dumbledore removed them from the curriculum? It is not kind to speculate, but I think the tale is worth recounting."

"Please, Sir.”

"Very few people know what I know, and even I don’t know everything, despite the privilege of having spoken both to Dumbledore and Grindelwald. I am an old man, but my memory is as keen as it ever was. I first met Gellert when he came here to supplement his education after having been expelled from Durmstrang. They never should have expelled him, I say – the difficult students are the greatest test to educators - but I digress. He has family in England, perhaps you've heard of Ms. Bathilda Bagshot?"

As the story unfolded, Tom concealed his surprise: The purebloods had always whispered vague allusions in hushed tones about Dumbledore, the old bachelor who deflected questions about his private life with expertise, but he never would have imagined that he had once been Gellert Grindelwald’s lover. In a sense, it was unsatisfying – it felt so utterly banal.

“I was not so wise as I am today, Thomas; I had been taken in by Gellert's recounting of the events. Dumbledore himself filled me in on the sordid details, with great, great shame. I had warned him – he had made a mistake, changing the curriculum. To simply avoid the Dark altogether is impossible – it is in all of us. Students of age need to know that only true masters ought to broach the Darkest of the Dark Arts. Censorship and a shroud of mystery only make them attractive to precisely the wrong sort of wizard. But alas, Dumbledore did not listen. I speak, of course, of mastery of the self, Tom. I wonder – do you agree, or do you find yourself questioning your choice to come here and listen to an old and solitary man?”

"No, Sir. I don’t agree." Tom surprised even himself. Normally, he would have lied and said he agrees wholeheartedly with this nugget of wisdom. Mastery of the self seemed to him a contradiction in terms; he wanted mastery of the world and everyone in it.

"True freedom means serving the right master, or the right cause; not aimless wandering in quest of new appetites to sate. The wild elves know this, but the wizards have not learned. Are you a wizard or a pig, Thomas?"

Tom did not know this, but his eyes flashed a shade of scarlet. He wondered if this was some sort of test.

"With all due respect, Sir, I believe that the Dark Arts – in the right hands, can make so-called mastery of the self redundant, obsolete. Wizards do not have to succumb to death, pain, dependence. It is only our self-imposed constraints."

"Once you have drunk all the wine and tasted the flesh of every animal and the fruit of every tree and conquered every man and every woman, I think you'll find, Thomas, that you are quite mistaken. I have taught Gellert. He was not unlike you, and I venture to guess that he is freer and wiser now than he had ever been, since in the prison of his own device, he had to learn to control his wants and desires. The Indians the Great Kingdom conquered know that life is suffering. Even if you are the most powerful wizard, the most feared, you will never get what you truly lack.”

“Perhaps I do wonder why I came here. Certainly not to listen to a man at death’s doorstep spew nonsense. I can only assume you are testing me,” he smiled.

“Oh, you have already been tested. Life has not always been kind to you. You’ve lost so much not two hours after you were born, raised in abject conditions, in the dark about your true self. And yet you seized the first opportunity you had for betterment and discovered that your roots in the magical world run deep. Your path was paved to become Minister of Magic in your native land in record time, and yet you chose to come here. Not a lot of politicians come here, as I’m sure you know. There is no need to test you any further. It will not do you good.”

The void that Tom could never elude for long threatened to clutch at his heart again.

Benedict turned sympathetic. “You must be wondering how I know all this. My mirror – my proudest magical creation. I used to specialize in making magical lenses and mirrors, long ago. I’ve thrown all my magical might into this mirror, but all I could ever see in it was myself. It is how I found myself on the road that led me – and you – here. You, because our story is one, Thomas. No witch or wizard could tell me what I had created, until I despaired and started asking magical beasts. They thought I had gone mad, naturally. A man seeking the advice of creatures of the forest! But the wild elves saw that to the right eyes the mirror reflects the state of the soul. Adriel kindly told me a great deal about you, Thomas.”

Tom contained his indignation.

“Once you’ve conquered the world, and unless I’m much mistaken, it is only a matter of time – once you’ve accomplished everything you ever wanted, maybe you’ll see that you can never bring your mother back to life or force your father to love you. You can never have what you truly deserved, and you will forever seek more power until you will make the inevitable misstep. You ask me to teach you, and it is not too late. You can still learn, you can still undo some of the damage you’d done your soul, Thomas. If you allow me to, it will be my greatest accomplishment, and we both know that’s saying something.”

“I cannot believe it. In Albania and England alike, the same self-righteous foolishness springs in the heart of every man when he is near death. Perhaps it is only men like you who convince themselves they long to be reunited with their mothers and beg them for a hug, because you did not have the foresight and courage to stave death when you were at your prime.”

Benedict smiled a weak smile. “I’m not afraid to die, Thomas. Or to kill. I am a master of the Dark Arts, and I have the presence of mind to kill. But I know what you have done. And several times? Not even Gellert – No. The only thing I can do for you is to ask you to reconsider. You can still be saved.”

Tom could not keep from laughing. He did not need saving, and the idea that he did almost insulted him. He did not even resent the waste of time. Only mortals concerned themselves with that. “Saved from what, Sir, a bit of looking glass and platitudes masquerading as noble truths?”

“You’ve killed and torn yourself apart when you were only a boy. You’ve terminated your own growth. You will be infinitely powerless, the man with a touch of gold who went hungry. I can still help you. You came all this way – don’t let the chance go to waste. It’s the last chance you’ll get, Thomas.”

Tom smirked. On his long journey through the forest, to find this place, and meet this man, he had come to respect Benedict’s penchant for anagrams, and he had made one of his own.

“My name is not Thomas,” he corrected. “My full name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord Voldemort.”

He drew his wand, and though Benedict was a powerful wizard, he was an old man, and he had wasted his effort defending himself against a much more powerful curse than what Lord Voldemort had decided, in a split second, to use against him – a mere Petrificus Totalus. The killing curse, he used on Adriel, and he savoured the look of helpless terror on Benedict’s immobile face, and laughed.

“Your elf can’t help you now, and I don’t imagine many wizards will be able to find you here. You say that Grindelwald is free in his prison? Now you are freer even than him, to starve to death.”

Lord Voldemort placed a permanent levitating charm on the dratted mirror, positioned it so that Benedict would die staring at his own reflection and at the mist of his breath condensing and evaporating from his greatest magical creation, and stepped over the wild elf’s body as he left, knowing that he had just defeated one of the greatest wizards of his age. If he had anything more to learn before his true life could begin, it could not be much.

[irene-sadler]

Sir Reynard and the Red Knight

notes: 1. here's a (relatively) short n' interesting discussion of the history of the St. Bartholomew Day Fair in London, which was held roughly annually from sometime in the 12th century to sometime in the 19th century. I casually yanked some ideas (ull find this thing about rabbits casually mentioned with no explanation in the source) from events that took place at this specific festival to apply to my much much smaller Winter Solstice Fair held in Rivia.

translating any irl medieval holiday/fair/feast into a fantasy setting is a lil tricky b/c 95 percent of what happens and what makes them so interesting (to me anyway) is tied up in and totally inseperable from medieval Christian religious expression. however, when a lot of my source material was written (usually several hundred years ago bc public domain ebooks) there were still some weird obviously pre-Christian traditions in common use in parts of England. more on this next chapter b/c some of them are fuckin bizarre and so ofc I ganked them.

----

8.

The next day dawned cold, but the blue cast to the sky promised clear weather. The Queen had long since collected a list of names from a page, and sat scribbling figures and notes in the margins as she considered the best way to arrange forty contestants into equitable matches. Isbel proved unsurprisingly unhelpful; the Baroness, however, offered advice on the matter in a slightly imperious tone:

    “There’s no way to match these names up, by perceived skill, and if you try there will be hurt feelings. Random selection won’t answer, either; my suggestion is to choose from whoever is standing around when we arrive and let them sort themselves out as best they can after.”

    Meve shuffled the papers a moment, admitted to herself that she had no better ideas, and nodded grudgingly.

    “Yes, you’re probably right. First come, first served it is, then. Here, look after these,” she said, handing the papers over to the older woman, “I have to go; the Mayor will be wanting something from me within the hour and I’ve other matters to attend to, first.”

    She left the Baroness and Isbel eyeing each other suspiciously over their breakfasts and strode rapidly away to the stables. Reynard’s horse, dozing alone in his stall, greeted her with polite disinterest; she spotted a light flickering from inside a little storage room nearby, where she found his owner carefully examining his armor under Pug and Gaspar’s vacant stares. Reynard smiled tightly at her, Gaspar glowered from under his unkempt hair, and Pug sketched a lazy gesture resembling a salute.

    “Anything to report?” she asked them all, in a slightly falsely cheerful tone. Reynard glanced at Gaspar, who eyed Pug, who squinted up at the Queen through her single eye.

    “Well, someone came in after midnight rung, but we put an end t’ his fucking skulking, quick,” she explained, then pointed at a few dark spots on the dirt floor. “And you can see the blood right there.”

    “So you can,” Meve said, not at all displeased. “Don’t suppose you managed to get a look at the culprit?”

    Pug shook her head, then, considering a moment, noted, “A tall bastard, whoever. Gaspar got ‘im right in th’ ankle from the shadows.”

    “Tall, with a limp,” the Queen considered.

    Gaspar hesitated, and brushed his hand against his own pox-scarred face, glancing at Pug.

    “Might’ve had a beard, also,” she translated.  “Hard t’ say anything else.”

    “Better than nothing at all to go on. Where’s Gascon?”

    Reynard shook his head. Gaspar glanced at Pug again; she chewed her right thumbnail and shrugged idly.

    “Don’t know,” she said, cooly studying the dried blood on the floor; a breathless page then hustled in, bowed to all present - Pug croaked a laugh at him - and announced that the Mayor requested the Queen’s presence, urgently.

    “What, already?” she asked. “All right; tell him I’ll be along shortly. You two can go as well,” she added, to the brigands, “Thank you for your assistance, and tell the Duke to report to me the moment you next see him.”

    “As for you,” she added quickly to Reynard, as soon as the room cleared out, “In case I don’t see you later - “

    He put his helm down wordlessly, stepped across the few feet between them, and kissed her; she took her time pulling away, despite the city government’s looming crisis, and said, “Good luck, not that you need it; I look forward to your victory.”

    “Yes, thank you,” he said, somewhat embarrassed, “I’ll do my best.”

      An hour later, the event was already underway. The brilliant sun pulled a faint fog from the frozen ground, and flashed on the armor of the first two contestants as they met with a resounding crash.

    “Coll, and Bohault,” Giselle reported; they had put her in charge of keeping track of the course of the jousts, and she accordingly drew a bold check in red ink beside Bohault. The Queen nodded her congratulations to the man, who returned her notice with an answering, professional jerk of his head. The next contestants were familiar, as well, and the third set strangers, not unexpectedly; twenty rounds had to be got through, and some of the names on the list had a distinctly foreign flavor. One such man, called Devyn, provided the judges’ first opportunity to deliberate, as he and John Kimborne knocked each other down in the same moment.

    “Sir Kimborne’s a proper knight, which ought to count for something,” Meve said, “And that sweep with the lance on his opponent’s part was, I believe, not quite legal, which is no doubt why he was unseated.”

    “It’s hardly Devyn’s fault that he’s from Novigrad, which doubtless is why he didn’t know not to do that,” Giselle said, smiling encouragingly at the young man. “Also, I think he is well, you know, handsome, for a foreigner.”

    “Yes, I’m sure you do,” the Baroness said, rolling her eyes. By unspoken consent, she reigned as their chief; accordingly, when she pointed impatiently at the knight, her decision was accepted without further comment and the contest carried on. They made good time under her able command, assisted by the timely appearance of mulled wine and sandwiches at midmorning. The names and men rolled by, ticked off in red; they made it past the unpronounceably named Sicg Sicgurdssen, a group of brothers whose names all began with with same letters, Ethan, who put the third and final of the brothers down and received a brilliant smile from Giselle in reward, and as, the Baroness and Queen grew bored and were chatting idly about the relative merits of different styles of tilting helms, Sir Holt, who won his match easily. The Queen eyed him darkly and then abruptly lost interest in side conversation as Reynard appeared, defeated a man named Hall in a few passes, and departed again. The Baroness accepted the sudden silence with faint amusement.

    “Nolda,” Giselle read, next, “And Sir Eres. That’s the knight, there. Who is Nolda?”

    Meve cracked a surprised, but pleased, smile, pointed across the field, where a lanky woman in well-used armor stood apart from the other contestants and said, pleased, “That is Nolda; she was an Aedirnian defector, fought for us in Angren. I hadn’t known she was still here in Rivia; I thought she’d have gone back home.” The Baroness squinted at the woman, with a thoughtful air. Sir Eres scowled at his opponent, glanced hopefully toward the judges, found no leniency in their stony stares, shut his visor and rode to his place. The match lasted all of ten seconds: Nolda held her lance left-handed, at an odd diagonal angle, and then at the last moment straightened it, smacked her opponent’s spear aside with a sweep of her shield, and knocked him away. The Baroness hummed thoughtfully under her breath.      

    “Unusual tactic, but not, I as far as I know, illegal,” Meve commented. Giselle shrugged and crossed out Sir Eres’ name, as the knight picked himself up and stalked angrily toward the judges.

    “It may not answer a second time, but it certainly took him by surprise,” the Baroness said, agreeably, and added, to the clearly disgruntled man, “What’s the problem?”

    The problem was that Sir Eres was a sore loser, Giselle supposed; Meve privately suspected it had as much to do with Nolda herself than it did with his defeat at her hands, but if he was hoping for sympathy he found none. The Baroness turned him away with a few blunt phrases and the contest continued.

    By noon, they had only three names left. Giselle read them off in a doubtful voice: Brossard, Gaheris, Saban. They sent a page to find out where the absentees had got to, and took a break. Giselle hurried off into the crowd with a promise to return in due time, and Meve and the Baroness settled into a debate of the various methods of arranging the second round and soon arrived at a prospective bracket. The page returned, indicated a short, bearded warrior on a sturdy horse, said, “The dwarf, there, is Saban; as for the Duke, nobody seems to know where he might be found, and the squire Gaheris is injured and can’t fight.”

    “I suppose, under the circumstances, that we could simply advance Saban to the second round,” the Queen remarked, frowning at the news of Gascon’s absence, as Giselle came running, slightly flustered. “You’re late,” she added, to the younger woman. Giselle flushed and looked apologetic.

    “Someone had let a bunch of rabbits out into the street, and a crowd of boys was chasing ‘em,” she explained, and then, spotting something on the field, abandoned the tale and gasped, “Look!”

    Meve turned and smiled as she was finally proved right: a man in black armor, mounted on a black horse, sat at the farther end of the barriers. He slowly pointed his lance at Saban, who turned to stare at the judges, baffled. Meve shrugged at him, which he seemed to take for permission; he pulled his helmet on briskly and kicked his horse toward the appointed starting position without delay.

    Saban rode well, but it was obvious that he was an amateur; the black knight unseated him in their first pass without apparent effort. He stood, collected his lost helmet from the ground, picked a clod of dirt out of the visor, and shrugged pragmatically. Meve squinted at the departing black knight’s back, and said, “Well, that was - quite interesting. On to the next round, I suppose. Who is it, Giselle?”

    It was Bohault and the unfortunate Ethan, who stood no chance against the veteran; he received another, slightly less congratulatory smile from Giselle, who then drew a second mark beside the soldier’s name.

    “So,” Meve said to the Baroness, conversationally, watching the next combat with a fine appearance of attention, “Care to make a prediction on the winner, yet?”

    “Of this match? Sir Brewes,” the older woman replied promptly; the knight in question was unseated by his opponent a half minute later. Meve smiled smugly at the winner.

    “Nolda seems to be doing well for herself, doesn’t she? - but I meant overall, in general.”

    “Ah. Well, Sir Odo, Sir Kimborne, perhaps Sir Holt if should he get lucky with his matchups -”

    “What about that black knight?”

    “Oh, him? Well, it’s hard to say, for sure.”

    The conversation paused again as Count Odo made his second appearance, against Sicg, the knight from Skellige. The Count won his second match far more quickly than he had his first. Meve, knowing from long experience that he had been studying the competition for most of the last round, to prepare himself, was unsurprised.

    “Although,” the Baroness continued thoughtfully, as he rode away, “I have seen a black knight fight at a recent tourney, I can’t say as it’s the same one who’s here today. Armor can be changed, but this one doesn’t seem to have the same style, at all. However, he does seem familiar, but they all do after near thirty-five years of watching them in tournaments. Almost all, at least.”

    Meve was growing used to the older woman’s subtle hints, and therefore was sure she’d caught a significant note in her comments. She thought back to the tournament, suddenly recalled the Baroness’s parting behavior with a frown, and re-evaluated her previous assumption: perhaps, after all, there was no confusion about herself and Gascon, and - she realized with mild annoyance - the Baroness had figured out the true reason for her absences, one way or another, but said nothing about it at the time. The same gleam of a secret joke was in the other woman’s eye when she looked away from the field, where Sir Holt was riding away from yet another victory. Meve stared at her, momentarily at a loss. The Baroness smiled slightly and looked back to the lists.

    “So,” the Queen asked, deciding it was best to not to inquire further, “Who do you think it could be, this time?”

    “I’m not sure; I’ll need more time to consider the matter,” the Baroness said, as the black knight returned, last of the pack again, and lined up against Sir Orlac, who had been lingering about as if waiting for him.

    “They’ve fought before,” Meve said, remembering suddenly. “Sir Orlac received an unexpected cold bath, as I recall.”

    Sir Orlac took his second defeat and stood up, swearing loudly at the black knight’s back.

    “At least he didn’t get wet, this time,” she added.

    “What a fall,” Giselle said, “Do you think he’s hurt?”

    The knight was limping slightly, but Meve shrugged dismissively and said, “Oh, no. He’ll be fine. Anyway, who do we have left?”

    Giselle held up the list; the Queen glanced at the six names remaining, nodded, and signaled to the herald.

      “This is going well,” she reflected, after watching Nolda defeat Bohault, to acclaim from the growing audience. “Perhaps I should do it again, next year, but with fewer participants, so it doesn’t take all day.”

    “Hm,” the Baroness said noncommittally, and then, during the next fight, “I do believe I like Sir Kimborne’s chances to win out; what do you think, young lady?”

    Giselle considered.

    “Well, the black knight’s very mysterious; it would be interesting if he won, like a ballad.”

    Nobody bothered to ask Meve for her opinion, but she took no notice, as she was closely watching the knight in question and Sir Holt ride onto the field. The black knight sat dead still on the nearer side, but the red knight passed him and approached the judges, scowling. The Baroness addressed him, in a tone that rivaled Meve’s for arrogance:

    “What’s th’ issue, sir?”

    “I don’t want to fight this - this fellow,” he said, sulkily. “It ain’t proper.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “Well, for one, he might not even be a knight; it could be anyone under all that armor - any man at all, or a woman, even, for that matter.”

    “Heard this sort o’ thing before, a hundred time,” Giselle said quietly to Meve, “He’s chicken.”

    “I heard that,” the knight growled. Giselle blinked innocently at him.

    “Well, your other option is Sir Kimborne,” the Baroness said, growing slightly annoyed. Sir Holt opened his mouth, then closed it with an uneasy frown, obviously unsatisfied by the alternative offer.

    “Didn’t this same knight defeat you, a month or two ago? I would think you’d want to avenge your loss,” the Queen noted, idly. He scowled at the reminder, clearly inclined to argue further. The Baroness turned a hostile glare on him; he thought better of it and rode away, muttering, to take his place by the barricade.

    “What an ass,” Meve said.

    The knights completed a pass, to no avail on either side.

    “Didn’t your man Odo duel him, lately?” the Baroness said. “Can’t say I blame him, now, though I thought his behavior uncharacteristically impulsive at the time. Watch and see if the red knight don’t overcommit on this next run.”

    He did, badly; instead of his usual hesitation, he drove in a rush. Meve suspected he had lost his temper. The black knight took the attack on his shield and turned it away.

    “Yes, well, next time I’ll leave you to deal with him instead,” Meve remarked. “It seems to be more effective.”

    Sir Holt took his third run far more cautiously; his usual hesitation returned, and Meve glanced downward to hide a malicious smile as the black knight took advantage, aimed true, and knocked his opponent down hard.

    “I have five sons,” the Baroness replied, flatly. “Th’ egos of these fool knights can’t compare.”

    Gaheris limped heavily onto the field and collected Sir Holt; Meve looked from him to the black knight, who appeared to be watching the squire closely, a slight frown crossing her face. Giselle, meanwhile, made a bold red mark through the loser’s name and said, “It’s Sir Odo and Sir Kimborne, now.”

    It was a fight that the Baroness watched approvingly, making comments to Giselle, as Meve was, again, distinctly uninterested in conversation. The Count finally wore his opponent down from sheer weariness after half a dozen passes, drawing a pleased smile from the Queen. They then broke off for ten minutes, reckoning it was only fair to let their last three knights have a rest before the end. The judges spent the time in conference, deciding how to arrange their semi-finals; the no-shows had ruined their early arrangements, leaving them with an odd number of contestants. The Baroness eventually ruled that Sir Odo, being the senior knight, should be given a free round, and Nolda and the stranger would go against each other, as a result. Meve squinted at her.

    “Have you really not figured the black knight out, yet?”

    “Oh,” she said, mysteriously, “I think that by the time we’re done, we’ll know who he is, one way or another.”

      The black knight, however, did not appear when summoned along with the other two, leaving Nolda sitting alone at the barricades. Reynard, after a while, offered to go against her, on the chance that the third contestant would turn up very late to fight the last match; Nolda agreed, somewhat reluctantly. The Baroness overruled them, claiming that there was no knowing whether their third party would actually appear. The contestants therefore settled in to wait, Reynard with a distant frown and Nolda looking moderately suspicious of the sudden delay. The crowd chattered in the background, bored and uncertain of the future prospects for its entertainment.

    “How long are we going to wait?” Giselle asked, five minutes later; the black knight had failed to show.

    “Damn him,” Meve snarled quietly, “I planned this blasted event to flush him out, and he still somehow slipped away through my fingers. What now?”

    Giselle stared at her; the Baroness sighed and said, “Well, th’ only thing we can do is declare the match forfeit; Nolda will just have to fight Sir Odo, gods help her.”

    The contestants were summoned and the plan explained to them. Nolda did not seem overly relieved at being spared the black knight, probably due to being confronted with the Count as a result. He himself appeared mildly perturbed by the unusual situation, glanced at Meve’s tense smile, and said nothing.

    “I don’t know as it’s necessary that the Count should go against me now,” Nolda said doubtfully, “To tell the truth, I’m only here because Captain Bohault - he’s my husband - said could do better than me at this game, which I’ve proved he can’t.”

    “That you have,” the Queen said, mildly amused despite herself, “But the contest has to be won by someone. If you’re intending to spare Sir Reynard a fall on account of his age, I assure you there’s no need.”

    Nolda, who appeared to be roughly the same age as the knight, frowned, apparently unsure whether the Queen was joking. Sir Reynard’s expression turned mildly pained, but he did not roll his eyes at her.

    “I have no objections,” he said, stiffly. Nolda shrugged and said, “Well, I’m game, then.”

    “Good,” the Baroness said, “We’ll start in twenty minutes.”

    The combatants rode down to opposite sides of the field, where Reynard sat on his horse, exchanging a few words with his squire. Nolda stood at her horse’s head, deep in conversation with Bohault; the occasional audible phrase and the cavalryman’s complicated hand gestures suggested a strategy session was underway. Meve struggled to appear neutral, if she couldn’t manage anything else, despite her continued irritation at the black knight’s disappearance. The effort became supremely more difficult as, from behind and under the stands, a familiar voice whispered, “Meve! I mean, Your Majesty! I need t’ talk to you.”

    She turned, slowly, forced a casual tone, and said, “Ah, Duke Brossard. I’m glad you’ve decided to join us at last.”

[hopefulfestivaltastemaker]

April 25, 2021

My weekly roundup of topics of interest. Topics include urban heat islands, transportation safety, lighting, and cooking.

Urban Heat Island

In the last few weeks, I added some sections on light and noise pollution. Continuing on with some additional, primarily city-scale pollution topics, this week was the urban heat island effect.

The UHI is a phenomenon whereby cities are warmed up, either due to the waste heat of energy usage; pavement, roofs, and other infrastructure absorbing daytime heat; a reduction of surface area and thus heat convention (trees and other vegetation have a lot of surface area and thus are good at radiating heat); or other factors. Unlike global warming, which as the name applies affects the whole planet, UHI is mainly a localized effect and is distinct.

About 166 thousand people die every year from heatwaves. I’m not sure how many of these deaths should be attributed to UHI. The only two estimates I know about are that the UHI causes 0.42% excess deaths in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), and that the UHI was responsible for 52% of the deaths in the West Midlands, UK during the August 2003 heat wave. That’s a pretty wide range and only two data points. If every single death from heatwaves can be attributed to UHI and we take the statistical value of a life at $10 million, then the scale of UHI gets into the trillions of dollars. In reality it’s probably an order of magnitude less than that, which would place UHI on roughly the same level of damage as ozone depletion.

Another way to get a handle on the cost is air conditioning. The UHI was estimated to cost 14 large cities 0.068% of their GDP in operating and repairing AC units alone. That’s about $60 billion per year if extrapolated worldwide, but that’s almost certainly an overestimate because the UHI is worse in larger cities.

By my crude attempt to determine the order of magnitude damages, I’d say that UHI certainly ranks below noise pollution, probably below light pollution, and again maybe on par with ozone depletion in terms of seriousness.

Above I noted three main causes of UHI, and again I am frustrated by the seeming lack of results that decomposes the magnitude of them. The same was true with noise and light pollution. This is the opposite of global warming, air pollution (to an extent), and ozone depletion, for instance, where we know in great detail what the sources of emissions are and the relative magnitude of various sources. But the lack of knowledge here could be partly the result of the fact that UHI is a very localized phenomenon, and so global averages wouldn’t be terribly meaningful.

For those wondering, the UHI is estimated to contribute about 2-4% of all extra heat associated with global warming, with the rest coming from CO2 emissions and black carbon (79% and 18% respectively). This may seem low, but keep in mind that urbanized land is only about 1-3% of all the Earth’s surface area. It seems bigger because that is where most human experience takes place. And no, UHI does not explain most of global warming measurements.

As far as what we ought to do about it, I feel hampered by the fact that I don’t have a good decomposition of causes of UHI, but white (reflective) roofs and vegetation planting in cities both show benefit-cost ratios better than 1.

Transportation Safety

How should we thinking about transportation safety, which is the probability of injury or death from various modes? This paper is pretty good. It gives the death rate for various modes by number of journeys, by hours of travel, and by kilometers of travel.

Unfortunately, it assess figures on the vehicle level (e.g. deaths per vehicle-km), and I think that on an individual level would be much more meaningful. So I estimated typical occupancy rates of various vehicles and converted them into this (not yet well formatted) chart.

(Here I am assuming that “water” means ferries.)

The numbers are all over the board, but one thing that jumps out at me is how much more dangerous active transportation (cycling and walking) is than driving on all three metrics. By comparison, air travel, rail, ferries, and buses are much safer, which I think we generally know. Going into space is risky.

The risks of cycling are generally confirmed from other sources (like this one). Active transportation enthusiasts will often fire back that cycling is dangerous because of car usage, since it is collisions with automobiles that drives much of the risk. That may be, but I would be curious to know some more detailed safety figures. How does a separated cycle track, for instance, compare with a bike lane for safety? I’ve seen a lot of figures on this but nothing that I would regard as super reliable.

Since driving is the most common mode of travel, I also want to delve a little bit into auto safety.

Overall, I want to make a good case for compact cities, and the last few weeks have not been good for that. Noise pollution, light, pollution, and the UHI are all issues where the absolute level of impact will go down with compact cities, but the amount of exposure that people receive will go up. Insofar as we regard human health impacts as the main issue, this is an argument for less dense cities, though it would be countered by considering ecological impacts as well. As far as transportation safety is concerned, unless there are some much safer models of active transportation (I didn’t look at powered micromobility, for instance, but those numbers don’t seem to be very good either), it’s probably best to go for mass transit, which is best at more moderate densities but higher densities than generally prevail in the US.

Lighting

Lighting efficacy is a subject I looked at a while ago and am coming back to know. United 4 Efficiency is one of many sources that does a general comparison of efficiency across sources.

We are all familiar with the progress in solar PV and wind turbines of the last few years. A bit less well-known, but also important, is how LEDs have cut electricity demand for lighting, even with the rebound effect taken into account. LEDs should be regarded as one of the major bright spots (no pun intended) of progress on climate change. However, as noted a few weeks ago, LEDs could be a setback from a light pollution standpoint.

Despite the impressive progress, there are still some further advances possible, most notably with laser diodes and organic LEDs. Both technologies have already been commercialized, but are used for niche purposes so far. When they become cheaper and fully developed, both laser diodes and OLED could be more than twice as efficient (measured as lumens per watt) than LEDs on the market now.

Cooking: Gas vs. Electric

Several cities are moving to ban natural gas hookups in new construction, which would force cooking from electricity instead of gas. There are a lot of issues here, especially with cost, and there are also several differences in how dishes come out. Some chefs aren’t too happy with losing the gas option.

As for overall energy impact, if natural gas is the main source of electricity on a grid, then a switchover doesn’t seem like a good move. Why not just use natural gas directly for heat rather than converting it to electricity, then using the electricity for heat?

This is counterbalanced by the fact that electricity tends to be a more efficient energy carrier for delivering heat. A study in Korea finds that electric cooking has lower primary energy demand and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, and this with a national electric grid that is about 80% fossil fuels.

I’m not sure I understand or fully buy the numbers in this study, and I will have to look further to be convinced. They find that induction cooking (electricity) has an efficiency of 74.9–77.6%, while gas has an efficiency of 30.2–41.7%. That’s good for electricity, but I don’t think it is good enough to get the primary energy savings that the paper claims, unless I am missing something.

[napoleondidthat]

Napoleon did not go straight to the Royal Military School at Brienne, where Louis XVI had granted him a free place. First he spent three or four months at the college of Autun, where his elder brother Giuseppe was a pupil, and where he had his first lessons in reading and writing French. Finally, in May, 1779, he arrived at Brienne, for a stay of five years.

To this period relates our first eye-witness account of Napoleon. It comes from one of his schoolfellows, Louis de Bourrienne, who will reappear in his orbit more than once.

We were scarcely nine years old, Bonaparte and I, when our association began. It soon became very intimate.

I was one of the pupils who managed best to fall in with his saturnine and stern temper. His self-absorption, his reflections on the conquest of his country, and the impressions he had received in early childhood of the ills endured by Corsica and his family, led him to court solitude and made him, but in appearance only, very disagreeable to approach.

Being of the same age, we started as classmates in literature and mathematics. From the moment of entering the school,  he showed a decided wish to learn. As he spoke only the Corsican dialect, and already excited the most lively interest on that account, Monsieur Dupuis, who was then vice-principal, undertook to give him private lessons in French. The pupil was so responsive to his pains that in a very short space of time he was being grounded in the elements of Latin. The young Napoleon had such an aversion to this study that at the age of fifteen he was still very low in the fourth form.

I left that class very early, but remained his classmate in mathematics, at which to my mind he was indubitably the best in the school. Sometimes he would furnish me with the solution of the problems we were set, at which he arrived at once with an ease that always astonished me, in exchange for compositions and translations, to which he absolutely refused to apply himself.

Bonaparte was distinguished at Brienne by his complexion, much altered by the French climate in later years, by his piercing and searching glance, by the tone of his conversation with his masters and comrades. There was always something acid in his remarks. He was by no means affectionate.

The pupils were invited to the principal’s table in rotation. When it was Bonaparte’s turn, masters who knew his admiration for Paoli made a show of decrying him.

‘Paoli,’ retorted Bonaparte, ‘was a very great man. He loved his country. And I will never forgive my father, who had been his adjutant, for helping to unite Corsica with France. He ought to have followed his fortunes and shared his fate.’

Bonaparte was on the whole unpopular with his schoolmates, in whom he certainly had no flatterers. He had little to do with them and rarely took part in their games. His country’s subjection to France was always reviving in his young mind a painful feeling, which alienated him from the noisy sports of his comrades.

I was nearly always with him. As soon as recreation time came he would run off to the library, where he devoured works of history, especially Polybius and Plutrarch.

The young Corsica’s temper was further embittered by the jeers of the pupils, who often chaffed him about his Christian name of Napoleon and about his country. More than once he said to me angrily;

“I will do you French all the harm I can.”

Napoleon In His Time, Jean Savant,  pages 13-15

[jannah2092future]

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some situations an individual can search multiple internet sites immediately and obtain numerous quotes. Having access to this information in a quick as well https://twitter.com/GTPMortgages as simple format is valuable for individuals. The even more time is invested looking for quotes, the much better the chances are of discovering an excellent rate as well as terms.Getting a home mortgage can be a complicated procedure. If an individual does all of the study they can be successful in finding the appropriate item for their circumstance.

There are several kinds of car loans that can be discovered with a mortgage broker. By utilizing all of the devices offered they will have the ability to find the one that works the very best for them. Having an effective experience when obtaining a mortgage can be helped along by utilizing the services offered by a mortgage broker. I Can't Obtain A Mortgage For Low Income Properties?You can most definitely get a mortgage for individuals on low earnings. There are lots of reasons a person might qualify to buy a home and also a good section of these factors involve credit scores. If you have bad credit, it might be difficult for you to acquire a home loan, however there are some choices offered. There is likewise the possibility of using your residence as collateral to safeguard a loan.One of the very best locations to look if you have a low income residential property is the real estate public auctions. These can be an exceptional way to purchase residences that need to be repaired or upgraded. The main thing you must be aware of when mosting likely to a public auction is the quantity of cash that you will be paying for the house. It

is not unusual for the prices at the public auctions to be really inflated, and also this can be a superb way to obtain a mortgage if you can acquire it at all.The exact same point can be claimed for the lending institution as well as the majority of significant financial institutions. Many people who have low credit scores are refused by these types of institutions. But if you can somehow obtain a home loan from them, you will certainly most likely pay much less than what others will bill. This is an additional option that is readily available for people with poor credit score, although it is not extremely common.Another place that you can aim to get low revenue properties is the Net. There are several on the internet lenders that focus on making home loans for people who have low earnings. You can even get a lending right online if you want to. This makes the process of acquiring a home mortgage even less complicated. It can additionally be much more practical https://en.search.wordpress.com/?src=organic&q=real-estate for you, due to the fact that you can use from the convenience of your very own house, at your very own leisure.If you still believe that you will certainly not have the ability to obtain the kind of home loan that you require due to your credit score, after that you might intend to think about getting a poor credit report mortgage broker. Poor credit scores home loan brokers can help you find a mortgage that meets your requirements and also the terms that you are comfortable with. They can even do the finance application for you. These brokers can save you money and time, since they currently understand where to search for an excellent deal.The finest means to obtain a mortgage for low revenue residential or commercial properties is to attempt to boost your credit score as much as possible. This can be done by paying down debt, preventing bankruptcy, as well as just eliminating exceptional bills that are making your repayments higher than they ought to be. As long as you can do this, you must be able to qualify for a good mortgage. When you are ready to look for a home loan, ensure that you are ready properly for it. You will definitely get the home loan that you require for your new residence. Can Home Loan Brokers Obtain You a Bigger Mortgage?People who have actually made a decision to experience using home loan brokers need to recognize that the brokers can make a massive difference in obtaining them a home loan. If you are interested in a residence and have actually been conserving up for it for at some time then maybe you should check into a home mortgage. Prior to proceeding with the financing you must call your mortgage broker. A mortgage broker will offer you guidance on obtaining you the very best offer feasible. He can even locate you far better offers than you have the ability to

discover on your own.This is an excellent means for people to save cash. The

brokers can aid to protect you the most effective loan possible for your demands. There are many ways to obtain a home mortgage yet you intend to make certain that you are working with a reputable and also sincere home mortgage broker. The brokers have access to numerous lenders, which can supply you with even more choices to pick from.The brokers can also conserve you time when it pertains to submitting your home mortgage application. They will collaborate with various lending institutions simultaneously. As a result of the competition between loan providers, they are commonly happy to offer lower interest rates as well as monthly settlements than other lending institutions. If you have the ability to safeguard a mortgage that has affordable prices as well as flexible terms, you will be conserving money and making it easier to settle your loan.The major reason that brokers can assist you obtain a larger home mortgage is since they have accessibility to a number of loan providers. They are aware of exactly how affordable the market can be.

The main problem is that if one broker assesses your home mortgage then all the various other brokers evaluate it. This can mean that they are biased in their viewpoints and can lead you in the wrong direction. Before you submit any kind of forms with lenders you need to check to see if any of them are connected with the broker you are dealing with.A home loan broker can likewise help you work out far better terms for your finance. As a result of their large expertise of mortgage offerings they can commonly obtain mortgage loan providers to lower the amount of cash that you require to pay in order to buy your brand-new house. They can also locate a loan provider that concentrates on refinancing buildings to fit your needs. This sort of lender will have reduced costs as well as much less complex finances, so your month-to-month repayment will certainly be much smaller.If you are aiming to obtain a bigger home loan, it is very important to look around. You can make use of the assistance of a home mortgage broker yet in order to get a competitive price you might need to browse without one. You can utilize every one of the sources that are readily available online to contrast various lending institutions. You can additionally take advantage of any kind of benefits that a broker might be providing. This can assist you get the best bargain feasible.

[tabby-shieldmaiden]

Another one for Friday Night Fights! The challenge hosted by @promptsforthestrugglingauthor . This one is a little weird, and admittedly was both inspired by me binging Girl Defined response videos, as well as my experiences at Church. It’s also written in second person, with the viewpoint character being a ‘nice church girl’. So, just a heads up.

Be a nice church girl. 

You wake up Sunday morning, early enough to watch the beautiful sunrise that God had painted across the sky. Cheerfully, you get out of bed. You didn’t even have to set an alarm clock, because getting up at dawn on Sunday is just a habit to you. Of course it doesn’t bother you at all. You plan out your entire week around the couple of hours you spend in Church. Obviously you’d have slept early the previous evening. It is for your Father in Heaven after all.

You brush your pearly white teeth, carefully scrubbing over each one. They were white and shiny teeth. Of course they had to be. In Church, you could only be seen smiling. And no other expression could really be sufficient there. Before God, you simply had to present your best self, and what better way is there to exist in? Happy, cheerful, a delight. You simply were overjoyed to be there.

Your hair and makeup done. Perfected. Just feminine enough to be perceived as a perfectly charming woman. But not too flamboyant to the point where you would stick out. You pick out your outfit next. A simple dress. Floral patterned. A matching baby pink cardigan. White ballet flats of a fairly modest design. Nothing too sparkly, nothing too flashy. Just something simple but feminine. After all, it’s not like you go to Church to draw attention to yourself. All of this is to simply honour God. This was what everyone in Church wore, because it was modest, but presentable. And most importantly, no one would stick out. No one would individuate.

From your dresser, you reach for a simple gold chain. Then a simple set of earrings. They were fake pearls, which did make you a little upset. Because you knew a number of the other girls in Church had real pearl earrings and you knew you couldn’t exactly afford them. You prayed that God would help you with your sin of envy. After all, at the very least you did have those fake pearl earrings. Cheap-looking and uncomfortable as they are. You sometimes wished that you didn’t need to wear them. But alas, the look simply wouldn’t be complete without it.

You subconsciously catch yourself chewing your nail, but once you caught yourself you stopped. It was a bad habit. You knew. And after all that work you put into painting your nails, taking care of them, you really wanted to keep them in good condition. Just like how every other woman in Church had nice nails. They all sported evenly painted, unchipped nails. Your hands still shook every time you painted them.

People commented on your nail biting. How it was unhygienic, unsanitary, gross. You knew they just wanted what was best for you. It wasn’t like they were unconcerned. And anyways, they did have a point, didn’t they? Nail polish smelled horrible, but you soldiered through it to apply it on anyways. Maybe someday, you’ll get good enough at nail polish, so that when you see your nails, you would not feel the need to chew them.

You eat breakfast, and when you do you don’t drink coffee. Who really needs sustenance like that? All you really needed in life was the energy which God provides you with. Every day, you can just sleep your planned eight hours, no problem. God provides you with the discipline to stick to your daily schedule. This was no problem. Nothing was impossible for God.

Hail a cab to Church. Quickly, you made it. Everyone there is smiling, dressed in their Sunday best. 

The men looked handsome and dashing in their suits and ties. The women looked beautiful and charming in their modest skirts and dresses. Everyone grins at you when you arrive. You talk about current events. Your families and your jobs; their children, nephews, nieces; sports; the weather; any gossip about other members of the congregation. All very engaging topics which you never used to be particularly interested in, but have found to be absolutely fascinating to talk about. The gossip especially, was a bad habit. But well, we all do fall short of the glory of God. He would surely forgive you.

You found it difficult to differentiate the people around you. You walked up to someone in an orange dress with shoulder length wavy hair, expecting it to be your friend Clara. Instead, it was Elizabeth. You walked up to a tall man with neatly gelled hair and a red tie, and you thought that he was Michael. But it was actually Joseph. It was a little embarrassing. But they were all good sports about it. That was something difficult you frequently had to deal with. Especially in Church. Navigating everyone, because for some odd reason you often had trouble differentiating the people around you. 

Well, some people were easier to differentiate than others. Case in point...

In the corner, reading a book with a smiling dragon on the cover, sat a young girl in a baggy hoodie and a pair of ragged jeans. Her earphones were firmly plugged into her ears. She was listening to music. No one was talking to her, and she didn’t seem particularly bothered by that.

You could only sigh when you saw her. She had been like that for a long time. There had probably been a time when she was a cheerful, sociable child. But now all she did was hang back and keep to herself, which would not do at all. God had commanded us all to be a friend. So you figured you really ought to go over and talk to her. You think you remember her name - Rebecca, if you’re not wrong - so you head over to her, a wide, pearly white grin on your face.

“Hi, Rebecca,” you say. Your voice chipper and loud enough so that she may hear you over her music. It worked to get her attention. She looked up from her book, and pulled out her headphones. You smile. That’s at least some progress. She’s paying attention to the world around her now. 

“Hi,” she said. She closes her book, but places a finger on the page where she left off. She shot you a fairly neutral expression. Neither a smile nor a frown could be seen on her face. Her lips were instead a perfectly straight line. Behind her glasses, her eyes just looked puzzled at why you were there.

You continued smiling. She smiled back, but only by slightly turning the corners of her mouth up. That was another step in the right direction! Smiling was good! Especially smiling in the house of God! Surely, no one had any real reason as to why that was supposed to be a bad thing. You slide beside her, sit next to her at the pew, and continue talking. “So, how have you been lately?”

“Okay,” she said. And then nothing else. Not a ‘how about you?’ or any other elaboration beyond that. That was upsetting. You remember a time back in your past when you were like that. But you soon learned the proper way to talk, hold a conversation. Thanks to all the people who taught you how to talk correctly. Soon, maybe Rebecca would catch on too.

You figured that, at least for now, maybe it would be a good idea to talk to Rebecca about something she was interested in. “What book are you reading?” You ask. It had a dragon on it, so it was probably a fantasy novel of some sort. Most likely a book she has owned for quite a while, since the spine was cracked and the pages were all dog-eared. 

You were never all that into fantasy. When you were younger, you very much preferred science fiction. And though you frequently found yourself yearning at the new science fiction books on display at the bookstore, you knew you shouldn't get too caught up in reading them. Years ago, you used to stay up late reading all those books. Way past midnight. You wouldn’t even crack open your Bible. But now, you’ve made a commitment towards going to bed on time and reading your Bible every day. And though admittedly, some parts of your personal Bible study made you bored, or made you conjure up some terrible questions (no doubt just Satan attempting to make you question your faith), you keep pushing on. Those science fiction novels may be alluring, but they surely aren’t nearly as great as the treasures which would await you in Heaven. 

Rebecca glanced at you, then showed you the back of the book. “It’s called ‘The Thief and The Knight’,” she said. Without any other comment.

You looked at the blurb at the back of the book, which read:

“What, no thank you? I went out of my way to help, you know, I didn’t have to.”

“You almost got me arrested!”

“But you didn’t, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Ungrateful!”

Tenia is a knight in training. Serious, clever, and an overall teacher’s pet, all the people in her life certainly had high hopes for her and her future. 

Kavlin is a mischievous young thief. With nothing but the clothes on his back and his trusty dragon, Gason, he lives every day barely getting by, stealing whatever he needs to live.

The two of them couldn’t have lived lives more different. But one day, when their paths met in a market, they soon found their fates entangled permanently. Now Tenia needs to make a choice. Follow her head and continue her knight training, or follow her heart and walk a new path with Kavlin? 

You sigh. This doesn’t sound like a particularly godly story. You recalled reading several similar stories like that when you were young, and it would always end with the obedient young woman leaving her neatly laid out life for some reckless, hedonistic man. That was definitely not how God intended for young women to live their lives. 

But maybe there’s a twist in this story. “Hm, that sounds interesting. Does she go back to studying hard to become a knight?” You ask. Smiling in as kind a way as you could. 

Rebecca shook her head, which was slightly disappointing for you. “She falls in love with him. They continue working together, she quits being a knight, and together they’re now thieves working to make the kingdom a much better, safer place for the poor.”

“But surely she could have done that while still being a knight? Without becoming a thief?” You ask. “The Bible says that we must use our gifts to help others in need. She could have done good for the poor using the gifts which made her such a promising knight, instead of going on to become a thief. There’s ways of helping others without disobeying the law.”

Rebecca looked at you, biting her lip. You hope that that’s a sign that she’s reconsidering reading something like that. God did say that we should be careful about what we read, and what we think about. If your words would convince her to stop reading something so immoral, that would only be a good thing. 

She took her book back, and held it close to her chest. You shot yet another smile at her, hoping that she understood that you were only concerned about her and the state of her spirit. Hopefully, she will get there soon. You remember how hard it had been to forgo your sci-fi novels. Even to this day, you still kind of miss them. But you could live without them. You could live only on the word of God alone, without any other book. That was something you had to remind yourself almost every day. But it was worth it. It had to be worth it, to be God’s faithful servant.

“At least consider it,” you say. “I’m only concerned for your spiritual well-being, and I wouldn’t want you to get the wrong ideas from the wrong places.” Rebecca still stared at you, her face still seemed fairly expressionless. But maybe, with some prayers, she’ll have her heart and mind changed.

You thought that you heard someone call you, and so you turned back around. “I’m sorry Rebecca,” you say. “I think I’m needed elsewhere now. So I’m going to have to go.” Such a shame. You were hoping to chat with her for a bit longer. Now what she’ll do is slip her headphones back on and bury her nose back into that book of hers. You should know. That was what you used to do back when you were her age.

You tried to recall. Why did you used to do that? Socialising with others in Church was such a pleasant thing. You loved to go every week, and listen to them talk about all the minor life updates that they have. Their new houses and cars. Their children winning participation trophies. Surely, those things were always far more interesting that any book one could bury their nose in. You try and think back, why did you like to read and hide away so much from the world. But you could not dwell on that question any further, because soon you ended up swept away by the crowd. Your train of thought halted. And you got sucked, like a whirlpool, into a sea of identical pearly white smiles and modest dresses.

[johnnut28]

Cyclic Peptides In Biological

What Are The Types Of Sarms, What Are Sarms Uk.

Content

Peptide Adjustments.

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Types Of Ipeds.

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View your results with medical professional's recommendations, keep an eye on any kind of changes with time and also see the renovations you can make to your health with easy way of living changes. A terrific means to improve your efficiency as well as get outcomes is to recognize what's taking place inside your body. Look beyond just the price of SARMs to decide what you are mosting likely to utilize.

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Although the companies involved discuss a market worth $1bn, to achieve anything close to this value any product would certainly need to reveal exceptional efficacy and also it seems more probable a number of smaller sized products will certainly emerge. Given previous scientific experience it does appear more probable that development in this complicated illness will certainly be incremental. Taking a different approach is PsiOxus with MT-102, an anabolic catabolic changing agent. Patients are presently being hired for a double blind, sugar pill regulated stage II study in 132 individuals, with either intestines or non-small cell lung cancer cells. Information on endpoints including a six min walking test as well as stair climb must be offered next year; if positive the firm will look for a companion. In the meantime, data must emerge from the mid-stage pipeline, possibly from Acacia's APD209 before the end of the year.

Peptide Adjustments.

The item is a combination of two repurposed medications-- a beta 2 adrenoreceptor agonist and a progestogen agonist. The majority of cachexia study is being carried out in cancer clients but any type of effective medicine would also likely be used in problems such as kidney disease and chronic obstructive lung illness, where individuals regularly experience squandering. More comprehensive capacity also hinges on related conditions such as sarcopenia, muscular tissue throwing away in the elderly that is thought to affect a quarter of guys over the age of 60. Cachexia is mostly associated with cancer; rates differ with tumour types and the phase of the disease. For example, while around 80% of pancreatic cancer people are likely to suffer from losing it is no place near as typical in less aggressive tumour kinds.

Claim a fantastic product so you can get truth worth it needs to supply. All products detailed as well as provided via SteroidsUK are intended for research study purposes only. Products offered by SteroidsUK are not intended for usage in foodstuff or as any kind of medication.

New Items.

A big dose may be taken in one go as well as injecting can bring about major infection, specifically liver disease as well as HIV if injecting tools is shared so clean tools must always be made use of. Troubles such as rest conditions, complication, clinical depression and paranoia may additionally be experienced.

They are affordable and also conveniently accessible to suppress testosterone production. Study made it known that lots of people use the SARMs in the dosage variety in between 10 mg as well as 25mg. Landing on this page implies you may want to know a couple of aspects of pure SARMs. We would certainly choose a remedy to your search as well as reward you with outstanding top three pure SARMs for body building. There's no huge trick that the SARMs can function correctly to enhance body movement.

Types Of Ipeds.

Information that GTx will begin two phase III researches with its unique muscle wasting therapy, Ostarine, is motivating development for cachexia research. The problem afflicts a large proportion of cancer individuals as well as clients with lung as well as kidney illness, brings a substantial death risk as well as can drastically kink lifestyle, however has couple of reliable therapies.

Authorities are reacting extremely quickly and also catching scammers offering fake SARMs. Producers need to check each product in independent research laboratories, which need to give their consent for sporting activities supplements to appear on the marketplace. Without bring your BPC157 Spain to the future , customers may doubt the accuracy as well as security of the item and also deny it. Some SARMs had been evaluated years prior to they were authorized for usage. Although costliness is a loved one term, the majority of users will agree that the prices of SARMs are high.

Our products are not intended to treat, avoid, alleviate or cure any illness or medical condition and also are for research functions only. Raising awareness of the wellness results of PEIDs is an essential emphasis of ASADA Chief Executive Officer David Sharpe. One recent research paper located that youngsters given synthetic human development hormone go to substantially greater risk of developing cancer cells in the long term. Various other research study carried out on hormonal agent peptides has actually shown customers go to increased risk of hypertensive episodes, haemorrhage, water drunkenness as well as even fatality.

Immortal Scientific Research The Reaping Machine 120 Caps (ostarine).

Collect details, reviewed evaluations from other individuals, and also learn what the value is from each product. A badly made product isn't mosting likely to give you the results you desire.

What are antimicrobial proteins?

Abstract. Production of antimicrobial peptides and proteins is an important means of host defense in eukaryotes. The larger antimicrobial proteins, containing more than 100 amino acids, are often lytic enzymes, nutrient-binding proteins or contain sites that target specific microbial macromolecules.

Ibutamoren or MK 677 has been shown to raise IGF-1 levels by 60% in 6 weeks. It is a non-hormonal as well as consequently requires no PCT after the cycle is over. It will shine more-so if ran in conjunction with SARMS S-4 and also Cardarine (GW ). This would be similar to a SARMS three-way pile that is normally kept up Ostarine, except there is an opportunity of even more size being put on while cutting. To conclude, the pure SARMs are not restricted to the ones mentioned above, however the ones noted are the top 3 pure SURMs for muscle building. To understand more about various other health problems and its solutions, examine our platform for even more fascinating details. Ostrarine is just one of the best-knownproducts that are extensively used in this century.

So, Just How Can I Obtain Sufficient Collagen?

Besides, each kind of SARMs has its approach of usage and also numerous protocols to enhance productivity. You either dosage once or twice each day to execute its feature to contentment as well as integrity. If you disable this cookie, we will not have the ability to save your choices. This implies that every single time you see this website you will certainly need to allow or disable cookies again. Purely Needed Cookie ought to be made it possible for at all times to ensure that we can save your preferences for cookie setups. It means that buyers have correct security when purchasing sporting activities supplements, both online and offline.

Protein that can be toxic in the heart and nerves may help prevent Alzheimer's - EurekAlert

Protein that can be toxic in the heart and nerves may help prevent Alzheimer's.

Posted: Thu, 07 Jan 2021 16:45:52 GMT [source]

Popular brand names justify it with raised demand for these preparations as well as the higher rates of raw materials and also job. Yet, comparable to on the internet shopping is, many fraudulences occur online. If you do not wish to be scammed, make certain that online sale is lawful in your nation. Lastly, seek previous users and also examine their experiences with a particular supplier and items. The most safe way to get something is when you can inspect the item right away. When it comes to SARMs, one needs to recognize what to check, such as seals or how the print on the label was done. They ought to be well notified regarding products, brand names, as well as whatever else that interests them prior to buying.

For a few of one of the most powerful medications, the examinations were also pricey to perform at amateur level. Readus's wish to go quicker was at the root of his use of medications, and also a big part of the advantage was mental. Staite was as well old to transform specialist, and also even with the medicines he was a nation mile off the best in the sport. Despite how far from the elite they are, however, athletes who dope frequently appear to wish to make a step up to the next degree of speed as well as competitors, whatever it might be. Envision they're the same sort of medications that shamed bicyclist Lance Armstrong was banned for utilizing to win 7 Tour de France titles. Now imagine that a few of the fastest motorcyclists in this pleasant local competitors have actually utilized medicines to boost their efficiency. The British Army takes a zero-tolerance approach to compound misuse.

information BPC157 Canada ='border: black solid 1px;padding: 12px;'>

Peptides: What are they, uses, and side effects - Medical News Today

Peptides: What are they, uses, and side effects.

Posted: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Readus located that a lot of the recommendations about dosages as well as discovery he got was inaccurate, meaning some athletes failed medications tests despite all their efforts. For endurance athletes, the medications that were preferred 10 years earlier are still the ones that are preferred today. Ultimately EPO is just completely matched to boosting efficiency. Olympic biker as well as former doper David Millar identified the very same phenomenon-- vitamin injection became his entrance to medications.

There are lots of reasons why you ought to make use of just authentic SARMs items. Really frequently, the list of active ingredients found in these fakes is false. A study by PHI at Liverpool John Moores University-- Steroids and Picture Enhancing Medicines 2013 Survey Outcomes-- gives thorough information on the degree and attributes of making use of these drugs in the UK.

How many types of peptides are there?

There are five different types of peptides used as skin-care actives: signaling peptides, carrier peptides, enzyme-inhibiting peptides, neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides and antimicrobial peptides. When skin is injured, proteases break down damaged tissue into different peptide fragments.

Mechano growth variable which is stemmed from IGF-1 as well as helps with tissue fixing and adaptation. Development hormones like AOD-9604, which has fat burning buildings as well as is utilized by professional athletes to boost power-to-weight ratios. Performance as well as image enhancing medications are taken by people who desire to improve their physical appearance and/or enhance their toughness and also showing off efficiency. Basically UKAD acts on tip-offs, just like police, with discussion forums and websites selling medications a main source for finding prospective culprits. Do not be fooled into thinking everything you review online is true, though.

Medications impact the fitness as well as dependability of service individuals as well as have a harsh effect on operational performance. Fail a medications examination, as well as you can anticipate to be discharged from the solution. Professionals such as physiotherapists suggest people on how to enhance muscles after an injury or procedure. They will assess the client and offer recommendations as well as instruct them in workouts that can be used to reinforce particular muscle mass teams. Muscle mass are attached to bones so strong muscles can sustain joints and various other components of the skeletal system. For individuals who wish to build the stamina of their muscular tissues for health and fitness gains, they might consult an individual trainer that can customize an exercise program to the private with objectives to safely function towards.

[rigelmejo]

Advice I’ve found helpful:

1. For ‘easier’ immersion materials, pick things you have some familiarity already with. So: shows/books you’ve already read in your native language, or watched/read in the target language with some kind of context (seen subs before in your native language, a summary, you’ve looked up lots of words etc). I definitely find immersing in stuff I have some context for much easier, because at least sometimes I can place what certain unknown words mean/what is going on in the plot, even when I don’t actually ‘know’ all the words. 

Personally: I like using some absolutely new unknown materials for immersion, just because I like to test how much I’ve ‘improved’ with something I’m sure I have nothing to rely on ahead of time except for what I have learned. But when I’m immersing with something I want to find more comfortable/easier to immerse with, its easier for me to use things I’m already familiar with - otherwise I have to pick graded material/learner materials instead of using target language native materials. 

2. Once you find some study materials that work for you, stick to them. Specifically if they progressively teach new stuff - like textbooks, grammar guides, apps with lessons, teaching podcasts, flashcards that add grammar points/new words, etc. Anything that builds up knowledge over time. 

I used to have a bad habit of switching these kinds of materials often, and would keep ‘restarting’ myself in beginner materials, when really I should have been moving on and studying new things. I have found that even if my ‘book/guide/tool’ is imperfect, if I stick to it then I make more progress and improve at a more dependable rate.

3. For immersion material, feel free to pursue things based on interest. You don’t have to finish one material before moving to the next.

I’ve noticed that I tend to get demotivated or disinterested sometimes in materials (which happens in english with my hobbies anyway too), and its definitely better for me to just move to new material that’s interesting me in the moment (so a new show, new story, new audio). I’ve found that as long as its target language native material, its all exposing me to common things I should review, and new things I ought to pick up/learn, so regardless of the material its going to challenge me and solidify what I’ve studied already and teach me new things. Meanwhile... graded readers would fall into point 2 -  but with a special caveat - if the graded reader has a Subject i’m not interested in, I need to just switch to a new novel at a HIGHER difficulty level at a certain point. Basically - regardless of if I stick to a graded reader all the way through, or if I drop it and move to another, once I’m very comfortable with that reading level, I need to move to prioritizing higher difficulty level material. This might apply to immersion content a little - as in, its better for me to work in some dramas/audios/books with more words I don’t know, so I get more comfortable. But with target language content made for natives its less of an issue since pretty much everything made for adults is constantly teaching me new stuff right now. 

4. Its BETTER to do something consistently, than nothing. So better to study any minutes a day then never. Likewise - its better to study using ANY method that’s helping you make progress, than to not study at all because its not ‘the best way.’ 

I’m sure I’m not the only learner who’s had this issue studying languages, but its easy to wonder if you’re doing things right or doing ‘enough.’ And in the end? For me it boils down to ‘anything where I make any progress, and don’t give up IS enough.’ No method’s perfect for everyone, not everyone can stay engaged in the same methods, etc. Yeah some advice says ‘don’t ever speak before X time’ but some people only stay motivated if they speak from day one, so they might as well speak! I’ve seen plenty of advice for chinese to ‘focus on listening/speaking first’ instead of focusing on reading so early on. But I get motivated/interested by reading, so here I am doing more reading from day 1!  It’s worked well enough for me! It got me this far!

5. At some point, focus on all for skill areas because eventually you need all of them: listening/reading, speaking/writing.

This seems basic as can be but I’m guessing its still easy enough to overlook. There’s a reason good textbooks/teachers try to make sure they cover all these skills for the level you’re supposed to be comprehending/communicating at by the time you finish their class. I self-study mostly, and its easy to forget about one or multiple of these areas, especially if they don’t align as well with your goals/interest areas/preferred study methods. It’s just important to cover them all eventually, if you want roughly balanced skills in the language. I personally think its okay to have imbalanced skills - depending on your goals, and your preferences. For example: if you want to read but do not want to prioritize speaking due to low need to speak to anyone, it seems fine to spend more time on reading and work on speaking more later when its a goal or need to. Or, maybe you specifically need to speak regularly to people in your workplace/living situation/life, then it would make sense to prioritize daily needs conversation study and skills way before you bother dedicating a lot of time to reading etc.

Thankfully, there’s usually a variety of study methods to improve each skill. Though unfortunately, usually to improve in production you must eventually practice Producing language, and to improve in comprehension you must eventually practice comprehending materials. By this, I mean that even with textbook grammar drill sentence exercises and repeat-after podcasts, you must eventually practice speaking to people and writing messages/paragraphs. Even if you study sentence flashcards or read graded readers, you must eventually try to listen to real conversations/audio/shows and try to read materials you’re planning to one day engage with (newspapers/websites/novels/games/whatever your goals are). 

6. Prioritize learning the most common 500/1000/2000 words as needed. 

(Unless your goals and needs are very specialized on other vocabulary needs - who knows, maybe you only need X language for mechanical engineering words?) I ran into this tip when studying French, and then variations on this tip from a lot of polyglot blogs. I’ve also noticed a lot of the youtubers who try to learn a language in ‘x days/x months’ tend to cram in a lot of vocab early on - I saw two successful learners who studied 2000 words in the first 1-2 weeks. Then they moved onto reading grammar points, reading actual books, immersing in television, trying to speak their conversational requirements etc. What boosted their speed-run intro to the language is usually a bunch of common words - which will be their foundation for comprehending some gist when immersing, and their source of words when forming sentences as they work on speaking skills. Now, of course, these people generally get into maybe A1-A2 level-ish knowledge in a month etc. But they still make a lot of rapid progress in that first ‘uncomfortable’ hump, at least from what I can tell. There’s many a article out there about how for most languages 2000 words covers 80-90+% of words in everyday conversation, and in many media like shows (and sometimes books). 

Basically, usually at 2000 words you know enough words to start communicating anything you need to with at least basic words/ideas, and have enough words to start learning some new words from context in immersion (and will in general find immersion much less overwhelmingly difficult). I’ve personally found that it’s just a starting place - but its often a really Great starting place, at least for me. Usually its more than enough to make immersing in shows doable, and to make reading with a dictionary bearable. Its also usually enough, with a few months grammar practice/exposure too, to start expressing a lot of my basic thoughts/needs at least. I did this to some extent with French (maybe 1000 common words), then jumped into immersing and grammar books mostly. I do think if dropped into an all french country, I could read signs and forms/speak my basic needs if I were lost/needed help with X/thought something/wanted to speak with someone. I would probably sound like a wreck (since I didn’t work on pronunciation much and one day need to) but I think I could navigate having to go to a hospital/get a plane ticket/buy something/make a friend/ask how to get somewhere/read any book for gist main ideas/read the news. I could get by. And the foundation for that started with just around 1000 words to start me toward that. Ever since I’ve tried to learn common words with any language I study, and each time I’ve noticed it substantially make target language materials more % comprehensible, and make it easier for me to start having a foundation to express a lot of basic ideas (think maybe 5-8 year old that can start talking about a lot, but may need to ask for a lot of ‘what’s X word mean/what’s X thing about?’). 

Its not a lot obviously, since there’s still much that’s incomprehensible, and there’s still lots that’s hard to discuss/follow the details of. But its enough to build from more easily. And I think its a great way to direct self-study before you start specializing - it prioritizes a ton of useful words before you start moving onto words with less ‘payoff’ because they show up less frequently and not in as big a variety of situations/topics. Even if using a textbook, I find using a frequency list too helps - since some textbooks teach pitifully little like 200 words, and some teach very focused on topic-specific words like ‘my classroom’ and ‘my job’ and ‘shopping’ when you may need words that show up in ‘news’ ‘social media’ ‘shows’ too based on whatever your goals are - a frequency list helps make sure words that show up in more places get learned, even if they don’t always fit in specific topics.

7. Read through a grammar guide. (Adapt this depending on where you get the advice: read a grammar summary, or just look up grammar points once for reference when you run into one that confuses you, or just skim through a guide before you learn, or just read a grammar guide later on if you need a stronger foundation etc).

I don’t think everyone needs this. Lots of people really LOATHE grammar, or think its ‘wrong’ to study it at the wrong point in time, whenever they think that is (beginning, or later on, etc). I personally find my life gets way easier when I read at least a grammar guide/summary on AT LEAST the basic past/present/future tense way of expressing things, on adjectives, nouns, verbs, conjunctions/notable grammar particles and features, as soon as possible. Covering this stuff makes my attempts at producing language SO MUCH EASIER since I’ve got at least a rough framework of how to express things basically. And immersing likewise becomes just SO MUCH EASIER with at least a rough idea of what I’m looking at that I can break down into meaningful parts. Even if I don’t know 1 word to even 80% of words in a sentence: if I can tell which words are nouns/verbs/particles/conjunctions/what tense the sentence verbs are in/if there’s any gendered nouns/if there’s any plurals - then I can figure out a LOT about the meaning of the sentence. 

Take “Na no le mayy, ter le henent.” Here’s a sentence I just made up. Let’s say you know that ‘na’ means “there is” in this language. You know “no” is a particle meaning belonging like the japanese ‘no’ or chinese ‘de’ or english ‘s. “le” means masculine ‘the’ and is put before nouns that are masculine if a person, or objects/etc if another kind of noun. ‘ter’ you know means ‘is/are’ as a super basic verb, conjugated for a masculine person not object - now you know maybe this ‘le mayy’ is a person not an object - so the sentence so far means “this is my ‘person’.” You know le also goes before adjectives in this language to match the noun to which it refers, and ‘ent’ is a super common adjective ending in this language. So now you can guess the sentence means “This is my ‘person,’ (they) are ‘adjective describing them’.” Its possible the le henent is a noun spelled with this ending, so it could also mean “this is my ‘person,’ they are ‘noun probably describing them’.” This has narrowed down what the unknown 2 words in the sentence could mean by A LOT. Now if you understand some other context from the Surrounding sentences, you might be able to guess if the ‘person’ is a student/husband/friend/enemy, and maybe if the descriptor is something positive/negative more specific etc. Without any grammar study or overview ahead of time, the grammar pieces like ‘le’ and ‘ent’ and ‘no’ may have confused you or helped you less.

“Na shi wo de pengyou, ta hen hao,” might be how you say this in chinese, or, “Ill y a mon amie, ton est tres intelligent.” But this kind of grammar-helping-comprehension stuff translates to bigger more complex sentences, and sentences where you have less words you know and can rely on. This helped me a TON in french when i just dived into reading when I only knew a couple hundred words at first, and its constantly helped in Chinese - especially since i have no spaces to help me separate words, so recognizing how the grammar breaks down the sentences helps a lot. 

8. Don’t be scared to immerse in interesting things over high comprehensibility things, if you want.

While I do think, absolutely, that things with high comprehensibility will be easier for you to relax and enjoy, and MUCH easier for you to pick up new stuff from context - i think its possible to learn from harder materials if you want. I do it all the time. Like that higher up tip about any study better than none - if engaging with more difficult stuff keeps me interested, then it helps me more than a boring material i would give up studying and therefore stop learning from. Also, personally I really both enjoy occasionally challenging myself to really push what I can do and prove to myself what I’m capable of versus where my ‘safe zone’ is, and I think I personally learn better when I regularly get difficult bursts that challenge me. I do think for some other people, this may have the opposite effect and possibly cause them to burn out/want to give up studying. But for me, while it makes me sad I’m never as ‘competent’ with real material as I wanted to be, I’m always better at it then I was before or at least confident in knowing I’m practicing/studying something I actually want to do one day. (In comparison to me doing like podcast lessons or self-teach beginner books, where I often feel demotivated because it starts with a lot of basic convo drills, often a bit unnatural, whereas I don’t plan to have those convos much, and for my goals want to do other kinds of stuff that those podcasts may not prepare me for after months if at all...). I’d much rather get a quick foundation then be thrown into the deep end, then a slow foundation with baby steps where I have little new material regularly pushing me. 

Who knows how much this is a legacy of me being in all those honor classes/AP, and then being an engineering student in a bunch of accelerated/condensed courses taking way too many credits, studying too many hard classes at once ;-; - honestly studying anything I actually enjoy and am passionate is eons better than that past schooling. But I do think I developed a lot of my study habits back then around ‘do quick effective stuff to get basically competent then MOVE ON CAUSE THERE’S NEW HARD MATERIAL YOU GOTTA AT LEAST GET THE GIST OF IN LESS THAN A WEEK’.... aahhh. So um... I’m really skewed toward do bare minimum needed, and push difficulty asap constantly. NOT everyone is going to be able to do this, or even Want to do this. So, I’d say in general if other people apply this tip about immersing regardless of difficulty if you want to: you do not have to get the same benefits as me. I think even if the only benefit is that you’re enjoying the parts you do understand, or having fun even if its something you only do once in a while because you’re curious on how much you’d understand, that’s absolutely fine. A lot of people who do this focus on ‘comprehending the gist’ - which I guess would be me. And a lot of people who do focus on harder stuff sometimes, instead prioritize ‘focus on just getting used to it’ aka don’t worry if you can’t follow what’s going on, its okay to only catch a line or word once in a while, the familiarity you develop over time is also a benefit itself.

I do personally think, at the bare minimum, doing this does get you more okay with being dropped into situations that are harder for you and being okay with that. I imagine in language learning, eventually you run into a convo where you get lost, reading where you barely understand anything, or a show where you catch zero words! It’s nice to have the practice of not understanding but being comfortable, so that when you’re stuck in those situations you are less bothered and have possibly some other methods you’ve developed to help you cope/get by/tolerate it until you get through it or can grasp something comprehensible again or can find a way to redirect the convo/look up key words etc. In some languages there is just a huge amount of time you’ll deal with materials less than 98% comprehensible (which is comfortable level for most people), or less than 90% comprehensible (which is difficult but bearable in short bursts for most people). Also, the earlier you immerse/engage in conversation, the longer you’ll hit this ‘difficulty’ curve and either need to get used to it or else it’ll feel uncomfortable.

9. Write your GOALS down. Also, preferably, plan some SMART goals - or some study plan that roughly includes WHAT you plan to do, how you could measure it or it’s progress and test if its working or not-actually-helping-the-goal, how it contributes to your goal, and what smaller-step of your goal you want it to get you to in X time. 

Writing goals, and plans for smaller achievable steps, helps in any goal achieving process. Helps a ton with language learning too, especially when self studying if you’re not sticking to a textbook or course with very clear definited steps/goals you can just copy and aim for. There’s been studies that literally just writing your goals down makes it more likely you’ll achieve them. Its also just much easier to stick to a self study plan if you know what you’re doing, where you’re heading, why, how to check that what you’re doing is actually making progress, and have something to hold yourself accountable to study (since there may be no one else expecting you to hit your smaller-goals or bigger ones). Also personal goals will motivate you - what do you want out of this study? Personally? 

10. Make it enjoyable to you, again any study that you can keep doing and make progress is better than none. And any goal you personally will USE and Enjoy/will help you, is much better then some external goal (like oh X people will be impressed).

The enemy of progress is you giving up. Even if you Do give up - skip the being mad at yourself or feeling guilty, it is what it is and if you gave up there was a reason. Likewise, if you start studying or pick up from an absence, make sure you know what is driving you to study. Think about things you want to DO in the language - how do you want to engage with people, culture, language, that sphere of the world. 

If you are studying it for some external goal - say you want to learn it to ‘be more appealing as a job applicant’ make sure there’s something you’d DO with it (do you plan to speak to those language speakers at a job? translate? read articles in the language to improve your knowledge in the field? work in that country? do you also want to chat with friends/make friends? do you work with that country a lot and want more bg on the culture and want language to use social media/watch shows/chat online/read their news more etc?), or do you have no plans to actually use it concretely - if the second is the case, maybe a different ‘job skill’ would also help your resume and would personally be more valuable to you (maybe coding would help your job prospects, and you also think you’d use it to make an art portfolio website, for yourself or some fun little games or text-choose-your-adventure stories, maybe you would like a job specifically that codes as a part of the regular tasks, or you want to do website/portfolio coding commissions on the side even if you don’t end up getting a job that codes). 

If you’ve got some hobby reason - same things apply. Will you actually use the language if you could? How? These questions will help you form concrete goals, and possibly even help you pick the study methods you’ll want to use more. If convo and chatting is a big goal, conversation skills and practice will be way more important earlier on and also motivate you since you’ll be making friends sooner etc. If say chinese or japanese novels are a big interest of yours, and you even read painful machine translate messes of novels just to get updates or read ones never-translated that you’re into, it might really pay off for you to prioritize reading and maybe even be practicing translating yourself (for yourself) earlier on - since you may end up at the least, learning to translate fics you want to read a bit better than the machine translations you rely on (or at least so you’ll be able to double check the original writing when mtls are painfully incorrect). 

All these goals will have pretty clear smaller-milestones you’ll already know you want to aim for, and those smaller goals will make what study methods you’ll need to use for them a bit clearer. If your goal one day is to chat with people about all kinds of things, a good small step is to learn small talk, introductions, then start branching out one by one (or by depth of convo) into things you want to talk about. If it’s to connect with people, language partners might be a fantastic thing, and you might study a lot by helping someone else with your language, then they help you with theirs, the whole time you get to chat and share ideas and develop friendships. If its to read novels, small steps are learning maybe to skim novels for key information - so if a mtl novel is painfully wrong, you can pinpoint what line you want to word-by-word translate yourself for yourself. Maybe you prioritize learning a lot of words, and characters, and basic grammar, quickly, so that skimming gets easier - and so that picking up details gets easier piece by piece. Maybe you start with more basic topic novels (or comics), get to read novels you’d want to read anyway in that language, then move onto harder stuff as you progress. If you watch tons of dramas, and already know you sometimes watch no-subbed and just desperately try to follow it anyway because you want to watch it NOW or you wanted to watch THAT SHOW but it has no existing subs in your native language... now you know a major long term goal of yours, that you’ll use. You can plan smaller goals that build up to it, and also allow you to accomplish things you enjoy. Maybe first you work on following short fanmade videos with scenes, or following trailers, or watching youtubers/etc that you like watching and would probably try to watch without subs anyway. You compare the subbed versions to no subs or target language subs, you look up common unknown words that come up, common phrases etc. You work up to episodes of shows you’ve already seen and had subtitles for, and try to follow it this time without subs. Etc. 

Yes, with all of these goals you’ll eventually need to do the less fun less your-goal oriented more basic tasks, like grammar and vocab acquisition and pronunciation learning/listening etc (whatever you personally like more or less).  But you’ll have reasons WHY you’re doing it that motivate you. You’ll have a REASON you’re willing to slog through vocab flashcards or a grammar guide or a pronunciation/convo learner podcast. Because it will directly help you do something you WILL like. And you’ll know at least a PIECE of your study, WILL be some tasks you do know you’d do/enjoy anyway - like trying to chat, or reading, or watching tv, or listening to music, or browsing the internet, etc. 

[bluepenguinstories]

Happiness Overload Chapter Fifty-Seven

As I fell, I couldn’t help but smiled. Not at first, but after the initial shock of falling passed, I was really able to take in the moment.

Those two really are the real deal.

It was just as Dr. Michelangelo had said (yes, I was listening in). Their love was at a level I could not comprehend, a power so great that, gah! Yes! That was it! The oft rumored ‘power of love’! I’ve heard of such things!

While my love was for art itself (not that women weren’t beautiful, though I was more interested in the aesthetic beauty than any kind of emotional evocation. So long as I could paint a beautiful picture, that was all the love I needed), theirs was unparalleled!

Thud!

I hit the floor as if I were a blot of ink and a pile of popsicle sticks were the canvas. Pain meant little to me. After all, what was art, if not pain?

No. There was no need to answer that. Instead, I allowed my ears to absorb the surroundings; Every little fixture, movement, heartbeat. Two bodies (the gay baby jail had been moved off the stage, as it was no longer needed), two muses. Two little pieces of inspiration that would provide me the answers to any question related to art and pain. All I needed to do was listen.

All I could think about was how weak I had been to fall into such a trap like that. That I couldn’t figure out a way out, and that I even gave in to the delusion. Even after I woke up, the effects continued to linger, if only a little.

“Yes! We got her!” Coriander cheered. She sounded triumphant, as we watched Dr. Lynch...and whatever other names she might have had, fall, along with her tower of popsicle sticks.

“Good job!” I managed to reply. Despite the blurred vision, if nothing else, I could tell from the vibes that we were victorious. No, not we. She was. “That was badass!”

She looked back at me. “It was?”

Why do you sound surprised? You’ve always been cool.

I laughed. “I don’t know! But if people can call me that, I don’t see why you can’t be!”

“Was I admirable, too?”

Of course. You’re getting better all the time.

I nodded, then started to lose my balance.

“Velvet, are you okay?!”

I watched as my arms swung around, as if I weren’t the one doing the swinging. As I managed to stand back up, I grinned, folded my arms over my hips, and looked her way. “Of course! What, are you worried about me or something?”

She looked away. “Are you going to hold it against me if I say yes?”

Oh my god. So cute.

“Yes! In fact, I will! Every chance I get!” I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. But then I shook my head. “Sorry, I got a little carried away. We’ve got more pressing matters to deal with.”

Coriander nodded; one moment, we stood next to each other, triumphant. Then, I blinked, and it must have been the longest blink ever, as between those few seconds, she had sprinted toward the mad artist and pinned her to the floor. There seemed to be a passion to the way she was positioned on top of her. Or maybe it was just my thoughts drifting elsewhere.

God, I wish that was me.

No, that passion was anger. Pure, unfiltered rage.

“I’ll kill you!” Coriander screeched. “How dare you?! Huh?” Coriander tightened her grip. I watched her let go, only to reach for Dr. Lynch’s throat instead. That snapped me out of my trance.

I got over there and pulled Coriander away. It was a much heavier task than I thought it would be. She kicked and thrashed about and I heard her seethe.

“What are you doing, Velvet?” She struggled to break free. “She tried to kill you! To kill us! Let me at her!” Then, the one on the floor started to cough.

“H-Harder…” Dr. Whoever wheezed.

Coriander groaned. “You know what. I suddenly feel gross.” I let go of her. “But seriously, why Velvet? This person is our enemy! We should kill her! She’s not good after all, she’s not going to help us, she’s just going to keep trying to get us killed!”

“I know, but we need to stay calm if we have any chance of getting through this. Besides,” I rubbed my forehead. “I still don’t feel very well. I’m not Peak Velvet right now.”

Like it or not, my current state was NOT what Peak Velvet looked like.

Through awkward motions, I stroked her hair. After a few expended sighs, she calmed down.

“At least tell me where my backpack is,” she growled.

“Tell us if there’s a way out of here, too,” I added.

As if she would know. If she had, she wouldn’t be in there, would she? “Backpack, no. Way out, yes,” wheezed the art hoe.

“What?! You took it from me and here you are, defeated, and you can’t give it back! I ought to kill you, I don’t care! I ought to beat you senseless!” Well, that didn’t last long. At least I managed to calm her down, for, what? A minute at most?

Dr. Lynch/Dr. Bob Ross leaned up and smiled with the same kind of smirk that I would give Coriander when I wanted her to ravish me.

“My back hurts…” She winced, then went back to giving such a sly, evil look. I noticed that she was holding up a device in her hand. “You broke the button that would’ve been able to give it back when you threw that gun at my popsicle stick tower. Shame, too, all that hard work to build such a magnificent sculpture,” she shook her head, as if it was some fucking tragedy. “Ah, but that’s the beauty of art. You can put your all into your work and watch it get easily destroyed.”

“All it takes is a click or two to delete an important document,” I found myself sympathizing.

“See, you get it!” Popsigirl beamed. “Ah, right! An exit! Look behind me!”

Both Coriander and I looked past the defeated intern. There was a tunnel, which we had failed to notice before.

“I didn’t realize until I was done building my popsicle stick tower, but it ended up blocking the exit.”

“Wait. If there’s a way out, why are you stuck in here?”

No, better question: Why am I trying to apply logic to this equation? For that matter, I’m now expecting her to say “I’m not stuck in here with you, you’re stuck in here with me”. Great.

“At the end of the tunnel is a door. Need a code, and I don’t know it.”

Oh, then that’s perfect for me!

“Let’s go, spiced Kimchi,” I turned to Coriander.

“Fine, but let me at least grab the gun,” Coriander scrambled.

As I walked toward the tunnel, I turned my attention to the mad artist.

“By the way, if you come after us, if you try anything to hurt her in any way, I swear, I won’t be as forgiving,” as sincere as my threat was, I felt like I was about to pass out again at any moment. So I felt like I had to add, “it doesn’t matter how little energy I might have – if you try anything, I will end you.”

In response, all I got from her was a thumbs up.

Oh well, I’ll take it.

With that, my seasoned companion and I departed through the tunnel.

Names can be difficult, can’t they? Can’t just stick with one, especially if it doesn’t fit for all situations. As my dad would say, “a different name for each learned medium”. Then, with all the media art could encompass, I could have a near-infinite amount of names. But life didn’t work that way, not really. For us humans, we are every bit a piece as any other. Our lifespans cannot accommodate for a near-infinite amount of names.

That was okay with me. Names have their meaning, but some believe if a word is repeated enough, it starts to lose its meaning. So, with that in mind, why was “love” the subject of many a work of art. Hell, it was even a subject in my inner monologue!

There was little I could do at the moment, what with my bad back. It was the worst feeling one can have when the desire to create was overpowered by the inability to do anything. I was left to stew in my thoughts. Such a thing was never good. Over time, left alone, like a painting, thoughts take on a life of their own.

What else could I do? Those thoughts of mine turned to the past. Specifically, back at Flashbulb University.

Most days in the cafeteria was spent studying the various students/interns/human shields/aspiring corporate slaves (take your pick of titles, they all meant the same). Their beauty was something I sought to capture more and more of. Not just their features, but ways in which their deepest selves could be translated into ink.

Dr. O’Keefe and Dr. Pollack approached me with a glow and vigor that I needed time to capture. If I could get them to stand still for just a few minutes…

“I have the biggest crush on you!” Dr. O’Keefe announced, as if it were any surprise; I knew how those two eyed me. I looked up.

“Can you hold that pose?” I got out a wood block. Work was about to commence.

“I have an even bigger crush on you!” Dr. Pollack leaned in. He had a face full of acne in such an intricate way that I just wanted to connect the dots. Perhaps it would have made a shape…

“Quite the dynamic. If I could make a suggestion, Dr. Pollack, you should stand in the background with an angry expression on your face while Dr. O’Keefe, you should lean in and hold out your hand as if you were holding a rose. Then, I will turn my head away, and deny the both of you.”

The two of them gasped. I predicted which would speak up first…

“Why couldn’t you just reject us outright?” Dr. O’Keefe was the first to speak. Just as I predicted.

“Because, it’s all about the art of rejection.”

“Also, I thought you said you had an appreciation for the female form!”

I nodded. “That is true.”

“But wait! I thought you said you preferred the abstract!” Dr. Pollack argued. “So that means me, right?”

That was my cue. I erased the image of a cafeteria in my mind and replaced it with a stage, which I proceeded to take to as I got up and placed my hand over my chest. My eyes closed, my head up, so began my (external) monologue:

“For so long now, the two of you had been holding in such feelings, while I, feigning ignorance, took to my paintings. But now you come to me, wishing to know the answer. Do I like you, or you? The truth, I love the art, not the artist. For that reason, we are incompatible.”

“But why?” Dr. O’Keefe seemed confused. How unfortunate. I thought I couldn’t be any more clear. “Don’t you like women?”

“Aesthetically.”

“But don’t you like contrast more?” Dr. Pollack argued.

“Ah, I see what this is,” I paced. They wanted me to educate them. “Attraction does not mean interest. You would do well to know that. For the record, on the subject of sexuality, I am a cubist.”

Each of them nodded. It seemed they finally understood. However, my monologue was left unfinished. That needed to be corrected.

“O’Keefe, I love your paintings of flowers that resemble...begonias. As for you, Pollack, I just adore the way your paint seems to lack any sort of structure, as if you just threw some against a canvas. But, as people, I find you two uninteresting.”

“Um,” Dr. O’Keefe spoke up. “You do realize we’re not actually Georgia O’Keefe and Jackson Pollack, right?”

I blinked. I should have known that, but…

“You aren’t?!”

They shook their heads in unison. “Most of us here aren’t even famous artists. You’re an exception.”

For lack of another expression, I too shook my head.

“No, being famous means nothing. Long after the artist dies, the art will remain.”

Yes, that was the whole reason for the recollection: those two, the ones who expressed such strong love, Velvet and Coriander. Neither fame nor infamy interested me, but the act of artistic expression itself. That was why I lived. To that end, I wouldn’t mind dying in order to create something beautiful.

We had been walking through the tunnel for some time, but at last, I couldn’t take it. I dropped to the floor.

“Velvet!” My beloved cried out.

My beloved...who would have thought? But then, even with all the teasing, it doesn’t feel bad to think of her that way.

“I’m fine. I just need to rest a bit,” it sounded more like I was trying to reassure myself than her. For whatever reason, I felt about ready to break down. Maybe that was what I needed. Maybe then I would wake up and be back to my old self.

“Okay, but we should hurry. What if she shows up again?”

Shit. That was something I didn’t want to consider.

“Then I’ll...I’ll think of something. I’ll figure something out. I always do, don’t I?”

“Right,” she replied, not sounding any more assured than me.

“You sound worried,” I pointed out.

“What? Me? Worried? Why?” I heard her slunk down next to me. “Maybe it was because when that weirdo had us separated, I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it out of there. I shouldn’t have had any doubts, because you’re you, so sorry about that.”

Hearing that made me tighten my hands into fists and I found myself lowering my head.

“No…” I muttered. “I don’t think I would have made it out of there if not for you.” I really was glad for that, but at the same time, it hurt. “I’m sorry.”

“What? Sorry about what?”

“You were right. I shouldn’t have trusted that person. We should have left then and there. Found another way.”

“Yes, well…”

“Also,” I continued. “You were right all those times you said we needed a plan. I thought that something would come last minute and it would all fall into place, and technically, that happened, but even still...I don’t know what I’m doing. I act like I’m so bold, but I’m a nervous wreck.”

She snapped her fingers in front of me. “Hey. Hey. We did what we could with the information we had. It’s just one of those things that no matter how much we could have prepared, we might not have known what to expect. But you know what? You’re doing great.”

That should have been the rousing speech I needed.

“Jeez, I feel like I’m the Velvet in this situation,” she groaned. Then, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“What?!” I kept laughing.

“Well, it’s weird cause aren’t you the tough and mature one or something? I think I’ve had to encourage you twice now. Not that I’m counting.”

The laughing fits wouldn’t stop. I slapped my knee.

“I need encouragement sometimes too, you know?”

Despite the dim lighting of the tunnel, I could see her face go red. She must have noticed as well, as she turned away.

“Well, I’m not saying I don’t like it. In fact, I think it’s cool that I can be there for you.”

Right. That was probably why that woman separated us, trapped us in her little boxes.

“Verse was right, too…”

Her words echoed, the ones she spoke when she was trying to convince me against going.

They would rather experiment on you or torture you than kill you.

“What do you mean?” Coriander leaned forward.

“If this is just what one member is like, then just imagine fighting a whole organization of folks like that. Can we really handle it?”

Silence tore into me. That dream, hallucination, movie, whatever you wanted to call it started to linger on my mind as well. How it started off so fun, but then at the end…

How long has it been since I thought of ‘her’? No, more than that, ‘she’ said that I was still my old timid self.

It all stung. To be reminded of such things. Not only that, but to have such a drop in confidence that I couldn’t seem to shake. The culmination of it all formed into little beads of salt.

Those soon went away. I felt Coriander’s soft hand brush across my face.

“What are you doing?”

“Beats me! I just couldn’t think of what else to do!”

There she went again, able to bring a chuckle out of me, and she probably didn’t even mean to. In response, I held her hand.

“Thank you.”

Again with the blush. She let go and looked away. “I just didn’t like that funk you were in. That’s all.”

I picked myself up and stretched. I even grinned for good measure. She got up as well.

“So? Feeling better?”

“Hell to the yeah. I’m ready to kick some bubblegum!”

“Jeez,” she grimaced. “Just how old is that reference?”

I shook my head. “Never mind that, let’s keep going.”

That’s right: all I have to do is put on a face. Sure, she can usually tell when I’m lying, but so what? I don’t need to have all my energy back. It doesn’t matter how confident I am. All that matters is that I act. Act in every sense of the word

Drafts swept below, which intensified into a gust, and what descended were a pair of what looked like life-sized marionette dolls with those old Victorian Gothic dresses. They shimmied about and threw themselves at the two of us. I tried to brush the one that had flung against me aside only to find the thing heavier than I expected.

Then I’ll just have to rush it…

I rammed myself into the figures, elbow out and all, and knocked them to the floor. Coriander, meanwhile, bashed the doll over the head with the gun.

“What in the fuck?” I mouthed the words. I still felt dizzy, but I knew that I would do whatever I could to carry on. As I looked down on the floor, I noticed that they weren’t dolls. Not quite. Once I looked back up and saw who stood ahead of us, I had my answer.

How did she get ahead of us so fast? I couldn’t help but wonder, even if it may not have done me much good to wonder such things.

“You!” Coriander shouted. “Strike three! You’re out!” She opened fire, but a group of dolls appeared out from the walls and took all the hits instead.

“Wa! Ha! Ha!” Cackled the oh-so-evil resident artist.

“Didn’t I tell you? If you try anything, I will kill you,” I growled. “So if you want my advice, stand aside.”

Instead, she just gave another laugh. “Wa! Ha! Ha! I don’t mind that one bit! Don’t you know the quote? ‘Find what you love and let it kill you’! But please, call me Dr. Geppetto. I like to make dolls as a hobby, you see.”

“Yes,” I glanced down. “I see. What’s with these? Why do they lack faces?”

“They’re manikins! Pure, unfiltered wood! Bendable! Over a hundred possible poses! Perfect reference material! Just like the two of you!”

“The only reference material you need is a therapist!” Coriander shot back.

I think all of us could use one of those…

“I could provide that for you!” Dr. Geppetto sounded much more self-assured than she had any right to be. “Artistic therapy!”

Gag commencing in 3...2...nope, never mind. It didn’t happen. False alarm. Oh well, I kinda expected that kind of thing from Dr. Artist. What I didn’t expect was to be grabbed from behind by one of her manikin dolls.

“Velvet!” Coriander cried out.

“Not this time!” I said, without a shred of certainty. But nonetheless, at first I struggled to break free, but then I realized that was pointless. So instead, I leaned back and flipped the doll over, bringing us both to the floor. As the doll collapsed, I got up.

Amidst the struggle, I failed to notice a wall erect from the floor, separating Coriander and I from each other.

I pounded my fists against the wall, to no avail.

Damn it! Her plan must not have been to capture me; she knew I could and would break free. No, she just wanted to create some distance between us.

Please don’t let there be any more poison gas. No more dreams.

“Sorry, Ms. Fabric! You should have known it wouldn’t be that easy! You’re in the headquarters of The Flashbulb, for crying out loud! You’re in the belly of the whale!”

Yeah, she was right, but I wished that she wasn’t. It really would have helped if she was genuine about helping us.

I kicked the wall.

“Yeah, it’s my own fault! But I thought things would be better than this!”

“We’ll figure something out, right Velvet?” Coriander called to me from the other end.

I nodded. “Right. But until then, you have my permission to bust her up.” I growled those words. Never did I think I’d hate such an experience as I did.

Popsigirl (no matter what name she used, all I could see was ‘Popsigirl’) started to run off as soon as I cracked my knuckles. She must’ve known I meant business.

“That’s right! Run!” I chased after her.

Don’t lose your head. She’s already proved she’s willing to throw traps at us, even now.

In spite of that reminder, I figured that as long as I had that gun, it wouldn’t matter. No, that wasn’t right. Thing was heavy and it wasn’t like I should’ve expected to carry it forever. So as soon as I lost sight of her, I started walking. There weren’t many places she could go, so again, I figured I’d run into her sooner or later.

Even when that time comes, keep your eyes peeled. You have no idea what she’ll do.

My self pep talk was all I had at the moment. Velvet suffered a blow of confidence, but I still couldn’t help but think of her as the greater one. She could hack things, and she was also physically tough. Me, on the other hand, I was good with assembling hardware, but I wasn’t that great on the physical side.

“Let’s see...first I’m going to get my laser backpack back, then I’m going to reunite with Velvet, then we’ll kick ass,” I started listing off the agenda on my fingers. Then, when I looked up, I saw it: the door to the exit.

But if I’m already here, then where would Popsigirl be?

My answer must have lied with the door on my right. It said ‘art supply room’ on it.

Bingo.

I made my way through the door.

Be cautious. She’s probably watching you. She wants you to come in here.

The room was much less dark than the tunnel had been. It blinded me to the point that I had to cover my eyes with my arm just to carry on.

“Come on out! No more games!” I shouted.

“Please, I’m just a humble dollmaker!” Dr. Geppetto’s voice called back. “Making dolls is my hobby! I’d be happy to make you one!”

I ground my teeth. That word…

No. It’s just one word. Nothing to be bothered about.

“Stop that! Just give me my backpack and I promise not to use it on you!”

“I’d be happy to!”

My heart jumped. It felt like the air was about to be sucked out from me.

“S...Stop!” I huffed.

Just a few steps forward, I bumped into something. I uncovered my face to find a tall doll, hung from the ceiling by a string around the doll’s neck.

This one looks different. It’s not a manikin…

I pushed past it, only to be met by more. They must have been stuffed dolls. Like, five foot tall Raggedy Anne dolls or something. As I brushed past more, I noticed their faces. Yes, they had faces: freckles, short blue hair, and a backwards cap. It was me.

“What the hell?” I whispered.

I pushed them aside. “What kind of sick joke is this?!” I yelled.

More than that, where did she find the time to make these?

No more of those life-sized dolls were to be found, but in its place was an endless expanse of shelves on both sides of me, each with porcelain dolls sitting on them. I glanced on either side. Both sides were identical dolls, but on one side, they each had long, red hair with some kind of form-fitting outfit. On the other, short blue hair and casual clothes.

“Which face would you prefer?” Dr. Geppetto’s voice entered once more, though she was nowhere to be found.

I’m not going to answer. I’m just going to move forward.

As I took my next step, the doll’s faces turned to face me, then, their mouths opened and music played out.

“Me and you, and you and me, no matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be. The only one for me is you, and you for me, so happy together…”

Why that song?

“So happy together...so happy together…”

“Stop that,” I groaned.

Instead, the volume grew louder, as those three words looped.

“Stop...stop…” I tried to keep forward and cover my ears, but I could feel its intensity. The dolls around me, their faces. It was like they were drawing closer.

Get it together. Together. So...together.

I ran. I thought I could escape the sound and their faces, but it persisted. Then, I bumped into more of those life-sized dolls with my image and they stared down at me. I fell over. I tried to get up, but my arms shook. The intensity of those three words being sung kept me from getting back up. No, not three words. Just one.

“Stop!” I yelled. “STOP!”

Tears filled my face. I found myself crouched on the ground. I felt like I was about to lose my breath and pass out, but it didn’t happen.

“What’s the matter? You went from acting all tough to getting like this,” Dr. Geppetto’s voice broke through. That’s when I realized that the music had stopped.

“You!” I tried to grab onto her leg. I’d squeeze so hard that it would break her bone and make her lose circulation. But that didn’t happen. I couldn’t see her well. Everything was a blur.

“Wa! Ha! Ha! You can’t even reach me right now!”

“Why are you doing this?” I wheezed. It was the best I could muster.

“Doing what? I’m just doing what makes me happy! You’re the one on the floor.”

Again. It had to be deliberate.

“Do you know?” I asked while wincing.

“I would like to hear about it. It doesn’t make me very happy seeing you like this.”

“There was an incident...months ago…” I tried to explain. I didn’t even know why I bothered. “I was on the verge of death...my resentment...I thought the only thing that would make things better…no, I didn’t think that. It wasn’t me. I lost control.”

That memory. I didn’t want it to resurface. But all those forced images, I couldn’t block them out, either.

“It wasn’t you? Why wouldn’t it be? She took the life you knew from you. One where you were comfortable. Then, even though she was an enemy, she was all anyone around you would talk about. How great she was with technology. How she was able to break in, and out, of the most impenetrable places. Of course you would both admire and resent her. Then, when pushed to such a place, wouldn’t it be natural to want to steal her face and take it as your own, as that was the face of the one who got all the recognition from your peers? Despite working so hard, it wasn’t you who got the recognition, it was the enemy.”

“SHUT UP!” My voice shook. I shook. I didn’t want to think about those things anymore. “That wasn’t true. I never wanted to feel those things! I was made to feel them! And I lost control because…”

“Because you were cloned several times with the angel in you and conditioned to think that way, yes, I know.”

I knew it. She’s doing this on purpose.

“How?”

She paced about the room. In her hand was a stick, as if she were a conductor.

“Then, with all that concentrated amounts of that entity within you, it was only a matter of time before you overloaded. All it took was enough bad experiences to really twist you up. Your body wanted you happy, and you weren’t having a very happy time.”

“Use some other word…”

“But saying it makes me so happy!” She laughed again. “But enough with that. I saw your profile. Saw footage of what went down. That’s when I knew what I’d do with you. What really strikes me is that the whole thing wasn’t planned that way. Yes, you were conditioned, but so was most the rest of the world. Everyone was supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows, but instead, it all grew to be too much and now your Earth is having a breakdown of its now. None of that was planned, but doesn’t that make it more beautiful? When things just fall into place like that?”

I gave no answer.

“But it must be so hard for you: finding out you were a copy in a series of copies. Unsure of who the ‘real’ you is.”

She knows. She knows and she’s toying with me.

“Well, I’m here to tell you,” she continued. “I don’t think it matters who the original was! Who cares if you’re a copy of a copy of a copy? Maybe it feels as if your existence was a mistake, but I don’t think there are any mistakes! I think you’re a happy accident!”

I growled and tried to swipe at her, but she skipped over my hand.

“Whoa there, mighty lion. I’m just trying to help you. I think you’d be very happy, happy, happy, happy, with my help.”

“Stop.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m an artist. If there’s anything I hate, it’s counterfeits. That’s why I don’t like children, is because they’re just copies of their parents. But then again, there’s something beautiful about copies, don’t you think? The way they try to replicate the original, yet you can tell there’s something just a little bit off. Hell, my mustache is a fake,” she ripped it off. As if I really thought it was real to begin with. “Then there’s you…”

She took her stick and whacked my hand with it. I cried out.

“Yes,” she continued as I felt the sting and seethed. “You really took on a life of your own, didn’t you? So that’s why I say don’t worry about it!”

“You’re sick,” I muttered.

“I am? Sure, I’ve swallowed paint before, but it was the non-toxic kind. Plus, last time I visited the Medical Department they said I was healthy. Though hard to say when that was, seeing as time doesn’t really serve much of a function in this place. All I know that they haven’t let me see anyone in a long time. Ah, but that’s art for you. Sometimes you just need your space to let out your creativity.”

“That’s not what I mean by sick,” I scoffed. With emphasis on ‘coffed’. I felt like I was about to hack my lungs out. Maybe it was me who was sick. “Art isn’t everything.”

“Wrong!” She hit me again. It should have been so easy to avoid. I cried out, and she continued to pace as if it were nothing. “There is art in everything. Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Peace itself is an art, as it needs a certain degree of creativity to achieve. Literature is an art. Religion itself is an art, as you need a basis for belief, you need to create a set of rules to abide by, a mythology. Same goes for society. Ah, yes, and what do we live in? A society. Thus, we live in art. Art lives in us, as well. It takes the act of creation to create us, after all.”

She continued her spiel, with or without my involvement.

“Art is the absolute, but it also goes beyond the absolute to the possible and impossible. There are those who think that math and art are incompatible, as they use different parts of the brain, but wrong! Math is an art! It is the creation of numbers that we are able to formulate. Geometric figures factor into both art and mathematics. maps, statistics, perspective. All a necessity.”

“Why are you even obsessed with art? I thought you guys were all scientists,” I found the words escape me.

“Because: art is a math, art is a religion, art is how we communicate, but what is art? Art is a science!”

“Oh, you’re a real work of art all right...”

I struggled, but managed to pick myself up. I lunged at her. She jumped out of the way, then hit me across the back. I fell against a shelve of dolls, which knocked over and fell on me.

“Ow…”

She walked over, lifted my head up, and leaned in.

“This makes me happy. That you still have some bite.”

She pointed her stick up as a screen descended. “Ten-hut, soldier. Here’s an educational video.”

The video on the screen played: there I was, but it wasn’t me. It was me from a past life. Many past lives, if I had to guess. The original “Mavis”, or whoever her name might have been instead.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe in the actual Area 51! This is a dream!”

Sgt. Michaels stood by. I half-expected him to comment on his mustache, but instead, he announced: “you were selected from a pool of candidates to fulfill a certain task.”

“Ooh! What task?” It was odd seeing “me” so excited about something.

“Just the other day, someone broke in and stole a ship. This kind of thing is unheard of. Now, regardless of if she ever shows up again, we need intel on her so we can find her and kill her. We can’t have her leaking the stuff she’s seen to the public, and we must recover that ship.”

“Ugh, so no aliens?”

“No. This is an air force base.”

“Suuuuure. I bet you tell everyone that. So where are they? Downstairs?”

He didn’t look amused. Instead, he shoved a folder into “my” hands.

“This is all the intel we have on her. She posed as a soldier and went by the alias Pvt. Jo-Ann. Perhaps that’s some kind of clue.”

“I” burst out laughing. “You know she only used that name because yours is Michaels, right? She probably figured ‘one craft store reference for another’ or some shit like that. Jeez, that’s hardly a clue at all!”

Again, he did not look amused. “Just get to word, cadet,” he said.

The next scene, “I” was in “my” little room, watching security feed on several monitors and complaining about my predicament.

“Man, when they told me I’d be stationed here, I thought I’d get to see aliens, but instead they have me looking up information on this person who probably has no intention showing up here again and doesn’t even really matter in the long run. Like, I’m a typist. I can invent gadgets. But instead here I am doing useless tasks.”

The original me slumped over her desk and complained further. “How am I supposed to pick up cute girls when I leave if I never see any aliens?”

“Mavis, report your findings!” The commanding voice of Sgt. Michaels came in through the speakers of one of the monitors.

“Yeah, uh...so this ‘Jo-Ann’ person matches the same face and voice of someone who was in the CIA who went by the name ‘Velvet’, last name redacted. I should probably clarify that it said redacted in brackets, not that that was her actual last name.”

“We know what redacted means, Mavis.”

“Right. So, anyway, this ‘Velvet’ person totally just leaked some documents then bailed. Kind of a ballsy move, if we’re being honest here. Not to mention, she’s this totally cool hacker apparently and I mean, she stole a ship from here for crying out loud! That takes guts.”

“She’s an enemy of the state!”

“Which state, though? Nevada? I’m guessing this one because that’s where we’re at, but maybe she’s an enemy of Colorado? I don’t know.”

“The United States! How are you this smart, yet this dense?”

“I don’t know! Quit patronizing me!”

“Is that all you have to report?”

“Yeah. That’s all. Nothing else.”

The chat ended, and the original Mavis let out a deep sigh. “Jeez, Velvet. Why’d you have to give these guys so much grief? You’re so cool, but I guess I shouldn’t say that out loud.”

“Huh? Did you say ‘Velvet’?” A voice I didn’t recognize came in.

“Who’s there?” That Mavis demanded. “I’ve got lasers, so you better not try anything.”

Someone dropped down from the ceiling. After she stood up and dusted off her pants, I noticed: she had purple hair and wore a tuxedo paired with corduroy pants.

The lasers which normally lay dormant propped up above the monitors turned their attention to the mystery woman.

“Identify yourself.”

“Relax, I work here. Name’s Violet.”

My eyes widened as I heard that name. The same story Velvet had told me before. I was led to believe that Velvet and Violet were the same person. But that couldn’t be. There was a time where I suspected the original me might have been Violet, but no. That wasn’t it.

“How do I know you didn’t just sneak in here?”

She reached into her pocket and showed a badge. “Anyway, not like it’ll mean anything. I’m leaving this place.”

“You mean you’re resigning?”

She shook her head. “More like going MIA. But first, what was this about a ‘Velvet’ person?”

I turned away. “That’s classified information.”

“Fine enough. I just thought it was interesting because I used to date someone named Velvet back in high school. Probably not the same person, though.”

“Red head? Lanky arms?”

“Hmm...too vague. Do you got a picture.”

If it were me, I’d have found that suspicious, but then again, that person technically was me. Or someone I was based on. I watched as that Mavis handed Violet a picture.

“No way…” Violet mouthed. “That’s her all right. Why so interested, anyway?”

“Not me. Michaels. Apparently this ‘Velvet’ person broke in and stole a ship. Now everyone’s freaking out.”

“Wow. That doesn’t sound like her at all. Sounds more like something I would’ve done, actually. Or used to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I used to break into buildings and stuff just for fun. Or run off places. I was a bit of a free spirit. Velvet on the other hand was more of the opposite: reserved, liked to hide herself away. Never could quite understand how I could just do such risky things. Still, I guess people change, huh?”

She put her hand on her chin. “Actually...now that I think of it, maybe she went looking for me.” She let out a bit of a laugh. “Funny thought, but if I recall, it was her first relationship and she was pretty nervous, but she seemed more serious about it than I did. I tried to warn her that I’d run off sooner or later, but she was so convinced that we’d stay together.”

“Ugh. First I don’t get to see aliens, now I have to listen to relationship drama. Not what I signed up for. Sheesh, Velvet, you sure have been pain in the ass.”

Hey! Watch it! That’s your future girlfriend you’re talking about, past me! I mean, you’re not wrong, she is a pain in the ass, but still!

“Well, if she was looking for me, guess she didn’t find me. Neither of us knew the other was there. Maybe she thinks I’m dead. If she doesn’t, maybe she should.”

“Why do you say that?”

“For starters, she probably wouldn’t like what I’ve become. I mean, joining the military? Really?”

“Well, she joined the CIA, so not like she’d have much room to judge.”

“Ha. That’s a good one. Anyway, I’d rather be thought of as a ghost than a recyclable corpse.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Trust me, you don’t wanna stick around. I’ve seen some things that you don’t wanna be a part of. You want my advice? Try to break out as well.”

“Hey!” That Mavis pointed at Violet. “You’re just trying to make me paranoid. Well, it won’t work. I’m making lots of money here and I ain’t about to throw that away.”

“What good is such a promise if you aren’t ever allowed to leave? You can never spend it, either. It’s just something to hang over your head.”

Mavis gave no reply to that. She sat in silence until she finally said one word: “Go.”

“What?” Violet looked taken aback. “You’re not going to kill me?”

“I don’t have anything to do with you.”

The clip ended there and the screen faded to black.

Dr. Geppetto let go of me and I fell onto the floor. Not only that, I was still trying to process what I saw.

“So, you see, that was the original ‘you’. If that’s how you wish to see it. Furthermore, you were not Violet, as you may have believed, and yes, Violet existed, and we knew she escaped. As for what happened to her...not important. This is about you.”

“All you’ve been doing is breaking Velvet and I down.”

“Yes! I’m helping you two realize your potential! Sometimes you must break your work to see it come to fruition. You know the saying, ‘kill your darlings’.”

“What is your end goal with this? Huh?”

She waved her stick around, as if it were a magic wand. “Simple: I want to recreate that scene. The one where you broke down and wanted to rip Velvet’s face off.”

I shook. I didn’t want to remember that moment. I wanted to block it completely from my memory.

“...That...won’t work,” I managed to say.

“Oh?” She sounded surprised.

“I’m free of that creature. It won’t happen that way. So all you’re doing is torture.”

“That’s okay! We can improvise!”

I gasped and yelled out in pain; hooks attached themselves to the skin of my arms and dug in. Attached to the hooks were strings.

“Now, while we’ve been having this nice little chat, I’ve set up an obstacle course to keep your little friend Velvet busy. So don’t worry, she’ll be totally exhausted by the time you two meet up again, so feel free to go all out!”

I had nothing more to say. No rebuttal. It wasn’t as if I was about to go along with her plan, and yet it felt like I already had. Both Velvet and I fell into her trap. Not once, but twice.

“Don’t get me wrong. I am helping you. But in order for you to become real, first I must make you a puppet.”

There was no way that things would play out the same as before, but she didn’t seem like the type who could be reasoned with. I considered a sort of prayer, to myself and myself only.

Please, Velvet. Hang in there.

Then I closed my eyes.