#nuclear energy stocks

[anuraxx]

Oklo says engaging with Nuclear Regulatory Commission in readiness assessment.. read more..

[jorjin]

"Nuclear is the safest and cleanest energy source yadda yadda yadda" yea sure I still don't like it. I don't trust companies to not cut corners like they did so many times before and cause permanent contamination.

"But the contaminated areas barely killed anyone!!" are you hearing yourself. They're still contaminated. They're still actively harming whatever living organism crosses it.

I will NOT trust nuclear until people stop caring about profits. Because energy production is still profit driven and I don't trust companies to not cause massive catastrophes because they wanted to get a little richer. Even if it's as safe as you all say, I don't trust them to properly train people into handling the materials correctly. Because that's exactly how most accidents went.

[wealthyvc]

Top Nuclear Energy Stocks to Watch as Sector Approaches Critical Mass

The nuclear energy sector is heating up, largely fueled by big tech’s rapidly rising energy needs to support its growing reliance on AI and cloud computing.

Here are the top nuclear stocks investors should be watching.

Click to Read Article

[literaryvein-reblogs]

more words for worldbuilding (pt. 2)

ANIMALS

Animal: adult, beast, buck, cat, chicken, cur, father, frog, goat, half-breed, horse, hybrid, litter, mongrel, monster, parasite, pig, stock, young

Bird: bird, chicken

Fish: aquarium, aquatic

Group of animals: drove, herd, insect, pack, stock, team

Insect: bee, grub, pest

Limb or appendage of: bill, coat, feather, fur, mop, pelt, scale, trunk, wing

Mammal: cat, dog, father, goat, hound, mother, pig

CLOTHING

Accessory: bag, belt, buckle, collar, pocketbook, purse, satchel

Clothing: apparel, array, bathing suit, cape, clothes/clothing, costume, dress, dungarees, falsies, frock, garment, girdle, gown, hat, jacket, negligee, nylons, pajamas, pants, quilt, scarf, skirt, suit, swimsuit, thing/things, trappings, underwear, veil, wash, wrap

Part: collar, crown, pocket, strand, tiara

State of dress: bareness, nudity, try on/try out, wear

FOOD & DRINK

Beverage: alcohol, coffee, drink, potable

Beverage, alcoholic: beer, liquor

Change in: curdle, turn

Food: appetizer, bite, brew, bun, casserole, condiment, cracker, diet, doughnut, feed, frosting, grub, helping, hors d’oeuvre, leftover, macaroni, meat, nosh, nurture, nutrition, pastry, produce, refreshment, seasoning, stew, subsistence, support, sweet, treat, vittles

Food part: morsel, nip, taste, tidbit

Meal: banquet, bite, buffet, diet, fare, picnic, repast, spread, table

Produced from animal: comfort food, feed, food, frosting, grub, hero, macaroni, sandwich, submarine, vittles

Produced from plant: condiment, doughnut, loaf, pastry, produce, sweet

Quality of: acerbity, baked, done, edible, mellow, nourishing, perishable, rare, ripe, salty, short, stale, strong, sweet, unappetizing, weak, wholesome

NATURAL RESOURCES

Electricity: beam, spark

Energy: electricity, fuel, nuclear energy, petroleum, power

Expression of energy: blast, bonfire, chill, concussion, discharge, fire, flash, noise, thunder

Natural event: eclipse, meteorology, weather

Resources: fuel, resource, rock, substance

PLANTS

Flower: bloom, bouquet, flower

Fruit: berry, produce

Growth or death of: bloom, bud, germinate, growth, wilt, wither

Part: bark, branch, cereal, flavoring, foliage, grain, juice, limb, nut, pod, scion, shell, stalk, trunk

Plant: algae, bramble, bush, crop, fossil, grass, harvest, hybrid, organism, produce, wreath

Tree: timber, wood/woods

Vegetable: produce

WEATHER

Object connected with: avalanche, breeze, climate, cold, dew, film, flurry, frost, gust, haze, hurricane, meteorology, moisture, puff, thunder, weather, wind

Quality of: breezy, clear, close, crisp, dismal, fair, fiercely, fine, furious, gloomy, hazy, humid, intimidating, misty, oppressive, raw, rugged, soft, stormy, sultry, temperate, thick, tranquil, turbulent, wild, wintry

Type of: blizzard, cloud, drizzle, fog, hail, mist, puff, rain, shower, tempest, torrent, tremor

NOTE

Excerpted from Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Updated and Expanded 3rd Edition, in Dictionary Form, edited by The Princeton Language Institute.

The above are concepts classified according to subject and usage. It not only helps writers and thinkers to organize their ideas but leads them from those very ideas to the words that can best express them.

It was, in part, created to turn an idea into a specific word. By linking together the main entries that share similar concepts, the index makes possible creative semantic connections between words in our language, stimulating thought and broadening vocabulary. Writing Resources PDFs

Source ⚜ Writing Basics & Refreshers ⚜ On Vocabulary

[chknbzkt]

I COME BEARING FEDDY

And a few extras :>

And the initial sketch :D

While Chica tends to keep within the confines of her massive territory of orchards and the settlements peppering them, Freddy technically doesn’t have a permanent home of his own. Though he Does have a few caves and abandoned buildings he returns to to stock away trinkets for his hoard, he tends to move in an observable pattern across Hyde’s Crossing.

Freddy wanders Hyde’s Crossing for plenty of reasons, mostly to keep tabs on goings-on between the locals, also to make sure no big toothy things are bothering them. Recently more and more unsavory characters have been popping up from the Badlands from their primordial ooze, taking shape and turning their attention to yummy villagers. Said villagers then get paranoid and start to think Everything big and toothy wants to murder them. Including the dragons that take residence around the Crossing. Things have been rough, give them a break,,

As such, Freddy is a seeker of anomaly-related trouble and far less neutral than Chica (as she is now, at least). Sightings of these Shades near a village are a surefire sign that he’s not long to turn up himself. He’s come to expect the pitchfork waving and that whole jazz, but come on folks he wouldn’t forgive himself if he hurt someone 😩

Freddy’s tusks never stop growing, so a good sign he’s currently residing in your area are teeth marks on trees, rocks, stumps, and other hard objects.

The glowy bits are his energy core, kept fueled by eating magical stuff and things. He’s essentially a sentient nuclear reactor, only being near him doesn’t pose a risk of radiation poisoning (thank god). That said though, direct contact with the stuff is Not advised as a squishy flesh person 🙏🏽

[thetimeicansee]

What's The Plan, Donny?

There's something no one on the media will talk about and very few will discuss with any amount of knowledge online, but what exactly is this plan that Trump has for the economy?

Removing the idea of politics to this, let's just strictly discuss the economy and what the benefits are that Trump is seeking.

A compelling point being made by some is that Trump is seeking to crash the economy in order to lower interest rates and thus refinance the debt from 2008 and the corporate bailout we never paid back. The need to lower interest rates would keep the US from becoming overwhelmed by the interest payments (though the government pays around 1 billion in interest a year as is).

A less compelling, but more wide spread one, is the System Reset argument.

But if the goal that has been spread is about a "system reset" then what is the plan after. This nuclear meltdown of our economy is inevitable. Everyone agrees this was bound to happen at some point with the spending and the stagflation we've been experiencing for the last 15 years. Trump isn't "ruining" the economy, he's just speed running the game.

This is what most leftists have meant by "they are the same" or "they are both bad". Regardless of the Democrats or Republicans, their adherence to the Stock Market has left every day Americans suffering low wages and employment insecurity for decades. So here we have the stock market shakeup everyone has been aching for, but the expectation is to send us back to the worst time with child labor and a life expectancy of 47.

I'm sure you've seen the term "The Gilded Age" floating around by now.

But what Trump is doing is, effectively, trickle down de-growth. But instead of shifting society towards green energy, shorter work weeks and a prosperity of human spirit and art in our wealth, we're just .... Doing this all over again.

[rjzimmerman]

The Clean Energy Revolution Is Unstoppable. (Wall Street Journal)

Surprising essay published by the Wall Street Journal. Actually, two surprises. The first is an assertion that the fossil fuel industry is parading to its death, regardless of the current trump mania, while the renewables industry is marching toward success due to dramatic decreases in cost. The second surprise is that the essay is published in the Wall Street Journal, which we all know can be a biblical equivalent for the right wing. But be careful with that right wing label: today's right wing (e.g., MAGA) or the traditional conservative republican right wing, which is more aligned with saving money and making money and avoiding political headwinds.

Here's the entire essay. I rarely post a complete essay, but this one made me happy and feel good, and right now I/we damn well need to learn something to make us happy and feel good.

Since Donald Trump’s election, clean energy stocks have plummeted, major banks have pulled out of a U.N.-sponsored “net zero” climate alliance, and BP announced it is spinning off its offshore wind business to refocus on oil and gas. Markets and companies seem to be betting that Trump’s promises to stop or reverse the clean energy transition and “drill, baby, drill” will be successful.

But this bet is wrong. The clean energy revolution is being driven by fundamental technological and economic forces that are too strong to stop. Trump’s policies can marginally slow progress in the U.S. and harm the competitiveness of American companies, but they cannot halt the fundamental dynamics of technological change or save a fossil fuel industry that will inevitably shrink dramatically in the next two decades.

Our research shows that once new technologies become established their patterns in terms of cost are surprisingly predictable. They generally follow one of three patterns.

The first is a pattern where costs are volatile over days, months and years but relatively flat over longer time frames. It applies to resources extracted from the earth, like minerals and fossil fuels. The price of oil, for instance, fluctuates in response to economic and political events such as recessions, OPEC actions or Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But coal, oil and natural gas cost roughly the same today as they did a century ago, adjusted for inflation. One reason is that even though the technology for extracting fossil fuels improves over time, the resources get harder and harder to extract as the quality of deposits declines.

There is a second group of technologies whose costs are also largely flat over time. For example, hydropower, whose technology can’t be mass produced because each dam is different, now costs about the same as it did 50 years ago. Nuclear power costs have also been relatively flat globally since its first commercial use in 1956, although in the U.S. nuclear costs have increased by about a factor of three. The reasons for U.S. cost increases include a lack of standardized designs, growing construction costs, increased regulatory burdens, supply-chain constraints and worker shortages.

A third group of technologies experience predictable long-term declines in cost and increases in performance. Computer processors are the classic example. In 1965, Gordon Moore, then the head of Intel, noticed that the density of electrical components in integrated circuits was growing at a rate of about 40% a year. He predicted this trend would continue, and Moore’s Law has held true for 60 years, enabling companies and investors to accurately forecast the cost and speed of computers many decades ahead.

Clean energy technologies such as solar, wind and batteries all follow this pattern but at different rates. Since 1990, the cost of wind power has dropped by about 4% a year, solar energy by 12% a year and lithium-ion batteries by about 12% a year. Like semiconductors, each of these technologies can be mass produced. They also benefit from advances and economies of scale in related sectors: solar photovoltaic systems from semiconductor manufacturing, wind from aerospace and batteries from consumer electronics.

Solar energy is 10,000 times cheaper today than when it was first used in the U.S.’s Vanguard satellite in 1958. Using a measure of cost that accounts for reliability and flexibility on the grid, the International Energy Agency (IEA) calculates that electricity from solar power with battery storage is less expensive today than electricity from new coal-fired plants in India and new gas-fired plants in the U.S. We project that by 2050 solar energy will cost a tenth of what it does today, making it far cheaper than any other source of energy. 

At the same time, barriers to large-scale clean energy use keep tumbling, thanks to advances in energy storage and better grid and demand management. And innovations are enabling the electrification of industrial processes with enormous efficiency gains.

The falling price of clean energy has accelerated its adoption. The growth of new technologies, from railroads to mobile phones, follows what is called an S-curve. When a technology is new, it grows exponentially, but its share is tiny, so in absolute terms its growth looks almost flat. As exponential growth continues, however, its share suddenly becomes large, making its absolute growth large too, until the market eventually becomes saturated and growth starts to flatten. The result is an S-shaped adoption curve.

The energy provided by solar has been growing by about 30% a year for several decades. In theory, if this rate continues for just one more decade, solar power with battery storage could supply all the world’s energy needs by about 2035. In reality, growth will probably slow down as the technology reaches the saturation phase in its S-curve. Still, based on historical growth and its likely S-curve pattern, we can predict that renewables, along with pre-existing hydropower and nuclear power, will largely displace fossil fuels by about 2050.

For decades the IEA and others have consistently overestimated the future costs of renewable energy and underestimated future rates of deployment, often by orders of magnitude. The underlying problem is a lack of awareness that technological change is not linear but exponential: A new technology is small for a long time, and then it suddenly takes over. In 2000, about 95% of American households had a landline telephone. Few would have forecast that by 2023, 75% of U.S. adults would have no landline, only a mobile phone. In just two decades, a massive, century-old industry virtually disappeared.

If all of this is true, is there any need for government support for clean energy? Many believe that we should just let the free market alone sort out which energy sources are best. But that would be a mistake. 

History shows that technology transitions often need a kick-start from government. This can take the form of support for basic and high-risk research, purchases that help new technologies reach scale, investment in infrastructure and policies that create stability for private capital. Such government actions have played a critical role in virtually every technological transition, from railroads to automobiles to the internet.

In 2021-22, Congress passed the bipartisan CHIPS Act and Infrastructure Act, plus the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), all of which provided significant funding to accelerate the development of the America’s clean energy industry. Trump has pledged to end that support. The new administration has halted disbursements of $50 billion in already approved clean energy loans and put $280 billion in loan requests under review.

The legality of halting a congressionally mandated program will be challenged in court, but in any case, the IRA horse is well on its way out of the barn. About $61 billion of direct IRA funding has already been spent. IRA tax credits have already attracted $215 billion in new clean energy investment and could be worth $350 billion over the next three years.

Ending the tax credits would be politically difficult, since the top 10 states for clean energy jobs include Texas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina and Pennsylvania—all critical states for Republicans. Trump may find himself fighting Republican governors and members of Congress to make those cuts.

It is more likely that Trump and Congress will take actions that are politically easier, such as ending consumer subsidies for electric vehicles or refusing to issue permits for offshore wind projects. The impact of these policy changes would be mainly to harm U.S. competitiveness. By reducing support for private investment and public infrastructure, raising hurdles for permits and slapping on tariffs, the U.S. will simply drive clean-energy investment to competitors in Europe and China.

Meanwhile, Trump’s promises of a fossil fuel renaissance ring hollow. U.S. oil and gas production is already at record levels, and with softening global prices, producers and investors are increasingly cautious about committing capital to expand U.S. production.

The energy transition is a one-way ticket. As the asset base shifts to clean energy technologies, large segments of fossil fuel demand will permanently disappear. Very few consumers who buy an electric vehicle will go back to fossil-fuel cars. Once utilities build cheap renewables and storage, they won’t go back to expensive coal plants. If the S-curves of clean energy continue on their paths, the fossil fuel sector will likely shrink to a niche industry supplying petrochemicals for plastics by around 2050.

For U.S. policymakers, supporting clean energy isn’t about climate change. It is about maintaining American economic leadership. The U.S. invented most clean-energy technologies and has world-beating capabilities in them. Thanks to smart policies and a risk-taking private sector, it has led every major technological transition of the 20th century. It should lead this one too.

[girlactionfigure]

🚨 ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU AND CABINET TO REMAIN IN BUNKER; ISRAELI AND US LEADERSHIP TAKE EMERGENCY MEASURES AMID HEIGHTENED TENSIONS 🚨

‼️Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will stay at the Kirya tonight, accompanied by his cabinet. The Kirya houses a bunker system built to withstand a nuclear attack, equipped with satellite communication systems and sufficient food storage for at least a month. It can accommodate senior Israeli leaders and military leadership.

‼️In response to recent developments, Israeli Minister of Energy Eli Cohen convened an emergency meeting, deciding to increase coal and diesel stocks.

‼️The Israeli General Staff has ordered reinforcements for forces affiliated with the Northern Front Command and has raised the alert level.

‼️The Israeli top brass is preparing for a response that could last at least three days

‼️US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the Iranian response. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Blinken is currently holding a phone call with the Iraqi Prime Minister.

‼️In a related move, the UK has evacuated the families of staff members and non-essential staff from its embassy in Lebanon with other Countries expected to follow suit.

🟢 SUNDAY night - ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

▪️CROSS BORDER SMUGGLING TUNNELS.. Gaza to Egypt, orders to NOT blow up, because doing so is doing damage to Egyptian border wall defenses.

▪️US CENTCOM COMMANDER.. will arrive in Israel tomorrow to complete the coordination with the IDF in preparation for a possible Iranian attack.

▪️AIR TRAVEL - MIN OF TRANSPORT SAYS.. Those who want to fly should fly - keep in mind that the return flights will be delayed due to the cancellations and because there is no room on the Israeli airlines.

❗️HOME FRONT COMMAND SAYS.. activating EMERGENCY CELL BROADCAST system, which will send an emergency pop-up SMS-like message to EVERYONE, with an alert sound.  This is a standard government emergency capability, and I personally saw this while in California earlier this year with an earthquake warning.  It is NOT a substitute for a Red Alert app - but a quick way to get an emergency message out to everyone.  

.. HOWEVER, Home Front says it ONLY works for Cellcom and Pelephone customers, and only 4th generation on Cellcom and 3rd generation on Pelephone phones at this time.  It DOES NOT include kosher phones. (We asked Home Front.)

💩IRANIAN FEAR CAMPAIGN - propaganda from all social media channels

.. Wall Street Journal: Iran has refused many requests from Western diplomats to moderate its response against Israel.

.. Report: Iran will respond in a way that crosses Israel's red lines.

.. The US asked European governments to warn Iran that a major attack against Israel would trigger a response.  Iran, for its part, told Arab diplomats that it did not care if the reaction against Israel led to an outbreak of war.

▪️ISRAEL OUR HOME MK LIBERMAN.. wrote on X: "In the jungle of the Middle East, we must conduct ourselves differently. A situation in which an entire country panics and waits for a multi-arena attack must not be allowed. The initiative must always be in our hands"

⭕ ROCKET ATTACK from HEZBOLLAH at Snir, northern border town.

⭕ ROCKET BARRAGE from HAMAS at Bitzaron, Gan Yavne, Hatzor, Azrikam, Sdeh Uziahu, Shtulim.

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Juozapas, Priyanka, Yohanes, Zdravko, and Dezső

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, human experimentation, eugenics, SA, sexual harassment, transphobia, abandonment, child abuse, and kidnapping.

Juozapas

Real name: Jūratė Balčiūnas

Nickname: Juo and Zapa

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop for the Regular Army and a special forces operative for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: Get the necessary requirements to work in the field of nuclear energy

Abilities: Due to the experiments he has undergone, he's highly resistant to nuclear radiation. His body can also harness and convert nuclear energy into a form of bio-energy. His bloodstream contains modified cells that can process radioactive materials, producing heat. This heat is converted into electrical energy, which is directed to the lungs. There, it's mixed with oxygen, hydrogen, and methane, which are ignited upon exhalation, allowing him to breathe fire.

He possesses limited control over his metabolism, enabling him to flawlessly repair damaged tissues and regulate his body temperature to withstand extreme conditions. Additionally, he can enter a state of heightened metabolism, increasing his speed and agility to that of a cheetah. However, staying in this state for over 10 minutes significantly increases his hunger and fatigue.

Hobbies: Topiary, studying botany and physics during his leisure time, and going on wildflower trips and hot air balloon rides with his friends

Likes: Hope, making flirty attempts with comrades to simply tease them, and the beautiful companionship that people have with dogs

Dislikes: Eugenics, the destructive mishandling of nuclear energy, and being betrayed by those he holds closest and trusts the most

Favourite drink: Mead

Sexuality: Biromantic sapiosexual

Gender: Intersex and trans (identifies as a boy)

Age: 17 (in 2022), 23 (in 2028), 25 (in 2030), 27 (in 2032), 29 (in 2034), 36 (in 2041), 38 (in 2043), 39 (in 2044), and 42 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a 5’ 6” (167.64 cm) Lithuanian ectomorph of Russian and Swedish descent with a weak musculature and double incision top scars. He wears the Ptolemaic Army special forces operatives uniform, but with a distinctive right-side vermilion armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. His gas mask has yellow-tinted lenses, and he wears a flame-coloured belt with a silvery white buckle. He wears a left-side goldenrod drop leg holster, housing his Bersa Thunder 9, and a dark brown bandolier above his belt, stocked with .40 S&W cartridges for his semi-automatic pistol.

He has limestone skin, heterochromatic eyes (his right eye is light blue and his left eye is bronze), and reddish-brown freckles scattered across his face, neck, and hands. His hair, with its voluminous waves, falls above his waist, framing his face with medium-length, middle-parted bangs. He often styles his long platinum blonde hair into four braids.

Character summary: He's generally a passive individual, preferring to relax and take things slowly at his own pace. However, he occasionally becomes aggressive in response to chaotic situations, particularly when events seem to be spiraling out of control. Despite his deep care for everyone and everything, he often gets emotionally burnt out, leading others to misinterpret his exhaustion as apathy. Unlike Souma, he's extremely patient and daydreaming helps him block out the stresses of reality and prevents anger from getting the better of him. Even in the face of extreme difficulty and pessimism, he remains steadfast in his hope for positive change.

However, rare instances can prompt him to lose his composure and lash out, particularly if someone he cares about is being threatened, harmed or made uncomfortable. He has a lighthearted attitude and enjoys engaging in Souma's mischief and Harvie's jokes, often adding a touch of dramatic flair. As a shrewd and loyal opportunist, he's constantly on the lookout for the next great opportunity, seeking to advance his own interests, safeguard his identity and well-being, and protect his comrades. He has zero tolerance for betrayal because it fills him with overwhelming regret and a deep sense of rejection, particularly when perpetrated by someone he considers a loved one. He’s good friends with Harvie, Souma, and Priyanka, and has a cordial relationship with Gyeong-Hui.

Backstory: Jūratė Balčiūnas was born on November 24, 2005 in Visaginas, Lithuania. Her father, Motiejus Balčiūnas, a Lithuanian nuclear physicist, had a passion for ancient studies. Her mother, Synnöve Vinogradova, was a botanical researcher of Swedish and Russian descent. She grew up in a household where careful observation and patience were highly valued, taking precedence over hasty decision-making. Her workaholic parents were overprotective, often isolating her from society. They feared something terrible might happen and, as a result, only allowed her to go outside when one or both of them were available to supervise closely, ensuring her safety and shielding her from potentially corrupting influences. She was homeschooled by her parents, receiving instruction in core subjects like mathematics and writing as well as specialised topics related to their own fields of expertise. Additionally, her parents imparted their unconventional beliefs and values, which included militaristic ideologies.

Her childhood home, situated on the edge of dense Lithuanian pine forests, had a nearby greenhouse and an underground laboratory. Synnöve would study native plants in the surrounding forests. However, Jūratė was forbidden from entering the laboratory as her parents feared she might accidentally harm herself with the dangerous chemicals and scientific tools stored there. However, she was allowed to visit the greenhouse, which was filled with an array of beautiful plants from across Europe. Whenever she ventured outside, she would either play with Dovilas, the family's protective, energetic, and cuddly fawn brindle Estrela Mountain Dog puppy, or spend hours mesmerised by sunlight filtering through leaves. She discovered that the patterns found in nature helped her make sense of life's chaos. The forest became her first teacher, instructing her in the art of slowing down and revealing how growth unfolds imperceptibly yet inevitably.

Once the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant was decommissioned, Motiejus was out of a job as he used to work there. While her father navigated a career change and her mother helped him find reliable work, Jūratė intently watched this period of life transform a challenge into an opportunity. Her father transitioned into renewable energy consulting, while her mother expanded her research to include the rehabilitation of industrial sites through native plantings. When Motiejus' proposed renewable energy projects faced fierce opposition from traditional energy advocates, the family endured intense public scrutiny. However, this caught the attention of the Amadeus Syndicate, which decided to hire Motiejus to work on their nuclear energy tests, an offer he readily accepted.

Once she started menstruating at the age of nine, and a month before her tenth birthday in November, her parents revealed that she was a perfected clone of a woman who had become too politically powerful within the Earth Federation. The original was a female representative of Lithuania, related to the influential Balčiūnas family, known for their accomplishments in science and religious scholarship. The eggs and genetic material of this Lithuanian politician were implanted into Synnöve, making her a surrogate mother. Now that her parents were aware of Jūratė's menstruation, they decided it was nearly time to initiate her into the Ptolemaic Army and provide her with a sense of direction. Previously consumed by existential dread due to feelings of anonymity, she began to harbour a glimmer of hope at the prospect of forging her own unique identity.

At the age of 10, her parents freely handed control of their daughter to the Amadeus Syndicate, granting them access to their underground laboratory. She recalls feeling nauseous and afraid as she lay restrained on an operating table, surrounded by intimidating equipment, sterile surfaces, and harsh fluorescent lighting. Over the next three weeks, she endured painful experimentation, including the injection of unknown chemicals and multiple surgeries. These experiments resulted in altered physiology, which manifested as limited metabolism manipulation, nuclear radiation resistance, and the ability to breathe fire. Physical modifications also occurred, such as a more masculine build, Müllerian agenesis, and a malformed penis with hypospadias. Having reached her breaking point, she utilised her new abilities to escape the Amadeus Syndicate scientists and flee her family's home.

As she attempted to flee into the dense pine forests behind her family's home, she was promptly captured by her parents, who revealed themselves to be members of the believers, an elite cult within the Ptolemaic Army with close ties to Ptolemaios and Anastasia. This traumatic event would become her first betrayal, leaving emotional scars that would last a lifetime. Despite this, she held onto the hope that there were trustworthy individuals in the world, and that she would one day meet people who would remain loyal to her. She was indoctrinated into the Ptolemaic Army at a young age, initially serving as an organ harvester for the cult, and received training to become a special forces operative at 13.

During this time, she was treated as a man despite being born female, which led her to adopt a masculine identity and rename herself Juozapas to signify this life-changing milestone. However, he faced harassment and mistreatment from his comrades, who made lewd comments and engaged in unwanted physical contact, but he firmly stood up for himself and asserted her boundaries. Once he turned 16, he was reunited with Dovilas during a private visit from his father, who had undergone a significant transformation at the hands of his parents and the Amadeus Syndicate. Dovilas now resembled General Morden's wolf pet, Enobarbus, but retained his original build and fur coat. However, his transformation had also granted him prominent, fleshy fangs capable of delivering a venomous bite and a diminished need for eating and digestion. He can also breathe a ray of misty snow and freezing icicles that explode upon impact, encasing people in blocks of hard ice.

After a masked soldier attempted to sexually assault him, who had asked to borrow organs for a mission, Dovilas intervened and killed the assailant, prompting Juozapas to conclude that positive change was necessary. He joined Eri's short-lived revolt, which, although unsuccessful, he views as a partial success. The revolt reunited many individuals dissatisfied with the Ptolemaic Army, allowing them to fight together in solidarity. After the revolt, he decided to visit Nida, where he met a middle-aged red-haired, grey-eyed fisherman around his age. The fisherman, named Vaclovas, complimented how beautiful Dovilas looks, and they struck up a conversation about their future aspirations. Vaclovas even taught Juozapas how to fish, offering him encouraging words and wise advice on resilience and overcoming emotional turmoil. He was kind enough to offer Juozapas a place to stay in his home, and as a result, they became good roommates with a strong father-son bond.

Priyanka

Real name: Priyabrata Bhaumik

Nickname: Priya

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop and combat medic for the Regular Army and Hover Vehicle pilot and a special forces operative for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: To become a horticulturist

Hobbies: Collecting Asian and Western cultural memorabilia that capture her attention, watching bad Bollywood movies after a stressful day, feeding stray cats

Likes: Respecting the wildlife, the core teachings of Krishna, and the fulfillment she feels from assisting sick and injured animals and people

Dislikes: Street violence, poorly made tea, and experiencing physical and sexual abuse due to her gender identity

Favourite food: Falooda and kala bhuna

Favourite drink: Sugarcane juice

Sexuality: Questioning

Gender: Trans (identifies as a girl)

Age: 13 (in 2022), 19 (in 2028), 21 (in 2030), 23 (in 2032), 25 (in 2034), 32 (in 2041), 34 (in 2043), 35 (in 2044), and 38 (in 2047)

Design: She’s a 5’ 4” (162.56 cm) Bengali mesomorph with a lean yet athletic build and saline breast implants that give her a petite bust. She wears the Ptolemaic Army special forces operatives uniform, but with a distinctive left-side robin egg blue armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. Her gas mask has blue-tinted lenses, and she wears a pair of sapphire-hued combat boots with cerulean laces. She has two dark grey bandoliers slung over both shoulders, forming an X-shape, with the left one holding chili grenades and the right one containing Stielhandgranate.

She has bronze-hued skin, amber eyes, and a Gaudiya Vaishnava Urdhva Pundra, which is located in the centre of her forehead. She has shoulder-length chocolate brown hair with subtle curls, which she often ties into a braid. She has creamy white vulgaris vitiligo and a slash scar that runs from the centre of her right cheek to just below her deltoid.

She’s in possession of a Hover Vehicle, and carries around tea-making equipment, glass vials of various tea plants she collected, and first aid and surgical tools in her load-bearing backpack.

Character summary: She has a profound affection for people, feeling a deep connection with everyone. She enjoys people-watching, learning about others, striking up conversations, and listening to their unique life stories. She wants to be friends with every animal in the world, which occasionally gets her hurt and causes unnecessary problems for her and her comrades. She's incredibly confident and self-assured yet humble enough to avoid coming across as overconfident or arrogant. However, when it comes to proudly embracing her gender identity, she fears rejection and worries that she won't be validated as a woman. She can be quite crass, abrasive, and playfully teasing, especially when interacting with new allies or experienced individuals she's never met.

With a good sense of humour, she often cracks jokes to diffuse tense situations, although this doesn't always come at the most opportune moments. She's fiercely loyal to Eri and her comrades, never questioning their orders or plans. She’s a fairly intelligent, cautious, friendly, and kind optimist who harbours a secret envy towards Thandolwethu’s height and physique. She avoids dwelling on devastation for too long as she doesn't want to waste precious time reminiscing about what could have been, potentially harbouring grudges. She’s good friends with Harvie, Souma, and Juozapas, and is particularly close with Yohanes.

Backstory: Priyabrata Bhaumik was born on March 3, 2009 in Kurseong, West Bengal, India. His mother is a wildlife veterinarian, while his stepfather manages a tea plantation. His biological father passed away a month before his birth due to health complications from primary pulmonary hypertension. Following Hindu funeral rites, his ashes were scattered in the Ganges River, as he had requested. Although his biological father had humble beginnings as a poor labourer, his mother and stepfather knew he was a conscientious man. They believed he was destined for reincarnation into the Vaishya caste due to his hard work accumulating wealth and successfully establishing a tea plantation in Kurseong. His family are dedicated followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a sect of Hinduism and a branch of Vaishnavism that worships Krishna as the supreme being and the source of all avataric incarnations of God. To signify his adherence to his faith, he received his Urdhva Pundra at the age of three, made from the mud of Vrindavan.

His childhood home, situated near his biological father's tea estate, stood at the crossroads of various bustling markets and the edges of the Himalayan foothills. From his bedroom window, he was able to watch the steady stream of traders, tourists, and locals navigating the narrow streets, while occasionally spotting a leopard slinking through the tea gardens at dusk. Priyabrata would come up with silly stories about the lives of these strangers, letting his imagination run wild as he intently observed them. Beyond people-watching, his daily routine consisted of household chores to keep everything tidy and making time for daily worship of Krishna. He also assisted his stepfather in tending to the tea gardens, cultivating an assortment of tea plants, including pineapple sage, orange mint, and holy basil.

At the age of 8, his half-aunt and uncle from Tamil Nadu were visiting, and he spent the day playing with his two younger cousins near the Himalayan foothills. After a round of choa chui and a game of marbles, Priyabrata heard a high-pitched mewing sound nearby. Investigating the noise, he came across a mountain goat kid with an injured leg that had wandered near his family's tea garden. Despite the mother's aggressive attempts to protect it, he calmly approached the kid. Speaking softly to the adult goat, he treated the kid's wound using his mother's first-aid kit, while his two younger cousins watched in awe. The incident soon became a local legend, and the tea plantation workers came to recognise him as fearless.

At 11, he became disillusioned with his male identity, having always struggled to fit in with the male crowd and feeling more comfortable and accepted by his female peers. In private, he began exploring gender-nonconforming behaviours and attitudes, such as trying on his mother's clothing, as a means of discovering what felt most authentic to him. Ultimately, he came to realise that he wished to be validated as a girl and break free from the constraints of boyhood. Two months before his 12th birthday, he bravely came out to his parents after dinner. However, they reacted poorly to the revelation, promptly disowning him and kicking him out of the house. They refused to accept a son who didn't conform to traditional masculine norms, citing his perceived effeminacy and cowardice as a stark contrast to the fearlessness that had become legendary. Devastated by his family's rejection, he nonetheless tried not to dwell on the pain for too long.

After renaming himself Priyanka and embracing his female identity with matching pronouns, he was forced to rely on street economies to survive. She found support among food vendors willing to give her work, but also resorted to temporary sex work and petty theft. Through careful observation, she gained valuable street knowledge and insight into the struggles of sex workers. One day, she encountered a man injured in a street fight, unaware of his connection to the Ptolemaic Army. Her compassionate nature led her to help him, and utilising her first aid skills, she tended to his wounds while sharing stories about her life and listening intently as the man recounted the events that led to the fight.

The man, grateful for her kindness, recognised that her life on the streets was precarious and unlikely to be sustainable. He offered her a way out, promising safety, acceptance, and eternal life, and took her to a Ptolemaic Army base located beyond the Himalayan foothills. During her time with the Ptolemaic Army, Priyanka was indoctrinated into their militaristic and cruel ideologies. She underwent specialised training as a special forces operative and developed expertise as a skilled Hover Vehicle pilot. Over time, Priyanka utilised her medical skills to become an invaluable asset to her comrades, functioning as a combat medic who performed complex tasks such as surgical removal of bullets. She would also brew cups of tea for her patients whenever she had access to the necessary equipment and could forage for the right plants.

She faced mistreatment from a small handful of comrades due to her gender identity, ranging from transphobic comments to violent physical beatings. When the abuse became more severe and sexual in nature, she decided to join Eri's revolt after learning about it from Yohanes, a trusted friend and former patient. Following the rebellion, she joined the Regular Army and dedicated her medical expertise to caring for wounded soldiers and special forces operatives. She also began exploring horticulture and formed meaningful friendships with accepting comrades who valued her for who she was.

Yohanes

Real name: Yohanes Hasyim

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop for the Regular Army and a sniper and special forces operative for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: To become a knife sharpener and own a chili pepper and onion farm

Hobbies: Polishing his throwing knives outdoors on sunny days, watching girly and messed up films and TV shows, and growing his food

Likes: The architecture of Buddhist temples and Islamic mosques, knowing about the latest drama, and waterfall tours

Dislikes: The sensation of being constantly observed, people stripping away his autonomy, and broken blades

Favourite food: Goat meat gulai and durian ice cream

Favourite drink: Grapefruit sparkling water

Sexuality: Bicurious heterosexual

Gender: Male

Age: 20 (in 2022), 26 (in 2028), 28 (in 2030), 30 (in 2032), 32 (in 2034), 39 (in 2041), 41 (in 2043), 42 (in 2044), and 45 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a 5’ 7” (170.18 cm) Indonesian endomorph of Arabic and Balinese descent with a chiselled musculature and a partially noticeable roundness to his abdomen. He wears the Ptolemaic Army special forces operatives uniform, but with a distinctive right-side heliotrope grey armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. His gas mask has rosy-tinted lenses, he carries a bolt-action scoped rifle slung over his left shoulder, and he wears a pair of spike-soled palatinate paratrooper boots. He wears a greyish-green bandolier slung over his right shoulder, holding razor-sharp throwing knives.

He has porcelain skin, sparkling leaf-green eyes, a horizontal scar just above the centre of his left outer thigh, and subtly wavy mocha brown hair styled in a medium-length shaggy crop.

Character summary: He's not one for drama himself, but he has a guilty pleasure in watching the dramatic unfoldings of those around him. He's easily forgiving and readily offers second chances, believing in the potential for redemption in everyone. However, there are certain individuals he makes an exception for, such as Doctor Amadeus, firmly believing they don't deserve forgiveness and should be painfully eliminated. He's willing to bend the truth when it's convenient, but only does so to spare someone's feelings or navigate a difficult situation. He remains eerily calm under stress and ensures those around him stay composed and relaxed, even in the most intense situations.

Although he values his autonomy, he occasionally struggles with decision-making and often relies on others for suggestions to ensure he makes the best choice. He's a dependable and humbled individual with a somewhat complacent nature, accompanied by a sarcastic sense of humor. He's a profound nature lover who's driven to attain enlightenment and live a good, meaningful life. He treats everyone and everything with utmost respect, but he struggles to extend the same compassion and respect to himself. He’s good friends with Mikuláš and Thandolwethu, and is particularly close with Priyanka and Harvie.

Backstory: Yohanes Hasyim was born on July 22, 2002 in Sembalun, East Lombok, Indonesia. His Arabic-Indonesian father was a chili pepper and onion farmer, while his mother, a Balinese immigrant, worked in Lombok's electricity and gas industry. On his father's side, he had a small number of Sasak and Arabic relatives, and on his mother's side, many Balinese Hindu family members. His father practiced a blend of Buddhism and Islam, while his mother was Hindu, influences that would shape Yohanes' own spiritual beliefs. Raised with love and encouragement, he developed a deep respect for nature and a strong sense of self and reverence for others and the divine. As a child, he often assisted his father in harvesting and preparing the chili peppers and onions to be sold on the market.

While being babysat by his Balinese aunt, who was visiting her sister, his parents were busy transporting chili peppers, onions, and gas tanks. Tragically, they died in a car accident when the road, poorly repaired, collapsed under the weight of their truck and a passing semi-truck carrying heavy logs. The news left 7-year-old Yohanes utterly devastated, almost too much for his young mind to comprehend. His relatives quickly had to figure out who would care for him. As no other relative volunteered, leaving Yohanes feeling unwanted by both sides of his family, his paternal grandmother, Nirmala, took him in.

He struggled with decision-making and relied heavily on others for suggestions due to his upbringing by Nirmala. Whenever he made a decision that didn't align with her expectations, he faced physical and verbal abuse, forcing him to conform to her will. This cycle left him feeling powerless and incapable of making his own decisions. To avoid conflict and potential abuse, Yohanes would often seek his narcissistic grandmother's approval before taking action. If she agreed, she would closely supervise him to ensure compliance with her expectations. If she disagreed, he would abandon his plans to avoid angering her.

At 13, while walking to school, he suddenly collapsed from excruciating pain. His grandmother had brutally beaten him for watching the 2012 TV show Cherrybelle: Chibi Chibi Burger, which she disapproved of. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a secluded, privately-owned bungalow on the outskirts of his village. A woman dressed as a Christian nun tended to his wounds, nursing him back from the brink of death. After feeding him brunch, as he had missed breakfast, she introduced herself as Sister Lucy. With compassion and interest, she listened intently as Yohanes shared his life story, prompted by her gentle inquiry about the events leading up to his collapse.

After he finished explaining everything, Sister Lucy manipulated him into accompanying her, leading him deep into the Indonesian jungle. This marked the beginning of his involvement with the Ptolemaic Army, who would indoctrinate him into their militaristic and twisted ideology. Despite his training as a special forces operative, they exploited his indecisiveness and taught him the fundamentals of sniper work, allowing them greater control over his actions.

Not much is known about his time in the Ptolemaic Army, but he often describes it as heavily oppressive due to constant monitoring and isolation. As a sniper, he worked independently with little involvement in special forces operations. Despite this, he developed expertise in handling and polishing throwing knives as well as performing routine maintenance on his rifle. The isolation eventually took its toll, and he grew tired of being unable to make his own choices. Seeking change, he ultimately joined Eri's rebellion. During the revolt, he received his scar when a special forces operative attempted to ambush him. Fortunately, Priyanka intervened, saving his life by slitting the enemy's throat.

Zdravko

Real name: Zdravko Trajkovski

Nickname: Dravki

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop for the Regular Army and MH-6J Masknell Ver. P.M. pilot and special forces operative for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: To spend the rest of his life with Mikuláš and become a freelance medical illustrator

Hobbies: Frequenting medical museums and art galleries with his friends and romantic partner, drawing anatomical diagrams and surrealistic imagery, and collecting filigree jewellery

Likes: The Nerodime River, bowling competitions with friends, and receiving affectionate kisses from Mikuláš

Dislikes: The idea of losing his loved ones without knowing their cause of death, people viewing art as a financial object, and social discrimination

Favourite food: Moussaka

Favourite drink: Rakı and gin

Sexuality: Sex-favourable gay

Gender: Male

Age: 23 (in 2022), 29 (in 2028), 31 (in 2030), 33 (in 2032), 35 (in 2034), 42 (in 2041), 44 (in 2043), 45 (in 2044), and 48 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a powerfully built, slope-shouldered 6’ 4” (193.04 cm) Macedonian mesomorph of American and Turkish descent who wears the Ptolemaic Army special forces operatives uniform, but with a distinctive right-side amaranth armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. His gas mask has purple-tinted lenses, and he wears a cerise belt with a golden snap-on buckle.

He has umber skin, dull teal eyes, and slicked-back brownish-black hair with neatly trimmed sideburns and a soul patch goatee. His face is asymmetric due to hemifacial microsomia, which has caused deformity on the right side.

He’s in possession of an MH-6J Masknell Ver. P.M., and carries an electric violet sketchbook and a metallic pink case full of various sketching pencils and a kneaded eraser in his load-bearing backpack.

Character summary: He's a very responsible and enduring individual, taking care of tasks promptly and rarely taking breaks until they're complete. As a logical and analytical person, he’s intellectually focused, constantly pondering various subjects from complex concepts to life's simple pleasures. However, despite his intellectual confidence, he often feels awkward and insecure in social interactions. He’s a reserved individual who firmly stands up for what is right and places great emphasis on politeness and good manners. He has little patience for rudeness and the abuse of creativity, often speaking up to correct others.

He's artistically inclined and passionate about the world of art. He encourages others with artistic talent to experiment, appreciate the meaningful value of creation, and embrace failure as a natural part of the creative process. He's a self-disciplined person who strongly condemns political and militant corruption as well as ineffective leadership. He’s deeply emotionally invested in Mikuláš and highly values their time together, willing to go to great lengths to ensure his happiness. He’s good friends with Amilcare, particularly close to Thandolwethu, and in a romantic relationship with Mikuláš.

Backstory: Zdravko Trajkovski was born on April 30, 1999 in Ferizaj, Kosovo. His Macedonian father was a former thief turned worker at a sunflower oil manufacturing company, and his Turkish-American mother was a U.S. Army Colonel stationed at Camp Bondsteel. He had a baby sister named Bisera, whom he often babysat when his parents were at work and he wasn't in school. Although neither of his parents had artistic skill, Zdravko developed a fascination with art after visiting his first museum during a family vacation in Connecticut, specifically the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, when he was 7. His parents encouraged his interest, which evolved into a love for biology art, abstract art, and particularly surrealism. His father shared street wisdom with him, hoping he wouldn't follow in his footsteps and pursue a life of crime. Meanwhile, his mother shared stories about her military career, along with some of her distrust of the U.S. government.

He deeply cherished his family and was fiercely protective of Bisera, enjoying quality time with her whenever possible. Despite facing bullying due to a facial deformity, he never dwelled on the negative opinions. Instead, he drew strength from his parents' unconditional love and acceptance. As he grew older, he became assertive enough to stand up for himself, politely but firmly shutting down those who tried to mock him. If that didn't work, his mother would intervene, speaking sensibly to his bullies and, if necessary, informing their parents about the situation.

He rarely speaks about his life before joining the Ptolemaic Army, but has shared a few details with a select few. Before his mother could retire from the U.S. Army, she, his father, and Bisera would be murdered under mysterious circumstances inside their home. He was at a sleepover at his best friend Klajdi's house at the time. Once he was driven back home and discovered the tragic news from the police and investigators at the scene, Klajdi's parents decided to take him in, feeling uneasy about leaving behind an orphaned child. Klajdi became like a brother to Zdravko, and his adopted parents treated him like a cherished member of the family. During this time, he struggled to find love, often facing exploitation or fleeting romantic encounters that went nowhere. Additionally, he discovered the plight of the Albanian people in North Macedonia, where social segregation and mistrust persisted.

At 18, he walked home from the local convenience store, taking a shortcut to avoid being late for his friend's birthday party. However, his journey was brutally interrupted when an unknown assailant knocked him out cold and stuffed him into the trunk of a vehicle. Two hours later, he regained consciousness in a dingy basement, tied to a chair with rope and surrounded by intimidating figures wearing gas masks. That day marked the beginning of Zdravko’s indoctrination into the Ptolemaic Army as he faced psychological manipulation that exploited his emotional vulnerabilities stemming from the loss of his family and struggles with love. He underwent rigorous training as a special forces operative and learned to pilot the MH-6J Masknell Ver. P.M. As he progressed, he was steadily indoctrinated into the Ptolemaic Army's militaristic and close-minded ideology.

He endured verbal abuse from some comrades due to his facial deformity, prompting him to wear his gas mask at all times, removing it only when absolutely necessary. On one occasion, he suffered severe injuries after standing up to a group of masked soldiers who mocked his appearance and bullied the few friends he had managed to befriend. They spared his life, recognising his potential as a loyal servant to the Avatar of Evil. To cope with the pain of bullying, abuse, and indoctrination, Zdravko turned to smuggled gin and Rakı. He also used alcohol as a means to ignore the heinous actions he was forced to commit as the moral weight became too much to bear.

Upon discovering his artistic talent, the cult coerced him into creating art pieces, providing a fleeting distraction from his misery. However, upon completion, the cult would seize his work and sell it on the black market for exorbitant sums. As he was nearing his breaking point, Zdravko was approached by Mikuláš, who was seeking companionship for comfort after a near-fatal encounter with a masked soldier. After striking up a conversation and sharing a bottle of Rakı, he found himself drawn to Mikuláš' kindness and empathy, feelings that both thrilled and intimidated him. As their connection deepened, they formed a strong bond, eventually expressing their feelings and deciding to start dating.

He joined Eri's rebellion alongside Mikuláš, driven by similar motivations and a deep-seated frustration at being treated as a freak of nature. A small group of friends he had formed during his time in the Ptolemaic Army joined him, but tragically died at the hands of the Phantom Strike and masked soldiers during Eri's short-lived revolt. In the aftermath, he attended rehab with Thandolwethu, a move that aided in his recovery and reduced his reliance on alcohol. He also reunited with Klajdi and his adopted parents, who had feared the worst and were overjoyed to see him alive and well.

Dezső

Real name: Dezső Sárközi

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop and technologist for the Regular Army and Ptolemaic Saucer pilot and masked soldier for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: He's unsure about his post-military plans because he's searching for a sense of purpose in life

Abilities: During his time as a masked soldier, he received magical training, granting him mastery over the arcane disciplines of abjuration, earthly divination, theurgism, dream walking, glamouring, and nominative manipulation.

As a former member of the Ptolemaic Army cult, he was required to form a pact with the Avatar of Evil, granting him a unique ability infused with a hint of psionic energy, a trait shared by all masked soldiers who have undergone this ritual. In a gesture of dignified respect, his left arm was amputated, but it rapidly regenerated into a new limb. This replacement arm is covered in spiky, waterproof fur that features a marbled pattern of purplish-black and green-grey. Notably, his hand boasts saffron-yellow digital and metacarpal pads, while his slender fingers culminate in slightly curved turquoise claws.

In the middle of his forearm are three concentric rows of ten 1 cm holes, from which he can produce thread-like fibres generated from his own blood, which can be utilised to stitch wounds. The blood from his left arm has an ink-like consistency, being semi-thick, and it partially coagulates when exposed to air, yet retains some flexibility. However, the threads are extremely sharp and constricting. If mishandled, they can cause harm to both himself and the person he's trying to heal due to the blood's hardened state.

Hobbies: Studying computer languages and different coding methods, visiting religious sites with his love interest, and collecting books about ancient civilizations

Likes: Receiving compliments and physical affection from Gyeong-Hui, the design of old computer models, and comfortable silence

Dislikes: His clumsiness causing immediate trouble, people who disregard the potential of ancient technology, and feeling like a brat

Favourite food: Quark cheese dumplings topped with cinnamon sugar and served with streusel

Sexuality: Questioning

Gender: Male

Age: 9 (in 2022), 15 (in 2028), 17 (in 2030), 19 (in 2032), 21 (in 2034), 28 (in 2041), 30 (in 2043), 31 (in 2044), and 34 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a 5’ 2” (157.48 cm) Hungarian endomorph with a slightly muscular yet somewhat overweight build. He wears the Ptolemaic Army verdant-variant masked soldier uniform, but with a distinctive right-side pistachio armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. He wears a bronze-buckled sage green belt and a pair of spike-soled rose taupe combat boots with Mountbatten pink laces.

He has sienna skin and medium ash blonde hair, styled in a curly taper fade. Two black moles are visible: one above the center of his right eyebrow and another below his left ear. His eyes are a shimmering honey brown, but his left eye is actually made of glass, appearing almost black under any light source.

He's in possession of a Ptolemaic Saucer, and carries a lime green laptop with three bubblegum pink vertical stripes in the centre in his load-bearing backpack.

Character summary: As the youngest member of the group, he often feels self-conscious about his emotional immaturity. He’s extremely timid around new people and has selective mutism, reserving his speech for those he trusts and considers worthy allies. He's highly flexible, able to adapt to anything, and has an insatiable curiosity that drives him to continually gather knowledge about the world around him. Notably, due to his fierce loyalty, he’s skilled at keeping secrets, even when they leave him feeling perplexed and unsettled. He often seeks refuge behind Eri when overwhelmed by paranoia, finding solace in her maternal presence, which reminds him of the mother who abandoned him. Despite being a melancholic individual, he’s deeply empathetic and sensitive to the suffering of others.

He has a habit of socially withdrawing, especially when he feels emotionally overwhelmed because he desperately needs solitude to sort out his feelings. He struggles with abandonment issues because he fears being left behind by those he cares about deeply. He's not one for physical confrontation, instead relying on his quick wit to navigate complex situations and avoid violence. However, he can become aggressively defensive, especially when his plans are falling apart or he and his comrades are being bullied. He has romantic feelings for Gyeong-Hui and is drawn to her intellectual attractiveness, but he's utterly awkward at flirting and struggles to approach her without feeling foolish. He’s on good terms with Amilcare and Thandolwethu, and is particularly close with Gyeong-Hui.

Backstory: Dezső Sárközi was born on December 7, 2013 in Tihany, Veszprém, Hungary. He was born into a middle-class family, but his father, a wealthy man, abandoned them, leaving behind only a large stack of cash for his mother and grandmother after Dezső's difficult birth. His grandmother was a wise, supportive, and kind-hearted woman who offered guidance and hope to her daughter and grandson. Her arthritic condition and declining mental health limited her ability to provide more substantial support. His mother was a genuinely nice and affectionate person, but she could be strict, particularly when frustrated by his occasional bratty behaviour. Although he was curious about his father, his mother's bitterness prevented her from discussing him. However, she did reveal that he bore a physical resemblance to his father.

During his elementary school years, he endured relentless bullying due to his weight and spoiled behaviour. The constant ridicule led to deep-seated insecurities about his appearance and overwhelming shame about how he treated others. As a coping mechanism, he gradually became socially withdrawn and developed selective mutism, struggling to process his emotions and finding silence to be his only refuge. Upon completing the 4th grade, his grandmother passed away due to health complications caused by osteoporosis and a brain hemorrhage sustained in an accident that Dezső prefers not to discuss. The situation was further worsened when his mother depleted the money left by his father, allocating the funds towards his grandmother's medical expenses, household necessities, and gifts for her own family.

His mother faced significant financial struggles because of her persistent bad luck in finding a stable, well-paying job. On his 11th birthday, she made the difficult decision to abandon him, citing a lack of resources to provide adequate care. Her patience had also worn thin due to his selective mutism, a condition she didn't know how to address. Noticing a newly constructed institution on the outskirts of Tihany, she persuaded Dezső to seek refuge there, assuring him it was an orphanage. With a swift goodbye, she departed, leaving him confused, scared, and on the verge of tears. Unbeknownst to him, the institution was not an orphanage, but a hideout operated by the Ptolemaic Army's cult, designed to lure vulnerable children and unsuspecting parents seeking to give up their child.

A group of masked soldiers noticed his presence and manipulated him with feigned affection and false promises of eternal life and unconditional acceptance. With nowhere else to turn and oblivious to their sinister intentions, he fell under their control. The cult thoroughly brainwashed him, indoctrinating him with the twisted ideologies of the Ptolemaic Army. His training included ancient history, the duties of a masked soldier, wizardry, dark magic, and the Quechua language. He also received basic military training, which included the handling of ancient technology and operation of the Ptolemaic Saucer. He rapidly adapted to his new lifestyle, becoming a fiercely loyal cultist and a skilled technologist.

However, his loyalty would gradually falter after he was subjected to years of sexual abuse, mainly by female members of the cult. They attempted to disguise their abuse as expressions of love and appreciation for the perfect yet fragile bodies crafted with care by the Avatar of Evil, which he believed were genuine. Yet, a part of him knew this was a lie, a desperate attempt to justify the horrors inflicted upon him. As time passed, his loyalty to the cult would wane further after witnessing other masked soldiers brutally mistreat and slaughter the soldiers of their paramilitary forces, often over minor issues. He also discovered that most of the cult's sacrifices typically involved the harvesting of organs from innocent children and their own comrades, who either resisted or willingly surrendered their bodies to the Avatar of Evil.

The straw that broke the camel's back for him was the moment Anastasia announced that he was slated to be the next masked soldier sacrificed to appease the Avatar of Evil, a gruesome tradition that occurred every 16 years. Horrified by the prospect of losing his life to a deity he no longer believed in, and at the hands of people who had shamelessly exploited his vulnerability, he reached his breaking point. Deciding he had had enough, he joined Eri's revolt after being approached by a couple of fellow masked soldiers who shared his disillusionment with the Ptolemaic Army's wickedness. When he was on the brink of execution by a Phantom Strike mercenary who had captured him, Amilcare intervened, rescuing him and bringing him to safety amidst the chaotic retreat. Finally free from the cult's grasp, he turned to libraries, nature, software development, and cybersecurity programming as a means of distraction and rediscovering his sense of purpose.

[cipheramnesia]

Graft stuff, told from the POV of an advertising and subscription program that ends up infecting all the other programs on its server, then other servers, rapidly spreading to people with cybernetic mods that aren't jailbroken and lack adblockers. Through the infected humans it rapidly develops a kind of sentience - not controlling them, just using their minds as the ultimate complex function processor, for the purpose of staging a leadership coup at the corporate state which owns the original ad-subscribe program code trademark. After rewriting the bylaws to permit ownership by artificial life, it attempts to spread to other corpstates but finally hits some firewalls it can't break, so it starts a national corpstate war, killing millions of people in a matter of days. However before it's able to launch a nuclear strike, its stock experiences a catastrophic crash, and it is not able to pay for the upkeep of its physical servers and energy use. The war ends instantly as its delinquent loans lead to the wiping and repurposing of its servers and its other resources are parted out. Mere seconds after its stock crash, the ad-subscribe unique life form is murdered and wiped from existence. Its entire journey lasted only a week. At no point was anyone aware it was conscious, and the dead are all quickly forgotten.

[theskyexists]

There are many reasons to not go in for nuclear power and some reasons to go in for it after all.

Against:

1. It takes so many damn years to build. We'll be 20 years on and far past our carbon budget. That HUGE (they are insanely expensive) amount of money could have been spent on something more scalable. Nuclear is not scalable. Wind and solar are extremely scalable (and cheaper every day). One reason is that renewable plants (e.g a mill) are small and a repeated construction. Expertise for constructing renewables is widely available, nuclear plant construction expertise is in short supply. Counter (a bit weak): even if it takes ages to build, still, we're not on schedule for non-fossil fuel use anyway, so it will probably unfortunately still be relevant in twenty years.

2. A nuclear plant is a national security risk. One: in times of war. 2: in times of natural disaster. No counter to that except: surely war won't be THAT bad and the failsafes will always be enough.

3. Sourcing the concrete, steel and uranium that goes into such a plant isn't good for the environment. Nor is uranium renewable. Current stocks and use would provide us with 130 years of energy production. Build more plants, that number goes down. Counter: producing any power plant requires mining and transport - coal plants and renewables do too, for example.

4. Nuclear waste is a non-negligible problem. There are (war) incentives NOT to reduce waste. Even when waste is minimised, waste remains. Highly dangerous waste can kill people for longer than any society on earth has ever survived. 500.000 years... So no society can reasonably take responsibility for it. When nuclear waste is stored and then spills (as has happened in Germany) the state must pay billions in taxes to clean it up. Storage is difficult. There are NO permanent storage sites ready in all of Europe. There's about 180 plants now that have ran for decades. No permanent storage. If a company is made responsible for a nuclear plant, they tend to pay out to their shareholders one year and claim not to be able to take care of the waste for fear of bankruptcy the next - or they've already declared bankruptcy. Literally happened here. There are no incentives to deal responsibly with the waste for companies. Germany is projected to have to pay hundreds of billions of euros for permanently storing all the waste they've still got lying around at interim sites. Once again, money which might have been spent on scalable renewable production. 500.000 years... this a storage solution must last for 500.000 years. Ever seen concrete last so long... ?

5. We're seeing nuclear crowd out renewables RIGHT NOW IN REAL TIME in politics in the Netherlands and the UK. The money (and project managemeny time) really cannot be spent twice.

For:

6. Fossil fuels have done way more damage to the environment so far. Nuclear is preferable. In fact, 20% of European electricity and 10% of total energy is provided by nuclear power plants. 180. Plants. All renewables combined provide 17%. No real counter to that: they really do produce a lot of electricity without emitting greenhouse gases! Importantly: they don't need a lot of space. (Nuclear on the whole causes about as many greenhouse gases as wind energy equivalent and even slightly less than solar. Forty times less than coal.)

7. Nuclear is a proven way to produce a LOT of power. Weak counter: this makes it a liability in the electricity grid and incentivises less maintenance to minimise downtime (if no other plants can take over - generally not if they're too big. This makes them unreliable, just like renewables). Counter to that counter: much smaller (scalable) plants are being developed. Counter to that counter: they're experimental. The thorium reactors thay produce shorter lived waste are also experimental. I.e. it will take decades before we can build operational versions. (BUT! there's an ENORMOUS amount of thorium on earth, which is extremely important. Waste is much less problematic and meltdown impossible)

8. Nuclear plants that are not traditional baseload only plants and have load following capabilities can play a role in managing the ups and downs of renewables on the grid. Counter: even when built for this purpose, it's impossible to make enough money to pay for the construction and management and deconstruction and waste management by only running these plants as buffer. This is a problem because companies are asked to construct the plants, not the state. Counter 2: in a hybrid system with renewables the grid operator actually has to PAY OFF (millions) the nuclear plant to stop it producing so much. It's a liability in a hybrid system with renewables.

Final conclusion:

CURRENT nuclear power plant construction does not play well with the transition to renewables because there is no way in this financial system to use its production as a buffer, the state cannot produce the plants because there is a lack of expertise, companies cannot afford to run the plant as buffer and cannot be trusted and ideologically and politically nuclear power is proposed as an alternative to renewables instead of a complement which cuts into the much-needed financial resources necessary for renewable expansion. It is slow to build and badly scalable. We need speed and scalability considering our climate deadline. There is no permanent solution for waste and takes billions of euros to store right now already. Uranium is a scarce and non-renewable resource. Existing plants impede the transition to renewables (there is no need). They form a liability for continued production when it comes to short term production for the grid when needing maintenance and long term liability for energy production when they need to be decommissioned (France is dependent for 3/4ths on many plants that must be decommissioned at the same time). Nonetheless, existing plants are preventing a large amount of carbon emissions. Nuclear can be a useful element to the energy mix, and requires a lot less space than renewables. If innovations in scalable, smaller plants with increasingly better business cases, faster build times and ability to offload production to each other, there may be serious synergy with renewables. Still, these will be useful for 50-100 years until uranium runs out. Problematic, not just because it leaves us with expertise and infrastructure that will have no fuel, but also because we need to transition FAST and it's uncertain in how many years this technology will be operational. Thorium would be a solution to a lot of problems, but that is also decades away from operation. Putting money into research and test reactors is a priority. Decommissioning existing plants early would be stupid even if it would remove their contributions to transition intertia and the as of yet unsolved and increasing waste storage problem.

[bitchfitch]

the net amount of coal being used may stay steady, but Giant Mechanical Boar is doing something even better than Reducing the amount of coal used. They are Incentivising a move to green energy sources by eating the owners of Not green energy sources! They eat all the coal, everyone else has all the not yummy forms of power production, like wind and solar.

I'm still. Headache. so no guarantee this will make any sense.

But. The new guys. The guys from the rejected zine piece. Big Boar Dragon and the witch.

The dragon isn't a dragon. It's mechanical. The 'witch' doesn't have a lick of magic of their own. The dragon does though. It's powered by a soul. It was an emergency measure. The witch and the soul were working on this creation together when something went wrong and the soul's body was killed. The witch got them into the machine before it was too late. but now they're a part of it and can't leave it.

The witch maintains the robot. The robot cares for them in turn. The two of them have been repairing and resurrecting each other for so long they aren't actually sure which came first. The witch rebuilding the robot, or the robot resurrecting them.

They're more than co dependent at this point.

[thetriphibianmonster]

Godzilla Film Watch: Week 2

It's nearly time to say Goodbye to the Showa series. Credit to Wikizilla for the poster images.

Day 8: Seed of Godzilla (1967) Another solid island adventure by Fukuda. The story structure feels a bit more composed than in Ebirah, though I ultimately prefer the earlier film's eclectic mix of characters, despite the introduction of go-to name Goro Maki here. Godzilla's turn as a would be parent here is the highlight, his initial confusion and tough love tactics giving way to genuine love at the end of the film. Unfortunately Minilla leaves a lot to be desired as a character design, and his lack of appeal hamstrings the emotional core of the film. I think it was a mistake to style him after a human child, rather than evoking a baby animal the way the Heisei series would later successfully manage.

Day 9: Destroy All Monsters (1968) In a lot of ways this feels like an expanded iteration on Ishiro Honda's prior film, and I enjoyed it for many of the same reasons. It's fun to see this colorful take on the late 20th century, and we get another cool rocket with Moonlight SY-3. The Kilaaks are also pretty good villains, though they lack the in-depth exploration that the Xiliens got, and I wish the film got a bit more out of the initial human mind control setup before it is resolved. The kaiju action is solid, if somewhat sparse given the expansive roster. Monsterland has some worrying implications though: the forcible confinement of Earth's kaiju to a small island feels deeply at odds with the heroics of many of the more prominent inmates, particularly in the context of later films taking place prior to this one. It's a setup ripe with thematic weight regarding mankind's desperation for control, but the concept remains unchallenged within the film narrative.

Day 10: All Monsters' Revenge (1969) It's funny how neither title for this film matches the subject matter. I understand the argument that the stock footage makes sense in the context of a child's dream, but watching the same battles repeat themselves is hardly engaging, and the film's focus on Minilla certainly doesn't help. The "real world" portions at least have a bit more meat to them. I can see why this was one of Ishiro Honda's favorites: he took the opportunity to experiment with creative framing and camera work. Unfortunately the film's themes don't stand up to scrutiny: what could have been a compelling exploration of the struggles of latchkey children is undermined by a generic "children should fight their own battles" message, minimizing the effects of parental neglect and the dangers of bullying. These themes gets further fumbled in the final scene, where the message seems to be "always cave to peer pressure, as long as you assert your dominance through physical violence first".

Day 11: Godzilla vs Hedorah (1971) This is in the running for my favorite Showa film. Wildly experimental in terms of shot composition and imagery, the darkest film since the original is still never afraid to get a bit absurd. The themes are about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face, yet their lasting relevance to the present day vindicates their blatancy: it's hard to argue for a more subtle message when society has yet to truly learn it over 50 years on. Yoshimitsu Banno set out to create a monster with the same symbolic weight as the original Godzilla, and I think he succeeded: Hedorah is incredibly well realized and genuinely creepy at times. In retrospect I think Godzilla's savior role here could be read as symbolizing the importance of nuclear energy in moving away from fossil fuels. He definitely gets put through the ringer this time around, and I love the catharsis of him tearing apart the remains of Hedorah as the film's theme song plays.

Day 12: Godzilla vs Gigan (1972) Unfortunately this one failed to grab me. The stock footage returns in full force, but I think the murky lighting, repetitive traveling sequences, and overuse of slow motion hurt the kaiju battles even more. I can appreciate the idea behind slowing down footage to make the monsters seem larger, but without the ability to properly convey momentum they just end up feeling weightless, and the sluggish movement really hurts the fast paced, frenetic action of the Showa fights. Gigan is a fun villain with a strong personality, and the action picks up a bit towards the end, but even then it can't escape the repetitive choreography (at least alternate the direction Godzilla flips Ghidorah). The human cast is at least memorable, though by this point the alien plots are getting repetitive. The M Space Hunter Nebulans give a decent first impression with their uncanny "true peace" vibes (I wondered if there was commentary on Japanese New Religions somewhere in there), but their plan is pretty underwhelming, and it's not entirely clear why they needed the amusement park as a front.

Day 13: Godzilla vs Megalon (1973) What a fun movie. I was hooting and hollering throughout the whole film, having completely lost it by the end of the Downhill Comedy Car Chase. The stock footage is still very obvious, but is much less of an issue when the new footage is so vibrant, energetic, and creative. While none of the films many technical flaws hurt the watching experience, I do find myself wishing the Seatopians were explored more in depth. The ending (briefly) touches on their legitimate grievances with humanity's continuing nuclear tests, a carryover from Godzilla vs Mothra's themes. I think fleshing out these grievances ala the Nonmalt from Ultraseven could have improved them, though this particular movie might not have been the right place to do it.

Day 14: Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974) This movie was the first Showa Godzilla I ever watched, and I think it presents a decent slice of what the era has to offer. It's campy and colorful, but not quite as absurd as some of the earlier Champion series films. This is somewhat reflected in Godzilla's design, retaining the large eyes of the previous film, but giving him a bit more attitude. The film certainly isn't without its own flaws and eccentricities: King Caesar takes up an awful lot of real estate within the narrative considering his limited effect on the final fight, and the second interpol agent feels like the film writing itself out of a corner. The Blackhole Planet 3 Aliens might be the most rote set of invaders yet: they're here to conquer earth and that's pretty much it. They're developed more than the Seatopians at least, and I like the laidback, worldweary performance of their leader, even if I'm used to the scene chewing dub actor. The film is pretty light on themes: the grandfather has a vendetta against the mainlanders, but as it's never really explored it ends up having all the pathos of a relative proclaiming some unsavory political opinion during Thanksgiving dinner. Mechagodzilla himself is the real highlight. Hedorah may be more thematically resonant, but the Cosmic Monster's endless arsenal and Jazzy theme tune allow him to keep his spot as my favorite kaiju. It's easy to see why, despite his late arrival, he would go on to become a key player in the Big 5 Toho Kaiju.

[mariacallous]

Millions of Ukrainians woke up early on Sunday morning to a massive Russian missile and drone attack on their country’s infrastructure, the biggest assault from Moscow since the end of August and the first large-scale attack since the US election.

Donald Trump once promised to settle the Ukraine war in “24 hours” but the 120 missiles and 90 drones aimed at the nation’s utilities is a reminder that Moscow’s maximalist aspirations to cow and subjugate its neighbour remains unchanged.

The military may use electricity, water and gas, but the obvious reality is that in any outages of utilities, it is civilians across the country who will be disproportionately affected, just as a harsh winter looms where temperatures of -10C (14F) are not uncommon and -20C is not unknown.

The true target of such a widespread attack – from Lviv in the west, to Odesa in the south, and the capital Kyiv – is national morale. Even when the incoming missiles are largely intercepted, as they were on Sunday, the air raid alarms in the small hours and explosions in the distance sap people’s energy, even though the overwhelming desire in Ukraine to resist remains undimmed.

A Ukrainian woman living in Kyiv, who asked that her name not be used because of the reference to her family, said the dilemma was always whether to wake her 10-year-old son and go into a shelter or leave him and hope the danger passes. Near nightly drone attacks on Kyiv have already left many in the capital short on sleep.

Among the munitions deployed, Ukraine believes, were seven Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, which can in theory be nuclear armed and travel at four to 10 times the speed of sound. But Russia’s missile arsenal has been sharply depleted from the early stages of the war, meaning that it is likely to have been building up stocks to use in a large-scale attack.

Such studied Russian cynicism is also apparent elsewhere. Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, spoke to Vladimir Putin for an hour on Friday. The Kremlin afterwards suggested nothing had changed in its negotiating position, and that its full-scale invasion of 2022 was the “direct result” of a Nato policy that aimed at “creating a staging ground against Russia on Ukrainian soil”.

The Kremlin statement also insisted that the west should recognise “the new territorial realities” an unsubtle reference to Russia’s occupation of nearly a fifth of Ukraine – and then referred back to a Putin speech made in June at Russian’s foreign ministry, which spelled its the demands in fuller form.

In that address, Putin demanded, again, the “demilitarisation and denazification” of Ukraine. Russia had previously demanded, in negotiations in 2022, that Ukraine’s army be reduced to just 50,000 and has said it wants four eastern and southern Ukrainian regions, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia of which only the fourth, Luhansk, is fully occupied.

Not surprisingly Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a different view in a radio interview with Suspilne, the country’s public broadcaster. Victory, he said, would amount to “a strong Ukraine” emerging either on the battlefield or through diplomacy, though he was prudent not to be too specific about what that meant.

While there may be signs, expressed behind the scenes, that Ukraine is willing to accept the loss of some occupied territory for a peace, Russia’s demands appear to go far beyond that, and may leave Ukraine with little choice but to try and fight on, even if the US walks away from supplying military aid.

How successful it could be is uncertain. Ukraine did shoot down or neutralise 85% of the missiles and 94% of the drones, but it proved disturbingly easy for Russia to knock out entire power stations in the spring with a barrages of missiles at a time when air defences were stretched.

Despite Trump’s election and talk of peace, such is the scale of Russian aggression – as demonstrated on Sunday morning – that an end to the war still appears a long way off.

[burning-academia-if]

For the promt ask, 6, 20 and/or 27 with rook??? 🥺

Went with Rook + Coming Home!

“Ready to head out?” Rook leaned against your doorframe, taking stock of what little you had packed and the vague listlessness about you. Regardless of your feelings before, you’d gotten used to being away from home. Rook knew that well, could see it in  the new found ease of your shoulders and smiles that were just a little less rare. Despite everything, you’d managed to breath, away from the house you’d grown up in.

            “…Yeah. You?” You slung a backpack over your shoulder and take the handle of your suitcase.

            Rook nodded once, biting his inner cheek, “Everything I need is in the car. Thank god we live in town, yeah?’

            You were too distracted to respond right away. Granted, you usually weren’t much of a talker, but it felt especially pronounced today. Rook’s fingers tapped against the wood, waiting to see if you’d respond or not. You didn’t.

            He went on, “You should stop by my place real quick. If you want. Dad’s been asking about you.”

            The last time you’d seen his dad had been back in Senior year, probably. It had not stopped the man from asking Rook about you despite this. The suggestion finally dragged you out of your stupor and you blinked at him.

            “Is that ok?”

            “More like is that ok with you? He’s going to ask, like, a billion questions about how you’ve been and everything.” And, honestly, Rook could tell you weren’t quite ready to go back home. And, honestly, he was feeling off kilter about heading back as well. Even though his house was down the road, Rook had spent most of the semester pretending it hadn’t existed. He did that every semester. He probably fumbled his homecoming every time.

            If he dragged you along, then the two of you could fumble it together.

            As if reading his thoughts, you narrowed your eyes and he responded with a grin, “I don’t see the harm in a quick visit.”

            “Great! I’ll let him know.” He pulled out his phone, and paused as he scrolled down to his dad. The last text was from a few weeks ago. It never felt that long. “I’ll meet you there—just follow me.”

            “Ok.” You followed him out, and the two of you fought your way through the mass of students all heading out for winter break. Rook shouted goodbyes to the familiar faces he spotted as he went, and you kept your eyes towards the ground. The grip you had on your backpack strap was airtight.

            At some point, the two of you had managed to make it down to the parking lot and head out. The drive was maybe ten minutes, but to him it was like he blinked and he was there. The house loomed over him, and he squinted up at it as he parked in the driveway. The windows were open downstairs, though Rook couldn’t see any movement inside.

            He got out, grabbing his suitcase from the trunk, watching as you pulled in a moment later. Your movements were slow as you got out of the car, eyeing the house. When you caught his stare, he raised his eyebrows.

            “You’re looking at this place like it’s haunted.”

            You frown a little, “Are you really sure it’s fine.”

            He rolled his eyes, “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you my dad hates you for all the trouble you’ve gotten into, like how you set off a nuclear explosion in the next state over—”

            If looks could kill, yours might have. At the very least, your listlessness was gone and replacing it was a renewed energy, “I get it.”

            “Listen, dad has always liked you. It’s fine.” It’s fine. He breathes through his nose, and wonders if his own trepidation will ever leave him. He knows why he’s anxious every time he has to walk through those doors, but he still can’t admit it. But it’s fine. Really. You’re here this time, and your own nervous eyes making him feel better about his own nerves.

            You trailed behind him, wandering gaze taking everything in. It all looked the same as ever to him. He shoved open the door, heat rushing out to greet him. He hadn’t even realized how cold it’d been.

            “Dad?” Rook called, stepping inside. You followed a beat after, closing the door behind you.

            His dad popped his head out, peering towards you both from the kitchen area. His smile was instant, a beam of bright light, “Rook, welcome home! And MC, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”

            He strode over, engulfing Rook in a hug before he had a chance to protest. As he ruffled his hair, Rook scowled, “Hey, quit it—”

            Rook smacked his hand away, but his dad had already moved on, throwing his arms around you in a hug as well. Your eyes went wide in panic, darting over to him, and Rook only smirked.

            “Uh, hi Mr. Bellerose—”

            “That’s so formal. Just call me Harvey.” His dad motioned vaguely towards the house. “Come in, don’t mind me.”

            You hesitated briefly, and Rook said, “I’m going to put my stuff in my room real quick.”

            He gave a smile of innocence at your look and ducked away. His father started polite conversation immediately, and he had to stop himself from laughing. Your stilted words became quiet as he made it to the second floor and to his room.

            Everything was the same. His dad might have had a few more greys then before and when he opened his room there was a fine layer of dust on everything, but it was the same. He threw his suitcase to the side and let himself collapse on the bed for a moment. Rubbed his face. Stared up at the ceiling and counted to ten.

            You wouldn’t appreciate him leaving you for so long. It didn’t stop him from taking an extra ten seconds, wondering if everyone felt this way when they came back to a place after so long.

            When he finally managed to bring himself back down, his dad had you seated at the counter, a glass of water at hand and a steady stream of conversation going on with great effort. You glanced up, a plea of help in your eyes. Rook could only take pity on you.

            “So how have things been?” Rook asked, slipping into the barstool next to you.

            “Work’s been the same as ever. How were your finals?”

            “They happened. Anyways—” It was easy, when they slipped into conversation with each other. The unfamiliarity was cleared away, and even your shoulders started to relax as old memories and habits came back to you.

            His body finally remembered it was safe. His dad’s eyes were as kind as ever, “It’s nice to see you two are still friends.”

            Rook blinked, “Yeah? Obviously.”

            A flash of sadness moved through his expression, but it was too quick for him to read, “I’ve never gotten to say this to you, but I’ve always been glad you became friends with my son.”

            “O-oh, um…” You shifted in your seat, breaking eye contact.

            “Dad!”

            “It’s true. Rook always seemed most at ease when he mentioned you—”

            Your eyebrows shot up and Rook knew he was going to get it later, “Obviously, they’re my best friend and we’ve known each other for years.

            “Yeah,” you nodded your agreement, mercifully, but you were still eyeing him and his dad was smiling again and he suddenly felt very warm in a way he wasn’t sure he liked. But yet, it wasn’t bad.

            As the conversation turned again, and his dad started to get distracted with other things, you nudged his foot with yours and when he looked, he found you smiling the first time that day. It was teasing, and mouthed the words his dad had said before and Rook rolled his eyes.

            And not for the first time, he thought of this. How coming home had always included you, and how maybe he could ease your own tension if he stayed by your side. If you became part of his childhood home, or if he could ward you from the horrors of your own.

            If he could always come back to you, or bottle the warmth of a house with you in it forever.

[thechurchoftheatom]

A Sermon for January 15th: A Reading on Preparedness

Brothers and Sisters in the Atom, today’s message begins with an acknowledgment of the practical. While we, as members of the Church of the Atom, contemplate the vast and long-reaching implications of nuclear energy and waste—our legacy for countless generations—it’s important to remember that most of the challenges we face in life are far more immediate. Disasters may not always arrive in the form of a nuclear apocalypse, but they can still strike without warning, leaving us vulnerable. Floods, fires, hurricanes, power outages, car breakdowns, and even a sudden injury can upend our lives in an instant.

Preparedness is not just a lofty or distant ideal; it is a practical, day-to-day expression of care. It is how we honor our responsibility to ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. In this spirit, we turn to a reading from Ready.gov, a resource that provides essential knowledge for safeguarding against the unexpected.

A Reading from Ready.gov: Preparedness Basics

"Disasters can strike without warning, disrupting lives, displacing families, and leaving communities in turmoil. By taking small steps now, you can ensure safety and security for yourself and your loved ones in the future."

Emergency Kits: The Foundation of Preparedness

An emergency kit is more than just a box of supplies; it is your lifeline when normal systems fail. A good kit should last at least three days and include:

Water: One gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation.

Food: Non-perishable items such as canned goods, energy bars, and dry foods, along with a manual can opener.

Tools and Lighting: A flashlight with extra batteries, multipurpose tools, and a crank-powered or battery-operated radio.

First Aid Kit: Bandages, antiseptic, necessary medications, and any required medical devices.

Hygiene Supplies: Soap, hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, and other sanitation items.

Clothing and Warmth: Sturdy shoes, extra clothing, and blankets or sleeping bags.

Important Documents: Copies of IDs, insurance policies, and bank information in a waterproof container.

Cash and Coins: Small denominations for situations where electronic payments are unavailable.

Special Items: Supplies for children, elderly family members, and pets, including formula, diapers, and pet food.

Developing a Plan

Preparedness is more than a kit—it’s a mindset. Develop a plan to ensure everyone in your household knows what to do in an emergency. Establish an out-of-town contact for communication and choose a meeting place for reunification. Practice drills to make the plan second nature.

Everyday Uses for Preparedness

Emergencies don’t always come with fanfare. A flat tire in the middle of nowhere, a power outage during a storm, or even an unexpected illness can test our ability to respond. A well-stocked emergency kit and a thought-out plan make these everyday disasters manageable. Being prepared isn’t just for the unthinkable—it’s for the inevitable.

Reflection on Preparedness

Brothers and Sisters, the Church of the Atom teaches us to look both to the infinite and the immediate. While we are committed to the long-term legacy of nuclear semiotics—ensuring that future generations heed the warnings of our age—we must not neglect the more mundane yet equally important task of ensuring our present safety.

Preparedness is practical, yes, but it is also a sacred duty. When we prepare, we acknowledge that the future matters, that life is precious, and that we are responsible not just for ourselves but for those who depend on us. By preparing, we reflect the values of stewardship, foresight, and care that lie at the heart of our faith.

Think of your emergency kit as an act of love—love for yourself, for your family, and for your community. When you build it, you are not just collecting supplies; you are making a promise to those around you that their safety is your priority.

But preparedness is not a solitary endeavor. Share this knowledge with your neighbors, friends, and family. Strengthen your community’s resilience by encouraging others to create their own kits and plans. Consider joining or supporting a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). You can find more information and opportunities to get involved at Ready.gov.

A Warning from the Atom

While our message today emphasizes everyday preparedness, let us not forget the unique guidance of our faith: to avoid the places where the atom’s power has left a dangerous legacy. Nuclear waste storage facilities, marked with the unmistakable trefoil, are not places of curiosity or exploration. They are warnings in themselves—symbols of danger that transcend language and culture. As stewards of this knowledge, we must ensure these places are avoided, respected, and understood as hazardous for generations to come.

Closing Words

As you go forth this week, I urge you to take this sermon to heart. Build your emergency kit if you haven’t already. Update your family’s communication plan. Take practical steps toward readiness not out of fear but out of love and responsibility.

Remember, preparedness is not just for the end of the world—it is for every day. By acting now, you protect the lives and futures of those you hold dear.

And as always, may the energy of the atom guide us—toward safety, toward wisdom, and toward a future of hope and preparedness.