#plus it then all becomes an interesting puzzle to solve

[aechlys]

I like touching the words and feeling them up with my grubby little hands for all they're worth.

[pinazee]

Im doing a complete rewatch of Psych and imma have thoughts for the next couple weeks so prepare yourselves accordingly haha

To start, the pilot of Psych is actually highly enjoyable to me. And i have a few notes:

This is actually a great introduction to who Shawn is as a person. Shawn is highly intelligent sure, but the way he approaches people with sympathy and respect is what makes him so enjoyable to watch. In this episode alone, we see him smiling as buzz dances in the closet, he helps the handcuffed man initially, tells desk sgt. Allen (who deserves more credit for being Shawns inspiration to become psychic) to stop paying for all the fake psychics and got her to quit smoking (in a later ep). Plus, i believe he went to Mccalister not just to confront him but to gage whether he was going to turn him in or not. Which is interesting because he seems to sympathize with him, despite clearly relating more to being the one disappointing his father. I think he was giving him a chance to do the right thing, which he would expect his own father to do.

But it also tells us how much he needs to solve puzzles. Shawn could have walked away with everyone happy but instead he needed to know. He has a natural curiosity but on top of that, i think he needed to prove to himself that he could do it. He spent the first 18 years of his life being told he wasn’t doing anything right, specifically regarding the skills he was using to solve this case. So he had to solve it and solve it correctly.

I can understand why they had to get rid of lucinda (anne dudek) but i actually liked her character for the brief moment we had her and seeing the fallout of their relationship could have been interesting for lassiters character. But overall, i do prefer the naive full-hearted juliet.

Sidenote- Idk what it is about the theme song, but from day one it has filled my soul with such warmth, like it was instantly nostalgic and comforting.

[eroseas]

eventually. [ellie williams] 1/5

pairing: ellie/fem!reader

word count: 1.4k

cw: not proofread.

tags: n/a

an: hey.... im new here. practically scarfed down every ellie x reader fic i could find. enjoy, mis amores. no smut yet but it'll happen, so let's keep it 18+ please.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

It’s not particularly unheard of, being able to lie and being able to be good at it.

You’re not sure why or how you managed to avoid the questions about your past, about where you came from. But you know, ever since you got adopted by Dina into this merry band of misfits, that someone has been watching you. More precisely, you know Ellie’s been watching, and waiting, oh-so patiently, to figure you out. It's as unnerving as it is amusing. 

Transferring from your hometown’s university to this new one in a new city wasn't even the hardest part. Uprooting your life and leaving everything you had? That was a breeze. A walk in the park, even. Making friends, though? Trusting people enough to let them get close? A toughie. You didn't want to just dump your life story onto these people you didn't know. You cut yourself off everytime you mentioned your parents, smiling tight-lipped and awkward when Dina and Jesse gave you a sympathetic look. Ellie would observe you quietly, her eyebrows furrowed as if trying to solve a puzzle. You try not to think too much about how persistent she is. 

(She’ll figure you out. Eventually.)

You give new details every now and then, like how you used to play volleyball, or how you and your ex-girlfriend used to hide in the local mall till way after it closed. It’s nights like that when everyone seems more comfortable, like you're opening up to them, which you are, but not enough to really say they know you well. You try, though. Ellie never stops being observant, especially when you mention your ex, but you try to be forthcoming. 

It’s been five or so months since you first arrived in the city, a cozy little collegetown that is every lesbian’s dream. There are cafes on pretty much every street; one in particular is your usual choice. It’s where you go to hide from Dina’s persistent gaze, begging you to go out with them if only for a night. It’s not exactly your vibe, and you tell her as much, but she insists it must be because it’s Ellie’s vibe, too. Dina, more than anyone, likes to say that you and Ellie are the most alike and the most opposite. If Ellie likes a place, you usually do, too. You’ll never be caught dead going somewhere Ellie wouldn’t. But then again, Ellie has a fascination with space, but your special interest is the ocean. Ellie likes 80s jams and you prefer indie. Ellie likes Cat, and you– Well. You don’t. 

It’s not anything crazy, really, you just are very indifferent to her. Whether or not you’ll admit to it, Ellie is attractive, objectively speaking. You might have a bit of a crush. Nothing more. Cat is a nice girl, a good artist, and a lovely companion, you’re sure. Seeing them so cozy just leaves a sour taste in your mouth, which is why–

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass.” You mumble, glancing over at Cat who is draped over Ellie’s shoulder. Jesse pauses, following your gaze, and snorts. It’s not a big secret you have an interest in Ellie. You’re human, for fucks sake. So, it’s not a surprise that Jesse and Dina eventually caught on.

“Yeah, well, Dina says you can’t bail this time. Birthday girl privileges and all that.” 

You sigh, becoming increasingly annoyed. It’s fair, you know, for Dina to pull the “It’s my birthday!” card. Plus, you have bailed more times than you care to remember, and okay, yeah, maybe it’d be nice to dress up and drink and dance– 

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll go.” 

Your utter defeat is followed by Jesse cheering, fist pumped into the air. Dina hurries over, her hands full of caffeinated beverages. Ellie looks up from her journal to see what’s going on. You catch her eye, but turn towards Dina before the air gets sucked out of your lungs from looking at her too long.

“She said yes, didn’t she? Oh, thank fucking God, I knew she would!” She squeals, placing down the cups and clapping her hands. She barrels into you soon after, wrapping her arms around your neck, and you wrap one of your own around her waist, steadying her. 

“Yeah, yeah,” you smile, your chin tucked over her shoulder, “I’m the best, no doubt.” 

She pulls back, and drops a big kiss on your cheek, leaning on you. Ellie watches, entranced seemingly, and eyes your hand that is flush against Dina’s waist. You watch her, a fluttering in your stomach at the interest. She meets your eyes after a moment, raising an eyebrow at you, her cheeks a very pale pink. A small smirk dances on your lips, and you vaguely register that you’re pleased.

That’s new. 

After some time, everyone disperses and heads to their own apartments. You and Ellie are actually neighbors, and you are especially relieved that Cat decided to head back to her own home instead of following after Ellie. You both walk towards the building, your hand wrapped around the shoulder strap to your bag, the sun setting behind you both. 

“So,” Ellie says, cutting into the silence, looking over at you, “Finally decided to join us, did ya?” 

You glance over at her, noticing the amused grin on her lips, the crinkles near her eyes. You huff out a breath, smiling back.

“Well, can’t say no to the birthday girl, can I?”

She hums in agreement, nodding her head. There’s not much you two talk about very frequently; Cat isn’t the biggest fan of letting Ellie out of arm's reach and it’s not like you two are close enough to just hang out by yourselves. You both need that buffer; the excuse of a group setting. Soon, you hope that changes, but can’t realistically see that happening. She clears her throat, suddenly nervous.

“Listen, I told the others, but I thought you should know, too.” She pauses, her pace slowing, and you slow with her. Your eyebrows furrow, and you look at her with concern. She twists her fingers, a nervous habit, and lets out a breath. You follow the motion, then meet her eyes. She offers a small, timid grin. 

“I dumped Cat before we all left the cafe.” 

You still. It must be true; Ellie and Cat had disappeared right before the group had left the building. You figured, of course, that they must’ve been saying their goodbyes privately, as to not flaunt their love. You nod in realization, tilting your head side to side, trying not to scream “finally!” right in Ellie’s face.

“I’m sorry about that,” you say instead, though you’re not really sorry at all, because Cat was definitely a bit much at times, even without your little crush on Ellie. She shrugs in response, chuckling a little.

“Nothin’ to be sorry about. Figured it was about time.” 

Could say that again.

“Yeah, well, I don’t know you all that well,” you say, resuming your walk with her, your eyes moving to look forward instead of at her. “I didn’t wanna overstep. Didn’t seem like you were all that happy half the time, but then again, the fuck do I know?” 

Ellie hums again in response, choosing not to say anything as you both start making your way into the apartment complex. You start climbing the stairs, Ellie following close behind, and this is when she decides to speak. 

“I get it, but I figured we could change that.” The statement makes you miss a step, because you know, deep down, that getting to know Ellie more is dangerous territory. That it’s everything you want, and probably not the best idea. Ellie is… charming. Enticing. Hot as fuck. Being friends with her would make your feelings more real, and while it makes you sick, it excites you, too.

Ellie’s arms shoot out so she can grab your hips, pulling you back before you eat shit on the stairs. She steps up one, her chest against the back of your shoulder, her fingertips pressing into your skin. You swallow, then let out a harsh breath through your nose, the adrenaline from almost falling and the fact that Ellie is grabbing you so tight and close almost too much to bear.

“You alright?” She murmurs, her voice a gentle rumble. Your ears burn up, and you nod. Ellie’s hands slip away from your hips and you take the last few steps, leaning against the door of your apartment. Ellie follows suit, but stands closer to her own door, right across from yours. 

“I’m peachy,” you finally reply, smiling tight lipped. Ellie snorts, nodding. 

“I’ll see you at the club, yeah?” 

You nod, suddenly dreading it. 

“Definitely.”

[active-mind-15]

Accidental Siblings AU Headcanon #8

[Ramblings related to my fic, Accidental Siblings.]

I think as time goes on, and as baby Bokushi has more time to understand and explore his own interests, he'll slowly start building up his own collection of "toys" in his room that he plays with. So, here are some that I think he'd own.

Board games. Canonically Seijuro is a tabletop game nerd as seen from the Drama CD/Replace Plus chapters of the Teiko school festival, so I would think Bokushi is the same. He loves to use his head, and playing board games that require strategy would be his favorite. He takes great pleasure in roping other people into playing board games with him just to see if he can beat them. He spends very long periods of time reading the rules before starting games as well and will not hesitate to inform others when they're violating the rules.

Puzzles. It would be a perfect solo activity he could do in his room. And he doesn't go for the kiddie puzzles you can put together in 10 minutes. He likes getting those big puzzles that have upwards of 500-1000 pieces where the full picture displays a famous painting or something that he can spend time putting together across multiple days. Sometimes he could be in his room for hours sitting on the floor and putting pieces together if no one stops him. Seijuro may join him on occasion, and it becomes one of the ways they bond with each other.

Crossword puzzle books. Not necessarily a toy, but definitely something to help him pass the time. Again, he likes using his head, so crosswords would be right up his alley. I'd bet he likes solving crosswords in multiple different languages, too. One book for Japanese, one book for English, and if he has any other languages he knows (which I have a headcanon that he does), he'd have crossword puzzle books in those languages as well.

Rubik's cube. I don't think I need to explain why he'd own something like this, but I can see him solving one of these. Maybe he owns a few that are varying in grid size. So like a standard 3x3x3 and then he might have 4x4x4, 5x5x5, and so on. He likes to time himself to see how quickly he can solve it, too. If he beats his own records, Seijuro is the first person to be informed.

Playing cards. Again, Seijuro is canonically a tabletop game nerd, so playing cards is included in that. Bokushi would have regular playing cards of course, but I think he'd slowly start to add specialized cards for specific games and maybe even get specialized card sets for foreign games and learn the rules to those.

Legos. This one might be an indulgence for him because he had been fascinated by all the different things you could build with them but never had the time to indulge in a hobby like that when he was still sharing a body with Seijuro. So maybe Seijuro is the one who gets him his first set of Legos because he's seen Bokushi eyeing them in town when they passed by a store once. Bokushi's first set is one of those Lego flower bouquets and he liked building it so much that he periodically gets new elaborate sets to build. This is another one of those things that Seijuro does with him if he's around.

Anyway, these were just some of the ideas I had. If I think of any more toys and the like, I'll add them to this list. Or you can add your own!

[chaeul]

I was tagged by my lovely friends @lilmaemae, @jez-bez and @ella-norah to share a few things about myself

It was fun getting to know more abut you ♥ My turn now :shy:

Do you tidy your bed? Yes. I didn't always but as I've gotten older and life became more hectic, I've started to appreciate the sense of peace and calm a tidy, neat looking room can give. Also if I didn't make my bed I'd be sleeping in cat hair :D No amount of trying to get rid of it will get rid of it all. With my bed made, at least the hair stays on my blanket as opposed to underneath it

What's your favorite number? Even numbers are must. There are many that I like but the most important ones are 4 (can't explain this one and 22 (back in elementary school each kid had a number associated with them; mine was 22 and it stuck. I also enjoy that it's the same backwards and forwards

What is your job? I wfh doing administrative tasks for a physiotherapist's office and I'm one of two official caretakers for my grandparents (not technically a job but it does count towards my state pension)

If you could go back to school, would you? I mostly enjoyed school. So much so that my plan was to become a teacher, actually. Uni on the other hand wasn't for me. I wonder if it would've been different if my mental and physical health hadn't plummeted back then. Considering I'm not doing much better rn, I would not go back to uni, no.

Can you parallel park? Technically yes, but I do have performance anxiety about it and I'd rather not (and I won't on busy streets). I much prefer parking in a parking lot with cars to my left and right instead of in front and behind me.

A job you had that would surprise people? I don't think there is one

Do you think aliens are real? I'm sure there's life out there somewhere. Or that there was or will be at some point in the future. Do I believe that life to be similar to us humans? No, not really.

Can you drive a manual car? I learned and got my license on a manual car but we've ever only owned automatic ones so I that's what I've been driving ever since I got my license. A few months of manual vs 16+years of automatic... I don't trust myself to be able to still drive manual

What's your guilty pleasure? I think I've reached a point in my life where I don't really feel guilty or ashamed about anything I find pleasure in tbh. At least not that I can think of rn.

Tattoos? None

Favorite color? aqua, lavender, a deep rich red and a warm orange

Favorite type of music? there are barely any genres I actively dislike and maaaaaaaaany that I enjoy but there can be too much of a good thing, so variety is important (in the grand scheme of things! because I enjoy listening to the same song on loop for hours, sometimes even days too) and it's hard to pick a favorite. But I certainly do love musical soundtracks as well as quite a bit of everything kpop has to offer

Do you like puzzles? depends on the difficulty. if it's too hard or I can't even come up with a possible way to solve them I lose interest

Any phobias? wasps and dentists

Favorite childhood sport? I'm not sure if there's a difference in definition of the word 'sport' between German and English or if it's a diifference between the world and me but to me, a sport is any sort of activity that requires a certain amount of physical effort. I know many don't consider dancing a sport but it is to me. Many different types of dance were my favorite sport in childhood and they're still important to me now

Do you talk to yourself? I talk to my cat when I'm at home and sometimes I narrate things to her. That's pretty much the same thing isn't it? Other than that I don't talk to myself out loud but I do it in my head sometiimes

What movie(s) do you adore? there are simply too many to choose from and I'm not that into movies. I much prefer tv shows. But I've seen you all mentioning Tangled and that certainly is my favorite Disney movie among the ones that came out since I became an adult. Plus I did enjoy the mcu movies before everything went downhhill

Coffee or tea? neither iced tea

First thing you wanted to be growing up? I don't remember the very first thing exactly but I had dreams of being a teacher, a vet, a musical theatre performer... the list goes on

I you're seeing this, consider yourself tagged! ♥

[abronzeagegod]

WIP: Eldritch Tech Support Chapter 1: Helping a Spider Aspect

[Author's Note: this is the first chapter of a long, multi-chapter story that is likely going to be longer than all the other eldritch tech support stories combined, probably north of 20,000 words. As of writing, I'm just under 8,000 words and I haven't even hit the main plot yet. This is also being written in third person because it feels very necessary for story and scenes, I do plan on redoing some select parts in the traditional second person to see how it flows. Please enjoy and thank you to everyone who has read and supported me so far!]

Tech support is hard, this is a known fact, not a secret.

To be good at tech support you really need to have intelligence, charisma, and lots of faith.

Luckily Aeth knew that they had intelligence, well as much as they could know that about themself. They knew how to code and use some of the languages of computers, including the notoriously complex and silly C++- (C Plus Plus Minus). They had a degree from a local university attesting to that effect. Intelligence also governs knowing how computers interact with each other, and how the hardware within a computer interacts with the computer as a whole.

They're also fairly certain they have charisma. At least that's what their best friend Lyta keeps telling them.

"You have such an easy charisma about you. You're nice, easy to talk to. It's why I like you so much," she says at least once a week.

Charisma for tech support is a must because people can be weirdly cagey with their personal electronics, and they often refuse to tell the whole story from some combination of shame, self interest, and ignorance. The people themselves are a puzzle that require trust to solve and get them to reveal what insane, stupid, nonsensical things that they did to the whole system to get it to function this way.

However, the most crucial skill to have in tech support is faith.

Faith is key to figuring out exactly what the hell is going on and why the client believes that this whole thing is working, and why the working thing suddenly stopped working. Why the things that should work, do work.

They all have to be something of a priest with no god. They become a priest with every job, a priest that believes in this specific code, a priest of servers and computers and cold dead things imbued with the power of lightning and math.

Every job is a little bit different, a little bit stranger than the one before it. Every role of a priest ever so slightly different.

And Aeth has been accused of having too much faith at times. Faith that has to go somewhere, so it goes into the job.

Aeth was out in the field today. Luckily their rotation was pretty easy, they had two days out in the field, two days in the call center. Not that bad, all things considered. This was their last day before their thankfully long weekend which couldn't come soon enough.

It had been a busy day, crisscrossing their district in the northeast of the city, bouncing between several different tech support calls. Mostly internet related things, lots of outages and router trouble, at least one person was having their router haunted by his mother-in-law.

If they were lucky they'd only have two more calls to do before they called it a day and finally went home.

But that's the thing about their luck, it was always bad.

The penultimate job was for an underearth spider aspect god. They couldn't remember the exact religious denomination they belonged to, but it mattered little.

It is the nature of priests and tech support personnel to be superstitious.

They changed in the work van before heading to the third floor walk up the spider aspect lived in.

The rules for spider aspects were to wear colors, but not super bright, anything that attracted too much attention was either predator or prey. A nice pastel blue to signify that they weren't aggressive but also that they weren't something to be consumed.

There were plenty of rules and restrictions on the entities that lived in the city, and they knew that their job would never willingly send a tech support person into the lair of a giant person-eating spider, but they still had that fear, and that fear fed the superstitions.

Thus they changed in the van and before they went into the den of the spider, they grabbed a small vial of an anise solution, something that was supposed to be abhorrent to all spiders.

It was just in case, they told themselves.

They reached the door and knocked a few times, calling out to announce themselves.

"It's Tech Support," Aeth called out.

A few moments later the door cracked open and out spilled some darkness.

"We called for you," the entity just beyond the door said in a raspy voice with several clicks as they spoke.

"My name is Aeth," they say as they hold up their work ID to verify that they are there to help.

"Come in," the spider aspect said.

The door creaked open, and Aeth stepped beyond it to the apartment. It was dark and dry in there, it smelled faintly of some kind of incense, but they couldn't place exactly what kind. The darkness felt almost like a blanket draped over everything.

"You've had some issues installing some hardware?" they say as the spider god closes the door.

The spider was tall, almost seven feet but that was with all the hunching over and keeping their many limbs tucked in close. If they were to straighten up and spread out they would be almost oppressive. They were dressed simply, with a t-shirt that had a very detailed train on it that said, "My One True Love The A57-19 Commuter".

The spider nods it's great, large head.

"New keyboard, won't work," the spider said as it led Aeth towards the area where the desktop sat. "Requires new drivers, very frustrating." They can't help but notice the awkward way the spider can't quite pronounce the s's in their sentences, and how they have been deliberately avoiding them.

"Should be an easy fix," Aeth said as they sat at the computer and took out their own equipment.

The second they said it, they knew that they shouldn't have.

---

Fifteen minutes into the job, they knew that things were much much dumber than they should have been.

The new mechanical keyboard need some kind of new driver installed but it wouldn't give any indication into what driver it needed. Aeth spent a decent amount of time looking up the exact make and model of the keyboard on their own equipment, but it seemed that the company that made it flamed out very hard a few months ago.

("Found keyboard preowned, very cheap, in great condition, am on budget," the spider explained.)

The company wasn't the best or the most trustworthy, thus their sudden and total collapse.

As they were very close to locating the problem suddenly a small train that they didn't notice on a track hidden in the darkness of the apartment all but thundered in. The track was elevated near the ceiling, and the small model train was bright and loud in the dark and quiet room. It looked like some kind of Immortal Dancer party train with bright, flashing neon attached to all the train cars.

The entrance came as a shock to Aeth, but it really shouldn't have. They had a look at the computer and saw the icons on the desktop.

The spider aspect had three different train simulation games and they might have peaked and saw that they had logged close to 800 hours on one of them.

They tried to apologize to Aeth for the interruption and the train was on a timer that they had forgotten about, but honestly, whatever brings people joy, even if they are an underearth spider god aspect that would give some humans nightmares.

"I'm not here to judge," Aeth assured them and returned to the problem.

Eventually, they found the fix when they took the keyboard apart and found the little add-on that shouldn't have been there.

After examining it closely, and double checking their work, Aeth turned to the spider. "I think I found the problem. NDIVISION, the company that made this keyboard went out of business a few months back under a lot of customer complaints and bad business practices. They had, apparently, installed a keylogger in their keyboards to nominally track the use of their keyboards and when things needed to be replaced but was a massive security and privacy risk, so the complain exploded essentially so that suing them would be very hard to do. The keylogger is trying to reach a server that doesn't exist anymore."

The spider looked incredibly disheartened. Aeth privately congratulated themself on recognizing the body language of a spider god aspect.

"I can, probably, fix it. But the trick is that this will 100% void any warranty that you got with the keyboard, but since the company that would fulfill the warranty doesn't exist anymore."

"What can be done?"

"I can fix it, if you tell me I can violate the warranty. It might break later down the line, but this will work for all your day-to-day needs."

"Streaming?" The spider looked eager. Aeth had recognized the setup of a new streamer, trying to get their thing off the ground.

"Absolutely."

"Go ahead."

Aeth nodded and in a few short moments, removed the keylogger, then quickly wrote some code into the driver for the keyboard to bypass the keyboard trying to call the server of a defunct, terrible company.

The whole job took an hour.

Before they left, Aeth left the name of a very good company that made excellent keyboards when the spider was ready to upgrade to something new.

The spider thanked Aeth profusely, and almost didn't let them leave to get to their next job.

It was still early enough to make it to their last job of the day.

Hopefully this one would be much easier than the previous one.

Hopefully Aeth's luck would hold out.

if you like this check out my kofi page where you can read subsequent chapters early and find a bunch of my other stuff

[sshbpodcast]

Won’t someone think of the children?! A Zero Appreciation Post

By Ames

Okay, I meant to only do a Rok-Tahk appreciation post because a) she’s the best and b) who has the time to write all these blogposts? But I just can’t help myself. The community’s efforts to #SaveStarTrekProdigy have motivated me to keep the posts going, so here’s some more love for Star Trek: Prodigy. These installments probably won’t be as intense as the Rok post, but check out what makes Zero such a great character.

[images © CBS/Paramount… I guess? For now? Yikes.]

Zero reintroduces us to the Medusans

“Is There in Truth No Beauty?” is one of my favorite The Original Series episodes. It’s very understated, but it’s one of those gems from season three that actually holds up and does something interesting. Not only is its guest character Miranda Jones one of the most unique characters of that show, but it also introduces us to the Medusans, a race of pure energy, the sight of which will drive a corporeal being mad. They’re also naturally brilliant navigators, telepathic, profound, agender, and just plain cool! I was so jazzed that Prodigy not only reintroduced this species, but also built on them in creating Zero’s character. Zero’s Medusan experiences form a lot of their character, from their intrinsic communicating abilities, to their guilt whenever their appearance is used as a weapon, to their natural curiosity which comes out all the freakin’ time, as you’ll see below. Plus they built themself a cool containment suit that hovers! What’s not to love?

Zero loves a good puzzle

This Medusan might be the most curious character in all of Star Trek (you’d think it’d be a Caitian, wouldn’t you?). It’s no wonder that Murder Planet lures them into a trap by tempting them with a hedge maze that conceals even more confounding secrets. Zero is also this close to solving the boat puzzle in “Time Amok” before getting outfoxed by the fox, and of course they’re a regular denizen of the “Cellar Door Society” holoprogram: purveyors of puzzling puzzles, amateur sleuthing, and milquetoast mysteries. This sense of wonder with everything in the world around them is positively contagious! Zero is basically a nebulous nerd, and that’s just adorable! It’s a boon for Trekkies everywhere to be able to see geekiness played so positively and we can see ourselves in Zero all over the place. Hoot hoot!

Zero is the perpetual optimist

“A dying star. What a rare and exciting way to meet our doom,” says Zero in “Starstruck.” It almost becomes a running gag that Zero finds every single experience to be a perplexing thing of wonderment and intrigue, even when it nearly kills everyone. Especially when it nearly kills everyone. When they think they’d died in “Time Amok” (and specifically have memories of doing so!), they treat it like it’s just a new phenomenon to analyze and cherish, which would be a little unnerving if Zero weren’t the quirky character they’ve been consistently portrayed as. It’s all part of that Medusan nature of theirs: one that is renowned for having the most beautiful and complex thoughts in the universe. It’s unclear how young Zero is in their species, but I assume they’re considered juvenile, and their natural wonderment at everything is something childlike and pure, making the perfect entryway into science fiction because they make every concept sound fascinating!

Zero fights assimilation

By “Let Sleeping Borg Lie” (great title, by the way!), Zero is at their lowest moment in the series. While saving everyone from The Diviner’s control in “A Moral Star,” they accidentally harm Gwyn, causing some memory loss (Hey, we did a whole blog on that topic! Cross promoting, ftw!), and are feeling like an absolute butt about the whole incident. And they see an opportunity to make it up to the crew by volunteering for what could easily be a suicide mission: getting assimilated by the Borg to figure out how to shut down the Living Construct on the ship. Zero is tempted by the appeal of belonging to a hivemind again like they’d been with other Medusans, but it is their devotion to the rest of the crew that snaps them out of it (and probably a little bit of Medusan superpowers for good measure). Belonging to the Protostar is already enough of a family for them, as has been the pattern with the other characters as well.

We love you, Zero! We love the other crew members of the Protostar too! We love Star Trek: Prodigy! Check out the other character appreciation posts for Rok-Tahk, Dal R’El, Gwyndala, and Jankom Pog while you’re here. I know I can speak for not only the other hosts here at A Star to Steer Hey By but for myriad other fans when I seriously hope someone picks up this wonder of a show. We’re really looking forward to seeing more from these amazing child characters, and we’re seriously wishing we get that opportunity. #SaveStarTrekProdigy

[empty-pizza]

thoughts on gideon the ninth chapter thirty-five

lmao that's rough gideon. i'd feel like shit if i did that to someone too, even if it's not actually a bad thing to do and not your fault.

okay, it was dulcinea who killed people. yeah, that's better than ianthe. sorry for jumping the gun and blaming ianthe, last chapter. i did realize she wasn't implying it was her who did the killing midway through, though.

i maintain that this still isn't wholly surprising — the sick one, the one you'd never suspect, did it? wow, exactly what i'd expect — and making it harrow could have been a really bold and interesting move, but it works.

ohhh, it wasn't dulcinea septimus. okay, i see. not following why abigail's interest in history made her a threat, but we can keep going. the details of who she is (someone from the same family) are a bit hard to follow, but okay — she kept the corpse around and burned it with protesilaus's.

okay. this person wanted to get the emperor to come back to the system and fuck with him. who are the Hands? and now she wants to get rid of the houses while he waits, and then do... something to him?

oh this is a lyctor, huh. interesting.

oh and palamedes is already killing her

did palamedes just blow himself up?

that's a shame. he was my favorite character.

damn she really did vomit up a lung.

Cytherea the First, huh. soon to be Cytherea the dead, I hope.

Okay. I'd appreciate if any of the people who have been commenting on my post could tell me the foreshadowing for Dulcinea being the murderer, and Dulcinea not being Dulcinea. By the way, I appreciate all of your comments a ton, even though I haven't been replying (because apparently tumblr doesn't let you reply with your sideblog and using my main while mentioning I'm OP just kinda seemed like a hassle).

From a mystery perspective, I don't love this answer. I want two things for a mystery answer: One, to feel like it ties together so many pieces of evidence and foreshadowing that I realize I should have realized it all along and feel dumb. Two, ideally, for it to expand my perception of what is even possible as answer, which is pretty rare. Something like Knives Out, that treats the entire role of culprit in a unique way.

This is why I got really hyped up for the Harrow theory; I feel like her plot role was one you'd never expect to be the culprit and thus it'd be mindblowing if it was. I think it being not-Dulcinea is considerably more... regular, as a thing for a mystery story to do. I mean, I kind of called it early on that it could very well be her, since it would cause the most emotional pain for Gideon. I don't get credit for being right, because when it came time for me to put my money where my mouth is, I didn't say it was her. But like I said earlier, the sick, unassuming character? Kind of becomes just plain old assuming.

But that's just my preferences and personal expectations being projected onto a book that didn't necessarily need to conform to my ideas, and it works narratively nonetheless. I mean, clearly it does. And I hope that knowing what the foreshadowing is will enhance my appreciation. Plus, I don't even know what she did to kill Jeannemary and Isaac yet! Hope that's interesting.

From an entirely different perspective, though, this reveal is awesome. I love stories that start as one thing, only to unfold into something much bigger and more complex. That's something I like even more than the answer to the mystery being something I never would have considered — when the direction of the plot itself is like that. This started as a story about a bunch of people solving puzzles in a facility, but Dulcinea actually being Cytherea, a Lyctor, suddenly thrusts this story into something WAY bigger. There are so many questions I don't even understand well enough to ask, about the Houses, the history here, the emperor, the hands, the Lyctors, everything that's going on! This is a huge game that's being played and I am seriously looking forward to all the insane things I'd never expect that the next book will likely do. The possibilities are genuinely endless in my mind, of what this story will even be about, and that's a feeling I love. That, more than anything else, is the best thing you could take in inspiration from Homestuck and Umineko.

I'll hopefully finish the book tomorrow, but I seriously need to sleep now.

[amtrak12]

Alrighty, let's go with "🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate" then, and also "🕯️ ⇢ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?" because that was a really interesting ask! And, to round it out: 🍄 ⇢ share a head canon for one of your favourite ships or pairings

YESSSSS these are good ones! Thank you so much!!

(from the Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game)

I have pictures for the good things about a character I hate, so I'm going to save the Show & Tell for the end. I don't want my other answers to get lost in the crowd :P

▪ On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? Why is that?

I LOVE EDITING!!! These days at least. I never really hated it in the past... but I also rarely got far enough in the writing process to reach the editing stage 😬

Because see, I used to try and combine the drafting and editing processes into one. It's taken me FAR TOO LONG to finally grasp that writing is done through layers. You can't write third draft content and quality the first time around. You just can't! And understanding the layers and having a full year (plus) under my belt of witnessing the editing process in motion has really made me fall in love with it.

And on the flip side, it's also made me love drafting more! Or at the very least made it less stressful for me because I don't have to worry about missing information or wording or capturing the emotions accurately. I can just dump the information from my brain and spend the next two weeks cleaning it up. It's great! 10/10 big fan of editing! 😄

▪ Share a headcanon for one of your favorite ships or pairings

Hmmmm......... I'm trying desperately to think of headcanons for my past ships that Tumblr cares about, but it's only Lucifer in my head right now.

My Warehouse 13 opinions and feelings haven't changed in the last decade which means my headcanons haven't either. This is a problem if I was ever going to go back and write canon fix-its like I did with Doctor Who because I still don't know how to solve the puzzle of Helena. What do we do with her after the S3 finale? What's the long-term plan for her? I can see Regent for her, like many have suggested, but that's never been my favorite option. A field agent again? Maybe, but can she ever really heal still working for the warehouse in that capacity? I'm not sure. But we can't remove her from the warehouse altogether (at least if you're a Bering and Wells shipper) because Myka's not leaving ever. She's going to take over as head agent one day when Artie (very reluctantly but also a little proudly) becomes the first agent -- possibly ever! -- to retire from the warehouse alive.

So then what do we do with Helena????

I still don't have an answer to that. The best one I have is the same one I thought of ten years ago which is to make HG the resident inventor eccentric who only goes out into the field when she's absolutely needed. Think Claudia in S1, except staying in is by choice and not mandated by Artie for being too young and inexperienced.

But I also really like HG mentoring kids. As much as Instinct otherwise sucks, I did really, really love her with Adelaide so idk what future fits her best ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

.

AND NOW FOR THE SHOW AND TELL!!!!!! Which is 100% about the TV show Lucifer and I won't apologize for that because no other show has a character I hate more.

▪ Three Good Things about Cain from Lucifer (TV) Despite Me Hating His Guts

First of all, who is Cain from Lucifer (TV)?

IT'S THIS BITCH RIGHT HERE!!! And no I don't hate his guts because he's the villain of S3. I HATE HIM BECAUSE HE'S BORING AS THE VILLAIN! Like yeah yeah yeah, the guy invented murder. BUT HIS BIGGEST CRIME IS BEING BORING!!!!

He also canonically dated (and was even engaged to) Chloe for all of four episodes total (maybe?) and it was PURE TORTUROUS HELL, but I attribute that crime to the writers more than Cain. IDEK what the fuck they were trying to do with that storyline but I want to fight them in a Denny's parking lot over it. With knives.

And now that we've established why I hate him so much, here's some good things about Cain.

1. He has a rock collection

I am not being snarky in the slightest when I say that I absolutely ADORE that he canonically has a giant ass rock collection. And when I say giant ass rock collection, I do not mean that piddly sample you can see in the screencap above. I mean, every flat surface in his house is covered in rocks. You walk into his kitchen? His counters are probably rocks. They're everywhere! But they're also nicely displayed??? He has stands for some of them to better show them off! He probably has a whole system surrounding which rocks get grouped together. And given how much he moves around since he's a cursed immortal being, he has to pack all of these fucking rocks up, move to the new place, and then re-set them all up again. THAT'S HYSTERICAL TO ME! What a fucking fixation to give him! They should've fully committed and leaned into this bit instead of just barely slipping it into this one episode.

Also 1000% fact, the rock he used to kill his brother is in that collection somewhere. I don't know which one it is or where he keeps it. But it is DEFINITELY there!

Anyway Cain's rock collection: 12/10 A++ no criticism from me XD

2. This Caincore tumblr post

I just reblogged it yesterday too. LOOK! Does it have anything to do with the tv show Lucifer? Technically, no. Is it hilarious though? Absolutely yes! Also it says Cain's name so that makes it the second best thing about Cain 😜 😂

And finally....

3. He has the hottest mother in the history of humanity

EVE!!!!!!! 😍 My beloved!! 😍 Definitely hands down one of the best things I can say about Cain? HIS MOTHER IS GORGEOUS!! *swoons*

Her son can't do anything right, but Eve? Oh Eve can do no wrong 💜💜💜 (Yes, that includes dating Lucifer and then accidentally-definitely-on-purpose starting a demon mutiny when he dumps her. LET MY GIRL HAVE FEELINGS OKAY! Geez!)

And that's all three good things I can say about Cain in the TV show Lucifer. The only other thing I could possibly say is he's dead, but I'm not sure that's in the spirit of the question LOL

[serial-serializednovelreader]

A Beginning at the End...

I made a post the other day about MBS getting cancelled and honestly that was just a quick vent post and didn't have much of my actual thoughts and feelings about what why I was so upset. So I want to tell a story about my history with the book and later adaptation, just so I can give it a bit of a sendoff and celebrate my love for the series as a whole.

To begin, I believe I'm neurodivergent in some way (undiagnosed for reasons I won't get into), so you can imagine that I wasn't very welcomed by many of my classmates. While it was a small class and I was close with them, I didn't feel that they really understood me. I often felt alone and found my home in books, as cliche as that sounds.

On a Friday in elementary school, a book on my teacher's shelf called The Mysterious Benedict Society caught my eye. I pulled it out and asked her if I could borrow it. She hesitated a bit before saying yes, as long as I promised to take care of it as it was a very special book to her. I, of course, agreed, not knowing how special it would become to me too.

I immediately began reading and fell in love with the world of the novel, finishing it within a weekend. I loved how clever Reynie was at solving the puzzles he was given, how Sticky rattled off facts like a machine, Kate's positivity and agility (I wanted to be her sooooo badly), and Constance's stubborn nature. And of course, the world-building, themes, and overall plot were superb.

But most of all, it was the kid characters I loved, because I felt they were like me in some way (the neurodivergent coding makes a lot of sense now!!), that if I knew them in real life they would be friends with me. And this only increased when I read the rest of the series. The only unfortunate part is that almost everyone I knew had never heard of these books, let alone read them. The few who actually did I didn't get to stay in touch with due to outside circumstances.

Over the years, I've reread the series several times and I still can't get over just how GOOD this book series is. First off, they're funny. There are so many good moments where I STILL laugh, no matter how many times I've read them. The characters are well-thought out and the main four kids are dynamic characters; they each have a realistic and clear arc over the course of each book (which I hope to make a post about someday!). Book Curtain is a bit of a cartoon villain I'll admit, but his funny moments add to the charm and is still a credible threat as a villain. The themes are interesting, and understandable for kids while being even more hard-hitting for adults. The plot structures are fun and while a bit predictable definitely keep you on your toes.

So in 2019, when I found out that the fourth book, The Riddle of Ages, was releasing I was SO excited and of course bought a copy as soon as I could. It was really emotional for me, as it showed the characters aged up and coming to terms with growing up and what that could mean for their friendship. I needed it, especially with the transitional period I was going through at the time.

Around that time, another bombshell dropped: it was actually getting a TV show adaptation (on Hulu at the time)!!! This was a dream come true for me, who had imagined it so many times (and had actually wanted to play Kate lol). I was a bit wary of what they would do with the characters, but honestly I was just happy it was getting an adaptation at all. That at least some people knew about it and wanted to see it come to life.

When it finally came out on Disney Plus, I watched it every week like clockwork. I loved both seasons and how much detail they put into it. While the show changed a lot of things from the book series, I actually loved what they did with it. Kate's arc of not wanting to be a team player is even more prominent from the beginning, Show Curtain, SQ being Curtain's adopted son, I could go on, but those are just *chef's kiss* 👌👌. More than that I could just feel the LOVE that went into the show from the actors, writers...just everyone!! Even the choices I didn't like still worked for me just because I could tell how much care was put into the series. The community on here shared the love even more through posts, fanfiction, art, etc. Finally I felt like I had validation for the series I loved so much and that people were seeing how great it was!

Then I found out it wasn't being renewed for a third season... and it hurt a lot. I felt (and still feel) that it's just another example of a streaming site looking over the quality of the show for pure numbers. What has helped is the MBS blogs I follow/lurk around (shoutout to y'all <3 I know I need to engage more) and the actors of the kid characters, who have all spoken out about how they're sad it's ended but also enjoyed the journey and love the time they had with getting to play the characters, which cheered me up a lot.

So in the end, I'm still upset the show was cancelled. And I'm still holding out hope that maybe it'll get renewed somehow, or picked up by another studio. But no matter what, it'll never take away the love I have for the book and TV series and the community surrounding it, so I'm glad I'll always be able to celebrate that.

TL:DR: I have a lot of history with the original book series and while I'm still sad about the show ending, the love I have for the MBS series as a whole and the community surrounding it won't go away. I'm happy there was an adaptation that got so much love from everyone involved and that people got to enjoy it.

[narcoticwriter]

You Can Have a Little Bit of Canon Neurodivergent Faruzan. As a Treat.

Featuring her voice lines as living proof:

"Speaking of "chatting"… I once contemplated this concept in quite some depth." (Chatting as a literal concept)

"As someone I greatly value, you may occasionally find yourself in receipt of a letter from me, or indeed I may approach directly for a face-to-face conversation . . . I just hope you won't find me to be excessively chatty." (Her formal speech, worries about talking too much, a mood)

"Good, good. It seems like I'll be able to research my interests here to my heart's content after all. Even if it ends up taking me another hundred years… Hehe, I will be quite content here." (Who else, if not someone with a special interest, would be content doing this?)

"Let's say, hypothetically, I were to discover some design flaws after staying here for some time… you wouldn't mind if I shared them with you, would you?" (Direct, but also considerate)

"We want to learn more about the other person's feelings, opinions, and preferences. Plus, conversing also allows us to share interesting experiences, as well as ease each other's burdens." (This is an extremely logical way of looking at talking as an action)

"The exact topic of the conversation doesn't matter as long as you're learning about the other person. Or to put it another way, every topic matters. For those who care about you, even the most trivial things about your life will be worth their full attention." (Defining a clear goal to why people talk to each other)

"Academic research isn't some kind of fad. Topics don't just go in and out of fashion." (Obstinate on pursuing what she to do wants no matter what everyone else is doing)

"I'm starting to get hungry... How about we go get something from the Grand Bazaar? Anything goes as long as it's not overly 'innovative'." (Safe foods, might be reaching a bit)

"Day after day, I shut myself in and toiled away at my research... Even when I was out traveling in foreign lands, I made sure to keep my letters to friends and family short and to the point. I never shared any bad news, only the good." (Not as much of being neurodivergent herself as just being relatable to me, who is neurodivergent so take it as you will)

"Maybe we'll be able to spend some fun times together copying inscriptions, deciphering runes, and solving puzzles..." (Lord, she really loves her puzzles)

"Those geezers at Haravatat love to decline my funding requests with the excuse that my research's become too niche and impractical." (Special interests are often described as 'niche' and 'impractical' by some who aren't of the same mind)

"I've visited numerous ruins of all shapes and sizes and interpreted what scant texts and symbols I could find. Ruin Drakes are indeed mechanisms of the highest order. Hmm... perhaps "mechanism" isn't the best word for them. You could argue that they're antiquated "living organisms" that have managed to survive until the present day..." (This entire chunk of dialogue is titled 'Interesting Things' and that says a lot)

"Happy birthday! Here's a small toy for you. It's an assembly of a number of miniature puzzle mechanisms — you can find a button and lever here, as well as a roller to the side. Just play with it however you want, and I'll take care of it if it breaks. Hmph, and don't think I'm treating you like a child. Everyone, regardless of age, could use a moment of happiness and relaxation." (It's a literal fidget cube)

I think I've made my point.

[andbeeart]

Ohk.. Tell me something about Your fankids

(poke, contest, ikari)Btw they are sooo cute and precious!

Hi!

Thanks for appreciating the kids! It makes me happy someone finally asked about them lol. Pokeshipping: Kiyoshi/ Ronan Ketchum is actually the 2nd out of Ash and Misty's 3 kids. Unlike his parents who are so determined on becoming Pokemon Masters and claiming titles, which his eldest sister Akane/Lori shares, he doesn't care much about status. Kiyoshi is lazy boy and does not really have much passion initially. He feels secured on his status as the Champion and Elite's child and thinks that everyone is already aiming to be a Pokemon Master of some sort. He loves playing his games and doing cooped up in his room. He actually does not mind staying at home in Pallet Town and just grow up helping grandma in her cafe and live a peaceful life. Kiyoshi has a very sharp mind, puzzle solving skills and empathetic nature. He loves Pokemon a lot too but not the training part.

When he turns 10, Ash and Misty had to push him to finally go out and explore the world. They believe that he is too young to just stay inside plus he is way too smart for school. Kiyoshi intently arrived late at the lab so he can have an excuse to never leave. His mother read him like an open book and surprised him with a Chinchou to bring with him. He finally agreed and head out for his adventures. He becomes interested in traveling after knowing that there were mysteries and cases in each town that has not been solved. Pokemon: Chinchou, Meowth, Growlithe, Natu, Misdreavous, Nuzleaf Contestshipping: Ayaka/ Dahlia is the eldest daughter of May and Drew. She have a younger sister. She was so exposed to Pokemon Coordinators since she was a kid that she wanted to become one herself. Her favorite is any grass type Pokemon and she is determined to study anything about them. She is a total big Erika fangirl so she made her way to Kanto to study under her. Clumsy and ditzy but very hardworking.

In Celadon, Ayaka met Kiyoshi and became friends after he solved a case involving a missing Pokemon. Even though she was 5 years older than him, she was so impressed by his detective skills that she decided to ask him for help to find her travel companion's missing Pokemon. Over time, Kiyoshi figured out that Ayaka was actually his sister's companion who she had a fallout with due to the missing pokemon.

Her first pokemon is Sprigatito because she chose to study in Paldea to start her Pokemon Journey. Pokemon: Sprigatito (evolves to Meowscarada), Dolliv, Applin, Bellossom, Abomasnow, Parasect, Rowlet Ikarishipping: Shiori/Prairie is the only daughter of Paul and Dawn. Her parent's divorced when she was a kid and now she lives with her Mom and Step-Mom, Zoey. Like Ayaka, she was exposed to Pokemon coordinating since she was a baby but she grew up very neutral about it. She is shy, quiet and sweet and people usually underestimates her for that but just like Paul and Dawn, she had a great battle sense. She is considered very beautiful but after seeing her father's pokemon battle with a girl from Kanto (Akane), she became determined to better herself.

She wanted to challenge herself so she asked her moms to send her to Kanto plus she wanted to meet Akane again. Her favourite Pokemon is a bidoof which Paul gave to her on her 10th birthday. She received Bulbasaur from Prof. Gary and she went on her journey the same day as Kiyoshi did yet they only met when they were both in Pewter City. Kiyoshi found her in front of the gym hesitating on going in because she was having anxiety with talking to people. With a push, Kiyoshi accompanied Shiori in the gym and faced Forrester. There she got her first gym badge. She wanted to thank him but he already left. Shiori met Kiyoshi and Ayaka in Saffron City. With the knowledge that they are heading to Vermillion, Ayaka invited her to their journey. Pokemon: Bidoof, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Abra, Machop, Munchlax - she evolves them all over time. *Additional* Akane is Kiyoshi's eldest sister and Ayaka's travel buddy. She is hotheaded and impulsive like their parent's young self. She took on Paul when she came to Sinnoh and she loves battling so much. But due to a tragedy, she changed and became more obsessed with winning.

----- I hope to write more about my Pokemon FanKids! I hope i can be more in detail but it'll take us dayssss lmao.

[harshal1346545]

10 Unique And Offbeat Things To Do In Hyderabad In 2024 

As one tends to sum up Hyderabad in his/her mind, names like Golconda Fort and Charminar precede. However, if you are eager to go beyond the conventional tourist traps then there are a lot of offbeat things to do in Hyderabad. Here are ten peculiar attractions and things to do that will help in making your experience different in the year 2024. 

The location based event The Silver Ghost at Chowmahalla Palace 

Chowmahalla Palace where the Nizams used to sit and rule has a very interesting item it has got today called the Silver Ghost. This antique car model is a Rolls-Royce, a car manufacture that is associated with luxury from the early years of the twentieth century and will definitely attract the attention of anyone when it is parked in the palace compound. 

Sudha Cars Museum 

Unlike conventional car museums, Sudha Cars Museum captures cars that have resemblances to the general everyday commodities. Think of a car model that is designed like a stiletto or handbag! K. Sudhakar is the founder of this museum which is listed with Limca Book of World Record and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. 

Moving on to the next interesting name, Laser Shooter has another name that is Lazer Ops. 

Zoom through much excitement and energy when you visit Laser Shooter which is the first multi-level laser tag situated in Hyderabad. Give your friends a taste of strategic missions and boys and girls can entertain themselves by using laser guns, an exciting activity for fun lovers. 

Lock N Escape 

People who solve puzzles and love teamwork can visit Lock N Escape which is an escape room in Banjara Hills. Mystery-solving adventures, detective work, secret solving, and scenarios such as fighting ghosts, or performing robberies. 

Sky Zone Trampoline Park 

Do visit Sky Zone which is India’s largest indoor trampoline park. Bounce and exercise on trampoline or have fun running through games on the Warrior Course. It is more or less a good place if you want to spend your time with friends or family having fun mostly. 

The Paigah Tombs 

Delhi may have the rich history of the Mughals, Agra the magnificent Taj Mahal, and Rajasthan the colorful fortresses—it is Hyderabad which has the Paigah Tombs; a forgotten architectural delight nestled away in the corner of the city. These are also in different architecture such as Mughal and Rajasthani; they have fabulous carvings and serene gardens; it is also a place to relax from the crowded city.

Book Bazaars in Koti-Abids 

Literature lovers can relish at Koti and Abids which are the book markets. Shop at stalls featuring Local and International books hardbound and paperback, from used Lonely Planet travel guides to new, cheap, hot, popular best sellers. Following shopping, call up street side chaat vendors to savor some lip smacking treats. 

Ameenpur Lake 

Tourists especially nature lovers should consider visiting the Ameenpur Lake which is well known as a home to a lot of migratory birds and is also categorized as a Heritage Biodiversity Site. You can get a glimpse of king fishers, flamingoes and the herons among others while taking a view of nature and it is a paradise from the bustling urban world. 

The Hidden Castle 

Cast up in a medieval adventure at The Hidden Castle that is a castle built resort with things to do outdoors. Starting with archery and ending with a night in a tent, it has all to become the perfect stay for all those love adventures. 

Robo Kitchen 

Savor exotic food at Robo Kitchen that is found in Alcazar Mall which is a restaurant that has a futuristic feel. The plus of this restaurant is that they employ robotic waiters and they serve Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian food and getting food from here is like going on a ride. 

Hourly Hotels in Hyderabad 

For the guests who prefer nontraditional and more freedom in choosing the time to stay, Hyderabad has many hourly hotels. These are Hourly Hotels in Hyderabad facilities which are appropriate for those needing a place to take a shower or spend a night between flights or before proceeding with an agenda throughout the city. 

These are the peculiar places and things with which one can get to know the city beyond the well-known sights and attractions. History buffs, adventurers or those who like to have surprises in store for them, personal or business trips to Hyderabad in 2024 would be intriguing. 

[bejustsimple]

Are You Up for a Math Brain Teaser Challenge?

Are you ready to put your math skills to the test with a fun and challenging brain teaser? Math brain teasers can be a great way to exercise your problem-solving abilities and keep your mind sharp. Let’s dive into an exciting math brain teaser challenge and see how you fare.

The Math Brain Teaser Challenge

Here’s a classic math brain teaser for you to try:

“Three people check into a hotel room that costs $30. They each contribute $10, totaling $30. The hotel manager later realizes there’s a promotion offering a $5 discount on the room. He sends a bellboy to return $5 to the guests. The bellboy, however, decides to keep $2 for himself and returns $3 to the guests. Now, each guest ends up paying $9 each ($27 in total), plus the $2 the bellboy kept. That totals to $29. What happened to the missing dollar?”

Take a moment to think about the puzzle and try to solve it. This math brain teaser can be challenging at first, but the key is to think logically and break down the scenario step by step. If you’re feeling stuck, don’t worry—there’s an explanation below.

The key to this brain teaser lies in understanding the flow of money. The total cost of the room is $30, and each guest contributes $10, so the initial payment is $30. When the bellboy returns $3 to the guests, each guest receives $1 back, reducing their total payment to $9 each. The bellboy keeps $2 for himself, bringing the total payment to $29. The missing dollar can be explained by the fact that the guests paid $27 ($9 each), which includes the $2 the bellboy kept. So there is no actual missing dollar; it’s just a matter of understanding the math behind the story.

Now that you’ve given your brain a workout, let’s shift our focus to the world of homeschooling and the best resources available for families and educators.

Best Homeschool Materials

Homeschooling offers a personalized and flexible education experience, and having access to the right materials can make a significant difference in the quality of learning. Here are some of the best homeschool materials available:

Textbooks and Workbooks: Comprehensive textbooks and workbooks are essential for a well-rounded education. Look for materials that cover core subjects like math, science, language arts, and social studies. Many publishers offer homeschooling editions that cater to different grade levels.

Educational Kits: Educational kits often include hands-on activities and experiments that make learning engaging and interactive. For example, science kits can provide everything needed to conduct experiments at home, fostering curiosity and critical thinking.

Flashcards and Manipulatives: Flashcards are great for reinforcing key concepts and practicing skills such as math facts and vocabulary. Manipulatives like blocks, counters, and base-ten sets help students visualize and understand mathematical concepts.

Reading and Literature Sets: Building a strong foundation in reading is crucial, and literature sets offer a curated collection of classic and contemporary works for students of all ages. Look for sets that align with your child’s reading level and interests.

Supplementary Resources: Consider adding supplementary resources such as atlases, dictionaries, and thesauruses to enhance your homeschool curriculum. These tools can help students expand their knowledge and improve their language and research skills.

Best Online Resources for Homeschooling

In today’s digital age, online resources have become an integral part of homeschooling. They offer convenience, flexibility, and a wealth of learning opportunities. Here are some of the best online resources for homeschooling:

Online Learning Platforms: Websites such as Khan Academy, Coursera, and edX offer free or affordable courses on various subjects. These platforms provide video lessons, quizzes, and interactive activities that can supplement your homeschool curriculum.

Educational Games and Apps: Games and apps like Prodigy, ABCmouse, and Duolingo make learning fun and engaging. They cover subjects such as math, language arts, and foreign languages, allowing students to learn through play.

Virtual Field Trips: Many museums, zoos, and historical sites offer virtual tours that can be accessed online. Virtual field trips provide a unique learning experience without the need to travel.

Online Libraries and eBooks: Websites like Project Gutenberg and Open Library offer free access to a vast collection of eBooks. Students can explore classic literature, reference books, and educational materials online.

Online Tutoring Services: For personalized learning support, online tutoring services like Chegg Tutors and Wyzant connect students with experienced tutors in various subjects. These services can be especially helpful for challenging topics or advanced coursework.

Conclusion

Whether you’re tackling a math brain teaser challenge or exploring the world of homeschooling, the key to success lies in having the right resources at your disposal. From high-quality homeschool materials to engaging online resources, there are many tools available to support a personalized and effective learning experience. By combining traditional and digital resources, you can create a well-rounded and enriching educational journey for yourself or your child.

[puzzlewholesale]

The Ultimate Puzzle Quest: 1000 Pieces of Mind-Bending Fun

Are you looking for a fun and challenging puzzle game? If so, you’ve come to the right place! Puzzlewholesale has a variety of puzzles to keep you entertained for hours. From our 1000 pieces jigsaw puzzles to our 500 pieces puzzles, we have something for every puzzler.

At Puzzlewholesale, we believe that puzzles are an important part of development. Not only do they help with problem-solving and critical thinking, but our puzzles also help with cognitive development and spatial awareness. That’s why we strive to create the best possible puzzles for our customers. Our 1000 pieces jigsaw puzzles are some of the most challenging puzzles you’ll find, and our 500 pieces puzzles are perfect for entry-level puzzlers. When you purchase a puzzle from Puzzlewholesale, you’re not just buying a puzzle. You’re embarking on an exciting journey. A journey of discovery, exploration, and creative problem-solving. Our puzzles come with detailed instructions and helpful tips to get you started. Plus, our puzzles come in a variety of themes, so you can find something to suit your interests. Each of our puzzles is made from high-quality materials and is designed to last. We use thick cardboard for our 500 pieces puzzles, and our 1000 pieces jigsaw puzzles are made from extra-durable chipboard. We also use a special die-cutting technique, which ensures that each piece fits into its place perfectly. We want you to have the best puzzle-solving experience possible, which is why we put so much care and attention into the production of our puzzles.

Puzzlewholesale is also committed to customer satisfaction. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all our puzzles. Our company was founded in Hangzhou on May 1, 2008. Hangzhou was awarded the honorary title of "China's E-commerce City" on May 29,2008. Hangzhou is also the headquarters of Alibaba and the host of 2016 G20 summit. Hangzhou is also the host city of the 19th Asian Games which held in 2019. Since the company's establishment,we have been focusing on the promotion and popularization of puzzle cube. We've become the largest cube distributor in China. In order to simplify the purchase procedure, we customized the PW system.By using the PW,you can place orders anytime anywhere. To improve the effiency of shipment, we run two warehouses in Guangdong and Zhejiang province, you can decide to ship your orders from one or both of them. Get ready to embark on an exciting puzzle quest with Puzzlewholesale!

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

Last week was cold, this week has been like a perfect spring. We had plenty of sunshine with highs approaching 70. Of course next week we drop back into the 40’s. It is winter after all. 😃

Juli Clover • MacRumors

Apple’s EU Core Technology Fee Could Bankrupt Freemium App Developers

This is going to take some time to fully understand. Apparently one of the rules requires app makers to pay Apple the equivalent of $0.54 per app installation over one million. Now, if you’re selling a product for some hunk of change or have recurring revenue you’ll probably be fine if you manage to have one million plus installations. Heck, I’d love to have to think about this problem. 🤣

Having other stores to distribute your apps through also sounds interesting but you need to verify you have access to $1,000,000 dollars to handle support issues and keep the store running smoothly.

I’m curious to see what Epic and Spotify do.

As for me, I’ll stick with the good old 15-30% cut and hope someday I have to pay Apple 30% of my sales. Why? Because it would mean I’m making really good money.

M.G. Siegler • Spyglass

I’m honestly not sure I can recall a press release dripping with such disdain. Apple may even have a point in many of the points above, but the framing of it would just seem to ensure that Apple is going to continue to be at war with the EU over all of this and now undoubtedly more.

His analysis of Apple’s press release is a laugh. Apple is definitely trying to scare the crap out of folks. 🤣

Red Sweater

Black Ink for iOS (iPhone, iPad, and if all goes according to plan, visionOS), is now available on the App Store.

Congratulations, Daniel! Here’s hoping it’s a great launch and becomes a hit with the puzzle solving crowd. ❤️

Adam Reiss • NBC News

Former President Donald Trump must pay writer E. Jean Carroll over $83 million in damages for repeatedly defaming her, a jury found Friday.

The petulant baby man is finally starting to get some comeuppance.

He’s such a loser he stormed out of the courtroom.

Way to show what a leader you are. Things get tough and he walks away. A perfect quality for a President, right? Wrong.

Donnie boy, your weakness and low energy is on full display. Nice job. 🍊

Kyle Barr • Gizmodo

One place where Netflix won’t be is Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro VR headset. Why isn’t Netflix planning an app for what is Apple’s big $3,500 gamble on the future of augmented reality? According to co-CEO Greg Peters, it’s because the company doesn’t know if anybody’s actually going to use it.

I can’t say that I blame Netflix for their stance. Vision Pro is a brand new, extremely expensive, piece of technology. It may be cool and all but will enough folks buy into it to justify putting a lot of resources into it?

This doesn’t mean Vision Pro will be a failure. Remember, the iPhone didn’t exactly shoot out of the gate like a rocket. It took a couple iterations for it to finally gain mainstream traction. Heck, iPhone 1 didn’t even have an App Store, it only had “the sweet solution.” 🥽

Eric Berger • Ars Technica

Something has gone wrong with NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on the surface of Mars. Although the US space agency has not made any public announcements yet, a source told Ars that the plucky flying vehicle had an accident on its last flight and broke one of its blades. It will not fly anymore.

Poor little copter lost a blade.

Let’s raise our glasses to the little copter who could! 🍻

Gary Leff • viewfromthewing.com

Boeing Whistleblower: Production Line Has “Enormous Volume Of Defects” Bolts On MAX 9 Weren’t Installed

Go read the comments from the Boeing employee. They’re terrifying. I have a fear of heights and flying. This news doesn’t help. 😳

Lois Beckett • The Guardian

LA Times fires 115 journalists in ‘HR zoom webinar’ following union protests

Here we go again. More firings. The hollowing out of news rooms continues.

We need the news and hard hitting articles to keep our government in check. It’s part of what makes America, America. 🗞️

Brian Linder • pennlive.com

Super Bowl announcement has some in MAGA crowd outraged. Here’s why

Please, allow me to fix that headline.

“Racists don’t want black singer to perform at the Super Bowl.”

These people are pathetic.😡