#reversible equilibrium

[biology-geology-beaches-india]

The Science Manuscripts of Satyendra Sunkavally, page 65.

[meraus]

buck baby you've already found your equilibrium when you abandoned buck 1.0, don't tease me like this

[critical-skeptic]

The Optimal Trap of Sameness: A Cautionary Tale of Stagnation in the Digital Age

The trajectory of human innovation has always hinged on cycles of creativity, revolution, and reformation. From the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution and into the Information Age, progress was driven by a perpetual hunger for the new, the better, and the transformative. However, the emergence of a digital landscape defined by social media, big data, algorithms, and artificial intelligence has cast a shadow on this historical trend. We may be witnessing a critical juncture—what I will term the Optimal Trap of Sameness. This is a state where, paradoxically, the tools once designed to liberate creativity now threaten to bind us in cycles of endless repetition, fueled by self-reinforcing systems that prioritize engagement over innovation.

A Cycle Perfected by Old Systems

It’s easy to argue that the modern digital era is simply the most efficient iteration of age-old systems of control. Politics, religion, and capitalism all perfected versions of these cycles long ago—each adept at maintaining the status quo through rituals, narratives, and power structures. They developed mechanisms to keep people within a loop, maintaining collective belief systems or economic models by reinforcing the idea that deviation from the norm is undesirable, even dangerous.

Religion’s grip on cultural norms, for example, was maintained through the repetition of doctrine. Once a set of beliefs gained enough traction, they became self-replicating, immune to challenge or replacement. The same can be said of capitalism, which has long thrived by creating desires in consumers that lead to cyclical spending patterns—holiday sales, new iPhones, or the next blockbuster. Politics operates similarly through election cycles, where familiar faces and ideas are recycled, with only superficial changes to mask the underlying stasis.

But these systems, as effective as they were in maintaining societal stasis, never had access to the real-time behavioral data, network effects, and algorithms that dominate today’s online landscape. The internet, particularly through the lens of social media and big data, has exponentially accelerated the mechanisms of control that these older systems established. With algorithmic curation, the concept of individual creativity and progress is being ground down by the relentless pursuit of engagement.

The Role of Algorithms in Entrenching the Loop

At the heart of this phenomenon is the role of algorithms and the attention economy. Social media platforms, bolstered by machine learning, have refined the art of "sticking with what works." The platforms learn from user behavior at a granular level, optimizing for the kind of content that captures attention—clickbait, sensationalism, and the viral formula.

What began as a diverse platform for user-generated content has evolved into a highly optimized system that rewards repetition. It’s no longer about creating something new; it’s about perfecting the content loop that keeps people scrolling, sharing, and coming back for more. This is the key to understanding the Optimal Trap of Sameness—algorithms are not just curating content; they are shaping it.

Memes like Grumpy Cat, harmless as they may seem, exemplify this point. Their success creates a blueprint for future content, encouraging creators to replicate or subtly tweak an existing formula rather than venturing into uncharted territory. The result is a feedback loop where content becomes increasingly formulaic, recycled, and ultimately stagnant.

If we consider the case of viral memes, jokes, or internet challenges, the problem becomes even more apparent. Something that catches on in one cycle is likely to be resurrected in the next, even if its cultural relevance has long since passed. Whether this is due to the arrival of a new audience (e.g., younger users who weren’t there the first time around) or because algorithms prioritize familiar content, the outcome is the same: originality and evolution are stifled in favor of maintaining the status quo.

Path Dependence and Nash Equilibrium in the Attention Economy

This situation bears striking similarities to the concept of path dependence. Once a system or institution establishes a certain way of functioning, it becomes increasingly difficult to change course. Social media algorithms are now so deeply entrenched in their quest for engagement that deviation from the established content patterns is seen as a risk. Content creators, too, are incentivized to follow the path of least resistance—why risk creating something new when the old formulas work just fine?

In game theory terms, we may have reached a kind of Nash Equilibrium in the attention economy. Both creators and platforms are locked into strategies that maximize engagement without requiring any meaningful change. If a content creator continues to churn out viral content, and the platform keeps optimizing for maximum engagement, neither has an incentive to innovate. This state of equilibrium is self-reinforcing, driving the system toward further stagnation. The longer we stay in this trap, the more difficult it becomes to break free.

Cultural and Cognitive Repercussions

The implications of this stagnation extend far beyond social media. We are seeing a cultural stasis, where trends, ideas, and even social movements are increasingly recycled with little substantive change. New generations encounter and embrace the same memes, trends, and controversies as those before them, only with slight variations.

Psychologically, this might explain the growing concern over a possible reversal of the Flynn Effect—the observed historical increase in IQ scores over time. In an age where content is optimized for immediate, shallow engagement, critical thinking, creativity, and cognitive challenges are being deprioritized. A culture that cycles through the same content repeatedly is unlikely to foster the kind of deep thinking or problem-solving skills that drive intellectual growth.

A Possible Solution: Fighting Fire with Fire

Is there a way to break free from this trap? Perhaps, paradoxically, the tools that have created the Optimal Trap of Sameness could also help dismantle it.

First, we need to recognize that the systems we’ve built are optimized for engagement, not innovation. Artificial intelligence, for instance, is currently being used to refine what "works" in content creation. But what if we used AI to promote innovation instead? By developing algorithms that prioritize novel ideas, diversity of thought, and creative risk-taking, we could shift the incentives for content creators and platforms alike.

Imagine AI systems designed to detect when content becomes repetitive or formulaic, actively suppressing it in favor of more original material. Instead of prioritizing the number of likes or shares, these algorithms could reward content that breaks from the norm or challenges users' thinking. It wouldn’t eliminate the viral meme or clickbait article overnight, but it could begin to foster a culture that values creativity over conformity.

Second, this could extend beyond content. AI-driven recommendation systems could promote diversity in news, opinions, and even artistic expression. Imagine a world where your feed is constantly exposing you to new perspectives and challenging your preconceived notions, rather than reinforcing the same ideas and cultural artifacts.

Will We Break the Cycle?

The Optimal Trap of Sameness represents a confluence of forces: technological, psychological, and cultural. While the acceleration of these cycles through social media and algorithmic curation is concerning, it's essential to recognize that the potential for innovation still exists. We are not entirely powerless in the face of this stagnation, but reversing the tide will require a concerted effort to redesign the systems that have led us here.

Whether we can break free from the trap or whether we’ll remain stuck in this cycle of sameness indefinitely depends on our willingness to confront the root causes and leverage the very technologies responsible for it. AI, big data, and algorithmic systems don’t have to be the tools of stagnation—they can also be the means of our escape. If we’re willing to redefine the metrics that guide content creation, political discourse, and cultural evolution, we may yet see the resurgence of innovation and progress that humanity has thrived on for millennia. If not, we might just find ourselves locked in a loop from which we can never escape—entertained, engaged, but ultimately unchanged.

[fluffydice]

Uh not to take over your post but I have. Thoughts!! I would like to share with the class,,,sorryhopeyoudon'tmindbutyouusuallydon'tso

I'll be honest, yeah, a lot of it can be attributed to the fact that people are just. Really insistent on making a GAY relationship rather than. A romantic relationship between two boys. But it's super fucking prevalent with Kubokai, and I don't think it's just because of Aren being who he is. It's also because Shun can seemingly be so easily be molded to fit that seme x uke shit.

Part of the thing I struggle with writing Shun is, obviously, he isn't as near and dear to my heart as Aren or Kusuo are. But it goes a bit beyond that. Shun, as a character, is very different from these two. Aren and Kusuo play a very different role in the narrative than Shun does. It's part of why I think Aren and Shun are such good friends—they're almost complete opposites, sans ideals and/or core moral beliefs. But Shun, by himself, rides a line that I think a lot of people—particularly novice writers or people without as much experience in hyperspecific character analysis (cough cough neurodiverse people)—struggle with. He's a well-developed character without being too complex.

Of course, this is an overstatement: Shun is complex in certain ways. The biggest one is his cowardice, while still being one of the bravest mofos in the show. It's his problems that don't have much complexity, and it all comes back to the fact that Shun at the end of the day is just a high school kid. The fact that Shun is never really thrust into actually high-stakes situations (and likely the fact that we are watching this from Kusuo's point of view, who thinks Shun is pathetic /affectionate), we don't see as much implication into the depth of his character, unlike Aren, Kusuo, or even Kokomi—characters who, yes, while high school kids, are also a lot more than that.

It is,,,hard to write a character who is. Normal. And that sounds crazy but it's true: especially for writers used to writing big, flashy things, dramatic problems, characters with evident depth. Shun is normal, but he is also a character deserving of the depth he has. It won't be someone like Kusuo, who is so obviously traumatized, or like Aren, who is,,,also so obviously traumatized. Shun grew up in a upper-middle class suburban area. His biggest issues aren't gang wars or fighting giant cat tanks—it's getting through high school, trying to fit in, trying to make his mom happy.

I think people exaggerate Shun's traits so,,,grotesquely,,,because it's so easy to do that to him. It's very easy to look at his friendship with Aren and say "this is the most interesting thing about him" and design him in a way to fulfil whatever weird, oddly fetishy and heteronormative idea of what a MLM relationship should be. And the reason this is so easy to do is because Shun's more obvious traits (his anxiety being a big one, his relationship with his mom being another) seem to always paint him as this little baby that needs to be sheltered. But the truth is, Shun would fucking hate being seen that way.

Shun is a major fucking asshole. Like obviously he's a good guy, but come on. He's a dick, just like the rest of the cast. It's hard to find the line of complexity with Shun, and even harder to find when he would draw the line. When does he stop being flustered and red and begins lashing out? When does he stop being the Jet Black Wings and starts being serious? When is he being a crybaby and will get over it within the hour, and when will something seriously leave an impact on him? Shun is all about finding those lines, about bridging the gap between his cowardice and his bravery. When people woobify him for Kubokai, they keep his more sensitive aspects and pave over that line until the other side of himself is erased.

ive come to realise that i dont actually hate kubokai, i just hate the way people write them

[this-blurry-photograph]

Hinata who had friends but not teammates. Kageyama who had teammates but not friends. Hinata had the sense of teamwork needed to succeed but not the skill. Kageyama had the skill but not the teamwork. How their first freak quick was a perfect blend of Hinata's unwavering trust and Kageyama's overwhelming skill.

How that was reversed in their fight in season 2 when Hinata's greed to improve his own skill drove him to get in the way of his teammates; and Kageyama's insistance on not messing with the team's equilibrium led him to deny the possiblity of improving their attack. How their new quick attack born out of that still had Hinata's trust at the center but also allowed him to contribute his own skill. And it still relied on Kageyama's genius talent with the new toss but it also incorporated his growth in letting go of some of his control to depend on others.

How they found not only a friend and teammate in eachother but a partner. And how that partnership provides them with both someone who will drive them to always improve, and with someone they can always rely on. Because Hinata needed someone who would recognize his abilities even with the obvious handicap of his height. And Kageyama needed someone who would never turn their back on him even with his abrasive and controling nature.

And so on the steps up to the clubroom before their first tournament together Hinata promised he would still be there in ten, twenty years. And Kageyama promised that he would take them to the top of the world.

As long as I'm here, you're invincible.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Plot Structures

A Quick Reference to 5 Plot Structures

8-STAGE PLOT STRUCTURE (Nigel Watts)

Stasis: once upon a time

Trigger: something out of the ordinary happens

Quest: causing the protagonist to seek something

Surprise: but things don’t go as expected

Critical Choice: forcing the protagonist to make a difficult decision

Climax: which has consequences

Reversal: the result of which is a change in status

Resolution: and they all lived happily ever after (or didn’t).

HOW TO TELL A STORY (Peter Rubie)

Once upon a time, something happened to someone,

and he decided that he would pursue a goal.

So he devised a plan of action,

and even though there were forces trying to stop him,

he moved forward because there was a lot at stake.

And just as things seemed as bad as they could get,

he learned an important lesson,

and when offered the prize he had sought so strenuously,

he had to decide whether or not to take it,

and in making that decision he satisfied a need

that had been created by something in his past.

MONOMYTH / THE HERO'S JOURNEY (Joseph Campbell)

Separation

The Call to Adventure

The Refusal of the Call

Supernatural Aid

The Crossing of the First Threshold

Belly of the Whale

Initiation

The Road of Trials

Meeting with the Goddess

Woman as Temptress

Atonement with the Father

Apotheosis

The Ultimate Boon

Return

Refusal of the Return

The Magic Flight

Rescue From Without

The Crossing of the Return Threshold

Master of Two Worlds

Freedom to Live

22-STEP STRUCTURE (John Truby)

Self-revelation, need and desire - combination of steps 20, 3 & 5

Ghost and story world - the hero’s counterdesire

Weakness and need* - the hero’s flaws are keeping them from having the life they desire

Inciting event - outside event that spurs the hero to action

Desire* - the hero’s story goal

Ally or allies - the hero gains an ally

Opponent and/or mystery* - an opponent or mystery that keeps the hero from reaching their goal

Fake-ally opponent - a shapeshifter or false friend

First revelation and decision: changed desire and motive - a revelation causes the hero to make a decision that results in a change in direction

Plan* - the hero’s plan to overcome their opponent and reach their goal

Opponent’s plan main counterattack - the opponent’s plan to overcome their opponent and reach their goal

Drive - increasingly desperate (and possibly immoral) series of actions the hero takes to defeat the opponent and reach the goal

Attack by ally - an ally confronts the hero about their increasing desperation and immorality

Apparent defeat - lowest point when the hero believes they’ve lost; for fall arcs, this may be an “Apparent victory” instead

Second revelation & decision: obsessive drive, changed desire and motive - the hero receives a new piece of information that allows them to continue towards their goal

Audience revelation - the audience learns a vital piece of information that’s kept from the hero

Third revelation and decision - the hero learns something about the opponent that will help them win

Gate, gauntlet, visit to death - pressure on the hero grows and they’re forced to face difficult trials

Battle* - a final (violent) conflict that determines who wins

Self-revelation* - the hero learns who they truly are

Moral decision - a decision that proves what the hero has learnt in the self-revelation

New equilibrium* - the need and desire have been fulfilled and the world goes back to normal, though the hero has changed

Stars (*) mark the minimum 7 steps that, according to Truby, are essential to every story.

ONE PAGE NOVEL (Eva Deverell)

Brainstorm 3...

...names:

...wants/goals/needs:

...locations:

...objects:

...obstacles:

...things lost/sacrificed:

...occupations:

...things on your mind:

Plotting Order

Resolution

Stasis

Shift

Trigger

Quest

Power

Bolt

Defeat

Story Order

Stasis: character isn’t living to their full potential - opposite state to Resolution.

Trigger: an internal or external impulse (or both) forces the character to take the first step towards their Resolution state.

Quest: character enters the new world of adventure, meets mentors or allies and makes a (bad) plan to solve the problem the Trigger created.

Bolt: (bad) Quest plan inevitably goes wrong.

Shift: character makes the paradigm shift necessary for them to inhabit their Resolution state.

Defeat: character makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Power: character finds a hidden power within themselves that allows them to seize the prize.

Resolution: character is living up to their full potential in their Resolution state.

NOTES

Choose a plot structure that works best for you.

Deviate from it as needed. It is a guide after all.

Some writers and editors advice you stick with a plot structure you have chosen:

Don’t look for an alternative as soon as you start to become frustrated with your first choice. You’ll only end up wasting time.

As with everything else, there is no single perfect choice.

And it may be the case that different projects need different methods.

Keep experimenting. Keep writing. Keep improving.

Source ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

[obsidian-pages777]

Pick a Card: Your own Persephone and Hades Love Story

Left to right- 1->3

Introduction

This reading will give you, your own personalized rendition of a love story as if it were inspired and based on the mythology of Persephone and Hades. These two mythological entities were famously known to have had a deep, profound and, also to mention, a rocky ride of a journey in love. If you are interested in this Gothic theme of a potential love life , pick one of the piles above.

================================================================================================

Pile 1:

To represent your relationship you received The Lovers. This card signifies a deep and meaningful connection. Your love story will be one of profound passion and mutual respect. Just like Persephone and Hades, your bond will be transformative for the better as the Strength card showed up as well. You will both bring out the best in each other, finding balance in your differences.

To represent the challenge you will face in your love story you have received The Eight of cups, Wheel of Fortune reversed and the Nine of Wands. This indicates sudden change and upheaval. There will be challenges and disruptions, but they will serve to strengthen your relationship. Much like Persephone’s abduction, these challenges will lead to a new and stronger foundation for your love. There will have to be a letting go, loss and simply regrouping your strength so that it makes way for a refreshed energy. You might leave something important to you for this relationship to occur. This might not feel like the correct decision at first but you decide it is anyway.

To represent the sweet progression of your love story you have received the Page of Swords, Ace of Cups and Four of Wands. These cards bring hope and inspiration. After overcoming obstacles, your love story will be one of healing and renewal. You will have a reason to celebrate this journey with a beautiful gesture of commitment, such as a well thought out and creative proposal made by your partner to you. It could even be a destination wedding or an intimate and romantic engagement party of sorts that will be one that happens to be the hallmark of your relationship in the eyes of many, since there might have been speculations regarding the longevity of your connection because of your previously mentioned challenges. You will both emerge stronger and more connected, finding joy and fulfillment in each other's company.

================================================================================================

Pile 2

To represent the beginning of your profound love connection you have received The High Priestess. This card symbolizes intuition and mystery. Your love story will be marked by a deep, almost mystical connection. You will both understand each other on a profound level, much like Persephone and Hades, whose love was rooted in the underworld's secrets.

Secondly you received the card of Hades himself The Death. This card signifies transformation and new beginnings. Your relationship will go through significant changes, shedding old patterns and evolving into something entirely new. Just as Persephone's life changed when she became queen of the underworld, your love will transform you both. You might feel that this person has an air of intimidation to them. Despite your reluctant nature to consider the longevity of this connection as certain, you might still be drawn to them as though you are influenced by a mysterious force beyond your control. I feel as though this is a connection that your ancestors would require you to have this lifetime.

Thirdly and most conveniently you have received The Temperance card and The Two of Cups. These cards represent balance and harmony. Despite the changes and challenges, your relationship will find a beautiful equilibrium. You will both learn to blend your energies, creating a partnership that is both peaceful and powerful. After all you see each other eye to eye. There is a rightful place in each others hearts made just for the both of you.

================================================================================================

Pile 3

To start things off you have received The Ace of Pentacles and Six of Cups. These cards symbolize abundance and nurturing. Your love story will be one of growth, both emotionally and perhaps even physically. Like Persephone's role in the cycle of life and death, your relationship will be a source of renewal and creativity. You will feel that this connection is a fresh start for your life. You might have met this person before once upon a time, whether you recall it or not.

You have also received The Devil card. This card indicates temptation and passion. Your relationship will be intense and possibly a bit tumultuous, with strong desires and deep emotional ties. However, like Persephone and Hades, you will find strength in your connection, learning to navigate the darker aspects of love. Since this card speaks for itself there is not a necessity for another pull regarding the main challenge to be faced.

The Justice card is present here, it brings fairness and truth. Further you have received The two of Pentacles. Your love story will ultimately be one of balance and justice, where both partners are seen and valued equally. Just as Persephone balanced her time between the underworld and the earth, your relationship will find its own harmonious rhythm. There will be compromises made with proper communication as shown by the presence of the Ace of Swords to end off the reading.

[jayjay-thejet-plane]

AND THEN THEY KISS

Coloured it! :D

[based off the prompt “homework help” given on wincest wednesday]

Transcription for your reading pleasure:

Page 1

D: Sammyyy get your nose out of those nerd books and pay attention to meeeee

S: The longer you distract me, the longer i'll have to study, so either quiz me or shit up jerk

D: Fine, bitch Hand me those cards

Page 2

D: Alright! What is the balance between forward and reverse processes that occur simultaneously? (I don't remember learning this...)

S: (That's because you didnt finish high school) That's dynamic equilibrium

D: Correct! Great job, time for a reward :D

S: What? No, Dean, I can't take a break after ev- What are you doing?

D: Giving you your reward <3

[leverwings]

“We are reversed now. In equilibrium.” 🕊️

From The Flap of a Butterfly's Wings.

[shanieveh]

REVERSE 06↺: the other woman

wriothesley x fem!reader smau

now playing: YK — Cean Jr.

——————————[ 05 —↺— 07 ]——————————

the whole campus knows about your 3 year crush on the student body president and basketball captain wriothesley. you were fine with his constant ignoring and rejections until something happened, until you stopped, and a reverse took place... now he won't leave you alone.

TAGLIST I (open): @vash-yuu @nayukiyukihira @aethion @whodissbitj @astolary @ayayaaayyiire @randomidk-123 @superdark-soul @sleepy-waffle @kittywagun @ceaether @ichorstainedskin @numwoon44 @eutopiastar @reni502 @fictionalfantasy17 @lucienbarkbark @kyon-cherri @huanator @jqnehr @yourlittlemissworld @zworllyx @unknownlololol @sara-midnight @jaguarthecat @we-wo-we-wo @duhsies @interstellar-equilibrium @ariparri @lolmeowing @aruatsu @k-cris @quacking-simp @vlamouren @semi-orangeapple @tamikahoshiko @imnotgoodwithnamesso @portgas459ace @r4yyyyy @vxnuslogy @kazuhasmaid @explosive-wuisa @falors @rirk-ke @shotovhs @aixaingela @ruhaxol @yelleloww @sc1twi @ash4ree

[yinyangcouples]

Mo Dao Zu Shi Top 10 Fanfics - here there be angst

After reading Mo Dao Zu Shi and watching The Untamed, I went down the rabbit hole of fanfic, as one does. People in fan spaces frequently ask for fic recs, so I wanted to make an easy way to share some of my favorites!

To be upfront, my favorite fics follow book canon, not Untamed canon. My favorites are also pretty much all set in the ancient universe with cultivation. I read some modern stuff, etc, but that is definitely not what I gravitate towards. I also love a long fic. So here it is, my top 10.

Birthday Party by Waffles_4_Breakfast - What if Jin Zixun didn't attack Wei Wuxian at Qiongqi Path and waited until the party to attack? I love this fic the most of all that I have read so far. The author does an amazing job of taking the book canon universe and asking "what if?" I felt like the story was incredibly realistic with the canon version of the characters. High on angst. This story is explicit, but has easy to skip scenes.

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo - When Wei Wuxian wakes up in Mo Xuanu's body, he doesn't know who he is, but he is drawn to a man in white robes. This is, ultimately an amnesia fic, which I have a definite soft spot for. In this fic, there is a very high level of angst, characters processing grief, and quite a lot of my favorite little marshmallow, Lan Sizhui. This one is rated Teen and up.

Memories are easier when shared by marhalf - Sweet and slow fix-it, beginning after WWX death, on the idea that his soul would answer LWJ's call. Getting people together, healing trauma through love, I can't help it! This one brings the angst. Can you tell I have a type? When Lan Wangji plays Inquiry, Wei Wuxian answers. But not in the way that is expected. I love so much about this fic and can't recommend it enough. It is emotional, beautiful, and Wei Wuxian gets to redeem himself to almost all the important people in the cultivation world that matter to him, through shared memories. This one is explicit.

Turn Left by kianspo - Lan Wangji is kidnapped from the Lan Clan when he's still a small child. He retains no memories of his real identity, and only knows himself as a servant at Madam Ji's brothel. When the clients begin to look at him with interest, he finds someone to curse him and take away his true appearance, and with it any chance of ever finding his family. When I say this one is angsty, I do mean it. But it is so, so good. Will Wei Wuxian fall in love with Lan Wangji, when LWJ has a very ugly face? Will LWJ ever find his family, when he is unrecognizable? Mature rating.

Cultivating immortality by KizuKatana - The Lan sect has been putting pressure on Lan Wangji to find a cultivation partner. They don't like the one he chooses. This one is just fun. Ok, so there is canon typical angst. But what a fun ride. I like that there is an absence of homophobia in the world, due to the "cultivation partner universe" that the author has set up. Explicit.

a star called sun by thelastdboy - “Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying had whispered. “Lan Zhan, you will have to protect me. Madam Yu is definitely going to kill me for real this time around,” he had said jokingly, but something about how he said it made Lan Wangji pause. Later, Lan Wangji would regret leaving Wei Ying behind. Another angsty masterpiece. This one features a character working through becoming disabled. Pretty heavy on the grief. There are crows, a Wei clan, and beautiful poetic language. Not Jiang friendly. Uses Untamed canon. Rated Explicit, but IIRC, that is just due to violence and not sexual content. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Concord by Deastar - Lan Wangji hopes, somewhat frivolously, that his betrothed might find him an acceptable companion. Neither he nor Wei Wuxian are able to bear children, so there will be no need to share a marital bed; that should make it easier for the two of them to reach a natural, comfortable equilibrium. Are we surprised that this one is incredibly angsty?? It deals heavily with depression. Canon AU but in an amazing way. It does use Untamed canon (Yin Iron, WWX's "demonic" cultivation harms him, puppets, etc). My biggest complaint though is that I want MORE of it. at 45K words, it's too short. Lol! Rated Teen.

Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 - Wei Ying is orphaned when he is four years old. Unlike in another world, he does not have to wait years to be found by his father’s martial brother. Instead, he is found by a woman looking for a child to love. This one is so incredibly beautiful. At 35K words, it is on the shorter side of what I normally read. But I love seeing what might have been had Wei Ying grown up with love. Not as angsty as my normal fair. Rated Mature.

SanRen by Kyogre - Leaving YunmengJiang in an effort to curb the tensions in the Jiang family, Wei WuXian becomes a rogue cultivator. Another one I really enjoyed. I love the canon divergence of what might happen if Wei Wuxian had struck out on his own before he went to the Cloud Recesses and met Lan Wangji. It has fluff and angst and all the good things. It was written before The Untamed came out and is novel canon! Rated Teen

All will be well when the day is done by abCEE - The one where Yu Ziyuan time traveled but she thought that it was her visions of her alternate life. So I love the absolutely unique take that this one is. Madam Yu is our time traveller and the only thing she "gifts" Wei Ying is not killing him herself when he gets kicked out of the inn after his parents die. Lots of angst and redemption. Not Madam Yu friendly, as you might imagine. Rated teen.

So there you go. That is my top 10 list of favorite Mo Dao Zu Shi fanfics that I've read so far. Writing this makes me want to go back and reread them all, but my to read list is long and ever growing. If you have any favorites in that style, please drop them in the comments!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Solar is a market for (financial) lemons

There are only four more days left in my Kickstarter for the audiobook of The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

Rooftop solar is the future, but it's also a scam. It didn't have to be, but America decided that the best way to roll out distributed, resilient, clean and renewable energy was to let Wall Street run the show. They turned it into a scam, and now it's in terrible trouble. which means we are in terrible trouble.

There's a (superficial) good case for turning markets loose on the problem of financing the rollout of an entirely new kind of energy provision across a large and heterogeneous nation. As capitalism's champions (and apologists) have observed since the days of Adam Smith and David Ricardo, markets harness together the work of thousands or even millions of strangers in pursuit of a common goal, without all those people having to agree on a single approach or plan of action. Merely dangle the incentive of profit before the market's teeming participants and they will align themselves towards it, like iron filings all snapping into formation towards a magnet.

But markets have a problem: they are prone to "reward hacking." This is a term from AI research: tell your AI that you want it to do something, and it will find the fastest and most efficient way of doing it, even if that method is one that actually destroys the reason you were pursuing the goal in the first place.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/engineering/failure-modes-in-machine-learning

For example: if you use an AI to come up with a Roomba that doesn't bang into furniture, you might tell that Roomba to avoid collisions. However, the Roomba is only designed to register collisions with its front-facing sensor. Turn the Roomba loose and it will quickly hit on the tactic of racing around the room in reverse, banging into all your furniture repeatedly, while never registering a single collision:

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2021/04/when-ais-start-hacking.html

This is sometimes called the "alignment problem." High-speed, probabilistic systems that can't be fully predicted in advance can very quickly run off the rails. It's an idea that pre-dates AI, of course – think of the Sorcerer's Apprentice. But AI produces these perverse outcomes at scale…and so does capitalism.

Many sf writers have observed the odd phenomenon of corporate AI executives spinning bad sci-fi scenarios about their AIs inadvertently destroying the human race by spinning off in some kind of paperclip-maximizing reward-hack that reduces the whole planet to grey goo in order to make more paperclips. This idea is very implausible (to say the least), but the fact that so many corporate leaders are obsessed with autonomous systems reward-hacking their way into catastrophe tells us something about corporate executives, even if it has no predictive value for understanding the future of technology.

Both Ted Chiang and Charlie Stross have theorized that the source of these anxieties isn't AI – it's corporations. Corporations are these equilibrium-seeking complex machines that can't be programmed, only prompted. CEOs know that they don't actually run their companies, and it haunts them, because while they can decompose a company into all its constituent elements – capital, labor, procedures – they can't get this model-train set to go around the loop:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/09/autocomplete-worshippers/#the-real-ai-was-the-corporations-that-we-fought-along-the-way

Stross calls corporations "Slow AI," a pernicious artificial life-form that acts like a pedantic genie, always on the hunt for ways to destroy you while still strictly following your directions. Markets are an extremely reliable way to find the most awful alignment problems – but by the time they've surfaced them, they've also destroyed the thing you were hoping to improve with your market mechanism.

Which brings me back to solar, as practiced in America. In a long Time feature, Alana Semuels describes the waves of bankruptcies, revealed frauds, and even confiscation of homeowners' houses arising from a decade of financialized solar:

https://time.com/6565415/rooftop-solar-industry-collapse/

The problem starts with a pretty common finance puzzle: solar pays off big over its lifespan, saving the homeowner money and insulating them from price-shocks, emergency power outages, and other horrors. But solar requires a large upfront investment, which many homeowners can't afford to make. To resolve this, the finance industry extends credit to homeowners (lets them borrow money) and gets paid back out of the savings the homeowner realizes over the years to come.

But of course, this requires a lot of capital, and homeowners still might not see the wisdom of paying even some of the price of solar and taking on debt for a benefit they won't even realize until the whole debt is paid off. So the government moved in to tinker with the markets, injecting prompts into the slow AIs to see if it could coax the system into producing a faster solar rollout – say, one that didn't have to rely on waves of deadly power-outages during storms, heatwaves, fires, etc, to convince homeowners to get on board because they'd have experienced the pain of sitting through those disasters in the dark.

The government created subsidies – tax credits, direct cash, and mixes thereof – in the expectation that Wall Street would see all these credits and subsidies that everyday people were entitled to and go on the hunt for them. And they did! Armies of fast-talking sales-reps fanned out across America, ringing dooorbells and sticking fliers in mailboxes, and lying like hell about how your new solar roof was gonna work out for you.

These hustlers tricked old and vulnerable people into signing up for arrangements that saw them saddled with ballooning debt payments (after a honeymoon period at a super-low teaser rate), backstopped by liens on their houses, which meant that missing a payment could mean losing your home. They underprovisioned the solar that they installed, leaving homeowners with sky-high electrical bills on top of those debt payments.

If this sounds familiar, it's because it shares a lot of DNA with the subprime housing bubble, where fast-talking salesmen conned vulnerable people into taking out predatory mortgages with sky-high rates that kicked in after a honeymoon period, promising buyers that the rising value of housing would offset any losses from that high rate.

These fraudsters knew they were acquiring toxic assets, but it didn't matter, because they were bundling up those assets into "collateralized debt obligations" – exotic black-box "derivatives" that could be sold onto pension funds, retail investors, and other suckers.

This is likewise true of solar, where the tax-credits, subsidies and other income streams that these new solar installations offgassed were captured and turned into bonds that were sold into the financial markets, producing an insatiable demand for more rooftop solar installations, and that meant lots more fraud.

Which brings us to today, where homeowners across America are waking up to discover that their power bills have gone up thanks to their solar arrays, even as the giant, financialized solar firms that supplied them are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, thanks to waves of defaults. Meanwhile, all those bonds that were created from solar installations are ticking timebombs, sitting on institutions' balance-sheets, waiting to go blooie once the defaults cross some unpredictable threshold.

Markets are very efficient at mobilizing capital for growth opportunities. America has a lot of rooftop solar. But 70% of that solar isn't owned by the homeowner – it's owned by a solar company, which is to say, "a finance company that happens to sell solar":

https://www.utilitydive.com/news/solarcity-maintains-34-residential-solar-market-share-in-1h-2015/406552/

And markets are very efficient at reward hacking. The point of any market is to multiply capital. If the only way to multiply the capital is through building solar, then you get solar. But the finance sector specializes in making the capital multiply as much as possible while doing as little as possible on the solar front. Huge chunks of those federal subsidies were gobbled up by junk-fees and other financial tricks – sometimes more than 100%.

The solar companies would be in even worse trouble, but they also tricked all their victims into signing binding arbitration waivers that deny them the power to sue and force them to have their grievances heard by fake judges who are paid by the solar companies to decide whether the solar companies have done anything wrong. You will not be surprised to learn that the arbitrators are reluctant to find against their paymasters.

I had a sense that all this was going on even before I read Semuels' excellent article. We bought a solar installation from Treeium, a highly rated, giant Southern California solar installer. We got an incredibly hard sell from them to get our solar "for free" – that is, through these financial arrangements – but I'd just sold a book and I had cash on hand and I was adamant that we were just going to pay upfront. As soon as that was clear, Treeium's ardor palpably cooled. We ended up with a grossly defective, unsafe and underpowered solar installation that has cost more than $10,000 to bring into a functional state (using another vendor). I briefly considered suing Treeium (I had insisted on striking the binding arbitration waiver from the contract) but in the end, I decided life was too short.

The thing is, solar is amazing. We love running our house on sunshine. But markets have proven – again and again – to be an unreliable and even dangerous way to improve Americans' homes and make them more resilient. After all, Americans' homes are the largest asset they are apt to own, which makes them irresistible targets for scammers:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/06/06/the-rents-too-damned-high/

That's why the subprime scammers targets Americans' homes in the 2000s, and it's why the house-stealing fraudsters who blanket the country in "We Buy Ugly Homes" are targeting them now. Same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks: "That's where the money is":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/11/ugly-houses-ugly-truth/

America can and should electrify and solarize. There are serious logistical challenges related to sourcing the underlying materials and deploying the labor, but those challenges are grossly overrated by people who assume the only way we can approach them is though markets, those monkey's paw curses that always find a way to snatch profitable defeat from the jaws of useful victory.

To get a sense of how the engineering challenges of electrification could be met, read McArthur fellow Saul Griffith's excellent popular engineering text Electrify:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/12/09/practical-visionary/#popular-engineering

And to really understand the transformative power of solar, don't miss Deb Chachra's How Infrastructure Works, where you'll learn that we could give every person on Earth the energy budget of a Canadian (like an American, but colder) by capturing just 0.4% of the solar rays that reach Earth's surface:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/17/care-work/#charismatic-megaprojects

But we won't get there with markets. All markets will do is create incentives to cheat. Think of the market for "carbon offsets," which were supposed to substitute markets for direct regulation, and which produced a fraud-riddled market for lemons that sells indulgences to our worst polluters, who go on destroying our planet and our future:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/14/for-sale-green-indulgences/#killer-analogy

We can address the climate emergency, but not by prompting the slow AI and hoping it doesn't figure out a way to reward-hack its way to giant profits while doing nothing. Founder and chairman of Goodleap, Hayes Barnard, is one of the 400 richest people in the world – a fortune built on scammers who tricked old people into signing away their homes for nonfunctional solar):

https://www.forbes.com/profile/hayes-barnard/?sh=40d596362b28

If governments are willing to spend billions incentivizing rooftop solar, they can simply spend billions installing rooftop solar – no Slow AI required.

Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28 - TOMORROW!) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/27/here-comes-the-sun-king/#sign-here

Back the Kickstarter for the audiobook of The Bezzle here!

Image:

Future Atlas/www.futureatlas.com/blog (modified)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/87913776@N00/3996366952

--

CC BY 2.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

J Doll (modified)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blue_Sky_%28140451293%29.jpeg

CC BY 3.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[jacenbren]

Deeply fucking unsettling things about the Honored One himself, Satoru Gojo

Thanks to his ability to fuck with gravity, you put him in a blank, empty room with identical walls, floor, and ceiling with no doors or windows, he'll quickly lose track of which way is up. Realistically this situation would probably never happen, but the concept freaks him out ever since Geto made a joke about it once.

Gojo's body maintains a perfect thermodynamic equilibrium, making his skin creepily cool to the touch. He can go out in a blizzard with shorts on, and between that and Infinity, he'd be perfectly fine. It makes for a cool party trick, because he can stick his hand in a candle flame or put cigarettes out on his arms with no ill effects.

He's unsettlingly clean at all times, because dirt can't touch him. Gojo hasn't needed to use stain remover on his uniform in years.

He quite literally has six eyes. He keeps four of them shut and all of them hidden most of the time, though, because a) looking into all six at once would liquefy the brain of your average human, and b) his Six Eyes are constantly feeding unfathomable amounts of information into his brain every second. Even with his tolerance to his powers and mastery of the reverse curse technique, there's only so much stimuli a human brain can process without completely shutting down, and Gojo doesn't want to find out what that'll do to him--in a nutshell, just because he can see things that mankind can't even hope to comprehend doesn't mean he wants to.

He can perceive the entire electromagnetic spectrum, meaning he can see shrimp colors. Everyone else desperately wants him to describe the shrimp colors. Gojo continues to smugly refuse.

Because of his reverse curse technique constantly refreshing and regenerating his body, he just. doesn't really need to eat anymore. or drink. or even breathe. His body is basically frozen at peak physical condition, and it's very likely that he is functionally immortal.

Sometimes, Gojo forgets what pain feels like, because nothing can touch him. Pain feels almost like pleasure to him, because nothing can hurt him. Nothing can even touch him, and Gojo has secretly developed a perverted interest in seeing how badly he can mutilate himself before he's forced to reengage his technique and heal.

Gojo can bend and contort himself in ways that aren't humanly possible, run faster and farther and lift heavier objects than anyone alive, because his body can repair itself almost as fast as it's damaged, depending on how severe the injury. Basically, he has permanent hysterical strength, letting him push his body past its limits to perform feats that would kill a normal human with no ill effects.

Gojo doesn't sleep. He literally can't unless he releases his technique, because his body is constantly being refreshed and doesn't need to shut down. Oh well, it's for the better. He's most vulnerable while he's sleeping anyway, and it opens up his schedule by a lot.

His teeth grow now, almost like a rodent's. He has to file them down to be able to open and close his mouth properly, along with much more frequent trimming of his hair and nails.

His skin is oddly smooth, and unnaturally pristine. Gojo hasn't recieved a single scar since Toji sliced him open, and all the ones he'd recieved before are healed flawlessly at this point. His hands are so soft they make it look like he hasn't fought a day in his life, because calluses aren't able to form anymore.

Gojo's been around the world countless times now. He can go wherever he wants with a thought; the only cost is his sanity. Warping himself across the Pacific for lunch in San Francisco is fun, but he can only do it a few times a week if he doesn't want to have another... ah, episode.

These episodes involve blackouts, gaps in his memory where his powers manage to slip their leashes from overuse and literally short-circuit his brain. He's only had a few so far, and every time, he wakes up in the infirmary completely unscathed, with blood all over his clothes and an awful fucking migraine. Nobody knows what happens or where he goes, and all Shoko's been able to tell him is that when it happens, he seems to go into a giddy fugue before blasting his way out of the compound and vanishing for anywhere from days to weeks. Gojo's absolutely terrified of these episodes, because he's wholly aware that if he lost it for real, nobody would be able to stop him.

He looks human enough, but if you look closer, he quickly starts to set off the uncanny valley effect. It's like a wolf in sheep's clothing--because you know how dangerous he is, even though he appears relatively harmless at first. Everyone who meets him has the same fear response clawing at the back of their mind as their hindbrain screams at them to fucking run, because Gojo is an apex predator in the body of a prey animal. His very presence awakens primal fear that's been entrenched in every human since the dawn of time--the fear of things that go bump in the night, of cosmic horrors beyond what mankind can even hope to comprehend.

His eyes glow all the time now, and the energy crackling in the air around him feels like the static that comes before a lightning strike. Satoru Gojo is insistent that he's still human even though he's the strongest, but... is he, really?

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Honestly, you aren’t normal if you are part of a fandom. You have cringe moments. You have your “abnormality.” Even the so-called sports fans are not acting normally when they are watching their fave teams. They become unhinged when their team loses or hits a score.

If you are a “normie” you aren’t supposed to be enjoying the dark content of Kuroshitsuji. The gags are there simply to set an equilibrium.

It is discouraging to read posts like a tyrant making a list of “etiquette” how to enjoy Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji. The only rule you should abide is the three laws of being in a fandom. That is, don’t mind other people’s business.

I myself ship everyone with Sebastian Michaelis and because this is fiction we can mix and match these characters without equating them to real people but concepts. They are your own dolls, Barbie and Ken dolls, ready to be dressed up. They don’t need protecting because they are NOT REAL people who live and breathe.

Also, don’t be bothered which order of Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler to watch. Your first and foremost priority is to enjoy and satisfy yourself. I watched Kuroshitsuji in reverse, beginning with the “Book of the Atlantic,” and it was all right. Because Yana Toboso has been writing this for more than 15 years, spoilers are unavoidable so it isn’t a big deal.

You don’t like season 2 that’s fine but don’t dictate others to not watch it. Maybe for research purposes. I found it substantial to me because I find that there are a few parallels in the upcoming manga chapters that make me think of what I’ve seen from season 2, but that doesn’t diminish the urge to read the original work every month. In fact, it strengthens it.

Anyway, the rule is there are no rules at all but be polite, respectful and kind towards each other. Wars are happening in the real world, we don’t need unkindness here in this hellsite we call our safe space. If you can’t take it, use the block button instead.

[yourlokalescholar]

If the roles were reversed, and The Shifting Mound slew The Long Quiet, what do you think the world would look like?

I’ve seen some debate over what The Long Quiet represents exactly, and it is up for debate of course, but my interpretation is that he’s Stagnation. The Shifting Mound is birth, death and rebirth, and TLQ is what comes in between. Therefore when TLQ kills TSM, the world is frozen and nothing can die or be born or change in any way.

So what about when TLQ dies, and birth and death and rebirth is all that’s left?

Okay, weird analogy, but did you ever do dynamic equilibrium in chemistry? Basically, a reversible reaction is a reaction whose products can react with each other to reform the reactants. Dynamic equilibrium happens when they’re locked in a small space together: both reactions occur constantly and simultaneously, so from the outside it just looks like nothing is happening (there’s more to it obviously but that’s the relevant bit). That’s kind of what I imagine The Shifting Mound’s world would look like, if that makes sense?

Everything dies as soon as it is born, everything decays as it grows and everyone is constantly learning but never given the time to understand their thoughts before they change their mind again. Everything is happening all at once, but it’s no different to if nothing happened at all.

Remember The Stranger? Once you’ve gotten to that chapter, there’s no other path for you. Interacting with The Princess in that chapter doesn’t change anything, because to do so you need to make every possible decision at once, so it’s impossible to pursue any one path. I think Voice Of The Contrarian literally says something along the lines of “if we’re doing everything, that’s the same as doing nothing”! It’s kind of the polar opposite of the “good ending”, a world of happy boredom in which nothing happens. A world of confusing boredom in which everything happens!

It’s interesting how, as much as they’re complete opposites of each other, The Shifting Mound and The Long Quiet aren’t all that different

[s-b-party]

Ena, HooH, and Xipe: Overseers of Balance

****Honkai star rail/Penacony including 2.1 spoilers ahead****

With 2.2 livestream today [I didn’t watch the livestream on the day it came out so this was written without knowing what was coming out soon but also….THE NEW BOSS????], I wanted to take a closer look at 3 Aeons in particular for this thread bc of the similarities between their concepts & also to look at possible roles/connections in the story of Penacony in particular

Since I normally analyze pairs of Aeons & this time we have 3, I’ll briefly introduce the 3 then I’ll talk about them in detail while trying to connect them to each other & the story

First is Ena, the Aeon of Order; they were absorbed by Xipe during the Swarm Disaster; they had a faction that followed them called the Beyond the Sky Choir which eventually stopped when they were absorbed

The second is HooH, the Aeon of Equilibrium; currently they are alive, their faction is the Arbitrators

The third is Xipe, the Aeon of Harmony; they are currently alive & their faction is the Family in Penacony

From Ena’s entry, we see they have a human-looking face or mask with an inner body that seems to encompass space & stars, giving off mostly blue & purple colors while their face, limbs, accessories, and veil have a white & gold palette; their arms have strings coming out from them which presents them like a puppet; another feature to note is the eye that appears besides them which has a gold outline and a blue and purple iris

Their symbol is represented by the icon of an eye, referring to the open eye that is present behind them in their art, with abstract shapes behind it; at first glance the symbol might not mean much when we look at it & it might look simple bc it’s just an eye but I feel that there may be more to it

The 3 circles & 3 sharp points are arranged in a way that doesn’t look randomized where if we were to divide it in half vertically, it would be balanced

Why does this matter? Mainly bc Ena is the Aeon of Order but what exactly does that concept mean? Order can be defined in a few different ways depending on context but in this case, Ena’s concept is related to the idea that things are arranged or done in a particular way, method, sequence, etc. of which we see an example in the dev log as explained by Herta

She states that she doesn’t like Ena’s personality as a “control freak” but rather their concept or at least how the universe followed the Order

In the case of planets & civilizations, under the Order they would first prosper for a time before coming to an end; this would be the cycle that was followed consistently as it is natural for civilizations to rise and fall

Going back to the abstract shapes, I want to bring up the Rule of Three, which applies to many situations but the general rule involves three things that make something effective, satisfying, ideal, etc. As we saw, the icon had three circles & three pointed ends but they were arranged specifically to make the whole symbol not very chaotic, thus it can be satisfying to look at

Interestingly we see 3 being involved in their faction, the Beyond the Sky Choir: the dev log which mentioned a “three-dimensional framework” & the curio called the Triangular Drum-roll Device

HooH the Equilibrium has a face w/ a body consisting mostly of geometric shapes, giving them a sort of blocky appearance; their body swirls & twists in a round circle which converges towards the center where we see two orbs(?) that are blue & orange while their two hands are clasped together in the center

When we look at their overall design, we can tell that they exhibit some form of balance; their name is exactly symmetrical since it can be split into Ho & oH; when it comes to their physical design, they have what we could consider, for simplicity’s sake, both “positive” & “negative”

Let’s pretend that positive is represented by the white tiles & negative is represented by black tiles, you can reverse the situation & it’ll still apply: the positive & negative tiles balance each other bc there is enough of both positive & negative that they would cancel each other out, creating a sense of balance

The symbol of HooH is well represented by a balance scale, often used for measuring & comparing the weights of objects to see if one is lighter, heavier, or equal in weight to another

Equilibrium as a concept refers to the idea that two opposing things cancel/balance each other out, creating something called “sum zero”; the implication of equilibrium is that things in life are divided by two as opposed to any other number

Herta talks about HooH in a dev log regarding how long they’ve been around compared to other aeons while also pointing out how they focus on duality

Now we have Xipe the Harmony who has a human-like body w/ 3 faces on a single head, long hair, purple skin, a dress that encompasses space, a ring of rainbow colors behind their head, and puzzle pieces floating around their form

Their symbol is quite abstract when we look at it as a whole

It is similar to Ena’s symbol where we had those abstract shapes in the background which came out to be 3 circles & 3 sharp points; here is a similar situation where the shapes are repeated 3 times in a circular fashion (it reminds me of the mitsudomoe, it’s the symbol that has 3 tomoe going around the central point of focus)

As of this point I’m not sure if the shapes themselves actually refer to/mean something specific to Xipe but I think something to point out is that the “commas” act differently based on whether they’re in the forefront or the background

The ones in the front don’t seem to interfere with any of the outer shapes on the same layer as them; however when we look at the background, the commas seem to cross into the other shapes next to them

Now what exactly is Harmony? The concept itself is when everything comes together in a single thing to create something unique or something that is typically good; for example we use harmony in music to refer to when notes or instruments are played together to create a coherent/cohesive song but we can also use harmony to refer to other things like life; in other words, harmony is a synonym for unity

Next we’re going to look at connections to each other & to the story; these 3 Aeons have varying degrees of involvement in the story as well as with each other; HooH seems to have very little connection to the other two so there isn’t rlly much I can say about them for the time being aside from their supposed involvement in the Swarm Disaster & the end of Tayzzyronth which we find in the simulated universe

However Ena & Xipe are much more connected both to each other & to the story when compared to HooH

Ena & Xipe are quite similar which makes sense considering that their concepts were fairly similar which ended up with the former getting absorbed (to clarify on their concepts, Order is the specific way to arrange or place things while Harmony focuses on fusing or combining things to bring about peace or good)

In terms of design, I would argue that they share similar color palettes, mainly cool colors (purple, blue) w/ a side of warmer colors on other features (Ena’s accessories & veil, Xipe’s halo)

Another similarity that I can see is their connection to music

Both Aeons received praise through songs through their respective factions, Beyond the Sky Choir & the Family; now that I think about it, perhaps the “commas” in Xipe’s symbol are actually supposed to be music notes in the world of HSR? I wouldn’t be surprised if they write music notes differently from what we would expect

Now in terms of their connections to the story I’ve heard theories of Ena being possibly connected to Gaiathra Triclops, the Mother Goddess that is mentioned in the most recent Trailblaze quest (****the next part about Gaiathra Triclops is mostly just me entertaining some ideas & pointing things out that I want to note, take w/ a grain of salt); I don’t think they are the same bc there are a few discrepancies that can be pointed out but maybe Gaiathra Triclops is an aspect of Ena that physically manifested

It is explained that Avgins do not follow the Aeon belief system but we also don’t know the exact origins of the Mother Goddess so what if she came from an Aeon? Aeons are the origin of concepts so it doesn’t seem far fetched to suggest that “minor”/sub-gods(?) could possibly come from them

We know that even if an Aeon dies, sometimes they leave behind remnants of themselves that still exist in the current time (e.g. Tayzzyronth & Swarm Disaster) so I don’t think it’s impossible for a similar situation here

We hear that Gaiathra Triclops is depicted as a left palm w/ 3 eyes & Ena does have 3 eyes in total if we count the one in the background; interestingly she is described specifically to be often depicted as a LEFT palm so are there any other manifestations of Ena possibly depicted as a right palm or just another body part in general?

Speaking of eyes, many have pointed out that the eye in the background has a striking resemblance to Aventurine’s eyes

The irises & pupils don’t look the exact same but it feels more of a design choice bc Aventurine’s eye shapes help to establish a sense of mystery/suspicion when it comes to his character; other than that the purple/neon pink outer ring & inner blue ring do match

If the Mother Goddess inherited the same eye from Ena, it could possibly explain how the Aventurine got the same eye despite Ena having been gone before the Sigonian incidents; I know the timeline of events are a bit cloudy so it’s not all clear but it just seems way more than a coincidence to me that Aventurine has the same eye colors as the one that appears besides Ena but I’ll leave my musings there

Now Xipe is the one who has a much more prominent presence in Penacony’s story compared to the other two Aeons

Even before entering the world we are made aware of Xipe’s ties to Penacony & its history; Penacony used to be a desert planet that acted as a prison which was owned by the IPC; the IPC eventually lost control of it due to Nanook & the residents of Penacony became members of the Family under Xipe

In terms of the Trailblaze Mission itself, we never see Xipe in person but we do see two notable instances of (extensions of) Xipe’s powers in the story: first is when we enter the Dreamscape & Robin helps us get accustomed to the new environment through tuning; second time is when Sunday invokes their power on Aventurine during the interrogation

In both cases we get the rainbow aura reminiscent of Xipe’s halo around our screens, for the MC we seem to have less of a problem whereas Aventurine suffers the entire time he’s under the influence; this reminds me of our clockwork ability which is essentially direct emotional manipulation (Clockie is most definitely sus, no question about it)

To me this change in how the extensions of Xipe’s power can go from harmless to dangerous is representative of Penacony’s storyline; it looks like a normal peaceful resort at first glance but then we learn about the darker aspect of the Dreamscape aka the memes that have appeared & untold dangers

To end this off, I do want to reiterate how Ena, HooH, and Xipe are interesting representations of different aspects of balance if you could tell based off my title for this thread; my main reason why I bring this up is bc Nanook is presented or framed as the main antagonist of this game bc of their nature as the Aeon of Destruction and the intention/goal is to stop them supposedly…

Therefore I am curious of whether we will see Xipe, HooH, and just the other Aeons in general play a bigger role in this plot of somehow stopping Nanook or if they’ll leave them be bc that is simply their nature; they are all beings who follow their own concepts & ideals so they do what they feel is right based off of their own values

If we are to consider what is balance in this universe, destruction would be the opposite of preservation which is represented by Qlipoth but we also can consider Yaoshi to be their opposite since they help grow life wherever they go

We also were somewhat expecting the Annihilation Gang to make an appearance during the story but we learned that they disbanded after Ifrit was killed by Acheron; does this mean that we won’t really see them again? We also know that Nanook doesn’t really like how the Annihilation Gang operates bc they see their sadistic desire to destroy as “impure” so it seems almost like we’re left hanging when it comes to them

I know that we are still in the Penacony arc so this might not be addressed at the moment but I’m still interested in seeing how the overall plot involving Nanook will play out 👀