#selling hp business

[emmuowo]

how do you do hpma fandom (´• ω •`)

i keep stalking the tags and i rlly love seeing everyone's mcs so here's mine! she's a goofy goober who likes interesting accessories and making money aaaand may or may not have several small businesses that probably aren't school-sanctioned gneiogneorg

[mostlysignssomeportents]

An adversarial iMessage client for Android

Adversarial interoperability is one of the most reliable ways to protect tech users from predatory corporations: that's when a technologist reverse-engineers an existing product to reconfigure or mod it (interoperability) in ways its users like, but which its manufacturer objects to (adversarial):

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

"Adversarial interop" is a mouthful, so at EFF, we coined the term "competitive compatibility," or comcom, which is a lot easier to say and to spell.

Scratch any tech success and you'll find a comcom story. After all, when a company turns its screws on its users, it's good business to offer an aftermarket mod that loosens them again. HP's $10,000/gallon inkjet ink is like a bat-signal for third-party ink companies. When Mercedes announces that it's going to sell you access to your car's accelerator pedal as a subscription service, that's like an engraved invitation to clever independent mechanics who'll charge you a single fee to permanently unlock that "feature":

https://www.techdirt.com/2023/12/05/carmakers-push-forward-with-plans-to-make-basic-features-subscription-services-despite-widespread-backlash/

Comcom saved giant tech companies like Apple. Microsoft tried to kill the Mac by rolling out a truly cursèd version of MS Office for MacOS. Mac users (5% of the market) who tried to send Word, Excel or Powerpoint files to Windows users (95% of the market) were stymied: their files wouldn't open, or they'd go corrupt. Tech managers like me started throwing the graphic designer's Mac and replacing it with a Windows box with a big graphics card and Windows versions of Adobe's tools.

Comcom saved Apple's bacon. Apple reverse-engineered MS's flagship software suite and made a comcom version, iWork, whose Pages, Numbers and Keynote could flawlessly read and write MS's Word, Excel and Powerpoint files:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/06/adversarial-interoperability-reviving-elegant-weapon-more-civilized-age-slay

It's tempting to think of iWork as benefiting Apple users, and certainly the people who installed and used it benefited from it. But Windows users also benefited from iWork. The existence of iWork meant that Windows users could seamlessly collaborate on and share files with their Mac colleagues. IWork didn't just add a new feature to the Mac ("read and write files that originated with Windows users") – it also added a feature to Windows: "collaborate with Mac users."

Every pirate wants to be an admiral. Though comcom rescued Apple from a monopolist's sneaky attempt to drive it out of business, Apple – now a three trillion dollar company – has repeatedly attacked comcom when it was applied to Apple's products. When Apple did comcom, that was progress. When someone does comcom to Apple, that's piracy.

Apple has many tools at its disposal that Microsoft lacked in the early 2000s. Radical new interpretations of existing copyright, contract, patent and trademark law allows Apple – and other tech giants – to threaten rivals who engage in comcom with both criminal and civil penalties. That's right, you can go to prison for comcom these days. No wonder Jay Freeman calls this "felony contempt of business model":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Take iMessage, Apple's end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) instant messaging tool. Apple customers can use iMessage to send each other private messages that can't be read or altered by third parties – not cops, not crooks, not even Apple. That's important, because when private messaging systems get hacked, bad things happen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_celebrity_nude_photo_leak

But Apple has steadfastly refused to offer an iMessage app for non-Apple systems. If you're an Apple customer holding a sensitive discussion with an Android user, Apple refuses to offer you a tool to maintain your privacy. Those messages are sent "in the clear," over the 38-year-old SMS protocol, which is trivial to spy on and disrupt.

Apple sacrifices its users' security and integrity in the hopes that they will put pressure on their friends to move into Apple's walled garden. As CEO Tim Cook told a reporter: if you want to have secure communications with your mother, buy her an iPhone:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tim-cook-says-buy-mom-210347694.html

Last September, a 16-year old high school student calling himself JJTech published a technical teardown of iMessage, showing how any device could send and receive encrypted messages with iMessage users, even without an Apple ID:

https://jjtech.dev/reverse-engineering/imessage-explained/

JJTech even published code to do this, in an open source library called Pypush:

https://github.com/JJTech0130/pypush

In the weeks since, Beeper has been working to productize JJTech's code, and this week, they announced Beeper Mini, an Android-based iMessage client that is end-to-end encrypted:

https://beeper.notion.site/How-Beeper-Mini-Works-966cb11019f8444f90baa314d2f43a54

Beeper is known for a multiprotocol chat client built on Matrix, allowing you to manage several kinds of chat from a single app. These multiprotocol chats have been around forever. Indeed, iMessage started out as one – when it was called "iChat," it supported Google Talk and Jabber, another multiprotocol tool. Other tools like Pidgin have kept the flame alive for decades, and have millions of devoted users:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/07/tower-babel-how-public-interest-internet-trying-save-messaging-and-banish-big

But iMessage support has remained elusive. Last month, Nothing launched Sunchoice, a disastrous attempt to bring iMessage to Android, which used Macs in a data-center to intercept and forward messages to Android users, breaking E2EE and introducing massive surveillance risks:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/21/23970740/sunbird-imessage-app-shut-down-privacy-nothing-chats-phone-2

Beeper Mini does not have these defects. The system encrypts and decrypts messages on the Android device itself, and directly communicates with Apple's servers. It gathers some telemetry for debugging, and this can be turned off in preferences. It sends a single SMS to Apple's servers during setup, which changes your device's bubble from green to blue, so that Apple users now correctly see your device as a secure endpoint for iMessage communications.

Beeper Mini is now available in Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beeper.ima&hl=en_US

Now, this is a high-stakes business. Apple has a long history of threatening companies like Beeper over conduct like this. And Google has a long history deferring to those threats – as it did with OG App, a superior third-party Instagram app that it summarily yanked after Meta complained:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/05/battery-vampire/#drained

But while iMessage for Android is good for Android users, it's also very good for Apple customers, who can now get the privacy and security guarantees of iMessage for all their contacts, not just the ones who bought the same kind of phone as they did. The stakes for communications breaches have never been higher, and antitrust scrutiny on Big Tech companies has never been so intense.

Apple recently announced that it would add RCS support to iOS devices (RCS is a secure successor to SMS):

https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/16/apple-rcs-coming-to-iphone/

Early word from developers suggests that this support will have all kinds of boobytraps. That's par for the course with Apple, who love to announce splashy reversals of their worst policies – like their opposition to right to repair – while finding sneaky ways to go on abusing its customers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/22/vin-locking/#thought-differently

The ball is in Apple's court, and, to a lesser extent, in Google's. As part of the mobile duopoly, Google has joined with Apple in facilitating the removal of comcom tools from its app store. But Google has also spent millions on an ad campaign shaming Apple for exposing its users to privacy risks when talking to Android users:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/21/23883609/google-rcs-message-apple-iphone-ipager-ad

While we all wait for the other shoe to drop, Android users can get set up on Beeper Mini, and technologists can kick the tires on its code libraries and privacy guarantees.

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/2023/12/07/blue-bubbles-for-all/#never-underestimate-the-determination-of-a-kid-who-is-time-rich-and-cash-poor

[dramioneasks]

Mannn, I thought the new HBO series was going to take out HP Fanfic. Who knew the fandom would start to eat itself and cause its own demise with bad manners regarding reader entitlement and a lack of awareness supporting illegal profits from book binding😮‍💨.

It's wild to think people would pay hundreds of dollars for something that is kindly posted for free. I know some of you mods are authors. Thank you all for what you do and your MASSIVE contributions to this fandom.

In the last few days I've seen so much talk about this. I believe some authors have started that they were removing their fics from AO3? Which sparked all this talk.

For those who don't know, many authors are having their work downloaded and bound into a physical book and being sold. They are not being informed of this. They do not get contacted for permission, nor do they see any money from the sale.

Someone just decided to take a popular fic, one that got some traction on tiktok, and make it into a book and sell it for money. The original author is clueless of this happening.

Previously, in this fandom, some small bookbinding business owners would reach out to the authors and ask permission to bind a copy of the fanfic for their own use. They were granted that permission. They would post about it, and other people wanted the same. Those bookbinders then reached out to their author for permission to sell the bound copies and informed the author of the price they were selling to for. They only made a profit on the materials and labour.

Now, things have changed, especially since fanfiction and dramione fanfiction, in particular, have gotten super popular on tiktok.

People have realized that they can make a quick buck and sell physical copies of works. Even if it is illegal. YES selling fanfiction is illegal.

Fanfiction comes from another author's intellectual property. You can make fanfiction and post about it because you can not and will not make money off of it. If you do, the original author can take you to court. These bookbinders are selling fanfiction, and they are gonna get everyone in trouble if a traditionally published author decided to look into this. With how easy it is for someone's video to go viral on tiktok and how many authors are using tiktok, it's not impossible for this to come their way.

Right now, it seems these bookbinders are only on tiktok and etsy.

If you see people selling fanfiction, report them.

If you go on the dramione, tag here on Tumblr, you will see lots of chats about this, especially from authors themselves. Take some time to read it and follow some guidelines that they suggested to help combat these sales.

(PS: Our author mods are not active at the moment, you can reach out to them personally on their Tumblr pages to express your support!)

- Lisa

[mangosundae]

Greetings, Ni No Kuni fandom! I’ve seen a couple people on here post their NNK ocs on here so I thought I’d add my own blorbo to the collection. Now presenting: Penelope Homebrew of the Land of Nod! She’s from WotWW and has a whole DLC post game mission, which ends with Penelope becoming a playable character. I’ll write out how her story goes under the cut, but basically she’s a potion saleswoman who helps the gang close the Nightmare Rifts (name in progress) that have taken over Castaway Cove, Yule, and Perdida.

***GIANT infodump under the cut!!***

The Land of Nod: Where Dreaming is Doing.

- Okay so Nod is a kingdom located on the Spindle, a small island near Autumnia. I’m pretty sure spindle is a reference to mining, but we’ll say it references the spindle from Sleeping Beauty.

- The Land of Nod is all about dreaming. Its inhabitants, called Nodlanders, have the ability to bring whatever they dream of to life. This ability is called Manifesting. Manifesting requires the user to both come up with the item they desire, dream it, AND remember it when they wake up. Nodlanders grow up practicing how to lucid dream, and how to remember their dreams in the waking world. It’s a hard skill to master, which is why so few can actually make a career out of it.

- But since Nodlanders who do master this skill are very powerful, Shadar saw them as a threat, which is why he put all of Nod to sleep with a spell. That’s also why Nod doesn’t show up on the map in the main game, because it’s hidden from sight. And also he made everyone have nightmares, which is important later.

- Since Nod is a postgame area, the items you can buy here are very powerful, but also very pricey. They can only be found in Nod because the Nodlanders literally dreamed them up. Most Nodlanders have a specific kind of item they focus on, like weapons or armor. It’s a HUGE tourist trap.

- Also you might be asking, why isn’t Nod the richest place in the world? Why can’t they just dream up infinite money and food? I thought of that. You can’t really read or write in dreams, so any dreamed currency is obviously fake. And Nodlanders CAN dream up food, but it can’t inwardly be food. So basically dream food can look and taste a certain way, but doesn’t contain substance or calories, so you can’t survive off it. Snack stands and buffets are very popular in Nod for this reason, as you’ll never get stuffed.

Penelope Homebrew: Saleswoman Extraordinaire (?)

- Penelope lives in Nod but has no dream powers. She’s a disappointment to her parents because of this, and spends the whole story trying to prove herself, before eventually realizing she doesn’t have to prove herself to anyone. Also I want her and Swaine to be besties so they bond over being non-magicals from magical families.

- Since she has no dreaming abilities of her own, Penelope runs the Homebrew Apothecary, where she sells potions made from the Dream Energy of other Nodlanders. They look down on her for not having powers of her own, which makes her feel bad. The apothecary got very little business before Shadar, since tourists were more interested in real dream-based products, but Penelope sees traveling with Oliver as a chance to get her brand out there. There are several cutscenes where she’s just advertising to anyone who’ll listen, and she uses the fights to show off her potions.

- Penelope comes with several potions to use in battle and in the overworld. Each of them has a silly little name because you can’t have NNK without some silly little names.

- Nightcap: This potion induces the sleep status on an opponent for 20 seconds.

- Seeing Stars: A potion that induces the confusion status on an opponent.

- A Dream is a Wish: This drinkable potion will, at random, increase the user’s MP or HP, or take away their status condition (the third option only applies if a status condition is present).

- Beauty Sleep: A drinkable potion that completely heals the user’s HP and MP, in return for making them immobile/asleep for thirty seconds. This also almost completely drain’s the user’s MP, so it should be used sparingly.

- Knock Out: A potion that inflicts physical damage on an opponent.

- Shut Eye: An overworld spray potion that gives your party two minutes of invisibility. It works the same as Oliver’s Veil spell.

- Night Light: Ingesting this potion gives the user night vision.

- Basically, all her potions are either thrown, ingested, or sprayed. She starts off with a slingshot, but eventually Swaine makes her the Shooting Star, a steampunk looking bow and arrow that can shoot out any offensive potion Penelope currently has in her roster. The “arrows” are syringes full of potions. This makes her a ranged attacker. I imagine she can replace Swaine in battle, similar to how you can replace Esther with Marcassin.

- Oh also, to make the gang trust her, Penelope pretends she was a famous and successful potioneer before Shadar cast his sleep curse. Swaine suspects her from the start because one con artist recognizes another, but eventually everyone learns she’s been lying and conflict happens. Oooooooo.

The Plot: Nightmare Magic-Induced Therapy

- As I mentioned, Shadar put all the Nodlanders to sleep and gave them nightmares, which they kept having until Cassiopeia woke them up. When they woke up their Dream Energy exploded across the world and caused Nightmare Rifts to appear in Castaway Cove, Yule, and Perdida. Why? It’s like when the printer isn’t working so you keep pressing print, and then it starts working again and shoves out a million papers at once. The Nodlanders had dreamed so much during the sleep curse that when they woke up they couldn’t contain all the energy that had built up.

- Because of this, these three areas are now dungeons with a boss at the end, which are nightmarish manifestations of each town’s Vibe. Each dungeon is also based on a commonly-hated video game mechanic (these being water physics, ice physics, and moving levels). And, also, each dungeon reflects one of the main three’s fears in some way, both literal and metaphorical. In going through these dungeons and defeating the bosses, Oliver, Esther, and Swaine work through their fears with the help of Penelope.

- Also, the reason Penelope starts traveling with them (other than the opportunity to sell more potions) is because the other Nodlanders are too tired from their nightmares to be helpful. Since Penelope doesn’t have dream magic, she feels fine (if a little traumatized after years and years of nightmares).

- Castaway Cove is a water level where the town is completely flooded and sea monsters lurk in the depths. The boss is a sunken ship monster called Ship Wrecker, who has a mouth and teeth made of jagged wooden planks. Its big move is Anchors Away, where it releases a large anchor that damages the whole party. When it’s close to dying it does a new move called Wreckage, where its whole body becomes a mouth to bite the party with. Its normal move is just chasing someone around and biting them. Also there’s a water bubble around the battle arena because it would be a pain in the ass if not.

- This is Oliver’s level, since he almost drowned and is therefore afraid of water. He tries to swim to prove he’s not afraid anymore, but starts having a panic attack. He admits to Penelope (because they split into groups) that he feels guilty that his mom died swimming out to rescue him, and wants to prove that he can take care of himself now like she wants him to. Penelope gives him a pep talk, since she relates to feeling the need to prove herself and doesn’t want him to feel that way. It doesn’t totally fix the problem, but Oliver is able to get through the dungeon without issue.

- Yule is an ice and snow level where the whole place is caved in, and they have to parkour down to the bottom. It kind of sucks because ice physics lol. The little monsters you encounter are scary versions of the Tomte, and the boss is an igloo-abominable snowman fusion called the Bombinable Snowman. It’s a giant spherical igloo with a face and hairy limbs, which it tucks inside itself for certain attacks. Because of the ice blocks, it has really high defense, which only lowers when it does a move called Bumbles Bounce. For this move, it pulls its limbs into itself and throws itself to the ground like a bomb. This does physical damage to anyone not defending. You trigger Bumbles Bounce by attacking it enough, so it’s a very stamina-based fight. It also has an area attack called Avalanche, and a single attack called Stalag-Might, where it slashes with an ice spear.

- This is Esther’s level. She and Penelope get cornered by one of the Tomte monsters, which doesn’t respond to Esther’s attempts to soothe it. Esther gets upset, and says something like “This [monster taming] is what I’m supposed to be good at!” She explains that she’s a sage’s daughter but not a sage herself, so she has to be powerful in her own way so her dad will be proud of her. Penelope’s like “Wow these kids have issues” but assures Esther that if Rashad loves her, he’ll be proud of her no matter what she does. It’s in this moment that Penelope realizes how similar her situation is to Esther’s, and starts feeling less beholden to her parents’ opinions of her.

- Perdida is a moving level where the player has to keep up with the moving camera and dodge constantly changing obstacles. For this one the dungeon is also the boss, as the town’s multi-headed snake statues have come to life and morphed into a giant snake in the sky. It works like the snake boss from Puppeteer, or the Rayquaza balloon from Poke Park. Basically you run across the back of the snake. The heads of the snake attack when you get to the front, but then one of them swallows you and you fight from the inside. Unfortunately I don’t have names for this boss and its moves just yet, but just assume they’re snakey.

- This is Swaine’s level, and also kind of Marcassin’s. Obviously Swaine’s afraid of snakes, but for the whole DLC story he’s also been trying to prove he can be a good brother to Marcassin. Marcassin ends up getting captured by the snake because it was attacking Hamelin, and he wants to prove he can be a good ruler. Basically Swaine wants to be like Marcassin, and Marcassin wants to be like Swaine (in that Swaine is more of a physical attacker and strategist), and they have to work together to stop the snake. In the end both brothers realize they’re good as they are, and Penelope finally comes to the same conclusion.

- With all the rifts taken care of, the group goes back to Nod, where they invite Penelope to travel with them. Penelope thinks about how the Nodlanders and her parents never appreciated her, but how these new people do, so she packs up the apothecary and becomes a traveling saleswoman with the gang. The themes are a little hamfisted, but to be fair the themes of the main game aren’t super subtle.

Conclusion

Holy shit this was way longer than I intended it to be. I don’t expect anyone to read this far but if you did, thanks very much for reading my infodump about a game nobody likes! (Lol.) It’s been super fun coming up with the level designs and stuff, and Penelope is just really fun to draw. Also yeah I know she looks a bit like Moon from FNAF but shhhhh it’s fine.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1936 Chevrolet

At General Motors in 1936, vehicle testing was remarkably sophisticated. See all the equipment and methods at work in this original Chevrolet film.

Like many of the Chevrolet films produced back in the day by Jam Handy of Detroit, this one, titled Wind, Weather, and Wheels, was designed to capture the interest of a general audience. So the script writers take a few minutes to get around to the actual subject—we call it the “first, the earth cooled” method of storytelling. But at around three minutes in (feel free to skip ahead) we get to the good stuff: a tour of the General Motors Proving Ground and a detailed look at the testing procedures for the ’36 Chevrolet.

For the mid-thirties, the test hardware is relatively sophisticated. At 4:40 we encounter a vehicle-sized pendulum for locating the center of gravity, and at 5:40 there’s an early chassis dynomometer with full instrumentation. Steering effort is checked with a wheel-mounted torqueometer, while a fifth wheel validates fuel consumption. And at around 9:30, a vacuum pump and smoke machine are used to test the cabin seal. We enjoy seeing this old gear at work, and along the way, there are some excellent views of the Proving Ground in its early, more rustic form. The facility, still a busy place today, is modestly described here as “the greatest outdoor laboratory in the world.”

In 1936, Chevrolet was not the best-selling car in the USA. In fact, Ford beat Chevrolet in total volume in ’34 through ’37, no doubt due in part to the selling power of Ford’s 85 hp V8. But with 79 hp, Chevy’s overhead-valve inline six was at least in the game, and a redesigned six the following year matched the Ford V8 in rated output. At $495 to $655, Chevrolet undercut Ford in pricing by a few bucks in ’36, losing to Ford by a mere 12,000 units. Video follows.

[chu-diaries]

100 days of mental healthcare: day 89/100

I couldn't post here yesterday because my parents' dog passed away. She was hospitalized for a few days but couldn't handle the treatment. In addition to the emotional support, I had to take care of the burial and the paperwork. She was buried under this beautiful rose bush 🤍 this year has been very busy for my family so far: two deaths, a pregnancy and a wedding. All of this has made me think a lot about life and its paths.

I'm not having time to study as much as I'd like, so I've decided I'm going to review some topics this week in short intervals. I haven't been sleeping well and I've been working a lot (which I discovered it’s good for my mental health). My last test of the 140g candles didn't turn out as I expected and I'll need to buy new types of wicks. Fingers crossed! I hope to sell my first candles as soon as possible.

🌸: day 6/29

💧: 2 L

🏃🏻‍♀️: walking (15 min)

🧘🏻‍♀️: yoga practice (48 min)

📝: 🚫

📖: I reviewed the main identity characteristics of some Yoruba deities (10 min)

🇰🇷: 🚫

📺: 🚫

🎧: semanário dos bruxos - potterish

📚: hp and the deathly hallows

🛑: 3 days pick-free

💊: took all my vitamins + 5/5 IV iron replacement sessions done

[aptericia]

Octopath II gameplay tips!

I'd been thinking about this for a while, but since I have mutuals who are playing 8path2, here's a list of advice and things the game doesn't explain!

Incorrect/vague skill descriptions:

The Warrior skill "Enervating Slash": The description is flat-out wrong. This will remove all positive status effects from the USER, rather than the targeted enemy!

"Increased intensity spells" courtesy of the Scholar job: So wtf does this even mean? It gives you a counter that causes the next x number of AREA TARGET SPELLS to be "intensified". For instance, the Cleric's "Heal Wounds" skill can be intensified, but NOT the Apothecary's "Healing Touch" skill. For elemental-based spells, such as Fireball, this causes it to trigger twice (or three times if using Alephan's Wisdom).

Throné's EX skill "Disguise": When used on an ally, Throné takes on their job(s) and learned skills. Sadly, because she doesn't also take on their equipment stats (to my knowledge; I haven't actually verified this), it means she's usually not optimized for their fighting style.

Partitio's EX skill "Share SP": This also has a flat-out wrong description. He gives a percentage of his SP to EACH party member, not just one. For instance, without boosting, he will lose 25% of his max SP and every other party member will gain whatever that amount is. And yes, they'll get it even if it puts them above their normal max SP! Partito rocks!

The Apothecary job’s “Preventative Measures” support skill: Rather than nullifying status ailments for the first 3 turns of battle (as the description says), it nullifies the first three status effects to target the user. So if the user isn’t hit with a status effect until turn 4, it will still be nullified, but if they’re hit with 4 status effects within the first three turns, the 4th will still take effect.

Battle interface:

"Status ailments" include Poison (take damage each turn), Sleep (unable to act until hit), Unconsciousness (unable to act, period), Blindness (greatly reduced accuracy), Terror (unable to boost), Silence (unable to use skills) and Confusion (target a random ally until hit).

"Positive status effects" and "negative status effects" include buffs/penalties to stats, as well effects like temporary HP regen, Sidestep/Vengeful Blade charges, etc. Note that the Cleric skill "Sacred Shield" does NOT appear next to the character's name, and therefore does not count as a "positive status effect"

The order of enemy weaknesses is something you'll see mentioned in any guide/trivia about the game, and it's incredibly helpful. Weaknesses are always listed in the same order: Sword, Polearm, Dagger, Axe, Bow, Staff, Fire, Ice, Thunder, Wind, Light, and Dark (SPD ABS FIT WLD). So for instance, if I determine that an enemy is weak to daggers and the dagger icon is in the first square, I know that enemy CANNOT be weak to swords or polearms, because those would be listed first.

Traveler talents:

Don't forget that Osvald's Study Foe talent reveals more weaknesses each time he encounters the same enemy!

Remember to have Partitio in your party in order to take advantage of his Business Partners talent! For instance, if Parti's follower gives a discount when buying things, this applies not only to NPCs he Purchases from but also shops if he happens to be in the party. Similarly, you may want to pick up a follower that earns more from sales before you sell off a bunch of junk. And if his follower gives a refund at the inn, you can refill your whole party's meters for free as long as you keep Partitio in your party.

Dancer skills that will activate Agnea's Dance Session talent include: Lion Dance (Dance Session targets the ally), Peacock Strut (Dance Session targets the ally), Dagger Dance (Dance Session targets Agnea), and Bewildering Grace (Dance Session targets a random party member). Ruinous Kick, Stimulate, and Sweeping Gale will NOT trigger a Dance Session.

If you want to go into a dungeon you're just under-leveled for, try taking both Throné and Temenos and clearing it at night. Blessing of Darkness and Moonlight Judgement together can give a huge advantage, especially once you're higher-level.

Miscellaneous:

Caits and Octopuffs have absurdly high evasion and elemental defense, but give you massive rewards if defeated. They will often flee the battlefield if ANY enemy has taken damage by the time their turn comes around. Usually the best way to defeat them is to hammer them will all your strongest magic, as spells can't miss and have a minimum damage of 1. Use of Stimulate, Leghold Trap, and the A Step Ahead support skill can come in handy to push their turns back. As @limayde mentioned, Medium and Large Soulstones can also defeat most of them instantly!

Healing (via skills) is based on the caster’s elemental defense. Therefore, it’s a good idea to give your healers equipment with high Elem. Def!

[csphire]

Larian, you don't just give us this fine ass tiefling that gives us dreamy bedroom eyes and not let us romance him!

Why Dammon should and needs to become a romance option in a future DLC or Patch:

There are some sparks flying between him and Karlach already. Maybe just of friendship but honestly, I think he's got a little crush on her given some of his lines. It's clear he's concerned about her at the very least, and that could easily bloom into a deep friendship or something more. Letting us romance him on a Karlach origin playthrough could be rather sweet. It could also help shake up that status quo of men being the brawn and women being the brains. At the very least, it would help some shorter guys and taller ladies who pair up feel seen and celebrated.

He's an NPC we see on the regular in all three acts. (Granted he's rather fragile. Seriously Larian, give him more than just 8 hp! Alfira the bard has 20 hp for goodness sake!) Even if he's not made into a companion most of us already make a stop at least once a day at his forge to sell him our stuff. Sure it's business at first. But even in the game currently, he gives the player all kinds of freebies if we bring him the right things. Plus, most of us don't think it's weird at all to support a loved one's time and efforts so him remaining our favorite merchant is not a problem. People have housewives and househusbands they support all of the time, after all. Let us do so with our future forge husband.

Visiting him on the daily is also more than enough time to provide the player with small opportunities to progress in a relationship with him. Once a day he could say something new about his. Or he drops a new tidbit about his past and his passions. The player then could pick a response to up his approval. His merchant approval and relationship approval might be tricky to navigate but could both be displayed when buying or trading with him. He could also pay a visit to our camp on occasion too. Perhaps at the camp party, it starts out as a one-night stand, then rescuing him from the ox later on at Last Light Inn we can admit we do actually care about him.

NPC romances are not a new thing and have been implemented in other games such as in Dragon Age Inquisition with Josephine and Cullen. We also lack a male tiefling option. (Although there are some Zevlor and Roland Stans out there too. Hey, more options with horns and tails the better I say. ^_~)

All the companions have some rather big things on their plate and lots of baggage. At times this can be overwhelming for some players or at least on every playthorugh. What about the Tav or Durge's needs? What if the player is going through some tough things in real life and just can't deal with any more drama? Perhaps Dammon could be an alternative in that he could provide some with more emotional support or comfort. He invites Tav over for a home-cooked meal. Maybe he burns the pizza a little or he could suck at cooking, but it's the thought that counts. Or maybe he's usually a fantastic baker and sends you off each day with some kind of camp supply treat. I'm not saying make him boring but keep his romance a bit on the little lighter side? Why? Some players just overall feel better when their loved one is back at home and relatively safe, and that's valid. Plus during the course of the game, we do rescue him around three times and he's sure to have some baggage from his time in the hells. It would be just nice if he had a little less than most of our companions. If we had a fluffier romance option instead of one that leaves us crying.

He's already a part of the player's story and could help showcase and offer some in-game tutorials for Tinker or Artificer class if made into a full companion or even if he remained an NPC. If shown say any blacksmithing schematics he could provide more information or insight about new weapons and armor. For example, if one misses the sussur bark nature roll he could suggest where to find some if we show him the quest item.

He could provide a story of being biracial. Given his white sclera and other coloring, some are left to wonder if he might have a few elves or humans in his family tree. Granted this might be a rune power keg of a topic but it could be a way to allow many to feel seen and hear a similar story to theirs unfold in a game.

Rumor has it the Voice Actor for Dammon, Frazer Blaxland is all on board at the idea of working with Larian more.

There are a few more reasons beyond the ones given, but these listed here are some of the strongest reasons why Dammon as a new romance option makes perfect sense.

Feel free to comment below about yours! The more reasons the better!

Also, you can submit feedback to Larian HERE. Send them your thrist.

[thescholarlystrumpet]

Tagged by @tawnyontumblr Thank you, luv! This is fun!

How many works do you have on ao3?

166 formatting is being weird without a sentence here

What's your total ao3 word count?

910,348 - ahhh approaching 1M!!

What fandoms do you write for?

Good Omens and (to a lesser extent) Hazbin Hotel right now. Past fandoms included Rumbelle, Whouffaldi, Buffy, and Avenue 5

Top five fics by kudos:

To Tell the Truth (Doctor Who) Whouffaldi moments woven between episodes. Mostly canon-compliant.

Lending a Hand (Good Omens) In his heavenly form he wouldn’t have had this dilemma at all because there was no corporeality with which to struggle. And on the other, much less ephemeral and much more literal hand, he currently had a very noticeable (and increasingly painful) erection.

Personal Assistance (The Thick of It/Doctor Who) Clara Oswald leaves behind teaching to enter the world of British politics. What better way to make a splash than by working for the infamous Malcolm Tucker? And if discovering a (mutual) attraction happens to catch them both off-guard.... well, that's just life, right?

The Babysitter (Once Upon a Time) Tumblr prompt: Mr. Gold forgets something at his house & goes back to go get it. When he arrives he hears his son's babysitter moaning and thinks she has a boy over. When he goes into his bedroom he finds her touching herself on his bed alone moaning his name.

None of Your Business (Once Upon a Time) “Well, it’s very nice to meet you at last, Angus.” She rolled his name around in her mouth as though she hadn’t been screaming it the night before. Mr. Gold tries to balance lust and trust with less finesse than he'd like to admit. Luckily, Belle can give as good as she gets.

Do you respond to comments?

I've made it a goal to try and reply to almost every comment. I'm grateful someone took the time!

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh undoubtedly Silence is Golden. I made my self tear up writing that one...

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Almost all of them? But I will take this chance to pimp my Canon-based Buffy Season Six Fix-it! (Everyone lives!): Making the Pieces Fit

Only totally non-shippy fic in my repertoire and one of my proudest achievements.

Do you get hate on fics?

rarely if ever?

Do you write smut?

Bwahahahahahaha. Oh. Yes.

Craziest crossover:

Not Just Watching Anymore - Buffy/Good Omens excuse to write an M/M/M threesome between Aziraphale, Crowley, and Giles :D

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, back in the rumbelle days, someone linked me to a site trying to sell my fic as theirs and we reported it.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

If they did, no one ever linked back to me :(

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Working on one with @hakunahistata tho we've both been sidetracked by Bang fics, hehe. It's gonna be great to get back!

All time favorite ship?

Oof. I love all my OTPs but I'm definitely *deep* in Aziracrow right now and hope not to emerge any time soon.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

SO. MANY.

What are your writing strengths?

I get good feedback on my dialogue and characterization. I think I write pretty kickass smut most the time.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Background. What color are the walls? Where is the furniture? I have no fucking clue unless its relevant to the story. That table only existed when I needed the character to lean against it. It wasn't raining until that helped set the mood. Some people write exquisite scene setting and I am envious but writing it bores me to tears.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

One of my IRL besties can read a bunch of ancient languages and WILL side eye improper grammatical structure in fiction so I picture them giving me that look unless I do the really proper research (or ask them directly).

First fandom you wrote in?

unofficially HP but per my AO3, Once Upon a Time

Favorite fic you've written?

Ask me to cut my baby in half while you're at it, geez! But right now, I am proudest of For Loving One 

No pressure tagging: @voluptatiscausa, @naromoreau, @fishey-me @ineffabildaddy @she-makes-things @hakunahistata @nosferatini @zin-lynn-c and anyone from the @goodomensafterdark crew!

[joannerowling]

Your response to that clown that actually believes Jo will ever lose her rights over HP is *chef's kiss*. And you are absolutely right, she will never give up her rights to HP, and why should she? It's something she quite literally risked her life to print the pages so she could find a publisher, it's something that got her out of poverty; she'd be a fool to sell it. Also, damn, I didn't know about WB being that much in dept, what losers lol.

Men (and media people in general but especially men) have always been furious about this. I've lost count of the number of articles and comments i've read by smug dickheads, whining about JKR and her "insistance in controlling the ~franchise~", which "doesn't let other creatives with fresh ideas pitch in", would "kill the brand long-term" blah blah blah. I should make a compilation at this point. Plus ofc they're all nerds, so they have the same references and repeat each other constantly, it's so boring. They're all convinced that because George Lucas is a moron everyone's gotta be the same. My man, i don't know how to tell you that Jo Rowing is a smarter business woman than your blorbo + has the artistic integrity he clearly lacked.

[mensfactory]

1964 Lamborghini 1R tractor !

It’s kind of hard to imagine today, but there was a time when the Raging Bull wasn’t known for building supercars. Decades before the iconic Countach was even a concept, Ferruccio Lamborghini got his start building tractors. 

Italy was trying to rebuild itself after the World War II, and the businessman saw an opportunity. In 1948, he started Lamborghini Trattori, a company that soon became one of the country’s biggest agricultural equipment manufacturers.

The business, which is still in operation to this day, was so fruitful that Lamborghini was eventually able to turn his attention to his true passion, high-performance sports cars, by the middle of the 1960s.

Lamborghini’s first tractors were made using spare military vehicle parts, but by this point, the company was producing finely tuned machines. The 1R was the company’s best-selling model during this period and was powered by an air-cooled 1.5-liter twin-cylinder diesel engine that produced a whopping 26 hp.

The tractor sports a stunning blue-and-orange paint job that looks more like something you’d see at an exotic car show than on a farm. This particular 1R was once part of a Lamborghini family friend’s collection and was recently restored by Garage961, the only tractor restorer officially sanctioned by the Museo Ferruccio Lamborghini.

Courtesy: Bonhams

[mr-jack-letterman]

Understeep! (Click on pick for better quality cause Tumblr crushed it :'] )

Understeep is an Undertale au I made where the skelebros run a tea shop called "Bones and Brews" in Snowdin :].

Understeep links

Papyrus "Matcha"

W.D. Gaster "Chai"

Extra info about Sans and the Au below 👇

• This Au mostly centers around the skelebros. Not much else changes in the surrounding world.

• Sans essentially has the personality of maple syrup. A very slow, warm, and easygoing guy. Even if he's secretly stressed 24/7, he hides it under his chill attitude to not worry his brother.

• Sans is a lot more responsible in this Au. He's still relaxed and sleepy, but due to his job being more demanding, he rarely ever takes naps.

• Despite this, due to Sans's naturally low HP and stamina, he frequently passes out in the shop once it's closed, and Papyrus carries him back home.

• instead of selling Frisk hotdogs, Sans will sell Frisk teacups of just hotdog water, and stack the tea cups on top of Frisk's head.

• Sans's magic now takes on a pinkish/red hue instead of cyan. His left eye glows with his pink base magic as well as Patience.

• Sans has grown accustomed to working long hours, so his genocide fight is much longer.

• Gaster ran the shop before Sans took over. Before he died, he taught Sans fire magic so he could help out more with making tea.

• Sans still prefers using his own fire magic to make the tea instead of the kettle.

• Sans also uses his fire magic in the fight against him.

• Whenever Sans "shortcuts", his fire magic tends to melt the snow around his feet or leave a scorch mark.

• Sans used to study with the royal scientists before his father's death. After he died, Sans abandoned the science track and started working in the shop full time to keep his dad's business alive.

[yaperson-personperson]

Bro this concept animation took so long I’ve been on and off with it since like, june. Welcome to Akai’s shop! More about what I think it would be like under the cut.

Items she sells:

CD donut - “Cyber City’s ORIGINAL CD pastry!” Exactly the same as a CD bagel. Only difference is the name and where you get it. If you have both a CD donut and a CD bagel in your inventory at the end of the chapter, it triggers a cutscene between SCC and Akai where they fight about their competing business. SCC call Akai a traitor for siding with the Queen and not joining their rebellion and Akai’s like bro I’m just trying to keep my job.

Drumsticks - “2B or not 2B… they’re 7As.” Healing item that can be used twice. Heals 65 HP both times. Become’s “drumstick” when the first one is used. Everyone except Ralsei treats them like chicken drumsticks.

Sheet music - “It’s a nice piano piece.” Triggers Ralsei to put a piano in Kris’ room for them. They can use the sheet music to actually play the piano. If you buy the sheet music and then inspect the piano in the light world, it gives you the dialogue “If only you had some sheet music to play.”

Axe guitar - “For shredding bars AND enemies.” Weapon for Susie. +2 AT, +2 Magic.

Misc:

- You can’t sell stuff to Akai because it’s just a music shop

- The description of the CD donut is a reference to how hydrox came before oreo and tried to focus its advertising on the fact that it was the original

- Akai’s shop gets placed right next to SCC’s shop in castletown

[the-bjd-community-confess]

Hear me out- bjd brands if they were tech

V0lks- Apple. Started it. Will sell you Volks approved special tools and every branded accessory you imagine. People build a lifestyle around it. Dolls come pre-finished in V0lks’ vision.

Fairyland- Dell. Basic. Everywhere. Popular for a reason! Comes in many sizes. Plain Jane or hella fancy depending on your budget.

Resinsoul- Linux. On the affordable side of things. Easy interface but surprisingly deep options and diy opportunities.

Doll Chateau- Alienware. Powerful. Instantly recognizable aesthetic. Maybe more money than the next guy but it’s *unique* and *shiny*

Luts- HP. Been around forever. Still exactly what it says on the tin. Solid and reliable.

Iplehouse- Lenovo. Serious dolls for serious people. Stoic. Business suits. No kawaii allowed.

~Anonymous

[comicsforyall]

Exposing the Empire with YA, The Amulet of Samarkand Review

“It’s like Harry Potter, but for boys.” This confusingly misguided comment is one I remember distinctly from the book store employee who was trying to sell my grandmother and me The Amulet of Samarkand. The even more baffling part is that it worked. But to be fair it was 2007 and, as an eight year old boy in the rural American South, I was horrified to learn that I potentially had been reading and enjoying a book series that was for girls.

Having read the entire Bartimaeus series in my youth, I still have no clue what that employee was referring to, unless it was pure author discrimination. However it is very clear that similarities between the series do exist, at least superficially. The Amulet of Samarkand is book one of the Bartimaeus Trilogy (or Sequence if you’re nasty), and centers around a naive, misguided orphan who is introduced to a world of magic and politics in London. The overall setting and description is honestly the extent of the crossover between Bartimaeus and HP, besides some common themes and tropes that are much more attributable to the genre than anything.

The book is certainly an introduction into a new specific world cooked up by author Jonathan Stroud. There is a significant amount of time spent building the logic and lore of this version of reality, though it is admirably obscured within gripping action and drama sequences. The political structure that is explored can seem a bit simplistic when viewed now, but I do distinctly remember being confused and challenged by many aspects as a child. This story unfolds in a way that is not revolutionary, but is potentially subversive for the target audience.

Nathaniel, But Kindly Keep His Name To Yourself

Despite not being the series titular hero, the viewpoint character for The Amulet of Samarkand is the young magician named Nathaniel. An orphan being raised via abuse, while simultaneously being integrated into a lifestyle of power and privilege. He is a tragic mess from the start to the end of this journey.

The world that unfolds for Nathaniel, and the reader, is a society of distinct hierarchies and exploitations of power. In other words it mirrors reality quite sharply. The ruling class is exclusively magicians, who keep their knowledge secret and consolidated. Nathaniel is indoctrinated with the ideas that the British Empire’s magicians are noble heroes, and that they keep peace throughout the world. He is so young and sheltered that his naivety drives a lot of his actions. The other force pushing him is ambition and privilege.

With one hand his adopted parents, particularly his father, is smacking Nathaniel down with physical and verbal abuse. The other hand is feeding stories of glory and spelling out the ways to achieve it. Nathaniel’s growth and liberation is linear and clear from early on, however it becomes marred in the death of his innocence.

The exploits of Nathaniel and his gradual rise in power could be considered the main story, but the more interesting angle is the system that he learns about. As he becomes more adept at wielding his position, the consequences of doing so are revealed.

The magician’s main weapon is the enslavement via magical bonds of djinn, pulled from another realm. Utilizing the inherent power of knowing a djinni’s true name, the magician’s have developed a reliable system to continually wield the magic for themselves. The whole process is very business coded, with the orders and bonds between the two parties basically being magically bound contracts. Unfortunately for Nathaniel, djinn can utilize a magician’s true name to inflict intense pain, if they somehow manage to learn it. This lesson comes to him through a trial by fire, and it is the first domino to fall for the young boy.

It becomes very hard to justify commanding other beings through force, when they suddenly can deliver direct consequences to you. The reality in the novel, and in many cases in the real world, is that the privileged simply cannot comprehend the repercussions of their action, as long as they remain secluded above it.

The instant the tables turn, the crushing weight of empathy and sympathy starts to press on Nathaniel, in a relatable manner. From there he’s presented with the easy option of playing into the system, or the harder one of standing against it. This decision will be continuous, one Nathaniel has to keep making. He does not see the full picture, even at the end of the novel, but the building contrast between Nathaniel’s abilities and his morality is the lynchpin of his character.

Bartimaeus, But Keep His Name To Yourself

The second protagonist, and the guide for both the reader and Nathaniel, is the djinni Bartimaeus. He can only be described as pure wit, using footnotes to give long winded and personal asides, ranging from petty jabs to small history lessons. Bartimaeus keeps up a cold, sarcastic facade, but slowly reveals a much more relatable personality to the reader.

An unaging spirit, who has been around for much of humanity’s history, Bartimaeus is a deep well of experience. From him the reader learns the dynamic between the djinn and the magicians, namely the former being ripped from their homes and forcibly bound to the will of the latter. The many levels of djinn have varying abilities ranging from vaguely useful to horribly destructive. The more powerful the spirit, the more difficult it is for the magician to bind and wield.

Bartimaeus reveals himself to be a mid-level djinni, but continuously builds himself up with stories of his historical exploits. The most important insight he allows is that ancient Egypt was his favorite era, and that he made a magician friend in that time. The boy named Ptolemy becomes a clear indicator that Bartimaeus has a much larger capacity for compassion than he lets on.

In terms of an arc, Bartimaeus doesn’t have too much progression as a character. He is forced into participation in the story, and spends most of the story quipping and darting through action sequences. In between he uses humor to mask the information dumping, as he describes the levels of imps and the specific limitations of certain magicians. Charming and very funny, his chapters are highlights and a breeze to read, if a bit one note.

Systems, Sarcasm, and Storytelling

As the first in a series, The Amulet of Samarkand is unabashedly an introduction in many ways. There is a clear sense of trying to describe as much of the political and magical systems as possible, while still delivering an engaging story. The occasional separation of the information dumps into footnotes is interesting since it provides an easy way for readers to simply skip the long winded explanations, but in doing so highlights the stark difference in content. There is certainly a sense that the story wants to be action packed, dramatic, and over the top, but feels obligated to justify each sequence. In the best cases it helps to keep the story fleshed out and immersive, but at worst the distinct sections can feel too dissimilar and actually pull the reader out.

As Nathaniel gains more real world experience, the political landscape of this version of the British Empire is exposed to him. From a younger perspective this can be pretty enlightening, as the fictional empire very much mirrors those that dominate the international landscape of reality. As an older reader though it is decidedly the less interesting out of the two systems that are being presented.

The magic system for the novel is based around different planes of existence and perception. The more powerful a djinni, the more levels they can see and manipulate, with the humans largely staying confined to the first material plane. From the perspectives of the protagonists, the system is fairly intuitive and at least feels like it makes sense even when the exact events are vague or rushed.

Building out the institutional structures takes up a large portion of the reading, but the spaces that are left are crammed with sincere character moments and romping action sequences. There are very few conversations or altercations that do not feel as though they are moving the plot or characters along. The story comes out tight and self contained, while simultaneously poised to be expanded into much more.

Conclusion

There are plenty of novels where the YA label can come across as unnecessary or borderline derisive. Without getting into the merits of those arguments or the classification in general, The Amulet of Samarkand works as a fantastic novel for readers of any age. The light it shines on society in general could be seen as one that has long been illuminated for older readers, who may not feel truly challenged by the story or themes.

For even the most seasoned fantasy veteran though, there is plenty of interesting magic and lore, not to mention jokes, to keep the story compelling. An easy read, with plenty of new ideas and at least one standout protagonist. The novel exceeds expectations but does not necessarily smash them.

Score: 70/100

Citation Station

The Amulet of Samarkand, by Jonathan Stroud

Cover Art by Melvyn Grant

Original Article, The Cover

[vole-mon-amour]

Hot take but maybe going after HP fans that no longer give (or have never gave) their money to JKR and the franchise are not the ones that people should be after?

"Forget it. Give it up. Move on." ??? Stop trying to police what piece of media people get to enjoy if they're not harming anyone by doing so? Who cares if you think it's trash or if it's objectively trash or whatever, if it's pirated and no harm done to an actual human being, what's so wrong with that? (UPD: and maybe try offering them an alternative that they might like if they're open to suggestions, instead of just shaming a person for their fictional interests?)

What if a person wants to write/read HP fanfiction? What if they want to buy merch from another fandom artist? And what if it's a queer/trans artist (or basically any marginalized person who JKR would be against) that only benefits from selling that merch?

Seriously, why are you so aggressive towards other fans that are very aware of what a horrible being JKR is and just mind their own business without supporting her financially and sometimes without supporting canon for that matter? As far as I'm concerned, JKR can choke/die/whatever, but let people write their silly little fanfics and draw their silly little fanart? Most of which JKR wouldn't support anyway, so, like, she can stay pressed? Lol.