#we have more capabilities surrounding what we can do with technology

[astracora]

Not that Caleb having a cybernetic arm with no sensory input isn't horrendously heartbreaking in a future where we have OTTO who. Need I remind DO HAVE SENSORY RESPONSES. But would I sit and write a Drabble of my MC comparing their prosthesis to Caleb's and acknowledging that EVER rebuilt his arm to be a tool vs MC's prosthesis which was given to help them adapt to their disability and regain their independence... yes yes I would.

[viiioca]

[ day 13 - competition ]

From a collection of letters found in the living quarters of Krile Baldesion during the Eureka expedition, dated around the third and fourth moons of the Seventh Astral Era.

Dear Mistress Krile,

As promised upon departing for Eorzea, I have written to you in what I believe anyone would agree is a timely fashion. The ferry ride was a firmly uneventful two weeks from Old Sharlayan to the grand port of Limsa Lominsa first, where I was not pickpocketed as Master Baldesion predicted, and I was able to arrange another ferry to the small port of Horizon on the coast of Thanalan. (Predictably, I'm in no hurry to return home, not merely because we've hardly scratched the surface as to what possible Allagan wonders we shall find during this expedition, but also because I'm not sure I could stomach another ocean voyage anytime in the next six moons.) I imagine there's little I could describe to you of Ul'dah and its surrounds that you have not already heard from your friend Minfilia, but you'll be disappointed to learn that the coffee she so extolls is essentially a very sweet mouthful of grit and sediment.

From northern Thanalan, I proceeded with a caravan en route through Revenant's Toll and finally arrived at the Son of Saint Coinach's digsite. What words could I possibly use to do the scale of this project justice? There are at least fivescore scholars here, experts and assistants alike in countless disciplines; a score of Ironworks engineers working tirelessly to maintain equipment and appraise the technological finds; a dozen stalwart adventurers hired on as guards and hunters; chocobo hands and their accompanying birds; administrators, cooks, medics…As if that were not enough, we are perched, almost quite literally, atop the ancient beating heart of Allag itself. As vast as these crystal-crusted ruins stretch, there are still more trapped underground, which one can catch a glimpse of from the top of these great canyons that have opened in the ground in the wake of the Seventh Umbral Calamity. "Dizzying" would be the understatement of the era. I have of course worked with Rammbroes previously (you'll recall that he was a great help with my thesis and in fact my appointment to this position is in no small part thanks to his personal investment), but I did not realize that he has called in Cid Garlond himself to lead the engineers on the task to assess and breach the Crystal Tower's defenses. Cid Garlond! One could hardly ask for a more capable mind for what is surely no simple job.

In fact, he has already devised an ingenious method for piercing the first layer of defenses. However, it requires a not insignificant amount of rare materials -- highly refined aethersand of four different elemental aspects, any pinch of which is worth nearly my full year's salary -- and we were already facing a disappointingly mundane roadblock of supply shortages. Rammbroes thus tasked me with following up on various supply leads. I hardly need to remind anyone that this is not the sort of work that I was appointed for, and would have been a task far better suited to one of the graduate students, but I agreed to do it regardless as entering the tower as soon as possible is a foremost priority and I would be foolish to delay it any further on account of my pride.

I had little trouble acquiring the aethersand we needed, but imagine my surprise to discover that Rammbroes apparently did not consider me up to the task, as he sent another to come and complete my work for me -- who turned out to be none other than the Champion of Eorzea herself. I did not expect such a meeting, but perhaps shouldn't have been surprised, as it seems that luminaries are often found in each other's orbits, and Cid Garlond was not only personally acquainted with her but considers her a close ally. Of course, I did not strictly require her help to obtain the final aspect of aethersand, and thought to make a game out of a task that was well beneath both of our stations. And because I know you've read that sentence with your brows knitted in your typical suspicion, I must reassure you that I comported myself with the utmost dignity, and I'm quite pleased that it seems we will have an exceedingly pleasant working relationship for the length of the expedition. She is much friendlier than I'd been given to understand from the (admittedly sparse) tales, and best of all, agreeable to all manner of conversation topics, not the least of which include firsthand accounts of her deeds. I would be remiss in my duties as a historian to pass up the opportunity to collect interviews from a primary source.

We are now in a period of brief downtime as we await Master Garlond's finishing touches. How are matters on the Isle of Val? How fare you and Master Baldesion? I recall him being particularly restless before I left, but I assumed it was related to my deployment on this expedition, as there was much friction between us when I made plain my certainty that the great arsenal of Eureka Orthos will be located beneath the Crystal Tower. Has his mood much improved? Give my regards to the cousins as well. This letter will arrive alone, but when I receive the next portion of my stipend, I shall send back a rather strong tea blend I discovered in Gridania that I believe you will enjoy.

Sincerely,

Raha

P.S. I'm also thrilled to inform you that "NOAH" was immediately accepted as a name for our survey party, and they most certainly did not "laugh me out of camp." In fact, the Champion of Eorzea said she found it charming. I eagerly await your apology.

P.P.S. Would it be possible to include with your reply a dictionary and grammar book for the Ishgardian language? Before you needle me about why I would possibly need them when I'm camped in the middle of nowhere, you should be well informed that there is a chirurgeon in camp now whose mother tongue is Ishgardian, and I thought that it might perhaps make her feel more comfortable among all of us Sharlayans. And no, I've already asked Rammbroes and he's roundly denied me a requisition form, citing "budget concerns" (which I believe to be imaginary). I would make the trip into Coerthas to purchase them myself, but I'm much needed in camp and would be missed if I were gone overlong.

[mysticstronomy]

WHY ARE BLACK HOLES INVISIBLE??

Blog#368

Saturday, January 20th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Black holes themselves are invisible—they emit virtually no light and so cannot be seen directly. But we have developed several ways to find them anyway.

By looking for the stuff that’s falling in. If material is falling into a black hole, it travels at such high speeds that it gets hot and glows very brightly, and we can detect that.

(That’s how the Event Horizon Telescope took its famous first images of black holes.) Scientists hope to use this method to learn a lot more about how and what black holes “eat.”

By seeing their gravity pulling on other things. We can find black holes by watching the movements of visible objects around them. For example, a black hole’s gravity is so strong that nearby stars will orbit around them, so we can look for stars behaving strangely around a patch of “empty” space.

From this, we can calculate exactly how heavy that black hole must be. That’s how Nobel Prize winner Andrea Ghez and her team detected the supermassive black hole at the center of our own galaxy.

By detecting the gravitational ripples when they collide. We can also detect black holes by detecting the ripples in space-time created when two of them crash into each other. From that signal, we can tell how massive the black holes were, how far away they were, and how fast they were traveling when they collided.

In addition to these methods, scientists have also explored the possibility of detecting black holes through their impact on surrounding matter and light. Some researchers examine the distortion of light caused by the gravitational lensing effect near a black hole, revealing its presence indirectly.

Furthermore, advancements in astrophysical instruments and technologies continue to expand our observational capabilities, offering new insights into the elusive nature of black holes. As our understanding grows, the quest to unveil the mysteries of these enigmatic cosmic entities remains an ongoing and fascinating scientific endeavor.

Originally published on https://news.uchicago.edu

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, January 24th, 2024)

"DO WHITE HOLES EXIST??"

[thefirstknife]

Hi Bel,

I have a question related to the lore surrounding the Vex and the way they interact with time. There seems to be debate over if they can time travel vs their advanced simulation technology just makes it seem like they can time travel etc. Would you be able to explain definitely what their capabilities are regarding affecting time? Can they change the past?

They can time travel... sort of. If we're understanding it correctly. But also the way we view time travel and the way the Vex view time travel might not be entirely aligned.

They have to be able to move through time because that's the only way we can actually see Precursors and Descendants; past Vex and future Vex respectively. For example, now in Echoes, a lot of the Vex we fight are Precursors; really odd overall because they appear to be rare. There's some in the Vault of Glass and the Black Garden, but they were mostly located on Mercury. They're old Vex, from the past.

So how can they be here unless the Vex move through time? The same question applies to Descendants, Vex from the future. However, this raises a further question: if they can time travel, why didn't they already achieve their goals? This:

"If the Vex had achieved what we would call 'time travel,' surely none of us would now exist." —Sister Faora, "Theories on the Vex"

A good explanation of this problem is this lore tab from Aspect:

The Vex, they're the closest to understanding it. They've got distance from it. If time's a river, then we're fish and they're diving birds. What's wet mean to a fish? What's it mean to an osprey, who's never fooled by refraction on the water's surface?

+

The Vex understand time in a way we never will. Doesn't matter how long I spend here watching them. Doesn't matter how many jury-rigged portals Guardians fling themselves through. We live in time. They use it as a tool. Any moment that's ever happened, any moment that will ever happen, they can go back to it. Play it again till they get it right. Simulate it.

So why can't they change things fundamentally? Seems to be good old paracausality:

The Light's a counter to that. They come back, a Guardian comes back. They simulate an ending, a Guardian tears through it. Stalemate.

Some of their powers also appear to be just them using time as a tool; teleporting is described as essentially time travelling:

The Minotaur revises its place in history, appearing to teleport forward as it shifts to a more advantageous future.

Simulation allows them to explore possibilities and options at a larger scale, but I believe it's separate from the actual ability to move through time. They can do both, for different purposes, both of which are not entirely clear to us. Paracausality is yet again a problem for them, even for simulation.

There's some technology that was capable of actually making changes, most notably the Sundial. This wasn't made by the Vex, but it was using Vex technology and the whole deal with it was that the Psions were capable of rewriting history with it. The Sundial also allowed us to go into the past, into Saint's personal timeline, and save him, by changing it (and creating a paradox with it).

Another question is the Corridors of Time which the Vex were using to move through time, but it's unclear if they've created that space or not. And one more question are timelines and how does that affect the Vex and their unique relationship with time and other realities. We could also go into the Vault of Glass and Black Garden and other Vex spaces and all of their weirdness with time. There's something going on with it, on top of simulation technology.

In truth, we're not really sure about a lot of stuff with the Vex simply because they have this strange relationship to time that we can't really grasp. Even those that explored the Vex closely like Osiris and Elsie can't really answer some of these questions.

It's a very interesting discussion, so if anyone wants to add to it feel free! Time travel shenanigans are still mostly mysterious and so are the Vex.

[thedissonantverses]

Dragon Age as an Introduction to Post-Modernism(Part 1)

“The center cannot hold.” This is one of my favorite quotes in the English language. You’d think I’d have first heard it one of my many literature classes but no, I first saw it in Stephen King’s The Stand, which if you haven’t read it is a buck-wild coked out good vs evil narrative where the Antichrist uses the U.S. Military to destroy the world.

Anyhow, the full poem is by William Butler Yeats and goes like this:

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again; but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

Now dear reader, I don't know about you, but when I read that I am strongly reminded of:

"And so the Golden City is Blackened

With each step you take into my Hall.

Marvel at perfection for it is fleeting.

For you have brought sin into Heaven.

And Doom upon all the World. "

Before we go any further, we need to define Post-Modernism as a school of thought. But first, we start with Modernism because it is easier to define the former against its predecessor. In a lot of ways, Modernism was driven by schools of thought like the Enlightenment. There's the idea that there is some kind of utopia humanity is striving for. If you were a say, white, upper-class man in the 1880's who sees more democracies forming, more advances in science and technology, less restrictive rule of the church, it was easy to think that humanity was going to achieve some great final universal destination. Humanity is ultimately good and eventually everything will be okay.

Then WWI happened. Yeats’ poem above? The historical context surrounding it is the utter, devastating ruin that was WWI. A war often overshadowed by the sheer, unapologetic evil of WWII, but WWI was the first time in history humanity saw what horror technology, biological warfare, and mechanical ingenuity can unleash. Nine million military dead, 23 million wounded, and 8 million civilians dead. Try to wrap your head around those numbers. How do you cope with the knowledge that humanity is even capable of that kind of unmitigated destruction. That we can rip entire countries to shreds and not even blink. At the same time, the Spanish Influenza killed, by the lower estimates, 50 million people. The human brain physically cannot comprehend what those numbers look like. An entire generation was just gone. I cannot emphasize enough what this phase of history did to humanity on a large scale, psychologically and physically. All of the worst things we are capable of a species, we did and then some.

Which is how we get to Post-Modernism. Rather than aiming for some universal ideal, we are aiming to understand. The center cannot hold because there is no center and never was. There is no universal morality. Get comfortable with cognitive dissonance and unreality. Get comfortable with the idea that two things can and must be true at once.

Just to make it perfectly clear, Post-Modernism is not a centrist philosophy. There are very hard lines in the sand when it comes to things like slavery, genocide, colonialism, eugenics, centrism, fascism. We do not tolerate such things on this blog. Okay? Okay. One of the reasons I'm writing this is because I truly think the death of media literacy is contributing to the rise of fascism we're seeing world-wide. Forgetting, ignoring, and white-washing history is not the goal.

Another large takeaway from Post-Modernism is that if you read a war story and came away feeling inspired, it's probably a bad story. I strongly recommend Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five or Tim O'Brian's The Things They Carried if you want good books to explore this particular topic further. War is horror. It is the Void, the emptiness you stare into that stares back. It takes everything from you, including yourself. Trying to make sense of something so senseless is a Sisyphean task I, and many other have spent our whole lives chasing. One of the reasons I'm so fascinated by history was when I learned about the Holocaust and just could not understand.

Until I did.

As for how all of this applies to Dragon Age, what I want to spend the next four parts exploring how these ideas of unreliable narration, existential horror, history being written by the victors, and that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter are the whole point. I want to take a look at each game individually through my favorite literary school of thought. Hope to see you on the next part, where I shall tackle Origins first.

[lilmissnatcat24]

Electric Sheep Chapter Nine- Puff Puff Pass

As Shepard grows closer with the crew, Garrus shrinks farther.

pairing: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian

rating: Explicit

tags: Lovers to enemies to lovers, Slow Burn, Slow Build, Enemies to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Minor Character Death, ,Violence, Blood and Gore, Torture, Disturbing Themes, Dual POV, Earthborn (Mass Effect), Ruthless (Mass Effect), Mass Effect 2, Whump, Eventual Smut, Requited Unrequited Love, Mind Control, Pining, so much fucking pining that even i'm a little disturbed, Hurt/Comfort, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, OC Central, a kid show called the electromenom that teaches shepard about basic physics, yet another cliffhanger ending (sorry), second in series

cover: done by the stunning @/milkywayes!!!!!

lil text blurb

Welcome to AlienQ! We hear your questions about alien races, and we have answers! Just type your question into the search bar, and our VI will scour our databases for your right answers! 

Race: Human

Q: Do turians lie? 

A: It is unpopular in turian culture to lie. Turians have a strong sense of honor and personal accountability. From a young age, turians are taught to embrace their decisions, and many find it a grave sin to lie. If asked directly, most turians would tell the truth, no matter if it paints them in an unfavorable light or implicates them in a crime. However, this is not to say that turians don’t possess the ability to lie. Some turians will adopt the mentality that “half-truths” work to both successfully cover the truth and maintain their honor. 

Q: How can humans understand turian subvocals? 

A: Turians have a secondary mode of communication called subvocals, which are located in the chest. They emit a frequency that other turians, and to an extent quarians and krogan, can hear with a naked ear. Subvocals work in a multitude of meanings, ranging from subliminal messages to true intent to sarcasm. Humans cannot hear subvocals without the assistance of echolocatioary technology, such as a Stethpack or a Richter Acousia. However, most humans can physically feel the vibrations of subvocals if they place a hand on a turian’s chest, back, or carapace (the large rounded cartilage that surrounds a turian’s shoulders). However, turians will tend not to appreciate physical touch without consent, so be sure to ask first!

Q: What do turian subvocals mean? 

A: Oftentimes, turian speech and subvocals may have contrasting meanings. Most turians, when asked directly, will tell you exactly what they mean. Especially when interacting with races that cannot understand subvocals such as asari, salarians, humans, volus, and hanar, turians will tend to speak more directly. 

Q: If a turian tells you they don’t care about you, can their subvocals give a different meaning? 

A: I’m sorry! There is insufficient data to answer this question. 

Q: If a turian says they want to kill you, can their subvocals give a different meaning? 

A: I’m sorry! There is insufficient data to answer this question. 

Q: How do turians die? 

A: This question is vague. Consider rephrasing to include keywords such as religious beliefs, biology, lifespans, cultural significance, or funeral practices. 

Q: Can a turian be resurrected from the dead? 

A: Unlike krogan, turians do not have self-regeneration biological capabilities. When a turian is pronounced dead, unfortunately they are dead. 

Q: How can a turian that’s been dead for over a year get resurrected? 

A: I’m sorry! There is insufficient data to answer this question. 

[dr-futbol-blog]

Rising

When we first meet John Sheppard on the Antarctic Base, he seems like a fish out of water. He has been stationed at a remote military outpost, and this place is not only filled to the brim with scientific instruments and alien technology, it is also full of civilians.

Several people are checking him out. It might be because he looks like he doesn't belong there even though he is trying to blend in, or it might be because he's a good looking guy. Women check him out but also several men check him out. He is admired by both women and men, as we later learn. Even if he was used to receiving attention like that in a previous life, as stated, he has come here from a stint of voluntary self-isolation at a military compound, surrounded by soldiers.

Note that these people, two of which at least are medical and scientific staff, aren't assessing him as a potential threat. They just like what they see. What's not to like?

And what does John do? Out of all the people that show interest in him, he looks at this stocky guy none-too-subtly checking him out. Not only looks but does a double-take. They exchange glances. In his first scene at the base, three women check him out, two men check him out. He himself looks at three men, eyes sliding over the women entirely.

Okay, we might interpret this as him casing the new joint, assessing the threat level, simple curiosity, what ever -- but it does not explain his ignoring of the women. We learn later on, on Athosia, that while his CO looks at women as though they are "not there", Sheppard does not. He is not sexist, that is. He sees men and women as equally capable. It's one of his defining characteristics.

In these first few moments, we learn that how people see him and what Sheppard actually is and does are two very different things.

We can give this scene the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it's coincidental. Except, in the very next scene, he just keeps doing it. Checking out guys, making eye contact. He's trying not to, he's just not succeeding.

Furthermore, he's drawn in by the dulcet tones of Dr. Beckett, following his voice to the chair platform. Sheppard, that is, went looking for the source of the voice. He also spends what seems like quite a long time chatting with the doctor in privacy, away from all the people eyeballing him.

Later on, at SG Command, we once more get a scene where he looks, but tries very hard not to look, at two guys, one of whom is a very handsome Russian soldier, while his eyes glaze over a woman. He's not even the only guy to check this beautiful man out!

Further, he looks not once but twice and smiles at someone off screen at a direction where only dudes stood previously. We don't know who he is looking at, only that it is unlikely to be a woman. This is a pattern. This is not only acting choices, this is direction and editing. This is the introduction to the hero of our story.

Col. Sumner takes an instant dislike to Sheppard. We are meant to think that it is due to his black mark and insubordinate attitude. Likely the Colonel knew everything about his black mark but, given the way Sheppard has conducted himself here, he may also have been able to connect the dots. But as long as Sheppard isn't telling, he's not asking.

Here, we are introduced to another one of Sheppard's enduring characteristics: using charm for self-protection. He attempts to use charm to disarm the Colonel, which does not seem to be working, and he is using charm in an attempt to get the protection of the civilian leader of the expedition against the Colonel. Later on, we see many instances of him using charm in this way in a very calculated fashion.

On Athosia, more of the same. Sheppard exchanges long glances with Teyla's young, handsome companion. It is curious that in this scene, Sheppard barely looks at Teyla when she's speaking whereas the Colonel does. The man has an intense look and he barely seems to blink, boring his eyes into Sheppard.

Later on, when John asks Teyla whether she thinks that he looks at her as though she were not there, she hesitates. It's not an unequivocal no, of course you don't. This is actually lampdshaded in the scene itself. The presence of the young man is acknowledged.

John: Well. Guess it's just you and me... and him. Teyla: Your leader looks through me as if I were not there. John: Do I? Teyla: ... No.

Sheppard again looks the Athosian man straight in the eye, and Teyla even turns to follow the line of his sight. Sheppard has just literally looked through Teyla at the man before he asks her whether he does the same thing as the Colonel. And the pause, as Teyla considers her answer, is noticeably long.

John, you see, is not looking through Teyla because he's dismissing her as a person. He was looking through Teyla to see someone else, another Athosian. What ever Teyla saw in him, she decided that he was safe enough to go alone with into the woods, away from everyone else, into a dark and confining cavern -- a man she had just met and knew nothing about.

All of this is merely looks. They could mean nothing. And yet the episode underlines the importance of exchanged looks at the climax where Sheppard interprets the look in Col. Sumner's eyes as begging him for the sweet release of death. In this very episode, information is conveyed through a look without the aid of words, and at a pivotal moment at that. Looks matter. They tell a story.

This is the Sheppard we are introduced to at the start of the series. This is the result of the choices of a lot of people involved in the production.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Do we have any info on TARDIS biology?

Do we have any info on TARDIS biology?

This is a very brief overview of the more obvious parts of TARDIS biology, you'll have to ask something specific for more detail (if any can be provided).

🌱 Bio-Mechanical Entities: TARDISes are bio-mechanical entities with technological and organic characteristics. This lets them self-repair, adapt, and grow like living beings.

🧑‍✈️Pilot Link: One of a TARDIS's most notable biological traits is its link with its Time Lord, using Rassilon's Imprimatur. This connection allows the TARDIS and its pilot to communicate and, to some extent, share consciousness and emotions.

⚡Artron Energy: A TARDIS uses artron energy, which is essential to its operation and linked to the Time Vortex. This energy is also vital for its Time Lord, and it can be exchanged between them like metaphoric blood.

🌀Dimensionally Transcendental: Bigger on the inside is made possible by dimensional transcendence, managed through the TARDIS's unique biological matrix.

🚀Sentience and Growth: TARDISes are considered sentient, capable of making decisions, feeling distress, and even acting independently. They also display a life cycle of birth and death.

🚪Corridors and Rooms: A TARDIS's internal architecture can change on a whim, adapting to its pilot's needs and mental state or sometimes just to annoy them. This suggests a form of morphological change typically seen in living organisms and a kind of emotional response/intelligent thinking.

🩺 Regeneration and Repair: Like a living being can heal wounds, a TARDIS can regenerate and repair its structure.

🩻Symbiotic Relationship: The health of a TARDIS is directly linked to its Time Lord pilot/s. A distressed or dying Time Lord can negatively affect the TARDIS and vice versa.

🌐Telepathic Circuits: Partially, through its telepathic circuits, a TARDIS interacts with its environment like a creature using sensory organs. It can perceive threats, understand languages, and even manipulate its surroundings to some extent.

🏫 So ...

While not biological in the traditional human sense, TARDISes mix life-like traits with advanced technology, perfectly reflecting the Time Lords' mastery of both technology and the organic.

Related:

🤔|🛸🧬The Life Cycle of a TARDIS: How TARDISes are born, grow, and die.

💬|🛸👽What happens to a TARDIS when its bonded Time Lord passes away?: Examining mourning and ‘oh well’ tendencies in TARDISes.

💬|🛸👶What does a baby TARDIS look like?: Very wild guesswork as to what a baby TARDIS might appear like.

Hope that helped! 😃

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features:⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[betonbennett]

My dearest Barnabas,

I had thought it wonder enough to see Jonathan in this place, even as much as he now appears to detest me—but now you have arrived, and while I weep for your confusion and disorientation the joy that fills me at the knowledge of your presence is beyond any measure, though it is bittersweet. To see a familiar face, and especially your familiar face, is almost a gift, were it not likely to your own detriment that you have managed to be sent to this time.

I shall enlighten you as to your circumstances, as best as I am able; you have arrived around two hundred years in the future. The world is quite changed: people dress in ways we would consider terribly inappropriate, the manner of speech used is horrifically familiar, and technology has grown in leaps and bounds. Including medical knowledge, which I am certain will prove of great interest to our good friend Jonathan, once he has gotten over his imperishable stubbornness.

I shall extend to you the same offer I made him, although I dearly hope that my future self has not wronged you in a way that makes it seem impossible to accept. If you have any need of aid, any assistance whatsoever, I shall provide it as swiftly as I am able, which I do hope is very swiftly. I have, for the moment, housing and some funds, which I assume are things you are in great need of.

Please, Barnabas, I beg that you let me help you, even if with only the smallest of matters. It would hurt more dearly than a blade to the heart if I had to see you suffer needlessly when I can so easily remedy it.

I am, as ever, your dear friend and obedient servant,

Jonah Magnus

@jonahmagnus-research

Jonah? Oh, thank the Lord– I'm not quite sure I have ever been as pleased to hear from you as I am at this moment. Although I am devastated by the thought that you may have found yourself as estranged and utterly lost as I currently am, it would be foolish of me to even attempt to pretend I'm not overjoyed at your company, even if the circumstances surrounding it are somewhat...odd.

Those exact feelings I share regarding the news of Jonathan's presence, although I cannot help but find myself puzzled at the thought of him detesting you. I had assumed such things to be entirely impossible between you too. Have you had some sort of falling-out that I haven't heard of? If so, I'm certain it shall not last long. Much like myself, I doubt Jonathan is capable of maintaining any feelings of contempt towards you for long.

Two hundred years. Good God. I suppose it's no wonder I find myself as clueless as I do even when looking at the streets around me. I will be quite pleased to hear of your findings in these strange times, perhaps over a few drinks.

As per your offer, it is incredibly kind of you to even think of assisting a friend in these trying times. I will do my best not to bother you, but I cannot say I'm displeased at the prospect of sharing a home with you, my dear.

Thank you, Jonah. Thank you so very much. It is rather moving to think that, even stranded in what almost appears to be a different world, I can still count on you to help me. My dearest friend, at my side and ready to save me whenever I need it. If there is any way I may return this favour, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Yours, as always,

Barnabas.

[teecupangel]

What if we take the fact that Desmond gets an eevee in all of the Pokémon aus and combine it with the Desmond gets turned into an animal subgenre into Desmond gets sent into the past as an eevee and disregarding the need for evolutionary stones and just going off of the lore of eevee evolving to suit their habitat what eeveelution each protag would end up with

…………………

Nonny.

There’s only one true answer to this…

And it is: SYLVEON!!!

There’s no way in hell that Desmond as an Eevee would not evolve into a Sylveon. No matter which protagonist it is, Desmond would definitely become their loyal and closest friend, especially if it’s one of Desmond’s ancestors!

Sylveon!Desmond is inevitable!

Sylveon!Desmond is canon!

…

…

But because it’s fun to think about other possibilities, here’s what I think Desmond would evolve into for each protagonist IF AND ONLY IF Sylveon is not available:

Altaïr: Jolteon, mainly because Jolteon is the fastest of the Eeveelutions and Desmond would want to keep up with Altaïr. Also, Jolteon’s electric moves, especially Thunder Wave that paralyzes opponents, would be something Altaïr would prefer to have as it could be used in combat and utility (With a Jolteon!Desmond, Altaïr could honestly speed up technological advancement to OP levels)

Ezio: Vaporeon, mostly because of Venice and Rome having large bodies of water that a Vaporeon could take advantage of. Not only that but Desmond would definitely go for a water type evolution on the slim chance he could save Monteriggioni by dousing the fires that would erupt from Cesare’s attack.

Ratonhnhaké:ton: Probably Leafeon to be honest due to the abundance of forest that Ratonhnhaké:ton would travel to. If I was being mean, I would pick Flareon as a reference to the burning of his village and how that tragedy shaped Ratonhnhaké:ton. (Doubly-mean would be Desmond actually evolving during the burning of his village and he’d be a constant reminder of that day and Ratonhnhaké:ton’s mother’s death)

(BONUS) Haytham: I wanna give him Vaporeon and that’s because Desmond had already evolved when he was with Edward and he’s staying with Haytham because he cares for the Kenway family. If Desmond is an Eevee when Haytham finds him, he’d probably evolve to an Umbreon instead, maybe?

Edward: Vaporeon, hands down. The whole sailing thing is the main reason why.

Shay: Glaceon because of how Shay’s Morrigan traveled to icy locations.

Arno: Espeon because of Arno’s strange almost psychic capabilities to see the memories of the people he kills. Espeon was also picked because that big red jewel on the forehead would be a symbol of the nobility that Arno is part of and surrounded when he was growing up.

Jacob and Evie: Flareon for both the industrial setup of London that focuses on fire and heat. Also, Flareon shows how many of Jacob and Evie’s missions usually ends in an explosive manner (usually metaphorically but can also be literal).

Bayek: I kinda wanna say Leafeon because there are a lot of luscious greenery in Egypt as well but probably Umbreon as a reference to the mystery that Bayek is trying to uncover and also as a reference to how his ‘memory corridor’ is always shrouded in darkness.

Kassandra: Espeon because of the weird demi-god stuff Kassandra can do is more or less sorta connected to Espeon’s psychic capabilities. Both cannot be explained as human feats.

Eivor: Glaceon because of Norway and as a reference to where Yggdrassil can be found.

As for the other Pokemon AU…

Here’s the Detective Pikachu AU where Desmond gets transported into that world.

Here's our ideas with what Pokemons AC protagonists (bonus: Desmond's sun-themed Pokemon party) and the Isus should have (bonus: Bayek's must have Pokemon XD)

[dailyp1anet]

BREAKING NEWS

WAYNE ENTERPRISES SCANDAL: THE TRUTH

By Lois Lane, Senior Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: 23:00, 26th July 2024 | UPDATED: 23:06, 26th July 2024

BRUCE WAYNE CLEARED: Wayne was arrested earlier this week outside of Wayne Manor. © The Daily Planet: James Olsen, Photographer.

Gotham based Wayne Enterprises has been the centre of a scandal surrounding the technology it has been developing. A whistleblower came forward to discredit the integrity of CEO Bruce Wayne, accusing him of malpractice and breaking international law by producing a lethal product with intention to harm citizens of the United States. The Daily Planet can reveal today in an explosive expose, that the whistleblower in question has been revealed to be an employee of LexCorp Industries. Questions have been raised by the press against the independent review body commissioned by the World Health Organization.

Wayne was accused of introducing a prototype bomb filled with a somniferous agent. Somniferous poisons refer to agent capable of inducing sleep. Narcotic drugs were the term employed to categorize these agents. Examples are: Opium. Morphine. Gotham's underground crime syndicates are notorious for their use and selling of narcotic drugs and somniferous agents. The GCPD have arrested three cartels operating in the Gotham area and have supply connections in Metropolis. It was believable to connect Mr Wayne to this agent and the person behind this prototype knew exactly what they were doing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) was commissioned to undertake an examination of Wayne Enterprises and their scientific divisions, including seizing laboratory operations. In partnership with the WHO, the Department of Defense (DOD) ordered Mr Wayne to suspend his operations. The share prices of Wayne Enterprises plummeted with shareholders losing billions of dollars overnight. Meanwhile, LexCorp share prices tripled as many shareholders invested into Mr Luthor' company. Lucius Fox, Wayne's Business Manager, was ordered to step down from his role and Bruce Wayne was told by his board to resign from his post before they would vote no confidence in his leadership.

The Daily Planet can reveal that members of the WHO and the DOD were all shareholders of LexCorp, meaning they could make millions of dollars off of Wayne Enterprises' collapse. The UN has since ordered the WHO to cease their examination and the US Senate has called for an inquiry into the Department of Defense and their disclosures of vested interest. Bruce Wayne has been detained several times throughout the course of the investigation and outside of the Wayne Enterprises building, he gave a statement to the Daily Planet exclusively.

@urbanoath said “I have always believed in justice and accountability. Those same values are translated in business as well. The Wayne Enterprises remains committed to innovation without forgetting the ethic practices. The technology we developed has been altered to defile the original program and our reputation. Now, the truth has come to light, and we’re putting the project in stand-by to work on security enhancements.”

The prototype bomb has been sent to S.T.A.R. Labs to determine its origin. LexCorp has declined to comment on this story after several enquiries were made. Pressure mounts on US Senate to start their inquiry as soon as possible, it is unclear at this stage if Bruce Wayne will take legal action. The Department of Defense has asked General Sam Lane to act as Secretary of Defense, on the orders of the President of the United States.

MORE ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY SOON ...

COMMENTS (988.8K) | LIKES (23.1M) | SHARES (15.5M)

[togetogetogepi]

Sword Art Online characters as dogs

This is a completely subjective list. It doesn’t have all the SAO characters. You can expand it if you want. If I hate a character, it doesn’t mean that I have anything against that specific kind of dog.

Oh my dog, what am I doing.

Kirito: a mutt. He’s the dog that first comes off in your head when you think “dog”.  He’s a medium/small size, black with white spots and very slim. A mixture of so many breeds that you really can’t distinguish any of them. He could be a good service/rescue dog with appropriate training or a good motivation, but nobody has any expectations on him because he’s not that special.

Asuna: a white Samoyed. A pure and expensive breed with long hair, considered a really pretty dog. She’s also incredibly strong and playful, which could be tied to how Asuna acts when surrounded by friends, far from her family’s grasp. These dogs are related to the snow, so it fits with Asuna’s surname.

Yui: a small robot dog that looks like a Dalmatian with dark bue spots. She really doesn't know how to be a dog, despite her cutting-edge technology. Kirito and Asuna pick her up like a puppy whenever she has to go up or down the stairs.

Agil: a St. Bernard. A huge, strong dog with an affable and loyal personality and considered a good nanny for children. Considering that Agil is the oldest of the group (dude is 30), works in his bar and spends a lot of time around the group of teenagers, I think it’s funny to think that he’s the “dad/caregiver” of all the others.

Klein: a red Shiba Inu. I had trouble with this one, so I thought “orange and Japanese dog” and boom, there he is. Shibas are apparently decent guard dogs so it fits Klein’s need to protect others. Plus, he’s the kind of guy that would spend hours watching memes, especially old ones and we know who’s the ultimate meme dog.

Lisbeth: a chocolate, short-haired Chihuahua. She’s nervous, easy to jump and attack, but a good dog deep down. You may not see her, but she’s always there to hear all the gossips. She’s not everyone’s taste, but you would miss her if she disappeared.

Silica: a cream sable Pomeranian. She’s small, not very strong, loves to have company and she’s more arrogant than she looks. In this AU, Pina is a tamagotchi that Silica takes everywhere.

Kuradeel: a grey Borzoi. A skinny bitch. Bro is glued to Asuna’s window while singing “Didn’t I do it for you?”.

Kayaba: a German Shepherd. The kind of dog you could feel comfortable with while still respecting him. He’s wayy too intelligent and calm. Not much else to say, Kayaba is boring af.

Suguha: a blue mix of Mastiff and Labrador. She’s extremely buff from training, and can be pretty aggressive, but is overall social and close to her loved ones. Her love might be a bit too much for many.

Sugou: a white and lemon Papillon. A posh and slightly smart dog that can’t win any fight due to how fragile he is. The name of this breed also means “butterfly” in French and in this AU, Asuna is capable of tearing him apart with ease, and that makes me happy.  Thanks to @transboykirito for suggesting this one!

Now if I ever want to draw dogs, I have a place to start. An odd place to start. Maybe I shouldn't have discovered Tumblr.

[leobert-travel-journal]

"; We all move between these two unknowns."

I found out rather quickly why the Seclusion Zone was closed down.

Admittedly, knowing #81 did not make this future an oddity, however I cannot imagine just how that Nameless felt upon being met with a revived Emanator.

Ruan Mei is an interesting woman. My specialization lies in the opposite of hers, and yet there are times when they intertwine. Her biological fascination with life and death are often topics of debate for those of us who are more.. philosophically aligned, however there is something to be said about her determination for her studies.

I am, quite frankly, very pleased to have met with these little creatures instead of the Emanator of Propogation's offspring. The Nameless supposedly had a rather.. interesting time assisting #81 with her research, although I cannot imagine why they would take on a .. form like this.

I find these creations quite.. appealing? Their designs are quite impressive, although I.. don't know why one of them has taken the form of a trash can. It's cold to the touch, and yet feline in nature..? I believe?

Once again, I find myself faltering in the face of Ruan Mei's creations, and confusion takes root. Unfortunately, my bewilderment was not overpowered by my enjoyment. I am, unfortunately, quite weak for cute things.

But back onto more important topics. The Emanator.

I myself have no love for the Propagation's inner machinations. I am pleased to not exist in the same Era as the Swarm.

Once again, I have no interest in the biological, but the very concept that #81 was capable of reviving not only an Emanator, but a Swarm King is.. intimidating. I wouldn't recommend getting on her bad side, but admittedly it appears like a difficult thing to do.

Given my status as a Genius, I suppose that's the only reason why I'm allowed through here. This red orb is an artificial egg sac, one that held the copied figure of an Emanator of Propagation, Skaracabaz.

The fragments just below are memoria, by the way. Memoria is often hard to encapsulate, and even harder to grasp for those not of the Remembrance, but there are many things technology can accomplish. Fret not.

Seeing this gargantuan thing in real life was certainly a cause for concern. As I gaze upon this figure, I found that I was rather.. intimidated.

Oftentimes, those devout to the concept of the Propagation believe that the Swarm is pure. This is, also, why Ruan Mei chose this Emanator to replicate, out of all of the ones she possibly could have had at her disposal.

The reasoning behind this notion is that they are not driven by greed, or hunger, or a lust for power, or anything we sentient folk are often subject to. No, the Swarm is 'pure' solely because they are driven by what is arguably the main reason to live: repopulation. Their desire is not inherently hate-filled, although with many Aeons, it can be construed that way. It is simply a matter of biological function.

So admittedly, I find myself quite concerned that #81 sought to revive a Swarm King, because the very concept of what it could do to the surrounding galaxies alone is baffling. I find myself quite impressed with Herta's security team for constantly culling the remnants of the Swarm that still linger in these halls.

...

While I was exploring, one of Ruan Mei's creations came up to me and.. I think accosted me? I cannot be quite sure. regardless, there is now a .. 'throne' atop the boxes in the back. What unique creatures.

Well. I suppose I shall leave my musings there for the day. The concepts of the Aeons and their Emanators is one rather near and dear to my heart, so I hope one day to uncover more about them.

For off topic notes... I received a message yesterday. I found it quite odd and a little startling to find out that there could be people who will talk to me through here, but.. I suppose it isn't so bad. If any of you have questions on practically any matter, I will do my best to assist. Questions on the Aeons, on their followers, on the planets, on.. well. On whatever it is your heart desires. I am not the sort of Genius who prefers hoarding her knowledge. Please, feel free.

May Xipe guide you all.

[gemsofgreece]

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1124978706101525&id=100057682193382

Another Turkish series that features Byzantine empire and Greek people in the comments fight over it why we don't make about it instead?

But with what money? Greek productions care about making quick money from reality tv shows and the series they make are nowadays remakes from other countries which mostly are cheap soap operas with vendetta and love triangles. They waste money on projects like this instead of funding actual good things.

Even Magissa the supposed oldest period set in the 18th century is mediocre:/

First of all, let’s be clear: Turkey does not make a series that “features” the Byzantine Empire. It makes a series about the Ottomans conquering the Byzantine Empire. Big difference. Turkey invests a huge part of its available resources in stroking the national pride of its people, many years now.

We also can not judge it before it airs because even if they are closer in technical aspects (settings, costumes) than they once were, the most critical part is how they will present historical truth. Let’s not forget that previous one in which Constantine Paleologos was presented as an imbecile.

Don’t expect a (good) Byzantine show in Greece anytime soon. Greeks are lately getting brainwashed to hate and lowkey, no, actually highkey renounce the Byzantine empire, this is what I am noticing. Even though western perception of Byzantium has shifted dramatically the last years (which is also why they have suddenly started massively claiming it as part of western civilisation and a perfect seamless continuation of Ancient Rome, the wet dream of western white dudes who like to imagine Rome surviving the Apocalypse for some reason). Κόντεψα να πάθω ένα εγκεφαλικό όταν είδα να γράφουν στο YouTube σοβαρά ότι το Βυζάντιο είναι κληρονομιά των Ιταλών επειδή ήταν το ίδιο με την Αρχαία Ρώμη. Κάπου εκεί ένιωσα στο πετσί μου το «καλύτερα το οθωμανικό φέσι από την παπική μίτρα» που λέγανε οι βυζαντινοί. And yet Greeks take no issue with that because first of all they think they are oh so western and their minds have stayed behind in stereotypes of 50 years back and want nothing to do with the Byzantine Empire. Btw those people are the αρχαιόπληκτοι who think their closest ancestor is Aristotle and that Christianity tied their hands from certainly doing the supersonic civilization advances that they were 10000% capable of and now Greece would definitely be the biggest superpower in the world. You know, typical Balkan brainwashing, the Greek-style. I could rant for hours about how laughably wrong this is and how detrimental it actually is for our sense of national identity but this is not our topic here.

Except it kind of is, actually. You see, most Greek people don’t know history. While Greeks are taught history more accurately than in dare I say quite a few of their surrounding countries, in Greece kids are more and more led to consider it insignificant with every new generation. The school system does that to them: what else could happen when in high school, the school years in which students have the most developed critical skills, teens are allowed to solve their math & physics etc homework for the φροντιστήριο during history and language and political studies classes and everything else that is deemed iNsignIficAnT? How could it be different when picking theoretical studies direction in high school automatically sends you to the group of kids “who were too IdiOtiC to understand math”??? I say this as a person who followed and graduated uni from the θετικές sciences - I enjoyed all of that; math, physics, biology so there was no question that I should go there because that’s where “clever kids” go. And in retrospect, I might be regretting it now because now I see the beauty in theoretical studies even more and I am currently at a phase that I am finding them marginally more interesting. In the end, from my year everyone went to θετική or technological direction except for like TWELVE (12) students who went to theoretical & human studies and half of them weren’t happy about being there because they felt they were banished there for not loving math.

Imagine, the country with the largest number of archaeological sites per land unit in the world, not being able to get kids interested in its lingual and historical legacy, or any legacy and civilisation for that matter. I am not saying our school too should turn them into nationalist soldiers like it happens in certain countries nearby 👀, I am saying school should turn them into knowledgeable young people acquainted with history, politics, social studies, the Greek language in-depth etc in short everything young Greeks know nothing about.

You might think I am off topic but I am not. You see, Greek producers know what their target audience is. The target audience is yiayias watching a love triangle drama, moving pictures that don’t need too hard thinking. Or people wanting to have a laugh at best. People who watch with their kids and don’t want frustrating imagery. Simple things. Greeks are also so politically obtuse and polarised and lately the government is so omnipresent in our lives that political shows would not have much luck either. The Greeks who actually want to watch something different have long given up on the Greek TV and are extremely reluctant to trust it again. Look at these viewership stats:

Honestly, what creative investments do you expect in a country where most of the dynamic audience (AKA young people watching actively) is watching something like «Έχω παιδιά»? The only thing that is not disheartening in these stats is that Survivor is crawling.

As for Magissa, there are so many things to unpack. First of all, the first season was already a risk given Greek viewers’ preferences. And don’t get me wrong, I LOVED Magissa but even though the budget was the highest ever, surpassing even The Island, it was still hugely lacking for the needs of that plot and time period. (And also no matter how good Magissa is, it is a joke compared to the Island.) And the idiots cut that budget in half to make the second season instead of investing the earnings of the first one???? And why? To tell a story EVEN further back in time? Like, make this make sense.

Despite all that, I actually enjoy watching the second season of Magissa. There are many reasons it doesn’t do well enough: fatphobia (trust me it’s the main reason, unfortunately ), too little budget for the settings and effects and the cast, like this was supposed to have a large cast with Italian speakers, and of course lack of historical knowledge. It would be scary for you to consider but there are many people who have no idea about the Frankokratia and all of this is stuff they are unfamiliar with. It’s also one of the least taught periods in Greek school anyway.

Making a Frankokratia show with a historical / political plot in Greece would be a huge risk because a scary number of people wouldn’t know what you are talking about or wouldn’t care. So it has to be magic and love triangles. I don’t mind that but it is what it is.

Furthermore, like I said above, Greek and Turkish viewers are not similar. Turkish viewers actively want to watch past glories and promote them to other countries as they are entering “the Century of Turkey” like their president promises.

Greek viewers just want to watch a foreign show or just something way too easy and casual in Greek TV. And TV producers know that, so not only they don’t have a lot of money but they are willing to invest much less because they mistrust greatly the Greek audience and its tastes and I honestly don’t blame them.

With the channel producers we have now, with the mentality Greek TV viewers have, with our alienation from historical studies, with our tendency to scrutinise, doubt and mock everything before it even starts and without even having the credentials to be so strict judges, there is no way Greece could make a show about the Byzantine empire now or any other significant historical period and it having any chance to be remotely good.

In short, this is part of Turkey’s greater plan to present a fascade of grandeur to its people but also foreigners in every single aspect, including entertainment.

As for Greece, έχει χάσει και τα αυγά και τα πασχάλια σε όλους τους τομείς, what do you expect. (<- Sorry I didn’t know a good enough equivalent for that saying in English XD)

Wow this must be one of the most coals of Greece posts I have made sorry for the downer hahaha in fact there was so much I wanted to rant about and this is why the answer might seem a little incohesive.

[funtimesale123]

gn reader x bowser fan fic fifth chapter

You finish up breakfast and get to know some of the Koopalings better.

Check out the next post for some info on the Koopa kids personalities

(Also I'm not going to bother trying to fix the text layout for Tumblr anymore cause pasting and fixing it is a lot)

As everyone finishes up breakfast the Koopa kids argue over who you should hangout with.

"Can we paint together? Please?" Jr. says grabbing your arm.

"I wanna show ya my lab! We can do experiments! Hehehe!" Iggy says grabbing the other.

"No! I'm gonna give them a makeover! (They're in serious need of one.)" Wendy quietly mumbles the last part.

"Aww. Me and Larry wanted to take em to the courtyard. I wanted to show ya more tricks!" Lemmy says then Larry shows more pictures.

"Larry says he wants to show ya his sports skills!"

"Can Morton go with Lemmy and Larry?" Morton says as he bounces on his heels excitedly.

You noticed that two koopa kids have already left. Not seeing Roy or Ludwig in the dining room anymore.

As the kids argue you look over to Bowser and he simply chuckles and gives you a small smile as he shrugs.

You roll your eyes.

Seems you're not getting any help from him I guess...

Then Kamek appears as he says

"I am truly sorry young royals but I must request that the guest come with me. I require their assistance to learn of their home."

"Aw" the children whine but understand

"Would you please follow me." Kamek motions for you to follow

As you walk through the halls you ask Kamek where you're going

"The Royal library. Hopefully you can find something relating to your world. So you said that in your world ours is fictional right? Did you travel here through a book or perhaps a portal?"

You remember that in Mario and Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and a few other games Jr had his own phone so hopefully Kamek will know what video games are.

"I don't think I really came here through something but I was playing a video game and then fell asleep." You reply

"Oh! Like the ones that Jr. and some of the other young royal children play?" He asks

You nod

"Hmm… then perhaps books are not the best place to look, but it does not hurt to try." He says as he opens the doors to the library.

As you step inside you can't help but be amazed by the sheer size of it and the amount of books that surround you. It even has an upper floor! How were you supposed to be able to find anything without searching the whole day?

Finding something on your world would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

You snap out of your thoughts as Kamek snaps in your face.

"I do not mean to be presumptuous but I am guessing you are not used to such great amenities~" He says smugly before continuing

"So what can you tell me of your world? You said magic is fictional or at least assumed to be, and that our world is also fictional as well. So what is your world like?"

You mention the Metro Kingdom saying how it's probably the only closest to something in your world though perhaps a more outdated version being closer to a city called New York about 80 to 90 years ago though with modern conveniences and technologies.

"The Metro Kingdom. understood…"

He says as he waves his wand and a couple books fly by

"So what are the inhabitants of your world like?"

You say how humans are the dominant species and are considered the only hyper intelligent one as there are nothing like Koopas or Toads or any other species capable of such intelligence.

"Only humans? Sounds quite miserable and dull… Oh! Not to offend you."

Though he said no offense he didn't really seem to mean it as he continues searching through books.

"So what about the similarities of our two worlds apart from humans and the Metro Kingdom's likeness?"

You say how certain technologies are similar if not the exact same. That the many species of their world don't exist and those that do are tend to be very different. Mentioning how monkeys and apes are much less intelligent in your world and many arthropods tend to be a lot smaller.

"Uhuh… okay… hmm… well if you wish to leave while I continue searching you may. If I need any further assistance I will come to you." He says not even looking up from the many books.

As you leave the library you soon realize that you still don't know your way around the castle quite yet despite the tour yesterday. It's hard to remember a place this big, especially with most halls looking the same. You also weren't really paying attention on the walk from the dining room.

You pop back in and ask which way the dining room is.

"Ugh."

Kamek sighs before quickly telling you the directions.

As you walk back to the dining room you happen to run into Ludwig. And ask the young Koopa what he's up to.

"Hmm? I'm on my way to the concert hall. I have a new composition I want to work on and I need some quiet to focus. Unlike some people around here, I take my music very seriously."

he replies with a snobbish tone.

You nod, and then ask, "What's the composition about?"

"It's about the rise and fall of power. I find it to be quite relevant in these times." He says with a smirk, clearly proud of himself.

Deciding you don't really have much else to do you ask "You mind if I join you do you?"

Ludwig hesitates for a moment, eyeing you up and down before finally nodding. "Very well, but please try not to distract me. This is important work."

The two of you make your way to the concert hall, where Ludwig sets up at the piano and begins to play. It's clear that he's very talented, and even though rude at times, you can't help but appreciate his skill and dedication.

As the hours pass by, Ludwig becomes more and more absorbed in his work. You sit quietly, watching him play with a sense of awe.

You clap for him, and he nods, looking pleased. "Yes, it's coming along nicely. I'll have to make sure to show it to father when it's finished."

As you both walk out he stops and looks at you.

"Hmm, you know you're actually quite tolerable."

"Um... Thanks." You say almost giggling at the somewhat backhanded compliment.

The two of you part ways, but as you walk away, you can't help but feel a sense of respect for the talented albeit rude young composer.

As you try and find your room you you're stopped by the twins.

Lemmy jumps in front of you, doing a cartwheel and giggling wildly. "Hiya!" he exclaims, wearing a big grin.

Iggy rushes up beside him, scribbling in a notebook with a pencil muttering, glancing up at you with wide, curious eyes. "Do you know what the acceleration rate is on a banana peel when thrown at a wall?"

You blink in confusion, not sure what to make of these two odd-ball Koopas. "Uh... no?"

Lemmy giggles again. "Neither do we! Wanna find out?"

Iggy nods eagerly, already rummaging through his backpack for a banana. You can't help but laugh at their childish antics. But realize you're probably about to be roped into their antics regardless.

"Well, I'm really just trying to find my room," you say hoping get their help.

Lemmy's face immediately falls. "Oh... okay. Sorry."

Iggy, however, seems unfazed. He giggles "No problem! We can help you find it!"

The twins lead you on a wild goose chase through the castle, getting distracted by various things along the way. It takes longer than expected, but eventually, you end up at your room.

"Ta-da!" Lemmy exclaims, doing a little twirl on his ball.

Iggy scribbles something in his notebook. "Hehehe~ You're fascinating!!! Your world is so different!"

You shake your head, amused. "Thanks, kiddos. I'll see you around."

As you enter your room, you can't help but wonder what other shenanigans the Koopa siblings will get up to…

AO3 link

Koopa kids personalities

[fyeahiwatarikei]

Shipping Hiwatari Kei - A non-exhaustive menu

Feat. Fugitivehues' beautiful art ♥ ♦ ♠ ♣

Obsession

“This is why I have always hated you.”

Love art deeply and I'll love you more, because you're the most talented being in this world and do I love beautiful things. Of course, you create for a reason, so having someone inconditionally support you through the agonising ordeal of manifesting ideas can be a relief. You can doubt, you can give up, you can cry your eyes out because this is it, you cannot go on anymore, but I will hold you until it stops and give you the means to overcome all obstacles. Your art is worth it. You are worth it.

Bitterly, you can feel the other side of that coin: that support can be... is suffocating. You do need a break from time to time. You do need someone getting mad at you for acting so whimsical. But I won't, which is almost terrifying.

No one will stop you if you ever go too far.

Worse, I'll shield you, destroy myself if I must. Then what? What can you do?

What else could you do? It was entirely your fault, you thought.

But I won't ever hate you.

Exception

“She felt no love, equally, for any work of art. [...] Therefore, I had been able to love her.”

Not only is that Hikari unlike any other, but part of her particularity is that she is unable to destroy him, so he doesn't have to watch himself around her. Thus, he is able to love her at all and indulge in the wonderful pain of never being appreciated back! Flawless. Dreamy. That angst is delicious, and it's canon! Anyone'd wish to see their fave tortured like this.

Besides, not only is she perfectly safe to have around, but she comes up with the best art collab ideas! No other Hikari has suggested this before and it's messed up: his motivation hasn't been higher in decades. (I refuse to believe he only participated out of sheer love and not because it was crazy and new!) Somewhere in the process, it was even decided that he'd have to pass as human, going as far as getting a job and giving up on the role he's been playing for centuries, for Satoshi's sake. How peculiar! A new challenge for him! Well… another one. These never stop coming, with her.

Of course, we're talking about a tragic non-love story so she dies early and he dooms himself when telling the truth to their son. His survival has always been an afterthought, after all.

Bon appétit.

Devotion

“I cannot afford to lose you.”

Pick two characters and give them similar tastes: nerdy art lovers, rather absent and discreet men who, most importantly, would both die for their respective son. Now, make one eager to help everyone and the other manipulative. You have so many ways to make them meet and interact that there's barely any challenge.

Kosuke is canonically sweet, ready to reach a hand towards Satoshi, refusing to sit back and see the children suffer, how can we imagine he'd skip an opportunity to verify if maybe perhaps eventually Hiwatari Satoshi's father knows something and is eager to… lend a hand? Join the cause?

And is that powerful cop eager. And dangerous. An alliance would come with a beautiful dance of knowing the other knows that he knows yet refusing the drop the D word in conversations (not that one, silly, the one that jumps on rooves at night.) Testing waters, loyalty or skills, may it be during a museum visit, a friendly chat, an apparently innocent discussion about their families. And being pleasantly surprised every time? Until a betrayal or divergence occurs and… they're in too deep to do what they should have long ago: give up on this ridiculous, exhausting relationship.

A capable (?) policeman. An unbiased (?) Niwa. Both patient, mature men with mutual interests and a burning desire to find a solution. What else?

Normalcy

“I simply wanted to act like a ‘father’ would…”

What if your immortal character who's always been surrounded by extraordinary artists, witchcraft and cursed items decided to get an office job, with technology, gossips at the coffee machine, completely clueless people, the complete package in short? More: what if said clueless people were regularly exposed to part of the magic without any idea of how it works nor how to face it? And dealing with it more or less accidentally became their job? (What if the immortal character decided to not help them at all, too, because it's funny?)

Despite the comfort of being surrounded by familiar exceptions, the pressure can become overwhelming: Kei has always had to control himself, plan events in advance, keep an eye on the last Hikari who slowly decides to stop fighting… Can a relationship with a banal man (who potentially wants Satoshi safe, very sexy of him) be a relief? Fresh air in a life so far devoted to ungrateful, self-centered artists?

Saehara knows nothing. Saehara looks up to him (Debatable.) Saehara would jump if Kei told him to (Hugely debatable.) With him, the latter can pretend he is what he was supposed to be before canon changed its mind: a powerful man who just wants Dark captured.

A goal Saehara definitely shares. Alliance, then? With a mutual enemy, surely a dog and a fox can get along.