#Power socket conundrum

[lordofthesoups]

things i have learnt from this: americans keep sad/shocked/screaming little guys in their walls. Absolutely fascinating. I think i kinda love them

Mutuals, followers, friends, enemies i didnt know i had, i ask that you show me what your plug sockets look like because i have remembered that not everyone has the same types and now have become interested in what everyones normal plug sockets are.

Thak. You

[govindhtech]

AMD Zen 6: Release Date, Specs & Everything We Know So Far

AMD Zen 6 Roadmap

While the world awaits AMD’s Zen 5 architecture, tech industry rumors of AMD Zen 6 are beginning to circulate. Zen 6 will revolutionize performance and efficiency when it launches in 2025 or 2026. See what this next-generation architecture will bring.

A Manufacturing Advancement

A Step Forward in Manufacturing there are rumor’s that AMD Zen 6 will use the cutting-edge 2nm or even 3nm process nodes from TSMC. This would be a substantial leap from the 5nm node that was predicted for AMD Zen 5. As a result of this miniaturisation, it is possible to pack a greater number of transistors into the same overall size, which may result in potential performance benefits and increased power efficiency.

Core Count Dilemma

Conundrum regarding Core Count there are rumor’s that suggest there could be three different types of AMD Zen 6 Standard, Dense Classic, and Client Dense. It is anticipated that the Standard variation would be the flagship edition, as it will provide the greatest clock rates for desktop computers. In order to improve efficiency, the Dense Classic may be designed to meet the needs of servers by providing a greater number of cores per chiplet at lower clock speeds. There is still a lot of uncertainty around the Client Dense variation, although there are rumors that it would be aimed at mobile devices and laptops. It would prioritise even lower core sizes, but it might sacrifice some speed in the process.

Improvements to the Instruction Set

Improvements to the Instruction Set It is quite likely that AMD Zen 6 will include a new instruction set, which will likely expand upon the basis that Zen 5 established. This could involve CPU optimisations for certain workloads like machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), which would further boost the processor’s capabilities in these quickly expanding domains.

Integrated Visualisation is Growing

Integrated Graphics on the Rise talk of AMD Zen 6 possibly moving directly to RDNA 5 for its integrated GPUs (iGPUs), eschewing RDNA 4 entirely. This could result in significant performance increases for integrated graphics, which would make them more viable solutions for gamers who play games on a casual basis and for jobs that are performed typically.

Enhanced Delivery of Power

An increase in power delivery the power requirements of AMD Zen 6 processors are expected to increase in tandem with the potential for an increase in core counts and clock rates. The implementation of enhanced power supply methods, which may include the incorporation of 2.5D chip connection technologies, will be essential for the preservation of both stability and efficiency.

Compliance with Sockets

In terms of compatibility with sockets, there is a possibility that AMD Zen 6 would introduce a new socket, which would necessitate an upgrade to the motherboard in order to ensure compatibility. Nevertheless, a few leaks indicate that it might still make use of the AM5 connector, which Zen 4 introduced, providing some backward compatibility.

Fighting for Domination

The struggle for domination AMD and Intel are in a very competitive market. With its forthcoming architectures, Intel is also pushing the envelope, but AMD Zen 6 might make AMD even more of a leader in high-performance computing.

Anticipating the Unknown

The wait for the unknown information is still being withheld, despite the positive impression that leaks and rumours provide. When it comes to validating these rumours and offering a more accurate picture of AMD Zen 6‘s capabilities, official information from AMD will be absolutely necessary.

Past the Specification Sheet

In addition to the Spec Sheet the ultimate impact of AMD Zen 6 will go beyond the characteristics that it possesses in their raw form. This has the potential to make it:

AMD Zen 6 has the potential to revolutionise the gaming experience because to its increased performance and the possibility of more powerful integrated graphics processing units (iGPUs).

In order to empower content creators, faster processing and greater efficiency could be of significant use to content creators who deal with applications that are demanding.

Increase the speed of artificial intelligence and machine learning optimization’s for workloads in AI and ML could open up new opportunities for academics and developers working in these areas.

The introduction of AMD Zen 6 symbolises the beginning of an exciting new phase in the development of CPUs. The prospective advantages in performance and efficiency promise to make the wait worthwhile, despite the fact that it may appear to be a lengthy period of time. As more information becomes available, people can anticipate that the excitement surrounding AMD Zen 6 will continue to grow, leaving all of us excited to witness the arrival of this next-generation design.

AMD Zen 6 release date

The AMD Zen 6 processors have no official release date as of now. The following is what we know from leaks and rumors:

Potential Finalization: Rumor has it that AMD plans to complete the Zen 6 product design by Q3 2024, or sometime in September.

Possible Delay: Nevertheless, certain sources indicate that because of doubts over the production procedures, the release may be pushed back to 2026.

All things considered, it seems unlikely that AMD Zen 6 processors will be released before late 2025, if at all. Keep an eye on Govindhtech news websites or AMD for any official announcements.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[vivienne-faustina]

Y’know those dreams about one’s crush liking them back? And then the feeling they get when they wake up and realize it was all just a dream? How would the skeletons react when experiencing this?

UT!Sans: It's a bittersweet conundrum for him. On the one hand, he's so disappointed that it was all just a dream. But on the other, it wasn't a nightmare. Frisk is such a sweet and powerful presence in his life that his nightmares have turned to cute, innocent fantasies of the two of them together.

UT!Papyrus: Papyrus canonically doesn't sleep that much, so this dream is a rare occurrence, perhaps a nocturnal message from fate. Like his brother, he wakes up just a little grumpy that it wasn't real. In fact, this makes him not want to sleep anymore because he doesn't want that wild imagination in his skull to have an opportunity to jape him so cruelly again.

UF!Sans: He cries when he realizes it was all just a dream. He grabs his pillow that he'd been cuddling and kissing in his sleep and throws it to the floor. "like she'd ever...!" He hisses, but then he retrieves it a few minutes later and curls back up under the blankets. 'at least i can kiss 'er in my dreams...' he thinks, before drifting off once more.

UF!Papyrus: As with his Undertale counterpart, he sees the dream as a cruel trick that his mind has played on him, a wondrous, too-good-to-be-true vision to punish him for not staying wide-socketed and alert. Oh sure, if Sans or Undyne somehow ever hear about the dream, he'll scoff and say that he can create a reality with Chara so beauteous that the sugary sweet dream would seem like a mediocre nightmare... but that's really him talking himself up, as usual. He ponders alone why she can't love him like in his fantasy.

US!Sans: He awakes with his boney lips pressed softly against his pillow, his arms trapping it in an embrace against his chest. He too awakes feeling just a little down that none of what he saw was true, that amazing, stunning, nearly blinding smile from his beloved sunshine merely a hope inside a dream... But then he remembers that he can make that happen in reality! He rushes right out of bed, then he's on his way to visit Frisk, to try and see that beautiful, genuine smile brought by him and him alone.

US!Papyrus: I mentioned in a past post or two that, though he isn't completely aware of it, sometimes Papyrus has visions of the future and alternate timelines. Well, by this point he's wondering if he has some form of foresight, and he wants to hold onto the hope that what he saw was something that's actually attainable. That it wasn't just a silly fantasy, or a reality exclusive to one of his other selves.

SF!Sans: "TCH. WHAT FRIVOLOUS NONSENSE..." He mutters when he opens his sockets and comes to his senses. In truth, he was far more touched by the dream than he would ever be willing to admit. Sans doesn't sleep that much since he's so busy, and his body can store enough energy that he won't have to again for a while - but he finds his mind wandering back to the scenes in his dream more than once. It's even a little difficult for him to look Frisk in the face the next few times they meet, something that throws her completely off.

SF!Papyrus: He wonders at first if it was inappropriate for his mind to dream such things, even though what he witnessed was entirely innocent. There's a sense of shame that follows him, since he's not used to experiencing such things - being selfish and having her love all for himself, even if only for that fantastical moment. Unlike many of the other skeletons, once he stops beating himself up over having it in the first place, Papyrus can only feel happiness when he thinks about the love he and his human shared, though it wasn't real.

G!Sans: G wakes up with a dumb grin on his face. He turns over and just laughs and laughs into his pillow until his ribs start to hurt. Sure it was a nice dream and it sucked that it wasn't real, especially since he's hinted around and flirted with Frisk for what's felt like ages. But he decides that he's gonna use this dream to his advantage. The mad lad actually tells Frisk all about it, and he's gonna gauge her reaction. If she isn't weirded out by it or doesn't brush off what he says as a joke, then this could lead to an actual confession, he thinks!

G!Papyrus: Green is so flustered. The blush on his cheekbones present when he wakes follows him throughout the day. He can't look at Chara in the eyes for a long time afterward, and it annoys her greatly. It also annoys Undyne, so she grabs him (much to Alphys's dismay) and demands to know what's going on. He barely gets it out that he had a dream about Chara; Undyne's shocked beyond words he'd think of something so scandalous, unconsciously or not... but she quickly regains her wits when she finds out that the two were just holding hands in his little nighttime fantasy - there wasn't even any smooching.

W.D. Gaster: He takes the dream as a sign that the moment he's been waiting for has finally come. Gaster's been trying to woo the lovely Frisk for a while now, taking his time with courting her. But even though he's a man of science (and magic), he's also a firm believer of messages from the beyond. He gets ready for the day and begins to plan his proposal; that he and Frisk should, how the humans say, go steady.

[elliethesuperfruitlover]

Costume Conundrum

A/N: This is going to be a bit of a wild one. I was given a prompt by the lovely @badsext​, and since I’m extra, I’ve decided to extend the prompt into three characters, and three scenarios. Depending on when I get this done, they’ll come out all across October. This is the Klaus x fem! reader one!!

Warnings: people being very cishet, general halloween spookiness

“Klaus, where in the name of God are you taking me?” I ask, as he blindfolded me while walking down the sidewalk. 

“Don’t worry about it, don’t worry. You’re in good hands, I promise!” he says, rubbing your shoulder to reassure you.

“Uh, good hands my ass, you tripped over a rock and almost sliced half your leg open Klaus.” you said, rolling your eyes under the cloth.

“Goodness, it’s like you don’t trust me at all.” he whines, most likely putting a hand to his chest.

“No, that’s not it, you’re just a clumsy klutz sometimes and for a person with a blindfold, I don’t know if I want to trust you right now.” you reply, ending the conversation.

  The two of you continue for a few more minutes, Klaus guiding you as you walk, your hands getting gradually sweaty. His hands drifted just a little bit, resting on the small of your back, and rubbing it tenderly, trying to calm your nerves. He always did that if mischief was going to be involved with any type of activity of his. Just like the time that you and he snuck into a viewing of Avengers:Endgame and yelled out “falsehood” every time someone was lying. Yeah, you two weren’t allowed back in that theater for another year, turns out that some people actually wanted to watch the movie. Oh well.

“Ahh, we’ve arrived my dear.” Klaus says, taking your blindfold off.

You opened your eyes, and as they adjusted to the sun. Upon them finally calming down, you found yourself in front of a Halloween Costume shop. Halloween was approaching quite quickly, and you found yourself wondering what you were going to be. It seems as though Klaus had the same idea. He’d been talking about taking you to a costume shop for eons it seemed, and now he finally got the chance to do it.

“Oh dear, I hope we won’t get banned from this one. You know what happened last time Klaus.” you said, looking at him with a half-stern look on your face.

“Look, it’s not my fault that they don’t have the Sexy Nurse outfit in my size, alright.” Klaus, said, pouting.

  You both entered the shop, and it was close to empty, a few parents and their children picking out cute little outfits, witches, unicorns, even a Disney Princess here and there. Before you two could really get involved with each costume, and the elements around it, a conversation caught your ears from the other aisle.

“Mommy, I want to be a princess this year.”  a little boy, about 6 said to his mother, who looked appalled at his statement. 

“No, little boys can’t be princesses. What about this pirate costume over here, or the Frankenstein one?” she said, trying to drag him away from the frilly dress.

“It’s Frankenstein’s monster, and that story is scary, and it makes me scared.” he said, whining out his response. Tears started to form in his eyes, and Klaus decided to speak up to the mother.

“Hey, you should let him be a princess, or whatever he wants to be. Clothes don’t have a gender, and neither does color, ma’am. Not that big of a deal to let him be a princess if he wants to be. Never hurt to let a child express their feelings.” he said, and upon seeing him, the little boy’s eyes sparked with joy.

  Klaus was wearing one of their more expressive outfits today. They were wearing a strawberry skirt, and a plain white shirt on top of it, and tan sandals, a pair of yours. Their curls were tied up, a couple spilling out from the containment. They were always trying to display themselves as neutral as possible, never really deciding on one thing. You were always proud whenever they went to the store, and came out with frills, or a rainbow striped top. It made you bubble up with joy to see them stand up for him. 

“Well, wouldn’t you know a thing or two about raising kids.” the mother said, crossing her arms at the site of Klaus, not realizing what she was getting herself into. 

“I mean, I had an abusive father, and a robot as a mother, and a chimpanzee as a butler. I’ve traveled through time three times, died twice, and lived to tell the story. Nothing like that’ll stop me from educating people on helping their children realize something.” he replied, crossing their arms as well.

“I’m not taking advice from someone like you, thinking it’s okay to dress like that.” she said, looking Klaus up and down, then looking disapprovingly at you. “Let’s go, Timmy, I’ll get you something from online.”

  The little boy started to cry, and you both urged her not to budge. She was dragging him along by the hand, but she stopped at the front register, as one of her friends was at the front. You knew that she’d be there for at least another hour, giving the two of you to use a collective brain cell to conjure an idea. Meanwhile, you both drifted to the older costumes, looking at the options. Of course, we have the stereotypical couples costumes, hotdogs and buns, power sockets, Adam and Eve, and the oh-so-charming bun and bun maker. Klaus floated over to where you were, in the women’s section, and started cutting the options. 

“Alright, so we have fucked up tinker bell, tigers, lions, and bears oh my, and sexy nurses.” you say, pinching your nose.

“Oh, come on, we’ll make it fun. I’ll try them on with you.” Klaus offers, putting his hand out for you to shake. You agree, grabbing the tightest ones off of the shelf, along with a questionably orange one.

  Klaus heads to the dressing room, and you wait outside, tempted to strip and put on your own costume in the open, since there were only two dressing rooms, one of which had a suspicious stain, the other Klaus occupied.

“Klaus, hurry up, I haven’t got all day.” you say, already sliding on the top and bottoms of your costume, trying to hide yourself.

 They open the curtain, and you gulp at the sight. The sexy nurse costume was of course Klaus’ first choice. It covered barely anything, and you could see his ribs poke out from the cropped shirt.

“Come get your medicine children.” they say, slowly walking towards you, until you both hear a small rip.

Uh oh

“Klaus, what did you rip this time?” you ask, walking towards him in your costume, which he didn’t notice, but you inspected him, and turned him, trying to find where his body ripped the tight costume. 

“I think it ripped in the ass which makes since, my cakes are plentiful.” they said, shrugging.

  They left the costume on, and waited outside while you were getting changed properly, in front of a mirror this time. You put the straps on correctly, and attached the different clips, trying to make sure that everything was in its’ correct place. You opened the door, and revealed yourself to Klaus. Their jaw dropped, and he hovered over you, looking from different angles, concluding that no matter how he looked at you, you looked phenomenal. 

“Am I spooky enough?” you ask, putting your hands on your hips, doing a mini hair flip.

“I’m just pissing my pants thinking about this costume, Jesus Christ.” they say, chuckling. 

  You walk down the same costume aisle, acting like you were on a runway. On the way, you picked up too-big sunglasses and neon pink feather boas, spinning on the way back to him. Klaus picked some up too, and the two of you ran around the store, chasing each other. Different songs came on the intercom, and the two of you danced, but of course, Klaus had to trip over a rack of makeup, and different powders spilled on top of them, causing him to giggle uncontrollably.

“Get up, get up, we’re gonna get in trouble. Come on Klaus, let’s go!” you said, urging him to stand up in his 5 inch platforms from another costume, trying not to laugh.

  The security ended up chasing the two of you out of there, but not before you two could give the little boy what he wanted, a cute little dress, with frills. You two even handed him a canister of glitter, just in case. He smiled, and said goodbye to the two of you, just as the security doubled in size.

“See, I told you it was gonna be fun.” Klaus said, kissing you on the cheek, and hugging you from behind. It was getting nighttime, and you both had a bit to walk. However, you two were dead tired, and you got onto a public transport bus, getting stares from the passengers onboard. You two simply shrugged it off, and fell asleep right as the bus took off, only to get rudely kicked off at your stop. The two of you stumbled into your home, messily unlocking the door, and falling onto the couch immediately, sleeping until noon.

[yastaghr]

Robes and Glitches

Reaper and Error dance around each other, but are nonetheless drawn in.

For @silverdragonms because of @freshouttaparsnips 's art drive.

Ao3:��https://archiveofourown.org/works/21551536

Reaper stepped through the portal into absolute chaos. Dust floated in the wind, attacks littered the snowline, and several trees were on fire. The oddest thing, though, was the gaps. There were these white gaps in the fabric of the universe with raw code unraveling around the edges of them. Reaper had never seen anything like them. That kind of power was terrifying.

The god froze as a beam of raw magic ripped through the air just behind him. He teleported into the treeline, for once happy that his invisibility kicked in the moment he hit a new world. He couldn’t afford to be seen. Not when someone was wielding that much magic as though it were a children’s toy. He was lucky that blast had missed him. They sure as hell couldn’t see-

“hEy yOu! WeIrDo iN ThE BlAcK RoBe! WhAt tHe fUcK ArE YoU DoInG HeRe?”

Reaper spun around and stopped dead. There, staring right at him, was a black boned skeleton. His hands had red and yellow tints. His eye sockets were red with multicolored eye lights. His teeth were yellow. Error bars and glitches were sprinkled all over his body. But the weirdest thing about him was the expression on his face. He looked like he had seen a ghost, but in the most pissed off way imaginable. Huh.

“yEaH, yOu! ThErE'S No wAy yOu'rE FrOm tHiS UnIvErSe. I AlReAdY KiLlEd tHe sAnS HeRe. So gEt tHe fUcK OuT Or gEt rIpPeD ApArT At tHe sEaMs, I DoN'T CaRe. It's nOt lIkE It mAkEs aNy dIfFeReNcE To mE.”

With that, the strange skeleton opened what Reaper could only describe as a command console. One of his hands went up to the blue lines that poured out of his eye sockets and...pulled them away? The blue lines glittered like starlight on black ice. They moved like living strings and tied themselves on lines of code in the console. Then Error yanked and the code fell apart.

Reaper barely managed to jump through his portal in time to avoid the white gaps of dying code that were racing towards him. He panted, staring at the space where it had been, and collected himself. Slowly, a wicked grin spread across his face. This was going to be fun.

-----

The shorter God of Death heaved himself out of his chair and grabbed his scythes. They fit comfortably in his hand. He’d finally started to get used to them. Life would hate to know it, but now he hardly had to think about them in battle. That was helpful on excursions like this. The first few times Reaper hadn’t known what he was going into. Now he could tell the signs easily. He’d get to see his mysterious black skeleton again. He couldn’t wait.

He stepped through the portal into the familiar chaos of Glitchy’s warzone. He dodged bones and lasers that rocketed out of the countryside. There were at least two magic signatures, which meant someone was still alive in this world. Reaper followed the attacks back to the center of Snowdin. He floated in just in time to catch the final rip of blue strings on bone that dusted the local Sans. His ghost hovered for a moment. Reaper shifted his grip on his scythes and sliced into him, sending his soul on to the next world.

“oKaY, wHaT ThE FuCk? YoU'Re sErIoUsLy aPpRoAcHiNg sTaLkEr sTaTuS, rObEy. AnD WhY ThE HeLl aRe yOu hElPiNg mE?”

Reaper turned with a muffled grin to face Glitchy. The other looked...ragged. One arm was in a makeshift sling. Two fingers on the other hand were tied together. There was a raw scrape on his right cheek and forehead. Reaper’s smile vanished completely. “what happened to you?”

Glitchy’s frown deepened into a scowl. He said stubbornly, “i AsKeD fIrSt.”

Reaper humored him. “it’s my job. i reap the souls of the dead and send them on to the next world. you just usually erase the world before I get a chance.”

The black skeleton looked belligerent. “i hOpE YoU ArEn't tRyInG To sAy i sHoUlDn't dO ThAt, CaUsE ThAt aIn't hApPeNiNg. ThEsE FrEaKiSh gLiTcHeS NeEd tO DiE, aNd nO OnE ElSe iS DoInG A GoOd eNoUgH JoB.”

“i know that. i’m a god. i can see the way the multiverse is getting overcrowded. i really don’t want to find out what happens if we run out of space,” Reaper said with a shudder. It was a popular topic of conversation among the gods. He hated hearing all the theories, because they seemed to only be getting worse.

Glitchy blinked at him, then preened. It made Reaper’s soul glow inside to see the happiness on his face. “wElL Of cOuRsE. i'm gLaD YoU CaN SeE It mY WaY. sOmE PeOpLe,” Glitchy spat, “aRe bEiNg sTuPiDlY DeNsE.”

Reaper narrowed his eye sockets. “is that why you’re so beaten up? because someone’s trying to stop you?”

Instead of answering, Glitchy pulled up his little console. Reaper sighed and opened a portal back to his world. He probably should count himself lucky that Glitchy spoke as much as he did. Next time, he promised himself. Next time.

------

Reaper didn’t know what it was about this time that felt different to him. The list was the same, the setup was the same, it was timed perfectly- but his instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong. And his instincts hadn’t betrayed him yet.

They screamed even louder when Reaper arrived in the dying world to total silence. No blasters, no battle music, no carnage. It wasn’t right. He could feel the magic signatures of two...no, now it was just one monster. It was a very familiar monster, but his magic didn’t feel right. Why in the world would Glitchy be crying for help?

Reaper soon found out. He’d followed the screaming magic all the way into Snowdin. There he found the familiar carnage...sort of. For some reason the whole battlefield was covered in splotches of paint. It wasn’t a part of the AU, no indeed. Not with the paint laying across several burn marks and broken attack bones. Another conundrum to add to Glitchy’s file. That was one more question for Glitchy to constantly dodge. Great.

He almost missed the black-boned skeleton when he was scanning the town. A groan drew his eyes back to a large patch of paint. If he’d been a human, his face would have blanched. Blood mixed with the blue puddle. Bones were sticking out everywhere, and these weren’t attacks.

Reaper knelt next to the severely injured glitch he’d come to be fond of. Glitchy’s skull blinked at him, then scowled. At least he was conscious. That was a plus. “oF FuCkInG CoUrSe iT WoUlD Be yOu. WhAt aRe yOu gOiNg tO Do, ReAp mE? hAtE To bReAk iT To yOu, BuT I'M PrEtTy sUrE I CaN'T DiE.”

He ignored the other and started gathering up all the bones into the folds of his robe. That made Glitchy panic. “hEy! WhAt tHe fUcK? i kNeW YoU WeRe a fUcKiNg sTaLkEr, BuT I DiDn't tHiNk yOu'd gO ThIs fAr. I NeEd tHoSe! GiVe tHeM BaCk!”

Reaper sighed and fixed his gaze to Glitchy’s. “you’re too badly hurt to recover on your own. i’m taking you to a healer, and i can only carry so much in my two hands.”

Glitchy rolled his eyes. “yOu'rE StIlL A FuCkInG StAlKeR. i dOn't eVeN KnOw yOuR NaMe.”

“reaper,” he said quietly.

“hUh?”

“my name is reaper,” he repeated slightly more loudly as he stuffed some of Glitchy’s messed up clothes into his inventory.

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Then a muffled voice said, “I’m ErRoR.”

Reaper’s eye sockets widened as he stared at Error. Had...had he actually volunteered information? About himself? Without prompting? He must have hit his skull really hard in the battle. That was the only explanation. “well then, error, i hope you like flowers, cause the best healer i know is obsessed with them.”

Error rolled his eyes. “nOt aNoThEr sWaP AsGoRe. I'D NeVeR HeAr tHe eNd oF It iF I WeNt iNtO HiS TeRrItOrY WiThOuT PeRmIsSiOn aGaIn.”

Reaper grinned at him as he picked up Error’s skull. “good thing it’s not one of them, then. i’m taking you to meet life herself. count yourself lucky, because she is still super picky about who she lets into her garden. sanses are, like, the only ones besides her children.”

The glitch harrumphed. It was cute, he looked so grouchy with his face scrunched up like that. Wait, what? “fInE, tHeN. aT LeAsT I WoN'T HaVe tO DeAl wItH ToO MaNy pEoPlE PoKiNg aNd pRoDdInG Me. I MiGhT NoT Be aS HaPhEpHoBiC As i uSeD To bE, bUt i sTiLl fUcKiNg hAtE AnYoNe tOuChInG Me.”

Reaper paused in front of the portal he had opened to Life’s garden and blinked down at Error. “but you seemed fine with me touching you.”

Error’s skull blushed an interesting yellow color. Yep. Reaper was definitely smitten. Great. Why did it always have to be the dangerous ones? “s-s-sO WhAt? I JuSt eXpEcTeD It fRoM SuCh a fUcKiNg sTaLkEr. ThAt's AlL!”

Reaper hid a grin. Dangerous and a tsundere. Fucking score.

[deliriousabsol]

More Things Than You Ever Cared To Know About My Writing

This was originally posted by ‘vorchagirl’, reblogged by someone I follow. And I thought it would be fun to just outright answer these in a questionnaire type way, rather than as asks. So here we go =)

Feel free to do this yourselves if you like it. Just please remember to add the original poster.

Fanfiction Questions

Fandom Questions

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

Properly? Probably Pokemon. I’ve been writing fanfiction for it for years.

2. What is your latest fandom?

Funnily enough, Sonic, despite being a fan since I was like seven years old. I’ve just never seriously got into it since then until now.

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in?

The Pokemon fandom. I’ve made some awesome friends in it.

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms?

You hear things, but I’ve not really come across any toxicity besides the reaction to the Sonic Movie.

5. Which fandoms have your written fanfiction for?

A good few, but the only ones you’ll find are Pokemon, Sonic and Zootopia.

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in.

Zootopia - Judy/Nick

Sonic - Shadow/Rouge, Silver/Blaze

Pokemon - I don’t usually ship in Pokemon, but Jessie/James because reasons

7. List your NoTPs from each fandom you’ve been in.

Sonic/Amy. Sorry. Some art is cute, but it’s not my jam.

Shadow/Maria. I don’t ship animals with humans.

I also don’t ship yaoi/yuri pairings.

I do not poop on any ship. If it’s one I’m not fond of, I just scroll on and leave it be. Shipping can be pretty toxic sometimes, and I just don’t get it at all.

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?

I was writing Mask Behind the Monster and my husband’s aunt suggested I join a specific Sonic forum to post it in. So I joined the Amino and posted it, all nervous. The reception blew me away, and I met some awesome people, so I stuck around.

9. What are the best things about your current fandom?

The friends I’ve made.

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

Probably. Can’t think of any off the top of my head.

Ship Questions for your Current Fandom

11. Who is your current OTP?

Shadow/Rouge. Also Infinite/Amy. This is because of my current writing projects.

12. Who is your current OT3?

None.

13. Any NoTPs?

We’ve been over this *looks up*

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

Sonic/Tails =3

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love?

Infinite/Amy. I didn’t initially.  But if it’s done right, and there are reasons for them to be together in that setting, then it works. 

16. Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

Sonic/Shadow, Infinite/Gadget

I’m also not a fan of most Pokemon anime ships.

17. Who was your first OTP and are they still your favourite?

Knuckles/Amy. I still have a soft spot for it.

18. What ship have you written the most about?

Amy/Espio. I went through a phase... Read a couple of ‘fics and thought ‘Why not? Sounds like fun.’ XD

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

Not really. As much as I like shipping, because I’m a fluff-junkie, I have to just like it.

20. Any ships which you surprised yourself by liking?

Again. Inf/Amy. This one took me by surprise.

Author Questions

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

Erm... if I remember right, Some cringy self-insert Pokemon ‘fic when I was like 14/15.

22. Is there anything you regret writing?

Everything I regret writing has been deleted.

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

The End and Mask Behind the Monster. I can’t choose one over the other. They were both written with a lot of meaning and emotion behind them, and I have a soft spot for both.

24. What fic do you desperately need to rewrite or edit?

I keep thinking about re-writing The End, but I worry it will lose its fire if I do...

25. What’s your most popular fanfic?

I think... THINK... it’s Mask Behind the Monster.

26. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

To Title is hard. System:Reboot was a suggestion off a friend who I have lost touch with. Its working title is ‘Hacked’. A lot of my stories have preliminary working titles until I come up with something. The End was named after a song. Confectionary Conundrum was originally called ‘Sugar Snow’ which is the name of the sweet shop in that story. The Mainframe Saga’s Scrivener file is still called ‘Datastream’. Its separate books have been renamed as I’ve been ‘planning’ them out (as much as I plan).

27. What do you hate more: Coming up with titles or writing summaries?

Probably summaries, because FFNet leaves very little space to do so.

28. If someone were to draw a piece of fanart for your story, which story would it be and what would the picture be of?

I have actually had fanart, so this is hard to say. A lot of people like drawing my cyberpunk Infinite redesign which has surprised me.

29. Do you have a beta reader? Why/Why not?

My husband proof-reads my stuff, and then I question him on it. I don’t have a beta. I’ve thought about it, but I stick to a strict time-frame when it comes to uploads where I strictly give myself very little leniency. So if it wasn’t beta’d in time, I’d get a little frustrated and I do not like to pester people. I also worry I’ll be told to edit and cut a LOT, and I don’t like to butcher my ‘fics. I do that enough while I’m writing 8D

30. What inspires you to write?

My faith. That is a BIG one. You will find references and metaphors to my faith throughout my stories. Particularly in The End and The Mask Behind the Monster. Music is another huge inspiration drive. I’ve come up with entire scenes and even plots or sub-plots listening to music. I was just on a walk listening to some cyberpunk tracks when I got the spark for The Mainframe Saga.

31. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Oh boy. Where do I start? I think I was especially moved when someone told me they read The Mask Behind the Monster to their sisters.

32. Do you listen to music when you write or does music inspire you? If so, which band or genre of music does it for you?

Yes. A lot. I listen to a variety of stuff from Christian rock and EDM to cyberpunk instrumental tracks. Main bands are Thousand Foot Krutch, Family Force Five, Cruxshadows, Holon, Misanthropix, Scandroid and Celldweller.

33. Do you write oneshots, multi-chapter fics or huuuuuge epics?

It really varies. I lean towards epics. Even Glitched ended up being longer than planned, if memory serves, although it’s not epic length. The Mainframe Saga is made up of chaptered ‘fics, ficlets and one-shots.

34. What’s the word count on your longest fic?

I couldn’t tell you, because Scrivener crashes when I try to get the word count for System:Reboot XD

35. Do you write drabbles? If so, what do you normally write them about?

I don’t, but I have thought about it.

36. What’s your favourite genre to write?

Sci-Fi. Hands down.

37. First person or third person - what do you write in and why?

I prefer third person, particularly restricted third person, because it is easier to write about different characters. That way the reader knows what’s going on when the main cast do not. I was very surprised I enjoyed writing first person so much in Mask Behind the Monster, though. But I did leap into third person a couple of times to give a wider perspective.

38. Do you use established canon characters or do you create OCs?

I love creating OCs. But I will use canon characters in the Sonic fandom.

39. What is you greatest strength as a writer?

From what I’ve been told, character development.

40. What do you struggle the most with in your writing?

Violence. And tragic back stories. I have legit questioned my sanity when coming up with scenes that include this.

Also... when I write fluff... I kind of grind to a halt and struggle through it. Often interspersed with gazing from the window and thinking well further ahead than where I’m currently at. This often results in forgetting dialogue I think up during my garden gazing.

Fanfiction Questions

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

I won’t post links because it is much too fiddly. But Guiding Light by Ambyssin, Heart Song by Suetonicsonic, Fall From Power by Lordius Dannius.

Hands of Creation by Namohysip, and The Curious and the Shiny by Nebula Dreams. Both of which I seriously need to pick up again.

I believe you can find all of them on FFNet.

42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing:

Same applies as above. Ambyssin, Suetonicsonic, Namohysip, Chibi Pika and Nebula Dreams.

43. Is there anyone in your fandom who really inspires you?

Ambyssin has provided some amazing constructive criticism on System:Reboot which has resulted in me making a terrifying antagonist out of Gadget the Wolf. I strongly hope no other antagonists will develop what I have nicknamed ‘Socket Syndrome’. His drive and commitment to his writing has been pretty inspirational, too.

But in all fairness, I think most, if not all, of my writing friends have been inspirational and very supportive. I offer digital high-fives to each and every one of you.

44. What ship do you feel needs more attention?

I can’t think of any. People should write what they like. And I believe if you want to read it, and it doesn’t exist, then you should write it yourself if you can.

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

Guiding Light by Ambyssin. It’s not often I fall in love with a fanfic.

Fall From Power by Lordius Dannius is another.

46. If someone was to read one of your fanfics, which fic would you recommend to them and why?

The End or The Mask Behind the Monster, because they’re pretty special to me.

47. Archive Of Our Own, Fanfiction.net or Tumblr - where do you prefer to post and why?

FFNet. I’ve been posting there for years. I’m iffy on AO3. I’ve considered posting to Tumblr, but my solution to that is to post links and artwork instead.

48. Do you leave reviews when you read fanfiction? Why/Why not?

If I feel I have something to say, I’ll post a review. I like to make sure I do so, though, and I have been known to make notes on my computer and post reviews in bulk to works posted on Serebii.

49. Do you care if people comment/reblog your writing? Why/why not?

I love comments, and I will try to respond to each one. Reblogs are totally welcome!

50. How did you get into reading and/or writing fanfiction?

I’ve been writing for many, many years. Since before I was ten years old. Pokemon likely got me into fanfiction. I can’t remember writing it for anything else prior to that cringy ‘fic I mentioned earlier (which we will never, ever talk about. Ever.)

51. Rant or Gush about one thing you love or hate in the world of fanfiction! Go!

I love the creativity behind it, especially OCs. Pokemon OCs are my favourites, particularly in PMD or Pokecentric settings. Both Sonic and Pokemon offer a lot of inspiration to create OCs as the worlds are both pretty vast. AUs and canon settings both offer massive scope for creativity. It’s seeing peoples’ headcanons and takes on the franchises that I really enjoy. Yes, I do like shipping, but a story does NOT need it to be a good story. It’s the way people tell it that matters more to me.

I know this says ‘one thing’. But I just want to make it clear, the one part of fanfiction I don’t like, is M-rated stuff. And I will not read it. It... bugs me when a ‘fic I’ve been enjoying suddenly changes its rating XD

(I do not own any of the fandoms or characters mentioned in this post) <- Nervous Nelly moment?

[mysynthfetish]

Alisa 1387, Part I

Well, my invisible droogies, it was Xmas in March, me brothers. You see, my Belarusian pal Egor, out of the bloody sincere kindness of his heart, shipped me a goddam Alisa 1387. FOR FREE! I offered to at least pay for shipping (no idea how I’d have done that though, as PayPal doesn’t seem to allow sending money to Belarus last time I checked, maybe it’s different now) but nope. I mean WHO DOES THIS KINDA STUFF?! In this day and age of Drumpf and Breggzit and Me First, Fuck You! Duuuude. Egor, I really appreciate it!!!!!!!

Not in the best (or worst) shape. But the lass is in need of some serious refurbishment. As you can see in the photo above, a number of switches were broken and missing their buttons. But Egor sent me a box of extra knobs, buttons and switches!!!! Goddam man! I owe you, for real. Anyway, I had no idea where I was even gonna start, because before he sent it he provided me a long list of ailments the poor thing is suffering from: “Keyboard is really buggy to not working so I couldn’t get envelopes to work, osc1 is working but something wrong with triangle additional wave shaping, PWM works. Osc2 sounds too low so I think there something with capacitors there. On output only pulse, so need to check triangle waveshaper also. LFO works. Filter works but pots everywhere are almost dead, they need careful cleaning and resoldering. So a great amount of work is needed with it not only soldering but also work with hardware refurbish. Do you still need it?” Bwaahahahahahaha!! I said “yeah!” And so, here we are. First thing I decided to unfuck was this:

WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?!?! I had the same deal on a DW-8000 I just flipped here a month or two ago. But that’s not it, ohhhhh no, it was even scarier on the inside!!!!

The wires were being held together with scotch tape!!!?? Fucking Holy Electrocution By A Russian Synth, Batman! I wanna just yank the socket and put a standard jobby in but the frame is damn near 2mm thick, and it’s fucking STEEL, so cutting/filing is Not Going To Be An Easy Job, so I’m still on the fence as to how to remedy the Power Cable Connector Conundrum.

Next job was replacing all the electrolytic capacitors. Not a super hard job, but I started noticing that the values of components on the schematics and those in the actual synth in front of me did not match. That, and what looked like a polarized electrolytic on the schemo was in fact a Gifuckingnormous mylar or in some cases poly cap. What?! Jeez. And then I found this:

Milk carton time. Have You Seen Me? MISSING CAPACITOR! I was like, you have gotta be shitting me. And the fucker wasn’t rattling around loose inside the synth either!? And there are vacant areas on the Generator 1 (VCO1) daughterboard where the schematic shows capacitors should be. What, they run out at the factory and just decide “fugg eet, no capahceetorz for you, comrade synth!” or what? And that ain’t all the shenanigans going on with that board either! Get a load of this!

What the Jumping Fuck On A Stick is this Soviet Spaghetti here?!?! Flying resistors tied together with a goddam chunky diode thrown in for WHO THE FUCK KNOWS WHY!!??!? All I could do was shake my head. After some minutes of being rendered absolutely speechless had passed, I cleaned the menagerie of components up, just reflowing solder and nudging stuff closer to the board, really. But what the hell is up with this? Seriously if anyone out there has ideas, I am all ears!

I gave up on that board for the time being and then went about replacing all the switches that had their business ends broken off. Egor kindly supplied me with more than enough of the same type switches he got from Bog Knows Where. They all work now (mechanically anyway). The hardest thing was the Generator 1 Waveform Selector Assembly, as it has three switches that are mechanically interlinked, so when you press a new one down, the currently pressed down one will pop up—meaning only one selection can be made at a time. I uncovered the secrets of the inner workings of the assembly after desoldering the three switches and removing the whole shebang. I also discovered that the switch actuators themselves are different, as you can see below:

On the right, with bee-you-tee-full blue base, is an original switch from that assembly. On the left, a typical (standard?) switch. Same electrical connections and pinout (check out those legs! and on both sides too!!) so whatever. The actuators in front are broken ones from two of the three blue switches (I was letting them set after carefully superglueing them back together). See how they have little grooves in them? Those are there to slide a spring-loaded metal inner-faceplate along that then forces the other switches up when you press one down. Anyway, I swapped the blue ones out with the all-brown ones, so maybe if I get the Generator board working again, it’ll be possible to engage more than one waveform at a time. I’ve read reviews of this synth that say doing just that is possible, so I dunno what gives.

After some general cleaning and reflowing of sketchy looking solder, I was ready to plug it in to my step-up transformer and duck for cover. No explosions or smoke or arcs of unbridled electricity occured, thankfully. Oh I forgot to mention I replaced the 5-pin DIN main out with a standard 1/4” jack. Yeah. So I turned it on, the power LED came on, and the LFO LED lit up and cycled on and off properly, and the speed changed accordingly when I twiddled the speed knob so that was reassuring. But, no sound and no response from any key, period. I could make the LFO send the filter into near self-oscillation, but even that was super, super quiet. Nothing happened when I raised or lowered the Gen 1, Gen 2 or Noise knobs in the Mixer section. Oh well. Kind of a big let down. But I knew what I was in for when I started all this. In any case, I dunno where or how I’m gonna start troubleshooting this thing. OH and I found a loose wire too! One side is soldered to the switch in the LFO section that selects filter or Generator as the LFO’s destination. No idea where the other end belongs soldered up to. The schematics aren’t as easy to decipher as those of the Polivoks either, so there’s that to deal with too. In any case, I don’t expect I’ll have her up and running again all that soon. And as I said before, anyone out there with experience refurbing/resurrecting an Alisa 1387, feel free to chime in, as I’d really appreciate it!

To Be Continued.

[ut-divergence]

You're Blue Now! [Divergence Side Story]

The house was quiet. Still. Empty. But not cold. There was a warmth that clung to it despite its present silence, the voices of a family seeming to echo in those walls faintly like memories and imbuing the residence with a love that wasn’t easily dispelled.

The deadbolt jangled a few times before finally flicking open as the key slid home and was turned. The door opened a moment later, the bright white light glistening off the snow outside casting into the twilight of the living room and projecting the shadow of a young skeleton in its frame over the carpet. His long red scarf fluttered in the breeze before he stepped inside, starting to take his red trainers off at the entryway upon closing the door.

“Sans, I’m home!”

No answer.

Papyrus wasn’t honestly surprised to hear the echo of his own voice and nothing more as he put his shoes on the mat by the door. Sans had been working pretty hard between school and the variety of tasks the younger sibling knew his elder brother did to help their father. Aside from the bedtime stories he got each night, they didn’t get to see all that much of each other lately.

That’s why Sans finally teaching him to use his own blue magic had been such a big deal.

The young skeleton glanced toward the kitchen in brief contemplation of a snack before deciding he really wasn’t all that hungry. Truly, he was much too excited over the lesson he had received from his very cool brother. It had been all he could think about the entire day at school, fingers itching with the desire to try this newfound skill out on his classmates.

He knew using his magic on someone else without permission was rude, so he had refrained, even during recess when he really wanted to try. The rest of the kids were just a lot bigger than him and the last time he’d tried to make friends that hadn’t ended so hot either. Sans was his friend, but he wasn’t home. Papyrus mused on this unfortunate fact as he adjusted his backpack whilst heading up the stairs to his room.

The hinges on his door squeaked as he opened it, prompting him to make a mental note to get some oil for them later. It’d be outside in their cool toolshed with the rest of the tools, but he’d just taken his shoes off. It could wait, he reasoned as he tossed his bag on the floor by his desk, peeling off the bright scarf and the slightly more orange jumper to put those away in his closet dutifully. He looked at backpack as he emerged from that walk in storage space, expression contemplative as the door shut behind him with a little click. He knew he needed to get his homework done, but his mind refused to focus on it and if he was honest with himself, it would take him maybe half an hour tops to get it all done.

The idea of tackling it now was nauseatingly boring, and he didn’t even have a stomach.

Still, there was the issue of practicing it without a willing partner. Papyrus found himself pacing a circuit around the empty space in the middle of his room as he tried to work the problem out. Moving often seemed to help him think things through when working on this kind of conundrum, so he let his feet wander while his mental cogs turned. Sans had taught him how to use it by first doing it to Papyrus himself. It had felt cold and made him feel strangely heavy — odd for being a skeleton — but it hadn’t hurt. Something about his brother’s cold aura always felt somehow warm to Papyrus, made him think of home.

It was probably why he loved all the snow, now that he thought about it.

This sidetracking thought was gently tucked away as he returned to the riddle he was trying to solve. It had taken Papyrus a few tries to grab ahold of Sans’ soul in return after being released from the other’s hold. He paused in his walking cycle, looking down at the bones of his hand as the memory sprung fresh behind his mind’s eye. He remembered the way those wisps of blue fire had wreathed his digits, making his soul and bones tingle like there was a mild electric current running through them. Sans had told him the feeling was normal, particularly since he hadn’t used his powers like this before, and as he got better would ease, become a familiar background hum.

It was all the more reason to practice!

But how?

He lifted his gaze to look to the table with all his action figures arrayed so carefully across it, in various states of engagement with each other. Brow-bones furrowed slightly in thought, the bright amber of his eye lights swirling slowly with his mental state. Sans hadn’t said anything about using their blue magic on objects, but that had only been their first lesson! Papyrus was sure it was just a matter of time before the elder got around to teaching him, but with Sans so busy all the time the younger had no idea when that might be.

And, wouldn’t Sans be proud of him if he figured it out on his own? The elder was always saying how smart and clever Papyrus was, after all. It would feel nice to really live up to that praise and pull some of his own weight so his brother didn’t have to carry so much.

The skeleton straightened abruptly as this notion filled him with determination, eyes bright and alight with youthful fervor. Drawing in a deep breath, he felt his magic gather at his call, his bones buzzing with that energy as the azure aura wreathed his hand again. Eyes flicking over the table, he settled on one of the nearer figures that was somewhat separated from the rest as his target. Feeling like he’d gathered enough magic to make his teeth chatter, Papyrus reached out with his hand toward the figure, grasping for it with his mind…

Nothing happened.

Well, that was rather anticlimactic.

Papyrus hadn’t been successful on his first attempt to grab Sans’ soul either, and action figures didn’t have souls so far as he knew. But everything had at least a little energy in it, some variant of magic. The way you grabbed objects was probably just a little different than how you grabbed souls, that was all. He’d simply need to experiment to figure out how.

The Great Papyrus knew he was more than up to the challenge! He would make Sans proud.

The magic was still flickering around his hand, yearning for a target as his entire being vibrated from the gathered energy. He made himself breathe slowly and steadily even though he wanted to pant; he needed to keep his concentration and focus together and letting the buzz run away with him wouldn’t help his efforts.

Okay. Step back. Think about what we know. More rhythmic breathing. Using blue magic affects gravity for the object. That’s why I felt so heavy when Sans used his blue magic on me. The magic really felt weird being held for so long, but he didn’t want to waste it by letting it go. Though he showed me the direction could be changed too. It was really weird standing on the ceiling. The memory elicited a quiet nyeh heh of a giggle from Papyrus, glad he’d had his socks on and not his shoes. He’d have had no clue how to get dirt off the ceiling like that. Maybe I could try doing that to myself? Would that even work?

Well, only one way to find out, he reasoned.

Remembering the way it’d felt when he’d grabbed Sans’ soul with that magic, Papyrus shifted his focus to his own soul, the amber shape thrumming inside his rib cage with nervous excitement. It kind of felt like he was looking at himself from the outside as he laid his own hand above his sternum on the white turtleneck he was wearing, letting the magic from his being loop back to enfold his own soul in its embrace.

Okay, now that felt bizarre.

Papyrus could feel the familiar heaviness of when Sans had done the same to him, but something about the looped current made him feel… giddy for lack of a better word. Elated, maybe? He felt heavy and light at the same time. Like his magic couldn’t decide which way was up. Or at least, which way gravity was supposed to be.

Maybe I just need to tweak it a little? Thinking felt fuzzy with all that magic feeding itself in the loop, but he wasn’t about to give up now. He had a long ways to go to make Sans proud of him after all! Okay, I can totally, one hundred percent do this. Sans believes in me, and he’s really cool, so it’s my duty to be extra cool for him!

A sudden cackle escaped him as he realized his inadvertent pun, too elated to be annoyed even slightly about it right now, despite the serious nature of his practice. All right, he started, willing himself to focus, let’s see if we can change which direction is down.

Drawing in a breath he took a long look at his own magic, seeing how it felt mostly heavy, but those elated feelings were giving weird little ticks in the opposite direction. He could work with that. Eye sockets closed now, he imagined the ceiling as the floor and vice versa, feeling his magic respond as his soul flip-flopped inside his own rib cage.

“Nyeh!” He cried out indignantly as his head hit the ceiling with a sharp sound, breaking his concentration and sending him free falling to the floor, landing on the rug in an ungraceful sprawl. “Ow…” he groaned, his tailbone aching from the impact as he glared up at the ceiling with a mixture of betrayal and excitement. He’d technically done the thing he’d wanted to do, but unlike when Sans had done it, he’d not inverted, resulting in his aching cranium. He hoped it wouldn’t leave a mark as he rubbed at the sore spot lightly. That would worry Sans and his brother didn’t need anything more to worry about.

He’d just have to be more careful.

Picking himself up off the floor, Papyrus tried to recall how it had felt exactly when Sans had rotated him in that one demonstration during their lesson. Nothing unusual came to mind, his soul having done something similar to the flipping he’d experienced moments before in his own attempt. So why didn’t the rest of me invert? He looked up at the ceiling again, one arm folding over his front as the other hand held his chin, head tilted in a contemplative way. Was it a distance thing? The ceiling in the living room was higher than in his bedroom, so maybe he’d gone up too fast to rotate before he smacked his head. Could the speed of the ascent be changed or could he assist that rotation along in some way? Those seemed like reasonable possibilities.

Time to try again.

The magic came easier this time, and he felt more comfortable as he wrapped it around his own soul once more. It still still felt weird, but like he had just a little bit more control over it. He hoped he wasn’t just deluding himself about that bit, but it really did feel that way. A glance was given to the ceiling before he looked down at his socked feet, toes wriggling in anticipation. Could he grab his feet to help spin himself about when he inverted gravity? It seemed worth a try.

Papyrus let the magic wrapping around his soul flow down his bones and pool at the soles of his feet. Another giggle escaped him as he thought about this funny extension of his newfound magic with its resultant wordplay. Sans would be having a field day right now. It would have been nice to see that familiar smile, but he really wanted to surprise his brother with something new and cool, so he’d just have to save those double entendres for later. Okay, no more distractions. Focus, Papyrus. You won’t make any progress lollygagging around. Pep talk duly delivered, he attempted to use the magic gathered at the bottoms of his feet to nudge him into a faster spin as he reversed the gravity on his own soul with a little more confidence.

The skeleton grunted as he bumped his shoulder into the ceiling this time, fortunately not as hard as his head, and was able to use his arm to nudge away from the new down and get his feet under him with a little more rotation. “Woah.” Up being down felt and looked pretty weird he mused as he examined his room from this new vantage point. Still, he had to admit he was making excellent progress given that Sans had only shown him the most basic ability of their blue magic, and here he was standing on his own ceiling just like his brother had shown him before.

Man, this is so freaking cool! I wish Sans could see me right now. He’d be grinning ear-hole to ear-hole.

Would he though? Papyrus paused to think about this for a second as he looked over to the table of action figures, now apparently perched on what was perceptually his ceiling at present. His big brother had shown him this little aspect of their ability already, so maybe it wouldn’t be that impressive to him that his sibling had managed this feat.

Doing something Sans hadn’t shown him yet though… that would really make him smile.

Papyrus really wanted to see that smile.

Okay, let’s try not to end up on our sacrum again. The youth glanced down at the plush rug above him — or below? Directions were weird right now — and considered briefly how to accomplish that task. In theory, it should be just a simple reversal of the magic that had landed him up here in the first place.

Whelp, here goes nothing.

This time he kicked off the ceiling in a small jump as he tugged his feet in the opposite direction, feeling the gravity of his soul reverse with a nudge of his will as he suddenly fell toward the rug. Fortunately his feet got below him this time, allowing the agile skeleton to land in a crouch, half rolling forward to take the impact more evenly across his bones. Elation suffused him at his success and he bounced to his feet eagerly, gaze going to the action figure again. Okay, that totally worked. Maybe it wasn’t very graceful or cool, but we can work on that later! Finesse is just a matter of repetition, after all.

Taking several deep breaths to calm the ecstatic fluttering of his soul — still wrapped in that blue magic — he took the time to examine how he’d tugged his own feet with that magic. He obviously had a soul, being a monster, but it had been a little… different when pushing his own bones with it as opposed to moving just his soul around. The magic he’d pooled there had given him kind of an anchor point to work with in tugging those appendages in the direction he wanted. It was similar to the way he pulled on the magic he’d infused his own soul with, making it feel heavy or light or changing the direction that was down for himself, but there was a subtle difference in the frequency of the vibration he’d been manipulating. Maybe he just had to adjust the frequency of the energy he was hooking onto?

Papyrus looked again at the figurine he had tried to move earlier, trying to reach out and feel it again as he let go of the blue magic on his own soul — it left him feeling overly light for a few moments afterward — and attempted to grab for the toy.

Nothing.

“Maybe I just need to be closer.” He spoke his thoughts aloud to fill the silence that was starting to bother him for some reason, stepping over to the table and opting to pick up the figurine by hand. He felt its heft and unique weight, a bit bigger than the others since this one seemed to be some kind of boss type creature. “Wonder what would happen if I…” The flames still wreathed his hand, so he tried feeding that energy into the toy slowly, brow furrowing again in concentration.

His bones tingled with renewed strength as he tried this, feeling like he was meeting some kind of resistance from the object he was working with. “Wrong frequency?” he wondered to noone but himself.

Eye lights went a little hazy as he started to tune his magical signature up and then down the scales. Some things needed specific “notes” to respond. It wasn’t unlike finding the right resonance when singing to shatter glass.

The figurine seemed to waver for a brief moment as Papyrus found the right tone, though the resonance ricocheted back into the skeleton like a tuning fork hit too hard, causing him to drop it as he fell backwards onto the rug again, bones rattling as he grabbed at his cranium with an exclamation of surprise and discomfort as everything rang for several seconds.

“Nyeh... “ he groaned as that ringing inside his skull finally started to die down, noting that he was on the floor again. This was becoming a bad habit. “Okay,” he breathed, blinking scrunched eye sockets open again. “Not so much power next time.” A pause. “In fact, a heck of a lot less power.” He rubbed at his temple, bone scraping bone lightly, though he was pleased that sore spot from earlier seemed to have gone away. Perhaps he’d been spared a mark after all.

Leaning forward, he picked up the figure he’d dropped in his technically successful attempt at communing with the inanimate object, resuming his seated position on the carpet once more. It was probably better for his coccyx if he remained seated for this test. “Okay, same frequency, just a tiny bit of power.” A pause. “What was the note again?” Brow furrowed. It had been a fairly low one, but the exact one eluded him. “Just try again without so much force, Papyrus. You can do it.” It was easy to imagine Sans was the one there giving him that pep talk, the image earning a soft smile that was decidedly fond.

He closed his eyes again, starting with the last few notes he recalled testing clearly as the sound vibrating through his soul descended, using only a tiny sliver of power as he let those magically resonate sounds flow through his fingers and into the statue. It only took a handful of pitch changes to find the correct one this time, the toy suddenly feeling warm in his hands, though it mercifully didn’t backlash at the skeleton the way it had before.

“Okay,” he breathed, opening his eyes as he held that note in his mind, feeling his magic intertwine with whatever energy was in the toy, making it suddenly feel a lot heavier in his hands as he let it shift from simple resonance to actually feeding it that specific blue magic. He tried to lift it up with his hands while it was weighed down with his magical intent, finding it difficult, though not quite impossible just yet. He wondered vaguely if it would be possible to crush something under its own weight, but decided that he should save that experiment for an object he wasn’t so fond of.

“So,” he mused, looking up toward the ceiling as his hands rested on the rug between his splayed, denim covered legs, “I can make it heavy like Sans showed me. How about changing the direction of its gravity?” Reversing the direction of up and down felt surprisingly easy as he just let it happen inside his mind, like a little shift in his own perspective for the object he held. Much to his delight and chagrin the action figure promptly “fell” toward the ceiling, but due to its still added gravity it hit rather hard, the material shuddering out a groan of protest that matched Papyrus’ own as he grimaced. “Oops. Uh, forgot about that.”

A sudden noise outside made the young skeleton whip his head about to look toward his still open bedroom door, the interruption dispelling his gathered magic so that the figure fell back down to the carpet even as Papyrus scrambled to his feet to go check on the sound. Was Sans home already? It seemed unlikely given his track record lately, but he dared to zip out into the upstairs hallway, looking down over the bannister toward the front door and windows.

He couldn’t decide if he was disappointed or relieved when the noise turned out to be some kids being rowdy as they passed by the house, probably on their way back from the library or something. A sigh fell from him and he decided he was at least a little disappointed. He’d probably end up having dinner alone again, but at least Sans and Gaster seemed to appreciate the lunches and dinners Papyrus packed for them. Or, at least they didn’t complain about them. Was that the same? He wasn’t great in the kitchen, he knew — he’d sampled his own cooking, after all — but he did feel like he was getting better with practice, so that was something at least. He was quickly finding that more heat wasn’t always a good thing, so at least fewer things were getting burned now.

Glancing down in the direction of the kitchen, Papyrus realized he was getting distracted but also thirsty. Apparently this new magic was taking at least a bit of a toll on him, but he supposed he’d get more efficient at it with time and practice. Sans certainly seemed to know exactly how much power to put into each move he did. Granted, he’d been doing it several years more, so that seemed the benefit of experience, the youth mused as he padded down the stairs quickly to get himself a glass of water in the kitchen. The first one he downed promptly, surprised at how thirsty he really was once he got to drinking, but the second one he was able to take back upstairs. Well, at least after refilling the half he’d sucked down too.

This time he closed the door behind him with a grimace for the squeak, not wanting Sans to catch him in the middle of his practice on the off chance he did come home at a reasonable hour today. It would kind of ruin the surprise if he got caught in the middle of his practice. He really wanted to show Sans at least some level of competence when he revealed the results of his experimentation after all. It wouldn’t be very cool to be seen flinging the proverbial pasta against the wall to see what stuck.

Walking across the room, he set his glass on the table and picked up that discarded figure from where it had plopped, giving it a quick once over to check for any damages along with glancing at the ceiling above. Fortunately it appeared, despite the loud sound they had made upon colliding, that no damage had been done. With a relieved sigh he opted to move over to his bed this time, settling down on the side of it as he turned the figurine over in his hands.

“Hmm. So, we’ve been able to make you pretty heavy and change the direction that is down, but can we make you light enough to maybe float? Like, no gravity?” He’d heard that this was a thing in outer space, where objects simply floated because there was little to no gravity to pull them in a specific direction. It seemed like a pretty interesting idea, since maybe he could use it to carry things when his hands were full. “Let’s find out, huh?”

Now that he was hydrated, the magic seemed to spring forward even more readily than before, though he wondered if he was just getting better from practice and the water was just an unrelated variable. Whatever the case, it came forth smoothly, his bones thrumming a more pleasant note as he let his soul harmonize with the action figure’s resonance once more. He watched this time as the blue wreathing his hand enveloped and sunk into the object, imbuing it with an initial added weight.

“Okay, step one done,” he mused aloud for his own benefit, pondering how to adjust his magic for that weightless feeling he was looking for. Taking stock of how the magic felt right now, he could see the sort of pressure it employed on it, and how it was coming mostly from above to press down. “So what if I just equalize that pressure on all sides?” It seemed worth a shot, given how he’d done something similar to that when switching the direction the pressure came from. Just now, it’d be spread out.

Holding that idea in his mind, he visualized that magic applying the force equally on all sides as he theorized. It felt odd at first, some parts not having quite the right amount of force applied and resulting in the figure tugging one way or another in his hands, but after a bit of trial and error he was able to make it feel super light, perhaps almost weightless. He tested it by tossing it gently upward, a gleeful sound escaping his throat as the toy actually spun through the air in a slow, decidedly weightless arc.

“Nyeh heh yes!”

His eye lights were truly radiant with delight as he watched it tumble, soon beginning to give it little subtle nudges to direct it through the air. It was a bit much at first, pushing it farther than he’d intended initially, but he soon started grasping just how much he needed to push from one direction or another to make it go where he wanted.

It was absolutely the best thing ever. There was no way that Sans couldn’t be at least a little impressed with this! He’d figured it out mostly on his own once the elder had shown him the basics, after all, and his soul thrummed bright amber beneath his shirt with sunny pleasure and pride.

Gently guiding the figurine back to his hands after several more minutes of playing with it while virtually weightless, he let the magic go and felt the resumed but still reasonably lightweight heft of it. Papyrus felt that he’d learned all he could by working with this specific item for now — plus he was starting to feel thirsty again — so he pushed off the bed to go set the toy back in its rightful place on the table, claiming his glass of water to down halfway again as he contemplated what to try next.

The fluid got his scrutiny for a bit, but he opted against it for the sake of not wanting to make a mess he’d have to clean up. Sure, it was just water, but some things could be pretty susceptible to it and he didn’t want to risk it. Better to save that test for a time he could be outside instead. He took another sip instead as he wondered about making himself weightless, thinking about how it might help him jump higher or do other really cool acrobatic stuff. He really enjoyed it to begin with, his light weight making him pretty agile compared to a lot of the other monster kids. He’d been able to flip himself with a tug, however imperfectly, so perhaps the other was doable too. It seemed reasonable enough in theory at least.

Papyrus glanced around his room with a small frown. There was a good amount of space he supposed, but having cracked his cranium on the ceiling once already today he wasn’t keen on repeating the experience. His attention went to the door with its squeaky hinges. “Suppose I could go outside to try and get the oil on the way back in.” He glanced back down at his backpack and then finally to the clock before deciding he had plenty of time for everything, especially since he was really confident the homework would take him nearly no time at all.

Decision made, he polished the water glass and set it down on his desk so he could go back into the closet for his jumper and scarf, able to see a light snow starting to fall outside through his window. It would be pleasant, but no reason to go outside without proper protection on, even sans skin. He grabbed his cup on the way out his bedroom door, giving a quick check to ensure nothing was out of place on the way downstairs. The glass was placed into the sink first — knowing he’d probably reuse it when he came back in anyway — before he went to the table near the door, a brief rummage through the shallow drawer netting him the shed key he was looking for, which went into his pocket along with his house key. Shoes were tugged on with some haste, though he took the time to properly lace them up. Breaking anything due to a dumb accident was not on his agenda for the afternoon!

The skeleton locked the door behind him habitually as he exited out the front door, taking a moment to glance around for any signs of nosey passer-bys or incoming family members. For a change he was really glad to only see and hear the soft whisper of snow in both directions. He’d been right though, the snow felt really nice as it fell so lightly to the ground, covering the few tracks that did make their way past the semi-remote dwelling. Papyrus made a few new tracks on his way around to the back of the house, but his steps were light and he knew those would fill in soon enough as well.

Feeling energetic — well, more energetic than usual — Papyrus opted to vault over the low, chain link fence with one hand rather than use the gate as was proper. Exhilaration broadened his smile as he landed in a run, letting himself take a generous number of steps toward the center of the backyard before slowing to a halt.

Making a slow turn in place, he let his gaze roam over the generous backyard, the house on one side and fluffy evergreens surrounding much of the grounds around the fence that marked its perimeter off. Closing his eye sockets he turned his face toward the simulated sky, feeling the snowflakes landing on his warm bones and kissing them with frost in a way that made his smile turn fond again. It was probably a good thing Sans wasn’t there seeing him get all nostalgic, but it felt nice to reflect on all the times they’d shared in the snow together. He really hoped they’d have more time down the line to hang out, but Papyrus was really proud of everything his elder sibling had been accomplishing so far, which only made him want to work that much harder to catch up.

Sighing out a breath through his nasal bone disturbed the white powder that had settled there, prompting Papyrus to shake his skull off along with a light brushing of his phalanges over the smooth ossein before he opened his eye sockets again. As easy as it was to get lost in those reminiscences, he knew he had work to do. Another light shake was given to clear the flakes off his jacket too as he debated how to start. The ceiling of the cavern Snowdin was in was quite a ways up, so he wasn’t keen to find out what it felt like to walk upside down on that just yet. It sounded like a recipe for broken bones with a “fall” that far anyway, and that was the last thing he needed to worry his family about right now.

“So, time to defy gravity?” Papyrus mused as he began to gather that increasingly familiar power together. Looking down at his hand he wondered if he could grab himself without having to put his hand over his own soul. It’d be much more efficient to be able to do things from a distance. After all, your opponent wasn’t going to necessarily let you get close unless they were close range, and he knew that his bones were pretty good at long range, so this new ability would be pretty useless if he couldn’t make it work from a distance.

Sans hadn’t had to touch him to grab his soul either, after all.

“Okay…” he breathed out again, psyching himself up mentally to give it a go. If Sans could do it, then he could too. It just might take him some time to master it. “Here goes…”

Eyes closed again, the skeleton reached out with his hand into the air, imagining his digits closing around his own soul as he curled them around the air before him, vaguely feeling the snow falling over his metacarpals. He felt the faint tickling of his magic around the culmination of his being, examined it, and quickly found his own frequency before giving it a second go.

This second time was successful and he gasped as his sudden weight dropped him to one knee, the magic a lot stronger than he’d intended as his concentrated effort pulled him toward the ground with the gravity of a star. “Nngh,” he grunted, finding it suddenly difficult to breathe until he managed to focus enough to lighten that pressure so his soul still had a decided weight to it — he tested this with a few shallow jumps in place — but not like he was going to crush his ribs or snap his spine over it.

“Gosh, I’m glad Sans isn’t here. He’d’ve been freaking out.” Papyrus rubbed the back of his cervical vertebrae with a chagrined, one eye open expression on his face. He loved his brother to bony pieces, but the elder could sometimes be a little too protective of him when he got hurt. It was kind of nice most of the time, but sometimes, like now, it would have hindered the young skeleton more than it helped.

He was learning so much with his experimentations already, after all! And he was being careful, even if he had given himself a few uncomfortable knocks in the process. You didn’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, after all!

Papyrus chuckled.

Eyes opening again, he looked at the hand held out before him, fingers still curled in that soul-grasping position. He wondered if he would still be able to keep ahold while relaxing his fingers, prompting him to try with a slow exhalation.

He still felt blue and heavy.

“Awesome!” His excitement was breathed with surprising quietude as he didn’t want his yells drawing unwanted attention, even if they were kind of remote. “So, maybe gestures can help me focus?” He recalled Sans had done something like that when putting him on the ceiling now, though it hadn’t really struck him as significant until this moment. He was sure he could learn to do it without the rather blatant tells down the line, but if it helped him get started for now, it was worth a go.

Lifting his hand halfway, he felt his soul suddenly being nudged in the other direction, prompting his bones to follow as his feet left the ground in a slow but noticeable ascent. Like he was falling up, but with kind of a weak gravity.

Papyrus didn’t want to fall up though, or at least not all the way. This slow movement and the receding ground was certainly interesting and he thought he could make use of it, but he wanted to stop and be weightless. “Okay, let’s just stop.” He lowered his hand slowly toward that midpoint, feeling the pressure coming from below him change slowly until it seemed to equalize with the pressure above, leaving him suspended but kind of dead in the water, so to speak. Well, dead in the air anyway. The snowy lawn below felt a bit too far away for comfort as he took a look down at the roof and the trees around the edges of his field of view. It was a cool sight, but probably not one he wanted to take in without better mastery of his budding skills.

The young monster wasn’t sure he’d get away fracture free if he fell suddenly either, even with those soft snow drifts.

“Time to get your head out of the clouds, Pap.” The humor earned a small chuckle, helping ease some of the sudden nerves he’d felt upon realizing just how high up he’d gotten. Hand lowered slightly, prompting a slow but definitely manageable descent back to a height that wasn’t bone breaking. Once he felt he was at a safe distance from the ground he shifted his hand back to neutral, pleased when he stopped and just hovered there as he intended.

He was definitely getting better.

Still, hovering in mid-air like this wasn’t particularly useful in a fight, unless he got thrown off a cliff or something. It certainly didn’t look terribly cool just yet either, though he was certain he could work on that part too.

Feet kicked impotently at the air in a gesture that mimicked the movements of a run, but as half expected didn’t send him much of anywhere, only making the skeleton look more foolish in his estimation, which netted a soft coral blush on his zygomatic bones. He was really glad Sans wasn’t seeing him floundering like this. He’d have probably gotten a good laugh out of it, but Papyrus wanted the elder to think he was cool, not a joke. “So, how do I do this?” Feet pressed against the air idly as they found no solid purchase, the brow-bone furrowing in obvious thought as the youth tried to put all the pieces of the puzzle he had together sofar into something resembling progress for what he wanted to have happen.

“Well, I used the magic before to move my feet in the direction I wanted them to go. Could I maybe use it to make kind of a resistance spot, use it like a stepping stone?”

The musing aloud seemed to help his mental cogs turn, his focus shifting to the way he’d put his magic into the soles of his feet before, though this time he tried to think of it less as a yank, and more like a physical object to be pressed against, just like the stairs inside, as he put his foot down in a facsimile of the climb he was trying to replicate.

He was rewarded for his efforts with a sudden increase in his vertical direction, just as if he really had been climbing the stairs. It prompted him to test it several more times in a row, looking back from where he’d come in that diagonal ascent with wide eyes. “Wowie! It really worked!”

Papyrus very nearly jumped for joy before he thought better of it from his abruptly second story vantage with only his magic between him and a rather abrupt descent. His soul vibrated excitedly despite the blue magic still wrapped around it, his bones echoing that delighted buzzing as it took all his willpower not to go nuts.

But, would it really be so wrong to celebrate his progress, at least a little bit?

“Papa would totally kill me,” Papyrus noted with a rather childish giggle, the urge to do something genuinely fun with this power far too enticing to the youth. Besides, hadn’t Sans told him he needed to lighten up when he got too serious?

Well, nobody would be the wiser if he didn’t get hurt, right?

Easy then. Just don’t get hurt.

That decision seemed to snap the dam he’d imposed on himself in holding back, finally giving himself the chance to really play around with the results of his earlier experimentation in full. Papyrus ascended and descended on steps made by pure will and magic alone, soon graduating to actual acrobatics as the movements flowed seamlessly between the physical and metaphysical. He giggled gleefully as he brushed his fingers along the needly tops of those pine trees, sending the snow gathered on their branches up into a hazy flurry of white that he twirled in briefly before gliding away in a movement that reminded him of going skating on the big lake. This inspired his next several sweeping motions as he dipped into the trees, using the branches as additional hand holds as he zipped around and between them before finally swinging back into the open with a loud whoop of joy, letting the low arc finally send him into a roll through the thick snow in the backyard before coming to a panting halt on his back, arms and legs splayed as he tried to catch his breath and couldn’t stop laughing all at the same time.

That had definitely been the coolest thing ever.

His blue magic dissipated as his concentration waned, eye sockets closing against the snowfall that was starting to grow heavier as evening approached. Despite the removal of that gravity altering magic, Papyrus felt lighter than ever as he laid there, aware of the snow getting into all his clothes and unable to muster a care for it as he grinned broadly between his slowly waning chortles.

He’d done that. The Great Papyrus. Nobody else. All on his own.

It felt like Gyftmas and his birthday wrapped into one.

Feelings of thirst along with the beginnings of a niggling hunger were what finally nudged Papyrus into motion again after he’d let himself space out once he finally caught his breath. Rolling to his feet, the skeleton dusted away what he could of the snow that seemed to have gotten into everything with his final tumble, knowing at least some of it had slipped into a few joints from the sudden stiffness he felt in them. It was nothing a nice bath wouldn’t take care of, he mused as he sauntered over to the fence and actually used the gate to exit the backyard this time, the metal jingling softly as he did so. The snow definitely showed signs of his somersaulting through it at the end, but it was nothing he couldn’t readily explain since he often used the space to practice more conventional agility tests.

He just had an additional edge now, that was all.

Papyrus knew he was going to need to practice more to really use it at a moment’s notice, since it did take at least a little preparation at present to get started, though it seemed to flow as naturally from him as water through a river once it got going. This thought cheered him as he tucked his bare hands into the pockets of his jacket, steps bouncing lightly as he hummed to himself on the way to the toolshed.

It didn’t take him long to arrive, unlock it, and find the item he sought in the storage space. Their father kept the place nigh immaculate most of the time so that all the tools and materials were exactly where he wanted. It was pretty nice for Papyrus, since it meant he didn’t have a protracted search to locate the desired lubricant before he was leaving the space otherwise as he found it on his way back out and to the house, only pausing long enough to secure the lock again.

Coming in from the frigid outside made the house feel almost unnaturally warm by comparison, but Papyrus welcomed the heat as it sank into his bones and thawed portions of himself out that he hadn’t realized were quite so cold in his excitement. It did have the unfortunate side effect of melting the snow and ice that remained on his clothing, so he hung his jumper and scarf up at the door this time along with taking his shoes off. His jeans were a bit of a lost cause, soaked around the hems halfway up his tibias, his socks equally drenched as he peeled them off to set atop his sneakers, but at least his turtleneck was mostly dry, save for the wrist hems. The clothes would just have to go into the hamper later.

It was really a small price to pay for the amount of fun he’d had.

Since it was starting to get dark out, Papyrus finally turned on the lights in the living room on his way to the kitchen, his first stop in that culinary corner to obtain and down several glasses of much needed water, feeling decidedly bone dry after his extended magical exercise.

“Nyeh heh. I guess I gotta make my own puns since Sans isn’t here.”

The young skeleton really missed their banter from before his sibling began working with their father up in Hotland. He knew it was a really noble cause — the best because it was helping all monsterkind! — but it kind of left a hole in his soul sometimes, like a missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle. He sighed as he refilled the glass again, draining it slower this time. If his brother had been here Papyrus surely would have expressed some kind of annoyance at the obvious pun — it was his duty as a brother to keep Sans’ cranium from getting too big, after all! — but in truth he thought the quick wit that such ready remarks showed was admirable; a demonstration of the elder’s unique intelligence and part of what made him very cool.

A warm dampness rolled down his cheekbone, jolting him from his thoughts as he reached up a hand to brush over the bone in response, coming away wet with his orange tears. “Aww, c’mon now, Pap; you’re trying to rehydrate, not spring a leak. What would Sans think if he came home and saw you like this?”

Glass clinked on the counter as Papyrus set it aside to quickly wash away those amber rivulets from his face over the sink, giving the bone an extra scrubbing for good measure with the washcloth he pulled out from a nearby drawer. He had to stay brave and strong for Sans. His brother’s support meant everything to him — though his father’s was pretty cool too — and the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint him by turning into a sentimental crybaby.

Pressing the warm cloth to his face around the nasal bone, the young monster drew in a deep breath to calm the emotional storm that had risen up unbidden, likely the result of the intense outpouring of magic from earlier he mused. He’d have to be careful with that then; the magic would likely get easier with time and practice, becoming more efficient and less of a drain, but given how intimately magic and emotion could be tied, he’d have to bear it in mind moving forward.

Then again, maybe he was just overthinking it because he was tired and hungry.

With a final sigh, he brushed the cloth over his face once more before rinsing it out in the sink. It was wrung dry and then tossed into the appropriate hamper for such things hidden down below, giving Papyrus time to finish collecting his thoughts before he moved over to the refrigerator, a faint smile quirking his features as he remembered the time he’d called it a food museum. They’d been talking about museums at school that day and how they were used to preserve stuff. It seemed perfectly reasonable leap of logic that this box that preserved their food was much the same.

Oh, how the laughter that greeted that assertion proved him wrong.

In hindsight, it had been pretty funny, in an adorably innocent way. And their laughter hadn’t been malicious at all, just a bit embarrassing at the time. He couldn’t blame them, and honestly had to laugh at it a little as well now that he could distance himself from the wounded pride he’d felt then.

In a way, the memory was a fond reminder of simpler times.

Papyrus stopped lollygagging in front of the fridge, finally pulling it open to see what there was for him to reheat or cobble together. Mum had been the main cook when they were younger, but after she was gone there had been a lot of sandwiches with chips and canned goods as Papa had tried his best to fill that void. He was clearly more comfortable with lab chemistry than culinary chemistry, but Papyrus still admired the effort. It really showed the love Gaster had for them, and was perhaps part of the reason Sans was working so hard for him now. It was why Papyrus was putting so much effort into trying to make something edible for his remaining family on a regular basis. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it was a way he could pull his weight to keep the household functioning.

Plus, it was sometimes almost enough to let him pretend Mum was still here.

He was pleased to find that there was still some of the pasta he’d made yesterday. The noodles had been cooked a little too long, the meat browned just a tad bit much on some parts, and the sauce came out of a jar instead of being homemade like Mum would have done, but it was actually one of his better successes! His soul ached as he pulled one of the remaining containers out to throw into the microwave, making himself sniffle back sudden tears pricking at the corners of his eye sockets. He would not turn into a blubbering mess! It was unfitting for someone as grand as the Great Papyrus!

He just missed her so much.

“You’d’ve been proud of me, right Mum?” He asked the question of thin air, knowing no one would answer but it helped him focus and collect his emotions back from where they’d run away to as he lifted one corner of the container to let it vent before sliding it into the heating appliance. Bony fingertips hovered over the digital panel for a few seconds before deciding how long to put it on for, actually erring on the side of caution this time. He really didn’t want to make the pasta any mushier.

With that started he busied himself with the distraction of industry, marching back out into the living room to reclaim the oil from the end table, stowing the storage key back properly in the drawer before before pelting up the stairs to his room.

The door squeaked a request for that lubricant as he opened and shut it behind him, the young skeleton kneeling down to the lower hinge to very carefully apply a few drops to the metal joint. Papyrus looked up at the higher one but was too short to reach it. The idea of trying his new abilities sprang briefly to mind before he shook his head. As proud as he was of them, he didn’t trust that he could yet do something so delicate with it without making a mess. And oil was really hard to get out of clothes and carpet.

Papyrus instead dragged his desk chair over to climb on top of, finally able to reach the upper hinge with a bit of stretching to slip a few drops of the oil into it as well from above, allowing gravity work naturally for a change. He clambered down after, hearing the distant beep of the microwave as he did so. The chair was put away before he tested the door again. It squeaked a few times as the lubricant was worked into the joints before falling silent, much to his satisfaction.

Another job well done!

He left it open as he jaunted back downstairs, the bottle of oil set on the stand by the door for when it could be put away properly in the outside shed. The pasta proved to be warm on the outside but cold in the center, so he gave it a good stirring before putting it back in for a bit longer while he got himself a glass of milk, reusing his water glass for the sake of efficiency. Given how watery his bones felt after his earlier exercise, he was pretty sure he needed a glass full of strong bones right about now.

Once the machine beeped a second time the leftovers proved warm enough to be moderately edible, so Papyrus sat down at the table to eat his dinner in uneventful silence, gaze flicking to the front door intermittently on the vague hope that he might get the opportunity to share his meal with those absent loved ones. It remained unfulfilled by the time he was done, so he simply washed those dirtied dishes dutifully before dragging himself upstairs with the briefest stop to pick up his soggy socks along the way. Those went into his laundry hamper once he was in his room, a vague regret washing over him as he spied his still waiting bag on the way out of his closet. “I really should have done that before I went outside.”

There was no help for it, however, so Papyrus pulled out his assignments and books with heavy plonks onto his desk, disregarding the yearning to remove the clammy jeans sticking to his leg bones as he flopped down into his chair. Despite his growing fatigue, the homework proved just as easily done as he’d anticipated, the sheer boredom of it the only thing making it difficult to keep his eye sockets open to finish it.

Papyrus gathered up the books and finished papers as soon as he was done to shove them back into his knapsack, taking only the barest minimum of care to ensure everything was in place and wouldn’t be ruined on the trek to school tomorrow. Getting anything less than perfect grades was beneath the Great Papyrus — not to mention highly disappointing to his family — so he couldn’t afford to not turn in his assignments, even if they felt like a complete and utter waste of his time.

He put the chair back under the desk with a bit more care, taking a moment to snatch some pajamas from his closet shelves before heading to the washroom for a much desired bath, a glance out the window showing him that night had well and truly fallen over Snowdin.

It felt great to get the snowmelt out of his joints, the warm water seeming to wash away some of the weight of his cares and easing the previously unnoticed tightness in his chest. When he was done, he dried and dressed in the pajamas he’d brought, discarded clothing going back to his room to join the socks in the tall hamper inside his closet. A glance around his bedroom assured him everything was ready for tomorrow, and a look to the clock showed it was getting late but technically wasn’t yet his bedtime.

The house stayed stubbornly quiet as father and brother remained resolute in their absence, prompting Papyrus to head downstairs to wait for them.

Lights were turned out save for the one by the couch, conscientious of the finite resource that the Core’s electricity was, even for something as efficient as their light bulbs. He took a moment to pull one of the warm, fuzzy throws out of the storage closet before clambering up onto the couch, remote used to flick the television on to his favorite channel in an effort to fill the silence with a comfortably familiar drone. The bright colors and cheerful voices of the characters on screen were a welcome distraction as he unfolded the blanket to pull over his scrawny frame, getting comfortable against one of the curved arms of the couch.

The blanket was warm and its weight felt almost like a hug as it sank into his bones. It was easy to get lost in the fantasy spooled out by the show, the young skeleton’s voice lifting intermittently in response to various things happening while he waited for Sans to get home. The long, eventful day took its toll as his responses gradually waned, blinks getting longer as his frame slid further down until it was a curled ball with a corner pillow hugged under his skull.

Papyrus was still waiting when slumber pulled him into its embrace.

[fullink-official]

Fullink's A002（65W GaN multi-port charger）

In modern society, everyone will carry a variety of electronic devices and power cords. But there are only a few sockets in the socket, which can cause devices to fail to charge. 

Fullink's A002（65W GaN multi-port charger）solves this conundrum. It can charge three devices at the same time. 

MAC BOOK 13’ can be charged to 97% in 1.5 hours, and iPhone can be charged to 50% in 0.5 hours. (Fullink’s laboratory data)

90° foldable pins, storage does not take up space. It’s smaller and easier to carry.  PC&ABS matte shell can reduce scratches.

The shell and inner mold are made of UL94-V0 flame-retardant material. The chip built-in intelligent protection function to protect charging safety.

Support PD, and PPS, compatible with a variety of protocols.  It is essential whether you are working or traveling for relaxation.

#foldable#power#safety#iphone#macbook#GaN#chrager#convenient

[overton-defenestration]

Ok so I see perspectives like this (on both sides) fairly often and there’s actually a lot to unpack here: (yes I know I’m about to engage in some egregious oversimplifications, bear with me)

In actuality the people of Japan were starving. The blockades were working at depriving them of food, and modern historians estimate that they could have held out until December 1945 until the average person on the home front was unable to contribute to the war effort (an additional ~4 months). However, the Americans had no way of knowing this. Their information about mainland Japan was spotty at best and nonexistent at worst. They also were seeking an “unconditional surrender,” where the emperor would be deposed and no longer have any power, culturally or otherwise. This is why the invasion was planned, which at the time seemed an incredibly bloody alternative on both sides.

The decision to drop the first bomb ultimately came down to psychological warfare. The early bombs weren’t nearly as powerful as later models, and their effect was largely psychological — fear, shock, and the (incorrect) assumption that the US had a large supply of such weapons. And they issued no warning because a) of the psychological effects, and b) because they didn’t know if it would work and didn’t want to cede their information advantage. Hence Hiroshima. Note that I make no mention of the morals yet and no value judgements of the decision.

The second bomb is an even more difficult conundrum. They sent the Japanese a call for unconditional surrender after the first bomb. However, it’s difficult to estimate whether the difficulties of it arriving, the time required to discuss the option, and the

Ultimately it’s impossible to figure out in hindsight whether or not the bombs saved any lives. This sort of speculation has very little grounding in fact. However, a note on the previous post: they never worried that the radiation would not “kill everyone on the entire planet.” The military and politicians in charge of the weapon didn’t necessarily understand the long-term effects radiation. And the effects of radioactive soil carried upwards weren’t really considered until the Castle Bravo test (see Lucky Dragon no. 5).

I personally find atomic weapons horrific. The impact of an atomic weapon on humans is horrifying and sickening. There are personal stories of eyes melting in their sockets, skin sloughing off, and hundreds of other things I really don’t want to talk about now. I recommend Hiroshima by John Hersey and Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse to any person who wants to understand the reality of the nuclear age.

In my mind, while historical speculation may be amusing, the 1945 bombs are important to prove the human cost of these weapons. It’s more important for people to understand why these should never be used again than it is to argue the hypotheticals of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nukes actually saved lives. Without the nukes America would have had to engage in an invasion of Japan which would cost millions of lives since the Japanese were refusing to surrender.👀

How do you know that? And even if you know that, how did they know the nukes would save lives before dropping them? How did they know the radiation from the nukes wouldn't kill everyone on the entire planet?

[steamkeygenerator110agames-blog]

How to get steam games for free review

How To Be A Relevant Video Activity Master

Can you like Xbox or Playstation? Maybe you're a Nintendo wii aficionado. Or you might choose to perform on your computer, apple ipad tablet as well as your iPhone. It doesn't issue that you engage in, it's constantly better to find out guidelines to help make your activity of movie video gaming greater, so please read on.

Acquire xbox game pauses. Being placed in the same position for too long can be harmful to your overall health. Power on your own every around 30 minutes to hit that pause key and move round the area for a little bit. This helps the body and also crystal clear your mind.

Read through its evaluations well before purchasing it, as interesting as a xbox game could check out you. Video game organizations do their utmost to create their online games look appealing when, the truth is, it is actually uninteresting it utterly awful. Use the Internet to search for reviews or ask your buddies who have performed the video game.

For mothers and fathers, online games can current a real conundrum. Your young ones definitely would like to take part in the very best and most recent game titles that their buddies are referring to, but you want to possess some control over what they experience. The perfect solution is straightforward: Do a little multiple-person gaming with your youngsters! Enjoy as well as them so you know what they're viewing and performing.

How to get free games from steam 2018 sale

While a game's rating may indicate that it is right for a midst institution aged youngster, the quantity of violence incorporated might not stay well along. Possibly put the game aside or restrict how much time your child performs it if this happens. While you can't shield them from every little thing, you are able to management how much physical violence they see.

The ideal times to purchase online games are throughout in season holiday seasons. Retail stores and on-line systems will most likely hold sales across the wintertime holiday seasons or in the course of the midst of summer where new and utilized online games will probably be sold at reduced prices. Through taking good thing about these sales, you can find several video games for the price tag on one particular new online game that isn't on sale.

Before you decide to spend a lot of cash on things like controllers or memory space credit cards, search the web for a used edition. At times a shop will be from applied activity equipment, that may be very affordable. Before you make the buying therefore you know if you're getting everything you given money for, be sure to take a look at a web-based seller's feedback.

Do not acquire new video gaming at the time with their discharge. Games can be very expensive today and waiting on a monthly basis or two in the discharge date will help you to save a lot of money on new online games. New online games constantly will cost more for the first months soon after their relieve.

On-line online auctions are one more wall socket to buy video gaming. Explore the option of buying at online auctions, however, you might be feeling that video gaming are from the budget range. Spend some time to effectively search to get the best deal. Invest in the game titles you would like but tend not to spend more money than you can afford.

Don't be as well swift to dismiss a part-enjoying video game in case your first knowledge about it is less than whelming. The majority of these video games give you considerable selections for personalizing your character, and you may obtain the game more pleasant using a in a different way-built figure. You don't wish to overlook an excellent video games encounter simply because you're taking part in an unacceptable type!

The video online game connection you make use of needs to be of the most effective top quality. Plenty of activity consoles have distinct wires which can be superior to other folks. How do you know which to use if your keep an eye on or Tv set has different types of cabling? When you can, use DVI or HDMI for the greatest snapshot. The following very best could be composite or S-Video, and up coming is RCA. They're reduced in good quality compared to relax, even though coaxial connectors are what people generally get. You must just have these links when you can't use anything else.

Consider game titles before you look at the program. Think of what type of online games are available on each program, before you go out and commit a lot of money on the game playing system. Even though many game titles possess a edition for each system, you may still find some game titles which can be exclusive to somebody method. Select intelligently.

When you choose allowing your youngster to experience a online video game playing program, don't just set it up in the place and give him cost-free reign. Put it someplace where one can keep an eye on his engage in time, and enforce time limits. Established the principles early on, and stay with them.

There, don't you sense just like you know a ton about becoming a better video game player now? All it takes to learn might be a hard work on your side, and you'll discover that understanding moves a considerable ways. Continue to keep discovering, continue to keep actively playing and you'll learn that your gaming gets much better day by day.

[steamcodegenerator500coolga-blog]

How to download free games from steam

How To Become A Relevant Video Video game Expert

Will you like Xbox or Sony playstation? Maybe you're a Nintendo wii console aficionado. Or you may choose to enjoy on your pc, iPad or even your apple iphone. It doesn't matter where you engage in, it's generally advisable to find out tips and tricks to make your interest of video clip video games much better, so read on.

Consider xbox game pauses. Being placed in the same situation for days on end may be hazardous to your overall health. Push yourself every single 30 minutes to hit that pause option and move round the area for a bit. This will aid your whole body and also very clear your brain.

As interesting as being a computer game may turn to you, study its evaluations before buying it. Activity firms do their utmost to produce their video games seem alluring when, actually, it really is unexciting it utterly unpleasant. Use the web to locate testimonials or request your friends who have performed the overall game.

For parents, games can provide an authentic conundrum. You want to have some power over whatever they practical experience, although the kids surely want to have fun playing the newest and very best video games their friends are discussing. The perfect solution is easy: Conduct some multi-gamer video gaming with your youngsters! Enjoy combined with them so that you know what they're experiencing and performing.

How to download steam greenlight games for free download

When a game's score might point to that it must be suitable for a midsection university old youngster, the amount of abuse incorporated may not sit effectively along with you. In such a circumstance, either position the activity aside or reduce the amount of time that your little one performs it. Whilst you can't defend them from almost everything, you can management simply how much abuse they see.

The best times to purchase video gaming are during in season holiday seasons. Retailers and online websites will most likely carry product sales across the wintertime holidays or during the center of summer in which new and utilized online games will probably be marketed at lowered prices. If you take advantage of these revenue, you will get several games for the price of a single new game that isn't discounted.

Look online for the used model, before you decide to commit a lot of cash on such things as controllers or storage greeting cards. At times a store will be out of utilized video game components, which is often very reasonable. Be sure to take a look at a web-based seller's responses prior to making the acquisition so you determine you're getting the things you bought.

Try not to purchase new video games when of the launch. Video games can be very expensive today and hanging around on a monthly basis or two from your relieve day can help you to save a lot of money on new games. New video gaming usually cost more for the initial few months soon after their discharge.

On the internet auctions are yet another wall socket to get games. You may well be sensation that video games are from the cost range, but check out the choice of acquiring at online auctions. Take the time to properly look for for the very best deal. Bid on the video games you desire but do not spend more money than you really can afford.

When your first knowledge of it is below whelming, don't be way too quick to discount a part-enjoying activity. The majority of these games offer you substantial selections for personalizing your character, and you could discover the game more enjoyable using a diversely-created personality. You don't would like to neglect a great gaming practical experience because you're enjoying an unacceptable school!

The video online game relationship you utilize should be of the finest high quality. A lot of activity consoles have different cable connections that could be superior to other folks. When your check or Television has various kinds of wires, can you be sure which to use? Use DVI or HDMI to get the best image provided you can. The next finest will be composite or S-Online video, and up coming is RCA. They're reduced in high quality compared to relax, though coaxial connectors are what individuals generally find. In the event you can't use everything else, you ought to have only these links.

Look at online games before you look at the system. Think about what sort of online games are offered on every program, before you go out and commit large sums of money on a video gaming program. Although many games have got a version for each and every process, you can still find some game titles that are limited to someone system. Select sensibly.

Once you decide to enable your son or daughter to get a video clip video games process, don't just set it up up in his area and provide him free of charge reign. Place it someplace where one can monitor his perform time, and impose time boundaries. Establish the guidelines early on, and stick to them.

There, don't you sense as if you know a ton about as being a better gamer now? What is needed to learn is a little energy by you, and you'll learn that knowledge goes a considerable ways. Continue to keep discovering, always keep taking part in and you'll realize that your video games will become greater day by day.

[govindhtech]

At Dual-Socket Systems, Ampere’s 192-Core CPUs Stress ARM64 Linux Kernel

Ampere’s 192-Core CPUs Stress ARM64 Linux Kernel

In the realm of ARM-based server CPUs, the abundance of cores can present unforeseen challenges for Linux operating systems. Ampere, a prominent player in this space, has recently launched its AmpereOne data center CPUs, boasting an impressive 192 cores. However, this surplus of computing power has led to complications in Linux support, especially in systems employing two of Ampere’s 192-core chips (totaling a whopping 384 cores) within a single server.

The Core Conundrum

According to reports from Phoronix, the ARM64 Linux kernel currently struggles to support configurations exceeding 256 cores. In response, Ampere has taken the initiative by proposing a patch aimed at elevating the Linux kernel’s core limit to 512. The proposed solution involves implementing the “CPUMASK_OFFSTACK” method, a mechanism allowing Linux to override the default 256-core limit. This approach strategically allocates free bitmaps for CPU masks from memory, enabling an expansion of the core limit without inflating the kernel image’s memory footprint.

Tackling Technicalities

Implementing the CPUMASK_OFFSTACK method is crucial, given that each core introduces an additional 8KB to the kernel image size. Ampere’s cutting-edge CPUs stand out with the highest core count in the industry, surpassing even AMD’s latest Zen 4c EPYC CPUs, which cap at 128 cores. This unprecedented core count places Ampere in uncharted territory, making it the first CPU manufacturer to grapple with the limitations of ARM64 Linux Kernel 256-core threshold.

The Impact on Data Centers

While the core limit predicament does not affect systems equipped with a single 192-core AmpereOne chip, it poses a significant challenge for data center servers housing two of these powerhouse chips in a dual-socket configuration. Notably, SMT logical cores, or threads, also exceed the 256 figure on various systems, further compounding the complexity of the issue.

AmpereOne: A Revolutionary CPU Lineup

AmpereOne represents a paradigm shift in CPU design, featuring models with core counts ranging from 136 to an astounding 192 cores. Built on the ARMv8.6+ instruction set and leveraging TSMC’s cutting-edge 5nm node, these CPUs boast dual 128b Vector Units, 2MB of L2 cache per core, a 3 GHz clock speed, an eight-channel DDR5 memory controller, 128 PCIe Gen 5 lanes, and a TDP ranging from 200 to 350W. Tailored for high-performance data center workloads that can leverage substantial core counts, AmpereOne is at the forefront of innovation in the CPU landscape.

The Road Ahead

Despite Ampere’s proactive approach in submitting the patch to address the core limit challenge, achieving 512-core support might take some time. In 2021, a similar proposal was put forth, seeking to increase the ARM64 Linux CPU core limit to 512. However, Linux maintainers rejected it due to the absence of available CPU hardware with more than 256 cores at that time. Optimistically, 512-core support may not become a reality until the release of Linux kernel 6.8 in 2024.

A Glimmer of Hope

It’s important to note that the outgoing Linux kernel already supports the CPUMASK_OFFSTACK method for augmenting CPU core count limits. The ball is now in the court of Linux maintainers to decide whether to enable this feature by default, potentially expediting the timeline for achieving the much-needed 512-core support.

In conclusion, Ampere’s 192-core CPUs have thrust the industry into uncharted territory, necessitating innovative solutions to overcome the limitations of current ARM64 Linux kernel support. As technology continues to advance, collaborations between hardware manufacturers and software developers become increasingly pivotal in ensuring seamless compatibility and optimal performance for the next generation of data center systems.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[allyinthekeyofx]

PAINTING BY NUMBERS - Chapter 4/?

[piscesdoctor26]

Real life conundrum #72

Trying to find an extension cord for the new work fridge because the power cord won’t reach the socket. Female Co-worker: Why don’t you just wait for a man to come help you with that? Me, externally: all I need is a power cord and I’ll be fine. Me, internally: lady when the hell did this office transition back into 1950s standards like seriously did you just ask me that for real why the hell can men magically make power cords grow or extension cords manifest out of thin air cause damn I mean I just unpacked the entire damn fridge out of the box BY MYSELF without a man and oh golly my dainty triceps can’t take this shit anymore apparently cause wow high heels and a vagina prevent me from plugging in electrical devices, sure go find me a man let’s see what happens when I plug his junk into the socket

[d-exavier]

Dear Carlos,

I can hardly say how grateful I am to be walking alongside you in this season, just three years after we first met. It’s never felt like I’ve known you my whole life; but it has always been clear to me that we were meant to meet in the moment we did. Our individual proclivities for abysses along with our four sockets holding eyes weary of disaster have ebbed in the way of outrage and flowed in the direction of relief in this primordial sea of art making we’ve committed to. No matter how much our thoughts and inclinations convene or diverge—you coming from an imaginary concerned with exile, me coming from an imaginary concerned with home—at least one of our questions has remained constant and shared: How are we (as in proximate bodies) supposed to live (as in more than exist) after all (as in history, as in consequence, as in time)?

How you’ve chosen to (re)visit this question in The Utterances is at once deeply challenging and strangely sensible, calling for a reorientation of the corporeal, language, and time. In a year as technologically advanced as this 2017, you’d think we’d be able to, with the assistance of all our books, words, and toys, find ways to imagine beyond instances of personal catastrophe. After all, the scale of catastrophe is always collective; that’s literally how big it is, encompassing completely. Catastrophe is so total. And yet, our feelings, our ideas, our problems, our solutions concerning any catastrophic event are always so private, individual, small. What an awful reminder of how human we are.

I think of our running joke: I scream, “I don’t even like theater!” You laugh. But then I’m reminded of your question. It seems there is no art form better suited to utter a response to such an inquiry begging an actual “us” to forge ahead in the opposite direction of injury. How terrifying (and opportune) that the first step of this possibility is to give up the self. I, for one, look forward to exactly this—the giving up of my I, the dismantling of my my—with every collaboration I enter. If any of us are going to truly face and move beyond catastrophe, beyond the tyranny of total destruction, it only makes sense we get our unions right. But it requires a certain kind of rehearsal.

What you are considering takes practice: a poetry of embodiment so athletic and precise in awareness a person might be able to tell, like the difference between strands of hair on an arm, when they are being and when they are representing. I wish people, myself included, paid so much more attention to this. When are you person (unarticled, collectively unexceptional): a creature with a body that can cease, in need of a few things that can keep that body from ceasing for a time? When are you the person (a singular impression): an individuated being decidedly human because of things like power and will and the ability to tell (often ignore) time? What rights and responsibilities do we have to oscillate between these poles?

Carlos, I don’t even know. I have no idea. What I am sure of is that there is something deeply wrong with almost every single thing that purports a walkable path for our current set of global conundrums, among the most egregious of these bamboozling maps being the very art we make. I roll my eyes, the ones long weary in their sockets, watching people leave the comfort and shelter of their own homes in daily attempts to convince themselves that they are uncomfortably exiled in service of some kind of art when they are mostly dissatisfied with the entrails of catastrophe they’ve been fed, not recognizing they should be ever grateful they have not been served the belly of the beast.

I think of remnants, the leftovers we’re made to consume daily. Our stomachs are full of ghosts. It leaves little room for the Spirit.

I know giving up the self makes room for more Spirit.

Children, if they get to be that, are full of Spirit.

As I am the Magician says: “The child is easy to trick, but he is no fool.”

Fools are people who grow in years under the mistaken impression that they can keep the whole Spirit of the child. This is a tendency toward possession, a refusal to give up self.

I keep wishing people would grow up: more, faster, actually. I keep praying people would just give themselves up.

I keep wondering if the most important difference between fantasy and imagination is the personal sacrifice it takes to step out of your own mind, the fantastical realm, and into something more collectively, totally unknown: Chaos, the imaginative real.

I am not convinced people actually know what Chaos is.

The current definition of “chaos” might just be: systems of deliberate disorder manufactured by very human hands over time, fantasies on a countdown. I fear this because I recognize it in the worlds artists make: perpetuating economies of power, possession, and hierarchal transaction; inventing small and temporal countries that mimic the violence of colonization; trapping people in personal fantasies while touting enthusiastic convictions about these small and giant feats of imagination; hoping that repeated failures in any or all of these tasks might prove none of these horrors are actually true.

It’s sick.

More and more I find troubling correlations between the projects of nation building and art making. The obsession seems to be focused on the wrong query. I don’t think the question is how do we (I) make a(nother) world. What kinds of gods do we think we are? I think the challenge is how might we (all) really live in this one. After everything that’s been done, after history, into the future: What is the collective move forward? Beyond life, beyond death, beyond even love: How are you present? How do you care?

With all my love and gratitude for your care, Diane

Dear Diane,

Before anything else, a deep and abiding, THANK YOU. I find it impossible to imagine having gone through this program without you. So, I’ll dispense with that non-occurrence. A confession: Diane, I do not understand time. Sometimes it feels like Time is carrying me, at others, that I’m riding Time, like a current down whichever river I’m closest to at the time. And then sometimes, Time drops me off. It’s at these moments; I can see more clearly what’s around me. I’ve had more of those moments these past three years. That’s no small thing, and it has been a privilege to be in your company for this leg of the journey: contemplating shape, geography, land, home, exile, wakes, breaks, prophecy, utterances, and good blood.

It took me forever to learn to tie my shoes; and when I was young, it was often said of me, and quite like this: “That boy ain’t got a lick of common sense.” It wasn’t just that I was untethered; I was a bona fide space cadet. And we don’t need to debate whether I still am sometimes. It was the sky, and the night sky ,in particular, that captivated me, the stars, and the stars’ integrity; I was obsessed. In the face of that mystery, tying shoelaces, the right-in-front-of-your-faceness of it, was rendered a ridiculous prospect. I couldn’t do it. I resisted; and the result being, I tripped all over the goddamned place.  That's where we find ourselves, in this world of ours. Trippin.’

I know now that it takes confrontation with death, to approach the common. Death, being that which is held by all. Common, as in that which brings us into a greater fellowship of consideration. If this is true, neither of us is lacking; and not just us. So many Others are not lacking in this confrontation with actual death, and so ultimately, find it impossible and futile to be in the habit of abstracting death. I'm attempting to think this abstraction of death with a western obsession for nostalgia, and now, a burn-it-at-all-cost kind of that nostalgia, which cannot ever be fulfilled: well, at least, the nostalgia can’t. We can burn, and this nostalgia is ultimately an exercise in fantasy. We live right now. We live right now. That eternal and childish daydreaming which fixes the gaze on a kind of time that collapses in on itself, this nostalgia pulls everything which it encounters into itself, turning all it encounters into bone, fodder, ash, global ghosts. We are not!

Prophecy, as dramaturgy, may be an intervention, or rather a way of being, before this way we’ve trod along embedded itself as normative and sufficient. At once atmospheric, and capacious, inchoate, prophecy invites us to open ourselves to all time. It is evident to me when encountering, Good Blood, and its stratagems, that what I am experiencing is a deployment of the reparative, the prophetic. It is attention inside of Time, the linear made eternal. In this way, Good Blood is epic. There is a cartography of Spirit at work; that prayerful attention that requires a lover to get up off their damn knees, and to stand up, open, and rise before the work at hand. Chelsea Beyond Her Years depends upon this opening. All of us do.

Diane, this labor of regard is a hallmark of your work and the liberatory ethic at its core. Liberation will not be managed. The ways of being, your work insists upon is different than just collisions with systems of reform, it's after revolution. This must be rehearsed in our rooms even before we build them; and how do we build the literal rooms, this one being one of those, but really all our inhabitations, so that these inhabiting spaces bring us, truly bring us into consideration of our condition. We don't have to do this alone; and of course, we can’t. If, at times we get frustrated with theater, and really all art, it’s precisely where we’ve not encountered a proper consideration, which is sometimes just really being with someone, or something, together, even an idea, or a question, a death even. What about the weather?

(Insert tornado, hurricane joke here, can I take a rain check?)

Home is the force, beyond any other that totalizes and marks us. It is our great and proper reaction.  Home is wherever I am. Well, it is, and it isn't. Home is an attachment to land. So am I homeless when I am landless? Home is where my Ancestors’ Spirits are. Can Spirits swim? I mean, really, can they swim and, if so, how far; also, do they get tired? I’m really asking. In Good Blood, Chelsea Beyond Her Years senses this paradox and inquires. I can’t tell if she’s satisfied with the answer she receives. I don’t know if we are.

The 40,000 ghosts, or the incalculable deaths, as they are so often referred, in media and history, haunt Good Blood, haunt us.  I’m talking about incalculable loss, here. It is it true, the calculus of it is impossible task, and at the same time, I know, that we better do our math, and by do our math, I mean calculate, and by calculate, I mean remember, and where memory and the archive fail us, we must imagine, which means that our work is never finished.

The result and inverse of nostalgia is apocalypse.  It is often presented as alien and not actual, as that which is far away. I want to argue for its presence with us now. One need only pay attention. When we can’t see this, this is marker of a willful evacuation of memory.

Can we get an intervention?

Can we?

I have to believe that we are all older than we know.

Like Time, Good Blood carries us, rides us, drops us all inside of itself, like Time.

With Love,

Carlos