#And fairly restrictive in their applications

[bet-on-me-13]

DPxBNHA Prompt

@evilminji recently made a Post about DP x MHA and I'm in love with the idea of those 2 fandoms together. (I'm gonna tag this dpxdc just to spread it around but there won't be much dc in it. Maybe a few crumbs here and there)

So! Quirks came into existence the same day Danny became a Halfa. He wasn't directly responsible for it, but when the Portal opened it released a truly Massive amount of Ectoplasm into the world at large. The Dr's Fenton didn't notice it at first, because Amity Park had always had that level of Ectoplasm and all of their Sensors were within the City Limits.

The Ectoplasm released onto the world quickly and integrated with multiple Humans across the Planet, and eventually enough Ectoplasm gathered in a single Human to form the first Proto-Core, aka Quirk. That human was the Glowing Baby.

This phenomenon spread across the world as the situation in Amity Park devolved. The GIW knew for certain that these "Meta Abilities" were the result of Ectoplasm Contamination, and doubled down on Amity Park to try and fruitless contain the spread. Not that it would have worked, the Portal opening had sent a Shockwave across the fabric of Reality, creating mini-portals that continued to feed Ectoplasm to the Earth.

Eventually the day came when Amtiy Park was Evacuated from the Mortal Realm by Clockwork for it's own Protection. It's disappearance was blamed on a newly awakened Quirk destroying the entire Town, which was used to feed the flames of hatred in the Early Dawn Era.

Then one day, Amity Park returns. In Japan of all places.

Clockwork had dragged the entire Town through Time, to an Era that would accept their abilities. It was placed in the countryside of Japan. Clockwork had considered putting them in a dimension of Heroes, bur decided that would like to stay in their home dimension for now.

Thats the basic world building, but there are other parts we can expand upon in this AU

For Example, OFA and AFO

All for One was the first True Core in the 1st Gen of Quirks, but he was born with a Defect that made him unable to generate his own Ectoplasm. He felt a Hunger that could never be satiated, and eventually found a way to feed that hunger by absorbing the Proto-Cores of other people into his own True Core, stealing their Quirks.

One For All was the Opposite, born as an empty True Core but without the insatiable Hunger that his brother had. Then AFO force fed him a Stockpile Core and it fused with his own, giving him the power to Generate and Stockpile his own Ectoplasm.

He also had the power to Pass On his Core to another Body, basically just passing on his power. Then his Successor did the same, and their successor, and their Successor. Eventually we reach the 9th Holder of OFA, and the Singularity.

In this world, the Quirk Singularity isn't just an event where Quirks grow too powerful for their Bodies to handle, it is an event where the Proto-Cores of Quirk Users experience an Apotheosis, and change from Proto to True Cores. True Cores which the Human Body can't handle having.

But it's different for OFA. It was a True Core from the beginning, born within a Human Body, and it has the power of 6 other Proto-Cores within itself all ready to Apotheosis into True Cores themselves. When OFA is passed onto zuku Midoriya, it floods him with 7 Cores worth of Ectoplasm, and turns him into a Halfa.

When Danny and the rest if Amity Park reappear in Japan, they find not only a world populated by mostly Liminal Humans, but also a Powerful Halfa who doesn't even know he is a Halfa. Maybe even 2 if All Might also experienced the same Apotheosis?

Thoughts?

[ms-demeanor]

I went diabetic earlier this year, since then I've had far more serious health concerns to really focus on it. I've listened to my primary care and reduced my average a1c from 13 to 7. I've recently been looking into diets and what not that are the best. Currently, I'm trying to cut out all carbs, on my doctor's orders. What I'm seeing though is that a plant based diet is best. It looks like a ketogenic diet is what my doctor wants me to follow? I've watched videos on both diets and I don't know, I agree with you that keto is evil. What are your thoughts about this?

I am not a medical professional so i can't give you medical advice, but I'd say that you should ask your doctor for a referral to a dietician (an RD or an RDN, NOT a "nutritionist" - RD/RDN are protected terms that mean they have completed specific training and have specific board certification) and ask the dietician for advice on your specific dietary needs for your specific medical conditions.

What I can say is that trying to cut all carbs is pretty dangerous - not only is it a macronutrient that our body uses as the most available fuel for your body processes (we *can* get fuel from protein and fat, and ketones can *theoretically* replace sugars for energy but nobody is actually sure how long our bodies can do that and we know it's a LOT less efficient, it's supposed to be less efficient, and what that means is it makes a lot of people feel exhausted when they try it because they literally have less available energy) but also there are certain nutrients that are fortified in the US that are going to be hard to get if you're cutting carbs completely. The example that I always use is folate, because when I had to cut wheat out of my diet (i have grain allergies and celiac disease) I didn't know to supplement it and ended up with a form of anemia and stuff like "fainting" and "dizziness" and "low oxygen saturation."

Which is part of why massive diet changes should be undertaken with the assistance of a dietician! That's why I started studying nutrition! Because nobody supervised my medically necessary diet changes and it went very poorly!

Your GP very likely doesn't have a ton of training on nutrition, and is even less likely to have training on nutrition specific to your condition. If your GP is telling you to cut all carbs, they are telling you to do something dangerous and not nutritionally sound (even really restrictive keto diets call for 20g of carbs a day). Ask either them or your endocrinologist for a referral to a dietician (again, you are looking for a Registered Dietician or a Registered Dietician Nutritionist, RD or RDN, NOT just 'nutritionist') who is familiar with helping diabetics manage their nutrition.

Now, all of that said, in the choice between two fairly restrictive diets I will always say to try the one that requires less effort. It is much easier to eat a plant-based diet long term than a keto diet, and it is vanishingly unlikely that you are going to end up protein deficient (the primary concern for most people who are starting plant based diets, and it's just not all that likely - we need a lot less protein than a lot of people seem to think; though if you're going completely vegan you do need to be careful to supplement your B vitamins and to ensure that you're getting plenty of omega fats)

Because the thing is, for a diet to "work" you have to be on that diet forever. If you stop being on that diet, and stop adhering to its restrictions, whatever benefits exist for that diet go away. So the best diet for *anybody* is one that will provide them with the nutrients they need in a way that they can access regularly and affordably, that they enjoy eating and can comfortably maintain for long periods of time, and that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables because the only diet advice that is nearly universally applicable is that people should be eating more fruits and vegetables and they should be eating a wider variety of them.

I am not a fan of "diets" as a concept and I think that people should think of nutrition in terms of "my diet" not "the diet that is meant to be one-size-fits-all for millions of people that I am attempting." Your diet is what you eat and drink, and that is what you should be looking at adjusting. If you want to reduce carbs in your diet it's better to tweak your consumption than it is totally replace your diet with a one size fits all keto diet. If you want to increase fat in your diet it is better to tweak your consumption than it is to replace your diet with a one size fits all atkins diet. If you want to go plant based I think it is better to start by adjusting your diet to include more plants and to slowly replace animal based products than by trying a one size fits all vegan diet right out of the gate. You can always (and should!) make adjustments to what you eat as circumstances change and you may end up at a vegan diet or a low carb high fat diet and find that that works for you, but part of the reason that I think nutrition studies on diets are so screwy and hard to pin down is because your body is going to *flip the fuck out* when you change from, say, an average american diet to a study-provided Mediterranean diet for a 12 week experiment. If you drastically change your diet all at once and get good results immediately it's very hard to say if those results will be lasting because your body may just adjust to the "new normal" of your diet six months down the line.

But like seriously if your GP is telling you to cut all carbs you need to see a person who specializes in nutrition, and to prepare for your appointment with that person you should make a list of your goals (for you it sounds like you want to manage your blood sugar levels, reduce a1c, and *ask about* low carbs if that is something that interests you), a list of things you think that you'll have trouble with or that you want to include in your diet because they're important to you (if you really like nuts but have to be on a low fat diet, ask if there's a way to work around that with your needs, for example; if there is a cultural staple that you will find difficult to cut from family meals, TELL THEM THAT), a list of questions that you have about different types of diets, and *VERY IMPORTANTLY* information about your food budget and cooking skills. Be clear about it if you can't cook. Be clear about it if you can't afford certain ingredients.

Anyway. Once again, not medical advice, please speak to a medical professional, good luck.

[botgal]

CA Internet Bills Status as of 7/17/2024

I had wanted to wait to make this post until all of the bills updated texts had been uploaded to the usual sites, but it appears what whoever's supposed to be updating AB 3080 has been lagging, so I'll just go with what I have for now. It'll be long as I'll be looking at their statuses and analyzing their updated texts so I'll put it under a cut for now.

A reminder that California's legislature is currently on recess and will be until August 5th. So no immediately imminent bills at this exact moments. But please read below the cut to get more information on the deadlines coming up.

When I last posted, all three of the bills had gone into review in their respective committees and sadly all of them passed out.

AB 3080: 11 Aye - 0 Nay

AB 1949: 11 Aye - 0 Nay

SB 976: 7 Aye - 4 No Vote

All three bills have been amended during their time in committees.

Ab 3080

AB 3080 was amended and passed from committee as amended, it is now available for a floor vote. This is the only one of the three bills where its amended text hasn't been posted anywhere I can find. However, in the analysis of the July 3rd meeting, there were acknowledgements made that not only is there no effective and safe way to verify age to view online content, but also that the existence of VPNs can circumvent any attempts to region lock sites designated as "adult" (the definition as it stands still appears to be limited to commercial websites where more than 1/3 of their content annually is sexually explicit). And that the methods to implement such a thing on commercial and non-commercial websites alike can be prohibitively expensive. So the author of the bill agreed to amendments in the bill as such according to the analysis:

"In response to the concerns of opposition, the author has agreed to amendments that allow a less restrictive means to suffice in meeting the obligation of the bill, mitigating the impact on protected speech and expression. The amendments provide that “reasonable steps” includes the business implementing a system that includes metadata or response headers identifying the product as sexually explicit to parental control software, embedded hardware applications, and other similar services designed to block, filter, monitor or otherwise prevent a minor’s access to inappropriate online content, or that blocks users designated as minors by the operating system of the device used to access the website. It also limits enforcement of this new cause of action to the Attorney General and requires the Attorney General to promulgate regulations to provide better direction for reasonable steps to verify age in addition to those listed."

So it appears that the bill may allow more websites instead to mark themselves or certain portions of their content as adult in order to be properly vetted by in-device content filters and parental controls that can be set by the device operators (or their parents in the case of minors), rather than a method that would require users to provide identification.

It's eased up quite a bit since its initial incarnation. But it's still better safe than sorry with this kind of bill, so Californians let's still push the state senators to veto this bill completely.

Organizations in support of this bill:

Organizations in opposition to this bill:

AB 1949

AB 1949 was amended and passed from committee as amended, and is currently referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

This one has also seen some fairly positive changes during this committee analysis as can be seen in the latest version of the bill. The latest version has removed any indications towards age verification. As well as it having changed several of its details. The bill only comes into effect and prevents the sale of data if the website has actual knowledge of the users' age, and that there shall be an option for the user to transmit a signal that they are under 18 for this purpose. Which again should help the argument against strict age verification barriers due to advertising purposes.

"a business shall not use or disclose the personal information of a consumer if the business has actual knowledge that the consumer is less than 18 years of age, unless the consumer, in the case of a consumer at least 13 years of age and less than 18 years of age, or the consumer’s parent or guardian, in the case of a consumer less than 13 years of age, has affirmatively authorized the use or disclosure of the consumer’s personal information."

"A business shall treat a consumer as under 18 years of age if the consumer, through a platform, technology, or mechanism, transmits a signal indicating that the consumer is less than 18 years of age."

But, once again, it is best to still work against this bill and prevent its passing at all in case it there's push to use it as a stepping stone for any bills which may further push an age verification agenda.

Organizations in support of this bill:

Organizations in opposition of this bill:

SB 976

This bill passed with amendments and is currently referred to the California Assembly Appropriations Committee. Unfortunately no major changes have been made. Only an amendment clarifying that any parental controls are only meant to limit access to "addictive feeds" and limit access to school hours, not any of the content. As this function still requires a "verified adult parent to a minor", this still holds open the door to potential future age verification dangers. As it still states that an application may choose to withhold services to minors altogether, and explicitly leaves open the possibility to allow provisions for age "assurance". So we definitely want to strike this one down if we can.

Organizations in support of this bill:

Organizations in opposition to this bill:

As of this moment, the California Legislature is out on recess until August 5.

The Senate Appropriations Committee (AB 1949) is set to meet on August 5, no word on whether it will be heard that day or on the next set hearing, August 12. So if you wish to send a position letter to the committee it would be best to do so a week before that date, so by July 29. Just to be safe.

No word on when the Assembly Appropriations Committee is set to meet, but the deadline for fiscal committees to pass bills through is August 16, so I expect that SB 976 will be heard before that day at least.

And AB 3080 is set to go to the senate floor rather than be seen by another committee before being read. No word on when the next bill readings will be on the assembly floor after it's reconvened August 5th, but I'll keep an ear to the ground for that.

The last day for each house to pass their bills for the year will be August 31st. So any bills we can stop before then are halted for good for the year.

And for any bills that do slip through, the last day for the governor to sign, let pass without signing, or veto bills is September 30th. So even if the bills pass from the floor to his desk, there's still time to send him messages to urge him to oppose any that slip through.

Thank you for your time, both in reading this and in taking the time to help us fight these bills.

[keoni-chan]

i have been reading anglers bay since it started. i was wondering what rules you follow and other information? i'd like to play my own 🥺👉👈 pls

Hi matressdemon!

Oh! Good luck on starting your own bacc!

I used Nepheris' bacc rules for setting up my bacc. They're fairly restrictive and that didn't suit my playing style, so I dropped most of the rules along the way. I did start out following them though.

Other than the usual "no money or other cheats" and "no quiting without saving" rules, these are most of my rules right now:

- each household is played for a full season. (5 days in my game)

- I roll a ROS challenge for the household on the first day of the new season. ROS is rerolled if the challenge is non-applicable to the household. Like "teen sim will act out" in a household without teens.

- new households need to roll for the location of their house. I implemented this one once the town started growing. 1 is hilltop area, 2 is downhill area, 3 is bay area, 4 is apartment building. (5 and 6 is reroll, but will be downtown and shopping district once they unlock).

- adding onto the previous one, children from current residents, who are moving out of their parents' house, will have to roll for either a house or an apartment, before rolling for a location.

- taxes are paid on the first day of the new season. I use FamilyFunds to edit the household funds and keep track of the incoming taxes on my bacc spreadsheet.

- new community lots must be either owned by a household, donated to the community by a household, or paid for by taxes

- university, downtown and shopping districts are locked untill their development is paid for by taxes, or they're funded by a household. I could see one of my wealthy families funding a university, for instance.

- I play mostly want-based and with free will on. I like to pretend my sims are in charge of their own actions. I rarely intervene, which is part of the reason why some of my sims are such walking trash fires.

I hope this gives you some sort of starting point :)

[astriiformes]

hiii! im a 17 y/o applying to college, but i have no idea what i want to major in/do with my life. im interested in math and science but also history and stuff. any advice?

Oh I am. An interesting person to ask this question considering I have changed my major multiple times (partly due to switching schools) and am now doing something a bit weird.

I suppose the first thing to mention is if you really aren't sure what you want to do in the future, there are options other than college and there's no shame in taking a gap year or two in order to figure out if it's actually the path you want to take. However! It sounds a bit like you are at least interested in the idea of college, and also that's where my own experience lies, so I'll offer what I can. Just definitely keep in mind there are other routes, if it doesn't end up fitting.

Honestly my biggest piece of advice to anyone looking at colleges is to dig into what actual courses are offered at the schools you're looking at. The same degree at one school can vary significantly from ones at another school, and getting some idea of if the specific classes that are a part of a given program are interesting to you can prevent a lot of heartache in the long run. I did not do this with the first college I attended, and found out the hard way that their program was really heavy on classes that I was less interested in and struggled with more. Which was frustrating.

As for narrowing down what you specifically want to major in, keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to. Like, you do have to pick a program, but interdisciplinary degrees and even build-your-own degrees like the one I'm currently doing are becoming increasingly popular, and there are ways to spin having disparate interests into something unique where you can really succeed.

When I started college, at my first university, I was doing a general Biology degree. Then I transferred to a school where you could pick slightly different concentrations in Biology, and did part of a degree in Biology, but with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Then I took a break for about four years, because college was not working for me. When I picked it up again, at yet another school, I started with an interdisciplinary degree in Biology, Society, and Environment--still fairly Biology-heavy, but with an added focus in the humanities surrounding science . Eventually I abandoned the framework of structured degrees entirely, and am now finishing college doing a Bachelor's of Individualized Studies, which is a degree program my school offers where you essentially pick three minors and build your own degree out of them. (Mine are Biology, History of Science, and Cultural Studies & Comparative Literatures)

I hope that illustrates a couple things. One--you are not locked in to your first choice, and in fact may figure out what you want to do partly by dabbling in some other things first. And two--there are lots of different flavors of studying even some of the same subjects that vary from degree to degree and school to school. Look into some of the weirder options that are out there that might let you combine multiple passions for sure!

If you're specifically interested in a degree that blends the sciences and the humanities, some keywords that might be useful to you are looking up schools with programs in Science and Technology Studies (or STS), History of Science, or Philosophy of Science programs. Even if they don't offer Bachelor's in them (sometimes those are restricted to grad degrees), they may offer minors or concentration options, or be something you could work into an individualized degree if your school has a program for those, and at the very least may have classes you could take in those subjects even if you have to do a slightly different degree to dabble in them.

Best of luck with your searching and applications! I hope all this rambling can at least be of some use to you.

[mariaofdoranelle]

Fake It Till You Make It

Rowaelin Month masterlist

@rowaelinscourt

I got my driver’s license this year, so I wrote this a few weeks ago for today because I’m kinda invested in DMV horror stories loll

Warnings: language

Words: 1,2k

For Rowan, becoming an employee at the Department of Motor Vehicles—also known as DMV—was a fairly easy process. He was unemployed, they had spots open, all the pieces fell right into place.

The hard part was staying in this damn job.

He grabbed the information of the next applicant he was going to examine. A 62-year-old woman who failed her driver’s license exam five times. Rowan tensed. As long as she didn’t kill anyone with that car, it’d be alright.

He crossed the threshold between the restricted area for employees and the waiting room, stepping inside that crowded space that reeked of cheap room deodorizers.

“Evalin Ashryver?” he called over the low chatter.

The woman who approached him was… not what he expected. Apart from the gray roots in her hair and conservative clothing, this woman didn’t look 62 years old at all.

"Ma'am, can I see your ID?"

The charming smile she gave him hit Rowan right between the legs. He looked away, waiting while she searched her purse. Holy rutting Mala, he needed to get a grip. The woman was old enough to be his mother.

She handed him the ID, and Rowan held it right by the woman's side to examine it.

She looked like the same person in the ID, but not quite. In the picture, the nose was a bit different, and it showed more signs of her age. Sagging skin, a few more wrinkles. But is there anything doctors couldn't do these days? It was the exact same shade of blonde hair, the exact same blue eyes with golden hues.

He cleared his throat and handed back the document.

“Ma’am don’t get me wrong, but…” Rowan trailed, carefully selecting his next words. “You should consider replacing your ID.”

Evalin tilted her head, exposing her neck that looked way too smooth and lickable for someone twice his age. “Is something wrong with it?”

“Your fillers.” Rowan gestured to his own face with a swift twirl of his finger. “It could confuse a security agent.”

Her grin was bright, assuring him that she wasn’t embarrassed. "I have a very good doctor, thanks."

Evalin's slow smile built, her eyes studying his biceps and shoulders.

Was this unbelievably hot old lady flirting with him? Rowan took a step back and gestured for her to walk ahead of him. He didn't mind her age, but he also noticed the wedding ring on her finger.

Rowan cleared his throat and led her to the garage. He braced himself when she started the car, his stomach as hard as his muscles felt tight, but the deadly driving he expected never came. It was actually smooth, and the car didn’t stall once.

Weird. That was the kind of conduct he expected from an experienced driver, not someone who failed this test five times.

He narrowed his eyes at Evalin, studying her relaxed posture. "I see you’re not nervous.” Rowan was sure of it, but his tone made it sound like a question. It was strange, seeing a repeater so at ease when most of them reeked of terror and anxiety.

"I had lots of practice with my daughter." Evalin wiggled her eyebrows. "She's single, you know?"

Rowan froze. Something dawned on him, an odd gut feeling, but it made him inspect that woman further.

"Is she?"

"Yep. Her name's Aelin. I can't show you a picture now, but she looks a lot like me." Evalin—was that really her name?—winked. "But with cuter clothes."

Rowan gestured for her to take a turn to the left—not the regular path the DMV used for this exam. Evalin didn't seem to notice this change, which was unusual for someone who was doing this for the sixth time.

"And I'm assuming your daughter was very invested in your exam?"

"Aelin's the most wonderful person who ever existed." She let out an affectionate sigh. "She's clever, fascinating, very, very talented. Not to mention that she's a rare, staggering beauty."

“I’m sure she is,” Rowan sneered with his arms crossed. That woman couldn’t be serious.

He told her to make another atypical turn. Another one she didn't question. Another one she did with too much ease for someone who historically struggled to drive.

She didn’t even pretend to have a hard time. That woman—who wasn’t Evalin, and he suspected it was her daughter—was so confident about this she didn’t even notice Rowan gave her the directions to the nearest police station.

"Can you parallel park in front of this building, please?"

She did it in a matter of seconds, on her first try.

"How did I do?" she asked with a big, smug smile. Aelin had no clue about the route she was supposed to do for this exam, but at least she knew that parallel parking was the last part.

Instead of answering, Rowan swept a finger against her hair.

It came out with gray paint.

He gave her a bored look. "Fake gray roots? Seriously?"

She crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. "It's blonde spray to cover gray roots. You're colorblind."

"And you're under arrest for identity theft."

Her mouth fell open, and it took a second before she yelled, "You're from the DMV, you can't arrest me!"

"That's why we came to the police station." He left the passenger side, rounded the car and opened the driver's door. "Come on, Aelin."

"It's Evalin."

"Aelin."

"E-va-lin," she repeated as if he were mentally disabled.

“Well, E-va-lin, can you please explain your identity issue to a police officer?”

Aelin leaned back on the driver’s seat and crossed her arms. Her head was cocked to the side, her lips pursed as her probing gaze focused on him for a moment.

"If you don't snitch on me, I'll let you take me on a date."

He raised his brows, surprised by this offer. "What makes you think I'll accept that?"

"Because not every man gets to take me out, and you'd rather do that than spend your evening filling all the paperwork it takes to explain why you took an examinee to the police station."

To be honest, she had a point.

Rowan hated this job. He didn't give a fuck about it, especially since most people forgot every driving rule the second they got their license. Aelin committed a crime, but who didn't? As far as he knew, she wasn't a serious threat to society.

"Get off the car."

She sighed, shoulders slumped in resignation, but complied. However, he stopped her as soon as she closed the car door.

"Are you vegan?"

"What?" She blinked. "No, I'm not," Aelin said in an uncertain tone.

"Good. Meet me at Emrys' Steak House at seven." He gripped the door handle to get back to the DMV, but before he left, Rowan looked her up and down and said, "I'm not expecting sex, but please don't wear your mother's clothes."

“Oh.” Aelin perked up, her eyes sparkling this time. “Okay. Did mom pass?"

That bold question made him snort. “I didn't even meet her, so no.”

She smirked. "You wanna meet my parents already? That was fast."

Rowan shook his head in disbelief and got in the car, but not without watching Aelin walk away from him, her hips swaying since she knew he was watching.

There was no way someone could look this good in her mother’s granny clothes. Rowan drove away with a smirk on his face.

If that woman could flip his boring morning routine on the DMV like this, he couldn’t wait to see what she’d pull tonight.

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[inventors-fair]

Sublime Scares: Fear Contest Winners!

~

Our winners this week are @izzet-always-r-versus-u, @nine-effing-hells, and @reaperfromtheabyss!

@izzet-always-r-versus-u — Don't Make a Sound

Not to be confused with Don't Blink, Don't Move, or Don't Try This at Home. This is a brutal punisher card, though, levying a harsh tax at anyone who tries to extend to far on their own turn. Of course, it still leaves players with the ability to do so if they're confident they can bear the cost, unlike more stringent effects like Rule of Law. I love the use of flavor here too: as with a lot of punisher effects, both the gameplay and flavor stress that you don't want to make a wrong move. I do worry that this might be just a bit too effective at two mana, because the restriction to only a player's own turn means you could simply build your deck to play on your opponent's turn and handily break the symmetry. But that's also a fairly big commitment to go all the way, so...I dunno.

@nine-effing-hells — Bedside Shadow

Oh, well, hello there! What bring you here at such a late hour, friend? This thing's got more than a little DNA from the original Lazav, but I appreciate all the little touches to set it apart. First, requiring specifically discarding and milling to trigger goes a long way towards sharpening the focus, though it does make it less broadly applicable. Lazav will pick up more faces just in the natural course of the game; this one asks you to go out of your way. That said, the ability to field multiple of these is very attractive, and needless to say I find the flavor brilliant. At a first glance this effect seems slightly dubious in mono-black, but in practice it's not all that different from black's propensity for stealing creatures from others' graveyards, so I'll give it a pass. Oh, and, one minor wording tweak: the typical phrasing is that it "has this ability," because you don't need to gain an ability you already have.

@reaperfromtheabyss — Nagging Anxieties

From sleep paralysis demons to the terror of the waking world, but no less a Nightmare! This is a neat little thing that—just like its namesake—compounds on itself very quickly. There's a bit of luck involved, and your mileage will vary heavily depending on what kind of deck your opponents are playing, but you should be able to hit something and a land reasonably often in any situation. I'm a big fan of how this explores how mill is often represented as a sort of mental attack, and it's also a lot more subtle and insidious than the blunt force of something like Traumatize or Glimpse the Unthinkable. The flavor text is great as well, evoking the spirit literally whispering doubts into your ear. I do have a small, potentially insignificant critique, though: I've been erroneously referring to this card all week in my head as "Nagging Worries," which I just feel flows much better than the chunky word that is "Anxieties." That's very much up to you though, of course.

~

Don't go anywhere, runners up are right on your heels! —@spooky-bard

[aquamarine-oceanfront]

Some interesting TADC news: the world premiere of the second episode will be held in Tokyo on April 25th, commemorating the opening of a temporary TADC pop-up shop in the city! InfoLens, the company behind the shop, has opened a public raffle to attend the event. (Here's a link to the application, though I suspect it might be exclusive to residents of Japan.)

Further details below the cut:

Applications close at 1 PM (13:00) JST on April 10th.

Attendees must be at least 16 years old and may bring one other person with them.

The screening will be held "somewhere in Tokyo" (都内某所) during the afternoon of April 25th. It will be approximately an hour long, as it includes both the first and second episodes.

Attendees cannot choose their own seats.

There are naturally restrictions on photography and an outright ban on recording/livestreaming inside the venue.

The application asks a number of questions, mostly either obviously necessary personal information (name, age, province of residence) to things that are fairly typical for corporate-type surveys ("where'd you first hear about TADC," "do you have any favorite characters," "what kinds of merch do you buy"). Some of them ask if you watch any other shows by Glitch Productions, or if you've imported merch before.

[romantique-fm]

࣪ 𓈒⠀ྀིㅤׂㅤ hi tags ! this an interest check for a literate freeverse krp writing community hosted on discord. the way this would work is fairly simple : each mun would have a unique forum or channel to themselves where they can post muse biographies, wanted plots and the likes, wherein general channels would be provided to share, discuss, and connect with fellow writers. there would be no formal application process since this is a freeverse community, meaning that you may indulge in whichever au, genre, etc. entice you ! naturally, duplicate faceclaims would of course be allowed too.

the purpose of this group is to provide a laidback place for writers to find and form long - lasting bonds, as well as explore various writings without being restricted to one particular universe.

if this piques your interest, kindly react to this post and/or feel free to send us a message ! feedback ( and help ? ) is very much appreciated too. ♡

[sensualnoiree]

astro notes: daily 6/20

Thursday, 6/20, presents a fairly challenging mix of disillusionment and emotional introspection. The day begins with a disheartening Sun–Neptune square, bringing confusion and disappointment. As the Sun moves into nurturing Cancer in the afternoon, the focus shifts to home and personal concerns. However, the evening’s Moon–Saturn square can evoke feelings of inadequacy and failure, particularly related to unachieved dreams.

Key Influences

Sun–Neptune Square (29°53' Gemini–Pisces) in the Morning:

Disillusionment and Confusion: This square creates a fog of disillusionment, making it hard to see things clearly. Idealistic expectations may clash with reality, leading to disappointment and confusion.

Lack of Clarity: The Sun in Gemini, representing rationality and communication, is challenged by Neptune in Pisces, the planet of dreams and illusions. This aspect can distort perceptions, making it difficult to discern fact from fiction.

Sun Enters Cancer (1:50 p.m.):

Focus on Home and Nurturing: As the Sun transitions into Cancer, the emphasis shifts to domestic matters, emotional security, and nurturing relationships. Cancer’s influence encourages us to seek comfort and care within our personal environments.

Emotional Sensitivity: Cancer’s energy heightens emotional sensitivity and the need for security, prompting a more introspective and protective approach to life.

Moon–Saturn Square (9:07 p.m.):

Feelings of Inadequacy: This square can bring a sense of failure and inadequacy, particularly if we feel we have not achieved our goals or dreams. The Moon in Scorpio, known for its emotional intensity, faces the restrictive and demanding influence of Saturn in Aquarius.

Emotional Challenges: The combination of the Moon’s deep emotions and Saturn’s critical eye can lead to a depressive mood, where self-doubt and a sense of heaviness prevail.

Integrating the Influences

Morning Clarity and Acceptance:

Navigate Disillusionment: With the Sun–Neptune square in the morning, it’s important to recognize and accept that not everything is as it seems. Avoid making major decisions or setting unrealistic expectations.

Ground Yourself: Engage in grounding activities to maintain a sense of reality. Practices like meditation, journaling, or connecting with nature can help to dispel confusion and provide clarity.

Afternoon Focus on Home and Nurturing:

Shift to Domestic Matters: As the Sun enters Cancer in the afternoon, redirect your attention to home and family. This is a good time to focus on nurturing relationships and creating a comforting environment.

Embrace Emotional Sensitivity: Allow yourself to feel and process emotions. Cancer’s influence encourages introspection and emotional connection, so take time to care for your emotional well-being.

Evening Emotional Challenges:

Acknowledge Feelings: The Moon–Saturn square in the evening can bring up feelings of inadequacy. Acknowledge these emotions without judgment, and recognize that it’s a temporary influence.

Seek Support: Reach out to trusted friends or family members for support. Sharing your feelings and seeking reassurance can help alleviate the heaviness of this aspect.

Practical Applications

Morning Practices:

Avoid Major Decisions: With the Sun–Neptune square, it’s best to avoid making significant decisions or commitments in the morning. Focus on tasks that don’t require absolute clarity or precision.

Grounding Activities: Engage in activities that help you stay grounded and clear-headed. Meditation, breathing exercises, or a walk in nature can be beneficial.

Afternoon Focus:

Home and Family Time: Spend the afternoon focusing on home and family. This could involve organizing your living space, spending quality time with loved ones, or engaging in comforting activities.

Emotional Nurturing: Allow yourself to be emotionally nurturing and seek comfort. Engage in activities that provide a sense of security and emotional fulfillment.

Evening Strategies:

Reflect and Reassure: Reflect on your achievements and reassure yourself that it’s okay to have unmet goals. Use this time to reassess and realign your aspirations.

Connect with Loved Ones: Reach out to loved ones for emotional support. Sharing your feelings can help lighten the emotional load and provide a sense of connection and reassurance.

follow for more astro insights like this and support me over on yt @quenysefields or instagram sensualnoiree

[elsiebrayisgay]

there is something that feels so insidious to me in the way certain loved ones will wish me well. sometimes it feels like there is an obvious implication that the presumed goal not just of my treatment but of my life is the absolute minimization of symptoms, which is probably fine on the surface. symptoms feel bad, right? so why shouldn't you do everything you can to avoid them and keep all the "normal" function you can?

however, i think there is some implicit ableism that has snuck its way into that framing and is doing a lot of the lifting, it turns out. first, it implies a narrative of the "illness warrior"—life with an illness is often depicted as a struggle against the disease, and to lose your life (in terminal cases, as with cancer) is to "lose your fight." even in non-terminal chronic illness, i believe that framing is still common, at least from those who are not sick around the chronic illness patient, though there are some sick people who identify with that language. for some people, it can be empowering, giving them the strength to be a warrior and get up and fight, but for me, it feels like it puts the severity of my illness in my hands. to be very ill is to lose ground and fight badly. to some extent this is true, in that there are certain factors in my life i can change that will positively or negatively impact my health, but more broadly, this idea feels brutally unfair. if i am in pain because of a weather-triggered migraine, am i to simply get up and move my entire life in time with the seasons to avoid storms? it feels terribly unfair and lays responsibility for my symptoms existing or disabling me at my feet.

secondly, the high valuation of symptom-free—or as close as possible—existence feels to me to be assimilationist with capitalist values of labor. there has been a lot written about intersections and cross-applications between queer and disability theory. comp het translates to similar ideas of comp-abledness, which i think is a large part of what's going on here. i would extend this further to use queer assimilation as a framework for disabled assimilation. in the way that traditional values will lend more legitimacy to a queer couple who are monogamous, who follow established norms of marriage, cohabitation, etc, there is legitimacy to be had for disabled people who support themselves without or with minimal benefits, who are gainfully employed, who "do not let their disability stop them." yet disabled labor is undervalued especially in the laws that allow for disabled workers to be paid under minimum wages and the bleak landscape of legal accommodations being insufficient, difficult to enforce, at an employer's discretion, or all of the above leaving disabled workers in the hands of petty tyrants. disabled people are encouraged to keep working but not protected or treated fairly when they do. i believe this extends beyond work as well—the minimization of symptoms allows for a disabled person to keep their own household and do their own chores without support, and is therefore the valued goal, however unrealistic or difficult. in what i believe is a critically under-read essay, sunny taylor outlines "the right not to work," defending the value of a disabled life which does not fit norms of productivity in the workforce or the home. so i wonder: if there are supports available, why restrict myself from them? if there is a life that does not involve recovery to the norm but rather prioritizes quality of life, isn't that worthwhile? if there is a life without recovery to the norm but rather recovery self-directed towards the activities and functions a patient wants for themself, would that be so bad, even if they are still sick, even if they still need help?

i hope for such a life.

[ms-demeanor]

Hi ms-demeanor, I've been following you for a long time! This may be oversharing, but as someone who has recently gotten an RD license, I do not think the amount of work that went into the degree + volunteering/leadership/clubs (to get the internship) + $ you pay for internship is worth the end salary. If you scroll through r/dietetics on Reddit you'll see this is a fairly common opinion in the USA (especially with the new Masters requirement) and Canada. Just wanted to warn you that most of my colleagues (many who also chose dietetics as a 2nd degree) regretted not going into nursing/ physician assistant/ coding roles for better pay with similar amounts of effort.

If you're choosing this path for other reasons and you know it's for you, then go for it and I am happy you are pursuing something you like! But if someone had told me these things 6 years ago, I would be in a different career right now XD. Whichever way you choose, I sincerely hope it works out for you.

So I did actually scroll those subs back in February when I was running into a wall with applications and it was part of what made me absolutely certain that I wasn't going to take out private school or out of state loans to pursue this degree.

I saw a lot of what you're saying: people unsatisfied with the career options, people unsatisfied with the pay, a really competitive environment that was exhausting and expensive (the encouragement to volunteer in nutrition fields to apply for the internship was particularly upsetting; you've got to provide unpaid labor in your free time to apply to provide unpaid labor full time in order to get a job that doesn't actually pay that much? Fuck that. That sounds like bullshit. I'd do it, probably, but that's fucked). I think I've still got enough genuine interest in the subject to apply if there are local schools accepting apps in the fall, but I've heard enough that I'm not going to chase it if that door is closed.

Like this is something I've been kicking around in my head for about ten years because of how difficult it has been to live with a severely restricted diet and how much I would like to help other people in the same boat, so I do have more of an interest in nutrition than in nursing for nursing's sake.

But becoming a nurse practitioner is something that I've also been kicking around in my head for a couple of years because that does open up routes to being a specific type of care provider that interests me.

[celloccino]

Violinist Courtney.

𝙾𝚛 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛: 𝙸 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊 𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤, 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝.

This isn't my first Orchestra!Courtney post, but I figured I'd go deeper into it.

Base context- I see a lot of reunion/endgame fics where Courtney becomes a lawyer, but I really REALLY want to see more where she's an orchestra nerd since I think it's a really unexplored part of her character.

First of all, she's definitely not just restricted to violin- (she's totally a first, by the way. Just look at her.) She probably plays piano and viola too. Piano since I personally know a lot of overachiever violin kids who also play violin, and viola as aside from the clef, the instrument is similar to violin in regards to its playing style- it's not uncommon for violins to learn viola fairly easily.

A small rant, by the way: I always see people complain about Courtney's reaction to her violin breaking being a bratty/overreaction response and I get so ticked off at them! First of all, violins- especially well taken care of ones like Courtney's- are incredibly expensive, at least $3,000. Courtney DEFINITELY bought hers and didn't rent it because TDI is filmed during the summer. Even if it WAS rented, she had to be playing it consistently enough to justify renting it after the school year is over.

Anyways;

I want to see a Courtney who's passion is music, because we can clearly see that it's something she ENJOYS from both her attachment to her violin and also her singing in Action and World Tour.

I want to see a Courtney who wants to play in an orchestra, but due to influences from her parents, sees it as something better off as a hobby despite her obvious talent.

I want to see a Courtney who yearns to play, who absentmindedly practices fingerings on a pencil during classes, who shoves her passion down for society's perception of a 'real job'- a lawyer.

I want to see a Courtney who looks at Trent and scoffs on the outside, but envies him so much for being able to be so open.

I want to see a Courtney who swears Trent to secrecy and practices duets with him on the guitar. They sneak out during the gap between Trent being eliminated and Courtney joining Action into the filming lot's practice rooms and play. Sometimes they improvise, other times Courtney draws up sheet music, other times they just practice their own things together.

I want to see a Courtney who swears Duncan to secrecy and tells him about how she doesn't want to be a lawyer, that winning Total Drama would mean a jumpstart regarding her breaking away from her parents and their expectations.

That she hoped her Talent Show performance might be watched by a talented classical musician, or even better, scouts of some sorts that would be willing to help her.

I want to see a Duncan that supports her, albeit in that brash way that he has. Who realizes that she deep down is a rebel- just in a quieter way.

I want to see a Duncan that attends her performances and concerts when her parents don't deem it important enough since it's just another extracurricular for the college applications.

I want to see a Duncan that insists that all he'll do is watch but shows up with flowers and cheers the loudest when she steps out on the stage as her High School Orchestra's concertmaster, sat right in the front row where he can see Courtney.

I want to see a Duncan who doesn't understand what Courtney means when she rambles on about bowings and dynamics and complains when a particularly annoying shift happens in a piece but listens anyways.

Just,, Orchestra Courtney.

[lorei-writes]

HC: Magical Abilities - Chevalier

+Bonus: Esther (OC Chart: Esther)

Premise: what type of a magical ability would he have.

Content Warnings: none

Note: Abilities in this AU are innate.

Chevalier Michel: Mind Reading

Base premise: Chevalier can hear / see the thoughts of people in the line of his sight.

Specifics: The ability itself is fairly straight-forward. Upon seeing somebody, Chevalier can perceive their thoughts for as long as he can see them. Upon making direct eye contact with somebody, Chevalier is able to reverse the stream of information and project his thoughts into their mind.

Weakness: The ability cannot be turned off. That alone creates a lot of information noise. Additionally, were he blinded, he'd lose access to it completely.

All that being said, the nature of Chevalier's ability is widely unknown to the public and those close to him alike.

He was born a rare genius. It is only natural for people to think his innate ability is something just as extraordinary. The general consensus is that a need for him to employ it has simply not arisen yet, so it surely must be something truly powerful. Chevalier is not one to correct the assumptions that work in his favour, of course.

It is a natural counter to Clavis' ability, Wonder Realm. However, Clavis is not aware of the fact that simple mind reading is what's behind Chevalier being able to escape each conjured realm immediately.

Applications: When combined with his excellent memory, his ability is generally more of a hindrance than an advantage. For the most part, it provides him with useless strings of data, the valuable information being something that he'd be very much able to deduce on his own.

However, when combined with the fact that nobody is aware of it being his ability, it does give Chevalier an edge in combat situations, or during diplomatic meetings.

Adaptations: In a way, adaptations natural for his ability are mostly an amplifications of his innate mannerism. Chevalier is unlikely to enjoy crowds, he will occupy himself with a book whenever possible, he may cut interactions short to avoid being swarmed with visual or auditory noise.

That being said, there are people whose minds he (generally) enjoys reading... at times.

'I love you,' she whispered as they parted for breath, her inner voice barely a whisper among the cloudy pleasure occupying her mind. 'I love you,' she thought again, and again, each word reaching out to him, although it didn't need to. The sentiment was evident over her face... Nevertheless, Chevalier did close his eyes, his teeth nibbling at her neck.

"Say it," he demanded, starved in the world that for once turned quiet.

"I love you. I love you. I love you, Chevalier."

His name tasted best when stolen directly from her lips.

Esther Materna: Simple Creation

Base premise: Esther can will items into existence.

Specifics: To be able to conjure an item, Esther must have a fairly decent understanding of it. She must know how exactly it is made and why that is the process, what materials are used for said purpose, how it looks, and what it is used for.

Weakness: The acquired item cannot be heavier or larger than Esther herself. Conjuration is also a stamina-consuming process, meaning she's fairly drained after producing even medium-sized objects.

Given her generally poor health, and high base requirements for an item to be made, Esther generally prefers not to use her ability.

"Fine Print": Esther can further reinforce the item by placing a restriction upon herself. However, by doing so, she is made physically unable to ever break said vow.

Esther is the only person aware of what Chevalier's ability is. They found themselves in a pinch, and so, he asked her to conjure a weapon for him. However, Esther lacked the necessary knowledge to do that much. It was not previously tested whether he could imprint his thoughts on others -- Chevalier had no choice but to try.

Esther reinforced the thus created sword with the following vow: "I shall never communicate to anybody that I know of your ability, nor shall I reveal the nature of it".

Chevalier still uses the sword.

Tag List: @cilokgoang @violettduchess @pathogenic @fang-and-feather @tele86

[fromtenthousandfeet]

Well, that was not a fun read.

Can you please explain to me what this means?

It’s almost impossible to leave unless they pull a TXVQ or Beast.

We know they finally have some stock--and maybe voting rights, but not their name, their playlist, their work? And then this, the silliest, yet most damming thing of all, for some reason:

The plushies boys designed for the fans r not even theirs. It’s all BH. Boys don’t get cent out of this.

No, it wasn't a fun read. It's actually really disturbing, but not unexpected. Her other old threads are equally enlightening.

I'm not a K-pop fan but I did do a search for TXVQ and this is what I found on Wikipedia:

Lawsuit against SM Entertainment On July 31, 2009, three of the members—Hero Jaejoong, Micky Yoochun, and Xiah Junsu—submitted an application to the Seoul Central District Court to determine the validity of their contract with their management agency, SM Entertainment.[76][77] Through their lawyers, the trio stated that the 13-year contract was excessively long, schedules were held out without the confirmation or permission of the members, contract terms had been extended and changed without their knowledge or consent, and that the group's earnings were not fairly distributed to the members.[211] Early termination penalty of their contract would cost them twice the profit that the group was estimated to earn for SM Entertainment in the rest of the contract period.[212] The news of their lawsuit was enough to cause SM Entertainment's stock price to drop over 10%.[213] The Seoul Central District Court granted the three members a temporary contract injunction in October 2009 and stated that SM Entertainment could not interfere with their individual activities, thus placing a halt on TVXQ's group activities in South Korea.[214] The members claimed that the contract was unfair and that they were left out of proper profit distribution.[215] In response, SM Entertainment called a press conference and claimed that the lawsuit was not about unfair contracts or human rights, but motivated by the three members' greed to pursue their cosmetics business uninhibited by the restrictions of their exclusive contract with SM Entertainment. The agency submitted a complaint on criminal misdemeanor charges against the cosmetics company CreBeau; however, it was never brought to court by the prosecutor on grounds of insufficient evidence. The three replied that they hoped SM Entertainment would respect the court's decision.[216]

It goes on, but I assume this is what the Twitter post was referencing. Obviously the members of BTS did not sue to get out of their contracts. The long thread definitely gives some insight into just how beholden (indentured?) idols are to their labels.

Jimin's dad's ZM-illennial merchandise line seems all the more relevant when you realize the members do not benefit from sales of BT21 stuff.

I hope all seven members of BTS can figure out how to get out of that company.

[sam-glade]

9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

Give me an infodump >:3

15. Do any of your ocs use neopronouns? Which ones?

Thank you, Feather 💜 Answering in reverse order, since the info dump will get lengthy ;)

(For the Pride ask game)

15. Do any of your ocs use neopronouns? Which ones?

None at the moment, unless you count the Sun King using He/Him as opposed to he/him (or They/Them, depending on the time period), analogously to the Judeo-Christian God ;).

9. Are there cultural or lore specific aspects to their identity? If applicable, does their species affect it?

Tl;dr: the Sunblessed Realm has always, throughout its history, been a queer-normative society, so the idea of a 'queer' identity doesn't exist in the same way as in the real world - i.e. defined in opposition to the allocishet norm.

Sexual orientation:

The assumption in the setting is that you're pansexual/bisexual unless otherwise specified (and that's a fair assumption for my characters. Being attracted to a particular gender is pretty comparable to simply having a strong type, so letting someone down by saying 'sorry, I'm not into men' is polite enough, though of course people can still get salty and disappointed ;)

On a personal preference note, I like to define my characters as having a preference (strong or weak or none at all) for masculinity/femininity, so a character who in our world would consider himself a gay man isn't going to have second thoughts about having some fun with a drag king or a very masc woman. He may decide he's not 100% into that, but hey, it was worth a try.

And yes, there are no gender restrictions on marriage or on adoption. We also have at least one example of a polycule on page from a recurring character (Renna of the Sixth Tree), though I didn't need to figure out how the wedding ceremony works then. Yet (eyeing The Truth Teller warily)

Relatedly, given the in theory indefinite lifespan, averaging around 270-300 years, during the period from reaching adulthood at 35 to the cusp of their first century people are free to experiment and decide what they want out of life. Family? Adventure? Are they more of free spirits and don't want to settle anywhere? This also covers what sort of relationships they want.

Gender identity:

I'm using the baseline of 3% of people being genderqueer - it's really hard to find reliable statistics, since it's impossible to tell if the respondents are being honest. That still means that if you live even in a small rural community of 70-100 people, you will probably know a couple of genderqueer folks, so while it's rarer than being cis, it's still fairly common knowledge. It certainly helps that Anthea, a head of state, is trans and that's public knowledge.

Children (up until the age of 35) are considered genderless. Only when they reach adulthood, they choose a name for themselves, which tends to be gendered, thus declaring 'hey, I'm a man/woman/something else/both/neither'. As a rule of thumb, feminine names end in -a or -is, masculine in -m or -n, though it's just a custom, not a requirement, and people from other regions (e.g. Nikols) won't follow it. More on the coming of age ceremony here.

Fashion is also different between genders, in that it tends to highlight the physical appearance and characteristics people tend to find appealing about the given gender. Hence, women's gowns will be slightly cinched at the waist, emphasising the hips, while men's will make their shoulders look a little broader. This also means that trans women can easily add rolls around hips and pad their bodices to have more of an hourglass silhouette, while trans mascs... 🥲 *Cries over a bust too big for a binder*

Ehm, anyway. Gender non-conformity is also considered not scandalous, so we've got e.g. Erya, who's by our standards a butch, never wearing jewellery, and if you tell her to put on a skirt you run a serious risk of ending up with a knife in your gut.

Other than that, the current (as of Days of Dusk) fashion is that men are clean shaven. Hair length is correlated to digital status more than gender, not none of these are hard and fast rules.

Aromanticism and asexuality

Again, it's hard to tell how common these identities are irl, but I wager that more than 9 in 10 people enjoys romance, and so we've got some courting rituals as you might expect. It's not impolite to try flirting with someone and be told 'no' without an explanation (not into you? not into this sort of relationship at all? just not looking for anyone right now?), but it would be rude to press the advances further.

As for anyone ace, there are at least two notable figures who haven't entered into a long-term romantic relationship even once over their millennia-long lives (the Prince of the West and Claren the Nightingale, Ianim's tutor), so that hopefully sends enough of a message that you don't need to pair up with someone to have a fulfilling life. Also, given the long lifespan, I imagine a lot of people (e.g. parents who want grandkids) accepting that there's no need to rush to get married and have children. Maybe their child will change their mind later in life. Maybe they'll form other bonds and e.g. become the glue that keeps a community together.

It's also worth mentioning that sex work is legal and regulated by a guild, much like any other trade, so if anyone is wondering 'do I like sex at all' can easily go to a brothel to find out. Similarly, aromantic allosexuals (*cough* Gullin *cough*) may be frequent clients.