#But more proof of concept is needed. I feel like if this was a viable thing with Zetterburn people would have discoverd it by now.

[waheelawhisperer]

on ironwood I recall hearing in a commentary that ironwood did issue out a warrant for robyn but the other counselors invited her while offering protection from arrest ( I might be misremembering it ) oh and one of the criticisms I have for rwby is pacing it would do alot better with a full anime time we could have gotten a more extensive look at mantle among other things )

If that's the case, then it really should have made it into the show because it completely changes the context around Robyn's presence at that meeting, but in the absence of any actual source, I'm gonna go ahead and just work off of the evidence we got on the actual screen.

I definitely agree that RWBY would be better with longer runtime, yeah. I mean, this probably goes without saying, but more time to tell the story typically equals better story. RWBY is in this weird situation where it has a lot of Volumes, but each individual Volume isn't particularly long (the whole thing clocks in around 24-28 hours, last I checked. If you tried really hard, you could binge the series in a weekend), so the show can feel like it's both rushed and taking forever to get anywhere, somehow. I think RWBY's Volumes are much better when binge watched, but the pacing still feels a little odd. I will admit that watching certain Volumes weekly was a real slog.

I do think that RWBY's scope and its resources do not align particularly well. This show is very ambitious, and I love that about it. I have a huge soft spot for media that shoots for the stars, even if it doesn't make it all the way. To put it another way, I respect shows and books and games and so on that have the balls to try, and I respect writers that try to push themselves out of their comfort zones and tackle heavy topics. Do I think RWBY always does a good job of tackling those heavy topics? No, not really. I think the show kind of dropped the ball with the White Fang plotline, for example, and that seems to be a fairly common opinion. Regardless, I respect the willingness to try.

That said, RWBY just... does not have the resources (budget, runtime, etc.) to tell the big, grand story it wants to tell as well as I wish it could. There are a lot of characters and plot threads to follow, and many of them don't get fleshed out as thoroughly as I wish they would. We don't get to explore the Kingdoms as much as I'd like, either, and we get important elements of the setting being explained in the World of Remnant shorts instead of the show proper, at least partly to cover up issues in the production pipeline. I think RWBY would be a better product if whoever's in charge of production found a way to align the scope of the project and the resources available to it more effectively. Either devote more resources to the show or tighten the focus, and I'll most likely be happier with the result.

Any discussion of RWBY's production and resources needs to include the acknowledgement that the show's production history has been... troubled. Pretty much every Volume has had some kind of factor that kept the crew from creating it unhindered, sometimes because the company messed up and sometimes because of unforeseen outside circumstances. I'll go through the list:

Volume 1: The show was really just Monty's pet project that hadn't proven itself commercially viable yet. Rooster Teeth hadn't yet thrown its full support behind the IP and everyone involved was finding their stride. I view Volume 1 as more of extended pilot/proof of concept than anything else, because frankly it isn't very good, but it showed a lot of potential and had just enough cool moments to keep me interested.

Volume 2: The team is still adjusting to working with actual support/resources and getting used to telling a story that's very different from the type of content that Rooster Teeth was used to producing at that point. Still, we see significant improvement over Volume 1. There's still a lot of growing pains,

Volume 3: Monty died. The crew was devastated, we had drama with stuff like Shane Newville dropping his famous letter and Glynda's VA going on a drunken Twitter rant or something, and several episodes barely made it to production on time.

Volume 4: The team switched to new software and was still coping with the aftermath of Monty's death. Some growing pains here are understandable, and while I'm not a particular fan of Volume 4 for several reasons, I'm willing to cut it some slack.

Volume 5: IIRC the head of RT's animation department was stealing resources from other projects to push Gen:Lock and then "left the company" when he got caught, so it's kind of hard to blame the crew for this one. While that doesn't magically get rid of the flaws in Volume 5, I'm a lot more inclined to forgive them when the person who was in overall command of the project was actively screwing CRWBY over.

Volume 6: The legendary crunch. This one is entirely on the company and I'm not excusing it in the slightest, just pointing out that shit working conditions make the end product worse.

Volume 7: I'm not actually aware of any issues with Volume 7's production (maybe the crunch was still a thing? IDK), and I don't think it's a coincidence that this is one of the better Volumes.

Volume 8: Oh, boy. This one was a doozy. CRWBY got hit with the double whammy of the covid-19 pandemic and the failure of the Texas power grid. I was not personally a fan of sitting on my ass in a house with no light or heat or power and using the stove to melt snow so I could flush the fucking toilet, and I can't imagine trying to do anything productive under those conditions. I certainly didn't. I think the adverse conditions had a significant effect on the quality of Volume 8, and I blame most of my issues with the Volume on the disruption caused by the pandemic and the freeze.

I think this is the cause of the very controversial scenes where Ruby, Weiss, and Blake spend time at the Schnee mansion. Apparently, those three were supposed to go inside the whale at one point, but that got cut, and I think it got cut because CRWBY had to adapt to something nobody was really prepped for. I don't personally like the decision to have all the protagonists stay in the Schnee mansion while not fighting the fight they were insistent upon fighting at the end of Volume 7, I get why it was so controversial, but I'm willing to chalk it up to messed-up circumstances. I might elaborate on that at some point, but that should probably be a post on its own.

Anyway, I think CRWBY made the right decision by prioritizing the health and safety of their workers. I'd rather have a worse product than encourage them to force their workers into unsafe working conditions. That said, I can feel that way and still acknowledge the detriments that decision and the circumstances surrounding it had on the final product. I think the crew tried really hard to adapt the story to the sudden paradigm shift caused by covid and my dogshit state's dogshit leadership and infrastructure and didn't succeed particularly well.

On a related note, fuck you, Greg Abbott. Hope my dumbass state government collectively swan dives into a wood chipper.

So... yeah, RWBY's production history is weird and complicated, and I think the quality of the show has fluctuated wildly because of it. I'd love to see what RWBY could be with the type of budget (in terms of both money and other resources like runtime) dedicated to big blockbuster shows. I think that giving the show the resources to match its ambitions would truly take it from good to great. I know it's not as simple as "just giving them a bigger budget", but we're talking hypotheticals here. A guy can dream, can't he?

[fiery-ambitions]

🔥

Zetterburn’s Up-B is a move.

[amaregamesdb]

Using Ren’Py to create Interactive Fiction.

Like many creative people I'm usually running several projects at once. Mainly so I can take a break from one and work on something else when I hit roadblocks.

Today i’m going to be talking about one of my current side projects that I have been playing with the last few days while taking a break from working on the website.

I’ve spent a lot of time the last few months trying to research ways to make Interactive fiction games more accessible and easy to make if you want to take the indie route and self-publish.

I know there are ways to do this through a publisher and that can work great for some people, but for others they prefer to develop it themselves. 

As such I have spent countless hours reading up on programs that allow you to create IF games and no matter how many times I look up new programs I always find myself coming back to Ren’Py.

This may confuse some people as Ren’Py is traditionally seen as a more Visual Novel tool, but it in fact has a huge range of options and customisation available meaning that it can work really well for IF games.

Now don’t get me wrong I’ve looked at these other programs and they are amazing. Twine and Inky to name a few has some great features and applications but I always hit the same two problems.

The save function.

Porting and adapting the game to mobile.

These two reasons are why I keep coming back to Ren’Py as they are both built in! You don’t have to stress with learning how to code a save system or trying learn heavy coding techniques to port your game to mobile devices.

So what have I been working on?

A very very basic proof of concept/IF template for Ren’Py.

Yepppp It’s super basic at the moment. But the idea is starting to take shape. I want to show people that Ren’Py can be a viable option for people to use when making Interactive Fiction games. It allows so much customisation to the GUI and a huge amount of variation in the code. You can add variables, you can add stat checks, you can add codex and glossary pages, you can add music, pictures and sound. The list goes on and because Ren��Py is not a new tool there is a ton of people who have done some amazing things. There is a wealth of data and documentation around it. You want to do something? Most likely someone has tried to do it or something similar before and a quick google search can help you out. The idea is that once I get the Proof of concept/Template done that I will upload it to the site and Itch.io as a free resource for people too look at and adapt. 

I’m hoping this project will show people the versatility of Ren’Py and that it is a easy to learn option for making IF Games.   In the next coming weeks I will be trying to find some good examples of ways to change the look of Ren’py and adapt it too your Interactive Fiction needs.

If you are a IF developer and have any questions please feel free to send them through the ask box or message me. Most likely if you have questions someone else want’s to know the same thing.

Thanks for tuning in!

[letusmeetagain]

“Love someone”

I wanted so bad that Mikasa wasn’t the one having to take him down... At the very least and as I could consider time ago, it would be more like a mercy killing. I also wanted to believe that it was already done and there wouldn’t be more major losses such as Falbi, Connie, Jean or the remaining Eldians.

However... this will be probably a really long post but I don’t care, I’ll include every panel I need... The circumstances justifies it...

In the end, it seems to be that Reiner wasn’t delusional at all.

Eren wanted indeed to be killed but not by a random person. It had to be Mikasa, as he saw.

And probably, this is related to the way she did it. Mikasa displayed whichever feeling you could imagine regading love, loyalty, compassion, dignity, pride, mercy...

Conversely, Ymir died trying to show her love and found a bitter, humiliating. The king deprived her from her status of human and attacked her dignity. This disrespect, the way she couldn’t reach his heart at least as human condemned her to serve him in paths from eternity.

Eren, who was born somehow fated by his own nature and the circumstances to this role, freed her. Maybe she doesn’t want to see Eren suffering her destiny.

On Eren’s approach of his own existence

I have tried since ch. 130 was out to explain the connection between this chapter and chs. 88/9 Eren and the baby, explaining that there was just a thematic connection related to death and birth. I still don’t know if the baby will have a more important role in the ending: I started to think that there won’t be a major meaning for the baby more than the beginning of a new era.

          [BIRTH                                                                 DEATH]

Meanwhile, Mikasa’s feelings for him represent his attatchment to this world and the importance of his existence into it.

I happened to find a philosophic discussion on existence between Arendt and Heidegger and I found interesting that Arendt criticized Heidegger’s more “pessimistic?” approach for attributing the meaning of existence out of the idea of death (thus the finitude/end of the being) and the acceptance of it.

Then, Arendt, introduced the focus on natality and birth as the main point of life when a new unique person enters the world and introduces the new into the world while being born free through their innerent capacity to act and think... thus to “begin” [events].

The latter reminded me of Carla’s words to Eren. She wanted to highlight Eren’s existence and its legitimacy based on the start of his life and the way he “touched history” (I’m quoting “The poisonwood bible”) in the sense that he his doing brought change to the lives of his friends and humanity.

To contextualize a little this discussion, the first approach was born in the middle of a period where death was the law... I’m talking about chaotic, hard times for humanity that were the period of the WWI and WWII. Arendt, a victim of the Nazi regime, built a conception that aimed to retrieve the dignity of humans not as if they were born to die but to live. She thought that focusing on death mislead and hurt the essence of human existence reducing it to its end.

(trans. yaboylevi)

On Mikasa’s love for him

What it means to love someone in Isayama’s work?

Be free. To love someone means to want them be free from pain and everything that goes against their dignity and the undeniable fact that they were born into the world.

The greatest act of love is to wish them to live proudly and free. It’s about life, a life without regrets and guilt.

It’s not power what leads someone to be free, but love. Love reaches trascendence in the memories of others as it touches their existences too.

Witnessing love was in the end something Ymir pursued during the rumbling. Some chapters ago, I couldn’t tell if Ymir was the one needing to see it or that she wanted to deliver this message of love as the path to freedom for everyone.

Freedom can be attained through love.

Meanwhile, the way to this...

It’s already explained that child Eren was crying because of the happenings he would experience in the future, the way he was cornered between being a livestock and the genocide. He cried for the first time in front of Ramzy acknowledging his reasons to cry that were that he couldn’t accept the end for Paradies.

Facing this big tragedy, the unbearable feeling of loss, Mikasa wished to go back to their home with Eren and enjoy a peaceful life together. But let’s not romaticize it too much...it has a small letter that explains why Mikasa is crying and why she chose her reality.

This... “something” (like in Lost Girls), let’s say it’s an experience which nature can and can’t be described as reality... It doesn’t really matter if it was real as it was experienced by both of them. At this rate and judging by Eren’s faces while talking to Zeke about Mikasa, he even saw this experience in his memories of the future too.

The small letter is exactly that they live a life full of regrets. They betrayed their friends and the island in order to spend Eren’s remaining time alone. In ch. 123 we see a key moment for Eren to avoid having to make a decision exaclty because he was doubting about his decisions. We indeed know that he couldn’t change the future and that Mikasa didn’t chose this answer. I also wonder if such a AU is viable as Eren never got to paths to force his father to steal the founder and thus... How did they managed to come to this point? I wonder. Still, as I said, even if it’s not viable as reality, things can be real as both of them have this memory and the interaction/communication is still real.

This long dream helped Mikasa to realize something she needed to know. She finally understood why Eren wanted to throw the scarf, why he told her that he hated her. The reason why he pushed her away without explaining her nothing.

She knew he loves her and wants her to be free from any kind of suffering related to the loss of her family. He wanted to vanish from her life. That way she could give meaning to his words to Louise about the scarf: it wasn’t lack of love what made him want to erase the proof of their bond and his promise to her, it wasn’t his will what prevented him from staying with her but his circumstances. This experience reminds us the letter Ymir sent to Historia.

The conclusion of this experience is that such a life hiding from their friends, full of regrets and just waiting for Eren’s death wasn’t the right choice for none of them. The irresponsibility of letting the world they were born into was the reason why she was crying as she knew she was letting things happen in the real world without doing anything. Contrary to Eren’s wishes, she doesn’t want to forget him. That’s the decision she made. She chose to show him that she doesn’t to let him being forgotten and this means that she won’t allow him to think his existence was a mistake.

In Trost, she decided to live to remember him. She decided to reaffirm her life and their story together. Now she reaffirms her reality and her wish to express her true feelings regarding his existence. All in all, Mikasa wished for him to be free from the pain as he did with her... thus the reason on why she decided to wear again the scarf.

One important part of Eren’s development in the last chapter will be probably with Grisha...

“Someone may see them later”.  Eren. Probably Eren. After these panels, Krüger tells him to love someone. To wish someone’s freedom in his individual story means to love someone... and this will affect humanity’s future and avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. Interestingly, the panel when Eren tells Mikasa to be free resembles the provisional last panel.

As I discussed here Mikasa could relieve Eren’s pain and she chose to kill him in order to save him from the pain of being the devil. Her determination, her refusal to regret having met him and remembering him and also her words to him... “See you later”... those words mean pride and will to see him again. Maybe a promise about meeting again. But the next development involves Eren acknowledging Mikasa’s determination and leaving his guilt and regrets behind while reaffirming his existence since his birth... until he asks her to remember him and his truth she got to know.

[gerrydelano]

Hey!! I love your new Archivist!Gerry fic! The entire thing is watering my crops, clearing my skin and making the sun shine! I just gotta ask, because I was a little confused, isn’t Dekker canonically Christian? I’m not trying to be mean or rude or anything, I’m genuinely worried I might have misinterpreted the original text and now I’m a bit worried? Also, the Gerry & Jon & Tim interactions? I love them!

hey, thank you so much!!!! i appreciate the kind words and i’m glad you’re enjoying it so far! and don’t worry, it’s not at ALL rude to ask, i encouraged it in the end notes because i knew that some people might be confused!

long story short: nope, he’s not canonically christian! but don’t be too worried, it’s VERY easy to think he is.

i was a little “worried” about doing this, too, because i know it’s the most widely accepted interpretation and that the interpretation is completely understandable.

and i do know that plenty of people with christianity trauma like this interp because he’s a genuinely good person of faith who is easy to latch onto as, like. proof that it can be good, or something? which i totally get & me personally writing him as jewish isn’t intended to detract from or disrespect that.

by operating under this HC, i’m not trying to insult anyone who didn’t consider it before! i don’t really Have to justify it or anything, either, but i do feel like just putting it out there in case anyone else asks later. all in one place!

i’ve also spoken with numerous jewish people about this (including people who came up to say “wow that makes WAY more sense?” when they saw i’d done it) and frankly, those are the opinions i value most in this context. though i’ve seen black liberation theologist dekker, too, just once, and i think THAT is ALSO amazing!!!! if i knew a damn thing about it, i’d consider that route also!

but in the end, all these interpretations are headcanons. and anything to do with dekker is nowhere near as widespread as, say, jon being a POC, which by this point is so deeply ingrained in the fandom that it’s been made legitimately possible for there to be erasure in certain depictions of him.

though that comparison does bring up a seriously important point.

most people’s base concepts/depictions of christianity seem to be WHITE christianity, and what dekker CANONLY IS is a BLACK MAN. if you’re going to make him christian, you DO need to keep in mind that he’s not going to practice christianity the same way as a white person! just remember that.

regardless, jewish dekker is just as viable a HC. xtian dekker (esp the way some people portray it) doesn’t seem to consider his actual character very much when people kind of just hear someone mention g-d once and apply the default assumption to them. it feels very surface-level?

i never genuinely got a christian vibe from his actions and his values and his way of conducting his life? i just went along with it at first because i also thought it was a thing based on fandom osmosis.

until someone brought up this interpretation to me and it has lived in my head rent free ever since! that person had looked into this well before i did, and then i looked into it myself to double check, and Yeah, nowhere does dekker actually mention, like... jesus or being christian or the christian ideals of like redemption or anything, etc.

people make the (very easy!) conjecture because he used “exorcist of sorts” as a descriptor, which has obvious implications, yeah. he was being described by someone else when he was compared to having the look of a jehovah’s witness at first, which doesn’t mean anything, either, because that literally was just about the fact that he showed up on this guy’s doorstep in a white button down and a necktie. and also FUCK those guys.

but the key to his self-descriptor is “of sorts.”

and also the fact that he literally only said it to get into this dude's house so he could dispatch his fake cousin.

so, like, you Can take that with a grain of salt.

dekker’s been doing this a LONG time. he knows how to get through someone’s door without a fuss or a struggle by now. it’s not at all hard to believe that he’d play into an easily acceptable image in order to get in and out of somewhere and do what he needs to do. it’s smart! he’s so adaptable and pragmatic.

“generally if you’re in the middle of england and you say “hi i’m a christian” they’ll just say “fantastic, me too” and you’re in.” — thanks ren

doesn’t mean he’s actually an exorcist! introducing himself as one like that is more or less him saying that he ISN’T, but it’ll be easier if you believe he is.

he’s not that, but it’s close enough, because NO known faith encapsulates what he REALLY is, which is “about to trap the eldritch creature wearing your cousin’s face by binding it to this sick table i had carted in for the occasion.”

EDIT: it was pointed out to me that there IS exorcism-adjacent stuff in jewish folklore, so really! it isn’t actually a point AGAINST jewish dekker! read the notes in this one, they’re very good.

but THIS POST SPEAKS TO ME VERY LOUDLY. this is an excellent examination i saw ages ago that really deconstructs the way that dekker conducts himself regarding his faith in comparison to other Actual Exorcists in media, and also in comparison to how father burroughs conducts himself in TMA itself!

EDIT: parker @cuttlefishkitch​ said something cool after reading this post for the first time!

“something that strikes me about father boughrous at least, and the portrayal of christianity in tma (and something i've noticed about christianity in general) is that in a lot of ways it inspires fear, it focuses a lot on punishment and judgement and the idea that if you do things wrong you should be afraid like the whole concept of hell exists to scare people away from sinning, so like, imo jewish dekker makes way more sense to me in that regard than christian dekker”

dekker is an action-oriented person who uses exclusively practical means to overcome hardship and combat active threats to not only his own person but people that he goes out of his way to save, which is an Extremely jewish way of living. he’s so resilient and adaptable and people-focused. he SCREAMS tikkun olam.

which reminds me g-d okay. when i was watching a rosh hashanah service, this bit stuck out to me as a Vibe for another character i also HC as jewish but, like, definitely dekker, too:

Alone I cannot reach the far shore without drowning.

Somehow I don't go under. The person to my right holds me up. Something I cannot see holds him up.

Blessed is the Source of Help so often unexpected. I step forward. The sea is vast.

people helping people! PEOPLE being what keep people alive! not a nebulous reliance on the idea that a great force will just materialize and save you just because you ask it to or think it should. ultimately having faith in people and a duty to people as a culmination of whatever your beliefs in a higher power may guide you towards is something that feels Very Dekker to me.

dekker practices whatever faith he has for the sole purpose of comforting himself and keeping his heart in the place that he wants it to be. it isn’t the TOOL that he uses to fight, it just keeps him stable, keeps him human.

but before anyone just looks at my obvious proclivity for writing characters as jewish (jon and georgie predominantly), and assume i’m just doing that thing i said not to do in this post about thoughtless attempts at diversifying HCs in order to make a character feel more “valid” or so you can feel less guilty for liking them, i wanna point out that i actually lose my shit in heartbreak about father burroughs on a regular.

that man tried his hardest, too! he was a good person who genuinely wanted to help and he got MASSIVELY fucked over and he did NOT deserve it. by pointing out that dekker’s motivations and methods read as being more jewish to me doesn’t mean i’m being Mean and saying Christians Can’t Be Good People (which... if you really want to read me that way then i implore you to examine some other things jdhkjfhj), there are plenty of canon christian characters out there that live in my heart.

part of what i’m saying here is that that sentence could also just have ended with “there are plenty of canon christian characters.”

i think it’s just important to remember that a character of nondescript faith doesn’t have to default to "christian!”

to people who have their own reasons to interpret him as such, go for it; i’m sure there’s some reclamation going on there and i’m not telling you that, like, you Can’t. but he’s not CANONLY anything.

he does mention hell once, but it’s while talking to gertrude, who he knows has no stake in his beliefs, and “hell” is oftentimes just... an expression and a concept that everyone understands even if they don’t genuinely believe in its existence. and all he even says at the end is:

“I know you’ve never had much patience for my faith, but perhaps it will provide you some small peace knowing I face my death gladly, knowing I have done my duty before G-d.”

(and no just because it isn’t censored in the transcript doesn’t count as a reason he Can’t Possibly Be Jewish or anything. not every jewish person censors it and also these transcripts were written up by fans anyway.)

this is fairly open-ended! you can read it as anything. i just prefer to read it as tikkun olam. as tzedek, tzedek tirdof.

tikkun olam being “a concept in judaism defined namely by acts of kindness performed to repair the world.”

and tzedek, tzedek tirdof being “justice, justice you shall pursue.”

sorry for taking this opportunity to just ramble about WHY i prefer to read him this way, i just don’t know when else i’d get the chance. so, to just answer your actual question again, nope, not canonically christian!

and don’t beat yourself up about not realizing that! i’ve been talking a lot about fanon interpetations kind of living rent free in our brains despite possible contradictions with canon that we have honestly forgotten. dekker’s a pretty small character and even his faith doesn’t come up EVERY time he’s mentioned, it’s VERY easy to just not remember every single tiny detail and it’s even Easier to just not think deeply on it in the first place.

there’s just nothing that says he COULDN’T be jewish, especially given that the major themes of his story, principles, values, priorities, and the way that he conducted himself actually align Super Well with that narrative in mind!

and in terms of PBR, it just provides a way nicer opportunity for the dynamic he’s going to have with jon later on! which i’m SO excited to write about. if you want to talk about reclamation and remaining human. :-)

EDIT 12/10/2020: so i remembered that someone else sent me an anon saying they thought he had to be xtian because he mentioned a reward after death, and someone actually found his canon viewpoint in that in the transcripts! these are from MAG 113:

Or to find your eyes closed and force them open to sunlight and morning, only realising that sleep has happened in retrospect. I wonder if… death is the same way? No clear dividing line, just… gone, only to realise after it’s happened, except for the fact that there isn’t an after. Is that a comforting thought or a terrifying one? Depends on who you are, I suppose.

[...]

What is the line between a near-death experience and a dream? Perhaps you do leave yourself, brush against the afterlife and return, but… I don’t believe it. I believe they are both simply the firings of a brain we no longer have control over.

so he canonically doesn’t believe in a heaven or hell, just An End. which gives us even MORE leeway to say Jewish Dekker Real. wahoo! (gonna paste this edit into that ask, too, just to have it in both places.)

[umeberries]

Translation Tuesday #1, or: Why Bakugou Isn’t Just Being a Sore Loser

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I didn’t anticipate vomiting an ocean of drivel for my very first TT, but I did and I’m going to make you look at it.

(Submissions are still open if you’d like to request a translation!)

Rewatching MHA has given me more compassion for Bakugou, and this line from episode 37 (the practical exam) really grabbed me. I mean, the kid’s fighting like a dozen internal battles on top of fighting SUPERMAN HIMSELF. So I’d like to dig into it - and explain why I’d propose an alternate, perhaps more sympathetic translation.

For reference, the original Japanese is as follows:

「折れて折れて自分捻じ曲げてでも選んだ勝ち方でそれすら敵わねえなんて… 嫌だ…！」

Orete orete jibun nejimagete de mo eranda kachikata de sore sura kanawanee nante…iya da…!

The verb kanawanee (敵わねえ, the negative form of kanau) is translated here as “can’t (even) beat you”, but "beat” is not the word I would choose. Kanau has a couple of different connotations depending on the kanji you write it with; here it’s written with the kanji 敵, which means “opponent, rival, enemy”. (Fun fact, it’s also the kanji used for the word “villain”!) With this kanji, kanau means “to make something possible in the way you want” or “to be an even match for someone/something”. Concepts that are related to, but don’t quite equal, victory. 

Even Bakugou must have realized he can’t defeat the strongest man in the country head-on, 1-on-1. He certainly wanted to, and wouldn’t let himself entertain the alternative. But defeating All Might is so clearly impossible - especially by this scene, when he’s wrung out every last bit of firepower - that “win” and “beat” don’t seem like the right word choices to me here. What he wants in this moment, I think, is the dignity to at least have gone down fighting his way.

Bakugou’s idea of strength isn’t simply to win - it’s to completely and utterly dominate, always, to constantly be the undisputed best and never falter. Whearas Izuku admires All Might as the Symbol of Peace that always saves the day, Bakugou is captivated by his perfect win record, his (seemingly) untouchable strength. We see this develop into a very black-or-white perfectionism, where you’re either the Best or you’re the Worst, with nothing in between.

Unfortunately, he’s forced to compromise, and what’s worse, he’s pushed to his absolute limits, unable to produce any more explosions but desperately trying to anyway. And desperation is a far cry from total domination. Sura (すら) means “even”, as in “I can’t even pull this off”. For Bakugou, achieving his unreasonably high standards aren’t an end goal. They’re the bare minimum of what he expects for himself.

And then after all that strain, compromise, and humiliation, he gets stomped anyway.

His reaction? I don’t like it so I won’t accept it. Iya literally means “unpleasant”; it’s often used to refuse or object to something and is a pretty weak form of protest. It has a childish nuance and is deeply subjective (i.e. I know that’s how it is in reality, but I need you to know I don’t like it). For example, if you’re going to a party and you learn that someone you can’t stand will also be there, you might say “What, Irie’s going too? Iya da!”. However, whether you like him or not doesn’t change the guest list - it has no bearing on the outcome. You’re just expressing your objection to make yourself feel a tiny bit better.

Similarly, Bakugou realizes that his approach is getting him nowhere. It’s beyond clear by this point, despite how hard he’s tried to deny it. And he really really doesn’t like that, but he can’t exactly go on insisting he’s right, considering All Might about to knock him out. So he’s basically saying “Don’t tell me I can’t, because you might be right and I can’t deal with that yet so shut up”.

Earlier in the episode, All Might tries to comfort him with the last words Bakugou wants to hear: “You still have so much room to grow!”. Unlike Deku, he isn’t motivated by the thought of fulfilling his potential. He wants to be at his peak already. Anything less is as good as zero. He can’t defeat All Might, which is undeniable proof that he isn’t at the peak - a literally and figuratively painful humiliation. One can imagine he’s struggling against feelings of worthlessness on top of all the frustration, rage, humiliation, pain...and that’s before the general existential fragility of having your core belief system uprooted.

The first kanji in Katsuki (勝己) comes from the more common word for “to win”, 勝つ (katsu). The second kanji means “oneself”. Put them together, and you get what Bakugou wants: to triumph in his own way, victory on his terms. This line is his somewhat childish, agonizing, burgeoning realization that just maybe, his way - complete and utter perfection forever - isn’t actually viable.

So with all that said, my translation would be:

“You telling me that I can’t even succeed my way? Even if I break and break and twist myself…? I hate that…!”

Now, none of this is meant to rag on the Crunchyroll translation at all! It’s a really tricky line grammatically, and I’m not saying mine is any better or more accurate. This is all just my interpretation. This scene gave me a bit more of an appreciation for Bakugou, and I had fun thinking through it!

[creativejourneysbct]

Studio 1 Final project Week 3- Modules save the planet!

In preparation for our student showcase tomorrow, we got together refine our ide and considered that an effective way of improving the reusability of our fidget toys would be to create a modular design. As demonstrated last week, fidget toy parts tend to break rather easily, so a modular design would allow the user to replace the individual broken part, as opposed to having to replace the entire device, resulting in less overall waste. This also has the benefit of allowing the user to change the orientation of the different fidget modules to their custom preferences, which should prove popular to potential consumers.

But what’s the point of chatting away about ideas without some good ol' prototyping?

So, we hot glued some popsicle sticks together to create the “skeleton” of our fidget toy upon which the modules would be attached.

We then disassembled the store-bought fidget toy to make use of its parts. We got glued the separated parts onto squares of cardboard that would be stuck onto the skeleton, effectively emulating the modular nature of the final product.

We quickly realized that the size of our skeleton (and consequently the modular pieces attached to it) was far larger than what we would use for the final product. But for now, it served as a useful proof of concept for the showcase. While we want the final model to be smaller, just how much smaller I will be determined through user testing. In the future, we plan to make multiple low-do prototypes and give them out to as many people as possible and ask them what they prefer to gauge what an appropriate size would be. After all, our aim is for the skeleton to be a “one size fits all” base that the custom modules are added to. So, it's vital that the base be as user-friendly as possible.

After creating the prototype, we considered different ideas on how we want the final product to look and function. We quickly established that for the final base, we didn’t want the skeleton to just be hollow, as this would make the product feel incomplete if not all 6 sides have modules attached. We thought about providing blank modules to use if that side of the base hadn’t been used for a fidget module, but in the end, decided against this idea as it just seemed like an extra step that could be avoided with a better design. We didn't want to have more parts than necessary, for waste purposes but also intuitiveness. The idea of someone attaching a blank module just to be replaced with a fidget module, later on, didn't sit well.

So, on the flip side, we considered having a base that's basically just a complete cube, and the individual fidgets are attached directly onto it, without the need for a base. This is a great concept in theory, as it solves our prior issue of the fidget cube feeling incomplete when not filled up, but given our current resources, we're still unsure how viable that would be.

Pictured above is an example of one of the fidget parts we used, and as can be seen, it has a sizable base that ideally would have to fit in the cube, so having it attack straight on to the side (like it is to the cardboard in this demo) wouldn't achieve the desired result.

We thought of a way that may be able to do this, where the solid side of the cube would open up when the fidget accessory is inserted, and then close back up when removed. As seen in the rough sketch above, it relied on springs to open and close, but it does sound rather finicky and a potential future "marshmallow" so, while we haven't written off the idea entirely, it's a less likely solution

So, putting our effectual thinking caps on, we considered a version that may be more achievable given what's available to us. It's still a solid cube, but the sides are indented, allowing space for the module to fit in. This is more of a compromised approach, so it still feels like a solid cube but allows room for the module's base in a more straightforward manner.

In terms of attaching the module, we decided that a magnetic connection would likely be the most seamless method, but more testing down the road will dictate how achievable that is.

We also considered how a product like this would be marketed, and drew up some website sketches to sell the item. We decided the fidget cube would be sold in a variety of presets, so it would already come with 6 fidget modules, that the user could then rearrange or replace at their leisure.

We then t sketched how the marketing images would highlight the modular aspect of the cube, by showing them slightly raised from the cube's base.

Lastly, we reconsidered exactly how to implement the recycled materials to create the final product. As it currently stands, we may have to use regular 3D printing to create our final demonstration, but research the method in which the actual product could be made from recycled materials should it go to market.

Overall today was another productive session, and adding the modular aspect to our project is further pushing us in the right direction of considering less waste and promoting a more circular economy.

[peasent-ff]

Twisted Hearts - 4 days to release

FAQ

This is a scheduled post, if it posts correctly I should be mid-air on my way home. Also, Happy New Year!

What is Twisted Hearts?

Twisted Hearts is a proof-of-concept interactive derivative work. Simply put, it’s another form of fan-work, taking the established form of fanfiction and using it in game form. It’s got the angst and fluff but with emphasis on action and adventure while giving the player interactivity and some control on the story. An interactive fanfic!

Proof of concept??

Yes, to test the waters so to speak, I experimented with the medium as well with your responses, to gauge the viability of such an idea. That doesn’t mean it’s not a functional game, but that first and foremost it’s a proof of concept. A demonstration, that if successful, opens the way for more of its kind.

What do I, as a player, need?

You will need a Windows OS computer, with 500MB of space, a CPU capable of at least 1.8GHz, and at least of 500MB of RAM.

What’s in the story?

I aimed to combine the essence of beloved fanfiction with the expansive storytelling of RPG games. So expect fluff, angst, romance, useless lore, convulated plot, haphazard humor and ridiculously edgy villains.

How long is it?

Due to the nature of the game, it is hard to say as it differs from player to player. But if I were to estimate, I would say 2 hours ignoring all side elements.

Why does this even exist?

Personally, I find writing difficult, putting my mess of thoughts into linear words is not easy. Fan-art was not viable either, my art skills just were not up to standard. Games were the medium I am passionate about and thus, this was born. I guess this is my way of contributing to the fandom. The concept is not new, but I hope to inspire other, more talented, to produce fan-games. I ended up learning a lot of different skills and concepts while working on this. Since the start of this project, I did go on to study and make games as part of my degree, so in a way this project has helped me a lot.

How long did it take to make this?

I will be expanding more on this in a post tomorrow, but quickly:

The project started in 2015, so it’s been 4 years, with an estimated 1000 hours of development. Do remember that I am an amateur with serious time-management issues, so the time spent is not indicative of the quality of the game.

Is it hard?

The game was made with “non-gamers” in mind. You can choose to ignore most of the combat and side-quests. However if you like combat and exploring, it’s right there. The combat system accommodates for different type of players, being as lenient as possible while rewarding those that seek a thrill.

Is it any good?

I’ll be honest here, i think a good part of it is, well, good. But with a project spanning well over 4 years, an eventful 4 years might I add, a lot has changed of me and as such things can feel a bit all over the place, inconsistent, and at times contradictory. If I were to rate it as impartial as possible, I would give it a 6/10, but then again, I am very critical.

But I hope that you would give it a chance, and treat it more as a proof of concept. Every and all feedback is greatly appreciated and will go forth to inform future works.

60fps?

…

Will it cost me?

Nope! Free and always will be. Unless, y’know, Disney comes knocking. 

What’s the setting of the story?

6 months after the events of the first movie, but this was planned way before even Frozen Fever so it’s not up to date. Scratch that! More like planned before Frozen II for goodness sakes!

Can I save?

Yes you can, so play at your own pace!

Virus? Scam?

If you get it solely from me, I can assure you I only mean well and all files are checked thoroughly so you are getting nothing but the game. If you are unsure, go ahead and block the game in your network firewall.

Online?

Nope. You only need a connection to download it, after that it’s ready whenever!

What’s the rating?

T - Teen & above. Although it probably would be K+/G+, play it safe with the T rating.

What if I don’t like it?

That’s okay! I would love to hear your feedback so I can reflect on what went wrong and improve in the future.

[terramythos]

TerraMythos' 2020 Reading Challenge - Book 27 of 26

Title: How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? (2018)

Author: N. K. Jemisin

Genre/Tags: Short Story Collection, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Dystopia, Magical Realism, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Post-Apocalyptic, Female Protagonist(s), LGBT Protagonist(s).

Rating: 8/10 (Note: This is an average of all the stories -- see below the cut for individual story blurbs/ratings).

Date Began: 9/27/2020

Date Finished: 10/4/2020

I really liked this collection! Jemisin wrote my favorite fanstasy/scifi series ever with The Broken Earth trilogy, and I really enjoyed her recent novel The City We Became. I was in the mindset for shorter fiction so decided to read this collection of short stories. Of these 22 stories, my absolute favorites (9/10 or higher) were:

The City Born Great - 10/10

The Effluent Engine - 9/10

Cloud Dragon Skies - 9/10

The Trojan Girl -10/10

Valedictorian - 9/10

The Evaluators - 10/10

Stone Hunger - 9/10

The Narcomancer - 9/10

Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows - 9/10

Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters - 9/10

A more detailed summary/reaction to each story under the cut. WARNING: IT’S LONG.

1. Those Who Stay and Fight - 8/10  

Describes a utopia called Um-Helat that exists solely because no one is seen as superior or inferior to anyone else. Over time we learn it's a future, or potential future, of America. But America today is pure anathema to it due to rampant structural inequality. In order to achieve its utopian ideal, Um-Helatians have to root out and destroy people corrupted by the past.

This story was apparently written as a tribute/response to the Ursula K. Le Guin story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”. I first read this without context, then went and read the Le Guin story. I definitely see the parallels. Both feature a narrator describing a wonderful utopia in the midst of festival, trying to convince the reader of the place's existence, before introducing something dark that is the price of the utopia. In the Le Guin story, the utopia exists at the price of the horrible misery and suffering of one child, and everyone is aware of it. Most live with it, but a few leave for the unknown rather than continue to live there (hence the title). In Jemisin's story, the price is instead the annihilation of those tainted by exposure to the evils of the past. The choice, instead of leaving, is for those tainted yet capable to become protectors of the new world, or die.

The thesis is pretty clear: that only by abandoning horrible ideologies and refusing to give them any ground or quarter can a utopian society truly exist. I will say that rings clear, especially when one considers Naziism and fascism. Not all ideologies deserve the light of day or debate, and even entertaining them as valid allows it to take hold. I liked this story, though it comes off as a social justice essay more than a story in and of itself.

2. The City Born Great - 10/10

This one is told from the perspective of a homeless young black man who feels a strange resonance with New York City. He meets a mysterious figure named Paulo, who tells him the city is about to be born as a full-fledged entity, and the man has been chosen to assist with its birth. However, there’s an eldritch force known simply as The Enemy that seeks to prevent this from happening.

I've read this one before since it's the prologue to The City We Became. And honestly it was one of my favorite parts of that book. New York City is a phenomenal character. I love that the proto-avatar of NYC is a young homeless black man, one of the most denigrated groups out there. Cops being the harbingers of eldritch destruction is... yeah. It was fun to reread this. The ending is a little different, because in the novel, something goes terribly wrong that doesn't happen in this short story. There is also a flash forward where he is, apparently, about to awaken the avatar of Los Angeles. Makes me wonder if that is ultimately the endgame of the series. But otherwise it's the same thing with absolutely phenomenal character voice and creativity regarding cities as living creatures. I'm glad Jemisin expanded this idea into a full series.

3. Red Dirt Witch - 7/10

Takes place before the (1960s) Civil Rights Movement in Pratt City, AL. The main character is Emmaline, a witch with three kids. A creepy figure called The White Lady comes to visit and steal one of her children.

I love the little twist that The White Lady is a faerie. And the different take on rowan/ash/thorn instead being rosemary/sage/sycamore fig. There is a lot of touching bits about the horrible trials and human rights abuses during the Civil Rights marches (which are unfortunately all too relevant still), but ultimately a hopeful glimpse of the future of black people in America, though hard-won.

4. L'Alchimista - 6/10

Stars a Milanese master chef named Franca, who fell from glory for Reasons, who now works as head chef at a run-down inn. She feeds a mysterious stranger, who then challenges her to fix a seemingly impossible recipe.

This one was fun and charming. I thought the food (and magical food) descriptions were very vibrant and interesting, especially the last meal. I can tell this is an earlier story and it's pretty light hearted, but I enjoyed it. It felt like it needed a little more of.. something.  

5. The Effluent Engine - 9/10

In an interesting steampunk take, Haitian spy Jessaline comes to the city of New Orleans to meet one of its foremost scientists. Her goal is to find a viable, unique energy source to strengthen Haiti in a world that wants to see her nation dead.

I really liked this; it's one of the longer stories so there's more time for character development and worldbuilding. And it's gay. I'm not hugely into pure steampunk because a lot of it comes off as very... samey (hyper Eurocentric/Victorian, etc) but I thought this take was fresh.

Like much of Jemisin's work, there is a lot of racial under and overtones; this one specifically goes into the terrible atrocities committed against the Haitians during their Revolution, and the varied social classes of black/Creole people in New Orleans at the time. A lot of this is stuff I was unaware of or knew very little about. I thought it was interesting to bring all of these to the forefront in a steampunk story in addition to the dirigibles, clockwork, action, and subterfuge. Also, everything tries together in a very satisfying way by the end (the rum bottle!), which I love in short fiction.

6. Cloud Dragon Skies - 9/10

Takes place in a post-apoc future where some humans evacuated to space while others stayed behind and took on more indigenous traditions to heal the Earth. The sky has suddenly turned red on Earth, and some representatives from the "sky-people" come to study it and figure out why.

I really enjoyed this little story; fantasy/scifi fusions are my jam, but science fiction specifically told through a fantasy lens is just so cool to me. The cloud dragons were very interesting and imaginative. Also, I love how the opening statement's meaning isn't particularly clear until you read the whole thing.

7. The Trojan Girl - 10/10

This one is about sentient computer programs/viruses that struggle to survive in something called the Amorph, which is basically a more advanced, omnipresent version of the Internet.

Holy fucking shit was this a cool story. Probably the coolest take on cyberpunk I've ever read. The main character Moroe has formed a messed up little family of creatures like him who live and hunt in Amorph's code, but can upload to "the Static" (real life) if needed by hijacking human hosts. The way this is described is so damn creepy and unsettling. I love that while they're anthropomorphized, the characters are mostly feral and compared to a pack of wolves. Soooo much wolf pack imagery. And the ending is so fucking good and imaginative.

This was apparently a proof of concept story that Jemisin decided not to adapt to a longer series, which I'm kind of sad about, but it was REALLY cool nevertheless. The next story is apparently in the same universe and serves as the "conclusion".

8. Valedictorian - 9/10

This one is about a girl who is, well, top of her class in high school, and the stresses that mount as graduation approaches. But while it seems like a familiar setup, there is something decidedly Off about everything, which is revealed gradually over the course of the story.

I originally gave this an 8, but honestly I couldn't stop thinking about it so I boosted it to a 9. It doesn’t become clear how this connects to the previous story until the midpoint. I liked this one because it functions as a nice dystopian science fiction story but also biting social commentary on the modern American education system. I'm not going go say more on it because spoilers. While I personally like the first story more I think this is an interesting followup/conclusion with a more cerebral approach.  

9. The Storyteller's Replacement - 6/10

This one's presented as a traditional "once upon a time" fable told by a storyteller narrator, about a shitty despotic king named Paramenter. Desperate to prove his virility, he eats the heart of a dragon, which is said to be a cure-all for impotence. It's successful, but the six strange daughters that result seem to have plans of their own.

Not really my cup of tea-- it's pretty fucked up. But it's definitely cathartic by the end, which I appreciate, and I do like how creepy the daughters are.

10. The Brides of Heaven - 5/10

Framed as an interrogation in an offworld colony called Illiyin, in which a terrible accident occurred on the way that left all the adult men dead. Dihya, who lost her only son to an alien parasite, is caught trying to sabotage the colony's water supply for reasons unknown.

I like some things in this story. I love the trope of alien biology affecting human biology in unexpected ways. I'm not terribly familiar with Islam but thought it added an interesting faith vs practicality vs tradition element to the science fiction. However I found the sexual body horror REALLY squicky which turned me off the story as a whole.

11. The Evaluators - 10/10

Stylized as a collection of logs and excerpts from a First Contact team of humans visiting and studying a sapient alien species to potentially set up trade relations. There's a focus on one team member named Aihua and her conversations with one of the aliens, but there's miscellaneous important hints/excerpts from the survey that hint Something Creepy Is Going On.

This one was BIZARRE and took me two reads to fully appreciate, but it’s a great work of nontraditional science fiction horror. Just... the epitome of "*nervous laughter* 'what the fuck'". I can't say more without spoiling but dear lord. That whole Jesus bit hits different on a second read. Fucking hell.

12. Walking Awake - 7/10

Takes place in a dystopian society in which parasitic creatures known as Masters keep a small number of humans alive to be flesh suits for them, which they take over and trade around at will. The main character Sadie is a human "caretaker" responsible for propagandizing and raising well-bred human children that eventually become the Masters' hosts. She starts to have disturbing dreams when one takes over the body of a teenage boy she was particularly attached to.

This is apparently a response to Robert Heinlein's The Puppet Masters, which I have never read. It's a full damn novel so I probably won't. Google tells me it's about parasitic aliens, but was obviously also Red Scare paranoia about communist Russia. The argument in the Jemisin story is that the parasites are a result of human folly in an attempt to punish/control people their creators didn't like. This went poorly and resulted in the whole world being taken over.

The story itself is disturbing since the victims are innocent children, but it's ultimately about standing up and taking the first step toward revolution. I felt pretty neutral about the story itself; perhaps I would have liked it more if it was longer and I had more time with the world and protagonist. I wanted to connect to Sadie and her maternal relationship the boy who got killed more. Or maybe it's more impactful if you're familiar with the Heinlein novel and can see the nods/digs.

13. The Elevator Dancer - 7/10

A very short story that takes place in a Christian fundamentalist surveillance state. The protagonist is an unnamed security guard who occasionally sees a woman dancing alone in the elevator and obsesses over her.

I like this one but I'm not sure if I really get it. It's heavily implied the dancer is a hallucination, and the narrator gets "re-educated" but it's all a little ambiguous. I think it's about the struggle to find meaning and inspiration in an oppressive world.  

14. Cuisine des Mémoires - 8/10

This one's about a man named Harold who visits a strange restaurant that claims it can replicate any meal from any point in history. He orders a meal which his ex-wife, whom he still loves very much, fixed for him years ago.

This one was certainly different, but I really like the idea of food-as-memory, especially because that's an actual thing. This story just takes it to an extra level. Honestly this story made me feel things... the longing of memory and missed connections/opportunities. Jemisin did a great job with emotion on this one.

15. Stone Hunger - 9/10

Stars a girl in with the ability to manipulate the earth who's tracking down a man she senses in an unfamiliar city. It's heavily implied the world is in a perpetual post-apocalyptic state. When she's caught damaging the outer wall of the city to break in and injured/imprisoned, she's aided by a mysterious, humanoid statue creature with motives of its own.

I have to say it's really interesting to see an early beta concept of The Broken Earth. Orogeny is a little different (and not named)-- there's some kind of taste component to it? Though that's possibly unique to the main character? While hatred of orogenes exists I don't think it's a structural exploitation allegory at this point. Ykka + proto-Castrima existing this early is pretty funny to me. People also use metal, which is VERY funny if you’ve read the series. But I was thrilled to see stone eaters were Very Much A Thing this early and almost exactly how they appear in the series (a little more sinister I guess. At least the one in this story is. I think he basically gets integrated into the Steel/Gray character in the final version).

Anyway as a huge fan of The Broken Earth it's inspiring to see these early ideas and just how much got changed. It's hard for me to look at this as an independent story without the context of the series. I think I'd like it due to the creative setting and strange concepts, but I appreciate the final changes to narrative style and worldbuilding, which really made the series for me.

16. On The Banks of the River Lex - 8/10

Death explores a decaying, post-human version of New York City. He and various deities/ideas created by humans are all that survives in the future and they struggle to exist in the crumbling infrastructure of the city. But Death gradually observes new and different creatures developing amid the wreckage.

I liked this! Despite a typically bleak premise the story is very optimistic and hopeful for the future of the world post-humanity. I like anthropomorphized concepts/deities/etc in general. I thought the imagery of decay and life was gorgeous. Also octopuses are cool.

17. The Narcomancer - 9/10

Told from the perspective of Cet, a priest known as a Gatherer, who can take the life of someone through their dreams in order to bring them peace. When a village petitions his order to investigate a series of raids conducted by brigands using forbidden magic, Cet joins the party. However, he is troubled by his growing attraction to a strong-willed woman of the village.

This apparently takes place in the Dreamblood universe, which I have not read and know nothing about. However, I really enjoyed this story. It's the longest in the collection so I felt I really got to know the characters. The dream-based religion and fantasy was captivating to learn about. It was also romantic as hell, but not in the typical way you’d expect. I thought the central conflict of a priest struggling between an oath of celibacy and his duty to do the right thing (bring peace to someone who needs it) was fascinating.

18. Henosis - 4/10

A short piece, told anachronistically, about a lauded, award winning author on the way to an award ceremony. He gets kidnapped, but there's Something Else going on.

Honestly I get the sense this one is personal, lol. I will say I like the disturbing play on expectations, but I didn't connect much with it otherwise.  

19. Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows - 9/10

Follows a group of bloggers who have found themselves caught in isolated quantum loops. Their only human contact is through tenuous online conversations with each other. Styled as various chat logs and emails interspersed with the thoughts and perspectives of Helen, a young black woman who before the loop was teaching English in Japan.

This one is real depressing and definitely Social Commentary (TM). The central thesis about loneliness and disconnect at the end made me pretty dang sad. Good stuff in an ouch kind of way and made me think.

20. The You Train - 6/10

Told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator talking (presumably on the phone) to a friend about her struggles adjusting to life in New York City. She regularly mentions seeing train lines that either don't exist or retired a long time ago.

This is the kind of story I'd normally really like. I think trains are interesting and like vaguely supernatural, inexplicable shit. The one-sided phone call is also an interesting narrative device. But I'm not sure I really got this one. It comes off as vaguely horror-y but also optimistic? I couldn't really figure this one out, and it was too short to feel much investment on top of that.

21. Non-Zero Probabilities - 7/10

Luck has gone completely out of whack in New York City. Highly improbable events suddenly become way more likely, both good and bad. This story follows a woman named Adele and coming to grips with the new ways of life this brings.

I liked this one well enough but I don't have a lot to say about it. I liked how the story looks at how people would adapt to a life where probability doesn't mean anything anymore.  

22. Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters - 9/10

A magical realism story about a man named Tookie struggling to survive in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He meets a talking, winged lizard and the two help each other out. But it soon becomes clear there is something sinister lurking in the flooded ruins of the city.

This story was very imaginative and a great cap to the collection. I thought it was an intriguing time period to set a magical realism story in. I love the little details, especially those of omission -- the "lizard" is never called a dragon, for example. I can see echoes of this story in The City We Became, especially the themes of cities as powerful entities, vague eldritch fuckery centered around hatred, and certain people being guardians of the city.  

[graffersid01]

5 Actionable Steps to Develop a Successful Software Startup from Scratch

Entrepreneurs allured with the vision of creating a lucrative and successful business. They seek out unique and powerful business models, strategies to mark their footprints in the software landscape. Every innovator looks forward to delivering a productive and bankable product or service. In return contributing to the rapid growth of Software startup all across the globe every year.

Did you know? According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s (GEM) massive statistical research, 137,000 startups are introduced in the market every day with estimated 120,000 startups eliminated each year.

If you follow the statistics, a tech startup’s success rate is one-fourth of what its failure rate is.

I would say, don’t believe the statistics!

If you are passionate enough for your software startup, just understand what it takes to outlive the chances of falling flat. This article will lay light on all the highs and lows, positives and negatives, strategies, and techniques to establish a successful software startup from scratch.

So, let’s begin!

How to build a successful software startup from scratch?

Consider these 5 steps to form an effective trade in this growing industry:

Step 1- Market research

For a software startup to generate profits, you’ll require a market that is prepared for the idea and technology, software that solves the pain points of the clients, and appropriate pricing that the market can afford. A large number of startups fail because of a poor product/service-market fit, hence, making informed choices that get along with the market requirements is very crucial.

Specialists claim that market research is one of the first vital steps while developing a startup.

What if you don’t undergo market research?

Many entrepreneurs are confident enough that they are going to deliver the right services to the market, but fail because of a poor market design strategy.

I am not saying don’t be confident, but follow the crucial steps!

Being confident is the key, but only if you are unlocking the right door. If the market is wrong, your product cannot win hearts and give you conversions.

What are market research types?

While market research has different types, based on the type of business you are targeting. Here are a few market research types-

Primary or secondary market research While primary research is collecting information yourself from various sources. Analyzing current sales volumes, metrics, and customers, secondary market research includes collecting data prepared by third parties like reports and study analysis from other entities from the same niche market.

Online and offline research A blend of both, online and offline research, delivers the most accurate market analysis. Online research gives out information in free and fast whereas offline research provides more in-depth results and access to information sources.

You can also take the help of Surveys, Interviews, Focus groups, and social media according to your budget and time, to ask the audiences what they think of the product/services.

Read Also: 12 Key Considerations Before Setting Up an eCommerce Startup

Step2- Proof of Concept

Although everyone is convinced with their idea and its problem-solving features, creating a proof of concept to analyze and test your idea and see if it can be followed in the real-world is important. Another benefit of proof of concept is, it will help you gather stakeholders’ trust that’ll convince them to invest in your idea. The process of “proof of concept” follows these steps-

1. Demonstrate the Requirement

It’s very important that the software you are investing your energy in, is actually on the customer’s needy list. It’ll be all for nothing if you aren’t sure that the audience needs the software.

2. Outline Pain Points and Gather feedback

Do some brainstorming to map out the pain points and determine how your software stacks up to relieve those pain points. When you are ready with a list of solutions, put those solutions in front of the stakeholders and potential users to know what they think and how they react. They might suggest an additional feature that makes your product/services more valuable.

3. Solution Prototyping

Your following step is to make a model that wraps your solutions into a simple item that you just can utilize to test with those you met already. This model ought to have the anticipated highlight set and UI/UX.

Once the model is built, test it together with your interviewees for extra input. Record their utilization of the item to track how instinctive the interface truly is, and discover it in case you ignore any critical usefulness.

4. Minimum Viable Product Creation

An MVP is a fully functional solution that is different from prototyping. It incorporates the most important highlights that are basic for tackling the essential torment focuses you distinguished. It ought to work on the user’s side rather like the ultimate item.

5. Roadmap Construction

From all of the data you’ve assembled in each of the past steps, make a guide that depicts what you’ve learned and diagrams a prescribed step-by-step handle for building the item. Think of this guide as a set of diagrams for developing a building. With this guide as a direct, everybody will be kept on the same page through item improvement and will have a clear picture of what the conclusion objective is.

Read Also: 5 mistakes a start-up makes when building an MVP

Step 3. Getting Associates and Partners

It is not possible to overestimate the value of collaborators, investors, teammates, co-founders of partners, remote developers, and the likes of a start-up company. You will need the support of others for the staggering success of a start-up venture. You can go easily alone, but together you can go faster.

Forging alliances and collaborations that can help you make the most of your new company or start-up project is important. You might need to find a technical co-founder who can handle the software team and work with them. An entrepreneurship experience can be an emotional rollercoaster trip, but you don’t just want a technical co-founder to be chosen randomly. Do not begin by inviting unknown individuals to be your co-founder of the methodology. Take the time to consider others, recognize them and first make sure the two sides feel happy.

Starting a new startup venture is challenging. Maintaining enough cash in your budget to keep your doors open is no easy feat, from ordering equipment and loading up on inventory to handling payroll and renting an office. But there is one way by which you can accept this challenge with confidence, getting an active investor!

An active investor is knowledgeable of the organization and can be actively engaged in most processes, particularly in areas of the company that includes sales and profitability.

According to the NSBA Economic Report, 27% of small businesses are unable to access adequate funding.

Hence, it is almost difficult to expand your small company without good finance behind you!

Step 4.Offering Easy Entry to Customers

Initially, it’s incredibly difficult to get traction. Most individuals are not chomping at the bit to spend time studying and saving money on new technologies to incorporate it. Create a blueprint on how you can get the first consumers on board. Consider a free offering for trial users, free updates, or a discount cost. For users who put friends aboard, you may even create rewards.

Another way to reduce the entry barrier for a SaaS product is to ensure that you deliver a selection of subscription levels that can cover the needs of all customer classes without asking them to pay for features that they do not require.

You should have a customer success team that monitors the customer’s usage levels, gives them quality notifications and satisfaction reviews. Among other items, invites them to customer-advisory board meetings. The client-success team should also be educated and willing to market.

Read Also: Which is Cheaper: In-House Team or Remote Developers

Step 5. Constant Software Testing and Analysis

The universe travels swiftly. Technology moves, behavioral habits of people change, new variables affect the desires of consumers. Thinking that the product has landed, you can’t afford to get complacent. Still pushing for improvement, keeping an eye on evolving trends. How the product has to react and change as a result. What you don’t calculate, you can’t adjust, so build a daily routine.

If you analyze key metrics, you will know what: features do not resonate with users anymore, new features users require, and features the app needs to keep up with the ecosystems of users. This insight will also help you strengthen your content.  You will understand, what is most important to consumers and how they interpret the benefit they get from your product specifically.

Hence, it is necessary to identify tests continuously (whenever possible with A/B testing) and, after making adjustments, track the successful progress.

Read Also: Boost Your Start-Up Cybersecurity with These Powerful Tips

Final Thoughts

There is a lot of stuff you should know if you want to create a software start-up from scratch. Let’s be frank, there is no right road to success for start-ups. Everything I can do is provide you with advice as to what you need. If you aren’t sure about getting started, consult a trusted mobile app development company in India. They will understand your software startup requirement and make sure that you don’t leave any gaps behind.

[cowtale-utau]

Sans/Ace INTJ vs ENTP

Welp this is not the full breakdown I’m working on but. This is contributing to that? I was asked about my type choice (which I super don’t mind! I love a good debate) and this will help in breaking down that part of the full work up. It’s super friggin long. I’d apologize, but I wouldn’t really mean it. Anyway, here we go.

First lets look at the functional stacks

INTJ / NiFeTiSe (NiTe) vs ENTP / NeTiFeSi (NeTi)

Ni – Internal intuition vs Ne – Extroverted intuition

Sans is suspiciously intuitive. There was no argument that Intuitive was going to be part of his typing. How the intuition functions and is used is where we have some point of potential debate. This comes down in many ways to how Jung viewed extroversion vs introversion. Extroverts are characterized as expansive and expressive, with short attention spans and rapidly shifting focus. They also tend to have relationships characterized by breath as opposed to depth. That is, many, more “shallow” relationships, rather than fewer, “deeper” connections. Conversely introverts are more focused and narrow, spending more time and energy on fewer things they give more value. Ne tends to have a wider range of hobbies and skills, while never focusing enough to master any, while Ni tends to develop mastery in fewer, selected areas. Ne also tends to want to bounce topics and visit many areas of conversation, while Ni wants to focus in on a singular topic to explore as deeply as possible. Ne wants to have many options while Ni wants to zero in on one singular answer.

Honestly, you can see traces of both Ne and Ni in Sans personality. He has a broad range of skills, and a pretty large number of arguably shallow “friendships”. He also keeps a very small number of deeper, more developed relationships, and there is evidence of him having a few areas he has a much deeper knowledge of.

Getting into the real differences is easier when you pair Ni/Ne with their respective sidekicks. Thus we have NiSe and NeSi. If we go by type theory Ni uses information Se has subconsciously gathered to find patterns and themes in their environment. They cast a wide sensory net to take clues from all possible inputs, visual, auditory, etc. They then use this data to compile a narrow underlying pattern. Conversely NeSi, draws on repeated snapshots of experiences to compile an established pattern to put forth a range of possible “what ifs”.

A simplification of what separates Ni from Ne can be put as such; Ni  is insight, Ne is ingenuity. Both E and I express intuition in their focus on the metaphysical and theoretical. NJ's can be seen as less creative while NP's are less able to come up with convergent ideas. ENPs see several potentials in everything, they struggle to trace back to a single causality. ENPs often take a “spray and pray” method, and are surprised should they hit upon the correct answer. They won't likely trust this as the true answer until they've tested and exhausted all possibilities.

INTJ and ENTP functions are perfect flips of one another and are often mis-typed. 

INTJ: Dominant: Introverted Intuition Auxilliary: Extraverted Thinking Tertiary: Introverted Feeling Inferior: Extraverted Sensing ENTP: Dominant: Extraverted Intuition Auxiliary: Introverted Thinking Tertiary: Extraverted Feeling Inferior: Introverted Sensing

Personally I'm inclined to lean towards Ni for Sans, but both are viable options. In fact both are so viable, that this breakdown wasn't particularly helpful. But it was interesting, and fun so I'm not mad I did it. So lets try this from a different angle. This time I'm going to ignore “stacks” and look at the purely E vs I, T vs P, etc break downs, and include my personal opinions on them, and how I got to the choice I did for Sans.

Introversion vs Extroversion

E – Energy is outward, towards people and things. Gains energy by being with people, batteries drain when alone. Need stimulation and are expressive. Like variety, action, and achievement. Communicate openly without censure. Allow conversation without conclusion. Take words at face value.

I – Energy focused inwards, towards ideas and concepts. Recharge with “me time”, drained by crowds and company. Tend to be reserved, and can seem subtle or “impenetrable”. Think before they act, often taking time to make a decision.

When I first typed Sans I had to ask, is he an introvert, or just depressed. I think it cannot be argued whether or not Sans suffers from depression. The indicators are there. It is a widely accepted view. However, I do not believe this excludes him from being an introvert. I see Sans as a social introvert. He likes people in general, enjoys crowds, from a comfortable distance. He keeps most relationships at arms length, and needs time alone to recoup. Sans is a very guarded and reserved individual, who can play at being an open book. He deflects with jokes and entertainment, but how many can say they are genuinely close to Sans. Even Papyrus is kept at a certain distance despite Sans clear love for his brother. I think Sans is kinda the poster child for the misconception that introverts are isolationists that hate people. They (cough we cough) aren't. They just need time to themselves to reorient, and re-energize. And that doesn't necessarily mean complete isolation either. This can often be achieved in the company of those held especially dear, or by simply withdrawing, even around company. This can be seen in Sans choosing to be at Grillby's but choosing a somewhat “closed” location. Yes he's towards the center of the room, but he's at the corner of the bar. He directly faces only Grillby. Or a common fanon example, Sans shutting down and allowing himself to be lugged around by Papyrus. He stays physically present, and is likely taking in the going ons, but has disengaged on a personal/social level.

Intuiting vs Sensing

S – Focus on immediate thought and sensory input. Trust conscious, limiting to facts and solid data. Pay attention to immediate, material, practical and “real”.  Work on a clear schedule and use logic to work in a direct sequence. Practical, realistic, grounded, direct.

N – Process data on a deep, subconscious level, trusting “gut feelings”. Spot patterns and take broad high level “big picture” views. Enjoy ideas and theories, are willing to work with factual evidence on a “instinct”. Change and adapt plans as information changes.

While I suppose an argument could be made for either I'm inclined to pin Sans as an N. Especially if one dismisses the “Sans remembers resets” theory. One cannot deny he uses facial cues and behaviors to make “gut” predictions about the player character/Frisk. Sans does not strike me as one to stick to any schedule not externally enforced by others (Papyrus). He doesn't need solid proof to make an accurate assessment, and trusts his own instincts. Somewhat unrelated to current discussion but one could argue a case for Sans having some almost... Arrogance in this regard. He is so confident in his assessment that he calls you on it, despite having no solid, in hand, proof of any of his accusations. This is a man who trusts his own mind.

Thinking vs Feeling

T – Thing logically and with reason. Desire fairness and objectivity. Black/White mentality. Seek truth and clear use of the rules. Sometimes forget or dismiss the “person” variable. Prefer truth over tact. Analyze pros and cons, and when a decision is made, consider it done.

F – Make decisions based on the feelings and considerations of others. The 'person' element is the first and primary considered. Value harmony, and try to be tactful even at the cost of some truth. Some times overlook the “hard” facts and can come off idealistic.

Here's another area where both typings agree. Sans is very much to me a T. Despite his apparent “easy to get along with” nature he can clearly lack tact (as seen in his 'you'd be dead where you stand' line). It's clear he is capable of dismissing the “people” component as seen in a neutral run. Even if you are to kill his brother there is little reaction beyond a few (or single, I'm slightly tipsy and my memory sucks) lines about his upset. This could theoretically be blamed on the nihilism/depression we see present, but could also be tied into his objective way of thinking (and if one considers that he's at least distantly aware that the outcome isn't permanent than this way further leans into T type. He knows it isn't the end, and so can accept that even if his brother is dead now, he won't be later, allowing him to remove emotion from the equation). If his magic coloring is tied into the presented soul traits the desire for fairness and objectivity is clearly seen in his secondary (?) Justice trait. I also believe Sans very much has a Black/White view of morality/the world. You can see this in the neutral run. While he may not attack you in anything less than No Mercy/Genocide, he definitely calls you out. Even just reaching LV of 2 is enough for Sans to express disgust in both you and your actions. This suggests he has absolutely no leniency in his views.

Judging vs Perceiving

J – Decisive and controlled. Are rigid and take charge of their environments, making choices early. Specific in what they ask, and expect others to do as told. Seek order and closure. Like to have time for preparation. Enjoy being experts.

P – Feel limited by structure. Feel more in control when options are left open. Thrive with the unexpected and are open to change. Tend to be loose and casual. Work in bursts. Are tolerant of people differences and will adapt to fit a situation.

And here's the other where the two potential types vary. And I can see a case for either. Its when all the parts are taken in together that I lean towards J over P. (although if we went with the percentages system I could see him as being fairly close, and sometimes slipping one way or the other over the line. I've know a couple of people personally who do so every now and then. A close friend of mine regularly tests at 51/49 in their J/P alternating between INFJ and INFP) I think when balancing Sans' N and T it comes together more comfortably in J. His rigid morality suggests a lack of tolerance and adaptability. Once he starts something, he sees it through to completion. His desire for the cycle of resets to be stopped can be seen as a need for closure, but I think we can dismiss it as extenuating circumstances. Anyone would want it to stop after a fashion, even if they are only distantly aware of the occurrence.  I think Sans straddles the J/P line leaning slightly more into J. He needs order and routine, but is stiffed by too rigid of a structure. I think for me this ultimately came down to me viewing Sans (or perhaps Ace in this case) as an ultimately science leaning mind. He needs answers. He needs clear, clean answers, and not getting them is distressing. While he may like to keep his options open in some areas of his life, overall he prefers to know what he's getting into, and how he's going to handle it. He's a free personality, that dislikes an unpredictable world. He wants to know where the end is, and have several methods of getting there. Not knowing the answers is scary, and Sans/Ace hates being scared.

So there's that. I don't know if any of it made any sense, but there you have it. How I typed Sans and why. Bare in mind, that this is also a half fanon typing. This is at least in part, based on occurrences after the events of canon Undertale, and how Sans/Ace behaved then. (you’ll see more of that in his full workup) As well as being based on some headcanons, though I tried to be fairly sparing with them. I also find myself frustrated as to the lack of information on Sans behavior/personality prior to the events of the game. What was Sans like, before the resets, before the depression. I would love to see what Sans had been like when he was younger. Alas, this is unlikely to ever happen. But anywho, this got way long, and if you manage to actually get through the whole thing I would love to hear your opinions. How do you type Sans, and why? Is there some glaring in game clue I missed? I'm totally open to friendly discussion on the topic, if you want. I included a couple links that give a pretty good rundown of the different functions and how they come together.

https://www.typeinmind.com/nite

https://www.typeinmind.com/neti

[bigskydreaming]

Hey, so ppl who have followed me awhile, you know how occasionally I toss out random concepts as like, just general prompts because they were a thing that happened in my brain and I thought they were a cool idea but have no time/plans to write them ever so I’m always like....dude, run with it if it sparks something for you?

So due to my physiological incompatibility with Being Subtle Ever and my many many rants on how much it annoys me when people who openly state they’re not a survivor themselves then go on to share writing that clearly views Law & Order SVU as viable Research Material like....its not exactly a shocker that I’m a big believer in the idea that there are just some stories that some people aren’t meant to write. Like full stay in your lane premises, stories where it doesn’t matter how thoroughly or sincerely you research experiences outside your own - its just not your story to write.

And occasionally I also definitely come up with novel ideas that fall in this category. Some even make it all the way to extensively plotted/worldbuilt stages of outlining before I clue in that the basic premise is just unworkable for ME, due to my specific axes of identity....like sometimes I just really love an idea and so try and workshop it and come at it from a different angle that is more approachable for me....but ultimately, there have been a number of times when I’ve just had to put aside even a really in depth world or idea because it was just too innately connected in my head to various lived experiences or cultural identities that I don’t feel comfortable writing towards.

Like for example, years ago I plotted out this one YA novel idea that’s like....historical sci-fi, ‘alienpunk’ - like the basic idea was what if a First Contact scenario with aliens coming to Earth happened, but in the 19th century, like late 1800s. Steampunk style aesthetics, but instead of it being ahead-of-its-time steam powered technology, it was the anachronistic results of combining advanced alien technology with early or mid-Industrial Age science.

The thing was, despite trying out various different eras or locations, the story that kept coming out in outline was pretty firmly centered in America in the late 1800s, and like, it would be a huge glaring omission for ME to write that story and not have any black characters or acknowledge the social aspects of it being set during a post-Civil War era, and like...that’s not really For Me to write IMO.....and so as much as I loved the general idea, I felt pretty strongly that as it was, it just wasn’t a story I needed to write, when I have plenty more that are much more based out of my own lanes.

And to be clear, the story isn’t ABOUT slavery, that was never the issue, its not thematically built around related concepts, nothing like that. Its a sci-fi ‘aliens came to Earth and shit inevitably happened both because Aliens and also because People’ adventure....that is also historical fiction, with the era in question being post-Civil War America. Its just a story SET during that time, because that was the way it unfolded for me and I couldn’t get it to click creatively any other way. But still, its just disingenuous to pretend that any story set during that era doesn’t have a ton of room for expansion or commentary or bringing in more themes - with me just not being the right author to do that. Not my place, it just is what it is, and I’m wholly fine with that.

Anyway, my point with all this is I have a pretty sizable number of basic premises and even full outlines along those ‘nope, this isn’t actually for me after all’ lines that I’ve set aside over the years because like....my brain literally never shuts off and I write a fucking lot lot lot. And I do think a lot of them are pretty good ideas that someone could make some really fun stories out of, because I’m biased and occasionally do manage to love myself, like yeah, I do write good shit if I say so myself. But given that I’m not that person to write those particular stories, like I’d love to offer them up to other writers who might be interested in doing something with them.

And again just to be total clear - I am very much an ‘any time I say do whatever the fuck you want with this, I really mean it’ kinda guy. These would come with zero strings or expectations. If you like one of these ideas and want the outline or notes I made for it, its yours to do whatever the fuck you want with. Stick to the outline, don’t stick to it, just run with the basic premise, use the notes as a springboard to launch your own creativity into entirely new directions that didn’t even occur to me - sky’s the limit, have at it, I wouldn’t ask for or expect any compensation or official credit or royalties or whatever the fuck, not the point of this. Literally my only request would be like, hey, if you finish something off of one of these and do something with it, maybe gimme a shout out in the acknowledgments section and drop me a copy when you’re done because literally every story idea I’ve ever had, I’ve had it because at the end of the day its a story I want to read so....I’d definitely want to read whatever you come up with lol, but its YOUR story at that point. No hidden strings or whatever, you can cite this post as your official proof of that if needed I guess? Idk, its all pretty bullshit to me. God, I’m a publisher’s worst nightmare.

But I mean, the entire reason I didn’t ever write any of these specific stories and don’t think I ever will is because I quite literally don’t think I’m the right person to write them which means I quite literally believe there’s a metric fuck ton of people who could write them better than me and do things with them I never could and would never even occur to me, so like...lmfao, please don’t worry that I’m gonna be sitting here ever thinking like ugh how dare they not stick to my outline and notes and think they knew how to write this idea better than me. Like, you can. I want you to. That’s the whole point.

So yeah, basically the endpoint of all this rambling is if any writers out there would be interested in this kinda thing, drop me a reply or a reblog or even just an ask with what you think is a good way to handle that. 

Like, I was thinking just whenever I’m thinking about one of them I’d maybe make a post (maybe tagged with a specific tag I use as a catch-all for any one of these ‘up for grabs’ outlines) about the general idea or a couple of the characters I came up with and a list of the kind of materials I wrote out for that story and their extent, like does that one have a full outline, is it more just worldbuilding and character notes, etc. And if someone’s interested or is like “oh I read this and it totally gave me all these ideas for what to do with a story like that” or whatever, just hit me up and first come first serve, the full file is yours. 

But like, that’s just my ‘puts the lazy in laissez-faire,’ pulled it out of my ass two seconds ago idea for how to approach this, so if anyone has a better or more coherent idea, or even just a thought for what to tag this kinda thing, I’m all ears.

(Just final additional disclaimers: I’m super duper aggressively not interested in being like ‘mmmm, lemme judge your writing first and pick whomever I think is the Most Qualified To Write Mine Idea Properly’ like eww, gross, and similarly I have no desire to ask for identity credentials.  Like if you’re a white writer and you read all of this and hit me up about a story I say I decided not to write because its heavily influenced by Mesoamerican cultures to a degree that I was like, I personally don’t feel anyone but a Latinx writer needs to be profiting off this story - I mean, you could definitely be like ‘oh I’m Latinx’ y’know, like a liar, and I’d be like okay sure, and if it ends up published later and I’m like hey I recognize that story and hey that author is as white as me, like.....you could do that I guess, and that’s a thing that could happen and like....that’s between you and your own choices and reasoning at that point and if you’re comfortable with that I mean, you do you, just be aware I probably think you’re an asshole then. C’est la vie. The world will keep turning.)

[cittsah]

BNHAxPortal

Some writing I did to accompany that concept I posted earlier. This writing is based on the idea where Izuku walked away from aperture with 2 quirks. I decided to treat it as some creative writing practice. It definitely helped kill some time. This hasn’t really been proof read so there are likely mistakes and flubs abound

----------------------------------------------------------------

Intro- pick up end of portal 2 essentially

               Izuku froze as the elevator shuddered to a stop. The rusty door in front of him creaked as it slowly opened. The jerky motion was accompanied by dull snaps. Fresh air washed over him, the gentle breeze carrying thin strips of light with it. When the door finally swung fully open, the world beyond was revealed.

               The moon soared above him, its cool beams streaking through the canopy of the surrounding trees. Izuku stared at it, transfixed. His first steps towards freedom were shaky. His body trembled like the glittering leaves above him. Dirt squished between his pale toes as he stumbled forward. His pale skin hadn’t seen the light of the sun for years, the closest he ever got in the Aperture Laboratories were the bridges that GLaDOS told him were made from real sun light.

               When his feet hit grass, he could no longer remain upright. Izuku fell to his knees, his tail made a soft thud as it fell with him. The thick appendage swiped side to side as he reveled in the natural bumps and tugs from the forest floor. Rounded green ears to match his tail sat perked upon his head. They swiveled like satellite dishes and devoured the chirps of insects, the groan of swaying trees, and the haunting hoots of owls.

               Izuku hadn’t experienced the outside world since he was a child, well a much younger child. It was all so foreign, and yet so painfully nostalgic at the same time. These overwhelming feelings meant that he hardly paid any mind to the new stains his orange rolled pants and matching jacket he had tied around his waist, were accumulating. Instead, molten tears welled in his eyes, they streaked hot trails down his cheeks as they fell. Though they streamed heavily, much of their burn was swiftly soothed by the chilled night air.

               All of the boy’s thoughts screeched to a halt when the door behind him clanged shut. A low rumble filled the air as the small shed shook. The flora that had grown over the small building quaked as the door swung back open and hacked out the companion cube like it was an unruly furball.

               In some twisted way, Izuku was relieved to see it, even in its semi charred state. The companion cube was familiar, and it was safe. Often, when consumed with loneliness or despair, the teen would whisper to the cube. The cube didn’t mock his stutter or call him fat and useless like GLaDOS did. The cube didn’t betray him like the tiny bot Wheatley.

               Slightly steadier hands reached out and pulled the cube to his chest. Izuku sighed, the awful stench of ash, and some other stench the boy couldn’t quite put his finger on, the cube emanated seemed all the more apparent in the clean earthy air of the forest. Regardless of the smell, Izuku still held the cube close and found comfort in its presence. The cold metal left smudges of ash on his flesh and Aperture standard testing uniform.  

               Al-A-Alright,” the boy breathed out, “O-one step a-at a t-t-time.” It was time for him to move on. He had spent so long locked away that he yearned to take his freedom back.

However, the boy was hesitant. Humans were the ones who locked him up in Aperture to begin with, and all because he had a quirk, well quirks now. People didn’t like quirks, people didn’t like different. Now he was about as different as the come out of place and out of time. He didn’t even know how long he was in stasis the first time let alone the second, though Wheatley’s comments when he woke up the second were good indicators that it had been much longer than he would have liked.

With that Izuku shifted. Green fur with red spattering sprouted from his skin. His face stretched into a round snout. His nails curved, forming vicious black talons with soft black pads sprouting from each of his digits. Izuku’s legs morphed the most, the tarsi of his feet stretching with other bones changing to accommodate to create the digitigrade legs of a red kangaroo. In the end he looked much like a kangaroo would, however some human traits still bled through. His arms were longer than that of a kangaroo, though equally strong, and his torso (while padded like a kangaroos) more closely resembled a human’s. This allowing him to stand more upright like a human.

Black claws clicked on the companion cube as he leapt forward. He quickly picked up speed, the browns and greens of the woods blurring as they passed him by. His legs easily took to the familiar motion as he bound through the forest towards his unknown destination

Maybe humanity was kinder now than it was all those years ago. Hopefully humanity will be kinder to him than the machines were…

Maybe he will just hide in solitude for the rest of his life…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Possibility 1- picks up from intro starts at training camp

               After being released from the Aperture Labs Izuku spent days wandering the forest. He had traveled a fair distance from where he began, his kangaroo speed proving to be a boon in this situation.

               Izuku was also able to feed himself rather well as he hopped his way through the forest. Some of the test they had done when he was first taken taught him that he could live off a red kangaroo’s diet. So he had sustained himself on the forests plentiful vegetation options and insects. Despite not always being appetizing, they were a viable option.

               Izuku was snapped out of his musings when he saw a brilliant flash of blue appeared in the sky. Despite the thick canopy coverage, the light still bled through the leaves. Izuku’s ears perked straining to find any hints as to what was going on, but nothing stood out. That is until soon after the winds carried stench of burning wood.

               Izuku shot up, his feet no longer lying flat on the ground. He stood alert on his toe, the companions cube dropped unceremoniously to the ground. This was the stench of fire. Green eyes darted to the light shown in the sky. This was a blue fire, which was hardly a natural occurrence. There were PEOPLE nearby.

               Izuku snatched up his companion tying it to his back with his orange sweat jacket. He was ready to bolt when a thought shot through his head and straight to his heart. What if those people needed help?

He paused, slowly turning back to eye sky. That hardly looked like a controlled blaze. That could kill people. What if no one helps?

Izuku shifted his gaze back down to his paws. He can still see little peeps of healing pink scars on his forearms where he had particularly close brushes with turrets and other traps. No one ever really helped Izuku when he needed it, not until GLaDOS and Wheatley both helped him some down in the facility. Granted Wheatley betrayed him in the end, and GLaDOS started off wanting him dead (still probably wants him dead). What about the people there though? Did they have help? Were they hurt and alone like him?

Izuku clenched his fist, his green eyes becoming steely as he resigned himself to his decision.

               After getting closer to the source of the blaze Izuku had sought out higher ground to scope out the situation. He found a rather handy perch by way of a miniature rocky formation covered with trees upraised cave. His legs allowed him to easily climb to the top, but along the way he realized he wasn’t the only one there.

               As he reached the peak, he peeked over the other side and noticed a large blonde man in a black cloak towering over a little boy with black hair and a horned cap. Izuku felt a brief flash of giddy joy as he laid eyes on the first humans he had seen in a long time.

               That feeling quickly died when he realized he missed the tail end of what the man was saying to the boy. However, one thing was clear that little kid was scared. That fact became all the more obvious when Izuku heard the faint yet shrill cry of, “Papa… Mama..!”

               The look in that little boy’s eyes, the heart wrenching cry. It was all horribly familiar. For a split second Izuku remembered. He remembered white lab coats, looming figures, needles, bruises, and pain. He remembered his own voice calling out for a family he no longer had.

               The man suddenly shed his cloak. Thick snake like cords sprouted from the flesh his arm before adhering to it. It looked like he had coated his arm in muscle, and he used his new arm to punch a crater in the cliff before slowly approaching the trembling child before him. The boy’s joints seemed to lock up as the man prowled towards him. The corded arm raised high above the boy, the fist clenched menacingly. In response the little boy looked up tears still flowing and raised his tiny arms in defense. His hands clenched as sobs bubbled up.

               Something overtook Izuku in the moment. Something violent, and protective. He felt resolve. The same steely resolve that overtook him when he fired that portal at the moon and banished Wheatley to space.

               Before Izuku even knew what was happening he was lunging forward off the edge of the miniature cliff. His hind paws touched to the edge of the rocks as he launched himself forward, leaving cracks in the wall. He felt the companion cube fall out of its sling, but he hardly paid it any mind. He only took the briefest moments to discard the loose fluttering jacket.

Like a bird of prey Izuku descended upon the man, hind feet outstretched, and all claws flared wide. They were ready to taste blood. NO ONE was hurting that little boy on his watch.

In the instant before he impacted with the laughing man the little boys tear filled eyes flickered up and caught sight of him. Confusion warred with fear as he watched a green streak bear down on his aggressor. The blur barreled into the man so violently his face practically became one with the dirt and stone below it.

               Izuku bared his teeth savagely as he dug his claws in to the back of the man’s head. A warning for the man to stay down. His legs still planted firmly in his back, the claws on his hind legs carving matching rivets into the man’s flesh. The teen was more than aware the lethal power his kicks had.  Were this any normal human Izuku was certain he would be out for the count. However, as Izuku has now witnessed this man was no normal human. This man was strange like him, he had a quirk.

               Years at Aperture taught Izuku to be cautious. That is why before Izuku could feel the man rousing himself he was off like a shot. Furred paws outstretched to scoop up the child. The boy sputtered, “W-who are you?! Are you a hero?” There was silence as the boy struggled against Izuku’s arms, but his steel corded muscles didn’t even budge. The boy banged his fists against Izuku’s chest.

               Izuku remained silent, his vocal chords pulled taut and unable to work. He only crushed the boy to firmly to his chest before leaping forward. He snatched up the jacket that fluttered to the ground next to the boy just in time to hear the groans of the man pulling himself out of the crater Izuku so kindly made for him.

               “Oohh?” The man crooned behind them, causing the little boy to tense in his arms. “Does this brat want to play too?” A sinister laugh built in his throat as he watched the green creature with the boy in his arms jump over the edge of the cliff. The laughs chased them all the way down.

               In the brief moments they lay suspended in the air the little boy seemed to recollect himself. When he spoke his voice warbled with tears “What are you doing you i-idiot? He’s gonna kill you now too. Don’t be…Don’t be a hero like…”

               The boy was interrupted when Izuku hit the ground, the impact didn’t even make Izuku grunt. A measly fall like that had nothing on the almost 5000 meter he had back in the labs. He was off as soon as he had feet back on the ground.

Izuku took the time to shush the boy, “I-It’s ok. I’m-m h-here now.”

               Before Izuku could even break the tree line he felt a looming dread creep up behind him. The kid who had his head resting on Izuku’s shoulder opened his mouth to shout a warning. The warning swiftly became as Izuku whipped around dodging to the side as the mans fist burrowed through ground where he had just stood.

               For the first time Izuku got a good look at his face. Carved over the side of his face was a deep furrow and the eye that rested in that socket didn’t look right. Some blood was dripping down his face and back from where Izuku gouged him with his claws. The man seemed to take the time to swipe his eyes over Izuku as well.

               “Looks like I found another brat who isn’t on the list.” A sick grin twisted his face as he shot forward ready to take another swing. Izuku darted to the side again avoiding the man’s initial charge but was caught off guard when the man coated a second arm in those muscly cords and kept on him. The second arm came whistling through the air, and with only a split second to react Izuku tossed the boy away as the fist impacted with his stomach where the kid was previously resting.

               Izuku choked, it felt like he had been dropped stomach first on that 5000-meter fall. His naturally padded stomach absorbed some of the blow, but he still felt ribs creak and crack. The pain was doubled when his back crashed into a tree. The trunk splintered and left little shards of wood in his flesh.

               Izuku heard the boy cry out to him as he groaned and slid to the ground. The man howled with delight, “What was that you were saying little hero? ‘It’s ok?’.” He only shook his head as he turned to the little boy, fully intending to finish what he started. Only to be interrupted by Izuku once again. The teen appeared at his side, his trunk like tail rest on the ground as his feet reared back and unleashed a bone crunching blow to the man’s ribcage.

               Or at least it would have been bone crunching had the man not spread his quirk down his torso. The only reaction Izuku got was a slight grunt. Izuku saw the swing coming and raised a bracing arm before the man was back handing him across the grass. Izuku’s fur and clothes tugged painfully as they were drug across the ground, and his arm throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

               The man was upon him again. Placing his foot on Izuku’s chest and pushing, the pressure causing Izuku to writhe. More ribs groaned and fractured under the pressure. Internally his mind was racing. This mans quirk made him practically impervious to Izuku’s blows. What was he supposed to do? Panic was welling up in his system when the man began speaking again.

               “Nice try brat but it takes more than that to get me. I am Muscular”

Izuku, missing his actual meaning, had a moment to think, “I can see that?” Then Muscular began punctuating this sentence by stomping on Izuku. “I can see you want to play hero with me,” he chuckled grinding Izuku further into the soil and drawing some pained whimpers, “So why don’t you show me your blood.”

               The foot was drawn back ready to descend upon Izuku again when a small rock ricocheted off the back of the man’s head. Both Izuku and Muscular froze slowly turning their heads to look at the little boy. His eyes were overflowing as he stared at Izuku underneath the man. His tiny arm still outstretched from the throw.

               “Water Hose,” the little boy rumbled. He paused a moment before cutting his now hardened eyes up to Muscular. “Papa… Mama…” This made muscular pause, turning to completely face the boy as he finished by crying out, “Did you torture them like this! Before you killed them!”

               As the pressure eased up on his chest Izuku felt hazy. Black spots danced in his vision as he tried to heave himself up. The little boy’s eyes flickered over to him, the black tearful orbs pinched in misery. They were practically begging Izuku to run away. Izuku could vaguely hear Muscular taunting the boy. His heart wrenched when the man taunted the little boy over the murder of his parents who were heroes. The word hero was getting thrown around a lot and it only added more confusion to Izuku’s despair.

               Izuku shakily clawed to his feet. Muscular’s attention was back on the boy. Izuku had to stop him but how? All Izuku’s blows were absorbed. Punching him was about as futile as trying to kill Izuku by dropping from a large height. He was just built to take a hit. At this rate Izuku might have to use THAT, but he didn’t want to kill anyone. He didn’t want to be like those he had fought so hard to escape from…

               A spark of hope lit in Izuku his mind pulling pieces together. He had to stop trying to force a win with brute strength and start treating it like one of GLaDOS’s tests.

               In an instant Izuku was on Muscular. As the boy descended on him the man sang, “And here he comes again!”

Muscular turned to meet him, fist flashing out like a shot only to watch in wonder as one of Izuku’s hind feet met the blow, his other leg and tail braced on the ground, keeping him in place. The punch hardly even hurt as his leg absorbed the immense force the hit exuded. A wobbly smirk split Izuku’s muzzle. “I-I c-can take a-a hit t-t-to.”

               Izuku lunged forward fist cocked. Muscular saw this and laughed, clearly the kid didn’t learn his lesson. Muscular braced, waiting for the blow to glance off his veritable armor of flesh. At the last second Izuku changed tactics. His paw unclenched, fingers spread wide like a spider’s legs and claws prepped. Muscular realized his error too late, black claws raked across his face, one tearing out a hunk of meat on his cheek on the way out. The man howled, lashing out as he covered his now blinded eyes. Izuku merely danced out of the way. One hand clutched his aching ribs, the other shook the blood and flesh.

               The feeling of blood and the sound of the man’s cries made Izuku queasy, but he brushed that feeling aside so he could jump over the man and claim the kid once again.

               The boy stared up in awe as Izuku opened his arms and hugged to his chest again. This time when it happened the boy welcomed it, wrapping his arms around his savior and burying his face in the soft fluffy fur of his neck. Behind them Muscular rampaged and roared. His fists swinging wildly as he blindly searched for them.

               “I’LL KILL YOU! COME FACE ME YOU LITTLE BITCH!”

The little boy squeaked at the raw rage before him. The rabid man heard the sound and lunged toward the source. He only made it a few steps before Izuku whipped out a hand. A mantra of “Its for the boy, just use it, protect the kid,” bounced around in his head as he whispered, “Hold onto my neck.”

The kid quickly obliged. Just in time to watch the other hand to whip out and for them both to glow. One emitted a bright orange energy, that quickly shot to Muscular’s feet. Leaving a foggy, glowing, oval shaped mark at Muscular’s feet. The second glowed neon blue and quickly followed suit by shooting another burst of light that created a similar blue mark far up on the hill face where this all first began. Both marks were accompanied by a strange popping kind of sound. The second the blue connected with the cliff Muscular was falling through.

The kid gaped in shock at what he had just witnessed. This guy had 2 quirks! He opened his mouth to bombard the teen was questions but was cut off as those hands returned to him, the portals disappearing as his savior turned tail and burst through the tree line. The kid felt like he was riding a car on a highway the trees and underbrush were sailing by so quickly.

[altiushospital]

Family Planning Methods - Altius Hospital

Contraception (anti-conception medication) avoids pregnancy by meddling with the ordinary procedure of ovulation, treatment, and implantation. There are various types of anti-conception medication that demonstration at various focuses in the process. NO SINGLE METHOD IS APPLICABLE TO ALL.

What are Contraceptive inserts and infusions?

Hormonal contraception for ladies is accessible as inserts and infusions. These strategies, especially the embed, are more viable than prophylactic pills and rings, yet like other preventative techniques, may cause symptoms and don't give assurance from Sexually transmitted diseases.

Inserts

The prophylactic embed . is a hormonal, pole molded gadget that is embedded under the skin at the internal side of the upper arm. .it has a hormone that stops ovulation and makes the liquid at the opening to the uterus (belly) thicker, preventing sperm from overcoming.

The prophylactic embed goes on for a long time, is near 100 percent successful and suits most ladies who can't take manufactured oestrogens. The embed is placed in by a specialist under nearby soporific.

Infusions (Depo)

The preventative infusion . is a hormonal injection.this technique stops ovulation and makes the liquid at the opening to the uterus thicker, preventing sperm from traversing. The prophylactic infusion is an exceptionally compelling . .Infusion IS GIVEN AT the interim of 2 or 3 months.

Give me a data about Contraceptive intrauterine gadgets (IUDs)?

The IUD is a little plastic gadget with included copper or hormones that is placed into the uterus by a specialist. It can remain set up for as long as 10 years, contingent upon the sort utilized. Ladies who need to get pregnant or are having issues can undoubtedly have the IUD taken out before.

The two kinds of IUD (copper and hormonal) are more than 99 percent compelling and work by changing the coating and condition of the uterus so sperm can't endure. On the off chance that any sperm do endure and treat an egg, the egg can't adhere to the mass of the uterus, which implies a pregnancy can't occur.

The hormonal IUD (Mirena0) makes periods lighter or stop out and out. It might should be taken out due to hormonal side effects, for example, cerebral pains, bosom delicacy, skin inflammation and expanded craving, yet this is uncommon. The copper IUD will in general make periods heavier, yet doesn't cause hormonal reactions.

The hormonal IUD gradually and consistently discharges a modest quantity of hormones, which may make the liquid at the opening to the uterus thicker, preventing sperm from traversing. This may likewise forestall pregnancy by somewhat change the hormones that control the menstrual cycle.

What is Emergency contraception?

Crisis contraception, otherwise called 'a next day contraceptive', is a hormonal strategy for contraception that may stop ovulation. It tends to be taken to abstain from getting pregnant in a crisis circumstance, for example, in the wake of having unprotected sex, if a condom sneaks off or breaks during sex, or if the preventative pill is missed. It forestalls 85 percent of. pregnancies that would somehow or another have occurred.

Shouldn't something be said about Contraceptive pills and vaginal rings?

Hormonal contraception for ladies is likewise accessible with a specialist's remedy as a pill (oral contraception) or a vaginal ring .. These techniques are extremely successful (99.7 percent) .Pills and vaginal rings may cause symptoms and don't give insurance from STIs.

Joined pill

The joined pill contains engineered types of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. It stops ovulation and makes the liquid at the opening to the uterus thicker, preventing sperm from traversing.

There are numerous sorts of joined pills with various dosages and hormones. This strategy is by and large not prescribed for ladies who are in danger of coronary illness, for example, smokers who are more than 35 years old.

Small scale pill

The small scale pill contains a manufactured type of just a single hormone, progesterone. It makes the liquid at the opening to the uterus thicker, preventing sperm from traversing.

Vaginal ring

The vaginal ring has comparable hormones to the joined pill and works similarly.

The vaginal ring discharges a low portion of hormones and spares making sure to take a pill consistently. It is additionally as simple to place in as a tampon and, similar to the joined pill, is 99.7 percent viable whenever utilized the correct way.

Male and female condoms likewise reduce the danger of STIs. Hindrance techniques can be successful whenever utilized the correct way every time you engage in sexual relations.

What are the Permanent techniques for contraception?

Cleansing is a perpetual technique for contraception that includes having a surgery. Female and male sanitization are powerful, yet these strategies don't give insurance from STIs.

What are Natural strategies for contraception?

Regular techniques, known as normal family arranging, depend on observing body changes during the menstrual cycle to know when a lady is generally rich. These progressions are utilized as a manual for realize when to have intercourse and when to abstain from engaging in sexual relations. Strategies incorporate observing changes to the internal heat level's and the liquid at the opening to the uterus.

The viability of normal family arranging shifts, contingent upon which strategy or blend of techniques is utilized. Regular family arranging doesn't give insurance from STIs. Entirely eccentric and not suggested

Does a Contraceptive offers insurance from STIs?

It is essential to rehearse more secure sex, just as to avoid a unintended pregnancy. Not all techniques for contraception give insurance from STIs. The most ideal approach to reduce the danger of STIs is to utilize obstructions, for example, male and female condoms .

In the event that I intend to have an infant, how not long after in the wake of halting the anti-conception medication pill would i be able to consider?

Most ladies ovulate again around about fourteen days subsequent to halting the pill. When you ovulate once more, you can get pregnant. In the event that this occurs during your first cycle off the pill, you might not have a period by any means. Check a pregnancy test on the off chance that you've had unprotected intercourse and your period hasn't returned.

What occurs on the off chance that I quit taking the conception prevention pill and my period doesn't return?

On the off chance that you don't have a period for a while, you may have what's known as post-pill amenorrhea. The pill keeps your body from making hormones engaged with ovulation and feminine cycle. At the point when you quit taking the pill, it can set aside some effort for your body to come back to ordinary generation of these hormones.

Your period ordinarily continues inside a quarter of a year after you quit taking the pill. Be that as it may, a few ladies, particularly the individuals who took the pill to control their menstrual cycles, might not have a period for a while.

On the off chance that you don't include a period inside a quarter of a year, take a pregnancy test to ensure you're not pregnant and afterward observe your primary care physician.

What occurs on the off chance that I take conception prevention pills while pregnant?

Try not to stress in the event that you continued taking your anti-conception medication pill since you didn't have any acquaintance with you were pregnant. When you discover that you're pregnant, quit taking the conception prevention pill and counsel specialist.

I have taken contraception pills for a considerable length of time and need to stop.

Would i be able to stop whenever or would it be advisable for me to complete my present pill bundle?

At the point when you at long last stop the pill, you can anticipate some dying, which may change the cadence of your menstrual cycle. In any case, you can stop whenever.

Do anti-conception medication pills cause weight gain?

Numerous ladies think so. In any case, thinks about have demonstrated that the impact of the conception prevention pill on weight is little - on the off chance that it exists by any means.

Rather, you might be holding increasingly liquid, which can make you feel as though you've put on weight, especially in your bosoms, hips and thighs. The estrogen in anti-conception medication pills affects (fat) cells, making them bigger however not increasingly various.

How contraception pills influence malignant growth chance?

Logical proof proposes utilizing contraception pills for longer timeframes expands your danger of certain tumors, for example, cervical malignancy and liver disease, yet the outcomes aren't reliable.

On the other side, the conception prevention pill may diminish your danger of different kinds of malignant growth, including ovarian disease and endometrial malignant growth.

Be that as it may, the present pills have a much lower estrogen portion, and later investigations show no expansion in bosom disease hazard on the off chance that you take anti-conception medication pills. Concentrates likewise have discovered no connection between bosom malignant growth hazard and utilization of conception prevention pills in ladies who have a family ancestry of bosom disease.

Do contraception pills influence cholesterol levels?

Contraception pills can influence your cholesterol levels. Contraception pills with more estrogen can have a marginally helpful by and large impact on your blood lipid levels. As a rule, however, the progressions aren't critical and don't influence your general wellbeing.

Do contraception pills influence circulatory strain?

Contraception pills may marginally expand your pulse. On the off chance that you take conception prevention pills, have your circulatory strain checked routinely. In the event that you as of now have hypertension, converse with your primary care physician about whether you ought to think about another type of contraception.

Can ladies more seasoned than age 35 keep taking contraception pills?

In case you're solid and you don't smoke, you can keep taking contraception pills after age 35. Nonetheless, contraception pills aren't suggested in case you're 35 or more seasoned and you smoke as a result of the danger of cardiovascular illness. All things considered, you have to stop smoking before you can securely keep utilizing anti-conception medication pills.

What is lasting disinfection?

Female cleansing (likewise alluded to as tubal ligation) incorporates various methods and procedures that give changeless contraception to ladies. The most widely recognized strategies forestall pregnancy by disturbing the patency of the fallopian tubes. This counteracts origination by blocking transport of sperm from the lower genital tract to an ovulated oocyte.IN guys it is vasectomy.,which squares vas deferens that conveys sperms.

When to plan?

Female sterilization may be performed immediately after childbirth (postpartum sterilization) or at a time unrelated to a pregnancy (interval sterilization). Most postpartum sterilization procedures are performed at time of cesarean delivery or after a vaginal delivery .Most interval sterilization procedures are performed via laparoscopy.

What are the indications?

The only indication for sterilization is the patient's desire for permanent contraception. Ultimately, the choice is made by the patient, but the decision requires thorough counseling about permanent sterility and the risk of regret.

There are no medical conditions that are strictly incompatible with laparoscopic sterilization; however, there may be factors that make women more suitable for a particular route of sterilization or other contraceptive options.

How effective is laparoscopic sterilization in preventing pregnancy?

Laparoscopic sterilization is highly effective 100%

Why laparoscopy?

For women who no longer want children, sterilization by laparoscopy provides a safe and convenient form of contraception. Once completed, no further steps are needed to prevent pregnancy. Tubal ligation also does not change a woman's menstrual cycle or cause menopause.

Its day care surgery

Done under general anaesthesia.

Lesser pain

No scar

Recovery in a day

How is laparoscopic sterilization performed?

In laparoscopy, an instrument called a laparoscope is inserted through a small incision made in or near the navel. Another small incision may be made for an instrument to close off or remove the fallopian tubes. The fallopian tubes can be closed off by bands or clips. They also can be cut and closed with special thread or sealed with an electric current. The laparoscope then is withdrawn. The incisions are closed with stitches or special tape.

What are the risks associated with laparoscopic sterilization?

Sterilization by laparoscopy has a low risk of complications. Its vey safe.

What should I expect after having laparoscopic sterilization?

After surgery, you will be observed for a short time to be sure that there are no problems. Most women can go home 2-4 hours after the procedure.. You may feel some discomfort or have other symptoms that last a few days

What are some alternatives to sterilization?

Long-acting reversible contraception, such as the intrauterine device or implant, last for several years. They are about as effective at preventing pregnancy as sterilization. They can be removed at any time if you want to become pregnant.

How is the Recovery from the surgery?

After surgery, patients stay in a recovery room and are observed for any possible complications. Patients are discharged same day after they receive instructions for home recovery. Patients are asked to see . for a follow-up appointment within.10 days

When to contact your doctor?

Contact immediately if you experience any of the following:

Persistent nausea and vomiting for more than 24 hours.

Temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 24 hours

Redness, swelling, drainage or bleeding around the incision

After the first day of surgery: Heavy bleeding with clots or soaking a sanitary pad within 2 hours

Am I ready for sterilization?

A woman should carefully weigh her decision to undergo sterilization by laparoscopy. Though this procedure has been successfully reversed in some women, in almost all cases it causes a permanent loss of fertility.

Women who are unsure if they still want children should choose a less permanent form of contraception, such as birth control pills, an intrauterine device (IUD), or a barrier method (such as a diaphragm). Discuss these alternatives with your .doctor

Your partner may also consider having a vasectomy, a method of male sterilization that involves severing and tying the vas deferens, a tube that transports sperm.

Any relation to Vaginal bleeding and menstruation?

Vaginal spottingup to .few days after surgery is normal. Many women do not have their next normal menstrual cycle for few weeks after surgery.

When to resume Sexual activity?

You can resume sexual activity one week after surgery.

What is tubal recanalisation?

"Tubal Reversal," also called "Tubal Sterilization Reversal," or "Tubal Ligation Reversal," or "Micro surgical Tubal Reaganomics," is a surgical procedure that can restore fertility to women after a tubal ligation. By rejoining the separated segments of the fallopian tube, tubal reversal can give women the chance to become pregnant again.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF PREGNANCY AFTER REVERSAL?

Approximately 2 out of every 3 patients will become pregnant after tubal ligation reversal

Why only laparoscopic procedure for sterilization reversal?

Feasibility of laparoscopic tubal sterilization reversal is confirmed, as well as the benefits offered by laparoscopic procedures in terms of quality of life.

Evolution of techniques, skill competency and constant material improvements have allowed this type of surgical procedure to be performed by laparoscopy.

Laparoscopic Tubal Reversal is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure (laparoscopy), using small, specially-designed instruments to repair and reconnect the fallopian tubes.

General anesthesia has been Patients are sent home the same day of surgery. The few stitches that are placed will be under the skin and will be absorbed by the body, without need for removal.

When performed by a trained laparoscopic tubal reversal surgeon, laparoscopic tubal reversal combines the success rates of micro-surgical techniques with the advantages of minimally-invasive surgery - namely faster recovery, better healing, less pain, fewer complications, and no large disfiguring scars.Laparoscopic surgery can be more expensive than an open surgery using a 2 to 3 inch incision because it requires additional surgical equipment.

For More data Contact Us:

Telephone: +91 8023151873 | +91 9900031842

Fax: +91 8023116750

Email: altiushospital@yahoo.com | endoram2006@yahoo.in

Follow the links:

Gynecologist in Bangalore | IVF Treatment Center in Bangalore | Uterus Removal Surgery in Bangalore

[susiron]

Please don’t reblog this.

I really want to sleep-- I really need to sleep-- but I just got bitchslapped by a 6am existential crisis that is leaving me with a panic/anxiety attack

I just let my mind wander while I was laying down to sleep, and my mind wandered straight into traffic. Now my chest and hands feel cold, and I’m shaking horribly.

It started with thinking about one of the new Black Mirror episodes I just watched, then it wandered to thinking about Black Mirror episodes in general. Then I started thinking about the episodes that deal more directly with human consciousness-- and then the anxiety hit.

I’m just... so fucking scared after death, and the afterlife-- and the possibility that there’s nothing after this. Sometimes I try and think about what it must be like to have no consciousness, or thought, or anything-- and it shakes me so fucking deeply to my core. I just can’t comprehend it, and I don’t want to. I don’t want to imagine an existence that is nothing-- or a lack of an existence.

I WANT to believe in an afterlife, or in reincarnation. But doubt trickles everywhere, and even with reincarnation-- a concept that seems so promising and pleasing-- there is the constant nagging thought that resources are not limitless. Even if reincarnation is what happens, what happens millions of years from now if that chain is still going. Do things just eventually reset, or do they spiral into an existence not worth having.

It almost makes you want to pray for a non-linear timeline-- that maybe you’d just be reborn into a viable point in time at random. Or perhaps just reborn into your current life, playing it over and over again but with minute changes that eventually snowball into completely unique lifetimes.

I want to believe in something else than this. I want to believe that, whatever happens, your consciousness will latch onto SOMETHING, ANYTHING after death. 

But it’s so hard to remain hopeful when we don’t have proof, and when our memories and personalities are so deeply tied to our bodies.

My mom does psychic and mediumship work for a living, and I’ve always wanted to believe in the things she claims. An afterlife, a god, reincarnation, spirits-- I wish, I fucking wish that it was something that I concretely believed in. 

It’s shit like this that makes me wish I was born centuries ago, to a society fueled more by religion and prayer than science and skepticism. Because here I’m just scared, and I’m just hoping for the best. 

It’s not even that I don’t believe in a god or an afterlife-- it’s just that I don’t know for certain, and not having that certainly rocks me to my fucking core. I don’t want there to be nothing. There has to be something. There just has to be, please.

I’m just so fucking scared.

[taynebct-blog]

The Kinetic Man 4/03/19

Project: Kinetic Man

Step 1: Proof of concept Energy generation through basic movement

Piece #1: The Hand crank generator

Uses physical force to provide electrical power.

Example:

(United States Patent No. US7723880B2, 2012)

Dai, J. H. (2012). United States Patent No. US7723880B2. Retrieved from https://patents.google.com/patent/US7723880B2/en

Notes: Could jury rig this to work with a cable system. All cables would need to pull from the same direction. Have the cables pull down from the back, or perhaps have a generator for each limb. Cables would add extra drag to normal activities, which improves health through exercise. This patent was 7 years prior, investigate further developments.

Conclusion: Viable.

Piece #2: Battery stability for infrequent and inconsistent charging, and power leakage.

Need Consultation with a battery expert, have got anecdotal quote from electrical engineer that a car battery would be able to handle the intermittent charge.

No roadblocks found – Need to check power bleed rate of car battery if its > than the amount generated, car battery unusable.

Sunil, J & Sathiya Priyan, B & Anish, L & L Muthuvel, Anto & Arun Daniel, T. (2015). BICYCLE POWER GENERATION AND ITS FEASIBILITY. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315720136_BICYCLE_POWER_GENERATION_AND_ITS_FEASIBILITY

Drawing a parallel between using a stationary bike vs the cable system.

Conclusion: inconclusive but likely viable

 Piece#3: Human wear n tear & usability

Need consultation with ergonomics expert and a health sciences expert. The harness is aimed at being worn constantly, allowing the user to develop strength and endurance by adding load to their everyday lives. However, this introduces stress onto the body, which must be investigated for possible long-term negative side effects as well as joint problems, and chronic injuries. We also must be able to get people to participate and use the harness.

I will use gravity as an example of added stress, however, bear in mind that gravity also places stress upon body parts that would be largely unaffected and untargeted by the Kinetic Man Harness.

Cavagna. G. A., Willems, P. A., Heglund. N. C. (2004). The role of gravity in human walking: pendular energy exchange, external work and optimal speed. Retrieved from: https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-7793.2000.00657.x

After viewing the effects of increased gravity on walk speed I fail to apply it to my project.

Fat people. My break through is fat people, u can walk around with the added weight and stress, and to look at the physical effects I can study people who must wear it constantly, look at the obese to get the greatest contrast for variables. I can also look at obese people gaining muscle, if it helps or hinders their condition. It also means that just having added weight does not improve fitness/strength but can lead to laziness as the extra effort expended is flagged as “too much” by the brain processes, there will be a great social and mental barrier to overcome for this to become a staple of people’s lives. The cables need to specifically target the strength of muscles. Need to diagram the muscles and talk to a fitness trainer. I can use the AUT Gym.

Design the pull weight of the cables to align with strength training exercises. Need to ask about constant strain + training conditions that build muscle.

The design would incorporate a moderate increase in pull weight for the generator, that could be adjusted over time, more effort > more energy.

Side note: This could prove difficult to incorporate into everyday lives + for it to become a normalcy. Need a good marketer.

Piece#5: Safety & Hurdles

Need to figure out safety hazards, having a car battery around cables could be bad. Risk of electrocution or fires.

Cable breakage could cause injury or damage if the cable snaps while under adequate load.  Look into plastic or alternative cables other than metals.

Getting a hand crank generator, I can mess with, understanding how to connect it to a car battery, or other more viable and safe battery.

What if the harness catches in something, need to provide a quick-exit strategy.

More hazards will arise, deal with them as they come.

Why the Kinetic Man Harness should exist?

Provides “free” power after purchase of harness & maintenance, provides strength and endurance training. Allows user to generate power anywhere, long hikes, in space, jungle treks. Could also be used as a safety harness. “Get to feel good cause you’re helping our environment”.  

Can also be extended upon, possibly supply power to modular units that could be attached to the KM Harness. E.g. laptop, lights, water purifier, heating unit, electric stove, gps tracker, phone charging.