#On-Chain Cognition

[kizziahblog]

Recursive Intelligence: AI Agents and the Architecture of Inscriptions on Bitcoin

Recursive minds reading permanent memory—AI agents tracing inscriptions in the chain. Recursive Intelligence: AI Agents and the Architecture of Inscriptions on Bitcoin The emergence of recursive inscriptions on Bitcoin marks a structural evolution in blockchain architecture—allowing individual satoshis to carry not only data but also contextual reference to prior inscriptions. This introduces a…

[softservesoymilk]

YOOOO IT’S FREE!!!! 😭🩵🩵🩵

[jcmarchi]

LLMs Are Not Reasoning—They’re Just Really Good at Planning

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/llms-are-not-reasoning-theyre-just-really-good-at-planning/

LLMs Are Not Reasoning—They’re Just Really Good at Planning

Large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s o3, Google’s Gemini 2.0, and DeepSeek’s R1 have shown remarkable progress in tackling complex problems, generating human-like text, and even writing code with precision. These advanced LLMs are often referred as “reasoning models” for their remarkable abilities to analyze and solve complex problems. But do these models actually reason, or are they just exceptionally good at planning? This distinction is subtle yet profound, and it has major implications for how we understand the capabilities and limitations of LLMs.

To understand this distinction, let’s compare two scenarios:

Reasoning: A detective investigating a crime must piece together conflicting evidence, deduce which ones are false, and arrive at a conclusion based on limited evidence. This process involves inference, contradiction resolution, and abstract thinking.

Planning: A chess player calculating the best sequence of moves to checkmate their opponent.

While both processes involve multiple steps, the detective engages in deep reasoning to make inferences, evaluate contradictions, and apply general principles to a specific case. The chess player, on the other hand, is primarily engaging in planning, selecting an optimal sequence of moves to win the game. LLMs, as we will see, function much more like the chess player than the detective.

Understanding the Difference: Reasoning vs. Planning

To realize why LLMs are good at planning rather than reasoning, it is important to first understand the difference between both terms. Reasoning is the process of deriving new conclusions from given premises using logic and inference. It involves identifying and correcting inconsistencies, generating novel insights rather than just providing information, making decisions in ambiguous situations, and engaging in causal understanding and counterfactual thinking like “What if?” scenarios.

Planning, on the other hand, focuses on structuring a sequence of actions to achieve a specific goal. It relies on breaking complex tasks into smaller steps, following known problem-solving strategies, adapting previously learned patterns to similar problems, and executing structured sequences rather than deriving new insights. While both reasoning and planning involve step-by-step processing, reasoning requires deeper abstraction and inference, whereas planning follows established procedures without generating fundamentally new knowledge.

How LLMs Approach “Reasoning”

Modern LLMs, such as OpenAI’s o3 and DeepSeek-R1, are equipped with a technique, known as Chain-of-Thought (CoT) reasoning, to improve their problem-solving abilities. This method encourages models to break problems down into intermediate steps, mimicking the way humans think through a problem logically. To see how it works, consider a simple math problem:

If a store sells apples for $2 each but offers a discount of $1 per apple if you buy more than 5 apples, how much would 7 apples cost?

A typical LLM using CoT prompting might solve it like this:

Determine the regular price: 7 * $2 = $14.

Identify that the discount applies (since 7 > 5).

Compute the discount: 7 * $1 = $7.

Subtract the discount from the total: $14 – $7 = $7.

By explicitly laying out a sequence of steps, the model minimizes the chance of errors that arise from trying to predict an answer in one go. While this step-by-step breakdown makes LLMs look like reasoning, it is essentially a form of structured problem-solving, much like following a step-by-step recipe. On the other hand, a true reasoning process might recognize a general rule: If the discount applies beyond 5 apples, then every apple costs $1. A human can infer such a rule immediately, but an LLM cannot as it simply follows a structured sequence of calculations.

Why Chain-of-thought is Planning, Not Reasoning

While Chain-of-Thought (CoT) has improved LLMs’ performance on logic-oriented tasks like math word problems and coding challenges, it does not involve genuine logical reasoning. This is because, CoT follows procedural knowledge, relying on structured steps rather than generating novel insights. It lacks a true understanding of causality and abstract relationships, meaning the model does not engage in counterfactual thinking or consider hypothetical situations that require intuition beyond seen data. Additionally, CoT cannot fundamentally change its approach beyond the patterns it has been trained on, limiting its ability to reason creatively or adapt in unfamiliar scenarios.

What Would It Take for LLMs to Become True Reasoning Machines?

So, what do LLMs need to truly reason like humans? Here are some key areas where they require improvement and potential approaches to achieve it:

Symbolic Understanding: Humans reason by manipulating abstract symbols and relationships. LLMs, however, lack a genuine symbolic reasoning mechanism. Integrating symbolic AI or hybrid models that combine neural networks with formal logic systems could enhance their ability to engage in true reasoning.

Causal Inference: True reasoning requires understanding cause and effect, not just statistical correlations. A model that reasons must infer underlying principles from data rather than merely predicting the next token. Research into causal AI, which explicitly models cause-and-effect relationships, could help LLMs transition from planning to reasoning.

Self-Reflection and Metacognition: Humans constantly evaluate their own thought processes by asking “Does this conclusion make sense?” LLMs, on the other hand, do not have a mechanism for self-reflection. Building models that can critically evaluate their own outputs would be a step toward true reasoning.

Common Sense and Intuition: Even though LLMs have access to vast amounts of knowledge, they often struggle with basic common-sense reasoning. This happens because they don’t have real-world experiences to shape their intuition, and they can’t easily recognize the absurdities that humans would pick up on right away. They also lack a way to bring real-world dynamics into their decision-making. One way to improve this could be by building a model with a common-sense engine, which might involve integrating real-world sensory input or using knowledge graphs to help the model better understand the world the way humans do.

Counterfactual Thinking: Human reasoning often involves asking, “What if things were different?” LLMs struggle with these kinds of “what if” scenarios because they’re limited by the data they’ve been trained on. For models to think more like humans in these situations, they would need to simulate hypothetical scenarios and understand how changes in variables can impact outcomes. They would also need a way to test different possibilities and come up with new insights, rather than just predicting based on what they’ve already seen. Without these abilities, LLMs can’t truly imagine alternative futures—they can only work with what they’ve learned.

Conclusion

While LLMs may appear to reason, they are actually relying on planning techniques for solving complex problems. Whether solving a math problem or engaging in logical deduction, they are primarily organizing known patterns in a structured manner rather than deeply understanding the principles behind them. This distinction is crucial in AI research because if we mistake sophisticated planning for genuine reasoning, we risk overestimating AI’s true capabilities.

The road to true reasoning AI will require fundamental advancements beyond token prediction and probabilistic planning. It will demand breakthroughs in symbolic logic, causal understanding, and metacognition. Until then, LLMs will remain powerful tools for structured problem-solving, but they will not truly think in the way humans do.

[spookyeagling]

There's definitely some fucked up shit going on underneath my nicotine addiction

[rohitpalan]

Navigating the Future: Cognitive Supply Chain Market to Surge to US$ 40.4 Billion by 2034

The cognitive supply chain market is estimated to be worth US$ 9.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to be valued at US$ 40.4 billion in 2034. Between 2024 and 2034, the industry is expected to register a CAGR of 15.6%.

The main factor driving the growth of the cognitive supply chain market is increasing supply and demand from the e-commerce industry. The growth of the cognitive supply chain market is due to its cost reductions, improved efficiencies, and better resource utilization.

The demand for cognitive supply chain solutions has increased in business owing to its advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, allowing businesses to make real-time data-driven decisions and enhancing accuracy and agility in responding to market changes. This real-time visibility of supply chain processes will enable businesses to track inventory, monitor shipments, and enhance transparency across the entire network.

Request a Sample of this Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-18629

Adopting cognitive supply chain solutions provides a competitive edge by enabling faster innovation, better service delivery, and improved customer satisfaction compared to competitors still reliant on traditional methods.

Continuous advancements in AI, machine learning, and analytics capabilities have made cognitive technologies more powerful and accessible, driving their adoption in supply chains. Growing need for sustainable practices to boost the market for cognitive supply chains as they reduce waste and support eco-friendly practices within supply chains.

Cognitive Supply Chains will enable companies to deliver highly personalized products and services, responding to individual customer preferences and demands more agilely.

Key Takeaways:

From 2019 to 2023, the cognitive supply chain market is expected to account for a CAGR of 13.6%.

Based on deployment, the on-premise segment is expected to account for a share of 68.3% in 2024.

Global cognitive supply chain demand in China is predicted to account for a CAGR of 16.1% in 2024.

In the United States, the cognitive supply chain industry is expected to account for a CAGR of 13.5% in 2024.

Germany is projected to expand by a value CAGR of 15.1% between 2024 and 2034.

Cognitive supply chain market in Japan is anticipated to record a CAGR of 16.8% in 2024.

“The growing e-commerce sector and increased adoption of AI and machine learning technology is anticipated to drive the market growth during the forecast period.” – says Sudip Saha, Managing Director and Co-Founder at Future Market Insights

Purchase the Report for Key Insights : https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/18629

Competitive Landscape:

Market players are inclined to invest in research development and innovations to increase the cognitive supply chain market applications. Collaborating with other players in the cognitive supply chain market is another strategy followed by major market vendors to gain competitive edge. Some developments from the cognitive supply chain market are:

Microsoft’s Azure AI and cloud services enable cognitive supply chain capabilities, including predictive maintenance, demand forecasting, and supply chain optimization tools.

Amazon Web Service AWS offers machine learning and AI services for predictive analytics, inventory management, and logistics optimization within supply chains.

Accenture provides consulting services and innovative solutions leveraging AI and analytics to enhance supply chain visibility, efficiency, and resilience.

Key Companies Profiled:

IBM Corporation

Oracle

Amazon.com

Accenture plc

Intel Corporation

NVIDIA Corporation

Honeywell International Inc.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide

Panasonic

SAP SE

Valuable Insights Available:

Future Market Insights offers an unbiased analysis of the global cognitive supply chain market, providing historical data from 2019 to 2023 and forecast statistics between 2024 and 2034.

To understand opportunities in the cognitive supply chain industry, the industry is segmented based on Deployment (Cloud, On-Premise), By Enterprise Size (Large Enterprises, SMEs), By Automation Used (IoT, Machine Learning), By Industry Vertical (Healthcare, Food & Beverages, Transportation and Logistics, Retail & e-commerce, others) Region (North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia and Pacific, East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa).

Cognitive Supply Chain Market Key Segments:

By Deployment:

Cloud

On-Premise

By Enterprise Size:

Large Enterprises

SMEs

By Automation Used:

IOT

Machine Learning

By Industry Vertical:

Healthcare

Food & Beverages

Transportation and Logistics

Retail & E-commerce

Others

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Western Europe

Eastern Europe

South Asia and Pacific

East Asia

Middle East and Africa

[strialternatives]

bonus:

:inhales and slams hands on the desk: akechi. palace. pitch.

disclaimer: the setting for this is all about vibes and aesthetics, it kinda got away from me when i started hashing out the plot around it two months ago so now we're here. in hell. (i'll probably have to make a secondary post i made wayyy too many concepts,)

yes i made an ost for this idea, here is a youtube playlist of chill european jazz

AU details under the cut-

Akechi Goro's palace is "Ampitheatrum Doloris”.

KEYWORDS: Akechi Goro, Tokyo Highcourt, Amphitheater

Akechi's psyche is a massive collection of locked doors, puzzles, and contradictions. He wants to be seen but not understood—heard but never known, ect. This makes his palace infiltration a waking nightmare (affectionate).

His palace is made up of five main layers. They each mirror a stage of grief:

1) There is the outer layer of with the appearance of a Venice-esque water canal maze, there is a door that must be opened to reach the entrance to infiltrate the second layer underneath the amphitheater. The puzzle's actually pretty sentimental and revolves around Akechi's interest in literature.

(This layer is depression, Goro mourns what he lost and the fact that the choices he made for the sake of revenge ultimately led to nowhere. This is reflected in how desolate/meandering the outer layer feels, it is the largest and most time consuming part of the palace for this reason. It takes weeks to finish. AKA, Akira and Morgana have a terrible, no good, very bad month of May.) 

2) The Labyrinth under the amphitheater; it is full of shadows for the arena champion to use as fodder for the enjoyment of the masses. ‘Loki’ resides here—this layer’s theme loosely plays on the Minotaur myth. 

The only way to escape is through a pulley/elevator mechanism which leads to the surface after shattering the Champion’s chains by force. Loki taunts in Old Norse, but gives Akira (and the party by extension) genuine hints on how to escape.

(This layer is anger, Goro is always angry, about the hand he’s been dealt, the futility of his own actions, and the fact that his life has always been a dead end, written in the stars.)

3) The Audience Stands; full of human cognitions and Akechi’s former clients and fans, despite everything, like Sae, he sees them as ‘people’ and is disgusted by them. Their compliments are shallow and empty, surface level like Goro’s facade. Cognition Sae is delegated to a middle manager-type role, and leads Akira and Co. through puzzles.

Different cognitions from Akechi’s shitshow of a childhood throw riddles based around philosophy and the nature of justice at the party, if the answer is ‘wrong’, there’s a mini-boss fight. Answering everything correctly yields a prize—a key, this process is made difficult by all of Robin’s ‘hints’ (which the Thieves can directly ask for) being lies.

(Bargaining. Goro always thought he could still salvage his revenge despite his enemy being essentially invincible, even now deep down he thinks he can salvage all the effort and sacrifices he put in.)

4) The Stage; Robin Hood appears proper instead of in cameo appearances, this is the lead actor's stage. To earn the right to stand with him, Akira has to have to prove his worth in one-on-one combat while showing the crowd a rousing show. The goal is to use the key obtained in the bargaining layer to unlock the Performer's cuffs.

(Denial, Goro doesn’t believe he needs or deserves saving or a life outside of his revenge, he believes there is no other way forward.)

Hereward and the 'treasure' are in the Imperial box area, which I'll save for part 2 of this I think! The second half of this'll have less focus on the environments and more on general plot and character design.

EDIT: here's part two and part three

[sunflowersteves]

if you're comfortable with it, could you pls write something smutty about carmy getting off on reader telling them that they love him during sex??? i feel like hed be so into that LOL

you are so right, anon babes. carmy would absolutely lose his mind bc this man doesn't get enough love and affection. i swear.

pairing || carmen berzatto x f!afab!reader

warnings || fluff, established relationship, SMUT, unprotected sex, soft sex, soft dom, creampie, [18+ only]

masterlist

You shuffled your legs underneath the fluffy comforter, accidentally kicking a sleepy Carmen in the process. You press a sleep-induced kiss to the hand that's tucked into your chest as an apology. He grumbles under his breath and tightened the arm that is lazily wrapped around your side.

"Carmy baby, we gotta get up."

He grumbles again. He desperately didn't want to leave the soft solace of your warm embrace. "What time is it?"

You look over to your nightstand and see the early morning hours. You and Carmen should probably get up to start your day at the restaurant. "It's 5:30."

He groans—the gruff of sleep striking against his throat that caused the sound to rumble against his chest. "We have plenty of time." He says, snuggling his nose into your neck and pulling your closer.

He breathes in, and a smile creeps up onto his lips at the pure smell and presence of you. You softly laugh, “Sure we do, bear."

You snuggle back into him and feel the way his body radiated heat. You know for a fact that if the two of you didn't get up right now, you would be rushing in the last five minutes of needing to leave.

He smirks slightly at the way your body doesn't move an inch despite your comments about needing to be up and ready. He doesn't say anything, just taking in your sleepy form and pressing light, affectionate kisses against our neck.

You hum at the fluttering feeling in your stomach. Your hand subconsciously moves to the back of his head and plays with his soft curls.

"Carmy." You whisper.

He gently moves your hips towards him so that your back can rest against the cushioned mattress. He looks down at you with such a content and affectionate smile that it causes your own lips to curl.

He presses up against you, and the weight of him feels just right. You let out a gasp as his teeth start to bite down on your neck. He nibbles gently on the soft skin, and you let out a breathy moan.

Carmen always seemed stunned by how much of an effect that he has on you. Don’t get him wrong, though. He loves it. He can’t get enough of it.

His hand gently caresses your thigh, and he squeezes the flesh—his thick fingers creating indents. His wet tongue easily glides to soothe the bites. “Carmy baby—” You breathe out again. With each kiss and grab of your flesh, the more hazy and fuzzy your brain feels.

"Mhmm.” He licks his lips. “Good morning, pretty girl."

You laugh lightly before gently moving his head down so you can give him a soft kiss. “Good morning to you too.”

You push a hand down from his curly hair and press it against his chest. You watch as the gold chain dangles from his chest. God, he was such a sight to be seen, you thought.

His fingers nimbly fumble with the hem of your panties. You start to squirm underneath him at the anticipation of his touch. It was always hard to think cognitively—or think at all—around Carmen.

“Please.” You begged. It was soft and encompassing, which made Carmen all the more melt inside.

He gently laughed but didn’t waste a second. “I know, baby. I know. I’ve got you.”

He knew that you both had limited time. However, he still takes his sweet time at pulling your panties down the thickness of your thighs and down to your ankles. It makes you squirm even more.

His thumb pushes through your slick, wet folds. He practically growls at the feeling of your desperation for him. It makes his heart skip.

“So fuckin’ wet.” His thumb glides to your clit and starts to gently rub.

You nod. “O-Only for you, Carmy. I—” Whatever you were about to say got completely erased as a jolt of pleasure rushed through you. He had pressed his thumb with just a little more pressure. His eyes turned an even darker blue.

“Carmy.” You breathe out. It was a plead. It was a beg of his name. Carmen almost choked at the sight of you desperate and squirming. You looked so good like that. He wanted to keep you here like this forever.

He shoves his boxers down to his knees. The desperation was kicking into him, as well. He could feel his heart pound against his chest, and his cock was hard—pre-cum leaking down his tip.

“Ready, baby?” He smiles and presses a sweet kiss on your cheek. It was his way of attempting to wake you up from that drunken haze of pleasure. You breathe out a huff, which slowly echos into a whine.

He pressed his lips onto your cheek once more. “Ready, Carmy baby.”

He slides his hand over to your hip and steadies himself. He slowly thrusts in between your folds. You both moan in unison at the feeling of one another.

“F-Fuck me.” He groans. He could feel the way your walls hugged around him and squeezed. Your wet pussy throbbed as he filled you up so perfectly.

“Carmy please.” You beg again. Your head is starting to dip into that familiar haze once more. Your arm goes to grip the bicep that’s holding him up.

He thrusts into you again and again—deep and slow. “Feel so fuckin’ good, baby—ah—so fuckin’ good.”

Your walls clench at the praise, and he lets out a deep moan. You always fell into a puddle from his praise. “You like that, baby? Hmm?”

He hums against your mouth and then crashes his lips onto yours. His tongue immediately envelops yours, and they swirl together—the taste of Carmen and you evident on your tongues.

He leans away to look down. He could feel himself twitch at the sight of his cock disappearing into your tight, wet hole. You whimpered and gasped—something akin to his name. He let out a curse that muffled itself into a moan.

“I love you.”

His eyes snap to look from your hips to your face. Your eyes were closed shut, and your mouth was ajar. Whimpers and cries continued to sprout out of you as his thrust falters from your affirmation.

His hand moves to firmly, yet gently, grip your jaw. “Open your eyes.”

Your hand tightens around his other forearm. “Carmy—”

“Baby, I-I’m not asking. Open y-your eyes.” He demanded. To him, it sounded desperate, and he was. He was so desperate to see that twinkle in your eyes.

Your eyes snap open, and you’re met with his intense stare. It almost makes you want to close your eyes again, but you refrain. You let out another whine at the pure love you saw in them.

“Say it again.” He lets out a groan as he feels your cunt flutter around him. “Please. Say it again.”

His hips thrust into you—hard and deep. You cry out in pleasure, and he feels your slick run down his shaft and to his balls.

“I love you.” You whisper. You couldn’t help but let the fog take over and repeat the words, over and over.

“I love you. C-Carmy—I love you. I love you.”

He strangles out a moan before whispering the words back to you. “I love you too, baby—f-fuck. I love you.”

His eyes never leave yours, and he even lowers his forehead against your own. You say the words again and again. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

His heart pounds so loud against his chest that he hardly hears you. His stomach twists and swirls with complete safety and affection. He loves you so much that he feels as if he might burst.

He growls out a moan, and he pumps into you, again and again. Before he even realizes it, he could feel his cock twitch. His cum leaks into you, sticky and wet as it clings to your walls. “Oh fuck, oh fuck—shit, I love you. Please—” He rasps out.

You let out a gasp, followed by his name. He continues to thrust and he can feel the way you restrict around him. He moved the hand that cradled your cheek and presses deep into your aching, puffy clit.

You yell out his name, begging at him. “That’s it, baby. C’mon. Been so fuckin’ good. Cum for me, sweet girl. I need your cum.”

It was as if his words sent you over the edge. The praise, the begging, and the softness of his voice. It was all too much as he thrusts into you once more.

“Carmy!” You scream, the sound echoing across the apartment. You feel the high rush through you, all the way down to your toes. Your cunt flutters and leaks cum all down to Carmen’s thighs, even.

He gasped at the feeling of your and his cum swirling and mixing together. He was over-stimulated from the love he felt and the pure sensations of you. “Fuck—shit.”

He slowly stilled himself but never pulls out. He pressed a gentle kiss to your cheek and nose. You just breathe heavily against him with a wide smile on your face.

“I love you so much.” He whispers. He closes his eyes, and he breathes in deep. He smiles, though, and opens his eyes back up. Carmen wasn’t sure about his life more than half of the time, but what he did know was that you are the best thing in the entire world. You.

“I love you too, Carmy.” You press a kiss on his cheek. His neck and cheeks were bright red. “So much.”

[rarepears]

Oh! MBJ "bridenapping" SQH, it sparked an ~idea~

What if instead of MBJ bringing his husband to rest, it's an INJURED MBJ, looking for his Qinghua because he always heals and protects him. But since he's injured, he doesn't really have the cognitive thought process to realize SQH's aura isn't in a safe spot in his internal GPS and doesn't think to go to SQH's house. Just straight to SQH. In the middle of a meeting with most of the Peak Lords, excluding LQG because I agree, nothing would be able to happen if he was there since he'd kill an injured MBJ in an instant.

SQH has a split second to think.

Save MBJ or himself?

SQH tears a reserve teleport talisman he had MBJ make for him so writers choice if anyone knows if SQH did it himself or if the injured Demon Lord did.

Anyways, MBJ tears open a portal, covered in blood and SQH doesn't have much time to think and catches his husband King and has a split second to choose.

EITHER WAY THE GOSSIP!! The An Ding Peak Lord was kidnapped out of a meeting with the Sect Leader and multiple Peak Lords present by a demon.

That'd be terrifying just at first thought. A demon made it past Cang Qiong's wards and Qiong Ding's, all the extra wards in that meeting room alone, faster than all present Peak Lords could react.

Then we have the 2 main gossip chains. Why was SQH taken? Logistics and Love

Logistics for all the info the An Ding Peak Lord has access to since he maintains it all. Prime target for a surefire way to do a lot of damage. If SQH talks, the Demon Lord can get past all the wards and kill, pillage and raze anything in a high profile area.

Love because if they hear he did this super injured, just to collapse onto SQH and spirit him away? The screams from the BL lovers. I bet LMY could belt out a few chapters pretty quick about it lol.

She writes the next love epic, countering HHP's propaganda by accident lol.

Prominently, both SQH and MBJ now know that SQH would save MBJ even when he might/is declared a traitor.

MBJ would feel so much more secure knowing that. Maybe even becomes forward enough that SQH can't mistake the interest.

And SQH just cut off his own path to safety by not letting his sect kill his King.

So now they both get to live with this neat bit of trivia.

Don't really have any other thoughts besides HHPM ends up dead and SQH is Queen in the North by the end. Maybe TLJ gets let out and hears a whisper about a child on the Luo River.

Would be hilarious if Cang Qiong found out that there's a loophole in the Cang Qiong wards to allow in demons that meet very specific conditions... like being a peak lord's spouse, so they don't even realize that Shang Qinghua modified the wards to let in Mobei Jun (and Shang Qinghua doesn't even realize that he could had hacked the wards by getting married instead of spending 6 months painstakingly learning the wards and then learning how to crack the wards.)

Somehow it doesn't even require the peak lord to know that they have a demonic spouse.

[snail-day]

could you rank jjk men on their level of protectiveness? 👀

I'm assuming you mean who's the one more likely to keep you chained to the house...

Geto: You won’t see the light of day if you piss this man off by running. I'm just saying, expect a tight leash. Going outside? Carefully monitored. He’s got control issues, the type of yandere who will make sure you belong to him, even if that means a little procedure here and there to adjust your cognitive abilities just to make you sweeter.

Nanami: You’re his wife. Why would you want to leave? He won’t chain you, but the door? Deadlocked. If you start throwing fits, he might just start treating you like a toddler. Now, if you start thinking like a bitch... well, let’s just say there’s a reason dog bowls with your name on them are sitting in the kitchen. Choose your battles.

Sukuna: If this man could love, good luck leaving. He's one tough bastard, but somehow, a concubine has wormed her way into his mind, making him all hot and bothered. Now, when that concubine is caught trying to climb a wall in the dead of night? Let’s just say he’s not above breaking you and healing you over and over again just to do it all over. You might as well stay pliant on his lap, nestled under his chin, because if you try leaving again... well, you better pray he's feeling generous.

Gojo: The kind of yandere who lets you go outside, lets you do your silly little errands, even visit your parents, but don’t be fooled. His eyes are always on you. He finds it adorable when you book a plane ticket, only to get arrested for credit card fraud, with him being the one to bail you out. His chains are much more subtle? but no less unbreakable.

Toji: You're his girl. But he only visits when he wants to, when he needs a place to crash. And trust, he will check your sweet parts to make sure you haven’t been with another man. If you have? That man’s hands will be delivered to you as a gift. If you’re lucky, maybe he’ll throw in their cock in the gift box too, a little toy for you!

[hoursofreading]

In our busy and distracted society, deep reading is increasingly rare. Deep reading changes people. When you interact with people, you can tell who reads seriously and who doesn’t. This isn’t just a matter of mental ability or intelligence. There is a difference between raw cognitive horsepower and time spent immersed in complex and intricate ideas. You can tell the difference between a smart person who reads and a smart person who doesn’t by how they express ideas, the references they make, and the chains of logic they follow. The former often demonstrates a subtle understanding that weaves together insights from various domains. The latter, though sharp and quick-minded, lacks the same depth of perspective or the ability to see beyond the immediate conversation or the Current Thing. This is becoming increasingly apparent among obviously bright young adults who don’t read or read nonsense despite paying large sums of money for what should have been a decent education.

How I Read - Rob Henderson's Newsletter

[missingbat]

Some very strange AU with suffering, murder, depression, blood-- & A FLUFF, OF COURSE♡(>ᴗ•)♡(>ᴗ•)

And I came up with some random foolishness when I was poisoned and had a fever for three days. Please note that they may contradict each other because I am an inattentive person(ಡ‸ಡ)･ﾟ｡

Ichiji began to have the beginnings of emotions at the moment X, and since he is not a stupid boy, he realized that Judge was leading him by the nose, brainwashing and blah blah blah. Well, he didn't want to dance to someone else's tune, so he cosplays Sora — he swallowed the poison that she drank when she was pregnant, and that's the result. A crippled teenager runs from the assassins of Jerma, cursing the whole world and himself, as well as trying to find a cure so as not to end up like a mother.

In a fit of rage, he cut up his tattoo, and when he came to, he realized that he was now just a weak, pathetic person who was bleeding and who could die from such 'stuff'.

He was taken in once, and then he found out that the family that took him in had been killed by the assassins of the Judge.

Ichi, before meeting the Pirates of Spades, worked as a mercenary and informant who is constantly on the run and has no contact with anyone for a long time.

He says he doesn't have anyone and can't go back anywhere.

Because of the appearance of emotions, he is constantly under stress and endlessly replays in his head the crimes that he committed and could not influence, but still hates himself and blames himself.

Haphephobia is in a very advanced stage. Partly due to ignorance of the consequences after using poison, you never know what will happen to the surrounding people.

Out of habit, he holds back any emotions, and in principle behaves like an arrogant asshole.

The hump is literally loaded with various weapons. If you take it in your hands, you will get a loud metallic crackle of all that metal. But he walks noiselessly, lol.

Like the most normal and ordinary man, sleeps with a dagger in his arms. (Don't go near him, he'll throw a knife at you)

Severe cognitive imbalance when he looks at himself in the mirror.  Ace, like Luffy's real brother, will blurt out that Ichiji looks like Little Red Riding Hood when they first meet. Ichi will say that he must have been hit hard on the head as a child." (WTF? How did you know?!?)

"I'm not a good person, Ace. You don't know anything about me."

Periodically there are attacks of coughing with blood, but he, of course, does not say anything to anyone, does not explain, but snaps and says not to go where you are not asked to go.

One day Deuce is going to get all worked up about how it's really not right and normal for Ichi, that he should be chained up in bed, not running around with a stupid capitan and covering his ass. Ichiji will tell that Deuce is doing the same thing." And Vinsmoke is right, BUT Deuce DOESN'T DO THAT WHEN HIS ORGANS ARE MELTING(＃`Д´)-- (Ichiji persuaded Deuce to keep quiet, and Deuce decided to keep a low profile on this "I can handle it myself".)

Deuce vaguely resembles Niji(if you get stoned in the end and get your eyesight -10, but still-), so Ichiji feels some kind of softness towards him. he or she trusts him more than the others.

I'm still trying to figure out how tumblr works, even though I don't understand English at all and use a translator to understand what's going on (￣ ￣|||)

[wherethegoldenleavesfall]

I had a thought recently. And I wish to share it.

It's how the winners of the Squid games are still enslaved and in debt.

Not to any individuals or financial organization backings.

But to the game organization as a whole. It's by design. Tell the winners, oh you won the games, good job! A round of applause.

Now, the winners have to live in a world post hell. They come back alive yes but dead inside. As their souls and their humanity was the price of their victory.

The games control is so hidden and complete.

We invited you to this opportunity you willingly signed your life to (your worthless debt ridden life). That you consented to be part of.

We made you rich (more worth than the rest but still fundamentally trash), if you dare go against us, you will have no more saving grace, no chances.

We made you rich beyond your wildest dreams, this is how you repay us?

You will die penniless and alone, with rats to keep you company. As the banks are our partners, your account will be frozen if you step over the line we marked.

And if you do tell someone or go to the police, we will make sure all the dead players you walked over for victory is sent as evidence.

We recorded it all, every moment in every room into one big season footage.

That footage will be sent to the police, you will be in prison. As, it would be your word against our footage.

No wonder, we have only heard from two winners.

The sheer doublethink, boundless guilt, endless self blame, cognitive dissonance, and beholden feelings, they all chain up the winners of the games. Paired with apathy, remorse, trauma, and seeing the world as a cruel, hostile place.

They become paralyzed. They cannot go forward or back.

Gihun broke that above cycle too. A winner wishes to end the games completely. And Gihun flaunts their authority.

Gihun says no. You will not get away with this.

[sweetromanova]

Off The Record: Part Three🖤

Natasha Romanoff x Criminal Defense Lawyer!Original Female Character

Summary: She’s built a career on keeping secrets and defending the worst with nothing to lose. That changed when Natasha Romanoff showed up on the other side of the courtroom.

Warnings: descriptions of violence, psychological manipulation, implied child abuse and trauma, emotional abuse, mentions of torture, human and sex trafficking, war crimes and murder, implied coercion, legal corruption, gun violence, secondary character deaths, power imbalance, blood and injury depiction

A/N: for any lawyers, law students or legally-adjacent folks reading this, i did get some help from a friend when i wrote this but even she wasn’t fully convinced about the accuracy so if anything’s off, just kindly ignore the legal nonsense and roll with it!🖤

Chapter Three

Avengers Secondary Holding Facility, Upstate New York

March 20, 2022

Maria Hill dropped the file onto the conference room table like it was a live grenade. “Motion to suppress Exhibit B, Exhibit E, and preliminary statements from the intake log.”

Across from her, the Avengers looked up from their scattered files and half-drunk coffee. Tony, legs kicked up on the table, slowly lowered his sunglasses. “She’s tossing out our evidence?” He exclaimed. “On what grounds?!”

“Improper chain of custody on the Prague lab samples, lack of independent verification on the digital logs and-” Maria glanced at the page, jaw tightening. “-interrogation without formal counsel present.”

Natasha barely moved, her voice was flat. “That interrogation didn’t even include questions. We asked him to confirm his name when he was brought on to the quinjet.”

“She filed it as a rights violation.” Maria said. “The judge could side with her. Anything gathered between his detainment and her first meeting is inadmissible.”

“She’s good.” Steve muttered. Not admiring, just resigned.

“Too good.” Tony added, spinning his tablet toward him. “Which is why I’ve spent the last four hours looking into her.”

“Stark…” Maria warned but Tony ignored her.

“She’s been a defense attorney in New York for around a decade I believe, maybe less. Passed the bar with a near-perfect score. And then? Radio silence. No social media, no interviews, barely any photos that aren’t court composites or grainy trial press shots.”

Bruce frowned. “That’s not unusual for lawyers, is it?”

Tony leaned forward. “Not for normal lawyers, no. But this one? She’s got classified SHIELD seals on several of her past cases, sealed after trial, not before. You don’t get that kind of protection unless someone upstairs is nervous.”

Maria’s expression tightened. “You were poking into SHIELD casework?”

“I was poking and-” Tony said. “-I found a case involving an international arms dealer five years ago. Guy vanished mid-trial. Sienna filed a motion for mistrial two days later. No ruling. Case disappeared.”

“Off the books?” Steve asked.

Tony nodded. “More like burned.”

Natasha finally stood. “She’s not just doing her job. She knows how to play the system. She’s ten moves ahead of us and she’s not even sweating.”

Maria turned her screen around for them all to see, a new motion, filed just minutes ago. “Motion to Exclude Expert Testimony of Wanda Maximoff filed on grounds of ‘extrajudicial psychic influence’ and ‘unverifiable cognitive methods that violate federal evidentiary standards’.”

“She’s trying to disqualify Wanda?” Steve said, stunned. “We didn’t even use her, Sienna came before we had the chance.”

“She’s going to win that one.” Maria said, quietly. “We don’t have a precedent for enhanced verification in court. Not legally.”

Bruce leaned back. “She’s dismantling our case before it even gets to trial.”

Tony tossed his stylus onto the table. “Yeah, well, I want to know who trained her to do that.”

Natasha was already halfway to the door.

“Where are you going?” Maria asked.

Natasha didn’t look back. “To find a crack.”

⋆⋆⋆⋆

Antonia Dreykov’s Residence, Budapest

March 21, 2022

Night settled over Budapest’s old quarter like a weighted blanket. Natasha moved through the alleys with the easy, practiced steps of someone who used to know every corner of this place. A single security light buzzed and flickered above the rusted door of what looked like an old, shut-down print shop. She knocked twice, paused then once more.

A slit slid open, brown eyes that were cool but sharp studied her. “Romanoff.”

“Antonia. I need five minutes.” The lock turned and Natasha slipped inside.

The room was spare with only a folding table, two chairs and a kettle on a hot plate. Antonia Dreykov, once the Taskmaster, wore a black hoodie and a scar that the world would never see, leaned against the wall with her arms folded.

“You don’t visit old classmates unless the world’s ending.” She said, in accented English.

Natasha offered the faintest hint of a smile.  “Not ending. Just… rotting in court.”

She slid a photo across the table of Maksim Vasiliev in all his glory, taken during intake.

Antonia’s eyes hardened. “I remember him. Red Room winter inspections. He watched the proficiency trials. Took notes and offered suggestions.” She exhaled. “Always smelled like antiseptic.”

“I need you to tell a tribunal that.” Natasha said. “Under oath.”

Antonia shook her head. “I was never his prisoner. He didn’t lay hands on me. That makes me an observer, not a victim. A lawyer will shred me.”

“Sienna Blake will try.” Natasha admitted. “But the jury or the judges, just need corroboration. Someone outside HYDRA command structure who can place him inside the Red Room, during live exercises. Connect his ‘theoretical science’ to real girls.”

Antonia stared at the photo a long moment then asked the question Natasha was dreading. “What do you get out of this? Revenge or justice?”

Natasha’s reply was quiet but edged. “Both, if the system lets me.”

Finally, Antonia nodded once. “One condition. My testimony is sealed after court. No press. No cameras. I give you what I saw then disappear.”

“Done.” Natasha promised, without hesitation. “Maria Hill will handle the protective paperwork.”

Antonia grabbed a battered backpack, already packed up and ready to run. Natasha knew all too well that she’d done that several times in the past. “Then let’s go. I still owe that man a scar.”

⋆⋆⋆⋆

The Avengers Compound, Upstate New York

March 22, 2022

Maria looked up from a stack of motions as Natasha walked in with Antonia at her side. “Tell me that’s not who I think it is.” Maria said, glancing at the bandana that covered half of Antonia’s face.

“Antonia Dreykov.” Natasha confirmed. “Firsthand witness. She’ll place Vasiliev inside the Red Room on multiple dates between 2000 and 2010, observing live neural‑conditioning trials.”

Maria’s brows lifted. “That ties him directly to human experimentation outside his lab network. Undermines his whole ‘I just signed papers’ defense.”

“And it’s not evidence collected before counsel.” Natasha added.  “Fresh witness, voluntary.”

Antonia folded her arms.  “Your tribunal has a witness list form?”

Maria almost smiled. “Several.” She flipped open a new file. “Blake is going to contest relevance and credibility but if we can corroborate Maksim’s travel logs with Red Room intel, the judge should allow it.”

Natasha’s eyes were cool and focused for the first time in this trial.  “One crack at a time.”

Tony’s voice drifted in from the doorway, tablet in hand.  “Good news travels fast. Jarvis just pinged that Blake filed another motion at 05:30.”

Natasha didn’t look away from Maria. “Let her file. We have our own play now.”

Maria nodded, sliding a witness submission form across the table to Antonia. “Welcome to the fight.”

⋆⋆⋆⋆

Federal Tribunal Courtroom, Washington, D.C.

March 24, 2022

The courtroom wasn’t overly grand but it felt like it was carved from stone. It was all marble pillars, high ceilings, and silence so thick it pressed against your ears. Three tribunal judges sat in elevated chairs, stern-faced and unreadable.

In the gallery, Natasha, Steve, Sam, Bruce, Clint, Bucky, Wanda and Tony lined the second bench. SHIELD’s legal team flanked Maria Hill, who sat rigid at the prosecution’s table.

Across from them, seated alone like she owned the goddamn floor was Sienna Blake.

Charcoal grey suit, heels like blades and not a hair out of place. A single black folder sat before her. No laptop. No assistant. She didn’t need them.

The clerk called the hearing to order. The judges gave nods then the lead judge began. “Counsellor Blake, you may proceed with your motions.”

Sienna stood smoothly. No notes. Just that controlled, deliberate walk toward the center. “Your Honours...” She began, voice calm and unshaken. “The defense respectfully moves to suppress the following. Preliminary intake statements made without legal counsel present, Second, a laboratory sample data lacking verified chain-of-custody documentation. Third, an expert testimony from an individual identified as ‘Wanda Maximoff’ on grounds of unverifiable psychic influence. And finally a witness testimony from Antonia Dreykov, on relevance and credibility grounds.”

There was a quiet intake of breath from SHIELD’s table and the second row. Maria didn’t blink. But Natasha stiffened. How the hell did she know about Antonia already? It was processed as close to the deadline as possible.

The lead judge looked over his glasses. “Ms. Blake, we’ll take each motion in order. Begin with the intake statements.”

Sienna nodded. “My client was detained for over six hours without legal representation. During that time, he was asked to verify documents, names, and operations he allegedly oversaw. Regardless of tone or intention, this constitutes an interrogation. It violates federal and international rights of due process.”

Maria stood. “He was read his rights. He refused counsel initially. Can I add this was all on his way into custody? No formal interrogation took place.”

“Refusal made without full capacity.” Sienna countered. “We have a pending psychiatric evaluation confirming impaired decision-making at the time.”

The judges conferred briefly. “Motion to suppress preliminary statements is granted.”

Tony swore under his breath. Natasha’s fingers tightened into fists. “Next.” The judge ordered.

“Chain of custody for Exhibit E.” Sienna continued. “The Prague lab samples, while potentially damning, were transported through three countries, two field agents and an undocumented private courier. No signed custody, no uninterrupted seal.”

Maria leaned forward. “We have timestamped photos and transfer logs.”

“And I have a U.S. v. Arvello precedent that ruled such documentation as insufficient under federal rules of evidence,” Sienna said, almost bored. “Even when a case involved nerve agents.”

A second pause. The center judge sighed. “Motion to exclude Exhibit E is granted.”

Steve murmured. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Welcome to the justice system.” Bruce muttered back.

“Third motion.” The judge prompted.

“Expert testimony from Wanda Maximoff.” Sienna said. “Her enhanced status may give her certain abilities, but the court cannot verify the accuracy of her cognitive impressions. There’s no precedent for psychics in federal court and no method of cross-examination to test the validity of her ‘truth detection.’”

Maria started to argue but the judge cut her off.

“This issue has been discussed previously. Without scientific validation, the tribunal cannot accept such testimony. Motion to exclude is granted.”

A cold, satisfied smile flickered on Sienna’s lips, so brief, it might’ve been imagined. ““Final motion.” The judge spoke. “Antonia Dreykov.”

Sienna nodded. “The defense questions the credibility and relevance of this witness. She cannot place my client in proximity to any specific criminal act, nor claim to be a victim. Her testimony is speculative and possibly biased due to past affiliations with the accuser, Agent Romanoff.”

Natasha stood. “Permission to speak, Your Honour.”

The judge considered. “Granted.”

“She’s not biased. She was there. I brought her in because I’ve been in those same rooms. Maksim Vasiliev didn’t just design the science. He watched it break people.”

Sienna’s tone stayed even. “And yet no record of his participation exists in SHIELD files, no documents, no signed orders. Just implication.”

Natasha narrowed her eyes. “Implication’s enough when you know what to look for.”

The judge cleared his throat. “Motion to exclude Dreykov testimony is denied, pending further evidentiary review.”

Sienna didn’t react. She simply inclined her head and returned to her seat.

⋆⋆⋆⋆

Outside of the Federal Tribunal Courtroom, Washington, D.C.

March 24, 2022

The team exited in a tense, quiet crowd. Maria was reviewing the judges’ notes, eyes darting through paperwork.

Tony muttered. “That woman just disarmed three-quarters of our main evidence in this case without breaking a sweat.”

“She’s not just defending him.” Steve sighed. “She’s challenging everything we are.”

Natasha stopped at the edge of the marble steps, jaw tight. She looked down the block and there she was.

Sienna, standing calmly beside a black car, talking quietly into her phone. She glanced up once.

Their eyes met.

Sienna didn’t smile. She didn’t gloat.

She simply looked at Natasha the way you’d look at a chessboard… and she was moving her knight.

⋆⋆⋆⋆

Conference Room, Federal Tribunal Court, Washington, D.C.

March 25, 2022

The conference room was stark, a sharp contrast to the courtroom’s glory. A low table, somber faces and piles of legal documents formed a barricade between allies and adversaries. At the head sat Judge Harmon, the presiding officer from the tribunal, flanked by Maria, Sienna, and Natasha.

“Ms. Blake-” Judge Harmon began, voice even. “-your motions have been noted. The tribunal will allow subpoenas for further witnesses but they must be submitted within 48 hours.”

Sienna nodded, serene as ever. “Understood, Your Honour. We have a preliminary list, experts on psychiatric forensics, SHIELD operations analysts and an international witness whose testimony will be critical.” Maria exchanged a glance with Natasha but said nothing. 

“Agent Romanoff-” Judge Harmon turned to Natasha. “-your testimony will be scheduled. And any classified information must be vetted through SHIELD’s legal office before presentation.”

Natasha’s eyes didn’t waver. “Understood.”

The judge folded his hands. “This tribunal expects transparency and cooperation. The court will hold everyone accountable.”

The meeting adjourned swiftly, leaving a charged silence.

⋆⋆⋆⋆

Holding Area, Federal Tribunal Court, Washington, D.C.

March 25, 2022

Sienna and Natasha exited together, the crowd thinning until it was just the two of them.

The tension hung like smoke between them.

Natasha broke the silence first. “You play a dangerous game, Sienna. Defending a monster like Vasiliev, and doing it so well. It’s… infuriating.”

Sienna’s eyes glinted, sharp but not unkind. “I’m just doing my job. Everyone deserves a defense, even monsters. If you want to bring him down, you’ll have to fight me and the law first.”

Natasha’s jaw tightened. “You’re not just a lawyer. You’re a weapon in a suit and block heels.”

Sienna smiled faintly. “And you’re a soldier with nothing but your fury. But this isn’t a battlefield anymore.”

Natasha stepped closer. “Maybe not. But I won’t back down.”

Sienna’s smile softened, almost a hint of respect. “Neither will I.” 

[dr-dendritic-trees]

"I'm actively suppressing the urge to just launch into my potted lecture on how much of people's reluctance to deal with natural fibre clothing is based around laundry, because its only semi-related."

please please lecture!

@drafty-castle you also indicated an interest in the Laundry Lecture so you can come join us, but your unfortunate run-in with Hobbit Pants more or less summarizes my concerns.

So basically the tl;dr is, laundry is hard and ethically made natural fibre clothes are expensive and that is a bad combination and its not fair or reasonable to expect people to do a bunch of independent research just to wash their clothes.

If I go out and buy a bunch of cheap shitty polyester clothing, it will feel bad, and be made unethically, and be environmentally destructive, and get stinky and need to be washed all the fucking time, BUT and this is crucial, I can be pretty confident that I can just toss it in the washing machine and dryer. Its very easy, it doesn't require much outside knowledge other than a basic grasp of the settings on my laundry machine, its not physically taxing and it doesn't vary very much from brand to brand or item to item. On top of that, if my shitty shein shirt does shrink or otherwise get destroyed in the wash that's frustrating, but unless I'm very poor, the shirt is replaceable.

If I'm dealing with higher end, more ethical natural fibres none of that is true. Even if we set aside the issue of cost for a minute, and just assume the clothing fairy magicked them into your wardrobe, each of those lovely, ethical, natural fibre pieces has its own washing instructions which again, are not common knowledge and which often aren't communicated by the people selling the clothes.

One of the benefits to natural fibres is actually they don't need to be washed as often, they can often be aired out between wears and only laundered relatively infrequently, but that's only helpful if you already know that. And unless you attach the information to the garment they don't!! People don't know that!!

So with your brand new exciting natural fibre wardrobe, you have to know how to wash, probably, 3 separate fibre types at minimum, probably closer to 5-10, and you have to know, or check the fibre composition of every garment and you have to do different laundry, for all of those different fibre types.

So the laundry becomes much more complex and cognitively demanding, and much more time consuming, and much more labour intensive physically, and you generally need more space to do it in. A small washer and dryer can be tucked into a closet, garments that need to be aired or dried on a rack take up a lot more room. So when we talk about how great it would be if everyone had access to these sorts of clothes there's a whole segment of the population that just will not be able to do that. It just won't be possible for them to keep their clothes clean without either paying for labour, or getting support, even if they do have the facilities, which is not guaranteed. And where is the huge pool of skilled laundry labour coming from? Historically, that was done by people how had literally no better options, usually impoverished women, but no one's talking about that funnily enough.

And on top of that, these clothes are expensive. That's not avoidable. So now, when you do mess up the (complex, labour intensive, time consuming) you've destroyed a garment that's going to be financially painful to replace for all but the absolute richest people.

And that's the best case scenario! That's not even getting into stupid problems like how some cotton and linen can be machine washed and some can't not based on any property of the the fabric but based on the fabric was preshrunk, so the garment which might or might not shrink in the wash based on decisions made up the supply chain. Or how, frankly, not every company actually uses good quality natural fibres, so sometimes your very expensive linen trousers just wear through in 18 months no matter how carefully you wash them (ask me how I know this).

This is also how I feel about mending. Another theoretical benefit to natural fibre clothes is that they're much more able to be repaired and altered but that's only helpful if you either have the time and skill to repair your clothes, or access and money to pay someone else to maintain your clothes. Again, where is this extra labour coming from?

I'm not meaning to be the clothing grinch! I really do think this could be resolved constructively. But people who just want to buy clothes that aren't an evironmental and ethical nightmare are not going to be able to spontaneously fix it. Someone needs to actually put some proactive work into fixing the logistics.