#Stefan is so dense...

[lordofthestrix]

For this edition of Tristan catching up with the dash and finding the novelties he missed incredibly amusing: Stefan Ivanov (@noblehcart) when his sister decides to approach a vampire: You are evil! You think I can't tell you are basically the devil? I can sniff the wickedness in you like one of my hounds. What circle of hell did you escape from? Stefan Ivanov when he is approached by a vampire (@malka-lisitsa): You are so beautiful Miss Pierce! You are so clever! You are so charming, Miss Pierce! What have I done to deserve meeting such a radiant angel?

[marxism-transgenderism]

hi em do you have a favorite YouTube channel

OOO okay so in terms of video quality and topic choice Jacob Geller is def my go to right now. Also been going through the back catalogues of Stefan Milo and Ancient Americas cause I love how info dense their vids are. And I've been watching Extra History for years and always look forward to their new videos every week. And I am checking every god damn day for when FD Signifier finally uploads his new Drake-Kendrick video

[sprachgefuehle]

First of all: as someone who would also love some weird/obscure books that aren’t YA, when you have a list would you be comfortable posting the recs you’ve gotten?

Secondly:

Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood. Retelling of Shakespeare’s Tempest. Really good.

American Gods, Neil gaiman. Long, kind of dense, good fantasy.

Stories, a short story collection edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.

Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell

Watership Down, Richard Adams

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, Becky Chambers

The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson

The Female Persuasion, Meg Wolitzer

Drive Your Plow over the Bones Of the Dead, Olga Tokarczuk

People of the Book, Geraldine brooks

Dogsbody, Dianna Wynne Jones

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

World War Z, Max Brooks (no really)

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss—I’m genuinely unsure if this one counts as YA or not, but I came to it as an adult reader well past my YA phase and loved it, and it does not “feel” like a YA novel, so I’m including it. I’ll warn that it is the first of two books published in a proposed trilogy, and the third one has been stalled for like ten years, but genuinely I think it is worth a read even if the trilogy is never finished.

Ladies of the Rachmaninoff Eyes, Henry van Dyke—I read this recently when I got it in a subscription box that focuses on reprints of older, out of print books the editors think deserve more circulation than they’ve gotten. I enjoyed it. Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott was in the same box, though I haven’t read that one yet.

Ah sorry, your ask must have slipped past me in my notifs! I don't really have a list but almost everyone added their recs in the notes, so you can find all of them there.

Out of those, I just read Schwarzenberg by Stefan Heym. It might be a bit dry for some people but it was just right up my alley and I will be thinking about it for some time for sure. And currently I am reading Perdido Street Station by China Miévielle. Final judgement is still pending but it does fall into the vague genre category of Weird Fiction and so far I like it.

And thanks for your recs of course!

[werezmastarbucks]

waking up, going back

word count: 1255

warnings: none

music: I'm with you by Avril Lavigne, Honeymoon, Salvatore by Lana Del Rey, Forget by Marina

kai parker x reader, Stelena (4eva), Damone alone lmao

author's notes: I mean if I can make at least one person associate blink-182 with Kai through all of my works, my job on this planet is completed

dreams masterlist

Looking at them, normal, dancing, was bizarre. They lived like usual, and nothing, utterly nothing changed. Life actually got good. So good, in fact, that people started getting married. First, Elena and Stefan, now, Caroline. She looked like a proper Italian bride from heaven in her long-tailed white floating dress with puff shoulders and embroidery. The embroidery on her chest, the symbol of her supreme beauty and fairness. You saw her and her husband like through a matted glass, whether you cried or was already drunk, or the colored smoke from the smoke machine got into your eyes. It was a picture from a movie dedicated to somebody else, never in you life have you felt so helplessly distant, so detached from them. The beautiful guests, dressed so impressively outlandish, like the marriage party was located on a sea shore, no less. To actually remember that you were still in Mystic Falls, you had to actually leave the tent, but who would dare? Even with the smoke getting into your eyes, and the dense air, the irritating yellow of the flowers, while Caroline was given into marriage by her mum. The ceremony felt like an ancient ritual that you sneaked to. You looked at yourself in the reflection of a knife. your face and hair were still done, and your elegant purple dress still drew glances. However, when the eyes drawn made out who was hiding under all the makeup and the garments, people looked away. You had been invited and actively worked on by Elena to enjoy yourself, but nobody wanted you here. People felt uneasy around you now. They said, why won't she leave the town if she hates it so much here?

The worst part, objectively, was watching Elena and Stefan dance. And Damon, devouring them with his hungry, resltless eyes. What an irony, that someone who has fresh scars from their love taken away from them, would do the same to another. Damon had been robbed of love not once, but twice, by his own brother. First, Katherine, now, Elena, who turned towards the light after all. And now, look at them go! Her in her dark pink dress, with flowers slithering along her waist, and her long golden hair, she was almost as stunning as the bride. No matter how much Elena tries to plain herself down, it never works, she is always the moment of the room. You unglued your stare from the couple and looked at Damon again. Out of coincidence, you both downed your glasses at the same time. There was bitterness in the way you resembled each other, actually. Damon knew very well what it's like, to see someone else have your happiness. Only, to you, Stefan and Elena weren't the burning sore in the eye, but more like sculptures. They meant nothing to you but missed opportunity. They were too beautiful to approach. Killing Kai, Damon told you: he's not for you, like he always did. Now he was watching his brother telling him the same in every little move he made. The little ring on Elena's finger told him he would never get what he craves the most, and maybe, Damon Salvatore was cursed to fall in love again and again with the same person, and being robbed of them. With curiosity you thought, what if he waits until the next Elena is born, and tries it once again. He'll have to wait until she is of age, until she is herself. And then someone else will come and tear her away from his hands. Maybe it even will be you.

Gloating about someone else's misery was not good at all, but you weren't left with much. Gloating was all you had left to do. You had nobody to dance with, nobody to carry away from this wedding when you get ugly drunk. Damon did a horrendous thing when he killed Kai but kept you like a pet, like a fake friend, so that you could still breathe, because you were local, and because all of this was a horrible mistake. He knew better, he always did, like a tyranic older brother. He was crooked on the inside, Damon, and cruel, and very, very alone. You wondered if he had dreams of Elena.

Oh you felt mutilated. You didn't miss him per se, you were too numb to feel that. Exhausted by the non-stop nightmares, and sore about everything, tired of constant explosive fights. But you felt like someone crawled inside of you and stole a couple of ribs. You were one step away from being labeled as the villain in this story, hense the purple dress. Nobody gets to stay good if they're in love with a homocidal witcher. Who respects and regards nobody. You were now in the middle, on a thin thread, between friends and animosity, and nobody really knew what to do with you. In the depths of their souls they started to feel guilty, but everybody found a way to justify it. In truth, the ways to justify killing Kai were mostly neatly lined up in cemetery. You could go there any day and bitch about your lost love. But it was more than love, more than addiction. If there exists something that describes the overall predisposition, that would be it. You could do nothing about your dark side, and they could do nothing about you.

So, why not leave?

Every day you found a new reason. What if you bleed once you leave Mystic Falls, where you at least know what to do. You can go around and quarrel with the Salvatore about everything. If you leave, you'll have to face the shattering realization that life without magic, without the hunt, does not interest you anymore. Living in a bubble is so fascinating and so comforting.

You wanted to be home, where, in the drawer of your little desk, you had a notebook where you wrote down your weird dreams. Last three or four ones you couldn't remember, and it puzzled you. On the better days you were glad, because almost every time, you woke up screaming.

The last one had been especially horrible. As you sat up on your bed, you hallucinated shadows in the bedroom. There was burning sensation all over your body. You couldn't catch it. You didn't know. You just knew that those dreams should have been placed neatly in a big picture, but the memory, and the fragments, didn't make any sense.

Maybe it was time to come to terms with it. It was almost a year already, and nothing changed. Life went on, on the most part. Maybe it was time to be normal again, and be like them. Pretty dresses, busy noses, easy boyfriends, and the drama. Collective decisions, vampire shenanigans. Maybe you could have a beautiful Mediterranean wedding, too, in a tall, soft beige tent. Maybe you should let Mystic Falls consume you and be a part of the crew.

Caroline, or whoever it was, that compiled the wedding playlist, decided that Lost Without You by blink-182 was a good choice for a melancholic mood. Slow dance, sure.

Since he died, the little signs you invented for yourself, like little blinking stars, followed you everywhere. And now, listening to the song that definitely didn't belong to Caroline, to this place or their universe, made you feel like there was something to wait for. You didn't take the hints seriously, you just felt traumatized.

But champaign suddenly tasted a little better.

[thebennettdiaries]

Prompt: Ripper Stefan and Dark Bonnie reeking havok together on the MFG and anyone who stands in their way.

"If we're not careful Bonnie and Clyde will end up destroying the whole damn town..." Damon stops mid pace and then lights up with a smirk. "Look at that, I didn't even have to change her name for that reference."

From her seat on the sofa, Caroline rolls her eyes.

Elena is more tolerant of Damon's attempts to bring levity to the situation. She takes a deep breathe. "In the end, she is still our friend." She looks to Damon. "And he is still your brother."

"My murderous, messy, psychotic brother," Damon corrects. "And he's dragging the little witch along for the ride."

"Because we let him," Caroline finally says, and it is the first time her voice has echoed through the room in awhile. She is done being unusually quiet. She sets her gaze on the pair of them. "We let Stefan do this to her."

Damon makes a face. "And just how is this my fault?"

"Not just yours, ours," Caroline says, her hands twisting on her lap. "Think about it. We have relied on Bonnie to save us time and time again. We never learn, we just go right back to risking it all and expecting her to pick up the pieces." She pushes herself off the sofa and now she is the one pacing. "She has been hurt, she has lost people she loves, she has died --- and what do we do? We ask her to do it again. No wonder Stefan was able to whisper into her ear. Tell her that she is worth more than that..."

"That was a beautiful speech." The voice is familiar, although there is something in it that seems different now. Whatever it is, it halts all movement in the room and demands the attention of the three co-conspirators. They all stop to look at Bonnie. Just behind her, with a hand on her waist is the so called demon responsible for her current state of mind. "But I didn't need Stefan to realize I am worth more than being your magical fix it."

Stefan smiles. "It's easier for them to believe that the Ripper corrupted you than for them to understand that you don't want to die for them anymore."

"Bonnie," Elena begin, stepping towards her.

Bonnie raises a hand and everyone goes still again. There is no mistaking the power that radiates off of her. All she has to do is flick her wrist and the worst could happen to the girl that she had once called her sister. A week ago, everyone would have assumed it was not possible. Now, after seeing what Bonnie could do (especially with Stefan at her side), no one wants to risk it. "I don't want to hear that you never intended to make me into your scapegoat time and time again. I don't want to hear that I am your best friend. I don't want to hear that you love me."

"Than what do you want, witch?" Damon asks.

She nearly cuts him down with her eyes alone. Behind her Stefan lets out an amused chuckle. He would like to see it no doubt --- his brother begging his witch for mercy.

"I want you to leave me..." She feels Stefan's fingers tighten at her waist. "...leave us alone. Let us be who were are meant to be and we'll stop. We'll stop the maiming, the killing, the general need to look over your shoulder. We'll stop if you stop."

"But..." Caroline begins and then she falls silent. She is careful when she moves. Her face is a mask of pain and concern. "You won't want this. One day, I know you won't. You do now and I get that. You've been through too much. So when you don't want this, I'll still be here. Waiting for you. Whatever it takes."

"Once again, cute speech." It is Stefan who says it this time. He steps so that he is equal with Bonnie, the pair of them standing shoulder to shoulder as they eye their so called rescue squad. "So how about it?"

"How about what?" Elena asks.

Stefan rolls his eyes. "You really can be so dense sometimes, Elena. It's not your fault. We have just been coddling you along this whole journey." He turns his attention to Caroline, deeming her the brains of the operation. "Just as Bonnie says --- you all stop trying to fix us and we will stop killing at random. Or you can keep it up and I will start being messy about it. Leaving them in places you can't ignore."

"It's a fair deal," Bonnie says as if Stefan hadn't just threatened to paint Caroline's bathroom red with the innards of some poor soul.

Damon looks like he wants to say something cute. Before he can, he is on his knees clutching his head. Bonnie just gives him a look.

"Deal," Caroline says quickly. "But don't forget what I said."

"Already did," Bonnie quips in return. Stefan takes her hand and in the blink of an eye they are gone.

Damon collapses to the floor, his face buried in his rug. When he speaks his voice is muffled. "That went well, I think."

[mariacallous]

So much on this planet depends on a simple matter of density. In the Atlantic Ocean, a conveyor belt of warm water heads north from the tropics, reaching the Arctic and chilling. That makes it denser, so it sinks and heads back south, finishing the loop. This system of currents, known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, moves 15 million cubic meters of water per second.

In recent years, researchers have suggested that because of climate change, the AMOC current system could be slowing down and may eventually collapse. A paper published yesterday in the journal Nature Communications warns that the collapse of the AMOC isn’t just possible, but imminent. By this team’s calculations, the circulation could shut down as early as 2025, and no later than 2095. 

That’s a tipping point that would come much sooner than anyone thought. “We got scared by our own results,” says Susanne Ditlevsen, a statistician at the University of Copenhagen and coauthor of the new paper. “We checked and checked and checked and checked, and I do believe that they're right. Of course, we might be wrong, and I hope we are.” But there’s vigorous debate in the scientific community over just how quickly the AMOC might decline, and how best to even figure that out.

It’s abundantly clear to researchers that the Arctic is warming up to four and a half times faster than the rest of the planet. Arctic ice is melting at a pace of about 150 billion metric tons per year, says Marlos Goes, an oceanographer from the University of Miami and NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory who was not involved with the new paper. Greenland’s ice sheet is also rapidly declining, injecting more freshwater into the sea. That deluge of freshwater is less dense than saltwater, meaning less water sinks and less power goes into the AMOC conveyor belt. 

The consequences would be brutal and global. Without these warm waters, weather in Europe would get significantly colder—more like that of similar latitudes in Canada and the northern United States. “In model simulations, the collapse of the AMOC cools the North Atlantic and warms the South Atlantic, which may result in drastic precipitation changes throughout the world,” Goes says. “There would be changes in storm patterns over the continental areas, affecting the monsoon systems. Therefore, a future AMOC shutdown could bring massive migration, impacting ecological and agricultural production, and fish population displacement.” 

Ditlevsen did her team’s calculation by using measurements of Atlantic sea surface temperatures as a proxy for the AMOC. These readings go all the way back to the 1870s, thanks to measurements taken by ship crews. This meant researchers could compare temperatures before and after the start of the wide-scale burning of fossil fuels and the ensuing changes to the climate. 

Because the AMOC system involves warm water heading north from the tropics, if the circulation is slowing down, you’d expect to find cooler temperatures in the North Atlantic over time. And indeed, that’s what Ditlevsen’s group found, once they compensated for the overall warming of the world’s oceans due to climate change. “When it is established that the sea surface temperature record is the fingerprint of the AMOC, we can calculate the early warning signals of the forthcoming collapse and extrapolate to the tipping point,” says University of Copenhagen climate scientist Peter Ditlevsen, coauthor of the new paper. (The Ditlevsens are siblings.)

The result echoes previous studies finding early warning signals in the circulation, says Stefan Rahmstorf, who studies the AMOC current system at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. “As always in science, a single study provides limited evidence, but when multiple approaches lead to similar conclusions, this must be taken very seriously, especially when we're talking about a risk that we really want to rule out with 99.9 percent certainty,” says Rahmstorf. “The scientific evidence now is that we can't even rule out crossing a tipping point already in the next decade or two.”

Still, scientists don’t agree about whether sea surface temperature (SST) is a good indicator of the health of this massively consequential circulation. “Fundamentally, I am deeply skeptical that SST is actually a proxy of AMOC,” says climate scientist Hali Kilbourne, who studies the current system at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. “But there's certainly a school of thought of people who think it's the best thing going—and it may be the best thing going right now. I don't think we have a good alternative, which is why people are using it."

“I really question whether [SST] is an adequate proxy for AMOC itself,” agrees Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. “But the trouble is there aren't really adequate measurements.”

The core of the issue is that sea surface temperatures are just one component of the AMOC system; other factors also help determine Atlantic temperatures. Warm waters flowing north have an effect, but so does the atmosphere touching the water. “There's a lot of what we call air-sea interactions—the heat exchange between the atmosphere and the ocean,” Kilbourne says. “And that's not at all related to ocean circulation.” 

“This SST fingerprint, although sensitive to the AMOC, is not solely driven by it, so these changes may be overestimated,” agrees Goes, the oceanographer from the University of Miami and NOAA. “Current climate models do not give a strong probability of the collapse of the AMOC this century.”

The beauty of the SST dataset is that it stretches back 150 years, so scientists can see longer-term trends in temperatures. However, those early shipboard measurements were made by people hauling buckets of water aboard and sticking a thermometer in—not exactly the precision that modern science demands. “It is not ideal, but it’s the best we can do,” says Peter Ditlevsen, “since we need measurements to go back to the pre-industrial era to assess the natural state of the AMOC, before it began slowing down toward the collapse.” 

Satellite measurements of SST began in the late 1970s, providing much better coverage across oceans. And it wasn’t until 20 years ago that scientists deployed a dedicated AMOC sensor array, known as RAPID, which also measures current velocities and salinity—another factor that influences the density of water. By comparing this modern data to the historical SST data, Peter Ditlevsen says, they can compensate for the influence of the atmosphere on the sea surface, isolating the signal of the AMOC system.

When the RAPID array went online, the assumption was that it’d take 40 years to get an idea of whether the current system was in decline. “It's just hard to tease apart, because we really don't know what the intrinsic timescales of AMOC are,” says Nicholas Foukal, an assistant scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who wasn’t involved in the new paper. “We haven't had an AMOC collapse in the past 20 years, so it’s like trying to predict a hurricane—having never seen a hurricane.” 

Since RAPID started operating, scientists have seen a good amount of variability. “We've been directly measuring AMOC since 2004, and we don't have any evidence of long-term decline,” says Foukal. “The first six years, there was a very strong decline. And people jumped on that, saying that it's declining, and we have observational evidence of it. But since then, it has recovered.” 

Scientists also use models to simulate how the current system might change as the climate does. Compared to the studies indicating a slowdown and eventual collapse of the circulation, models indicate more stability, says Oluwayemi Garuba, a climate scientist who studies ocean-atmosphere interactions at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “Observations are showing more statistically significant early-warning signals of a collapse of the AMOC, whereas most models are not showing that,” says Garuba. “So, it could be that the overturning circulation in models is just more stable than in observation, as earlier studies have suggested.”

Going forward, Greenland will be a major wildcard. Last week, scientists reported how they used ice cores from an abandoned military base to determine that around 400,000 years ago, northwest Greenland was ice-free. Back then, temperatures were about the same as they are today, yet atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were far lower. That raises the alarm that the decline of Greenland’s ice sheet could accelerate. If it does, the melt would load the north Atlantic with astonishing amounts of freshwater, fast-tracking the decline of the AMOC and adding many feet to sea levels.

It’s complexity and uncertainty all the way down. “The fact that, with continued warming, AMOC will slow down is a very robust result. The uncertainty—and where science still needs to figure things out—is when,” Kilbourne. “But I kind of think that by the time we figure out when, it'll already have happened.”

[calamitaswrath]

Cal Lucia plays Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: Chapter 16

Oh damn, I know that track from Smash! Quite the deep cut though to have a random character theme in there, hah.

Pretty rich of Ike to call out Tormod for speaking out of line in front of Sanaki. But, I suppose it also shows a bit of growth, in that he is now more familiar with this world, so I suppose we can let this one slide.

Ahh, so Ike did put two and two together! That's good. He really would have been a bit dense if after all this, he couldn't figure out what those "merchants" were all about. But considering that he's not taking the credit for working this out, the jury on him personally is still out.

Well then, let's look at the base conversations. Only two this time around, hm.

The conversation with Muasir and Tormod. . . well, now there's some heavy stuff. Pretty interesting to read, even if there is not much for me to actually comment on with it.

Stefan's - pfft, what a way to start it. Even Ike's confused where this guy came from. But he offers to teach Ike, and I get a skill out of it, so that's neat. I gotta admit that I haven't really used many of these skills yet, because I'm just not sure which skill to best put on which character, hah.

Got some more support conversations that I wanted to look at! Jill and Mist's is once again short, but it is rather sweet. Ike and Soren's on the other hand. . . well, that's not what I would have expected from a glance into his backstory.

Dumped a whole bunch of bexp into Mist, got her to level 17, and then promoted her, just so that she can do something.

. . .What do you mean, she uses swords now and not magic

Well, off to the actual map. And I really do like the setup for this one! Sneaking into a nobleman's manor for a search is definitely a unique setup for a Fire Emblem map.

Though in terms of gameplay, I have to say that this linear type of map really doesn't play well with anybody but mounted units. I still brought a bunch of unmounted ones, but they are not having a good time.

Huh, I guess all my resetting for good level-ups with Mist did actually pay off. She does have a respectable enough attack stat now, allowing her to do actual damage with a sword to enemies. That's neat.

New character with Devdan! With him. . . well, I think I've seen his design before at least, but not much beyond that. It is a good design though, and he seems like a fun enough guy.

The requirement for maximum bonus experience on this map was eight turns, which. . . yeah, no. I beat the map in 15. I wanted that treasure, and played things a bit carefully, so I guess that was to be expected.

And Reyson is goneson. That whole scene was a bit weirdly resolved, though - neither Oliver nor Reyson leaving was really shown, but I suppose that wasn't really necessary in the end.

And here we go, getting filled in on the massacre of Serene's Forest. And, uh. . . kinda eyebrow-raising that this website is named after that place? But I suppose I can somewhat see it.

Also oof @ Nasir throwing that subtle shade at Sanaki by saying that the empress from 20 years ago was greater than any before or since

I do have to wonder a bit about Sanaki, though. Is she the granddaughter of that empress? Because unless we have a "looks like a child but is actually far older" deal going on, she can't be the daughter of that empress.

Urgh, tough spot to have to stop, though. I do already know that the next two chapters will need to be beaten back-to-back, and the story is going interesting places right now. . . but, I won't actually be able to play for two weeks, since I'll be gone til the 21st from this Wednesday, and I won't really have the time to continue playing before that. But I guess that gives me time to let the story thus far sink in.

[scaevolawrites]

An Annotated Reading List

WELCOME TO WRITEBLR SECRET SANTA HAPPY HOLLIDAYS @charitet!

The Nice List was expansive this year, so Santa ordered some help with preparing the Gift Cannons, and as such this elf was assigned to you. I found that we have a similar taste regarding sci-fi stories... and what is a better gift to a writer than books? (You can never have too much). So I prepared a list of some titles that a) fit your WIPs and b) I feel should be more known and definitely deserve more love. I hope you like these titles as much as I do. (The full list is under the cut)

The Blighted Stars by Megan O’Keefe Stranded on a (secretly) Dead Planet. She’s a Spy, he’s an Introverted Princeling with a love for Rocks. Her biggest dream is to kill him and his whole family too. A tale as old as time, you know how this goes. They slowly become somewhat akin to friends and boom. Eros shoots his arrows and now we have an enemies-to-lovers trope. Throw in a conspiracy or two and a discovery that means the end of humanity as we know it and you have a great novel ready to be devoured.

Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky The Earth is Dying - well technically the Sun is, but she decided to take the Earth with her. True Solidarity. This is written in the form of a memoir by academic Stefan Advani. I hope you like swamps and wet things because all of Earth has seemingly become a swamp, with the hot stickiness that comes with it. Whilst this is a dense novel, it offers a great critique on how we as a species are currently treating our own planet - but wrapped up in a hot sticky mess with some Lovecraftian horrors for extra flavouring.

Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio Ruocchio is a lover of science fiction and it shows. Some elements of this novel have (a lot of) similarities to Frank Herbert’s classic Dune, but the story swiftly shifts away from that premise. Hadrian, our MC, is as flawed as a character could be. He has the arrogant tendencies that come with an upbringing of higher social standings, but eventually, he becomes a character you can root for. It’s the flaws in his character that drew me to him, and as such he makes for a great study of writing those flaws. That with the interplanetary setting combines for a great read.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang You might have heard Ted Chiang’s name floating around before. His short Story “Story of Your Life” was adapted into the movie “Arrival” (the one with Amy Adams) in 2016. This is Chiang's second short story collection, and to me, it’s a poster book for the depth science fiction can have. Stories like the titular “Exhalation”, “The Great Silence”, and especially “The Lifecycle of Software Objects” make you ponder the things around you, each in different ways. The philosophical questions Chiang's writing raises show the reach of this genre. One moment you marvel at the technical ingenuity of a wormhole through time, the next you question your ability of free will against a seemingly fixed fate. A perfect storm in mostly bite-sized chunks. And now two of my favourite reads of the past year, that I highly recommend as well.

The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall Parting ways with the science fiction genre, this book is inherently a story about stories: "There's freedom in stories, you know. We read them and become something else. We imagine different lives, and while we turn the pages, We get to live them. To escape the lot we've been given." It’s also about queer pirates, floating islands (and obviously mermaids). What's not to love? This book broke me, put me back together, and subsequently tore a chunk of me before sewing it back on with its narrative, its worldbuilding, and its characters. It’s ink-and-paper-made heartbreak.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty Look. I had a fantasy pirate phase this year, I cannot help it (and look at this cover, hot damn), so this too is a novel about pirates. This book tells the tale of Amina, a woman who also happened to have been the most fearsome pirate sailing the Indian Ocean. But that was then, now she is the mother of a sweet, yet chaotic daughter and would do anything to protect her (including murdering a fool or two, you know how it is). She is roped into an adventure against her will and so she collects her most trusted peers from the life she left behind. But they too have felt the sharp tooth of time, and time has not been kind. With a bad knee, poor eyesight, and a prominent gut, Amina and her friends have to face demons, sorcerers, and a bloody kraken.

[sethshead]

I was wondering what and who Visegrad24 was. I started to notice the account shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It has a clear bias and doesn't always post correct information. In many respects, it's not shoes-on-ground, investigative journalism but PR spin, which is exactly what Thompson admits. This can be useful, nonetheless, when confronted with so much Kremlin propaganda on Twitter.

The conservatism is fairly light. Obviously the brothers are not so right-wing that they've fallen for Putin's traditionalist Kulturkampf, which is pretty moderate by Twitter standards. I think Europe, with its low birthrates and need for labor, is going to have to adjust to greater immigration than most of its members feel comfortable admitting; nonetheless, history and culture are important anchors for societies in transition. Immigrant/settler-colonialist states like the US and Canada will always be more comfortable with a certain demographic dynamicism than will Old Europe, with more tangible connections to its past and greater preexisting social cohesion.

Israel, on the other hand, is already one of the 20 most densely populated states on earth (not including city- and micro-states). It already has a mission to ensure itself as a haven for persecuted Jews worldwide, which is not a role most other countries have to play for their diasporas. That said, Israel does admit non-Jewish refugees, and naturalization is available to non-Jewish residents. Israel's borders aren't as closed as its left-wing enemies and right-wing admirers seem to believe.

That said, I think one reason Israel is so reviled by parts of the Western left is because identity is crucial to its national character. While the left-leaning majority populations of North America and Europe find identity archaic and threatening, reactionary and racist, we who have been historically persecuted for our identities or had our identities suppressed under imperial and then Soviet rule, are nourished by that sense of kinship and peoplehood, of traditions and shared journeys. This is not something your average Benedict Anderson reader can comprehend, but it is something that does impoverish the individualist, atomized, alienated liberalism that has become the only acceptable self-perception for privileged groups on the political left and its spaces.

[zalrb]

Love your fics and this new steferine piece is so perfect I’m not ok

Damon is a dense but also very annoying dick and Katherine is petty yet her dynamic with Stefan is so riveting

I also really like the idea of Elena bringing Stefan back like how she did in TVD but I kind of want to see her in pain more. Like after s4 and after E got with Damon, it was so unbearable to see Stefan and his face when he realizes and 4x10 was excruciating. My Elena hate was super strong after that and I’ve always had hate for Damon.

I want to see more of Elena being on the outside while Stefan is with someone else and see him with another woman, a woman she hates - this mirrors how Stefan was feeling seeing his horrible bro with the love of his life, on the outside of their relationship while still working to get the cure for the gang.

Don’t stop writing and thanks for sharing !

Thank you! And LMAO, it's really funny getting the responses of how much the people who have read the fic are like YOU EARNED THIS, ELENA. SUFFER. It's an interesting dynamic to write because there's clearly still/always a connection there, love there, intimacy there and he's still choosing to be with someone else in whatever capacity he and Katherine are "together" and it's incensing Elena. It's really fun.

[onth3cusp]

Shiny New Fanfiction: lună de lup (Subspecies)

The Scene: Radu returns to Romania and Castle Vladislas in the early 1990’s to kill his father and claim the throne. Stefan arrives fashionably late as usual, but fails to kill his older half brother…fleeing with his tail between his legs. Michelle and company don’t get their research grant approved so there’s no trip to Ye Olde Transylvania and they all live happily ever after. 

Welcome to this reimaging on how things might go for Radu if he never fell afoul of Michelle and spent a decade or so just chilling in his dad’s fortress. Alone. Until…

The hike up to the castle ruins took longer than she thought it would. Stopping in a bit of shade, Fia wiped the sweat off her brow and squinted up into the bright midday sky. Who knew it would be so hot in Romania this time of year? She’s stripped off her jacket hours ago and contemplated skimping down to her sports bra now - this far out in the woods there was no one to see her anyways.

According to the map she’d picked up in Prejmer, the castle was only an hour’s distance through the dense brush. Fia didn’t have the best sense of direction, but she was almost positive she’d been going the right way. Why hadn’t she reached it yet?

“A GPS would be awfully handy right now,” she groused, hoisting her backpack up onto her shoulder and continuing her trek. 

The stop in Prejmer wasn’t a planned one, but Fia found the town to be rather quaint. She’d spent the previous night in a little inn run by a very sweet married couple who spoke virtually no English and they’d managed most of their interaction via pantomime. Judging by how long it took for them to grasp that she wanted a room for only one night, Fia knew she’d never win a game of charades. 

Hence, she now had an English-Romanian pocket dictionary downloaded on her phone. It had been only marginally helpful in ordering a coffee at a cafe across the street from the Prejmer fortress. That place, on the other hand, had a plethora of guides that spoke passable English - and she quite enjoyed the tour she had been given of the incredible, ancient structure. 

Her guide that morning had been a willowy teenage girl who hadn’t been able to resist rolling her eyes just a bit when she got to the part about vampires. Until recently, Prejmer had even held an annual festival honoring the undead, something about the village making a truce with a vampire way back in the day. Her guide didn’t remember many of the details about the festival or the vampire, but assured Fia that one of the older guides could probably tell her more.

“They’re just silly stories, of course,” her guide laughed. “Let us go inside the church now. Please follow.”

Just silly stories. Fia snorted. The poor girl had no idea what kind of monster in sheep’s clothing she’d been entertaining. 

Finally, the lush trees gave way to a small stone arch that led out onto a grassy graveyard. The rotting remains of wooden crosses dotted the field and just beyond, the castle loomed. For a moment, Fia simply stood and took it in. There was nothing this picturesque back home.

Time hadn’t been kind to this castle. Much of the outer structure was crumbling and aggressive ivy climbed along one entire side, finding purchase on the rough stone. One lone tower remained, its red roof flaked and open in patches. Despite its dilapidated nature, there didn’t appear to be an easy way inside. 

That wasn’t a problem for Fia. As much as she would love the idea of stealth camping inside, the weather promised to hold out and a night under the stars wouldn’t be terrible if the temperature dropped a little. Still…

Exhausted, she dropped her backpack on the hill overlooking the graveyard and plopped down next to it. She could explore later, right now she desperately needed to rest her aching feet and catch her breath. 

The wind lifted wisps of caramel colored hair away from her face, carrying with it the fresh scents of spruce, fir, and beech from deep inside the forest. A deeper inhale brought the richness of the soil into her nostrils. The staleness of old bones buried deep reached her next.  Something else tickled her senses, something she couldn’t quite place. 

Fia exhaled it away. Strange places always smelled strange. Rather than dwell on it, it was time to explore the outside of Castle Vladislas and try to find a way inside. She followed an old footpath up past the main gate and into the castle courtyard, which was surrounded by crumbling stone. There were a few still standing structures that she ducked into, surprised by how much cooler they were compared to the heat of the sun outside.

“Well, now I have to get inside,” she mumbled. “Nature’s refrigeration. Beats sleeping outside in this heat…”

It took some stumbling around the backside of the castle before she found it. It was an ornate wooden door that looked to be in pretty good shape, but the rusty hinges it sat on had definitely seen better days. Cautiously, she pushed at the door. It did not budge. 

“Okay,” she said, dropping her pack. She rubbed her hands together and braced them against the door once more. “Please don’t break on me.” It was silly to plead with a door, but she could only hope the wood wouldn’t splinter as she heaved with significantly more force. The hinged protested but slowly gave with a loud squeal and the door swung inward marginally. 

Fia grinned. “Just a little more.” Once she had enough space to squeeze in, she stepped back and admired her work. No damage - at least, none that was visible. Her backpack was kicked inside first and then Fia slipped sideways into the cold, stone interior of Castle Vladislas.

Line break

Awareness came back to him quickly that night. Often it was slow, consciousness trickling back into him like water dripping down limestone, but not this night. Stiffly, he rose from his crypt and let a stale wheeze escape from unused lungs. 

Radu slid his body from the stone slab and scrambled upright onto ungainly limbs. Already, his thirst clawed at him and he ambled towards the long spiral staircase that would take him from crypt to the upper levels of the castle. There, in the throne room, the bloodstone awaited him.

It wasn’t long into his ascent before a wisp of panic slithered into his head and he tuned in to what his creatures were trying to communicate to him. It was a confusing jumble of observations but one rang clearly in his mind. Intruder. Girl. 

A grin curled the edges of his mouth. If his minions’ fears were true, there was a girl somewhere inside the castle. How long had it been since a mortal had wandered into his domain? He had tried to content himself with the bloodstone, but he longed for the chase. The hunt. Nothing could compare to the rush of hot blood against his tongue. 

Bloodstone forgotten, Radu climbed upwards with a new intention.

[grandhotelabyss]

And now Terry Eagleton weighs in on Amis with the obituary as hatchet job, letting slip with remarkable explicitness, almost coarseness, what radicals sometimes prefer to cloak under "smash the fash" moralism: that, all things being equal, they prefer a reactionary or a fascist to a liberal, and for two reasons: first, they think liberals are secret fascists anyway, at least after being mugged, and so an avowed fascist is more honest; and, second, they credit reactionaries and fascists with worldviews as articulated and englobalizing as the radicals' own, whereas the liberal is merely a naive empiricist without a thought in his head, more literally reactionary than the reactionary (who has at least read Aquinas or Heidegger or somebody and has therefore thought everything through) because all he can do is react. Therefore, say Eagleton, ultra-right-wing literary modernists are to be preferred to their liberal literary heirs.

What saves Eagleton here is how very well this applies to the particular cohort he's discussing, typified by the "'no bullshit' bullshit" (in Stefan Collini's words) Hitchens ended up adopting from Orwell. There is a streak in the Anglo character—and the Anglo-by-adoption character, as witness Rushdie—of a bluff and constitutionally anti-intellectual empiricism that strands the English novelist, when he turns pundit, in the very clichés he wished to war against. Already in the 19th century Mill and Arnold tried to wed English liberalism to Continental idealism precisely to relieve this intellectual enervation. To that extent, Eagleton's Marxist (and Catholic and Irish) critique may be defended.

It should also, however, be answered with counter-evidence. I don't mean to startle some of my younger and more enthusiastic followers, but we have historical reasons to be wary of actively pursuing a situation where radical fights reactionary in a zero-sum contest as the bottom drops out of society. Leaving that aside, literary liberalism, in the broadest sense, also encompasses fuller visions than Eagleton credits, even among the modernists, such as the mysticisms of Woolf and Forster. The politics to which he reduces Conrad, Lawrence, Yeats, and Eliot do not exhaust the whole of their sensibilities, either. As for American literature, which Amis revered, Eagleton's critique applies not at all—even the broad-minded Mill thought Emerson a madman. And why not mention the highest high modernist of them all?—I mean Joyce.

It's true that translating the dense and almost second-sighted perceptiveness Amis worshipped in Bellow and Nabokov into a political program can go wrong in all sorts of ways since it has no syllogistic hedge against ethical error—but then it's not like the far left never slaughtered anybody either, a point underlined by Hitchens's conviction that in supporting the Iraq War he'd kept faith with the tradition of Marxist revolution. The moral high ground Eagleton thinks he's standing on doesn't exist.

At its best, Amis's literary aestheticism is an ethic, is even an authentic spiritual practice, a higher way of seeing, if one perilous to translate directly into an elaborated ethical, still less a political, system. Eagleton identifies real 20th-century problems, but only offers long-played-out 20th-century solutions.

[brokenbrxther]

While on their road trip, Jackie had thought of an idea after seeing a roadside sign. During a gas stop, she called and made reservations - using the excuse that she had to step away to the restroom. Several hours later. Then later, using the excuse of wanting to see some silly tourist attraction she read off the directions. Finally, they arrive in a more secluded area with a gated entrance. Behind it was a single gravel road, each side of the road being densely wooded. "So, I lied about this taking us to the largest cupcake sculpture in the states. I thought we could use a little break, we now have a cabin for two nights. - and because of the woods, you can don't worry about getting thirsty. And because it's one of those fancy rentals, it's already stocked with food and liquor, and all the other extra perks."

" jackie... " he said warningly, brow arched before she could even begin to explain. his expression softened as she elaborated, her gesture reaffirming something he already was sure of: she was amazing. " have you had this planned all along? " he chuckled, taking in their surroundings for a moment in disbelief that she managed to pull one on him when he was the one who planned the whole roadtrip idea. " this is... beyond anything i could have ever imagined. thank you, it's incredible, " he leaned in, just about to kiss her lips before stopping and pulling away.

" wait, " stefan reached into the backseat, beneath a jacket he'd placed on one of the seats to pull out a small, velvet blue box. " we talked about jewelry, and how it didn't mean much to you, but i thought this... " he opened it to reveal a silver bracelet with small red gem accents spread perfectly throughout it, " might make you feel differently. it's nothing that i paid for. it was actually my mother's. something i found and kept close to me after she died. and now i want you to have it. "

@insanislupus making stefan fall hard

[finitevoid]

the orphan population is higher than in irl but still not that high its just that most of the characters we know happen to be in the system. Because branded are still like 1% of the high schools population so. even if all of them were in foster care it would be significantly more than in irl but still they are a minority. pittsburghs rotting and isnt dense. also regional identity isnt held in them at all. theres city wide segregation of poor people and then theres further segregation within those communities. Thats where the branded are. Untouchables within the poor. The branded happen to be with the poor not because they are in community with the beorc poor but because they naturally just get the worst

ike and elincia get really woke yeah. It would be like dope 2015s plot where they get caught up in a drug deal or aomething. and its actually a proxy war with ashnard having stake in it being carried out by like low level branded teenagers at risk of getting arrested while ashnard very indirectly runs his open air drug markets (THSI IS REAL LIFE IM NOT MAKING THIS UP). Sorens gonna be their tactician somehow (We don’t have enough money for las palmas.). And stefans just therelike :D you beorc want some college credit ? and thinks this is stupid as fuck but hes hovering around them for whatever reason. Mist wants to join but ikes being a dick

Ike probably does get to eat good food though :D and walk through a lot of city steps

The laguz are also a minority group in us crimea but you see more of them in urban centers. There happens to be a lot of laguz in this part of pittsburgh but its not a fully laguz part like other places, which laguz tend to achieve for a couple of reasons. beorc resent these areas turned laguz. Overall this is a pretty diverse section of the city. They are under beorc management legally, though some of these areas get a little close to autonomy. the way they spread family out in pittsburgh blocks is different is all. cat laguz are a big family so ranulf can crash at skrimirs place. In short this is a more integrated laguz community. usually theyve got a whole sub city to them and beorc dont want to think about them

I like that ranulf can go crash at skrimirs place and presumably vice versa. Ike and elicia’s #journey. Thank you for teaching the world about drug dealing proxies. they pool their resources to afford las palmas

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

One of our goth chickens, Morticia sister of Wednesday, has decided she and I are homies. If I sit out in the yard, she will come round the back of my chair to my right side. Then she tugs my belt loop to get my attention before turning round and hunkering down for pets or squawking to let me know she wants to be misted like a fern.* The best part is that I say each chickens' name differently and they all react to it.

Morticia: I say 'tisha' in the same tone & cadence as Bill Hader used to say his own character name when doing the Stefan bit on SNL.

Monarch: I just respectfully say 'And good morning to you, Monarch. Decide to be less of a dick today? Ah I see the answer is no.'

Dr. Girlfriend: quiet but slightly higher pitched

Violet: bubbly 'Hi Vi!'

Now Wednesday's is hilarious. She went broody for a bit and in the texas summer that's just not safe (we lost Shadow Fluffy Butt to that exact thing yesterday). So I would have to go out multiple times a day to force Wednesday out of the nesting area. I would open the gate and say 'Ladies ladies ladies' like Jay from Jay & Silent Bob. Then I'd open up the nesting box, talk to her & pet her, then scoop her out & set her angry ass by the food and water. It was necessary. HOWEVER now if I say 'ladies ladies ladies' Wednesday's head immediately pops up and she RUNS to come scream at me indignantly.

* It's been over 100° f here for nearly 2 weeks and counting, so the chickens have full yard privileges (rather than just the chicken yard) with 5 water buckets set up throughout in shady spots beside big ass flower pots that became dust baths and I go out with a plant mister to mist them with cool water every so often.

Yes I did mention that we lost a lady. Shadow Fluffy Butt was admittedly our most fluffy and densely feathered girl. We had been keeping a close eye on her but she got very broody very suddenly. I went and pulled her from the nest and when The Man went out not an hour later, she was gone.

[melmedardasworld]

A TVD what if I would like to write a fanfic about: the Bonnie/The Bennett edition after rewatching the show, starting from S3.

- Abby's reason for leaving has to do with her daughter/family not Elena/ Gilberts. Everything Abby did was for/because of Bonnie/her mother/husband. I might keep the complexity of Abby not wanting the responsibility of being a witch cause I can understand her POV, but she would've been a better mom and taking her responsibility that she has a child, cause why could she do it with Jamie (he does not exist in my fic and Wilson is an alias while she was on the run/in hiding) and not Bonnie? I think it is possible to separate being a witch and a mom.

Speaking of being a witch, I'd even say Abby had to sacrifice her magic to desiccate Mikael then after 14 years it would return as a sign that Mikael was freed by his compelled (vampire) minions, which makes it so Abby returns to MF to protect her family once more. She finds out her mother isn't alive and get a scene with her visiting the Bennett family graveyard with Bonnie.

-Abby and Bonnie's relationship while strained would've been mended as time went on. They would definitely agree/disagree on how to protect MF and put a halt to Bonnie's borderline selfless that gets herself killed. Abby would put her daughter first like how Elena is put first by the others, especially by Damon and Stefan. In that regard Abby would be more self preserving which would cause friction with the others, but would give Bonnie more agency.

- Abby and Rudy would actually interact as estranged husband and wife (cause the show acted like Rudy didn't exist until S4). Rudy would cope with Abby's return by being a workaholic. Abby would give space until he was ready to talk.

- Lucy would definitely return in my fic, cause she said she'd see her again and the show did her dirty.

That's all I have for now that part.

I do have some other ideas based on the first 'Bennett' witch who arrived to the New World with the Mikaelsons family through Ayana. I'd even introduce her child(ren). After the creation of the Original vampires Ayana and her famjly were force to flee, because a witch created the vampires. They werent safe, Esther got killed by her own child, and the villagers/villages around them would probably have an aversion to witches.

Ayana and her kids could either stay in the New World there or go back to North Africa (excuse the lack of specific country) since historically there was some Viking influence there through raids and plundering. It is the only explanation that makes sense to me as to why she was with the Mikaelson, a Viking family, in Europe in the first place. To briefly touch a bit on Africa in the medieval times : there was (slave) trade between West and North Africa. But that is to flesh it out and have it make sense given the lack of depth the writers gave us in the show.

Don't introduce a character if you can't even make the effort to expand on Bonnie's ancestry other than being a token/relevant for the plot and then retcon or never mention it again in your continued lore (cough, cough Esther in the Originals and the total lack or mention of Ayana). Cause people in fandom are acting dense on purpose when it comes to Ayana and the Bennett influence in TVD and the Supernatural world. But again, if the writers can't show the decency then fandom is gonna follow them.

I would possibly even sprinkle some romance here and there (cause yes, I love my "crack" ships and romantic touches in a story in general c). But my main focus would be the Bennett line and fleshing out their history cause we could've gotten soooo much more and it was such a missed opportunity.

Inspired by the many rants I read in fandom about Bonnie/the Bennets, the fans and a few pro Bonnie/Bennet blogs I started to followed such as @cancerian-woman whose insights I read on repeat together with some other talented writers on here