#Winding Rewinding System

[administer-distractions]

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[maddascanbe-blog]

Power/Kwami re-writes?

I think I'm going to star applying these to redesigns and re-writes, but here is my (current) rewrites of the miraculous power system.

Ladybug- Kwami of Creation and Good Luck

Abilities- Lucky Charm: Creates a solution to whatever problem the user is seeking an answer too and creates a tool to point them in that direction.  Miracle Cure: Can re-create all physical damage to its pre-existing state (only works on physical damage).

Cat- Kwami of Destruction and Misfortune

Abilities- Cataclysm: Allows users to destroy anything they touch, either reducing whatever is to dust, or causing it to stop functioning.  Miracle Purge: Can destroy any presence of the villain left on a person or location after defeat (only works on non physical residue) to cleanse them of the effects.

Fox- Kwami of Memory and Guile

Abilities- Mirage: Creates an Illusion of anything the user wants, the quality being determined by scale and the users attention to detail.  Recall: brings forward the memories of a given location to offer insight to the events that shaped the place.

Butterfly- Kwami of Transmission and Perception

Abilities- Champion: Users can lend their strength to another holder to create a new power, but any attempt to copy another miraculous will be far weaker than the real thing.  Discourse: Allows the user to sense the thoughts of a person who is facing adversity.

Peacock- Kwami of Emotion and Intention

Abilities- Amok: Forms a new body to house part of the soul of the amok bearer to act as an aid, binding them together.  Senti: Creates a new soul, forming a body around the intention and emotion of the person who created them.

Turtle- Kwami of Protection and Diligence

Abilities- Shelter: Forms a barrier that is as strong as the protectors will to maintain it.  Devotion: Guards the users body from change in correlation to their determination to carry on their cause.

Bee- Kwami of Subjugation and Action

Abilities- Sting: Creates a barb that can be used to steal away a person's will, leaving them frozen.  Drone: Imparts a new purpose into a person by the whim of the user.

Mouse- Kwami of Efficiency and Cleaving

Ability- Divide: Separates the user into two or more versions of themself to act as many bodies with one mind, however the more a person divides the smaller they get.

Dragon- Kwami of Parity and The Storm

Ability- Water/Wind/Lightning Dragon: Allows the user to form themselves into the elements of the storm, clearing the path for the world to rebalance itself.

Snake-  Kwami of Intuition and Revision  (Nicknamed the Kwami of the Damned)

Ability- Second Chance: After fixing a point in time, there is a five minute window to return to that point.  The user can change time freely in those five minutes, but do not reset with each rewind.

Rabbit- Kwami of Liminality and Hindsight (Nicknamed the Miraculous of the Outcasts)

Ability- Burrow: The rabbit user can observe the impact of decisions on the timeline, without directly interfering once a branch is created

Horse- Kwami of Passage and Direction

Ability- Voyage: A portal between two points in space is opened to allow journeying between the two.

Monkey- Kwami of Derision an Disruption

Ability- Uproar: When the user calls for a distraction, it can offset their opponents greatest strengths.

Ox- Kwami of Immunity and Resilience

Ability- Steadfast: Once set on a goal, the Ox will be able to power through any attack.

Dog- Kwami of Pursuit and Passion

Ability- Tracker: Once the user's ball touches a quarry they can sense a path set by the movement of their target.

Tiger- Kwami of Exhilaration and Impulsion

Ability- Trounce: All of the attacker's power is pushed into a single attack, with a massive damage output.

Pig- Kwami of Desire and Reverie

Ability- Fancy: Allows the attacked target to escape into the world of their fancy, leaving their mind wandering.

Goat- Kwami of Curiosity and Discovery

Ability- Inquire: The user writes down a specific question, and the answer is revealed to them.

Rooster- Kwami of Pretension and Restriction

Ability- Chicken Scratch: The user can set down a rule, and all those who are present to hear it are bound to it, including the rule giver.

Obviously not all of these are my original ideas. A good chunk of the powers stayed the same, Recall was inspired by @zoe-oneesama in her upgrade for Rena Rouge, and Chicken Scratch was based on an amazing fanfiction by @imthepunchlord. But I will take credit for the Goat, I haven't seen anyone with that Idea yet.

The other thing was what the Kwami's are meant to represent, personally I think all the kwami's covering a small (or large) range would make the most sense. Especially if this is supposed to be the most powerful box. I'm tempted to make a youtube video explaining all my picks, but its really late and I have class tommorow sooooo- lets just talk Trixx and move on.

Illusion doesn't quite feel on par with everything else in the big five, especially once the Bee was changed to Action instead of Subjugation. But I knew I wanted to keep Mirage. So Memory and Guile felt like it hit that nice midpoint. Guile has to do with intelligence and cunning, combined with the memory of the person being necessary to create an accurate copy of whatever/whomever it is.

Also, I have seen a lot of people say they think Miracle Cure removes all stakes and like- i don't really think that's true? Marinette and Adrien are still watching their loved ones get murder/enslaved/tortured/ whatever on the reg, thats plenty of motivation for them to try and minimize the damage already. Not to mention the victims allegedly REMEMBER DYING in most cases. And quite frankly no one in paris would still be alive if the miracle cure didn't exist. So glad cannon has now confirmed Chat Noir does have an equal power, one that might have saved a lot of people money on therapists if Plagg had bothered to tell him about it.

[autumnmobile12]

My Hero Academia: Scientific Terminology for Quirks

At least scientific terms that I think would be used in this world on academic papers and so on. Like how 'Quirk' seems to a layman's term or widely accepted slang while 'meta-ability' is the more technical word used.

...

Aves Class Homo Sapien: Avian-based heteromorph Quirks

Binate-Quirk: A Quirk comprised of two separate and/or unrelated abilities. (Example: Shouto's fire and ice.)

Combustion Immunodeficiency Disorder*: The condition of not having a resistance and/or immunity to fire in spite of having a fire-based Quirk. (Example: Touya.)

Mammalia Class Homo Sapien: Mammal-based heteromorph Quirk

Nonlinear Mutation Phenomenon: The circumstance in which a child is born with a Quirk that has no obvious origin from either parent. (Example: Eri being born with Rewind despite neither of her parents having a Quirk like that.)

Reptilia Class Homo Sapien: Reptile-based heteromorph Quirk

Sentient Animalia Meta-Ability Manifestation Phenomenon: A rare occurrence in which a non-human organism manifests a Quirk. (Example: Nezu.)

Sentient Meta-Ability Phenomenon: A Quirk that has conscious thought, self-awareness, and can communicate with its host and/or other people. (Examples: Tokoyami's Dark Shadow and Rody's Pino.)

Triune-Quirk: A Quirk comprised of three separate and/or unrelated abilities. (Example: Nine's Weather Quirk; his control over precipitation (water), wind, and lightning (electricity.)

Tetrad-Quirk: A Quirk comprised of four separate and/or unrelated abilities. (Unheard of in MHA's canon, but basically what Aang's (ATLA) Quirk would be if he were an MHA character, control over water, earth, fire, and air.)

Vanishing Meta-Ability Syndrome: The sudden and inexplicable loss of one's Quirk. (The technical medical jargon used to describe AFO's actions before doctors realized there was a person behind it, but I can also see sudden Quirk loss happening as a result of a traumatic event, whether it's a physical injury or psychological damage.)

...

*Immunodeficiency is a condition in which the immune system is in some way impaired or absent, generally resulting from a missing component in genetic makeup. Since skin is part of the immune system and Touya's genetic disparity presents itself as his body not having the natural resistance to his fire-Quirk that it's supposed to, I would think doctors in the My Hero 'verse would probably classify that condition as a form of congenital immunodeficiency. That is a word that I can see being slightly redefined/adjusted to suit new medical issues that appeared with the advent of superpowers since I doubt he's the only one who has complications involving an incompatible Quirk.

[aether-wasteland-s]

The Shadows of Neverland

chapter 6 — communing with the dead

After finding what they did, James and William try to adjust to a brand new belief system as a pair of once-sceptics, hold council with brand new members of their crew, and actually try to formulate a concrete plan. Meanwhile, James thinks of a way to spread the news to the lost boys.

FROM THE BEGINNING || PREVIOUS || NEXT

“So, you’re asking me to believe in ghosts now?”

James and William had immediately begun christening their ship the moment they arrived back on shore, with an old piece of driftwood and some black lacquer they’d found on the lowest possible deck. Potentially used for keeping the ship in some sense of order, now their first little ticket to freedom.

This felt like a bit of them. When she had her name, they were one step further from Pan’s grasp, however small that step was. At least, they knew it would feel like they were a little further away.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

“I’m not asking you to believe in anything. But, we both saw it. Vaughan was— you could see right through the man! I don’t know how else you expect to explain that…”

“I wish there was another way to explain it, but nah… We saw a ghost, didn’t we?”

“I believe we did. That, or the heat’s finally getting to us, and Vaughan decided to fuck with us a little… But either way, there’s gonna be twenty more of them coming down the coastline shortly, I reckon it’s something we need to get used to.”

“Such is the way, it seems.” William spared a glance towards the sign, where James was leaning up against the board with his elbow and adding the final, albeit shaky touches to the lettering. “’specially round here. We ain’t gonna win if we can’t match what this place is throwin’ at us.”

“Exactly why I think these ghosts might actually do us some good.”

They met in the middle of the paint job, and James held off to let William finish off, and possibly even neaten it up more than he ever could. He ran to fetch a length of rope from which to suspend it, and by the time he returned, William was already in the middle of a conversation with Vaughan, and James made note of a number of other spirits stood a little way back.

“… Breached from the cave, or so I heard.”

Vaughan shook his head slowly. “I tell you, I haven’t seen that godforsaken demon in such a long time, it almost feels a grand relief. It wouldn’t think about us, really. Not after it had its way.”

James returned down the gangplank, winding and rewinding the coil of rope around his arm over and over. William’s brow creased. “Not at all?”

“Its already killed the lot of us, what’s the damn point?”

“I mean, there was little, but I’m fairly certain that’s about to change now…”

“That’s true,” James agreed quietly. “You’re going to be a target again, we seem to be frequented by the thing. Good day, Vaughan. Is this all of you?”

“Yes, I didn’t exactly promise numbers, Mr Callaghan…”

“I can’t say I’m disappointed, anything would be better than the two of us trying to face it together, that’s for sure.” He turned his attention towards the gathering. “Well met, gentlemen,” he called, trying to ascertain some confidence. “I’m afraid we’re very much at liberty here, its whims are unpredictable, but you will be a welcome cause to start planning a counterstrike.”

“Tell me more about this plan for revenge you have,” Vaughan hummed, intrigued.

“I invite you and your men aboard to discuss it. I’m afraid I have little in the way of an actual plan, but now I know what I have, it’ll be far easier to come up with something.”

It didn’t take long before the deck actually looked somewhat functional, as if there had been a crew on the planks for a long time. The spirits each took a little adjusting, but most of them had been sailors in some previous years, and immediately knew what was what. James and William admired it, in a way, and the familiarity of a full deck definitely seemed to help some.

James led William and Vaughan into the plan. They stood around the hefty desk in the captain’s quarters, over an empty spread in the journal and an opportunity. From the little window at the side, they could just about make out the cave, and that served as more than enough inspiration for what they had in mind.

“You’ve tangled with this shadow before, yes?” Vaughan asked warily, sparing a glance outwards.

“Aye,” William admitted with a slow shake of his head. “We’ve seen it and tangled with it both.”

James sighed. “Seen both that demon in the darkness, and the boy he’s puppeteering to fulfil whatever it has in mind. I’ve the scars to prove it.”

Vaughan nodded stiffly. “This is no light matter, as you both well know. There’s something about that darkness that’s… Consuming. Dark in a way nothing’s ever been dark before.”

“I remember being swarmed. Tryna find a way out. There’s no escapin’ that thing, that’s all I know.”

“Exactly,” James agreed. “It’s intent on taking all the advantage you have, leaving you with nothing but your own wits. That’s why we have to be sharper, and that’s why the numbers are gonna help. Vaughan, as I said, we can’t deal with the shadow on our own— as well you know, I assume…”

“I know. Believe me, enough of my men tried to fend off their fates, but there was no running from that thing.”

“Conquering the darkness is only part of it. With enough preparation, we could put up a stand with you and yours. I don’t believe it would be capable of being in that many places at once, since it seemed to control the shadows in the cave en masse. William, what did you see on the coast that first time?”

“Near enough the same thing,” William admitted. “It was one large mass, that just kept multiplyin’.”

“Right, so its only one entity. By all accounts, capable of taking any shadow it can, but have we proof that it’s truly anything but a way to hide?”

Vaughan’s eyes grew wide. “What are you saying, Callaghan?”

“I’m saying that it may not be as much a threat as we believe. It’s almost… Natural, dare I say, to be afraid of the dark for us. And by now, I’m sure it knows that. It’s using that.”

“I think you’re onto something.”

William wrote that down. James presented a theory he’d been dwelling upon since he was left stranded in the black with a barely shining torch as his only beacon. Pan hadn’t taken more than one of the lost boys, even though it had claimed multiple. If it were capable, he thought aloud, then it would have had all of them on its side. Thus, he thoroughly believed that it had a limit, and that limit extended to the darkness, and trying to make itself seem as intimidating as possible.

“Think about it,” he leaned forwards against the table, looking between Vaughan and William. “William, it didn’t take you on, because you only saw shadow. Mr Vaughan, did it ever try to best you or any of your men by itself?”

Vaughan fell silent in thought for a moment, running his hand through his hair. “No. It tried to turn us against each other, sure. Cooper almost paid the price for it, but it never tried to take us on from the darkness.”

“Sorry, it tried to turn you on your fellas?” William asked, stunned.

“Mhm. There was something awful strange about it. Cooper turned on us without explanation. One moment, we were tryna get back on our feet, figure out where the hell we were, y’know how it is… Next thing I knew, Cooper was lashing out.”

“Did you notice anything strange about him?” James pressed, intrigued.

“Now you mention… His eyes. Dead. Clouded over. Such as they are now, I’d say… It was like the lights weren’t on upstairs, if you know what I mean…”

James nodded slowly. William took a slow intake of breath. “That’s the other thing, isn’t it? We need not be afraid of the dark, especially if we now have the numbers to fight it off if needs be, but there’s the whole matter of what it does to people. Clearly, we need to be wary of the possession.”

“You of all people know that one, James.”

“Aye, too true. There’s a boy, I don’t know whether he’s living or dead, but he’s with the shadow now. And there are others. I wouldn’t ask any of them to join this effort, not on my life, but is there a chance that we could be too slow, and that we’d have to end up taking on all of them?”

“The lost boys?” Vaughan seemed to spark some kind of recognition in the mention of others, and he absently looked out beyond the cave.

“You know of them?”

“Where are they these days?”

“In the forest…”

“It was us who suggested they move inland. Especially given how likely it was they were going to be found.”

James sighed, relieved. “I owe you credit, Vaughan. They live on because of that.”

“It has been a while too long since last I saw them. It’s good to know they’re still kicking.”

“Am I the only one who don’t know ‘bout these kids?” William asked.

Vaughan looked to James. James looked to Vaughan. Seeing the same results, both of them nodded.

“Don’t worry about that, William. Come the right time, if and when we finally disperse of this demon, I plan to leave this godforsaken island and take as many of them as possible with us. If we make it, then we’re home free, and need never turn back towards this place so long as we might live. You’ll get more than enough of a chance then.”

William inclined his head. “Okay. And what of now?”

“The plan? Well, there’s only one place to start, of course. Gents, would we have the better advantage if we went storming on in there and tried to battle it in its own domain, or if we waited and let it come to us?”

“We have the advantage of the water,” Vaughan commented.

“That is true…”

“But on the other hand, if we went stormin’, it wouldn’t be able to garner when we were gonna strike. It’d have the advantage of location, but wouldn’t be able to tell shit about when the fight was.” William countered.

“Take both of those into account, William.” James absently pushed at one of the loose leafs of paper, weighing up both of the choices. “As William puts it, we could have an advantage either way, either through the element of surprise or of the location. But, we’d have our disadvantages as well, you’ve gotta consider that.”

“Play us both sides, then,” Vaughan gestured for James to continue, and he started to pace the length of the table.

“Well, obviously, if we were to storm in there, we’d have the element of surprise, but it has the location. It can spin that however it wants to, and then who knows what’s going to happen after that? But, if we were to wait it out, then we’d have the advantage of the ground. We can choose how that fight’s going to go, but it’ll only last for so long. As soon as it gets its feet, so to speak, we will be swarmed on our own turf, and none of us are capable of guessing how far the darkness can go. Besides, if we’re all in one place, then it can take us too, pick us off one by one.”

William sighed quietly, just about managing to keep up with what was being said. He was on the verge of making a tally, counting up everything that had been said and measuring it from both ends, when Vaughan seemed to perk up with the spark of an idea, and muttered, “but what if most of us were dead? Can it even pick us off?” and suddenly, everything in the room stopped.

James seemed to hold his breath. William’s pen stopped running across the page. All eyes were suddenly on Vaughan, and he saw the hint of a smile creep onto James’ face.

“Wait, you might be onto something here…”

Vaughan nodded eagerly. “I would like to offer the thought that, as evidenced so far, its only taken over the living. And, this crew is comprised of men mostly beyond those years.”

“The only real threat is to me an’ you…” William mused, looking over to James.

“So we can’t even be picked off. What does that leave it with over this way?”

The three of them gathered around William’s notes. Once again, William ran them through what they’d decided was their greatest disadvantages. Seeing what they’d talked about, and narrowing it down with Vaughan’s given advantage, they were left with only one thing. James’ smile grew into a grin, and he nodded triumphantly.

“The fight is ours to take! We have no reason to take it to other territory, we have the better chance here, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I certainly would,” Vaughan glanced over William’s shoulder one more time. “It gives us the chance to prepare, too. If it’s on our terms, we can have it our way, no?”

“Right! And don’t we deserve that right?” The two of them turned their attention. “What say you, William?”

William deliberated. Looked over his own notes until he knew every word by heart. Felt the flood of victory crawl into his heart and set it alight with passion. He slammed the pen onto the open notes. “What say I? I say we best get ourselves prepared!”

James laughed. The crew outside the cabin heard an eruption of cheers, as if they’d already won the battle, despite none of them having made a move to start a fight.

“That’s the spirit! Today, we begin! Drive this shadow from the land, if we must!”

“And how d’you propose we start that one?”

“We get our numbers on board with the plan, let everyone know what we plan to do and talk specifics in the future.”

“And the boys?” Vaughan asked.

“I’ll make sure they know. Join as they might, or avoid as they might, they deserve the right as much as we do, yeah?”

“Go and spread the word. Smee and I will handle the crew.”

James nodded once, already running what he was going to say before he even left the cabin. He wandered off onto the beach and heard the raise of excited voices as the news spread from spirit to spirit before he even made it to the treeline. If this was as easy as they had planned it, then they would have Pan within their grasp before long.

He near enough ran the length of the forest, only stopping by the point of his sword when he needed to carve himself a new way through the trees. Branches broke underfoot, and for the first time since his arrival, he hadn’t the mind to wonder whether something was going to follow him into the thicket.

What he had was a solid plan. It had been such a long time since his desperation had shone through so prevalent, and even longer since he’d managed to create any semblance of a plan with that much success. And it seemed a breeze, too. It seemed like waiting and luring Pan to their territory was the one thing that was going to guarantee them the freedom that they wanted, and the revenge that they deserved.

They had the time. They knew what they were going to be working with, and now, they had that much needed upper hand.

He’d been trying to translate his thoughts as he went, looking for a way to break the news. Frankly, he was mulling it over for a long time, even with his haste and the added speed, and it took him a while before he began to wonder whether he’d gotten himself lost.

The undergrowth had never been this well shaded before, had it?

Not even in the dead of night…

Even then, he had some form of sight, didn’t he? The moonlight had broken through the canopy, but now, he was wandering blind. Either this was an area unfamiliar, or—

He stopped abruptly. Of course it had been a fools’ errand to run into the forest after making such a plan, still riding the high of everything falling into place. Of course he had been the fool for thinking he, or anyone, could get away with trying to spread the plan.

The darkness was roaming. If he thought it couldn’t get darker around him, he found himself sorely mistaken when the black haze drew in thicker around him. His eyes widened, and he tried to force any kind of sight above him, or through the trees, or…

Shit.

Instinct started screaming at him. Turn around and run. Run. Just run!

Without a second thought to the matter, he turned on his heel and began sprinting through the trees, uncaring what he was following and where he was going to end up. The further away he was from the camp, the better, and that was all his mind let him care about.

His breath started running short as he stumbled through, and he dared to spare a glance over his shoulder, just in time to watch a spike of pure darkness wild its way out of nothing and pass like a dart through the air.

It struck him in the centre of his back, and he had to fight to keep his feet. The trees’ shadows seemed to morph around him, twisting until their branches turned gnarled and entirely wrong. James shuddered, but tried to ignore it as much as he could until it seemed that they were coming out of the ground itself.

They were.

They were coming out of the ground.

The shadows cast by the trees were set against him.

He didn’t have the time to think. He all but threw himself through the forest, dodging the clawed shadow branches as they reached up like the arms of corpses towards him, trying to find purchase against his ankles, his shins, his thighs…

A laugh— that laugh— tore through the rush of the wind and the catching of James’ own breath. James grit his teeth, tripping over his own feet to get away. “Fuck fuck fuck—“

“Think yourself smart enough, James?”

The branches began to twist, physically jamming themselves together as the tendrils shot up from the ground. James looked up, trying to find some consistency in the actual vision of the trees.

Asides from the interruption from a slight breeze, the trees looked all too ordinary. The branches were just that— strong, sturdy branches— and for what it was worth, he was almost relieved by the sight of it.

In his moment of pause, the twisted branches snaking across the ground latched onto his ankle. It was freezing cold, and so quick to snare that he was forced back into perspective. He tore his gaze from the final shreds of normality that remained in his scope of vision, and tried to pull himself free.

Something started moving beyond the surface, and James just about managed to pry himself from the branches and start running again before he could really think about it. He drew his blade, aware in part that it wouldn’t actually do anything, and tried to find clear ground.

But sidestepping the shadows and the unnaturally sharp reaches of foliage trying to scrape him back grew harder the longer he made himself run. Eventually, there came a point where he almost tripped over his own feet, and he saw the branches grow unholy thorns.

For a moment, he stopped, and drove his sword into the ground. Maybe it was desperation, or maybe he hoped he could create his own lightning rod for the darkness, but something made him stop in the middle of a glade and plunge the business end of his sword into the middle of the amassing shadows.

One of the spectral branches curled up the edge of the blade, and James couldn’t help but to stare as a lingering feeling of momentary power washed over him. He kept his hand firmly on the hilt— half afraid that he was about to lose that one too, and half determined that his little plan was actually doing something— and lifted his head towards the darkness that had been following him.

The sword started to creak under his hand, and in a motion that he’d had no time to think about, he ripped it from the earth, and took the shadow with him.

“My god…”

It didn’t make a modicum of sense, but that didn’t matter. Before he could turn one way or another and ascertain his location, he swung out, and watched the branches start to retreat to avoid being struck. He didn’t care how strange it was, he could use this.

He started backing off slowly, and kept the ambush at bay by the point of his sword as he retreated. After that mix of stupid decisions and instinct talking in a hastily concocted cocktail, finding his way back to the coast was easy. There was a part of his memory attuned to which way the forest stretched out, and for how long in each direction. He’d already been escaping for long enough that he was aware he was heading in the right direction, it was just a matter of how long he could keep his assailants at bay with this wispy root he’d torn from the mix.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the Revenge. Never had a more welcome sight emerged from a point of actually failing what he set out to do…

With a final arc, he left the myriad shadows behind in the forest, turned away, and started sprinting down the beach. The moment he entered back into light, the tendril of branch he’d picked up along the way vanished like it was never there, leaving behind only a single black twinge at the end of the sword.

He collapsed to his knees in the sand, far from anything that could cast a shadow over him, and breathed.

If he hadn’t been ambushed, Pan would’ve kept advancing… It would have only been a matter of time before it found the camp, and then what? Would it have been too late?

“You’ve returned early…” Vaughan’s voice drew him out of his thoughts, and he looked up quickly to avoid pressing the matter any further.

“Didn’t make it…” he breathed, brushing a hand through his hair. “It was waiting.”

“What?”

“It was waiting. I dunno, I think it might’ve been heading for the camp, but that’s—“a brief glance behind him. The forest had seemingly returned back to it’s normal state. At least, there was nothing creeping out from beneath the trees, so he assumed the worst had passed.

“Does it know of our plans?”

“Hard to say. Most of the time it just likes taunting the hell outta me, but I can’t assume anything either way.”

[all-hail-trudos]

The way Zelda redditors behave like BotW is going to be the template for future titles is absolutely hilarious. They are convinced that Nintendo is done with classic Zelda elements forever. TotK proves it! Never mind that they can barely agree on whether this even deserves to be called a new game or overpriced DLC. Or that Nintendo themselves have said that this was a very big experiment, where they let a team comprised of mostly younger devs run the show, and the director of BotW has actually left the company to go work on Infinity Nikki of all things. I don't know what the future of Zelda is going to look like. I can't see Nintendo just walking back everything they did in BotW. (And they better not. Skyward Sword is the worst mainline Zelda title, and BotW was the exact opposite of the hand holding the series had gotten really bad for). However, we can guarantee one thing for sure. The open-air game concept that specifically defined Breath of the Wild and its direct sequel Tears of the Kingdom is not simply going to be the new template for the series.

I could leave it there with a "because Nintendo said so" but it's midnight and I'm already making bad decisions, so I'm going to go one further and back this up with a second supporting argument. That's not how Nintendo as a company works. That's not how they've ever worked. They stopped doing rational, clear iterative upgrades when they followed up the Gamecube with the Wii. The Zelda series itself has constantly been one of self reinvention. Ocarina of Time is incredibly special in that Breath of the Wild is the first time they've so clearly broken away from the model it set. But when you look at the rest of the series, it's obvious BotW was the biggest experiment, but not even remotely the first. Majora's Mask turned the main gameplay concept on its head by putting everything on a Very. Tight. Timer. When you hit midnight of the third day, that was it. Rewind or die. All your progress was reset except for your sword (iirc), your masks, and your rupees if you put them in the bank (because the banker was a time traveler?). Wind Waker flooded the whole continent and had you sailing around on a boat, using a proto-physics system to fill your sails. The wide open world of OoT was gone altogether, and Princess Zelda didn't show up until halfway through the game (we won't talk about what they did to Tetra). Twilight Princess made the game super linear and made Zelda herself almost secondary to the plot. Actually, TP almost feels like the most direct callback to OoT with the doubling down on horse mounted combat, an art style that looked more like it next to whatever WW was doing (but which would ultimately age a lot worse), dungeons that also felt more directly inspired, and a combat system that was a little less fluid and reactive. But it also had Link temporarily become a werewolf, and gave us an egregiously underappreciated Spaghetti Western shootout that came out of nowhere and was all together too brief. Then Skyward Sword came along, which was the least reinventive of the bunch mechanically, but which did at least try to turn the classic narrative on its head. Also Zelda went from being barely there to being a driving character in the narrative. And she walked so BotW Princess Zelda could run. That said, imho, you can see why they leaned so much harder into experimentation with their next game that nearly skipped a whole console generation, because by SS the series tropes were getting a little too strong. The series was actually drifting into iterative territory, and that's not the typical Nintendo way. Especially not with one of their two core in-house franchises.

(Please don't bring up Pokemon here. I know it's Nintendo's third core franchise. But please remember, Zelda and Mario are solely owned by Nintendo, while Pokemon is at this point is at the center of an entire corporate conglomerate, which Nintendo is only part of).

I get that some people didn't enjoy BotW. I can sympathize with the people who did not want more like it and who were consequently less than thrilled by TotK's arrival. But bemoaning the fall of the franchise and saying Nintendo is going to be like Ubisoft, EA, and all the other trend chasing studios out there is really going too far. Nintendo has spent too many years baffling investors to start doing that now. Yes, Tears of the Kingdom exists. No, it's not proof of the trend. It was a planned sequel (itself an enormously rare concept in Zelda history). You can't make a planned story and gameplay sequel to a game and just throw away the concept you're following up on. That would be an enormously bad idea. (Worse, even, than trying to make your sequel game stand on its own for new players and erasing nearly all memory of Link from the same people he helped save. I love TotK so much, but I am not blind to its flaws, what few there are).

ALSO yes Echoes of Wisdom has Zelda stacking beds into a diy staircase. NO that doesn't mean we're seeing a return of this apparently beloathed systems-based physics gameplay in 2D fashion. If there were physics, the beds would have fallen over. That's like calling Minecraft or Dragon Quest Builders a physics based exploration game just because they have objects you can stack. That is the dumbest take I've seen come out of a community that is profoundly skilled at coming out with dumb takes.

[noodleblade]

another idea if you want, the Lost Light makes a detour to visit a cold planet and the crew gets to play with the snow, snow fight!

AHHH THIS WAS CUTE ;--; i hope you don't mind the rodimags/rodimims 👉👈 i love them dearly. Also because this got very self indulgent, there's some various other implied pairings:3 I just want everyone happy and having a good time. ok, ive also given up on this 500 word max challenge i cant do it

Rodimus grinned widely as he stared out across the snow fields of Chioni V. The tiny outpost planet was always a frozen wasteland but it was rare for its harsh winds to die and its dark, violent clouds to part for the local system’s two suns to shine through. It truly was good fortune for land for a restock on the planet’s one nice day every 2000 years or so. Or whatever Perceptor’s prediction models had declared. 

It didn’t matter to Rodimus. As soon as he’d seen the opening, there was little his Second in Command or his “Co-Captain” could do to stop him from declaring a shipwide snow day. By the time his announcement had echoed through the intercom system of the Lost Light, it was too late to turn down the crowd of mechs disembarking the ship to see one of the many delights of the universe.

It was especially hard to deny them now when, for once, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. 

Close to the ship, several mechs had begun construction of snowmen. Rung seemed to be leading the operation, helping Fort Max’s large servos apply the right amount of pressure to form the balls without crushing them with his strength. In a very short amount of time, the two of them had made eerily realistic figures of various crew members out of the dusty white snow. 

By the icy shore of a small lake, Cyclonus stood watchful guard as Whirl spun lazy circles around a stumbling Tailgate. Even across the distance, Rodimus could hear Whirl’s delighted laughter as he goaded Cyclonus to join them. Tailgate’s own giggles cross the distance. Rodimus wondered how long it would actually take Cyclonus to dare the slippery terrain. Judging by the way Cyclonus inched towards the ice, it would not be long.

Several mechs had coupled off to wander the frozen wonderland. Brainstorm was dragging Perceptor around to look at the frozen vegetation, almost appearing crystalized beneath the layers of ice. If Perceptor was bothered by Brainstorm’s tugging, he never showed it, never making an attempt to pull from the warm hand hold.

Rodimus even spied Ratchet trudging through the snow. He looked cold, but his scowl was difficult to hide as Drift pressed against him, holding the medic’s sensitive hands close to his chest for warmth. Their smiles were soft but warm. 

Out in the flats of the snowy plains, Rodimus could see a group of mechs playing in the snow. It looked as if teams had formed, Chromedome leading one with Rewind taking the opposition. While Chromedome had built a versatile team of mechs all across the different fields of the Lost Light, it paled in comparison to the absolute powerhouse that was Rewind’s team. Rodimus wasn’t sure how Rewind had convinced Megatron to join his team, let alone play, but Rewind looked smug as he sat on Megatron’s broad shoulder, directing his army of mechs with startling ease. If Chromedome was scared, he didn’t show it. He did, however, seem to be building his team in a more defensive formation, building thick walls to protect them from what would be a pure onslaught of snowballs once the fighting began. 

Rodimus wanted to join, eager to get in the fight. He was about to race across the plans when it hit him that there was someone missing. He stopped, scanning the fields again and checking it with the ship’s manifest. Sure enough, one mech was missing. Really two.

Ultra Magnus, and therefore Minimus Ambus, was absent from the crew-wide excursion. 

Rodimus swept the grounds once more, seeing no sign of blue and white plating or the even more elusive green and white. He sent a ping request and was unsurprised when his Second answered almost immediately. Even in his avoidance, Ultra Magnus was prompt as always. His ping came from the bridge and as much as Rodimus wanted to join the festivities, he was not going to allow his companion to hole up. So with great reluctance, Rodimus walked the gangplank back to the ship and made a beeline for the bridge.

Sure enough, Rodimus found his second seated at his station, helm bowed as he reviewed one of the many datapads stacked on his desk. Admittedly, he was a little surprised to see Minimus rather than Magnus, but that surprise was pushed aside by knowledge that Minimus was growing more comfortable forgoing the armor.

“Whatcha doing, Mims?” Rodimus asked as he approached the mech. He grinned deviously as Minimus’s mustache twitched with annoyance at the nickname.

“Someone needs to monitor the bridge.”

Rodimus rolled his optics as he crossed the distance to push the datapad away from Minimus’s reach, using the empty space to lean in, helm just a tad above the smaller mech’s.

“No. She’s fine for a few hours. Besides, you can bring the remote observation meters with you if you must.”

Minimus avoided his gaze as he reached over to grab another datapad. “That’s okay. I’m quite fine working.” Before the datapad could be set in front of him, Rodimus snatched it out of his hands and set it right back on the stack. “Rodimus.”

“Minimus,” the Captain countered right back. “Today is a shipwide snow day. For everyone. Including you.”

Minimus sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, optics narrowed. “This is pointless.”

“Megatron is even out there. He’s in a snowball fight,” Rodimus groaned, just as exasperated. “Decepticon Warlord Megatron is having a snowball fight and you are sitting here reading the newspaper-”

“They are valuable reports-”

“Oh, whatever,” Rodimus cut right through. “Come on, Mims, you have to come out. That’s an order from your Captain. Your favorite Captain.”

Minimus didn’t appear to be wholly amused but he still pushed his chair away from the desk, climbing to his pedes with a small huff. 

“Fine.”

“Really?” Rodimus perked up, rounding the desk quick to fall in step with his Second. 

“If I must.”

“And you must,” Rodimus was quick to assure, lest he give Minimus an out to be a bigger stick in the mud. “And you must join me in the snowball fight.”

Minimus stopped in his tracks and narrowed his optics at Rodimus. “Absolutely not.”

“Awwww,” Rodimus groaned, reaching to grab Minimus by the shoulder. “Come on, we’d be unstoppable. I was to destroy Megatron and I need you.”

Minimus looked from Rodimus over to where his hand rested against Minimus’s shoulders. Slowly, the smaller mech reached up and laid his hand over Rodimus’s. 

“I’m sure you can defeat Megatron without me.”

“Obviously,” Rodimus grinned, cocksure and bright. “But I want to see the look of horror on his face as you help me. Please? One game, and you can go back to the bridge if you want.”

Minimus contemplated the request for a long moment, his fingers shifting against the back of Rodimus’s hand before he slowly nodded his helm.

“Okay,” Minimus said slowly. Before Rodimus could cheer, Minimus added, “On one stipulation.”

“Mims, if you are asking me to do paperwork with you-”

“No, no,” Minimus quickly assured, squeezing Rodimus’s hand gently. “No, not that this time. I just…would like you to join me later. On the bridge. We can share a cube of warmed energon. If you’d like.”

Rodimus blinked, the words rolling across his processor for a moment before a grin sprang to his face growing bigger and bigger by the second. “Aw, shucks Mims, asking me out on a date? That’s cute.”

“No,” Minimus yelped, stepping away from Rodimus and quickly walking towards the exit of the ship. “Forget it, actually. We’ll play your silly game and be done.”

“And then we’ll share energon together,” Rodimus called after him, racing to fall back into step. He dropped his voice to a softer whisper, reaching out once again to grasp Minimus’s shoulder. “At night, the skies form an aurora. You usually can’t see it ‘cause of the clouds but we should be able to see them tonight. Together. If you dig it.”

Minimus did not shrug off Rodimus’s touch, quietly reaching up to grab his hand once more. Hesitantly, the smaller mech nodded. “I think I would…I would dig that.”

[cat-mermaid]

real talk Wendell and Wild should have been as huge and beloved as Coraline

but its not, cos it has like

TWENTY FUCKING MAIN CHARACTERS THAT ALL DEMAND EQUAL SCREEN TIME

Wendell and Wild, the dudes the movies about, have so little fucking screen time, you forget the movie is about them😡 Instead the whole thing goes at a weird hyperactive unfocused pace that makes it hard to remember what the actual main plot is about, cuz thers like 5 secondary plots all fighting for attention

The whole plot is made borderline incoherent because we keep having to check in with all these side characters who clearly have these histories and deep backstories but this is a movie, not a tv series (and it feels like someone really wanted it to be) and theres only so much damn time

Like they make you spend time with that nun and dude in the wheel chair and imply that these two have a really important and interesting past but then nothing fucking comes of it and why did we spend 4 minutes of this movie learning about it then????????😕

I'd say that wat this needed was another two or three passes at the editing desk, with the biiiiiig pruning sheers, but no. Someone somewhere was like WE'RE GETTING ALL THESE VOICE ACTORS AND BY GOD THEY ARE ALL GOING TO GET BIG JUICY CHUNKS OF TIME IN THIS AND MAKE IT WORK GODDAMMIT

You could cut out over half the cast and not lose anything

Today I was on a call and someone was asking me about this movie and I just sat there, brain stalling, because I was trying to put together the whole damn thing and I could barely piece the whole thing together narratively -

"uhh so this girl's parents die in a car crash, she ends up in the foster system, and winds up in this fancy school where uh, everyone is, uh, super very nice to her and she hates them? How dare they? And uh two devil guys hate their dad's hell amusement park. Yeah. Fuck that guy. So they want to run away and start their own hell park, but nice and all aesthetic? Uhhh but they needsa "hell maiden" to let them out? And the main girl is one? And devil dudes lie and say they can uh bring back her parents if she helps them?"

-but thats hardly the movie, theres all this other shit thats happening that makes the main plot so damn small and flimsy, I haven't even brought up the other major shit like the super jail and the "come back to life cream" and the zombies and I'm tired already rewinding it all in my brain

so many fucking characters and non of them are even engaging at all, christ

I wanted to love this movie so fucking bad, I was looking forward to it for years. I love Henry Selick, I love stop motion animation, I love Jordan Peele, LOOK AT THESE CHARACTERS DAMMIT:

I just don't fucking believe it, because-

but this whole thing smacks of

involved with this production, it doesn't feel focused and tight the way that Coraline did. That movie had like 12 voice actors, many also playing their characters "other" selves, and ever character felt good and necessary

With W&W it felt like they kept getting new big names onboard and forcing the whole thing to be rewritten to accommodate the new characters again and again

the ending is such a cluster fuck that i low key got embarrassed explaining it because i felt like a 6 year old making up shit about a movie they'd never seen

[abimee]

can I ask why one of your ocs is called first victim

in the world of YOU (ME) lives a man named Mimi who murdered his girlfriend/fiance Darcie, and in return begged the god of Time, Stopper, to rewind it

however, when it was rewound, he still wounded up killing his wife every time, and after the fifth time Stopper made hiim privy to the fact that he has asked for a second chance multiple times and the outcome is still the same. Mimi, being a scientist, realizes that this is knowledge only known between him and the time god, and becomes obsessed and fascinated with the finality of his fiuture as a horrible person.

Stopper doesn't rewind this time, but she gave Mimi information he should've never been privvy to, and watches as he tries to investigate the world further as to WHY this event --- him killing his wife --- is unavoidable. He stops showing remorse for his actions and instead shows morbid curiosity with his new plan; he wants to bring Darcie back himself.

He, with some manipulation of Stopper, finds out three core concepts in his world's existence; that people are two seperate forms, a soul (Object) and a body (Sprite), any soul (Object) can attach to any body (Sprite) while staying the same person, but by making that soul (Object) attach to a new body (Sprite), they are considered a new existence, and therefore whatever is befalling Darcie down the path of being murdered can be both further avoided AND she can be brought back to life by bringing her soul (Object) into a new body (Sprite).

He calls his research into this ''Beacons''; bodies that can be used to summon forth the souls of the dead. He calls them beacons because he believes all souls in this world drift off into the expansive darkness the gods, like Stopper, live in, and Beacons are bodies that guide them back to the living world, like lighthouse beacons.

Mimi is the older brother of Drew, who is friends with first victim. Mimi is also one of the two teachers at the only school left on the island, and first victim and drew are both in his class. first victim is otherwise a lonely teenager who doesnt have any familty and no support system, making her an easy victim to Mimi's needs; he needs a body that is still alive, to be his first test into being a Beacon, and find out what properties a body needs to house another person's soul in it.

Therefore, first victim is Mimi's first victim --- she was groomed and brought to his lab where he attemped call forth his dead girlfriend's soul into her, but first victim fought back against it and managed to escape, but the attempt left a mark; first victim became physically withdrawn, and stopped talking to drew. She also began wearing an eyepatch over one eye, because the failed summoning left bits and pieces of Darcie supposedly within her, and the two souls trying to ''fit'' into one body has caused one of her eyes to bleed sporadically. First victim disappears one day altogether, and her friends never see her again

when You, the protagonist of this story, meets First Victim and the crew, it is presented as if You had woken up after being attacked and was taken to Lilly's apartment, where Drew suddenly walks in with first victim in tow. You and the crew wind up going on an adventure down underneath to a world called the Comical Kingdom, which lives in the puddle reflections to the fjallo islands. There, first victim is seen acting like her usual self, but with an eyepatch over her eye.

when You returns from this adventure, you (the player) and You find out what really happened; everything You just experienced happened 11 years ago, before they were born, back when first victim was still alive. You was not truly there to experience those events, but rather experienced a memory of those events. This is the only true time the audience ever hears or sees first victim

all of this was to prepare you for the answer btw. First Victim is not Actually named that, but her name was never known to You, and therefore the audience, and all she was remembered as by the system was the First Victim, so when You experiences the memory of her, her name is replaced with the title "First Victim''. So every time Drew, or Lily, or anybody says her true name, all the audience can see/hear is ''First Victim'', but the characters themselves are saying her true name. This is due to manipulation Mimi started to exhibit over the universe when he disappeared off tothe in-between, where he could manipulate the very existence of things, and wanted to wipe First Victim's existence away to hide what he had done'

i will also never reveal First Victim's true name 👍

[justinspoliticalcorner]

NYT: Racked by rain and enraptured by a QAnon-infused "miracle cure" called "medbeds"

Eli Saslow at NYT:

The company was co-founded in 2020 by Warren Armour, a conservative with no media experience who runs a flooring company in Tennessee, but Michael admired the Patriot Party News slogan when he first saw it shared on Facebook last year: “If you hate mainstream media, you are going to love us!” Michael started watching the site’s daily videos about election fraud and vaccine pseudoscience, some of which have now been viewed more than a million times. He signed up for the company’s social media platform and paid $8.99 a month to join the audio channel, which functions like an old ham radio and promised him the chance to “meet comrades in our battle for the soul of America.”

On some days, Michael listened to the channel for as many as 12 hours, with the audio feed piped directly into his hearing aids to drown out the tedium of his pain. He narrated his daily ranching tasks for the group and sent photos of his crops. Other members responded with recipes, virtual prayers for rain and a steady drumbeat of extremist political ideology that increasingly mirrored his own. In a fracturing country, here was an echo chamber with the power to turn fringe conspiracy theories into widely accepted political dogmas — that the Covid vaccine was poison, the mainstream media was deceitful and the federal government was controlled by a “deep state cabal” that had stolen the 2020 election from former President Donald J. Trump and was now trying to orchestrate his assassination.

[...] Cheryl Chesebro, 61, had known her husband to be a realist for most of his life. Michael had enlisted in the Army at 17 because he couldn’t afford to pay for college and then agreed to jump out of planes for a $2,500 sign-up bonus. But after a total of 42 surgeries on his back, shoulders, ankles and knees, he’d come to distrust the government he’d served. He invested in wind and solar power so his family didn’t have to rely on the U.S. power grid. He bought gold in case the U.S. financial system collapsed and then started collecting shoe boxes full of foreign currency from the Middle East and Africa, believing that it could eventually be as valuable as the U.S. dollar. For the first time in his life, he became consumed by politics and then enamored with Trump, another government skeptic who sometimes spoke in the language of conspiracy theories. The former president had helped popularize lies about Barack Obama’s birthplace, widespread election fraud and the “hoax” of climate change — all of which had become part of the founding DNA of Patriot Party News. [...]

Of all the wild conspiracies he’d discovered on Patriot Party News, the concept of medbeds had initially struck Michael as the most far-fetched, even if it was also among the most popular. Every few days, someone else on the platform shared an illustration of a futuristic-looking chamber, sometimes with a doctored image of Trump superimposed in the foreground. The founder of the site, Armour, sometimes mentioned videos or podcasts about medbeds that had become popular on the far-right corners of Telegram, Discord and Rumble, and Michael clicked on the links, as did millions of others. The videos claimed with no evidence that the U.S. military was already in possession of advanced, or possibly even alien, technology that could cure all disease and extend human life. There were said to be at least three types of medbeds already in existence in secret military tunnels. One, a “holographic medbed,” scanned the body to instantly diagnose and then heal any sickness, no matter how severe. Another bed was able to regenerate personal DNA so people could regrow missing limbs in a few minutes. A third was designed for reverse aging and could rewind people’s bodies to the age and condition of their choosing.

The only holdup, according to the videos, was that a collection of liberal billionaires kept hoarding the technology for themselves. On the Patriot Party News audio feed, people speculated that medbeds wouldn’t be available to the public until Trump was back in control of the White House, at which point everyone would be invited to make appointments for free at a secret underground military base. “We are about to cross that start line into our medbed future,” said an Australian woman who called herself Skye Prince and claimed to be a military expert, in a video shared on Patriot Party News that has been viewed several million times. “We are leaving a life of poverty, ill health, uncertainty, and moving into wealth, abundance, perfect health. You could almost say we are about to be born again.” “Thank God the wait is almost over!” Michael heard someone say on the audio channel in the last days of spring. “Medbeds are finally coming. I hope I can get my mom to the front of the line since she’s Stage 4.”

[...] Instead, there was only repetition — the same medbed fantasies repeated over and over each day on the audio feed until the initial shock wore off within a few weeks and Michael’s skepticism wore down into curiosity and then into the beginnings of hope. He knew from experience that the military was capable of harboring secret, advanced technology. He remembered talking to members of his unit on a satellite phone years before one was made available to the public. “The military always gets the fancy toys way ahead of anyone else, so I suppose it’s plausible,” he said on the audio channel.

He’d already tried and failed to treat his pain by scheduling dozens of appointments each year through his health care with Veterans Affairs. He’d tried fentanyl, Percocet, Vicodin, acupuncture, water therapy, nerve blockers, deep-tissue massage and light therapy. Following his doctors’ advice had resulted in only temporary reprieves, along with dozens of opioid prescriptions and an elective surgery that led to a life-threatening staph infection. “The conventional route hasn’t done me any good,” he said on the channel. “When you’re desperate, you’ll try anything. This whole medbed thing has become personal for me.” It was part of Armour’s strategy when he first started Patriot Party News from his home after the 2020 presidential election: to build an audience by focusing on personal issues such as religion and health. He’d watched other far-right media sites like Victory Channel, The Elijah List and Right Side Broadcasting Network amass millions of subscribers in what Armour called the “Christian, MAGA universe” by mimicking Trump’s tendency to favor emotional appeals over facts.

[...] Several other companies had started producing their own versions of medbeds in the last few years. One company, Tesla BioHealing, had purchased a half-dozen old motels in places like Tampa, Fla., Dubuque, Iowa, and Butler, Pa., and then turned them into “medbed centers,” where each room came equipped with proprietary canisters under the bed that provided what the company called “life force energy.” Other groups were running scams on Facebook and charging $800 for “redemption cards” with a photograph of Trump’s face and a code that they said would provide secret passage into the underground military bases where medbeds were said to be ready for use. Baxter’s company was still in its infancy, and he had sold some of his products to churches, private clubs or millionaires who he said were “invested in longevity.” The medbeds at Andrea’s spa were the first to be available by appointment to the public, and he planned to expand into spas across the United States and Mexico. Andrea had decided to charge $85 an hour for use of the beds, but insurance didn’t cover the experimental treatment, and she didn’t believe in turning anyone away.

The New York Times takes a look at the QAnon obsession with “medbeds”, which are a “miracle cure” rooted in pseudoscience.

[paperanddice]

Clockwork abominations are so named because of the heretical and incredibly dangerous key to their creation. Where most clockworks use purely mechanical systems to power them, winding up springs tight and letting the gears power its functioning, these abominations are powered by a special engine infused with the energy of a bound devil. This creates a construct that can function indefinitely, never requiring rewinding or attention, but it infuses the malevolence of the devil into the construct. While they are still programmed to follow instructions, they are far more likely to seek loopholes in their programming in order to cause death and destruction. If they can ever escape control by way of an open ended order they will attempt to escape, ensuring that no new order can constrain their destructive desires again.

Creating a clockwork abomination is a risky process, and many attempts to properly infuse and integrate the infernal power source fail, meaning that when it succeeds the construct is often a bit rushed. Rarely as polished and perfect as standard clockworks, they often look almost like scrap metal when at rest, though in motion they are deadly. Most are designed with insectoid appearances, four legs and two forelimbs with some kind of grasping appendage at the end. Their forelimbs reach shockingly far, pistons within extending them to lash out unexpectedly, and a large head with many eyes shining like dim lanterns perches atop a long neck.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Clockwork Abomination Creature 5 Rare Large Clockwork Construct Devil Fiend Unholy Perception +11; greater darkvision Languages Common, Infernal Skills Athletics +15, Stealth +10 Str +6, Dex +1, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +0, Cha +1 Agile Legs The clockwork abomination ignores nonmagical difficult terrain. AC 20; Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +9 HP 78; Immunities death effects, disease, doomed, drained, fatigued, fire, healing, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; Resistances physical 5 (except adamantine or orichalcum); Weaknesses electricity 5, holy 5, orichalcum 5 Self Destruct (divine) When the clockwork abomination is reduced to 0 hit points, its infernal power source detonates with a 10-foot emanation, dealing 4d6 fire damage (DC 22 basic Reflex save). Speed 25 feet, climb 25 feet Melee jaw +15 (reach 10 feet, unholy), Damage 2d6+6 piercing plus 1d6 spirit Melee slam +15 (agile, reach 15 feet, unholy), Damage 2d4+6 bludgeoning plus 1d6 spirit Breath Weapon [two actions] (divine, fire) The clockwork abomination unleashes fire from its infernal power source that deals 4d10 fire damage in a 20-foot cone (DC 22 basic Reflex save). The clockwork abomination can't use Breath Weapon again for 1d4 rounds.

13th Age

Clockwork Abomination  Large 3rd level wrecker [construct and devil]  Initiative: +6 Vulnerability: Lightning Piston Arm +8 vs. AC (2 attacks, can target nearby enemies) - 14 damage. C: Breath Weapon +8 vs. PD (1d4 nearby enemies in a group) - 15 fire damage. Limited Use: 1/battle. [Special Trigger] C: Self Destruct +8 vs. PD (all engaged enemies) - 12 fire damage. Scuttle: Enemies attempting to intercept a clockwork abomination must roll a saving throw; on a failure, the clockwork abomination slips past them and reaches its intended destination. Devil’s Due (Infernal Power): When you choose to add the escalation die to an attack against a clockwork abomination, one clockwork abomination in the battle can recharge its breath weapon. Resist Fire 13+. AC 18 PD 17 MD 14 HP 90

[aoheng88]

Ultrasonic Towel Tearing Machine

Process flow: shaft discharge --- relax the fabric waiting to better ensure the uniformity of the fabric transmission force ------- rubber roller pulling ------- lateral cutting and welding ----- according to customer demand can be adjusted size cutting and welding ------ automatic tension winding better control of the fabric tightness

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Phone：+86-137 7683 7743 Email：sales@czah88.com

[harshdakadam]

Boost Performance and Protection with Advanced Vacuum Pressure Impregnation Plants by Omsai Enterprises

In industries where electrical insulation, moisture resistance, and long-term reliability are critical, impregnation technology plays a vital role. At Omsai Enterprises, in collaboration with AR Engineering, we offer cutting-edge Vacuum Pressure Impregnation Plants (VPI) designed to deliver superior impregnation solutions for a wide range of applications.

What is a Vacuum Pressure Impregnation Plant?

A Vacuum Pressure Impregnation Plant is a specialized system that uses vacuum and pressure cycles to impregnate electrical windings or porous materials with varnish or resin. This process ensures complete penetration into the smallest voids, significantly improving insulation resistance, heat dissipation, and lifespan of electrical components.

Our VPI systems are widely used in transformer manufacturing, motor rewinding, and other industrial coating solutions.

Advanced Processes in Our VPI Systems

💨 Degasification

Before impregnation, the system performs degasification to remove air and trapped gases from components. This is crucial for complete resin penetration and bubble-free insulation.

💧 Dehydration Process

Moisture can severely impact the effectiveness of varnish or resin. Our plants utilize a controlled dehydration process to eliminate residual moisture from the components before the impregnation phase begins.

🧼 Filtration and Purification

We incorporate in-line filtration and purification systems to maintain resin purity and remove any contaminants during processing, ensuring consistent and high-quality results.

Key Features of Our Vacuum Impregnation Equipment

High-efficiency vacuum and pressure chambers

Fully automated or semi-automatic control systems

Energy-efficient operation with minimal resin wastage

Custom sizes and capacities based on application

Integrated oil purification options for specialized needs

Applications Across Industries

Our Vacuum Impregnation Equipment and Industrial Impregnation Machines are used in:

Transformer and coil manufacturing

Motor winding insulation

Alternator and generator repair

Capacitor and choke coil production

General oil manufacturing and electrical insulation sectors

Why Choose Omsai Enterprises & AR Engineering?

🏭 Proven expertise in industrial engineering and impregnation systems

⚙ Precision-built industrial impregnation machines with long service life

🌍 Strong presence in India with on-site support and training

🔬 Continual innovation in impregnation technology and resin processing

🔄 Integrated systems with filtration and purification for quality assurance

Your Trusted Partner in Industrial Coating and Insulation Solutions

Whether you're looking to improve product reliability, extend equipment life, or meet industry standards in electrical insulation, our Vacuum Pressure Impregnation Plants are built to exceed expectations. With a strong track record of delivering durable and efficient impregnation solutions, Omsai Enterprises is your trusted partner in electrical and oil purification industries.

[bullshit-usa]

“You’re not a citizen, you’re not a legal resident, what you are, if anything, a temporary refugee, if even that, so let’s start with the fact check. This is not a citizen, a legal resident, he’s not a lawful resident of the United States, He has no legal standing to remain in this country. He is an illegal, he’s supposed to be removed. He’s only temporarily being blocked from being removed because of our broken asylum system. So let’s just fact-check that straight away. The guy shouldn’t be here, then you add onto this, I’m reading this article in the New York Times, and there’s all this coveching about it. There’s all this complaining, 'Oh my gosh, this guy has been removed. His wife is a citizen, his daughter is a citizen, it was a mistake, the administration admits it.' And then at the very, very end of the article, at the very very bottom of the lengthy article, we get the admission that he had the problem with the law years ago, according to a confidential informant–he was a gang member with MS-13. Really? So the guy has no business being here, no legal standing. They’re gonna kick him out, the only reason why he’s being prevented from being kicked out, and that’s an important distinction. It’s not like he’s filing paperwork, and he’s 'allowed to be here on some basis.' No, they tried to get him out. They blocked him. The government blocked immigration enforcement from getting him out, big difference. No legal standing to remain on the land. That’s one. Two: all these claims that he’s innocent–this is just some random guy–and yet there are law enforcement sources that say he’s a gang member.

"Now, he never had his day in court. In this country, you’re innocent until proven guilty, but those are rights that are conferred on US citizens. Those are rights that are conferred upon residents. Not every foreign national that steps onto the land from an airport, from a port of entry, illegally getting away from law enforcement at the border…And what I love about this case, in some ways, I’m empathetic to this illegal immigrant. Because there’s something scary about it, the idea that a random guy could wind up not only removed to another country but put in jail forever…There’s something scary about that. When we see state power mobilized and weaponized like that, and you imagine the plight of a husband and father…That is not only far away from home, or his adopted home, but also put in jail. Maybe for no reason, unjustly. There’s a part of us that feels sorry…But…that tragedy is happening in the middle of the story.

"Let’s rewind to the beginning of the story. The beginning of the story is that 10 million people came here illegally in four years. 10 million people knowingly broke the law, invaded our country to take advantage of our system, and that is in the best-case scenario. Those are the finest of our invaders, the ones that merely came here knowingly breaking the law, knowingly violating our state, violating our country..The best of them came here merely to take advantage of our resources, merely to take advantage of our healthcare, our education system, of our infrastructure, of our economy, of our welfare, and all the rest. The best of them merely came here to steal and suck us dry. The worst of them, of which there are many, came in here to smuggle drugs, to traffic human beings, the worst of them came here and killed Americans, killed law enforcement. So let’s just rewind to the beginning of the story where American citizens that are supposed to be here, that have a legal standing to be here, who pay taxes–the government is supposed to protect them and represent them–we have been subject to an invasion, an illegal invasion by drug cartels, by terrorists, by parasites, and by foreigners.

"The US government initially is very compassionate and merciful in spite of the fact that these people take advantage, they make no attempt to assimilate. They make no attempt to play by the rules. They do take advantage of government programs. Contrary to what people say, although they can’t get federal benefits, they get all kinds of benefits from the state, from the municipality, they take advantage by using the hospitals, using the emergency rooms, and emergency services, sending their kids to public schools, subsidized housing, food assistance, and so on. These people are all coming here, taking advantage, flagrantly the laws, abusing us. It is only after all of this has occurred that now we are beginning to remove these people. Now we are beginning to get out the worst of the worst. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not nearly enough, it’s not nearly sufficient. Only now are we beginning to look at the people who we have a credible belief might be associated with a gang, might be involved in criminal activities, might be actually prosecuting a war against Americans, and on the social order…And you find one example of a guy who might’ve been removed and put into a prison…And the guy was here illegally, and he himself might’ve been involved in a gang, too.

"And now we’re supposed to break out the world’s smallest violin for his plight? If he’s innocent, if he’s innocent, then it’s unfortunate that he’s in jail. He should just be removed to El Salvador…But are we going to grind the deportation operation to a halt, because one person might have been–we don’t even know–may have been mistakenly identified as a gang member and wound up in their country of origin and prison? Absolutely not. And people say it’s scary, they say it’s inhumane, it’s unjust. 'Who will stop the administration?' I say good. Let the message get out that actions have consequences. If you come here illegally, you may wind up in another country’s jail. If you come here illegally, good, maybe they will hear the horror story…You almost hope they round up a few innocent people just on account of that! It’s a small sacrifice. It’s a small price to pay. What if we did round up a few regular illegals from some other country and put them in El Salvador in prison? Go ahead, tell your friends and tell their wives and tell their kids to tell their friends.

"This is what happens when you fuck around in America.

"You come here illegally, you take advantage of our system, you prosecute a war on our land, and yes, you may wind up in prison in some shithole prison in El Salvador forever. Good, and I hope they know that, and maybe they’ll think twice. Maybe they’ll think twice about coming here. Maybe the ones that are here will think twice about staying. And maybe that was the intended effect. And to that, I say, bravo, good job. Maybe all these illegals who are here and they’re so smug. You see these demonstrations, they wave a foreign flag. They speak a foreign language, they live in an enclave, an ethnic enclave where a foreign culture persists. They make no attempt to assimilate, they take advantage of the system…Many of them don’t work. They live in a parallel society where there are no laws, where there are no rules, it seems. There’s no integrity, there’s no civic life, there’s no civic virtues or patriotism. And they LAUGH! They mock us! They speak their language, they wave their flag, they walk around our streets, they occupy our inner cities like they own the place, and when white people…When native people, when Americans, when people who have citizenship—taxpayers–when people stand up and say, 'it’s time for you to go,' they have a militant, hostile response.

They’re firebombing Republican headquarters in New Mexico. They’re protesting in L.A., they’re occupying the capital, or the congressional office buildings. And then when one of them gets sent to a jail, then they cry. Oh boohoo, boohoo. When a regular old illegal immigrant who hasn’t killed Americans gets thrown out, they say, 'Oh, what a shame, what a travesty, feel sorry for us.' I don’t feel sorry. 'What about the poor illegal who winds up in a jail?' What about the poor fucking US? What about us? What about the citizens? What about the people of this country?

"And I was sitting around thinking about it today…Let’s say Trump actually goes through with the mass deportations. Let’s say that he wipes out a whole neighborhood, and they all get removed back to Mexico. They were speaking Spanish and they were enjoying the city streets of Chicago, or L.A., or Hartford, or New York, or wherever. And then they find themselves back in Mexico, back in Venezuela, back in Honduras, or Guatemala. And you might think to yourself, well, some of them, they’ve only known America. They worked hard, they’ve been here for years, they built a life here…Some of you might say, 'What did they ever do? Can’t we find a way to integrate them?'

"And I would say, first of all, we seem to be far more interested in integrating them into America than they are.

"There seems to be this desperate desire on the part of Whites and other Americans to make this work, to get them integrated into the social fabric, they don’t seem to be really concerned about that. They don’t seem to be. They don’t consider that to be a priority or view that with any sense of urgency. Let’s put it that way. But I would reframe it in this way: let’s have a little sense of perspective. Every neighborhood in this country that has been turned into little Mexico, little Venezuela, little Haiti…it was something else before that. People say, 'What about the childhood arrivals? What about the Dreamers, the DACA recipients? They lived their whole life here, it’s almost as if they were born here!' And maybe in some cases, they were, like the anchor babies. But every one of these colonies, these settlements that have been set up in our country, they’re not settlers, they didn’t set up teepees and tents in the woods, they didn’t develop the neighborhoods, they didn’t bulldoze the subdivision…Every one of those neighborhoods was stolen, it was annexed! They came here and they occupied it, they squatted in it, until it was theirs. Before it was Mexican, it was Irish. Before it was Venezuelan, it was Italian. Before it was Haitian, it was English people, Scottish people, German people, Eastern European people, it was other people first. And what about those neighborhoods? What about all of the people going back generations in this country, who have grown old or died, or are growing old now? Who cannot return to their village, or town, or the community, or city, or neighborhood in which they were born because it is now completely unrecognizable. Because there’s litter everywhere, because the signs are in another language, because there’s strange statues built to Hindu deities, all over the landscape? Because the people there, there’s an Islamic call to prayer, because the people there are unfamiliar? Because they don’t play baseball anymore? Because hot dogs aren’t halal, because beef isn’t condoned in the Hindu religion? It’s not part of their vegetarian diet. What about all those people? What about those communities? What about those neighborhoods?

"That was never subject to a vote. That was never covered in the New York Times. Nobody ever cried for those towns that were destroyed. That was never covered on television. None of these liberals in the mainstream media were talking about how sad that was, that those people were displaced and replaced, that their home was taken from them. But now we’re supposed to strive to preserve these new colonies, these enclaves that have been set up, and to boot, the new communities are objectively inferior. And I don’t mean the people are inferior, I mean their way of life is inferior. You look at these new hovels they’ve created, and they resemble the places where they left. They don’t treat these places with respect. They don’t respect this place. They don’t treat it with dignity. They don’t care. They don’t care because it’s not theirs. It was ours because our ancestors built it. And we had a sense of stakeholder-ness in it, a sense of ownership, because our ancestors worked the land, they built the cities, they did represent those lower and working middle classes that literally built the cities up brick by brick, that dug the sewers, paved the roads. And there was a deep sense of appreciation and care and fundamentally love, and it was passed down, at least culturally, from one generation to the other, also genetically.

"These people come here, it’s not their home. They don’t care. To them, these are just buildings. To them, this is just stuff. And that’s why they litter, that’s why they graffiti, and that's why they join gangs, and that’s why they don’t stand for the pledge of allegiance, or they say it in another language if they do–that’s why they don’t care.

"And yet we are supposed to care about them. We are supposed to welcome them. Well, it’s a two-way street. And if we’re going to attach any kind of preference to which communities should be preserved in America, it should be the ones…That actually built them. The communities that should be preserved are the ones that are actually responsible for building the settlement, the ones that have citizenship. The ones that have been here for generations, the ones that have actually fought in the wars, the ones that paid the taxes…The ones that speak our language, observe our customs, celebrate our holidays, practice our faith, as opposed to the ones that just rolled up here…because they want to get medical care. Well, the whole world wants our medical care. We can’t take everybody. And why would we give it to them? They don’t even like us.

"So I see the story…I don’t feel the least bit sorry for this person at all.

"…You need to come to grips with what we have lost. What we are losing. It’s not gonna be like this forever. Society is crumbling."

Source

[moonebath]

im beginning to come to terms with the destruction of my life.

things hurt too much and i find myself winded.

i dont believe people, at first even the sun takes about 4 mins to actually touch my skin. to break through the barrier first that keeps me out of reach.

i am solo, and space has begun to facinate me. its almost like im in my own oblivion, in a way, so how much worse could a vacuum really be?

my mind rewinds endless thoughts that leave me shivering. i cant make sense of much right now.

why do i feel like the only astronaut left in space? swallowed by anxiety and the need to survive. the system senses a malfunction, we know you're here, we might need to rid of you.

i know this might sound crazy but ive been seeing people approach me in the corner of my eye a lot these past two days. it always seems like someone's calling me or i'm seeing someone approach me that's not actually there.

am i star-touched? its only been a couple times. i think i'm getting used to understanding why it used to be a crime to be this tired, this faulty.

so i will sit and write it here, anonymously.

[uvgraphictechnologies]

High-Performance Printing & Converting Machines | Advanced Solutions

In the modern world, the printing and packaging industry has started to completely rely on precision, effectiveness, and novelty. Advanced technology such as slitting rewinding machines, label die cutting machines, paper core cutting machines, hot foil stamping machines, and UV curing systems is among the most significant tools rendering final mba product quality. 

Machine manufacturers and converters rely heavily on high-level technological tools to speed up the process of production, increase accuracy, and aid versatility of their machines. The description of the machines' importance in various industrial applications has been outlined in a set of present practice method, showing machines' necessity in printing and packaging industries today. 

Slitting Rewinding Machine

A slitting rewinding machine is a vital component in industries dealing with flexible packaging, paper, films, and foil materials. It enables the precise slitting and rewinding of large master rolls into smaller rolls with accurate tension control.

Key Features of a Slitting Rewinding Machine:

High-Speed Performance: Ensures rapid slitting and rewinding without compromising quality.

Precision Cutting: Adjustable slitting blades provide clean and accurate cuts.

Tension Control Mechanism: Maintains optimal tension for smooth rewinding.

User-Friendly Interface: Automated controls for easy operation and reduced downtime.

Versatile Applications: Suitable for plastic films, aluminum foils, paper rolls, and adhesive tapes.

Applications of Slitting Rewinding Machines:

Flexible Packaging Industry: For slitting plastic films and foils.

Label Production: Converts large rolls into label-sized formats.

Printing Industry: For handling coated and laminated materials.

Label Die Cutting Machine

A label die cutting machine is essential for the precise cutting of labels, stickers, and adhesive sheets. It ensures clean edges, intricate shapes, and high-speed production for industries requiring mass labeling.

Key Features of a Label Die Cutting Machine:

Rotary & Flatbed Cutting: Supports various die-cutting methods for different label types.

Automatic Waste Removal: Ensures a cleaner output with no excess material.

High Cutting Accuracy: Ideal for custom shapes and intricate label designs.

Multi-Layer Processing: Allows multiple layers for enhanced durability.

User-Friendly Control Panel: Simplifies operation and reduces labor requirements.

Applications of Label Die Cutting Machines:

Food & Beverage Labeling: Used for bottle and container labeling.

Pharmaceutical Industry: For precision-cut medical labels.

Cosmetic & Personal Care Products: Ensures premium quality label cutting.

Paper Core Cutting Machine

A paper core cutting machine is used to cut paper tubes and cores to the desired length, ensuring smooth edges and accurate dimensions for various industrial applications.

Key Features of a Paper Core Cutting Machine:

High Cutting Precision: Produces accurate and smooth cuts for uniform core sizes.

Adjustable Cutting Lengths: Allows customization for different applications.

Heavy-Duty Construction: Ensures durability and longevity.

Automatic & Manual Operation: Supports both automatic and manual cutting modes.

Dust-Free Operation: Minimizes waste and enhances cleanliness.

Applications of Paper Core Cutting Machines:

Packaging Industry: For manufacturing paper cores for packaging rolls.

Printing Sector: Used for paper roll cores and film winding.

Textile Industry: For fabric and yarn core cutting.

Hot Foil Stamping Machine

A hot foil stamping machine enhances the visual appeal of printed products by adding metallic and holographic foil designs. It is widely used in luxury packaging, book covers, greeting cards, and promotional materials.

Key Features of a Hot Foil Stamping Machine:

Advanced Foil Transfer Technology: Ensures sharp and clean imprints.

Temperature & Pressure Control: Allows precise adjustments for different materials.

Multi-Purpose Applications: Works on paper, plastic, leather, and fabric.

Automatic Foil Feeding System: Ensures smooth and continuous foil application.

Energy-Efficient Design: Reduces operational costs and improves efficiency.

Applications of Hot Foil Stamping Machines:

Luxury Packaging: Enhances premium product packaging.

Branding & Promotions: Used for high-end business cards and brochures.

Security Printing: Adds holographic elements for anti-counterfeiting.

UV Curing Systems

A UV curing system is an advanced technology used for instant drying and curing of inks, coatings, and adhesives using ultraviolet light. This method ensures high-quality finishes, durability, and eco-friendly operations.

Key Features of a UV Curing System:

Instant Drying & Curing: Reduces production time significantly.

Energy Efficiency: Consumes less power compared to traditional drying methods.

Eco-Friendly Operation: Eliminates the need for solvents and harmful chemicals.

High Durability: Ensures scratch-resistant and long-lasting prints.

Wide Compatibility: Suitable for offset, flexographic, and screen printing.

Applications of UV Curing Systems:

Printing Industry: For UV-cured inks and coatings.

Electronics & PCB Manufacturing: Ensures durable protective coatings.

Medical Devices: Used for adhesive bonding in healthcare applications.

Why Invest in High-Performance Printing & Converting Machines?

Enhanced Production Efficiency – Reduces downtime and increases output.

Precision & Quality – Ensures accurate cutting, stamping, and curing.

Cost-Effective Solutions – Optimizes material usage and reduces waste.

Versatile Applications – Suitable for various industries, from packaging to textiles.

Advanced Automation – Minimizes manual labor and improves operational accuracy.

By integrating the latest slitting rewinding machine, label die cutting machines, paper core cutting machines, hot foil stamping machines, and UV curing systems, manufacturers can achieve superior productivity and quality.

Project Name: UV Graphic Technologies Pvt. Ltd

Address: Plot 15, Sector 140A, Noida UP 201305

Contact No: 919810114365

Email ID: info@gtigti.com 

Our Website: https://gtigti.com/ 

Linkedin ID: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uv-graphic-technologies-pvt-ltd/ 

You tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EleXfuBanIk&ab_channel=AbhayDatta

[ufo-thetimesareripe]

The Dance of the Planets: How Gravity Orchestrates Climate Cycles Across the Solar System

Picture the Solar System as a grand cosmic machine, each planet a cog in the wheel, bound together by the invisible thread of gravity. It’s not just a poetic vision—it’s a scientific lens through which we can understand the cyclical climate shifts that have shaped Earth and, quite possibly, the other worlds orbiting the Sun. A study published in Sedimentary Geology peels back the layers of Earth’s ancient past, offering clues to a rhythm that echoes across the Solar System, driven by the gravitational tug-of-war between planets and their star.

The Beat of Gravity: Cycles That Stir the Planets

Earth’s climate has never been a still pond. For millions of years, it’s pulsed between icy ages and warm interludes, guided by cycles tied to its orbit—the famous Milankovitch cycles. But these aren’t random quirks of our planet alone. They’re choreographed by the gravitational interplay between Earth, the Sun, and heavyweights like Jupiter and Saturn. With their massive bulk, these gas giants nudge Earth’s orbit, tweaking its eccentricity, tilt, and wobble. The result is a rhythmic dance, stretching across tens or hundreds of thousands of years, that shifts how much solar energy bathes our world and triggers natural climate swings.

And what if this isn’t just Earth’s story? Mars, with its polar caps swelling and shrinking, bears scars of climate cycles that might march to the same gravitational drumbeat. On Venus, now a scorching wasteland, ancient rhythms could once have played out before its atmosphere spiraled into chaos. Even the stormy giants like Jupiter might feel their weather stirred by these cosmic forces. Gravity doesn’t play favorites—it weaves a pattern felt across the Solar System.

Echoes from the Deep: The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

Rewind 56 million years to the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a dramatic chapter dissected in the Sedimentary Geology study. Earth’s temperature spiked by 5-8°C in a geological heartbeat, a shift etched into ocean sediments through vanished marine species and warped foraminifera shells. What lit the fuse? The theory points to a natural carbon surge—perhaps from volcanic outbursts or methane bubbling up from the seafloor—amplified by an orbital cycle already set in motion by the gravitational pull of planets and the Sun. This wasn’t a fluke; it was one beat in a recurring symphony.

Those sediments are like a timeworn ledger, whispering that Earth’s climate shifts aren’t accidents. They’re steps in a celestial ballet, timed by the alignment of planets and their gravitational sway over the Sun’s energy. Look beyond Earth, and the hints pile up: Mars’s layered polar deposits hint at ancient climate swings, likely nudged by the same forces tugging at our own world.

The Sun Joins the Dance: A Star in Sync

The Sun isn’t just a bystander. Its moods—sunspots, solar winds, flares—ebb and flow in cycles of their own, but some scientists speculate these might sway to the gravitational tunes of the planets. When Jupiter and Saturn line up just so, their pull could ripple through the Sun, subtly tweaking the energy it flings toward its orbiting companions. It’s a bold idea, hotly debated, yet Earth’s paleoclimate records tease out uncanny links between these cycles and climatic twists of the past.

Imagine it: every planet, from rocky Earth to the gas giants, caught in a shared gravitational groove. The PETM’s fiery crescendo might be just one example of how this dance shapes environments—not just here, but across our cosmic neighborhood.

An Endless Waltz

Climate cycles aren’t news, nor a threat—they’re the norm. Earth, Mars, maybe even a younger Venus, have swirled to gravity’s rhythm for billions of years. The Sedimentary Geology study frames events like the PETM as windows into a grander process, a mechanism tying planets to the Sun in a dynamic balance. The question isn’t if the climate will shift, but how it’ll play out in the next turn of this celestial waltz.

We’re all part of this dance. As the planets spin on, gravity—silent, relentless—keeps the beat for the entire Solar System. In conclusion, periodic global warming is the result of a great deal of balls. 😁😁😁

Oliviero Mannucci