#amazing and absurd feat this is

[roseharpermaxwell]

Bite-Size Drarry - Under 10k (Part Two)

Pausing my RWRB reading (I have an ask about firstprince fics too and I’m working on it!) to answer this, which is the nudge I’ve needed. I’ve done this for Dramione before (under 5k), but I especially love tempting readers to Drarry. 

Short works are the unsung heroes of fandom. They don’t get enough love, which makes me so sad, because you definitely don’t always need 100k to deliver a stunning story. These are your bedtime stories, your palate cleansers, your individual serving sizes of serotonin. It’s okay to enjoy these even if you only read slow burn 100k+ fics, I promise. Live a little! 

This is a sampling of some amazing favorites, but I’m always reading new things and will add to it regularly. If you find something you love, I know the author would love to hear it, and so would I! Take a deep dive into their work to find other gems. 

Here's Part One if you missed it.

Bite-Size Drarry - Under 10k (Part Two) below:

Yours, Draco by @drarrytrash. T, 3.5k. MCD All that's left are 15 letters, and then those are gone, too.

Let Me Count the Ways by @thebooktopus. E, 3.5k. Intimacy comes in many forms. Draco wants to explore them all with Harry.

Thunder Moon by @maesterchill. E, 3.6k. Just like the first rumbling growls of thunder in the skies, a 'thunder moon' is a harbinger of storms and turmoil. During this rare night in July, many wix notice an increased difficulty balancing heart and head, instinct and morality, and even their own desires versus the wishes of their loved ones.

For those who have been bitten and turned, like Harry Potter, this struggle is magnified tenfold.

When his mate is attacked, will Harry be able to face down the monsters in the shadows, and inside himself... for the man he loves?

Perfectly Imperfect by @phdmama. E, 3.6k. Harry is about to have sex with Draco Malfoy. The only thing that’s weird about that sentence is that it’s not weird at all.

Re: Harry’s Crush by @lettersbyelise. T, 3.7k. Ever get that feeling you're being talked about behind your back? Harry doesn't, he's too busy being stupidly, obviously besotted with the guy in the lab downstairs. A fic where the interdepartment betting war at the Ministry gets out of hand, Millicent and Hermione get scheming, Harry Potter ends up wearing black eyeliner, and everybody ends up getting more than they bargained for. Companion piece: Featherlight, T, 1.3k. 

Let’s go dip it low (then you bring it up slow) by @andithiel. T, 3.7k. Draco was not prepared to run into Potter in a Muggle gym, especially not a provocatively dressed, dancing and flirtatious Potter. 

Absurd by Blowfish_Diaries. E, 3.7k. When Draco discovers a kink that Harry's been hiding from him, he has no choice but to explore said kink, right? Right.

Do You Want to Bet on That by phdmama. E, 3.7k. 

Are you ready now by phdmama. E, 3.7k. 8th year. Truth or Dare. That's it. That's the fic.

Limits of Earth and Sky by @jackvbriefs. E, 3.8k. Again and again, Draco Malfoy returns to the public eye only to attempt the most challenging broomriding feats Wizarding Society has to offer.  Again and again, Harry Potter watches him do it and wonders why.

Come As You Are by @peachpety. E, 3.8k. If asked, Harry Potter would categorize his high school senior year as normal: football, friends, and one devastating crush on his tutor, Draco Malfoy. When presented with an opportunity to help Draco, Harry rises to the occasion. Unfortunately, so does his dick. Sparks fly and alarms blare… and the Hogwarts Owlz Gossip twitter feed blows up.

Or: the one where an inconvenient erection brings them together.

Fruit Stand by @drarrily-we-row-along. M, 3.8k. Harry never skives off of work; he's never taken a day off, not even when he's sick.

But today is the day. He goes off for a drive and comes across a farm stand that changes his life forever.

Matching Pair by @the-starryknight. T, 3.8k. Harry Potter was possibly the last person Draco had expected to find standing at the foot of his favorite portrait at the Tate Magique. And yet, there he is, looking incredibly fit and monopolizing the attentions of the portrait. It's not bloody fair.

sink your teeth in by @softlystarstruck. E, 3.8k. Harry, or the wolf, or the wolf-that-is-Harry, is possessive. But he's trying not to show it.

Draco, though? Draco wants to be wanted.

Small Things by seefin. G, 3.8k. The Death Eaters went to the village early one morning before anyone was awake, and now the village is empty, apart from the Aurors, and the Order, and several now-stray dogs that sleep in an open garage on the side of one of the oast houses. 

August by @wolfpants. M, 3.8k. Summer, 1998. Harry Potter arrives at the Manor to return Draco's wand. The problem is, he keeps coming back.

The Metamorphmagus Needs a Bath by @aprofessionalprotagonist. T, 3.9k. Despite doing their best to avoid each other, Draco and Harry are tasked with babysitting Teddy Lupin... together. That's not going to be awkward at all.

Under Your Skin by @p1013. E, 3.9k. He initials another section and flips the page. Being a junior Auror is a lot more grunt work than he expected, and the paperwork isn't even the worst of it. He's also managed to catch intake duty. It's getting close to 2 AM, there hasn't been a single arrest brought in tonight, and he's still got another six hours before his shift is over. Rubbing a hand over his face, he prays for something, anything, to make the interminable evening better.

Oxygen by Maesterchill. T, 4k. Draco doesn’t smoke. Except when he needs to breathe.

Watch Out (here I come) by phdmama. E, 4k. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Hermione mutters, her smile never faltering. “Harry, stop it.”

“Stop what?” Harry mutters back, not looking away from the grey eyes narrowed in his direction, as the man himself mouths what? Harry gives up on the punch and signals the bartender, asking for whiskey.

“If you’re going to eyefuck Malfoy, I’m going to go find Ron for a dance,” Hermione says, turning to set her glass down on the bar behind her.

The Waking Lights series by @magicalrocketships. T, 4k. Draco Malfoy ends up reinventing himself. On Instagram. And TikTok, as it turns out. 

rawhide on your polish series by softlystarstruck. T, 4k. Draco acquires a new interest in Muggle Studies.

Two Lies and a Truth by phdmama. E, 4.1k. 

Eyes on Me by Saras_Girl. T, 4.1k. Harry cannot dance. Will not? Better not.

Cupboard Love by @shealwaysreads. G, 4.1k. Harry’s life, and love, in food.

Still Waters by @iota. M, 4.1k. Coincidence brings Harry to the same alpine lake as Draco for summer field research, kicking off a month staying in a shared tent, endless opportunities for swimming and self discovery, and maybe a little studying too, if Harry has time.

in his hands by p1013. E, 4.2k. Draco’s got a bit of a thing for a certain part of Potter’s body. No, not that.

To Be Honest by shealwaysreads. M, 4.2k. Malfoy’s not fucking anyone. Harry’s curious. He’s just curious.

A Gentleman of Good Conceit by MaesterChill. M, 4.2k. Harry worships me, hungers for me. Facts are facts. What's also a fact is that I'm egotistical, an utter snob, and totally impossible to live with. But then, when has the impossible ever stopped Harry Potter?

Thirst by @fluxweeed. E, 4.4k. The path of Malfoy’s scent is obvious; Harry hasn’t fed for days, so his senses are sharp. Deadly. And Malfoy smells so good.

dive (and have no fear) by @callmegri. T, 4.5k. Draco Malfoy loves baths, but has no access to bathtubs. Harry Potter loves his friends, and has many of said bathtubs. It makes perfect sense to call Draco over to have a bath. ...Right?

Even Children Get Older by @lou-isfake. M, 4.5k. It started with don't wake the baby.

Good For You by @dodgerkedavra. E, 4.5k. Draco has only ever wanted to be a very good boy. He has no intention of blurting that out to Harry Potter at pub night.

But It's Better If You Do by louisfake. M, 4.6k. “This is exactly where you like me, isn’t it,” Malfoy mutters hoarsely in his ear, and Harry hears the unspoken beneath you, defeated. Harry laughs softly, lowering his arse onto his lap. The burlesque!Harry fever-dream oneshot that nobody asked for. 

Tastes Like Soap by InnerLilith. E, 4.6k. Harry goes to the foam party hoping to finally have casual sex. Draco goes to the foam party expecting yet another night of casual sex. Harry and Draco do not have casual sex.

Passably wrecked by @tenthousandyearsx. E, 4.6k. “Potter,” Malfoy says, sitting down next to him at breakfast. “I think we should have sex.”

Lucid by @dracoladon. E, 4.7k. Harry's not sure what makes him harder; listening to Draco talk about astronomy, or shagging Draco so thoroughly that he can't talk at all. Both, probably.

Amber by @slytherco. E, 4.7k. Despite his numerous flings, Harry's thoughts keep circling back to Draco, only half-aware of his perpetual draw where they're not strangers, not-quite friends, but definitely something. When they both get played by the same person, Harry and Draco find a way to get back at him, and maybe get something extra out of it as a result.

When The Party's Over by @sweet-s0rr0w. E, 4.7k. Parties aren't quite so much fun when you're accidentally bonded to your sworn enemy. At least, that's what Harry thinks at first...

Sports Star by @moonflower-rose. E, 4.8k. Life as a professional Quidditch player involves a strict routine, and more hydration than Harry could have imagined. He's happy to follow the rules, but he does keep one little strategy to himself, his secret to success on the pitch.

Unfortunately, that secret is about to be exposed to Draco Malfoy.

As Easy As That by Moonflower-Rose. E, 4.8k. Trust Potter to be the target of a rogue bonding spell from a crazed fan. Trust Draco to try and leap in front of it.

Still Warm, Still Warm by @tsauergrass. G, 4.8k. The oranges ripened and grew heavy; the branches dipped under their weight. They picked some for breakfast every morning: Harry twisting the fruit off with a snap, Draco carefully tugging each one off.

Harry peeled an orange and handed a wedge to Draco.

Their fingers grazed, and Draco took it. The tender flesh; if he pressed just a little harder with his fingers, it would burst into a juicy mess.

Harry is up to something. Why else would he keep giving Draco presents?

Dinner and Diatribes by @ohdrarry. E, 4.8k. Socialising isn't Harry's thing. Draco does his best to help.

And if his idea of helping is a touch skewed– well. Harry isn't complaining, is he?

Game On by @pennygalleon. T, 4.8k. Draco blows Harry a kiss and the press goes nuts. Harry suggests they use this to their advantage.

City by the Bay by @caitlincheri28. M, 4.8k. Draco Malfoy had made all the wrong choices. After his time in Azkaban, falling in love with Harry Potter over parchment and ink, he decides he must attempt to make the right ones. Even if it means sacrificing his heart.

Dirty Fucking Dangles by p1013. E, 4.8k. The first time Harry watches Malfoy skate to the blue line, Harry can't drag his eyes away. His footwork is insane, and Harry's captivated. It doesn't hurt that when Malfoy takes his helmet off, his blond hair is plastered to his head like burnished gold and his eyes are the same color as an Alberta sky in midwinter. It doesn't hurt that Malfoy skates like he was born for it, that his puck handling makes Harry's breath catch, that when Malfoy scores—top shelf, hard enough to knock the goalie's water bottle off the net—he grins like a sunrise, too bright to look at and warm enough to make Harry sweat.

Float by @shiftylinguini. E, 4.9k After a night out, Harry wakes up feeling like he slept on concrete, like his body's made of sand, like he accidentally pissed on his housemate the night before.

Because he did accidentally piss on his housemate the night before.

Ferrety Little Mouths and How to Snog with Them by fluxweed. M, 4.9k. “I don’t think the size of your mouth has much to do with how good at kissing you are. People with ferrety little mouths can be good snoggers too.”

“You’re clearly an expert. You’ll have to teach me.”

sending my love all over you by @cavendishbutterfly. E, 4.9k. Draco figures out he’s got a praise kink. Harry figures it out faster. Or: five times Harry talks Draco to orgasm and one time Draco tries returning the favour

Fading in Love by Andithiel. E, 4.9k. Draco’s Dark Mark is fading, and everyone thinks he’s up to something. Everyone except Harry, that is, since he’s been too busy keeping his fuckbuddy situation with Draco a secret.

Continued in Part Three! (And here's Part One, if you missed it)

Give the authors some love! I also adore hearing if you found a new favorite fic or author.

I’ll be regularly adding to this, so if you’re seeing this as a reblog, feel free to check my Master List of Recommendations for the most current list. If you see yourself and you’re not tagged, or I've got a broken or misdirected link, please let me know!

[superman-the-secret-third-thing]

Late Golden/Early Silver Age Superman Absurd Feats:

You'll note that most of these come from after Siegel era- he wanted to keep Superman on a much less...powerful...level? Except for when it'd be funny. This is the era people talk about when they say Golden Age Superman was absurdly powerful, but honestly, I've found that most people are actually thinking of the Silver Age. I've compiled some here and there, I'll post them occasionally.

Blows out a star like a candle. -Superman #91 (1954) "The Superman Stamp!"

Punches a USS Destroyer so hard it disperses into atoms. -Action Comics #214 "Superman, Super-Destroyer!" (1955)

Scorches a planet to ash - Action Comics #227 "The Man With Triple X-Ray Eyes" (1957)

Melts the ice off of an entire planet - Superman #117 "The Man With The Zero Eyes!" (1957)

Can see across the solar system and hear real good.

Can survive a dip into the sun.

More durable than a 20 foot thick steel wall. -Superman #98 "The Amazing Superman Newsreel!" (1955)

[coralinnii]

Hi! I found your post about Jamil Viper……. I was wondering if you could write one where it’s base of the song a whole new world from Alldain. Like Reader first time in a magic carpet and they remember this song and humm as jamil shows them little hang out areas away from others. Overall just fluff and feel good feelings …… my sister went off to bootcamp and I feel really alone rn.

Feel free to take this and run wild !!!!! I love reading works where the author adds they own flavor to their writing!!!!

Much love Frog 🐸

Showing a whole new world

feat. Jamil

genre: fluff

note: no pronouns were mentioned, pre-established relationships, interpreted as Yuu!reader

This for you, lovely 🐸

I can understand the feeling of being away from family and I want nothing more than to give all the love you deserve. Before you know it, you and your sister will be reunited! Hope you enjoy this!

Being a student is busy enough but for Jamil, it feels like a secondary priority when you consider his responsibility as Scarabia’s vice housewarden and more importantly, Kalim’s retainer.

You decided to help him with some of his responsibilities, purely from the good of your heart of course. Definitely not because you had a crush on the vice housewarden, don’t be ridiculous.

Either way, you and Jamil started being around each other a lot more frequently. You would help out in the kitchen or you would accompany him as he goes through his errands for Kalim and Scarabia.

The long-haired man was apprehensive at first but he trusts your goodwill in the end and soon he starts to appreciate your help and even finds himself looking forward to your company, not that anyone could tell as he keeps that part to himself.

He wanted to show you his gratitude in a way and while he thought about it, Kalim, the lovable busybody, offered his flying carpet to his old friend.

“It’ll be great! Go for it, buddy!” Kalim gave him the thumbs up which worries Jamil as he hopes that the snow-haired heir didn’t misunderstand the purpose of the outing. This is purely an act of gratitude for your hard work, that’s all.

There is no ulterior motive in spending more time with you outside of his typical chores, absolutely not. How absurd.

Still, Jamil ended up taking a flight across the sky with you. Together, you two flew across the campus where Jamil would occasionally point out hidden parts of the campus and scenic views from your view.

At first, Jamil worried that you may get bored by this but you were in awe with the places Jamil pointed to and the tidbits of information he knew. What was common sights to him was a splendor to you as you took in the world around you. So, encouraged by your joyous gasps, he continued to show off the highlights of the land he discovered when he first surveyed the campus before Kalim enrolled.

Unlike Kalim, Jamil was cautious enough to ease the speed of flight, letting you fully take in the view from your height. As your mind drifts serenely at the sight, you recall an old song from your childhood that reminds you of this magical ride. You started to hum the nostalgic tune as you let yourself be mesmerized by the ocean view as you and Jamil hover above the waters, not noticing your companion watching you keenly.

As a final stop, the two of you landed at an old tower some distance away from the school where you were able to watch the bright stars littering the clear skies. You wonder if the stars were the same as the ones from your world.

“It’s surprising how easily amazed you are by the simplest things” Jamil smirked, amused by your child-like wonder.

“Hey, Give me a break! This is so different from my world that I just can’t help it” you laughed. “We don’t have magic, let alone a magical flying carpet!”

That was true. With how well you managed to adapt to Twisted Wonderland, many of your friends, including himself, forget that you were actually far from the land you hailed from. Jamil must admit on how impressed he is with you.

“By the way, you were humming a song earlier that I couldn’t recognise.” Jamil brought up something that was on his mind. “Was it something from your world?”

“Ah, you heard me” you smiled bashfully. “It came from this movie that was super popular when I was growing up”

You turned to gently brush the flying carpet that was resting beside you, which bristled in appreciation.

“It was a story about a princess and a commoner who rode on a flying carpet much like this actually. The commoner was showing the princess a whole world outside her castle”

“Hmm, how strangely similar to a legend of our own” Jamil pondered the odds of two worlds sharing a common tale.

The two of you sat in silence for a moment taking in the serenity of it all before Jamil spoke up once more, his curiosity got the better of him.

“Are you sad…that you’re not home right now?”

You froze in your spot as you stared straight into Jamil’s eyes. That was not what you expected from Jamil, a man who tends to stay out of people’s business and not get straightforwardly into the personal details of others.

Jamil cursed himself due to your reaction. Despite coming from the dorm of mindfulness, that was tactless of him to suddenly ask that from you.

Before he could take back his words, you answered.

“I miss them”

“Huh?”

“I miss my family…and my friends” you confessed, curling your body slightly as you lay your feelings out. “Sometimes I forget I’m not in my old world and expect to be at home with my family sitting in the living room”

The air around you got slightly tense as you shared something personal for the first time in a long time. Jamil wanted to hit himself for bringing this up and he planned to apologise when you managed to speak before him once more.

“But I’m honestly ok” you smiled, leaving Jamil momentarily stunned. “I’m never as lonely as I think. Not when I have people like you with me”

Feeling bold, you took the chance to reach for the male’s hand and lock your eyes with Jamil’s ash-coloured eyes. Just as you were previously enchanted by the brightness of the stars, Jamil saw that brightness reflected in your eyes as you watched him, him and only him.

“I want to thank you, Jamil. For being with me and showing me this new world”

Perhaps it was his practiced way of matching the flow of your conversation or the boldness exuding from you that he felt compelled enough to say his next words, clasping his hand over yours that held his other hand.

“When you do find a way to your own world, perhaps I could visit you and you can show me this world of yours”

[rosesrflo]

Hello ! It's me again ! How are you ? I hope you are well and have a good day !

Last post was awesome though it broke some fragments of my soul 💀💀💀

I've been thinking about this for a while now but could write HC about William , Sherlock, Bonde with a s/o who's insecure about their petite/small body ?

Sincerely one of your fans ❤️❤️

Feat; Sherlock, William, Bonde (MTP). Genre; fluff, comfort

Prompt; ❛❛In my eyes, you’re an angel.❞ Warnings; body image, GN!reader, skin pinching/pulling

Desc; IN WHICH your closest ones notice the lack of appreciation you have for yourself and decide that enough is enough.

SHERLOCK;

Let’s get one thing in order, he’s absolutely head over heels for you, probably thinks you’re adorable.

Doesn’t note down what you look like, he’s more focused on the little things, such as your personality, actions, habits.

When Sherly finds out about your insecurities, be prepared for a world of appreciation, this man’s on the case!

He loves you so much, thinks you’re gorgeous in every way possible; is not afraid to tell you.

To him, your body is a blessing, Sherlock could list over a million reasons why.

The way you get on your tip toes to press small kisses on his face whilst complaining about his height, or maybe it’s the way your waist fits so delicately into his hands - either way, he’s gonna be all over you.

“Because I’m just not good looking, Sherly! I don’t have curves or figure, and i’m-“

Said detective narrowed his eyes with furrowed eyebrows at your small rant, he stepped forwards to pull you into his arms, ultimately cutting your speech off - good, Sherlock didn’t want to hear your self deprecating words, he loves you too much to know that this was what you thought of yourself.

Your breathing steadied slightly as silence embraced the two of you, his hands gently pressed your head near his collarbone, “You’re gorgeous, you know?” He broke the tranquility to compliment you.

“No, I don’t…I don’t think i am.” Your hands grasped at his blazer in an act of defiance, Sherlock continued to analyse you.

He fauxely hummed, “Well you are, you don’t have bad qualities, you make amazing pancakes and you fit perfectly in my arms, therefore you must be; after all, once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, must-“

You shook your head in amusement, “Must be the truth.”

WILLIAM;

You’re his favourite form of loving.

No matter what body shape you have, height or looks, you’re always loved to the best of his abilities.

Liam fell for you, every part of you, looks and all.

Treats you like porcelain, not because he doubts you but because he’s scared of losing you, you’re dear to him and a cherished part of the organization.

William absolutely despises your pesky insecurities, even more so your habit of taking it out on yourself.

The first time he found you murmuring self deprecating insults to yourself was terrifying, parts of your skin were painted bright red from self abuse, he wished he knew before all of this started.

Smartass uses all the things he loves about you to his advantage, that’s a lot of points he has, loves you to the moon and back.

Will is scared of seeing you in that state again, whenever you ‘jokingly’ speak down to yourself, he shuts it down pretty quickly.

Definitely holds you a little tighter at night.

William rubbed soothing circles onto your back, he frowned. From what he was seeing, this wasn’t the best you’d ever been, you were shaking like a leaf with transparent tear streaks marking your cheeks.

Even in this state, he couldn’t help but think about how..breathtaking you looked. An inaudible murmur slipped past your quivering lips, Will snapped out of thought, “Hm?”

You clenched your eyes shut, head limply falling against his shoulder; guilt was written all over you face as you mentally scolded yourself for thinking and saying something so absurd, of course Liam loves you.

But what if he doesn’t? What if you were so repulsing that-that he couldn’t?

“You could never repulse me.” It didn’t occur to you that you were speaking aloud, no hint of betrayal or disgust was evident on his face, William held you closer to him, careful not to aggravate your self inflicted bruises.

“Because I love you so much more than I should.”

BONDE;

Every day of your life will 100% be filled with praises, compliments and soft touches from him.

James is convinced that you have bewitched him because he’s literally enchanted by you.

He’s convinced you’re the one, you’re the moon to his sun, the light to his dark, the yin to his yang, the partner in his crime - you get the gist.

You bet that the moment he uncovers the truth, you’re in for the most chaotically, sweet scolding from your lover.

He won’t stop at it until he’s sure that he’s chased all your insecurities away, even then, James will keep a sharp eye on you.

Something about your petite height/shape makes him want to hug you tight.

All I have to say is that you are one lucky mf to have captured the heart of James Bonde.

James slowly lifted your hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles, “I love-“ his eyes met yours, he proceeded to cup the apples of your cheeks and caress the blush dusting them before planting random pecks across your face. “-you.”

Lifting your hands to shield yourself from the onslaught of affection, laughter sounded at his loving antics, “James-I-“

He simply hummed in response, cutting you off by catching your hands and lining kisses on the palms, all while maintaining playful eye contact. Did you always sound so angelic?

“I love the rest of you as well.”

You were at loss of words and utterly speechless, James’ tone of voice transitioned to one of more softness, you shakily reached up to cup his face like he had done moments before.

His words felt unreal, “Love yourself too, please.”

You had never felt more loved than with him.

thank you sm!! I’m sorry this took a bit longer + it’s kinda short, I’ve just had a lot of work to do and stuff but I’m glad that you enjoy my writing<33 Have a good day/night

[k-phoenix]

hello! i would love to hear the rant about PET scans :3

Holy shit so okay I'm in the train for the next 20 minutes, and I _know_ that's not enough time to get into all of it, but I could rant about this for hours, so. Maybe we cap this at 20 minutes. [20 minutes later] Okay so I wrote a huge wall of very boring text that barely started getting into it, so let me provide way less detail, actually:

It is massively expensive. A PET scanner costs a lot. And it's not a one time purchase, and then you can do scans, no, you wish. You also need some very expensive equipment to create radioactive tracers (which are what is used to do a PET scan) on site, because that stuff needs to be created fresh (under an hour) before every scan. To create the tracers is ALSO incredibly expensive. A single PET scan costs multiple thousands.

This also means that PET research makes use of as few participants as possible. A study with 15 participants is considered big. You simply cannot infer from 15 participants to the whole population. This also means that, statistically, it is highly likely that you don't find an effect even though it exists - meaning if your PET study looks for the effect of A on B, it is highly likely that it will find that A has no effect on B even though it does - simply because you didn't have enough participants (if this explanation doesn't make sense, let me know, and I can explain in detail)

This, together means, that an absolutely absurd amount of money is used for research that, by design, will not find results, because to find results, they would need more participants and even more money.

Because scientific publishing is a shitshow at the moment, research that doesn't find results very rarely gets published, especially not if you can't even be sure whether the result is right. So absurd amounts of money put into research that doesn't even get published.

And I haven't even talked about the results they did find and issues with them. Don't ask me to explain those. Don't tempt me to put hours into writing a multiple page essay that nobody will read.

So, in conclusion: PET is an absolutely amazing feat of engineering that is magnificent in detecting cancer and with it we could learn so. Much. More about the brain and how it works. But to do that, a lot of the basic organisation of how we do science would first need to change. Many labs would have to collaborate and be okay with making the collected data openly available, so appropriate sample sizes (=numbers of participants in a study) can even be achieved (Here's a paper on that). That probably won't happen, though.

Now, obligatory note: one of the professors who taught me about PET is a man who wrote an extremely controversial paper about exactly this stuff, despite also using PET in his research. If you like niche drama in science, look into this paper and all the articles that are responding to it.

[quirkwizard]

What's your opinion on people in the MHA verse that lack physical enhancer Quirks but are still superhuman? Like Stain, Endeavour, Shigaraki, etc. Stain is just absurd in how tough he is, Endeavour was taking blows from Hood and Shigaraki, and Shigaraki managed to close the gap between himself and Tsuyu during the USJ without them being able to react despite the distance. It's like certain people are superhuman despite their Quirks not being enhancers and the explanation is just 'they trained'.

In general, I don't mind it. For one, it's something that comes with the nature of the medium, especially with shonen. No matter how average a character is supposed to be, there needs to be some leeway with what they are physically capable of. This is especially the case when it comes to what they can survive. Second, it's not that intrusive to the setting. Quirks always have been and always will be the major factor in a fight. The other abilities are just there to complement them and make other fights more entertaining, similar to how support equipment works. Aizawa is a good example of this. If he only had his "Erasure" and nothing else going on with him, I believe that he would be less interesting, both as a fighter and as a character, since he only has the single gimmick. Third, while the characters are certainly performing superhuman feats, that's only compared to regular humans. They are nowhere near the level of Quirks. Again, it only works in a supportive manner with the main power system. You can say Tomura is quick, which makes him a much bigger threat with "Decay", but Iida is still going to run circles around him.

Finally, I think it's prevalent enough to become a notable trend and isn’t just applied to "certain people". Less of an exception and more of the rule. Because if you look at the whole of My Hero Academia, there are plenty of examples of characters performing downright inhuman feats that aren’t related to Quirks, both from natural abilities and from someone training their body. Things like Mina’s amazing agility dodging lasers, Spinner wielding that massive blade, and everything Shinso accomplished in such a short span of time. And do I even need to mention the numerous times that characters should have died from their wounds, or at least been knocked unconscious from the sheer pain they experience? Then there are all the insane mental feats in the series. Mei isn't even old enough to drive, and she's running around making these amazing pieces of technology from moment to moment. It’s why I’ve always pushed the idea that humanity evolved with Quirks as an in-universe explanation for all of this. That, in general, humanity was notably better once Quirks came around. That the floors and ceilings of a human’s capabilities were much higher when compared to us. It works to explain those feats while still keeping with what we've been told.

[accidentalmistress]

Accidental Mistress - Cat's in the Cradle

It's that time again! This post is a little later in the day than I like, but it ended up being a little longer than I thought it would. At any rate, today we have the triumphant return of Quinns and Oliver! And this one has some worldbuilding! Woo!

(For more Accidental Mistress content, check out the Master Post.)

Title: Cat's in the Cradle

Word Count: 3,882

Content and Warnings: snz (nonbinary), fantasy violence, some mild gore (translation: there's monster fighting)

In which Quinns's good intentions earn them a bit more than they bargained for...

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

The most basic utility of a sword is to swing it with a degree of force and try to hit whatever you’re aiming at with the sharp part.

Dark blood dripped from the end of their blade and sank into the dirt, leaving a stain that, in the moonlight, resembled a slick of black oil. Their chest heaved with panting breaths as sweat dripped down their brow and neck. The stench of entrails and ichor hung in the air, and they fought the sudden urge to retch that rose in the back of their throat.

The creature was dead. That much was clear as a rush of mana flowed into them, as with killing any monster. Its furred head lay several feet away from its body, frozen in a snarl that bared its erratic tangle of crowded fangs. The rest of the grotesque corpse still twitched as it cooled on the side of the road. The oversized, hand-like paws had too many fingers, too many joints. The massive barrel chest was completely at odds with the slender, almost emaciated, waist and hips. Its skin was a patchwork of fur, scales, and feathers that made no sense, had no pattern, and was dotted with weeping splits and sores.

This was what happened to Devourers eventually. They became an absurd pastiche of whatever they consumed, until the imbalance in their form started to tear them apart. They were then at their most dangerous, attacking indiscriminately and without provocation as they were driven to frenzy by madness and agony.

A barking laugh cut through the tension that clung to them like a suffocating blanket.

“Ha! Amazing! Knight Shaw, you’re incredible.”

They flicked the blood off their sword before sheathing it with a deep sigh.

“You don’t have to call me Knight Shaw. Just call me Quinns.”

They turned to the person sitting on the ground behind them and offered him a hand up, hauling the much taller and broader young man to his feet with a grunt.

“Oh, right. And you can call me Oliver!”

The green and black uniform he wore was nearly identical to Quinns’s own, save that Oliver’s lapel only bore a single gold stripe instead of the three Quinns possessed, denoting their difference in rank.

“Yeah. I know.”

“Oh. Right. Um, then how about you call me Ollie?”

“Let’s just get this thing off the road, please.”

“Oh, sure thing! I’ll grab the front legs if you get the back legs.”

“All right, fine.”

It was no mean feat to drag the Devourer’s reeking corpse, seeing as it was the size of a horse. Even as the two Knights grunted and strained with the effort, Oliver couldn’t seem to keep from chatting with that goofy grin on his face that drove Quinns up a wall.

“It’s a lucky thing -ngh- you got here when you did. -urgh- Another few minutes -hnng- and I would’ve been Devourer chow.”

Quinns made a noncommittal grunt and kept hauling. They weren’t about to tell Oliver that the only reason they’d been there at all was because they’d been tailing him since he left headquarters that night. They couldn’t shake the feeling that if they didn’t keep an eye on him, the naive younger Knight was going to do something stupid and get himself killed—a feeling that turned out to be correct when Oliver decided to take the Devourer head-on, alone, with nothing but a sword and the skills of a First-Rank Knight.

Once the dead monster was safely away from the road, Quinns cast a spell that would immolate the corpse by morning. They tried not to look at its six asymmetrical eyes, dead and glistening in the light of the arcane fire.

“Funny coincidence running into you out here at this time of night, huh?”

Quinns cast a sideways glance up at Oliver’s open, honest face. The taller Knight had a broad grin on his face, the furry, pointed ears on top of his head twitching. The cat ears and tail he bore marked Oliver as an Anima, a type of demi-human with animal features.

“I was just doing my own patrol. Couldn’t sleep, as usual, so I figured I might as well do something useful.”

A hearty clap on the shoulder made them wince.

“Ha! That’s my senior for ya! Always the overachiever! Save some glory for the rest of us, huh?”

They crossed their arms in front of their chest. “I don’t do this for glory. I do it because someone has to. You know, I don’t recall you being scheduled for a patrol either.”

Oliver rubbed the back of his neck with an abashed chuckle, his mismatched eyes, one gold and one blue-green, cast aside like a child caught sneaking a sweet from the kitchen.

“Ah, yeah, you got me. I was doing my own patrol, too. The higher ups hardly ever put me on official patrols anymore! I don’t know why; I don’t think I did anything wrong. Recently, anyway…”

Quinns kept their mouth shut. They were pretty sure they knew the reason: Oliver had quickly built a reputation around headquarters, and not an entirely favorable one. He’d passed his exams less than a year ago and was generally known to be affable and pleasant, yet already he had caused the Knights several embarrassing incidents. Quinns was away at the time, but they heard that during his first patrol, Oliver decided to attempt spellcasting in the middle of the marketplace, spooking a horse that was attached to a merchant’s cart and causing a messy collision with a fruit stand. Fortunately no one was hurt, but the Knights ended up responsible for the damages.

Not long after Quinns was officially introduced to Oliver during a late night sparring match, the junior Knight set up a series of bonfires throughout the training yard, apparently to simulate “being attacked by evil fire mages”, which quickly grew out of hand into a conflagration that set a stack of hay bales and half the company’s wooden training dummies ablaze. When Quinns arrived on the scene, they managed to contain the fire with a magical barrier until the other Knights got enough water to put it out. Quinns could still clearly picture how Oliver’s orange cat ears had been nearly flat with shame against his bright blonde hair as their Captain had chewed him out.

That incident, paired with this fight with the Devourer and a hundred other minor screw-ups on the part of the bumbling, cat-eared Knight left Quinns with the sinking feeling that they weren’t finished cleaning up Oliver’s messes. How had he even passed his exams?

Oliver’s voice brought Quinns back to the present.

“Well, since we’re both out here, why don’t we go patrolling together? I wouldn’t mind the company!”

Quinns blew out a sigh through their nose.

“Yeah, all right. Might as well.”

“Might as well keep him out of trouble, more like…” they declined to add.

As they set off together, walking side by side down the road that eventually led to Chambelf, Quinns remembered the other reason that Oliver quite literally irritated them: Quinns was allergic to cats. They cleared their throat as it started to prickle slightly and managed to avoid coughing, silently praying to any god that would listen that they could get this impromptu patrol over with quickly.

“What do you think a Devourer was doing this close to a town?” Oliver had his hands clasped behind his head and was walking along with his gaze on the starry night sky like he didn’t have a care in the world. Must be nice.

Quinns shrugged.

“It looked like it was dying. They go crazy right before they die, and they’re not exactly stable to begin with, so there’s no telling what it was thinking.”

“Do you think there could be any more around?”

“I highly doubt it. They don’t travel in groups; they’re solitary creatures.”

It didn’t escape Quinns’s notice that when he’d asked the question Oliver sounded a little… excited.

“You’re not actually hoping to run into another one of those things, are you? The first one almost killed you.”

The other Knight chuckled. “Well, okay, maybe not another Devourer, but it might be cool to fight some other kinda monster.”

A scoff of disbelief passed Quinns’s lips. “Seriously? Do you have a death wish or something? Why the hell would you want to fight another monster?”

To Quinns’s surprise, Oliver dropped his arms to his sides and a slightly awkward look came to his face. Was he embarrassed?

“Uh, y’know, no reason… It’s just… I-It’s what Knights do, right? Yeah, we, uh, we fight monsters and protect people, so… Just really excited to do, uh… Knight stuff.”

Quinns regarded Oliver with narrowed eyes and was just about to accuse him of being a terrible liar when an itch blossomed in their nose, so instead they turned to the side and rubbed it against their sleeve with urgent strokes.

“Agh…”

“Hey, you okay?”

“What? -snf- Oh, y-yeah. -snf- I’m fine.”

They thought for certain that their sniffles would give them away, but Oliver seemed to take them at face value and nodded.

“Oh. Okay, good!”

Quinns bit back a sigh. While they were relieved that he hadn’t caught on, it really illustrated just how overly trusting Oliver was. The guy needed to cultivate some common sense before it got him killed.

“You know, I feel pretty lucky right now,” Oliver said, and Quinns wasn’t sure if he was purposely trying to change the subject or if he just always said whatever came to mind. Probably that second one.

“What do you mean?”

Oliver glanced over at them, putting his hands up behind his head again with another trademark grin.

“Well, not everybody gets to go on a patrol with the Quinns Shaw. Actually, you almost always go out alone. Makes me feel a little special, you know?”

It actually took some effort for Quinns to not openly gape at Oliver. Sure, it was true that Quinns usually worked alone, but was that really so noteworthy? Furthermore, why did Oliver hold them in such high esteem? Did they stand out that much? They wouldn’t deny their own skill—they were the youngest Knight to ever achieve Third Rank—but they didn’t exactly go out and do heroic deeds every day. They mostly performed their regular duties, did any other tasks the higher-ups assigned to them, picked up any slack where necessary, and kept their head down the rest of the time. They were so thrown off by Oliver’s comment, in fact, that they were totally unprepared for when the itching in their sinuses flared back up. They froze up, powerless to stop it, before their head snapped forward.

“Etchoo!”

“Whoa, bless you. You sure you’re okay?”

Another rub with the sleeve. “It’s nothing. Thanks… Oliver, I really don’t think I’m as amazing as you seem to think I am.”

“Well, I think you are that amazing. I’m real grateful that you’re willing to spend time with a loser like me, honestly. Feels like you could be doing… I dunno… better things.”

Quinns opened their mouth to reply, but abruptly shut it again as they realized that they didn’t actually know why they concerned themself so much with Oliver. Getting involved with other people only complicated things. Just look at the whole situation with Noelle: if anyone knew Quinns was aiding a witch, they’d be before the Inquisition in irons in less time than it took for Oliver to make them start itching. Keeping an eye on the younger Knight just gave them more work to do and more stress to deal with, so why did they bother? Was it simply to protect a comrade from getting hurt, or were they somehow a magnet for hard luck cases?

They had to say something into the silence that had already dragged into uncomfortable territory after Oliver’s last statement, but no words came to their rescue. No sarcastic quip, no snappy comeback, not even something truthful came to Quinns’s lips. Instead, Oliver’s cat ears abruptly twitched, then flattened against his head the moment before he flung himself bodily into Quinns, pushing them to the ground.

“Look out!”

An explosive frenzy of sound and motion followed. Before they even knew what had happened Quinns was facedown in the dirt of the road. Something blocked the moonlight above, casting a deep shadow in the night’s gloom. Training, adrenaline, and instinct took over. They pushed off the ground, and by the time they were on their feet their sword was in hand. Quinns spun to face what attacked them and briefly froze at what they saw. There stood Oliver, ears flattened, teeth bared in a snarl that showed sharp canines that Quinns had never noticed before. He was face-to-face with a huge reptilian creature: long and sinewy like a massive snake, its hide protected by thick, leathery scales. It had no legs to speak of, and the frilled head with its long snout would not look out of place on a dragon.

A wyrm.

Not quite full grown, but still big enough to snatch up and drag either of them away. Sharp teeth the size of daggers lined its yawning maw, currently held open by Oliver with one hand each on the upper and lower jaws as the creature struggled to make the young Knight its next meal. Oliver’s heterochromatic eyes flicked over to Quinns for the barest moment.

“I can’t… hold it… forever!”

Snapped from their reverie, Quinns tightened their grip on their sword.

“Right!”

With a cry, they ran at the wyrm with sword raised, held in both hands to put their full weight behind it. The wyrm’s hide was too thick for a simple slash to do much damage, and there was no time to cast a spell or perform some flashy move. So Quinns used their sword for its second most basic utility: aim the pointy bit at something you don’t like and shove as hard as you can.

This punctured the wyrm’s thick hide, causing the creature to shriek bloody murder, which was probably warranted given the circumstances. It darted aside, abandoning its attack on Oliver in favor of swiping its lengthy tail at Quinns instead. They leapt back to dodge the blow, the whiplike appendage missing them by inches. When the wyrm did not hit its intended target, it switched its attention back to Oliver, curving the arc of its strike towards the other Knight. He made no move to dodge, standing there with his arms wide open like he was waiting for it.

“Don’t tell me he’s gonna try to—”

With a resounding thump, Oliver caught the wyrm’s tail in the chest and grabbed on, holding it in place. How was he still standing? That strike had to have been powerful enough to break bone. More importantly, though—

“What the Hell are you doing?!”

The grin Oliver flashed them was more appropriate for someone who had caught a prize fish than a guy currently bear-hugging the tail of a monster.

“I got it!”

Quinns watched as a powerful undulation traveled swiftly down the length of the wyrm’s body, and Oliver’s feet left the ground.

“Wooaah! I-I don’t got it!”

The younger Knight was flung backwards, landing heavily against the trunk of a tree with a worrying crunch.

“Ollie!”

Surprisingly, or perhaps less so at this point, Oliver gave Quinns a thumbs up from where he sat at the base of the tree. “Koff! Don’t worry! Koff-koff! I, uh, I’m good!”

“Damn it, just… Just stay there, okay?!”

A guttural growl cut through the night air as the wyrm redoubled its attack, launching itself towards Oliver, still recovering from being thrown.

“Shit,” Quinns swore as they rushed forward, beginning a chant that would cast a protective barrier spell in front of Oliver. Icy panic gripped their stomach as they realized that the wyrm was far too fast.

They weren’t going to finish the spell in time.

With a fluid motion that was unlike Oliver’s usual bumbling clumsiness, the cat Anima rolled to his feet and leapt forward to meet his monstrous opponent. As the wyrm charged, baring its fangs with a horrid screech, Oliver once more managed to grab the creature by the jaws. One step, two—despite the wyrm’s size and strength, Oliver yielded only two steps to its crushing assault. Straining with the effort, he then began to prize the monster’s jaws slowly apart.

Still rushing to Oliver’s aid, Quinns thought for a moment that the other Knight was trying to break the creature’s jaw. Instead, Oliver wrenched the wyrm’s head to one side with a triumphant shout. Confused at first, Quinns then realized that with its head turned they now had a clear shot at the roof of the creature’s mouth.

They turned their run into a charge, both hands on the hilt of their sword as they raised it to eye level. With a rising cry they closed the distance, then thrust their blade deep into the soft flesh of the wyrm’s mouth, piercing its brain. The beast didn’t make a sound. Its long body spasmed with weaker and weaker movements until at last it went still.

Quinns pulled their sword from the monster’s corpse, and Oliver dropped its head to the ground. Within moments, the wyrm’s spent life force poured out in the form of mana, which Quinns felt flow into them. Beside them they heard Oliver gasp.

“Oh my gods, I think… I think I just got mana.”

Quinns raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, that usually happens when you kill a monster.”

Oliver looked over at them wide-eyed as a grin slowly stole across his face.

“Does that mean…” He suddenly looked down at his arms in front of him. “Do I get my Mark now?!”

“Your… what?”

“The Adventurer’s Mark! How do I know if I got it?”

Quinns blinked.

Plenty of people in the world became Adventurers, but it wasn’t simply a job title. Slaying monsters, practicing magic, training in certain martial arts—these sorts of things granted one mana. Once a person’s mana reached a certain threshold, they would gain a Mark: a symbol somewhere on their body that marked them as an Adventurer. As one then grew in power, so too would the Mark, growing in size and complexity as proof of one’s skill.

“Wait, are you saying… you’re not an Adventurer yet?”

Oliver shook his head.

“No, I’m not. Or, at least, I wasn’t? Maybe I am now!” He actually started to unbutton his uniform shirt. “Would I feel it? What does it feel like? Does it, like, burn or something? How do I know where to look?”

Quinns had to admit that they were a little impressed. An Adventurer’s Mark was not a requirement to become a Knight, but a person was limited in the skills they could use and the magic they could cast without one, which of course made the job more dangerous. Though rare, it wasn't unheard of for someone to join up in the hopes of gaining their Mark, Quinns had just never met one before. Oliver had guts, that was for sure, and he could clearly take a beating. His eagerness to kill a monster now made a lot more sense as well: monsters granted a large amount of mana, so monster-slaying was often the fast-track to Adventurer status.

Quinns placed a placating hand on Oliver's arm before the other Knight got too carried away with stripping in the middle of the road.

"Whoa, slow down there, champ. I… I can't really describe it, but trust me: if you gained your Mark, you would know."

They watched as Oliver’s expression turned crestfallen, his orange ears drooping as he began to slowly button his shirt again.

“Oh… Yeah, that, uh, makes sense.”

Quinns pressed their lips together before sighing, though one corner of their mouth tugged up in a small smile.

“Hey, don’t let it get you down too bad. You’re well on your way. You’ll just have to deal the finishing blow next time.”

The quickness with which Oliver’s ears perked right back up was nearly comical.

“Next time? You mean… you wanna do this again sometime? Like, you’ll go out with me?”

At that Quinns was unable to stop a chuckle from escaping as they nodded.

“Yeah, but you don’t have to make it sound like a date.”

“A date?” Oliver’s cheeks quickly flushed pink and he waved his hands in front of him frantically. “N-no, I didn’t mean it like that! I-I mean, not that I wouldn’t— if you wanted to! But if not that’s totally fine! Wait, no- I mean, I’m not asking you on a date! Right now. I… I really just meant patrolling…”

He placed a hand over his face, thoroughly red. Another laugh bubbled up in Quinns’s throat, but all that came out was a cough. As the adrenaline that surged in their veins during the battle faded, the allergies it had suppressed returned in full force. They tried to forestall any further coughing by swallowing hard, but the ticklish feeling in their throat stubbornly persisted. Quinns put their back to Oliver and cleared their throat a few times, which only seemed to aggravate the irritation. A series of coughs seized them, which they tried, unsuccessfully, to smother with a hand.

“Uh, Quinns? You okay?”

“I’m f- Koff! Koff! I’m f-fi-...” Their body froze, which meant— “Etchoo! Etchoo! Ugh… I’m fine.”

A rare double sneeze. With a groan, Quinns remembered that Oliver had touched them when he pushed them out of the way of the wyrm’s initial ambush strike. He must have gotten cat hair on them.

“You don’t sound fine.” The cat in question came around to face Quinns, prompting them to take a step back. “Can you tell me what’s going on? Please?”

Talk about awkward. How do you tell someone you’re allergic to them?

“Uh… I have… Etchoo! … allergies?”

Oliver’s golden eyebrows rose, his expression a mixture of surprise and concern.

“Oh, no… Well, you shouldn’t be outside, then! Come on: let’s get you back to headquarters.”

Quinns felt a firm hand on their shoulder, and suddenly Oliver was marching them back up the way they’d come.

“W-wait, Ollie- Hang on, what about- koff! What about the wyrm?”

“We can inform one of the other patrols, and they can come clean it up. I don’t think anyone’ll use this road anyway, and—” He paused. “Wait, you just called me Ollie!”

“Oh, uh, -snf- yeah… guess I did.”

Slight relief washed over them that he hadn’t noticed them yell it during the fight, but that was quickly squashed when Oliver’s arms wrapped around them in a bear hug.

“Aw, that means we’re friends now! I’m so happy!”

Quinns made a mental note to visit the temple when they got back, because the only explanation they could conceive for the events of the evening and their current situation was that, at some point, they had caused the gods some great offense. Of course, that was assuming that they made it back to headquarters alive, and, given how things had gone so far, Quinns was increasingly convinced they might regret letting this particular cat cross their path.

[consistencyisalliask]

I agree with your tags about Douglas Adams being able to out-sentence Terry Pratchett (no small feat), but I will say that brilliant man did NOT know how to end a tale. His books have amazing beginnings and middles and then the dismount is just... well, the books end.

But that kind of makes me love Douglas Adams even more because he is so inspiringly and intimidatingly good, but being able to see he wasn't perfect is reassuring.

Ooh such a good point. I feel like his beginnings are especially powerful because he writes amazing hooks into the first sentence and then builds from there but then...just meanders. Which explains his love for sort of exploratory stories of audience-stand in characters just bouncing around the universe running into increasingly absurd situations.

Also I get the sense that Adams is a lot more cynical than Pratchett, which can make him funnier by sentence but misanthropy makes it harder to build an engaging story with a satisfying payoff.

[stage-99-games]

Introducing: Race the Sand

I am pleased to announce that my next game, Race the Sand, has been published on both DriveThruRPG and Itch.io; it is still under review and approval on DriveThruRPG, so if that is your TTRPG shop of choice, give it a few days. Race the Sand is free. In fact, I have it set not to allow payments on those two sites.

Race the Sand is a collaborative, cooperative storytelling RPG system set around trying to achieve the most fantastic, absurd, creative, difficult or otherwise noteworthy feats in adventures, because that is the only way to even temporarily save your entire world from destruction. The ultimate powers of the universe responsible for all existence, have grown bored and are leaving, and with them reality is crumbling. Only by doing the amazing or unheard of can your heroes (or villains) hope to entice them to remain just a little bit longer.

The game is rules-light (only 15 pages), and features both quick character creation (even faster than Dextra's) and an easy to understand dice system, using two six-sided dice and a static, easy difficulty for all actions -- at least until others at the table modify your circumstances to make your effort both more impressive and harder to pull off. And you want them to! That's the only way to catch the attention of the almighty powers. By spending influence tokens, players can make dragons hungry, set rope bridges on fire, reinforce closed doors, make enemy wizards summon reinforcements, and more. If the action succeeds, your group gets to keep the tokens; fail and the universe remains unimpressed. Only through amassing enough tokens by the end of the session can your group succeed in their task, but you can get a good story out of it either way.

Race the Sand was written over the summer and represents a general acknowledgement of the distressing world in which many of us find ourselves today. Between rising international tensions, economic stagnation, climate change and other concerns, things can sometimes feel hopeless. But playing Race the Sand will hopefully remind us all that, unlike the world expressed within the game, we are not without hope. Also, it's a grand excuse to go absolutely big on your adventures. And it's free. I hope you will enjoy.

[coenvs3000w23]

Using The Tools We Have To Get By 

Being from a big city, I was not as fortunate as many people to be able to experience the natural world firsthand. Having grown up during the technological era, most of the knowledge I possess comes from watching an absurd amount of TikTok, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels… 

During COVID, I had an abundance of spare time on my hands, and I spent more time than I would like to admit on YouTube. Now, most of this time was spent watching brain-rotting twitch drama but I did also spend a good amount of time watching nature documentaries. As I said, more screen time than I would like to admit… Anyways, during this time I found a documentary titled, The Insane Biology of: The Octopus. Apart from some amazing biological feats, what was most fascinating about this piece, is just how intelligent octopuses can be. Although defining intelligence can be difficult (as I have painfully learned in my psychology class :p), the octopus displays various levels of intelligence; in planning, in memory, in playful activity, and in ecological intelligence (Sammann, 2020). 

Most interestingly, octopuses have shown incredible feats of memory, both short-term and long-term; being able to recognize objects, areas, and even in some cases human being friends (). This in conjunction with the fact they are one of the few animals known to utilize composite tool use, they are seen to have superior survivability in the wild (Sammann, 2020). Transporting coconut shells and using them as shelter when they are tired; they display their incredible ability to plan and survive in nature (Sammann, 2020). Being completely separate from primates in the evolutionary tree, it begs the question… How have these wonderful creatures developed such an intense intelligent ability? Their secret?... They’ve had to. Octopuses are expected to be over 330 million years old, and over that time have faced significant challenges in the natural world (SMV, 2022). Originally, the ancestors of these squishy molluscs had shells, but around 160 million years ago they would come to lose their them (St. Fleur, 2017). With predation kicking up, being nimble and witty would serve more favourable in the eye of our mother nature (St. Fleur, 2017). As these conditions would require them to rely more on planning, strategy, and tool use to survive, they would learn to break out of their shell and live free. As to not ramble I’ll leave it here. However, if your curiosity consumes you, check out the end of this post for a link to the video. 

Anyways, as I have experienced firsthand, sometimes it can be difficult to indulge in nature. However, that is no reason to neglect it. There are a ton of resources online and some interesting forms of content that pertain to wildlife, geology, and anything that really pertains to nature. If you are feeling a little lost in nature, I left a list of some good places where I got started that helped me get more into learning about nature. These resources are sure to help fuel and nurture anyone trying to salvage their passion.  

List of Resources

The Insane Biology of: The Octopus 

The Wild Times Podcast

Check out platforms like Netflix, Youtube, and National Geographic for more content like this :)

References

Sammann, S. [Real Science]. (2020, November 14). The Insane Biology of: The Octopus [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFP_AjJeP-M&t=776s

Science Museum of Virginia. (2022, April 1). When did the octopus first appear on Earth? Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://smv.org/learn/blog/when-did-octopus-first-appear-earth/. 

St. Fleur, N. (2017, March 6). Figuring Out When and Why Squids lost their shells. The New York Times. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/science/squid-fossils-shells.html. 

[madara-fate]

I'm tired of this Naruto Fandom uplifting their favorites up and putting down the characters they hate.Especially characters like Sakura,Sai,Shikamaru,Hinata,Neji and other side characters of Konoha 11 gets downplayed in front of other favorite characters.Especially Sakura is the bigger target of this.Generally I'm neutral towards her character neither I love her nor I hate her.But I do acknowledge her contributions in the story and her accomplishments which is far more than most of the characters in the show.Like I saw certain set of users on quora saying he gets annoyed by Sakura fans coz they overhype her feats like her being "god tier" when they are obviously trolls that pretend to be her fan.Then why would Sakura fans defend her for being a relatively normal ones among the trio for her being not as strong as Naruto or Sasuke?Sounds illogical to me.And the comment section was on whole another level absurdity and the ones which gave unbiased perspective of her were collapsed.And yup they pulled out a panel where she caused a diversion towards Madara and said she could not even beat a Madara limbo and apparantly Naruto punching Obito's tentails(when he got 6 paths power up) and Might Guy punching Madara(when his attacks were not blocked by limbos in the first place) and apparantly Madara called him strongest character when he clearly stated the strongest Taijutsu user not overall and how apparantly Sakura would never be able to do that coz apparantly Madara did not even try and selfie sticked her and did not take her seriously (When he did acknowledge the jutsu that she used was same as Tsunade)and blocked her through his clones.And they are comparing 6 paths Naruto to this Sakura which is obviously absured.And also this one her breaking Kaguya's horn and landing a finishing blow on her was apparently a PIS coz they don't want to acknowledge she is strong.That does not make her a God tier but nonetheless she is extremely strong coz she was able to get the job done.And some of her medical feats get downplayed too when it is pretty clear.And even now I can't believe there are people who say she is second best when she is literally stated to be best medical ninjutsu user in the world in the Boruto anime.Like when there are obvious feats (even before Kaguya's punch)which they fail to acknowledge that is their fault not the writers.For me Sakura is like in Kage tier in Shippuden ending like mid-kage tier coz for whatever jutsu she has the stats are pretty balanced and there are no low points.Even if it was there it got improved anyways like Taijustsu.The hate is ridiculous at this point and if someone disagrees with the fact that she is bad character then should accept the fact that she is bad and not make any arguments or defend the character based on what aspects they have and it is subjective.Some people think she's not that great and some think she 's amazing and some are neutral or indifferent towards her.It is fyn to dislike a character but being ignorant and blinded by the facts which people state and written in the manga is not objective it is bias.Like I have my friends who don't like her and her fans and also who are neutral about her.Can't people just accept that and move on?

That's just the Naruto fandom doing Naruto fandom things.

[weird-things-to-think]

Today in Bizarre History: Unraveling the Enigma of an Obscure Event

Greetings, fellow history enthusiasts! Prepare to embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of an absurd event that unfolded exactly twenty years ago today. Strap in, folks, because we're about to dive headfirst into the nonsensical depths of yesteryear. Picture this: it was a day like any other, but in a parallel universe where logic and reason took a holiday. The world woke up to witness an event so utterly bizarre, it would leave us scratching our heads and questioning reality. To this day, historians and conspiracy theorists alike are left dumbfounded, trying to make sense of the seemingly incomprehensible. So, without further ado, let's set the stage for this enigmatic escapade. Exactly two decades ago, the world witnessed the extraordinary. It all began innocently enough, with a cow inexplicably taking flight over a small village. Yes, you read that correctly. A cow. Flying. Through the air. News of this bewildering sight spread like wildfire, catching the attention of bewildered locals and skeptics from far and wide. Witnesses reported a symphony of emotions ranging from sheer amazement to uncontrollable laughter. But one thing was clear – the world would never be the same again, not after it had witnessed aerial bovines. The incident sparked fervent debates among experts, each vying to provide a plausible explanation for this exceptional occurrence. Some proposed the existence of invisible cow-sized jetpacks, while others claimed it was an elaborate prank orchestrated by mischievous extraterrestrial beings. Yet, as the years passed, the event slipped through the cracks of public memory, relegated to the realm of forgotten oddities. But today, on its twentieth anniversary, let us not allow this absurdity to fade into oblivion. We owe it to history to bring the story of the levitating bovine back into the spotlight. Who knows what other peculiar tales lie dormant, waiting for their turn to be rediscovered and celebrated? So, as we commemorate this bewildering feat, let us embrace the quirky side of history. Let us revel in the nonsensical, for it is the obscure and inexplicable events that make life all the more fascinating. Remember, dear reader, the world is a vast tapestry woven with both sense and nonsense. And today, we celebrate the latter.

[sciencestyled]

Zooming Through Quanta with Hermes: Quantum Teleportation's Divine Comedy

Greetings and salutations, you delightful bunch of mortals, immortals, and everyone who's just stopping by out of sheer cosmic curiosity! We're here to natter, chatter, and generally show off about something so mind-boggling, so fabulously absurd, that it'll make your neurons do backflips in excitement. What could this possibly be, you inquire with bated breath? Hold onto your laurel wreaths, because it's none other than quantum teleportation, narrated by yours truly – Hermes, the messenger god of wit, charm, and now, apparently, quantum mechanics.

Now, before you conjure images of sci-fi movies with blinking lights and whooshing sounds, let’s set the record straight: this isn't about teleporting your cat, your chariot, or yourself from your drab earthly dwelling to the glistening peaks of Mount Olympus. Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're dealing with something way cooler than simple movie magic. We're talking about the kind of stuff that makes the very gods sit up and pay attention: quantum teleportation. It's the art (and yes, we dare say, the sheer genius) of zipping quantum information across the cosmos faster than we can deliver Zeus's lightning bolts – and believe us, we're pretty fast.

Imagine, if you will, a universe where communication is so advanced, it makes Hermes’ speedy deliveries look like a slow-moving tortoise on a lazy day. In this universe, particles are entangled in a cosmic tango, spinning, and swaying to a rhythm that's beyond the grasp of mere mortal understanding. And in this dazzling dance of particles and waves, quantum teleportation is the star performer!

"But what is it really about?" you ask, scratching your head, trying to wrap your mortal minds around this divine enigma. Let us paint you a picture with words, as vivid and lively as one of Dionysus's famed parties. Quantum teleportation is all about whisking quantum information from one place to another, without it having to travel the intervening space. No, we're not making this up! It's like whispering a secret into the wind in Athens and having it heard instantly in Sparta. It’s downright spooky – and we mean the kind of spooky that would give Hades a run for his money.

Now, the mechanics of this – and brace yourselves, because this part is juicier than a pomegranate in Persephone’s hands – revolves around something called quantum entanglement. It’s like an invisible, unbreakable string connecting two particles, regardless of the distance between them. Think of it like two dancers, perfectly in sync, even if they're on opposite ends of the dance floor. When one moves, the other reacts instantaneously. This, our dear audience, is the heart and soul of quantum teleportation: a connection that defies space, laughs in the face of distance, and winks cheekily at the very laws of physics.

But let's not get lost in the heavenly clouds just yet! Bringing this celestial concept down to earth, scientists – those modern-day wizards and descendants of Prometheus – have actually managed to perform this miraculous feat in the lab. They've teleported quantum information across particles, heralding a new era of communication and computing that could be as revolutionary as fire was to ancient humankind. We're talking about creating unbreakable codes, ultra-fast computers, and maybe, just maybe, unraveling some of the universe’s most tantalizing secrets.

So, strap on your winged sandals, grab a cup of nectar (or coffee, for the more earthly among you), and prepare to be amazed, dazzled, and possibly a bit confounded. We're about to unravel the mysteries of quantum teleportation, with a flair that only Hermes can provide. Ready for a tale that's part science, part magic, and entirely out of this world? Trust us, it's going to be epic – after all, when have the gods ever disappointed?

There you have it, folks – a sneak peek into the high-flying, hair-twisting, and absolutely bonkers world of quantum teleportation. Hold onto your hats (or helmets, if you're feeling particularly Spartan today), because we're just getting started! And remember, in the world of quantum mechanics, expect the unexpected – it's all part of the fun!

[fdcwasright]

This has to be one of the most ridiculous blogs I've ever seen and I mean that in a "this blog is a joke (/insulting)" way lmao

Congrats for getting onto "block + report" posts in both the aspec and plural communities it's truly an amazing feat I must say /sarcastic

Also watching people dump whole FANFICTION into your ask box while you only respond with a mere 1-10 word sentence is actually hilarious and it makes this ridiculously toxic blog even more of a joke that I'm actually missing the point of you trying to start wars and laughing at how absurd your reblogs and answers are You're not a clown. No, not at all. You're the entire circus; You're the troupe, tent, ringleader and then some 🥰🤡

I hope you rot in hell though ♥︎♡♥︎♡

I know I’m pretty special huh

[osarothomprince]

Erling Haaland reveals secret potion behind his incredible goalscoring feats

The secret to success, Erling? Haaland tweets pictures of the’magic elixir’ that has been fueling his record-breaking 45-goal season so far, revealing that MILK is the secret to his amazing goal-scoring prowess. Erling Haaland had amusingly unveiled his magic milk elixir, which he claims to have used to score all of his absurd goals this…Erling Haaland reveals secret potion behind his incredible…

[anitosoul]

tripreport021: Mirrorworld

liminal dissociation in the mirror realm🪞

A-Side: Mirrorworld Tracklist

1. 00:00 FKA twigs - meta angel 2. 03:47 Commodo - Procession 3. 05:00 Earl Sweatshirt - Fire in the Hole 4. 07:49 Dazegxd - fallin 4 u (i rly like u) 5. 08:48 &on&on - Don’t Say a Word 6. 12:03 Ossie - Flutes of Fire 7. 14:46 RXKnephew - Squabble 8. 17:57 aya - what if i should fall asleep and slipp under 9. 19:30 Siouxxie - ketamine 10. 21:20 TNGHT - Brick Figures 11. 22:45 Yung Bruh - Vintage LSD 2 12. 26:40 Devoye - Sentimental 13. 28:50 AceMo - Mind Jungle 14. 31:10 optic core - Aether World 15. 31:50 FROMTHEHEART - MIDWESTEMO2 16. 33:43 Regal86 - Shine of the Night 17. 35:30 Heatace - Genesis Explorer 18. 38:40 WAVEDASH - Dummo Loop (TRALES Remix) 19. 40:15 eldia - Shell Suit Zero (feat. Dazegxd & Optic Core) 20. 42:32 Joy Orbison - Red Velve7 21. 44:30 Human Part - TRYING 2 (HOLLA @ ME)

B-Side: dlrowrorriM Tracklist

1. 00:00 Years & Years - Starstruck (Vegyn Remix) 2. 03:00 FKA twigs - oh my love 3. 06:42 Body Meat - ULTIMA 4. 09:15 Partok, Matushka, Apfelberg - Nai Nai 5. 11:25 Argy - Magic Order 6. 14:15 Soichi Terada - Bamboo Fighter 7. 16:30 Lauren Bousfield - Our Trauma 8. 19:30 Anklepants - U-Al-Alt 9. 21:55 Unknown - Fellas With an Attitude 10. 24:00 Yuné Pinku - Laylo 11. 25:55 Zomby - Euphoria 12. 29:00 Varg - A Weak Heart to Break (BD 4-Ever) 13. 31:40 Space Africa - Indigo Grit (feat. guest) 14. 32:58 Kirby and the Amazing Mirror - Dark Meta Knight Battle 15. 34:10 M.A BEAT! - Love You (Birthday) 16. 36:30 Less Instructions - Sungrazer 17. 39:15 Penelope’s Fiance - Futile Endeavours 18. 41:10 Aphex Twin - Vordhosbn 19. 42:50 Placid Angles - Vent 20. 44:30 Burial - Shadow Paradise

This month was characterized by dissociation; the sense of living in an alternate reality. New Years didn’t feel celebratory as the Omicron variant was ravaging the city, serving as a reminder that we were still in a global pandemic.

I started off the month back in Tulsa for our friends’ wedding and it was a similarly strange experience being thrown back into the space and relationships I was still processing from 2021.

One of my best friends was in the city when I returned, emphasizing the mirror vibes as we hung out in the empty city. We randomly saw Aziz Ansari do a set at Madison Square Garden. We ate pizza. I was training for a marathon. None of it made much sense at all 🥴

It all felt so liminal—I was in a suspended, absurd period between my career, my social life, my relationships, and the state of the world. This culminated in going to the MERGE rave at Market Hotel at the end of the month, where we entered at 11pm and emerged at 8am to a fully silent NYC covered in a foot of snow. I had never heard the city that quiet before; there were no car sounds, no shouting, no birds, nothing. We had to trek all the way back to a friend’s apartment and the only thing we heard on the way was a car eerily playing “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”

I had no idea where 2022 was going to go and I could have never predicted the ride it was going to take me on. 2021 was chaotic, but 2022 was a fully new challenge. The music in this mix is a representation of that disparate, absurd, liminal, and just plain weird feeling of starting a new year in the remnants of a global pandemic.