#darwin forge

[razmerry]

x-nyan: first clan

Wolverine and Nightcrawler

Angel

Mystique and Juggernaut

Darwin

Sabretooth

Forge, Jubilee, and Dazzler

Cable and Deadpool

Kitty Pryde

Storm, Psylocke, and Havok

Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch

Beak, Callisto, and Caliban

[solar-wing]

⚣ Badass 👊

⚣👊 A/N → @natef458 Last request from my previous account. Now, I can focus on one inbox (at least for now)! Shorter than what I've normally done, but I wanted to keep it simple. Hope you enjoy it! Tamaranean male image generated by AI. WARNINGS: Canon-Typical Violence | Tamaranean Male Reader | Dick Is Nightwing |

⚣👊 Summary → It's Y/N's first mission as a part of the team since he came to Earth. The Team and their leader Nightwing soon found out just how capable Tamaraneans are in a fight.

⚣👊 Words → 3.3K

REBLOGS & replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

Under the harsh glow of the moonlight, the Young Justice team converged around the abandoned warehouse where Vandal Savage and his cronies were holed up. Nightwing was co-leading the mission with Aqualad, coming far in his leadership and skill since they had founded the team along with their friend and teammate Kid Flash, and new friends Superboy, Miss Martian, Artemis, and eventually Zatanna.

Many of the original members had grown much from their early days as a part of the team, moving away from their past titles as sidekicks and coming into their own identities as heroes.

One of them was the former sidekick to the Dark Knight, previously known as Robin, who’d realized he wanted to separate himself from Batman and forge his own path and identity. Thus, within a few years after the team’s founding, he left his position and title as Robin and took on the persona of Nightwing.

He’d come a long way from the kid he was before, becoming more of the leader his mentor, and friend Aqualad saw in him. So much so, that the Atlantean had decided to start letting him help co-lead missions, seeing that was their original deal during that first fateful mission on Santa Prisca. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Batman had alerted the Team about a new mission concerning Vandal Savage who had just stolen a prototype weapon from a top-secret government facility. This weapon, codenamed "Project Eclipse," was not only a formidable tool of destruction but was clearly another attempt at trying to make humans evolve as a race due to his crazy beliefs in Social Darwinism and survival of the fittest.

By now, the Team knew this could only be the minor puzzle piece to something bigger. But, a weapon of that capability was way too dangerous to be left in his hands. Thus, they were tasked with intercepting Savage and recovering the stolen weapon before he could carry out whatever twisted experiments he had planned.

Only now, their team had grown much larger, bringing in various new members. Some were sidekicks to other heroes a part of the League while others were just regular people who had developed powers and abilities, whether intentionally or not, and were recruited into the team so they could learn how to control them and use them for good.

They’d lost a few along the way, some choosing to leave the team on their own while others had met a different and more grave fate, one of them being the new Robin, Jason Todd, who’d taken Dick’s place after he’d given up the position of Batman’s sidekick. Of course, the team mourned the loss of their fallen teammates, but it didn’t take away from their strength, especially with the other new members who had joined.

One of them being Y/N, an alien refugee who’d made quite the entrance to Earth just two years prior. He’d escaped from the captivity of the Gordanians, an intergalactic race of slavers who’d attacked his home planet, Tamaran, and abducted him as a slave in the process.

But, the slavers were ignorant of the fact that Tamaraneans gained strength from sunlight. So, when traveling closer to Earth within view of the distant sun of the solar system and after encountering the inherent unpredictability of space travel, Y/N seized his opportunity for escape, breaking free from his confines and escaping the vessel.

They’d pursued after him, hot on his trail as he made his way onto Earth, landing in the unsuspecting municipality of Happy Harbor. Unknowingly, but thankful in the end, his arrival had caught the attention of the Young Justice team, whose base was located in the nearby mountain and had come to his rescue.

It’d definitely been an interesting first meeting, considering none of the Team could understand him since he was speaking an alien language they’d never heard of. That’s when Y/N took it upon himself to lock lips with the Boy Wonder, who had yet to give up his identity and position as Batman’s sidekick.

Apparently, Tamaraneans possessed the ability to learn language through skin contact. It didn’t have to be done explicitly through kissing, but they were also a very direct and forward race when it came to their feelings. Being a race ruled more by emotion than reason.

Simply put, Y/N found Dick attractive and planted one on him so he could learn English, much to the then Boy Wonder’s surprise, but also enjoyment. He didn’t know much about Tamaraneans, but, judging by YN’s appearance, it definitely had to be a planet full of attractive people. But, he only had his eyes on one at that moment.

Now, two years later, Y/N had become an integral member of the Young Justice team, his journey from alien refugee to valued ally a testament to his strength and resilience. Despite the initial language barrier and clear cultural differences that in the early stages separated him from his teammates, Y/N had quickly adapted to life on Earth, his determination to learn and grow matched only by his unwavering commitment to the team.

Y/N brought a unique blend of strengths and abilities to the Team, complementing and enhancing the skills of his fellow teammates in various ways. His Tamaranean heritage bestowed upon him powers and abilities that were on par, if not equal, with those of Superboy, making him a formidable force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Like Superboy, Y/N possessed superhuman strength, allowing him to perform incredible feats of physical prowess and to go toe-to-toe with even the most powerful adversaries. His invulnerability made him virtually indestructible, able to withstand the most devastating attacks without so much as a scratch.

But what truly set Y/N apart was his extreme proficiency in hand-to-hand and weapon combat. Trained from a young age in the art of combat on his home planet of Tamaran, Y/N was a master of various fighting styles and techniques, able to hold his own against opponents of any size or skill level.

In addition to his formidable combat skills, Y/N possessed the ability to generate energy bolts and blasts from his hands and eyes, a power known as star bolts on Tamaran. These powerful energy blasts were capable of incapacitating even the most resilient foes, adding a deadly edge to Y/N's already impressive arsenal of abilities.

Together, Y/N's strength, combat prowess, and energy manipulation abilities made him a major asset to the Young Justice team, capable of turning the tide of battle in their favor with a single well-placed strike. Whether facing off against street-level criminals or cosmic threats, Y/N stood ready to defend his teammates and protect the innocent, his unwavering determination and indomitable spirit serving as a beacon of hope in the darkest of times.

As the Team faced off against Vandal Savage and his henchmen in the abandoned warehouse, the air crackled with tension and anticipation. Nightwing and Aqualad led the charge, their years of experience and leadership guiding the team through the chaotic fray.

Superboy, Miss Martian, and Zatanna with a few of their other teammates had split off to retrieve the stolen weapon, leaving Nightwing, Artemis, Kid Flash, and Y/N to hold off Savage and his goons. The battle was fierce and relentless, with Savage's forces proving to be formidable adversaries.

As Nightwing faced off against Vandal Savage in the dimly lit warehouse, the villain was proving himself to be a most formidable foe. Savage's millennia of combat experience and immortality made him a threatening force, his strength and resilience far surpassing that of any ordinary adversary.

The two circled each other warily, each seeking to gain the upper hand in the deadly dance of combat. Nightwing moved with the grace and precision of a trained acrobat, his nimble movements a stark contrast to Savage's brute force and relentless determination.

With a calculated look, Savage launched himself at Nightwing, his fists crashing down with bone-crushing force. Nightwing barely managed to dodge the blow, rolling to the side and countering with a swift kick to Savage's midsection.

But, he shrugged off the attack as if it were nothing. With a savage grin, he came at Nightwing again delivering multiple strikes that drove the young hero further back towards the edge of defeat.

Even with his own experience and endurance in battle, Nightwing found himself struggling to keep up with the relentless assault. His movements grew sluggish and tired as his body began to succumb to the pain of the attacks, his mind racing as he searched for a way to turn the tide of battle in his favor.

As he staggered back from Vandal Savage's brutal onslaught, his muscles burning with exhaustion and his mind reeling from the relentless barrage of attacks, he knew that he was on the brink of defeat. With Savage bearing down on him, his fists raised for the final, devastating blow, Nightwing braced himself for the inevitable impact, steeling himself for the pain that was sure to follow.

But just as Savage's fist came crashing towards him, a streak of emerald energy shot through the air, intercepting the attack with pinpoint precision. Nightwing's eyes widened in astonishment as he watched Y/N swoop in, his Tamaranean abilities allowing him to move with speed and agility unmatched by any ordinary mortal.

With a powerful surge of energy, Y/N deflected Savage's blow, sending the immortal villain stumbling backward with a grunt of rage and frustration. Nightwing could hardly believe what he was seeing as Y/N stood before him, his expression determined and his eyes blazing with determination.

But the battle was far from over, and Savage wasted no time in launching another furious assault. As he lunged towards Y/N, his hands outstretched for the kill, Y/N met him head-on, his own strength and resilience proving to be more than a match for the immortal foe.

With a swift movement, Savage managed to grab Y/N mid-attack, his grip like iron as he sought to crush the life out of the young hero. As he tightened his grip around the Tamaranean’s midsection, he was despondent to see Y/N unfazed by his move, his expression calm and determined as he looked Savage straight in the eye.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am stronger than I look," Y/N declared, his words resonating with undeniable strength and conviction no matter how soft they were spoken.

As he spoke, a flicker of determination ignited in Y/N's eyes, the vibrant emerald glow intensifying until his eyes shone with a brilliant radiance. The Tamaranean brought his foot back before unleashing a devastating kick to Savage's chest, the force of the blow sending the mastermind staggering back. His expression contorted with pain and surprise despite his strength and healing as he struggled to maintain his footing against the onslaught.

As Savage stumbled backwards, Y/N seized the opportunity to press his advantage, launching a relentless barrage of attacks that left the immortal villain struggling to keep up. Meanwhile, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Zatanna had succeeded in securing and disabling the prototype weapon, turning the tide of battle in their favor.

As the battle raged on and the rest of the team rallied to their side, they watched in awe as the Tamaranean held his own against Savage and his goons, his strength and resilience shining through with every strike.

He was relentless, pressing his advantage with unwavering determination as he launched into a relentless barrage of attacks. Each strike fueled by an inner fire and a fierce determination to protect his teammates and emerge victorious against the forces of evil.

Also, no one was allowed to lay hands on his leader like that without repercussions. Vandal truly did not know who he was fucking with.

As Nightwing watched Y/N in the heat of battle, a wave of admiration washed over him, mingled with a sense of awe that bordered on reverence. His eyes traced the contours of his form, noting the fluid grace with which he moved and the unwavering determination etched upon his features.

In the flickering light of the warehouse, the Tamaranean seemed to glow with an inner fire, his emerald eyes ablaze with determination as he faced off against the immortal menace of Vandal Savage. Nightwing couldn't help but be captivated by the sight, drawn to the raw strength and resilience that seemed to emanate from Y/N's very being.

But it wasn't just his physical prowess that impressed Nightwing. It was the strength of his spirit, the unwavering resolve that burned brightly within him even in the face of overwhelming odds. There was something undeniably magnetic about Y/N, something that stirred a longing within Nightwing's heart that he couldn't quite put into words.

With a determined nod, he rose to his feet, his own resolve renewed as he prepared to join the fray once more.

Together, Nightwing and Y/N fought with a synchronicity that bordered on instinct, their movements fluid and coordinated as they launched a devastating assault on Savage and his forces. As they drove their adversaries back, the rest of the team rallied to their side, their collective strength and determination proving to be more than a match for the forces of evil.

As the battle raged on, Nightwing couldn't help but feel a stirring of something deeper than mere admiration. There was a connection between him and Y/N, a bond that transcended words and defied explanation. It was as if they were two halves of a whole, each complementing the other in ways that went beyond the battlefield.

In that moment, as they fought side by side against their foes, the acrobat couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to truly be with the Tamaranean, to share in the triumphs and trials of life as partners, as equals, as something more.

But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the task at hand. There would be time to explore the depths of his feelings later. For now, he fought alongside Y/N with a renewed sense of purpose, his heart filled with admiration and longing for the alien hero who had captured his attention in more ways than one.

Y/N used his incredible strength and ability of flight to help launch Nightwing into the air, while Nightwing used his light and agile nature to deliver a series of lightning-fast blows against the villain. Together, they worked to bring the villain to his knees, their combined efforts finally proving to be too much for the immortal.

As Savage finally admitted defeat with a promise and retreated into the shadows, the Young Justice team stood victorious, proud and relieved smiles etched onto their faces from their hard-earned victory. They all surrounded their co-leader and teammate, making sure he was okay while praising Y/N for his prowess in his battle with Savage.

"Dude! That was like total badass moves out there!" Kid Flash exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe.

"Yeah, I know you've been on the team for a while now, but I haven't seen a more well-deserved ass whooping like that in a while," Artemis agreed, her lips curling into a smirk.

"It truly was a sight to behold. Well done, Y/N," Aqualad added, his voice tinged with pride.

"I'm so glad you're both safe," Miss Martian added, relief evident in her voice.

"Yeah, that was a close call," Superboy chimed in, his expression serious.

Nightwing couldn't help but chuckle at their enthusiastic praise, his gaze drifting to Y/N. The Tamaranean smiled, his eyes sparkling with appreciation and gratitude at the praise.

"Thank you. Though, I think my friend here is deserving of just as much credit," he replied, gesturing to the former Boy Wonder.

"Oh, no, you definitely did most of the heavy lifting," Nightwing insisted, shaking his head. "If it weren't for you, I would've been a goner."

"I do not know about that. You were holding your own quite well before I arrived. But, we make a good team, do we not?" Y/N mused, his smile widening.

"Yeah, we do," Nightwing agreed, his cheeks flushing slightly at the compliment.

"And now we know, the next time we need to save our butts, just throw Nightwing into mortal danger and Y/N goes into god mode," Kid Flash teased, breaking the mood.

"Dude!" Nightwing hissed, punching his best friend on the arm.

"Yeah, payback, Robby-Poo," Kid Flash, still using his old nickname for his friend despite his name change.

"Well, we should probably head back to headquarters. We need to get this weapon back to the cave," Aqualad interjected, ever the voice of reason.

"Sounds good to me," Superboy agreed, already heading for the exit.

As the Team made their way out of the warehouse, a warm feeling settled over Nightwing's chest, his gaze lingering on the Tamaranean. There was no doubt in his mind that they would continue to make a great team, both on and off the battlefield.

"Hold on a sec, Y/N. We'll be right behind you, guys!" Nightwing called out to his teammates.

The rest of the team shared a knowing glance, a few snickers, and suggestive grins exchanged between them. But they didn't say anything, opting instead to give their friends some privacy.

Except KF who was giving the vigilante a thumbs-up and a wink.

Nightwing rolled his eyes and shook his head, but the blush didn't fade.

Once they were alone, Y/N turned his attention to the former Boy Wonder, his expression curious.

"Is everything okay, Dick? Are you still hurt?" He asked, voice lilting with curiosity.

The acrobat tried not to blush at Y/N's use of his name, the way it rolled off his tongue like liquid gold. Even though they were technically still in the field and should be addressing each other by their alias names, he didn't mind it. Not one bit.

"No, no, I'm fine. Really. Just wanted to say thank you," Nightwing assured, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"For what? Defeating Vandal Savage?" Y/N questioned, confusion written across his features.

"Well, yeah, that, too. But, I meant, thank you for saving me," Nightwing explained, his tone growing soft.

"Oh," Heat growing under the Tamaranean's golden cheeks.

"I'm not gonna lie, I was worried for a second. But, then you came swooping in and turned the tables. I knew I was safe," the acrobat confessed, his gaze locking with the Tamaranean's.

"You are most welcome. It was an honor to fight alongside you. I would not have let any harm come to you, Dick," Y/N replied, his expression earnest, though he wanted to say more.

Ever since he came to Earth, he'd grown into the Earthling culture, which meant he was a lot less direct with his feelings, which proved to be much more frustrating than he thought. Especially when it came to expressing the lingering feelings he had for his leader.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks," the acrobat said, offering a small smile.

"Of course," the Tamaranean responded, returning the gesture.

"We should probably get going. The others are waiting for us," Nightwing pointed out, though he didn't want the moment to end.

"Yes, they are," Y/N agreed, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

"Maybe after we're finished filing our reports and debriefing, we can hang out? Catch up on things, or whatever," the acrobat suggested, his heart racing in his chest.

"I would like that," the Tamaranean replied, his cheeks flushing pink.

"Cool," Nightwing nodded, trying his best not to grin like an idiot.

"Yes. Cool, indeed," Y/N echoed, his eyes sparkling with gleefulness.

"You two coming or what? Let's go," Kid Flash yelled from the warehouse entrance.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming!" Nightwing called back, rolling his eyes.

With a final shared smile, the two heroes made their way toward their teammates, the promise of a new beginning and a blossoming relationship hanging in the air.

☀️ | Dick Grayson/Nightwing | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[barbswo]

Wake up more Jayvik pining just dropped!

- “And the thing was, Jayce did look like a philanderer. Like a player. In public, sleaked and buttoned-up and freshly shaved. He looked like a man that broke hearts to his left and right and had a new bedwarmer every night and never committed to anyone—but all of that was only a cover. A cover to a much darker story.

Because Jayce Talis was fucking sweet.

And it was dark, because Viktor didn’t trust anyone who looked like a pastry and smiled in their bloody sleep. Anyone but Jayce.

Jayce, who kept bringing lonely animals to the lab to make Viktor feel less lonely. Jayce, who spent five days in the forge to make Viktor his new crutch, gifting it to him wrapped in craft paper and adorned with an embarrassing bow. ‘Viktor, this is Alberto. Alberto, this is Viktor. After all the time we spent together, I feel like I know both of you better than the palms of my hands. Please be friendly with each other. I’m going to bed now.’

Jayce, who made Viktor his leg brace not even a year later and spent so much time on his knees before him that Viktor started wishing for a sweet release of death. Jayce, taking the measurements he needed, running his hands up and down Viktor’s thighs, biting his lips and writing down endless numbers… that was an image even Viktor’s cold composure couldn’t handle...”

Excerpt from “Darwinism” - out on ao3.

[the-mortuary-witch]

THOR

WHO IS HE?

Thor is a god from Norse mythology who is known as the god of thunder and lightning, and son of Odin, the chief god of the Norse pantheon. He is associated with strength, fertility, and protection, and possesses a hammer named Mjölnir, which is his primary weapon. Thor is often depicted riding a chariot pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr ("teeth grinder" and "teeth thin" or “one that has gaps between the teeth”).

BASIC INFO: 

Appearance: Thor's appearance is typically described as being that of a strong and muscular god with red hair and a flowing red beard. He is often depicted as wearing a horned helmet and a belt of strength, and carrying a hammer known as Mjölnir, which is his weapon of choice. 

Personality: he is often described as being a generous and helpful deity, who is willing to help and protect his devotees. He is also known for his sense of humour and his love of a good fight, and can be somewhat temperamental at times. He is also a god of fertility, and is sometimes associated with fertility rituals and fertility blessings. Despite his strength and power, Thor is often depicted as being a very down-to-earth and relatable god, who is willing to help and support his followers in their times of need.

Symbols: Mjölnir, oak, thunder and lightning, goats, axes, the Thurisaz, Uruz, and Sowelo Runes

God of: thunder, lightning, strength, protection, fertility, masculinity, and protector of humanity

Culture: Norse

Plants: oak, garlic, onion, gorse, thistle, hawthorn, cedar, leeks, houseleek, mountain ash, hazel, yarrow, pine, acorns, and oak moss

Crystals: amethyst, lapis lazuli, sodalite, turquoise, sapphire, red jasper, obsidian, bloodstone, garnet, pyrrhotite, yedlinite, ankerite, boehmite, jaspilite, boleite, poppy jasper, bullseye agate, bristol diamond, almandine spinel, bort, achroite, puddingstone, Darwin glass, purpurite, lodestone, harlequin quartz, lazurite, proustite, libyan desert glass, pyrope garnet, diamond, ulexite, bronzite, fulgurite, and pietersite

Animals: goat, bull, and bear

Incense: cinnamon, musk, nutmeg, pine, cedar, juniper, and sage

Practices: fertility magick, protection, healing, and strength

Colours: red, white, gold, and blue

Number: 9

Zodiac: Aries and Sagittarius (not confirmed)

Tarot: Strength and The Chariot

Planet: Jupiter (not confirmed)

Days: Thursday, Þorrablót, and Yule

Parents: Odin and Jörð

Siblings: many half-siblings, such as Baldr, Hodr, Heimdall, Vidar, Tyr, Bragi, and Vali

Partners: Sif (married) and Járnsaxa

Children: Móði, Magni, Þrúðr, and Ull

MISC:

Goats: the association between Thor and goats can be found in several different stories and myths. One of the most well-known stories is the story of Thor's two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, who are described as his constant companions and servants. According to the myths, Thor's chariot was pulled by the two goats across the sky, and the goats were said to have the ability to magically regenerate and return to life after being slaughtered. In addition, the goats were also said to be able to provide food and sustenance to Thor and his companions.

Oak: the oak tree is often associated with Thor because the oak was considered a sacred tree in Norse mythology, and was believed to have been Thor's favorite tree. In fact, the oak tree was seen as a symbol of strength, endurance, and wisdom, and was thought to be a protective and sacred tree that was associated with the protection of homes and land. It was also thought that the oak was a tree that was strongly connected to the energies of the gods, and was frequently used in rituals and as a symbol of power and fertility.

Mjölnir: Thor is most famously associated with his hammer Mjölnir. According to Norse mythology, Mjolnir was forged by the dwarven brothers Brokkr and Sindri. It is said to be a powerful weapon that was used by Thor to protect the gods and destroy their enemies. Mjölnir is described as being a mighty weapon that was capable of leveling mountains and uprooting trees with a single blow. In addition to its fearsome power, Mjölnir was also said to possess magical properties, such as being able to return to Thor's hand after being thrown, can summon lightning bolts from the sky, create storms with lightning, thunder, rain, and hurricane-force winds, etc. 

Thunder and lightning: both thunder and lightning are closely associated with Thor in Norse mythology. In fact, he is often referred to as "The God of Thunder, and King of Lightning." Thor was a god associated with storms and the natural elements, and it was said that he would ride across the sky in a chariot pulled by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, causing thunder and lightning to be heard and seen throughout the sky. Thor was believed to be the god who caused the lightning and thunder to be heard and seen in the sky.

Strength: Thor is most commonly associated with strength because he is portrayed as being one of the strongest gods in Norse mythology. In many stories, Thor would show off his strength by performing feats that no one else could, such as lifting heavy rocks or pulling heavy objects like a cart full of stones with ease. In some stories, Thor even engaged in wrestling matches with other gods and creatures, and would always come out victorious due to his incredible strength. Thor's legendary strength makes him a symbol of strength, power, and courage throughout Norse mythology.

FACTS ABOUT THOR:

Thor dressed up as a bride to trick the giant Thrym, who had stolen Thor's hammer Mjölnir, into believing he was the goddess Freyja, thus allowing Thor to retrieve his hammer by attending the giant's wedding disguised as a bride; this plan was devised by Loki, the trickster god. 

He was the principal champion of the gods in Asgard and the chief protector of humans in Midgard against giants, trolls, and other evil beings. He, more than any other god, was always watchful of the giants and demons who threatened gods and humans.

Thor was widely worshiped by Norse warriors, but he was also revered by farmers and peasants because of his capacity to create rain for the crops.

He was without question the best fighter and the strongest of the gods. He lived in a region of heaven called Thrudvangar. His castle hall, called Bilskirnir (Lightning), had 540 rooms.

The image of Thor’s hammer (Mjölnir) was used as a fertility symbol in marriages (in its connection with rain and crop growth) and as a symbol of rebirth in burials in Norse religion.

He traveled in a chariot drawn by two goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, when it moved across the sky, it produced the rumblings of thunder, while sparks flew from its wheels. If he wished, Thor could slaughter the goats, eat their meat, and bring them back to life, so long as their skin and bones were intact. Thor also owned a magic belt that, when he buckled it on, doubled his strength. He was often accompanied on his exploits by his servant Thialfi, a swift runner who also acted as his adviser. The trickster fire god Loki also often traveled with him to the lands of the giants.

HOW TO INVOKE THOR:

To invoke Thor, you can create a sacred space with Norse symbols, offer appropriate offerings like mead or hearty food, and recite a prayer or chant while focusing on his attributes like strength, protection, and thunder, ideally during a storm or when lightning is present to connect with his natural power; remember to always approach any deity with respect and sincerity in your intentions. 

As for an altar, I recommend setting some up some rocks as an altar because it is historically accurate to how the Norse people worshipped. You can use regular rocks outside, or crystal's that are associated with Thor such as amethyst, lapis lazuli, sodalite, turquoise and sapphire. As for another idea, you can also put up a two goats, a regular hammer, or just a bowel with things that you feel resonate with him. 

PRAYER FOR THOR:

Mighty Thor, son of Odin’s might,

Grant us strength and courage in this fight.

Your hammer Mjolnir, imbued with power,

Helps us face our challenges, hour by hour.

Thor, god of thunder, protector of the land,

We call upon your wisdom and strength so grand.

May your blessings be upon us always,

As we face life’s challenges and its many tests.

Oh mighty Thor, guide us through the bleakest night,

As we seek your guidance, wisdom, and might.

We honour you and thank you for your grace,

As we know you’re our witness at this time and place. I hail to you, Lord Thor. 

SIGNS THAT THOR IS CALLING YOU:

Seeing the Thurisaz, Uruz, and Sowelo runes. 

A strong sense of justice  courage, and a desire to stand up for what is right.

If you dream about Thor or any of his symbols like lightning bolts or a sacred oak tree. Also, you might simply feel it intuitively that Thor was part of your dream landscape.

Suddenly feeling particularly drawn to Thor or having a strong sense of inner guidance related to him.

You have a deep interest or curiosity about Norse mythology and Thor's story

A sense of power or protection when you see or hear lightning and/or thunder.

You find yourself drawn to the colour red and gold, which are often associated with Thor and his attributes. 

OFFERINGS:

Blue, white, gold, or red candles. 

Acorns. 

Food and drinks: hearty foods with lots of meat or onions, mead, whole grains, beer, whiskey, baked goods, garlic, coffee, apples, bacon, leek, sausage, water, nuts, butter, and honey.

Storm or rain water.

Oak or pine tree branches. 

Crystals: amethyst, lapis lazuli, sodalite, turquoise, sapphire, red jasper, obsidian, bloodstone, garnet, 

Weapons, especially hammers and axes. 

Images or figures of Mjölnir. 

Animal bones. 

Incense: cinnamon, musk, nutmeg, pine, cedar, juniper, and sage. 

DEVOTIONAL ACTS:

Acts of flattery. 

Donate time to a child abuse protection organization. 

Help someone move or do heavy work.  

Protect the needy. 

Be a source of courage and moral support for someone who is scared. 

Physical training, such as working out. 

Honouring your family and learning your history. 

Wearing a Mjölnir necklace in his honour. 

Having a thought for him every time you hear a thunderstorm. 

Be gentle and compliment others. 

Talk to him a lot. He flirts a lot too. 

Be out in the rain and safely admire a thunderstorm. 

Learn to craft with wood, especially oak. 

Practice using weapons safely. 

Watch a lightning storm from inside.  

Being honest. 

Go for a drive in the rain (be safe).

Forgive others for honest mistakes.

Spend time under an oak tree.

Donate to organizations who help victims of abuse. 

Build a fire and enjoy its warmth.

Confront your fears. 

Build a playlist of the sounds of rain and storms.

Don’t be afraid of your wild side.

Play an intense sport.

Know your worth.

Help your friends out of tough situations.

Be unforgivingly yourself.

Take your life by the reins and do what makes you happiest.

[liltalle]

Sorting The Bright Sessions - Sorting Hat Chats

The Bright Sessions is an audio drama about a therapist and her "atypical" super-powered clients, deftly exploring mental health from emotional and institutional angles with the magical realism of atypical abilities interwoven with real problems, and it's my favorite podcast of all time. (The diegetic audio, being almost all office recordings or phone calls or voice memos, is so immersive, really gilds the lily. I love the crunch of Joan pressing the button to end a session.) I've been revisiting it lately, and I have thoughts on the characters' motivations and problem-solving styles.

The classifying system I'll be using is best described by @wisteria-lodge here. Spoilers below the cut.

Dr. Joan Bryant (Bright) - Snake Bird. Our titular psychiatrist has a bit of a Bird Primary model, she talks about "patient-doctor confidentiality", and it bothers her when she breaks it... but she breaks it, without all that much hesitation. Her lodestone is Mark, her brother, her most important Person, who she failed, and now she's throwing her everything into getting him back. And she's laying a careful plan about it, using her new patients as tools. It's noteworthy that Sam and Chloe feel rather ill-used by this, I think a Badger would be more tempted to... ask? Lean on their decency for help? Joan's a schemer, even though she's morally conflicted about that. (My Snake Badger bias is - her goal is awesome, could use some more emotionally open communication.) Her fatal flaw at the AM was attraction to power, to Wadsworth: a young impressionable Snake, very competent in her own right but slighted for being a woman, met an indomitable mentor and was swept up in her charisma—a relatable Snake weakness. Caleb reminds her of Mark, and so gets an echo of her worrying and loyalty. When Mark is safe, when the rest of her little clan is safe, she's able to consider more ambitious plans again.

Sam Barnes - Snake Bird. Sam's formative trauma was that her ability killed her parents. She lost the only people in her life and her trust in herself. She retreated from the world and couldn't even leave the stove on for fear on one of her trips. Her cat Darwin was her only solace for years. And then she met Joan, and Mark, and everyone else. She started to heal. She worried about trusting Joan, but once she falls for Mark, she's all in on the rescue plan. She's a little ruthless about Damien when he threatens her people, in a way the other Primaries clearly aren't. I think her Secondary takes a little longer to unBurn, but we do see it. We see Hacker Sam, Historical Research Sam, the one with the ambition and plans to forge a counter-AM. She's rather unapologetic about the hacking, wants to be kind but is less worried about privacy concerns than Chloe. I think it's a cool dynamic, Joan and Sam house-matching, these two loyal schemers, butting heads, loyal to the same guy, building an organization together. It makes sense of how they clash and get each other at the same time.

Mark Bryant - Double Badger. The guy who gets (and gives) so much loyalty. Mark really obviously cares about all people intrinsically. Damien kidnaps, mind-controls, and lies to him and Mark still tries so hard to do right by him, and I'm confident that's not just lingering effects of Damien's power. He bonds with one of the guards outside his prison cell. He refuses to leave Damien alone when he's helpless. And what he's forced to do during his imprisonment... he doesn't like to talk about it, but it devastated him. Hurting other atypicals to survive was not easy for him. It takes all that for him to write Wadsworth off as a monster. I think his power literally being mirroring others' abilities works too well as a metaphor for Badger Sec mirroring. There's bonding with the guard, there's how in confronting Damien... he doesn't do it like a Lion would, it's not dramatic or solid, he's there to be genuine and firm eventually, but he feels he needs to hear Damien out, to try to reach him one last time. And that hearing him, feeling out how Damien works, identifying how he just won't change, and then insisting he leave- that felt Badger to me. It's a quiet power, but it lands harder when you really listen first. The trauma's singed him somewhat, it's hard for him to do anything, but the kindness is still there. It's beautiful, and easy to see why Joan and Sam care about him so much.

Chloe - Lion Badger. Chloe is the brightest ray of sunshine in the series. She stubbornly kind, while insisting she's "not naive", looks for the good in everyone (and she can see it in their thoughts). She doesn't connect with a particular community so much as Art, she loves Love (romance), she sees Frank and feels called to help him. Initially, she think her telepathy is angels speaking to her, and the grandiosity of that feels a little Liony to me, her inner voice(s) giving her a higher calling. She worries about ethics (privacy in particular) a lot, she's nice but will stand up for herself when pushed (calling Joan and Sam out that she can't be blamed for spying and asked to use it and handed full responsibility for that choice at once, that's not fair to her.) Her Secondary... I think is Badger. She finds joy in being a channel for Frank's art, mirroring him. She hides her headaches (she finds isolation clarifying, which a Loyalist might've had a little harder time with). Many of the group meet through her, Sam at the art studio with her and Caleb and Adam come by, she's a Connector. She feels like the Heart of the Group, and also taken for granted in that role on occasion. I could be wrong on the sorting though. I don't see as many good concrete problem-solving examples, the show has a lot of processing feelings, better for distinguishing Primaries.

Caleb - Badger Lion. Caleb's sorting is similar to Mark's. Joan is specifically reminded of her brother when Caleb says he wants to use his power as a therapist to help people. Caleb's direct and generous. He's horrified by his capacity for violence, and doesn't consider protecting his boyfriend an acceptable reason at all. He's blunt about asking Dr. Bright for secret info about the AM, he tends to freak out more than in under stress, he wants to be Adam's superhero. His empathy overwhelming his own emotions is very upsetting for him. I relate as a Badger Sec, and he could be that, but... maybe it's me being biased about football players, but something about him working out stress by "leaving it all on the field" feels more direct than Mark is.

Adam - Double Bird. The "dork" to Caleb's "meathead", Adam's studious, flirts with his boyfriend by teasing him about correcting his essays and the Oxford comma. He's the most enthused by the atypicals' abilities. Ethically, Adam cares about his people a lot, but he doesn't use "you were protecting me" as an excuse for Caleb attacking Damien at all (which feels like the obvious first thing to my Snake instincts, very morally charged incident that, sorts a lot of characters based on their first concerns). He discusses the issue from a few angles, to talk Caleb down. And when he asks point blank: "Am I from a family of monsters?" It doesn't seem like it's about his loyalties being misplaced, it's moral information about himself. It puts doubt into his system, if he could be like them. He struggles with the idea that Annabelle could really love him, if she could hurt other people. It's viscerally philosophical for him.

Damien - Double Snake. Damien is very lonely, that Primary is Burnt around the edges. His power has isolated him, the worst moment being when he drove his parents away. He compensated with a Lion model, saying that he's better than everyone else, but what does he actually do? Harass Joan and hope that she remembers his birthday. He keeps Mark with him explicitly so that someone could finally understand him, and he's devastated when that doesn't work. He's emotionally torn open, even though he doesn't know how to learn or repair anything. His fixation on Mark reading like romantic attachment fits: Mark is his Person, in Damien's tragic projecting way. He only finds connection through control, what keeps him safe, the only thing his ability let him have. It's all he knows (it's rather heartbreaking, seems just how abysmal Damien's emotional literacy is, and how much it makes sense that he couldn't learn in his ability's bubble.) Damien seems very comfortable, however, in his Secondary. He likes charming his way through every interaction, improvising his way through life. Taking Mark seems a momentary decision, and the aftermath had no plan, just keep going, two guys on the open road. When he gets back, no plans, no built-up defenses, until Annabelle tempts him with immunity to atypical abilities, and then he has to have that safety. A Built Secondary with his ability would've... built something with it, unless Burned, but Damien seems very happy to lounge through life (if only he weren't alone).

Frank - Badger Lion. When asked why he joined the military, Frank says (frankly) that he found community there, that his family was always too small for him, but the Marines finally felt like home. His unit, and the emotional Unity they had, was even more so. He never calls any of them by name, they meant something to him as a group. The deepest trauma of the war for him was feeling other people die, knowing they were people like him, and then losing the only people who understood him. With Chloe, he discovers new community with the atypical gang. For his Secondary, Frank is quite direct and formal. He's calm in a crisis. He doesn't seem to build much, and he doesn't charm like a Snake at all. He wants to be forthright, get a job on his own. And his joy is painting, expressing himself, even through Chloe. So not a loud Lion, but that sorting makes more sense than the others to me.

Director Ellie (Annabelle) Wadsworth - Lion Snake. Ellie's in the AM for the glory and the power. She'll make whatever sacrifices to achieve it. She seems to have a shade of Snake loyalty to Adam when Damien threatens him... but then she doesn't act in time to protect him, and she still plays with Damien afterward. Which I don't think a Snake would do so easily. And a Snake would be lonelier, in a climb to power, Ellie doesn't seem to need anyone. Her Secondary... either Lion or Snake. Ellie plays with people. She has her mind games with Joan. When Damien comes calling, she just has to show off her invulnerability, and doesn't consider the consequences. I don't know if it's Snake masks, I'm leaning that way, or if she's low-empathy and just believes this stuff about herself. But Joan's anecdote about her walking into a room and spinning her superiors' heads around until they gave her more funding... a very confident Improvisational Secondary.

Agent Owen Green - Idealist Primary. "You used to like my ideals." Might check back in on Green once I've refinished the series, he has some important decisions late in the game.

[rei-ismyname]

What if Legion killed Magneto?

AKA What if Age of Apocalypse never happened?

Look at him go - just going wild taking out X-Men and killing a young Magneto. I like David a lot, at least once he stopped being a plot device (and super dodgy portrayal of mental health) and started being a character. In this AU, he decides to time travel to a time where his father isn't present - when Mags and Magda had *just* escaped the camps.

He blows him away (rude) and the swirly whirly lines ripple through time to the present - in Westchester. Xavier watches Beast do a fluff interview and laments that the X-Men are model freaks, entertaining the humans for an ounce of acceptance? 'Was this my dream?' Yeah, motherfucker, it kinda was. The X-Men are celebrities and they look pretty happy. Of course Chuck is stroppy.

. In Magneto's absence, it seems the X-Men aren't as tough as they would have been. He has no way of knowing this, but he's vexed all the same. Hmm. Maybe a dream isn't a good basis for a civil rights movement. 'The X-Men were never meant to be court jesters' he proclaims. It's like he's read the script and knows he'll be proven generally foolish, but right in this one specific instance. It's hard to forget that this was his show. He still hangs around but it seems the X-Men institution has slipped through his fingers.

Chuck orders a baffled Forge to stop what he's doing and change tack completely - here's a powerful reading on Cerebro and he needs them to investigate. Forge tells him to piss off - he's in charge damnit - but then kinda comes around when the X-Men perform poorly in a danger room simulation.

I'm not sure what the implication is here. They're in Chuck's house and he started the X-Men but passed leadership to an unusually antagonistic Forge at some point? Or something. I'd love it if there was an ideological schism but we get no direct hint. Oh and they're both quite rude for reasons unknown. Nobody is keen on the mission so Chuck goes to find people who will listen to him, maybe. He can guilt them at least.

Yeah, it's Scott and Jean, with two cute little kids. Nathan and Rachel. They're happy to see him at first before they realise this isn't a social call. Lol, we find out Bobby and Warren left the X-Men for the Hellfire Club, the latter 'all for the love of his trophy woman Emma Frost.' Those sound like good things to me tbh, though don't think anyone missed that shade, Chuck.

Seems like Scott and Jean retired after the Dark Phoenix Saga, which presumably had a happier ending. The 'chaos that followed' allowed Forge to wrest control of the X-Men. Sounds weird but probably a good thing. I'm surprised the old man hasn't bailed to space. The idea I was getting is that Magneto's absence led to a softer X-Men, but aside from Chuck's manipulative whining I'm not seeing it. Jean survived the Dark Phoenix and so did everyone else. When they emphatically refuse to bury the trauma he just bought to the surface and go on a mission, he immediately leaves. Catch you! 'To be an X-Man is to be dead or a freakshow' is pretty funny to hear coming from Scott.

As the X-Men practice for some kayfabe battle gig, a real one drops out of the sky. They really do look pretty useless - Storm should be able to thrash these bozos by herself. Confusion reigns, probably not helped by Forge and Chuck both giving orders. Xavier, having had enough, screams 'STOP!'

He smashes a thousand brains to sleep, only taking out the foot soldiers. Apocalypse is surprisingly polite as he mocks Xavier, explicitly calling his dream a weak failure. Very rude to call a disabled man unfit from a social Darwinism perspective - but Apocalypse has always been an ableist jerk on the edge of eugenics. Dissing the dream is a lukewarm take, dude. Big Blue claims that the X-Men went untested and became a joke, and Xavier agrees while weeping in his arms.

So they did everything as usual up to The Dark Phoenix Saga (except fight Magneto,) but ever since Forge took over they've gone to seed? Sounds ridiculous. Obviously Mags pioneered the whole Evil Mutants thing but he wasn't the only one. The aforementioned Hellfire Club were tough and there's a thousand other enemies. Of the O5, only Beast remains, so what happened?

Get zapped losers!

Apocalypse starts killing people and hilariously gives a news interview - ranting about Homo Superior and Darwinisn - which Scott and Jean watch to get up to speed. If the X-Men aren't actually heroes, what about the FF or Avengers? Busy with the Mole Man and Klaw or something I guess.

This Blue fuck is killing their friends and has huge Nazi vibes, so Jean fires up the Phoenix Force, like it's an old motorbike they keep under a tarp. It hasn't been used in years, which isn't really how it works, but whatever. Maybe both of them are hosts? Either way they magic up uniforms and teleport to the fight. The action is kinda generic, but I think the idea is that Scott and Jean fuck Apocalypse up.

Jean got a helluva tan

Turns out Jean unleashed the Phoenix like a nuke, killing over a 100K people, including the president (dope.) They wanted to be sure Apocalypse was dead and neither seem especially torn up about it. Public opinion turns against the X-Men and mutants in general. Feared and hated all of a sudden. Forge was doing a good job then? Sounds like living in harmony with humans to me. Of course Tony Stark is talking about regulating mutants, 'illegal for them to use their powers recklessly.' I feel like that's already illegal, same way the Hulk smashing is frowned upon and the army get involved. I suppose it's a dogwhistle so it doesn't matter, but where were 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes?' This seems like their department.

I'm not sure what the takeaway is from this. The X-Men were too soft because Xavier flubbed it, and Apocalypse took them out. Jean and Scott clocked on with Phoenix power and blew up half of DC for dubious reasons. They did what Chuck wanted them to do and it was a disaster. Suuuure. This just makes Xavier look incredibly ineffectual and a terrible leader, and/or the Summerses look like maniacs. The implication is that the Dark Phoenix Saga was scary shit and they retired to keep everyone safe. TF would Chuck come ask them for help? People are protesting outside the school, despite not knowing what happened at all. The USA generally hates it when people kill their presidents and blow up chunks of the country, but it's not the government that turns on them here - it's the media.

The Summerses come out of retirement to continue Chuck's failed dream for reasons? Sucks for them I guess, and obviously for all the people who died, but it seems like a good outcome for the X-Men institution. No Chuck ✅ No Apocalypse ✅ No Magneto ❌ Hated and Feared all of a sudden ❌ Tamed Phoenix Force ✅ No Dark Beast or Nate Grey (or the Sugar Man)✅ Scott and Jean in charge of the school, teaching what looks like Generation X plus their own kids I imagine. ✅

There are these weirdos surveilling them but they look like chumps. They're leftovers from Apocalypse's army and they still want a taste after that display? Bring it on - nothing some Phoenix fire can't fix. I feel like the intended message is that Magneto was necessary to toughen up the X-Men, but my takeaway is that Chuck is a useless motherfucker. Even moreso without his loser husband to beef with by proxy. What a strange tale, though I suppose it's a different take on Magneto, Phoenix, and Emma Frost is bad like so many other what ifs. Sucks for Scott and Jean to give up their lives to carry on a fool's crusade, but I'm convinced this power couple would do a great job. There's no indication they're doing it out of guilt, they just do it. It's a reasonable assumption, but not explicitly stated. They just devote their lives to a dead man who didn't value theirs a great deal. Someone needs to advocate for mutant kids, but there are other options.

I guess this is what comes of no Magneto. Makes sense 🙄

[xxpaganheartxx]

Hey guys, it's me again.

I wrote this series originally as just one poem before I met the beautiful Aphrodite, and in that time I was struggling to find faith at all, I had just lost my parents, I was lost in Connecticut, stargazing at the heavens on high from a park bench. When the muses blessed me with this. The next week I started gathering the first pieces of an altar to Aphrodite first, who led me through my first shadow work era, my first major sacrifice to her, was myself. I threw myself upon her altar sobbing and begged her to help me love without fear, to love at all, to love her, and to love myself again.

May her blessed love heal all of us.

And So Naturally Sometimes I Gaze At The Stars Wondering "Why?".

"If there were no gods, what would be the meaning?"

I think of all the times life has made me cry,

And how everything sometimes feels as if it's careening.

When I was young, I began contemplating the vastness of cosmic mystery,

I took man's oldest journey, questioning my place.

Unravelling life's enigmatic history,

Where Science and Faith bob and weave with grace.

I asked "If gods don't exist, why are we alive? What purpose should we seek?"

"All religion aside, what would be the meaning, the essence of it all?"

Intense moments of joy followed by tears that leave you weak,

"When left alone in Lady Entropy's dance are we all but a thrall?"

Hypotheses Emerge, Seeking a Way to Explain,

How we ended up from the big bang, our cosmic birth,

To a human being seeking meaning and bliss, so complex yet simply mundane,

All while reflecting on existence, here on Earth?

From swirling stardust, they say we took form and grew,

Millennia of change, in nature's grand design,

A fleeting speck in this cosmic debut,

And yet, we search endlessly for more answers, all the while sipping on sweet wine.

In the realm of origins, a theory unfurled,

The RNA world hypothesis, a tale profound,

A possible beginning to how life first seeded the young world,

Where molecules danced, upon Earth's ancient ground.

Through the aeons, life's journey would forge its way,

From Darwin's Cradle to a mother’s embrace,

Through struggles and triumphs, day by day,

Nature's relentless drive, never to efface.

And now in modern times, here we stand,

The product of countless aeons, complexities untold,

Questioning, seeking, reaching for the grand,

A witness to life's story, still yet to unfold.

Amidst the infinite questions and uncertainties, we face,

In the embrace of science or belief divine,

There are mysteries that still leave no trace,

Reminders that sometimes not knowing is just fine.

Even Though It Has Been Said:

That from stardust did we spawn, Into a space infinite and grand,

it's all on some incomprehensible wiggling thread

In this view, there can't be an intelligent design, yet there's so much you need to understand.

Others say that it's in God's image we are made.

That, if one is all - then all is one, if it is as above - then so it is as below.

That we are his children, and on our seventh day, our sins are weighed.

Yet when they say his body is bread, I feel like there's too much metaphor to truly know.

It's a simulation, I've heard programmers imply,

I genuinely gave this some thought,

But it all feels too real to be a lie,

It's too emotional to be a game I would've bought.

My latest attempt is seeing this as all a play, or perhaps it is all but a dream,

It is in this view they say that death is not of the soul, it's instead of the ego.

As easy as giving up the chase and quieting your scream.

But no matter how hard I try, letting go isn’t as easy as letting the wind blow.

As a creature seeking out nothing but a meaning.

It can feel like it's all going up in smoke,

And everything is careening,

When I felt like this, it seemed like everything was a bad joke.

As I continue my search for wisdom, I feel maybe one day I'll understand,

If anything is actually true,

Then, on my deathbed, I'd be happy that my life went as planned,

As my consciousness fades into the immense and infinite blue.

[mariacallous]

A newly discovered cell type could transform how plastic surgeries are performed—from facial reconstructions to nose jobs.

Cartilage transplants are central to many procedures, being used to fix cleft palates, correct missing or misshapen ears, or to repair damage to someone’s larynx caused by cancer. They’re also common in elective nose augmentations.

But the results aren’t always stellar. Surgeons often resort to transferring cartilage from the rib, which is stiff, or using silicone implants, with neither material matching the real thing. Implanted tissues are not flexible in the same way as those they’re implanted into, and don’t become part of the natively occurring tissue. “They often do not integrate, and they move around,” says Maksim Plikus, a cell biologist at UC Irvine. “The nose gets crooked and needs another revision.”

However a newly defined tissue that lurks within flexible parts of animals’ bodies could change this. Dubbed lipocartilage, it was noticed by Plikus and his team for the first time while studying mouse ears over a decade ago. The cells staring back at Plikus through the microscope were distinctly fattier than the cells that usually forge cartilage, known as chondrocytes. Perhaps they were fat cells, known as “adipocytes,” he thought.

“They’re big. They’re filled with lipids. They look like a pearl—whitish, and iridescent under the microscope. That’s an adipocyte,” Plikus recalls thinking—until a pang of dissonance struck him. The tissue may resemble fat, but fat cells don’t belong in cartilage. “If somebody starts calling a cat a dog, they’re absolutely wrong. It’s a completely different species,” Plikus says. “Well, this is like a completely different species of cell. To call it an adipocyte is fundamentally wrong.”

Over the next decade, his team subjected the mysterious cells to a gauntlet of high-tech biological profiles akin to personality tests. They proved that this bouncy connective tissue is neither typical chondrocyte nor adipocyte, according to results published today in Science.

Plikus calls them lipochondrocytes, or LCs. The cells appear to simultaneously provide structure (like cartilage) and natural squishiness (like fat). They appear in many mammals, including humans, and the unique structure they provide gives reconstructive surgeons a clearer understanding of what materials make up our faces. Plikus believes this new tissue discovery sets the stage for better cartilage transplants—and so better plastic surgery. “The field is really desperate for new ways of making safe, biocompatible human cartilages that are living tissues, not some synthetic silicone implant,” he says.

Depending on how you count, your body hosts about 400 types of cells that make up dozens of different types of tissue, from skin to salivary glands. Skeletal tissues, like cartilage, are among the simplest, but this new study proves that they’re no less enigmatic. “It goes to show we still don’t understand it very well,” says Justine Lee, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and researcher with UCLA who was not involved in the study. “We’re still finding cool new things. It’s something that could potentially result in future implants that are soft, pliable.”

So how could this new cell elude scientists and doctors for so long? In a way, it didn’t. Plikus and his graduate student scoured centuries of scientific papers for any lost trace of fatty cartilage. They found a clue in a German book from 1854 by Franz Leydig, a contemporary of Charles Darwin. “Anything and everything that he could stick under the microscope, he did,” Plikus says. Leydig’s book described fat-like cells in a sample of cartilage from rat ears. But 19th-century tools couldn’t expand beyond that observation, and, realizing that a more accurate census of skeletal tissue might be valuable for medicine, Plikus resolved to crack the case.

His team began their investigation by looking at the cartilage that’s sandwiched between thin layers of mouse ear skin. A green dye that preferentially stains fatty molecules revealed a network of squishy blobs. They isolated these lipid-filled cells and analyzed their contents. All of your cells contain the same library of genes, but those genes aren’t always activated. Which genes did these cells express? What proteins slush around inside? That data revealed that lipochondrocytes actually look very different, molecularly, from fat cells.

They next questioned how lipochondrocytes behave. Fat cells have an unmistakable function in the body: storing energy. When your body stores up energy, cellular stores of lipids swell; when your body burns fat, the cells shrink. Lipochondrocytes, it turned out, do no such thing. The researchers studied ears of mice put on high-fat versus calorie-restricted diets. Despite rapidly gaining or losing weight, the lipochondrocytes in the ears didn’t change.

“That immediately suggested they must have a completely different role that has nothing to do with metabolism,” Plikus says. “It has to be structural.”

Lipochondrocytes are like balloons filled with vegetable oil. They’re soft and amorphous but still resist compression. This contributes meaningfully to the structural properties of cartilage. Based on data from rodents, the tensile strength, resilience, and stiffness of cartilage increased 77 to 360 percent when comparing cartilage tissue with and without lipochondrocytes—suggesting that these cells make cartilage more pliable.

And the structural gifts appear to benefit all sorts of species. In the outer ear of Pallas’ long-tongued bat, for example, lipocartilage underlies a series of ruffles that scientists believe attunes them to precise wavelengths of sound.

The team have discovered lipochondrocytes in human fetal cartilage, as well. And Lee says this discovery seems to finally explain something that reconstructive surgeons commonly observe: “Cartilage always has a little bit of slipperiness to it,” she says, especially in young children. “You can feel it, you can see it. It’s very obvious.”

The new findings suggest that lipochondrocytes fine-tune the biomechanics of some of our cartilage. A rigid scaffold of cartilage proteins without lipids is more durable and is used for building weight-bearing joints in your neck, back, and—yes, you got it—the ribs, one of the traditional sources of cartilage for implants. “But when it comes to more intricate things that actually need to be pliable, bouncy, elastic—ears, nose tip, the larynx,” Plikus says, that’s where the lipocartilage shines.

For procedures that involve modifying these parts of the body, Plikus one day envisions growing lipocartilage organoids in a dish and 3D-printing them in any desired shape. Lee, though, urges caution: “Despite 30 or 40 years of study, we’re not very good at making complex tissues,” she says.

Though an operation like that is far off, the study suggests it’s feasible to grow lipochondrocytes from embryonic stem cells and isolate them safely for a transplant. Lee figures that regulators wouldn’t green-light using embryonic cells to grow tissue for a non-life-threatening condition, but says she’d be more optimistic if the researchers can grow transplantable tissue from patient-derived adult cells. (Plikus says a new patent application he has filed covers using stem cells from adult tissue.)

Lipochondrocytes update our understanding of how cartilage should look and feel—and why. “When we’re trying to build, say, the nose, sometimes we could use the [lipid-filled cells] for a little bit of padding.” Lee says. Lipocartilage could one day fill that void as a growable, transplantable tissue—or it could inspire better biomimicking materials. “It could be both,” she says. “It’s exciting to think about. Maybe that’s one thing that we’ve been missing.”

[cassatine]

LONG BEFORE MUAD’DIB, in the last days of the Old Empire, humanity lost its drive. Terran civilization had spread across the stars, but grew stagnant. With few ambitions, most people allowed efficient machines to perform everyday tasks for them. Gradually, humans ceased to think, or dream…or truly live. Then came a man from the distant Thalim system, a visionary who took the name of Tlaloc after an ancient god of rain. He spoke to languid crowds, attempting to revive their human spirit, to no apparent effect. But a few misfits heard Tlaloc’s message.

a) there is one (1) form of polity in the duneverse and that's empire. you'd think the bh/kja books would have anything to say about that!!

b) ok ok admittedly i am only one third into the butlerian jihad and i barely remember anything from the last time i read the book/trilogy (it is not. shall we say. memorable.) but so far we are apparently just supposed to accept that the archconservative pseudo-messiah totes nailed it when he delivered every classic reactionary banger (as extrapolated from other passages in the book: Equality Is A Lie Social Darwinism Only and We Used To Be A Country and We Used To Have Morals and We Used To Have Real Men and Only In Adversity Are Real Men Forged and the rest of the archcon top 40 you KNOW this is what he was preaching this is the vibe. zero points for originality). and lbr it's fine as the ideological bedrock of pretty much all of the characters. obviously the cymeks liked and suscribed a while ago and the league of nobles elite shitheads buy into their own narrative of noble resistance to the cymeks / machines. but not only is there no character that thinks otherwise, the text itself leaves no room for disagreement. the old empire *did* fall because it was stagnant hedonistic slothful complacent what have you. that's just A Fact.

beyond the writers' own ideological blind spots, part of why that's there and unquestioned is (i suspect) that in frank herbert's books 'machines took over because humans got complacent' very much was the accepted narrative (unsurprising. herbert senior was a conservative. leaning liberal on some issues but a conservative all the same). the issue here is not that this book isn't leftist enough for me. it's that it's fucking boring and unimaginative. in other words: the problem is not that ten thousand years before the og dune books a bunch of people already buy into that narrative about the fall of the old empire. that's fine. dune is one of the few universes in which complete sociopolitical & technological inertia accross insanely long stretches of time actually work imo; the way i see it that's exactly what the landsraad/corrino empire era is all about: maintaining that inertia (out of fear). and so: the problem is that bh/kja have zero interest in the question of how did that narrative about the fall of the old empire became the prevalent (the only) one. it already is. why would there ever have been another narrative? it's boring!!

c) the bit that makes me go oh you people are such liberals. no it is not solely that neither the text nor the characters ever consider that maybe what the archconservative pseudo-messiah preached was drivel, and unimaginative drivel at that. it's also that:

“Tlaloc grew up in the Thalim system, on an outer colony world where life was difficult, where labor was not accomplished without sweat, blood, and blisters. He had to fight his way and earn his position.”

so... the archconservative pseudo-messiah was literally from the imperial periphery. obviously labor there would not have been accomplished without sweat because it would have been where the imperial core outsourced the labor necessary to maintaining its luxurious standards of living, and that very fact would have been obscured both by distance and the convenient fiction that all labor was fully automated. the metaphor writes itself: it's space!global south and space!global north. and the text blithely passes by and does nothing with it. again: boring.

[orangedodge]

I'm going to guess tentatively that no one who evacuated Krakoa has actually died, and that the cliffhanger’s resolution will be that Darwin and/or Warlock redirected the gates to a safe location. And that wherever everyone went, it's just too far out of Xavier's range for him to detect. I think that would be a good way to pay off Darwin becoming one with Cerebro--and promising Forge it would help everyone later on--and with Warlock surviving on inside of the machines to help his friends.

That Destiny thought it was the right call to accept exile and fight another day, and was so sure that Manifold had the ability to save everyone, tells me that they weren't all just marching to their deaths under Xavier's control. They’re somewhere in a real place, where Eden will still be able to discover them. I think also that all of the set-up we’ve had so far has been oriented around the idea that the mutants (and ordinary humans tbh) are in dire straits, but that they haven’t lost yet. We also already know that Magik, Mirage, and Mary made it out alive to star in their own book in Otherworld, though I guess it's not really clear if everyone else is with them or if the survivors have all been split up.

(It’s also possible that Stasis and Moira just actually kept their word and let everyone escape to somewhere the X-Men can’t reach, but I don’t think so since Duggan is the event’s lead writer and he’s leaned so hard into the idea that the mutants vs machines war only persists because Orchis are lying genocidal maniacs.)

[fatehbaz]

Natural history as the basis for trade and commercial agriculture mediated the link between overseas expansion and the development of European scientific thought. By virtue of its strategic location in the moist tropics, Peninsular Malaysia made a significant contribution to natural history and, thus, to colonial science. [...] Botanical and zoological collections from insular Southeast Asia were of seminal importance, for example, to the pioneer studies of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. [...]

The search for economic produce was actively promoted by both the English and Dutch East India Companies [...]. Modern European plant science had its roots in [...] the creation of physick and, later, botanic gardens, established [...] in Pisa, Padua, Florence, [...] Leiden, Oxford, Cambridge, [...] and Edinburgh. Among other functions, these gardens served, as institutions for training physicians for service in the colonies. The lead role they played in discovering and inventorying plants [...] forged a crucial link between botanic gardens and the quest for products, territory and empire.

Garcia D’Orta (c. 1501/2-68), a Spanish physician who served several viceroys in Goa, established the botanic garden near Bombay [...]. His Aromatum Historia (1563) [...] has been described as ‘a landmark in the history of civilization’. [...]

Hendrik van Rheede’s ground-breaking 12-volume Hortus Malabaricus (1678-1703) [was] based on [...] Ayurvadic knowledge and the services of Ezhava collectors and tree climbers in the Malabar. [...]

---

[T]he connection [Linnaeus] established between natural history and national wealth was widely influential. It struck a cord with Adam Smith (1723-90) and other political economists [...] who placed their faith in agricultural improvement [...]. These developments put a premium on naturalists and [...] Sir Comte de Buffon [...] and Joseph Banks [...] served as agricultural and medical consultants to sovereigns. [...] [T]he concept of environmental determinism informed Adam Smith’s philosophy of the superiority of Western nations, endowed with temperate climes, over the people of the tropics. [...] The person who brokered the link between desire for material wealth and the search for its location and procurement overseas was the indomitable and widely influential [Joseph] Banks, President of the Royal Society (1778-1820) and, from 1773, de facto director of the Royal Botanical Gardens. Also a member of the Privy Council Committee for trade – the organization most directly concerned with augmenting wealth and self-sufficiency -- he used his influence with the Royal Institution and the Board of Agriculture to forge a successful link between science and empire. [...]

Carolus Clusius who held the Chair of Botany in Leiden (1592-9) reputedly obtained ‘Malaysian’ specimens from Sir Francis Drake.

Again, following the death in 1695 of the VOC [Dutch East India Company] botanist, Paulus Hermann, his notes and manuscript [...] were acquired and used by William Sherard (Sherwood), founder of the Chair of Botany in Oxford.

---

In 1778, the English East India Company (EIC) appointed J.G. Koenig, a pupil of Linnaeus, as ‘Professor of Botany and Natural History’ in Madras. [...]

His appointment, believed to have been initiated by Banks, firmly established colonial science within the purview of imperial economic policy. [...]

Koenig worked in the private gardens [...] in Melaka and conducted the earliest and largest botanical survey of the west coast of the Peninsula (1778-9). Bengkulen (Bangkulu), [...] where pepper cultivation was extensively researched, was declared a Presidency [...] with the express aim of developing its full economic potential. To help fulfill this objective, Philip and Charles Miller, sons of the well-respected gardener at the Chelsea Physick Garden, were engaged as botanists [...] Charles Miller was entrusted in ‘the greatest secrecy’ with the experimental planting of nutmeg and cloves, using seedlings that visiting Bugis traders were encouraged to smuggle from Maluku. [...] [T]he EIC envisaged expanding the range of Benkulen’s exports by the introduction of tea, ginger, turmeric and mulberries. [...] These efforts prefigured experiments in spice cultivation at the Calcutta Botanic Gardens [...].

Newbold took his knowledge of the tropical environment in the [Malayan] Straits Settlements to Madras, where he earned a reputation as a naturalist and an Orientalist [...]. His lecture to the Bengal Asiatic Society in 1846 [...] was hugely influential and put the Peninsula at the heart of the emerging discourse on tropical ecology. [...] [T]hose [tropical botanic gardens] established by the EIC in Penang (1794) and Singapore (1822) were integral to its commercial aims for extending the chain of ‘tropical Edens’. As centres for the [...] assemblage of exotic crops [...], botanic gardens were perceived as symbols of scientific progress and imperial might.

---

All text above by: Jeyamalar Kathirithamby-Wells. "Peninsular Malaysia in the context of natural history and colonial science." New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies Volume 11 Number 1. June 2009. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[tournament-of-x]

The Hole

Announcement!

Round 4 will begin in two days on Wednesday, October 25th, at 8AM EST! Round 4 will consist of 32 matches posted over the course of one day, and each match will be open to voting for one week.

The lineup for Round 4 is as follows:

Match 1: Boom-Boom vs. Dazzler

Match 2: Husk vs. John Greycrow

Match 3: Wolfsbane vs. Tempus

Match 4: Molly Hayes vs. Forge

Match 5: Mercury vs. Lourdes Chantel

Match 6: Beast vs. Anole

Match 7: Surge vs. Artie Maddicks

Match 8: Somnus vs. Thunderbird

Match 9: Cannonball vs. Lila Cheney

Match 10: Armor vs. Kwannon

Match 11: Banshee vs. Blink

Match 12: Synch vs. Warpath

Match 13: Khora of the Burning Heart vs. Morgan Red

Match 14: Chamber vs. Selene

Match 15: Leech vs. Toad

Match 16: Pyro vs. Frenzy

Match 17: Escapade vs. Cypher

Match 18: Klara Prast vs. Glob Herman

Match 19: Wind Dancer vs. Sunfire

Match 20: Callisto vs. Birdy

Match 21: Spyke vs. Akihiro

Match 22: Siryn vs. Marrow

Match 23: Hope Summers vs. Trinary

Match 24: Wolverine vs. Namor

Match 25: Legion vs. Gabby Kinney

Match 26: Bling! vs. Darwin

Match 27: Rachel Summers vs. Angel Salvadore

Match 28: Shatterstar vs. Stepford Cuckoos

Match 29: Warlock vs. Black Tom Cassidy

Match 30: Angel vs. Madelyne Pryor

Match 31: Hindsight vs. Catseye

Match 32: Elixir vs. Dust

Remember, this tournament is a contest of popularity, not a contest of abilities. As always, asks and propaganda are both welcomed and encouraged.

Contestants Index

[theblackbookofarkera]

Rilu

In the rugged northern highlands of Carwy, nestled within the Pale Isles, dwell the Rilu—a tribe whose very essence is as stark and formidable as the craggy peaks they call home. Their bodies are canvases of war, painted with vibrant dyes that tell tales of valor and ferocity. These markings, spirals, and intricate patterns, are not mere decoration but sacred symbols of their identity and strength.

The Rilu are master artisans of survival, forging weapons of unmatched durability from the remnants of creatures long vanished from this world. The bones of these ancient beasts, once rulers of the primeval wilds, now serve a new purpose in the hands of the Rilu, transformed into tools of hunting and defense. These implements are as much a part of the Rilu as the mountain air they breathe, each one a testament to their ingenuity and resilience.

Adorning themselves with the pelts of their fallen adversaries, the Rilu embody the primal law of conquest and dominion. To them, the skins are not trophies but spiritual armor, imbued with the essence of the foe and a stark reminder to all of the fate that befalls those who cross them. Even in death, the Rilu believe in harnessing the power of their enemies, consuming the tongues of the deceased in a macabre ritual that they believe imparts the strength and wisdom of the vanquished.

At the heart of their culture lies the worship of the Painted Kings—a pantheon of deities as tempestuous and untamed as the Rilu themselves. These gods do not favor the meek or the mild; they exalt the mighty and the wrathful, those who embody the fierce spirit of the Rilu. In the eyes of the Painted Kings, strength is the highest virtue, and fury is the purest form of prayer.

Thorley Darwine, a sellsword archer of some renown, once remarked with a mercenary's cold humor, "The spirals tattooed upon their chests make for great targets..." Yet, to the Rilu, these marks are far more than mere targets; they are the indelible signs of their pact with the divine, a sacred geometry that binds them to the Painted Kings and to each other in an unbreakable bond of blood and belief.

In the annals of the Pale Isles, the Rilu stand as a people apart, their customs and convictions a stark contrast to the civilized world beyond their mountain sanctum. They are a tribe defined by their unyielding adherence to the old ways, their lives a daily testament to the enduring power of tradition and the unquenchable fire of the human spirit. The Rilu are not just survivors; they are the embodiment of the wild, untamable heart of Carwy, their painted skins a vivid declaration of their fierce independence and their unbreakable will.

[bloobluebloo]

https://www.tumblr.com/izunias-meme-hole/724578021450891264/pepsi-al-izunias-meme-hole-okay-i-keep-hearing?source=share

The op is just the casual ToTK imperialism talk, but this specific reblog intrigued me, mainly because... I can't disagree in the slightest. It mainly talks about how at heart Ganon (The Ganon every fan has grown up with, not BoTW's version) wants a world filled with chaos and social darwinism, and the examples that were brought up were mainly shown in The Dark World and OoT's future.

While it could be triforce madness affecting his mind, the triforce itself is neither good nor evil, it just reflects the heart, so Ganondorf in some capacity might've always had thoughts of a man eats man Hyrule with the Gerudo and monsters as his enforcers and the Triforce of Power probably just allowed him to do that without any doubts in the slightest, if that makes sense.

It's almost like growing up in constant strife means that can never truly know what a better world even is, so in his eyes a world like The Dark World IS a better world

Maybe I hang out in the wrong sides of fandom but I truly have never seen anyone argue that Rauru is the true evil of the game? Most people argue that seeing Rauru as ultimately a good person who was innocent and had done no wrong is a flat reading of his character because he is flawed, just as this post outlines. Characters who have good intentions can still be flawed and have ideas that are not necessarily "good" in nature. Just think of yourself for a moment. Are you a good person? Despite knowing your nature, can you acknowledge that you have some traits and perhaps some thoughts on certain matters that are not necessarily "good"? Rauru isn't evil, it's clear his heart is in the right place. However, no one can deny that he holds in his hands power that is entirely unmatched by the rest of Hyrule, even by a man like Ganondorf who was already a weapons master, a tamer of moldugas, and a sorcerer. It would be foolhardy for anyone to deny his request of fealty because the harm of your people is only ensured so long as the person that holds said power is not willing to use it against you. An alliance in this case, a promise forged that no harm will come to you and that you will be protected in fealty is the wise thing to do. We even see Rauru's confidence in his power come to play as he accepted a pledge of fealty from Ganondorf soon after Ganondorf had literally attacked Hyrule, and even went so far as to opt to keep him close. Again, these are character flaws; there is the undertone that Rauru will use his power and hold it over others if it means he can control them in the name of keeping what his idea of peace is. In this case his intention was good, because he knew what Ganondorf was capable of, but his execution of it was questionable (attempting to control the chief of another tribe which is not what an alliance is, and sends an interesting message to other tribes).

The other thing I would like to point out is that I haven't seen anyone deny that Ganondorf is, at heart, a man that hungers for power. The thing about Ganondorf's character that was barely touched upon in TotK, but exists in BotW's lore as well as LoZ lore in general, is that he is born of a tribe that has, over and over, been denied the favor of the gods until they allied themselves with Hyrule and truly submitted. So, for a man that desires control, to be told that his place in this world is to bend the knee and submit so that he may gain divine favor is a hard pill to swallow, so he takes it by force instead. Ganondorf can be a man that has bad intentions at heart while also having some viewpoints that should be considered. These two notions can coexist.

In TotK's case, when I look at Ganondorf, there are a couple of things to consider for me. One, if his mandate was truly that the strong must rule over the weak, why did he wait until Rauru had established this country? Ganondorf is no young spring chicken; he should have gotten ahead before Rauru came around. Additionally, while Ganondorf's intentions for ruling were not good, at the same time, why should he feel obligated to bend the knee for Hyrule? The fact that he was sent invitations multiple times suggest that he was being pressured, that Rauru wasn't exactly ready to take no for an answer (again, another character flaw, that Rauru was so invested in his idea of Hyrule, of his ideas of peace that he absolutely wanted everyone in on this alliance because he believed in his heart that this was the right thing to do for this land). Finally, there is another question that I invite you to ask yourself: what would have been the "right" thing for Ganondorf to do in this case? Should he have quietly submitted like everyone else? Is that what would make him "good"? For me, I think Ganondorf hates peace because the only way he has ever perceived peace is in a situation where he is being controlled. He is never the one "in" control in a land at peace. And so, he would rather have a world where the strong overpower the weak, where it is your own power, you own hunger for greatness that puts you at the top. The only way Ganondorf will ever be in control in the world he is born in is to crush all opposition under his heel. If that is what it takes for him to at the top, if that is what will make of him a Demon King and a harbinger of doom, then he would take it. He would rather see the world destroyed and his own body and mind sacrificed than bend the knee and submit and leave his life and his fate in the hands of another.

[finishinglinepress]

POETRY BOOK OF THE DAY East Rock by Paul Stroble: On SALE: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/east-rock-by-paul-stroble/

Inspired by a painting that conflates New England and the American Southwest, Paul Stroble has written a poem that melds his years in Connecticut and Arizona. He acknowledges the history and presence of Native American tribes in the lands that he himself has loved. As a descendant of the Mayflower pilgrims, Stroble uses biblical, geological, historical, and personal resources on a pilgrimage of #family and #identity via his American forbears. #poetry #NewEngland

Paul Stroble teaches philosophy and religious studies at Webster University in St. Louis and is also adjunct faculty at Eden Theological Seminary. A grantee of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Louisville Institute, he has written several books, primarily church related, and numerous articles, essays, and curricular materials. His previous chapbooks with Finishing Line Press are Dreaming at the Electric Hobo (2015), Little River (2017), Small Corner of the Stars (2017), Backyard Darwin (2019), and Galápagos Joy (2023), as well as the full-length Walking Lorton Bluff (2020) and Four Mile (2022).

PRAISE FOR East Rock by Paul Stroble

East Rock continues Paul Stroble‘s rich journey into our and his history, spirit, faith lives, and travels. The journey(s) he takes us on are interior and exterior and engage the natural world and that of our hearts. His erudition serves but does not occlude his poetry; he’s more learned that Eliot and a lot more fun, too. His poetry is full of sentiment and free of sentimentality. I treasure all my poetry volumes by Paul Stroble, and it will bring joy to add this one to the shelf.

–Tom Dukes, Professor emeritus, University of Akron

Out of a smelter of histories—natural, Biblical, American, geologic, personal—Paul Stroble forges a testament to the things life gives and the things life takes away, and how we’re here to celebrate and mourn, to hurt and forgive, to fear and love, to live and to die, the best we can, “our lives in need of grace.” The name we give to this unstinting, capacious, and utterly generous moral vision is art.

–Murray Farish, author of Inappropriate Behavior

Please share/please repost

#flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetrybook #read #poems

[wqintraining]

Hope Summers has definitely sent in a Darwin Awards nomination for the members of Orchis killed during the raid on the Orchis Forge raid. It lists out all their names to properly name and shame, and contains the line: "They were the idealistic types who wanted to clean abnormalities out of the gene pool. Well, at least they got that wish."

With Hope being the most worshipped figure on Krakoa, there probably does end up being a massive demand for doing this with the rest of Orchis.