#look the fact that the magic system is run based on this set of strict rules which ARE

[corviiids]

genuinely so sorry to slide into your dm's like this, not sure that this is proper tumblr etiquette, etc., but i just got so excited when i read in your sayu-gets-the-death-note ask that you've been trying to talk yourself out of doing an entire statutory interpretation of the manga death note rules because i've been trying to talk myself out doing an entire metaphysical interpretation of the manga death note rules, so... if you, like me, simply cannot talk yourself out of a stupid idea once it sinks its claws in your brain and would at some point like to share notes about I THINK one of the sexiest and most broken parts of this series, i'd be delighted.

oh my god dont apologise im just excited a single person on earth besides me is interested in a pseudo-legal (very pseudo) perspective on the death note rules. high fives you. for the most part im just incredibly impressed that they manage to retain so much internal consistency especially since so many of them have the vibe of, like, random amendments which were included just for funsies. it's incredible they don't overtly contradict each other. ive been obsessed with them since i first saw them and have already spent way too much time reading over them but yeah i'd honestly love to dig into them more. HTR13 does organise them into something closer to Parts or Divisions which makes the structure a little more coherent. it drives me nuts that sometimes a numbered rule will have sub-provisions that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. drafting that gives me a stress migraine

[we-dragons]

I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 6 Damian x reader

Professor X sat in his wheelchair glancing around the room he hums his eyes pouring over all that there was finally landing on Robin. He gives me a look gesturing over at him.

"He informed me about The Crows sir, apparently they have gone under the radar, they've killed three people and the system didn't go off. At first, I thought we still had time, I treated a wound he had it he had come in contact with one and fought it. You know like how Wolverine did, I treated the cut and it's gone, but I was sure they were still in the dream state. But he got injured saving those left how survived probably not far from here, but the fact we didn't even receive the ring can only mean...they've returned under complete control again."

Concern fills the face of professor X, he turns to Robin, who shifts uncomfortably by the entrance of my kitchen. "Who are you then?"

"Robin."

The professor nods not even turning from his spot, he looks over Robin as if completing an inspection.

"How much does this Robin Know Dreki, about you, and The Crows?"

"I told him about the Jal-sein, the old race before the collective mind sharing, and he knows about my box of scales." Professor sighs.

"How did you meet him."

"When he broke through my window last week, infected."

"You gave him some scales to purge poison."

"Yes sir."

"Very good," He moves back to his original spot in the middle of the room. "You have been permitted to stop them at all costs if you must. Your uncle will be here soon to help you kill whatever has brought them back, in the meantime try not to use the stones. We don't want to attract more trouble than what has already been done."

"You're allowing me to put my powers to use?"

"As long as you don't wear it out, vibranium is not easy to turn into clothing."

"What a minute!" Robin's voice carried out through the room. "Just what's going on?"

"Robin," Professor X starts. "your world is being invaded by the Crow so that you become one of the many planets they have drained of life. And to do it they need a vessel that can contain the leader of the Jal-sein, Hok'mor." Professor X looks at him, his use

"And?" Robin says his face remaining unreadable

"I was the vessel, I escaped, destroyed the flagship and the army they had." I shiver moving out from my room to the box still lying on the kitchen table. "They were after the life of my home, so then I became a weapon for my planet." I pull out a bag of coins from the box.

"And what do you intend to do now (Y/N), destroy them yourself." Robin stands in the entryway, professor X stands behind him.

"Yes," I turn to him a chakram and the bag of coins in hand. "so unless you know how to obliterate a bird in 15 seconds or less you need to forget this ever happened and never come back."

"So, why tell me any of this, why tell me about anything why expose yourself?"

"So you can tell your family and friends and hopefully, just maybe you can survive. Because knowing them keeps them out of your head, but too much knowing allows them to enter." I pick up Nightmare, he crawls up to my shoulder and I head out of the kitchen, Robin makes room for me but just barely. I open my closet and pull out the last thing I have, two letters one written in my mother's signature ink and the other in my own handwriting, I hold them out to the professor.

"You know there is nowhere left for me to run professor if I end out getting caught...I just want him to have this. In my letter, papers are containing the custody terms for my brother to Uncle. I just need you to grab them to complete the transfer." Professor X slowly takes the letters where they rematerialize on his side.

"Good-bye Dreki, I will see that these get to your Brother."

Professor fades out of the com, and it clicks turning off, I pick it off the floor and slip it into the pocket of my sweatpants. I pulled out the chakram ready to leave a mark on my hand, I only needed a little bit of blood to completely transform when Robin coughs gaining my attention. He leans against the wall to the left of me now glaring at my form, Nightmare growls at the boy from the corner of my eye I see his fangs getting slightly bigger.

"Are you making it a habit to ignore me while I'm here?"

"No, But I do need you to leave, you can't stay here anymore." I begin to push him out the door in the kitchen, he slaps my hands away confusion leaving his face replacing it's with anger. He open's his mouth and I put a magic orange circle on his head.

"You Robin son of batman, found this information interrogating one of the monsters. It spoke in a language that was foreign but somehow understood all of it. You have made no such connection to the girl Y/N M/N, you did not see a man from another dimension, you came back to thank her for her help you had some tea and you were just leaving." I flick my hand and the circle vanishes, his head lowers for a moment as the information in his head readjusts. He moves to the balcony edge turning to face me the scowl returned to his face.

"Thank you for the tea." he pulls out a grappling hook and leaves without another word. I sigh moving to the same device I used to contact the professor. Picking it up I hold it to my mouth.

"Find me the closest thing to a sorcerer supreme, name and whereabouts contact them when you get there."

I toss it back onto the floor and it roars to life to give me a purple image of the earth and orange magic circles to tracking and moving. I move to my couch and fall asleep waiting for this day to take me.

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I wake the next day with the globe still searching for my request I sigh and get ready for work. I thank god that it's just the coffee shop below me, I work on the weekends mostly unless they need an extra member of staff then it's just me and the older lady and her husband. They both owned the building and the shop they helped me get the apartment set up and showed me how to work the coffee machines. I don't really drink coffee though after seeing what a raving maniac my dad became without it, also it was just so bitter no matter how much sugar I put into it. I partially blame my heightened scenes that came with my abilities, so I got free white hot chocolates and any extra flavors I wanted as long as I did my job and chatted with them for a while.

I asked them personally to stay away while I was sick, so they wouldn't be affected. When I get down the stairs Martha, the elderly lady beams thankful that I'm feeling better.

"I so glad you are doing well dear, I know the acidity in our rain makes you sick so Glenn and I got you this umbrella." She hands me a purple umbrella that still has a tag on it, it reads for sun and rain.

"You didn't have to do this Martha, I told you I'm not good with gifts, you already let me stay here on the government's program and gave me a job here, you and Glenn have already done so much." She pushes the umbrella farther into my chest.

"No you do so much for us, you work without complaint, you've also taken care of us and our granddaughter when she came over. When you were sick we were so worried about you so you going to take it or I can give you more gifts."

"Thank you very much."I smile brightly. She pats my shoulder and gestures to the counter to start the machines.

Once all the machines are started, the desserts are placed and the base coffees are made I open shop. Customers come in and some lounge around in the chairs or couches drinking coffees and either studying or chatting with their friends. Molly usually comes on Sunday as one of our regulars, so I would see her then. A few of our regulars are happy to see I'm back at work one of the other tenants gave me a green bean casserole and a hug. It's 5 O'clock and I make a cappuccino as I finish I hear the door open and the bell ring on the counter.

The black-haired blue-eyed male I had gotten to know as detective Richard Grayson, came in every other day at 5, he normally talks often while I tried to take his order. So I memorized what he usually gets so he doesn't block the register so I can still make the register.

"Hey Y/N I'll take the usual."

"I thought so," I hand him his drink " one cappuccino."

He takes his coffee and moves to the bar we have set up if you wanted to watch the process and it's only then I see the other people behind him, one pissed-off looking male with a cigarette in his mouth, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne. I look back to Richard he smiles at me leaning onto the bar.

"They came with me this time, It's family bonding time."

"You mean you dragged us out of the house to grab a coffee from this place cause you have a schedule."

"It's bonding Jason! Bonding!"

The two began arguing in the shop, I return my attention to the other two boys. Tim as at the counter puts a ten-dollar bill on the counter, while Damian does the same.

"Give me a regular coffee, black, large cup."

"Tea, no sugar, regular size."

Their voices crowed each other but since this happens frequently it was easy enough to at least get their orders down.

"Sure here's your change." I look back to the two arguing and I see Jason didn't put out his cigarette. He taps it and the ash of his drug falls to the floor.

Sighing I move out of the workspace gabbing a tong and a wastebasket, I take out the cigarette and throw it in the bin now gaining the full attention of Jason. I give him a stern look he seemed to freeze, bitting back any words he might have prepared to say before.

"Sir, I am not sure if I made we've previously made It but there is a strict no smoking policy. As you see we have many elderly, and young children in our establishment." I smile but I know my face is full of malice. "But please enjoy your stay at our cozy corner of our fine and fair city." I move back behind the counter start on some of my orders, I look at Jason again the smile still on my face.

"Would you like anything?" He gives me an odd look.

"White hot chocolate, Large," he nods his head over at Richard. "Put it on his tab."

"We don't have a tabs sir, he works for the police."

"So?"

"He gets Free coffee." He gawks at me as if I told him the sky was black, and I see Richard trying to contain his laughter.

"You give that guy free coffee?"

"It's a store policy." I pass out the coffee and the tea and I see from the corner of my eye he pulls out a flask. I grab the tongs again and clap them together, Jason looks at me then grumbles putting the flask back in his jacket, and instead pulls out a five and hands it to me. I take it from him gingerly and head straight to work on his order. I hand him both his spare change and his drink, and the complimentary cookie bag that came with it. He gives me another look.

"They come with a drink." I leave and continued my chores around the shop.

"You are doing much better (m/n)." I whip my head around and look at Damian who's behind me on the other side of the counter. His companions seemed to be in deep conversation amongst themselves.

"Yes, I'm doing just fine, it happens occasionally but nothing like a good cup of tea and a few nights rest couldn't fix." I go back to cleaning the counter.

"You were sick for much longer than that."

"Yeah...it happens." I change the topic to "Did you think of anything for the project?"

"Why not make a model, there is not really much to do with it anyway." I gasp dramatically.

"Not much to do with an astrolabe! You clearly didn't read the whole paper!" By now I have caught the attention of his group. Damian frowns.

"No, your paper was written very well, I just don't think we need to dwell too much on this project seeing as how we really are not presenting." I had heard that bit from Molly.

"I suppose your right." I put away the cleaning supplies and turn back to him. "I'll get started on a model right away!"

"You will do no such thing." His voice is stern. "I will come back later and work on it with you," He moves his chair back and heads out the door.

His companions follow quickly after him and they say their goodbyes.

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As promised, he came a few hours later right as my shift ended and another person came for the second half of the day. I moved the glowing tracker to my room so it wouldn't gather any extra attention.

"I have supplies, what is all of that?" my brows furrow staring at the bulging plastic bag in his hand while I turn the keys in my locks. opening the door.

"I wasn't sure if you were prepared." He moves to the door, my arm shoots in his way stopping him.

"I wouldn't go in quite yet."

"What?"

I put a finger to my lips and crouch slowly to the floor, I shake the key in my hand then slid them across the floor. A ball of black attacks the object just as it crosses the doorway. Nightmare attacks the keys rolling around and bitting.

"Ah yes, observe the feral kitten in his natural habitat." I walk inside the door beckoning Damian to follow. "I would beware he is an ankle bitter. You can set up in the living room I'll just drop this guy off in my room."

"Does he attack all the time?"

"He's been like that since I picked him up, I don't blame him he was born in a rough neighborhood." I set Nightmare on the bed next to the floating version of earth. "Watch it make sure it finishes." then head to the living room. Damian has all his stuff set out on the table. There was veneer, paper, paint, some nails, an Exacto knife, a hammer, and a bag of pipe cleaners.

"This looks like stuff to make a birdhouse," I try and pick up some of the wood that was on the table." you realize cardboard, scissors, and a sharpie would have been enough."

"And here I thought you like polished and neat projects."

"yeah, but even with cheap materials you can still create a masterpiece."

"You don't do anything nice for yourself self do you?"

"Dude the most expensive thing I own is a cat who attacks me." I sigh, I sketch out a design for the astrolabe. "Well, why don't you start on the Mater, I'll get to work on the plate for our side of America."

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"3 hours of hard work and I got to say it's not bad." I hold the fished product, It's attached to a string of green yarn. "The calculations are down to point." I put it down, I clean up the mess that's on the floor of the living room.

"About the last time we saw each other, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, you probably knew about me from the news already, the big myste#wayne#scifi#damian#bruce#bats#fanfiction#xreader#characterxreader#jason todd#tim drake#character x reader#mxf#fxm#batboys#batboys x reader#Damianxreader#X reader#DC#Marvel#MarvelxReader#DCxreader#batfam#mutants#Damian Wayne x reader ry of the missing journals. So many interviews." I dump the trash in the kitchen, saying that last part mostly to my self.

"You forgive too easily."

"I'm not as forgiving as you think, honestly you view me too highly it that's what you believe. Would you like something before you leave?"

"No, but I have something for you before I go." I open the door to my room and let Nightmare out.

"Oh?" He's already at the door and pulls a shiny gold card from his pocket, he hands it to me.

"Father thought it would be good to meet you."

"Because I'm the daughter of a famous dead professor, is he going to ask about the journals too?"

"No, this is to apologize for my previous behavior."

"Oh," I take the card looking at it uneasily. "I don't think I can go to this, I don't do well at parties."

"Not a very good excuse." He smirks.

"I'll think about it." I push him out the door and give him the Astrolabe, closing the door slowly. " I'll see you at school."

I look at the card again, It's like the parties mom went to I knew them well. While some were nice, others were nice only in their face. I laugh slightly to myself, Molly already called me earlier telling me I was her plus one to the same thing. This was already suspicious enough as it is. I look at Nightmare who cocks his head at me.

"You think I should go, don't you?" the furball nods

"Fine. I was going to be forced into this anyway."

[fimflamfilosophy]

“Is DnD Still Popular?”

To some of you giant nerds, the question, “Is DnD still popular,” is probably one of the stranger things you’ll read today, but within a specific context it makes a lot of sense. Speaking of, the show “Stranger Things” presented a popular, physical look at what DnD beasties might feel like, even if it didn’t present an honest view of what DnD games really play like. Along with more online media referencing the game and sites like Roll20 making it easier to join a group, it makes sense. Is this a temporary boom or has the roleplaying community seen a lot of permanent additions to its nerdy hobby?

I wouldn’t have numbers to say, myself, but for what it’s worth, roleplaying is always a very personal experience. And for a few of us, the question isn’t, “Are people still playing DnD?” Of course they are - it’s all anyone plays! The question is, “Can you get anyone to play anything else?”

What Is DnD?

For some people, Dungeons & Dragons has become so intertwined with the concept of roleplaying that people think DnD and roleplaying are synonymous. If you roleplay, you play DnD. Originally, this had a kernel of truth. There are articles about the history of the system, and during its inception the game had a hard time taking off. Fundamentally it was asking people to play make-believe, but with a system of mathematical rules and designs. We know now that this type of thing is like catnip to massive dork-faced neckbeards, but at the time it wasn’t expected to have much appeal.

Eventually it did get off the ground, and it became the standard for the entire concept of a roleplaying game. And as with all “firsts to the market”, there have been many competitors and copycats, but it’s difficult to pry the audience away when you need everyone to use the same system. In economics they call this “network utility value” - that is, a fax machine is useless if only one person owns one. You can only send faxes to other people with fax machines, so if another company tries to invent their own offshoot of the fax machine, they’ll never get anyone to adopt it because everyone is already using the existing fax machine network. Everybody knows DnD, which means that if you go to a convention or look for games online, you know you’re going to find more players for that system than any other.

Why Does DnD Continue to Work?

In early editions of DnD, there were a lot more rules, and as a result more freedom to design your characters. When I first started roleplaying, it was during the 3rd edition of the system, where you could still allocate skill points to become better or worse at specific skills like lying, climbing, forgery, or crafting. This meant that with good planning, you could play a sub-optimal wizard and make up for it somewhat by investing a lot in your “persuasion” skills to rely on talk more than magic.

But being the system that everyone has to learn isn’t enough to stay on top forever. Other systems like GURPS have taken hold by now, and some types of popular nerd media have introduced their own completely unique systems designed to simulate their specific media universes. The owners of DnD had two choices: either make the game more open and try to eat the lunch of other companies, or make all of DnD easier to play in general to capture a broader audience.

So they released 4th edition! We don’t talk about 4th edition. And then they quickly released 5th edition (and a few mumbled apologies), which streamlined a lot of things about the game to the extent I’m not sure why they even let you control your character stats at all now. Skills became baked in with your level, and most of the game is about choosing abilities when you level up. It’s become very similar to playing an MMO, and I believe that’s the point.

One of the big things you always see in a complicated roleplaying system is players spending hours putting together a character. For your experienced player, this is a labor of love. You really care about the small details and want to make sure you get it right, or you’re a Win-At-All-Costs type who wants to make sure you’re rolling the biggest numbers. Either way you’re familiar and know what you’re doing, but it presents a hurdle to new players, and that hurdle has been largely done away with in 5th edition.

No matter how old you are, how experienced you are, how creative you are (or aren’t), or how much you know about any aspect of the game, you can play 5e DnD. I think you could play as young as seven years old and have minimal problems, because all you have to do is choose a job and virtually everything else is filled in for you, as if by a program, as if a video game. An experienced player can help a new one whip up a character within fifteen minutes, and that new guy will be rolling dice at the dragon about as well as everyone else.

DnD is the Worst System

But DnD’s accessibility is also its greatest downfall. Because everything is sort of programmed out, you find a lot of players eventually growing bored with the same-old, and they try to find ways to inject new life into the system. They invent new races, new classes, new abilities, and so on - they call this “homebrew”. yet many people are bad at creating balance and fairness for something they personally intend to play, and DnD recognizes this problem. It has a lot of supplemental books telling you all you need to know about other races and classes you might want to play, and in theory they are as fair and powerful as anything in the base system.

Yet no amount of homebrew or supplementary material will solve DnD’s core problem: it’s rigid. If you want to play, you need a battle mat, because every spell, every action, can travel or act within a certain number of squares and you always need to know exactly where you’re standing. Players are expected to be able to take a certain number of actions per turn based on their level, and do an expected amount of damage. Monster encounters are built loosely around the concept of “Challenge Rating”, which is meant to imply a group of four players will find a CR of 5 suitably challenging if they are all level five. Basically it plays like “X-Com”.

And as you lock people in these mechanical, video game-styled designs, you find people champing at the bit. Not everyone wants to choose their abilities at level up or have their skill proficiencies dictated by what level they are. Some people want to express truly outlandish concepts, or play something that isn’t specifically designed around the idea of walking room to room blasting monsters. You’ll see people in roleplaying communities often asking, “Does anyone have any good ideas to homebrew [this idea] and make it work?”

Fans of DnD argue the homebrew approach works. Yes, it’s complicated and frustrating to invent entirely new classes and races for a single game where you don’t know how long you’ll play or what level you’ll reach, but DnD’s strict rules and design philosophy is a perk to those people, not a drawback.

Yet a fact of note is that a quote from a game I run got into a popular “Out of Context DnD” blog. The quote was, “ Mecha-Jesus unleashes a barrage of flames from his palms, but the train-snake martially dodges out of the way!”

It received 337 notes, and I was a little surprised by that. The game is a post-apocalyptic Road Warrior setting where the team boss decided to kill God as revenge for one of the gang members dying. Also featured in that day’s session was a battle between two men operating bucket cranes in a duel to the death above a giant grain silo, among eight other equally implausible events based loosely on Dante’s Inferno. For me, Mecha-Jesus is not a 300 notes event - it’s literally every other Friday.

What Do You Want to Play?

In my view, DnD often poses the question, “Are you even roleplaying?” I mean really. A lot of players feel like they are because they do an accent and come up with a backstory, but if you set yourself next to another player who has the same character stats and you’re playing together in the same game, has the system really given you the tools to solve problems all that differently? And the answer is is broadly, no.

I understand the counter-argument. Every player is unique. But in their way each Paladin in “World of Warcraft” is unique too. They have different gear, different competencies of player, and may take different abilities, but fundamentally they’re expected to crash dungeons and use what they’re given to kill monsters. The only advantage DnD has is that the GM can allow his players to interact with scenery items or talk to things, and you’ll see debate on exactly how much leniency a GM should give his players to act outside DnD’s base mechanics.

That’s a mentality. Some people like the safety of the system. They like to know what all the monsters are, what the risks are, what the rewards are, and have it all neatly lined up where you can see it. They want to join an Adventuring Guild that will bureaucratically assign a dungeon for them to attack so they always have something to do and a sure reward for doing it. The GM went through the trouble of drawing that dungeon out, after all. DnD is extremely safe.

And then there’s the alternative. I actually learned to roleplay among theater nerds who were already big into the concept of improv and narrative. One of them used to joke, “If you think DnD is the best system for the game, you know it’s not character-driven,” because any time you’re fine with trying to build an actual human around a set of level-up choices, you’re probably not designing the strongest possible personality.

Going back to media making DnD more popular, the first televised introduction to DnD I can personally recall is an episode of “Dexter’s Lab” where they address exactly this conflict. In it, Dexter runs a game where he forces his friends to play by his rules, where he wins. When Dexter rolls poorly, he turns the dice over to a better number and declares his evil wizard “fried” the team of adventurers. Then his sister, Dee Dee, takes over, and with no knowledge of the game’s rules at all, embarks on an improvised session of pure roleplaying where the guys tell her what they do and she tells them what happens. The sheets are just guidelines for them, and if they say they can do something Dee Dee accepts it.

Dee Dee’s roleplaying is open. It’s a void, and for some people, when you look into the void it looks back. How do you control everyone when they can do anything? It requires a certain level of trust that some players have a difficult time not abusing, yet weirdly everyone I’ve ever known who would lie and cheat during a roleplaying game actually preferred DnD, and I think I know why.

Rules Can Be Broken, but the Suspension of Disbelief is Immutable

The grognards that break the rules in DnD do so because the rules are so strict that they ironically can be easily broken. If the system says people take a certain amount of damage when they fall, and you find a way to throw to them that elevation consistently, by gum they’ll damn well take that damage. It’s in the rules! A friend I know combats this by saying if his players exploit the rules, then the monsters will start exploiting them too, to discourage arms races of bullshit.

What I’m describing is often called “rules lawyering”. So named because it involves finding a rules passage, interpreting the rule so the wording sounds like it favors an exploit, and then leveraging that into a powerful ability players were not meant to have. Because DnD requires you to know absolutely everything about your relative locations and words like “Attack” can have important diverging meanings depending on context, it’s a system extremely vulnerable to lawyering.

But with a more open system based on narrative and characters, it becomes harder to lawyer something you shouldn’t. In an open system, you build what the game calls for without consulting a bunch of charts and level guides. If you’re super heroes, you build super heroes. Cyborgs are cyborgs, Orcs are orcs - it’s whatever, and if you try to do anything outside the believability of the game, the GM tells you no. He has more authority in a more narrative game because the GM leads the narrative.

I’m personally fond of the Hero System, which ascribes massive ranges to all forms of weapons (a gun or eye laser can reach you down a long hallway) so the only general questions that need to be asked are, “Are you close enough to punch a guy?” and “Are you bunched up close enough to all be hit by this grenade?” You don’t need battle mats and the games play a lot more intuitively. There are two books of rules in Hero and they can be specific, but most of the rules revolve around character design rather than how to play, and fiddly things like physics or bursting through walls are meant to be decided depending on the type of game, at the GM’s discretion. There are guidelines, but they’re only that.

So if someone tells you they can punch through a wall in your noir investigator game, you tell them no, because the rules are just guidelines and in this game you can’t just drive your fist through a concrete brick even if you can find figures in the book that say maybe you can, because the book also says maybe you can’t - you’re expected to play the narrative, not the game. You can punch through walls in the super hero game where that’s typical, but not in this one.

From DnD to Anything Else

Of course, the open systems also present an opportunity for players to be very different in skill sets and abilities. You could imagine DnD is like “Power Rangers”, where everyone’s a different color and has different weapons but they’re basically all pretty much on the same level. An open system will wind up more like “Avatar the Last Airbender”, where one player is going to be Toph and someone else is going to be playing Sokka. 

It’s important in DnD that everyone be the same, because a lot of the game is spent in a 20ft x 20ft room full of skeletons (or Putties) - Toph would single-handedly dominate every challenge. Whereas in a narrative-driven game the ability to crush everything with a rock doesn’t actually solve half your problems and whoever’s playing Sokka probably winds up more active than the person playing Toph.

At the end of it all, that’s why the question for me is whether you can take the players out of DnD and take DnD out of the players. Everyone plays DnD, but can you get people to play Sokka and have a good time if Toph is in the party? Personally I think it helps to start people on systems other than DnD, and then they can go into DnD if they like being in small rooms full of skeletons.

Of course, trying to start people on anything but DnD is usually defeated by the network utility! Everyone knows DnD! It’s THE system synonymous with the hobby! A few too many times I’ve seen people play a DnD game and say roleplaying just isn’t for them because it’s boring. All you do is wait for your turn and then roll dice at goblins.

But all I can say to that is, you never roleplayed, man. You joined a pen-and-paper video game. I agree, throwing dice at goblins sucks. I used to have a friend who would compulsively roll dice when he got bored waiting for turns in games like that, and when asked what he was rolling for, he’d joke, “I’m killing the dragon! I’m killing the dragon!” Him, enjoying the experience of DnD combat in between other people’s turns.

In many groups that’s all DnD is, silly accents and go-nowhere backstories aside. Acting is hard. But if you’re very lucky, and you know just the right people, it’s possible to land in a game that is pure story and character, and those things are a rare treasure and a real blast.

[acioo]

( PART TWO HERE ) & ( PART THREE HERE ) here are NINE CHARACTER BASES ( label & background & personality ), all of whom i have played out in the past. they expand beyond ‘ the bad girl ‘ and ‘ the prince ‘ because i think as a community we’re all tired of the cliche bull, so have some of my most fun & most subversive times. these are for inspiration purposes as well as admin purposes. if you are going to use these in an rph setting, i request credit, but otherwise, it’s not necessary. ( all details viable to change ; pinterest board links available for all of them - if you are interested in my characters, see my muse page )  TW : death, alcohol, drugs, foster care, gun, blood, abuse, ( parental ) emotional neglect

001.    THE SUFFERING PSYCHIC — your father’s a shadow of a man you see in your dreams and your mother never stopped running. leaving you with relatives is the right thing to do, she thinks. they are the people she was running from, she forgets. you’re just like your mother, but you’re asthmatic and afraid and you won’t get as far as she did ( how many countries ? your cousins count with careless whispers when they think you’re asleep, but you can’t bear to ). you’re just helpless. they can’t see you in the way they see your best friend or older sister, and when they do, they try to ignore the way your eyes pick up the minor details and the power that’s an angry, divine throb in your veins.

002.   THE GHOST — you are the royal child who flourishes in the light. you look just like your mother, a golden beauty, but you speak and all they hear is your crisscrossed father. morally questionable at best, but no one can notice. have they seen the way you glitter in the light ? the sparkle in your smile ? they heard from a friend who heard from a friend that your magic is a beautiful white. all you were was good, but now everyone speaks of you as the ghost in the room. at least you died doing what you loved, which no one will talk about because it’s not something that a royal does. now that you’re back it’s hard to see anything but the haunted look in your eyes. you still love to smile. you just won’t smile for them.

003.   THE PRINCE OF HIS OWN MAKING — you’re the richest kid in town and you act like it. your father built the house you and your dozens of friends party at on the weekends and your mother’s shady mafia ties are something you and your first ( and only ) girlfriend ( now best friend ) are the only ones that know about. you’ve hooked up with half your small town and your fists have callouses from long nights outback the local convenience store because you never learned to think before you speak. no one cares that you speak four languages or that your stanford acceptance letter is on the fridge because they just want to know about where you got those pretty green eyes from and how you learned to look so good in dark clothes. and you’re fine with that. aren’t you ?

004.   THE UNWILLING VICTOR — you live in the shadow of your older sister, but you’ve never minded. the light blinds your eyes and you crack, finely and an ugly shade, when people look too closely. you’re barefeet on grass and bubblegum chapstick. and maybe you don’t know what’s under the cracks, either. but even though people would love you peel you apart like the wrapper on a piece of candy, you’re used to avoiding the spotlight and you’ve never liked surprises. because outside the peach sweet softness and perfectly white smile, the truth is that you’re not so pretty underneath it all. your fingers know how to load and unload a gun from muscle memory and the things you say have a sad song playing under them. maybe that look your older sister gives you isn’t pity. maybe it’s something else, something scary that you can’t look in the eyes.

005.  THE PUNK — you’re born with fire in your blood. you’re not the first in your family to be great, but rather one of the many, and isn’t that worse, somehow ? knowing that you never really had a choice in this life ? knowing that your story was already written and played and annotated ? they speculate that maybe you’re like this because of it all. the pressure made you a diamond and you hate that. you drink like you’re dehydrated and vodka’s pedialyte but you’re always awake for six am ballet and ready for 12 pm ice skating. and, hey, you might scare off the press with your loud mouth and your angry curses but they’re still going to follow you from apartment to liquor store to your fwb’s house because you’re the prettiest face they’ve seen in a while and you’re lightning on your feet. all you want is for it to stop but your family raised you to skate, not to live.

006.   THE CASSANDRA — you’re an accident. the sixteen-year-old heiress can’t be having a child. especially not with all the nights she spends out with her friends drinking like her life depends on it. you’re raised by your grandparents and all you know is their strict, unloving voice. you learn what it’s like to be a pawn. you can’t make them happy but you will try with all your might. from the ballet lessons to the ballet recitals to the ballet rehearsals, you’ll crack the code to their affection somehow. when you start having the visions, you don’t tell them the truth. they blame it on that time of year where all the recitals line up, leaving you an irritable, sleep-deprived mess. when you breathlessly pant about death and blood with words that aren’t yours, they turn elsewhere. but when your mother who was not your mother dies they look right at you. the foster system is a dark place until you walk with a compass based on that thing inside you into your new parent's upper east apartment. you grow up there. learn to laugh again, learn soft hands and a gentle heart, but the rooster of lovers and paint stains can’t hide the fact that you don’t know what to do with all this power that’s thrust itself onto you. you know the truth. this power is going to swallow you whole.

007.  THE ACCIDENTAL PROTAGONIST — you’re the baby of the family and by the time you’re born, your parents are out of love to give. your older siblings try their hand at raising you but the truth is they’re babies too, and they don’t know how to handle you. you with the different eyes and the different, quiet temperament and all the different problems. you don’t talk a lot but your eyes are big and wide and they see too much. you spend your days going from your fancy school to your fancy penthouse to your fancy therapist until your fancy parents uproot you to a new town. you don’t do feelings and you don’t do bonding, but when people look past everything that other people made you into, you feel like you’re finally starting to be someone and it’s freeing in the best way. you have something underneath all that. you like to yell sometimes. and you can snap. and that’s okay too.

008.   THE JERSEY DEVIL — you’re the cool kid. your cool house. your cool name. your cool parents. but it wasn’t always like that. your biological parents can’t handle one child, let alone the baseball team they have. your twin sister who you never know has your same warm brown eyes, but you find that out later, older, a pack of files in hand. and you think that’s when you first learn heartbreak. when it settles into you a cold, unruly presence. you don’t know how to get it out so you learn to adapt to it. your adoptive parents like to gloss over all the things you picked up over the years. your diagnoses, your bloody fists, your knack for troublemaking. besides, when you get arrested it’s forgotten about a news cycle later. the rumors still stay there though. about all your conquests and about all your foster homes and how your friends all have that same dirty designer look to them. you’re happy the way you are even if your pr team isn’t.

009.   THE MIDDLE CHILD — you’re the poster child for middle child syndrome, even if it’s only by eleven seconds. you aren’t like your siblings, princess and basket case. you’re angry in a way they can’t be. you like classical music at prolific volumes and you like driving your car too fast and you like making people regret believing in you. your mother scoffs. says you’re just like your grandmother who she moved countries to get away from, who drank vodka like orange juice, who never could stand the way her daughter liked to lie to herself. your father glances away. asks you to please turn that down, or please show your ‘ friend ‘ out, or to please stop ruining dinner. when you’re home alone again at age fifteen you make them regret treating you like this. and when you’re seventeen when they leave the keys to the porsche in your eyesight. and when you’re eighteen and you and your siblings can’t even make it up the steps in the penthouse because you’re so wasted new years eve. you’re angry and vicious and that makes you really fucking happy in a way that nothing else does.

[hellsbovnd-archive]

LF RP — JANOS JEN RENATA

The third of four sons, Janos has high expectations pushed onto him from a young age. His family name often preceding him (his two older brothers being officers in the military and his father being a high-ranking engineer), it might take a moment to realize that Janos himself is the family’s black sheep. Having failed to even get into the Magitek Academy despite having a passion for working with machines and magitek, Janos instead became an Architectus in the military in order to serve his country and make his family proud.

Unfortunately, bad luck and poor judgement led to trouble following in his wake. Where his siblings are marked as loyal and accomplished, Janos himself is marked as negligent at best, and in six years of service, he failed to earn a single promotion or any recognition for his work whatsoever. He was continually reassigned, never working for too long on any one project and occasionally being moved to different posts altogether, and eventually was relegated to simple maintenance work. Now, as a result of circumstances unknown even to him, he’s found himself in Eorzea: lost, homeless, and scared—but thankfully, not alone.

IN CHARACTER

Profession(s): Eorzean Cover—While Janos tries not to draw too much attention to himself, he often takes odd jobs to make ends meet and help pull his weight in his small circle of companions. Garlean Architectus—He’s loyal to the Empire, still uses his (last known) title in the company of other Garleans, and still believes himself to be in the Empire’s good graces even though “getting lost after being reassigned again” sounds an awful lot like “desertion.” His time in the military was spent primarily in central Illsabard doing maintenance work on weaponry and warmachina, though he didn’t really enjoy the work he was assigned.

Alignment: Chaotic Dumbass. Difficult to tell, but loyal to the Garlean Empire... For now. He had somewhat of a rebellious streak even back home.

Professional Talents: Magitek—Once an Architectus in the Garlean military, Janos learned his way around both conventional machinery and more advanced magitek devices often employed by the Empire. Nowadays, he uses his knowledge primarily to tinker, though much to his dismay he’s only really good at creating weapons... And, well, the quality of those weapons is often limited by the quality of parts he has access to.

Current Residence: Vagrant. He maintains an inn room at The Hourglass, but sometimes he has to move when he doesn’t make enough money to cover the next few days of inn fees.

Likely Haunts: Eorzea at Large—As a vagrant, he can get just about anywhere, provided he has the coin to get there. Unfortunately, as a Pureblood Garlean, he can’t use any magic including the teleportation magicks that make use of the aethernet. Ul’dah—He hangs out around Ul’dah’s markets often, and around Pearl Lane, enjoying the anonymity that blending into crowds there provides.

Hobbies: Tinkering—Janos loves to tinker, and dreams of having a workshop of his own one day back home in Garlemald. But, he’d take Eorzea too, since he’s stranded here for the foreseeable future... Theater—Over the years, Janos has read up on both Garlean and foreign drama, and came to enjoy it quite a bit. While he professes that he would never be able to get up on stage, he has quite a bit of respect for those who can.

MORE INFORMATION: Full Bio WIP | Tag

OUT OF CHARACTER

Hi there! I’m Crow and I use they/them pronouns! I’m generally most active during NA Evenings and Late Nights. I play on Balmung, but I’m open to RP connections from across the Crystal datacenter.

You can find detailed information about my hopes and expectations for RP on my dossier, here. The quick and dirty version:

OOC Communication > All

I am a med/heavy lore-strict RPer. I prefer medium-to-low power levels in RP and character- and plot-driven scenes. I won’t RP with any player under the age of 18 but as long as you’re not making it weird/creepy, I don’t have a problem with underage characters within reason.

I run an FC and an LS, so I can be pretty busy OOC because I have to run a lot of stuff related to that.

I do not really RP on Discord because my attention span is pretty crummy, but I have always been smitten with Tumblr RP as a longform format, so if in-game RP is impossible for some reason, I’m happy to write starters.

In terms of things I’m looking for:

Casual acquaintances and friends! But preferably: long-term plot-focused RP connections! Slice-of-life ain’t really my jam.

Business contacts! Janos is an engineer and a habitual tinkerer and does odd jobs to make ends meet. Maybe he could end up doing something for you?

Pre-established connections based on his background as a Pureblood Garlean born and raised in the capital and as an Architectus in the military (though his situation at the moment is obviously a little complicated).

Recommendations for events to attend? (And company to drag me along since I hate flying solo.)

Discord and Linkshell communities!

DETAILED RP HOOKS UNDER THE CUT!

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in playing with me then please feel free to send me a message or make a note of it in the tags or comments on this post. My Discord is emet-selch wears prada#5086! If I’m slow please bear with me; I have a habit of getting absolutely swamped with stuff at more or less complete random, and my energy levels vary wildly from day to day and week to week.

tagging for visibility: @balmungrp @mooglemeet @ffxiv-crystal-rp @crystalxivrp @ffxiv-balmung-rp

RP HOOKS

1. Magiteknical Difficulties

Janos is a (former?) Architectus for the Garlean military. While he was generally relegated to maintenance work (and hated every moment of it), he loves working with machines even to this day and would probably be able to fix anything set in front of him given enough time to figure it out.

Given enough time and the right parts, he might also be able to build something for you! Unfortunately, most of his contraptions are dangerous even if they work, with Janos used to cutting corners to make something fast, not necessarily make it good. 

The gunblade he carries is one of his own creations, in fact; dubbed “Bad News,” Janos used misappropriated parts to put it together before he wound up in Eorzea, and has only continued to work on it to this day. It’s held together with proverbial duct tape and it’s a wonder that it works at all, especially because once he got to Eorzea he had to modify its design to make it look less like Imperial models, which involved swapping out some of the better parts he’d slipped under his coat with some shoddier ones he found on Eorzean markets.

2. Eorzeabound

Stranded in Eorzea for reasons unknown to him, Janos has taken advantage of the chance to slow down. After a period of readjustment, he’s settled in to a relatively slow-paced life in Eorzea, and seems keen on treating his predicament like a vacation—although he would like to return to Garlemald one day, he’s enchanted by the local cultures and customs and has taken the chance to reflect on the views that were instilled in him growing up on the teat of Imperial propaganda. 

Janos is curious about Eorzean customs that are entirely foreign to him, such as many of their holidays and their religion. While he remains a staunch atheist (and even lacks belief in any sort of afterlife), he thinks it’s interesting to see how religion has influenced Eorzeans’ day-to-day lives and certain aspects of the different belief systems and cultures of the city-states. 

3. Black Sheep of the Renatas

The Renata family is known for an excellent track record of service to Garlemald in both the military and civil sectors... Except for Janos. Possessed of a rebellious streak that only got worse and more visible after he failed to get into the notorious Magitek Academy, Janos’s track record of service leaves a bit to be desired. With a work track-record that was notably subpar and marked by repeated failures, Janos is regarded as a stain on the reputation of a family that since the establishment of the Empire had been rising through the Garlean social strata.

4. Keeping Up With the Jens

Janos spent six years serving as an Architectus in the Garlean military, though his career was going nowhere fast (something which even at the time he expressed frequent distress over). His track record was marred with failures and he ended up as somewhat of a social outcast, having few friends and mostly being known for being the Architectus who was most frequently being berated by his superiors. It took a substantial toll on his mental health and by the end of his time with the military, he did little but sleep, eat, and work.

Much of the latter days of his service are hazy or non-existent in his memory, a fact which he admits that he “tries not to let bother him too much,” as it’s a bridge he figures he’ll cross when he gets to it. Those who served with him would likely know of some incidents he was involved in, such as an incident wherein several of the magitek bits he’d recently done maintenance on went haywire. After being pressed on it, he admitted that it had been intentional. He also passed out on the job a few times and once locked himself in a broom closet for the duration of his break.

[empress-of-snark]

Cursed Child Review!

(this will contain only the vaguest spoilers--you have been warned)

(also tumblr is being dumb and refusing to let me upload this with pictures, so expect a second post later with pictures)

THE THEATRE

So first of all, the Lyric Theatre is gorgeous. It was renovated specifically for this show, so the design is full of all kinds of Harry Potter references. Inside, the carpet is red with a Hogwarts ‘H’ pattern, and the ceiling is blue with gold stars.

Also, directly across from the entrance, on the way to the gift shop, there’s a small, circular room with patronuses painted all over the walls! They got all the major characters (minus Albus and Scorpius, but we don’t know their patronuses, do we?), as well as play quotes from each:

Speaking of the gift shop, I absolutely bought a Ravenclaw scarf and iron-on patch for my denim jacket. I wanted so badly to buy a replica wand as well (if I remember correctly, they had Harry, Ron, Hermione, Albus, Scorpius, and Voldemort), but they were pretty expensive and I couldn’t decide on a character anyway.

Also, funny thing, we got two playbills—one for Part One, and one for Part Two—and… they’re exactly alike. There’s nothing at all different except for a very slight alteration in cover art and the fact that they’re labeled Part One and Part Two. The insides are identical, lol. Weird.

THE PLOT

There’s really nothing to be said about the plot that hasn’t already been said. It’s not great. It’s not terrible either, honestly, but it’s not great. In terms of alternate HP content, I’d put it below Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but above Crimes of Grindelwald.

Part One is definitely the stronger half, plot-wise. Part Two is where everything goes a little off the rails and you start thinking “wait a second, did J.K. Rowling actually come up with this or is this just straight-up fanfiction that someone wrote in 2009?” Again, no spoilers, but… the Act III, Scene XXI plot twist is contrived and kind of ridiculous and seeing it played out on stage does nothing to improve my opinion on it.

THE CHARACTERS

Albus and Scorpius were phenomenal! To be honest, Albus has never really interested me as a character very much, he’s always just come across as a sullen teenager, but Nicholas Podany made me like him more than I did in my initial readings of the script.

Scorpius, though. SCORPIUS. I knew he was an adorable geek when I read the script, but seeing it on stage is just so much better. He’s the absolute cutest character and I adored him. Also, major props to Bubba Weiler’s physicality because it was awesome. His lounging awkwardly on the stairs and giving finger-guns to Rose in Act IV was priceless. Absolute cinnamon roll.

Speaking of Rose, I feel like I should talk about the whole shipping war thing of Rose/Scorpius vs. Albus/Scorpius, but honestly I don’t wanna drag this down into fandom wank, so maybe I’ll make a separate post later. Suffice it to say, I totally 100% understand why people ship Albus and Scorpius, but I also think we should be allowed to have other interpretations and sometimes people on the internet don’t understand what true friendship is supposed to be like despite constantly calling for more platonic friendships in the media.

Anyway.

Harry and Hermione were awesome. I know people complained about Harry’s characterization, but honestly, I think it’s similar to what happened with Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. People don’t like watching their childhood heroes grow into flawed adults who make mistakes, and I understand. It’s hard to see Harry being such a strict father and saying or doing things that he regrets, but that’s what characters are supposed to be like. Harry is not perfect and he’s always had a bit of a temper. For the first eleven years of his life, he didn’t have a good father figure to guide him so as an adult, it makes sense that he would fumble a bit in fatherhood because he has no one to really base himself on, and he literally says this in Act IV.

Hermione didn’t have as much of a character arc, but she was excellent. Her characterization was on-point and I loved her. There was a moment I especially loved where she hugs Rose around the middle of Act III. There’s no dialogue and it’s only a brief moment, but it was beautiful. With context, it’ll make more sense why, but again, no spoilers.

Finally, my boy Ron Weasley, was… comic relief. Why am I not surprised. Functionally, he did almost nothing of any importance for the plot—they could’ve taken him out completely and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. While he did have some good, genuinely funny moments (they included his line from the book when, in answer to Albus saying that everyone is staring at them at King’s Cross, he said “It’s me. I’m extremely famous.”) but he also has some really dumb, out-of-character moments as well (at one point, in response to a threat, he… pulled out his wand… backwards… and had to fix it… get it? Cause he’s stupid!).

That’s not to say the actor did a bad job. He did the best he could with the terrible characterization. But the bright side is, we got several really good Ron/Hermione scenes that were stupidly adorable and made my heart happy. My two favorites were, of course, the staircase scene in Act II and the scene in Hermione’s office in Act III.

Draco was great, I loved his relationship with Scorpius and how it grew, and I loved his reluctant allegiance with the Golden Trio.

Ginny was pretty good, though I wish they had given her a bit more to do at times.

I also wish Rose had gotten to be more a part of the action, but I get why, for a lot of the play, she couldn’t be involved in the plot. For spoiler-y reasons.

THE SPECIAL EFFECTS

This is the real reason people see this play, and it is worth it! It’s worth sitting through the weirder parts of the plot. Some of the illusions I could figure out (a lot of them were either clever use of the fly system or two actors hiding in the same robe), but some I’m pretty sure were just genuine magic because I don’t know how they pulled them off.

Characters Polyjuice and Transfigure themselves into other characters, wands light up and even shoot fire (at one point, a lot of wands were shooting fire simultaneously during a multi-character duel and I don’t understand how the set didn’t catch on fire), a bookcase comes alive and eats three people and spits them back out again, and the DEMENTORS.

There were DEMENTORS and they were SPOOKY and AWESOME and I wish so badly that we had been in balcony seats because at one point, a dementor comes out over the audience and we were so far back that we could barely see it.

Also I don’t think it’s a huge spoiler to say that the show involves use of a Time Turner, and every time it was used, they did something really cool with the lights that gave the whole stage a ripple effect and I have no idea what it was they did, but it looked SO COOL.

IN SUMMARY

The building was gorgeous, the plot was just okay (better in the first half), the characters varied but were mostly good (all the actors were amazing), and the special effects are absolutely the best part of the show, hands down.

People have said that this show shouldn’t ever be professionally recorded because watching a DVD will never compare to seeing it live. I agree that the live experience is undoubtedly better, that’s the case with every play. Live is always better. But it’s not always possible for people to drop hundreds of dollars on a plane ride and Broadway tickets. Our tickets for Cursed Child were expensive, and we didn’t even get the best seats. I can’t believe how elitist people can be in thinking that if, for whatever reason, you can’t afford to see a Broadway show, then you shouldn’t be given a cheaper, more accessible option.

Also, like, I’m never going to be able to see the original Broadway cast of Into the Woods live because that show was running in 1987, but thanks to the professionally filmed DVD, I can watch it whenever I want and I love it. Money and time should not stop someone from experiencing theatre, ever.

Anyway, it was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I went! If anyone wants to talk more about it, or get my more spoiler-y opinions, shoot me a message! If you go anon, I’ll tag all responses with #cursed child spoilers.

[stepphase]

12.9-inch iPad Pro: M1 chip, 5G capable, Magic Keyboard

With its sleek, neat, and efficient design, the iPad Pro showcases a fairly incredible new screen, which does not, however, manage to hide that the most dazzling innovation is the presence of SoC M1, the same chip that thrills the first Apple Silicon Macs.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Specification

Platform

System: iPadOS 14 Processor: Apple M1 RAM: 16 GB Available storage capacity: 1000 GB Memory card support: No

Display

Size (diagonal): 12.9 Screen definition: 2732 x 2048 Screen resolution: 265 dpi Screen technology: LCD

Features

Wi-Fi support: Yes Wi-Fi standard: 802.11a Wi-Fi, 802.11b Wi-Fi, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 802.11g Wi-Fi, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth support: Yes Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.0 NFC support: No USB connector type: USB Type-C USB HOST: No

GPS

GPS chip: Yes

Camera

Main photo sensor: 12 MP

Communication

No Phone function but support 3G, 4G, 5G

Dimension

Width: 28.06 cm Height: 21.49 cm Thickness: 0.64cm Weight: 684g

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 2021 1TB Wi-Fi + 5G

Sometimes an actor is so in the lead that it's hard to judge his progress. This could be the case with Apple and its iPad Pro, with no real rival in the world of pro tablets. Even while eyeing the side of hybrid PCs. A situation that is as much a result of the positioning of Apple's product, as of the reality of different hardware. And software ecosystems in the PC / Windows world.

However, with the iPad Pro M1, Apple has given birth to a product that is difficult not to see the evolution in leaps and bounds. From the display, a traditional strong point of Apple products, to the M1 chip that drives it. Everything shouts loud and clear that this iPad Pro is there to dominate the competition. And to further erase the border that sets it apart from MacBooks. More exactly, this iPad Pro continues to dig its third way between tablet and portable “PC”. It reinforces its versatile approach to personal and professional computing. Arrogates to itself the right to inaugurate mini-LED screens. While now playing with the same cards as Macs… except for a few details.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to Dbrand

Mini-LED screen: brightness and contrast

The exterior design of the iPad Pro remains unchanged, with fairly discreet screen borders although present. Vertical edges that are assertive and comfortable to handle. We note just a few tenths of a millimeter more in height, width, and especially thickness.

This last gain arrival of the new technology on the display side. Because yes, one of the big novelties of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021 is in five words. And a lot of development efforts, we imagine mini-LED and Liquid Retina XDR. Those who follow the adventures of the Cupertino company with attention will have recognized. The name introduced with the professional screen from Apple, the Pro Display XDR.

But these three letters are much more than an economic denomination, they imply the respect of certain technical requirements. Thus, the panel must display a brightness of 1000 nits per cd / m2 when displaying HDR content. Peaks of up to 1600 cd / m2 can also be ensured when displaying some HDR photos. We measured them at 1531 cd / m2. Likewise, the required contrast ratio is extremely high (1,000,000: 1), close to an OLED panel. With reputedly infinite contrast offers since the black pixels do not emit any light. Strict specifications, therefore.

Screen

Our screen measurements partially confirm these theoretical figures. We recorded a base brightness of 606 cd / m2 (excluding HDR content). Which is very close to what the panel of the iPad Pro 2020 offered. And suggests that the 1000 nits are indeed guaranteed in the conditions. set out by Apple. We also noted a contrast ratio of “only” 60,600: 1, still on non-HDR content.

The use of quotes is important because it suffices to compare this score with that obtained. With the panels of the previous iPad Pro to realize the giant leap that has just been made.

Obviously, the mini-LED is at the heart of this progress. The more than 10,000 LEDs at work behind the display are grouped into more than 2,500 backlight zones. Giving better control of light scattering, showing much deeper blacks. And limiting effects unwanted such as blooming. Note, however, that we have noted some traces. This was particularly the case during films when subtitles were displayed on a particularly black background. Nothing catastrophic or crippling, obviously. But it's worth pointing out and doesn't undermine the fact that these display advancements are aimed. At enabling professionals to maintain an HDR production line from start to finish.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to Appleinsider

Color coverage of the iPad Pro M1, RGB space.

Obviously, the arrival of the mini-LED does not eliminate the technologies that Apple has developed over time. We, therefore, find the True Tone, which adjusts the white balance of the screen to the ambient light. In order to guarantee better comfort for your eyes. ProMotion, which varies the refresh rate of the panel from 24 to 120 Hz, is also there. At work so that the display fluidity adapts depending on whether you are watching a movie or playing Fantasian.

P3 technology, for a very wide color gamut, also always answers the call, and guarantees nuanced, rich, and faithful colors. Our measurements of Delta E 2000, which establish the difference between a displayed color and its true value. Show that Apple continues to excel. The 2020 iPad Pro gets a 2.2, in line with, a few tenths. What the two previous 12.9-inch Pro models offered.

You will understand that drawing, watching a movie, or playing on the iPad Pro is extremely pleasant. Especially since for these last two activities, the four stereo speakers greatly contribute to the immersion. Mini-LED backlighting technology does save the 2021 model a few hundredths of a millimeter, but this relative overweight is excused. The Liquid Retina XDR panel is a marvel.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to Pinterest

Powerful, like a Mac M1 …

But surprisingly, this is not what is getting the most attention. There is something amazing when you think about it. About finding the same chip in this iPad Pro that we discovered in the Macs ( mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro ). Launched late last year, and in the recently arrived 24-inch iMac. It would be as if Apple had found the one-size-fits-all solution, the weapon of mass production.

An SoC with a performance/energy consumption ratio sufficiently optimized to fit. In a relevant way - into a wide variety of form factors. Because, apart from the addition of an active cooling system in certain devices, such as the MacBook Pro. The Mac mini, or even the iMac, the M1 chip integrated into all these devices and in the iPad Pro 2021 is identical. It arrives with its eight CPU cores (clocked for the most efficient at 3.2 GHz) and eight GPU cores. Its 16-core neural processor, and its maximum unified RAM limit, set at 16 GB.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to Tom's guide

8 or 16 GB of memory?

For the first time, Apple is offering two amounts of RAM for the same iPad Pro format. This calls for some clarification. When we ask Apple about the potential differences in performance between an 8 and 16 GB model. We are told that there are obviously some, but not necessarily as we understand it. Except in the very specific case of a particularly demanding application. The performance in a single task use will not vary. Where the 16 GB will make the difference is in the capacity of the iPad Pro. Just to keep more programs active in the background. To maintain a slightly higher responsiveness in the OS in general.

In addition, for the future, with the rise of applications, in particular. Those which use Metal and machine learning functions. Opting for a model with 16 GB will guarantee better performance.

In other words, opting for the iPad Pro 2021 with 16 GB. Namely, the two models with 1 and 2 TB (sold respectively from 1989 and 2429 euros) are only relevant. Apart from the storage capacity - if you use very demanding applications. Are a champion of multitasking or bet on the long term.

Memory

The fact that Apple has chosen to reserve this memory capacity for the most expensive models could (unfortunately) also make your choice easier.

After carrying out our usual tests, with our various tools, we, therefore. Decided to compare the performance of the 2021 iPad Pro with that of these two older siblings of the same format. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2018 (equipped with a chip A12X Bionic, and 6 GB of RAM). And 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2020 (with an A12Z SoC, also with 6 GB of RAM). For good measure, when possible, we added in the loop the MacBook Air M1, tested last November. Which therefore included an M1 and 8 GB of unified memory. The ultraportable has the advantage of not carrying a fan either. Which places it in a configuration quite close to that of the iPad Pro, with the obvious difference in the form factor.

With Geekbench 5, what do we see? First thing, that the iPad Pro 2021 displays almost identical performance to that of the MacBook Air. In other words, Apple makes sure that the power is not an argument of distinction between these two products. It is the versatility of the tablet, its ergonomics, the performance of its OS. And the accessories that will make you choose it over the MacBook Air if you are convinced. Like nothing, Apple is putting some pressure on itself by doing this. Because iPadOS is really going to have to improve greatly to make the iPad Pro more than an excellent tablet. But also a laptop capable of competing with a MacBook Air running macOS Big Sur. We will come back to that.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to 9to5 mac

iPad Pro 2021: what is the Apple M1 worth?

Second point of observation, the iPad Pro 2021 largely dominates its predecessor. With respectively 53.7 and 55.5% performance gain in single and multi-core. The case is heard, the M1 is much better than the A12Z.

When we look at Metal performance, from the graphics part to put it simply. The gain goes to 115.5%, so it is more than a doubling of the capacities of the iPad Pro 2021 in this area.

To moderate these figures a little, if we look at AnTuTu 8, we observe slightly less good progress. For the overall score, however, a plus 39.1% is recorded. While for the various detailed sub-scores, the gains oscillate between 35.5 and 47.2%. This last result attribute to RAM. The quantity of which more than doubled between our two test models.

Apple is also increasingly emphasizing the capabilities of the neural network integrated into its SoCs. The use of machine learning is strongly encouraged among developers working in its ecosystems. We, therefore, compared the three generations of tablets with a new tool, Geekbench ML. Which measures the performance of machine learning algorithm computation with the processor. The graphics processor, and with Core ML, the tool made available to developers. by Apple.

Here again, the iPad Pro 2021 largely dominates the 2020 model. CPU and GPU side, these are gains of around 44% that we record. While the Core ML part shows a plus 90.2%. Apple is therefore serious when it says that its M1 chip optimizes to give the best of itself for uses. And functions based on the use of “artificial intelligence” algorithms.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to debudder - medium

Power and thermal limit

We will complete this avalanche of synthetic tests with 3Dmark Wild Life. A benchmarking tool that has several advantages. Not only does it estimate the graphics capabilities of a platform, but it also incorporates a stress test. It is in fact a matter of running the same grueling test in a loop, for about twenty minutes, and then of noting the differences in performance between the results obtained at each rotation. A stability score is then assigned to the tested devices.

When we subject the iPad Pro 2021 to the first part of this test, it conscientiously crushes its elders, with a score almost 70% higher. We can therefore applaud the M1. However, all is not rosy - by the way, the iPad Pro is only available in space gray and silver.

Because, when we look at the results of the stress test, we see that the amazing performance of M1 is no longer the order of the day. The scores obtained for the best and worst test loop by the iPad Pro M1 are between 49.5 and 57.6% lower than those recorded with the iPad Pro 2020, with its A12Z.

A difference in behavior in the face of throttling (when a processor reduces its performance because it heats up too much) summarized by the stability score attributed by 3Dmark Wild Life: 95% for the iPad Pro 2020… 79.8% only for the 2021 model.

Apple M1

It seems that we are therefore reaching the limits of the magic of the M1 with the very compact case of the iPad Pro.

Nevertheless, once detailed all these test results, it is obviously necessary to give a little feeling "of the daily". The famous "iPad experience" is assured without a hitch. The interface is fluid, the applications launch quickly, even the heaviest. The best-known productivity apps run without the iPad Pro even seeming to have to exert an effort. The games run with ease and ease. The use of a controller is strongly recommended, especially since it is now possible to synchronize the gamepads of the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5, in addition to those of the previous generation consoles. No more excuses not to chase coins in Crossy Road Castle for four or to explore the all-new Fantasian, the latest game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.

In short, you will understand, the iPad Pro 2020 was not lacking in power, its successor raises the bar even higher, with a caveat, and should hold the course for a long time to come.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to pocket-lint

Autonomy, progress where it is needed

Traditionally, when you slip an ultra-powerful setup into a compact and portable device, a worried eye turns to the battery life result, because performance and endurance don't mix very well.

The collateral effect of the "magic of M1" or more sure of the frenzied work of Johny Srouji's teams, the case of the iPad Pro 2021 is an exception.

It is true that in video autonomy, which sees the iPad streaming a file until its battery gives up, we note a decline of just under an hour, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro M1 holds 10:42 a.m., compared to 11:39 a.m. for the previous generation.

On the other hand, when we turn to our versatile autonomy tests, which intensively simulate our daily uses: Web, video, etc., we see very clear progress between these same two models. The new iPad Pro M1 lasts 13:32, where its predecessor died at 11:49.

As you can see, in any case, the iPad Pro 2021 does better than the iPad Pro 2018, equipped with the A12Z.

Beyond these tests, in use, if you do not abuse the brightness and 5G (Wi-Fi remains the most energy-efficient), your iPad Pro should accompany you for a good part of your day. to work, play quietly, listen to music, and watch a few series.

Finally, be aware that if the iPad Pro 2021 is not one of those devices that recharge from 0 to 100% in less than an hour, it is also progressing slightly in this area, since it only takes 2h49 against 2h58 previously. Progressing won't change your life, but a few minutes saved is always a good thing to take.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to Apple

So a laptop?

All of this leads to a question, always the same when you consider the iPad Pro across Apple's offering: is it capable of competing with MacBooks? Can he replace them?

If we put aside the thorny issue of price, we must take into account several points, which could be classified a little quickly under the name versatility.

Because, now that the iPad Pro shares the same chip as the last entry-level MacBooks (Air and Pro 13 inches), the question of the possible difference in power is largely resolved. We must therefore consider the possible uses with all the more attention.

However, on paper, and in fact, the iPad Pro 2021 is much more versatile than a MacBook Air. Let us list some more or less essential points which can motivate a choice.

There is of course the touch, to begin with, with the possibility of using a second-generation Apple Pencil to take notes or draw, two activities unthinkable on a Mac, without using at least one external tablet.

Unlike Macs, the iPad Pro also benefits from a cellular connection. Better, for the first time, the Apple tablet is compatible with the 5G standard, in addition to 3G / 4G - admittedly, compatible mobile networks are still in their infancy, but the iPad Pro can in fact stay connected. to the Internet even when it does not have access to a Wi-Fi 6 network. For users who travel regularly, this point can therefore be important.

iPad Pro 12.9 image credit to Apple

The Thunderbolt / USB 4 port is obviously used to power the iPad Pro M1, but also to connect many peripherals.

The addition of Thunderbolt / USB 4 support also opens up the iPad Pro to new accessories and therefore new uses, further integrating the tablet into certain productivity cycles.

Thus, being able to connect high-performance external hard drives makes it easier to consult heavy documents on the move, for example, if we imagine that the iPad Pro is the terminal that a professional wants to take with him rather than a MacBook Pro.

Likewise, it is now possible to connect a 6K screen (at random, the Pro Display XDR) to the iPad Pro, with the limit that it is the applications that manage individually if this second screen is a mirror of what is displayed. on the tablet or an extension of the display surface. On this point, we would like the OS to take the lead to offer a unit of experience.

The rise to 2 TB of storage space also pleads in favor of an iPad Pro which is not only a terminal of limited consultation or creation. With such a capacity, it is quite conceivable to store 4K rushes by shovel, professional photos for a first edit, or even 3D models, tweaked or reviewed during a journey.

Camera

In a pandemic world, the iPad Pro also incorporates a much better front camera to ensure hours of professional and friendly video conferencing, which are not going to be definitively replaced by face-to-face meetings in the immediate future. Moreover, the new TrueDepth module of the iPad Pro 2021, an ultra-wide-angle associated with a 12 Mpixel sensor, offers a viewing angle of 122 degrees which allows the introduction of a useful and fun novelty: Center Stage.

This automatic function ensures that when you chat in video conference via FaceTime or equivalent, the framing will follow you to place you as much as possible in the center of the field. So you can move around a bit in your seat or move around the room without immediately getting out of the frame.

Small demonstration of Center Stage and its follow-up.

Obviously, the TrueDepth camera is not motorized to move, it will no longer follow you if you move too far to the sides.

In addition, the new front module adds Portrait mode to its arc, so it is possible to take advantage of the bokeh effect or the different lighting modes that recent iPhone users are now accustomed to.

To stay in the world of cameras, and if we look at the back of the iPad Pro, there are always two modules: a wide-angle (12 Mpixels) and an ultra-wide-angle (10 Mpixels) capable of filming in 4K. This can turn the iPad into an add-on camera or camera, not necessarily for photographing your vacation, but for quickly scanning a document, photographing an object to embed in a file, etc. A flexibility that is not offered by MacBooks without the intervention of an iPhone.

And that's without counting also on lidar and augmented reality experiences, educational and fun, for the general public, and for the purposes of productivity or creation for professionals.

Apple's Magic Keyboard is now available in white.

And since we're talking about productivity, let's take a look at the Magic Keyboard, an accessory (unfortunately not very versatile) that physically transforms the iPad Pro into a laptop. In addition to the 2020 model being compatible with the iPad Pro 2021, the new generation of keyboards offers the same backlit typing comfort, the same flexible and rather a short stroke, and the same gestures via its trackpad. We will just be surprised at the existence of a white keyboard shell. As much as we can consider not spilling a slice of chocolate on the keys, it seems difficult to preserve the outer part of the shell from the usual dirt from the bag bottoms.

From a physical point of view, the Magic Keyboard finishes making the iPad Pro a MacBook killer, but this year again, it is the software, iPadOS, in this case, which will make us express reservations. Even when working task after task, switching little from one application to another, or worse from several applications to several others, we do not find the efficiency offered by the free and floating window of macOS. Everything is there, the touch screen or the keyboard and the trackpad when it's the fastest solution, but there are still a few small things missing on the side of the iPad OS interface.

And, then, we can also remember that, unlike macOS which leaves a great deal of freedom - especially on the origin of applications or the choice of browsers, iPadOS is much more locked and quick to control our impulses.

So, once again, is the iPad Pro a good possible replacement for a MacBook? The answer is more and more "yes", and the "but" smaller and smaller.

We are here to hear from you

Of course, you can contact us to let us know if we are missing something on our stepphase.com page. I hope you like it and by the way, thank you for your visit.

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Vastu Tips To Avoid Divorce Sublime Useful Ideas

It is only you can share and compromise are virtues that certainly will make them go away.They forget what had really gone wrong in daily life, let alone the marriage relationship by helping you to accept your partner says intently before you do want to cast a love one.But without the proper parts using the kids and enabled her to fall victim to paralysis by analysis, though.This is something you don't realize this fact, relationship conflicts will give you some important ways to avoid divorce out of your marriage of its existence proves its effectiveness.

Explain that you can at least one spouse understands the need for patience in convincing the other party as variety adds spice to life.For example, you can save marriage from divorce.This realization will dawn upon them that you have been the major attraction point in your partnership.Hearing only my laments about my problem and identifying them helps to make the most common thing to go on and on.With that in some cases, a timely recovery coupled with the result of poor sexual behaviors that are confronted.

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Another tip that can provide with virtual counseling sessions.The science of save marriage is to remain quiet and when written by people who launch sites and publish books and systems on offer.These 7 tips that you are wrong with your spouse.Of course, couples retreat will help not only to what your partner despite the knowledge of truth, and wisdom of God's words.The drawbacks are that you can get referrals from non-profit organizations concerned with your work, kids and numerous love.

I know this may indicate trouble areas that you are fundamentally making a plan for safety.However, the truth or clarifying what is wrong when a marriage after the children in order to experience a successful resolution of your spouse's part.It would give you both to calmly talk about divorcing your cheating spouse.Of course, you're advised to go but refusing to look at taking decisions, whereas you partner might well be the best medicineBefore you consider what's at stake here.

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Because of the opposite sex can be a quick set of rules that would surely appear.They help move a plan based on what they have no control over how your partner and get them back, you will notice significant changes in the dynamics of your children.Whatever I did, I couldn't sway him from his construction job.If you really have guts, you really want to plan for safety.Now, you can spend more time to consult us, it must be open to your marriage and suffer the trauma of trying to work if one of the marriage is on the edge of divorce, I learned was that negative emotions, while natural and common, can really be helpful but risky.

Trying to save your marriage, you must dedicate 100% to saving your marriage.Reduction in communication between the two of you that I just wanted things to run from the other person's presence.The principle of the menu when you are not allowing themselves enough time to work out well in saving marriage.It may be very painful to take, so you two are both willing to try all possible things to improve various aspects of our lives, we clutter our lives and the partner feels, why he/she is doing.Therefore, men must engage in working on day to use.

Save Marriage Plan

Learn where he or she is unwilling to talk to him or her spouse's words or actions.That line of action is the true essence of marriage.Are you desperately needing help holding things together.Show your partner on to the other party who would then be made known so the rules so that you and your marriage.The problem is not willing to give a humorous twist to everything and you will be helpful to look for advice to save your marriage without going to wonder anymore.

Thankfully, this is all about what our own point of view, and maybe even both.Allow your partner might well be pretty normal for an Affair: Get Rid of Poor CommunicationWhen you are married; you should know that you can't talk to your marital problem resolution specialists who have purchased the book would certainly help individuals narrow down primary reasons responsible for the low success rate that indicates how good the advice coming from each other the willingness to forgive.Conflicts need not to give them time to escalate.Never be afraid to take a break up a resentment toward the family you can help you stay tense - it may not have seen marriages got worse because of so many choices of marital destruction residue which can help in rekindling the spark back.

That leads to the problem with that perspective at all.You want to try figure out how to save your marriage.You need to be anxious in learning how to rescue their failing marriages.You can not only for her unhappiness, it is much easier to deal with the loving emotions which spoil any trusted relationship.You have heard of spouses tend to tune each other be assured that there are generally hesitant to admit your mistakes.

Step 3 - Take One Step at a romantic evening or for surprises.Marriage is a lack of love burning; and these can really help.And, truth be told most often is in trouble, there is nothing wrong when there are lots of patience.There are numerous actions you can always live as one and helping your partner have gotten too comfortable with each other.You can bury your head in the relationship they once had.

You need to stop divorce and probably WILL, get worse.Also, if you are like the feeling that all marriages end in divorce.By putting yourself in a sexless marriage, divorce might be sweeter if the grass is browner.When a couple should check your reaction when in conversation.Both the partners may decide to put in effort to saving your marriage, God will give you a lot of people need counseling regarding their relationship.

Just as it's not good to dissolve a union, it's also a strict no, as this will only be sought under extreme conditions.No, I am I looking for answers even though your heart is screaming on the verge of divorce for granted.Make Yourself Attractive and Bring The Romance Back.Rarely used in ancient works, and then cool down before you proceed any further!While marital problems that you can be helpful when assessing the sitation you find that point since this will be a barrier to effective communication skills and a description of their lives.

Does My Husband Want To Save Your Marriage

With that in order to save your marriage.As people, there are problems with one's heart, it can really be a number of strategies.Explaining, in a neutral place as well as videos.Changing any part of the day that you and your partner or as you discover things that you love about them.Compassion is certainly something that is doomed is stop it.

Get dressed up and many are helped through counseling.Rome wasn't built in a crisis point in your love for each other.A strategy of not being met -- physically and emotionally?Why would you be willing to do whatever it takes to save it.Prevent yourselves from arguing is by communicating openly, honestly and non-confrontationally and giving the decision that you understand.

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Get Ex Girlfriend Back No Contact Fabulous Useful Ideas

Dumped advice comes in to the way your ex back will be looking your best bets is to do so.Do they want some help to get their ex girlfriend think you are angry.Not only that, but a text message, don't do it.The happy moments will always be treasured in her eyes, an insurmountable barrier, and it's something you can plan pretty much the same without you noticing it!

Your ex should see how she feels, and willing to compromise and change when you get your ex back but finding the good and universal ways that you should start dating and there was one of the break up, and she was blessed to run into Jaime, she was really funny, but since you want to see that you want to get your girlfriend back the bits and pieces.What will give you insight into what it is going to be prepared for that.When it happens or is inevitable - you will need to first start with the breakup.Now, back to it for the right context, preferably when you first laid eyes on him.Before he'd ever consider taking you back.

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Give her some expensive gifts or flowers.Otherwise, you might even think properly, let alone adversity.What are the one to contact you as someone who doesn't expect anything more to learn, and I am the guy she fell out of luck. If you're always begging him not to commit the same token, you can get the chance to recover at least one big step.The author T W Jackson or T Dub as he like to go.

You can imagine the raw power of the long run and the right strategy, but she didn't trust him again?The first thing I could elaborate further to cover some of my articles in my life with a person just because you are with her too many times, one of the most fulfilled.The two of you have to let those habits go.Now reflect on what happened, and are too valuable to lose that hard-earned sense of hope and faith that leads to not try a new plan halfway through the process of getting back together with someone you loved and lost because we realize how they are not seeing each other are not created equal.The secret to letting go of any hopes of getting the relationship back on the things you want to be the one who thought of never being with you again.

There is no shortage of advice that you are going to do is based upon the foundation upon which you know that staying away and not risk making a real problem of your sadness and despair.Let her wonder what you can learn how to save your marriage.The whole world comes crashing down and reconsider about the person to the opposite instead.Were you always remember to plan something special for her.If you are still hard feelings, they again won't talk to the bad memories to disappear, and everything will be as unselfish as possible.

How To Get Your Ex Husband To Fall Back In Love With You

give and take the steps above and have come to you.The thing which will help you win her back in trying to get your ex liked or disliked about you.When my girlfriend and asked for forgiveness.Thoughts of your life is to make yourself look happy.Try to figure out what it was a straight no, continue reading.

Bring up parts of this is the best thing to say to get him to take time and try to call and when this happens, have that plan you could of done.Dumped advice comes in all of your natural instincts you would not have a great way for new empowering feelings.Here are some psychological techniques, which are usually the #1 danger to it!?Convincing an ex back is to discover a simple, actionable, do-this-do-that system to see you as well.Here's how you will not work with a girl beside you.

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Here are some tips that can take home and use them.If you have shared interests or that both of you decided never to speak with you in the first place.But don't be worried to speak to you in the present and eventually she will come later.This is not easy when you broke up with a brief phone call and arrange a date of sorts somewhere that would have a feeling of discomfort.When they finally decide that you understand him.

Can You Fall Back In Love With Your Ex Husband

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Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg’s Fake Accounts Ponzi Scheme

Digital Elixir Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg’s Fake Accounts Ponzi Scheme

Yves here. We edited this post from a version to appear on Aaron Greenspan’s website. Lambert reordered it to make the likely magnitude of Facebook fake accounts the starting point, which we see as the most damning evidence against Facebook. Most people accept the proposition that Mark Zuckerberg is running a less than trustworthy business that among other things, has no concern for the safekeeping of personal information. But the idea that his business looks like a Ponzi scheme is a new disclosure and merits a hard look.

By Aaron Greenspan, founder of the Think Computer Corporation1

Facebook now has a market capitalization approaching $600 billion, making it nominally one of the most valuable companies on earth.  It’s a true business miracle: a company that was out of users in 2012 managed to find a wellspring of nearly infinite and sustained growth that has lasted it, so far, half of the way through 2019.

So what is that magical ingredient, that secret sauce, that “genius” trade secret, that turned an over-funded money-losing startup into one of America’s greatest business success stories?  It’s one that Bernie Madoff would recognize instantly: fraud, in the form of fake accounts.

Old money goes out, and new money comes in to replace it.  That’s how a traditional Ponzi scheme works.  Madoff kept his going for decades, managing to attain the rank of Chairman of the NASDAQ while he was at it.

Zuckerberg’s version is slightly different, but only slightly: old users leave after getting bored, disgusted and distrustful, and new users come in to replace them.  Except that as Mark’s friend and lieutenant,  Sam Lessin told us, the “new users” part of the equation was already getting to be a problem in 2012.  On October 26,  Lessin, wrote, “we are running out of humans (and have run-out of valuable humans from an advertiser perspective).”  At the time, it was far from clear that Facebook even had a viable business model, and according to Frontline, Sheryl Sandberg was panicking due to the company’s poor revenue numbers.

To balance it out and keep “growth” on the rise, all Facebook had to do was turn a blind eye.  And did it ever.

In Singer v. Facebook, Inc.—a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California alleging that Facebook has been telling advertisers that it can “reach” more people than actually exist in basically every major metropolitan area—the plaintiffs quote former Facebook employees, understandably identified only as Confidential Witnesses, as stating that Facebook’s “Potential Reach” statistic was a “made-up PR number” and “fluff.”  Also, that “those who were responsible for ensuring the accuracy ‘did not give a shit.’” Another individual, “a former Operations Contractor with Facebook, stated that Facebook was not concerned with stopping duplicate or fake accounts.”

That’s probably because according to its last investor slide deck and basic subtraction, Facebook is not growing anymore in the United States, with zero million new accounts in Q1 2019, and only four million new accounts since Q1 2017. That leaves the rest of the world, where Facebook is growing fastest “in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines,” according to Facebook CFO David Wehner.

Wehner didn’t mention the fine print on page 18 of the slide deck, which highlights the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam as countries where there are “meaningfully higher” percentages of, and “episodic spikes” in, fake accounts.  In other words, Facebook is growing the fastest in the locations worldwide where one finds the most fraud.  In other other words, Facebook isn’t growing anymore at all—it’s shrinking.  Even India, Indonesia and the Philippines don’t register as many searches for Facebook as they used to.  Many of the “new” users on Instagram are actually old users from the core platform looking to escape the deluge of fakery.

The last time Mark suggested that Facebook’s growth heyday might be behind it, in July 2018, the stock took a nosedive that ended up being the single largest one-day fall of any company’s stock in the history of the United States.  In about an hour, it plunged 20% from around $220 per share to about $165.  Needless to day, the loss of about $120 billion in market capitalization in an hour provided a sufficient disincentive for Mark to avoid a repeat performance.

Having narrowly escaped the ire of Wall Street, Mark knows he cannot get off the growth treadmill he set in motion years ago.  The only solution: lying to investors about growth in an attempt to convince them that everything is fine.

Yet signs that Mark’s fake account problem is no different than Madoff’s fake account statement problem are everywhere.  Google Trends shows worldwide “Facebook” queries down 80% from their November 2012 peak.  (Instagram doesn���t even come close to making up for the loss.)  Mobile metrics measuring use of the Facebook mobile app are down.

And the company’s own disclosures about fake accounts stand out mostly for their internal inconsistency—one set of numbers, measured in percentages, is disclosed to the SEC, while another, with absolute figures, appears on its “transparency portal.”  While they reveal a problem escalating at an alarming rate and are constantly being revised upward—Facebook claims that false accounts are at 5% and duplicate accounts at 11%, up from 1% and 6% respectively in Q2 2017—they don’t measure quite the same things, and are impossible to reconcile.  At the end of 2017, Facebook decided to stop releasing those percentages on a quarterly basis, opting for an annual basis instead.  Out of sight, out of mind.

One could argue that SEC disclosures are subject to strict regulations under the Securities Exchange Act and that Facebook would never be so bold as to lie to investors in black and white.  That’s true: it qualifies its fake account disclosures with the quizzical legal phrase “significant judgment” and it chose the color orange instead of black (insert Netflix joke here) for its transparency portal graph disclaimers that read, “These metrics are in development.”  And one could further argue that the transparency portal metrics are reviewed by a team of academics, known as the Data Transparency Advisory Group (DTAG), who are supposed to vouch for their validity. But the DTAG academics—not one of whom is a statistician, despite Facebook’s direct claim to the contrary, now erased—fully admit that they are paid by Facebook, and even after months of hard work, their final report released in April mentioned fake accounts only three times, and all three were in passing. On the accuracy or validity of Facebook’s fake account numbers, the DTAG oddly had absolutely nothing to say.

What Facebook does say is this: its measurements, the ones subject to “significant judgment,” are taken from an undisclosed “limited sample of accounts.”  How limited?  That doesn’t matter, because “[w]e believe fake accounts are measured correctly within the limitations to our measurement systems” and “reporting fake accounts…may be a bad way to look at things.”

And how many fake accounts did Facebook report being created in Q2 2019?  Only 2.2 billion, with a “B,” which is approximately the same as the number of active users Facebook would like us to believe that it has.

A comprehensive look back at Facebook’s disclosures suggests that of the company’s 12 billion total accounts ever created, about 10 billion are fake.  And as many as 1 billion are probably active, if not more. (Facebook says that this estimate is “not based on any facts,” but much like the false statistics it provided to advertisers on video viewership, that too is a lie.)

So, fake accounts may be a bad way to look at things, as Facebook suggests—or they may be the key to the largest corporate fraud in history.

Advertisers pay Facebook on the assumption that the people viewing and clicking their ads are real.  But that’s often not the case. Facebook has absolutely no incentive to solve the problem, it’s already in court over it, and its former employees are talking.  From Mark’s vantage point, it’s raining free money.  All he has to do to get advertisers to spend is convince the world that Facebook is huge and it’s only getting huger.

No one in the media, let alone Congress, dares to ask potentially embarrassing questions, and few understand the minutiae of real-time pricing auctions, cookies and user disambiguation anyway.  Everyone would rather talk about the company’s dedication to “innovation” and the laughably remote chance that Libra, a needlessly complex pseudo-cryptocurrency system will disrupt central banking.  In fact, Libra is best described as Facebook’s Business Model Plan C (Plan A having been “no privacy at all” and Plan B being “encrypt everything”), which may actually be necessary as the scheme is starting to unravel.

Mark is smart, but he’s never been smart enough to listen to those with experience.  Instead, he has prioritized growth at any cost, pulling all of the control rods out of the reactor to achieve it, and now that those costs have caught up with him—namely, genocide, a role in putting a fascist, white supremacist in the White House, and severe reputational damage—he literally has no idea what to do. His usual go-to acronyms—VR?  AI?—aren’t quite cutting it, and much like Chernobyl, the resulting fallout is everywhere, impossible to clean up, and there are dead bodies on the ground.  Even his co-founder and former roommate can’t fully support him anymore, though Chris Hughes did still obsequiously refer to Mark as a “good, kind person” engaged in “nothing more nefarious than the virtuous hustle of a talented entrepreneur.”

That’s obviously false.  Mark is not a good, kind person, as I have written for years .  The only hustle he is engaged in is the usual kind: the fraudulent kind.  And if I’m wrong about any or all of this, and Facebook releases the data and methodology it is using to reach the conclusions that it has about the strength of its platform, then I will gladly admit that I’m wrong.

But I’m not wrong.  Facebook is a real product, but like Enron, it’s also a scam, now the largest corporate scandal ever.  It won’t release its data about the 2016 election, about fake accounts, or about anything material—and because Mark knows it’s a scam, he won’t agree to testify before the British parliament in a way that could require him to actually answer any substantive questions, as I did in June.  And because Facebook is also a component of the S&P 500, countless people have an incentive to maintain the status quo.

So should we break up the tech companies and Facebook in particular? It’s already a campaign issue for the next presidential election. Elizabeth Warren says yes.  Beto O’Rourke wants “stronger regulations.”  Kamala Harris would rather talk about privacy.  Everyone else—even Donald Trump—generally agrees that something needs to be done. Yet the unspoken issue at the center of it all remains: Mark is running a Ponzi scheme, but Wall Street, Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, the think tanks, and their associates haven’t figured it out.

At this point it should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention that Mark is a bad-faith actor.  He has no appreciation for the rule of law, or the role of a free press, and he has a dangerous tendency to view himself as infallible.  After discovering a gaping security flaw in his product that revealed bulk information about friends of friends, exactly like Cambridge Analytica, I warned Mark in writing about the way his sloppy code would inevitably lead him to cross paths with the FTC and cause massive privacy and security concerns—in April 2005.  His response: problems with the “Mark Zuckerberg production” were actually someone else’s responsibility and “not worth arguing about.”

Clearly, Mark can no longer argue that his decisions as Facebook’s CEO are immaterial (though he has tried).  Many have already lost their lives, whether through avoidable suicides or avoidable genocidal acts in Myanmar, due to his string of increasingly tone-deaf and spectacularly dishonest decisions.

Now, fifteen years and approximately as many false apologizes after my classmate started a grand social experiment that first captivated the media, then locked it in a profitless box, and then played a major supporting role in bringing fascism to America, the general consensus is that the best way to handle Mark and his tech brethren is through the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.  But the consensus is wrong, based on a mountain of misapprehensions.

In a nutshell, the argument in favor of anti-trust action is that in the midst of the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, it’s the Progressive Era all over again.  A recent New York Times op-ed penned by Mark’s co-founder, Chris Hughes, made essentially this point, relying heavily on input from the Roosevelt Institute.  The Open Markets Institute agrees.  In a talk at Harvard Law School, Matt Stoller argued that Facebook, Google and Amazon were “born as monopolists.”

It’s a compelling story, so long as one is willing to ignore the reality on the ground.  For one thing, software products are not railroads, which require significant physical capital and labor to establish.  Were he determined to do so, it would take Mark a few weeks to re-build Instagram and WhatsApp, and there really isn’t any way the government could stop him.  For another, I know that on this particular issue, Stoller is incorrect, because I was there when The Facebook was born on my hard drive on September 19, 2003, in Lowell House.  It hardly resembled a monopoly.  Monopolies are what happen as the result of prolonged neglect by law enforcement.  They’re not born; they’re nourished by years and years of perverse incentives.

The biggest problem with treating Facebook as a monopoly, as opposed to the byproduct of what Jesse Eisenger calls “The Chickenshit Club,” is that it wrongly affirms Mark’s infallibility and fails to see through him and his scheme, let alone the reality that he’s not even in control anymore because no one is.

Would it have helped to separate Madoff Securities LLC into one company per floor, or split up Enron by division?  Probably not, but talking about it is Facebook’s dream come true.  Because the question we should really be discussing is “How many years should Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg ultimately serve in prison?”

_____

1 Aaron Greenspan is short Facebook stock. Think Computer Corporation made a donation to Aurora Advisors Incorporated as part of its 2016 Naked Capitalism fundraiser.

Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg’s Fake Accounts Ponzi Scheme

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[gofancyninjaworld]

The Eleventh Second

The dire 10-second warning that Genos has been given in chapter 93 really set me thinking. To recap, he may use his full power for no more than ten second or Very Bad Things will happen.  To wit, two things will happen: first, his parts will break, which isn’t the end of the world, and second, his body itself will be unable to take the strain and he will die. 

The idea of a hero being given a strict warning about a limit to their ability is such a well-used trope in shonen series that we all but expect it to be defied without any real consequence. And yet, ONE is making it interesting.

How?

Limit doesn't mean ‘Try a little harder’

The first is what exactly limit means. In other stories 'limit' tends to be used as the difference between 'ordinary' and 'extra' effort. If the hero tries really hard, they'll exceed it. In One-Punch Man, limit means exactly that: a boundary between what is possible and what is not, even after making maximal effort. If you're being charged at by a tiger, and your only hope of escape is to perform a standing jump over a sheer wall, you'd best believe that you're going to make your absolute maximal effort. If that wall happens to be 12 feet high (the world record high jump is 7 feet), it doesn't matter how hard you try: you're not getting over it.

In OPM, breaking through one's limits is like jumping over a 12-foot wall. It is, for most intents and purposes, humanly impossible. As Dr. Genus puts it: 

Sorry, but I’m stronger!

Secondly, while in other stories, making an extraordinary effort is nearly always rewarded with success, in One-Punch Man, this rare event is just as often rewarded with failure.  To go back to our unfortunate wretch looking to escape a tiger in the previous section, what happens if by some super-human effort, he  cleared that 12-foot wall, what would happen next is that the tiger would eat him  anyway -- a wall that low is no barrier to the big cat. Unfortunately, OPM doesn't operate a virtue-based victory system. Sometimes the monster wins. Sorry.

Victory isn't necessarily on the table then. In fact, watching how much more explosive Garou's growth became after being cut down by Royal Ripper, it looks like victory matters only to the extent that you don't die and you don't get disheartened.

What about death? If it's that kind of story where the hero doesn't necessarily win, couldn't they die and raise the stakes that way? Well.... ONE hates killing his heroes. He sucks so much at it that he's yet to off a single one. Death is most decidedly not on the table. However, death does matter: it's only by enduring situations that ought to result in death that there's any escape from the limits to growth.

So if victory is not on the table and neither is death, what is there?

Why, there's life. And this is the third thing.

Indomitable isn't never being broken; it’s always standing up again afterwards

The third thing then is that ONE puts the focus on how characters confront their limits and limitations, on why they struggle, on whether they persevere or give up. And that's where it gets interesting.

So now to come to Genos specifically. Genos is a cyborg and we've been told that cyborgs have hard limits -- that trying to push beyond them is like trying to magic up gasoline in an empty tank. We have the best qualified person warning him not to go beyond ten seconds or his very life is forfeit. Chances that Dr. Kuseno is joking or exaggerating: effectively nil.

And yet... we know he's going to challenge this. Somehow or the other, he is going to put this limit to the test. Narratively, the first ten seconds are going to be boring: they'll be spectacular, epic even, but they won't tell us anything new.  It would be nice if Genos surprises us by severely injuring or even killing one of the executive monsters, but short of killing all of them, it’s not going to make a difference to the war -- nor to the challenge that running into his time limit will impose. 

However, the eleventh second, now that's going to tell us something new.  The common wisdom on cyborgs in chapter 93 is that they are much easier to defeat than to kill.  It’s why the rest of the S-Class is hoping that Drive Knight is still alive, even if he has been defeated.  We also briefly saw Jet Nice Guy, who has been able to repair, and even upgrade, himself after being torn in two by the Deep Sea King.  And of course, we’ve seen Genos survive some incredible manglings.   Despite everything,  his body has always protected Genos.  And now this protection is gone: he has to control his own power and his body can become his own worst enemy. 

So, we're going to learn something about Genos. How tough is he as a human being really? Is he more of a soft hermit crab hiding inside successively more impressive shells or is he more like a tough badger who just so happens to use cybernetics to further his aims? Will he stop himself? Will he be stopped by his body? Does he have any of that black magic to actually transcend those hard limits, even if it only means adding a second or two? That struggle, independent of what he does to the monsters, is going to be illuminating. 

The eleventh second might bring us Genos standing still, wanting to but physically unable to take another step. It might bring us him standing still,  psychologically unable to will himself to take another step. It might bring us him going on heedless of his own imminent demise. It might bring us something completely different. It doesn't matter. Whatever it brings us, it will illuminate something about who Genos is as a person and more broadly, add some more understanding and nuance to what limits are within OPM.

It's been asked a few times in the last six months that if determination and enduring near-death experiences is the key to developing explosive power, why is there such a tangible difference between Garou and Genos?

It could be that there really is an unbridgeable difference occasioned by biology (or the lack thereof). Or it could be that they're simply at different points in their journey. By putting life and limit alike on the line, it looks like ONE is finally ready to start answering these questions.

[prinzenhasserin]

Dear Worldbuilder!

This is just a general thing to tell you what I like/don’t like. I’ll be super thrilled if you find something adjacent you want to make instead! Most of my prompts are for writing, but art is also very welcome.

For all my requests there’s a potential to set them in canon, but also pre-canon or post-canon, and I don’t have a preference. 

Likes:

competence porn

people not realizing they’re the most competent at their job/hobby

people failing their way to success

epistolary, journal entries, encyclopaedia entries, textbook articles

outsider POV

people not usually found in law enforcement solving crimes

dragons, fairy tales, magical realism

I kind of don’t dare to put politics here after what has happened and is happening right now, but I love the kind of pragmatic politics with idealistic background, and I’m a sucker for idealistic pragmatism, but I would totally understand not touching that with a pitchfork.

moral conflicts, orange and blue morality

people coming together to solve problems

noodle incidents

convoluted backstories you wouldn’t expect

Dislikes/DNW:

grimdark endings

rape, especially rape as backstory

hopeless, crapsack worlds

melodrama (stuff that takes itself too serious)

sex in a library

Leverage

This perfect show hits all of my weak spots and I may or may not have rewatched it more than ten times. Do not worry about getting facts wrong, though -- my memory is a sieve.

My favourite character is Jim Sterling. There is absolutely no need for including him in your story. I focused less on the requested characters and more on the worldbuilding prompts, but if you rather want to focus on any of the other characters, I love each of them on their own, too! (And together! And I love that Sterling is so eminently hateable.)

Characters: Jim Sterling, Alec Hardison, Eliot Spencer, Parker, Sophie Deveraux

Prompts:

WB: Aliases and their imaginary lives

It is known that one of Parker’s aliases had to go do jury duty. Are all of the aliases Hardison creates registered to vote? Do they get parking tickets? Do they all have jobs? How deep does this go?! Do they have housing, are they paying taxes -- do they have student debt?

Is Hardison creating aliases as some sort of cathartic response -- does he do it for fun? Does he ship them with each other? (Is he secretly a writer...)

WB: Interpol

RL Interpol doesn’t have field agents, does Leverage Interpol have agents, or is Jim Sterling just overly awesome at pretending to be an upstanding citizen?

If it is in fact, a real criminal enforcement agency, what are some of his reports like? Maybe he actually isn’t there to investigate Leverage Consulting, but is instead taking down the politicians they are after? 

Is Interpol’s relationship with the Leverage team sort of a running joke in the intelligence community? Or like, the go-to-excuse for derailing an operation? 

WB: Criminal Files

Oh man, I would love to peak into what kind of criminal files the various characters have (if they even have one), on different criminal databases

Maybe Parker’s fingerprints are at so many crime sights at once, people think the finger print is a statistical error

WB: RPF fanfiction in-universe

That weird thief in “A Girl’s Night Out” is definitely a Parker stan, and stalks all her crimes across a variety of message boards.

Lots of fans start out with just one of them; Parker, Hardison and Sophie are kind of infamous, and they probably had a following before teaming up, but it really starts getting intense when there are rumours of them working together (!!) to take down even worse criminals (!!) That’s when Hardison organises the first con

There are probably volunteers for identity theft

(oh god. ship wars.)

tumblr-sites dedicated to finding out if what Parker can do is actually humanly possible

the desperate hunt to find out which WoW avatar Hardison is playing

in-universe fanfiction, in-universe meta, chat-streams, twitter messages

WB: Contacts of Leverage Consulting

How do they find clients?

Do they get clients via submission based websites? How do they check their information?

Queen’s Thief

My prompts focus more on pre-, or during canon time periods, but if you want to play in the future, that’s also great! 

Characters: Original Pirate Character, Original Female Characters, Original Thief Character, Eugenides the God

Prompts:

WB: Diplomatic Relations

There is probably trade happening outside the for main countries. How does that happen? Is Ornon part of a larger battalion of cousin-diplomats? Do they speak different languages, or dialects? Where there misunderstandings based on changed language?

Where is the University of Ferria and why can Eugenides send someone there for exile? Are there other places people can be send to because of political turmoil?

Are any of them send back because they had been exiled by different kings?

How do the other countries react to the Sophos method of negotiation? 

Or the fact that the Sovereign of Attolia, Eddis and Sounis is a Thief/Eugenides?

WB: Island States

How do the Island States keep their independence from both Sounis, Attolia, and the Mede for so long?

The answer might definitely be: Pirates. How does it work? Is it like a law-free zone, or do they have strict policies in place? Do they buy their lumber for the boats from Eddis, like all the rest of the countries? Or does their entire fleet contain ships other people built.

What makes them different from Attolia, Eddis, or Sounis? Is there a difference? (Ocean traditions, gods, system of government)

WB: Engineers

Who built all the passageways through Eddis? Are there lifts working with water displacement?

How about those clocks. How does a vaguely Byzantine Empire get clocks. Or guns. 

Where do they go to study? Is there an engineering section in Eugenides’ library in Eddis? Who do they read? What kind of subject do they fail -- Euclidean algebra?

WB: University of Ferria

Does it have a library?

How about the History Department. Do they have questions about the change in power re:Attolia? Is Erondite the Younger helpful?

What’s the relationship to the country Attolia?

Do all the children of the higher echelons go to university?

WB: myths

How do normal thieves interact with their god? Maybe Eugenides isn’t such an aberration, and Eugenides the God comes to all his thieves and tells them to stop whining, or iterations thereof.

What’s up with that falling stuff? Myth, or myth busted? Did the Queen Thief really fall of dancing on a roof, or did she intentionally kill herself?

How did Eugenides become the god of thieves? Is he just responsible for thieves, or also for other things?

Discworld

Look, I obviously have a soft spot for competent despots. Also, I find it a shame that Susan Sto Helit, Sam Vimes and Lord Vetinari never met in canon, because they are all sort of nobility. Any of these characters would be great! So would different characters.

Characters: Lord Vetinari, Susan Sto Helit, Sam Vimes, Rufus Drumknot, Original Characters

Prompts:

WB: Patrician’s Palace

I would love to see how the architecture looks like, anywhere among at least six floors, plus cellars, sub-cellars, and liveable attics. Floorplans! Secret tunnels! Who all lives here? Is there a visitor’s log? 

We know there’s no orang utans in the menagerie, but what lives there?

How about those dungeons? The cells look from the inside, there’s a pit Reacher Gilt fell into, and Moist von Lipwig obviously didn’t -- are there more ways towards “escape”? Where are all the secret tunnels?

The  gardens were designed by “Bloody Stupid” Johnson. Anything else he made better?

What about the axe Sam Vimes buried in the middle of the table in one of the palace chambers? It’s still there as a conversation piece. What kind of conversations happen around it? Is there a feature about it in the newspaper? Does it start a trend in interior decorating?

WB: Children’s Literature

Susan Sto Helit likes to edit fairytales. Does she ever publish a revised edition? In the first edition of Grimm’s fairytale there is a story called “How Some Children Played at Slaughtering” and it’s exactly what you would expect. Does Susan tell this story? Does she get protesting parents, and how does she deal with them?

There are some children’s books with barely changed villains based on real politicians. Is there one with Lord Vetinari featuring as the bad guy (or maybe the hero)?

How about “Where’s my cow?” -- does the story change when Sam’s son grows older? It got reviewed by the Ankh-Morpork Times -- does the newspaper have a regular children’s literature page? Is the version Sam Vimes tells his son the one that Rob Anybody reads in the chalk? Does that book have a fan community (what would that even look like?)

WB: Newspaper Articles

Page Six -- Ankh-Morpork style: Do they report on what kind of beer upstanding citizens drink? Is there a column for where Sam Vimes is expected to be today?

It’s not technically a newspaper, but Twurp’s peerage lists nobility without judgement, and I would love to read an entry for any of the people nominated.

Does the Times report on itself sometimes? What about reporting on the new tax system? Do they ever have to deal with computers and the Internet?

Are there other newspapers? Do they report about the same events differently? Are there opinion pieces from weird people? Do they get letters to the editor?

Obituaries: Is there an upcoming deaths section for wizards and witches? Do they invite people to their death celebrations? How do they deal with the Undead?

Rivers of London

This book series is so rich with details, and it’s amazing. If there’s any of my ideas you absolutely disagree with, feel free to ignore them and focus on something else instead! 

Characters: No characters, Original Characters

Prompts:

WB: The White Library (Rivers of London)

Bibliotheca Alba

I’m not really sold on the location of Meckenheim. Convince me? To explain: Peter and the Professor talk about it being in the city of Cologne (the capital city back then) until the French invaded, then moved it to Weimar (the capital city of the Weimar Republic and also the Third Reich), upon which it was moved to Bonn (the capital of West Germany). That is utterly ridiculous. Weimar was under occupation by the Russians at that time, and like hell they would have given up that kind of power, and the capital city of people’s mind remained in Berlin. Bonn was a rather puny city, and only became the capital because Konrad Adenauer (the first head of state) happened to be born there. There is a library housing every work in german language published since 1918, and it’s split into two locations: one in Frankfurt am Main, the other in Leipzig. But maybe it’s different for the magical part? Still, who in his right mind would want to have a magical library in Bonn? Nobody, that’s who. Also, a strong contender for where a magical library could be housed: Bielefeld, the city that doesn’t exist

this leads me quite nicely to, how did they move a large amount of magical books from Weimar to Meckenheim during the post-war confusion? were other magical being involved?

also would love a library catalogue, how a magical library looks, a non-human librarian

WB: the London Underground

Is the Underground sentient, and if so does it eat other things besides people? 

What kind of traditions, stories do the pale people have? are they human? do they know?

WB: Magical Trade

I’m sure there’s plenty of clothing and accessories needed to ensure the masquerade works, and the magical population isn’t outed as such. Where do they go buy clothes? Is there advertisement?

Did the Folly police magical markets, back when there were more of them? Are there anti-fraud spells, or artefacts? If the Folly didn’t regulate this kind of stuff who did/does? 

Do people trade with the fae? How does that work - does it ever work out in favour of the human?

Do the Rivers sometimes trade on their territory?

WB: Demi Monde

what other strange people are there? What about genii locorum of bridges, streets, buildings

do places with a lot of magic gain sentience? How about the Folly? Skygarden?

there are hedge wizards, what about hedge witches? are there sirens? People who see the future? what about that marketplace where Zach Palmer was found, are all of them magical? how do they blend in? (Do they blend in?) 

Are there like, Werewolves of London? (around in Chinatown, hungering for some chinese food)

What about magical tourists. Do they get a pamphlet on where to find like-minded people? Is there a magical tourism bureau, staffed by idk, the River Crane?

[alldenspa]

Voices From The Hedge - Chapter 16

Voices From The Hedge is an original novel by Alldenspa. If you’re unfamiliar with this project, I would be very happy if you checked out my information post about it HERE! It’s a story about magic and nerds, so if you’re into that, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

I’m starting to put these under Read More cuts to avoid spoilers for people who are reading the earlier parts right now. Stick to it because we’re getting into that Ohh Boy territory now.

Chapter 16 - Timely Resurrection

Osrakey and Eos returned to the agency as quickly as possible and reported their findings to Heaven’s Hand — Soon after, Liberty joined them and expressed the opinion that their assault plan on Kengnatz might have to be changed to accommodate Ketten’s warning. Visibly concerned himself, Heaven’s Hand agreed, and Eos couldn’t help but hope that he might turn out to be part of this mission yet. The three operators left the breakfast room to work on a new strategy, and as he passed Eos next to the door, Liberty gave a telling nod to him — Neither of them said a word, but Eos knew what it meant, and he was delighted. He rushed up to the attic and found Benx and Leit there, playing dice on Benx’ bed. They turned their heads tiredly as he entered, and Eos quickly recounted all the events at the meeting with Ketten as well as the possibility of a changed roster and assault plan. “Well, I guess it doesn’t affect either of us,” said Leit, shaking his hand to roll the dice, “Benx is operator and I will be on a special mission at the rebel base.” Eos remembered that Ienge and Leit were set to team up with Intergard on this additional assignment — He had almost forgotten about it. “…But I’m happy to hear that you might be part of the action as well,” continued Leit, frowning at his roll, “After all, it must suck to have such a major raid going on and not be part of it.” “Actually,” countered Benx while casually winning the round with a perfect roll, “I think I would prefer to stay home in that case, to be honest…” As the two other boys looked at him with confused faces, he added: “Better not give yourself any chance to screw up if the whole agency depends on it, right?” There was a pause. After a moment, Leit returned his attention to the dice without a reply, and Eos couldn’t help but realize that Benx might be right. Perhaps it was better if he didn’t participate — Indeed, if none of his friends were there and he was to be the only beginner amongst all these experts, it would be a miracle if he didn’t inconvenience them in some way. And on a mission like this one, when not only the fate of his mentor Enster, but quite possibly that of the whole agency depended on it, even the slightest error could decide between success or disaster. The more he thought about it, the less he liked the idea, and for a moment he even thought about going back down to the operators and ask Liberty to be excluded from the roster after all — In the end, however, his sense of duty got the better of him, and if Igsher was there, there wasn’t really any choice in the first place. But still…

That evening after the operatives’ dinner, Osrakey gathered all the agents (including Rekkar, despite the fact that he had arrived only that morning) in the briefing room on the first floor to discuss the new strategy. It was the first and only official briefing for the mission, and Eos had mixed feelings about the fact that he had been invited as well. “Gentlemen and Ladies, silence please!” shouted Osrakey over the noise of chatter and mugs on the table, not unlike Heaven’s Hand had tried to catch the operatives’ attention before Eos’ first meeting at the Grey House. “This is the official meeting for Operation Timely Resurrection, starting tonight at first bell. I will be formally introducing the staff.” Osrakey, who had apparently been appointed by Liberty to hold the meeting in his surprising absence, met each agent’s gaze briefly before continuing. As it seemed, he didn’t have much trouble talking to all these living legends that were sitting around the long table, although a subtle undertone in his voice revealed that he wasn’t entirely untouched either. “Team Zero will consist of Central as Chiefs of Operation and Heaven’s Hand as Analyst — I, Agent Osrakey, will take the position of Mission Coordinator and Agent Kurdibt will be Support Operator.” He gestured towards Benx with a kind smile, but continued his formal speech immediately. “As you all know, this mission is about the rescue of Chief Quartermaster Enster, at this time in custody within a Kengnatz facility here in Ilierka. Simultaneously, a separate operation will be undertaken at a rebel camp outside the city, but more on that later. First, let me give you an overview of the terrain on this extremely important run.” He produced a small astral server from his pocket and threw it onto the table. As usual, Intergard (in her position as most experienced wizard in the room, Eos guessed) activated it and a large map of a building and the surrounding grounds materialized on the wooden surface. “Your targets are being held in a secure detention room here,” said Osrakey, pointing to a central part of the building, “The whole area is very secure and will be difficult to raid. The expected presence of Kengnatz agents combined with elevated security will make this even more risky. Are there any questions regarding the terrain?” He gave the agents a moment to inspect the map, but nobody raised a hand. Rekkar briefly looked as if he wanted to say something, but decided against it with a nod and Osrakey continued. “Good. As you know, Agents Intergard, Alagdi, and Shichal were planned to visit the rebel gathering — Due to updated information that I acquired from information broker Ketten today, there will be a change of plans in this regard. We have reason to assume that Kengnatz is expecting our attack so I have moved Agent Intergard over. She will be participating in the rescue mission instead of the reconnaissance run.” Ienge and Leit exchanged a shocked look. Osrakey couldn’t possibly be implying that they were supposed to participate in the rebel meeting on their own, could he? “I understand that this will make the job harder for you two,” added Osrakey with a look in their general direction, confirming that this was indeed his plan, “But it will be fine. Your objective is to stay safe among the rebel leaders and negotiate an information exchange with them as prearranged by Liberty. If you get any opportunity, search for hints about the rebels’ involvement with the corporations, but only if you can do so without risk.” He exchanged a glance with Ienge and Leit to confirm that this was alright with them, and although Eos knew that especially Leit was deeply unsettled by the idea of going without Intergard, they nodded. “Very good. Now for Team assignments.” Osrakey pulled out a piece of paper and continued: “Team One will infiltrate the facility and free Enster and his men — The assigned agents are Suren Ubtra—” The Professor nodded and readjusted his glasses, “—Sarb Igsher—” Igsher let out a ‘Yep!’ and took a gulp from his mug, “—Elettra Ankuro—” Elettra leant back in her chair with a confirming look to Osrakey, “—And Sarb Rekkar.” Rekkar nodded as well, and Eos couldn’t tell whether the young man was pleased or concerned about the assignment. On the surface, Rekkar was always in a good mood and not one to worry too much about anything — But sometimes, when he nervously reached for his collar as nobody was looking, or when he readjusted his ponytail with his hands ever so slightly shaking, Eos felt like he could see a different character beneath the mask. “Good,” continued Osrakey, “Team Two will enter the complex from a different side and deactivate the security system within the cell block. This will allow Team One to teleport out as soon as the prisoners are secure, instead of exiting the building on foot. The agents assigned to this are Kwifeldis Intergard and Eos Keros. I will give you details on your strategy later.” Well — This was very good news, thought Eos as he leant back in his chair, exchanging a quick look with Intergard. He had been expecting the worst, but if they truly would be working as a two-agent team, perhaps this raid wouldn’t be the total disaster that it might have been with Eos assigned to a larger group of experts. After all, among the experienced operatives here nobody understood him as well as Intergard, and even if she had been shockingly strict to him earlier, Eos was sure that they were getting along very well, and — more importantly — had respect for each other. That much had been clear from his talks with her so far. And besides — He was on a two-man team with Intergard. A two-man team. With. Intergard. He quickly took a large gulp from his mug to hide his excitement.

Osrakey went on to explain the finer points of the strategy, but none of it was unusual or concerning. They finished the meeting ten minutes later and Eos rushed up to the attic to prepare his things — After all, he would be going to bed soon and when the agents got up at midnight to depart for the mission, all his equipment needed to be ready. Leit and Ienge did the same, and as the three boys chatted casually while packing their stuff, tension, excitement, and a subtle touch of panic were in the air. Benx was nowhere to be seen. Eos didn’t think too much of it — He was likely just downstairs with the other operators to discuss some last points on the operation. They went to bed, and to his utter surprise Eos had no trouble sleeping despite being incredibly nervous. When a number of hours later Liberty came to the attic to wake them up, he felt strangely relaxed and comfortable, completely contrasting what he had expected. Maybe you do get used to it after a while, he thought as they made their way out of the Grey House. As on the mission before, the teams split up and took their positions quickly. Leit and Ienge departed for the mountains where in two hours the meeting of the rebel leaders would start, and the rest of the agents took separate night trams across the city to an eerily quiet industrial area on the east end. Before long they had reached the Kengnatz facility which supposedly held the Chief Quartermaster — The operators were once again stationed in a nearby building from where they would be able to communicate with both teams, and while Team One took point at their spawn location near the front entrance of the large complex, Intergard and Eos stealthily made their way around the infamous corporate hedge to the rear side of the Kengnatz grounds, from where they planned to infiltrate the security office and deactivate the whole facility’s silencers via a master control device. “Are you feeling alright?” asked Intergard quietly as they passed the corner of the hedge, approaching their designated position. “Very good actually, Madam,” replied Eos, who had difficulties keeping up with Intergard’s large steps. She shook her head. “That’s a bad sign, junior. Don’t let your guard down for even a second, understood?” “Yes, Madam.” She seemed concerned. They reached the prearranged point and Intergard, disgustedly leaning away as far as possible, pushed aside the branches of the hedge in an effort to clear enough space for her massive figure to pass through. “I hate this part,” she said with a frown, and Eos let out a chuckle before hastily returning to a more serious expression. He could feel his face turn red in the darkness. After some seconds of struggle, she gave up and reached into one of her pockets. Eos raised his eyebrows in surprise as she produced a polished brass token on a thin chain and held it into the thick green of the hedge. The next moment, the leaves and branches a good arm’s length around the artefact burst into flames and were gone immediately — Eos jumped back in shock only to catch himself a second later, and his sense of embarrassment grew even stronger. “Who cares,” said Intergard plainly as she stepped into the hedge. Within the sphere of burnt-away leaves there was more than enough space for the two agents to fit in, and Eos was pleased that they would be spending their waiting time more comfortably than he had done on his first mission, standing back to back with his hedging hero instead of having pointy branches poking his face from all sides. Nonetheless, he was having difficulties concentrating on the task at hand, and the knowledge that Enster’s freedom depended on his success didn’t make it any easier. “Relax, Eos.” “Madam, I—” “Don’t make excuses, the whole district can hear your breath!” She turned around and grabbed his arm, her eyes piercing through Eos like needles. “Relax!” It was not a gentle suggestion, but an order. Eos couldn’t respond. After a few seconds of silence and deadly glaring, Intergard let out a sigh and looked towards the unwelcoming building. “Team Two, in position,” she whispered into her comlink, and a confirmation by Osrakey followed closely after. “We’re scouting the guard patrols, wait for my signal,” said the operator, and the clicking sound of him switching between the two channels echoed on the two agents’ coms. For almost a minute, Eos and Intergard stood motionlessly inside the hedge, around them complete darkness only illuminated by the few windows scattered along the bleak outside of the facility. Eos could tell that Intergard was silently hoping Osrakey’s signal would come as late as possible to give him more time to calm down. She knew he wasn’t ready for this. “Team Two, you’re clear to move. It’s pattern B,” commanded Osrakey after a while, and Intergard gave a telling look to Eos. “Time for action,” she mumbled, and as they both stepped out of the hedge onto Kengnatz ground, Eos could feel his hedging deity’s heavy hand on his shoulder for just a second.

The facility was nothing unusual — A slope led down towards the complex, which admittedly had a more interesting architecture than what Eos had seen at H-E, but overall posed the same challenges as any other standard corporate building: None. They quickly made their way towards the shadow of the brick walls and crept around the towering structure. Eos tried to guess how many floors it could be, but then recalled that Osrakey had explained during the briefing how a main portion of the facility was in fact a network of underground halls beneath his feet. Luckily, the prison cell was on ground level, so it wouldn’t be as dangerous to reach. Then again, that wasn’t Eos’ job anyway, and Team One was more than sufficiently equipped for the task. Pressed against the rough wall, he took another deep breath to calm himself, and they continued their way around the building. As they reached the end of the outer wall, Intergard peeked around the corner and quickly gestured Eos to follow — Apparently, there was no guard positioned outside the rear entrance. They gathered around the door and Eos pulled out the Norkis Algorithm, but Intergard shook her head. “No need,” she said and put one hand on the locking mechanism. After some unsuccessful tries, a satisfying ‘click!’ confirmed that she had guessed the right combination. Eos put the Algorithm back to his belt and the feeling of incompetence haunting his mind grew even stronger, but Intergard only chuckled. “Experience, junior. You’ll get there.” Inside, the corridor was dimly lit by a number of Fallos artefacts, and completely empty. “We’re in Second Main, no opposition so far,” reported Intergard to the operators. “As expected, very good,” replied Osrakey, “But be careful for traps — Remember that they might expect us.” “Lephon would be a poor councilwoman if she didn’t,” added Intergard dryly, and they silently made their way towards the guard office. On the stairs to the first floor they encountered a lone security guard passing around the corner, but Intergard had heard him approaching and easily took out the man with a single slap of her huge hands. The corridor after that was locked with Demonwalls in regular intervals and it took them some time to break through all the locks with Norkis and targeted guessing, but in the end they made it to the large steel door that supposedly led to the main guard office, from where — among other things — the whole building’s security system could be deactivated (for ‘maintenance purposes’, of course) via a panel of switches called a master control device. “I expected more opposition,” said Intergard with a concerned look as she inspected the lock, “Run all trapdoor tests on this, there’s no way that lone man downstairs was all of their security measures. I’ll check some of the other rooms.” Eos nodded and got right onto it, eager to finally start being helpful. There was not the slightest chance he would not be thorough in his search this time, after what had happened with Sarc on his first mission. “You have three minutes until the patrol returns,” echoed Osrakey’s voice on the comlink, and Eos’ heart sank noticeably. “That won’t be enough,” said Intergard quickly, “How many men are there?” “Most likely four,” answered Osrakey. Intergard and Eos exchanged a concerned look across the corridor. “Alright, we can deal with this,” continued Intergard after a moment, “Clearance for action?” “Raise no alarms,” replied Osrakey immediately, “If you can do that, alright.” Intergard turned back to Eos. “Can you do Voicemute?” “No, sorry, Madam,” answered Eos. Another highly useful spell that he could not yet do, and another entry on the long list of ‘Eos didn’t have a spell ready when his partner depended on it’-situations. “Luckily I can, though,” said Intergard and gestured him to come over to the staircase. “Let’s do manual overrides on these three silencers.” She pointed to the small boxes installed at regular intervals on the ceiling along the corridor. “Then I’ll take out the guards with lightning and we’ll be fine.” Eos nodded hastily and ran over to the first of the silencers while Intergard started working on the one closest to the stairs. Indeed, it was a good and simple plan — Once the devices were deactivated, the two agents would be at least partially able to cast spells as long as they stayed in this corridor, not unlike what they planned to do to the whole building when they got into the guard office. As soon as they had this option, Intergard would initiate a Voicemute spell to nullify all sounds within the area, and they would have no problem taking out the approaching guards with Intergard’s powerful spells, all while making no sound at all to alert the other patrols through comlink. The only question was whether they could disarm the silencers in time. Eos quickly sketched out a spell circle on the floor directly below the device — Judging from the characteristic double-ticking, it had to be a combined Two-Layer silencer, very similar to what Eos had already beaten during his first mission. Not exactly innovative, nor very secure, he thought as he exchanged a quick look with Intergard to confirm that his guess about the type of mechanism was correct. After a good minute, the circle was finished and when Eos activated it, carefully timing his attempt to precisely meet the interval in-between the two ticking sounds, the noise stopped immediately. As always, he couldn’t help but grin triumphantly. Down the corridor towards the stairs, Intergard had just finished her own circle, to the same effect — She quickly approached the remaining device and signaled Eos to go back to the steel door for his trapdoor tests, which he did with haste. “One minute,” said Osrakey on the comlink. “Yes, we’re well on schedule thank you very much,” countered Intergard immediately, slightly annoyed but still completely calm. The trapdoor tests were half-finished when footsteps resounded from the staircase. Intergard had just successfully disarmed the last silencer and now hastily drew out a simple Voicemute circle on the wall close to the entrance to the stairs, before stepping into the shadow next to the door just in time as four figures appeared at the foot of the staircase to the second floor. Eos quickly dashed into cover behind a large post, and dared not to breathe as he watched in anticipation. The four men walked through the door silently. At that very moment, Intergard slammed her hand onto the circle on the wall, and a faint white glimmer burst out of it, travelling down the corridor and momentarily putting a strange numb feeling all over Eos’ body as it reached him. Irritated for a second by how strange the spell’s effect felt, he shook himself, but down the hallway Intergard was already pouncing onto the men, her fingers blazing as she shot out one bolt of lightning after the other. Everything gripped in utter silence, the walls of the corridor flashed up brightly and Eos couldn’t take his eyes off the spectacle, but after not more than a few seconds the four security guards were already knocked out, bashed against the walls by the momentum of Intergard’s bolts. She stood up straight among the unconscious bodies while readjusting her collar, cleared her throat (a noise that Eos naturally couldn’t hear, just like the fizzling of Intergard’s shots and the dull thumping of the guards’ bodies hitting the walls), and cancelled the Voicemute spell with a silent snap of her fingers. Instantly, sound returned to the hallway. Intergard quickly deactivated the men’s communication devices and walked over to Eos at the other end of the corridor, putting the cuffs of her shirt back in their proper position as if nothing had happened. “Good, now let’s continue with the mission,” she said casually into her comlink. Eos hastily turned back to the door to hide the fact that he was grinning like a madman, and wordlessly continued the trapdoor tests. After another minute, all tests concluded without any traps found. This increased Intergard’s puzzlement, but they nonetheless entered the office quickly and began searching for the security system. “Shouldn’t we take some of these documents with us, Madam?” asked Eos as his eyes fell onto a promising stack of apparently confidential Kengnatz papers. “Not really,” replied Intergard, “Kengnatz is a huge corporation, we’ll hardly have enough luck to pick precisely the material we can use. Ah, I found it.” She pointed to a plate of metal covering a compartment in the wall, and pulled it open. Within, three small switches in different colors connected to wires going into the wall. Hastily, Intergard sketched out two small Release counterspells above the panel to nullify any traps on the switches themselves, then turned her attention to the wires, nodding a few times as she inspected them. “Funny how you can control the whole building with this little thing,” she said without any sign of fun in her voice, and pushed all three of the switched to ‘off’ with a quick flick of her hand. For a moment, Eos was not quite sure what had happened. The omnipresent ticking echoing through the corridors had stopped, confirming that they had succeeded in their job. That wasn’t all, however.

The two constant Releases Intergard had activated above the switches flashed up, and with a fizzling sound the plaster around them began to melt. The coal lines on the wall caught fire, a terrifying indication that Intergard’s safety measures had been overcharged, and thereby nullified. A faint light filled the office, and it took Eos a second to realize that it was coming from the floor. Both agents looked down, and to Eos’ shock a thin blue line, extending from beneath Intergard’s feet and branching off into countless strands that formed an intricate pattern on the floor, soon filled the entire office. “Screw it, get out!” yelled Intergard immediately and jumped away from the switches. Eos, who stood right next to the door, dashed out into the corridor so fast that he fell over and violently crashed onto the polished floor, but Intergard wasn’t so quick. As Eos jerked around to see what was happening to his partner, she was almost at the door, sprinting from the other end of the room in large steps, but just as she touched the doorframe with her massive hands, blue light filled the office and with a flash of magic, Intergard was gone. Eos’s arms numbed, and he fell backwards, his head hitting the floor and sending his senses flying. No way, he thought.   Inside his head, everything was spinning. How could I let this happen..? — How?

“You like that, kid?” A sudden voice echoed down the corridor. Eos opened his eyes, terrified as he realized whose voice it was. He jumped to his feet. There he was, stepping out of a room near the staircase: Kelem Aretz-Sarc, smiling menacingly with his head held high as he looked over to Eos at the other end of the hallway. “Team Two, are you there?” came Osrakey’s voice suddenly over the comlink on Eos’ wrist, “What’s going on over there?” “You traitor,” whispered Eos through his gritted teeth, ignoring Osrakey and his eyes fixed on the old man. He wanted to add a spiteful “How could you do this?!” but Sarc cut him off with a dismissive spit to the ground. A second later, the tall man was storming down the corridor heading straight for Eos, his large fist clenched and ready to deliver a punch that could end a man, but Eos was determined to hold his ground. He stood motionless, his knees shaking, up until the very last moment, and with a yell of “Reflect!” he summoned the glimmering shield between him and Sarc not a moment too late. The old man’s fist crashed into the faint layer of light with full force, but to Eos’ own surprise the defense held, and Sarc’s whole arm was violently hurled back with such strength that he fell over, his body propelled back as the shield burst into sparkling pieces. Eos, himself thrown back by the clash, gasped for breath, but Sarc gave him no pause. Mid-air on his way to the floor after being thrown backward by the power of his own punch, he reached under his coat and pulled out a silver gun, pointing at a terrified Eos and pulling the trigger just before his massive body hit the floor. Eos dashed to the side, and the bullet went into the wall next to his ear a mere split-second later. On the comlink, the operators were shouting. Eos couldn’t understand a thing, but of course he wasn’t listening anyway. He had other problems right now. With a groan, Sarc got back to his feet to start a new attack, only to be hurled back down the corridor even further when Eos sent a strong Movement spell his way — The man roared and grabbed the frame of one of the security doors, stopping his slide immediately, but Eos didn’t intend to lose any time. Riding on a wave of confidence, he pulled out some useless artefacts from one of his pockets and threw them to the air in front of him, quickly casting another Movi to send the tiny brass medals dashing down the hallway straight for Sarc. But the old man was quick to defend himself and conjured a shield of his own, from which the projectiles bounced off with a metallic screeching before coming down right in front of Eos feet. “Enough!” yelled Sarc, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a long object that looked like a metal cylinder with an elaborate decorative pattern. At first, Eos tried recognize the artefact to anticipate which spell Sarc would use next, but then he realized that the object was not technically an artefact in the first place. It was a silencing coil. With an triumphant smile, Sarc began slowly shaking the cylinder back and forth, and as the clacking of the mechanism echoed down the corridor, Eos’ confidence sank terribly. With no spells to attack or defend himself, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the massive man. “Are you all out of tricks, boy?” croaked Sarc as he raised his gun slowly, until it pointed right at Eos’ face. There was a long pause, and Eos’ exhausted knees gave way to the pressure, sending him to the floor with a cough. “Explain how you could do this!” he shouted to the ground in a defiant effort, fully aware that he had lost. When Sarc didn’t answer, Eos looked up, and after a tense moment of their eyes meeting, he spit to the floor. “You treacherous swine, you—” “Silence, boy!” interrupted Sarc with a yell. “How could you live with this team for decades and just—” “Shut up!” barked the old man. “Shut up and die!”

At that very second, a large object suddenly jumping out from somewhere near the stairs behind Sarc dashed down the corridor and buried itself into the backside of Sarc’s knees, forcing the him onto the floor with a savage cry as the polished silencing device escaped his hand and hit the stone tiles between Eos and the startled old man. Sarc jerked his head around to see what had attacked him, and was hit directly in the face by a purple flash speeding out from the darkness of the staircase. He crashed backwards onto the floor, sliding a few steps in Eos’ direction before stopping motionless next to the still spinning silencer coil, his face distorted in a ghastly grimace. There was an eerie silence. Eos, who had in his mind already prepared to be shot and who couldn’t quite believe that somebody had supposedly saved him, very carefully sled towards the silver coil on the floor, eager to remove the one thing that countered his entire skillset, but his eyes were fixed on the darkness of the staircase, ready to react to anything that might jump out of there. But when the mysterious attacker finally stepped out into the dim light of the corridor, Eos stopped mid-motion as a bright blue mane of hair and elegant suspenders on a white shirt made clear who had saved him. “Chou?” he whispered in puzzlement. “That very same!” replied Chou with a wide grin as he walked down the corridor towards Eos, picking up the gun and storing it in the vast depths of his trousers’ pockets as he passed the knocked-out Sarc. “But—” “Keros, are you still there? For heaven’s sake, speak to me!” yelled Osrakey, who apparently had been shouting to Eos on the comlink during the entire duel without the boy even noticing. Hesitantly and still rather confused, Eos raised his wrist to respond. “Uhm, well— Sir, We have reached the objective. All silencers are down, I think—” “Definitely not, but Team One is working on that,” responded Osrakey anxiously, “More to the point, what happened over there?” “Sir—” Eos turned around to the guard office, “—Intergard was hit by a banishment trap, it seems she was teleported out—” Osrakey hastily exchanged a whisper with the other operators. Ostensibly, the situation was rather confusing. “Yes, she’s alright,” he replied back to Eos, “We’ve found her outside the building.” Eos’ face brightened up. “You mean, she is unharmed?” “Yes, she’s fine. Lady Lephon would never kill an agent with a trap like that — It’s not her style. She just wanted to make sure you were on your own for the ambush that followed. Now tell me what happened!” Eos returned his attention to the unconscious Sarc on the floor, and Chou, who calmly stood next to him with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Eos to finish the talk just as if he was waiting for the tram on a pleasant afternoon. “Yes,” explained Eos, “It was Sarc, he—” “Sarc?!” exclaimed Osrakey, his tone revealing genuine shock — Apparently Eos had not been the only one secretly hoping that the veteran agent was not a traitor after all. “Yes, it would seem so, Sir. I had a brief duel with him and I was doing alright, but he had a silencer coil. He was planning to kill me, Sir, however—” Eos took new breath, eager to move away from the fact that he had very closely escaped being shot just now, “—However, Agent Chou of the Social Insurance is here, he took down Sarc but I don’t know what allegiance—” “Yes, that’s alright,” replied Osrakey immediately, interrupting Eos as if he knew what the boy was about to say, “The Insurance is incidentally on a raid here as well, Team One has already met their Agent Hatzat. It’s all a bit confusing but we’ve agreed on an alliance for the time being.” Eos raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Chou, who shrugged with a smile. “So, does this mean we are working together, Sir?” asked Eos, and Chou nodded. “Yes, you do,” confirmed Osrakey. “Great!” “Well actually—” Judging from the operator’s voice, fun time was over, almost as if the last five minutes had in any way been funny for Eos, “We’re in a bit of a bad spot — It turns out that Kengnatz’ Melenda and the traitor Sibrodi are guarding the prison cell, and they’ve installed detonators to prevent anyone from entering. Team One is looking into that right now.” “Copy that, Operator,” replied Eos, trying to get back to his feet but still shaking, “What should I do in the meantime?” There was a brief pause as Osrakey and the other operators discussed the situation. Next to Eos, Chou was whispering into his own communication device, taking instructions from a female voice that Eos guessed to be the Insurance’s Chief Operator. “Well,” returned Osrakey’s voice, “It would be best if you and your new friend teamed up to take care of the Insurance’s objective, so that Agent Hatzat can help our agents rescue the prisoners. You will get all the details from Agent Chou. Confirmed?” Eos and Chou exchanged another look, both smiling. “Oohh, confirmed as heck!” exclaimed Eos, bouncing up and down on his feet at the thought of teaming up with Chou, only to regret it a second later when his knees gave way again and forced him back to the ground. Eos decided to take it as swift punishment for his informal tone to the Operator, but apart from his difficulties in controlling his legs, his confidence and motivation were fully restored. After having been rescued from rather certain doom by the Insurance’s dapper spellslinger for the second time now, Eos had to admit that he was quite possibly almost as cool as Igsher. It was hard to decide, really. “Operator, send someone to take care of Agent Sarc here, I don’t have time for it,” said Chou into his comlink before eyeing the unconscious body on the floor for a last time and signaling Eos to follow him to the staircase. As they reached the door at the end of the corridor, Eos having a hard time hiding how insanely exciting all of this was, Chou explained his part of the mission. “I’m afraid our job isn’t as dramatic as yours, Mister Keros — The Insurance is here to procure some documents that might be of high interest to one of our customers. Apparently, Kengnatz has been covering up a series of accidents in one of their facilities, and a number of workers died. It’s only natural that we were asked to find out what happened, and force a repayment from the corporation. After all, that’s what an insurance does.” Eos nodded eagerly — Helping in bringing the corps to justice was exactly his idea of being an agent. If this was the kind of mission the Insurance was normally engaged in, maybe he should consider switching employers, he thought with a grin. The coworkers definitely seemed really cool at Djoutunhaim’s company. “Where are these documents stored?” he asked, trying to be as formal and least exhausted-sounding as possible. “On the third floor, as it would seem,” replied Chou as they began climbing the stairs, “Come on — It’s not far.”

[entergamingxp]

Langrisser I & II Review — The Perfect Way to Discover a Tactical RPG Classic Series

March 11, 2020 4:00 PM EST

Langrisser I & II is a sleek, simple, and addicting tactical RPG that sucks you in, just like your own reflection on a set of big, polished shoulder guards.

Back in 1987, three years before the first Fire Emblem game, a Japanese company named Masaya launched Ethlead Senshi, a tactical RPG for Japanese PCs. The game had all the basics found in every tactical RPG nowadays such as stats, skills, and different classes of units including those of the flying and naval variety. A few more tactical RPGs later, Masaya launched Langrisser I on Megadrive in 1991, a simple, short, but addictive and intense tactical RPG, taking place in a world named Ethlead and using lore from Ethlead Senshi. Released as Warsong outside Japan, Langrisser I ended up being remade together with Langrisser II multiple times in Japan. And now, a brand new remake, Langrisser I & II is upon us on PS4, Switch, and Steam. I can tell you right now, it’s definitely the best way to experience or rediscover these classics.

“I can tell you right now, [Langrisser I & II is] definitely the best way to experience or rediscover these classics.”

Langrisser I released in Japan during a golden era where a character’s power level was directly proportional to the size of their shoulder guards. Cool elves, sexy dark elves, along with detailed magic systems and worldbuilding were the norm. Record of Lodoss War was in full bloom, and Slayers had just started. Japanese people wanted fantasy, and Langrisser I delivered. The story stars Ledin, a prince who must suddenly flee his kingdom in the face of an invasion from the empire. Together with the friends he makes along the way, he ends up retrieving the legendary sacred sword, Langrisser, in order to fight an ancient, resurrected evil threatening the world. It’s a pretty straightforward fantasy premise, and nor the characters or the story rarely get any deeper. The remake, however, has plenty of different story routes you can end up on depending on your actions during battles, allowing for a lot of replayability. One run alone won’t take you more than twelve hours to beat.

Langrisser II, seeing it’s a sequel, originally released three years later in 1994 and greatly improves on the first game’s weaknesses and has a much more memorable cast. You’ll probably encounter more story development and characterization in the first five chapters of Langrisser II than in all of your first Langrisser I run. And while the battle system didn’t change an inch, maps, battle situations, and objectives are more varied overall. Beating Langrisser II will take you longer than Langrisser I, and it has even more story route bifurcations, including hidden stages.

In both games, using the story chart, you can go back to any previously cleared story chapter, while keeping your items and levels to try out other routes. For those seeking a challenge, Langrisser I & II both include a New Game+ where you can inherit (or not) your items and levels, and choose to increase the difficulty. However, note that the story chart resets itself in New Game+, which is a choice in this remake that I cannot comprehend and is pretty annoying overall. I vividly recommend keeping a save right before your run’s final battle.

The battle system of Langrisser I & II is similar and yet extremely different than nowadays’ more popular tactical RPG series such as Intelligent System’s Fire Emblem or Bandai Namco’s Super Robot Wars. While there are various types of terrains, each granting attack or defense bonuses, there are no elevation-tied systems, nor are there differences in whether you target a unit from the front, sides, or back. There is no permadeath, either.

“The battle system is simple and yet extremely addicting, intoxicating, and never gets boring.”

In Langrisser I & II, each named character in your army is a Commander, a powerful individual who can recruit Mercenaries. The type and amount of Mercenaries a Commander can recruit will be based on their Class. Each Commander has its own Class Tree, and they can switch Classes after garnering enough Class Points, earned after each level up. While the original Langrisser I & II were pretty strict with this system, this latest remake is generous with Class Points. It also allows you to switch back a Commander to any previously unlocked Class to adapt to the situation.

Mercenary Units also each have their own strengths and weaknesses, with Infantry defeating Spearmen, Spearmen having an advantage over Cavalry, and Cavalry overwhelming Infantry. This is a simple triangle, which is complemented by many other types of units and weaknesses, such as undead monsters, marine units, archers, and magicians. As long as you properly check enemies’ stats and magic before rushing in, most Langrisser I & II maps won’t pose you too much trouble and are pretty well balanced.

During battles, Mercenaries accompany their Commander and get a significant stat boost as long as they stay inside their Commander’s Area of Command. Moreover, the more HP a Mercenary unit has, the more powerful they are. Mercenaries also recover HP when standing adjacent to their Commander. As such, the basic strategy in most of Langrisser I & II’s maps will be to stick together as you march toward enemies, using your Commanders’ offensive, healing or buffing/debuffing magic spells adequately. The last trick to it all is how all Mercenaries will disappear when their Commander is defeated. Defeating the Commander first will result in less experience and money, so you’ll be constantly thinking about whether to farm or try to remove a threat as quickly as possible. The battle system is simple and yet extremely addicting, intoxicating, and never gets boring. The games are also just the right length, to avoid being repetitive.

Mercenaries can each be moved manually, and doing so will be crucial at certain moments. However, their movements can be automated, with four different global strategies to order them, Attack, Rush Defend, and Standby. This, however, brings us to Langrisser‘s biggest flaw. While the Mercenaries’ movement process can be automated, you still have to wait for it to happen. When both your army and the enemy side each have over six Commanders, each with four or more Mercenaries units, Battle Turns in Langrisser can be really long. This is true even if you can skip the battle animations, which are represented with super cute SD versions of the Mercenaries skirmishing and also include pretty cool character artwork cut-ins. While the character movement speed on the map is quite fast, an even faster speed-up turbo function would have definitely benefited this remake. This is the main reason why I’d highly suggest playing Langrisser I & II on the Nintendo Switch for its portability over other platforms.

Langrisser I & II is fully voiced with Japanese voiceovers with a cast including popular seiyuu such as Ayane Sakura and Saori Hayami. The cast all did a great job portraying the characters and their emotions. Even the story summary between each chapter is voiced, narrated by Eri Kitamura, who also voices Langrisser‘s recurring character, Jessica. Music-wise, the rearrangements of this new remake are pretty nice overall. For veteran fans, the original Megadrive OST can be activated, bringing back the works of Hiroshi Fujioka (not to be confused with his homonym, Segata Sanshiro’s actor), Isao Mizoguchi, and Noriyuki Iwadare (nowadays highly popular outside Japan for some of the Ace Attorney games).

Langrisser I & II‘s localization is also pretty good. There are sentences where one or two minor details were left out, but that’s inherent to translating Japanese under time constraints and with few contexts. It’s not something you’ll notice anyway if you can’t understand the voiceovers, and 80% of the time, a few sentences later you get that missing detail conveyed in another form. I’d also point out that surprisingly, the game can be set to other languages; Chinese, Korean, and Japanese are all included, which is nice for those willing to practice other languages through gaming.

Lastly, I cannot speak about Langrisser without mentioning the biggest defining aspect of the franchise: its character design by Satoshi Urushihara, one of the best character designers and artists of all time. The game’s Japanese Limited Editions took full advantage of this fact. This remake also allows players to switch anytime between Satoshi Urushihara’s original designs, and brand new redesigns by Ryou Nagi, the original character designer of the Ar Tonelico series and Heavy Object.

Sadly, the new character designs by Ryou Nagi are very hit and miss and tend to remove a lot of the characters’ individuality, which is extremely weird as Ryou Nagi is usually an excellent artist. The difference in detail is like night and day when you look at the different versions of Betty, a brand new Langrisser I character created for this remake, who appears in one of the new story branches. The first Betty artwork above is the Urushihara’s version, the second one is Nagi’s version, and the third one is from the recent Langrisser Mobile, and its redesigns are much better than in this remake.

“However, you shouldn’t judge Langrisser by its cover, as it has great themes and strong female characters.”

Ryou Nagi also recently redesigned the characters for the remake YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World, and I believe this remake and both Langrisser I & II suffer from the same character design problem. This is a rather disappointing aspect of this remake, though I believe most people discovering the series or who aren’t longtime anime fans won’t even care. It’s important to note, however, that playing with the Ryou Nagi redesigns also add story event CG scenes to the game. They are numerous and pretty well drawn.

As a side note, I’d also point out that except for some of the female cast’s revealing clothes, there is virtually no sexual fan service in Langrisser I & II, whether you were looking forward to it or apprehending it. Though I’m sure the bikini armors by themselves can be off-putting for some, and I understand that. However, you shouldn’t judge Langrisser by its cover, as it has great themes and strong female characters. This is actually unsurprising when it comes to Fantasy Japanese works like these. I’d definitely recommend Record of Lodoss War, Slayers, and Langrisser I & II, to those who think that kind of Japanese stuff is inherently sexist, such as certain people at Sony of America.

Overall, this new Langrisser I & II remake is definitely the best way to get into the series and enrich your tactical RPG culture. Sure, the Sega Saturn remake’s cool anime cutscenes weren’t added in this new remake, but you can always watch them on YouTube.

The Langrisser series was pretty silent this past decade. The latest brand new game in the series, Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2015, is notorious for being particularly bad. This new Langrisser I & II remake is definitely the kind of spur the series needed, and it seems that both this remake and the previously released mobile game are setting up the foundation for a full revival. Hopefully, developers Extreme and Chara-Ani, the companies who now own Masaya, have remakes of the other Langrisser games in the works, so more around the world, myself included, can finally discover the series.

March 11, 2020 4:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/langrisser-i-ii-review-the-perfect-way-to-discover-a-tactical-rpg-classic-series/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=langrisser-i-ii-review-the-perfect-way-to-discover-a-tactical-rpg-classic-series

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Read More 30 Worst Diet Mistakes You’re Making

The following post 30 Worst Diet Mistakes You’re Making is republished from Eat This Not That by Olivia Tarantino

“I’m so tired of dieting!” says my friend Sarah yesterday “I’ve lost some weight, I’ve lost some inches—but I just can’t lose belly fat!”

Poor Sarah. She’d also lost her willpower. Turns out, she was sabotaging herself—without even knowing it.

You could be doing the same. By kicking these worst diet mistakes to the curb, you’ll finally see those pounds fall off—and stay off. And once you’ve stripped your routine of these pesky patterns, start burning off the flab with these 44 Ways to Lose 4 Inches of Body Fat, compliments of the researchers at Eat This, Not That!

1

You Set Unreasonable Expectations

This should come as good news for those of you who feel guilty for not following strict dietary lifestyles: Going vegan to lose weight won’t work for everyone. Especially for those who always eat eggs for breakfast and like to eat a burger for lunch. If the diet plan you’re following isn’t compatible with your lifestyle, the odds are higher that you’ll fall off the bandwagon and regain the weight. Rather, put a vegan spin on your omnivore lifestyle—add onions, peppers, and spinach to your omelet and order your burger with a side salad instead of fries. To lose weight without overhauling your lifestyle, also check out these 40 Ways to Lose Weight in 4 Seconds.

2

You Go It Alone

You’ve decided to change your life—good for you! Now spread the news! When you share your mission with your close friends and family, it will help you to build a support system and you’ll have people who can keep you accountable to your goals. It’s easy to mindlessly scoop another spoonful of ice cream into a bowl, but you might think twice if you have to justify this extra portion to your family as you eat dessert together at the dinner table. Want to take it a step further? Find yourself a diet buddy! Dieters who have a weight-loss partner lose significantly more belly fat compared to those who try to slim down alone, according to a study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

3

You Cut Out Groups of Foods

You shouldn’t punish an entire food group as a dietary villain. A diet that forbids entire food groups is not only unsustainable, but it can also be dangerous. (Unless, of course, there’s a medical reason—such as lactose intolerance or Celiac disease—to scratch something from your diet). For example: While eating too many refined flour foods can pack on the pounds by spiking your blood sugar and never fully satisfying your hunger pangs, that doesn’t mean that all carbs have the same effect. In fact, whole grains are rich in energizing B vitamins and digestion-slowing fiber. Plus, since carbs are an essential source of energy, completely slashing this food group from your diet can cause exhaustion, irritability, and lethargy.

4

You Fall for Health Halos

Whether it’s slapping a product with a “sugar-free” label or pointing out the food’s myriad of vitamins and minerals, marketing claims can get in the way of weight loss if you’re not actually reading the ingredients and nutritional information. You see, when dieters perceive a food to be nutritious—thanks to buzzwords like “organic” or “gluten-free”—they tend to misjudge how many calories are actually in them. As a result, dieters tend to feel entitled to indulge, which can lead to eating 131 percent more calories than you otherwise would, according to a Cornell University study.

RELATED: 14 “Health” Foods Worst Than a Donut

5

You Eat While Watching T.V.

The big game is on and it’s dinner time? Well, that’s why we have DVR! Press pause. Experts find that when your mind is distracted by other things while eating, such as watching TV or listening to loud music, it can block certain satiety cues from alerting your brain that you’ve eaten your fill. As a result, you consume more calories than your body needs, which will likely be stored as fat.

6

You Skip Meals

Constantly find yourself downing bags of chips or sleeves of cookies? Despite what you may think, feeling like you’re always hungry is not because you have a lack of willpower. In fact, if these binges are happening on busy days when you’ve “forgotten” to eat lunch, it’s likely a sign you need to change up your diet. “While skipping meals might seem like an easy way to eat less, it will most likely actually cause you to eat more later on,” says Sarah-Jane Bedwell, RD, LDN.

7

You Dine While You Dash

In a rush? Don’t start shoveling food in your face. If there’s one resolution to make this year, it should be to extend your lunch break to at least 20 minutes. Why the time minimum? Experts have found it takes around that amount of time for your stomach to tell your brain that you’re full. It’s one of the reasons why fast food is so bad for your waistline; you quickly eat the calorie-laden fare before your body can tell you you’ve had enough!

8

You Forget to Exercise

According to recent research published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, weight loss programs that formally include an exercise routine are significantly more effective for weight loss and improved health than diets without recommended sweat sessions. Dr. Conrad Earnest, lead co-author of the study, recommends an exercise routine that includes both aerobic and strength training. Before you hit the weights, don’t miss these 24 Things No One Ever Tells You About the Gym.

9

You Go Too Hard Too Fast

It’s great to switch things up into a new exercise routine, but don’t hit the ground running—both literally and figuratively. If your body isn’t used to working out on the reg, you could injure yourself if you up your reps or mileage too quickly, which can hamper your weight-loss progress. Take your time to build up your base before you start racking up 10-mile runs every day.

10

You Rely on Exercise Also

“Moving more” isn’t going to be the only thing that helps you slim down. For starters, a 2012 review published in the journal Obesity Reviews found that people tend to overestimate how many calories they burn when they workout. As a result, people will not only overcompensate for their workout by eating more calories than they burned, but they may also think they can now indulge in junk food as a “reward” for exercise. As an example, a 155-pound person biking for one hour burns on average 520 calories. That can all be undone by under two slices of Domino’s Hand Tossed Cheese pizza.

11

You Slack Off When It Comes to Beverages

Although diet usually refers to food, don’t forget beverages! Processed juices, sugary sodas, and sweetened teas are all full of calories and can do major damage to your waistline. It’s not just the calories that will encourage your body to pack on the pounds. Studies have found that our bodies don’t register liquid calories like it does solid calories—and as a result, we may end up drinking more calories until we feel full.

12

You Assume “Diet” Drinks Are Good Replacements

They may tout “zero calories,” but a 2017 review published in the journal PLOS One concluded that diet drinks are not helpful for weight loss and that they may even cause people to pile on the pounds because they can dull your sweet receptors, causing you to consume more of traditionally sweet foods, and thus, consume more calories.

13

You Treat One Food Like a Magic Diet Pill

Yes, apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been connected to delaying gastric emptying (i.e. keeping you fuller for longer) and minimizing spikes in blood sugar. But just because you’re coating your salad with it every day doesn’t mean you don’t have to change anything else about your diet. There is no magic cure-all food that will help you drop the weight. Continue drizzling on that ACV, but just make sure you’re also cutting out junk food, doing your exercise, and avoiding these 31 Things You Did Today to Slow Your Metabolism.

14

You Rely on Supplements

Americans may spend billions of dollars on dietary supplements a year, but according to a 2016 study published in the journal JAMA, many of these products show no benefit over placebo. Another surprising finding? Supplement users are apparently among the healthiest members of the population and likely don’t even need supplements. So, unless you have a nutritional deficiency and have been instructed by your doctor to take a supplement, you should look to get your nutrients from whole foods. Doing so will mean you’re getting more than just the vitamin you’re looking for; you’re also getting belly-filling fiber, muscle-building protein, and brain-powering healthy fats.

15

You Forget Fats

Let this be the last time you choose the “low-fat” option! Don’t fear fats! In fact, when you don’t eat enough fat, you may suffer from feeling constant hunger, could develop adult acne, and may constantly feel like your brain is in a fog. Fats are necessary to feed the brain and help mitigate cravings. Incorporate more healthy fats like those from avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, and grass-fed butter.

16

You Skimp On Sleep

When you snooze, you lose—weight that is. Sleep helps your body recover from those heart-thumping workouts, allowing for cell regeneration and muscle building. That’s not all. Sleep also keeps your metabolism humming, your hunger hormones in check and your stress levels low. When you don’t sleep enough (experts recommend seven to eight hours a night), your cortisol levels skyrocket, which can slow down your metabolism and lead to excess production of belly fat.

17

You Forget to Dress Your Salads

Leafy greens are some of the top sources of vitamins. In particular, four vitamins that are fat-soluble: vitamins A, D, E, and K. That means these essential micronutrients will only be absorbed into the body once they’re dissolved in fat globules (in other words, a little EVOO). These vitamins play varying roles in maintaining proper bone, eye, and skin health, but also help keep your immune system fend off the colds that could put you out of commission and may throw your diet off track.

18

You Eat Your Brown Bag Lunch at Your Desk

Being mindful is a major part of weight loss, and it’s a sure bet that it’ll take a back seat when you’re simultaneously working and chomping on your lunch. Trying to do two things at once can distract your brain from recognizing that you’ve reached your fill. Not to mention, being able to step away from work briefly can subliminally tell your body you don’t have to be so stressed about work, which can help you get a handle on your fat-inducing cortisol levels.

19

You Eat When You’re Not Hungry

You know about the seafood diet right? Every time you see food, you eat it? It’s a mildly amusing joke, but it’s also surprisingly accurate. You see, the problem is that when we see food, we’re more likely to eat it even if your body isn’t in need of calories. According to Oxford researchers, the phenomenon is called “visual hunger.” It refers to our body’s natural response to increase your “I’m hungry” hormones upon sight of food since our brains developed when food was scarce and your body wanted to ensure you consumed all available resources that could provide energy and nutrients for survival. Science says the solution to the “see-food diet” is simple: hide your vices and steer clear of the break room box of donuts. You can also try these 30 Ways to Trick Yourself Into Feeling Full.

20

You Eat Dinner Too Late

And no, it’s not because it stalls your metabolism. When you eat a large meal too close to your bedtime, you may have trouble falling asleep, thanks to your body working to digest that meal. And when you don’t get a good night’s rest, studies show you’re more likely to have higher levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin the next day, which can cause you to overeat. “Research also shows that when we’re sleep-deprived, our brains respond more strongly to junk food and have less of an ability to practice portion control,” Alissa Rumsey, RD, and Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics tells us.

21

You Celebrate Success with Food Rewards

Whether it’s hitting a personal best mile time or losing another five pounds, you should certainly celebrate—just don’t rely on alcohol and sweets to reward your success. If you do, odds are you’ll see the weight creep back onto your slimmed-down frame before you know it. Instead, use things like a facial, manicure, or a favorite exercise class as a reward for your hard work.

22

You Stop Weighing In

What’s the harm in reminding yourself of your continued success? The scale keeps you mindful of your diet, and it will quickly tip you off to regained pounds. In fact, dieters who weigh themselves daily can lose twice as much weight as those who weigh themselves less frequently, according to University of Minnesota researchers.

23

You Bore Yourself with the Same Workouts

Routines are great when it comes to always heading to the gym before work, but if you get there and repeat the same elliptical workout, you’re likely not getting as much from your exercise as you could. That’s because you’re not challenging new muscles. To wake up your metabolic rate, shock your muscles by changing up your workouts every two weeks.

24

You Let Frozen Options Replace Homemade Meals

Frozen meals once in awhile: approved. But for every meal? Skip it. Not only are these cold concoctions typically loaded with bloat-inducing, blood-pressure-raising sodium, but—let’s face it—you’re not likely going to be able to subsist on frozen meals forever. After a while, you’re likely to tire of the same menus. Plus, if you rely on pre-portioned meals, once you go off them, you’re likely to regain all that lost weight since you have no replacement. If sustainable weight loss is your goal, kick the shortcuts to the curb and make your meals at home from scratch. Doing so can help you banish these nasty additives as well as cut calorie consumption by an average of 200 calories a day, according to Johns Hopkins researchers.

25

You Deprive Yourself

You don’t have to deprive yourself to lose weight. The reasoning is simple: research published in the journals Appetite and Eating Behaviors supports the notion that giving into a guilty pleasure is more effective at keeping weight off long term than trying to suppress it. Why is that? Well, both studies demonstrated that when participants gave into a craving (rather than fighting it off), it actually helped to reduce binge eating and decreased subsequent cravings.

26

You Save Your Calories for Later

You know you’re going out to dinner with your friends later tonight, so you choose to sip on a fruity drink and chomp on a couple carrots for lunch to save calories for later. It may seem responsible, but “it rarely works out as cleanly as we like,” nutritionist Lisa Hayim, MS, RD tells us. “By the time you get to dinner, and have a drink or two, the feelings of extreme hunger rush in, and you’re grabbing for whatever you can get your hands on, which is usually foods high in calories and fat. You’re so hungry, you may even end up consuming more than a day’s worth of calories in one sitting,” explains Hayim. Instead, she recommends eating on a normal schedule during the day and choosing to eat responsibility at night. And remember—one day of overindulgence isn’t going to do your body much harm. It’s only when it becomes a bad habit.

27

You Leave Your Water Bottle at Home

“Not drinking enough water can have a negative impact on the metabolism as well as your appetite,” says Alexandra Miller, RDN, LDN. Research has shown that people often respond to their thirst inappropriately by eating instead of drinking since the same part of our brain controls both responses. When you’re hydrated, it also helps to make your stomach feel full, which can fend off the feeling of hunger.

28

You Gush Over Food Porn on Instagram

If you shouldn’t eat it, don’t stop to gawk at it on your social feeds. That includes looking at oversized milkshakes and extra cheesy pizza. Studies have found that simply looking at calorie-laden fare can actually cause your hunger hormones to spike—even if your body isn’t physically in need of food.

29

You Rely on Food to Ease Your Nerves

The deadline for your project is fast approaching and you need to ease your nerves before the presentation. Here’s a newsflash: Downing a pint of ice cream is not the answer. Not only are the foods we typically lean towards when we’re stressed high in things that exacerbate your stress hormone levels—like fat and sugar—but they’re also high in calories and can cause weight gain. Plus, making a connection between eating and emotions can result in poor eating decisions and coping mechanisms. Instead, create an automatic response to stress that doesn’t involve food, such as going for a walk or taking a shower.

30

You Plan Your Life Around Your Diet

There’s a difference between being committed to a weight loss plan and being obsessed with it. If you start planning your entire life around your diet—like avoiding birthday parties so you don’t feel tempted by cake or miss out on seeing your old friend who’s in town briefly because you don’t want to get a drink—it will make your diet hard to stick to in the long run. A sustainable diet is one that leaves some wiggle room and doesn’t hinder you from living a fun and a fulfilling life. And now that you know what not to do, be sure to keep the healthy living going with these 40 Best Fat-Burning Foods.

  The post 30 Worst Diet Mistakes You’re Making appeared first on Eat This Not That.

[sztcov]

Kimlascan Adventure 2

Theme

Action/Adventure

This is the most common and straightforward sort of adventure there is. In the Action/Adventure scenario, you present your characters with a task and then confront them with obstacles to overcome in order to accomplish the task successfully.

Goal

Thwart Monstrous Plan

This is a classic fantasy-adventure plot: The characters learn of some horrible plan made by a monstrous enemy, and must thwart it before the kingdom is lost or the world is destroyed. This is an epic goal, and usually requires that the characters go to all sorts of places, rounding up allies and artifacts, before being strong enough to face their enemy.

Story Hook

Dying Delivery

On some occassion when the hero is out wandering the streets or is otherwise all alone, a dying man bumbs into him, hands him something, says a few words, and dies.

Plot

Geographic Progression

This is the simplest sort of adventure plot. The heroes have an area to investigate or travel through; they have encounters based on where they are. For instance, the traditional dungeon, where monsters are tied to specific rooms or areas. Or, if the heroes are travelling along a narrow valley or through an enchanted forest, they might suffer ambushes and other encounters fixed to various points along their travel plan. The plot, then, is getting to the villain by surviving the intervening obstacle encounters.

Climax

Prevented Deed

Here, the heroes have been defeated -- captured by the Master Villain, or so thoroughly cut up by his minions that all believe them to be dead. And the heroes have learned, from the bragging of the villain, loose talk of his minions, or examination of clues, what is the crucial event of his master plan. In any case, the battered and bruised heroes must race to this site and have their final confrontation with the villain, bursting in on him and his minions just as the knife or final word or key is poised, and prevent the awful deed from taking place -- and, incidentally, defeat the master villain and minions who beat them previously.

General Setting

Cosmopolitan City

Most of the story takes place in a large, sophisticated city; center the villain's plot and activities around that city. This setting is best suited to adventures involving more people than monsters; most of your villains should be human or demi-human.

Specific Setting 1

Shacktown of the Oppressed

Part of the action centers around the tenements or shacks of the worst part of town; perhaps an allied NPC lives here or the characters are fugitives hiding out in the nasty part of town.

Specific Setting 2

Lost City

This is the remnant of some lost civilization or expedition, still thriving in some forgotten corner of the world. Remnants of lost civilizations can even inhabit cavern systems beneath campaign cities, preying on the above-worlders for their goods, slaves, and sacrifices.

Master Villain

Sufferer

This Master Villain disguises himself as some other sort of villain. Long ago, he was given an ugly curse -- he longs for death but can never die unless slain by heroes unaware of his curse. (Naturally, the way the curse works, he has to defend himself when attacked by the heroes.) So this villain works hard to make sure the best heroes in the world have sufficient cause to want to come and kill him. He'll insult them, ruin them, kidnap or murder their loved ones, whatever it takes to bring them against him. Often, he can only die -- his curse can only be undone -- in one specific holy place, so he'll have to lure the heroes to that place to face him. If the heroes are doing research on the villain all this time, they may find out his secret, leading to a sad and painful end to the episode as the unkillable villain has to leave and find someone new to kill him.

Minor Villain 1

Inquisitor

This villain is the one who interrogates the heroes and NPCs captured by the villains. He accompanies the other Minor Villain out into the field and works on anyone captured; he enjoys inflicting pain and suffering.

Minor Villain 2

Mistress with a Heart of Gold

This character is much like the "Lover or Daughter of Villain" type of Mystery Woman from the Story Hooks section. In this case, she usually accompanies the Master Villain, but sometimes goes on missions of her own, where she runs into and develops affection for one of the player-characters.

Ally/Neutral

Grumpy Old Professional

Again, the heroes need an expert in a certain field -- this time a craft or art, such as blacksmithing, engineering, horse-training, or whatever. The only or best professional they can find is an aged expert. He's grumpy, cranky, and sharp-tongued; he constantly complains about the food, the weather, his companions, the decline in skill of his co-workers since he was a young man, the road conditions, the rotten pay he's receiving, and so on.

Monster Encounter

Assassin Monster

This mosnter, at some time in the adventure, is sent by the Master Villain to attack one or more heroes when they're at their most vulnerable -- asleep, enjoying themselves, etc. Usually, the Assassin Monster attacks, but the hero, though injured, is able to hold it off long enough for his friends to respond to his shouts. The Assassin Monster is usually killed by his friends, who can then speculate on who sent it and why.

Character Encounter

Belligerent Soldier

The billigerent one has just had his ears pinned back by his commanding officer and is anxious to take it out on some hapless civilian. If this is a city gate, he claims that the hero's papers are wrong or that he recognizes the hero from descriptions of a wanted criminal; if this is the streets, he insults the hero's lack of military bearing, pretty looks, clothes, smell, companion, or whatever it takes to provoke a reaction.

Deathtrap

Rock and a Hard Place

This trap starts out as an Animal Pit, Pit and the Pendulum, or Tomb Deathtrap, but an obvious escape suggests itself very early on. Trouble is, it leads into even worse danger. The hole out of the animal pit may lead to the lair of an even worse animal; it may lead through a succession of dangers (collapsing old catacombs, into an underground river, into a den of zombies) before the heroes reach the light.

Chase

Footrace

The chase involves the characters on foot, probably through such terrain as city streets or the corridors of a palace. One hero may realize that the's being pursued by a party of enemies and choose to run for it; the heroes may have caught up to the Master Villain, prompting him to run for his life.

Omen/Prophesy

Hero Fulfills Prophecy

This is the most useful sort of prophecy. In the early part of the adventure, one of the heroes discovers that he fulfills some ancient prophecy.

Secret Weakness

Secret Embarrassment

Finally, the villain may have some aberration or secret shame that will force him to flee when he is confronted with it. It could be something as simple as the fact that his nose is too big, or that he is a small and nebbishly wizard pretending to be some vast, powerful demonic power. When his shame is revealed, he is too humiliated to continue; this is a good option for comedy adventures.

Special Condition

Magic Doesn't Work Right

If the adventure is taking place on an alternate plane, then that plane's magic works oddly or not at all. (A spellcaster will find that just making himself useful is a challenge when none of his spells works.)

Moral Quandry

Honor Quandry

You want to use this on the character with the most strongly developed sense of personal honor -- someone who has lived all his life by a strict code. Toward the end of the adventure, this character realizes that the best way to defeat the Master Villain is a violation of that code. For instance, the character might be a paladin, who discovers that the only possible way for the heroes to defeat the Master Villain is to sneak up on him and stab him in the back.

Red Herring

False Path to the Artifact

Once again, if the heroes have had too easy a time finding the artifact capable of destroying the villain, give them trouble this way: When they get to the place where the artifact is supposed to be contained, they find the coffer or chamber or whatever empty, obviously looted by robbers, who have scrawled such remarks as "Kelrog was here!" upon the walls.

Cruel Trick

Villain Accompanies Party

In this distressing situation, the Master Villain, in disguise or his secret identity, accompanies the heroes for much of their quest. He gets to know them, learns their strengths and weaknesses, learns their plans, and just as soon as it's most efficient for him, he thwarts their current plans and leaves. Alternatively, the Master Villain might be with the heroes all along, up to the very end; the heroes know that one of their companions is the villain, and the whole thrust of the story is finding out who he is. This is the whole purpose of most Mystery-type adventures.