#majority of the lands in question will be acquired.

[neoyi]

Sea of Stars DLC, Throes of the Watchmaker ...watched. Time for obsessive commentary. Let's do this, motherfuckers!

Okay, so, I wasn't expecting this game to do anything with Keenathan's name other than as a repeating joke, but apparently it's plot relevant to this DLC oh my GoD.

I wonder if Horloge is inside the big clock located in the Watchmaker's room? When she told us explicitly not to touch it, I just assumed it as part of her nature to be proud and protective of her work; it is a very intricate clock. But maybe it serves as a gateway to another world all along. Which brings up the question: can she travel through time and space?

I will not be using the local 3-player co-op mode because I am a hermit, but I'm vastly curious to see how this will be implemented. I assume they're going by New Super Mario Bros logic in that if anyone is pushed off-screen, they'll probably be bubblized and transported to where the other player characters are.

Circles aesthetics aren't my jam (I never particularly vibe with clowns especially; to me, they all look like gaudy Ronald McDonalds.) But they tend to go hand-in-hand with late 19th century steampunk aesthetics which IS my jam. So, yeah, I have a feeling I'm gonna be taking a lot of screencaps of this game.

GOD, YES! I was sad that the Artificer wouldn't be playable despite his adorable frog robot design really lending himself as a main party member kinda look. Then I found out via the artbook that he would be for the DLC and lo and behold, there's my cutie-patootie froggo! I love him! I can't wait to play him!

Okay, I was really curious how they were going to consider the Resh'an issue since he replaces himself with a puppet late in the game. For that matter, the Garl issue, too, since he dies in the main plot and reviving him is entirely optional (though necessary for true ending.) Would the DLC have accounted for the change or not dependent on where the story would take place? But it seems like they just solved that problem by having only Zale and Valere enter. Which is a shame, because it might mean the rest of the party members don't get to go to Horloge, including any new dialogue from them. Here's hoping we can still explore the place with the other party members after finishing the DLC's plot or something.

For that matter, will the Artificer be a playable character only in the DLC? Or will Sabotage Studio account for the change and place him as a permanent seventh team member?

What, exactly, is Horloge that it can change the rules that forces Zale and Valere to acquire new skills to accommodate their Solar and Lunar magic? Perhaps this land truly is another world that their entire magic system ended up altered because it wasn't compatible with this world. That or someone very powerful (the Puppeteer?) can command such a rule that even the freakin' Solstice Warriors cannot overcome it so easily.

Hey, Pif and Pouf, you two are giving me major Zorn and Thorn vibes. You two start speaking in weird sentence structures and I'mma gonna break out the hammer.

I cannot elaborate how fucking cool looking Zale and Valere's clones, the Feral Queen and Narcis King looks.

And it goes without saying how much the Puppeteer looks like the Watchmaker. I'm guessing either a sibling or an alternate version of herself. Safer bet is on the latter if Sabotage Studio games is really leaning on the multiverse thing. The DLC IS called "Throes of the Watchmaker", which means there must be some involvement of her beyond a gatekeeper of a Clock Circus World or something. Like I have read the canon info that she is the Shopkeeper's ancestor, so could this DLC connect those specific dots?

Yes, it's a meme. Yes, it's kind of old and tiring. No, I do not care, I want to see a train getting suplex'd.

[runwayrunway]

No. 50 - All Nippon Airways Airbus A380 "Flying Honu" Livery

Happy 50th Runway Runway post! I had a bit of a hard time deciding what to do for it - after all, it's a pretty significant number. I already sort of know what I want to do for the 100th post, but I hadn't put much thought into the 50th, and I had to scuttle any plans for something long and interesting after a rather stressful week. Instead I decided to do something both fun and requested!

source: ANA Stories

One (well, three!) of the most beloved special liveries out there, All Nippon Airways' turtle-themed "Flying Honu" Airbus A380. These three friendly giants fly from Japan to Honolulu, delighting anyone lucky enough to see them.

Actually, I love the Flying Honu so much I have one myself.

I would describe myself as a bit of a magpie. I collect useless things, be they historical ephemera, horror movie memorabilia, old books, pretty rocks, or way too many fountain pen inks given I mostly use them to take notes. I even have a bunch of my old teeth in a pillbox. Surprisingly, though, the things my talons have lodged in don't include many model airplanes. I have...a few. I've actually, though serendipity, gotten two more since I started this blog, expanding my collection to a startling five. Maybe seven if you count my Starscream and Brainstorm figures, but I don't think I even remember how to put either of them in their alt modes. The fact is that while they aren't a fortune or anything plane figures are expensive enough that it's a commitment to buy one, and I usually only do when I stumble on a good deal for a model I really want. And one of the few times I've actually decided that I just needed a model of a specific livery was the "Flying Honu" A380. Specifically, the one I have is the airframe registered JA382A, Kai. (She's the 1:500 JC Wings diecast model and is around the size of my hand.)

I just needed to be able to gently tap her nose in person, okay? She can't fit up on the shelf with a lot of my other miscellaneous trinkets so she sits on my desk and sometimes I explain things to her while trying to figure them out, like a coding rubber duck. She makes me happy.

All Nippon Airways (全日本空輸) is a major Japanese airline. In fact, in terms of both fleet size and number of destinations they're bigger than flag carrier JAL. They're consistently described as being among the best airlines in the world for the discerning well-to-do business traveler, and let's just say that's not me, but what I am is a reviewer of airline liveries, and ANA sure has those! In addition to their standard Triton Blue livery they do all sorts of special designs, particularly crossovers with properties like Pokémon and Star Wars. All of these are something I would like to someday feature, but none of them matter at all to me when compared to the Flying Honu, introduced with the A380 fleet in 2019.

A couple of times when I've told people I know about this livery they asked me if 'honu' is Japanese for 'turtle'. That's a reasonable question, but the Japanese word for turtle is 'kame'. 'Honu' is the word for turtle, though - in Hawaiian.

image: ANA

In fact, Honolulu is the A380s' only destination. ANA didn't really want A380s to begin with, but ended up stuck with them while acquiring another airline. The thing about the A380, and the reason it failed commercially and so few were ever built, is that the use-case for a massive plane is pretty limited. It goes as such: you have a passengerbase of people who have to travel from one giant hub that can land an A380 to another frequently enough that you can actually make money on a plane with four entire engines.

Okay, so the use-case is that you're Emirates. ANA might be expensive, but they don't really have the central location or sheer amount of regular business travelers that Dubai does. 'Three' also isn't really that many A380s, which creates a bit of a question of reliability. So instead they fixed the problem in a way that's honestly pretty genius: they made it turtles.

image: ANA

ANA seems to be generally invested in Hawaii, with a fair amount of partnerships with local organizations. A lot of Hawaiian real estate is owned by Japanese companies, and those of Japanese descent are the second-larget ethnic group in Hawaii at 16.7%, so it makes sense that a lot of people would want to travel there. Tokyo to Honolulu is a nice 9-hour flight with no possibility for a stopover of any kind (unless they invent civilian aircraft carriers for A380s), so it's the perfect route for precisely three really huge planes.

images: ANA

They can fit 520 passengers across four classes on one flight, seated across both decks of the massive planes. There is also a section of seats which convert to couches, marketed for families. Those who fly this route get to enjoy rainbow lighting and the ability to buy a duty-free 1:500 model of the plane (not the same model I have, though, I'm pretty sure) or a set of Flying Honu plushes.

Ra looks like she's plotting something. Lani looks like she's never had a single thought in her life.

And they do make money off this, because people absolutely love these planes. People have apparently had their weddings on these planes, and I would too! They make ten weekly flights right now, but in December that will be increasing to fourteen weekly, or two daily.

Okay, so, the actual liveries.

Here's Kai in full-size! The light in my room make her look way cooler toned in the photographs, but in real life she's this color. It's frequently described as 'green' or 'emerald green', but I think it's definitely turquoise and would go so far as to call it blue. Whatever the case, it's meant to represent the color of the sea near Hawaii. Kai is also distinct from the others because of her eyes, which are closed as she smiles from ear to ear. That's why she's my favorite - she just looks so happy!

...a bit weirder looking from upfront, but look how even the ventral fairing is painted! That's part of the flippers where they curl around, tucked into the shell. Unlike the Transocean Air Jinbei Jets, the cockpit windows blend in with the 'scales' of the Flying Honu, looking rather natural.

'Ra' is a beautiful orange, meant to represent the Hawaiian sunset. She has a bit of a peach undertone if you look closely, but her details are done in an extremely vivid reddish orange. Her distinguishing feature are those gigantic eyelashes, similar to Sakura Jinbei's. The actual mouth shape on all three planes appears to be the same, but I find that the eyes still give them distinct 'personalities'. Ra has always looked very thoughtful to me.

Just look at her in flight! I've never understood why people call the 747 stately or graceful, and same for the A380 - double-decker planes are just inherently goofy-looking, and that's great, but ANA managed to make one look pretty elegant. I think it's because turtles are already regarded as large and slow creatures, so fitting like for like just makes it seem as natural for this absolutely gigantic aircraft to be flying as it is for a turtle to swim.

Finally, Lani, the turtle everyone agrees to be blue, represents the Hawaiian sky during its brightest color in daylight. If you look closely, you can see her blue 'eyeshadow', which I've always thought made her look relaxed.

This picture gives a good angle of my only real critique of the Flying Honu, which is that the shells and heads don't entirely look aligned, as if the head is in the process of being retracted. That said, I think that's just a fact of working with the shape of an airplane. There's just no more space below to fit any more shell.

Rather than being just one turtle, though, each "Flying Honu" has two fully rendered baby turtles following behind their 'mother'.

I think this is adorable, and beyond that it solves a crucial problem - the tail. Turtles do have those, but not in a way that maps onto a standard empennage. Instead, ANA makes the smart choice to end the shell at a certain point and add these two extra turtles make-way-for-ducklings-ing their way across the fuselage for more visual interest, leaving the tail empty for an ANA logo without making it jarring. This is a huge improvement over the Jinbei Jets, which again serve as a point of comparison as the other major Japanese marine life planes. (Amakusa Airlines is way smaller and thus not going to get caught up in this.)

I mean, it's hard to find too much to say about these that isn't just "oh my gosh, look at them". The Flying Honu are vividly colored, with clever shapes used to make them immediately recognizable as turtles. I smile every time I see one, including the little one on my desk!

And in case you weren't already delighted, there's two extra bonus turtles!

I think it's pretty obvious I'm giving these an A+. Come on, just...just look at them. The fact that ANA bothered to make three distinct ones with their own names and faces is just icing on the cake for me, but I do love that they did.

I can't believe I didn't find a way to fit this in earlier into the post, but I really love turtles. If you have an aquarium near you, and that aquarium has turtles, I really recommend stopping by to see them. My local New England Aquarium has had Myrtle for more than 50 years. As they describe her, 'the 550-lb Queen of the Giant Ocean Tank is large, in charge, and ready to receive your adoration'.

True to form, although a lot larger and dealing in a different type of fluid dynamics, the Flying Honu jets get plenty of my adoration too.

[greeenchrysanthemums]

Hi yes I'm very normal about this au and was wondering in terms of the world, let's say for a hypothetical map that I want to hypothetically draw, are there any major biomes, important towns or landmarks, things of that nature?

Oooo, fun! I know this is a fairly simple question, but I will be giving you another long-winded answer, so bear with me.

For your hypothetical map there are three major kingdoms to take note of.

In the upper right portion of the map is Coral Crest. It is very well known for its booming economy, which they have their rich glass, fish, salt, and pearl trades to thank for. It is the largest and wealthiest of the three major kingdoms, and the castle is grand and luxurious where it sits on the crest of a large sea cliff. Beneath and above the capital would be many small fishing towns along the coast, and two or three more small villages in-land. It is important to the plot, as this is the kingdom they are/were at war with.

in the bottom center would be another kingdom, Floweret. This kingdom has little in ways of trees or other defining landmarks, it is mostly just low hills and grass lands. The land there would be rich in nutrients, though, and it is perfect for farming, which is where this land would get most of its trade from. It is the smallest out of the three and therefore has a very small, modest castle. This kingdom is pretty new compared to the others, being only around 30 years old. This place is not important to the plot outside of it being mentioned that they turned down an alliance with Grian, and that Jimmy lived there before moving to live with Tango.

South-east of this would be a small town called Sahara that is part of Floweret and borders a desert biome. This is where Grian and Mumbo met Scar for the first time. They are known for their grain alcohol.

The third kingdom, Wintertide, is the one our story takes place in. It is in the top left corner, a bit more north than Coral Crest and in a colder climate. There is a pretty big amount of distance between Wintertide and Coral Crest; it would take someone nearly a whole month to travel to or from either of them on foot, a few weeks by horse. Most of this kingdom is surrounded by dense forest and backed by a large, snowy mountain (Crystaline Mountain). Wintertide mostly relies on the gemstones and coal mined from their mountains for their livelihood, but they also bring in money with their decent livestock and farming trade.

On top of Crystaline Mountain is a village of the same name, Gem and Etho's home village. This is a mostly independent village, though they do pay taxes to Wintertide and rely on it for protection.

South-west, in between Floweret and Wintertide, is a decently sized trading town that is on neutral ground, where merchants from any land are welcome to go and do business. This area is thin in trees, but not as lacking as Floweret. The town is lively, eclectic, and colourful, with people from all over living in its borders. It doesn't really have a name, as it is not official to any of the kingdoms, but it is has acquired the nickname "The Monopoly" because of how easy it is to, well, set up a monopoly there.

There are other, smaller towns and villages scattered across the map between all three kingdoms, but they aren't important, and I have not thought of names for them. (feel free to suggest some!)

There are also other, far-off kingdoms, including some across the sea from Coral Crest, but they are never mentioned, and they are so far away from our main kingdoms that they don't even matter.

Disclaimer: most of these names are up for change, as I have honestly put very little thought into the map since most of the story takes place in the one kingdom. This is all bare minimum brainstorming that I have done over the past few days.

Anyway, if/when you hypothetically finish this map, please tag me or send it to me; I would love to see it! And if you have any further questions about the world, please feel free to send another ask. Or, if you would prefer, you can dm me!

[moreworldliness]

so i came across a sonic mod/exe/thing called "sink" and it got me thinking

when people try to make sonic "scary", they never really do it for me because they try to ground it too much in reality:

"oh, sonic's in the real world and is trying to kill me!"

"oh, my game is corrupted"

imo, they're not coming at it from a game angle - they're too focused on outside looking in, rather than inside looking out.

for example, a popular fandom question - why is sonic afraid of water?

if you were on the outside looking it, you could probably shrug and say "well, they needed some kind of weakness gameplay-wise and the creators didn't think hedgehogs could swim. that's that."

inside looking out, however? consider!

MAJOR WARNING FOR DROWNING BELOW THE BREAK

you're sonic the hedgehog.

at the time of the classic games, which to you are your entire life, you're 12 with miles prower (your newly acquired and handy buddy) sitting at a clean 4 years old. sometimes it crosses your mind that he might be too young for this, but time and time again, he's put your worries to rest.

you're proud of him. he's smart and you're quick - you're the perfect duo.

you must've run hours before you enter into chemical plant zone and make your way through the lower path. its been a fairly standard journey up until this point and you're not about to be intimidated by some overgrown factory. (do factories even grow? you decide to ask miles later)

at this point, you're more than aware of how your life works. it's okay if you get hurt, because you have rings. it's okay if you "pass out", because you always wake up at the start of the area you were just in, with everything just as it was.

not to brag, but you happened to think you were pretty indestructible.

falling and rolling down unimaginable stretches of pipes, you and miles finally reach a new area: a hydraulic door opens in front of you, revealing a long chute upwards. cut and dry - you turn towards miles to grab his hand.

the door shuts behind you and, as quick as you can hold your breath, you're plunged under purple water.

miles - you've grown to calling him tails, because it's easier to say; you're still twelve, after all - begins paddling upwards with ease, but you find yourself horrifyingly heavy in the water. it grabs you, pulls you downwards, thousands of arms pinning your every movement.

you jump, and hit the first platform.

you kind of regret not learning how to swim.

tails has paddled so far upwards that you can't see him anymore - not through the sludge of this water, anyway. it seems to be getting heavier too, dragging your movements as you scramble to reach the second platform.

your hands miss.

your feet fail.

you fall back down.

you become consciously aware of how tight your chest is.

you keep trying, to the same result; jump, fall. jump, fall. you aren't sure how much longer you can hold your breath, either, and the hydraulic doors are shut fast - you can't even budge them.

you've tried.

you can just about imagine tails in your mind's eye as you try the platform again, scrambling around in a panic. he's four, in a mechanised factory with no way out, suddenly all on his own. the thought alone propels you forward, and you land a grip on the platform above you.

a foothold. something - there's gotta be some way out of this.

you glance up.

the clearance of the ceiling above you is still high, but for a brief second, you can see the lights of the level above you. you can see the wavering figure of tails, looking in from above, his two tails flickering around.

he looks nervous.

you can't help but laugh in relief - he's okay.

your mistake hits you all at once.

there is no air. the crushing weight of the water bears downwards, and you drop like a stone. there are no chaos emeralds, there is no life-saving device here. just water, yourself, and your own stupid reflection.

the "passing out" feeling begins sweeping over you, and just before you shut your eyes, you recount every last feeling you've ever felt - that time you dropped from spring yard zone and hit the ground a bit too hard, or the time the walls of marble zone came in faster than anticipated.

the time robotnik (eggman, you teased, once upon a time) hit you a bit too hard.

you're dying.

you're dying over and over again, and this time the only exception is that you're made to feel it.

you want to cry.

you can't.

the water cries for you.

you blink, and you're right back at the beginning of chemical plant zone. the sky is clear, the sun is warm; the wind blows through you.

tails looks up at you, waving his hand in front of your eyes to get your attention. he looks just as expectantly nervous as he did before you entered.

he asks if you're ready.

you can't make yourself move. all you can do is drop to your knees and cry.

you heave a breath of air, but all you can taste is water.

[usafphantom2]

F-35 To Get Meteor, SPEAR 3 Missiles “By End Of Decade”

The new weapons will provide an especially lethal combination with the F-35’s stealth and forthcoming upgraded sensors.

Thomas NewdickPUBLISHED Jan 22, 2024 12:57 PM EST

F-35 SPEAR METEOR

MBDA

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that its F-35B stealth fighters will be armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles and SPEAR 3 precision-guided standoff munitions by the “end of the decade.” The new weapons promise to bring a major leap in capability for the F-35B, especially when combined with the enhancements that the Block 4 upgrade will provide, especially for the aircraft’s radar, which will make the Meteor even more formidable.

In response to a written question in the U.K. parliament, James Cartlidge, a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defense, confirmed the timeline to integrate the two weapons.

An F-35B, presented together with ASRAAM, SPEAR 3, and Meteor missiles, with a concept model for the next-generation Tempest stealth fighter seen on the far left. Crown Copyright

“The U.K. Lightning Force currently operates the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), and the Paveway IV precision-guided bomb. By the end of the decade, both Meteor and SPEAR 3 will also be integrated to U.K. F-35s.”

Previously, the government had said that the U.K. F-35B would be armed with Meteor by the “middle of this decade,” while a date of 2027 at the earliest had also been given in a government report dated February 2022. The latest statement doesn’t necessarily contradict that since it also includes the integration of SPEAR 3, which may take longer.

An F-35 carrying a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAMs in one of its two weapons bays. Crown Copyright

The introduction of the two new missiles on the F-35 has been in the works for some time now.

In 2019, Lockheed Martin received initial funding to start integration, although preliminary work was already underway by that point.

Crown Copyright

In 2021, European missile house MBDA and BAE Systems announced they had secured additional funding from the British and Italian governments to complete the integration. The funding was thought to be worth around $400 million and covered both the short takeoff and vertical landing F-35B (as operated by the United Kingdom and Italy) and the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A (acquired by Italy, and many others, but not the United Kingdom).

Meteor, which is already in service on British Eurofighter Typhoons, and which completed operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) on Italian Eurofighters late last year, is a weapon that The War Zone has discussed in depth in the past.

A U.K. Royal Air Force Typhoon takes off, loaded with Meteor missiles below the fuselage. Crown Copyright

The beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, or BVRAAM, is often named as the most capable weapon in its class. While that’s debatable, there’s no doubt that Meteor offers powerful capabilities, some of which are unique.

From the outset, Meteor was intended to better the range and overall kinematic performance of the AMRAAM. This is achieved primarily through its novel propulsion system, with a solid-fuel, variable-flow, ducted rocket (or ramjet). This means the missile can throttle its engine during different phases of flight, ensuring that it still has plenty of energy during its terminal attack — when traditional air-to-air missile motors are normally losing energy.

In this way, the missile’s ‘no-escape zone’ is dramatically increased, reducing the chance of the target being able to defeat the Meteor through high-energy maneuvering at the endgame of the engagement. This endgame could be played out at up to 130 miles away from its launching platform — range claims for Meteor differ widely and the actual figure is a closely guarded secret. An air-to-air missile's range is also highly dependent on a wide number of factors, including track of the target and the height and speed of the launch platform.

The ‘smart’ powerplant in the Meteor is combined with a two-way datalink, which supplements the missile’s active X-band radar seeker, providing the Meteor with inflight updates as it flies out to the target. However, the advantage of being able to throttle the motor means that the autopilot can provide the most efficient flight profile to the target for very long-range shots.

The then U.K. Secretary of State for Defense, Gavin Williamson (center), is shown a Meteor missile by MBDA staff at their factory. Crown Copyright

At the same time, the datalink can feed the missile with mid-course guidance updates from ‘third party’ sources, as well as the aircraft that launched it. These might include other fighters, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, or even sensors on land and at sea.

With its unrivaled suite of sensors, the F-35 is equipped as good, if not better, than perhaps any other fighter to provide targeting data to the Meteor, but the ability for the missile to receive mid-course updates from other sources means the launch aircraft might not even need to use its radar at all to engage the target. For a stealth aircraft like the F-35, this is especially important, allowing for an entirely passive engagement that maximizes the aircraft's stealth attributes.

An artist’s impression of an F-35 armed with SPEAR 3 and Meteor. MBDA

Furthermore, the two-way nature of the datalink means that the pilot that launched the Meteor will receive information on the missile’s fuel, energy, and tracking state, helping them decide on whether to fire another, disengage or even assign another target altogether.

While the AIM-120D AMRAAM that can arm the F-35 also offers a two-way datalink with third-party targeting capabilities, and many other advantages over older ‘Slammers,’ including significantly extended range, but it doesn’t have a ramjet motor and all the benefits that brings.

An AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM sits at Raytheon’s Tucson, Arizona plant. Raytheon

Clearly, Meteor can offer a fourth-generation fighter like the Typhoon a significant edge in air combat, but this will be magnified when it starts to be carried by a stealth fighter.

Essentially, the F-35’s combination of low radar cross-section, powerful integrated sensors, and advanced information systems will ensure that it can ‘see and not be seen,’ while Meteor will allow it to engage aerial targets at long range, taking out hostile aircraft long before they even know an enemy fighter is present. This will be of particular relevance in the kinds of highly contested airspace that will be expected in a potential future conflict with China, for example. That extra range is also important as advanced infrared search and track systems improve and proliferate.

At the same time, the future Block 4 version of the F-35 will be even better able to maximize the capabilities inherent in Meteor. Block 4 is a massive upgrade initiative and something that we have examined in the past. We know it will include a new multifunction active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar designated as AN/APG-85 as well as advanced electronic warfare capabilities. As for the radar, this is expected to be a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based system, that should significantly boost radar range and resolution. Combined with Meteor, this will make the F-35 even more lethal, especially in long-range engagements of the type in which the missile excels.

An infographic showing future U.K. F-35 weapons, (1) ASRAAM, currently carried; (2) Meteor; (3) SPEAR 3. MBDA

It's worth noting that Meteor will be carried internally by the F-35, ensuring that it preserves its stealth characteristics. The downside is that the aircraft will only carry four Meteors internally in an air-to-air role, reduced to two when carrying offensive ordnance internally (e.g., two Meteors and eight SPEARs).

The F-35’s ability to carry only four internal AMRAAMs, at least in its current form, is something that is now being addressed under the U.S. Sidekick program, separate from Block 4, and which will allow the F-35A and F-35C to add another two of these missiles in its weapons bays. After all, whatever the capabilities of the air-to-air missile, pilots are likely going to want more of those weapons. It isn't clear if Sidekick will be able to accommodate Meteor, but it doesn't look like it will be available for the F-35B's smaller bays, regardless. External carriage could be a good option for some missions though, especially ones where the long reach of Meteor will provide enough capability to counter known threats without the need for maximum stealth.

While Meteor should help the F-35 achieve dominance in the air-to-air arena, the SPEAR 3 will bring significant advantages in air-to-ground/surface missions.

The United Kingdom already invested almost $700 million in SPEAR 3, with a contract announced in 2021, to arm its F-35Bs. The country has very high hopes for the weapon, with the Royal Air Force stating that it will “become the Lightning’s primary air-to-ground weapon … over the next decade.”

An artist’s impression showing SPEAR 3 deployed by a Typhoon and an F-35. MBDA

The SPEAR 3 (Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 3) is a further development of the short-range Brimstone missile, with a turbojet engine and pop-out wings to ensure a range of more than 87 miles and a high subsonic speed.

SPEAR 3 is another weapon that we’ve examined in depth in the past. Suffice it to say, it’s intended to engage static and moving targets on land and at sea in all weather, day and night. This ability is conferred by its tri-mode seeker which offers radar, infrared, and laser homing. After reaching the target area under GPS and inertial navigation, SPEAR 3 can autonomously identify and prosecute targets, or target coordinates can be sent to the missile via datalink, exploiting the launch platform’s sensors or those of third parties. Once again, the advantages conferred by the F-35’s combination of sensors and stealth will provide a powerful adjunct to SPEAR 3.

Alternatively, SPEAR 3 can strike its target via laser guidance, which can be provided by an aircraft overhead the target area or by a suitably equipped team of soldiers on the ground nearby can designate it with a laser.

In many ways, SPEAR 3 has similarities with the U.S. GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, better known as StormBreaker, although the British weapon offers almost double the range and will reach its targets faster than the unpowered StormBreaker glide bomb.

An illustration of in-development and future weapons concepts from MBDA, including SPEAR-EW, SPEAR 3, and Meteor. MBDA

As well as its basic form, as a ‘mini cruise missile’ with an explosive payload, SPEAR 3 is also being developed with an electronic warfare payload with jammer and decoy functions. SPEAR-EW will be expected to work alongside the baseline weapon to help smash through enemy air defenses as well as to protect launching aircraft, and even other missiles, during especially hazardous missions like this.

The War Zone previously outlined one scenario in which the SPEAR-EW could be used:

“By pairing SPEAR 3s with SPEAR-EWs in a fully networked fashion, the mini-cruise missiles can work as a swarm to shatter critical parts of the enemy’s air defense network. For instance, SPEAR-EW could spoof or jam an enemy threat emitter while SPEAR 3s search for and destroy not just the emitter, but all the components of the SAM site arranged nearby.”

SPEAR-EW. MBDA

“SPEAR-EW could also provide electronic warfare screening on the fly for SPEAR 3s that are trying to make their way to a set of targets between the launch aircraft and the surface threat or threats. By detecting a pop-up threat on its own or via datalink from the launch aircraft, SPEAR-EW could act in real-time to suppress the threat so that the rest of the horde of missiles can make it to their target areas safely.”

Thanks to their turbojet engines, SPEAR 3 and SPEAR-EW can also throttle back and loiter over an area for extended periods. In this way, they could be launched preemptively into an area where mobile air defense systems might be expected, engaging them once they start producing their telltale radio-frequency emissions.

An artist’s impression showing an F-35 launching a quartet of SPEAR 3s. MBDA

As mentioned previously, the F-35B will be able to carry up to eight SPEARs, using a quadruple launcher in each of its two weapons bays, together with a pair of Meteors.

Harnessing the capabilities offered by Meteor and SPEAR 3 will require the F-35’s Block 4 upgrade, which the United Kingdom plans to retrofit across its entire Lightning fleet, as well as incorporate in examples of the aircraft acquired in the future.

Some of the unclassified upgrades within Block 4. The exact configuration has not been publicly disclosed. U.S. Department of Defense

While new weapons like these, and others, plus the new radar, are a fundamental part of Block 4, the upgrade will bring a lot more on top of these.

Not all Block 4 upgrades have been revealed in the public domain, but the enhancements will also address the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS).

Lockheed Martin

It’s also worth recalling that Block 4 relies upon a new suite of hardware and software, known as Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3), which modernizes the F-35’s core processor, memory unit, panoramic cockpit display system, and related avionics. TR-3 is being described as the F-35’s new ‘computer backbone,’ since it promises to provide 25 times more computing power than the existing TR-2 computing system, although its development path has not been entirely straightforward.

The War Zone has previously looked at delays with TR-3 and how that has left new F-35s being parked and not delivered after they are constructed, waiting for these features to be added.

For the United Kingdom in particular, there remain questions, too, about the number of F-35Bs it will buy.

A U.K. Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning aircraft prepares to land onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. Crown Copyright Crown Copyright

As of May 1, this year, the United Kingdom had received 31 F-35Bs, one of which was lost in a takeoff mishap in the Mediterranean Sea in 2021 and which will be replaced in a future order. These 31 jets are part of an initial order for 48 aircraft, known as Tranche 1. The last of these are due to be handed over by the end of 2025.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense had long harbored an aspiration to field a fleet of 138 F-35Bs, although consistent budgetary concerns have led to an apparent rethink.

F-35B pilots fist bump on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Crown Copyright

To date, the U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed plans to place a Tranche 2 order for 27 F-35Bs, which will provide a total fleet size of 74 aircraft. As a recent Defense Committee report prepared for the House of Commons Committee states: “There remains ambiguity about plans for the F-35 fleet in terms of its eventual size, operational deployment, and attribution; and there are ongoing concerns about program costs and force growth rate.”

Whatever the number of U.K. F-35s eventually fielded, the introduction of Block 4, including the Meteor and SPEAR 3 weapons, will provide a whole new level of capabilities.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has said that it remains open to the possibility of purchasing further F-35s beyond the 74 now specified, although a decision is not likely until around the middle of this decade.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com

[fatehbaz]

In September 1986, sixty scientists and policy makers convened for the “National Forum on BioDiversity” in Washington, DC. The conference, organized under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academies of Science, included some of the biggest names in the U.S. science and conservation communities [...]. [T]he conference organizers coined the term biodiversity, which quickly became the rallying cry [...]. As the forum was telecast and participants interviewed by news agencies nationwide, it even became a household word. [...] Significantly, Wilson and the other participants cast tropical diversity not only as threatened nature but also as a natural resource. The uncatalogued species of the world, the vast majority of which lay in the tropics, figured as humanity’s most irreplaceable and untapped asset. [...] With biologists’ expertise, the diversity of life could be recognized and valued as “a source of economic wealth,” [...].

The suddenness with which biodiversity landed on the lips of policymakers and “Save the Rainforest” appeared on bumper stickers belies a deeper intellectual and political history. Consciousness of tropical biodiversity exploded onto the scene in the mid-1980s, but it was not a new concept to biologists. U.S. scientists’ engagement with life in the tropics already stretched back a century. During this time, scientists had struggled with questions of the biological differences of the tropics -- especially its richness in species -- and at the same time entangled themselves in U.S. corporate and government efforts to exploit tropical resources. [...] From the era of the Spanish-­American War and the construction of the Panama Canal through the revolutionary 1960s and 1970s, U.S. biologists sought ongoing access to research sites in the tropics. [...] [T]he ideas, attitudes, and institutions forged at field sites in the colonies and neocolonies of the circum-­Caribbean are crucial for understanding the emergence of this new paradigm in biology and conservation at the end of the century. Long before the 1986 BioDiversity Forum extended such ideas to the globe, U.S. biologists had begun both to articulate fundamental biological questions raised by the diversity of tropical life and to argue for its potential as a resource. [...]

---

From the European voyages of exploration of the sixteenth century to the overland expeditions of nineteenth-­century naturalists [...]. [T]he equatorial regions have figured as an earthly paradise or a green hell. This discourse [...] has pictured the tropics as an exotic Other -- [...] a realm of unbounded abundance and riotous growth [...]. Like Orientalist discourses, this exoticized imaginary geography of the equatorial regions has functioned to justify the [...] exploitation of its people and environments. [...] In popular imaginings, the tropics were -- and largely remain -- a region of untapped potential. [...] The geography of ecological research in the tropics continues to reflect colonial legacies [...]. Especially at first, they tended to work within British colonies, such as Jamaica or Guiana [...]. Increasingly, however, U.S. biologists accessed land and funding through the growing avenues of their own country’s economic, political, and military hegemony. In 1898 Spain ceded Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam to the United States, and the United States annexed Hawaii. Following the U.S.-­backed secession of Panama from Colombia in 1903, the Panama Canal Zone was created [...]. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the United States had thus acquired an “archipelago” of tropical colonies. In the decades that followed, American agribusinesses -- most notoriously the United Fruit Company -- became major tropical landholders, exerting influence on economies, politics, and landscapes well beyond the borders of these outright colonies. U.S. biologists could make inroads into tropical environments through these neocolonies [...].

---

In fact, this emphasis [on “basic” fields like ecology, rather than agricultural science] is intended to better illuminate the historical evolution of connections between basic biology and efforts to colonize and develop natural resources in the circum-Caribbean. The links between U.S. science and colonial and neocolonial ventures are certainly more obvious in the realm of tropical medicine and agriculture. The large numbers of entomologists, engineers, and medical doctors who worked to control disease-­bearing mosquitoes in Cuba and the Panama Canal Zone provided the foundations of U.S. territorial control, as well as humanitarian justifications for invasion. Scientific agriculture, chemistry, economic botany, and entomology also played key roles in enabling vast banana, sugar, and rubber monocultures, mitigating the effects of pests and disease that threatened the profits of corporations throughout the region. Such examples of science, medicine, and agriculture working in the service of empire are relatively well known [...].

Nevertheless, the rise of a self-­identified community of “pure” or “basic” tropical biologists was also deeply embedded in the expanding networks of U.S. corporate and government influence in the circum-­Caribbean.

Studies of butterfly mimicry, monkey behavior, or orchid taxonomy may seem rather esoteric, but they, too, depended on access to land, transportation, and patronage. Through much of the twentieth century, these came largely through government agencies and corporations -- organizations with strong interests in controlling lands and resources in the region. Proponents of basic research on the natural history and ecology of tropical species often struggled to gain support, but gradually they found a variety of ways to make the case for the relevance of basic tropical biology to regional colonial interests. [...]

[S]ignificant among these strategies was the development of the diversity-as-resource argument, which would become a key component of biodiversity discourse at the end of the century. [...]

---

The 1960s and 1970s saw a wave of highly influential publications on problems of [...] species diversity, which drew heavily on data from key tropical field sites. Yet, at this same moment U.S. scientists’ future in the tropics was thrown into question. Revolution swept Cuba and protests erupted in Panama against the U.S. occupation of the Canal Zone. U.S. tropical biologists [...] responded by realigning themselves, creating professional organizations, and taking new steps toward international collaboration. [...] Today, the institutions that are the most [...] heavily used by U.S. biologists [...] are located in independent republics: the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) in Costa Rica and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) [...] in Panama. Key players in the move to bring “biodiversity” to the public stage in the 1980s were tropical biologists who had deep connections to OTS and STRI during the previous two decades of transition. The emergence of the modern biodiversity discourse [...] is a direct product of the intellectual and political ferment of tropical biology during that revolutionary period. The significance of that moment, in turn, can be understood only in the context of the full twentieth century and its mixed legacies for tropical biology [...] and a long-­standing dependence on institutions supported by U.S. corporations and government agencies. Through the twentieth century, tropical biologists developed ways to cast problems of deforestation [...] and species loss as justifications for the support of basic research on tropical species and [...] the ecological relationships that sustain them. With the emergence of biodiversity, the problems of the tropics became the problems of the world.

---

All text above by: Megan Raby. “Introduction: From Tropicality to Biodiversity.” In: American Tropics: The Caribbean Roots of Biodiversity Science. 2017. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me.]

[lunarsilkscreen]

Demands on Goods and Food Inflation

Roscoe Filbur was penalized under the 1938 Agricultural Adjustment act for harvesting too much wheat.

[thanks to the person who directed me to the case]

I'm going to be referencing the encyclopedia brittanica article mostly, here and there if you want to confirm my analysis and assertions.

The first thing modern analysts are going to be screaming is "Racism"..because it's true; there were plenty of racists stemming effects as this benefitted the white owned and established farms over the black sharecropper start-ups. (Don't @ me, I'm sure there's a lot more on *that* front. But in the interest of time...) The benefits helped already established farms from going under.

They did this because there was wildly fluctuating prices at the time, and it ultimately saved many farmers from bankruptcy (as opposed to *all* farmers).

Well, actually, it was because crops had dropped to less than half of their original price in a very short time due to technological advancement. So the government decided to regulate the amount of crops produced across the country so that farmers could pay their mortgages.

This was to the benefit of some farmers that overextended their debt acquiring farming equipment and land. I'm asking the question now (since racism) Did that benefit farmers in Debt over farmers without? I'm not sure.

But what this confirms for me is the idea that inflation is directly tied to mortgages and debt by larger industry. If they're going to bailout those with the most debt-which will, by design; cause inflation. What are the widespread effects of that?

We know the "New Deal" and the "New Deal Jr." We're established to help the "forgotten man". With social programs and construction programs aimed at alleviating woes the average *homeowner* faced.

And then what? Did that help a majority of people lean into advancements for society as a whole?

-OR- and this is speculation: OR did that create a class of landlords and an industry built on renting to people in perpetuity? If so; how do we go from *that* to a system that focuses on keeping houses in good repair *and* replacing/upgrading/or even rebuilding as necessary?

We should have a class of craftsmen, who upgrade homes and infrastructure to the latest technological standards, and keep houses from deteriorating because the price on the home is more important than the house inspection.

And people should be able to afford those upgrades without the risk of losing everything inside their home when the bank repossesses the home.

How do we get from where we are; to where that isn't just a pipe dream?

[loominggaia]

why are gnomes so populous (or at least, populous enough to be in the top 5 most populous species)? IIRC, they're not that prolific of breeders?

To answer this, I must talk about the history of gnomes for a moment. All gnomes descend from just three ancient tribes in Umory-Ond. These tribes had a lot of interaction with eachother and developed a lot of cultural similarities before they travelled overseas to new lands.

Even in modern times, many gnomes adhere to these ancient, traditional ways of life. That's because their size makes it hard for them to interact with larger peoples and pick up new ways. They tend to stick to enclaves their own kind, so their cultures don't change much.

Traditionally, gnomes had a lot of children. They can afford to do this much easier than other species, because frankly, their size means that resources go a lot further for them. A loaf of bread feeds one human for one day. But that same loaf of bread feeds an entire gnome family for a week! Clothes can be expensive, but gnomes only need a tiny scrap of fabric to make a whole outfit. You get the idea...

Because of their small size, they often go unnoticed and unchallenged by other peoples. Gnomes have avoided a lot of conflicts throughout history because they were not regarded as a threat to anyone. Thousands of gnomes take up very little land and resources compared to thousands of centaurs, so other peoples were not fighting them for these things very often. Less wars + less death = more gnomes survive and go on to breed. There has never been a gnome-specific genocide in Looming Gaia's history, which cannot be said for any other species.

Today, most gnome families have between 2-4 children. In the past, 6-10 children was typical. Though they have a fewer children than their ancestors, all the other factors still apply: they rarely die to war or struggle to acquire resources.

Also, their traditional cultures encourage strong community while discouraging deviance, so they are less likely to suffer from mental health problems, addictions, and general dysfunction which claims the lives of most other species. Gnome communities are known to be rather conservative and even xenophobic at times, but these communities are also very supportive of their own kind.

Isolated, destitute gnomes are quite rare. Even if their families don't support them, gnomes can easily sustain themselves on the leftovers of larger peoples without facing the typical consequences. They can also live among animals with their natural affinity for beasts.

In some areas, "homeless" gnomes infest the houses of larger peoples like mice do. The homeowners may not notice for a long time because the gnomes are so small, and their impact is small too. Entire gnome communities have been discovered dwelling in peoples' walls or attics, surviving on dinner scraps for generations! Some homeowners are aware, and choose to allow this because the gnomes can actually be beneficial, by chasing away more destructive pests like rodents while asking for very little in return.

Now imagine a family of trolls trying to pull that off...

I will also mention that the majority of gnomes do not pay taxes or use gold as currency at all, even if they live within Great Kingdom jurisdiction. They tend to isolate in their own little communities, to the point that many are not even registered as citizens and the kingdoms don't realize they exist (or just don't care because they have such a small impact anyway). Gnomes take care of their own kind for the most part, and without the crushing weight of capitalism pushing down on them, they are more inclined to raise big families.

Their small size makes it easy for gnomes to live just about anywhere, even in seemingly barren areas that could never support larger species.

Sometimes it pays to be small!

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (October 6)

On October 6, the Catholic Church commemorates Saint Bruno of Cologne, founder of the Carthusian order of monks who remain notable for their strictly traditional and austere rule of contemplative life.

Born in 1030, Bruno is said to have belonged to a prominent family in the city of Cologne.

Little is known of his early years, except that he studied theology in the present-day French city of Reims before returning to his native land, where he was most likely ordained a priest in approximately 1055.

Returning to Reims the following year, he soon became head of the school he had attended there, after its director Heriman left to enter consecrated religious life in 1057.

Bruno led and taught at the school for nearly two decades, acquiring an excellent reputation as a philosopher and theologian, until he was named chancellor of the local diocese in 1075.

Bruno's time as chancellor coincided with an uproar in Reims over the behavior of its new bishop Manasses de Gournai.

Suspended by the decision of a local council, the bishop appealed to Rome while attacking and robbing the houses of his opponents.

Bruno left the diocese during this period, though he was considered as a possible successor to Manasses after the bishop's final deposition in 1080.

The chancellor, however, was not interested in leading the Church of Reims.

Bruno and two of his friends had resolved to renounce their worldly goods and positions and enter religious life.

Inspired by a dream to seek guidance from the bishop later canonized as Saint Hugh of Grenoble, Bruno settled in the Chartreuse Mountains in 1084, joined by a small group of scholars looking to become monks.

In 1088, one of Bruno's former students was elected as Pope Urban II.

Six years into his life as an alpine monk, Bruno was called to leave his remote monastery to assist the Pope in his struggle against a rival papal claimant as well as the hostile Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.

Bruno served as a close adviser to the Pope during a critical period of reform.

Around this time, he also rejected another chance to become a bishop, this time in the Italian region of Calabria.

While he obtained the Pope's permission to return to monastic life, Bruno was required to remain in Italy to help the Pope periodically, rather than returning to his monastery in France.

During the 1090s, Bruno befriended Count Roger of Sicily and Calabria, who granted land to his group of monks and enabled the founding of a major monastery in 1095.

The monks were known, then as now, for their strict practice of asceticism, poverty, and prayer; and for their unique organizational form, combining the solitary life of hermits with the collective life of more conventional monks.

St. Bruno died on 6 October 1101, after making a notable profession of faith which was preserved for posterity.

In this final testimony, he gave particular emphasis to the doctrine of Christ's Eucharistic presence, which had already begun to be questioned in parts of the Western Church.

“I believe,” he attested, “in the sacraments that the Church believes and holds in reverence, and especially that what has been consecrated on the altar is the true Flesh and the true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we receive for the forgiveness of our sins and in the hope of eternal salvation.”

Veneration of St. Bruno was given formal approval in 1514 and extended throughout the Latin Rite in 1623.

More recently, his Carthusian Order was the subject of the 2006 documentary film “Into Great Silence,” chronicling the life of monks in the Grand Chartreuse monastery.

[kayfabebabe]

Trans Headcanons - William Regal

When in doubt, make your favourite Trans! There’s no further explanation needed...

WARNINGS - Mention of unsafe medical practices. Reference to violence/fighting. Vague reference to transphobia. (I’m sorry if I’ve missed anything.) 

~ ~ ~ 

Childhood and Family Nothing is known for certain about William’s childhood. Throughout the years, he’s told varying versions of his early life to different people and he never told the same story twice: 

“My Mother was the bearded lady at the circus and my Father was one of the rodeo clowns.”

“I didn’t know my Mother. She left before I was born.”

“Oh, my parents were named ‘ Bonnie and Clyde’.”

The lack of truth in these tales are a purposeful choice by William to hide the relative bleakness of his childhood. The only member of his biological family that William ever spoke of kindly was his Grandmother. A gentle woman who, in his own words, knew that William was “William” before anyone else. They never spoke openly about it to each other, but her love for William was unconditional. 

Coming to Blackpool Whilst still a teenager, William left home and moved to Blackpool - the nearest large city - in hopes of quietly transitioning and being a part of a more accepting community. Something that was impossible to do in a remote village. Even with the relative anonymity that came from being new around town, William kept the truth of his identity closely guarded from anyone that he met. Too many school-yard brawls had taught him that people were more likely to be cruel towards anybody different to themselves. 

The first friend that William made in Blackpool was Robbie Brookside. Having lied about his age to the owner, William worked in the same bar collecting glasses and cleaning tables whilst Robbie was a part of the security team.Their friendship was quick to begin and easy.

A Different Day and Age It’s fair to say that Testosterone wasn’t easily acquired during the mid-1980’s so the majority of people, including William, had to illegally obtain it. Dimly lit alleys between buildings and the backroom of pubs became pseudo-pharmacies. There was a constant looming threat of being discovered by police or crossing the wrong person. To call it dangerous would be a vast understatement. This is, also, how William managed to have top-surgery at only 18-years old.

There are many details that’ve been lost through the passage of time or William simply doesn’t want to share about how exactly that happened so we’ll leave it there. 

Wrestling It was Robbie Brookside who initially got William interested in wrestling.  Despite his smaller build and even temper, Robbie knew how to physically protect himself and it fascinated William. On a rare weekend off, Robbie brought William along to a wrestling show and he immediately fell in love with it. 

Nobody, absolutely NOBODY, ever questioned whether William was a “real man” or not. The hard-hitting style of his wrestling added to his credibility and his reputation quickly grew, only to follow him when he crossed the Atlantic.

Confidants The only person that William told he was Trans when he initally came to America at 26 years old was Tony Schiavone. In a foreign land with no real understanding of how to procure anything through not-so official channels, he had to turn to somebody. And Mr Schiavone had taken an obvious liking to the taller man with the distinctive accent. Their friendship lasts to this very day. 

William was always extremely careful with who he divulges his personal information to, even as attitudes changed. It took him 5 years of knowing Bryan Danielson before he learnt the truth of his mentor. Danielson’s thoughts about the older man did not change. 

Jon Moxley found out by accident. He had been skulking around backstage of a FCW show and witnessed William take a vial of testosterone from his duffel bag. After a too-heated confrontation, William had no option than to explain everything to Mox. Again, Moxley’s thoughts about the older man did not change with this new information. 

Modern Day Time is a glorious thing. A bloody glorious thing. 

Acceptance has become more widespread throughout the world and, while William is still somewhat protective over his identity, he is more willing to share with those in the community. On more than one occasion, a young wrestler would confide in him about themselves and he’d feel the urge to tuck them under his wing. To protect them from the possible hate and misunderstanding that he had to face himself for so long. .

~ 

[nomsfaultau]

(Not) Daily ask №32

I really don't think that I can keep up the 5 questions every single day thing. Procrastination gets the better of me : (

Isekai edition!

1. What is your favourite universe? Like a favourite show, game, book, etc.

2. What are your 3 favourite characters from that universe?

3 What is your favourite time period of the universe? Ex. Pogtopia arc for dsmp, an episode of a show, a scene from a book.

4. What is your favourite antagonist/villain from that universe?

5. BOOM fault crew gets into your favourite universe, in your favourite time period of the show, with your favourite characters finding them first and then they meet your favourite antagonist. How does that go?

There is completely no obligation to do anything ever, buddy. 

1.Really hard to look past the haze of Fault that’s been my brain for years. That said, I’ve been having an INSANELY good time with Taz vs Dracula recently. Essentially it’s a DND campaign where they go through a wacky gothic horror setting that’s very heavy on the comedy, all in the name of defeating Dracula. It incorporates a lot of free domain characters, so like Pinocchio, Mickey Mouse, King Arthur, the invisible man show up (or doesn’t, he’s a flakey POS). All with some crazy twist of course ofcours. Absolute blast. 

And no read more line because I’m proselytizing for this podcast now okay ok. 

2. Lady Godwin. She’s a posh old lady who got run over by Dracula and the Wolf Man (who is a bad influence on Dracula). She had a Frankenstein life policy but it got shut down due to bad business practice, and her head got stuck on a barbarian lady’s body. On top of that severe body dysphoria, Lady Godwin gets bitten by a were-horse and gets transported to the mental realm of Oats on occasion. She’s prim and huffy and goes into destructive rages. Perfect woman. 

Thumbs. Thumbs is a were-orangutan DJ for the Wolf Man’s nightclub, since he’s the only one with thumbs. There’s supposed to be a spell that allows everyone to communicate with one another, but he just speaks in monkey noises. Notably is banned from pushing the big red button on his DJ set up. BUt ooooooh man. Wants to. Deserves to. (this destroyed the were-house were-nightclub)

An. He’s an almost dead god of night with a dedicated cult and the Sword in the Stone jammed through his skull, pinning him in spot because evil cults don’t tend to have a lot of people pure of heart and rightful king of England material? Who knew. He’s so suave and has a major superiority complex and is so so so overtly evil but the DND party is just so chill about debating whether or not to free him. But An has searched all of the land to find the most Pure of Heart….and landed on Brother Phileaux, the monk currently sharing a Pinocchio body with THE Van Helsing. Who is an absolute little freak, mind, so I have absolutely zero idea why he’s trying to (in his own words) 4D chess manipulate Phileaux when he is pure by no one’s standards and also very dumb. It’s very hard to be a gaslight gatekeep girlbosser when dealing with stupid adventurers. Poor guy. He dies due to the redneck Mutt becoming the casual King of England, a reverse knock knock joke and the Toby Slayer*, and a cross that the interim-temporary Turbo Cardinal stole once. 

3. Episode 16 is my favorite part. Literally howling the entire time. Acquiring the Toby Slayer*, a legendary sword that obliterates anyone named Toby with. Yes this means they spend the rest of the campaign trying to name people Toby (nicknames, telling an amnesiac their name is Toby, shortening Turbo Cardinal to Toby (works because one of them is the king of England via authoritarian legends). They kill a god using the Toby slayer. This all happened because the DM tried to give last minute flavor text to a loot item. Casually water boarding the severed head of a Dracula clone while discussing if they could raise him to be the ‘good Dracula’. Meeting a crazy fish monster man with a basketball wife named Elizabeth, who is a druid that only turns into sports items. Taking a break from a revenge quest to play the sickest game of volleyball ever using said sports druid. Lady Godwin randomly biting a severed ear. The ENTIRE inventory situation of Phileaux, including teeth from a sea monster, said severed ear, and LITERALLY HIS OWN DEAD BODY SHRUNKEN DOWN INTO A LITTLE VILE. The offhand discussion about if Phileaux should make a flesh homunculous using spare Dracula clone parts. I think this TAZ episode made me laugh the most, though the Steeplechase campaign where they went on the trashiest dating show ever was so choice too. Schlebethany my beloved….

4. DRACULA. Oh my god he’s soooooooo fun. Might be my favorite villain ever. Absolute love to hate character, except he’s so funny and charismatic that it’s hard to hate him even though like terrible evil dude. But he’s also a complete dork, and cringes about his ‘wizard phase’ and opines about how everyone wants to kill him :( so rude. He had a toxic BFF relationship with the Wolf Man but had to cut him out for being a ‘bad influence’ (HE IS DRACULA THIS MAN IS THE WORST). He helps Mutt (protag) pull out his fangs to make earrings. All of his clones insist they’re ‘the good’ Dracula. Dracula had an unrequited romantic relationship with Dr. Frankenstein, and is now in a love triangle with him and another Dracula clone, who wants to kill OG Drac for breaking Frankenstein’s heart. He is a staunch supporter of the fine arts. So far I think he might be trying to mind control an entire town/end the world (?) via evil airpods because he can’t get one song out of his head from when he was a kid. And also so he doesn’t have to drink blood anymore because it’s yucky >.<

Like. Just listen to him:

“Dear diary.

How come everybody wants to kill Dracula?

I mean, the people whose villages I’ve razed to the ground, whose family trees I’ve so thoroughly pruned, them I understand. But how did my vulnerabilities become the topic of casual dinner table conversation? I don’t talk about the weaknesses of mortal men, and Lord knows I could. I may be biased, but it seems these days that haters are coming at me left, right, and center…(enter SICK MUSIC RIFF)

5.Tubbo will get obliterated. No help for it. The SECOND the DND party finds out their name, the Toby Slayer is going to come out. Thems the rules. Or they’d try, but the Fault crew would step in and then the DND party would be really chill and laid-back, brushing off the murder attempt while everyone else is freaking out. Tubbo would probably try to convince Phileaux to work more with Van Helsing on the semi system thing. Overall freaked out about how casual murder is here. Second, Wilbur is having a bad time due to the permanent eternal night upon the land. Oh well. Flashlights may or may not exist, since we have both horse-drawn carriages and Honda elontras show up? Good luck lmao. Phileaux could probably cast light on a pointed Pinocchio hat for him. But would be wayyy too interested in getting samples from the void. Tommy thinks it’s spooky as hell. Maybe Elizabeth could teach him the cantrip Shape Water, which would solve 99% of his problem if he can artificially control Red. Wait. And he can touch Brother Phileaux! That’s big for him, until Phileaux says something offputting and oh muffin that wasn’t a joke- The Blade is really vibing with Mutt, since, ranger. They’re also very blunt and straight forward characters. And he’d love Lady Agatha (dog). Probably Lady Godwin too for their similar rage modes, but the comments about curvaceousness would make him awkward. I really really really want Philza to party with the Wolf Man. But the auto killing any non were-person would be a damper on the relationship. And Philza isn’t at random haha murder philosophy atm, so would probably not hang even if he can pass. Ah wait forgot he’s super duper beheaded by this point of the series, moot point. He can definitely gel with Lady Godwin and Elizabeth about getting lost in the sauce re: body, be it the plane of horses, basketballs, or dragons. 

Now I could go on and on about how the existence of monsters casually in society both as threats and friends would drastically be eye opening for the Fault guys, etc etc, however they’re in the middle of a swamp at the moment. 

As for plot: The Blood God would be extremely hyped about the cult of the Buried Blood! …until he finds out it isn’t about him. Booo what kind of god gets half murdered? Loser. I figure the Fault crew would pick up An’s rank vibes way more than the DND party bothered to act on, the manipulation is pretty blatant. Tubbo is absolutely fuming about not being pure of heart, and that the random redneck did it through the power of rats. Tommy is desperate to become the king of England, and is infuriated because none of the DND guys know what England even is. 

Probably a lot less impressive to kill a god when you have like 3 on your team, but-

Everyone is down on the killing Dracula thing. Even Tubbo I think, given how evil he is. Would prefer a different method! But it’s looking like world ending stakes so maybe it’s okay. As for actually meeting the real OG Dracula? The campaign hasn’t gotten there, so I can’t even guess. But the fact both universes have potentially world ending songs is really funny. Based on vibes, Philza, Tommy, and The Blade think Dracula is absolutely great and kinda forget they’re there to kill him. Philza definitely sympathetic on the curse of immortality thing. Dracula doesn’t pass Wilbur’s vibe check at all, thinks he’s sleezy, and Tubbo can see way too much of the mind control stuff happening to brush it off. Like if they can manage to hate friendly Philza the charisma isn’t going to mean much. 

Probably ends up trying to suck Tommy’s blood, getting Red’d, and having the most balls to the walls insane fight scene ever. Man I can’t wait for the finale.

[jackwolfes]

Hello, can i ask for numbers 8 and 15 from the last 40 questions? I think they're really interesting.

of course lovely!! ✨💜 // [?s]

8: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

this is a slightly rogue example but i really like this snippet from the end of my marya character study! i love writing arguments and the cadence of this whole section was really gratifying, especially the rhythm with the way it ends

“The Council likes him much better than they ever liked you, because you aren’t a likeable man. But that isn’t what matters, is it? Likeable does not equate to good at business. Wylan manages both.” “Wylan–” “Wylan,” she interrupts, still not speaking any louder, “has grown the empire six times over in as many years. Shipping has stretched further across the True Sea than you could have ever managed. He has acquired land across the world and invested in a very clever sounding drug that uses jurda. He has done more than you ever could. When he dies and passes it all down to the child he and his husband will one day raise–” “It will not be my blood,” Jan snaps. “It will be some insolent, half-breed bastard.” “They will be my grandchild,” she says, “and I will love them.” 

15: If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

it feels like a cop-out to say regency wesper AU because that's what i'm writing at the moment but like!!! the vibes!! i really viscerally imagined some of the settings so if it could be filmed like, exactly how i envision it, that would be AMAZING.

and also like, yknow, filming the vast majority of what i write would be a very different sort of energy/probably only suitable for an OF account 😅

[gradsireninc]

How To Get A Job Without Experience (With 6 Career Options)

Are you wondering if you can get a job without any technical or professional experience?

Getting a job without any prior work experience can seem daunting. But it's not impossible! You can convince employers to take a chance on you with the right strategy and perseverance. This article will take you to some effective ways to land a job without experience. You'll get to know six career opportunities that don't require any experience or minimal expertise.

Let's dive in.

Effective Ways To Land A Job Without Experience

Here are some effective ways to help you make a strong case to potential employers and open doors to intriguing prospects. You can utilize these ways whether you're a recent graduate, switching to a different sector, or simply trying to start over.

Leverage Your Education

Highlight your academic credentials, especially if you have a degree that relates to the field or role you're pursuing. Coursework, projects, internships, leadership activities, and any honors or awards show your capabilities.

For example, if you majored in marketing, emphasize any analysis or campaigns you did for class. Or, if you're applying for a software engineering role, describe coding projects and hackathons you participated in.

Be prepared to talk intelligently about what you studied and how it prepares you for the job's responsibilities.

Showcase Transferable Skills

The fact that you don't have direct experience in a particular job doesn't mean you don't have relevant skills. The key is identifying abilities from other areas of life that translate.

For instance, if you're trying to get a retail job, customer service skills from past restaurant work are highly applicable. For an office manager role, administrative skills from coordinating student group events would be valuable. Make a master list of all your strongest soft and hard skills. Then, customize it for each job by picking 3-5 that fit the role.

Highlight Volunteer Experience

Any volunteer work can help fill in experience gaps on your resume. Nonprofit, community, religious, or other voluntary activities demonstrate responsibility, teamwork, dedication and other qualities employers seek.

Just be sure to frame your accomplishments from a professional standpoint. For example, "raised over $5,000 in donations" is better than "participated in a charity fundraiser".

Complete Internships

Internships are like work experience training wheels. They give you professional skills and knowledge and let you start building a network.

There are abundant internship opportunities, paid and unpaid, that don't strictly require you to already have experience. Look for openings at small or mid-sized companies that may be more flexible.

Successful interns are often converted to full-time hires post-graduation. Even if that doesn't happen, it's still incredible resume fodder.

Showcase Related Side Hustles

Freelancing, consulting, business ventures, etc., demonstrate you have initiative, can generate income, and pick up new skills quickly. Even informal side work like tutoring, web design, or selling crafts has merit.

For example, if you're seeking a full-time marketing position, tout the social media management or influencer marketing services you offer. Anything where you actively had to market yourself and acquire clients is impressive.

Just make sure you can back up any claimed skills if probed in interviews.

Ace the Interview

At the interview stage, how you present yourself matters more than a thin resume. Confidence, professionalism, problem-solving skills, bona fide interest in the company and quick learning ability can all override experience gaps.

Come equipped with thoughtful questions, ideas and visions for how you'd tackle the role. When asked about experience gaps, pivot to your assets.

For instance, "While I don't yet have full-time social media management experience, I learned XYZ skills managing the Instagram account for my college basketball team, which helped increase engagement by 30%."

Sell how you can provide unique value. With preparation and passion, you can make employers believe in your potential.

The key is convincing hiring managers you have the right foundation and can excel on the job. With resilience and utilizing these tactics, you can transition successfully into a new career without directly relevant experience.

Just highlight your transferable abilities, be willing to start at entry level and work hard to prove yourself. The rest will fall into place.

6 Career Opportunities Options You Can Pursue Without Having Any Prior Experience

Entry-Level Customer Service Representative: Customer service roles like call center reps or customer support specialists rarely require previous experience. You'll learn on the job how to interact with customers, troubleshoot issues, and provide excellent service.

Administrative Assistant: Many administrative or secretarial positions are open to those just starting. Your duties may include answering phones, scheduling, filing, data entry and supporting office operations.

Sales Associate/Retail Worker: Retail companies are often willing to hire people without experience for roles like cashier, sales floor associate, stocker, etc. These jobs provide lots of customer interaction.

Teacher's Aide/Assistant: Schools, daycares, and learning centers need paraprofessionals to support teachers in the classroom. No prior experience is necessary beyond a high school diploma.

Delivery Driver: Pizza chains, UPS, Instacart and other delivery companies need drivers to transport packages, food orders or other items. A clean driving record is generally the only major requirement.

Entry-Level Hospitality & Tourism: Hotels, restaurants, parks, and other hospitality providers have many basic operational jobs like a housekeeper, dishwashers, ride attendants, tour guides, etc. These allow you to start in the industry.

The key is being willing to apply for junior roles, learn on the go, provide great customer service, and work your way up the ladder. You can build a career even without direct experience with motivation and persistence. You can also ask for assistance from platforms like GradSiren that offer you entry level jobs. They allow you to find fresher jobs as per your interests and skills.

Conclusion

It is possible to find employment without experience. Put a focus on your education, practical experience, volunteering, internships, and relevant side businesses. Gain confidence and problem-solving skills during interviews.

Take a look at entry-level jobs in administration, retail, education, delivery, or hospitality. You can begin your job adventure and rise through the ranks if you are determined and open to learning. Remember that everyone starts off somewhere, and your potential can emerge with persistence.

[pridepurgatorium]

— I’ve tried hard to love you. (Try harder to save me.)

Lucifer/reader, gn!reader, PG13, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH

Original AO3 link here.

Chapter 5/5 [Series masterlist]

Quite the bombshell to drop after a silly jam session. Your heart was beating out of your chest so you can only imagine what Lucifer’s feels like. If only you had the capacity to fully understand how another being feels, maybe your lives would’ve been easier? But were you really thinking about yourself? Maybe you were really just hoping to get an idea of Lucifer and his vast mindscape. I mean imagine you just start gaining memories about your past lives with your lover but you don’t currently love them- er-? He could love you right now? You’re overthinking again.

“Yes, ma chérie.” You reply to his realization with only a little bit of shame. It kinda felt like you were hiding this from him. You knew that it would come down to this but you were hiding. From him. From the truth. From yourself. And with his realization came your shattering reality. You were really going to die. And it was going to be soon. And you wanted this? You mean yes of course you want to die after all this time. And deaths. But what if this one hurt a lot more? Or what if it failed. What happens after you die? Is it nothingness? No you can’t do that please you just wanna be happy-

Suddenly and rather violently if you do say so yourself, Lucifer grabbed you and hugged you tightly. 

“My dear you’ll be ok.” Gently shushing your hyperventilating you hadn’t even realized started.

“I can’t do it Lucifer! What if there’s nothing after I’m dead? I’ll be alone? Forever! I can’t do that Lucifer! I’m- I can’t be al-alone! I CAN’T- I can’t L-Lucifer maybe this isn’t so bad I-“ Your rambling continues while Lucifer shushes you and hugs you tighter. 

You couldn’t explain this to anyone. How you’d gotten so close to Lucifer so quickly. If anyone walked in you almost think you’d muster a laugh in your despair. Lucifer must have stuck out like a sore thumb. Authoritarian turned soft teddy bear. 

“Sweetheart. Hey. It’s ok. I know your scared. I know we don’t technically know eachother. But know that wherever you go, I will follow.” Your sobbing had the opposite effect of you assume he wanted. You sobbed harder. 

“How will you find me?!? I will be gone with nothing but mortal possessions and memories!” You raised your voice, but Lucifer knew it was not him you were angry at. 

“If I go to heaven how will you find me? If I’m in hell I must be punished! Lucifer I’m-“ Your screaming continued but as if a blessing from The Lord himself none of the brothers investigated. Maybe Diavolo filled them in.

“If you are in heaven I will demand Simeon bring you back to me. And my dear there’s nothing you could do to land in hell, you’re perfect. Wherever you go I will find you, if I cannot do I will find someone who can. My love for you transcends time.” Lucifer said and you got a strange sense of déjà vu but maybe he’s said that before?

More calmed down now, it was time to discuss the logistics with Diavolo and Solomon.

Walking to the castle gave you a sense of familiarity, with your freedom acquired the last time your legs took you here. And now you are back. For a freedom of sorts. But this would be a melancholy freedom. One that would leave everyone you love in shambles but knowing this would be the last time. The last set of your loved ones to see you in the flesh and the finale.

Solomon was filled in on the situation when you and Lucifer got there. You sensed he might want to ask more questions but now was not the time. He was free to read your diary and notebooks when you were dead. The finality of it all. The fact you would not have another exchange program to go back to.There would not be another greeting and welcome to the exchange program for Diavolo. There would not be another Mammon running through the door. There would not be another Lucifer to hold you close and dance with you and sing with you and play songs with you and love you. Perhaps that was what scared you the most.

“We acquired the night dagger, I assume you’ve said your goodbyes?” Solomon asked. 

The picture of apathy. You weren’t even really sure if this was affecting him but if the look in his eyes he was faking. Perhaps that is what hurt you the most. None of them would see you again. Your mind races back to your other friends. The ones in the other timelines. 

“All but you guys.” You reply to the question you’d almost forgotten. 

You and Lucifer had been avoiding a goodbye. If you acknowledge this was your last goodbye you're sure you would have broken down once again.

“Do you truly want to die?” Diavolo asked. The question left you shaken but your resolve was still. 

“Diavolo my time was done long ago. If I don’t die here I think I truly will go mad.” You intended for it to be playful but it ended up more harsh.

“Here’s the night dagger. W- We- You will be missed dearly.” Diavolo finally settled on.

Your dear friends seemed to remember your memories with them and that broke your heart more severely than you had expected possible.

“Solomon and Lord Diavolo, could you please leave us be for a second? I have something to do with them.” Lucifer’s request seemed out of the blue, but to you, you knew what was coming. His final request to you, his friend, his lover. 

They left the two of you in silence.

“Would you care for a dance, my dear?” Lucifer asked.

“Anything for you, my sweetheart.” You said.

He grabbed you and the two of you fell into a rhythm that felt correct. There was no music but if focused hard enough you could almost tell what would be playing. There was no melody in your head but rather, the somber strings of a sad violin, the harsh bang of the timpani. Your life turned into a symphony. 

“If I may be transparent, I had another reason for getting you alone.”

You had expected as much, and you suspected Diavolo at the least also figured out Lucifer’s alternative motives. 

“I don’t think I can kill you in front of anyone else.” He finished.

“I assumed as much. My Morningstar, you will be okay.” You said to him.

“Take the dagger and pretend I’m your most hated enemy and…”

This was awkward and sad and somber and you were tired but you knew Lucifer was even worse.

“I’m sorry this is the way it turned out for you. I’m sorry I broke your heart every time. I love you so much I’m at a loss for how to thoroughly express myself.” 

“It is ok my dear, I must be strong.” He had tears streaming down his face.

He grabbed the dagger and you knew your time was almost up.

Grabbing his face and surrendering him to a macabre kiss, he pierced the dagger in your heart. 

“Goodbye, my Lucifer.”

Your last breath, spent on your lover's name.

“Goodbye my sweetheart. I love you.”

Perhaps that was what hurt him the most. Your fade into nothingness.

But were you really fading into nothingness? Your life impacted the most powerful demons in the world. A great sorcerer. Two kind angels. A reaper. 

A million thoughts raced through your head.

You were gone, but you would not be forgotten. Your policies as ambassador. Your time with the brothers. Helping them grieve their sister. Hopefully they remember what you taught them.

Lucifer had opened up so much. He talked to you about his emotions. This would break him as it broke him every time you died. But you only thought about it now. Perhaps you were selfish. 

He’s beautiful.

And that was your last thought as you finally left for whatever awaited you in the afterlife.

I love you Lucifer.

And with that we conclude, hope you enjoyed this trainwreck. I’m almost 100% sure that I’d cringe if I did anything more than skim it but it’s cathartic to see where I’ve come from, this was my first ever fanfic and it has served it’s purpose in my heart, hopeful it’s enjoyable for you as well.

[wathanism]

Hi there! Alright please bare with me cause I have to lay some ground work to get to my question.

So in every country right, there's an elite that's separate from the rest and then globally there's an elite (the 1% of the 1%) which I think most people are aware of. Usually in the west & countries that are more homogeneous the elite class tend to be made up of members from the major ethnic group with maybe a few from minority groups. In the Caribbean for example, that's not the case.

Colonisation, slavery & indentured servitude resulted in a mixture of ethnic groups across the islands but people of African descent (black) usually make up the majority for most islands. The elite class however are made up of minority groups and are also a group of families whose last names are so powerful the names practically act like currency. When you hear any one of those last names doors you might not have even known existed suddenly open. Sadly, there's almost a built in response to facilitate whatever it is these people need.

Most islands have their independence and on the face of it we govern ourselves. But these families (they are largely European white, Jewish, some Syrian, Chinese & others) came after independence as foreigners and integrated into the local population, they've become citizens, they send their kids to school here, they speak the mother tongues etc. but have also aligned themselves in such a way that they control the economic and political sphere. They own a lot of the big businesses and land but they don't hurt the local/indigenous population physically either. There's no violence or obvious oppression or ethnic cleansing to call it settler colonialism.

My question is, do you think this is simply elitism or given the colonial history of the region is it more of a blend of elitism and colonialism and maybe other things that deserves its own name?

ooohhh see this is a fun question, bc this is a part of the world i really don't know much of anything about unfortunately. i can't give any definitive answers, but i can like. try to piece together some thoughts based on other things i know and ask some questions that i think are relevant to the topic.

if there's one thing i learned from studying colonialism, it's that sometimes you gotta expand your definition of violence. maybe the locals aren't getting physically beat up or bombed or shot or what have you, but are they being priced out of their homes by gentrification? are they not given equal access to healthcare? are there any laws that unjustly are applied to them while the ruling class gets off without issue? there are countless other examples, but my point is that violence doesn't look one way, and oftentimes the systems of law that are viewed as orderly and "just how things go" are violent at their root.

another relevant question i think is how did these families acquire this much wealth and power? how did they get ownership of that land? is what they're doing on that land damaging the environment? if so, are they bending or changing the laws to keep doing it, and who's being hurt by the environmental damage? what are their labor practices like? are they paying their fair share of taxes? are they collaborating with colonialist mega-corporations like monsanto for example? these are all things that have been weaponized against black and indigenous people, and even if they're not violent in the same way as a bullet to the face, it's still colonial violence.

a lot of these are questions that are veering into the topic of capitalism, but i think capitalism and colonialism are inseparable and you can't meaningfully talk about one without the other. if colonialism is the "what," then capitalism is the "how" and "why."

it's also important to remember that settler colonialism is just one TYPE of colonialism. places like french-occupied syria and british-occupied india were still under colonial rule, but they weren't settler colonies. it's important to look at resource extraction and labor rights. sure, there's big businesses there, but who's actually benefiting from that?

then there's also the matter of neo-colonialism. just because a state is on paper independent, it's pretty often that being under colonial rule weakens the new state so much that they're still forced to rely on their old colonial rulers. because of that they're often unable to fully dismantle systems that were put in place during the colonial period, so the independence, while still a step forward, is not the end-all-be-all of it.

none of that actually answers your question lol, but my point is that this is all stuff i would want to keep in mind while trying to figure out what to make of the situation in the caribbean.

[angelcloves]

So, in the end credits, it's revealed that the Noceda's bought the old shack (Which now no longer looks like an old shack, but rather has been fixed up to the point it resembles an adorable tiny house instead). That's all well and good. I love the idea! I've decided that Boiling Isles' citizens who take part in the Demon/Human Exchange Program stay there while in The Human Realm.

But my question is... Who the hell owned that old shack in the first place? I know it was/is a popular fan theory that it was the Wittebane Brothers' house, but presumably they still wouldn't have owned it after four hundred years of being missing and presumed long dead.

You think the city of Gravesfield took ownership of it and retained it all those years until the Noceda's approached the city about buying it? I'm laughing imagining how that conversation must've gone.

Mayor: "So, I heard that you wished to inquire about purchasing a piece of city property?"

Camila: "Yes. My family is interested in buying the old shack in the woods behind our house."

Mayor: "An old shack in the woods? I wasn't aware that the city owned any real estate fitting that description..."

Camila: "My children did some research at the historical society. The shack was built by a pair of brothers by the name of "Wittebane". They disappeared shortly after coming of age and after a period of months were assumed dead, so the city of Gravesfield took possession. Who have been the listed owner ever since."

Mayor: "Interesting. You wouldn't happen to have a photo of this shack, would you?"

Camila: "I do! Right here." *She hands the mayor the picture.*

Mayor: "Ah yes, I recognize the property now. Your children are correct, Gravesfield has owned that building and the land surrounding it for a very long time indeed. I believe the historical society is supposed to maintain it, along with other properties associated with Old Gravesfield. Clearly in-between the great flood of 1990 that swamped the old cemetery and the... unfortunate circumstances behind the firing of the previous head of the historical society, it obviously hasn't been maintained. May I ask you why your family is interested in acquiring it?"

Camila: "My children and their friends used to play in that old shack, they even converted the front room into a clubhouse as teenagers. Of course, they're older now, so they aren't doing as much "hanging around" it as much as they used to. But they have many fond memories of the place and are concerned that the city might one day choose to tear it down, so they talked me into asking about buying it."

Mayor: "I see. Well, obviously I'll have to put forth your inquiry to the city council before I can promise anything... But between you and me, I can't see any reason why the city of Gravesfield can't sign off on such a sale. Clearly nothing has been done with the property for quite some time and it's beyond what most would consider to be the outskirts of Old Gravesfield proper. I doubt it has any major commercial or historical value, but clearly it has great personal meaning to you and your family. If it were just up to me, I would sign the needed papers right here and now - But as it stands, I'll put the motion forth at the next city council meeting."

Camila: "Thank you so much for your help, my kids will be thrilled!"

this is very sweet and touching. theres an airbnb joke in here somewhere but im too lazy to structure it right now