#trusted assistant

[markmcole]

How I’ve Been Using ChatGPT as a Christian, Musician, and Traveller

Over the past six months, I’ve discovered a new companion that has quietly become part of my daily rhythm—not a person, but a tool: ChatGPT. Like many of you, I was initially skeptical. Could an AI really help someone who’s walked with God for decades, taught and led music and worship for a living, loves blogging, and traveled to over 70 countries? I wasn’t looking for a shortcut or a gimmick—I…

[crabboytahomaru]

I NEED a crack fic about Mydei Argenti brothers

[tangramkey]

i love my Basketbot Portal AU

[solarroseart]

"Shadow the hedgehog is a G.U.N. Agent because he supports the government" ❌❌❌ "Shadow the hedgehog is a G.U.N. Agent because he is still recovering from the sudden death of his best friend and his major screw up aboard the ARK that almost left billions dead and is struggling to find direction and to trust his own judgement to do the right thing to protect the Earth and therefore places his faith in an institution that is much bigger than him and thinks they know better than he does" ✅✅✅

[serpentface]

A braithuvi horse at rest under the close protection and watchful, scary, pale-eyed gaze of her herd's guardian, a dírgrahdain. Both are landraces developed within the Highlands. The ancestors of braithuvi (and other Highlands native horses) were brought overseas by the ancestors of the Hill Tribes, while the dogs were obtained from native livestock guardian landraces used by proto-Wardi tribes. Each have become distinct over their centuries of living in the Highlands, and dírgrahdain are have a particularly unique place in the cultural schema.

Braithuvi are a woolly horse breed (and one of many, wool horses are widespread, second only to camala in value for textiles) that are also somewhat specialized for milk production. Their meat is relatively poor (other horses are preferred), but they produce high yields of milk and thick, continuous growths of wool.

Horses are not as culturally significant as cattle to most in the Highlands, but are still highly valued animals that are critical to subsistence. Few plant-based textiles can be produced in the Highlands, and almost all in the region are made with braithuvi wool. They can eat a greater variety of forage than cattle, more efficiently converting energy intake from pastures into milk and wool. Their milk is considered to be the very best of all livestock, and is usually what is used to make the prized murre beverage.

Dogs have a very small specific place in the cultures of the Hill Tribes as utilitarian working animals (specifically for livestock and occasionally as home/village guardians), and rarely ever fill other functions. The practice of keeping dogs purely for companionship is virtually nonexistent (though affectionate bonds between people and their herding or household guard dogs will be fairly common), and their meat is considered worthless. Most dogs are not elevated within the cultural schema, and tend to be merely appreciated as useful, loyal animals. Livestock guardian dogs are an exception to this, and tend to be of more significant cultural import. They are animals that exist to protect the herds on which all subsistence depends, and thus have an elevated cultural status and roles in religion and folklore as uniquely protective entities.

Dírgrahdain are the key livestock guardian dogs in the region, and the only natively developed LGD. Their name means 'lion dog', both in reference to their maned appearance and their ability to fend off and even kill the largest of predators. The dogs are characterized by tall, long-legged builds, deep chests, a curly tail, thick hair (and a thicker winter coat), and a shaggy mane. Their bodies tend to be thinner and lankier than their fur coat suggests, but still well-muscled and powerful. Their coloration can vary wildly, but a black mask with a brown or reddish body like this is most typical. Unnerving, pale eyes are prized in these dogs, with the belief that they not only intimidate predators but are uniquely potent at fending off malicious spirits.

The dog's exclusive function is to protect livestock. They are used primarily for the defense of horses, which are small and very vulnerable to predators (lions, hyenas, king hyena, wild dogs, jackals, nechoi, and even eagles can be threats), though some dogs will usually be posted up with cattle herds to deter raiders.

Pups are most commonly born in the field among their herds. They will be carried in their master's coat while still nursing, but will be allowed to join their mother in her duties from the moment they are strong enough to follow. Dírgrahdain live with their herds day and night. Most will never see the inside of a home, and most seem to prefer it that way. They form close and protective bonds with their charges, and will thoroughly integrate themselves into the social fabric of the herd.

These dogs are not human-oriented, and will usually only form bonds with people that they have imprinted on as puppies (and will merely be cool and polite to those met later in life). They are highly aggressive towards strangers, and introductions must be done incrementally and with great care. This is desirable, as this trait makes them an excellent line of defense against livestock raids. Their loud, booming barks can alert of intruders from a great distance, and they can often successfully intimidate khait, causing some mounted raids to end in humiliating failure. Dírgrahdain are often killed in raids, either to fend off the attacking dog or to silence it before its master can be alerted. This is not outright dishonorable, but not something one will be commended for. Cattle raiding culture here values swiftness, stealth, and strategy- such smash and grab tactics are seen as brutish (and will often result in harsher retribution).

Like most LGDs, they primarily defend their herds by displays of aggression and power, using their loud bark, fearsome growl, and powerful bodies to chase and intimidate predators away without physical contact. Even so, it is necessary for all working dírgrahdain to be willing and able to physically confront predators when necessary. A well-trained, well-bonded dog will defend their herds with their very life, and is often effective in combat against even very large wild predators. Their dense ‘manes’ offer a degree of protection from wounds to the throat, and may be supplemented with spiked collars.

If a mother dog kills a predator, it is often customary to open the carcass and lead her puppies to feed on it. This is thought to teach the pups to be fearless against their enemies, and that they will grow up to be uniquely powerful and brave adults. Pups are given names upon reaching adult size, and ones who have consumed the flesh of predators will get unique names related to their mother's kill, or epithets as supplements to a given name (the exact details of this practice culturally varies). One might encounter dogs in the Highlands named things like Lionsbane, Hyena-killer, She Who Bites Jackals, Lion-Fed Shaggy (Lion-Fed being the honorable epithet, Shaggy being the dog's name, possibly given by a very small child)

The mere gaze of a dírgrahdain is said to fend off malicious spirits, and their thundering bark can scare away even the most dangerous of mountain devils. Their shed hair is needle felted into little dolls (usually into the form of dogs themselves) and placed into the cradles of infants and worn as charms by children to protect them from harm (both mundane and supernatural). Manes taken from dead dírgrahdain have uses among some of the Hill Tribes, and are typically only allowed to be used by their masters (unless recieved as a gift). The most prominent usages are being worn to fend off evil spirits and predators while traveling alone, and some traditions involve placing the manes around the necks or across the bellies of women in labor as a means of spiritual protection for mother and child during birth.

The Hill Tribes and Wardi both identify the same constellation along the ecliptic as a dog. In the case of the former, this stellar dog is identified as Mak-Urudain, a gigantic dírgrahdain with fur the color of flame and eyes as bright as stars, who is the eternal guardian of the Celestial Fields. He allows the souls of the worthy dead to pass into the afterlife and for esteemed ancestors to descend back to the land to guide the living, while preventing malicious spirits, devils, and the dishonored dead from entry.

One Bernike tale describes her attempting to fly into the Celestial Fields to steal the heavenly cattle who graze there. She took the form of a golden eagle, pretending to be an ancestor returning from a sojourn to the world of the living in order to get past the guardian hound. Mak-Urudain was not fooled for long, and led her on a long chase through the night sky before capturing her and hurling her out of the Celestial Fields.

She was never able to even touch the ground of the Fields (much less take any cattle), but had just enough time to take a single seed of heavenly grass in her beak. She returned to her mountain (missing most of her tail feathers and much of her pride) and planted the grass in her then-barren slopes. This is why the grass on Bernike's mountain is so tall and abundant and why cattle there grow so fat and healthy, like all cattle will in the afterlife. The howling winds heard from the mountaintops are playfully suggested to be the barks and howls of Mak-Urudain, calling down from the heavens to keep the witch grounded in the world of the living.

[mechncheese]

Kinda obsessed with Quickslinger in your AU. She's shield shaped. She's actively worst in battle when Lifeline's in danger despite being Lifeline's bodyguard. She's shy. She's known to absolutely yeet other bots. I can't wait to learn more about her she's awesome

Thank you ! She's very much intended to be shield shaped and she's heavily based on a beetle ! Lifeline is both her greatest strength and weakness, Quickslinger is motivated when Lifeline is with her but when Lifeline is in harm's way Quickslinger fights harder but sloppier and makes mistakes that she normally wouldn't otherwise </3 I can't wait to share more about her once I have the Cybertron stories in a cohesive order, I just have so many ideas and fun little stories I want to do yet so little time !

[fujobritta]

the woman brad is seeing this season btw

[rovermcfly]

all I want for knives out 3 is for phillip to be in it in the role of romantic partner who against his will gets dragged into the investigation because it happened on a vacation he's on with benoit or sth and he now has to function as the utterly unwilling watson/hastings to benoit's holmes/poirot

and everytime they introduce themselves they have to correct people who assume "partner" means business partner to let them know he is his romantic partner and actually he would prefer to not be involved in the investigation

[ieatblogsforlunch]

I think I just read the most life changing, heart wrenching, and one if the best idol webnovel I have ever read throughout my whole life. "Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols" took my heart and ripped it into pieces before giving it a kiss and holding it gently.

The author made this with so much love and is a genius with how each character is portrayed. Guys please check it out please 🙏 especially if you enjoy "Debut or Die" or "The Trashy PD Has To Survive As An Idol"

My babies????!!!?.;

[moneycheats]

silas straud / alice lockwood

[superbellsubways]

relationship chart (which i hope is somewhat readable

[remyfire]

Filed under moments that make me painfully emotional

[animatronic-assistant]

(*Throws Ves at Elara cutely*)

There’s some odd skittering sounds on the roof, something— someone moving, the irregular rhythm of their presumed feet akin to pacing.

A small clang of metal breaks through the skittering after a while, whatever had just fallen sliding off the roof.

The skittering stops as the object slides off, anyone with really good hearing would’ve been able to hear a certain voice mutter in annoyance

Elara was, of course, cooking. She had been resting too long and now she wants to cook a nice delicious meal for her family and friends again. She promised sweet and sour chicken with vegetable fried rice and som dumplings.

She hears the skittering and paused to listen. What in the world? She grabbed the big kitchen knife, no use leaving herself defenseless. She tip toes outside to look what slid off the roof.

Hello? Is anyone there?

[glutenfreepng]

hello this is your captain speaking i don’t actauly know how to fly a plne .

[youronlineassistant]

How S lost their tooth