#having genetic material similar to that of a time lord does not make her one

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

There’s no in between here, you e got to pick one

#my personal opinion is no #a time lord is a title that is earned #she did not do that so she is not a time lord #having genetic material similar to that of a time lord does not make her one #she is a child of the tardis #doctor who #river song #polls #my stuff

[kaypeace21]

Important things we learned from the ST prequel novel “Suspicious Minds”

What we learned about powers

The ‘potential’ to have powers is (generally) hereditary, however only under certain conditions will these powers manifest (psychological trauma, drugs, or certain psychological conditioning/experimentation is usually how it’s done). If this isn’t done, generally, if any powers still develop they are very weak. An example being Ken who was born with powers along with some of his other family members.

-“I am psychic, always have been ... My family always believed in this stuff... “

-“ He got feelings. Certainty would lodge itself in his chest. He had dreams with snatches of reality mixed in. Flashes of intuition. These came unpredictably—which he always thought was funny—and so he was never surprised if an inkling showed up. Or if it didn’t.” 

-“ I get feelings, sometimes fully formed thoughts, that I have a deep sense are true.”

( Hmm...this intuition-thing sounds very similar to how Joyce insisted she knew Will was alive despite seeing his fake-body.)

The younger the child is when experimented or tortured, the more likely they are to yield stronger powers. Even if the same trauma was done on an adult the results would be weaker and would be dependent on that particular stimulus. Alice could only see visions of the future with lsd and electroshock therapy, Terry had what’d you’d call “perfect recall” (which only happened with lsd)- diving into her memories and remembering them perfectly. While El can channel her powers without such things. 

-“Rare enough these days, especially in adult subjects...potential”

-“His theory had always been that exceptional abilities could be encouraged under the right conditions. But he’d always had to work with available subjects, none of them clean slates. This child—he could start encouraging the development of this child’s abilities now. In utero. Every day of her life. He’d make sure she was special”

There is a high correlation between above average intelligence and having “potential” (i.e capability to develop powers). In the book, Brenner almost used the terms interchangeably”.  

- “genius IQ, potential…limitless.” (El’s ‘potential’ was described as ‘extreme’)

-Terri is described as “above average intelligence”, and “brimming with potential” by Brenner.

-One of Brenner’s nicknames for Kali is “smart girl”.

-Terry’s questioned her roommate Stacy (who got out of the experiment) saying “How she’d fooled anyone into thinking she had average intelligence was beyond Terry—Stacey was obviously the smartest of all.”

-also in other outside cannon material Will is said to be the smartest of all the boys... hmmm...

How the void works

Terry after getting pregnant (temporarily) gains her baby Jane’s/El’s power to tap into the ‘void’. In relation to seeing normal people in the void, Terry learned they will not notice you observing and eavesdropping on them, and they cannot hear or see you (according to the book) ... so we can probably assume they also cannot touch other psychics without fading away, as well (like in the show). 

But the void is different if you try this on another psychic, she accidentally summons Kali- and finds out it’s a way for other psychics and only other psychics to have a private place to talk to one another- without anyone realizing. So yep, Will is psychic- the fact Will could touch, see, hear, and talk to El in the void wasn’t a coincidence! Debate over! XD”

More Proof Will has powers

He can communicate with other psychics using the void (in s1) . If powers are genetic (Joyce probably has Clairvoyance like Ken). And in the show, Joyce’s and Terry’s aunts were both described as “crazy” -which is probably not a coincidence. Also he’s the smartest of all the boys and described by Mr Clarke as  “great student.”

In relation to the adults (with powers) both the Xmen and Lord of the Rings were used in reference to them, multiple times. Will’s password for Castle Byers is “Rhadagast”, a character in Lord of the Rings. And in the 1st ep of the series, before Will goes missing , he asks Dustin for his X-men comic- later in reference to El ,Dustin asks “Do you think El was born with her powers like the X-men?” And when Mike says El is “channeling him (Will)”. Dustin says “like professor x”. clearly hinting that they were both born with powers, like the X-men.

Dr Brenner says there are very few people in the world with ‘potential’- ie the ability to develop powers under certain conditions. He encouraged the numbered-children to draw since it would increase the chances of developing powers. This is why we see a picture that El drew on her bedroom wall in s1. And who else really likes to draw- Will?

-“Art the psychologist here claimed, was vitally important for the creative children. Eight was definitely creative.” (Eight at this time, was the most powerful psychic ever, since El wasn’t born yet.)

when experimenting on the adults, they would take monthly blood tests and monitor their blood pressures. In s2 ep 1 they did the same thing to Will. They drew Will’s blood and put it in a vial ,monitored his blood pressure, and like El, recorded his brainwaves.

 Ken who was born with powers, is not heterosexual. And since many believe Will is queer it’s probably not a coincidence. Plus Will is referenced  to as a “cleric” and a “wizard”. And as a joke his friend says about him, “what wizardry is this?”

Dr Brenner tells a story about an experiment that involves killing rabbits. In the show “Papa” tries to force El to kill a cat. While Lonnie, Will’s dad, forced Jonathan to kill a rabbit, the first time he learned to shoot a gun. And since Will knows how to shoot a gun in s1e1, we can infer he was also forced to kill a rabbit/animal by a father figure-so it’s probably a parallel.

Both Alice and Terry when using their powers had hallucinations of a rainbow, Kali also formed a visual-allusion of sunflowers and a rainbow (implying all 3 have seen this rainbow, as well, when using their powers). And when Will was very young- he drew that ‘rainbow ship’.

-Terri: “Spots bloomed behind her eyelids. Every color ... as the sunlight turned to rainbows” ( p44-45), “The rainbow stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: darkness. A pit.”(p. 48).  “streaks of rainbow appeared (p47)”, “Wavy rainbows seemed to radiate from her hand even once she stilled it. (p. 88). “Her eyelids drifted shut, rainbows and sparks flying behind them. (p. 89). 

-Alice (who sees visions of the future) : “Snarling, snapping monsters, rainbow lights playing in the air around them (p. 121).

-Kali: “field of yellow sunflowers grew up around them. A rainbow arcing over the golden tops.” (p. 139).  “He noticed she’d drawn up there, a rainbow with her colored pencils. Maybe he’d suggest that for the playroom” (the rainbow room we see in s2) (p. 298) 

Interesting things we learned about Kali

- Kali at 5 years old, was the strongest of all 10 numbers- who were called the Indigo children (who are in a separate experiment than the adults, like Terry).

- Brenner purposely isolated her from other people. “Eight wasn’t allowed to know there were other children here. They were all ordinary so far. He worried they’d infect her.” (what a sicko- he did that to El too). He says about Kali “Child shows gifts that require isolation from those who might weaken her…Constantly asks for family and to be called by given name…Has stopped asking for her mother…”

- Brenner put her through sleep deprivation, for 13 hours, when she tried to keep a secret from him.

- In another scene after Kali reveals another secret to Brenner, Terry finds her on the bed “bathed in sweat, soaked through her gown” and “sobbing” “tightly gripping the sheets”. What did Brenner do here... am I reading too much into this? I feel like I missed a page or... y’know maybe he’s even more of a monster than I thought. They never explain this? And I’m still not sure how to interpret it 0-0

-Kali loved Terry (El’s mom) and the other adults even saying “I love you”, and referring to them as “family”. And Kali makes a hallucination in order to help them escape, they promise to come back and free her. So in s2 ep7 the “family” that Kali referred to that Dr. Brenner/the government killed was them.

Dr Brenner probably has powers 

- Ken who was born with powers describes it as a gut feeling of something that will occur or a belief he knows is true.

-Brenner can simply look at a person and his gut feeling tells him whether or not they have ‘potential’ to develop powers or not. It isn’t always correct but the vast majority of the time it is. He does this throughout the whole novel to everyone he meets.

“male, 5′8″, 180 pounds, white, average intelligence, potential…fulfilled by sitting in a guard booth checking IDs”

“Rare enough these days, especially in adult subjects. The way she’d sensed an opportunity and shown up suggested potential...Potential. She was bursting with it.” (about Terri)

“Such lost potential is always sad. There’s so little of it in the world.”(about Alice)

“Funny that his ID contained some of the information Brenner would have wanted if he were looking at himself: male, 6′1″, 195 pounds, white. The rest: genius IQ, potential…limitless.”

What we learned about the Mindflayer

-Well, I was right about the mindflayer having fire powers -so Will will probably get electro-pyrokinesis (along with other powers) like the comic and show hinted at, link here and here. 

Alice who sees visions of the future describes the mindflayer as “A monstrous vortex of fire and energy and darkness, tentacles reaching and growing. Growing so big they could eat the sky. Its mouth had a glowing fire of destruction inside it… (p. 243). 

#will byers #stranger things #stranger things theory #el hopper #kali prasad

[phylumhearts]

au where ansem the wise was f*cking around with dna as part of his research and ended up accidentally using his apprentices’ dna to make a red-haired purple-eyed baby girl. He obviously panics and gives it to some kindly old woman to raise as her granddaughter but long story short Kairi is the aeleus/dilan weird test tube baby: please discuss

[this got way out of hand! 2.3k, obviously aeleus/dilan, mostly fluffy af. sorry mobile readers if the readmore doesn’t work...]

Aeleus and Dilan stand at attention, wondering why they’ve been summoned. Sitting behind his desk, Ansem acknowledges them with a wave of his hand and they relax a little. There is a long pause before he speaks.

“My dear apprentices, you have stood by my side while I’ve worked to right my wrongs, and for that I am grateful. However, I have a final confession to make. In the first of my investigations of the heart, working alone, I attempted to create a new heart, and used material from the two of you to do so. My experiment was more successful than I’d imagined - I created not just a heart, but a child. A baby girl.”

Unusually, Aeleus is the first to repond. “What happened to her?” His face is tense. Ansem smiles.

“Worry not, she is perfectly fine. Ashamed of my oversights, I hid the records of the experiment and placed the child in the care of a kind citizen. She spent the first few years of her life happily here in Radiant Garden. I believe you may have even seen her playing by the front doors of the castle, with the woman she called her grandmother.” The guards flinch with realisation.

“That girl…” mutters Dilan. Aeleus runs his hands over his head, staring at the middle distance.

Ansem continues. “One of Xehanort’s experiments flung her from our world, but she found her way to the Destiny Islands. It was there that she met Riku and Sora, her best friends.”

Dilan gapes. “You don’t mean…”

“Kairi?” finishes Aeleus.

Ansem nods. “The very same.” He sighs deeply. “It was wrong of me to use your genetic material without your consent, and wrong again to hide it from you for so long. I beg your forgiveness.”

Aeleus and Dilan share a look. “We’ll need some time to process this,” says Dilan. Aeleus nods.

“Of course,” says Ansem, solemnly. “The decision of whether or not to share this with her in your hands. I will support your choice in either case.” He smiles a sad smile. “That is all.”

—

That evening they sit in bed together. Dilan stares at the pages of a book while Aeleus stares at the wall. They’ve barely exchanged a word since the morning.

“We have a daughter,” says Aeleus, breaking the silence at last. He watches Dilan’s face, expectant.

Dilan sighs and closes his book. “We do not have a daughter.” He frowns. “There is a child with our genes who was made without our knowledge. We had nothing to do with raising her and she barely knows us. She isn’t ours.” Aeleus crumples, pleading with his eyes. Dilan softens but shakes his head. “What have we done to deserve her, my love? She is a keyblade wielder with a heart of pure light - we are a pair of strange men who tried to do terrible things to her friends. What could we possibly give her that she doesn’t already have?” He is avoiding Aeleus’ eyes.

“You’re afraid you’d hurt her.”

“And am I wrong? My track record is terrible, I have nothing to offer her.” Aeleus pulls Dilan into his arms and kisses his head. “We shouldn’t tell her. Nothing good could come of it.” He pulls back a little to look Aeleus in the eye. “Please.”

Aeleus sighs and squeezes him. “Very well.” They hold each other close, finding what comfort they can. After a long silence, Aeleus asks, “What about Lord Ansem?”

Dilan grimaces. “He’s forgiven us for worse.”

—

It’s not long before Kairi visits. The guards manage to hold their composure when she shows up at the front door, casually asking where Xion is as if nothing has changed - for her, of course, it hasn’t. Aeleus finds an excuse to accompany her to find her friend and Dilan finds another to come with them. Xion is studying in the library, but immediately abandons her schoolwork to chat with Kairi. Aeleus pretends to organize a shelf while ignoring Dilan’s pointed glances.

“Have you grown?” Xion asks Kairi suddenly. “You seem… bigger?” Kairi grins and flexes.

“I think so! I’d say it’s all the Keyblade training, but I’m pretty sure I’m having a regular growth spurt too.”

Xion giggles. “I wonder if that means I’ll get taller, too? I don’t mind that much, but…” she glances at Aeleus and Dilan, who try not to look like they’re listening, “…everyone here is really tall. It might be nice to not have to look up at everyone all the time.”

“I dunno.” Kairi shrugs. “Maybe you could ask Even to make you taller. Sounds easier than doing it the old-fashioned way.”

“Oh?”

She grimaces. “I’ve grown out of a bunch of my clothes, even that cute dress the fairies made for me… and my legs always hurt when I sleep. It kinda sucks. It’ll be worth it if I get taller than Riku, though.”

Dilan speaks before he can stop himself. “Try eating bananas.”

Kairi twists to look at him. “Huh?”

“Bananas. Heat packs and massage when your legs are hurting, and plenty of bananas - the minerals help prevent the pain. I had the same problem when I was a boy.”

“Oh. Thanks!” She smiles at him and he nods stiffly. As she returns to her conversation, Aeleus gives Dilan a meaningful look. Dilan shakes his head and walks away.

—

Every time Kairi visits, Aeleus finds a reason to be wherever she is.

(”I won’t tell her anything,” he tells Dilan, “I just-” “You just want to protect her,” Dilan replies, “I know.”)

One such time Kairi arrives with a rowdy collection of friends. They explore the town, listening to Lea’s stories of his childhood exploits. Aeleus does some shopping, staying within earshot. When they arrive in the central square Ven initiates a game of frisbee - Kairi, Namine and Xion decline the invitation, instead finding a bench to sit and admire the flowers. Aeleus lingers near the exit, with little reason to stay but no desire to go.

“I thought I’d find you here.” Dilan appears at his side and slips his hand into Aeleus’ in a rare public display of affection. “Shall we find a seat?” Aeleus looks askance at him. “If you’re going to loiter, you may as well do it in comfort.” They walk to a bench and settle in, half-watching the game, leaning on each other. It’s warm, and after a while Dilan starts to doze on Aeleus’ shoulder.

He is woken unceremoniously when Aeleus leaps to his feet. Moving faster than it looks like he should be capable, he reaches the trio of girls just in time to grab the frisbee before it hits Kairi from behind. Dilan blinks the sleep out of his eyes.

“Be more careful,” admonishes Aeleus, tossing back the frisbee.

“Sorry!” Ven yells back.

“Thanks, Aeleus,” says Kairi with a grin. He nods and is about to turn away when her expression becomes serious. “Is everything okay?” He nods again, hesitant this time. She stands, turning to face him properly, and folds her arms. “Are you sure? It seems like every time I come here you’re always right behind me.” Aeleus shoots a glance at Dilan, who sighs and starts to walk over. “I appreciate the save, but I want to know why you’re hovering around all the time.” Aeleus is rooted to the spot.

“Perceptive girl,” says Dilan, arriving beside Aeleus and placing a comforting hand on the small of his back. “There is a reason, but it may be something you’d prefer to hear in private.” He glances at Namine and Xion, a little uncomfortable with three pairs of near-identical eyes - similar in shape to Aeleus’, he suddenly realises - staring up at him. Kairi shakes her head.

“If you can say something to me, you can say it in front of my friends.”

“Very well. Take a seat, at least.” The bench isn’t nearly big enough for five, so as Kairi sits back down the men take a knee facing her. They exchange a look - Aeleus apologetic, Dilan comforting. He waits for her nod before speaking again. “You lived here as a young child, correct? Do you remember any relatives here?”

She shakes her head. “I know one story my grandmother told me, but that’s all. I don’t remember anything about her, or anyone else. People keep asking me about it, but I was so small. My real home, and my real family, is on the island.”

“Just so. I wouldn’t try to tell you otherwise.” He swallows heavily. “It is possible you cannot remember any relatives from here because there are none to remember.” He exchanges a glance with Aeleus. “Lord Ansem was trying to create a heart, but instead created a whole person - you - then gave you to your grandmother to raise. In that experiment, he used material from Aeleus and I. From a genetic standpoint, we are…” he trails off, unable to make himself finish the sentence.

“Your parents,” Aeleus supplies, softly. Kairi blinks.

“Hey,” says Xion, gently punching Kairi’s shoulder, “guess I’m not so special to have been born in a lab, huh?” Kairi smiles but doesn’t reply.

Dilan clears his throat, composing himself. “Lord Ansem kept this information from us until recently. We weren’t going to bother you with it - as you said, you have a family already - but it seems Aeleus has had difficulty keeping his protective instincts in check.”

Aeleus flushes. “I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. I will leave you alone if you prefer.”

For a long moment, they are all silent. Namine pets Kairi’s hair with a gentle touch - Xion puts a hand on her knee. Dilan and Aeleus exchange tense looks.

Then Kairi laughs. Softly at first, then harder and harder until she’s cackling uncontrollably, infecting Xion and Namine with giggles too. Dilan chuckles nervously - Aeleus watches, taken aback. She laughs, and laughs, and eventually laughs herself out, wiping her eyes. She grins.

“Riku is going to flip! He was always so curious about where I came from, and now… now it’s you guys? Oh!” Her eyes sparkle. “I am gonna be taller than him!” She giggles again, and the men relax a little. She puts a hand on Aeleus’ shoulder. “Don’t be so worried about me. I can look after myself - I’m a Keyblade wielder, remember?” He nods. 

Dilan stands. “If you don’t have any questions, we should be going.” Aeleus stands too, reluctantly. “I’m glad you aren’t upset by this.”

Kairi nods. “Thanks for telling me. It’s kind of weird, but it’s nice to know, I think. I’ll see you around.” 

When they’re out of view, Aeleus slides his arm around Dilan and holds him tight.

—

At first, nothing much changes. Kairi visits now and then as usual, and if she stays at the gate to talk to the guards a little longer than she used to, they try not to read too hard into it. It’s when she starts to greet them with hugs that it feels like something is different. Not long after, they receive their first letter. It’s short but poetic, folded around a pair of pressed daisies. After they read it they hold each other for a long time, filled with something they can’t quite express.

On her next visit, Aeleus gives her his favourite book of poetry. He apologises for the cracked spine and copious margin notes. She tells him they make it special. He smiles for the rest of the day.

Kairi hears from Xion that Dilan gives her cooking lessons, and joins in on the next one. He finds she’s already a competent cook, and there’s something about the profiteroles they make together that tastes better than usual. She thanks him for teaching her with the brightest smile and a smear of chocolate on her cheek.

(”Even,” asks Dilan, “when Xion or Ienzo thank you for something, how does it feel?”Even laughs. “It’s a hell of a drug, hm?”)

She keeps writing, and they write back, including poems and recipes and greetings from the other occupants of the castle. She sends them handcrafted trinkets and souvenirs from the worlds she visits. They find a special box to keep them in.

It’s Ienzo who suggests they try keeping in touch via gummiphone. It feels strange to see her face on the little screen but they get used to it quickly. She takes them on video tours of the Land of Departure and Destiny Islands when she has time, and sends “can’t talk now - world order! :(” texts when she doesn’t. They worry about her when she tells them about the latest giant heartless or scheming villain she’s battled, but every time she assures them she’s fine, she’s a Keyblade wielder, remember? They nod and smile and keep worrying.

It’s the late evening in Radiant Garden. They sit in bed with a gummiphone between them, watching her talk against a background of steep misty hills.

“...I didn’t know what a llama even was before I came here, but I sure do now! Oh, is that-” the screen turns black as she hides her gummiphone, and there’s nothing but muffled voices for the next minute. She pops back onscreen, hunched over like she’s hiding them from someone. “Sorry, I have to go. Bye dads- oop!” The call ends abruptly.

“Did she...?” asks Dilan. Aeleus nods, smiling.

They laugh and hold each other tight.

#kingdom hearts #kh #kairi #aeleus #dilan #fic #if someone could beta this for me before I throw it on ao3 it'd be much appreciated

[lime-bloods]

All of the kids’ lands seem interconnected in ways that seem significant but I can’t really say how.

The Lands of Wind and Shade and Light and Rain are one big example. It was four whole years ago when Homestuck was just beginning to wrap up when I first noticed that after LOWAS’ quest is over, it seems destined to basically become a Land of Light and rain; with the heavy clouds gone, the Shade should turn to Light, and with a native population of amphibious salamanders, there’s going to need to be some Rain to fill in the now empty canals and oceans, right?And I just recently talked about some other connections the two lands could have.

LOWAS and the Land of Heat and Clockwork, too, seem to have connections. LOWAS’ native materials are all industrial; crude oil and other products of mining. But the culture of LOWAS is largely agricultural, and the bare minimum machinery there is all pneumatic. LOHAC, on the other hand, is a hub of crude industry. The symbol associated with oil is even a gear, and is later used to represent LOHAC itself.

LOHAC seems to connect to the Land of Frost and Frogs, too. Like LOWAS and LOLAR, the planets represent opposites, Frost and Heat. But there’s a fundamental similarity, too, in that both planets are tectonically active. LOFAF begins to heat up when the Forge is stoked, and LOHAC is covered in lava from the very beginning.

Another interesting possibly connection can be found in some of Hussie’s Book 2 commentary regarding his initial plans for the Lands:

I also had the idea that these 4 substances [oil, chalk, amber and uranium] would serve as various contaminants on their planets, in ways relevant to their personal quests. John’s planet and all its pipes were clogged with oil [...] Dave’s planet was covered in gears, which would be gummed up by sticky amber sap.

Sap, of course, comes from trees, of which LOHAC has none. LOWAS has a few, but by far the largest population of healthy-looking plant life lives on LOFAF.

Of course, it needs to be mentioned that fireflies, seemingly native to John’s world, have also been found encased in amber, seemingly native to Dave’s world. And that in popular culture - in Jurassic Park in particular - the notion of insects encased in amber is interconnected with the idea of genetically modifying and breeding frogs, ala LOFAF.

Possibly this represents a symbolic cycle of worlds. LOFAF heats up to become like LOHAC, which churns out pollution to become like LOWAS, which when cleaned up becomes like LOLAR. This sort of cycle is already represented in the comic by the Land Gates, which take the player from one planet to another in a cyclical motion.

LOHAC’s quest or lack thereof kind of throws the first big obstacle into the equation. LOFAF becoming warm and LOWAS becoming clean are part of their beneficial world-altering quests. LOHAC becoming more polluted doesn’t really seem to fit in with that theme, and its quest, from what the comic shows us, just seems to be initiating the Scratch. How does that fit in? There’s a couple ways you could interpret it.

Dave’s general role in the game tends to be breaking things so they can be fixed later. That’s how the Scratch is initiated, too; through Beat Mesa being damaged. So LOHAC being messed up so that it could be fixed a different way is consistent with that.

The Scratch itself is also consistent with this scenario. In a Scratch, a world is reset so another set of heroes can attempt to save it. See above. But a Scratch is also what allows Lord English to make himself a part of a world, and if oil is a symbol of Lord English’s corruption, this also makes sense.

Another explanation could merely be that as a Time player, Dave’s land is naturally out of sequence with the others.

The second missing link in the chain is the one between LOLAR and LOFAF. How does a chalky ocean world become like a frozen jungle planet? Like LOHAC’s, LOLAR’s Land quest is much less understood than LOWAS or LOFAF’s. We know she has to play the rain, but what does that mean?

JASPERSPRITE: All the life in the ocean and all the shiny rain and the songs in your head and the letters they make [will tie together]. 

JASPERSPRITE: A beam of light i think is like a drop of rain or a long piece of yarn that dances around when you play with it and make it look enticing! 

JASPERSPRITE: And the way that it shakes is the same as what makes notes in a song! 

JASPERSPRITE: And a song i think can be written down as letters.

JASPERSPRITE: So if you play the right song and it makes all the right letters then those letters could be all the letters that make life possible.

Jaspersprite seems to heavily imply that playing the rain involves rearranging genetic code in the water (G, C, A, T - note three of those are also notes you can play on an instrument) in order to make the ocean it flows into capable of creating life. Genetic coding is exactly part of LOFAF’s quest, so that’s a connection; but also filling an ocean with genes in the hope of creating life is kind of primordial, and remember Jade’s quest is also primordial because frogs + bugs stuck in amber = dinosaurs.

Andrew also has this to say about what he initially planned for LOFAF:

Jade’s [planet] was going to be in some way affected by fallout (nuclear winter?).

Obviously nuclear war doesn’t happen on LOLAR, but Rose’s role does end up involving a nuclear explosion when she heads out to detonate the Tumor. This is a parallel to Dave’s quest, because it’s another personal quest that doesn’t exactly pertain to her land, and it can also be read as having a double meaning. Rose thought she was going to blow up the sun, which would be kind of like causing an eternal winter, but actually she just caused a large atomic explosion. In supporting this reading, LOLAR itself seems to be covered in hints of some kind of future atomic disaster, like this giant carving of the Green Sun:

It could also be worth noting that nuclear fallout is associated with mutation and messing up genes, and that some of LOLAR’s shiny mutant genewater is pouring out of floating shells, which is another word for bombs.

One final morsel for thought: oil is the remains of dead animals. If we take for granted that LOLAR’s oceans are covered in oil, and we assume that this oil contains the genetic code necessary for Rose’s quest, and we imagine that LOLAR’s oil comes from LOWAS, which comes from LOHAC, which comes from LOFAF, then the oil that becomes LOFAF’s frogs would ultimately be derived from the frogs themselves, making the frogs a sort of symbolic paradox clone.

#sburb #homestuck #land of light and rain #land of wind and shade #land of heat and clockwork #land of frost and frogs #analysis #jaspersprite #book commentary

[natsubeatsrock]

The Rewrite of Fairy Tail: Part 6 (Magic)

What's up with the magic system in Fairy Tail? 

This isn't going to be too heavy on serious criticism of Mashima. Like, there are some things I think need to be fixed about this, but it's not too many serious things. Most of this will deal with clarifying/justifying things that are already canon and changing some minor details. I've had to do a lot of reading up on magic in order to do this. 

As it stands, I don't think that much is wrong with magic in Fairy Tail. Yes, there are absolutely things that different, specific branches of magic in Fairy Tail that are not the best developed (i.e. lost magic). However, as a magic system, Fairy Tail's magic is one of my favorite things about the series. In fact, I prefer it much more those like the Nen system in Hunter x Hunter or even alchemy in FMA. About the only "magic" system that I like more is that of Blue Exorcist, where spiritual items are used to kill demons. 

Let's start with brass tacks. How does magic work in Fairy Tail? 

In chapter two, Makarov gives a speech to the guild about magic. It's fairly flowery language, but it provides a good basis for understanding magic.

"Ours is a power that goes beyond the bounds of reason. But it is born of reason itself. Magic isn't some miracle. What we do is match the energy that flows between us with the wavelength of the world's natural energy. And take what is embodied in that union using our force of will and concentration. More than that, we pour our entire soul into it to make what we call magic." 

What does that actually mean? 

In the world of Fairy Tail, the manifestation of energy flowing between the world and mages is known as ethernano. What mages do is store/charge this energy inside their body as Magic Power. Whenever mages use magic, they're drawing from the Magic Power in their body and changing its form with their soul. 

The easiest way I can explain the types of magic is that there are three basic categories to magic: division, branch, expression. 

As many of you know, there are two main divisions of magic: Caster and Holder magic. Caster mages manifest Magic Power directly through their bodies. Holder mages manifest Magic Power through various magic items. 

There's also a third magic that exists as an overlap between the two called Spatial Magic, where mages use Magic Power to manipulate the magic energy. I describe it as a third type because it's easy to see how it can be used either as Caster Magic (Mest's Teleportation) or Holder Magic (Celestial Spirit Magic). Though to be honest, it's more like an overlap of circles on the Venn Diagram of the Magic than an outright third circle. 

Within these divisions of Magic, there are different specific branches of magic. This is where we get branches like Maker Magic, Solid Script, Requip, and the like. I'd even say that something like the different types of Maker Magic would be better explained as different branches of Maker Magic than to be different expressions of the same magic. The reasoning behind this should be obvious.  The basic skills are similar, but it should stand to reason that Gray's Maker Magic is emphatically different than Rufus' Maker Magic or Laki's Maker Magic. Levy and Yomazu (the one guy from Grimoire Heart) both use Solid Script Magic, but, by virtue of gaining their origin in different sides of the map, it makes sense to call them distinct branches of magic. 

However, within the distinct branches of magic, there are distinct personal expressions of magic. This is how mages are able to have their own personal magic style despite knowing the same type of magic. The most obvious example is the difference between Ice Make mages. Gray and Lyon are both Ice Make mages, but Gray's style is static whereas Lyon's is dynamic. Gray recognizes Ultear's use of Ice Make magic as similar to her mother's and mentions how he'd never thought he'd see it. It shouldn't be that much of a stretch to say that means it's different from his own. 

The instruction of magic usually consists of getting people who are able to use magic to the point of being able to use the branch of magic. How they personally express the magic within the limits of the branch is up to them. Most regular magic people know throughout the series could be taught with the help of some master, a magic instructional book, or some combination of both. 

Of course, there are exceptions to this. Erza is able to use magic without much training during the slave revolt in the Tower of Heaven. Juvia was unable to control the rain around her until around the Phantom Lord arc (and that one time in Ice Trail). Erza's may find root in later explanations involving her and Irene. 

But considering that, as I'll get to soon, one's capacity for magic is somewhat biological, it shouldn't be that much of a stretch to say that these kinds of things kind of happen. Stuff gets messed up in genetic material and people aren't able to use magic the way they'd normally be able to. Sometimes it's good and other times it isn't. Again, this isn't absolutely canon, but like I need to explain this somehow in the rewrite. 

A bit of a word on Earthland magic items. It goes without saying that magic items have magic within them. This means that anyone can use them. However, the power of the item also depends on the power of the person behind it. So if someone who isn't a mage has a magic item, it will be less powerful than if a mage. I'm not entirely sure that this is canon, but I want to make sure that this is understood for the rewrite. Of course, Edolas magic items will be usable by anyone as their magic system relies heavily on magic items. 

There will be one major exception to this rule, which is Celestial Spirit Keys. I feel as though it's different opening up space from one part of the world and opening space in order to summon spirits from the Celestial Spirit World. Anyone who wants to be able to use Celestial Spirits ought to be able to open up said dimension and that should take some extra level of practice as opposed to other Holder magic. 

Unison Raids work when people with similar magic combine their abilities to create one bigger, more powerful spell. In canon, it is implied that this is normally so difficult that people have wasted their lives trying to pull it off. I don’t want to make it easier for these things to happen as, to be perfectly honest, they barely happen as is. However, it doesn’t feel right to just let this explanation sit on its own. 

I feel as though this should be explained as something that was a really early attempt at gaining stronger magic that was theorized during Zeref’s time but wouldn’t be made possible until much later. This kind of thing will make more sense when I explain the history of magic in Fiore.

An important part of Unison Raids will also have to do with emotions. It’s not too big a deal to say that the magic system in Fairy Tail is somewhat linked to emotions. Emotions help with one's ability to channel or enhance their magic abilities. The stronger the emotions you feel, the more powerful magic boost you get. While this has to do with Second Origin or the extra storehouse of magic within a person’s body, I feel as though it would be good to cap Unison Raids off to people whose intents are linked as if they are one.

As cheesy as it sounds, it does the job. And, considering the other requirement for Unison Raids is having similar magic, it should stand to reason that there are not going to be very many groups of people who can or will use Unison Raids.

My favorite thing about the magic system is the freedom it allows for. You aren't bound to a single type of magic. There are no elemental factors that limit you to a single type of magic. You're not even limited to just one of the two main sections of magic.  

Wizards are able to use however many different types of magic. Some people who are masters of one style of magic can utilize completely different types of magic. This is to the point where you have Jellal who has to be able to use Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water magic well enough to use Abyss Break near instantly. If you don't remember, that's the spell that the four members of the Element 4 needed time to charge for their individual elements. That's on top of being able to use his actual main magic - Heavenly Body Magic. 

This brings up an issue with this system of magic. Why don't people use more than one magic more often? It's certainly possible within the series. I mean, Jellal is admittedly an extreme example, but Ultear knew Ice Make magic in addition to Arc of Time. Thanks to Duke Everlue, a mage capable of using Caster and Holder magic is canonically possible. So why don't people do it more often? While there's not much of an in-series explanation for this, I can think of a pretty obvious practical reason. 

While a lot of the same basic principles may apply to the use of different types of magic, you probably wouldn't be using different magic in the same ways. This is especially true if you're going to be going from Caster to Holder magic. The vast majority of wizards likely aren't going to pour the kind of effort it would take to learn another magic skill if they can pour that same effort into learning how to better use the skills they have. The ones that do will probably be few and far between unless the magic they use is very similar in nature. 

One interesting thing about magic in Fairy Tail is who exactly can use magic. The canonic statistic goes that only 10 percent of people are able to use magic in the world of Fairy Tail. I'm not joking about this. I thought this was something that was made up until I say that Elfman actually said it during the Tenrou arc. 

I've gone back and forth over how to deal with this stat. I honestly don't have that much of a problem with the idea of only 10 percent of the world population of Fairy Tail being able to use magic. I know that this is and can be seen as a bad thing, especially considering how many people who use magic we see. That being said, this is a series that focuses on the exploits of wizards. It makes sense that we're going to see plenty of them. 

However, I was considering changing this stat from being the amount who can use magic to the people who do use magic. The difference changes the semantics of things. Case in point, the plan in the Tenrou arc. Grimoire Heart's ultimate plan involves wiping out people who can't use magic. This is where we get the line that only 10 percent of people can use magic. If using magic is a matter of personal ability, then Grimoire Heart is punishing people for something they can't control. If it's a matter of choice, then it's punishment for something they'd have more control over. 

Ultimately, I decided to keep the original implication of ten percent of the population having the ability to use magic. However, there is an important addition to this. This only applies to the continent of Ishgar. My reasoning will become more clear as I talk about the history of magic.  

One final issue is that of the balance of Ethernano within a person's body. In the Tenrou Island arc, we learn Ultear was sick because she had too much magical power. And in the Grand Magic Games, Wendy and Carla suffer from having too much magic taken out of their bodies. There are two things to mention from this issue.  

The first is explaining how Ultear got how she was. I think it's a good idea to think of this explanation as unscientific and nonliteral. That there is a problem of concentration of ethernano within Ultear can be explained as a birth sickness.  

The second is that an important matter of training for some characters will be a matter of pushing the threshold of magic they can have in their bodies.  For example, Erza will have to build up the amount of magic she will be able to use so she can use the Nakagami armor and Lucy will need to train to be able to use two spirits, maybe even eventually three, at once. 

If you remember, this was done in the original by Ultear unlocking Second Origin for the members of the Strongest Team, Levy and Juvia. (Jet and Droy bailed before getting the boost.) While Second Origin is absolutely something that I feel should be a part of Fairy Tail as it helps with explaining how characters can draw extra energy when they need it, I think it's better that they don't unlock it for the Grand Magic Games. As you could probably tell from my previous posts on the subject, I think it's better to show a natural progression between the states they start the time skip in and the abilities they gain and use in the Grand Magic Games.

Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

#fairy tail #magic #hiro mashima #the rewrite of fairy tail #part 6 #i'm coming back with these #the hope is to start with characters #either by the end of the year #or the beginning of the next year #part 7 should also be done today #and other parts will be done soon

[isthatso7]

idk another part of my fic

a\n: this is my first attempt at writing if english( pls i need beta i suck

Title: Hyperspace blue

Characters: The Jedi Exile and Atton Rand

Basically, Exile and Atton meet on the Nar Shadaa under different circumstances. She works as a mechanic and he’s a smuggler.

UPD: posted it on AO3

Atton Rand woke up and sat up in his small, but cozy bed. His bedroom was filled with blue and pink glow from vibrant street signs and giant screens with giant faces on them. He needed to get ready; there was an another work waiting for him tonight. After a brisk shower and a scarce midnight breakfast he started to put his clothes on. He grabbed his old blaster with  holster from the desk and secured it to his belt. At last, he put on his ribbed jacket and left his rarely visited lair.

You know that feeling when your vessel is entering hyperspace? The sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach, the feeling of acceleration that pushes you back into the seat. For Atton Rand, this feeling was like coming home, something that meant comfort and safety. You are in the alternative reality made of white and blue lines, and outside observers can mistake your freighter for an innocent and beautiful comet. He knew it was weak consolation and ships still could explode while traveling at lightspeed, but he still relished the idea.

“I know a place where we can change vessel’s ID. The owner is an old, partially blind Sullustan, but he’s the best you can find. ” Rand’s partner in crime was a reasonable guy he met while trying to make a living in the refugee sector of Nar Shadaa. Atton never really liked the Serroco gang, mostly because they were easy to jump to conclusions, conclusions that usually lead to violence. This guy called them family. But he was smart and really knew his job so they got along very quickly.

“And also there’s a female mechanic working there, a pretty gal, but she’s not the talking kind, and Force knows I’ve tried.” He sighed and stretched his arms and put his hands behind his head. They’d successfully accomplished today’s mission, and now they needed to hide hijacked vessel. A few more hours and they’d enter Nar Shadaa’s orbit, a few more hours and they’d be changing vessel’s ID signature and bringing it to the client. Another simple job done. He’d fallen into the routine of odd jobs and got used to never knowing where he is going to meet new day again. When they’ve arrived to Tien’s place, it was close to nightfall on the Nar Shadaa. But it’s hard to tell what time of the day it was  because there was no sun above you head. There were only dim street lights and animated neon signs.

The workshop was desolate at this hour. There were no customers and Tien was nowhere to be seen. The only working light was above the workbench where was sitting a slumped female silhouette. They both approached her and she didn’t noticed them at first, too consumed in examining some droid part lying in front of her while sipping caffa from chipped mug.

The girl lifted her gaze from her work and the light from the lonely lamp fell on her face. She looked a lot like those Serroco refugees, always with the blaster in the hand, ready to fight for their territory, their little piece of freedom, trying to protect each other at all cost. Her locks were jet black and she had a few short braids in front of her left ear and in the back of her head, adorned with little wooden beads. Her monolid eyes stared at them, her right brow lifted in a silent question. She had an unusual eye color - usually people with black hair had brown eyes, but hers were green. But what did he know about genetics? He was just a smuggler.

“Hey, Kano, is Tien here?” asked Atton’s companion.

“Well, Gar, he’s sleeping, because it’s one AM.” She smiled weakly with a sleep-deprived gentleness in her eyes.

“And why are you up?”

“I can’t sleep”.

“You look like you’re going to pass out any minute, Kano.”

She shrugs, “Still can’t sleep.”

Hm. That’s the mechanic he was talking about, thought Rand.

“I and my friend are in need of some services from the boss of yours.” He ran his hand through his short hair and smiled tentatively. Kano got up and looked out the wide glass window behind her. She grabbed a rag from the table to wipe grease from her hands. The mechanic was wearing dark blue jumpsuit with dirty, worn-out military boots. She noticed their starship on the previously empty landing pad.

“You’ve got a new ship?” She eyed them warily.

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to wake him now.” Kano gulped leftover caffa and left.

***

Atton usually came around two or three times a week.

Sometimes he left the moment he got what he need.

Sometimes he tried to make small talk with the unfazed, steady and irreplaceable mechanic.

Usually, he started with: “Hello, Kano.”

And she would answer after a moment: “Hello, Rand.” And then she would put her face mask on to continue welding starship hull.

Sometimes he tried to ask her personal questions just to spite her. She made an impression of a person who probably was bullied in school, but never cared about it. An estranged girl that rarely let her thoughts to materialize in a form of spoken words.

“Do you live here? It seems like you’re always working.”

“I work every day.”  

“Why?”

She shrugged with a plasma torch recklessly swinging in her hand. Too cool to think about safety.

“What do you do after work?”

“I go home, take a shower, eat something, and fall asleep.”

“That’s really sad. Do you want to go out sometimes?”

“No.”

He rarely came around during the day, so most of his interactions with her happened during her night shifts in the poorly lit hangar or cluttered workshop. But he managed to catch the sight of little things about her. She had a stern gaze but a soft face. Her skin was sickly pale with a distinct green tinge. Her eyes were always looking at you with a hint of mistrust and suspicion, always watching out for sudden movements.

There was a look in her eyes that wasn’t obvious and he managed to catch a brief glimpse of it only once. But he understood it immediately. He saw them peeking through the cracks in her guise, eyes that reminded him of a wild animal, born and raised in the confines of a cage, malnourished and abused, only to suddenly become one day free and unrestrained.

“Why? Don’t you feel suffocated by loneliness?”

“There’s no need for your fake sympathy. I chose the job myself. I like it.”

Her smile was acidic. She knew he couldn’t figure out  what’s she was thinking about and tried to annoy her out of sheer curiosity. Or maybe he just didn’t care. Maybe he was acting like that with every person he found remotely attractive. Or maybe acting arrogant was just a part of smuggler’s professional work ethic.

“There’s no need to punish yourself, Kano. You deserve to have fun sometimes.”

“And you know how to have fun?”

“Yeah. A couple of drinks, beautiful companions and pazaak. And maybe some other stuff.”

She sighed and continued to repair broken protocol droid. Most of his jokes had zero effect on her. But he made her smile a few times. Atton would’ve never confessed to it, but he was proud of himself for doing that. That’s how he discovered most of her smiles were crooked and bleak. The only time he observed her having a beaming smile on her face was when she talked to an old rusty homicidal T1 utility droid.

***

Kano’s work attire never changed. She seemed to own at least dozen of navy jumpsuit, all in various state of weariness. He sometimes wondered what kind of clothes she wears outside work. He tried to imagine her in a sandy midi skirt and a ink blue jacket. But the jacket always turned to be very similar to the top of her jumpsuit, so he stopped and cursed his imagination. Usually he had no problem with imagining anyone in colorful outfit. Or without one.

“How old are you, K?”

He found out she hated when someone shortened her name. But she didn’t mind different pronunciations. Like, he heard people calling her “Kay-no“, “Kah-no” or even “Kah-nu”, but she never protested or corrected anyone.

“Don’t call me K, please.”

“So?”

“I’m almost thirty. And you, scoundrel?”

“Thirty-four.”

“Woaw.”

“What? I don’t look my age?”

“Really? Yes. What is the secret? You look twenty-two, flyboy.”

“That’s an ancient Sith technique. Only a few in this part of the galaxy know it.”

“Does it involve sacrificing a bunch of Jedi to an ancient Sith lord?”

“No. Just a lot of water and positive vibes.”

“Have you ever seen a Sith lord? A real one?”

“No, of course.”

“And you?”

“I haven’t too.”

“Do they really do that stuff?”

“I don’t know. I heard some stories, but you can never know the truth now that they’re gone.”

***

One day he strolled into the shop and Kano was wearing a white T-shirt. It hang a little bit loose. And that’s how he saw her pink burn scars all over her right hand and her neck. It only happened once. He tried asking how she got these scars, but she never answered. Hadn’t even stopped looking at the droid detail she examined.

“I’m going on a vacation,” She said suddenly when handing him the parts he asked for.

“Nice. Where to?”

“Telos IV.”

“If it was a decade ago, I would’ve been jealous of you. But now? C’mon, there’s nothing to see there. The ocean’s irradiated. Your skin will come off. Or the Citadel station will explode because of that shitty Peragus fuel.”

“They’re trying to rebuild. I’ve heard it’s beautiful in the zones where the atmosphere is restored. Almost like it was before.” She was delving into the old memories, he could tell it by her eyes.

“And who told you that? A shifty travel agent?”

“A friend of mine.”

“A friend? What kind of friend?”

Now he’s surprised. And maybe a little jealous. What, he thought she doesn’t have friends besides him?

“A kind that doesn’t lie about the peaceful landscapes.”

She wasn’t there the next time he visits. The almost blind Tien sat in her chair and a utility droid made a series of hostile  beeps following him around the shop until he left.

#atton rand #jedi exile #kotor 2 #my shitty writing #my fic #i'm suffering

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Angolmois 2 - 3 | BnHA 52 - 54 | Lord of Vermilion 1 | Angels of Death 2 | Cells at Work! 2 - 4 | Planet With 2 - 4 | Phantom in the Twilight 2 - 3 | Holmes of Kyoto 2 | Tsukumogami Kashimasu 1

The lineup isn’t set until Muhyo and Roji’s comes along later on...

Angolmois 2

Ah, I got that explanation of what “Angolmois” is from ANN earlier but now I see how they learnt it.

Someone on ANN showed me the way to a Wikipedia page…which says Sou Sukekuni will die and the Mongols will invade.

Kemari.

There’s something silly about how straightfaced everyone is about chucking Kuchii out…haha.

This mut be the period Kimetsu no Yaiba is set in…because that shiitake boy seems to be similar to Tanjiro (of that series).

“Ah, even the great Jinzaburou-dono is weak at the knees for a pretty princess”…at least, that’s a fairly cliched line if it’s coming from the mouths of one of the characters.

Dang, this man is too much of a shonen hero for a show involving chopping heads off enemies.

There’s a small spotted cat (?) on the roof of one of the houses (?).

“The older you are when you have children, the more you love them.” – Uh, and the more likely it is that they’ll have genetic abnormalities. Just sayin’…

Okay, so Gontarou is the one with the small black moustache. Got it.

The lines on the filter move with the camera! Yikes! That’s going to be a bit distracting…

Oh, Sou Sukekuni’s middle name means “on top of a horse” if I’m guessing the right kanji. That’s exacty where he is now.

I see…so that strategy (shooting arrows straight into the air) would require minimal training and not that much time to pass around verbally.

Uh, was it just me, or did some soldiers look like they were in CGI?

Oh, so Yajirou is the one in the purplish armour. Okay. Update: Nope, Umajirou is his name.

Welp, historical records said Sou Sukekuni  would die (like I said at the start of the episode). I just didn’t know it was going to be so soon.

BnHA 52

After a 1 week break, let’s get back into the fray!

I love this OP already! It’s much better than “I keep my ideals! Sorezore no jinsei (etc. etc.)…” at the very minimum already! (Peace Sign is my favourite BnHA OP, by the way, after listening to it a bunch on Spotify.) Interesting how you see Deku through Tooru though…

Iida’s waving in his usual way, I see…(LOL)

Interesting that they call their gyms “alpha”, “beta”, “gamma” etc. At least, that’s the assumption from seeing “gym gamma” in the subs.

The D in TDL stands for daidokoro (kitchen) in Japanese. Alternatively, it could refer to Tokyo Disneyland, which is why Deku refers to a certain mouse.

Ashido was so doing a Kamehameha…or a hadouken…one of them, anyway. I’m not that well-versed in Dragon Ball, y’know.

There’s something kind of sad about how All Might goes “I am here…because I didn’t have anything else to do today!” now that he no longer can retain that muscle form for too long.

“…ask an expert.” – Y’mean…Hatsume, right?

I…can’t believe I’m laughing at this stupid boob joke…(LOL…?)

“Likes: Steampunk” – I was reading a non-fiction book on steampunk and apparently the main appeal for some people is the ability to make everything yourself, as a form of “raging against materialism” and whatnot. Never thought I’d have to mention that in the commentary, but here we are.

Power Loader seems a tad small in comparison to Iida (and probably All Might as well), huh?

Wait…this powered suit…reminds me of a Gundam first and then Wallace’s pants next. *starts humming Wallace and Gromit theme tune*

I kind of read ahead because of my duties on the BnHA wiki, but Deku’s going to end up using a kicking move, right? Right?! The only thing better than a punching move is a kicking move!

I really like Long Hope Philia already…but what is a “philia”, though? Update: It’s the opposite of phobia. It means “brotherly love”.

Lord of Vermilion 1

Also known as “Dude of Red: The Red Dude”. According to the opinions I’ve seen around, this show is probably going to the drop pile, but on the offhand chance it does survive, I’ll have to probably put it on hold anyway…

There’s something funky about those designs…like someone tried too hard to be edgy with the red lines.

Where’d the bubbles come from? Oh wait, he trapped her in the big bubble and that’s how there are smaller bubbles…ohh. Okay.

“Cut the bullshit!” – Welp, you read my mind. How the heck did we get here???

…and Tokyo Tower. Just because we can go there too.

Why is Chiyu monologuing when she has a weapon pierced through her body???

Okay, why are these guys implying there’s a nationalist slant to all this?

Wait, explosion butterflies? C’mon, Buso Renkin did that better!

“A secret arrow. I see.” – For some…reason…I can’t stop myself from laughing! Hahaha, he’s been impaled in the eye and yet he says, “I see,” wahaha!...okay. I’m calm now.

Something tells me someone wasted Dude of Red: The Red Dude’s budget on the OP. Also, all of their storytelling ability went there too…

The ep title clearly ends in a ka, so it’s a question. It should be “Are Our Lives the Debt We Pay to Our Enemies?”, then.

Kote and men appear to be two different strikes in kendo, but also their strike areas...? I’m not sure…

C’mon, if the show started with the high frequency noise, then we wouldn’t have to have suffered through the in medias res segment going too long!

No wonder they call this Dude of Red: The Red Dude…this fog is very red!

“Don’t tell me you have amnesia.” – Oh, great. That’s at least the third amnesiac this season…Island, Planet With and now this! Update: Nope, it was jumping to conclusions…

Jokei…is there a Keijo Uni? (Not to be confused with the T & A sport.)…Nope, the closest thing I got was in Korea…

How do Chihiro and Kotetsu even know Kakihara, anyway?

LOL, somehow that was so chuuni. I feel like I want more but there’s too much of a talent gap between this and the other shows, so it’s going on hold.

Angels of Death 2

Hanebado went on hold since Dude of Red ranked above it.

Isaac Foster, huh? Is that Bandage Man’s name?

I swear the rainbow puke is the most colorful thing in this anime…

Lemme guess…this passage is from the Bible. The show’s holding my interest, it’s just that it’s kind of waning because Satsuriku no Tenshi has been getting some real bad talk all around and yet it’s pretty popular. At least, that’s according to Prattle…

The comedic beats seem out of line with the rest of the show. Like someone was trying too hard to make the show “mainstream”. I’m finally able to put my finger on what I think Satsuriku reminds me of now – it reminds me of The Dog Island, a much more relaxing game. Then again, this is because of all the talk about finding triggers – that game is all “find to complete quests”, so it’s easy to see how the comparison came about.

Gloves? Was someone here earlier?

From far away, the dots on the grave blueprint seem to be Chinese or Japanese, but up close…they’re just dots.

Alright, I get it already…*eyeroll* this is based on a game, Rachel’s said she’s going to die about 4 times already, this scene with the red background is a cutscene yada yada yada…

Oh. Y’know what? This reminds me of ol’ Nancy Drew CD-ROM games! I love those! Plus the banshee scare scene in one of them is poised like a huge jumpscare, that probably would make a better anime than this…

I headcanon Zack is ADHD or something of the sort.

Wellllllll…if there’s one thing I agree with this show on, it’s that suicide is bad.

“You can cry…or something, can’t you?” – Come to think of it, Rachel does come off as a bit of a Rei Ayanami sometimes.

How the heck is he dry enough to be tromping around like that in front of the graves when he just stood in water for so long??? Isn’t he drenched?

There’s something vaguely nostalgic about this show and yet I don’t think it’s good enough to keep on the commentary, so on hold it goes…

Cells at Work 2

Is it just me, or are the background characters CGI…? (Oh man, last time I complained about this was Tsukigakirei…that didn’t go down well, let’s just say that…)

This is a joke from Plyasm, but…don’t lewd the platelets!

It’s the Abyss from Made in Abyss!

There was a segment on the news about how deadly sepsis was recently, so…I’m kind of scared of that bacteria now…

I guess you never wanted to ask for WBC fighting a shark…well, it’s just as weird as Sharknado, only…it’s happening.

*sees “brachial artery”* - This particular RBC likes working near the lungs, huh?

I don’t think we’ve seen the eyecatch for this show before, so…that’s an interesting way of handling things.

Don’t tell me…it’s those adorable lil’ platelets, right??? This is an abrasion, they’ll surely come!

Von Willebrand factor.

The serious WBC made a joke! Amazing!

Planet With 2

I’m calling it now – secretary woman with green-blue hair is the real bad guy! (You can tell by the enthusiasm in my voice that it’s Epileptic Trees time!)

*cue cat faces and masks* - Imagine if they used that censorship in 18+ material…it would be a riot just to look at…

But blue-green haired lady, aren’t there 7 Nebula Soldiers???

…Oh, so that’s what happened to the money Takezo spent…haha.

Geesh, enough with the panties, Sensei…also, couldn’t Souya just go and nick some money, then use it to purchase some meat? Or just beg for food money or ask for an allowance or something in order to get real meat?

Hmm, come to think of it, most of the people have colours in their names – even Souya – but Sensei doesn’t and same with Hideo. But Hideo has the character for “wisdom” in his name and the character for “tiger”, which is the theme of his mecha.

Those meat buns are huge! The size of an adult’s palm! Then again, I’ve been having a bunch of meat buns for breakfast lately and they are that size…sorry, false alarm.

Oh my gosh, this pig Weapon’s even weirder than the bear one!

(muffled laughter in the background) – They wasted perfectly good art on a one-off gag about bean jam…not that I minded, of course, but…hahaha…

Phantom in the Twilight 2

The sign’s Tahoma font is…kind of awkward, actually. I thought that last episode, but haven’t said it in these notes until now.

“You’re such a lazy count.” – Hmm…now if someone removed one of the Os in that sentence…that would be a sketchy sentence indeed.

Notably, Luke’s surname is Bowen.

Toryu was a jiangshi. Called it!

There’s something on Ton’s phone that says “picture”, I’d presume it’s the Chinese and/or Japanese equivalent to the “Pictures” app or folder.

This guy with the glasses – Haysin, I think the guy with the partially-shaved head called him – looks like Chopin from Classicaloid…

To be honest, I’d never actually heard of vampires needing to be invited into places until Shiki came along, so this is only the second time I’ve witnessed it, so to speak.

Who knew a ghost was good enough to be a hacker in the modern age? (smirks with how inventive this is)

All that blue text is definitely not any coding language I know. In fact, it’s mostly gibberish…

Mhmm…a mingling of the supernatural with the technological. Me likey.

…What the heck did Ton just tackle?

Oh my gosh! I’m laughing so hard! A vampire doing karate! I love it!

Is this the beginning of a Haysin x Shinyao ship? Update: His name is Chris, not Haysin. Haysin is the other dude.

Garfunkel though…what a stupid name. Sounds like a cartoonist (Arbuckle), a cartoon cat (Garfield) or a singer (Simon and Garfunkle) though…

I didn’t realise this at first, but Vlad has two spots on the side of his face. Probably beauty spots.

I love how they only put the grainy filter on Vlad while he was reminiscing.

Angolmois 3

I find it interesting that Kuchii uses the armour as the thing the Tsushima people should follow, rather than following him. They probably revere the armour more than the man…

Where’d Kano go, anyway?

The reliance on panning over stills is kind of annoying…

Welp, there’s Kano, right when the plot needs her…or is that one of the exiles…? Kano looked pretty boyish to me.

Koorogi means “cricket”, methinks.

Holmes of Kyoto 2

This is the lowest ranking show right now, so its spot is currently being threatened by the late debuts…not to mention I’m currently one spot over capacity, so something has to go.

The Saio-dai is like a May Queen, apparently. Not that I really know what that means…Update: Oh, there’s an explanation, just when I thought they wouldn’t give it…

“There’s lots of things named Aoi here!” – That’s what I said…last episode.

Saori and Kaori…I’m going to get so confused between these two…

Hmm…well, obviously, if the person were physically close to Saori, that might mean they know each other.

“Sissy” is an insult to me, so I’m surprised to hear it being used as a substitute for “sister” here. (It’s probably “nee-san” in Japanese, or “ane”.)

Hanamura, LOL. (Hanamura = “flower garden”.)

I find it funny that Holmes has LINE stickers of his own. Plus that Aoi’s got his number in as “Holmes-san”.

There is quite clearly some sort of romantic subplot here. Also, why is it that Aoi only ever seems to be motivated by either personal matters or romantic ones???

Noticeably, Kaori’s the only one of the trio which is wearing pants…

The backgrounds in this show are so pretty! Too bad there’s credits over the top…

Mt Kurama is known for its tengu legend…but the “you may meet a handsome man filled with overwhelming arrogance” made me LOL hard.

The thing about this show is that it’s giving me flashbacks to Detective Conan, both good and bad, which makes it hard to comment on. On hold it goes.

BnHA 53

Why is the title “THE Shiken”, though? (Emphasis on “the”, since having the title half in English doesn’t seem to make sense…)

The different characters that appear on the screen are variants of koi, which is one of 3 ways to say “love”. However, the three are different types of love.

Inasa is to enthusiasm like Bakugo is to anger…uh…

Oh dear…is this another Christmas cake lady???

This black spikyhead is You Shindo, right? He and Midoriya looks kind of similar…

1540 divided by 2 is 770…yowch, 770??? That’s kind of small when it’s one of 3 locations for Japanese students, plus whoever else in the state is training to be a hero.

Cells at Work 3

Naïve…? Oh, it’s a naïve T cell! I forgot about those guys!

I love how the naïve T cell is actually naïve, plus the zombies have hats that aren’t brains, but bits of cells.

100 degrees…C or F???

Why does this T cell give me RBC flashbacks???

Cyotoxic T cells…man, those words bring back memories. I had to memorise stuff about T cells and B cells for biology way back when. In fact, I think I learnt this entire process. If only I had Cells at Work then…

Would the normal person even know what a dendrite is, though??? They wouldn’t know it has protrusions if they don’t know what a dendrite is!!!

Aw, the Naïve T Cell’s gotta be protected. Not as much as the platelets, but still…

Helper T Commander is eating dango! That’s too cute!

Ohmigosh, it’s like Gon from HxH, you know, the meme version of him with the long hair? It’s so silly and yet so perfect for this purpose!

The Effector T Cell’s face looks familiar…Then again, this is David Production so that would explain part of it…(For those who don’t get it: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure.)

Apparently the eccrine sweat glands are the major sweat glands…

2/10. Platelets only appeared for 2 seconds at the end (LOL).

Tsukumogami Kashimasu 1

You probably didn’t know this, but I became a fan of Lily Hoshino through Kigurumi Guardians…

Ooh, I like the titlecards already! By the way, obiage is something used to hide the obi.

Netsuke.

What’s with this song…? It sounds like someone put traditional music into a pop music blender and put female vocals over the top…oh, Miyavi. That might explain something.

Well, there you go…I didn’t need to Google netsukes after all.

That flower there is a morning glory…the one with the white centre.

Why does there seem to be a vibe that the sister likes the brother in ~that~ way???

This is kind of like Toy Story…isn’t it?

The transitions are kind of disorienting…I almost felt dizzy right there…

Koku.

“So the letters Sanae-sama was receiving are from someone else that she loved before getting betrothed…?” – No duh. That’s how it always goes in Detective Conan.

“So he believes that ultimately humans never cherish us curios.” – There were your Deep Themes of the day, folks.

Hmm…that’s a tough one. On the one hand, I’m kind of squicked out by potential romance between Seiji and his “nee-san”. On the other hand, there was a lot of talking (which I don’t mind), but the logic behind these mysteries didn’t quite make sense because the emphasis for this show is the supernatural (also not a dealbreaker). The narrator’s helpful, but a tad intrusive to the story’s flow, plus it’s kind of hard to see where conclusions were made due to even more problems explaning logic (in parts that are meant to explain the logic) than Holmes of Kyoto. It’s meant to be charming, but if I keep going through the show with not that much emotion, it’s probably destined fo the drop pile…

Planet With 3

Kumashiro…panda in Japanese is “panda”, but kuma = bear and shiro = white…if not castle, that is. Update: This “shiro” is neither of those...

Kigurumian, huh? Kigurumi = mascot suit, so…uh…

Who was the girl with the blue dress…? Another Mizukami heroine, I presume?

These bathroom jokes are bad…but I’m laughing at them…

So Nezuya…is just a chuuni??? Wuh???

It’s a parody of Mu again…? Is that magazine really that popular in Japan?

The other girl (not Nozomi) has a senbei rice cracker in her mouth.

Moleke-mbembe.

Phantom 2

I love how Wayne detaches his hand to scratch his head. It reminds me of zaShunina frim Kado and what he’d do with his hands…*gets flashbacks to zaShunina strangling Shindou* Uh, yeah, maybe that’s not the best comparison though…

Fought Dracula? Wasn’t he from Romania though?

Wayne King everywhere…it’s more like self-wan-oh, I’ll spare you the dirty joke, okay?

Wait, are the Twilights meant to stand in for something in the real world if they have government and international support? Refugees, maybe?

Hmm? Luke’s pasta…? What’s this (owo)?

Luke reminds me of Impey from Code:Realise…I think this is the second time he’s done that.

I love how Ton takes Shinyao’s rescue into her own hands. It shows how strong their friendship is.

*Luke howls* - What is that idiot doing now???

*sees burnt cookies* - Welp, at least we don’t have ourselves an invincible heroine who can do everything, either.

Is it just me, or when Ton runs out to protect Luke, are her booty shorts longer??? Update: When I looked at them later, they seemed to be the same length…

When did Chris get rid of his glasses???

Toryu’s raison d etre is “more dakka”, as they say.

Okayyyyyyyy…”jumping across water” is just a bit over the limit of what I think a werewolf can do…

Toryu’s plait seems to move with his emotions…and was that an eye I saw glowing in that fringe of his? Ooh…interesting.

Angolmois 4

Why do all Mongolians in media sport the Fu Manchu moustache, anyway…? Either that or the Chinese (the official in Mulan had a similar kind of moustache)…

Matouqin. It looked like a Chinese word, but it was actually Mongolian…

There seems to be unrest among the Mongols, huh. Jurchen…seems to be racial discrimination of some variety.

Dantsuke mochi. The link is to an academic PDF which discusses the Mongol invasion.

Huh? Apparently Holmes of Kyoto references sashimo grass…but apparently in English the grass is called “moxa” or “mugwort”.

Oh, post-credits segment. Keep watching…

Oh, wow…you can really see the parallels between Teruhi and Sasamaru now…when everything burns to the ground.

BnHA 54

Ite means “archer”, IIRC.

Shindou = oscillation, tremor, vibration (different kanji though). Once he released that earthquake, that made me realise why You Shindou’s powers make a lot of sense. Plus the “You” matches the yu in yurasu (Vibrate).

Oh! The “arashi” in Yoarashi means “storm”…ah! I understand now!

This Camie lady is bascally Catwoman with sludge…

Cells at Work 4

I bet the segment at the start of this episode is the same as every other episode’s…

You can see a female platelet checking out how food is dissolved…she’s so adorable!

Capriccio…then again, why does the basophil speak in riddles???

Those two platelets staring at the basophil with his umbrella…LOL!

Emesis = vomiting.

Seriously though. This basophil’s so chuuni, it’s pretentious…

This was probably the least funny of the episodes so far due to the threat level…and of course, platelets were only in the background this time.

Planet With 4

Who was it that wanted a harem of high school girls again? Actually, that’s Imamura from Grand Blue, isn’t it…?

Mont St Michel. Heard of it before (I think it’s in Lupin III even), but it didn’t ring a bell for a second…

Seriously, how self-centred is Nezuya, anyway?

Hmm…this team-up reminds me of when Team Rocket would team up with Ash (Pokémon) somehow…but that’s because the “good” and “bad” guys (as much as we can call either side that) are joining forces.

“What’s a hangover?” – LOL, Souya really is such a kid…

*dragon eats Ginko and Miu* - Wow…’tis the season for vore…  

Even Souya got a hangover, LOL!

#simulcast commentary #boku no hero academia #Planet With #Tsukumogami Kashimasu #cells at work! #hataraku saibou #Phantom in the Twilight #my hero academia #Angolmois #Holmes of Kyoto #kyoto teramachi sanjou no holmes #angels of death #satsuriku no tenshi #lord of vermilion: guren no ou #lord of vermilion: the crimson king #Dude of Red: The Red Dude #Chesarka watches BnHA #we rent tsukumogami #Chesarka watches Hataraku Saibou #Chesarka watches Angolmois #Chesarka watches PitT #Chesarka watches Planet With

[soldier306]

I realized there are a ton of terms my muse uses that people probably don't know what the hell they are unless you've watched Doctor Who and had experience with me on @timelordcurse so I’ve compiled a huge glossary of definitions. I will likely add more once I remember them.

Gallifreyans: Gallifreyans are a humanoid-looking species native to the planet Gallifrey(and now Gallifrey II. ) The powerful Time Lords arose from this species and considered themselves to be the elite of Gallifreyan society. Gallifreyans were externally identical in appearance to humans but had several biological differences internally.  The Gallifreyans have one of the oldest and mightiest civilizations in the universe. As the Time Lords, they held absolute power for some ten million years.

Time Lords: This is a title granted to Gallifreyans after completing the time academy(see bellow). This is not a species despite some Gallifreyans using it as such. It’s more of a pompous way of saying I’m special now so I’m not going to call myself Gallifreyan anymore. I’m a time lord!

Gallifrey II: This is a planet that was created after the original planet burned in the last great time war. Events in the 50th didn’t happen. It’s  located in Messier 90 spiral galaxy (also known as M90 and NGC 4569) in the constellation Virgo. The Planet has three suns and two moons. It consists of seven main continent and three clusters of islands. The oceans are a red colour and most bodies of water is orange in colour. The Orsus continent is where the capitol/cidadel is located. The continent of Orsus governs the entire planet.

Citadel: This is a canon term. It’s the capitol of the time lords on Gallifrey. It’s a mighty glass dome city. On Gallifrey II it’s very similar. The hugest difference is obviously it’s location and the fact that there are no great houses within it.

Great houses: The Great Houses of Gallifrey were the sentient homes of the Time Lords(not gallifreyans. Don’t be mistaken). It’s like noble families on varying levels of royalty. 

Chapter houses:  The Chapterhouses — often simply called Chapters — of Gallifrey are the political affiliations of the various Great Houses and Families.There are six great houses in every chapter house. They are only allowed to marry within their chapters. 

Chapter academies: When members of great houses become the age of eight they go to chapter academies first. an example is the Prydonian academy. It’s segregated from other chapters. I’d say it’s much like normal schooling before university. On Gallifrey II they go to chapter academies from the age of 8 to the age of 496. Then they go to the time academy. 

Time Lord Academy:  the Time Lord Academy, also known as the Time Academy, was a school most young Time Lords attended to further their educations. It was located in the mountains of Gallifrey II. This is like university. Those who attend the time finally meet those from other Chapters. They go from age 497 to age 1,000.

Low town: this is a canon term that’s transferred to Gallifrey II. It’s the slums. It consists of people that are outsiders, exiled from society, mixed breeds, and low lives that have no right to be in a noble society. There are bars and brothels(that do mind sex)

Mind sex: this is a pure headcanon of mine and what gallifreyans do to pleasure each other. You can find it here.

Galli-human: A person that is that varying DNA from both Gallifreyans and humans. It is a polite term. An insulting term would be an anthrogrel.

Ape: a racist term towards humans and humanoid species. It can also be used towards Galli-humans. This is used because of humans and humanoid species evolving from cousins of apes. Gallifreyans are more closely related to Terileptils than humans, which are lizards. They did not evolve from apes.

Timeys: An insult towards those living in low town. 

Gallifreyan high command: put it simply, this is the gallifreyan military. they are also called the war council. On Gallifrey II their base is located on Inlustris War Loomed gallifreyans are 'born' there and trained for war.

looms: Looms are devices used by Time Lords to perpetuate their race in the wake of the Pythia's Curse. Unable to procreate sexually, the Time Lords had to rely on the Rassilon-invented devices to "weave" new life from genetic material. Gallifreyans were born as "full-grown adults", although they were child-like at the time of their birth, and had to mature mentally like any young life-form. This takes 200 years. 

Pythia curse: This is a telepathic process to make all Gallifreyan’s 90% sterile. On Gallifrey II it only affects the male population, which is why it’s not 100% effective. Female Gallifreyans can still get pregnant but the damaged semen would produce children that would die before birth or shortly after. This is a way to control the population on Gallifrey II. An explanation of how it works is found here.

war looms: War looms are pretty much exactly the same as regular looms, only they produce Gallifreyans that are much stronger and able to take on more injury without being incapacitated/killed/forced the regenerate. They can get up after a significant injury and continue going. THAT BEING SAID, just because they are more powerful it doesn’t make them invincible. They can still die and regenerate. They are not given names to prevent attachment. There is no point getting attached to someone created for the sole purpose of war. They are addressed by their loom order. They are 'super soldiers' and their DNA is very carefully chosen to create the best soldiers. If a DNA sequence works they will mass produce them. @traeliskel was the first war loomed time lord created with his DNA sequence, prompting them to create 306. However, 306 turned out, personality-wise, the exact opposite of Traeliskel. They shut down the program to create more soldiers with this DNA sequence after that. 306 does not know traeliskel and him are blood related/clones. He merely thinks they're brothers in arms. Please don't mention it! Trae is keeping it a secret. 

head shots: It is canon that Gallifreyans will not regenerate/they will die if the brain is compromised(which I love because I can still use all the headshot gifs of Daryl on this blog lolol). I explained it better here.

MMBW Virus (Micro-mechanical biological weapon Virus): This is a virus created by The Master. Politically, he explained it as a way to kill the rebels without going to war. In reality, it's a way to wipe the planet of mixed breeds and anyone the master deems as unworthy of a time lord empire. It was first unleashed into the Lungbarrow house apart of the great houses on Gallifrey II. This was a huge mistake because it mutated and now can infect/kill purebred Gallifreyans. This virus is part mechanical, part biological. It attacks major organs and liquefies them. It also prevents regeneration. There is a vaccine and treatment if caught early. The people of low town are most affected by this virus. War loomed time lords are not given the vaccine either. They believe it’s a waste of precious resources and they can always loom another if they are infected. Mostly people of power and those in great houses are given it. 

regeneration:  Regeneration is the process by which Time Lords/Gallifreyans renew themselves, causing a complete physical and often psychological change. It could happen because of severe illness or injury. They only have 12 regenerations and thirteen bodies. I explained it all here.

artron energy:  Artron energy is a substance within Gallifreyans. The energy can come from the Lindos hormone, obtained by traveling through the vortex, or released when a regeneration packet bursts. This energy is needed for the survival of Gallifreyans. Some things the energy does: The energy that helps fuels the biogenic molecules, It enhances antibodies, making the immune system better at fighting diseases and infections, Helps Gallifreyans survive near-fatal attacks and A surge of Artron energy could restore the synapses, curing amnesia. You can find a ton of information here

regenerative energy: Energy expelled during and after regeneration. Much like Artron Energy but only lasts for 15 hours.

healing coma: Gallifreyan bodies are filled with self-replicating biogenic molecules that work to repair damaged and malformed cells. Because of this, it takes hundreds of years for a Gallifreyan to show signs of aging. A severely injured Gallifreyan would generally slip into a healing coma, and devote all his or her energy to healing the injury. While in the coma, they would appear to be dead. Gallifreyan can recover from unconsciousness faster than Humans by retreating into a healing coma. They can also selectively regenerate specific organs while in the coma. These rates of healing can be enhanced if the Gallifreyan is kept near or inside a TARDIS while in the healing coma. They will appear dead to most humanoids, but other Gallifreyans can tell they’re alive. Their body temperature will drop so far below zero that that frost sometimes forms on the body. Despite this, one heart will continue to beat about once every 10 seconds and they take breaths once every minute while in the coma. You can find more information on how Gallifreyans deal with injury here

Gallifreyan Emergency Medical Assistance(GEMA): This is a group of humans on Gallifrey II assisting civilians caught up in the war. They are not affiliated with either side. They are merely trying to help the injured, hungry and homeless. They created refugee camps for those that need shelter, offer medical assistance, and food. 

Military Emergency Medical Relief( MEMR): The opposite of GEMA. They are run by the Gallifreyan Government. They only offer assistance to those who are purebred Gallifreyans/time lords and soldiers. 

MRTEs: This is meals ready to eat. They can come in the form of pills(if given by MEMR or given to soldiers) or solid food(If given by GEMA).

Nutrient pills(NPs): Food and nutrients in the form of tablets and pills. This is canon. The first Doctor and Susan had a food machine that dispensed them. They were also mentioned in some Gallifrey scenes in classic who. They were merely named NPs on Gallifrey II.  War loomed time lords and almost everyone in the citadel do not eat solid food. It is considered a delicacy. Some Great houses such as lungbarrow on Gallifrey II enjoy having meals. Lungbarrow on Gallifrey II only eat solid food for dinner.

Gallifreyan inner council: This is much like the game of throne’s small council. It’s small group of advisers which advises the lord president of Gallifrey II on matters of policy and their areas of expertise. They are all appointed by the lord president. 

Lord President: This is a mixture of a king and a prime minister on Gallifrey II. He is the ruler of the land. He is elected but the elections are rigged. The current lord president announces a successor and it is the obligation of the people to vote for this person. 

Gallifreyan high council: This is the Gallifreyan equivalent of the united kingdom parliament and operates as such. It can be slightly compared to the congress of the united states.

Gallifreyan supreme council: These Councilors are the Supreme Guardians of Gallifreyan Law. Without a President, the Supreme Council technically can not ratify anything. However, this law has been known to be deliberately overlooked. Their combined mental powers allow them to take mental control of any Time Lord (even ex-presidents). The number of Councilors of the Supreme Council varies, though the average size is 15 members. Traditionally, the current President's Chapter will be the most well-represented Chapter on the Council.

chancellery guards: The Chancellery Guard are an organization responsible for security and law enforcement on Gallifrey II. They are normally equipped with staser pistols. 

energy weapons: Staser weapons or energy weapons are the standard armament of the Chancellory Guard on Gallifrey II and soldiers of the war. The Guards were normally equipped with staser pistols and soldiers use staser rifles. Stasers had both lethal and non-lethal settings and fired an unspecified type of directed energy(much like a laser). They were relatively harmless to inorganic matter but caused massive tissue disruption to living creatures. The corpse would be unrecognizable upon examination. According to one account, a single staser shot could kill a Time Lord outright and ensure that regeneration could not take place.

Middle town: This is a canon town on Gallifrey but on Gallifrey II it is much different. This is a town full of ex-soldiers that survived the war and Gallifreyans taking lodging while at the time academy. It has a booming market and plenty of tourist attractions.

mind probe: A mind probe is a device which allowed an operator to extract information from a subject's mind through the use of some kind of projected energy. Subjects were said to be at risk of brain damage if they were exposed to these devices for either long periods or high power outputs

The matrix: The Matrix, officially called the Matrix of Time, is a supercomputer, a micro-universe used by the High Council of the Time Lords as a storehouse of knowledge to predict future events, maintained by the Keeper of the Matrix. As TARDISes possessed their own matrix, every Time Lord and TARDIS was connected to the central Matrix on Gallifrey where their experiences were constantly. being uploaded.

touch telepathy: Telepathy that is taken in a few forms: from an exchange of images, experiences, to associated emotions and even mind-to-mind "conversation" between two or more individuals. Time Lords can get all this information by merely touching someone. It is extremely jarring for them and they don't want to invade people's minds. They do not touch because of it and often wear gloves.

telepathic mind consoling: I have an entire headcanon on this that you can find here.

The hivemind: This is a collective consciousness of all Gallifreyans on Gallifrey II. Everyone's mind is connected together and they can be mass controlled. Fellow Gallifreyans can also use mind telepathy to read another Gallifreyan's mind without touching them as long as they are both connected to the hivemind. Parallel versions would not have this. It also includes TARDISes, building, sentient furniture and so on.  There's a ton more of it here.

Filorumba(s): These are the natives of Gallifrey II. They look and dress like this. The original name of the planet was Elisium. The Filiorumba were short stature, their eyes are all black and they were tan skinned. They lacked a nose and had pointy ears. These people were timid and docile. They spoke a language very similar to Earth Latin. Since the war broke out they have become extremely violent. They have teamed up with humans to fight against the gallifreyan government and get their planet back. They use bow and arrows coated with the judas tree poison that was given to them by humans. Sometimes they will use guns.

Judas tree poison: The Judas tree was a tree from which a deadly poison could be extracted. Gallifreyans poisoned by this cannot regenerate and die in 32 minutes.

Mercy Killing Pills(MKPs): These pills were created by @timelordcurse during the first civil war on Gallifrey II. It is used when someone is poisoned by the Judas Tree Poison. Instead of suffering for 32 minutes the Gallifreyan that ingests this pill will die in around a minute. If they weren't poisoned and take the pill it would only give them a stomach ache.

Filorumba rights activists(FRA): This is the name of the rebels. Originally founded by Jerricklungbarrow. They were merely activists for the rights of the natives. They have turned into a rebel army fighting alongside the filorumbas for their rights and the rights of all discriminated Gallifreyans. They were given guns by humans. 

Portable Artifical intelligence wristwatch(PAI): This is a sentient super computer. It contains everything you'd ever want to know about the wearer, including but not limited to, medical records, birth/loom records, occupation, and status. All citizens of the planet have one, including those in low town. It can give access to places in the citadel depending upon their security clearance. It is scanned to identify individuals and can provide help/information for just about anything. It looks like this.  

TARDIS:  A TARDIS — sometimes styled Tardis but also called a TT Capsule - is the primary space-time-parallel universe vehicle used by the Time Lords of Gallifrey/Gallifrey II. They are grown, not built. They are sentient. 

Celestial Intervention Agency (CIA): The Celestial Intervention Agency or CIA was a secretive Time Lord organization with whom the Doctor and Lord President Romana occasionally had dealings. Its motto — "the story changes, the ending stays the same" — was also a modus operandi. The CIA operatives protected the web of time by ensuring, by whatever means, that the net result of history remained constant, even though details might change. Because they often violated the Time Lords' non-interference policy, they had to operate in secret so as to give plausible deniability to the High Council.

Renegades: Renegades go against the society of Gallifrey II. They are not necessarily exiled. Their name is struck from the records of their family and cannot be spoken due to a telepathic block. They typically take on names like The Master, The Doctor, The Monk, etc. ONLY RENEGADE TIME LORDS HAVE THESE NAMES.

Transduction barrier: The Transduction barrier is protective shields surrounding Gallifrey II and the Time Lords. These barriers could also be raised around Time Lord space stations, and TARDISes/space ships are unable to pass through it without permission.

blackout spot: This was created by @timelordcurse adult daughters. It is the only place where the hivemind is blocked, the matrix doesn't record what they're doing, and there's a small hole in the transduction barrier. The CIA is aware of it but has been unable to destroy it. It is located on the continent Splendorem on Gallifrey II.

New Shada Prison Planet: New Shada was the prison of the Time Lord locked in a bubble outside the universe for would-be conquerors of the universe and law breakers on Gallifrey II. On Gallifrey II it is a place of constant torture and mistreatment. No one wants to end up on this planet. It is located nearby Gallifrey II.

Convict tattoo: This is a tattoo given to convicted criminals of Gallifrey II. Nothing can be done to remove unless the high council removes it. It stays on the person after regeneration. The location and colour of it depends upon the type of crime. It looks like this.

time tot(s): This is a term used for young gallifreyans. It is often used to replace 'son' or 'daughter' because Gallifreyans are able to regenerate into both sexes, most times at random.

Spoken gallifreyan: This is purely my headcanon. You can find the translator here and how it works here. Please read the how it works first. There are glitches that need to be known before using. NOT ALL WORDS IN ENGLISH ARE IN THE TRANSLATOR. If you catch a missing word please let me know. If you ever want to know what either of my muses are saying when they speak gallifreyan stick it in the translator! With this particular muse(306) English is their second language. The reason he has his typical 'southern drawl' and slightly 'broken English' is because he learned English from those in low town. This is how they speak/sound there. When he speaks in his native tongue he does sound far more intelligent.

#headcanon #important

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 366

TRANSGENIC TECHNOLOGY AND RELIGION: Part 1

Nuclear transfer is used in mammals as both a tool for embryonic studies and as a method for the multiplication of ‘elite’ embryos. It involves transferring the complete genetic material (the DNA contained in a nucleus) from one cell into an unfertilized egg whose own nucleus has been removed. PPL Therapeutics plc and the Roslin Institute pioneered the use of this technology for the production of therapeutic human proteins in the milk of livestock.

We have two different cells in nuclear transfer: an unfertilized egg and a donor cell. The donor cells are grown under special conditions in culture. The induction of a quiescent state in the donor cells seem to be an important factor in the success of the technology. In a normal cell the chromosomes are very active and there is an open structure to some of the DNA to provide access to the cell machinery. When a nucleus from such a cell is transferred into an oocyte it is assumed that development depends on changes to chromosomal structure to inhibit activity from the chromosome and then to re-initiate activity at the appropriate stage of development. The nucleus in quiescent cells is comparatively inactive. It is hypothesised that in that case the recipient egg is more readily able to ‘programme’ gene expression in the new embryos.

The number of donor cells can be increased by several orders of magnitude. It is also possible to make genetic modifications and to select just those cells in which the desired modification has occurred and multiply these up. Before these cells are fused with an unfertilized egg or the nucleus of the donor cell is introduced by cell fusion, the chromosomes are removed from the recipient egg by micromanipulation. Then the nucleus of the donor cell is introduced by cell fusion. The electric current used to fuse the cells also triggers the egg to begin development. The new embryos are then transplanted into recipient sheep and lambs are born naturally.

In Nature (Vol. 380, pp 64-6), the potential practical value of this new technique is explained as follows:

It will become possible to produce a number of genetically identical offspring from a population of cells. This would enable a farmer to have a small group of identical sheep each with the same high level of performance. Uniformity of this kind would offer advantages to the farmer, as the animals will mature at a very similar rate, to the food processor, as they would have a more consistent product to sell, and to the consumer, as they could be more confident of purchasing a consistent, high quality product. It seems more likely that the first uses will be for biotechnology. Sheep and goats are already making, in their milk, proteins that are needed for the treatment of human disease. The new technique will make it possible to obtain proteins that are more like the human protein even than those that are being made at present. In addition, this route may provide a more practical means for introducing change in cattle. Some proteins are required in very large quantities and it would be useful to be able to produce these in cattle, with their larger milk yield, than in sheep or goats. However, in the longer term, as the techniques are improved, then they may be used to modify many aspects of agricultural products. Changes may be made to the composition of cow’s milk. Most of the fat in cow’s milk is saturated and this has implication for the health of the human consumer. The situation arises because of the activity of enzymes in the udder and it may be possible to reduce that activity and so have cow’s milk with more unsaturated fat. It would be important to show that this did not have any adverse consequences for the cow or her calves...

PPL Therapeutics also hopes to use this technique to enable the production of new drugs for the treatment of a range of conditions using its transgenic technology. This could lead to cheaper drugs for currently untreatable diseases.

It is not possible to inhibit scientific advances. For the last few centuries, science has been preparing ‘new worlds’ for the human race. As with many previous ‘victories’ of science, intellectuals and moralists discuss this new step of gene-technology from ethical base. Arthur Caplan from University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Inquirer, March 4, 1997) writes:

Think of current cloning technology along the lines of the Wright brothers first aeroplane flight. Many argued that human beings would never fly in a machine. The Wright brothers proved them wrong. But it took many years before the first safe, reliable and practical aircraft was up in the air.

The same is true of cloning. The sheep in Scotland and the monkeys in Oregon represent first steps down what is a very long road. They show cloning is possible but they do not prove it is practical. The techniques used are not only not safe to try in humans, they are still not very effective or efficient for use in animals.

There is still time to control cloning technology if that is what we want to do. It will be years before today’s cloning technology could reasonably be applied to human beings. If we do not want it to be then it is up to us to engage in the moral, religious and legal discussion that will make sure human cloning does not happen.

The hysteria over cloning has led many experts to wonder why we should even bother to try and control its use in human beings. After all, once a technology is available its use is inevitable-isn’t it. There is no stuffing the cloning genie back in its bottle. Phooey!

True no one can stop a nut from grabbing a spare embryo at an infertility clinic and transplanting adult genes into it to see if human cloning will work. But, that is a long way from doing anything practical, useful or even very interesting in terms of human cloning. If we really think that it is an offense to human dignity to have people bred by design, if it seems nuts to let anyone create a human being just to have a place to get spare parts, or if we really do not want grieving parents trying to ‘restore’ a lost child by making a physical copy of the child’s body, we really can bring such activities to a grinding halt.

How? Slap stiff penalties on human cloning, let researchers know that experiments on human cloning will not be published and pull all Federal and foundation support for human cloning research. For all practical purposes human cloning will grind to a halt.

The pressures in the past of Western ethical opinion-makers or of the Church on scientific researches give little reason for optimism. Especially in a world where a ‘better’ worldly life is everything and all ‘human’ values are judged according to how much one consumes, and at a time when scientific researches and successes are valued. (and funded) in terms of their marketability, it will be of no use to exert ‘moral’ pressures on scientific studies. What is necessary and important is that first it should be understood that religion and the universe or nature are the two ‘different’ expressions of the same ‘Divine’ truth and then nature should be re-acknowledged its sacredness coming from the fact that nature is the realm where God’s Names are manifested.

Science will continue to advance. However, in order that it is not harmful for mankind, it is not a lethal weapon in the hands of an irresponsible, selfish minority, God-fearing believers should direct scientific studies. The first verses revealed from the Qur’an are enough to illuminate our way in scientific studies. The first revelation to the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, was:

Read: in and with the Name of Your lord who created, created man of an embryo suspended.

Read: And your Lord is the most Munificent, who taught by the Pen, taught man that he knew not. (al- ‘Alaq, 96.1-3)

It is quite significant that the first command of God to His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, was ‘read’, when there was not yet the Book to read. This means that there is another book or, rather, there are two books, counterparts to the Book which was to be revealed. These two books are the universe and man. A believer should approach the study of universe and man without prejudice. It is also significant that the verses of the Qur’an and the phenomena in the universe and in man-material and psychological-are both called ‘signs’. The imperative ‘Read!’ is followed, not by a direct object or an adverbial, but by ‘in and with the Name of your Lord who created’. This signifies:

1. ‘Reading’ the universe- studying it-has principles of its own, like, for example, observation and experiment.

2. The word translated as Lord is Rabb, among whose meanings is ‘educator, upbringer, giver of a certain pattern, and, one who gives each entity a particular nature. Man’s nature includes free will, whereas every other entity acts according to the primordial nature assigned to it, what modem science refers to in the words ‘nature’ and the ‘laws of nature’. What man is commanded to do is to discover these ‘laws’.

3. Every act of man, including his scientific studies, should be performed in the name of God, and therefore be an act of worship. That is the only limit which the Qur’an or Islam has put on science. Any act so performed cannot be against God’s Commandments. For example, in the pursuit of scientific knowledge as worship, no one could harm mankind, nor put that knowledge in the form of a deadly weapon in the hands of an irresponsible minority. If done only in the name of God, by people conscious of always being supervised by God and who will be called to account before a Supreme Tribunal for all their actions in the world, science could change the world into a garden of Eden.

#allah #god #prophet #Muhammad #quran #ayah #sunnah #hadith #islam #muslim #muslimah #hijab #help #revert #convert #dua #salah #pray #prayer #welcome to islam #how to convert to islam #new muslim #new revert #new convert #revert help #convert help #islam help #muslim help #religion #reminder

[infinitywartorn]

International Incident Part 2

Part 1

In the past, a group known as the Illuminati was formed by King T’Challa of Wakanda. He gathered leaders and figureheads from all over the planet in order to better protect it from ever-evolving dangers. The Wakandan King initially recruited Susan Richards, Charles Xavier, Stephen Strange, Namor of Atlantis, and Medusa of Attilan. Over time, they would add and subtract members to account for the changing world. Though the ominous name would eventually change, the group did a lot of good for the planet. They now call themselves the Infinity Watch. The current incarnation is the largest it has ever been. And it is about to become a little bigger.

Sam Alexander. Super Nova. Field Leader of Alpha Flight. Superpowered Space Cop.

Ava Ayala. The White Tiger. Member of the Defenders. An ancient tiger spirit lives around her neck.

Sam and Ava have been friends for a long time, way before they were invited to be part of this gathering of lords and leaders. Sometimes they long for their teenage days when things were simpler. However, their responsibilities have significantly grown. Sam spends his time running around Earth space, making sure the skies are clear of alien invaders. Ava, on the other hand, does the same basic thing but with magical threats.

But right now, they get a break from fighting looming threats. They each have a coffee in hand, sitting in a dining area next to a large conference room.  While they are sure everyone will be coming in super regalia, Sam and Ava are currently in civilian wear. Sam is in jeans and a canary yellow hoody, while Ava is in a white pantsuit. However, if needed their uniforms are just a watch button press or amulet touch away. Sam and Ava turn off the multiple screens with various news channels.

Sam: Sooo, what’s the over-under on Johnson being pissed?

Ava: She was mentored by Maria Hill. But Kate says she has a level head. I am inclined to believe Kate. You?

Sam: I think she’s going to be pissed. Director Rambeau and her butt heads all the time.

Ava: I can see why though. SHIELD is supposed to be Earth’s police force. Meanwhile, you space cowboys-

Sam: Hey I resent that! Remember, Alpha Flight was started by Canadians.

Ava: But you answer to SWORD, the companion organization to SHIELD. How many times has SHIELD demanded something of SWORD and they complied?

Sam: Well-

Ava: Zero. Because it is built into the UN charter that SWORD overrides SHIELD.

Sam: Alright, alright I get it. I wish you could turn off work mode sometimes. *laughs*

Ava: Sorry, just being in this place works me up. We are literally a stone’s throw away from royalty half the time. You and me? We’re just lucky to be invited.

Sam: We have been part of the group for years, you need to drop the imposter syndrome.

Ava: Easy for you to say. You are the Nova corpsman for this sector of space. Who am I? Just a girl who just so happens to be on a team that these people were interested in. If I was part of some other team, or going solo? I wouldn’t be here.

Luna: I think you earned your place here.

Princess Luna, Daughter of Crystal the Queen of Attilan. Nuhuman. Empath. Really good at sneaking up on people.

She wears an elegant green dress befitting royalty as well a black circlet made of a translucent material in her platinum blonde hair. There are intricate black patterns accented in silver that wrap around the dress, most likely Nuhuman symbols.

Ava: Your Highness, I-

Luna: I am an empath my dear. I know. No need to be stressed out. Not until Director Johnson gets here anyway.

Sam: See Ava? Nothing to worry about.

The familiar hiss of teleportation energy rings in the room.

Sam: Maybe I spoke too soon.

Daisy and Kate appear at the edge of a large conference room. Daisy keels over, holding in a retch. Teleportation can really mess up one’s senses.

Kate: You okay there?

Daisy: I hate magic.

Shortly after, Megan also appears through her own portal.

Megan: I’m going to grab some tea, anyone else?

Sam, Ava, and Luna pass Megan on the way to the kitchen, exchanging quick hellos. The former reach Daisy and Kate.

Sam: Director.

Daisy: You’re here too?

Sam: That doesn’t sound like she’s happy to see me.

Ava: Ignore him. Welcome to Symkaria Director Johnson.

Daisy: Symkaria, interesting. I am guessing you-

Kate: Have permission to be here? Don’t worry, we do.

Luna: Symkaria has been a gracious host to these gathering for many years. We are glad you have accepted our invitation.

Daisy: Your Highness… um, I’m sorry to say I am not entirely sure why I am here. Or why you are here for that matter.

Luna: Oh, I see you have not been fully briefed.

Megan returns with tea for Daisy as well.

Megan: Drink up, you’ll feel better.

Daisy: Thanks… I think. So who else are we expecting? I doubt it is just us.

Luna: That is an accurate deduction. We are awaiting quite a few of our compatriots.

Daisy: How many is a few?

  Somewhere in Latveria.

Azari: Come on Valeria. We’re going to be late.

Azari. Prince of Wakanda. His Aunt Shuri rules as the Black Panther.

Valeria: I just need to make sure these data sets are triple checked.

Valeria. CEO of the Future Foundation. Also Lord of Latveria… long story.

Neena: The sooner we get out of here, the better.

Neena. Daughter of Namor and Emma Frost. Possibly in line for the throne of Atlantis and not thrilled about it.

Valeria: Almost done.

Azari: So how does it feel?

Neena: I’m not Empress yet.

Valeria: Actually, Atlantis has a Queen. Lemuria has an Empress.

Neena: Whatever.

Azari: But you have to be excited! You’re about to become one of the most important rulers on Earth.

Neena: You know they won’t accept me.

Azari: They can’t argue with science.

Neena: I can’t even breathe underwater Azari. How am I supposed to run an underwater kingdom?

Valeria: Unfortunately the alternative is not acceptable.

Neena: I know my cousin. She won’t be a threat.

Valeria: Surface nations will not feel safe if Atlantis and Lemuria merge. Regardless of how the surface world will react, Lemurians and Atlanteans are just too culturally different. Atlanteans may not react well with a Lemurian Queen. Atlantean Civil Wars can be very bloody.

Azari: You will have the full support of Wakanda, Genosha, Latveria, Attilan, and Asgard.

Neena: But the support we need the most is Atlantis itself.

Valeria: She has a point. But the good news is that you are 40 percent Atlantean.

Neena: How is that possible?

Valeria: Well when it comes to DNA-

Azari: Short version Valeria, tick tock.

Valeria: Ugh, fine. DNA doesn’t always perfectly split. Some genetic material may activate while others won’t. It was possible for you to have zero or even half. So lucky you.

Neena: Lucky me…

Neena never thought she would be called up to lead a nation. Emma Frost was never one to be tied down, so she never really got to know her father. It is not surprising that Azari is living vicariously through Neena. Azari is eager to become the Black Panther, but Shuri believes he is still too young to take over. Ironically many people are rooting for someone that young to lead Atlantis, as long as they have a favorable outlook to the surface world.

Azari: Now can we go Valeria?

Valeria: Fiiine. HERBIE, finish up here please. If there are any issues contact Chase. I am going to be busy for the next few hours.

A floating robot takes over the console and quickly switches between watching several screens filled with data. Valeria walks onto a platform and several pieces of armor form around her almost out of nowhere.

Azari: I will never understand why you always come to meetings geared up.

Valeria: Unlike many of you, my brain is the only thing extraordinary about me.

Neena: I thought we met up so we don’t fight each other.

Valeria: Don’t be naïve. With a gathering so powerful, we open ourselves up to all manner of attack. Our homes are left vulnerable. Our teams incomplete. Striking us when we least expect it would be a brilliant opening move toward a favorable endgame.

Azari: Jeez Valeria, I think you have been thinking about this too much.

Valeria: I think you have been thinking about it too little.

Azari: Um... Neena, can you get the door?

Neena: Teleporter, access Symkaria Base Echo.

A gate-like structure before the group turns on and brings the group into the large boardroom.

Valeria: Oh look, we are still early.

Azari: Fine Val, you were right.

Neena: Director Johnson, it’s good to see you.

Author’s Note

Just some notes on the characters introduced here.

I am basing Sam and Ava’s friendship a little on the Ultimate Spider-Man animated show. Probably an early version of the Champions had Nova and White Tiger on it. Even back then, Ava would have been a workaholic while Sam was the easy going guy. Even with their responsibilities completely changed, their attitudes haven’t changed. However, don’t mistake Sam’s easygoing nature for a lack of skill. He is really good at his job even if he acts like he doesn’t take things seriously.

While none of these characters are mine, I want to specifically shout out to comic artist Kris Anka for Neena. Neena is not an official Marvel character, which is a real shame. I was a really big fan of the idea of Namor and Emma together, so I have included Neena in everything I have come up with that deals with a future Marvel Universe.

Also Azari is based on the character of the same name in the animated movie, Next Avengers. I like the idea that Azari is pumped for Neena to ascend to a throne. I imagine they are of similar ages and the irony that everyone, including Shuri, is rooting for Neena to become Queen of Atlantis while Azari has to wait until he is of age. Also, don’t worry more characters from Next Avengers will show up :)

#Marvel #Fanfic #Nova #White Tiger #Quake #Hawkeye #Pixie #Earth 605

[theneuronova-blog]

Evolving Epigenetics (Part one): Choosing which Chapters to Read.

“Genes are like the story, and DNA is the language that the story is written in” - American academic Sam Kean.

DNA is the instruction manual that makes you, you... Although, it is not that simple. For example 99% of that manual has the same instructions as every other human on the planet and 98% of it is the same as the instructions to make a chimpanzee . As well as this the manual is ridiculously long (if you put together all the DNA molecules in your body end to end it would reach from the earth to the sun and back around 600 times). 

Everyone's DNA is similar, the same building blocks but put together differently. We could compare this to a script, for example Romeo and Juliet. George Cukor directed one film version in 1936 with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer. Then 60 years after Baz Luhrmann directed Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in another film adaptation of the play. Same script, same starting point… different outcomes (I stole this comparison from Junk DNA by Nessa Carey). Since the 19th century our understanding of epigenetics has developed and then evolved into the research we have today.

For example DNA was discovered in the 1950s by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins, and arguably also Watson and Crick (but that’s a debate for a different post). Then in 2000 the release of the human genome sequence which UK science minister Lord Sainsbury said gave us the “possibility of achieving all we ever hoped from medicine”. But what exactly is a genome? 

A genome is all the complete set of genes or genetic material present in a cell or organism. While all of this research was revolutionary, scientists today are focusing on a smaller area of genetics: epigenetics.

Epigenetics is defined by the oxford dictionary as: “The study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself” and by Wikipedia as “the study of heritable changes in gene function that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence but what does this mean in simple terms? Epigenetics simply translates to ‘above genetics’ which is exactly what it is. Epigeneticists look above the genetic code itself and at how the gene is expressed. Imagine your DNA as a book, geneticists would look at changing the words and rewriting it, epigeneticists just choose the chapters you read.

To understand this further I spoke to biologist Maia Elliot who is currently studying her PhD in nutritional epigenetics. She described the differences between genetics and epigenetics “Genetics looks at our DNA code to identify mutations in our genes” whereas Epigenetics “looks at the chemical tags attached to the DNA that control our gene activity (which of the genes in our DNA are switched on and off)”. A lot of 21st century epigenetic research focuses on cancer, as turning off the switch to the genes that make us more likely develop cancer will save countless lives. Epigenetics  however has also come under intense scrutiny with many believing it is merely a fad, and believing  evidence is not as concrete as other genetic advancements.

In this blog series I am going to explore two main topics; the history of epigenetic research and how this research (as well as some broader genetic research) affects us today. To put all of this into context we need to start at the beginning with the infamous Charles Darwin and look at DNA, inheritance and the many scientists who led us to understanding epigenetics as we do today.

#science #biology #chemistry #physics #genes #genetics #genome #dna #epigenetics #darwin #lamark

[sherristockman]

The Effects of Biodynamic Farming on the Environment and Food Quality Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Eating real, nonprocessed food is the key to sustaining good health, but even when it comes to whole food, its quality is largely determined by how it was grown. Certified organic food is recommended to avoid toxic contaminants such as pesticides. But even organic foods may be lacking in important nutrients if grown in nutrient-poor soils. To truly build good topsoil, you have to implement regenerative farming methods, many of which are not automatically required by organic standards. Biodynamic certification, which is a step above organic, is the topic of today’s discussion with Elizabeth Candelario, managing director for Demeter,1 a global Biodynamic certification agency. Candelario spent most of her career in the wine industry. While she was working as a marketing director for a winery in Sonoma County, the winery decided to transition from conventional to Biodynamic farming, which is how her interest in Biodynamics began. “Here in the United States, the wine industry was the early adopter in Biodynamic,” Candelario says. “The reason for that was really twofold. One is winemakers couldn’t help but notice that the best wines in the world were coming from Biodynamic vineyards, wineries like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Zind-Humbrecht. Another reason is that a lot of wineries, at least back in the day, were family-owned … You had winery families that were interested in passing that winery down from one generation to the next. The best example of that is the Frey Vineyards up in Mendocino County, where they literally have four generations of family living [there] … They were really thinking about the ecological aspect of what they were doing and how they were farming. So, it wasn’t unique that the winery I worked at chose [Biodynamic] … That experience — I not only witnessed the transformation of the estate, but I also witnessed a transformation in the people we were working with — was, for me, emerging between my career [in] the wine industry and my interest in social mission … I joined Demeter about almost 10 years ago.” The History of Biodynamic Farming Organic is well-known in the U.S. market. Biodynamic is a fairly unknown concept, although its history spans back nearly nine decades. Biodynamic farming is a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture initially developed by Austrian scholar Rudolf Steiner,2 Ph.D., (1861-1925). It’s an approach that can provide farsuperior harvests compared to conventional chemical-based agriculture, while simultaneously healing the Earth. As organic farming, the concept of biodynamic emerged in response to the industrialization of agriculture. Candelario explains: “Steiner was a polyglot. He was a very smart man. He was interested in economics and social systems. He’s most known here in the U.S. as the founder of Waldorf education. Toward the end of his life, he was approached by a group of farmers that were very concerned about what they were seeing on their farms. This was back in the 1920s … After World War I, chemical companies got very crafty repurposing nitrogen that had been used to make bombs as fertilizer, and nerve gas as synthetic pesticides. They had stockpiles of these chemicals and realized they had application on farms. This was around the time of the industrialization of the manufacturing model. The idea was that you wanted to produce the highest output at the lowest cost. It’s not surprising that that kind of industrial view also influenced the way people started thinking about their farms. This idea of importing things from the outside, these natural resources, to increase production really mirrored that industrial model. But what was happening was that farmers were really beginning to notice that their seeds weren’t germinating. Their animals weren’t as healthy. The food wasn’t as good. Because of that, they approached Steiner and asked him for his perspective on what was happening on their farms. He answered them in what is now referred to as “The Agriculture Course or The Foundations for a Renewal of Agriculture” — a series of lectures he delivered.” The Farm as a Living Organism Steiner’s view was as simple as it was revolutionary. He said, “You need to stop thinking of your farms as factories and envision them as living organisms — self-contained, self-sustaining, following the cycles of nature, and able to create their own health and vitality out of the living dynamics of the farm.” Seventeen years later, Lord Northbourne coined the term “organic” based on Steiner’s view of the farm as an organism. So, Biodynamic is really the origin of organic farming. Both focus on bringing life back to the soil and avoiding the decimation of the topsoil with synthetic fertilizers, which are toxic to microbial life. Demeter was started by a small number of farmers who attended Steiner’s agriculture course. “They decided that what he had talked about was so important that they wanted to codify it in an agricultural standard,” Candelario says. To ensure the standard would maintain its integrity in the marketplace, they decided to develop a strict certification program. Demeter was formed in 1928 in Germany and remains the oldest ecological certification organization in the world. Even back then, they had a formal certification process and a certification label, Candelario explains. While largely unknown in the U.S., Demeter is well-recognized within Central Europe. In Germany, 10 percent of the organic farmland is Biodynamic. There are even Demeter stores. I’ve fully embraced the Biodynamic concept and am currently in the process of converting the Mercola line of products from organic to Biodynamic certified and locating sources of raw materials to do that. Many are still not available within the U.S., but we’re in the slow process of conversion. One of the Biodynamic products we’ll release this fall comes from an Egyptian farm called SEKEM. “SEKEM just celebrated their 40th anniversary and their commitment to social mission is incredible,” Candelario notes. “Because of the values implicit in Biodynamic agriculture, you see lots of examples of projects that have a huge social mission component.” Organic Versus Biodynamic One of the easiest ways to grasp the concept of biodynamic is to think of it in the context of organic standards. While similar, there are distinct differences between the two standards. Organic standards are set by the National Organic Program (NOP); Demeter sets the standards for Biodynamic. Candelario explains: “Organic is really about what you don’t do. In organic, you don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. You don’t use genetically modified organism (GMO) seed. You do everything you can to avoid GMO contamination; no sewer sludge on the farm and no irradiation of products. What’s happening with the burgeoning interest in organic, which is a really good thing, is there’s a lot of pressure on that standard, so you have products coming into the market that do the minimum of what is required, sitting right next to another product that’s also labeled organic that does much more. Biodynamics fundamentally maintains the core principle that the farm is a living organism. We start by saying that the organic standard is the base to the Demeter standard. If a farm is Demeter certified, it means that it’s met the organic standard, even if it’s not certified organic. But then, the standard is much broader, maintaining that idea of the farm as a closed system. You look for solutions to disease, pest and weed control to come out of the farm system itself.” Biodynamic Standards Require Farm to be a Self-Sustaining Whole In organic, a 10,000-acre conventional farm that does not use prohibited materials on 1,000 of its acres can get organic certification for those 1,000 acres. To qualify for Biodynamic certification, the entire farm must meet the standard, as the whole farm is viewed as an integrated living organism. Ten percent of that farmland must also be set aside for cultivation of biodiversity. This can be accomplished by leaving natural oak groves or waterways, or it could be created through insectaries and hedgerows. “If a farmer is having a fertility issue, in conventional farming, a conventional farmer might say, ‘Let’s just bring in those synthetic fertilizers.’ An organic farmer might say, ‘Let me look and see what organic fertilizers I can bring into the farm.’ That’s a step better, but you’re still mining a natural resource and importing it to the farm. A biodynamic farmer’s going to say, ‘What is it about my farm system that isn’t capable of delivering the fertility that my crops need?’ They answer that from a biodynamic toolbox, which may be green manures, composting, cover cropping and incorporating animals. The mindset is quite different. There are eight Biodynamic preparations. They’re made from materials a farmer can find on the farm. They’re used as compost amendments, foliar sprays and soil amendments. In organic, there’s just one processing standard for all products. In Biodynamic, there are 16 processing standards. The intention is to allow the integrity of the agricultural ingredients to define the finished product, so you have high content of Biodynamic ingredients with minimal processing. It’s a real foodie standard.” Having animals integrated on the farm is a core principle of Biodynamic farming, but it doesn’t end there. Great focus is also placed on animal welfare. While it’s possible to gain Biodynamic certification for a farm that does not raise livestock, it’s actually quite difficult to achieve optimal soil health without the integration of herbivores. They’re really an integral part of a self-sustaining system. The Certification Process The certification process itself is very similar to organic. There is a base standard that needs to be met, regardless of size (and there is no size limitation). A farm or brand that wants to get a product certified submits an application. There is an inspection of the farm or the processing facility to ensure that the standard is met, and each farm or facility is re-inspected on an annual basis. The certification cost is also very similar to organic, ranging from $250 to $750. Annual inspection costs are minimized to the extent that it’s possible by pooling inspections in one geographic area, allowing members to share the cost of an inspector. Moving Forward A catch-22 preventing Biodynamic from spreading faster is the shortage of certified products in the national marketplace. Most Demeter members are small family farms that only sell locally or regionally. “We realized we really needed to focus on getting some national brands to get products in the market so that we could use those products to educate consumers,” Candelario says. Five years ago, Demeter started working with Whole Foods to select companies and brands whose values aligned with Biodynamic. “[We’d] approach them to say, ‘Would you consider bringing these Biodynamic products into the market before consumers even know what it is?’ It’s a wonderful story because we now have 25, some of the leading national brands — soon to be joined by you as well — like Lundberg Family Farms, Lakewood Juice, The Republic of Tea, that have worked really hard and invested a lot to bring these products into the market. I would say the supply chain understands Biodynamic — the brands we’ve talked to, the retailers and other important players. But we’re just on the verge of really doing the consumer education that we need to do.” The key, and the intention of this interview, is to help you understand and recognize the importance of the Demeter certification label. That’s really going to be the new platinum standard for high-quality, nutrient-dense food. While many Biodynamic ingredients must currently be sourced overseas, from communities like SEKEM in Egypt, the goal is to grow most of these ingredients right here in the U.S. for American-based brands. Healing the Planet Through Agriculture As noted by Candelario, the vision of Demeter is to heal the planet through agriculture, and we can do that by transitioning farming from conventional to organic and, ultimately, to Biodynamic. At present, the marketplace is being used to drive the adoption of Biodynamics on the farm, which is why it’s so important for consumers to understand its principles, its benefits, and to start asking for certified products. Demand is ultimately what drives change the fastest. In the case of Biodynamic, there are many reasons to support it. Foodists and those seeking optimal health will want it because it’s a mark of superior quality and nutrition. Animal-rights activists would be wise to support it as it places strong emphasis on animal welfare. Environmentalists will want it because of its healing impact on the Earth and normalizing effect on weather. “Paul Hawkin just wrote a book called ‘Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming.’ I really recommend it. In that book, he talks about how, in order to address climate change, we need to do two things. We need to address emissions. That is the burning of fossil fuels, the agricultural activities that actually release carbon into the air. The other half of the equation is we have to sequester carbon. We have to pull that excess carbon that’s in the air back down and into the soil. Guess what happens when we pull carbon out of the air? It happens every day when the sun is shining. That’s what photosynthesis does. It takes that carbon from the air and pushes it down into the soil. Not only are we sequestering carbon, we’re making more healthy and nutritious food. In conventional [farming], sequestering carbon doesn’t happen because conventional fertilizers stop that process where the plant is basically rewarded by the microbiota in the soil to pull that carbon out of the air. Synthetic fertilizers kill the microbiota in the soil. You don’t have that carbon drawdown that you’re looking for in conventional agriculture. By definition, the more carbon you put in the soil, the more you’re building a resilient soil. You’re building a water conservative soil. You’re building the potential to have incredibly healthy food.” Soil Is an Incredibly Efficient Carbon Sink Measuring the organic content of soil is an easy way to assess soil health. Most conventional farms have an organic content below 2 percent. Virgin Midwestern prairie used to be 7 to 8 percent. Good soil has a deep black color, because carbon is black; it’s rich and actually smells good. As noted by Candelario, a French initiative called the 4 Per 1,000 Initiative3 found that if we were to increase the carbon (the organic matter) in all agricultural land around the world by a mere 0.4 percent per year, the annual increase of CO2 in the atmosphere would be halted, because so much carbon would be drawn from the atmosphere. >>>>> Click Here

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