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Thanks for letting me know, I will take a look. I really have fallen out of all things fandom-y...

I'm just going to take all of this in stride - and look forward to what happens next!

Lacking context on what Jess has done before, though, I have to ask: why'd she start with Maximum Ride? I don't think that's the only world she'd have gotten bird wings from...

by Stephen King. Yay, a bonus Dark Tower novel! While the Dark Tower series as a whole is very cool, there were definitely a lot of things that never got answered in the original seven novels. So an extra installment in between novels four and five was very welcome! Spoilers follow for The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass and The Wind Through the Keyhole.

One unfortunate thing about putting all the novels in order is that TWTtK comes immediately after the one that was already a novel-length flashback to Roland’s youth, which means there’s now a huge section right in the middle of the series where the present-day action barely moves forward, while Roland is telling stories to his friends. Buuuuuuut I don’t totally mind, because we get some more world-building for two separate periods of Mid-World’s history!

First, the old in-universe legend of Tim and the worst stepfather ever. This is the only piece of TDT literature that confirms the connections to Arthurian legend in Mid-World’s past, rather than mentions of “Arthur Eld.” The name “Maerlyn” had been used in the original novels as a possible alternate name for the good old Man in Black, the most recurring Stephen King villain there is. I feel dumb now, because I never understood that “Maerlyn” was supposed to be a corrupted version of “Merlin.” But having Merlin himself appear on page does a lot to make Mid-World’s past feel less like an unknowable legend that everyone alive was just guessing at, and more like the actual magical history the setting deserved to have. (Though it’s still awkwardly and confusingly mixed between real Earth history and its own fantasy elements.) We also get a dragon! I didn’t know Mid-World had dragons, and it’s kind of cool that they’re intelligent enough to let a little kid go after he apologizes profusely for disturbing her, rather than just being aggressive, mindless predators. I’m looking forward to reading The Eyes of the Dragon now, as I’ve heard that the Man in Black appears there too, which makes me wonder if it’s actually set in Mid-World.

As for the actual story-within-a-flashback, eh. I mean, it’s well set-up and all as a story, but as someone from a step-family, I’m never a fan of the old Cinderella-style cliché of “the step-family is evil.” I mean, I guess in fairness, Big Kells starts out evil first and only becomes step-father later . . . eh, doesn’t really help for me. Oh, and the appearance of the Man in Black in the story is interesting, because that means Roland heard fairy tales of his own future arch-nemesis when he was tiny, though admittedly, nothing in TWTtK indicates that Roland actually recognizes the character as such.

One interesting note is that when one character describes the ability billy-bumblers have to sense dangerous storms in advance, she called it their “bright.” This sounds a lot like the way characters are said to have a “shine” when they have the Shining. I’m not sure this is a connection King was trying to make, though, because up until now, only human characters have shined, and I don’t understand how an entire species of animal could have the Shining that way. But who knows?

Moving on to the flashback itself, it really ties up the emotional fallout we never got to see after the flashback in WaG, when Roland was tricked into shooting his mother. We knew Roland felt conflicted about it, due to his love for his mother, but also the betrayal he felt in her cheating on his father. But we never knew his father’s reaction, so it was nice getting more of Steven’s personality. We also get to see more of Mid-World’s slow descent into anarchy and rebellion against Steven’s rule, and even though our first-person protagonist is the king’s son, it’s actually pretty easy to sympathize with the lower class members of the society. With every aspect of Mid-World running down year by year, from the technological knowledge to the soil to time itself, survival becomes harder and harder, and Gilead’s resources for taking care of everyone and enforcing peace farther out from the capitol are clearly beginning to fail. (I mean, Roland’s inner monologue realizes that the mine workers are essentially paid slaves, and proceeds to do nothing about it!) I wonder if Roland himself ever understood that, or if he still feels bitter about the overthrow of his father?

The skin-man is a seriously scary monster. Obviously based on skin-walkers of Navajo legend, it evokes all the terror of that legend, and mixes in the usual Dark Tower technology through the fact that the creature was created when a man crawled into a crack in the mine and came in contact with technology from either our era of Earth, or from our future. It adds to the hints that Mid-World may have been an Earth itself at some point in the past, with both Earth tech and Earth legends still haunting little nooks and crannies in the world. I’m curious if the green light pouring out of the crack in the ground where the miner was transformed into a skin-man is supposed to be a hint at the green crystal ball, though I’m not sure we learned enough about it in the first novel to say for sure. Either way, the variety of animals the skin-man transforms into in this novel is pretty cool, especially the final one.

—doctorlit wonders if we’ll ever get more info on Roland’s backstory

Tailsteak, creator of 1/0, has made another webcomic! It's called Leftover Soup, and you should totally read it.

WARNING: Leftover Soup contains some adult content, frank discussions of sex, and an awful lot of extreme philosophical and political positions (Tailsteak loves to have his characters get into interesting arguments).

/adds Tomash/

Contact me here!

I've been curious about the game for a while. Let's see how this goes.

Given the large numbers of 'Oh, you play Fallen London too?" moments I've seen in the chat, I figured I'd start a thread about it here.

For those who don't know, Fallen London is a text-based choose-your-own-adventure-ish game set in a Victorian-era London that has ended up underground for some reason. It's got a rather surreal vibe (ex. there are devils and sapient rats roaming around) and (given how many PPCers play it) seems to be the sort of thing people here might like.

One note is that actions in the game accumulate once per 10 minutes with a cap of 20 to prevent people from burning through the content too fast, so you don't need a large block of time to play.

For those who want to add me, I'm GCU Gray Area (the game is mostly single-player, but there are some things where it helps to know other players).

- Tomash

Although I kinda need to know things like timings ASAP due to other things that may or may not be happening that weekend.

I'm looking for betas for a ~8000 word mission. It's a Persona 3 badfic which is NSFW and includes rape. The mission should be considered NSFW as well due to quotes from the badfic.

But I'd pronounce it Hwein-so-run. That's probably wrong, which is why I usually just call him hS when I'm talking.

As for how to pronounce MY name, it's long documented that, as a result of my upbringing reading, I actually pronounce it wrong. I pronounce my name Thoth (exactly how it's spelled, approximately "Thawth", in my accent). But more correct pronounciations approximate "Thothe", "Toth" or "Tote". I denied this for a while, but it's true. God of knowledge, I am not.

Physically, I'm... hmm. Chubby, physically unfit, short-ish brown hair, brown, something on my face that I'm trying to keep from being a neckbeard (with... some success), hair all over me (seriously, lots of hair. Not more than anyone else I've ever met or anything, but...), and I'm typically dressed in whatever came out of my wardrobe first, in the kind of total disregard for fashion that can only exist out of habit, with a general messiness and disorder around me to match. Rarely seen without a book and/or headphones.

I'm a programmer-y type, avid writer, 40k obsessed, and kinda lazy. I also firmly believe that the best single-player and multiplayer shooters ever were Doom (1993) and Quake 3 Arena respectively. Half-Life is good too, but... different.

How to pronounce "Huinesoron": learn Elvish.

1. I doubt anyone is confused by mine, but it's "lit" as in "literature," not pronounced like "light." For the record, I've used this name since long before "lit" became internet vernacular in the last couple of years.

2. 5'7". Brown hair that is officially buzz cut low, but I let it grow out to roughly bowl cut length before I buzz it again, because it's a question of convenience (not spending time on my hair) rather than appearance. Um, white boy, thirty-two years old. Above-average muscular arms and legs, but shapeless blobby torso. Eyes that look blue or greenish depending on what clothes colors I'm wearing. Scar on white cheek from a toddler-era surgery. Always clean-shaven when in public. Need thick-framed glasses for distance vision. Tiny teenager hands with short fingers. Usually wear cargo shorts and collared shirts. Prefer flip-flops over tennis shoes, but open-toed shoes aren't allowed at work. Forego socks early in morning so they don't get wet spraying down exhibit rooms. Terrible at describing appearances.

3. Not really sure what's being looked for here? I feel a desperate need for stories, to the point where I pretty much call consuming fiction "feeding" in my mind any more. Don't like people, and feel U.S. society teaches people too much to obsess over feeling fun and happy all the time, when our time is best spent taking care of the planet so our species can endure for forever. Obsessed with the idea that only things that last forever matter, and put as much of my time as possible into workaholism because the work I put into the world is the only part of me that will last forever. Also secretly desperate to become immortal somehow. Incapable of sitting still and just relaxing/thinking, always need some form of "assignment" to occupy my brain.

—doctorlit doesn't know where to go from here

Aiden calling Fellrazer a puppy and asking to pet him was too cute.

His little bout of pyromania might have had me grinning like an idiot. Fire is very shiny. >:D I think Xericka is going to have her hands full raising him.


(And, reading the reference to the movie-which-does-not-exist reminded me: the creators of AtLA are doing a live action series remake, and they said something to the effect of "doing everything right that the movie didn't". So... fingers crossed.)

Hi everyone! Jess is back and better than ever! I'm gonna keep updating TSAOJC1 but imagine this is like a split timeline where one version has her still doing her dimension hopping throughout the multiverse and this one here where she becomes an agent of the PPC! R&R!!

My name is Jessamine Layla Amata Briar Creed. I'm sixteen years old and this is the story of my life.

I was born a normal human girl who loved to read and watch TV, and I wasn't anything special until one day my life was turned upside-down when I was sucked into the world of Maximum Ride. They experimented on me and gave me bluejay wings and my eyes turned amethyst and my hair snow white. I also discovered I had the powers of fast flight (150 mph or 250 in a dive), gills when I'm underwater, and postcognition (basically she touches anything and can get the history of what happened around it). I can also teleport and soon discovered I could use that to teleport into different universes.

This time though, while trying to make my way into Adventure Time, I ended up in someplace entirely different: The Protectors of the Plot Continuum!

Teleporting always left me feeling kind of woozy so I didn't see right away who was helping me up.

"Are you okay?" a gentle voice asked, his arms going under mine to help me sit up.

"I'm fine," I said touching my head. "I just need to lie down a bit." And I fainted.

Supernumerary stared down at the woman in his arms. She was breathtakingly beautiful, with transluscent skin and silvery blonde hair that shimmered with her every movement. He hesitantly brushed her hair out of her face. Though her eyes were closed now, he'd seen them before, a striking amethyst color in all shades of purple.

He carefully picked her up to take her back to his response center. Maybe after she'd slept it off, she would be able to tell him and Ilraen who she was.

There you have it, my lovelies! Review to see the next chapter!!

Given that I'm attracted to strife like a neodymium magnet to a CD full of credit card data, I might have had to pull an Ötzi the iceman, and wander off into the mountains alone to hunt bears.

Explanation of Ötzi:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96tzi

But in a small group where everyone knows everyone else (about 150 being the maximum number of relationships the average individual can keep track of), and can follow what's necessary from day to day, I don't think it would be as difficult as you imagine.

Plus, if there is tension, the idea here is that individuals might literally kiss and make up like bonobos do instead of harboring resentment, getting violent, and causing further stress and disruption. Ensuring that everyone's needs are met so that everyone can function is how the entire group benefits most. If you can't get along, and cause more discord than harmony, you run the risk of being expelled. That's a powerful incentive for every individual to make sure they're not always the jerk, and for the group to punish anyone who steps out of line before it gets that bad. And then make up with them with lots of cuddles. Harmony = good group function = survival. {= )

That's not so different to how we manage ourselves here and now on the Board, if you think about it. Sometimes we argue, rarely we encounter someone so disruptive they just have to go, and always we renew bonds with each other by playing games, writing together, and basically being attentive to each other. The more attentive and engaged you are with other people, the more respect and status you accumulate. That, I would suggest, is why interaction is such an important criterion for Permission.

~Neshomeh

When I tried for permission, hs asked me for an extra piece of writing. Here it is:

Rasputin Gibbs would have felt a lot better about life if he had known where he was, but the featureless corridors of the PPC headquarters seemed intent on getting him lost. On the plus side, Colonel Bradbury had a seemingly endless supply of anecdotes, so what could have been total boredom had turned into a fairly educational delve into his partner’s psyche.

“So I had about half a minute to create an explanation for the non-existence of the Bureau of Military Acupuncture, and all I could get out of my mouth was ‘503.’ The Policía Militar thug paused in confusion, and this gave me enough time to turn my random utterance into something I could use. So I said I wanted a signed 503 and an initialed 22b or I would court martial the poor schmuck. Now, that was in no way within my power, but I figured that anyone who got sent to deal with stuff this dumb wouldn’t know that.”

At this point Gibbs interrupted him: “Wait, so you just made up a branch of Sanitary and Health Command?”

Bradbury didn’t answer, instead holding up a closed fist in the universal gesture for “stop.” He then turned and whispered to Gibbs: “There’s someone up ahead. I think we have a problem.”

“I see someone,” said Gibbs, “but not the problem.”

Gibbs looked again at the agent approaching them, just to check, but from his limited experience she seemed to be a standard PPC agent: a frazzled-looking human female with glasses.

Bradbury’s voice took on a more urgent tone, his mind buzzing with the application of inapplicable life experience. “We’re about to have authority abused at us.”

Gibbs was about to reply when the human coming towards them noticed the crate Bradbury held, and asked with mild interest: “Running errands?”

Bradbury knew how this would go. In his hind-brain this was 2022, he was a Subteniente being hassled by someone more seasoned, and it wouldn’t end well. The important thing was to confuse the issue.

This line of non-thought led to his next utterance: “Drain cleaner.”

The agent looked at him for a moment, one eyebrow raised: “Then why do they have hand-written labels saying: ‘Colonel Bradbury’s Old White Lightning’?”

Bradbury didn’t even blink. “I’m smuggling it. For the good of society. I’m thwarting the tyrannical excise-man and bringing cheap goods to those who need them.”

The agent’s mild curiosity had turned into severe confusion. “You do realize no government has jurisdiction in HQ, right? There’s no one who can tax goods.”

Bradbury took this curve-ball and, to mix a metaphor, ran with it. “Exactly. I can buy and sell anything here totally duty-free. Why do impede me in my quest? Do you hate the poor? Are you some kind of Communist? Are you some kind of Capitalist?! DO YOU WANT THE POOR TO HAVE MOLDY PLUMBING?!”

Gibbs wondered what it was like to be an awkward twenty-something confronted by an old guy shouting for no reason. It was all he could do not to explode into a pile of laughter, or whatever it was humans said.

Bradbury turned and whispered to Gibbs, total calm in his voice: “On my count, run. One. Two. Three. Now.”

Bradbury dropped the box and ran headlong down the corridor. Gibbs went with the flow, but managed to get out an incongruously cheerful “Bast Chauble!” before he left the bewildered young agent’s hearing range.

After they had gotten themselves even more thoroughly lost, Gibbs turned to Bradbury: “So, in the end, how did that whole Military Acupuncture thing play out?”

Bradbury thought about this.

“Upon reflection, it doesn't seem that important.”

I believe this is the one PC showed me when I had that same reaction. ^_^

Thanks for commenting!

~Neshomeh

The ones above little-kid's hand's reach, anyway... probably.

Showing another aspect or two to Gall was my goal for this, so I'm glad that comes through. Also Fellrazer being an active participant in events. I'm pretty sure he's upgraded Aiden to "dragon" in his mind. ^_^

Thanks!

~Neshomeh

... but that still supports my point. This system seems like it would lead to a lot of arguments about who needs what more, who last had certain things, and what people are allowed to do with what.

In short, I'm very cynical.

I think I made that up? Lemony referred to G-Squared as a potential pairing at some point. You did add "Squad" on, though, so I'll give you that. {= )

~Neshomeh

Learning a little about modern-day forager societies and other cultures with different sexual mores is pretty cool. Seems as though, when female sexuality is not restricted or controlled by the males and everyone's autonomy is respected, everyone is happier. Go figure.

Possible reasons for things like women generally making more noise than men.

Female orgasm chemically favoring the sperm of the male who managed it.

Why the penis is shaped the way it is. (But not why people keep insisting it's unappealing, which I don't get.)

The thorough dismantling of the assumptions made about ancient people by depressed men living in crowded, disease-ridden post-industrial European cities with more imagination than data to work with. We're all influenced by cultural bias, but at least we have more hard evidence now. As long as we don't keep throwing out the bits that don't conform to the current political narrative, whatever it happens to be.

Particularly, if we are inclined by nature to violence, which the authors doubt very much, we're at least equally inclined by nature to peaceful cooperation. Pushing one narrative over the other is extremely dubious. Who benefits? Who suffers?

Much respect for Darwin, who got some things wrong but tried hard to increase everyone's knowledge had the grace to admit he didn't know everything.

Not very much discussion of homosexuality, but only because if sex is not strictly about reproduction, but rather functions as a social lubricant, if you will, then it makes perfect sense and needs no further explanation. QED.

Much more that isn't rising immediately to mind!

~Neshomeh

I question the assumptions inherent in this thought. First, you assume a concept of property. Suppose instead that there is no more concept of possessing a knife than there would be of possessing a cloud.

Second, you assume there's only one good version of a highly useful if not vital tool that isn't so difficult to make more of. But even supposing that were the case, the knife does not belong to you. If you leave a shared thing lying around and walk away from it, that's a pretty clear signal that you are done using it. Why shouldn't someone else pick it up, especially if there's still an important job to do that you left unfinished? Acting as though you're the only one allowed to use the very important tool would make YOU the jerk, not the other person.

~Neshomeh

But I'll have to try to find someone you actually forgot, too, just because. If anyone can meet this challenge, it should be me. {= D

Re. explanation... good point! I remember thinking there were a few inconsistencies with what I thought was the actual cause, but didn't have time to get beyond that. So, yes, good. I retract the criticism. ^_^

And I was wondering whether Dafydd turned his translator off or on when he touched it the first time. I mean, he was hearing piratical talk before and after (I think), so...?

~Neshomeh

Now carry on.