Mercurial Muses

a blog for Valdyss Duskbane and Eavyn Adare (WoW-MG)

[mercurial-muses]

...and a Happy New Year

Here's a lovely snippet from the RP that followed Valdyss' Winter Veil gift to Faye. Happy New Year!

- - - - - - - - - -

“I want you, Valdyss, in so many ways,” the baroness admitted gently. Earnestly. “More than anything I want to be by your side, and vice versa. Sometimes it scares me how much I feel that. Because I’m worried…” Faye trailed off for a moment, eyes drifting from the woman beside her to the little scene the mage had so lovingly set up.

“…I’m worried sometimes that I’m moving too fast. That I’m wanting too much, too soon, because I’m reaching a point where I… I genuinely can’t imagine this-“ She paused for a moment to gesture all around them. Not just the small encampment, but it seemed to convey even more. “-without you. Every future plan, every next-day thought, you’re there. And I want you there. Even if not physically, given our duties, but just the knowledge that it will be.”

"Faye..." Valdyss set her plate to the side and turned where she sat to face the other woman more fully. She raised her hand to brush her fingertips over the scars on the sniper's face before cupping her cheek in her warm palm. Her thumb swiped gently across Faye's mouth and she leaned in to kiss her a moment later. While it carried none of the urgency or heat in the kisses that often preceded their lovemaking, it was not at all lacking in passion. The kiss was slow and deep, and Val prayed it somehow conveyed everything she feared she otherwise couldn't. Reluctantly, she broke away to speak.

"Your worry is wasted, love. I will give you all of those things and more for as long as you want them. And I only gain in doing so, as I want all of those things too. I couldn't love or want you even the slightest bit less than you do me."

A laugh left Faye, short and sweet as she reached to cover Valdyss’ hand with her own. Steel eyes lifted to meet her lover’s and she couldn’t help but smile. “You make me wish I’d brought a ring,” she admitted after a few moments of silence.

Val’s breath caught and then held. Her widening eyes scanned the sniper’s features, that small and scared part of her looking for hints of a joke or mistake. Finding nothing but love in Faye’s expression, she exhaled on a shaky, “Yeah?”

The mage’s own eyes flooded with emotion as a smile lit up her face. “I’d say that very little about our relationship has been conventional, Callahan. Why start now?”

There was no joke. No hint of hesitation or second thoughts. Just love and a genuineness that spread to Faye’s smile as it widened.

The huntress laughed then, voice thick with emotion. “I guess you’re right. I don’t think either of us would have really settled for conventional anyway, hmm?”

Valdyss kissed Faye again, a bit quicker this time, and parted with a joyful and incredulous laugh. "Conventional is boring and adventure suits us, so let's keep with the theme, shall we?" She moved to hold Faye's face gently in both hands then and looked into her eyes with intense and unshakable love. "Yes."

Why wait for the question? It was clear what Faye was building to, and Valdyss had honestly never wanted anything more in her life.

[mercurial-muses]

Merry Winter Veil, With All My Love...

Because people rarely get to see for themselves how sweet Valdyss and Faye are, I thought I'd share the mage's holiday surprise for her love.

- - - - - - - - - -

If Valdyss wasn’t in Faye’s bed or otherwise at her side during the morning hours, it was an almost certain bet that she was in front of the fireplace with a mug of coffee in her hands. When Faye reached the sitting room, it wasn’t Val she found sitting in the mage’s favorite chair, but the sniper’s own crossbow leaned up against it.

A red ribbon had been tied to the weapon, silver glittering in the fabric like a smattering of stars, and tucked into that ribbon was a note. It was Valdyss’ neat handwriting on the card.

lost without knowing it was you that I found

to home and to family my heart is now bound

if ever you need me but I’m far away

put your eye to the sight and let love lead the way

A closer look at the crossbow revealed a new marking on the otherwise familiar weapon. Where Faye’s hand would rest against the stock when the bow was raised, a rune had been expertly carved into the wood. There was no blemish in the fine finish where the mark had been laid, and the coin-sized rune almost looked like it was as much a part of the wood as the grain.

The rune itself was both old and new. A bindrune, it was a new symbol created from the merging of two existing ones. Faye recognized the individual symbols as those for love and home, now bound together. The rune was faintly warm against the skin, its power evident at just a touch, but its purpose wouldn’t be evident unless the note’s instructions were followed.

(a bit later)

Valdyss gave thanks to forethought as she made her way up to the bluff that overlooked the keep in one direction and the valley below in another. The trampled snow and small fire ring she’d found up there the other day confirmed it as a place used by Frostfall’s lookouts and snipers on occasion, but she was the only person up there this morning… for now.

Snow had covered the tracks she and her pack mule had left during her previous visit, so the huntress would find only Val’s footprints leading up to the overlook today. Given that Faye was meant to find her up there, the mage’s presence would be a surprise, but Valdyss hoped the rest was.

She had a small fire going in the stone ring and furs were piled atop a large waterproof tarp that had been enchanted to give off a bit of warmth. There were two small baskets as well, one enchanted to keep its contents cool without freezing, while the other kept a traditional brunch hot. Tiny colored fairy lights were draped over the branches of the pines that surrounded the area, looking like bright jewels against the white snow.

Excitement did not lend itself to patience, and Valdyss strode to the edge of the high clearing yet again to see if there were any signs of her love’s arrival. Unholstering her brand new bow from her back, she drew back the string without an arrow nocked and thought of Faye, a smile growing across her face as the rune tooled into the leather of her arm guard glowed a noticeably brighter red than when she’d aimed down the hill towards the keep previously. Faye was coming.

[mercurial-muses]

-Conquest, first night-

The knight dragged half of a leftover biscuit through what was left of her stew, letting the broth soak in deeply before taking a big bite. A smile bowed her lips as Bex did the same.

“Why’d some of those guys call you Vinnie?” Bex asked her around a mouth full of food. The nearby fire lit his features in a dance of light and shadow, making him stand out against the dark background of the night sky.

Eavyn’s smile grew. “They’ve been on campaign with me before and know me best by a nickname I picked up a long time ago.”

“Did you used to fight?”

“Oh, I still do when necessary. I brought my armor and my horse.” Eavyn gestured to a sword and shield leaning against a nearby crate. “Everyone here can fight and will if they're needed. And when we find some time between meals, I can start teaching you how to do the same.”

“With that?” Bex asked excitedly, pointing at her sword.

The knight drew a butcher’s knife from a sheath at her side. “First with this.” She guffawed at the young man’s obvious look of disappointment. “Don’t be so quick with your judgement,” she added gently. “Butchering meat for meals has taught me all I’ve needed to know to effectively disable and dismantle a foe.”

When Bex shoved a big hunk of biscuit into his mouth, Eavyn took that as a sign to continue on. “One nicked tendon drops a threat’s weapon and another keeps them from escaping. A severed artery brings a quick and merciful death.” She flourished the small, sharp blade. “All without laying hands on a sword. But when you do…”

Bex’s breath left him in a whispered “Whoooaaaa.”

Eavyn chuckled and sheathed her knife. “Right, so we’ll have you cut some back bacon in the morning and talk a bit about anatomy as we go. Then, if we get some time later in the day, I’ll hand over the practice sword I brought for you and we can start working on stance and technique with that.”

“Really?” Youthful exuberance was clear in Bex’s tone and served as a reminder of just how little he had seen of the world so far.

“Really. I intend to show you as much as I can.” Eavyn’s voice was firm as she added, “That will include meal deliveries to the medical area. Because as appealing as going to battle may seem to you now, Bex, it’s important that you see how ugly it is too," the knight explained patiently.

"The consequences of even the most honorable of fights can still be grim. It’s important that you see this campaign with a realistic view, not a romanticised one. That way you’ll be able to make an informed decision about what you want to do with your life when that time comes.”

“When did you know that you wanted to be a knight?” Bex asked after a thoughtful pause.

“My father was a knight and raised me on fanciful stories of his adventures. I honestly don’t remember ever wanting to be anything else.”

“Then why are you here cooking instead of out fighting in the field?”

“Because there are many ways I can serve and I always endeavor to choose the way that brings the greatest benefit to the most people. There are plenty of fighters here and they need food and care to help them be successful. We don’t need swords in our hands to be heroes, Bex. Not this time.”

(Now Eavyn's all caught up for RP tonight! Come find her for food and a nice chat.)

[mercurial-muses]

-Conquest, arrival day-

Hands on hips, Eavyn surveyed her makeshift kitchen. Having aided in campaigns like this more times than she cared to count, she had expertly navigated the bustle of people and pack animals to frame out an area for herself using the crates and sacks of food sent by Eastburg. The centerpiece was a large stone fire ring, and flames already flickered against the underside of a cooking grate. A bar hung far above, holding a wide assortment of ladles, tongs, and other implements she’d make frequent use of.

A smaller fire and grate were situated on the perimeter of her area. The first thing to be set up, it was quickly put to use for warming a cauldron of water and a pot of strong coffee. Those two vessels and the nearby stash of teas and sugar would likely make the smaller fire one of the most oft-visited spots in camp. Given that the coffee and water would be used and refreshed at all hours, Eavyn was happy that she alone wouldn’t be responsible for that during this campaign. 

The knight turned to watch the young man rolling and cutting biscuits on top of one of the large wooden crates behind her. She’d been connected with Beacan- Bex -by Autumnhearth’s secretary, who apparently made a habit of pairing some of Stormwind’s older orphans with mentors. The young man had expressed interest in both cooking and possibly joining Stormwind’s military forces, so Eavyn and Valdyss had been in agreement that assisting her during this campaign might help Bex to make a more informed decision about his future.

“The grate will only hold two of those at a time,” she called out to Beacan as she gestured to some large pans already filled with doughy discs. “Best put those on to bake while you roll out some more.”

The gangly young man set down the rolling pin with a nod and carried the biscuits over to the big fire. “If these are just meant to help tide folks over ‘til the next meal, are we maybe making too many?”

Eavyn smiled. “I’ve found there’s no such thing as ‘too many’ in a situation like this. People are hungry from unloading the ships and setting up camp. And even if they don’t eat all the jerky and biscuits, both can be useful another time. The jerky can be offered up as a snack later and the leftover biscuits can either be re-warmed and served as they are during dinner or broken up and used for a nice bread pudding tomorrow morning.”

The knight laughed at Bex’s widening eyes and what was likely an unconscious lick of his lips. “Right,” she said, taking a playful swat at his stomach with the back of her hand. “Plenty of folks like a bit of sweetness along with their bacon and eggs.”

Taking the pans from her assistant one at a time, she settled them onto the grate and then cranked it up and away from the flames so the biscuits had just enough heat to fully bake without their bottoms burning. With that done, she returned her attention to Bex, who she steered back to the crate-turned-counter top.

“Leftover rice can easily be repurposed too. It’s important to take stock of your provisions as early as possible and plan meals out in advance. Cook the most perishable things first if you don’t have reliable cold storage for it, and know which foods you can stretch or repurpose. You’ll see me doing enough of all that over the coming days to get a better feel for things yourself.”

The two of them fell into a nice rhythm, with Eavyn placing raw biscuits on another pan as Bex cut them out. After around ten minutes, she inhaled deeply and grinned. “Smell that?” Her question was met with another nod. “Then the folks around here do too, and we’ll have visitors soon enough.” 

She pointed towards the big fire. “Let’s get those off the fire and into a basket so we can get the next batch baking.” Eavyn grabbed a large basket off another crate, lined it with a towel, and handed it to Bex. “You get going with that and I’ll hunt down the butter, honey, and jam.”

Eavyn watched her assistant for a minute and, satisfied that he was doing fine on his own, she started pulling out the toppings for the biscuits along with some jerked beef. By the time she’d set that out on a long table at one end of the cooking area, Bex joined her with the basket full of the fragrant snacks and then immediately handed them off so he could put the next two pans onto the grate. Bex’s quiet confidence was much appreciated, and Eavyn prayed that would hold up through the campaign along with his apparent love for what he was doing. If it did, the young man would do well in the future, no matter what path he chose.

(art by the sweet and talented ActualSailboat)

[im---deleted]

Some items Autumnhearth was granted for their final stand recently against the Soulthorn Coven. 

[foxglovethings]

Ceramic queen Sam for @kegs-and-pots <3

[mercurial-muses]

Fantastic artist and a wonderful character... what's not to love?

[mercurial-muses]

If she thought about it too much, she’d cry.

Having spent the first two-thirds of her life in Stormwind and the rest of it either at war or escaping it, Valdyss had never experienced a whole community pull together to do its best. In the days since the protectors’ victory over the witch knight and her evil forces, the people of Autumnhearth and its allies had come out in force to do just that.

For all but the darkest hours of night and early morning, the manor grounds buzzed with activity. Sections of the house that had been tainted and burned by witchfire were being cut away and turned to ash in bonfires fed by rowanwood and stoked with poles tipped in silver. Supplies were coming in by the wagonload as were craftsmen and other volunteers from Easthallow, Crowsfield, and family settlements located everywhere around and between.

Many aided in the repair of the manor, and their numbers were nearly matched by those arriving to offer other support. The injured were receiving around-the-clock care, water containers were filled and refilled, the cooking fires and bonfires were kept burning, and food was made available to keep all of those helpers running just as well.

The mage’s stomach growled. A part of her knew that she’d currently be better served by having a plate in her lap rather than a journal filled with lists, but she pushed that thought away nearly as quickly as it came. Though the work crews were largely self-sufficient, they still ultimately reported to her until the Hallewells returned. So too did the other volunteers turn to her with questions or reassurances. It was a fulfilling position to be in, and one she was so very honored to fill. If there was ever a time to prove to others just how seriously she took her duty, now was the time… and the weight of that was something Val could not escape.

“Hello.”

Valdyss jerked her head up with a surprised yelp and found herself staring at the blonde woman who seemed to move back and forth between the manor’s kitchen and the makeshift infirmary with the consistency of a clock’s pendulum. Her nose twitched at the scent of whatever it was in the small crate the woman supported with both hands.

“Hey,” Val replied, her voice hoarse. “What can I help you with… Eve, right?”

“Close!” the other woman said brightly. “It’s Eavyn.” She cut off the apology she saw coming with one finger held aloft and a shake of her head. “You should hardly be expected to mentally keep track of everyone’s name too.”

Eavyn sat the wooden box down on the hay bale next to Valdyss. As she plucked Val’s journal from her grasp with one hand, she reached inside the crate with the other and presented the mage with a paper-wrapped sandwich, grilled and stuffed with meat and melting cheese. 

“Hey!” Valdyss reached for her lists with her free hand, but found the journal just out of reach. “I need that!”

“And so I’ll give it back in just a minute,” Eavyn replied calmly. “But I first want to point out that you look tired enough to take a bite out of that book by accident if left to chance.”

Val eyed the blonde and, though she gave a frustrated huff first, she did pull back the wrapper and bite into the sandwich. A contented hum filled the silence between the two women a few seconds later.

“There’s a canteen of water in there,” Eavyn explained, pausing to rap her knuckle against the side of the box. “I brought an insulated flask of coffee as well. Cream and sugar to the point of nearly altering its state, right?”

At Val’s widening eyes, the paladin laughed and gave a little shrug. “I noticed at breakfast yesterday morning.”

Finally, Valdyss had finished her mouthful. “Thank you. Light… I don’t think I realized how hungry I am.”

“That’s just as bad as knowing you are but not taking the time for yourself,” Eavyn countered as soon as Valdyss had taken another large bite. She’d found it a good strategy for getting a word in when she might not otherwise. “In any case, there are two apples and a little bundle of cookies in the crate as well, should you realize you’re hungry again before dinner.”

“Look, I appreciate the food, but I don’t need to be moth-”

“You can’t pour from an empty vessel,” the paladin interrupted. Her voice was firm and kind. “Clichéd, but true.” She gestured towards the manor with a sweep of her hand. “They see you as a leader in the Hallewells’ absence and treat you as such, and that is exactly why they must witness you eating and resting as well.”

Realizing she had no good argument against that logic, Valdyss could only sigh. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“That’s not apparent, nor is it permanent.”

Valdyss laughed, couldn’t help it. “So you’re saying I have them fooled?”

“I’m saying you’ve earned their confidence, and that hardly makes them fools.” Eavyn waited for Val to take another bite before she added. “And I’ll add that sometimes compassion comes hardest when one must extend it to oneself.” 

With that said, the paladin turned to head back to the manor, calling “See you at dinner!” over her shoulder as she went.

[mercurial-muses]

This has been an amazing week for art! The beautiful piece of my paladin/baker Eavyn was done by the talented ActualSailboat. The black and white pieces of the cutest couple ever (aka Valdyss & Faye) are by Kiyoshuki, who I adore.

[mercurial-muses]

Kiyoshuki has become a favorite artist of Autumnhearth's for very good reason. Prices are great for the quality of work and the artist is a pleasure to work with. Kiyoshuki's latest art of Valdyss and Faye is perfect!

Follow the link below to check out Kiyoshuki's gallery and commission info.

Kiyoshuki (Dominique Antunez) Portfolio

Portfolio and commission information of the artist Kiyoshuki (Dominique Antunez)

[bijoux-et-mineraux]

Polished Malachite Stalactite - Copper Crescent, Congo

[xekstrin]

*looks around*

Is

Is anyone gonna say it

[brambledboneyards]

malachite is a poisonous mineral. please do not fuck the malachite stalactite

[zdravomilla-deactivated20220114]

@lizaleigh do you know any rock people that can confirm/deny because I am very curious and really don’t feel like getting into a conversation with my geophysicist brother that MAY somehow get back to the fact I saw a malachite that looked like a weird dildo.

[lizaleigh]

…sadly, I am not on good enough terms with any of our partner geologists to just attach this to an email with the subject line: “EXPLAIN.” Although I think @mollisaurus is a mineral person. Thoughts?

[mollisaurus]

oh geeze, i’m kinda rusty on minerals but malachite is just copper carbonate and is really common in both antique and modern jewelry so i think like if you were really gun-ho about it you could go ahead and put it wherever you want?

[vulcanology-geology]

It’s really only a problem if you’re polishing or cutting it. The particles would be bad to breathe. It’s rather porous too, so I would worry about bacteria growing. Well, being literal anyway… Better to leave the poor thing alone. ._.

[thepioden]

I mean it kinda depends on where you stick it because malachite does not like acidic environments very much and the malachite will degrade and also might dye your bits blue-green as the copper dissolves out.

So use a condom when fucking rocks is the takeaway here.

[rosenagldky-deactivated20201223]

Oh my god guys it’s poisonous

It is super poisonous

There is a reason we do not use it in make up any more

Not even with a condom, do not fuck the rock

[nassadii]

Try this one instead. 

[naughtylittledragon]

malachite literally explodes in water does it not?

[rosenagldky-deactivated20201223]

I… no… I think you’re thinking of pure sodium?

Malachite is however water soluble, which really just means it will poison you quicker

[reclusiveandelusive]

This is both hilarious and cool as fuck because you’re getting all this information on minerals and rocks. You’re also watching people argue over wether or not you can fuck this rock

[bijoux-et-mineraux]

I go on hiatus for a week and come back to find tumblr molesting my post, but hey, at least we all learned something so yay tumblr, you just keep on  being you.

[aimee-b-loved]

I’m still not sure if I can fuck this rock.

[adulthoodisokay]

I’m looking into it.

[adulthoodisokay]

UPDATE:

[buzzfeed]

Today in “I’m so sorry, coworkers, it’s for Tumblr,” I brought this post to the attention the science reporters at BuzzFeed. Dan Vergano did a some research and weighed in on the question “Can you use malachite as a dildo or is it toxic?”

The answer is “It’s probably fine, just wash it first and maybe use a bunch of lube.”

[sprigglebearstudios]

Oh man this got so much better than the last time I saw this post

[0hcicero]

This is my favourite. Science side of tumblr: asking the REAL questions

[badscienceshenanigans-deactivat]

*biologist crashes through the underbrush* Ok so here’s the thing though Malachite is not poisonous to YOU. BUT fucking this stalactite will probably wreck your vaginal flora and leave you with a gruesome infection within a couple days. Want details? SO GLAD YOU ASKED, ‘CAUSE HERE THEY ARE. • Malachite is not copper oxide. It’s Cu2CO3(OH)2. Like most carbonates it’s water soluble– that’s how it became a stalactite in the first place! And technically any given chunk of “malachite” isn’t just malachite– it’s a mix of various copper carbonates & oxides. This will become important later.  • When malachite dissolves it makes a bunch of copper (Cu++) ions. Cu++ is GREAT at killing bacteria and fungi– so good at it that sprays with Cu++ get used a lot as a spray in agriculture to stop plant disease. It takes such a large dose to harm larger organisms that copper sprays are used a lot in organic agriculture (like Bordeaux mixture).  So bottom line, yes malachite is technically nontoxic to humans. But it kills bacteria when it dissolves and releases Cu++. • Malachite dissolves somewhat slowly in water– but vaginal secretions aren’t just any water. A healthy human vagina has a pH of 3.8-4.5 and a salinity of about 0.9%. It’s also warmer than your average underground cave at 37°C (or 98.5°F in American meat units). As luck would have it, acidity, salinity, and warmth all make malachite dissolve faster.  • In other words, the human vagina dissolves malachite.  • I have no deeper explanation for why human females can dissolve rocks with our genitals. It simply is.  • Gonna to take a quick moment to point out that sex toys that dissolve when you use them are maybe not the best investment.  • Anyway the key question now is “how fast does the human vagina dissolve malachite?” Are we talking geological timescale, a Nazis-in-Indiana-Jones situation, or something in between? If the reaction kinetics of dissolution are very slow, then there’s nothing to worry about. An encounter with a stalactite would have to last years for enough Cu++ to leach out to cause problems. If it’s quick then we’re in trouble.  • Unfortunately it looks like nobody really knows. One of the best sources on how malachite dissolves & precipitates in water– an EPA document on how to avoid too much Cu++ in municipal drinking water systems– helpfully says “The kinetic constraints on the formation of these solids in water systems are largely unexplored” (p. 42) because end equilibrium points is all you need to run a city water system safely. In other words, the experiments that would tell us how fast malachite dissolves in various types of water just don’t exist because nobody’s ever needed to know before. So we’d better assume it’s going to happen reasonably quickly, #for safety. • So in best scientific fashion, we’re just going to bullshit our way ahead using what facts we DO have on hand: endpoint equlibria.  • Is there any info out there telling us what equilibrium concentration of Cu++ we get in salty acidic water at body temperature? Almost! One J.F. Scaife published some great data on this back in 1957. TAKE IT AWAY, SCAIFE. 

That orange box is how many moles of dissolved Cu++ Scaife got from sticking malachite in some water that had 0.171 moles NaCl/L (body salinity is about 0.154 moles NaCl/L so this is slightly less salty than people) at 30°C. He’s got no acidity in there, and again the salinity and temperature are slightly lower than people. But this is probably the closest we’re going to get to data on how malachite behaves in vaginas anytime soon, folks. From this we can take away that if you leave malachite alone in a vagina you’ll get AT LEAST 9.12 x 10^-4 moles/L, or 5.8 ppm, of Cu++ at equilibrium.  • Recall from above that most “malachite” isn’t actually pure malachite, it’s a mix of various copper carbonates & oxides. The EPA document elaborates: “[T]raditional ‘eyeball’ identification of malachite by its blue-green color is extremely unreliable, because almost all cupric hydroxysulfates, hydroxycarbonates, hydroxychlorides, and even fresh cupric hydroxide can be some shade of blue-green. … Thus, the uncertainty in the computed copper concentration in equilibrium with malachite is at least about a factor of 2 … until further experimental data focusing on this problem is generated.” In other words, “do your math and then double how much Cu++ you think is going to be in the water, just in case.” So that gives us 11.6ppm Cu++, at equilibrium, with malachite in a (til now!) healthy vagina.  • Next step: do we have any idea what happens to bacteria in acid conditions with copper? OH MY GOD WE TOTALLY DO. Gyawali et al 2011 checked this out in the context of “so what if we rinsed tomatoes with a solution of lactic acid and copper, because that would be a safe & organic way to get rid of E. coli?” So now this post has officially ruined stalactites, vaginas, and tomatoes.

^This would happen. These are the counts of 4 E. coli strains exposed to various levels of lactic acid & Cu++ for 8 hours. This table only shows the end counts but it represents the death of 99.7% of bacteria*. • Losing 99.7% of your vaginal flora is seriously bad news. You’re looking at really good odds of a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, and/or other infection issues. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to not be in the 4% of the population or so that’s sensitive to skin contact with copper.  • The good news? Biochemically speaking, you’re probably ok to put it in your butt. It’s not as acidic or salty in there, plus there’s a huuuuuge stockpile of gut microbes right upstream that can quickly repopulate the colon after spelunking is complete. However this stalactite is not flared at the base so it is the wrong shape for putting in your butt. Do not put this stalactite in your butt.  • This all looks like fun and games, but I think it’s really interesting that the internet’s mistake in concluding that this stalactite is fuckable is very similar to the mistake made by the Flint water management system. Hear me out.  • Central to the Flint lead poisoning crisis is that authorities only looked at & tested Flint’s water in its central treatment plant before it went out through the pipes. Not after it went through the pipes. They did not consider what would happen biochemically as it went through the pipes and metals started dissolving.  • Similarly, in concluding that the stalactite is fuckable, the internet only considered the stalactite itself. Not the biochemical processes that would happen to it as it, welp, went through the pipes.  • Media frequently reports that the Flint River’s water is “corrosive,” leading many to believe the river is full of industrial waste. This ain’t the case. You’d need industry to fill a river with industrial waste, and industry left decades ago. That’s why Flint’s so poor. So what IS in the water? Road salt. Plain old stupid road salt. The old Detroit-based source didn’t have salt because it came from Lake Huron which has a large, mostly rural watershed. Meanwhile the Flint River runs through a lot of towns, making it slightly salty as everything melts down in spring. And as we recall from the stalactite experience, a little salt is all it takes to get metals to dissolve.  • Information on this engineering problem was not coming through clearly from the engineering or chemistry sides. It took a biologist, pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha, to document the real-time results and provide the data to kick-start a high-level investigation.  • Morals of the story: when dealing with a biological system pls consider asking a biologist, your vagina and/or city could depend on this • Pls use a condom when fucking any water-soluble material • Still don’t put the stalactite in your butt -3/10 do not recommend

[astolat]

OK, I haven’t reblogged this before now but the final post takes it to a whole new level and I can no longer resist. 

[mercurial-muses]

Going down research rabbit holes in Tumblr can be both concerning and amusing. This shit is hilarious... and educational!

[cultofthewyrm]

by Linda Lithén

[cultofthewyrm]

Duelist by Mikezzzzz

[cultofthewyrm]

Sorceress (Real-time Character) by Raúl Olea

[cultofthewyrm]

Deep woods druid by Linda Lithén

[cultofthewyrm]

Yasha Nydoorin, the Orphan Maker by Robson Michel

[cultofthewyrm]

Eswild by Veselin Ivanov

[mercurial-muses]

Ask Answered

prompt: Best school of magic in Val’s opinion?

The pen in Val’s hand stills for only a few seconds before resuming its dance across the parchment. “Any weapon in a war,” she mutters in response to the question. When she comes to the end of whatever thought she’d been making note of, the mage looks across the small table to her companion.

“I mean, everyone has their preferences, myself included, but I’ve learned it’s unwise to rely on only a single school of magic. An opponent who never varies their attacks won’t be an issue for long. It’s those who learn, change, and keep their strategies and options fluid who are a real threat. Adaptability is key to both survival and success.”

Valdyss sets down her pen and gently closes her journal before leaning forward to rest her folded arms atop the worn cover. “Anyone who’s fought with me will tell you my preferred school is evocation. I’ve had a natural talent for it since my early days and have spent years honing that skill. But if an ally can see that over the course of one fight, so can an enemy.”

The mage leans back in her chair and her arms- still crossed -rest on her chest. “I’ve spent the last decade working to improve my effectiveness with divination, because there’s more to thwarting an enemy or improving one’s own chances than what happens in the heat of battle. Waiting to react to a strike puts you back on your heels from the beginning, so it’s good to remember that knowledge and foresight are powerful weapons too, especially when used proactively.”

Val shrugs. “The latest school to draw my attention is abjuration, but I hope to at least dabble in most of the others eventually.” Her serious expression brightens as a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. “I also intend to take up a bow soon. The more well-rounded my skills are, the easier it will be for me to defend myself and those I’ve sworn a duty to protect. And why go into battle with my quiver only half-full, y'know?”