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worldcakecakecake · 4 years

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The Society of Romulus and Remus

Ludwig is the product of a centuries old curse that transforms him into a dangerous werewolf. His only chance for a cure is with Feliciano, heir to the Society of Romulus and Remus, a group of hunters who hunt on the supernatural.

…it…has been more than a year since I last updated this story…in fact, I was still in Florida last time I did…and…well…wow. I am…so sorry for how long it took…for those few who are actually…still reading this. I really don’t know how else I can make up for it…I feel like I have betrayed something. Yet…this story is still on my mind, I am determined to finish it, continue…even if it takes me a year to post updates…but I get the time when I can and here it is. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12

It was a matter of constant practice.

With enough use and adjusting, the headaches dimmed until Feliciano could use the spell without suffering the pangs and cringes that followed. He had learned the usage of the Bronze Stare’s basic properties, watching things from distances and being able to keep it for several minutes. Each day they would further his vision, until one day he managed to spot Treviso. Then came the difficult part of manipulating and kill, Ludwig starting him with just cutting branches from trees or moving rocks from their place. Here, there would be hints of those familiar headaches, but wanting to prove himself, Feliciano would push through until he fulfilled his given mission. They increased the difficulty with moving items Ludwig would place. Some heavy, others hidden and difficult to find, Feliciano successful in achieving all, always celebrating in a small feast of himself, his joy and smile bringing enough warmth to Ludwig’s heart, finding it endearing. Ludwig had wanted to practice on animals, but Feliciano was completely against it if it meant killing, so they settled with riding of ants and mosquitos, only manipulating larger animals. Ludwig considered Feliciano to have mastered the Bronze Stare when he managed to lead a wolf to a river to drink. It was a celebration that Feliciano enjoyed in embraces and Ludwig could not refuse, could not hold his smile and how comforting having him in his arms was, finding it harder each time to push him or deny the feelings that were starting to engulf him.

On the day before the examination, they spent it together just training, from the early sunrise to the now darkness at the top balcony Ludwig had for them reserved most of the time. They were tired, but Ludwig was confident, only now testing Feliciano on some theories, worded problems, or even reading other spells from the Bronze Stare chapter of his book, small ones that he didn’t find interesting to teach Feliciano earlier, only now something to aid his known knowledge, little tricks or small things that he could do to simply train that power. They sat each on their own sofa, seeming rested, loving the fire that Ludwig had turned on from the stoned hearth in the center. It was soothing in a night like this, its sparks massaging and just the only sound needed in this contenting silence.

Ludwig had a couple of minutes ago just closed the book, staring along with Feliciano to the fire, persuaded by its dance and its lovely colors.

“Have you done this test before?” Feliciano suddenly asked, not at all disturbing or out of place.

“Of course. Every beginner must take it.”

“How was it like?”

In Ludwig’s very honest opinion, easy, but he remained silent knowing it had to do with his own enhance abilities that got him the highest score of that round of students back then. He knew that if he mentioned it, it would seem unfair to Feliciano…who was not cursed with awful magic to transform into the very monsters he was teaching him to kill. Even if Feliciano was the descendant of demi-gods and destined to break his curse, his powers were still the mundane that some humans could manage.

He took a deep breath and tried to word it as best as he could. “I studied and prepared myself well. Elizabeta had been my mentor and I was with Gilbert in the same group testing. It was hard, some things were unexpected, but I faced them well and came out with a seal I deserved.”

Feliciano smiled, as if he was there to greet him after his test long ago, congratulating and prideful for him. “We’re you scared?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” Feliciano couldn’t find it believable in such an imposing man as Ludwig.

“They make us face real monsters. Sure, they have healers and anything to warn if it’s a dire emergency that the student cannot control, but you never really know how things will transpire, what you’re going to meet and how strong they can be. You tend to wonder if it would be enough.” Ludwig found himself feeling that very nervousness from long ago, staring to the experience in his hands, ones that had done the feat to get him here, showing him brave and victorious. Yet, it was a way to understand how Feliciano could be feeling now, the brunet’s eyes showing clear the anxiety and doubt for tomorrow.

“You must have been amazing! Probably the best in that group!” Feliciano glowed.

“I…actually…was,” he found himself admitting.

“That’s great!”

“It’s…only the first test though. They’ll be others afterwards…even more dangerous than this one.”

“Yes, but, usually afterwards you’re more prepared and experienced and can pretty much take anything. This one…this one is made to release the true hunter in us for the first time, it’s our beginnings and where we start…so it makes it a bit scarier.” Feliciano loosened himself, letting his legs fall to the side, the fire reflecting on him enlightening more that fear…and yet Ludwig was swayed by how the colors looked so charmingly on him, even with such doubts on him, ones that he wished he could erase with a sweet caress.

To replace that want and that idea from his head, he put the book on a near table. “We’ve prepared ourselves well. You have everything in your possession,” he sounded believing, which managed a smile on Feliciano.

“Do you…really think I can do it?” He tested.

“I’m pretty sure.”

“I doubt I’ll get something so cool like…the best in the group.”

“Feliciano, it doesn’t matter. I just want you to come back safe and well.” Something in those words stunned Feliciano, a miss in his eyes, one Ludwig couldn’t capture well as he looked away. “It’s all enough to get you a seal.” Ludwig then leaned to begin putting off the fire, a sign that they should be heading off now.

“Right…” Feliciano seemed to be put off along.

“Everything will be all right. I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Ludwig told as he stood, giving a hand for Feliciano to do so as well. They had to head back inside quick before it got too cold.

“And…Ludwig…” Feliciano kept them, even taking a strong grasp of the hand Ludwig just offered. “…Thank you, thank you so much for everything you’ve done to help me, all you’ve taught me and just…being an amazing teacher,” he smiled in earnest with a blush and shine in his eyes.

Ludwig was captive, staring back and letting the words embrace him from the coming cold, without a word or action to reply with. “You-you…you should leave that for later…per-perhaps when you have completed several tests-”

“I want to tell you now!”

There was such a force he couldn’t go against, falling silent yet again and simply…accepting this hold and this gaze Feliciano gave him.

“I want to let you know now…we…don’t know what could happen…” And now Ludwig was worried, having to rise both his hands to hold his.

“Feliciano, I already told you. They’ll be nurses and healers, they will have many watching making sure nothing too dreadful happens. I…myself, will be watching.” He got very close, hands close to his lips, head laying upon his to give him more comfort. Feliciano’s heart hitched, a simple blush growing, all pleasant, beautiful, this little moment leaving him frozen and without a proper way to respond.

He forgot completely why he was doing this. Ludwig couldn’t believe he had let himself be so daring, to answer to a deep part of him, to have this want to come nearer. He had to release it before it could get any stronger.

“Go and rest. It will help your body along with your mind. Try to relax and keep your mind away from the challenge. I’ll be at the gates with the other teachers early in the morning, you’ll find me there tomorrow if anything.” He let go of Feliciano’s hand and settled off without a gaze back, leaving Feliciano alone, who then decided to obey and head off as well. Before he was hid from the cold night air, he took one last glimpse to the starry sky and then the distance…making sure of what would be his path. It looked safe for now, with big wide-open arms that he was ready to fall into. He looked to Ludwig’s disappearing back, admitting…that he was going to miss him.

The test was to begin at ten in the morning, a good hour for all the students to wake, have their breakfast in the hall, make last minute preparations or just chat with their fellow companions or teachers. The main square of the base was filled with commotion as many came to join, not just students or teachers, but friends or others who were curious about the newly acquired skills of these new additions. Through here, students could get chosen to be apprenticed to high masters, gain new teachers, new access and a whole new archive of missions and these opportunities were there waiting for their proving. Ludwig was of course one of the many present, apart from the commotion, alone in a spot right by the very entrance, only a couple of students well in their place, ready for their call. Those closest to him, like Gilbert and Elizabeta, were off dealing with their own group of students, only having giving Ludwig quick greetings as they were huddled by last panics and questions. He was grateful that this season he didn’t have that, only but one single student which he hadn’t spotted yet, no matter how he kept his gaze attentive to his particular curls.

“Ludwig! How many little babes are you throwing in there today?” Came the high greeting of Keron Montaje, a fellow member that decided to join his side for the morning. He didn’t mind it. Keron had been one of his classmates back when he was starting. He knew him to be overly cocky, deciding to not speak to Ludwig for months after he had taken the most points from the first test. But other than that, they had shared in conversations when possible and had even gone a couple of times on missions together. Ludwig wouldn’t exactly consider him a dear a friend, but someone of good acquaintance that he preferred remained as so. To be honest, he much preferred his twin sister, Pisa Montaje. With Keron, everything was a competition, everything had a second meaning that he could take insult to and if his attention was not in outmost praise, he threatened and angered. Ludwig couldn’t always bear it.

“Just one,” he answered simply, turning away, not showing interest, in the hopes he would bore and head to another.

“Ah, yes, Feliciano Valenti.” The lustful tone in which he uttered his pupil’s name made Ludwig shiver with sickness. “And how do you think he will do in this test? Surely the impression that would live up to his family name.”

“He’s…his own,” which Ludwig honestly said in positive light, proud and hoping.

“Ah yes, he is indeed different, much more fragile and weaker. He makes do looking so divine.” Ludwig gripped his hands and gritted his teeth in insult. “We’ll see if he’ll make the points. Also, I must admit I’m rather jealous,” he admitted with a smirk, one Ludwig refused to answer to, remaining still and with his eyes on their search for his pupil. “Feliciano Valenti, all for yourself, alone, following your commands and teachings. Honestly, tell me, what have you done?” He neared.

“Teach him the ways of the society as well as any needed magic and skills for when he begins hunting,” Ludwig thought it obvious.

“Of course, but I meant, have you enjoyed from him?”

Ludwig was offended, not knowing if to feel despicable at himself for making anyone wonder if he was capable of such a thing, or at Keron’s dark and atrocious mind.

“No. He is my student, I would never use him in such a way.” There was true sincerity in his voice, one that surprised Keron, not expecting him to actually be serious and not done…anything.

“You…haven’t touched him?”

“Only when it’s needed in our practices, but other than that…no, I haven’t dared. He is the grandson of our leader, a respectable, creative, kind, young man who is looking up to me for proper guidance into the society. I wouldn’t betray or do anything to change that.” He determined well, not being able to hold the edge of anger to his tone.

Keron was left rather dumbfounded, without a word to say as Ludwig continued to challenge him with a menacing stare.

“Ludwig! Buon giorno! I’m sorry I’m so late!” And there he came, appropriately dressed, surely fed and with even a rather heavy backpack.

“Guten morgen. You are doing fine, there are still some ten minutes left for the test to begin,” Ludwig assured, breaking the menace he was sharing with Keron.

“Oh great! I was afraid it had already begun!”

“You seem very nervous,” Keron added himself, noticing how Feliciano fretted, moving his hand and body more so than usual.

“Oh, hi, Keron!” As excited, as plentiful, something that Ludwig now thought Keron didn’t deserve being shown from him. “To be honest, yes, I really am. I don’t even think I properly slept.”

“It is a dangerous test. I believe some had even died. But it is the best way to tell if any of the new members are worthy to continue on. Ludwig and I showed wonderful colors and came out as one of the best. It’s rather difficult to reach our same rankings and I don’t expect anyone to reach it today. Yet, I’m sure you will do enough to pass,” Keron smiled despite the deep poison in his words, one that to Feliciano seemed to ooze through his teeth.

“Uh…”

Ludwig sighed, taking Feliciano by an arm closer to him, hoping to keep him out of reach from Keron, “you’ll do fine. As long as you keep everything I taught you, you’ll be your grandfather’s pride.” Not the ideal words either, but enough to soothe and make Feliciano smile so sweetly.

“Isn’t that bag a little too big for the test,” Ludwig noticed, pointing and wondering if it could make things worse for Feliciano.

“It’s a lot of other stuff to keep me prepared just in case, some that Lovino suggested and well…food,” he chuckled, having Ludwig roll his eyes.

Keron noticed the slight tinge in Feliciano’s eyes, in Ludwig’s own smile, even the dear hold the taller kept on the heir’s arm. They could have stayed in whatever it was longer if it wasn’t for the sound of a horn being blown, signalizing for all to begin forming.

“You must go now,” Ludwig tried to hurry him.

“Yeah, yes.” But not before sharing one last deep glance, before jumping and taking Ludwig’s figure into his embrace, tight, loving and full. “Thank you…thank you so much for everything,” Feliciano wished and tightened almost like a…goodbye.

“Why-” Ludwig couldn’t question longer as Feliciano was off to the rows, taking his numbered place and preparing himself like all the rest. Keron gave what looked like a growl at the hold they just shared, one Ludwig couldn’t say his word in as he headed off, to where, Ludwig didn’t really care, he focused on turning to the formation of students.

He saw as his brother take the welcoming at the front, with a microphone to share some words of encouragement, jokes, and an explanation as to how the testing will work.

“I assume you have been taught well to know, but just in case,” he pointed then to the exit, a simple arch, a marked route into the forest surrounding the base. “You will all have three hours to go through this path and face whatever monsters that are to come into contact with you. Some of them are spells created by many of us, not real but as ferocious and you should take them as seriously as if they were a real threat. There are also others we had kept in our captivity, and perhaps actual beings that are lounging for a hopeful attack on the base. We have seers who will keep watch on all of you to make sure everything runs smoothly as well as to keep numbered your kills. The amount you slay and how you slay will determine your points, grade and decision if to stay in the society or not.”

Whispers spread between these hopeful students, with worries and plans.

“If you fail, we expect you to pack your things and leave the next day.”

Feliciano gave a tighter hold to the straps of his backpack.

“If you are desperate to stay, then you will have talk to our superior, Augusto Valenti, and your teachers, about a second chance. If you pass, you will immediately be leveled and granted new accesses that will help you to better develop among us. You will start getting accompanied missions and become a truly integral part of the society.” Gilbert looked over to two of the waiting guard members by the archway, inspecting, returning their glance to nod, signifying the path was ready to begin and thus the test.

“Now, go! The timer runs now. Make do and make us proud!” He shouted with a last hopeful glee before the first students settled off between the archway. Ludwig managed to keep a good stare on Feliciano, in a tight mess of people hurrying through the small entrance, letting himself be waved, no certain emotion to catch, only a deep sigh before it was his turn to pass through. Soon enough, the yard was left empty, all students gone and only but teachers and other members there to wait.

“He’ll do fine,” Gilbert came, noticing Ludwig’s agitation from afar, deciding on taking his side, a walkie talky in his hand and a near member ready to give him signs on how all was going. “You taught him well. None of your students have ever failed,” his brother smiled, then receiving a message that the first kill was done, writing and omitting the information to others.

The job continued right on Ludwig’s side as Gilbert communicated, but they were mute to him, only wanting to hear Feliciano’s name, desperately waiting for his return through that archway.

As he waited, he managed to keep himself from any other students, away from eyesight, a silent area of the forest, no marked path and no other threat to worry present. Feliciano could walk peacefully, a smile, even a little hum to go along with his steps as he climbed down, careful, as well as making sure that nothing creeped on him. He stood at a sudden victorious chant, echoed from somewhere deep in the forest, along with a particular ring that meant the killing of a goblin.

He was still too close, he had to keep moving.

He continued the descend of the hill he found himself in, his looks back but those of caution to make sure nobody, absolutely nobody was following his same way.

It had become busier, the judges having to call the help of others to keep well track, Gilbert had even left Ludwig’s side, his presence needed in the table where they tried to organize everything.

Lukau taking down a ring of shadow demons, placing him above the highest currently. Vladimir daring into a near river and catching a poisonous serpent. Alfred destroying one of the paths…but he at least stopped the mountain monster. A Yasmeen Ubaydli had been heavily injured, trying to save a gryphon from a ground serpent, members heading their way to help. And Tiaraoluwa managed to freeze a monstrous rabid vampire.

Feliciano Valenti…nothing, Ludwig had heard nothing of his name. He knew he didn’t miss it, as he hadn’t leaft the vicinity of the judges and could well hear all the mentioned names and all their progresses. In the hour that passed, his student’s name was not at all shown and with how busy everyone was dealing, they couldn’t really focus and check what he was exactly doing…unless he attacked something or was in danger.

Augusto joined the procession around this moment, smiling to all, none missing to tell him how all the students were doing. “What about my Feliciano?” He asked with endearment, leaning into the table hoping to find him with high numbers.

“Nothing for now, signore,” one eased, turning just as he received a message of another student spraining an ankle and needing instant health assistance.

“For how long has the test been going?”

“An hour, signore.”

An hour…and yet Feliciano’s name on the list was the only one without a single action or point. Augusto’s expression was unreadable, but Ludwig had learned to know that when he stood himself high, arms wrapped on his back in a particular strength, he was discontent and annoyed. Their gazes met that instant, Augusto with a blaming glare. Ludwig switched his glances back to the opening, as waiting and now beginning to get worried, for now working himself hard on remaining grounded in that singular spot.

The sounds of whatever battle were heavily distant, now Feliciano couldn’t even hear them, couldn’t even spot the encrusted rock and hill where the base was located between the trees. He was unfamiliar with this territory now, looking up to new expanses of wood, in the far distance a road, the one of his goal, a smile on his face knowing that it was reachable. He eased himself forward and forward, until he reached an old abandoned gateway, singular, in elder brinks surely from the times of Rome. At the very top lay the symbol of an ancient wolf…it looked kind, peaceful, gladly offering this escape gate to Feliciano, who stood before it in contemplation.

Pisa oversaw tracking, a singular device for her where she kept gaze on all the dots that represented a student, all extending across different parts of the selected ground. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, most students stayed within the first circle of the fields…but that’s when she noticed a singular dot on what they considered the third, the very last. Sure, one or two other students were in there as well, but not as close to the edge…not as close to the exit.

“Gilbert, Eduard!” She called them to come, pointing in the case it needed attention.

Eduard quickly checked the computer, and all was running smoothly as it should, meaning that there was indeed someone at the edge of their protected testing field. “Who is that?” He asked.

“That’s-” she clicked on the dot and got a card of information, “-Feliciano!”

All in the table raised at the mentioned, looking straight to the computer, even Ludwig came as close. Whispers arose, worries, wonderings, all as the dot still stayed where it was.

“What is he doing?” One questioned, Ludwig hoping he’d knew, but he was just as perplexed as the rest.

At the commotion, Lovino pushed himself between all, until he had the screen to hold and stare, as if demanding the contraction to tell him all.

Feliciano touched the arch, humid, somehow soft, the last reach he had of the base, of surely his family, what he was. It was with the marked hand that he said that farewell.

The dot inched more and more to the exit, all holding their breaths, Lovino taking a tighter grasp of the monitor.

“He is not…?” One whispered.

Feliciano passed under, as if breathing new air, in a release like swimming into a new ocean. Already the breeze he felt was like a soothing liberation, telling him to go out there, to where he wanted, belonged and could start a whole life anew. He ran to it, without hesitation or looking back.

Panic settled, all rummaged, shouted and many of the members began movement.

“We can just go get him back!” One shouted, thinking it obvious.

“We only have coverage on those who are inside the territory of the society. Outside, all signal is cut and there is no way to trace them,” Pisa reminded, as she was desperately trying to find some new way to get Feliciano back on the map.

“Sir, what about the test?” A whole group had hurdled now around their leader awaiting instant command.

“It shall continue. I will not let my grandson’s insolence ruin a chance for others. Roderich! Go with your men to the edges of the territory in case he comes back. It could perhaps be he got lost and is looking for his way.”

“Right away!” He headed out with a group that moment.

“Keron!” The man raised his head from his bore expression to all. “You go and trek our outskirts. Find him and bring him here by force if you have to. Those lands are not safe and I prefer he is not there any longer.” Keron smirked, intentions that made Ludwig sicken, yet he stood and headed to his own group, quickly making their way out.

Augusto was to head out himself, mostly just to use his magic and get a specific location. If he had to get him himself, so be it.

“Signore, please, let me go out there as well!” Ludwig hurriedly came over, a beg to him that was surprising to the elder.

“You will not! I do not know what’s going on, Ludwig, but this gives me suspicions of you.”

“I swear, Augusto, I don’t understand it either. I never taught him to do this and he didn’t tell me anything. I’m being honest. Let me at least make it up and head out!” Ludwig was blocking whatever way he had to continue.

“I have enough men doing that.”

“They don’t understand Feliciano. I can talk to him!”

“There is no time to talk on such a forest. We don’t have control of what’s in there. My grandson’s life is in terrible danger and I will not have him be threatened by more creatures like you!” The venom was striking, leaving Ludwig halted, insult and shame that didn’t let him block or move forward, a misery that kept him and made him think useless.

Augusto, despite how he helped, gave him a high position in the society and teachings to his young grandson, still did not fully trust him…and still couldn’t see him beyond the monster he had seen and knew Ludwig truly was. He had tried so hard to show himself the man he was, proving above many others, surely one of Augusto’s best and with a name known worldwide, and it was great betrayal that despite his achievements, he could never go beyond his condition to Augusto. Yet Ludwig couldn’t take to just stand there as he watched their leader move away, as his pupil was in danger, as his person continued to get doubted and shamed. He gripped his hands, scowled…growled…and decided on working on his own, turning and following his accord. Luckily, everyone was too busy, the courtyard was a disarray and so Ludwig could make his own exit in the mass. He took to the forest, a path for himself alone, ready and determined.

No matter what they thought of him, no matter the commands, he had to save Feliciano.

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#The Society of Romulus and Remus #gerita #gerita fanfiction #gerita fanfic #gerita fic

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exterminatingaz0-blog · 4 years

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pestcontrolgilbertaz-blog · 5 years

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Local pest control company known for expertise in mosquitoes, bed bugs, termites, and Bees.

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crapfutures · 5 years

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Scratch an itch: A taxonomy of automation

We promised this post getting on for two years ago. In the meantime James has decamped to Paris and Julian has just completed a book on manifestos. Last week happened to find us both in Madeira, so we had a crack at devising a taxonomy of automation over our usual coffee and toast. The itch motif likely springs from the fact that it’s mosquito season.

As long ago as 1958, the philosopher Gilbert Simondon warned of the implications of automation, using developments in the motorcar to illustrate his argument. Simondon criticised the starter motor for overcomplicating the mechanical purity of the internal combustion engine. He preferred the simplicity of the manual turning handle: less to go wrong, easier to fix. Of course Simondon’s warnings, and many others in between (see challenge #3 of our manifesto), have been mostly ignored as we continue down the road of increasingly over-engineered standards of luxury, captured here in an observation from the environmentalist Bill McKibben:

At a certain point, says the philosopher Albert Borgmann, “Technology … mimics the great breakthroughs of the past, assuring us that it’s an imposition to have to open the garage door, walk behind a lawn mower, or wait twenty minutes for a frozen dinner to be ready.” Borgmann wrote that twenty years ago. Now the salesmen insist that it’s an imposition to have to press the button that opens the garage door when the smart ID chip embedded in your bicep can do it for you.

Simondon’s critique of the starter motor may now appear somewhat dated, as it is perhaps a bit of an imposition to crank a car into life each time you want to drive somewhere. However, such warnings, made when the automation of everyday life was in its infancy, become extremely poignant when you consider the ‘advances’ made in recent years - in particular the increasing complexity and non-fixability of contemporary technical systems.

Our taxonomy of automation, sketched hastily on the back of a coffee-stained napkin, charts the shift from Fordist-style production lines to more complex near-future scenarios in everyday life. We’ll start with our (adapted) definition of a robot to help clarify what we mean by automation:

For a thing to be considered ‘automated’ it should be able to sense and interpret in some fashion its environment, compute decisions based on that sensory information, and then act on those decisions in a physical way.

The basic assumption is that the combined automated operation satisfies some human need or desire: the sensing aspect realises the existence of the desire, computation figures out exactly what this is and how to address it, and the act is the physical intervention that satisfies the desire.

We’ll attempt to explore the taxonomy by describing various technologically progressive ways of satisfying the desire to scratch an itch ... please bear with us (starting with that terrible pun).

The Simondon scratch. You have an itch and the instantaneous desire to get rid of it - so you do it the old-fashioned way, using what is in your local environment (say, a tree trunk) without enlisting the aid of any automated system. This is clearly not part of the ‘official’ taxonomy, since there is no automation in the process. Like the cranking of the engine, the desire is fulfilled by direct human action. The downside is that it takes more effort and a certain amount of skill. The upside is that the human has almost full control over the system.

The Fordist scratch. Or to use the industry term, semi-automation. You feel the itch and guide your scratching machine to the correct place, where it satisfies the desire in a collaborative manner. In this case the sensing aspect is non-existent. Desire is experienced by the human, who then sets the automated process into motion with the physical button. This taxonomic category largely has its origins in the push-button future kitchens of the 1950s, where everything the family desired was available though the simple push of a button.

Modern, and slightly disappointing, versions of this stage include the Amazon Dash - a person, realising the lack of a particular (desired) product, presses the appropriate Dash button. This engages an already-in-place physical infrastructure that follows a predictable path to satisfy the original desire.

For the purposes of this discussion we’re focusing on domestic notions of automation. There has been much debate over the pros and cons of Fordism in manufacturing, for example: reduction of hard or repetitive labour, cheaper products vs. fewer jobs, deskilling of the workforce, and the standardisation of products in both a positive and negative sense. The advantages and disadvantages in the context of everyday life are in some ways related: domestic automation does reduce human labour (going to the shop), but the reduction of choice that arises as a consequence of production lines (any colour so long as it’s black) is also felt by those using a service such as Amazon Dash. Consumers are locked into: (1) product lines that Amazon have negotiated a contract with, and (2) products for which they have bought a Dash button.

Simondon, again in the critique of technical systems, described automatism as ‘a rather low degree of technical perfection’ due to the number of possibilities of operation and usage that need to be sacrificed. The more open nature of semi-automation can provide a counter to this argument, but not in the form described by Dash - the key element that needs to be considered (from the experiential perspective) is in the balance and malleability of the collaboration.

Here is one of our favourite examples, in which the system replaces the human act of throwing a ball. This very basic automated system benefits equally all elements: the robot would be pointless without the dog; the dogness of the dog is enhanced by the function of the robot; and the dog’s owner, the one being replaced by the machine, enjoys both relief from the effort of throwing the ball and pleasure from the continuing spectacle. (For some reason this video never gets boring.)

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The smart scratch. In this scenario, always-on sensors are scanning for an itch. For example a thermal imaging camera could detect a hot-spot from a mosquito bite (extremely common in Madeira) and guide the scratching machine to the appropriate place.

This stage represents an important shift in the process, as the recognition and interpretation of human desire becomes integrated into the automated system through the action of sensors. These sensors operate in real time and make fairly basic assumptions, like a basic if/then statement - for example, [if] a presence sensor in a smart fridge detects a low level of eggs [then] it computes the decision to order another box. The rest of the process happens as in the previous stage. The effort, on the part of those implementing the automation, is to minimise the timeframe between the occurrence of the desire and its satisfaction.

The category was explored in detail in one of our very first posts, smart futures = crap futures. One contemporary example is the Amazon Dash Replenishment Service (DRS), which orders products automatically, without the push of a button. The [then] command reduces possibility in exactly the way Simondon discussed, as the system is essentially closed. It enforces repetition, standardisation and efficiency - which, in an era that increasingly appreciates and even fetishises ‘slow food’, is exactly not what a person with fluency and flair in the kitchen desires.

This category suffers the same problems as the utopian promises made in the last century, and why so many future visions fail. They are driven by either technological dreams or engineered notions of progress, such as efficiency. They ignore the complex and messy reality of human activity and desire. Smart systems also raise the key question: What desires can realistically be sensed, and how open is the reading of that sensing for misinterpretation (a point we explored in our careless whispers post).

The scratch before the itch. The system predicts the itch. Perhaps you’ve experienced it before, at predictable intervals in predictable places, or the prediction is based on data relating to the behaviour of individuals with similar profiles, as well as the fact that it happens to be mosquito season where you live.

Or, to continue the parallel example of the fridge, the system might anticipate that you’ll need avocados on Saturday - because you normally make a lot of avocado toast, or whatever. Or it might check your calendar and see that you’re having friends over and you’ll need a box of cheap wine and Doritos for entertaining, or conversely that you’re going to be out of town and therefore won’t need anything. It might order the ingredients of your favourite dinner party menu and hangover breakfast, or ‘propose’ fun activities like baking a cake. (The elaborate possibilities of a truly smart fridge paired with a busy social life are intricate enough to require a separate post - in fact we’ve been working on such an idea called Elvis’s Fridge.) This stage brings to mind Amazon Go, the cashierless stores first introduced in 2016. Amazon removes human interaction - the type of recommendations that you might get from a local grocer or butcher, the foundation of local communities - and delegates instead to the algorithm.

The tickle that makes the itch. The system over-automates, presuming to know you better than you know yourself. Or the system becomes manipulative - perhaps even creating the itch in the first place. There is an obvious loss of control at this stage, with complex decisions being made on your behalf. Desires are being triggered through direct appeals to your reptile brain. Services like Amazon Go are venturing into this territory, raising issues of privacy and the extent to which consumers are being forcibly assimilated (or very strongly nudged) into systems using biometric data and other new technologies. The tipping point is retaining human agency versus being governed by the system. Some people recoil at this loss of control, while others embrace it. Why not let a machine make all the decisions for you?

It seems to us that the optimum point of automation is where a machine does the drudgery and human agency and control are still given priority. Simondon compares this preferable state to an orchestra, where machines are the musicians and the human being is the conductor. They work together in harmony: the machines play a crucial role, but the human ultimately serves in the role of interpreter and decision maker - ‘inventor and coordinator’. As the stages of automation progress, this starts to shift: the automated system increasingly influences and intrudes on the terrain of desire.

Freud wrote about the pleasure principle (id) versus the reality principle (ego), the latter involving the delayed gratification that comes with adulthood. Higher level automation combined with late capitalism invites us to override our adult selves, exchanging self-control for the childish expectation of instant gratification in all aspects of daily life. (Think of Amazon Prime Now’s guaranteed one-hour delivery, and the extreme time pressure that means employees can’t even stop to perform essential bodily functions.) The fear of complacency and passivity has long been associated with technology, from Brave New World to WALL-E. Of course it depends where you live: in Madeira, for example, an Amazon delivery still takes weeks to arrive.

Resistance to algorithmic control is popping up everywhere, including some unexpected places. The Rage Against the Algorithm colloquium, held this month in Prague on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, is one example. The event, hosted at Charles University, featured speakers such as Nick Srnicek (Accelerationism), Helen Hester (Xenofeminism), and Louis Armand (Alienism), all in some sense responding to the challenges, threats, and opportunities presented by automation and other ‘advances’. Over in America, meanwhile, there is the long brewing backlash in Silicon Valley against algorithmic control, with a rise in no-tech homes and schools. Things have flipped in the past decade, so that poorer schools increasingly rely on devices like iPads while more economically advantaged schools are going tech-free, back to basics, Waldorf curriculum, and so on. In his essay ‘Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer (1987), Wendell Berry anticipates this shift with the simple observation: ‘If the use of a computer is a new idea, then a newer idea is not to use one.’

Increased automation touches on a number of important themes, some of which we’ve discussed before: narrowing pathways, loss of agency, deskilling, automation of habits and desires, loss of identity and self, alienation from natural processes. In Mythologies (1957), Barthes laments the way that mechanical toys (unlike wooden ones) encourage a passive role:

faced with this world of faithful and complicated objects, the child can only identify himself as owner, as user, never as creator; he does not invent the world, he uses it: there are, prepared for him, actions without adventure, without wonder, without joy.

People want more pleasure with less work - that is the promise of automation. But how much pleasure can we take? And how much do we enjoy endless pleasure, which is often not even pleasure, but mere convenience? What is pleasure without resistance, or a bit of pain? To return to the example of the itch, if we could anticipate and remove the itch forever - never have to scratch again - would we? Or would we miss that strange animal pleasure? Scratching an itch releases the hormone serotonin, which we could obtain artificially, without causing any negative effects But would it be as sweet?

In his great novel of tyrannical automation and technological control, Player Piano (1952), Kurt Vonnegut paints a vision of America as ‘one stupendous Rube Goldberg machine’. Assuming at this point we cannot stop it completely - or wouldn’t want to - how can we escape the worst effects of this vast and hidden, pervasive and all knowing machine?

Images:

Coffee and toast (photo: Julian Hanna); Baloo in Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967); Amazon Dash buttons (2015-); a wood shop in Santo da Serra, Madeira, Portugal (photo: Julian Hanna); a tin mechanical toy (CC0).

#automation #prediction #algorithms #design

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ericvick · 4 years

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How to get your neighbor to stop doing THAT

Maybe your neighbor has a yapping dog or mows the lawn at 7 a.m. In simpler times, it may have been feasible to pack up for the weekend, go for a drive, or even move. But with everyone stuck at home, well, your neighbor’s annoying lawnmower may sound like a jackhammer and their yapping dog like a gorilla.

Issues are amplified, and there are fewer avenues of recourse.

So what’s a disgruntled neighbor to do?

If you’ve talked to your neighbor about the offending behavior to no avail, the first step should be mediation, said Ericka Gray, founder of DisputED, a resolution service in Arlington.

“Mediation is a facilitated negotiation. Sometimes having a third person who doesn’t have any real bias about the outcome can be useful and help people look at alternatives and options they haven’t considered,” Gray said.

Ideally, mediation is the first step before resorting to a lawsuit, she said. She often sees clients who were referred by a court and are too upset for a productive conversation. She encourages clients to seek mediation before trouble escalates, when a negotiation will be more fruitful and emotions are in check.

“I have yet to hear someone say, ‘I’m going to call my mediator.’ I’d love for that to happen, but usually it’s, ‘I’m going to call my neighbor or the police,’ ” she said.

Whereas a court case is win or lose, she said, a negotiation offers solutions for both parties. Mediator fees are roughly $350 a hour, Gray said, but some community mediation programs are free. You can find them at mass.gov/service-details/face-to-face-mediation-program.

“It can help maintain or enhance relationships,” she said, especially if neither party plans to move. “With mediation, the people involved get to decide what happens.”

Of course, both parties need to agree to mediation. The sessions are usually two hours. Each party signs a confidentiality agreement protected by Massachusetts law; then the mediator facilitates a conversation about the issues and hammers out a clear plan for the future.

“It’s future-focused, issue-specific, and goal-oriented,” Gray said. “You may have to go on good faith, but research shows that when parties come to their own agreements, they commit to them. They adhere to them at a greater rate than if someone imposes a solution on them.”

In Massachusetts, mediators have 30 hours of training. There is no licensure, she said, though many come from backgrounds in law or psychology. Mediators should belong to a professional organization, such as the Association for Conflict Resolution.

A good agreement will be specific and workable, leaving nothing to chance, with a clear plan of action for both parties. In a barking dog case, for example, the neighbors might agree to a canine curfew with a provision to contact the owner before calling the police about an offense.

At their best, Gray said, mediations are educational. In one of her memorable cases, a new resident slaughtered a goat, hanging it from a tree in the front yard to drain. Neighbors called the police, who suggested mediation.

“It was very successful because the agreement ended up being very informational, neighbors learned a lot about religious customs and rituals, and the neighbors ended up using their backyard” instead, she said.

That’s a best-case scenario. Often, though, it’s not so amiable. Consider Carver’s Paula Lowe. Life was good: She lived in a four-bedroom Colonial on a bucolic expanse of land previously owned by a cranberry farmer. The neighborhood was dotted with new homes, quiet and peaceful — the ideal place for her infant and toddler.

“We had visions of sitting out on a summer evening, looking at the backyard and our cranberry bogs, enjoying a cocktail,” she recalled.

But then came the dirt bikes.

New neighbors built a motor bike trail for their elementary-schoolers, who zoomed across the yard while Lowe’s infant tried to nap and her toddler was outside playing.

“Their trail came so close to my backyard that I was afraid one of them would lose control and take out my kid,” she said. “I couldn’t hear my baby monitor, either.”

So much for domestic bliss and alfresco cocktails.

With some trepidation, she approached the new neighbors to settle on a mutually convenient biking time. She explained that she couldn’t hear the monitor over the whir of the bikes and that her baby was trying to sleep.

“I was yelled at,” she recalled. “They asked me, ‘Who do you think you are?’ I was trying to be neighborly.”

It escalated until Lowe approached Carver’s Board of Selectmen. She was told she had no recourse; noise was allowed until 10 p.m.

“The town is agricultural,” she said, and many people ride dirt bikes.

Lowe’s neighbors eventually installed a dirt bike ramp and had eight vehicles going at a time, buzzing like mosquitos at all hours, she said.

“But I was afraid to call the police,” she said. “We had a lot of people telling us that we shouldn’t have moved here if we didn’t like it.”

Having your neighbors yell at you is one thing; threats to your safety is another.

“The minute there’s a threat or an injury, the police are the first remedy,” said Gilbert J. Schipani, a real estate lawyer in Boston. But often people are tempted to go to the police for small annoyances, whereas a court might be better suited to enforce a solution, he said.

District court is the best place to start for a wide range of smaller-scale cases, he advised, including claims under $7,000. In district court, it’s also possible to file a harassmsent prevention order, which applies to cases that involve abuse, intimidation, or damage to property.

“Look at your district court as being there to help its citizens resolve disputes,” he said.

Harassment prevention orders can go into effect immediately, Schipani said. You typically attend a hearing with the defendant for a continuation of the order after about 10 days.

Consider a real estate lawyer who knows the judges, Schipani said. If you can’t afford a lawyer, many courthouses offer a Lawyer for the Day program. These volunteer attorneys can offer legal advice, assist you in filling out forms, and refer you to community resources. They will not represent you in court.

Because of the pandemic, many courts are hearing only emergency matters, such as damage to property or threats to safety, conducted telephonically or on video. For information on how to e-file a complaint, visit mass.gov/guides/efiling-in-the-housing-court or phone the trial court help line (833-91COURT) for guidance.

As for Lowe? She developed coping mechanisms. Sometimes she would crank up music — “Welcome to the Jungle” was a favorite — to drown out the noise.

To her relief, the biking neighbors eventually relocated, and she now enjoys her cranberry bogs in peace.

Kara Baskin can be reached at [email protected]. Subscribe to the Globe’s free real estate newsletter — our weekly digest on buying, selling, and design — at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @globehomes.

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abextco · 7 years

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Winter Visitor Pest Control Checklist

Welcome back, Winter Visitors! As you know, your vacant homes have been locked up and unattended through intense heat from the summer and humidity from the monsoon. You may find that many pests have taken advantage of your absence and have become squatters in your home. Further, thanks to the monsoon moisture over the summer, we expect a high amount of termite activity this season. Here is a…

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neogenesis85 · 7 years

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I’m going through my external drive and just came across that Bonnie/Caroline/Tyler porn with a bit of plot fic I’d been writing and I really want to finish it but I’m soooooo over TVD despite the fact that but my secret OT3 has been those three

So, in case this never gets finished I’m posting what I have and maybe some feedback can motivate me to finish the damn this

Caroline is 15 when she gets her hands on a season of Sex in the City. They're at her house, lounging around on her bed with enough bowls and bags of junk food placed carelessly between them for at least half their Varsity team to snack on. But it's just her and her two best friends, the only light coming from the television. Her mom is still at work, a thing she was quite used to but had gotten more frequent with her recent promotion. Still, she didn't like the house being empty late at night, which is why she practically begged them to come over after the Friday night game.

She's laying on her side, using Bonnie's upper legs as a pillow while they are trying to figure out who would be who if they had to be a character in the fictional New York tale. Bonnie is running her fingers through her hair, half lulling her to sleep, while Elena sits on the edge of the bed chewing on a slice of hours cold pizza.

“Well, obviously you're Samantha,” she says around a bite. “I'm pretty sure you share her whole 'try-sexual' thing. I mean, you were making out with Kevin at the after party for homecoming. And everyone knows he's at the very bottom of the slumming totem pole.” Caroline's mouth drips open, a rebuttal about too much hunch punch and Kevin's eyeliner looking exceptionally good in the weak moonlight about to fall off her tongue, but Bonnie's fingers pause in their petting and she suddenly founds herself bereft of the feeling. “She only did it because he has that whole androgynous thing going on,” Bonnie says while looking down at her. “What with the Pantene flowing locks and everything.”

She moves to catch her gaze, seeing the light from the television reflecting off the edges of her cheek bones and highlighting the mischievous up-tilt of her lips. She finds herself swallowing a particular urge of longing, because her best friend is beautiful in such a natural way that makes her both envious and... something else. She's not entirely sure what that other feeling is. Hasn't spent any time analyzing it because it would bring up uncomfortable questions. Small southern towns aren't the place for people with thoughts like hers. Where she wonders in all seriousness if her friends strawberry scented lip balm would taste the same if their mouths met, her tongue slicking across her very full bottom lip to as a test.

“Oh right, I forgot.” Elena interrupts her musings as she finishes the last bite of pizza crust and falls back in the bed. Caroline rolls her eyes and sits up, seeing as how Bonnie’s hand is no longer in her hair because she’s reaching for the bag of Doritos that are about to fall off the edge of the bed. “He is pretty though,” Elena goes on. “For a guy that's pretty enough to be a girl.”

“Oh shut up,” Caroline says as she collapses next to her. Bonnie grins around a mouthful of chips and Caroline knows the bottle of Riesling she’d been able to sneak out of the kitchen has finally gone to her head.

“You do realize we wouldn’t care?” She says after swallowing. “You know, if you were into girls. Right?”

“Yeah, I know,” Caroline nods, closing her eyes to block out Bonnie’s meaningful gaze. Elena’s hand slips around hers and she can’t help but squeeze back, because this is not how she expected the evening’s conversation to go. But here they are, not drunk but loose just enough that the words flow freely and there is no shame in anything.

“Hell,” she continues. “It’s not like there’s a girl in this crappy town that is worth the drama anyway.” The bed shifts next to her and she can feel Elena looming over her even before she opens her eyes.

“So what you’re saying is you never thought about me that way?” She does that fake offended pout thing and all Caroline can do is shove her away with a palm to her face.

“I said worth the drama, and you aren’t it,” she replies, knowing what’s coming next so she’s able to block the pillow Elena hurls her way.

Bonnie snags it before throwing it to the end of the bed and sprawling out against it to get a better look at the TV. Caroline watches the easy way she moves. Her well defined legs, exposed by barely there shorts, grazing her side as she shifts around to a more comfortable position. Watches the way the only light in the room plays against the curve of the small of back. Sees the smattering of goosebumps that crop up on her exposed flesh as the air-condition kicks in.

Caroline sucks her bottom lip between her teeth as she eyes her. And yeah, her look must be totally lewd because Elena starts snickering next to her.

“Better watch out Bon,” she says, “I think Caroline might reconsider her stance the way she’s eyeballing you right now.”

Bonnie turns to look at them, a frown on her face. “Will you both hush? I’m actually trying to watch this.”

She sees Elena about to respond but manages to slap a hand over her mouth before she can. This isn’t a talk she wants to have right now… or ever to be honest.

Because despite what she claims, if there was any girl in their damn town she’d consider ‘worthy,’ Bonnie has always and will always be it.

Caroline is 12 when her mother catches her with Reggie’s tongue halfway down her throat.

And ultimately gets grounded for two weeks…

She’s two years older when Denise slips a hand down her pants and makes the ridiculous religious summer camp she’d been forced to go to a hell of a lot more interesting.

There’s no mom to catch her this time around, so she and her bunkmate spend the month finding innovative ways to get rid of mosquitoes while at the same time getting each other off.

“Bonnie needs to get laid.”

Caroline pauses as she's reapplying her lips gloss, her mouth open in what is probably the most unattractive way as the applicator brush hover centimeters above it. Tyler is sitting across from her, his brow furrowed in a way that lets her know he's more frustrated than anything else as he picks at the bistro-grade sandwich his mother had packed for him. He's tossing aside spinach and baby arugula leaves and actually sniffing at the whole grain bread and she can't control the way her face screws up in displeasure, forgetting what was said about her best friend. “Jeez, you're not a toddler,” she admonishes him. “Stop playing with your food and be glad your mother loves you enough to actually make that for you!” He actually pouts a little before putting the slice of bread down on the sandwich's unwrapped wax paper, and she's on the verge of laughing at his behavior before she hears what falls out of his mouth next. “I'd rather have blood.”

He looks up at her, licking his bottom lip, his gaze steady and intent. “I'd rather have Bonnie's blood.”

She's wishes he was joking, but the look on his face is so dead serious that she swallows hard before responding. “Tyler,” she frowns, looking around them to make sure no one else heard, before leaning in over the table to get closer. “Where exactly is this coming from?”

He shrugs, hands moving to his water bottle to pick at the label, but his eyes are still on hers. “I sit a few seats behind her in 3rd period Trig. I can't help what I smell.” Caroline caps her almost forgotten gloss, a little perturbed by her boyfriend’s blasé attitude about wanting to take a bite out of her friend. They don't usually talk about this kind of thing often. Mostly because he's still not a big fan of the whole sucking hemoglobin in order to stay not dead thing. Sire bond or not.

But even she can admit Bonnie smells particularly good. Underneath the coconut fragrance of her hair products and flowery fabric softeners, she exudes that after a rain shower scent. The good Southern kind that comes with epic winds and thunder that shakes the ground. Where you'd turn off the a/c just to open all the windows and maybe the backdoor for a good cross-breeze. The kind that left your skin tingling from the very power of it all as you watched the lightening flash across a sky dark enough to mistake for dusk, even though the clock only reads 3 in the afternoon. Fresh and wild... but dangerous.

She finds herself having to concentrate hard on not noticing it when around her. Bonnie isn't exactly the cheer captain of team vampire. But sometimes it's damn hard, what with the living and their ever changing pheromones. Especially when she's casting a spell or just horny-

“Wait,” Caroline mentally shakes herself out of her internal musings. “Did you say she needs to get laid?” Tyler gives her that infamous half-smile, half-smirk of his. “So you did hear that, huh?” The look on her face must say enough because he crosses his arms across his chest defensively before letting out a long sigh. “It's the truth, Caroline. You can't tell me you haven't noticed?” She has, but she won't give him the satisfaction of letting him know.

“She's with Jeremy,” she says instead. “Sorta.”

He snorts out a laugh and goes back to messing with his food. “And I can totally see how that's working out for her.”

She wants to defend the youngest Gilbert, but knows she can't. Jeremy isn't inexperienced when it comes to screwing. It's Bonnie that holds all the reservations, still being hung up on her attraction to Elena's little brother and what she might feel about them eventually becoming a thing.

It pisses her off. As far as she's concerned, Elena shouldn't have any say in anyone else's relationship with the way she's been stringing along both Salvatore brothers. Even if she's not conscious of the fact. “Look,” she sighs. “Bonnie's not trying to rush into anything, okay? She just worried that-” “That Elena will have a problem with her ridding Jer's dick.” He cuts her off, all the while chewing a mouthful of his picked over sandwich.

She throws a wadded up napkin at him. Mayor’s so or not, sometimes her boyfriend really had no tact.

#bonnie bennett #caroline forbes #tyler lockwood #bonnie x caroline #bonnie bennett x tyler lockwood #caroline x tyler #bonnie x caroline x tyler

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