You didn’t read them in the car on the way home?

You’re taking the utterings of keyboard warriors as reflective of reality?

That’s not what I’ve seen. The stories I’m familiar with usually involve defending those things where they already exist, not establishing them. Even in cases where that needs established, as often as not, they’re usually protecting someone else who embodies that ideal.

I’m sure there are stories similar to what you’ve described, but I don’t see that in the stories I’m familiar with.

It’s always seemed strange to me that earth never made any sort of meaningfull technological progress despite having access to a galaxy full of new tech.

This actually seemed reasonable to me - if alien tech is anything like ours, we lack the parts to make the parts to make the parts to make the tech, so we can’t mass produce any of it yet. And we’re a bit of a backwater - what resources we do have of galactic interest (vibranium, maybe?) isn’t for sale. So we make do with what scraps do find their way to earth.

Stories don’t need to be told, humans need to tell stories. That’s what makes us human, and is how we spread ideas like honor, justice, and even civilization itself.

Hero stories reinforce all of these ideas, and others besides.

I don’t think it’s bullying, because bullying involves tormenting them - finding what they react negatively to, and pushing on that. Here, you’re letting them know that there’s something you need them to do before you’re comfortable playing with them. You might think of it as modelling how to protect your own bodily autonomy!

For me, when my kids were going through that, I’d say something like “Ack! Don’t touch me with poo hands! Go wash first, then you can climb on me!” It’d generally get a giggle, then they’d go finish washing up. You’ll want to pay attention to their reaction whatever you do, but if you make it clear they’re still welcome to play, I don’t see how it could be bullying.

so many fuckin Worfs

…so it’s a party van!

I’ve been trying to avoid soap labelled antibacterial for this reason, and it’s tricky to even find any that’s not labelled antibacterial.

Been wondering if they don’t just slap the label on any soap, because it could be considered antibacterial by its nature. Apparently not?

Dragon’s not completely gone; she’s just attending to other stuff while the characters are handling their slice of things. She does show up more towards the end, IIRC. I think she also had some plot resolution; though my memory is fuzzy here.

And some of my other favorites feature in Ward!

But not the stem!

And my toddlers both just turned it back around!

I’m actually still trying to get one to work… might need to step back and make sure I can get base Dolphin to run it first!

I do think some of this is just fatigue. The usual way to deal with this is to either pick one or a few things to try to actively address, or just buckle down and wait for things to improve. Both lead naturally to a situation where it’s hard to get a critical mass of people to respond on any one subject.

The details escape me, but there actually was still a way to progress after getting that message. I remember it involved the dwarf with the spider centurion legs; I think he knew something about where some of the pieces were.

Pretty sure they’re talking about the anti-universal healthcare propaganda in the States