In honour of how "philosophical" this Sunday is becoming, did anyone else ever read Piers Anthony's Xanth novels?
They imagined a fantasy realm where everyone had a magical power of some sort... but the range was extreme. Some people could talk to plants, or transform, or fly. Others could project dots on a far wall.
Let's say you got the short end of the stick in the world of Xanth. Knowing yourself as you do, what would your Not Really Useful, Maybe Even a Bit of a Nuisance magical skill be?
Okay, that's actually pretty useful! Great call!
@MLClark I was going to say ruminating, but that's a skill I've already mastered.π€£
@MLClark
The magical skill of recognizing everyone elseβs. π
Oh, now that is a nifty choice! In most circumstances, it might be pretty useless, but in the right company, it could save the day!
@MLClark
Knowing the future but only 30 seconds of it.
Quick! In how many of those 30 seconds is the future just endless screaming?!
@Anouk There's a movie about that idea. Nic Cage plays a dude who can see two minutes into the future.
@stueytheround @MLClark
Iβve watched that a few times! π
@MLClark
The real magic of Xanth is the capacity for bad puns.
Although the adult conspiracy is always entertaining.
@MLClark randomly walking into invisible walls.
Ho ho! That's right up there with Mystery Men's "I'm invisible when no one's looking!" superpower.
@MLClark . A continuous source of flatulence.
Mmm, sorry, that one's been taken by *checks notes* multiple sitting world leaders and a few billionaires, too.
@MLClark
Knowing the calorie count of every serving on a plate
OR
Knowing when food is just on the unsafe side of the safe/risky to eat
This sounds both incredibly useful and like the kind of magic skill that will make *every* family function (especially the turkey dinners where the roast sits out awhile after first plating) awkward. π
50/50 helpful/constant nightmare!
@MLClark
Being able to read everyone's mind, but only the boring thoughts.
I hope you like grocery lists! π¬
@MLClark So close to amazing, but so far away. Do I get a super name? It would be Irony.
@MLClark The Tedious Telepathist
@elbutterfield @MLClark Mediocre (Wo)Man
I'm getting mighty suspicious of the adjectival placement in these titles! E L! You're not tedious or mediocre in this scenario! You just have a "mind" for it. π
@MLClark This is very true. It's the other people's thoughts which are mediocre, not our EL. @elbutterfield
@MLClark Peeling eggs with my mind.π