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theworldgate · 1 year

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I have to explain what is going on in the UK, because it is absurd.

So, this is Gary Lineker:

He's known for a fair few things over here. He was a very good (association) footballer, playing for England in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, winning the Golden Boot in 1986, and managing to never get a single yellow card in his playing career. He played for Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, and Tottenham, before finishing his career in Japan. But if you aren't in your mid 30s, you probably know actually know him him for a couple of other things. The first is the role of spokesman for another Leicester icon, Walkers Crisps (which are sort of equivalent to Lays, but hit different), as pictured above. Despite being a notably clean player, he used to play a cheeky serial crisp thief. I don't think he's done that for well over a decade, but his ads were on the telly a lot when I was a kid and it's a bit like learning that the hamburglar was an incredibly clean (American) football player or something.

The second thing Gary is widely known for is having presented Match of the Day, the big football program on the BBC, the sort-of state broadcaster, since 1999. He is, incidentally, very well paid for this (though with a consensus that he could get even more if he went to one of the non-free-to-view broadcasters because he is very good at the job). He also has a twitter account. And political opinions. So, the UK government has got itself dead set upon doing heinous stuff that will totally somehow work to prevent people who want to come to the UK making the perilous crossing of the Channel (between England and France). By heinous, I mean "openly advertise that they won't attempt to protect victims of modern slavery" stuff. It's very obviously using a legal hammer to victimise a marginalised group of people in order to win votes. And, uh, I should clarify that by "legal" I mean "using the passage of laws" - the policy is, in addition to all the other ways it's awful, probably incompatible with the Human Rights Act and the UK's international law obligations. Gary, top lad that he is, objected to this. On Tuesday 7th March, he made a quote Tweet of a video of the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, bigging up the policy, he wrote "Good heavens, this is beyond awful.". This got a bunch of backlash from extremely right-wingers, and then he made the tweet that really got him in trouble (with right-wingers): "There is no huge influx. We take far fewer refugees than other major European countries. This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s, and I’m out of order?".

Now, I am not actually subjecting myself to watching a video of Suella Braverman bigging up a cruel policy to say whether the specific comparison of the language to 1930s Germany is accurate. But needless to say, Ms Braverman was amongst the many figures on the right of UK politics objecting to Gary's rhetoric. And here's the part where a fact about the BBC comes in: it is nominally neutral and impartial (and so, of course, is routinely accused of bias from all sides but particularly the right-wing), and has something of a code for its contributors to this effect. Now, that code has previously been applied to Gary Lineker, over a comment about whether governing Conservative Party would hand back donations from figures linked to the Russian regime. But it generally hasn't been applied too strongly to people like Gary, whose roles have nothing to do with politics (such as presenting a "here's what happened on the footie today" show), on the basis that, well, their roles have nothing to do with politics. However, when directly asked about whether the BBC should punish Gary Lineker for his tweets, government figures basically went "well, that's a them problem". But a couple of days passed, and it seemed like Gary's approach of "standing his ground because he did nothing wrong" was working and everything would die down. He was set to get 'a talking to' but not much more than that. The Conservative right, after all their fire and fury earlier, had gotten bored and moved onto something else. And then, on Friday 10th March, the BBC announced that he would be suspended from hosting Match of the Day this weekend. But it could still go ahead, because there are, like, other hosts! Except, well, funnily enough, when you take a beloved figure off air, for making a fairly anodyne tweet, no one wants to be the scab who actually takes up the role of replacing him. Gary's two co-hosts, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright, said that they would not appear without him. People who (co-)host Match of the Day on other days followed suit. The net result is that Match of the Day is currently set to air without hosts, BBC commentary, or global feed commentary. And the solidarity shown to Gary Lineker, over what is very flagrantly actual cancel culture and an attack on freedom of speech (the logic implied is that institutional impartiality requires that no one say anything too critical of the government ever), has continued to grow. The BBC has pretty much been unable to run pretty much any live sports content today, and has resorted to raiding the BBC Sounds archive to fill the sports radio channel. And, as of 17:30 on Saturday 11th March, the situation shows no signs of improvement, though some are calling for the Chairman Richard Sharp, who is separately facing corruption allegations, to resign (yes I linked to the BBC itself there, there is nothing, nothing, the BBC loves more than going into great detail about how much the BBC sucks).

#bbc #gary lineker #football #politics #uk politics #long post is long #text #motd #match of the day

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daydreamerwonderkid · 8 months

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Me, after doing 15 minutes of excessive googling on every Batfam member's birthday only to then realize I've accidentally missed the majority of them this year, and then also finding out that people are still aggressively debating over whether Bruce's birthday is April 7 or February 19, Dick's birthday happens 3-6x throughout the year, and Stephanie might have just popped into existence for all that DC cares:

Batfam birthday dates btw for anyone who needs them are listed beneath the cut:

DISCLAIMER: DC is notorious for being super inconsistent with everything and I am a mere tadpole caught in the tidal wave of DC's ocean. This post will be regularly updated with edits and corrections so please do not use it as word of law, I am begging you.

Update (8/24/23): To keep things more simple and easier for everyone I am going to start categorizing the birth dates I've collected into 3 categories.

-Most popular: Self-explanatory. These are the birth dates that have been canonized and confirmed by DC and are also more wildly celebrated by the fandom. Typically, this should be the first result you see when you google the character's birthday. But not always because DC sucks ass.

-Other date(s): These are the additional birth dates I come across that have been canonized in some form with multiple sources, but are not as wildly celebrated or popularized by DC and/or the fandom. Why am I including them here? Mostly because I don't want people coming in saying I forgot a date. But also because if I have to see this mess, then y'all have too as well.

-Potential but unconfirmed date(s): This is where I will put all the other additional dates I find, but specifically those that are lacking in complete sources or seem to be highly debated and scrutinized.

Also fun emoji ranking guide for me and me alone:

👑👑: Queen Shit. Characters with a consistent and simple birth date(s). Can absolutely do no wrong.

👑😮‍💨: In the Running. Characters who don't have a set birth date, but the mess is minor and completely DC's fault. They shouldn't have to be punished for DC's crimes.

🤡🤡: Gtfo. Shit is so inconsistent and stupidly messy that it's making me lose my shit. I'm putting DC and the characters on trial for this bullshit.

👑Alfred Pennyworth👑

Most popular: August 18

Other date(s): June 27 or August 10

Potential but unconfirmed date(s): September 19 (fml)

(Yes, I'm including Terry, fuck you lol

Also SERIOUSLY WTF is up with so many of these August birthdays!!!! Fuck, was everyone just getting crazy BUSY in November!!!! What's going on in the DC universe that is making November of all months the HORNY MONTH????!!!!)

(Mini update ((8/18/23)): Well, I just found out that apparently June 27th 2023 is also a highly debated birth date for Terry. As is August 10 2023/2024 and August 18 2023/2024. I even saw a mention of September 19 2023, but I don't know how credible that source actually is. I'm just putting it here because I'm losing my mind and I don't want someone to pop in and say I forgot it omfg I'm dying

I'm just ... why? Why is it so hard to just commit to one month and one date. I'm not even concerned about the exact year. Just commit to ONE, man.

Excuse me while I march over to DC HQ and burn the whole place to the ground iswtfg)

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of these. I have a massive headache now and am open to any suggestions or clarifications y'all have to offer.

Also, I'm going to fist fight Dick in a Denny's parking lot.

Update (8/17/23): So a mini post that I meant to use as a way to vent how insane Dick was making me somehow blew up way more than I ever expected it to, and now I feel obligated to clarify again that I am open to any corrections and additional info that anyone has to offer.

I'm saying this because I've noticed people reblogging this post for actual Batfam bday references and someone already pointed out I fucked up Tim's bday and now I feel bad for everyone who reblogged this post prior to that edit.

It's probably just the anxiety talking, but yeah I just wanted to put that out there.

Also justice for Stephanie Brown! She deserves to have her own special day and if I have to bully DC into giving her a canon birthday, then you bet your ass I fucking will.

(And to all of y'all who are encouraging Dick to keep running his side scam business, I just have this to say: There's an empty Denny's parking lot somewhere out there just waiting for you, too lol)

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elementroar · 12 days

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Analysis of Paracelsus' initial bloodlust and its longlasting effects on A.B.A (Part 2)

Analysis behind the backstory and personal story arcs of A.B.A. and Paracelsus (part 1)

So this actually started out more of a 'funny' post, but I realized that it really is a very important insight into how A.B.A. and Paracelsus function and interact, especially for his earlier days in XX/Accent Core +R

And I wasn't joking about the vore. It's not in the erotic sense...but it certainly is in the 'literally eating parts of your partner ' sense...

Also apologies for the long word dumps, it got wordier and longer than I expected.

Paracelsus (used to) REALLY love blood

It goes without saying, Paracelsus really loves blood. Well he used to anyway.

By STRIVE, he says he felt he lost his sanity whenever he gets hyped on blood in the past. To the point, he has sworn off blood (and violence) as if it was an addiction. Basically, he has managed to go clean sometime between their last appearance and STRIVE.

To not go too far into his backstory again (which you can read here), Paracelsus is a magical axe that fed on blood and increased his own power with blood; and would use warriors as hosts to cause more bloodshed and thus gain more blood and power for himself. Paracelsus doesn't need to 'eat' blood to survive (he was left host-less for about 20 years, and now abstains in STRIVE and is just fine), making the addiction metaphor seem to be accurate.

Back in XX/ACCENT CORE, he needed to drink fresh blood to transform into his superpowered Moroha mode (this is mechanically replaced by Jealous Rage mode now). Similar to his current gameplay, he could get blood and transform by A.B.A. piercing someone with his bladed end; or if A.B.A. fed him one of three blood packs she'd have on her.

He reacts pretty much like a dog getting a treat, anticipating it when she reaches into her pockets for a pack too. And he truly didn't care where the blood comes from, even if it's from A.B.A. herself.

A.B.A. coughs up blood and all Paracelsus wants to do is have a taste. Note that he barely actually reacts to her or himself getting hit or fighting in the old games. It's kind of a stark contrast to his many reactions and concern for her wellbeing now.

Make no mistake, despite being "kinder and gentler" than how he treated his previous hosts - by not completely mind controlling her into a frenzy and caring enough that he doesn't want her to die - Paracelsus was truly obsessed with drinking blood still, and all the fighting skills and power he imparted on A.B.A. was to make her strong enough to defeat opponents and gather blood for him too. Hence the 'manipulation' he felt guilty of in STRIVE.

And he gets even more bloodthirsty in Moroha mode aka what Paracelsus is without his 'sanity'.

You're the worse you when on blood

Prior to STRIVE and Paracelsus' current sludgy form, his powered-up form gave him a goat's head and his persona changes into that of his old berserker self.

This increase in aggression and bloodlust also affected A.B.A. through their empathetic bond, making her also take joy in violence and also clearly hyperventilating and tweaking out in some animations, like she's high.

Not to mention that to fight in this mode, every time Paracelsus makes a successful attack, A.B.A. also gets damaged (hence 'Moroha' mode as it means 'double-edged'). In-universe, this could mean that Paracelsus is sapping both the blood of an opponent and A.B.A. at the same time, indiscriminately as he says.

And he seems somewhat crueler in this form, as he has an even more violent and vicious state above Moroha mode called Goku Moroha mode. He enters it by consuming another blood pack, but he also seems to bite down on A.B.A.'s hand without a care and holds onto it while he transforms.

The impact of all this on A.B.A

Picking up Paracelsus was truly a double-edged sword/axe for A.B.A. On one hand, he was older and savvier about the outside world (even though he spent like 20 years just rusting away on the ground somewhere) and having him as her emotional support key and literal weapon led her to actually daring to explore the outside world, and he provided and (attempted to) advised her on things she didn't know about.

On the other hand, Paracelsus' satiating his bloodthirst was still his main objective, and it was also hurting A.B.A. Although Paracelsus was making some effort to not outright get her killed, A.B.A's additional resilience as a homunculus probably also helped her survive take being Paracelsus' host as long as she did.

Paracelsus was the original toxic element in their relationship, and it's likely over the years he's come to realize and regrets the harm he was doing to A.B.A. constantly, and why he has completely sworn off blood and violence entirely by STRIVE.

However, his bloodlust fueled and amplified the worse tendencies of A.B.A. from early on, and this seems to have stuck with her till the present in STRIVE. Her current extremely violent reaction when feeling jealousy or anxiety is likely how she's been conditioned to do so by Paracelsus, even when he himself is no longer the source of that bloodlust.

The difference now is that A.B.A.'s new powered-up state of Jealous Rage is mainly fueled by her wrath and fear instead of Paracelsus' bloodlust. Paracelsus becomes sludge now, affected by the toxicity of her unstable emotions going haywire and her will becoming decidedly dominant over his. The one who is toxic has become inverted.

What's more, it seems that the skills Paracelsus imparted on her before also carried over and stuck with her, allowing her to fight independently since Paracelsus isn't trying to encourage her to violence this time. She's become so dominant that she now can even force a new form/transformation onto Paracelsus when she does her Overdrive The Law is Key, Key is King while in Jealous Rage.

In the game files, this red form is called the "Hyoui" form, meaning 'possession'. It being red is interesting because it seems to be a callback to Paracelsus' moniker of being the Sanguine Gale. The concept art also shows the pretty disturbing way he's being morphed into it by A.B.A. when she does the Overdrive.

When in her Jealous Rage mode, the bottom half Paracelsus' where his axe blade is, somehow becomes more axe-like than it ever has been in the games. In the earlier games, his blade half didn't change, only his head does into the goat-head. What's more disturbing is that eyes already started appearing on the axe half even while Paracelsus tries to maintain his original face as much as possible.

When executing the Overdrive, A.B.A. swings with the axe half as the sludge pulls from Paracelsus' face to form this new toothed red axe head. Is it a new persona? Is Paracelsus still conscious in his face half or in the axe half at all? Does 'possession' have double meaning where A.B.A. is possessed by her own wrath, but also Paracelsus is now the one being possessed by A.B.A.'s will into forming the red axe form?

The interesting thing too is that A.B.A. executes the Overdrive with precise strikes, liked a skilled warrior. IMO, at this moment A.B.A. ironically became the exact kind of warrior that berserker Paracelsus would have wanted and caused him to even revert back into that primal early form of his that was barely sentient. They gained perfect synergy for the attack, but both are literally out of their minds.

What started this post

Just a funny thing but the reason why I even thought of, and then looked into all this, was because of A.B.A.'s biting of Paracelsus at the top of the post. I was wondering why Paracelsus doesn't say a word of protest when she does this to him, then remembered that he used to kinda drink her blood (and turns out he too has bitten her before), and I think he's prolly thinking "I deserve this".

#guilty gear strive #a.b.a guilty gear #paracelsus guilty gear #long post is long #my analysis #paraba #arc system works #aba guilty gear

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cleolinda · 6 months

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The Scariest Movie I Ever Saw in a Theater: The Ring

I'll tell you up front that the story I'm going to tell you is about "The Ring (2002)," in the sense that it is about The Ring in the year 2002.

See, I don't know what The Scariest Movie Ever is. A quick google says that the consensus is The Exorcist (I haven't seen it, because I never felt like scheduling a day to freak myself the entire fuck out). But horror is specific, and not just to a person, but to a time and place, even. When I saw The Shining as a teenager in a well-lit living room with other people, I didn't even really flinch, but I bet it would play very differently to me now. I don’t think The Ring is at the top of anyone’s list, but twenty years ago, I had a personal interest in it—at the time, I was running a dinky little Geocities site devoted to movie news. Links curated and compiled from all the other, bigger sites I followed—basically, it was the linkspam format I have used on multiple platforms, including here on Sundays. And so, as someone who followed theatrical releases pretty closely for two or three years, I saw the trailer for The Ring, and I immediately knew it was going to be huge.

To locate you in time, this was just after three self-satirizing Scream movies and the Overcomplicated Serial Killer films of the '90s. The Ring was something completely different: chill aqua-blue color grading a good 5-6 years before Twilight; a mournful Hans Zimmer score; no jokes, no quips; and a slow, inexorable sense of doom. Grief, even, given that the movie begins with the death of the main character's niece. What immediately struck me about the first trailer was 1) the melancholy of it, and 2) how much it doesn't explain. Onscreen, you get the title cards,

THERE IS A VIDEOTAPE IF YOU WATCH IT SEVEN DAYS LATER YOU DIE

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Concise! Understandable! A woman (Naomi Watts) is freaking out upon discovering that her young son has just watched it! Admirable job setting up the premise and the stakes of this entire movie in thirty seconds flat, without even any dialogue. That's all you need to know, and thus, the remaining minute of the trailer can do whatever it wants, and what it wants to do is be fucking weird. Echoing voices, TV static, a closeup of a horse's eye, ladders, a girl with dark hair, people reacting to things we don't see, drippy doorknobs, rain. Characters don't give us the whole plot in convenient soundbites of dialogue (like they do in a later trailer); we just hear lines, overlapping, murmured out of context—

did you see it in your head? she talks to you... leading you somewhere... showing you the horses... you saw it. did you see it in your head? she shows me things. Everyone suffers.

That you saw it has lived in my head ever since, and not once have I charged it rent. But the "best" part is Naomi Watts screaming at the end, because you don't hear her voice; you only hear this heartless telephonic beeeeeeep. It's 2002 and I'm watching this trailer, thinking, I have no idea what the fuck I just saw. This is going to be huge.

And it was, to the tune of $249 million on a $48M budget.

At risk of recapping what you might already know, Ringu, aka Ring, is a media franchise that spiraled out from a trio of Koji Suzuki novels into Hideo Nakata's film Ringu (1998), a landmark of Japanese horror, plus several other movies, some TV series, many comics, and even a couple of video games. The overarching story is about a murdered girl/vengeful ghost named Sadako Yamamura whose rage and pain have created a cursed video tape, you watch it and you die unless you pass the tape around like a virus, seven daaaaays, etc.

The "ring" in question is the rim of a well. Keep that well in mind.

The movie I saw is the U.S. remake, which itself had two sequels. (The iconic Sadako is now named Samara Morgan. Keep her in mind, too.) Director Gore Verbinski moved from The Ring to Pirates of the the Caribbean (!), and so Hideo Nakata himself would direct The Ring Two. I... honestly have only seen the first one. And I was right, it was huge, and it kicked off the American J-Horror Remake genre, for better or worse. But what gets forgotten about The Ring is its marketing campaign, which I followed pretty closely for my doofy little news site.

It was inspired.

The story of The Ring is partly the story of the sea change in the media landscape—how we watch movies. And the story of its marketing is a picture of the very last years before social media changed the wilderness of the internet into something that feels so big, like a billion people could see anything we say, and yet so small—only a tame handful of places to say it, owned by three or four companies, and corraled by algorithms.

Back around 1997-1998 or so, I worked at a video store (Movie Gallery, where the hits were there then, guaranteed) for about a year and a half. By the time I left, we had started adding DVDs to the VHS tapes on the shelves, but we hadn't replaced the entire stock. Video stores might have transitioned fully to DVD by 2002, I'm not sure, but people still commonly had both VCRs and DVD players in their homes. And I remember that The Ring was sold in both formats when it eventually hit home video. Which is to say—you know the analog horror genre today? Marble Hornets, Local 58, The Mandela Catalogue?

Analog horror is commonly characterized by low-fidelity graphics, cryptic messages, and visual styles reminiscent of late 20th-century television and analog recordings. This is done to match the setting, as analog horror works are typically set between the 1960s and 1990s. The name "analog horror" comes from the genre's aesthetic incorporation of elements related to analog electronics, such as analog television and VHS, the latter being an analog method of recording video.

Okay, but this is just what home media was like, and 2002 was at the very tail end of that—boxy black VHS tapes that degraded with time and reuse were just how we lived. At the same time, I'd been using CDs for music since about 1991, and all our software installs came on CD-ROM discs; a "mixtape" by that time had shifted to mean a rewriteable CD rather than a cassette tape. In college, I—well, I'll plead the Fifth as to whether I downloaded mp3s via Napster, but I was also taping Mystery Science Theater 3000 on VHS over the weekends. It was Every Format Everywhere, All At Once, and we kept half a dozen kinds of players around for them. Here in 2023, we stream and download everything invisibly, unless we choose to engage in format nostalgia. (I've already run into the problem of Apple Music deleting songs I really liked, due to this or that licensing issue, because I was really only renting them.) The year The Ring hit theaters was the edge of a last shimmering gasp of physical media where iTunes had only come into being the year before, and iridescent discs were still mostly what we used, but cassettes, both video and audio, were still viable. And so, people did not think it was terribly weird when they started finding unlabeled VHS tapes on their windshields.

Movieweb, quoting TikTok user astro_nina:

"Their marketing strategy was essentially 'let's get this tape viewed by as many people as possible without these people being aware of what this is, sort of raising intrigue," she says. One way they achieved this was by airing the tape, which allegedly marks its viewers for death within seven days, as a commercial with no context. The video would air between late-night programming "with no words, no mention of a movie, for like a month...so people would run into it and it would just go on to the next thing, and people would be like, 'what the f--k is this?'"

I remember seeing the Cursed Video as an unexplained ad at least twice, by the way. That TikTok also indicates that DreamWorks straight-up sent copies of the tape to Hot Topic stores, as well as planting them under actual movie theater seats. While running my movie site, I heard at least one story of someone finding a tape on the sink counter of a restroom at a club. Did the marketing department actually plant tapes in bathrooms—or did a freaked-out recipient leave it there, hoping to dodge the "curse"?

(I haven't embedded the Cursed Video here, by the way—but I could have. If you'd like to see the American take on it, you can watch both the full version and the shorter variant that appeared in the movie itself. A text description of what the fuck you're even looking at is here [content note for both: blood, insects, animal death, body horror, and suicide by falling]. The original version from the Japanese film is shorter, and it's eerie rather than gruesome.)

BUT WAIT, THERE WAS MORE: DreamWorks had something of an alternate-reality campaign going with a handful of in-character websites. This was only a year after Warner Bros. ran the groundbreaking "The Beast" ARG for A.I.: Artificial Intelligence: "Ultimately, fifty websites with a total of about one thousand pages were created for the [A.I.] game." (I lurked in the Cloudmakers Yahoo group.) Marketing for The Ring did not go anywhere that in depth, nor did it need to; it was both a smaller film and a smaller story. I saw at least two “personal” websites (seemingly amateur and a little tacky, like my own), but the one I particularly remember was about someone who owned/trained horses? I'm not sure if it was meant to be the actual Anna Morgan character—Samara's mother—or maybe someone who had noticed that the Morgans' horses were disturbed? I'm not even sure anyone even remembers this but me. Reddit users dug up a few other archived websites, but they're about Sadako, the curse and/or videotape; they aren't as subtle or character-oriented as the site I remember. (Honestly, I wonder if weird shit like "What Scares Me" or "SEVEN DAYS TO LIVE" were made by fans rather than a marketing department, but who knows.)

[The “About” page from Seven Days to Live on the Internet Archive.]

[The entirety of An Open Letter on the Internet Archive. “UPDATE” is a now-blank pop-up. I would bet $5 that it was originally a pop-up of the cursed video.]

I need to point out here that Facebook did not exist in 2002. It would not exist for another two years, and Twitter wouldn't exist until 2006. Even MySpace was not a thing until the next year. I didn't start my Livejournal until October of 2003. What we had, for the most part, were independent forums and blogs. We also had Creepy Internet Fiction like "The Dionaea House" and "Ted the Caver"; their use of the blog format, of people out there seemingly living their lives until something fucked up went down, gave the stories the shape of reality. And it helped that these blogs had comment sections, sure—sometimes more story unfolded there—but for the most part, an author could "abandon" a blog, and you'd just find the story there via word of mouth. Like the Ring blogs I remember, it wouldn't seem strange if no one replied to you, whereas today, you'd have to hire a writer to sit on Twitter, or Reddit, or even Tumblr, and interact with people in character. Could you do something like The Ring's mysterious, weird-ass blogs today? Would anyone even notice?

So: It's 2002, my head is full of Alternate Reality and eerie images and you saw it, and I'm hype as hell to go out and see The Ring. I'm perfectly happy to go see movies by myself, so I went in the early afternoon (best time to get a good seat). The movie ended up being a sleeper hit, and the first weekend, the public was still sleeping on it, so there were only 7-8 other people in that theater, grouped in maybe two clusters. I was off in my own little pool of darkness in the upper right quadrant. Functionally, once the lights went down, I was alone.

Despite some middling reviews at the time, The Ring is something of a horror classic nowadays. If you want a scary movie this Spooky Season, check out The Ring. Or don't, because it nearly killed me.

We're at the last, I don't know, third of the movie? And Our Heroine has tracked down the origin of the Cursed Videotape to some creepy mountain motel or whatever. SPOILER, it turns out that it was built over the Cursed Well (everything in this movie is cursed) that Our Villain was thrown into—that's why Sadako/Samara is a vengeful wet murder ghost crawling out of TVs now. While investigating this decrepit hotel room, intrepid journalist Rachel and her, who is it, her ex-husband? her kid's dad, idk, discover the well under the creaky old floorboards. And then, wouldn't you know it,

NAOMI WATTS FALLS INTO THE WELL

NAOMI WATTS FALLS INTO THE FUCKING WELL

THAT'S WHERE SAMARA'S BODY IS

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[The rather slapstick moment when Rachel falls into the well. Does not include what actually happens next.]

I go absolutely rigid in my seat. Naomi Watts is splashing around this dark-ass death swamp of a well and I know, with as much certainty as I have ever known anything in my life, that Samara is about to pop up in all her pasty, waterlogged glory. All the sad creepy dread, all the desperation to figure out what the fuck all that shit on the tape was and stop Samara from killing Rachel's son, all the horrible contorted victim faces, all the alternate reality I’ve been soaking in, it has all come to this. I have to leave the theater. I cannot be having with this. I have to be gone from this place. My legs do not work. I cannot feel them. I am frozen. I want nothing more in this life or any other to get up and leave this cavernous pitch-black room, and I cannot. I start praying for death. I want you to understand that I am not trying to be flippant or humorous. This is genuinely what went through my head. I was too scared to even think, "You know, you could just pray to pass out or for motion to return to your limbs or something." No, I sat there in The Ring thinking, Please for the love of all mercy just let me cease being.

You know that scene in Mulholland Drive (also starring Naomi Watts)? Winkie's diner and the EXCRUCIATING tension? It was a little like that, except I wasn't watching it, I was experiencing it, and Samara was my dirt monster out behind the diner.

Except that the jump scare didn't actually happen. I mean, yes, Rachel finds Samara's body down there, but—I don't remember exactly, please don't make me go watch it again to tell you what actually happens. It's played more sympathetically on Rachel's part, as I recall, and she and her ex get Samara's body out so that she (Samara) can have a proper burial.

And then it turns out that this is not the end of the movie. It turns out that Rachel has Fucked Up.

I think I was relatively okay through the rest of it, although the climax is Samara emerging from a TV in her full glitching swampy glory to scare [SPOILER] to death. I don't recall praying for death twice. There's a point when you're so exhausted from fear chemicals that you're like, yeah, this might as well happen. Bring it, Soggy. I did have a hard time prying myself out of that seat afterwards, though, and my mom says that when I got home, I had the classic thousand-yard stare. How was the movie?

"It was great," I said, and I meant it.

I've seen things that were objectively scarier (I watched much of The Haunting of Hill House from behind a pillow, to be honest), and it's not like I've never experienced fear in real life. But I respect when a movie that can make me feel so intensely, and there's something weirdly precious about the way horror is a safe roller coaster, as it's often been said. So I love telling the story about The Time The Ring Nearly Killed Me—a movie that actually made my body stop working—and I love thinking of how embedded in a specific time and place that movie was for me. The last gasp of VHS when the Cursed Videotape still seemed plausible; the way the internet was still wild and weird and free; where I was in my life, keeping up so avidly with all the movie news, and finding myself in such a little pool of darkness early one afternoon. It's the scariest movie I saw in a theater; that's the alchemy of circumstance.

#the ring #ringu #horror #first look on patreon #movies #long post #spooky season #halloween everyday #long post is long #gifs

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radiosummons · 1 year

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Seeing as the OG Trigun anime was my first introduction to Vash and the gang, I did feel a little stupid for lowkey shipping/platonic shipping Vash and Wolfwood.

Cause, in all honesty, their chemistry was pretty spare crumbs for me. Like, yeah, I could see the potential of something there and I had no doubts that at the very least Vash and Wolfwood cared about each other.

But then, you know, the anime kept sorta trying to pair Vash with Meryl, and Wolfwood with Milly (one notable episode featuring Milly spending the night at his place and sleeping in his bed, albeit still wearing her clothes but you get the implication-which did not happen whatsoever in the manga btw).

(Also, no hate to people who are into shipping any members of the gang with whomever. I see you and I get you. I just have my personal preferences).

BUT then I started reading the manga and HOLY SHIT!!!!

(full page panels/spoilers up ahead because I need people to appreciate these in their FULL glory)

Lemme tell you, I was not prepared for just how intense their relationship actually is. It's gotten to the point that I personally can't stop seeing them as soulmates (platonic or romantic).

#trigun manga #trigun vash #vash #vash the stampede #trigun wolfwood #wolfwood #nicholas d wolfwood #vashwood #vash x wolfwood #long post is long #trigun spoilers #i'm going to keep reusing these panels #the moment they stop shaking me to my core

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sneakyboymerlin · 4 months

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If no merwaine, then why…

Transcript and analysis below ⬇️

Transcription:

Gwaine: Thanks for everything that you did for Eira.

Merlin: There’s no need to thank me, it was the least I could do. And you seem to care for her.

Gwaine: I could hardly leave her for the Saxons, now, could I?

Merlin: [teasing] Was that your only reason for rescuing her?

Gwaine: [lying] Of course.

[Saxons attack. Gwaine fights them off, but one knocks Merlin to the ground. He curls up and shields his face, completely helpless.]

Merlin: [screaming] Gwaine!

[Gwaine turns his back on the man he’s fighting and saves Merlin. He finishes off the last Saxon without even looking, eyes still on Merlin. He helps Merlin off the ground.]

Gwaine: Are you okay?

Merlin: Yeah, I- I think so. Thank you.

Gwaine: There’s no need to thank me, Merlin. It was the least I could do.

aaaaaaand END SCENE!

To start off with, we have a self-aware parallel in Merlin and Gwaine’s dialogue. We’re going to be examining the subtext of this conversation.

Subtext is simply what can be inferred without direct statement or revelation. It is not, as fandom is wont to believe, inserting any meaning you want between the lines: it is a cohesive message expressed by indirect means. Here’s an example:

A student goes to turn in his paper. After looking through two pages, his teacher asks, “Are you sure you want to turn this in?” The subtext of this question is the intended clue to the student that the paper is not ready yet to be turned in and he should edit through it again.

Moving forward… The repetition of, “There’s no need to thank me, it was the least I could do,” is a deliberate allusion to a core theme of Merlin and Gwaine’s relationship through the years: helping another soul—soon to be friend—in need, with no expectation of a reward.

The subtextual reading of this parallel, of course, is that Merlin does not owe Gwaine, and vice versa, because that is not why they help each other. They do it because they care about one another. As a result, they’ve both helped each other innumerably. Gwaine alludes to the help Merlin’s given him as a way of saying that there is no need to return the favor, because 1) he didn’t do it expecting a favor in exchange, and 2) Merlin has more than repaid the favor already.

Another instance where we see this kind of exchange between them is in this deleted scene from 4x07 The Secret Sharer (scene 47 at 15:10).

youtube

Transcript:

Gwaine: We’ll find him.

Merlin: I won’t forget this.

Gwaine: I haven’t done anything.

Merlin: One day I’ll repay the favor.

Gwaine: Considering the trouble I get into, that may prove to be a rash promise.

[Gwaine offers Merlin some food]

Merlin: I’m full.

Another deleted scene (they really did just delete every meaningful Gwaine scene in s4 huh) which we have only a script for (though it’s possible it was recorded and the audio edited out) is when Gwaine and Arthur ride out to find Merlin in 4x06 after he’s been captured by bandits. Although this scene did not make the final cut, it is referenced again when Gwaine calls Merlin “Bog Man,” so it clearly has a place amidst the canon material.

(Find the transcription here.)

I think it speaks for itself here, but, “And finding him will be reward enough?” truly captures the selfless devotion that Gwaine feels for Merlin.

Fandom generally accepts the idea that Gwaine would do anything for Merlin, but that Merlin never seems to do the same in return. However, this is likely a misconception of what counts towards a returned favor. Merlin is a physician, not a warrior. Or, as Morgana puts it, “a lover” (not a fighter). We cannot expect Merlin to help Gwaine in the same area of expertise that Gwaine helps him in. He applies himself in other ways.

When they meet in 3x04, Gwaine offers Merlin and Arthur aid in a tavern brawl where they’re clearly outnumbered. Gwaine is injured when his opponent pulls out a knife in a fistfight, and Merlin rushes to tend to his wound. Already, a favor is given and returned between the two.

And, while Gwaine does intend to help both Merlin and Arthur, not to mention the tavern employees, he takes a special interest in Merlin. Merlin is the only one who Gwaine takes the time to introduce himself to mid-fight, even as Merlin shouts for him to watch out as he is being actively attacked. And then, of course, Gwaine does fall to an attack. Merlin treats his injuries both on the spot and back in his own chambers.

One could argue that the introduction of Gwaine to Eira follows a similar format, with Gwaine coming to her rescue, only for her to save him when their attacker knocks him to the ground. Perhaps Gwaine even takes on Merlin’s role as caretaker from 3x04 when he brings Merlin in to treat Eira in 5x12, as opposed to receiving the treatment himself. Then again, it might be more similar to the scene in 4x07 where Gwaine jumps in to battle against Alator’s guard. Like Eira, Merlin also rescues Gwaine when he’s knocked to the ground (though Gwaine doesn’t know it).

As we can see, though, Merlin is not lying when he tells Gwaine, “I’d do the same for you,” in 3x08, nor when he tells Gwaine, “One day I’ll repay the favor,” in the deleted scene from 4x07. Merlin and Gwaine have different services to offer, but they offer to help all the same.

The next portion of the aforementioned 5x12 scene on our to-dissect list is the actual subject matter of the conversation, followed by a visual representation of the very same act.

After Gwaine thanks Merlin for helping Eira, Merlin mentions that Gwaine “seem[s] to care for her.” Gwaine, in an effort to avoid the sexual and romantic implications, diverts to the chivalrous explanation: “I could hardly leave her to the Saxons, now, could I?” Merlin teases him with no relent, though, and asks, “Was that your only reason for rescuing her?” Gwaine responds with a curt, “Of course.”

The subtext of this conversation is that Gwaine’s hurried involvement to protect/take care of Eira stems from a crush on her. This is true, as there were many enemies around, but Gwaine chose the one attacking the pretty “damsel in distress” to fight. He then takes one long look at her and decides to forgo the battle to take her to safety.

Merlin can’t help but notice Gwaine’s feelings for her. She is, after all, staying in his bed even after her wound has been treated, so there is a connection between them… much like Gwaine stayed with Merlin for the remainder of 3x04 until he had no choice but to fulfill the demands of his banishment. This is especially interesting, since the wound that Merlin treats Eira for is on her leg, which is the same spot where Gwaine was stabbed when they first met. Merlin similarly wrapped his wound at the time.

But the main point is the fact that Gwaine rescued Eira from the Saxons with a single-minded fervency, in part because he was attracted to her, and then quickly grew attached.

Gwaine then proceeds to rescue Merlin from Saxons a matter of seconds after this is established.

Allow me to remind you of Gwaine’s sudden change of course in saving Eira.

Now compare this to his rescue of Merlin.

Let’s take a closer look at their dialogue:

Merlin: You seem to care for her.

Gwaine: I could hardly leave her for the Saxons, now, could I?

Merlin: [teasing] Was that your only reason for rescuing her?

Gwaine: [lying] Of course.

When applied to Gwaine’s rescue of Merlin, the conversation about Gwaine rescuing Eira takes on a more powerful meaning. After all, Eira is a virtual stranger who ends up being the traitor in the court. Gwaine sends her to her execution on Merlin’s word (via Gaius as the messenger), whereas Merlin is someone Gwaine has known for nearly a decade. There is a consistent history of Gwaine acting as Merlin’s body guard, which is being enacted again now as Gwaine escorts Merlin through the Valley of the Fallen Kings.

This is also one of the last ever scenes between Merlin and Gwaine. In truth, we are being shown a brief summary of their relationship as it comes to its narrative end—one last hurrah, if you will. And what they choose to show us is Gwaine protecting Merlin in an act of unconditional love.

Eira, like any character, is a plot device. Her interference leads to Merlin being trapped in the Crystal Cave, and Gwaine being tortured for information on Merlin and Arthur’s location. However, her presence as a person Gwaine wants to protect is meant to evoke the memory of every time Gwaine has protected Merlin. The chosen method to imply this was by creating a parallel between Gwaine’s protectiveness over the woman he’s currently sleeping with to his protectiveness over Merlin. Take that as you will.

#bbc merlin #merlin emrys #sir gwaine #merwaine #mergwaine #merlin meta #my meta #merlin and gwaine #bbc merlin deleted scenes #video #audio #transcript #long post is long

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minecraftbookshelf · 1 year

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The Morning After the Engagement: Rivendell Edition

AKA, Scott got betrothed for politics and now he is suffering

So this one won't actually be in the fic most likely, because plot-wise I don't want Scott and Xornoth to know what everyone else is thinking, but I thought this was funny and was told it was so here. Enjoy.

Scott opened the door to a hyperactive flurry of scarlet and rainbow feathers and immediately slammed it shut again on the intruder's foot. The pained yelp was very satisfying.

"Brother, your mistress is here," he shouted back into the house, yanking the door open again just in time to see a very scandalized minister of agriculture hurry away down the road towards the marketplace over Joey's shoulder.

The Emperor of the Lost Kingdom was hopping on one foot, his face screwed up while he clutched at the (now scuffed) heeled sandal that had given his toes absolutely no protection from the solid spruce door.

Once he became aware that Scott was looking at him he composed himself enough to sniff disdainfully and limp past him into the house.

"Xorny!" He smelled like warm humidity. Ugh.

Scott follows him back to the kitchen where Xornoth really looks as if they regret everything ever as Joey dramatically flings himself across a whole corner of the table, nearly knocking their breakfast to the floor. His wings trail through Scott's plate. Serves him right. Scott hopes the honey is hell to wash out.

Joey is already chattering a million miles an hour and it is way too early in the morning for this.

Scott doesn't make his escape quickly enough though because Joey rolls over so he's lounging on the table like its a piece of parlor furniture and gives him the brightest, smuggest smirk of a grin. "And here is the lucky bridegroom himself! You absolutely must let me help plan the wedding."

"Unfortunately we have several professionals who are already hard at work," Scott says in mock sadness. "And it would be an insult to them to remove them from the project."

Xornoth seems to be considering the merits of drowning themselves in their sweetberry juice. Scott squints at it and decides to risk freezing it over. The only possible casualty is Joey.

He successfully freezes Xornoth's juice. And Joey's right wing. And Xornoth's feet. Maybe he's not as okay about this whole thing as he's pretending.

Xornoth gives him a guilty look while they're slowly defrosting Joey's wing. "I should have talked to you first," They admit. "I panicked. I thought they'd try to bargain more."

"They think its some kind of rescue," Joey sniffs, immediately snatching both siblings' attention. He doesn't notice at first, intently preening through his newly freed (and damp) feathers. Eventually he does look up and rolls his eyes at them. "Oh come on. Surely you're aware."

Scott has no idea what he is talking about. Xornoth looks equally confused.

Joey sighs and flops back so he's leaning percariously off the edge of the table, wings draped down to the floor, shoulders held up by Xornoth's. "They think you keep Scotty here locked up in a dungeon or a tower or something and they see this as an opportunity to make sure he's safe from the big bad rebel king or whatever."

Xornoth makes a noise equal parts distressed and amused.

"What?"

Joey rolls his eyes again so hard he almost falls. "As far as they know you were exiled, came back, killed your parents and disappeared your little brother. From the outside it looks really bad."

He idly picks at his fingernails and peers over at Scott. "I'm pretty sure if it weren't for Katherine most of them wouldn't even believe you're alive."

Xornoth just blinks over at them both. "Do I really give off such strong Evil Dictator vibes?"

"You both have the social skills of a dead sheep," Joey says bluntly.

"Like you're any better," Scott mutters under his breath.

"I am a fucking delight. You two have the mutual dream of running off and becoming mountain hermits."

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spook-me-welt · 9 months

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HSR Character Sheets [Famitsu 1808]

Comments of the Narrative Designers: (translated under the cut)

Jing Yuan

NOBODY: The word "Jing" means sunlight, while "Yuan" means leader. He is someone with an image of unbiased calmness. Another reason for his name is that “Jing Yuan” seems like a name that would exist in reality. Luoxia: Chinese great generals have always been expected to excel in both academics and martial arts. The same goes for Jing Yuan, the general of Cloud Knights of Xianzhou Luofu, who possesses the bravery of a warrior and the wisdom of a tactician. In the story, while the protagonist’s side is being active, he proceeds his own plan behind their back. When faced with a crisis, he is able to respond flexibly. When necessary, Jing Yuan can also show his strength as the General to solve the crisis of Xianzhou Luofu.

March 7th

NOBODY: March 7th is not her actual name, it’s a pseudonym. It is an interesting name when you hear it. Questions like “Why did you choose a date as your name?” “Is there any special meaning behind this date for her?” will arise, flowing into more talks to get to know her better. I thought this suits March 7th, so I dared to use this date as her name. Another reason for her name is that March 7th somehow feels both cute and mysterious.

Dan Heng

NOBODY: Dan Heng is a name that he gave himself. It is an abbreviation of “as constant as a faithful heart”. As a Vidyadhara, Dan Heng is a character who bears a difficult past and expectation, so he always thinks about the significance of his existence. For him who departs from his hometown and becomes a member of Astral Express, he begins a new journey. You can think of Dan Heng’s name as a hesitation and expectation of his own self. Luoxia: The words on Dan Heng’s back is a verse from the work of Chinese poet “Su Shi”, “Xingxiangzi - Shuhuai” (Song of Pilgrimage). Although the characters have been changed into Luofu alphabets in the design, it says “Why toil with pain, For wealth and fame in vain? Time flies as a steed white, Passes a gap in flight. Like a spark in the dark, Or a dream of moonbeam”. To explain it simply, fame is ephemeral like floating clouds, so it is a wasted effort to struggle just for the sake of it. It implies that life is short and fleeting like a dream. This verse is incorporated to express the humanity of Dan Heng who continues asking the question of “who am I”.

Kafka

NOBODY: I wanted a name that sounds mysterious with the atmosphere of an adult, so I chose Kafka as her name. I can only say this much for now. Luoxia: In the setting, Kafka can control Blade’s ability by using the power of words, while Blade also accepts her control over his power. I think their relationship is very interesting. NOBODY: The Stellaron Hunters are not just the enemy, like the members of Astral Express, they also share a bond and trust in their relationship with each other. There’s uniqueness to each relationship in the Stellaron Hunters. I think you will be able to see the relationship between the Stellaron Hunters and members of different forces in the future, so please look forward to it.

Blade

NOBODY: Blade’s past also has a deep tie to Luofu. An incident in the past was also the reason why he lost his name. During that time, he is repeatedly broken and then repaired again constantly, so he took one “Blade” as his name. By the way, as with Dan Heng’s name in the English version kept as it is like in the Chinese, Luofu characters are called with their Chinese reading of their name in the English version. However, Blade’s name in the English version is the translation of his Chinese name (刃 ; Ren). This is to reflect how people from different places translate Blade’s name with their respective culture and language, as he is a wanted man in the universe. This is also the idea that I have for the (japanese) localization (in the Japanese version, Blade is called Jin).

Asta

NOBODY: In Latin, Asta means “the stars”, so I thought it’s an appropriate name for the director of the Space Station. I think Asta’s parents prayed that their child is blessed to be “bright like the stars” for them to give her that name. She is originally from a famous family, but Asta is not interested in the internal affairs of the magnificent family, she doesn’t continue her family business but instead invests herself on her favorite research. She was born incorporating a famous meme in the Chinese internet that says “if you don’t make an effort for your dream, you have no choice but to take over your parents’ huge properties”. Asta has also always worn her ID card, it’s to express her way that she unconsciously recognizes herself as one of the staff. On the other hand, Herta has never once worn ID card (lol).

*NOBODY and Luoxia, interviewed here, are in charge of the narrative design. NOBODY worked on the characters, scenario, and world view, while Luoxia worked on the Xianzhou culture, history, and scenario.

**Source link: Song of Pilgrimage

#honkai star rail #hsr #mine archive #jing yuan #march 7th #dan heng #kafka #blade #asta #long post is long

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pkmndaisuki · 1 year

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Mystery Retirees AU Art Dump!

been a bit since i've posted anything for this au but i have been drawing a good chunk of stuff!

still have some gaps of characters to work out the designs for but here's what i've got so far:

First up is Fred and Rita. They met through having the same major at the same school, and their respective parents adored their kid's beau. So, they got married right after graduation in a big fancy ceremony. (Also it needn't be said but everyone in the gang flew out and attended!) They had a daughter not long after, Phoebe, but after 7 years together they realized they really didn't have a lot in common and were kinda societally pressured into marriage which wasn't healthy for any of them. The divorce was kinda messy, and Phoebe chose to stay with her dad.

Phoebe then grew up and got married herself, having one son, nicknamed "Trey" since he's a -the third (with his dad being a jr.). Trey is Fred's only grandkid, so he absolutely dotes on him just as much as he did Phoebe.

Next up is Shaggy and Dinah! Both music lovers and not really caring about fitting into society, while they met in college they dropped out and started a small music career. Had a one-hit-wonder that paid the bills, and their wedding (again, the whole gang came to it, Scooby was "Best Dog"). Dinah has a history of twins in her family so they ended up with fraternal twins Robin and Robert. Eventually Shaggy and Dinah's life goals shifted, with Shaggy being comfortable where he was and Dinah wanting to branch out, but there was no bad blood between them. They split after their twins moved out, but are still friends to this day.

Robin got married first and had twins herself, Casey and Margaret (called Maggie or Mags for short), and then Robert got married and had one son, Oscar.

Also Casey and Mags adopted a tiny poofy pomeranian they named Pom-Pom:

And yes, he talks too. At first the twins couldn't believe it, but after talking with Granpa Shaggy, realized that kinda luck just runs in the family.

#scooby doo #mystery retirees #long post is long #pkmn drew a thing #apologies for no readmore i have no idea how to apply one on mobile anymore #also yes casey's name is a nod to shaggy's original voice actor

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starsreminisce · 2 months

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I've been thinking more about Darcy's initial proposal to Elizabeth, and while I've covered this topic extensively in previous posts, it took me some time to delve into how Wickham fits into the equation.

In Darcy's proposal, he cited Elizabeth's family as a barrier, which he was willing to overlook against his better judgement. In response, Elizabeth brought up Wickham and his attitude towards those around him, revealing his prejudice.

It took me a while to piece this together, and it might be a bit of a stretch, but hey, it's all in good fun.

If Elain were in Darcy's role, she might bring up Lucien's family and his ties to the Spring Court as a barrier. On the other hand, if Lucien were in Elizabeth's shoes, he might discuss how Elain treats him and Azriel.

I can envision Elain having a similar reaction to Lucien as Darcy did when Elizabeth brought up Wickham because she, too, felt betrayed by Azriel, much like Darcy did with Wickham. She might wash her hands of him by the time this happens between Lucien and Elain. I wonder if SJM would go so far as to put a bigger final nail in the E/riel coffin before this, more significant (and canon lol) than what Azriel did in the BC, pushing Elain to shift her focus from her crush to her mate.

No, I don't see E/riel happening. Azriel decided to keep away from her even before the Solstice, and I believe his offenses towards her will continue to compound. She will discover that he was the main voice against her searching for the trove, and if she was willing to stand up for herself to Nesta, her desire to do more for the IC will overshadow any lingering feelings she has towards him.

She kept her engagement ring for months. She returned the necklace within hours.

I will be screaming if Elain reacted like this when Lucien brings up Azriel’s name

I do believe there are complexities that come with being Lucien's mate, and it would be a disservice if SJM doesn't provide space for Elain to acknowledge Lucien's part in her transformation into fae. This could also serve as an explanation to satisfy the skeptics. We know he had nothing to do with it; Feyre knows he had nothing to do with it; Rhys knows he had nothing to do with it. But this does remain unresolved as all we received was one line where Lucien acknowledges his part of wrong-doing.

However, this is something Lucien can't change, just like how Elizabeth can't change how her family behaves. This is something that Elain, like Darcy, would have to make peace with.

Lucien's arguments towards Elain would be about Azriel, akin to Wickham, though the reasons would be different. Whatever they had discussed in private after their reunion following Hybern's war would likely be the main focal point. Immediately after their cute reunion, we find out that Elain and Lucien have tense interactions, but she still keeps their mating bond in limbo.

Given how frequently Lucien addresses behavior towards those around him, it seems likely that he will do the same with Elain. Two years of silent treatment, combined with the sudden expectation of happiness when she accepts their bond, could prompt Lucien to confront Elain about her actions.

Elizabeth never had a specific issue with Wickham, but she did criticize how Darcy treated him, along with other mistreatments committed by Darcy against him. Similarly, Lucien might not inherently have a problem with Azriel, but he strongly values honesty. If Elain wasn't upfront with him about her feelings towards Azriel, addressing this lack of transparency could be crucial for them to overcome any issues in their relationship.

It's not necessarily about Lucien disapproving of Elain's feelings for Azriel; rather, it's about how her actions affected him. After Graysen, Azriel was the only one towards whom Lucien showed a territorial trait, even though he had not fully acted on it. I wonder if Lucien will call out that he had given her plenty of space and opportunity to reject their bond, and we can finally have a canon answer as to why it took her two years to respond.

I believe Lucien will start to open his eyes to who Elain really is, now that she's becoming more accepting of her circumstances, similar to how Elizabeth began to look past Darcy's awkwardness. Elain, in turn, would start to see Lucien's impact on those around him, especially in Spring, where he is leading rebuilding efforts, and in Autumn, where he had spent the most time among the lesser fae.

Azriel as Wickham is something they dealt with separately. Interestingly, pre-confession Wickham is what Lucien will bring up, but Lydia-arc-Wickham is what Lucien will deal with later in the series.

I admit, I am still unsure about what SJM will choose to do after this revelation, as it remains up in the air.

SJM used Tamlin for Feysand and Eris for Nessian, so it's not out of reach to assume she'll use Azriel for Elucien.

There are some possibilities: she can opt to use Azriel the same way Wickham was used to cement Elizabeth's feelings towards Darcy, but this time, it would be Darcy-as-Lucien and Elizabeth-as-Elain. Lucien doing something to Azriel, either to humble him or surprise him while trying to keep it a secret from Elain, which she finds out secondhand and solidifies that Lucien is the ideal person for her.

The other option is that SJM can save that for Az's storyline and just keep the conflict between Elain and Azriel, leaving Azriel to settle his issues towards Lucien in his POV.

It's a conflicting sentiment, as my preference is for the focus to remain on Elucien, but there's a consideration if it helps definitively close the door on the E/riel ship or establish Lucien as her concrete endgame.

In this proposal scene, Elain starts by expressing her willingness to accept the bond, but Lucien rejects it. This rejection prompts Elain to inquire why, leading to a cathartic conversation where both characters finally release their bottled-up feelings.

After this moment, Elain would find herself in the Spring or Autumn Court through one of two scenarios: either she is left in a melancholy mood, and Feyre and Nesta suggest she visit the Spring Court, assuring her that Lucien is away on a mission or Autumn Court where she can "work" to get her mind off things.

Alternatively, in my hopeful scenario, the emotional intensity of their conversation triggers a surge in their bond, leading Elain to experience a significant vision. They realize that her power is intricately connected to Lucien, and if she wishes to reconnect with her powers, she needs to reconnect with him.

#elain x lucien #elucien #pro elucien #elucien headcanon #pride and prejudice elucien #why no... I haven't spent an obscene amount of time thinking about it #although... still a fave pride and prejudice scene #just azriel kickstarting elain's villain era #long post is long

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shadowfoxsilver · 1 month

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Some tips on how to spot a blog that’s trying to scam you by pretending to be in Palestine:

Check the date of the pinned post if they have one. It likely is only a few hours old at best or a few days old.

Check how many posts the account has and if they’re all just reblogs of a trending post or popular post. Usually scammers reblog just a few then nothing else. Their only original post is the pinned one and maybe a few asks they answered.

Search the contents of their pinned post/aid post and see if it comes up on a real fundraiser site. Scammers tend to steal their info off of real people and real fundraisers hoping no one will notice. They’ll claim their fundraiser is pending but they don’t run or own anything they’re taking from. Some will even steal names to impersonate people.

You’ll only get these asks if you actively post about Palestine or share Palestine related posts. These accounts will often share the same posts then contact you via asks asking you to share their post. They will continue asking even if you tell them you don’t have money. They won’t read your blog so even having a ‘don’t sent donation asks’ in the bio or pinned won’t stop them. They just want you to share their post and won’t take no for an answer.

Often times you’ll get the same ask from entirely different accounts or the ask is tweaked by using parts of another ask. But the post itself will always be the same as the previous account before it was removed for being a scam. These scammers reuse the same exact ask so often searching the ask will pull up past accounts who sent it.

The pfp and images are often stolen from the real fundraiser that the scammers have copied. When you call them out on it, they’ll usually send you hate mail instead of explaining anything. And then block you only to send you the same mutual aid ask from another blog because they think you won’t notice.

If you answer these asks, and know it’s a scam, call out the scammer and link to legitimate fundraisers or useful links to verified charities. This way the scammers ask will be seen if searched and people who see it will find sources for supporting actual people.

Not all mutual aid posts for Palestine is a scam. It’s just suggested to do some research into a brand new account asking you for money. Please support verified charities and fundraisers made by people who have confirmed their legitimacy in some way or have proved they are the person that it was made for. It’s unfortunate these scams are happening, but they do exist.

#mod talks #Palestine #how to spot a scam blog #scam #long post is long

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abolishfandombs · 8 months

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You know what? I've seen folks comment on Wyll's behavior at the camp party w/the tieflings and honestly...his behavior doesn't bother me.

I think in Wyll's mind, there's a clear distinction between tieflings and devils, and while there's not not much of a difference between them visually (someone really dropped the ball there and with Wyll's transformation) that's what he has become more or less: a devil not a tiefling.

And while his reaction may seem shallow and tone deaf to some at first, it is so real and it makes sense. The tieflings are victims of their bloodline. From their ancestors dealings w/devils so long ago and the result of that persisting even now. A choice that they never had a say in/consent to. Wyll doesn't see them as something to be reviled. Physically or otherwise.

Wyll, however, made a pact with a devil of his on free will. For incredibly noble reasons of course, (and what could be nobler than trying to save your city and and the inhabitants of said city) but still a choice he chose to make for better or worse. (Although, there is something to be said about him being a teen at the time and probably under extreme duress but that's for another post)

And now, he's having to deal with the fallout from going against Mizora's command. It has to be an incredibly sobering thing to deal with. He's gone from hunting down devils to becoming one. Staring at his reflection and something monstrous looking back. Most likely no longer feeling at home within his own skin.

Also, there's the fact that anybody who knew him before the change and do not know of his deal with Mizora, are gonna look at him and maybe put two and two together on what happened and shun/hate him for it. The devil he now is (even though he is still the same Wyll on the inside) Especially the tieflings, who he seems to be very fond of.

I said all that to say, that maybe it looks a certain way or doesn’t make sense. But I can't blame Wyll acting in a very human way to something very traumatic happening to him.

And I know that once time has gone by and he begins to realize that he is not the devil he thinks he's become, that it will be easier to deal with his new self.

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #wyll #wyll ravengard #text #long post is long

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elementroar · 19 days

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Analysis behind the backstory and personal story arcs of A.B.A. and Paracelsus (part 1)

Sorry for the people who waited. Technical and real life delays and all that. On the positive, I happened to run into new resources in the past two days that have helped lining up the facts easier.

Anyway, I originally wanted to compress all the lore into a single post, but I find it’s so much more massive once you really dig into the analysis between the story across multiple mediums, the in-game animations and interactions etc. To make this more readable for you all and to make creating these posts faster, I’m going to separate them up into parts that focus on different facets of their relationship and lore as I progress through them.

This first part goes into their origins, and I hope this big post helps to thoroughly explain who/what A.B.A. and Paracelsus are, their backstories prior to STRIVE, and my own analysis sprinkled on top. I want to try to keep the info/lore dump minimal and focused, so if I mention a character without elaborating, I’ll leave a link but if I’m not elaborating more, it’s because they’re not relevant to A.B.A/Paracelsus' stories that much.

Related links:

Analysis of Paracelsus' initial bloodlust and its longlasting effects on A.B.A (Part 2)

This is the "Why ABA and Paracelsus can feel horny" lore/theory post

The beginning with A.B.A.

First off, to introduce their individual origins, it’s easiest to start with A.B.A. She’s a homunculus, an artificial lifeform created by a scientist in his mansion, which was located in the mountains of a region called Frasco or Flask. But before she was ‘born’, her creator had been taken away by the military for his skills in creating artificial life, and so A.B.A. woke up alone.

Despite this, within the 10 years she spent alone in the mansion she was able to learn to read, write, and even create some alchemical magic (seen in some of her attacks in games before -STRIVE-). It’s assumed either she was created with a set of memories and skills, or she naturally learns very quickly. It’s probably due to reading leftover journals and research materials that she even learnt her creator’s name was Paracelsus.

Technically, A.B.A. could’ve left the manor quite easily, there was even a village not far from them. However, she understood that she knew nothing about the world outside and was scared to leave the safety of the manor by venturing outside to explore the unknown world. But she did yearn for freedom and to leave Frasco, so she took to fixating on keys, which she found fascinating in being able to unlock doors to different places.

In the last bit of her 10 years in Frasco, A.B.A would accidentally cross paths with the hidden the demon axe Flament Nagel (which she would later rename to ‘Paracelsus’ in honour of her creator, or just cos that’s the only other name she actually knew).

What’s a demon axe doing here anyway?

So what is Paracelsus? He is what’s known as a magical foci, which are objects or even people that get a soul or a collection of memories/emotions/desires attached to them, which eventually leads to them gaining sentience and often supernatural abilities. They draw from the Backyard, which is basically where the information that makes up all reality is stored in the Guilty Gear world, and also the source of magic. This is the origin of ‘demons’ within the GG world, like Paracelsus.

The story of how Paracelsus/Flament Nagel ended up in Frasco actually involves the ancient Nightwalker (technically not a vampire but he's basically a vampire without the bad stuff) known as Slayer.

Now Slayer is this incredibly old, incredibly strong vampire Nightwalker, who nonetheless is a very nice guy who doesn’t need to feed on regular people because his wife, Sharon, is a deathless woman that he can feed on indefinitely without worrying about her dying.

Because of his immense age (AFAIK he’s the oldest of the main GG cast) and overwhelming power (he always holds back in-game), he has very insightful observations of Paracelsus and A.B.A.

The following screenshots are excerpts taken from the English transcript (available here) translated from the Night of Knives Vol.2 audio drama CD (you can listen to it here), and are from the perspective of Slayer recounting his encounters with Paracelsus and A.B.A.

Sometime near the end of the 100 year long war between Gears and humans known as the Crusades, Slayer was roaming a battlefield and came across a mountain of corpses of both Gears and humans. In the middle of it was a wandering blood covered warrior that was swinging an axe wildly. After confronting the man, Slayer realized that it was the axe that was the true master, the man had already lost his mind and was under its full control.

That axe called itself Flament Nagel aka the Flaming Nail, or the Sanguine Gale. I'll still be referring to him as Paracelsus at this point in time though.

Now magical foci start off simple-minded, only repeating small word fragments, and evolve over time to become more intelligent and sapient. At this point, young Paracelsus was a demon axe who had just gained sentience on that battlefield. Hot-headed and hungry for blood, and wanting to prove his combat superiority, he challenged Slayer and got curb stomped. Slayer was disappointed in how primitive Paracelsus still was in mind and soul, so he left him there to rust.

However eventually, Paracelsus was picked up from that battlefield and was sent to the alchemist Paracelsus, creator of A.B.A. We don’t know if the alchemist knew what the demon axe was, or whether he even requested him specifically for research. But the alchemist ultimately didn’t let Paracelsus out, not letting him take control over him and hiding him somewhere in the depths of his mansion.

(Inaccurate information removed, updating with A.B.A.'s JP GG World entry from XRD)

It would be after A.B.A.’s 10 year long isolation that she decided for reasons unknown, to leave the mansion and explore the outside world. By pure chance, she comes across Paracelsus, who because kinda resembled a key, she immediately picked up and she fell in love with him and decided they were married from then on.

Becoming her key

It's always been known that Paracelsus has some form of empathic abilities, and that he could tell that A.B.A. was fixated on keys and assumed the shape of a giant key to entice her to wield him. This was also the first ‘manipulation’ that Paracelsus admitted he had done to A.B.A. during their heart-to-heart talk.

It’s been further clarified in this recent interview, that it wasn’t so much Paracelsus deliberately taking the form of a key to attract ABA, but because ABA had been so heavily fixated on keys that she saw Paracelsus as a key straight away. That image she had of him as a key seemed to immediately imprint itself on him the moment she touched him, because of his true nature as “an axe (that) transforms into the owner’s image” of what his wielder wants him to be.

Slayer actually did mention this was likely the case over 20 IRL years ago in the audio drama CD, when he observed Paracelsus behaviour with A.B.A. in their second encounter.

Because A.B.A. never sees Paracelsus as a weapon, Paracelsus began to change to fit her ideal of what she saw him as, to become something more than just a weapon, and allowing Paracelsus to truly change and evolve physically and emotionally.

It’s important to note, Paracelsus isn’t bound to his wielder, and he doesn’t HAVE to allow this to happen either. Despite being dragged around by A.B.A. and acting like he has no autonomy; he actually has all the power to stop her from the start.

As Slayer notes, Para still has the power to completely take over A.B.A. 's mind and force her to do what he wants if he is truly unhappy. However he has never even threatened A.B.A. with this ability, and if not for Slayer knowing his past, no one would know Paracelsus actually can do this.

Whether consciously or subconsciously, Para was becoming more than just a demon axe from the moment he met A.B.A., and in his heart of hearts, he was begrudgingly accepting of his then situation-ship with her.

Fast forward to STRIVE and it's shown that he still continues to evolve to fulfill her 'vision' of what he is. When described as becoming more key-like, it's more obvious when you place both his old and new design side-by-side.

Notably, the blade part of his axe form has gotten smaller by STRIVE, just as he has sworn off violence and bloodshed by STRIVE.

It's even shown in how A.B.A. wields him., especially when Para partially possess or influences A.B.A. in his Muroha mode in the old games (mechanically this is the Jealous Mode in STRIVE). A.B.A. would wield him like a proper 'axe' blade-first in XX/ACCENT CORE. In STRIVE, since A.B.A. is now the dominant one in Jealous Rage mode, she doesn't wield him like an axe and now wields him by...bashing his head into people.

(Also I'll be going over the in-game animations and what they convey in a future post, don't you worry! You can view the comparison compilation here first.)

This even is shown in how A.B.A. uses Paracelsus as an actual key in her Overdrive "Keeper of the Key", which is a new move for her.

If we go further, I have speculated in this semi-crack theory that due to A.B.A. also interjecting her ideal of Paracelsus being her spouse over the years, that him actually 'reacting' to her advances now could also be an example of his evolution.

Even if he's trying REAL hard not to.

Hope this was an enjoyable read, let me know if you have any suggestions for improving readability or other stuff. Feel free to ask me questions through the inbox in the mean time that I'm working on the next part.

The next part is going to be analyzing and comparing Paracelsus' XX/ACCENT CORE Muroha mode to STRIVE's Jealous Rage mode, which has quite a bit of detail from comparing their effects on A.B.A. in in-game sprites/animations, plus how it reflects on the change in their power dynamics between games.

Edit: Part 2 available here

#guilty gear strive #a.b.a guilty gear #paracelsus guilty gear #long post is long #my analysis #arc system works #paraba #this is approximately a third or halfish of what I aimed for this week #character analysis #slayer guilty gear #daisuke ishiwatari #aba guilty gear

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dollypopup · 11 months

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penelope, intentions, privacy, and the infantalization of innocence

or: a call to see Penelope as the complicated character she actually is

there has been, for some good time now, a sense in the general fandom space that hinges on Penelope being a perfect angel who did everything she did out of altruism, or a feeling of separating or minimizing her actions through Whistledown, divorcing her from her decisions (in the classic 'she had no choice' or 'no one listened to her as Pen' fabrications). and i am here to, once again, beg for a nuanced look at her, and in particular those who cared for her whom she hurt deeply

let's dig in

Lady Whistledown is Penelope's coping mechanism, and it is clear from the first article she wrote. Penelope is posturing, putting on a front. This first article is the root of her intentions, the core of what she hopes for, and the mold for which she wishes to be. Just read some of these lines

I know people better than they know themselves. I can see what is happening behind closed doors better than those behind them.

This is an act, a falsity. Penelope *doesn't* know more about people than they know about themselves. How could she? She is largely ignored by the general populace. She wrote this article before she was even out in society. She had little access to balls or information, her sisters debuted with her, and her mother and father weren't particularly popular members of the community. What Penelope knew of others, she knew from external observations.

This is where the falsification first begins: she can't possibly see what is happening behind closed doors, but she wants to. Penelope is an outsider wanting to look in, wanting to look in so deeply that she understands and knows others in intimate ways without putting in the hard work of gaining their trust. LW being published before Penelope is out in the general society is proof of Penelope's powerlessness in the general scheme of Mayfair: and she has a right to feel that way. She is not particularly cared for in her own family, nor is she listened to by them. She is angry. Her friendship with Eloise is one in which two girls who are both frustrated with their circumstances come to meet.

The fact that such a thing could be printed with, essentially, her allowance, is also proof that she is disregarded as she is. No one notices when she is gone, she is, by and large, invisible. As such, she doubles down on the power fantasy of Lady Whistledown.

Do not try to close your doors tighter to protect your privacy as I may already be inside. And thus I will slowly get inside each and everyone's head.

I don't know about you, but reading that is chilling. Though of course I am taking it with the modern perspective of living in an age where privacy continues to be stripped, there's something particularly cruel about insisting that you are inescapable. It's written in a way that is intended as a threat, followed by

No need to panic, I will be fair, gentle reader

and this is where Penelope's intentions come in. Do I believe she genuinely and truly wanted to be fair? Yes. Do I believe Penelope has a well developed sense of what fairness entails? ABSOLUTELY NOT. And she's not SUPPOSED to. Because Penelope also perpetuates her own invisibility, even in the midst of her pride in writing Whistledown. Penelope punches down repeatedly, but she does not think she is doing so. For Penelope the person, she is 'exposing the truth' in a general sense of hard hitting journalism, but Lady Whistledown, her persona, cultivated a power others don't have. When she wrote of the unnamed Modiste unfavorably, she ran her out of business: because LW has the power and privilege of being heard, the power and privilege to ruin lives and reputations, to sequester people to bad opinions and derision.

And one of the first people she does this to is her mum and her family, including herself. In the very first LW article, she mentions only the Featheringtons and the Bridgertons, along with one other lady, Miss Boltenston, who Penelope writes would be best for a suitor who prefers bedtime conversation as opposed to other activities.

Three misses. Foisted upon the marriage market like sorrowful sows by their tasteless, tactless dear mama-- the luckless souls.

Then, when discussing the Bridgertons, the only people who have been seen as being genuinely nice to her, she writes that they're perfect, full of refinement, "four perfectly handsome sons and four perfectly beautiful daughters. Yes. Perfect, indeed"

but this isn't meant to be a compliment. In particular when we go back and listen to Eloise's hunt for LW and her conversation with Penelope at her door.

"Whistledown is someone free and unencumbered by society, she is a single woman of means, better yet she is a widow who would be invited to all the events but not paid any attention, so while you are at the ball-"

"Eloise I do not care! People have real problems, mature problems, problems that have nothing to do with the secret identity of some silly writer. " "And you are so mature now?" "I am of age, I am out in society, therefor I have more important mature things to worry about." "Like what?" "Like marriage." "You do not care about marriage." "What if I do!? I do not expect you to understand. Not everyone can be a pretty Bridgerton."

There's a resentment that Penelope has for the Bridgertons. She loves them, absolutely, but we can't sit here and deny that Penelope isn't jealous and doesn't discuss it or dig deeper into those feelings to unwrap or unlearn them. There are reasons for it, of course, but this is a facet of her character that often gets overlooked. And it keeps her from opening up. To Colin and to Eloise.

I exhaust of the perfect Miss Penelope Featherington, always the victim of other people's harms, always doing everything she does because she's such a #good person. It leaves the door shut to her growth. Penelope has good INTENTIONS with bad outcomes. She hopes that she will, herself, not be corrupted by the power she so criticizes others for misusing, but she falls into the same pitfalls and that is compelling as hell to explore.

My intention is not to shed any blood but to shed some light on the true events in our society. My words, though might be hurtful, are not meant to be mean. They are meant to be fair . .be prepared to hear the truth about yourself and your kin.

I'm glad she acknowledged that her words would be hurtful, though she hides behind what she intends as opposed to the outcome. Because she absolutely did shed blood, she genuinely could have killed Marina with what she published. And after she does so, she comes back from it still owning that bloodshed, for she writes things such as 'sharpening my knives for you' and hailing her pen as a weapon. There's no indication she wrote to her cousin or offered any support or condolences. She has to ask Colin how Marina is doing, as though she does not know on her own.

Penelope wants to be a good person who does good things. But goodness is not black and white and Penelope falls deeper and deeper into her LW persona internally whilst pretending she is unchanged on the exterior.

There's a line in the book, when she says 'Maybe I grew up' and that's what I need from her in S3. This is, largely, a very long essay more so in response to a fandom version of Penelope than the real Penelope, because the show does show her actions as being wrong. Penelope cries and agonizes over her choices because she knows they aren't good, but she does them anyway because her idea of what should happen matters more than other people's agency in their decisions.

People talk about how Eloise was a bad friend to Penelope, how she didn't listen to her, but in reality, Penelope did not actually talk to her, save to tell her she has different life goals than Eloise does. So many moments in which Penelope could confide in her that she does not take.

In particularly, I think about after Penelope's father passes, and Eloise visits her. This comes at the heels of Penelope exposing Marina's pregnancy to the ton and publicly destroying Colin's engagement to her, as well as Eloise saving her from being caught by the Queen.

"The ones we love have the power to inflict the greatest scars. For what thing is more fragile than the human heart?"

And then Eloise comforting her. Telling her

"I am here, Pen, to help you to find a reason every day to enjoy in the absence of your dear Papa. I know you shall miss him."

to which Penelope replies with

"Share something good. What happened with Whistledown? Did you save Mdm. Delecroix?"

No discussion of how she actually feels, only a deflection, even as Eloise assures her she has a friend. But Penelope already knows what Eloise will tell her with this response, and also knows that she has the wrong idea of who Whistledown is, but she would rather have a conversation she knows the outcome to than spill open to her closest friend. That's lonely as hell. Penelope forces herself to be apart, as well. It's a behavior she needs to unlearn.

Penelope keeps her own secrets but cannot allow others to do so. She spirals in what she perceives to be her own powerlessness whilst her actions have the most impact, good and bad, upon near everyone in her vicinity.

Eloise tells her: "You are my friend, and I do not wish for secrets to set us apart" and though Penelope agrees, she does not confide in her. Even when it comes to Eloise's relationship to Theo and her burgeoning romantic feelings for him, something she confesses to Penelope, asking if she can relate, Penelope does not offer the same vulnerability. Instead, she insists that people already know about her relationship with Theo, and Eloise trusts her, though it's untrue. No one else was talking about Eloise and Theo, and yes, Penelope writing about her as LW was wrong and awful, but a more intimate pain she inflicted was that Penelope was encouraging Eloise away from him and away from her own feelings.

Eloise even tells Theo: "People are already talking about us" when they almost kiss as a reason for them to stop seeing each other. But no one is. This is a lie Penelope tells Eloise.

and this takes me to the final act of it all: People DO listen to Penelope. The people who MATTER listen to her and encourage her. There are constant discussions of how Eloise does not listen or how Colin didn't listen, but looking back at those conversations and interactions: Eloise and Colin listen to Penelope very closely, in fact.

Eloise repeats things Penelope says to her, trusts what she says. Yes, she is often talking to Penelope and 'using her as a sounding board' because that is what friends do. Balance comes when both parties do so. Penelope does not do the same back. She does not discuss, she does not say what she means, what she feels, what she believes.

And she does the same to Colin. Colin who wrote her letters for months. Colin who recognizes her intentions. Colin who talks to her about his hopes and plans, an action she does not reciprocate up until S2 when they talk after the botched wedding. Even when Colin asks how she's been after they meet for the first time that season, she lies and says it's all fine. This comes from an assumption from her that he doesn't care about her because he doesn't love her romantically, but Colin obviously cares a lot for Pen. Even in S1 he cares about her deeply and earnestly. I don't understand the narrative of him not listening to her, because I think he listens to and hears her more than almost anyone else does.

Even in this conversation

"I believe you deserve to know" "Is there something on my face? Has it been there all evening? It has hasn't it? Sorry, go on." "I have wanted to talk to you since the engagement was announced but we have always been in company" "So this is something about Marina?" "Her heart belongs to another." "What?" "His name is Sir George Crane, he is a first son, a soldier, they rent the neighboring properties in the country, I am sorry Colin, but I have seen their love letters. I thought you should know before it is too late." "You really are very good, you know that? Do you think that I would care she had fond feelings for another before we met? It would be rather rich of me considering I've flirted with half the girls in London at one point or another." "No, you misunderstand, this was no mere flirtation, Marina loves this man, she loves him still." "And yet she is marrying me."

This conversation is often cited as proof that Colin doesn't listen to her, but reading it: he is listening very clearly. She told him Marina loved someone else before, he replied that it doesn't matter (can we take a moment to applaud him for this, also? that's a really mature response from him) and then when she tries to clarify, she does so by telling him that she loves someone else. But that's not what she actually wants to say.

What she's saying is to dissolve the engagement and she believes Colin the kind of person who would cut ties with someone who loved someone else before, but he isn't. It's not that he isn't listening to her, it's that he IS and he isn't responding in the way she wants. This scene is ALSO Colin asking Penelope to understand him, to understand his choices, to support him as well. He ends this conversation with a plea: Trust me, Pen, do not fret. Asking for her to take him seriously. Instead of trusting him, trusting him to his decisions, trusting him with the truth, she instead takes matters back into her own hands.

Because what she publishes is

"As if the Featheringtons did not have enough to be dealing with, Miss Marina Thompson is with child. And she has been from the very first day she arrived in our fair city."

That is HEAPS different from what she talked to Colin about, but it solidifies her innocence to him, because at the core of it, she wants PARTS of what Whistledown is, but not all of it. She WANTS Colin to see her as good and she wants to have a soft love story with him, all at the cost of who she actually is. She sanitizes herself for Colin because she does not understand or cannot face that he already has affection for her as she already is, that she can trust him for who HE is. He isn't in love with her (yet) because she hasn't shown him who she is in her entirety, but he DOES love her, regardless.

(Which I think is so beautiful. Here is a person who refuses time and time again to be open and vulnerable (because of her own trauma and complications, no shade, we've all been there) and yet he sees that she's special and keeps opening the door for her to talk to him. Let it never be said that Colin doesn't have a special place for her in his heart, regardless of a SINGULAR comment of his that she heard out of context)

Colin and Eloise are constantly asking how she's doing, constantly leaning in to see what she says, and the brief moments in when she confides in them, they obviously keep it close and recognize those moments as being special. It's Penelope who has to contest with the mortifying ordeal of being known: and that is her character arc. Her character arc is not that she did nothing wrong because no one else would listen, they do, but even when they don't (and Marina doesn't HAVE to listen to her about dissolving the engagement. Marina had to look out for her own wellbeing and the wellbeing of her future family and she had every right to considering everyone proved to her that no one else will) Penelope has Eloise and Penelope has Colin, two people who care deeply for her. Who she has written about and betrayed trust in. Who she needs to apologize to and make amends. And no, an apology is not 'I'm sorry, but I did it because X', Eloise didn't want excuses from Pen, she wanted accountability, and she was right to demand it.

Because the beautiful thing is that we have ALL hurt our friends, we have all been the bad friend, and we have all fucked up immensely, and such things make us human and capable of change, something Penelope is continuously denied as a character in the uwu perfect baby narrative that gets cultivated.

I think this quote sums up her dissonance very well

"Perhaps I will come forward one day, though you must know dear reader, that decision should be left entirely up to me."

at the end of it, this is a conversation about trust and agency. Penelope upholds her own privacy, her own right to secrecy, and denies everyone else the same, including people who adore her. Colin and Eloise and Marina all become villains in this light as opposed to what they actually are: People with their own wants and dreams who also deserve their own right to privacy. And my personal hope is that with who LW is in the show, Penelope recognizes that she doesn't need that persona as a coping mechanism. Not in her friendship with Eloise and not in her romance with Colin. She does not need LW to be heard because she *is* heard. She only needs to say what she really means.

In her very first article, Penelope writes

"Hiding behind this paper is a brave person who can protect herself with a pen."

but when Eloise tells her she is "Sequestered here in this very room, writing your secret little scandal sheet, tarnishing everyone in town, all because you are too scared to stand up for yourself in reality" she takes that to heart and gets defensive and furious because at the core of things, it's TRUE. it hurt her *because* it was true. Penelope does NOT stand nor speak up for herself in the light, only in her writing. and it doesn't have to be that way.

her character arc is growing to the point where she can do so. where she no longer needs LW to speak on her opinions or how she feels, where she doesn't rely on it. her character arc IS to become brave. people ALREADY like her. they already see her insight as valuable. LW is a coping mechanism Penelope used because she thought no one else listened, but they prove her wrong and she has to grapple with that. she is loved and she needs to learn to accept it. she is loved and she did bad things. she can make mistakes and still be loved. she can own what she's done and know she is surrounded by people who care for her to the point of accountability.

and isn't that just so much more satisfying?

#penelope featherington #colin bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #polin #peneloise #bridgerton #idk i have a lot of thoughts about this and i keep seeing the 'penelope did nothing wrong and everyone else is awful to her' narrative #and i had thoughts #long post is long #many quotes are dropped #and if anyone has access to more of the LW papers i would love to see them! let's go deep baybay #when you write stuff like 'if your consciousness is clear then you have nothing to fear' there's some STUFF to unpack

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reecey9o5 · 10 months

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Batshit Limbus Company theory time

Ready for it? Okay

Outis isn't Odysseus, Dante is.

My theory isn't just ridiculous, it also has ~*branching options*~. So we'll go over the basic premise first.

The Basic Premise

Outis and Dante both have mysterious pasts. Information about them has been purposely withheld by the company. This gives them something in common and could easily mean that Outis isn't who she says she is.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus travelled into the underworld, much like Dante did in Inferno.

Dante's sinner number is ten, like the ten years that the odyssey took. A number you think would make more sense attached to Outis.

Dante has twelve sinners under their command, much as Odysseus had twelve ships.

Odysseus was roped into a war against his will, just like Dante has been forced into this position.

In Dante's Inferno, Odysseus is roaming around the eighth circle of hell, cloaked in flame.

I could go on with this all day. The Wikipedia page for Odysseus has so much stuff going on in it that I could mention outside of these particular examples. Like how Kazantzakis' The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel has Odysseus meeting historical and literary figures. Such as Don Quixote.

So, what's going on with Outis? Who is she?

Here we branch.

Branch One: Outis is nobody

Outis means nobody. If she's not Odysseus, then Outis lives up to that by being a 'nobody'.

This theory would posit that Outis is one of Odysseus' men, and worked for them before the whole clock thing. Which accounts for both of them having redacted backgrounds. They're from the same organisation.

Faust made it sound like Dante wouldn't have cared about civilian casualties pre-clock the same way it seems that Outis doesn't. Again, leaning into the idea they're from the same org.

Outis' behaviour towards Dante would be explained by this. Both the sycophancy and the criticism. Especially if something went horribly wrong.

Branch Two: Outis is Polyphemus

Outis was the name that Odysseus gave to the cyclops during that episode of the Odyssey.

Odysseus told Polyphemus his real name, which later fucked him over. Which could be related to how she seemingly can't be trusted.

Outis having a redacted backstory could indicate that she has friends in high places, like how Polyphemus' father was Poseidon.

Having been tricked by Odysseus, Polyphemus is out for revenge.

Polyphemus means 'many voiced' or similar and that works well with how Outis has a tendency to speak out of both sides of her mouth.

Outis seems comfortable with the idea of offing her colleagues, which would reflect how Polyphemus ate Odysseus' men.

Branch Three: Outis is Penelope

(This is my favourite)

So, basically all the stuff from branch one. Except the 'she's a nobody' bit.

It allows her to be the protagonist of a novel/story in her own right. In this case it would be Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad from 2005. (Which would be the most recent work, I think). This is a retelling of The Iliad and the Odyssey from (mostly) Penelope's perspective.

In The Penelopiad, twelve is the number of maids/slaves that Penelope used as spies and Odysseus had killed. This explains why Outis is twelve and not ten, and bodes ill for the other sinners and Dante.

Her logo is a watch. Watches are accessories that are often set by referring to a clock, and vice versa. It connects her to Dante as they are both time pieces and wives are often treated as accessories to their husbands.

The 'friends in high places' thing from branch two still works, because she was the daughter of Icarius, a king of Sparta and was queen of Ithaca by marriage. (Although Icarius was known as a fast runner. I am starting to side eye Don.)

I know some of you wanted Outis to have an angry divorced wife, but what if she is the angry divorced wife?

She's noticeably old. Penelope waited twenty years for Odysseus to return to her, Outis' age could be a reflection of this.

In her To Pathos Mathos EGO, she's checking her watch. Which could mean that she's waiting for someone.

And her logo has a clearly constructed horse in a watch. I wonder what that could be representing. 🤔

Other possibilities

I'm completely wrong and she is Odysseus. (She's noticeably old. Odysseus had an old man disguise at one point.)

I initially thought Circe before Penelope, but I like Penelope better. It's more compelling.

I'm right, but Outis is Ulysses. "Wait, aren't they the same person?" Well, yeah, but Dante would be Odysseus in his aspect of Greek cultural hero and Outis would be Ulysses in his aspect of scummy guy the Romans didn't like. Two different versions of the same character would be interesting.

The last thing, but in reverse.

What does this all mean?

Well, not much, really. It's a fan theory.

But it does make me want to look out for a few things.

Sheep. 🐑

Demian turning into a girl, or having had been a girl at some point in the past. (Straight/Reverse Sweet Polly Olivering counts as does transition/detransition.) Go on. Ask.

Helen as an antagonist/cause of Outis' woes.

Shrouds/tapestries.

Spies. Specifically if they are twelve of them.

Telemachus.

One hundred and eight dudes.

Outis losing an eye.

~*Feminism*~

Galatea (no, not from Pygmalion. That's a post antiquity addition because it 🤌just makes sense🤌. This is a Polyphemus thing.)

This line: "Consider us pure symbol. We're no more real than money."

I've spent way too long on this and I've made myself sad.

#limbus company #limbus dante #limbus outis #dante lcb #outis lcb #fan theory #long post is long

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