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sab-teraa · 3 months

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Tye Talks: A Diary Entry

(22/02/24 || 22:58 pm)

Good evening friends, I hope you are all well and having a lovely Thursday! Just one more day till the weekend! Yay <3

Inspired by the lovely @the-winds-of-destiny-xxx , I've decided to start blogging about my day. Hopefully, I will be able to stay up to date lol.

Work

Ugh, I've been up since 5am prepping myself to deliver my second lecture of the semester. It went well, kinda. The students were super interactive which is great. Application + practicality > regurgitating information. They did super well. Also, we have a new HoD, and while I really liked our previous heads, the new HoD is a breath of fresh air and I really enjoy their approach towards education.

My full-time job is actually soooo … atm. My colleague has resigned which is all cool and I wish her the best.

But, there’s a trend I’ve noticed recently within our organization … and I hope it does not present any problems in the future. Tbh, I think it has presented a problem before … but idk. Anyway, constructive criticism goes a long long way … only if you’re keen and willing to learn …. which this person defo is NOT.

Enough about my colleagues, the CEO presented me with an opportunity but I'm lowkey nervous .. bc I prefer being a private + somewhat anonymous person lol, but I obviously said yes. Let's see how it goes, anything can happen and this whole project might fall through. Especially in this economy.

All in all, I really love my job and the career path I’ve taken. I hope it does not backfire on me later on in life.

Uni

Gosh. Uni is the bane of my existence atm. Tho, i did make a bit of progress on my thesis today. I know exactly what I need to do, but I just don't have the motivation to it. But, I think I've finally got myself together .. so let's see what happens.

Also, I'm so grateful for my thesis supervisor <3 she is so understanding and supportive.

Health

Is this tmi? Maybe? Apologies if so?

But, my nose and throat have been KILLING me recently? Idk if it’s bc of the fan or what … but yup. Thank god for cloves! They’ve helped wayyyy more than anything else I’ve tried lol. Also, my pms is really starting to hit 😭😭 I’ve been in soooo much pain since I got back home.

My mentally, I’m doing okay … there’s obvs moments in the day where I’m like shit?? I’m an adult adult?? Yet my life feels so stagnant 😂 but then I try to keep it moving and not think so much about what I want … and I try to focus on what I do have…. bc I’ve done my best.

Fun and mundane

I finally got to go to my first gym class of the week - I really needed that! The housewives from my class invited me for smoothies afterwards … and they are so fun! Are they my mums age mates? Yes 😂😂 but I loved hanging out with them .. they truly live in their own bubble .. I wanna be exactly like them when I’m older lol.

Oh Oh! And I finally finished the second season of Al Rawabi School for Girls ... flip, it truly broke my heart. What an amazing show.

I really wanted to start the new season of Real Housewives of Durban … but the new Showmax app is truly YUCK! I have the ick 🫠🫠 but, I love the show waaaaay too much, so I’d probs get over it soon lol.

Other than gym and catching up on tv, I made a delicious lasagna for dinner. I'm convinced that my homemade meat sauce and cheese sauce remains undefeated, or maybe that's just me being cocky lol. If I had more space, I would have defo attempted to make the pasta too.

I'm super excited for this weekend bc my friends and I are going to this art and music event and getting food afterwards. I also really wanna buy that duvet set I saw online ... since I'm no longer purchasing an apartment (recession boo boo boo 🍅🍅🍅), I may as well just re-do my current apartment lol. It already looks great, but I've been putting off getting a new duvet set bc I presumed I was gonna buy a bigger bed lol... so I've just been rotating between the two sets I have ... and damn they've seen better days lol.

Relationships

After all he has been through, my brother finally has some great things happening. I am so proud of him. I know he will achieve everything he aspires to <3 This has also done wonders for his self-confidence, he truly needed this, and I hope ... I really hope that it stays on this positive track.

Positive family news aside, idk if anyone saw the post about my uncle? But god damn I'm annoyed af. (Side note: He is my mums cousin btw; but my entire family is close). Anyway, my uncle called my mum to rant … and according to my mum he was sooooo proud of what he said to his wife??? I’m just disgusted. Idk how. His wife could forgive him for this. I’m so glad my mum put him in his place ✋🏽✋🏽✋🏽

I know its not about me and I have no right to speak on other people's relationships, but I hate seeing people put their all into a relationship and even go against their own family to be with someone ... only for their partner to treat them like this. His wife deserves soooooo much better and its sooo heartbreaking that she has to go through. My heart truly breaks for her. I pray everything works out for her.

Conclusion

Anywho … if you made it this far! Thank you for reading my ramblings <3 wishing you a lovely day! Stay safe babes 😘

#tye talks #tbh I don’t think people would read this.#it’s more for me lol

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rappaccini · 3 months

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How would you say gwen and miles bring out the worst in each other?

alright like. i'm talking about them in general, but idk if you mean spiderverse gwiles or comics gwiles. i'll do both.

spiderverse gwiles: read this.

one addition: gwen sees miles as a replacement for her peter parker.

gwen: that's why she develops feelings for him. that's why she's protective of him. she hates herself for not being able to save and date her peter, so she's forcing herself to repeat the past with miles. and if she gets together with him, that just means she'll keep punishing herself forever when she should be moving on completely.

miles: let me get this straight: the trilogy of movies all about how miles should get to be his own person with his own story instead of being forced to imitate peter parker... are gonna end with him ending up with a girl who only wants him because he reminds her of peter parker? okay. i see. so he isn't going to be his own person in the end.

now. for comics gwiles. and really, gwiles in general:

first, to clarify: out-of-universe vs in-universe.

out-of-universe (as in, the real life shit motivating the writers pulling the characters' strings), this relationship exists because bendis has a Type of romance he prefers and he wanted to shove all of peter's leftovers onto miles instead of giving him something new. it was picked up for itsv because at the time miles didn't have many love interests to choose from and the white guys writing his story probably preferred gwen because she's who'd they want for themselves. it'll be revived and pushed because marvel editorial wants to cash in on spiderverse synergy.

in-universe (as in, the plot- and character- developments that have to be created to make this shit make sense within the world of the story), you'd have to justify it with stuff like...

on gwen's end,

gwen leaving her world forever turns her into a selfish coward. how can you honestly brand gwen as a brave superhero if she abandons her loved ones and her community, packs up and runs someplace easier when the going gets tough? how can she be a good spider-person if she abandons her responsibility to protect earth-65 to go make out with a boy?

gwen losing her girl's girl cred. miles is already in a relationship with tiana toomes. if gwen starts pursuing him while he has a girlfriend... i mean. what kind of pick me bullshit is that. and beyond that, if gwen starts centering her boyfriend instead of her relationships with other women... yuck.

the age gap problem. no matter how you spin it, there's just something uniquely pathetic about a 20something simping over a high schooler, and that's what the writers will do to her. she'll either get together with him even though he's underage, or she'll sit on the sidelines, waiting for him to be legal. regardless, gwen's going to act weirdly immature for her age to ~fix the gap~-- which will just make it creepier. at worst, it's gross. at best, it's humiliating, especially since...

gwen's closeting herself. the last and only time gwen considered a relationship with miles, it reeked of 'queer girl tries closeting herself to be accepted.' in the eight years since, gwen's creatives have tripled down on her queercoding and her lack of attraction to miles. gwen resuming that relationship with him will only reek of her backsliding into comphet. even more humiliating.

gwen is giving up on being her own person, and is settling into the patriachy. so much of gwen's story is defined by her fight to keep her agency and define herself apart from the men who want to control her. if gwen gets with miles, she'll always be secondary to him. so her entering a relationship with him means she gave up. the (hetero)patriarchy beat her into submission. the cycle continues. the cynicism is exhausting.

a relationship between miles and gwen turns gwen's story from an inspirational one about a queer female hero who fights to keep her agency from a world that wants her dead for refusing to be what it wants her to be into a tragedy about a girl who gives up on being independent and settles for centering her life around being the passive girlfriend of an important guy she's pretending to be attracted to instead. it's embarrassing, insulting and deeply sad to watch her be reduced to that.

.... it's worse for miles. and i don't mean 'miles has it worse.' i mean 'miles becomes a worse person.'

to be clear: gwiles isn't a relationship between equals. oou, miles is the more popular character among his writers and the fanbase, and his brand benefits from getting gwen as a trophy girlfriend. gwen's does not. all gwiles does is take gwen's world, supporting cast, personality and story away from her, and saddle her with a role that doesn't make her happy and violates the entire point of her character. miles will be a shittier person, and yeah his stories will keep needing gwen to pop up in them so he can show his trophy to the audience, but he'll still have his own stories, he'll still have his supporting cast, he'll still be the second-biggest spider-man. gwen gets to be his girlfriend, and then his wife, and then his babymaker, and you know each time the role evolves she'll shrink because men can't write wives or mothers worth shit, and they'll start favoring the gwiles offspring as soon as they can. gwen will always have it worse.

so in-universe, miles is more powerful than gwen. she might be older than him, but she can't stand up to him in any meaningful way. she can't beat him in a fight. she can't outsmart him. all their spider-friends will always take his side. the multiverse itself likes him better and is canonically trying to take her away from earth-65 to pressure her into a relationship with him. she will always, always be second to him for as long as the relationship lasts and it'll only get worse the longer they're together.

and in order to make the relationship last, miles would have to be written into the kind of guy who at best, has such a superficial interest in his girlfriend that he doesn't notice that the playing field is so uneven, or at worst, does know and is taking advantage of that power dynamic--- and regardless, he doesn't care that it's affecting her negatively because it benefits him.

you know. That Kind Of Guy.

what does that mean?

miles chasing after gwen signals that he's regressing in his sense of individuality. after years of progress in becoming his own character with his own unique supporting cast (including love interest) miles... is going back to chasing peter parker's leftovers? okay. i see.

miles is starting to reprioritize courting a white audience. miles and gwen are in assimilation narratives. miles has only recently begun doubling down on seeking black mentors and allies (specifically black women), and is finally starting to focus on his community instead of pleasing the entire city. if miles gets with gwen, all that progress goes down the drain and he's right back to seeking approval from white people instead of his own community.

miles's romantic priorities are getting shallow again. miles puts gwen on a pedestal. he's mostly into her because he thinks she's hot and that being with her makes him seem impressive. there is no deeper connection. in recent years he's grown out of this kind of behavior thanks to his relationship with tiana toomes. so if miles moves from tiana to gwen (especially if he leaves tiana for gwen)... look, you can't spin it any other way: if miles leaves a multi-year relationship with a black girl who's his equal and calls him on his shit for an infatuation with a white girl he barely knows, only wants as a trophy, and who can't stand up to him, he's regressing into a shallow, immature guy who sees women as objects. like, oh, okay, so you do want that. gross.

miles not helping gwen get her world back turns him into an opportunistic asshole. logically, if miles morales, who lost his own home world, found out that gwen couldn't go back to hers-- and unlike him, none of the people she loves are with her here and she is completely alone-- he should respond with "that's fucked up, i'll help you get home." but in order for them to stay together, he would have to respond with "that's fucked up... wanna make out about it?" --- so, he'd become the kind of guy who'd use a girl's vulnerability and isolation to reel her into a relationship with him. gross!

the homophobia problem. given gwen's overwhelming queercoding and how gwiles is subtextually linked to the concept of gwen closeting herself for acceptance, if they stay together, miles would become That Kind Of Guy who pressures his queer girlfriend into staying in the closet and playing out a heterosexual relationship arrangement she's fundamentally uncomfortable with so he can be with her. gross.

not to mention earth-8. gwen doesn't want kids. miles does. on earth-8, they have children. and earth-8 gwen is supposedly a future version of gwen-65. do the math: something had to happen to get gwen to agree to stay pregnant, and it probably wasn't good. given that miles is the one who wants the family, has more power in the relationship, and is a shittier person because of said relationship, it was probably miles who wore her down until she agreed. yep. That Kind Of Guy.

miles morales, whose character is meant to open the door for different marginalized characters getting their own narratives that represent and center them and their experiences... would become complicit in the destruction of gwen's. if not an outright participant. and he'd be turning into this hypocrite for the great, noble reason of "i want to force the girl i like to stay with me."

how can you honestly brand miles as a hero if he does this shit to a girl he claims to care about?

a relationship between miles and gwen turns miles's story from an inspirational one about an afrolatino boy who finds his confidence and comes into his own by embracing his community into... another tragedy. but because he keeps his agency, he plays a different role in it: the more he's with her, the worse he feels about himself and the more he turns to her for validation she can't give him, which leads him to do shittier and shittier things to her to keep her around. the cycle continues. he's not the victim. he's the bad guy.

not to be overdramatic, but... look, if gwen's story is about struggling to keep her autonomy in the face of heteropatriarchy-- which is being taken from her for miles's gain-- and miles is written into the kind of person who perpetuates those systems to keep her with him (which is the only way they'd stay together), then that means miles is the villain of gwen's story.

at this point, given that she's about to lose her world (and we all know spiderverse synergy aka gwiles is why) and especially if gwiles gets any further... miles is the antagonist. he's the force in the way of gwen achieving the goal of her story. she has to sneak around him, escape him, defeat him, or persuade him to get out of the way (= to refuse to be with her and help her get her world back) if she's going to get a happy ending. and we know the story's rigged for her to lose.

(and that all their friends are going to be written to cheer this awful relationship on. peter parker is going to pressure another gwen stacy into a demeaning tragic narrative so he truly learned nothing. all the spider-women are going to become the kind of women who do nothing as one of their own is treated badly by a guy in their friend group. spider-punk is going to be written into That Kind Of Leftist Guy who talks a big game about equality and revolution but does nothing to help the women in his life when they're being mistreated by his bros. it ruins everybody.)

there's even a fucked-up symmetry to it: gwen's story starts with peter-65 and ends with miles, and in the end the only fundamental difference between them is that this time, the Nice Guy the audience is predisposed to root for succeeds at swallowing gwen whole, and we're expected to cheer when he does it because the story is on his side.

i mean. it's a compelling tragedy. in another circumstance i'd eat that shit up.

but their stories aren't supposed to be tragedies. gwen and miles are supposed to break out of the systems rigged against them instead of giving in and reinforcing them. they're supposed to be heroes and their stories are meant to inspire little kids. if they get together it all falls apart, yet it'll be framed like something good, romantic and happy. they both deserve a lot better than this.

so i'd rather we just... not.

#spiderverse salt #asks #if you're wondering this is why i have such a bone to pick with miles: gwen's story is being taken apart FOR him.#yes He Wouldn't Do That... but if the ship gets far enough along the writing will turn him into the kind of person who would.#gwen stacy #miles morales #spider gwen salt

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musingsfromalily · 9 months

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Assorted Path to Nowhere - Prologue & SALVA Arc Quotes

Just a compilation of lines from the game that can be range from fluffy, soul-crushing, and chaotic. Feel free to alter lines when needed, remember to specify for multimuses!

��Come back to me.... Your battle has begun.”

“Where are you going? It’s not over between us yet... “

“Die, die! The world doesn’t need jails!”

“The elevator will take you to the hidden mezzanine. You will be safe staying there. Don’t leave until help arrives.”

“You’re coming with me.”

“....You want to fight like this?”

“...I’ve crossed the line. ___, you’re stronger than we think.”

“I’m not like those baddies. See? I didn’t cause any trouble, nor did I try to escape.”

“I’ve begged you so many times! Are you gonna let me out or not?!”

“I don’t have time to play with you. Before I count to five, open the door, or I’ll kill you!”

“Keep quiet...Or it’ll be your neck next time...”

“Don’t move.... this child hates when prey struggles.”

“Unlike those people outside, I... We are the real criminals in this place.”

“Let me out! Bastard! Let me kill him! I’ll kill him!”

“Follow your instincts. This is why you exist.”

“No! Stay away from me, no!!!”

“Please give me orders. From now on, I only follow your orders.”

“...I don’t need that name anymore.”

“The most important thing is that you’re alive.”

“This riot is just a diversion. This won’t be her real agenda.”

“Amazing. You guys are still alive. I was worried it would hurt you.”

“I will come back to you when I finish what I need to do.”

“Why didn’t you run away when you had the chance?”

“I don’t need freedom.”

“It’ll be a long time before we can meet again.”

“Who are you....?”

“The secret will be revealed one day, but not now.”

“Look at your cities. Look at what monsters human sin is breeding...”

“___, go witness the end of this revelry. Whatever happens, don’t look away.”

“From now on, you will likely face more insanity, malice, and catastrophes. But it is our duty to hold onto the light in the darkness, and to salvage hope from despair.”

“We have no other choice but him.”

“Why isn’t the Public Security Bureau stepping in?”

“I’ll try to keep you alive for a bit longer.”

“We need to be CIVILIZED and POLITE without our words to maintain our image of our Syndicate.”

“You find saints in churches and drunks in hostels.”

“We walk with the ten devils.”

“But I’m just putting it out there--I hate gangsters. This jerk is definitely just using us. Don’t trust him too much, dumbass.”

“I surrender! Lord, surrender! Lord ___, stop!”

“I have no choice in Syndicate. I need to know how to fake it to survive!”

“Yuck! You’re Minos’s trash!”

“Huh? No, no, no! I’m just a useless loser. I can’t be of much help.”

“At least don’t put me in the front row in a fight!”

"Get your men to treat them with respect.”

“But why should you consider their feelings? They are just your tools, and you are their master.”

“Do you know how much I respect you?”

“If you don’t discipline your dog, we will!”

“Want to take revenge?”

“I take our cooperation very seriously.”

“A fight like this is more direct than a verbal argument. I can see you already know how to socialize with the Syndicans.”

“I don’t actually believe him. It’s just back-scratching.”

“That’s fine. If he betrays us, we’ll be able to deal with him.”

“If this makes you a monster, then what about me who binds you with the ‘shackles’ ?”

“Before dumping you, I’ll help you one more time. You should cherish this opportunity.”

“Don’t waste your time, I’m not going to tell you anything.”

“I’m sorry I was so slow.”

“Forget it... I already knew you were a freak.”

“Those guys weren’t friends, we just used each other for what we needed.”

“...What are YOU mad about? It doesn’t make any sense, it doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“....So much sweat. You must be very anxious. You’re safe now.”

”They will try to kill you any way they can.”

“Mania distorts humans, while doctors restore their sanity. This is my duty.”

“You can investigate her or arrest her. I owe you one, but it will have to be after she wakes up.”

“Until today, no one knows exactly where Mania comes from. It has been spreading in Syndicate since many years ago.”

“....All I want is for Mania to disappear.”

“It was just a nightmare! It’s not real! Wake up! I’m here holding your hand right now, waiting for you to come back!”

“Mania isn’t power and mutation. It’s an irreversible mental breakdown.”

“She doesn’t want to turn into a monster.”

“I’ve made my own judgment.”

“You need to hold on. Stop going down the wrong track. Stop being used by that man.”

“I don’t want well-meaning lies! I don’t need it....Please tell me the truth.”

“Stop playing tricks! Your life is mine, dead or alive. You must obey my orders! Kill them!”

“Then, tell me ___.... Can I still be saved?”

“I’ll save you.”

“I am the one who binds you. I won’t make you do evil again or let you become a monster.”

“As long as someone is reaching for hope, then you have hope too.”

“You still have somewhere you want to go back to, right?”

“....Is it not too late? Can... I still turn back now...?”

“Let all Sinners go to hell!”

“....I don’t want to fight you here.”

“I’ll let you all die here with these monsters. You deserve it. You’re monsters too!”

“...How did you get here? How are you still alive?”

“You’re a doctor, have you ever killed anyone? Stop pretending. Do you actually dare?”

“... Doctors don’t kill. I only heal.”

“Don’t make such a terrible face, ___. It’s all over.”

“Then give him to me. Don’t dirty your hands over him.”

“It’s time to go, ___. You can’t handle the people who are coming.”

“You’ve already done more than enough. Nothing that happened in Syndicate was your fault. You don’t belong here in the first place.”

“Don’t sink any deeper. Don’t become one of them. Don’t be like me.... you should be the one who keeps clean.”

“Go now. I’ll buy you some time.”

“Ugh....it’s a misunderstanding. I’m just passing by. I’m just too sleepy that I dozed off.”

#path to nowhere #ptn #ptn meme #okay to reblog

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brightgnosis · 7 months

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okay, so way back when, almost a year ago, we had a discussion about slips/undergarment clothing used to reduce wear and tear on outer clothes. I haven’t quite gotten to the point I’d like just yet, but it’s because part of my issue is being nervous about “contaminating” my indoor spaces with “the outside” - aka anywhere I have to sit, lean against, etc. not sure if there’s anything can be done about this except get a purely indoor wardrobe and purely outdoor. you’re smart with clothes so you’re the person I know who’s best equipped to answer 😅

So fun fact, back in "ye olden days" of the Victorian Era, there used to be a series of loungewear for Women that was exclusively worn inside the house. There were various types- like Tea Gowns (not to be confused at all with the modern concept of a Tea Gown; they're very different beasts), House Coats, and I believe a couple others whose names escape me at the moment. But they were intended to be worn at various points of the day, specifically for different activities. For instance (if I remember correctly, and it's been a while so I may not be thinking of the correct one) Tea Gowns were worn earlier in the day and were suitable for both informally receiving Guests and doing one's housework in.

This idea essentially transitions into the House Dress starting roughly in the 1920's to 1930's, after the Edwardian Era; you'd probably be more familiar with this in the form of the "Day Dress" of the 1940's and 1950's, because that's what it eventually became. Either way, it was an easy-to-don dress made of a sturdy material that could hold up to regular laundering, that was suitable for doing the Housework in- but was presentable enough you could also run some of your basic daily errands around the neighborhood in, too, if you needed to (back when cities were far more walkable than they are today).

The Orientalism of the 1930's also saw the rise of the (usually satin or silk) long Pajama set in the west- which was originally conceptualized as a form of loungewear for receiving evening guests if I remember correctly. Things like the Stay-At-Home, the Hostess Dress, Brunch Coats, Leisure Dusters, and other garments also existed moving further into the 20th century.

What I'm trying to say, ultimately, is: The idea of the "Inside / Outside" wardrobe division? Completely normal for approximately a century or two after the rise of the middle class thanks to the Industrial Era. So if you feel like you need that kind of a division in your life for your own wardrobe, absolutely go for it! There's no real reason not to if you feel like you can afford it and want to prioritize it- and there's plenty of historical exempla that you can look at to take inspiration from. Especially starting roughly from the start of the first bustle era of the Victorians, through roughly about the mid 1960's / early 1970's when it started to fall out of fashion.

That being said, there's also the entire concept of Protective Wear, as well: Thousands of Apron styles, various types of Overcoats, Jumpsuits, and more, all exist specifically to protect your clothing while you're out and about doing things outdoors, so that you don't track things back inside with you. You can even wear them inside the house, as well, when doing particularly dirty tasks you don't want to dirty inside clothes with, either. And they can all make a huge difference depending on what your activity actually is. Like, for instance, personally I wear a water resistant Apron every time I'm out in the garden to keep stuff off my clothing.

Other than that, as someone who is constantly getting into the muck and has no wardrobe division, so is constantly bringing things in with them ... You're really just going to have to remember your cleaning and hygiene essentials: Shoes off immediately at the door. House Shoes (slippers) never to be worn outside. If you come in covered in a yuck, you strip in the bathroom or laundry and wash those clothes immediately instead of letting them sit. Don't let any guck that falls off you or gets on something just sit there, and instead clean it up quickly. So on and so forth.

#resolvedbrunette #Answered Asks #2023 Asks #2023 #Face & Body #Ye True Olden Days #Homemaking #Housewife #Homemaker #NonTrad Homemaker #NonTrad Housewife #NonTrad Homemaking #Misc Asks

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otakween · 7 months

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Cyborg 009 BGOOParts Delete (2020) - Volume 2

A full year has past since I read volume 1, so it’s time for me to get up to speed. Luckily, since this is a story that has been rehashed time and time again, it’s going to be easier to recall what’s going on. I can’t believe 3 more volumes have already come out, what a quick turnaround time! (Probably not a good sign tbh).

Ch. 8

-It kind of bugs me how the cyborgs names are stylized with their numbers and then their actual names in furigana. Are they calling each other by their names or their numbers? Confusing...

-The art style continues to be gorgeous. Love the dedication to keeping older aesthetics alive (I follow some artists on Insta that do 90s anime art).

-A lot of the vocabulary went over my head this chapter, but it’s not too hard to grasp the generic “mwahaha we’ll become powerful Gods and take over the world” narrative.

-I feel like some of the Mythos cyborgs translate well to modern day and some are too cheesy to take seriously -cough- hippo man -cough cough-

Ch. 9

-Whelp, that chapter was kind of difficult to understand. This manga is very monologue/dialogue heavy. I could basically tell that they were going on and on about destiny and the meaning of their existence (both the numbers cyborgs and the mythos cyborgs)

-Kind of annoying how 003 gets relegated to “(wo)man in the chair” instead of getting in on the main action, but oh well. I guess it makes sense since her ability isn’t really useful in battle.

Ch. 10

-So Hera took over Rico’s body preventing the numbers cyborgs from attacking her. Once again, I struggled to follow this one. Even though it’s a modern Cyborg 009, they still talk in an old timey way that’s hard to follow.

-These chapters are really short. This one was basically entirely villain monologue and very boring.

Ch. 11

-Okay, I lied, that chapter was kind of long. We’re really moving at a snail’s pace here. Like a multiple chapter build up to a single battle...is that really necessary? What is this, Dragon Ball?

-Helena (or one of her sister’s) and Pan show up. Helena says something about this being a battle that was fought before previously. Tell me about it lol...

Ch. 12

-A pretty dull fighting chapter where the Mythos cyborgs mock the numbers cyborgs. They all seem to be paired up with cyborgs similar to them and mostly evenly matched.

-The horse cyborg’s neck guns are pretty cursed looking, yuck

-So apparently other numbers cyborgs can use acceleration mode because of the Dolphin somehow? That just feels like cheating...

Ch. 13

-In this chapter Apollon just goes on an on about his “real sister” Helena who is also Artemis I guess? I dunno lol. He said that she has the power to amplify her teammates powers which...I’m so sick of these female characters getting the lame supporting role bleh. Also 003 shows up for like two seconds and does nothing (except call for Ivan).

-Joe has literally been standing around saying nothing for several chapters now. What a boring hero. He might as well be a silent video game protagonist.

-Urgh...gotta find something positive to say...I guess I was kinda excited that Ivan was mentioned for the first time in awhile, but we didn’t actually get to see him. Boo.

-I know it was like this in the OG manga, but I wonder what the logic was behind making some of the Mythos cyborgs animal hybrids and some human like. Achilles is a panther dude for example.

Ch. 14

-Joe successfully defeats Achilles, Geronimo fights the minotaur and Francoise confronts Helena (who she recognizes from their past meeting). It was nice to see Geronimo fighting for a change.

Not sure if I’m finding this painful to read because of the tricky, kanji-heavy Japanese or because the writing sucks. Gonna say it’s a combo of the two...Oh well. Only a few volumes to go and I’ll be done. Just want the Mythos arc to end.

#cyborg 009 #Cyborg 009 BGOOParts Delete #manga

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stokan · 1 year

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Every 2022 Film Nominated for an Oscar Ranked

40. Tell It Like a Woman - It’s true, this “movie” actual exists. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and they haven’t stopped bleeding since. That this collection of sub-student-film level shorts is an absolute embarrassment for everyone involved is besides the point. What I really want you to know about this “movie” is that the Diane Warren song that is the entire reason for this project to exist plays in one of the shorts, then it plays again over the closing credits, then it plays a SECOND time over the closing credits, but then it ends and the credits are still going. And no new songs starts! So you’re just sitting there in the most uncomfortable interminable silence ever because I guess they couldn’t afford a second song (?) and at Academy screenings it’s considered incredibly rude to leave before the credits are done. But thank god you didn’t because then after the credits there is a MUSIC VIDEO FOR THE SONG! And that music video is longer and looks like it cost more than basically all of the shorts you just watched. And part of the music video is Diane Warren directing the music video you're currently watching?? And as a legitimate smile formed on my face while all of this was unfolding, it’s only then that I truly understood Stockholm Syndrome.

39. Blonde - Feels truly wild that this wasn’t the worst movie I saw this year. It’s hard to say if I hated this more than Andrew Dominick hates Marilyn Monroe, but regardless, I can’t imagine ever having a more unpleasant time at the movies than I did watching this three-hour-long Ana de Armas hostage video. Please don’t watch Blonde.

38. Bardo - More like BardNO. If you’re going to make a movie about you feel like you suck as an artist and are unworthy as a person, what you don't want is the end result to make the audience definitely agree with you. But other than the truly gorgeous cinematography, making Inarritu’s self-loathing an ACTUAL loathing is the only other thing this film successfully achieves. Well, that and single-handedly killing the idea of Netflix giving unlimited money to directors to make their passion projects unimpeded. Never thought I would say this, but after watching Bardo - please studios, give directors more notes.

37. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - “Yeah, but your scientists were so occupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should” - Dr. Ian Malcom, a character who would later appear in Jurassic Park: Dominion.

While watching this movie I kept trying to figure out what on earth the character of RiRi had to do with anything, only to get home and learn that her sole purpose in the movie was to set up a future TV series. At this point buying a ticket for an MCU movie is exactly like Ralphie in A Christmas Story sending off for Annie’s Secret Circle Decoder Ring, only you already know in advance the answer will always just ultimately be “don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine”.

36. EO - I’m sure when they were making this movie they thought “well, if nothing else, at least we’re definitely making the best artsy existential European donkey movie this year.” Nope!

No human in this movie behaves like an actual human being, every major choice is contrived simply to keep the plot moving forward, and the donkey is the best actor in the cast. Nice try though.

35. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - When adults don't take animation seriously as an art form and write it off as essentially kids entertainment, this is the exact movie they’re thinking of - brightly colored, turbo-charged drivel, with broad characters, broader jokes, and nothing interesting to say. Not to yuck anyone’s yum, as I’m sure if I was 8 years old I would want all things Puss and Boots mainlined directly into my veins, but as a non-8-year-old, this was very much Not For Me.

(Also, as a 40 year old man, if you’d like to almost certainly get put on some kind of list then I would really recommend going by yourself, in a heavy coat and sweatpants, to a 9:30pm Friday night screening of a Puss in Boots film.)

34. Navalny - Important story, one truly great scene, and a film that I know a lot of people seem to like, but as a piece of movie making, for me, well...are the kids still saying “mid”? If so, I’m gonna say the thing that I’m sure ALL the kids are saying - a sentence that you can hear as you walk down the halls of any school in America - "Navalny is mid”.

33. The Sea Beast - Less than a month after having seen it, here’s the grand total of what I remember about this movie: there was a sea beast.

32. The Whale - If you want to know why there are many different art forms used to tell stories a great example is that this script works beautifully as a play, and terribly as a movie. Theater and film are different mediums, and what works on stage often seems overwrought and overwritten on film. And as we learn more and more with each passing year, most movies don’t make good plays either. So just let plays be plays and movies be movies. And let whatever exactly Sadie Sink and Samatha Morton are doing in The Whale never be either ever again.

31. Mrs Harris Goes to Paris - A beautiful looking trifle that tastes lovely and sweet but has absolutely no nutritional value because it’s mostly just air. A movie that feels like it should have premiered on British Airways’ in-flight entertainment network, if that can somehow be read as a semi-compliment.

30. Empire of Light - There’s a truly moving and interesting movie in here about the power of film and communal experience. The problem is that there are three other movies in here as well. Still, if you got Colman and you got Deakins, you got something. Just not any more than that though.

28. A House Made of Splinters - This year’s Oscar Doc Mad Libs entry. There’s always at least one nominee where the log line is: verite footage of a woman/group of women operating (an uplifting and important social service) in (country that’s currently in the news for being at war). in this case it’s (orphanage) and (Ukraine). Important story, truly heroic work, and further proof that if you point a camera at kids for long enough you’re always gonna wind up with some profound truths. But I watch a version of this exact movie every single year.

27. Argentina 1985 - Would seem difficult to take something as emotionally compelling as the true-life story of people being disappeared by a South American military dictatorship and make a movie about it that feels as conventional as an extra long Law and Oder episode, but here we are. That’s not to say it isn’t well made, important, and watchable - people love Law and Order! - just that it’s so by the numbers it feels more like a math equation than a film. If you’ve ever seen a movie before, you know where this one is going.

26. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Everything listed before this movie I would not really recommend, and everything after it, at least on some level, I would. And this is the exact mid-point. A perfectly decent movie that I feel absolutely nothing about. See it, or don’t - I can’t imagine a world where I would possibly care one way or the other. it’s simply the blindfolded lady who holds up the scale.

25. The Quiet Girl - It’s hard to totally put my finger on why this movie feels like one that in a few years I’ll almost certainly forget ever having seen, when at the same time there are very stylistically and tonally similar movies much higher on my list, but if I had to try and sum it up, I’d say it’s this: the girl is too quiet.

24. To Leslie - Honestly, is Andrea Riseborough getting nominated for this movie that much different than Laura Dern getting nominated for Rambling Rose or Jessica Lange WINNING for Blue Sky? I have no idea, I’ve never seen those movies. But an actress getting nominated for a micro-budget film no one saw from a tiny distributor isn’t some sort of new scandal, it used to be an annual tradition. Hell, To Leslie is exactly the sort of pleasant feel-good elevated-middle-brow indie that the Oscars were practically built on in the 90s. Although Mark Maron is the least believable Texan in movie history, and the budget definitely shows, and the style is non-existent, as half of Hollywood has at this point tweeted - it’s a small movie with a big heart. And I didn’t even get paid to say that!

23. Living - Why did we need essentially a shot-for-shot remake of Ikiru only set in England instead of Japan? Seriously, who is this for? It feels almost radically, defiantly, inessential. But the performances, especially Bill Nighy, are pretty great. And hey, Ikiru is a classic for a reason. So, whatever. Ultimately it was worth seeing, but this is last time I will ever write about Living again for the rest of my life.

22. Causeway - “Brian Tyree Henry, Oscar Nominee” has nice ring to it. And Jennifer Lawrence - also good at acting. Out of the little run I’m on here of nice but slight character study dramas, this feels like the best of the bunch. That may not be saying a ton, but it’s something, which also feels like a solid summary of this film.

21. All The Beauty And The Bloodshed - Scalding hot take: Nan Golden seems like a bit of a tough hang. Take that’s not hot at all: the Sackler family are evil pieces of shit. And sure, getting you emotionally riled up about their awfulness is sort of a layup, but by combining it with Nan Golden’s incredible life story, tough hang though she may be, this movie 360 windmill dunks it.

20. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio - Not a del Toro person, never going to be a del Toro person, just not my vibe, and truly baffled as to why he spent his time making the millionth adaptation of a story no one was asking to see remade, but damn if the result isn’t impressive. It may not be my thing, and it’s honestly unclear who it’s audience exactly is supposed to be, but the level of care and craft on display is undeniably worthy of praise. Indifferent towards the player, but respect the hell out of the game.

19. Fire of Love - It’s almost impossible to watch this movie and not think the whole time about how you’re watching two Wes Anderson characters. Which is fitting because the style of this movie is more notable than the substance. But what stye it is. And although I said it’s somewhat lacking in substance, it does get at one very important and universal truth: don’t go chasing volcanoes.

18. Turning Red - As a massive Pixar fanboy it’s been a while since they’ve had a script that rose to the standards of their glory days, but I think this finally does the trick. The movie is visually a little too frantic and busy for my taste, but I’m also not its target audience, so that’s fine. It has something real and original to say to a demographic that I have aged out of and that’s more than valid. Teen and tween audiences need real art too, and not just pandering dreck. So while maybe this movie wasn’t one of my personal favorites of the year, it feels good to be able to roll up my sleeves and show my #TeamPixar tattoo with pride once again.

17. RRR - There’s a warning before this film that no actual animals were harmed because all the animals are CGI, which is hilarious because there’s no way anyone could possibly think anything in this movie was real, including the human beings. It’s definitely the first massive budget blockbuster action spectacular that also feels like they used non-union actors. Which is fitting because it’s as much video game as it is a movie. I absolutely admire the hell out of the craft, the ambition, originality, and fight choreography on display, but bottom line is that a movie where a guy punches a tiger in the face with a fist that’s on fire is just fundamentally never going to be My Thing. The musical numbers, especially Naatu Naatu, are truly electric though, and if you’re a 16-year-old boy bump this ranking up infinity places.

16. The Batman - This is why we can’t have nice things. You make a superhero movie that feels like it was done by an actual human rather than a committee, with great interesting acting choices, a real visual style, and a distinct dark aesthetic that feels like it enhances the specific story being told rather than the demands of some larger universe, and it makes money, but it leaves no cultural footprint. This coming and going without seeming to leave a mark shows that it’s not the Batman movie we deserved, but it was for sure the one I needed, and it deserved better.

15. Elvis - It’s important to preface this by saying that as a theater kid I’m a Baz Lurhman fan. R&J? Seminal movie of my adolescence and a huge reason I still love Shakespeare today. Moulin Rouge? Own it on a worn-out special edition DVD. The Great Gatsby? Underrated! Australia? Sure! So your milage may understandably vary, and I get that. I totally see all the flaws. But damn if Baz making a movie ABOUT music doesn’t just bypass all my critical facilities and go straight to my pleasure center. Is this movie what cocaine is like? Anyway, it’s not GOOD, but also, for me, it’s great. And if Austin Butler winds up winning the Oscar I’m gonna feel pretty proud of walking out of the theater after seeing Elvis back in the summer and calling my shot

14. All Quiet on the Western Front - I do firmly believe the famous Truffaut quote that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie. But this is the exception to that rule. Like West Side Story last year, it pulls off the miraculous task of remaking a movie that didn’t need remaking while yet also justifying its own existence. And while it now feels like we’ve officially reached the end point of war movie verisimilitude, what an exclamation point to cap off the journey. It’s truly insane WWI ever happened, and if only we could go back in time and show them this film, it never would have. It’s that powerful.

13. Avatar: The Way of Water - There’s nothing I’m more out on in movies than when one CGI thing is fighting another CGI thing. Yet when the whole movie is CGI things fighting CGI things? Apparently I’m all the way in.

Look the story is dumb, and the dialogue is stilted, and the mythology this world is trying to build feels pretty cringe, but by god is this movie gorgeous to look at and an absolute technical marvel. And the final third of this movie is some of the best action filmmaking I’ve seen in a very long time. James Cameron, incredible stager of action sequences, who knew? Strap on some 3D glasses, see this on an IMAX screen on a Friday night in a crowded theater, and try not to be entertained, I dare you.

12. All That Breathes - I do this insane project of watching every single Oscar nominee every year because without fail it exposes me to one or two or three movies I fall in love with that I wouldn’t have ever seen otherwise. Well that, and also because there’s something wrong with my brain. But most often these wonderful finds are documentaries, for example: Attica, Time, Minding the Gap, and my beloved Honeyland. Much like Honeyland, my find this year, All That Breathes, is about something simple - in this case its two brothers running a Mumbai bird hospital instead of Honeyland’s Macedonian beekeeper - but like with that film, as it slowly reveals itself, it turns out to really be about Everything All At Once. Family, geopolitics, the climate crisis, religion, interconnectedness - truly all that breathes. Great film, and can’t wait to see what subtly beautiful Senegalese goat herder documentary I fall in love with in 2023.

11. Top Gun: Maverick - The platonic ideal of a summer blockbuster. This is not my kind of movie at all, and yet I even I was won over. Resistance is impossible. Picking nits is pointless. Because sure it’s as by the numbers as they come yet, wow is that counting fun. It almost single handedly justifies the concept of just turning your brain off and having a good escapist time at the movies. But most importantly for me, it just makes me feel good about never wavering in one of my deepest held beliefs: Jennifer Connelly is the most attractive human being who has ever lived.

10. Women Talking - Here’s to truth in advertising. No one who can read titles can say they didn’t know EXACTLY what they walking into with this film. But what great talking it is. And what great women! Although ::poking his head the slightest bit humanly possible out from behind the world’s largest bush:: the one truly transcendent performance in the film for me was Ben Wishaw. But everyone was great really. And fitting that the only great play adaptation of the year wasn’t a play adaptation at all. It was just a true ensemble working together to tell an important story in urgent and poetic language in a purposely claustrophobic setting. It’s a real shame then that this film seems to be evaporating from the collective consciousness before it ever even made its way in, because it’s actually the one thing we should all be doing more of: watching women talking.

9. TAR - As a card carrying elitist film snob it pains me as much to rank TAR this low as it does for you to see it here. And there was a point, maybe about two hours into the movie, where it seemed like it was ending, and I thought to myself “what a masterpiece!”. But the problem is it didn’t end there. It kept going. And the last part of this film, the part that some people online think is supposed to be a dream or whatever, just absolutely does not work for me. And wow oh wow does it feel like the absolute last scene isn’t just beamed in from a totally different movie but from a totally different planet. It’s the exact opposite of sticking the landing. That being said, Todd Field is an actual genius, the dialogue is in a league of its own, and it’s fitting Cate Blanchett is probably not going to win the Oscar because an Oscar feel almost beneath her performance. But still…that last 20 minutes. So please don’t tar me, but #9 it is.

8. Triangle of Sadness - I think all the time about Connor Oberst performing his anti-Bush song “When the President Talks to God” years ago on The Tonight Show. This dense, well-written song with no chorus and no hooks that got what can best be described as polite applause. And I remember thinking, good song, but what is the point of it? It will reach absolutely no one who doesn’t already hate Bush. You know what will? Green Day writing a song literally called “American Idiot” about how the president is, well, an American idiot, but it has a sing-along chorus that kicks ass. And I think about that when people criticize Triangle of Sadness for being too obvious, because you know what - it absolutely kicks ass.

On paper, sure, people quoting Lenin and Reagan back at each other while rich people throw up on each other on a luxury cruise is embarrassingly on the nose, but in practice, watching it play out on screen in a movie theater full of people, I was laughing so hard I could barely feel my face, let alone my nose. And all the chatter about how this movie makes obvious points about how rich people are bad feels like it comes from people who wrote the movie off half-way thru, because it totally misses the third act, which is the complicated, thorny, and dark heart of the film. (Justice for Dolly de Leon!)

Look, maybe this wasn’t your cup of tea, but anecdotally, talking to people from all areas of my life, especially people younger than me, this is BY FAR the movie from this year that people bring up to me the most. And they always say how its themes were thought-provoking and important and worth watching. And to me that’s proof of my belief that what may on paper come off as obvious, is in fact the year’s catchiest chorus.

7. Babylon - Is it the best movie of the year? No. Would I personally give it my hypothetical Oscar vote? Definitely not. Should it win best picture? Don’t be absurd. But would I give up all my worldly possessions to a join a new religion where we move out to the woods and chant the name Babylon up to the heavens 12 hours a day? Absolutely!

Babylon is like if one of Stephon’s clubs was a movie - this film has everything: an alligator attack, a guy eating a live mouse, a Jean Smart monologue about existentialism, Margot Robbie projectile vomiting on someone’s face, footage from the 1982 film Tron. It’s as though someone told Damien Chazelle this was going to be the final movie ever made and he somehow, miraculously, aced the assignment. It’s definitely one of the most movie movies ever to movie. It feels weird to not be typing about this movie strictly in all caps. And if you think this movie is majorly flawed, well, sure, probably, but you’re missing the point. MOVIES!!!!

My head knows I cant rank this any higher than #7, but in my heart? Well, what’s a ranking higher than #1? #-100? In my heart this was the -100th best movie of the year.

6. Close - A stunningly beautiful and heartbreaking movie from what feels like a major new voice in Lukas Dhont. A movie that pulls off the magic trick of somehow making you feel deeply sympathetic towards those trapped in the prison of masculinity, rather than angry about the toxicity of it. And speaking of magical - in the year of great child actor performances the two in this movie are the best of them all. Just an absolute gem of a movie. Go see Close.

5. Aftersun - If TAR botched its ending, then Aftersun is the gymnastics judges crossing out their 10s and writing in 11s of sticking your landing. Because, spoiler alert, but the final scene of this movie is maybe the best use of a pre-existing popular song in film history. That sounds like hyperbole, but I was literally shaking with emotion during “Under Pressure”. It’s my new go-to need-a-good-cry YouTube clip. And a quiet film about a childhood experience where nothing much happens and it’s all subtext until finally one incredible scene of intense emotion is so totally my shit that it feels like I excreted it from my own colon. Was it maybe a little TOO quiet in parts? Perhaps. And the framing device didn’t TOTALLY work. But still, Charlotte Wells being able to compete with this film in the best the First Feature category at awards shows feels unfair. It’s so confident and expertly crafted that I feel like she’s a future My Favorite Director just waiting to happen.

4. Everything Everywhere All At Once - Sure you can make the argument it’s a hat on an infinite number of hats, but HOLY SHIT LOOK AT ALL THOSE FUCKING HATS!!!! The inventiveness, originality, and utter chaos on display in a movie that’s about to win Best Picture is truly mind-blowing. It’s like a Jackson Pollock of ideas. When they say they don’t make em like that anymore, this is the exact opposite of what they’re talking about.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin - Barry Keoghan might be my favorite actor working today, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are the new dysfunctional Hepburn and Tracy, and Kerry Condon should win all the Oscars. But for me this movie is all about the script. That fecking script. Laugh out loud funny, endlessly quotable, and utterly heartbreaking. I mean, Martin McDonagh - good at writing things, who knew? Plays shouldn’t be movies, but maybe more movies should be by writers of plays.

2. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On - I want to have a genetic mutation causing me to have more thumbs just so I can give this more than two thumbs up. This movie is a miracle. How did a super twee one-joke YouTube short become the most moving and heartfelt mediation on family and connection and existentialism I’ve seen in a long time? It still doesn’t seem possible and yet I’ve seen it with my own tear-stained eyes. I can’t compare it to any movie I’ve ever seen before and I can’t imagine anything quite like it will ever come along again. And most miraculous of all, if it moves even a slight inch in any other direction it becomes cloying, or sappy, or obvious, or any multitude of other sins, yet it’s in such total control of its tone it’s like watching Lydia Tar conduct a tone orchestra. And finally, if the scene where Marcel finally finds his family didn’t totally turn you into a sobbing mess than you yourself might be a shell, or at least have one for a heart. I cried, I laughed uproariously, and I fell in love with an animated shell with shoes on - what more could you possibly want out of a film?

1. The Fabelmans - Is this the movie that I feel most passionate about from 2022? No. Read what I had to say about most of the past 10 entries for proof. I’m honestly surprised to see this here, and I’m the one making the list. But here’s the thing: my favorite film of 2017 was Lady Bird. Of 2018 was Eighth Grade. Of 2019 was Little Women. I’m nothing if not consistent in my total love of and weakness for a coming of age story. We all have our things. And one this well shot, and scored, and written, and acted, and DIRECTED - I dunno what to tell you. This was the movie that best combined quality of filmmaking with emotional connection for me personally. It had the most scenes I loved, the most performances I enjoyed, the most shots I marveled at. It seems like it wasn’t for everyone, and as the years pass I have a feeling this ranking might change, but for right now, thinking back on the year in film, I have a hot take to end things on: Steven Spielberg knows how to fucking make a great movie.

SHORTS

My Year of Dicks (animated)

Ice Merchants (animated)

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse (animated)

Haulout (doc)

An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It (animated)

The Elephant Whisperers (doc)

How Do You Measure A Year? (doc)

The Red Suitcase (live action)

The Flying Sailor (animated)

Le Pupille (live action)

An Irish Goodbye (live action)

The Martha Mitchell Effect (doc)

Ivalu (live action)

Stranger at the Gate (doc)

Night Ride (live action)

#Oscars

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winkcore · 1 year

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i will always vote against anyone who desperately wants to shove drag queen culture to kids. do you ever wonder why they push that so hard? why do they want to be around kids? is that the way for kids to be introduced to the lgbt community? you guys are really way too trusting. and there’s this post where someone has the nerve to put drag queens teaching your children and gun violence training in the same post, as if they’re at all related. be wise enough to know manipulative language. i’m not interested in debating 12 year olds or 30 year old perverts, but i will stronglyyy keep voting against you, signing petitions and moving in ways that matter. you’re the type of people to sacrifice the safety of your child to virtue signal to your friends and strangers on the internet. i’m glad the organization ‘gays against groomers’ exist because they help me feel less hopeless about the state of the lgbt community. i’m bi, but not a part of your disgusting community. yuck, ew, gross! do better. i’m glad most of you hate children enough to not have them. thank God. believe me, i will do everything in my legal power to contributing a society that is aligned with healthy values. your blatant disrespect towards every other community, mothers, women, feminists, religious communities, even SA survivors, elder generation trans people, detrans people, elder people in general, people in the medical field who are being silenced and fired because they’re not comfortable doing unethical work.. THAT is exactly what will have your rights taken away. you’re pissing everyone off and creating enemies everywhere you go. your mouth is your biggest enemy, so tread fucking lightly. no one owes you shit.

#politics

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brax-was-here · 2 years

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Scarlet Briar: Redemptions End redux

Revisited the “Redemptions End” chapter. Fixed some things. Added a few others. I think I’m happy with the way it is now. Others who have read it agree.

Written By: Braxxus

Chapter XX: It’s The Start of a New Day

Sometimes the ending is a new beginning

Ceara could smell the ozone as ley energy filled the air around her, floating wispfully forming long flowing clouds that ebbed and flowed in every direction.

“So…” a familiar voice growled, echoing through the ancient hallway. “You have finally come home…”

Ceara focused her gaze ahead as she sternly walked towards the central chamber of the old ruins. She paused when she reached the archway, staring at the creature that stood in the center.

“Don’t be afraid…” It slowly turned its crystal adorned head towards her.

“I’m not afraid of you.” Ceara replied defiantly. “I’ve defeated you once. Now…this time, I will finish the job.”

“Bold words, little one. But empty threats.” The Aspect rose to its feet, ley energy wisping away from its dragon-like body.

“I must say, whatever you have done to yourself. It’s not an improvement.” Ceara snarked as she shook her head. “This whole thing with the brand crystals…and whatever these plant things are. It just…it just doesn’t look good.”

The aspect growled lowly in response.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any uglwaAAAAAAH!” Ceara was snatched at her waist by a crystalline vine, lined with razor sharp thorns that she could feel penetrating through her armor.

“If you could…gah…just move up on my back…a little…just a little…you could get that itch in the center of my back for me…ow…”

The brought her close to the aspects face, a strange mixture of Mordremoths, Kralkatorriks, and her own.

“Now…it’s-” It started.

“Oh yuck…” Ceara interrupted. “You need to do something about your breath.” The vine started tightening its grip around her.

“We’ll see how sarcastic you are once you are unable to breath.” It snarled.

Ceara gritted her teeth as she felt her midsection start to compress, causing her to gasp for air.

“You…forgot just…one thing…” She wheezed.

The aspect growled.

Ceara smiled slyly. “You left my arms free!” She flipped a panel open on one of her gauntlets and teleported out of the vines grip.

“No!” the aspect roared as it whipped around searching for the sylvari.

“You cannot hide forever…” It bellowed.

“No, but I can rid Tyria of your miserable existence.”

The aspect growled; its eyes glowing as it expelled a blast of ley energy towards the sound of Ceara’s voice.

“Awww, that was cute. But I’m not there. I’m over here!” The creature turned its head, whipping its crystal lined tail around smashing at a pile of rubble.

“Try again!”

The aspect set its feet sternly as dozens of crystalline vines erupted from the floor, whipping around furiously smashing anything near them.

“Remember…” Ceara’s voice echoed. “If you kill me…you won’t have me.”

“The aspect growled in frustration. “Show yourself!” it commanded.

“Here I am.” Ceara said behind it. The aspect quickly spun, whipping out a vine. It roared in anger as the tendril passed through the holographic image.

“Now…see? If you aren’t going to play nice, I’m not going to tell you where I am!” Ceara quipped from her hiding spot. A small ridge up on a wall, giving her a view of the room and the Aspect not far below.

“Mordremoth is dead. Kralkatorrik is gone. It’s still surviving.” Ceara thought to herself. “All this ley energy floating about. It’s feeding on it, keeping it alive.” She pressed a switch on her gauntlet, calling up a small holographic map of the area. A few white dots appeared.

“There’s no leylines under this area. How is it gathering the energy?” The ridge she was crouched upon suddenly exploded out from underneath of her. She felt herself grabbed in midair by the beast and pulled swiftly in front of it.

“Now!” it bellowed as its eyes flared in purple energy, lighting arching over its body.

“No!” Ceara felt the creature start to invade her mind.

“Open your mind. You belong to me.” It growled through her head before she felt the creature’s presence forced from her mind.

“What?” The creature asked perturbed. “What did you…” Its eyes erupted in purple fire. Ceara found herself standing in the small grove in deep in the Maguuma jungle where she had found the seed. She watched herself pluck the seed from where it rested, a blinding flash of light and she fell to the ground.

“A seed survived.” It spoke, seemingly curious. “So…come young one. Let us reclaim what is rightfully ours.” It sneered as it again tried to pierce into Ceara’s soul. Again, it was pushed back.

It roared in frustration as it slammed Ceara against the rock floor of the chamber, knocking her unconscious.

“Now, It’s time.” It spoke softly as it raised Ceara’s limp body to its face.

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Ceara felt a slight breeze blow across her face. She opened her eyes to see the blue sky above. She quickly got to her feet.

“Where am I?” she asked out loud as she looked around the immediate area. “I’m…This is…Astorea…” She recognized her younger self fidgeting with a piece of asuran equipment.

“No…I’ve been here.” She turned quickly and darted through the trees, following the path that will take her into to the Grove.

Reaching the central chamber, she saw the twisted form of the Pale Tree’s avatar standing over what appeared to be the young pale tree lying on the ground, the twisted form of Caladbolg hoisted in the air above it.

“It’s time.” The twisted avatar snarled as it started to bring the sword down. The attack was cut short Ceara crashed into the avatar at full speed, tackling it to the ground.

“Not this time.” Ceara growled through her teeth.

“You dare!?” The avatar snarled at her.

“I’m ending this here and now.” Ceara barked

Ceara instinctively reached for her beam saber, only to find it wasn’t here. She was thrown backwards by a tangle of oncoming vines sprouting from the avatar’s arm, each one wrapping around her limbs, hoisting her into the air. Another wrapped around Ceara’s neck, slowly squeezing.

“Now, child…” It spoke to Ceara.

“You know…I’m…kinda…” Ceara gasped for air. “Kinda tired…of this vine mess…”

The twisted tree raised Caladbolg above Ceara. It sneered as it quickly brought the blade down. Ceara’s vision was briefly blinded by a flash. When her vision cleared, she found the young Pale Tree standing in front of her, its arms raised projecting a field in front of it, stopping the sword from landing its cut.

The twisted avatar paused, glaring at the young pale tree. “It is your destiny to follow Mordremoth’s will.”

“Never.” It spoke, it’s voice small but defiant.

“Then you will be destroyed.” The twisted avatar quickly raised its hand and released a bolt of energy, knocking the young one back.

“Now, where were we?” it asked as it turned back to Ceara.

“You dare?” Ceara hissed through her teeth.

“I grow tired of your insolence.” The avatar spoke, it’s face turning in disgust.

“Then you better get used to it.” Ceara snapped back.

“I showed you what you truly are. What your kind…truly are…” The twisted pale tree growled slowly.

“We’re not your puppets. Not your slaves to do your bidding.” Ceara spit at it.

“My children. My soldiers. And you…you were my champion…”

“You controlled me…” Ceara interrupted. “You clouded my mind. Twisted my thoughts.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment, a quick flash of Lion’s Arch destroyed. As she opened her eyes, she glared at the twisted Pale Mother. “You made me do those things...but…” Ceara lowered her head, lightly chuckling to herself.

The Aspect tilted its head slightly as it stared at her. Ceara looked up playfully, smiling whimsically at it. “While you were in charge, I might have been drowning…but I was still able to point the firstborn and his army in the direction of your body. Your body that now lays rotting in the jungle.”

“The first one…the first of many.” The Aspect’s brow furrowed; its mouth twisted in disgust. “His essence still lingers in the jungle.”

“Still lingers?” Ceara thought to herself, her eyes cutting away momentarily as she dwelled on the statement.

The Aspect took notice of her seeming distraction. “Yes…” It smiled slightly. “It still lingers in the ley energy of the jungle.” It paused a moment, it’s smile growing. “Perhaps he would still be a suitable conduit.”

“What?” Ceara’s attention snapped back, her eyes focusing on the visage of the twisted pale tree standing before her.

“You are all still a part of me.” It growled. “Now…open your mind to me. That you may be whole again.” It pulled Ceara close, its voice direct.

“No…never!” Ceara shouted.

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“I have to help her.” she spoke, her voice small. The young one balled up on the cold ground, a tear streamed from her shut eyes. “But the pain…how can I stop it from hurting her.” She heard the sound of stern footsteps approaching slowly on the rocks. She listened to them draw close before raising her head to see the clouded form of a centaur silhouetted in the gray mist.

“Who are you?” she whispered. He slowly approached, pausing as he got close. Slowly he knelt down in front of her and held out his hand. She glanced at his open palm, then back at him. Hesitant at first, she extended her arm, placing her tiny hand into his.

“Your mother needs you.” He spoke softly.

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The avatar breathed deep, glaring at Ceara. Ceara’s face twisted in disgust. The twisted avatar forced her to the ground. raising the sword above Ceara. “If you will not submit…then you will be de-“

Its voice cut off by the flash of a blade, severing the hand holding Caladbolg, the weapon clattering to the ground. A second slash cut the vines holding Ceara, dropping her to the ground. The twisted avatar screamed in anquish as Ceara watched as a sylvari with purple foilage resembling her younger self appeared between them.

“You…” the avatar growled at the young sylvari. Ceara stared at the figure inquisitively, watching it reaching for the twisted form of Caladbolg.

“You rescued me when I called to you, mother…” She spoke softly as she lifted the sword from the ground. “Now… now I’ll save you.”

Ceara looked confused as she watched as the sword seem to wither and rot, its outer bark falling away revealing a pristine version of the blade. She remembered the vision of the small child when she took hold of the seed in the Maguuma jungle.

“You…you’re the seed.” Ceara whispered to herself.

“Mother, it’s time we awaken…” she turned to Ceara, smiling warmly. “And end this nightmare once and for all.”

“No!” the twisted avatar roared. The young sylvari turned to it, driving the end of the blade into the ground. Ley energy erupted from Caladbolg, sprawling out across the area in all directions, bathing the twisted Grove in brilliant light. She turned the sword, sending out a shockwave that caused the Grove to shudder. The ground beneath Ceara fell away, dropping her into the water below.

“You will pay for your defiance!” The twisted avatar roared as it reshaped its mangled arm into a bladed weapon.

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Ceara regained consciousness. She could feel the aspect trying to force itself into her mind once again.

“You know.” Ceara spoke quietly, slowly opening her eyes. “I’ve about had enough of you.” She raised both of her legs, shoving them in one of the beast’s eyes. The creature roared in pain as it whipped Ceara around.

Amaranda and the rest of the group rushed into the chamber.

“Ceara!” she hollered.

“It’s…WHHAAAAAh IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HERE!” Ceara shouted.

“Oh wow! It really did become a dragon!” Shikijo exclaimed his eyes wide.

“We don’t have time for you to stand around gawking!” Orla screamed. The Aspect took note of arrival of the group. Its roar echoed through the ruins as it turned to face them.

“How do we stop it!?” Amaranda asked.

“Look out!” Orla shouted as the beast raised it tail, launching a barrage of crystal shards at them. The group scattered in various directions.

“It…it’s feeding on the ambient ley energy! It’s keeping it alive!” Ceara shouted.

“Silence!” the aspect shouted, slamming Ceara against the remains of a pillar.

“Ow! Will…someone please get me loose!?” she yelled.

“Working on it!” Joujou replied as she pulled up a device. “If this thing has a lot of crystalline structure throughout its body, we should be able to shatter those crystals with the right vibration frequency!”

“And how do we do that?” Amaranda asked as she spawned numerous clones to attack the beast.

“I have an idea!” Shikijo shouted “Just keep it busy while we make changes to this hydroseismic ampulmodulator!”

“A what?” Orla asked. “Nevermind! Just do it!” Orla and Amaranda attacked the aspect with everything they had as it seemed to shrug off every attack.

“Any day now!” Ceara shouted. “And watch those clones! I almost got hit!”

“I’m trying!” Amaranda shouted back.

“We almost got it!” Shikijo shouted. “Just a little more!”

“We might not have a little more!” Orla yelled as she dodged away from the creature’s foot coming down on her.

“We got it!” Joujou shouted as a shockwave emitted from the device. The creature screeched in pain, dropping Ceara to the floor. She rolled away, getting to her feet. They could see fractures starting to form across the crystalline body of the aspect.

“It’s working!” Ceara shouted, dodging out of the way of a crystal strike. The beast turned its attention to the asuran duo who frantically getting the machine ready for a second strike. It let out a blast of ley energy at the machine, which was deflected by a shield that Ceara had projected just in time. The blast hit the ceiling of the chamber, fracturing the roof.

“Hit it again!” Amaranda shouted.

“We’re trying!” Joujou replied, pressing the switch again. Another shockwave blasted out from the device, striking the Aspect. Bits of the crystal exterior shattered away. Ceara stared at the chest of the beast.

“Is it?” She could see part of the branded blade embedded between the front legs of the beast. “Aim for its chest!” she commanded over the sounds of the battle.

“We can’t aim it!” Shikijo announced as he pressed the switch again. Another wave of energy radiated out from the device. The aspect roared as it slammed its foot down, causing vines to erupt under the machine, tearing it apart and sending the asura through the air.

“Briars!” Ceara spat.

“What no-“ Orla was cut off as the creature slammed its tail on the ground near her, knocking her off her feet.

Ceara spawned her holographic clones to attack the creature. “If I can get that blade…” Ceara stealthed herself as she charged through the melee as fast as she could. Sliding under the beast, she grabbed the protruding hilt of the crystalline sword. She planted both of her feet on the chest of the aspect, bracing herself as she tried to free the weapon.

“Come on!” She groaned as she tried to pull the sword loose with all her strength. She felt vines wrap around her body, thorns digging into her skin as they tried to pull her away. “Come oooooooon!”

The sylvari woman gasped as she was knocked away by the twisted avatar.

“You are but a child.” It growled as it slowly stepped towards the woman. “Your will is weak. Soon you too…you will bend to my will. And through you, my children will flourish and take the land that rightfully belongs to me.

“Never.” The young woman spat, wiping the gold-tinged blood from her mouth. “I’ll never be a part of you.”

“You dare stand against me?”

“I do.” The woman glared at the avatar.

“You have no choice.” It grabbed the sylvari by the throat, hoisting it into the air. “Now, you will…” The avatar paused; a look of disbelief slowly crossed its face.

“Surprise.” The young woman smiled. “You didn’t expect that, did you?” She quipped.

The avatar sneered, slamming the woman to the ground. It then disappeared from sight.

“Your essence is of me…” The avatar’s voice echoed through the twisted Grove. The woman glanced at the branches above. Their forms twisting and writhing, crystalline thorns protruding, glistening in the light of the ley energy flooding the area. “But your soul…”

“This…this is all you…” The young sylvari spoke softly.

“And you shall be a part of it soon.” The voice growled.

“No. I never will.” She shouted back. “I know what you did to mother. The way you twisted her. And you will be destroyed this day for it.” In an instant, the twisted surroundings sprung to life, lunging for her.

“No!” she screamed as she once again drove the blade of Caladbolg into the ground beneath her, a shockwave of ley energy exploding out from the weapon, shattering the crystalline vines.

The world seemed to go quiet as she felt herself bathed in the light of the ley energy as it flowed around her. She slowly opened her eyes to see Caladbolg impaled through the chest of the avatar. Ley energy bleeding from the wound.

“This…this does not end here…” the avatar spit at her.

“No…it ends with her.” The sylvari pulled the sword free, raising it into the air and striking the avatar with all her strength. The creature exploded in a brilliant display of light and energy. When her eyesight returned, the young woman watched as the twisted form of the Grove seem to rot away, falling in pieces, with fresh lively branches remaining in their places.

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“EEEerrrrrrrr!” Ceara growled as she pulled on the sword while trying to resist the pull of the Aspects vine.

“You dare stand against me?” it growled.

“I do!” Ceara screamed as the sword pulled free, revealing the glowing heart of the beast within, ley energy feeding into it. Ceara was again slammed to the ground, the sword clattering across the chamber floor.

“I don’t know how much more of that I can take.” The wind knocked out of her. “But it’s now or never.” She put her hands in the air above her, projecting various holographic panels. With lightning speed, she typed at the keys which caused a weapon of considerable size to appear in the air above her, falling on her chest. She flipped the launcher around, aiming it towards the open hole.

“This…this is for everything you did to me…” she pulled the trigger. A giant beam of energy blasted forth from the weapon, striking the aspect in the heart. It let out a great roar as it thrashed about, its body start to crack and break apart. Beams of energy emitting from the fissures in its skin.

Ceara pulled the trigger again. Another blast erupted from the weapon, piercing the beasts heart. The rampant flailing of the creature had started to weaken the structure around them.

“We need to get out of here! Go!” Ceara screamed. The group dashed for the archway as the chamber started to collapse. Ceara was caught be a vine that pulled her back in.

“No!” Amaranda raced back to the entrance as the archway collapsed, blocking her path.

“Amaranda, we have to go!” Orla shouted. The ceiling of the hallway started to collapse as Amaranda shook her head and choked back tears.

“You’ve beaten the odds so many times before. I know you can do it one more time.” She thought to herself. A large explosion engulfed the ruins, releasing a maelstrom of ley energy into the atmosphere, collapsing the remains of the ancient structure.

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“Does she know?” the young sylvari asked the aged centaur. The Grove around them gleamed with life as he approached her.

“She will. When the time is appropriate.” Ventari responded. “Now…your work is done. One day...we’ll meet again, Myo”

She smiled warmly at him as her body glowed softly before fading away. Ventari looked to the sky as the breeze blew through the leaves of the high branches.

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Amaranda opened her eyes as a blade of grass tickled the side of her cheek. She slowly sat up and looked at her surroundings.

“The Dream. Am I dead?” She asked herself.

“No, my daughter.” The Pale Trees voice sounded nearby. Amaranda turned to see the Avatar standing close by.

“Mother.” Amaranda said as she stood. “What happened?”

The Pale Tree smiled at her. Ventari appeared next to her.

“She passed her second trial.” He spoke.

Amaranda looked at them somewhat confused. Ventari nodded as Amaranda vision went blinding white. She opened her eyes finding herself laying in a pile of rubble. Her body ached all over.

“Ow…” she grunted as she slowly pulled herself free. She could see Orla and the Asura laying nearby. She hobbled over to them, checking to see if they were still alive. She breathed a sigh of relief as they were.

She turned to a large pile not far in the distance. She could see Ceara sitting at the very top facing towards the sunrise. Slowly and cautiously, she climbed her way up to her sister and slumped down next to her. Ceara was missing half of her foliage, her armor was in shambles, her face bruised.

“Ceara…” Amaranda whispered.

“Amee.” She replied. “Amee, look. The sun is rising. It’s the start of a new day.” Ceara smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Amaranda looked at the morning sun. “Yes.” She gasped as she herself realized what had happened, a tear forming in her eye. “Yes, it is, sister. And it’s beautiful.” She cried as she put her arms around Ceara. “This dark night is finally over.”

And a new adventure begins…

#Guild Wars 2 #GW2 #Scarlet Briar #AU Ceara

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