#Willful Machines

[nostalgia-tblr]

One thing New Who doesn't really have that Old Who did was the thing where everyone (audience included) thinks the Doctor is this amazing genius from space with the best spaceship of all time, and then someone else from Gallilfrey shows up and goes "Oh, it's you. Did you get expelled from our university or did you just fail your degree? Is THAT what you're driving around the universe in? How does that thing even still work? And why are you dressed like that?"

#Suddenly Recontextualised Protagonist my beloved! #this is why romana's first scene is the best companion intro. (before she met him she was even willing to be impressed!) #and humans insulting the FUCKING TIME MACHINE doesn't hit at all the same. it seems kind of odd mostly? its a fucking time machine! #and we don't know any better!!! you need someone who has their own TARDIS for the real sick burns there. #oh no i just realised approx 82% of my fave Doctor pairings are them with people who are on some level just not that impressed #that explains why i wrote so much Ten/Donna doesn't it? :O #dw

[mipexch]

the intricacies of machinery & vulnerability

#ultrakill #something about v1 and the flesh and machinery inside of it #i like to think it can be delicate. it can heal it can deflect it can overpower certain machines and weapons but open it up and- #suddenly it isnt protected by strong plating and metal anymore #to have v1 open up for you. to have it trust enough. to have it even be Willing to keep you alive. and Let yoy see that. Good lord??? #V1 #anyways. static mold and dust up in this mf #its not vulnerable. it Doesnt open up. thats the point. even if i want it to

[followerofmercy]

HSR spoilers under the cut regarding Firefly, Sam and Stelle

I'll start by saying I found Sam and Firefly incredibly boring as individuals. Like, they were fine. You've got the Obvious Tearjerker Love Interest cute girl and broody soulless killer robot. They both felt very flat, in part because they had very little screentime, but I especially though the whole date/emotional bonding/death with Firefly thing was super forced.

Like, why is Stelle so attached to this Literal Stranger? She's cute but you literally met her To-day. I mean I'd cry too if I ended up with ectoplasm splattered on my face after said cute girl explodes, but the narrative revolved around an emotional connection that was much deeper than the horror of "oh my God I'm wearing a person's organs." And I didn't think that connection was particularly earned...

Until we see that Firefly IS Sam! Sam, the Stellaron Hunter, who probably watched Stelle before she got dumped on the space station. Sam, who was very possibly Stelle's bestie. Sam, the armor that Firefly pilots when she can't interact with the world herself. They knew each other!

Acheron has a bad memory. She relies on emotions to fill in the gaps where her mind cannot.

In the same vein, while Stelle has forgotten Sam and Firefly, her emotions remember. That's why things moved so quickly. That's why they were acting like they had an entire arc together after a single day, because they already have

#HSR #hsr spoilers #hsr firefly #hsr sam #hsr stelle #fuck caelus we're feminists here #let women have something #part of me wonders if I'm just trying to excuse eh pacing #but with how important emotional memory is to Acheron #I'm willing to commit to this theory asdkjf #also the dichotomy of worried young woman who desperately just wants to be able to interact with the world #vs machine that only knows how to destroy #leaving a fucking CRATER of a mark on the world #I'm excited for more

[nefertittythegreat]

The thing about Sylvester is the things that make him a great person make him a terrible Aub.

#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #Sylvester aub Ehrenfest #and controversially these are all traits Rozemyne has too #Myne can compartmentalize slightly better #SLIGHTLY #but she too cares too much about her ppl #but shes willing to help them in whatever they choose and not just decide for them #dont get me wrong she will still hulk out for her homies #the only thing keeping sylvester from doing the same is him being raised and socialized in yogertschmidt #also Myne has Ferdinand to keep her from doing anything too stupid #and eventually myne will understand and be able to temper her modern morals with that culture's nuance and then she'll be gucci😎 #i had a whole essay written about my beloved sylvester #but this was my main point #i also think hes one of the most forward thinking nobles period #but i dont really know the others well the machine translation gremlins can tell me otherwise

[mommyesque]

Their similarities are very shocking, one way or another ;")

#kazuki and vash : goofy suppressed trauma blondie #rei and ww : childhood trauma black cat killer machine #meryl and miri : small and strong willed and blondie and brunettes favorite baby #thats it thats my ultimate found family dynamic #buddy daddies #buddad #trigun #trigun stampede #tristamp #kurusu kazuki #suwa rei #unasaka miri #kazurei #reikazu #vash saverem #vash the stampede #nicolas d wolfwood #meryl stryfe #vashwood #buddad memes #trigun memes

[ingravinoveritas]

regarding the post today about Anna's nasty comments, "jokes" etc about Michael's appearance in the last few years. Do you think there is genuine reason to feel worried about him and what it may be doing to his mental health overall? What I mean is I am starting to worry and then it makes start to spiral a bit and think that if he stays with her longer that the possibility of her "soft bullying" will escalate into actual abuse and I really don't want to think like that but it really makes me worry for him. Please tell me what you think and should I just take a step back and not think on it too hard (am I?) If you agree with me though, what do you think can be done to help him? Like as in a safe way for him to break up with her? I appreciate whatever you can do to help ease my mind at least.

martinsharmony replied to your post "So for those who haven't seen, AL posted a new..."

I have to wonder about Michael's state of mind. He has said he has his own body issues and has struggled with depression etc. The fact that he is "letting" her do this makes me worry about him a little. The fact that he's not standing up for himself and setting a boundary. From my own experience, all of this is okay, until it's not. My heart goes out to Michael. Of course I don't know the real truth. But I see a little of myself there. I recognize it.

(Grouping these two together due to having similar themes.)

First, I am glad that you felt comfortable enough to message me about this and share your thoughts. But I think there are a few things going on here, and it's important that we have some perspective. When I started responding to asks and questions about AL on my blog four years ago, it was largely as a counter to what many of us were seeing the fans do, which was idealizing Michael and AL's relationship and making it into some sort of fairy tale romance. Many of us could see things that did not seem to hold true to this narrative, but were afraid to discuss it openly. So the discourse became about open and honest conversations and speculation, and since GO 2 came out, that discourse has only seemingly increased (if the Asks and Anons in my inbox are anything to go by).

To your comments, @martinsharmony, these are some very good points you are raising, and I'm sorry that you see yourself in Michael's shoes. I think there's a chance many of us do, and is part of why we have the strong feelings we do--one way or the other--about this situation. I think a lot of us see Michael's visible unhappiness and are jarred by the sharp contrast between that and the narrative of him and AL being "madly in love."

I do, however, think there is a real risk of taking that line of thinking so far in the opposite direction. That is, if it's not okay for fans to assume that everything is perfect and wonderful and the absolute best with Michael and AL's relationship, then it is also not okay to assume everything is the absolute worst, because extremes in either direction are not a good thing, and reality often exists somewhere in the middle. Reality and relationships are also infinitely complicated, which means that there often are no easy answers.

Also, because things are not ever truly black-and-white, I think it's important not to conflate being an unpleasant person with being an abuser. There tends to be an assumption that an abuser is mean and nasty all the time, every day, but so many abusers are viewed as "the nicest person you ever met" by everyone but the victim, which is how they are so often able to get away with what they do. Conversely, someone (such as AL) might be self-absorbed, immature, and annoying, but that does not make them an abuser.

Again, in no way, shape, or form am I saying that it is a bad thing to care about Michael, or to want him to be happy. But what we are ultimately talking about here is Michael's agency--that is, his right to make his own choices, and to deal with and feel whatever he feels about the consequences of those choices. By either romanticizing or catastrophizing his relationship with AL, we are unintentionally removing that agency. We have to remember that Michael is an adult man who has been in many other relationships in his life, and has navigated those (with varying degrees of success) on his own. So while we can have conversations and engage in discussion here, it is very much not appropriate and not our place to intervene with any of this personally or to try and facilitate the breakup of Michael's relationship.

Remember, too, that Michael has people in his life that he can trust and confide in--his parents (who are still alive and live near him, bless them), his sister, his friends. And he has David, of course, which we know is a beautiful thing. He and David have gotten immeasurably closer over the last four years and it is genuinely heartwarming to know that he can turn to David. The point here is that while we are fans of Michael's, we are not his family nor his friends. But Michael is not alone in this, and has support available to him, and that is something to be grateful for.

Going back to my previous comments about agency, one of the things that I know I love about Michael is that he is always going to do what he wants to do. He has reasons for doing those things, which means that if he is still with Anna, there is a reason for that (even if it is, as many of us believe, due to wanting to be there for the kids). And if/when Michael should decide to break up with her, there will be a reason for that as well. The most important thing, however, is that it's his choice. That if he decides he's made a mistake, it's his mistake to own, and not something for us to save him from.

I hope this has helped to put your mind at ease. I also want to make it clear that I absolutely do not have all the answers, and this (like all my posts) is my own opinion. Taking a step back might still be a good idea, as we can all find ourselves becoming too invested from time to time, and it is good to take a breather on occasion and find perspective. Glad as always for my followers to share their thoughts on this post as well...

#harmoniaserpentine #martinsharmony #reply post #michael sheen #welsh seduction machine #relationships #also i have no doubt Michael has set boundaries and spoken up for himself #so what we see on social media might just be what he is barely willing to tolerate #but that is a whole other discussion for another day #anna lundberg #thoughts #discourse

[orcflorist]

ORC FACT

you can scare an orc bard with the following three words:

Digital Audio Workstation

#orc bards actually enjoy electronic music #just don't ask them to make it unless you're willing to pass them a drum machine and a synthesizer #not that they dislike computers. it's just that computers are scary

[a-blip-of-billdip]

we need more ford haters in this fandom. this dude is a fucking loser. it has nothing to do with him being a nerd, and everything to do with him being a borderline narcissist who has ruined the lives of every single person he's come in contact with

#gravity falls #ford pines #stanford pines #fuck ford #yall i cannot describe how much i hate this fucking dust bag #i hate how much the fandom is obsessed with him too #even alex acknowledges that ford is an asshole whos in love with himself and has no problem destroying peoples lives to get what he wants #examples; stan fiddleford (almost) dipper and mabel (almost) his au self and fiddleford in an au AND the entire dimension of that au #fiddlefords entire family- their parents (specifically his mother who loved stan more than she loved ford and NEVER GOT TO SEE HER SON AGAI #BEFORE SHE DIED BC OF FORDS FUCKING ACCUSATION) #which btw let me just side track slightly to point out that ford DIDNT make a pwrpetual motion machine. #if all it takes is one screw loose for it to stop working it isnt a perpetual motion machine. period. #he wouldve gotten into thr college with a lie and he wouldve absolutely failed to meet the expectations in his 'dream scgool' #(a school he didnt even know about until the day pRIOR. a school he was willing to abandon his TWIN over and... again. #destroyed stans life over.) #theres so so so so so so so many other examples #so mamy #but im getting TOO mad

[scatterpatter]

Totk is going great so far

#totk #totk spoilers #tears of the kingdom spoilers #MANNN I UPGRADED TULINS LIL SPIRIT THING WITH THE SAGE WILLS #AND NOW MY SON IS A FUCKING SNIPER MACHINE #ITS SO FUCKING FUNNY JUST SEEING SIDON AND ME BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF SLUDGE LIKE AND MUCKTOROK #AND THEN TULIN WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!!!!!!

[hgduo]

The qsmp live translation chat bubbles remind me of this everytime I see them

#I mean this in a nice way btw- it's an endearing comparison #qsmp #( I still feel kinda... ehhhh kinda mixed about it- but I'm willing to give it a shot) #( since Q seems to be trying to implement it as an additional tool and not a crutch of sorts ) #( at least I hope that's how the server members will end up using it yeah) #( machine translation can be a useful tool but it's no replacement for the real thing at all) #( and we do know Q listens to feedback so if it does end up being an issue I'm sure he'll hear about it and take actions accordingly)

[demigodofhoolemere]

Happy birthday, Anneke Wills!

#classic who #anneke wills #polly wright #screencaps #the war machines #the smugglers #the tenth planet #the moonbase #the faceless ones #dwbday

[space--butterflies]

Do I know how to sew? No. Am I going to buy material and teach myself how to sew to make a Siffrin cosplay for a con in October? Hopefully, yes.

#in stars and time #no sewing machine either im gonna be doing this shit by hand #but thankfully my mom used to make clothes and her mother was a seamstress #and she is willing to walk me through it

[hylaversicolor]

so much (admittedly lovely!) art of the boss posed like a serene and gentle expressionist muse, an omniscient mother figure weeping for the state of the planet. can we give her something fun to do

#i know the boss is a difficult character to pin down but i feel like she's underrepresented? undercharacterized? #by both the game and the fandom #part of that is intentional by kojima #but i think she deserves to be talked about as a tragic character outside of “snake had to kill her how sad” #the tragedy is not that snake had to kill her #(yes this is sad for him and gives rise to the entire game series) #the tragedy is that she was ready and willing to accept death bc the war machine had already taken everything from her #she was a shell of herself by snake eater. and i wish THAT was explored more #e.g. the martyr figure that the rest of the cast continued to look up to and aspire to for the rest of the series? #that image or that icon if you will was created by the philosophers. it all connects. don't fall for philosopher propaganda lol #txt #mgs #THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON ANY ARTISTS

[yukipri]

So I've been really tight with money until recently and now that I'm in a better financial position I've finally been able to join your pateron!!

Ahhh thanks so much, I really appreciate it! I know money's tight for a lot of folks, not just myself, which is why I try my best to keep my Patreon pay-what-you-want. Any amount of support is truly appreciated though, so thank you! I hope you enjoy the stuff that's on there!

❀ ❀ Send YukiPri an Ask! ❀ ❀

#yukipri replies #jarchvast-likearchvistbutthevast #i keep on telling myself that if i want to sustain myself on patreon i need to do something about my tiers #bc no one who supports themselves via patreon does it with all their content available on the $1 tier #i know it but i see folks who are willing to support me even when they're struggling themselves #and i am filled with furious rage at the capitalist machine #and i just can't do it #so thank you know that i appreciate folks on every tier #if i never had to worry about money then everything i offer would be free forever #unfortunately i do #and i hate it

[coffeeworldsasaki]

I'm still rotating in my mind the idea of selling stuff I make but well. I do a lot of different stuff through different fiber crafts and I have no idea if it would help or not to have so much stuff instead of one precise direction

#technically I don't think i have to worry so much about having a specific direction on etsy and I've seen others sell whatever random stuff #they make so i think that it would be okay? #because like i have pretty crochet stuff i can make like hats and scarves but also keychains? #and then I've started weaving #and i feel like the macrame choker I've made could work out too #and little embroidery and cross stitch pins... #i make so much stuff god #and i still haven't started sewing because i don't have a place to put the sewing machine on #also i could sell pattern. if i learn to make patterns #fun fact I've used patterns 3 times when i was very little to learn crochet and then didn't ever look at one again #I've done crochet for 15 years and I don't know anything about patterns........... #help me out here please I've always been too poor to buy anything so i don't know how this stuff works enough to feel confident in my #opinions #i think i have a hard time imagining people willing to spend money on handmade fiber crafts because whenever i see something i want i just #learn how to make it myself

[cleowho]

“He looks like that disc jockey.”

Britain, 1966. So ‘that disc jockey’ would, of course, be Jimmy Savile... malheureusement.

The War Machines - season 03 - 1966

#doctor who #classic doctor who #classic who #first doctor #william hartnell #the war machines #kitty #sandra bryant #polly #anneke wills #ben jackson #michael craze #jimmy savile