#also a note for theme: it is not just 'war' for example

[joycrispy]

Awhile ago @ouidamforeman made this post:

This shot through my brain like a chain of firecrackers, so, without derailing the original post, I have some THOUGHTS to add about why this concept is not only hilarious (because it is), but also...

It. It kind of fucks. Severely.

And in a delightfully Pratchett-y way, I'd dare to suggest.

I'll explain:

As inferred above, both Crowley AND Aziraphale have canonical Biblical counterparts. Not by name, no, but by function.

Crowley, of course, is the serpent of Eden.

(note on the serpent of Eden: In Genesis 3:1-15, at least, the serpent is not identified as anything other than a serpent, albeit one that can talk. Later, it will be variously interpreted as a traitorous agent of Hell, as a demon, as a guise of Satan himself, etc. In Good Omens --as a slinky ginger who walks funny)

Lesser known, at least so far as I can tell, is the flaming sword. It, too, appears in Genesis 3, in the very last line:

"So he drove out the man; and placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." --Genesis 3:24, KJV

Thanks to translation ambiguity, there is some debate concerning the nature of the flaming sword --is it a divine weapon given unto one of the Cherubim (if so, why only one)? Or is it an independent entity, which takes the form of a sword (as other angelic beings take the form of wheels and such)? For our purposes, I don't think the distinction matters. The guard at the gate of Eden, whether an angel wielding the sword or an angel who IS the sword, is Aziraphale.

(note on the flaming sword: in some traditions --Eastern Orthodox, for example-- it is held that upon Christ's death and resurrection, the flaming sword gave up it's post and vanished from Eden for good. By these sensibilities, the removal of the sword signifies the redemption and salvation of man.

...Put a pin in that. We're coming back to it.)

So, we have our pair. The Serpent and the Sword, introduced at the beginning and the end (ha) of the very same chapter of Genesis.

But here's the important bit, the bit that's not immediately obvious, the bit that nonetheless encapsulates one of the central themes, if not THE central theme, of Good Omens:

The Sword was never intended to guard Eden while Adam and Eve were still in it.

Do you understand?

The Sword's function was never to protect them. It doesn't even appear until after they've already fallen. No... it was to usher Adam and Eve from the garden, and then keep them out. It was a threat. It was a punishment.

The flaming sword was given to be used against them.

So. Again. We have our pair. The Serpent and the Sword: the inception and the consequence of original sin, personified. They are the one-two punch that launches mankind from paradise, after Hell lures it to destruction and Heaven condemns it for being destroyed. Which is to say that despite being, supposedly, hereditary enemies on two different sides of a celestial cold war, they are actually unified by one purpose, one pivotal role to play in the Divine Plan: completely fucking humanity over.

That's how it's supposed to go. It is written.

...But, in Good Omens, they're not just the Serpent and the Sword.

They're Crowley and Aziraphale.

(author begins to go insane from emotion under the cut)

In Good Omens, humanity is handed it's salvation (pin!) scarcely half an hour after losing it. Instead of looming over God's empty garden, the sword protects a very sad, very scared and very pregnant girl. And no, not because a blameless martyr suffered and died for the privilege, either.

It was just that she'd had such a bad day. And there were vicious animals out there. And Aziraphale worried she would be cold.

...I need to impress upon you how much this is NOT just a matter of being careless with company property. With this one act of kindness, Aziraphale is undermining the whole entire POINT of the expulsion from Eden. God Herself confronts him about it, and he lies. To God.

And the Serpent--

(Crowley, that is, who wonders what's so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway; who thinks that maybe he did a GOOD thing when he tempted Eve with the apple; who objects that God is over-reacting to a first offense; who knows what it is to fall but not what it is to be comforted after the fact...)

--just goes ahead and falls in love with him about it.

As for Crowley --I barely need to explain him, right? People have been making the 'didn't the serpent actually do us a solid?' argument for centuries. But if I'm going to quote one of them, it may as well be the one Neil Gaiman wrote ficlet about:

"If the account given in Genesis is really true, ought we not, after all, to thank this serpent? He was the first schoolmaster, the first advocate of learning, the first enemy of ignorance, the first to whisper in human ears the sacred word liberty, the creator of ambition, the author of modesty, of inquiry, of doubt, of investigation, of progress and of civilization." --Robert G. Ingersoll

The first to ask questions.

Even beyond flattering literary interpretation, we know that Crowley is, so often, discreetly running damage control on the machinations of Heaven and Hell. When he can get away with it. Occasionally, when he can't (1827).

And Aziraphale loves him for it, too. Loves him back.

And so this romance plays out over millennia, where they fall in love with each other but also the world, because of each other and because of the world. But it begins in Eden. Where, instead of acting as the first Earthly example of Divine/Diabolical collusion and callousness--

(other examples --the flood; the bet with Satan; the back channels; the exchange of Holy Water and Hellfire; and on and on...)

--they refuse. Without even necessarily knowing they're doing it, they just refuse. Refuse to trivialize human life, and refuse to hate each other.

To write a story about the Serpent and the Sword falling in love is to write a story about transgression.

Not just in the sense that they are a demon and an angel, and it's ~forbidden. That's part of it, yeah, but the greater part of it is that they are THIS demon and angel, in particular. From The Real Bible's Book of Genesis, in the chapter where man falls.

It's the sort of thing you write and laugh. And then you look at it. And you think. And then you frown, and you sit up a little straighter. And you think.

And then you keep writing.

And what emerges hits you like a goddamn truck.

(...A lot of Pratchett reads that way. I believe Gaiman when he says Pratchett would have been happy with the romance, by the way. I really really do).

It's a story about transgression, about love as transgression. They break the rules by loving each other, by loving creation, and by rejecting the hatred and hypocrisy that would have triangulated them as a unified blow against humanity, before humanity had even really got started. And yeah, hell, it's a queer romance too, just to really drive the point home (oh, that!!! THAT!!!)

...I could spend a long time wildly gesturing at this and never be satisfied. Instead of watching me do that (I'll spare you), please look at this gif:

I love this shot so much.

Look at Eve and Crowley moving, at the same time in the same direction, towards their respective wielders of the flaming sword. Adam reaches out and takes her hand; Aziraphale reaches out and covers him with a wing.

You know what a shot like that establishes? Likeness. Commonality. Kinship.

"Our side" was never just Crowley and Aziraphale. Crowley says as much at the end of season 1 ("--all of us against all of them."). From the beginning, "our side" was Crowley, Aziraphale, and every single human being. Lately that's around 8 billion, but once upon a time it was just two other people. Another couple. The primeval mother and father.

But Adam and Eve die, eventually. Humanity grows without them. It's Crowley and Aziraphale who remain, and who protect it. Who...oversee it's upbringing.

Godfathers. Sort of.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #crowley #aziraphale #good omens meta #I have no idea if I've made a coherent point here but I'm tired of this being in my drafts; RAW FEELINGS IT IS #it's about being sent to destroy and instead staying to love and protect and nurture I'M CRAZY I'M CRAZY RAAAAAAAGGHHHH #gnu terry pratchett

[writingforatwistedworld]

oooo ok ok ok

so what bout a platonic deuce, epel, and lilia with a gn reader that kinda talks out loud to themselves when they play?

like they say how much they want to be this character's brother, or how they bet this character would be a good parental figure, etc. or even when another character says/does something they don't like they kinda just, voice their opinion on it?

just their reaction to reader talking out loud/voicing their thoughts lmao srry if this doesn't make sense

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, violence, description of violence, obsessive themes, religion, war (if you squint)

Deuce Spade/Epel Felmier/Lilia Vanrouge-Player voicing their thoughts whilst playing (PLATONIC!)

Deuce is a calm guy, they said. Deuce is a chill guy, they said

Well whoever they are haven't seen him when you are around, behind the screen or not

This guy is just happy that you confide in him enough that you voice your thoughts to him

Don't mention that you are just on venting-you-thoughts mode when you play… Like seriously, don't.

He is always more than happy to listen whenever you are talking.

Could be about how much you like his newest card design but could also be about what you want for dinner. Idk? I would recommend something light like banana muffins with blueberries. It's very tasty. Trust me.

If you could see through the coding he would be like “Oh really.” and “You don't say.” or “What? Really?”

What I am trying to say is that he is probably more engaged in this “conversation than most would be

If some poor NPC “interrupts” (aka not heating what he is hearing and starting to talk) he will show them how fragile the ordinary human nose is. In other words, fist meet face. Nose make crack. NPC is screaming.

But on another note, should you voice wishing to be a family member of his, say for example his sibling, he would be over the moon

He is in lalaland, imagining how he and his younger siblings would enjoy their free time together. Heck, probably taking care of some chicks

Oh, and what if you were his older sibling? Like, wow, you would be such a cool role model! You probably wouldn't be a thug like him so that makes you even… cooler (?) in his eyes

Dude over here is having such a great time imagining being your sibling he is low-key looking like he ascended

But then he starts to imagine the darker sides of life

Like how his younger sibling could be bullied in school whilst he is stuck on this island

Or even worse if you are the older one of you two, you might start dating!

I don't know if it is funny or sad that he is feeling a sensation of loss over a sibling he never had

Like bro, chill. Don't beat up that student that looks similar to the imaginary partner you just made up in your mind. They can't be held accountable for your min-OH NO DON… Didn't he want to stop with this?

Epel is literally frothing at his mouth when he hears your innermost thoughts

Now now, I know this is creepy (like wtf get yourself together man) but I promise he is totally normal (who am I kidding he looks like he has rabies) and is also a totally chill guy (is it obvious that I am lying?)

Religious indoctrination or whatnot

Imagine, you are already isolated in a village filled with religious zealots, always hearing how great that person (you) is

And then they spill everything on their mind to you

Give him a day or two and he will be back to normal… if we ignore that poor student in the corner

Like man, you noted one single time how much you liked this NPCs design and the next thing he knows he is seeing red

It's kinda like seeing your favorite family member favoring that one annoying cousin who is related to you over five corners

Has a notebook and writes everything he deems important down… which is a lot to be fair (but let the guy have his weird hobby, ok?)

But then you mention how you wish you were a family member of his and oh my god I think he is this close to breaking the fourth wall for real this time

This hits home to him

Remember how I told you about his village's eight lines higher than this one? Yeah.

There had been others his age but they were little to none and his village is in the middle of nowhere so…

But we also know how much he loves his grandma so it is a given that he would cherish you as well

Also, his god saying that they would want to be related to him. Ugh. He is honored so much that it is disgusting

But I could see this isolation and certain closeness you only get with a sibling also being not so good for you

What if you like the other villagers your age more than him? What if his girly appearance drives you away from him? (Bro u probably more dangerous with those looks than without them bc no one expects you to be able to throw hands but go on)

This leads to more and more self-doubts until he more or less bursts and just turns into someone no one wants to be around because of how aggressive he is

Thank god for the fourth wall or else you wouldn't see him like his old, not-so-destructive self anymore

Lilia is… something

His interest in you isn't purely romantic. It started out as something more like him holding onto something so he wouldn't go mad during “those days” *add fire noises and screaming in the background*

So it's more of a “I BETTER BELIEVE IN SOMETHING OR ELSE I MIGHT LOOSE MY MIND” than “Omg I am such a good follower te-he” situation

Little to no one has had access to the Overseer's thoughts and he is just randomly hearing them whilst thinking about what to make for dinner

Like Epel, he is pretty intense when it comes to you. Difference is that Epels “interest” in you stems from a place of… let's say religious views and Lilias from “those days” *fire noises and screaming in the background intensifies*

But unlike the guy who more or less shares his height and is a cotton candy version of himself concerning their hair he doesn't write down your thoughts

Oh no

This guy listens to it like he is hearing the world's greatest opera singer perform live in front of him

Thank goodness no one other than the other Diasomnia students mention your ramblings or else there would be heads flying

What? Can't a guy hope to have some special link to his deity? God, you all are so cold. Can't you even try to see his perspective? (I am joking please don't do what he does your reaction is totally valid)

But then you once mentioned how much you want to be part of his little family and whoops- there went his sanity

What if he had adopted you and Silver at the same time?

Wouldn't that be the cutest?

Sebek is almost screaming when he suddenly hears *ahem* LILIA-SAMA cooing at nothing out of nowhere

You two would be so cute growing up together and he would be the one honored to be this close to some kind of reincarnation of his God

But- but what if he was the only one knowing who you truly were? The other Faes (Malleus and Sebek being the exceptions) can't hear you so what if… what if you were also seen as some sort of weird outsider like Silver?

Don't get him wrong, the Faes have never shown hostility to his son but there was always that certain distance, Sebek and his family being one of the few accepting the young silver-haired knight as he was

Suddenly Lilia feels a certain kind of rage bubbling up to the surface like he hadn't felt in a long time

Silver… uh… you better hide that meatclea- *coughcough* I mean, legendary sword from your father

#yandere twisted wonderland #yandere twst #yandere twisted wonderland x reader #yandere twst x reader #self aware au #platonic #twst #yandere deuce x reader #yandere deuce spade #yandere deuce #deuce x reader #twst deuce #twisted wonderland deuce #yandere epel #yandere epel x reader #twst epel x reader #yandere epel felmier #epel x reader #twst epel #twisted wonderland epel #twst lilia x reader #yandere lilia x reader #yandere lilia vanrouge #lilia vanrouge x reader #yandere lilia #twst lilia #twisted wonderland lilia #tw: yandere #tw: violence #tw: obsessive behavior

[tifaisms]

RWBY and Trauma

So, i want to talk a little bit about RWBY. Specifically, with regards to its thematic storytelling. I think I made a post about this a few days ago but im gonna make a longer one here.

RWBY tackles a lot of themes in its storytelling. Death, grief, fear, trust, etc. to name a few.

One of the bigger themes is "keep moving forward", which was also Monty's motto. It is exemplified through the characters, both heroes and villains, and how they handle trauma and suffering.

The villains have pretty much all suffered. Salem, Cinder, Hazel, Mercury, Emerald, Roman, Neo, even Watts, all suffered. They experienced trauma, and hardship, and it shaped them.

The big difference between them and team RWBY is that they cannot move forward. Where team RWBY learn to grow and change. Salem couldn't accept loss, and grief, and instead turned those emotions to anger, same with Hazel, Adam, Neo, they all refused to move beyond their trauma. Yang put it pretty well in V8 - all this death and destruction because something bad happened to you once upon a time?

Trauma is inevitable. But the difference between the heroes and the villains is how their trauma impacts them going forward. And not just in a "the villains react negatively and the heroes don't" because Ruby reacted poorly, as did Blake, and Weiss in the early volumes. Qrow drinks to deal with it, and Ozpin let the betrayal he experienced define him.

The difference here is that the heroes try to grow and stop making their suffering everyone else's problem. You cannot use your trauma to justify lashing out at the world and other people. I think Kratos in God of War put it quite well - "Do not be sorry. Be better." You can't hurt people because you are traumatised, because all that does is traumatise everyone else. It isn't a justification for lashing out. Salem was traumatised, and she murdered so many people, and traumatised a bunch of other people, who will only continue that cycle.

It is worth noting that some of the antagonists do grow and change and become better. Ilia, Emerald, Hazel, and Neo are the big examples. They were all hurt by the world, and they turned to anger and violence. But Ilia is convinced by Blake that it isn't what she wants, and Blake is right. So Ilia turns away from that path. Hazel and Emerald both change and grow, and whilst Hazel gets the noble sacrifice, Emerald has to make amends for hurting people by being and doing better, and trying to make a positive impact on the world. And Neo had an entire arc culminating in her seeking revenge, and getting it, and realising that it was a hollow victory that left her with nothing but directionless grief and anger. When she had nothing to pursue, she was forced to confront the fact that she was just running from her actual feelings and lashing out. In the end, she chooses to go to the tree willingly, which is essentially willingly giving in to change and growth, because that's what the tree does.

The central conflict of the show is essentially that everyone has suffered, and experienced trauma. But it is the hero's ability and desire to grow beyond it and be better, so that they stop hurting the people around them, that sets them apart from the villains, who refuse to keep moving forward and instead just let their suffering infect everyone else, perpetuating an endless cycle of violence and conflict.

#rwby #very curious to rewatch v9 #its the one im most eager to rewatch #but im currently on v8 in my rewatch #its a good show #highly recommend #btw if you are arguing in bad faith on this post i will block you because if i wanted to see a clown #id go to a circus

[milling-around]

The Bad Batch Finale and Joel Aron’s cryptic tweet

Okay so Joel Aron, Director of Cinematography Lighting & VFX at Lucasfilm, tweeted this:

Initially, I thought that this was going to be the runtime of S3E15 The Cavalry Has Arrived. This episode being longer would make sense as it’s the finale of the show and it’s close in length to S1E1 Aftermath. However, I saw a screenshot floating around the other day that says the runtime of the final episode “spans 24 to 25 minutes”.

If this episode is the typical length then this timestamp must be referring to a different piece of media. The question is, what media? In an effort to determine what could happen in the finale, I went to that point in the films to see what I would find. None of them strike as much fear in me as what’s happening in A New Hope.

The Phantom Menace - Anakin has just won the pod race and they are celebrating his victory.

Attack of the Clones - Jango Fett and Boba Fett have just attacked Obi-Wan with seismic charges.

Revenge of the Sith - Anakin is looking out over Coruscant from the Jedi Council room. He has just revealed to Mace Windu that Palpatine is a Sith.

A New Hope - Before leaving to disable the tractor beam on the Death Star, Obi-Wan delivers a line which may foreshadow what’s to come in The Bad Batch.

Empire Strikes Back - Luke is trying to lift the ship out of the swamp on Dagobah.

Return of the Jedi - Luke, Han, and Chewbacca, along with the droids, are captured by the Ewoks.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Anakin and Ahsoka are heading towards Tatooine to deliver Jabba’s son back to him.

At 01:09:56:01 in A New Hope, or as close to it as I could get (Disney+ sucks) this is what we see:

Sorry it’s a photo of my computer, I don’t know how y’all take screenshots of Disney+.

“Your destiny lies along a different path from mine.”

Many people have been theorising that the show could end with the Batch and Omega surviving but being separated, either by choice or by circumstance. This line from A New Hope, as well as the fact that Omega’s voice actor, Michelle Ang, has described the ending as “bittersweet”, definitely make that a solid theory.

Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree though. There’s also speculation about whether Omega is force sensitive, so maybe Luke using the force in Empire Strikes Back is the real clue. Despite Ventress not believing Omega to have a high m-count, and her not being one of Hemlock’s designated m-count specimens, we have seen characters with a low m-count who were capable of wielding the force. Sabine Wren, for example.

Still, Omega being force sensitive doesn’t prevent the theory that she gets separated from the Batch from being true. It could actually be a reason for that separation because she may pursue training or decide that her proximity to the Batch endangers them.

But wait, there’s more!

At this timestamp in S1E1 Aftermath, Omega is on the Marauder with the Bad Batch (minus Crosshair) and they’re setting off on what will be her first big adventure. Omega’s Theme is playing and she’s gazing out at space with child-like wonder. While they’ve just parted ways with Crosshair, the overall feeling in this scene is hopeful.

If the tweet is referring to this episode, it could mean that we get a wholesome Bad Batch family moment. Whether Tech is there or not may rely on CX-2 being unmasked. Perhaps it’s bittersweet because Tech truly is dead or because he’s alive but they cannot save him from the Empire. Or maybe it’s bittersweet for a whole host of other reasons.

Honourable mention

@kiffobaby also looked into what is happening at this timestamp if you combine the runtimes (including credits) of all episodes in clone relevant story arcs and didn’t really find anything of note. If credits were removed then it would put at us a different point in the arc, however it’s unlikely that we’d be looking for a timestamp in an arcs combined duration anyway.

If you’ve read this far, I love you and don’t worry, we’re almost done.

Secret 16th episode?

Seasons 1 and 2 each had 16 episodes which leads me to speculate that this timestamp could actually be the runtime of the final episode, a secret 16th episode.

Is it likely? No. Can I dream? Yes.

#star wars #star wars the bad batch #star wars the clone wars #the bad batch #tbb #bad batch #sw tbb #tbb spoilers #the clone wars #the bad batch spoilers #star wars rebels #the bad batch speculation #star wars the phantom menace #star wars attack of the clones #star wars revenge of the sith #star wars a new hope #star wars empire strikes back #star wars return of the jedi #hunter tbb #hunter the bad batch #tech the bad batch #tech tbb #echo the bad batch #echo tbb #wrecker the bad batch #wrecker tbb #crosshair the bad batch #crosshair tbb #omega the bad batch #omega tbb

[last-flight-of-fancy]

hi hello i hope you don't mind but Special Interest Infodump Mode has been activated please keep hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times-

this explanation comes to us courtesy of Dark Road! You know, that cutesy little mobile game where literally the whole cast except the two protagonists dies. This is on brand bc the explanation has it's own fridge horror levels to it if i think too hard about it tbh.

So, worlds have hearts. We've known this since KH1, seen what happens to a world that loses its heart, and how they can be affected. It's rarely been expounded on beyond that however, aside vague allusions to the titular Kingdom Hearts being/harboring the Heart of All Worlds.

(which has. other implications now that i think about it but that's stepping into theorising territory. im sorry im trying really hard to stay on track honest)

fast forward to Dark Road, where we have a bunch of kids venturing out into the worlds for the first time, and as such have to have things explained to them (and thus the audience). NOW i will note here that KH looooooves unreliable narrators and characters imparting incorrect information without knowing it, so there is always the possibility that this could later turn out to be wrong, but currently I see no reason this would be the case and thus for now i feel safe in taking their words at face value unless otherwise contradicted.

Why are there no people? Because each world is alive, and after the Keyblade War sundering THE World into MANY Worlds, each needed to recover and restore what was lost; life, time, movement.

This bit here is important, bc as a result

All of this is the direct result of the Keyblade War of old. Even after so much time, the bits of worlds are *still* recovering, and I do think there's something to be said about how like... the repition between worlds and their apparent stagnation often *stops* after Sora visits them. I don't think it's because Sora's special(tm), but rather just because of who he is; the Dark Road kids are told never to interfere, and as a result the worlds they visit that Sora also visits later are exactly the same to Sora as they were 80+ years before.

But when Sora visits the same world only a short time after his first visit, things CHANGE. Hercules' story moves forward, Simba is having a crisis about being king, Jack Skellington has learned his lesson about Christmas and is on to new shenanigans. And that's only in kh2! in kh3 we see Twilight Town fill with people, barren Olympus expands into a full town (and there's more there too with BBS and how the Wayfinder Trio may have been Olympus' start towards restoring itself completely, and Sora's later arrival more speeding things along)

my point here is *connections*, which is a consistant and overarching theme of the series. Empty worlds are baby worlds, still healing and restoring from being broken away from the rest, and what helps along that healing? Being connected to others.

Which is to say that the keyblade weilder's doctrine of 'do not interfere' while most certainly well-intentioned (as Dark Road also points out, one persons darkness is anothers light, and morality is not a solid truth across worlds, so interfering is risky at best and dangerous at worst), the flip side to this is that without being connected, without that ''interferance'', the world's restoration stagnates and struggles. It will still get there eventually (the Tangled world seems to be doing alright for example), but chances are it might've been a little easier/faster if someone had done a little interfering.

tldr keyblade war broke the worlds and reset them all to zero. As the worlds heal time stops until it's People finally pop back into existance and their stories can resume. And that's how the invisible crowds in early kh games are canon.

#I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE INFODUMP MODE IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD AT BEING CLEAR #and also i kept slipping into speculation mode #im sorry i cant help it kh does this to me #its just so juicy #stop talking to yourself flight #kingdom hearts #meta

[cephalonheadquarters]

i love splatoon noises

the sound design in splatoon is one of my most favorite things about the game. i love that every single sound and song and everything else happens in the game, i love that it's diegetic sound.

the distant conversations of the city's inhabitants, each and every little shop theme for the mini shops in splatsville, the sound of the airplane overhead, the train, the cars, the construction, all of those sounds play a huge part in making splatoon feel real.

every sound in splatoon is so memorable and recognizable, from the classic octarian 5 note onward melody throughout the games to the horn announcing a boss salmonid arriving on shore. even the smallest sounds, like when you collect a power egg or collecting armor are noises that you're always to able tell what they're from and what they mean.

the absence of noise in some areas really adds onto the overall ambience as well. for example, before you beat octo expansion the deepsea metro central station theme would play. but after you defeat tartar and save inkopolis, it's dead silent in the central station, which i find both comforting and empty. comforting, because in a way, that theme was kind of ominous. as in, you could have never prepared yourself for what was coming. empty because, well, you're done. there's no more problems in octo expansion to solve. you did what you had to do and you made it to the surface, safe and sound. there's nothing left for you here.

i love the music for turf/ranked, the lobby, and salmon run. i love that there's actual songs being played on speakers as you battle, i love that the salmon run music is the salmonid's war music, i love that the exact same song plays for every single person online in the lobby and in battles.

i love that in big run, the salmonids really did kinda take over and play this extremely eerie music in the square/grizzco lobby, and chop up c-side's clickbait and put their own spin on it. i love that in recon mode, there's no music playing because there is no battle currently happening, you're just there to look around or train. and even then, there's still noises. there's birds tweeting or water splashing or lots of things like that.

i love the music and sound in octo valley and octo canyon and octo expansion and alterna and on each and every stage.

alterna is one of my favorites when it comes to the sector/site music and sound design, simply because of the contrast it has. all the sites sound so upbeat and hopeful while the closer you are to the rocket, the more unsettling and disturbing it becomes, playing a verrrrry familiar tune that was turned into something silly.

the entrance terminals in the alterna kettles, specifically the normal entrance song. that one is so so calming to hear with the birds singing and what sounds like water rushing and the almost melancholic sounding piano, it just fills me with an indescribable feeling of sadness and joy. because those beautiful sounds of nature would be the last ones the remaining humans would hear before being wiped out forever.

the eerie rocket announcements. the preparations before launching, followed with an error. they try to change the trajectory and fix the error, but it doesn't work. in the final announcement, another error. the last thing on earth the humans had audibly said that we could hear. "Control system has encountered a ████. ████████." and the rest is history. the announcements make me so sad :(

(here's where i got the words from for the announcements)

i love the side order's trailer music, how surreal and ethereal and otherworldly it sounds, with faint talking in the background, with the slightly unsettling notes. i love it so much.

kind of off topic but. i absolutely love that it's not some fantasy land, it's all on our very own earth. they live just like we do, and i think that's both really cool but also sad. Something something repeated the mistakes of the humans that lived before them all those thousands of years ago something whatever lol. "splatoon" was never supposed to exist.

there are so, so many more things i have to say about splatoon's sound, but if i were to keep going, this post would never end.

anyways. i love you diegetic sound i love you splatoon noises i love you splatoon sounds i love you splatoon music i love you splatoon character themes i love you splatoon jingles i love you splatoon dialogue

i love you, splatoon!

#someone has told me that this was poetic. Thank you #its late at night im feeling extremely emotional okay. #splatoon #YOU GUYSSS I LOVE SPLATOON SO MUCHHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH #AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #!!!!!!!!!! #AUAUUAUUAHJHBHGHHGHJNGDSHVJGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhh #:((((((((((( #JHHHJJHJJHJHHJHHHHHH #sorry i needed to yell

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

BY: GILEAD INI

Before looking at specific examples of disinformation by the “critics,” as the Times and NPR calls them, we should address a few broader points.

Despite evidence of rape, those defending Hamas from charges of sexual violence point to a lack of forensic evidence — the kind that might be revealed at the denouement of a television crime show. Indeed, Israel’s frontier with Gaza on and after Oct 7 was less untouched crime scene and more battlefield and disaster zone.

But this is neither exonerating nor unusual. “There is very much what’s known as the CSI effect, where there is a perception that without forensic evidence or DNA, then you don’t have a case,” an expert on sexual violence in conflict zones told NPR. “And that’s just patently not true.”

In this case, the full CSI treatment was impracticable. “As is common in war, collection of physical evidence was hindered by ongoing combat and a large, chaotic crime scene,” NPR reported.

With limited resources and such a large-scale attack, compromises were necessary, journalist Carrie Keller-Lynn explained. “Instead of going through CSI, which would make it possible to produce evidence of crimes, the bodies are being processed through the disaster victim identification (DVI) track, as is common for mass casualty events,” she reported. Or as the UN mission put it, there was a “prioritization of rescue operations and the recovery, identification, and burial of the deceased in accordance with religious practices, over the collection of forensic evidence.” (The mission noted additional factors, too, that hindered the collection of forensic examination. See paragraph 46 of its report.)

The deniers had also pointed to lack of testimony by victims — a puzzling defense in the context of this story, where survivors describe women raped then murdered; where recovery workers noted naked and bound corpses; and where released hostages say those still in captivity had said they were sexually assaulted. Which category of those victims, exactly, would the deniers expect to have heard from? (When a hostage did eventually speak out about being sexually assaulted, the self-appointed investigators were not particularly interested, or worse, dismissed her account.)

None of this means every testimony is beyond reproach. Just as the record of 9/11 was contaminated by multiple false accounts and fake survivors, likewise after 10/7 false accounts were reported by pretenders, and some unfounded atrocity charges were shared, believed, and repeated. The “critics” did not miss the opportunity to capitalize on these inaccurate accounts in order to push the idea, through innuendo or explicit denial, that every witness of rape and every first responder account of sexually abused bodies are fake.

The Critics

NPR’s story about “critics” of a New York Times piece on sexual violence repeatedly cites The Intercept.

Once of many acknowledgements by The Intercept that its claims come from the further fringes.

And across The Intercept’s incessant efforts to discredit those shining a light on Palestinian sexual violence, its reporters cite Mondoweiss, Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada, and Max Blumenthal of Grayzone.

It is an echo chamber of Hamas apologia — invariably, one story links to identical accusations by the others, which link back to similar pieces by the rest. The common theme, other then denial, is the extremism of its participants.

Consider, most relevantly, their response to the Oct 7 massacre:

A writer for the Intercept, at least, grants that the attack was “horrifying” — though this was in a post whose argument was that we shouldn’t view it as horrifying.

Others are less subtle. Denier Ali Abunimah, for example, was self-evidently delighted by the slaughter of civilians in Israel. He not only defended the attack, calling it “just”; not only insisted we shouldn’t feel bad about it (this just minutes after he posted video of elderly female hostage paraded and taunted on video); but also viciously attacked those — including critics of Israel — who would dare share any sympathy for the victims of the mass slaughter of Jews.

Mondoweiss summarized the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust with an announcement that “Gazans have broken out of their open air prison imposed by Israel and launched an elaborate surprise attack on their occupier,” while pooh-poohing the idea that Hamas had started a war. As the extent of the atrocities became apparent, Mondoweiss’s defenses of the assault grew more emphatic. On Oct. 8, its culture editor Muhammed El-Kurd insisted the attack was a cause for “celebration.” On Oct. 9, it published a piece insisting we “must shout our support for the resistance from our rooftops.”

Max Blumenthal minimized Hamas’s slaughter as ”guerrilla bands bursting out of a besieged ghetto with homemade weapons.” In response to a Twitter post noting that at its attack on a music festival Hamas “began shooting those in attendance,” Blumenthal mocked the victims and justified their slaughter.

The motivation for their leap to action at the first accusation of rape, then, is as simple as it seems: It is born of sympathy for Hamas.

#rape #rape deniers #hamas #gaza #mondoweiss #the intercept #npr #electronic intifada #max blumenthal

[starwars-art-events]

Star Wars Art Events: Original Characters Edition

Hello there!

This is an informal, for-fun art trade event, meant for people who enjoy drawing for others. It's a pressure-free and casual trade! No need to create a big masterpiece--just something others would happily enjoy.

The theme this time around is Original Characters! Your art should feature some original character (OC) for Star Wars. You may create your own OC, make art of one you've already created, or even make something for someone else's OC (with permission, of course)! Any sort of content--within limits--featuring the OC(s) will be welcomed. The OC can be one of many in the art, or the sole focus. As long as the OC is of notable importance, you can submit the art to the event!

Types of art welcome:

Drawings (digital or scanned traditional)

Short comics

Short animation

Photo edits

Video edits (music or otherwise)

Music creation

Moodboards/photo collages

Quotes-and-photo collages

Other (contact moderator ASAP)

Dates to post:

December 29th-December 31st

Information:

This is a broader event, rather than a trade. There is no signing up for it--if you want to join, you simply have to make art and post within the time frame (though late acceptions are okay this time, as no one is depending on others).

That being said, if enough people WANT a trade, either send a message/ask to here or the moderators. We can create smaller pockets of trading if desired.

You don't have to be "great" at any art to join! This is an informal event with no level restrictions. The important thing is that your art absolutely must have effort. For example, a moodboard should be cohesive, and it should contain enough photos that it could be worthy of giving as a gift. Make sure you are satisfied with what you are giving out (to your abilities levels, of course--don't expect the Star Wars Mona Lisa if you aren't to par with DaVinci's skills!).

Important note: All skin tones and disabilities must be accurately portrayed. No skin tone should be lighter than the actor/character's actual skin colour. Disabilities must be depicted correctly. If not, you will be dropped. The same goes for respecting canon cultures. Please refrain from depicting Children of the Watch or Tuskens without their garments, unless the scenario is explicitly of situations where the removal of clothing/armour/helms is acceptable. Please cover the heads of Twi'lek women, and that of Mirialans. These requests are not only personal wishes of the moderators, but also just basic decency. Do your research portraying someone different than you. Do not fall prey to harmful tropes. This hurts others.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE DM THE MODERATOR. You may do so here, or at @engagemythrusters or @darlin-djarin.

#star wars art trade 2023 #star wars art events #if I made a silly mistake on this post please let me know. my brain was in 7 places trying to make this so I don't know if I missed info

[mythserene]

AKOM “Fine Tuning,” Episode 6: A prolonged jealousy

Another really excellent episode that I will have to listen to at least two more times to fully ingest, despite having lots of diffuse, unconnected notes where I ranted about most of the same text. They really backed up and gave it context and meaning, including adding a lot of things that I didn’t have and making sense of some of the extras that I did. It was both satisfying and frustrating: more satisfying than I expected, and my frustration feels more coherent and focused now.

I definitely think it’s one of the most important episodes.

There is only one point I would add, and that is just that when you listen to the episode it’s important to realize that Paul’s “jealousy” is the most egregiously non-sourced. There are basically two quotes that Mark Lewisohn uses to support this entire theme. The theme which he so beats into the ground that even if you don’t look at the footnotes it feels excessive.

I’ve mentioned before that when I read “Tune In” I was still very, very new to Beatles’ history. A newborn without any of the historiographical context, no understanding of the long, strange, John-deifying background, and therefore I wasn’t on the lookout for it. And that’s important because I went into the book with implicit trust, loved the writing, and still it was evident to me, fairly quickly, that I was reading an opinion column.

It was the cigarettes that did it

Paul’s care with money was noted—Pete says that while they all passed their ciggies around, Paul would “sneak one of his own to himself”—and he was still needling everyone about the Bambi sleeping arrangements, made all the worse now because he was jealous of Pete getting the best girls.

The second time I read the book I remember thinking, “Surely not that many people spontaneously bitched about Paul being stingy with cigarettes.” And that was my tipoff.

There are two quotes in the book about Paul and cigarettes that appear to be organic—one being Pete’s “sneak one of his own” quote in this episode—but you’d think that half the people Lewisohn talked to about their memories of some of the most famous people ever, and certainly the most famous from Liverpool, just magically thought that one of the most important things about these four guys was that Paul was stingy with cigarettes. And there is just no way that that is true.

But I also know how this works, inside out. You get “an angle” as a reporter. You have a story you want to tell, and then you interview people with that story—that angle—in mind. You ask questions that you think will elicit the responses that back up your thesis. And then, on the other side of the process, you filter the quotes you choose (and don’t choose) that tell the story you want to tell. And to be fair, every reporter and historian does this to some extent. It may just be to organize ideas in a coherent way, or it may be to focus on a theme. But it has also notoriously been used by historians to warp the truth and further a broader historical lie. (A very good example of this and the one closest to me is “the Dunning School” of the US Civil War and Reconstruction, the first real and condensed story of that conflict that injected into US historiography many complete lies, including the especially insane one that after the Civil War the “Radical Republicans” inflicted pain and humiliation on the South, which despite being the exact opposite of the truth is still the story most Americans “know.”)

Mark Lewisohn had a story he wanted to tell, and I believe that story is most obvious in his “jealous Paul” theme because it’s based on nearly thin air and even then is so ludicrously overblown. But I think it was just too tempting a canvas for Lewisohn. Setting up a dead, pretty kid as a sort of saint that Paul persecuted does so much work for everything else he wants to say about Paul, especially in the upcoming books. Hamburg becomes a pressure cooker where Paul’s true colors come out, and if Lewisohn can use Stu—a sort of perfect near-blank slate who never had time to put any of his memories into context—as a foil to Paul and to paint Paul as petty and jealous and seething, then all the rest of his work is easy. Stu is a layup that paves the way to seeing Paul as a bad guy. The concrete dries and everything else falls into place.

And look, there just is no way to see this theme as organic, because it’s not. It just isn’t. It’s not based on quotes or stories. There are a few completely disconnected quotes stretched to breaking that he uses to try to prop all this nonsense up with, but there is simply no defense for even 90% of the primary usage of them, and certainly not of the whole, big-picture story he creates with them.

I’m going to give one example—and there are many—but I admit to liking this one best because it’s all there in one passage based on one quote that doesn’t say any of this.

Passage:

But, as much as Paul liked exhibiting versatility, he was unhappy—he felt he’d been lumbered, that his multi-instrumental ability was tying him down. Who looked at the drummer? By rights, his place was out front, especially with his new guitar. Here he was, paying off the Solid 7 at ten bob a week and hardly getting to play it. Jealousy of Stu was stoked: Paul was in the back line while he remained out front (even if he was hiding and in dark glasses). One thing was for certain: Paul wasn’t going to abandon singing.

The only citation for all that Maca-inhabited resentment is the brief Paul quote already in the text, (FN35) and the next footnote—FN36—is from George on a new topid. There is no citation whatsoever to support any of Lewisohn’s finely-sketched fantasies of Paul’s vanity and jealousy.

FOOTNOTE 35: “I was drumming with my hands, playing the hi-hat and bass drum with my feet and I had a broomstick stuck between my thighs on the end of which was a little microphone, and I’m singing ‘Tell me what’d I say …’ It wasn’t easy!”

*Note: This quote is also in the text right under the ‘lumbered Paul wanted to be out front’ passage, so in some ways it’s an even thinner spread, if that’s possible.

So, according to Lewisohn:

Paul liked “exhibiting versatility” (a whole lot because of the modifier “as much as”)

Paul was unhappy because he felt “lumbered”

He felt he was being punished because he was TOO TALENTED

BY RIGHTS his place was out FRONT

He wanted to be LOOKED AT!

Jealousy of Stu is grabbed from thin air, based on nothing, and “stoked” by Lewisohn.

because, again, Stu was out FRONT

Did you catch the point that Paul is CHEAP?

Again, all of that is cited to this:

“I was drumming with my hands, playing the hi-hat and bass drum with my feet and I had a broomstick stuck between my thighs on the end of which was a little microphone, and I’m singing ‘Tell me what’d I say …’ It wasn’t easy!”

There are at least two more things that I want to say but this is long enough so I will put them off. (Hopefully not for long.) ✌🏻

#the beatles #akom #beatles #fine tuning #tune in #paul mccartney #john lennon #lewisohn #jealous paul #cherry picking #mark lewisohn #Spotify

[divanthesimmer]

The Sims 4: Medieval Save

Hear ye! Hear ye! The Medieval Save is finally here!

This has been an ongoing project which many Simmers from all across the world were apart of and we turned nearly 19 worlds from the game into medieval kingdoms. I've always been a fan of medieval fantasy as well as The Sims Medieval and so this save was born.

A few things to take note of:

* Due to the previous placements of some lots in destination worlds, a bug caused them to became unplayable. It is now fixed (as well as a few other things) and I kindly ask you to re-download the save and delete all previous versions (uploaded before 13 March 2023).

* This is not meant to be a historically accurate save and not all worlds can be considered "medieval". For example Oasis Springs was turned into Ancient Egypt and StrangerVille was turned into a Native-American world and there are many fantasy creatures in the save. Also, The Sims is a very modern game and we had to work with what we have. I guess it would've been more accurate to name it Historical Fantasy Save or something along those lines, but the main theme has always been medieval.

* It requires nearly all the packs and is quite a big file. I didn't want to restrict people's creativity and we don't have many medieval looking items in the game. I recommend lowering your graphics if you have a lower end PC and note that you might have many bald, nude Sims and missing build objects if you're missing packs.

* It doesn't add any new gameplay, though it could change how you play the game. Almost all modern appliances are removed and most lots are off-the-grid. This is not a mod and thus I couldn't add things like swordfighting or things that would make the save more immersive. Luckily there are many mods out there that could help with that.

* Some Sims with royal titles have longer names and editing them in CAS will force you to shorten their name. If you wish to edit them, you can shorten their name in CAS and just re-add their titles with MCCC in live mode.

* NPC Sims/townies will continuously spawn with modern clothing by the game's design. You can either delete them as they spawn, give them medieval makeovers or edit them in CAS and replace them with medieval Sims from the Gallery. There are some tutorials on YouTube which could help with this, like this video by KatsCorner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPsxmGk92M4

Worlds included in this save:

Fairdells, previously Willow Creek:

A magical kingdom home to elves, gnomes, fairies and several magic-wielding races.  Ruled by the tyrannical King Taranath, the future of this once-peaceful kingdom looms in the air. Architecture includes elven palaces, treehouses, dwarf villages and more.

Egypt, previously Oasis Springs:

The ancient kingdom of Egypt ruled by Queen Cleopatra of the Ptolemaic dynasty. It includes pyramids, palaces, temples and more.

Wood Grove, previously Newcrest:

An extension of Fairdells home to dryads, elves, gnomes, ogres and other races. It's a more "foresty" area than Fairdells and includes swampy ogre homes, mushroom homes and lots more.

Windenburg:

A kingdom ruled by the royal Von Haunt family. After the King's death, his young son took his place on the throne, but has much to learn and is ruled by his mother, the Queen. Includes typical medieval architecture like castles, inns, peasant homes and more

Pirate's Cove, previously Brindleton Bay:

A hideaway for thieving pirates and cutthroat buccaneers. Includes pirate nests, ships, inns and more.

Mermaid Isles, previously Sulani:

This kingdom has always been home to both men and merfolk. Recently pirates have invaded and everyone is at war. Includes pirate ships, a mermaid castle, an inn and more.

Chihuahuan, previously StrangerVille:

A desert home to indigenous Native-American tribes. Includes an adobe village, tipis and the infamous Pit of Judgement!

Mt. Komorebi:

An ancient Japanese kingdom home to Japanese farmers and Samurai warriors. Includes onsens, Samurai training grounds, villages and more.

The Swamp of Terror, previously Evergreen Harbor:

A ruined region home to those shunned by society - beggars, thieves, ogres and more. Includes an orphanage, ruined buildings, ogre swamps and more.

Glimmerbrook:

A magical kingdom home to all spellcasters and is ruled by Lady Ravendancer Goth. Includes a castle, library, inn and more.

Britechester:

Built and ruled by the royal Landegraab family, this kingdom is home to scholars and those who wish to learn about history and dragons among other subjects. Includes a castle, student housing, libraries and more.

Selvadorada:

A lost kingdom which includes several inns, temple ruins and more. Many travelers go here to search for hidden treasures and discover ancient secrets.

Nordhalla, previously Granite Falls:

A Viking settlement home to Vikings as well as werebears. Includes Viking homes, a stave church, werebear hideouts and more.

Forgotten Hollow:

A kingdom home to creatures that dwell in the night. Ruled by Count Vladislaus Straud, it's a haven for all vampires, but vampire hunters have recently arrived and things are about to get messy. Includes vampire castles and temples, vampire hunters headquarters and more.

Henford-on-Bagley:

A rural kingdom home to many farmers and their animals. Ruled by House Llamaryen and a place where fairytales come to life. Includes a castle, farm homes, a village shoppe and more.

Guild Centre, previously Magnolia Promenade:

A small shopping centre which includes an inn, tavern, market and apothecary. Travelers from all kingdoms go here for their shopping needs.

King's Valley, previously Del Sol Valley:

Home to some of the most prominent Sims accross all kingdoms, such as the Emperor, his most trusted advisors and high ranking priests. Includes castles and a sept.

Tartosa:

A kingdom surrounded by the Mediterranean sea. Home to the legendary Princess Cordelia and the royal Thebe family. Includes castles, pirate ship, a peasant village and more.

Moonwood Mill:

A village home to lumberjacks, mooncasters and MOOcasters. Includes a lumber mill, peasant village, cowplant farm and mooncaster hideout.

Credits:

Thank you to josh_se_oh for the amazing cover render and KawaiiFoxita for the beautiful build screenshots. Also thank you to everyone for your support as well as everyone who contributed to the save! All builds and Sims created specifically for the save can be found under #divanmedievalsave on the Gallery.

Please tag me with screenshots and videos if you intend to play the save!

Download on Patreon (100% Free)

#s4cc #ts4 save file #divanthesimmer

[david-talks-sw]

What Lucas says & what Filoni says...

... on Luke confronting Vader in Return of the Jedi:

George says: Yoda and Ben tell Luke that he needs to confront Vader. They hope he can save him, but if it comes to it, he needs to be ready to kill him because Vader likely won't stop trying to end Luke's life.

Dave says: Obi-Wan and Yoda tell him to destroy Vader, they don't show interest in saving him.

In Dave's defense, he admits he didn't talk to George about it (and does so again in this interview) and is only basing this off of what the Original Trilogy shows... then again, just as we're never shown Ben and Yoda tell Luke to give Vader a compassionate speech, they're also never shown telling Luke to destroy Vader, so...

... on Anakin's fall to the Dark Side:

George Lucas says: It was entirely on Anakin. He loveth too much, too possessively. Anakin's inability to let go of his attachment for Padmé, of his greed, of his need for power are what made him go from being a good man to a bad one.

Dave says: Anakin's inability to let go caused his downfall... but is his way of loving really that wrong or bad? Maybe the reason he fell is because the Jedi were so dispassionate that they didn't give him the support he needed.

... on the Jedi's compassion:

George Lucas says: All Jedi are compassionate. Period. They all know the difference between loving possessively and loving selflessly, it's standard Jedi philosophy.

Also, in general, he barely ever makes a distinction between the Jedi seen in the Prequels and those in the Original Trilogy except when talking about lightsaber fights.

Dave Filoni says: The Prequel Jedi should be compassionate but they're not because they've lost their way, except for Qui-Gon who is the only one that knows you can love someone without getting possessive.

... on the Jedi's involvement in the Clone War:

Lucas says: By being drafted/forced/used to join the war by the Senate/Palpatine, the Jedi lose their way and become corrupted. But the thing is, it's a conundrum. Sometimes you need to stand up for what is right and fight.

Filoni says: By joining the war, the corrupt Jedi lose their way. Their involvement in the war resulted in nothing but violence.

Worth noting that, in a couple of other quotes, Dave also acknowledges Palpatine is in the background, orchestrating a lot of this stuff and he acknowledges that the Jedi aren't particularly happy with their role in the War... but he never says that Palpatine and the Senate drafted them. Which, ultimately, shifts the blame for their involvement. As such, the message goes from - the Jedi being "victims who were forced to choose between letting everybody die or compromising on their morals" to - them being "arrogant morons who joined the war thinking they'd win and brought about their own destruction".

... on the state of the Republic, in the Prequels:

George says: During the Prequels, the Republic is dying and Palpatine is killing it by orchestrating a war and taking over the Senate. People like Padmé and the Jedi have faith it can be saved, if they can just get everyone to stop fighting and listen. When Palpatine becomes Emperor, that's when it dies: with thunderous applause.

Dave says: Once again, doesn't disagree with the facts... but says the Republic is pretty much already dead, it has already fallen and the Jedi and Padmé just don't see it because Sidious is deceiving them.

Dooku and Maul have the right idea, apparently:

Just a few differences here and there I think we all noticed, y'know?

Like, overall, I feel like Filoni gets the plot. Hell, something I didn't post here (because there's just so many examples it'd double the length of this post) is how similar his commentary on how the Force works is to George's.

So he gets the story and the themes and the lore, he acknowledges the intent... but then has an altered takeaway, one that doesn't hold the Jedi in the Prequels in very high regard. It feels like he doesn't miss an opportunity to take a stab at 'em in favor of Qui-Gon or Ahsoka.

My guess is that there's gotta be some bias against the Prequel Jedi, who, for many, come across as "holier than thou" and unlikeable. And if that's the case, Filoni would not be the only one who has this bias. It's a very popular read of the Prequels, just take a look at comment threads on Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

For years after the OT, the Jedi were thought to be these wandering Knights of the Round Table who go on swashbuckling adventures like Luke, and were instead revealed to be diplomat space monks who sit in a circle.

Those who didn't like it could either add this to the list of reasons to hate the Prequels or try to see the Prequels through a prism that justified it the audience's new dislike for the Jedi and the midi-chlorians etc.

“[Jedi "measuring the Force" with midi-chlorians] is meant to be a plot point. The Jedi have their temple in a major metropolis, and care more about the inner political machinations than their own spiritual growth—they’re measuring things on science, and kidnapping children at the age of two to be Jedi—this dogmatic approach to spirituality is something Lucas wanted to highlight, because he’s saying the Jedi are flawed. This isn’t Good Guys versus Bad Guys—again, this is meant to be Vietnam in space, and we’re seeing the seeds of that highlighted here, to be explored later.” - Peter Holmstrom, cohost, The Rebel & the Rogue podcast

But the fact is, if you read everything George Lucas was saying... it's clear the Jedi weren't meant to be criticized by the Prequel's narrative. They - and Padmé and Bail and the concept of midi-chlorians - embody the themes George was trying to get across and Anakin and the Separatists embody the anti-theme.

Every principle that George believes in (being selfless, helping others, loving without getting attached, living on compassion, fighting for what is right, living in symbiosis with other living beings) is personified by the Jedi. If they were intentionally written as flawed and corrupt, it wouldn't make sense.

#note how I'm not saying Filoni's read is wrong so much as showing differences between what he says and what Lucas says... #a lot of people conflate Filoni and Lucas's interpretations of the Jedi and the Prequels as one and the same #and like... that's not necessarily accurate #Dave's one is much more popular for instance #and it makes sense to a larger audience than George's original message does #collection of quotes #George Lucas #Dave Filoni #Star Wars #Jedi Order #long post #Youtube

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

ima be real... i think wings of fire would have worked better as a series meant for teens or young adults.

i think more gore should have been involved (we got a delightful amount in early arc 1 and legends: darkstalker but c'mon, these are dragons who fight all the time!! where's the gore?) and arc 3 defiantly could have taken a different turn into different types of politics, i agree with the anon who said there could have been a revolution in arc 3, it would have been really interesting to see the silkwings stand up for themselves, and maybe there could have been a (civil?) war between the silkwings and hivewings. i might just be biased because i looove looking into politics and history and all of that but i honestly would have loved to see something like that.

and on the same note, i know this is a common complaint but i would love to see more world-building. i like headcanoning phyrria as based off different places on earth, ex skywings various areas in the usa, nightwings england, icewings russia... and as such, like designing the kingdom's architecture off of those irl places. also, people underestimate giving dragons clothing, i think it's really fun to do and nowadays i give a lot of my dragons (ocs or canon) clothing, or even just accessories that are a bit more human-like (ex, hats like beanies or baseball caps, gloves, backpacks/crossbody bags,) since i like making dragons more human-like on that front. i especially love giving icewings clothing, because it's probably very cold up there, even for them who can live in that temperature, so i like giving them clothing to warm them up. i think if this was a series meant for teen/ya audiences the world-building could be much more interesting and realistic, with poorer cities and communities, or towns devastated by corrupt mayors, which those themes might be too difficult to understand for a young kid (but also my little pony which is meant for young girls had an entire character's arc being to not be a communist so idk)

obviously nothing sexual would be in it (these are DRAGONS) but i like making headcanons where the stories are more realistic, i think a good example would be appalachia (more specifically the deep parts of it, ex kentucky and west virgina) being left by residents nowadways due to coal mines being forgotten in how important they are to the usa (though i'm not from appalachia so take my words with a grain of salt, but i think you understand what i'm trying to say,) and i think it would be interesting to see something like that in wings of fire, i dunno, i guess i like learning about geography and other people's communities. :/

.

#wings of fire confessions #wof confessions #wof #wings of fire

[aphroditelovesu]

⤷✿.｡Since you voted yes to commissions, so here we are. I was a little unsure about the price, so I researched and tried to make it as fair as possible. I hope you agree with this! ❤️

Also, this is completely optional! If you don't want to, you don't have to request a commission! All the other requests works the same way!! ⤷♡.+ n a v i g a t i o n.

What I would write

I write for any gender, both character and Reader/OC, be it female, male, neutral transsexual. Any.

Yandere!Character x Reader, Yandere!Reader x Yandere!Character, Yandere!OC x Reader and Yandere!OC X OC.

Dark!Au, Gore, Disorders, Smut/NSFW, explicit language, soft!yandere, alternative AU, Horror, Age gap (depends on how much).

Romantic, platonic and general Yanderes, as well as more specific themes; example: yandere x depressive!reader.

Stockholm syndrome.

Pregnancy, childbirth and death in childbirth.

Non-Con, Dub-Con, BDSM.

Fluff; non-yandere.

Monsterfucking, specific kinks.

Angst.

What I DON'T write

Any kind of NSFW content with children, anything with children will just be platonic.

I don't write NSFW with characters that have a childish appearance or personality, just platonic.

I don't usually write ships because I consider it something personal, but I can do it if someone wants to.

Age play, scap.

Minor x Adult (only platonic).

Prices (in $ and R$)

Headcanons

2,00 $/R$ 2,00 for 500 words;

6,00 $/R$ 6,00 for 1000 words;

12,00 $/R$ 12,00 for 2000 words;

NSFW content adds an additional charge of $3,00/R$3,00.

Imagines, Scenarios, Reactions, Oneshots, Prompts

3,00 $/R$ 4,00 for 500 words;

10,00 $/R$ 13,00 for 1000 words;

18,00 $/R$ 18,00 for 2000 words;

20,00 $/R$ 20,00 for 3000 words.

NSFW content adds an additional charge of $5,00/R$6,00.

My list of current fandoms, but I can always add more:

Anime

Attack on Titan, Amensia, Death Note, Demon Slayer, Diabolik Lovers, Fruits Basket, Haikyuu!!, Hakuoki, Hunter x Hunter, Jujutsu Kaisen, Kamigami no Asobi, Naruto, Mirai Nikki, One Piece, Blood of Zeus.

Books

Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire, Pegasus and The Flame of Olympus (series), IT., A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), The Bridgertons, Twilight, The Lord of the Rings, The Cruel Prince: The Folk of the Air, The Bridgertons, Twilight.

Games

Genshin Impact, Detroit Become Human, Mystic Messenger, Time Princess Dress Up (TP: characters), Yandere Simulator, My Candy Love (Amour Sucré), Arkyos Angel, A Plague Tale.

K-Pop

BTS, BLACKPINK, GOT7, EXO, BIGBANG, TWICE, AESPA, Stray Kids, ITZY, Hyuna and Dawn, Red Velvet, NCT, Monsta X, Taemin, Dreamcatcher, LE SSERAFIM, (G)I-DLE.

Series/TV Show

Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, Supernatural, Outer Banks, Friends, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Euphoria, Reign, Bridgerton, The Flash, Supergirl, Outlander, American Horror Story, Wednesday, Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Sandman, Lucifer, Winx Club, Ragnarok, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Invisible City (Cidade Invisível), Shadow and Bone, Adventure Time, The Witcher, Rebelde MX (RBD), Heartstopper.

Movies

Disney Universe, Marvel Universe, DC Universe, Maze Runner, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Transformers, How to Train Your Dragon, Miraculous, Ever After High, Monster High, Barbie Universe, Christmas Movies, Maze Runner, Avatar, Twilight, Star Wars.

K-Dramas

My Demon, Bussiness Proposal, Doom At Your Service, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Crash Landing on You, My Name, Mr Queen, King the Land.

Mythology

Greek, Egyptian, Norse Mythology and Brazilian Folklore.

Historical Characters

Alexander the Great, Cleopatra, Caesar Augustus, Julius Caesar and etc...

Additional Information

I accept payment via PayPal and Pic Pay only (PayPal = Ko-Fi)

Payment must be made before I start and I will always send you updates if you ask me.

I write in English and Portuguese.

I have a deadline of 5 to 10 days to complete your commission, however, if something unforeseen happens and it ends up being delayed, I will inform you.

If I write more than what was asked, obviously there will be no additions.

If you are interested, DM me with details and feel free to ask me anything.

#yandere #dark #yandere au #dark au #commissions #writing commissions

[vintagegeekculture]

50 Years of Kung Fu Movies

There’s an overlooked anniversary that hasn’t been widely reported much yet: as of March 2023, it’s been 50 years of Kung Fu movies in the United States. 

Bruce Lee was not the first big international Kung Fu movie star. Rather, the first English-dubbed breakout Chinese martial arts movie to become a hit in the greater US (apart from Hawaii) was “5 Fingers of Death” (also called “King Boxer”) in 1973 starring Lo Lieh, six months before Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” and posthumous fame, making Lo Lieh the first true international Kung Fu star. There were lines halfway around the block at Times Square to see “5 Fingers of Death,” thanks to a radio giveaway in the New York area, and to those who first saw the movie, they remember the very first scene when the 63 year old Kung Fu master started backflipping and kicking out of nowhere and everyone watching this started losing their minds. “Five Fingers of Death” was like “Star Wars” in that it was a movie people saw over and over, minds blown, never having seen a film like this before. 

Because Kung Fu movies were shown in less expensive grindhouse cinemas in urban areas, like seedy, pre-gentrification Times Square in New York, the audience for these films was disproportionately black, and to this day, the black community has a strong connection to 70s Kung Fu movies. Every middle aged black dad today loves this stuff. It isn’t just due to them being shown in inner city theaters, however, or on UHF stations where they were replayed cheaply on Saturdays. Rather, the success of Kung Fu movies in the black community is based on the themes of the movies. Most Kung Fu movies are about poor dishwashing working class underdogs in an unjust system, usually either Japanese Imperial Occupied China, or during the Manchu Dynasty, where China was ruled by despotic foreign conquerors. The heroes bow in humiliation at first, but who secretly take the power back through intensive personal training, blood and sweat and a montage, that lets them stand up to oppressors. As RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan explained: “when we saw these movies about opposing the Manchu Dynasty, it made us think we weren’t the only people in world history that ever went through this.”

When it comes to introducing the genre, “Five Fingers of Death” is a great “first movie,” a pure, emblematic example of what these movies look like. In the very first scene, in Japanese occupied China, an old Kung Fu Master who is our hero’s teacher is pursued by Japanese karate killers, enforcers of the occupation. His student, Lo Lieh, has to learn the iron palm technique in a brutal, bloody, visceral series of training montages to harden his palms to iron, which involve him excruciatingly breaking every finger in them. The themes of vengeance, pursuing justice under occupation, training montages that are as important as the action, and the theme of failing brutally over and over until it “clicks” and you have a miraculous “Eureka!” moment that every teacher recognizes and lives for. It helped it started with the Kung Fu right away....imagine seeing flips and flying kicks for the first time when you’re used to western bar brawls. 

It’s worth noting that, despite being a hugely important moment in pop culture, 5 Fingers of Death was not a hit in Hong Kong, and was not even in the top 10 highest grossing movies of the year. It reminds me of Voltron, which is absolutely unknown and completely obscure in Japan, when elsewhere, it is THE giant robot show. The fact 5 Fingers was a big hit in the US absolutely baffled the Shaw Brothers, who were convinced to part with the rights for their movies for cheap, leading to a flood of Kung Fu movies. Notably, Lo Lieh, though he was the first Kung Fu movie star and a reliable martial arts leading man, did not have much of a career after this in lead roles. His character skills were best served playing villains in Shaw Films, notably as the evil Kung Fu eunuch supervillain, Pai Mei, in “Executioners from Shaolin” and “Clan of the White Lotus.” Tarantino wanted Lo Lieh to reprise his role of Pai Mei in Kill Bill Part 2, only to discover that he died just before filming. 

#kung fu #lo lieh #70s

[ishcliff]

canto V speculation/spoilers, featuring discussion of moby dick and lots of guessing.

a note that with my predictions, i am just spitballing here.

still fascinated with the fact that queequeg is a former member of the middle. i would assume she was one of the more skilled members as well, even if only just to play off her original counterpart's position as nobility in his tribe. lest we forget his strong proficiency in harpooning. i wonder if we will have ishmael reference queequeg in being instrumental to her skills with a harpoon?

given ishmael mentioning in the blubbering toad's logs having someone long ago comfort her while crying over something, i have to wonder if this was queequeg, and if queequeg ended up being a mentor to her. the way the members of the middle are referred to as either "big brother" or "big sister" makes me think of a shield/protector sort of role being advertised by them, even if it ends up being a farce. perhaps queequeg had some disillusionment with the operations of the middle? a contrast between the middle's (probable) brutality and queequeg's (if we go by the source) kind-hearted nature?

i think often on source queequeg's sentiment that his exposure to the white christian world have become a taint in his soul, and that he feels unworthy of returning to his home. the world of the city being, for better and definitely for worse "aracial" makes much of the relevance and themes of moby dick a little tricky to translate, imo. for those who might not have read moby dick, my favorite thing to say about it is: "the whale is white for a reason."

schools in the united states often teach that the lesson about race to take away from moby dick are simply not to judge another person by the color of their skin, but that is a vast oversimplification. moby dick was released pre-civil war and asserted that the very concept of whiteness is an inherent evil. it condemned slavery, argued against the merits of the very-popular-at-the-time "scientific" school of phrenology. most importantly, it suggests that the glorification of whiteness as a designation of purity and the reason to guide the "lesser non-white races" is the source of all of christianity's evils. with this in mind, i'd like to bring up that sometimes people nowadays make a show of "wow, moby dick was a commercial failure, but now it's considered one of the greatest american books ever written. thank goodness we discovered it." what actually happened is that moby dick was critically panned in virtually all liberal (in the classical/socialist sense) media circles, but celebrated in socialist ones. you can probably guess why.

perhaps that gives context to my skepticism of how queequeg will be handled in a thematic sense. some people point to queequeg in moby dick as a progenitor of the harmful "noble savage" trope, and i don't think that's entirely without basis. but the difference between moby dick and many other media with "noble savages" is that queequeg was created as a philosophical counter to the very notion of white (and christian) supremacy, whereas the majority examples use this to show the virtues of white society. there is also the fact that queequeg and his fictional home were based on actual indigenous polynesians whom the author, herman melville, actually lived with for several years and maintained strong friendships with. i personally believe that matters.

so how will project moon translate that to queequeg? i don't really know. perhaps her home was a smaller syndicate in the backstreets. maybe she's even an outsider, especially given that ishmael has spent a lot of time exploring the outskirts. ishmael seems to be a blend of the character and a biographical account of herman melville's well-recorded life and philosophical quandaries. i am definitely curious and trying to be optimistic.

there's also the presence of tanya, who was obsessed with strength and survival of the fittest to the point of distortion. maybe she will end up being retroactively made a foil to queequeg? human!tanya in a flashback, maybe? i think she can be a very interesting point to develop PJM's take on queequeg, since queequeg abandoned the middle entirely.

so yeah. needless to say. i have been Pondering. there's a lot left to discover and understand, and i'm excited to see where they take it.

#limbus company speculation #canto v spoilers #lcb ishmael #lcb queequeg

[starwars-art-events]

Art Event 4: Different Genres

Hello there!

This is an informal, for-fun art event, meant for any person who enjoys making art. This time, it's a two-parter: both a trade, and just a casual event for those who just wish to create art for themselves. It's a pressure-free event! No need to create a big masterpiece--just something you or others would happily enjoy.

The theme this time around is "Different Genres." You can choose any character(s) from any media(s) and put them into a different universe entirely. Make a clone a mermaid! Toss Thrawn into a K-drama! Hondo Ohnaka could sail the seas in the Golden Era of Piracy! Anakin Skywalker could be a Warrior cat! Whatever genre you can dream up, they could be in.

Types of art welcome:

Drawings (digital or scanned traditional)

Short comics

Short animation

Photo edits

Video edits (music or otherwise)

Music creation

Moodboards/photo collages

Quotes-and-photo collages

Other (contact moderator ASAP)

Dates to adhere to:

Deadline to join the trade: February 10th (There is no sign-up or deadline for free-posting individuals)

Dates to post: March 30th-31st

Rules:

For the trade: Joining requires creating art. To recieve art, you must create art! Simple as that. Many types of art are allowed (see above), and all can be adapted to how you wish to conceive yours.

You don't have to be "great" at any art to join! This is an informal event with no level restrictions. The important thing is that your art absolutely must have effort. For example, a moodboard should be cohesive, and it should contain enough photos that it could be worthy of giving as a gift. Make sure you are satisfied with what you are giving out (to your abilities levels, of course--don't expect the Star Wars Mona Lisa if you aren't to par with DaVinci's skills!).

This is an anonymous event. You will know who they are creating art for, but you will not know who you are recieving from! Until posting dates, please keep your art to yourself (or a trusted non-participating friend). In the words of Gandalf the Grey: Keep it secret; keep it safe.

Art should be created for your giftee based on things/characters/ideas they enjoy. Do a bit of "pseudo-stalking" (not real stalking) of their tags. See what the person enjoys, both in terms of mediums and concepts. If they have clone trooper OC's, base something off those guys! If they are a big Ezra Bridger fan, see what types of AUs they enjoy! If the concept of the Force makes them go wild, include that in your art! If you are at a loss for ideas, send an anon message to the person to see what they are interested in OR contact the moderator.

Please sign up only ONCE. You will recieve art from only ONE artist. The artist may wish to give you more than one piece of art, but it will only be from THAT artist alone. If you wish to make more art for someone else, arrange that on your own time, please!

If you need to drop out, that is okay! Things happen. You are able to drop out at any time. Please contact the moderator ASAP if you need to drop. Please understand that the other artists are putting their own time and effort into their pieces. The artist gifting their time and effort to you is no longer obligated to do so anymore. If you drop out, they are completely allowed to drop, too.

Important note: All skin tones and disabilities must be accurately portrayed. No skin tone should be lighter than the actor/character's actual skin colour. Disabilities must be depicted correctly. If not, you will be dropped. The same goes for respecting canon cultures. Please refrain from depicting Children of the Watch or Tuskens without their garments, unless the scenario is explicitly of situations where the removal of clothing/armour/helms is acceptable. Please cover the heads of Twi'lek women, and that of Mirialans. These requests are not only personal wishes of the moderators, but also just basic decency. Do your research portraying someone different than you. Do not fall prey to harmful tropes. This hurts others..

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE DM THE MODERATOR. You may do so here, or at @engagemythrusters or @darlin-djarin.

Sign Up Form for Trade Here

Thanks, all!

#If I made a mistake on this post it's bc it was a bit rushed sorry xoxo #star wars art trade #star wars art events #star wars