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#and before someone recognizes which post I'm refering to and comes at me
starlightomatic · 2 days
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i want to ask that this post only be reblogged by jews, because this is an intracommunity conversation i want to have.
i recently made a post about october 7th, which i ended with acknowledging what's going on in gaza and a discussion of the bigger picture. a couple of people reblogged this with something like "in case the beginning made you want to scroll, read to the end."
my initial reaction here was being upset; the first half of the post would have been valid on its own, and it's fucked up to see a post about pain the OP is connected to and automatically assume it's propaganda.
so i added an addition about that, and here are some of the things i said:
if describing my multiple personal connections to a woman burned alive made you roll your eyes and want to ignore it, i urge you to sit with that response and strip it of the associations of other posts you've seen, and look at the bare truth: someone describing their personal connections to a woman burned alive made you want to roll your eyes and ignore it.
and:
and i'm not talking about folks with compassion fatigue who just didn't want to hear more about death and violence -- that is very understandable. it's for those ready to toss this in the "bad post" bin because they automatically assumed it was propaganda.
and:
a lot of you have been receiving significant amounts of propaganda for months that is training you to read anything that reference october 7th victims of death, rape, injury, or trauma, or reference hostages, as fake and a warning sign that someone is an Enemy. you are not immune to propaganda and you need to really reflect on how you evaluate information if this is where it's gotten to.
and
what brought you to the place where you're automatically suspicious, distrustful, and dismissive of people relating certain experiences? what messages have you received about who to listen to and who to dismiss, about what's true and what's probably lies?
and:
i know that in large part it's because october 7th is weaponized to silence palestinians and manufacture consent for genocide. what tools can you use to recognize when that is and isn't happening? can you seek out voices who don't do that, and are able to hold both truths?
and:
what would it look like to not either dismiss or weaponize?
writing this made me realize, we need to talk about something. we have needed to talk about it for a long time.
i have seen exactly this same dynamic occur when it comes to people discussing gaza.
i have seen folks in the jumblr community and in other jewish communities on and offline view any post or discussion about gaza as propaganda, as a way to dismiss october 7th. i have seen people view every claim about what is happening there through a lens of suspicion and distrust. i have seen people assuming ulterior motives, assuming that people could not have been genuinely motivated by care and concern but must have some other harmful purpose.
i've fallen into this too, unfortunately.
and i understand why this is happening. when you're dismissed, in mourning, and hurt, it's going to make you more reactive, and likely to assume worst intent.
so i want to use the things i asked in my post as a framework for recognizing when this is happening.
when is our instinct to ignore or scroll past posts about gaza and palestine? can we pause first before dismissing?
how often do we view something as propaganda and distrust it? what would it mean if it is propaganda; what would it mean if it's not? how useful is the term propaganda in the first place; can something have a political goal and still be true?
what messages have you received about palestinians and their goals that would lead you to dismiss the information they're sharing? if propaganda is a useful term, what propaganda has been aimed at you and played to your existing sympathies? what palestinian narratives have you been trained to dismiss, ignore, mistrust or suspect?
to what extent do you assume that discussion of gaza is intended to dismiss or deny october 7th, or is disingenous? can you recognize when that is or isn't happening? can you seek out voices who don't do that, and are able to hold both truths -- but actually both truths, not just lip service?
what would it look like not to dismiss gaza? what would it look like to speak up about gaza? what would it look like to be rooted in truths and our own experiences and values, and to speak up about gaza in that framework?
What would it look like to know and internalize that while someone like me might have eight confirmed second-degree connections to people killed on October 7th, a Palestinian in diaspora might have dozens, or more?
What would it look like to internalize that while I never got to visit Nahal Oz and a man once dropped me off at a bus stop on his way to Be'eri, a Palestinian in diaspora has many towns that were destroyed before they were even born.
Can we hold our own pain, and our own very valid anger at the ways we're mistrusted and dismissed, without slipping into mistrusting and dismissing the pain of others?
Can we reach out to our communities and ask them to take the crisis in Gaza seriously? Can we evaluate whether we and our communities are materially complicit in that crisis, and speak out against it if that is the case? Can we call in the people in our lives who dismiss or excuse this? Can we support the people of Gaza via donations? Can we reach out to our political leaders to put pressure on them to end this war?
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bobbiedebruyn · 1 month
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How to recognize stolen gifs
Reposting is a constant problem that all gifmakers deal with, both here and on other social media platforms. Whether you're new to Tumblr or just passing by, I'm going to provide an explanation on how to spot a repost and what to do with it. I'll cover both Tumblr and Twitter since, unfortunately, Twitter is the most common place for gifmakers to find their content.
Let me start by saying that most gifmakers have a unique style. We can recognize stolen gifs by their crop/dimension, sharpening, and coloring settings. After a couple of years, you're able to find the set of adjustment settings that you prefer the most. So even the most basic gifs (simple scene gifs) go through a lot before we post them on Tumblr.
If you're new here or don't know much about gifmaking you might be confused about what I meant by crop/dimension, sharpening, and coloring settings, so we're going to go through them one by one.
Crop/Dimension
On Tumblr, for your photosets to be displayed correctly, you need to follow the correct image dimensions. For example, if you post one gif, the width should be 540px (with a maximum height of up to 810px). If you post two gifs in a row, the width of both needs to be 268px (with a maximum height of 600px). And if you post three gifs in a row, two of them need to have a width of 177px, with an exemption for the middle one, which needs to be 178px (with a maximum height of 400px for all three).
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Since the maximum height is not specified, all gifmakers have different specific dimensions that they prefer, and therefore they can recognize them easily. For example, if I were to post one gif, I'd make it 540x360 or 540x380, and if I saw it being reposted, I'd recognize it.
Sharpening
Sharpening refers to the Smart Sharpen Filter. This is a filter all of us use to make our gifs look crisp and less blurry. Similarly to dimensions, everyone has unique settings for their Smart Sharpen. Some people use it once, while others use it twice. There are also different values people input into the settings of that filter, therefore they can recognize it. I'm going to provide some visual examples of a gif with and without any sharpening.
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As you can see, after applying the filter, the gif became more detailed and less blurry.
Coloring
Now, let's talk about what makes gifs special and unique. Coloring involves a set of adjustments applied to a gif to enhance brightness, and vibrancy, or to remove color tints and alter specific colors within the gif. Even the most basic gifs undergo this process. And as you might expect, everyone has their own coloring settings, ensuring that no two gifs are exactly alike.
One last visual example I'm going to provide is a comparison between a gif without sharpening and coloring and a gif with sharpening and coloring. This way, you can see the difference between what you witnessed on screen while watching a specific TV show and how someone edited that scene in a gif.
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Personally, I'm always trying to give a gif more contrast, vibrancy, and brightness. One specific thing I do, which makes it easy for me to recognize my gifs, is changing the leaves in the background from green to yellow. I often aim for this little detail if I know that plot-wise TV show takes place in autumn but the filming took place in summer. Similarly, other gif makers have their own unique additions to their sets that are easily recognizable to them.
Now that we've figured out what makes a gif special and how gif makers recognize them, let's move on to the section about how you can recognize stolen gifs and what you should do about it.
Twitter
This one is extremely easy. Twitter is not exactly known for gifmaking. Sure, some gif-oriented accounts make gifs, but they're not as common as Tumblr gifmakers. However, when it comes to them, there are some ways to tell if a gif was made by them. Watermarks: Twitter accounts often watermark their gifs (Tumblr folks do that too, but it's less common, I'd say). Dimensions: Twitter uses different dimensions for gifs. On Twitter, the width of a gif needs to start from 1080px, in comparison to Tumblr's 540px. When people repost from Tumblr and post on Twitter, the quality of a gif is extremely terrible because of the different dimensions. So, if you don't see a watermark, there is a clear sign of coloring, and the quality is extremely low and pixelated - the gif is most likely from Tumblr.
You can try finding the gif's source by using Google reverse image search. Usually, it'll lead you to the original creator.
Tumblr
Spotting a repost on Tumblr is a bit more complicated but of course, there are ways to do it.
Different dimensions: On Twitter, people usually repost one gif, while on Tumblr, people repost whole sets. It just so happens that sometimes they repost different gifs from different sets. So, if you see a gifset and the dimensions of the gifs in it are not the same, then it's probably stolen from different sets.
Different coloring: Again, if the coloring of the gifs is drastically different, then it means it's probably stolen from different sets.
No creator's tag: Gifmakers often track their own creations using hashtags such as #mine, #mywork, #mine, and #gif. While sometimes gifmakers may forget to include their tag, if you notice a blog posting multiple sets without them and it looks suspicious, it's likely a repost.
No tags: To give gifsets more visibility, gifmakers often use tags such as #onedirectionedit #wtfockedit #filmtvedit or different source blog tags. Reposters don't know about it and don't use it.
Weird captions: Reposters often use gifs as reaction pics. So, instead of captioning a set with something like "Steve Harrington in 3x03", they're more likely to caption it with something like "he looks so hot here!" or "he's so pretty!!" Look out for sets with such captions that look like comments. Keep in mind that they often don't format those captions either.
If you saw the gif before: As mentioned previously, no two gifs are exactly the same. The chances of two gifmakers having the exact same settings down to a pixel are close to zero. So if you think you've seen that exact gif before, it's definitely a repost.
What can you do?
If you've been in the specific fandom for a while, chances are you might have seen that gif before and you might figure out who made it easily. You can also browse through your fandom's overall creations tag to try to find the original post and gifmaker. To do so, search for #yourfandom + #edit. For example, I currently gif the TV show called Wtfock, its creation's tag is #wtfockedit. Got it? Cool! After you figure out who the gifmaker is, you can send them the reposter's post and ask if that's their set.
If you can't find the original gifmaker on your own, you can try messaging other gifmakers from that fandom and asking whether or not they know who made the gifset.
You can also contact the reposter on your own and kindly ask them not to repost the gifs. Explain the Tumblr etiquette to them, there's a chance they're new to the website and simply didn't know about it. There's a chance they might listen to you and take down the post. If they choose not to listen and block you, you can once again message or send asks to different gifmakers from that fandom to inform them of the reposter so that they can block them.
You can also encourage the reposter to make their own gifs, especially if their excuse for reposting is "I don't know how to make my own gifs." While it may seem challenging, it's not impossible. This website is full of tutorials, and many gifmakers are open to helping out and explaining things if you're new to gifmaking. I'll leave a link to a comprehensive guide 101, just in case.
That's it! I hope this post has helped you understand what makes gifs unique, how to distinguish reposts from original posts, and what to do when you encounter a repost. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave messages in my askbox.
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tossawary · 1 month
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As I post about rereading SVSSS for lore and characterization, and about sometimes ignoring canonical details for the sake of whatever story I want to tell / explore in fanfiction for fun, I want to make it clear that I don't make these changes because I think it makes a "better story" or that I can write a "better story". I don't even like using the term "fix-it" for my canon divergence AUs that avert some in-universe tragedy, even if it is the "correct" fandom term in some cases, because I don't think that SVSSS is a story that needs to be "fixed".
(Honestly, a lot of my minor alterations to canon's details are because I can't remember what exactly canon is and can't always be bothered to hunt for one sentence (which I may or may not remember existing at all) across multiple volumes, especially when I don't always think strict faithfulness to canon is that crucial to the main concept of what I'm doing. I wrote PINTWILF and several other fics before the official English translations were fully released, when checking minor details was an even greater pain in the ass. Sometimes, I'm cooking without the recipe in front of me because I just want to eat.)
Like, I have criticisms of SVSSS, definitely. When I first started writing SVSSS fic, I was more frank about this (fond but less fond of the characters and world than I am now), and I've talked about things I wished the story expanded on more. I think it has flaws. I know those flaws are a dealbreaker for many people. But it's not my story. I can't tell MXTX's story better, because I believe that every author's story belongs to them and only they know what they're trying to achieve, even when I may personally think that the story might have been stronger if it had done something differently or I'm ignoring some minor detail specifically because I don't really like it.
It's awkward, sometimes, occasionally being told by someone that they enjoyed my fic more than the original story. It's very flattering (I can't pretend I don't have an ego) and I don't think anyone means any harm by this, people enjoy stories or don't for many different reasons (enjoyment is not necessarily an indication of quality and I think engaging with fandom can often be more fun than just reading a story on its own by yourself), but it is a little awkward, especially when SVSSS is not an English / western story. I have an advantage appealing to western readers. Reading a translation of the original story, I know there are details of SVSSS going over my heard, references I'm missing, nuances I don't recognize, even as I endeavor to keep learning. I personally enjoy some of my fics more than SVSSS itself because I associate them with good experiences and a lot of them appeal to me personally in some way or another (all of my favorite tropes! we all have favorite tropes!), but they are built on the back of someone else's original work on the other side of the world, and I want to be respectful of that.
I don't want to compete or fix. I'm not trying to compete or fix, I think I would fuck it up if anyone seriously set that task on me, and I don't think that's a good way to view anything. I want to explore and appreciate. I'll type up a lengthy post at some point as to why I'm generally not interested in concrit on my fics (honestly, mostly it's because I'm not interested in being told that a reader hates the present tense and wishes I would rewrite the entire story, which has happened to me before), but I hope that doesn't come off as disinterest in the original story or its cultural context, or as me thinking even a little bit that any of my stories are flawless and/or better than the original.
I want to make a "why would you put two bad bitches (compliment) against each other like this?" joke here, but I also want to be clear: I think MXTX is by far the badder bitch (compliment) in this situation.
(Turning off reblogs, btw, because this post skews more on the personal side.)
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notfreetoday · 6 months
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Hi! I read your post about amae recently and I wondered something in regards to Segasaki and Yoh (MPW).
(Spoiler ep 8!)
Segasaki asks Yoh to wait at the door and greet him when he gets home from work. Though Yoh is confused he recognizes that it's something that would make Segasaki happy. He then takes the initiative to say the greetings in the kitchen, giving his anwer to the request. Is this Yoh recognizing Segasaki's amae?
Hello! Thank you for reading my post 😁 And yes it is! Specifically, asking Yoh to come to the door regardless of what he is doing, is the amae part (plus, the way Segasaki says it). Standard greetings like okaeri and tadaima (see Ep 3's post for more) are what make coming home feel like, well coming home. They're a very common part of everyday life - but Segasaki doesn't say "I'm back". Yoh has said "welcome back" before - but only after Segasaki comes to look for him.
Ep 8 is when Yoh finally recognizes Segasaki's amae - In fact, Yoh specifically uses the word "amae" when he does realize it, though I'm pretty sure it wasn't in the subtitles (I haven't fully watched the subtitled version of EP 8 yet).
Since it'll take me awhile to get to Ep 8, I'll just do this part first, because it looks like the subtitles make it a little harder to tell that he's amae-ing.
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S: その代わり S: 俺が帰ったら通話中だろうが何だろうが S: 玄関まで来い S: んで* おかえりっていえ Y: そんなこと** してほしかったの? S: 悪いかよ?*** Y: 別に悪くない S: Instead of that, S: When I come back, whether you're in the middle of a call or doing whatever else S: Come to the front door S: and then*, say "welcome back" Y: Is that something... you've wanted me to do?** S: (You mean) I can't (want that)?*** Y: No... there's nothing wrong (with that)...
*Segasaki uses a shortened, informal version of "and then" here, and together with his muttering, and his unwillingness to look at Yoh, he sounds like he really doesn't want to have to admit this (though, he still sticks to his rough speech 🤣).
**Yoh's phrasing here makes it sound like he's genuinely surprised that Segasaki wants this, because, like I said earlier, it really is something very simple that most people would take for granted.
***悪いかよ - Literally "Is it wrong?", with an ending particle that indicates this line is a challenge, except for the fact that he says it so tentatively.
Y: 本当よく分かんないやつ* Y: そんなことでうれしいの? Y: おかえり Y: お仕事 お疲れ様** Y: 玄関じゃないけど Y: Really... such a difficult to understand guy* Y: Would something like that... really make him happy? Y: Welcome back Y: You've worked hard at the office** Y: Well, it's not at the door though
*Yoh uses the informal word やつ (yatsu) to refer to Segasaki here, which he's never used before. Depending on the context, it can be considered rude, though is often used casually amongst male friends. In this context here, it's used to express affection mixed with mild exasperation.
**お疲れ様 (otsukaresama) - standard greeting; full version "otsukaresama desu/deshita". Literally means "you're tired/you've worked hard" and is an acknowledgement of the effort someone has put in for the day, more than it is some sort of praise or commendation. For eg, Yoh says this to his lousy editor in Ep 5 😅
That said, the way Yoh says it here is very sweet, adding the honorific prefix "O" to the word "shigoto (work/job)", and then tacking on the polite version of this phrase, "otsukaresama". Remember when I talked about the different definitions of sunao in the amae post as well? I mostly talked about Yoh not being able to be honest/straightforward with his own feelings, but the other definition of sunao describes an attitude/behaviour towards other people. That definition is usually translated along the lines of "cooperative/obedient/deferential" (note that these words sometimes carry a negative connotation in English, which is not so in this particular usage of the word in Japanese here). This is Yoh being the very picture of sunao here. It's adorable and sweet and it's no wonder Segasaki jumps right on him 😂
---
Thank you for your question! I'm really happy to know that amae is starting to be a little more understood, since it is quite a common phenomenon in many JBLs :))
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nothorses · 1 year
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anon from before, i understand better now! i think i just thought abt it too much and confused myself but your explanation helped. im still on the fence abt cultural christianity but i think thats bc it seems like everyone is talking about it in a different way? like one person says it means this, but another person says its that. i think you made some really good points against it, but i also think spacelazarwolf made some good points for it so im just still figuring it out i think.
Yeah, I fully agree people are talking directly past each other in the conversation, and that's exactly why I made this post to begin with.
And I'm gonna @spacelazarwolf here because I respect his point of view a lot, we've been mutuals for a while, and I hadn't seen him talk about it until I went searching his blog literally just now; I don't wanna be talking about this behind his back or anything.
So like- correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like what he's defending is, for the most part, use of the term in some specific contexts:
"You are viewing this issue through a culturally Christian lens"
"Because you come from cultural Christianity, you may have developed blind spots and internalized ideas that you need to pay special attention to finding and rectifying"
(I'm specifically referring to these two recent posts)
I actually really agree with these uses! Those posts also clarify further that this isn't something you are, it's something you've been influenced by, or something you're doing. That's exactly the thing I say in my original post that I am very much here for, because, like I've said: Christian hegemony is obviously real, people are influenced by it- some more than others-, and it's necessary to be able to talk about these things.
I feel like the majority of arguments I see recently boil down to like, "why do you think cultural Christianity doesn't exist?" which, y'know, I don't doubt some people are actually saying. But if a lot of people are only really arguing that we shouldn't use it as an individual label that others get to decide to apply to them, and the people on the Other Side of the argument are only really arguing that we should be able to use it to refer to the impact of Christian hegemony on culture and shared ideology, like...
Maybe it's time to recognize that we're kinda saying the same shit. If we can get behind "don't label individuals, but do acknowledge the cultural impact and behavior", we can probably just move forward knowing that none of us are trying to advocate for something shitty just because someone else on our "side" said it. And maybe have more productive & relevant conversations.
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xxtha-blog · 1 month
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I can't really understand Ace's psychology... In the comic he seems to me to be a funny dandy, a bit of a tease but not a bad guy, with a trauma that has led him to do stupid things for reasons who were moral. Given that the comic ended on a hopeful note thanks to Dream, we can only imagine that things will get better for him afterwards... Whereas in the Asks, the commentaries and all the information outside the comic, he comes across as much more cynical, tragic and negative... In fact, over and above what I'm sure is a lack of understanding of the comic, it's a difference in the aura of both that I feel that's confusing me... Perhaps you can enlighten me?
There's definitely a difference in how Ace acts outside of the comic vs how Ace acts inside the comics. A lot of it is the difference between Ace being essentially shackled by Joker vs afterwards.
He really doesn't break the fourth wall very much within the comic so you don't get much of his active disdain of us. It's a contained story-line, he can't interact with creators in real-time. Whereas, on a medium like tumblr or in an rp event, he's real-time talking with creators, and he loves to antagonize creators, hence, being pretty cynical.
His nature as a character is something that isn't resolved and 'things will get better' doesn't mean he's doesn't have like. Fifty different mental illnesses still. In fact, Ace in the comic recognizes this by not saying that things are better, but that they could be better, and in two parts of that, his goal is to 1. Enjoy himself. And 2. Get over what he lost, both of which he is doing in most of the post-AU stuff. When he references his tragedy he usually does so mockingly or ironically. When he talks to creators he's also doing the same. The ask blog isn't that great of an example for his post-Au character given it's intentionally a non-canon and actively antagonistic format, so he's just constantly not enjoying it. A better example would be RP events on discord, which most people never saw, or this really old one-shot I made when I was like 16, which you can read here (it's not the best written but still in character):
This is a pretty typical way he'd react. He's not really overly cynical or negative, mostly just chaotic and quick witted. If he thought you thought that about that, he would be offended, and then he'd act much more positive, just for you. He'd give people gifts and sing funny musical numbers, full orchestration. Do some dances, really bring the energy.
If people thought he was too upbeat and positive, he'd kill a rabbit with a playing card in front of them, electrocute someone, and threaten to burn their house down (whether serious or not is up to you).
His personality is always revolving around his weird way of speaking and general oddities, but he'll essentially do anything as long as an illusion is fuelling it because illusions allow him to do anything. Which includes acting in a very wide variety of ways.
The power of illusions just lets him make the world his playground.
He plays the hero, he plays the villain, he plays whatever role he thinks is something you haven't seen him play before, because he can do whatever he wants (except cliches, they'll kill him dead), and he's going to do whatever he wants, to keep you on your toes. If he's talking to creators he's almost always going to be sarcastic though, simply because he doesn't like them very much. He uses other characters as vectors for his silly hi-jinks, which he just fundamentally can't pull when talking to creators directly.
You can also find a more in depth overview of his personality here:
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vigilantecore · 5 months
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Tell us about your plural Bruce headcannons. How many of him are there? How well do they get along?
OKAY! so, this is split into three categories: basically canon, plausible, and entirely headcanon. I don't have the panels off hand for the first two because I'm on my phone BUT I can kinda cite where they are.
*this is all coming from someone who is a system and is my personal interpretation of canon.
This got really long so its going under a cut
Basically Canon
1) Bruce. We'll call him the "host." I tend to call him the "cowl down" alter. He's the more emotional and slightly softer one. He tends to be more reasonable and lenient. He's the one who lets Jason go, who talks Molly (from fear state) down, who is the father to the kids.
3) The Bat. This is one I'm less familiar with for my own headcanons but is basically canon. We see it in the current Detective Comics run by Ram V. It is a creature in the shape of a massive bat that seems to alternately taunt and support Batman.
2) Batman of Zur-En-Arrh. Deliberately created "backup personality." Made to do what batman "can't." Batman "without the conscience." Originally a silver age concept, brought back in the failsafe arc of Chip Zdarsky's run. Here is a really good post about him. @sophieinwonderland did a really great job breaking down the plurality of the failsafe arc.
Plausible
1) Brucie. There are several times where characters refer to brucie as a seperate person. There is a whole thing in Gotham Knights where Bruce "hypnotizes" himself into forgetting he's batman. And it's just the Brucie "persona." Which, to me, sounds a lot like Bruce put himself into a dissociative state and Brucie took over. The implication there would also be that there are hard amnesiac barriers between Bruce and Brucie.
2) Matches Malone. Not one I dabble with in my own headcanons but also falls into plausible for similar reasons to Brucie. Don't have any specific examples for this one.
3) Batman. I considered putting this in 'entirely headcanon' but I think I could make a strong argument for it. I refer to him as the "cowl up" alter. People are always talking about how different he is in and out of the suit. Bruce himself makes these comments pretty often.
Entirely Headcanon
1) Tommy. Yes, yes, I know Tommy elliot is an actual character but hear me out. There are a couple things here that I pulling from. One is the concept of factives (an alter forming based off a real person). Another is that sometimes the things Bruce remembers about his relationship with Tommy don't line up with what Elliot says. Alters presenting as childhood/imaginary friends is pretty common.
Timeline
In my mind it goes like this
Bruce sees his parents die and splits the Bat (a protector bordering on persecutor) and Tommy (exists to maintain Bruce's childhood identity. His "before" state.)
Bruce trains as a teen to become batman but he can't actually handle the stress of being batman so he splits an alter about it.
Batman is worried about his ability to preform both as a civilian and as a hero. So he splits brucie (civilian cover with hard amnesia barriers to keep everyone safe) and batman of zur-en-arrh (the one who does what batman can't).
Matches splits off when Batman goes too deep cover for a little too long and accidentally forms a personality about it.
Relationships With Each Other
Bruce and Batman are the only two who know most of the others exist. Bruce doesn't know about BoZEA though.
Bruce gets along with everyone pretty well though him and batman do have some tension over things like Jason. He mostly ignores the Bat. He's the most likely to seek out and comfort Tommy when needed.
Batman dislikes everyone except Bruce. He recognizes the utility of everyone, though.
BoZEA only knows about Bruce and Batman. Doesn't like either of them.
Brucie doesn't know about any of them. Same with Matches.
Tommy only knows about Bruce and the Bat. He's scared of the Bat and likes Bruce.
The Bat only seems to care about Bruce and Batman. Unclear if he knows about anyone else.
Conclusions/Misc
I have some other random thoughts, like his relationships with people outside the system, but this post is already really long and the Chip Zdarsky run means I need to re-evaluate some of them.
Anyway, in conclusion, plural batman real.
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miqomischief · 3 months
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A reminder
This is your reminder to pursue your interests, do what makes you joy, forget the haters, and have fun.
At the end of 2021, many bad things were happening.
Endwalker was looming (it came out December 7th). I was TERRIFIED they would kill off Aymeric. I don't know why, not like they pay him much attention (although I do like the EW quest with him).
My friend said something along the lines of: You should make a dress up alt of him, lots of people do that for Haurchefant...then you have one to look at if they kill him in canon.
I had wanted one since HW. I had wanted to ship with Aymeric since HW. I let other people talk me out of it before that. None of those 'so called friends' were still around and I now had a bunch of really supportive friends.
Still, I made him secretly and wasn't going to tell anyone. Aerulian Badeaux was his name because I wanted the same initials but I didn't want him recognized if he wasn't in the armor (which he wasn't LOL Artoirel is instantly recognized, Rulian isn't unless he's in the armor).
Six hours of painstaking playing with the character creator. I bought his armor/hair for myself for xmas, and he was my xmas gift that year.
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This was the first picture I ever took of him.
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And I proceeded to do Endwalker as Aymeric (which was great btw).
He was still a secret alt, only like 3 people knew maybe at that time? But I was having a lot of fun. Then, I knew my RP partner shares my Aymeric obsession so I offered to RP him with them...
I could NEVER have guessed what would happen over the next two years.
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The RP with my partner went amazing. We decided to ship Bram and Xynal with my Aymeric alt.
Aerulian became his 'identity' he assumed to sneak out of Ishgard, completely set up as a separate character with a similar backstory because I wanted to be able to separate him later if I had to.
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I was having lots of fun with him actually. TOO much fun. I wanted to roleplay him at Glitter Hall. So I gave it a try and he became Rulian at Glitter Hall. I wrote an entire novella's worth of RP/stories over the summer for Bram and Aymeric's ship (which later has been converted into Rulian and Bram's ship).
I wasn't really that quiet about it at the start of 2023. I was clear I only roleplayed him as Rulian NOT Aymeric in public but lots of people knew he was Aymeric in my private RP.
People encouraged me to share my writing...with the intent to make fun of how bad it was. They couldn't. I'm a professional author, I write decently after 30 years. My Aymeric was darker than most, and diverged a bit from canon but I know how to write at least.
So people started crossing the line. There was one Aymeric shipper in particular who started coming to Glitter and treating him like he was THEIR Aymeric, getting jealous if Rulian flirted with his husbands (who he WAS married to then), posting stuff on Tumblr referring to him, saying stuff like "I didn't know you acted like this when you got drunk, I'm going to remember that for when you come home later..." out loud in public glitter RP. Chewing me out for Rulian not giving them enough attention at Glitter, and me informing them that Rulian was married to Xynal and Bram and that's who he would be giving his attention to. It just kept spiraling from there.
So I decided to separate Rulian completely from Aymeric at that point. Rulian became his own character, taking the storyline I had been using for Aymeric but twisting it enough he was similar but different.
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I never could have guessed how dark this year would be, or the amazing storylines I would have with Rulian thanks to @kskellington and everyone else who fell in love with him and supports me writing him.
I let people talk me out of joy for years. YEARS. SINCE HEAVENSWARD. SIX YEARS I really wanted to do this and SIX YEARS I listened to haters that tore my idea down. Someone else tried to ruin it when I started, but I preserved and to be quite honest Bram and Rulian have gotten me through a year where I really wanted to just give up.
So thank you to you all that support them. I've even converted Rulian into an OC that fits into my published worlds (and isn't much like Aymeric except similar looks/personality/knight wise - lest anyone worry I'm ripping him off, I'm not I wrote a knight like him 20+ years before FFXIV even existed).
Pursue what brings you joy. You might need it later, or you might need it NOW, when the world grows dark around you...use that as your candle to sit by until the darkness passes. And don't let ANYONE put your candle out because they're jealous of your joy.
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corvidcrybaby · 3 months
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Hello, friend! I just stepped into Hellsing this past weekend and through my scrolling for blogs to follow, I came across yours. I found you through your posts about your OC. Based on what I've already read from you, you seem like a highly thoughtful, kind and knowledgeable person, and I've got every intention of reading your stories and commenting on them!
If it pleases you, I'd like to ask you some questions about Hellsing and your relationship to it.
1. What first drew you to the series? And is it best to follow the manga, anime, or OVA in terms of interpreting the story?
2. If it was up to you, what would you change about the story?
3. What's your take on the overall dynamic between Alucard, Integra and Seras?
4. I see the story takes quite a few artistic liberties with the lore from Dracula by Bram Stoker. Why do you suppose Alucard tried to turn Mina? Do you suppose it was for similar reasons as those for why he turned Seras?
5. I've been doing my share of research into vampire lore as of late and have come to learn that the lore Bram Stoker borrowed from for and added to through his novel contains antisemitic undertones. As a Jewish individual and a fan of the Hellsing series, how do you navigate this? (Disclaimer: I am not Jewish, which is why I did not recognize this myself until recently.)
Thanks so much for your time and attention. Happy Holidays!
First of all, oh my gosh thank you so much for the kind words! This ask made my whole day - I hope you enjoy my works, I feel like you can physically see my sense of writing develop over time but I put a shitload of heart and soul into them so I hope it shows. <3 As for your questions, I'm going to get into some major spoilers, so reader be warned beneath the Read More.
I think the general aesthetic was what drew me to the series at first. The dark, edgy and mysterious elements blended with pulpy action hero shit and campy horror form a really unique beast in terms of art, storytelling, everything. I saw someone refer to Hellsing's approach as "aesthetic maximalism" and tbh that is everything I love about it - all this, plus the surprisingly heartfelt messages about war, trauma and being human kept me coming back for more. As for which version is best to follow, I personally lean towards the manga as the main reference point, but Hirano was plenty involved (to my knowledge) with Ultimate's development since it's the adaptation that's faithful to the manga. The Gonzo 2001 anime has some fun ideas and cool moments but it's basically fanfic, including some major changes to the characters from their original versions (Integra is outright cruel at times in 2001 and way more dogmatic, Alucard is more brooding and mysterious, and Seras has more to do and feels more mature but her personality got flattened). Oh, that and BDSM as a narrative device. Love that shit.
I would make a couple of changes, personally. First and foremost, I would make it a little clearer why Alucard decided to shoot Seras before then turning her. It's never explained if he did this out of selfish desire to have a companion, or if there's some other reason - from our perspective it seems like he really did just murder Seras to make her his pet. It seems totally plausible for him to have shot the vampire holding her hostage without hurting Seras. Right now, it basically looks like a glorified abduction. However, this kind of clashes with how their dynamic develops over time, and that's clearly not the kind of relationship that's meant to be portrayed between them, as they do have a certain sort of genuine affection for one another, but it isn't delved into as much as I would like. I think making it clear one way or another would dispel the uncertainty. I would also expand on Millennium's origins and personal motivations more, and at least make the references to their crimes against Jews more overt. Beyond that, there is little I would change.
BDSM polycule. No. Literally. I don't even mean this to say that they are canonically a throuple - that misses the mark. BDSM is often sexual, but it does not need to be (plenty of dynamics exist where a dominant and submissive engage in a power exchange without ever touching one another for mutual benefit). The characters call those who direct their actions 'Master' for a reason, and it's because Hellsing is rife with themes of dominance versus submission, and how the act of bending to someone else's will is not necessarily a bad, damning thing that makes you weak. Alucard knows he is not a moral person, so he gladly allows Integra to give him orders on who to kill, who to destroy, and so on. Seras is a fearful person who has long struggled to feel a sense of agency in her life, and lacked authority figures to guide her growth. Alucard and Integra both provide her that push - and it's scary, and it hurts, and she puts up a fight all the while because she's frightened and uncertain of herself. Everyone likes to act as though Alucard hated her for this, but that seriously misses the mark. Especially in the manga, Alucard is surprisingly patient with her refusal to grow, telling her to take her time as she adapts to being a vampire. But at no point do either parties let Seras forget - growth is not optional. Eventually, she will have to accept what she is. And she ends up finding solace, belonging, and fulfillment in her service to others in this way.
I doubt it was for these reasons. Personally, I think Alucard’s affiliation with and interest in Mina Harker is often overstated by the fandom - of Dracula the novel, and of Hellsing. I view what he did to Mina as a cruel, strategic crime of opportunity, a means of striking at the heart of the team of vampire hunters that were pursuing him. That, and a means of keeping an eye on them. Nothing more, nothing less.
Aaahh that's a spicy meatball. So first and foremost I think it is important to note that a great deal of tropes in literature from the Eurosphere have some level of antisemitism baked into them. As one of the oldest forms of bigotry, it's just a fact of life. If you're Jewish and engaging with media whatsoever, you run into it. It just happens. Now, having said that, I would say two things. One, Alucard is far tamer in appearance than Dracula is in the novel. No small beady eyes, no retracted hairline of messy-fluffy hair, and while he does have an aquiline nose, it isn't this grotesque-looking oversized Zeppelin of a thing as most antisemitic caricatures would portray. That, and his negative personality traits are more than of a general brute, rather than this small-minded, vindictive, greedy miser. Having said that, he does still use seduction as a weapon, he does drink blood (blood libel), and so on. That in mind, I think where I fall is that you cannot divorce the vampire from its origins as an antisemitic trope, but you can point to the elements of the trope that aren't necessarily anti-Jewish in nature as well as say that Alucard is departed enough from these roots to be largely divorced from them. Largely, keyword.The other part to this is that antisemites in Hellsing are consistently portrayed as the villains. Indeed, it is perhaps the only usage of the Nazi Vampire trope that I think does it justice. By having the bigots that would normally insist that Jews are blood-drinking monsters be the actual monstrous enemies who kill and plunder just because it's fun for them (and that they did this as humans long before they turned to boot), it gives the impression of commentary on how Jews are often scapegoated for the crimes of actual bad actors, in the same way that Jews get blamed for the economy being bad instead of the rich corporate oil barons who sit in their ivory tower ruining shit for everyone else. That, and general commentary on warfare. Warmongers gorging themselves on the blood of innocent people that their conflicts spill is a classic allegory of the vampire - hell, for that matter, think of how many Confederate vampires there are in fiction. It isn't a coincidence (and come on, we've all seen the thumbnail for that one YouTube video essay on this, LOL). Beyond this, I also want to draw attention to two things: Tubalcain Alhambra's name, and the Captain's death. First off, the fact that Hirano named the Brazilian collaborator with the Nazis after the Alhambra Decree, a watershed moment in European antisemitism which expelled, forcibly converted or murdered all of Iberia's Jews (Sephardim), boggles my mind and to this day I think it's the coolest fucking detail about Hellsing. It links the bad guys both with religious persecution and with violent antisemitism in an unmistakable way. That, and his name, Tubalcain, being named after the son of Cain. It's all very pointed.
Second, the fact that the Captain gives Seras the tools needed to kill him and it's a silver tooth? That Pip specifies comes from a death camp victim and makes it crystal clear for narrative purposes that it represents the crimes of the Nazis coming back to bite them? That's powerful, to me, IMO. It, too, links Millennium with their antisemitic crimes against humanity in a way that you really cannot make excuses for. I've spoken about this with fellow Jewish Hellsing fans, mind you, and my take is more charitable than most. If you want to be specific with it, the widely agreed-on way to properly discuss Nazism is to show point blank that their victims were primarily Jews, first and foremost - and in that, Hellsing falls short, as there isn't a single Jewish character in the series, named or otherwise (which is a gap I wanted to fill through my fanfiction). Having said that, I personally think that as far as depictions of Nazis in anime goes, it's one of the better ones out there - but it isn't perfect, and the style Hellsing is written in (it's basically opera, after all, Bertolt Brecht forgive me) kind of made that a forgone conclusion. Make of that what you will.
Thanks for the questions!!!
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brunchable · 2 years
Text
Part III - Divine Magic || Doctor Strange x f!reader.
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Word count: 3.4K
Genre: Enemies to Lovers. Adventure. Action. Young Adult.
Warning: References to Multiverse of Madness. Mild profanity.
Brief Chapter Summary: You visit Kamar-Taj to learn more about your mysterious powers.
Strictly do not: claim, repost, copy, translate my stories anywhere else
A/N: GUYS 'All I ask' Has reached 1K notes oh my goodness! Thank you so much! I honestly only had intentions of posting that one story and then disappearing. I never expected it to have so much love, thank you so much! Because of this, I'm posting Dirty Laundry Part 2 and Chapter 3 of Dandelions to spoil you guys. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I love every single one of you, thank you so much for enjoying my stories <3
Dandelions - Part III: Divine Magic
•••
Christine’s wedding had to end early for safety reasons because of the havoc that Gargantos’ left in the city. While Eric waited for you to return, he paced around your vehicle and chewed his nails while he waited for you to show up. Even though he knew you possessed certain abilities, he was extremely concerned about your safety since he was aware that you had no clue how to even properly use them. 
It’s been almost three hours since, and he’s very tempted to call your father. You might get angry at him for it, but what other choice had he got when he couldn’t contact you?
In front of him, golden sparks began to form in a circular motion, Eric's eyes widened, and his brain began to malfunction as he frantically tried to come up with a place to hide. He bumped into your vehicle while his legs were teetering as he fled to the other side of your car. He could only think of the worst, especially after a monster attack. 
Eric’s head peeked behind the hood of your car. You stepped out of the portal, giving someone the finger, “(Y/N)? Is that you?” Eric’s voice sounded little, he couldn’t recognize you now that your hair colour had changed.
You spotted his head, his hazel almond eyes squinting at you, "Yes, it’s me.” 
Eric sprung to his feet and hurried over to give you a bear hug, which came crashing like a wave, “I’m so relieved that you’re safe. You had me so fucking worried, you were leaving me no choice but to call your Dad.” 
Even though you and he fought like cats and dogs sometimes, there was no denying that you treated each other like siblings you never had. Eric was adopted into your family after your aunt, Eric's mother, tragically gave into her sickness when he was young. He wasn’t always this protective, but after you were resurrected, and now being three years younger than him, Eric changed.
"I'm okay," You wrapped your arms around his torso and patted him on the back to comfort him, “Please tell me you actually didn't.” You drew back, displaying a worried expression on your face.
“No, but I was going to—hold up.” Eric paused and looked you over from head to toe, “First of all, your hair–?” 
“Shhh!” You shushed him before he continued further, “Let’s talk about this at home. You drive, you got the keys right?” 
"Um." He uttered, and Eric's brows began to twitch, he immediately started patting himself down and checking all of his pockets.
"Eric?" You stared at him with narrowed eyes as you observed him.
Eric's face lit up when he found the keys in the deepest crevice of his pocket, "Found it." 
•••
You sat in the passenger seat scrolling through the web for any news of a new super human, while Eric was bopping to 'Love's Train' covered by Bruno Mars while both of you were stuck in traffic.
"I need you to please believe, please believe~ I. LOVE. YOU. BABY~ (Y/N) hit it." Eric, who sounds exactly like the singer, belted over the stereo, his eyes shutting while he began to drive. Your eyes pan towards him while gawking, but you sing with him anyway.
"If you are that special lover and love keeps you tied to another, that's the way it goes on love's train~" You sang and snapped your fingers to the beat.
"Ye' don't need no, ye' don't need no ticket to ride~" Eric made his voice nasally, his shoulders vibing to the beat of the music.
You laughed at the way he goofily sang the part and continued scrolling down your feed. A new post by the Daily Bugle was posted four minutes ago and you read the title:
“New superhero? Or a new super menace? ” The article's title states, with a photo of you in the sky, a line of contrail leaving your feet and hands.
Eric glanced at you, then did a double take after seeing a ‘wtf’ look plastered on your face.
"Geez, you look ugly.” Eric chuckled.
“It could be worse... I could be you.” Your mouth blurted out almost instantly.
Eric’s mouth hung open, befuddled, chuckling at how quickly you responded, “I honestly don’t get how your brain comes up with a comeback that quickly— anyway, what did you see?”
“J. Jonah Jameson’s idiotic article, New superhero? Or a new super menace? Earlier today, New York City was attacked by a giant octopus, drawing the attention of Doctor Strange and another…. Can you guess it? It’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s actually an unknown superhuman— It goes on, blah, blah, just leave it to Doctor Strange, he knows what he’s doing,” You blew a raspberry, “He was knocked out for half of the fight, I bet that quack paid Jameson to say nice things about him.”
Eric smirked when you mentioned Doctor Strange, “He seems like a nice guy.” 
“Who Jameson? What are you drunk?” You looked at him judgingly.
“No! Doctor Strange.”
You guffawed and threw your head back, “I don’t think so.”
“Why not? He looks presentable, intelligent, cultured, not to mention smokingly handsome and way older than you—everything that ticks your boxes.” Eric reasoned with the intention of teasing you about how you literally flirted with the man by playing hard to get. 
You lifted your hands and counted your digits,“He’s also condescending, conceited, and arrogant. Everything that doesn’t tick my boxes– I would NEVER date a man like him.” You crossed your arms and slumped in your seat, "Not after he made me look stupid when he stood me up."
"Is that really the only reason though?" Eric raised his brows and glanced at you. 
"Psh–Yeah, what other reason would I have?" 
•••
When you finally got back to your apartment, the first thing you did was get into a steamy shower to wash the filth and old blood off of your skin. You wrapped a towel over your body and stood in front of the mirror, wiping the steam away while staring at your now, silvery white hair and wondering why it wasn't reverting back to its natural colour.
It wasn’t like this during the first and second times you tried using your powers, ‘Maybe I should just sleep on it later, at least it looks good.’ You think to yourself. 
You dressed yourself in an all black outfit, topped with a half turtleneck, long-sleeved crop top, and for your bottoms, you wore your high rise jeans and paired everything with a black blazer coat to make yourself look sophisticated. The outfit looked good with your new hair, you felt cool–no, you looked like a dangerous woman. 
You rushed to the kitchen, where Eric had already lined up the first aid kits, “How many cuts and abrasions do you have?” He asked as you jumped to sit on the counter.
“I got one here, here, and here.” You pointed at your eyebrows, nose, and hand, “I’m pretty sure there’s more, but it’s fine, just cover the ones that are visible.” You took some of the dressings and cut them into small pieces, as Eric dabbed an antiseptic over your abrasions, you hissed as it started to sting.
“Sorry— So what are you going to do about your hair?” He asked.
“I'll dye it if it doesn’t go back to normal tomorrow morning, I can’t go to work like this. I don’t want anyone to know, apart from you.” 
Eric nodded, "I know a good hair salon–"
"Who said anything about going to the hair salon?" You tilted your head, eyes squinting.
"You want me to help you dye it ourselves, don't you?" Eric sighed, carefully sticking the small band-aid above your eyebrow.
"Pleaaase." You bat your lashes at Eric while pulling a cute smile. 
He stared at you with a dead-pan expression, trying hard to resist your adorable face, "Tsk. Fine! But you owe me some Korean barbecue afterwards. "
You pulled a victorious smile, "Of course! Anything for my favourite cousin!" You patted his arm hard.
Eric’s dead-pan expression brightened in a snap and smiled sheepishly, "Really? I'm your favourite cousin?" 
"Yeah, after Mandy." You joked and slid off the counter to get going to meet the wizards of New York.
"Wha–You guys don't even get along well!" 
•••
You ubered your way to the Sanctum Sanctorum, using Wong’s very professional business card with the Sanctum’s address written in it. You wondered why he even has a business card when he’s not a businessman? You lifted your fist to knock on the door, only for it to open before you on its own, “Automatic doors huh? Talk about fancy.” You lazily entered the place with your hands inside your coat pockets, it was quiet, dark and full of cult-ish artefacts that either looked ancient or cursed. 
Little to your knowledge, Stephen quietly hovered down from upstairs, his cloak billowing through the air as he descended. He had a coffee mug in hand that he was trying not to spill.
“Psh, not part of a cult my ass.” You muttered to yourself as you approached an object with ninja-looking spikes hanging from it,“This place could use some light–”
“Don’t touch that.” Stephen's thunderous baritone voice warned you, but it was already too late. You were already touching it when he unexpectedly spoke behind you, it prompted you to scream out of fright, causing the metal spikes to collapse all over the table.
“Jesus–” You were overcome with panic and frantically struggled to stop the spikes from clanking down on the table simultaneously. You made an effort to put things back together, but it ended up breaking apart once again despite your efforts.
Stephen let out a muffled groan of annoyance, “If you could just leave it now.”
“What was that?!” Wong came running down the stairs and saw the mess, “Oh no, not again.” He had a tone of genuine dismay in his voice while he hurried towards the mess and made his own feeble attempts to clean things up.
“Again?” You asked dumbly.
“Yeah, first Thor, then one of our apprentices, and now you–” Stephen paused and turned to Wong, “I told you we should encase that in glass, I’m not spending twelve hours trying to put that thing back together.”
"Even with magic?" 
"Yes, even with magic, you can see how flimsy they are." Stephen now directed his annoyance towards the object, before scanning you from head to toe and clearing his throat,"Anyways, let’s get you to Kamar-Taj, the kid's waiting for us." 
"Hang on, hang on. Don't I need a travel visa to go to Nepal?" You asked seriously as the two men hopped into what looked like a library.
Wong and Stephen exchanged perplexed glances at each other, "We have never used a visa..."
"So you’re basically residing there as illegal aliens?" You questioned and displayed a sign of disapproval by crossing your arms.
"What—No! Just get in here, that is not important!" Using his hand, Stephen beckoned for you to hasten up and join them.
"Excuse me? I don’t want to go to jail, I am not going there without a visa. I'm a law abiding citizen–" 
"Alright, that's it." Stephen sucked air through his teeth and clicked his tongue in reaction to your defiance. After that, he opened a portal directly beneath your feet, which caused you to fall into the library of the Kamar-Taj.
"AHHH!" You landed face first on the wooden flooring with a loud thud as you fell from the ceiling, "Oof—You know, I'd say go to hell, but then again, I never want to see you." You gave him the evil eye.
Stephen scoffed, walking past you while you got up on your feet. He leaned his hips on the edge of the table while watching you get up and drinking out of his mug, "The feeling is mutual."
"Hi (Y/N)," America waved at you cheerfully, she was clearly delighted to see you again.
"Hi– sorry I don't think I got your name." You smiled at the girl, approaching her while you dusted yourself off.
"America Chavez!" Her eyes smiled. 
"Nice to meet you, America." You smiled back at her and took the seat beside her.
"I love your outfit, you look so cool in all black, especially with the white hair." She complimented you, staring at your hair that you did up in a ponytail.
"Yeah, if you're going to a funeral." Stephen muttered behind the rim of his mug before taking another drink.
Your smile disappears when you hear Stephen’s irritating voice, "Your funeral if you use that portal trick on me one more time."
Stephen huffed through his nose before a short chuckle,"What are you going to do? Blow me with your powers?" 
Your face scrunches up in disgust, "Ew no." 
Stephen furrowed his brows as he came to realise what you were thinking about,"That's not what I meant–"
"Well he actually just buried himself on top of some random apartment, so technically there was a funeral." America said innocently, causing your face to contort into a horrid expression. 
“Well that’s morbid…” 
Stephen nodded with brows both raised, “Wow, for once we agree on something.” He pulled a sarcastic smile and got up to make room for Wong.
Wong walks in carrying a layer of books stacked up on top of each other and drops them all at once on the table in a loud thump, disturbing the dust particles to fly into the air. You could tell that those books haven’t seen the light of day for a long, long time.
“Okay, this is all the books about Divine Elemental Magic. You might want to read some of them.” Wong presented the books with his hands, huffing lightly. 
You stared at the books in front of you, looking quite unsure whether you wanted to read them or not, “I have a question, how did you know that what I have is this ‘Divine elemental magic?’” 
“Come closer, my child.” With a wave of his hand, Wong motioned for you to get out of your seat and approach him. 
Wong merely raised his hand, and as it got closer to your face, you closed your eyes out of fear that whatever he was going to do to you would be painful. However, he only lightly tapped the region between your eyebrows where a symbol of Divine magic shone magnificently with a brilliant white light. 
You slowly opened your eyes, thinking, ‘That was it?’ 
"Give yourself a good look." When Wong saw the glowing symbol on your forehead, he motioned for you to look at yourself in one of the mirrors. He then said, "I can see that without needing to lay it bare."
Stephen and America watched, their attention drawn by the spectacle that was unfolding before them. Stephen was truly amazed that he had lived long enough to witness magic of any kind, let alone speak with someone who practised it.
“B-but why me? My family has never mentioned anything about the use of magic.” You furrowed your brows, “I don’t even know how to use it or if i’m brave enough to face the answers.” 
“Baby steps, (Y/N), you won’t find answers just like that.” Wong snapped his fingers, “But I can tell you the origins of where your powers came from, it’s actually my favourite one.”
“Oh can I stay to listen?” America raised her hand and Wong nodded.
"A long long time ago….”
The Mighty Cagliostro came face to face with a sorcerer of darkness that was reeking havoc by using the forbidden black magic to become more powerful— you see, power mixed with greed is like a disease that all sorcerers must overcome. 
This particular sorcerer referred to himself as "The Voudoun," and he was infatuated with power. He wanted people to worship him as a god and kneel down before him. His fixation caused him to transcend Cagliostro's strength, which left Cagliostro with no choice but to seek for a solution. Cagliostro had to make it his purpose to find the Book of Vishanti since there was darkness, pestilence, and death wherever he turned.
It was general knowledge that the only way to defeat black magic was if you had all the nine elements of magic: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Ice, Blood, Spirit, Light, and Darkness. 
There is an ancient creature that is said to possess all nine elements, which is called the nine-tailed fox; they say that it's so powerful that it could flatten mountains, create tsunamis, and drain the life force of whoever it chooses. Cagliostro was given this monster as the solution to his mission by the Book of Vishanti.
Cagliostro set out to find this creature in the northern part of Asia, in a mysterious bamboo forest that had a mind of its own. Despite the fact that this creature was born from light, it has a reputation for being impish due to the fact that it lived for centuries. 
It was already aware that he would be coming and was aware of his goals, but it intended to put him through a test to see whether or not he was worthy of it, giving him any of its time. The fox assumed the appearance of a beautiful woman and made an attempt to entice him with her charms. Cagliostro did not yield to its influence or give in to its seduction. Despite the fact that his old classmates teased him often for training how to resist temptation back then he always knew that one day, his life may rely on his ability to do so.
The fox couldn't believe that this meer human wouldn't bend to her charms and rejected her attractiveness, her ego was hurt, and she retaliated by calling The Mighty Cagliostro a cheater and they got into a dual, Cagliostro knew that the creature was more powerful than him so he never fought back. You can't beat a river into submission so they say. He just avoided her until she got bored of attacking him, which worked. Eventually the fox agreed and she joined Caliostro to defeat The Voudoun. One thing lead to another and yeah—
“Long story, short, The Fox defeated The Voudoun, and she locked him up in a pocket dimension, never to be seen again.” Wong finished telling his story, and you snickered from time to time as you felt Wong was getting lazy and uninterested in the ancient Sorcerer's love life that was somewhere in the story.
"So what happened with Cagliostro and the fox lady after that?" America asked, bringing up the subject Wong didn’t want to even elaborate on.
"The fox, well, she has never met anyone like Cagliostro, and during the course of her journey with him, she fell in love with the man. She was immortal and because she did not want to live a life without him when he got older, she decided to become a human. However, in order for her to do that, she needed to get rid of her powers, and as a result, they were blessed with nine children, each of whom represents each one of her powers.” Wong explained further to satisfy the child’s curiosity. 
“I think you may want to start digging up your family tree, (Y/N).” Wong added. You couldn’t answer him after all of the things he dumped on you.
“I don’t know where to start… ” You muttered, trying to remember if there was a time when anyone from your family mentioned anything about this.
“If you’re confused, you can start by asking questions and reading those books.” Wong advised and began wondering why, despite getting the first step to getting your answers, you look so confused.
•••
Wanda will never come to terms with the fact that she was indeed living in a nightmare. Every day, waking up in this anguish just increased her longing to discover a world where everything she had ever wanted existed, her sons. Every day, she woke up in this misery where they weren’t in her arms. They were the one thing that had any significance. She had nothing left to lose in this world, seeing as how everything she had was now already gone from her. 
She would not stop at anything in her pursuit of the things she believed she rightfully deserved. The Darkhold had shown her the truth, and now she wondered why she should continue to suffer in this world when there was another where she might be happy.
When Wanda's phone began to ring on the nightstand next to her, it distracted her from the things that were occupying her mind. She answered the phone in a monotone voice and said, "Hello? I see. I always knew that he’s a very intelligent man, I had no doubt that he would figure it out. I’ll be ready for him.” After hanging up the phone, Wanda turned her attention to the horizon as she waited for Strange to pay her a short visit.
•••
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Venomous teachings au
Dareth as Lloyd’s uncle though. Since he’s supposed to also be an exiled iron dragon clan member. The brain cells all went to Misako.
Uncle Dareth is the whole reason why I went with him also being part of Clan IronDragon!
Well, it started out as me needing a babysitter for Lloyd. Since he gets to actually have a childhood, he gets stuck on the sidelines a bit. So I needed a character who would be trusted by Lloyd's family, but who wasn't someone who might be crucial out in whatever conflict is going on, like Mystake would be.
Dareth was the first person to come to mind, but the way he befriended the Ninja in cannon wouldn't work in VT. Even if anyone wanted to start training Lloyd, the VT Ninja have been living in that penthouse from early S2 for awhile, and thanks to their brand deals they aren't going to be hurting for rent money any time soon. So needing Dareths dojo is out.
My next thought was to do something like with Ed and Edna, but unlike them Dareth lives in the city and would definitely recognize Garm and Nya as the infamous Lord Garmadon and his daughter (who the media have started calling 'Tempest' bc her name and the fact she's the Green Ninja's thought to be dead sister isn't well known), and wouldn't be inclined to help them.
Then I thought, what if he befriended Misako when Lloyd was a kid and ended up being a sort of uncle figure? But Misako was incredibly careful and pretty paranoid about keeping herself and Lloyd safe, especially in the first few years. Him being nice to her during one meeting wouldn't justify her trusting him at all.
Unless she had more than just the one meeting to know Dareth means no harm.
Which is when I got the IronDragon idea!
I've expanded on the IronDragon Technique and what the Clan can use, more on that in a later post I'm working on, but Dareth also has his own IronDragon tattoos!
They're different than Misako's, which I've also tweaked a bit, but they're still extensive and sapient. Dareths are small, not sapient, and are ones that give abilities or enhance some things he can do.
But anyway, Dareth ends up being a part of Lloyd's life when Lloyd's about 3 or 4, when he helps Misako escape from a mercenary Wu sent after her.
He leads the mercenary on a wild goose chase, pointing him up a fire escape instead of behind the dumpster where Misako was actually hiding with Lloyd, and then he offers Misako help.
She's wary of trusting an IronDragon, since she doesn't want her parents to get involved with any part of her or Lloyd's lives, but between the trembling toddler in her arms and the stab wound in her leg, she doesn't have many other options.
I haven't decided on how closely related Dareth and Misako are, or how well they knew each other before either left the Clan, but they do become close and refer to each other as cousins.
And Dareth quickly gains the title of Uncle from Lloyd.
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drysdalehansenswhore · 3 months
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Oh gosh, never in my life I thought i'd do something like that but unfortunately we're surrounded by immature and ignorant people in this world and some of them better seek therapy.
*big sigh* let's begin!
You Captdelusional and your minions are so damn ridiculous words can't even explain. The way I'm feeling second hand embarrassement. Can't believe you made a whole post "are you still a CE fan" and captioned it "that's what you got when you do PR instead of acting classes" that's so sad because you're a grown woman and act like a 10 years old and I'm being generous here.
Not to mention how you and your minions think tumblr is the only platform ever where he has fans 🤣🤣🤣 and the way you're so proud of yourself for obtaining only 220 replies as if it makes a whole fandom when it's not even half of it, but guess math is not your thing either. Careful, ignorance is showing 👀 and btw, somone who gets called "best part of the movie" by the gp and got preached by one of the best directors in the industry for his performances and people literally regret his departure from a franchise does not need "acting classes" (unless you're referring to someone else I won't name) I get that you're hurt but at least avoid saying bs for your sake. But since you act like a kid and put your fave on a pedestal , I'll do the same and reveal you that me and a good chunk of people prefer his acting over your fave which is always the same thing, kinda annoying yk? To get hooked on a character, we need truthfulness, spontaneity. Not repeating the script as it is. It just shows to me that "fans" like you can't recognize talent and it makes me laugh that you even dare to judge. Poor clown.
To each their own, ig? Anyway, sorry to break it to you and your other delusional minions but that A lister and I repeat A lister as you probably think actors come down of their position when they do sth that you don't like 😭 still has million of fans all over the platforms: X, tiktok, ig, reddit, tumblr, you name it but of course for y'all with a very low IQ only tumblr and IG exist. How ironic.
You know what else is so funny and ridiculous at the same time? before he ended up in this "pr" as you call it (which we don't know the reason and you act all almighty bec you think you have contacts in the industry but you don't even know that Hollywood force celebs to do worse things than PRs like parties with p*dophiles where your fave willing or unwilling participate in. or you think he's a saint 😇 lmao) you were all drooling over him like sl*ts. Immaturity showing big time. Clowns.
And btw, funny how you muted replies and reblogs so that no one could call you out, too bad I found a way... Finally, y'all need to stop infantalize grown up woman who can pay bills and make decisions for herselves like to have a family with grown up men who don't even care about your opinions. Wake up kids, it's 2024 and you still can't distinguish an adult woman from a kid. What now, looks? now bec someone is blessed with youthful looks can't get married bec she will always look like a "kid"? oh please, y'all need therapy and you need it asap! "child bride" you know there actual child brides (unfortunately) or your very low IQ can't get you think about it ? 🤔 stop calling "child brides" literally adults, that's disgusting and makes you a low person and a disgusting cr*ep.
GROW TF UP! At your age you should focus on work, family and your partner, if you even have one but I doubt it because with people like you no one would ever want to spend a dime on. Let alone be with you. And before you wonder, I'm no team this nor team that, I'm just patiently waiting for it to end but immature and delusional people like you showing up on my dashboard makes it all difficult.
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ultraericthered · 4 months
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When some fool interjects onto one of my posts (responding to someone else) about Disney's Wish discourse:
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Okay. Just for clarification. I am an English major and I am only a semester away from having an associates. Breaking down movies and books is a hobby and a past time. So here are my thoughts.
Oh, so immediately this "clarification" doesn't sound very humble.
Without a doubt whether or not you consider this to be good or bad is opinion. It's debatable. I personally fall on the side of not liking it. I see why people can like it and I'm not gonna dox people for liking it. It's definitely one of those movies where you could "theoretically" like and enjoy despite it's multitude of flaws.
Wow, this is a mature, civil, level-headed and reasonable tone to take, and for a rational statement! You almost never see that on social media! I'll give this good sir or miss props for that. Will it last?
The plot was overall basic and uninspired.
Unfortunately yes, it absolutely was. Not one of the film's stronger qualities, I'm afraid, and with such a solid, captivating premise too!
What I mean by this is this... The plot was a carbon copy of other ideas and thoughts previously done from their other works. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, for this movie it brings it down BECAUSE it relies too heavily on them.
✓Sweet dreamy eye protagonist who is so sweet that everybody loves her
✓ talking animal side kick who provides comedic relief
✓wishing on a star
✓ female leading crying on an inanimate object because something didn't go her way
✓evil villain
✓magic saving the day
Nice checklist. Again, nothing too disagreeable so far....
These are all not necessarily bad. In fact these are good ideas to have. We have seen them before. AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM
Oh no. Is this Doug Walker argument really rearing its ugly head? A work of art or entertainment is allowed to derive from earlier made works of art or entertainment as sources of inspiration and creative intake but are not permitted to straight up repeat ideas, scenarios, plot beats and character archetypes "we have all seen before" in other works, at least not without "adding anything new of its own"?
Call me crazy, but I think Disney was heavily considering not only children born in the late 2010s, but also the current 2020s-born generation when putting this picture together. A bunch of youngsters who might've not once seen anything like what's featured in this movie before in their early years, which would make this their first big exposure to Disney animated fairy tales just as the animated fairy tales of old were the first exposure to children of those films' eras. Because every time a type of story is retold and ideas are recycled into that story could be someone's first time. That is a fact of life.
I understand that uniquemess and originality are hard to come by nowadays. I'm a writer and original ideas are the hardest to find. What you have to do is take those old ideas and make them new. What Disney did was not make these old tired tropes their own, they rehashed them and expected us to go, "Oh! That's just like this movie!"
It makes the movie lose its own voice. This movie is too wrapped up in references and tropes they've used before to try and capture nostalgia, that wonder they used to have. What made those movies so special was the heart and care that went into them. This is Disney's 100 anniversary, but instead it feels like Disney's catch 100 references to when we were a better and a more creative studio.
This would be speaking to the side of the movie that was NOT geared towards the kids, however. The side of the movie that, because it's a celebratory centennial milestone event, caters to longtime hardcore Disney fans who will immediately get all the references, recognize the homages and callbacks, spot all the little Easter Eggs thrown all over the film. I've said before that I do not believe Disney should've put so much attention and effort into this side of the movie compared to the original story, especially when they made Once Upon A Studio to better serve the centennial celeberation purposes, and that they did so was a huge mistake, being easily the movie's biggest handicap.
Why is this bad? Well don't I have the answer for you!
Alrighty then, thanks again for the honesty!
They HAD a beautiful story!! The idea and premise for this movie is probably my favorite thing but the execution from a professional and eye is awful! You cannot look at this movie and tell me that it is the Mona Lisa when it is nothing but a carbon Copy of what once was.
No disagreement there. I pray this fellow's not seen the concept art and all the information floating around about what we might've had.
It was done in a manner that was so half hearted and so clearly a cash grab they practically insult themselves. The plot was predictable and falls flat.
I love how the second sentence reads like a non sequitur to the first. I've heard the "half-hearted, cynical and desperate cash grab" accusations and I don't quite think they're accurate. I think this was a production that began with a lot of heart and care put into what everyone was designing and realizing in order to make a worthy new original Disney fairy tale for the 100th year mark, but ended with micro-managing corporate stooges "doctoring" the scripting, the scoring, the pacing (via editing), and the overall presentation of the work to turn out something safe and crowd-pleasing that hits off as much Disney quota as possible. Again, for the 100th year mark. And so what we ended up with was what I've called a "beautiful mess."
The villain was interesting at first! He was giving me a similar two sidedness as Frollo and then the back track his character by throwing in an evil maguffin to make him evil because it is clear to anyone who knows basic plot structure that it was rushed and they didn't know what else to do to progress the story. WE COULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER FROLLO WITH HIM, BUT WE GOT A HALF HEARTED GASTON!
This is starting to ramble, but I'll try to make sense of it. For one thing, I do not think Magnifico was ever at any point of the film's development set to be like "another Frollo". His core influences clearly come from Queen Grimhilde, Maleficent, Gaston, and Jafar. And the evil maguffin was not "thrown in to make him evil" - the tome of forbidden dark magic was set up as a Chekov's Gun earlier in the picture because it was what would be A: what would make Magnifico such a formidable threat to everyone, and B: what would serve as the catalyst for Magnifico to break his bonds of well-meaning rationale and discard the mask of mental and moral soundness. The prompt for him to turn to it was very rushed, yes, and his backstory and motivations behind his possessiveness, paranoia, and iron-fisted tendencies needed to be better set up and conveyed prior to this turn. I will not dispute that. But Magnifico, both in his own character arc and in how his spiral into villainy progresses the story, is so much more than "half hearted Gaston", and it really ain't nothing to do with "knowing basic plot structure" or whatever pretentious rhetoric is being used as criticism here.
Speaking of Gaston: You mentioned that The king being shoehorned in as a villain was like saying Gaston was shoehorned. I have an explanation for this. The reason why...
Yeah? What's the reason why?
Now I hope I don't loose you here. This will get a little difficult...
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WHAT'S THE REASON WHY? GET ON WITH IT!
In order to PROPERLY set up a character, this goes for Asha too (more on her later), you have to set up their character and what they are about in the first 5-10 minutes they are on screen. In the movie what we are told is that the king is noble and loves his people. There was no shadow of a doubt if this. And then as the movie progresses, specifically at the 30 minute mark it is revealed that oh hoho he is a narcissist and is obsessed with himself. The way they did this was out of the blue and off putting. It came out of nowhere. There was no build up. It was a sweet song about the wishes and then BAM I'm a narcissist who cares about no one but myself. That 180 came so fast they did not even prep themselves for it. It felt like this was a last minute idea.
Well, King Magnifico was noble in regards to his ideology and his aspiration to see his kingdom continue to prosper while also being the one to safeguard the most precious wishes of the hearts of his subjects. And he loved his people...so long as they loved him, gave him constant appraisal and attention and undying devotion, and remained the good little dreamless drones he wanted them to be. Noble intentions can give way to indulgence in one's darker qualities and impulses if "the ends will justify the means" is subscribed to, and not all love is unconditional love. I have heard the complaints that Magnifico's unveiling plays out like a Twist Villain and that he was likely not intended to be really evil but they changed him last minute to pander to the "bring back traditional Disney Villains!" fan crowd. And I personally find it bollocks when the simpler answer is that King Magnifico is a corrupt, narcissistic manipulator with a God Complex whose benevolence is illusionary and whose wish-keeping system is an oppressive, dishonest, self-benefitting sham. Was the execution of the idea notably off in terms of the pace it moved at? Absolutely. This does not make Magnifico any lesser a villain, at least not to me.
Don't get me wrong, I love Asha.
This is a lie. There doesn't seem to be any "love" for anything in this movie coming from you.
She is sweet and funny, but she is poorly written.
Not only have I not argued that, I have actually stated as much!
We are not shown why she is sweet or why she is caring. We are told.
So we're just told that she's sweet rather than seeing her being so get shown, yet you like her for being sweet and funny? Which is it?
With her fatal flaw, caring too much, she is told this is her fatal flaw. The movie doesn't trust us enough for us to figure out her fatal flaw. And it doesn't even really show us that she cares too much to begin with.
Uh, yes it does. Her interactions with her mother and how far she's willing to go for her grandfather Sabino and how quickly she gets to being protective and cherishing of Star show us this. Like, if Sabino really is 100 years old and gave Magnifico his wish when he came of age years ago, that is years and years and years of life that Asha was not around to witness, as she hadn't been born yet. So you'd forgive her if she didn't invest all that much in getting Sabino's wish granted at last because she doesn't know her grandfather all that well as the gap between how long he's been alive and how long she's been alive is so huge, yet her heart cares so much about him and the idea of his wish being granted to him before he passes away that it becomes a fixation to her. She'd been spared lots of trouble and heartache had she cared less.
There are so many unexplained why's, to her it makes my head spin. Why does she care? Why does she want to be an Apprentice?
She wants to be an Apprentice so that she can be close to the king and the wishes he keeps, learn the inner workings of the system, and ensure that the king grants wishes to those she feels ought to have their hearts desires granted and their dreams realized. And this brings us to another flaw of hers that I wish the movie itself took time to notice and actually address as being such - well meaning or not, Asha was hoping that being in Magnifico's favor would get Magnifico to allow her to push for nepotism in regards to Sabino. It ended up backfiring and unveiling the king's darker nature, but it also unvelied something about Asha that the movie then sadly paid no mind to.
Why is she sweet? Why is she the way she is? Is it cause she is naturally that way like snow white? Was she raised to be that way? Or did she have a rough upbringing that made her this way? We don't know. That's the bottom line.
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This movie has so many analytical flaws that I physically do not have the time nor the words to accurately explain to you why this movie is technically bad. But I doubt you care to even consider my points and come up with a half baked response.
Aaaand there's the condescending attitude you were holding back! Aaah, color me so disappointed! The "I cannot accurately convey in words how technically bad this movie is" is a cop-out, but one I'll let slide as it gets you off my back. But that other part? I DID consider your points and have in fact agreed with a few of them, and even ones I disagreed with I can see why you'd think that way about those matters. Yet you pre-emptively say "half baked response?" Sheesh!
I bid you a due. I'm gonna go watch an actually good movie.
"An actually good movie". There's another tacky, needless potshot.
Also, you fool. You absolute buffoon. It's "adieu", not "a due!"
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iviarellereads · 6 months
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Exit Strategy, Chapter 1
(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one!)
In which we find a true scandal of entertainment serial proportions.
When I got back to HaveRatton Station, a bunch of humans tried to kill me. Considering how much I’d been thinking about killing a bunch of humans, it was only fair.
Ship is on approach to HaveRatton, Murderbot waiting impatiently to access the station's feed, when a navigation alert comes in. Ship is ordered to take a different slot than its usual. The new one is right next to the Port Authority docks, and the station's security response team. If anyone is waiting for Ship, MB can't be aboard when it docks. It can't redirect Ship to a different dock without looking suspicious and raider-like. So, it'll have to be the evac suit that thankfully MB didn't ditch after boarding.
An aside, to think about escaping Abene's shuttle, and the memories MB wishes it could delete. Unfortunately, they'd still be stuck in its organic parts, like the ghosts of its mass murder incident are.(1)
Murderbot hustles into the evac suit with its bag, and out the airlock opposite the docking hatch. As it leaves, it deletes the last traces of itself from Ship's memory. It just hopes that forensic sweeps don't work like they do in the entertainment feeds.(2)
It finds a cargo bot working on a passenger transport with a bot pilot, replacing a module of the ship. MB asks the cargo bot if it can go inside before it installs the new module, and it agrees.
(Humans never think to tell their bots things like, say, don’t respond to random individuals wandering the outside of the station. Bots are instructed to report and repel theft attempts, but no one ever tells them not to answer polite requests from other bots.)(3)
MB then trades with the passenger transport's bot pilot, for "passage" out to the dock, which it agrees to. On the way, MB stows the illicit evac suit, and borrows a security camera to look at itself. It's clean, but it had no way to repair the bullet holes in its jacket, which only just covers the data port on its neck. It overthinks whether it could be caught as a SecUnit, just a little, because both the upside and the downside of being a murderbot is paranoid attention to detail.
Deleting itself from the transport's log as well, MB hacks its way through station security as it disembarks inside, particularly since it still has one of Wilken's weapons on it, rebuilt to fit in its bag.
So now I was not only a rogue unit, I was a rogue unit carrying a weapon designed to shoot armored security. Which is just playing to the humans’ expectations, I guess.
Fooling weapon scanners is getting easier, as it gets more practice. It's not just learning how different security systems can be, but doing it more often has retrained its organic bits to handle more. It noticed it on Milu, when it was handling everything without a Hub or SecSystem to shunt the big processing work to.
Unfortunately, blending into crowds is not getting any easier for our pal, no matter how much it thinks it should be "over this by now".(4) It makes its way through the station toward where Ship had docked, and finds twenty three heavily armed humans in power suits, with forty seven security drones buzzing around them. It borrows a drone to zoom in on the logo of one of the suits. It doesn't recognize it, but files it away for future reference. For now, it's more worried that someone contracted with HaveRatton to bring such a heavily armed team in.
MB checks the drone it borrowed, and finds an hour of comm traffic in the recording buffer. After listening to some of it, the fuss is definitely about trying to find it.
It was useful to be recognized as a SecUnit on Milu, but it doesn't want that to happen again. That's the whole reason it allowed Art to modify it. Fortunately, on Ship it was able to use Art's template to let its hair grow even longer, as an added buffer of human camouflage. It hates the effect, it doesn't feel like itself, but it can't deny the utility of the change now.
MB slips into a shop at the edge of the station mall. Its lack of knowledge in how to use such a facility is no barrier, as the feed includes instructions on even the most basic of features. It gets a booth, and chooses some clothes that it thinks will be less expected of a SecUnit, but still practical for its purposes. In the end, it kind of likes the choices it made, if only because it made the choices for itself.
Back outside, it downloads fresh entertainment and transport schedules and starts searching the news feeds, as well as information on the logo from the security company, Palisade. All this, while it tries to figure out how best to get all the memory clips back to Mensah, both the ones with the digger dump feeds, and the one from Wilken and Gerth, with their records of working for GrayCris, laid out as if they might submit it to journalists or corporate rivals.
At any rate, it would be more secure to deliver the clips in person, but it's not sure it wants to encounter Mensah again, though it won't elaborate on the specifics of why.(5) It's thinking about how to find out if she's still on Port FreeCommerce or has returned to Preservation Alliance when it gets a news feed result.
The headline indicates GrayCris has accused Mensah of corporate espionage.
MB's gast is flabbered, and it struggles to read past the headline. When it does, it becomes no clearer. GrayCris has apparently made the charge, though it's unclear whether actual legal filings have been made, and everything is speculation because Mensah's gone missing.
MB wants to punch the nearest corporate logo,(6) but when it calms down for a moment, it scans back through the news feeds for anything more enlightening. It finds that most of the Preservation team had left Port FreeCommerce about thirty cycles before, and Mensah was supposed to follow with the rest, but didn't. The next thing it finds is buried in an article about something else, but GrayCris made a news release that Mensah went to TranRollinHyfa to deal with their litigation, but Port FreeCommerce couldn't confirm.
Where the fuck was TranRollinHyfa?
Another search says that TranRollinHyfa is a station where a lot of companies have their corporate headquarters. More news results just confirm that she's there. MB knows Mensah wouldn't go into hostile territory without protection voluntarily, and the company's involvement means it would insist on proceedings taking place entirely on Port FreeCommerce, its home turf. Which means, she must be there involuntarily.
Somebody had tricked, trapped, or forced her to go. But why? If GrayCris was going to do that, why wait so long, why give all the witnesses involved time to bring their suits and testify and give their evidence to journalists? What had happened that had panicked GrayCris so much that … Oh. Oh, shit.(7)
=====
(1) I wonder if the ghost-memory effect will ever come back to significance in the plot again, or if this is just the "last time, on the Murderbot Diaries" recap in play. (2) A joke on how people expect crime and investigations to have the same level of detail as shows like CSI demonstrate, when the reality is much less impressive. (3) Which is a fun contrast from how humans treat their children in exactly the opposite way. All don't talk to strangers for the other humans, very little in the way of protecting the replaceables. (4) Sorry, Murderbot, but anxiety doesn't generally improve unless the root causes are addressed, and "being afraid of being caught out as a rogue SecUnit" is a legitimate thing to fear when you are, in fact, a rogue SecUnit. (5) Embarrassment for its actions and its inability to contemplate fitting into Preservation's culture, is my guess, with a side of fear of reprisal, since Mensah is its legal guardian. (6) Mood. (7) Yeah, uh, sorry to inform you, but you happened, Murderbot.
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deivorous · 9 months
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Hollow Society
Something's been tickling at my brain recently. The below is by no means a comprehensive review, and I don't particularly have any coherent thoughts, so anyone, please feel free to add your own.
Hueco Mundo isn't culture-less like the vast expanse of fandom portrays.
There are, in fact, at least three key pieces of evidence that support this.
Forms of government precede Aizen's involvement in Hueco Mundo.
There are multiple instances where hollows have been shown to exist in community structures, and at least one that involves an actual neighborhood.
Hueco Mundo contains ruins.
Government in Hueco Mundo
The first point is one that I believe we're all cognizant of. Specifically, Barragan was regarded as a 'King'. Whether he is actually perceived as one by the population of Hueco Mundo is debatable. However, he's exceptionally old, and has likely held his position for many many millennial. He also is describing the rather small gathering of hollows (they are all presumed to be adjuchas) as an 'army'. I wonder for what purpose he formed an army to begin with, and have determined that the most likely reason as consistent with his character is to create a sense of authority for himself.
Just a few quick observations to point out to you:
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He's in possession of a OLD metal bell - it is in poor repair, but I warrant it is an item of great value because despite it's disrepair it's still afforded a prize location above the God-King's throne.
He's one of only a handful of hollows depicted wearing clothing (prior to Aizen). It's a tattered fur-collared cloak. The other item if clothing belonging to his servant woman and is just a plain tunic.
On the clothing note, the crown may or may not be part of his mask but an individual item as seen in the fact that its different after he becomes an arrancar.
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She is in possession of a carafe. It could be water or something else - again the implication is that this is an item of luxury.
The scene we meet him in is 'Las Noches', and Tousen mocks him for the sorry state of it.
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My main point with this is less the existence of Barragan's kangaroo court, and more the evidence of relics indicating a period before the existence of his reign (the bell, the crown. the carafe).
Secondly, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong (as I haven't actually read the novels myself) but I believe the espada pre-date Aizen as well. Many of the arrancar who have the titles of Privaron are naturally occurring arrancar, which afford them power beyond Barragan and his army of adjuchas. Their attempt to create an element of stability in Hueco Mundo (though ultimately a failure) is telling.
Hollow Communities
Barrangan's army, while small, indicates something other than his feeble attempt at control which is: Hollows naturally do come together in social settings. We see this as well with Grimmjow and his pack (and he's certainly not the only hollow in a pack). And a third time, glossed completely over, in Nnoitra's flashback - which is the most interesting of the three.
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Neliel specifically refers to the location as a 'colony'.
The image depicts what looks like dwellings of some sort carved into the rock formations behind them. Hundreds of non-nomadic hollows were all living together in a community in some relative form of harmony, and their postal code (so to speak) is recognized by Nel, Nnoitra, and Aizen who charged them with exploring the colony and recruiting any Vasto Lordes present.
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Nnoitra points out that there isn't one present, which indicates that all of these hollows came together despite their cannibalistic requirements, without the oversight of a stronger power forcing them to conform to a set of pro-social behaviors.
very interesting.
Finally,
The Negal Ruins
I've already touched on the bell.
Now I'd like to touch on the elephant in the room, which actually inspired this post to begin with. I don't know if anyone else has explicitly written on the topic - but this has to be one of the most fascinating things Kubo never touched.
Hueco Mundo is included in the Soul Societies genesis story - it was created, allegedly, by the Shiba family to house the hollows and prevent consumption of normal human souls. The sand is supposedly made of all the dusted bones of what must be billions of hollows when the Soul King, in a fit of rage and disgust, destroyed them all upon their banishment. While this did not prevent the creation of new hollows, it does contribute to the god-like lore of the Soul King. THe key take away is that Hueco Mundo is an artificial land - and hollows are not native to it, but rather were herded into it as a way to separate them from the humans and spirits (and forced them towards their cannibalistic diet, rather than preying on plus souls).
Despite this, the story never discusses the Negal Ruins.
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My two quick-fire evidence points that this is a brand new, distinctly different location is 1) the architecture is drawn completely differently to that of any version of Las Noches and 2) it has a roof.
Barragan's Las Noches did not have a roof.
A roof implies a certain level of sophisticated engineering that it seems Barragans Hollows were not capable of. It implies a certain amount of education and cooperation.
Presumably the name of the ruins were related to Team Ichigo by Grimmjow or Nelliel (Orihime is the one who officially says the name) however Kisuke is the one that directed everyones (independant??) transit to the ruins. One can assume there would have been a reason for this (Kisuke seems to be doing some sort of research), Kubo never returns to this particular plot-hook.
What's specifically interesting to me, however, is how a ruin like this came to exist in the first place. While Kisuke has knowledge or Shinigami records of the location I doubt it's from Shinigami construction given HMs genesis story and the Shinigami's hands off approach to HM for the most part.
A hollow community of some sort must have constructed it at some point, and since then the place has fallen into disrepair. Whatever community, government, or sect may have built and maintained it is long gone - an entire era lost with nothing more than the bones of it's buildings left behind.
I don't have a neat, tidy point to finish with, so I leave you with this:
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Even after Aizen's meddling, arrancar still reside within Las Noches. The community remained even without shinigami enforcement (I doubt Hallibel or Grimmjow were forcing them to stay). Hueco Mundo has an entire history no one knows about. It's population has a society.
In the wake of the Winter War and Thousand Year Blood War, it's a population that was completely decimated.
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stormblessed95 · 1 year
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Why do you think hobi called JK September husband? Isn't it rude to portray someone as available for Y/N fantasies when he's already in a relationship?
Uh no? It's because Koobi are husband's? That's his September husband 😍 they would be an iconic couple honestly lmfao
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Every year for the members birthdays, Hobi posts a collection of photo/video memories from his archive. He always tries to post things no one has ever seen before and he always shares cute heartfelt messages, his own hashtag and then he joins ARMY in using the trending hashtags for that members birthday. He used the hashtag #/September_husband_picked_faster_than_anyoneelse as he probably saw it trended and assumed it was ARMYs bday hashtag. When he realized it WASN'T he laughed and apologized for using the wrong trend and picked new ones that WERE part of the birthday tag projects. It's really cute that Hobi does this every year with us! He really sees everything happening on ARMY twt. Lol
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^the other hashtag included here is "#/jungkookah thank you for being born"
There were lots of polls happening about ______ idol of the month happening and fans would vote for an idol in various categories. Aka, husband material, cutest, hottest, etc on various popular Hallyu websites. A lot of these sites tally votes through hashtags, JK won for September being the most husband-like idol. These are fan voted popularity contests essentially lol its really cute and it's why the hashtag in S. Korea was also in the ARMY trends and therefore probably led to Hobi's confusion. OR he was just complimenting JK on being the fastest idol to win husband material in September along with armys lmfao. But considering the first tweet above was followed up with Bangtans inside joke of an apology with "I'm sorry for my fault" and new hashtags too, makes me think he just got mixed up lol
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Hashtag translations....
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The last hashtag was in reference to what JK tells ARMY all the time "ARMY must be happy no matter what, okay?"
And to be fully inclusive for my Koobi loves, his other JKday bday tweet, which was the first he shared with us
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The last hashtag trans to "#/Because we can’t live without Jungkook so we been together for 9years" on that post.
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If you are going to try and read too far into Hobi mixing up ARMY hashtags by accident and being adorable for JK on his birthday, then the only conclusion you should be reaching for is Koobi married. You know, if we are reaching and jumping to conclusions anyway, might as well go all the way! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk 😂🤣 (and yes, ending with saying this is something Hobi does every year for every member. He really recognizes ARMYs celebration efforts and joins us in them. Tae, Jin and RM examples of him using ARMYs bday hashtags below too)
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This has nothing to do with any of the members relationship statuses or any y/n fantasies. Sorry. Anyway. KOOBI MARRIED 😍😍🥰🥰😂😂
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