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latin-dr-robotnik · 1 year

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Hey remember that ask about how IDW SonAmy would progress in the comics? It’s me again :D (Thank you soooo much for that whole essay I had a BLAST reading it) Basically same question, except Frontiers shook me all the way with the character development between Sonic and Amy in the MAINLINE GAMES. What’s your view of the future of those two with Ian Flynn as the writer? :D

Oh! Long time no see! I still remember that one ask, it was a great exploration of the future of their dynamic after they seemed to reach such a stable point. I haven't checked the comics since... issue 40 something? Were there any SonAmy moments since that ask? I'm very out of the loop.

I'll just set up a line break to not clutter every dashboard with my many thoughts.

Anyway, yes! Frontiers SonAmy! I'm still thinking a lot about it and looking for more evidence. I have played the game, but I'm currently searching for Sonic's secret monologues about Amy, especially the umbrella one and "Amy... I wish I made up my mind sooner". I even installed a mod to reduce the time it takes for Sonic to talk (from 10 minutes to 3 minutes), so I'm in the middle of the research process for a video going full analysis mode on the dynamic. BUT! I can spare some thoughts!

First of all, there are some things that I think we have to accept from Frontiers:

The game is setting up a new direction for the franchise, and for a good part of its runtime it acknowledges all past interactions and events in Sonic's history, before attempting to add its own flavor on top.

It seems this future plan is going to shake up the main cast substantially. Judging by the ending, the main cast is gonna go their own separate ways for a while, and I wouldn't be surprised if the next game has some even bigger character changes. It's gonna be controversial, but that feels like the direction Flynn and Sonic Team are going towards.

With all of this in mind, let's delve into the future of mainline SonAmy:

Sonic Frontiers is like IDW Sonic #2, but reversed: This is my main takeaway from the game, and it all comes from that one scene where Amy talks about sharing her love with the world. The game likes to hint that Amy was profoundly impacted by the death of the Kocos, the one species that, when helped fulfill their last wish, liberate the "soul" of its original owner, since it's revealed in Ouranos Island that the Koco were meant to be just lucky charms, and shouldn't have kept the memories and (presumably) spirits of the Ancients that died fighting The End. Amy wants to help everyone, especially those who seem to be tormented souls that won't get any rest until their final wishes are completed. This sets up the main drama with Sonic's point of view, and gives us our very first revelation.

Now, why "IDW Sonic #2 but reversed"? Back then, we saw Amy fully express her love and devotion to Sonic, showing that she loves him for what he is, and she won't change it. She'll also have her own priorities, and won't just blindly follow Sonic if there's somewhere else where she's needed. In Frontiers, it's Sonic who reveals that he appreciates Amy for what she is, and he wants her to be safe first and foremost. He won't stop her from going across the world spreading all her love to those who need it, he actually encourages her and tells her he'll wait for her to come back and tell him everything. For someone like Sonic, this feels as close to a full "I love you" we're ever gonna get, and it's delivered in such a chill and casual way.

The future of these two looks brighter than ever: some scumbag dared telling me "you must be crying because there's no SonAmy at all in Frontiers" and I was like "did you actually play the game?" Sonic is perfectly chill around Amy, and he seems more open than ever to learn more about her and just be together. They're reaching what I called my "golden status" back in the day: going on adventures, being around each other, just having a great time. Frontiers casually dropped some bombshells on us, and while I wouldn't get behind this exact conclusion unironically, I love that our SonAmy friends over at Twitter looked at their scenes and literally posted "Yup, they're clearly dating now".

What's next? It seems like Amy's outbursts of love towards Sonic are being downplayed in main canon now, following this trend that started in Boom and continued in IDW Sonic. This is already a pretty controversial topic, and I think it's not gonna go away anytime soon. The future under Ian Flynn's pen and Sonic Team's supervision seems to be one where Sonic and Amy go into this weird "but are they actually dating each other or not?" state. Their interactions are gonna be more and more casual and less wacky than back in the 2000's, and the teasing is probably gonna be more subtle than ever, because they won't outright confirm they're dating, but at the same time they want us to suspect something is happening behind the scenes.

And, like Greeny pointed out recently, there's a chance we might be heading into a canon timeskip that'll change characters and possible even age them up. I've had similar suspicions after watching the first post-credits scene but... idk yet, if it happens it'll probably affect Sonic and Amy's dynamic a lot.

Like I said, I'm still in the research phase of my SonAmy Frontiers analysis, but those cutscenes and monologues... I don't know... they got me thinkin', y'know? They do be looking very sus!

#ask latin dr robotnik #sonamy #sonic the hedgehog #sonic frontiers #sonic frontiers spoilers #right now i have to go back to kronos and run around until i trigger some of sonic's monologues about amy #i need to have them recorded as proof #because those seem to be very important things for sonic to say

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ravenwolfie97 · 4 months

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alright, first things first, i gotta introduce you to my three brand new rescue teams!

Red Team Gooseberry: Duck the Psyduck & Chikorita (no name) Blue Team Fireflower: Leif the Bulbasaur & Cinder the Cyndaquil DX Team Epoch Spark: Tori the Torchic & Sparky the Pikachu

all of the teams ended up having some kind of interesting thing to them for Gooseberry, i don't think i've ever played as a Psyduck before and i neglected to give Chikorita a nickname for Fireflower, i chose Cyndaquil over Torchic as my partner here because i love both Bulbasaur and Cyndaquil a lot as starters and thought it would be nice to have my two faves together and for Epoch Spark, funny enough, from the quiz I actually got Psyduck again, but since this is a newer PMD game I had the option to freely choose as well. and after much deliberation, i decided on Torchic and thought it would be kind of funny to have my partner be a Pikachu - i purposefully chose her species, gender, and name because my very first PMD team had the protagonist as a girl Pikachu. and choosing Torchic was not just a gut decision, but also to 1. round out the protagonists' types and 2. to reference the human-turned-pokemon in the PMD manga Ginji's Rescue Team which i love and cherish dearly

anyway, i started by going through the first dungeon of the game and getting our rescue team formed, and here are some of the things i noticed between the old and the new:

first, i should mention the quiz, or more specifically the pokemon selection screens. i do find it very funny that all the pokemon are just jimmying around wildly, but it also was. just a lot of sensory input. i will give it credit where it's due - it is a lot more interesting than just selecting from a list! but i do feel like Gates and Super had it better with a literal rotating cast rather than a chaotic cloud of bustling lil guys

what i thought was interesting out the gate was the fact that barely any of the text in-game is altered. it's the exact same dialogue for most of the time, with the exception of a few additional scenes not present in the old games, like a partially verbalized tutorial and when you put on the scarves as a uniform for the rescue team - which, by the way, was super cute

speaking of text, i don't know what exactly my reasoning is for being against it, but i find the little speech bubbles in dungeons to be really annoying. it's a fun idea conceptually to have more of an inner monologue as you roam around and fight and stuff, but having something to say every time you fight or get attacked is just… too much. i didn't see an option to turn them off but i kind of hope there is one and i just didn't see it

there is a pretty steep mechanical difference between the two that is very evident when playing them side-by-side. DX is mechanically very similar to Super, and given that i haven't touched Super in a few years it took me a while to remember that this wasn't completely novel and in fact something i had to get used to before. and also while i knew the movesets got more beefy and diverse as time went on in the franchise, i forgot just how robust the movesets you get out the gate are nowadays. back in the day, Pikachu knew exactly what it would in the main series games at Lv. 5: Thunder Shock, Growl, and Tail Whip. but now, in DX, my Pikachu knows Fake Out, Electro Ball, Grass Knot, and Iron Tail! like that's insanity!! and you can't even use a basic A-button attack anymore, but that's one of the things you're immediately taught in Blue/Red! it's gonna be a weird thing to juggle back and forth, i think

i noticed there was a "Random" button when making the rescue team name, and i absolutely love it. i only went through a handful of choices but they were all really good and fun and some in particular were very silly. it was very charming i will say, though - the default was "Efficiency" and it was so incredibly close to my first team's name "Electricy" (bc Electricity was too long to fit) and it really threw me hkjjk

after listening to all three iterations of that handful of sound tracks at the beginning, especially for Tiny Woods, i still feel like DX missed the mark somewhat. i will say that the version heard in Red was closer, but it's still very well mixed in Blue. DX just has issues with the relationships between timbres and between instruments' dynamics, as i've heard in a couple of its other OST remakes. it's not as offensive in person, but it's still a bit too over the top

one of the reasons i hesitated so much on getting DX was because of the aesthetics. it's radically different from any previous PMD game, and evokes kind of a storybook feeling. playing it for myself now, as far as i've gotten, i'm not the most into it, but i do appreciate it. i think my main issue is that it feels kind of unpolished and also quite cramped. the 3d renditions of 2d spaces just feels very small, and the 3d games before this didn't have that issue at all, so i feel like it's either to do with the dev team being different than previous installations, or more than likely it's just because they're struggling to adapt something from the past rather than coming up with environments and scenarios wholecloth

i do find it kind of incredible and amusing seeing the progression of how games have changed in the last 15 years, like seeing a language select at the top of Rescue Team DX, and the fact that it autosaves so it doesn't need to include the tutorial scene in the original that teaches you to go to bed to save. i just think that's really neat :3

i think that's it concerning the first impressions. overall, i'm actually most fascinated by what hasn't changed than what has. i would have expected an updated dialogue beyond adding scenes for the more modern demographic of PMD players instead of what is essentially a copy-paste from the original games. and i know it is copy-paste because i Just read it twice over in both Red and Blue just before booting up the new game! idk if that's a bad thing, but it's strange to me that it is so unaltered. i dunno, my feelings so far are mixed, but i've only just gotten started, so we'll see what comes next!

#pokemon #pokemon mystery dungeon #pmd triple team time #idk what else to say i already said a lot and i'm really hungry vhkjhkl

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toaarcan · 2 years

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What was Teridax’s Damage?

So, I saw this post about Miserix’s characterisation earlier and it got me thinking.

I want to say that first off, I do not like the idea that all of the Makuta were just made to be evil, that they popped out of the antidermis already predisposed to be power-hungry bastards. That Miserix apparently only didn’t try to take over the universe because he had power, and considered aiming for more to be too risky to himself, is boring.

Shit like this is why I maintain that Bionicle is a much better story if you never read Greg’s forum posts and just make your own inferences based on what’s actually in the text.

Still, the notion of the ‘curse’ and some other Greg Canon got me thinking about how they intersect, and I landed more or less at this.

According to Greg Lore, Teridax was destined to take over the MU. This is a controversial element, a lot of the fandom really don’t like the idea that Destiny was so immutable that even the story’s main antagonist was ultimately just following the plotted line laid out by the Great Beings, but there’s a part of this that has the potential to make Teridax significantly more interesting.

There’s some lore floating around- I’m uncertain if it’s been confirmed or not, but I like it so I’m going to for it- that Teridax wasn’t just a Makuta. He was a Great Spirit AI, intended to be given control of a second Great Spirit Robot, but when it became apparent that the planet would blow up before they could even make headway on the construction of GSR 2, the Great Beings just crammed Teridax’s AI into the GSR 1 and hoped that he would absorb the same information as Mata Nui did on his travels throughout the galaxy.

This may have had something to do with Teridax being granted Metru Nui as his region. We don’t have the full details of Miserix’s selection process, and how he decided which Makuta got what, but I would not be surprised if he read it in the stars that Metru Nui was where Teridax belonged. Certainly makes it more interesting than “Terry gets the MU’s most important location because of nepotism.”

I’ve seen it suggested that the purpose of the Ko-Matoran being astronomers and scholars was to make sure Mata Nui was studying the cultures of the galaxy and learning from them, that their observations of the stars and writing it down was how Mata Nui took on and processed that information. Shit just got a little scrambled when sentience was factored in.

Being close to the core processor, and having access to the information that Mata Nui was taking on board would certainly be benefits to giving Teridax Metru Nui.

Still, the whole “Teridax is MU 2 AI” thing does kinda contradict the established canon that Mata Nui created the Makuta within the MU, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not.

First of all, we have Vezon’s multiversal journey. In one of the AUs he lands on, he finds that Makuta is the GSR and Mata Nui is his scheming, ambitious brother. This shows that the Makuta name was something the GBs already had before Mata Nui ever made the species. The difference between this universe and the prime one isn’t just “The names are switched heehoo”, it’s that in this one, they decided to make Makuta the one in control of the GSR 1, and Mata Nui the passenger... and Mata Nui turned out just liked Teridax did in the main universe. Well, as much as we can tell from Vezon’s perspective, anyway.

This is the strongest evidence, IMO, that Teridax existed before the GSR was launched, and before the Makuta species was created.

Also, in this case he’s just called “Makuta”, and it’s not a species name. I’ll get to that later, for now we’re just going to look at Teridax the individual and not worry about his brothers and sisters. The Makuta species is an additional layer I’ll factor in after we’ve got the gist of how this changes Teridax himself.

Layer 1: Teridax the Individual

Here is my theory: Teridax was an AI before he was a Makuta, but he doesn’t remember it. He was crammed into Mata Nui’s brain, and when the Makuta were born, either Teridax slipped in himself, or Mata Nui intentionally tried to give his brother a body so that he could at least live as his own entity.

Still, downscaling from a GSR AI to a regular MU resident had... consequences, and Teridax lost most of his conscious memory of who he had been before. As far as he was aware, he was just a Makuta.

Still, there was a part of him that did remember. The thought that he should’ve been so much more than this would linger in the back of his head for millennia, gnawing away at him. He was a god forced to be small, for reasons he could no longer remember or understand.

Imagine if you were crammed in your entirety into a microbe and made to exist entirely within the body of another human. You weren’t able to understand why, but you knew you were meant to be more than this. Wouldn’t that just drive you crazy?

Yeah.

I don’t particularly like the idea of Destiny being this immutable force within the Bionicle story, I prefer to think of it as just “What the GBs made the characters for, and they’re somewhat predisposed to carrying that out, but post-awakening they’re fully capable of consciously going against it. That said, I have to admit that the idea of Teridax-the-diminished-Great-Spirit makes him way more interesting to me than Teridax-the-generic-evil-overlord-who-wants-power-for-power’s-sake.

It doesn’t really change his characterisation much, but it gives him a lot more depth and explains some of his actions, like styling himself as Mata Nui’s brother post-Cataclysm. There’s also the detail that the GSR AI in the AU Vezon visits is called Makuta, not Teridax. Which brings us neatly to the Makuta species.

Layer 2: The Brotherhood

As stated above, Pre-MU Teridax wasn’t called Teridax. He was just Makuta. Which raises a few questions, not all of which have answers.

Were the Makuta AI and the Makuta species linked before the former became one of the latter?

Did Mata Nui name the Makuta species after the Makuta AI, perhaps?

Are the Makuta species in the Great Spirit Makuta universe called the “Mata Nui species?”

My take on this is that... the Makuta species wasn’t an intentional creation on Mata Nui’s part. Makuta Teridax was intentional, but when his AI was put into the Antidermis pool, it was... refracted, and created 100 different individuals. They were given the purpose of maintaining order and stability within the Matoran Universe, because that was part of Mata Nui’s intent in giving Makuta a body within the MU to begin with: Makuta would take care of the inner workings of the MU while Mata Nui focused on his mission.

Having 100 of them rather than just one didn’t really stop the plan much, but what Mata Nui didn’t know was how badly Makuta’s AI had been shattered by the process.

This image from Bionicle: World always confused me as a kid. I wasn’t sure why the Makuta were being depicted as three Teridaxes. I mean I got that it was because the rest of them didn’t have designs yet, but now...

I think that this image represents them as they were originally formed. Originally, they all looked like this. When they were born, they were physically identical besides maybe masks. So Mata Nui didn’t realise that Makuta had been broken apart by the Antidermis, he just thought they were multiple incarnations of the same entity.

Still, the reason the Makuta are Like That, the only reasonable way to work in the supposed “Curse” of the Makuta species in my eyes, is that the Makuta species is actually the Makuta AI split across multiple individuals, fragments of the whole who forgot what they were meant to be and were left with a deep-rooted trauma spawned from being forced to be so much smaller than they were designed to be.

Some of them were affected more deeply than others. Miserix, and those that sided with him, were able to find purpose and satisfaction at their lot in life. But Teridax, who contained the largest portion of the original Makuta AI (I’ve always liked to think that he was the first one that emerged from the Antidermis Pool, personally), well, he didn’t take is so well.

And what’s the smoking gun?

This line from Destiny War.

"I... we are the essence of the Makuta species. We know what they were meant to know, but have forgotten. We see the error. The flaws. So much to repair; but it cannot be done. Spherus Magna, the Shattering. The three that must be one; the two that must make them one. He must remember, he must be made to see, or the journey of 100,000 years will be for nothing. He hides beneath, preparing to meet his destiny. We must go there, we must right the wrong. So many wrongs before the Shattering can end." — Antidermis through Brutaka, Destiny War.

The memories of their purpose didn’t just disappear. They were left in the dregs of the pool, and when Brutaka absorbed it, he was possessed by the remainder of the Makuta AI, the parts that did know what they were supposed to be, and they in turn tried to remind Teridax before it was too late.

The “Curse of the Makuta” isn’t that they’re all power-hungry bastards from birth. It’s that them being fragmented and compressed, and losing the memories of their original purpose left them with an intense, unremitting need to try and regain their lost stature that grew and grew.

#Bionicle #Meta #Bionicle Lore #Teridax #Miserix #Makuta #Makuta Teridax #Mata Nui #Destiny War #Brutaka #Vezon #Lore #Antidermis #Great Beings

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 3 years

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HASO, “The Plan.”

Getting excited for tomorrow. I have had this idea for a while and am pleased to be able to execute it. Building up to something good :)

Dr. Krill, Adam, and Dr. Katie stood in the low ceilinged Vrul council chamber at the center of the city. The entire room was as Adam had remembered it, with large glass windows looking out at all 360 degrees of the city. At one point he had assumed it was just the selfish desire of the ruling class to look down on the citizens, but as he looked, he could now see that there was some utility to the tower, almost a watch tower over the city. The canals and structure of the city itself could be sectioned off if there was ever an emergency, cut like a pie into triangular sections that could be excluded from the force shield if it was ever needed.

As soon as their historian had put forward her hypothesis, the Vrul council had been called to order, and a few other GA members were now sitting in on the meeting remotely. They would have come themselves, but upon hearing about the horrible creatures that were, even now, clawing at their walls, the council had ordered the shield sup for what must have been the first time in millennia.

Luckily for them, they had never let the shields fall into disrepair, and as he looked out the window he could see the shimmering blue purple nexus of power glistening in the sky above them.

It worried him thinking that the ancient Vrul had deemed it necessary to have a force field that went into the sky as well. Dr. Kell had had a ruptured helium sack when they brought him in, but that gave the assumption that, perhaps, he would still have been able to float in his infected state, which was not something that bare thinking about, though it WAS an important item to consider.

“Yes, all the evidence does seem to point to that.” The counselor said, their head turned towards the GA chairwoman as they spoke, “We have contacted the other cities along the central line and they report their cities are built in much the same way. Satellite imaging shows clusters of…. The nesting sights all over the world, though their greatest cluster happens to be around our city. If each circle has approximately seven of the creatures burrowed below it, we estimate about 49,000 of the creatures possibly burrowed below our landscape. The animals in the area seem to know to steer clear of the nesting sites. The larger animals have moved in great migrations towards the poles where there are few of the nesting sites, and the animals who have a lighter step are prone to avoiding the circle when they can. Zoomed in pictures DO show the occasional skeletalized remains of some creature or another, but it is hard to tell what they died from.

The GA chairwoman was nodding, “So you believe that the cities were built for a different reason than originally thought.”

There was a pause and then the council nodded, “Yes, it seems likely that Vrul lived in open cities before the outbreak began and then built the city in defense against the creatures. The Deltas, we have found are the main spreading vector, since they are stronger and faster, they are more mobile, but the disease affects everyone similarly causing acute aggression and infected pustules filled with sores that rupture and spread a cloud into the air.”

Dr. Krill stepped forward just then to cut into the conversation, “Dr. Katie and I have examined the infection under controlled conditions, and it is clearly a disease that originated on this planet. It does not have the structures you would assume from a viral or bacterial infection common on worlds where the creatures are more animal than plant. In this case the subject does seem primarily interested in infecting our species. The disease is transmissible primarily through respiration where the spores enter the body and into the lungs, as it were, where they are dissolved and the toxin spreads directly through to the brain. It will then destroy most of the decision making and memory centers of the cortex, amp up aggression, and then start germinating more spores in those packets that we have seen.”

“So it isn’t contagious to other species.” The Chair woman asked

Krill shook his head, “I did not say that. While it is a disease that is meant for plant-like liforms, any creature with lungs similar to ours are also under direct fire of infection. Humans for example send blood directly to their brain from the lungs, and have cortical centers that are generally analogous to our own. Of course, humans have the blood brain barrier that would be much less likely to allow that to happen, so I don’t see a mental breakdown as part of its affect on humans, but I do imagine they could develop sores that could burst and be contagious.”

“I see, than what is your plan?”

Another of the council members took the moment to step forward, “Clearly we restrict movement outside the city. It worked for us for four thousand years and it shall work for the next four thousand years.”

There was a murmur of agreement around them before.

“You’re not fucking serious.”

There was a pause as the entire council chamber turned to look at him, Admiral vir standing just before the window and staring down at the city.

The human looked on in absolute consternation.

“Do you have a problem with that, human.”

Admiral Vir drew himself up, “Damn straight I have a problem with that. You have an opportunity to take your planet back. You have all the weapons and all the allies in the galaxy and you won’t even fight for your own planet. Living in your air tight cities and using it as an excuse to bring down even greater restrictions on a group of people who have never known any sort of freedom before.”

“Watch your ton-” “No, I am not one of your citizens, and I won’t be silenced for my opinion. At the end of the day it IS your decision, but you have to understand. The Vrul home planet is one of the greatest sources we have of natural gas and yet Vrul economic power is at an all time low, and that is because the group of you wont leave your cities to harvest it. Now we learn that there is a reason, a stoppable reason, and you just want to sit here and do nothing about it always watched by the fear of what if something happens, what if one of them gets in somehow, what if the strain changes, what if what if what if.” He looked around the room, “not to mention that if you took control of these things, you would be able to expand your cities, which would mean no more termination orders for those who are deemed, by the government mind you, to be useless.” he gave a very pointed look at Krill, “You would have had the doctor dead if it wasn’t for my intervention, and then as soon as something went wrong you called him back. I think that is a perfect example on how this system just isn’t working.”

The Vrul council stared at him, and it was pretty clear that they weren’t a fan of the words coming out of his mouth. There was one problem though, there were other citizens in the room than weren’t going to keep their mouths shut. There was Krill of course, who they had already discredited, but the Admiral had waited for the perfect opening, the the psychologist was there, the historian and more than a few other assistants, who he could see were Betas.

He knew from what Krill had said that Betas were insufferable gossips. So anything that happened in this tower was likely to get out.

With grudging slowness the council grinded back into movement, “Than what do you suggest, Admiral? We are not well versed in military tactics which is what this would require. You can hardly blame us for turning back to the one thing that has always worked.”

Good job hiding behind being pathetic he thought to himself.

“It is a good thing that I am Admiral of the GA armada and have some experience with the tactical side of warfare.” He turned to look around at the others, “We will want to continue doing our tests on these creatures. I want to know what their weaknesses are, and I want to know how to kill them. This is to hoping that bullets do the trick, but I also want to know what they are attracted to. Some of you have suggested vibrations in the ground, in which case, I can use that.

Krill and katie agreed with him.

And he walked with them as they stepped from the room.

“You are really toeing a line the way you speak to them, I think.” Katie whispered quietly

He leaned in, “I have a feeling that the Vrul weren’t always like this. The traditions of government they have now are based on martial law that was present during a zombie apocalypse four thousand years ago. They don’t want to give up their power, but my duty isn’t to their government, it is to their citizens.”

Krill hummed his agreement from Kati’s opposite side, “The Admiral is right, I believe. The more I think about it, the more I have come to a conclusion that we are not as….. How shall we say…. Fragile as the council would make us believe. A lot of what they say is based on the idea that we need to be protected, but I think that ideology is something that was passed down from when we actually DID need to be protected. What other truths about the Vrul don’t we know because we haven’t been allowed to look into it further.”

Adam tapped his fingers against his crossed bicep, “The maximum age of a Vrul for one. I read a paper that said that the average age of a Vrul before termination is only around thirty or forty years, but if what they are saying is true about these zombie vrul, than it is likely they are around four thousand years old.” He glanced over at Krill, “how old does this make you past your termination order/”

Krill shrugged, “I was evaluated early, so I am only considered 35 in your human years, a little bit older in the Vrul reckoning of things, but that does pose an interesting hypothesis. I have never actually seen a Vrul die of old age. But it would make sense with the termination order. If we were forced into cities, than it would make sense that they would do these things out of a need for population control, that is assuming that we can live forever, a thought that seems ludicrous to me, but still.”

Adam nodded, “Starting off though, I want to know what kind of music does what to the creature.”

Dr Katie looked at him skeptically, “Music?”

He nodded, “Music.”

“What are you planning, she said suspiciously, looking him over with a critical eye.

He smiled, “Dealing with the hoard all at once, but if we can do that, and use music against them, well then I would want to use all of my inherent advantages now wouldn’t I?”

Katie nodded with some thought and motioned him onward.

They went back to the chamber, while he and some of the marines went back to the wall, where the group of ravening Vrul were still tearing at the base.

“Lower the shields.” he ordered on of the Betas.

The creature looked at him like he was nuts, but the look on his face made clear, in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t going to argue and hurried to do as Adam ordered.

The small section of the field opened, and he leaned out over the drop looking down at the creatures still clambering at the wall.

“Huh, Maverick, come here.”

Maverick trotted over behind him, rifle bouncing in a sling against her chest and she skidded to a halt next to him, “Yes Boss.”

“Think you can shoot one of them in the head from up here?”

She paused, frowned but then shrugged, “I mean…. yeah , probably.”

“Go on, target practice.”

She looked at him a bit confused for a second, before shrugging and leaning out over the drop. He grabbed her by the back of the shirt just to give her that extra bit of security while she got a good angle.

There was a small pause, and then a sharp subsonic crack as the rifle fired. The Vrul flinched at the shockwave and Adam’s ear’s rang. Damn idiot forgot to put in some hearing protection before she did that, but what was done was done. Not even a millisecond later there was a sharp explosion as the Vrul in question shattered into its component parts. It cracked open like an egg and the strange, and deadly pollen ruptured out before falling back onto the ground.”

Maverick drew herself back inside the shield which shut quickly.

“Huh, that worked better than expected.”

“Yeah, but did you see the polen?”

He frowned and nodded, “I did. I don’t think any Vrul should be going on this mission with us, and as for the humans. IT will be full suits and respirators for everyone. I want to see how long these spores can last in the environment by themselves. Hopefully it isn’t long, because if it is then that puts my whole plan out the window. I also want to see how long it can last in the air, because that is going to be super important.

***

When he returned to the lab later on after coordinating his original idea Dr. Katie and krill were waiting for him with their results.

“So, what did we find.”

“A couple of things.” Krill announced, “FIrst of all, the spores last a very short time outside the host, maybe twenty four hours at most, though that is only when provided with the perfect condition. They cannot infect the surrounding plant life or the soil. The spores themselves are rather heavy and so they don’t stick around in the air longer than the wind can keep them up, and they seem to be neutralized by water, or water ruins their infectivity when outside a subject, so that is also good news. His helium sack would still work if it was not for the tear, which means that these creatures can float, and we know that the deltas can burrow to some degree.”

Adam was nodding slowly, “And how about the music?”

“Ah, that we found is interesting. A steady and predictable beat does cause them confusion, so most human songs will get them. Anything without a measured beat isn’t an issue, like classical music for the most part. Songs that have no drumline don’t confuse them as much, and songs where the drum line isn’t as noticeable also don’t affect them as much. A good predictable drumline as seen in many rock songs will get them nice and confused, but your best bet for neutralizing them is a hard rock or metal drumline with additional patterns coming from the guitar and vocal track.”

“Hard rock and metal to save the day then.”

They looked at him with a curious expression as he grinned at them.

“What are you planning.”

“I am planning to kill zombies, and I am planning to do it in style.”

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aurora-daily · 3 years

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AURORA

Interview by Stuart Williams for Euphoria Magazine (July 9th, 2021).

Norwegian songstress AURORA returns with brand new single “Cure for Me,” a glistening, message-driven piece that looks to set summer 2021 alight. “The ‘Cure for Me’ single was actually born two years ago,” she tells EUPHORIA in an exclusive interview. “I was in Australia on tour and then instead of having a day off in between the gigs, I asked my drummer and co-producer Magnus if we could rent a studio for a day and have some fun. I had this theme I wanted to get out of my head [hums melody]. I just really wanted to make a song with this ugly theme and we made it — my team kind of discovered it a few years later and said, ‘Ah, this is lovely, we should make it a single.’”

Speaking about the synth-laden track, AURORA finds herself reflecting on a controversial practice evident around the world. “It was originally inspired by those countries in the world that still forbid being gay and also the countries where conversion therapy is still allowed,” she says. “I think even in Norway it’s allowed — that’s the main reason I wrote this song. I was like, ‘I want to make a fun, celebration song about I don’t need a cure for me, I don’t need it, I’m perfectly fine.’ It’s absurd how the world can ever think that people will ever need a cure for love. Then I also know that it can mean a few different things, which I’m excited about, but it’s mainly the fact that it’s very easy to make people believe that there is something wrong with them. People tend to go to that fact so quickly — it takes so little before we’re like, ‘Oh, something is really wrong with me. I didn’t react the same way that they did, I must be fucked up.’ Or, ‘I don’t look like them; OK something is wrong.’ You know, we think something is wrong with us all the time and the media is telling us we’re not good enough. Everything all the time is trying to make us think that we’re insane. That’s kind of sad isn’t it? So it is kind of an opposite thing.”

With “Cure for Me” evoking a deepened understanding of an important subject to the artist, AURORA finds herself looking inward. “I am very lucky because I’ve never been that affected,” she shares. “I’ve been told many times in my life that, ‘You’re a bit [makes cuckoo bird sound].’ I’m very little Norwegian in many areas; I’m very Norwegian in some. It’s a very strange culture here and if you are very open, emotional, impulsive, and if you have a bit of a different brain, [it] doesn’t take much before you get aware even as a child that, ‘Oh, I am a bit different’ and it messes with your head a bit. It messed a bit with my mind in the beginning when I first started noticing it. I’ve never really cared and I don’t care now — I find so much joy and liberation in simply existing in the way that fits me the most. That’s a joy I find hard to let go of. We’re so diverse and that’s the whole point. That’s the foundation in our species that we are all different and we still manage to twist it around and make people feel bad about it.”

With the pandemic pushing live music events back further and further, the singer is eager to explore the track in a live setting. Speaking about her feelings from the release of the new single, AURORA says, “I wish I was nervous because I love being nervous, it’s like being in love isn’t it? But I am not nervous, I rarely am — it seems like a waste to me to be nervous about something I can’t control. But when I’m done with it, I need to just release it and it’s out of my hands, out of mind and out of sight — it belongs to the world. So no, I’m not nervous at all, but I am very excited. It’s always interesting and a fun experiment to see how people react when you do something a little different. It varies a lot what people think about it, so that’s very interesting to watch.”

Describing the process of creating the track, she says, “I like experimenting with the people you have around you. I like using the people I love and I like working with close people, you know. I feel like you don’t need to look out and search for the big names out there when you have talented friends, and you can just make music with them instead. Magnus is very good — I love working with him because he doesn’t write lyrics and interfere too much. I can’t write with anyone because I don’t like it so much, so it’s nice for me to be able to write and do what I want. When we produce the music we are sometimes very on the same page and sometimes we disagree. It’s fun to either fight for your opinion or learn that you were wrong, and I love that. We just have fun.”

Six years ago saw singer-songwriter AURORA release “Runaway,” the opener to All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, an album that saw her career catapulted into the stratosphere. Today “Runaway” has 275 million streams on Spotify, 140 million views on YouTube, and is rising week over week in the Official Singles Chart Top 100. Not only this, the track has also been given new life on social media app TikTok and is being streamed 2 million times daily. The roots of “Runaway” emerged at 11 years old, AURORA says. “I often think about that — of course our mind I guess perceives the past like, ‘Oh my God, it went so quick’ and I can remember things from when I wrote the song when I was 11 and now I’m over 10 years older than that. It is weird but I guess I remember the times, I’ve been really depressed two times in my life and then time moves so slowly that it’s exhausting and suffocating, so I feel like it’s a very good sign when you feel like time has gone past.”

It’s hard to believe that in 2015 the track found its way to the ears of a then-12-year-old Billie Eilish. It arguably led to Eilish starting her music journey — a career that has made her a global phenomenon. The track, AURORA says, has found a brand new life out in the world. “It has lived its life and therefore the success ‘Runaway’ is achieving I don’t manage to take it personally because it’s not me anymore, you know?” she says. “It’s sort of like, it’s a baby and every song is a child when you make them and it’s best part: making the child. It’s the most fun in every way, I think, in all possible metaphors. But I think when you raise the song, it’s a teenager or an adult and you just have to let them go and let them live their best life out there.”

Reflecting further on a younger version of herself, AURORA explores a very different mindset from that age and then now. “I remember when I first started writing I was really aware and had this epiphany that, ‘Oh my God, music can help with so much and music can speak about the unspoken. It can explain the unexplainable and put words into these impossible emotions,’” she says. “It has to do with being human. I took music very seriously, music was always very serious for me — very emotional and very explosive. Like a medicine, but I took it really seriously and I have so many sad songs. They all have a little light in them, I don’t manage to bring out sadness unless there is light to complement it I guess. I have so many sad songs and with time I kind of learnt that, ‘Oh my God, there is a whole world out there and people also need to dance and have fun in this life.’ I kind of learnt as I grew older that I can write songs that are fun and I can address things in the world that I love and hate, and I can speak up. Music can be much now: it can be a political force, it can be an emotional force and a release. Now I’m just enjoying all the signs of it. But it’s changed a lot, I’m more open now to what music can be, which is delightful.”

The human experience is a theme AURORA touches on throughout her musical output, however the physical act of producing art has been a huge outlet for the artist during this time. “I am very comfortable with this staying-inside-being-anti-social situation,” she shares. “It’s very good for me and I’m actually enjoying it quite a lot. Even though I can feel it in the people that [there is] this itch under the skin. I can feel the itch for things to change and go back to normal, but I’m also really enjoying things as they are now. I’ve been painting quite a lot. I always find it very intimidating to paint big pictures, obviously you know, it’s very easy to make a small piece of art, for me at least. I’ve been trying to make a really big one so it’s really big, and it’s very scary; but it’s very soothing. Painting to me is like the same as music but the opposite, because it’s an outlet for the art and it’s quiet and serene. While music is very explosive for me so it’s a very nice thing to have in my life. I feel very balanced.”

#aurora #aurora aksnes #interviews #cure for me #new album #magnus

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mamamittens · 3 years

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Long Awaited LoZ Thoughts

I’d like to start this off by explaining my background. I have a BA in English with a minor in Humanities. I have lived all my life in the Bible Belt of America, so my PoV of this series is inevitably going to be, at least in part, from the perspective of a Western-centric, Christianity-influenced woman. I have grown up with a deep interest in folk tales and mythology though, and took several classes on ancient cultures, so my base knowledge of religion all over the world is broader than what you’d probably expect. I am not religious myself, I’m actually agnostic. And this is just an in-universe look at the very strange religion of Hyrule. So, to make things easier, let’s just put aside the obvious meta issues with this world. The wonky timeline, complex lore changes between said timelines, and the fact that the whole series has clearly grown wildly over the course of its development without an overarching plot. The game mechanics being game mechanics. All of it. This whole thing will just be me trying to make sense of the world without the ‘it’s just a game, bro’ crutch. I will be drawing on what I know from the many games I’ve played myself, so if I don’t mention a big piece of lore from a specific game, it’s because I didn’t play it. Go ahead and rule out the early games before Ocarina of Time, as that’s the first game in the series I can remember playing. I was legitimately too young to have ever played anything prior to that, having been born in 1996. Now let’s get started, shall we?

So, obviously everyone knows that the LoZ world is said to begin with the three goddesses. Din, Nayru, and Farore came together to create the world and before they yote themselves out of the narrative as direct players, they created the Triforce. A powerful artifact capable of granting a wish and giving their respective bearers undefined power. This is directly from Ocarina of Time and we see their symbol, the Triforce, all over the many games with very few exceptions. Now, to be clear, having a polytheistic religion with three main gods is hardly new. Hinduism has three main gods after all (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), and depending on your flavor of Christianity, you have the holy trinity (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit). There’s even the Celtic goddesses that come specifically in threes (collectively called The Morrigan; Eriu, Fodla, and Banba). This isn’t an exhaustive list of three divine beings, by the way, just know that three is a weird trend in western-centric stories, including religion. But what’s different about the three Hyrule Goddesses? Well, they’re weirdly small for big shot gods. Let me explain.

So, the three Hindu gods I mentioned earlier each handle a specific aspect. Creation, destruction, and preservation, not necessarily in that order though (which god does what isn’t the point, so just roll with me here). These are very broad and powerful subjects. Christianity is much the same, even though it’s a monotheistic religion. God is literally an all-powerful, omniscient, omnipotent deity. Jesus is his son who gave his life to basically forgive all sin. And I’m not totally clear on the Holy Spirit, but these three are clearly Big Deals with Big Ideas behind them. A good rule of thumb for old religion is that the older the deity, the wider the scope of their job or what they represent. Which makes sense. If you had to personify the forces of the universe, you’d probably start with the sun instead of like… whatever god is responsible for the creation of rice specifically. The bigger and scarier the natural force, the bigger deal that god usually is, putting aside politics and cultural trends. Egypt is a good example of this, as their roster of gods tended to change a lot depending on who was Pharaoh at the time and wherever the city center was. Horus is the god of the sun, or at least one of them, and is generally considered king of the gods. Which makes perfect sense for a land largely made up of a desert.

But what are the three goddesses’ rulers of? Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Each with clear elemental associations and people that are obviously affiliated with them. Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, is clearly associated with water and likely has a close connection with the Zora. Din, Goddess of Power, is associated with fire and has clear connection with the Gerudo (unclear if the same goddess as the one present in the desert temple in Ocarina of Time). Farore, Goddess of Courage, is associated with all things green and of the earth, including the child-like race of Kokiri who perpetually inhabit the forest. Sure, these are broad topics, but not really… the first thing you’d think of for creators of the universe, are they? And it raises the question about the Hyrule people, who are said to be able to hear the gods due to their pointed ears… let’s put a pin in that and move on.

So, we know there are many gods in this universe, primarily because we meet them. For example, Zephos, God of Winds, in Wind Waker. But he’s clearly a fairly forgotten god, as he shares a shrine with Cylcos, God of Cyclones, which is about as bare as it can be. Just what appears to be a Tori gate with two stone monuments with the simple notes to summon them, almost completely out of the way. Which… I mean, I don’t know many gods with their extension number written on their monuments. That would kind of like going to church on Sunday and seeing “Hit me up if you need me, J-Boy 555-TAKE THE WHEEL” written on the podium. And remember, this is a world and game where the gods actively flooded the world and would therefore hold or have held enough power to directly interfere with Hyrule.

And Skyward Sword clearly has divine beings, one of which even flooded a whole area, though they’re subservient to Hylia. Who we will get back to later, I promise. The three dragons (again, that magic number), capable of divine power, though where that power comes from in unclear. The dragons are of a high status though, as evident by their servants and clear reference to high-class dress of their clothes. These dragons are revered, but clearly not worshipped, much like nobles in that regard. A curious note is the parallels to the three goddesses, and how the symbols are muddled and mixed for these dragons.

Lanayru clearly has the symbols associated with the Zora, and by extension Nayru, but is yellow. He also is saved by time travel used to grow a magic fruit, which Link often uses (time travel) in many games to advance the plot himself (and wouldn’t you know it, but mixing blue with yellow does produce green. Weird). Faron is the water dragon who flooded an area, and she is almost entirely blue (as well as unsettling to look at), surrounded by a species clearly related to the Zora though closer to octopi. But her name is Faron, which is weirdly close to Farore’s name, not Nayru. I mean, they are close to locations that resemble their names of course, but it’s still an interesting note. Finally, there’s Eldin, clearly bearing a symbol associated with the Gerudo without any strange mixes of symbols for the series. Oddly, he’s also the most open of the three dragons, especially considering the Gerudo’s traditional stance of being a ‘no-sausage’ club. Not terribly relevant, but I just thought it was interesting to point out. You can consider the Giants in Majora’s Mask on the same level as them, though their status is unclear (Since they’re summoned by a song and can stop the moon from falling, they probably straddle the line between mortal and divine).

Now, spirits also exist in this world, both as the ghostly variety and the more pseudo-divine. Not to be confused with actual divinity. Divine being can be spirits, but not all spirits are divine. In this context, spirits can be defined more as being of power capable of granting aid in return for something. Zephos can change the winds if called upon, but you don’t need to feed him, for example. But the spirits in Twilight Princess need aid before they can help you. And they’re also not very independent and are able to be fooled easily, which isn’t usually a god-like quality. While more physically present than the three goddesses, they’re also not strictly tangible, and seem to be extremely limited to their location. At best, these spirits could be classified as minor deities below the gods we see in Wind Waker. They also share the same abilities in keeping the realm of Twilight from falling over the land of Hyrule, as well as their weakness to parasites of undetermined origin. An interesting note is that they all seem to live in bodies of water. Let’s put a pin in that one too.

Someone that also counts as a spirit would be Fi and her counterpart, Ghirahim. Literally two halves of the same coin, these two are both very limited in power and function. They don’t represent anything on their own and are very dependent on others to achieve results. How or why they were made is unclear, but it is obvious that both were forged at some point, and clearly gained sentience. Even their personalities and allegiances are a bit odd. Fi for her sci-fi appearance and calculating personality in a fantasy land, and Ghirahim for his… well, everything. I don’t know why the root of all evil would make his weapon a full-tilt diva, let alone on purpose. Ghirahim always struck me as odd since his bombastic personality seemed to clash with his ultimate fate of just being a weapon for Demise.

Okay, so the Great Fairies are weird, okay?! Like, really weird. They act as spirits (I can’t think of any that aren’t restricted to a body of water in some form), but are very independent. They also don’t necessarily need anything from Link to offer assistance. Sometimes, just opening the fairy fountain is enough to gain items needed to progress. And there’s also the fact that fairies heal you upon ‘death’, though with a limited heart capacity. Sometimes they need you to do something though, like the Breath of the Wild fairies need rupees to function or items to upgrade equipment. They also usually look human, like Majora’s Mask Great Fairies are clearly just… giant women with color coded accessories. But like, they float. Where Great Faires come from, or even just regular fairies, is unclear. Until Wind Waker, Great Faires were adults. But when you finally meet the real Great Fairy in Wind Waker it’s… a child. With a doll that looks just like the ‘Great Fairies’ you’ve seen along the way. This sort of implies that Great Fairies age and die, though clearly with a different lifetime than most races in Hyrule (the child Great Fairy also only looks somewhat human compared to other Great Fairies, so make of that what you will). And it also implies that all the adult Great Fairies are dead (you’re welcome for that depressing thought), with the last one trapped in a hollow tree only accessible by the power of a God.

In Breath of the Wild, the Great Fairies are both diminished but more powerful. They literally are stuck in a giant flower with water in it, with few fairies around them, and require riches to get stronger. The connection to their new restrictions to this need for material wealth is unclear. It’s also interesting to note that their fountains are no longer places that appear to be man-made holy temples and they seem to be out of the way… well, for a given value of ‘out of the way’ (looking at you ninja village). These fairies can accomplish more tasks, but certainly won’t be doing it for free or with minimal effort. A far cry from their first appearances (no, I don’t consider using explosives a difficult task).

But Fairies are also companions with nebulous tasks, such as in Ocarina of Time, where Tatl follows Link until the end of the game. And Kokiri have their own fairy as a sign of whatever accounts for adulthood in their race. The Skull Kid in Majora’s Mask has two fairy friends who seemed to have been either lost or abandoned. Who or what gives them purpose and life is unclear, though the Great Deku Tree from Ocarina of Time can give commands, it doesn’t seem to be something he does normally? As a side note, it’s really not clear what, if anything he can actually do. Though the relative safety of the surrounding area is clearly tied with his wellbeing in all iterations, he doesn’t seem to directly influence it, or be capable of self-defense.

Now, onto the elephant in the room! Hylia! Who the hell is this?! A more recent entry to the series, her divine roll is unclear (though she clearly guards the Triforce in some capacity). It can be assumed that she’s somehow a goddess tied directly to the Hylian people, but when she appeared is up for debate. Timeline wise, it’s almost like knowledge of her was suppressed for some reason, giving rise to the Triforce mythos we all know and love without hide or hair of her seen. We know that she favored the original Link greatly, enough to shed her divinity to be reborn as a mortal and assist him. How or why is also unclear, though it wouldn’t be unfair to assume she loved him, as divine ladies holding an affair with a mortal isn’t uncommon in mythology (or even male gods doing the same, before anyone brings up Zeus). But she makes a resurgence in Breath of the Wild, with statues and everything, with the three goddesses left to only vague references in the background. Which is super weird, though not uncommon for places like Ancient Egypt. The fact that the ruling family was literally descendant from a goddess is what makes it weird though, since any monarchy worth their salt would milk that until the peasant folk revolted and made a new religion to justify killing a god.

Zelda in every incarnation is literally descendant from the original and still held at least a fraction of that divine power. So much so that a cornerstone of a powerful religious artifact inevitably ends up in her hands (or on the back of her right hand, as it were). But what is Hylia a Goddess of? We don’t know. It’s never said. Anywhere. And that’s super weird, even for a ubiquitous deity. Sure she’s a Goddess of Hyrule but… what does that mean? That can’t be all she is? Her reincarnation is literally locked in a generational struggle against the forces of darkness! What can she do as a Goddess? Well, she makes Link stronger in return for items, but that seems to be it. In Ocarina of Time, Zelda was capable of sending Link back to the past, but that was with a magic item. And we know Hylia isn’t the Goddess of Time, because Zelda references her in Majora’s Mask (sequel to Ocarina of Time, therefore implying that there are more gods unmentioned at that time), when Hylia should be mortal or at least fragmented (because Zelda exists at the time with powers and a Triforce piece). The Guardian of Time in Hyrule Warriors also fell in love with Link before splitting into Cia and Lana (and was unable to fuse back together again), so it’s unlikely that she’s the Goddess of Time Zelda was referring to, though that detail is interesting to note. No, I will not discuss if Hyrule Warriors is canon (either game), as this is already long enough as it is.

So, that brings us to Ganon, or in his original form, Demise. Which… what’s up with that? Who is this guy? He directly opposes the gods and just… gets away with it! Repeatedly! Sure, he loses most of the time, but still. It’s unclear where Demise came from, or even what he is, though judging by Ghirahim’s ‘Demon Lord’ title, it can be assumed that he is some type of demon himself. And that the many monsters we see are also considered demons, which makes sense with how they always work for Demise (or his many iterations) in some form or another. Considering how much it takes to simply seal him away, he can’t be just a demon though.

Demise obviously pulled the same trick Hylia did, which directly sets him up as a counterpart to her, but what does it mean? Why would he do that? What is Demise that he can’t be beat with the power of a Goddess alone and needs not only a brave knight but a blade literally made to counter him? Within the context of religion, the best guess I can make is that he’s some form of a God of Darkness, possibly also Temptation, Greed, and Pigs Corruption. It fits within the narrative since power is often the strongest form of temptation and we know that demons capable of opposing the gods exist. The Horned Statue literally takes Hylia’s blessings in exchange for wealth, and was turned into a statue for it. What it stands to gain from any of it is unclear, but interestingly enough, Hylia doesn’t mind that it closely resembles her own statues. So, this raises the question… why isn’t Demise a forgotten statue somewhere along a dusty road? How did he curse(?) both a reborn goddess and a human in an eternal struggle for the fate of Hyrule?

Being a god is about the only explanation for why he can do the things that he does. It explains why, in every incarnation, he ends up a rule (like Zelda). How he controls so many different species with ease. He corrupts the conflicted as easily as breathing. An interesting note is how Demise in his many forms usually ends up corrupting once good forces in some way, typically with parasites or evil spirits. And with this context, Hylia must be a Goddess of Light, and possibly some form of Will and Purity to oppose Demise’s power. It would also make her a good candidate for looking after the Triforce in that case. And yet we don’t know any of this for sure either, which is, again, very strange considering their presence from the very beginning. Literally.

Now, I want to mention the temples as a last point before wrapping this up, because it has bothered me since I was a wee little whipper snapper. For a place of worship, they sure are hard to navigate, even when they’re empty of monsters. And it’s not like Hyrule doesn’t get this, because the Temple of Time in Ocarina of Time is straight up a church. Just… without pews, so clearly not perfect, but it is possible for people to come in and… worship time, I guess. And no, not the Goddess of Time, because there’s no statue for that. I mean, I know it’s secretly hiding the Master Sword, but it is definitely a church otherwise. What a normal service looks like I can’t say for sure, but it’s definitely not like literally any other temples we see.

Now, I know it’s a little hard to remember, but temples are usually places where one goes to worship the gods (or even just a god). And we know gods exist in a very real way in Hyrule! They still manage to name Zelda the same thing despite having seemingly buried their divine origins, so some knowledge of gods walking the mortal realm exists. But the temples/dungeons we see usually don’t have much in the way of religious iconography, with a few exceptions (interestingly it’s typically the desert area that actually has statues and could feasibly have had a real capacity for worship). You want to be a devout follower of a god anywhere else? Well, fuck you. Hope you brought a sword and a good pair of boots. If you’re allowed inside at all, since it’s usually the local leaders that are only allowed inside for some reason. And most games don’t seem to have very religious people, despite all the references to divinity. Not like we’d expect them to, at least. And I personally can’t blame them. If I tried to join a religion but found only a wall as an entrance, I’d be pretty disheartened too. Then I’d be pretty pissed to find out I needed not only a royal instrument handed down the monarchy, but their freaking lullaby to even get in to the place of worship. But we know they pray to the gods at least semi-often, since that’s one of the inciting incidences in Wind Waker. And they have offering to statues of Hylia.

The temples suggest the bar to impress the gods is pretty high, and not in a ‘sacrifice your eldest child’ kind of way. To even get the chance to reach the inner chambers you better hope it’s been kept well and that you didn’t skip leg day recently. Something I didn’t really mention before is that usually, the less involved the gods are, the more independent the people are from worship. If you worry that your local deity will flood your fields, you’re probably leaving regular offerings at their nearby shrine or temple. But if you know that the gods don’t care about literally anything you do, why worship them at all? Why make statues, art, or temples? Why bother with any of it? The answer is you don’t. So these highly selective temples are pretty weird unless you go with the idea the gods are just really done with people and never want to talk to them unless absolutely necessary.

So, I’ve rambled for over twelve pages now. What’s the point? What does any of this mean? I’m honestly not sure, but I have a sinking feeling that there’s some serious shit going on in the Hyrule pantheon. Mortals have been mostly abandoned to their doom. Gods cast out and forgotten entirely. And somehow advanced civilizations keep forming and getting destroyed with only remnants left behind with zero explanation. Assuming the original gods are even alive at this point, which I’m not entirely certain of. Their death certainly explains how Demise/Ganon keeps getting stronger, looking less and less Hylian as time goes on, if he looks humanoid to begin with.

I wouldn’t even assume it’s entirely voluntary at this point either, as Ganon clearly doesn’t have the same motivations in every incarnation (see my previous post about Wind Waker). I’m rather excited about Breath of the Wild 2, as the implications of dehydrated husk Ganon is compelling. Particularly in light of the character development Link and Zelda have received in the first Breath of the Wild. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ganon/Demise turns out to be a fallen god trying to get back home (a nice parallel to Wind Waker, actually), cast out as a scape goat. Blamed for every form of corruption and greed that naturally follows in his wake. I think I said this before, but it is interesting that he is always reborn among the Gerudo, a race famously all females. Sometimes thieves, but nearly always in a position that would naturally crave power to take control of their lives compared to Hylians. Regardless of the consequences.

Is it true? I don’t know. Probably not, but the fact that I can draw these conclusions in three hours of writing is pretty neat. I have a lot of feelings about this franchise, having grown up with it, but I eagerly await what comes next. And I should probably go to bed. Make of all this what you will.

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shenanigans-and-imagines · 4 years

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We’re The Bad Guys: Part 7

We’re the Bad Guys: Masterlist

Poe Dameron x Reader (eventually), First Order!Reader

Summary: From the day you were born, you were taught the rebels and their New Republic were the bad guys. But, after you crash land on a remote moon with only the Resistance’s poster boy for company, things begin the change.

Based off of this drabble and headcanon

A/N: Look at me having another part up within the next week instead of the next three months. Sorry, no Poe in this chapter either, but he will be back in Part 8, pinkie promise. And as usual COMMENT AND REBLOG IF YOU LIKE THIS! I NEED VALIDATION TO LIVE!!!

Word Count: 2.0K

Getting to Takodana was easier than one might expect for a member of The First Order.

For troopers or lower ranking officials, landing anywhere closer than the outermost rim of the galaxy was near impossible without clearance. But for a Commander, slipping in and out of First Order space did not take much imagination. A switched ship here, a bribe there and one could get as close as the inner rim if they put their mind to it. Of course, most officers took it as a chance to visit a pleasure planet or two without word of a scandal getting sent up the ranks. For your purposes, however, you risked a lot more than personal embarrassment.

You had started by taking leave on a small base not far from Rakata Prime. It was a place common for officers in search of some relief from the stress and monotony of space travel. It also was the perfect jumping off point to the outer rim. The security was notoriously lax if not outright corrupt. The right amount of credits in the right hand could get you just about anywhere.

It didn’t take long for you to track down a cadet willing to recommend a lovely little spaceport on some planet you never heard of. Apparently it had some of the best underground gambling one could find this side of Hutt Space, which meant pilots, but more importantly, pilots in need of fast, no questions asked, credits.

The cadet dropped you with the promise to pick you up in three days. There was no need for him to follow. What you did while on planet was your business. The fact you had even left the base was blackmail enough. No doubt he was going to factor that into your service fee for the trip back.

After that, it was easy. Within a few hours you were able to track down another ship heading in the direction of Takodana. Like any pilot bordering the Unknown Region, you couldn’t be sure where exactly the captain’s loyalty’s lay. It meant a small risk every time money exchanged hands, but it also ensured anonymity.

You haggled a place in the cargo hold and by the next morning, you were walking down the ramp onto the forest planet.

It was beautiful. Any word less would be a disservice. The lush greens of the forest and clear shimmering lake water served as another stark reminder of where you came from.

No polished blacks. No filtered air. Just green and life.

You were so caught up in the moment, you almost forgot why you had come. A hard push from one of the crew members snapped you back to reality. Your eyes followed his path to the infamous castle just off in the distance. There was no going back now.

Securing the cloth placed over your nose and mouth, you kept your head low and followed.

The bar was just as crowded as you had expected with an assortment of humans and aliens from every point in the galaxy. You would give this to Maz Kanata, despite her castle’s reputation for being a safe haven for pirates and explorers, the place was shockingly bright and clean. Cluttered and eclectic, but open and generally lacking the layer of grim that seemed to stain all spaceports along the mid and outer rim. It left the impression that one could keep their blaster securely in their holster and actually enjoy a drink without fear of being taken off guard. Still, you knew better. This was a neutral space for Resistance and First Order alike. Any one of the patrons could be a spy for either side.

Making sure not to make eye contact with anyone, you made your way to the bar.

“I’m looking for Maz Kanata,” you said, in a low tone. “I need to speak with her.”

The bartender, an Artiodac, rumbled something in their native language you couldn’t understand. But, the dismissive laughter that followed was universal.

“It’s urgent,” you insisted. “Commander Dameron sent me.”

“What trouble has that boy gotten into now?” a voice asked.

You turned around and immediately had to look down.

A small orange alien of a species you couldn’t name stood before you. Their head was huge compared to their small frame, wrinkles for days and eyes enlarged by giant magnifying goggles.

“Maz Kanata?” you asked.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” she replied dryly. She then turned her attention to the Artiodac. “Table five needs three more of the same.”

The other alien nodded and quickly busied themselves with their task.

“Now,” Maz said. “What trouble has Dameron brought to my door?”

“No trouble,” you said. “I just need to get a message to him.”

“Do you, now?” she asked, skeptically.

“Yes.”

“And who are you, exactly?”

“I’m a friend.”

“A friend who covers their face?”

Your hand went instinctively your mask. Maybe it hadn’t been the best idea.

Maz gave a dry laugh. “Do you have a name at least?”

You shifted uncomfortably. This was not going how you had pictured. You had hoped to be half way off this planet by now.

“Not one he would know,” you admitted.

She raised an eyebrow. “Not much of a friend then.”

And with that she walked passed you out of the main room into the back. She must have assumed that meant an end to your conversation, but you hadn’t come all this way to be turned away now. She barely made it two paces before you followed after her.

“Fine, not much of a friend,” you said, “but certainly an ally.”

“An ally?” she scoffed. “For what cause?”

“To put an end to The First Order.”

She paused. It wasn’t enough for her to turn to face you. She kept going about her task, moving a few crates, but you did get her attention.

“Bold words,” she said, “but why should I believe you?”

“Because--” You stopped.

Why should she believe you? Who were you, really? A Commander for The First Order? A child solider? A pawn? Who were you to her? To The Resistance? To Dameron?

And that’s when you remembered.

“Because, I’m Pilot.”

She turned to you, the surprise evident in her eyes.

“I’m Pilot,” you repeated, bolder this time. “The Pilot.”

She stared more openly at you then, carefully examining your features.

“Dameron’s Pilot?” she asked.

You shrugged, unsure how to feel about being called Poe Dameron’s anything. Still, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Maz nodded in understanding. Setting down the crate she was carrying, she silently indicated for you to kneel.

You felt a tug of uncertainty in your gut, but knew better than to question her orders. You sunk down to your knees conveniently landing at the alien’s eye level.

She stepped closer to your, peering directly into your eyes.

You didn’t dare blink as she performed her examination, even adjusting her goggles to a higher intensity until the eyes reflected in them took over her entire face.

For a long moment neither of you spoke.

“I see why he likes you,” Maz said, warmly as a wide smile spread across her face. “You have stars in your eyes.”

You frowned, unsure of what to make of her comment. Nobody had ever called your eyes anything before, let alone filled with stars. It made you think of naive thinking and childish dreams, neither of which you had associated with yourself at any time of your life. But for some reason, you didn’t think that was what she meant.

Maz stepped back, her expression once again all business.

“What’s the message?”

You blinked, allowing yourself a moment to come back to reality. Reaching down, you pulled the data card from your pocket.

“This is everything I had access to,” you said, handing the card to her. “Tie patrols, base coordinates, supply lines, everything. Make sure this gets to Resistance and...tell Commander Dameron that we’re even.”

She took the card, frowning slightly. “Why don’t you tell him yourself?”

“I’m not joining The Resistance.”

Her brows furrowed. “But you are leaving The First Order.”

“Yes.”

“So what are you planning to do?”

You shrugged, rising to your feet. “I’m a pilot. I’m sure I can find something.”

Maz Kanata said nothing, but it was clear from her expression she wanted to say a lot of things.

“You disapprove,” you stated rather than asked.

“Let’s just say, I don’t think the smuggler’s life is for you,” she said, dryly.

Your lip pressed into a fine line. “And what do you propose? I’ve spent my whole life fighting a cause that wasn’t my own. You would ask me to do the same thing, but for the other side?”

“It’s not the same thing if you choose to fight it.”

“And what if I’m tired of fighting?”

She shook her head, chuckling lightly. “No. You were born to fight.”

A sudden flash of anger fired in your heart. It was a familiar feeling. The same one you felt towards Dameron when he had made certain presumptions about your family. Of course, he had been right.

“It wasn’t my choice,” you said, tightly.

Maz shook her head again. “No Pilot. Even if you were raised by peaceful monks, you would find a way to fight. Maybe not by hopping in an X-Wing and blowing things up, but still fight. You’re fighting The First Order right now.”

“I’m settling a debt.”

“By fighting,” she insisted. “You said it yourself; you are an ally to put an end to The First Order.”

She held up the card, waving it for emphasis. “With this alone you’ve just saved countless lives and struck a harder blow against The First Order than the entire Republic Senate has done in a year.”

“And now I’m done.”

Maz let out a sigh, her bright expression fading to one of disappointment.

“Then you still fight for The First Order.”

“I’m fighting for myself,” you snapped.

“If one knows there is evil in the world and does not oppose it, that does not make them neutral,” Maz said, calmly. “There is no neutral stance. Indifference, selfishness, this is what allows The First Order and all others like them to prosper.”

“So is every person going about their lives as bad as The First Order.” you said, sardonically.

“No. Most don’t have the power, or the means to fight. But you do.”

You scoffed. “So, I still don’t have a choice.”

“Of course you do. Everybody had a choice. But, it’s important to keep in mind that no choice is still a choice, just not an obvious one.”

You let out a sigh. This was what it was about, wasn’t it? Having a choice? It was proving to be a lot more trouble than people let on.

“Why are you so insistent I join The Resistance?” you asked. “You don’t know me.”

She smiled then. It was a knowing smile, like she was in on a secret; not one she was trying to keep, but one she was dying to tell.

“Like I said, you have stars in your eyes. Clouded over, faded, but still there; begging to shine.”

For the second time that day, you didn’t know what to make of it. You knew better than to ask. Maz Kanata seemed exactly the type of person to answer anything as cryptically as possible.

“Seems to me Pilot, you have three options,” she continued. “Number one, you go back out there and ask if anyone needs a co-pilot. You go off into the Outer Rim and nobody hears from you again. Number two, you take this back and deliver it to Commander Dameron yourself.”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. “And number three?”

“You choose to fight in your own way.”

“By what? Freelancing as a fighter pilot?”

She shrugged. “As I said, there are more ways of fighting than hopping in an X-Wing and blowing things up.” She held up the data card with that same knowing smile. “More effective ways.”

You half expected her to hand the card back to you, but instead she tucked it into her vest and picked up the crate she had been carrying earlier.

“It’s your choice Pilot,” she said. “It always has been.”

And with that she left, leaving you alone with your thoughts and your choices.

#poe dameron x reader #poe dameron #poe x reader #poe #star wars imagine #star wars #poe imagine #poe dameron imagine #the force awakens #the last jedi #the rise of skywalker

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f-nodragonart · 3 years

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Vertebrate Wings, PART 6: Details

Return to main post + TOC >>HERE<<

Details TOC

Elbow Spines

Wrist Spikes

Palms

Thumbs

Elbow Spines

I was admittedly a LOT more anal about elbow spines in the past. No way no how, I didn’t accept elbow spines in any way, shape, or form. Nowadays, I’m simply wary of elbow spines. I still believe whole-heartedly that a proper wing will have enough membrane stability and surface area all on its own, without the need for an elbow spine. BUT I can absolutely see the aesthetic charm in certain designs, and elbow spines can make sense if designed properly.

The interesting thing is that there ARE real-life “flying” animals with elbow spines—anomalures.

(I honestly wish I had skeletals to show off but I can’t find any, so if anyone has anomalure skeletal photos/diagrams I’d greatly appreciate it)

Technically these animals can’t “fly” but glide, much like the similar (but not necessarily related) flying squirrels, who also happen to have ‘spines’ at their wrists.

Even the recently discovered Yi Qi could be used as comparison, with their highly-elongated wrist spines.

Despite these real-life animals with wing spines supporting their membranes, there are still ways to do wing spines wrong, so keep these tips in mind if you want to add elbow spines to your creature’s membranous wings:

1) Animals with these spines are GLIDERS

The living animals with similar spines—flying squirrels and anomalures—are gliders, NOT powered flyers. IE—these animals don’t flap or otherwise move their arms/legs in very complicated motions; their limbs/spines are almost exclusively built to keep the membrane taut during gliding. While we can’t know of the Yi Qi’s specific style of flight at this point, I have reason to believe they were also gliders, not flyers. Again, I can’t prove this for certain, it’s just what I can reason out from what’s currently available about the species.

Either way, evidence points to the idea that these sorts of spines (at least supporting the main body of a membrane—yes I know about pteroids) are exclusively found on gliders, not powered flyers. This makes sense, given that spines don’t have joints, so they wouldn’t give membranes NEARLY the same flexibility and precision as fingers. But since gliders don’t necessarily need that kind of precision, this doesn’t hinder their “flight”.

Now, this fact on its own doesn’t negate the possibility of elbow spines on a powered flyer, but it is a cautionary reminder to take proper integration into account, which the following points will describe.

2) Spines are NOT fingers

Elbow spines are not endemic to arm structures—the structures wings evolved from. Thus, an elbow spine would have had to evolve into a wing design for the express purpose of membrane stability and/or widening the membrane surface area.

There is absolutely zero reason an elbow spine would have a claw, pad, or otherwise be implied to be a modified finger. Fingers are based exclusively on the hands (and feet, if you want to get technical), and would NOT migrate down to the elbows just to expand the wing membrane. Hell, even most of the ACTUAL fingers of bat wings don’t have any claws (besides the thumb of course) because claws on the tips of wing fingers are usually useless, since there’s no feasible way to use them for clinging, digging, or scratching purposes. Plus, claws/padding add unnecessary weight to the tips of the wing fingers, which SHOULD be the thinnest/lightest part of the wings, sans open membrane. Claws are only really useful on the shortest, front-facing fingers of bat wings.

However, I will acquiesce that jointed spines aren’t entirely unbelievable. I personally don’t know of any real-life animal with jointed spines, but I don’t think that joints would be necessarily exclusive to fingers. Unlike claws or pads, joints would provide a distinct purpose to the wing by allowing the spines more malleability and delicate control of the wing membrane shape.

3) Try not to interrupt the elbow joint

Again, I would appreciate an anomalure skeleton here in order to see exactly where the elbow spine attaches on the arm, but I guess we’ll have to wait on that.

Sans the anomalure (whose elbow structure is impossible to see under the fur), I don’t know of any cases of real-life animals with 3 different, independently-moving bones sharing the same joint (I’m not counting wrists/ankles here considering the specialty of the carpal/tarsal-based joints).

As it is now, I advise caution when placing the base of the spine at the elbow. It may certainly work, especially if the underlying bone/cartilage base of the spine “floats” a little ways away from the elbow itself, as can be seen in this EXCELLENT Dragon skeletal by Sammy Torres, yet again--

But please, do NOT slot the elbow spine directly INTO the joint between the upper and lower arm.

This would block the range of joint flexibility and important muscular connections between the upper and lower arm.

4) Try to form a paddle

As explained in the Membranes and Feathers section, a bird’s remiges are ONLY based in the bone of the lower arm and hand sections. This helps to form a more stable “paddle” out of these sections of the wing, while other feathers (tertials, axillaries) simply close the gap between the body and the remiges.

While feathers shouldn’t be conflated with membranes, I think in this instance they provide a decent reference for spine placement, since many birds are powered flyers. Thus, if the spine isn’t based at the elbow, I think basing the spine on the lower arm just past the elbow itself would work just fine.

Either way, definitely DON’T put a spine on the UPPER arm—it would just be useless. The membrane is already so close to the body on the upper arm (considering how short the upper arm typically is compared to the lower arm) that any extra stability or widening of the membrane isn’t going to do much good. Plus, it would be rather uncomfortable to fold a spine against the body on the upper arm.

Wrist Spikes

(Not to be confused with spines, which I use to refer to projections that support a membrane. See above sub-section for those)

This is yet another anatomical detail I was MUCH more anal about in the past, before learning that many real-life birds actually do have wrist spikes called wing spurs (and clubs, spikes, etc.).

Some have even retained claws on the ends of their fingers.

The claws are the easiest to understand—they’re retained from birds’ clawed ancestors. The spikes and spurs, however, are a bit novel to our human understanding of anatomy, as they can sprout from the metacarpals, carpals, or even the radius of the arm!

The takeaway here is that these spurs/clubs/etc. are used exclusively as weapons (whether against their own or other species). Thus, they are firmly based on an already-present bone (either the carpal, metacarpal, or radius), and don’t move independently. They don’t provide any help in clinging, nor can they fold up against the wing like bat thumbs.

(I highly recommend checking out Darren Naish’s articles on wing spurs if you want a much more in-depth analysis of wing spurs in different bird species)

Just keep the basic anatomy of the hand in mind if you add wrist spikes. For example, if your wing has a thumb, then you’d likely need to base the spike on the radius rather than the wrist bones, or else the spike would interfere with thumb movement. Also be careful not to interrupt the front-edge membrane when adding wrist spikes—wings still need that membrane to function, whether they’re being used for battle or not.

Palms

Now I know I said in the Basic Anatomy section that bats don’t have palms-- just wrists carpals and extra-long fingers. This is likely because of what I discussed in that section about proportions-- the longer bones forming bases of the fingers provide stability to the fingers, while the carpals simply hold all the fingers together at one point, allowing for rotation and flexibility. A proper palm may end up destabilizing the wing, since the base of the hand needs long-bone stability, but the bones of the palm would be shorter than the bases of the fingers.

However, this is merely a possibility-- while palms aren’t technically accurate to real-life bats, I don’t think they’re necessarily impossible, if designed right.

Namely, we need to keep in mind weight and shape.

The wing palm should NOT be too thick/wide relative to the wing arm, since the overall mass of the wing thins out across the arm, from shoulder to wrist. thus, if you slap a heavy palm on the end of the wing, it’ll throw off the whole balance of the wing.

Shape also affects the stability of the wing-- the leading edge of the palm may need thicker support against oncoming air currents, while the trailing edge might thin out some to help with aerodynamics.

So, we can assume that a humanoid palm would be too thick with padding, too large proportionally to the arm, and not shaped correctly for flight.

Instead, I would suggest a couple options.

You could slightly emphasize the wrist space the bases of the fingers share, making for a round, unobtrusive palm. Hell, you might even be able to argue the palm is *just* the carpals, depending on how you draw it-- it’s just a little wider than on bats.

Or, you could lean into a longer, but more asymmetrical palm, with a thicker leading metacarpal, and the rest of the metacarpals shortening/thinning in progression.

Just remember that with either design, the palm should still be fairly small compared to the arm.

Thumbs

When thumbs aren’t being used as a base for feathers like a bird’s alula, they’re usually used for clinging. As it turns out, clinging is more effective when the knuckle of the thumb rests against the object being clung to, thus this knuckle gets a lot more padding than the rest of the finger.

This padding could even be compared to the paw pads of a cat or a dog, especially when the thumb is used as a resting point when bats are on the ground.

While I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a sin to model a wing thumb after a human thumb, it does make more sense to model wing thumbs after bat thumbs so they can properly cling and support a membrane.

-Mod Spiral

#wings #anatomy #mod spiral

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the-river-person · 3 years

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Worldbuilding Tangent 3

Part 1 / Part 2 And here’s the section that made me want to start writing about worldbuilding in the first place. Waterfall. And since there’s no way to avoid it, bits of Hotland too. (A reminder that these are my own observations and analysis of the Game’s text it is still only my interpretation of how this area MIGHT work if we attempt to apply real world systems Undertale’s world. It’s possible that I misunderstood or don’t know enough about the natural systems described and that things couldn’t work that way without some kind of magic, whether that of the Monsters or some natural source of it.) So let’s start off with my theories about Mt Ebbot itself. I think that at one point it was an active volcano. The area must have, in some primordial age of the world, been under high sea levels. There is no way for some of the larger caverns, such as the Snowdin Cavern, to have formed except through dissolution of Limestone over very long periods of time through water. Limestone is usually made from the accumulation of shell, coral, algal, fecal, and other organic debris at the bottom of bodies of water. As water levels receded over time, we were left with layers of limestone. Then at some point a magma chamber beneath the earth had an increase pressure and the magma was driven upwards. Interactions between magma and limestone are can cause extremely explosive eruptions, and its my guess that this caused the formation of what I’m calling the Grand Cavern which contains a huge portion of Waterfall as well as the City of New Home. This would have been a Stratovolcano, which is characterized by multiple explosions of both streams of magma and clouds of ash and thrown fragments. Usually such explosions are massive, and the high pressure of lava streams even underground might even lead to the formation of Lava Tubes. Volcanic activity and limestone would explain the presence of both the numerous crystals that decorate this part of the Underground as well as some the larger smoother areas of the visible caverns. Based on how the path seems to work, my guess is that streams of lava flooded upwards and the lava tubes formed became the main path of Waterfall. Then when the Volcano became dormant and the magma receded to lower areas, surface water began to flow back into the Underground, smoothing over and eroding at the volcanic surfaces of the caves and making waterfall much bigger as lava caves and tubes were opened into various Solutional caves and caverns or areas blasted open by the eruption as well as new layers of igneous rock which were easily eroded. Many speculate that there must be a body of water above this area of the Underground to produce that much constant water. I don’t entirely think so. While its likely that there is a nearby source for a large amount of water, there is so much water in this area that it can’t all stem from that. Part of it actually comes from the river we see in Snowdin. When you enter Waterfall, the river vanishes because you are in tunnels which are walled on one side, and drop off with the falls on the other into an unseen area (Will return to this). The river vanished behind these walls somehow, yet still manages to flow on steadily till it reaches Hotland and then the Core. My guess is that the river is one of several sources for water. Others include natural springs, probably some body of water on the surface such as mountain streams and various small lakes in the area. It is all of these that would allow water to collect in the Underground. Right above the area we travel through is probably a larger reservoir of water. Without such a thing, the water levels of this area would be affected seasonally and the caves would be dry at times, which is not hinted at anywhere. Also, Waterfall is one of the largest sections of the Underground and is significantly darker than other areas. Since the area is on the same level as most of the livable Underground, rather than deeper down, its likely that it sits under the main body of Mt Ebbot, while Snowdin Cavern, the area New Home sits under, as well as the Ruins are all much closer to the edge of the mountain and sometimes lie underneath the foothills and normal ground. This allows for the openings and shafts of light that are present in these other areas, but not so much in Waterfall. So our larger reservoir would collect water and its shores would ebb and flow as the water table was affected. It would also contain large amounts of trash if the visible area of Waterfall is any indication. Its possible that many denizens of this area live around the reservoir and river instead of in the lower tunnels, this would account for a good many monsters supposed to dwell here. We also have another piece of evidence that hints at the existence of multiple levels of the area by remembering that Undyne appears on the opposite side of the river with Papyrus at the beginning of the area. Behind them are some columns formed from limestone deposits as water drips down from above. Later she appears again attacking you through gigantic hand carved columns that line the edge of the dark water. Eventually though, if the reservoir got too low, such as during a drought, the water level in the lower areas would be affected too. Which Onionsan tells us is so with the comment that it gets shallower all the time and that many others have moved to a large Aquarium in New Home, though some are probably just eager to escape the Underground. We also appear to have rather large cliffs with standing water pools, probably a plunge pool or basin formed from the falling water. Other caves appear to hold huge bodies of relatively still waters allowing for the growth of “Water Sausages” or Typha, grasses of various kinds, and bioluminescent mushrooms and flowers. What kind of wetlands these areas area was a bit tricky to figure out. Since they are in a cave system and there are no trees in this area and limited vegetation and animals, then things like swamps and marshes can be eliminated. A bog was a possibility, until I remembered that unlike the Dark Waters areas which have near black water, one large area has its colors inverted making the land dark due to the light coming from the water. The probably cause of this is due to Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates. Dinoflaggellates are plankton that can be found in many bodies of water such as streams and lakes. But mostly they show up in the ocean. However bioluminescence is rare, and usually only occurs to aid in escape from predators, or to help find food in dark places. We have the dark down, but Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates require relatively stable conditions such as water that is not too cold but not terribly hot, and isn’t flowing too quickly. This along with the difference between the Dark Water area and this one means that this pool is probably somewhat warmer, maybe some very light geothermal activity, or simply the shape or makeup of the cave allowed for it to be just warm enough for Bioluminescence to develop over who knows how long. Since various forms of BIoluminescence are common in dark caves big enough for complex ecosystems, this wouldn’t be too strange. But the necessary warmer temperature rules out bog, swamp, fen, and bayou. Leaving us with a marsh. Since I have no real evidence of a sea or ocean (some people say that you can see one in the distance at the end of the game, but I looked and its too blurry to tell out that far. Could be ocean, could be more land, could be hazy horizon with the setting sun. Who knows.) its unlikely that its a saltwater marsh. This is doubled by all the fungi, freshwater plants, and such that live here, plus all of the underground gets its water from these connected rivers, lakes, and pools. So we’re left with freshwater marsh. A freshwater marsh is an area that is continuously or frequently flooded and primarily consist of sedges, grasses, and emergent plants. This checks all of our boxes for Waterfall while still allowing for enough stability in certain areas that the Dinoflagellates won’t be disturbed much. There are areas that are still very wet soil that grasses and mushrooms grow on plentifully, along with the clearly magical Echo Flowers. Though no mushroom exactly resembles those found in game, there are many many instances of bioluminescent fungi. The Echo Flowers sadly cannot be explained without magic of some kind, though there are a few very rare flowers that have bioluminescence, nothing but magic could be responsible for the echo mechanism. Also, the glowing of the crystals that make the stars is likely a natural phenomenon and the only mentions we get of them are that monsters have seen them and remember the stars. They are explicitly named as stones instead of the Arachnocampa luminosa gloworm species we are familiar with from the Waitomo Caves. So their glow must be due to some kind of Luminescence. There are several types of natural light minerals can produce, but unless the crystals have a source of light to give them energy, are glowing with intense heat, or are somehow being disturbed constantly and in ways that cause them to break chemical bonds... they’re probably magical. (Unless we want to say that the underground is flooded with Electromagnetic Radiation like Ultraviolet Light, Infrared Light, or X-Rays. I somehow doubt this is the case. Some of these would kill the monsters and any humans. Others would be impossible this far underground.) The light of the stars must be bright enough to allow the Typha to grow. Water Sausages are a resilient and adaptable species, but they must have some light because all studies showed that in total darkness they could no longer germinate. So while magic is probably involved, or this species has evolved greatly from being underground for a long time, this plant needs some light to survive. The Grand Cavern, where New Home is shown in the distance, also gives us a vague and shadowy impression of a lot of open space between you and the city proper. This is likely filled with fields for growing whatever food can be effectively produced in the Underground with limited light from the cavern ceiling, and the glowing crystals. Funnily, various parts of the Typha can be eaten either raw or after cooking and can also be used in medicines. Traditionally it has been used by certain indigenous cultures of British Columbia. This plant is probably a large part of Underground diets. We also see an abundance of fireflies around this area, who are nocturnal and wouldn’t have much problem down here. Finally I return to the countless falls that flow past you and down into the area below which we as players cannot see or reach. It is possible that the waters continue to flow down and erode or dissolve further caves and caverns below, maybe even form a massive lake or being absorbed into the stone and soil and vanishing (this depends on geological conditions down there). Now, while I think there is a great deal more room for monsters to spread out down there, it has a few problems with livability. Our biggest problem is light. Without sources of light such as the crystals or shafts of sunlight or glowing magma, it’s difficult to make a lot of things work. Because the Core is able to produce electricity due to geothermal activity, we know that the entire Underground is powered, so artificial light can be applied to crops and to every home, though clearly not every single section of the Underground. It’s possible that if Monsters found a safe way into the lower depths, they could easily use the extra room and find ways to power everything. But plant life would be scarce and limited to what artificial stuff they could grow or keep alive. It would be far more oppressive than living at higher points, even with an entire group of people you would begin to display serious psychological problems such as loss of spatial awareness or warped sense of time. This wouldn’t be a problem for most of the Underground because there are areas with large amounts of natural sunlight that leak through. But the deeper you go the more dangerous it becomes mentally. However Monster Biology is somewhat of a mystery to us and though they don’t display the strongest constitution when a human attacks with intent in their soul to do harm, perhaps they’d be more able to adapt for such living conditions since geological phenomena don’t usually possess intent to kill (At least...I hope they don’t.) Furthermore you could not only have dwellings at the bottom of the caves, but tunnels and small caves and stairs dug down into the cliffs beneath the waterfalls. The same can be said for the upper falls as well, allowing for far more territory in the area than can be seen by the player. But danger lurks in the future for the Waterfall area. It may not happen quickly, but as the water continues to flow, the stone that makes up the area will erode or be slowly dissolved. One day the roof of this part of the Underground will collapse. If the damage is extensive enough, the entirety of Waterfall could collapse into the deeper areas below we can only guess at and a massive sinkhole could open up on the surface. This process could take decades or happen very quickly. Hopefully there is enough of a rock barrier between Hotlands and any water displaced by said collapse, as such an influx of water and possible boulders of limestone to the Lava Lake could cause Mt. Ebbot to erupt.

#mt ebbot #volcanic activity #waterfall undertale #undertale #undertale theory #caves #caverns #lava tubes #subduction cave #limestone caverns #bioluminescence #bioluminescent dinoflagellates #freshwater marsh #onionsan #undyne #hotland #this is so long #but there's more coming

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labrats-and-clonetroopers · 3 years

Text

Chapter 5 - Our Secrets Will Keep Themselves

A Lab Rats/Star Wars: The Clone Wars Crossover

Chase Davenport x Ahsoka Tano

Synopsis, Chapter Masterlist, Warnings

Previous: Chapter 4

Next: Chapter 6

The Coruscant night is awash in color. Neon signs flash and glare in pulsing rythym, lighting up the alleyways cracked with faded paint and graffiti. The lower levels here are still teeming with people, rather unseemly sorts, but the buzz of raucous life sparks through the air. The steady roar of speeder traffic melds into the din of music and crude laughter, the cries of a brawl rising up intermittently, and for the few who listen carefully, the hushed whispers of black market deals and payoffs. Blending in such a cacaphony is hardly difficult.

Well, it shouldn’t be difficult.

“You call that subtle?”

“Maybe not, but that sleemo would have bought it if you weren’t staring at me like I’d just sprouted horns!”

“Well, I mean, “ Chase gestures to her montrals, “But that’s not the point! You’ve worked in the lower levels before! Anakin said you were good at undercover work!”

Ahsoka rolls her eyes. “You’re the one always about to lose your mind over Anakin’s lack of common sense! Maybe you, Genius, should have guessed he’s about as good as being inconspicuous as a gungdark in a china shop. And that as his student, there might be a few gaps in my training?”

Chase huffs. “In my defense, despite being an adrenaline junkie, you aren’t someone I thought could be capable of doing something stupid.”

The troguta raises an eyebrow marking. “I don’t know whether that was an insult or a compliment, but if it was Anakin instead of me, he would have already ignited his lightsaber.”

“Because that solves everything.”

Ahsoka rolls her eyes again as they continue to push through the crowd, each of them keeping their gaze strictly ahead. She senses his presence next to her as they continue on, their pace rushed by the anger and frustration palpable in their force signatures. After a long block, they reach their speeder parked along one of the main walks. Chase wordlessly gets in the driver’s seat. Ahsoka slides in next to him. She crosses her arms.

They take off in silence, changing to one of the upper lanes. The silence permeates, though the tensness in softening. Ahsoka sighs, uncrossing her arms and letting them drop to her sides. She slightly inlines her head towards his, their faces being illuminated in a rainbow of colors as they fly past the bustling cantinas and shops.

“I’m sorry,” she begins, “I should have warned you I’m no good at being subtle. I didn’t mean to ruin everything.”

Chase shakes his head. “No, I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have lost my temper, and you were right anyways. If I had just played along, instead of gaping at your, well, terrible acting, he would have probably bought it, and we wouldn’t be here,” he sighs, “back at square one.”

Ahsoka smiles, cringing. “I was that terrible, wasn’t I?”

Chase laughs, “You definitely were.”

She punches him lightly in the shoulder.

Chase smiles, but it quickly recedes. He slumps slightly back in the speeder. “We were so close to getting direct contact with the person who arranged the attack.” His jaw clenches. “So damn close.”

She studies him. She has sensed his rage and frustration for the past month, constant, consuming. Even though those emotions are always kept in visual check, impressively so, she can sense the toll it’s taking.

“You know things might go more smoothly if you were a little more calm, focused. I know you cared about Uhoto, but your anger won’t help you find find his killer.” She looks to him, only after the words come tumbling from her mouth does she begin to worry if she’s crossed a line.

Chase looks at her, sighs. “I know. I…I’m just not sure how to deal with it. I used to meditate when I was younger to stay…” he swallows, “in control, but it never really worked all that well.”

“Well,” Ahsoka offers a friendly smile, “No one’s ever perfected the art like the Jedi. So, how about a deal? You teach me how to act, and I’ll help you meditate.”

Chase nods. “It’s a deal.”

_____________________________________

They work late into the night in the Jedi Archives. Though the room is lighted the same as it is during the day, the quiet, still atmosphere betrays the hour of the outside world. Even Master Jocasta has retired for the evening, leaving the two teenagers alone in the grand library.

They sift through piles of information, retracing their steps, looking for new clues. As Ahsoka leans back to have a long, catlike stretch, she glances over at the holorecords on Chase’s side of the desk. She groans. She has no idea how he manages to blaze through them ten times faster than her, and yet remember every word of the entries. She may have never been a top of the class student in regards to formal education subjects, but that was never due to her intelligence. Her mind had always been wandering over lightsaber combat postitions, dueling advantages, and much Master Mirakar was going to lecture her about accidentally destroying another training remote.

“Found anything?” she asks.

“No.” He holds his head in his hands, rubs his tired eyes and leans back in chair. “It’s like the person who hired the assassins had never had any previous contact with the underworld.”

“Maybe they didn’t. If they were Umbaran, this could be politcally motivated.”

“But we checked there first. We’ve been over all the politcal profiles, inside and out. If there was anything to go on I would have seen it.”

“Sometimes the information you need can’t be found in hard evidence.”

Chase leans forward on the desk. “What are you proposing?”

“We need to talk to a senator, and I know just the one.”

______________________________________________

Senator Padmé Amidala’s suite is a grand sweep of elegant luxury. Chase stands next to Ahsoka as the young woman greets them. She pulls the togruta into a light hug as they step out into the living area.

A spectacular view of the Coruscant skyline frames the grandiose space, the sky still painted with washes of pink from the dawn only half an hour prior.

Padmé gestures for them to take a seat on her long, curved couch. She sits beside, turned to face them. “So what brings you here,” she inquires, her voice light.

“We were hoping you could tell us more about the Umbaran politicians. There have been some recent attacks that may be connected to them, “ Ahsoka explains. Chase looks faintly surprised that she would be so open about this with a politician.

Padmé notices the boy’s expression. “I’m afraid there’s not much I can tell you. Senator Deechi was the only one of their consul I ever spoke with. His aides kept to themselves, never interacting with other species, at least as far as I ever heard. I never even learned their names.”

“You haven’t heard any rumors, anything strange that could potentially be related to some kind of attack,” Chase inquires.

“The only rumor circulating at the moment is that Umbara is planning to join the Confedaracy, but as far as I can tell that story is being generated by senators who object to Umbara’s call for heightened security in the Senate Building. Their government was enraged by the assassination of their representative, though considering their culture that is most likely due to the fact that Deechi was not murdered by one of his own species.”

Ahsoka sighs. “That’s nothing new from what we already knew, but thanks for speaking with us. “ They rise from the couch and head towards the door.

“I wish I could be of more help,” Padmé says sincerely.

“If you think of anything else, contact us,” Chase suggests.

“It was good to see you, Ahsoka,” the woman imparts.

“The same to you, Senator,” the padawan returns, inclining her head in a respectful bow as they exit into the hall.

They walk down the hallway and out the front of the incredibly expesive apartment building.

“How do you know her?” Chase asks.

“Senator Amidala is a close friend of my Master. She’s worked a lot with the Jedi Order in the past. She can be trusted.”

“No one is completely trustworthy,” Chase counters.

“That’s hardly true. There are many people I know who I trust with my life. They’ll never let me down.”

“You only think that way until one of those people betrays you. And that’s only a matter of time.”

Ahsoka rolls her eyes. “You’re cynical.”

Chase looks at her sharply. “I know what I’m talking about.”

“Have you ever been betrayed?”

He looks down at the ground. She can sense his distress in the force. He breathes in and out, seeming to steel himself.

“Let’s just get back to the temple.”

___________________________________

A/N: Feedback and comments are always appreciated! I’m also curious to know if there’s anyone from both fandoms actually reading this.

#crossover #lab rats #lab rats: bionic island #lab rats: elite force #chase davenport #ahsoka tano #eventual chase davenport x ahsoka tano #chase x ahsoka #chase davenport x ahsoka tano #slow burn #padmé amidala #we've got a long ways to go

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shasta-reese · 4 years

Text

so...just watched Tiger King

Initially wasn’t gonna watch it but literally saw the name everywhere and I caved to see what the hype was about. This is going to be an extremely long post since I will be giving my thoughts on the entire docu-series, so if you like reading thorough reviews, welcome but if not this ain’t for you. This won’t be in chronological order but just whatever comes to my mind first.

After finishing it, naturally I went on social media to see what people opinions were. And I. Was Baffled. To see that some people are saying that Joe Exotic should be out of jail is fucking insane. Like yeah I could maybe see why people say he was framed and was kinda set up by Jeff Lowe for the murder-for-hire. But are people literally forgetting about the other charges he had like i don’t know ANIMAL ABUSE. Like come on people, okay fine people argue saying her never physically abuse them but it’s quite clear that he did not have proper enclosures for those animals. Tigers are largely solitary animals, and he placed multiple tigers into a single enclosure that was barely enough for one tiger. That is still a mistreatment of animals.

And then we find out about the WalMart expired meat, which sure animal stomachs can handle some slightly expired meat sure but you cannot say that it’s right to feed them that. Let’s not forget that he was also using that meat to serve to people.

Next up we have the obvious manipulation of his apparent husbands. I can’t say much for Dillon (the current husband). But it was so obvious that he was controlling Travis and John in some kind of way. They were both so young and addicted to drugs and Joe clearly saw that as an opportunity, and basically kept them from leaving by giving them gifts and drugs.

Just the entire tiger breeding part was just hard to watch for me. They literally show us that Joe took a newborn tiger from its mother. HOW ARE THERE NOT MORE PEOPLE UPSET THAT HE RIPPED CUBS FROM THEIR MOTHER MINUTES AFTER BIRTH! Yes, tigers are endangered. Yes, they should breed to be able to keep the species alive. BUT Joe exotic is not qualified and does not have the knowledge of proper animal conservation to be breeding tigers! He is breeding them to make a profit by cub petting, and selling them to be pets (which they are not).

I personally cannot find any redeemable qualities in Joe Exotic. Maybe he did actually care for the animals and truly loves animals but he got too caught up in the money and fame, completely throwing what he initially wanted to do. And to his credit he did have a moment of self-awareness when he was talking about the chimpanzees that were relocated. But even then he still did what he did and now he’s paying the price. He also made his mother sign documents that she didn’t even know what the contents were and got her dragged into his legal messes which is just fucked up.

I don’t think it’s possible for me to put every single thought I have into one post so I’ll try to give a brief summary of the main characters at least.

Jeff Lowe is an obvious con artist that scams people into thinking he has money but clearly doesn’t. He is absolute scum. yeah just scum. Just seeing his face just makes me wanna punch him. He has a very punchable face.

Antle is somehow worse that almost everyone in this entire thing. and i think the worse thing is that he is still getting away with all the shit he’s done/doing. Just listening to what that girl that escaped all that makes me sick that someone can do this. He’s literally breeding hybrids, that in itself is unethical, so fuck him. He’s literally leading a cult.

Carole Baskin. She’s clearly a flawed person and she definitely had something to do with her ex-husbands disappearance. Based on evidence or lack thereof, can’t say she killed him but she definitely knows more than we think. I dislike her in that she involved Big Cat Rescue into a personal feud. I will also say that she is a petty bitch. She’s not as bad as the others in terms of treatment to animals but still bad.

Big Cat Rescue (BCR) as an organisation is legit and should not be dragged down just because the founder has some shady personal stuff. Big Cat Rescue is quite open with how their facility is run, from their YouTube videos it shows clearly that the enclosures are way bigger than what they tried to portray in the docuseries. What was shown in the doc was only a small part of their enclosure where they feed the big cats. They offer a large area, hiding spots, shade, a pool for the tigers, and regular enrichment for their big cats. They rescue their big cats from abusive and neglected environments. And I am saying this for the people who keep claiming that BCR is doing the exact same thing as Joe or Antle, and that they’re keeping animals in cages too. Well, where else are we supposed to put them? CAPTIVE BRED ANIMALS CANNOT BE RELEASED INTO THE WILD! THEY WILL NOT SURVIVE! Literally all these people saying that these animals shouldn’t be in cages, and I agree but what so you propose we do with them? Leave them in the care of private owners who only got them because they were cute as a cub or as an ego boost to say “OhHh i OwN a TiGeR” and clearly don’t see that they are inadequate to be keeping a fucking tiger? Leave them in an environment where their basic needs are not met? Sanctuaries missions are to rescue these animals, their ultimate mission is to rescue these animals until there are no more privately owned exotic animals to be saved, give them a place of peace to live the remainders of their days and have empty cages. I cannot say anything about the treatment of the workers (because I didn’t see any solid sources saying they don’t pay their workers) but from what i gathered they do have some permanent staff but majority are volunteers (which by definition is someone who works without being paid, because its volunteer work), but I will say that BCR provides for their animals with the best of their abilities.

Holy shit... just ...when I watched the first episode I already didn’t want to continue because of the blatant disregard of animal welfare. But I watched the whole thing anyway to get a proper opinion instead of basing off of only one episode. On a slightly lighter note, I really liked Saff, he was one of the only people I liked. The dude with no legs (sorry can’t remember his name). And also Joshua Dial the campaign manager, like dude was nice, its just so tragic that he witnessed Travis shooting himself, hope the dude is going to therapy for that. RIP Travis Maldonado. Like they said in the end, nobody won and definitely not the animals, they suffered the most out of all of this.

I think that’s all off the top of my head that I have to say for now. Leave a reply if I missed out on anything. At the end of the day this is just my opinion, obviously we all have different opinions. So feel free to leave your opinion but I only want to have a civil discussion and don’t have the energy to argue with anyone. Guess that’s all.

Goodbye, for now

#tiger king #joe exotic #carole baskin #jeff lowe #doc antle #animal abuse #this is just an opinion #don't come for me #if you don't agree

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tammyhybrid21 · 4 years

Text

On Villain Impact

SO, Guess who just rewatched UP so that I could further expand on the tea brought up in the post that ask prompted! I mean, and some general comparison moments... with plot and tone and the possible inspirations... BUT--

We're not here to explore Paradise Falls today!

So let's take this in parts so I can give each villain(and one bonus) their dues. Starting with the Pixar villain who first traumatized me in 2009.

Charles Muntz

Sooo first of all, this guy is terrifying.

Like, out of all the villains I'm here to talk about, Muntz has reached that point that there's just... something wrong and broken by the time he actually shows up on screen in his movie. Well, not his movie but-- By the time we meet him, isolation has done a number along with his single minded focus on his goal.

Muntz is... not in a good state of mind AT ALL.

BUT--

I kind of want to take it back for a moment to what triggered this. Because here's the tea-- As we see, throughout the movie with Russel and Kevin, Muntz's find was real. Birb still around even. That skeleton he displayed-- and yet--

They decried it as fake. Something he fabricated. Which hello, here's some of my related tea-- Again, this is basically that whole-- issue of if it doesn't fit with known facts, along with some of the other issues regarding the palaeontology community in general that is-- not quite the same, but--

I have many, many dinosaur issues and some of them come from how long it took people to accept feathered dinosaurs, to the fact that there has been multiple cases of evidence that dinosaurs went extinct much more recently than what we're taught in schools(middle ages, medieval art and designs and just argh--), that are just-- REJECTED. Which even included a report about still images, art and designs that are very dinosaur in nature. Or hell, the comparison of dragon legends to how dinosaur skulls and appearances are--

Not to mention there have been and are still fiascos about dinosaur bones and the whole marrow and blood cells discovered in them. Which instead of maybe assuming that means they're younger than previously assumed they're assuming that means that decay rates are off, which... yeah sure. I don't really have a degree on that, but it sounds wrong when decay has more clear and obvious examples that have been more clearly witnessed, studied-- I mean there's a whole STUDY on decay--

BUT I'M NOT AN EXPERT AND THE EARTH HAS TO BE--

Anyway-- Fossils and bones have-- such a HUGE mess. From exhibits going missing, discoveries passed over time and time again because is "doesn't fit" what was previously know, there's a whole documentary that's one guy trying to explain how there's evidence of specific species actually just being sexual dimorphism and differences in age of just one species and being mocked by the rest of the community for that view--

You know fascinating stuff--

Among other things, like I remember so clearly a documentary that used to be around where they talked about a dig site where there were modern animals preserved with animals from so, so long ago-- along with trying to explain how the very existence of Dinosaur bones and fossils proved that the Great Worldwide Flood happened.

Which-- honestly on the flood, just look at how pretty much every culture has a Great Flood story and that's already proven that something happened. WHICH is all beside the point--

But this-- THIS--

Do you know how much this happens, happened, and still probably will happen in the future?! I mean shit-- people thought the KANGAROO was FAKE NEWS once upon a time. Among-- many other of Australia's animals... also like-- think about weird animals from your own country and imagine in the olden days, sure people could travel, but that didn't mean everyone would or could and just--

How many animals sound fake but then you see them?!

In any case, there's just a very subtle background flow to this movie in that ultimately, the TRUE villains hidden in the story are the Archaeology & Palaeontology communities. Scientists.

Which yeah, deviation from the main point of this post, so now that we have that background detail and rant. What impact does Muntz have as a villain. Well... very clearly he's terrifying. Like, I don't think I can overstate how much I was FREAKED OUT as a baby 11 year old seeing this movie for the first time, with exaggerated memories of fire and trauma and all-- and just-- Muntz is a Pixar villain.

Which yeah--

I don't actually really have to say much in regards to how he lingers and his presence is felt all through how the movie unfolds. Even from before this reveal-- there's that sense of wrongness when you're paying attention and you just think about how the dogs act.

And well-- there's something to be stated about this scene... and how it serves as a good lead in to the next villain I would like to talk about-- But for now...

Muntz' degeneration here is subtle. Traitors, liars, people after his discovery... and some serious isolation induced paranoia.

But the heart of his motivation is that long, long ago disgrace. It's been YEARS, of hunting and trying to find the one thing. Carl's entire lifetime from childhood. His entire goal-- and what a hell of a broken pedestal that creates... but arguably, he's from a somewhat tragic perspective when you actually think how fundamentally broken he's fallen when examining the facts.

From a lauded explorer-- adventurer... to this.

Fearing and calling anyone he meets liars.

Max Mordon

Soooo before anyone says that was an abrupt-- I think that this is the PERFECT place to transition over. Because the one immediately there is... some DRASTIC contrasts between these two, despite well. Some small similar vibes to generals.

Like seriously...

Not precisely the same... but like-- Brown hair, blue eyes... and the general frame of his hair style. Max just missed some of the points and has no moustache or anything. BUT--

Max is also in direct contrast in regards to motivations. At least to the prior villain of Muntz. BUT-- Max is kind of literally the kind of people that Muntz was paranoid about. Which isn't really played for subtly in the movie, which is unfortunate, but to be fair that's a hard thing to play subtle and with all the tropes we've been exposed to nowadays-- BUT--

Max basically fell into the trap of, pedestal to break, along with what I kind of call Scooby logic, in how his presentation gave him away as a villain. And also all the older mentor characters disapproving of him.

Basically he was doomed from the framing.

Which-- isn't really the movie's fault, and in the end I would argue it actually plays to his favour to be so obvious.

Sooo I can also actually focus on other things instead of the fact we all know! Like how THERE'S just... so, so much I could say about Tad's reactions to Max throughout the movie. But that will probably take away from the focus of this rant/analysis. BUT-- Yeah, Max is set up as pretty obviously trouble to EVERYONE but the main characters.

Which... I do have opinions for another rant about how Sara would have in any other context probably noticed his fake sooner-- but Max is... "media circus" and archaeology... and more really his pursuit is-- really, really straight forwards in the context of the movie and even the greater scope.

Max is after immortality, power, and prestige. Puts great pride on his title and claim to be the "Greatest explorer". And much unlike Muntz there is no sign of ANYTHING tragic or forgiving in his background. He wasn't screwed over by the system, rather he's here using the system to screw others other.

ALSO--

Max is savvy as anything.

Like-- I don't think people will quite understand my glee at how RUTHLESS this is. But in a similar vein to Muntz, Max isn't letting anything stand in the way of his goals. Not here-- directing the Odysseus to get rid of Freddy and Tad despite them ostensibly being "no threat", which yeah... not completely for Tad as later that comes back around-- BUT-- Max is just... SAVVY in that sense that he's not taking risks.

BUT then we also get him showing he's... really not as expert as he plays himself. Which sure, the Professor has studied for years, but still-- there's a kind of logic that's just-- well, in the Quipu room and even before entering the ruins... He's just-- not studied enough, or observing enough. Not without blind spots.

BUT--

I also want to for a moment just take a moment to have an aside on this:

I also don't know if this is something that people would notice. But-- when it comes to this moment, Max turns the tables... really quickly. Which half of that is just Mummy being kind of naïve himself here in this moment, like-- of all the decisions... but the other half is SOMETHING clicked in Max's mind on this--

But mostly I want to focus on that expression. He's so damn smug-- like he's got a plan, smug and smooth, ready to try and steal the advantage... and I have... opinions on other nuances that might be hiding in that smile. But-- well, it's just not something that can easily be covered all in this--

BUT

It's these two SIDES. And his clear motivation, that actually makes Max a really, really strong and interesting villain to speculate and think about. ALSO-- On the topic of my prior rant...

Max DEFINITELY is the kind of person who probably-- had the movie not unfolded as it did, just be likely to think Mummy was just "another discovery" and tool to use to boost his own reputation.

But as we all know-- ultimately it all came back down on him and backfired.

Jack Rackham

Is honestly the most bland and kind of... confusing almost part of The Secret of King Midas. Like, I almost get him, but then compared to Max, there's just... Nothing to really work with in terms of fanfiction for missing scenes, alternative takes on the universe and story-- and even for his basic motivation it feels like something is... missing or unexplained. Not quite paid off properly.

But then, a lot of things in the sequel kind of pan out in a weird way that I have... much to grumble on.

"So cute, the power of Midas goes way beyond wealth my dear"

"Midas' power, is the power of the GODS! The power to Rule the World!"

Aaaand then this feels like it doesn't actually get a proper explanation or framing or anything to explain what that even MEANS. It's kind of nebulous to how things pan out and unfold. Also, just in general for movie 2, we didn't see enough of Rackham for him to make a proper impact or landing...

Like, for all the world aside the romance subplot, Rackham's presence in this movie is the MOST FORCED THING. He just feels... incomplete, or like something is missing. And then worse, obligatory. With next to no impact aside a few expressions that only lead to more internal confusion and screaming because WHAT DOES THIS EVEN MEAN?! What was meant to be going on here?

And that stupid, stupid line--

Makes me wonder if there was some other factor supposed to be at play with the collar. Since honestly-- Just the touch of gold doesn't really speak highly to "the power of the gods".

Rackham... in comparison to Max is just-- so empty.

And again...

The last thing that just drives my confusion(along with a conspiracy based on framing, set pieces and other things) is this expression, and specifically who it's aimed at.

Bonus Tiffany & The Archaeological Community

So...

Hot take but-- Movie 2's villain should have been Tiff. Well, halfway anyway... And I have... already mostly ranted on the topic-- But not really enough to truly kind of get over my TRUE frustration. Which has now combined into how nebulous and almost... overloaded movie 2 feels the more I rewatch the rest of it.

BUT LIKE--

If there is one rule that we see time and time again when discoveries are made that challenge things. THEY ARE NOT ACCEPTED. People just like to think, to believe that we know the most about the past already. That there's a strict timeline to everything that happened. And if mythology and stories come into it-- Just for crying out loud--

The issue persists.

People denying anything that challenges the view already established. Up to and including the mishandling of archaeological digs and finds. Destruction of artefacts and we all know that the ones who get the brunt of it are the younger folks, those who're out of the "default" and well... ladies.

Which yeah-- not really surprising because sexism still stands and rings strong... but here...

DESPITE THE PAPYRUS BEING FOUND-- We didn't actually get to see the end result of that... And how it was taken beyond a giant presentation. There would have been authenticators-- people going over every INCH of that thing and then more-- so, so many people who would STILL call it fake.

Since we all know! Magic isn't real, myths didn't happen. So this must be some exaggerated story as well right?

WHICH ALSO-- Arguably this whole angle, the potential of the plot being just-- Driven by this-- It's more in line with the motives that are set up for Tiffany. The BIGGEST DISCOVERY in recent history. And also again, I can talk about some incomplete arcs, because this actually gives EVERYONE that little bit more room to breath.

Also serves as a bit more of a move on from movie 1 for Tadeo, first his hero(Max), wasn't all he appeared, and now-- the villain is okay, not exactly defined so much, more abstract in the community decrying the evidence. Denying-- Quite likely mishandling the papyrus since it can't really be what it claims.

Actually make the papyrus relevant, along with Sara's journal of notes on the project for more than one scene... and POSSIBLY EXPLAIN THAT LINE FROM RACKHAM.

Power of the Gods... and the mystery of Sara's kind of echo/response line to it.

“There are too many signs that the power of Midas shouldn’t be trifled with, I’m just saying that maybe the collar shouldn’t see the daylight”

We could have even still had that climax, just with some alterations, and let Tiffany come full circle in the theming. Set up and payoff, with even the legend being mirrored. But anyway... yeah.

Just in general, the villains most effective here are the ones who give us more than just that surface level empty sense. That have presence that's felt and echoes throughout the whole MOVIE and story. Which is definitely Muntz and Max, without them something is fundamentally lost.

Meanwhile Rackham is there, but he feels obligatory, without a proper explanation and if you removed him--

Tiffany could have become a mirror to Muntz in a similar way to Max-- BUT also much closer. She's set up PERFECTLY for it as well. Her adoration and eagerness, that bright hope yet. And it would be so easy to still have the main beats be the same-- Without much of an issue of the plot push either.

Rackham's sense of presence in the movie is so... dismal anyway--

And as for that climax. Well, you have to prove every aspect right?

BUT then it wouldn't make sense for Tadeo to make any kind of sacrifice there. To come full circle, it would need to be Tiffany. And the collar ACTUALLY could be sacrificed like in the legend and Tad first assumed.

#THybrid Jones #Pixar #Up(Pixar)#Tadeo Jones #Max Mordon #Rackham(Tadeo Jones)#Tiffany(Tadeo Jones)#Charles Muntz #Villains #This is filled with salt tbh #Because I wanted to RANT #But also I got to expand a bit on some things that bothered me #BUT NOT ALL OF THEM #Because I need to finish a certain fic so I can frame some of my posts properly #There are two moments cherry picked in this post I want to rant further on especially #But only one I'm sort of halfway able to

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plumrabbit · 4 years

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I saw your comment about dealing with Trumpers. Do you have any advice for family members who truly believe they're on the side of good by supporting him? I'm especially torn up about someone who I believe is being taken advantage of due to lifelong social factors & her trusting nature. It's really difficult to unpack & it would be nice if there were a support group for this. I don't want to bother anyone but I need help too. I'm committed, I just shake during convos like these & it's draining.

Hello, and thank you for reaching out! Sorry it took a while to respond, I wanted to come up with something relatively comprehensive. Putting the rest under a cut as this is long!

I am so sorry you are dealing with this in your life, and you’re right, it is totally draining. The fact that these confrontations make you shake is significant because it means your fight or flight response has kicked in - your brain has told your body you are in imminent danger. Here is some info on this response, if you can understand it and how it affects you, you can start searching for ways to manage its debilitating effects, and make difficult conversations less stressful.

Don’t worry about feeling like you’re being a bother, I am happy to help as much as possible, though I can only speak from my own experiences. I unfortunately cannot say I know of any support groups, but I imagine there would be some on Facebook, and you may also have luck asking somewhere like reddit.com/r/trumpgret. You’re right, it is a ton to unpack, and every Trump supporter is motivated by different factors, but at their core, they’re all relatively similar in that Trump is appealing to something in their psychology. Like I mentioned, I can only really speak from experience, so I’ll tell you what has worked for me. As a disclosure, these were people that only supported Trump, and had some ignorant views based on the false information he’s been spreading. This doesn’t apply to e.g. people that rat out undocumented immigrants to ICE, capitalist bootlickers, neo Nazis, etc. I usually advocate for non-violence, but you can punch those people in the face for all I care.

First and foremost, the main thing I’ve always kept in the back of my mind when dealing with Trump supporters is that at the end of the day, they’re also human. Humans are fallible, and our evolution as a social species has also made us so prone to mob mentality and blindly following others. There are a multitude of reasons as to why this occurs, but it tends to boil down to emotions, and not actual facts. From Wikipedia: “Herd mentality, mob mentality and pack mentality, describes how people can be influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors on a largely emotional, rather than rational, basis. When individuals are affected by mob mentality, they may make different decisions than they would have individually.”

It’s important to remember that how they are behaving is not necessarily who they truly are, and even though communicating with them may be difficult as a result, you have to forgive them for following herd mentality because they may feel pressured to believe certain ideas. It’s difficult, but compassion is a requirement for getting through to someone.

If you’re having a discussion with the person you’ve mentioned and the topic of Trump comes up, the best way to establish a connection with them is to just listen. Acknowledge what they say by repeating it in a way that makes it clear that you are trying to understand their thought process. So many people respond by firstly stating their own perspectives, but this doesn’t show the other person that you are actually listening. Use this opportunity to find out what they are thinking, and remember what they said so you can analyze it later. I mentioned earlier that Trump supporters all tend to share certain psychological traits, and here are the studies, and the summary, that describe these traits in more detail.

Figuring out which one(s) your family members could potentially be categorized in will help you understand what is going on inside their head, because you can do more research on that specific issue. What are they motivated by? What are they afraid of? Not only can you do research on their specific psychological traits, you can also find statistics that will refute their claims that they are using to justify their discrimination. That being said, bringing up objective facts can be difficult, because they are likely to not want to believe the hard evidence. Again, if you can coax them into a place where they are open to understanding the bigger issue, e.g. immigrants and crime (hint, statistical analyses show immigration does not increase crime), you can increase the chances of having a productive conversation with them. Another thing to be cognizant of is the language you are using. It’s very tempting to call Trump supporters things like “Trumpets” (and much worse), but this tends to make them tune out to anything else you may have to say. Again, remember that they are fallible humans that, while they may need guidance, also deserve to be treated with a basic level of respect. Along the same vein as language use, avoid using terms and phrases like “that’s wrong,” “you’re problematic/stupid/an asshole etc.,” (even if it’s true). It’s easy to respond emotionally because trying to get people to understand why what they believe is morally reprehensible means a lot to us, but you will have to fight that feeling. Preparing yourself with knowledge and strategies is the best way to combat the feeling of helplessness that causes the upset during discourse.

I guess a lot of it also boils down to getting them to listen to themselves. If you can guide them through their thought process, sometimes I find they start to realize what they say out loud doesn’t actually make sense. If that happens, it’s also important to not catch them in a “gotcha!” moment, even though it’s tempting, because they will feel ashamed and will likely shut down any further conversation. Listen, acknowledge, and make them realize you’re not going to shame them for their choices (you can vent privately to somebody you trust, but don’t take out your emotions on the person you are trying to get through to). At the end of the day, you want to change their mind, and if brute force doesn’t work, gentle guidance often does. That’s all I can think of for now, I hope some of it is at least a little bit helpful! You’re welcome to continue this discussion, and let me know if you’d like me to respond privately in the future.

#jade q and a #ok to reblog #trump tw #dealing with trump supporters #trump

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frangipanilove · 4 years

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TRUNK RESURRECTION; PART ONE

ETA; Trunk Resurrection Part Two here:

https://frangipanilove.tumblr.com/post/612121865460301824/trunk-resurrection-part-2

TREE TRUNKS, CAR TRUNKS, OTHER TRUNKS AND OTHER THREES.

I’ve talked a lot about the significance of synonyms in deciphering the symbolism of TWD-verse. This time I’m gonna focus on the relationship between “trees”, “tree trunks”, “three’s” and “car trunks”. In part 2 I will discuss a number of particularly interesting cars that we’ve seen over the years, and eventually I’ll say a few words on the “foot/boot” symbolism. I hope to have part 2 ready later today or at least some time tomorrow. The two parts should probably be read together, as part 1 establishes the theoretical foundation for the case studies in part 2.

The significance of the number «3» has been emphasized by TD for a long time. We saw it around Beth in 4x1, when she got up from her bed and picked up the number 3 card from the «…days without accident» board. Many bloggers have offered excellent interpretations on the recurring 3’s, one of my favorite being that Christ resurrected after three days. Beth is, as we know a Christ figure.

In 4x12 “Still”, we watched Beth and Daryl climb into the trunk of a car in an attempt to hide from a following horde. They stayed in the trunk through the night. When morning came, they got out, and while climbing out of the trunk, we see a number 03 on the inside of the trunk. This is the first time we see hints of the three (3) symbolism and the trunk symbolism together, something which suggests that they’re synonomous, and that the’re interchangable. From here on, we could interpret “three” as synonymous with “tree”, which again is synonymous with “trunk”. It tells the story of trunks, specifically of Beth in a trunk, but they use a multitude of symbols to do it.

The trunk is a symbol that speaks of «salvation», «rescue» or «resurrection» if you wil, especially as “trunk” is synonomous with “tree”. I’ll explain below.

From events from the show, we understand that we're supposed to deduce that Beth somehow was placed in the trunk of a car. The trunk scene from «Still» was the foreshadow, the scene from «Them» was the callback.

We've also seen this theme around many other characters, such as with Enid and Carl in 5x15 «Forget». They specifically hid in a hollow tree trunk as a walker horde passed by, suggesting that three trunks symbolically offer a function of “rescue”. or “protection from walker hordes”.

We watched Daryl and Aaron find a naked disemboweled woman tied to a tree in 5x15 “Forget”. The message there was the resurrection part, as she turned and became undead before their eyes. And sure, she was resurrected into a walker, which is far less desirable than just escaping death and living on in human form. But the symbolism is about resurrections. That woman definately resurrected. And this happenes while she was tied to a tree.

Those of you that watch FTWD will be aware of how all of a sudden trees with their trunks painted blue started to show up. Sometimes with a Madison quote (”No One’s Gone Until They’re Gone”), other times with a painted ladder, or painted phoenix-looking bird.

Earlier in this season, in TWD 10x5, the opening minutes revealed something interesting. It was a musical montage showing the daily life in ASZ and on Hilltop. The song was Gordi’s “Save Me”, but the most remarkable thing about it was the constant repeat of the words «one two three one two three…» And and as this song played, we eventually saw a huge tree fall down over the Hilltop wall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jTmUNXN_C4

The incident was an indication that the whisperers did not respect the agreed upon peace treaty, but in terms of plot, the tree falling in over the Hilltop walls was easily forgotten. It happened, and then it was never referred to again. Its main purpose wasn’t for the plot. It was symbolic. It fell down to the words of the song “Save Me”; “One Two Three, One Two Three...”

This was TPTB’s way of officially tying the “tree” symbolism to the “three” symbolism. Three and tree. They are synonyms, and are used interchangedly.

TREES AS CROSSES

But first, let me say a few words on crosses. Christ died on a cross, and the cross is one of the most recognizable symbols in our society. It represents Christ’s death and resurrection, and from a TD perspective we’re of course particularly interested in the «resurrection» part.

Interestingly, in the early Greek biblical texts, the word we now recognize as «cross» were at first actually written as «tree». The greek word «stavros» translates to «pike», more specifically a «pike made of wood». In that respect, it resembles a tree. The Greek word for «tree» was never used for «cross», but the pikes were made of wood, and the word for wood was also often used in early Greek versions of the Bible, meaning “cross”.

So the early crosses from the first few centuries after Christ’s death probably resembled the pikes we remember from 9x15 «The Quiet Before». The Eastern Mediterranean region where Jesus lived and died was dominated by the Greeks in the first few centuries A.D, and the first versions of the Bible were therefore written in Greek. Greek words were used, and the word we now recognize as «cross» were initially written as «pike» («stavros»), or «wood». These words were used interchangeably, and this resulted in some confusion when the Bible were to be translated into new languages. A perception of the cross being a literal growing tree spread, and this perception has survived well into our days. In some communities it’s not uncommon to refer to the cross as a “tree”.

This is why! TPTB are well aware of this, and takes full advantage of it when inserting their symbolism into the TWD episodes.

The first time we see TPTB utilize a tree as a synonymous symbol for «cross» is when Jim is about to die in season 1. He was bitten, got hit with the fever, then asked to be left behind to die.

TF obliged, and left him under a tree. As he was placed there, he even pointed out the tree. He seemed happy about being laid to rest against a tree. Symbolically, the tree represents the cross on Jim’s grave. It represents his death and resurrection, and seemingly it gave Jim a sense of peace and calm in the final stages of his life.

Later, we had the walker that was almost consumed by the tree in 4x3 «Isolation». Another walker, caught in an animal trap, walked by. This was a callback to Jim in s1, but also at the same time a combination of two very potent Beth symbols; the tree symbolism, and the bear symbolism (via the bear trap), which I’ve written a lot about in other posts, such as here:

https://frangipanilove.tumblr.com/post/183736635005/sirius-and-the-north-star-or-pigs-feet-and-frosty

Through the seasons, we’ve seen numerous examples of trees as a synonym for crosses. There’s Deanna, who says «let the trees have him» about Pete, when Rick and Morgan asks what they should do with his body. As in «Let Pete have an unmarked grave somewhere in the woods, where nature soon will have erased any sign of him ever being alive». Rick and Morgan then put the body of Pete in the trunk of a car and take off to bury him in the woods.

Later Deanna herself was put down from her animated state, and buried under a tree by Michonne and her son Spencer. Michonne carved a huge «D» into the tree, effectively making it Deanna’s grave marker, her “cross”.

We also had the birch glass panel in FG’s makeshift church in 5x14 «Spend». It was hanging in a spot where you in a church normally would have a cross over the alter, or at least a painting of Jesus on the Cross or something to that effect. It was TPTB’s way of tying the trees to the image of a cross while at the same time tying the symbolism to FG. Remember FG later became a Sirius figure when he lost his eye in 8x11 “Dead Or Alive Or...” so it’s super significant to find this kind of symbolism behind him. We don’t know exactly how, but there’s a lot of evidence pointing to FG somehow being involved in Beth’s return.

We also had the Daryl walker that had grown into the tree in 9x6. This was in the aftermath of Rick’s disappearance, and it was a sad and heavy scene, however the Bluebird provided some hope and lightness to it. Michonne’s voiceover talked about “tiny beacons of hope”, as Daryl watched the Bluebird grab a worm out of the walkers ear and feed the babies up in the tree.

Remember Daryl was mourning Rick at the time. And Rick was seen with the Blue Heron painting, the same painting Beth was seen in front of as she said “we made it” in “Still”. Also, don’t forget that it was Noah’s t-shirt theory that allowed us to find the Blue Heron painting behind Rick in 8x2, (the t-shirt had a stylized version of the Blue Heron on it).

The Bluebird that landed on the Daryl walker is of course of a different species than the Blue Heron from the painting. But they’re both birds, and they’re both blue! They’re symbolically synonymous. The Daryl walker that has grown into the tree represents death (and sort of resurrection) but the Bluebird represents real resurrection, because we’ve seen the Blue Heron in association with Rick and Beth, and we know that Rick is alive, so we also know that Beth must be alive.

TREE TRUNKS

An extremely important aspect of the tree symbolism is that rather than the trees themselves, the important part of the symbolism is the tree TRUNKS! I cannot stress how important this is, so keep this in mind as I continue this post. The tree symbolism is, as I explained above, a nod to the Cross of Christ. The many occurances of “rule of 3” is also synonomous with the “tree = cross” symbolism. However, there’s a far more literal way of interpreting this symbolism, and that is that “tree trunks” simply are synonomous with “car trunks”. They’re both trunks, and what do we believe happened to Beth after “Coda”?

We believe they put her in the trunk of a car!

(Or, at least many of us do)

And this is the trunk that forshadowed everything:

TREE TRUNKS AND OTHER TRUNKS

Remember back to the opening minutes of 4x12 «Still»! Daryl and Beth comes running out of the woods, looking for somewhere to hide from the horde that’s following them. They seek refuge inside the TRUNK of a car. It’s an iconic Bethyl scene, and it’s become an important part of TD mythology. Many of us believe it foreshadowed Beth surviving post-Coda, by TF putting her in the trunk of a car to protect her from the approaching horde. Further, it is believed that they then have to flee, and when they return to pick her up, she’s «just gone». Of course all of this happens off camera, so we can’t know if it really happened this way, but many of us believe it unfolded in ways somewhat similar to this.

One key element in tying the «tree symbolism» into the «trunk symbolism» is the presence of a «3» written on the inside of the trunk of the car where Beth and Daryl spends the night.

«3» and «trunk». «Three trunk». «Tree trunk».

As I explained above, «tree» represents the cross, in other words «resurrection». And the “trunk” is what makes the “resurrection” possible!

And TPTB have made a tremendous effort in inserting evidence for the “trunk resurrection” in the show.

There was the massive clue in 5x10 «Them», where they had the bizarre sequence with the abandoned cars. Daryl freaked out and wouldn't even go near the cars. Maggie wanted to open the trunk, but lost her bearings when she found the blonde walker inside. TPTB confirmed that the walker was meant to represent Beth.

Further, Maggie opens the trunk using the car keys, which has a keychain in the shape of a yellow seahorse attached. This seahorse keychain has multiple layers of symbolism about it.

First, it’s important to appreciate that the keys attatched to this seahorse keychain are instrumental in getting the trunk opened in the first place. They are literally the KEYS to getting the trunk opened. Seems obvious, but let’s still keep it in mind.

Second, the seahorse has a distinct shape of the number “3″ to it. Do you realise what that means? A “three” plus a “trunk”? A “three trunk”!

Or simply a “tree trunk”.

The third really important thing about the yellow seahorse keychain in the shape of a “three”, is something I’ll talk much more about in part 2. It’s the fact that it’s a horse reference. Keep it in mind, I’ll get back to it, because it’s super important.

Two things to consider. The walker was undead, rather than just plain dead. It had resurrected, even though it wasn't the most desirable form of resurrection. But symbolically speaking, she wasn't dead.

And the trunk was eventually opened…and stayed open...

And as long as we’re speaking of trunks, also remember that when the music box came back to life (resurrected), it was sitting on…..a tree trunk.

A coincidence, you might say. And yes, there’s no way to tell for sure. However, remember the night before, there had been a storm. In a behind-the-scenes clip we saw how TPTB had spent a lot of time and money CGI’ing the overturned trees. So at least we know that TPTB went to great lengths to make sure the trees stood out to us in that sequence. And there's no denying, the music box was sitting on a tree when it came to life. A tree trunk.

Also, the music box itself IS a little trunk. From an etymological standpoint, trunk and coffin share the same origin. Same with crate, box, travelers chest, cage. Think back to «Alone», when Daryl decided to rest in a coffin, as it was the best bed he’d slept in in years! If you have an open mind, I’m sure you’ll be able to recognize a bunch of different kind of trunks.

Trunk is also another name for the human torso...something which certainly puts this shot from 5x9 «WHAWGO» in a different light….

We noticed this cluster of cars from the get go in this episode. Both Noah and Rick looked at it with a haunted expression on their face. We saw a walker inside one of the cars, clawing on the window as if she was desperate to escape.

And when the group returned to the cars after having explored Noah’s overrun community, they were in a hurry to get out due to Tyreese’s horrific walker bite. But their car got stuck in the mud. And when their tires finally were released from the mud, they slammed into the car in front of them…….

…and a bunch of human torsos came crashing out from the back of the car. Trunks. Trunks came out of the trunk of the car. Well, technically they came out of the back of the car, not out of the trunk per se, but on a symbolical level, that’s practically the same thing.

(Another weird thing about that scene was the license plate that refers to a specific bible verse that mentions resurrection. Fun, but that’s a post for a different day.)

SYMBOLISM IN THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN TRUNKS AND BLUE CLUES

I’ve talked about the blue clues in the «Shane's 22-necklace» theory. I won’t repeat myself too much on it, because this is long enough as it is.

Throughout season 5 of FTWD, we started seeing trees, or rather tree trunks painted blue! Some of the trees had Madison’s quote on them «No-one’s gone until they're gone», others had a different text. Some has flames down the bottom, others has a white phoenix bird painted on them, others again had a ladder painted in them.

Now OBVIOUSLY this has something to do with the «tree/three/trunk» symbolism of TWD, but it’s also significant that the tree trunks were painted blue. Not red, or green, or any other color.

Blue.

Blue tree trunks.

I explained in the «Shane’s 22 Necklace» post that «blue» ultimately is a reference to the police.

https://frangipanilove.tumblr.com/post/187381332090/blue-clues-shanes-22-necklace-truckers

It’s a reference to Grady, to Rick, to Shane, and to Beth, as she’s «The New Sheriff In Town».

In 8x7 we get to see Rick captured and undressed by Jadis and the Heapsters. Rick gets to leave his boxershorts on, and that is no coincidence. I’m sure Jadis would have prefered him bare naked, but TPTB wanted to make a symbolism point. Rick’s blue boxers represents the trunks in this scenario (think swimming trunks, shorts = trunks, sort of), he’s imprisoned in a container (trunk), but he eventually gets out. Oh, and those boxers/trunks are blue, just saying.

Another interesting detail from this episode is that not only does Jadis strip Rick almost naked, she also steals his boots! And that is something I’m gonna be talking a lot about in part 2, because it is THE key to understanding how the three/tree/trunk symbolism comes together. Keep that in mind until later.

And when TPTB are so determined to establish the connection between the “blue” symbolism and the “trunk” symbolism, to the point where they actually paint tree trunks blue, it’s probably because is says something very literal about what happened to Beth’s body post-Coda.

We also saw a blue dog collar in 5x10 «Them». Of course we see that as a Sirius sign and it’s clearly tied to Beth through the dog symbolism. I’ve written a lot about that here:

https://frangipanilove.tumblr.com/post/183736635005/sirius-and-the-north-star-or-pigs-feet-and-frosty

In addition, a very common interpretation of the term «blue collar» refers to the working class, as it was customary to think of members of the working class as wearing blue shirts (with blue collars) as opposed to the white shirts and white collars of the executive elite upper class (hence the term «Blue Collar Worker»).

In this particular context, I don’t believe it’s economic theory from a class perspective we’re supposed to take notice off, I think it’s something much more literal. I do think the blue dog collar refers to blue shirts, though. Such as Beth’s blue scrubs from Grady. It was suspicious how many times she had to change them because they got bloodied up. We certainly noticed them.

And shirts, you know, cover the upper body of a human. The torso. The TRUNK, if you will.

And as I’ve explained in the Blue Clues theory, the Blue Clues ultimately points to «police», in the sense that «Blues» is an affectionate term used when referring to the police. The term «blues» when referring to the police apparently stems from a time when police uniforms were predominantly navy blue. TPTB left a little easter egg about that in 6x6 «Always Accountable», when Abraham found a navy uniform and put it on, and the Savior made a remark about him «sporting Dress Blue».

TPTB have been utilizing every opportunity imagineable to point to “trunks”, in any shape, form and fashion. The reason for that is very literal, and in Part 2 I’m gonna discuss what I believe this means for TD. Spoiler alert; I believe it means good things for us:-)

#bethyl #team defiance #Team Delusional #team beth lives #Beth Greene #BETH LIVES #beth is alive #beth and daryl #daryl and beth

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currentlyreadingmanga · 4 years

Text

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun Chapter 16: The Little Mermaid (Part 1)

Previously: as one of you guys said last chapter, we “went from good boy hours to sad boy hours in a flash”, and I honestly couldn't have said it better myself. Yashiro and Kou are both very good children that just want to look after their new ghost friend (and each other) and I just（*´▽`*) love them very much. But yeah, the last chapter started with an incredibly wholesome and emotional premise and by the end that happened. I’m both excited and terrified to delve back into the story.

Now onto the next chapter!

[You can ignore this but if you’re interested, here’s a small update of where have I been lately: as I’ve mentioned before, around the moment the quarantines started to take effect where I live, I caught a cold and later I found out that I had laryngitis, so all that with the additional anxiety regarding the state the world is in right now, I really wasn’t feeling well enough to take the time to read and write the recaps for the chapters. I’m fine now, I started to feel better by last week. I’m a very anxious person by nature and while my family and friends are doing well, being quarantined this long really didn’t leave me in the best headspace since I tend to worry too much (both of my parents are over 60 years old and two of my best friends each have a family member who underwent heart surgeries recently). Also, I wasn’t sure if posting these recaps would be a good idea with everything that’s going on in the world right now. But I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone would probably welcome a distraction and if these recaps can provide that for someone besides myself (since writing them will give me something to do), then I should go right ahead. So.....yeah......If you’re reading this, please remember to take care and follow the steps that your region has implemented to stay healthy and stop the spread of the virus.]

Okay so before we begin, I have a confession to make: I ended up seeing a spoiler (well, two, but I will mention the other one when it becomes relevant). I’m honestly surprised that it didn’t happen sooner considering how quickly Instagram knows when I start a new series, but yeah, it was bound to happen since I’m pretty behind with the story. I saw a screenshot of one of the anime episodes (idk which one since I stopped watching it when I picked up the manga after watching episode 4) and I saved it so I could put it here:

sooooooooooooo..........yeah.........it’s kind of a bummer. But hey! At least I know one of the theories I threw out there was right. Although, it also brings up a lot more questions regarding their home life because..........why was Amane so beat up when (it seems) he had at least one family member around when he was alive? where does this other child fit into the story? Did he also go to the same school? Does Tsuchigomori know him? Also he looks real cute???? But Hanako looked so terrified when he appeared at the end of last chapter that it makes me not trust him immediately???? You all are probably saying in your heads “well if you just start the fucking chapter you will get some answers” and you know what???? You’re right, I should, damn

Ohhhh right! This is the start of another volume and it looks like our two main boys are on the cover this time.

are you really gonna post the cover page again? you ask. And yes, yes, I will. It’s not my fault that the art style is so good. Things I noticed: it’s silly but I love how Hanako’s disregard for personal space it’s an ongoing factor even on the cover with how he’s grabbing Kou’s face; I really like the contrast between their expressions (how cheeky Hanako looks vs how serious Kou looks); and since they both look like they’re ready for a fight, I’m guessing that this particular volume will possibly present challenges for these two.

The next coloured page is also wonderful. My babies look so cute and ready to tell some ghost stories. I just wanna ruffle their hair, they’re so precious.

Then we have the index and by the looks of it, this volume will focus on two arcs.

And here’s the cover page for this chapter! ...........god, I’ve barely reached the beginning of the chapter, why do I ramble so much.

Anyway, “the little mermaid”, huh? Judging by that title and by the art here, I’m guessing that title refers to Yashiro. Also, there’s a big ass claw on the left side of the page, so does this mean that the mermaid from the first chapter is coming back? Because Hanako said that he had only managed to drive her away momentarily, right? That would be really interesting!

Now directing our attention to the right side of the page...... (⚆.⚆) ......I’m guessing that this is directly related to last chapter’s cliffhanger, if Hanako’s terrified expression is anything to go by.......oh boy, this is gonna be so much f u n

Huh, that’s interesting. “She helped me make it here.” Does that mean that he wasn’t able to be in the school for some reas- wait wait a second. Idk why I’m just now putting two and two together but this boy is also dead, right? So where was he? And he honestly looks just like Hanako, so does that mean they died at around the same time? Did he also go to this school? Because Amane’s attachment to this school is clear (even if he had to take the role of “Hanako-san”) and well, there was also that thing Kou said about his grandmother sealing him away but we don’t know much about that. Would his brother also have a reason to be at the school, and not only that, but also to then have to leave the place? And a big enough reason that he needed someone else’s help to get back, at that?

Another interesting thing: so now we have the confirmation that the suspicious girl is actually his assistant. That brings up the following questions: does Amane’s brother also fills in for “Hanako-san”? Like, is it like a gatcha where you can get either of them when you summon them and lucks decides your fate? Also, with Yashiro and Amane, she became his assistant as an exchange for her wish to become human again? So, I’m thinking that if he also serves as “Hanako-san”, then she could have become his assistant in exchange for a wish, and the question then would be: what did she wish for? And that is tied to other questions that surround her such as: who is she? what are her goals?

Is this recap mostly questions and no answers? yes, that’s how it be, if you’re here expecting me to give you good answers, I’m sorry in advance lol

(ﾟдﾟ；) Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||) ahhhhhh he looks so shaken and ready to cry omg please back away and leave him alone. What is their story??? It’s clear that it is tragic but what could bring about such a reaction? Spoilers: it’s probably gonna destroy me :))))

OHHHHH!!!! LOOK AT MY GIRL GO! Hell yeah, protect your boy!! but also the fact that Hanako was so startled that he couldn’t even react fast enough to protect himself even though he had his knife in front of him is very concerning

Oh? I thought the bottle only had tea/water. Why did it do that to him? Because this doesn’t happen to all apparitions, right?

(⚆.⚆)

And just like that, he’s gone. Well. that was certainly a way to make an entrance.

........................okay, listen. I know I said that their story was probably tragic but I was trying to avoid thinking of this possibility because there’s something incredibly heartbreaking about the prospect. And the fact that Hanako looks so terrified only adds a layer of unease to the whole thing. If Hanako did kill him, then it shines a different light to one of the questions I asked before: “why was Amane so beat up when (apparently) he had at least one family member around when he was alive?” because........yikes. I think I had also asked before where would his parents be in the story (since it was still possible that the injuries were inflicted by bullies) and with this development, I’m even more concerned. Since, again, if Hanako killed his own brother and we take into account the rest of the information we’ve been given so far, it’s very possible that it was done in self-defence. And since Hanako was so reluctant to tell Tsuchigomori anything regarding the person who did that to him (going to the extent of saying he forgave them), the culprit being a family member is not farfetched at all.

(ﾟдﾟ；)(ﾟдﾟ；)(ﾟдﾟ；)

Oh, no, sweetie-pie (ಥ﹏ಥ) He looks so distraught! It seems like he had a flashback of some sort judging by him snapping out of it at the end. The evidence just keeps on piling up against his brother and i’m very stre s s ed

Ahhhh and he’s all wobbly while apologizing to her and he leaves and they’re just alone and sad and the donuts are ruined. I’m :c sad :CC

............................is that a fish? because it doesn’t look like the mermaid, so maybe she sent her “minions”? Hanako said that the fish work for the mermaids, right? I’m assuming she’s sending someone to spy on Yashiro since she most likely isn’t ready to give up Yashiro yet (even if Hanako has lessen the effects of the curse).

Next, we see that Yashiro is still thinking about what happened with Hanako while Aoi looks worried about her. Yashiro says “I guess people from different species really can’t understand each other” and “Maybe it would’ve been better if I were a supernatural too” and I mean, I see where she’s coming from. But at the same time, that’s not all there is to it. Yes, it’s obvious that they are gonna have different mindsets, not only because Hanako is a ghost but also because of what he experienced when he was alive. However, I think Hanako’s reluctance to share his past has more to do with personal walls he has probably built around himself than with him being a supernatural. Like, yes, we know that he has had contact with other apparitions in the school, but who knows when was the last time he had the chance to interact with someone as a friend? Even when he was alive we know that he didn’t have friends from his class. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that while I understand Yashiro’s sentiment, her becoming a supernatural wouldn’t really help the situation.

Well, it looks like someone is conveniently ready to grant that wish and judging by the bubbles (?) around the dialogue bubbles, I think it’s the fish from before. And to that, I say no, thanks, chief.

Also

I feel so bad for Aoi, she must be so worried about Yashiro’s ongoing track record of talking to the air.

....................god, everyone is gonna think she’s off her rocker if they don’t think so already

Pfffffffft I love her so much, she’s so silly

But anyway, yes, the fish claim that they are here to “release her from the clutches of that loathsome school mystery” which sounds like a convoluted way to say that they want to take her away. “Our law states that those who have eaten the flesh and blood of our master will eventually become our next master” ohhhhh okay so that’s why they were being so polite, I had thought that they were just trying to butter her up.

Yashiro, no! Don’t fall for it!! I’m not saying that they’re lying about her new status, I’m just saying that she needs to consider the fact that the “men” are most likely not actual men if the fact that the mermaid was a fish with a face is anything to go by. Also, my girl is way too weak in front of the promise of ikemen oh boy please don’t fall for it

They say that they’ve been watching Yashiro these past few days and they think that the way Hanako treats her is “far too barbaric”.

Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there. 1) The donut incident: Yes, Hanako shouldn’t have treated her like that, but it’s obvious that he was going through some serious stuff at the moment. 2) He doesn’t speak about himself: I think I mentioned this even during the 4pm bookstacks arc, but that’s Hanako’s choice. It’s his own life story and he gets to decide when to share it. While it would be good for him to open up more to Yashiro since she clearly wants to be his friend and get to know him better, that doesn’t mean it’s gonna be easy. 3) He takes advantage of her: well, he has been quite reckless at certain points (like when he threw her down the waterfall at Yako’s boundary and when he unknowingly played with her feelings during the confession tree arc), he’s always done his best to protect her from harm. 4) Hanako thinks nothing of her: now that’s just plain wrong. As I’ve just mentioned, he always tries to protect her and we’ve seen in subtle ways that he’s clearly grown fond of her over time. He’s a teasing little shit, but he’s not a bad guy that would string her along without a care in the world. Granted, they can’t possibly know all this, but still. Don’t go dissing my boy like that.

So, they give her a vial with the mermaid’s blood and if she drinks it, her bond with Hanako will be overwritten and her bond with the mermaid will be made official. Oh, and they also say that she then “will cease to transform in reaction to water”................doesn’t- doesn’t that mean she will just be a fish all the time? right??

Okay so they gave her one day to give them an answer.

!!!!!

There he is!! Update: still hot

Yashiro went to him to get him to stop her but he’s really not being helpful. He asks her if he talked with Hanako and Kou. Yashiro says it would be too awkward to talk with Kou after the donuts were destroyed and like........I get it, but still, he would completely understand. Kou is one of the most wholesome boys in existence, he would not hold that against you AND more importantly, he would love to help you in anything you needed. And oh! she says she tried talking to Hanako but she hasn’t been able to find him lately. I’m a bit surprised but also really glad that she realised that this was something that Hanako needed to be aware of. It sucks that Hanako is (most likely) avoiding her, even if it is understandable.

Yashiro points out that Tsuchigomori has known Hanako for a long time and asks him if he could tell her anything about his past. And again, I feel the need to point out that he’s probably gonna tell her when he’s ready to and going about it behind his back is not the best idea.

I’m glad to see that Tsuchigomori is on the same wavelength as me. Hanako obviously carries a heavy burden on his shoulders and it’s best for the truth to come out from his own mouth.

Awww, no, sweetie, it’s not that. I think he does trust you but he’s shielded himself from other people for so long that he has a hard time opening up to anyone. And yeah, Tsuchigomori tells her he’s probably afraid of her finding out (which, again, is understandable) and that, at any rate, she should make her own decision and to make sure that decision is one that she won’t regret.

Well, speak of the devil. Look who was eavesdropping! I’m actually okay with this since Hanako really needed to hear all that (not only what the situation itself is but also how she feels about their relationship).

(ಥ﹏ಥ) someone please give this sweet boy a hug, he needs it (ಥ﹏ಥ)

Atta girl, Yashiro. She’s been having a slow character development as the story progresses and it’s honestly great to see. To me, this shows a good contrast between how easily she jumped from crush to crush and how dedicated she is to stick with Hanako and learn more about him. Yes, they are just friends, but the chemistry they have is undeniable, so I still think it’s a fair comparison.

..................I said they would be fish but still omfg. This manga really is a treasure pffffft

Hey! They snatched her against her will! So much for respecting her answer, huh. Fucking rude. Well......let’s hope Hanako knows how to fish.

Okay, so the fishes are listing her beautiful qualities in her fish form and

Again, fucking rude.

Oh, that’s the end of the chapter..........that felt short. Still a solid chapter, though. I like the slow buildup we’re establishing with Hanako and Yashiro and their relationship and I’m really excited to see how they develop it.

#toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shounen hanako kun #jshk spoilers #tbhk #jshk #live blogging

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