#I think this is the most simplistic version I can give

[collapsedsquid]

Effective altruism is based on utilitarianism, the greatest good for the greatest number, and this can mean simply balancing donation effectiveness between malaria nets, cash transfers to the poorest people in the world, de-worming programs, and eschewing programs to deliver fine opera to the overprivileged manhattanites.

You can however decide that since there will likely be more people in the future than there are now that this malaria nonsense doesn't really matter and what you need to do is to secure the greatest good for the greatest number in the future, and this combined with various other pre-existing ideas can lead to them deciding that other programs are more important, like preventing/helping an artificial-super-intelligence take over the world, eugenics or more boringly promoting various forms of libertarianism.

[canarysage]

…make a psd look interesting?

aka, how to fuck up a psd no glue no borax. have you ever looked at your psd and gone, damn, this shit doesn’t fuck? happens to the best of us. here are easy ways to spice up your psds so you don’t end up with the editor equivalent of communion bread

for example purposes, i made a simplistic psd to test these methods on. they should work with most psds, but, as always, fuck around and find out on your own for best results <3

i. threshold + gradient map

this one is an easy way to add specific colors to your psds. step one: add a threshold layer, and adjust it your liking. typically, i set mine to somewhere between 60-40. if you’re making a psd to work on dark skintones, you may want to set it even lower, but if you’re working with, say, pjsk characters, you can go pretty high

wow flashbang. you can see on my example behind that it doesn’t work super well on irl pictures, and my pjsk images don’t have threshold at all lol. next thing you want to do is set the blending mode of your threshold layer to either multiply or darken—they’re basically the same thing

(psst, if you want to know more about blending modes, check out this post!)

waow crunchy! but still boring right? still boring. not to worry, here’s the fun part: add a gradient map layer, tap it, and go to the slidey icon on the side, which’ll bring up a page like this:

click the gradient in the middle there to edit it. once in, edit the black color to be at about 80-90%, and then change the white color to whatever you like. edit out, and tap the little square next to the text that says “reverse” which should make your gradient look more or less like this:

then change the blending mode on your gradient map to ‘screen’ which’ll axe all the black and just leave your color. now your image looks like this:

boy howdy, isn’t that fucked up! it is more interesting, but if you don’t want to be looking at that abomination, change your color in your gradient map to be darker, which’ll give you something more along the lines of:

…which is much more reasonable. this is a fun way to add color to your shadows slash lineart, and can be a quick and easy way to make a psd look less flat.

ii. noise gradient map

some of you may be thinking, but, canarysage, what the fuck is a noise gradient map? to which i reply: you’re boring. let me show you.

kinda fucked up, right? well, that’s the goal. unfortunately, there isn’t a way to directly edit a gradient map, but you can just click that little button that says ‘randomize’ a couple times until you get something you like! you can also mess with the percentages but i don’t do that because it looks weird

boy howdy, that’s weird looking. not to worry, though. once again, our best friend blending mode is going to come in handy

i typically go to soft light and set the opacity to about 20-30%, but, as with anything, feel free to mess around and do whatever you want. luminosity is also a fun setting for noise gradient maps, just make sure to crank the opacity way down for the sake of my eyes

wow, much better! you can see that the gradient map added a bit of purple coloring and a funky little texture. super cool! thank you, gradient map!

iii. channel mixer

i already have a post on channel mixer and i’m not rewriting all that so if you don’t know how channel mixer works check that shit out but the tl;dr is: ideally, all your channels should add up to 100 (including negative numbers) but that rule can be broken if it looks cool enough. capiche?

iv. color lookup

photopea has a few default color lookups that are pretty easy to use, but i have a couple of presets that i like to add if i’m feeling stuck. to make your own color lookup, open up a psd, and go to file > export color lookup

then save it and open it from your files. when you open a color lookup layer, you’ll see an arrow next to the text saying LUTs—click that and your new color lookup should be there

once you tap that, you’ll get a compressed version of your psd added to your folder. it’ll look something like this:

holy orange and blue, batman. luckily, you can apply blending modes to color lookups just like any other layer—mess around with them until it looks how you want!

waow much more reasonable! i set this one on color and about 55% opacity, but that is really dependent on what your color lookup looks like and how you want your psd to look. remember, there’s no right way to do things!

an additional note: if you want to, you can save the psd you’re working on as a color lookup instead. if it looks too simple or just isn’t turning out how you want, that’s a good way to incorporate it later :3 just follow the same steps as above!

v. no shame in starting over

if you’ve added and taken away, duplicated and removed, fucked around and found out, and your psd still isn’t how you want: it’s alright to just axe it. the edit police aren’t gonna kill you for it, i promise. if you’re worried about wanting it later, just save it as a psd and come back when your brain is refreshed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

psd-making isn’t an exact art, so, obviously, there’s no real simple solution to making it look how you want. you just have to mess with it and see what you’ve got. these are just my methods of making my psds less blagh, but, obviously, my editing is moderately more deranged than your average editor.

…so that’s how you do it.

[000-pawz]

how sungho loves ( zodiac series ) ˚ · .

how i think sungho would navigate relationships/love/communication based on his natal chart/birth chart!

wc: 1k+

more under the cut!

"trust, honesty, and devotion" are the first three words that enter my mind when i look at sungho's chart!

to put it simply, sungho isn't a "flirt". he'd rather pay attention to the little detail about you and act accordingly!!! he can come across as a rather quiet lover, preferring to keep his feelings at bay until he is completely sure that you are as serious about the relationship as he is. because of his virgo sun, he usually avoids taking risks, so he thinks through every possible outcome of confessing his feelings to you before he actually does. it's not easy for him to let people in romantically ><

sungho is very intentional and direct with his words—he does not beat around the bush. because of his mercury in virgo, he kind of carries a "no nonsense" attitude when it comes to his relationships. if he genuinely likes you and sees a future with you, he's not going to pretend he doesn't! he only involves himself in relationships he sees as worth the effort, and trust that he will give his all when he's serious about you ^___^

with his moon being in sagittarius, i see his main love language as quality time. he likes to be active, so he enjoys dates based around exploration like traveling and trying out new things! he loves, loves, loves spending time with you and gains so much energy from being in your presence. he enjoys banter and a sense of playfulness in his partner.

he's a huge fan of acts of service as well. he'll do all of the chores around the house, buy and cook you as much food at you want, help you brush and dry your hair. anything he can do that helps you relieve stress, he's on it. with his mars in pisces, he just wants to please you. his main goal is for you to happy and proud to be with him. he needs to feel needed and valued!! he's especially sensitive around his waistline, so please give him hugs around the waist! it makes him feel so secure.

since his venus squares pluto, he loves very deeply and intensely. he's ready to live through thick and thin with you and grow together to become better versions of yourself.

sungho loves quietly, but his small actions should never go unnoticed! the best way to make him feel loved is to make him feel appreciated and noticed. a "thank you", "you're doing so well", "you've been working so hard", or a "i'm proud of you" goes a long way. he doesn't need any flashy acts of loyalty or a shakespear poem recited to him. he just wants to know that you love him and appreciate him.

when it comes to ideal types, i think sungho is someone who is attracted to those who can stimulate his mind, bring something new to the table, and are equally as adventurous. he likes people who are honest about not only their feelings for him, but their own internal emotions. sungho especially likes people who can handle his sarcasm, push and pull, and match his wit.

he doesn't have time for people who are unsure of what they want! he lives passionately and is most compatible with those who can keep up with his pace and enthusiasm for life. he likes when his partner is confident and simplistic, but never cocky. i have a feeling that he appreciates those who aren't always in the spotlight, as well!!!

sungho is a very optimistic person because of his sun conjunction with venus. ^___^ he tries to see the good in people, but he can overly critical at times. it's never his intention to hurt anyone! he's just very blunt and straightforward when it comes to his feelings. this is why it's important for him to have a partner that understands his true nature and complexity, rather than just seeing him on the surface level.

trust is a very, very big thing for him. he's completely open and honest with his feelings, and he expects his partner to do the same. if he feels like his trust has been broken, he can be pretty confrontational. if he's especially stressed or overwhelmed, he can be very sensitive, but because of his mars in pisces, he forgives very quickly. he hates the feeling of being upset with you and he'll want to work on any problems immediately and thoroughly.

sungho isn't immune to jealousy either. with the slightest hint that your attention or interest is moving away from him, he'll internalize those feelings. with his moon conjunction pluto, he has a habit of to hiding his negative feelings which can result in emotional outbursts and arguments. this can lead to a lot of guilt because rationally, he knows that you love him, but he overthinks a lot. since his sun squares his moon, he has some conflicts with emotional insecurity. he can get fussy sometimes, so a person who can provide him with patience and security is ideal.

one way you'll know for sure if sungho is in love with you would be him relinquishing his control. his sun, mercury, and venus are all ruled by virgo so he innately craves management and order. he strives for perfection always, but this can lead to built-up tension and stress if he doesn't have a safe environment to retreat to. vulnerability is a sensitive thing for him with his moon in sagittarius. people who don't know him that well can see his values of independence as aloofness or being scared of commitment, but that is the opposite of the truth! his passion for his lover shines through when he gives up control.

this give-and-take relationship is the key to balance and stability with sungho. when sungho feels completely comfortable with you, he'll let you take care of him for once. try being the big spoon, playing with his hair, and letting him vent to you without inputting your own opinions. (and he'll never admit it, but he loves being babied as well.) he'll turn into putty in your hands <3

reblogs are greatly appreciated! lmk what u think or if you have any other takes!!! i'm always open to learning more :o thank u...<3

series masterlist

masterlist

[dingodad]

Does anyone remember that Lord English himself isn’t even composed of the original versions of the souls that make him? He’s the son of paradox clones, right? That means B2 Jack is the one who actually contains the original souls of Lord English, since he was directly possessed. English has been diluted by being a paradoxical copy, and being part cueball. His creation is not unlike that of breeding Genesis frogs. (The end frog does not chronologically branch off from the original frogs, he is a paradoxical copy of all of them combined. I’d argue that he’s almost like the inverse to a Genesis frog.) So the destiny of the original Caliborn, Equius, Lil Hal and Gamzee is to be decapitated by Dave and explode into a black hole. Caliborn brags about how he will become all powerful, but he will doesn’t get to do that. The paradox slime version of himself born in a lab is destined to become the laser skull epilepsy pharoah hulk man, not him. Not that any of this really matters or changes that much, I just noticed that it was odd. This all adds up right? I didn’t forget anything that would make this not make sense?

you are, on a technical level, completely right: at no point in the Pharaoh Hulk's* timeline was he ever literally Lil Cal. he emerges straight from Doc Scratch, who was only ever a clone of Lil Cal. but you're making a critical error by thinking of the Hulk and B2 Jack as if they're meant to be two different guys.

*I've always known this iteration of Lord English as the "Mobster Hulk" version - google seems to be telling me it's basically only my posts that use this phrasing but I'm guessing I must have picked it up on the forums.

I won't give you the long-winded explanation about Ultimate Selves and how it's the idea of a person that matters more than the specific body they inhabit because I already have about a dozen posts on the subject and I'm sure everyone's sick of hearing it by now. so I wanna focus on two specific and related reasons why "Real Lord English" and "Copy of Lord English" is a false dichotomy, based specifically in an area of Homestuck's worldbuilding that doesn't really get talked about so much:

Jack Noir's version of Lil Cal is just a copy too! Roxy banished the one containing Lord English's soul into nonexistence, so that in Caliborn's words it will "FLUTTER THROUGH THE SHADOWS FOR ETERNITY. SURFACING IN THE NIGHTMARES OF THE UNSUSPECTING." Gamzee is not a Thief of Void, he can't steal things back out of the darkness; he's simply a psychic whose chucklevoodoos can "amplify fears through dreams." The Lil Cal that emerges in Dave's dreams, is adopted by his Bro, and one day makes the journey to Jack's prison cell is just a manifestation of Dave's fear of puppets; the one that Roxy banished is still out there.

First rule of jujus, bro: "THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!" "if there ever appears to be more than one of the same, it is only a mirage of caUsality!"

cultured readers will be able to draw the line between the two phrases i've put special emphasis on. Homestuck uses the terms existing terms "voodoo" and "juju" to deliberately evoke an anthropological concept which is found around the world but is most pop-culturally associated with African and Afro-Carribean spirituality: Lil Cal is a fetish. his power comes not from the fact that he is composed of some special material (or because, as you suggest, he has some kind of unique or special genes), but from the fact that spiritual power is ascribed to him. think of a religious idol; there can be a million idols to the same one deity, but the power of each idol will be exactly the same, because each has the same spiritual significance.

put in overly-simplistic terms which aren't necessarily accurate but speak to a recurring theme in Homestuck: a juju works because of the belief that it works.

this is what Calliope and Caliborn mean when they speak of "bad juju", some kind of mystical force which Lil Cal is filled with. the "juju" isn't the object at all; it's an enchantment associated with the object. Calliope says a juju can't ever be destroyed, and yet Lil Cal is torn to shreds and repaired on multiple occasions - it's the magic, the juju, that persists. this is the only way an object with a self-perpetuating origin could possibly exist, or else the object would just keep becoming more and more worn with each loop of its timeline.

Scratch and Caliborn both say it: "Instances of [Scratch] have spawned in countless universes", just as Lil Cal will continue to infiltrate the dreams of infinite children and take Caliborn "FROM UNIVERSE. TO UNIVERSE. TO UNIVERSE." importantly, it's implied actually quite early on in the comic that you can't really "clone" a "soul", because paradox clones kind of follow similar rules to jujus; there can only be one TRUE clone, who will always travel back in time to become their own origin, and all other clones are "MALFORMED MUTANTS" with no bearing on the timeline. so the exact circumstances through which Cal arrives in each universe, be it via ectobiology or clown voodoo, don't matter: every copy is either a) inert or b) actually the same Lil Cal at a different point in its circuitous timeline.

in other words - thanks to a time loop of his own orchestration! - all versions of Lord English have to be decapitated and/or collapse into a black hole at the end of their lifespan because they all have to ultimately return to the void. you're really not that far off the mark in that there is a tragedy in the fact that Caliborn believes he will "GET STRONGER. AND OLDER. AND BIGGER. AND BUFFER!" each time he destroys a universe. the tragedy is just that he thinks turning into Mobster Hulk is the end goal when in fact by making himself immortal he has ensured there IS no end goal: he's trapped being reborn as new Lil Cals in new universes forever and ever. no matter how many brief excursions he takes out into the universe to play the villain, his essence is trapped in the void for all time.

[shepherds-of-haven]

Unsolicited Writing Advice

Completely random reminder to back up your work, especially if you're a writer, IF or game developer, coder, or creator of any kind. People sometimes ask me what my advice for other writers is, and I always forget to include this one, but it's one of the most important things, especially if your career, livelihood, or long-form projects hinge on writing in any way! Take it from someone who just had two backup methods fail unexpectedly and only the third backup prevented me from losing a solid month of work, you need to back up your work in as many ways as you possibly can. It may seem like a pain in the ass at the time, but I've seen a lot of games or stories stall or fail completely due to a catastrophic loss of data that utterly kills any drive to keep going with the project because of the need to start over. I'M BEGGING YOU, BACK UP YOUR DATA.

I recommend having at least 2, ideally 3 methods of backup:

Automatic cloud storage. I personally prefer working with Dropbox, where every change I save is automatically synced and backed up to a cloud server as well as natively saved on my own device. It also has robust version history, so if you figure out you've done something horrific and unknowingly saved over something important or rewritten a section you weren't supposed to, you can rewind everything in a folder down to a specific minute (over the last 30 days): a feature that has saved my hide just a few too many times for comfort. A free Dropbox account gives you 2 GB of storage to work with. Working within Google Drive works just as well, and the free version gives you 15 GB of storage (though that's shared between your email account and other Google apps, as well)! However, I don't believe it provides automatic syncing and backup the same way Dropbox does: you either have to work directly within a Google doc for your work to be automatically saved to the server, or you have to manually upload the files to your Google Drive to back them up each time.

Physical storage. Every few weeks or months, I also take the time to back up my important files to an external hard drive or thumb drive. Again, it's kind of a hassle, but if the day ever comes that you lose your passwords or find that they've been changed, a company's servers go down or they go bankrupt, they decide to start charging you to access your data, or whatever crazy circumstance you can think of, it's always good to have a physical backup somewhere. A basic 1 TB thumb drive is somewhere around 20$ USD (though it can be slower at that price point if you're transferring a large amount of data each time), and it's even less if you don't need that much storage. A 1 TB external hard drive (which has a much quicker transfer rate) is around 40-50$.

If all else fails, email. If you can't get access to physical storage devices and cloud storage services don't work for you, consider setting up a free Gmail or what-have-you account specifically for backup purposes, then email a copy of your most important files to it every time you make a significant change to them. This may seem sort of primitive and simplistic, but it works, and you can even use it as a little journal or diary of your progress!

Again, you may think this is overkill, but I am convinced that writers are especially prone to proving Murphy's Law and have seen way too many projects, friends, and colleagues fall prey to this oft-overlooked issue. I can count at least half a dozen times where -> my primary device like my laptop broke, failed, became corrupted, had water spilled on it, etc. -> I then turned to my secondary device (hard drive or thumb drive) only to find something was wrong with THAT (broken, outdated, incompatible with currently-owned tech, corrupted, not up-to-date backups) OR I turned to my cloud storage and found something wrong with THAT (unknowingly saved over data and didn't realize it until 3 months later, meaning not even version history could save me) -> and it was only the THIRD method of backing up that saved my ass.

Anyway, this is just your friendly neighborhood writer reminding you to back your work up! It's a necessary part of the job! Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk!

[prof-ramses]

Theorizing about the new TADC character teaser!

For those not in the know, Gooseworx posted the first of the above images on her socials yesterday. Obviously teasing future TADC characters.

The second image is an upside down edit, to help get a better gander at the reflections.

As none of these characters match any of the abstracted performers, the most likely option is that these four a NPC created for adventures, or possible, one shared adventure.

For the sake of clarity, the characters will henceforth be referred to as Blue, Pink, Green and Grey.

I'll discuss them individually before giving a theory about episode 2

Blue:

A lot of people have compared this character to the cast of the fighting game Ballz 3D, and predicting they're made of balloons, but upon closer inspection, I have uncovered some details no one else has pointed out.

In addition to making out what appears to be a simplistic face texture, seemingly hovering in front of Blue's face, but the shapes and contours of their limbs make them resemble coils, like a thick rubber version of Gangle's torso.

Pink:

Pink here has understandably been compared to Queenie by many fans, as well as many assuming them to be the leader of this odd group. Other's have drawn comparisons to Baroness Von Bon Bon, which are also understandable. But what else could a detailed look over reveal?

It would appear Pink has a heart pattern on their chest, as well as large puffy hair and an adorable little crown.

Her dress has 2 to 3 layers, depending on if the highlighted segment towards the bottom left is actually anything meaningful.

I also took the liberty of estimating her hand proportions.

Green:

The most "normal" looking of the four, at least in this teaser, kind of like Ragatha in the main cast reflection teaser. The ghostly element is obvious and the extra blur added by their glow affect compounded by the reflection complicates analysis a bit, but I like a challenge.

The first thing that stuck out to me was what I can best describe as a line of many small buttons, like an old fashioned woman's shirt. The change in thickness of one arm also gave the impression of sleeves.

Lastly (and most likely to be parandolia), I think I found the rough outline of a darker patch on the head, likely the actual head.

Grey:

I've seen the most disagreement over what this weirdo is. My first thought was a penguin, but I no longer hold that opinion. Rather, I agree with many others who sight this a a revisit of Frogni (an unused frog design for Pomni). So, let's dissect this thing.

So, Frogni is definitely here in spirit, especially with Grey being the most main cast-like new comer. The orange/bronze arm is what really stuck with me, especially as I haven't seen anyone point it out.

Conclusion:

I think these NPCs will be rivals to the performers (Gangle, Kinger, Ragatha and Pomni) in a "rival showdown" adventure. Jax and Zooble will either opt out or defeat their rivals so quickly that they weren't included (similar to Bubble in the main cast teaser)

[saspitite]

rating shrimp emojis

based on a similar post i saw (instead with seal emojis) as it made me think about how frequently shrimp are kinda... severely messed up anatomy-wise.

starting with apple's version, it's not bad but the face could be longer and the eyes are a bit disproportionately large. my man's antennule was cut off :( 6.5/10

google. again, not bad, but my boy's antennule are still gone... who did this to him? and why are his pleopods just little nubs? how does he swim with those? also not a big fan of the weirdly circular abdomen that suddenly shortens for the tail. 6/10

samsung. what the fuck did you do to his face. you massacred him. i dont even wanna give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it was just simplified, because the rest of his body is just... fine. and much more accurate. did they give up when drawing the head?? it's just a pile of spikes... 3/10

microsoft. highly simplistic so i guess that explains the shortcuts and strange anatomy. not a fan of how the long antennae seems to be sprouting from his forehead, but they did go for the simplistic route and theres only so much you can convey there, so 7/10 (added 2 points for cuteness, i couldn't resist)

whatsapp. no. no. bad die. wheres his maxilipeds. what happened to his face. what happened to his LEGS. you cant fucking move with those little formless pin needles. its a crime to continue letting this thing suffer on earth. please put it out of its misery. 2/10

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO FUCK YOU TWITTER FUCK YOU WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM HE HAS NOTHING. HE HAS NOTHING. NO FACE NO LEGS NO ANTENNULE NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE CARAPACE AND THE ABDOMEN BY GOD HOW DOES THIS THING MOVE??? WHAT FUCKED UP GOD DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO MAKE SUCH A MOCKERY OF A ONCE-BEAUTIFUL, INTRICATE LITTLE ANIMAL??? -100000000000/10

facebook.

thank fuck i was gonna lose it honestly. its not even perfect but i love it a whole lot more. finally my boy has his antennule!! a well defined face!! and he's not even in that dumb curled-up pose (that you'll typically only find from cooked shrimp), and they were daring enough to even put him in a more dynamic 3/4 perspective!! again, its not perfect, but after those two atrocities i'll embrace it with open arms. 8/10

LG. this honestly looks more like a cooked, unpeeled shrimp than a living one but it's whatever. not bad! at this point i'm just gonna accept that most shrimp emojis are just gonna forget about the antennule. i am (somewhat) at peace with that. 7/10

joypixels. kinda just feels like a wannabe of LG's version. plus the blobface, stop with the blobface, i will strangle you. it's okay but could use some more refining. 5/10

if you have any more emoji variants that you want me to review, show me thru reblogs!!!

[thatsthat24]

Sanderstober 2022

Upon request (and because you're all amazing at them), I have a NEW Sanderstober art prompt list for you this year! Feel free to do one, some, or all of these prompts for October! Take em in any order you feel & use the hashtag #Sanderstober2022 if you’d like me to see your creations! Hope you all have fun with these if you take em on!! 🎨 

Day 1: Starting out with a traditional classic, take a character from media or OC and draw how they look on September 30th vs. how they look on October 1st. 

Day 2: Time to shine the light on the articles of clothing we all love to bust out in the fall, by CHOOSING one of those items and making a monster based on it!

Day 3: It is announced, beyond all reason, that they’re going to add a NEW suit to the deck of cards, in addition to hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades. Disregarding how much this would destroy the structure of most card games, what is this new suit called and what does it look like??

Day 4: Centaurs are half-man, half-horse. Draw another kind of fantastical creature, that’s half-man, half ANOTHER kind of animal! - Idea from Dominic!

Day 5: Take a typical children’s nursery rhyme… and create a thriller poster based off of it…

Day 6: Design Challenge - create a stylish look (clothes, makeup, whatever you like) based off a candy of your choice!

Day 7: There’s a Pokemon based off almost everything. But not everything. Take a random object, animal, etc. that a Pokemon hasn’t been based off yet… and create one, complete with a corresponding name!

Day 8: Take any piece of Western animation and re-imagine it in anime form. - Inspired by an idea from Dominic!

Day 9: Take any traditional Halloween monster and think about what TikTok challenge they probably would take on. Doesn’t even have to be a real one! 

Day 10: A dabbling in minimalism. Take one or several characters from one of your favorite pieces of media, and try to depict them using only simplistic shapes. See if you can get people to guess the characters or show/movie/video game from the shapes and color schemes. 

Day 11: Always a fave prompt of mine - depict a pleasant fall-related memory of yours using solely fall-related colors (red, orange, yellow, brown, etc.)

Day 12: What if Halloween took place at another time of the year than Fall?? How might the holiday look different? Are there any traditions that might change? Any imagery? Any houses decorated differently??? Depict any aspect of the holiday that may look different!

Day 13: Another fave of mine - Take ANY Disney character and depict what they might look like as a superpowered individual in the Marvel universe.

Day 14: It happened again. This time, they announced a NEW chess piece that would be added to the game of chess. Why are they doing this?? Once again, disregarding how much of a wrench this throws into the gameplay of chess, WHAT does this new piece look like? What is it called? And how does it move on the board? 

Day 15: Re-imagine any Halloween monster or thriller movie baddie… as a character in a fantasy world…

Day 16: Using just inspiration from items found in your kitchen, use them to create a flag for a new country - Idea from Tammy!

Day 17: Draw a dynamic duo in a dynamic couples costume (Jessie & James from Pokémon as the front and back half of a horse, etc) - Idea from Cambria!

Day 18: My first prompt where I can take Inspo from Our Flag Means Death! Take any character from pop culture who isn’t a pirate… and design what they might look like in a pirate universe. Basically… pirate-ify them.

Day 19: Taking inspiration from the Haunted Mansion paintings, where the top of the painting looks pleasant only to then pan down to show the situation is much more grim (give it a Google if you need a reference!), create your own version of one of those paintings! - Another idea from Cambria

Day 20: The return of a classic… take any character(s) from a piece of media and depict them in the style of a Tim Burton character. (Sorry, I just love what you all create with this prompt!)

Day 21: Take any social media app… and turn it into a person.

Day 22: Take any Halloween-esque or Fall-based item/imagery and depict it in the iconic style of a famous painter!

Day 23: Oh my god, they’re doing it again!! Out of the blue, Hasbro announces that Clue will now be adding a NEW guest to the game of Clue who will be joining all the other color-based guests. Why does this keep happening?? Please create this guest and what their colorful name shall be!

Day 24: Take a loved pet from any point in your life, and turn them into a MONSTER.

Day 25: Take one of the characters from our videos (or a character from another piece of your fave media if you prefer!) and draw them with an animal that you think matches them perfectly! - Idea from Cambria!

Day 26: I’m such a sucker for this prompt: Depict characters from one of your fave animated shows in the STYLE of another animated series

Day 27: Since this would probably make Remus happy… if it makes you comfortable, draw a nightmare you remember having in your life, and instead of it happening to you, depict it happening to Remus

Day 28: Since we did the opposite prompt earlier… take a superhero and depict who they’d be in any fairytale you think suits them…

Day 29: Take any Halloween/ Scary movie monster and draw a suit/dress/suitdress inspired by their style and color palette!

Day 30: At long last, it’s revealed, the reason behind ALL THESE ADDITIONS to traditional games (the fifth card suit, the new chess piece, the additional Clue guest) was ONE NEW EVIL MASTERMIND! Based on your past creations for Day 3, Day 14, and Day 23, draw what this mastermind looks like and give them a name!!!

Day 31: In typical end-of-the-month fashion, today’s prompt is all about celebrating the reason for the season, Halloween! This year, Halloween’s PR team wants you to come up with a new catchphrase/slogan for Halloween! Please create a Halloween sign/poster with the new phrase featured!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

[weaselweaselw]

Deltarune: Why Gaster has a Split Personality

Holy shit... so, in case you're living under a rock, the Deltarune Winter Newsletter came out last night, and its release sent ripples throughout the entire UT/DR fandom.

Included in the Newsletter is a development update which states that Chapter 3 is pretty much complete.

The only aspect of the chapter still being worked on is the localization process from English to Japanese – the entire team is now working on Chapter 4. So that's nice - they even have an internal deadline for the actual game, so we can expect a release within the next year and a half.

However, the main selling point of this entire newsletter was the fact that it's themed around Valentine's Day. And as a result, there were a lot of Valentine's Day letters sent from the various Undertale and Deltarune characters. Here's one from Undyne:

Here's a list of all the letters. Some are short, some are more comical - but many of them reveal interesting things about these characters.

Especially one character in particular...

That's right! Even Gaster has a letter of his own! In fact, it's the rarest letter of them all that to my knowledge, only one person received, until minutes later, the letter itself was erased from Fangamer's website. However, the letter was archived in the nick of time.

Wow, so that was a lot, right? There's quite a bit to analyze here, from Gaster needing help, to him forgetting someone - and it certainly added fuel to the fire that is the deltarune theory community.

However, there's one particular debate taking place all over the internet right now, for you see... some people don't think that letter was sent by Gaster. For one, the tone of this letter doesn't match his usual scientific, detached, and robotic demeanor he's usually associated with. He appears much more down-to-earth, speaking in a much more formal way than he usually does. And for many in the fandom at the moment, that is enough ground to say this character isn't Gaster.

Despite how utterly insane and ridiculous this might sound to you, these people do bring up good points. And of course... these people also use the Japanese translation as evidence. In the Japanese version of Undertale and Deltarune, Gaster speaks in Katakana and Kanji, two rather complex and sophisticated alphabets, but in this letter, Gaster speaks in Hirigana - a more casual, laid-back, and simplistic alphabet, reflecting his demeanor.

So, what gives? Is this a different Gaster? Are there two Gasters at work here, who may or may not be at odds with one another? Is there going to be a Gaster War?

No. People seem to be forgetting something: Gaster was shattered across time and space, as revealed by Undertale.

This isn't just some figurative jargon - one of the Gaster Followers quite literally holds a piece of Gaster in his hand. I know this is often overlooked, but what do you think the psychological effects of this could be?

It would likely be an extremely traumatic experience, if I'm going to be honest - as parts of your mind and body become fragmented across the entire universe and across time itself. So: it's quite possible that Gaster simply has... a split personality.

There aren't two Gasters or anything ridiculous like that, but rather, the one Gaster we know has his mind scattered across the universe, quite literally fragmented - such that different aspects of his personality present themselves at different times. In fact, such a condition exists in the real world: it's called Dissociative Identity Disorder, and it is most often associated with trauma resulting in the compartmentalization of the mind into multiple personality states, otherwise known as alters.

These are not separate people - think of it like turning a light switch on and off, or closing a door. And this is my solution to this debate that has begun about Gaster - I like to think of it as a compromise, but Gaster having a split personality like this can really spice up the story a bit - and could even solve some of the lingering mysteries about what happened to the secret bosses, but as of now, this only exists as theory tape.

Thanks for tuning into my rant.

[bohioeveanga]

Oh, boy do I got a dumb Zelda theory that I will not be translating into any other language because this will be long as heck...🙃

And I do mean long, so buckle up and get ready. Because the theory goes as follows: what if the Zonai and Minish are somehow connected?

I know I'm grasping at the stupidest straws and I actually thought about it while falling asleep last night, I've only got one open eye this morning while writing this, so these are really rambles of a madwoman!🤣 Still, I think this needs to be discussed. I think there might be, in the smallest of chances, a connection.

Let's start with the obvious, physical traits. There's not much, I know. We only have the extremely large ears and snout. That's about it, really. Minish have lighter skin, and seem to have a feathery tail coming from behind. On the other hand, Zonai have a grayish-greenish skin, overall white hair, and don't have tails. The biggest and most obvious difference is size, with the Minish being small and the Zonai, well, do I really need to explain that? The Zonai are even much taller than Hylians in comparison.

Though it seems they can have a lot hair, both, if we compare Rauru and Ezlo in his Minish form. Who knows if Zonai can grow beards too?

Also, the Minish came from the sky, much like the Zonai did. Coincidence?!

But wait! There's more. Let's talk about designs.

Can you see it? The eye. That effing eye! Took one look at that shield, and all I could think was the Four Sword Sanctuary. Now, granted, that's in FS and FSA, but those stories are connected to MC. I saw the Elemental Sanctuary, and while there's no eye, it's safe to say that maybe there's a connection to the sanctuaries, housing the Four Sword and elements. And the Ranger Constructs seem to have an akin eye to the shield and sanctuary, even hanging at the side of their faces. It's so similar, that I can't help but think there might be a connection. (Low-key, I actually thought the Ranger Constructs would be a new version of the Eyegore.)

Still on the eye-theme, the Zonai themselves have a third eye. You know two other people who seem to have a connection to a third eye? Hmm, yeah, Vaati and Astor.

Now, Astor is from AoC, so I'm not too worried on him, but he's eerily similar to Vaati, to the point I actually believed he was an incarnation of him back before AoC came out. And why not? Similar dark clothes, gold accents, red highlights in magic, the circlet with red jewel, gray skin, maniac tendencies, need I say more? But Vaati used to once be a Minish, remember? He turned human with his newfound powers through the magical cap Ezlo made prior to the MC events. The Minish are creatures of magic and desire good. Zonai too. If we analyze at a slightly scientific and magical perspective, maybe the Minish might have evolved into a large and superior advanced race, even going as far as abandoning there small stature and simplistic lifestyle. Similarly to our smart Sheikahs from BoTW/AoC/ToTK and 10,000 years prior.

Eye these other shots! (See what I did there? No, okay, I'll shut up.😏)

Dark Hyrule Castle in MC? Filled with eye-related puzzles. Zonaite armor? Eye on the freaking helmet! Mazaal, boss for the Fortress of Winds in MC? Eyes on his hands, literally! Plus, who's to say that Mazaal isn't some super ancient prototype of a Construct? Look at the shape of the head and Zonaite helmet! (WHAT IF THE SHEIKAH TOOK INSPIRATION TO CREATE GOHDAN FOR THE TOWER OF THE GODS IN WW?! Theory for another day.)

Now, finally giving a shut-eye to that topic (I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself,) let's talk about Constructs. Asides from Mazaal above, you know what device is super similar between Minish and Zonai?

A classic Zelda staple seems way too similar for this particular theory. Sure, the Remote Bomb is gray, but the aspect between the Remote and Time Bomb are way too similar. Even the 'fuse' is pretty much the exact same look and color! On top of that, its usage is exactly the same. It's a small stupid piece of circumstantial evidence, but I'm going with it.

Now, finally, for my last bit. TotK brought some new flora into the game, fitting naturally. But there's one that's unique and stands out, and surprisingly shares a part of its name with a plant that makes an appearance in MC. Can you guess?

Aren't they pretty? The shape and look of the Brightbloom and Pico Bloom, respectively, are identical. When the bud is close, its shape is similar as well. When the bud is open, it provides lighting in its general area. Pico Blooms, in particular, offer different lights, asides from the above yellow, including, yes, white. Pico Blooms lights glow very obviously while the Brightbloom's glow is steady and unwavering. While it's hard to guess if Pico Blooms are able to provide as much light as a Brightbloom in the darkness, maybe the Depths, the similarities are impossible to ignore. Even the way the leaves at the bottom of the stem are similar. Brightblooms don't make an appearance in BotW, much like the Pico Blooms do not exist, or at least, not seen, in any other Zelda game. And while Pico Blooms serve more as a side quest appearance, they still form a part of the Minish's general flora. Brightblooms appeared right after the Upheaval, a crucial item to explore the Depths. And they seem to have a strong connection with the Zonai, as they are seen as a part of the Ranger Constructs decoration, as well as within the shrines, and even in the mines and other architectural locations found in the Depths.

The entire Miner's freaking Set is an entire copy to the Brightbloom!

Welp, that's my tea and essay for today, y'all. I think I'm still kind of asleep, despite everything I wrote and all the above images. Am I crazy and seeing too much into it? Probably am, but it seems there's a connection. Maybe the Minish evolved into the Zonai, much like the Zora evolved into the Rito. Maybe the Minish, while trying magic, backfired into the Zonai? Or maybe they're just completely separate from each other. The possibilities are endless. At the end of the day, that's what makes the games so great, and makes me just another sleepy Zelda theorist.

See later ya later guys! Back to bed!🤣

[defectivegembrain]

*enters the scene in the Once Upon a Time musical episode where Hook sings his song* Wait stop singing this doesn't make sense! I know you want your revenge the most, but since when do you turn down money?

Hook: I don't know, I'm feeling kinda out of character here, I think I've been squashed into an even more simplistic version of myself at this point in the show

Me: But even from the perspective of getting your revenge, having more gold will make it easier to, you know, live and have more ways to achieve that!

Hook: *Homer Simpson voice* Explain how

Me: Money can be exchanged for goods and services

Hook: Ahhh

Me: And you two! Snow and Charming! Since when will you give up someone to be killed, even Rumplestiltskin?

Snow: I don't know, we're already on a pointless mission that makes no sense, we might as well betray our previously established values!

Charming: Don't look at me, it's perfectly in character for me to bend my morals depending on what she thinks!

Me: Ah true...but do none of you realise that if he kills Rumple he'll become the next Dark One

Hook: Worth it

Snow and Charming: Wait no it fucking isn't what the heck man

Hook: Can we just finish the song

Me: I mean yeah, it still slaps

[overgrownmoon]

my headcanon iterator designs! finally, in one place and rendered out nicely!!! get ready for the rambling under the cut i have many ideas

okay i love the simplistic design of rainworld creatures but i also love weird alien wacky designs so thats what i tried to go for here; a mix of strange alien bio-robots but aesthetically pleasing enough to look friendly. i think the iterator puppets arent the entirety of the iterator; they are also their can, of course, but the puppet is the "face" of the structure, as well as an important part of the biological aspect of iterators.

i think the puppets arent completely artificial. i think they are highly derived, highly modified purposed organisms made to fulfill a few requirements; be a friendly and relatable design for the citizens to be able to interact with the iterator, personify the iterator as a real living being and not just a box, and, most importantly, to house the biological brain that allows the supercomputer to be actually truly alive.

the brain inside the puppet is the part that gives the entire structure personality, intelligence, emotion, and everything else a biological brain can do that a computer cannot. almost the entirety of the brains ability to process information and think logically is outsourced to the structure via the umbilical wires. the neural cortex we see in game is the computer brain that is capable of all those calculations and simulations and all the amazing things iterators can. these two brains interact via the umbilical in a feedback loop of continuous information, working as one mind.

without the umbilical wire, the puppet is reduced to a normal beings brain; which is to say, they can speak and think, but lose access to their long term memory storage, their advanced logical processing power, and pretty much everything that makes them a god-like supercomputer. the only connection left in that case is through the neurons, which can interface between the puppet and structure as a lose tether of information(which is why moon is able to interact with her structure post rivulet even though the umbilical is still severed. the neurons each keep a copy of the iterators information to backup and pass though the structure, like a living usb, and moon can use them to access a smaller scale version of her former computational power).

the arm of the puppet acts both as a mobility device though low gravity and feeds nutrients to the puppet body as an outsourced digestive and circulatory system. the puppet itself does not have a complete digestive and circulatory system because of this.

i think the iterators should be like bugs, and so they are! they have a hard exoskeleton made of chitin and an open circulatory system. most of their interior is muscle and electronics to support the puppet's systems. various sensors to monitor health, gyroscopes to stay upright, electronics to read pearls and receive broadcasts (i think their antenna are both ears for sound and ears for electromagnetic waves). they have compound eyes for extremely good vision and a voice modulator allows them to speak.

one thing that always bothered me about the puppet design is that they have legs, and yet live in no gravity and are attached to a mobile arm. why would they need to walk? i decided that the people who built them decided to keep the legs for aesthetic reasons, but made them functionally useless. the legs are atrophied and could not actually support the puppet's weight. earlier generations, like moon, have more normal proportions and less atrophied legs; later generations get more and more stylized and streamlined, as we can see with pebble's more extreme proportions and extremely thin legs. you can also see a thick audio cable on the older models that pebbles doesnt have, and visible joints that are smoothly covered on pebbles.

the production of iterators may have been somewhat standardized, but we do know that different iterators can have different designs based on their creators taste. frankly, i love headcanoning NSH as being big and chunky while pebbles is a little twig. i plan to draw my interpretations for suns, inno, and wind too in the future.

so, yea! puppets! theyre fucked up and would struggle to survive detached from their structure completely because they are pugs and cannot survive outside of their domesticated lives.

[streets-in-paradise]

For as much as it wrecks me everytime I rewatch the film, I could never blame Paris for the death of Achilles.

Many people feel like " Stupid Paris, because of him Achilles and Briseis couldn't get their happy ending", but i personally think that's simplistic and misses the point.

It's the concecuencies of his actions reaching him, Briseis was lost to him the day he killed Hector. The chain of events unleashed with the death of Patroclus can't be stopped and he himself admitted it to her before.

I love that hot headed bastard so much, but Paris had all the right to kill him after witnessing how he dragged his brother's body to the greek camp. Achilles himself gave Hector an humiliating death for less, given in the film version he did respect Patroclus' body and killed him by mistake.

Is Achilles holding the monopoly of justified revenge? I don't think so, and he becomes aware of that too late.

There are at least two moments of foreshadowing encouraging Paris to seek honoring his dead brother, a paralel of both Hector and Helen saying he will manage to make him proud. Another precedent for whats to come is Hector giving up his honor to save Paris from Menelaus. He couldn't leave it behind to stay alive, but briefly did it to save his brother. One can imagine that this would leave a mark on him, since Paris accomplished something not even Hector's wife and son could.

It is clearly established the family bond of Hector and Paris is as strong as the one of Achilles and Patroclus.

Given the understandable fast pace of the end, it is often overlooked all whats going on with the character of Paris at the fall of Troy. It's pretty much his moment of growth, where he embraces his role of prince as a way to honor Hector's memory.

For the first time ever he is doing what he should and not what he wants. I'm pretty sure every fiber of his being was screaming him to leave with Helen right away, but he didn't. He found the courage he lacked priorly in the fight with Menelaus, he took the selfless choice. After all, Paris had no way to tell he would come out of the burning city alive to find Helen and he lets her know of it in that heartfelt farewell before he goes searching for Briseis.

And when he finds her, maybe the first shot to the greek holding her was protectiveness. The restant shots? That goes for Hector, and that's why he can't stop even when she begs him.

He is making his brother proud.

The one happy ending of Troy is Andromache surviving with her kid and, maybe apparently at least from the last scene, leading the trojans in follow up of her husband's legacy.

Achilles gets to the end alone and feeling remorse for his mistakes, knowing his time will come and being somewhat aware that what he did to Hector will bite him in the ass. He goes from filling the heads of his men with promises of glory encouraging their brutality, to taking them out of THE historical moment because glory isn't worthy if they will have to throw infants from the city walls for it.

He stays to look after Briseis, but I think he never expected to walk out with her alive.

Perhaps the most greek tragedy-like moment in the whole film is him being so close to the happy ending when fate comes to reclaim him.

[ilions-end]

okay i for real finished quintus' posthomerica so! FINISHING THOUGHTS:

i wish i'd read it sooner tbh. there was a time i was scrambling trying to find out everything that happened in between the iliad and the odyssey, and just reading wikis didn't really give a sense of scope. even though quintus is a WAY WEAKER storyteller than homer it is the closest surviving thing we have to a full linking narrative

MOST ANNOYING quintus thing, even beyond the simplistic morals, is his need to say "this was WAY MORE [thing] than [event in the iliad] actually!". he keeps doing it! like he says achilles' grief for antilochus is even greater than he felt for patroclus... OBSERVABLY NOT, QUINTUS?? you're not fooling anybody

there is such a thing as too much ekphrasis. we don't need to know what's depicted on EVERY shield (and baldric, and quiver) of note, quintus. please.

funniest "nobody's allowed to be mean to each other" thing is odysseus seeking out philoctetes who tells him like "i can never forgive you for abandoning me, i have suffered unspeakable pains for ten years because of you specifically, you absolute heartless bastard" and odysseus tells him "well don't blame me, blame the fates" and philoctetes goes "oh that's true!" and they hug it out. it's like FIVE lines and they're buddies again.

random and silly observations that didn't warrant their own liveblog posts:

quintus makes all his favourite guys IMMENSELY TALL AND BIG AND MUSCULAR. achilles is HUGE. ajax is HUGE. neoptolemus is HUGE. i'm imagining them running around like great danes among chihuahuas.

i know it's an ancient text but the battles FEEL like cgi slurry. it's always "innumerable" men falling every time one of the heroes swipes a sword. the ground is so covered in bodies they can walk back to camp never treading in the dust. it's fantasy numbers of dead EVERY time and they never run out of guys.

achilles and memnon dueling and getting so close their helmet crests keep brushing against each other? dare i say erotic

it's so funny that quintus fanboys achilles so hard he REFUSES to let paris kill him. NO what do you MEAN the prettyboy trojan gets him in the other versions, only a GOD ALONE can kill PERFECT ACHILLES obviously!! so we get "one day apollo saw achilles on the battlefield and he thought achilles was annoying so he shot him". wow great tension, quintus...!

the description of ajax' immediate shock at hearing odysseus won the arms is so visceral and detailed (the flash of pain in his mind traveling down his spine, temporary loss of balance and vision). it makes it sound like there's a genuine disabling neurological event happening, the onset of his madness as a physiological reaction, it's very impressive as a medical description.

i like that teucer keeps popping up through the epic, we even learn who his friends are (as they die...) that's my boy. i had to laugh at myself when i was surprised at teucer being part of the battle the day after ajax died. as if i thought he'd be granted compassionate leave or something????

the one time quintus actually seems to comment on odysseus' agenda is when they're collecting neoptolemus on skyros and deidamia cries like a bird whose young has been eaten by a serpent. odysseus is the serpent!!

diomedes has to run into odysseus' tent to borrow armour mid-attack. girlfriends 4eva

i love how ambiguous phoinix' feelings are at meeting neoptolemus! he gets so emotional reminded of achilles at that age and he's both so proud and so distraught. and neoptolemus is very polite but obviously awkward about this strange man hugging him and crying and it's. ah it's such an emotionally complicated scene <3

ALSO also when neoptolemus is finally left alone and walks into his father's tent and sees all his things and briseis and the slaves and he cries, thinking of home. little boy, what have you gotten involved innnn.

eurypylus meets neo on the battlefield and demands that he says who he is and also to relate the pedigree of his horses. why is nobody normal in this war.

when they enter the wooden horse quintus takes a big pause to call on the muses again to help him list EVERY MAN who went into the horse. and he says thirty names and then "and many more besides". the muses straight up gave up on him!

quintus is way, way more partial to the greeks than homer is, but the descriptions of the sacking of troy are genuinely horrific. it's horrible slaughter, not just cutting down of the enemy but the panic and chaos of naked trojans killed in their beds or desperately trying to defend themselves with furniture and utensils. parents slay their own children to spare them from torture and slavery. it's definitely not just "yay we beat troy".

menelaus and helen's reunion got me, even though it's one of those where aphrodite makes him so horny he forgives her (at least she doesn't flash her boobs this time). when they talk later they agree there's nothing to forgive and then make love like "grapevine and ivy intertwining". aww.

the final mention of odysseus is when he hauls hecuba towards his ship and there's a simile of a farmer leading squealing, lowing wildstock into a new pen. it's just so dehumanizing and horrible it actually makes me appreciate that this is a version where hecuba gets transformed into a dog.

so! posthomerica: a very mixed bag and intriguingly affected by the moral compass of its writer but BOY is there a lot of stuff happening in it.

[bhaalble]

just want to say yr astarion meta is goated! the head writer being explicit abt it being a narrative decision from above re: good end/evil end for companions explains a lil abt why the conclusion feels two-dimensional and limited. but the fetishisation interp feels so lacking. esp given what could be his place in the meta narrative of the game - the poor little meow meow effect!! fandom fav whose behaviour is boiled down to a good/bad end rather than the journey. which is a lil disconcerting when he is arguably one of the most opportunistically fantasy racist of the partyz disclaimer: i’ve enjoyed astarion and wanted to enjoy him more, but some of discussions around him. BONKERS. cheers for putting yr thoughts out there

Thank youuu I’m glad its resonating. I really was genuinely so baffled when the fetishization read hit because. Beyond just being an incredibly simplistic read of his character and the various poor coping mechanisms he has I also felt it was completely disconnected from the actual experience of playing the game. The idea that you’re doing this only to sate some horny vampire dom fantasy is honestly, slightly batshit (no pun intended) unless you presume the reader is going in already knowing what the endings will be and the specific relationship dynamics that will inspire. The average player going in completely blind doesn’t have a lot of reason to assume “this will probably make him my sexy vampire master”. Particularly when you can ascend him without romancing him! Which in fairness to the writer: is why we don’t go off discord screenshots for literary analysis most of the time.

Genuinely I don’t have an issue with the Ascended ending being considered the “bad” ending! It’s not a good person choice to make. You’re killing 7000+ people. Even beyond that logistic concern it's very clear from the entire journey there how much Astarion’s own fear and trauma are weighing on him making this decision. You can see it most clearly when you find Sebastian. He’s suppressing a lot of horror and a lot of his empathy to focus entirely on getting back at Cazador in the most intimate way he knows how. Even if I think there’s more good that comes with it than people give it credit for its not a problem for me that this ending is canonically “the bad one” and also that most people would prefer to avoid it. Not everyone is going to be in for the toxic yaoi bullshit I have a bottomless appetite for.

My problem primarily is. Ok so I don’t particularly subscribe to the “power fantasy” view of gaming. I think its far, far more useful to understand rpg gaming as an exercise in collaborative storytelling. Players may go for outcomes they would want irl, but they are just as likely to go for what sounds interesting or makes them feel good or sound fun to play. But pretending for a moment that I do believe that worldview: Literally every choice you make in a game can be argued to sate some kind of fantasy. GOOD ending Astarion, at least from how a lot of people who are really attached to it talk about it, seems to definitely appeal to a lot of player fantasies about Fixing Someone, about taking a partner who’s devastatingly attractive and making yourself invaluable to them by virtue of being their emotional support. And there’s nothing wrong with that fantasy! There’s a reason it has its appeal. But my question then becomes: why is only one group of players being put under scrutiny then? Why do players who prefer to explore a version of Astarion who is firmly attached to his ideas of power and security have to reflect on how they view him, but players who fixate on making him a better version of himself “just doing what’s best for him”? The kind of relationship Ascended Astarion has to the player would be deeply unhealthy in real life. In real life, though, people who are deeply fixated on therapizing their partner and finding someone to “fix” can also be their own brand of toxic.

To be clear: that’s intentionally a bad faith reading. I don’t sincerely believe people who like Astarion’s good end are all secretly control freaks who want to make their partners emotionally dependent on them. I don’t even believe that’s necessarily what they want for Astarion! No matter how many “I can fix him” jokes there are I don’t actually believe trying to talk him out of Ascending is in some way taking away his agency (largely because. He doesn’t have agency. He’s lines). But why pick and choose. Why problematize one fantasy over the other, particularly when problematizing that fantasy can lead you to make some pretty severe assumptions that may not be entirely accurate.

Returning to your other point, that really is the crux of it. People understand Astarion as a flawed character, they understand him as closed off and mean and rude and selfish. But because those traits are trauma informed, they tend to push the responsibility for dealing with that onto the player character. Its our job to fix him, its our job to make him feel safe and know there’s a better way and model kindness so he knows how to show it to others. And none of those are WRONG things to do. They’re just also not necessarily things every player signed up for, and certainly not every player character. Interacting with a traumatized person doesn’t come with a binary choice of “be their full time mommy/therapist and be actively invested in solving their every problem” and “don’t give a shit about them as a person and hope they explode”. Wanting Cazador out of Astarion’s life doesn’t have to come part and parcel with wanting to wrap Astarion in a blanket. Calling him a jackass when he’s racist to gnomes or Gur or kobalds or goblins doesn’t exclude also enjoying his commentary on other matters. When I build a PC I’m building a relationship between two people with independent wants, needs, flaws, and biases. My gith sorcerer is vocal in pointing out when Astarion is being an asshole as a defense mechanism; they also will secure him pretty much any power he wants because to them that’s part of their internal directive to protect him. By contrast my human wizard tends to align more with his self-interested choices. The worm’s in our heads, there’s no time to help strays if we can’t help ourselves. But its also why they’ll eventually be the one to talk him out of ascending. Don’t we deserve some peace after all this? Don’t we deserve a chance to retire and not trade one war for another? Aren’t you sick of this place, and of him?

Anyways. You. Probably were not looking for a full-tilt essay only broadly related to your points. I just have a lot of thoughts on this guy. He’s a character I’ve been looking for in media for a very long time and its actually pretty frustrating to watch a lot of the meta in fanon be so simplistic and also, generally pretty condescending to both the character and people who want to engage with him in a way more complex than “do you want him to be a good healthy boy or a bad unhealthy boy?"

[insomniac-dot-ink]

Hi, so you said that Iron Widow has really bad gender politics, what did you mean? I heard some pretty rave reviews for the book and was considering picking it up so that's pretty disappointing

Here is my full review (please read) also my most popular book review I've written.

There is a lot of genuine feeling in Iron Widow and well-met rage. A potent power-fantasy with earnest fury, but like all power fantasies, it can be ego-obsessed to the point it obscures the functions of power itself. The overwriting, simplistic ideology, and poor storytelling are just . . . not good. This isn't a good book.

The individualist framework of feminism and "Single Strong Man" version of history is reductive. Zetian comes up with her Empowered Thought by herself. The storyline provides no female friends or female mentors or many good things to say about women outside of Zetian. In real life, feminism and other movements are fueled by community organization and institutional push-back using collective action. I mean, did you enter into feminism on your own? Or are you standing on the shoulders of giants? History is much more of a passing of the baton than anything.

Women, obviously, can suck too and reinforce the patriarchy, but also I love them and women are wonderful and I just don't care for these kinds of individualistic rhetoric that puts on the skin of feminism without actually thinking deeply about it or embodying the reality of its work.

The narrative is self-justifying via the clothing of feminist rhetoric, but internal monologuing does not a revolutionary make.

On a technical level, the writing itself is a bizarre combination of overwriting and underwriting. I found myself gliding over entire paragraphs since there's just metaphors with no purpose stacked on top of each other. Somehow things are described without being developed. Telling instead of showing is a big issue as the relationships, plot, and worldbuilding are all told to the audience instead of shown. It was written like a movie instead of a novel.

Finally, this book is supposed to take inspiration from Pacific Rim and anime and have feminism at the forefront, but they're not even going to give me a little power of female friendship? As a treat? :(