#and thus the cycle of violence continues ... ... ...

[retquits]

me when i GET YOU

[captainjimothy]

personally i do think julian bashir is trans, but not in a way that sublimates his genetic alterations into a trans allegory. i think he's disabled and trans at the same time, but i think his rebellion against his parents--the symbolic death of his old self with the name change--that's not about gender, for him, at all.

it's about the incredible violation of autonomy he experienced as a disabled person under the knife of a eugenicist society. it's about the need to reclaim some, any, of the agency that was so completely stolen from him by his parents.

it's about discovering that his entire self was deconstructed and reconstructed, without his knowledge or consent, for the express purpose of being less of a burden on his parents.

because let's not forget that the death of julian's old self was not his decision. it was his parents who killed the old self and created a new one.

let's not forget that human society in star trek is still recovering from the eugenics wars--that just because it's post-scarcity doesn't mean it's a utopia.

let's not forget the multiple episodes where bashir is forced to confront the fact that his "success story" is truthfully a gross reminder of how deeply his society (and his family) hates disabled people, not only shown in how they tried to fix him, but also in the fact that the process so rarely works as intended, yet is still done anyway--and the failures and the ones too far gone to save are locked away! with no connection to general society, and only the bare minimum provision for their physical needs, with no privacy and no autonomy!

and let's not forget that julian sees these people and is torn between the empathy he has for them, and his urge to fix them. and he goes through with this urge on Sarina, "fixing" her to conform to his idea of what she ought to be, treating her as a problem to be solved, objectifying her via "my ideal woman was trapped in this disabled body/mind and i saved her," thus continuing the cycle of violence, because even he can't conceive of a world where the disabled do not need to be fixed. where the violence done to him was wrong. fuck man

[el-bellanaris]

I find the fandom consensus that Solas and the Inquisitor going into the fade at the end of Veilguard being an eternal "banishment" really interesting because at least for me I feel like it ignores what the ending is supposed to mean for Solas overall. Solas in Veilguard is finally at the crossroads in his life that some other Inquisition companions and advisors were at in DAI. I mention Inquisition specifically because for me his journey is so much more reflected and connected with them, his journey might take two games but it narratively fits so well within the scope of Inquisition. 

Anyway as the player character, we are given the choice that will define the fate of these characters based on our emotions and logic and this will become the canon choice of that particular world state. For Solas, we aren’t told much information about his future and the results of his choice but we are shown it through visual motifs and more directly through the difference in the pair of remnants left behind by Mythal. We have the remnant that exists in the crossroads and has lived the last couple thousand years existing in a static state never leaving and never growing past her past. The other remnant existed inside Flemeth and we were told by Morrigan in Veilguard that this remnant was able to love and live many lives experiencing the world and living more fluidly.

Our choice is based on our opinion of Solas but the outcome is reflected in what it means for him and if your choice will have him continue the cycle and stay in a static existence without growth or go forward into a future full of new experiences, change and growth. If you fight him you are continuing the cycle of violence, leading to Solas to become as bad as the Evanuris and becoming static - stuck in his ways and as a result likely stuck in the prison of regret that he may never escape from because he refuses to grow. Thus Solas becomes like Elgar'nan and the other evanuris and Rook becomes like Solas in replaying the cycle of history of what happened when the veil was created. 

If you trick him and best him fairly in a battle of wits, Rook becomes his equal, his proper opponent on the chess board rather than just a piece on Solas's board. The cycle breaks because Solas has to come to terms with the fact that he has lost, this results in change that is confronting for Solas but he takes it with grace and falls into a brighter future. 

The last choice, the compassionate ending where Solas is able to confront his past but also be comforted towards the future by the Inquisitor, regardless of whether or not he romanced them will result in Solas actively and freely walking away from his plan and the game he has been playing against and with Rook. The cycle is broken, there are no winners or losers except the Inquisitor who vowed to change his mind and of course a Inquisitor who said that their love would endure. They are the winners here. (Obviously everyone has their opinions on if their love did endure for them personally so this is more so just me describing the facts presented in the game if that ending is chosen)

This ending is also representative of Solas finally reaching the moment that Cullen, Blackwall and the Iron Bull were able to reach where they could find themselves putting down their duty and moving forward with something new. All 4 of them are bound to some kind of organisation or duty be it the templars, the ben-hassarath, Blackwall’s duty to his lie and guilt or in Solas's case the revolutionary for his people. The other three in Inquisition were able to become something new, something in their heart they wanted to be but had to be confronted with the mortifying truth of facing themselves and following a new path. Solas doesn't get the exact clarity in his endings that these three characters get, however he does actively state that he will go to atone and then calm the anger of the blight.

He, like these other three and the remnant of Mythal that left their old lives behind, will now walk on a completely new path. So for me it felt incredibly clear that he would not be stuck in any way anymore because of this and being bound to the prison eternally would not even be an outcome on this path even if he is to go back there first. This ending is about completely forging something new for him, something that requires him to confront himself and accept himself entirely. And the Inquisitor is here as not a prisoner with him, but rather someone to join him on the path he is to take next.

So when people say the pair of them will make the prison into a home or just generally only seem to see a future for them in that prison by themselves I find myself compelled to ask why? Why would the ending that's about breaking the cycle and very visibly showing Solas making the choice for himself and freely walking into the future be one that leads to another eternal permanent state of being. It ignores the idea of what this ending means and I think focuses slightly too heavily on taking the ending slides just as face value. 

The choices you make as the person holding the controller/mouse happen in tandem with what you didn't choose. So they all exist as possible outcomes and you can occasionally get more information from viewing other choices then just focusing on the one you made. When you are given the ending slide for the romanced Inquisitor that follows him into the fade we are shown them hugging, with Solas who has shed his armour and is wearing an outfit akin to what he wore when he was at Skyhold. Aka when he is at home, at rest. This ending shows him at rest with the Inquisitor and we are told they are reunited and their story has come to an "end."

Now it's easy to get tunnel vision and only view this ending and think oh they're just in the fade forever, but if you view the others, especially the ones for where you trick or fight Solas they specifically show Solas falling into the fade. This is important because it shows the direct result of your choice through how he enters the fade and is indicative of the future that will follow for him. In one we see Solas falling into darkness because the cycle of violence continues and in the other Solas falls into a brighter future because he accepts defeat. So for the romanced ending it's not representing their permanent state of being but rather showing us the direct result of Solas entering the fade in the same way the other two I mentioned are. He doesn't fall; rather he finds himself stable, standing up and able to accept the Inquisitor's love in an embrace in a moment alone. That's what he does first, not what they do for an eternity. In the non-romanced option he is actively walking to a brighter future with his staff in hand and dressed ready to approach his next challenge. This is likely what he will do next in the other future too just with the Inquisitor at his side this time but after he gets his bearings and they are able to move forward together.

When I see people say well what about the Inquisitor's life, why is she throwing it away for a man or what about her friends and family deciding that it's absolutely certain she will never see them again I am again compelled to ask why. They are entering a bright future together, and that bright future is defined by you ultimately. For one thing, time in the fade serves to be convenient to the narrative it is in. Rook was in there for a couple hours but in the real world weeks had passed which I assumed was because that was how long the group needed to make the dagger and successfully be able to free Rook. For the Inquisitor they spend hours in the fade in a quest and return within minutes because they were needed in the real world to make a choice about the Wardens that evening. So if you believe wholeheartedly that your Inquisitor would never abandon the world right now there's no reason why the fade wouldn't let them out in whatever time is most convenient for the imagined future for your character. Maybe the two of them spend weeks healing the anger of the titan's dreams and then return to this world in an hour. Let's not forget these are two people who rarely sit on their ass and just wait for the world to fix itself. The minute Solas was out of the prison he was out there in Minrathous fighting Elgarn'arn and Ghila'nain whilst protecting the people of the city. The Inquisitor is helping lead the efforts against the blight in three different countries based on their letters so why wouldn't either of them join the forces to help the world heal. Neither of them understand rest truly, so this moment of love together with them is likely just a quick break in between making their next steps. 

In terms of where they end up, I personally believe any ending that shows Solas entering the golden part of the fade indicates both a brighter future for him but means he will not enter that prison again. There is no need to, the prison is figuratively a representation of Solas being trapped by his regrets and unable to move forward so when he walks forward into a new future this prison now has no hold on him. Even when he is tricked, I think accepting defeat is enough to free him. He would just need longer to find his bearings and move forward but still would not need the prison anymore. We see light in these endings and the only places that are bright and full of light in the fade are the Dread wolf’s crossroads and the lighthouse so most likely he is returning to one of those places. Especially when in the non-romanced compassion ending he is dressed differently and has his staff he would need to acquire from the lighthouse. The Black City is also the closest I’ve ever seen it when viewed from inside the crossroads so it would make sense for him to reach it from there.

To end this very long post I will say that even though we aren’t told exactly what happens to Solas and the Inquisitor in the end I will stand by the fact that this game isn’t telling us they are banished to be alone in a prison forever. The game doesn’t tell us everything in words, rather it frequently relies on themes, imagery, actions and our own interpretations to make up the rest however so much is said to us and I wanted to write it all out somewhere for my own sanity really.

[avelera]

Meta: Balancing the Ledger in Arcane S2

Whatever people might have thought of Vi and Jayce's actions in S1, Arcane Season 2 was definitely listening. The whole point of their arcs in 2.1-2.3 seems specifically aimed at them getting point by point retribution for everything they did wrong, intentionally or unintentionally, sympathetically or unsympathetically, in S1.

Vi:

Is hurt and abandoned by Cait in almost exactly the same manner that she hurt and abandoned Powder in S1. If you thought Vi got off too lightly for her treatment of Powder in S1, she has now experienced the full brunt of what it would be like to be on the other side of that fight.

Is attacked, terrorized, and made to feel helpless by the very undercity people who she led an attack against in S1 in which she overpowered, terrorized, and ultimately led to the death of a child as collateral damage. The escalating cycle of violence that she took part in came back to bite her, hard.

As for Jayce:

He was warned repeatedly that Hextech was dangerous. He is now seeing and experiencing first hand the risks of unchecked magical/technological progress, not only seeing how it damages the world he was trying to save, but personally experiencing the horrifying, reality distorting effects of the wild runes as of 2.3.

He left Viktor in order to pursue the higher calling of politics, ostensibly to support their research too, but it took him from his partner's side. He was also motivated by a woman, Mel, and his care for her in doing so. Regardless of intention, politics and Mel took him from Viktor's side at a critical moment when Viktor's life hung in the balance.

Now, Viktor has left Jayce, pursuing the shadow of a dead woman who inspires him now, pursuing a higher calling of bettering the lives of others in the Undercity, and while he doesn't have the same real world powers manipulating him as Jayce did, there are parallels between the Hexcore and the Council's ability to drag Viktor and Jayce respectively forward into dangerous territory, following the siren song of their ambitions to change the world for the better, away from the partnership that launched their innovations in the first place.

Jayce also took part in the rogue mission against the Undercity factory, and in the process, killed a child thus escalating the cycle of violence between Piltover and Zaun.

If you blamed Jayce for becoming a councilor, getting into a relationship with Mel while Viktor was dying, for abandoning Viktor and the lab for other pursuits, for killing that child in Zaun, or in general for escalating the cycle of violence between Zaun and Piltover, then S2 seems to have set out very deliberately to address each one of these.

Jayce is abandoned by Viktor in a similar way and for similar (if not the same) causes as Viktor now abandoned Jayce. Meanwhile, the mother of the child he specifically killed shows up to take her pound of flesh, escalating cycle of violence that has him and his loved ones caught up in it, having now arrived at his doorstep when once it was far away in Zaun, and Hextech has become everything that Heimerdinger (who he deposed in a coup d'etat in order to override his warnings and his power to stop Jayce) warned that it could be.

I stand in awe of how deliberately set up it all is, and offer this analysis of why the narrative took the time to so specifically address and bring retribution for Vi and Jayce for these specific sins, in an almost exactly eye for an eye manner.

Before Jayce and Vi can continue forward as our protagonists, we needed to wipe the slate clean.

These beats are so specifically addressed at their sins (real, imagined, or overblown) in S1 that it's impossible to say going forward that they haven't suffered the consequences of their actions. They have now both been intimately on the receiving end of the consequences of what they did to others.

Furthermore, in S2 we are seeing that Vi and Jayce were less outliers as far as people making mistakes but rather were simply ahead of the curve. Now they have seen both sides of the cycle of violence and deeply suffered the consequences of their actions, many of which were impulsive. Going forward, I think it's safe to say we're going to see Jayce and Vi become voices of reason as they continue to learn, grow and experience the consequences of the events that their S1 actions had a big hand in causing in the first place.

I think this is also why Jayce, humbled and wiser, is becoming a much more popular character in S2 while Vi is becoming a much more universally sympathetic one, though I loved them both in the first season as did many other people. But their actions were controversial in some cases and it's been fascinating to see how systematically S2 has addressed each one of their controversial actions from S1 before moving them forward as heroes and protagonists.

[zoloteh-volossya]

Some Thoughts on Minthara

A repeating theme of all of the Origin companions is that what they think they want at the beginning of the game is a result of their fucked up pasts and is ultimately bad for them. Shadowheart wants to be a DJ, but that cuts her off from the potential to grow beyond Shar and loss. Lae'zel wants to Ascend, which would obliterate her in her entirety. Karlach would rather die than go back to hell, but dying cuts off the potential continued life she may find thanks to that Infernal Forge. Astarion wants to Ascend, which locks him into a cycle of violence, power, and fear. Gale has two failures of goals - first to kill himself for Mystra's forgiveness, then to Ascend (which hollows him out of all the originally noble intentions he had going into it). Wyll wants to serve, no matter what the cost to himself - which would lead him to stay pacted to Mizora when freedom beckons.

All of these initial goals stem from the environments/abuses that the companions are coming from. And they're all understandable! But they're unhealthy and/or maladaptive, and so in order for every Origin companion to get to their best/happiest ending they need to change and grow away from what they initially thought they wanted due to the influence of their pasts and personal flaws.

Minthara, when we meet her under her own free will, has abandoned Lolth but not her attitudes. She seeks love, yes, but also seeks any sort of power she can get her hands on with a desperation borne of fear. She cares deeply for Karlach and Lae'zel and reluctantly for Astarion, Shart, and Gale, but is willing to enslave them all as she herself was enslaved if it makes her Top Dog. Her ideal ending is codependent evil power couple with you, controlling the brain - and I think that's her 'bad' ending, akin to Ascended Astarion or DJ Shart.

Basically, I think there’s two sides to her. There's the side that desires genuine connections and is willing to go to hell for Karlach even if unromanced... and the side that chases power even if it means doing things like enslaving Karlach. She wants purpose (per her dialogue upon leaving Moonrise), a home and friends (per her dialogue when leaving the party), and protection (per her dialogues with the player). I think if she was able to obtain those things through sources other than trying to conquer Menzoberranzan/the Sword Coast she might be able to express the former side of herself more.

We see a bit of that in her Karlach romance, where she throws aside all concerns of seeking power to go to hell for her girlfriend. She doesn't talk of conquering or ruling Avernus - her focus is purely on vengeance for Karlach. It's an interesting reevaluation of her priorities and also why I like her pairing with Karlach so much.

As a side character, she doesn't get a questline and arc like the Origin companions get. But I think that it is notable that her happiest ending seems to be staying in Baldur's Gate. In her epilogue dialogue with Origin!Lae'zel she confesses that she is not happy if she pursues reconquering Menzoberranzan, and harbors doubts about her ability to succeed.

Because ultimately - as Ascended Astarion shows - pursuing power and conquest does not actually make you happier or safer. It just means a life dominated by fear. Lolth's treatment of the drow - and thus the drow treatment of each other - has been compared by writers of canon D&D novels to an abusive relationship. And like so many other survivors of abuse, Minthy is out of the immediate situation but still carries that way of thinking worn into her psyche, like ruts in a road.

She’ll never be “nice” or even necessarily “good,” but I’d like to think that over time, in the right environment, she can leave behind most of the self destructive power seeking of the Lolthite mindset. Move on from the toxic patterns of her past, as the Origin companions get to do in game.

[a-d-nox]

Hii, can you tell what idea does our Vertex Persona chart in general ??

what's a vertex persona? what can a vertex persona chart show you?

your vertex chart can show you what in your life is destined/fated to occur - all of us are here for a reason and it is our soul that has determined why it wished to be here in the first place and thus what these fated occurrences/reasons are / will be. it's a bit final destination -esque but there is no avoiding these things in this lifetime as they are the lessons your soul wanted to learn/experience most.

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

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sun

ego shift you are meant to have / how you are put in you place or get out of the box you were placed in in previous lives, how your identity is meant to change, the amount of attention you are meant to receive attention, the authority/power you are meant to have, how generous you are/should be or how selfish you should be, how aware are supposed to be, and/or what is meant to make you happy / bring you joy.

moon

the emotions you are meant to experience / focus on this life cycle, how emotionally responsive you will be, how you are meant to care for others / show you care, where you will feel most comfortable, how close you are supposed to be with your maternal figure, the connection you are meant to have with family, how your childhood was meant to be, your experience of making children, how you are meant to adapt / your capabilities in adapting to what happens to you in this lifetime, what habits you are meant to have, and/or how safe you feel in the world in this life cycle.

mercury

type of conversation you are meant to have, how you are meant to think, how your health is meant to be, what you are going to notice most often, type of local trips you are going round take, how you will travel, what you are meant to forget, mistakes you are going to make, gossip you are going to share and that will be said about you, and/or what you are meant to read.

venus

who you are fated to love / be attracted to, type of romances you are bound to have, how you will experience/view beauty, how sympathetic you are meant to be, what will bring you pleasure, your journey with self love this lifetime, what you are meant to share, what entertains you most, what you are meant to value most, and/or what you are fated to possess.

mars

what you will be passionate about, what you will desire most desire (in general), how confident you will feel, how ambitious you will be, your experience with sexual encounters, impulsive decisions you make that were meant to happen, tasks you will preform, what will motivate your soul to fulfill its tasks this lifetime, and/or violence you are fated to experience.

jupiter

where / what kind of luck you will have, where you are fated to live an abundant life, what type of wealth you will have this lifetime, fated success/opportunity you will have, where you will be most knowledgable and what type of knowledge you will have, wisdom you are meant to gain, where you are meant to travel (click save > add to "my astro" > edit the gender to male or female instead of event > then check your astroclick travel map for more definitive details/info as to where you are meant to travel and why), what comes to you with ease this lifetime, how blessed you are this lifetime, where you are destined to be optimistic, what you are meant to explore, what you will be most devoted to, how you are meant to grow, and/or where makes you feel fulfilled.

saturn

where you will work hardest, what you will have achieved by the end of your life, where you are meant to be challenged, where/what you are likely to struggle, how close you are supposed to be with your paternal figure, the work you are destined to do, what you are meant to fear in life, what is meant to delay you, limitations in your life, how disciplined you are going to be, what you are responsible for, where/what you will feel that you lack this life cycle, where you are fated to be practical/detached, what makes you feel trapped, effort you exert, where you will be most mature, and/or where you will be consistent.

uranus

friendships are fated to have, films that are meant to change your life, how you are meant to be unique, changes you are meant to experience, where you are independent from others, unexpected/surprise events that were plotted by universe and your soul, where life is meant to be chaotic, and/or the fans/followers you are meant to have.

neptune

kindness/compassion you will experience, creative ideas/pursuits you will have, how sensitive you will be and where you are going to be most sensitive, intuitiveness/intuition, the hidden, dreams, deception/lies you are meant to experience, confusions that lead to where you are meant to be, your spiritual journey this lifetime, inspired thoughts you are meant to have, how you will transcend after this lifecycle, and/or what is meant to be your fascination.

pluto

how you are meant to change, power you have, your sexual experiences this lifetime, endings that are meant to experience, how close you are meant to be with other, what is most intense in your life, what obsesses you, and/or manipulation you experience/preform.

1h

self exploration you are meant to do, how you will approach life this cycle in comparison to other cycles, how you will appear, how confident you will feel, new beginnings you explore this lifetime, and/or how your presence will effect others.

2h

how you treat your money this life cycle, short term jobs you are meant to have, how your work ethic differs this cycle, what material possessions you are meant to have, how much you value your self, what value this cycle, how stabile you feel to others, and/or what you are meant to give and/or receive from others.

3h

how you are meant to communicate with others, how you are meant to think, your perception of others, how strong your opinions are this lifetime, how aware of the world around you you are meant to be, what interests you are meant to have, gossip you are fated to hear and/or take part in, ideas/information you are meant to have, what you are meant to read, how you are meant to interact with social media, who you are meant to interact with socially, and/or short trips you are meant to take.

4h

where you are fated to feel at home/find home (click save > add to "my astro" > edit the gender to male or female instead of event > then check your astroclick travel map for more definitive details/info as to where you are meant to feel at home - make sure you check your 4h ruler's planetary line(s) and the moon), how your relationship with you family is meant to be, how you are fated to treat and manage your inner child, emotions you are meant to experience, how your childhood was meant to be, what you inherited from family genetically, how you maintain traditions, and/or how you are meant to treat yourself.

5h

child(ren) you meant have / be around, talents/hobbies you have, drama you were fated to experience, risks you were meant to take, moments you are meant to be the center of attention, short term romances you are fated to experience, what is meant to bring you pleasure/joy, and/or vacations you are meant to go on.

6h

routine you are meant to have, how your mental is meant to be, how what you do is effected by fate, how you are meant to be consistent, how you are meant to be innocent, and/or what you are meant to do for others.

7h

long term romances you are fated to experience, conflicts you are meant to experience, who you are meant to partner with, open enemies you are supposed to face, negotiations you meant to make, and/or who is your equal in this lifetime.

8h

major transformation / changes you are meant to undergo in this lifetime, deaths you experience, what you invest in, what you inherit in the material realm this life cycle, what seduces you in this lifetime, intimacy you experience, secrets you meant to know, mystery you are meant to uncover, and/or trauma your soul wanted to experience.

9h

wisdom your soul wanted to gain, beliefs/religion(s)/philosophies/ethics you were meet to adhere to, languages you were meant to speak, long trips you are meant to take, and/or what you were meant to learn.

10h

legacy you are meant to have / leave behind, career you are meant to be in, your fated reputation in this world / how you are meant to be known by others, what your long-term goals are, what responsibilities you are meant to have, how respected by others you are meant to be, and/or fated achievements in this life cycle.

11h

friends you are meant to have, what you are meant to gain, what desires you have coming into this lifetime, how you are unique when compared to old versions of your soul / how you soul wished to stand out in comparison to others around you, what you are meant to witness socially / via the media, influence you are meant to have, fated moments in society/the public, and/or who is meant to be your ally.

12h

healing you are meant to do, what you are meant to intentionally hide, fated karmic balancing moments, how old you are meant to get, what your mental health is meant to be like, fated dreams / precognitive dreams, who is meant to be your secret enemy, illusions/fears about life you are meant to have, endings you are meant to experience in this life cycle, life limiting beliefs your soul wished to experience, what your soul let's you subconsciously know, fated self-undoing, and/or how you are meant to deal with your past.

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[carlyraejepsans]

havent watched utena and all i really know is theres something about duels and a revolution in it? what exactly should someone go in expecting? is this an anime thats like going to leave a viewer wanting to like really think about everything and take it slow is it going to be emotional ? what kind of headspace is it going to inspire ?

absurdist, surrealist, deeply symbolic and allegorical, meta as shit and progressively 4th wall breaking the further in you go. 90% of the time the show refuses to explain itself or its symbols, it just uses them and lets the audience scout for connections and meaning on its own. if you were the sort of kid that loved highschool literature class this is THEE anime for you. singlehandedly changed the vocabulary i use to discuss themes around eternity, patriarchal subjugation, grief, cycles of violence, growing up and nostalgia.

if you want a more standard plot description, it's about this goofy, fire-willed tomboy getting caught in a mysterious sword dueling tournament while protecting one of her schoolmates from her shitty boyfriend. turns out the classmate she saved is the "Rose Bride", a mysterious girl capable of "revolutionizing the world"... and also the prize for winning the tournament! whoever wins her in duel has a right to her hand AND agency AND personhood and has complete power over her. the series follows utena (and thus anthy, ie the rose bride) as she initially refuses to be involved in Any Of That Freak Shit, You People Are Insane but is dragged in further and further out of her growing sympathy and attachment to anthy and the fact that, if she just washes her hands of the matter, it won't stop anthy from continuing to be the rose bride and treated as a tool by the other duelists. and of course, the moral complications and power disparities of complying with such a horrible system, even as you try to fight against it from within.

yes that is a very obvious allegory for patriarchal systems of violence. even if the plot sounds a bit insane, it's that way for a reason. rgu is just the type of story that forfeits logical narrative writing in favor of visual symbolism and allegorical storytelling. it's a story about violence and the societal systems that are upheld by it. it's about the glorification of youth and stasis. it's about eternity. it's about compassion and the willingness to reach out to one another all the same, even when it's easier to succumb to how the world wants things to stay and dismantling the cruelty around you. it's about princes and it's about witches and how very very easy it is so hurt each other, and how compassion is both the hardest and easiest thing in the world, and how it drove a little girl to break the world in two.

also the entire series is free on youtube if you're american. if you're not get a vpn/use a YouTube mirror like newpipe and it should work

[blood-starved-beast]

The Significance of the Family Visiting Jinx in her Prison Cell (s2ep8 Analysis)

I was pondering why Silco’s vision’s design in s2ep8 was more realistic than all of Jinx’s other hallucinations and in doing so it occurred to me that the people who visit Jinx in her cell all attended in person her Dinner party in s1ep9. And in contrast to when she was picking them up then, they are specifically coming to her, they are visiting her, and they all are telling her things. This to me recalls how often in s1 act 2-3 the hallucinations of Mylo and Claggor would “visit” Jinx and haunt her thoughts. Family haunted her then, and they “haunt” her now. But what they tell her has changed, and why (part of the reason of course, is cause 2 of them live, as opposed to the hallucinations, but for symbolic purposes bear with me).

Let me Elaborate:

1 – Caitlyn

                First of the “hauntings” comes from the sister-in-law who so happens to be the First of those Jinx picked up back in s1ep9 (a motif that will repeat). Now what Caitlyn tells Jinx is interesting. Much like in the Dinner Scene Cait is hostile – she flings back Jinx’s crimes – their crimes, cause Caitlyn is not innocent in all this. She is Jinx’s foil, and much like Jinx herself she regrets the actions she has taken in her grief, in her own lost of self. Thus when she rages at herself here via Jinx, her rage is a reflection of what Jinx feels about herself. The anger, the regret, the sorrow, the exhaustion over the continual hatred – that is mirrored in Jinx. Jinx herself feels these things, about the actions she has taken over the course of the show. She is tired of the cycle of violence she has perpetuated. Caitlyn is the monster Jinx created, and as such, she fulfills the role of “Mylo” in this scenario – she represents all the things that Jinx beats herself over. She tells her Vi believes she’s changed. Jinx responds in kind. This mirroring between the two is also why Jinx tells her that she regrets her actions towards Cassandra – it wouldn’t have changed anything just as Jinx’s regret to killing her brothers and Silco wouldn’t have changed anything then or now – but she does.

                Caitlyn also comes with a proposal (a motif that will continue with each visit) – she offers Jinx a “way out” in the form of Atonement. She gives Jinx one chance to make up for her crimes. She asks Jinx to return to the fray – to return to the Cycle of Violence one could say – with a different mindset. Redemption. With Caitlyn, Jinx frees herself of that guilt she carries – she is able to face down the Monster this time and quell it (via apology). She relieves herself of the burden of carrying that guilt – who gets to give second chances, and Caitlyn does so here, but Jinx also allows herself the opportunity to get a second chance.

                Side detail – Caitlyn paces at first at the start of the scene in a way that is reminiscent of how she did when she interrogated Vi in s1ep5 but also when she arrives at Singed’s cell in s2ep5. Similarly, her pacing is also like how Silco would come to pace in front of Jinx’s cell. Ultimately, she does not free Jinx, and she leaves empty-handed.

2 – Silco

Second “visit” comes from Silco, second of those Jinx captured and the only actually hallucination here. This version of Silco is the one that I think represents Jinx’s thoughts exactly. Hallucination aside, I don’t know if actual Silco got to the point to think of this. Or rather, he never lived to get to that point. He talks about how people trap themselves in these cycles – similarly, Jinx had herself “trapped” not only in the cycle of violence since s1, but also in actuality here when she gives herself up. Jinx too tried to fight her “jailors” people such as “Caitlyn” who Jinx saw as a threat cause of her proximity to Vi but in doing so, perpetuated the cycle, and created another beast in the process. She creates a similar monster out of Vi, whose violence she goes against leads to Vi becoming a Cop but also indirectly to Vi’s own spiral (and journey into destructive violence – towards herself). He ends his convo that the best way to deal with this is to run away – Jinx takes it at first as suicide, but redefines it to free the rest of the family of the baggage that comes with the cycle.

Now Silco’s appearance which started this train of thought for me – his appearance is significant in that it not only falls “in line” with how Jinx sees the other family visits, but also represents Jinx’s psyche. Gone are the scribbles not only cause Jinx’s split personality is gone – Jinx has more than accepted that she is Jinx and is depressed about it. But also, it represents a maturation of Jinx herself – the scribbles in addition to their chaos, were also childish. Here, Jinx hallucinates like Vi does – actual people. The hexgem, the only fantastical element is not real (“falls” out of Jinx’s mouth but not really; the enforcers wouldn’t have let Jinx keep it and she wasn’t in a place to hide it).

The hexgem represents the deal Silco had with her – build the Weapon so they can get back at Piltover. But it also has the double purpose here of representing Silco’s eye – it is Silco’s words are the ones who impact Jinx the most. Just as he was the one to shape Jinx, he “redeems” himself by telling Jinx that there is a way out, that she can break this cycle that has ruined so much for her. She doesn’t take it the Right way, but she does arrive at it eventually. Thus, the same way the hexgem started rifts in Powder/Jinx’s life, here they work to reverse that. To save it.

3 – Vi

Last to be picked up and last to “haunt” Jinx is Vi. Vi is interesting cause she is sweet, not lecturing like Silco, or even accusatory like Caitlyn. Vi comes in with love and affection. Like Caitlyn she gives a second chance, but this one seems to be tinged in that heroism, that position of Symbol Jinx has throughout s2. The idea to “rewrite her story [in Piltover] just like you did in Zaun.” This is fascinating in that it recalls to mind what she told Jinx in s1ep2 – that the city will “respect us.” In a way, Vi’s talk here seems to be a return to s1act 1 in a way – she is supportive of Jinx’s “explosive potential” as opposed to referring to “ugly gadgets and chickenshit tricks,” as she was in s1act 1 before the Slap. She represents the part of Jinx still deep down, believes in herself (and Ekko was able to pull out later). Vi the protector, protects Jinx from complete despair.  

But in wanting to rebuild those connections, to embrace the Concept of being a Symbol, Jinx would be essentially walking back into the past. To return to that cycle of violence that plagues it. To risk losing her sister in the manner that she lost everyone else. So she rejects this offer, but ironically, does so in a manner that locks Vi into that cell, into that cycle and leaves her there until Caitlyn sets her free. Vi is the one to free Jinx so that Jinx can go and break the cycle.

Conclusion

                All in all, the family mirrors different aspects of what Jinx believes about herself, while also offering different “escapes” or different recources Jinx could take. They reflect Jinx's own thoughts while speaking through their own experiences. Bits of pieces from them all Jinx departs the prison with, and ultimately when she leaves Piltover/Zaun for good. Jinx imprisoned physically and mentally, is now freed.

[teotheratking]

ABOUT JEAN: The monthly discourse

Damn and I thought we were past monthly Jean discourse, y'all are quite off schedule this time.

I do think it's funny how Jean-Heron Vicquemare continues to be The Public Enigma with what could be equivalent of 5 minutes of screen time. All of his appearances can be put into 3 groups: worrying/searching for Harry, watching over Harry, spending 45 minutes on insulting him. So it only makes sense how his discourse as well is surrounded by conversation, what is his relationship with Harry? Him being Harry's Satellite officer is like another added layer to how his whole existence seems in a constant orbit around the center of the Earth - Harrier Du Bois.

When discussing both of these characters I think it is crucial to strip them down layer by layer. When we're doing this Harry and Jean, I think we see far too quickly, how similar they are even with many differences: both are addicts, depressed, having facial scarrings and, of course, both are cops.

When looking at them from purely 'superior and subordinate perspective, they remind me of Robert Eggers script from The Lighthouse (2019) particularly this bit:

The Lighthouse explores the themes of capitalism and perpetual cycles of new and old generations: Young and Old.

We can see similar themes explored in DE as well. The game isn't afraid of constantly putting the players head into the mud, saying: "Yeah, it is that shit." RCM is a constantly moving system that lures people in with the promise of help for community and spits out a hollow husk of their former selves. Though I would say it doesnt do that either as most of them die before ever reaching retirement age.

Harry is surrounded by old dog imagery.

Particularly dogs that are about to be put down or are already dead. I particularly love this segment of the game with Joyce - it is clear that in this segment the black dog licking his wound is Harry, who's getting put down by the system he works in. But what I think makes the scene even better is what follows it:

Every officer's fate in RCM is the same.

It's the years of violence, brutality, system that eats those, who help and enables those, who hurt. It's speed, alcohol, never ending poverty, and as years go by another officer is closer and closer to finally pull the trigger on the old dog that you have become.

One final act in the Disco Inferno.

And there's inescapable horror in all of this: seeing what you will become, what you're bound to become. Looking in the mirror and staring at your partner's reflection - ever present reminder: "This will be you in 10 years to come."

When Jean says "trying," what he actually means is "functional." Having context of RCM system and inherent ableism of it, I think it's safe to say, that "to try" means "to succeed."

Jean isn't any more functional than Harry as he is simply younger. Harry through entirety of the game is experiencing raining bonefire of decades of drug abuse and effects of poverty and long lasting emotional physical abuse. Meanwhile, Jean is yet to experience the crashing sun. He has 10 years to do so.

In perpetual vortex that is this sinking ship, partnership and comradery, become essentials for survival. Harry and Jean form particularly tight bond, tight enough that both can't evade speculations about their sexuality or type of relationship they have, thus "hetero-sexual life partners" are born.

I see a lot of people insisting, that those two relationship, that they had is what we can see right now in the game: partnership that feels more like a race of self destruction, while putting sticks in each other's metaphorical bicycles. To see which one falls first. But I feel this is complete controdictory to what we hear from the game:

"Trouble in paradise" - I wouldn't use those words if my two coworkers, who try to sabotage each other on the daily would finally get into all consuming fight. Though what do I know about male-centric workplace humour.

No matter, which way you choose to look at it, at the events of Disco Elysium, Jean's and Harry's relationship is at their absolute worst. Rock bottom. Maybe even beyond it, though that depends how one evaluates forgetting 44 years of your life except lost ex goes into equation. What we see is culmination of their every moment together - good and bad, which erupts into terrible earthquake.

Finally, what we see of Jean and Harry's relationship is supposed to be merely introduction, or at least was (Kurwitz pls, let me read the scripts). By small bits and pieces Luiga has decided to reveal to the public is that Jean is supposed to be one of main partners of the second game featuring The Return.

This doesn't deny Jean's role as The Jury or The Executioner in the Final Tribunal. He represents RCM's bigotry, ableism and hypocrisy of it all - a broken system of a destructive cycle - ouroboros eating it's own tail. However at the end of the day he's as much a person as any other in Elysium - full of complexity and nuance, the verdict of we simply do not have enough information of.

Finally at the end of this... I don't know what to even call this, I have no idea how one would arrive to concrete conclusion, that is either: "Jean good' or "Jean bad." All game's characters are some kind of moraly grey - this isn't a MARVEL movie or a fairy tale that people want it to be. It is a commentary of cultures that we all have grown up in. For me DE really resonates from Baltic States history and culture context, because this is all I've ever known.

[kell-eramis]

On Skybound Starscream and Hubris:

Starscream as a character we know is someone who is constantly seeking power, and often stuck in a cycle of either attaining it or getting close to attaining it, but ultimately falling flat, usually due to Megatron. But what happens when Megatron is not there? This is the question Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers (2023) presents. I posit that his answer is that instead of falling to Megatron, Starscream, instead, falls to his own hubris. I will examine this argument through classical allusions, particularly those of Tantalus and Narcissus, especially as written in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Tantalus in Greek mythology was a son of Zeus, who had been welcomed to dine with the gods. In some versions of the myth, he ends up stealing the secrets of the gods, and is punished for this. However, in the version of the myth I will be drawing from, he desired to test the gods' omniscience by cutting up his child, Pelops, and feeding the parts to the gods. For this act, he resides in Tartarus, fated to spend eternity reaching for fruit or water, only for it to retreat from him, leaving him starving and thirsty (Credo Reference). Both of these versions focus on Tantalus' hubris, as he attempts to upset the cosmic order by either placing himself at the level of or above the gods, in spite of being mortal and being a guest. In his pursuit of power, he commits the taboo: treachery and cannibalism.

Another thing to note is that this starts the miasma, or the curse, that clouds the House of Atreus until it is resolved by Orestes in Aeschylus' Oresteia. This results in a cycle of violence and revenge that culminates in Orestes' matricide of Clytemnestra. I won't go too into it, but I do wish to highlight the cycle that Starscream herself usually undergoes within the greater Transformers canon, especially Generation 1, wherein Starscream gains power, or attempts to gain power, and is taken down, often by Megatron. These patterns exist to highlight the tragedy of Starscream's character, and is something Daniel Warren Johnson is examining too, especially as Starscream, who was lashed out at by Megatron, now lashes out at people such as Skywarp and Soundwave, and Soundwave’s cassettes. This propagates a cycle of violence that culminates in Soundwave’s coup, and Starscream’s supposed death.

In Transformers (2023), one of the major taboos Starscream commits is the disassembly of Skywarp in order to repair Teletraan-1. While Soundwave also engages in this act, I believe the emphasis is that Starscream did it, or perhaps we have not seen the outcome of Soundwave's participation in this taboo yet (especially as he continues to interact with Thundercracker). The point I wish to make is that Starscream, as a fellow seeker and often put in a group, or 'trine' with Skywarp and Thundercracker, would see Skywarp as even more 'kin' to herself than Soundwave or his cassettes, or Reflector, or any of the constructicons. In the Tantalus myth, it is not just that Tantalus has cannibalized another human, but that he cannibalized his own son to feed to the gods that is so transgressive. It is the violation of this sacred relation, both to his family and to the gods, that lands him in Tartarus, stuck in a cycle of hungering and wanting but never getting his desire. By disassembling Skywarp with the intent not to get more Decepticons healed, but rather to get more Decepticons to be able to outpower the Autobots, Starscream has similarly acted in this transgressive fashion. Skywarp is a fellow seeker, who fights loyally on behalf of the Decepticons. However, in Starscream’s journey to keep power above the other Decepticons, defeat the Autobots, and amass Energon, she becomes increasingly willing to be violent against his own troops to achieve this. By violating this relationship, she becomes hubristic and is thus punished.

Furthermore, going into the punishment aspect: Starscream meets his hubris after a defeat, and Soundwave and the remaining Decepticons confront her. While Starscream tries to get out of the challenge by appealing to the other Decepticons, it is Thundercracker, his other “trinemate” and fellow seeker, who reminds her of what Decepticon honor dictates—that he stand and face his challenger. Soundwave defeats Starscream, and drops her over a cliff. This quite literal fall from grace is the culmination of Starscream’s hubris, and can once again be compared to Tantalus. Tantalus, who seeks out food and drink eternally, only for them to be ripped away, can be compared to Starscream, who in pursuit of power has once again had it ripped away from him due to her own hubris in how he has treated his fellow Decepticons. This comes after a similar cycle with Megatron. We can even push further on it as the Decepticons have been seeking out energy and a means to repair themselves, or food and water, in human terms. Similarly, Tantalus eternally seeks this. By falling in the midst of this search, Starscream’s arc affirms this allusion.

Therefore, by drawing parallels between the Tantalus myth and Starscream's arc in Skybound's Transformers, we can observe that the use of taboo and even the greater picture of the house of Atreus can be used to highlight Starscream’s cyclical hubris and tragedy, and how the taboo of cannibalizing a comrade led to her own punishment via Soundwave and his comrades.

On the Narcissus myth: Narcissus was a 16 year old boy who was seen as very desirable by many people, including Echo, who can only repeat what she hears back to the speaker. He spurns them all, even Echo, who appears as he seeks out connection with someone, but as soon as she embraces him, he spurns her. Later, another spurned lover prays that he will find love, but be unable to grasp it. One day, he stops to drink from a lake, and sees his reflection. He immediately falls in love with it, and out of despair wastes away because he cannot be with it, as he is holding up a facsimile of himself as his true self, wishing to be with it, even though he is already "himself" (Ovid).

I mention his age, as it is a similar age to Pentheus of Euripedes' tragedy, The Bacchae. Pentheus is the young king of Thebes, who has banned Dionysian worship. As a result, many, including his own mother, are driven crazy, and he attempts to persecute Dionysius. Dionysius instead persuades him to spy on the maenads (the crazed women), and is torn apart by them, but not after also falling victim to the same incapacitation as the maenads (Euripedes). Pentheus' story is partially about the transition from boy into man as a ruler, and the hubris that comes about from it as he is stuck between two positions.

Moving onto Starscream, and his parallels to these myths: While Starscream is not nearly as young as either Narcissus or Pentheus, we see her transitioning into leadership with Megatron gone, and failing to properly establish it as we see many bring up Megatron, with Starscream becoming more violent in reaction every time the name is brought up. It is this very transition, along with becoming addicted to the drunken feeling of power, that leads into Starscream's own hubris. This is not because of the transitionary state for either ruler but because of the transgressions—against either gods or their own comrades— that they commit in order to establish and maintain that power in the face of such an unstable transition. Pentheus believes himself above the cosmic order as he refuses to cleave to Dionysius’ influence, yet ultimately succumbs to it, and Starscream treats his companions unjustly, from simply kicking them to dismantling them in order to repair Teletraan-1. Starscream, in this transition, disregards and sees herself as above the other troops, and such transgressions lead to their ultimate fates—being torn apart.

Narcissus’ age can evoke this parallel as well, which was why I went on that tangent. Starscream’s journey, however, begins with the rejection of offered companionship—that of Skyfire’s. Skyfire reassembles Starscream first, and Starscream greets him openly as a comrade before proceeding to shoot Bumblebee. Then, Skyfire asks what Starscream is doing, being horrified at what his friend has become. As a result, Starscream lashes out at Skyfire, attacking him, and during the following battle, lands a near-fatal blow on him. We can identify that this parallels the story of Echo, who embraces Narcissus before she is also spurned, resulting in her retreat and wasting away until she is just her voice, echoing whatever words are spoken. Similarly, Skyfire is spurned, and now is locked in his shuttle mode, “unable to see the stars”. This rejection of kindness and companionship precedes both Starscream's and Narcissus' hubris. It is important also to note that in Dante's Divine Comedy, it is sins born from love that are at the highest level of both the Inferno and Purgatorio, and it is sins that implicitly come from a prioritization of worldly power over love that are at the lowest levels of both. By rejecting love and delving deeper and deeper into hubris, both Starscream and Narcissus thus doom themselves in this way, as they hold worldly power and reflection, respectively, above companionship and compassion. They become their sin as a response to the difficulties of transitioning into a “higher” position.

After spurning Echo, Narcissus falls in love with his own reflection. While Starscream notably does not do this, it is important to see the symbolism of Narcissus' actions. Maria Margaroni writes, in analyzing Cigoli's 'Narcisse à la Fontaine', which depicts the myth,

Narcissus is blind because his eyes can only mirror (symmetrically reproduce) themselves, they can no longer see (acknowledge and confirm the presence of the other). This is why Narcissus's gaze is carefully erased from (indeed, edited out of) the painting. All that remains of it is the moment of hubris, that fatal ex-tension towards the self, frozen and exemplified (Margaroni 74).

He is holding his reflection as something to desire, something to yearn for, instead of as simply a reflection of himself. The reflection is only an image, there is no connection to be truly sought from it. Starscream holds power and control in a similar way, seeing it as an intoxicating substance to yearn and grasp for, but that she can never properly grasp, because like Narcissus, who seeks connection, she completely disregards her companions in this endeavor. In seeking out power, he too no longer acknowledges and confirms the presence of the other, but sees others and tools by which she can gain this power and victory. Thus, Starscream, like Narcissus, has become blind, and all that remains is that moment of hubris. She has made that power his identity, instead of a being who can love and share camaraderie . And it is from this hubris that he goes from being concerned for Thundercracker's safety and getting energon for Soundwave and Skywarp in issue #1, to disregarding both Soundwave and his cassettes, and Skywarp, as only tools on the path to glory for seemingly the Decepticons, but really, himself. As a result, like Narcissus, who wastes away until he leaves behind a singular flower, Soundwave tears Starscream apart, claiming to use these pieces to heal Ravage. From their hubris and destruction, they add to their environment.

These parallels can thus be seen as ways of affirming Starscream's tragic arc, where she falls not to the Autobots or even really to Soundwave, but to her own hubris. The change we see happen over these issues act as an analysis and a study of Starscream's character, and shows the tragedy of the cyclical nature of the character. Having seen this, I look forward to what comes next in Transformers (2023), and know we have not seen the last of Starscream.

[small-ratchild]

TFP is about late-stage leftist in-fighting BTW.

Context:

The deceptions started out as a freedom group fighting to free slaves. Optimus (Orion at the time) believed in following legal channels, Megs believed that the proper channels wouldn’t get them anywhere. The Autobots started out as the more fascist group, working within and fighting to uphold the systems that originally allowed slavery to take place, but Megs let the power he had as a violent and influential revolutionary get to his head, eventually leading him to flipping the tables and fighting FOR what the decepticons originally formed to counter. The feeling of betrayal from Orion’s perceived complacency is what ultimately led Megs down the path he traveled.

Now, obviously, the decepticons are the bad guys. They kill innocents, tried to destroy all life on Earth and participate in slavery themselves (the vehicons are a prime(haha) example). But in the end, when the Autobots win, they just reinstate the original systems, with no thought about why Optimus started the fight in the first place. Keep in mind, the oldest bot after Optimus dies is Ratchet, an upper class transformer. He didn’t understand the reason the war started in the first place and thus, continued the cycle of violence (which we see in RiD) by upholding the systems that allowed slavery to take place. Think Sideswipe and how the system failed him and most likely others as well. (Ratchet is my bbg, btw so m allowed to dunk on him a bit.)

Megatron is an example of the “went so far left he went right” because Megs becomes a fascist dictator in the end, going against everything he originally sought to fight against. I don’t think he even realized this until after Beast Hunters when he gets his redemption.

Megs becomes the thing he sought to destroy just like how Ratchet and the Autobots uphold the systems Optimus originally set out to change. Two factions who started out wanting to change something, but one ended up becoming what they hated, and the other upholding a system of violence and oppression without realizing it.

Is this a kids show? Yes. Am I perhaps reading too much into it? Also yes. But it’s fun and gets my neurons firing.

Also, modern transformers is and always has been about queer and trans people.

I will also recommend this video about the bayverse movies.

[mariacallous]

The target is you, voter. Russia, China, Iran, and other bad actors sought to interfere in the run-up to today’s US elections, according to research by the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), which has been monitoring online trends along with statements by governments, private companies, and civil society in its Foreign Interference Attribution Tracker. As DFRLab experts detail below, this year’s malign efforts in many ways surpass previous influence campaigns in sophistication and scope, if not in impact—and they are expected to continue well after the polls close.

Tipping the scale

“By sheer volume, foreign interference in the 2024 US election has already surpassed the scale of adversarial operations in both 2016 and 2020,” Emerson says.

Dina notes that each US adversary played to its strengths. For example, Iran and China “attempted to breach presidential campaigns in hack-and-leak operations that raise concerns about their cyber capabilities during and after the elections,” she tells us.

At the same time, the United States is more prepared than it was in previous election cycles. Russian efforts in 2016 “made foreign interference a vivid fear for millions of Americans,” Emerson notes. “Eight years later, the US government is denouncing and neutralizing these efforts, sometimes in real time.”

In fact, Graham tells us, “the combined actions by the US departments of Justice, Treasury, and State against two known Russian interference efforts was the largest proactive government action taken against election influence efforts before an election.”

Doppelgangers and down-ballot races

US officials this week called Russia “the most active threat,” and it’s easy to understand why. Emerson notes Russia’s “ten-million-dollar effort to infiltrate and influence far-right American media,” alongside the “Doppelganger” network, which has spread “tens of thousands of false stories and staged videos intended to undermine election integrity in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona.” Increasingly desperate, Russian actors have even sought to shut down individual polling places with fake bomb threats, he adds.

Meanwhile, China has focused on “down-ballot races instead of the presidential election to target specific anti-China politicians,” Kenton explains. Using fake American personas and generative artificial intelligence, China-linked operations have appeared across more than fifty platforms. Perhaps surprisingly, Kenton adds, “attributed campaigns appeared sparingly” on the Chinese-owned platform TikTok and far more often on Facebook and X.

Faith, fakes, and falsehoods 

“The primary aim is to erode Americans’ faith in democratic institutions and heighten chaos and social division,” Kenton explains, and thus to undermine the ability of the US government to function so it will have less bandwidth to contain adversarial powers.

“Some of the fake and already debunked narratives and footage circulating before the elections will likely continue to be amplified by foreign threat actors well after November 5,” Dina predicts. Expect to see activity around the submission of certificates of ascertainment on December 11, the December 17 meeting of the electors to formally cast their votes, and through inauguration day on January 20.

And in a post-election period where the results will likely be contested, Graham thinks there’s a “high likelihood” that foreign actors will “cross a serious threshold” from pre-election attempts to broadly influence American public opinion in service of their geopolitical interests to “direct interference” by trying to mobilize Americans to engage in protests or even violence.

Nevertheless, Graham points out that the high volume of foreign-influence efforts observed during this year’s election cycle so far does not appear to have had a significant impact in terms of changing Americans’ opinions or behavior.  

The consequences of foreign disinformation, Emerson adds, should be assessed against “the far more viral, sophisticated, and dangerous election-day falsehoods that Americans spread among themselves.”

[fantasyinvader]

@mwezina

I think the thing is, Edelgard isn’t just Cao Cao. Rather she’s more representative of a concept that lies at the heart of Three Kingdoms, the cycle of the empire.

"The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus has it ever been."

Fodlan united under the Empire, but as the Empire underwent moral decline and moved away from the Church it lost it’s control over Fodlan. It ultimately came to a point where the Emperor, trying to consolidate power on himself, was rendered a puppet by the Agarthans. The Agarthans then manipulate the next emperor into starting a war, passing on their ideals and beliefs onto her through her father, which includes their belief that the strong rule over the weak. She managed to turn her manipulators into her puppet, ultimately betraying them if she emerges victorious from the war as she proves to be both stronger and more cunning than them.

Much like how Cao Cao’s promotion of merit and ambition led to his descendants being ousted by the Sima clan, who would then go on to unite China, the Agarthans created someone who embodied what they stood for and lost in the end. Yet despite this, the Jin dynasty is considered a low point in Chinese history and it wouldn’t be long after uniting that China would again be divided.

It makes the future of Edelgard’s empire more uncertain, as there’s no Flayn ending revealing Fodlan changed in the long term. Hell, considering Byleth is linked to Nirvana, the idea of breaking the Cycle of Reincarnation, and they lose access to Nirvana at the end of Flower, it appears the cycle of empires continues on in Fodlan.

Edelgard identifies her path as hadou in her Japanese S support, indicating she uses the power of the government and violence to assert her rule over the masses. She is not a benevolent leader, she’s someone who should have been removed from power by Byleth, as Byleth held the Sword of the Emperor of Heaven. Instead, Byleth failed to uphold the mandate of heaven and lost access to Nirvana as a result. And some knowledge of Confucianism gives us an idea of what happens afterwards.

Edelgard’s empire, restored through her corrupt and immoral actions, is going to continue the cycle. The corruption will continue to fester, breeding resentment and urging the people to rebel against it. As wickedness and ass-kissing are rewarded, people will lose their sense of morality and give into selfishness. Those in power will seek to hold onto it, to keep it for themselves and their families much like the original Imperial nobility did, which would eventually erode the power of the Emperor. Fodlan will break up as the decline happens, but eventually another war of unification will happen again.

And maybe Sothis returns to try and stop the bloodshed, as the empire is also invading other nations like the Agarthans before them while Edelgard is still in power.

[boiling-with-rage]

A TAD OBSESSED WITH VIOLENCE AS A FORM OF INTIMACY. THIS SURPRISES NONE OF YOU I’M SURE BUT HEAR ME OUT

THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU AS ANIMALS THAN YOUR PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS. YOU NEED YOUR ORGANS, YOUR FLUIDS, YOUR SKELETAL STRUCTURE ALL INTACT FOR PROPER LIVING. THUS, WHAT COULD BE MORE INTIMATE AND PRIVATE THAN ALLOWING ANOTHER TO TOY WITH THIS?

IS THERE ANYTHING MORE SENSUAL THAN THE TRUST BETWEEN A MAN AND HIS SURGEON. KNOWING THAT YOU WILL BE SLICED OPEN EVER SO GENTLY, AND YOUR INSIDES WILL MEET THE OPEN AIR FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND HE WHO OPENS YOU WILL NEVER HARM YOU. YOU ARE SAFE IN THE ARMS OF A STRANGER WITH YOUR MOST SENSITIVE WORKINGS ON DISPLAY, AND HE DARES NOT EVEN CONSIDER BETRAYAL. YOU CAN TRUST THAT THE MAN STANDING BEFORE YOU TREATS YOU WITH KINDNESS. BUT HOW? HOW DO YOU KNOW?

AT ANY MOMENT YOUR TRUST COULD BE TORN. YOU COULD BE THE FIRST VICTIM OF A MAN WHO KNOWS YOU WON’T THINK TWICE ABOUT LETTING HIM IN. BUT YOU’RE OH SO CONFIDENT THAT THIS WILL NEVER BE THE CASE. AND IT WON’T BE! EVERY TIME YOU LIE ON THAT BED YOU COME BACK OUT SEWN BACK TOGETHER JUST ARE CAREFULLY AS YOU WERE CUT OPEN, AND YOU KNOW THOSE GENTLE HANDS MEANT NO HARM.

THEN YOU LEAVE AND YOU HARDLY THINK OF THAT MAN. THE ONE WHO EXPLORED YOUR MOST PERSONAL DEPTHS IS MOVING ON TO SEE ANOTHER, WHO WILL MOVE ON WITHOUT THOUGHT. THE CYCLE CONTINUES

[lu-is-not-ok]

On your mention of how Chesed and Hong Lu are likely to sync up - I bring a question of what Sin it'll end up representing? Given how so far it seems to represent their vices of the past their moving past.

Hokma and Heathcliff had Sloth in Pigrata

Binah and S had Pride in Superbia

And I'm of the opinion Chesed and Hong Lu shall then share the sin of Lust in Luxuri - with a secondary pick of Gloom in Morositas though I am not as confident in that assertion.

It's honestly a bit hard to choose tbh. The previous two Saplings show that it doesn't have to be a Sin that the character in question has in their Base kit, so it's a lot harder to predict.

Plus, are the Sins actually representing their past, or are the Sins the ones their resolution embodies? The Sin they have to learn to wield to keep moving forward? That would fit with what we see as well...

Both Heathcliff and Hokma have to learn the Sloth necessary to step back from trying to hold onto the past that's not here anymore and simply accept what has happened.

Both Sancho and Binah have to learn the Pride necessary to believe they have the ability to go against insurmountable odds and achieve something impossible.

It would also explain why they're not Sins they have in their Base kits, as they're not Sins they actually commited in their past, but ones they have to learn to utilize in the first place!

So... let's look at Chesed a bit closer to try and figure out what Sin his resolution would fit.

Chesed is introduced as someone who has lost all hope for things getting better, he's shown to feel like no matter what he does, he won't be able to change anything. So, instead of trying to break the cycle, he hides behind a mask of faux kindness and perpetuates the violence within Lobcorp. He continues to follow Angela's orders, and lies to both himself and others, as he feels like no matter whether he's truthful or not they'll all die anyway. He's cornered, feeling hopeless.

The lesson he learns during his meltdown (which takes the form of him trying to rebel and throwing a tantrum in the process), and the one he imparts onto Roland in Ruina, is "knowing shame" as he phrases it. The idea that simply knowing shame for one's actions, knowing that one is a coward perpetuating violence through obedience and deception, is enough to begin the change for the better.

After his meltdown, Chesed knows he's a coward. He knows he won't be able to always be brave the way he was during that outburst. But the sole fact that he knows that is enough to let him start improving, to have hope for things getting better, and to stop lying to himself. He becomes one of Those who are Faithful and Trustworthy.

So... How exactly does one translate this concept into a Sin? What would the realization that knowing one's flaws and shame for one's actions is what can help one begin to change count as?

...I have two possible options. One which focuses more on the knowing shame aspect, and one which focuses more on the inspiring change aspect.

The first option is Envy - Invidia.

Limbus Company potrays Envy as a Sin of a lack of self-worth, a sense of self-consciousness so debilitating one begins to covet what other has, to act and mimic whoever they see as someone who has what they don't. It's shown to be the opposite of Pride, which is a Sin caused by an excess of self-confidence rather than a lack of it.

The act of knowing shame for one's shortcomings, and thus being pushed to try and become better can be read as a heavily Envy-coded act. In fact, it could even be read as just a positive interpretation of how Envy in general is potrayed in Limbus!

Then there's the second option, one which also carries a major caveat with it. Wrath - Ira.

Wrath in Limbus is a bit all over the place, but it's primarily about change. About feeling trapped or restrained in some way, and wishing to break out of that at all cost. Notably, while it's not directly associated with anger, frustration and impatience are both common themes for it. It's shown to be the opposite of Sloth, which is a Sin caused by resignation and unwillingness to change.

Chesed being potrayed as Wrath would symbolize two things - one would be the initial act of rebellion, the initial moment of running out of patience and the decision to no longer by trapped by the cycle one perpetuates. The other would be the following strive to change, to keep becoming better, that one will be able to break out eventually no matter what it takes.

This is, however, where I have to touch upon a caveat about this interpretation - Gebura. Gebura is very likely going to be the Sapling that directly follows Chesed's, and it's exceedingly straightforward - it's about knowing where to direct one's anger, to learn to use wrath in a productive manner that doesn't just destroy, but also protects. Gebura literally uses the word wrath when describing what Roland has to learn in Ruina.

To let Chesed be represented by Wrath, Gebura would have to somehow end up being something else. This, I realize, is a very difficult assumption to make... But also not impossible.

While thinking this caveat over, I figured out what possible Sin Gebura could represent instead in this situation - Lust, Luxuria. Limbus characterizes Lust as a Sin of wishing of desire for something unattainable, often used to mean a desire for a connection with another person. One could spin Gebura's lesson to be about utilizing Lust, that even if protecting someone might not be possible, it's something one must always strive for when directing their anger.

It's... a bit of a stretch, I will admit. But it is an option.

And, an important part of all this is that not only does Base Hong Lu lack both Envy and Wrath, his Base E.G.O is fatal to both. I just think it'd be neat if one of those turned out to be a correct one.

[thatonebirdwrites]

The end of my three part essay series on this game. Excerpt:

In my prior essays, I related themes woven through Clair Obscur to show how it can parallel real world complexities and oppression.

For the character of Alicia and Gustave (and even Lune if we accept my assertion of her as neurodivergent), disability cords through the story and asks questions the game may not have intended. I explored in that essay how Disability was a class constructed by capitalism to control labor and those unable to labor, and through that I showed how disability has been used to denote evil and bad throughout American history. But Clair Obscur twists those tropes on their head and refuses to villianize the disabled within the game. Instead, Alicia, Gustave, and others are given complex journeys and heralded as heroes in a way. Yet, by the end, the final ending choice between Verso and Maelle felt as if the player was the judge determining the fate of the disabled person for them. I wrote:

Will we be given the care and support we need to thrive? Will we be given agency to choose our own fate and route to healing?

Clair Obscur offers that choice to the player, thus placing the fate of a disabled person in their hands. In a way, the player acts as the judge who determines the fate of a disabled person, to determine whether they ever access the care and benefits they need. It is a replica of how our real world works, and it forces a painful glimpse into the struggles of disabled people.

This essay led me to my next where I explored the nature of the Canvas people and whether they are real. I examined how this paralleled dehumanizing narratives that subjugate and destroy unique cultures. I laid down a map of the shifting temporal realities the game presents through the different main characters of each act: Gustave (Lumierian reality), Verso (immortal painted Dessendre reality), and Maelle (both Dessendre reality and Lumierian reality). How weaving these different realities forces us to contend with the nature of what is real and who is allowed to exist within that reality.

The conclusion I came to, which perhaps will not surprise anyone reading my writings, is that I chose the ending that gave agency to people and saved the most lives. I could not accept that the unique lives of those in the Canvas were less than the Dessendre family. Nor could I accept anyone deciding for a disabled person how they must exist and heal.

By exploring these darker aspects of Clair Obscur, I undoubtedly focused on the more abusive and manipulative aspects of the Dessendre family to show how unsupportive they've been to Alicia/Maelle. The evidence painted within the game left me uneasy about the Dessendre family, partly informed by my own traumas as a queer nonbinary disabled person. Yes, they do love each other but love does not mean abuse cannot happen or exist, which I argued in my essay on Disability. That darkness echoed trauma and pain that destroying the Canvas cannot truly heal. A cycle of violence doesn't heal through the use of more violence, but only when the cycle is stopped.

One could argue that Verso sought to stop the cycle of grief, and isn't that stopping the cycle of violence? But that negates the temporal reality of the Canvas people, who endured countless oppressive actions and outright genocide. Sacrificing a population of people in an effort to 'heal' one family only continues the cycle of violence, and it doesn't solve the lack of support in the Dessendre world, which Verso's ending never truly reconciles. Alicia is still isolated, still without a voice, still disabled in a world that has done little to meet any of her needs.

So then, do we ever exit the cycle of violence? And what would it look like to attempt such a thing?

READ MORE HERE.