#because i wrote the code

[buzzybee3]

Another throwback guys. Except this one isn't Sun and Moon themed.

So I really got around during COVID. I made a ton of things. Not just physical but also coding. And I was in a class at the time, and I was tasked with making a game. Not a hard one persay. But it had to be good enough to present to middle schoolers. And so, with my two-week timeframe to make a MakeCode Arcade game, that I did follow instructions for, for the most part, that is. The boss fight, which looks crappy now but it was my Roman empire when I was younger, I had made it mostly on my own so yk I was proud.

Anyway so basically I am doing summer school classes and I'm doing comp sci and well I was like 'I used to make a lot more than just circles' and well a friend helped me log into my old account and now I'm here. So now I'm posting for nostalgic purposes because if I lose it on my computer at least it will be on my account.

[buckiverse]

☆ warnings: mdni, this is literally just a cock analysis for sylus, zayne, and caleb

☆ a/n: SYLUS HOLD MY HAND—CALEB IS ABOUT TO DRAG ME AWAY!

rafayel and xavier ver.

S8GSBTV - #b0685a

As we all know, Sylus is tall, with a broad, muscular frame and an imposing set of shoulders. He’s strong—insanely strong. The man boxes, for god’s sake. I would hate to take a liver shot from him; he might accidentally send me straight to the afterlife. He’s in phenomenal shape, with stamina to match—because, of course, it’s a requirement for his sport.

And his cock? Well, it follows suit. A solid eight inches (20.32 cm), and yes, he’s a shower. I mean, have you seen that perfect print in his pants??? He doesn’t even know where to put all that. It’s big—long, thick, girthy. No wonder he has a size kink. And let’s be real, so do you. The stretch is delicious, always leaving you working to take him all the way.

The head? A deep, rich brown (go look at the hex code <3). His pubic hair? Trimmed, but left a little longer—just how he likes it. And side note? He loves when you do the same. Says he wants to "explore the jungle." Oh, and let’s not forget: it’s straight and a slightly darker gray than his hair. Perfection.

And the veins—the veins. His cock is thick with them, pulsing, prominent. The most sensitive part? That sweet little slit. Run your tongue along it, and he will hiss, grip your hair, and growl something like, “Don’t do that unless you want me to come in your mouth, kitten.”

And, of course, you’ll keep doing it anyway. Hehehe.

Z7LSLCGBPLT - #9C524F

As we all know, Zayne is tall, with a lean yet well-built frame and broad shoulders. He’s strong—moderately muscular—but more refined in his strength. Being a doctor, he has a natural responsibility to stay in shape and take excellent care of himself.

And his cock? It follows suit. A solid seven point three inches (18.542 cm), and he’s a grower. The print in his pants might be deceiving at first, but don’t be fooled—it’s big. Not just long, but with an ideal girth. The best part? It leans slightly to the left, and when he’s inside you, he knows how to move his hips just right, angling to hit that perfect, sensitive spot.

The head? A beautiful brownish pink. His pubic hair? Trimmed low—because he understands the importance of keeping some. He’ll never go completely bare, and honestly? He prefers when you don’t either. And yes, it’s perfectly straight.

Unlike some, his cock isn’t overly veined—but what it lacks in texture, it more than makes up for in sensitivity. The head? Insanely responsive. Pull back his foreskin, drag your tongue along his frenulum, and just like that, he might lose control—maybe even come all over your face.

C7GGPTV - #DF9796

As we all know, Caleb is tall, with a lean yet powerfully built frame. He’s easily the most muscular of the bunch—his body honed to perfection. Being a fighter pilot demands peak physical fitness, not just for endurance but for absolute control in the cockpit.

And his cock? It follows suit. A solid seven inches (17.78 cm), and he’s a grower. The print in his pants might not always give it away, but trust—it’s big. Long, with just a bit more girth than average, making every inch of it something to savor.

The head? A gorgeous pink. His pubic hair? Trimmed low for convenience, though he’ll go completely bare if that’s what you prefer. Naturally, though, he keeps it neat, with a slight, loose curl to it.

And let’s talk about that vein. A single, prominent one that runs up the length of his pretty shaft—one he loves when you trace with your tongue. Oh, and let’s be clear—he’s uncut. Don’t care, won’t argue on that point <33

☆

btw this is what the codes mean (excuse my behavior because now that I actually typed it out i realize how crazy i look rn):

S8GSBTV: sylus-8inch-girthy-shower-brown-trimed-veiny

Z7LSLCGBPLT: zayne-7inch-left slant-long cock-grower-brownish pink-light trim

C7GGPTV: caleb-7inch-grithy-grower-pink-trimed-veiny

[wonderthor]

breeding kinks are great yeah but they’re even greater when yall already have kids

probably already have more than you thought you would and content with the kids you have now, but your husband is keen in giving you just one million more

so you’re being pressed gently into the mattress with his body, laying on your stomach while his hand is under your throat so he can be cheek to cheek with you and he rocks into you over and over

and your head’s in the clouds, but you can still hear everything he says

“you’ve been such a good mommy, always so good to our beautiful babies, sweetheart. i think we should have another one. how about it honey, you wanna be good and give me another baby? another beautiful baby that me and you and their beautiful siblings will love on? come on, be good and give us another”

when you shudder and moan against him, telling him your answer, he gets a bit more serious. making sure to pound and pound into you, getting you ready to accept the copious amount of seed he’s going to give you. because he’s putting that baby in you right now.

[housemdork]

6x11: when a reductive gay joke plotline is still queer-coded (or more metatextual queerness in house md)

in its later seasons, house md keeps doing this really funny thing where they play into house and wilson with increasingly low-hanging fruit gay jokes (dw i still laugh lol). but they manage this without sacrificing the 6 seasons' worth of cultivated subtext that permits genuine queer coding above queerbait/2000s gay jokes/etc. 6x11 is one of the best examples of this so far.

so i'm not a musical junkie, and i'm sure this has already been written about to hell and back, but 6x11 prompted me to look more into the song that wilson was singing at the end of the episode.

"one" from the musical a chorus line (also the poster house bought):

"One singular sensation Every little step she takes One thrilling combination Every move that she makes One smile and suddenly nobody else will do You know you'll never be lonely with you-know-who!"

according to genius lyrics, "Despite the lyrics which praise a singular star, the star at whom it’s directed is never shown. The “One” is absent...The star is not even named – only referred to as ‘she’ or ‘You Know Who.’"

there is a "one" in 6x11 - nora, whom both house and wilson stake their claims for dating (which is exceptionally gross & misogynistic of them). but the song/musical choice implies that she was never important enough to be The One in question.

this frame seems self-aware of the potential absence of "The One." the shot gives the impression of symmetry, but it's very uneven. house is reclined back, warping the straight line of the couch, and the boxes on wilson's side are neat and tidied, whereas those on house's side are sparse and thrown about. more importantly, there's that arm rest between house and wilson's seats. if The One (nora) was to sit anywhere, this frame seems to imply that it would be there.

thus, this frame isn't straight.

house seems to be aware of this pseudo-absence, as well. he looks at wilson with a thoughtful, revelatory look on his face:

superficially, he's probably just astounded that wilson is singing the song from a musical he hates so much, but he lets the song continue, nonetheless. here, the episode remembers the genre of the song that wilson is singing - a showtune! and what happens in showtunes/musicals? the singers are spot-lit! the audience watches them perform!

here i'm gonna posit that wilson is a (non-self aware) paul, a chorus line's man character whose revelation that he's gay is both tragic but also drives the plot. house can see this. meta-textually, we see this THROUGH house seeing this.

taken together, this scene's asymmetry, implied spotlight, and awkward arm rest divide offer wilson as the performer in this musical-adjacent exchange, with house as the in-text audience, and us, the real audience, as the outer-textual audience. what a long winded way of saying that wilson is performing comphet here!

and there's another note i want to make on the subject of performance/performativity...

this is from the golden globes official article, "'A Chorus Line' Brought Visibility to Queer Stories in the 70s and 80s'":

"The audience gets to see [Paul, the main character's] valor, which may be an inspiration to those in the audience who face similar challenges."

wilson's proposal to house is complete performance. the entire precedent for the scene is just gay joke after gay joke and wilson's anxiety that this false impression of him will negatively impact his dating life.

when he makes this performance of homosexuality, he's lauded for it. the restaurant urges house to say yes, and everybody claps even before house has given an answer.

also from the article: " The character of Paul delivers a touching monologue about how performing revealed his identity as a gay man."

6x11 inverts this dynamic. the performance in question is that of homosexuality, and wilson is not rewarded for it in the end. he loses The One, as does house, and they go home and watch a hockey game together in yet another intricate ritual (as stated above).

i also think there's something to be said about house enlisting nora's help in bringing the poster for a chorus line up to his apartment.

i'm genuinely hesitant to applaud this show - or any show, really - for subtextual intentionality like this. i have a hard time believing that there was, long ago, a time where tv didn't just capitalize off fandom's tendency to pair up its characters in our internet fanbase/fanfiction age but deliberately queer-coded things. but even silly episodes like this one remind me of that one robert sean leonard quote about house and wilson, that they are the only relationship in the show based completely on choice - the choice to always come back to each other.

all that is to say that i sincerely think these 2 are written in a subversion of gender norms and binary platonic/romantic relationships. for 2000s tv, that's just like lightning in a bottle.

oh and apparently there's a gay character named greg in the musical, too. someone who's more qualified to talk about a chorus line should hijack this post. what the hell are we doing, david shore.

[haveihitanerve]

Somebody: Jasons so angry and aggressive and kills people- hes the most violent batfamily member Bruce-I-would-have-killed-joker-had-fucking-superman-not-stopped-me-and-I-would-do-it-again-if-any-harm-befalls-my-family-also-i-beat-up-people-daily-as-therapy-wayne: what? Dick-i-was-planning-a-mans-murder-at-age-eight-and-would-have-done-it-also-i-didn't-have-superman-so-i-did-kill-joker-Grayson-Wayne: huh? Tim-My-body-count-is-probably-six-digits-by-now-but-it-doesn't-count-if-bruce-doesn't-know-stalker-Drake-Wayne: repeat that? Damian-i-came-with-the-katana-and-a-body-count-at-age-eight-wayne: what did you say about Ahki? Stephanie-i-will-crack-mad-funny-jokes-while-beating-your-face-in-with-a-brick-Brown-Wayne: waht? Barbara-i-wouldn't-but-like-i-could-and-i-know-you-and-your-entire-family-extending-to-your-great-uncle-thirteen-times-removed-Gordon-Wayne: *typing on keyboard* what was that? Duke-I-created-a-cult-about-robin-and-also-i-was-raised-in-gotham: sorry?

[aroaceleovaldez]

What is the PR disaster in question that made Rick announce TSATS? I wasn’t active in the online fandom at that point

Of course! This was awhile ago so it figures people don't remember it/aren't familiar:

Basically a couple years back (2020) the fandom had some posts circulate discussing the ways different characters in the Riordanverse were written poorly or offensively. There was a masterpost that went around tumblr but the two major points people were particularly focusing on were Piper and Samirah (particularly because Piper had featured prominently again in Trials of Apollo recently and the third MCGA book had further emphasized and discussed Samirah being Muslim, since it was supposed to take place during Ramadan). Basically each had multiple posts breaking down the ways they were depicted incorrectly or offensively. The entire fandom for a little bit was VERY intensely discussing this (and it's around this time the "RR crit" tag got very popularized on tumblr - it did exist before, but suddenly was being used VERY frequently - cause it was that wide-spread - though the discussion took over basically every side of Riordaverse social media on different platforms). People really wanted Rick to respond to these criticisms, so he did!

He made two blog posts, one about Piper and one about Samirah. He has since deleted both so the links are to archived versions. The short version: he essentially tried to justify his poor research and double-down that he hadn't written them offensively, actually, people were just being mean to him. The fandom, of course, reacted poorly to this.

[Further elaborated events under the cut since this got a bit lengthy]

(Fun fact, this all happened within a month or so of the time i posted an open letter on aphobic tropes in the Riordanverse that Rick replied to, and then he immediately followed with announcing that Reyna was intended to be ace-coded [which cause a LOT of fandom debate] before Rick dipped for a couple of weeks, and then came back to post the blog posts in response to Piper and Sam stuff. So I like to jokingly refer to this as "The time I imploded the fandom/drove Rick off of twitter." Twas I that set the house ablaze.)

Rick fully left social media after this and the LT Musical social media manager became Rick's social media manager for the time being.

So this all happened June/July of 2020. Tower of Nero would end up being published in October of 2020 and a few months after that Rick would state that he was done with the series and wouldn't be writing any more series installments involving Percy, and also that he wouldn't be writing a Nico quest following Tower of Nero as it "wasn't his place to" and encouraged the community to write their own versions of Nico's story.

The community continued to circulate the tumblr posts and discuss the topics of Rick's offensive character depictions, and this is also where we see the dramatic shift in how the fandom depicts Piper in fanwork (though in most cases it is admittedly not an improvement 😬) because of all this discussion. This is also around the time when the fandom brought Viria under scrutiny claiming that she was whitewashing Piper as part of the same discussions, through the justification that she was drawing Annabeth as having tan skin (which she does canonically), and if Annabeth has tanner skin then Piper then that's whitewashing Piper? Except they were using completely separate images of not fully rendered Piper art versus Annabeth in dramatic lighting, so it's all very awkward and poor logic, and did actually get kind of racist. A lot of people were calling it "Tannabeth Blackchase" (yeah, i know) or similar and a common sentiment you'd see repeated is "Don't draw Annabeth as having darker skin than Piper, because that's offensive/racist/whitewashing." (Note: it was not phrased "don't draw Piper as having lighter skin than Annabeth" - we also won't get into certain offensive depictions of Native Americans, but I digress). But yeah, the Annabeth stuff in all that did not age well at all.

Anyways, in October of 2021 however Rick would announce that he was co-writing The Sun And The Star - with a lot of heavy emphasis on how Mark Oshiro works as a sensitivity reader, and some false advertising from the official social media that Mark Oshiro was the first time a non-Riordan author would be collaborating on the series (disregarding the ghostwriters completely). One of the big criticisms in the breaking down of issues in Rick's writing was his lack of ever seeking a sensitivity reader, and fans claiming that a sensitivity reader could solve a lot of the problems. This was basically Rick's "look! I totally listened!!!!" (though it did little to actually improve things, based on the book) and in TSATS as well Piper gets a large cameo at the end where the text very directly addresses a lot of points made in criticism of Rick's writing of her.

We also then of course got the CoTG trilogy later, explicitly stated to be for advertising purposes for the show.

So basically, short version: Rick came under scrutiny for a lot of offensive writing within the span of two months, made some bad blog posts doubling down about it, left social media. TOA ends. Rick says he wasn't going to continue the series/write what would become TSATS. Community celebrates the end of of the franchise but also continues to discuss Rick's poor writing and the blog posts at length. Rick suddenly announces TSATS and Mark Oshiro's involvement. Everybody gets distracted from being mad. Show announcement stuff also happens and the discussions peter out.

[pirateprincessjess]

I would like to reiterate that modern development tools make creating games for old systems easier than it has ever been!

I created my NES game, Undercover Shot, using NES Maker which is a genuinely great incredible tool. It’s an entire development environment for making Nintendo games that run on an actual NES!

Do not let the idea of writing Assembly scare you away from trying to make a game for your favorite retro console.

I choose to write a good amount of 6502 Assembly to make my game work properly because I love that sort of thing, but NESMaker also allows for code free game development.

You can do some really amazing things with tool without any prior game design experience. (especially if you do something a little more standard than a light gun game).

The people who created NES maker have made some incredible and easy to follow tutorials, and I really really hope more people make retro homebrew games.

https://www.thenew8bitheroes.com/

[miraclemaya]

SAYO: “Yes, as you can see, a player that is being pocketed, that is one that a medic player is focusing their attention on, typically has a higher chance of survival in any engagement. As such, a pocket medic is rather desirable for most people playing classes such as Demoman, Solider, or Heavy. Even other classes like Scout, Engineer, and Pyro can greatly benefit from a pocket, though typically the heavy and solider are the most common to receive one.” Sayo coughs into her hand, seemingly embarrassed for no reason.

THE CHASE - Ask her what’s wrong. Be attentive to her needs, and she’ll never want to leave you. She’ll never even consider it a possibility.

THE LADY - I concur, though that scoundrel’s reasoning is as always off-putting. Rather, the correct decision is to inquire into Lady Hikawa’s sudden shyness, as that is what a proper lady would do.

CHISATO - “What’s wrong, Sayo-chan? I don’t see what could be embarrassing about, uh, ‘pocketing’? Am I saying that right?”

THE DIRECTOR - Your pronunciation was impeccable. To pretend that you were worried you might have gotten it wrong is unbelievable. A failing grade. You are assigned an hour of rehearsal tonight.

THE DOLL - No, no if she thinks you’re better then her, she’ll hate you, you have to be small please, please be small, you can’t let her hate you.

THE CHASE - Kiss her, kiss her now, don’t let her ruminate on your mistake, give her pleasure so she forgets, don’t let her get away.

SAYO - “You said it correctly, Shirasagi-san.”

THE DOLL - Tell her to call you by your first name. She’s your friend isn’t she, she has to be, she said so before, so tell her to call you by your first name.

THE LADY - She isn’t simply your friend, as disgusting as it is. No, Lady Hikawa is the target of your affections, and as such, distance is to be maintained. You are not yet, wed, after all.

SAYO - “But, ahem, my… embarrassment comes from what I wish to ask you, Shirasagi-san. Would you be… open to playing this game with me? And taking the role of my pocket medic?”

THE DOLL - SHE WANTS TO PLAY WITH US? SHE WANTS TO PLAY? YES!

THE WALL - Tell her no. To get too close to another is to relinquish the right to your own existence. Has Sayo truly proven herself? Will she not use you like all the others? Why continue this charade, this saccharine attempt at some sort of relationship with another human being. End it now.

THE CHASE - This is your opportunity. Someone like Sayo inviting you to play games with her is tantamount to accepting you as her girlfriend. This is what you want most, isn’t it?

THE LOVER - I think it would make Sayo-chan happy if you say yes. I think that’s a good enough reason as any.

CHISATO - “I… I would like to give it a chance. I’m not sure that I will be any good at it, though. I have only played a few….”

SAYO - “First-person shooters?”

CHISATO - “Yes, those.”

SAYO - “This is embarrassing to admit, but I have an ulterior motive in this. I wish to spend more time with you, Shirasagi-san. So even if you are not fantastic at the game, you will still be helping me out… i-if that makes sense.”

THE LOVER - Sayo is such a thoughtful, kind person. She deserves the world, don’t you think?

THE CHASE - She’s in your trap now. Take her, she’s yours.

THE LADY - An offer such as this should be considered fully before it is accepted. This is the least you own Lady Hikawa.

CHISATO - “I… Sayo-chan, you’re awfully sweet, aren’t you?”

SAYO - Sayo blushes, looking away from you. She is smiling.

THE WALL - Is this some bizarre attempt at suicide. Do you want to let her hurt you, you fucking moron?

THE LOVER - She’s… she’s beautiful.

CHISATO - “I would love to. I’ll be in your care while we play Team Fortress 2 together, Sayo-chan.”

SAYO - Sayo still too embarrassed to look you in the eye, nods slightly. You catch her muttering something under her breath.

THE CHASE - What the fuck is a pocket gf?

[dw-flagler]

whenever i want to share a funny tumblr meme i will first copy paste it to MS Paint before recopying it so that it reads in discord notifications as image.png as opposed to tumblr_x.png

i call it "tumblr laundering"

[xalonelydreamerx]

interactions between Coriolanus & Maude that didn't make it into the movie: 🧵

Coriolanus giving all the sweets to Maude Ivory:

Maude Ivory recognizing Coryo:

Maude Ivory guiding Coriolanus towards Lucy Gray's meadow:

Coriolanus & Maude Ivory talking about Lucy Gray:

Coriolanus bringing sweets again to Maude Ivory since he realized how much she loves them:

Less of an actual interaction but Coriolanus chosing to remain with Maude Ivory & Lucy Gray rather than go swimming:

Maude Ivory telling Coriolanus his name reminded her of a Covey one:

Coriolanus being asked about the ballad of Lucy Gray (which was sang by maude ivory):

_

And most importantly: Maude Ivory remembers every song, and Lucy Gray legacy is continued through her voice

[mapofsouthdakota]

Caleb’s headcanon -

The Vanguard

Synopsis: You are about to attend a practical exam proving your marksmanship. (Short. Caleb being Caleb, fluff, using Morse code)

Taking aim

The air is electric. The scent of gunpowder lingers thickly in the air, blending with the raw energy of the crowd. People are shouting, cheering, the sharp cracks of gunfire punctuating the noise like a war drum. The exam hall is a coliseum of contenders, each vying for their place among the elite.

Your throat feels tight, your hands clenched into fists at your sides. Your pulse pounds so loudly in your ears that it almost drowns out the chaos around you. Almost.

Then—warm fingers brush against yours.

Caleb’s hand finds your own, steady and sure, and before you can react, he begins to tap. A soft rhythm against your skin, light yet deliberate. It will be alright.

You look up, breath catching. His violet eyes gleam under the fluorescent lights, filled with something unshakable—something you wish you had right now. You tap back hesitantly, your fingers barely pressing against his palm. Really?

He nods, his smile slow and confident, like he’s never doubted you for even a second.

“Come on,” he murmurs, though the words are almost swallowed by the noise. His fingers curl slightly around yours, giving them a reassuring squeeze before he taps again, firmer this time. You can do it.

You don’t know if you believe that. Not yet.

Before you can respond, he pulls you into a hug, his arms wrapping around you like a shield. His breath is warm against your hair, and just when you think that’s all there is—he starts tapping again. Soft, slow, just between your shoulder blades. A message meant only for you.

I love you.

You freeze.

Did he—?

No. You must be imagining things. The tension, the nerves, they’re playing tricks on you. But still, the ghost of his touch lingers, the rhythm echoing in your mind even as he pulls back.

He holds your shoulders for a moment, studying you, then mouths something so clearly that even with all the noise, you understand.

“Go get them, pip”

And just like that, the weight in your chest lightens.

You smile, truly smile, and step forward toward your fate—toward the gunfire, the challenge, the test that will determine everything.

But even as you go, the warmth of his touch stays with you, the secret Morse message etched into your skin.

Writer’s note: It was bound to happen, peepz. I just had to start meddling with the current timeline and not some AU like my other fic ‘The Vermillion bird’. I’ll mark my own canon’s for Caleb as ‘Caleb’s headcanon, The Vanguard’ from now on (I’m betting 20 wishes that I’ll write more because I love exploring this lol). Hope you like it 🫶🏻

[skeletoninthemelonland]

Question about BTC, how does it feel that so many people love your aus???

If it's won't be a spoiler, how the new knowledge of past Springtrap identity will affect him? Would he hate it so much? Would he do something about it in good intention or he'd rather ignore it/fear? Would Springtrap tell anyone if he was the only one knowing all the past?

Non relatable!! I really love your all aus and ocs, i hope more people will love them and appreciate very much, they're so grjehhrgsjsh SWEET AND AMAZING

Have a great time!!

Thank you!

It feels nice, I get to share these fun thoughts and the random online strangers reply with "YEAAAAAH". It can be overwhelming at times too, depending on the topic.

Springtrap appears to be aware of the entity that inhabits his body — which is only a fragment of the real William Afton, or some sort of parasitic form of his weakened remains.

Springtrap regards it as a mysterious and insistent voice, and has shown to be willingly following its orders after being promised "a purpose" IF he succesfully escaped UCN. He was requested to keep the entity hidden, trading remnants for some of its power.

He does dread it after finding out about his past, and even learns to despise it after so much torment. For most part, he keeps the entity hidden because he knows some of his friends wouldn't be exactly pleased with the revelation.

Still, it shows itself, despite his best efforts to suppress it. Whoever witnessed the event first had a lot to deal with...

[tennessoui]

happy mother's day you should celebrate by reading my fic where obi-wan raises luke on tatooine

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

An Analysis of Alhaitham’s Story Quest In Its Relation To Kaveh & Queercoding In Pride and Prejudice

An inherently romantic connotation can be found in Alhaitham’s Story Quest, as the last quest of The Illusions of the Mob is entitled ‘Pride and Prejudice’. Firstly, the content of Alhaitham’s Story Quest and how it can be related to Kaveh will be explored in order to further identify the romantic connotations present here.

Within ‘The Illusions of The Mob��� similarities exist between Ilyas and Kaveh, not only in their views on conformity, but also in overcoming prejudices formed around Alhaitham’s character. As The Illusions of The Mob story quest deals with Alhaitham’s views on the individual as compared to the collective, just as expounded upon in his character stories. Considering this, it makes sense that Kaveh be of relevance within this story quest, since, as previously discussed, Kaveh and Alhaitham’s character stories are written in response to one another, particularly on their respective ideas on individual talent and the collective. Therefore, whilst these parallels between Alhaitham’s story quest and Kaveh are speculatory – lacking conclusive textual evidence that these links are deliberate – it is still relevant to discuss Ilyas’s character development within this quest, as it can be seen to closely align with that of the narrative push for Kaveh’s progression.

Ilyas is part of Siraj’s Hive Mind, in which he functions as an extension of Siraj and is therefore subject to Siraj’s thoughts and emotions. Ilyas consented to becoming part of the Hive Mind due to his longing to conform to a mass collective after reporting the fraud of a revered researcher, was labelled as a ‘hero’, and therefore was shunned by other scholars, ultimately misunderstood by those around him.

In an attempt to avoid being singled out as ‘other’, he sought the collective as a means of comfort, and thus rejected his own merits and individualism. This mirrors that of Kaveh’s longing to fit in which stems from his prioritisation of others above himself, and with this, his rejection of the title as a ‘genius’, due to this ostracising himself from others.

After the dismantlement of the Hive Mind, Ilyas reveals that where he initially wanted to conform in order to fit into the collective, he could not perpetually commit himself to do so, as his own differing opinions still set him apart. He realises that the collective is not “powerful” like he had previously thought, and this understanding encourages him to aspire to not care about conforming, “just like Alhaitham."

In this sense, it is of note that Alhaitham asserts that the Hive Mind’s downfall was ultimately down to people’s differing thoughts and opinions, and that they were reminded of their own individuality due to Alhaitham’s promptings: “A few words were enough. Believe in the power of words...”

Ilyas opting to reject the collective in favour of considering himself more mirrors that of Alhaitham’s desire for Kaveh to better prioritise himself in order to be free of expectations and obligations forced upon him by others (this is discussed more in detail here). It is how Ilyas is able to realise this which is of particular interest, as it is ultimately through Alhaitham’s words to him commenting on his own merits which led to downfall of the Hive Mind:  “… What I said to Ilyas was the trigger for all of this."

Through Alhaitham, and through Alhaitham’s words, does Ilyas choose to prioritise himself. By drawing this parallel between Kaveh and Ilyas, a possibility can be surmised of what Kaveh could benefit from adopting this particular aspect of Alhaitham’s philosophy in the potential betterment of himself. However, this appears to only be possible through mutual understanding in expression (this is further explored here), as Alhaitham’s words and how he conveys his meaning can serve as the catalyst for Kaveh’s potential betterment, just as they serve Ilyas.

In terms of prejudices, there exists a link between the pride and prejudice propagated within Siraj’s Hive Mind and that of the relationship between Kaveh and Alhaitham. In this, Ilyas can be viewed as a narrative foil for Kaveh. Whereas Ilyas’ prejudices and his innate “loathing” of Alhaitham stemmed from the leader of the Hive Mind, Siraj, he recognises that these prejudices he holds against Alhaitham are, actually, unfounded, as he finds Alhaitham to not be someone he would dislike to such an extent.

Upon returning to the Hive, Ilyas’ personal perception of Alhaitham is introduced to the collective consciousness and thus contradicts the prejudices against Alhaitham that Siraj has propagated. This gives rise to “new conflict” as these two differing perceptions of Alhaitham struggle to co-exist. These juxtaposing impressions of Alhaitham act as the catalyst for the collapse of the Hive Mind.

This contradiction of perceptions is interesting in considering Kaveh’s dual versions of Alhaitham, in which he appears to recognise that there is a mutual regard between him and Alhaitham in that they are ultimately known only, through and through, by the other, all the while believing that Alhaitham holds “disdain” for him and his ideologies.

Ilyas’ prejudice against Alhaitham is founded on Siraj’s hatred of Alhaitham due to Alhaitham having once rejected Siraj’s research proposal. This caused Siraj to believe that Alhaitham saw himself as superior due to his perceived arrogance that comes from the title of being a ‘genius’.

However, Alhaitham states that, contrarily, he never looked down upon Siraj and instead exercised objectivity, which Siraj misinterpreted to his particular way of thinking, and ultimately his own arrogance due to his need to be correct, and therefore his dependence on other people’s opinions of him.

There are similarities present between the conception of Siraj’s prejudice against Alhaitham and that of Kaveh’s, both being formed from an assertion of their own ideals to be correct; that Alhaitham distancing himself from others is due to a perceived arrogance; and that Alhaitham’s rejection of their ideals is an assertion of this arrogance, and therefore a personal attack. Ilyas, then, harbouring Siraj’s hatred for Alhaitham is a prejudice, which Ilyas himself debunks once understanding why Alhaitham behaves in the way that he does, being that of objectivity rather than arrogance, and thus, this contradicts with Siraj’s impression of Alhaitham.

In this, Ilyas can be viewed as a narrative foil for Kaveh. Upon discovering that Siraj’s hatred of Alhaitham is unfounded, and that his prejudice is incorrect, Ilyas reinterprets Alhaitham through his own perspective, and decides, that he does not dislike Alhaitham, and ultimately, he admires that Alhaitham has no fear in not conforming to the collective in order to stay true to his ideologies.

With Kaveh holding dual versions of Alhaitham, his prejudices borne from a belief of Alhaitham’s arrogance must be surmounted in order to reinterpret Alhaitham, and with this, the meaning behind Alhaitham’s behaviour. Just as with Ilyas, as established, this has the potential to be achieved through communication, as with Alhaitham’s words does Ilyas understand why Alhaitham behaves the way he does. If communicated properly, it is possible that Kaveh can interpret Alhaitham’s comments on his detrimental philosophies as concern, rather than arrogance, and therefore forego the belief that Alhaitham holds “disdain” for him.

The parallels between Ilyas and Kaveh can further be drawn when the Traveler and Paimon are invited back to Alhaitham’s house, and Kaveh is introduced as Alhaitham’s roommate. Kaveh shows embarrassment over being discovered living with Alhaitham, due to his fronting as a successful architect, and begs the Traveler and Paimon not to disclose this information to others.

Alhaitham follows this by stating that he has books on “collectives” at home, referring to them being the reason he invited the Traveller and Paimon over. Kaveh’s desperation in avoiding his financial situation to be discovered by others, the collective that he seeks to conform to, is directly tied in with the nature of Alhaitham’s story quest, being that of focussing on the individual rather than the collective.

Returning to queercoding, romantic connotation can be located within a less speculatory aspect of The Illusions of The Mob and stems from its final quest title. The inherent nature of Alhaitham’s Story Quest pertaining to Kaveh and their miscommunication holds an explicit romantic connotation when considering the origin of the quest title ‘Pride and Prejudice’. This title serves as a reference to the novel of the same title by Jane Austen published in 1813.

To reference Pride and Prejudice within Alhaitham’s Story Quest is to make direct parallels between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy to Kaveh and Alhaitham, which are irrevocably romantic parallels. Elizabeth Bennet can be identified as the ‘Pride’ in the title, whereas Mr. Darcy is identified as ‘Prejudice’. Kaveh, then, can easily be assigned as ‘pride’ due to it being labelled as his shortcoming by Alhaitham in A Parade of Providence.

The role of Mr. Darcy can then be assigned to Alhaitham, who, although may not be blinded by prejudice, shares common attributes of Mr. Darcy’s character, in being socially adverse and blunt in his manner of speaking, despite having great awareness of social etiquette, thus allowing for others to easily form misconceptions of him.

Relating this to the analysis of The Illusions of the Mob, then, the parallels between Ilyas and Kaveh can be used to ascertain a potential future for Alhaitham and Kaveh. Kaveh overcoming his pride borne from the “correctness” of his ideals, in comparison to those that Alhaitham perceivably once asserted over him, goes hand in hand with the overturning of the prejudices formed against Alhaitham – just as Elizabeth Bennet must overcome the misconceptions formed of Mr. Darcy’s character in order to better to both understand herself and Mr. Darcy.

The romantic connotation here is conceived from the alignment of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett’s opposing viewpoints ultimately leading to matrimony. This future romantic attachment as a potentiality is generated upon the quest title of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, with Alhaitham and Kaveh being narratively assigned the roles of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Considering this, the purpose of identifying this queercoding is not to allude to a potential canonical confirmation of a romantic relationship between the two, but instead highlight the romantic speculation that can be garnered by the game's referencing this novel.

[jorenilee]

ok elusive and big ass rant about chatgpt and groupmates under the cut

like. as much as i hated chatgpt, there was some kernel within me that wondered if all this talk about chatgpt rendering people helpless and vulnerable and unable to think for themselves, if that was all fearmongering. Im aware that I'm surrounded by people that use it, and it sucks, but could it really make all these university students forget to function.

well today I figured out the answer was yes because holyyy shittt. my groupmates were just copy and pasting whatever chatgpt shat out directly into our assignment, and because chatgpt isn't a damn student and doesnt know the course, it kept mentioning shit we never learned or approached the questions the complete wrong way. And my groupmates never even noticed. They could not even tell it was bringing up statistical tests we never learned and coding nowhere near our course, they were just regurgitating what it said with no further thought on if it was actually right or not.

And I was pissed because a lot of that regurgitation was just Wrong and formatted like ass, so I had to rewrite all of it, but now I'm sad cuz like. Do you not even recognize what is and isn't course material? Do you not even double check what it says? If it's remotely right? If it's even answering the damn question?

I literally told someone that heyyy question 3 is extremely similar to question 2, so copy and paste the code for question 2 and just exchange the names of variables and that's literally it. But then they experienced 1 setback and immediately went back to chatgpt, which then regurgitated an entirely different code that guess what!!! Didn't work at all!!!! I asked hey why, they said it didn't work. I went to our lecture notes, copied exactly 2 lines of code from the question 2 code, changed the variable names and guess what!!!! it worked!!! Instantly!!!!!! No errors!!!!!

Like holy shit I NEVER had code instantly work like that before, and it took pressing ctrl c+v and the most bare minimum, highest tip of the iceberg understanding of coding for me to fix it. I don't know how you could have fucked up so bad that it didn't work first try. And what's awesome is that question 2's code also took multiple tries because they were asking chatgpt and I kept saying shit like "hey we never learned about if-else statements and its messing up the code", question 2 eventually worked out, and then they immediately gave me the question 3 code with another if-else statement. Like do you READ?? WHAT IT SAYS???

It was maddening because like, what are you guys even paying $400 for at that point. Not even looking at any of the lecture material, not even knowing the shit we Don't Know, not even attempting ANY of the questions without the torment nexus, and then relying on someone else to fact check that torment nexus because you didn't even think it needed fact-checking. And it's especially dystopian when my TA is recommending chatgpt when I literally saw how BAD and WRONG it was at EVERY step.

I thought ppl were being ever-so-slightly dramatic when describing chatgpt as making people wholly complacent and taking away free thought, but I kinda saw it with my own eyes??? For something as small as a statistics assignment??? I kinda wish chatgpt would just pull the plug right now and slap a huge paywall on it just so people can catch themselves early. Because my god, what would yall do without it. What could yall do without it. This shit burned like 3 trees just to tell me a p-value that didnt exist.