#how to improve live streaming quality

[livestreamingplatform]

How to Improve Live Streaming Quality

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[shadowfloofster]

I've seen people say you can't compare the QSMP to the DSMP because they're both completely different servers with different starts.

The thing is you can compare them. Not the stories told themselves because of course they're going to be different as they're 2 servers with different starts with 2 nearly completely different sets of people.

You can compare the treatment of the creators by the fandom, players (other cc on the server) and admins though.

Foolish for example. He made SO many amazing high quality builds to use and be shown to people. Ranboo and Tubbo had him build a giant mansion for them to live in! Yet it was entered maybe once after being finished. Foolish was able to use his builds for his own lore maybe once. Only a few people like Bad really acknowledged them by messing around in the area of them or adding something easy to get rid of to them as jokes.

Bad's treatment on the DSMP was frustrating to watch. He was the butt of the joke every time he was around. People would constantly swear on his streams because it was so funny for them! They constantly destroyed his and Skeppy's house and griefed the front of it. No one other than his friends really listened to him about things. And the egg arc was supposed to be something that was a massive danger to the server! But how does the server and fandom not directly involved treat it? Like a joke. Bad and his friends clearly worked really hard on this arc to include more than just the 'main characters' and their small circle, yet it was brushed off as if nothing by the players and fandom, treated like it was stupid.

Quackity's lore just kinda- happened. There isn't much I can say as I don't remember a lot of it tbh which isn't a great sign.

Philza and Wilbur probably got the better end of the stick for lore due to being connected to the main lorr, but it still wasn't great for them either.

A lot of CCs not on the QSMP have mentioned how the communication for the server was terrible too. At the start of lore on the DSMP, it made sense as they were purely doing improve so there wasn't really anyone to run things through. But the fact the issue was bad the entire time made the CCs on the server feel ignored and not want to play on it.

It was rare for people to interact with others outside their already established circles unless they're friends outside the server.

Now with the QSMP

Foolish has built multiple things on the server and has been acknowledged by everyone at this point. Bad might mess with them a lot still and encourage others to join him but you can tell the respect people still have for each one. Vagetta wants a version of the statue Foolish built him on other servers. People and fandom admire his builds and always make sure that if there's any damage to it, it's easily undone. Cellbit has made the castle Foolish built him his home the moment it was finished, he's been using it since. He paid him fully and made sure he was fully supplied and had company while building, staying on for hours to talk to him as he built.

Bad is respected by everyone on the server. He's taken seriously by everyone. Everyone trusts him with their kid's lives. Phil asks Bad to babysit Tallulah and Chayanne if he can't. The french trust Bad more than anyone outside their language group. Forever trusts Bad the most on the server other than Baghera. If someone needs something they'll go to him. All the eggs love him and so does the fandom. He's part of the joke instead of the butt of it. He can laugh along with the jokes made, even ones directed at him. When people swear on his streams and he languages them, they immediately apologize and switch to one of Bad's replacements (fudge being the main one) and no one makes fun of it either! They don't start swearing relentlessly at him to annoy him.

Even though Quackity doesn't show up often, when he does people are happy to interact with him and update him on what's happened if he wants it.

People can be off the server for weeks without being isolated because they're not keeping up with major lore, especially as people are happy to update anyone on anything they want to know. Hell people can be on a lot without being involved in lore but still be included as much as anyone else! As soon as there's a threat to the eggs or a new way to protect them, it spreads to everyone like wildfire and everyone's taken it on within a week.

The new arrivals are always welcomed by the islanders already there. They support them and treat with the same respect they do with everyone else. They merge with everyone else nearly immediately and become part of the community without hesitation.

The communication with the admins is clearly amazing too. Philza has pointed out how appreciated he feels compared to other servers. When an egg dies unfairly they're quick to get back to them within hours. If there's a general issues they're quick to get back to them and fix things. People are allowed to have their own stories alongside the main one. Events are planned and discussed so everyones aware before it happens. Anyone who wants to take part is welcome to if it's a big thing due to how open they usually are (rescuing Cellbit and Felps, travelling to Bobby's death site, etc). Thinfs are adapted and changed when needed and all CCs are in the loop.

Being able to watch the QSMP and not feel like any POV I watch is being mistreated or ignored is great. I couldn't watch anything but lore streams with the DSMP because Bad was my main POV and it made me so uncomfortable to watch him being made fun of constantly and be treated as a joke.

The QSMP feels like a community of people, instead of factions trying to go against each other. DSMP was my first and only smp experience and while it was great at first, it quickly soured. The QSMP treats it's CCs and fandom as if they genuinely matter, making sure everyone is welcomed and no one is isolated.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I'm still here ngl..

*

Listen, I see this and feel so much happiness. Jimin dancing, showing who he is, showing the versatility of his style and giving us just a glimpse into the extensive, vast range of his talent.

There's been some revisionism happening regarding BTS that's ratcheted up in the last three years or so. I can't be the only person who's noticed it. People more forcefully asserting things about the members that are just plain absurd, like saying this or that member isn't that talented, or that xyz member has this massive character failing that's only just apparent now for some reason, or that things they've said and done aren't actually the case. After FACE, I noticed people saying shit like Jimin can't sing and can't dance...

That reminds me, I went to a cup-sleeve event in June for another group and someone told me to my face Jimin can't dance and I almost uppercut that bitch. It ticked me off but I didn't actually assault her. What I did instead was ask her to explain what she meant, told her I disagreed, and showed her why by playing Jimin's Black Swan solo DP. She took back her initial claim and said she'd just been in a k-pop group online and all those people were saying is how none of the BTS members are that talented especially Jimin who apparently can't sing to save his life and whatever dancing he can do is limited to a few moves from 6 years ago.

Plain insanity.

Jimin, out of the kindness of his sweet, magnanimous heart, is giving the amnesia patients a crash course in who he is. He's reminding people he is Park Jimin of BTS. The dancer who joined a nearly bankrupt agency, had the shortest training period in that agency's history, and with the least resources, and debuted as the main dancer and lead singer of what is now the biggest group in the world. The man who critics from all over the world laud as a virtuoso, in voice, dance, and performance. His voice has brought men to their knees, calmed babies, enchanted concert halls, made stadiums full of people cry out in pure joy. There's nobody alive or dead like Park Jimin, and the fact we all get to exist in the same time as him is a blessing too many people (for my liking) take for granted.

ThisIsJimin is a gift I'm thankful to Jimin for giving us again.

*

Anyway, I was watching that clip again with a friend and she pointed out how cool the dance practice room was. Noted how it's a massive improvement from the old BigHit halls that had mold growing on the walls and water dripping on live wires in the back. It's taken years, hard work by the members, good business sense from BigHit/HYBE, and a lot of my own hard-earned money as well as the resources (time, money, otherwise) from ARMYs over the years to get to this point - and I just want to say, speaking for myself, even though I still see massive room for improvement, I feel very happy with the state of things.

HYBE is cultivating a solid roster of talent built on BTS's hard work. The world-class facilities in the building is the first good sign, as well as the talent now being fostered there. I love the quality of the army of dancers Jimin had access to for his SMF Pt2 performances, I love that NewJeans is doing so well that Riot Games sought them to feature on their new World's anthem, I love that a whole new generation of incredible groups are growing in the environment created by BTS's own trials and success.

BOYNEXTDOOR is a group that continues to have my attention because all six boys are just that good. They posted their dance practice for Crying today (my favourite song from a rookie group in 2023), and I noticed they did it in a similar dark coloured dance practice room Jimin filmed his #ThisIsJimin choreo in. And that really just put a very silly smile on my face for a reason I can't pinpoint yet.

*

Maybe it's aftereffects from the Jimin Effect after streaming his reel as hard as I'm streaming Indigo lately.

I see the asks you send, about Golden, JK in general, jokers, this or that thing happening in fandom, and I'll get to them at some point but I don't want to talk about them right now. Because I'm still stuck on Jimin showcasing himself in that air conditioned, world class dance practice room that's only possible because of his hard work, tenacity, talent, and love for his group.

I'm still stuck on Jimin and legit cannot move on. He's such a beast. Such a calculating, proud, stubborn, and kind beast of a man.

I'm not sure what's going on with me.

We're in Jimtober so maybe his juju is just extra strong and I can't escape his grip no matter what I try. Anyway, it's a good idea to stream FACE, allow yourself to re-experience his album, check out his other solos as well (played Christmas Love over the weekend and realized it sounds even better on low frequency speakers), and eat a lot of spicy food followed by warm/hot drinks because Jimin is curious about such things (and it really does work).

[snapscube]

What got you to start editing out the intros on snapcube 2? I suppose it helps get to the games faster, but as a hardcore Vodhead, I kind of liked those.

I've gone back and forth about keeping pre-streams in the VODs for a couple years now. Whenever I decide to take them out I always have a couple people being like "aw I liked those", but then when I leave them in I can tell the majority of viewers will just skip to gameplay anyway and of course there's the age-old "skip to [timestamp here] for the game" comments. Not that I really mind people having the option per-se, but essentially over the years I've gotten the impression that there's always gonna be someone who feels like the experience of the VODs could be improved by either including them or cutting them and it's just gonna come down to individual preference, so I should go with my gut and how I like to produce things.

SO to actually answer your question as it stands technically, what got me to start removing the opening sections of streams RECENTLY is that I actually just completely upended the way I produce these VODs. I used to have an entire, seamless recording running from the moment I started streaming to the very last second, when I hit my "go live" button the recording would turn on automatically and I never touched it. Then when it came time to post I would put the recording in my editing software, cut out the starting soon screen and all the breaks, and then render and upload manually. At some point during or right before the Tears of the Kingdom series I changed this completely. Having to render out new versions of cut down VODs overnight became way more trouble than it was worth, literally hours of downtime where I couldn't do much on my PC while it was working on exporting them.

So I created a new method that goes something like this:

start the stream, play music

after a few songs, hop on mic and settle in with chat. talk about stuff, chill.

once i am ready to Do The Actual Content, i hit the button to start recording stream locally so the recording only ever begins when i'm ready to go.

i address vodheads and introduce them to the stream separately, then the show starts for real

if there are any stream breaks, i pause the recording as i leave and start it up again once i come back so there is literally nothing i have to edit out of the final recorded file

once the stream is over, take the recording and quickly convert it to mp4 so i can upload it to youtube as-is. every cut is already made, it's in full quality, and i don't have to render it.

now, i totally could just start recording once i hit my "bootup jingle" sound and hop on mic earlier in that process! the practical difference would not be really much to sneeze at on my end. i actually have already done this a couple times! however, what also ended up happening is that the Tears of the Kingdom series like.... REALLLY cut down on how much time i was even spending in the pre-stream to begin with. i was so pumped about that playthrough and i wanted to really maximize my time playing the game while i was live, so often there just really wasn't anything interesting in the pre-stream chat to begin with. this wasn't always the case, but it was reliable enough that i got used to just starting the recording when i started the game. then once i got used to it i kinda started to like it and like how the final VODs turned out when you could just click on it and jump right in, and i've kinda kept up a similar pacing and cadence to my streams post-TOTK.

ultimately, the TL;DR answer is that it's just how i prefer to produce the VODs right now and it makes my workflow a lot easier and makes me feel good about the final product! not saying this will never change, again it's something i go back and forth on. but it's how it is rn!

[re-bee-key]

Just watched the Tumblr Live QnA Panel, and here's some of my thoughts:

* Had to toggle on Tumblr Live to watch and agree to the terms.

The stream itself was a little low quality visually, not terrible, but either they used a low quality camera or streaming isn't up to the same quality as other sites like Tiktok

* the gifting feature that mimics Tiktok was obnoxious. Users that seem to use Tumblr Live a lot where using gifts very often. The gift icons would take up most of the screen covering chat.

Some people in chat suggested that the gifters were Staff plants to make the site seem more popular than it is. There is no way to verify if they are or are not. But these individuals talked in the chat about how they use Tumblr Live all the time, and some dont even have blogs they only use Live. Which is????

I don't like the gifting emojis. But i dont like them on Twitch or tiktok either, so shrug emoji, i guess

Questions Answered (that i remember)

* The Chronological Dashboard will stay. They mentioned this several times that tumblr, while they are going to improve the For You algorithm, the main Chronological Dashboard will not change.

* Tumblr Live apparently isn't blocked in Europe and is just waiting for approval, which is soon. They said it being blocked was misinformation. (Which i have no way to verify.)

* LGBTQA+ and specifically Trans content getting flagged or censored is a bug, apparently. They said it happens from time to time, but reporting should fix it. Users in the chat were unhappy with this answer since the issue has lasted for such a long time and doesn't seem or feel random. But they did not comment further.

* Tumblr posts being collapsable was not super addressed. They sort of skimmed over this question and just said that they try lots of new features to see what works and what doesn't. Apparently, there will be a toggle to turn this feature on or off.

* Tumblr Groups was addressed. It was shut down because not enough users used the feature.

Apparently, not many users use Tumblr Live either, but they want to keep working on it to make it appealing.

* Another bit about Tumblr Live. CEO essentially said they will not give the option to permanently toggle off the feature.

One user had asked if Tumblr had investors. CEO said, "Of course."

CEO did mention they "might" add a way to permanently turn off tumblr live. But it if they did, it would be a paid option over $20.

* One user commented that they are epileptic and that certain ads trigger their seizures because of the flashing colors and wanted to know what they would do for this issue. Tumblr CEO said "Well you could pay for No Ads."

CEO talked about paying to go ad free a lot. Saying only 25 thousand users pay for it at the moment.

Personally, it seems really irresponsible to suggest that the only way to fix an accessibility issue is for a user to pay money. As if disabled people dont have to pay enough as it is.

* I had asked if they were willing to work with more artists for Merch and Badges. They said they are working on it and there is a feature called Creatr that is set up to uplift creators and work with them on merch ideas.

I've never heard of Creatr. He seemed like we should have known what it was? Maybe they should promote that more. I know we all want more ways to support artists.

* More Badges and Achievements are coming. Apparently, a Legacy Badge that shows how long you've been on tumblr is in the works. (Im personally very excited about Badges.)

* Tumblr is thinking bout doing more QnA and even meet ups at different conventions and some even at the headquarters themselves. (They did not acknowledge questions that asked for a Headquarters video tour.)

Anyways, that was about all I can remember. Staff didn't record the panel, so hopefully, one of the other users did.

They talked about other random stuff. Calling out gifters specifically and rambling about donuts and books.

Oh, also, they brought a ball pit. Which is, yeah. Lol

[yourimagines]

hii could you do like a fluff alphabet for khabib and islam please? <33

Yesss

What they adore about you

* English is not my first language I apologise

* Triggers: fluff

Khabib

A = Admiration, what he absolutely adore about you: Your face when it lights up when you talk about the things that makes you happy, he loves to see that twinkle in your eyes.

B = Body, what is his favorite part of your body: you’re beautiful eyes, they tell everything about you. How you feel, what you’re thinking about. He loves to get lost in them.

C = Cuddling, how he likes to cuddle: You laying on his chest, his arms wrapped protectively around you, his head laying on top of yours so he can plant a kiss or two.

D = Dates, what his ideal date with you would look like: When it’s raining he loves to cook something together at home. When the weather is good enough he loves to take you out on a picnic date, enjoy the basics of life.

E = Emotions, how he express his emotions around you: He controls them very well, you saw him only once being very angry and it wasn’t at you. He’s an open person to you but he would never lash out on you, he saves that for his students at the gym.

F = Family, does he want one? If he does, when: Yes he wants a family, a big one and he wants it right after he retired, he’s more at home now and has more time to be a father.

G = Gifts, how he feels about gift giving? What is his habit when it comes to this: he loves to give you flowers or something you really need, he doesn’t like to give stuff just to give you stuff, it needs to have a reason behind it. He gives you every Friday flowers, every time different once.

H = Holding Hands, when/how he likes to hold hands: He likes to hold your small hand in his, in twined. He holds your hand when you go to a busy location because he doesn’t want you to get lost or when he feels like you want some affection from him when you’re in public.

I = Injury, how he would act if you got hurt: he tries to be calm to have a clear mind so he can think clearly but if he sees you’re okay he would lose his temper a bit to find out what happened and who did it to you. If you’re just being clumsy he would give you a lecture about being more careful for the next time.

J = Jokes, does he likes to joke around with or prank you and how: he likes to joke around, like making you say funny things in his language or something like that but doesn’t like to fool your feelings, he would never disrespect or hurt your feelings with a joke or prank

K = Kisses, how he likes to kiss you: he likes to kiss the top of your head, especially when you guys are cuddling.

L = Love, how he shows you he loves you: He’s always there for you, he always picks up his phone if you call him, he brings you every Friday flowers, makes time for you when you need him or brings the stuff you need from the store without you asking him.

M = Memory, favourite memory together: Marrying each other, the whole day was perfect and you guys even felt more in love with each other.

N = Nightmare, what is his worst fear: losing you, he’s afraid that one day you are gone and he has to live his life alone , without you next to him.

O = Oddity, what is one quirk he haves: His English accent. He tries to improve his English language but it’s difficult for him.

P = Pet Names, what he likes to call you: My love. You’re his love so he calls you a lot my love.

Q = Quality Time, how he likes to spend time with you: At home, cooking or gardening together. Nothing to crazy he likes a calm private life with you.

R = Rhythm, what song reminds you of him: his walkout song ‘The Eagle's song 'Stream Дагестан Сабина Саидова’ because he doesn’t really listen to music anymore.

S = Secrets, how open is he with you: He tells you everything, you’re his muse and he’s yours. He trusts you with his life. He thinks it also important to share these things with each other, it keeps the relationship healthy.

T = Time, how long did it take you to get together: 5 months because he didn’t want to scare you off because he’s a fighter and his English wasn’t the best at that time.

U = Upset, how does he acts when you’re upset: Calm, listens to you and gives you the room to let all your emotions out, he’s there for you and will make it better.

V = Vaunt, what is he proud of, Does he likes to show you off: He’s proud of you moving in with him, in Abu Dhabi and in Dagestan and he likes to remind people that.

W = Warrior, how would he feel about you fighting? Would he fight for you: he doesn’t like to see you hurt but he teaches you some self defence. He always has your back and will fight for you.

X = X-Ray, how well can he read you: He knows when something is bothering you, he knows what you want and he can tell in what mood you are.

Y = Yes, how would he propose to you: On your dream trip, he plans it all out, beautiful ring and goes on one knee.

Z = Zen, what makes him feel calm: you by his side, especially at night. He likes to hold you at night, he sleeps better when you are there. But a good intense training at the gym makes him calm down too if he’s angry.

Islam

A = Admiration, what does he absolutely adore about you: you’re patience you have with him, he’s an handful sometimes but also the passion you have for your hobbies.

B = Body, what is his favorite part of your body: you’re hands, they are smaller and softer than his hands. His hands are bigger and rougher, your hands perfectly fits in his as they where made for each other.

C = Cuddling, how he likes to cuddle: Spooning, holding you from behind. His head nuzzled in the crook of your neck, placing soft kisses on your shoulders.

D = Dates, what his ideal date with you look like: Going to a restaurant for some dinner after that going for a midnight drive in his car and end the date with watching the stars together.

E = Emotions, how he express his emotions around you: He’s trying his best but sometimes he hides his sadness from you, he doesn’t want you to think he’s a crybaby or not strong enough for you.

F = Family ,does he want one, If he does when: yes he wants a family but not now, he’s very busy with his career but he’s secretly thinking about it so who knows.

G = Gifts, how he feels about gift giving? What is his habit when it comes to this: he spoils you, a little bit to much tho. If you say oh that’s cute, the next day you have it. He’s loves to buy stuff for you.

H = Holding Hands, when/how he likes to hold hands: he holds hands with you all the time, he loves to touch you and holding hands is the most appropriate thing he can do in public.

I = Injury, how would he act if you got hurt: he’s angry at himself that you got hurt, he’s also freaking out a bit.

J = Jokes, does he likes to joke around with or prank you and how: he’s a prankster, he loves a good joke. He pulls these small pranks on you, swap stuff in the kitchen with weird things, jump scaring you and telling lame jokes from the internet. His pranks are innocent and he always makes sure you’re okay.

K = Kisses, how do he likes to kiss you: your sweet lips, he just loves them.

L = Love, how he shows you he love you: giving you gifts, calling or texting you on a daily basis and making love to you.

M = Memory, favourite memory together: meeting you for the first time, his English was bad and you thought he was a funny guy, you were also a bit shy.

N = Nightmare, what is his worst fear: That someone hurts you and he isn’t there to protect you. He’s afraid of not being good enough for you.

O = Oddity, what is one quirk he haves: he’s a silly guy, a real joker.

P = Pet Names, what does he likes to call you: baby or babe, he learned it from some chick flick movies and it got stuck with him.

Q = Quality Time, how he likes to spend time with you: Doing things you like to do, watching movies, going out for some lunch, doing some shopping, just everything that would put a smile on your face.

R = Rhythm, what song reminds you of him: the song you guys sung together for the first time in his car ‘Something just like this, Coldplay.’ he barely knew the words but tried it for you.

S = Secrets, how open is he with you: He tells you a lot but not everything, he thinks some things are not meant to be shared like his troubles or sadness. A man needs to be strong for his partner and can’t not show weakness. He rarely opens up about his feelings, he likes to deal with it on his own.

T = Time, how long did it take you to get together: 3 months, he took you on a few dates till he had the courage to ask you if you wanted to be with him. His English was very bad but you already felt for him.

U = Upset, how does he act when you’re upset: he leaves you alone at first, to give you some space to think. He always comes back to you and tries to find out why you’re upset and making it up to you.

V = Vaunt, what is he proud of, Does he likes to show you off: That you’re his girl, who tries to understand his culture and ways of living. He loves you’re trying to speak his mother language and proudly helps you out.

W = Warrior, how would he feel about you fighting, Would he fight for you: he doesn’t like it at all, no fighting for you if you have him. He’s always ready to fight others to protect you.

X = X-Ray, how well can he read you: He isn’t the best in reading you but when he knows he immediately acts on it. Trying to make you feel better or trying to calm you down. He’s trying and that’s what counts.

Y = Yes, how would he propose to you: He would propose you back at his home in Dagestan. Asking if you want to be his wife and move in with him. He buys you a expensive ring to show you how much you means to him.

Z = Zen, what makes him feel calm: You’re touch, you’re hands on his chest or on his back, just you’re touch makes him calm and at peace. You’re hands caressing and scratching his back makes him fall asleep very quickly, he loves that.

[burningaurora]

[Podfic - TTS] Moonlight Mile by @jennandblitz

Cover Artist: @i-like-to-look-at-your-back

Series | Length: 1:39:49 | Rating: T

Twenty years after surviving the War, Remus and Sirius are, naturally, extremely involved in werewolf advocacy. Their lives are full of it—their support group, passing laws and acts, banishing any kind of prejudice—but one quiet, routine Flower Moon upends their existence; in the best way it could.

Listen on: AO3 | Streaming

So much excitement with this podfic!!! The first item of note is that I'm working on higher quality voices and this podfic truly debuts my new narrator, Remus, and Sirius. I would love any and all feedback as I continue to try to improve my quality. I'm also elated to say that I have a new partner in podfic'ing crime!!! The amazing @kaleanakg has graciously been volunteering her time to help me tag each fic for the multi-voice characters. The amount of time this saves me is certainly measured in hours. I can't emphasize how grateful I am to include you as a creator 🥰

[loopy777]

AtLA Book Water Soundtrack Review

You all know how we've wanted this soundtrack for years and suffered through such explanations as 'the original sound files probably don't exist anymore.' Thankfully, Avatar Studios has seen fit to re-record the music of the first season with a full orchestra, as part of what I assume is a media blitz meant to build hype for the live action Netflix remake. But we all know that remakes, even in music, often don't live up to the original. So, how did it turn out?

(Er, the soundtrack, I mean. The Netflix thing hasn't been released yet.)

With a sigh of relief, I can report: It's great!

Thankfully, the sample track didn't turn out to be indicative of the entire album. The composition of everything else is pretty faithful to the original versions, as far as I could tell. In fact, the overall sound is pretty close to my memories of the original music, despite the use of a full orchestra to record this version- with the exception of the drums, which in the HiDef sound files I downloaded sound fantastic and successfully make my floor and walls shake. (I make no guarantees about what you get if you listen to streaming, mp3 files, or the vinyl disks. This is why I pay a premium for FLAC files or CDs.) I loved turning up the volume and getting blasted by the classic Avatar theme in glorious orchestral quality.

Plus, some tracks are vastly improved by these recordings, while also being true to the original. The best example is the Northern Water Tribe entrance music, which I always thought sounded a bit chintzy and repetitive in the original track (but I admit my opinion might be colored by the poor quality of the recordings we have access to). The new version has a much fuller sound and enough variation to justify the length. I suspect this might come down to which of the original tracks used real instruments and which had to rely more on synthesized sound.

I suspect, though, that the vocals on this album are all the originals, and that's why the Koizilla music makes the chorus less prominent; it probably couldn't be mixed together with the new orchestra without sounding bad. In most cases, that's not a problem, but I do mourn that the Kozilla music doesn't sound quite right. But, on the other hand, Mako's singing has never sounded better.

The album has all the music I'd expect of a soundtrack for Book Water. The Fire Nation, Kyoshi Island, and Jet all get good suites that showcase their themes and music, something that just doesn't exist anywhere in the original recordings. The famous stuff -- the opening theme, the Avatar State, the 'into the sunset' peaceful music, the Agni Kai, Aang's antics, the full "Winter, Spring, Summer, & Fall" tune in both full instrumental form and with Mako's singing, and of course the ending credits -- is all here. The season finale is heavily represented, but that's appropriate as those episodes got a lot of new music and all of it is great. And if you've only been able to content yourself with the fan-made soundtracks we've had to piece together over the the years via promotional releases and episode rips, there's some good stuff here that you might never have heard by itself before, like the fun bit of music for June.

And because I'm compelled to nitpick, I'm a bit annoyed by the order of the tracks. I like to listen to soundtracks in chronological order, and while that kind of thing isn't really feasible with something as long and repetitive as a television series season, this album does a serviceable approximation with its order- except for two weird cases. The Blue Spirit introduction comes after the music for his escape with Aang, and the music for the encounter with Koh comes after the music for Aang's arrival in the Spirit World. I assume this is because it makes for a better hi/lo/fast/slow sequence as part of the overall, but I would have preferred the order of their presentation in the cartoon.

So, in conclusion, this is the soundtrack we've wanted all these years, and everyone should stream or buy it or at least pirate it in enough numbers to raise eyebrows. I want the other two books done this way, and I think we as a fandom deserve it, despite some of the fanfic I've seen you people write. ;)

[koalaphoenix]

I was going through my art folder on my phone and realized how far I've come with how I draw Shay (and her different forms).

Way back in 2021 I drew her for the first time. She effectively came from a dream I had, where I lived her life in one night. But the struggle was I never actually really saw what Shay/I looked like in the dream. I knew what I was, who I was, but not what I looked like, beyond my hands. One of the most spectacular dreams I've ever had, by the way.

So early on when I was streaming, I decided to take a crack at drawing the dragon woman I'd been in the dream. I couldn't even really remember my/her name, although with help from my friends it came to me.

The first sketch was... Rough, at best. I had no clue how to draw an anthro creature, which Shay effectively was. I used multiple references to even sorta rough out what I wanted, and the result was not spectacular. But it was a start.

Then I was memeing with my friends about our D&D characters. I fully intended to RP as Shay when we began a campaign. It led to the version above - the first proper drawing where I was mostly happy with her overall design.

Late 2021 and I tried to push myself a little further, although I still didn't know what I was doing.

Art block hit me like a truck for a few months. When I finally managed to get drawing again, the results were initially really, really bad. But it wasn't too long and I drew what would end up being a far more finalized version of her design, the template for many future works. She was a more agile figure than her design sketch. I adjusted her horns to make more sense anatomically, and to fit better with her hair.

And also I drew abs on her.

Then there were several more drawings. I touched on alternate versions, put her in some fun situations as self indulgence, tried to experiment with difficult poses. There was a lot of struggle, as I still couldn't quite get her head shape consistent.

Then I found some new resources, and on a whim I drew what's becoming my favorite alternate version of her: Shayaa.

(Flat color iteration shown)

Shayaa was born out of two thoughts. I wanted a version of Shay that was a little thicc, and I wanted a version where she hadn't been abandoned. This ended up with her in armor, and was a leap forward in terms of quality and some design cues. The softer snout, more defined mouth, and thicker horns ended up really helping me draw her more consistently.

I was worried that it was one of those cases where I went beyond my actual ability and wouldn't be able to replicate it, but I was mostly wrong.

I decided I wanted to adjust "prime" Shay's design a bit, to improve her visibly aging and to widen the gap between her and Shayaa to emphasize their differences. I thinned her up a bit, made her muscles more lean, and rounded her features to make her appear more youthful - she's in her early 20s at the start of Godbreaker, but I saw her design as more in her late 20s or early 30s. She was always intended to be more lean than I'd drawn her, but skill issue. I also kinda hated parts of her default outfit, they seemed off and weren't the easiest to draw.

And now? I'm pretty satisfied with her design. She looks younger and more lean, and ideally a little less "civilized." Her hair got spikier to make it easier for me to draw - I suck at floofy hair. She's still pretty big, at 6'7" tall, but she doesn't look like a brick house anymore (nothing wrong with that, I love brick houses, she was just not intended to be that).

But yeah. Going through the old art, a lot of which I can't add to this post, it really hit home to me how much in such a relatively short time she's changed since the first real sketch, how much I've changed...

...And how much has stayed the same.

Aaaand to not end on any sort of deep moment, holy shit her old feet were HUGE.

[over-particular]

minimalist self-care habits

One of the biggest misconceptions about taking care of yourself is the systematic and erroneous association of self-care with extreme consumerism. This idea conveys the image of self-care as something reserved to those who can afford it. The truth is, and many already know this, there are countless ways to be good to yourself without spending more than necessary.

☐ Get enough sleep. A child would need 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night. The average is between 7 and 9 hours for an adult. I can never say it enough, but sleep is an important part of our lives. Value it highly. It's an elementary need: not getting enough sleep puts us at risk of developing numerous chronic diseases: such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, coronary heart disease and some types of cancer. You are also more likely to suffer a stroke.

☐ Turn the volume down. Since I'm riding the wave of how we 21st century people are neglecting our health, I also want to stress the importance of auditory health. If, like me, you love to spend hours with headphones on, consider turning down the volume. I know it's much more enjoyable to experience it fully, but having gone through the terrible experience of tinnitus, I bitterly regret it. There is a simple way to track your auditory health: please check your smartphone's headphone safety features.

☐ Don't neglect your medical appointments. I have always been very anxious about it. Not to the point of pulling my hair out, but I used to postpone my appointment so much that I sometimes forgot why I even wanted to go. There are countless of reasons why we may not like to go to the doctor, but the truth is that health issues simply cannot wait. It is equally important to go see your doctor even if you think you are in perfect condition.

☐ Be physically active. Always keep in mind that your body, like your mind, needs to be stimulated. Besides allowing you to manage your weight more effectively, sport improve your brain health, reduces health risks and strengthens both your muscles and your bones.

☐ Watch your language. It's more personal, but it introduces a sense of discipline into your mind. The turns of phrase, the informal language, the way we speak, the choice of words, the syntax… Speaking is the perfect expression of the mind. This does not mean abolishing the use of crude words, but rather regaining control, becoming master of your language again. Your words should never exceed your thoughts. In my opinion, a rich language reflects the attention the speaker pays to it. When was the last time you learned a new word?

☐ Clean your space. The cleanliness of your living space has a big impact on your productivity. A messy space can lead to a messy mind. Home is, for many of us, the place we feel most comfortable: keeping your living space clean and organized naturally improves the quality of your life, your sleep and your health. Clean regularly, let the sun shine in and air out daily.

☐ Avoid ads. Easier said than done. But try not to have your mind parasitized by the multitude of advertisements we are flooded with. I don't watch television. I do have access to a music platform so I don't have to deal with the constant stream of ads on YouTube.

☐ Go for a walk. Pretending to discover your city or town anew can do wonders for a mind in need of a little distraction. Check out some of the free events that may be happening near you. Visit a park you've never been to before.

☐ Give yourself a reason to wait. Try to establish a ritual of patience. In other words… You stop binge watching every new show you start and you take your time to appreciate it.

☐ Stimulate your mind. The internet has given us more ways than ever to keep our minds busy. For those who know me a little, I am a big fan of reading. And if physical books can indeed be expensive, you can find some really good ones for free in .pdf format. In fact, some kind souls have even gone so far as to share entire drives of them on Tumblr... Going further in my reflection, I think that the scourge of our century is the intellectual lethargy: everything is at our fingertips, why bother reading a whole book when I have access to a detailed summary of only a few pages? Beyond the spiritual enrichment, it is also a proof of patience to seize a book and give it three hours of your time. I sincerely believe that as human beings, we owe it to ourselves to keep our senses and our minds alert. Reading is a great way to exercise our brain as it helps stimulate our cognitive abilities. It allows us to develop our capacity for memorization, reflection, analysis and imagination. Try coloring for adults (yes, it's a thing: ■ ■). There are also many games for adults online with the aim of stimulating memory and improving concentration (■, ■.). Try solving online puzzles, fake criminal investigations, math problems? Learn how to code (with Codecademy for example, which offers many courses for free). Take language courses. Many general knowledge quizzes are also available to anyone who is interested (■) . The web is a real goldmine in terms of resources and many are available for free.

☐ Finally, this list would be meaningless without me asking you to learn to relax. Give yourself a day off if you need to. It is essential to take it easy, to get your nose out of your planning, to look up from your screen and breathe in some fresh air through the window. I advise all those who try to relax to start a digital detox: we must learn to relax independently, without a screen and regain control over the objects of our stimulation.

My lists are intended to be personal. If you find them useful, that's great. Feel free to rewrite them! Don't hesitate to ask questions or send me your comments and ideas for next articles.

[8o--o8-deactivated20220523]

Something that I genuinely find fascinating about opla from like a creative standpoint is how, if you look the decisions the writers made it becomes clear that they just want to adapt one piece into real life?

They don't want to change it, go in their own direction or "improve" it, they just want to do it irl

When you look at interviews with the showrunners and such, literally every single time they talk about shit they cut, they talk about it like "oh yeah we really wanted to do that but didn't have the budget"

I genuinely believe that any change they made to the source material was just because they didn't have infinite money or they wanted to make it work as a big budget streaming show

I think the most insane example of this is the fact that there are only like 4 note worthy LA only characters : The short marine Nami knocks out at the beginning of the show, the Fishman waiter at Baratie, the guy who offers Nami passage on his ship at Baratie and the bartender who tells Koby and Helmeppo where the strawhats went

That's the caliber of original characters were dealing with, you forgot most of them existed

And usually when you have big budget live action adaptations like this you usually invent some important original characters for the sake of making things smoother or change an already existing character so much that they're essentially an original character, again so you have an easier time doing your own thing/adapting it

They really do not want to do their own thing in the slightest if they don't have to

Sure you can point at the Garp stuff but from the interviews with the showrunners they talk about how big budget streaming shows need b plots like that, again they saw this change as a necessity to make it work as a big budget streaming show and not an indulgence

Literally every single character is almost entirely in character with their original Manga counterparts(with some deviations, the strawhats are less morally grey and Luffy listens to the backstories)

All of them fucking look 100% like the characters and those were originally made to look like stupid cartoon characters

And here's the thing, you can make an adaptation that "doesn't respect" its source material, wants to go in its own direction etc. And have it still be good, being accurate does not equate quality

It's just insane that they took this approach where they're very accurate, literally just want to translate the original story into a new medium, nothing else, with a work that is inherently not made for a live action medium

And I can't stop thinking about how nuts that is, the one piece live action adaptation, in the current adaptation landscape we live in, is the one that tries it's hardest to be accurate to its source material in almost every single way

[radical-revolution]

Who is your enemy? Mind is your enemy. No one can harm you more than a mind untrained. Who is your friend? Mind is your friend. Nothing can help you more that a trained mind, not even your loving parents. —Buddha

What do we see when we look at our mind? Constant change. The untrained mind spins out thoughts, emotions, images, stories, likes, dislikes, plans, regrets and reactions to it all. There is ceaseless movement, filled with words, ideas, and memories. Clearly seeing this stream of inner dialogue is one of the first insights in meditation practice. It is called “seeing the waterfall,” experiencing the evanescent nature of mind. Mind’s constant changes are like the weather; today it rains, tonight it may snow, earlier the sun was out. It is muddy in the spring, and then the summer heat appears. In the fall the winds arise and the leaves go; in winter the ice forms. We’re like that; we’re part of nature.

Mindfulness meditation isn’t directed to creating and holding some special state; it’s learning to steady our attention on the present moment, finding a wise and compassionate relationship to this organic change of body and heart and mind that we are. We can then embody this loving awareness in every season.

For the mind to become steady, settled in the present moment in the midst of so much change, it is helpful to develop a degree of stability; that is called concentration. Concentration is the art of calming and steadying our attention, like a candle flame in a windless place. One way we can practice this is with attention to our breath, or with a body scan. As we gently train ourselves to become mindful of breath and body, we can see more clearly, and become more balanced and more deeply present. We experience a unity of our body, spirit, and mind. To live this way is wonderful.

To steady and calm the mind takes kindness and patience. Training the mind in meditation is like training a puppy. We put the puppy down and say, “Sit. Stay.” What does it do? It gets up and runs around. “Stay.” It runs around again. Twenty times, “Stay.” After a while, slowly, the puppy settles down. Through practice, gently and gradually we can direct and steady our attention and learn how to be more fully where we are. But remember, this steadying of the heart and mind builds slowly. At first we may be discouraged. After trying for some days maybe we are mindful only 10 percent of the time and 90 percent lost in thought. We might easily judge ourselves as a failure. Yet if we look, we will realize that when we began to meditate, we were here only 2 percent of the time, and now we are here five times as much! Fives times more present to touch the earth, to feel the breeze, to see the eyes of the others around us, to be awake to our senses. This is no small improvement.

The development of steady concentration comes through training, deliberately nurturing an inner peacefulness. In meditation we learn that the mind becomes calm not through strain and struggle, but from letting go of anxiety about the past and future, and relaxing into the present. We can learn to trust this natural process of settling. Through our steady, caring attention, again and again, a quality of calm interest begins to grow and the mind settles lightly into the moment.

Neuroscience research shows that for many people eight or ten weeks of regular practice is enough to really sense the benefits of meditation. If we were to learn guitar or tennis or a computer code we would need to practice and then gradually improve. Practicing the skill of calm steady attention, of mindful loving awareness is the same—it is a great art.

Jack Kornfield

[lesbian-gnf-archive]

My full, unfiltered review of episode 1 of GnLoss:

To preface this, I did not watch it for any ill intent if anyone thinks I did. I watched it because I love horror and had been casually interested since the concept was announced two years ago. I went into this hoping for something to entertain me and was unfortunately disappointed, and this is all my own subjective opinion. If you genuinely liked it I'm happy for you

To start with some of the things I did like, I liked when the camera was higher quality and the effects of when R.anb.oo walked through the door into the green room, or especially when they were on the beach. I liked the look of it, especially with the lone door. I found the effect of the fabric wall when Charlie was pushing against it to give a bit of a spooky look (though this enjoyment ended quickly when the camera showed how the effect was made and it was immediately made into a joke. This wouldn't have been as much of a problem to me if the rest of the episode wasn't like this as well), and I laughed a couple of times when Charlie told a joke. I also liked the very final scene, again when Ra.nbo.o goes through the door and the camera is higher quality and then they get sedated, cool shot 👍

Other than that, the only word I can think of when I look back on it is boring. I felt that it lacked any substance or comedy or horror. And to be very clear, I am the number one defender for stories that use the first episode/season/act to establish the characters and setting more. Like I am completely okay with that because I'm someone who values the characters in a story more than the story itself, if I care about the characters I can live with a mediocre story, but I can't live with a great story if I can't stand/don't care for the characters. So I am completely fine with that, but the problem with gnlss is that it barely establishes any of that.

I'm watching this story and I don't care who these characters are or what happens to them or what they do. You can trade any of the characters out with any other one and it would still be the same for me. And it's especially a problem with Ra.nbo.o, our protagonist, because the audience is meant to care that he doesn't get hurt, like we physically have to care enough to make the right choices but he has absolutely no personality and you could change him for a brick wall and get the same character.

And one of the most glaring issues with it is obviously the quality. I've seen lots of people say that it was done on purpose, but if that's the case then it needs to be so bad that it's obviously on purpose. It's like if you draw a straight line without a ruler, it will almost always come out crooked and sloppy, but when someone sees that they will automatically think you tried to make a straight line and failed. Which is why if you're doing it on purpose, you make the line squiggly because then people will glance at it and know that it was on purpose. It's the same thing with the acting, Charlie did his best but he did not have any help when trying to work with Sn.ee.g or Ra.nbo.o and their very flat performances, R being especially guilty of not using the very first and basic rule of improv: to say "yes, and". And it's especially disappointing because I was never expecting professional acting from twitch streamers at all, but I know that R can do better because while it wasn't amazing their lore streams were leagues above their acting in this. And again, over and over again I see "it's bad on purpose" but that can only be used as an excuse so many times.

If everything is mediocre and the only excuse is "it's on purpose" then all you did is make something mediocre. I've also seen some people say that what they did was impressive given their resources they had, but this show was funded by an entire company, created by a millionaire, and has been in the works for two years. This isn't a small indie project created by one person, it has a budget and it used it all on a mask that you can't even hear him out of. The constant change in camera quality when switching between live stuff and pre recorded stuff was extremely jarring, and only made it more glaringly obvious how poorly shot the live sections were, I really wish they stayed with the higher quality or at the very least kept it consistent.

And to top it off, it's just not what it had been promo'd as. The promos set expectations that were so far from what we got that I can't believe these are meant to be the same projects. If I watched it with no knowledge that it was meant to be a horror project then I would have no idea, the fact that I could not tell you the actual genre of it within the first (and from what Ra.nbo.o is describing the next episode is gonna be, the second as well) is a problem. If they didn't want the first episode to be focused on horror, that's fine, but there still needs to be something there. Like, the very first scene could have been a scary compilation of vague clips showing what happened to him and how he got in the house, and if executed well could then blend fine into the goofy story. It's also just. Painfully unfunny. You can tell they're trying to tell jokes and to make it funny, so it hurts more when you don't even crack a smile until an hour in.

I was hoping the second episode would go more into the lore or horror, but Ra.nbo.o has said that this next one is meant to be sillier which is incredibly disappointing and will most likely cause a huge tone problem for the third episode if 2/3s of your horror series is unfunny comedy.

[ladyknight33]

Opinons on the New Style of Live Action Storytelling

Tl:dr: The 8 episode format for the new Live Action stories is too limited for the complex stories of the original source material. Action scenes and Magical displays are not substitutes for building tension and climatic battles. The characters and storytellers deserve better. 

*

As much as I am enjoying this new era of small screen scripted fiction through the streaming services, I am a bit disappointed in how rushed every show feels. The six to eight episodes force the story to hit key points without allowing the story to actually breathe and endear itself to the viewers. 

First of all, I do not believe all stories must be done in the Live Action format because locks the world into the physics we understand within our own physical world. This limits much of the imaginative qualities a work of fiction inspires. 

Example: when watching an animated Star Wars Jedi do amazing feats accredited to the Force, it is spectacular and defies the known laws of physic. When a live action Jedi attempts the same feats, the action is dulled down to fit the current CGI limitations. This holds true for any magic or anything non-real. 

This leads into a second issue live action formats fall victim to: intense focus on special effects.  Storytelling is forced to take a backseat to the long sequences of beautiful CGI images or fight scenes. T.V. and Film are visual media and they thrive on fantastic imagery. These scenes are necessary when trying to tell a visual story, but not when it takes away from character development and slows the pace of the story. 

Example: The epic fantasy series I grew up reading, The Wheel of TimeI, was long due for a visual adaptation. I have accepted that the show is not the book, but there are pacing issues that could have been avoided if the limited time had not been spent on the intense focus of weaving magic or on action sequences that took the majority of the episode.

The pacing issues are found when significant plot points must be achieved within a limited time, to the detriment of character development, dialogue, and space for the viewer to absorb what is happening. Plot points are the anchors of the story. They are what pulls characters across continents to fulfill destinies. But the story is what happens along the way. 

The plot points of Lord of the Rings are how Frodo gets the ring, is told to destroy it, and finally destroying it. The story is the emotional and physical toll it takes on Frodo and his companions on the way to destroy the ring. The pacing must allow for this internal conflict to which is so central to Frodo’s development. Action scenes are the point where all the built up tension must break. Jumping from action to action, fight to fight, gives no time for the conflict to build. 

Example: Avatar: The Last Airbender is an epic tale of young teens trying to save the world. But they encounter so much during their journey that it takes 20 episodes to tell the first part of the story. The live action is only allowed 8 episodes to introduce the four main characters and the many important secondary characters, and then take them across the four nations, improve their talents, create love interests (Sokka really has two women fall in love with him on two separate occasions in under a day? Really?), and every episode must have an epic fight scene which does little but show the impressive powers of Bending. 

It doesn’t seem fair. 

Why does a book that requires nearly a thousand page to tell a complex story get reduced to 8 episodes. Why does an animated series that required 20 episodes to tell a complex story get reduced to 8 episodes. Why does a manga which required a hundred  chapters or 50 episodes to tell a complex story get reduced to 8 episodes.

Who decided 8 episodes was the new standard? Even at almost an hour long, 8 episodes constrain the story and leave the audience annoyed and how much potential was wasted. 

The anime One Piece is another epic story I grew up with and am still thoroughly enjoying. It doesn’t seem fair that it was reduced to 8 episodes. The series still had the same trouble as all live action remakes, but they embraced the new format and retold the story with the limited time. It cut many scenes I personally enjoyed and believed to be integral to character development (I’m looking at Zoro’s fight with Arlong and Sanji rescuing Luffy from drowning) but it allowed time for the characters to interact and find a balance. The special effects are blended into the story telling and not showcased in their own long, though pretty, sequences. 

Even the shows created with the 8 episode limited series in mind have trouble getting the right blend of character development and epic fight scenes. 

Obi-wan Kenobi had great potential but left viewers unsatisfied. Ahsoka fell into the same pattern of long silent solo scenes or abrupt violent clashes. For me Ahsoka at least felt like a very long movie if watched in one sitting. Kenobi left me wanting to know more about the new character, Reva, but she was stuck as a one dimensional villain in favor of a Darth Vader Kenobi duel. Ahsoka spent much of its time trying to introduce the characters and plot of Star Wars: Rebels and revisiting Ahsoka’s past that they almost forgot that they were trying to tell a new story. 

Each of these shows have great scenes and showcase wonderful characters. The creators of these shows have wonderful shows that came before. 

The 8 episode choice is a poor one. It must be longer than a movie but shorter than a stander T.V. series. The stories chosen are far more complicated than what a movie can handle but need more time to truly develop into an epic story that is revered by audiences long after its conclusion. Yes, I’m referring to Avatar: The Last Airbender Animated Series. 

A story as complex as The Wheel of Time or One Piece deserves a T.V. soap opera treatment. The Live Action Avatar: The Last Airbender needs at least twice as many episodes to follow the characters and show their development without everything feeling cramped and rushed. Ahsoka could have been a two night event. A two hour movie on each night, one before Peridia and one after. Kenobi would have benefited from at least two more episodes to allow Reva to really shine as a new villain or to have removed the character all together.

After a long drought of scripted sci/fi and fantasy, I am thrilled to see the development of all of these stories. I can’t wait for more. But I am terrified that this 8 episode format is going to kill the movement because none of these stories have the staying power or time to draw in new audiences. 

Remakes are lovely, but if they are only done as fan-service or fulfillment of a single person’s desire to have their name on it, then don’t. Live action has some how become synonymous with legitimacy. As if animation is not simply a method of storytelling, but as a child only form. Live action should bring in new audiences to beloved stories, not infuriate the old. The pace of storytelling should be of prime importance, not constrained to an arbitrary number of episodes. 

So I am saying farewell to the many scenes I wished could be recreated in this world of live actions remakes. We each have them. And I retain hope that new seasons and series will do better. 

[quietbluejay]

Scars 1

we start with a kid, getting beaten up by a bunch of other people and doing a half-decent job of fighting back

man the writing quality improvement is like stepping from a swamp into a clear stream

someone else comes and scares off the guys

oh hi yesugei

tamu doesn't answer at first but eventually does, he stole some food

this is future...shibai, iirc

shibai was rather unpleasant in The Path of Heaven but I don't really remember him in this book

Yesugei, who hasn't introduced himself, asks Tamu how old he is, he's 12, which is eight in Terran years so, as Yesugei mutters, not too old

so Tamu goes with the strange man lol

our motif for tamu is "withdraw, then return"

now we meet our second viewpoint character who is a kid currently in training to become a space marine, named Haren

his motif is "no backward step" and he's being tested

i don't really have much commentary on these early bits other than that they're interesting lol

the twist is that he's training for the Luna Wolves

oh i forgot Shiban writes poetry

talking with yesugei

putting a pin in this one the khan, of course, is the exception to this rule lolol

there's definitely a dark side to that but in a lot of ways it's both healthier and smarter than scads of the other legions rip Haren, he got reassigned to the Scars well otherwise he wouldn't be featuring in this book lol Haren: i guess it could have been worse. it could have been the space wolves or world eaters. Haren clashes a lot with White Scars philosophy lol

also

it's a little relatable, lol

but…he's here also hi Torghun our attempted schismatic

time to meet Ilya, she's fun in a way, she's a parallel to lotara so she started out in codebreaking, which wasn't very enjoyable there's a lot about her whole backstory that really rings true to life though that's personal lol

one reason she's fun is because of how much of a glimpse into the war machine of the crusade her life is

this also is like…it's something that rings true actually on that topic of "glimpse of the war machine" wraight really makes it feel like there's a body under the metaphorical skin, you know? i think he's one of the better BL writers at doing that i.e. making it feel like there's a whole world behind what we see, not just a theatre backdrop, no matter how beautifully painted that we're coming in in the middle of a story, that everyone had lives before this was told and they exist when they're not on-stage

a thought The White Scars are kind of the worthy opponent villain lesser evil of another story let's see if I agree with that when I keep going lol anyways we do get a lot more info about Ilya's background and how she got to the White Scars than we did Lotara and yes I'm going to continue to compare them because I think they make fun characters to compare both high ranking women, both close to a primarch's right hand man and getting along well with a primarch, both from a background that seems on paper like this wouldn't be the case, both having adopted a lot from the Legion they joined the contrast being Lotara was young and promoted young and Ilya has travelled a normal path up through the ranks and of course Ilya being a REMF and Lotara seeing a lot of combat

so we're getting both inside views and outside views of the scars well, inside-ish, the view of an aspirant talking about it to a WS Haren's Khorchin tutor wasn't a big fan of them

okay back to the "present" she was sent to organize the un-organizable lol

ilya learning to let things go like this could have been a completely different, more lighthearted, little prequel novella i'm sure we've all seen those movies lol lmao they still haven't heard anything from Terra but, lol, they like it like that. She doesn't Haji: one time we didn't hear anything for two years. good times.

I wouldn't call Wraight's prose lyrical the same way Haley or ADB can pull off but it's not shabby

shiban does not like it here lol and is waiting to do something new and honestly this is a mood i know i get sick of finishing up projects right near the end too he gets a little starry eyed thinking of how he saw the khan fight

just about every astartes in the heresy, unless they're a world eater, is their primarchs' hype man here's the rest

i kinda…wanna dig into this haha but it's true killing without beauty is so much worse I'm thinking about Fate/Zero again lol dun dunn dunn shiban has a mystery on his hands several dead white scars bodies and no signs of their opponents and the bodies weren't mutilated as orks are wont to do (?)

yeah like tbh if they're that disorganized they should have a load of problems with logistics and resupply and possibly friendly fire as a Terran, Torghun feels out of place

you know it's kind of funny to compare this to the Death Guard on both sides, it's Terrans who are the primary internal rebellious element i do wonder if that was on purpose

important line that followed that paragraph

ah Torghun is going to a lodge

owo Yesugei POV, he's always got good POVs Nikaea retrospective

yesugei is divided on whether he thinks nikaea had a good result or bad lol

oh lmao this is a subtler version of "your character looks into the mirror" but also we've already seen him from outside POV yesugei: who am i

honestly the various librarian perspectives on nikaea and its viability are all interesting i'm thinking specifically about the contrast with the ultramarines

i thought we were going to get the ullanor flashback but nope it was a different ullanor flashback lol just a little piece of the Khan and Horus being bros

we're back in the present and I'm spying a motif yesugei has definitely sensed that something is coming oh huh he's having dreams of the Ruinstorm forming probably

yesugei is comforted by the grass that was apparently there before humans came (?) and will be there after they're gone okay i think there was some kind of error with this book because there aren't scene breaks

context: suddenly we went from one paragraph to the next and ended up in the Alaxxes Nebula oh right i remember this book had a Russ subplot let's see how Wraight manages him

I do enjoy a nice description

huh the description of Russ' flagship feels really different from the one we got in Wolfsbane oh wait nvm

they do have this in common

i'm sorry every time russ gets called an alpha i can't help but snicker …because alphas are fake to be clear for a moment i was so caught up in "lmao alpha wolf" that i forgot about abo

i can't help but think this is meant to contrast against khan in some way like as he's the guy who laughs while killing but also like building out who he is by showing who he is not oh hi bjorn Russ: has our shame ever been greater? Bjorn: maybe you feel shame, I don't

Russ is mad because he thinks he should have been there to save Ferrus Bjorn points out that they would have been massacred with the rest at Isstvan V i'd have to double check my numbers from wolfsbane but based on the numbers from fulgrim and what I remember re: space wolf numbers I think they'd have actually made a difference for the loyalists - probably still lost but I don't think they'd have been shattered the way they were in canon to be continued!

[punkpandapatrixk]

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☆°・. Devotion to A Vocation .・°☆ | Punk Girl Culture

I’m not sure how many people of the world are familiar with the notion of a Vocation, but the way I see it, if you're going to sacrifice a fuckton of your Life Force for the achievement of important life milestones, wouldn't you feel better devoting yourself to your vocation—rather than mere profession?

Your profession is just a stupid career choice you've made for which you dedicate years of serious education to become eligible for a job, but it may not even have anything to do with your Life's Calling, yeah? Your vocation, on the other hand, is a realisation of your God-given talent(s) with which you can become a participant in the collective healing of Mankind. It's not like that all the time, but usually is. After all, this Human world is pure chaos if you haven't noticed, mostly caused by people being extremely unhappy with themselves.

No matter how little, there's something—even if only slightly—more noble about one's vocation. People usually arrive at a point of clarity on what their vocation is after some reflection. It is when you realise of yourself that you possess a supernatural aptitude of service or creation that is needed by your community, society, or even the world. You know you're good at something, which you greatly enjoy, or that you may take some time developing, refining your skill until it's ultra-golden and you thrive every second doing it; but the main takeaway is that you enjoy expending your Life Force on it whilst contributing to the improvement of a family, neighbourhood, corporation, nation, what have you.

In the end, it's a win-win situation and everybody's happy. Happy people ain't got no time being hurtful to each other. Happy people don't go around destroying other people—not their children, not their spouses, not their employees, not any-fucking-body. A happy heart is usually a very charitable one as well. For this reason, if I could be bold enough to state a fucking statement, I'd say the biggest act of charity a person could bestow the world is their vocational trade.

There's nothing shameful or desperate in getting paid for high-quality service that comes honest from the Soul. If only housing and food were FREE I'd also give out my services for free; alas, I ain't no Bill Gates. If you benefit from my high-quality soulful service/creation and I benefit from your graceful patronage/support, we naturally create an abundant society where each member pays respect to the contribution of another and that in itself gives each little human meaning to Life as a social creature. Seriously, isn't this the very dream of a Solarpunk Society? But that dream can only become Reality when people are individually spiritually happy with what they're doing.

What's your natural talents or gifts? When I was growing up, my teachers (and church) made it sound like my natural talents are gifts from God with which I could, or should, make money. Yeah, it’s kinda… exploitative when you think it that way—and that way of thinking never sat quite right with me. It felt… degrading. Like the stream of consciousness comes from greed rather than the genuine desire to be of service. Now that I’m older and have learnt different points of view, I’m glad to have understood that our God-given talents are actually gifts from ourselves to the World.

What with the world's economy going down the drain and people waking up spiritually en masse, I think it’s impossible that going forward people will still be able to find satisfaction from holding onto careers that have nothing to do with their spiritual exercises. The paradigm has changed. Aren't you feeling it already from deep within yourself that there must be something more meaningful with which you can make a living? You didn't come into this world to become a slave of a system—a simple cog in the machinery of a cruel society. You're nobler than they have painted you as.

Anything worth achieving in this world always requires some degree of sacrifice (whoever the fuck created that Law) so if you’re going to devote yourself to breaking bones for the pursuit of a challenging career at all, make sure your personal spiritual fulfilment is involved—because that's the closest thing you'll ever know to Happiness. Soulful devotion to a vocation gives you that; dutiful dedication to a profession hardly ever does.

Still, threats and temptations of this Human Matrix will work hard to deter you from realising your vocation; the System doesn't want you to be happy, it's built that way. But it’s a game of freewill and you get to choose how your story unfolds. So, whatever you choose to do, I hope that makes you happy.

‘Two roads diverged in the wood, and I took the one less travelled by.’

☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

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— [New Paradigm of A Lifelong Career] —