#i love her face in the last image theres something so endearing about it

[esotericas-sims]

In March of 1900, the oopsie-baby is born! She's a girl, and Ruby and George decide to name her Lydie Moselle, after Moses. She's as precious as they come, and good-natured too, but... a bit on the messy side, as Ruby swiftly discovers.

Playing with SeveralPerson’s Ultimate Decades Challenge Rules

Started: 1800s

Current decade: 1900s

Family tree

Spreadsheet

CC Finds

[kkruml]

409: The Birds and the Bees

This post comes after a slap-happy late night watch with some MAJOR squeeing and proclamations of “#DEAD” with @sassenachwaffles and @missclairebelle.

Now that I’ve had my one precious cup of coffee, I’m going to attempt to lay my thoughts to the proverbial paper. I can’t guarantee this will be a coherent post but I really needed to get out all of my FEELINGS about last night/tonight’s episode.

Trigger warning- I will briefly discuss the opening scenes so anyone wanting to avoid discussing Brianna’s attack- please take care of yourself and scroll right through to the second section.

  Without further ado... spoilers below the cut.

SOPHIE.

I read a few interviews she did regarding the material and her approach to the fallout from last episode.

I have to commend her for the care with which she took Bree’s reactions immediately following the attack. She was visceral and nuanced. It was gut-wrenching to watch. She delivered the complex and contradictory emotions, the detachment, shock, and “overwhelmingness” of it all so truthfully.

JAMIE MEETS BRIANNA.

OK first off- I’M NOT OKAY. To say there was some hesitation in the fandom about the show doing this moment justice... is an understatement. I held my breath and leaned in as closely as I could to the screen to make sure I caught every facial movement, every ounce of emotion pouring out from the screen.

THEY NAILED IT.

That’s my opinion, folks.

Sam and Sophie were magnetic in this scene. There was a foreignness to them as they faced each other but also an almost instant intimacy as they take in each other and who they are. The impossibility of their union washing over them but yet... they are together.

This shot really captured me- even before they have any solid interaction at all-

Face to face.

“Can’t you tell?”

Oh ay, lass. He can tell. They really are mirror images of each other here.

While we are here, let me take a moment and discuss the casting decisions in this show. Sam was the first- he IS Jamie Fraser. Finding someone to match him as his daughter is no small task. Sophie was cast as Brianna for Season 2. I had my doubts that she’d be able to carry this role- I won’t lie. Some of my concerns may have been rooted in the material she had to work with, or what she chose to extrapolate in her scenes and focus on. I’m not really sure, BUT this season she has OWNED her scenes and I am so proud to see her holding her own and really flourishing next to Sam and Cait.

This is a power trio, and she stands side by side with them and fits in flawlessly.

OK BACK TO FANGIRLING.

SAM.

I have been waiting not very patiently to see him in this moment.

The myriad of emotions that wash over his face as he takes in his daughter- his flesh and blood. The perfect combination of his Sassenach and him. It’s just too much to take. He’s thought of her for 20 years and now she’s standing right in front of him- in his own time, wearing Claire’s dress, with a face that matches his mother’s.

I AM NOT OKAY.

MURTAGH MEETS BRIANNA.

WHAT TOOK YE SO LONG, LASS?

IAN.

He goes from checking out Brianna to welcoming her into the family. Only Young Ian (and John Bell) could pull this off and stay endearing.

Just like his first meeting with Claire in 306, he accepts her in with no reservations.

Also, “When it comes to you Auntie Claire I’ve learned it’s best not to ask too many questions.”

Give this kid a creme pie. I love him.

FATHER-DAUGHTER BONDING.

My Darling.

OK these two and their mops of red hair are gonna be the death of me.

The conversation they have on their hunting trip is so vital to this relationship. Brianna is honest about feeling guilty to Frank for coming, Jamie telling her in no uncertain terms he is thankful to Frank- giving her the gift of gratitude to the man she grew up with. Allowing her the space to keep Frank in her heart without competition or expectation.

“Ye can call me Da.”

Claire.

There’s a contentment to Claire- we FINALLY get to see her settled and happy with Jamie and Brianna with her. She’s longed for this for 20. FREAKING.YEARS. And now she can feel whole again.

I also love this moment because Brianna can see the look between Claire and Jamie. The pure love and adoration between them is so palpable. This is a side of Claire that Brianna has NEVER seen before.

Jamie and Claire.

Jamie, Claire, and Brianna are finally together. Jamie’s heartbreak here at not wanting her to leave is so bittersweet. He’s so grateful to have met her- something he never thought possible- and now he can’t fathom having to say goodbye to his child, again. Theres’s so much hope.

Roger.

The story line between Roger and Brianna was a huge undercurrent  of this episode- the repercussions of their hand-fasting, the misunderstanding with Lizzie that sends shock waves through the rest of this season. It’s powerful despite the fact that they are not seen together in a single shot this episode.

Roger’s had a rough go of it in the 18th century. The end of this episode was... OUCH. The ending to this episode knocked the wind out of me after such a swelling episode of family.

There’s SO much more to this episode to speak to, and I really wish I had the mental capacity to articulate it. For now, this is all I can say.

The Frasers are finally together.

Please please please chime in with your thoughts.

You don’t have to agree (I always welcome constructive conversation!), but please- as always- be kind with your words.

We are all here for Outlander and this episode had SAE MANY expectations- and for so long!

[comicteaparty]

April 15th-April 21st, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from April 15th, 2019 to April 21st, 2019.  The chat focused on Synthetic Life by Eve Z.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Synthetic Life by Eve Z.~! (http://www.slwebcomic.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until April 21st to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. Why do you think Alinski is out to destroy any androids that have migrated into human society? What do you think his plans are exactly to take down Lundstrom?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Do you think Crystal will come to accept Michelle? If you think Crystal can change, what do you think it will take? If not, do you think Crystal would resort to hurting Michelle? What will Michelle do in general in this case?

RebelVampire

1) my favorite scene so far is the one where nigel brings michelle to play volleyball. i was greatly satisfying to see michelle included cause up until that point nobody seemed to have consideration for how michelle might be feeling. i enjoyed seeing her getting to be innocent and just experience life a little and also being accepting for the first time. it was just all around adorable and touching. 2) I think Alinski is one of those sorts of people who hates the idea that mankind could make a better human than is biologically natural. so thus seeks to destroy this so he, and by association humans, can continue to believe they are perfect and can never be outdone. as for his plans, i think hes going to try and get close enough to lundstrom so lundstrom will inadventantly tell him where all the human posers are.

3) michelle is definitely my favorite character. shes just so sweet and innocent. and even her flaws are endearing since shes basically just a child who doesnt know any better. plus, being able to experience thsi sort of story from her perspective rather than a "humans" makes the whole experience all the more worthwhile

4) I am ardently cheering for Crystal to be redeemed where this is concerned, but honestly i dont think she will change at this point. I think Crystal has dug herself into a hole to the point that no matter what Michelle does, Crystal is gonna mental slap herself and remind herself to hate Michelle. All because I think at the end of the day, she's jealous of Michelle. Not just cause her husband is spending so much time with her, but just because Michelle doesn't have to deal with aging or addiction problems or jerk moms like Crystal does (at least in Crystal's mind). That being said, physically hurting Michelle? Nah probably not. I think it'll be mostly emotional scarring. As for what Michelle will do? Sadly keep trying over and over and over again until she runs out of options and becomes confident enough to realize that crystal shouldnt be allowed to make her feel bad.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. How do you think Nigel and Sean wound up working with the organization that is instructing Sean and providing Michelle’s software? What do you think their goal is in regards to integrating androids into human society?

RebelVampire

5) i really adore the last panel of this page http://www.slwebcomic.com/ch2pg22.html im a suck for nice backgrounds and i love balance of detail and simplicity in the city scape. i also really like how distance was handled with the colors becoming more blending together as the depth increases. i also think this was a great shot choice for the moment since it really expresses how large of a job sean has in front of him with finding michelle 6) i feel as though nigel must have met someone in the science field and he mentioned his son wanted to build a robot. and then some eavesdropping dude was like "orly" and then suddenly he was contacting sean and setting him up with an AI. and sean and nigel just went along with it cause theyre kind of...innocently gullible and dont seem to appreciate the full ramifications of what theyre doing. As for the goal, I think it's actually something like unlocking the true capabilities of AI and the joy of creating life from nothing. Or something like that. And if they can create life that is able to blend into humans, then its a benchmark where they can declare that yup, they can create true life and look at their godly powers or something.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What do you think will happen in regards to Michelle’s school social life? Do you think she’ll get to see her friends more given her software breakdown? Also, will she remain hidden, or will suspicions about her being an android get her and Nigel exposed?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. What do you think Lundstrom’s goal is with the kidnapping and upgrades he’s doing of integrated androids? What risks do you think are involved with his activities, and why do you think he risks them?

RebelVampire

7) I think the characters i like seeing interact most are Michelle and Darlene. I like seeing how their genuine friendship blossoms in the face of Michelle's situation. And overall I think Darlene offers a good contrast to other ppl in Michelle's life. She isn't making a bit deal about Michelle being an android, and i think she offers a spirit of hope to the story that otherwise felt absent. 8) I think eventually Michelle will wind up going to the school in a guise to blend in with humans. Granted, after everyone develops some sympathy that if they leave her locked up all the time, that's going to leave her bored out of her mind is borderline abusive. If anybody exposes Michelle, I don't think it will be the girls at the school. Not that they won't try, but I don't think they're ahead of the game enough to make everyone believe them. That and I'd think after a point it'd become the boy who cried wolf situation where they tried saying she was an android so much everyone would just like "yeah yeah sure."

RebelVampire

9) I really like the subtle details in technology. Like the world doesnt seem more advanced then ares, but then theres these small things like the books that actually need to be plugged into the computers. I think it really helps separate the world just enough from our own to make an android as advanced as michelle and all the others feel completely plausible. 10) I mean the obvious assumption is that Lundstrom is part of the secret organization and is trying to increase android's ability to blend into society. But really I think he's just kind of just trying to create whatever he considers to be the true version of life from a machine. Which to a person obsessed with that, thats worth any risk usually. as for risks involved, well i mean, hes kidnapping. imagine if jade or onyx got caught in the middle of it. cause at that point they can a) go to jail or b) confess the person theyre kidnapping is an android. neither of which are good and honestly, they seem like they have a good chance of getting caught.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. Do you think an A.I. could ever be considered to be a human? In other words, do you see Michelle as a human? Further, what moment in the story was your favorite in regards to this topic being explored?

keii4ii

I haven't had the time to read the whole archive, but can I just mention that I really like the covers? It's an approach that I don't see often in webcomics, portraying sceneries/ still life images with no characters. They are visually interesting, and convey an interesting vibe, especially when juxtaposed with the comic's themes about AI, androids, etc.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. In general, how do you think Alinski and Lundstrom’s plotlines will tie into Michelle’s? Is Michelle in danger, or will the two tie together in some other way?

thats very true @keii4ii . I really like how they kind of make the chapter mysterious and dont give away whats to be expected.

11) i think this come really does a great job in portraying its themes an conflicts about AI. Its honestly really refreshing to me because this is a subject i see covered in novels a lot but never webcomics. So it's really nice to see a webcomic tackle the topic about what it means to be human and if an AI can be one. It does it in a fascinating way too since its from the perspective of the AI, not a human. so it really opens your eyes up to the possibilities. 12) That is a loaded question that depends on how were defining human. If we're talk species, then no. an AI will always be a machine while a human will be a homo sapien. an AI will always be mechanical and a human will always be biological. Thats just set in stone facts. However, if we want to talk metaphorical human in the sense of loving, empathy, having human emotions in general, then yes. And I definitely see Michelle as that. Is she the most perfect AI in terms of human likeness? No. But do I empathize with her and wnat her to find equality and happiness in society regardless of what shes made of? then yes. as for my favorite moment in the story regarding this topic, i really enjoyed the library scene where michelle was exploring the human biological processes and trying to understand why she couldnt have a baby. cause that ties back to what im saying earlier is about how are we going to define a human and that always really complicates the topic in a fun way thats easy to discuss.

13) im really looking forward to seeing michelle with darlene more. cause while darlene is being super duper nice, i feel there could be interesting convos still to go. cause i severely doubt darlene is fully ready to accept michelle as "human." i also think that michelle will learn insightful information from darlene about being a human and come to accept how she is different from michelle. 14) i do think michelle is in danger and inevitably gonna get kidnapped by one of the two. though i also consider it a possibility that sean or nigel will have a convo with lundstrom somehow about michelle and about what lundstrom is trying to do. but down the line alinski is definitely gonna be coming for her

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Synthetic Life this week! Please also give a special thank you to Eve Z. for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Synthetic Life, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://www.slwebcomic.com/