#i mean that's pretty neat right?

[tathrin]

Hey, so do you ever stop to think about how the premise of Lord of the Rings being an in-universe book written by some of the characters who lived through that story means that they decided what parts and perspectives to use to tell that story...?

And when our authors weren't there to experience the events themselves, they have to rely on what they're told about them by the characters who were there, right...?

Okay so stop and think about the Glittering Caves.

We never actually go to the caves in the narrative. Tolkien LOVES describing nature and natural beauty, but we don't actually see the caves described "by him" the way we do other places. Obviously Gimli's words are Tolkien's, yes; but we only see the caves filtered through his words about them, after the fact.

When Gimli and Éomer and the other Rohirrim take refuge there, the narrative doesn't follow them. Obviously from a narrative standpoint this is to keep the focus narrow, and not to interrupt the battle-sequence with a long ode to the beauty of the caves, and to create tension in the reader who doesn't know if these characters are okay or not. Which all makes sense!

But think about it in terms of the book that was written in Middle-earth by the folk living there. Why DON'T we get to have a direct experience of those caves? Gimli obviously related several other parts of the story that none of the Hobbits were there to witness to them, and which were written into the books as Direct Events Happening In The Narrative (think of the Paths of the Dead scene, for one of the more visceral moments!). So why not the Glittering Caves?

Was it because they wanted to keep that narrative focus and tension, and so they didn't include his perspective on that part of the battle? Perhaps, that's certainly a possibility to consider.

But also consider: when we do hear about the Glittering Caves, what we hear is Gimli telling Legolas about the Glittering Caves. THAT is the part of that event that is considered of importance to include in the book: not Gimli's actual experience when he was in them, but rather the part where he relates that experience TO Legolas.

And I kind of just THOUGHT about that today.

And went HUH.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

Actually, sorry, I still don't see why TOTK is imperialistic. The imperialistic one does seem to be Ganon in his greed to conquer. I'm not saying I doubt your argumentsz just... Could you help me understand that?

Hey, yes! No problem at all. If that's okay with you, I'll compile my arguments in a series of links where I reply to previous asks.

Again, I want to reiterate that I don't think what we see in-game is secretely an imperialistic story about Rauru being a bad guy. We can speculate all we want, but there is no evidence in-world for Ganondorf to be anything other than a horrible baddie. My point is not that Ganondorf is secretely misunderstood in TotK, but that I believe Nintendo should have constructed its storytelling in a way that avoided falling into very loaded narrative patterns with real-life imperialistic echoes, and I am criticizing that they didn't try to deliver a version of Hyrule that gracefully accepted its own history, its influence over the world and its inherent moral grayness, instead of nervously scrubbing itself of substance out of fear of its own legacy.

This is the big one, that addresses the game's framing and why I think TotK's version of Hyrule parallels imperialist narrative movements.

This one talks about my problem with Rauru's character writing and what doesn't land for me.

This one is about why I don't think Nintendo is cackling about that good imperialist story they did, that it was probably accidental but still worth mentioning.

And this one, which I assume is the previous ask you sent me, adresses why I think saying that the zonais (and Sonia) are also PoC-coded kind of misses the point in my opinion.

Hope this clarifies my argument! I feel like, as the conversation matures in the fandom, this specific position (not talking for anyone else but me here) is getting kind of warped into something that it's not, or being conflated with the way people are creatively invested in the characters, which, while I certainly won't deny one obviously feeds off the other as far as I'm concerned*, are two separate things.

Again, it's completely fine to disagree! Or to agree and not be put off (everyone stop feeling guilty over the rare joy we manage to catch mid-flight --we can critique media without demanding people to Feel Bad as a result of the conclusions): it's a really fun game and I did play over a hundred hours! But I think the conversation is at least worth considering in a way that isn't caricatured as its weaker arguements.

*(to be very transparent so my own position is crystal clear, and it helps people making up their own mind: Ganondorf touches me as a character because of the way he inherently tries to fight against the limitations Hyrule/The Goddesses/the fiction itself try to force upon him --to devastating and unproductive results-- so the more his own canon tries to flatten him and the more poignant his character becomes to me. Won't deny that! It's this exact realization that made me spiral into hyperfocus to begin with --I am deeply touched by themes of tragic ambition and the impossibility of meaningful rebellion while STILL willingly burning everything down for the sake of refusing your place in the universe, even when the only thing accomplished by the end was the unflinching expression of your agency as well as General Suffering. So of course he would just catch me by the throat like that, that bastard. That being said, I don't think TotK Ganondorf (or any Ganondorf tbh) is a poor little meow meow, especially not in this game's canon where he is *obviously* nothing more than a threat to be stumped and doesn't ever meaningfully oppose you ideologically, which is kind of my problem. Even OoT Ganondorf, simplistic as he may be, questions Hyrule's inherent stability, inevitability and glory in many, many ways. Here's another, final post about why I liked the gerudos better in OoT despite All of The Problems, that partially addresses this exact point!)

[sysig]

Last man standing (Patreon)

[fruityfroggy]

Holy shit I didn’t even know this before, but the cn translation of “Semmelweis” (in general) is damn long

LIKE FIVE WHOLE CHARACTERS LONG?

Y’all cn players better give her a nickname STAT

[akkivee]

kuukou says as he was shown reading manga a few episodes prior and so ichiro says as he literally was moved by kuukou’s phrases 15 seconds prior lmao

[insomniahousewarden]

No wonder he cares so much about the gargoyles vs grotesques distinction*. Gargoyles look intimidating but are actually benign--importantly, unknown to most people--whereas grotesques have no purpose beyond their appearance. Fearsome is all they are.

(Also I LOVE when characters purposefully, diagetically discuss their own metaphors. Both because it's interesting analytically and because it makes it clear that they are Nerds.)

*in addition to just being neurodivergent

[rexscanonwife]

Ok its fucking. 7am and I've been up since 5 (gotta love early shifts when u need to take the bus) so no one's gonna see this sooo....

I've been thinking about a Pikmin OC for a particular character. I've seen a lot of rly cool wraith OCs and we've seen a couple different types so I thought it might be cool to give it a try! I was thinking some kind of Honeywraith that's honeycomb-themed and kinda attracts/controls bugs and bug-like enemies.

[kelpiemomma]

Khan: (says something self-deprecating) Ingo: did you know that you are my friend and family, and that Akari and I love you as such? Khan: BYE???

Ingo knows exactly what he’s doing :3c

[yardsards]

i swear i get petty over the DUMBEST shit

i see some shit like "reblogs > likes" appended to a post and am like

okay now i'm not gonna like OR reblog this

[carlatsukinamistolemyhamsandwich]

For anyone else who is a fan of self-inserting, do you ever encounter a character that you actually think you as a person would have a very interesting relationship dynamic with (and not necessarily in a romantic way)?

[whoreiaki-kakyoin]

I ask Holly Joestar to please come to dinner, no no I insist, yes at my place, please, she always cooks for everyone and works so hard, I’ll take care of it. I am a burnt out mid 20s grad student with several roommates making her a dinner in my small crockpot. It’s not much but it’s good and it’s the thought that counts.

[clownsnake]

getting the sudden urge to make a new fursona thats literally just a Minecraft cow or maybe a frog because, as far as I know, there is no sexual dimorphism in any of the mobs in that game

[envyadams-vs-me]

In regards to THIS

Imagine with me, if you please, Ed and Stede have come back together. Only Ed is still HELLA pissed because he's the king of unprocessed emotion, so he's screaming at Stede. Yelling awful insults and just generally airing out all of his anger. And in the midst of this swinging his life around at Stede.

Stede's just taking this all like the gentleman he is and letting Ed air out all of the things he's been feeling. And he eventually comes to realize Ed's stopped his yelling because his knife has run him through.

So now Ed's just staring at Stede and for the first time in ages he no longer feels anger. He's got tears welling up in his eyes, when Stede grabs his face and kisses him. And it's as soft and sweet as the first time and just as short.

Then Stede looks into Ed's eyes, because he's no longer Blackbeard at this point all the fight has gone out of him, and he says, "I missed you so much, Edward." All while still being stabbed, but he doesn't care because he's got Ed back and that's all that matters.

[sysig]

Put your money where your mouth is, pleb (Patreon)

[survivoirs]

@thorrncrowned​ sent: 🔙  // push  receiver’s  muse  against  a  wall .( TASM!Spidey @ Goblin ) 

This was an entirely new universe to conquer, whether or not Norman was too fucking weak and pathetic to grab for it was irrelevant to Goblin. And the Peter of this universe had tried to fix them. Osborn, that traitor, had even been trying to help Peter get rid of them. And so, poor Norman was shoved deep into the recesses of their mind once again. 

A familiar suited figure bounding over the buildings caught its eye as it flew over the New York streets. What a treat. This one was taller than the one it had seen on the bridge. With any luck, he was the one that belonged to their universe. Perhaps a Spidey corpse would wake Osborn up to the possibilities here? If not, Spider-Man’s death was still overdo. 

The cool air felt crisp against its face as the Goblin shifted its weight to twist the glider around in a sharp motion, dipping quickly as it picked up speed at a rapid rate. It just had to time it just right...

The glider collided into Spider-Man’s back just before he could launch another web to the next building. The Goblin let out a maniacal laugh as the hero was knocked right through a window of some office building. Glass showered the dim streets below while the glider drew to a hover right outside the newly made entrance. Stepping forward, boots crunched over glass on the carpeted floor.

“Did I interrupt your late night stroll, Peter?” Goblin cooed sinisterly into the partial darkness. Enhanced sight could easily make out the shape of the rows of cubicles and the occasional flickering lights on some of the monitors. Ears stayed fixed for any sound of the hero moving about the large room as the Goblin began walking slowly down one of the aisles. It glanced up at the ceiling due to a past learning experience before stopping. 

“The Itsy Bitsy Spider...” It sang darkly before suddenly spinning and swinging a gloved fist straight through one of the cubicle laminate walls. Knuckles just barely brushed against organic softness before the Goblin was met with a hard kick to the center of his chest plates as Spider-Man used the corner of the cubicle wall to swing his body around from where he’d been hiding. Goblin stumbled backwards, hand shooting out to steady itself against the actual wall of the building

Goblin felt something wrap around that hand and its head turned to see webbing holding it there. It chuckled briefly before flashing a look in surprise at the speed with which Spider-Man came at him fully this time. Something was different. It took the brute force of being shoved back fully into the wall with a wide grin, looking up. More webbing followed in rapid bursts and Goblin didn’t even bother to try to avoid them. It also wouldn’t hold them but this Parker didn’t yet understand the amount of strength this body was capable of. Up close it was clear this wasn’t their Spider-Man but it didn’t look disappointed. 

"My, my, my. Another Spider-Man? Is that still you under there, Peter? I bet you’ll bleed the same as mine.”

[keeps-ache]

ever just stay up two minutes too late and start Writing