#i only left the bottom name in for effect. does not reflect any opinions

[splatoon-names]

[lapetiteshippeuse]

The D. Gray-Man Rare Pair Week : Alternative Universe Extravaganza (Creature Feature)

Keyword chosen : Demons Format chosen : headcanon The Rare Pair chosen : Allen Walker and Road Kamelot

Hello everyone !

I am very happy to have chosen to take on the challenge of “DGM Rare Pair Week” ! This is my first time participating in a "DGM Week" and I am very excited !

For today, I have chosen to prove, in a headcanon, how Road and Allen could be a couple that could enters in the canon of events.

Two small things to specify first :

First of all, remember that as you have seen, the program requires a change of universe. However, I choose to keep the universe and the Hoshino canon. After all, the theme and keyword of the day seem to match, and @letspleasuretogether​ told me that everything would be ok ^^ So let's keep going!

Then, know that I am doing this out of pure fan service because I love this ship, but behind it I have found that making this ship canon is HARDER than you think. It was very hard to find romantic coherence. So much that, yes, I confess that there are some arguments in this post that I don't fully believe. I doubt it even enough. But again, I'm doing this in pure fangirl.

Here's how it's going : being a college student, I couldn't help but follow the classic plan to produce a plausible and cohesive and brilliant argument to illustrate an idea : introduction / development / conclusion. (note though that I won't be doing an introduction at all : I would introduce the characters there, and I'd rather not waste time with that, because I can imagine that any DGM fan here is pretty much familiar with the characters in this game, Allen Walker and Road Kamelot. Let's just say you're reading the introduction to this post right now!) I'll pick a timeline-style plan here, which will be built according to the sequence of events over time in the manga.

As a consequence, I prefer to warn you : this is gonna be a very long post ! I hope you have time right now ! If it’s not the case, you can come back later. 

One last thing : please, be kind. I’m so tired right now, I gave very much time to write all of this, once again this is gonna be VERY long. So please, no insults, because you’re not a Roallen shipper. Thank you very much for that.

And precisely speaking of that, here is the main idea that I will illustrate ! Now let's start the development :

The Roallen ship is a combination of kindness and humanity, which distorts and intoxicates the relationship between the two characters.

Road Kamelot, antagonist.

Allen Walker, protagonist.

The two met as enemies. It is this enemy context that we will attribute to our first part.

And at first, we will see this humanity side of the ship, orchestrated by Road. Road’s humanity, which we will illustrate with one of her lines: " (I am) Just a human being », in the city backwards. This sums up the essence of this ship in one sentence. 

The first thing that will surprise the reader / viewer is Road's hugging Allen. 

First the shape, or what may already be visible. It's true that it's still disturbing : this is the first time that I have personally seen an antagonist hugs a protagonist, so close. Seriously, where did it come from? The introductions aren't even made yet, as Road tightens her arms around Allen. Then, the bottom, what does it say? "Do you feel this heat?" She will tell Allen about the softness, warmth and security that a hug can provide. She goes on to say that it is an emotional sensation that only a human being can experience. Her name is Road Kamelot, and she is a human being, and she is capable of tender gestures. This is her personal way of introducing herself. No, she doesn't seem to mean at first glance that she is sadistic, cruel, sociopath and psychopath at the same time. Her name is Road, she's a human, and she loves hugs.

Note also that when the fight ends in the city backwards, Road leaves without killing Allen and Lenalee.

Allen and Road's face-to-face (rather, back-to-back) makes it likely that there is only a yard between them and Road chooses not to end it just yet. (A little candle lightning in the heart, and then it's flaky !). But she's going to declare to Allen "I'll be back to play with you Allen," openly proclaiming that she would like to see him again (so no doubt about that). To hurt him again of course, but THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING OF THIS SHIP’S STORY ;) Still, Road didn’t kill Allen, when the opportunity was too good. And this scene, where she chooses to miss this opportunity, there are quite a few that look alike like that! (But I'll come back to that...)

And Allen in all of this?

Well, because of his personality, Allen brings the theme of kindness to this ship and believe me, kindness is not without consequence.

Road : Are you intended to kill me ?

Allen : I must defeat you.

Road : It’s useless, you cannot kill me.

Remember that saving tormented souls is Allen's reason for living. He has it on his conscience if he can't save everyone (akumas for the left hand, humans for the right hand).

At the end of the city's fight backwards, you would think Allen would win the fight against Road by destroying the three akumas and without her being able to recover Miranda's innocence, or kill her, or kill the exorcists (by the way, I wonder what the character really wants).

You would think the fight ends on a score of Allen 1 - 0 Road.

It is not so.

In truth, it's an equality, ball in the middle (1 - 1).

Let me explain : in a bad, as in a good intention, Road scored a point, at the time of their last dialogue, while Allen points his innocence right at her, before she leaves by her door. She tells Allen not to shoot, and then explains why.

First, the bad intention : she reminds him that his hand being a weapon, that is to say implicitly that Allen, himself, is a weapon. Allen then remembers that earlier, when meeting them, Road confessed that a weapon was designed for the sole purpose of "humans killing other humans." This is pure provocation, to put Allen a little more beside himself : she calls him a murderer, when Allen is quite the opposite. On the other hand, also remembering innocence has no effect on Road, so right now is not the time to point his innocence at her. All she does is manipulate him. It is a double-edged sword. One point for Road.

Now, let's note the good intention our little sadist wants to send to the protagonist : if she tells him not to shoot, it's for a good reason. "You really have a heart of gold Allen," she will tell him. It seems like a warning, a limit for telling Allen he's going too far : by pointing his gun at her, he is pointing his gun at a human (as she introduced herself to him). But if Allen kills her, that makes him a murderer ; or whatever he isn't, and whatever he swore he wouldn't become. It might sound strange, but Road seems to warn Allen not to fall into the dark side. Not to be so cruel (she realizes that this is not his style, since he has "a heart of gold"). And that makes him reflect on his duty as an exorcist : an exorcist is not an assassin. She appeals to his kindness again. In this way, Road makes Allen feel a lot of things contrary to each other : she makes him doubt of himself but also allows him to question himself better.

Road must stay alive at the end of this scene : Hoshino therefore went out of her way to show the relationship between the two characters, why he shouldn't kill her, and that's what the characters are talking about, in this face-to-face.

Personally, as an anecdote, I find this scene much tastier in the French version (in the anime) : while Road is gone, you can hear Allen say "Shit". But in the French version, it says "Je t’attends, Road." that we can translate in “I’m waiting for you, Road” WHICH SHOWS THAT THE DYNAMISM OF THIS RELATIONSHIP IS ONLY BEGINNING !!! The duality is posited ; the staging and the atmosphere are at their peak during this confrontation, regarding the nature of this relationship between these two characters, brought to meet again.

Later in the manga, Road and Allen will meet again : first in the Ark, where Road is shown an attraction to Allen.

Then they will meet again in the neighborhoods of the American branch during the Alma Karma arc. This is where their relationship will evolve, this time in an ally context, which concerns them mutually.

Now getting back to Road’s humanity, I would first like to answer a quick question that many fans have : As Sheryl Kamelot asked Bookman, what was the nature of her relationship with the Fourteenth?

Many assume that these two characters shared a romantic relationship. This is a legitimate assumption. After all, Sheryl knowing that Allen Walker is the fourteenth and having noticed that her daughter seems attracted to her host, and knowing that he learns that the latter is partly the cause of her disappearance, Road having tried to protect him before he asks Bookman this question, it doesn't seem indecent to think that Road may have been in love with the Fourteenth. However (and this is only my personal opinion), I do not agree with this : firstly because, for a manga where the plot seems to become more and more complex, that would be a bit too much "easy". All of the sudden, that's what the mangaka wants us to believe, and what she's trying to tell us is "it's more complicated than that". Secondly, because I consider, as a reader, that Hoshino seeks above all to demonstrate that Neah and Allen are completely opposite characters in terms of personality :

Neah wants the destruction of humanity, he is a murderer ; Allen, meanwhile, wants the world to be saved, at any cost

Neah wants to become the new Millenium Earl ; Allen wants to destroy it.

Neah would kill innocent people to achieve these ends ; Allen cannot kill humans, even Noahs, his kindness and compassion are great

Neah is sadistic, devious and manipulative ; does not look like Allen

Finally, Neah seems to be just downright cold ; Allen is a warm person

Road did know Nea, well enough to know him enough to know that Nea and Allen are clearly not the same person. If a D. Gray-Man character gets it right, it's Road.

Besides, I think that knowing that Neah has taken possession of Allen, seems to upset Road more than anything else.

When she reads the paper certifying it (paper by the way that looks like an official paper, "formalizing" that Allen is therefore doomed to disappear), she becomes melancholy, following this news. As if she would have preferred, like Cross, that it had fallen on someone other than him. (That being so, a moderately valid argument, since looking at the paper, she mentions the fact that Nea tried to kill the Earl, and it would not be indecent to think that this would be what bothers her more than anything else ; but again, I don't think this reflects any love towards the Fourteenth - I think Nea was a beautiful person who unfortunately went wrong, kind of like Anakin Skywalker).

Likewise, a reply from Sheryl : "Road ? Is there a hint of tenderness in you voice when you say “Allen” ?" only fuels the potential attraction Road feels for Allen, as Road goes to ask the Earl: "...". She seems to be showing more and more concern for him.

Finally, it can also be remembered that in The Ark, Road told Allen that she would not hesitate to kill him if she touches a single hair in his family. Yet, in the rest of the story, it seems obvious that she cares about him just AS MUCH AS her family. Road wants to protect her family at all costs, because she has already lost her first thirty five years ago ; but Road, she also wants to protect Allen.

He and Road will first approach in another world ; memories of Kanda and Alma. Personally, I really like this scenario, because it gives an isolating feel to two characters who come together for the first time, before they get even closer in the real world. In the memories of Kanda, a world where no one can see them, she crosses the enemy line and joins him in the memories of the Japanese: while he almost gets swallowed up by the memory of Kanda, Road saves him the life, hugs him once again and reminds him of who he is so that he remains aware that they are in the past. She is particularly worried about him. But again, the opportunity is too good for Road to do away with the fourteenth : she could let Allen be swallowed up by Kanda's memory so that there is no fourteenth at all. But she leaves Allen alive. Again, it's probably to see Nea again, but again, I honestly don't think Road is in love with the Fourteenth. She looks at Allen, she knows that he's the one she's talking to, knows Nea well enough to know he's not Allen (she repeats "Allen" a lot of times in this scene, by the way).

Especially since I specify that she runs her hand through her hair, as a sign of affection, and that in general (and this is why I say IN GENERAL, not everyone does), it seems to be a love reflex, or very affectionate, more than just plain friendly.

Also, a certain ambiguous moment in the dynamics of the two characters is present, when Allen asks Road if the revival of Alma Karma is part of the Central Administration plan. The two are particularly close to each other (seriously, as a reader I thought they would kiss), and Road will give Allen a friendly look. The latter seems intimidated, as he probably didn't think she was capable of having any such feelings.

Additionally, Road is going to help Allen understand the Exorcists' Second Project, which is a key moment and element in this story arc, and therefore proves to be a very good ally to Allen. At this point, she doesn't seem mean and sadistic at all ; she will even help the hero on his way. And rather than showing that Alma's awakening is the work of Noahs, she especially wants to let him know that it is also the work of the Central Administration, to qualify what we are talking about here way of saying that the Noahs are not the only wicked). 

Finally, to highlight once again the French translation of the manga, when Alma Karma comes out of nowhere and surprises Allen and Road when they are connected to Allen's memory, sound effects written in Japanese are inscribed. But only a French translation exists (yes I looked for it. No I'm not obsessed) : "Ils se rapprochent à vitesse grand V !”, which can be translated as “They are getting closer at high speed !" I have the feeling that this is almost the mangaka talking to us, if I'm not mistaken ^^. Or maybe it's a simple "instant ship" moment rather than consistency and a love canon.

Later still, Allen and Road are going to get closer in the real world, and there are only more and more emotions (therefore, drama) : first, when they meet again when Allen is imprisoned by the Central Administration in return of mission is attacked by Apocryphos, when Road enters in scene, the first thing she chooses to do, it is to take him in her arms, ONCE AGAIN. And that's not all : once again, she will produce an emotional, warm embrace and reassure Allen. In this rush, she doesn't seem to be paying attention to what Tyki, or her family, may think (he himself suspects something about not bringing Sheryl). And once again, the opportunity is too good to finish with Allen : she can let Nea continuing to metamorphose into him to finish it off faster with the fourteenth, but she does not. Because killing the fourteenth, is go back killing Allen. Choice that Road doesn’t want to see that happen, if it comes to.

And shortly thereafter, not only do we climb in emotion, but also in action, which produces more and more drama : Road will sacrifice herself and take a punch in Allen's place, to the point that it makes her disappear (that is, she must genuinely have tender affection for Allen). (Has Lenalee ever done this for Allen ???) Finally, before disappearing, her last words : Road is crying, for the first time she is very moved, and very vulnerable. She is therefore very capable of humanity.

This is where I'm going from the start of this second part : to me, it's clear, Road is in love with Allen. There is no evil or unhealthy manipulation technique, no cruelty, not even slight flirtation. There is even tenderness and emotion. Road doesn't want to lose Allen ; for me, she refuses the reincarnation of Nea in him, she chooses to protect him at any cost, even if she disappears, and does not care of what her family might think about it (Sheryl, Tyki). From there, it's not flirting anymore, but the birth of her loving feelings towards him.

To wrap up this development, we're going to revisit Allen's goodness, and this time focus on this evolved relationship and his “alliance” to Road, and most importantly, the fact that he can't kill her, he'll even tolerate her presence.

First, in the Ark, Allen chooses not to kill either her or Tyki, but rather exorcises them if he has to go through it (of course, what he doesn't know is is that we have to go through murder to exorcise them from Noah who are in them). This is what happens with Tyki Mikk, even if it fails. When Lavi Bookman comes to himself, he almost goes to the point of committing suicide by burning himself, but he chooses to take Road with him to death (though that also fails). Lavi stabs her, he knows he can go this far with an enemy ; but it’s a choice Allen couldn’t make (even Lavi is also going to suspect something, comically, after Road has been charred and disintegrated).

In addition, he also curiously tolerates her presence in the memories of Alma and Kanda.

She is even helpful to him, lends a hand to him, he's alive and that's because of her, she's even kind, and affectionate, even if Allen doesn't understand everything. She is even tactile, and he does not push it away.

There's a lot of tactile between Road and Allen from there, more than you would think.

It is mostly an intention that comes from her to him, unreciprocated at that moment, but he instinctively does not reject her. Between two enemies, when the status of friend / ally is not even formalized yet, but a rapprochement and a tactile effect is more present, I almost have the impression that it fits in the canon, in my opinion (let's not forget that this is just a headcanon).

The same with the Apocryphos bow: in his cell, and this time in that embrace, (and once again!) Allen lets himself go into Road's arms. There is even a comfort ... and a curious affection ... it's curious that anyway! You might even think he finds a rather tender emotion, like her. Later in his desertion, what I found personally disturbed (while it seemed rather like an insignificant detail, to me) was that Allen wears Road like a princess (like LaviLena !!!!). Of course, it seems consistent in terms of comfort : it would be easier to wear Road. But still…It figures that out this is apparently those insignificant details who are “weird”, you know...

What is most ambiguous in all of this is the following in his desertion : Allen is going to be worried about Road's unconsciousness.

He ends up asking Tyki why she doesn't wake up. Even Tyki seems to be less worried than Allen. Moreover, the Noah seems to trust her enough to take care of her on his own with the awareness that he must cover their escape with Timcanpy.

Again, Allen refuses, claiming that they are Noahs and therefore his enemies. But after a little morale lesson, Tyki disappears. In the end, Allen neither accepts nor refuses to enter Road. They are both ; she is unconscious.

Allen knows she is vulnerable ; and his gaze on her is also uncertain : which I find brilliant is that his left eye seems to offer a suspicious look, towards her. 

And his right eye, a compassion look, because of her vulnerability.

Again, this is troubling.

And then we can remember Road's tirade in the city backwards : it could be cumbersome in his flight, but Allen cannot kill Road, because he knows she is above all human, even though he still struggles to realize it.

But not for long : when Road says her last words, she looks Allen in the eye, crying and talks to him. She says something to him which is directly addressed to him.

Most importantly, Allen is shocked : he never saw her cry, and he didn't believe her capable of that. Friendly looks, tears, of course Road is human like him (To use the Road quote sums it up). All this, before she disappeared : Allen sees that she was even more vulnerable than he thought.

And Allen shakes his fist : upset? Because he couldn't save her? Hard to say. Deep down, I think he knows she's not really dead. But here we have a failed act : the truth is that Road and Allen would have spent a long time together, Road accompanying her on her escape, but that doesn't happen since she disappears; a rapprochement, which ultimately does not happen.

So, what can we therefore conclude from this ship?

That in terms of reciprocity, we remember : that after a while, our two enemies employ the refusal to kill each other.

Then, that one is worried when the other is in danger.

Finally, that they are able to save each other, or come to the aid of each other, mutually.

This is already, I think, a great development. So I know what you're going to tell me : there is nothing romantic here, it's probably just a budding friendship. And you would be right to think so! Nothing tells us that there is a romantic future for the two characters (that would even strike me as quite inconsistent, given the current circumstances of the story). But, if you are a shipper at heart like me, you will have noticed this thing : this atmosphere, this staging, this atmosphere that the mangaka has chosen to adopt, which makes the reader work to imagine some love story (you know what I mean?) In the memories of Alma and Kanda, I find it rather blatant. It's that “stuff”, that something that reminds me of this potential romantic arc. But again, you would be correct in thinking that basically not ; I still think so myself (because Lenalee is around ; and sorry, but I don't ship AllenLena at all, no offense). But they have already shared their first kiss !!! You couldn't take it away from me !! (although it was not agreed)

And precisely, could we imagine the circumstances of their next meeting? Honestly, it was an exercise that I must have had a hard time doing. Especially since given the turn the manga is taking, I can't see how… But what I can assume is that, even if it could happen in a very long time, I don't see the fact that Hoshino decides not to do them again interact. As much as their relationship follows "progress."

By the way, don't you like this parallel that Road and Allen bear the opposite Christian scars of the cross-shaped stigmata of God and the satanic cross in opposition to their clan? ;)

Thank you for having reading !!

[sailorfailures]

ColourPop is dropping a Sailor Moon collab on Feb 20th and I have some Opinions

It’s the moment Sailor Moon makeup geeks have been waiting for - ColourPop cosmetics, noted for their affordable and colourful official pop culture makeup collaborations, has announced a Sailor Moon collaboration containing an eyeshadow palette, two liquid lipsticks, two lip glosses, two blushes, and two body glitters. Most likely this collab is being timed with the 25th Anniversary of Sailor Moon’s debut in North America to contrast with Japanese cosmetics from brands like Creer Beaute and Shiseido, which were released for the Japanese 25th anniversary.

Source: ColourPopCo on Twitter

After my initial excitement about the long-awaited collaboration died down, I was left with a somewhat disappointing realisation... this entire collab, over a total of nine products, was not about Sailor Moon: The Show... it was about Sailor Moon, the character.

When I imagine a makeup collection for Sailor Moon I immediately picture the rainbow of colours represented across the whole Sailor squad, or at least the OG Sailor Team five. But almost everything in the collab is quite warm, and either pink or neutral/natural. Exceedingly neutral/natural, in fact. One look at the names for all the product colours - “Shining Moon”, “Twilight Flash”, “Bun Head”, “Usagi” - make it clear that the products are intended to reflect Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon only.

The packaging itself is... interesting. I can appreciate that they were trying something new with the eyeshadow and blush cases, as they are all topped with different holographic pictures - not (just) the shiny kind of holo, but the old school kind that flips between two different images, all exclusively featuring Usagi and sometimes Luna. You can see the effect in action in this video review by TrendMood. Good concept but slightly awkward execution. I think they would’ve benefited from some kind of static frame around the images so that it didn’t look like I’d just hot glued a pog to my pencil case. The rest of the packaging features the same old redrawn clipart from every other piece of anniversary merch, so, yawn, though the prismatic elements are nice. The body glitter pots are cute, featuring Usagi’s first transformation brooch to mirror the round shape of the pots, but ColourPop’s “gliterally obsessed” branding seems out of place. I know that’s the name of their glitter gel series but maybe it could’ve been swapped out just this once.

(Screencap from above video by TrendMood)

The lip sticks/glosses are by far the most disappointing. Apart from the cardboard boxes they come in, the only branding visible on the tubes themselves is the series logo and a nondescript crescent moon pattern on the caps. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of subtle packaging. I don’t really want Sailor Moon’s face plastered all over a lipstick either; but I’ve also never been a fan of using random moons/hearts/stars as a stand-in for something more relevant to the show when that imagery is so generic and disconnected from the series. Why not little graphics of the Silver Crystal? If they’d thrown some rabbits, bows, and/or roses into the pattern then the combination would read more as “Sailor Moon” than moons on their own. (That said, splitting them into “Moonlight” for the liquid lips and “Daylight” for the lighter glosses with transformed vs. non-transformed? Brilliant. Genius. The perfect blend of nostalgic and practical.)

(Screencap from above video by TrendMood)

Here’s a photo of the palette taken from Temptalia’s website with everything but the shadows desaturated, so you can read the colours more clearly without being influenced by the packaging:

At first I wasn’t sure what this colour story was trying to tell me. I definitely understand going for a more neutral/“everyday” palette over something more glam, since the characters themselves are generally fresh-faced, but the AMOUNT of neutral shades here seem out of place for such a bright series. Tuxedo Rose and Love (the two pinks in the middle of the bottom row) are so similar for such a limited palette. Twilight Flash (top, second from the left) feels out of place; oddly saturated and just a bit too warm to play nicely with many of the other colours. Mare Serenitatis (the coppery-looking one) stood out as unusual but is actually more of a wine/plum under all the glitter, which is much more appropriate and reminds me of Sailor Moon’s transformation.

The more I looked at this palette, and the more I saw of reviewer's looks using it, the more I slowly realised that this palette wasn’t really evoking the character of Usagi herself, but rather the nostalgic, hazy, pink-washed aesthetic of the entire 90s Sailor Moon animation.

The dreamy not-quite-pastel quality of the 90s anime (half conscious design choice, half convention of the time) has received a lot of modern attention and praise. It makes sense that the palette feels like it’s being viewed through a rose-tinted filter when the entire show felt that way, or is at least remembered that way. It wouldn’t surprise me if ColourPop literally based some swatches on recurring colours picked from screenshots.

That being said... Does that make it a good choice for a makeup collab? Is this what Sailor Moon fans want and will buy? Is it versatile enough to warrant a purchase for non-diehard fans? Is it actually what casual fans, who might buy something like this out of pure nostalgia, are actually nostalgic for? Just because I see what ColourPop was going for, does it automatically translate to the most appropriate choice?

Ultimately, my judgement on that comes down to whether this is ColourPop’s only Sailor Moon collab. If this is them testing the waters to see if they can branch out into releasing products focused on the other girls, like a blue/silver mini palette for Sailor Mercury, a green/pink mini palette for Sailor Jupiter, etc. then I’m all for it. When perceived as a palette that represents the show itself, and not any specific character - not even Usagi, despite what all of the swatch names suggest - it really shines. But that’s not really ColourPop’s MO. Most of their pop culture collections are released in one big shining burst of products and then... nothing. And there are quite a few different products here.

I’d also be remiss not to point out that there are lots of indie Sailor Moon-inspired makeup collections already on the market, which makes sense for an almost-30-year-old series that literally repeats the words “make-up!” nearly every episode. Maybe ColourPop felt like they would be stepping on fandom toes or running the risk of copycat accusations if they strayed too close to any of the 2,348 red Sailor Mars-inspired eyeshadows online, though I assume they’d have the legal upper hand. In that respect, I do appreciate that this is a unique approach to a concept that has been nearly driven into the ground.

But ColourPop is not an indie brand and there are some benefits that come with that. They are generally more accessible, sometimes more affordable, can usually ship to more places in less time at a lower cost to the buyer, and can afford much larger runs that will sell out less quickly (though don’t be fooled, this collab will almost certainly start to sell out shortly after its launch). For many fans, especially younger fans, this is probably their only feasible option for Sailor Moon makeup. And some fans prefer the stamp of authenticity from an “official” collaboration, even if indie collections are often, well, better. So I think there’s an impetus for ColourPop to release a less specialised collection that’s reminiscent of more characters.

If this really is the only Sailor Moon collab ColourPop is planning to release, then the packaging, in my opinion, is an odd choice. I don’t know why they decided to focus exclusively on Usagi herself; if the colour story is meant to represent the entire series, then why not either have all the girls on the front in a rosey colour scheme, OR have none of them and focus on one of the cityscapes that clearly inspired the palette? I feel like there are lots of fans who aren’t necessarily fond of Usagi herself who may be put off by the overwhelming focus on her.

Overall: The lip sticks are nice but not super exciting, but I like what I can see of the lipglosses. The subtle glitter is very Sailor Moon. I love the Moonlight/Daylight concept but wish it were reflected on the actual tubes. The body glitters (Moonlight Legend, Moon Prism Power) are exciting and interesting, by far the most experimental part of the collab. The shape and colour choices for the glitters are very “Sailor Moon” and I can see them getting some use on the festival scene. The blushes also seem cute but a tad overpowering for the otherwise understated vibe of the rest of the collab, like the liquid lipsticks, and I love the Luna stamp in the blushes but would be sad to actually use them and see it get worn away. And while I like the gauzy backdrop-inspired looks people are making out of the palette, I feel like it’s extremely limited in the number of unique looks you could actually pull off.

So, in the end... am I going to be buying any of these? Hell, probably, if they’re not totally sold out by the time I get to them. My initial roller coaster of OMG COLOURPOP SAILOR MOON!!!! excitement dropped into “that’s it?” disappointment but has now leveled out at a respectable buzz of interest. I could see myself wearing most of these products, and the collector in me wants at least a piece of the collab for posterity. I just really hope that this isn’t the end of ColourPop’s involvement in Sailor Moon and that we might see some future products tailored specifically to the other girls, so that my collection isn’t just Usagi’s face staring back at me.

[crqstalite]

in autumn.

OCtober prompt ‘autumn’.  yes! i am four days late as of publishing this 10.4.2020 at one in the morning but i digress. the prompt wouldn’t leave me alone, so here it is lol. just a fluff piece about a bit of reflection and one cold elf girlfriend.

ship: marzeyna lavellan/cullen rutherford word count: 2,060

-

Skyhold in autumn.

Creators, it was beautiful. 

Or at least, Marzeyna thought so. Sure, she’d experienced it year after year with Clan Lavellan in the Free Marches, but it made her smile at the fortress they’d moved into earlier this year. The shades of red and orange and the hues of yellow that had slowly taken over the trees as the year wore on, she couldn’t think of any other place that she’d want to be. Other than back in Wycome to assist with rebuilding, sure, but she was happy enough to wander the place on an off day.

Of course, nothing ever just lasted forever did it? She’d also be ripped away from it in favor of visiting Halamshiral -- damned place within the next few weeks to prevent an assassination. Beyond the fact she would be the first of her living Clan to be there in their lifetimes, she would also have to endure nobles.

Plenty of human nobles. With all their fancy dresses, and all their fancy wines and the Games they liked to play with the people who attended the event, and their distaste for elves.

To say the least, she wasn’t particularly excited. 

Evidence of their impending trip being the overly complicated ‘art’ Vivienne had done to her hair earlier this afternoon. She trusted the woman with anything and everything presentation (the dress she’d commissioned from Val Royeaux was nothing short of show-stopping, something Marzeyna would have to get used to the idea of but was still drooling over hours later), but she’s still picking the glitzy pins out of her hair nearly three hours after the afternoon spent bathing in the cooling sun in Vivienne’s loft. Relaxing, sure. She rarely had time to talk about the mundane with anyone.

By the time they got back from Orlais, chances are the snow would start to set in and it’d be Haven all over again. No more crunching leaves under boots or the off-chance she’d see a stray cat lounging on a window sill, just the freezing cold (well, more than usual at least) starting to set in to her bones and making her grateful she could get out of the mountains.

Then again, there’s also the impending doom of Corypheus.

But for now, she could enjoy the cool and crisp air whipping around the battlements, playing with her hair like flames fanned by the wind. She loves it, and there haven’t been enough moments as of late to take solace in what she likes. For the first time in weeks she’s actually sat down in her own desk, and for the first time in other weeks, she’s sat down with Josephine to go through every diplomatic issue she’d missed since she set out for the Arbor Wilds.

(They could not pay her enough to do that again, Inquisitor or not she did not have the attention span or willpower. There are still stacks of reports left for another date in her quarters. Under a paperweight, because she hasn’t gotten enough of the beautiful autumn breeze and has left the windows open. If a few blew away, well, nobody would be any the wiser.)

A door clicks open on her left, and she turns from scenic view of the snowy valley, pushing another rogue curl behind her ear and blowing another out of her face. Marzeyna had come up to the battlements mostly just to walk, but also to pull another diligent person away from his work, as she typically did whenever she was back in Skyhold. She smiles to herself anyway, as annoying as the rest of the world could be, at least she still had Cullen Rutherford by her side.

As tired as both of them have been as of late, it is still good to see him. Since they’d been decidedly moving further and further out from Skyhold, the more and more he had to deploy soldiers and the like. Another thing that not even Varric could pay her enough to do -- that wasn’t her favorite thing to do and she was not interested in learning.

“Long day?” She asks, leaning against the half wall while he runs a hand through his hair, “Looked like you could use a break.”

“I could, yes. Though--”

“Though nothing. Look how nice of a day it is out, it’s already autumn here.” Marzeyna replies, grinning.

That pulls a smile out of him, “That it is. I’d assume you like the change in weather?”

“Well, it’s no longer sweltering but it’s not freezing just yet either. Like a lull in the storm,” A leaf flutters up from one of the trees in the courtyard, dancing in the wind before disappearing back down the wall, “Relish in this, I’m sure we’ll come back to snow by the time Orlais has had it’s way with us.”

She nearly pouts at the smirk he gives her, mildly offended he’s taking amusement in her dislike of the coming snowfall, “Then the Inquisitor isn’t a fan of the winter months?”

“Just because you have the fluffy mantle and heavy armor doesn’t mean the rest of us can compensate nearly as easily,” She teases, just barely holding herself back from crossing her arms, “It gets so cold at night, there’s no using a fireplace to offset it.”

“Didn’t Josephine requisition more of the down blankets?” Genuine concern, that was sweet the way he asked.

“She did. But it’s also been weeks since I’ve been back in Skyhold. I got used to the warmth in the Wilds and the Plains,” She pulls at her overcoat as if to wrap it tighter around her. It wasn’t like she could drag them around the fortress either, collecting dirt and who knew what else on the tail of it. She really needed to find a proper coat that didn’t hinder her magic if she intended to make it through the winter, “It’s not a fair comparison.”

“Isn’t it?” Her look must be that sour that it’s at least amusing, “Fine then.”

Marzeyna pauses again, letting them bask in the quiet for a bit, admiring the changing colors of the leaves and wind blustering around them. It’s been nothing but fighting Venatori for the last few weeks, that and the undead and whatever giants they can imagine. No more running for now, and she’s not kept to Cassandra, Blackwall and Dorian for company anymore (not that she doesn’t adore them, but...well). It’s good to just sit and acknowledge how much they’ve gotten done, how much things have changed. 

Cullen looks at peace at least, a far improvement from how he’d been just before she left the last time. He notices her smiling directly at him, and visibly flushes.

“I did...miss you,” She offers, pointedly looking up at him. She pulls her hair over her shoulder, standing properly again, “Were things okay while I was gone?”

He knows what she’s referring to -- more withdrawal symptoms, “Not as many, no. A minor improvement, I assure you. You needn’t worry.”

“I will worry regardless, Cullen, I don’t want you in pain,” Another pause, “But...that is good to hear.”

“Most likely only because you pushed to keep me off of it.”

“That was all you, and you know it. I can’t fight that battle for you, but you’re still winning it.” She offers. That much was true, she may have been another opinion in the situation, but he was recovering, little by little.

He sighs, glancing out to the horizon for just a moment, “Yes. I suppose you’re right, and I thank you for the strength to go on.”

“I do what I can,” She steps closer, gauging his reaction, “And yet? No one can quite replace you, as I’m finding. I was wanting to be back sooner than this -- letters are just not the same. Surely you understand?”

“As much as you love to write them.” He responds, surely referring to her inability to write the shorter reports than the others of the Inquisition are capable of. She likes to go on and on and doesn’t even realize it until she’s run out of parchment paper. Usually she only has enough room to squeeze in her own name at the bottom of the page in the loopiest handwriting.

“You read them?” She asks, surprised, and maybe a tad embarassed now -- considering they aren’t always the most academic. She would’ve thought they’d go directly to Leliana, considering just how much sneaking around they’ve done as of late, “I thought you were only getting the shorter ones.”

“The ones you send to me directly?” He smiles to himself, “Yes, I read those as well.”

An arm snakes around her waist, careful, tentative as she goes on, gently leaning into the touch and placing her hands on his chestplate, “You know it’s almost been a year, Cullen. Since all of this started, and now we’re here. Could you have imagined we got all of this done in such a short time?”

“It has been an experience, yes. Demons, Venatori, among other things. I don’t believe my past experiences would’ve prepared me exactly for that.” He responds, only slightly flinching when she leans her head against his chest.

“You’re telling me there wasn’t anything on what to do if demons started falling out the sky in the Templar instruction book?” She’s got such a stupid grin on her face again, but he chuckles anyway at her joke, “I’m surprised, they really didn’t teach you enough to be effective.”

“I don’t believe such a manual exists, but should you wish it, I’ll write one and distribute it to our Templar allies,” And now she’s chuckling herself, as halfway serious as he sounds. 

Oh why does she care for him so? A mage and a Templar, for Creators’ sake.

The humans’ Maker is probably throwing some sort of fit right now, wherever up in the sky He is.

“I’m serious though, Cullen. It seems like just yesterday Cassandra was content to yank me out of the chantry’s dungeon to force me to answer for the Divine’s death,” That was one downside to the mostly...interesting memories, “And here we are, such an international power that we’re being invited to make an appearance at the Winter Palace.”

“Believe me, I am aware,” He muses, “You’re a very capable leader, Lavellan.”

“I didn’t do half of this -- you know the Inquisition would simply fall apart if any of you just walked away,” She rolls her eyes, sighing, “I just close the rifts with the glowing hand, not much else.”

He’s quiet for a moment, “You act as if this isn’t a result of your determination to save the world. It is. I would say you’re doing an admirable job.”

She highly doubts she would get the same flood of affection with anyone else, or that anyone else’s compliment would feel nearly as genuine as his does.

“Thank you, Cullen. We made it to Kingsway, I can’t say anything else about the rest of the year though. That’s decidedly still up in the air.”

Marzeyna feels distinctly...tingly. The good kind, like just before her magic would flare again during a fight, except the fight or flight response doesn’t accompany it. She’s just undeniably happy, and if anything arcane flickers under her fingertips, she doesn’t notice. Her ears are twitching though, probably moreso than usual when he presses a tentative kiss to her forehead.

It was much too pretty a day out, but she was content to rest her for just a moment, letting the world continue on. 

The wind gusts around them again, and she shivers, audibly chilled by the cold and trying to press herself further into his embrace, the fur of his mantle tickling her cheek, “It’s much too cold out here.” Marzeyna barely keeps the whine out of her voice, she wasn’t a child, but she also didn’t feel as if she had to hide the fact she was having no fun dealing with the change in seasons from him either.

“Would you like to go inside then? You...could come and sit for while, there isn’t much work to be done this evening.” He offers.

“I...would like that. As long as you don’t want me reading any reports,” She makes a face, “I would be happy to spend the evening in your presence.”

[salavante]

for the OC tag thing: the Helmsman!

Cat’s out the bag so here’s The Helmsman featured with his real name! 

Full Name: Yawg-Ecthylion, The Helmsman, God of The Void

Gender and Sexuality: Male and eh I dunno, I’ve never thought about it, but his two romantic entanglements have been with women.

Pronouns: He/Him but I don’t think he’d turn his nose up at they/them, I think he sees himself as existing outside of human constructs of that kind of thing. He’s not really even organic.

Ethnicity/Species: Threnghelleon Deity

Birthplace and Birthdate: Hah ok, here’s a funfact that I’ll probably talk about later in something specifically about them, and that I think I talked about with Ethem-Cailo. All of the OG Threnghelleon gods were made by Jovix-Diocunigast’s experiences. There was awhile where whenever Dio had a new thought or action, a new god would spin into being. The Helmsman was created when Dio first conceptualized ‘nothingness’. I think there’s a little more to it than that, but that ball might be in my Co-DM’s court.

Guilty Pleasures: The Helmsman is cruel, bitter and sadistic, and enjoys inflicting pain on things. I think one can extract a lot from that alone. Before the hunt, he had spent most of his several millennia long life almost completely isolated, hunting eldritch abominations at the bottom of Threnghelleon’s icy ocean, which has informed a lot of his decision making in how he fights and sees his opponents. Wearing down large enemies slowly, making use of what’s left of the carcass - that’s The Helmsman’s game. Which is really a roundabout way of saying that he basically tortures his opponents and then takes trophies or makes scrimshaws, leather-working pieces, etc out of the dead gods and mortals that he faces on The Hunt. He likes to step on toes and rattle cages to get reactions out of people. Negative attention is better than no attention, and it’s certainly made him a fan favorite among Threnghelleon’s edgier viewers. I say this as a guilty pleasure because he is not incapable of guilt, and before the hunt, was a fairly honorable, lawful God, if not still violent and creepy. In rare moments of reflection, he wonders how he fell so far, but usually doubles down afterwards. The public and the rest of the pantheon saw him a certain light that gained him attention, and he, starved for any kind of connection to others, leaned heavily into it. He has allowed other people’s perceptions and opinions of him to shape his identity and sense of personhood, which I think is rather tragic, but he likes making belts out of human hair so...

Phobias: It’s hard for me to say what The Helmsman is afraid of because most of his worst fears have come to pass and have made him the bastard coated bastard we know today. Being alone, being forgotten countless times, having his expertise and hard work taken advantage of. Paranoia aimed at Jovix-Diocunigast has turned out to be entirely accurate - Dio felt threatened by how much attention that The Helmsman was getting for defending the realm and killing giant monsters, so Dio effectively cursed him so that no one could remember his name. People began calling him Yawg-Ecthylion less and less, and The Helmsman more and more. Ethem-Awnrah, Goddess of Memory, is the only one who remembered his real name.

What They Would Be Famous For: The Helmsman played pretty much right into Dio’s ploy and turned into a craven, vile weirdo, and the media circus that broadcasts The Hunt loves him for it.

What They Would Get Arrested For: Murder and turning corpses into crafts.

OC You Ship Them With: The Helmsman has had two canonical spouses which have both produced children. His first wife was mortal, a deep-sea marine biologist named Svea who came upon his ship, The Susurrant Phantasm, in her own submarine while researching the fauna surrounding the Mouth of Yawg, Threnghelleon’s entrance into the void/ether/unknown/whatever you’d like to call it. Their union produced The Helmsman’s demigod daughter Yawg-Enyion, who would later take up his mantle of defending the realm with her warfleet while The Helmsman was on The Hunt. However, between her inability to remember his name, and being torn between her own life and her duty as the wife of a deity, the two of them split. Enyion reminds The Helmsman of his ex-wife a bit too much for comfort, and the two of them have a very strained, complicated relationship.

The next one is a little bit of a doozy.

Yawg-Ecthylion and Ethem-Awnrah always kind of had eyes for each other, and were courting before he lost his name and was soft-shunned by the rest of the pantheon. This, naturally, disrupted all of that, and they would not reconnect until The Hunt occurred. In the time between The Circle going on The Hunt and The Helmsman slowly deteriorating into a monstrous douchebag, he and Awnrah clicked again and produced a son: Veth-Rawn, the mysterious god of Psychics. But Sal, you say, in that writeup you made a thousand years ago, didn’t you say that Veth-Rawn had uncertain parentage? Well, that is because The Helmsman being a nasty ass murderous bastard made The Goddess of Memory so incensed that she accidentally wiped all of the universe’s memory of their time together in a fit of passionate rage. This, unfortunately, included Veth-Rawn, leaving the God of Psychics mentally shattered, and forced to grow up utterly alienated by his would-be family, who didn’t know who he was or why he was there. It is only really recently that this came to light, and was one of my endgame plot twists.

If the team beats Dio, The Helmsman will go back to Threnghelleon with his comatose son to heal him and try to make things right with his daughter, Enyion. Awnrah is staying with the hometeam and the other defectors from The Hunt - Geeg, Derog and Wybjorn. I’ll probably touch on her sometime on her own, I’m quite fond of her, and she’s a Good Guy now so she’ll be featuring in post-Godslaughter campaigns.

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: Either Jonquil (his hometeam rival for the game), Jovix-Diocunigast or Jovix-Cailo. Jonquil spent the better part of the game trying to learn how to shove his soul into a diamond and hurl it into space. Jovix-Cailo has hated him for a very long time and enjoyed tormenting him as soon as he got a power bump. And Dio would just turn him into a smear for defecting. Awnrah could also utterly annihilate him if she wasn’t such a decent person, she could crack his psyche open like an egg.  

This is where the book/movie section usually goes but I’ll be real with you, I don’t think The Helmsman bothers with either. I think he sees most things of human invention as being kind of beneath him. But he especially hates most artistic interpretations of himself, and has very seldom happened upon one that he feels gives him due diligence.

Talents and/or Powers: The Helmsman honestly has a build that I would LOVE to use as a player character. It hinges largely on stacking DOTs (Damage Over Time) and status afflictions, making him able to whittle down opponents with large health pools as well as get a trickle of HP back to himself. His whaling hooks are called Black Tongue and North Star, and they give him some pretty impressive reach, and the ability to swing large, heavy objects around. He also has a few abilities such as “Where Strides The Behemoth” that gives him heavier damage output when he’s facing an enemy larger than him, and “Like Water”, where he effectively ignore gravity and can move freely through space. His very large peepers are usually squinting, as he is not really accustomed to full light, but in darkness, they open all the way into horrible, near perfect circles. Really, out of all of the Threnghelleon gods, The Helmsman is the most biologically compatible with his environment.

Why Someone Might Love Them: The Helmsman has a very primal, intense quality that I think a certain kind of person could find attractive. For many years, he did a very dirty, thankless job that benefitted all mankind and the pantheon, which is perfectly respectable. He’s fairly witty and is good at banter, and is handy in a fight, a couple of traits that Threnghelleon folk appreciate. I also think his more tragic qualities attract a level of pity that could entice someone to desire becoming closer to him. I dunno, he has magic eyes that see in the dark, some people dig that.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: He stalks/murders/tortures indiscriminately and treats corpses of pretty much anything like someone would treat the corpse of an animal. He does not see the distinction between humanoid person and animal/monster and considers it all free game. He’s mouthy, impatient, cruel and sadistic and has set aflame 10,000 worlds. What’s not to hate.

How They Change: The Helmsman’s arc in the game was the slow-dawning horror of the fact that pretty much all of his current murderous identity has been spoon-fed to him by other people, and he just kind of went along with it because he was weak-willed and desperate for attention. This troubles him pretty deeply and makes him lose his hutzpah towards the end of the game. He does end up defecting from the Hunt to the hometeam to help take down Diocunigast, the guy who cursed him and started his downhill slope. But I really hesitate to say that he’s a Good Guy. He doesn’t feel all that bad about all the people he’s tortured/killed/made into fanny packs, at least not to the degree he should. The Helmsman will still go about his nasty ways when he’s back on Threnghelleon, but will be more judicious about who he kills and how. He’s also resolved to try and repair his relationship with his daughter Enyion, and hopefully heal Veth-Rawn. He has no intention, however, to try and re-initiate a romantic relationship with Ethem-Awnrah, though he still kinda loves her. He knows he FUBAR’d that one.

Why You Love Them: I enjoy villains! His ferocity is cathartic and entertaining and challenging to to the PCs. I genuinely wasn’t sure if he was going to be alive or not by the end of our game. Sometimes it’s fun to just have a downright fucker in the mix. I also like his design, which while not THE most inspired, is a lot of fun to draw. The Helmsman was the first of the Gods that I designed, with Ethem-Cailo being second. Also an internet stranger said he was hot once.

[franchisewars-blog]

Why The Force Awakens is better than The Last Jedi (IMO): Character Arcs- Finn.

(Note: This is an entry in a series arguing why one member of the FranchiseWars duo, Hopper, has a serious issue with any and all claims that The Last Jedi is better than The Force Awakens. Other entries will eventually be linked to this article. This article emphatically does *not* reflect the opinions of the other member of the duo, the Condor , who loves the shiznit out of The Last Jedi.)

The Force Awakens *lives* for character arcs. It’s the bread and butter of the film, as every major character undergoes serious character growth or, in the case of Kylo Ren, character breakdown. And the chemistry and conflict between the characters effectively defines the film’s best parts.

And in comparison, the Last Jedi utterly fails at that.

First, to Finn. Finn is, in effect, the de-facto main protagonist of The Force Awakens; he goes through the most character growth, with a character arc that lasts from his first scene until his last. He’s initially the literal personification of a background extra; a nameless, voiceless and faceless Stormtrooper, who’s only maybe recognizable by his short height. But from the first second the camera directs the audience to view him, we witness his character arc begin. He’s the first Stormtrooper we see to ever respond to an injured comrade and try and help him, then he’s the first one on screen to suddenly grasp the horrors of what he and his comrades are doing, with John Boyega doing some amazing acting for a masked character in heavy body armor. And when this Stormtrooper refuses to massacre civilians, and exchanges a frightened and frozen stare with the apparently stoic Kylo Ren, we’ve already gone through more character growth than most other individuals in the saga’s arc. We’ve witnessed a “face turn,” to use wrestling parlance, and one executed perfectly.

And without a single line uttered by the character! And we haven’t even seen his face yet!

From there, the stormtrooper’s changes in character become integral to the film’s plot. After a brief reprimand by Phasma, we see him showcase pragmatic and cunning thinking by forging an alliance with Poe and escaping the First Order with him. And for this, the Stormtrooper FN-2187 gets a name: Finn. He’s almost *literally* baptised by combat into a new identity. And it’s not inaccurate to point out that since the film establishes that Stormtroopers are stolen from their families and raised to e cannon fodder, he’s ditching a *slave name* for a new identity. And when separated from Poe and upon meeting Rey, he adopts a persona as a Resistance fighter partially out of convenience and partially out of a selfish desire to maintain Rey’s admiration. It’s a very human reaction for someone who’s basically been reborn into freedom to pursue something that can give them just a little bit of joy and ease of life…

...Of course, for Finn, it also means that he suddenly has to act the part he’s decided to play, and effectively by going full method actor. While his personal goals are still to merely escape the reach of the First Order, he finds himself picking up Poe’s mission and forging an alliance with Rey to deliver BB-8 to the Resistance. And this introduces the next major component to his character arc: the internal conflict between wanting to run and hide versus helping Rey, BB-8, and ultimately the Galaxy in a dangerous mission. Han Solo’s entrance in the film highlights this conflict; when Han immediately susses out that Finn’s story is a cover, John Boyega gets to give Finn scenes of shame and guilt just by facial acting. He doesn’t just want Rey’s admiration; he wants to be *worthy* of it, and he knows he isn’t.

Which is why I absolutely love the shiznit out of his and Rey’s argument when Finn wants to leave! Finn’s new identity is basically a newborn freedman, and he pours his heart out to her with what he wants and what he feels, and all the things that were impossible to contemplate when just a faceless Stormtrooper. He begs her forgiveness and understanding, and pleads with her to flee danger with him. It’s an emotionally vulnerable scene for the character, and we again see his internal conflict when Rey begs him not to go when he hesitates and seems to genuinely consider staying with her and accomplishing their missions before rejecting it. Again, it’s a very relatable choice he makes, as we understand how he can evaluate his survival above the potential to save the rest of the Galaxy...

...Until he suddenly sees the First Order destroy the Hosnian System. Watch that scene again, and watch Finn. He freezes mid-escape plan, and goes to tell Han what happened… and only *afterwards* asks where Rey is. Finn’s underestimated his own virtues. He saw a need to at least pass on more reliable intelligence, and forsook his escape out of a moral obligation to help Han and Rey understand what they’d just seen. His flight reflex has flipped over to fight. And he takes up arms against the First Order not just for Rey, but also because it’s simply the right thing to do. When he goes to Starkiller Base to rescue Rey, he’s fully on board and obedient to the mission’s priorities of deactivating the shield first, and doesn’t hesitate to follow Han’s lead in staying to compromise the Oscillator’s fortifications. Finn may still care about Rey more than anyone or anything else, but he’s clearly fully on-board with the Resistance's goals. He’s a loyal soldier, just like a Stormtrooper is supposed to be, but he’s a loyal soldier to the right cause and for the right reasons.

Which helps add even more awesome to his confrontation and short duel with Kylo. When they first shared the screen, Finn was in utter, helpless and voiceless terror of Kylo Ren, who only bothered to give him a somewhat bemused stare after Finn had stared at him for several seconds. Now, at the end, Kylo has to draw Finn’s attention *back* to him by screaming and threatening him, when Finn is so focused on helping Rey he’s willing to turn his back on the 6-and-a-half-foot tall patricidal madman. The faceless Stormtrooper has so enraged the self-absorbed Knight of Ren that he whines and cries about how Finn’s denying him what he wants. And even though the power between the two is still heavily in Kylo’s favor, Finn charges against him because damn it, he’s going to defend his friend! And even though Kylo simply toys with and quickly maimes Finn, Finn’s furious, desperate assault buys time for Rey to reawaken and challenge Kylo, and Finn’s single landed blow plays a part in Rey overpowering Klo at the end of their fight.

The Force Awakens took a nameless slave mook, gave him name, and a journey to being a savior of untold billions of lives and herald of the return of the Jedi...

And then The Last Jedi does almost nothing with the character but give him busy-work, when it isn’t mocking him, ignoring his past, or undermining its own message.

You see, Finn’s *supposed* to have a character arc. He’s supposed to struggle between: a desire to flee the Resistance's fleet to seek out Rey (ostensibly because he’s certain the Resistance is doomed and wants her safe from the First Order), and coming to grasp the larger picture and his responsibility to help the Resistance fight the First Order. And he *does* go through this arc…

… For all of about 5 minutes.

Right after Rose has tasered him for his attempt to leave, and while they’re arguing over what he was doing, they stumble into techno-babble about how they might be able to save the Resistance. And from then on, Finn doesn’t express any internal conflict or competing desires like he did in TFA. Instead, we have an almost totally static character here, who doesn’t really experience any growth. (I’m going to argue the same thing is true for Rey and Kylo in future articles.)

And arguably worse than that, the film seems to mostly treat Finn as a comic fool, someone to be laughed at and condescended to. Think about his first scene in the film: Finn has just awoken from the life-threatening, coma-inducing injuries, for which he has received intensive medical care, and which almost certainly have left a permanent scar across his entire back… and the film decides he’s the perfect target for some slapstick humor. “Ha! Look at the addled and injured war hero! Doesn’t he just look so stupid wandering around in that ridiculous suit we put him in? Perfect! Now we don’t have to address his situation in anything resembling a serious manner!”

Not that Finn should be dead-serious; Boyega gave him a humorous charm in TFA. The issue with the comedy in TLJ is not the comedy itself, but the refusal to match it with the gravitas that TFA and the Original Trilogy managed. Finn gets a scarce few times to show Boyega’s dramatic chops, and TLJ works to downplay those scenes, or it undermines them outright. On Canto Bight, Finn receives a short, all-too-brief and simple lecture from Rose about the underpinnings of slave labor that allow the place to operate.

She just told the *child slave soldier* about people suffering a similar blight right in front of him. And he does *nothing.*

What the hell!?! This ignored concept has more dramatic value than anything they give the character in the film! Kind of like how the film *refuses* to tackle how ex-Stormtrooper Finn might have a strong compulsion to free his brothers and sisters upon visiting the Supremacy, or how he and Phasma should have an intense animosity born from her using people like him as cannon fodder but is willing to sell out everyone to save her own hide! (Check out how this might have been the original plan for the character in the Extra Credits at the bottom) Finn should be the unholy offspring of Harriet Tubman and Spartacus! And instead, we’ve got Finn, The Last Jedi’s comic relief minor character stuck in a plot cul-de-sac, going nowhere fast.

Finn and Rose’s journey has barely any impact on the film’s meta-narrative, save for the convoluted and horrible writing of the Space Chase connecting to it to ensure their mission actually makes things *worse* for the Resistance (again, this will be covered in later installments). The most eloquent defense I’ve heard of the film is that the subplot is supposed to reinforce the “failure is the greatest teacher” theme. It’s a good lesson to teach, to be sure. But the lesson is sabotaged by other plots in the film, and since Finn and Rose are ultimately just reinforcing the idea, it renders their entire sequence superfluous and redundant.

And it really doesn’t help that an accurate statement about The Last Jedi would be “The white guys shape the overall narrative, while all the people of color are off in skippable subplots.”

And finally, the film tries to give Finn another lesson to learn, but does so in a laughably incompetent way. When Rose rams Finn out of his charge at the Battering Ram, she justifies her decision (which was already on some pretty shaky physical grounds from her cutting him off when he was at maximum speed) by arguing that “We won’t win this fight by killing what we hate, but by saving what we love.” It’s a sweet thought, but, uh…

WHAT THE HELL DID SHE THINK HE WAS DOING?!?

He was trying to *save* what he loved, and save everybody’s lives, by risking a self-sacrifice to stop the Battering Ram, allowing the Resistance to survive even longer behind their great door! And since the film doesn’t show the Battering Ram firing until after they’ve crashed, and he’s gotten out of his speeder, ran to her, she says what she wanted, and then moves to kiss him… well, it looks like he clearly could have made it to the Battering Ram and saved everyone! The film could have tried to play the scene better, by having the cannon fire right as Rose knocks him out of the way, demonstrating he couldn’t have made it, or by having her not saying that stupid phrase in a situation where it simply doesn’t fit.

But nope. The Last Jedi had to ensure that we knew it treated Finn and his plotline as bantha poodoo.

It’s such a baleful, pathetic continuation of The Force Awakens take on the character, I’d *almost* laugh, if it weren’t so sad.

EXTRA CREDITS: How Rian Johnson kept changing Finn’s plot.

Okay, to be a bit more real here, I don’t think Rian Johnson intended to wall off Finn and Rose into an ultimately pointless pee-break of a story. A lot of his early ideas sound like they clearly included big, fun plans for the character. But it’s also clear that Johnson made serious mistakes while creating the film that slowly ate away at his initial plans, and left us with the disappointment we have.

First off, Finn’s story was supposed to feature him and Poe as the duo going to Canto Bight. Sounds cool, right? Oscar Isaac basically sweats charisma, and he and Boyega have a proven chemistry! Just one problem: Rian Johnson felt he couldn’t differentiate their voices enough.

What?

Asides from being male, these two characters couldn’t be more different. Poe’s a veteran New Republic pilot raised in the Galactic order created by Han, Luke, and Leia. Finn’s a freshly defected rookie soldier hailing from an autocratic regimes slave army. But apparently that was too similar for Johnson as a script writer, so we got Rose.

Now, Kelly Marie Tran is a great actress, and she does a lot of good work that I think TLJ ultimately wasted. Some of that is because of another change that occured in production. You may remember this picture of Finn from a BTS video:

Notice how he’s wearing a Starfortress Bomber uniform? Apparently, Finn’s original entrance in TLJ would have seen him not in his bacta suit, but instead as one of Rose’s sister, Paige Tico’s, fellow gunners. Finn would have been the last survivor of the bomber run on the dreadnaught, and would have cradled a dying Paige, so she could put a bloody handprint over his heart, mimicking the opening of The Force Awakens. Sounds interesting, right? It would certainly add an interesting dimension to Rose and Finn’s relationship, perhaps increasing their friction, as Rose would see Finn’s attempted desertion as a dishonor to her sister, while Finn would be leaving because he refused to re-experience that kind of loss again. It’s great dramatic material!

But Johnson didn’t want to write it.

"If he did know Paige was Rose's sister, there would either have to be a big 'I saw your sister die' scene, which I didn't want to write and the movie would have come to a full stop to do, or he would be an arsehole because he would never tell her. So ultimately it felt really right as a set-up but I realised there was no wood to burn in terms of a pay-off." (Rian Johnson, Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi)

You’ve got to be kriffin’ kidding me! “No wood to burn in terms of pay-off”?!? It would have been leagues better than the fairly onenote characterization of Rose’s attraction to Finn, and would have added some actual internal drama to the story!

ANYWAYS… originally, Canto Bight was going to be a much longer sequence, which presumably would have done a better job of handling the war profiteering angle, and the recruitment of DJ. Finn and Rose would have been outfitted in some sweet space tuxedos/dresses. Presumably, this would have acted to play up physical attraction between the leads… and get some laughs from Finn wearing his backward.

Finally, We have confirmation of a deleted scene building on Finn and Phasma’s confrontation, and possibly planting seeds for a potential stormtrooper revolt in Episode IX. Here’s the scene from The Star Wars Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjoJqZDjxgI

While it’s a rough scene, I do think it should have remained, if not expanded. Phasma and Finn desperately needed more buildup for their confrontation, and just that little hesitation on the Stormtroopers’ part reminds us that they were just like Finn once. Shame Johnson decided a badly written Space Chase subplot couldn’t be cut entirely to save time for this scene...

To read the next article on Rey: https://franchisewars.tumblr.com/post/171920170140/why-the-force-awakens-is-better-than-the-last-jedi

To read the article on Finn, go here: https://franchisewars.tumblr.com/post/171769864765/why-the-force-awakens-is-better-than-the-last-jedi

To read the article on Luke and Han: https://franchisewars.tumblr.com/post/172012889670/why-the-force-awakens-is-better-than-the-last-jedi

To hear our podcast comparing the two films from the sequel trilogy: https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Ffranchisewars%2Fid1286433288%3Fmt%3D2%23episodeGuid%3DBuzzsprout-675266&t=NDAyNjNkNDk3OTExNTY1MGVjZjE5MzYzZjhmNjhhZTlkM2MwOTcxNyw5YjNidHhxTw%3D%3D&b=t%3AgYAQ8VbQFnxwgeW_XfJRCQ&p=https%3A%2F%2Ffranchisewars.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F172572228305%2Fthe-force-awakens-vs-the-last-jedi-podcast&m=1

[animefandomshipper]

hey babe! for the suggestive sentence starters could you maybe do, “i can tell you’re hot and bothered from all the way over here.”

@catwoman10001

Suggestive Starters Meme (NSFW)• I can tell you’re hot and bothered from all the way over there •

I decided to make second chapter (which is why I stubbornly refused to not post this until it was done) so those who are interested for what happens after can find it on ao3.

*

There were eyes everywhere here, bolted to the windows of their soul inside out, their stories behind, beyond his understanding. Such as to them in this dimly lit, shallowly depressed room, him the same.

The ice sunk to the bottom, bubbles rising to the surface to take one last breath.

He huffed a laugh, the ends of its tune crackling with a dryness that was once foreign.

They didn’t know, they didn’t know a damn thing.

The drink sloshed slowly with nimble fingers, a smile no longer true crawling to the corners like pinned needles, stuck in place and in no favor of delicacy. He briefly pondered his appearance as he downs the liquid down, the mirrors in his flat no longer in use. Was it as bad as how he felt? Even so, it didn’t matter. Nothing did.

His smile widened, so bitterly and big, he could feel the old bigoted man inching to him in the last few minutes recoil backwards. The thick odor of cigarettes and rat shit whifting away from him. Good, his claws are no longer in his control.

Wordlessly, he gestures the man behind the bar for another refill, a bitter eagerness for his one and only welcomed company. The sweet formula for another ten minutes of forgotten pain.

He situates himself comfortably in his seat, his bottom long going numb and now, with the drink slid into his view, so will his heart’s heartbreak.

With enclosed precision, the burn meeting the back of his throat is a divine poison so sweetly spiced, the flickering image of a face is gone for a for a few eternally grateful, silenced seconds.

But never is time ever so kind to stop its race with pain.

He’s back with another pulse of quickened breath, memories he thought he burned in the fire of hatred and betrayal coming back in form of whispering ashes. In a single moment, everything they had was gone. And for what? A night with the bitch he’d been eyeing.

Oh, Mikaela. Why oh why had you not seen it? Their growing distance in the many months before the cheating bastard’s departure was now, through the new Mikaela’s eyes as clear as day. His boyfriend’s disinterest in him batted away for tiredness of a long day as he unknowingly veiled himself from the many clues littering their home. Now dubbed his home once again after he kicked him out.

His hand cradled his face, the other dug into a fist. ’Do you miss him?’ His mind coldly inquired, forcefully wisened to a fault.

’No,’ he reminds himself, ’I no longer miss him, I merely miss every moment with the me I no longer remember.’

The one he loved to be. The one that stood so strong and unreachable for the hands of mortals with lecherous intentions. He had fallen from that height, and now his wings have singed to dust. How dare he take that Mikaela away, leaving only a bleeding heart and a crippled stranger in his own skin?

A stranger, left behind and unsatisfied with every moment after.

He clamps his quivering mouth shut at the thought, the curled fist dropping into his lap to swipe softly yet unsatisfactory to his shaking thighs.

Unsatisfied. What a lenient description.

As much as he wants to deny it, he’s grown desperate. Desperate for a caring hand ready to please, a hot mouth worshipping his starving body with praises. Of soft kisses not asked to be given, gifted by their own will.

Is that so wrong to want? A passionate lover who he could trust his frail heart with, no worries for it to be thrown back, disinterested and one only capable of loving it as strongly as he?

Passion fueled nights died as quickly as it started. And him with it.

But that might not be the case anymore.

”Another drink for the beautiful blond, on me.” He perks in suspicion, discreetly narrowing into defense as a man plops into the seat beside him.

His muscles simultaneously bunch in tension and soften to quiver when those bewildering and gorgeous green eyes lock onto his in a dominating stare. A gasp, so frail and small is stolen from his lips.

Who is this beautiful man?

He’s convinced the second those dazzling emeralds lid over dark lashes he’s been put under a spell.

”Please,” he grips his thighs helplessly together, that purring voice a baritoned choir, ”a gift, take it.”

He’s defenseless, shaking a small thank you passed surprisingly in a steady voice, ”I appreciate it.”

The mysterious man grins brightly and Mikaela internally swoons, why did he look so accomplished? His gratefulness was expected, it would be rude to not say a thing.

”I’m glad. Oh!” He chuckles, white teeth reflecting another perfect aspect of him, ”my apologies, my name is Yuuichirou but you can call me Yuu.”

”Ah um… my name’s Mikaela…” he chided himself, was it wise to tell this gorgeous- though still unknown- man his name?

”Angelic.”

”What?” He jumped, uncharacteristically blushful at the strange word, even more so at his unwavering stare, his soul bared for him to see. What was angelic precisely?

”Your name.” He explains. ”I’ve never heard such a beautiful name.”

”Th-thank you,” he stutters, the steadiness from before waining the more he interacted with the man- Yuu, he corrected.

”I can’t help but notice that you’ve always come here alone.” He carefully treads to the topic Mikaela would rather forget about, his reasoning for being here. To drown his sorrows like the coward he’s associated himself with.

”Oh.” He dipped his head to his lap, lips scrunched and hands nervously playing with each other.

”No it’s alright you don’t have to elaborate.” He hurries to clarify, ”wrong conversation starter huh?” He chuckles and Mika can’t help but appreciate his turn of humor.

He shifts the conversation to talk about himself, Mika leaning more and more interested the more he rants and jokes.

Strange. He can’t help but sober up and join in, the aching that persisted his heart for month tampering down with every new piece of information Yuu allows himself to give.

He laugh, loud and strained with unuse as Yuu accidentally spills a drink to his attire and all he does is curse, never chastising Mika for laughing and joining in just as easily after grabbing a handful of napkins given to him by the bartender.

He’s free or whatever is close to that and lets himself go with Yuu and comes to a decision when he sees the raven struggle to find something else to talk about. He squashes the buzzling echoes of warnings away and began to retell his story, catching him of guard to quiet down.

He’d be a fool and a liar to not notice his predatory eyes when he mentions the unveiling attraction that led to him here.

”It’s his loss.” He spears his opinion out of clenched teeth so strongly Mika is left breathless by its unquestioned honesty, ”if he let go of such an angel of a person so willingly then I can’t help but think there’s something wrong with him.”

They’ve gotten closer somehow in the past hour, their legs touching and hands briefly coming to connect only to separate with the territory unknown just yet. But now, Mika wants nothing more than to drown in his arms and cry, those words having never been spit so strongly and venomously before in any situation in his twenty-two years of life.

He almost can’t take it.

”Yuu-chan…”

”No wonder I could tell you were all hot and bothered from all the way over there. You haven’t been taken care of like you should have been.”

He freezes and so does Yuu, him in a bashful liquid of embarrassment and Yuu, like he’s just been cornered by a pack of lions.

”Oh God tell me I didn’t say that out loud.” He stumbles out with a hand suspended in mid-air to his horrified face, shooting daggers at the silently dying pink-haired bartender kneeling down the floor.

Mika can’t compute, ”what?”

”Forget it forget everything I said-”

”No no no,” his heart hammers against his ribcage, something foreign squeezing inside that wills him to catch Yuuichirou’s shoulder. ”What did you mean by that? ’Haven’t been taken care of like you should have been?’” he hastily requotes, a moan pressing his tongue as he does.

”I…” he sees his chances of bolting away has lessened with the pale hand gripping his still, ”I just mean that…” he doesn’t want to say it if it causes Mika to run away, that wasn’t his intention.

”Its okay, you can tell me.” Mika softly runs his tongue to swipe at his quickly chapping lips, ”I won’t be mad.” No, he won’t, and the coiling embers so close to the match agrees.

”I wanted to take my chances with you when I saw you all those weeks ago but never had the courage until now and all that time you looked so sad and needy and I… I don’t know I just really wanted to talk to you?? I don’t know you’re pretty and I can’t think right now with you so close.” Yuu gasps out every word and Mika can’t say he isn’t flattered.

Mika blinks and snorts, ”you’re secretly a dork.”

”Is that a bad thing?” He twiddles his thumbs without looking back to Mika, ashamed and more than a little embarrassed.

”No,” he breathily rasps, shuffling his legs to make contact with Yuu’s, ”it’s not a bad thing at all.”

Yuu catches on and slithers a hand to his leg. ”Careful Mika,” that tone ripples a tremor, rapidly smoothing him into an addiction with how he practically purrs his name, ”I’m still a hunter.”

”From what I got I don’t have to worry,” Mika chuckles, a mischievous smile (true and real he can’t believe-) coming to tempt his hand to discover new places, loving the bewitched effect he seems to have on Yuu. ”Would you really let me go?”

”That’s the last thing I want to do.” His growl is low-pitched and Mika instinctively offers his unmarked canvas of a neck as a peace offering. And he doesn’t have to wonder if it works, Yuuichirou’s pupils dilating into black rings brimming with unquenched lust.

”Mika, let’s go.”

With a smirk of triumph, he does as told and when he leaves the bar with a hot mouth chasing his, and the next time he walks in here, he will no longer be alone.

[likeadove]

(fic) Three Times Finn and Rose Spied on Rey and the One Time She Spied on Them (1/4)

Rating: T

“Is it just me,” Rose says, touching her fingertips together contemplatively, “or is Rey acting weird lately?” Finn/Rose Rey/Kylo Ben.

FFN  AO3

“Are you gonna finish that?”

Rose raises an eyebrow at him and makes a point to finish her dinner rations with a flourish. Finn isn’t sure what else he expected, really. But he���s lost nearly ten pounds over the past three months because of the Resistance conserving food. And he just really, really hates feeling hungry.

He glances at his empty little plate and then across the small table at Rey, whose dinner is only half finished. Much more promising. “You gonna finish yours, Rey?” She doesn’t answer, nor does she make any indication that she’d heard him. She’s staring over his shoulder out into space.

Or, glaring out into space is more accurate.

“Rey?”

Her glare darkens and her hands, which are resting on the table next to her dinner, curl into fists.

“Erm. Rey?” Finn waves a hand in front of her face. This finally catches her attention and she jumps, startled. “What?”

Finn slowly points a finger at her rations. “Are you gonna finish that?”

His best friend looks like she’s coming out of a trance. “Oh. Yeah, here.” She pushes her half-eaten dinner across the table to him and then quickly stands. She gives him and Rose a strained smile and half-hearted wave before leaving the mess hall to do…to do who knows what.

Finn and Rose watch her leave with blank, vaguely confused faces before turning to each other at the same time.

“Is it just me,” Rose says, touching her fingertips together contemplatively, “or is Rey acting weird lately?”

“Super weird,” Finn agrees. “Did you see the way she was glaring over my shoulder? You’d think the Supreme Leader himself was standing behind me.” And, just because, he glances behind himself quickly.

Rose is chewing on her full bottom lip, something Finn has noticed she does when she’s nervous. “You don’t think…” she pauses, sounding uncertain. “You’re sure she likes me? Because if she doesn’t you can be honest with me about it—”

“Rey likes you a lot, Rose.” Finn can’t help but smile down at her a little. “Everyone does.” And it’s true, of course. Rose’s anxiety over Rey’s opinion of her is completely unfounded. But Finn thinks it’s kinda cute.

Rose looks like she doesn’t quite believe him, but her jaw sets in determination. “Well, aright. But something is up.” She leans forward a little, voice dropping in genuine concern. “But she’s not eating much either, have you noticed?”

Finn looks down at Rey’s unfinished rations, feeling slightly guilty. But not guilty enough to stop himself from picking up his utensil and diving in. He nods while he chews. “Somethin’ is up.”

“Maybe we should go talk to her,” Rose suggests, gaze fixating on the door Rey had exited through. “She’ll at least be honest with you, Finn. I know you two are close.” She tucks a lock of black hair behind her ear and frowns, just a little. But he catches it. He catches just about everything that she does, nowadays.

He shovels the rest of Rey’s dinner into his mouth, chewing and swallowing quickly. Then he jerks his head toward the exit. “Let’s go.” Finn stands, and Rose follows.

**

When Rose had finally woken up on the Falcon, Finn had felt so relieved he could’ve passed out. She’d blinked slowly up at him, grimacing and moving her hand to her head.

“Slowly,” he had said, reaching out and grasping her hand. “You hit your head.” He’s in a half-seated, half-standing position, nervous energy thrumming throughout his body. “The med-droid said you’d feel a bit disoriented. And I bet you’re hungry.” He knows he would be.

“What happened? I remember saving you from…from being an idiot.” Her other hand, the one that Finn isn’t holding, gropes for the medallion around her neck. She relaxes when her fingers find it. “Nothing after that, though.”

“Well, we escaped thanks to Rey and Chewie and Luke Skywalker—”

Rose’s eyes go comically wide.

“Yeah. But before that I, uh, got you out of that speeder and brought you back to the base. You’ve been out since then.”

It’s not a lie. Not really. He’s just simply leaving out specific information.

In truth, he’s still processing it all. His stormtrooper training had never held a briefing on what to do when a girl kisses you. Or sort of professes her love.

Rose nods, accepting his answer. Her eyes flutter and she sighs, exhaling as he rubs his thumb across her knuckles.

“Thanks, by the way. Thanks for saving me,” he says quietly. Rose’s gaze focuses on him and she smiles and oh, it is sweet and kind and it makes Finn feel funny.

Stormtrooper training had definitely left him unprepared for this.

**

Finn and Rose leave the mess hall and dart to the right. There are only so many places for Rey to go in this tiny Resistance hide out, and Finn begins moving along the hallway that leads to the hanger when Rey’s voice comes from around the corner. He freezes, flinging an arm out to halt Rose, forearm brushing against her chest. His arm jerks forward and he feels heat rushing to his cheeks. He risks a quick glance at Rose’s face and finds her directly avoiding eye contact.

“—I told you that that’s out of the question—”

Rey’s voice is firm and strained, and Finn can practically picture the weary expression that’s she’s been carrying around lately. “I know. I know that you do but—” A pause. “That’s not fair. I can’t just leave—”

Finn and Rose grasp for each other’s hands at the same time, sending the other alarmed looks.

There’s a long moment of silence, and Finn begins to wonder if Rey and whoever she’s talking to have realized that they’re there when—

“I can’t.” Rey’s voice is so soft that Finn has to strain to hear it. “I can’t just yet. I can’t.” She sniffs and then, more firmly, “I’m sorry.” And then Rey’s footsteps begin to move sharply away. Finn moves to the end of the hallway in two long strides and peeks around the corner. Rey has nearly reached the doors leading to the hanger, shoulders a little slumped. And she is alone.

Finn looks down at Rose, who is of course leaning around him, and her eyes reflect his own confusion.

“Who could she have been talking to?” Rose wonders when the hanger doors shut.

Finn straightens, realization dawning on him. “This…this is Force stuff.” As soon as he says it he knows it’s true. He spends a moment replaying everything he’d heard Rey say. “Who could be trying to convince Rey to leave?” He feels his heartbeat speed up in his chest in anxiety. He’d already been separated from Rey before, and he’d hated not knowing what was happening to her. She’s the second person he’d ever had love for. The first one is Poe, who had named him and swept him along into the freedom of his new life.

Finn glances down at the third person, who is chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.

“You don’t think it’s someone in the Resistance, do you?” Rose asks, head tilting up so she can look Finn in the eye.

He frowns. “That can communicate through the Force?”

Rose echoes his frown. “Right. You know, Finn, can I ask you something?”

He nods.

“How did Rey defeat Snoke?”

He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. “Don’t know. She’s never told me.” This is actually a slight sore spot for Finn. He’d asked Rey to tell him about a billion times, and each time she had refused, claiming it was too hard to relive. And now that’s not the only secret she’s been keeping from him, apparently.

“She didn’t tell you? I thought for sure she’d have told you.” There’s an awkward, but thankfully fleeting moment of silence between them.

“Do you think,” Rose begins, “that maybe, maybe she didn’t defeat Snoke? At least not by herself?” She looks ashamed of herself for even considering the concept.

“Why would she lie about that though?” But Finn can hear the doubt in his own voice.

“Rey is hiding something,” Rose concludes. And Finn…

Finn can’t help but be forced to agree.

“We can’t tell Poe about this.” Rose’s voice is firm and unwavering. And Finn…

Finn can’t help but be forced to agree. Although this time a little more begrudgingly. Poe is usually the first person he’d go to with a scenario like this, but Poe…he’d probably be Poe about it.

Besides, Finn kinda likes it when it’s just him and Rose on a mission.

They turn and make their way toward the common area, heads bent together and whispering amongst the two of them, going over who Rey could possibly be talking to through the Force—

For a brief second the sensation of Kylo Ren slicing his lightsaber across his back burns through Finn’s body, and he holds back a gasp, steps faltering a tad.

But Rose catches it. She seems to catch everything about him these days. “Are you alright?” she asks, immediately putting a hand on his shoulder and effectively stilling them both.

Finn reaches behind his back and brushes his hand where the phantom pain was and shakes his head, dazed. “Yeah, I just…”

Sometimes things like this happen: images and feelings flitting across his being that he never asks for, some of them memories, some of them he’s never even experienced. When he’d told Rey about them she had eagerly showed him passages from the sacred Jedi texts she’d nicked from Ahch-To. Apparently he’s force sensitive, which is very nice and all, but he can’t lift stuff like Rey can. And that had been a bitter disappointment indeed.

“Force stuff,” Rose concludes, giving him an empathetic smile. “Will you talk to Rey about it?”

And overwhelming feeling of no came over him. Don’t talk to Rey about Kylo Ren.

Finn blinks, having no real desire for random Forcey things coming over him without him asking—

Don’t talk to Rey about Kylo Ren. Don’t talk to Rey about Kylo Ren. Not yet. Don’t talk to Rey about Kylo Ren.

Huh.

Rose gives the hand that’s still resting on his shoulder a gentle shake. “Finn?”

He purses his lips and lays his right hand hers, intending to pull it away and keep walking but…kinda just holding onto it and standing still instead.

“Okay, now hear me out but. I have a theory.”

**

A/N: 

This is my Finn/Rose with a side of Reylo cutesy fic. Expect shenanigans, precious babies being precious, and some angst thrown in because I'm trash and can't help myself. I hope y'all enjoyed this first part! If you did drop a review and let me know? :)

[dipulb3]

Vizio M-Series Quantum TV review: Lots of TV for less than you think

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/vizio-m-series-quantum-tv-review-lots-of-tv-for-less-than-you-think-2/

Vizio M-Series Quantum TV review: Lots of TV for less than you think

When you buy a new TV a crucial decision is how much you’re willing to pay for improved image quality. Just about any cheap TV these days delivers a “good enough” picture but if you want to realize the benefits of the best-quality sources — specifically 4K video with high dynamic range and gaming-friendly extras — you’ll need to spend more. The Vizio M-Series Quantum offers step-up features that let it outshine cheaper models, but it remains eminently affordable.

Like

Affordable

Excellent picture quality

Supports variable refresh rate

Don’t Like

Lackluster smart TV system

Mediocre remote

Worse performance than some more expensive TVs

In my side-by-side tests, the M7 couldn’t match the picture quality of my favorite TV for the money, TCL’s 6-Series, but it also costs a lot less. It’s bright enough to bring out highlights in HDR and still put out relatively deep black levels, resulting in an image with plenty of punch and contrast for the price. And it’s the cheapest TV on the market with Variable Refresh Rate, a gaming feature found on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S (and some video cards) designed to reduce tearing and other artifacts. The M-Series also comes in a wallet-friendly 50-inch size, while most good-performing TVs start at 55 inches. Add it all up and you have an appealing package for anyone who doesn’t want to spend up for the TCL.

Design

Externally there’s not much to differentiate the M-Series from other TVs on the market. Its color is all matte black, with a slim plastic border on the top and a thicker, metallic bottom edge above spindly stand legs. The look is decidedly middlebrow.

Vizio’s basic remote got a facelift this year, with more rounded keys and a prominent “WatchFree” button to join more recognizable streaming service shortcuts such as Netflix, Hulu and, uh, Redbox at the top. Otherwise it’s pedestrian-looking with too many buttons, and I prefer the simpler, more focused clickers of Roku or Samsung. 

The company has made more changes to its SmartCast system but again it falls short of Roku or Android TV, or even LG or Samsung’s proprietary systems. The main home page is packed with TV show, movie and channel suggestions you probably don’t care about, and the stuff you’ll probably use most — the streaming apps themselves — are denigrated to a single row.

Although the platform now has 64 apps, including most major names, it’s still missing heavy hitters like HBO and HBO Max, Sling TV and ESPN. And finding new apps is a pain: Instead of a simple channel or app store that lets you search for, add and delete apps, you have to scroll the row through to find what you want. You can arrange app tiles to taste but I was also annoyed that none of them can be deleted. 

The search function in the upper left of the home page only finds TV shows, movies and videos, not apps themselves — I searched “HBO,” for example, and the most relevant results were YouTube videos. In its favor, search results do span different apps including Apple TV, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime, but they don’t include Netflix. Roku’s search is much better in general.

To watch any of the hundreds of apps that aren’t part of Vizio’s on-screen system you can use the cast function on your phone to connect to the TV. The TV supports both Google’s Chromecast function and Apple’s AirPlay. The M-Series doesn’t have any voice capability built into its remote but the TV will work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home speakers.

Key TV features

Display technology LED LCD LED backlight Full-array with local dimming Resolution 4K HDR compatible HDR10 and Dolby Vision Smart TV SmartCast Remote Standard

The M-Series Quantum is one of the cheapest TVs with full-array local dimming — my favorite addition for LCD picture quality because it improves all-important contrast and black levels — but different models in the M-Series have different specs. In short, the M7 I reviewed is less impressive on paper than the M8.

The number of dimmable zones is an important specification because it controls how precise the dimming can be. More zones doesn’t necessarily mean better picture quality, but it usually helps. The M8 is also brighter than the M7, at 800 and 600 nits respectively. I didn’t review the M8 but based on these specs I’m guessing it performs a bit better than the M7, but not as good as something like the TCL 6-Series.

The rest of the M-Series specifications are the same on all models. Quantum dots allow the TV to achieve better HDR color, which was borne out in my measurements. 

The M-Series has a 60Hz refresh rate panel — Vizio’s “120 Dynamic Motion Rate” is bunk. It lacks a setting to engage motion estimation and motion compensation (also known as MEMC or the Soap Opera Effect) as found on the more expensive Vizio P- and PX-Series, as well as TCL’s 6 series. Vizio supports both major types of HDR, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, in the M-Series. So does every other major TV maker except Samsung, which lacks Dolby Vision support.

Here are the M-Series’ other specs:

4 HDMI inputs

1 analog composite video input

1 USB port

RF antenna tuner input

Ethernet port

Optical digital audio output

Stereo analog audio output

New for 2020, the M-Series supports eARC (on HDMI 3) as well as new gaming-centric features, namely Auto Game Mode/ALLM and Variable Refresh Rate. This is one the least expensive TVs we know about that can handle VRR, a graphics feature found on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S (and some video cards) and designed to reduce tearing and other artifacts. It won’t be as effective as TVs with true 120Hz input capability like Vizio’s P series (the M-Series maxes out at 60Hz input), but it might be better than not having VRR. We’ll know more when we have the chance to test this TV with the new consoles.

Picture quality comparisons

Click the image above to see picture settings and HDR notes.

David Katzmaier/CNET

While certainly not at the same level as the TCL 6-Series or Sony X900H, both of which scored an 8 in my tests, the Vizio M-Series’ image quality earned a solid 7. That’s the same score I gave the Hisense R8 Roku TV, which is in the same price ballpark as the M7, but if I had to choose I’d take the Vizio’s superior contrast, processing and black levels over the R8’s brighter picture.

I spent most of my side-by-side time comparing it to the TCL and the Hisense H9G, both of which are more expensive. The Vizio fell short of the contrast and brightness of those two sets but in its favor showed an even-keeled, balanced image with good shadow detail and color accuracy. 

Click the image at the right to see the picture settings used in the review and to read more about how this TV’s picture controls worked during calibration.

Dim lighting: In late October The Invisible Man seems like an appropriate comparison movie, so I fired up the Blu-ray in my dark basement and tried to be brave. In dark scenes the Vizio was good but it couldn’t match the inky blackness, or overall contrast, of the more-expensive Hisense and TCL. Throughout Chapter 1, as Cecilia Kass (played by Elizabeth Moss) pads around and ultimately flees her darkened house, the shadows, letterbox bars and night sky appeared markedly lighter on the Vizio than the other two, leading to a less realistic picture. 

Details in shadows were very good on the Vizio, however, matching the TCL — I could make out more of the art and furniture in her bedroom (4:35) on both sets than on the Hisense. Blooming and stray illumination, for example in the pause icon and progress bar from my Blu-ray player, as well as the white-on-black “Two Weeks Later” lettering at the end of the chapter, was also minimal. 

Bright lighting: The M-Series was a decent if not spectacular performer in a bright room. With LCD TVs light output is one of the major things you pay extra for, so it’s not surprising that the affordable M-Series is dimmer than many of the more-expensive TVs I’ve tested. It’s still brighter than budget models like Vizio’s V-Series, but at least one like-priced TV I reviewed, the Hisense R8, is brighter than the M-Series.

Light output in nits

TV Brightest (SDR) Accurate color (SDR) Brightest (HDR) Accurate color (HDR) Hisense H9G 1,239 1,238 1,751 1,498 TCL 65R635 1,114 792 1,292 1,102 Sony XBR-65X900H 841 673 989 795 Hisense 65R8F 717 717 770 770 Vizio M65Q7-H1 595 424 588 480 Vizio V605-G3 200 178 225 193

Vizio’s Calibrated picture mode delivered the most-accurate bright-room picture, which is well worth the loss of nits compared to Vivid in my opinion. The M’s semi-matte screen finish reduced reflections better than the TCL albeit not as well as the Hisense, and was worse than either one at preserving black-level fidelity.

Color accuracy: In its best picture modes, namely Calibrated and Calibrated Dark, the Vizio was exceedingly accurate according to my measurements even before calibration. In the The Invisible Man its image did appear just a bit duller and less saturated than the TCL, however, an issue that could be due more to a black level disparity than anything. As Cecelia sits at the dinner table for example (16:55), her skin tone looked a bit paler than the TCL, and the wood and plants of the kitchen looked less rich. Again the Hisense trailed a bit in color accuracy. In the end all three were quite accurate with SDR and it would be tough to point out differences outside a side-by-side comparison.

Video processing: The Vizio M-Series behaved like I’d expect from a 60Hz TV in my motion tests, meaning it didn’t reduce blur as well as higher-end sets with a 120Hz refresh rate. I’m not particularly sensitive to motion blur, but if you are, a true 120Hz TV like the TCL 6-Series or Vizio’s P-Series might be worth a look.

The M registered proper 1080p/24 cadence but exhibited motion resolution of just 300 lines. Vizio does offer a Clear Action control that improves that number to a respectable 900, but as usual it introduced flicker and dimmed the image, so most viewers will want to avoid it (note that if you have VRR turned on, Clear Action can’t be activated). Unlike some 60Hz TVs there’s no option to turn on smoothing, aka the Soap Opera Effect.

Input lag for gaming was good in both 1080p and 4K HDR, with a result of about 27ms in the Game picture mode — that’s a bit worse than the TCL 6-Series at 19ms but still perfectly acceptable. As usual with Vizio I appreciated being able to reduce lag in other picture modes too, such as Calibrated Dark, by turning on the separate Gaming Low Latency toggle. That yielded the same 27ms result, a big improvement over the 52ms (in 1080p) and 68ms (in 4K HDR) of lag I measured without GLL engaged. 

Uniformity: The M-Series had no major issues in this category, with a nicely uniform image across the screen and little or no variation at different light levels with full-field test patterns. In mid-bright full-field test patterns it showed a bit more variation than the other two, but in program material differences were tough to discern. From off-angle — seats to either side of the sweet spot in front of the screen — the Vizio didn’t maintain black level fidelity quite as well as the other two, although it was roughly good at maintaining color.

HDR and 4K video: As usual the biggest differences between displays emerged when I fed them the highest-quality HDR video, first from the Spears and Munsil HDR Benchmark Blu-ray. The Vizio looked very good with the montage of footage but the TCL and Hisense performed better. Both displays beat the Vizio for contrast — with deeper, truer black areas and brighter whites. In the snowclad mountains, for example, the fields of white and cloudy skies were brighter on both, leading to better impact and pop, while in the night cityscapes and amusement park the TCL and Hisense delivered blacker shadows compared to the grayer Vizio.

In its favor the M-Series kept blooming in check, with minimal stray illumination in dark areas around the honey dripper for example (2:48). Color was also good, with saturation and vividness a tick higher than then TCL especially in reds like the flower (3:30) and significantly more accurate overall than the Hisense, which appeared too garish and unrealistic in comparison.

Turning back to The Invisible Man, this time on 4K Blu-ray, the Vizio again lagged the other two although as usual the differences weren’t as drastic with a standard movie as they were with test material. Dark areas in Chapter 1, for example the depths of the walk-in closet and the go-bag cozy, were again inkier on the TCL and Hisense, leading to better realism. The Vizio did preserve shadow details best but the others were still solid and more impressive overall. 

The biggest difference, however, was in the brilliance of highlights, for example the strip lighting and fluorescents in the tech lab (5:37) — compared to the other two, the Vizio looked much duller, without that characteristic HDR pop. In more balanced scenes, like the kitchen in Chapter 7 (25:38), the Vizio again seemed slightly duller than the others, with more muted highlights and washed-out dark areas like the cabinetry and shelving.

Geek Box

Test Result Score Black luminance (0%) 0.005 Good Peak white luminance (SDR) 595 Good Avg. gamma (10-100%) 2.22 Good Avg. grayscale error (10-100%) 0.73 Good Dark gray error (30%) 0.66 Good Bright gray error (80%) 0.58 Good Avg. color checker error 0.80 Good Avg. saturation sweeps error 0.75 Good Avg. color error 1.03 Good Red error 1.04 Good Green error 0.98 Good Blue error 2.56 Good Cyan error 0.65 Good Magenta error 0.77 Good Yellow error 0.21 Good 1080p/24 Cadence (IAL) Pass Good Motion resolution (max) 900.00 Good Motion resolution (dejudder off) 300.00 Poor Input lag (Game mode) 27.57 Good HDR10 Black luminance (0%) 0.006 Good Peak white luminance (10% win) 588 Poor Gamut % UHDA/P3 (CIE 1976) 97.63 Good ColorMatch HDR error 4.05 Average Avg. color checker error 2.74 Good Input lag (Game mode, 4K HDR) 27.47 Good

Vizio M65Q7-H1 CNET review calibration results by David Katzmaier on Scribd

[truecantaloupelove-blog]

The Underlying Christian Symbolism in Undertale: Asriel’s Messianic Parallels

         Yesterday we talked about the Devil, so today we’re talking about Christ. Or at least, I should say, Christ-like characters in Undertale. I’m referring of course to Asriel Dreemurr. Despite the brevity of time he actually spends on screen, Asriel is easily one of the most endearing and heartbreaking characters in the entire game, and for Undertale, that’s saying something. Judging from the amount of fan art and fan fictions dedicated to him, he’s left more of an impact on the fanbase than any other character with the exception of Sans. It’s not hard to see why; many consider him to be the purest embodiment of love, pacifisms, and selflessness in the game, yet he’s been dealt the most tragic lot of any of the characters. Effectively, Asriel is the one person you cannot save. But beyond the obvious general parallels of the two figures, is this there something more to this sweet and tragic goat boy than meets the eye?

           I’m of the opinion there is. Finding religious subtexts in video is always a slippery and volatile subject, but in this case, I can’t shake the feeling that the parallels are too pointed to ignore. I don’t think Asriel was meant to be a direct analogue to Jesus in the way characters such as Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia are. But I find it hard to believe that his character wasn’t at least inspired by Christ, and hopefully by the end of this post you’ll see what I mean.

           The first encounter we could say we have with Asriel is at the very beginning of the game in the form of Flowey. However, there seems to be some debate amongst the fanbase as to whether Asriel and Flowey can even be considered the same character, so polar opposite are their personalities. King Asgore may look like a devil, but Flowey is the closest thing the Underground has to an actual demon in terms of what he does. Much like the Fallen Child, he often works vicariously through others, using temptation and manipulating to coerce people into furthering his plans. Also like the Fallen Child, Flowey is soulless, and thus incapable of feeling love for others. The “Asriel” side of him only re-emerges in the presence of the souls that allowing him to feel compassion once more. Just for that reason alone, I’m going to be treating Asriel and Flowey as separate characters throughout this post, the same way I would consider the entity we meet at the end of the Genocide Route to be something distinct from the original First Child who fell into the Underground. However, that being said, it’s interesting to note that the first and the being we fight is always either Flowey or Asriel, whether one is doing a pacifist, neutral, or genocide playthrough. One way or another, the Flowey/Asriel entity acts as bookends to the entire game and seems to exist on a more meta level than the rest of the cast, when we listen closely to their dialogue.

           First, here are a couple of the more superficial parallels between Asriel and Jesus. Both of them are described as the only naturally born son of a king, but are also described as having adopted siblings, and both are held up as great symbols of hope at their birth. Both at some point claim to be God. Despite this, both of them appear to bring great tragedy and hardship to the lives of all who love them, at least at first. Asriel is very compassionate and gentle to others; the story of how he treated the First Human child could be described as a textbook example of the Good Samaritan. Both figures die unjustly at the hands of their enemies, refusing to fight back despite having the ability to destroy everyone who was harming them. Also, curiously, the name “Asriel” can mean “Prince of God”, in addition to being a portmanteau of the names Asgore and Toriel. This very name is actually used in the Bible for one of the sons of Manasseh, so if it sounds Hebrew in origin, that’s because it is.

           From there the similarities start to deepen. Both Asriel and Jesus have prophecies that refer to them. For Asriel, it’s the Delta Rune that’s said to predate written history, according to Gerson. The Delta Rune is probably going to get its own post at some point because of how packed it is with brilliant symbolism, so I’ll try to be brief here. 

        To put it simply, the Delta Rune is the symbol of an “angel” from above who will cause the underground to go empty, whether by freeing all monsters or by killing all of them. There’s some debate as to who exactly this “angel” is, many would believe it was the player, and in the genocide run, it very well might be. On the pacifist, run, however, the “angel” definitely aligns most closely with Asriel, and the reflection of the Delta Rune’s design in his final form is evidence of this (note the location of the triangles on his body) This is really the only prophecy we know of that links to Asriel directly, but it’s still a prophecy nonetheless.

           Ultimately, Asriel is the one who breaks the barrier and sets all monsters free from the Underworld. Not only this, but he does so at the cost his own life, giving up the souls and reverting back to a flower. If I really have point out to you why this would be reminiscent of Christ, then this blog probably isn’t your cup of tea. But that’s not all. Right before the barrier is shattered, Asriel’s spite rises off of the ground and takes a very particular stance before committing the act. He begins speaking some inaudible words as the souls rush out of him and a really dramatic guitar riff starts playing in the background. But take a close look at that pose. Does it remind you of anything?

           There are some other peculiarities in the following scenes that seem to call back on New Testament imagery. One is the actual depiction of the barrier being shattered. It appears as a white screen cracking in two and the halves separating, before the message “The barrier was destroyed” flashes across the screen. It’s hard to say what exactly most of us were expecting we would see when we witnessed the destruction of the barrier, but I have to imagine that most of us saw this as a very minimalistic approach, almost a letdown, really, to such a dramatic event.

           Or was it?

           I can’t help but look but look at this picture of the barrier being destroyed and not be a little reminded of Matthew 27:50-51, “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open.”

           Anyone who’s done their theological homework knows that the curtain in the Jewish Temple was a symbol of the separation of God’s holiness and the sins of humanity. In effect, it acted as a barrier between man and God. And with the death of Jesus, that barrier of separation is destroyed. This symbolism wasn’t lost on the New Testament writers, it’s actually quite explicit. Ephesians 2:14 reads “For he [Christ] himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

           Is this starting to get weird yet? Maybe up to this point, I still that all of this could just be a big coincidence, an unlikely set of parallels to the Bible that a video game happens to exhibit, perhaps because these Biblical archetypes are just so ubiquitously ingrained in our culture. And who knows, maybe that’s all it is. 

           But there is one more detail.

           I don’t remember when exactly it was I began to suspect that Undertale might have religious themes woven into its subtext. But perhaps it was around the point I started noticing the subtle topics of death and resurrection within the story, and their connection to the “soul”. The Fallen Child Chara apparently resurrects at the end of the genocide run (though whether that entity is actually Chara seems doubtful). Also, they appear to be communicating within the mind of Frisk, narrating the events on the screen as they happen, leading some to believe that Frisk is actually the reincarnation of Chara. Asriel himself undergoes a twofold resurrection within the game, first as a soulless flower at the hands of Dr. Alphys, and later back to his full being with the absorption of the human souls.

           And then, there are the six other humans who fell underground.

           There are a lot of unanswered mysteries in Undertale, but one of the ones I find the most puzzling is the question of what happened to the human souls when Asriel gave them up to break the barrier? Did they dissipate, were they taken to the afterlife, or did something…else…happen to them? There’s a hint in the game, but it raises more questions than answers.

           If you go past the throne room in Asgore’s palace, you will find a set of stairs leading to his basement. If you follow them all the way down, you will find this room:

           If you try to look into the coffin you find the name of the first human on it, also with the description that it’s empty. By logical extension, the other coffins are the six other children.

           If you go back to the basement after having saved Asriel, when the barrier is broken, you find this:

           All of the tombs are empty and all save the first one are open.

           Let’s go back to Matthew 27 for a second. If we keep reading from where we left off; “…At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

           Uncanny, isn’t it? Why are all the coffins open except for the one already stated to be empty? Where are the bodies? And where is the body of the First Child? Are they really dead?

           We never get any answers, but if you go to check the coffin again, you’ll find the message “The coffin is empty…? You didn’t notice it before, but there’s something like…mummy wrappings at the bottom of it.”

           Most likely these would be grave clothes, or perhaps a shroud. But this seems like an awfully insignificant detail to slip into a room so filled with unanswered questions. All it really tells is that the body isn’t in the coffin anymore. And it wasn’t reburied somewhere else, since the grave clothes were taken off. Does this also sound familiar?

           “So Peter and the other disciple started for Jesus’ tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.” (John 20:4-8)

           So, what are we to make of this? It’s not uncommon for stories or video games to involve a Messianic archetype, but the detail of symbolism used in this case suggests there might be something more going on with Asriel than your usual stock redeemer character. Coupled with Asriel’s father’s resemblance to Satan, Asriel’s flower alter ego playing a much more actual Satanic character, and the fact that this boy is the one person you CAN’T save, but who essentially dies AFTER resurrecting in the “friendly RPG where no one has to die”, this mystery of Undertale lends itself to some rather confusing, and frankly disturbing, implications.

           Stay safe, folks. Until next time, this is Truecantaloupelove, signing off.

[jasonsocialist]

Some notes relevant to Janus

A case called Janus that will accelerate the decline of organized labor in the U.S. is set to pass the Supreme Court in the coming months. Below are some notes I compiled on a similar case named Friedrichs. Most labor and left writers seemed to assume Friedrichs was going to pass, with Scalia’s death leading to a split decision. As some noted however, Scalia was actually the consertative judge whose vote was least sure due to some specifical legal concerns he had previously expressed--but with his replacement, there is no such doubt. I had thought there was a chance Clarence Thomas could vote with the more liberal judges but with a separate opinion for the simple reason is that the core argument is that Abood (the existing decision) violates free speech rights of public employees and Thomas basically doesn't think public employees have strong free speech rights on the job (this is partly how the existing decision passed in the first place). However, we now know that Friedrichs lost due to a split vote, making it as certain as it can be that Janus will pass with Gorsuch’s new vote. I also thought there was some possibility that general social concerns could influence one of the conservative judges to vote no. Besides knowing now their vote was split, the social winds have shifted with Trump’s election and there’s no real basis for thinking that could happen now.

At the time I compiled these notes, I had a take on the Democratic Party similar to those now calling for “#Demexit”. For those that still profess after Trump’s election that we should never vote for Democrats against Republicans, I hope they sit with and reflect on this specific outcome: Trump’s victory ensured a Supreme Court appointment that will have profoundly negative effects on unions in this country.

Also still of note is some of the left posited that the end of dues checkoff could be a good thing, I think these arguments are dangerously mistaken and note that below--but don’t give a thorough argument. (Updated to add: Here I go some more into this though it’s still not a complete argument.)

Background

A right-wing version of the ACLU cold called California teachers to find those who disagreed with their union's stances on issues such tenure and charter schools and brought the case Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association to the Supreme Court. They are asking the court to overturn a 1977 decision that allowed public unions to require non-members covered by a contract pay a fee covering the costs of collective bargaining, grievances, etc. but not pay for lobbying costs.

Until the 60's public unions were weak and had few legal rights. Due to a wave of strikes and struggles, public workers in about half the states won union rights similar to those already held by the private sector. One of the immediate legal counter-arguments was that since public union activity is inherently "political"--about public policy--it is a question of First Amendment "free speech" and therefor, to force a worker to give money to the union is to coerce "speech."

In the 1977 Abood decision the core compromise was that in the interests of labor peace (note well the basis), workers could "opt-out" of union dues to pay a lesser amount called an "agency fee" meant to cover collective bargaining but not lobbying (one of the issues is how to draw the lines, so that calling a rally over a collective bargaining issue is "chargeable" to the agency fee even if it is an issue of public policy whereas sending a delegation to elected officials for the same reason would be "lobbying").

A key thing to understand is that in the whole private sector under the NLRA and under most parallel state public union laws, unions have what is called "exclusive representation," meaning that once a union is recognized as the bargaining agent through a majority-election or other means, they have to "fairly" represent all workers in the bargaining unit, even if they are not members. So for instance if there's a wage raise for a certain title, everyone gets the raise. If someone has a grievance and isn't a member, the union still has to "fairly" defend them in the hearings (or can be sued).

So the general set up is that in private and public sector, no one can be forced to join a union but the union has to represent everyone. The compromise is that if they opt-out, they pay not dues but a lesser "agency fee". Under so-called "right-to-work" provisions that have been common throughout the south and have been spreading since Wisconsin, non-members don't even have to pay the agency fee. So under "right-to-work" non-members pay nothing and get representation, hence this is called the "free-rider" problem.

In sum, Friedrichs [and now Janus] is looking to make the whole public sector "right-to-work."

An aside: Ironically, a core “philosophical” argument often used against the idea of socialism is the this same “free-rider” idea: if everyone's free and equal with access to all of society's resources, then what about the people that won't contribute but will take? In this case, the main conservative legal argument has been that enough people will pay that the system will still work (legally the anti-union forces aren’t arguing in court that unions should be destroyed, but that some members shouldn’t have to pay and that this will not destroy the unions completely).

Some more details

The anti-union side is led by the Center for Individual Rights, which is bankrolled by various right-wing forces like the now-cliche Koch brothers.

The pro-Abood side is being represented directly by the California government arguing that the government wants Abood to stand in the interests of labor peace, the California Teacher's Association (which did choose to represent itself separately from the state but with a similar legal argument) and the Solicitor General, the representative of the federal government.

The Solicitor General argued before the Supreme Court:

[I]f you were to take [Abood] away, ....the union is going to have a different set of incentives [than maintaining labor peace], trying to trying to ensure that the maximum number of people are willing to pay union fees.

And the way that the unions are likely to try to do that is through trying to convince employees...that they need the union because otherwise management is going to do them harm. And I do think that that's a significant problem here for public employer perspective now, in a time of budgetary constraints, when difficult decisions have to be made and cuts have to be made.

It's of great benefit to the employer, to the government as employer, to have the union participate in those judgments so that they are perceived as fair as the by the workforce, and so that the union then, in effect, vouches for management with the workforce and prevents disruption.

Some left responses

A minority of left opinion holds that the decision could be helpful.

Jacobin published an article https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/09/seattle-teachers-friedrichs-harris-quinn/ that said:

*  “Rank-and-file dissidents have long had doubts about most forms of automatic dues collection, worrying that such a set-up helps create an ossified system in which a complacent top never comes face-to-face with a demobilized bottom.”, and

* “If anything, the fear Friedrichs inspires could force unions to do the type of everyday, internal organizing that dissidents and reform activists often complain doesn’t happen. While this could distract from other efforts, it could also drive unions to reconnect with their membership — actually improving their chances of surviving in the long term.”

This requires a fuller response but though I used to harbor similar views I see them now as completely mistaken. Partly there’s a simple logical failure: yes, unions were often more militant before checkoff and checkoff does allow a stronger degree of ‘bureaucratization’ but that doesn’t mean removing checkoff brings back militancy nor undermines the separation between officials and members. In TWU Local 100 which lost checkoff as punishment for striking, it just as much became a tool the top leaders could use against dissidents in different ways and though it forced them into more “contact” with the ranks, it didn’t force them to thereby become more democratic or militant.

The same Jacobin article claims based on an example from TWU Local 100 that "Sometimes voluntary dues collection can even bolster reform efforts" because “in part because dues collection allowed them to engage in grassroots organizing”. Skipping over how its only concrete example actually calls into question it’s main thesis, the organizing conversations that did happen around dues collection could have happened the same way if dues checkoff had not been lost and could have been had over more productive, forward-looking issues.

Another article (http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18796/friedrichs-v-california-teachers-association-free-speech-strikes) even argues that unions could turn the free speech argument to their advantage in terms of right to strike and against collective bargaining restrictions. On collective action, I think they legally-constitutionally have a point abstractly speaking--if the first amendment rights of public workers are so strong they can't be compelled to give money to a union, why should their right to association not trump anti-strike legislation? However, one need only look at the history of how that is applied to the private sector to see how out of touch this idea is with any possible Supreme Court. The NLRA (the private sector labor law) is justified legally under the interstate commerce clause (for the stability of profit-making), not the First Amendment. Private workers can "strike"--walk off the job, but they cannot "freely associate" to stop scabs from going in to take their jobs, who can then become permanent replacements under police protection and after a year even vote out the union. There is no reason to think--however constitutionally correct it may be--that in the public sector where union rights are also not grounded in the First Amendment in court decisions, where additionally arguments for restricting first amendment rights parallel to those restricting shouting fire in a public theater (arguing a public worker striking endangers the public) would abound, that any Supreme Court would overturn legislation restricting striking by public workers.

The article’s point on collective bargaining is even worse, unless I’m missing something: "They could throw their old contracts on the table and sue every school board and state agency that refuses to discuss those items." Labor leaders aren't arrested for asking for things at the bargaining table that state law bars from bargaining, the state is just not legally obligated to listen (i.e. the issue can’t used as a basis to hold up a contract or used as as basis to make a collective action legal/protected if such collective action is possible at all). Giving a broader reign to a public union's "free speech" would not change that.

Possible consequences

This ruling will be a defeat if it goes through.

There will likely be an initial drop of membership leading to reduced budget for representation, bargaining, etc., leading to dissatisfaction and more people leaving.

Right now, few are agency fee payers because it's only about a small reduction and often requires annual re-certification to leave, and given the small difference the argument that you might as well pay the full amount to have the right to vote carries some weight. Further, many people don’t know about it or don’t encounter strong arguments to opt opt but these same right wing networks are already planning a canvassing program to tell union members to “give themselves a raise” by opting-out of paying anything but keeping all the benefits. Combine this with the common legal restraints on collective action for public workers (such as NY state’s Taylor Law), "right-to-work" in the public sector would likely have greater negative consequences than it has had in private sector.

This would also encourage passing even more state-level private sector "right-to-work" laws.

A further effect would be that with decreasing union membership, a workplace could move to de-certify the union, which even if successfully resisted would consume yet more already depleted union resources.

Given that currently about 1 out of every 2 workers are public sector workers, the declining effects of union density and membership on the overall labor movement would be extreme and negatively reinforcing.

It would mean a significant shift of union resources to doing anything to stop the hemorrhaging and away from political activity, from donating to workers’ centers or initiatives like Fight for 15.

All the direct consequences I see are negative which is why I think some of the articles I referred to above are so dangerous. However, that does not mean I think the overall picture for organized labor is solely negative nor that there can be no possible “unintended consequences” from a destabilization of the currently-existing unions leading to changes that do have good long-term effects--but such possibilities should not obscure just how bad this decision could be.

[allaboutfoodgwu]

The Jam Finale by Mister M

To me, sweetness is a piece of toast slathered with butter and topped with a thick layer of strawberry jam. As a class research project in Spring 2019, I decided to write my anthropology blog about one of my favorite products, jams. Jelly, jam, conserve, marmalade, preserves—any of these fruit products can add zest to our meals. These widely accepted products are consumed on a large scale worldwide and can be made from a wide variety of fruits, are available in different types, and most importantly they are easy to make and buy.

I explored the Whole Foods Market in Foggy Bottom, Trader Joe’s in West End, Dean and DeLuca in Georgetown, CVS in Foggy Bottom, and Walgreen’s in West End. Through my optical fieldwork and comparative analysis, I was not only able to reach general conclusions about jams in these stores but was also able to reach thought-provoking insights about class and racial inequalities.

To understand the broader significance of jams, it is first necessary to explain how they developed. Historically, in the days before refrigeration, an entire growing season’s worth of fruits and vegetables were preserved for use throughout the winter. The history of jam dates back to the Ancient Greeks, who used honey to preserve quinces. In the 16th century, cane sugar came to Europe from the New World, and it was used to preserve fruit, hence the term preserves (Featherstone 313).

Jams, jellies, marmalades, and conserves are a mixture of fruit and sugar and are thickened or jellied to some degree. Jam and fruit preserves usually are made from fresh, frozen, concentrated, or previously canned fruit cooked with sugar until enough water has evaporated. Jellies are gelatinous, transparent, and made from fruit juice and sugar, whereas, marmalades are made from citrus fruit—sliced or diced (316).

Over six weeks, in Spring 2019, I explored the different varieties of jams for sale at several stores in Foggy Bottom, West End, and Georgetown areas. My first stop at Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom functioned as my baseline store. The jam section there is located in the basement at the “Specialty Department” section, and it includes olive oils, balsamic, jams, and peanut butter. At Whole Foods jellies, jams, conserves, marmalades, and preserves occupy 10 shelves of the section. They are all densely positioned. Most of them are made from figs, apricots, citruses, and different kinds of berries. All jams are stored in glass containers, and range from $3.99-$6.99 pre-tax. Most labels have a rustic and provincial “homemade” aesthetic, showing for example: farm and provincial life scenes, and nesting baskets with fruits.                                                                 At my second stop, Trader Joe’s in West End, I found the jams located near the entrance of the store. The petite jam section is positioned next to the peanut butter and, oddly, canned tuna segments. The jam section occupies only the bottom five shelves with jars of salted caramel occupying almost entirely the bottom shelf, whereas the top two are occupied with jars of honey. At the store there is no particular order or pattern of their position on the shelves, but instead, they are positioned based on their brand. Furthermore, at Trader Joe’s, there is a much smaller variety of jams and marmalades compared to Whole Foods, as most jams in this store are made from strawberries, apricots, peaches, and figs. Jams are mostly in bulky glass jars and, as in Whole Foods, have rustic labels on them showing simple and provincial countryside life.

After Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, I visited Dean & DeLuca in Georgetown, one of the most famous American chains of upscale grocery stores. At Dean & DeLuca the jam section is located at the first aisle opposite the cheese and packaged chocolate sections. This section, similarly to Trader Joe’s, is relatively small and occupies five of the six shelves of the section, with the top shelf exclusively offering raw honey. To its left and right, customers can see the high-end tea and coffee section on the one side, and chocolate sets and cakes on the other, respectively.

Compared to other stores, no shelf at Dean & DeLuca has any prices or descriptions. The jars of jam are twice (x2) bigger compared to the jars in other stores and all of the jars have plain white or gray labels; most have just the name of the brand and type of jam on the front. Dean & DeLuca offers, however, several “exotic” varieties of jams like guava, black currant, and red currant, pepper, passion fruit, South African figs, and grapefruit; definitely not your traditional jam section. In terms of labels, they are all plain white or plain grey without any “rustic” imagery, which in my opinion made the jars of jams look more upscale and “inaccessible” because of its high status.

After visiting three grocery stores, I decided to look next at drugstore chains. First, I went to the CVS store in Foggy Bottom on Pennsylvania Avenue. The CVS store was the most underwhelming from all five of the stores I visited. Jams are located together with peanut butter and honey. This time, however, jams occupy only half a shelf. Jams in this store are not organic or GMO-free and are made only from grapes, strawberries, and oranges. No exotic jams like those at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Dean & DeLuca. Nothing even close to exotic! Compared to the previous three stores, the jams at CVS are stored in big, plain, see-through, plastic jars with straightforward labels on them. No rustic imagery but rather just cartoon-like pictures of fruits. Prices are also moderate ranging from $3.39-$4.69 pre-tax.

After visiting CVS I went to Walgreens in West End. At Walgreens, the jams are located, similarly to CVS, in a very small shelf in aisle 3, and to my surprise, the jam section was half empty. As in Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and CVS, jams at Walgreens are located next to peanut butter jars, caramel syrups, and some other instant/sugary products. Jams at Walgreens are not organic or GMO-free and are made only from grapes and strawberries. The layout is very similar to that in the CVS store. At Walgreens, there is a lack of varieties of jams as only two brands are available; Welch’s and NICE!. Both are in bulky, plain, see-through, plastic jars with straightforward labels on them. Prices, however, are below average, compared to all five stores, and are ranging from only $1.99-$3.49 pre-tax. Similarly to CVS, jars of jam have no rustic imagery but instead just cartoon-like pictures of fruits that the jams are made from.

Overall, big grocery stores have a wider variety of jams, which is logical. Jams are also sold in glass jars and have rustic and “countryside” labels. At Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Dean & DeLuca prices range from 4.99-6.99$. On the other hand, Walgreens and CVS have similar price tags but jams are sold in large plastic jars, none are organic or GMO-free. Additionally, drugstores, do not offer the provincial imaginary of their jams like grocery stores do.                My first conclusion: unless it is absolutely necessary, it is better to avoid buying jams at drugstores since for almost the same price and quantity you can buy better quality and tastiness at normal grocery stores.

In terms of customers of jams, I noticed people who appear to be young professionals of all genders. At Whole Foods, at the “Specialty Department” section I noticed many young couples with kids and many middle-aged men picking jams and bread. At Trader Joe’s I saw people from different socio-economic spectrums, ethnicities, single people, and couples buying jams. At CVS and Walgreens I noticed older women and middle-aged African American men.

On reflection, I am able to connect my findings with Sydney Mintz’s classic book Sweetness and Power. Undeniably, a strong connection between sugar intake and people’s socioeconomic position exists. As Mintz underlines, sugar became an essential necessity in the late 18thcentury for the British working class because of its high-caloric content that made it an excellent source of energy for these people. The convenience provided to the same working-class families by sugar as a preservative also applied to jams, which were used to sweeten tea or spread on bread in the absence of butter (Mintz 129). Mintz also states that both sugar and jams  were effective as a convenient sweeteners and source of energy made them a vital necessity for the working classes.

Thus, it made sense to see nowadays so many people who appear to be young professionals, of all genders, either single or shopping with their partners and buying these preserves as a source of energy and a way to increase their productivity.

Another important characteristic I have discovered through my optical research this semester (Spring 2019) is that most of the jobs at all five stores in Foggy Bottom, West End, and Georgetown are carried out by African Americans. An increasing African American workforce in these low paid jobs illustrates that many hardworking African Americans, even those with modest means are forced to respond to depressed socioeconomic conditions.

One does not need to be an expert to understand that Washington, D.C., has been a city in flux over the past decade, and its population changes have had significant implications for DC’s neighborhoods (Maurice, 16). Shifts in the District’s racial composition have already had an impact. For example, a visualization of the city’s census tracts shows that majority-black and majority-white neighborhoods are separated almost directly down D.C.’s middle (14). It is a sad realization, but unfortunately, Washington’s new younger, often whiter money gentrifies Foggy Bottom, West End, and Georgetown leaving no space for African Americans to live and indirectly forcing them to occupy low-paid and high-demand labor jobs.

Taking everything into consideration, every product often has a deep-rooted history in it, and through it, anthropologists can observe the various ongoing patterns in our societies. This optical multi-sited research project has allowed me not only to offer some tantalizing insights about jams but also to draw connections with jam consumers, store labor, and the gentrification struggles in North-West DC. My research also indicates that the Foggy Bottom/ West End area offers a “fruitful” area for future research about social inequality and “sweetness” (or perhaps bitterness of power and money).

Jams will always be part of my life, but now I will definitely see them from a very different perspective.

Works Cited

Featherstone, Susan. A Complete Course in Canning and Related Processes. Chapter 9 “Jams, Jellies, and related Products.”Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition 2016, Pages 313-349.

Goody, Jack. “Industrial Food: Towards the Development of a World Cuisine.”  in Food and Culture: A Reader. Ed. Penny Van Esterik and Carole Counihan. New York: Routledge, 1997. 72-90. Print.

Jackson, Maurice. African American Employment, Population

& Housing Trends in Washington, D.C.Department of History, Georgetown University Publishers. 2017. 13-15.

Mintz, Sidney Wilfred. Sweetness and Power: The Place of Sugar in Modern History. New York: Penguin Group, 1985. Print.

[johannesbambang]

The Hedge Fund That Wants to Give You a Free Masters Degree in Data Science

And why it makes sense

Mike M

Jun 19 · 4 min read

With the recent rise in popularity of data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning there has been an equivalent surge in the number of resources available aimed at those wanting to learn and upskill in these fields. These resources range from free content on multi-purpose platforms such as YouTube, Github and blog sites to premium, more tailored experiences such MOOCs and online nano-degrees.

Formal tertiary education providers have not been oblivious to this trend, as many have rushed to re-organize and repackage courses that have traditionally belonged in Math, Engineering and Computer Science schools in an attempt produce a hybrid degree that caters to the need of aspiring data scientists. It is now not uncommon to find a Master of AI or Master of Data Science within the course catalogs of colleges and universities.

However, what is uncommon and peculiar, is to find such an offering from a hedge fund and at no expense to the student. WorldQuant through their affiliate WorldQuant University is doing precisely that.

Who is WorldQuant/WorldQuant University?

WorldQuant is a quantitative hedge fund founded by Igor Tulchinsky. Originally a portfolio manager at Millennium Asset Management, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, Tulchinsky along with his team of researchers left in 2007 to establish their own fund with a focus on quantitative strategies, amassing funds under management of approximately 5 billion USD in the process. Although pure quantitative strategies are not novel in the world of investing, what differentiated WorldQuant from tradition hedge fund models was the use of crowd sourcing to generate investment ideas.

With multi-portfolio manager structures being a common strategy in alternative investing, Tulchinsky extends this concept further by providing a platform that has allowed anyone with interests in investing to test and create their own algorithms that predict the markets, with the best performing hired by WorldQuant as research consultants. This approach leverages the power of the “crowd” while challenging the age old notion of hiring based on background and experience.

Furthermore, WorldQuant established the eponymous WorldQuant University* in 2015, a not for profit institution that provides a primer course on data science as well as a full Master of Science in Financial Engineering. Make no mistakes about its name, with units like Machine Learning in Finance, Data Feeds and Technology and Discrete Time Stochastic Processes, this is at its core a data science degree albeit with a strong focus on domain knowledge. Both programs are offered free of charge to students who have previously completed a bachelors degree and subject to passing proficiency tests in statistics and English. The master degree is two years in length, taught through distance learning and subject to the same structure and effort required of a regular university degree. Given this, it raises the question; why does a hedge fund want to offer you a free postgraduate education?

The Age of Data

The first reason may be a simple one, Tulchinsky being a successful quant wants to give back by enabling others with the skill and knowledge required to invest the way he does. This is perhaps best embodied by WorldQuant University mantra: “Talent is equally distributed globally, but opportunity is not”.

Secondly, and much more reflective of the trend in the broader industry, professional investors are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of harnessing and analyzing the large amounts of both traditional and alternative datasets that has been generated in the current age of data. This rings as true for quantitative investors as it does for their fundamental counterparts. Hedge fund giants such as Dab Loeb and Paul Tudor Jones who have traditionally been bottom-up discretionary investors have all made moves towards incorporating data-driven strategies into their existing processes.

To facilitate this migration towards a more innovative approach, they have aggressively hired academics as well as graduates from STEM backgrounds to utilize the data. WorldQuant shares a similar recruiting philosophy with over 140 PhDs on its staff. The perceived advantages to this approach is two-fold. One, those from academia/STEM remain relatively untainted by the herd mentality of the Street that compromises their ability to think objectively and two, investing in markets is easy to teach, the math and scientific rigor needed for quantitative investing, is not. In recent times, the demand for PhDs has become so prolific that hedge funds often compete in the same talent pool as large tech companies for well credentialed individuals to join their ranks.

By providing a free masters degree, not only does WorldQuant University enable participating students with a financial education, they are effectively able to produce a pool of graduates with the skills and knowledge to address this talent shortage. Given their history of crowd sourcing, it would not be surprising if high performing graduates were hired into the WorldQuant ranks upon completion (there is no disclosure of this).

Conclusion

Although WorldQuant University’s masters degree is one of many free resources available for those wanting to learn, it does emphasize an important trend that has moved to the forefront of investing, data literacy is no longer a luxury, it is quickly becoming a requirement for investors who want to stay relevant and contemporary in the current data rich environment. Those who adapt will survive and those who don’t will become a relic of the past.

Notes:

*Not yet officially accredited as a recognized provider of distance learning in the US

Disclaimers: this post is purely an expression of personal views and opinions. It does not represent advice in any way. I am not affiliated with WorldQuant or WorldQuant University and have not completed their courses.

https://towardsdatascience.com/the-hedge-fund-that-wants-to-give-you-a-free-masters-degree-in-data-science-1c61a0c75b44/

[componentplanet]

Deep Space Nine Upscale Project Update: Variable Frame Rate DVDs Can Burn in Hell

The following unhinged rant article is the sole opinion of its author. ExtremeTech does not discriminate against variable frame rate media.

In my previous two Star Trek: Deep Space Nine articles, I’ve discussed my efforts to upscale the content, provided some video and image samples, and discussed the process of slowly attempting to remaster the show using commercially available software. I have continued to make real progress on the show in terms of overall image quality, to the point that I’m turning my attention to fixing some other problems I haven’t been sure how to deal with.

Specifically: The frame rate.

In Which My Barely Video-Literate and Underslept Self Attempts to Explain the Mechanics of Hell

Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager weren’t recorded in anything as sensible as a steady 23.976fps. When these shows aired in the 1980s and 1990s, they were constructed from at least two different types of content: 23.976fps progressive content and 29.97fps interlaced content. Episodes of these shows do not run at one frame rate; they run at different frame rates depending on what’s happening on-screen. A show that runs at one frame rate, start to finish, uses Constant Frame Rate encoding (CFR). Deep Space Nine, TNG, and VOY all use VFR. Stargate SG-1 and Babylon 5 do the same thing. Most of the best nerd content of the late 1990s and early 2000s is locked behind media that go for this kind of manipulation.

One of the things I haven’t talked about, but have been privately confused by, is why so many of the filters I deployed in an attempt to fix DS9’s frame rate weren’t producing the results I wanted. When I reported in my last article that DS9 used 3:2 pulldown, in which three progressive frames of data are followed by two interlaced frames, I was right — and I was wrong.

The Deep Space Nine episode “Sacrifice of Angels” absolutely contains video footage that was mastered with 3:2 pulldown applied. It is not made of this footage. It contains interlaced frames that were there when the videos were transferred to DVD in the first place. It isn’t made of this footage, either. No, Deep Space Nine, or at least “Sacrifice of Angels,” is mostly 23.976fps (which looks fine), but with enough 29.97fps footage spliced into it to make it jarring.

Part of the problem is that interlacing and 3:2 pulldown are a lot more visible on modern LCDs than they were on older CRTs. Issues like this have cropped up in gaming as well. If you look back at reviews of these DVDs, they were lauded for their quality when the show came out in the early 2000s — and probably reviewed on CRT monitors. This, at least, is what a long-suffering video editor friend told me when I pestered him to answer my questions for three months straight a few hours.

Part of the problem is that TVEAI does a really good job enhancing half-field interlaced frames when they appear on-screen. They’re far more visible when upscaled than at native resolution.

This is what a telecined or interlaced frame looks like. You can clearly see that it’s just half a field of visual information, not the full frame.

Here’s another issue: A lot of video editing applications, including AviSynth and TVEAI itself, are none too fond of VFR content.

When I feed a MakeMKV-derived source file directly into Topaz Video Enhance AI, it detects more than 80,000 frames in an episode that ought to contain around 65,000 frames. TVEAI exposes no encoding options to the end-user, and the default output from content scaled in this mode runs at 29.97fps. If you were the kind of kid who enjoyed playing 33 1/2 RPM records at 45 RPM, you’ll be very excited by this result. If you weren’t, Captain Benjamin “Alvin” Sisko is not an improvement on the original version. (Assuming, at least, that I was nuts enough to pitch-shift the audio to match it).

If you don’t want to run content at 29.97fps, there’s another option — re-encode it at 23.976fps. Convert the interlaced frames, lower the frame rate, and you’ll end up with imperfect, highly noticeable jerks and jumps during fast-paced space combat scenes — which are exactly the ones we are trying to preserve. This is known as judder. Judder sucks.

Topaz Video Enhance AI is not the only application that gets confused by VFR content. I’ve been using StaxRip as a front-end for AviSynth+ and have been mystified as to why the program constantly detects a frame rate of 24.66fps when loaded with MakeMKV source. It turns out that 24.66fps is the average frame rate over the entire episode if you average together the relatively small number of 29.97fps scenes with the much larger number of 23.976fps scenes.

So. The goal is to duplicate the smoothness of the 29.97fps content in the stream without judder. I’ve actually made some real progress towards that goal — enough to say I feel like I’m nearing the end of the first stage of this process. (Color grading is going to be the second stage, oh joy of my heart.)

Where I’m running into trouble, however, is figuring out to remux the audio. I haven’t yet figured out how to synchronize audio to video playback at new frame rates, and the judder management isn’t perfect yet. This (near) final video is from several days ago. I’ve actually improved further on this since I ran the encode. And since if you’re reading this, you’re probably wanting to see the content, so I’ve got an interim version of the credits I’m happy to share. You’ll have to ignore the misaligned audio and you need to set YouTube to 4K for best image quality, even if you don’t have a 4K monitor.

Let’s compare this new video with the video I created back in February. There are a few things I want to specifically call out. Both videos were upscaled using Topaz Video Enhance AI, but Topaz has updated the application in the intervening period. This does not seem to have had a large impact on image quality, but may have tweaked it in some ways. The top video is April, the bottom video is from February. Run both of them in 4K mode or as close to it as you can get.

Speed: The old video runs at 49.32fps, while the new one is encoded at 24.66fps. I’m still grappling with StaxRip / AviSynth+ to get this problem out of the video, but 24.66fps is close enough to see what it’s going to look like, where 49.32fps looks artificially smooth to eyeballs used to slower video refresh.

Blur: The February video is over-sharp when it passes through the comet, while this April video is too blurry. I’ve already cleaned this up substantially since I uploaded the video a couple of days ago, so no worries on that score.

Aliasing: The February edition of DS9 is heavily aliased in certain places, like when the runabouts approach the logo in the first part of the credits. The new version shows far less aliasing. With that said, there are certain shots, like the Defiant’s final approach into the wormhole, where the ship is badly aliased no matter what I do. Haven’t figured a solution for that yet.

Shimmer: The February video makes it look as if DS9 (the station, not the show) is crawling with ants in certain places. The reason the April video looks a bit blurred is that my efforts to lock that problem down were a little too enthusiastically applied. Watch the station pans to see the difference here.

Judder: My new, enthusiastic, and least-wanted best friend has been substantially improved, but you can see some clear instances of judder in the April video, including when the runabouts pass in front of the camera and the Defiant passes the outer docking pylon. I’ve already got an encode that improves sharpness and the Defiant’s passage while yanking the frame rate down to 23.976fps rather than this dorky 24.66 faux-hybrid thing.

Overall, you can see the rate of progression from February to April in these two videos. February represents the beginning of my work, when I was just running an application through TVEAI to upscale. The April video represents the application of additional filters.

What Comes Next?

I figure it’s time I lay out a formal roadmap for where I’m going with this thing.

Video Quality: After three months of working on DS9 and literally hundreds of video encodes, I am hopeful that I’m nearing the end of the road, as far as video work. Judder is the last major problem to solve, to the extent that judder can be “solved” in the first place. I have attempted some rather … whacky experimentation to solve this problem. I launched 17 different encodes of the MakeMKV source file last night. The first 12 had serious names that reflected the settings I picked for them. #13 – #17 were named “F***It.mkv.” I’ll go downstairs later on and check the results before repairing to AviSynth documentation to attempt more testing.

I’d like to know more about antialiasing scripts than I do (most of them reference anime, not video content) and I need to run some tests to confirm that DAA is actually still getting me a visual improvement. I’d love to find a better AA solution to clean up a few niggling issues.

Color Reprocessing: I have decided to separate out any work I do on DS9’s color from the work I’m doing on the video. I haven’t dropped this aspect of the project, but I’m not picking it back up until I have the visual processing nailed down. Not everyone is going to want color tweaking in the first place, after all. Users should note that Topaz Video Enhance AI introduces some color shifting when it upscales. In the initial version of the application, this applied a subtle lightening effect in HQ-CG mode, as shown below:

It’s subtle, but you can see that the image on the right is slightly lighter than the one on the left.

Topaz recently updated the application to a new version that now appears to have a different impact on color, but I wanted to show the original. I’m keeping both the original and newer version of the application handy to cross-compare video output.

Audio: HELP WANTED: INQUIRE WITHIN.

More seriously, I expect to nail down the audio issues, too. I just can’t remember how I solved the problem last time.

Tools Used: Right now, MakeMKV, StaxRip 2.0.8 with AviSynth+, and Topaz Video Enhance AI itself. The front-end is a useful way to code AviSynth scripts. The goal is to create this project with as much free software as possible. Still evaluating a run through Handbrake, if only to try syncing the audio/video that way.

Once I’ve hammered the workflow into shape, I’m going to publish a step-by-step tutorial on how to do this on ExtremeTech. Honestly, it doesn’t take that much in terms of filters — well, not yet. I haven’t shared my specific settings yet because I’m still trying to figure out which variables and filters are the right ones to use. I don’t want to publish pieces of a guide that then become separated from the final product.

Finally: A great many people have reached out to me following the publication of my second article with encouragement, well wishes, and technical assistance. A longer list of thank-yous will accompany the final version of my article, once I’ve checked in with people and figured out how they want to be acknowledged. The help I have received from some of you has been vital to pulling off this project. Anyone with ideas on how to improve image quality or solve the judder problem is welcome to get in touch.

Once Deep Space Nine is complete, I’m moving on to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, another beloved show with an execrable 16:9 “conversion” that very few people seem to like. I’ll be using the 4:3 version of the show to see what kind of improvements I can bring to the Scooby Gang. We’ll also check in with the Blu-ray version of Firefly to see how Topaz Video Enhance AI handles upscaling already-HD content.

Now Read:

 Deep Space Nine Upscale Project Update: ‘Sacrifice of Angels’

Upscaling Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Using Topaz Video Enhance AI

Star Trek: Voyager Gets 4K Upscale Remaster via AI

from ExtremeTechExtremeTech https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/309653-deep-space-nine-upscale-project-update-variable-frame-rate-dvds-can-burn-in-hell from Blogger http://componentplanet.blogspot.com/2020/04/deep-space-nine-upscale-project-update.html

[thegloober]

The problems with English department websites and why they matter (opinion)

Clear communication is supposed to be the business of English departments. If you look hard enough — and maybe ask around — you’ll eventually find an English department website that communicates clearly. But you don’t have to look hard for clunkers. Pull up a random English department website and you’ll find sentences that don’t speak to students (or their parents).

English departments are putting out website copy that ranges from forgettable to laughable. Let’s begin with a few examples.

The first sentence on the landing page of one department site tepidly announces that their department “is concerned with the attempt to communicate, both orally and in writing.”

Unnecessarily pompous phrases like “we mount 14 to 16 courses a year in the literatures and cultures of the Americas” are common, as are vague allusions to the evergreen “critical thinking,” which seems to be a way to say “thinking” with three more syllables.

Some departments pose important questions like “Why Major in English?” but respond with trite answers: “Perhaps the simplest answer to that question is because it’s fun.”

A favorite example of mine, from across the pond: “The [department name redacted] is rather inclined to congratulate itself on its antiquity.”

Clichéd college writing is the hangover from AP and SAT test preparation benders. English professors battle these clichés in the classroom but not in the online copy that’s supposed to represent them.

No matter who’s responsible for writing this copy, it’s a depressing fact that English department websites are riddled with stock phrases. For instance, there’s a reflexive tendency to describe English faculty members as “distinguished.” A quick Google search of “English department” and “our distinguished faculty” turns up 1,430 hits. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a collective failure of the imagination.

I cite the examples above not to pick on specific offenders — I’m avoiding names and links — but rather to illuminate three unanswered questions most departments don’t appear to have asked:

Who is our audience?

What does this page need to say and do?

What kind of writing is called for in the moment? That is, how do we engage a skeptical public, members of which walk our halls, perhaps as they consider majoring in English?

Nearly as problematic as these unanswered questions is the lack of attention to design. For starters, the writing on English department sites isn’t geared for the ways we read online. All too often, English department websites feature long chunks of text — long paragraphs probably copied and pasted from a Word document.

Those undigested lumps of exposition bludgeon the online reader, who pays for our lack of attention to the visual. How we design our websites will shape whether someone reads on and discovers more about us. Poor design limits the chance of discovery, especially if someone is looking at our sites on a phone, which almost is a given at this point.

Recently updated research into online reading habits reinforces the importance of design. What are the visual elements of your website saying to your audience? Is your design complementing or hindering your message?

You might have noticed in my first example that the department “concerned with the attempt to communicate, both orally and in print,” left out the visual aspects of communication. So, too, do many English departments, forgetting that our websites are experienced, not just plundered for written content.

Hawking a Dream

So, why can’t we tell our story effectively, and why don’t we use our websites to do so? Because we (professors, mostly) don’t think much about how to pitch our major.

Our limply phrased, jargon-riddled, unintentionally elitist websites usually do just enough rhetorical lifting to reach the converted. We’re not preaching to the choir; we’re addressing wannabe preachers. We — most likely without realizing it — primarily write to readers who are hip to enough insider lingo that they can parse the clues about what a particular department is all about. To be blunt, we’re writing for the students we want, students already convinced that the English major is right for them: third- or fourth-generation college students familiar with our shibboleths.

So we don’t pitch the major, we hawk a dream. And it’s a dream that might not translate well to audiences with pasts different than the typical tenured professor. How, for example, does our language speak to first-generation students? Take the phrase “liberal arts.” Polling by Gallup suggests that phrases like “liberal arts” are all but meaningless to a wide swath of the public, especially those “at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder,” who may not have a family history of attending college.

One pitfall of departmental websites is that they can all sound alike after a while. But with similar missions and values, how can departments avoid this pitfall? How can departments find the heart of what it is they do best and communicate that to prospective students?

Tarshia Stanley, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Sciences at St. Catherine University, told me via email that “While many students are initially choosing majors based on what they think they know about themselves or the market and what they’ve been told, often by the sophomore year they are also looking for where they belong.”

One of the problems she saw in a recent analysis of more than 25 English department websites was that many of them “rush to showcase their courses or areas of expertise” and forget that “revealing why those courses and those areas matter is [more] important for a student trying to decide on a major.” Instead, departments have to “reveal who they are in their marketing materials,” she wrote, and noted that “testimonials from students and faculty members about what makes them show up to that particular department can go a long way in the quest to win majors.”

Stanley concluded, “I don’t think most departments have approached their pages as crafting a web presence; they’re [simply] disseminating information.”

And so, a gap exists between those sophomores looking to find “where they belong” and departments who might see the website primarily as a static vehicle that conveys information like requirements for graduation.

The concern here goes beyond recruitment and survival. It is about the kinds of audiences we imagine when we picture our future majors. For example, are the needs of first-generation students considered when we craft our content? (More important: if you make promises to meet the needs of first-generation students, can you keep such promises?)

I asked Stanley if, in her review of the websites, she saw English departments communicating well with first-generation college students. Her response is telling: “I didn’t see a lot attention to first-gen students. Again, the websites were often efficient at dispensing information but not as much at anticipating and answering questions. I don’t know that the designers were thinking about the nuances of the students who might be accessing the information.”

Global Problems, Local Solutions

So how we communicate on websites and other platforms what happens in our departments is a serious affair. If we keep appealing to prospective students using the same kinds of jargon that speaks to those already primed to major in the humanities, we’ll never convince first-generation and lower-income students that an English major — or any humanities major, for that matter — is an appealing and viable option.

Make no mistake: a departmental website is a chance to define your mission and goals, highlight outcomes, and concretize talking points that students and faculty members will need to advocate for funding in the future. You’re either making the most of that chance, or you’re wasting it. If it’s the latter, that might require devoting time during a faculty meeting to close reading and editing your department’s landing page. Such an activity might help articulate the department’s north star and identify a shared mission and set of practices that reflect those values.

Alyssa W. Christensen of Dear English Major told me via email that “most English department websites need a makeover, and that is reflective of a lot of English departments in general. Many websites feature outdated designs, a lack of information about all that the department offers (courses, extracurriculars, academic opportunities and so on) and zero career resources. English departments need to modernize in every way, from the way they market themselves to the actual content of their course offerings.”

And now — before your department shrinks further — is the time to do it. Because there’s a link between subpar English department websites and the national debate about the value of the humanities — which, despite having the facts on our side, we are currently losing. One reason we’re trailing is because we’re doing a terrible job advocating for the humanities at the local, institutional and departmental level.

English Ph.D.s should know a thing or two about appealing to an audience. But the shrinking band of hardy souls who darken the halls of English departments haven’t told our story well at all.

How bad are we at attracting majors? Numbers help tell the story: more than a million more bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 2014-15 than were awarded in 1970-71, and in 2015, English departments attracted fewer majors than they did then — not only as a percentage, but also in total. In 1970-71, just under 70,000 English B.A.s were awarded out of a total of about 840,000 graduates — or 7.6 percent. In 2014-15, 46,000 English B.A.s were awarded out of a total of about 1.9 million, or roughly 2.4 percent

We wonder at the drop. Our answers are telling, as we often attribute falling enrollments to forces out of our control, and thus we conveniently absolve ourselves from doing something about it.

Enrollment is often cast as a national issue rather than a local one. And for good reason: the losses have hurt everyone, and humanities enrollments are linked to broad cultural assumptions about the supposed value of particular majors. But if the problem is global, the solutions are local — and they begin with how we reach out to those who would study with us.

On their own, crappy English department websites are only small, isolated failures. The problem is the accumulated waste. We’re collectively failing to use our own digital front porches to make the national case for the liberal arts. I use the image of a front porch here with reason: porches and stoops are places where we connect. Does your website have any level of interactivity at all? Is it imposing or inviting? Does your porch invite or forbid conversation?

Needed: Better Stories

Ryan Cordell, a distinguished scholar — scrap that, I mean an accomplished innovator — is an associate English professor at Northeastern University. A while back, Cordell wrote about how seemingly innocuous jokes about English majors have a cumulative effect: “they are doing slow, small, but steady and substantive harm to a field and to students … I worry frequently that my generation of English faculty will be the last, and it seems many in the public and in some legislatures would be thrilled to wave goodbye.”

Cordell situates these digs within the discipline’s past and future: “I would argue the broad trends in literary research have been toward more capacious approaches to written culture, but those trends have largely not filtered down into the undergraduate curriculum, which largely rests on period and author courses not unlike those offered decades ago.” In other words, we’re innovating without letting it change how we reach the one public we’ve got (for now): our students.

As Cordell notes, English majors can be “keenly critical working with technology, and I believe my field can do a much better job inculcating an engaged technical practice rooted in the historical technologies of our field, such as books, rather than championing a vaguely bookish technophobia. To think about human flourishing and social justice today requires both practical and intellectual engagement with technology. We need the critical and creative capacities of English majors distributed liberally across the technical fields.”

English departments, Cordell writes, “need a lot of help if we want students to recognize the value of studying the subject even as they (rightly) look with terror at the post-graduation job market.” Students and their parents don’t know that the numbers are on our side, because we aren’t doing a good job of telling them so. We have to think of the sorts of things that would-be English majors and their anxious parents need to hear — and then say those things first.

We need to attend to national trends, but above all, we can’t believe we are helpless in the face of them. We’re not helpless. Individual departments can’t challenge macroeconomic shifts, but they can use their websites to engage local communities, prospective students and alumni. We need to start telling better stories at the local level.

The place to start telling that truth is on our department websites. We’re not telling effective stories, and even when we do, we’re telling them to only a small subset of prospective students.

Next time, I’ll offer some practical suggestions and highlight a few English departments that are getting it right. I’ve got a few model departments in mind, but please nominate candidates in the comments below, or reach out to me directly on Twitter or email.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/the-problems-with-english-department-websites-and-why-they-matter-opinion/

[thebashfulpoet]

On the ending of TCIOA

So the wonderful and lovely @notplatonicblarke left me this ginormous comment about the end of The Cracks in Our Armor that literally made my night (and quite possibly gave me an excuse to step away from hw for the time being). I would like to preface this all by saying that in no way shape or form was I offended or put off by her criticism and in fact, thoroughly enjoyed her thoughts and opinions on the ending of my beloved fic.

That being said, I would love to address some of her outstanding views on the ending and take the time to explain why I made certain decisions and left it as open as I did.

1. Bellamy and Clarke’s final fight & closure

So this is one of the scenes that had been in my mind from the very early stages of the fic and probably one of the few that went under many different transformations as not only the story developed but Bellamy and Clarke themselves. All funny moment and quips aside that happened during that fight, it serves two main purposes: revealing a lot of the underlying issues preventing Clarke and Bellamy’s relationship from progressing any further and testing the limits of Clarke’s self-imposed isolation. By the time Bellamy has driven up to New York, he has already forgiven Clarke. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this story is purely told from Clarke’s perspective that does not come off as clearly as I would want it to, especially with her tendency to manipulate things into the worst possible outcome. (Fun fact: I’m currently writing a companion fic told from Bellamy’s perspective over the last 4 or so chapters that will shed a little more light on the other half of our favorite dynamic) 

Originally when I had written this final fight between Clarke and Bellamy it ended in another sex scene, one that parallels the one first sex scene but differs in that the lust is turned into tenderness and Clarke finally stops pushing them to be something they are not. The next morning then would have been this overly serious conversation in which a lot of same things get revealed (namely Bellamy getting his fears off his chest) and Clarke would have made a final stand on her beliefs.  What changed is that by this point I feel that Clarke has already made her stance on how she felt about leaving very clear in chapter 15. She does not regret her decision to leave. What she hates is how it hurt Bellamy and that is reflected in their final conversation in the morning after their fight.

To me, there is no need for a final moment of “I forgive you” because they have already forgiven each other by simply being there and letting the other in finally. In this moment there are no more secrets and unsaid feeling between them, giving them the ground to finally move forward in their relationship.

2. The shift in the story

Okay so as many of you noticed, there is this huge shift in the story after the New Years party and the death of Finn. Even writing it, I could tell that the story had undergone a new tone, a really dark one that rivaled the relative silly and joyful one that had been building up to that point and honestly I struggle with thinking that it was too much or not a smooth enough transition, but in the end I stuck with it for two reason. 

The first is that ultimately this fic reflects the show (something many of you brilliant people have pointed out) and the character dips and struggles they face without the pressing need of an apocalypse to make them quickly deal with these feelings or bury them deep down and forget about them (something I tend to gripe about with the show). This fic takes those same feeling and transforms them into a modern setting which forces each of these characters to deal with the messy feelings. And yes, it is not always pretty. This spiral that Clarke goes on is meant to reflect her struggle to understand and accept the tragedies that have occurred throughout her life and deal with in a healthy manner.

This brings me to my second reason why I keep this shift. As cute and great as it is the Clarke is beginning to open up to Bellamy, she is still largely running away from her issues. She’s run away from Finn much like she did her mother and Wells death and hides out in the cabin with the Blakes. And while I do think that if she had stayed and Finn did not die, she would have eventually begun to open up more to the point where Bellamy could have helped her face these issues head-on, it would have taken Clarke a lot longer to reach that point whereas breaking down and having that moment with Murphy outside of the bar gives her the incentive and motivation to finally stop running. Clarke had to reach the bottom before she accepted that what she was doing wasn’t working and as the story follows her, we get to see that revelation happen in real time.

3. The open ending &  the unresolved issues with Octavia/Lincoln & Jasper/Monty

I would like to start this by saying that while this story is a Bellarke fic, ultimately the story is about Clarke’s recovery from her own deteriorating mental state and consequentially the role her relationship with Bellamy plays into that recovery. By the end of this story Clarke’s journey is not done, as the road to mental health recovery is often long, though she is beginning to make very large steps in moving towards the right direction. It is why I chose instead to have this confrontation with Raven rather than her friends back home or even Octavia. To the story, they are less significant (I’m so sorry my babies I love you, I swear) than Raven’s entire encounter in chapter 12. While short, Raven leaves a lasting mental effect that influences a majority of Clarke’s decisions after Finn’s death. It cements this mentality that she is toxic to those around them and being able to finally clear that misconception with Raven at the end and getting to move on is so important to the story I was trying to tell.

Then the question becomes what of the other characters? How do they feel and react to all of this? That is entirely up to your imagination. And I know this is a cop-out answer but every time I went to write some sort of an expositional piece about these characters (namely Octavia and Clarke) I was never satisfied. In part because I feel like for them to have a satisfying resolution it would require an entire scene in itself and like I said earlier that’s not necessarily the story I’m telling. So yes, I left it open to your imagination though I did try to give some hint as to how each of these characters feel towards Clarke (Monty/Jasper take it pretty easy as seen through their constant texts most of which were senseless banter in my mind; Miller is just done with both of the idiots washing his hands of it all). Also life so rarely ties up in a pretty bow. 

I say this all not because I am trying to convince you of my view of things (you all are readers and are entitled to your own opinions and interpretations regardless of how I intended for it to turn out) but because I love to talk about this story as much as you all do. In the words of my favorite person in the world @stillgetmyheartracing  Authorial intention ain’t shit. I honestly just love to share my thoughts and experiences that had gone into writing this fic that we both love and enjoy. And yes, it is not perfect but far from it. I’m still going through it today and fixing plot holes and weird lines that are overly done and complicated when they don’t need to be. This story is still evolving and that’s okay.  I appreciate anyone who reads this story and has any opinions on it (even if it conflicts with what I have written). And just know that I will take them all into consideration as I make the final edits.