#learn descript

[airlocksandaviaries]

OK TUMBLR PRETEND WE'RE ALL ON SET TOGETHER PICK A JOB

if you actually work/have worked as one of these pls select it and tell me in the tags im curious

if you've worked as multiple, pick your favorite

everyone else, VOTE ON VIBES ALONE!!

[theophagie]

I thought I was losing it but no, kh1 Sora's fast swimming animation really does change after you've been to Atlantica. It's a small detail, but also a cute and smart one 🥺

[1pcii]

the real reason Luffy likes zoro so much is because he is built like a bug

^^^here's a scientific (preformed studies myself) diagram to explain how.

[zygon-commander]

my cutie patootie

[uncanny-tranny]

Not a day goes by where I do not think about the advent of medicine like PrEP and wonder just what the people - especially queer people - who passed from HIV/AIDs during the AIDs crisis would think

And then, I read this survivor's testimony and it just makes me emotional. I think this is the closest answer we have. HIV has changed, and we must always remember the people who didn't see that change before it happened.

[eatsbooksarchive]

people complain about c.s. pacat’s writing in capri being sparse and impersonal, often claiming there isn’t enough access into damen’s head. i have many thoughts on this, but there are two that i need to put into words because they keep just swirling around in my brain.

one being that i think the writing style is simply true to damen’s characterization. the trilogy is almost exclusively from damen’s pov. damen, who is straightforward and blunt. damen, who does not allow himself to sit in his feelings because then he would not be able to take the action he needs to. damen, who, when he does give way to his feelings, often ends up with a sword in his hand and blood spattered on his face. things he cannot risk if he wants freedom, if he wants to protect himself and his kingdom and, eventually, laurent. would it not feel so strange if the writing waxed poetic from damen’s militaristic, straightforward, assessing mind? like really the only times the prose is more fanciful is when it comes to him loving/admiring laurent or him loving/admiring akielos, which just shows the way the writing style accords to the character we’re in the head of. even when he does begin to process his trauma in the epilogue, it’s largely unspoken, just now beginning to wash over him because to engage with it is to be overcome by it. so of course we aren’t wallowing in his emotional state; damen himself can’t even reckon with it.

two being that this style also just puts trust in the reader, which many authors don’t. in my recent experience, i feel like i’m being spoonfed obvious things in a lot of books, which detracts from my experience putting things together while reading. but the thing is, even with the writing being more pared down, you’re never uncertain how damen feels, despite it not being explicitly stated. you’re never feeling gaps in what’s going on because you’re given all that you need to understand the stakes, the world, the connections. there are layers to every word that is written, and there is weight to the ones that aren’t.

i just really love this trilogy so much and think it was so masterfully written and it hurts my heart to see ppl dog on the writing style

[star-shaped-froot-loops]

I JUST REALIZED I NEVER POSTED THIS WHOOPSIES-

I drew this after listening to the track that plays at the end of the pacifist route again, the acoustic guitar and whistling makes me emotional

really like the way the colors turned out

[icy-gendango]

Hhhhhhhhh <3

Full image under cut:

I love them your honor

[bitchthefuck1]

[puzzling-reeds]

I know this has been talked to death in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's community, but....

This is gonna have spoilers for this almost 20-year-old show. You've been warned. This analysis is also long. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm a heathen who doesn't know what word counts are.

Early-days Jack x Carly is legitimately so cute. Perfect? Nah. But pretty dang good as far as Yu-Gi-Oh romances go.

Briefly recapping: After losing (again) to Yuusei, Jack's ego is obliterated, and he starts to question his past choices. He betrayed his closest friends chasing a life that wound up being so transient, and by the time he meets Carly, Jack's regret over those decisions is at its highest.

As a journalist, Carly has her own reasons for entering Jack's orbit, but she comes to realize he's not as self-absorbed as she initially thought he was. Carly herself is a foil to the old Jack. She's driven in her work but describes herself as someone who finds joy in the success of others. She's a lot closer to Yuusei in that way, as she's willing to put aside her own interests (e.g., getting the scoop on Jack being from Satellite) for the sake of other people (e.g., having a moment of human connection with Jack when he's at his lowest).

In the end, she offers him some advice. She doesn't try to appeal to his ego and instead states that Jack is capable of redemption. He should abandon his past conception of what it means to be a king and instead try to be a "real king," someone who "brings joy to everyone."

After this conversation, Jack resolves to be a better person and leaves with more clarity on who he wants to be, symbolized by him leaving behind his fake glasses at the end. Jack and Carly part with mutual respect and a broader perspective of one another. Even later heading into the Dark Signers arc, Jack expresses worry for Carly despite his secretiveness about the signers, telling her to be careful.

And then Carly

Dies.

Her last thought is of Jack and regretting she couldn't be with him again. That regret allows her to be reborn as a dark signer, and she and Jack rocket toward an eventual clash. Her dream of being together with Jack is corrupted to such a degree that she's willing to embrace the apocalypse and rule over the ashes with Jack. Obviously, this dream contradicts Jack's new character, and he knows the real Carly would feel the same.

Their conversation inspired such a fundamental change in Jack that he's only willing to kill her if he dies with her. Moreover, Carly is presented as Jack's better half. While Jack abandoned the glasses of his earlier disguise from the park, he holds onto Carly's glasses that she lost when she died. He clings to his memory of her and--to a greater degree--her values of compassion and vicarious joy.

Before Jack can activate his trap that'll kill them both, though, Carly activates her own trap that kills her alone. In the moments leading up to her death, we get more insight into Carly's worldview.

Carly's dying wish was to be with Jack, and she's now wracked with guilt for having desired her own happiness that wasn't contingent on the happiness of others. This is Carly's internal philosophy: She is only deserving of secondhand happiness. Obviously, this is an incorrect mindset. If seeking your own happiness is wrong, then no one would ever be happy. Jack makes this point in his following comment. Notably, Jack's point doesn't entirely sink in for Carly before she dies. She continues to view her happiness as subservient to others', adopting a bystander/cheerleader role.

Still, before she dies, Carly finally confesses that she loves Jack. They're able to be together briefly like she wanted before she disappears, leaving behind only her glasses that Jack's kept with him this whole time.

Jack also confesses his own love for Carly and later reiterates that love during his duel with Godwin.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Although they don't have too many conversations together, we get enough insight into Carly and Jack's individual viewpoints on life throughout season two. Since both Yuusei and Carly are foils to Jack, I think it's worth defining how their positions differ.

Jack and Yuusei are foils regarding their ideas of bonds.

Yuusei, through his duels with Kiryuu in the Dark Signers arc, realizes that he has an extreme view of bonds. He was willing to give himself up to the police for Kiryuu, taking credit for his mistakes, and that backfired on Yuusei tremendously. In short, Yuusei's fatal flaw is that he is too self-sacrificing. It's important to note that Yuusei's flaw is apparent during their Team Satisfaction days--before Jack's betrayal. Jack's actions serve to solidify Yuusei's self-sacrificial view rather than create it.

Jack is on the other extreme. Jack is willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his dreams, but after losing to Yuusei twice, Jack starts to see the fault in that logic. His dreams were shallow without friends to share them with. It's only upon talking with Carly that Jack formally resolves to do right by others from then on. He expresses to Godwin that Carly showed him that bonds are inescapable, and during his earlier duel with Carly, Jack is willing to sacrifice himself to be together with her in death--a choice he never would've made before meeting her.

In these ways, both Yuusei and Jack are on opposing sides of this debate, and other characters motivate them to remedy their flawed positions.

Jack and Carly, however, are foils regarding their ideas of happiness.

From her final conversation with Jack in the Dark Signers arc, we learn that Carly is hesitant to pursue happiness for herself, considering it selfish to do so. She celebrates the happiness and successes of others and must learn that it is OK to seek that same happiness for herself. Jack calls her out on this warped perspective at the end, arguing that everyone would be selfish if her viewpoint were reality.

Jack, on the other hand, is originally dismissive of the happiness of other people. He betrays his closest friends in order to leave the Satellite and openly mocks Yuusei when they finally meet again in episode three and four; he feels no sense of obligation toward the well being of his friends. Carly encourages Jack to be the kind of king that "brings joy to everyone," injecting her own opinion that it is possible to find happiness in the happiness of others.

Another way Jack and Carly impact each other is through how active they are in their own lives. Although Jack is duped by Godwin, he is an active player and wants to view himself as such. He's openly upset at himself for falling for Godwin's appeals to his ego, calling himself a clown for doing so, and strives to take charge of his own destiny.

Carly, conversely, remains an observer in her own life. She is active in her career, yes, but her motivation to become a journalist is grounded in her desire to highlight and celebrate the achievements of others, not due to any personal ambition like Jack. This passiveness is further clarified by Carly and Jack's relationships with destiny. Carly frequently uses her deck as a horoscope, and Misty foretells that Carly will die. Even after Carly becomes a dark signer, Carly proclaims that she and Jack are connected by fate.

During their duel in the Dark Signers arc, Carly's dark signer voice presents itself as an extreme version of this belief: What Carly wants doesn't matter, as she has no autonomy in the face of destiny.

On the other side, Jack is the philosophical opposition. He backs Carly into a corner with his card aptly called "Change Destiny." He says that Carly inspired him to take control of his own life and encourages her to do the same with his "Change Destiny" trap. Carly has to choose whether or not to kill Jack (securing the victory she apparently wants as a dark signer) or benignly restore her own life points. She ultimately chooses the latter, proving Jack's point and his faith in her.

Even when he decides he'd rather die with Carly, Jack frames it to himself as a destiny he's chosen. He wants to go out on his own terms, not as a puppet of fate. In the end, Carly decides the same, saving Jack and encouraging him to save the world.

In these ways, both Carly and Jack's conflicting views push them toward moderating their perspectives. Their contrasting ideas of personal fulfillment and destiny make Carly and Jack's relationship rich for exploration, especially seeing as Carly still has room to grow by the time she dies at the end of the Dark Signers arc. What does her taking control of her own life look like after her revival? Does she pursue her own definition of happiness, and what does personal happiness mean to her?

So, what does happen after the Dark Signers arc?

Carly comes back to life but doesn't remember any of the Dark Signers arc. Occasionally, she feeds Jack convenient plot info or helps him out, but mainly, Carly pines comically for Jack, who wants nothing to do with her all the way through the series finale. :/

WHERE WAS THE "I WAS CHANGED BY THE LOVE OF A WOMAN" ENERGY???? WHERE WAS IT???? DID NONE OF IT MATTER????

Maybe the true clowns were the ones we became along the way.

Jokes aside, we all know this was a missed opportunity. But what could the writers have done?

My Clown Fanon Takes

Frankly, I don't think they would've had to have changed too much. Let Carly keep her memories. Let her and Jack be a couple. They can do cute cameos in the background together or a filler episode or two exploring their relationship while Carly follows leads and Jack duels. But most importantly,

Make 👏 Jack 👏 a simp!

And by simp, I don't mean pathetic. I mean have him actually treat Carly right. Jack has a rough-and-tumble nobility about him, so go the chivalrous route. I'm talking "girlfriend's heels are killing her after scoping out a gala for leads so you lend her your big man shoes and hold her stilettos" type chivalry. I don't say this because I think it'd be cute (as much as it would be), but because I think it's a natural extension of the relationship they already had.

Carly struggles to accept happiness for herself. Jack is learning to find joy in the happiness of others. It'd be fitting to have Jack sacrifice in small, healthy ways because it shows that he cares for Carly and that seeing her happy makes him happy by extension. Carly would obviously still show up to Jack's tournaments, cheer him on, and help him when he was hospitalized during the World Racing Grand Prix, keeping a good give-and-take balance in the relationship.

Similarly, the second point of exploration for Carly's character was ambition. In the beginning of season two, we see that her professional life is in shambles. Her boss sucks. She lives in her car. Keep her as a journalist, but have her pursue a different job. The WRGP is an international tournament, so perhaps expose Carly to global reporting while being at the tournament. Maybe she'd like to work on international projects?

That being considered, how would Carly's revelation impact Jack? By the end of canon, Jack decides to pursue a career in the Ride Ace Dueling league because they send him an invite. Instead, have Carly mention that she'd like to do more global work and give Jack a moment to consider what he'd like from their relationship and what he'd like to do going forward. Ultimately, Jack would be the one to apply for the Ride Ace league so that he can participate in global matches and follow Carly. It'd still be in his wheelhouse (i.e., working his way up from the bottom of a new league to be the king again), but more importantly, it'd be a choice that's in support of Carly rather than Jack's typical moves characterized by his own ambition. Not only would that solidify their devotion by the end of the series, but it would reflect a lot of growth on the part of both Carly and Jack: Carly has taken the reins of her own life and learned to accept joy for herself, and Jack has learned to weigh his own dreams and the dreams of others, finding happiness in supporting the people he cares about without sacrificing his own wants and needs.

Anyway, I fear I've gone on for too long. What are your Jack x Carly thoughts? How would you have carried their relationship into later seasons?

Thanks for reading!

[sandflakedraws]

so i'm readin various stuff on the xray cause this silly film is my current source of joy and

wait

hold up.

what...

WAHT ??? WHAT

XRAY CAST DESCRIPTION????

YEARS???

xrAY dESCRIPTION eXPLaIN!!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN FLOYD WAS HELD CAPTIVE FOR YEARS, WHAT SECRET INFO DO U HAVE ACCESS TO???

[benevolenterrancy]

Please feel very, very, very free to disregard. However, may I request a Wang Xi appreciation drawing? My man is Too Good For This World. X'D (if not, then I hope you have a lovely day! Your art is so chbi and funny and cute!)

YES YOU MAY literally where would those two be without Wang Xi? constant source of support and childcare, Wang Xi is the secret mvp, i love this man

[littlefankingdom]

Justice League meets the Batfam, but they already knew about them because of Batman ranting about his kids.

In the comics, Batman has implemented that Nightwing should be in charge of the Justice League if something happened to him BEFORE he had adopted Dick (so, when his only legal son was Jason). When Dick is called to help, he learns that people think he's Batman's son because of how Batman speaks about him, and how he is proud of nothing in his life but the man Nightwing has become.

So, let's imagine the batfam thinking they are so secretive and mysterious, and "B, it's time for you to trust your friends and colleagues more", and going to the JL to officially present the Batfam, only for them to cut them and be "You're Batman's kids, everyone knows that. He doesn't shut up about you."

Bruce doesn’t realize he does it, btw. He didn’t clearly stated that they are his kids, that he is their dad, he just starts to talk about them and how proud he is, and how competent they are, and how much he cares about them, when the discussion seems appropriate to do so. But for the rest of the JL, Batman talks about three things: the mission, his kids, and his interests if you are close and it's useful rn (him starting to rant about dinosaurs to Hal when they face dinosaurs is cute). They probably tell new recruits "Batman may seem scary, but he is really just a protective dad. Soon enough, you will hear about his kids".

[corseque]

Reminder of some Prophecies and Foreshadowing in Dragon Age, in preparation for DA4.

lots of prophecies about the sun being eclipsed, shadow and darkness consuming everything, but then curtains being pulled back, shrouds being burned, the skies opening wide, the gates of the Black City shatttering, and ancient beings awakening.

[a-mysterious-ghost]

As always, the description under their videos are top quality. Luke, your Dutch gibberish was incredible.