#now to parse that

[relto]

my coworker lent me his super fancy oscilloscope for testing, so now i know:

sending a vector encodes the data weirdly

sending a long int DOES work, but the numbers arrive in reverse order (??)

iterating over the vector works great! i can see a response on the oscilloscope! now i just have to figure out how to actually receive it.

[toastytrusty]

i think it finally clicked what about cassian and luthen's relationship i find so compelling. when cassian officially joined the rebellion at the end of season one, he effectively surrendered all of his autonomy to luthen. "kill me or take me in." he literally put his life in luthen's hands. he clearly had very little will to live, and beyond giving luthen the choice to kill him, he gave luthen the choice to give him purpose again. and not Just purpose, either, but full control over the rest of his life, as well. he became part of the cause because he felt he had nothing else left, and was either going to effectively kill himself, or let someone else dictate every single thing he does until he dies anyway, now with a reason behind it, now able to plausibly deny it being wanted. it's simultaneously an admittance of defeat, where he is telling luthen that he won, and an act of defiance, where he is challenging luthen to discard him rather than use him. and obviously luthen would rather use him.

but then there is the bix aspect. cassian's hopelessness at the end of s1 implies that he did not, at that point, see bix as an adequate reason to keep going. not as a reason to stay alive, not as a reason to stay present in anyone else's life. it was not worth remaining an individual, for her sake or his own. and obviously a lot of that is from the insane depressive grief that the whole Ordeal of s1 + losing maarva was. but still. he was very closed off, and singlemindedly thinking about his own ability to give himself to the rebellion. which makes his protectiveness over her in s2 all the more compelling. he is repeatedly getting worked up over her well-being, and acting out in ways that are possibly jeopardizing to the rebellion. it's such a fascinating transition, and regardless of how they got there again, i think in season 2, cassian sees bix as his last place to be human. the one person in the galaxy he can be an individual with, rather than a tool. which is why, in my current, ever-evolving understanding of these characters, i think he gets so contradictory and confused about what he wants from her. he wants her to be strong and a soldier so they can go to war together, because the war is so terribly important to him, but he also wants her to prioritize her own safety over anything else and never put herself at risk, because if he loses her he loses himself. this is necessarily the conflict between them.

which comes to the incredible exchange between cassian and luthen about bix in episode 6 of s2, where we can see how much this conflcit is affecting cassian. he can't stand that luthen is potentially putting bix in danger, and can't stand that luthen is treating them like droids, rather than people. but then. then luthen Reminds cassian. he reminds cassian that he already surrendered his autonomy. he already surrendered his individuality. "we're not who we were when we started." cassian chose this; chose to change for this, chose to give up being a person for this. he doesn't get to now choose to put bix, his one haven, over it. she needs to be able to handle herself, because cassian asserting himself by worrying about her compromises their entire system. "you will have to decide when it becomes too large a problem." but cassian's response is the most important part: "no. that's gonna be up to you." he's essentially turning it back on luthen. if luthen expects him to remain compliant in the way his role calls for, then luthen needs to be fullfilling his side of it, and making sure cassian has an environment that he Can remain compliant in, without compromising anything. "you want my blood? you help me solve this." he is finally standing his ground on something to luthen, asserting himself in a way that is basically begging luthen to let him submit again. he wants to be part of the cause; he still wants to be able to lose himself in it, but he also needs bix, and will not give up the life he knows is possible to share with her.

[hlkproductions]

theyre like infinity stones to me. useless when apart yet unstoppable when fused to my hand.

[commsroom]

Okay! Obviously, I love Wolf 359. The available scripts for Wolf 359 are recording scripts, meaning they're inaccurate in a ton of places when it comes to finalized or improvised dialogue, and don't function well as transcripts (especially since the scripts for the live show and some of the mini episodes were never made available.) That said, I think everyone should read the scripts; the sheer amount of physical description that you can feel in the show, even if you can't see it... I guarantee it will enhance your listening experience. Most visual show to ever be an audio drama. So, in pursuit of both of these goals at once, I went over every word in the scripts, and wrote up new scripts for the unavailable ones. Some of the sound effects described - especially in early episodes - might not line up exactly, because I didn't want to mess with the non-dialogue portion of the show, but I hope this strikes a good balance and can be a useful resource.

[bogkeep]

the fondest memory i have of getting to be at my Most annoying and pedantic was back when i was hanging out at a forum, and some guy was like, loudly complaining about overhearing a group of teen girls at a grocery store say harrison ford was the best actor ever. he was deeply incensed that these girls were not even CONSIDERING other historically acclaimed and objectjvely better actors before making their absolutely definitive statement.

on one hand it's already funny enough that we had to explain the concept of a hyperbole to who i remember to be a middle aged man, and maybe it was just a way of letting him concede with grace (he really did act like he had never before heard of the concept of teens making exaggerated statements without meaning it literally. like i'm autistic too but i struggle to believe that).

unfortunately because of who i am as a person, and because it was in my art history student era, i was like, sure, i'll play along. what are the objective criteria for Best Actor Ever. by what measure do we make this claim. how do we define an actor, how do we define excelling at the skills of an actor. how do we ensure that we account for bias towards gender and race? are the insitutions awarding actors for good performances objective? does such a thing as as The Best Actor Ever even exist? how do you know your favourite actors are objectively better and it's not just the perception from what your generation prefer in terms of media? people across time and place have vastly different ideas of what art is good and beautiful - did you know that many roman marble statues were painted in their day, and today we in western cultures would find the colors garish and much worse than the pure marble white? or how we love the sculpture nike of samothrace, but objectively that is a broken sculpture missing its head and arms, and it's very likely that the ancient greeks would not find her as pleasing as we do today, but because of the culture of art we have today we find elegance in the way it is broken? and -

i think the guy made a fair attempt at engaging with the discussion before he gave up. i will give him that

[front-facing-pokemon]

[cogentranting]

Stiles being possessed by the Nogitsune works perfectly because Stiles very much fits the trickster archetype. He's defined by his cleverness, his penchant for tricks and jokes, a general playful mischievousness. (His name is Mischief!)

But Stiles is a very different type of trickster. First of all because he's a trickster from a position of weakness. He doesn't have power or status, which makes him vulnerable, and he works around that vulnerability by being cleverer than everyone around him in order to protect himself. Secondly, he's a trickster but (generally speaking) his tricks are ultimately about uncovering truth. He's the one who solves mysteries, who sees through liars, who unmasks. He plays with half-truths and deception but it all ultimately trends toward revelations of truth.

The Nogitsune contrasts all that. It plays its tricks from a position of power. It's ancient and powerful and over time has become nearly unstoppable. So its tricks are not to protect itself but to toy with something/someone inherently weaker. And in accord with that, where Stiles tends toward revelation, the Nogitsune trends toward confusion. It intentionally obscures truth. While Stiles might use those lies and half-truths as a tool, it serves the ultimate task of illuminating what is real. The Nogitsune operates in the reverse, using bits of truth to convince people of lies, creating fear, strife, and confusion as its ultimate end.

So it works really well as an arc because it takes Stiles' basic character archetype and then pairs him with a darker version of it as a real threat of what, on some level, he might become if he were to lose himself. If he were to lose himself in his grief, or lose faith in the face of his own fears, then he might end up reveling more in deception than in truth (because he does not like the truth or for the sake of grasping the power he never had); he might end up feeling the need to get more and more power over people using tricks in order to feel safe.

Which is why it doesn't work to defeat the Nogitsune by trying to outfox the fox. Instead the key to defeating the Nogitsune is leaning into what makes Stiles and the Nogitsune different, which is the orientation toward truth. Which is why the divine move is seeing through the trick to see what's real, and why that revelation comes from Stiles.

[zimms]

wait actually, sick and twisted au where parse is actually british and he got his nickname because his juniors teammates (jack included) were mocking how he called "pass" across the ice

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

"contentment in singleness" doesn't require you to stop desiring marriage & family. it doesn't require you to stop pursuing marriage & family.

Christians are called to be content in any situation--that doesn't mean we abandon all our good desires and concrete goals.

contentment is to trust/rest in God's promises to love you, provide for you, and make you holy.

you can do all of those things, and earnestly want and seek a husband.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

"Favor from the Lord" meaning, of course, blessing as the result of a life molded by wisdom.

Now, how can one find a good wife without seeking? Seek without wanting? And how can wisdom and contentment be mutually exclusive?

[yippeedragons]

im about to make a suggestions thread on this but just a small accessibility feature i always think about whenever i use arlos :')

[beepboopimaproblemchild]

Constantly writing a Jason who isn't as mischaracterized as in the comics (2006-2011 for instance) is exhausting. Trying to make him have a believable personality is exhausting, like how emotional is he? How much does he love his previous family? Should he reconcile with Bruce? Whats his relationship with Dick like in this characterization? How do I stick to a canon that doesn't even portray Jason in a stable way? Like girl please.

Getting so fed up I might just make Jason a full on bitch again. Really cleanse the tl with a Jason that does not give a shit. It'd be so much easier fr 😩

[phoenixwithapencil]

You ever think about how the Kings of Yore are nearly exclusively remembered in full, faceless, often nearly inhuman battle regalia, weapon in hand?

What were their names? Not their titles. Their names.

[smile-files]

a happy-go-lucky darling who also happens to possess a lust for blood... being a magical girl gives her the best of both worlds!

[rebel-moons]

I think it can be easy to overlook in the midst of all the other stuff Snyder tackles in his movies, but I love the way he writes romantic relationships.

Kora seeing kindness as a virtue worth dying for, and Gunnar being shown to be kind above all.

Kora resisting a deeper relationship with Den - who is described with attributes the villagers admire such as the best hunter and a loyal friend. Gunnar is shown to be just a simple farmer, trusting and honest to a fault, but it is him she wants is drawn to.

Kora believes she is incapable of loving and being loved. But it’s Gunnar’s love for Kora that saves her in the end.

[sunnnfish]

SASAKI TO MIYANO UNIVERSE ULTIMATE TIMELINE!!!!

crawling out of the spreadsheets covered in blood

have YOU ever wanted a one stop shop for major events and when they take place in the Sasaki to Miyano and Hirano to Kagiura series ?!?!??!!!??!?!?!? HAVE I GOT THE THING FOR YOU !!!!

ITS HERE !!! not 100% perfect because it'd never get posted if i tried to make it perfect. there are inconsistencies and probably typos and a fair amount of bias but its something. and also a testament to how crazy this series makes me.

for a little backstory. timestamp on the original document says it was made May 22, 2022, at 8:41 PM. it was intended for personal use when i was in peak kagihira analysis mode, to figure out when things were happening in each series and how they related to each other. if that makes sense. and THEN i started taking extensive and biased notes. probably over-noted too many chapters but WHO CARES ! Anyways and Then i figured the whole world could use this. So here we are

theres blood sweat tears and probably a bit of my soul in this thing. please please please let me know if theres anything i missed or got wrong or anything you may want me to add!! i genuinely want this to be like an ultimate resource. so pleeeeaaase tell me if anything is unclear etc etc etc. i love all of you and peace and love on planet sasamiyaverse...

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Golden Mercy Ch 2 (Hyrule Warriors story)

Summary: When Ganondorf returns during Hyrule Warriors, he’s on a mission to make things right, though what that means is beyond everyone around him. Kidnapping the Hero of Hyrule and telling him he’s protecting him from the Queen is not what anyone expected, and nobody can quite figure out what his ultimate goal is. Link sure is confused, though, and… starting to realize there’s more to Ganondorf than just being a monster. Zelda, on the other hand, is quickly spiraling with panic and fear over losing her friend and Hero, as well as trying to protect her kingdom from such a threat that was so dangerous the previous Hero split his soul into pieces to prevent him from ever returning.

(AO3 link)

Previous // Next

Chapter 2 - The Oncoming Storm

The majority of the coronation celebration was outside, as the castle was still too damaged to house such a party. It did mean it was an easy place to hide from the crowds, though, giving Link a break.

The Hero of Hyrule was easily recognizable in his garb, gifted to him by General Impa during the war. It was strange to think how much had changed since then, how the war was now over, how the princess had just been crowned queen. Link was proud of Zelda, was happy that it was over, but sometimes wandering among the common folk and being gawked became too much, even though he had grown far more accustomed to it.

He hadn’t quite figured out how to handle everyone looking at him as a symbol of victory.

He was always looked to, wasn’t he? When the Triforce of Courage had first claimed him, Impa had known his destiny was far grander than he’d realized. He’d tried everything in his power to live up to that expectation, to the proud green and blue that he wore. And he supposed he had lived up to it, with a few hiccups. But… somehow, he’d hoped, when it was all over, that perhaps all eyes would not be on him anymore.

He certainly was naïve, he supposed. It wasn’t as if the attention wasn’t validating, of course. But still… he hardly knew wha to say to so many. He knew he’d have to step up, to figure out how to navigate this new battlefield of sorts. It wasn’t as if he would be stepping back anytime soon. Hyrule still needed help.

Link leaned against a cold stone wall, disappearing into the shadows cast by a pillar beside him. He didn’t stay hidden for long, though, when he heard the sound of chainmail and metal shoes, and he turned to see his queen.

Link knelt automatically, wishing Proxi were here to verbally acknowledge Zelda so he wouldn’t have to. He wasn’t entirely sure how to acknowledge her now, after all.

“Hello, Link,” Zelda greeted with warmth, motioning for him to rise. When he did so, she smiled at him. She looked… tired in the moonlight.

During the war, they’d held a camaraderie. It had helped that she’d hidden her identity initially as Sheik, making her just a fellow soldier instead of the Princess of Hyrule. After her secret had been revealed, it had created a bit of a tension between the pair, but the war had pushed them together so much it had seemed to finally lift.

Until the war’s end. Until Zelda had started to look at the capital once more, and had started to try and reel in her people as much as the enemy. As soon as her duties had expanded from war to ruling, it had reminded Link of who she was, and though they still were familiar and friendly to each other, it was… he didn’t know. There was something strange to it now, a new knowledge between the two that created awkwardness.

He missed just being friends.

“We have a long road ahead of us,” Zelda noted quietly, looking down. The cheers and festivities from outside seemed so far away. “So much has been lost.”

Her words made his heart ache. Link had seen more battlefields than he could count, and he’d lost so many soldiers. Hyrule had lost many of its people. The one good thing was that the majority of the war had been in open fields – though some attacks had been on settlements and villages, most hadn’t involved civilians. But Zelda wasn’t wrong – they had much to do, and Link was eager to help, even if he wasn’t sure how.

After all… he was a soldier. He’d spent most of his life preparing for battle, and he’d grown up forged in the flames of war. The war was over.

The war was over.

So what was his purpose now? What was he supposed to do?

He shook his head subtly. He’d trained to be a knight in a time of peace. War may have forged him into a man, but he still knew how he could contribute. It was just… far different now, after everything.

Zelda fiddled with something around her neck, showing him a necklace. He’d seen it once in a while, when Zelda had been in more casual attire between fights. It had a locket on it, with the Sheikah eye on the outside. He’d never seen what was inside it, though.

“My parents gave me this,” she said, staring at it with sad eyes.

Link felt compelled to say something, heart moved with grief. “I’m sorry.”

The queen bit her lip, squeezing the locket in her palm. Then she smiled at him, motioning for him to come closer. He did so obediently, and she gently placed the necklace around him. He stared at her, surprised and confused.

“You are the Hero of Hyrule,” she said, her smile remaining, but her tone became more formal. “I was right when I thought it was you. You have proven yourself time and again, Link. As the Hero of destiny, you are my Hero. I want you to have this and remember that.”

Link found himself entirely lost for words. This locket had been a gift from her parents – it seemed wrong for him to have it. But her words held a depth and meaning to them that made his heart skip a beat, it gave him the same shivers he’d always get when people spoke of his destiny to save the world.

Perhaps that was the chasm that had grown between them. They could no longer just be war buddies anymore, he supposed. She was a Queen, and he was the Hero.

He wasn’t just the Hero, though, as she said. He was hers. Lana had said it as well. Two souls, eternally bound together.

Bound together.

Link swallowed, uncomfortable all of a sudden. He wished he had time to actually consider what that meant. It was strange, really, how their primary enemy could be so obsessed with him over reasons he still couldn’t fully comprehend. Yes, he was an attractive man, he knew that, but the idea behind the Soul of the Hero… and his greater destiny…

He’d tried to talk to Lana about it once. She’d been as uncomfortable to address it as he was. They hadn’t gotten far before they’d been interrupted anyway. Now that the ceremony was over and Lana had departed, he doubted he’d ever get that chance again.

Zelda sighed, looking away, taking a step towards the window. “Over one thousand years ago, an ancestor of mine nearly destroyed Hyrule. He accused the Sheikah of becoming too powerful with their technological prowess, fearing their betrayal. He attacked the Gerudo, our allies, over a past war and the whiff of treachery. He nearly destroyed the people’s faith in the monarchy entirely.”

Link paused, blinking, wondering where this was going. Zelda continued, “All it took was one bad king to nearly ruin the kingdom. His wife tried to pick up the pieces as best she could. She named their daughter Zelda, a name that hadn’t been given to a royal since the days of the Sacred Diplomat and the Imprisoning War. It brought a sense of duty and hope to it. People thought that maybe danger was coming as well, with a bad king and a princess named Zelda… but nothing happened. The princess took the throne and was a good queen, and she helped try to patch up the mess her father had made.”

When she didn’t say anything else, Link walked up to her, prompting a response, and she smiled sadly, looking at her reflection. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? The difference one monarch can make. She helped rebuild the kingdom, just like her previous namesake. She became known as Zelda, the Healer. Her life was proof that the Imprisoning War’s seal had worked – a time where a ruler who bore such a name lived while Hyrule was in peril, and not once was there a threat from a demonic force.”

Her smile faded. “Yet I almost let a sorceress release him again. I am the first to bear the name since the Healer, and the kingdom has fallen into ruin under my care.”

Link’s eyes widened, and he took a small step forward. “Zelda—”

“I am a queen of bones, ash, and rubble,” Zelda said sharply, glaring at him, tears in her eyes. “I did this, Link.”

“You fought for your people, you defeated Cia,” Link argued. “You had faith in me when even I didn’t. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have the Master Sword, the kingdom would still be at war.”

Zelda’s sharp look softened, and she sighed. “Destiny was on our side, yes. As it always is. It was silly of me to ever doubt it at any point. The goddesses look out for their people. We will fulfill our divine duties together, Link.”

Well, at least she seemed to be feeling better. But what destiny awaited him now? Hers was obvious, but Link… would he simply remain a captain in the military?

Zelda turned to face him fully, reaching out to hold the locket as it hung around his neck. “You are my Hero. Fate has interwoven our lives together, time and again. Together, we will rebuild Hyrule. The last Hero joined with the queen, as the goddesses dictate. Cia knew it to be true, and when she defied it she failed. Even Lana knows it. How can we go wrong, then, with such ties between us?”

An unfamiliar feeling sank over him, like icy water pouring over his body. Zelda wasn’t supposed to be someone who made him feel this unsafe, feel like Cia was whispering in his ear while he stormed her castle filled with idols of himself.

Link swallowed. He wanted to argue a little, to clarify what he thought she was implying. There was no way the two of them could—she surely wasn’t suggesting they married, was she? They were friends, but that—such a commitment—

Was that what was expected of him, as the Hero of Hyrule?

Zelda nodded to herself, sighing. Then she smiled, seeming almost relieved. “With the dreams and everything… I’m glad it was you, Link. I’m glad it was someone I knew and trusted. You’re a good man.”

Link tried to smile in return, feeling somewhat ill at ease with her cryptic words but still somehow comforted by the warmth of her tone. “I’ll always be here for you, Zelda.”

His friend almost giggled, letting out a breathy laugh. “I’m glad destiny brought us together.”

Link felt his smile grow strained. Although he shared the same sentiment, the heaviness of the implications nearly crushed him. He wished desperately that Proxi were there as he lost his nerve. Zelda sighed, patting him on the shoulder.

“We should probably get back to the party,” she sighed. “I’m glad you wanted a break too. I thought I was the only one overwhelmed.”

Link did find he could speak to that. “I’m surprised. You… I mean, you grew up with this.”

Zelda glanced away, moonlight cascading through torn curtains, creating patterns on her face and hiding the rest of her in shadow. “I always had my parents before. It’s… different now. When I’m the only one. Besides… I… I chose to hone my skills as a warrior for a reason. I knew I would be in the spotlight eventually, but I… never enjoyed the thought of it.”

Link felt his heart clench, and he unconsciously fiddled with the locket that now sat in his scarf. “You’re not alone, Zelda.”

The queen remained motionless a moment, processing the words, before closing her eyes and smiling. “Yes. I’m not alone.”

She smiled at him once more, all the warmth of a merry hearth radiating from her and filling his heart. “Let’s go together, Link.”

As much as he didn’t want to rejoin the party and the scrutiny, he’d do so for his friend. As much as he was not keen on being gawked at, he felt safer with her. But a touch of unease still made his stomach churn, her words from earlier clenching in his heart and twisting it.

Destiny had tied them together. And he… was grateful for it too, truly. But… Link had… he’d always wanted to help. But perhaps… he didn’t know. He just…

Why did he feel like he didn’t have a choice in this? Why did Zelda act like she didn’t have a choice in this? She was relieved that Link was the Hero, as if… as if she’d been fearing her life would be interwoven with someone she wouldn’t like, as if she had no say in the matter over her own fate.

He didn’t know. He just… he didn’t know.

What did it truly mean, he wondered, to be the Hero of Hyrule? What lay ahead now that the war was over?

The war that had been fought because of him.

Because of him.

Link suddenly felt cold dread freeze his blood, and he stopped as Zelda continued ahead. Cia’s obsessions, her whispers, her desire still made his skin crawl. He felt like he didn’t even have control of his own body, his own being, and…

You are my Hero. Fate has interwoven our lives together.

Link stayed hidden in the shadows, hugging himself, suddenly cold and alone.

XXX

General Impa watched the festivities from afar. She wasn’t uncomfortable in the crowds, but she wanted to keep an eye on someone.

Queen Zelda reemerged from one of the castle entrances, looking far more content than when she’d entered, and the Sheikah woman sighed a little, relieved. She figured some time with Link would help cheer the girl.

Impa had watched Zelda grow up. She’d served the king and queen faithfully for ten years, and had been the princess’ guardian in that time, tasked with the highest honor a Sheikah could ask for. Zelda had always been a good and cheerful child, enjoying her time by playing music, having imaginary tea parties, and, eventually, training both her magic and combat abilities. It had been a strange turn of events to Impa when the young princess had asked her to teach her how to fight. When questioned on the matter, Zelda’s response had simply been, “I want to be brave.”

Impa could still hear the little ten-year-old’s voice as if it were yesterday, could still hear her rebuttal. “You don’t have to hold a sword to be brave.”

“You make me brave,” the little princess had replied, as if that explained everything.

The general watched the queen now, how she squared her shoulders as if marching onto the battlefield. Even now, she still held fear in her heart. Impa knew the teenager was insecure, knew that she’d fought hard to protect herself from her own anxieties, how the beginning of the war had nearly destroyed her, and she knew she would triumph over that fear now. Zelda had survived the war, the terrors and mistakes and victories and losses. If she could handle that, she could handle being queen. The people loved her, and she had Link and Impa to help her.

There would be hardships, Impa knew that. But with the conflict behind them, she knew that whatever the future brought, it would be easier in comparison. Zelda’s nightmares that had scared her throughout her childhood were over.

Far from the festivities, blades clashed amidst the desert sands. To the north the white sorceress sat alone in her destroyed home, head in her hands, body wracked with pain, heart wracked with guilt.

And, just like that, the cursed cycle forged anew as amber eyes glared into the ruins of the desert.