#re-construct

[wallacepolsom]

Wallace Polsom, Re-Construct XLIX (06 Mar 2025), paper collage, 20.5 x 28.5 cm.

[xxemo-hubrisxx]

[lucabyte]

Unfathomable and Unwelcome (Knowledge)

[mayasaura]

Favorite moment in the first Murderbot book what when someone—I think probably Ratthi?—was outraged on Murderbot's behalf, trying to explain either to or around it that its situation was unfair and slavery which is bad, and Mensah shuts him down with, "You think it doesn't already know that?"

That was when Mensah completely won me over. How clearly she understands Murderbot's full personhood; not just as a sentient being, but as a rational adult capable of understanding its own life and the injustices done to it.

[canisalbus]

I love the idea of Machete healing some unresolved stuff about himself because he realizes the things he resented about himself when he was younger are traits that Ear has but because he loves Ear it helps him to realize those traits aren't inherently unlovable. Do you think Machete or Vasco would be helicopter parents?

.

[serpentface]

Retconned Wardi firearms- a basic handgun, a highly decorative ceremonial handgun (belonging to Faiza), and a lance-gun.

Gun tech has officially been nerfed down to hand cannons (press F) (this has been a long time coming but I'd been fallacy of sunk costs-ing myself out of retconning).

Handguns are held similarly to a shotgun, with the butt pressed into the user's shoulder, one hand gripping under the barrel, and the other free to ignite the gunpowder. These represent the most advanced firearms in contemporary usage, both in make and in their use of uniform iron projectiles built to match the gun's bore for greater range and efficiency. Lance-guns are the more basal form, usually larger and mounted with the pole held over the shoulder, and are most effectively used by two people (one to hold and aim, one to light the gunpowder).

The spread of firearms is currently mostly limited to the Eastern Inner Seaway peoples (with some additional distribution via overland trade), and actual manufacture of hand cannons and gunpowder at Significant scale is limited to the region's core powers.

The reason for this limited spread is partially due to specific elements of the technology's history. Gunpowder was first synthesized by Burri alchemists and considered to be the discovery of the legendary divine weapon + solar fire of the deity Inanariya, and its formula (along with techniques for ideally refining its components) remained a closely guarded state secret. It was used predominantly in priestly contexts to generate flame and explosive sounds (in conjunction with earlier practices of generating multicolored flames with use of other chemicals), then integrated into combustible weaponry in the forms of fire lances, which would eventually develop into early handcannons.

The treatment of gunpowder as a guarded sacred or semi-sacred substance continued with Wardi adoption, where knowledge of its making is considered a closed rite. It's name (inya tsatsul or just tsatsul, a derived adoption of the Burri iñazatsūya) still reflects a divine solar association (the Burri word means 'sun's thunder', the Wardi 'inya' invokes the sun, 'tsatsul' is an adapted loanword and has no meaning independent of the substance itself), though its priestly use is now predominantly associated with the firearm'ed Odonii (rather than priests of the solar Face Inyamache). The composition of gunpowder can no longer be regarded as a Secret by any means, though efforts to obscure the methods of its creation are still moderately successful and has kept knowledge of gunpowder manufacture more limited than the total sphere of firearm usage itself.

The actual strongest limiting factor of firearm usage is the rarity of natural saltpeter deposits necessary for making gunpowder. The practice of actively producing saltpeter via nitraries has not been developed anywhere in the setting, and all is instead obtained via natural sources. These sources are rare and limited within the current spread of firearm technology, and result in gunpowder being a limited and expensive substance to produce. The weapons themselves are also very expensive to manufacture (a good quality steel SWORD is far too material-cost prohibitive for most people to own), particularly high quality firearms designed for use with standardized ammunition.

These guns are also very basal, and logistical difficulties in their use (weight, very slow loading and firing speed, high visibility, Relatively low reach and accuracy) along with the restrictive cost of production has kept firearms far from rendering conventional weaponry, armor, and projectiles obsolete (even within the societies that have access to them). They are still, however, very devastating in use within their contemporary context, particularly in that high quality guns have a longer range than the best arrow-based projectiles, and utterly negate most contemporary forms of armor at close range.

[paintpanic]

I've mentioned this idea before on my blog, but I've decided to properly introduce you to my Resurrection AU!

The basic idea is that as Kirby and co. are returning from the New World post-Forgotten Land, they start to get reports of people coming back from the dead!

The Characters:

She's trying make it up to everybody she's hurt, especially Taranza, which is going to be a long and arduous process for her. She's determined to try and make things right, though.

In his search for ancient knowledge, Void enlists the help of Magolor, who's agreed to help him out and house him in exchange for a little help with his theme park.

Elfilin's staying with Kirby in Dream Land while he recuperates from everything. Much to his chagrin, Fecto Forgo is staying in Elfilin's head. These two have to figure everything out between them while adjusting to "normal" life.

Other characters are also relevant, of course.

This AU's nowhere close to being fully fleshed out. I've got bullet points for the main plot, but that's about it for now. I'll develop it more eventually. In the meantime, please feel free to send me questions or thoughts you have about this!

Thanks for reading!

[shipofthesis]

Wild to me that some people entertain the notion of Mikage and Tokiko being Utena’s parents when a) Mikage’s defective (homo)sexuality and inability to fuck is so central to his arc and character defined by ineffectiveness and b) TOKIKO LIVES.

No Tokiko can’t be a ghost because her entire point is to Live A Normal Life. If she had a daughter surely she would mention it as she recounts her mundane, domestic, as-scripted existence. Especially in combination to her remark about flowers must die to fruit.

Mikage’s whole problem is he cannot cross the barrier.

Even years later as a “better”, more effective man, he can’t. He’s disconnected. With himself, with others, with time and space.

He is inanimate, a robot, revolving in place. Nothing he does in the Black Rose arc has any lasting consequences, he leaves no mark on the world. He is not a dynamic character, but a plot device. He is a transformative catharsis for his duelists and a warning for Utena and little more. Being something so significant as Utena’s father is antithetical to how the narrative treats him.

[sweetestflow3rs]

lol dolcord is a cesspool. im palestinian, and the deplorable shit ive seen people say about my people and nation on that server is vile. vrel wont do anything, they always enable puri and devil and the other mods

WOW THATS SO!!!

[rhaenin-time]

Targ antis: Haha wouldn't it be hilarious if Aegon the Conqueror was infertile and actually the whole Targaryen dynasty is ILLEGITIMATE?

Targ appreciators: Isn't it interesting to entertain the possibility that Aegon the Conqueror was infertile and actually the whole Targaryen dynasty is, by Andal standards, "illegitimate?"

[wallacepolsom]

Wallace Polsom, Re-Construct XLVIII (25 Oct 2024), paper collage, 21.6 x 21.4 cm.

[chaddavisphotography]

The demolition of an 8 story office building on Nicollet Mall to make way for an expansion by Westminster Presbyterian Church.

[dorianbrightmusic]

a primer for all my mutuals watching me go through a Persona 2 hyperfixation

basically, so y'all understand what these memes/headcanons/fanarts/liveblogs of me weeping are, i present a terrible explanation of the Persona 2 duology for all those of you who are confused. Spoilers ahead.

-There are two games that constitute Persona 2: The first is Innocent Sin, and that timeline gets yeeted at the end in favour of the second game, Eternal Punishment

-The protagonist of IS is Tatsuya Suou. He's a (canonically!) bisexual mess. He's great with swords and great with dudes, but otherwise horrible at communication. He's autistic motorcycle man. He's the only one whose memory is not nuked by the timeline reset, and it destroys him internally

-In both games: rumours are becoming reality. Ways such rumours get utilised: A tyrannical school principal reverses his male pattern baldness; one guy can recite pi to the hundredth thousandth place; Hitler is alive and wearing sunglasses;

-Tatsuya has childhood friends in IS. They have amnesia because trauma, but then remember because more trauma. These friends include: Maya Amano (see below); a white girl who punches dudes; THE GREAT MICHEL, ROCKSTAR AND UNDERPANTS GANG LEADER; and one (1) traumatised gay murderer who's also the resident astrology bitch

-(The party also includes Yukino, a sane lesbian)

-There is a gay romance option between Tatsuya and Astrology Bitch, and you are a coward if you don't select it

-Astrology Bitch is a clown for half of IS. Specifically, a Tumblr sexyman murder clown.

-The protagonist of EP is Maya Amano. She wears a jacket with lovehearts sewn over each breast, and at the end of IS, she gets stabbed with the lance that pierced Jesus, and dies

-Maya dying sets off an apocalypse, destroying the world. To reverse the apocalypse, childhood friends petition the local god to yeet this timeline in favour of one where they never met (that being the world of EP). If any of them remember that they know each other, then the new timeline is at risk of being destroyed (that being the plot of EP)

-Tatsuya, autistic motorcycle man, loves his friends too much. As a result, he remembers the old timeline, and now, it's up to New People to prevent the EP timeline hurtling into an apocalypse

-New People feature: Maya Amano (not dead), Ulala 'I sell lingerie and punch dudes' Serizawa, two (2) Copyright Free Gendo Ikaris, and a character from the original Persona (yes, the one where there's a Japanese character who got made black in the botched localisation. Sorry, Masao/Mark)

-Copyright Free Gendo Ikari #1 is Katsuya Suou. He's Autistic Motorcycle Man's older brother, has a stick up his arse (to quote one fic), and acts nothing like Gendo – just looks like him on a budget. He has a cat allergy. He's a homicide detective. He wanted to be a pastry chef. (My heart is in tiny pieces—)

-Copyright Free Gendo Ikari #2 is Baofu. He looks nothing like Gendo, but is as smug and as scheming.

-Both Copyright Free Gendos wear sunglasses at night. They hate each other btw

-EP also features Anna Yoshizawa, a sane lesbian, and Noriko, an insane lesbian

-Tatsuya's memories get yeeted at the end of EP, and it's the only case of amnesia in media where it actually feels like a well-earned relief, rather than a cheap plot device

[paintpanic]

Resurrection AU: Joronia

Upon coming back from the dead, Joronia is currently staying with Taranza, the only person in Dream Land she knows. She is sleeping on his couch in his small home in Dream Land.

She remembers everything she felt and did while corrupted, which she feels terrible about. She's taking the initiative to find everyone she's personally wronged and make it up to them however she's able, which will be very difficult and embarrassing for her.

Joronia is energetic and driven, but a bit haughty. She's struggling to adjust to the life of a relative commoner, having been raised in a palace with every need of hers met. Joronia's very outgoing, but she struggles at connecting with other people.

Her biggest worry is about her friendship with Taranza, and whether it can be repaired after everything she's done.

(AU explanation here!)

[its-all-papaya]

i have three thoughts and they are:

i finally made it long enough post-publishing the nutcracker suite to do a full read-through of the fic with some authorial distance just now (have probably read every bit of it separately at some point since then in the midst of answering comments etc) and. yeah i think this is the best fic i've ever written (including dad lando) so.... crazy that it came from a fucking trick-or-treat ask on halloween and had not a prayer of being finished until like two weeks ago when i locked in and refused to lose.

i bought a picture frame at a thrift store that's too small for any of my prints. someone talk me into or out of (don't care which) printing the landoscar champagne photo from abu dhabi and framing it on my actual bedroom wall.

i'm back in my apartment after ten days with my parents and a) i'm sad i wanna go back to them and my dog and b) my hand soap here smells critically like dad lando. i don't think i will ever be able to buy this specific kind again without triggering the highs and lows of typing 100k of kid fic.

[fideidefenswhore]

Do you think Catherine and Arthur of Aragon had sexual intercourse?

well, yes!