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foryouthegays · 4 years

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techno liveblog w timestamps lets go for ‘a new home (dream SMP)’ stream

good laugh times: 00:13:50, 00:14:55, 1:38:45, ik it doesnt look like a lot but like u should watch the stream anyway bc philzas there and his laugh is amazing and they just go so well together

times techno calls phil his friend: 00:6:00 00:37:00, 00:45:17, 0:1:09:30, 01:11:15, 01:26:35, 01:50:05, 2:35:00

FSDJKFAF;LS HE KEPT THE MUTED INTRO IN JHKADFLS (ends at 00:1:25)

i like how, when faced with Leaving Youtube, techno would choose to be an author. i want a book by techno. reblog this if u want a book by techno (with an audiobook by him as well) /hj. 00:1:33

i love how he says ehhhhhh so much lskjhdfas (abt 2 mins in)

who the FUCK just remembers that the word fortuitous exists wtf 00:5:17

00:7:45 PHILZA TIME PHILZA TIME LETS GO

00:8:55 tommy time :/

0:14:10 rANBOO JUST WALKS IN, LOOKS AROUN ,AND LEA VE SIM CRYING

i love how much philza laughs at technos jokes bc pretty much everything he says IS a joke he just says it in such a serious voice that p much everyone else is like,,,yeah,,,,yup,,,,and phil just knows when hes joking and his laugh is so good with technos voice. sbi? whos that? i only know philza and technoblade

00:19:30 ghostbur joins! this is my first time hearin ghostbur btw

00:19:40 haha string axe technos so bad at crafting what a fool /j

00:21:07 ghostbur: “Even I remember how to make a fishing rod!” ghostbur u just MURDERED technoblade oh my god im gonna scream hgjdfksla i love ghostbur so much

00:23:55: GHOSTBUR NO!! DON’T DIE YOU’LL BECOME A DOUBLE GHOST!!!! -technoblade 2020

00:24:55 technoblade neva lies -guys he almost did the technoblade neva dies ahh!!!!!

i havent heard anyone talk about this but techno has a dedicated roleplay voice. like listen to him talk to tommy at 00:25:08. his voice gets more even, he uses names a lot more often (seriously, listen to his theseus speech. he says tommy so often, its incredible.), and his voice gets,,,,deeper? not deeper but smoother, in a way, and he repeats what he says for emphasis instead of humor. and his voice is louder, and he seems more assertive.

00:27:30 philza: where we goin, by the way? techno: to our- to my new home.

techno cmon let phil live w u wed get so much more content cmonn

00:28:50 the fact that he calls the manhunt theme “dream music” makes me laugh so hard. and then his version of it,,,,,m love he (also he sings it here and at 01:14:20)

00:35:10 why is ranboo so cryptic im-

why does he just casually know the word sentry wh at i hate him 00:39:45

this is the worst sentence (structurally) ive ever heard techno say im gonna cry 00:49:33 ‘im too busy thinkin of new ideas to sleep so i could actually execute them’ and tubbos *oh?* after is just hdsfgkjlka

LKSJDHFJK 00:51:49

00:54:30

techno: thats one of dreams powers, he can just stop the rain

tubbo, quietly: like jesus!

i love them sm dsfhkjla they kept going but i jus gdfhjksa jesus has op

techno @ being the second worst thing to ever happen to those orphans: haha funnie!!

techno @ having fun w religious stuff: i wILL BE CANCELLED NO-

00:58:10 “hey if ur [ghostbur] a ghost, do instant damage potions heal you now?” “...no,, they hurt me still :(” DSIULZKJHFSLKFJH

01:04:00 his brother named the cow bob im- aww

also he has a fanart wall again!!!

01:09:30 “phil, you’re the only friend i have left in this world.” aWWWWW HE GAVE HIM THE COMPASS

“dont smoke, it’s a joke” -technoblade 01:14:15

ROLEPLAY SPEECH VOICE IS BACK AT 1:16:10 “they pillage my base for everything i’m worth, they use me for the revolution, but oooOOOoo i took a pickaxe with his consent? oOOOooOo i’m a thief!”

holy shit 01:17:15 “you know what, phil? for you, the world, alright? it’s fine.” oH MY GOD HHHHGHG (context, right before they were arguing bc phil took some blocks from his base and techno thought that when he said phil could take anything he meant from the chests)

the COMIDY of that villager coming in and sleeping while techno was readin donos at 01:22:05 RIGHT AFTER phil freaked out abt inturruptin his dono readin im SFDHKJLA:

techno talkin bout the winstreak and how he wont be able to live up to that sort of playin at 01:22:30ish is super important and ill transcribe it tomorrow, but if u can id highly rec watchin it.

01:24:20 “[readin dono] what’s your favorite movie? uh, the princess bride is pretty good” techno ily that movie rocks also he said it so fast like hes ashamed of it noo

techno says no to canon ranboo son btw! 01:25:30

01:25:55 “i wasnt in that story, therefore it doesnt matter” all of technoblr be like

01:37:49 is great lemmie transcribe

“how have you still not gotten a second monitor?? holy shit.”

“let me tell you something. and im only telling you this because i know that so many people in the chat are gonna be furious. so i recently realized- i think the second monitor can just be any ol’ monitor, right? you literally just plug it in, and its set up? well i mean you have to turn on some settings, but like, thats it, or something?”

“yeah,,,,, uh techno you fuckin destroyed my chat, by the way, oh my god, [earlier techno told his viewers to twitch prime philza] there has been like 40 primes just flying through”

“yeahhh twitch prime!!! twitch prime philza yeahh!!! so anyways the other day, i like, i looked to my left, and realized that my old monitor has been like, five feet away from where i sit and stream for the last three years?”

“oh my god...”

“so i- i literally do not have to leave my room to set up a second monitor and i havent. and i’m still usin my laptop for this stream.

“is this gonna be one of those situations where you like, you have a thing, you just refuse to do the thing?”

“listen, my desk is-

“yOU STILL HAVENT OPENED UP THE HYPIXEL PACKAGE!!!”

“AHHHH I HAVENT OPENED UP THE HYPIXEL PACKAGE! I HAVENT EVEN OPENED UP MY MCC COIN! DUDE I HAVENT EVEN OPENED UP MY ONE MILLION SUBSCRIBER PLAQUE! ITS STILL THERE RIGHT BEHIND ME! ITs sTILL IN THE BOX! i never made a video on it....”

“bruhhhhh [philza laughs] thats FREE VIEWS what are you doing??”

“ill open it at 8 mil :/.”

“you could LITERALLY make a video of you just like, throwing it off a wall, and then thumbing up, like doing a thumbs up, and then that would be it. 10 seconds. ten seconds. thumb and elbow in shot. [laughs]”

techno is such a disaster i love him

01:34:18 the way techno says “tommy, that statement has NEVER been true” i dont like sayin i simp for block men but GOD sometimes his voice is nicer than usual hhhgn

“man i sure wish tommyinnit was in this stream” -nobody ever (just after previous timestamp)

01:40:15 is fuckin hilarious and im actually crying oh my god techno just says things and says them well with a completely straight face how does he do it

i cannot WAIT until theres a president w the last/first name andy so we can say president andy and think abt technoblade

IM CRIASDNGUSFHD 01:44:38 PHILZA LOOK OUT LOOK OUT PHILZA LSKJDAFJASD;LKF

i love when techno talks abt his vids. like u can tell he puts a lot of thought into the vids (esp these ones) and like at 01:47:00 he talks abt the “I DIDNT PUT DEAPTH STRIDER ON THOSE BOOTS, FUNDY!” and how its just that creepin realization that you were doomed from the start and how he made the armor, he isnt intimidated by the netherite bc he didnt enchant it all the way and only he knows that,,, and i just,,,hgg he

he reveals that hes writin the next arc at 01:48:00: “oh, speakin of arcs, chat, i’m writing the next arc. so, you know. hope nothin bad happens in two weeks, chat!” IM SO EXCITED like he clearly has his character fleshed out and is SO good at writing and retellin history im so so excited to see where he takes it AHHHH and also taht means he might stream more bc he might make his character more important (keep in mind this is the guy who wrote self insert hypixel fanfics. he has no shame in puttin himself first and i respect him so much for it)

01:51:20 “they’re tryin to get a second customer but they’re riskin their first” is lowkey a good line

has anyone else noticed that techno says wise a lot? like at 01:55:10 he literally says “wise dragon armor” as a joke but like i think he says wise so much BECAUSE of skyblock like hjkfdsla

01:57:30 techno plea se eat

ok 1:58:45 is hilarious and all but at the end of his ramble he says “come back, i miss you” and lowkey im crying

techno needs to stop knowing his audience more than we know ourselves im hsfkjda 02:05:25 “the chat’s spammin ‘eat technoblade, eat!’ like they’re not gonna start, like, theyre not gonna get super sad if i ended the stream right now, like theyre not gonna all cry ‘i miss technoblade *sniffs* why- whyd he leave to eat food, why did he listen to our advice noooo’”

02:14:50 NEW VIDEO POGGGG CARL THE HORSE POGGGGGG NOT A STREAM HIGHLIGHT POGGGGG

02:17:40 “i could start a potato farm out here to show how much ive changed” techno last time u made a potato farm u started an entire war that lasted a year that does NOT say calm and retired to me lskgdfjagsldj

02:23:00 why does techno just reference greek mythology so much. makin me scared for his arc.

also he talks abt smp earth a lot in this stream i love it so much

i also just. love?? how much sbi respect tommy like they bully him but when talkin bout him they just have so much respect for how much work he puts into youtube and i just,,,,hgnn they r friends

02:33:13 sbi streamer house lets go cmon

02:34:15 “i think if i streamed every day i could keep up” on one hand YE S but on the ohter oh god techno no we have to keep up tho

hearing techno say “violence isnt the answer” is so scary 02:35:40

02:37:30 technosneeze

hiS BROTHER SENT HIM 46 DISCORD MESSAGES SFKDJLFLKASF 2:49:25 i love his end screen so much hes just sadness,,,,retirement,,,t,echnoblade,,,the government is going to fall on its own due to lack of organization and ideals,,,,,,subscribe,,,,,sadness,,,,,also 2:50:45 is making me laugh so hard its just sad music and technos like??? whys phil in my house drinking milk?????

overall, fantastic stream, if ya want some chill techno philza content i highly recommend.

#stream post

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mihanada · 4 years

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Heaven Official’s Blessing Liveblog

As promised, a liveblog of Heaven Official’s Blessing! I am treating this as my first read through past Chapter 21. I do know a lot of the major plot lines, but I will try my best to keep any spoilers out of the entire thing since this cannot be considered a re-read.

This novel is long, so it may be the case that I liveblog more than one chapter at a time in the future!

Chapter 1: Heaven Official’s Blessing

I really, truly think the first chapter is both unnecessarily dense and suitable for the type of story this grand tale will turn out to be. The scope of the first chapter is huge and treated like both a fairytale and a historical account, which is TGCF in a nutshell. It may suit the story to come, but it also means that I dropped this novel twice without making it past the first chapter. It’s worse than Scum Villain because it isn’t confusing really: it’s somewhat of a dry read. A lot happens that I knew I wouldn’t remember if and when it became relevant again, which makes this novel good to reread, but hard to pick up.

[“I want to save the common folks!”]

A kind-hearted and earnest crown prince may not be my favorite main character archetype, but it has truly been so long since I’ve seen it in western fantasy (not to say there still aren’t novels with this character archetype, but none of the ones I’ve read or seen circulating have one as the MC) that I am much more open to seeing one now. Although the first section of this chapter is a glowing review of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the “famous laughing stock” of the three realms sets you up to say “alright, now how is this about to all go horribly wrong”, so there’s that.

Actually, MXTX’s other two novels had a similar thing going on. The first chapter already reveals, to some extent, that the main character has made mistakes in his life and a good part of the story is seeing the nature of those mistakes. I think this is what made me intrigued enough to continue reading her works, or at least go back to it in TGCF’s case.

So, we have a naive and earnest crown prince and the next section relates a story of him performing a ritual to earn good luck for the country. Considering the ancient setting and the xianxia setting, you can understand why the officials flip out when their crown prince derps off to save a child in the middle of it. I wonder if someone dying in the middle of such a ceremony wouldn’t also be ominous? In their perspective perhaps it’s not as bad a thing, but to our crown prince, this isn’t a question at all.

Someone was in trouble, so naturally he should save that child if it’s in his power to do so.

The first interesting point is his stubbornness. Unwilling to commit himself to something untrue (apologizing for saving a child when he isn’t sorry at all), he doesn’t even think of the consequences if the heavens decide to smite him. The officials even tell him that he doesn’t have to fully commit to the apology, just a “gesture” will suffice. Although this makes it seem like the apology really isn’t a big deal, the responsible thing to do as the next ruler of the country would be to just face the wall for a bit and leave it at that - but it’s against his principles, so he won’t.

Even if we weren’t told his age, it’s easy to guess by his words: [“How could the heavens fault me because I did the right thing? Then the heavens would be the ones who are in the wrong. Why should the people who are right apologize to the ones who are wrong?”]

There are so many characters in this novel that it becomes extra important for the dialogue to carry details like this - which not all writers are good at.

[He had never encountered anything he wasn’t able to accomplish, and he had also never met anyone who didn’t love him. He was always right, and he was the heart of the world.] And there is the root of the problem. But I might get back to this later, or else my inner psychology nerd will come out.

(Side note: Out of MXTX’s three MCs, it’s Xie Lian and Wei Wuxian who don’t believe in saving face - and it brings them all sorts of external troubles from society. On the flip side, Shen Qingqiu is so careful about maintaining his image that his personal relationships get neglected and misunderstandings form, which then leads to a good chunk of society willing to shoot him down.)

Next story is a ghost terrorizing a bridge - great symbolism there, and also a trial for our crown prince.

[“This child’s future is limitless, impossible to measure.”] AND YET IT IS ALL GOING TO GO SO WRONG.

[The things he wanted, there was nothing he could not obtain. The things he wanted to do, there was nothing that was impossible for him to accomplish. And when he wanted to ascend into godhood, he really ascended into godhood at age seventeen.] Again, significant to understand his mentality as a 17-year-old. Once you’ve ascended to godhood, a feat some cannot accomplish even after devoting their lives to it, truly the word impossible should not even exist...right?

[...heaven’s godly officials could not meddle according to their wishes. Unless it was a result of demons and ghouls overstepping or violating their boundaries, what happened must be allowed to happen.] Interesting and very important rules. Practical, too. The duties, limitations, and roles that heavenly officials play as gods to the mortal realm are actually quite intriguing, but I think it’ll take a while for it all to reveal itself. For now, it’s removing themselves from two important duties they had in life - loyalty and devotion to one’s country and ancestors/relatives.

And in this section, we read about how it all went wrong - meddling in the war didn’t save his country, and the people ended up resenting him.

[From then on, a martial god known for protection and peace faded away, and a demonic god who attracted disasters was born.

When people said you were a god, then you were a god. If they said you were shit, then you were shit. Whatever the people said you were, that was what you became.]

MXTX likes to write about society, particularly these aspects of society. It bears keeping in mind as we progress through the story. It’s all about perspective.

[“Body in the abyss, but heart in paradise.”

Because the one who personally said the phrase had already proved that when his body was in the abyss, his heart was not in paradise.]

I’ll come back to these lines at some point. But, yeah. A person who has never failed before in his life finally does so, and it’s possibly the most catastrophic of consequences. Looking back at those naive words, though they can be seen as profound, I can also see how they’re somewhat pretentious and at one’s absolute lowest, may seem impossible to live up to.

[Now that he was banished twice, would he become a demon and retaliate by abusing the common people?] Luckily for heaven and earth, our MC did not go down that route. And everyone kept a close eye on him for a while after that second ascension and banishment, which - kinda creepy, ok. Then they lost track of him because he obviously wasn’t about to wreak glorious havoc against them again, so why bother?

And, finally, we come to the last section and his final ascension! This is why I gave up twice before finally powering through. This whole chapter is basically a history book and it was difficult to get through before knowing anything about the characters, or why the reader should care. But, well, I made it. Eventually. And I’m excited to get past Chapter 21 at last, lol.

(masterpost)

onward →

#heaven official's blessing #tian guan ci fu #tgcf aka a trial by fire and tears #links to be added later

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leotanaka · 4 years

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the gloaming season 1, episode 1: liveblog and thoughts

tasmanian scenery is just everything and it always looks like something out of an old horror movie too. look at this:

so, this is one of those stories that starts with something happening in the past and then that ends up impacting the future, possibly because of the trauma of whatever happened back then. i always love these kinds of stories and this creator seems to be into these kinds of stories too.

“O Lord, you form light and you create darkness. You bring prosperity and you create disaster.”

DID SHE GET SHOT?

wait, did she break into someones house just to turn all of his stuff the other way round?

i can’t even remember what this show is about but what i’m getting so far is that it’s about possession, witches and demons possibly and maybe some cult stuff thrown in.

“we leave the dead to bury the dead.”

“my dad used to say that every guilty person is his own hangman.”

you are going to regret ignoring that call. you do know that, don’t you?

I HEAR BIRDS! CROWS SPECIFICALLY :(

um... what? i know they did not just appear out of thin air!

this cannot be good!

AARON PEDERSEN :))))

that elderly woman is jenny, isn’t it?

i know i’m only one episode in but i already need to know who these people that just keep appearing out of thin air and then disappearing are

what a beautiful cat :)

i’m so pleased that this show doesn’t have an all white cast - i’m really going off aussie shows that don’t have any poc in them.

did he name his cat after her?

“could be some kind of religious spiritual thing.”

RENA OWEN :))))))))))))))))

DITCH DAVEY :)))))) i am seriously LOVING this look on him.

now i want fish and chips.

they all knew that dorothy and i’m guessing where either connected to her, know why she died or were involved in it.

“she only comes with warnings.”

how old is lilly? she can’t be old enough to be doing this, can she?

why is molly always testing her memory? i’m going to guess something happened and she wants to see if her memory is okay and she can still remember what she thought she remembered?

those people are back...

crows are generally a symbol of death and bad luck - is that why they are everywhere?

did they really kill off three women in just the first episode?

shout out to my favs who look incredible! :)

#kraina watches tg #the gloaming #the gloaming spoilers #austv #the gloaming (aus)

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kittenwatchesthings · 6 years

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Geostorm Liveblog

It’s been a hot minute ( many many hot minutes, actually) since I liveblogged here, and that’s because The Core fucked me up so bad that I still haven’t finished it. Yeah. That was a year ago (or longer, because I picked a theme that doesn’t timstamp my posts). I got as far as the geode and noped the fuck out, but to this day I am still pondering the velocity and force needed for a pigeon to break windows. Just saying.

Anyways, it’s Superbowl Sunday and I could care less and Redbox had a deal so I picked up Geostorm. I will tell you how much I know about this movie.

Gerard Butler is in it.

Gerard Butler controls the satellites that control the weather.

The satellites get fucked up.

They fuck shit up.

There are giant tsunamis.

I think there were like six tornadoes in NYC or something IDK I watched the trailer months ago.

I think he has a daughter because they always have daughters in disaster movies right?

Let’s get started.

This movie is rated PG-13 for destruction and violence.

Annnnnd we start with the child voiceover because Drama™. Climate change!

Actual quote: “They called it extreme weather. They didn’t know what extreme is.”

(I am not even 30 seconds in this is gonna be great.)

Okay I’m now like a minute in and I have two things to say.

1. These are excellent videos of natural disasters 2. I hope they got permission for the videos

So they’re essentially using explosives to control the weather. Yup. That’s totally gonna work. And they called it Dutch Boy. Yeah. Great.

Ohhhh Gerard is gonna be snarky to the senators. Nice. I like him.

The senator is clearly gonna be the bad guy in this movie. I can’t wait for him to die.

Also Gerard is not really aging very well. He still looks good just not as good as 2005 Gerard.

His brother is clearly a politician because he’s all “you fucked up and I gotta fire you” but at least he kinda cried about it too.

Anyways we’re headed to the desert where shit is about go down I can just feel it.

Who the fuck came up with this

Oh there’s a town completely frozen over OH his hand came off well shit

THE PRESIDENT ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF

Little brother has redeemed himself by caring more about the 300 people in the village that froze to death

fuck you, Mr President

Ed Harris knows what’s up. He says get Gerard up on that space station

meanwhile, in space, a foreign guy (of course, because America is full of racists) is stealing information, and does every single country have its own satellite? even Djibouti? that seems excessive to me.

Nevermind the guy is dead. I 100% thought he was doing normal shit until he stuck the… uh… datapen? whatever. until he stuck it into the binder all sneaky-like. Not entirely sure wtf just happened on the ISS but we’ve just cut to the country where Gerard’s daughter is brainy and fixing something all by herself.

Awww her name is Hannah I have a sister named Hannah

oh now the brothers are fighting

guilt trippingggg

Ohhhhh so there’s another guy on the ISS fucking shit up. I bet he made the airlock open to kill Makmoud. Why the fuck people gotta fuck shit up?

(The answer is that people are fucking awful)

no wait I lied this guy is on Earth, in China, where it is very hot

CAT THERE IS A CAT IT IS PURRING STOP EVERYTHING

Oh um the ground is so hot you can fry eggs on it WHY IS THE PIPE RED HOT OH LOOK AN EXPLOSION

FIRENADO ALERT

what the actual fuck is going on

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

okay I’mma try and wrap my head around this… it got so hot that the gas pipelines turned red hot, overheated, exploded everywhere, and toppled buildings

1. NOT PLAUSIBLE 2. Pipes run at least 3 feet underground which is not gonna get that fucking hot and I’m pretty sure the gas would expand and destroy the lines before they actually get red hot 3. Whether actual fire explosions (and not superheated gas) happen would be up to whether there are sparks or not

okay so it was indeed gas main explosions, thank you Hannah for explaining

still doesn’t excuse the TERRIBLE SCIENCE

Hannah is a smart cookie I like her

still using fucking space shuttles I see and he’s not even in a space suit what kind of space movie is this (okay he’s kind of in a space suit but really)

can u not with the dizzying space images? I’m still fucked up from Gravity

THE Jake Lawson

Also Gerard’s American accent is riddled with Scottish which is likely why he just said he was born in the UK (I like the Scots better than the American anyway roll those r’s baby)

Okay anyway apparently the satellites are getting fucked up by someone IN THE WHITE HOUSE how surprising is that (not at all)

SOMEBODY’S COME TO FUCK WITH CHENG

THE BROTHERS ARE FIGHTING AGAIN

THIS IS NOT THE DRAMA I SIGNED UP FOR

AHHH THERE IS THE DRAMA

I suspect Dassite(?) has something to do with this. But I am worried something’s gonna go wrong on this spacewalk.

SOMEBODY FUCKED WITH JAKE’S SUIT

DAMMIT I SAID NO MORE DIZZYING SPACE SHIT I’M STILL FUCKED UP FROM GRAVITY

FUCK CHENG NO

Really we need this brotherly–ohhhhh it’s a fucking coded message hell yeah Jake

FUCK NOT THE GIRLFRIEND

oh okay Dana is my fave

OMG the girlfriend’s name is Sarah helllll yeah

Ohhhhh Makmoud I am sorry for thinking you were bad you were being good! It is clearly the Americans fucking all of this up

DUSSETTE IS GOOD TOO I’M SORRY FOR DOUBTING YOU BOTH

SHIT they weaponized it everything’s fucked up

THE PRESIDENT FUCKED THIS SHIT UP

Max is gonna fuck this up I just know it

FUCK NOT TOKYO

oh hey the giant hailstones from the trailer holy fuck they are huge

what the fuck ice in Brazil

BIRDS FALLING DEAD FROM THE SKY INCLUDING A PLANE

ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES TO GEOSTORM

FUCK ed harris is onto max

WHAT THE FUCK WHY IS THE STATION SELF DESTRUCTING

WHO FUCKED IT UP

IT WAS DUNCAN

SHIT SON FUCK HIM UP JAKE

of fucking course Ed Harris is the one behind it he’s the best at being bad

but why is it the DNC why are they democrats why are the dems the bad ones

SARAH IS BEST AT LYING

GO SARAH GO

THERE’S THE TORNADOES

So lightning just blew up the arena where the DNC was being held and I’m having flashbacks to The Core when a lightning storm fucked up Rome and exploded the Coliseum so THANKS Geostorm

Annnnd Russia is melting and the Prez is skeptical (of course)

FUCK the shithole guy survived

SARAH IS THE BEST

EY NOW HE DEAD

Noooo poor Hannah

SHIT JAKE NO

lol Max and Sarah have you beat fucking Ed Harris

fucking deck him Mr President

HELL YEAH MAX

Anyways, tsunami in Dubai. GIANT FUCKING TSUNAMI. Definitely bigger than fucking San Andreas

NO JAKE CAN’T DIE

HE’S THE FUCKING HERO

THAT WAS THE MOST STRESSFUL FIVE MINUTES I CAN REMEMBER

oh no Ute is gonna die isn’t she

wait she’s still going

okay they’re in the satellite that should be okay right

HERNANDEZ

yay happy ending

Okay so um.

Final thoughts: I got way too emotionally invested in the movie but at this moment (despite what some conspiracy theorists believe) we CANNOT control the weather satellites. We do not yet have this capability and I fully believe that we will not have it by 2019 or even 2025, especially if the US government and public opinion stay as they are right now. This movie was likely based on conspiracy theories surrounding HAARP, which I won’t get into, but it’s safe to say that we can’t control the fucking weather and we’re not going to for a long time.

So uh… nice concept, nice drama, the science fucking sucked. Definitely sci-fi rather than actually fucking plausible. The end.

Science 0/5 Plot 5/5 because fuck this movie Special effects 4/5 because some of the scenes in the space suits looked kinda fake but the rest was A+

#geostorm #liveblog

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kayomielatoro · 7 years

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Saiyuki Livewatch: Episode 8: The Death Seer

Welcome back for today’s Saiyuki! Sorry I’ve been gone a while! I had a rough stretch of time there but I’m back and ready for more liveblogging! For those who have noticed, I’m gonna start using the English Dub titles. Mostly because they kinda translate better and that’s mostly how I remember the episodes anyway. With that out of the way, let’s get started!

Today marks the start of the Chin Yisou arc. It’s easily one of my favorites in the whole show. Mostly because of who it focuses around but I don’t wanna spoil it just yet. We find out in....if not this episode then the next one.

We start off with the Sanzo party fighting a large group of demons. Business as usual, right? Wrong. We quickly find out that they're zombies after Kougaiji spells it out in his report to Koushu. He’s been hoping to wear them down. Kou also learns that Sanzo....really is a Sanzo priest, despite his appearance and general attitude. Shortly, after a hint from Hakkai, Sanzo takes out the zombies with one blow from the Maten Scripture as Koushu spells out what the Seiten Scripture in their possession is for. It was used as a guide to evolution of every living thing. It’s more than a little likely that Koushu was either the person behind the robbery or bought it off of the person who was.

Oh God. And we get introduced to her head researcher, Dr Ni Jianyi. I....cannot fucking stand this guy. Maybe I'll like him more as a character the futher into the show I go, but for now he's a minor, if important, character whose....everything hits my creeper alarm. Let's look at the basics. 1. Sounds like the guy you think of when you hear the term pedo. 2. Has a creepy-ass bunny...fetish type thing going on with not only the stuffed animal he carries but his house shoes. 3. Now....this is mostly spelled out in the manga but fuck it. He's also sleeping with his boss, Gyokumen Koushu. Yeah. Nothing about this guy appeals to me.

But let's hear him out. It might be important. Even if I kinda wanna claw his vocal chords out because he's creeping me out. He....basically just tells us that the Maten scripture is needed to awaken Gyumaoh. Which you can kinda figure out by the fact that they're focused on taking Sanzo out and taking the damn thing. Thanks for nothing, Ni.

However, as we leave the meeting, we spot Lirin spying on them and complaining that the head bitch is her actual mother. Which, well, reveals who part of her family is. Be patient. The full story will be revealed later. But in the meantime, she takes off to go after Sanzo on her own to help Kougaiji out.

While Sanzo's reminiscing, he establishes what exactly the Maten scripture does, which is shatter darkness, the opposite of its brother, the Seiten scripture, which creates light and guides evolution.

As we move from Sanzo back to Kou, we find out that Koushu and Gyumaoh were not married, which makes her a concubine. Her wish is to replace Kou's mom as the formal wife. After this meeting, Kou wonders to himself why he hesitates to confront the Sanzo party again. He realizes it's fear but mostly because that he feels that beating them won't actually change his situation. Which frankly he’s probably absolutely right. But he's still willing to destroy the world if only to bring back his petrified mother.

Yaone races in, reporting that Lirin has vanished. Upon learning from Dokugakuji that there's a dragon missing, (I’ll cover dragons later at some point either in their own post or at a later date) he and the others take off after the little idiot.

While the Sanzo party is out shopping, and Goku is beggin for food, they're stopped by a fortune-telling booth in an alley. ...Being in an alley is sketchy enough but then he zones in on Hakkai of all people. You'd think someone who's talking about fortune telling and death would, and I hate saying this, focus on Gojyo, who's very existence supposedly brings misfortune, not the chi user. But apparently he's legit since, after specifically calling out Hakkai as a sinner and saying he had a scar on his belly, which Hakkai actually covers in shocked defense, and pulls out a blank tile which suddenly gains the Japanese word for disaster to spell out their fortune.

Then, well, disaster strikes! A giant crab shikigami starts wrecking the town they're in. As the guys gear up to fight, someone steps up and just oneshots the beast.

Meanwhile, Kou, Yaone, and Doku have found the dragon Lirin took just chilling under a tree near a town. Doku shares his personal story which sounds eerily similar to Gojyo's (and also finally cements Lirin as Kou’s little half sister). I'll let you put the two together until they explain it later. In the meantime, little Lirin is trying to attack the Sanzo party before she's pacified with food provided by Sanzo to chill out Goku AND his counterpart.

So far as I'm aware there IS a shipping base for Lirin and Goku, but I think it's a relatively small one. Well, small for the show anyway. I think it's cute but they're probly TOO much alike and would butt heads a lot.

After Kou finally locates his sister and outs her relationship to him to the Sanzo party, he and Goku square off for a rumble. In the fucking cutest moment of the episode, Yaone and Hakkai square off for a fight. Which leaves Doku and Gojyo.

Mostly because Sanzo's stuck babysitting Lirin.

Remember how Doku talked about having a little brother and how he wasn't able to save his mother? it's revealed exactly who that brother is. Doku recognizes Gojyo on sight while it takes Gojyo a moment to recognize his older brother Jien. Doku, for some reason, has given up his name and given his allegiance to Kougaiji. I kinda want to know that story. The fuck happened there? But we get no time for that because it's a fight for two brothers who view promises over their own relationship.

While Kou and Goku battle on and swap insults with each other, with Kou recognizing Goku's growing strength, that fortune teller from earlier watches from afar with a smirk.

And that's where our episode ends. See ya next time, guys!

#Saiyuki #Saiyuki Liveblog #Kayomie writes #Saiyuki Episode 8 spoilers

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neuxue · 7 years

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Wheel of Time liveblogging: The Gathering Storm ch 7

Nynaeve casually challenges authority structures, Rand tries to delegate, the Aiel continue to live the story of Rhuidean

Chapter 7: The Plan for Arad Doman

Poor Ituralde.

“A storm is coming,” Nynaeve said

Very observant, Nynaeve. Has there been any point in the last eleven books or so when there hasn’t been a storm coming? Hell of a time to have meteorology as a superpower.

The weather was always there, in the back of her mind. She could sense the rain, sun, or snow in the wind’s whispers.

Lately, however, the sensations hadn’t been like whispers at all. More like distant shouts, growing louder.

Between Nynaeve’s symbolic weather sense and Mat’s brain-dice, we’ve pretty much got alarms ringing 24/7 (er, 24/10?). No wonder these people are on edge.

Daigain says okay fine there’ll be a storm we’ll get wet it happens, and Nynaeve’s like no you don’t understand, the rain symbolises endless tears and the lightning is the actual end of the world and the dark clouds represent the all-consuming nothingness of the void and—

And now Daigian is no doubt wishing she had a better umbrella.

Her name is really hard for me to type, for some reason; I always end up writing it as Daigain.

Nynaeve could still remember the sheer joy – the awesome euphoria, strength, and sheer feel of life –that had come from drawing that much power.

So I know this is absolutely me nitpicking the prose excessively, but this keeps happening, where a non-trivial word appears twice in the same sentence (In this case, ‘sheer’). It’s not the end of the world or anything, but it catches my attention every time it happens and I’m trying to figure out why it’s suddenly a thing, as seems more like an editorial issue than an authorial one. Was there a deadline on the publication of this book that caused the editing process to be rushed?

(For the record, I tend to notice and occasionally get irritated by this sort of copy-editing-level stuff in just about any book; it’s not just me being unfair to Sanderson. I promise. It’s part of why I have such a love of beautiful prose, and why reading Twilight was like having an unanaesthetised root canal).

(Yes, I know these liveblogs are full of typos and sentences that go nowhere and enough other errors to make any editor cry. I’m a hypocrite, what can I say?)

She was glad the ter’angreal she’d used to touch that power had been destroyed. But the male ter’angreal was still intact

So that’s good. I mean, barriers to unity between the two halves of the Power have always ended well, right?

The Choedan Kal, as we have been told a number of times by even those who desire power over the entire world and everyone in it and are working towards chaos and destruction, allow one to channel enough power to potentially destroy the world. Rand spent several books terrified of even touching the ter’angreal. And we’ve seen what he can do with just half the power of one. Or with Callandor, for that matter.

He and Nynaeve used the Choedan Kal to work a miracle and give the Light probably its greatest victory in three thousand years. But the whole underlying point of that was that it was accomplished with saidar and saidin together, unified for the first time in millennia, cleansing one half of that whole so that they could be unified in truth.

Now, only the male half of the Choedan Kal can be used. Which means torrents of unbalanced saidin, in the hands of a single person rather than a link. And that, given how important unity and balance are in this story and how many problems result from division and discord, seems like a recipe for disaster.

So that’ll be fun.

She’d told Rand that he needed to forget about the access key.

I mean. A for effort?

Daigian is still grieving for Eben Hopwil, which of course makes Nynaeve think of Lan, which…

Lan would be fine. Only at the end of his journey of thousands of miles would he be in danger. It was there he intended to throw himself at the Shadow like a lone arrow

It’s hardly even simile. He does quite literally intend to throw himself at the Shadow. He always has. And he has always intended to do it alone, knowing full well what the consequences will be. Knowing that there is no way to win, that all that awaits him is an unmarked grave in the Blight, in the land that has always been his inheritance, his burden, and his home. One last, lone strike from the ghost of Malkier, falling forty years late and ultimately accomplishing little but fulfilling what he believes to be inevitable; he will fall as Malkier fell, standing against the Shadow and fighting to hold back the tide until he is overwhelmed.

Of course, Nynaeve has other plans, and I am so very excited to see how this plays out. Last stands in almost any variation are well up there when it comes to my favourite tropes, and this adds in an extended march towards death, a final journey, likely a steadily gathering army, the potential sort-of-resurrection of a nation…and then something that is both conflict and cooperation between two characters of phenomenal though differently-manifesting willpower, working towards this end. One embracing death, one doing everything to ensure a chance for life.

Nynaeve has accepted that Lan must go, that he has to do this. Now it is perhaps time for Lan to accept that Nynaeve is right, that he doesn’t have to do this alone, that Malkier still has something to give, that his war against the Shadow maybe does not have to be unwinnable.

Tl;dr: I am here for every single aspect of this. In… case that was somehow ever in doubt?

Nynaeve’s constant struggle with authority continues. Her own, other people’s, entire institutions of heirarchy – you name it, she struggles with it.

Oh, interesting. Daigian’s teaching her the hundred weaves of the test for Aes Sedai. I know the main set are all Aes Sedai by decree or technicality already, but I do hope we get to see at least one of them take it. Maybe Elayne, since we didn’t get to see her Accepted test.

Nynaeve waved an indifferent hand, repeating the weave exactly. “Honestly,” she said, “that one seems the most useless of the bunch! What is the point of all of these?”

Someday when this is all over, Nynaeve, you should go find Thom Merrilin and ask him to explain the idea of the ‘party trick’ to you.

The problem was, this placed Nynaeve in a situation where she was all but treated as a student again. She did see the use in knowing the hundred weaves – she’d spent far too short a time studying them, and virtually every sister knew it. However, by accepting the lessons, she hadn’t meant to imply that she saw herself as a student!

*shakes head fondly* oh Nynaeve. She is in a bizarre situation in terms of how she fits into the Aes Sedai hierarchy, and it combines so well with that aspect of her arc as a whole. Not entirely unlike how she was regarded by many as too young to be Wisdom, and then how she left her village and entered a world where being village Wisdom meant very little. So much of her path and her growth as a character has related to figuring out who she is and where she fits in, balancing exceptional power and intentions with insecurity and stubbornness. How she can grow and change and learn and still be herself, how she can be village Wisdom and powerful Aes Sedai and sometimes even uncertain young woman, how she can both surrender and command – in essence, how she can trust in and remain true to the core of herself, even while everything changes around her and she changes and grows with it.

Bah!

I challenge you to find me a single Sanderson character who hasn’t said this at least once.

Nynaeve is barely thinking about the weaves she’s copying, and Daigian is thinking a lot about Eben.

A youth of only sixteen, Nynaeve thought, dead. Did Rand have to recruit them so young?

Rand wasn’t all that much older himself, when this all started. And Egwene was what, a few months past sixteen? Blame the genre, Nynaeve, not Rand.

“This pain you feel, it has to be an effect of the bond, and therefore something to do with the One Power. If the Power causes your pain, then the Power can take that pain away.”

“And why would I want that?” Daigian asked, in control once again.

“Well…well, because it’s pain. It hurts.”

This reminds me of one of the many times she tried to heal the wound in Rand’s side – “How can it be enough when you’re still bleeding?” Nynaeve is a healer to the core; this is what she does. She sees pain and she wants to ease it, wants to fix it, and hates it when she cannot. “At least let me Heal you,” she said to Rand, when she had no idea what else to do, or how to help him. And then with Lan, she saw how it was tearing him apart to remain here, and so she took him to the Borderlands, because that was the only way to even possibly heal him. And so many others. She can’t see pain and not want to help.

“It should,” Daigian said. “Eben is dead. Would you want to forget your pain if you lost that hulking giant of yours? Have your feelings for him cut away like some spoiled chunk of flesh in an otherwise good roast?”

[…]

would Nynaeve want that pain taken away? She closed her mouth, suddenly realising the honour in Daigian’s words.

She is a healer, but she can absolutely still understand the value in some kinds of pain, in grief. It’s as if wanting to heal is her instinctive reaction, but this is a more conscious degree of wisdom. Which says something about her, really.

“There is something wrong with this system, Daigian,” Nynaeve said absently.

Back to Nynaeve and systems of authority. I’m with her on this one; it is absurd that someone like Daigian has effectively no opportunity whatsoever to rise from the very bottom of the rankings. She seems experienced and intelligent, and her extremely low strength in the Power has likely made her resourceful in how she uses it, but she’ll always be little more than a servant to other Aes Sedai. Which is kind of bullshit.

“With the testing? It seems appropriate that there should be some kind of test to determine worthiness, and the performing of difficult weaves under stress strikes me as fulfilling that need.”

Not what Nynaeve is talking about, but Daigian’s point is reasonably sound. The problem is…they aren’t difficult weaves for someone at Nynaeve’s level of strength. Likely even someone at Egwene’s. Various Forsaken have derided the Aes Sedai of this time as half-trained children, and while they’re perhaps more dismissive than they should be, they’re not exactly wrong. Having a test isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but is this test going to stand up to stronger candidates? Or even to weaker ones, who have less strength in the Power but more strength in other ways?

I could almost see Nynaeve just demonstrating the hundred weaves in the same offhand dismissive way she’s learning them now, not even in the test but as reasoning for why she shouldn’t have to take it. She can do the weaves without difficulty, and she’s proven herself in any number of situations that most would agree meet the criterion of ‘stressful’.

“There you sit,” [Nynaeve] said, “knowing as much as any other Aes Sedai – knowing more than many, I’d wager – and the moment any Accepted just off apron strings gains the shawl, you have to do what she says.”

Daigian’s blush deepened. “We should move on.”

It just wasn’t right. Nynaeve let the matter drop, however. She’d stepped in this particular pit once before in teaching the Kinswomen to stand up for themselves in front of Aes Sedai. Before long, they’d been standing up to Nynaeve too, which had not been her intention. She wasn’t certain she wanted to attempt a similar revolution among the Aes Sedai themselves.

And yet, she’s Nynaeve, so no one is going to take that bet. I do love that she’s bringing this up so un-subtly, though. She is one of the strongest Aes Sedai in centuries, and she hates it when people challenge her authority in general, and here she is, going off unprompted about how this system is fucked. Which it is.

Sure, she’s in this weird position where she doesn’t actually gain much rank or advantage from her strength, because the Aes Sedai around her don’t actually see her as one of them, so the whole notion of authority and heirarchy is on her mind already. But still, she just goes ahead and calls it like she sees it, even if in all likelihood it could easily end up the way her talks with the Kinswomen did. But someone has to do it, because again, this system is so many kinds of ridiculous. And it’s just so classic Nynaeve that she would be the one to point it out this way (and in all likelihood have it come back to bite her later).

Cadsuane’s going somewhere so Nynaeve immediately assumes there is a Secret Meeting with Rand and leaves to go join in. As you do.

Ah, the clan chiefs have arrived.

She would have thought that after all this time, [Rand] would have realised the importance of getting advice from someone a little more experienced than he. How many times now had he gotten himself kidnapped, wounded or imprisoned because of his rashness?

Well, she may have a point there.

But mostly I’m laughing because, while she does have something of a point, he does have people with more experience giving him advice. Bashere. Cadsuane. Also sort of arguably Lews Therin Telamon (though that facebook relationship definitely merits a solid ‘it’s complicated’). Sometimes he even deigns to listen.

All these others in camp might bow and scrape and dote on him, but Nynaeve knew that he was really just a sheepherder from Emond’s Field.

The fact that she still sees him that way is one of the most important things about her dynamic with him, even as it can also blind her to some things. Rand can no longer afford to ‘sit, and remember a shepherd named Rand al’Thor,’ but Nynaeve does remember, and holds stubbornly to that memory, even when he cannot.

(It reminds me of Elayne, thinking ‘there had been a boyishness about him sometimes, but it was gone as if burned away. She mourned that for him. She did not think he did, or could.’ He has lost or left behind so much of himself and who he was, but those who love him hold on to some of those pieces).

Only now instead of flustering the village girls he could throw entire nations into chaos.

I love this.

The way it’s presented, it becomes both a similarity (he’s still the village boy who could get into trouble) and a striking contrast (he was harmless, and now he is a force of devastation). And it almost seems to emphasise how young he still is, and how quickly this happened, and how much has changed. How much he has changed, though she still sees him as Rand, still draws these similarities rather than looking at him as a different person, even as she does see what he has become. She just doesn’t see his current state in isolation; she sees it through the lens of memory and of love, and even perhaps of faith that he is still Rand, that the boy she knew is still there.

It’s also an excellent line, just on its own.

She doubted that Aviendha would be with the group

Maybe stick to the weather in your predictions, Nynaeve.

Nynaeve still felt guilty for leaving them, but somebody had needed to help Rand cleanse saidin. That wasn’t the sort of thing you left him to do alone.

Nynaeve al’Meara: casually performing miracles since TGH. “but I didn’t mean to Heal Logain!” “but someone had to cleanse the taint!” “I didn’t know what would happen, but I fought one of the Forsaken and kind of captured her, I’m sorry.” I love her.

Rand stood inside, wearing black and red

Red and black, hmm? Dyeing your hair black and trying to save a man from falling off a building wasn’t enough for you, Rand? What’s next, a sha’rah board?

When had he started looking so much like a Warder, with that instant glance of assessment?

Somewhere mid-TDR, I would say. Possibly as early as TGH, though at that point he was mostly faking it.

But…yeah. He has changed, and she can see it, but even so he is still Rand.

I should never have let that woman take him from the Two Rivers, she thought. Look what it’s done to him.

He is still Rand, and she hates what has been done to him, hates how much pain he has suffered. She doesn’t dismiss him, or decide that he is no longer Rand and therefore no longer someone she can or should care about. She wants to help him.

And she also recognises very quickly that her thoughts about Moiraine there aren’t fair or rational.

If Moiraine hadn’t come for Rand, he’d now be dead. With him would have gone the light and hope of the world.

She has come a long way.

“I was about to send for you. Rhuarc and Bael are here.”

Nynaeve raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. “Oh?” she asked flatly. “And here I’d assumed that all the Aiel in the camp meant we had been attacked by Shaido.”

His face hardened at her tone, and those eyes of his grew…dangerous. But then he lightened, shaking his head, almost as if to clear it. Some of the old Rand – the Rand who had been an innocent sheepherder – seemed to return.

She is one of the few who can bring that out in him, it would seem. Probably because she still sees that Rand in him, where so very few other people do. Where even he doesn’t always, anymore. It’s why he needs people like her, and people who see him as human, and people who will to speak honestly and bluntly to him, and people who are unafraid of him, and people who love him,.

Nynaeve eyed him, surprised at how tight her own nerves had become. He was just a wool-headed villager, no matter how much influence he’d found. He was.

But she could not shake away that look in his eyes, that flash of anger. Holding a crown was said to change many men for the worse. She intended to see that didn’t happen to Rand al’Thor, but what recourse would she have if he suddenly decided to have her imprisoned? He wouldn’t do that, would he? Not Rand.

These moments, when she can’t help but see how dangerous he is, and can’t help but feel a little bit of fear, much as she doesn’t want to, are so sad. She still sees him as Rand, and holds stubbornly to that perception, but even she can’t keep it perfectly. He has gone too far for that. She doesn’t want to be afraid of him, or to doubt him – she wants to protect him – but there are these flashes of moments where some element of her subconscious mind betrays her. Rand al’Thor would never hurt her, but the Dragon Reborn…and she can’t quite banish that hint of fear and uncertainty, and it’s just a little bit heartbreaking.

(And then there’s Lan referring to him as ‘al’Thor’ that one time; I am still not entirely over that).

Semirhage should have been stilled the moment they captured her…

It’s a shame no one talks to anyone, or they would know that Semirhage is the third Forsaken who has been captured in the last year or so, and thus this is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get information. It is a valuable one, but how much are they realistically going to be able to get from her, that Rand didn’t get from Asmodean – or the memories in his own head – or Egwene and the others from Moghedien? And at what potential cost?

Of course, it’s a moot point because Rand won’t let her be harmed, and it’s ALL GOING TO END IT TEARS, YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST.

Well no, you probably read the books and therefore actually know how it ends, but that is beside the point.

Hi Aviendha. Still being given shaming punishments, I see.

“Tell me of your work in Arad Doman,” he said to Rhuarc. “My scouts inform me that this land is hardly at peace.”

Rhuarc accepted a cup of tea from Aviendha – so she was still considered an apprentice – and turned to Rand. The clan chief did not drink. “We have had very little time, Rand al’Thor.”

“I don’t look for excuses, Rhuarc,” Rand said. “Only results.”

In which Rand takes a level in CEO. Seriously though, let’s have a chat about realistic expectations and demands, shall we?

Rhuarc himself displayed no anger, though Nynaeve did think his hand tightened on his cup. “I have shared water with you, Rand al’Thor,” he said. “I would not think that you would bring me here to offer insults.”

Does it feel cold in here to anyone else? Rhuarc may not be displaying any anger, but…yikes. He’s been one of Rand’s strongest supporters and allies for a long time now; he hasn’t just shared water with Rand but stood by him at Alcair Dal, administered a city and fought battles for him, and went to Dumai’s Wells to rescue him with little hope of surviving. Not to mention advised him, taught him, and befriended him.

Bael is rather less subtle about his irritation.

“This land is broken, Rand al’Thor,” Rhuarc said, his voice calmer than Bael’s. “It is not making excuses to explain that fact, and it is not cowardice to be cautious about a difficult task.”

Have I mentioned lately that I love Rhuarc? He’s great. He’s one of those solid, utterly dependable types. 110% badass, but not flashy or reckless about it. Just…there, unafraid and unflappable and steady like a brick wall.

“We must have peace here,” Rand growled. “If you can’t manage—” “Boy,” Cadsuane said, “perhaps you want to stop and think. How often have you known the Aiel to fail you? How often have you failed, hurt, or offended them?”

Harsh, but all too true. It’s not just that they haven’t failed him, with the exception, I suppose, of the Shaido. They have also given up so much for him. They have left the Three-fold Land, following a man prophecy says will destroy them. Many have been destroyed already, either fighting his battles or lost to the Bleakness. Even the fall of the Shaido could be obliquely attributed to him; he caused the schism as much as Couladin did.

And he knows all of this. It may not all be his fault, exactly – prophecy makes blame difficult, sometimes, and they made their own choices – but he knows full well what role he is set to play here. He knows he will be their destroyer, much as he does not – did not? – wish to be. Because of that, he knows he has a certain responsibility to them. And usually he recognises and remembers this. It’s hard to know for certain what’s going through his mind here, since we’re not in his POV, but I do wonder. It seems Cadsuane’s words have hit home, at least.

“I apologise, Rhuarc, Bael. It has been a…wearing few months.”

Well. I mean. That…yeah. You could say that. Oh, Rand.

It seems a rather Sanderson thing for Rand to say, but I’ll happily take it. It’s easy to criticise a lot of what Rand’s doing, and to see that he’s on a dark path right now, and that he needs to come to terms with some things and deal with others, and all the rest. But he’s also just so tired. He’s exhausted, and he’s desperate, and he’s just trying to hold himself together, literally and figuratively, long enough to hold everything else together. And of course things slip, and pieces get left behind, and he stops caring about anything he doesn’t see as absolutely essential. Of course that view gets distorted. Of course his path looks dark, because he has nothing left to give and everything left to do, and it’s too much and there’s no time. His demands of others may be unreasonable, but the demands on him aren’t any less forgiving, and too few characters see that. Which doesn’t necessarily excuse him, but it does make a lot of what he says and does very understandable.

So anyway, Arad Doman is a mess.

Rand starts musing about Graendal and Nynaeve’s disturbed by the familiarity with which he speaks of her. I suppose I, too, would be slightly worried about anyone on first-name terms with Graendal, because she’s terrifying, but I don’t think that’s exactly Nynaeve’s issue.

Rhuarc just wants to fight Ituralde. Rand’s like this is not the time for a pissing contest.

“Not while I live, at least.”

Yeah, so, ‘over my dead body’ statements tend to sound a lot less flippant and hit rather harder when most people – including Rand himself – expect him to die in the very near future.

It reminds me of when he said that, after he dies, everyone can go back to fighting the Seanchan to their heart’s content if they want to. It’s a sad kind of resignation and something almost like despair, fighting so hard for peace and stability now, and having little hope that it will last, even as he plans to die to give it the chance.

How thoughtful Bashere seemed, as if he were indeed considering engaging this Ituralde. Men!

Damn it Bashere, not you, too!

Offer [men] a challenge, and they’d be curious, no matter that the challenge would likely end with them spitted on a lance.

This from Nynaeve “nothing is impossible” al’Meara. Bless.

“There are few men alive like Rodel Ituralde,” Bashere said. “He would be a great help to our cause, for certain. I’ve always wondered if I could beat him.”

Guys. Everyone. Please. If you could all just set aside your massive crush on Rodel Ituralde for a moment, while we figure out a strategy…

Though on a more serious note it puts me in mind of last chapter, when Ituralde and the Seanchan general exchanged genuinely respectful words and advice, despite the fact that one had just defeated the other, and one was dying. Turan wanted to talk tactics with Ituralde, find out how he had done what he had done, rather than rage at him for defeating Turan’s army. This is what they do, and who they are, and there’s a sense of ‘may the best man win’ about it all. So it’s not surprising – and is in fact rather entertaining – that everyone wants their turn at Ituralde.

But still.

Rand repeats that NO ONE IS FIGHTING ITURALDE, that means you, Bashere, and you, Rhuarc, and you, Gareth Bryne; you’re not here but if you were you’d probably be asking for a shot at him too.

Instead, Rand wants them to kidnap the Council of Merchants. White Tower style?

“IF Graendal really has taken Alsalam, then getting him back will do us no good. He’ll be so far beneath her Compulsion that he’ll barely have the mind of a child. She’s not subtle; she never has been.”

Er. I hope you just mean she’s not subtle when she decides to use Compulsion heavily, because otherwise you have made an error.

“We are not kidnappers,” Bael said, frowning.

“You are what I say you are, Bael,” Rand said quietly.

“We are still free people, Rand al’Thor,” Rhuarc said.

Oh.

Okay, that is excellent. Wow. Chills.

Such hard words, such strong statements, spoken so very softly.

And this is the core of it, isn’t it? He will take you back, and he will destroy you. They have given themselves to him, knowing destruction is fated for all but a ‘remnant of a remnant’, and they have accepted that fate, but they are still free. And this comes down to the whole concept of identity, which is such a central part of their history as a nation. It has changed drastically over time, but at each point… “I am Aiel!”

“I will change the Aiel with my passing,” Rand said with a shake of his head. “I don’t know what you’ll be when this is all through, but you cannot remain what you were.”

And so their story continues as it has since they left Paaran Disen. Change, and breaking, until they are all but unrecognisable. Already this could be another chapter in the story Rhuidean told. But, while they cannot remain what they were – and it’s such a beautifully sad statement, especially because Rand and the clan chiefs know it so deeply as truth, having seen the past – they can hold to the very core of that identity. They are still Aiel, even when everything changes but the word itself. It is theirs, and their identity to claim, and he can change everything but he cannot change that.

In other news, the Rhuidean story is clearly still A Problem for me. Who’d have guessed?

Of all those who follow me, I trust you the most.

Rand’s trust is both a gift and a burden.

“Once you take the Council of Merchants,” Rand continued, apparently unconcerned about their worries, “move the Aiel into the cities where those merchants ruled. Make sure those cities don’t degenerate. Restore order as you did in Bandar Eban. From there, begin hunting bandits and enforcing the law. Supplies will soon arrive from the Sea Folk. Take cities on the cost first, then move inland. Within a month’s time, the Domani should be flowing toward you, rather than running away from you. Offer them safety and food, and order will take care of itself.”

Well. Uh…at least he’s learned to delegate? Is all I can really say about that. No pressure or anything.

Actually, what I can say about that is that it sounds almost exactly like what the Seanchan have done. They have taken cities in turmoil, established order, and offered safety and food. They came as invaders, and there are certain Issues with what they do, but they did bring peace as they conquered. It’s a large part of why the ordinary people don’t seem to resent them.

Now Rand is sending the Aiel to do almost the same thing. The Aiel may not come from a half-forgotten continent, but they’re widely seen as foreign and threatening, and they are being sent as essentially invaders, to take over cities and establish a new order. From that perspective, it’s eerily similar. Which is kind of interesting to think about. I wonder if Rand sees it.

“And what of Ituralde?” Bashere asked, looking back at the map. “There won’t be peace for long once he realises we’ve invaded his homeland.”

Just as the Seanchan did. And to Ituralde, how will this be any different?

Rand tapped the map softly for a moment. “I will deal with him personally,” he finally said.

Poor Ituralde. He was ready for anything…short of the Dragon Reborn appearing in front of him…

Next (TGS ch 8) Previous (TGS ch 6)

#someday I will be over Rhuidean #but It Is Not This Day #Wheel of Time #neuxue liveblogs WoT #The Gathering Storm

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amboato · 7 years

Text

Oh, here’s some fun facts about witches (since you can’t go on the wiki spoiler free yet).

Gertrud(Episode 2)

“The rose garden witch with a distrustful nature. She holds roses dearer than anything else. She expends all of her power for the sake of beautiful roses. Despite stealing the life-force of humans who wander into her barrier to give to her roses, she loathes the thought of them trampling the inside of her barrier.”

Charlotte(Episode 3, om nom nom)

“The witch of sweets. Her nature is tenacity. She desires everything. She will never give up. Though she is capable of creating infinite amounts of any dessert she desires, she is unable to make the cheese that she loves most. One could easily catch her off-guard with a piece of cheese.”

The following is a line from the official design notes for Charlotte’s labyrinth: “’It’s really a delicious cheese cake. My dying mother wanted to eat it, but maybe I should have cured her disease instead. However, that surely wasn’t appropriate.’”

H.N. Elly (Kirsten)(Episode 4)

Elly/Kirsten is unique as a witch, since she has two names, the first name being her “handle” and the second being her “real name”.

“The box witch with a covetous nature. She is a staunchly reclusive witch. Anything she covets she locks away within glass. The thoughts of her prisoners are laid bare, but one can strike her without thought without problems.”

In the design notes for the labyrinth, the following two lines are written: “’I have only one wish. Box up that memory.’” and “When the witch dies, the lights on the Christmas tree and merry-go-round short out. There’s a ‘basssh!’ sound.”

Anja (not a witch, but the familiar from episode 5)

“The scribbling witch’s minion, whose duty is to be naïve. She is a lost familiar who was separated from the witch while playing alone, absorbed in her daydreams. She possesses the ability to transform humans into balls; a human who has been transformed into a ball cannot revert to human form until he bounces against the ground once for each lie that he has ever uttered.”

Elsa Maria (Episode 7)

“The witch of shadow with a self-righteous nature. She continually prays for all of creation and drags all life equally into her shadow without breaking her posture. One hoping to defeat her must know the blackest anguish.”

In the design notes for her labyrinth, the following is written: “'I wish you, although not seen from me, to be happy.’” and “When the witch dies, the stained glass collapses and drops into the air. There’s a 'baaaaaaahn’ sound like from a pipe organ.”

Oktavia von Seckendorff (Sayaka’s witch, Final Timeline)

“The mermaid witch; it is in her nature to fall in love. Looking for the feeling that moved her so long ago, she moves with the entire concert hall. Her fortune only turns under the weight of memories and no longer moves toward the future. Nothing will reach her any longer. She will come to know nothing more. She simply allows no one to disturb her minions’ playing.”

Timeline 3:

“The mermaid witch. Her nature is to fall in love. The witch continues to dream of a guitar resounding in the middle of a concert hall, a deeply moving impression from past days. Repeating within that time with little but sure differences, her wheels of fate move around calmly.”

Oktavia’s design is, pretty obviously, a mixture of Sayaka’s knight theme and The Little Mermaid - the original, where the mermaid is rejected and commits suicide.

Fun fact, since grief seeds all have unique designs, we can tell that the grief seed Madoka gave Homura to clean her soul gem in episode 10 was Oktavia’s.

Patricia (victim of pipe bomb to the hoohah in Episode 10)

“The class representative witch. Her nature is to remain an onlooker. Using the spiderlike threads which she vomits forth, she created a school for herself alone within the sky of her barrier and endlessly acts out an ordinary daily student life there. If you ring the going-home bell, this witch will likely return to her house somewhere.”

From the design notes for her labyrinth: “'It’s raining again today. How long will I continue to be unlucky for?’” and “When the witch dies, it rains heavily. There is a sound like an aircraft crashing.”

Roberta (Episode 10)

“The birdcage witch. Her nature is rage. She continuously stamps her feet inside her cage, directing her rage at those who do not respond to her. This witch is extremely fond of alcohol, and her minions are also easy to burn.”

In the production notes, the following is stated: “A witch who lived for a long time as a magical girl. She is weak, as she was no longer a girl when she became a witch (mid-20s to 30s?). The form she takes in her barrier is how she would’ve turned out in the future (around 40s). What she desires is life. Enjoys alcohol and books.”

Design notes for her labyrinth: “'I wish for friends. Friends who won’t dislike me.’” and “When the witch dies, the bird cage is getting shot down and spilling a circular rain of blood.”

Kriemhild Gretchen(Madoka’s witch)

“Witch of salvation. Her nature is mercy. She absorbs any life on the planet into her newly created heaven–her barrier. The only way to defeat this witch is to make the world free of misfortune. If there’s no grief in this world, she will believe this world is already a heaven.”

The following is written for the version of her in the final episode: “The Witch of Despair. Her nature is direct petition. The mouthpiece for all the unfulfilled hopes of all spent magical girls. If a hope is born that can rewrite the universe, then at the same time, it is born from the mud of despair. Everlasting wailing fills her body, a continuously swelling, empty doll. At the end of a magical girl’s karma, this witch continues to swell to absurd sizes. And in the end, her body could even destroy the galaxy.”

Kriemhild is a figure from Norse mythology, while Gretchen is the name of Faust’s lover, who dies in the first part of the play and leads his soul to heaven in the second part.

Walpurgisnacht(Various)

“The stage-constructing witch (alias: Walpurgisnacht / real name: unknown); her nature is helplessness. She symbolizes the fool who continuously spins in circles. The witch’s mysteries have been handed down through the course of history; her appellation is 'Walpurgisnacht.’ She will continue to rotate aimlessly throughout the world until she completely changes the whole of this age into a drama. When the doll’s usual upside-down position reaches the top part of the witch, she completely roils the civilization on the ground in a flash through her gale-like flight.”

According to Urobuchi (the writer):“It has the destructive power to bring about natural disasters powerful enough to blow away an entire town, but originally it was a single witch. It’s a witch that has grown from the combination of countless other witches. Walpurgisnacht combines with other witches in the same way two powerful tornadoes are able to combine and become larger. It’s essentially a 'conglomeration’-type witch. Because it’s so powerful, it rarely shows itself.”

The following is written in her design notes: “’Everything in this world is fake. My life is nothing more than a drama that you penned. Please, prove it. ’Faust’ is on show.’”

Candeloro(Mami’s witch, appears only in the untranslated PSP game)

“The witch of dress-up. She has an inviting nature. A kind-hearted witch who dreams of ideal things. This witch can’t stand being lonely, and never lets visitors to her barrier escape.”

“The dress-up witch’s minions, whose task is to guide visitors. They invite humans who enter the witch’s barrier to her tea party. When they try to run away from her, the witch ties their hands and feet together. They are precious friends of the witch.” Look familiar?

Ophelia(Kyoko's witch, appears only in the untranslated PSP game)

“The witch of wǔdàn. Her nature is abandonment. A witch who eternally wanders with hollow footsteps within the fog. She can no longer remember what the horse that always accompanies her was.”

Ophelia’s name is probably a reference to the Ophelia in Hamlet.

Also of note is the bad ending for the PSP game, in which it’s implied that Homura becomes a witch and the following image is shown:

The runes read “Homulilly” and “Game Over”, respectively.

A few things:

1) Thank you for this! I hate that I can’t go digging around for info and stuff without spoiling Rebellion, so this is nice to have.

2) Madoka having held onto Sayaka’s grief seed kills me, and then it kills me even more that she used it for Homura.

3) I didn’t say this during the liveblog, but Patricia would be the witch that killed me because I HATE heights.

4) I was wondering what happened if/when a magical girl made it past her girlhood and into womanhood. I guess Roberta lets us know that they are still bound to their contract with Kyubey, even if they are now a magical woman instead of a magical girl.

5) I figured Walpurgisnacht was more than one witch, there’s no way one witch could be that powerful.

6) Mami’s witch’s familiars are modeled after Madoka and Kyoko, SHUT UP!

7) Homura as a witch, scary thought.

#fates0end #You Ask I Answer #amboato Talks about PMMM #submission #PMMM spoilers #to be safe for others

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