#I might even buy the physical copy at some point | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

logicbutton · 7 months ago

Text

Hey guys what's up I learned bookbinding to make @cindthia a physical copy of Synchronized Cardioversion for our anniversary :3

Pics and process documentation below!

I used the following resources:

How to Make a Book by ArmoredSuperHeavy

Bookbinding Resources Master List by Renegade Bindery

r/Fanbinding

the fanbinding tag on AO3 - shoutout to r3zuri's fanbinding of a FFVII fic for their extremely informative cliff's notes version of the process

the Intro to Hand Bookbinding class at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, an incredible resource for anyone in or near Minneapolis interested in learning how to bind their own books.

First, I typeset the fanfic. I did this by downloading it from AO3, trying to figure it out myself, checking How to Make a Book for help with a problem I was having, and realizing that I should have just used it from the beginning in the first place. I used Microsoft Word 2013.

Fonts: Palatino Linotype, Helvetica (for the characters' text messages), Beatline (for titles) Margins: .88" top, 1" bottom, .75" inside, .75" outside, .25" gutter Front matter: - Title page with only the title - "Praise for Synchronized Cardioversion" with comments from the fic - Title page with title, author name, and a colophon I made - Copyright page with fic copyright, fic URL, TLT series copyright, disclaimer, AO3 fic summary, first chapter author's notes, copyright for in-text art, book design credit, font info Back matter: - Acknowledgments (from the fic) - "Also by CindFourth" with all their TLT fic separated into Synchronized Cardioversion Extended Universe (might make another book of this at some point); Other Camgideon, Campal, and Team 69; and Other Locked Tomb

I set the page layout to "book fold" with 16-page signatures. As for the art, one of Cind's requests in last year's TLT Holiday Exchange was for art of this fic and they got not only a fantastic one-page comic from their assigned creator, our friend @anaeolist (who also did a sketch of Cam and Gideon kissing - we'll come back to that later), but also a lovely piece as a treat from our friend @kat-hikari. I got permission from both artists to include their work in the book.

The finished file was 408 pages, so I added four blank pages (two sheets) to the beginning and the end to make 26 signatures even.

Next, I printed the pages. I used my Brother DCP-L2550DW and Hammermill 11x8.5 24/60 lb. cream bookbinding paper from Church Paper. I'd read that sometimes using short-grain paper in a regular printer could cause it to jam, but it went fine. The cream color made the pages look so professional.

I folded the pages into signatures and then pressed them overnight. Since I don't have a book press, I sandwiched them between two sheets of bookboard and put a heavy box on top, and that worked well.

The next step, punching holes and sewing, was my favorite. I'd made a punching cradle using instructions I got in my bookbinding class. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it only used bookboard and PVA glue, so I didn't even need to buy anything I hadn't already bought for the project.

I used three pieces of tape and sewed them on using a kettle stitch.

Then I went to MCBA to use their guillotine on the text block and their board shear to cut boards for the cover.

I chose orange cardstock for the endpaper, and because I am a novice making novice mistakes I unfortunately forgot to get a size of cardstock that would let me fold it on the grain, but anyway. I trimmed it to the exact size of the pages and glued it to the text block. Next I glued the spine of the text block, rounded it a bit (not the way an expert would; you learn that in Intermediate Hand Bookbinding), added a strip of super mull and headbands at either end, and sat it under a weight to dry while I made the cover.

The Bristol board I cut for the spine was probably 1/8" too wide, which makes a bigger difference than you would think. Next time I'm going to err on the side of slightly too narrow when I'm already giving myself three board widths of a buffer on either side.

Aside from that, the cover turned out great! I could have done a better job lining up the endpaper when I glued it in, but that's the kind of thing you practice I guess.

I love the way the navy blue bookcloth looks with the cream paper, the orange endpaper, and the red and white headbands.

Now that I had the exact dimensions of the book, I could finally design the dust jacket. Remember that sketch of Cam and Gideon kissing that anaeolist did for the holiday exchange? I commissioned them to turn it into a finished piece for the cover, and boy did they ever deliver. I also asked some of our other friends who had read the fic to give me blurbs for the back cover, and they delivered too. Cind's and my relationship wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful community we met in and I wanted this gift to reflect that.

I created the jacket in GIMP at a print resolution of 300ppi and saved it as a pdf. The final step was to get it printed, which I was nervous about because it was the only part of the process that I had no control over at all. Long story short, I ended up with something I was very happy with done by a small chain print shop where I had to go in and talk to a human about what I needed.

I also posted this to AO3!

#fanbinding #the locked tomb

118 notes · View notes

putschki1969 · 2 months ago

Note

Hi Sarah,

I am a Japanese male living in Australia. I always enjoy reading and marvelling at your great love for Kalafina. Thank you for keeping up to date with the latest information and sources.

In your 4 Dec post, you mentioned that you couldn't watch Hikaru's Music Champ streaming, so I'll tell you what I actually heard and what I was wondering.

Hikaru told that the two new songs included on the new EP ‘Mask’💿, which are not ‘End of Line’, will only be on CD and will not be available as online downloads, except at venues. Also, she will have to check with the organisers to see if ‘Mask’ CD can be sold at Kalafina's live venue next year. However, if it is possible, she said she would like to do so. *No mention of the ‘Features’ CD.

She wants her fans to visit the live venues as much as possible, so she considers the CDs to be a bonus for them. If these can be purchased from the online shop, then there is no problem, but I feel it is unkind to overseas fans like me who find it difficult to go to live venues in person. I understand that it is difficult for her to do so as the freelance artist, but I think all overseas fans feel the frustration of not being able to support her even if they wanted to.

Hikaru also said that if there were still some copies of the ‘Features’ CD left, they might be sold at the venues, but I don't know how much is left. I still haven't been able to get any of the CDs💿. I would be grateful if I could ask my friends to buy them during this tour, but it depends on their timing and venue area…😖 If the CDs are discontinued or after the whole live tours are over, I would be happy if all the songs are available for download.

I hope you enjoy their live shows and that you are able to buy their CDs and other goods!😊

Hi there!

Thank you for your kind message! I am glad I can share my love for Kalafina with fellow fans 🫶.

Ohhh, that's a great recap of Hikaru's latest live stream, I really appreciate it🙏 I often can't watch her broadcasts because she streams in the middle of my work day *sighs*

Ohh, interesting, so it's only two out of six songs from her EP "Mask", that's good to know. Someone mentioned on Twitter after the concert in Toyama that the first song of her setlist, "Wish", was one of the songs that wouldn't get released digitally. I wonder what the second song is🤔. Unfortunately, no one has shared the full tracklist of the CD yet...

Let's hope she is able to sell her CDs at the Kalafina Anniversary venue. I want her solo releases to be made available for a larger audience so she can expand her reach.

Hmm, yeah, I understand the idea of offering the CD as a sort of exclusive benefit to get more people to attend her concerts. But in order for this strategy to work properly, she probably should have mentioned that a lot earlier. Oh well, at this point I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility of a future digital release. There's really no point in keeping some of those songs unreleased forever...Maybe after her tour and the Kalafina live are over, she will have the necessary funds to produce more CDs and sell them online. She has some people at Music Champ and C.C.C. who can provide assistance so it should be possible. As you say, there are many fans who simply cannot attend all these events so it would be sad if they never got a chance to buy her physical music releases (especially if some of those CDs contain new songs). I try my best to buy and stream her digital stuff but I definitely prefer physical releases (after all, I need something to put inside of my Kalafina Shrine).

Thank you! I am very excited that I get to see Wakana and Hikaru before the end of the year. Lots of money will be spent, I am sure. Just two more weeks! Time has been going by so fast!

#kalafina #hikaru #reply #hikaru solo work #freelancer hikaru #EP Mask

21 notes · View notes

icelynia · 10 months ago

Text

Some tips to actually read the Bible!

If you’re like me and struggle with reading your Bible, here are some tips! Hopefully ADHD/Neurodivergent friendly ones.

Get a journal/study Bible- I cannot say how much this has helped me! Instead of having a separate notebook I need to take with me/open on my phone, I can just write right in it! Highly recommend.

Don’t judge versions- Now some versions are more accurate and overall better, that’s just the truth, but that doesn’t mean that the rest don’t have their places. The Message might absolutely suck for any hardcore Bible study, but it’s great for casual reading and beginners. If a version is boring you, difficult to understand, or just too familiar, don’t be afraid to switch it up! You can easily try out new versions digitally before committing to buying a physical copy of it!

Don’t be afraid to markup your Bible- I know that some feel like it is sacrilegious to write and highlight in a Bible, but it isn’t. Don’t go burning and defacing Bibles of course, but writing notes and highlighting to help further your Bible study are fine! Get different colored writing utensils, put tabs for each book, even doodle in the margins!

Studying the Bible should be fun, not stressful- If you need to put on music, sit in the bathtub, or put a sticker on the first page of every book you’ve finished, go ahead! This kind of goes along with the last point, but even if it’s not a conventional way to read the Bible, go wild (within reason)! If you need an audiobook version go ahead! If you voice act everyone, that’s great. What’s important is that you are consuming God’s word and grasping the message inside of it. Don’t go too overboard and let your method become a distraction though!

Get a children’s Bible- I was recently going through some bookshelves at home and found my old Veggietales Children’s Bible. I flipped through it and it grabbed my attention right away! Children’s Bibles usually have inserted points that are on a more basic level than “adult Bibles”. That’s fine! Some of us need that simplicity, especially if we are neurodivergent. The Veggietales Bible I have also has comics based on the movies which while sometimes weird, were a nice brain break from the sometimes overwhelming and long passages of scripture. It might seem silly/awkward at first, but finding a good children’s Bible can open up a whole new world in your Bible Study!

You don’t need a plan- It can be overwhelming to try those “Read the whole Bible in a year!” plans, so try something different. Maybe read through the minor prophets, read just Ester, or 5 Proverbs! Any amount is good, since it means you got into the Word! Maybe one day you’ll just open to a random passage and read that! You never know where you’ll end up and I’ve had some great moments just with doing that.

Join a Bible Study-Going through Scripture with someone else can be a game changer! From sharing different opinions on passages, holding each other accountable, to sharing prayer requests, there is nothing better than having at least one buddy to fellowship in the Lord with!

Play Bible Games-This can go along with the last one, but play Bible games! Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Sword Drills- This is a competition based on finding passages fast. It starts with someone (usually a leader, but can be anyone within the group) yelling, “Swords Up!” and then everyone lifts their Bibles in the air. If it is feasible, make sure everyone has the same copy of the Bible. If not, only rules are that the Bible has to be physical and no bookmarking sections to help you get to a passage faster. The same person that yelled “Swords Up!” will now say a passage (Eg: John 3:15) and the participants will say it back. They will all start looking for it when the person says “Go!” . The first person to get to the passage and read it allowed wins! This game helps with memorizing the books of the Bible, their order, and helps expose people to passages they might not read otherwise.

2. Bible Quizzing- This one is all about memorizing facts, passages, and trivia about the Bible. Now there are actual tournaments and Bible Quizzing championships, but you don’t need to do anything like that. Just get a few friends, task one with coming up with questions, and then compete to see who gets the most right! This could involve Jeopardy, multiple choice, and even a written portion. I’ve done both casual and actual tournaments and I’d recommend both! Both are fun and get people to learn the Bible, though the actual competitions can be an idol to some people.

Find Christian Online Influencers- Now, this one could lead you astray, but hear me out. Finding entertainment from Christian sources is leagues better than from some random person who is probably an atheist, woke, and believes in evolution. Now, I’m not saying “Don’t engage with and watch content from non Christian people!” what I am saying is to try and get some more Christians in there. My favorite Christian YouTube Channels are Red Pen Logic, Dude Perfect, JStu, Matthias, and Sean McDowell. Not all of these are content about Christianity, but they are all Christian YouTubers. The ones about Christianity are RPL and Sean McDowell. JStu member Justin does have a podcast called the Soul Mine Podcast that he runs with his father all about being a Christian boy/man in our modern society. Everyone (even girls) are allowed and encouraged to listen to it. The point with this one is that surrounding yourself with entertainment that won’t lead you astray is important and that these YouTubers are a great place to start.

Also if you are a Christian theatre nerd, check out Sight and Sound Theatres! I cannot recommend them enough. They do original musicals based on people from the Bible and I’d say are even better quality than Broadway. They are currently doing Daniel (1st run!) in Lancaster, PA and Queen Esther in Branson, MO. Enough people don’t know about them for how good their shows are! They have a 180° stage, live animal actors, and very impressive both practical and digital effects! Their sets also move and are very intricate and impressive.

This was all I could think of at the moment! Feel free to reblog/comment some more tips that have worked for you.

God bless!❤️✝️

#bible study #bible #adhd #adhd tips #christblr #christianity #sight and sound #sight and Sound theaters #neurodivergent #neurodivergent tips

31 notes · View notes

treatbuckywkisses · 2 days ago

Text

Perspective

Summary: artist!steve and .... you weren't supposed to find out like this

A/N: this was written on my phone:) I've had this idea for 3 years now and finally fully executed it and I feel good enough about it to post it!!! please let me know all your thoughts & reblog!! love you big🩷 moodboard made by yours truly💛 dividers made by @firefly-graphics

Warnings: literally so soft and fluffy, mentions of insecurities, my blog is 18+ only. I do not give permission for my work to be translated, copied, or shared.

Steve loves art.

He loves that there are multiple ways to express himself; drawing, painting, sculpting. Oftentimes he found himself lost in whatever medium he was using. Hours passed without him noticing and he felt lucky to have so much time and freedom with his arts. But that freedom required frequent check-ins. Always making sure he wasn't too lost and keeping up with himself.

A few years back he'd gotten so immersed in a project he hadn't eaten for a whole day and when he finally remembered it might be a good idea, his mild hunger he previously ignored had turned into a splitting headache along with his stomach screaming in agony, and by then, it was too late. He'd found himself dehydrated and damn near passed out from it. So now if he doesn't answer the phone within half an hour, you show up with a full spread and a list of questions.

And without fail, every time you let your self in the studio asking for signs of life, he has no choice but to fuss and whine, "Don't you know I'm a bit old for a babysitter?" (His easy smile tells you he's at least partially joking.)

Still this remark results in a scoff or a pointed look. He likes knowing that you care so deeply.

Besides, you're the only person he doesn't mind showing his art to, even before it's finished. Because somehow, you always see his vision, even when others don't. Steve likes that a lot. You're always there for him even if it's not physically and he's unsure if you know this or not.

Being friends with Steve since uni, you've been his model plenty of times but that didn't mean Steve got used to how intimate the setting was. Honestly, you've been his model enough times, Steve can sketch you by memory. Every part of you has been embedded in his mind. Your lively essence the only thing lacking compared to you lounging around his studio.

He had such intense focus on watching both you and his sketchpad. He had to be sure not to miss any detail. From the way your hair sprawled out over your shoulder, down to the tip of your cute nose and over the curves of your cupids bow. Even though this wasn't new to you by any means, he could tell you were a bit squirmy when he finally met your eyes.

It was intriguing how impressive Steves talent was, and always has been. Especially with the typical artist ego some folks get. No matter the amount Steve prospered, he remained as humble and dare you say bashful as ever. Cheeks pinking up with his blue eyes shining at the praise. Remembering that minor detail from professors in uni till now with big time art collectors.

Steve may have fucked up.

Scratch that. Steve definitely fucked up.

He forgot to tell you about a consultation he had today. Depending on the client consultations could be pretty lengthy. Looking at his portfolio, recommendations from previous clients, credentials, blah blah until finally getting to what this client expected to receive from buying something Steve made. It was a whole process you knew all about, having to wait on Steve to potentially celebrate afterwards.. if you'd been told that is. He has no one to blame besides himself. Yet for some reason, he hadn't expected this to happen so soon..

He doesn't mean to be a creep, really! He just can't help himself. He would definitely be mortified if you ever found out. It's the only thing he's ever kept from you in your entire friendship. Not that he wants to! He just can't possibly imagine a positive reaction to you being the only material in an entire sketchbook. He knows you. That's why he keeps it hidden.

You can't find out he has two pages full of just your eyes. Or that he's drawn you in every angle he could without being lewd. (Not that he hasn't thought about it, he just really, really couldn't risk that getting out.) All the things you've ever nonchalantly complained about. Every curve of your body, stretch marks varying in color, the size of your nose. Everything you view as an insecurity perplexed Steve. At first it was supposed to help you. When you got bad about it and didn't think anyone noticed until Steve brought it up. He had this grand idea. If he made it, you'd have to think it was gorgeous! The thing was, once he started, he couldn't seem to stop. Not in a bad obsessive way, in a way that allowed him to see you, to truly see you.

Normally, when you model for Steve you're just there for him to double check his vision while he gives it life. They don't always look exactly like you, he just mimics your movements, but in the end he does get to sneak in a detail he knows is from only you, that's what makes his pieces stand out. That he's certain of. You know you're the base for quite a bit of his works both in paintings and sculptures. Knowing deep down you're the same shape as whatever he decided to turn you into. And you always compliment his work, so Steve couldn't understand why it was hard for you to view yourself the same way he does.

When Steve is finally finished with his consultation he's able to check his phone on his trek back home. There's one missed call from about half an hour ago, which he knows is all it takes, so he's expecting you to be awaiting his arrival, most likely with takeout.

What he didn't expect, however, was to walk in on you flipping through sketchbooks. You hadn't heard him come in the front door so he sets out to look for you. Once he finds you..It's as if time is standing still.

He doesn't know why but he's frozen. He can't even allow himself to breathe as he watches you pick up his yellow sketchbook. You open it like you probably opened all the rest, not knowing what you were about to see, and Steve can't believe he's allowing this to happen. He's so confused in himself he doesn't even feel like he's thinking. Why did he think plain sight was a good hiding spot? If he didn't hide it then it wasn't a secret, right? Oh, fuck him.

He takes the risk to make his presence known, softly knocking on the open door so he doesn't startle you too badly. The first thing he notices are the tears in your eyes as you look at him for the first time all day. He can't decipher what the tears mean for you, but his stomach flips with his own interpretation in mind.

"Steve.."

"I'm sorry—"

A small huff escapes you at your sudden burts to each other and Steve knows. That look in your eyes he couldn't make out earlier. Those eyes he's etched into his own, blanketed in tears, are also filled with admiration.

He releases a light sigh and starts explaining himself. "For once I can't positively say I know what you're thinking. It wasn't meant to be exactly the way it turned out somehow." He hates how vulnerable this feels, which is a bit ironic if he lets himself think about it. He takes a deep breath and decides to take another (arguably bigger) risk, "I couldn't stop myself. I know how that sounds believe me, but honestly. I just couldn't get you out of my head now matter how hard I tried to. You've been there for me so much I'm not even sure you fully realize how much you've helped me. Hearing you talk about yourself so negatively? I don't know, I just felt that I needed to help you see how beautiful you are." Steve looks over at you and the tears are streaming down your face, he didn't know they could be so enamoring.

You can barely choke out his name and he's thinking the worst. But when you follow it with a soft kiss to his lips, he feels like he can finally breathe. Foreheads pressed against each other he smiles the most he ever has before. "What can I say? I found my muse."

#fayths moodboard #fayth writes #steve rogers #artist!steve #marvel mcu

9 notes · View notes

jujumin-translates · 7 months ago

Text

[18TRIP] Event Story | WE ARE M・T・T・B | TRACK. 3

Characters: 🫰 Chihiro Natsuyaki, ☁️ Ten Murakumo, 🎨 Kiroku Kinugawa, 🌕 Muneuji Kaguya, 🔮 Toi Shiramitsu

Location: HAMA House - Lesson Room

Muneuji: …I think I can move, but I don’t feel like this is just about being able to move.

Chihiro: (Munechi already said this in his own self-analysis, but he’s stiff as ever. …He’s treating it too much like a martial arts match.)

Toi: Haah, haah, haah…

Chihiro: (Toonya lacks physical strength. The more he tries to copy my dance perfectly, the more it seems like his body can’t keep up.)

Kiroku: …

Chihiro: (Kirokkuma’s got great reflexes. But his sensitive and shy personality comes out and he immediately hunches over and looks unsure of himself. I feel like he’s not making the most of his physical abilities.)

Chihiro: (Wait! I was about to make the producer face again! That’s not what they need right now!)

Ten: …

Chihiro: C’mon~, I can’t have all of you looking so gloomy! Dancing is supposed to be fun ♪ It’s totally normal not to be able to get it down right away ♪

Muneuji & Toi & Kiroku: …!

Chihiro: It’s all okay! Tenchamu and Chii are gonna teach you well, so don’t worry! So let’s have fun and get hyped~!

Ten: Ah, so I’m supposed to be a teacher too.

Toi: Chii-sama…

Kiroku: …

Muneuji: …May I ask a question? Chihiro: Hm~? What’s up?

Muneuji: As of now, our level is considerably low.

Muneuji: I know it’s not necessarily my place to say this, but I’m sure you must internally be feeling awful seeing the state we’re in now, Natsuyaki-san.

Muneuji: It is still essential that we have fun, however. So I was wondering if you could give us some clear guidance as to what parts you feel aren’t working.

Chihiro: Hm~, well… Dontcha think you’re being too hard on yourselves?

Chihiro: There’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing~! You’re slowly improving, so just keep doing your best!

Muneuji & Toi & Kiroku: …

Chihiro: (...Huh. What’s with the looks of disbelief on everyone’s faces? Hm~m, I don’t want the vibes in here to get any worse, so…)

Chihiro: It’s a little early, but let’s call things here for today! Our dancing won’t get any better if we’re all too worn out!

Ten: Sure thi~ng, I agree~.

Chihiro: Ah, Chii sorta feels like having a little snack~. Can someone run to the convenience store with me~?

Muneuji: My apologies.

Kiroku: Ah, I’m… also kinda…

Toi: I-I can go another time…!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Location: HAMA Downtown

Ten: Mh. This new ice cream’s pretty good~. I’m buying this again next time.

Chihiro: …

Ten: You sure bought a lot of food to eat alone. What’s with that?

Chihiro: Ah, this is for everyone, but… …

Ten: Damn, why so grim-sounding?

Chihiro: I didn’t mean to sound grim, it’s just…

Parent Cat: Mrrooow.

Kitten: Nya.

Chihiro: Ah, konnichinyan.

Ten: A stray cat?

Chihiro: I’ve seen this parent-and-kid combo around here a lot lately~. They’re really friendly.

Ten: Ah~..., then I might know one of ‘em too.

Chihiro: …Mama meow-meow~, will you let me pet you today~?

Mama Cat: Mrrrw, mrrw.

Kitten: Purr.

Chihiro: Hehe, do you want pets too, baby meow-meow? You’re both so cute.

Ten: You’re right about that.

Chihiro: …

Chihiro: (Those three having gloomy expressions… That was my fault, wasn’t it?)

Chihiro: (I thought I gave the best response I could’ve earlier, but…)

Chihiro: …, I’m a failure~.

Ten: ?

Chihiro: (I def have my concerns about their dancing abilities. But if I start putting on my producer face and tell them to start doing this and that, and pointing things out, and stuff—.)

Chihiro: (Things might end up being complicated again, just like back with the Evening Group. And I really don’t want that to happen…)

Ten: …

Ten: Well, I think just making good memories is good enough, you don’t gotta be so high-strung about it. Isn’t having fu~n supposed to be our motto? So I think things are fine.

Chihiro: Tenchamu…

Ten: If you get too strict dealing with amateurs, it’s just gonna lead to fights. And that’d just be a pain in the ass… And awkward, y’know?

Chihiro: Fights… …

Chihiro: (I absolutely don’t want that…)

Chihiro: Hm, that’s true. And everyone’s got different motivations for dancing.

Ten: Yep, yep.

Chihiro: Thanksies, Tenchamu!

Ten: Haha, I didn’t really do anything, but I’m glad you’re feeling better, Chihiro. Cool, let’s just say things are settled and head back home.

Chihiro: Yep, let’s go~!

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

#18trip #18trip translation #chihiro natsuyaki #ten murakumo #kiroku kinugawa #muneuji kaguya #toi shiramitsu

18 notes · View notes

hivemire · 8 months ago

Text

so! I said I'd tell something about miss rachele, my rogue trader

rachele might have not always carried the von valancius last name, but still was born to comfortable nobility and all it entails under the gaze of the god-emperor. one of all too many sisters, she was the sole one to visibly inherit some stray voidborn genes fluctuating here and there in the family pool; aesthetically this has no true consequence except making of her a bleached, stretched out copy of her siblings, far too pale and far too tall, reaching the height of 190cm. the skin she conceals with treatment and makeup. the height she stresses even further with heels whenever possible. turns out there is no shortage of advantages in towering over most, especially when you carry blue blood in your veins too.

the fact that far too many sisters had been existing for longer than she means that rachele understood early and clear that she was not going to participate in any game of inheritance, no matter how well read or ruthless she was. instead, she turned her efforts towards the military. through both personal skill and an equal amount of nepotism she managed to obtain herself a career in the imperial navy, becoming an officer of sort of local renown. she might not be the best shot, but she is a leader. though an ant in the immense mechanisms of the empire, she is respected, looked up to. she settles feudal disputes. she wins battles. her star is rising, and shining brighter with each passing day.

it makes her reckless. at one point rachele, daughter of nobles still, is abducted for ransom- unused to true threat, always too loud and too confident that if not her rank then her blood will shield her from any consequences, she does not believe something during this stay could happen to her. of course, she is wrong. it is not long before she is rescued, but enough for her to be recovered with severe physical damages. her wealth can buy much, but cannot buy miracles. one leg, despite surgery, will remain permanently weaker than the other.

her right hand is unsalvageable. it is amputated, and replaced with an augmetic. it's fine steel. it is still less of her flesh.

this event mars her in the mind indelibly. if even before rachele was as callous and cruel as your average noblewoman- firmly believing that it was her birthright to be as abominable as pleased on account of her status- this event bends her in an even worse direction. worse: it confirms that then what she believed is true. the world truly is divided in who holds the whip and who is flogged; she intends to never again lose her hold on hers.

time passes. scars grow. she turns 44. somehow, impossibly, she is summoned by the head of the von valancius dynasty. the rest is history.

rachele is ultimately a woman with close to no true redeeming qualities. she is a selfish, insensitive hypocrite with a sadistic slant, and it is safe to always assume that any generosity on her part is purely performed for her own interest. she is the center of her own world. anyone else is to be used and discarded as she sees fit. but, probably, should one manage to somehow garner her respect, it could be possible to become her "friend". still I simply cannot advice that! 0/10 woman she just really sucks

#oc: rachele #rogueposting #she is just not nice at all! not even god-emperor fearing really! she just does whatever she wants #and of course. she will never smile once

20 notes · View notes

shadowredfeline · 3 months ago

Text

Before I post a birthday pic tomorrow, I decided to show off some photos and a video I did. But I felt like I was in a Resident Evil Mood, like deciding if I were to play 2, 4, 5, or Revelations 1 and 2, but on second thought there was a Resident Evil game I haven't played in so long. So I chose Code Veronica X because I remember my dad playing this game a lot, since it was his favorite besides Resident Evil 2. Like we got the game for the PlayStation 2, and I have a copy of the game, but when I was going to get ready to put it into my PlayStation 2 Slim, the disc wouldn't read and send me back to the browser, but didn't give me the error, it started reading and it worked, but didn't got to work. So my friend on Discord told me like with Gran Turismo 4, it might be that my lenses are having a problem and need cleaning up the lenses. Otherwise if that didn't work, and if I were to get another PlayStation 3, I would have to get one of the old models that can play both PlayStation 1 and 2 games. Otherwise I would end up getting a PlayStation Plus Premium even though my brother and I were talking about getting them for Christmas. But he wanted the Extra, and I wanted the Premium. Like he wanted to play so many of the free games, and I wanted to play so many of the classic games. So we agree that we'll both get them for Christmas. Back to the post, I bought the game on my PlayStation 5 since you can play PlayStation 2 games on PlayStation 4 and 5, but you have to buy them. So I got it since it was on Sale, and I thought I would just buy the game even though I just have a physical copy of the actual PlayStation 2 version. I wanted to show a video and show some screenshots of the game. Like I was making progress even though I do like the gameplay and the whole story. Same goes for my dad. But with Code Veronica X, I would imagine Lighting and Yinna playing this if Yinna was into Resident Evil.

Lighting 😺⚡: Hey, Dad? How well do you and Grandpa know about this game?

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Well, Lighting. Your Grandpa and I got into this game since it is his favorite besides Resident Evil 2, just only the original version when we have that game for Nintendo 64.

Lighting 😺⚡: Yeah and I know you have been playing the 2019 Remake on our PlayStation 5.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Of course, Light. I enjoy that game a lot since I love playing the Remakes.

Paul 😺 ⚔️⚒️: Well he has a point, Light. Even if your dad and I love Resident Evil, I'm sure you and your brother might have the guts to play it. As long as you get permission from me, and your parents.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Uh huh. Always ask us first if you like to play it. Despite the game being for Mature Audiences only, but I'm sure you'll manage.

Lighting 😺⚡: Thanks, Dad and Grandpa. Normally I remember seeing you both playing GTA with the Speedsters and you haven't told me about it. I know you and Speedster have explained it to my brother, Zack.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Yeah I know. But I know you both don't work or are a little young to be working for Rockstar. But I'm sure you can manage Survival Horror like me and your Grandpa.

Lighting 😺⚡: Sure. I'll talk with Riya, May, Miya and Yinna if they like to play it too. Because I know Speedy and I always like killing Zombies together.

Paul 😺⚔️⚒️: So do we, Light. So do we.

People I tagged @murumokirby360 @bryan360 @sammirthebear2k4 and @alexander1301

6 notes · View notes

claire-therose · 3 months ago

Text

The Future of Television: an Introspection

I think we are at a transition point

This story begins in the Los Angeles airport, LAX. Earlier that day, I had a flight scheduled to fly from Burbank to Cincinnati (with a layover in Atlanta) to visit my parents. The flight, unfortunately, was delayed due to weather conditions, so the airline booked me for a or straight flight to CVG. After making my way over to LAX, I noticed the TV near a bar near where I was sitting- and something caught my eye.

An advertisement: for Disney+, Hulu, and Max for $17 with ads, and $30 with ads.

First of all, that's too inexpensive. With previous cable packages exceeding $100 a month, having 3 of the largest and most well known streaming services together in a single deal for less than a third of that previous price is simply unsustainable. My guess – is this deal is introductory pricing to get people used to this bundle as a norm, after which the price can slowly increase without much customer loss.

Secondly, why? Disney and Hulu makes sense, Disney owns Hulu, but Max? Max is owned by WarnerBros. Discovery, one of the largest companies in the video streaming space, and Max itself is a direct competitor to Disney+. What would they have to benefit from cooperation?

Here’s what they have to benefit:

Firstly - some business terms

A knock on the door is heard. Claire opens the door. BYSTANDER enters looking confused. Bystander: I thought this essay was about television? Claire: You thought making television was about making television? Bystander shrugs. Claire: Unfortunately... it's about the money >:3

Economies of scale is an economic principle indicating that the more you produce of something, the less it costs per item to produce. If I want to make 1 copy of The Glass Scientists by Sage Cotugno (a very good graphic novel you should read ( ᵔ ⩊ ᵔ )), it might take me 5-10 hours to print out the pages, bind them together, cut out the cover, glue the whole thing, etc.

If the cost of the materials is, let’s say, $7.00, but it takes 7 hours to make (at $25 an hour, because I’m an expensive bitch (¬‿¬ )) - then it costs this hypothetical company $182 to make this one book. That means you as a consumer would be charged around $200 - very expensive (＞﹏＜).

On the other hand, if I want to make 10,000 copies of this book, and I have $100,000 dollars lying around (as one does), I can buy an industrial book printing machine for $30,000, and even with 30 hours of labor, it still costs:

Labor - 30 hours of work * $25/hr = $750 Materials - $7 per book * 10,000 books = $70,000 Cost of Equipment - $30,000 Total Cost - $100,750 Cost per book - $100,750 / 10,000 books = $10.075

about $10 per book, which, in terms of individual cost, is a huge difference from our first estimate of $182.

Now, to be frank, these numbers are all bogus. I have no idea how much it costs to make a book - but the principle is the same with real numbers.

When your production scales up, your cost per product goes down. Massive corporations don’t build megafactories because they like the aesthetic: they do it because it saves them money.

Now, this makes sense for physical products like books, but it also applies to intangible goods, like software, or web design, or streaming technology infrastructure (ding ding ding).

From a business standpoint it doesn’t make sense for 6 different companies to develop 6 different compression algorithms, and have 6 different interfaces to connect to 6 different data centers to do exactly the same thing: take an uncompressed ISO file, compress it for streaming, and send it to your device.

I personally think this is why we are seeing a lot of corporate consolidation in our current era of streaming – because, from a distributor perspective, it makes sense for all companies in the space to work together - or at least consolidate into a much smaller number of players.

But that’s only one-half of the story:

Seeing these companies merge and bundle was not what originally got me thinking about this whole, media market structure thing.

What got my gears turning was something a lot closer to what I actually care about.

Over the past couple of years, it’s been very disheartening to see many wonderful and amazing series get cut short for seemingly no reason.

I love Inside Job. Shion Takeuchi’s sense of comedy, combined with the fondness and criticalness the show has for Reagan makes her growth feel so authentic! I love seeing what she's doing, when she is in over her head, figuring out what she wants out of life. It’s amazing and funny and incredible.

I love Scavenger’s Reign! Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner and everyone on the crew do such an amazing job at crafting this eerie fascination for biology. I can totally see the show, and Joseph Bennett’s narrative style, becoming seminal in science fiction later on. Amazing work.

The Owl House! An amazing Disney show created by an amazing person loved dearly by many amazing people. (you can also replace the word amazing with the word gay and it still works! (o^ ^o))

Inside Job wasn't renewed for a season 2 by Netflix. Owl House had its season 3 cut short. Scavenger’s Reign wasn’t renewed by Warner Bros. Discovery, was brought over to Netflix, and then was canceled by Netflix!

To be honest, I don’t know everything about television production. I want to learn and I want to discover but at this point in time I don’t have a clear answer of why these shows were canceled.

Dana Terrace has stated that The Owl House was canceled without her input, which is incredibly disheartening to hear.

Netflix hasn’t made an official statement about the reasons for Inside Job being canceled or Scavenger’s Reign - but I have a theory about what’s going on

Remember when I mentioned economies of scale? Well, there’s an inverse economic principle called diseconomies of scale. Diseconomies of scale indicates that at a certain scale, as production gets larger, the cost per item gets more expensive, rather than less expensive. This can be due to a whole basket of factors, from increasing organizational costs, to transportation and distribution costs, etc. It’s the reason why there isn’t 1 factory that makes all the paper towels in the world. If economies of scale were an absolute rule, that single factory would be the standard, but it’s not. There are certain economic advantages to having multiple smaller factories rather than 1 giant factory (transportation, distribution, etc.).

There are economic reasons for a company to scale up production, but there are also economic reasons for a company to scale down or split production. When companies are at an equilibrium between economies of scale and diseconomies of scale, they are operating at their maximum market efficiency.

So, how does this apply to streaming companies?

Well, I mentioned before my theory that streaming companies are consolidating due to economies of scale from a distributor perspective, but these companies aren’t just acting as content distributors, they’re also acting as content producers.

Ye Old Media Wisdom Having a single company as a distributor and a producer is a bad idea. -me just now :)

Here’s why:

One of the aspects of diseconomies of scale is the problems with large organization. As a company gets larger, it becomes more and more difficult for people to communicate up and down the ladder and to communicate with different departments across the company. If your company is making something easily measured, like paper towels, your company can be both large and successful (like P&G) because the measurements of what makes a paper towel valuable for the consumer and for the company are easily communicated between teams. If a team is able to make a paper towel 10% more absorbent with a 2% increase in weight, it’s easy to communicate that possible change to a higher up - and their decision, whether to proceed with that change or not, will be made with most of the important details needed for that decision, primarily because those details are easy to communicate.

Making entertainment, especially animated entertainment, is something that is much more complex, subjective, and harder to communicate than paper towels. Different series appeal to different people, different shows have different voices, and being able to communicate the benefits of a series to a friend is challenging, let alone an executive 3 organization levels up. Additionally, making an impactful and amazing series takes risks! All great storytelling is communicating a perspective that is unique and engaging, but to make something unique is by definition to make something new, which requires risk. Larger companies are more risk averse than smaller companies: they have more to lose, are harder to change, and adapt less quickly. For a company whose primary purpose is to make stories that people engage with, being larger is, unfortunately, antithetical to that goal. People who want to make something different deal with more red tape, more bureaucracy, and more people their story has to please. It becomes harder and harder to make something that is new and impactful - to put it another way, it becomes harder to make something successful.

In my opinion, many of the recent releases of Disney feel… generic. Lightyear, Strange World, Wish - these films are by no means made by people without skill or character, but if those people are not allowed to take risks, if they’re not allowed to make anything outside the lowest common denominator of opinions, then the perspective these films convey is destined to be bland and uninteresting.

In my opinion, this is why companies like Riot / Fortiche and Sony Pictures Animation have been kicking ass recently. Spider-Verse, Mitchells and Arcane are amazing and seem to have the support and space they need. Since Riot and Sony Pictures Animation aren’t distributors, they don’t have the same pressure to become a larger company themselves. They can stay the size they want and continue to produce animation at a quality and risk level they are comfortable with.

I don’t know exactly what’s going on inside these companies, there might be other factors that contribute to their success - but I do know that making TV is hard. Making anything at a studio level is hard. Many people have to spend months of their lives working, communicating, and trying to discover what this thing they’re working on is. When people working on these series not only make something, but make something incredible - and after all that, are not be supported?

well, that’s just bad business

Epilogue

So where do we go from here?

Well if I were in charge of the largest media corporations on the planet, I’d say: spin off your animation production companies into their own entities and act, primarily, as the best distributor on the market. This will allow for you to remain as the larger corporate entity you want to be but remove the bureaucratic restrictions on production companies. Additionally, it gives the distributor more choices! Now they don’t only stream your own content, they can stream anyone else’s if they want! If another, better player comes into town, making more popular media, they can stream their shows instead. Production companies get the freedom to make great things, distributors get the structure and size that they need, and consumers, because of the competition between the two, get the best deal for their money.

This is what cable TV was in my opinion: one or 2 big distributors offering the same service, and many smaller production companies making the things we love.

Ideal market structure for media distributors, I think, is 1 or 2 big companies.

Ideal market structure for media producers, however, is many smaller companies.

It will take time, but I think we’ll get to this market structure eventually – or something new might come along, who can say (ᵔ ⩊ ᵔ)

In the meantime, I wish a tremendous amount of support to the artists and individuals who make the animation and series that we all love.

Y’all are why any of this exists in the first place – don’t forget that.

-Claire

#animation #business #media

4 notes · View notes

saphushia · 1 year ago

Note

hoi!!!!! :3 i waz wonderi g if you have an update to the ace warlord meeting sabo comic! it is my favorite and i want to buy a print-out of it when ur done. i really like the colors :3

nope, nothing new (or at least new and substantial) on it yet. last time i got the energy to work on it I immediately caught covid and that halted all progress lol, not had much time/energy for it since i got better. tho hopefully i'll be able to get to work on it soon! i didn't really intend to leave it so long woops ^_^; that said i know yall r prob itching for anything sooo... rest assured! everything's going great for them definitely!! look they're holding hands :D

they're being such besties ur honor 🌸🌺🌼🌻🌸🌷🌻

(also, no plans at this point for physical copies u_u i'm consiiiideringgg making a pdf copy available on like itch.io or smth when it's finished? (which if i did i'd be fine with ppl printing their own copies for individual use/no resale, even if i did do a print run myself) but i'm not sure. thinking abt it raises the stakes mentally and it's hard enough just getting it done lol. i've not formatted it with a print run in mind, and i'm not familiar with the processes at all as i've never handled the production and shipping of such things myself. i'm also not sure if where the current comic ends... is where i want it to end end. that said... if other ppl wanted a physical copy i might consider running an interest poll and looking into it when it's done? absolutely no promises on that tho. i'd have to do some research to see if it's even viable for me, but i'm not totally writing it off the possibility if there's substantial interest in it)

#talking #warlord!ace au #wip #answers #anonymous #man it was hard to find smth to show u guys that wasn't too spoilery skdjfbgjk

29 notes · View notes

mikansei · 1 year ago

Text

from a doylist perspective i recognize why kisuke - like a lot of characters in visual media - doesn't get outfit changes often. 1: kubo and/or the animators would have to design & draw the new outfit, which would create more work for themselves for no narratively relevant reason, and 2: a single, consistent design gives a sense of continuity, helps with character recognition for the audience & helps with brand recognition for merch (hence: The Hat™).

BUT.

from a watsonian perspective i find it MUCH more fun to believe kisuke simply found one (1) outfit that he liked & bought a dozen identical copies of it b/c damn if that ain't relatable!!! when i have to replace something in my wardrobe i, too, simply wish to buy an identical version of that exact same thing forever! (which the fashion industry has decided is Fucking Illegal don't get me started lmao)

anyway i don't have a good segue but here's my (personal) headcanons:

💚 as per word of god, he's an incredibly picky eater whose favorite food is plain rice, so extrapolating a bit - maybe it's a texture thing. tight clothes BAD shirt collars BAD socks EVIL

🤍 after having his life upended by captaincy & his worldview upended by aizen's betrayal, he craves stability & is allergic to change - so he's chronically, stubbornly unadventurous in certain aspects of daily life. save the experimentation for the lab (and/or the bedroom)! stop trying to get him to wear socks!

💚 his hair covering his eyes, the hat & the fan are all ways to hide his face when he doesn't want to be Perceived - which is not the same as not being literally physically seen, so the hat & fan being so eye-catching isn't a contradiction (to him. he may or may not be aware how little sense this makes to anyone else)

🤍 he emphatically does not care to follow fashion trends - especially since they change so often in the human world. his outfit was perfectly fine & normal in the 1920s thank u very much! what do u mean that was 80 years ago? the '20s were like, last week!

💚 because he was punted out of soul society with nothing but the clothes on his back, some half-dead friends & a hougyoku, he's loath to throw anything away - so he's kept every gift he's ever been given, even if that gift is a really ugly hat. yes he WILL, in point of fact, wear it every single day for the rest of his life, yoruichi-san! (she & tessai have a betting pool. she is not winning)

🤍 the first black haori with white diamonds at the hem was a gift from shinji, hence why it looks like an inverted captain's haori - complete with insignia on the back. no kisuke does NOT realize that it looks like that, and he's bought eight more just like it since. (the visored have their own betting pool. kensei lost 40 years ago)

💚 (also he will not admit it on pain of death but he wears the haori b/c he got used to the dramatic Swoosh of the captain's haori & REALLY missed it. he can have a lil Swoosh. as a treat)

🤍 the fan was a gift from tessai which might make u think it's secretly an iron fan to be used as a backup weapon but it's not. it's literally just a mass-produced party favor made of cheap bamboo & paper. if everything's secretly a hidden weapon there's no mystique anymore! gotta keep 'em guessing sometimes~

#💚🤍💚🤍💚#i don't really want to put this in The tag but tumblr doesn't have the 5-tag limit anymore so it is just going. where the fuck ever #kisuke #bleach #if the 'bleach' tag is anything like it was 5 years ago it'll be full of photos of dyed hair lmao

30 notes · View notes

shinesurge · 11 months ago

Note

your custom cassettes are really really cool! ive been thinking about making custom cassettes for a bit, would you be willing to share what kind of paper you used for the label stickers and j-cards? also where do you get blank cassettes from? ive been looking at cassettecomeback but i was wondering if there was a better option.

Thanks a lot! They're really fun to make hehe

So full disclosure: I run a merch shop for my webcomic and I make most of my stuff myself in my studio. I've been doing this for the better part of ten years and over that time I've accumulated quite a bit of specialized, expensive equipment like the photo printer and cutting machine I use to make my cassette ephemera. THAT SAID mixtapes don't necessarily need all that!! Unless you're running a bootleg business on etsy or somethin I don't think you and your friends gotta run out and spend a ton of money to make these (beyond tracking down a deck and a player, obviously).

Unfortunately most of these items are found on Amazon because I'm a professional artist trying to Live, but if that's something you'd rather avoid buying through I'm listing the brick and mortar places I can find them when I need to for whatever reason!

My j-cards are just the 8x10 glossy photo paper from Pen & Gear, it's usually less than ten bucks a pack at walmart lmao. I use it with an inkjet photo printer! There are plenty of laser printer options out there though, which is probably the type non-artists have access to. Honestly I think the look of black ink on colored copy paper is super cool for handmade tapes, especially between friends.

My sticker paper was a bitch to find and I'm not sure if it would be useful without my specific equipment, but it's this glossy adhesive photo paper from some rando company called LDProducts. Literally just called "Sticker Photo Paper" pf. It's more expensive but I get it in stacks of a hundred because I print tons of stickers for my shop. Again, glossy adhesive paper might not be useful without a big boy printer but MATTE sticker paper is everywhere, that's also pretty common to find at walmart or at the very least at an office supply store; you can print on it or even get out some markers (not sure i'd suggest anything besides ink tho, I'd be worried it could come off and damage the player). I design the labels in clip studio and then load them into cricut so it's super easy to get the right shape every time, but if you're Determined you could get out a measuring tape and an xacto knife and get similar results.

I've only found my tapes on amazon unfortunately, and it's been a while since I bought any because I sort of inherited a bunch of sealed ones when my dad died and i'm still going through them lol. Almost all my custom ones are 90 minute Sony High Fidelity, last I checked you could order them in packs of five or ten but I'm not sure what the prices are like rn. If you REALLY want to get fancy with colored shells/custom lengths i did find this cool site you can order from, Duplication.ca, but the shipping is kinda rough. One of these days I wanna make some cassettes for my webcomic and I'll drop some money on some pretty ones then, but for now the Sonys are treating me fine so I haven't dug too deep.

I hope something in here is useful! I'm always happy to share what I know but again, I'm very fortunate to have access to quite a bit of stuff most people don't and I try to be up front about it alskdjf. Cassettes are best when they're sorta janky and handmade tho, it's kind of the whole point, and if they're just for you or someone you care about then marking them with a sharpie and masking tape is just as cool in my opinion. probably cooler. everybody should put music on physical media and trade it i think.

#i'm glad you liked my stuff!! good luck!!

8 notes · View notes

franki-lew-yo · 3 months ago

Text

About Us

K, so like what is the deal with people saying Us doesn't make sense? No really? People keep saying that it's a plot hole that the tethered might be science experiments and like...how is that a plot hole? It's not a plot hole, it's just an explanation that I don't even think you're supposed to buy into considering who's telling it. To me, there's a different between the writing mistakes that make up plot-holes vs 'plot logic'. A plot-hole is when no one was around to hear Kane's last word in Citizen Kane; plot-logic is the explanation of the tethered or the one in Star Wars everyone was complaining about before Rogue One happened. That is to say; if the explanation or lack of explanation for things is too much of a problem for you to take the movie seriously as t wants to be taken...well I get it but that's still not a problem or a matter of 'turning your brain off' like this person suggests.

((do not bother op. I don't think any of you are mean enough to do that but leave the people in this screencap BE))

The tethered being an experiment by the government as the only explanation or under-explaination for why they exist/how they work isn't a plot-hole; it just may be the make-or-break-you point of contention regarding the movie. Does that worldbuilding beat personally ruin the movie for you or not?

It doesn't for me because- [click 'Read More' if you wanna hear me gush about Us. If not and you're one of the 'Us sucks' crowd please don't bother; this is MY post on my blog Felicia.]

-I never needed an explanation for how the tethered work+exist. I feel the storytelling of the movie itself, especially if you watch it multiple times, reveals and elaborates on what exactly the Tethered are and aren't while still leaving it ambiguous on the specifics. Besides the fact that the information given about them is from the point of view of Red/og!Addy, and so is biased and possibly a fake explanation; to me the logic feels pretty solid based on what is shown:

there is a race of dopplegangers linked spiritually in some way to the above ground-American population -> who are unable to speak without being taught and must live on what they have with them which isn't much -> are prone to violence because they are feral -> and are bound to unwillingly instinctively copy the movements of their above-counterparts -- all that's enough of what I need to know to make the story from there work.

I guess I always assumed if there IS any truth to the 'abandoned government experiment'-explanation, it was less of an real work MK-Ultra deal and more of some kind of quantum interdimensional mindscrew science' deal. I instantly took it to heart that the Tethered were created by someone playing some kind dimensional astralphysical physics they shouldn't have; some Jimmy Neutron-level magic science. Or I guess maybe Dr. Whovian/Quantum Leap science for people who watch shows made for their age group....

Somehow someone in the 20th century wound up making copies of the then-current American population and THEN abandoned them and forgot they were ever there, while the copies continued to be so tied to their counterparts that they created more Tethered by bearing copies of their original's children, who were then tied to THEIR OWN counterparts: the current generation. If you think of the Tethered pairing up only because their above-version is doing so willingly, it actually makes sense that they'd biologically have the same children as their above counterparts. THEN that same Tethered bonding physics-gene is then passed from Tethered-parent to Tethered-child and so said Tethered-child is born with an instinctive bond to their Tethered-parent's counterpart's offspring.

How exactly they were made, what time period they were made and for what exact purpose they were made for isn't what's important within the context of the story off Red and Tethered-Addy'. I guess, to me, those things aren't as important as the details we do know, i.e. the ones discussed in the paragraph above- and also the ones discussed in the paragraph below:

As seen with Tethered-Addy, the Tethered ARE capable and be independent and even speak on their own IF they learn to. The Tethered aren't heartless or without souls, but they instinctively copy their above-world counterparts because they know nothing else in their feral existence besides being a copy of their counterparts, hence the resentment and rage they have for them. As to the smaller details that put a wrench in this concept, I guess I presumed that the clothes without logos that the Tethered somehow had were a result of the magi-quantum science that originally created the Tethered in the first place: that the underground is somehow a pocket dimension/gate to the Tethered's reality - a reality that is ALL liminal space backrooms and fading remnants of whatever magiscience which made them...I don't know why I just presumed that without that being said out loud, but that's my takeaway then and now.

I guess, if you find the government experiment-backstory bad, the real problem isn't that it can't make sense but that it shouldn't have been said at all. Peele should have kept the Tethered to JUST some kind of pocket-dimension hapless dopplegangers and not tried to explain their being on earth with any sort of science -flawed logic of the person telling that story notwithstanding. If your problem with the Tethered is that the brief explanation actually makes them more confusing and frustrating-- I get that ruining the movie for you. Somehow it doesn't ruin it for me I guess.

What I like about the current existing Jordan Peele trilogy is that each one has this "creepypasta/SCP vibe but if it was actually good"-vibe to them. Fantastical things happen within a grounded reality that, even with the science of how it works being broken down and dealt with, feels as unreal and terrifying as any non-supernatural threat much like how real-world people would react to an impossible sounding situation.

'The family in Get Out use pseudoscience hypnotherapy to traffic people for racist selfish means by trapping them in their own minds and bodies'; 'Jean Jacket in Nope is an alien creature that DOES scheme but and yet it behaves like a genuinely hostile earth animal when it hunts and when it's threatened'; 'the Tethered in Us were created from universe-bending magi-science and hate their counterparts for being the reason they exist and are in agony. Here's one story about a Tethered that found the will to leave and the trickle-down cycle of horror it caused'. All different kinds of horror, all different kinds of in-exact 'science'.

What works to me about them all, world building wise, is not how that science works but the function it plays in the story.

I really REALLY like the story of Us. Granted I also just love doppleganger, 'dark counterpart' stories in general where two sides/two versions of a person are in competition to be the 'true' version. It feels like a modern, artsy but never to stilted retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Shadow, which is one of my favorite fairytales. Thematically it has all the juicy elements of that story in it's own context; I love the characters of 'Addy' and Red for that reason. Us was my first Jordan Peele film and I've been in love with all three movies ever since. Each one has a unique flavor from the other. I guess it's a blessing and a curse that Get Out blew everyone away thought because in some ways I can't help but think people were hoping the later two movies would be sequels and would be exactly like Get Out thematically. Well, I'm happy they're not. Get Out is Get Out. Nope is Nope. Us is Us.

#jordan peele #film criticism #jordan peele us #us film #horror movies #horror film #franki's features

4 notes · View notes

cateringisalie · 1 year ago

Text

So there’s a new translation mod for FFVII – one that includes cut-content and is leaning on developer commentary for how to translate into English. That’s a thing. It also is using Compilation and Remake as guidance on the translation. That’s… that’s bad? Like, if you prefer Final Fantasy VII as it was released on the PSX and don’t like what Remake has been doing to the story, a lot of people are really quick and willing to tell you to not worry. The old game is right there. And it is… sort of.

There’s a whole bunch of issues with the original game in this sense. There is the game as released on the PSX which is harder to source now thanks to the nature of physical releases that old (they can be found but can be pricey). There’s the PC port which is ostensibly the version you can mostly easily get – though the PC port changed a few minor things, and the Steam/PS4/Switch release changed a few more things. That’s not even getting into how the Japanese release of the PSX game is missing a few bits and pieces the US/rest of the world PSX version has (namely Ruby and Emerald Weapon, the escape from Nibelheim) which lead to the Japanese re-release of the US version as Final Fantasy VII International. So, saying you can just have the original game is a bit flippant if we’re being strict about what that means. It feels additionally off that people are actively modding it to “fix” the translation but with an eye to keeping it consistent with the Remake and Compilation.

Which is just… if Remake is a sequel to Advent Children as people love to speculate, why should the original game be consistent with a modified universe in its future? If Remake is a drop-in replacement then why does it change so much stuff that you need to alter the original translation to fit with it?

What even is the necessity of a new translation?

(some might here point out Reminiscence of FFVII included on the AC DVD as a point that there is scope for a new translation. And sure, the Japanese text is done as subtitles and maybe its a little different to the PSX version. But its basically beside the point. Handful of examples and unlikely whoever got the job of subbing the documentary was unlikely to go boot up a PSX just to replicate the dialogue as originally displayed)

People are very eager to buy into the idea that FFVII was badly translated. While it is true there are spelling mistakes, grammar errors, some peculiar though minor terminology switches, a few misleading lines and the odd point where someone will say something utterly nonsensical… the US release of FFVII is great. Oh, its not got the same translation and localization quality as FFVI or Vagrant Story sure, but its not wrong in any meaningful way. Friends of mine have played through the Japanese FFVII and in their estimation the tone and characters and meaning of the experience tallies very close to the translated PSX version. No translation can be perfect – you don’t think we have this many translations of Don Quixote because this time we’ll get it righter than the previous versions, do you?

Translation – and localisation – is an art. The latter’s need to more blatantly alter cultural aspects that would be obscure in the West has eroded over time thanks to increasing familiarity with other cultures. It’s still essential as some cultural stuff just doesn’t come across (like, I know some would know the answers, but some of Persona 5’s test questions are completely outside common knowledge and necessitate looking up the answers. The test questions are pretty clearly completely non-localized) – and you can either replace if possible or going to have to stick a big asterisk beside the item. Translation, though, aims to capture the spirit of the original. This, incidentally, is a thing I remember from the introduction to the copy of Don Quixote I have – this translation was trying to capture Cervantes’s voice and how it would feel to read in the original language in another language.

And by – admittedly – anecdotal evidence, FFVII’s US version works absolutely fine. But I think there is a method to illustrate there’s nothing wrong with the original translation:

The desire for Compilation consistency I understand but don’t appreciate, but Remake consistency is baffling.

A more interesting question to me is this: you, as a FFVII fan from the PSX days, likely sought out Advent Children as soon as it leaked. Fan subs were rendered pretty quickly and a certain amount of US fans likely watched the film before it was officially out in Japan (given the choice was watch it immediately or wait 7 months for the official dubbed release). Did you – in all honesty – not understand something that happened in Advent Children because of how FFVII US portrayed the story?

Was any character radically out of step with the depiction (excepting Cloud whom the creatives have admitted is OOC and then there’s a whole book to try and justify this). Was any character outright unfamiliar (excepting the remnants, Denzel and Moogle Girl – all added to the film without precedents in FFVII)? Sure, Rufus surviving is something of a surprise, but no version of the PSX release ever implied he had. Tseng’s a more nebulous point but even then neither version says he’s alive or dead. If you did steer well clear of subtitles and bittorrent at the time, same questions when the dub was released.

Given reaction at the time, no one was lead into a state of confusion or voiced some op-ed about how the PSX version of FFVII let them down when they came to watch Advent Children. There are bits and pieces of corrections/clarifications certainly – some honestly thought Tifa wore shorts in the PSX game, the nature and sizing of materia had a consensus but you would find outliers and AC presented a consistent size. About the only excuse I will allow for is if you played FFVII PSX and never found Yuffie or Vincent and yet here they are as part of the case. Fairer, though given their presence in the manual they weren’t hugely secret (something older FF fans got annoyed about at the time. Also, also if you had the real early subs with “Shion” instead of Tseng and not knowing “Agito” meant hideout and thinking the Forgotten Capital had an actual name or “Sierra” instead of Shera. You know, faults with the fansubs which were done in absurd haste anyway).

There was a lot of valid criticism of what AC wound up as and what its legacy has been but no one familiar with FFVII could not get a handle on what AC showed. And any part that you were confused over (and there are some) is a fault with AC/the Compilation not FFVII.

AC, incidentally, originally came with an animated short – since replaced with One the Way to a Smile – Case of Denzel. This older animation was called Last Order and more closely tied itself to Before Crisis – the mobile phone-centric game no one really talks about and has a lot of very strange plot adjustments that largely never got picked up. Not least was the expanded Turks cast (more than Veld and Cissnei) and their presence in most major incidents of most of FFVII’s cast’s pre-game lives. The point of LO was an action thing of Zack on his way to Midgar with Cloud but also a brief recreation of the burning of Nibelheim. LO is fascinating in that when it altered the scenes inside the reactor, fandom as a whole objected. This is why its not on Advent Children Complete discs.

The objection is small but kinda pivotal even if you can introduce reasons why it shouldn’t derail anything (and yet, Genesis is still allowed in Crisis Core somehow) – Tifa is awake when Cloud reaches her and the two share a brief conversation. Its small but that’s an issue with how FFVII works isn’t it? Sure, she can assume it was a delusion/dream/blood loss but Cloud’s also meant to be afraid its already too late for her. Oh, also he has Mako-eyes already.

So hey, LO in direct conflict with FFVII. And FFVII won. LO was ejected and never comes up the same way as the rest of the Compilation.

BC I can’t talk to much as the experience of trying to watch the story on youtube is not fun. I can say it reasonably weirdly introduces Weiss and Nero as SOLDIER recruits (so that’s why these members of the DC cast just kind of show up in CC to connect into DC) as well as the afore-mentioned expanded Turks. And has Cloud also have Mako eyes pre-capture (as with LO) and be some weird other kind of infantry guy. But no discussion or fic relying on BC is in open conflict with how FFVII told its story. Any inconsistencies stem from BC meddling with the backstory.

Its also worth noting here that FFVII – like every FF up to X was conceived of as a single instance (sorry FFIII is not connected to FFVIII, the previously popular FFVI to FFVII connection amounts to nothing. The FFVII and FFVIII references in FFIX are meant to be there but like as… jokes? Nods? Reference humour? Its cute. Like putting FFVII references in Parasite Eve 2. And like how FFVII has Xenogears references. And the FFX-2 to FFVII connection is terrible). There’s the weird and undeveloped maybe FFVI-2 but that seems to have gotten no further than a battle mock-up. All this extra sequel and prequel stuff was never considered during FFVII’s writing (and why would you? Yes, allegedly CC was based on an idea at the time of FFVII’s writing, but that doesn’t magically convey it established canon status if it wasn’t reworked to an unclear degree and released as a game a decade later. Even it was fully-formed, that’s a fault with CC as released and not FFVII. Far more interesting is how Parasite Eve and Xenogears were both discarded or rejected ideas before anything like the released game was conceived. Like how Resident Evil 4 produced at least three other games during development).

Dirge of Cerberus used to vie for worst additional element. And maybe it still does depending on your attitude. But as the third Compilation release (ignoring the book), the western version still relied on the FFVII PSX version for context on what was going on and how it related back to familiar characters. Deepground are unfamiliar! Pretty sure the Japanese audience didn’t know about them prior to this game either. Here are Nero and Weiss and maybe you can feel better for knowing they came from BC, though that’s a slim victory – likewise Grimoire (yep. Another BC one. Squeenix clearly absolutely care about your understanding of the universe and that’s why this weirdly key game was never localised. It could have been at the cost of CC). All the Omega Weapon, Proto-materia and chaos ramblings are all new. The tsviets and the fact the Planet has internet is something of a new reveal is it not?

And last of the Compilation is Crisis Core. Now, admittedly, Zack seems OOC here! Or maybe because it’s a prequel you feel he’s OOC in FFVII PSX. Which… that’s not how writing works if you are being honest. If Zack seems OOC to someone when playing FFVII PSX this is a problem with at least CC and possibly BC as well. And sure, maybe you would struggle to get him to match to his presentation in FFVII PSX as a writer. Hard to have sympathy when this unnecessary story was greenlit. You played yourself Squeenix. You walked into this situation with open arms.

People tend to gloss over what happens to Aerith here, but any conflict between how CC relays its story and how FFVII PSX presented it does not stem from a translation issue otherwise the problems would be wider reaching (see also how Aerith acts in Remake which is far, far closer to FFVII PSX than CC). You can claim that Aerith is no different, but her actions in FFVII PSX feel unlikely for the version of her wandering in CC to ever do and vice-versa. Like, her physically rushing into events in FFVII PSX being a thing you don’t see her do in CC (aware of the justifications for this too and they are absolutely awful).

And maybe you can justify why she is like that to yourself, you can’t blame the translation for why this is happening. A better translation will not smooth that shift and the mod adhering to Remake or Compilation will still conflict with what her polygonal model does on screen versus what it might now say.

What even is the point of restoring cut content?

I have heard that a chunk of the difference between Remake and FFVII US can be found in the cut or dummied text on the PSX disc. So we should all be happy its back because it was always supposed to be thing way.

Things are cut for reasons and blind restoration is not good by default. The most coherent theory I’ve ever seen for the FFVII cuts are timing and flow at the start of the game. And given FFVII PSX goes very, very fast and Remake is noticeably slower and time-consuming, it makes sense as a reason for the cuts to be made. Midgar is an oppressive atmosphere to make reaching the world map expansive and awe-inspiring.

Cuts can also be for bad ideas. Sure they got to the point where the text was in the resource files, but a whole tone of stuff gets into these (seriously, if this is new to you what happens is they pack all the data into big resource files and these are shipped out as is with the game. Things don’t tend to get pulled out once integrated because it’s hard to be sure all the places something is referenced. Hence dummying the text rather than stripping it out. You can’t be certain you found all the locations and the file-size difference is negligible) and is unused because of changes in attitude. Putting this back in does not increase understanding or consistency. No version of the PSX game was released with all this cut content in place – not ahead of Advent Children and not ahead of Remake.

There’s no expectation a player should ever be aware of what was removed before release. Knowing it won’t increase your appreciation of the PSX game. In truth it will only serve to champion the authority of the now de facto writer of the series and every one of his decisions. I find it highly contentious that he should be considered nearly the sole arbiter – and adhering to his attitude feels like it has been done with a mind towards a case that Remake is the superior version because the PSX game was hopelessly compromised. Which I would hope is pretty clearly not the case. The text was dummied out in Japan as well, again, both versions of FFVII PSX share the same mood, atmosphere and tone.

Cuts can also be made because those with more authority don’t like what they now say about character or events or attitudes of the characters. Restoring this risks throwing even more out.

I do understand broadly what the hope for this kind of thing. Make the game default Aerith instead of Aerith (and I am fully aware the game internally calls her Aerith before the prompt which then defaults Aeris in. This is a trivial bug all things considered. Plus, you do know the game has a basic expectation of you renaming the cast on your own whims, right? This was a thing right up to FFX at the last. Dictated party names was purely if you wanted them/to refer to them in conversation with others. Now you get no choice to personalize the game). Dig up the old honeybee inn scenes. Dig up the old Highwind scene (maybe. Not sure that ever got anywhere). Get some insight into the future of Remake by finding a late on conversation which alters the perception of FFVII PSX (but, I mean, people have extracted this text ages ago. You can go read it now if you want). But more than a “better” translation, the cut content will skew the experience of playing the game.

FFVII did not have the “best” translation or localisation – this is true. It did however capture the spirit of the game as released on PSX and in truth the case for a new translation is a handful of mistakes and a prevailing notion that it was always bad (and just… people aren’t careful or really seem to get what they’re messing with. I tried Because once and got weirded out by Reno and Rude changed to Leno and Lude – no official material reflects that change so why?). And no one familiar with the game was lost with Compilation entries for any reason other than those entries failed to set things up properly or forced new details into an existing story (or relied on an unreleased phone-based video game or a book that wasn’t due to be translated. These are faults of Squeenix’s business operations not a video-game from 1997).

(for localisation examples. So FFVIII has a weird fixation with hot dogs which is kind of just funny on the face of it. You can make them part of battle prep if you want. But… are they hot dogs? Zell looks like he's eating one in the end credits but to me it looks more like Yakisoba Bread. As in, what is localised in English as Hot Dogs was either Yakisoba bread or potentially simply bread in the Japanese release. Not wholly more sensible even in Japanese but not quite the same absurd feel. But I reckon the translators were stuck on what to replace it with until they saw the ending and make a judgement call. In 1999 getting across the concept of bread was going to be tricky. A more recent game likely wouldn't sub the food stuff given your audience has a better bet at understanding what it is)

Sure, some stuff didn’t make it through translation. I know people like that Aeris has a nick-name for Cloud that is totally absent in English – a shame, but its not a fundamental loss; their interactions are clear enough and the shippers still latched on just fine to the romantic potential between them.

The distinction between Reeve and Cait Sith’s voices doesn’t come across very well, but that’s a factor you would struggle to do purely in English text in any case. Didn’t make the reveal any less of a surprise though did it?

There is nothing in FFVII PSX that prompted the inconsistencies of the Compilation – that’s on those (mostly) same writers not remembering, not caring, or desperate to include a plot that required massaging, breaking, or ignoring how the PSX game said things worked or happened (see: Genesis at Nibelheim). The fault lies with the Compilation however much you personally may like it. Inconsistencies with Remake are likewise Remake’s fault and while you can turn up some elements that were created and critically discarded for the 1997 release, their restoration in Remake doesn’t make them any better ideas now than then – and it certainly doesn’t cover the fate ghosts (or whatever they are) or Sephiroth’s intro being a million times less effective at threat than FFVII PSX.

Any similarity between the dummied text on the PSX disc and the additions to Remake’s dialogue means is that the person with the final say-so on what is included has absolutely changed since 1997 and with it the character of the series. Even he wasn’t right all the time or made the best decisions, but he remains an oft-excluded (and completely from the development of Remake) critical part of why this game has a remake at all. I will of course be accused of being a purist and nostalgic, but again I must reference a friend who noted that the only reason people were so excited by Remake was via nostalgia and perhaps curiosity about other people’s nostalgia. Their nostalgia and positivity is seemingly more valid to others than my nostalgia and negativity.

FFVII PSX means a lot to me. And maybe Remake means a lot to you. I can’t take that away from you, and my experience with FFVII can’t be taken away but it feels like it’s getting tarnished. It is hard going when FVII PSX seems to only merit mention in context with Remake, with Compilation. Not in context to itself – the context it was created for. A single story with a start and end. Characters given as much background and detail as they needed to work for their roles. A game so many embraced. People were not calling for a Remake for so long (originally) for any reason than wanting to see the same thing but prettier (forgetting its dismissal in some contexts on release for being style/graphics over any other quality. Somewhat ironic). Entirely possible the desire post Compilation was to “fix” FFVII for consistency with the Compilation (which is a pretty distressing notion!) but the whole game’s legacy and fandom and popularity is because of the PSX game not in spite of it as so many seem to treat it now.

Yeah, it’s not as pretty, yeah the controls are clunkier and battles are slower.

But.

Its story and how it used different styles of cut-scene depending on context were considered and effectively chosen. It built character and told story with words and battles and animation. The polygonal figures are not realistic (until they need to be. To make sure the scene will impact you as intended) but perfectly able to convey the emotions they need to. It has mistakes, it has jank. It has some terrible plot shifts in places. Yes, you can leave the end of the world hanging for months if you want to breed and race chocobos. But it was still the start – the foundation upon which everything else was built, it was still a success. And not one part of the Compilation or Remake would have been considered for a second if it had not been a success. It is not a first version for which a second version exists that lead to all the add-ons.

No new translation is ever going to change that situation or truly improve on the experience from 1997.

16 notes · View notes