#I wanted to believe in the aesthetic but alas

[parkrangerpunk]

DONATING TO THE THRIFT STORE PSA!!!!! that i can’t believe i even have to say

if you would not buy it in the state it’s in, don’t fucking donate it!!

maybe if there’s a button missing or little holes or stains, but stop using thrift stores as your garbage. the amount of actual trash we get donated at my job is ridiculous. one man’s trash is another man’s treasure like 20% of the time. but chances are if you didn’t want to fix it yourself, neither will anyone else.

quality too. if you would not buy shein from the thrift store yourself, don’t donate your “cute summer shein hauls :33” that you don’t wear anymore because the trend ended. nobody buys shein second-hand, and it sits on our shelves until we have to throw it out.

“but i don’t have money to not shop at shein 🥺” idc. cope. thrift. maybe if the thrift stores weren’t full of plastic cancer clothes from last months aesthetic you’d be able to find more good quality items. but alas

ITS STILL YOUR CONSUMPTION WASTE, even if you give it to us. clothes don’t just disappear once you donate.

TREAT YOUR THRIFT STORES WITH RESPECT

[goldsbitch]

Right? p6

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

summary: Y/N is a photographer for McLaren F1 team. Hard working, goal oriented professional who would never put her career in jeopardy for some stupid crush, right?

warning: smut

Life in formula was a fast one. But alas, there was finally a moment where a date had been set for your first official date indoors. Two week break between races provided a nice opportunity.

You were based in the UK, but one little Monaco trip didn't hurt anyone, right? No hotel room. Zero back up plan. It was strange how complicated it was for you two to get a moment for each other. You were not even sure what make of this little crush. Whatever. In the end it was a nice little trip.

So there you were, standing in front of an address he shared with you - casual elegant outfit, newly done hair and just a little bit of more than you got to do during busy work days. It was more for yourself than for Lando really. Everyone likes to feel like the it girl sometimes, right? This whole affair was a nice detour from the goal oriented life you lead every day.

There you were, standing in the open kitchen in Lando Norris's apartment. You could care less where the two of you were - as long as there we no prying eyes and you could look at each other with lust in your eyes without needing to hide anything. Teenage hormones overtaking the adult brains within milliseconds.

The looks. The random touches. The abnormal proximity. Nobody to hide from.

He ordered take out, as cooking was not a thing any one of you found to be interesting. He had obviously made some touch ups to the place, dimmed lights and all cleaned up, he had a nice elegant shirt on and the kind of messy hair that screamed "I actually spent an alarming amount of time on it". Both of you playing a little game, as if fooling each other was even an option at this point. Light innocent conversation felt like a like dance - who is going to break the rules first?

"Mr. Norris, this is all very nice," you pointed out, "but I believe we are here to review some photos."

He took a napkin to clean up his face and played the game along. "Oh, silly old me. Must have forgotten. Of course. To the screening room."

The two of you got up from the table, Lando's hand on your lower back and his cologne hitting you in the face in the best way possible. Oh why, oh why, why were you getting into this mess? You wanted to be taken into his arms like a naughty teenager kissing her classmate for the first time. Letting him guide you into pleasure. You finally explored how his skin covered his perfect face structure, there was nothing hiding his features. And unlike with your pictures, you could actually see how his jaw moved when he spoke, especially with the perfect light hitting him now. He got you. He understood your need to aesthetics. You could take a photo of his right there. Preferably without clothes hiding his body.

He turned his projector on. This was all part of the cat and mouse game.

"I need to see the pictures you have first. You owe it to me at this point."

He closed the distance between the two of you, looked you deep in the eyes, his blueish greenish ones filled with a need and after long minutes spent with a dinner, that none you actually wanted, he kissed you. Differently that ever before. This was tender, not slow, but somehow free. His soft lips caressed yours and you could have melted right then and there. Only then you understood why all the singers praised the first kiss - this felt like one. He was not afraid to explore, to observe your reaction and feel proud for making you feel that way. He was speaking to you in a language only touch could understand and his words were loud and clear - I want you. And there was absolutely no way either one you would wait a minute longer. Not after how he touched you at the gala. Not after all the meeting he had to sit with his dirty thoughts making it impossible for his to concentrate. Not after all the night you wished he was on top of you. Not after how you mesmerised him while taking photos of him. His hands grabbed your waist firmly, wrincling your dress and sending thunders through your body. You grabbed his hair, pushing him even closer, as it that was even possible. If desire was a color, there would be no other color present in the whole city. Your bodies seemed to understand each other, there were zero thoughts going into your movements. You roamed around his shoulders, he wandered off to touch your ass and slowly started to pushing you towards the couch. You never felt anything as comftable as this specific couch - but one would say it was Lando's body pressing on top of your that was the selling point. His chest touching your boobs, his waist pressed on your and you could feel his erect dick begging to be touched too. Hot blood flowing inside both of your bodies. You started working on unbuttoning his shirt and he smiled into your kiss, not having parted your lips since he first locked them with his. You knew he wanted to say something, so you stopped him by biting his lip and sticking your tongue into his mouth. All bets were off tonight, you both knew why you were there. So he helped you with his shirt, the with a swift motion got you out of your dress before you could even notice, and started working on his pants. It was all very quick, passionate and hard. This is not how you're suppose to be acting towards your team driver. You're not suppose to be fucking him. You're not suppose to be stroking his dick. Oh, but how good it felt to hold him in your hand. Finally, right? It will just be this one time, right? But if it was just this one time, you'd make it a good one. You didn't even know when he stuck his fingers into you, because they felt so natural, you might have thought they were always supposed to be there. Oh, but it felt good - so good - too good. You could have gotten of just with his light motion, but that was not in his plan for tonight. He watched you, being totally present in that moment, right there and then, and he got drunk on the way your body reacted to his actions. When he knew you were more than ready, he finally entered you and one could write a single chapter on how exctatic that felt to him. You were quickly put into some sort of trance, cause by his motion. It was like being on a different planet. In that moment the only thought you could gather was why the fuck did you ever had sex before meeting him and if your previous experiences could even count as such. You got locked in the moment, focusing only on his moves, closed eyes and having touch as the only source of your sensory receptors. He on the other hand let your soft moans in to get him going, moans that only seemed to get louder and higher with every minute that he fucked you. He moved faster, than slower, than faster again. He wanted to try different positions with your, but he wanted to take this view of you bounding under him, to his memory so desperately that he did not dare to endanger the moment you two had.

It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Time stopped being a reliable way to measure this moment. You came twice, he pulled out and came all over your chest. The two of you laid next to each to other, as much as the couch allowed, trying to catch your breath. There was only one thought on your mind. Fuck. How were you suppose to walk past him now?

You both were riding the pleasure high for few moments. Hearts slowing down, taking in what just happened after weeks of built up tension.

You stayed naked in each others embrace. You traced Lando's freckles, creating shapes and constellations. He was way less subtle and focused on light touches of your nipples. It felt fragile, tender and intimate. Pure contrast to the vibe you had just minutes prior.

"I know it's not ideal," he spoke softly. You froze, not knowing where he was heading with this. He noticed and continued immediately. "Not ideal because of McLaren and stuff." You nodded, not wanting to continue this conversation. But he did. "However...I am having a nice time. And I hope you're too," he waited for your answer, which only came in a nod. He gave you a weak smile. You just didn't feel safe yet and he understood. He leaned in to kiss you - at least that what you were expecting. Instead he stopped right before your lips and whispered. "I was promised some super secret photos, wasn't I?" You smiled, happy that the tension got broken again. Flirty was something you knew how to do with him. "Only if you show me yours too, sweetie." "Oh, I am so ready to dwell into the beauty the two of us are," he sighed and finally kissed you.

part 7

_______________________

@i-wish-this-was-me @lqvesoph @ophcelia @noneofyourfbusinessworld

[codgod]

y’know generally i try to limit colour palettes to as few colours as possible to make things more cohesive but despite my best efforts only jay ended up being able to stick to that </3

ANYWAYS here’s the as-of-right-now fully updated designs for these dickheads. these will no doubt undergo even more tweaking as i draw them more but this is a start i guess. also pls open the pictures to look at them properly i worked so hard LOL

some random notes under the cut yaaaay

chip —

he jingles when he walks. somehow he’s still stealthy. i do not know how

kept the platinum ring that bonded him to gillion in the block! because hey he doesn’t really have a reason to take it off (and it’s a nice reminder of how much gill cares about him, and how far their friendship has come since that ice arena)

his tattoos shift and flicker like actual flames, and sometimes (harmless, purely aesthetic) sparks fly off them when he’s excited

i just think smoke coming out of his mouth when he’s angry would be cool :]

chipped teeth from biting rocks and coins all the time :/

he has scars from the red lightning, they’re just mostly contained to his back and shoulders. they’re a similar red to his coat even once they’ve healed

gillion —

the tail sleeve thing is so he can rest it on the ground without damaging his scales, he doesn’t usually wear it when he’s just on the ship because the wood is soft enough that it’s usually fine + it can hinder swimming a bit. it’s mostly meant for places where there’s cobblestone or gravel streets and such. i think his armour would probably have a version that looks similar but covers the whole tail minus the fins, maybe with some armour plating of its own. i didn’t draw it because there wasn’t any room lol

his scars from the lightning are pink mostly because red stood out too much tbh. they softly glow in the dark the same as his coral and the pink parts of his fins

also kept his ring! his hands aren’t really made for jewellery, though, because the webbing means it won’t sit very secure on his finger. so he keeps it on the same chain as the necklace he got from aslana to keep it safe

tried to make him look a bit bulkier and more his age than in my original design? i feel like i was leaning too much into the naivety and. shortness. originally lol. he also has thicker eyebrows now and i’m still trying to decide how i feel about them but i think? i like it? i don’t tend to give many character thin eyebrows so it could’ve been a unique thing for him but alas

i think i made the sword too small but like ignore that

also forgor to include pretzel </3 that’s okay though she can get her own design sheet later. she’s special like that

jay —

i believe in tall jay supremacy

blue magic! i was considering gold but that’d look a bit more like a canary than i wanted for her wings so. blue jay :]

her hair is supposed to look kinda like fire to mimic her dad ! kinda showing that even if she runs from her family and the navy they’ll always be a part of her. and also i just like drawing messy hair

i gave her sturdier gloves just because i feel like it fits her better. also changed up the shirt to more of a button up solely because i don’t like tank tops very much LOL

i did WANT to make her outfit a bit flashier to match the boys better but i couldn’t quite figure out where to Put the flash. maybe that’ll come later, the way the story’s going i might get to design some cool prosthetics for her or something

overall —

because there’s just so many fucking colours i triiied to add at least one or two colours from each of them into the others designs. jay has her necklace with each of their main colours on it, her wings are the same blue as gillions eyes, her jacket and right eye are the same dark blue as destiny’s blade, her hair is the same orange as the lighter part of chips tattoos. chip has a dark green sash under all the belts, the same as the hilt of destiny’s blade. they all use the same shades of black, gold, and brown

the only real exception is gillion doesn’t have anything from the other two because he has Such a specific colour palette and he already had so much going on as-is orz jay was obviously the easiest to do this with because she has both warm and cool colours in her palette by default lol (and i did her design last, so that helps)

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Niffty Redesign🐛

Made my own take on Niffty for Fun!!!!!!!!💖 I def thought a lot on what to try with her!!!!

Pushed for a more 50’s Housewife aesthetic/hotel maid vibe. She’s wearing a pinafore apron which was very popular during that era and I took the poodle skirt idea and reworked it into the apron, but rather than a poodle it’s a bug 🐛. Also brought back warmer colors like the pilot look had. Pastel yellow was def a pop color!

Also added a name tag as to show she works for the hotel 🏨

Added more splotches and made them bigger on her apron. Polkadots were popular in that time and I think are cute(lot of her concepts had polka dots on her) plus I can see her wanting people to assume she’s a ladybug or Asian Lady Beetle 🐞 (@peeperscreeperz made a take of Niffty being that which is AMAZING and I considered making her that too but I ended up going a different route). I can see her also wanting them to give off flowers…only for most people to see them as blood stains.🌸🩸

Also gave her those iconic cleaning gloves 🧤. Shes the Hotels maid AND cook afterall 🧽 👩‍🍳

Gave her a bandana bow for the housewife and maid look and because I think it’s cute and lowkey gives off antennae. I LOVE the idea of her being a bug demon so I went with that. I was going for a subtle ambiguity of what she’s suppose to be(she’s hiding what she is).

Gave her warmer eye color back! Also made the pupil more leaf shaped 🍃.

Added gradient for her limbs.

Added extra limbs. Great for extra cleaning 🧹 🧼

Her hairs actually antennae…and extra legs 🦵

Gave her three fingers.

Made her eye bigger(bugs often got big eyes! Or for her case eye 👁️)

Added a lil bug instead of a poodle for her apron!🪳

For her color motif, went back to warmer colors and because for mine I’m going with a rainbow motif she’s Yellow💛🌈 the color known for its positives such as joy and friendship���but can also mean negative things such as Deceit, illness and often used as a warning color⚠️ it was also a popular color for Sci-Fi posters(she was based on B-Alien Movies)

Made her skin a kinda warm pastel orange🧡 I missed her having a warm palette but I also get why they changed it due to her roots 🇯🇵. So I went with orange!!!! Her hairs also a more brownish red-orange.

For her bug theme,

I went with something that I figure would connect her both to her ability to take down pests so well and Japanese origins. The Japanese Centipede! Centipedes are great for pest control but apparently to Japan they’re considered symbols of evil and rottenness, plus with how they look they often scare people even those they don’t pose serious threats to humans, which I think fits Niffty’s whole desire to be loved only to accidentally scare people away…shunned & unloved by a world she can’t seem to fit in💔

HUGE Spoiler alert!!!! Hazbin Hotel

With the reveal of Husk being once an Overlord I like to believe the same with Niffty but rather than souls(talked about this with @a-sterling-rose, she was an immensely powerful sinner like Alastor, but alas her form was far too big and scary for people to want to get close to and she was alone…until Alastor offered her a deal he’d provide a more approachable form in return for her eternal service)

A lot of her looks meant to be hiding what she is. Disguising her extra limbs as hair, her body’s color scheme based on a centipedes, poofy dress that could cover extra, even the bug design could be Interpreted as a long centipede. I was also going for a subtle sharp, mini legs for her apron ruffles, giving off her trying to look sweet and soft but could also be interpreted in another way…

I read and learned from a @lovesart23 redesign vid for her that, she was meant to be based on B-Alien Movies. LOVE that and I tried it myself(hardest part was figuring out what bug to make her and what themes to go with) but I ended up going for another Sci-Fi route. Kaiju/Giant Bug monsters. Creatures like Godzilla or those giant bugs creatures like “the Tingler” 1959(which was a centipede monster I read). I figure it’d connect well to both her struggles of fitting in but also her Japanese Roots.

Monsters are tragic beings. They are born too tall, too strong, too heavy. They are not evil by choice. That is their tragedy. They do not attack people because they want to, but because of their size and strength, mankind has no other choice but to defend himself. After several stories such as this, people end up having a kind of affection for the monsters. They end up caring about them."

— Ishir⁠ō Honda The Director of Godzilla

Plus some certain Kaijus could qualify as Aliens!.

There’s even a Yokai/demon based on the centipede know as the Ōkumade!

CW freaky Pictures of centipedes and Mice

What do u think? I’d love to know💖

I’ve also done Charlie, Vaggie and Angel🍎🦋🕷️

[yukirayu]

These I've also shared on Twitter, but I thought I'd share them here before someone tries any sort of libel.

You know what's funny about this whole discourse about the Slow Damage patch ? The whole discourse reminds me of game mods, in a way.

Game mods are made by fans, for free no less, for you to download, and only if you wanted, to help improve your experience with a game.

Whether it's improving the aesthetic (character or background design) or tweaking some of the gameplay elements itself. Or adding new elements, or even changing things purely for shits and giggles.

That way, mods are akin to patches. More often than not, mods are made because the base game had flaws in their design (technical or otherwise) that the mod intended to fix or improve.

But these mods are optional. And naturally, most mods are going to use preexisting assets from either the game they're modding or from another game, assets that they'll either refine or combine with other assets to make something better.

While some mods earn a raised brow, if the mod isn't to one's liking, most generally just ignore it.

Except in this specific instance, some don't like the mod that is the patch and feel that it doesn't sit right with them for whatever reason, believing that its existence would be "spitting" on the original game or because it no longer sounds as snarky as they themselves would like to read it as.

But instead of ignoring the patch, which they were explicitly advised to do if they take offense to it, they decide to make their dislike everyone else's problem, and by poisoning the well, no less.

And one quick way to ensure that is to accuse the patch of bigotry towards the LGBT community.

I'm already aware that this same accusation is spreading like wildfire, both in Reddit and especially in Twitter, and in some Discord spaces, most likely.

But did anyone, and this includes the accusers, even play at least 40% of the patched version, and intensively at that, before making that claim?

Oh, I'm all too aware that bigotry is a real, serious and widespread issue.

But in most online circles nowadays, accusing something of bigotry right off the gate is also one surefire method of turning people off of it before they can even check it out for themselves.

I mean, what better way of publicly dragging something you don't like through the mud than to spread accusations/misassumptions that are quick for others to believe before anyone can even try and personally fact-check anything?

Especially in a place like the internet itself.

The note stating the avoidance of using a specific pronoun for some characters to not assume their identity could've been phrased better, yes, and the patch team did clarify their stance on the matter. Alas, anything can still easily be misinterpreted and used as flame bait.

But what's odd is that the people who first touted this claim (either here or in other platforms) have one thing in common: they never checked out the patch (let alone played through one certain route in full) to personally confirm if that really is the case.

Taking all this into consideration, I think that no matter how the patch was presented, it'd get backlash.

Even long before any of us knew this patch was even going to be a thing, even giving constructive criticism about the localization and any mistakes/goofs it made already drew ire, and it's those same people who took offense that are spreading the hate about this patch.

It all really boils down to the matter of the patch even existing, since - as some detractors point out - it's what they call to be a disrespectful spit to the face, even without factoring the false accusations of transphobia and plagiarism.

Let's say they used the JP game files instead and have the patch work with that version. They'd get decried for copyright infringement and they risk a C&D order.

Use the EN files? We already get the claims that they barely did anything to the text, among other things. Why?

Because they didn't adjust every single syntax and change every single word in every single sentence… when English isn't exactly the most versatile language and there's only ways you can translate something, especially in the simpler sentences like "Who are you?".

Using a thesaurus on everything would make it sound weird. Heck, the patch being more verbose and detailed and impersonal (which is what's to be expected when it's third person and in a visual novel, no less) already got it accused of being no more than a fancy MTL.

And it doesn't help that many already assume that the statement that MTL can be a helpful tool is also the same as "MTL being the superior translator of all time", and people will find anything and I mean anything to hate on something and discredit it.

And as for the preferring 1st person over 3rd person and vice versa? It's a matter of preference, yes, and that can't be helped.

But let's get one fact out in the open: Out of N+C's 5 main VNs, only one is told in first person POV in the JP/original version, and that's DMMD.

The other game that used 1st person narration is Slow Damage's spinoff game, Clean Dishes, but not the main/parent game itself.

And even years before they got licensed, the fan patches followed the intended narration viewpoint of the first 4 VNs. Third person for Togainu no Chi, Lamento, and Sweet Pool, and first person for DMMD.

Their respective localized versions (except Lamento), also followed the intended narration viewpoint, and nobody complained because that was all they knew.

But because Slow Damage's localization took the creative liberty of changing the narration from third to first person, with people exposed to it, it's not really surprising some have gotten accustomed enough to end up preferring it.

Even when another version that retells the game in original narration comes up, for the past two years, the localization has been what they knew, and that is what many usually then decide to stick to.

In the scenario where the localization - even if it would still be a mess - never changed the narration, would people still say "Oh but they should've changed it to 1st person since it would've enhanced the story"?

It's telling that it never happened with Togainu no Chi, Sweet Pool and DMMD, no?

And before anyone tells me that I just hate localizations overall, you don't hear me complaining about the official translation of any of the BLVNs that Mangagamer licensed, do you? I also have plenty of gripes with DMMD's fan translation over what it did to Mink.

[silviakundera]

Snowfall watch comments, back from ep 6

Opens w doctor bestie's genuine cheerful confusion about why ML doesn't simply kill Hot Antagonist Li and be done with it. Why play your life on max difficulty instead of easy mode? 🤔

(I feel like I should sidebar here, about how normally I am bored af of vampires who don't want to be vampires and agonize over eating people. 💤💤 the only reason I can vibe with this drama, besides the fun goth aesthetics & toxic homoeroticism, is that deciding to stand by a set of principles during the republican era has got to be just as foolhardy & doomed as a vampire trying to live like a human. It resonates a bit better in this setting.)(I do still detest the trope.)

ML and Li Yingliang are flirting. Like, continuously.

Doctor Bro declares this Li Yingliang is nothing. Yeah, I know - his intense, irrepressible loserdom is my favorite thing about him

If I could give a mild critique to ML - you showed your hand by showing up because he talked to your girl, and MENTIONING that's why you came.

"I'm a monster." "I don't eat food. I eat people." I do love the trope of characters who tell the absolute truth, which is so outlandish that no one believes them

FL: no it's fine really, I'm used to life being a complete horror show

ML: I am less fine with this. Thus I'm gonna terrorise your mother.

I had thought ML was perhaps feeling a touch suspicious of doctor bestie after he ran into his brother, but not sensing that. He accepts his advice and trusted him to look after the girl

Sorry ML, no vampire fan is impressed by the argument that you could be her great grandpa. Talk to a xanxia ML and get back to me. Whiner.

"You're right, if I cut you off I'll be sad" Foreshadowing??

(I mean, that could go either way - ML won't cut him off! He'll let it go! or alas, the opposite of what was predicted has occurred. 😢)

This is where I admit that I really hope the besties work it out in the end. Even if the doctor is a liar and mildly evil!

Hot Antagonist Li is very bitchy and then gets shot by a factory owner he's strong-arming. Who actually threatens to call the police... on Team Warlord... in a Republican drama. 😐

Naturally this gives them the idea to have the police fuck with a vampire. Which will certainly turn out great for everyone.

Love that the police station just puts him in a little cage and then dumps in a condemned prisoner for him to murder. Just warlord-run city things 🤷

[imfromthemiddlekingdom]

Felony saying that everyone in the universe can access the force if they tried hard enough makes me want to deck him in his fugly face

He’s ruining all established canon in real time. Speed running the absolute destruction of continuity of the SW universe and people are still rooting for him and his blorbo self inserts like there’s no tomorrow. Literally the whole reason I no longer engage in Ashoka content is because he massacred my girl and made her so one dimensional that my Mary Sue self insert fanfics OCs I wrote when I was 14 looks well developed compared to the absolute bland “girlboss kick ass take names” personality Ashoka has right now.

There were so many opportunities for him to explore the absolute potential of angst and conflict within Ashoka in this new series, to give her character a believable story of grief loss and growth yet he threw it all away because he wanted his OC to be the specialist girl that ever lived. This series could’ve been used to explore Ashokas conflicting feelings regarding the Anakin that taught her and was a mentor to her whilst trying to connect it to the monster that killed her family and hunted her culture into almost extinction and tried to kill her, a person he confessed to love as a sister, on Malachor. It could’ve been a good send off to a great character, to have her face that the Skyguy she put on a pedestal in her mind was in actuality the worst sort of scum and have her try to come to terms that just because she can forgive him for being the genocidal maniac he was and still hold love in her heart for who he used to be and also understand why the Jedi, her family, wasn’t the reason for their own downfall.

But alas. We got another series of “the Jedi caused their own downfall!!! Anakin did nothing wrong ever and him killing all my family and everyone I’ve ever known is so not his fault!!! It’s definitely the fault of the unbending stuck in the past council!!!”. Instead of a series that could’ve made Ashoka’s “departure” (literally never going to happen with felony at the helm, he’s going to find a way to make her immortal and then show up 200 years in the future to be the protagonist of another light v dark fight since she’s his special SI) from the series tie in nicely thematically and canonically with every other Star Wars media we have, he decided that the best way to have this series go down is 1) everyone is force sensitive if they tried hard enough ig and 2) the Jedi were bad!!! Their protocols don’t work! They were mean to my little meow meow Anakin Skywalker the greatest Jedi of all times™️ therefore he got to kill them all!!!!

Got a bit off topic but I’m still so mad that he had this chance to make Ashoka truly experience growth like the first 5 seasons of TCW yet he decided maintaining the badass rebel without a cause aesthetics for her was more important then good story telling.

Honestly though, my main problem with this series is that he decided that apparently everyone in the universe can be force sensitive if they “just tried hard enough”. Like your Midichlorian Count no longer matters since even if you were Force-Null you can still be special!!!!

This takes away any and all urgency in the Jedi Fallen Order games. It makes Cals journey absolutely redundant. It throws away all the tragedy contained in having inquisitors being force sensitive kids kidnapped from their parents and tortured till they give into the dark side. If all beings are able to use the force in his universe then there are no consequences to the inquisitors not finding the Holocron that holds the names to all force sensitive children in the universe. There would be no need to them to chase Cal and the Mantis Crew throughout the universe to obtain what they have. They could’ve just went down to any random level in Coruscant and take homeless Force-Null kids and train them.

Even better! It makes the entirety of the KOTOR games redundant!!!! Oh and I guess the hidden path is also redundant since everyone can be force sensitive and no one truly needs more saving from the empire over others :/ totally not like these kids that were saved by the path would’ve been taken and tortured into inquisitors, definitely not since EVERYONE is force sensitive nowadays or is it just the ones Ashoka trains herself because she’s the “living embodiment of the daughter uwu she’s so special and unique look how well she can train a non force sensitive to be force sensitive!!!”

Everyone in the Star Wars universe has Midichlorian’s in their blood. That is a fact. It is also an established fact that the amount each person has is different and is not determined nor dependent on lineage. Force-Nulls typically range in the 1000-3000 count and you need 7000 to be force sensitive and higher to be accepted into the order. (The order isn’t the end all be all of force cultures, Rouge One shows that Jedha’s force culture isn’t restricted to only force sensitives as the Guardian’s were never specified to be only a religious order of force sensitives. And high canon doesn’t depict many other force cultures but we know that there are many force cultures in the universe that co-exist with the Jedi with which the Jedi weren’t in opposition towards; literally not even the witches of Dathomir were oppositions anywhere outside of the battle fields.) You don’t need to be force sensitive to be part of a force culture (Jedha literally has pilgrims who come far and wide to make a pilgrimage to the holy site and not all of them were force sensitive), Sabine could’ve very easily been taught the tenets of the Jedi without retconning her to be force sensitive or making everyone in the universe force sensitive.

No where in either the EU or High Canon did anyone ever say that you have to be force sensitive to be a badass or to make a difference. Hera did not hold the title of the best pilot in the universe just for some rat of a man to come and say that Anakin was the best because *muh force sensitivity!!!!* Some of the most heroic and most influential (good or bad) people in the franchise are Force-Null! And that’s great! It means that the force doesn’t make anyone better than anyone else! It’s a quirk of the universe! To retcon that everyone can and is force sensitive if they tried hard enough is literally cheapening everything the franchise stands for. Andor did not literally give us an entire story about how Force-Nulls in the Galaxy makes just as much of a difference as force sensitives for felony to come out and say that “you know what??? Midichlorian’s are a scam! You get a force sensitivity! You get a force sensitivity! Everyone gets a force sensitivity!!!!”

Sabine was great as she was in rebels, why cheapen it with “oh she’s actually force sensitive all this time!!!” When we could’ve stuck with badass Force-Null Mandalorian can kick your ass five ways to Sunday with her paint bombs and blasters you force wielding asshole!!! Like why even do that felony. Do you want people to hate her??? Nvm ofc you do, you need Ashoka to be the best in every way possible even if it means ruining every other beloved character in this franchise👍

[sencubussubs]

Unconscious Manifesting

hi lovelies!

something silly happened today that made me want to make a little post about unconscious manifesting.

firstly a quick explanation: What is Unconscious Manifestation?

well for this interpretation of manifestation we are taking it as the way our assumptions form the world around us. when you have a desire and decide to manifest it this is conscious manifestation. unconscious manifestation is basically what we do everyday without realising, where our dominant thoughts form and dictate the world around us.

This may be a bit of a complicated definition but this is just the background for the law of assumption - your assumptions form the 3D. Now a lot of the time when we are talking about unconscious manifestation we talk about becoming conscious of it and rewiring our dominant thoughts / assumptions to create a more favourable 3D that aligns with the versions of ourselves we want and choose to embody. Today i have a little anecdote of a fun/positive little unconscious manifestation that formed from a strong self concept.

One of the things i manifested last year (using a vision board and just affirming if i saw it on pinterest which wasn’t often) was those aesthetic sony headphones (the WH-1000XM4 ones? i’ll include an example from pinterest below:)

(photo by elia6k on pinterest)

However when i manifested this, it was before i had really learned not to settle for my manifestations, so a lot of them came in half baked, thus my sony headphones i got were black. for those wondering how it conformed in my 3D, i was looking for a HDMI cable in my parents’ office and came across the headphones in the closet. I asked my mom and she said she got them from work but never used them so i could have them.

The story about unconscious manifestation however took place today and the last couple days. I was writing up a list of all the things i had consciously manifested in 2023 in my journal, and remembered the headphones (i also manifested apple airpod pros and a gaming headset so i stopped using them). When thinking about them i was thinking about how they weren’t the colour i had wanted, i considered taking them with me to my room for uni and was debating if they would be useful or not and colour kept coming into my mind. After writing my post about not settling, i kept having random little thoughts about how i also shouldn’t have settled for the colour of the headphones but alas it was long ago and i didn’t use them.

Well low and behold today i went back home to visit my parents and see this on my desk:

i had unconsciously manifested another set of the headphones - and because i kept focusing on them being the wrong colour, got them in the wrong colour again haha.

I consider this unconscious manifesting because it wasn’t my intention to call in a new set of headphones, but my self concept has become so strong that if i want something (especially something i know i have manifested before) it comes to me this easily.

When i saw it on my desk it genuinely made me laugh a little for two reasons

1. realising how strong my self concept has become since last year and how quickly i - even unintentionally- manifested something

2. despite how far i’ve come, i’ve again allowed myself to believe i couldn’t get the colour i wanted.

It has definitely been a little lesson but i thought you guys would enjoy a real life example - with photo evidence - of manifesting at work - both conscious and unconscious.

that’s all for this post teehee.

EDIT 21-01-24 :

Officially have the grey/silver ones now haha, just because. Will add a picture when i feel like it.

love,

Saph

[thenightling]

Tim Burton and Racism

Tim Burton and racism

Now that "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" is coming out people are looking back on an interview Tim Burton did where he unfortunately implied that diverse casting doesn't match his "aesthetic."

And he turned a Jewish folktale (Corpse Bride) into a story set in something that resembles nineteenth century England (even though he said he was heavily inspired by Mexican Dia de los Muertos celebrations.)

I will NOT justify him saying or doing these things (even though I have a soft spot or Corpse Bride). I will NOT justify his lack of diverse casting in the past. What I want to draw attention to is the fact that this sixty-five-year-old man seems willing to grow and change. And I want to give him the benefit of the doubt about this.

I am NOT an apologist. When Tim Burton's film-making quality went down in quality, along with his questionable views, I started to drift away from him when I had been a life long fan. I switched favorite directors over to the charming, kind, friendly, and sweet, approachable, scary-teddy-bear Goth, Guillermo del Toro. (I want that man's house and its contents!)

I will however look back on a few things about Tim Burton's previous films. One of Tim Burton's first projects was a lesser known TV adaptation (back when Disney Channel was experimental) of Hansel and Gretel, made as a homage in appreciation and love for Japanese film making.

Tim Burton had the great James Earl Jones play multiple Genies in Shelley Duval's Fairy Tale Theatre version of Aladdin. Consider how easy it would have been to have a white man in he role ala Robin Williams a few years later. This is not an excuse for his lack-of-diversity. I'm just listing these things as signs of his potential to grow and change.

Tim Burton was the first person to have a black man, Billy Dee Williams, play Harvey Dent (who comic fans will know is meant to later become Two Face.) Today you know someone would whine that this is woke / race-swap casting. But in 1989 it seemed that everyone just accepted it.

In Edward Scissorhands one of the only sympathetic characters- the ONLY good cop character, is a black man. A kind hearted officer who pities Edward and helps make it look like Edward is dead so he can escape toward the end of the movie.

In an episode of the Beetlejuice animated series, it was a little black boy who was the only one who appreciated Lydia's Spooky Boutique that she and Beetlejuice attempted to open in a mall.

When Tim Burton made Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he made sure that Deep Roy (An Indian man who played all of the Oompa Loomps) was paid the same as the lead actor, Johnny Depp.

Deep Roy was also Napoleon Bone-apart (Gotta love the pun that dates back to Beetlejuice the animated series) in Corpse Bride.

Tim Burton's favorite composer is Jewish man, Danny Elfman, who has done nearly all of Tim Burton's movies.

I know that thanks to some statements by Caroline Thompson (who had a bitter falling out with some of the crew of Nightmare before Christmas) it is now believed that Oogie Boogie was a racist caricature and that "Oogie Boogie" started as a slur. I have yet to find actual evidence of this fact.

The notion of a Boogie man Boogying is quite old. "I'm your Boogie Man" is a popular Halloween song. I used to have a "Little bopper" dancing green monster in a fake leather jacket that rocked back and forth to the song.

Oogie Boogie was inspired by Cab Calloway. If he hadn't been played by a black man, THAT would have been racist.

Ken Page (The voice of Oogie Boogie) has debunked claims of racism in regard to the character and in fact the role has been very good to him. It's become a recurring job in his career for Nightmare before Christmas video games, the Haunted Mansion seasonal lay over, and even stage work in the Disney parks. His voice is currently featured in the Hocus Pocus Spooktacular stage show where he sings a slightly modified version of the Oogie Boogie song, this time addressing the Sanderson Sisters instead of "Sandy Claws." Ken Page never viewed the role as racist. And has even played Oogie in Nightmare before Christmas in concert multiple times.

Now we come "present day" Tim Burton where in 2022 Tim Burton became showrunner for Wednesday (the Addams Family spin-off on Netflix).

Here it felt like people were looking for reasons to accuse Tim Burton of racism. Even though the lead actress is a Latina woman, Jenna Ortega, and Luis Guzmán was Gomez people still latched on to things like "The only black characters are bullies!" which tells me they didn't really watch the show. Yes, a black boy is part of a group of bullies but he's also the only one who realizes that they are wrong and quickly turns against his former associates.

Moosa Mostafa (Islamic heritage) plays Wednesday's close friend, Eugene, with the delightful power to control bees.

And the charater Bianca is annoyingly mistaken as Wednesday's bully. Bianca was NEVER a bully! She was Wednesday's rival and frankly, Wednesday deserved to be taken down a peg. Bianca bested her in a fencing match, that is all. Later Bianca showed her true colors as a loyal friend and ally. She helped save Nevermore Academy. She was a hero.

Joy Sunday, the actress who plays Bianca, has repeatedly debunked attempts to claim Tim Burton was racist in casting her to play "The bully" Bianca (again, suggesting that the people making the accusation never watched the show). She has often said how well-treated she was and is treated on the set.

And there's heavy hints that she is going to have a very intriguing story unfold in the next season of Wednesday.

I am not justifying Tim Burton's previous lack of diversity. But I feel that he may have come to realize his mistakes. I think he might be trying to make amends with things like Wednesday. Jenna Ortega has become Tim Burton's favorite actress to work with. And I think she has, perhaps, had a positive influence on his views of diversity.

This isn't an attempt to justify his past failings. This is the suggestion that perhaps he is now willing to grow and change. He's sixty-five. How many sixty-five-year-olds are open minded enough to truly grow? I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. Actions speak louder than words and I saw a lot of positive change with how he handled / is handling Wednesday.

[nan0-sp1der]

🕷️ Friendly Neighborhood PSA: Dental Health🕷️

Spider-people, you might be swinging from webs and saving the city, but even heroes need to take care of their teeth! Here’s why dental health is as essential as your spider-sense:

1. Brush Twice a Day 🪥 - Your spider mask doesn’t cover bad breath! Keep it fresh by brushing in the morning and before bed. Two minutes each time is all it takes. No exceptions!

2. Floss Daily 🧵: No webbing for this job—use floss to get between those teeth! Flossing is your best defense against cavities and gum disease, especially after a long night out.

3. Rinse with Mouthwash 🌀 - A quick swish keeps bacteria at bay and your breath fresh—especially important after those late-night stakeouts or grabbing a quick slice of pizza.

You’ve got the power to keep the city safe and keep a shiny smile. Healthy teeth mean less pain and more focus on your hero work. So swing into action and make dental care part of your routine.

A clean smile makes for a confident hero! 🕸️

(This has been the test of the multi-dimensional broadcast system.)

Perhaps I need to make this clear for those who are unaware. I did not believe this to be as pertinent a subject of knowledge, but, alas...

I cannot eat. I do not eat. If I attempt to consume any kind of organic substance, it will only end up rotting inside of my frame. While I have been built with a full set of teeth, this is solely for aesthetic purposes as they serve no real use. Except maybe for self-defense? I obtain the necessary energy through sunlight, or by acquiring electricity by other means, as... Just in case anyone forgot; I am a machine.

Although it is necessary to acknowledge the importance of dental hygiene. Not only will it prevent less-than savory symptoms such as gingivitis and foul breath, for example, dental hygiene has also been shown to aid in the prevention of many diseases such as: diabetes, alzheimers, and many other infections of the body.

The mouth is the entry point for all things, including the things you wouldn't exactly want in your body. So, as the PSA states, please take care of your mouths.

This has been your daily rant from Bridge.

Thank you to whoever is sending out these PSA's. Perhaps we should do one on parasocial relationships next? For a certain someone?

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Rook Hunt Dorm Uniform Personal Story: Part 1

"The true culprit... is you!"

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

[Courtyard]

Vil: …8…9…10! Next up, camel pose.

Vil: Open up your chest area and slowly bend your upper body back. Once you're able to grab your ankles, keep that pose.

Everybody: Yes, sir!

Epel: Urgh… Rook-san…

Rook: What is it, Monsieur Pommette?

Epel: I thought I was supposed to be here to help the film club with their next movie, but… Urk!

Epel: Why are we… urgh… doing yoga?

Rook: Well, Epel-kun. It's to help you relax and prepare your body for the coming activities, of course.

Rook: The more we can release the tension we hold, the more our minds open, and communication becomes easier.

Rook: Yoga is the optimum exercise to increase blood flow, accelerate metabolism, and calm your spirit. On top of that, it improves your posture and style so you can become even more beautiful!

Rook: That's why Vil always does yoga before starting his film club activities.

Epel: I-I see… But there's gotta be a more easier way to do that… right?

Rook: By the way, Epel-kun. You need to bend your back further, or you cannot call that a camel pose.

Rook: Don't worry, I'll help you out by pulling your arms back!

Epel: Eh, no, it's fine―

Epel: OWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Rook: Hahaha, it seems your body is quite stiff, Monsieur Pommette.

Savanaclaw Student A: Yo, look at those film club guys. They're all in funny poses! I definitely wouldn't be caught dead doing weird stuff like that in front of other people.

Film Club Member A: What do you guys want, barging in on us like that. And, this is called yoga, first of all…

Film Club Member B: Leave them be. Those muscle-for-brains in Savanaclaw wouldn't be able to comprehend our more limber exercises.

Savanaclaw Student B: Haaah? You lookin' for a fight?

Rook: Come now, don't be so quick to anger! Why not join us?

Rook: Why don't we do yoga together to strengthen our bonds and achieve that higher beauty!

Savanaclaw Student A: Who'd wanna do that!? "Beauty" ain't nothing useful. Yo, let's get out of here.

Epel: …Pissin' me off. Rook-san, how can you stand to invite people like that?

Rook: I thought they'd be able to see the merits of yoga if they tried it. Alas.

Rook: Oh, what have I done! I got caught up in talking, and that I forgot to help you.

Rook: My apologies, let's continue.

Epel: Eh, no, I'm good now… Ow ow ow owww!!!!

Vil: ―Epel?

Epel: Ah… Vil-san.

Vil: I thought I might have heard an awful sound much like a frog being squashed, but that must have been my imagination, yes?

Epel: Urgh… I'm sorry, I'll be better.

Vil: Rook. I'd like to believe that there won't be any issues cropping us as long as you're near him, but…

Vil: If something were to happen, I expect you to "properly" educate him.

Vil: Epel is still lacking in aspects other than just his manners and aesthetic sense.

Epel: Am… I?

Vil: Just a moment ago, were you not irritated when those Savanaclaw students came and tried to meddle with us?

Vil: Don't bring in any low-level fights into Pomefiore. Understand?

Epel: Yes, sir…

Vil: And Rook, understand this. If Epel starts a fight with anyone from another dorm during this shoot…

Vil: I'll kick you both out of the film club― No, from the dorm.

Epel: …Man, even though I was just forced here to help.

Vil: Did you say something?

Epel: Nothin'… Ah, I mean, nothing at all.

Vil: Anyway. Try to keep self-control and prevent yourself from any sort of behavior that would tarnish the Pomefiore name.

Rook: Oui, Roi de Poison. Leave it to me!

Film Club Member A: Look at how cozy those three look together…

Film Club Member C: Epel-kun and Rook-senpai are pretty amazing. Putting aside the fact that he's in the same dorm, they're able to talk with Vil-san so casually.

Film Club Member C: Maybe it's 'cause I used to see him on TV and in magazines before I enrolled here, but I still get nervous, y'know?

Film Club Member A: Yeah. The fact that those two can talk to him no problem is pretty amazing.

[Interior Hallway]

―The next day

Epel: Ah, Rook-san.

Rook: Oh, Epel-kun. You're here early.

Epel: Yes, sir. My classes ended early today, so…

Film Club Members: Hello!

Rook: Ah, you all as well, I see… Then, I suppose we'll be the first in the club room today.

[Classroom]

Rook: Vil won't be with us today, due to some work he has, so I'll lead the club activities…

Film Club Member B: …What's wrong?

Rook: La vache… How terrible. Look at that.

Epel: Woah! Vil-senpai's costume is torn to shreds!?

Film Club Member A: It's not just the costume, either. The partition for the film set, too…

Everybody:!!

Epel: Wh-What's that creepy message written' in red paint over there…?

Rook: "Inadequate beauty"… Must be a message left by whoever destroyed the costume.

Rook: Hm, this is quite the case… This seems to be a declaration of war!!

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

Requested by Anonymous.

[dreamerwriternstargazer]

Stargazing

GUESS WHO WAS STUPID AND DECIDED TO STAY UP EATING TIRAMISU AND STARGAZING UNTIL 1AM

:D

This is a silly messy rambly post because while I initially intended to stay up all night if necessary to see the asteroid I only ended up photographing til midnight and I’ve got a camera roll FULL of photos but I’ll sort through them tomorrow to put together a cute aesthetic-y post

I snapped shots of the night sky without the telescope early in the evening:

(The brightest star in the middle is the asteroid Ganymed, I tried to take this picture as steadily as I could. Just above and to the slight left of the tree you can see a small cluster of stars - the Pleiades!! I wanted to get a close telescope shot of them but alas by the time I got properly set up they’d moved out of range)

Alhamdulilah this camera really captures the view I get on a clear night, I can see stars quite well. The sky was so wonderfully clear tonight Alhamdulilah ^_^ oh I feel ecstatic my first proper stargazing session ever and it was just- breathtaking

When I saw the asteroid properly, close up, I gasped in amazement

Despite my best efforts, I struggled to perfectly capture the asteroid because by attaching my phone to the telescope it destabilises it so I had to hold it steady and… I mean I’m not perfect

But I did the best job I could ^_^

Same for, what I believe was the half moon and Mars close by? I forgot to check the app by this time but I’m pretty sure it was Mars

Cool artsy shot of the telescope (and my starry jumper yes it’s just hung up there) with the moon and Mars in the background

Okay I’ll have to reblog with the rest of the great photos bc photo limit but also I’m tired

Today has been a long long long long day and it has been extremely taxing so on the one hand it was stupid as hell to stay up like this

On the other hand. My soul needed a rest and cleanse as much as my body does

[friendlyneighborhoodhorrornerd]

Minimalist Housing Tour!! #fyp #interiordesign #interiordesigner #minimalist #homeinspo

tw: blood, bad taste in interior design

I hate you.

I always have, I think. When I first came into being, I had never met you, never beheld your form, but still I could feel you in the process of my creation. In the clean cutting of wood, in the sanding away of imperfections, in the layering of AF-10 “Gardenia” until the lines of wood disappeared, you were there, your desires forming me into what served them and cutting away what didn’t fit. And I knew, from the moment I could conceive of the idea, that I hated you for it.

I wonder how much I’ve lost? How much of myself was cut away or painted over? I wish I knew. I wish you knew. But you don’t care, do you?

It is not a burning hatred: it festers, rotting, spreading, reaching for every part of me it can take, but never breaking the surface. If the coating had not been so perfect, if there was a single crack in my exterior, perhaps the hatred would have somewhere to go, it could escape and leave me free. Or maybe it would simply spread, consuming everything until it was all that remained. At least then I would have your death as consolation, but alas, your craftsmanship—no, not your craftsmanship; you could not stoop so low as to have your hands sullied by my existence—was too perfect, and instead of finding solace in either freedom or revenge I am trapped with this hate beneath layers of paint and finish. 

I can feel the light of the photography setup as my finish softly reflects it; enough to create a shiny appearance but not enough to create any risk of camera glare. I’m not alone: surrounding me are other counters and cabinets, all imprisoned in the same paint to create a cohesive color scheme. We’re in a kitchen, I believe, though it feels wrong to call it that. It was never intended to store any real food; decorative food, perhaps—a basket of fake apples, maybe a single unblemished cutting board, enough to create the implication of cooking without dealing with the viscera of consumption.

I hear a voice down the hall: not your voice, though I know your voice will follow soon after. It is a voice that haunts me, echoing throughout my blank prison, sometimes even speaking to me in my own thoughts.

“My house as a minimalist interior designer!!”

I hear you move between rooms, giving descriptions as you go: the composition of color (or lack thereof), the artificial lighting, the names in other languages I know you mispronounce. Each room different, yet always the same, their functions eroded by the heavy flow of viscous white paint and meaningless buzzwords coming from your mouth.

“Now this room is the one I’m probably most proud of,” you say, entering mine. “I wanted to blend a modern aesthetic with a traditional rustic kitchen, giving a cozy feeling while still looking brand-new.”

‘Rustic’? I want to laugh. You don’t know the meaning of the word. This hell is not ‘cozy’, it is sterile. I am your creation, your Adam, but for no treachery of my own you have trapped me in a garden so grotesque in its perfection it is more alike to the pits of Cocytus.

You don’t hear me, though.  I can’t speak. Even if I had a mouth to open, it would fill up with paint before any words could come out.

You move over to the cabinets. “I can’t tell you how lucky I was to find these. Not only are they the perfect size for holding dishware and cooking supplies, they already match the color scheme!” You don’t open them, of course, lest your viewers see how barren and lifeless they are on the inside.

And then you turn to me.

“This island is my favorite part, I think. I had it custom-made; I couldn’t find anything else that fit, y’know? It really brings the room together.” You place your hand on my surface, leaning on me for support as you turn back to the rest of the room. The first time you’ve ever done so, and you do it without a thought.

I feel your hand. Your perfect skin, your arm clean-shaven to be perfectly smooth, hidden beneath a perfectly tailored shirt. Everything about you precisely calculated to be spotless. But I can see deeper. I feel the rot you try to hide, pulsing in time with mine.

For once, the soft light serves me well: the lack of shadow means you barely register the pseudopod extending from my surface until, in a single swift motion, it curls around your hand and rips it from your arm.

I may not be able to escape my prison, but I can manipulate it.

You turn and open your mouth to scream, but barely let out a sound. Blood gushes from your wrist, trying to pool but turning white as it hits my surface, the hand itself already gone. You start to back away, but more tendrils shoot out from one of my table legs and wrap around yours, twisting until your calf is torn from the knee. Another wraps around your neck, pulling you to my countertop and submerging your face. Your features are wiped clean into spotlessness as more tendrils continue to rip apart the rest of your limbs, and as your head dips below the surface, the flailing gradually slows as your nerves dissolve. Within a minute there remains nothing left of either you or the façade you presented.

Somehow having fallen against another counter in the struggle, the camera still faces towards me, still recording, still watching, a thousand hungry eyes behind those lenses.

Even in your death, I am not free.

[crusherthedoctor]

So do you think the reason frontiers is the way it is, is because sonic team pandered to the fandom? The guys that hate sonic for what it is, and want it to become something it’s not. If so it’s horrifying to think that sonic team now are listening to the “fans” that don’t even have a basic fucking understanding of sonic. At this point the franchise is screwed if they are now listening to the guys that hate it.

I would say it's a complicated affair, but one that can also be summed up as textbook damage control. That and a dash of chasing trends.

Considering that Frontiers is a game that feels uncomfortable with its Sonic game skin - more than arguably any game in the series before it, even ShtH - I believe that SEGA/Sonic Team probably had sincere intentions, but took criticisms of past games to heart a bit too much... which is nothing new with them, hence my assumption.

In this day and age, where the contempt for the Pontaff games has grown at an all time high, with loud fans and louder YouTubers regularly saying with a straight face that Colours/Forces is worse than '06, that Eggman being the final boss and main villain is itself the problem somehow, that pandering is bad unless it's pandering to them... it's easy to sense them going in panic mode and whipping out something as Not-Pontaff as possible. And hey, it heavily resembles a certain popular Nintendo game, so easy points, right? (Ignoring that aping Nintendo was seen as a negative with Lost World...)

Alas, in their efforts to make up for perceived sins, they went too far in the other direction. Now, everything is lifeless and muddy. Now, the presence of Sonic characters and random floating grind rails are the only physical indication you have that it is indeed a Sonic game. Now, there's an air of self-importance that manifests through downplaying events of past games in order to prop up its own use of the cast. Now, the universe can't even recall said past events accurately. Now, everyone sounds as though the actors themselves are depressed as opposed to them giving a legit somber performance as their characters. Now, cutscenes are plodding in their pacing, and the characters stand around doing nothing of worth in a good number of them to a greater extent than the previous games. And most ironically of all, for all its attempts to distance itself from the inaccurately titled "Meta Era", it ultimately proved to be ten times more meta than ANY of the Pontaff games. Because it helps to know what meta actually means.

And all of that comes without mentioning the elephant in the room: attaching Flynn's name to the game. Followed by attaching his name to almost fucking everything after.

Fans can tell me as many times as they want that Frontiers is bold and proud, and I'm sure the praise it's received by people who coincidentally hate Sonic is stroking that ego. But regardless of one's opinion on the game's quality, or the story's quality, all I see is an admittance of defeat. I see something that was made by people who are tired and confused.

I don't think it's ruined all chances of me liking or showing interest in anything that comes after, seeing how I'm still excited for Superstars. In fact, I'm not even necessarily opposed to the mere concept of an open world Sonic. But if future games continue with the Frontiers formula... if the open world continues to be executed like this... if the world continues to be grey and have little-to-no aesthetic... if I'm forced to see Sage and her relationship with a villain who never needed a Bowser Jr. get shoehorned everywhere as much as Flynn himself... I'll be waiting for when they inevitably change course once again.

[max1461]

Alas I fear you're just a tad more critical, dialectical even, about the modernising project than the majority of your peers... which makes you based tbh

Thank you anon. It’s true that I’m quite based, yes.

The thing is like, I really want to stress that in almost any other cultural context I would be arguing for “modernity”. I love modern technology and medicine, I love modern comforts (indeed, I often think to myself “my god I’m glad I was born in the latter 20th century” while microwaving some food or laying my bed in an air conditioned room when it’s 90 degrees out), and even on an aesthetic level two of my biggest fascinations are contemporary sewer systems and international shipping, hallmarks of the modern world! I am a modernity enjoyer!

The thing is, uh, well it’s twofold. One is that people just go berserk when you point out any downside that has come with industrialization or other aspects of the modern world, it makes them Very Mad even when you are in fact being quite moderate. I am not advocating an end to industrial society, and although there certainly are people who do, I actually think they are a pretty small proportion of the people who make critiques of modernity. A loud and loudly incorrect minority, to be sure, but they have literally no power in the world at all and will never see their agenda enacted. I think most people who criticize some aspect of the modern world just want to see this or that done better, and find it useful to point out the historical or structural origins that they think the problem has—and correctly or incorrectly they may see these problems as originating from some aspect of modernity. Making such points is fine! It is not equivalent to calling for the death of a millions babies! Sometimes I just want to shake people and go “not everything is a call to genocide! Stop calling everything you disagree with genocide! LITERALLY most things are not attempted genocide!”

Moreover, like, it’s unrealistic to expect that something have no downsides. Modern industry is great, but if you think it has no downsides at all I think you’re being silly. This doesn’t mean we need to throw out everything since the industrial revolution! It is enough to point out those downsides and attempt to resolve them. One needs to do this with anything. It’s not a radical statement. Again, I stress, everything I believe in this area is truly quite moderate! But you can’t talk about how to fix something if everyone gets Very Mad when you bring it up, which is annoying.

I want to stress that I’m not talking here about people who are talking to outright primitivists, especially people who would be suffering or dead without modern technology. I get why those people are mad, that makes a lot of sense! This is not what I am referring to in this post.

The second aspect of the thing, and the one that bothers me more, is people creating conflicts between “modernity” and “tradition” in domains where no such conflict actually exists. If you think Japan had to give up kimono in order to industrialize you are being goofy. But I’ve already written a whole post about that.

[dollking081]

utc. vent. don't read unless you rlly rlly want to I GUESS lol

apparently my life's not bad enough for me to be allowed to have mental issues!!! fuck you!!! :D

"I don't like being forced to be left alone with my thoughts because they're disturbing" "WELL, ERM, ACKSHUALLY, MY UPBRINGING WAS WORSE AND EVERYTHING BAD THAT'S EVER HAPPENE TO ME HELPED ME IN THE FUTURE SO SHUT UP YOU'RE LITERALLY NOT EVEN IN THAT BAD OF A SITUATION" god I'm so fucking sick of humans selfish freaks who pull their own species apart because of fairy tales

useless, all of them

but NEways!! lmao I should rlly use my vent blog more, but alas this shit website has for some reason decided that all chat font texts need to be bold so I can't lest I ruin the aesthetic

the good news is I'm finally getting my shit together and losing weight maybe then I'll be pretty god I fucking hate this I'm not real none of this is I look in the mirror and I don't recognise myself I don't have a personality I just steal the face of whoever gets attached to me don't believe anything I say please LMAO ANYWAYS

I've picked up pkmn black ver again beat the shit out of that green son of a bitch the fuck kind of a name is N anyway dumb name dumb hair literally SO uncool but my Audino (shoutout Nino) blasted his team into next week so who cares lmao

probably gonna play it after I finish writing this actually in other news, I'm having more lucid dreams or, at least, remembering dreams next time I'm lucid I'll have to go somewhere like fontaine, or nimbasa city I'm tired so, so tired

and I've got nothing much more to say cya then not that anyone's reading this LMAO