#Which may sound outdated in the future

[zuzzebat12]

I just realized I didn't set when Lost & Found AU is-

I'm stupid lol- and forgetful, and irresponsible for this action. Anyway-

I was thinking at the beginning of Season one, but I decided for it to be in the middle or near the middle of around season one, since that's when most of the stuff (in my knowledge) happens.

So.. I take back about Draxum seeing the turtles for the first time... and possibly saw them multiple times.

I may or may not rewrite it, since there's multiple things I could change.. but.. for now, I'll be working on part 2! (This may sound outdated in the future- don't worry though.)

[randomfoggytiger]

React: A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try (Founder's Mutation), Part II

This is gonna be quick and dirty because my keyboard’s acting up--

IT’S A CONTINUATION FROM MY STRUGGLE I?????????? NO WHY NO, PLEASE NO. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO--

WHY do those glasses not fit anymore?? If Mulder lifts his eyebrows, they don’t even touch his cheekbones. But they were fine last episode, what happened. 

Mulder reminding us about William in yet another opening monologue. I may have the memory of a goldfish, Mulder, but I don’t have brain damage. 

I’m already so tired. 

Narration, narration, sudden voice change and drop, “Bringing Scully and I back together”-- okay, that’s straight-up David's voice. 

Oh, good. A bloody eyeball. How marvelous. 

If this is the brain Morse Code episode, I will throw hands. 

I’m Dr. Sanjay. We’re both too tired. 

WHAT’S WITH THE SHAKY CAM AS DR. SANJAY DETERIORATES. 

I’m not gonna be nit-picky… okay, I am. 

The X-Files has a certain style, aesthetically. Because of that, one has to operate inside the rules in order to cleverly bend them. Shaky cam AND close-up break two rules back-to-back.

This "modernization" isn’t a limbered stretch so much as a spinal dislocation. 

Ghost in the Machine and Blood 2.0, I see. But worse. 

The “Sanjay losing control” scene is… not too different from similar 90s ones.

But that’s the problem-- the visuals have updated, but not the method. And that leaves us with the impression that the director or screenwriter or both are either amateur or outdated. 

It’s also incredibly cluttered and confusing. Not confusing in a way that would expertly translate the meltdown in Sanjay’s brain, but confusing in a way that bombards us, the audience, with compounding “lost in translation” errors. 

Okay, welp, he’s dead. 

WHY do Mulder and Scully sound so old? Was it absolutely necessary to suck the life force out of the actors every time they walked on set? For Pete’s sake, I’ve heard more life in David’s voice while reading a Lexus ad. 

Okay, DD’s picking up a bit, and GA’s compensating with her expressions but none of this is engaging. 

Minor nitpick-- and I know both actors complained about wardrobe later-- but the second Mulder gets pants that fit him and Scully remembers to finish buttoning up her top, the sooner I’ll get a glimpse of the old show. Just sayin’. 

His pants will eventually swing to the opposite tragedy, copping a feel while forcing him to do a little Marilyn Monroe shimmy.

I shall call them Patriarchy Pants.

Scully knows Indian?

She really is the series’ language OC, isn’t she. 

Mulder got this informant to trust him by flashing his puppy eyes. I mean… it’s always worked on Scully. 

Speaking of which… where’s Scully? 

I’m wracking my brain, but I thiiiiiiiiiiink it’s consistent, even pre-S9 canon, for Mulder to sneak off and fill Scully in later. So, no complaints. I think. 

What is it about the comedy scene that didn’t work…? 

Hm. 

‘Kay, so, if this guy (Gupta, looked it up) is no longer a repressed homosexual-- like he chastises Mulder for being-- then why was he so skittish in the bar? 

He didn’t know Sanjay was dead, so therefore he didn’t know he was in danger (note from the future: he isn't in danger... which explains his skittishness even less.)

So, is his jumpiness because of repressed or hidden homosexuality? But he says he's out and urges Mulder to come out, as well.

Perhaps he's saying one thing and living another, i.e. pretending to be out and proud to save face in front of Mulder.

But then... that would be the comedy in this scene-- that he would have to eat his words (ex. another guy opens the door on them and Gupta makes a big fuss trying to cover up the homosexuality of it all-- “no homo” dialed up to 11, etc.) 

So, he was either scared to be on a hit list-- yet wasn’t aware he might be on one-- or scared of being outed-- yet didn't signal this in his actions or dialogue.

If this is Gupta’s only scene, it was a waste.

It was a waste of an introduction, regardless. But.  

Oh, Scully’s doing an autopsy, got it. 

Characters are playing by their strengths, got it. 

Also, forgot to note, Mulder sensing the guys in the bar were bad news points to his years spent on the job. A great touch.

…Unless, now that I think of it, Gupta invited him to a gay or hookup bar, consequently making Mulder look like an out-of-touch old buffoon. Which… fits his characterization in My Struggle I, but I hope for better things. 

I didn’t see any tension in Scully’s arms while pulling the instrument out of Sanjay’s ear, but, ya know, there weren’t perfect moments in OG canon, either. 

Gupta’s still here, okay. (DD getting away with a bit of humor by having Mulder act slightly out-of-place chuggin down in a bar-- I see you.) 

IT IS A GAY BAR. 

MULDER’S AN IDIOT, CONFIRMED. 

“He lived two lives.” Okay, that’s f-- “In two separate places.” NO, no, nonono-- get back over the unsubtle line before I whip out the broom, shooshooshooshooshoo.

Wait, why is Mulder explaining the autopsy results instead of Scully?

Even when he had a… siiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh. 

Even when Mulder had a brewing theory in mind, he always let Scully explain all her results before asking pointed questions, hearing her findings, then crafting a theory and running it by her.

Here, Scully says, “I broke fingers to find words on palm"/"instrument went into these parts of the brain” and Mulder says “It went in at that angle then turned at this angle"/"[insert theory].”

When it SHOULD be: Scully explains fingers and cause of death, Mulder points at the pics and asks why the instrument’s angle changed, Scully says “it went in 90 degree angle then turned 60 degrees”, and Mulder concludes “Like he was hunting for something.” 

The shots widen out or cut back for shock value, it seems. Sanjay’s body is shown obliquely until Scully says she “looked everywhere” for clues, which prompts the camera to cut to a wide shot and hang on his sawed-open skull. The timing’s oddly comedic, the music is light, and nothing about the scene meshes. It quickly pancakes, leaving us and the characters with dead (heh) air.

The dialogue leans “we’re gonna do this next” telling rather than natural conversation showing. 

And-- I’ve gotta be frank-- I’ve not caught an ounce of chemistry from DD and GA aside from the scene where they were talk about phone stealing and Indian languages. 

The car scene contributed nothing... except a kid accidentally fell over the hood. Reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal covert set-up, I tell ya. 

Sanjay’s other apartment scene was… weird. They walk around, find pictures of experiments on kids, barely react, trip the silent alarm so the police show up--

Sorry, no, wait. The police show up ASAP, in THIS part of town? NAH. Not happening. 

Okay, the scene where Mulder has a… brain… thingy WORKS because it uses just the right amount of “new trick”: closeups without disorienting lens action slapped on top. THAT’s how you integrate a modernized technique into an older show; and it fits seamlessly into The X-Files. 

SO WHY DIDN’T THEY DO THIS FROM THE GET-GO?

Also, Scully may have had cancer, but she never had migraines. Those seem to be reserved for Mulder. 

Oh, we’re in Skinner’s office now. I guess. 

The clips are so poorly paced, switching or holding or integrating at the weirdest times. It even undercuts Mulder’s quips or Scully’s reactions. 

On a side note, DD and GA probably had a hard time finding their characters-- as they mentioned for both IWTB and the Revival-- because all they had to work off of was plot regurgitation. ....What do you do with that? 

I love the touch of Skinner playing hardball until Corporate Interest Guy leaves, then immediately switching to, “I assume you’re going to need [classified] copies, right?” 

…

…..

…….

Scully really doesn’t have much to add, does she? 

OH, we’re in the basement now. We're just... here. The first scene of these two back down here and they're just. Here. ...'Kay.

Mulder and Scully talking over his experience is the closest I’ve gotten to mature MSR… and it’s ruined by Scully stating the obvious, “There were no sounds. I didn’t hear anything.”

LOOK, OKAY? Mulder became CATATONIC before with these exact same symptoms and was only saved by a secret science mumbo jumbo brain surgery, WHY ISN’T SHE WORRIED. It’s equivalent to her getting a nosebleed and just wiping it away, no big deal. 

“Mulder, what are you hiding?”

He’s not hiding anything, Scully, he’s telling you. 

But if he were, that’d be outta character even for Beanpole Sneakybritches. By this point, he’d have a functioning theory to share with the class-- which he did, lest we forget.

...Or developed a taste for Hercule Poirot drama while holed up in depressed isolation, I guess (which you left him to, Scully; so this is your fault, tangentially.) Which would be stupid. 

 (Note from the future: He was hiding something, but it didn't make sense how he leaped to that conclusion, anyway; so, logically, he has nothing to hide from her in this scene.)

But when's that stopped the show before?

“What are you hiding?” 

“Sanjay heard sounds right before he died. It could be you, Mulder.”

WHAT. 

Scully and Mulder established in the lab that Sanjay heard noises right before he died. 

Mulder heard noises. 

Tells Scully in the basement. 

Scully: “I didn’t hear noises.” No reaction. 

Scully: “What are you hiding?”

Mulder explains his frequency theory.

Scully doesn’t see how it fits. 

Mulder: “What are you hiding?” 

Scully: “Sanjay heard sounds right before he died. It could be you, Mulder.” No reaction. 

PLEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASE END MY SUFFERING.

16 min. in. 

Been typing nearly an hour (a dying keyboard’ll do it to ya.) 

“This is dangerous,” Scully says, flatly. 

“When has that ever stopped us?” Mulder asks, brightly. 

He is quite literally trying to pump life back into her-- WHO directed GA this way? You can tell which scenes she is given freer reign in (more natural, less muted) and which ones she is more tightly “guided” (less alive, more dead.) 

How is she spry enough to be a field agent? How is Mulder? Skinner hasn’t aged a day but these two have been MOWED. DOWN. DD and GA aren’t like this in real life, so what gives? 

Our Lady of Sorrows, go away. 

It’s Karen Kosseff except it isn’t. 

Mulder and Scully sneakily scare the daylights outta a Conservative-adjacent medical personnel with the dreaded threat of an “Obamacare” witchhunt... and at this point, the social commentary seems performative rather than intelligent. 

I’m not gonna break it down by politics; but suffice to say, while Mulder and Scully were never above a little “campaign of misinformation”, but they've never stooped low enough to fearmonger-- in fact, they looked down on those who did. 

CC-- he wrote this episode, too, right?-- turned them from FBI agents with ethics into Secret Agents with a dose of Krycekian immorality. 

Just when I think I’ve “found” MSR, the writing snatches them back from me.

…And ANOTHER THING. 

Ever since IWTB, Our Lady of Sorrows has been an awful, horrible, no-good, close-minded facility stuffed to the brim with egos and bottom-of-the-barrel intelligence. At least they’ve been upgraded from “let the kid die” psychopaths to “OBAMACARE?? INVESTIGATING OUR SAINTED, CONSERVATIVE COLLEAGUE????” Which makes them stupidly impressionable and stupendously ignorant of the law. Which they would know… because it affects their hospital. 

There’s no hint (thus far) that Scully has some dirt on them and maneuvers them into compliance by hinting at certain shortcuts they wouldn’t want investigated. No. Instead, she weaponizes their faith-- calling the guy they want to interview a “godsend”-- despite sharing it, and despite taking all matters of belief very seriously; then lets Mulder slip in the Obamacare line because… Conservative medical professionals would cow in the face of that implication instead of, I don’t know, stonewalling to protect their ranks? 

It’s such a silly, nonsensical line. 

I just want old Mulder and Scully back, is that too much to ask for?

And the lady almost stonewalled, anyway. It was pure luck that Scully pulled the right emotional strings. 

UGH. 

“I’ll agree to relay a message,” Not-Karen says… then walks off before asking what that message would be. …Sure, fine, that makes sense. 

Pregnant teen or young woman and….

And….

WHAT, IS THIS A CONTINUED PLOT POINT???????????

ANOTHER PREGNANCY PLOTLINE?????????? DO THE POWERS-THAT-BE NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO TUBES OR JARS OR WHATHAVEYOU TO GROW THEIR EXPERIMENTS, OR DID THEY ALL COPYPASTE THE EVES' AND DR. PARENTI’S VERY SPECIFIC NICHE?????

Hate the camera angles, too, uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. 

Used and abused women, dismissed young mothers, callous Catholic hospitals…. It’s so… vitriolic. And all so poorly handled. 

“Desire is the devil’s pitchfork,” oh, great, the Catholic nun? lady is eeeeeeeeeeevil, who would have knooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooown--     

WHY. DOES. MULDER. SOUND. SO. OLD. 

No wonder DD and GA think the series isn’t really about happy endings, they were shuffling around like geriatric Eeyores half the time. 

Scully pushing back against Mulder protecting her from the incubation theory right after he tells her the incubation theory: in a word, disjointed. She needed to confront him BEFORE he spells it out to her-- 

…My brain melted and I lost the thought…. Wait…. Nope, it’s gone. 

“Is this what you believe happened to me, fifteen years ago? When I got pregnant, when I had my baby?” WWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAT. 

“Mybaby”??????????? After all this time, MY BABY. 

WHY ISN’T GA ACTING APPROPRIATELY, SHE’S GIVING US NOTHING DESPITE BEING THE SOLE EMOTIVE PERSON ON THIS TEAM. 

IF THAT LINE IS MEANT TO IMPLY SHE’S CREATING DISTANCE WITH “MY BABY” BECAUSE SHE THINKS MULDER IS DISOWNING WILLIAM, YOU’VE NOT ESTABLISHED, AT ALL, THAT RETICENCE IS PART OF HER SELF-PRESERVATION-- NOT ONE TIME, SINCE THE REVIVAL STARTED. 

AND IF THAT WERE THE CASE, SCULLY WOULD HAVE ACCUSED HIM DIFFERENTLY: NOT FLAT AND TIRED, BUT FLAT AND ANGRY. WHERE’S SCULLY’S ANGER THAT SHE’S HAD FROM DAY ONE, THAT SHE LOST RIGHT AFTER EXISTENCE SAID HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER????????

GIVE ME GUMPTION, GIVE ME SPIT, GIVE ME FIRE, GIVE ME RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION!!!!

SO THEY ABANDONED THE INCUBATOR TALK TO TALK ABOUT HER REGRETS, I GUESS. 

THERE WAS NO POINT A TO POINT B, WE’RE JUST HERE NOW.

I don’t mind the rehash-- Mulder and Scully both had a habit of doing that, back in the day… but I’m not getting any of MULDER or SCULLY from these two… Revival robots. 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, this is the “what could have been” episode. Thanks, I’m gonna hate it. 

“Do you think he could have been an experiment?”

“I don’t know,” GET OUTTA HERE, ACTUALLY GET OUTTA HERE. 

MULDER’S WHOLE ARC IN ESSENCE-EXISTENCE WAS THAT HE KNEW THE MATH ADDED UP TO BEING WILLIAM’S FATHER (though the writers did their best to obfuscate that issue) BUT WAS AFRAID SCULLY’S BABY WOULD BE BORN WITH SURPRISES. INSTEAD, HE WAS A NORMAL, HEALTHY BABY; AND MULDER CALLED HIS SON A MIRACLE BECAUSE OF IT.

BEFORE SEASON 9 RETCONNED IT, ANYWAY. BUT EVEN THEN, WILLIAM WAS UNDENIABLY HIS MINI MULDER.

Even in IWTB, how many years later, Mulder still considered William theirs. 

Also, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait. 

Pause. 

Rewind. 

Stop. 

Mulder misses William but had to put that “behind him.” 

That. has got to be. The most. antithetical statement to Mulder’s character that I have ever. Ever. heard. 

You can’t have it both ways, CC: Mulder can’t be pushed by the ghosts of his past into wrecking his and Scully’s relationship, twice (IWTB and the Revival), while also putting HIS CHILD behind him. 

nnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOnonononononNONONONONONONO.

THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. 

YOU’RE A LIAR, A LYING LIAR LIAR FACE. 

THAT’S NOT MULDER. 

MULDER WOULD NEVER SAY THAT. 

SCULLY MIGHT, BUT EVEN THEN SHE’D STILL BE LYING TO HERSELF. 

Scully was shattered into a million pieces in My Struggle I, and Mulder is obliterated in this one. 

How. 

Absolutely. 

Lovely. 

Also, again, Scully isn’t emoting fear or terror for her son. At all. 

NORMAL SCULLY VOICE??????????????????????????????????

NORMAL. SCULLY. VOICE????????????????????????????????????????

WHAT. 

I’M, I’M, WHAT. 

FOR THE FLASHBACKS, BUT NOT FOR THE SERIES????????????????????????

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. 

The cutback from the flashback-dreamsequence-whatever to Scully just… sitting there. Not napping. Not dreaming, just. Thinking, I guess. 

But the sequence was obviously a dream, so. 

Can you imagine if she snapped upright from her dream, possibly at her desk? The gifs sets that could have been made mirroring this moment to Mulder’s nightmare in Paper Hearts. 

THERE’S THE SAME “OPEN THE DESK DRAWER TO SEE A PHOTO” MOTIF, TOO. 

...WHY IS THAT ASSISTANT WALKING LIKE SHE'S ON A CATWALK?

That actress said, “This is my big shot, I’m gonna stick out” (literally), and dressed to kill. 

…Or she’s a piece of commentary on the Evil Scientist Doctor and the male gaze, or something. 

Guys, no facility would have kids kept behind glass cages for their entire lifespan. 

That’s dumb. 

Scully tells the scientist he’s testing (trying to isolate) for alien DNA. He shows them out. 

Agnes (the teen or young mother) got killed and her baby taken, of course. 

At least Scully’s no longer pretending medical people aren’t stealing babies or creating mutants, I guess. 

I GUESS. 

Mulder had to wiggle his way over to the printer because his Patriarchy Pants (first sighting!) are too tight. (Told you his fashion swings in the opposite direction.) 

Mulder said, “This is my skinny jean era”, and I think I’m traumatized. 

Syndicate wanted to colonize the world with alien-human hybrids, says Mulder. And though it was unsuccessful--

(HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT)

--he doubts they stopped trying. 

So, that sweeps away the Supersoldiers, I guess. 

Since, y’know, the Revival said the aliens were never involved to begin with. 

So it was just the government making a hoax of the government hiding aliens but pretending they weren’t but really were but weren’t. 

Got it. 

What did Scully’s study about all European men being traced back to three individuals in the Bronze age (that’s a reference to Shem, Ham, and Japheth, isn’t it CC?) have to do with Mulder’s point other than for her to talk about her study. 

An illustrative hypothetical:

Mulder: “Everyone loves juice.” 

Scully: “I read a paper last year that found the three most favored juice flavors tie back to the Whirligig tastebud genome.” 

…’Kay.

I HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES LEFT, LET IT EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEND. 

Jackie (Evil Scientist Man's “insane” wife) doesn’t like cats and threw an apple at it. …Why’s there a loose cat in the “mental asylum”?

They put in the spooky track from the original show-- the tinkling symbol sound-- when she recounted her daughter breathing underwater, but I liked that bit. 

Good filming, good bit. 

Jackie was being used for experiments, crashed her car, was forced via the brain thingy to cut her child out, the end. 

…Oh, right, this plot was supposed to be about Sanjay. 

My bad. 

You forgot, too, didn’t you. 

…Why doesn’t Jackie like cats again? 

(Note from the future: Jackie feared her biological daughter because she had supernatural abilities; and ran away hoping to save her son from the same experimentation and fate. ...But her son? (or her daughter?) already had powers and forced her to cut him out??? by manipulating her brain????????? to find his way back to his sister??????????????? Even though he was a baby??????????????????? (She still doesn't know this and wishes she could see him again...????????????????????????????????????????)

This is such a BAD. SCRIPT. 

It has no direction, it swings wildly from topic to topic, nothing really connects together, it’s all… nonsensical garbage. 

Mulder gets closeted at a gay bar, the Catholic lady hates men and thinks unwed mothers are damaged, women are made to cut babies out of their stomachs, Mulder put William behind him, Scully has a waking dream instead of a sleeping one, aaaaaaaaaaaaand… Jackie hates cats. 

No, you will not get a logical explanation for any of this. 

Awwww, look, Jackie’s talking about her missing boy because she thinks about him “every day” but hasn’t seen him since and so does Scully, of course, and Mulder can sense that so he, looks, too, and this case will make him cling to William’s memory again and--

One word. Riverdale. 

“All my training-- everything that I know about psychology--” WHAT. Scully, you’re a medical doctor, not a psychologist. Definitely not a psychiatrist. 

So Mulder can read x-rays with medical accuracy, and Scully can read Indian and diagnose someone’s psychological state. 

Great.  

Just peachy. 

By the way, if you’re wondering why Mulder keeps getting bumped into or keeps peripherally noticing janitorial staff at each location, here’s your payoff (NO, IT WASN’T HAMFISTED, YOU JUST DIDN’T NOTICE THAT THIS WAS A PLOT POINT AT ALL, IT'S SO CLEVER):

The janitors work for a larger company that also services the hospitals. And Sanjay’s company. 

….Eh? Eh? Clever isn’t it??

NOITISN’T. 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, so the kids are dying and inadvertently killing… off… their… parent? Or something? Or the reverse?

(Note from the future: Jackie feared her biological daughter because she had supernatural abilities; and ran away hoping to save her son from the same experimentation and fate. ...But her son?-- or her daughter?-- already had powers and forced her to cut him out??? by manipulating her brain????????? to find his way back to his sister??????????????? Even though he was a baby??????????????????? And she still doesn't know this, hoping to see him again someday...????????????????????????????????????????

THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY THE TEEN/YOUNG WOMAN WAS ALSO FORCED TO CUT HER BABY OUT AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR, per the baby's instructions. Because that's what the episode says happens.

DO THESE ALIEN BABIES HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST VEHICULAR MANSLAUGHTER OR WHAT????)

Guys, this is dumb. 

Mulder’s stupid sunglasses. 

But he looks goofy overall, so I’ll CHOOSE to be endeared rather than angry or petulant.  

(IchoosethisIchoosethisIchoosethisIchoosethis--)

Wait, why does Mulder keep getting affected by the brain thing?

More importantly. 

The episode is setting up a few, blatant parallels:

These parents are having brain problems.

Their kids are experimentation kids.

William's probably an experimentation kid.

Which is stupid, but would then prove Mulder is the biological father.

They will sacrifice this parallel to the plot but also because Scully, not Mulder, ends up being the one to communicate constantly with William.

Which would prove William-Jackson is still Scully's biologically.

(Note from the future: This complete theory is debunked in about two seconds; but will be recycled later for Scully's Morse Code seizure. Wonderful.)

It’s all. 

So. 

Stupid.

Stupid sunglasses. 

I…

I died laughing. 

Guys. 

I’m gonna include a clip because it’s so goofy. 

Context: Mulder’s brain thingy is acting up, so Scully has to run around to find a kid-- Kyle-- so he’ll… help? her partner. Hence, we have Gillian trying to keep up her Revival smoker voice whilst running off and shouting, “KYyyYYyyyyYYLLllelleleee”:

This is The X-Files. 

Weep and gnash your teeth in torment. 

This is old. 

Sorry, Mulder’s ears should be busted by now. Gimme fic where he now has to use hearing aids.  

They grabbed Kyle and stuffed him in the car. 

Ahh, this is the scene where Mulder looks back at Kyle and someone mentioned it looks like Mulder looking back at William in another, better universe (post here.) 

Okay, so, this kid doesn’t mean to hurt people by communicating with his mind, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut was or wasn’t responsible for Sanjay’s death (who was helping him.)

Scully decides “LET’S PRETEND TO HAND HIM OVER TO HIS EVIL SCIENTIST DAD IN ORDER TO FIND HIS SISTER” and that sounds reasonable. As reasonable as a starving pig at a pie fair. 

Wait.

The kid was a janitor.

Sanjay was helping him.

Sanjay was working for Evil Scientist dude.

Sanjay was trying to figure out where the kid's sister was, or he knew where she was but wasn't telling the kid?

The kid-- Kyle-- accidentally killed Sanjay because his... powers were outta control?

And... the kid can connect with different people's minds and that's how he hacked Mulder's brain (which retracts my biological theory... until, again, Scully's Morse Code seizure reinforces it.)

But the kid attacked Mulder when Mulder and Scully questioned his (adopted) mom... didn't he already know who Mulder was?

And the kid kept pressuring Sanjay to find his sister, so much so that Sanjay hadn't been able to sleep well or function in weeks?

So, this kid's... questionable, at best.

Evil Scientist, M.D., pretended to introduce the kid to his sister, but Kyle wasn't BAMBOOZLED nor FOOLED. 

Oh, btw, this kid is Jackie’s son. Looks an awful lot like William-Jackson... but anyway. (Jackson's storyline is brazenly ripped off from CC's own material, wow-- right down to the "never saw my son again" line. The writers have charming things to say about adopted families in The X-Files.)

Now he’s running around the hospital looking for Molly (the sister who scared Jackie because she can breathe underwater, etc. etc.)

Reunited with Molly.

Now the kids are throwing the adults with their minds and killing Evil Scientist Badman with the brain thing in order to stay reunited, I guess. Like the Eves. (Another rip-off recycle of their own source material.)

SO, anyway, the Evil Scientist Father died a very gruesome death. 

Cut to the place swarmed with FBI. 

Another guy said, “Skinner, keep your sfjfkfsdfksj behind the red tape.” I think. Can’t understand him. 

Guys, this is the first Mulder-and-Scully posturing I’ve seen since the series began. Praise be, they’re not mannequins. 

Here's the Mulder and William "could have been"s.  

See, guys? His faith is back. He’s choosing to remember his son and reengage with his past~. 

Yeah, and where did THAT come from. 

To recap:

Mulder had depression sometime after 2012, so bad that it made Scully… leave, I guess (which would have been a death sentence for someone with a temperament like Mulder’s.) 

But he shouldn't have had depression after 2012 because 2012 just reset the Colonization clock (according to he, himself, and his theory.)  

So, he’s got "no reason" depression, then disconnects from Conspiracies and shoves away memories of William. 

But he hadn’t had a breakdown or disconnect from reality before My Struggle I (which made Scully’s decision to leave even stupider.) 

And Scully worries he’ll have a breakdown in My Struggle I. 

And he actually didn’t leave Conspiracyville despite also leaving it and knowing things he shouldn’t and not knowing things he should. 

Following?

Conspiracy guy calls up Skinner who calls up Scully who calls up Mulder; and he and she don't hesitate to investigate despite putting “that life” behind them. 

There were no aliens, period, only men in government wearing suits or planting false memories or whathaveyou. 

He’s still got depression but doesn’t, actually, in My Struggle I despite Scully thinking he does and worrying he’ll have a breakdown despite knowing he left Conspiracyville; but also won't be coming home, etc. etc.

Both are let into the FBI.

Still following? 

He put William behind him but engages in conspiracies now (despite still engaging in them while not engaging in them-- you get it.) 

Let me reiterate: Mulder. put someone that he loved. behind him. 

Mulder makes peace with the thought that William’s his son regardless and daydreams about movies and rocket ships. 

And that’s that on all his hangups, I guess. His crops are watered and his depression is cured. 

And now he and Scully are installed at the FBI... despite the unlikelihood either of them would pass the physical tests, let alone the training they'd need to requalify. To put them on the field otherwise would be very, very dangerous... right, Skinner?

The End. 

Just make this easier for me next time and beat a bat over my head. 

I do have another nitpick. 

Mulder is too downcast in his “happier times” flashbacks, especially compared to Scully’s buoyant, sweet, upbeat persona. So, basically, he has a stunning lack of imagination, I guess. 

Which, jokes aside, is an interesting thought: Mulder creating realities in his mind so convincingly mapped onto his current one that it’s even more devastating to snap out of them and face each and every unsatisfying day.

Also, both he and Scully have the same sort of nightmare....

This had BETTER be Jackson’s way of reaching out to them for help, or so help me I’m going to label these moments as narrative clickbait. 

EYYYYYY, we got an actual Mulder “NO!” It sounded like him, too! FINALLY! SPIRIT! SPUNK! THE MULDER ESSENCE. 

Oh, yeah, that William can get yeeted-- he doesn’t fit my headcanon, anyway. 

Mulder's sitting upright, too, without having woken from a nightmare.

…So this was a deliberate choice on the filmmakers’ part. 

So this is setting up for something. Like William communicating to them BOTH in waking dreams. 

We all know that won’t happen, but, anyway. 

CONCLUSION

YOU’RE NOT GETTING ME WITH THE HAPPY FAMILY TIMES, YOU MANIPULATORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

YOU CAN’T TAKE ME ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE. 

Also: very rarely do I like movie kitchens, but Mulder's... is alright.

Lastly: again, I am so tired. 

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!  

[bonesfucker3000]

My one year anniversary of watching Star Trek and just rambling about how much I love Star Trek

Today is my one year anniversary of watching Star Trek (3rd of February 2024 was the first time i ever watched any form of Star Trek media) and I honestly can not believe it has been a year already. I know this will most definitely sound cringe and what not but I really do not care; Star Trek is such a comfort to me and it helped me through a quite shitty part of my life. I only watched it because @thetwinksainttwunking really loved it and would not stop yapping about it for years since we known eachother and I decided to give it a go. I only knew a few things about Star Trek: it's gay, Kirk and Spock love eachother (Spirk is the main reasons why I gave Star Trek a go) and Spock had to pretend he was Chinese (one of the first things twunking ever told me about Star Trek was that scene in The City On The Edge Of Forever, where Kirk and Spock have to lie that Spock is Chinese and he only looks like that because he got into an accident in a rice farm, I thought it was the funniest shit known to man...Still do) and I decided to give it a go, even though scifi was never my thing but hey I might actually enjoy it (i never thought I ever would had enjoyed it THIS much)

So on the 3rd of February 2024 me and @thetwinksainttwunking watched Star Trek 2009 together and I actually quite enjoyed it, so the next Day we watched Into Darkness, which I somehow enjoyed even more and actually made me intested in the franchise, wanting to watch more. I really enjoyed both AOS films, I thought they were fun, enjoyable and had a good plot, I really loved Kirk in both movies (I honestly started tweaking when he "died" in Into Darkness and when Pike died too because Kirk was yk in pain) On the same day Twunking showed me an episode of TOS The Naked Time aka Peak and may god I loved that episode so much, it just fun and silly (and I started tweaking when I saw Sulu shirtless too-) and that episode is the reason why I even considered and given a chance in watching TOS, because I just loved that episode alot (and from that day I started singing randomly 'ill take you home again....kathleeeeen') on the 15th of Feb I watched Wrath of Khan and on the 16th of Feb Search for Spock, on the 24th of March I began watching the original series and a year later...here I am completely obsessed and in love with this franchise, already finished with TOS, all TOS films, half way through TAS and nearly done with TNG-

Star Trek just means so much to me, I started watching it when i was in a bad and failing relationship which led to a horrible break up and Star Trek was a massive comfort to me during that time. I just loved watching TOS seeing the silly situations the crew were in and just overall loved seeing the characters (in the beginning it was just Kirk, Spock and Sulu i mostly cared for but later Chekov and Bones too because of my Bones obession), interacting with eachother and just in general seeing them. I absolutely loved it and still very much do. I also loved how Star Trek overall was optimistic about the future and the lessons they taught (even though some in TOS were outdated or not handled the best)

Man...I just love Star Trek so much...though I only liked it for a year, it really does mean alot and it will always hold a special place in my heart ❤️🖖

Thank you so much @thetwinksainttwunking for introducing me to Star Trek, I love you

[kingdoms-and-empires]

Kingdoms and Empires Wiki Drop!

Sup guys, im releasing what i have done in the wiki today! In this post im only going to talk about the Wiki because I dont want to create an even more massive wall of text here than it already is. Please see the entire post on the forums thread!!! I solidified the lore (which means no more massive changes), set the foundations to the story (so i dont end up writing a shit ton and having to fucking rewrite everything anymore), and pretty much rewrote the canon lore until i reached a point where i literally cannot share it because itd be spoilers without the future rewrite (regarding the worldbuilding, all introduced characters and such are still the same, some just had minor tweeks, so nothing crazy like changing our old bodyguard Mary:

and turning her into our childhood friend lmao So the plan now is current wiki drop. A good amount of it will be hidden since alot of it is spoilers, so you get 39,174 thousand words of unlocked content out of about 50k words in the wiki. And that's without me transferring 90% of the Codex ingame to the wiki, so its ALL (okay like 85%) new words of content and lore! Dont worry, im dropping literally all extra work and focusing purely on playable updates now until i regain your guy's trust in me after being so radio silent.

I also know and recognize that this has gotta be annoying asf since what you guys really want is updates but after what happened with the Total War franchise (my beloved) and their lightning fast content pipeline and lack of upgrading their engine ended up destroying the health of the company and ruining fans trust in em, id rather invest on the long term than short term unlike them (meaning id rather have a set story, narrative line complete, and research resources so that i can use that to run wild in writing).

I made a history of the world as known to them, so much of it is subject to embellishment, lies, and "the victor writes history" trope.

Historia Mundis

If you'd rather just have the list of articles that can be found within the timeline though, here it is: The Great Disturbances, Wars of Unification, and the Longwei Empire

Reign of the Daishu Dynasty

Ecumenical Dominion and the Flight of the Belthean People.

Belthean Migrations

Reign of Emperor Garland

Reign of Emperor Daerin I

Reign of Emperor Valerion

Reign of Emperor Elric I

Reign of Emperor Cenric

Reign of Emperor Saldwin

Reign of Emperor Elric II

Reign of Emperor Daerin II

The Interactive Outdated Map Yeahhh almost as soon as i published the map for the patreons it became outdated lmaoooo Nareth is much bigger than originally imagined, Argent is surrounded by mountain and forest tribes (think Hispania’s Lusitanian Wars or the Germanic Tribes type of vibe). The empire (being Imperial Chinese and Persian Empire inspired) also is surrounded by the these tribes, and the Imperial Province of Lymark is now the “Protectorate of the Western Regions” which basically means theyre the watchdogs of Western Nareth. Its funny because theyre also across the St. Hytera River, which is much like the Danube River, and will inevitably face the same issues Rome did with Dacia when they had a presence that extended the natural borders.

Master List of Articles

The Evolution of Belthean Civilization

Veldora Duchy I may have gone too far here. I regret nothing and learning about agriculture and stuff was awesome.

Silverhill Duchy Mining is alot more complicated than I thought, though Engineering MC is gonna have equally alot to improve!

Imperial Ranks The ranks will have importance. I know that sounds weird, but I did not spend an afternoon writing this just for the lulz.

Emperor/Empress

Imperial Crown Heir

Imperial Prince and Princess

Imperial Duke/Duchess

Imperial Count/Countess

The Imperial Landed Knight

The Belthean Empire The biggest entry from the ingame Codex that I transferred over and polished. This should give you a hint of how ill do the other kingdoms in the future for their article.

Kin of Arava I experimented here and instead of making an actual article, made it a class lecture of a series of days focusing on the Kin with a racist professor lmao

Zera Arava So i had to do this in intervals as I was writing and plotting out his side stories. Honestly hope i did the homie justice, he's a fav of mine, though i think each of the ROs will be favs as I write more and more about them.

Sacred Dance I assure you the Sacred Dance isnt what you think it is.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Patreons, you guys already read the below list. However ive cleaned the articles up and polished them! The Genesis of the Belthean Empire: From Invasion to Unification

Voryn Resdayn I wanted to see how i could make a character entry. It looks awesome, but holy fuck do they take time to create lmaooo, ill make the rest of them in the future.

Kin of Arava

Eastern Kin The descendants of Kin and Beltheans who mixed, that are settled within the empire.

House Resdayn Wanted to see how I could do the houses, still unsure (okay i dont like it) of how it came out. Hence why I started with a minor house that one of the RO's belonged to.

The Astute Emperor and the Imperial Provincial Rule: A Revolutionary Shift in Governance

Master-Scholars of Jelaytha The Jelaythan organization of scholars that Master Feren is from.

Post-Unification Transformations in the Belthean Empire: Trade, Economy, Industry, and Immigration in the Wake of Conquest

Imperial Historians Obviously the imperial faction that wants to get their hands on tutoring you lmao.

Universitas Magistrorum et Scholarium The Jelaythan/Imperial organization at the forefront of the intellectual international community.

Tripartite Alliance Read what the empire is teaching their citizens about how they conquered the alliance.

The Satrap System and Imperial Provincial Rule

The Great Racist of the Academy: Imperial Historian Acillus Cinna

The Sword Saint

Master-Scholar Kaleb

The Gleaming Horizon: Silverhill's Maritime Supremacy The book of a writer who we'll meet ingame. Youll decide whether or not to bully him as a 12 year old lmao.

Baniel Worthton The author of above said book. He even wrote about himself. Yes, it's supposed to be an ick.

The Ulrich Cothon The second book of his that'll feature in the game.

So…I guess in basketball or futbol terms… rebuilding phase is over, and i got all the players i need for a championship run!

It was an almost year long rebuilding phase, true, but omg it was so needed.

Plus I also learned alot of fucking coding at the same time lmao. Basically a lot of tweaking around with Choicescript and knowing how to code some actions. Also there's CoG implementing a new checkpoint system so thank fuck for that because this game's gonna be huge and id hate to play it without a save system.

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #NationalCatDay:

The Cat Symphony by Moritz von Schwind, 1868

H 31.6cm x W 25cm, pencil/brown pen/brown brush on paper.

“A humorous depiction of a melody for violins in which, instead of notes, numerous cats move across the paper." 🐈

Given as a gift to his friend, violinist Joseph Joachim, to celebrate being named director of the Berlin Academy of Music. 🎁

Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe

***

The Cat Symphony, one of his best-known hand drawings, is a humorous depiction of a melody for violins in which, instead of notes, numerous cats move across the paper.

The composition can be interpreted as a caricaturing dig at Richard Wagner's music, which the artist did not appreciate very much. Schwind gave the sheet to one of his friends, the violinist Joseph Joachim. The reason for the gift was Joachim's appointment as director of the Berlin Academy of Music. Schwind sent a letter and a photo of the drawing to Eduard Mörike on January 19, 1869. It says:

“I became a musician, and indeed a future musician in the second higher degree. Away with the old, stiff, dry staff! Outdated, outdated, old stuff - it needs a new, intellectual, lively means of expression for my new, unexpected thoughts - whether it's sounds, images or the devil knows what, that doesn't matter - I've achieved the unbelievable. Enclosed, Mr. The sonata dedicated to Joachim is eloquent proof. He confesses that he is unable to play it - this sorcerer on the fiddle! Incidentally, it may be noted that Joachim and I belong to the famous Order of the Black Cat and that it was this inconspicuous occasion - that caused this giant leap in music."

***

[marukrawler]

I wish gundalian invaders had been longer cause I actually want to know some background of the twelve orders. Like How did Airzel meet Gill or how Gill and Barodius's relationship actually is but we got a smaller season and the results are wanting. I also just want to know more bout Airzel. Where did you come from?! What is everyone else's goals? Give me crumbs at least!

i'm not sure if we would've gotten those answers with a longer season. season 2 felt like it went on forever and yet, there are so many season 2 characters that we know nothing about. but i do share your sentiment because i also feel like season 3 could've benefited greatly from being a longer season.

there is some information from the japanese character descriptions about the twelve orders that may or may not be outdated/scrapped so take it with a grain of salt.

gill is supposedly an orphan who was adopted by the imperial family and raised alongside barodius, who he views as an older brother. this could explain his fierce loyalty and devotion toward the crown (the bakugan wiki says he was brought up by emperor barodius but the jpn info says it was the previous emperor who raised gill, which makes more sense.)

now, gill's page also mentions that he didn't trust kazarina because he suspected that she might want to exploit barodius' power for her own gain—but gill didn't like kazarina in the show because he's a misogynist barodius' right hand man and felt that his position as second in command was at risk of being taken by her. that isn't to say that gill and barodius didn't grow up together but there's nothing in the show to really support it either so it may or may not be canon.

according to those same character descriptions, airzel was found and brought up to be a warrior by gill and barodius. he achieved top results in the special bakugan team created by gill and was then selected by barodius to join the twelve orders. this aligns with what is written on his page in the bakugan wiki.

again, there is nothing in canon to suggest that gill and barodius were that involved with airzel's upbringing and training so this may or may not be scrapped information.

this part, however, sounds very unlike airzel. if anything, it sounds more like nurzak.

nurzak is mentioned in barodius' page, but only as a member of the previous emperor's faction and not as barodius' advisor the way he is shown to be in canon.

so perhaps some attributes that were initially given to airzel were later transferred to nurzak? there's no way for us to know for sure since nurzak's character page isn't among the others but it would be interesting to know if there had been plans for airzel to defect at some point.

the part about him having "dreams and hopes for the future of gundalia" sounds optimistic, and if it's anything close to what happened to nurzak, then airzel might have had to wrestle with his overwhelming loyalty toward his superiors and possibly turn on them.

but this is all just speculation on my part.

[mojo-is-rising]

Hi!

This is your Secret Santa for the OLNF SS event :) Do you mind telling me a bit more about Mickael and Kewin? For example, do they have any favourite foods or places they like to hang out with their respective love interests?

PS: Your MCs are cute! I really like Kewin's design in steps 2-4!

Hello hello! Arrgh this is the first time anyone asks abt my ocs, thank you a lot! I always try with my designs to make people you could just realistically find walking in the street so im glad you liked that! Mickael is a big, bigggg night owl, he prefers to prowl during the night and in the future he works during the night too, as a programmer or in other IT jobs. He usually prefers places with less people as he rlly struggles with loud noises and other strong sensations. Going to the diner at night or the bridge with Qiu is a big hit! Familarity is also important to him, going to new places or changing the schedule may throw him in a loop. So, staying at home is also a big preference, playing videogames or getting high with company (Qiu) is one of his fav pastimes... He's very picky with foods and usually goes to stuff you'l usually feed a child, the reference i put on the google docs is a little outdated - but during step 3 he's significantly underweight (just how it shows in the ref) - while in step 4 he gains a big of weight due to healthier habits (which is something I hadn't developed yet in the ref!). Him and Qiu kinda of have a "us versus the world" stand and i imagine they'd isolate themselves (with Qiu being at their worse in step 2 and mickie at step 3) up until step 4. With Kewin, its a bit more complicated to put his habits into words....uhm...imagine a lone wolf who sticks to the edge of the pack and spends a lot of time looking into the moon but not howling! People will often describe that he "Smiles with sad eyes" even if he's genuinly happy, he just has a chronic sunken expression. He loves natural places, the furthest from the city the best, loves the forests, rivers, mountains, the sounds and the strong smells of dirt, rain and fungi! He's a big, big nerd about nature, the animals and how the world may work - which is what brings him close to Tamarack in the end - so thats where they spend most of their time! If tama is sad here he goes gallivanting into the woods with her and pushes her off her insecurities of being "unlady-like". He'l eat about everything but he loves big, greasy food, all saucy and meaty - with a beer to go with! With Qiu he mostly goes with their whims and takes the backsit, unlike with Tamarack, and goes with them to ballet class, the back of the school and be aloof in their backyard - though he usually refrains from going to populous places with them. Remember, always at the edge of the pack but never in the center.

[is-that-plural]

urgh not to feed into the whole demonization stuff but postal dude from the POSTAL game franchise is plural coded (and i am allowed to say this having DID.. bc i get so mad when singlets say he has "split/multiple personality disorder" (also bc its the outdated name) but when i see someone who is a system say he is im likd. YES (also most of the time those people who claim MPD on him are doing it to demonize the disorder and add nothing else.. like no nuance or whatever at all or deep discussion) GOING TO RAMBLE SORRY (should also probably content warn. postal is a pretty violent/graphic/dark humor franchise so theres gonna be bringing up of violence and guns, and also some semi disturbing imagery?? mostly it just being eerie, demon visuals, and scopophobia).. oh also religion trauma talk ALSO SPOILERS FOR POSTAL 1997 (?) AND POSTAL BRAIN DAMAGED!!! -------------------------------------------------------------

so, in POSTAL 1 (1997), theres this whole thing where, if you look at postal dude's voicelines from Rick Hunter, iirc (my memory is a bit rusty) theyre labeled with "demon", and his death/pain sounds are voiced by Vince Desi and arent labelled as such. its also heavily implied that postal dude is TERRIFIED and scared, but then his voicelines are him making snide and mocking remarks. it has been implied that he may be "possessed by a demon" but also that he has multiple mental conditions.

now, in POSTAL: Brain Damaged, this becomes extremely obvious. we are now more into the future, and Dude has to fight against other dude inside his own head. Other dude is the "demon" from postal 1997.

(other dude on the left, postal dude on the right.) other dude's speech at the final cutscene, he specifically talks about how they are basically one in the same, while he also cannot be killed or defeated. (and um. after this he gets shot in the head by postal dude, and "dies" but ill get to that.) (i know alter death isnt real, but us, along with other systems weve seen, have said that in headspace , an alter for example may look like they are dead or something happened to them, but that didnt actually kill them and they arent dead. it has been said this is usually a stress thing, or a coping mechanism. we have done stuff like this before.) so i dont believe other dude is dead. ALSO! when postal dude shot him, he brought up not being able to remember things he learned in childhood after that, and his brain was going all dumb,, https://www.kapwing.com/videos/66bab3c776014924d543c4c6 (tumblr wont let me put a video so i hope this link will work!! if it doesnt you can just look up the final cutscene of the game, but like the warnings i put up above they are fighting and he does get shot.) -------------------------------------------------------------- FINAL THOUGHTS my take/headcanon whatever u wanna call it, as a DID system, is that he may have DID or OSDD-1a. but instead of just claiming that and not digging into anything else or finding nuances, here's some other stuff. as a persecutor in our sys myself who also recently fused with postal 1997 being the source, and also our other few postal introjects (a few who are also persecutors), Postal dude and Other dude are system coded. I think Other dude is a mislead persecutor who is fully convinced he is a demon, on top of Postal dude thinking the same about other dude. A big thing that happens with many systems because of trauma, especially religious trauma, is thinking they are possessed (and sometimes even those around the system also calling them possessed,) and because postal dude never got the help they needed, they have some, what i like to call, internalized demonization. the first case we ever see the postal dude is in 1997 (which is also the year the game takes place in and not just the games date), and to my math, postal dude is canonically 53-54 this current year. of course he wouldnt have gotten help, especially how under researched CDDs are still to this day! and i do think they have religious trauma, i mean, the entire thing for postal 1997 is dude thinking he is cleansing the earth for god or something. POSTAL 1997 has "diary entries" (which turn into "war journal" after a bit) and they all have very obvious religious ramblings. so, my conclusion, postal dude has DID or OSDD-1A, heavy internalized demonization, religious trauma, and is system coded. i rest my case. also... just look at this image bro tell me he isnt plural,,

SORRY FOR THIS BEING SO LONG I JUST LOVE TALKING ABOUT THIS and despite this might being seen as demonizing DID, personally i and a few others ive met who like postal and are systems dont see it that way and postal actually makes us feel seen lol

!!! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL THANK YOU FOR THE RANT

a rant is actually Really needed, because i can only do so much research myself on media we're unfamiliar with, so for you all to give your reasoning and explanations is absolutely PERFECT !!

Rating: CASE CLOSED: That Dude is Plural !

[wjbs-aus]

hello, I know absolutely nothing about Ultrakill besides gun, flesh and

COIN

Please enlighten me. Do not hold back. I want to hear every excruciating detail, from lore to gameplay.

and if you want to know *exactly* how much I know, all the media of ultrakill I have consumed is random pictures of the sentient security camera and Gohrdahn’s video on SPARECHANGE%. also asking people who have no idea what’s going on about what’s going on is funny, so so far all I’ve picked up is that you’re a robot angel thing from hell and you fighting your way to heaven. Machines killed everyone and I wonder if the protagonist finds the metal areas more disturbing than the fleshy areas; after all, they’re seeing what is basically their insides, no?

No offense, but wow is that summary incorrect! Let's rectify that!

I'll only be covering the lore because, even though I've finished the game (so far), I don't fully understand the mechanics.

Be warned that some information may be incorrect since my memory sucks, and it also may become outdated in the future, as the game is still in development.

Also, I really recommend just playing the game. It's very good so far!

Anyway,

The ULTRALORE

Long ago, humanity had a Big War™ and built robots powered by blood. Remember that last point, it will be important later. One of these robots is our protagonist, V1; a blue robot with large, glowing wings that it uses to store its weapons, Hammerspace-style.

Eventually, the war ended, but humanity still used the robots for stuff like security. They also discovered Hell, which coincidentally happened to be structured identically to Dante Alighieri's interpretation, as seen in the Divine Comedy (Limbo -> Lust -> Gluttony -> Greed -> Wrath -> Heresy -> Violence -> Fraud -> Treachery).

An indeterminate amount of time before this, Minos, king of the layer of Lust, tried to improve the living conditions of his people, believing it to be wrong that they were being judged for the "crime" of love. He was killed by the archangel Gabriel (yes, that one) and had his soul imprisoned within the Flesh Prison, a half-demon half-angel living cage, forced to watch his gigantic corpse destroy his own realm. At another point in time (though I am not sure when it happened in relation to the last one), King Sisyphus (yes, that one) tried to rebel against Heaven, and was killed; unlike Minos, whose body lived on as a gigantic Husk, Sisyphus was beheaded and crucified within a secret chamber inside a pyramid in the Greed layer, while his soul was imprisoned within the Flesh Panopticon.

Back to the present, V1 got a younger, more-advanced sibling named V2, designed for security purposes and equipped with an explosive punch. Meanwhile, the people exploring Hell discovered that the entire realm is alive.

And then all of humanity died of probably robot-related causes.

So naturally, the robots made a beeline for Hell; after all,

MANKIND IS DEAD. BLOOD IS FUEL. HELL IS FULL. BABA IS YOU

One of these robots is V1. It entered Hell through some kinda funky mechanical entrance thing, where it encountered other Machines, as well as Husks (the embodiments of human souls) and Demons (statues filled with Magic Meat™ that animates them and gives them powers), collecting blood as it went. Eventually, V1 reached the gates of Hell (which, much like in the Divine Comedy, have the phrase "Abandon hope all ye who enter here" written across them), defeated the Cerberi (a pair of Demons resembling simplified versions of the Thinker), and entered Limbo.

The ULTRAKILL version of Limbo is interesting, though fairly basic compared to the later layers; the "sky" is made of screens, ambient nature-sounds come from poorly-hidden speakers, and there are folly-like "ruins" everywhere. V1 continues its journey, fighting the Hideous Mass (a large Demon resembling a scorpion or maybe lobster with the Creation Of Adam carved onto the tops of its claws, along with a harpoon-tail, and lots of exposed demonic flesh leaking out from large gaps in its armour) on the way. Eventually, it reaches a serene church, where it encounters V2. After a long battle, V2 escapes, dropping its left arm; V1 takes it and leaves, entering Lust.

Lust is a gigantic Cyberpunk cityscape, with Minos's gigantic Husk towering in the distance.

It's one of the most beautiful areas in the entire game.

As V1 travels through the layer, it gets closer to Minos, until the dead king himself attacks V1; it kills him, and a gateway to Gluttony appears in his throat.

At time of writing, Gluttony is the most conceptually-obvious layer, being a big organic thing with wobbly meat-walls, giant searchlight-eyes, spine-bridges and lakes of stomach acid. Shortly after arriving, V1 is contacted by a mildly-peeved Gabriel, telling it to "turn back now", as "the walls of this palace are not for your kind". Naturally, lacking any sense of self-preservation, nor any percievable emotion, V1 proceeds to battle Gabriel in front of a gigantic beating heart. Gabriel loses, swears his revenge, and proceeds to have a tantrum and call V1 an "insignificant fuck", then teleports away in a blinding flash of light. V1 drops down the hole in the bottom of the arena...

Disgrace. Humiliation. Unseemly and unwelcome at the feet of The Council. Their eyes ablaze with bitter resentment, glaring through Gabriel's wounds of body and soul, bore outward for all to see. "Has this one abandoned the way of our creator?" "It is unworthy of its Holy Light." "The Father's Light is indomitable." "This one sees fit to squander it." Their words resonated in Gabriel's limbs, coursing through as lightning upon wire, a searing hiss that would strike lessers deaf and blind. The Holy Light within him, an unstoppable force of divine fury. Insurmountable for mere Objects. This he knew. "Holy Council, my devotion to our creator is absolute. I have never strayed from the will of The Father, but a machine-" "You dare imply the might of The Father could be shaken by mere objects?" "Impossible." "Heresy." "Unspeakable." "Heresy." "Heresy." "Silence." "Your treachery will not be tolerated. As punishment, The Father's Light shall be severed from your body. You have 24 hours before the last of its embers die out." "And you with them." "Prove your loyalty." "Unmake your mistakes." As the Light was ripped from his being, Gabriel's screams were silenced in the hiss of gospel in praise of God. A boiling anguish to which even the fires of Hell could not compare. Through the blaze of torment a single burning hatred was forged anew. If the machines seek blood, he would give it freely; and with such fury, even metal will bleed.

... before landing in Greed, a vast desert with literal golden sand, with recreations of various famous landmarks. V1 fights a Sisyphean Insurrectionist, and later re-encounters V2, who has a new hookshot arm, but manages to beat the newer robot; the two end up in a high-speed chase down the side of a pyramid, but eventually V1 manages to get V2 to fall, with it landing hard on a nearby bridge, turning into a large, red stain.

V2 is canonically dead.

V1 grabs its arm, and leaves for Wrath.

Once upon a time, Wrath was the River Styx (yes, that one), before it suddenly turned into vast ocean. The souls of the damned literally fight for air, while those who lose hope fall to the bottom and [REDACTED FOR SPOILER REASONS].

V1 fights through a flooded underground complex, before ending up outside on a stormy night; they fight through many enemies, and manage to summon a gigantic cruise ship captained by a skeletal Ferryman, leading to ULTRAKILL's only moral choice at time of writing; using the revolver's Marksman mode, it is possible to throw a coin to the Ferryman. Alternatively, V1 battles the Ferryman (who is a gigantic Gabriel fanboy that carves demons into enemy-protecting Idols). Either way, this opens the path to inside the boat, which is attacked by a vast sea-monster; after escaping the now-capsized boat, V1 fights the Leviathan (a gigantic demon whose flesh was made from the Husks who gave up and sank to the bottom of the Ocean Styx; its heart, which sticks out of its head, has multiple angelic spears impaled into it, and constantly screams). V1 defeats the Leviathan, which explodes into a shower of blood, and the ocean splits open to reveal the entrance to Heresy.

Heresy is the most "hellish" layer yet; it's bright red, there's fire everywhere, and a lot of the buildings have goat-skulls on the walls. Gabriel, more furious after having his divine link severed, awaits V1. He goes off on one at it for killing everything in Hell, then tries to kill it again.

He loses, but this time, he's more graceful. Gabriel leaves to think, and his giant pipe-organ opens, revealing the entrance to Violence. That is where the story ends for now.

Silence. Introspection. How many had he killed? Had he ever thought to count? How much cruelty did he embody... and to what end? How many did he condemn to hell and who did it benefit..? Two defeats at the hands of the machine had changed Gabriel. The world of the one supposed Will of God was now shattered and only he was left to put the pieces back together. They collected before the light of a dying fire that fresh fuel couldn't sustain, this new light showing the truth to Gabriel: The pieces never fit together to begin with. The supposed Council of "the people" who boasted a God that wasn't there. Gone. Vanished. The Council still chased after the light of God's fire, their memory of its words and will grown twisted and warped, and the rest of the aimless masses of Heaven follow their footsteps. The angels still act in The Father's name but His kingdom has changed. Now the fire was dying, sputtering out as the heat failed to gain purchase. Gabriel looked upon the embers with a perfect clarity. He drew his blade and held it in contrast to the dying light. In its reflection he saw a weapon reborn, no longer wielded by the will of another, but his own. He knew words alone would never sway the masses. He chose to do something drastic. Death stains the auditorium. The littered corpses of the once mighty council now strewn against its surfaces, their last gasps of life dripping down the dissident blade of Gabriel's sword. The last councilor, now backed up to a wall, scrambles for words between panicked breaths as death approaches with measured steps. "W-wait! Y-you can't do this! Out status forbids it! This is treason, heresy, murder! We are the supreme authority, our law commands you! "You command nothing. Your words hold no power over me, or anyone else. Lest you truly believe you can talk my blade back into its sheath." "B-but the people are on our side! The citizens of Heaven know that we are just!" "The masses only follow you out of fear and desperation. I will show them there is nothing to be afraid of, for there is not species nor origin, vested rank or holy status that will stop the sharp edge of a sword. We all bleed the same blood, and the cushions of your thrones have made you weak and impotent." "P-please, Gabriel, see reason! The council follows the will of The Father! You seek to go against our creato-" "Face it, brother. God is Dead. The fire is gone. You're chasing phantoms." Gabriel's silhouette now towers over the councilor, his shadow cast upon a soon lifeless corpse. He raises his sword for the final cut as the crying mess on the floor stammers out its final feeble argument. "B-b-but the Father's light! Without me you cannot hope to reconnect with it! I-i-if you kill me, you'll be dead in a matter of hours!" ... "I know." A clean, silent cut glides through the councilor's neck, severing his spine with elegance and ease. His head falls onto the marble floor, the rest of his body following soon after. Bereft of status but brimming with purpose, Gabriel gave a final message to the angels amassed at the gates of the auditorium before leaving Heaven for the very last time. His arm outstretched, without a word, the people saw. In the silence the message rang out to the far ends of the cosmos.

The terminals encountered in Prime Sanctums and other secret levels reveal a bit more; most importantly that A. the terminals get bored, explaining the infinite Cyber Grind mode, and B. God regrets condemning Lucifer to Hell.

There's more, but honestly, play the game. It's really good.

that moment when you realise that Gorillaz lore is probably easier to explain than ULTRAKILL

[fdelopera]

These Moon Knight volumes are my children, and I love them very much!

Volume 3 of MacKay’s Moon Knight run just dropped! Cappuccio, Sabbatini, and Rosenberg’s artwork honestly looks even more beautiful in print.

This volume includes Issue 14. MacKay worked with Leyna & Co, a system and DID advocate, to write Issue 14. Leyna wrote much of the dialogue between Marc, Steven, and Jake for the issue, which is why their struggles with each other in their headspace sound so authentic.

Contrary to what seems to be popular belief about MacKay’s run, Leyna & Co only worked on issue 14 — the rest of the run is written by MacKay alone (except for one issue inexplicably written by Danny Lore). Hopefully MacKay will involve Leyna again in later issues. Issue 14 is among the best entries of Moon Knight, and it’s because it was written by a system. Really hoping that more systems get to write for Moon Knight in the future.

If you want to learn more about how Issue 14 was created, MacKay and Leyna were recently interviewed on a podcast about their writing process. Unfortunately, the podcast hosts talk over Leyna quite a bit and use some outdated and ableist language to discuss DID (so be prepared to cringe), but it’s still really cool to hear Leyna describe what it was like to work on the issue. It's also good to know that it was a positive experience for her, working with MacKay. 

Leyna & Co were the first system to write for Moon Knight. May they not be the last. If Marvel is going to continue to profit off of systems by publishing Moon Knight comics, the least they can do is bring systems into the writers room. Ultimately, they need to hire systems to helm future Moon Knight runs. Maybe then we can avoid some of the more egregious ableism that has plagued most of the Moon Knight runs of the past. In the future, may runs like MacKay’s be the rule, and not the exception to it.

[tmarshconnors]

The 80's Nostalgic Appeal…

The 80s was a decade known for its vibrant and bold aesthetic, especially when it came to envisioning the future. From neon lights and retro-futuristic architecture to sleek, high-tech gadgets, the designs of that era exuded a unique blend of nostalgia and innovation. Surprisingly, many find themselves longing for the aesthetic futuristic designs of the 80s, which seem to outshine the present. In this blog post, we'll explore the reasons behind this phenomenon and delve into what made the 80s so iconic in terms of futuristic design.

Neon Dreams and Cyberpunk Vibes: One of the most iconic features of 80s futuristic design was the abundant use of neon lights. The neon glow added a sense of energy and excitement to the vision of the future, creating a cyberpunk aesthetic that resonates with many today. In contrast, contemporary designs often lean towards minimalism, leaving behind the vibrant and dynamic elements that defined the 80s.

Retro-Futuristic Architecture: The architecture of the 80s was marked by futuristic shapes, sleek lines, and bold colors. Buildings and structures were designed with a sense of optimism about the future, pushing the boundaries of imagination. Today's architecture tends to favor practicality and sustainability, often resulting in a more subdued and understated look. The 80s' retro-futuristic buildings still capture the imagination and stand as a testament to an era unafraid to dream big.

Synthwave Music and Technological Nostalgia: The music of the 80s, particularly the synthwave genre, has experienced a resurgence in popularity. This nostalgic music genre, often inspired by the sounds of 80s electronic music, contributes to the overall allure of the era. Moreover, the technological landscape of the 80s, with its iconic gadgets and futuristic concepts, is remembered with a certain fondness that the present may struggle to replicate.

Vintage Tech Chic: The sleek and shiny tech gadgets of the 80s, though outdated by today's standards, had a certain charm that resonates with enthusiasts. From retro computers to chunky yet stylish mobile phones, these vintage tech pieces have become sought-after collector's items. In contrast, modern technology tends to prioritise slim and seamless designs, sacrificing some of the personality and character found in 80s gadgets.

While the present era undoubtedly boasts incredible technological advancements and a more sustainable design ethos, there's an undeniable allure to the aesthetic futuristic designs of the 80s. The neon-soaked dreams, retro-futuristic architecture, and iconic technology of that era continue to captivate our imagination. Whether it's the nostalgia for a bygone era or a longing for a future that never came to be, the 80s aesthetic remains a powerful influence, reminding us that sometimes, looking back can be as exciting as looking forward.

As a 90s kid, there's a certain magic in reminiscing about the neon-drenched dreams and futuristic fantasies of the 80s. It's like unlocking a treasure chest of memories filled with the hum of chunky computers, the thrill of playing pixelated video games, and the joy of rewinding cassette tapes just to hear that favorite song one more time. While the 90s had its own charm with dial-up internet and the rise of portable CD players, there's something undeniably special about the glow of nostalgia that the 80s cast upon us.

So here we are, caught between the analog past and the digital present, savoring the timeless echoes of a decade that dared to dream big. As a 90s kid, I find solace in the fact that the 80s aesthetic lives on, not just as a fashion statement or a design trend, but as a piece of our collective imagination. It's a reminder that, no matter how fast technology evolves or how sleek our gadgets become, there's a certain warmth in the glow of a neon sign and the whir of a cassette tape, transporting us back to an era when the future was limitless, and the possibilities were as bright as the neon lights that adorned our childhood dreams.

[onethousandfoxes]

Hi guys this is like the complete opposite of what I usually post but i really just need to do a (not so) little rant about Eat Your Friends (Jhariah & Pinkshift)

The lyrics and the fact that these are two entirely separate bands coming together to make this song are not lost on me, but apparently people think this song is about……. Cannibalism???????????? Like actually just straight up romanticizing cannibalism???? Because they take the title and some of the lyrics at face value, which is insane especially considering that it has been explicitly stated what the general concept this song represents is.

Currently, Jhariah is working on new music, so this may be an outdated explanation depending on what they decide to do with their singles & eps (and whether they combine them all onto one collective album in the future, especially with the fact that Pin-Eye and Collarbone have released recently and The Tooth Pact tour begins soon)

Anyways, this is about Eat Your Friends and not Pin-Eye, though I’m sure I’m going to have to talk about that too when people inevitably misconstrue the meaning behind that song as well lmfao (if people convolute RISK then it’s over i have to delete social media for good)

The song has been said to represent industry-created creative competitiveness and how it warps your perception of yourself, your colleagues, and others around you. It’s also VERY important to understand that these bands are comprised of POC, and it is incredibly difficult for POC to make headway in industries that are systemically set up against them, ESPECIALLY music and ESPECIALLY rock and alternative scenes. It’s also important that I clarify none of these lyrics have officially stated explanations just yet, and any highlighted text you see in the screenshots are people trying to speculate what they mean. I also will not be talking about the music video just yet. We can begin to analyze the song when the intro begins:

I really doubt that the red beretta in question is literal but also i think it’s interesting that red berettas are handguns specifically. I don’t think this is just fodder for the energy of the song, i really think it’s supposed to represent.. SOMETHING. The phrasing makes it sound vague and dubious; either the ‘character’ is idealizing offing themselves or a different person (or both, which is not a new concept with some of Jhariah’s music—see here: ‘whose eye is it anyway???’), but I feel like we should really talk about the third and fourth lines because they offer more substance, but I think that there is something to be said for the line “the beretta fires fast and won’t make you feel any better”

“You better hurry up or your friends will be fed instead uh” implies that the character is missing out on something, or is about to, and that their friends will end up gaining something that the character would have, had they not been doing, you know, whatever it is they were doing.

“Instead of breaking bread, you should kick em’ before they get up” is a very easy line to analyze—instead of acting diplomatic and celebratory, it’s suggested that the character thinks their best option is to kick their friends/colleagues when they’re already down to ensure that the character alone receives whatever benefit that their friends would have as mentioned in the line prior. The addition of breaking bread is interesting and why I think that the victim(s??) in this line is specifically the character’s friends/colleagues. Breaking bread quite literally represents becoming joint in spirit with others breaking the bread. Usually this is related to Jesus Christ in evangelical contexts, and there might be something there to talk about in correlation to the song’s theme, but I really don’t want to pull Christianity into it when it really has nothing to do with the song overall lmao.

The way these lines are laid out really displays that even though the character says that these people are their friends, they view them as competition that impedes on them and that they need to be snuffed out or put in their place. It also showcases the theme of envy very early on, and it’s necessary to say that this song already sounds conventionally angry, lyrics aside.

Let’s move onto the next section!

“Frivolous and bitter” is VERY interesting because we don’t know whether this is about the effort and desperation towards ‘making it’, OR if this is about something more personal. It’s interesting that whatever this is, is viewed as JUST bitter and not bittersweet, but as we look at the next line; “diminishing sense of who I am” we can understand that this thing is chipping away at the character’s very personage and sense of self. This is something that happens very very VERY often with people in creative fields, because it already feels Sisyphusian to try and thrive as a creative.

When we look at the lines below; “it’s a habit I wish I could kick or do I get a little thrill in the feeling of being set on fire?” We have a lot to address!! The character expresses that this experience isn’t something fulfilling, at least, not enough to actively feel enriched by, and I don’t think it’s necessarily about creating itself, and instead more about the way that creating has so many obstacles to overcome in the process just for the efforts to fall flat. Which is to say, I believe the beginning half of the lines ties into the lines prior, where the character talks about how the experience is sort of all-consuming in a negative way. I don’t want to talk about the second half because I’m not entirely confident in the way I can phrase it, but we can see that it “begs for more” and that either the effort the creator puts into it isn’t enough or that the fruits of their labor isn’t enough (either not enough to satiate them or not enough to keep them afloat, or both! It could be both for either!). The repetition makes the delivery sound fervent and desperate.

NOTE: in this section, standard text is sang by Jhariah, italicized text is sang by Ashrita Kumar (the frontman of Pinkshift), and boldened text is sang by both of them.

“It’s just me” and “it’s just you” being sang by two individuals makes the lines feel more like a conversation, and the phrasing itself expresses a familiarity between the two ‘characters’. Also, Ashrita’s first line in the chorus is put in parentheses and in the song it sounds like it’s more in the background. This as far as audio and text goes, makes it sound like Jhariah’s character is already successfully attempting at eclipsing Ashrita’s.

Next up, the most on-the-nose lines in the song!

“If not for this jealousy, I might feel better” is sang by both frontmen of their respective bands, which displays that this is a mutual feeling. Both parties are jealous, both parties have a skewed perception of the other, and both parties are left unsatisfied. The fact that this is a mirrored sentiment will remain present throughout the rest of the song from here, so be aware!

“I keep putting everyone else on pedestals” shows that both Jhariah’s and Ashrita’s characters see others in their field (more than likely, each other) as grandiose figures that need to be toppled by themselves, hence the line “just to burn them down”. I also think the former line talks about the coexistence of jealousy and anger as well as idealization and hate, and how they (Jhariah and Ashrita) also destroyed whatever prior characterization they held of these people in response.

NOTE: this section is sang by Ashrita Kumar!

“Menace of an illness” I believe is addressing that the secondary party understands that they pose a perceived threat to the other.

“I’m looking just to see who I am” is interesting with the context that both bands hold! Jhariah and Pinkshift produce a LOT of music about perception of the self and finding it, and truly I’m unsure what concept would even best apply to this line. Either that Ashrita’s character is searching for how others perceive her in Jhariah’s character’s image of her, OR that she herself just generally doesn’t have a set image of herself, which would also apply to the type of music that both bands make!

The line “you’re nothing more than you’ll ever be in this circumstance” is VERY dubious as far as direction and meaning goes. I’m unsure whether this is directed towards herself (caused by the implied lack of self-image in the line “I’m looking just to see who I am”), towards Jhariah’s character, or both, but for sake of digestibility I’ll say that this is towards Jhariah’s character. This is super interesting regardless of just who it’s directed to, because the circumstance in question is a feverish social climb that involves tearing the other down and/or idealizing their fall from grace. The sentiment, as addressed before, is mutual, and it is now clear that beyond a shadow of a doubt, both parties have a lesser image of the other in light of the jealousy they feel for the other, which is caused less by the other’s success and more so because of the self-perceived LACK of their own success. The reality is, both parties are struggling because the wall separating them from struggling and creative success is near-insurmountable—it’s rigged against them to pit them against each other. It’s cutthroat. It’s MEANT to be that way.

“You are the pedal to metal, this is your only chance” is way more self-explanatory than the last line lmao. This line expresses that YOU (intent of direction unclear once again, still don’t know if this is about Ashrita’s character or Jhariah’s or BOTH, AGAIN…..) are responsible for pushing for that acceleration (pedal to metal is a common phrase but for those who don’t know what it like. Actually means beyond common usage providing a sense of contextual clarity, pedal to the metal is a phrase synonymous with pressing down on the accelerator of a car. It’s not always literal, but it’s supposed to express that it’s usually a last-ditch effort to catch up and/or finish something). The second half of the line is.. really nihilistic! It’s, again, unclear whether this is to one individual, but I believe it to be a general statement for both Ashrita and Jhariah—that this (killing the competition. So, each other, basically.) is the only chance both of them have at success.

The next couple of lines are standard fare for dropping an act, so we can move on to one of the most interesting parts of the song. For this part, I WILL be bringing up the cinematography of the MV.

NOTE: as said before, standard text is Jhariah, italicized text is Ashrita Kumar, and boldened text is both.

The MV is actually very good context for the song as a whole—showing concert footage of Ashrita and Jhariah performing the song and “fighting each other” for the microphone, which, I know they did it for the sake of what the song means, but it really does showcase the desperation for the spotlight in this song. The main part of the MV I want to talk about is the rope scene. Throughout the music video, clips of the band members for both bands are spliced together, the main ones being concert footage and then themed footage of the band members “fighting” in a forest. The rope scene is shown after Ashrita and Jhariah break away from the fight and run out of the clearing into the same general area except spaced out, but the effort is futile because their respective band mates catch up to them. Jhariah and Ashrita are cornered back-to-back to each other by their band mates and the band members collectively take strands of rope and begin stringing up the frontmen while they sing in time to the song.

This shows that now, this isn’t even an isolated feeling to just Jhariah and Ashrita, and the lyrics are indicative they regardless of this fact, they are STILL fighting. The biggest part we need to talk about is the last couple of lines.

“Overgrown invasive weeds, unearth the roots and kill the seeds” is using the fact that the only way to get rid of weeds (which will kill other plants if left to their own devices—which in itself is a metaphor for the cutthroat nature of industry and the perception of the other group. Really reads as a “if it’s not them, it’s me” sort of rationalization) as a metaphor for having to stop the success of the others at the expense of themselves.

“Laid to rest” is interesting, because the phrase is only ever used for death, and generally for those who died peacefully and lived a fulfilled life, but I don’t think it’s a literal sense of killing at all. Killing a career, killing a passion, killing the competition? Those are more viable answers to what this line means.

“So eat your friends, they’ll understand cause they would too” is NOT fucking cannibalization you guys come the fuck on. Jhariah and Ashrita did not curate a whole song and music video about the themes they’re exploring just for you to sit and call it a cannibalism song. ‘Eating your friends’ is evidently tied to the idea and general concept of killing the competition yourself and that “they’ll understand cause they would too” BECAUSE THE CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE IT SO THEY WOULD DO THE SAME TO ‘YOU’. ‘YOU’ ARE COMPETITION IN THE SAME WAY ‘THEY’ ARE TO ‘YOU’. BOTH PARTIES ARE PSEUDO-OBSTACLES TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF WARPED PERCEPTION.

Anyways the rest of the song repeats the chorus and intro’s lines in a more desperate way before the song pulls to a sharp halt.

I analyze all this because there are genuinely people talking about how “omg eat your friends is about cannibalism!!!” Which completely undermines the effort that Jhariah and Pinkshift made with this song and literally one proves the point of the concept that this song makes. Sorry for how long this is (genuinely took three hours to write) but I love Jhariah’s music so much and I can’t believe media illiterate people are already getting their hands on his music.

[md-guel]

scattered thoughts about jeturk house from all the episodes we've had thus far, but especially with episode 23:

the schwarzette

the schwarzette is a gorgeous beast and I feel a little sad thinking that we might not see it in action again in the near future—but i use the word "might" because we should never underestimate what a big company will do for the sake of more profit, this is literally the show we're watching. and I used to think it's such a waste that we'll only ever get to see it in action for one episode but after what happened, i realize that being a wasted opportunity makes it more effective as a narrative tool, specifically as a symbol of lauda's inner turmoil.

like that's why it's so powerful, because it's all of lauda's insecurities, confusion, heartbreak, anger, loneliness, etc etc in one huge light show. viewed like this, it also makes sense that among the jeturks, for all that lauda hates gundams and miorine, he was the one who became obsessed about it because he was closing into his breaking point. it also makes sense why guel seemed scared of the schwarzette. until prospera brought it up, he seemed determined to pretend it never existed and since then, the only time he ever brought it up was when they needed a way inside qz. using it as a symbol now, guel was essentially scared of his brother, that's why he never confronted him about killing their dad, that's why he was running from him because he doesn't know how to handle this version of lauda who doesn't love him unconditionally anymore.

so the schwarzette's role, from this kind of reading, is simply to be unleashed. it's stayed dormant for so long that when it came alive, it's portrayed to be horrific because it's so powerful and far-reaching, just like when a quiet person finally snaps. and the reason why guel is in such an outdated dilanza, ironically his "original state" which is the state of him that lauda wanted, is because he was never meant to defeat it in a show of skill. what guel needed to do was to accept his brother's ugly side, hence deactivating his saber. it's kind of endearing too that that duel ended with a hug and a pat in the head (and since we're already reaching far with the symbols and breaking our arms in the process, guel breaking the schwarzette's barcode can be read as him breaking the blade antenna too)

vim's death

I always viewed guel killing his dad as guel unknowingly ending the cycle of abuse. but while he may have killed his abuser then, it was only during his spat with lauda that he finally buried the body. and what I loved about it is that, they pretty much showed us the same structure: a jeturk is embroiled in a heated battle against his own family but despite putting vim and lauda in the same jeturk piloting suit and in a more powerful jeturk ms, the one who actually put himself this time around in vim's shoes is not lauda but guel. he charged in the same way he always did with vim and shaddiq but by turning off his saber at the last minute and letting the hot knife skewer the cockpit, that's like him completing vim's cycle.

that's also why I thought that lauda is guel's second shot at life—vim and lauda are similar in a lot of ways and while he couldn't save his father before, he managed to save his brother this time from the same fate as his dad or himself. and something more I love about this perspective is that guel didn't do it on his own. felsi came in and saved his stupid thespian ass so it's like: on their own, the jeturks will never know peace because that's just the kind of toxic environment they've wrapped themselves in. if they want to change for the better, they need to let outsiders in. and that's how felsi rollo saved the day.

the steel chair

something else that gets me about felsi's "surprise entrance" is the fact that she sounded so desperate when she was scolding guel and lauda, her two senpais and maybe even her parents' employers. and so I thought about it more and I think what this really highlights is what kind of a found family the named jeturk kids really are.

from the first few episodes of cour 1, they're seen as the entry-level bosses. felsi and petra were also abusive towards miorine and they're always present during guel and lauda's catwalk which gives them the imagery of henchmen. but as the show goes on, the jeturks lose their power and the smallness of their number is highlighted in the cour 2 opening and the first scene in episode 13

and yet felsi has always stuck to this small group. felsi was still touting about guel's cool fighting style from the last rumble rings and she was lauda's support pilot during this season's open campus. she was there to cheer for guel in his last duel, too, obviously, but even when lauda was being a dick to suletta, felsi was still there (petra was understandably there as lauda's girlfriend). when she sortied to fight the gundvolvas, it was obvious how dependent she was on lauda and petra and then when petra got injured, she stuck by her side. when the earth house was flying to fight by suletta's side, she threw away her spacian pride and begged to go with them, ignoring the fact that her guel-senpai told her to stay put (and aren't we glad she did this). after everything that happened, felsi could have gotten scared and acted selfishly but she held on to her friends

and I think that's something that makes felsi's steel chair entrance more amazing. she's not just stopping her two friends from killing each other, she's protecting her found family from breaking apart completely. and I love how this further highlights the show's theme about family: it's not just about the genes as in the case of the jeturks, the mercuries/samayas and the rembrans, it's also about being each other's ride or die as in the case of earth house, grassley house and now, jeturk house

[discuit]

Introducing Discuit: An Easy-to-Use, Open-Source Social Media Platform

Welcome to Discuit!

We are an open-source alternative to Reddit, although we have steadily been gaining a bigger audience from all over the internet.

On the 16th of June, 2023, Discuit was launched as a reaction to the Reddit drama regarding the forced shutdown of practically all of its 3rd-party apps and tools. It was a pretty barebones platform at first, with only one main community, and only text posts.

Now, about 8 months later, Discuit has over 5000 users, and is still slowly but surely growing. We've gotten many more features, such as different post types, the ability to request your own community, and several 3rd-party tools are being developed!

Right now, you might thinking "Hey, this platform seems nice, but what makes it different?" It is, after all, made as an alternative to Reddit- it's not really its own platform, some could say.

And, well, there are a few things!

First of all, one of Discuit's main goals is to prevent the enshittification that caused Reddit's decay. This means that our monetisation strategy will not revolve around ads, ever. All we have in terms of monetisation at the moment is a Patreon, the proceeds of which far exceed our current hosting costs. In the future, we might add things like Discuit Premium (similar to things like Discord Nitro), which adds some cosmetic options. We may also add a feature similar to Reddit's Awards, but at the moment, neither of these are necessary.

Another of Discuit's core goals is quite similar to what makes Tumblr so beloved among its users; a lack of algorithm. There are no addicting strategies to keep users here: no requiring registration simply to view content, no popups asking you to sign up every single time you navigate to a new page, a mobile browser experience that doesn't suck in order to drive people to the app, the ability to turn off infinite scroll- it's all here, and more will come in the future.

Discuit is not designed to be as attention-grabbing possible, unlike most platforms nowadays. It's simply a community, and that's what makes it so awesome.

The third of our core principles is the ability to customise as much as possible about your experience. Right now, these options are relatively simple, and mostly include the ability to disable infinite scroll, but they will be expanded upon in the future. Users will eventually be able to filter out all low-effort/meme content, for example, and only see the really good stuff. Or the inverse, if you're just looking for the memes.

Communities will also have more customisation options. These will include things like a "point" (somewhat like Reddit Karma) requirement before being able to join or post in a community, options for more experienced users to be able to help the moderation team using a flagging system, and much more.

If all of this sounds like your cup of tea, then come on over to discuit.net! We have a wonderful community there, and we'd love to see you there!

If you're still curious about the site, we have a few places where you can find more information:

Discuit's Substack (Note that the few posts we have here are relatively old, and may be outdated.)

Discuit's GitHub repository (Not necessarily for finding information, but you can look/add to the code behind the platform here!)

Discuit's most official community, Discuit! This is where all major announcements regarding the platform are posted, and where you can find the latest version of the roadmap.

Thanks a ton for reading! We hope you have a good time with us.

With love,

The Discuit Admin Team

[corporatefallout]

My ideas so far on who the managers are in the AU!! (Notes left on some btw)

[OUTDATED]

Prester Virgil

Long time Minutemen soldier. Paranoid, aggressive, self centered, and stubborn. He's generally both a helpful hand and also terrifying at times.

Brian

An Institute scientist in the Robotics division. Egotistical and heavily book smart which has him acting on statistical means than emotional. But not street smart in the slightest. One step into the wasteland and he's probably dead in a week.

Misty Monsoon

A loner that lives on the island of Far Harbor. Besides the wild life, Mary is her only friend around here. Since most had either died or succumbed to the fog. She's somewhat in hiding too...

Mary Anna

Exploring the island, Mary studies the biology that was made from the environment and radiation. With the help of Misty as well. She's not one to head into violence and would rather act more emotionally or thoughtfully.

Cosmo Kuiper

One of the dangerous gangs and richest you never want to mess with. Having people running for their lives or for their caps. Most of their money comes from Chem sales, mercenary assistance, and of course... loans.

Holly Graylle

A knight of the Brotherhood of Steel! (Cause she's a...) Stationed in the Capital Wasteland. Within the groups sent out for missions, she is the one to be leading and directing. No one is doing anything without her word and say.

Chip Revvington and Spruce Campbell

(I'm having troubles with them, slightly. Help)

A duo mercenary team who works on their own terms. If the caps pay well and if they're up to the task, they'll do it. Morality ranges really, since sometimes old habits die hard. Close as brothers and will defend each other.

Tawney C. Esta

(Saw the perk "Sandman" and got the idea...)

The sandman of the wasteland. Assassinations in the night and it's only done if the money is right. The kills done aren't aligned by good or bad only, it's just business. Asleep in the day and awake in the night.

Belle Dama

(I'll be honest, the term "long distance relationships" got me thinking sniper rifles and she is a phone... so-)

A professional in the Regulators! Working by the uses of a trusty sniper rifle. Despite how... uhhh, dangerous she may sound, she's quite the opposite. Looking after the younger ones and caring towards others. Staying firm on her morals of course.

Benjamin Biggs

A medic in the wasteland and looking for hire. Certainly good at his work and well experienced than most doctors you'll meet out here! Although he enjoys the latest talk going around when stopping in town of course.

Buck Ruffler

The luckiest gambler you'll meet and has probably been kicked out of a lot of casinos by now. He's lucky to be alive. Honestly. Also high on jet-

Graham Ness Payser

The hotshot of the Strip in New Vegas! Bragging, unbearable, and his own number one fan. Picking up quite the fame and yearns for more excitement in his life. His aim is bad but he's a fast shooter!

Flint Bonpyre

A nervous explosives and incinerary expert who is also not afraid talk his mind. (Sometimes.)

Dave Brubot

The star of the stage! Able to charm his way into your heart. With his charisma, he could easily make his way anywhere and have the ability to persuade. (I'm kinda having trouble with him, help)

Cathal

Okay I'll be honest, 100% inspired by the pictures of people's game having him show up everywhere. That's him now. No matter which bar or place you stop at, Cathal is there and knows what you did. No matter what. Like the Gman except not interfering with events. Just a joke character.

And that's it!! They will be edited and changed in the future, of course. So nothing here is permanent! Some characters I'm having trouble regarding what I want for them or on who/what they are. I accept ideas regarding them, yes yes.

Also- some of them definitely won't fw each other at all. On the lines if faction, beliefs, and morality. Or pre-established beef, lol.

[vermutandherring]

Video Games are our World Cultural Heritage

Thank you for 100 followers

This industry is very young. Just 61 years ago, Steve Russell created Spacewar! - in fact, the first video game. Just imagine: the man who once gave birth to a new medium (and an art form, if you will) is still alive. I'm afraid I won't make it to Massachusetts Institute of Technology before this legendary figure passes on to a better world. But even so, I am happy to think that we share a single star dome and live in the same epoch.

Although the phenomenon of video games is relatively new in culture, it has already passed the main stages of creation and finally formed. Unfortunately, due to the fact that Ukraine was part of the soviet union at the time of the formation of video games in the world, we missed this important stage of arcade machines and the first home consoles. Our heritage begins in the 90s, after the collapse of the ussr, when 'foreign' technologies finally became part of people's everyday life. At this time, the first development studios were founded and the first games were released, which to this day remain little known not only to the world, but also to Ukrainians themselves.

L-R: Alan Kotok, Steve Russell and J.M. Graetz play Spacewar at the Boston Computer Museum.

It's hard to believe, but speaking of the general context, you and I have already lost a lot. It seems that video games have always existed around us. Every day we learn about the releases of new games, we constantly hear about the continuation of old franchises and the creation of new ones. We play the hits of day, the mediocre games every day and the immortal classics of the past, nostalgic for the carefree days. But when you launch Super Mario Bros again, somewhere out there, the once great game fades into oblivion, leaving no trace behind. In 1958, William Higinbotham (the same one who was part of the team that created the first nuclear bomb) created the game Tennis For Two for the Brookhaven University exhibition, the process of which was displayed on the screen of an oscilloscope. Although Tennis For Two can now be considered the first video game, Higinbotham himself did not attach much importance to his invention, and therefore, after the repeated demonstration of the game at the 1959 exhibition, he disassembled the equipment for subsequent projects. Thus, the first working prototype of a 'video game' is lost to us forever.

'Why do we need some outdated games when we can play the most modern ones or their remakes?' - you may ask. In the article 'The Past as the Future? Nostalgia and Retrogaming in Digital Culture?' Jaakko Suominen claims that players have a kind of desire to experience previous gaming situations or games. Because of this, the modern gaming industry is caught up in the spirit of retrogaming, designed to give you the feeling of the 'good old days'. This concerns not only individual games, but also the artistic solution of individual works, from the visual part to the musical accompaniment. Almost 10 years after its release, I tried Grand Theft Auto 5 for the first time, which impressed me with its references to the first games in the series. These notes of the past are strongly felt in the compositions that accompany the missions and sound effects similar in style, for example, to the same Vice City.

However, no modern game can replace an original game from the 80s or 2000s, as different works represent different eras and their cultures. They give only a ghostly feeling that these are the same sunny days when you first held in your hands a cartridge or disc with your favorite childhood game. The remake is not at all the game that the developers once suffered as something new and unique for its time. This is a different game with a different interpretation of the same events, because it was created in a different cultural context.

The setting. The music. The vibe. It's love at the first sight.

Spacewar! was created by S. Russell in 1962, on a PDP-1 computer used by MIT as a research machine. It was a time when USA was at the height of the Cold War with the soviet union, and their main race track was space flight. The cosmic aesthetic was a popular theme in the culture, exploited to the fullest. Gameplay of Spacewar! consisted in the fact that, controlling the rocket, the player must shoot down enemy targets. When creating his game, S. Russell gave the rockets the features of culturally recognizable symbols. One rocket, called the Wedge, was given the appearance of the Buck Rogers spaceship from the 1939 fantasy television series. Another rocket called Needle received the appearance of the American ballistic missile Redstone. Thus, the first video game captures for us a distant era, surrounded by dreams of the great cosmos, which for the 60s of the last century seemed an incredible achievement. Does such a game have any cultural value today? We have dozens of games on a similar theme, but our dreams of space have turned into ordinary everyday life.

Pic. 1 - The Wedge and Needle | Pic. 2 - Spaceship from The Buck Rogers Serial 1939. | Pic. 3 - Redstone missile on display in Grand Central Terminal in New York, 7 July 1957.

But video games disappear. Although a game can exist not physically, but in virtual space, this does not protect it from the threat of disappearance or loss. The distribution of games most often occurs through services that act as intermediaries between the publisher and the player. One of the biggest gaming services today is Steam. The number of games on this platform grows every year, and as of June 2021, the number of video games presented for sale on Steam reached 50,000 units. At the same time, every day some video games disappear from the service forever. The reason for this may be the expiration date of music rights and exclusive agreements, content of a sensitive nature, violations by developers or their policies, etc.

It is enough to recall the situation with the GTA trilogy from Rockstar Games. In October 2021, the company began to spread information about the re-release of games from the 2000s in the form of a trilogy Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. The launch was supposed to take place in November-December of the same year, and the original versions of the three games were to be removed from Steam. This act of Rockstar Games caused a very negative reaction among players. Perhaps for the first time in the entire history of video games, the gaming community felt a real culture shock: the threat of the disappearance of one of the most iconic works appeared before its eyes. To a large extent, the gaming community itself has preserved some of the games from the Grand Theft Auto series, without which it is impossible to imagine the legacy of video games today.

I feel uneasy about remakes. And remasters seems like even bigger trouble.

Digital distribution problems are a disease of modern games. The situation is much worse with games that were released much earlier - the means for their reproduction and technical support are constantly aging. Games that require special conditions for playback (such as old consoles) are not supported by the developers themselves, and are under a real threat of physical disappearance. According to game archivist and historian Andrew Borman, time is running out for such works and their rescue.

Losing one or couple of video games may not seem to change the course of history. However, every existing work is a product of human activity, which carries its message to the world. On the way to the formation of games, there were key works that opened previously unseen horizons not only in development and technical progress, but also once again posed to society the question of what art really is, and whether new media, in particular video games, can acquire the features of a work of art.

In a speech at the Game Developers Conference 2015, Jason Scott - archivist, historian of technology - tries to convey that video games have historical value, and also criticizes the attitude of the gaming industry to its own heritage. According to the historian, the main problem with video games lies in their perception by society as a product. Video games have always been considered an off the shelf product that can be easily thrown away if you don't understand its value. J. Scott emphasizes that a video game is an artifact that contains not only its own history or the history of the development of the industry, but also the 'minor' names behind the development of these games.

This is a really interesting talk to hear if you're into saving video games.

As part of the common human heritage, which demonstrates the evolution of society and the accumulated experience, our preferences and beliefs at certain stages of development, as a phenomenon that has a great impact on culture, video games have the right to be preserved. And although the situation is already critical, everything is not as bad as it might seem after my descriptions. Today, various institutions, enthusiasts and fans themselves are dedicated to the preservation of video games. The world hosts video game exhibitions, and museums add individual works to their collections. Thus, in 2012, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, on the initiative of the museum's curator Paola Antonelli, added to its collection a list of 14 video games from the 1980s to 2009 (I wrote a bit about it here).

MoMA is not the only museum of its kind. For example, in the same 2012, the Smithsonian American Art Museum held an exhibition called The Art of Video Games, designed to highlight the evolution of art in the video game medium over its forty-year history. Maybe for you as a gamer, the inclusion of any game in a museum or exhibition isn't that big of a deal. But look at it from a slightly different perspective. When you play the first Sims or Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, you are touching a world heritage as important as the works of Renaissance Titans, Raphael or Michelangelo, or any other artist you prefer. These are works of art that revolutionized industry and culture, laying the foundations of a new era. Playing these games is like holding Scythian gold in your hands, with the difference that you have more options for interacting with the exhibit.

A somewhat mystical atmosphere, muted light and philosophical inscriptions - everything we love in museums of classical art. Photos from the exhibition in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2012.

I like that the developers themselves are also working to preserve their heritage. Nintendo is endlessly re-releasing its retro Mario games, while Konami, along with the announcement of the Snake Eater remake, is about to release its oldest Metal Gear games for modern gaming devices. We ourselves can contribute to this matter, although not on such a scale. The message of my essay is a call to preserve video games as a part of your history that you can pass on to posterity. If you have old gaming discs or devices, think one more time before disposing of them as unnecessary junk. Give them to friends, acquaintances, interested persons, sell them on the Internet for a pittance, give them to specialty stores or, in the end, save them for your children or grandchildren. After all, a video game is that unique experience that you can not just share, but experience it again and again alone or with dear people. As J. Scott noted in the same GDC 2015 presentation, 'Availability is the path to preservation'. The best way to save a video game is to keep it playable.

Thanks to all subscribers and just interested people who came across my page. I hope my creations will stir at least something in your souls, opening a new facet of video games.