#and the users making the most bad faith claims about why even though they have clearly stated why

[puppytoast]

Discord really did ruin my engagement with anything outside discord huh

Like I suppose it's not Discord specifically per-sey, but I also see it with a significant amount of other people too. It's just another instant gratification thing the world has been latching onto the last decade or so I think. Chatrooms were fun and I spent a lot of time in them back then too but they weren't the end all be all, they were a place to just chat where the main sites were used for their purpose whereas nowadays everything is centralized on Discord and that won't last forever either, giant as it is. (Please I beg people don't keep all of your important information there, keep it localized in a space YOU control. ESPECIALLY if you're a major community for information keeping.) Slower posting required people to actually think about what they were saying most of the time and had public searchable pages in case information there was needed. Now I see people booing concepts like forums in the exact way they made fun of "boomers" for booing newer concepts and absolutely refusing to learn or engage with them. It's fascinating in the saddest way.

I dunno I want to go back to the days of things moving slower I guess. Just in general, not even just internet-wise.

[mdhwrites]

Willow or Gus Should Not Have Been in TOH

This is... NOT about their characters. It simply isn’t. It also ISN’T to say both shouldn’t have been in the show or to say one should have been more important than the other. Who they are honestly has nothing to do with this blog. Their magic is what is fundamentally wrong with having both characters in the show because they do not fit major themes of the show simply by how their magic is. Let’s get into it. And to do that, we actually can’t talk about Willow and Gus. Instead, let’s discuss the Coven system as it is presented by the show. The coven system is an oppressive order put upon witches to force them to choose one coven to join for the rest of their life. It robs them of the ability to do any other type of magic and is implied in story to be much of why the current state of the Isles is so selfish, mean and unruly when compared to the time of the Isles when people used all types of magic as they pleased. It is also explicitly a selfish lie made by the evil ruler of the land so as to work towards a grand plan of his literally hundreds of years in the making, or at least 50 since he first came to power. It is meant to be seen as a categorically bad thing. A lie to under power people with the claim that the dead god, if it’s a god at all, believes that the coven system is the ‘right’ way to use magic. This, in story, wouldn’t actually be hard to keep consistent actually. You have characters always showing themselves at their most powerful using combinations of magic while also avoiding having anyone who seems... blessed... to only use one magic. Yeah... NOW let’s talk about Gus and Willow. The twin prodigies. We’ll talk about Gus first because he is the actually less egregious of the two. He is called a prodigy in story and skipped two grades in school due to how good he is at illusion magic. He is also commonly depicted as the best illusionist in the show, even to the point where an errant panic attack of his is strong enough to accidentally beat the literal strongest illusionist in the government ON ACCIDENT. I also don’t believe we literally ever see him use another type of magic. The closest is when he borrows Luz’s glyphs and that is hardly him using a different school of magic when lack of faith in those glyphs and his abilities still lead to incredible results (Luz’s glyphs being bad is another blog itself). All of this... CAN be explained though. Or most of it. There’s no excusing the panic attack taking out a head of state in their own field. Gus is an energetic, imaginative guy and that energy goes well with illusions. He theoretically has been training with and mastering illusions from a young age. He has put in the work to be where he is and so at least there’s a basis for why he is as strong as he is. For anyone wondering why I’m not discussing Amity in this blog, THAT’S WHY. She explicitly put in the work to be a skilled abomination user and she honestly doesn’t do anything outrageous with those powers when compared to other abomination users in the show. She never shows up her dad. Gus shows up literally everyone else. But uh... Let’s talk about that other side and Willow. Half a Witch Willow who is never depicted as having practiced plant magic in a serious capacity. She likes plants but she was explicitly made to study a different track because of the career options tied to it. When we see younger her, she’s not using plant magic but she is failing at other types of magic. In fact, ANY time Willow uses a different track of magic than plants, she fails miserably at it. Without fail. BUT with plants? Well... With no training, no preparation, and a single seed, she turns the common area of a school into a garden of vines INSTANTLY. In episode six of the show, three episodes after she starts practicing plant magic, she takes out an entire group of monster hunters, who are adults, and specifically trained for combat, SINGLE HANDEDLY as neither of her companions have any form of combat magic at that point. She is so good at plants that once she is no longer the target of Amity’s bullying, she is somehow immediately extremely popular for her use of plant magic as to overshadow a sport’s star at the start of their team’s season. With no training. Willow is in fact actually stated by one character (and this could be hyperbole by a friend tbf) as “The strongest witch they know” while they are actively apprenticed to a witch who studies all types of magic and is the self proclaimed strongest witch in the Boiling Isles. The show backs this claim up though. Willow is CONSTANTLY defined by just how stupidly powerful her magic is and how often it is effortless for her. She doesn’t break a sweat, she doesn’t need to try, she is just on a DIFFERENT LEVEL. As if blessed by a god. As if a god said to her, “You will practice plant magic and nothing else.” So technically, if either Gus or Willow were to be taken out, I would personally argue for thematic integrity, Willow should have been above Gus because she is so much more blatantly blessed to just be powerful. To simply be better but only with one magic. But they both have this problem. So why not get rid of both? Why aren’t I saying that they’re flawed and problematic characters for the show? Well... There is a case to be had there, especially with Amity existing. Especially with Amity’s social pressures from her parents making it so she should be more pro-coven than any other character (another reason why Reaching Out is a bad episode). But I’m kind of trying to be fair and not say cut them both even if a reduced cast probably would not have been a bad choice for the show. But the other reason is argumentative balance. If you have one character who has a reason to believe in the coven system and another who is firmly against it, and Luz in the middle being pulled between them, that opens up some good possibilities for conversations, dynamics, episodes, etc. The two trying to make their point made and prove it. And who would be this theoretical other character? This champion for multiple magics? Do I have some new OC to show- IT’S FUCKING VINEY. VINEY WAS RIGHT FUCKING THERE AND THEY DIDN’T MAKE HER A MAIN SUPPORTING CHARACTER! WHAT THE FU-

*cough, cough* Sorry. Lost it for a moment. But yeah, Viney. She is a force of personality, steals the show in almost any scene she’s in and, oh yeah, USES MULTIPLE MAGICS. Healing and beast keeping. And she’s not depicted to be some god at either, sure (not until they claim she’s the best healer in S2 but *SIIIIIIGH*), but that actually strengthened the point in S1. She shouldn’t be the best in either but how she incorporates the two should allow her to best others who only use one. That would actually disprove the coven system. Because as it is? We have to take the show’s word that the coven system is a lie. That it’s a bad thing. Because if we take the show’s actions, if we look at our supporting cast and what they use... You have an abomination mage who at least has an excuse to be the best at her age. You have an illusionist who is younger than even the rest of the main teenage cast but is literally able to beat the strongest mages in his field on accident, he is that blessed with power. And a plant mage who never trained but once she starts using it is immediately the best in her school where PLANT MAGIC IS TRAINED. And only one of these people ever uses another type of magic, the first one, and it’s not even a type of magic technically claimed by any one coven (that has to do with general issues with the coven system being dumb though and that’s another blog). And she does it ONCE. So... Yeah. Someone needed to be cut and Viney needed to be added. Or either of Viney’s friends. Or just literally anyone who could rep ‘wild magic’ besides Eda because Eda never makes a case beyond “It restricts a witch’s freedom.” Well... Sorry, but if literally all witches, especially those we get to know, seem just to be wasting their time with other types of magic, it seems like to me the coven system is simply helping them live better, more enriching lives by it being okay for them to use the one magic god blessed them with rather than them being forced to be taught multiple in school. Sure worked out for Willow and Gus.

[magz]

Have been think for while, but will try put in words:

Misuse "reading comprehension" so much is part of broad trend.

Broad trend of use common ableist n classist misconcepts as default reaction.

Sure, on rare time - Magz have blame "reading comprehension" offhand.

Though, is of repeat what other say - like script.

Aside: Which very ironic. Often am mention have issue understand or misread or of logic from disability. Have issues end up mean take more time think n more try be careful. Am imperfect tho.

Moreso than if make offhand comment ...

Bigger issue is when let ableist n classist misconcepts go unchallenged.

When misconcepts materially affect how interact with others,

Am often ask bare minimum.

Not ask of "completely wipe from vocabulary".

Instead, am ask of realize extent that ableism become normal to self n why.

To challenge n change what seem "normal" in whatever way can.

:: Yet criticize what seem "normal" in ableism, always become boogeyman of "people think 'stupid' is slur". A discourse n interpretation so disingenuous n outdated. Outdated of early 2010s Tumblr, when most youth not had vocabulary for "ableist microaggressions being common". As people fear n refuse even question what they think normal, common, inoffensive.

Untrue conclusions as result: - Questioning subtle ableism must be a ""chronically online"" viewpoint divorced from reality. - Is "Bad" re-assess ones viewpoint on intelligence as a marker of value for life.

To not question why ones first reaction, is mistake.

When extend idea of "unintelligence as fault" to actual political stance and political analysis, is mistake.

If everything to blame on lack skill (or disability), there can be no nuance n weighted stance. Just surface level analysis with bigoted implications.

Things that are not inherently "reading comprehension" issues:

every type of ignorance

bad faith interpretations

not try question bias

strangers refusal understand what other people say without being combative

It rarely is because of "just not having skill to understand text"

Still, when is "reading comprehension issue":

Like OP say - of make it shameful to have honest mistake or lack of reading skill, not help that.

Instead, shamefulness of reading skill alienate comrades that do need accommodation.

Those comrades need compassion extend to them.

While, not realistic for accommodation be provided by every random tumblr user;

can at least disengage or point toward something that could accomodate.

In material effect, is pattern of misuse "reading comprehension" and "anti-intellectualism" and "illiteracy" for both:

Everything Annoying Online

Actual Ignorant Malice

Making actual meaning of impacted reading skill, instead be for more inflammatory use n scapegoating.

Disabilities and disenfranchisements that actually get take advantage of n discriminated of n being more likely poverty,

become about ... fandom discourse, discourse bait, and annoying strangers.

Wrongful use: Statics of actual illiteracy rates n lack of resources, being for "why all bad things happen actually".

Is when access of resources, texts, dense materials are almost never provided in digestible or accessible formats n places or alternatives.

When claiming to have issues reading or have disability or actual illiteracy n needing Simple English or equivalent is automatically seen as false.

Wrong reasoning being:

There been people that were disabled or lower economic class that could do everything without accommodation.

Wrong excuse: "but there are annoying people that do weaponized incompentency n are anti-intellectualism tho"

Bad Effect: To punish n alienate a whole class of people that *do* need help.

Disability n circumstance is spectrum n diverse. It not matter if there some "Very Intelligent" cognitively-disabled poor people. we should not use other people capabilities as metric nor use respectability politics.

Worse:

The language of eugenics n "normalcy" as good, escalates when unchallenged.

Of blame inferior genes, smooth brains, brain damage, and degeneracy.

Even worse:

People and words open to reactionary politics.

That when it become problem. As it have for long time.

hey, I was reading your posts on the use of 'reading comprehension' and found them really enlightening. I'm wondering, are there similar undercurrents to how people use lack of reading comprehension to describe the tendency for people to read and interpret in bad faith online, or are they different things grouped together under the same label?

hm yeah i would say there are some similar undercurrents happening. i think glibly mocking [a lack of] reading comprehension in response to a bad-faith/hostile/animous/etc engagement (like eg. the trend of replying with 'reading comprehension questions' that aim to glibly point out logical flaws in the initial response and present it as obviously ridiculous and overblown) is falling back on that same discursive construction -- that a lack of 'reading comprehension' is embarrassing, that reading something poorly or wrongly is something you should be sure never to do in public, and whoever can score the most Reading Comprehension Points in the argument wins the discourse.

i also just find it, like, unfunny and boring. even in genuinely bad-faith interpretations of a post, it has an air of smugness to it that i find really off-putting -- it's a very, like, you sir have won the internet for today-type tone. and there are multiple cases where i've seen this Ha Ha No Reading Comprehension thing deployed to suggest that someone reading between the lines of a claim made in a post to point out eg. particular biases, particular suggestions of bigotry, that the post doesn't explicitly name but are certainly discursively present is obviously being dense or hysterical; it's an easy win in a discourse where to name something as eg. subtly racist, transphobic, misogynistic, etc., is already presumed to be hysterical overreaction by people who know better than to outright name it as such but are still predisposed to view it in that light when given the opportunity to do so covertly.

(eg: op says X; a responder points out that X implies Y and is emerging from a discourse of Z; op laughs at them by claiming that they only said X and if you're seeing Y or Z then you clearly have no reading comprehension because X without Y or Z is obvious to op's often already biased audience and the conversation is shut down.)

it's got a real like, deployment of Facts And Logic feel to it; i don't think it does a good job in actually engaging with the responder and understanding where their interpretation is coming from, which can ofc be chalked up to the fact that that's literally not what it's supposed to do -- it's supposed to get a fun dunk in and make the initial responder look silly. i more than understand frustration at people reading your posts in bad faith and i can't fairly be mad at people for lashing out about it -- i've done it before! -- but, like. i think we should just try and steer clear of discursive constructions which reify the stigmatisation of poor reading comprehension (or mediation of tone on the internet, which is also at play here).

[kyra45]

Vet Donation Scams

Common vet scam asks v2

A common scam going around as of recently is several asks regarding the post of a cat or a dog. The ask tells you to check out their blog and reblog their pinned post because they desperately needs funds to support their pets surgery or medication or something else important because their pet is ill and may not be doing too well. For the most part, the ask doesn’t seem too suspicious and for some it doesn’t seem all that bad at a glance. Sure, the asker came out of nowhere but someone asking for help isn’t too uncommon in these days.

However, the blog itself is highly unusual if looked at more closely. Rather new, has one post, and seemingly hasn’t been reblogging anything else. The story you read seems heartbreaking, urging you to donate or reblog to spread the word and written to upset you and want your aid in great detail. It claims the cost of the operation is either very high or very low, but doesn’t specify anything else. The pictures supplied are quite distressing, sometimes showing the pet is grave condition or seemingly just snapped at a random moment in time. Often they’ll supply pictures of vet records, to make it seem like they have all the things necessary to prove to you that it’s real.

However, something will be odd. It’s just one post. There’s either random reblogs up to the post itself or none at all. There’s no updates on the pet even after several days or hours have passed when there could be anything to tell how the pet is doing. You can’t contact them because even if you say something there’s no reply to your ask. Sometimes communication is even disabled even though you was sent an ask their asks are off. Replies on the post are off sometimes. But regardless, it just seems a little suspicious. Why would someone not have any way of contact open or seem to not reply to any concerns? The email is usually there, but sometimes it’s just a PayPal link.

So what makes up a vet donation scam? A fraudulent story written about a cat/dog that needs desperate attention yet the story changes so often it becomes entirely different then when it first appeared. Several asks spammed within days or even hours of the blogs creation, all asking to reblog a pinned post. The email/PayPal often changing while the story itself is all the same as before with only minor adjustments to look more legitimate. The pictures will still be the same pet as before until new pics are stolen and a new story is written and the cycle begins again.

So the next time you see the ask telling you to check out the blogs post about their cat/dog, and read the story that seems to tug at your feelings, and consider reblogging it out of good faith to spread the word that the user needs aid with vets…Please search the ask you received. Look at the story and consider if it’s being truthful. Try and see if the pictures used are stolen and see if the email or PayPal is well known as a scammer. If you locate the information it’s a scam, warn those who already have reblogged it and inform them it’s a scam.

[chill-pills-yandere-haven]

Cult Culture

An: my tags are limited to just these because for some reason, on mobile, my Tumblr is high 24/7 and won't let me write in tags. Just a little dive into how SAGAU would affect Teyvat as a whole.

Honestly, the whole cult Sagau thing would actually effect the entirety of Teyvat's culture in so so so many ways. Take all of this with a grain of salt tho as I don't know much about other religions and was raised Christian so I'm taking from that. Mainly because Sagau also seems to be based off of Christianity.

We've talked about things like the Creator being the start of new trends or characters getting popular because of them, but it would most likely be to a much larger degree. 

In the Sagau community, the majority of aus are placed in worlds where the public knows and actively worships the creator. The statues, the Creator's shrines being a universal sign of "no fighting… shakira shakira (I'm sorry I saw it when writing and couldn't resist)", the Creator instantly being accepted and loved. 

However, wouldn't this affect the acolytes greatly?

Imagine this, you live in a world where there's one religion, minor deities like the archons and whatever happened on Inazuma included, where you mainly worship this Creator figure, the Creator of all.

Of course, in the way that majority of religions have it (might not be that common tho, I was raised Christian), you have leaders in the faith, people who are supposed to be examples for worshippers to follow, and people who are blessed.

As is incorporated in some aus, visions are seen as blessings from the All-Creator. Something that would essentially be sainthood in the eyes of society due to how idolized the Creator is. 

Due to this, merely having a vision would not only be seen as a reward for one's ambition, but also a sort of sign from the Creator themselves to respect this person. 

This could easily flip one's reputation on its head just from having a vision. For example, even having a vision could be enough for Mondstadtions to at least not chase Eula out of town anymore or deny her services. Having a vision would be so prized that fake vision (like the ones we used in the vision-hunt) sales would go through the roof; people would pretend to have visions so they were respected for being blessed by the All-Creator.

However, there's even more.

You know how the self aware characters are able to hear the Creator's voice?

That would be seen as a sort of 'mark of the chosen' among the public. Even though it is only a sign if that person being a playable character.

 Starting out in Mondstadt, people first thought that Amber and Kaeya were on board with some kind of bad joke when they first talked about hearing the Creator's true voice. After all, the All-Creator was so holy that not even vision holders heard their true voice. Then, they heard of Lisa and Noelle hearing the same voice. After the public realized that these people were hearing the true words of the Creator themselves, they most likely believed that they had 'ascended' in some way, now able to hear the creator's voice.

Even more, imagine how the Creator's mere existence could affect the regions themselves.

In the beginning, when only Mondstadt was available to the player, when the other nations got word that Mond had been blessed by the All-Creator, the other countries must have gone wild.

Many more people would have traveled to Mond just for a sight of the 'Traveler Brought by the Creator'. Debates would be started about why the Creator seemed to favour this nation above all. Tensions may even rise due to this, Mondstadtions claiming that their nation was above the others due to the Creator's favour.

Status would literally be tilted in favour of vision users with the new view of them. Having a vision would make people see someone differently, even if they were the worst. After all, if the Creator blessed them, they had to be good deep down, right? 

This is me half joking, but imagine how getting a vision in this society would be for teenagers. Suddenly, you're the hot shot everywhere you go! All your friends think that you're the best thing since Dawn Winery's apple cider. Best of all, your crush notices you. But really, they only love your vision. It's like pretty privilege turned up to eleven.

Everything the Creator does would also be seen as some sort of holy metaphor for what the people of Teyvat should be striving to do.

You hit trees and gain wood yet don't chop them down? It's a metaphor for the idea that people should be free to take from nature but give back at the same time.

 You choose the most generic responses everytime the Traveler gets to speak? The Creator must be showing the people that everyone is equal when in the eyes of the All-Creator.  

You kill Timmie's pigeons every day without fail? It's to show that everything will return to what it once was: nothing.

[cackled0g]

{Image ID: A reply by user ikishima. The text reads: "maybe its (sic) because you can literally search (transandrophobia) and see people lay out exactly why its (sic) transmisogynistic and no one needs to spoon feed you this information. but have fun using a term coined by someone with a fetish for raping lesbians I guess"}

For context, the post this user was replying to is this one

Well first off, I think it's a rude assumption to make that I haven't researched a term that I use near daily to explain traumas that I have personally faced. I have actually, believe it or not, researched transandrophobia. I've looked at both sides of the issue, and it has consistently been the side that is against a good faith term for a marginalized group's oppression that has been lacking in good arguements. Let's go over a few of the most common ones I've seen.

a.) The coiner, Saint, has been accused of having a corrective rape fetish. I have seen screenshots to verify that he has engaged with that, but from my understanding it was a password protected nsfw blog where he engaged with it and similar fetishes with his partner, who was a trans feminine person who had said fetishes. I don't know either of the people involved and haven't found any good sources leaning either way on that situation except for one callout document that has been accused of being bad faith and factually false. Like I've said, I don't know anyone involved in that whole situation so I can't say I have an opinion on it one way or the other until I have better evidence to go off of. Regardless of whether Saint is or is not a horrible shitty person though, I don't think he has full claim to the word "transandrophobia" and certainly not the concept behind it--the specific combination of transphobia and antimasculinism that primarily transmasculine folks face. The word is just the combination of the the words 'transphobia', the hatred of trans people, and 'androphobia', the fear or hatred of men, and I know that I at least stumbled across it before I ever knew who Saint was. It's simply the most popular term, aside from transmisandry, which I also use regularly. For trigger tagging purposes and general tagging purposes, it's the most widely used term and also has the most theory and good faith debate behind it from what I've seen

b.) The term 'transandrophobia' is inherently transmisogynistic because it copies the same formula used for the word 'transmisogyny', a word describing the intersection of transphobia and misogyny that primarily transfeminine people face. I don't find this a very compelling argument personally. First off, I'm not aware of if the term was in fact based off of the word transmisogyny, as the convention of "oppression"+" oppression "= "word for combined or intersectional oppression" isn't new or particularly controversial (see: misogynoir) when applied to other forms of oppression.

c.) The idea that transmasculine people are punished for their masculinity and not only their transness is inherently transmisogynistic because ???. I genuinely don't get this one honestly. Even if it were true that marginalized men weren't punished for their masculinity, which it isn't (see: black men bearing the brunt of police violence, the way that ast Asian men are hypersexualized by euro-american women, the way that all Asian men are desexualized by euro-american people) I don't see how that "false" belief being held is an intersection of transphobia and misogyny.

d.) Trans men don't need a word for their oppression because they don't face a unique oppression. This is demonstrably false. Many recent laws restricting HRT in the UK and United States have been actively targeting trans men. JK Rowling, the TERF surpreme, wrote an essay that extensively talked about trans men, books like 'Irreversible Damage' are explicitly about trans men 'ruining their bodies'. If that isn't blatantly transandrophobic then what is?

Of course, if anyone has any sources or additions feel free to drop them below or DM me. Engaging in good faith is highly encouraged, including from the person I'm responding to. I also may add on to this post later with more common anti-transandrophobia arguments as I think of them.

[nevertheless-moving]

Suicidal Misunderstanding XIV

Part I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Part XI - - - - Part XII - - - - Part XIII

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

Plo Koon woke to find himself chained in a dark room.

Somewhere behind him he could hear steady dripping; it was uncertain if that was deliberate or not.

He strained to discern anything in the dim light, but the walls of his prison refused to form into anything recognizable.

Cautiously, the trapped Master cast his senses out, only to find them reflected back at odd angles. He decided to wait before attempting to push any further past what his captor wished him to see.

Time passed strangely, but sooner than expected there was the sound of a pressurized airlock opening and, distantly, a raging ocean.

The airlock cycled through its rotation and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped out of the amorphous shadows looking...decidedly worse for the wear. 

Plo ached at the sight. His normally carefully maintained beard was a scraggly mess. His robes hung tattered and bloodied. Of particular concern was how dry he looked, skin cracked and bleeding for want of water. The figure standing before him with a dead-eyed glare resembled less an accomplished Jedi Master and more the wretched husk of one. 

“Who are you?”  Obi-Wan's shade hissed. The chains around the Kel Dooran tightened. 

Well, however he might view himself and others...at least he’s willing to fight to defend what remains? At the bare minimum he’s not acting intentionally self destructive...

“Good Morning, Obi-Wan. I am a Jedi Master and your friend. I have been attempting to reach you through your rather impressive shielding. I must say, you’ve done a remarkable job confining me in this mental construct, its been sometime since anyone has managed to get the best of me in this arena.”

Obi-Wan snorted. “Don’t try and flatter me, you barely fought back. You could easily have forced your way anywhere, but for some reason you let me corral you, presumably to try and gain my trust. Now answer my question. Your presence is very much light so I doubt you’re Sidious or...Vader. I could be wrong obviously, but i can’t see either of themselves putting this much effort into that sort of mask...just tell me who you are, and why you’re with them.”

“I am Master Plo Koon, a High Council Member, and I am not unknown to you” he elaborated without hesitation. “I am glad that you can identify that I am a light force user. Can you not sense familiarity within my force presence, even so far within your domain?”

Obi-Wan reared back and the dripping noise in the corner stopped.

“It’s a trick. We might be in my head but that doesn’t mean I’m surrendering any of my thoughts to you,” Obi-Wan snarled. “I felt Plo Koon’s death, he was one of the first...and even if he somehow survived he would never work with the Sith to invade my mind. Never.”

“Obi-Wan. Listen to me. Please. I am not dead. I am not working with the Sith. I was brought in to reach you because no other method was working. You are in the healing halls at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” Plo spoke calmly, but implacably, “We believe you have either experienced a uniquely detailed vision, or a run in with a dark-sider. Whatever has happened, I can feel the lingering impression of unsafety. But here and now, you are not in any immediate physical danger. There must be something I can do to convince you of your present physical location.”

“A uniquely detailed vision, huh? ha!” Obi-Wan replied, gesturing wildly. “Ha! You expect me to believe that what, the last four years of my life were a detailed prophecy? Why?”

“You...believe you have lived years beyond the rest of us. I take it the- what you remember has been dangerous enough to warrant maintaining abnormally tight control over your mental walls, precluding simply reaching out to ascertain the truth yourself.”

“Clearly my control wasn’t enough if you’re in here.” Obi-Wan muttered.

“I do apologize for the intrusion, but we’ve already used every other tool at our disposal to reach you. I repeat, is there anything that can be done to convince you that you are, from your perspective, ‘in the past’. You are a High Council member with a grandpadawan. It’s been two years since the start of the clone wars. You recently finished an extended clean up of the Mon Cala sector after your victory.”

Obi-Wan stared at him curiously. “If I set a test and you fail, will you agree to dispense with the pretenses?”

Plo-Koon hesitated. “Perhaps I’m making this deal in bad faith, as I am know I am Plo-Koon, and that everything I have said is the truth... but I swear that if you somehow prove that neither of those things are true and I am secretly working for a sith lord, I will...reveal that.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “Best I’m going to get, I suppose.”

The chains holding Plo-Koon loosened. Before he could respond, there was a hurtling rising sensation that he struggled not to fight against. After a disorienting moment, he found himself in his own body, feeling vaguely seasick. Obi-Wan blinked awake, apparently unfazed by the precautionary bonds holding him in place. Master Aerdo’s gaze flicked between them intensely. Plo-Koon held up a clawed hand to forestall any interruption while the two gained their bearings.

Obi-Wan spoke first:

“Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation”

“...What?” Koon replied, honestly confused.

“Cihynglo was a renowned Kashykian Jedi, her mediations are, well i suppose were considered a quintessential example of High Republic cosmic poetry.”

“I’m familiar with Cihynglo- my master used to speak of her fondly.” Plo Koon said slowly. “Though I can’t say I’m familiar with her Fourth Mediation.”

“Hmm. Yes, well her poetry in the last few decades of her life got increasingly, well, esoteric. While most of her work was widely translated and distributed, she requested that those who wished to read her fourth Meditations do so in person, so as to experience without dilution the full calligraphy and artwork that accompanied her words. She only ever produced two copies. Any guesses where they were kept?”

Obi-Wan’s voice started out in the steady tones of a born lecturer, only to grow bitter towards the end.

“Is one in the temple?” Master Koon asked.

“Yes, one was held in the Master’s wing of the temple archives. The other was housed in a place of honor in The White Forest’s Great Tree of Knowledge. Considering both libraries were reduced to ash in the first month of the Empire, it is quite impossible, even for the Emperor, to find a copy.” 

His vague attempt at a smirk quickly fell flat. 

“I was privileged enough to be granted time to begin reading it once, but, alas, an emergency situation in the intergalactic war you created meant that I had to run off mid-sonnet. Bring me that book, let me hold it, read it, and I will believe that I somehow unlocked the secret of time-travel while overdosing on Spice.” 

Obi-Wan paused, catching his breath. “In the next fifteen minutes, please. Any more than that and you might try tracking down the few surviving Wookie scholars.” Koon flipped open his comm. “Master Nu, I have an urgent request.”

“Nu here, go on,” came the response.

“This may sound strange, but it is crucial that Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation be brought to the healing halls, room seven. Within the next 15 minutes.”

“You do understand you’re talking about a physical book, not a flimsi-stack or a holocron. It’s not meant to leave a climate-controlled room.”

“I promise you, I would not ask if it weren’t life or death. Please Jocasta, I’ll explain later.”

“I’ll be there in 10. It had better be one durned good explanation.”

Obi-Wan looked bemused. ”You’re setting yourself up for failure.”

“I am glad you were able to come up with a test you found meaningful. Remember, you have friends here, regardless of whether you experienced subjective time travel or an incredibly detailed vision.”

They waited a little longer. Obi-Wan critically examined Master Aerdo.

“I’m a Senior Soul Healer” they offered at the non-verbal prompting.

“How interesting.” Obi-Wan remarked dryly.

They sat in awkward silence for another minute. 

They were all equally trained in suppressing fidgets, coughs, or other nervous tics, which made the wait that slightest bit more unbearable, each second nearly imperceptible from the one before.

Eventually the sound of heavy boots moving at speed approached.

Master Nu strode in, gently cradling a great burden. The book gleamed large and vital in the light of its stasis wrap. Her eyes widened at they took in Obi-Wan, still cuffed to the bed. 

“Cihynglo’s Fourth Meditation, as asked for. I trust you have an excellent explanation for how a book of poetry is a matter of life or death.”

“I’m hoping that it will convince our friend Master Kenobi that I am who I claim to be and we are where I claim we are.” Koon gently pulled the book from her grasp and reverently placed it on Obi-Wan’s lap. Obi-Wan stared at it uncomprehendingly.

“Obi-Wan, I’m going to uncuff you now. I trust that you will use your freedom to examine our ‘proof.’ We will physically intercede if you make any attempts at self harm.”

Master Nu gasped. “Then the temple rumors...I don’t understand.”

Obi Wan picked up the book as if he was afraid it might bite him. With an irritated snort, he opened brusquely to the middle, and began carelessly flipping ahead.

Master Nu started forward, offended, but Plo Koon held her back. “Please Master Nu, patience-”

Finally Obi-Wan seemed to reach the page he was looking for and stopped. “..And still the rain fell like blood of the womb” he murmured. “That...I tried to think of how the line ended but I...”

Everyone watched as the book shook in Obi-Wan's grasp. He turned the page, gasping slightly and murmuring as he read. “This is...a little gross, but oddly touching. I certainly would not have come up with it myself...but its so clearly...” They watched his react, eyes darting wildly and brow furrowing in confusion.

Several pages later he dropped the book abruptly.

“This is impossible,” he gasped.

Nu darted forward, carefully snatching it from his lap, "I am endeavoring to practice tolerance, but how is destroying an irreplaceable piece of literature supposed to help anyone?!” she snapped

“I admit I wondered that myself, but when I imagined what harm the Sith could do with some of the archive’s more practical works, I understood your decision to torch the collection” Obi-Wan responded dreamily. “I suppose the more beautific works would likely have been destroyed anyway...”

“Torch the archives? I would never.”

“But you did,” Obi-Wan insisted feverishly. “I found your message when we searching for survivors. There were so many bodies piled at the archive door that I was almost hopeful that they had managed to...but I suppose they held out just long enough for you to complete your task.”

Nu backed away slowly. “That sounds like quite the disturbing vision, Master Kenobi.”

“It wasn’t just a vision, it was my life. It-visions don’t last years!” he said, finally growing hysterical. “I remember everything! That gods-awful mission to Cato Nemodia! Getting takeout food with Anakin! The smell of burning flesh in the creche! Singing to Luke! The last year of the war! All of you! You crying after Dooku’s death,” he added gesturing wildly at the archivist. “It was so awkward! You were embarrassed! You told me that for some stupid reason you had ‘held out hope’ it was all an insane uncover mission, that he wasn’t really- Three years alone in the desert! I remember three years of living on fucking Tatooine, how could that possibly be a vision!”

“I...hadn’t told anyone that,” Nu whispered with a hint of alarm. She glanced at Plo Koon, daring him to comment. “I know its very much unlikely at this point, and by any measure, he’s taken things too far, but he’s gone on such long shadow missions in the past...” she looked away.

“Oh, Jocasta...” Plo sighed.

“Master Kenobi. I cannot explain how you came to have such detailed knowledge of the future,” Aerdo said, drawing focus back to the bewildered Obi-Wan, who had shifted into a defensive crouch on the bed. “But I do know one reasonably sure fire way to establish that this, us, is the present. Open yourself up to the force, please, just let yourself listen to what it has to say.

“I...want to, of course I want to believe- but the idea that I’m here- it’s, if you’re real than you can’t possibly understand, its too good to be true.” Obi-Wan responded brokenly.

“I know things have been clouded of late, but, if nothing else trust in the force to not lie to you.” Plo-Koon urged. “If you keep closing yourself off like this, how can you possibly learn if things are better than you think”

Obi-Wan collapsed from his crouch, knees folding underneath.

“If I am...even if I am in the past... Sideous might be watching...i didn’t- i don’t know the extent of his gaze- even if...” he trailed off.

“If it makes you feel safer, you are of course free to again raise your shields to whatever extent you feel necessary once you have verified your reality.” Aerdo replied smoothly.

Obi-Wan looked warily at the three Jedi in the room.“I...” he started, trying to articulate the swelling hope and fear only to find himself at a loss for words.

Aerdo shot him a reassuring smile, “If you don’t feel ready right now, that’s perfectly understandable. We’re very happy you’re willing to reach out as much as you have already. Would you like to pause this discussion for now so we can find you something to eat? I believe a simple broth is a customary first post-bacta meal, but if you have any special requests I’ll do what I can.”

Obi-Wan let out a deep breath, dropping his head into his hands. “I- I need to know, don’t I?” he mumbled. “Force help me...you win.” He took one last, searching look at the faces of his fellow Jedi before closing his eyes and surrendering himself to the force.

He opened a small hole in his mental barricades and tentatively allowed his thoughts to drip out. Tentatively, he trickled over the bank of Plo Koon’s being (expecting a frigid burn) only to find a warm and heartbreakingly familiar pool of tempered kindness. 

He ran, slightly faster now, over the other Jedi presences in the room. Having finished his course without encountering any dark undertow, he ebbed back. There was an indistinct impression of something heavy giving way.

Obi-Wan’s Shields Fell Like A Dam Beneath a Tidal Wave -

[gucci-giogio]

GioMis Headcanons (2/?)

The first time Giorno saw Mista completely shirtless (it was a healing session) he noticed that mista wore a crucifix around his neck under his cashmere top. It has a tiny golden fixture of Jesus nailed to it. It was thin chained but looked very expensive and vintage. Giorno asked about it and learned that Mista is actually very Catholic. Giorno himself is agnostic at best, but he found it endeering, albeit a little contradictory given his chosen line of work, that Mista was such a man of faith. He said that he prayed for his and the gang’s safety and repented for his sins as often as he could. Once when he was the closest he’s ever been to death, Mista told Giorno that he saw him as God’s small gift to him. A guardian angel of sorts in mortal flesh. Giorno took that as a bitter sweet moment to be sang praises. “I’m no angel you fool...” he said quietly as he did his best to fix what he could as fast as he could.

It does worry Giorno that Guido is very often put on the chopping block for his sake. It all got worse once he became the Don and Guido his underboss. Giorno still fixes him up just like the good ole days. “Believe it or not, I didn’t get shot as often as I did until I met you.” He chuckled which made blood gush out of an open wound in his stomach. He cringed and so did Giorno. “Are you saying I’m bad luck for you? I thought I was your angel.” Giorno teased to cover up his nervousness as he continued working on him. “You are my angel. But shit, sometimes you’re also my devil. You make me stupid on the battlefield or something.” Giorno laughs at that one outright. “I do no such thing, Guido. Take accountability.” Guido is just dazed as he says “Yeah” and nothing more.

Giorno is the strongest person in all of Italy as far as he knows. There is no mortal man, stand user or not, that is a match for him. And yet, he feels antsy if Guido isn’t by his side to back him up. He feels a sense of vulnerability and he loathes that feeling. He would never say this out loud to anyone. He simply continues to assume the perfect picture of confidence even if he feels he’s lacking it at that moment.

Giorno’s stand can take simple commands from Guido at times. If he calls on GE it will sometimes respond, non verbally, just an acknowledgement in his general direction or to complete very simple tasks. Same with Guido’s Sex Pistols. #5 in particular often appears for Giorno. He loves to interact with Giorno, even though Mista isn’t too fond of that. His stands have a habit of shaming and embarassing him at random moments. Giorno finds it peculiar. “Guido, are you self hating?” He asks outright to which Mista claims “No! I love me! They just... well they are me but I don’t know why they drag me like that sometimes! They’re like my intrusive thoughts but manifested or some shit instead at times!” Giorno thinks this is odd but also prime entertainment.

Giorno likes Mista’s black, curly hair a lot. “You know, my hair used to be black when I was younger, though not curly...” This takes Mista for a surprise. “What? You’re not a natural blond?? And that’s a perm??” He asks but Giorno shakes his head. “No, I woke up one day and my hair was just blond and curly. Do you ever see me dye my hair? Do you ever see my roots come in black?” He says to which Guido just stares on in confusion but quickly shakes it off with a “I’m just now realizing that I’ve known you for a few years now but.. Dude I really don’t know you.”

Giorno is a fiend for chocolate and Mista often wonders where he puts it. Giorno’s body remains to this day just lean muscle. If Guido ate the way that Giorno tended to eat, he could kiss his abs goodbye and say hello to an even bigger ass while he was at it. Giorno never seemed to have a cavity. He never seemed to be on the brink of diabetes. He asked about it to which Giorno simply said “Easy. I have a fast metabolism and I make sure to stay healthy by working out. I brush my teeth 2 to 3 times a days as well.” Guido nodded. That seemed plausible— “Multiple teeth have rotted from my mouth as it was eroded by sugar. I’ve replaced them easily thanks to my stand. I’m sure if my A1C got higher than what it is, I would figure out a way to reverse that with Gold Experience.” Guido gave a judgmental stare to which Giorno ignored in favor of focusing on his gelato.

“Why do most of your tops have your midsection out? Abs are a huge part of your aesthetic I see.” Trish said to Guido who was leaned against a wall texting. He paused to give her a lazy once over before grinning. “The tits out look you have going is also a statement. Who you got your honkers out for?” He said, which caught her off guard. “I— Well for myself of course!” Trish retaliated to which Guido replied “Ditto.” and resumed texting. He sent a picture of his outfit of the day to Giorno, abs on display with a caption “can u believe trish in here complainin about me having my abs out? 😭😂” who responded quickly with a “in dis house we respekk thots! keep itup Mis! 😤💯 🔥” to which Guido just stares in silent disbelief. A second text follows quickly. “My apologies, that was Narancia’s doing. But the sentiments remain the same regardless. xx” Guido smiles. Giorno likes his abs and wants to keep seeing them! Guido immediately frowns. Did he just agree with Narancia calling him a thot?

[unpopularfanopinion]

@pressed-poppy  (because this is a side-blog and I can’t reply)

You are definitely using the slippery slope argument though. It doesn’t matter that there are actual people who complain about grey areas. In fact, I never denied people are complaining about grey area’s nor did I say I agree with those complaints. My point is that you’re using THOSE examples to justify not having to do anything. That is literally the slippery slope argument.

Who is doing nothing?

I am doing my personal best to recognize and unlearn the racial biases I have grown up with. In real life I offer support for black activist and vote for candidates that that I believe will support and build on policies that lead to greater equality and social justice. Which I admit at times doesn’t feel nearly enough, but I am also a single person who doesn’t have much, there is only such much I can do as an individual.

Ao3 is building better tools for POC authors to protect themselves from harassment.

Neither of those is “nothing”

The only thing they’re not doing is creating a system that will allow for censorship of fan authors, which you know goes against their entire mission statement

Is there a reason why you are ignoring the efforts Ao3 is working toward making the site better and safer for all fans? Is it because you don’t think it is enough? What would you prefer Ao3 to do? And how do you propose they do it without any unintended consequences that will ultimately hurt fans and POC?  You admit there are bad faith actors, how would you propose dealing with them?

And I’m sure you think you’re smart and clever by claiming the ��slippery slope” argument as if that invalidates what I’m saying, but take a step back and think about what feminist say when they protest laws and regulations that limit abortion. They point out that these laws won’t reduce abortion. They point out that women will die because of these laws. They are also making slippery slop arguments. That doesn’t make their arguments or points any less true or valid.

 And you’re also again repeating the cultural relativism argument that I already disagreed with. Why would it change my mind this time? All I expressed is that these are dangerous and conservative tactics, not used by people who mean well. It’s shady.

I’m starting to think you don’t actually understand what cultural relativism is. Cultural relativism means not looking at another culture and judging them by our standards. You don’t think of another culture is ignorant, barbaric, or in any way “lesser” to your own because they do things differently(like eat food you consider gross, or your that culture has taught you is unclean) than your culture. And is meant to be used by anthropologists to avoid ethnocentrism with studying other cultures.

People have mis-used and conflated cultural relativism with moral relativism which is the idea that all view points can be equally valid, and therefore tolerant people should be tolerant of intolerant beliefs and view points(and just to make my self clear, not i do not agree with that idea. I am well aware of the Intolerance Paradox)

And really I not even making either a cultural relativism, or moral relativism argument. I am merely pointing out that even if you got everyone to agree Racism is BAD!(and yes it’s sad you would not be able to get everyone to agree to that) you would not be able to get them to agree on a single, codified guideline of what racism looks like, and what counts as racism, or racial bigotry.  Which again is what Ao3 would need if they were going to censor works based on “racism” while still being fair to all users.  And again you admit to bad faith actors and grey areas existing, but at the same time seem to want to ignore them.

And again you seem insistent on taking all my statements in the worst and most nefarious manner and calling it shady.  Honestly it sounds like you’ve already decide which side you agree with on the Ao3 discourse, but just don’t want to say it for some reason.  Needless to say. that is shady as fuck.

[the-nysh]

Garou is a pretty controversial character in one punch man subreddit. What are your thoughts on this?

For as much as he’s genuinely popular and well-loved over there for sure, it’s also a big enough place where it’s true you’ll find no shortage of threads & comments from the other side of the spectrum too. (The most volatile ones often get downvoted and/or deleted however.) From those who openly express their dislike to flat-out hatred of him, yes.

You’ll often recognize a pattern from them though (and they stick out to me like a sore thumb). Most commonly from newer fans of the series who’ve only read parts of the manga (so their understanding of him is incomplete or doesn’t make sense to them yet, recognizable from those who label him an irredeemable ‘horrible person’ or incorrectly a hero killer like Stain for ex), or who’ve speed-read the webcomic and missed things without connecting the dots about him yet after his big end-arc reveal, but who still come to express their distaste, frustration, or general confusion over understanding his arc as a whole. And because there’s still so much of that reader confusion abound, it’s no surprise why ONE’s had to portray manga!Garou with much less ambiguity compared to the wc, with more obvious reader hand-holding, for instance. That’s the writing trade-off (clarity over subtlety more open to interpretation), even though mischaracterizations still happen from those who hastily jump the gun (not ONE’s fault), but I still love the expanded depth and extra attention ONE’s given his character in the manga. So it’s like ONE & Murata have long noticed those readers’ perceptions to overall modify things for the better, I feel.

So in general, those types of reddit threads aren’t so much a problem, since they usually get the clarification needed from other posters (avid Garou fans) chiming in to correct them (repeatedly with patience!), and leave them newly educated with a fresh perspective and/or appreciation for what ONE’s done. I honestly feel like it really shouldn’t be their job to continually put in the work (like a broken record) for other readers’ sake or (lack of) comprehension, and I may not phrase or approach things the same way they do, or have the same rigid interpretation of Garou as some of them, but I appreciate their dedication and vigilance to defend & address the misinformation about his character all the same. :’) (For example, this user often has insightful and niche things to say about him, different from most others there, which is worth checking out.) 

What’s notably not so nice (and what I see as more of a problem) are those other veteran repeat haters, who jump in framing their arguments in ways that sound smart & logical (easily persuading the gullible under the verbose guise of ‘literary analysis’), but when you actually read what else they’re saying, instead of allowing others to see Garou in a new light (informing in a helpful way), their claims contribute towards the opposite: deliberately misleading others in an echo chamber of blatant misinformation. (Which is what I dislike; they can dislike Garou all they want, but don’t do that towards manipulating the trust of the impressionable.) Long story short, I remember exactly who they are too, so I know who to avoid or treat all their takes non-seriously and skeptically with a grain of salt (which is applicable in other fandoms too).

For example, there’s a guy who always bashes on Garou and his purpose in the story, making sweeping claims about his character (in bad faith) and what opm should be about according to him, while also admitting he skips over every fight and chapter without Saitama in it (instant ding to his trust & credibility). It’s then no wonder he ‘hates’ Garou when he’s deliberately chosen to brush all his content and development under the rug. :| (Just don’t sway others to believe what you already admitted knowing nothing about!) There’s another guy who always describes Garou in poor light and condescendingly ‘corrects’ anyone when the anti-hero vs anti-villain conversations come up again, while conveniently ignoring the very words from ONE himself (instant checkmate):

Garou is an “anti-hero,” but I thought he should be more “anti-Saitama” – otherwise, he’d be the same as the other monsters. I didn’t want to show the limits of his potential. He might not be able to win now, but I wanted people to think that if he continues to grow as a monster, he might just be able to fight on the same level as Saitama. The anime emphasized his viciousness, his youth, his whimsical kindness, and his recklessness, which made me look forward to his future.  

So taking everything in, I’d love to see how those Garou naysayers would ‘school’ ONE, the professional writer here, with that same fervor they profess to know more about his own work than him, cause I’ll trust the words of the author over what ‘proof’ they’ll try to convince others on the internet with. :P I suppose overall, just trust your gut and use your best informed judgment, to be aware (of who’s being genuinely helpful or an ass) and navigate the subreddit responsibly.

[ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is]

Smart vs dumb anon. Thought I'd explain myself since you say my ask haunts you (and based on the evidence at least left you with questions, most of them about my sanity, I'm sure.) I was thinking about how some blogs give shitty information, such as 'Ti doesn't ever ask for sources when you make a claim' - when in reality any reasonably intelligent person would want a source if they actually cared about the argument - with Ti and Te probably judging the source differently. (1/2)

This lead to thinking about blogs with good information (such as yours) and at first I wanted to ask seriously about smart and dumb behaviours vs Te and Ti (or any function) behaviour. But knowing your penchant for sarcasm, your crusade against shitty introverts, and your regular put-downs of stupid Ti behaviour (while you still have recognised good qualities about Ti) I thought you might have some choice things to say. Clearly I was wrong. Apologies. (2/2)

------

Hi anon,

I’m still not sure what you were going for exactly, but like, I at least think that when phrased this way you were at least kind of aiming in the right direction of a good question.

I hate questions that are like “what does x type look like”/”what does x type like” because while there are obviously broad traits shared by people of the same type, behaviors are so heavily shaped by social factors and other abilities that there’s no answer that won’t be either so general as to be useless and boring, or representative of only a tiny fraction of people of that type. I spent enough time being told that I should, as an ISTJ, be a politically conservative bureaucrat or historian who hates science fiction that I’m not going to do that to someone else; I also do not want to say something like that, even as a joke, because then I will get approximately 50000 questions of “but I’m an ENFP and I’m smart and I don’t do that!” and it will make me want to scream. Like, I think ISTP sister is reasonably smart, and I think Steve Jobs was an ISTP, and they are not very much alike as people beyond having above-average technical and computer skills.

However, and you can correct me if I’m wrong I think the actual question you might have been getting at was what kind of person provides super black-and-white information, and I wonder if perhaps that might be where the instinctual variants come in. I’ve heard that sx-primary people can have this all-or-nothing perspective which might be why a lot of sx-blind people don’t see a value in instinctual variants - so many of the descriptions were given by people with sx and to people without sx they are so obviously extreme to the point of total unreality.

You also might have been looking for an answer to what kind of person doesn’t ask for sources, and while I agree it’s not a very smart move, it’s a single example of a non-smart move; a very stupid person could still ask for a source. It’s hard to really tell, because this is just one behavior. While I agree that attributing not asking for sources isn’t tied to a specific function as much as it’s tied to an understanding of how information works, I do find that high Ti users are often less critical of a source. Like, I find they’re less likely to look for clear conflicts of interest because they try to look at everything “objectively” in a realm of pure logic, which of course falls apart when you consider that people lie and manipulate data. The flipside is that a Te user might discount a valid argument because it came from an unreliable person, or put a higher weight on a bad argument because it came from a usually trustworthy source, though again there’s lots of room for context and nuance here and a smart and healthy Ti user will realize that some arguments are being made in bad faith and a smart and healthy Te user will not accept sources blindly simply because they are sources.

But none of that is really smart and dumb, and those are such broad, subjective terms themselves that any observation of mine will be so vague to be meaningless. There are people with PhDs who believe absolutely moronic conspiracy theories; my own personal perception of what is smart contains a pretty hefty common sense requirement but I think many people would disagree with me if I called those people dumb.

If you were getting at something else feel free to let me know.

[blackjack-15]

The Force of Nature and the Cackling Madman: What Hux Should Be (and What ROS Won’t Be)

Warning: two mentions of the leaked/newish pictures. They will have spoiler warnings bracketing it, along with the appropriate tags connected to the post. You’ve been warned.

INTRODUCTION

With RoS mere months away, this meta really can’t be delayed any longer before it becomes moot, so here we go!

TLJ was a lot of things — some good, some bad —  but what it wasn’t was surprising (unless you count just how shockingly bad 90% of Finn’s storyline was). This is generally a good thing in movies nowadays, where surprises come not from clever writing, but from enormous missteps in the writing or the desire to feel clever by putting in a twist that isn’t foreshadowed, or even just by breaking the rules of your universe.

Ignoring all but the main storyline — which is about Rey and Kylo Ren and their obstacles/conflicts — TLJ didn’t bring any surprises, but instead followed on the lines that TFA set up. As this is obviously the storyline that’s been hashed out from the start and is the point they’re building to, it’s thus safe to say that RoS is simply going to do the same, and follow the lines that TLJ set up.

SPOILER WARNING BEGINS

(Side note: this is why, when the absurdly stupid tuning-fork-lightsaber of Rey’s showed up in the first looks at RoS, it was immediately obvious that she was going to be able to “break” off half of it to give to Kylo when his saber is ultimately gone/self-destructs. Not only does the spoiler picture all but confirm this, but it’s also the obvious trajectory from the two fighting over a lightsaber in TLJ and breaking it in half.)

SPOILER WARNING ENDS

Anyway, with this framework in mind, and with the knowledge that every Star Wars media since the OG trilogy is in some way an adaptation of the OG trilogy, let’s examine what this means for the villain.

TERROR AND STAR WARS VILLAINS

There’s really no getting around the fact that one of the weakest facets of any Star Wars movie — yes, the OG trilogy is included here — is the villains that accompany them. A few SW video games fare a bit better in this, but most follow the movies’ path. This isn’t shocking — Star Wars is a Hero’s Journey, and in a Hero’s Journey it’s the presence of a villain, not the nature of the villain itself, that’s the important part — but it is crucial to understand.

Darth Vader is by far the most iconic and scariest villain that Star Wars movies can boast of, and for those born after 4/5/6 came out, he’s not really that scary, because those viewers go in knowing who Vader is and that he’s (at least partially) redeemed through his sacrifice. The greatest contribution that Rogue One made to that viewership is the scene with Vader at the end, where he is legitimately an object of terror as he was when 4/5/6 were first out.

This leads to a discussion of Palpatine-as-villain in RotJ, where the best that can be said for his status as terror-inducing villain is that at least he has Vader to do most of the heavy lifting for him. As a villain, Palpatine is just not scary. Maybe it’s the makeup, maybe it’s the fact that he gets thrown out like a sack of garbage to his death, maybe it’s the cold ham delivery he gives to what should be properly menacing lines.

Darth Maul’s visuals in TPM alone are scarier than all of Palpatine in RotJ, and, before it’s brought up, Palpatine is even less scary than that in the prequels, so I’m not even considering that part.

The thing that most Star Wars villains have in common (aside from Tarkin, who is my person favorite movie-verse villain) is that they’re forces of nature; they have the force and/or use lightsabers, they’re larger than life and beings of immense power and reputation, and they’re there to sort of loom over movie, causing overwhelming-yet-non-specifc terror to motivate the plot in a “avoid the bad guys” sort of way.

This is especially obvious in the prequel movies, where Darth Maul (ignoring his awesome visual effect), General Grievous, and Count Dooku are all basically meant to Stand There And Look Menacing, rather than having anything about them that’s actually interesting.

And here’s where the interesting things in the sequel trilogy begin.

WHY SMOKE SNOKE?

There was never any way that Snoke was going to live past TLJ, just like there was no way that Hux wasn’t going to survive TLJ. Remembering that the sequel trilogy is in a lot of ways an adaptation of the OG trilogy (as all Star Wars movies are), TFA was trying to get you to think of Snoke as Palpatine — an overlord that survives until the last bit of the last movie and Hux as Tarkin — the non-Force user who is Evil and all but dies b/c he’s too smug and petty.

But neither one of those things were actually true. Because that would position Kylo Ren as the Vader analogue, and all of TFA is dedicated to showing just how wrong that assumption is.

Because Kylo’s not Vader, Hux isn’t Tarkin, and Snoke isn’t Palpatine. Thus, Snoke has to die, because we can’t go into the last third of the trilogy with competing big bads (and no, Kylo and Hux don’t count there, either — Kylo isn’t a big bad at all, unless you think that the Big Bad Villain’s job is to fall for a British honeypot with a lightsaber).

I’ll admit, I was a bit smug when Snoke died and left only Hux alive and kicking out of the Three Bad Guys (as Kylo/Ben isn’t even pretending to be a bad guy anymore), because that’s what I had predicted — a fake-out with a Palpatine-style, force-of-nature villain only to reveal that the real Big Bad was with us all along — a mortal; a cackling madman: General Hux.

PLOTTING WITH PALPATINE

When spoilers first indicated that Palpatine would instead make yet another appearance in a Star Wars film, I was optimistic. Optimistic not in the “hey the Rebels will totally win” sort of way; no, optimistic in the “these kind Jedi will definitely free the slaves and not just take the kid because They Must Deal Kindly With Illegal Slavers”. AKA misplaced optimism rather than genre-savvy faith in the heroes to prevail.

Because actually bringing back Palpatine would be a stupid move all the way around, I tried to figure out why they’d advertise it and not try to hide the bad idea in a Secret Twist.

So here’s where we get the interplay between the Force of Nature and the Cackling Madman.

In a world where the Force exists, it’s easy to imagine that those without it feel rather powerless — or at least overshadowed — when near those who do wield it. Certainly, that’s true for most of Tarkin’s council, and true of Hux. 

Over and over again in TFA and TLJ, we see Hux trying to prove that he’s every inch Kylo’s Equal. Even after Snoke’s death, he uses no deference to the new Supreme Leader and repeats his commands so he can believe that the First Order soldiers are following him.

Hux’s scene in TFA where he’s commanding the troops shows Hux at his finest (and most evil); apart from any Jedi/Sith/Force influence, he is himself to a glorious extreme: the Cackling Madman.

THE CACKLING MADMAN

I don’t use this title to say that Hux is insane (though he’s clearly a bit off) but rather to show the difference between a villain like Hux and a villain like Palpatine. Unlike the Force of Nature villain, a Cackling Madman is usually present over the entire story, seen as a person rather than as a shadowy figure, and is allowed to fail and succeed at multiple times during the trajectory of the story, rather than only failing at the very end when the heroes triumph.

In short, Star Wars has never had, in the movie-verse, a Cackling Madman as the main villain. The prequels play at it for about .5 seconds with Senator Palpatine, but he’s still the Force of Nature, ultimately, just pretending to be a Good Guy.

As the sequel trilogy, is, once again, and like any other SW media, an adaptation of the OG trilogy, I was really excited for this shift in formula — it would play on audience expectation that Snoke would just be Palpatine 2.0, only to reveal — with the proper set up, as shown in TFA and TLJ — that the true villain was there all along, just unnoticed for what he was.

THE FACADE OF THE FORCE

So where would the intervention of Palpatine go in this shift from the formula?

Hux as the ultimate Big Bad would know that he would need the support of a powerful force user — or, at least, the appearance of support of a powerful force user.

And, in the Star Wars universe, you could do worse than to claim the support of (in the EU) the eternally clone-happy Emperor. Hux’s only problem is that the Emperor is dead, and thus not really up to supporting a ginger with dreams of Ultimate Power.

So any support would have to be a facade. And how is Star Wars uniquely equipped to handle facades?

We’re talking holograms, baby.

Holograms of a weakened yet still powerful Emperor — maybe missing a hand or something, a few attacks “directed” by the Emperor meeting wild success, manipulation of the Holograms to say Hux’s name and offer support of him as his Preeminent General or whatever, and Hux has the galaxy at his feet.

IMAGINE MY DISAPPOINTMENT (SPOILERS HERE AGAIN)

And then the spoiler pictures of Palpatine came out and — disappointment was prevalent, but I wasn’t surprised.

The big problem with the Sequel Trilogy is that it has one well-plotted plot line — the main plot line with Rey and Kylo/Ben — and then every other plot line is pretty much left up to the whims of the moment. It’s especially evident in Finn’s TLJ plot line, but it’s present to some extent in every other plot line throughout the two movies currently out.

What Hux should be is the danger lurking in plain sight; the villain seen but not understood, and the evil present but not accounted for. That alone would add a dimension to the Sequel Trilogy that it’s lacking right now — and lacking even more with the advent of Palpatine’s return. Not only would it acknowledge its freedom as an adaptation to play with audience expectation, but it would demonstrate something that both it and the Prequel Trilogy lack: trust in its audience.

THE ULTIMATE CONCLUSION

What RoS should be is a movie that delivers something new but still authentic to the Star Wars universe. Ultimately, that’s all it would take to please the majority of its audience, because those who are watching the ST without having seen any other Star Wars media are few and far between. 

The shame is that what RoS will be is a movie that (wrongly) doesn’t trust its audience to consume  nuanced media, and instead tries to placate them with false advertising (trying to give off the air that RoS will be a trio movie with Finn, Rey, and Poe when everyone knows it won’t be) and with the return of old characters and the descendants of old characters. It’s like adding blue flashing lights to an old snow globe and declaring that you’re recaptured lightning in a bottle.

[kalinara]

So I was having thoughts about a possible Kylo Ren redemption arc again, and why the idea really doesn’t work for me.

Now really, I don’t think it’s going to happen anyway.  I think the Last Jedi basically put the kibosh on that concept when it dismantled every bit of Kylo Ren apologia that his fans have ever uttered.  But let’s be honest, sometimes creators make very bad decisions.  So I suppose it’s still possible.

There’s no way that it can be remotely satisfying though.

The thing about a redemption arc that I think a lot of people miss is that a redemption arc serves a point in the overall story.  It’s not just about the character in question.  In a way, it’s not even about that character at all, it’s about the role that character plays in the central narrative.

There are main characters and there are side characters, there are allies and there are villains.  And ultimately, everything that happens happens to serve the main character(s) story.

Now it is true that some villains are main characters of their stories.  Daenerys Targaryen is a good example of this.  We followed Daenerys basically from her origin.  We saw her grow and change, we saw her defeat and her triumph.  We saw her do some amazingly good things and some horribly monstrous ones.  The seeds of her fate were planted early on, but there were also plenty of indications that she could go another way.  Her fall was tragic (if maybe not the best executed) and we were with her every step of the way.

Kylo Ren is no Daenerys Targaryen and he has never been a protagonist.  He’s no Daenerys Targaryen.  He’s not even a Tony Soprano or a Walter White.  By the time we’re introduced to him, he’s already a monster.  He’s already ordering the deaths of an entire village.  He’s in the process of murdering an unarmed man.  And he’s in the process of hunting one of our protagonists, while another is an enslaved follower.

Each one of Kylo Ren’s appearances in both movies serve to push the actual main characters forward.  His massacre causes Finn to rebel.  His torture of Poe leads to their alliance and escape.  His kidnapping of Rey causes her to learn to defend herself instinctively with the force.  His murder of Han fills our heroes with motivating grief and rage.  Even in the Last Jedi, while we have lip service to Kylo Ren’s angst and possible redemption, what we really end up with is a plot that shows Rey her own vulnerability and arrogance.  He exists, basically, so she can be wrong about him.  So that she can be betrayed and return to her people a wiser person.

He is not a protagonist.  He’s not a main character.  He’s a villain to be defeated.  He’s an obstacle to be thwarted.  He exists for their stories.

Darth Vader comes up a lot in these discussions.  Because of course, Darth Vader is the one who was redeemed.  There are a lot of discussions about whether or not Kylo is “better” or “worse” than Vader, when we’re talking about his potential redemption.  And I think that’s a bit of a trap.  It doesn’t really matter if Vader was better or worse than Kylo, because Vader’s redemption was never really about Darth Vader.  it was about Luke Skywalker.

Luke Skywalker started the Original Trilogy with a very clear (wrong) idea about who his father was.  (A pilot, war hero.)  And soon he had very clear ideas about what a Jedi Knight was.  He knew that Darth Vader was the man who killed his father.  He knew what he had to do.  He blew up the Death Star and saved the galaxy.  He went to the ends of the universe on the whim of a ghost to badger his way into training.  He fought the most powerful Force User ever, surprisingly effectively for someone with a few days to a few weeks of training.  But then he was blindsided by the truth.

Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi is a very very different man than Luke Skywalker in A New Hope.  He’s older, wiser, sadder and more scarred.  And even though Yoda and Obi-Wan have both told him that he has to defeat his enemy, he knows that as a Jedi, he has to do more than that.  He has to be more than that.  At the pivotal point, he throws away his saber.  He reaches his father.  His faith and love is rewarded.

That’s LUKE’s triumph.  That’s LUKE’s story.  It’s Vader’s too, sure, but it’s important for what it means to Luke.

Rey isn’t Luke.  If anything, she’s in the opposite position.  She grew up with a very different idea of the Jedi.  She knew the myth of Luke Skywalker and she knew that he saved Darth Vader.  And when he rejected her as a student, she decided that she had to prove herself by repeating his act.  She was going to save Kylo Ren.

That was her Cloud City error.  That was her equivalent of Luke trying to kill Vader.  She didn’t want to save Kylo because he was family.  She didn’t want to save Kylo because she loved him.  She didn’t KNOW him yet.  He was the man who tortured her.  She was mislead (by Snoke) into thinking there was something she could reach.  And she really wanted to prove Luke wrong.  It was ego, and she got hit hard for it when he betrayed her all over again.

Like Luke, Rey was wrong.  Like Luke, Rey was injured by it.  And like Luke, she’s going to come out of it as a wiser person.  

If Kylo Ren does have a redemption arc, that would negate all of Rey’s development in the Last Jedi.  Rey was a character for whom everything Force related came easily, too easily by a lot of fan complaints, but that’s why her arc in TLJ was so important.  She had to be wrong.  She had to learn humility.  If she were then proven to be right after all, then she’s got no reason to be a wiser person.

So Rey doesn’t benefit from Kylo Ren’s redemption.  Who might?

Leia doesn’t.  She had a similar story beat in the Force Awakens. She wanted Han to save her son.  He tried and Kylo skewered him.  In the Last Jedi, she’s sadder and wiser and when Luke tells her that he will have to fight Kylo and kill him, she accepts that.  I’m sure she would be overjoyed to see a Kylo Ren reject the Dark Side, but that’s not the same as an ending to her story.  It’s not something that she fought for or earned.  (Perhaps things might have been different if she could have a bigger role in Rise of the Skywalker.  But unfortunately, her story is fundamentally done.)

It doesn’t benefit Finn or Poe either.  Both of them have suffered at the hands of Kylo Ren.  And it would make some sense to have a storyline where they have to move past their anger and hate of him.  Except, well, that’s not something that the movies have cared to address.  When the Last Jedi sidelined both characters, it neatly moved them into plots that had nothing to do with Kylo Ren.  Poe is learning to lead (execution of said plot notwithstanding), Finn is coming to terms with his past.  Kylo’s irrelevant to the first, and just one face out of many abusers for the second.  (It’s more likely that his direct adversary will be Hux, who advocated for the Stormtrooper program that his father started, who hit him and subjugated him directly in TLJ.  It’s a much more personal tie than Kylo.)  They’d need a whole other movie to establish Kylo’s redemption as being significant in some way to either man.

Han’s story doesn’t benefit.  There are those who will claim that he “died for nothing if Kylo isn’t redeemed”.  But narratively speaking, he didn’t “die for nothing”.  He died to show us that Kylo wasn’t Anakin, and that Kylo wasn’t going to choose his grandfather’s fate.

And honestly, even Kylo Ren’s story doesn’t benefit from a redemption arc.  On a narrative level, how would that even work.  “Okay, so, I know Kylo has been offered redemption at least three times now and he responded by murdering Lor San Tekka, Han Solo, and trying to murder Rey.  The Prequels took the pre-established ending of Return of the Jedi and built a story for Anakin around it.  We learned that fundamentally, love and family were at the core of Anakin’s motivation.  He fell because of love and he let himself be saved because of love.

But Kylo Ren is OFFERED that kind of love.  Han Solo, weeping and unarmed, reaches out to his son only to be skewered.  He REJECTS that love.  Familial love is not enough.

Rey, a woman that he’s clearly attracted to, makes the same offer.  No strings attached.  No familial baggage to be an excuse.  She reaches out to him, just like every single Reylo-is-canon sort insisted that she should do.  And he REJECTS her too.  Romantic love is not enough.

There are a lot of debates about whether or not Snoke was abusive, and to what extent he may have influenced Kylo.  And certainly the idea of Kylo teaming up with Rey and company to defeat his abuser is an attractive one to a lot of people.  Except, well, that actually happens.  He and Rey DID team up.  They DID kill Snoke.  And Kylo Ren ordered his army to stand down, killed Hux when he tried to stop him, and went home peacefully.  Wait no, sorry, he took command and doubled down his efforts to murder every last member of the Resistance.

So that means for a redemption arc to work, the writers will have to give us something that is more important to Kylo than family, romantic love, or being free from an abuser to finally reach him and move him off of the path he’s on.  Murdering innocent people wasn’t enough, enslaving millions of children wasn’t enough, destroying FIVE PLANETS wasn’t enough.

This isn’t even an Adalind from Grimm sort of situation where her self interest can be used to justify hanging around with the good guys enough to appreciate that they, unlike her previous allies, won’t hang her out to dry.  Kylo Ren has literally nothing to plausibly make him want to be a better person.

I can’t say whether Lucasfilms will try to pull off a Kylo Ren redemption arc in the eleventh hour, but I can say that they shouldn’t.  

[trashcats-for-trashwriting]

In Light of Ardegi Allegations...

 I would like to take the time to share my personal story. First and foremost, I want to say I did not contribute to the anonymous messages sent to @/official-darkforest. Whether that is believed or not, well, I can’t force anyone’s hand. Seeing those messages made me think, though. If others have struggled, maybe I should share my experience. So, I’m going to try to recount events that led to my leaving the Ardegi server as best I can from my memory. I admittedly only have 1 screenshot that I will share below the cut; the rest is from memory and I want to try my best to present the most honest account I can.

EDIT: THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES AT THE END OF THIS. THE ORIGINAL STORY HAS NOT CHANGED BUT I HAVE ADDED SOME THOUGHTS.

I joined Ardegi last year and quickly created a gaggle of characters. For a time, I was really happy! I enjoy helping RP servers even when I am not a moderator, because it gives me something to do and a way to distract myself. RP has always been an outlet for me. I make my friends through RP and find creative freedom in RP. I offered to do things for Ardegi -- I made a map, which they still have permission to use to this day, I helped with a timeline and herb list -- and didn’t ask for anything in return.

I was, as I am in any RP, highly active. I was a full time college student taking online classes at the time, so I had a lot of free time on my hands. This allowed me to be available for RP for most of the day, all week. This led to me being involved in all the Clans’ plots as a reliable, active RPer.

If you follow the Ardegi blog, you may have seen mentions of Delilah of RustClan. I was approached by Admin Ken after pitching Delilah as a dark-minded character about possibly making her the next villain for the serverwide plot. I was happy and honored to accept.

I felt like I was friends with the staff team. The admins and moderators were easy to talk to. I became close to them, and sometimes would talk to them as friends in DMs when I had personal issues. I felt involved and included and genuinely a part of the server as a whole. During my time and talking to staff, they told me about past members who had been removed for a variety of reasons, and I was lead to believe that these members were bad for RP and that I should warn other RPs about them.

I’ve since learned all was not as it seemed, and that apparently these types of lies were unfortunately common. Additionally, I had friends who struggled to fit in with the Ardegi group. I was confused at the time. I had seemed to fit in so well, why were they struggling? Now, I feel as though it was the wool over my eyes that allowed me to fit in.

As a 21 year old in college, I admittedly suffered a lot of pressure, anxiety, stress, and depression. I still do, to a degree. Those of you who use RP and Discord servers may know that there is sometimes a channel called a “vent” channel. Sometimes it is preceeded with TW tags as well, because, in my experience, it is meant as a place to yell into the void and not have the void expected to yell back.

I started to go downhill in Ardegi after the new year.

In February, I was issued a warning by staff for godmodding characters. I had taken up the position of deputy in CliffClan and had told the currently serving medicine cat to assume they had healthy patients. In Ardegi, there was (at the time) a system for sick cats in CliffClan. It was complicated, a lot was going on, and the moderator who controlled the system was not easy to get in touch with, nor was the leader of the Clan. Rather than struggle with the system, I advised the medicine cat’s RPer that they did not need to do sickness rolls. I did not say the RPers wouldn’t request treatment still, but they no longer needed to do the complicated rolling system to see if treatment succeeded or failed.

This was deemed godmodding, and I was warned.

Shortly thereafter, I suffered an extreme bout of depression. I turned to the vent channel, which had been an extremely good outlet for me in the past, as I did not expect members to offer any support or aid. They’re not trained professionals. Vent is for yelling into the void, and so I yelled. I said I was not good enough, vented in an, admittedly, self-deprecating manner. I wasn’t looking for aid, I just wanted to yell.

A staff member messaged me after this occurred, and we started to talk. Believing that this was a personal discussion, not a discussion between a member of the RP and a staff member, I admitted that the godmodding warning had broken the dam of emotions I had been holding back for weeks. Stress from school had piled up, and as some of you with mental illness might know, it only takes one thing to break that dam sometimes. There’s nothing you can do about what breaks down the dam. You deal with it. You move on.

I admitted this to the staff member believing we were having a conversation as friends. I was wrong.

During these events, I was busy apologizing to the aforementioned medicine cat of CliffClan for my choice about the sick cats, and the staff member that had created the system. I was still in a bad place mentally, and I did not want to start confrontation or argument. I know that I can be hostile in the depths of depression, so rather than lash out, I wished to amend things professionally and without allowing for emotions to seep in.

Still struggling with a depressive episode, I turned to my personal Tumblr blog (not this blog) and vented. I have never forced anyone to follow my blog. I did not take the post I made to Ardegi and say “Hey guys, look at this!” In no way did I believe this post affected Ardegi. It was not a happy post. It was not a lighthearted post. It was sad and angry and depressing, but posting it made me feel better.

After I posted in my personal blog, I fell asleep. I calmed myself, recovered, and tried to start the slow climb back to stability. I was added to a group message with both admins and a moderator and sent the following message:

I don’t deny these points, but I felt attacked. 

1. Vent channels are for venting. As my vent was posted before the spoiler system in Discord, I had no way to black out what I said. The vent channel was marked as possibly triggering.

2. As mentioned, the things I said to a staff member were said friend-to-friend, not member-to-staff. I wasn’t saying it to make the staff member fix anything. I was just trying to talk to a friend and express what had happened.

3. My neutral-toned apology was meant to be professional, unbiased, and removed from the emotional state I was in.

4. My personal blog post was not shared in the server. I never asked the server to follow me.

I never abused or attacked any members of Ardegi. I was flexible with plots and RP. I adjusted my villain to fit within the standards of the RP (a RP that allowed the inclusion of the murder of a litter of kittens, in cold blood, before I was a member). I never asked Ardegi to be the professionals to help me. I used the appropriate channels to vent and spoke privately to a friend who turned out not to be a friend.

RP was my outlet. I believe that I never harmed anyone within Ardegi. Though it was phrased as asking me to take a willing leave of absence, the following line of deliberating whether I could stay or not was phrased in a way that...made me feel like I had no choice. I could leave quietly, or I would be forced out. I left quietly after expressing that I felt they had given me no choice.

Following my departure, friends within the server told me it was explained that I had left voluntarily. I shared the screenshot above with my friends and explained what I have explained here today. I cannot speak for my friends’ opinions, but I felt betrayed by Ardegi. They were lying to my friends and saying I had left voluntarily, making it sound like this was a choice I had.

I had no choice.

I could leave, or they would have made me leave. That’s not a choice, Ardegi, that’s an ultimatum.

I have since met some of the people that Ardegi’s staff spoke ill of to me. Those people, or rather person in my case, is not a bad person. They are nothing like what Ardegi led me to believe. After my own experience and sharing it with others, I really can’t believe in good faith that Ardegi hasn’t done what Anonymous users are claiming they’ve done. I know others they have hurt. Some members find a decent community there, but it’s not easy. From my experience, being in the leadership positions helps keep you in favor of the staff.

Make your own decisions. This is my testimony. I don’t want to cower and hide. Ardegi can say what they want about me; this is the story as I know it.

EDITED ADDITION BEGINS HERE

After posting this, I got in talks with Admin Ken of the Ardegi server. I had always considered the Ardegi team my friends before this incident, and so I was genuinely hurt by the message I had received. Ken and I set out to address our mutual concerns and try to find a common ground, and I believe we have achieved this.

Ken admits that the handling of my situation was not ideal, and that staff honestly panicked when faced with a situation of a member in deep depression. In Ken’s own words, 

“It was never our intent to just throw you out like that - our intent was to approach you and ask you to voluntarily take your leave, which we assumed you did - we didn’t intentionally lie to members about that.”

Knowing Ken before this event and having talked extensively, I believe these words to be genuine. I still believe that, 3 or so months ago, Ardegi did have some problems with how they handled my situation. I was not banned, but I left feeling as though that was my only option. Having talked to Ken, I realize now this wasn’t their intent.

Both sides admit their shortcomings. I should have handled my episode better, and staff should have handled the situation better. Ardegi has learned from this and is, in my opinion, trying to improve. Not all RP servers are perfect. 

Obviously, the biggest part of this is communication. Ken and I admit this should have been a talk had a long time ago, but neither of us was willing to make that first step for a long time. We have both apologized and want to try being friends again, which I think is a very positive outcome.

If you need to ask questions, you can message me here or at  bepbep_beaches#6020 on Discord.

[kaoarika]

As some may know, I still use DeviantArt for archival purposes. It was a pain to reupload EVERYTHING I uploaded to Tumblr between 2015-2018 there, and sometimes I think if it was worth enough considering all that has happened there since.

I am also very aware that DA is a cesspool of content and it has been that way since pretty much the mid-to-late 2000s. And especially it went to WORSE after it was bought out by another company, the Eclipse UI redesign being one of the results from this.

In fact, with the light of those godawful enefities and bad faith actors stealing art from left to right for their profit, and them making a small step forward in “protecting” their users from them, I thought it was kinda good? Like I said, a small step forward... but there was also this small lingering feeling that they could have done so much more than just releasing a tool that would alert you about scammers.

So, to my surprise, I found out someone in their staff wrote what I interpret as a very positive article post about w3/b3 and I’m... baffled on the direction they might be going with this... if this means what it is implying it is meaning.

DA is also notorious in the artist community because they never listen their vocal userbase, hence why the site is still a mess in the first place. And why, with Eclipse, many others decided to explore other venues. Tbh, there’s still not a social site that is openly oriented for artists and normal people alike to share art with and provide comments (and I believe Tumblr is still top on that... but lbr, even with the pr0n ban in late 2018, many people also went to other venues, and this site might not be doing hot these days either) that are not relegated to a goddamn algorhythm and don’t offer a proper organized archive for the users’ art pieces (or proper search options, you know the drill).

What is quite BAFFLING about that article though? I have seen people claiming it appeared on their notifications (it was uploaded 2 days ago), and somewhat I haven’t seen it announced on mine. I found it on a twitter thread about artists expressing VERY VALID concerns about AI-produced art posted in art sites, and just a few hours ago it has been gaining traction around DA’s former and present userbase.

SURE, the article doesn’t say much about them officially moving into this direction, and are (still, valid) asking the community of their thoughts on the topic, but... you know. *exaggerated hands motions*, and most comments (by now) are negative because it doesn’t explain much about what they are going to do... but it might be implying what they ARE going to do next.

I know, I know, I KNOW, “corps. aren’t your friends”, etc, etc, etc. That site is over 20 years old, I started to use it in late 2004, it was not too bad at the time, etc. I have been disappointed in it since the early 2010s... and Eclipse didn’t help. But I still feel a little disappointed?, even if there are no official words on what they will do.

“Rebuilding” after an exodus of sorts is... difficult, and even more as a small user. A LOT of the people I used to follow there don’t even use DA anymore, and the few that still do, maybe some of them still use it as an archive and because their stuff gains some traffic traction compared to social media, despite the frequent art theft still plaguing INSIDE the same website since ye olde’ days.

I’m... this is more than a step backwards, and I still believe that all these buzzwords related w3/b3 thanks to those freaking techleeches made this oh SO MUCH worse.

[padawanlost]

okay but isn't being a gray jedi - aka using both the light side and dark side of the force - like the most optimal way to use the force? like, balance, using your emotions and not letting your emotions use you, staying centered but not repressing, and all that. seems p obvious to me, though I guess I could be missing something

it seemsobvious, right? lol

but theJedi idea of balance was a world where only the Jedi existed. They believedthat the prophecy meant Anakin would destroy the sith once and for all. that’swhat happened, but not the way they thought it would.

Is he not to destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force?              

In theirminds, balance wasn’t the Force as an stable system. It was a galaxy withoutthe sith. And noticed that they don’t say a world without the dark side, but aworld without the sith. There were other groups of dark side force users butonly the sith, their ultimate enemies and the biggest threat to the jedi order,needed to be exterminated. Convenient, isn’t it?

If we considerthe Jedi Order as cult-like organizations, that indoctrinate their member tonegate anything that doesn’t support the Order it gets even easier to explainwhy they couldn’t see Grey Jedi as viable alternative.

The JediOrder was built on the idea that only the LIGHT side was good. and any attemptto learn about the Force beyond the teachings of the Jedi order was deemed dangerousand ground for expulsion or death (if they consider you a sith wannabe).

Cult’s doctrine is considered the ‘Truth’ witha capital T, it covers every eventuality and members are expected to except it completely, even if they don’tunderstand it. Eric Hoffer says that the best cult doctrines areunverifiable and un-evaluable. This means they cannot be proven or disproved,they have to be accepted on faith [x]

The Jedidon’t teach about the dark side. They teach that anyone who uses the dark sideis corrupted and irredeemable. It’s a one way street and you should do your bestto stay away from it. but they don’t explain anything about the dark side. Remember,only members of the Jedi Council have access to the ancient texts and sith holocronsbecause it’s “dangerous knowledge” and regular jedi looking for thatinformation – for whatever reason – are viewed with great suspicions. Even lookingfor information on the dark side is bad.

Cults typically reduce things to black andwhite. Shades of grey are not allowed.After all if they have the ultimate Truth, (with a capital T) then every othergroup must be wrong, which leads to an ‘us versus them’ mentality. You’re either with the group or you’re anoutsider. (This is often as aspect of the paranoia of cult leaders, too) [x]

Now thatonly a handful of people have access to whole picture, it’s much easier tocontrol the thinking of rest of the group. But how you make sure that they don’tlearn from other places?

This goes part of the way to explaining howgroup members end up distancing themselves from family and friends. They are made to believe that outsiders(i.e., those not in the group) are a bad influence and are stopping them fromgrowing, evolving, progressing in some way. [x]

Until youare an adult and pass the test to prove you’re a “proper” Jedi you can’t goanywhere without the authorization of your master. You hardly leave the Templewithout company. The outside world is considered a dangerous place for apadawan. Trips are regulated and once you return you must report everything youlearn straight to the Council.

The Jediorder, over time, became so afraid of the unknown, they slowly began creating mechanismto weed out everything that they deemed dangerous or unnecessary. What startedwith the “light side is good” became a cyclical process of indoctrination: an indoctrinatedchild becomes an indoctrinated adult who indoctrinates another child. The jediare trapped in that mindset. The jedi are right and everyone who disagree withthat is wrong. And who represents the thinking brain of the Jedi Order? TheJedi Council, the only beings with the means to learn beyond the jedipropaganda but who don’t because they were personally educated by the oneperson resolvable for overseeing almost a millennia of indoctrination.

Very oftenthe doctrine of cults creates impossibilities and the members are urged to tryand obtain these. The members, of course, don’t see these as impossibilities. Typically the leader claims to have theseabilities and the members are simply trying to be as good as the leader.For example, working without emotions,never making judgments, having perfect days whenever you want them, neverbreaking the rules, never sinning (notice the black-and-white thinking!).[x]

They allthough to believe that Yoda is the greatest because he mastered their greatest challenges:to let go of their attachments, to live in the moment, to “read” the force’swill, to not be ruled by their emotions, to overcome fear, etc. we all knowthey are wrong. Yoda was as fallible was the rest of them. but because theybelieve it, the unreasonable goals of the Jedi Code became reasonable and attainable.So why be a great Jedi, why learn beyond the order when the Order’s wayobviously work? They had a living prove that it worked (Yoda)!

Yoda, notonly kept the Jedi order stagnated, he become an inspirations: if I do wellenough and please my master and the Council one day I’ll be as great as yoda orhis apprentices. We can see that in TPM when Obi-wan is clearly upset Qui-Gon doesnot obey them to get a sit on the Council.

It was difficult for unorthodox Jedi—especiallythose labeled as Gray Jedi—to join the Council or ascend to any position ofreal leadership within the Order. As the High Council chose its own members,they tended to select moretraditionalist Jedi, such as the group described as the Old Guard. Jinn’s candidacy as a member of the HighCouncil was rejected first in favor of Plo Koon, and later the Cerean Ki-Adi-Mundi,both of whom were more in line with the Council’s way of thinking.[x]

The Jedi Order was not interested in changing. AcceptingGrey Jeid as a good thing and welcoming a new way of thinking went againsteverything the PT-era Jedi Order stood for.

Their way was the only way.