#but it felt like it applied to those specific ships

[starchaserdreams]

"Basically the whole book they're like what if I fell in love jk jk unless"

[chuthulhu-plays]

I generally watch LPs of horror games bc I'm too anxious to actually play them but a lot of them have FANTASTIC stories, so sometimes I just binge-watch KrinxTV for background noise. Been watching a lot of playthroughs of Still Wakes The Deep because it's such a delight to hear Scottish voice actors get work and I thought I'd address some questions I keep seeing Let's Players ask:

--Adair is a member of the National Front as you can find out from posters in his cabin, a Neo-Fascist British political party that’s been going since the sixties. While it often preaches British ethnic unity, in practice that often means “everybody in the UK should be exactly like East End Londerners” and features plentiful disdain for Scottish, Irish, and Welsh folk, alongside those perceived as “not British”. No wonder the wanker eats alone in the canteen.

--Neeps and Tatties=turnips and potatoes, mashed, drenched in butter or sauce. Fills your belly, keeps you warm, probably makes you sink like a stone because it’s so heavy.

--Cranachan=a dessert made of raspberries, honey, cream and oats, absolutely delicious

--Rennick calls Caz a “wee ned prick”. Ned is apocryphally said to stand for “non-educated delinquent” and is basically just a way of calling someone an uneducated, lower-class criminal

--A lot of things said by and about Roy indicate that he’s a teetotaller who went through AA and specifically became Catholic and is making an effort at converting Caz.

--I think it’s entertaining how Scottish nicknames often follow a pattern of shortening/rejiggering that I also see a lot with Australian nicknames—Cameron becomes Caz, Rafferty becomes Raffs, etc. Trots is an unusual one but is almost certainly a reference to him being a communist, presumably a Trotskyist. Gibbo is also an unusual one in that it’s just very silly. There’s a kind of indignity implied in being killed by a guy called Gibbo.

--A few times on the radio you hear the Shipping Forecast, a type of weather report aimed at specifically reporting weather conditions out on the ocean, and is also famous for the report being read in such a calm, soothing tone that some folk use it as a sleep aid.

--All the yellow paint for interactable things is very video gamey, yes, but is also in line with old British health and safety standards, and yellow paint on things like emergency ladders or on the edges of stairs that are trip hazards is a thing ou can still see in some older buildings.

--Caz keeps saying he’s “good with the leccy”; leccy=electricity. Caz is implied to be quite a wee guy who can get through a lot of tight spaces, and my uncle swears blind that electricians used to refuse to take on apprentices over a certain size because they only wanted to train wee guys who could get up into the tight spaces that a lot of older buildings are full of. On that note, “wee man” is a term of endearment, generally, and isn’t exclusively applied to short guys.

--Finlay saying of Gibbo that “he’s no right” is INCREDIBLY OMINOUS. It sounds mild but “he’s no right, that boy” is what older folk say about a child who’s been found disembowelling cats for fun or someone they strongly suspect is a pedophile. It’s not something you’d say about a friend who’s just acting a bit unusually.

– “Great minds united over a Buckie”--Buckfast, or Buckie, is a caffienated tonic wine that’s cheap, widely accessible, and is a bit like rocket fuel for bad decisions.

– “Ya roaster” tbh I don’t really know where it comes from, calling someone a roaster, but I’ve always felt like it has a vibe of telling them they’re huffing their own farts.

--Scunnert/scunnered--buggered, screwed, utterly fucked, etc

– “You’re the jammiest bastart on this rig” Someone who is jammy is someone who has incredible luck that is implied to be related to their sheer confidence or willingness to engage in risky behaviour. Walking along the street and finding a pound coin isn’t jammy; crossing the road confident that the cars won’t hit you and stopping in the middle to pick up a pound coin before making it unscathed to the other side is jammy as all hell.

--Barlinnie is the biggest prison in Scotland, and largely hosts violent offenders—it’s where Caz would definitely go for hospitalizing a man.

--Weans are children (contraction of wee yins/wee ones). I thought this one was contextually obvious but apparently not.

SPOILERS BELOW

--”One spark and the whole thing’ll go up”—this is referring to the wee spark of flame in the lighter used to blow up the rig, but is also kind of a pun because electricians are often called sparks or sparkies, and in the end it’s Caz who blows up the rig.

[thecoolerliauditore]

Hi. I'll bite. What's the Jimmy ecosystem?

(completely genuine, feel free to direct me to an older post if there is one, i just didn't find it)

oh my goodness, an excuse to explain one of my strange pidgin language-esque terms of convenience that I'm not quite sure anyone understands outside of one or two people. that tubbytarchia guy put it into words pretty well if you're looking for the short version.

long version below:

"jimmy ecosystem" is more or less a shorthand I started saying to refer to the social system that keeps jimmy in his role of being "the worst one" (the butt of the joke, the one who goes out first, the obstacle to be surmounted, so on and so forth).

on the CC side of things, I think the imp and skizz podcast episode with joel put it best on how this came to be: jimmy is good at the youtube thing, and happy to be mocked or humiliated for the sake of making content. He's your guy for any gag, there's no wonder why he plays the goofy antagonist for so many of the POVs in esmp2.

but this creates a. very strange and sad effect when you look in from the perspective of character interpretation. esmp2 jimmy, for example, by being the bad guy in so many people's stories (especially when he really hasn't done much at all to earn the mockery he gets) feels more upsetting when you're watching his POV and it seems like no matter where he goes he gets mocked and bullied.

it carries over to almost every series: life series jimmy specifically gets this very clearly shown through his knack for being out first.

in a way I almost see the ecosystem and its effect on Jimmy (and Jimmy's performance) as an alternative school of thought to the canary curse. Both are concepts that explore Jimmy's "badness" being something forced upon him rather than something innate or entirely his failings as a player/person. Except while the canary curse ascribes the blame to nebulous concepts like The Watchers, the ecosystem puts the blame squarely on the people surrounding Jimmy who work at keeping him down. (<-- not that people can't like both ofc)

I used the term "ecosystem" because 1. it sounded funny and 2. it was what I felt like was the most fitting term, since the ecosystem especially when applied to the life series isn't so much people poking jimmy for fun but rather that and using it directly to their advantage to life themselves up. If Jimmy isn't out first, someone else will be, it might even be you, and you wouldn't want that so it is genuinely incentivized for you to keep Jimmy down as much as possible. This part has always been a bit heavy on the headcanon territory since historically the worse performing players are the ones much kinder to Jimmy, but it's definitely something to look at case-by-case.

Outside of literally his performance in the life series, I and others have also used The Ecosystem quite a lot to refer to Jimmy's relationships, mostly those with other men. Since Jimmy loves to do flirty bits, it spawns a lot of romantic plotlines, and when conjoined with the aforementioned inescapable bullying bit it gets... Weird, when you write about the characters.

With the exception of Tango, all of Jimmy's popular ship partners frequently hit, berate, mock and humiliate him, but all in their own special and unique ways. But one thing that tends to stay the same is that their relationships are nearly always more built on what the partner desires to get out of Jimmy.

I could go on but essentially: the ecosystem acts to me as an exploration of the intersection of skill at the game and worth as a person, as well as the themes of masculinity and gayness that I've found tend to pop up again and again in Jimmy's story. If you choose to read it as a story, of course.

Those initiated into the Ecosystem (Joel, Scott, Martyn, Grian, Fwhip, Sausage) have an understanding that Jimmy plays a certain lowest rung role in their social order and work to maintain that order for their own benefit (NUANCE button may be pressed here especially re: those first three). Those outside of the Ecosystem view it as a natural order they shouldn't disturb, sometimes even catching onto certain beliefs, e.g. "Jimmy is worse than everyone else" and internalizing them (Etho is a good example with how he was more or less Jimmy-neutral at the start of the life series and by the time SL/WL was happening he very casually says stuff like "oh, it's just Jimmy,"), few are completely oblivious to it and the fact that bullying Jimmy is what they Should Do socially but still will join in when prompted (Tango and Scar are very good examples).

If you've noticed that I've only listed male players, that is very much on purpose since even though there are women very much aware and participating in the ecosystem -- lizzie being the biggest example -- their involvement is, at least to me, noticeably a different flavour compared to the guys. Which I suppose makes enough sense with how much of it feels like a pseudoscientific wolf pack macho dynamic (and it probably doesn't help that they are entirely immune to the gay bits). Women in the Jimmy ecosystem is probably an entire post on its own, Lizzie alone could probably get quite a few paragraphs out of me.

anyway. very funny also to me to imagine jimmy as some sort of amoeba.

[mycatishandsome]

How I Shift: a step-by-step

So to start, I want to remind ya'll that what works for me, can and wil work for you, if you assume it will.

For context, I like to believe that the multiverse theory is true, but like mixing it in with the LOA (3D/4D/etc.) theory. I could sit here all day and talk and talk about those theories, but that's not what this post is about. If you scroll on my blog, you'll find plenty of posts that can do it better than I.

SO, where do we begin?

1.) As an obvious start, it's good to pick where it is you'd like to shift/ what you'd like to shift into this "reality". It's not super necessary, but it's great to reaffirm where it is your going/what you're bringing in.

2.) I like shifting at night (like most others), so before a shift, something I'll do is carve out a bit of time to go through my Pinterest boards. This is a great way to visualize what you want (what you technically already have) This is also great for my non-visualizers (or just those who have trouble doing it on the spot). it's a great way to reaffirm.

3.) Then depending on my DR, I'll choose an ambiance sound that is related (for example: star wars-space/ship sounds, harry potter-train sounds, pirates??? ships creaking/wind)(also sounds can be super broad, like rain/thunderstorm sounds) personally, I feel like ambience is crazy helpful for me (as I assume it is).

-The way I see it, and how I use it: The sounds I'm hearing ambiance wise, are the sounds I hear in my DR as well. They will not distract me! I have animals and loud roommates. Rather than sit there and get annoyed, i think to myself, "wow my house mates are rowdy tonight" in my DR. I apply those sounds TO my DR. This goes for the ambiance as well!

4.) At this point, I then pick how I'm going to meditate. So because I have autism, I tend to use the same two mediations because it's what I'm comfortable with (and they help me the best!) I'll tag them here :)

I start with this one: Law of Assumption meditation

Then listen to this one immediately after: Law of Assumption Meditation part 2

I listen to these one after the other using an app called musi. I set them to a timer so i don't have to stop a playlist or anything, just set it and go!

5.) I sometimes strait up fall asleep and shift, and sometimes i shift during these meditations. It often depends on how my mind set is, as sometimes I've had a tough day, or i just can't stop thinking about the exam i have tomorrow. Generally when I feel like this, I listen to another meditation before these other two. I don't have a specific one to link, i usually just look up 10 minute meditations. These will usually help me to relax and empty my mind.

Notice how none of these are shifting meditations. if you think it will work for you, then it will! I've always found that even when i was in the right mindset, shifting meditations were very.....not what shifting is. I always felt like they played against what i was trying to achieve. I'm sure there are some that are great and incredibly helpful!! I personally just haven't found that one yet. Shifting is generally simple, and to the point, there's no need to use complicated steps. (ONCE AGAIN, UNLESS you find they work for you! in your reality they may work just fine!)

I hope this helps, or at the very least gives some of ya'll some ideas on what to try!

Happy shifting!

[atiny-for-life]

A general rant about shipping and all that stuff...

I was asked by @thirstkanaphan for my take on this post so I've gathered my thoughts and realized I actually have a lot to say about the topic, broadly speaking and beyond the scope of what was mentioned there.

Before I begin, I'll preface this by saying I think about all of this extremely differently than what's talked about in the post. I personally also don't feel comfortable applying fictional shipping dynamics onto real people, but I also don't view it as harmful as long as it maintains restricted to fandom spaces and doesn't get pushed out to the ones it's about, so I hope we can all be cool about this!

Also, I'm 29 now and I've seen the way shipping culture has impacted real people's friendships and such, so I'll abstain from interpreting into any of their dynamics - I'll just go based on what I see and what they've said.

#1 - The Current Drama (apparently. I was previously unaware of this.)

Regarding the whole WooSanSang shipper-drama, all I can think is... this is just history repeating itself. We had the same stuff going on in the BTS fandom when certain Taekook shippers started piling onto Jimin for no reason. And what did that accomplish? Nothing. Precisely. It just made everyone, especially Tae and Jungkook, uncomfortable.

Back then, Tae even specifically called those shippers out and yet they still wouldn't stop:

So please, guys, let's not follow in those footsteps. Be better than this!

#2 - The Main Topic: Ateez vs Fanservice and Group Chemistry™

I definitely won't sit here and claim Ateez don't do fanservice - they do a lot for the fans directly (certainly more than I think they should feel obligated to) and they're obviously aware fans scream louder when any of them get close to each other, so they most likely know the most popular "ships", but I personally think comparing any of this to the Thai BL industry is taking things too far. Way too far, even.

But I'll explain myself:

I remembered them directly addressing this type of thing before so I dug around a bit and found the discussion I was thinking of in this 2020 video:

From that, we can already gather that group dynamics and chemistry have always been fluent in their heads and it's not about couples - duos, trios, the 99 line, Tropical Boys - it's all on the same level for them, all of it contributes to the Group Chemistry™.

Hongjoong here is still hilarious to me though:

On top of that, I genuinely don't think the company cares much about any of this. They just let them do whatever as long as they don't go causing controversies. That's also why they let the guys loose without media training. (The Jumping Ban™ was always a joke btw - it was never real.)

You gotta keep in mind KQ was originally a management agency - they were never following the same grain as BigHit. They also never had Ateez on a dating ban. I really don't think ships were on their mind much at all for a long time, probably right up until WooSan shippers felt the need to act up and start micro-analyzing and interpreting a million things into every small exchange which must have been impossible to ignore.

I do think that sudden shitstorm made all eight of them more aware of the many eyes that have been newly aimed at them and it's made them more careful and reserved in regards to certain things like having arguments on camera and such - they used to include moments like those in Logbooks sometimes.

But regardless, as someone who's been on top of Ateez's content since 2021, I honestly can't say I ever sensed a strain in any of their dynamics. They all very clearly adore each other a lot and, as time passed, they all collectively got closer and closer, but as they've matured, new dynamics also emerged (Topaz, for example, got really close really quickly, but also JongSang have gotten wilder, SanSang obviously got closer, and Wooyoung's lil crush on Yunho was addressed openly - and often jokingly). But that's just what happens when you're around the same 7 people day in and day out for years.

We see the same thing in groups like NCT Dream who all grew up together and have been together for ages. They constantly shift who they're obsessed with, but the overall family dynamic never wavers. I think that's just human nature - you switch up your favorite person to hang out with which keeps things interesting.

What I think is generally noteworthy though is that multiple duos can be doing the exact same thing, but only the most popular ships will be talked about and it'll be seen as A Moment™. This happens all the time.

But if you zoom out and actually keep track of all of them, it's clear to see they're all constantly all over each other - both with words and actions. I mean, all of these are from the same recent Logbook alone:

These guys just really, really love each other a lot and they're super comfortable in each other's space. They also all talk about each other all the time, whether the others are around or not. And whenever they have a solo schedule it's all "the members this", "the members that" - it's super sweet.

But more importantly, as they've gained popularity, they've also gotten more and more opportunities to build their careers, both as a group and individually. And this is exactly why I think this is no way comparable to the Thai BL industry which is wholly centred around couple-dynamics.

Ateez have been and always will be primarily about music, dancing, occasionally modelling, and whatever other passions they have. Since the beginning, they performed in zombie make-up, with masks on, etc. - they want to be known for their performances, their achievements and that's what they promote.

Whenever they do do fanservice, it's very obvious, honestly. For example, the duo fancalls recently where they were acting out what the fans wanted (the SeongJoong hug, Wooyoung sucking at Yeosang's cheek). Or when they play games where they have to get really up close and personal, they'll often exaggerate it and make teasing comments. Or when Wooyoung rubbed up against everyone while dancing to "Sexy Back" (San and Seonghwa's faces here are so friggin' funny lmao). But even when they do this type of stuff, they clearly still have fun with it themselves.

#3 - So what do I think of SanSang?

I think San just adores Yesoang a lot and he feels very protective of him. San's always been a protector even before he bulked up and, now that Wooyoung's really grown into himself and gained a lot of confidence, San may have instinctively moved to Yeosang who, honestly? Needs a protector more than anyone else in this group.

Wooyoung's already protected him for a long time and we've heard the stories of how that went - Yeosang getting fooled by a prank call, accepting strangers' invitations to pet their dogs, often needing instructions explained twice because he zones out a lot. He's not incapable - far from it (I mean, he chose to leave BigHit for his own good, thinking Wooyoung wouldn't follow, he's LOCKED IN whenever he performs, etc.) - but it is good he has people around who'll stick by him and watch over him.

#4 - San hiding his anger?

I also think San being different on- and off-camera isn't all too surprising. From the beginning, he's always acted the most while filmed (pitching up his voice, acting cutesy) because he was worried about coming across as scary or intimidating , and now he's likely concerned about being misunderstood or causing negative press if he allows himself to slip and let his anger show.

Mind you, I think his anger is likely primarily directed at saesangs, reporters, perhaps certain interview questions or other shit going on in the Kpop industry or just the world at large (politics, social injustices, etc.). We know he has a huge heart and he cares deeply and feels very protective, so seeing the state of the world right now will likely make him no less angry than it does the rest of us. But since he's a public figure, he has to sit on it a lot more.

#5 - 8 Makes 1 Team!

Now regarding what I think whenever the members flirt with each other, bicker, hug, kiss, etc. - I think they just do it because it's fun! They enjoy the fans getting so loud and hyped up while they're on stage, but they clearly also love seeing each other's reactions, pushing each other's boundaries, exploring how far they can go before the other one puts a stop to it. I mean, they've always been equally affectionate off camera too.

For example, Wooyoung biting Yeosang shortly after meeting him, WooSan being seen with their arms around each other while walking down the street years ago, all the 99 liners going to Seonghwa's bed for cuddles when they were still all sharing a dorm as eight (Seonghwa mentioned it in a live once when Yunho came to lay down with him).

They always pile onto each other, whether they know they're being filmed or not. It's likely what happens when you've been through hell together and we know their path to success was tough and included lots of abuse at the hands of Mnet, people who called themselves fans but aren't, award shows, and more. Not to mention the shit Jongho's been through with his former label and Mingi needing a mental health break and time to reconsider whether he even wanted to continue on this path or not.

Them having been this open with their words and physical affection from early on (thanks, Wooyoung <3) is clearly also what has gotten Jongho to be so much bolder now compared to when they first debuted. He even thanked them for it in 2019:

Ultimately, I don't know if any of them are truly dating or have ever dated. Just as I don't know if any of them have had or currently have romantic crushes on each other. All I know is what they show us and what they say and anything beyond that is for them to know and them to know only. I'm just happy to see them happy and thriving.

In conclusion:

I don't want to shame anyone for how they interpret and interact with the content Ateez puts out. If you like to ship, ship away within fandom spaces. All is good as long as personal boundaries are respected and everyone remains conscious of where they post and who might see it.

Please also keep in mind that everything I said here is simply how I see it, but if you'd like to chat about differences in opinion and such, please do feel free reach out - my ask box and messages are always open! <3

[azaharinflames]

Okay, I need to rant. But can buddies please fucking stop with the dinosaur/disgusting old man/crypt keeper comments? For fucks sakes. As a gay man veering on the edge of 40, like Tommy, seeing those comments fucking hurt. Like idgaf if someone dislikes Tommy/BT, that's their feelings, they don't have to go about shipping them.

But the ageism that side of the fandom shows is fucking bs.

Ugh sorry for the rant. I'm just really tired of the ageism specifically

(I'm tired of buddies in general but I digress)

Hi, Nonnie! I love a good rant, and I'm so glad you felt safe to rant here <3

Yeah, their ageism is, honestly, fucking disgusting. I understand how those comments may have hurt you, and I am so very sorry you felt this way. Perhaps hot take, and please educate me if I'm wrong, but it is my perception that the majority of the people making these claims are overall rather young adults / old teens (the majority that I've seen women, though I'm sure it is not exclusive to them) that do not know how it is to be an adult and have adult relationships. Their take on Tommy's age is disturbing and upsetting, and does not make sense.

Also, isn't Eddie/RG like only two years-ish younger than him? Not to say I want them to attack him, but I am saying that they hide in ageism, just like they hide when they yell racism for a comment Tommy made twenty years back. Or how they pretend to be the Henren warriors to hate on BuckTommy, yet they are the first ones to hate on them if they have a storyline before Eddie does.

They hate because they are hateful, disgusting people, and try to 'justify' it by hiding in rather dangerous and harmful rhetoric that, ultimately, does not apply to what they are saying.

Once again, I'm so sorry they make you feel this way. Know that everything they say comes from a place of pure hate, and not truth.

My inbox is open for ranting, venting, giving your opinion (unpopular or popular, I'm happy to receive and discuss both), and even confessions! Though if you don't want yours posted, please make sure to say :)

Take care, dear Nonnie <3

[aquaaquila]

My very long rant about The Owl House many will have issues reading

Felt like writing my hot takes within The Owl House and its fan base after witnessing some crazy drama all over the blogs I follow and followed:

First things first, I want to establish that there's nothing wrong with liking other ships that are non-canon or ships that are canon. We can all co-exist peacefully, but we won't if we're going to assume that shippers of other ships by default must be sexist or delusional or just the worst. There are plenty of bad apples among all the shippers here, but they're not necessarily the norm (though to be fair the norm usually enables the worst behaviors of such shippers). As a whole TOH isn't a healthy collective and could never be as this fan base is much larger than people realise (you can't have so many people invested with this show for the fan base to be supposedly chill, like Fat Chance).

Like really you can go from canon purists who will keep everything wholesome and silly but because of how starved the actual canon left them they will include a hundred different headcanons that are not in any way related to actual canon and still be upset as if the canon was threatened when you can just to agree with the headcanons alone. There's still, of course, an issue of canon purists literally rejecting everything that's in their mind is supposedly not okay because it strays away from canon in a more direct way. Then you will have Wittelore enjoyers who just love everything about Belos, Caleb, and Evelyn in various different expressions, but it can at times go to becoming lowkey colonist apologist territory along with pretty much-appropriating everything that applied to the character of color into these three when two of them canonically were never given a proper characterisation and Belos is not supposed to be just a victim that deserves grace but the very force that creates victims and the one to continue the cycle without remorse or second thoughts becoming the cycle itself, thus not making it any wrong to unceremoniously end it, though plenty of people will still have problem with it and wish the show validated Philip's feelings. However, you will also have POC defenders who will give the attention and love to characters of color they deserve and even the demon characters like King for example, and acknowledge how they're in fact the main characters while pointing out the clear white favoritism. But this can also go to an extreme territory where you will be called racist for actually finding white characters your favorite and still being interested more in their characters, which as I said is in fact incredibly extreme and disingenuous and also, something that will invalidate all the other good arguments by the virtue of this extreme being the underlying reason behind all of them and thus completely diminishing the problem because people will no longer take it seriously. Then you will have shippers of non-canon ships that are literally harassed by canon persists and were like that for years until they snapped and started to return the favor in the same way to the point of being delusional about how the canon pairings were not the original plan and how they actually suck and it's the non-canon pairing that should be canon which also further fuels the cycle and validates those who believe that somehow the shippers of other ships are after them specifically and how they mean o good when in fact they're the monsters they created themselves. This also leads to the infamous "critics" of the show who will pretty much hate anything within it to also inaccurate extreme that is based on assumptions born from the collective gaslight of some headcanons being canon, along with people judging the show on the surface and assuming things that were never the plan because they made a connection to something else they liked and got disappointed when those two things turned out to be unrelated (for example Hunter's arc being not like Zuko's arc when clearly it was never the point) and thus shushing away any potential criticism the show actually could get by the virtue of getting criticism that holds no water upon the closer look and thus makes people believe the show is, in fact, flawless or that the flaws don't matter in the slightest (when they do as they help improve future stories to not make the same mistakes and create something better). And of course, you will have people collectively gaslighting everyone around them that everything is fine and there's no drama in the show even though everyone hates each other here and fuel toxicity together by constantly drawing distinctions between "us and them" but never talking about how toxic it is.

Congratulations, we created our Emperor's Coven at home! This entire thing is pretty much the reason why I'm making this thing.

But back to the rest of the actual meat of this post, that was mere appetizer.

Second of all: Multishippers exist. Some people like both Lumity and Lunter and there are Lunter shippers who like Amity, me included as Amity's one of my favorite characters. It's disingenuous to assume Lunter shippers are by default lesphobic or just hate Amity. Heck, the reason Lunter shippers dislike Amity is less about her and more about the fan base's attitude. Imagine being constantly harassed that you don't ship mainstream ship by being specifically reminded that a specific lesbian exists, even if this isn't about her. You would be tired of her too because "good for her to be a happy lesbian", but Lumity may still not satisfy people as it's basically all fluff at this point. People are so overjoyed with them being together they hardly explore now possibilities of them going through something. At most, they will use green-haired Amity but people still will be waiting for green to turn into periwinkle, and fluff will just overwhelm anything else. And don't get me started on how both of them also end up being flanderised and dirty because of each other (as it goes both ways). People can just not vibe with that or be indifferent, but because people get harassed for daring to not love Lumity or Amity, they just end up hating it more. The issue is not Amity, the issue is Amity being the only option allowed. And gatekeeping people from enjoying other ships isn't ok. It really makes you feel like people erase aspects of their characters just to conform to a specific image of them and how can you accept something like this when the show is all about embracing weirdness and differences and not conforming to anything. Loving Lumity is a norm in this fan base, not a break with convention.

Third of all: I'm sorry to y'all but I think that considering Evelyn and Willow as literal parallels because they both fell in love with "Caleb" is disingenuous to both of them. No one would draw this connection if Willow wasn't romantically involved with Hunter. And while I don't disagree that Huntlow is goated and canon/semi-canon, their relationship is still left to interpretation and they are only implied to have a thing but not confirmed to be downright an item. We don't know 100% if they're dating, playing the long game, engaged, or amicably broken up. And that's great as both of their characters work in their own right and they don't need an established relationship to be fulfilled and people can interpret their relationship however they like, no need to throw pitchforks at one another. And Willow being dressed up AS A STEREOTYPE just doesn't help the case of her somehow being Evelyn's foil. Luz was dressed as an actual witch character (even if said witch is also not how real witches operate either, but it's still closer in meaning than Willow being dressed up as a devil as if Evelyn indeed charmed Caleb and he didn't fall in love with her like a normal person or that Evelyn was ever in the wrong to like a boy).

And as for Evelyn: please stop just summarising her up to Caleb's love interest for Titan's sake. We may not know much about her but we know that they did start as friends according to Dana's livestream and later on they would become parents to their child (if Belos didn't ruin it). Not only it's different from Huntlow as Huntlow didn't establish where they stand in their relationship at the end while it's clear that Evelyn and Caleb fucked, but Evelyn and Caleb had their love story that did take time (Huntlow at most is just getting started but for all, we know they could still break up in the future cause why not, it's their choice, first love isn't necessarily the only option). My point is that Evelyn's life didn't revolve around her love for Caleb alone so saying Willow and Evelyn are parallels because of them being lovers of our favorite white boys pretty much erases both of their characters. Evelyn's worth as a character doesn't end on getting pregnant, but also being a catalyst of all the events within the story, along with being a Clawthorne ancestor and original wild witch living between worlds.

Fifth point: this is where I bring Luz into this as the parallel, the infamous "Luz is Evelyn" everyone just loves to discard because it's only used as Lunter's argument and further making Evelyn only Caleb's bitch and nothing else, but here's a thing: you can use this parallel platonically to further spite Philip. People draw the connection because aside from having no romantic feelings towards "Caleb" (which is the only distinction between the two), Luz is also a wild witch (wild as in both wild personality-wise, wild as in everything Belos stands against (and side note: Willow being someone Belos wouldn't approve of is not a high bar because Belos would literally not approve of ANYBODY within our cast, so Willow's not special in this regard, heck Belos doesn't even know Willow all that much), wild as in using the very magic that came from the titan and wild as in a wild card that changed the course of history) that traveled between realms and came from another world (let's be real, Hunter is a witch from boiling isles, not a human from the earth, so Luz by a longshot matches the description better than Willow who's just a regular witch born in the demon realm to Hunter that frankly wouldn't be hurt or restrained by the coven system as she only uses plant magic from her bile sac and didn't go against the empire until season 1 finale and even then she didn't do it as a wild witch but child witch railing witches belonging to the coven to release Eda). Both of them also have loose association with Clawthornes as Luz isn't legally one but just a surrogate daughter of one and Evelyn's surname isn't known, the clan could've been established much later down the line or Evelyn's descendant married into Clawthorne's family, making Evelyn just an ancestor at best and distant at worst. I also already mentioned how both of them are catalysts to both the rise in power and the death of Philip while having massive guilt over it (Philip died on the inside as he killed Caleb, crossing the moral event horizon along with setting on the journey of destroying the entire realm. Plus I cannot imagine the survivor's guilt Evelyn must have felt over Caleb dying and orphaning their unborn child - which parallels Luz thinking she doomed her palisman by carving into an egg thinking it could never hatch because of how "she keeps on messing up constantly"). And of course, it's clear as day that Luz kickstarts Hunter's redemption arc by introducing Flapjack (and Evelyn did the same with Caleb, meanwhile Willow's only interaction with Flapjack is her giving him flowers on his grave; and it's worth noting as I doubt that Evelyn intentionally 'fixed" Caleb, much like Luz didn't intentionally "fixed" Hunter, though people sure love to think otherwise), making him question what he knows (a witch hunter falling in love with a witch - existential crisis is warranted, along with tones of guilt) and making him "betray" Belos (Hunter disobeyed Belos in HP and then questioned him directly in HM; Caleb "left Philip behind"). Like I'm sorry but Willow did nothing but wait till Hunter gets his shit together by himself (the only thing she actively tried to change his mind about is not judging a book by its cover but that's where it ends; she didn't call him out on doing the utterly terrible thing of kidnapping them to his cult nor anything else he did that wasn't morally correct) while Luz openly defied him and his worldview for him to come to his senses ("You're really going to take all those Palismen? I know what he does with them. I thought you were a good guy, but that was just wishful thinking" Hunter then proceeds to protect Luz from Kikimora, reveals his name, and lets Luz go with the Palismen just like that). Trivia: Evelyn also has brunette hair that is wild and tied back, Luz used to have them too early on but shorter, and currently they're curly.

That's where parallel comes from. That's what Evelyn us to Caleb: catalyst of change. Yes, Luz isn't in love with Hunter, but we could headcanon away that Caleb would be merely an uncle of Evelyn's kid, who's going to stop us from doing that? We can even make it that Philip felt replaced by Evelyn by her being Caleb's "new sibling" just for the fun of interpretation of the character.

But even if we won't do that (as no one forces us) then we must remember that parallel characters are not 2 characters being one and the same. Evelyn and Luz would still be separate entities and there's no crime in that. Luz not falling in love with a blond white boy is fine because that isn't and shouldn't be Evelyn's defining trait. Evelyn's defining trait is kickstarting change in Caleb which kickstarts Belos's vendetta against Witches. Romance was a bonus.

My sixth point: Last but not least let's finally talk about the elephant in the room that is parallel between Philip and Luz. All interpretations are valid, if you're choosing to interpret them like that, it's your valid choice and opinion. But saying that it's THE thing that happened within the show is just not correct and let me explain why before you discard me altogether if you haven't already.

Luz projected into Belos and Belos took advantage of that.

There, I said it, that's the ultimate truth of the show, you literally cannot deny this isn't how it happened.

Luz pretty much only had Philip as a point of reference to someone who shared her experience of a human in the demon realm. However, if she got to know Caleb instead of Philip, he would be the one Luz would compare herself to him. Ironically, she would be more correct as both of them are humans who run away to the demon realm after being possibly rejected by the closed-minded society and leaving behind unpleasant reality and their only living family member who they didn't realize how much they've hurt for choosing to leave them for the world that made them happy and helped them flourish (compare starved Caleb in Belos's vision to Caleb living in the demon realm and introducing Philip to Evelyn before he decided to kill them,). You could even say that Luz is a fusion of both Caleb and Evelyn at once. But unfortunately, Luz doesn't know Caleb as well as the audience does, all she knows is that he used to be a witch hunter who fell in love with Evelyn but that's about it. She doesn't know that he even has a connection to the portal door or Clawthorne ancestry.

So with no one else as a point of reference, Luz is going to compare herself to Philip Whattabitch. She assumed that she must be as bad as Belos because she thought he sincerely thought he was doing everything for a genuine reason and not because he was just a douchebag. Sure Philips's motivations are complex, but they don't come from a good place in the slightest. The Titan himself literally asks Luz if she's drunk on Eda's apple blood for thinking she's just as bad as Belos.

Like seriously, Luz stumbled on the Isles by pure accident. It was never for a reason or a higher purpose. She was never "destined" to go there, but it was her actions and decisions that led her there and changed the world around her. She didn't know the reason why she landed on Boiling Isles because there never was any reason or a prophecy to justify her presence there as it was never needed. This is not the same as Belos who willingly went to the demon realm to both find his brother and destroy all the witches. Luz very quickly grew out of "I'm the chosen one" whereas Belos made himself a false messiah. Even the Titan said that she's not chosen to be given Titan powers by fate but for her actions and kindness she's given them to support her and it was her decision to accept them. Not to mention that she respected the Isles, the inhabitants, and the magic that was part of this world, while all Belos ever did was destroy, murder, and steal it all for himself.

The show doesn't tell you Luz and Belos are foils, the show tells you that Luz VIEWS herself as Belos's foil, but she's nothing like him. Even their respective hero complexes are different. Luz seeks self-improvement to find a community for herself to belong to. But Belos? Belos wants to get praise and glory for slaughtering "the evil". Those two are not the same because Belos doesn't care about anyone but himself while Luz is all about what other people feel and think about her and she sacrifices herself multiple times for other people's sake. Belos would never do that. Belos wasn't even happy that Caleb was actually well and healthy in the demon realm, in contrast to the vision where Caleb is starved and sleep-deprived because he had to look after him ever since they were little orphans, sacrificing his own well-being. But Luz would rather give up her own hopes and dreams just to not see anyone she cares about ever put themselves on the line like that.

At most, I can agree that Luz represents what's best in humanity and Belos represents the worst, but that is still an incredibly broad concept that just doesn't contribute much to the actual story of TOH which isn't about humanity as a whole. And I'm sorry but this parallel is just used to woobify Belos and villanise Luz, something that certainly is not right. Because even if you made Belos a hero and Luz a villain, they'd still be nothing like one another.

Even Luz's dynamic with Hunter is nothing like Caleb and Philip. Caleb and Philip grew up together and they were the entire world to one another growing up. But Luz and Hunter didn't even have each other when growing up, they didn't get to know them until their teens, and the first time they meet they were at each other's throats which is different from Wittebane brothers having a loving relationship early on only for Belos to stab Caleb. Arguably, even if liked the idea of Luz and Hunter being siblings, I'd be disappointed with how much the show didn't do anything with them and it's always the fan base that pulls heavy weight on them being sibling-like. Like Hunting Palismen is them not even being friends let alone family and it's still supposed to be the pinnacle of their sibling rivalry, even though they were actual enemies and Luz is just as petty and immature here as she is with Kikimora? Luz supposedly didn't go after Hunter after he ran away from the Owl House whereas she did chase King when he learned the truth in Echoes of the Past? Supposedly we never had an on-screen scene where Hunter officially becomes a Noceda? I'm sorry but I will take a "You're family" from Afro-Latina as not confirmation that I'm a sibling but a friend who is close enough to be as valued as a family member, especially followed by Willow's "You're one of us now" and preceded with Camila's "I'm a mother of six". Are Hunter and Willow siblings too now? Hunter didn't even get to be in a photo of the Noceda family in the epilogue, what kind of brother would that be?

Camila is more of a Caleb to Luz considering it was her who raised Luz through trials and tribulations, sacrificing her own quirks and encouraging Luz to do the same just to conform to the norms of Gravesfield. But quite frankly it's Luz who ultimately runs away because of a certain Clawthorne Witch leaving Camila behind. Hunter literally has no such story with Luz, unless you count him running away in HM, only to return to COTH a week later and then finally live under Nocedas' roof.

Even when Luz didn't like Hunter's guts, she would never kill him. And despite being dressed up as Belos in the nightmare sequence, there's never a parallel between Philip and Caleb, because truly this isn't their relationship. And while we're at it, the whole nightmare sequence is once again a play on Luz's insecurities and doubts, but none of them are the truth. None of Luz's friends blame her for what happened, none of Belos's crimes are her crimes, and Luz would never willingly destroy the Boiling Isles because she doesn't destroy the things or people she hates. Even Belos was not finished off by Luz but by boiling rain and her family.

Ok, I finished venting about everything that's been going on inside my head. Might add more on the way, but those were the issues that were bugging me so now do whatever you want with it.

[asexual-spongebob]

ZaDr headcanons: part 3

you guys really like these posts huh?

part 1 , part 2.

note: these aren’t all wots related. some of still apply, some of em dont. Also applies to previous posts.

• Before they got to together, while they were still yearning for each other, they’d leave each other notes, addressed from their “secret admirer” and leave each other gifts. Dib fessed up to it first tho.

• They were both very touch and affection starved. Dib was very surprised at how affectionate Zim could be, same applies to Zim. He was surprised that Dib actually liked being cuddled and stuff.

• Zim fell first, Dib fell harder.

• Zim had a whole fucking crisis about it, and realized he was bi and that his whole thing with Tak was actually a genuine crush. Even if he no longer has those feelings for her. It was bawling and shit because Irkens aren’t allowed to have romantic feelings for each other (Tallests are the exception.) and that romance is a crime on Irk. And that it wasn’t “normal” to have those feelings.

But Computer was just like, in his deep robot voice “It’s okay to bi Zim.” And Gir chimed in and was like “yea it’s okay to b bi master!” And Zim started to slowly accept it.

• Dib pretty much always knew he was bi even if he didn’t know the word for it when he was little. When he discovered the word for it he was just like “oh that makes sense.” When he realized he had feelings for Zim he just panicking about the fact they were in love with their former nemesis and an alien.

he was just like “God… why the fuck did I have to fall in love with a stupid alien of all people!?”

•

They both became friends (thanks to Gretchen n Keef.) when they already realized their feelings for one another. One day Dib was just like “okay you know what I’m done w this bullshit.” And he kind of pulled Zim closer and they both are like “I WANT TO PUNCH YOU WITH MY MOUTH!!!” and they kissed.

Dib felt like his heart was going to explode with joy. And Zim felt the same feeling in his spooch. Meanwhile Gretchen and Keef were watching in the background and theyre just screaming with excitement and nearly explode from happiness .

oh and then Dib was like “do you want to be my boyfriend??” in like soft voice and Zim was just like “Zim would like that very much.” In the same tone, and Dib kissed the top of his head.

•

Dib is the only person who’s allowed to touch Zim’s antennae. He’s always super gentle with them though.

•

Sometimes they go on mini space trips. (the voot is faster than human rocket ships. Only takes a few hours to travel from planet to planet.) but they typically only stay in Earth’s orbit, and they cuddle and stargaze. They also tend to stargaze on Dib’s roof

• Zim likes to snuggle up on Dib’s chest and fall asleep. Who needs a pillow when you the Dib-thing.

• When Dib is too tired to get, Zim gently picks him up and carries him downstairs, and places him on couch to get some extra sleep. Dib does the same for Zim.

• Zim has gotten drunk off coffee before, and Dib took care of it after. And made sure to keep coffee far away from Zim.

• Dib often calls Zim pretty, beautiful handsome etc. Zim feels like it’s gonna explode from happiness every time .

be like.

“How’s my pretty bug :)”

*flattens antennae and looks at them sweetly*

• Dib feels a large sense of gender euphoria anytime Zim calls them handsome :)

• They protect each other and would definitely kill for one another.

• Zim has a skin routine. Dib only uses “9 in 1” for everything.

• (WotS specific.) Dib tried to teach Zim how to swim. Be like .

“It’s not that hard!” “Says the guy who’s a siren!”

• (WotS specific) Zim begs Dib to sing for xem.

• Zim learned how to make fried plantains for Dib. (Dib loves fried plantains.)

• Dib introduced Zim to strawberries, and Zim now has an unhealthy obsession with them.

• Dib likes giving Zim flowers. Zim also gives Dib his favorite flowers, red daisies.

• Zim sits on Dib’s lap if they’re waiting. Dib sometimes sits on Zim’s lap too.

• Zim shit talks Tak to Dib.

• Zim is very demanding and demands for pets. Dib gives in. Be like: “Pet Zim!” *pets*

• Zim lets out the loudest purrs around Dib. Dib jokingly calls xem a catbug.

[icryink]

Hi! Do you have written explanations for the Cringetober themes? I understand you already have made a video where you explain the themes but because English is not my first language it's sometimes hard to understand everything from just speech.

I didn’t until 2 minutes ago, but here they are!

screenshot redraw - something easy we have screenshot redraw, this can be from a TV show or cartoon or movie or whatever. you can replace the characters or just redo it in your own style

tsundere - a tsundere is the trope where a character, usually a girl, pretends to find their love interest annoying out of embarrassment for their crush

oversized prop - pretty straight forward. love a good disproportional hammer

fursona / fursuit - first bit of encouragement to explore outside 2D illustration. i know full suits are expensive, so let this be your sign to make or design a partial yourself out of whatever you have lying around; cardboard, fabric and wire, even paper. of course, you can stick to drawing your fursona

gjinka - it's a humanization of anything, whether that be a pokemon or other monster character, an animal, a concept or emotion like inside out, an object or even something like an app

unnatural eye color - fairly straightforward, character with weird eyes

crossover - characters from different media interacting with one another

dead meme - perfect opportunity for people like me who see a meme or trend going around and then, by the time they get around to it, its well run its course

childhood videogame - this can be any game you played when you were younger, but i was specifically thinking of stuff like pokemon, sonic, mario, minecraft, five nights at freddy's, or undertale

ship dynamics - a relationship dynamic or overused cliche

5+1 things - fairly common trope in fanfiction, it refers to a character or characters experiencing 5 similar events that all go roughly the same way, as well as another similar event that this time ends up pretty different. it can be happy or sad, and of course you can stick to a comic or illustration, but fanfiction or creative writing in general is often looked down upon, so i think y’all should at least try to write something

hatsune miku / vocaloid - any vocaloid, doesn’t have to be part of the main vocaloid suite. people make cool interpretations of hatsune miku’s design specifically, but you can do any character you’d like

rule 63 - for every male character, there exists a female counterpart, and for every female character, there exists a male counterpart. basically, genderbends

incorrect quote - you can depict a character (original or not) saying any kind of iconic quote that you think suits them

animation meme - most classic animation memes are actually really simple with somewhat jerky movements, which is ideal for those just starting animation. if you've always wanted to animate but the concept seemed too daunting, here's the opportunity for you! of course, you can just reference popular animation memes with a still image if you’d prefer

something you've been bullied for - there are a lot of things that are considered cringe that a person can't change about themselves, even if they want or try to. i didn't want to single out any specific insecurities, so i left it broad enough for it to apply to everyone. it's kind of like a free space to celebrate anything about yourself that you've felt ashamed of

f2u base - f2u stands for 'free to use', basically an empty sketch you can use to draw whatever characters you want. this can be interpreted as either making or using a free base, so do whichever one you'd prefer. if you're using a base, just remember to credit the original artist if you post it

Fandom AU - good simple fun. draw characters you like from a piece of media you like in any alternate universe you like

alternative fashion - your opportunity to experiment with a fashion style you've always thought was cool but were too nervous to try. alternatively, (haha) draw a character in alt fashion

tumblr sexywoman - a female character that is, for whatever reason, incredibly popular and found attractive

closet cosplay - build a cosplay using only things you already have in your closet! I wanted to encourage people to get into cosplay since it’s such a fun hobby

candygore - gory drawings that involve pastel colors and sometimes literal candy iconography

adult cartoons - cartoons intended for older audiences, ex. Hazbin Hotel, Smiling Friends, Amazing Digital Circus

niche interest - another free space that lets you make something relating to a pretty unpopular or not very well known thing that you really like

gacha life (I spelled it wrong on the list) - it’s a website where you can design characters and move them around and make up stories. it was super influential for a lot of artists

Y/N or Mary Sue - could be a male Mary Sue too. A very overpowered, perfect character. Alternatively, you can interpret this as literally “your name” and insert yourself into whatever media you want

YouTuber fanart - do some fanart for a YouTube channel you enjoy, whether that be for an art channel, a commentary or video game youtuber, or sketch comedy

mascot horror - anything relating to horror that involves cute marketable characters. FNAF, poppy playtime, Amanda the adventurer are all some examples

experimental makeup - trying out a makeup style that you haven’t done before. of course, if you aren’t comfortable wearing makeup, you can totally draw a character experimenting with their own makeup style

supernatural or monster character - demon, vampire, werewolf, fairy, or any monster type character you can think of

HALLOWEEN - anything spooky to celebrate Halloween!!

While I hope this compilation was useful, please remember that all the prompts are completely up to interpretation. There are no rules to Cringetober! Just do whatever you want and have fun :)

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trimax Thoughts Vol. 5 Pt. 2

I want to talk about Knives for a sec. Up to where I've read in the manga so far, we really don't have much of an understanding of him yet. I think I may have a slight advantage in having watched one of the shows before starting (I've watched Tristamp) because otherwise I don't know if I would quite get what to make of him so far.

I won't say anything about Tristamp here since I'm not going to assume everyone in book club has seen it, but I did draw a conclusion from it that, after reading volume 5, I am almost positive applies to the manga version of Knives too.

Knives treats Vash as if he were an extension of himself.

[ID: A panel from Trigun Maximum volume 5. Knives stands casually, holding a cup and smiling as he greets his brother in Vash and Hoppered's shared flashback to July. Hoppered thinks "It's him..." as Knives says "Hey Vash." End ID.]

Ok so first off I need to establish something because it's important. Listen. I have no doubt that Knives loves his brother. I do not doubt that. But his behaviour towards Vash is actively and deeply cruel. Knives is friendly up until Vash disagrees with him, and then his mood suddenly changes for the worse - he has gone so far as to specifically target people Vash loves just to break the ideology he disagrees with, shifted culpability from himself to solely on Vash several times, violated his autonomy, and has on a few occasions physically restrained him. <- That's. Really bad. I would argue that these behaviours are in keeping with uh... pretty textbook manipulative/abusive behaviours.

However, here’s the thing: these kinds of behaviours are typically perpetrated because the person wants power over the victim. I think it's easy to read that into it, but I honestly don't think that's Knives' intention at all. He wants Vash with him. If anything his little "Watch it!" when Vash shoves him away just after the colony ships fall reads as genuine confusion. He's incredulous every time Vash points his gun at him. After all, as Knives puts it: they're brothers. They only have each other.

If Knives wants power over anything, I'd argue it's power over Rem, not Vash. He sees Vash's suffering and believes it was her who "made him like this", disregarding his own accountability in both Vash's continued pain... and her death. I do have to wonder if his attempts to break Vash's pacifism is also an attempt to make Rem's ghost leave them both for good, because there is no way Millions "I thought I'd spare her but now I see she was just as flawed" Knives felt no sadness or remorse over her death.

[ID: A screenshot from Trigun Volume 2. Knives sits in the escape ship with most of his face shadowed. He is hunched slightly, with a difficult to read, rather blank expression. End ID.]

^He is totally not bothered by this, definitely a-ok with her death. /j

But here's the thing: I really do think Knives believes that without Rem's influence, his brother will think and act exactly like him; that she has "corrupted" him somehow. This plays out in the way he's almost eager to show Vash their Plant abilities, apparently completely ignoring that Vash is confused and terrified - there's a serious dissonance to their interactions, where Knives seems less uncaring then oblivious to Vash's obvious distress. A good first indicator is directly before Fifth Moon, where Knives realizes that Vash has blocked out the memory of July, and is more intrigued than alarmed by this. Idk man if that was my brother I would be. Concerned.

See, if you read Knives as wanting power over Vash, then it's kind of reminiscent of the older sibling who thinks they know what's best for the younger. Indeed, that is the role Knives seems to take on at times.

But Knives is not actually older. They're twins.

Zazie also has an intriguing line after seeing the lengths Vash will go to in order to protect those he cares for: "It definitely isn't in Knives' nature to fight for anyone." <- This is an odd conclusion to come to for someone who is supposedly doing everything for a new world that's safe for all Plants, including Vash. I'm choosing to take Zazie at their word since I don't think they would have any real reason to lie or really see the point in lying.

So, what this implies is exactly what I stated earlier - Knives makes little, if any distinction between him and Vash. The world is divided into "same" and "different", "family" and "threat". It unfortunately allows Knives to continuously undermine Vash's autonomy - it's fine to forcibly activate Vash's angel arm because it's "our" power. It's fine for the doctor to poke and prod at Vash's arm to get readings because Knives is supervising it. Vash will stick with him because they're brothers, right? Of course he will. And if he doesn't... well that can't possibly be Vash. It's Rem's corrupting influence. And that makes him violently angry as he attempts to destroy any last trace of her that persists in his brother. Because surely, without her, Vash would be just like him, right?

One last note I'd like to make is the way Knives keeps obscuring Vash's face when he forcibly activates Vash's angel arm.

[ID: Two screenshots from Trigun and Trigun Maximum. The first image shows Knives grabbing Vash's face as he forces him to activate his angel arm during the Fifth Moon incident. The second image is of the same during the July flashback. End ID.]

The thing is, you can't argue this is necessary to activate the ability. In the July flashback, Knives actually has his hand placed rather gently on the side of Vash's head... up until Vash tries to resist. That's when Knives slams his hand down over his face instead and shoves him onto the floor.

In the context of Knives seeing Vash as an extension of himself, it could take on a few different meanings. If he muffles Vash's screaming and crying, perhaps he doesn't have to see the clear distress on his brother's face. Maybe it's representative of stripping Vash of his personal choice in these scenes. Maybe because this is the truth of the matter - Knives does not want to see the person Vash is if that person is so wildly different from himself, to ruin the illusion of twin as extension instead of a separate person.

Meanwhile, Vash is trying so hard to be everything Knives isn't. Knives' face is shadowed in flashbacks to create distance between them until July reveals the destruction they both caused and Vash can no longer deny the harm he too is capable of causing. The twins cause me emotional damage man.

[dndeceit]

Author's Notes and Acknowledgements for the fic Salt for Salt:

I intended to write a much more comprehensive and complete meta post for the fic, and I still may, but the chapter is already overdue. Still, I didn't want to post it without acknowledging a few sources of the inspiration behind it, so I'm adding this link just after posting when people are most likely to see it...

(Will contain spoilers for chapters 1-10 of Salt for Salt)

I've been actively working on this fic for what is coming up on two years now. And, like a lot of my stories, the original inspiration for writing it came from reading other fanfics.

In May of 2022, I was binging MerMay fics across fandoms.

Now, there's a formula that appears in a lot of mermaid fics that I really enjoy, usually a human and a mer fall in love and through some kind of magic, the human is allowed to join the mer in the waves. Or sometimes, the human was always, actually a mer, and they only needed to learn the truth... And I do, really, really enjoy that trope, but...in most fandoms, it's nearly always a romantic trope.

But one in particular that really caught my attention was a Minecraft YouTuber fic called "what the water gave me" by bonesandthebees. And I don't watch Minecraft content, but I have read a lot of fics in the fandom, because their AUs are amazing, and it's so much easier to find friendship and family-focused gen content without swimming through a sea of shippier fic and "gen" that's loudly hinting that you should squint.

(Which isn't to knock anyone else's tastes, I read for tropes as much as anything and ships don't really bother me, I just...it's not ultimately what I'm the most interested in seeing.)

But "what the water gave me" presented the tropes that I loved with a focus on family and loss and homecoming and belonging and...it just resonated with me very deeply, and I desperately wanted to write something like it. You'd have to strip most of the flesh off of "Salt for Salt" to argue that they're the same story, but I also can't deny that their bones are very similar.

Originally, I'd kept vague plans in mind for starting a project for MerMay in 2023. In April, I started trying to put some ideas together, which meant reading a lot of fic.

This gets into the other big inspirational push behind this story, which was "Siren Boy" by Ended_Flames.

Very specifically, in that fic, Janus is a half-siren who hears a song from the sea one night and decides to sing back...and it was just such an image. One that quickly snowballed in my mind.

In pretty much the same night as I read "Siren Boy", I suddenly had the concept for the very first scene of the fic: Janus, standing on the docks at night, having just woken from sleepwalking, his throat sore from answering the calls of his family, but not yet knowing why. And then the detail struck of the dark waves of a night sea, capped with the light of bioluminescence, and I had to start writing it immediately.

Of the course other influences crept into the story, and eventually it got to the point where I no longer really thought of posting it for MerMay (mostly because I strayed so far from the typical presentation of it that the word and concept of "mermaid" no longer remotely applied).

(There is a lot more to say about the other various influences in the story, but right now I'm way too tired. Hopefully I'll have the energy later and link those, but for now this was the bare minimum I felt needed to be seen.)

[imogenkol]

— WIP/MUSIC MONDAY WEDNESDAY

tagged by @cassietrn thank you lovely 💕

tag list (ask to be added or removed!): @adelaidedrubman @florbelles @marivenah @simonxriley @shegetsburned @voidika @kyber-infinitygems @inafieldofdaisies @statichvm @socially-awkward-skeleton @aceghosts @carlosoliveiraa @risingsh0t @unholymilf @thedeadthree @jackiesarch @gwynbleidd @shellibisshe @loriane-elmuerto @katsigian @captastra @simplegenius042

You only feel it when it's lost // Gettin' through still has a cost // Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love // Falling from you, drop by drop // What I had left here // I just held it tight // So someone with your eyes // Might come in time // To hold me like water // Or Christ, hold me like a knife

Note: feeling very unhinged about this song for very specific reasons and I will confirm that it is a Bix/Imogen song

—

And here is a flashback I've been working on of Inquisitor Imogen!

Imogen surveyed the crowd of civilians that her troopers rounded up, pacing like a patient, yet hungry beast. The small Mid Rim moon harbored an eclectic collection of beings with humble lifestyles. Some were farmers, others were traders, tavern owners, local law enforcement that quickly withdrew their control of the community once they saw Imperial ships land. To Imogen, it was the perfect stack for a needle to hide in.

Through the Force, she felt their fear – their anticipation for what she might do. The Inquisitor took the time to meet every single face with her focused gaze, searching for a connection or even a hint of a power greater than common rabble. She lightly prodded their minds with her own abilities and caught glimpses of memories, frightening images conjured by the imagination, and the barest conceptualizations of words left unspoken so as to not provoke her. 

Nothing stood out. At least, not here. But Imogen intended to turn over every stone.  

The quiet had been her ally. It helped fear to brew within those vivid imaginations at a steady rate, which could cause even the strongest nerves to buckle once the correct amount of pressure was applied. She only broke silence when necessary.  

“I find it disturbing that not one of you has stepped forward willingly to offer us any information,” Imogen said, shaking her head with her hands behind her back like a disappointed school teacher. “You know what we seek. You know that we root out any remaining Jedi traitors for your own protection. Where is your dedication to the Empire? Your loyalty?”

The entire crowd seemed to hold its breath as Imogen stopped before them and went utterly still, her intense gaze piercing through what felt like all of them at once. The very wind seemed to cease. 

“You should know that I do not leave my assignments empty handed,” The Inquisitor continued. Her voice grew gentle, almost as if she pitied these people. Inside, her heart pounded with the rush of power she held over them. “If I cannot have loyalty, very well. I shall accept subjugation. If I cannot have subjugation…” In a very casual manner, Imogen held her hand out at her side. The hilt that rested on her hip flew off of her belt clip and into her open palm. With a screech loud enough to make some of the civilians flinch, she ignited her lightsaber and became half bathed in the crimson glow of its plasma blade. The low hum vibrated in her veins, turning her blood to fire. “Then I will settle for taking your lives. The choice is yours.”

[dearweirdme]

Regarding the 2020 discussion, I do understand what anon means and how someone could watch some of the content during that time and come to a similar conclusion. At one point, I was really considering it myself. However looking back, I don't think it can be specifically applied to Taekook.

Between the period of 2018-2020 (with a couple of outliers during late 2017 and early 2021) there were moments where Taekook appeared sometimes distant and different on screen. I remember being so confused because I'd see these moments and wonder if there was a problem but then there were also more 'hidden' and off screen moments where they seemed just as close, if not closer than ever so a lot of things weren't making sense.

And even within the same content (like Run eps for example) Taekook could seem to blow hot and cold (though we've all, I'm sure, seen clear cases of editing when it comes to pre-filmed content)

As a Taekooker, my thinking at the time was that there might have potentially been a break up but even that didn't make sense because those moments of closeness we did see contradicted any on screen distance and awkwardness. It didn't make sense how they'd be so awkward on screen because of a break up or shipping yet manage to drop that awkwardness in their private time.

Then after rewatching a lot of content at a later date and with less of a hyper focus on Taekook, I realised that Tae was, at times, coming across as a little disoriented and disconnected in general. Anon has only picked up on Taekook and Tae and Yoongi (which personally I don't see as the greatest example of what I'm talking about because unless im getting my timelines mixed up, I think they had some of their closest moments during that period) but Tae's relationships with the others also didn't seem to be running at peak either.

And I'm not alluding to anything malicious or speculating about major fallouts because we saw the guys trying to rally around him. We saw Jimin trying extra hard to make him laugh and put a smile on his face, we even saw RM ask him in a live to reach out to him more and hugging him and talking him out of negative self criticism, we saw moments of concern from members about Taehyung potentially bottling up his feelings, we had the guys so desperate that they even used an interview format to practically beg Taehyung to come to them and offload on them when he felt burdened and was suffering. We saw moments of JK being hyper alert to his moods (which is one of the things that confused me when put up against the 'not close/breakup theories)

It was clear to me even then that Taehyung was going through something seriously with his mental health though I didn't like to speculate openly at the time. However, he's recently spoken about it hinself at this point so I feel comfortable in saying that I think a lot of that awkwardness and disconnection we were picking up on was him struggling to get through his duties, emotionally numbing as people do during depression, disassociating etc.

For a long time, it seemed like only JHope and to a lesser degree, Jin, could crack that shell a little during content and I really do think it's by force of their personality alone and easy going nature. While probably even closer to Taehyung, JK is one of the most easily affected by the others moods and Jimin is a natural problem solver.

If we're hyperfocused on Taekook then we're only going to see a distance between them compared to the fun and mischief and boundless energy we used to see between them but if you look at the bigger picture, you can see Taehyung being withdrawn, reserved and having moments of disconnection in general---not just with the members but with himself and whatever he's engaging with at the time.

As a fan from very early on in the group the change in Taehyung's emotional state was jarring, concerning and pretty drastic. I also saw the impact on his interactions with the other members. Again, I'm not claiming that anyone did anything wrong or anyone was to blame because we also saw how loved he was, how hard they tried to lift him up, build his confidence back up, put a smile on his face, keep an eye on his moods etc. It's just that sometimes what you need isn't what you want when your mental health is suffering.

And he got through it because as surely as I saw the change in his mood back then, I started to see it positively shuft again by 2021 and, not coincidentally, we had people talking about how open and bubbly and energetic and engaged he seemed again, how he seemed more like 'the old Tae' (though I loathe that saying) and how he and JK had never seemed closer and how Vmin was rising again etc.

I know we rely a lot on the timeline as a counter in some of these discussions but that because whenever there's a moment where you could make a valid arguement that Taekook broke up/aren't close/are distant/fell out etc---there's something in the timeline that completely contradicts that idea.

I've been caught out and surprised myself a few times thinking I knew what was going on only to see it countered in black and white when seeing the timeline.

I've been so sure on a Tuesday that their relationship is broken only to have my eye wiped by Thursday's post that shows them being as close as can be.

So while I do understand anon, I also think some Taekookers, including myself, are more susceptible to being a little narrow minded and tunnel visioned when it comes to their relationship and that sometimes, it's best to take a step back from Taekook and look at the bigger picture overall.

Hi anon!

I absolutely agree with what you’ve said here. It’s a tough thing to talk about, because it’s such a delicate matter and we really have little knowledge about all the reasons why and the full extent of Tae’s mental health issues.

Standing by and watching a loved one struggle with depression is so hard. It’s not comparable with how the person actually suffering feels, but the feeling of powerlessness and constant worry is huge. I recognize what you have laid out here from situations in my own life.

There’s so much more to a person than the relationship they’re in. Yes, we do look at Tae and Jk’s interactions a lot, but to understand them we need to understand as much about their lives as we can. People aren’t static and the way they interact and respond to things may vary from day to day and from moment to moment even.. it just depends on so many things.. we will never be able to deduce what exactly went on.

To me Tae and Jk also make sense in the bigger picture. At times the ‘greatest love story’ comments irk me a bit, because yeah.. I think their love is of the greatest kind, but at the same time I would have wished things to have been so much more easier for them. I think Tae’s mental problems must’ve been so hard on Jk and your ‘jk being hyper alert to his moods’ definitely rings true for me.

[saltedsnailstudio]

Hi! I just found your page, love your work! I do a bit of lino printing and really enjoy it. I want to start printing on fabric but not sure how to transition.. What inks do I need, do I need to start using wood blocks, and how do I go about that, etc?

Any info or tips would be so appreciated :)

Hey, thanks!

Absolutely I can offer some tips for fabric printing! I also answered an ask about fabric printing a while back and there might be some info in there that you’ll find useful - https://www.tumblr.com/saltedsnailstudio/729384076745850882/how-do-you-print-your-linocuts-so-beautifully-on

So first off I would say don’t bother switching to wood for fabric printing. Linoleum does great! And, honestly, so does rubber. I don’t personally work with rubber/ez-cut style blocks often because I prefer unmounted battle ship grey lino, but it has been my experience that soft rubber blocks are easier to print onto fabric if you’re printing by hand. I recommend sticking with whatever blocks you like & are comfortable working with!

Since you asked about ink specifically: There’s a lot of different inks on the market you can use to make relief prints on fabric that’ll stand up to washing. Speedball has an ink made for fabric printing that some of my print friends swear by, but I personally despise it because I hate the texture of it and find it difficult to work with because it doesn’t have a very long open time. I use cranfield caligo safe wash relief inks for all my printing, both paper and fabric. I love the way it rolls out and it’s works really well for me because it’s oil based but it's water soluble before it dries, so it doesn't require wild solvents or anything to clean up like some other oil based inks do - just vegetable oil and a rag will do to get it off stuff. (careful using vegetable oil on the speedball beige/tan brayers, though, because it'll start to break down their material and make them go tacky if you dont adquately wash them and apply some cornstarch after!!) After the cranfield ink dries, it's no longer water soluble so it'll stay on fabric after washing. Keep in mind though that oil inks take ages to dry - I just hang my fabric prints up and leave them alone for a good two weeks, which might be overkill. When they're dry, I hit them with a hot clothes iron to help heat set them a bit before I wash them in cold water. I don't know if this actually does anything or is the placebo effect, but it really feels like I get less fading with fabric prints that I've heat set. You don't have to use the same ink I do, though I love it so much that I'll prostheletize it for ages, but make sure you do use an ink that's suitable for fabric printing because theres no heartbreak worse than putting all that work in only to watch it wash away.

In my experience, you'll need more ink on your block for printing on fabric than you would if you were printing on thin printmaking papers. You still don't want to just gob it on the block in one go - apply many thin layers to build up the ink on the block rather than trying to go in with a single thick layer.

Now that ink's handled, let's talk about the most important element of fabric printing: the fabric. A lot of folks have ratios of how much natural fibers vs synthetic whatever should be in the fabric you're choosing for relief printing. I'm sure those methods work for choosing good printing fabric, but I'm at a point of having failed enough times to know by look & touch if a fabric will probably work well or not. I really suggest just trying shit out, seeing if it works. I'm lucky enough to have a creative reuse center near me, but if you don't then I suggest snagging garments with fabric you like from thrift stores and cutting them apart if you're trying to make patches. You're looking for something with a nice smooth surface and a closed weave, no gaps showing through the threads. I really like tightly woven linen-y blends, personally. I've also played around on wool felt and have found it to print beautifully. When I first started printing on fabric, I went to the fabric store and got a half yard of duck canvas because that felt sturdy and very "punk" for patches. It was a miserable failure - the weave was too chunky to get really clean prints. Play around, don't spend too much money on fabric, and know that screwing up is a part of the process.

When it comes to actual printing method, I'm limited in my scope of advice for hand printing on fabric because I'm very spoiled and have a lever press from woodzilla that makes the process a lot easier for me. I'm not sure how you burnish your paper prints, but the spoon technique won't work with fabric since it'll move too much. I like to print my paper prints with the paper on top of the block and I reverse that for my fabric prints - the block lies face down on top of the fabric. I've seen folks get great results from laying down their fabric, laying their inked block on top, and then stepping on them to get more pressure than they could get from just pressing with their hands. You need a lot of pressure to get clean fabric prints and that pressure needs to go straight down - you need to be extra careful not to let the block slip, lest it smudge the image. You could try laying a wooden board down on the block before stepping on that if the print is large enough to require it. I've also seen some really ingenious ways of creating book binding/flower pressing style wooden vices on a budget to get the even pressure needed for a print, but this feels rather labor intensive and time consuming to me. Whatever the method, be patient and apply firm downward pressure.

Screw up, rejoice, have fun. If you end up needing any help trouble shooting specific problems as you experiment on fabric, feel free to send me another ask/pics and I'll try to help sus it out!!

[mr-deblob]

Aerti Reading of No Promises to Keep

So, new FF7 theme song, new group of lyrics to analyze, debate about Who It's About. While I'm fairly certain it's about all the people who Aerith came to know and who care for her, I can't help but feel that they lyrics point towards Tifa most of all. Perhaps it's simply shipping vision, but Hollow, while generally being about Cloud's state of mind trying to handle loss, definitely feels like it centers around Cloud's relationship with Zack specifically.

I'm not gonna write an essay about those two, but I will link to a video that pretty much embodies every reason why it embodies Zakkura:

But now, let's break down No Promises to Keep with that in mind. Hopefully I don't kick any hornets' nests in the process.

Walking city streets with worn cobblestones Listening to people rushing past to rhythms all their own Life passing me by, not thinking how the years have flown Until I met you

This portion can apply to Zack, Cloud, and Tifa pretty equally. All three of them played a part in Aerith engaging more in her own life. Zack kickstarted her flower-selling business; Cloud's fall led to her leaving Sector 5 with him and deciding to help rescue Tifa; and Tifa herself became her closest confidant and friend, both of them acting like each other's childhood girl friend that neither of them had a chance to experience.

I won't say that it was fate I won't say that it was destiny But if not, what could it be that drew you towards me? Could it be chance?

Let's be real- the fact that Aerith met Tifa at all is an absolutely wild chain of events from an outside perspective. Because Zack got her to start selling flowers topside, she ran into Cloud and happened to meet him once again when his fall from above landed in a church she frequents to gather flowers from. Then, when she accompanied him out of Sector 5, Chocobo Sam's cart carrying Tifa passed by and fired Aerith up to help rescue her.

Given that the Whispers only show up when the destiny of the Planet needs to be corrected, there's definitely an implication that all of these events were fated to occur. However, given that the Remake Trilogy's themes are heavy on changing destiny and if fates are fixed, these lines could be reflective of how Aerith is trying to fight the future she saw. Thus, she doesn't want to attribute the reason she met these people important to her to something greater. Better for it all to be pure chance that she knows them, that they sought each other out instead of being herded towards one another.

Till the day that we meet again Where or when? I wish I could say But believe—know that you'll find me Promises to keep, we won't ever need

While this is very much a general sentiment of Aerith wanting to be with her friends again after her death, the last line's rather striking to me. She doesn't need a promise for them to meet again- they will, even though she has no guarantee for how it'll happen. It's meant to reassure the ones she's singing to, and when it comes to someone who relied on a promise to keep herself connected to an important person in her life, Tifa Lockhart is the first one to come to mind.

Tifa has a lot of abandonment issues, rightfully so given... *gestures at her entire history*. At this point in her life, her childhood friend group had started seeing her as a romantic prospect and severely strained her ability to be open with them. Cloud, distant as he was, felt like the only one she could connect with who wasn't openly trying to court her, the closest one to treating Tifa like Tifa instead of a Young Maiden. If he leaves, she would lose the one person her age who talks to her like a person, and there's no guarantee that they would ever see each other again once he's gone. Trace of Two Pasts says that Tifa had a "special 'like'" for him, one that she couldn't afford to lose. So she comes up with the promise, a way to cope with the loneliness, something to believe in, like how she tried crossing Mt. Nibel to find her deceased mother on the other side.

She's the type of person who would need this kind of reassurance, especially with someone she's developed a close relationship with. Rebirth is not shy in showing that Aerith and Tifa are basically inseparable. And given the *ahem* separation which occurs at the end of Rebirth, Aerith would want to try and soften the pain and despair that would come for Tifa through the grief. If she could tell Tifa when or where they'll reunite, she would, but all she can do for now is help Tifa believe that they will meet again, that this parting is temporary and she won't need to mourn forever.

If only I'd never known All the burdens I was born to bear Lived a life without a care in the world save for you… But that won't do

Remake Aerith's gotten some glimpses of what will happen in the future/has happened in the past, something that's clearly weighed on her throughout the games. She's scared of the Whispers stealing away those parts of her, warns Cloud not to fall in love with her, and tries to keep Marlene and Red XIII as out of her memories/visions as best she can. But she knows she's meant to die for the sake of the Planet

Even beyond the meta elements of it, Aerith's status as a Cetra- the last Cetra- and her connection to the Lifestream has prevented her from really feeling as just another girl. She's the centerpiece of Shinra's plan to find the Promised Land, she's watched over by the Turks, she's been trapped since her birth and has never been able to make any real choices.

Wouldn't it be nice to be ignorant of all that? To have even a year where she didn't feel the weight of the world on her shoulders and could live as a carefree girl who loves flowers? But even if she could sweep away all those worries, she would still want to know the important people in her life and all the struggle that comes from caring. Now, that's an impossible dream, a good dream. To go shopping topside with her friends, going on a beautiful date with Tifa in Costa del Sol, basking in the wonder of the Gold Saucer. It would be nice to stay in those fantasies forever, but the future's approaches, it's survival hinging on her playing her part. So she has to let them fall to the wayside.

Till the day that we meet again On our street, I want to believe In the chance that we'll share a glance Promises to keep, we won't ever need

Much the same sentiment as the first chorus, but this time focusing on Aerith's perspective. Even though she put her carefree dreams aside, she needs to hold onto the belief that there's simply a chance for them to see each other again.

Aerith and Tifa have a recurring gesture of turning towards each other to connect, eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart. That's their way to communicate with each other in a way only they get to hear and see.

Then, in the ending scenes of Rebirth, when everyone's getting up to leave the altar, Cloud and Aerith look back to wait for Tifa, with Aerith in the foreground. When Tifa shakily gets up, takes a breath and turns around, Aerith's not there for her to look into her eyes, to share a mischievous smile with, to whisper their little jokes to. Maybe Tifa can't see Aerith now, but Aerith wants to believe that they might get to share a glance with each other one more time.

Till the day that we meet again At our place, just let me believe In the chance that you'll come Take my hand and never let me go Take my hand And believe We can be Together evermore

I don't think I need to point out how often Tifa holds onto Aerith's hand or has to catch her in her arms. Granted, a number of these happen in life-threatening situations, but we're in a JRPG here- those moments are basically flirting without calling it flirting /s. Honestly, though, these ladies give so much physical affection and care for each other. It'd take forever to put down all the examples, but you could probably find some real easy just by searching up Aerti, so let's move on to the last bit of the song.

Walking city streets with worn cobblestones Struggling against the crowds and finding ourselves all alone Fate and destiny are no guarantee Still I hope someday you'll come and find me Still I know someday you'll come and find me

Once again with walking through busy streets. Though this time the two of them make it through the crowd and get to be alone. The only crowd I can think of is Tifa pulling Aerith through the Gold Saucer crowd to get closer to the front. As for the two of them being alone, off the top of my head there's the room in Kalm and the cargo hold on the cruise ship where they're softly sharing their Pre-Order Pasts with one another... seemingly only with each other for now. And once more, there's a lack of trust put in fate and destiny.

However, she hopes and then knows that she'll be found be this person. Really reminds one of a pretty vulnerable moment Aerith had in Remake does it not?

She was already found once. She trusts that she'll be found again... someday.

[felassan]

Illuminating tweet series by a former Anthem developer [source].

They mention elsewhere in the thread that Anthem was developed in 15 months. Per the tweets, before this period, it spent 5-6 years in pre-production, lacking a clear vision and with an ever-changing vision; in game development this causes a lot of working and reworking. The devs were talented and all passionate about the game, but they were building "a new IP from nothing on an engine that was meant for an FPS with half a team that had never created live service games".

They further elaborate in more tweets that:

EA had their reasons to release it early but were stupid and the devs' team "had to pay the price". EA learned a lot from the development of Anthem but whether they applied those learnings is unknown

Jason Schreier's article (How BioWare's Anthem Went Wrong) was all 100% true at one point in development or other, and only scratches the surface

How did they manage to ship it in 15 months? The dev mentions working about 90 hours a week for 15 months. Many other devs on the team were also doing so and they think that others were doing 90 hours a week prior to the 15 month mark. "It wasn't sustainable and not even a position we should have been in." "I'm fine now, but not without damage. Contributed to the cost of my marriage and I needed therapy for a while after that endeavor." "It was a lot of morale hits on a personal level and a team level. Everyone had their own way of dealing with it." "There was a lot of pissed, stressed, rinse, repeat. It was a vicious cycle." "I guarantee we could have put something out in Unreal. Working in Frostbite was rough." After launch the team got death threats because of drop rates

Anthem was delayed as it had missing features, lack of polish and bugs that needed fixing. Another big problem that it faced was that it had lots of scope creep. "There were really high expectations for this game and the team felt it. We always were trying to push for cool features, etc.. So I think we could have done it if we kept our scope creep in check."

The main team was focused on getting the game out in a functional state. "We really needed another 1-2 studios to make endgame content while we were finishing up the game."

After launch it was all hands on deck to stabilize the game. Content and features that they wanted to do consequently kept getting deprioritized. A major focus they were trying to address at launch was all the server issues. "I think the shittiest part about this, besides no endgame and replay ability, was that during development, management was putting in gating mechanics to 'lengthen' the time it took to complete the story. IIRC it was removed from the final version after backlash from devs."

"It was a great team effort to get the controls how we shipped. We went through many iterations and it was super rough in the beginning. I know the team was really happy where the controls landed too. We actually took in a lot of feedback from the EA game changers."

A Twitter user asked "When you say it wasn’t ready, was that always communicated with other members of the team i.e. publishers?". The dev replied "I think it was ignored/denied from leadership. There is a story there, but I will refrain."

A transparent retrospective on Anthem/its development will likely never come to light because of both current and former devs still being under NDA

The dev has an assumption that if they didn't release Anthem, BioWare would have been dissolved. They also observe that BioWare just wasn't good at multi-project development, which is hard. Most people at BioWare didn't believe in "BioWare Magic". There was and maybe still is a lot of stress and politics surrounding Anthem from the development and publishing side (a problem not specific to Anthem). The dev mentioned that it was both an EA failure and a BioWare upper management failure. "I actually don't think it was all EA's fault. A developer and publisher is supposed to be a healthy relationship of trust and transparency. It's a 2 way street which i don't think was satisfied on either side."

Re: who made the decision to release the game in the state it was, some of them left and some remain at BioWare

On Anthem 2.0/Anthem Next, the game was really fun and was going in the right direction. The team had hit a really great milestone, when EA canned it. It was a different development team driving Anthem 2.0. The team were gutted when it was cancelled

(please note it's always best to read tweets and the like in full and in context, from the original source)

[source]