#i currently DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY to get materials for a project like this

[ravengales-glade]

*If you had the money to pay a small business

Please answer assuming you had the money! This is hypothetical, I simply want to see if there is a market for myself (IN THE FUTURE) or other people ^^

[fingertipsmp3]

I haaate when apple pay doesn’t work and I have to type my credit card number in because now I have to actually comprehend the ways in which I am damaging myself financially

[sophiamcdougall]

You're a reasonably informed person on the internet. You've experienced things like no longer being able to get files off an old storage device, media you've downloaded suddenly going poof, sites and forums with troves full of people's thoughts and ideas vanishing forever. You've heard of cybercrime. You've read articles about lost media. You have at least a basic understanding that digital data is vulnerable, is what I'm saying. I'm guessing that you're also aware that history is, you know... important? And that it's an ongoing study, requiring ... data about how people live? And that it's not just about stanning celebrities that happen to be dead? Congratulations, you are significantly better-informed than the British government! So they're currently like "Oh hai can we destroy all these historical documents pls? To save money? Because we'll digitise them first so it's fine! That'll be easy, cheap and reliable -- right? These wills from the 1850s will totally be fine for another 170 years as a PNG or whatever, yeah? We didn't need to do an impact assesment about this because it's clearly win-win! We'd keep the physical wills of Famous People™ though because Famous People™ actually matter, unlike you plebs. We don't think there are any equalities implications about this, either! Also the only examples of Famous People™ we can think of are all white and rich, only one is a woman and she got famous because of the guy she married. Kisses!"

Yes, this is the same Government that's like "Oh no removing a statue of slave trader is erasing history :(" You have, however, until 23 February 2024 to politely inquire of them what the fuck they are smoking. And they will have to publish a summary of the responses they receive. And it will look kind of bad if the feedback is well-argued, informative and overwhelmingly negative and they go ahead and do it anyway. I currently edit documents including responses to consultations like (but significantly less insane) than this one. Responses do actually matter. I would particularly encourage British people/people based in the UK to do this, but as far as I can see it doesn't say you have to be either. If you are, say, a historian or an archivist, or someone who specialises in digital data do say so and draw on your expertise in your answers. This isn't a question of filling out a form. You have to manually compose an email answering the 12 questions in the consultation paper at the link above. I'll put my own answers under the fold. Note -- I never know if I'm being too rude in these sorts of things. You probably shouldn't be ruder than I have been.

Please do not copy and paste any of this: that would defeat the purpose. This isn't a petition, they need to see a range of individual responses. But it may give you a jumping-off point.

Question 1: Should the current law providing for the inspection of wills be preserved?

Yes. Our ability to understand our shared past is a fundamental aspect of our heritage. It is not possible for any authority to know in advance what future insights they are supporting or impeding by their treatment of material evidence. Safeguarding the historical record for future generations should be considered an extremely important duty.

Question 2: Are there any reforms you would suggest to the current law enabling wills to be inspected?

No.

Question 3: Are there any reasons why the High Court should store original paper will documents on a permanent basis, as opposed to just retaining a digitised copy of that material?

Yes. I am amazed that the recent cyber attack on the British Library, which has effectively paralysed it completely, not been sufficient to answer this question for you.  I also refer you to the fate of the Domesday Project. Digital storage is useful and can help more people access information; however, it is also inherently fragile. Malice, accident, or eventual inevitable obsolescence not merely might occur, but absolutely should be expected. It is ludicrously naive and reflects a truly unpardonable ignorance to assume that information preserved only in digital form is somehow inviolable and safe, or that a physical document once digitised, never need be digitised again..At absolute minimum, it should be understood as certain that at least some of any digital-only archive will eventually be permanently lost. It is not remotely implausible that all of it would be. Preserving the physical documents provides a crucial failsafe. It also allows any errors in reproduction -- also inevitable-- to be, eventually, seen and corrected. Note that maintaining, upgrading and replacing digital infrastructure is not free, easy or reliable. Over the long term, risks to the data concerned can only accumulate.

"Unlike the methods for preserving analog documents that have been honed over millennia, there is no deep precedence to look to regarding the management of digital records. As such, the processing, long-term storage, and distribution potential of archival digital data are highly unresolved issues. [..] the more digital data is migrated, translated, and re-compressed into new formats, the more room there is for information to be lost, be it at the microbit-level of preservation. Any failure to contend with the instability of digital storage mediums, hardware obsolescence, and software obsolescence thus meets a terminal end—the definitive loss of information. The common belief that digital data is safe so long as it is backed up according to the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies on 2 different formats with 1 copy saved off site) belies the fact that it is fundamentally unclear how long digital information can or will remain intact. What is certain is that its unique vulnerabilities do become more pertinent with age."  -- James Boyda, On Loss in the 21st Century: Digital Decay and the Archive, Introduction.

Question 4: Do you agree that after a certain time original paper documents (from 1858 onwards) may be destroyed (other than for famous individuals)? Are there any alternatives, involving the public or private sector, you can suggest to their being destroyed?

Absolutely not. And I would have hoped we were past the "great man" theory of history. Firstly, you do not know which figures will still be considered "famous" in the future and which currently obscure individuals may deserve and eventually receive greater attention. I note that of the three figures you mention here as notable enough to have their wills preserved, all are white, the majority are male (the one woman having achieved fame through marriage) and all were wealthy at the time of their death. Any such approach will certainly cull evidence of the lives of women, people of colour and the poor from the historical record, and send a clear message about whose lives you consider worth remembering.

Secondly, the famous and successsful are only a small part of our history. Understanding the realities that shaped our past and continue to mould our present requires evidence of the lives of so-called "ordinary people"!

Did you even speak to any historians before coming up with this idea?

Entrusting the documents to the private sector would be similarly disastrous. What happens when a private company goes bust or decides that preserving this material is no longer profitable? What reasonable person, confronted with our crumbling privatised water infrastructure, would willingly consign any part of our heritage to a similar fate?

Question 5: Do you agree that there is equivalence between paper and digital copies of wills so that the ECA 2000 can be used?

No. And it raises serious questions about the skill and knowledge base within HMCTS and the government that the very basic concepts of data loss and the digital dark age appear to be unknown to you. I also refer you to the Domesday Project.

Question 6: Are there any other matters directly related to the retention of digital or paper wills that are not covered by the proposed exercise of the powers in the ECA 2000 that you consider are necessary?

Destroying the physical documents will always be an unforgivable dereliction of legal and moral duty.

Question 7: If the Government pursues preserving permanently only a digital copy of a will document, should it seek to reform the primary legislation by introducing a Bill or do so under the ECA 2000?

Destroying the physical documents will always be an unforgivable dereliction of legal and moral duty.

Question 8: If the Government moves to digital only copies of original will documents, what do you think the retention period for the original paper wills should be? Please give reasons and state what you believe the minimum retention period should be and whether you consider the Government’s suggestion of 25 years to be reasonable.

There is no good version of this plan. The physical documents should be preserved.

Question 9: Do you agree with the principle that wills of famous people should be preserved in the original paper form for historic interest?

This question betrays deep ignorance of what "historic interest" actually is. The study of history is not simply glorified celebrity gossip. If anything, the physical wills of currently famous people could be considered more expendable as it is likely that their contents are so widely diffused as to be relatively "safe", whereas the wills of so-called "ordinary people" will, especially in aggregate, provide insights that have not yet been explored.

Question 10: Do you have any initial suggestions on the criteria which should be adopted for identifying famous/historic figures whose original paper will document should be preserved permanently?

Abandon this entire lamentable plan. As previously discussed, you do not and cannot know who will be considered "famous" in the future, and fame is a profoundly flawed criterion of historical significance.

Question 11: Do you agree that the Probate Registries should only permanently retain wills and codicils from the documents submitted in support of a probate application? Please explain, if setting out the case for retention of any other documents.

No, all the documents should be preserved indefinitely.

Question 12: Do you agree that we have correctly identified the range and extent of the equalities impacts under each of these proposals set out in this consultation? Please give reasons and supply evidence of further equalities impacts as appropriate.

No. You appear to have neglected equalities impacts entirely. As discussed, in your drive to prioritise "famous people", your plan will certainly prioritise the white, wealthy and mostly the male, as your "Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin and Princess Diana" examples amply indicate. This plan will create a two-tier system where evidence of the lives of the privileged is carefully preserved while information regarding people of colour, women, the working class and other disadvantaged groups is disproportionately abandoned to digital decay and eventual loss. Current and future historians from, or specialising in the history of minority groups will be especially impoverished by this.  

[northopalshore]

Union persona chart

ପ observations iii ଓ

This is a collection of aspects I've observed in the Union (1585) persona chart based on people I've met in real life & a few celebrities. Result may vary depending on the sign, house and degree each aspect is in but this post still counts as a base for understanding the aspects listed below.

୨୧ Please do not repost without consent ʕ⁠´⁠•⁠ᴥ⁠•⁠`⁠ʔฅ🔉

♡ Union persona chart Masterlist | Masterlist

⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*

☕ Mercury trine Saturn you'll think that your partner is someone mature who is mature and emotionally stable.

☕Mercury conjunct Boda (1487) you'll think that your partner is marriage material & may plan on marrying them from the get go

☕Juno in °22 degree meeting your significant other will change your life drastically, I'd like to call this the Cinderella placement!

☕7th house ruler in the 12th house almost always means either a long-distance relationship, private relationship or secret relationship (or all three!)

☕ Juno in the 7th & 10th house means you're going to meet through some sort of work either theirs or yours

☕ 7th house ruler in the 2nd house or 8th house you'll meet them through a money or service related venture (your spouse is likely the one providing the service)

☕ Venus square Saturn when you meet, you may think that this isn't the best time to start a relationship or be in love. You might've refrained from being in any relationships as well up to this point. It's literally breaking the "relationship fast" you have.

Sun conjunct Part of Fortune you may meet them while getting a promotion, or a new project/role.

☕ Sun conjunct Uranus you will not expect to meet someone like them or someone of their status. This is a star-crossed lovers aspect. They may be a boost to your current status as well. (I think Lisa has this in her Union persona chart)

�� Moon conjunct North Node you may feel like meeting them was a part of destiny especially due to the circumstances of your meeting.

☕ Mars trine Jupiter when you first meet, it's very likely that you'll be seeing them quite often /almost everyday in person, whether through work, school or a shared project. You will be together, or at least see each other quite often.

☕ Mercury trine Chiron talking to them will be very healing to you, you could talk very often and openly, sharing your trauma and past experiences. You'll find that you may share a lot of similarities in that area.

☕ Venus conjunct Juno you may think of them as your ideal partner or idealise them a lot especially when first getting to know each other (dating).

☕ Sun square Mars/Saturn you may feel rather restrained around them, or may not be able to ease up much around them because of nervousness, or timidity. You may act more "mature" around them at first or less crazy than usual (lol).

☕ Jupiter conjunct Chiron being around them may trigger a lot of insecurities within you, perhaps you may feel "lesser" than them in some way.

☕ Pluto conjunct Starr (4150)

depending on the house it's in, being with them may push you to stardom or you may gain money/ popularity. It's not always favorable to see however; you may be known for a tumultuous love life as well depending on other placements/factors. (Priscilla Presley has this placement in the 2nd house. )

⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*

☕ Neptune square North/South Node they will come as a surprise to you, they are likely different from the type of person you expect to meet or different from the people you used to date

☕ Venus trine Neptune romance with them will make you feel giddy, and a part of you may feel like it's too good to be true

☕ Jupiter in the 12th house you may travel to them a lot or travel just to see them often, even after dating

☕ North Node conjunct Midheaven (MC)

being with them will change your reputation, whether in your career, public or both. You might feel like they give you direction as well. A new door; a new life.

☕ Moon conjunct Juno you will feel like they are your perfect match, your soulmate. " Finally, someone gets me."

☕ Chiron conjunct ascendant

you may think it's a risky move to be with them, or being with them may hurt your reputation in a way.

☕ Sun conjunct Boda

meeting them may make you think of marriage or long-term commitment. ( sniper sniper sniper sniper, wifey wifey wifey wifey)

☕ Moon square Mercury you might not share a lot of your true feelings with them or might hold your tongue a lot at first ( either because of trust issues or caution). You may also find it difficult to see each other on the same level and get offended easily (both sides).

☕ Venus opposite Pluto they will change your mind about love when you meet them or seem like a knight in shining armor amongst disappointments and heartbreaks

☕ Sun trine Moon there is an immediate compatibility, also like you've met before or seem like childhood friends (even though you've never met)

☕ Sun conjunct Venus love at first sight!

☕ Sun conjunct Jupiter in the 3rd house you will enjoy long conversations when you meet your future spouse, you feel like there is much to talk about together & have a lot in common. You may also be online a lot when you meet them.

☕ Sun conjunct Mercury you may make the first move when you feet them i.e start the conversation

☕ Lilith trine Uranus your relationship will help push you be more authentic towards yourself and others, you feel seen on a very personal level (respect s your individuality).

☕ Sun conjunct Jupiter ( in the 11th house) you might be gaining popularity when your first meet them or meeting them will cause a boost in your popularity. In the 11th house, it might be related to your online presence or reputation.

☕ Mercury opposite Mars you will be very hesitant to make any moves towards your person, or you might not think that they would strike up the first conversation (did not expect).

˚₊‧꒰ა paid readings available ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

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Thanks for reading ♡

@northopalshore

@northopalshore union persona chart 2025 all rights reserved.

Support ?

[argumate]

a lot of people don't like AI and that leads them to claim that it can't possibly work, which is silly as they don't have any good reason to believe that and we know for a fact that human-level intelligence is possible because we've seen humans do it.

technically we don't know that superhuman intelligence is possible as we've never seen that before (although we have seen it in specialised domains, like chess, go, general recall and so on), but I have a hunch that there are machines that can think better than humans can as they aren't subject to the same design constraints, can be built from alternative materials, don't need to eat, their brain doesn't need to fit through a human pelvis, etc.

however even if we can only make a machine as smart as Einstein then that would still be pretty cool, I mean Einstein couldn't figure out quantum mechanics but it would be neat to have an Einstein available on demand to tutor you at school or handle your customer service requests or whatever it is you needed.

people who don't like AI also claim that it will destroy the environment, which is unlikely, not least because we know that AI doesn't need to consume more resources than people do and probably a lot less: you should be able to run a couple of Einsteins on your laptop and you're already using that now for sillier things.

another claim is that the companies currently pushing AI will lose money, and that's more plausible as companies lose money on big projects all the time; but it seems like a good outcome for everyone else? let overly optimistic investors fund the research and development of AI while we all get the benefit, that's great!

of course the ultimate fear is that AI works too well and the people who own it now end up owning everything else too, the smug bastards, but wealth disparity is a problem unrelated to AI and one that we should already be trying to fix right now.

it's important not to base your political activism on false claims as they can discredit your platform; the best reason for doing something is ideally true.

we have had ample warning that human-level machine intelligence is coming -- it was inevitable as soon as electronic switches were developed, and Turing's famous paper on the subject turns 75 this year -- but people have resisted the idea in the same way that they resist the implications of humans being assemblages of molecules that can be analysed mechanistically, a resistance that compromises their comprehension of the world and their ability to shape it.

[scam-alerts]

🚨Scammer Alert🚨 + 🔎Scam Exam(ination)🔍

Seen as: 'I'm feeling so inspired by your picture/art!' Scam Type: Muse Scam

1 - Description of this scam:

The muse scam is a variant of the fake check scam in which the scammer will contact the victim over social media and claim to want to use their image for an art project. The scammer will often use a stolen social media account to increase their credibility. They will offer a generous sum of money and offer to pay via check, and the victim is instructed to send money to the scammer for “materials” via an irreversible method. The victim is under the illusion that the funds cleared when the bank makes the money available thanks to current regulations. Usually the fake check deposit will be reversed in a few weeks, but it can also take several months. If you do not have the funds to cover the amount, your balance will go negative. Your bank will usually charge a fee for depositing a bad check, and your account may be closed depending on the severity of the scam. source (reddit)

Additional info about the muse scam. (from malwarebytes)

-----

Example account shown here: @muralmagicsworld (banned)

Accounts also running this scam: @craftpatch, @shadyduckgladiator emilyartlana emilyfanartist thoughtfulgraze rogerwil01

(Note: There are probably a lot of scammers running this scam. This post is mainly talking about the blog that I managed to find or were made aware of.)

2 - What this scam looks like.

Part 1: The request. (on a post made by a bot no less... lol)

A secondary (more recent) example of this request can be seen here:

The source of this is from this post by @blankwisher64 who gave me permission to use it. Thank you!

A third example can be seen here - Given by anonymous:

-----

Part 2: The blog an their posts.

The blog's earliest post was made on November 11th 2024

Using google lense (the photo icon you can use to look up an image on the internet) I was able to find these images linked to a youtube channel and an instagram account made by an artist known as Andreas Liss.

The woman in the first instagram post's name is credited, by the original artist, to be the lovely Anastasia Dmitrieva.

Where as the scammer... well.. They decided to call her... Jennifer.

-----

Final words: The muse scam is quite common and it's recently migrated from instagram to tumblr. If you are someone who posts pictures of yourself or your animals, always remember this: If someone tells you they're feeling 'inspired' and they'll draw you or your pet but you have to 'pay for art supplies' and they're willing to send you a $1000+ 'check/money order' and 'you can keep the rest' because they're feeling 'oh so generous'?

It is and always will be a scam.

Other helpful guides on spotting scams. (by @kyra45)

-----

Disclaimer: This post is only meant to serve as documentation and reference material so that others know: why this person is a scammer, and to provide more information about the scam they are running. I do not, in any way, endorse harassment or mass reporting these users. Only report posts related to asks, comments, or messages if you GET them or ones like them. Thank you.

[hypodermicfroggy]

= PROJECT MOON LORE GUIDE =

(I've posted a guide like this on Steam, but I figure it couldn't hurt to put an updated version on Tumblr, too. Also, a warning: This post is going to be very, *very* long.)

Hello, current Project Moon fandom and future/want-to-be fans!

Do you enjoy Limbus Company but don't know how to get into the other games and media to appreciate the greater lore of the series? Do you not actually have the money, time, or patience to endure a brutally punishing (and sometimes even janky) roguelike management sim, deckbuilder, or gacha game because we live in a capitalistic hellworld like the one this very series criticizes? Struggle with getting access to supplementary materials due to controversies and language barriers?

(Pictured: PM Twitter and the Limbus Steam Forums, on any given day. Seriously, what is wrong with some of you people.)

And especially important: hate how Reddit and Steam are full of dudebro coomers who are openly hostile to F2P, non-day one players who might grapple with all the previous issues on top of being more invested in story than waifus?

Then read on under the cut!

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

This guide contains a comprehensive list of resources for you to be able to enjoy the Project Moon series to its fullest, including links to wikis, playlists, and more. Even if you can't play the games, I personally think those who can actually appreciate the series shouldn't be gatekept from the truly fantastic story and world that the games hold. Except Canto 6, we don't talk about Canto 6.

AND AN IMPORTANT REMINDER: THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE SERIES, AND PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTENT WARNINGS BEFORE YOU GET INTO ANYTHING HERE! This is a very dark series that tackles and shows very heavy topics and content!

For those who can't read the text on the image, some of the common trigger warnings for this series includes:

Animal Cruelty

Drug Use

References to Alcohol and Tobacco

Injury and Dismemberment

Homicide and Suicide

Violence and Torture

Cannibalism

Kidnapping, Abduction, and Captivity

Psychosis

Diseases, Seizure, and Dyspnoea (aka shortness of breath)

Familial Homicide and Domestic Violence

Reference to Clowns (Coulrophobia)

Themes of Occultism and Spiritualism

Audiovisual Depictions of Gore

Uses of Sharp and Pointed Objects

Hospital and Medical References

References to Gaslighting and Bullying

Body Modification and/or Deformation

Flashing Lights (Photosensitivity)

Disorientation Induced by a Shaking Camera

Strong Language and Demeaning Words

Reference to Traffic Accidents

Uses of Guns and Instruments of Violence

Discriminatory Violence

Religious Torture and Violence

Enforced Ideology and/or Actions

War and Mass Conflict

Anyway, if all that didn't scare you off, on to the guide!

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=WIKIS:

When in doubt, there's always the wikis for being references and useful sources, from gameplay to story elements!

>>Cogitopedia - A WIP wiki run by members of the community, working on adding in-depth content for all of the games and supplementary materials.

>>LobCorp Wiki - Has data on every abnormality, including inaccessible ones and cut ones (such as Price of Silence).

>>Library of Ruina Wiki - Has the lore from key pages, and also has cut content like the CGs from the original planned ending.

>>Limbus Wiki.gg - Has ID Uptie stories and info about Mirror Dungeon encounters. (DO NOT USE THE LIMBUS FANDOM WIKI, IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED/VANDALIZED.)

>>Library of Project Moon - A WIP fan blog whose purpose is to consolidate translations of the literary source novels and related works for Limbus Company and the PM games as a whole.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LOBOTOMY CORPORATION:

Summary: Lobotomy Corporation is the first game in the series. It is a roguelike management sim where you play as "Manager X", tasked with handling employees and various monsters known as Abnormalities in order to generate daily quotas of a power source substance known as Enkephalin and a mysterious "Seed of Light" project. You are aided by an alleged team of AIs known as the Sephirot, and your very own personal assistant AI, Angela. It's often been likened to "anime SCP Foundation."

This is the game where everything begins, and without it, we wouldn't have the plot of Limbus (or anything else for that matter). This is where the Golden Boughs come from, this is where Abnormalities come from, this is even where Distortions come from - but we're getting ahead of ourselves on that front.

>>This playlist will allow you to watch all the cutscenes from the game, in order, for the canon ending.

>>This video also has the cutscenes, albeit not in order, HOWEVER, it does have the alternate, non-canon endings A and B (which are timestamped in the link for convenience).

>>WordsmithVids (also on YouTube) also has what is generally considered to be the most popular summary of the game.

(NOTE: Some people disagree with WordsmithVids and his interpretations of some of the characters as well as his content being "meme-y," so I advise you to watch at your own discretion and draw your own conclusions. That being said, if people have better recommendations, please send them to me instead of just complaining and bitching without offering solutions like that one guy on Steam did, thank you.)

>>This site contains transcripts/text of the entire game, albeit not in order like the cutscene playlist. It also has WIP sections for EGO weapons, gear, and other useful info.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=WONDERLAB:

Summary: Wonderlab was a webcomic by the artist MIMI/Whitezombies, originally posted on the Project Moon Postype account. It follows the adventures of several employees - often called "nuggets" in fan parlance - Catt, Taii, and Rose, in a Lobotomy Corporation branch facility as they go about their day to day activities.

This webcomic was taken down after the Summer 2023 Incel Controversy, when incels stormed the Project Moon office in Korea and made enough credible threats that the former Limbus CG artist known as Vellmori was fired, and it is currently part of a second conflict over copyright. However, primarily for archival and personal reference purposes, the comic has been saved and rehosted in several forms.

>>Internet Archive version. This has just the comic in an on-site readable format.

>>A backup archive on Google Drive. This features the individual pages, a downloadable .zip of the archive, and a readable Google Docs version.

For those who may have ethical concerns about downloading a webcomic that was pulled due to controversy (understandable), once again, >>WordsmithVids has a summary.

(NOTE: This is NOT the place to discuss either the Summer 2023 incel controversy *or* the current (Summer 2024) copyright conflict. There are far better places to do that with people who are far better informed on the topic than I am. This post is solely for providing references and archives of lore material to help guide people into this series. DO NOT attempt to bring up the controversies here, I will not be acknowledging them outside of mentioning why certain supplementary materials may have been pulled and have had to be mirrored. I am just an archivist, not a lawyer or discourser.)

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LIBRARY OF RUINA:

Summary: Library of Ruina takes place some months after the events of Lobotomy Corporation. A "Grade 9 Fixer" known as Roland finds his way into the mysterious, tower-like Library that has sprung up in place of the former main facility of L Corp, where he encounters Angela and the other Sephirot (all now Librarians). He begins assisting her in finding "the perfect book", which involves enticing people to come to the library through the sending out of curious invitations.

Now, unfortunately, there is not a playlist that splits up the cutscenes or puts them in order for Ruina.

>>These two videos have them all in compilation.

HOWEVER. A wonderful and dear friend of mine (@citroncynique <3) has allowed the guide they sent me to be reproduced/copied.

>>As such, there is a guide on how to watch the cutscenes in the order that makes the most sense, utilizing the timestamps of the previous two videos. It is not a perfect system, but it works at least.

>>There is also a written transcript archive for Ruina, by the same person who did the one for LobCorp, which also includes useful info regarding things like cards and keypages as well.

>>WordsmithVids also has at least two summary vids out.

However, due to financial issues at last update, he has not been able to continue his summary of Ruina. I am including them regardless. >>As well as his Patreon in case people want to support him in hopes of making it easier for him to work on the vids again.

>>There is also an almost FOUR HOUR LONG video essay that delves into Angela's character specifically after the events of LobCorp and Ruina. It is not required viewing like the rest of the materials here, however, I think it still deserves a mention just for the amount of effort and care that went into it.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=DISTORTION DETECTIVE:

Summary: Taking place at roughly the same time as Library of Ruina, two Fixers known as Ezra and Moses and an N Corp. Taboo Hunter known as Vespa investigate the Distortion Phenomenon that is rapidly starting to spread across the City after the events of the previous games.

Originally released as a webnovel on Project Moon's Postype, Distortion Detective has 42 chapters and is technically incomplete/on hiatus. Project Moon, surprised at how popular the webnovel was, decided they wanted to potentially make an entire game based on the story. As of this writing, that has not happened (yet) but at least one character from the novel has appeared in Limbus Company, so there is still hope yet.

>>The DD series in its original form on Postype. This version was posted chapter-by-chapter, on Project Moon's Postype account and is (as of this writing, at least) still readable there.

>>A backup archive on Google Drive. This has the entire webnovel in a single document format (both Docs and downloadable PDF) featuring NishikujiC's official chapter illustrations up to Ch. 26, and includes the now-cut comic adaption of Ch. 19 by the artist Monggeu/koug99.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LEVIATHAN:

(Lord, this one. Like it wasn't a big enough pain in the ass already.)

Summary: After the events of Library of Ruina, and operating as a direct prequel to Limbus Company, Leviathan follows the Color Fixer Vergilius (aka the Red Gaze) as he grapples with his own personal traumas and comes into conflict with the Ring Syndicate, before being recruited as a guide for the LCB.

Leviathan originally started as a webcomic by Monggeu/koug99. Health issues with the artist resulted in the comic being discontinued and turned into a webnovel, whose translation was never completed and had to later be finished by fans. The comic portion has since been taken down as of the Summer 2024 copyright conflict and controversy, much like Wonderlab was. Once again, however, this has been mirrored for archival and reference purposes.

>>Original source of Leviathan on Postype. Due to the copyright conflict and the translation hiatus, the only chapters available are Ch. 12-15. The link is still included for posterity reasons and just in case the copyright conflict results in the chapters being restored.

>>A backup archive on Google Drive. This link includes the comic chapters, as well as the SnakeskinFS English fan translations for the last five chapters that were never completed, all in PDF form.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LIMBUS COMPANY:

Summary: After all the events of the previous games, a mysterious up and coming business known as Limbus Company has taken it upon themselves to send a group composed of 12 "Sinners" and their mysterious clock-headed Manager Dante to delve into the now-abandoned L Corp facilities in search of mysterious artifacts known as Golden Boughs.

Finally we come to the end of the shrubbery maze. Limbus Company is the latest chapter in the currently unfolding story of Project Moon and the City, a gacha game being used to fund other projects under the company umbrella.

Many people, once again, have ethical concerns about patronizing a gacha game. I for one agree with them, even as one of those patrons.

>>This playlist features all of the cutscenes for each part of the game story released so far (up to Intervallo 6.5-2/Murder on the WARP Express as of this writing).

>>There is also this site, which operates as a pure datamined text archive of all the story content.

>>And this site, which has all the in-game Observation logs as told by the Sinners, about the Abnormalities and enemies encountered in-game.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=BONUS/SUPPLEMENTARY:

This section, liable to be updated at any given time, is for links to materials or fan-creations that don't necessarily fit with the strictly canonical story materials found in the games and webnovels themselves but which otherwise provide useful resources or analysis. Note that the vast majority of material here is supplementary and not required, but recommended.

(Except the literary sources. You will read those, and that is a threat. I can't take another Wings-forsaken illiterate opinion on Canto 6, I'm going to start Distorting and biting people if YOU PEOPLE DON'T READ THE DAMN SOURCE NOVELS.)

YouTubers and Video Essayists:

Frey Chaqma - Frey has done lots of work for the PM community, such as spearheading the Absolute Pride Resonance charity event for Pride Month 2024 as well as discussing the lore of the games and the City as a whole.

Tsunul - Another YouTuber who discusses lore but who also often delves into more interpersonal matters relating to the fandom and controversies that can affect the game community as a whole.

Esgoo - Although Esgoo does not necessarily get into lore so much, they are often tauted as one of the biggest names in the fandom for, if nothing else, their meta-analysis and basic gameplay/strategy material, as well as their community involvement.

DMrLeeds - Although some of his videos are (comparitively) quite old, it can still provide a good jumping off point for anyone who is utterly lost on what's going on in Limbus.

hydrojoy's essay on Benjamin - In addition to Angela, hydrojoy also did an in-depth analysis on Benjamin, aka B, aka Hokma, from Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina and their impact on the story.

MetiNotTheBadGuy's PM Character Essays - Meti has done several excellent character breakdown videos on some of PM's most notable villains/characters, including Roland, Kromer, and Dongrang.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Citroncynique. For being a truly amazing artist, putting in the effort of making a watch guide for Ruina's cutscenes, and getting me into this series and ruining my life forever by jingling a bugman with PTSD in front of me (<3).

MIMI/Whitezombies, Monggeu/koug99, NishikujiC, and Vellmori. Although several of these artists have left PM and the community on bad terms, I still think their efforts should be appreciated and supported, now more than ever.

SnakeskinFS. For finishing Leviathan's English translation.

Folex, Bek, WordsmithVids, hydrojoy, and the Lobotomy Corporation Archive. For posting their cutscene and summary/analysis videos.

NeedsMoreDoge. The Steam user who provided the original guide and backup on how to read Leviathan that I myself utilized.

The less than pleasant members of the community who spurred me into making this guide in the first place, out of pure spite.

And of course, readers like you and those members of the community who make me so happy to be here and be a part of this fandom. Genuinely, thank you all, I have never felt as welcomed as I do in the Project Moon circles I run in.

In addition to the references included here, I recommend you get involved in your PM community as well! Join communities and Discords, support content creators on social sites, help contribute where it's needed and in whatever way you can! The best way to counteract the worst elements of any fandom is to be a guiding and helpful element in your own right.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope this guide helps you out!

[etherealsworldvision]

Who is Your Next Friend & A Step to Connect.

Before I begin the reading I’d like to take a moment to talk about: GLAAD. They’re a non-profit organization advancing LGBTQ acceptance through fair, accurate, and inclusive representation through global, national, and local programs. If you’re interested do check them out and if you’d like to further support them click donate.

Divider Credits: @plutism & @kgymz

1. 2. 3.

🚨 P.S.A 🚨 : I do not give personal readings! Disclaimer: this is for entertainment only!

Added Description: all my readings are timeless and meant to reach those who resonate to the messages.

[ General Message: “In the clurb we all fam” - Broad City; 888; August; July; 55; royalty (aesthetic); Renaissance (fair); Windsor; Money; Materialism; Balance; Soon or Quick results; Receive Good News; Creative idea gaining recognition; Planting seeds with creativity; Understanding yourself; Acceptance of yourself; I Saw The TV Glow ]

Pile 1

[ Confirmation Messages: It takes time (to heal); Vulnerabilities; Speak; Soft-Spoken; Wanting to Hide Away; Taper - Maria BC; Strong-will; Loneliness; “Obscure”(?); Not wanting to be found; Running away as a coping mechanism; Sweet songs; Singing; Distance; Solitude; Spending time with animals; Lucky Star; Lucky Duck from Sixteen Wishes]

Cards: Justice; 10 of Swords; 10 of Cups ®; Strength; Star ®; 4 of Swords; 6 of Swords; 7 of wands ®; Queen of Swords

Your next friend

So this energy is kind of hard to pin down. Maybe this is yours or your next friend’s energy. They may be a past friend that drifted off? Either way this person is currently withdrawn and may want to be invisible. They may feel tired mentally and emotionally. This person might’ve lost some ambition or faith in what they’re working on? This grievance especially applies to their dreams towards a financial/material circumstance. They may have worked very hard on their goals only to find it “didn’t” pay off like they thought it would. Despite their situation they’re strong willed — they’ll find a way to get the ball rolling in their court. Yes they may have been hopeless but they still always find a way to balance it out. This may not be for everyone but they could be a coworker. They’re also very fair and balanced when it comes to their energy. They may also like the finer things in life but right now they may feel lost. This person may speak a lot. They may have a Gemini mercury/Jupiter-Mercury.

A step to connect

I get the feeling that constant and clear communication is a huge aspect in this friendship. When a problem arises it’s not you vs your friend but you and your friend vs the problem. Perhaps you two may have experienced the scarier side of confrontation/anger. I’m also getting the sense that you or this person dealt with some sort of resentment that shook your/this person's world. Overall you two may feel like things cannot be left unsaid and misunderstood. By having this clear communication everything balances and you two can get through stormy waters together. I’m also getting – even if there is a heated argument you two will feel safe because of communication and understanding both of your needs.

Friendship dynamic

Funny enough I thought of your dynamic as two captains on a pirate ship. You two work very well together, especially when it comes to goals and projects. I’m getting that one is especially good with strategy and the other executing the plans. You two may be opposites but for good reason — where one lacks the other can fill. It’s like guiding one another. Yes you two may be each other’s anchor when times get tough, but one of you can be the chain to pull them out of treacherous waters. It’s a very balanced dynamic.

Pile 2

[ Confirmation message: Pens; Specific/Particular; Stubborn; Wellness; Sun decor; “worry-wart”; Overachiever; Moon-Sun dynamic; Dark Colors; Moody; Brazil; Tropical weather; Roadtrip; Dirt road with colorful wooden signs; LGBT community; Summer Camp; Decoy-Paramore ]

Cards: 10 of Swords; Queen of Wands; 5 of Pentacles; Knight of Cups ® ; High Priestess ®; Queen of Swords; Ace of Wands; Ace of Cups; 3 of Cups; 6 of Pentacles

Your next friend

You may be meeting your next friend when they’re coming out of their shell. They might’ve hidden who they were or limited their self-expression in order to conform to their surroundings. However they somehow had a breakthrough? Or maybe they got tired of restrictions. Either way they’re embracing who they are and going on a self discovery moment. This is for a few of you, you may know this person already and noticed a difference which intrigued you. Overall I feel like this person left their true self behind only to reunite and make that bond with themselves even more stronger and brighter. Also they may be the life of the party even if they’re on the quieter side.

A step to connect

The very first thing I’m getting is: “let them come to you”. For some reason it just feels more “magical”? Besides that you may meet them through an online or in real life community. I also feel like this is a place where a lot of interactions take place. You may even be the one hosting the event and they take interest. Either way they will like the way you think and speak, how you conduct yourself when you communicate. There’s also this spark — like you just get along and your conversations bounce back to one another. This may sound a little annoying but this friend is gonna come “unannounced” like you won’t expect it cause you’re so busy with other things; hence they’ll be the one coming to you.

Friendship dynamic

Omg pile 2 this is so cute! Your friendship will be emotionally fulfilling and very balanced. Theirs an equal give and take. This also gives off a found family vibe. Like I get the feeling that (mainly) you or (maybe) this person will introduce each other to more people. There’s this feeling of expanding the friendship. This also feels like a summer (the season) dynamic. Like this friendship is so warming, eventful, fun and just overall wholesome.

Pile 3

[ Confirmation message: Cars; Wrist watch; Flaunt; High-strung; Crowd; Music Festival; Desert; Coachella; Disco; 24; Conversations about Reaching; Sleeve Tattoos; “Turnt”; 7 lives of Lea; Drinking; Party Invites; Secluded parties; Band; Secrets; Desires ]

Cards: 2 of wands ®, The Emperor ®, Strength, Page of Swords, Ace of Sword ®, King of Swords; Ace of Cups; 8 of Pentacles; Hierophant

Your next friend

Your next friend has dreams that they want to pursue but have trouble taking initiative or they aren’t in a place to take them. They give off Ismael from The Seven Lives of Lea vibe. They’re restricted by the outside world and they yearn so deeply to achieve their dreams as well as the love they deserve. This friend is very passionate and very “family/friend” oriented. They are someone who puts their all into their connection and dreams. And when they dream they include their friends as well. They give off the; if I eat we ALL eat vibe — this person has a generous heart but is not naive.

A step to connect

You may have connections or some knowledge connected to their goals. I get the feeling that you two have a bit of a different approach when it comes to goals but it’ll also help yours and their growth. You two may feed each other ideas as well as encourage them. These things may come in as a shock; let’s say you’re talking about coffee then the idea hits the two of you. It’s like an aha! Moment. Besides that you two kind of become a mentor to each other. Helping each other attain your goals by discussion. Think of things one of you didn’t ever think about and think outside of the box.

Friendship dynamic

Your friendship dynamic is very disciplined and encouraging. You both encourage each other to keep on going, to keep attaining that goal even if it’s for just a second. This dynamic is very inspiring and because you two are motivating each other it opens up an emotional bond that’s kind of new to you. It’s almost like you never experienced this type of platonic love. It’s like through being each other's motivators you became best friends? It’s like watching a sports movie and seeing the mc and coach hugging each other when they win.

[the-clumsywitchtarot]

Pick-a-Card Reading: What Makes You So Loveable?

Pile 1 Pile 2 Pile 3

Cards

Two of Wands (Reversed)

The Devil (Reversed)

Ten of Swords (Reversed)

The Lovers

King of Wands

The Hermit

I didn't necessarily intend for these readings to be about what makes you lovable romantically but that is what came out. I see that you are someone that has great boundaries when in a relationship or you are currently working on developing strong boundaries before entering your next relationship. I see that you aren't someone that let's a relationship bind you or change who you are, you remain true to yourself and wish for the other person to do the same. That's one of the things your partner loves about you, you don't change yourself to please them and you don't expect them to change themselves to please you. You prefer a relationship where you can help each other grow and become better versions of yourselves but you aren't looking to remake them just as you yourself aren't looking to be remade. With the hermit I can also see that you aren't clingy in relationships and you enjoy your alone time and pursuing your own hobbies but at the same time you are still capable of showing love and passion towards your partner. I keep hearing that you are the dream partner! You're not detached but you also allow room for your partner to breath and not feel guilty for not calling or being with you every second of every day.

Cards

Five of Wands

Queen of Pentacles (Reversed)

Four of Swords

Four of Pentacles

Ace of Pentacles (Reversed)

Ace of Wands

I see that this pile is willing to fight for what they think is right even if it is futile or unlikely to have the outcome you are desiring, you still go for it. I feel like some of the people that chose this pile are into activism. With the queen of wands and ace of pentacles in reverse I feel like you are someone that isn't super into material wealth and would much rather focus on what feels good to you. This is one of the things that makes you so loveable, you would gladly turn down an opportunity to make money if it meant compromising your ethics or hurting someone. Even though the four of pentacles typically means holding onto money, I can see this more so being about you holding on to experiences you've had and valuing that more than having lots of money. I feel like you have recently been gaining a new zest for life or something you've just discovered and it has made the energy you project even more amazing than your energy normally is.

Cards

The of Cups

Ten of Wands

Knight of Pentacles (Reversed)

Five of Pentacles

Eight of Pentacles

The Sun

I see that this pile gives off a joyous energy no matter what they're going through, the three of cups is really standing out to me I can see you being the life of the party. For some of you this comes out in a very flamboyant wild way and for others it's like a get together just wouldn't be the same if you didn't show up. I see you being the kind of person that could even make a funeral more pleasant as strange as that may sound. For half of the people that chose this pile, your wild vibrant energy is what makes you loveable and for the other half that chose this pile your peaceful energy is what makes you lovable. I'm getting that some of you are like taking an upper and some of you are like taking a downer (in the best way possible).

Please let me know if your reading resonated and always remember not to make a decision based on a reading unless it's one you feel completely comfortable with. Thank you for visiting my tarot page!

All the best to you,

- Erika, The Clumsy Witch

[clonerightsagenda]

For now I think I'm going to use #crude monsters as my catchall tag because I respect a clever title. I'll try to backtag stuff but given tumblr's search function I'm going to pile all my current thoughts in one place so this one at least will be tagged.

Thesis

I've observed a theme in SFF works from the last decade connecting the undead/death magic with fossil fuels/climate change in a way that makes even more literal our contemporary society being powered by dead things (fossil fuels) and positions climate change/pollution as a 'haunting' we've brought upon ourselves. The specter of communism may have been haunting Europe, but the specter of petrochemicals now stalks the globe, and it's getting hot (or cold) in here.

Examples I have collected so far:

The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir

This is the most blatant. House society runs on death even more visibly than our own. It was created by a man working to save the planet, but even his original project betrays a belief that humans can't possibly escape their extractive relationship with Earth - it relied on freezing the entire population until the Earth could recover, instead of changing anyone's behavior. John wipes out our society, but he ends up recreating a lot of its harmful structures, including a reliance on extraction and death. The Houses rely on labor performed by skeletal servitors (more akin to the original zombie-as-enslaved-labor than the modern ravenous swarm). They use material goods primarily made of plastic or human bone/tissue. The Empire expands by killing entire planetary ecosystems and harvesting the death energy, spawning vengeful hauntings that target necromancers (people born from and benefiting from this extractive process) and Lyctors (necromancers who have gone even further to make continual death and extraction core to their identity). John, the leader of the empire, is powered by the death of Earth, and that's what's literally keeping the lights on - when he's briefly killed, the sun starts to go out. Society's view of human life as fuel trickles down to the interpersonal level as well, with many characters blurring devotion and consumption, taking it as a personal rejection when someone refuses to eat them, or deciding that the kindest alternative to the societal status quo is mutual self-immolation (nuclear fusion?).

Beyond the resurrection beasts serving as the vengeance of slaughtered ecosystems, we also see the aftereffects of this regime in the River, which is filthy and polluted. The Cuyahoga River catching fire became a key symbol and tipping point in the environmental movement in the late 60s/70s, and here we have a river that's been befouled by however John broke the world.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud

In this series, Britain is plagued by something no one wants to name. It's not haunting, it's a Problem. They're not ghosts, they're Visitors. The dead don't have names, they get nicknames like natural disasters. But at the root is a group of wealthy industrialists who are exacerbating a crisis and profiting off of it at the same time. Business leaders are invading the afterlife to extract a product literally made out of dead people, which stirs up the dead and heightens the Problem. Then they turn around and make money off it by selling key supplies and services (silver, iron, agents, etc.) The reliance on children's Talents is reminiscent of climate change rhetoric around young people. Polls suggest young people are the most aware and concerned about climate change (after all, like with Visitors, they can see and feel it most clearly). Many adults in Turbohaunted Britain are willfully ignorant of the situation, brush off their own responsibility, and talk about how "the children will save us", cheerfully dropping the problem into the laps of a generation that did not cause it but will inherit its worst effects. Of course it's not just children who suffer - the process of invading the Other Side is actively killing the people doing it as well, and yet they still won't stop, driven by extractive greed.

This extraction is also displacing a large population. The dead entering living Britain are victims, but they're dehumanized by the real wrongdoers who need an easy scapegoat and the money they can make off one. The later books in this series were published around the height of the European refugee "crisis", when Europe saw high numbers of migrants from Middle Eastern and North African nations experiencing instability that Western oil interests contributed to. Rather than recognizing their responsibility and welcoming these people, Europe as a whole mostly rejected and vilified them, and nations across the globe continue to latch onto cases where migrants do hurt someone as evidence that they're all dangerous monsters, using them as a smokescreen to deflect attention from the rich corporate architects of our collective misery.

The Scholomance by Naomi Novik

This is my third example, and I might be stretching the undead thing a bit, but not too much imo. In the Scholomance series, privileged magic users, primarily in Western and wealthy nations, live in extravagant protected enclaves, leaving everyone else at the mercy of dangerous monsters. It's eventually revealed that enclaves are literally built on the backs of human sacrifices, which spawn a tar pit-like monster (mawmouth) that roams around devouring people - mostly those unlucky individuals who don't get through the enclave gates, meaning the people who benefit are also the least impacted, just as we've seen with warming and climate disasters. Their comfort comes at a direct cost to everyone else. Mawmouths are made out of that original sacrifice but accumulate their screaming, perpetually dying victims, and El is eventually able to defeat them by reminding them that they're "already dead", so I'd say they're at least undead-adjacent.

When a Chinese wizard learns the secret of enclave construction, he confronts the Western enclaves, who refuse to stop. So, his faction feels they have no choice but to build their own enclaves, even if that makes the problem worse. It's reminiscent of how the West scolds "developing" nations for increasing their population and emissions despite having enjoyed the fruits of living large, carbon consumption-wise, for decades. ("We had our fun, now we're going to wag our fingers at anyone who doesn't want to sign emissions treaties. We're not following them though.") The New York enclave makes a more ~ethical~ mawmouth (Orion = greenwashing??) but mostly so they can weaponize it against anyone who argues with them. Orion being created as part of this arms race and El being born to 'balance' him out again hearkens to the idea that the children will somehow save us, and also revisits that children are the most impacted by our warming future, stuck cleaning up earlier generations' messes.

Hi Nay by Motzie Dapul

This connection was made during a Discord conversation and not by me, so I really need to relisten to the podcast with this framing in mind. A group of mostly wealthy Elders gain magical power through sowing the Toronto landscapes with Foci that harvest energy from death. The ones that bother with justifications say it's for the greater good and the deaths at least are random chance, but in reality the Elders are safe and their Foci impact the unprotected, just as we pretend natural disasters and pandemics are great equalizers when really they and other climate-induced destruction hit frontline populations hardest. Just like the wealthy in our world, they're profiting off of people's deaths and looking the other way as man-made disasters caused by their actions destroy people.

Additionally, the use of death magic at scale destabilizes the barrier between the worlds of the living and the dead, and locations where a Focus has activated in the past are more likely to experience problems again. Essentially it's a feedback loop, the way we see exponential warming and increased disasters as different 'symptoms' of climate change feed off each other. Foci creating corrupt, repulsive "miasmas" that distort the world around them is also reminiscent of ecological damage and pollution.

The showrunner has indicated future episodes might tackle this theme more directly, so I'm excited about that!

Limitations

Of these four works, three were written by white authors living in what I would categorize as an extracting area of the world rather than an extraction zone. All four works are at least primarily in English for an English-speaking audience. This does not reflect the frontline communities most vulnerable to the current ravages of climate change, and I would not be surprised if this theme has arisen in works I have not found, either because they did not make it through mainstream publishing's gatekeeping or because I do not speak the language.

That being said, hauntings often have their logic. There's unfinished business, someone (something?) wants revenge, people crossed lines they shouldn't have. So perhaps this theme popping up in extractive countries is an acknowledgement of that culpability, admitting that we dug up these angry dead, and now we don't know how to put them back to rest. Shame the rest of the world is paying for our trespass.

I'll continue to keep an eye out for more examples of this theme; feel free to let me know if you spot one!

[hsvh-hp]

Hi! Thanks for all the responses -- I hadn't realized how many chapters I'd gotten through since your last round until I saw the emails lmao

I was wondering, in regards to this:

And omg, I totally feel you on being a trans person in the HP fandom. It's very weird how my tumblr dash is set up. I have mutuals still from old fandoms who are queer, and I feel so ostracized from them at times when they toe the line of 'anybody in the HP fandom supports JKR, you're a bad person if you're still engaging with it'. I'll spare you the essay on why I disagree with that, but oddly the safest place I feel on the internet as a trans person is in the HP fandom. Which is weird at face value, I suppose, given what JKR is doing, but we really are separate from her. I've yet to see substantial evidence that fandom, which is infamous for generating zero revenue, is floating trans peoples' demise. It's just a thought crime, I guess.

if you would, perhaps, not spare me the essay? lol

I feel the same sort of ostracization which is especially frustrating when I am in such "thought crimes are fake!" circles, and I'm interested in your perspective, if you want to give it!

Sure, I’ll offer my perspective on it! This is probably best broken down into bullet points:

1. JKR was already a billionaire before she came out as a TERF.

There is nothing in the world that will change this status. Even if every single person currently engaging with her various IPs immediately dropped them, JKR would still have a billion plus dollars to drop on anti-trans movements and whatever. A billion dollars is immensely difficult to picture. The easiest way is to think like this: if you make $50,000 a year, the equivalent of her dropping $75,000 the other day is you spending $3.75. How often do you spend 0.0075% of your income and give it any thought? JKR’s wealth is not directly tied to ‘levels of fandom engagement’.

Which leads to…

2. Boycotts don’t work.

Sorry. They don’t. Not against someone this politically powerful. If they did, the flood of people out of the HP fandom in 2020 would have had a measurable effect. What did have a measurable effect? People not going to watch the Fantastic Beast movies (because they were hot trash lmao). Not giving JKR any more money works in the sense that it cripples her future projects, but it has zero effect on what’s already in her purse.

Also, think of boycotts this way: wasn’t it hilarious watching conservatives try to boycott the Barbie movie, Nike, Bud Light, and whatever else they’ve systematically locked on to? But so then why do progressives/the left/whoever think it’s going to work the other way? Like with Hogwarts Legacy? Just don’t interact with the media, dude. And if you do, pirate it.

3. Fandom is not mainstream. I have never seen any data to substantiate that participating in a fandom directly correlates to dollars for the IP. Copyright literally prevents that from happening. To bring up to popular saying, “there is no ethical consumption under capitalism”, fandom exists outside of capitalism—for me, at least, as a fan fiction writer. This is a hobby to me. I have never seen a red cent for any of the hours of work I’ve put into my fics.

And I can probably guarantee that no one has stumbled upon Harry Potter through me, lol. They didn’t read one of my fics and go, ‘you know, I should check out what source material this is coming from’. Harry Potter is so well-known that there’s no way they came in blind.

Also, the TERF discourse is very much an online thing. I work retail irl and I’ve had conversations with customers who’ll say “you know, I really don’t get all this hubbub against trans people” but are too boomer to be anything more than tangentially aware that Harry Potter is a Thing. Like, ‘oh yeah, my kids read those books when they were coming out, but I never bothered’. One of my employees bought a set of the HP books because they were on a wicked deal at Costco, and when we were discussing it I told her that while I still enjoyed HP, I wasn’t comfortable giving JKR more money because she’s extremely transphobic and donates a lot of money to anti-trans causes. My employee was horrified and said that had she known that, she wouldn’t have bought the books. Lots of people just don’t know!

Which takes me to…

4. This type of online activism isn’t effective.

I’m talking specifically about being anti-Harry Potter or anti-JKR. Falling into those two categories does not automatically make you pro-trans. This was pretty blatantly obvious back when the books were being burned for promoting witchcraft. As far as fighting for trans peoples’ rights, screaming until you’re blue in the face about how anybody who engages with Harry Potter is a traitor and JKR BAD is wasting time better spent doing something productive - something that could actually benefit trans people rather than…I don’t know…virtue signalling that their blog or twitter account is a safe space?

5. I personally do not feel welcomed or vouched for by these people.

Listen, I’m going to break myself down into all my stupid little categories. I’m trans. Autistic. Intersex. Aromantic. Asexual. Basically, all the things that people love to try and cast out of the queer community, whether that means they’re trying to split LGBTQIA+ at the T or Q.

The anti-Harry Potter stuff, as far as attacking the fandom, feels like the latest strain of purity politics to me. As I’ve laid out above, abandoning HP will not right the wrongs of JKR in any measurable or tangible way. Boycotts don’t work. Fandom does not feed JKR’s coffers, and destroying the fandom will not cripple her. There are trans people inside the HP fandom, and what of us? Are we traitors? Are we not ‘really’ trans, because obviously we don’t care about the current political climate? Are we just confused and need to be enlightened as to what harm we’re doing? Where have I heard this rhetoric before?

One small thing, tangentially related:

6. I don’t care what JKR says about how engaging with Harry Potter tells her about who her ‘supporters’ are.

Seriously? She’s a lying dirtbag, and I’m just supposed to take her word on this? This is the one thing she just so happens to be right about?

When she started spouting TERF shit, I was really saddened by the writers who, upon leaving the fandom, also deleted their works in protest. Seeing as the majority of the HP fandom is queer, I’m sure that JKR was very pleased with the amount of queer media erasure that occurred. Why did we do that for her?

7. I believe JKR actually seethes and malds over the prospect of her fandom being queer and producing queer content.

As a writer, there’s a special kind of pain that comes from someone not quite interpreting your work the way you would have wanted them to. What do you think JKR’s first reaction was when she first learned about the Harry/Draco ship? The Draco/Hermione ship? If she didn’t live in a stone castle, I bet she would’ve punched a hole in the wall.

So, yeah. Transing and gaying all of her characters is a pretty nice way to get to her in a way that she can’t legally or financially retaliate. Every time she screams ‘WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?!’ at the queer people in her fandom, a trans person’s crops are watered.

8. The HP setting is very welcoming to trans people.

Potions exist that can change your body. Enough said.

That the Harry Potter books never really says anything specifically about trans people (NOTE: obviously JKR’s prejudices even back then showed through, but this isn’t about that) leaves the question on the table. Obviously trans people exist in the Harry Potter setting, because they exist everywhere. So, how did they never get any page time?

Well, who says they didn’t? In a setting where potions exist to change your body, trans people are just…people. I don’t even think that they would have a marginalized identity because gender dysphoria would be something very easily treated. Think of it like someone who takes medication for blood pressure. They need the medication, it’s life-saving, and while there isn’t a magical pill to ‘cure’ high blood pressure, it can be managed. The magical world revels in being strange. Why would being trans, while being considered strange here in the ‘Muggle’ world, be anything other than normal there? Why can’t it be?

And then there are Metamorphmagi. People who can literally change themselves at will! If that isn’t a trans person’s dream, I don’t know what is. I would personally love the option of being the biggest, hairiest dude with a dick so big an erection would make me black out, and then ultra femme and delicate the next.

Last on this point, Harry never notes anyone specifically trans in the text (NOTE: touching on things like the physical descriptions of Rita Skeeter and Marge Dursley, JKR tends to do the ugly=bad person thing. Although she describes Rita and Marge as mannish in appearance, they aren’t trans characters. They’re women that JKR wants to frame as bad people. Like I said above, this is JKR’s prejudice showing through). If Harry never notes anyone as specifically trans, that probably means that it’s impossible to tell at face value. The same as blood pressure medication, to return to that analogy. How do you know someone is on them? They tell you. You see the pill bottle and happen to know what that medication is for. They complain about side effects. They complain about the symptoms that led them going to the doctor in the first place.

9. Queer HP fandom content can potentially be how a Harry Potter fan realizes that they’re queer (or that queer people are just regular folks).

Hey, the first one happened to me!

If someone comes into the Harry Potter fandom unaware of JKR’s politics - maybe they were gifted the books for their birthday or happened to catch the movies on TV - it’s good actually that this person doesn’t fall right into an echo chamber of JKR’s politics. I’ll be happily here to correct her record in a way that isn’t shaming or policing them.

Anyway, I think that’s everything lol. To summarize:

- The HP Fandom is a neutral setting. Engaging with it doesn’t help JKR, and not engaging with it doesn’t help trans people. Just don’t spend money on official HP merch.

- If you want to be a pro-trans activist or trans political ally, please just ignore JKR and put all your focus on the real world.

- There are trans people in the HP fandom who are left feeling awkward and uncomfortable due to virtue signalling.

- Generating queer HP content is good, actually.

[out-there-tmblr]

Young zaundads wip (52)

***

Silco gets word through the kitchen long before anything official is announced. They've been told to toss the bread out, which is pretty standard, but they've also been given recipes for fancy little Piltover pastries and tiny sweets made of sugar and egg whites. A topsider inspector wouldn't get that kind of food so there's someone much more important visiting next week.

"Does it matter who it is?" Vander asks, following Silco's careful steps up the slope to riverside.

"Of course not. It's not about which house they belong to. It's that they're coming to see the outcome of a project that directly impacts our plans." Silco tilts his head sideways to look up at Vander, mouth curved in a satisfied smirk. "They're celebrating something. Announcing something. They've got the ventilation shafts working."

Explained like that, it seems obvious. It also explains Silco's sudden good mood: sheer relief. It's month end tomorrow and they've both been haunted by the risk their plan is doomed before it even starts.

It would be nice if it made tonight's labour unnecessary, but it only makes it more important. A trading ship had fair winds and arrived two nights early, so they need to pay for the steel and move it down to the crevasse.

They need a better name for the area. Calling it the crevasse makes it sound like the fissures, like an area too inhospitable to have a proper name. Vander keeps thinking of it as their land, but that's going to change once other miners start building and living there. Silco keeps calling it Zaun because he's amused by the idea of their own little kingdom.

Silco smiles and pays for the materials, and commits to ordering more. Vander does his best to keep his own face friendly, even as he knows they don't have the money to buy more. He doubts they have more than thirty bronze in the safe right now. But Silco acts as if everything is under control, at least until they start moving the steel struts.

"The ship won't be back for another three weeks," Silco says through gritted teeth. He's really not built for the heavy labour his bright ideas involve. "We'll have more coin by then."

"Enough to pay for that much?"

"We'll each withdraw as much as we can tomorrow and we'll have enough."

"Even if tomorrow night's a disaster?" Vander doesn't think it will be. He certainly hopes it goes well but it's a big risk. A bigger risk than he's honestly comfortable with.

Silco shoots him a dirty look. "As long as we have three miners agree to pay for materials, we'll be fine."

"And if it's less than that?"

"I don't know, Vander," Silco snarls back, lifting the metal strut higher. "We'll talk to Babette about fleecing another one of her clients. Start robbing topsiders. I don't have a plan for this failing."

They stop talking. Quietly, they carry the strut down to the market only to find the door already unlocked and Felicia inside, swaying to the soft music. Connol and Benzo have their heads bent over some metal contraption, gears spread out on the low table between them.

Half of the room is currently piles of building materials – too big and too heavy to stack in the store room upstairs. The strut gets piled with the other steel supports.

"Hey, Benzo," Vander calls out, watching Silco shake out his hands, "I'll pay you in whiskey if you help me move the rest of these."

He looks over at Silco for permission, since it's Silco's personal stash he's offering, and Silco nods. "There's half a bottle of Noxian whiskey upstairs."

Benzo looks from one to the other, and then shrugs. "Sure."

"I'm going to check inventory," Silco announces. He's not the type to apologise for snapping in anger, but neither is Vander. They've got work to do. "Make sure we know exactly what we have on hand."

***

Vander's not sure what he was expecting. He knew there were a few miners interested. He was sure they'd have a few groups show up. What they actually get is the downstairs room of their market packed with people, chatter bouncing off the walls and growing louder. Vander grins. There's a buzz of excitement like goosebumps on his skin.

Silco clearly doesn't feel the same way. His face is ashen and his eyes keep darting around, like he's searching for an exit. (Impossible with so many people crammed so close together.) The plan had been for Silco to explain the terms to them, to talk them through the planned street and gauge interest.

Clearly, they don't need to worry about the level of interest.

Vander leans sideways, ducking his head down to speak softly. "Do you want me to talk to them?"

Silco swallows, eyes wide and still looking panicked. The last time he looked this scared, they were trapped in a cave in, digging for their lives. "I can do it," he says unsteadily.

"Yeah," Vander agrees because he knows Silco has enough determination to make himself do anything, "but do you want me to?"

After a considered moment, Silco gives a short nod. Vander rests a hand on his shoulder, but Silco's narrow shoulders are tensed and tight beneath his hand.

"Oi!" Vander yells out at the top of his lungs and for a stunned moment, the chatter pauses. "Listen up! I'm going through this once, and then I'll answer any questions, and then we're drawing lots and allocating space for anyone who's interested."

There's a low murmur of people whispering to whoever they came with. Vander gives it a moment to quiet down and then he starts explaining their idea. Most of the miners have already heard it, or heard it through a friend of a friend, but they all listen.

They've marked out plots of land. Every miner will pay ten bronze per week for as long as they live there. Each miner will have to build their own home and pay for materials, but there are three simple plans they can provide with instructions and a list of what's needed.

"I've talked to most of you before," Vander says, grinning at the whole roomful of miners listening to him. "Working together is going to get this done faster. It won't be easy – hell, we're still working on getting power and water here – but it'll be ours. Together, we're going to make this work."

There's a roar of applause, boots stomping on the rock floor. Vander feels Silco flinch at the wave of noise but he covers it quickly, chin high to stare his fear down.

When the crowd goes quiet, Vander explains how they're going to draw lots. There are small squares of paper, sliced out of Silco's precious notebook, for everyone who wants a piece of land. They just need to come forward and give their name. When everyone's done, they'll draw names out and everyone can pick ere they want to be.

"And before you ask," Vander says, standing at the map drawn onto a white sheet pinned to the wall, "this blue mark is where we are, the red mark will be Babette's and the dark blue mark will be a bar, eventually. The rest is up for grabs."

It takes longer than Vander expects to get everyone's names, probably because half of the miners need Silco to write it out for them. But eventually it's ready to draw names and it becomes a celebration. People cheer when someone raises their hand and steps forward to the map. Some squint and take their time choosing a plot, others seem to point at random, selecting any empty spot. Dutifully, Silco writes each name on the map and writes a second record in his notebook, plot numbers and names. There's usually a second cheer as the person melts back into the crowd and they draw the next name.

***

It's a relief when curfew draws near. It's a joyous night but Vander is tired of talking to people and taking payments and organising orders. Thankfully, Silco has stayed by his side the entire night, noting everything down and quickly tallying how much can be bought with sixty-five bronze and which supports are needed first.

Vander had almost offered to deliver it to the plots, but Sico had quickly interrupted. "Vander can help, but you'll need to come tomorrow to collect the materials after shift end. You don't have to collect them all at once."

"What was that about?" Vander asks when they have a moment to talk.

"You'd be exhausted if you moved that for everyone," Silco says reasonably. "We have enough space here to store things and it might prevent petty squabbles."

It's only a few hours but it feels like a lifetime later when everyone starts leaving, heading back to the mine before curfew. Vander offers the room upstairs to their friends, but Benzo shrugs and says he'd prefer sleeping on a mattress. Felicia laughs and says, "Maybe some other night," with a meaningful glance at Connol, and Connol goes bright red.

Soon it's just him and Silco left, and the sudden silence almost echoes in the room. Silco's glancing from his notebook to the pikes of wood and steel like he's considering counting it all out tonight. Tomorrow will do fine, Vander decides, stepping up behind Silco and wrapping his arms around Silco's chest. "Should we go home?"

"I brought gas masks," Silco says over his shoulder, "if you want to stay later."

If they want to test if the ventilation has been turned on yet, if they want to see how much of the Grey slithers out of the mine at night.

"Not tonight." Vander drops a kiss to the crown of Silco's head. "Tonight went well."

Silco stares at the wall, their fabric map and the names scribbled across it. "Twenty-three plots claimed. I would have been happy with five."

"They won't all build at once." Already people are grouping together, deciding to build one home at a time.

"Fortunately," Silco replies drily. He curls a hand around the back of Vander's arm. "We wouldn't have enough if they all wanted to start building."

Vander hums in agreement. "You could feel it, you know? How much they all want this. How much it means to them."

"How much they trusted you when you promised them they could do this."

"They can," Vander insists. "We can. We're going to build this into a town, into a home. Our home. Someday we are going to leave that mine behind and live a life, right here."

"Maybe not right here," Silco says, leaning his weight back into Vander, hands tight on Vander's arms. "You did say you wanted to run a bar."

He can almost picture it. Somewhere warm and open, full of their friends and neighbours. Music playing on the jukebox and the two of them behind the bar, pouring drinks and stepping around each other. A room upstairs, big enough for the fancy bed Silco loves.

"Sounds good to me," Vande says, stealing one more kiss before they lock up for the night and head down to the fissures, back to their bed.

***

[catalystcorvid]

Where to Find Free, Legal Books

If you have access to a public library and/or have college credentials;

Libby - Ebooks, digital audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. Free, but requires a library card. Materials aren't infinite, so popular titles will often have a several week long waitlist. If you're in the US (or sufficiently crafty) you can sign up for a free card from the Queer Liberation Library.

Hoopla - Another service often bundled with a library card. The selection is smaller than Libby, but you have a limited number of instant borrows per month to cash in.

EBSCOhost Research - Ebooks and research materials, usually offered through a college. Where I do most of my reading lately, TBH.

Worldcat - Browse the world’s libraries from one search box. Easiest way to find out where to go to check out a book if you can't find it at your usual spot.

US residents will likely have a public library near them, but if you cannot go in person and sign up, there are a number of public libraries that don't require anything but a local address to get an Ecard. The libraries that offer this change frequently, so ask around.

Also keep in mind that US public libraries don't typically purchase self published material. If you're looking for your favorite tumblr author's book, you might want to try the links below instead.

If you can't get a library card (or couldn't find what you're looking for)

Open Library - Large collection of ebooks. Some materials may not be available currently due to ongoing legal issues.

Project Gutenburg - Another huge collection of ebooks, probably the most well-known option on this list.

Standard Ebooks - Professionally formatted public domain ebooks (sourced from places like Project Gutenburg but then turned into dynamic epubs)

LibriVox - Public Domain Audiobooks. Extremely limited library, but provides a rare service.

Audible Free Trial - Amazon offers a free trial of their service, with one free title on signup. You need a viable payment method to get access, but you keep the book even after you cancel. Don't give Amazon your money, folks.

I'd also recommend trawling youtube and soundcloud for user-made audiobooks. The quality varies, but I've been surprised at the results.

Other cool resources

StoryGraph - A non-Amazon GoodReads alternative, for those who like to challenge themselves to read more or enjoy writing book reviews.

Banned books list - Around since 1994 and currently still updated weekly, this site showcases books that are either banned or have been attempted to have been banned somewhere in the US. Some are available to read for free on site.

[doyouknowthisbook-poll]

Do you know which book this is from?

Please reblog the polls, but KEEP IT SPOILER-FREE to make people read the excerpt with an open mind 💖📚 Title and author will be revealed after the poll's conclusion.

Note: this excerpt is too long for Tumblr’s alt text character limit, so for this poll, the alt text is below the read more.

Edit: The results are up here!

In 1999 the RAND Corporation published a report (the first and, so far, last of its kind) with a "conservative estimate" that more than 307 million tissue samples from more than 178 million people were stored in the United States alone. This number, the report said, was increasing by more than 20 million samples each year. The samples come from routine medical procedures, tests, operations, clinical trials, and research donations. They sit in lab freezers, on shelves, or in industrial vats of liquid nitrogen. They're stored at military facilities, the FBI, and the National Institutes of Health. They're in biotech company labs and most hospitals. Biobanks store appendixes, ovaries, skin, sphincters, testicles, fat, even foreskins from most circumcisions. They also house blood samples taken from most infants born in the United States since the late sixties, when states started mandating the screening of all newborns for genetic diseases.

And the scale of tissue research is only getting bigger. "It used to be, some

researcher in Florida had sixty samples in his freezer, then another guy in Utah had some in his," says Kathy Hudson, a molecular biologist who founded the Genetics and Public Policy Center at Johns Hopkins University and is now chief of staff at NIH. "Now we're talking about a massive, massive scale." In 2009 the NIH invested $13.5 million to develop a bank for the samples taken from new borns nationwide. A few years ago the National Cancer Institute started gathering what it expects will be millions of tissue samples for mapping cancer genes; the Genographic Project began doing the same to map human migration patterns, as did the NIH to track disease genes. And for several years the public has been sending samples by the millions to personalized DNA testing companies like 23andMe, which only provide customers with their personal medical or genealogical information if they first sign a form granting permission for their samples to be stored for future research.

Scientists use these samples to develop everything from flu vaccines to penis-enlargement products. They put cells in culture dishes and expose them to radiation, drugs,

cosmetics, viruses, household chemicals, and biological weapons, and then study their responses. Without those tissues, we would have no tests for diseases like hepatitis and HIV; no vaccines for rabies, smallpox, measles; none of the promising new drugs for leukemia, breast cancer, colon cancer. And developers of the products that rely on human biological materials would be out billions of dollars.

How you should feel about all this isn't obvious. It's not as if scientists are stealing your arm or some vital organ. They're using tissue scraps you parted with voluntarily. Still, that often involves someone taking part of you. And people often have a strong sense of ownership when it comes to their bodies. Even tiny scraps of them. Especially when they hear that someone else might be making money off those scraps, or using them to uncover potentially damaging information about their genes and medical histories. But a feeling of ownership doesn't hold up in court. And at this point no case law has fully clarified whether you own or have the right to control your tissues. When they're part of your body, they're clearly yours. Once they're excised, your rights get murky.

Kathy Hudson, who has conducted focus groups about the public's feelings on the tissue issue, says she believes that tissue rights have the potential to become a bona fide movement.

"I could see people starting to say, 'No, you can't take my tissues,' " she told me. "All I can say is, we better deal with the problems now instead of waiting until that happens."

There are, essentially, two issues to deal with: consent and money. For most people, knowing if and how their tissues are being used in research is a far bigger issue than profiting from them. Yet when this book went to press, storing blood and tissues for research did not legally require informed consent, because the law governing such things doesn't generally apply to tissue research.

The Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, also known as the Common Rule, requires informed consent for all human-subject research. But in practice, most tissue research isn't covered because: (1) it's not federally funded, or (2) the researcher never learns the identity of the "donors" or has firsthand contact with them, in which case it's not considered research on humans. So in the end, the Common Rule doesn't actually govern most tissue research.

Today, if doctors want to gather tissues from patients strictly for research purposes—as in Henrietta's case—they are required to get informed consent. But storing tissues from diagnostic procedures like, say, mole biopsies, and using them in future research doesn't require such consent. Most institutions still choose to get permission, but there's no uniformity in the way that's done. A few hand out enough information to fill a small book, explaining exactly what will be done with all patient tissues. But most just include a short line in an admission form saying that any tissues removed may be used for education or research.

[rustedleopard]

I do think that Ceroba and Chujin wouldn't stay together if he hadn't had died, but I wonder what would actually lead to a divorce between them. Beyond the fact that they love each other, Ceroba idolizes him and Chujin keeps secrets that encourage that thinking.

Does it start with her finding out about those secrets? She didn't seem all too bothered by them in UTY, though that could very well be influenced by the fact he's dead and she doesn't want to disrespect his legacy.

What are your thoughts on it?

Building resentment over a period of months/years.

Ceroba admires Chujin way too much to find fault with him keeping secrets. In fact, in the Steamworks, she admits that she knew that Chujin kept secrets and was fine with it anyways. So if she found out about the secret lab under the kotatsu early and how Chujin dedicated himself to making a serum that would make monsters strong enough to oppose humans, all she'd think is "How noble and brave and selfless of my husband to do all of this for monsterkind. He's so wonderful. ♡" Hell, she'd probably help and encourage him with crafting the serum as much as she could.

The most I can see her doing to deter him would be telling him to take a break if the serum is making him a bit sick. More in a, "I know you're on the right track and you'll get it right and save everyone, but you need to take care of yourself if you're gonna be able to do this" sort of way, not a "You can't do this, it's impossible, you're going about this all wrong. Please stop risking your health for our sake, what about our family?" sort of way. So instead of an outright sprint into an untimely demise, Chujin would've done more of a "start-and-stop" marathon into his untimely demise. Whoops! Her admiration would still blind her to the fact that this isn't something he can accomplish and she'd blame herself (even more than she already does) for Chujin's death when it happens because she should've known better, she should've done something to help him more or better or something, oh god she murdered her own husband (despite how experimenting on himself was also his choice).

So if finding out Chujin's secrets wouldn't deter her, where does the resentment come from? Well, towards the end of the relationship, Ceroba was both the breadwinner for the house and the housewife while Chujin was just doing volunteer work all over the Underground. She's basically a working single mother here. She had to take up a job that she hates because Chujin claims to have retired from the Steamworks but the family still needs food on the table AND she has to handle all the domestic duties as well because Chujin is out all day doing work for free all over the Underground (btw this likely means that Ceroba had to cover the expenses for the materials for Chujin's projects as well since the money for those things has to come from somewhere and it's not from the person Chujin's making things for). That is taxing, grueling, exhausting work. Sure, you might be able to do it for a day, a week, a couple months, but it's miserable. It wears down on you over time.

And this is where Ceroba's blinding admiration for Chujin plays against her: Chujin is doing heroic things in the Underground so she feels can't take him away from that or talk to him about their family and if the current system they have going on is working for both of them. She feels like she can't tell him because he's basically perfect to her, she can't criticize him. Admiration doesn't stop her from feeling stressed and worn out at the end of the day though, and over time those feelings would start to direct themselves at Chujin. Things weren't like this when he was working at the Steamworks. I wasn't this exhausted. I had to cancel my gym membership to cut back on expenses and I didn't even get to use much of it the months before I dropped it because I had to work and take care of Kanako. Etcetera. There's only so many times Ceroba can tell herself "Chujin is a hero, he's doing good things for the Underground, I shouldn't complain" before that excuse sounds paltry. And the moment that her exhaustion/stress/resentment is at its peak and there's one little shake-up in their relationship? Ka-boom!!!! To everybody on the outside, it seems so sudden (even to Chujin) but if you were paying attention, it was so obvious that it would have happened eventually.

The worst part is that Chujin would've stepped up and helped Ceroba if she asked. He loves her. He cares about her. If she said "I need you to get a job to cover living expenses or stay at home and take care of Kanako because I can't be doing everything here," he would've done so in a heartbeat. He shouldn't have taken advantage of her kindness over and over and over and should've been more attentive to her but he would've helped if he'd known (c'mon man, that's your wife. She shouldn't have to ask for these things because you should be paying attention to her moods and know not to overburden her. Jerk). But he doesn't pay attention to how the things that he does affect the people around him. That's why he killed himself experimenting on his SOUL in the first place.

Cerojin's dynamic was very unhealthy. Had Chujin lived, they would've gotten divorced eventually, I know it in my heart and I will say that until I'm blue in the face. Neither side was truly looking at/paying attention to each other. Neither side was willing to have the difficult conversations that you have to have in order to make a relationship work. Both sides were being awful to each other. Both sides would've been responsible for the divorce happening in their own ways.

[elitistcinema]

Cruel Intentions vs. Do Revenge

I never shit on any new movie I disapprove of because I think that’s what frustrated old men and failed filmmakers-turned filmcritics do. I also think it’s disrespectful to all involved artists – cast and crew - to rate a film’s value with however many stars out of ten as a film is after all ART and its entertainment or artistic value is therefore highly subjective. However, I’ll have to make an exception for Do Revenge (2022) as it pays homage to Cruel Intentions (1999) and it’s a good occasion to compare the state of teen entertainment of 1999 and 2022.

Let’s get budget, star power, and directors out of the way first: If we consider inflation, we can estimate a budget of $18.5 million for the creation of Cruel Intentions and an estimated budget of $25 million for Do Revenge which makes the pair very comparable. When it comes to star power, Sarah Michelle Gellar was already famous as the main protagonist in the Buffy (1997) tv show before she appeared in Cruel Intentions and Ryan Phillippe had his break with I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). I admit that I have never heard about any of the talent in Do Revenge prior to this film but I guess that’s my own fault. Considering the tsunami of shows on all these streaming platforms, I don’t think I can be blamed. I’m saying that Sarah and Ryan were iconic actors already and Mendes, Hawke, and Abrams are not (I’m sorry). I appreciate that Sarah Michelle Gellar has a minor role in Do Revenge as well and consider her as an asset for this Netflix film. Considering the looks and theme of the Do Revenge, it was always meant to be a Netflix film and seasoned writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson did a good job fitting it into their current portfolio. Cruel Intentions started as a passion project by first-time director Roger Kumble with very little money and was then picked up by Columbia.

Now we get to the entertainment value: Do Revenge has good production value in terms of costume, locations, and other eye-candy. Cruel Intentions had these assets too – the difference is that Kumble staged them masterfully. I’d argue that Theo van de Sande’s magnificent cinematography in Cruel Intentions can’t even be compared to the very standard work of Brian Burgoyne in Do Revenge. The reason for that is that Theo and Roger were inspired by Bertolucci films like the Conformist (1970) which made the simplest scenes a joy fest for the viewer’s eyes. The style of cinematography in Do Revenge was not inspired by an old Italian master but by the brand image of Netflix and maybe – only maybe - by Cruel Intentions – it left no impression on me. Do Revenge has good acting and good direction, but the dialog is often “on the nose” and cliché. The plot twists and the duality of its characters are enjoyable, but this is overshadowed by a general lack of originality. I find the character’s omnipresent strive to publicly expose their counterparts annoying and meaningless. It’s like publicly showing Sebastian Valmont’s diary– but not as dramatic (where’s the soundtrack, where are the cool montages?) and very repetitive. Somehow, I find Drea’s Yale ambitions not very believable – just like Rosehill’s crazy graduate party/orgy that is supposed to be attended by ivy league material exclusively. Aren’t these people supposed to be smart, eloquent, and have some academic ambition? Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil were deliciously evil when they had to be and wickedly smart and charming when we wanted them to be just that. The characters in Do Revenge are written without much depth because they are always the same: ditzy and politically correct – even when they’re making fun of wokeness. Seriously, imagine any of Do Revenge’s main characters (rich ivy league candidates) using a pocket watch, journalling regularly or being a real book worm – it doesn’t work. There is no serious ambition, sophistication, or enjoyable dark academia trait to be seen in these shallow personalities. If you’re going to adapt and pay homage, why not use the cool stuff?

Do Revenge’s sexy scenes unfortunately won’t stun its audience with iconic locations, scandalous dirty talk, or explosive chemistry like Cruel Intentions. They are watered down and uninspired. This brings me to my next point: Nobody would be able to distribute a film like Cruel intentions nowadays. It’s dialogue is too hardcore and unapologetic for the teens of now and for the woke streaming platforms who love their virtue signaling. That is also why it’s impossible to portrait any of Do Revenge’s characters as iconic as the celebrated and often copied protagonists of Cruel Intentions – they had an edge and they made their props and their rooms work for them. It is my understanding that is forbidden and not marketable to have a teen movie with edgy characters like that, who have class and have become style icons. If Sebastian Valmont was alive in the universe of Do Revenge, he would be the character who can’t be found on Instagram or tik tok – he’d tell you that “that’s for geeks and pedophiles.”

Do Revenge had everything going for it but it doesn’t work at all and that makes me sad.