#i did enjoy that meta article

[storgicdealer]

ok gang. its theory time

the analysis of the new mercenary scene. meta, blueprints and time

warning it is incredibly choppy because of the chaos i am in rn !!!!!! but anyways

okay so. the video cuts off at green&red defending themselves but i doubt that really means a lot

the glitching. it IS reminding me of the way chosens memories were scanned through. but mercs having a whole tv remote?? chosens memories mightve as well pushed them to use youtube ?? but why didnt they access it earlier ?? why vic didnt???

bc of these question im more willing to think they themselves decided to use youtube right now. maybe only right now !

this raises a ton of questions. does outernet have somewhat of an access to internet after all? is it just their own tech? (could be supported by the fact that if youtube was common there i doubt theyd be using specifically television for it. i feel like theyd use other screens instead without a need of a remote especially considering how advanced their tech is)

still possible that it is common. considering they aren't that focused on it and there are random workers in the bg literally enjoying the show

this whole thing is VERY meta lol but i do think the mercs are the ones that influenced the stream in this way

A BIG portion of alan drawing a flower from ava season 2 is paid attention to in the glitching scene for some reason ?? maybe as a note for his and secs alliance.

the video then cuts off and goes to victim again. the whole video was watched through

the stream cuts off to mercs. **RIGHT** at the moment chosen notices the freedom stick rights article. based on the vid it could be just primal messing with shit but i feel it was intentional. (ha. freedom? loser. we're here instead)

later. the video resumes at victim again. i didnt see any changes to vics or chosens ending.

okay. the mercs. pulling up screenshots for this one

i. cant decipher THAT much even though the quality is 1080p for me.

but i DO see that the first blueprint has as i suppose the hover ??

the text pinpoints "power core" and its pretty much the most readable thing for me. another one is kyokaz was here its just a cameo

the blueprint shows buttons? perhaps the controller of the hover? going to a circle thingy. perhaps what is working inside the hover

the whole thing on the left corner says f___ complex but i cant decipher

second screenshot. the blueprint left to the first one looks like a pc?? and its not surprising even in the screenshot itself bc. the mercs have one to the right corner behind em

now. third sc.

HELLO?

firstly. A VIC DRAWING????? WITH A GUN????

there is a possibility of it being any stick but. i feel its victim. in my guts

shooting?? what. for.

it is scribbled out . . .

there is a possibility (along with the self portrait of vics in the unused bg) that it was just. him doodling. it would kill me actually because he is no great artist like sec. just a doodler (<words of flareboi here)

now. this

again . the question how they accesed it.

if they can get youtube to open there. how did vic not know of the showdown. of sec

showdown was uploaded online. that was literally in canon !!!

unless there's a rule that not everything internet-like and youtube like can be accessible. but i dont really think of any implications that proved that

except. for the fact that showdown was already uploaded. before the ep even ended. would it imply time passing differently in both realms?

lord i needed to scream it out.

OH GOD !!!!!!!!!!!

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Heya so this is Damian's pov in the chapter 16 of my fic Hostage situations and other romantic activities based on @iguessthisisanewobsession's prompt! I had it written out and though it doesn't fit in with the main storyline, I figured I'd post it here and link it in case anyone was curious. Feel free to ignore this if you haven't read the fic <3

Hope you guys enjoy:) (Spoilers ahead)

Damian’s head hurt. Zsasz had managed to get in a good hit before Damian had managed to knock him out, or at least what he thought had been a knock-out. He’d been sloppy and now the teen’s head was throbbing. At least, he had seen no injuries on Danny though the other boy had been very pale and looked unwell. 

That was another thing. Danny.

Gotham wasn’t a safe place for civilians, and metas had it even worse. That was true everywhere but in Gotham even more so; discrimination, increased risk of violence, even human experimentation. 

It wasn’t surprising that Danny would want to keep his abilities a secret. But something about the blast, how despite clearly having been instinct, the shot had been so very precise that Damian who had been pinned under Zsasz hadn’t felt more than a cold blast of wind made it seem as if there was more to it than that.

And right now, as he was perched up in the tree waiting for law enforcement, there was nothing to do but to speculate.

No, that was untrue, he thought as he took his phone out of his pocket. He could do more than that. 

He could research. And so he did. 

And found nothing.

Oh sure, there was a blurry picture here, an oblique mention there but no proof of existence beyond a social security number, a high school diploma, and one measly article.

No birth certificate, no social media, no medical file, not even a driver’s license.

It wasn’t that Danny Fenton was a ghost. It was more like he was a half-finished person.

Damian breathed out slowly. 

It wasn’t Danny’s powers that made him suspicious. It was everything else.

An hour later, Damian slid down into the now dark forest and started walking.

Damian looked up to see Danny coming down carefully. Damian steeled his expression into a neutral one, unwilling to let his thoughts play on his face.

“Daniel,” Damian started formally. “You went back to the school.”

That was a point in the boy’s favour; at least, he had not ran.

“Yeah,” Danny answered, too casually. “thanks again for saving my butt back there.”

Damian nodded, but abstained from saying anything further in favour of studying Danny’s expression. He didn’t seem any different but Damian knew appearances could be deceiving.

“So-“ Danny started but Damian wasn’t interested in small talk.

“I could not find a picture of you before your fourteenth birthday,” Damian stated clearly.

“Uh,” Danny stumbled. “Ok?”

“Nor could I find a birth certificate in your name.” Damian continued expecting a twitch, a frown, something.

“Yeah,” Danny answered calmly, waving. “Mom and Dad are terrible at paperwork.”

Alright. If that was how Danny would play it. Flimsy excuses could only go so far. 

“No social media, no bank account. Not even a tax return in twenty years.”

“IRS have given up long before I was born,” Danny answered airily. “And Amity’s not the safest place for technology.”

Damian studied the boy in front of him. He looked relaxed and mostly at ease. A bit confused, a bit tired if anything. And Damian wanted to believe it. 

Yet, both his instinct and his experience were telling him not to, and so Damian forged on.

“Why did you come to Gotham?” Damian asked.

“What?” Danny answered, once again frowning in confusion. “Uh, I’m here for school? I think I told you that.”

This was getting insulting.

“Do not lie to me,” Damian said, feeling something brewing.

“I’m not,” Daniel persisted in a stupid simplistic excuse. “I’m really here for school.”

Damian clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes peeled on the deceptive face in front of him. Damian had come for the truth and he was going to get it. 

“You truly had me fooled,” Damian stated as he slowly started to circle the other teen. “I did not suspect you for a moment.”

“What are you even talking about?” Danny said, but Damian wasn’t listening to more lies.

“Why did you approach me?” Damian asked asking from Danny’s side. Because that was the most logical explanation, no matter what Damian wanted to believe. It wouldn’t be the first time mother or another one of his enemies had sent someone to kill him. He had to consider the possibility. Danny turned to keep himself facing Damian.

“I didn’t,” Danny stressed, his voice almost snarling. Good. More likely to let something slip.

“Maybe so, but you did not turn down the opportunity to do so either.” Damian allowed, because it truly would’ve been a convoluted plan to manipulate Damian into choosing Danny.

“What,” Danny’s voice biting. “Like you left me any choice?”

Damian stopped short at that. He knew he could be forceful and overbearing but he would never force anyone to do anything like that. He was nothing like her.

“Damian,” Danny’s voice rose again, kinder, softer. “Im not sure what this is, and we can talk about it, I-”.

No. This wouldn’t work. Damian wouldn’t let himself be pacified like a child. “You have deceived me,” Damian reminded himself and Danny

“I haven’t,” Danny protested but Damian wasn't listening. 

“You are not who you say you are.” That was the truth. And no matter what he said, Daniel knew it too.

“Yes, I am,” Danny refuted strongly and Damian had had enough. There was one thing Daniel could no longer lie about.

 “Are you?” Damian asked clearly. “Tell me Danny, are you human?”

Danny flinched and Damian’s heart sank even as it confirmed what Damian already knew.

“That’s what I thought,” said Damian, more calmly than he felt.

“What does that mean?” Danny asked, still trying to pretend but Damian wouldn’t let him.

“It means, I am ashamed I let you get so close.”

It means I know, Damian thought. It mean there’s no use pretending. It means, please do not try. 

There was a moment of silence where Damian held his breath. For Danny to finally give it up and admit it.

Daniel took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. And Damian held himself straighter. Daniel opened his mouth but closed it again.

And then finally-

“Please leave,” Danny’s voice came and what was left of Damian’s hope froze over.

So this was it then. 

“Fine,” Damain said dispassionately. “I’ll send you the severance pay before the end of the week.”

“I don’t want it,” Daniel bit out and Damian could feel something ugly within him rear its head, and Damian let it take the place of the coldness.

“Waynes believe in tying up loose ends,” Damian said silkily. “It does not do to for past indiscretions crop up at importunate times.”

“Ok no. I’m done with this.” Danny stalked off, and it welled up again, poisonous and mean.

“I would be happy to give a recommendation to any new employer of yours,” Damian shouted. 

He knew he was supposed to be better than this, but he couldn’t help it.

“Screw you!” Danny yelled back and Damian snarled, stopping himself from punching at a tree or something equally stupid and emotional.

Whatever. He turned away and started walking.

It wasn’t like it had been a real relationship. It wasn’t like it had meant anything. Damian started running.

It had done what it was supposed to do, and really, Damian had gotten out of it exactly what he wanted. 

The thought did nothing to appease the empty feeling in his chest as he made his way back home.

[brokenwinebox]

“Mold Is The Death Knell.”

After doing research and documenting it on Twitter, I decided to transfer it all here. We’re going to be talking about (2x02)’s script.

We (kinda?) got confirmation on the parallels between Donna and Claire in the script. There’s many metas I’ve most likely missed but here are the ones I remember:

Jamie’s instagram post on Claire/Donna by @espumado

Jamie Lee Curtis: A sydcarmy truther? by @thoughtfulchaos773

Scene lighting, blocking, & dialogue callbacks between Claire and The Berzattos by @currymanganese

There’s also my metas on Claire/Donna:

Claire: Ominous Or Naive

Glass Table & Glass Fish Tank

What Did You Get Out Of These ClairexCarmy Flashbacks Scenes?

If there’s metas I’ve missed, please feel free to reblog with the links!

Before seeing Claire again, Carmy was enjoying the orange sunset during magic hour while walking on Clark St.

Since I saw the words ‘orange sunset’, I automatically assumed that it was golden hour when this scene had occurred.

Blue hour is apart of magic hour as well. I read a bit about it in this article, “Mastering Golden Hour, Blue Hour (Magic Hours) and Twilights | Natural Light Photography.”

Magic hours are a more diffuse concept than twilights because there is no mathematical definition. In fact, both the golden hour and blue hour, also known as the magic hours, overlap with civil twilight.

I’m wondering if they tried to capture golden and blue hour at the grocery store with artificial lighting instead of natural lighting to insinuate a fakeness to their reunion/relationship.

I also happened to stumble upon another potential meaning to golden hour. A person’s golden hour is the first hour after a severe internal injury.

Granted, being cut by sharp objects like glass is an external injury. But, in the dialogue, Claire talks about how the girl was bleeding and they couldn’t figure out what the source was. Wouldn’t you be able to tell where the bleeding stemmed from if it was just external? It could mean there was internal damage as well.

Mold is the death knell which is a sounding of a bell to mark someone’s death or used to refer to the imminent destruction or failure of something.

(A bell to mark the death of Mikey and the failure of The Bear?)

There was a discussion of mold pertaining to Claire and the potential meaning of it in @moodyeucalyptus’s meta on Claire being a bad doctor with @vacationship’s reblog about how penicillin is an antibiotic coming from green and blue mold while fennel is a natural antibiotic.

All of this to say mold is the death knell, golden hour is also a term used in the medical field for trauma patients, and that girl that Claire told Carmy about was a trauma patient that was given penicillin while having an allergy to it by Claire reading her chart wrong.

There’s so many interesting details in the network draft/script! If I’m wrong about any of this, let me know of course. As always, thank you so much for reading! If I haven’t replied to your comments or reblogs lately, I was shadowbanned briefly before getting my account back so yay! If you tagged me, I didn’t see them unfortunately :(

[loudlittleecho]

Frozen in Time: Too Late to Save Them

Previous

Part 6

Tim got an alert on Forever Ice in Wisconsin. 

Seems there had been an accident. He quickly scanned the document. Mr. Anderson had given a statement, grateful that no one had been harmed, thankfully, and he also did not expect this to delay shipping. He mentions that his new facilities had better safety measures installed, and while he was sad to let the building go, it was time. . . a little further in the article mentioned how everyone who had worked at the facility had been given two lucrative options. Take a generous severance package, or transfer to another facility with housing and transportation cost support. 

Tim frowned. He had gotten alerts about the other facilities two months ago. When he had scanned them they all seemed above board. Seems Anderson had found a way to recreate his ability. Tim had purchased one crafted from a newer facility, and had analyzed it beside the first. They were identical.

Tim had a hunch he didn’t like. Anderson was making friends with quite a few people. 

He noticed a file he hadn’t added to the report, written in code. 

He narrowed his eyes. This folder was open to anyone in the Justice League to add to if they so desired. 

The only one who would add something in code was The Question. 

—

The woman, Nora, had requested his team to clear one of the smaller offices of the warehouse they were occupying, and to find a bed for the boy– though by now the boy was back as a block of ice.

His crew had glanced at him for confirmation; he nodded for them to comply. 

She had only given her first name, but Snart was able to put the pieces together. Nora Fries, wife of Mr. Freeze. He hadn’t kept up with Gotham news, but it looked that somehow Freeze had managed to bring his wife back.

Now how the kid connected to the two, he didn’t know. 

Nora had told him the boy had felt feverish; she believed if a room was made colder than his own, his body wouldn’t need to form his own ice. 

Snart worked on the logistics. 

—

Sources (See interview 1c): noted complete flip in N.A.’s personality. Clone? Mind Control? 

P.A. using ice BEFORE N.A. (See interview 1a). Need full interview with P.A. 

B.A. No Meta gene, biological sibling of N.A. (See D.M.A. Federal Employee Background Check)

Forever Ice: hired employees previously working with CADMUS. Deeper connection?

Tim rubbed his eyes. He enjoyed cracking codes, but The Question had written his added documents in seventeen different ciphers. Two to three, Tim understood, but seventeen on an already secured folder? He admired the man, sure. But he also recognized this could be his future if he wasn’t careful. 

It seemed The Question had taken on the case. That was good, because Tim already had enough on his plate. He started to close out the file when he paused.

He wanted to let his fellow detective know he was willing to help if needed. Tim smirked.

Wrote a coded note, and closed the file. 

— 

The room was set below freezing, using Nora’s cryokinesis and Snart’s devices to keep it at the right temperature. 

It had taken a week, but they had finally found the correct temperature. Nora wasn’t quite sure why Cold was helping. But she didn’t complain. 

When she removed ice from the boy, it didn’t replace itself. 

Slowly and gently she placed him on the bed. It had frozen over, of course, but was better than the floor.

His chest slowly moved up and down; breathing. 

Noticing the medical band from his wrist, she removed it. 

Fenton, Daniel.

ADM: 09/16/–

DOB: 04/03/–

The band was frayed, so Nora couldn’t be positive about its accuracy on the current situation. But based on dates alone, Daniel Fenton was fourteen 27 years ago.

Author note:

Acronyms: N.A., P.A., B.A: Nathan, Paul, and Becks Anderson

D.M.A.: Department of Metahuman Affairs. 

The D.M.A. is a real department in DC comics. Now, they don't have a 'Federal Employee Background Check', but honestly I wouldn't put it past the DC Universe to do so: Especially to not have a Queen Bee, Count Vertigo, etc situation happen in the states.

[9w1ft]

about that anon who said the only female friend Taylor was sexualised with was Karlie - honestly that part of the 1989 prologue where she says she thought people wouldn't sensationalise and sexualise her female friendships never looked to me like she meant that in a shipping way?? maybe i'm being delusional but i always thought she expressed her annoyance with the fact that she and her friends were talked about inappropriately and judged for their appearance and compared to each other who is more attractive etc etc

no yes so i think that’s what it was referring to on the surface level. the squad. it’s that one story beat she has referred to interviews over the years about how she didn’t get to have a lot of friends growing up because she was bullied or because she grew up on the road and how with 1989 she was enjoying the girlhood and girl friend experience that she never had. like, mid 2010’s taylor and her model friends were a hot button topic of public conversation and the media that drives it: all these articles about how taylor’s new friends are too hot, too skinny, too rich, not diverse, she’s not country anymore, it’s cliquey, etc.

but because this is the taylor swift fan community everybody is trained to look beyond this first layer and see extra meaning. and in the case of gaylor (umbrella term) stuff, and kaylor stuff, when you’re a hammer everything looks like a nail. swifties attack gaylors, gaylors attack kaylors, etc, you know the drill

at the same time, when you go one layer deeper, i don’t think people can fully say taylor had no idea what she was implying or how it would be received by some people. so one begins to wonder if it’s intentional in some way.

so a few layers down the discourse becomes distilled into something more meta: “why does taylor throw us under the bus again and again” which is a sort of fandom meta truth. but, i often think the intentions are a few layers up from this, where we are not the focus, and that it’s up to us to see how the benefits for her outweigh our collective peace. like when she does something that leads to fandom drama, she’s also often pushing the entire conversation around her work or persona forward in some aspects that are strategic or meaningful. often times that become more clear as time goes on.

for me, i think that because of this, it’s up to us as a group to treat one another and ourselves the best that we can. to be as self sufficient as we can. not because ‘she’s not looking out for us’ but because like, this isn’t about us first and foremost at the end of the day. and plus, there are many ways we can all stay healthy and upbeat on our own. and anyway, bringing up other ways to look at things, just as you did here anon, as a great way go about it. so thank you for pointing this out!

[msnihilist]

Hey! So I saw your post responding to that one person’s ask, and at the end you said you had papers of fiction being a good outlet? Can you share some out of curiosity?

Sure! I did so much research for an essay I was writing during the spring, haha. I'll grab some of the ones that aren't paywalled.

The Puritanical Eye: Hyper-mediation, Sex on Film, and the Disavowal of Desire

This one comes from an Italian blog. It's not a research paper, but I very much enjoyed reading it!

Curative kink: survivors of early abuse transform trauma through BDSM

Here's a pretty telling quote just from the abstract summary: "Notably, participants only reported retraumatizing experiences prior to learning about the structural safeguards of BDSM." So all of that "you're retraumatizing yourself" bullshit from antis? Yeah, I'll need to see a citation, please.

Pornography and Sexual Aggression: Can Meta-Analysis Find a Link?

From the summary: "...evidence did not suggest that nonviolent pornography was associated with sexual aggression." and "Population studies suggested that increased availability of pornography is associated with reduced sexual aggression at the population level."

Emotional Expression and Physical Health: Revising Traumatic Memories or Fostering Self-Regulation?

This one is all the way from 1996. It studies the effects of writing about traumatic events on traumatized individuals, less traumatized individuals, and a non-traumatized control group. Turns out that writing helps! Crazy.

Adult attachment and engagement with fictional characters

This one is not quite what you asked for, anon, but is still interesting!

Swimming in It: Art and (Im)morality

Another blog post, but still a good read.

Who Gets to Write About Sexual Abuse, and What Do We Let Them Say?

This one comes from a journalist! It discusses many books that deal with topics such as rape or incest, and why there was such a significant backlash to them as well as the importance of these stories.

Punishing Sexual Fantasy

This article reveals a widespread and overlooked pattern of harshly punishing individuals for exploring their sexual fantasies on the Internet.

My Secret Garden: Women's Sexual Fantasies

This one is a classic! The author compiles the testimonies of many different women who have been sexually assaulted or raped, and discusses how their own rape fantasies helped them find sexual liberation going forward. There is one woman who describes touching herself to the memory of her assault, and having the best orgasm of her life from it.

Drawing Out Trauma: Visual Art Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse Victims

This one is exactly what the title says, haha.

[cancerian-woman]

I’m in a petty mood so :P

if Bonnie wasn’t the most disrespected character of tvd then maybe…idk there wouldn’t be videos, books, articles online that has to thoroughly explain this topic repeatedly with detailed evidence. Then you fans that claim Bonnie didn’t suffer the way other characters did or it wasn’t as bad only have that argument because you let your hatred for Bonnie cloud anything else. Pull up a video that explains how badly Caroline and Elena was treated that lines up with Bonnie’s. Like I said before NOBODY has ever said Elena and Caroline didn’t struggle that would be false but their struggles will never align with how the MAIN black woman was treated for 8 years.

Yall be upset over characters like Katherine, Vicki, Caroline, Elena etc etc. when Julie never went on Twitter tangents about her disdain for that character or actress , never bashed or nitpicked at those fanbases. Caroline Dries never intentionally talked over Candice, or Nina in interviews because they had ideas. Candice was so loudly loved that not only was her character placed with nearly every male, but they written in her pregnancy for Caroline connecting her to 2 more shows. Nina got to do more scenes as Katherine.

There’s plenty of other things but Kat could give yall losers a PowerPoint presentation detailing about how she was sidelined from Bonnie’s sexuality, repeatedly making remarks about how often Bonnie’s sacrificed and gets nothing, the relationships, and even her wardrobe. On top of continuously mentioning how she felt like they didn’t want her there. She’s even said directly she thinks there wouldn’t have been problems had she been white. I mean look at the white witches… The series will never let us forget how beautiful they found the other women yet NEVER gave Bonnie those compliments and moments to just be beautiful in a gown. Mystic Falls had a dance every damn moment yet how many of those was Bonnie enjoying herself? She couldn’t even win prom queen without that being taken from her. “She’s always had good friends…” what? The friends that didn’t notice she was dead for months and only wanted her back because they needed her magic? The friends that don’t check up on her at all period until they want her magic? “Her family loves her” oh you mean the Grams they referred to as an alcoholic in s1? The father who worked soo much but clearly never wanted to stay. You mean Abby the woman that loved Elena and herself more than she loved Bonnie? Wait, no no you mean Lucy the woman who said she’d see Bonnie again and dies offscreen? Or all of the lovely WOC we never get to see…

Yall really be talking out your ass. The fans that claim “people make it so hard to love all three!” because of these metas ONLY have these issues when Bonnie fans want to speak and cater towards Bonnie first. Dont follow Bonnie fans if you’re going to get mad everytime they speak about Bonnie. I don’t fucking get that at all. WHY go out your way to follow someone and you know you don’t want to read anything they have to say. Not smart but whatever.

[warmtoastedbread]

╭────────── ∘⋞ 〈༒〉 ⋟∘──────────╮

Cyno x reader

Fluff, slight angst? Reference to Sumeru archon Quest.

A/N: Ahhh Cyno my beloved main, my first five star, I adore this stupid little nerd <33 I'm cooking up more stories so I'll link a master list at some point. Not sure if I'll do a pt 2

Like and follow for more. I'll gladly answer asks in my inbox, I need more Genshin friends ( •́⁠ ⁠ ⁠‿⁠ ⁠,⁠•̀ )

╰──────────∘⋞ 〈༒〉 ⋟∘──────────╯

By all accounts Cyno was an intense man.

He worked diligently at his job, day in and day out. He upheld justice and punished scholars who committed any of the six sins. It was widely known that he would go through extreme lengths to inflict fair judgement on the offending perpetrators. Even to those who'd done nothing wrong, felt immense pressure in his presence.

Genius Invocation was no mere hobby to Cyno. He consumed each new magazine or article about Genius Invocation in his spare time. Whether it was tid bits about the cards, creators or what was considered meta Cyno read it. He'd enter tournaments for the game, tournaments with the prize being a TCG card he knew about it.

He had taken you seriously from the very start. You had come to the table a few minutes late, not that Cyno minded he got there immensely early since he had some other matches to play. It gave him time to set up. He had chosen his personally curated hyperbloom team with a very fancy card back.

You sat down a little nervous as the General Mahtra gave you an indifferent look. You quickly set up your thome, taking out your cards and dice.

Cyno had won his other two matches with ease his winning streak remaining unbroken. He knew he would win from the moment you pulled out your deck.

It was a troll deck. A Dendro, an anemo and a Cryo player card with the rest of the deck being the default deck. You had forgotten to switch to your proper deck and it would take too long to go back home and fetch your proper deck. You sighed feeling guilty, as though the General Mahtra in front of you would codemn you for some reason.

His gaze was intense as he waited for you to set up both of you remained in silence.

You did well during the match much to Cyno's surprise. Two of your character cards were fallen while Cyno's cards still had hp. Only your Sucrose remained.

You played a food card at 0 cost gaining an extra health point. You doubted it would do much but it was worth a shot. Cyno was confident in his cards and simply waited for your turn to end. Even though this match was meant to be friendly, Cyno's intensity caused you to reciprocate his seriousness.

You sacrificed some cards to convert your dice and then made a normal attack using your Sucrose card. That normal attack swirled the Cryo and knocked the last two hp points off two of Cyno's cards.

You were bound to loose from the beginning, and you did, but Cyno enjoyed the competition as he had in his previous matches. You sigh, the adrenaline in your body starting to come down from it's high now that the match was over. His stare was something you wanted to avoid.

"Is that your usual deck?" He finally asks as the two of your shake hands and pack up your things.

He was immensely curious about your skill at the game because you had gotten so far with such a poor deck.

"Ah, no it's a deck I use to help get my friends used to the game. I just forgot to switch it back, sorry." You reply feeling awkward, the sweat on your hands still accumulating even after you wiped it away.

"This was a very good game though, your deck was really strong." You compliment trying not to get on his bad side.

Cyno wordlessly nodded as a thank you. He knew his deck was strong, he had worked for months getting the right cards and balancing it. Cyno wanted to play against you again, next time with a proper deck in hand so he can have a better game.

Cyno couldn't shut up about you every time Genius Invocation came up. Poor Tighnari had to hear over and over how good a player you were, how each choice you made was strategic and an accumulation of jokes related.

He invited you again to play the next time he was free, which was a few weeks later. The air was still immensely awkward when you arrived at Lambads tavern. You apologised for being late again but this time your excuse was that you made sure to bring the right deck this time.

He didn't mind. One match kept escalating and then Cyno made sure to invite you to play Genius Invocation each week. Even though you were still nervous the conversation flowed easier. You eventually learned that Cyno was significantly less scary than people made him out to be. He was still scarily intense.

Eventually you met his friends, they were nice but you felt out of place. They were fun even though you struggled to add to conversation.

Cyno was intense when he eventually asked you out. It was a romantic dinner by candle light, orchestrated by Collei after Tighnari told the stubborn General Mahtra he was in love.

He was nervous, intensely so, but the manner in which you caught his attention left him at peace. It felt calm, like a morning sunrise in the desert where nothing made a sound.

Soon that intensity showed through in his love for you. The years you two had dated was easy, unbelievably easy because he adored you more than anything. Even in the nights where he'd gotten home late from a mission you were there, snuggled up in bed waiting for him to return safely.

Your relationship had gotten particularly rocky when he resigned as General Mahamatra. He kissed you sweetly that night, told you he'd be gone for a few days on a mission and he left. Like usual.

It hurt more than anything because he left you in the dark. He hugged you goodbye, as he would when he left for any other reason but he left a letter on his desk at home. A letter addressed to you when you eventually got worried for him.

The sages were corrupted and he couldn't risk you getting involved it was just too dangerous. Cyno's absence was noticeable. Dinners that were once filled with idle chatter and bad jokes were quiet. The empty house you had once shared was suffocatingly lonely.

You had cried some nights, worried sick and hoping your lover was okay. You continued on, pushed through. That letter he left you was something you read frequently, scanning over the neat handwriting over and over.

You missed him dearly and only hoped he'd return home safely, like he did after every mission.

⋅•⋅⋅∙⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅⋅••∘⋞ 〈༒〉 ⋟∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

My dearest,

I hope you're taking good care of yourself in my absence. I know you're worried for me but this mission is a task only I can inflict judgement on. Something immoral is happening and I left because investigating in Sumeru City will put you at risk.

Please don't misunderstand my intentions love, I will miss you dearly. You are at the center of my world and everything I do, I do with you in mind.

I regret that this situation has come to this but I can not let such abuse continue on. I will answer your every concern once I return, I promise.

If anything does happen please go to Tighnari in Ghandarva ville. He'll be able to help you with anything in the mean time.

With all my love, forever yours,

Cyno

⋅•⋅⋅∙⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅⋅••∘⋞ 〈༒〉 ⋟∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

Hey :) For the fanfiction writing asks, could I ask numbers 12, 17, 18, 30 and 79? (If it’s not too much). I’m curious about your writing process 👉🏼👈🏼

No worries, it's not too much. And I'm always happy to ramble about my writing process!

12.) Do you outline your fics? If yes, how detailed are your outlines?  How far do you stray from them?

A long time ago in a galaxy far away when dinosaurs roamed the young earth (15 years ago), I was more of a pantser, but that quickly changed as my projects became more and more complex. Since at least a decade or so, I always write an outline and I write it as detailed as possible for two main reasons: 1. Most ideas strike me at the most inconvenient time aka in the middle of another project. But it's a well-established fact that my brain is allergic to switching projects, so I write the whole idea down to get it out of my head and to have a foundation to work with once I can start writing this new project. 2. I tend to write stories of epic length that simply require an outline to develop the plot properly. Before YOI, I wrote a GoT-esque fanfiction series for years on end that demanded detailed outlines for each instalment because of the complexity of the plot and the sheer number of POV characters.

On average, my outlines are about 5-10% of the length of the actual project. My outline for In Love and War is about 25k outline and I expect the story to end up around >500k. It's divided into chapters and scenes that already have a POV character assigned. During intense writing times like NaNoWriMo the outline helps me to focus on writing.

However, I keep my outline flexible. Sometimes, new ideas would pop up or I need to weave a side plot from another instalment or a prequel into the storyline. But there's a even more crucial reason: Plotting happens through a distant, omniscient lens that doesn't really enter the minds of my characters no matter how well I know them. As a result, they develop a life of their own as the story comes alive. I often see writers complain about that because it "destroys" their outline, but it's a natural process and that's where the magic happens. Whenever that happens, I let my characters lead me and so far, I haven't regretted that.

17.) Do you have a writing routine?

My writing routine, if it can be called that, is writing in the morning before work and in the evening. On the weekends and when I have time off, I write all day long. It's not only that I feel the urge to always work on the stories I obsess over, it's how I relax. During NaNo, my routine is even more centred around writing for as long as my brain keeps braining, which regularly results in late-night dinners.

18.) Do you enjoy research?�� Which fic of yours required the most research?

I LOVE research! Since YOI is set in the real world, I'd say that I did tons of research for all of them. I think most of that happened when I wrote Can You Hear My Hearbeat because: 1. It was my first YOI fanfiction and I knew nothing about figure skating or Japanese culture. 2. It's a novelisation and to preserve the spirit of YOI and write it as canonic as possible, I researched any official meta information like interviews with the creators and articles in magazines etc. I could get my hands on. But to be honest, every YOI fanfiction requires tons of research like figure skating programmes, rules, and venues, living in St. Petersburg etc. It never gets boring.

30.) How much do you edit your fics?  Do you edit as you write or wait until you finish the first draft?

Ooof. I'm a perfectioniest. I edit a lot. However, the exact process depends on the length of a project:

Short projects (100k maximum): I write the first draft in one go with only minor editing and edit the full story later.

Long projects (300k-800k): Since I write these projects in stages, I also edit in stages. After 150-200k I experience a sense of having written myself empty. That's the point when I switch to a short project to recharge. Some months later, I pick up that first wip again, edit the part I have written so far and then continue writing. That's a rinse-and-repeat until the draft is done, but it never takes me more than 3 cycles. When that draft is done, I revise the entire thing once more to ensure consistency and to weave lose threads together, before I hand it over to a beta reader. It also happened that I did two complete revisions pre-beta-reading.

In addition to that, I edit every chapter before posting again. By then, some months have passed since the revision and I've refined my idea of the story in the meantime.

79.) Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

To be honest, a lot of writing advice I consider as too restrictive and inflexible. When I talk to other writers, they often get to hear these two things from me:

The first draft is allowed to be a mess. Allow yourself to write away and revise later.

Especially inexperienced writers tend to agonise over their first draft and have this idea that their story needs to be perfect right away and if not, they're a failure. But that's not how creativity works. The best ideas happen when the story comes alive through writing. And only when you can see the complete picture you know what to add or take away to make your vision reality.

However, brains work differently, and I've seen a lot of advice that doesn't take the different wirings of brains into account, pretending that there's only one "correct" way to write and finish a story, which imho is bullshit.

That's why I also tell people this:

Write in the fashion that works best for you. If you feel the urge to vomit a train of words on page to empty your brain or because you're in hyperfocus and can't bother getting sidetracked that's as valid as meticulously editing every sentence before you write the next. As long as you keep at it, it's going to be fine.

Thank you for these questíons! Answering them was so much fun 💙✨✨

The questions are form this post. If you're curious about my writing process or my story, please hit me up with your questions!

[wanderingnork]

Gith Deep Dive: Top Ten Weirdest Lore From Dragon Magazine

Dragon was a magazine published from 1976 to 2013, first by TSR (the origin company of D&D), then Paizo (now best known for Pathfinder), and finally Wizards of the Coast. It was replaced in 2015 by Dragon+, which ran until 2022. The magazine published short fiction and comics, adventures and maps, reviews, advice, artwork, and more. Whole adventure lines (like Age of Worms or Scales of War) were published through the magazine, never as hard-copy books. Its famous "Ecology of..." line provided in-depth bestiary looks at various iconic monsters. The mind flayer ecology article is even narrated by a githyanki! It introduced magic items, class mechanics, and more--some of which have become staples of the wider tabletop RPG community.

Dragon ran for 430 issues and Dragon+ added another 41 on top of that. 47 issues of the original run featured the githyanki heavily, and 4 of Dragon+ did. On my neocities gith resources page, you can see all of them. They often appeared on encounter or class tables (as a PC race particularly suited for a particular paragon path or prestige class), but those I haven't included.

What's presented here is what I think are the ten weirdest, wildest, most surprising pieces of gith lore out of Dragon (and Dragon+). Enjoy.

(Note: I use Astral Plane and Astral Sea based on edition--it was Astral Plane up until 4th Edition when it switched to Astral Sea.)

(Further note: I sincerely apologize on behalf of the original writers for the way some of the original articles are written. There's often thoughtless language, nasty biases, and other questionable content. Trust me, it gives me the ick too.)

-

10: #93 – "Pronunciation Guide: An informal index of the right things to say", p.26

So...that's not actually how the article titled is spelled, but I hate how they did it so, so much. "Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd." Thanks, but no thanks.

This is more of a meta-weirdness than anything else. According to this article, "githyanki" is pronounced "gith-yan-kee," with emphasis on "yan." Cool, fine. "Githzerai," on the other hand, which we mostly pronounce as "gith-zer-eye" now (with emphasis on "eye"), is said to be pronounced "gith-zer-ee" (with emphasis on "gith"). You can spot this pronunciation listed on the Forgotten Realms wiki article, but in Baldur's Gate 3 it's quite clearly pronounced the former.

How times change.

9: #408 - Bazaar of the Bizarre: Treasures of the Elemental Chaos, p.29

The artifact suite "Xenda-Dran's Array" offers players a chance to wear the gear of a long-dead slaad assassin in the service of the slaad lord Ygorl. Apparently, eons ago, the slaad ran into the enlightened githzerai master Liricosa (detailed in The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos, p.148). Liricosa's power is such that he either killed the slaad easily...or his transcendent nature turned a slaad, the embodiment of chaos, into a being of law.

8: #390 – Power Play: Divine: Dead Gods, p.46-47

Deep in the Elemental Chaos floats the petrified body of the long-dead god Haramathur. Eons ago, this god sacrificed himself to seal away a powerful primordial. Now a githzerai monastery has been carved directly out of the god's body. The githzerai who live there call themselves the "Disciples of Stone" and may actually be able to communicate with stone itself. Good luck getting there to meet them, though: the body is surrounded by a maelstrom of volcanic energy.

7: #287 – Creatures of the Chaos Spire, p.74

An eldritch fortress known as Gnythagak, shaped by use of psionic power, is now known as the Chaos Spire. It was taken from the illithids by a combined force of githyanki and githzerai. Afterwards, the githyanki occupied the fortress, and the githzerai responded with an army. Tens of thousands died on both sides in the massive battle. In the end, the githzerai channeled the raw matter of the plane of Limbo directly into the heart of Gnythagak, resulting in an interplanar explosion and the transformation of the fortress into a migratory pocket-plane of its own.

The wild part about this isn't the battle. It's that the githyanki and githzerai worked together at such a scale for such a massive undertaking. That's pretty damn exceptional, and a demonstration of just how much both sides hate mind flayers.

6: #245 – Mindstalkers, p.36-43

This article covers an order of dwarves who develop psionic powers in order to hunt illithids. They learned from a githyanki who, in gratitude for being rescued from illithid clutches before he could become dinner, taught his dwarven rescuers psionic skill. The githyanki even brought ore from an Astral godmote to the dwarves so they could forge special weapons to fight mind flayers. These "caradhakers" adopt githyanki hairstyles and ornamentation alongside their typical clan fashions (and, of course, beards).

Githyanki aren't normally quite this open or friendly with other species. But, much like the incident with the Chaos Spire, hatred of illithids overrides everything.

5: #101 – Creature Catalog III, Thendar, p.54

Appearing ONLY in this single brief article, the thendar are a strange, humanoid Astral species who travel the planes gathering knowledge. They live for thousands of years and are peaceful sages.

The githyanki hate them. Probably just because they're nice...?

4: #159 – Voidjammers!

HOOOO BOY OKAY THIS IS THE DISTURBING ONE BUCKLE THE FUCK UP

So a thousand years or so ago, this archmage named Peregrin got bored with Material Plane adventures and moved to the Astral Plane with intent to literally form a planar taxi service. His adventures could probably fill a book, but the point for this post: the githyanki fucking hate this guy. First for intruding on the Astral Plane, then because this guy went on a rampage through the githyanki forces to confront Vlaakith *face to face* and demand she stop attacking his ships.

Apparently she was "less powerful" than she is now.

The githyanki left Peregrin's taxi service alone, for the most part, but they're still nursing one hell of a grudge. As they should. See, most of the ships are powered by extracted mind flayer brains, lobotomized to remove personality and retain psionic power for propulsion. So, so fucking disturbing, but the githyanki would probably approve of that. What they would not approve of is that it's rumored that Peregrin's personal flagship is powered by a pair of githyanki brains.

And, if it wouldn't make the whole species angry enough to find a way to kill him, Peregrin is openly stated to think powering his whole fleet with githyanki brains is a good idea.

In Dragon #166, a reader sent in a letter discussing how nightmarish this is and how much they disapprove. I find myself agreeing.

3: #419 – Winning Races: Bladelings

This article introduces the "bladelings" as a playable race for 4th Edition. Fancy, edgy (ha), violent, growing literal razor blades out of their bodies like scales, the bladelings were originally mortal human worshipers of Bane. When they won his favor, Bane fused them with their weapons forever. You know. As you do.

And then there's this one random throwaway line on page 23: "A few dissidents claim that they were actually from the same racial stock that would eventually give rise to the githyanki and githzerai."

E X C U S E ? ? ?

No elaboration is ever given. Guess we just get to live with this!

2: #381 – "The Foundling," Mike Resnick, p.18-23

Right. I highly recommend you read this one yourself for maximum impact. Here's the Internet Archive link.

In brief...a young githzerai woman (all of 22 years old) loses her infant child. A year later, she discovers an orphaned githyanki baby. And, well...

"It wasn’t its fault that it was born of the githyanki. It needed care, and love, and shelter, and she had all three to give."

Despite the scorn of her kin, the young woman decides to raise the baby as her own. For one of them, the scorn eventually turns to hate, and so begins a series of attacks by increasingly powerful monsters on mother and child as they travel far and wide to escape their enemies. After four years, things finally come to a head. At which point...well. I really, REALLY don't want to spoil the ending.

Let's just say that the githzerai responsible for the attacks is about to have a really, really bad day.

NUMBER ONE WEIRDEST: #355 – Ecology of the Devourer, p.58-63

This article covers the nightmarish devourer, a form of undead that devours souls. How they're created has changed over the years (nowadays they're fiends, not undead), but this article is from D&D 3.5, where they were very much undead. They drive someone to the brink of death, then drag the person's soul inside their ribcage and torture it for power.

According to this article, the devourers originated with the githyanki.

During the reign of Vlaakith 156--the predecessor of the current Vlaakith--a scheming general decided to avoid getting his soul eaten. Because apparently the previous Vlaakith was also a soul-eating lich! His attempt went wrong and his rebellion was crushed. Their souls were taken from them and locked away, their bodies thrown into the Astral Plane.

Unfortunately for Vlaakith and the githyanki in Tu'narath, the general's body was reanimated by energy from the Negative Energy Plane. He brought back his most loyal followers as the same kind of undead, all of them starving for their missing souls, and they launched a second attack on Tu'narath. Many, many githyanki died in the unexpected attack. Vlaakith and the undead general finally fought face to face over the bodies of their followers. History's not clear on who won, but at some point in the chaos the current Vlaakith--number 157--took the throne. She's ruled unchallenged for a thousand years and the githyanki have hated and feared the devourers ever since.

That's...so much to unpack. Multiple Vlaakiths were liches? This is a long-running tradition? According to the article, the exact dates of a Vlaakith's reign are obscured, so exactly how long does each one rule? Just how LONG have the githyanki been around?

Oh, and the icing on the cake: in the modern day, some githzerai monasteries employ elder devourers as monastery guards. In return for aid, the githzerai search for the devourers' original missing essence. In the meantime, they feed the devourers the souls of captured githyanki.

The githzerai are not the good guys.

-

On deck for next time: the githyanki of 4th Edition D&D!

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

Books of 2024: September Wrap-Up.

Delighted to report I am VERY far behind on my NaNo prep reading goals, and now September is gone (oops). However! This month I did manage to carve nine (9) pages out of a behemoth scene, write a newsletter article for the nonprofit I volunteer at, and alpha/hype read a friend's manuscript, so I still had a fairly wordy month (I say, as if all of my months are not Wordy™).

Photos/reviews linked below:

THE HAUNTED BOOKSTORE, Vol. 1 & 2 - ★★★½ These were cute! I liked them enough that I went ahead and ordered the next two volumes, and I'm glad I did--turns out there are only four manga in the series, so I'll have the whole thing :) I plan on returning to these after November/as part of Driscoll prep again, because they match the vibe I'm trying to channel really well.

CITY OF SAINTS AND MADMEN - ★★★½ (rating subject to change upon series completion) So on my shelf, this book doesn't LOOK like a brick, but it's 704 pages (according to Goodreads, because the pages in the back half of the book are not numbered sequentially lmaooo). It's told in several novellas strung together and then An Appendix full of all sorts of (sneakily?) relevant bits and pieces--fascinating anthology of a book, very meta-textual. It grew on me! If you can get through the first story, it's worth sticking with, and the whole series is turning into a puzzle box. And speaking of...

SHRIEK: AN AFTERWORD - 135/451 pages read; will report back later. I definitely had to dual wield CITY and SHRIEK last night to compare passages that are, in fact, duplicated across books, and I feel like the calculus meme about it. This one is structured interestingly, too: It's written by a sister (first person) about her brother, but the brother is annotating her manuscript in his own first person (in parentheticals wedged into or tacked onto paragraphs, also first person). I'm very excited to finish this, and equally excited to see what's going on with FINCH after that, so. Back to reading I go!!

Under the Cut: A Note About ~*★Stars★*~

Historically, I have been Very Bad™ about assigning things Star Ratings, because it's so Vibes Heavy for me and therefore Contingent Upon my Whims. I am refining this as I figure out my wrap up posts (epiphany of last month: I don't like that stars are Odd, because that makes three the midpoint and things are rarely so truly mid for me)(I have hacked my way around this with a ½). Here is, generally, how I conceptualize stars:

★ - This was Bad. I would actively recommend that you do NOT read this one, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not worth the slog. Save Yourself, It's Too Late For Me. Book goes in the garbage (donate bin).

★★ - This was Not Good. I would not recommend it, but it wasn't a total waste or wash--something in here held my interest/kept my attention/sparked some joy. I will not be rereading this ever. Save Yourself (Or Join Me In Suffering, That Seems Like A Cool Bonding Activity).

★★★ - This was Good/Fine/Okay/Meh. I don't care about this enough to recommend it one way or another. Perfectly serviceable book, held my interest, I probably enjoyed myself (or at least didn't actively loathe the reading). I don't have especially strong feelings. You probably don't need to save yourself from this one--if it sounds like your jam, give it a shot! Just didn't resonate with me particularly powerfully. I probably won't reread this unless I'm after something in particular.

★★★½ - I liked this! I'll probably recommend it if I know it matches someone's vibes or specific requests, but I didn't commit to a star rating on Goodreads. More likely to reread, but not guaranteed.

★★★★ - I really enjoyed this!! I would recommend it (sometimes with caveats about content warnings or such--I tend to like weird fucked up funny shit, and I don't have many hard readerly NO's). Not a perfect book for me by any means, but Very Good. This is something I would reread! Join me!!

★★★★★ - I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THIS, IT REWIRED MY BRAIN, WILL RECOMMEND TO ANYONE AND EVERYONE AT THE SLIGHTEST PROVOCATION (content warning caveats still apply--see 4-star disclaimer). Excellent book, I'll reread it regularly, I'll buy copies for all my friends, I'll try to convince all of Booklr to read it, PLEASE join me!!

[pvlvsdog]

If sinners were to be bugs/insects etc, which one would they be?

Okay okay okay. This is a really exciting ask, thank you! I did lots of thinking about this one :3

Ish gets a pea leaf weevil. First of all, not biology based, but weevils are generally liked by people on the internet and I like the way they look. Some of pea leaf weevils look kind of ginger too. So that’s a bonus^^ The main thing about this one that it can survive in a lot of places, that little bug is determined to get by and will not be bothered by a simple relocation. I feel like, that kind of goes along with sailing and being on the move, you have to learn to be versatile. But they are known to like dry places, right? Well, my funniest reason to pick this little guy is that a few years back the country was swarmed with articles because uh oh. Turns out they enjoy the sea a lot. And take residence there as well. And if they got some business, they will not stop just because you’re sitting in the way. The seaside is their place, you’re just visiting it 😌😌

Unfortunately, the common pond skater goes to Sinclair. It would make more sense to give that one to Ishmael instead, but I based this one on behaviour only. See, they are just some common little guys, I like them quite a lot. From what I’ve read they move around quite a lot out of fear of being eaten. But, other than being quite frantic and looking harmless, they are uh… well intense. They can bite you and you *will* feel it, I promise. Don’t pick them up, because as scared as they are, they are capable of fighting back if they need to. Plus, just like many other insects, they are partial to things we could consider off-putting such as cannibalism. I picked this species since they remind me of the ‘he’s just a little guy -> oh, he’s a little f-ed up actually” and that fits the vibes I have from him

Meursaul gets a louse. I don’t like them.

After some thought I have to give Outis a giant horsefly. They look chill, many are, based on personal experience it’s very nice to interact with them. But then again, if the female needs it, she’ll bite you. Nothing personal, simple conflict of interest. I feel like that kind of fits with Outis being a bit… suspicious in her intro but they being so patient with Dante (even if it’s not all that genuine). Also I just like those horseflies :3

I see Don as a grasshopper. This one’s fairly easy - she moves around a lot, distinct fair hair (like the grasshoppers signature light green), is easily recognisable. The freaky anatomy and facts are kind of a bonus here. Besides, they are, quite literally, ancient. And Don’s source isn’t all that recent either

With its… quite different name in my native language, the black beauty walking stick just kind of fits Heathcliff. Being named (again, in my language) the devil scare, it’s known for a few things. Of course first and foremost for its intimidation tactics. They look a bit „scary”, at least that’s what I’ve heard people say, and they add to it with their strategy of covering for vulnerability with their scare tactics. Being seen as „fun silly pets” adds to it for me, because from experience I know that the households that do buy them often don’t really see them as like, a „real animal” and they often get treated like toys or reluctant additions to the family. Overall disposable

Based on vibes mostly, Yi Sang is an orchard ermine moth. The colours just make sense for me. Besides, it kind of makes sense from a meta perspective cause their history (the spiecies divide, the unexpected spikes in uneven distribution) is quite interesting and while at first I also looked at Yi Sand as kind of unassuming, the bits of information I have on him now prove me otherwise

Rodya gets desmoxytes purpurosea. It’s a relatively new species, it’s beautiful, popular amongst people. Absolutely amazing. And it smells like almonds. Why? Well, probably due to hydrogen cyanide they produce. Not a surprise considering the hot pink is a pretty good indicator of them being a bit… dangerous to it’s opponents. What girlbosses they are, they get to be cute, hot pink and unassuming AND pretty deadly

Dante gets a summer chafer. Despite being seen as quite useless and a pest, they don’t make much significant damage. Their lifestyle, notably mating, takes quite a toll on their bodies and by the time the female laid eggs a few times (each time the process paired with digging lasts around a day) she passes. They are drawn to light. And look absolutely adorable as a bonus

I wanted to give Ryōshū some sort of a mantis, but I settled on the horrid king assassin bug. This is not a roast, I just think they are and look pretty dangerous while also being damn intimidating. Besides, having a few ways of killing, which makes them more proficient by a long shot, kind of fits in with her whole vibe and the killing thing. I think she would appreciate variety in the craft as well^^

Hong Lu gets the Spiny Flower Mantis. It’s a species well loved and appreciated for their beauty. Look up some pictures, please, they look unreal! The goal is to look similar to flowers. When they feel like they’re in danger, they spread their wings and start flapping them, making the colours on them glimmer. Which I find a bit funny, because it’s also something they do to show off to others. Also having eye-spots kind of sold me on giving it to him, to keep the theme (a lot of art displaying his eyes). They don’t chase after prey, they aren’t known to be a very active species, preferring to sit and wait for things to come to them. Also kind of picky with their living situation, for example they don’t take humidity well in captivity and pretty quickly you will be made aware of that as their home giver

For Faust I settled on a domestic silk moth. They don’t live in the wild since they are pretty important to humans and have been fully domesticated to help out with developing sciences. Mainly, they are tied to research as well as, well, producing silk

Lastly, Gregor. I didn’t want to go for a cockroach, I feel like he gets treated as a vermin enough as is, I really don’t want to perpetuate that (I wouldn’t use ‘cockroach’ as an insult, but he would take it as one, hurtful at that). At first I thought to give him some sort of a beetle. But after thinking more objectively, I settled on a bumblebee. Peaceful, beautiful, soft - overall amazing. Also mostly liked because they are practical to humans, I’m not sure we would like them a whole ton if the argument “don’t kill them, they are useful” didn’t come into play. So that uh… that goes along with certain canon themes. Something something having value if “actual” humans can make use of you. But yeah, well, I don’t want to be all depressing. World cold and hard, bumblebee soft and warm 😌😌

[veliseraptor]

November Reading Recap

Banewreaker and Godslayer by Jacqueline Carey. Absolutely fascinating series, I want to dig into it with a shovel. Can't recommend it.

For one thing it contains one of the possibly most differently, weirdly racist depictions of brown people that I've read in a fantasy book recently (somewhat reminiscent of Aboriginal Australian stereotypes who exist because their ancestors were "burnt" that color as collateral damage in a battle of gods); it's decent in terms of writing quality but nothing terribly exceptional, and it's riffing as nakedly on Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion as Escape From the Bloodkeep was. Which is what makes it so fascinating to me - the way that it's looking at the same story (more or less) from the perspective of the god designated evil and his minions, and what it's doing with that - but again, while I want to excavate it and pick it apart, I wouldn't tell anybody to read it unless they were morbidly curious about it.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I saw a lot of raving about this book and was really excited about it, but ended up feeling kind of...not let down, it was a solid three star book, but I didn't like it as much as I hoped. Part of that is probably because I was in it for horror and it ended up feeling pretty light on the horror - heavier on the film history, which is fine, but Siren Queen did that part better. It was fine, I wouldn't not recommend it to someone who expressed interest in it, but I wouldn't particularly include it in my stand outs of the year either.

Remnants of Filth vol. 2 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou. Meatbun knows how to do (a) suffering and (b) fucked up relationships, and while this book's relationship isn't fucked up in quite the same "tailored perfectly to my interests" ways that 2ha was, it's pretty damn good. Very excited to see where this one goes.

Evidence of Things Seen: True Crime in an Era of Reckoning edited by Sarah Weinman. I was hoping for a little more from this than I got. It's pretty much just a collection of essays previously published online that come at true crime sometimes from a little more cautious/critical lens, but not in the way that I was hoping they would. I guess I was hoping for something that would be a more meta-examination of the genre and the issues it has, a little more introspective, but ultimately most of the essays were relatively straightforward true crime essays, just a little more thoughtful and with an eye toward a broader spectrum of stories than the "traditional" true crime stories. Not a bad collection, just not what I was hoping for/looking to read.

Was extremely funny to run into a surprise Michael Hobbes article that was very familiar from an episode of You're Wrong About, though.

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates. I enjoyed this one a bit less than the other Darcy Coates books I've read, but that's less its fault as a whole as it is "made use of loaded psychiatric language that I've grown increasingly uncomfortable with in reference to its villain" and I was just not totally on board with that. So I think as far as Darcy Coates books go it's probably my third favorite of three, but I still wouldn't not recommend it as a whole. It was certainly scary, and kept me reading the way that all her books have so far because I needed to know what was going to happen.

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. Sometimes I read a book and I'm like "I'm not sure I can say 'I liked this' but it sure did something to my brain and I think the something was positive, I want someone else to read this so I can talk to them about it" and that's why I'm giving this book to one of my sisters, because hopefully she will read it and then we can talk about it.

It was definitely a good book! It was a very good book. But saying "I liked it" feels sort of anodyne and quaint as a way of describing how I feel about it. It sort of reminds me of House of Leaves that way, which I guess is a recommendation in and of itself.

If anybody else reads this book please tell me what you think, I would like to discuss it with someone.

---

I'm currently reading Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky (so far a winner, as everything of his I've read has been), but I'm looking forward to trying to dip my toes back into some nonfiction with The Underworld by Susan Casey and Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause. Also need to read He, She, and It by Marge Piercy for my sci-fi book club. Other than that, I have a pretty open mind for what December's going to look like; since I'm going to my parents' house at the end of it I'll probably pick up something long-gone-unread from my old shelves there, which is always fun.

But I'm also considering making this the month I do my The Last Unicorn reread. We'll see how things play out.

[indigovigilance]

I was just reading through some of your meta, and was thinking about your one about Maggie being possessed by an angel. I was wondering if the fact that Nina is played by Nina Sosanya, who also played Sister Mary in season one, might be connected. I'm a bit late to the Good Omens series, has that ever been addressed? Seems odd to recast an actress as a different character in the same show, especially a show so detail orientated. Seeing as Maggie and Nina are mirrors for Aziraphale and Crowley, I'm idly wondering if they being secretly an angel, and former demon worshiper would simply would be to add an extra dimension, or if there is something more sneaky afoot. Like spies for each side watching the shop or some such.

Oh, my dear friend, it goes much deeper than that! Do not be bashful about arriving late to the game: I also did not watch S2 until about a month after it dropped, and didn't arrive on Tumblr until a month after that (literally made an account for the first time to join this fandom). The fact that I'm getting these asks at all is evidence enough that anyone can catch up. So here we go!

read on Ao3

(forgive the quality of some of these screengrabs, I'm having internet issues and Amazon is taking it out on the quality of my video)

Nina is played by Nina Sosanya, who in season 1 played Sister Mary Loquacious (I still love that name):

...and Maggie is played by Maggie Service, who in season 1 played a satanic nun as well, Sister Teresa Garrulous (inspired):

But the recycling of the first season's cast doesn't end there!

Shax is played by none other than the illustrious Miranda Richardson, returning after her delightful season 1 portrayal of Madame Tracy:

Reece Shearsmith plays Shakespeare in Season 1 and Furfur in Season 2:

Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss who plays Mr. Harmony, and Steve Pemberton who plays Mr. Glozier, the [zombie] Nazis in both seasons,

worked together on the award-winning show League of Gentlemen. An article about it even appears on David Tennant's website (which I just found today, doing research for this response!). It's a fun little read, I recommend it for anyone who's interested in "the making of" type stuff.

Gatiss was also involved in Doctor Who, which is of course was (per my humble opinion) the crowning glory of David Tennant's career until he stepped into the snakeskin boots. The article indicates that all these actors have prior relationships with David Tennant and Michael Sheen and were very pleased to be cast for this show.

But notably, only Nina and Maggie are named after their actors. Given that they also play out a whole slew of fanfiction tropes (I don't think this connection has ever been written out in meta format but it is alluded to in various YouTube clipshows) it seems to be a Doylian *Clue* that something is a little bit wrong about these characters and their alleged romance.

Other than that, I think the fact that cast is being reused only tells us two things: First, these are wonderful actors and why go looking for new talent when you already have the best? Second, they love this work and they love working together on it, and the actors wanted to return just as much as Neil wanted them to continue bringing his vision to life.

I'm glad you enjoyed Maggie is Possessed, one of my very first metas! I can see that you are going in order along my meta index. If you would like to keep reading on this topic, others have contributed their thoughts on the subject, and I've linked some choice readings below:

Can't You Hear Them? by @vidavalor The Grand Unified Theory by @noneorother which addresses the slew of purportedly human characters that have oddly angelic/demonic traits What's Up with Maggie? - a chain started by @iammyownproblematicfave that I and others have contributed to

I hope that this line of inquiry gets more attention in the future. If you haven't already, the docs below are great resources to bookmark as they are constantly being updated by teams of dedicated clue-searchers:

Good Omens Crackpotting Theory Tracker Hunting for Clues

~~~

I love getting asks like this, thanks for giving me something to do while I wait for my laundry to finish. I'm so so happy that more people are arriving in this cuddly communal crucible of creativity, it's been a great community for me and I hope you join us on this whirlwind adventure of piecing together the million-piece jigsaw puzzle that Neil left for us to play with as we await Season 3!

[marnz]

since i'm one of those people who watched tsn in 2023 (i was 12 when tsn was broadcasted) so it gave me this weird mixed feeling whenever i read markwardo fanfic because knowing how bad these people actually are irl and not some uwu precious baby but i can't blame fanfic writers in 2010-2011 for thinking zuckerberg and saverin were cool because during that time facebook was indeed cool and the internet was younger at that time too, the fic are good i admit but sometimes i need a moment to rethink why am i reading irl capitalists fanfic, it's so hard to distinguish between tsn and irl material most of the time too and not to mention tsn was just a story written based on irl saverin pov of fb and he was also an asshole. The only fun time to enjoy tsn was probably 2010-2011 because fb was cool, the cast was close and now even the cast of this film probably don't even contact each other anymore despite being so closed in 2010, sorry for rambling i just think it's amazing that people who enjoy tsn in 2010 still post about it in 2024!

well anon. Like I said. You had to be there. Look I love context and you said you were 12 in 2010 so here is some context: yes the internet was younger and yes fb/meta had not destroyed democracy yet but I also think there was more of a sense of hope related to technology, as opposed to dread. A lot of tech and social mainstays had not happened yet, politics were drastically different, Chris Hughes (cofounder of fb & communications guy) helped Obama get elected, people didn’t think global warming was real, society was MUCH more conservative and homophobic, etc., and the internet was the place to be.

when you say the internet was younger I’m interpreting this to mean that FB had not come into its final form yet, which is true, but also it & the internet was such a radically different experience. It felt limitless. You weren’t corralled in as much. You could go anywhere, you could find anything, you could make your own websites very easily, you were not assaulted by pop ups and apps were not mainstream because Apple didn’t launch the App Store until 2008. It was so easy to learn how to code. The operating systems between Apple and Android were SO distinct. Twitter launched in 2008/2009 but wasn’t quite so relevant until idk 2014? Fandom had just migrated from LJ to Tumblr but Tumblr was also hotter with the aesthetic girlies and porn blogs. “The algorithm” didn’t run the world. Yesterday I tried to find an article by searching for it and both Google and DuckDuckGo completely disregarded my request and did not turn up anything relevant. I can assure you that would not have happened in 2011. So there was SUCH a sense of optimism because the internet felt like a social good instead of an obligation that is increasingly privatized, surveilled, constrained, and decayed.

Which is why TSN got made and why there was an interest. It was a source of profound social change. But anyway. FB/Meta has ruined lives and it and all other social media apps that elevate divisive opinions to prompt as much engagement as possible (have you heard of the awful Isabel Fall twitter scandal? I recommend this article) are awful! And yet there’s an expectation of being online because a lot of communities now organize online, a lot of services require being online, etc., fandom has become less centralized/less unified, which is its own post.

Out of curiosity, what led you to watch the film? I do find it fascinating that there’s been a resurgence of TSN fandom. If this article had not been written I would not be posting about it but there’s still a lot of fic being written and fanvids being made to Taylor Swift songs. But it’s fandom devoid of all this context. So it is very strange, because you know what FB and all these people in it will become. I think I would have the exact cognitive dissonance you described if I watched it for the first time last year and tried to read fic. It is SO deeply fictionalized, so much of it is radically untrue, but you as the reader carry the truth in your mind. Which is why I cannot and do not engage with these days. And why I hold TSN in my mind curtained off. I spoke with many ppl from the original fandom yesterday and trust me, no one wants this.

I think, realistically, whatever movie Sorkin wants to make will probably be very good. It’s probably a good story to tell & explore. But I won’t be watching it. I lived that shit

[madhogthymaster]

I Played Every BioShock Game in One Month, And I Must Scream!

On January 2nd 2023, I made the sporadic, partially ill-begotten decision to buy all three BioShock videogames. Up to that point, I had never experienced these titles directly save only through cultural osmosis, the occasional meme and, naturally, The Discourse! I would spend the following lunar cycle playing them, writing down my thoughts and posting them on Twitter dot com. Today, after enough time passed for my heightened feelings to reset, I have collected those floating brain bubbles and transliterated them into some manner of structured essay for your reading pleasure - or utter lack thereof. Did I have anything meaningful to add to the conversation on one of the most dissected and dissertated franchises in the history of the art form? You may be the judge of that. It begins.

-

Part One: Atlas Drowned

BioShock. The first BioShock. BioShock the First. "Spiritual" successor to System Shock 2, Bioshock. Yes, that BioShock. This is most certainly not a title that requires any sort of elaborate introduction. Since 2007, there have been many videos, articles, essays, podcasts, and everything in-between, dedicated to its analysis. For better and (decisively) for worse, the concept of Videogame Discourse was birthed from the metaphorical wreckage of this opus smashing itself onto the collective consciousness. I may be indulging in prosaic hyperbole here but the point still stands: it was, and still is, a big deal. You have probably heard it all before: the game is about the Folly of "Free-Market" Capitalism as it drives Society to ruin, the inadequacy of the wealthy to lead, a satirical takedown of Ayn Rand's Objectivism as it unceremoniously flops when confronted with the reality of basic human nature and needs. It's about America, in other words. It gleefully revels in its political stance with the subtlety of a clown-faced vending machine yelling: "Welcome to the Circus of Value!" It might as well be using a copy of Atlas Shrugged to wipe its anus, at this point. That is all to say, first impressions were quite positive and I was enjoying it a lot.

The underwater city of Rapture is a poignantly depressing location: everything from its very name to its opulent Art Deco architecture screams of egomaniacal pretention. It is a monument to its founder's hubris turned into a decadent, decaying tomb for his ambition. It perfectly conveys all you need to know about Andrew Ryan, the founder of Rapture and initial antagonist. He is a rich twat who hated having to pay taxes so he created his own version of a Libertarian Blockchain disguised as a country where there would be "No Gods or Kings. Only Man." He then proceeded to make himself the god-king of his utopia; it crashed and burned along with everyone in it. "Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?" he said, indeed.

Rapture is a wonderfully designed world, in that sense. The only elements that clash with the contextual aesthetic would be the aforementioned "Circus of Value" marketplaces. Let me explain. Andrew Ryan, like all demagogues, takes himself super seriously. His entire platform was built on the premise that he's a charismatic genius and everything he says is Gospel. His whole civilization was constructed on the terrible ideas he convinced both himself and many others were actually good. Seriousness, self-importance and overcompensated grandiosity were the building blocks of Rapture, the roots of its aesthetic, the basis by which this society could function - until it wouldn't anymore. As such, the presence of those vending machines, openly mocking the very foundation of Uncle Andy's Ryanworld, feel out of place within the narrative and universe at hand. They have been clearly put there so that the developers could do a little meta-humour, a wink and a nudge at the player, to redundantly point out how absurd it all was. They must have been worried the game was too subtle and some players would not get it... Anyway, this was but a minor complaint. By all means, take it with a grain of salt. Now, I have some legitimate criticism to bring forth.

Whilst a lot of the conversation has been directed at Brow Sweat Man, his God complex, his insane ambition, his "Chain of Industries" ideology and "Laissez-Faire" economics, not nearly enough analysis was ever dedicated to the other major antagonist of the game, and I can definitely gather why. I will now openly address spoilers for the latter half of the story by discussing the character of Frank Fontaine (aka ATLAS), the de-facto main villain of the piece.

Fontaine is a grifter who played a long con at the expense of the "Kingdom of Reason." He started a smuggling ring that introduced gun violence and religious bigotry to the city, used the malcontent of the exploited working class to start a bloody rebellion, manipulated and killed people behind the scene through various aliases. His corporation is the one responsible for mass producing all the Big Daddies and Little Sisters, the iconic "monsters" of the series running around town. They are a product of Eugenics science based off Nazi Germany's human experiments. I should stress that Ryan approved all this as the city needed exploitable labour in order to run. The reason behind Frank's actions is simple: money, profit, cold hard cash. Andrew Ryan was a wealthy fool hooked on his delusional Capitalist drivel, his "daring vision" for the future of mankind, Fontaine was the reality check. The thematic exclamation point to the game's entire thesis, the depressing yet irrefutable truth behind all the cruelty and horrors caused in the name of IDEAS is good old fashioned Greed. Someone in a position of power will always be there to make a buck out of human suffering.

To be perfectly honest, I find this throughline rather pedestrian. It is the truth of Capitalism, yes, but it is such an obvious statement delivered with such un-earned gusto that it makes the entire game less interesting as a result. Here we have a compellingly detestable villain in Uncle Andy, the "good guy" of his story, a living byproduct of American Exceptionalism, Ayn Rand's poster boy, a poignant satire of the current socioeconomic establishment, being replaced by a basic money-grabbing baddie. What made Ryan so effective is how real he felt: he represented the warped worldview of the out-of-touch, obscenely rich class that rules the planet and that's going to eventually lead us to our demise - much like in Rapture itself. Fontaine, by contrast, is a mustache-twirling cartoon. He acts and talks like a typical videogame villain who doesn't have anything meaningful to say to you other than how smart he is, how he loves money and how he's totally going to get away with it (insert evil laugh here) while sporting the worst accent I have ever heard in my life. His point as a character is moot and the writing is messier as a result. Still, BioShock is a good game, perhaps not as masterfully crafted as many believed it to be, but rather innovative for the time. There is a clever (for 2007) twist right before Fontaine takes over as the final boss in which it is revealed the player's character was being mind controlled the whole time. It's a cute meta-commentary on the unique nature of our interaction with videogames.

Had I played BioShock when it first came out, I would have probably placed it atop a golden pedestal, sung its praises as the best written story in the history of the medium and angrily rejected any criticism towards it in the most obnoxious way imaginable... I think I was trying to make a point but my brain gave up half way through the tangent. As such, I shall conclude this tirade by saying I enjoyed playing this classic title but I have no interest in going through it a second time. Is that fair? Yes, it is.

-

Part Two: Tetsuo The Drill Man

I moved on to Bioshock 2: The BioShockening, a game that didn't need to exist, in many ways. On one hand, it drags the theming of the first game to unnecessary levels of dilution as its message had already been abundantly delivered. On the other hand, you play as a Big Daddy with a Big Drill. There is a new ruler in Rapture, her name is Dr. Sofia Lamb. She took over after the fall of Andrew Ryan's "Individualist Utopia" by indoctrinating its inhabitants into a cult that's equal parts Early Christian commune and Eugenics with an extra dose of fanaticism. Much like with Frank Fontaine, we have a case study as to how an unregulated, isolationist, capitalist state lays the foundations for stochastic terrorism and sociopathic grift - just in case it wasn't already obvious that Rapture is supposed to represent America. I say that but, to be brutally honest, Dr. Lamb's politics or set of beliefs are as undercooked and generically laid out as they can get. I had to interpret and extrapolate what her deal was through context clues more than anything else. It wouldn't surprise me if the game's intent was to comment on Communism instead of everything else I pointed out, which would somewhat invalidate its previous stance on Capitalism and would further bring into question the overall political stance behind the BioShock series... but let us put a pin on that thought, for now.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, I believe this is a slightly better, more refined, more challenging loop than its previous iteration. These titles are both solid First-Person Shooters with light RPG elements but the second one improves upon its many shortcomings. The ability to hold both weapons and "magical gene powers" at the same time is such a simple yet elegant mechanic that it (bio)shocks me it wasn't implemented earlier. The hacking mini-games have been simplified to the point of fruitlessness - and I'm fine with that. The big change comes with the Big Daddy himself and his huge, oversized, dominating drill that penetrates all its victims at full force, making them scream. It singlehandedly redeems melee attack as a worthwhile feature. Did I mention it's a huge drill?

Beyond that, there isn't much to add to The Discourse. To reiterate, BioShock 2 is a thoroughly pointless sequel and it barely qualifies as one. It's a glorified expansion pack that adds nothing of substance to the narrative, lazily resting on the laurels planted by its predecessor. It's a more polished and fun title to play, undoubtedly, but it's otherwise easy to see why it is considered the forgettable middle child stuck between an era-defining first outing and whatever Infinite turned out to be. Speaking of which, it's time to get into that one.

-

Part Three: Infinite Mysery

WARNING: the following few paragraphs represent my initial impressions on the game, left mostly unaltered as I experienced it for the first time back in January 2023.

So, Infinite, BioShock numero tres but technically a prequel set in 1912, the flying city of Columbia, and all of that. All I knew about this game beforehand was that its engine was used to revolutionize 3D pornography for years to come... Do not ask how or why I know that.

Our "Andrew Ryan" for this episode is played by Father Comstock (oh, brother), an evangelical, white supremacist prophet who gathered his "flock" to live in a conferedate utopia closer to the "Kingdom of Heaven" and far above the "Sodom Below." I used to think the first game was unsubtle and heavy-handed with its commentary, impassioned in its righteous indignation if a bit simplistic by the end, but this game takes that sharp edge and slashes the US flag with it, literally!

This game appears to have things to say about American myth-making, the religious zealotry fueling the glorification (and alteration) of history as a means for Power, The White Man's Burden and the dangerously real threat of Christian Nationalism. It seems to condemn it all with the fervor that bespeaks decapitating a cop with a portable blender - which Infinite is all too eager to provide. What makes the experience truly effective is the setting itself: a far cry from the claustrophobic doom of Rapture. The misery of that place served as a remainder that Capitalism is unsustainable and leads society to ruin. That's an obvious statement by this point and, as such, it left me lukewarm on the experience. All it did was reinforcing my beliefs. Columbia, however, is a different beast. It is not the sunken tombstone to the hubris of a rich fool, it is the realm of the "Chosen Race" thriving under the watchful gaze of the deified Founding Fathers. It's a thriving, gorgeous vision right out of Jules Verne's mind, and it runs on the back of slaves.

That's what makes it truly horrifying and infuriating. The fact that it works, that its ruler managed to build a community for "good white Christians" thanks to the power of religious indoctrination and the exploited labour of the "lower races" that keeps it afloat. It is unsettling, bone-rattling, how inviting the city looks at a first glance, its Victorian architecture bathing in the sun as a barber shop quartet entertains curious onlookers. It's a grotesque dream of Dixieland as filtered through Gone with the Wind lenses.

As such, getting to disrupt the perfect little order of this bigoted, racist 19th century style town through acts of wanton violence is INFINITEly more cathartic than killing random junkies in an already disrupted, dead society. Sticking it to an unjust hierarchy by murdering cops and destroying property elevates the enjoyment of playing this title tenfold. It's exactly what was missing from my ideal BioShock experience. It's simply more compelling to defeat that which is yet to be even challenged. Another major element in the game's favour is a main character with actual agency, as opposed to a silent protagonist whose whole deal was his tragic lack of agency. It's much easier to be invested in the narrative when my guy has a literal say in the matter.

I sure hope the game does not somehow ruin everything in the second half. That would be so disappointing...

WARNING: the following are my real, unfiltered opinions on BioShock Infinite.

Do you know what is the most egregious, baffling, aggravating turn a narrative like this could have made after all it's done, after putting out such an inflammatory takedown of the American conservative institutions? Why, Bothsidesing, of course! According to this game's oh so wise writing, when those rebelling against their literal slavers do it by employing Direct Action instead of "the right, non-violent way" then they're just as bad as them. That is how Infinite chooses to frame the Anarcho-Socialist revolution of one Daisy Fitzroy (the only named black character) as she's compared to Father Comstock (the racist theocrat) with the all too familiar adagio of "Both sides are in the wrong." I am seething with rage.

This game went out of its way to pontificate against America's history of bigotry and racism up to including actual horrendous ethnic caricatures to drive its point home. Then it cowardly decided to throw it all away by taking the "Enlightened Centrist" stance. Essentially, the people in charge of the project have demonstrated to me their unwillingness to commit to a difficult subject as soon as it came to addressing the Real American history, opting thusly to an implicit endorsement of the Neoliberal Status Quo. The message now reads: "Slavery was bad but the slaves should not rebel against it! They should debate the slavers in the Market Place of Ideas!" You could take such a blanket statement and apply it to every sociopolitical scenario where there is a clear Oppressor with a clear Oppressed and expect it to be uttered by those who benefit from the Oppression.

I understand this title is more than a decade old but I will unendingly rag on the plate of unfulfilled potential due to cop-out writing. In fact, this whole situation has forced me to reevaluate my thoughts on the first title, as well! All of a sudden, the dichotomy between Andrew Ryan and Frank Fountain (the latter pretending to be on the side of the working class with a "clever" pseudonym) starts to feel like a less immediately obvious form of political bothsidesing. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the game was cherry-picking its themes as if they were somehow divorced from the larger critique on the Establishment. Implying, in other words, that concepts like the "The Invisible Hand", Objectivism and Manifest Destiny could be extricated from the very fabric of American Society when the inconvenient truth is that they are as much a part of it as Racism, Slavery and Genocide. I am not necessarily changing my opinion on that first iteration, mind you, but I do find myself dubious over my initial read given how the series ultimately panned out, with all the poise of a bald eagle covered in blood-soaked feces! It has just occurred to me, as I was writing this down, that Infinite is basically a remake of the first BioShock but dumber in every conceivable way. More over, BioShock 2's main antagonist, Sofia Lamb, was presented as the total opposite to Andrew Ryan (but just as bad) which reinforces the aforementioned Centrist stance the series now appears to champion while serving as a prelude to what would become the profoundly stupid thesis of the third one! It is astounding just how bad Infinite is turning out to be: horrible in a manner that makes me retroactively question my own ability to understand media literacy. This, dear readers, would be the time when I start screaming.

That said, it's not even the worst part. No, the most offensive aspect about any of this is that None of it actually matters, by the end.

WARNING: That Ending.

It turns out Father Comstock and your main character are the same person but from a different timeline when an Important Choice was made because of Guilt which led to becoming a Reborn Christian and the foundation of Columbia. You had a daughter which was taken from you by your evil doppelganger from another dimension and you were left trapped in a pocket world of some kind and then the rest of the game happens. Something, something, Regret. Something, something, commentary on Player Agency. Something, something, you must stop existing in the past in order to erase all the bad timelines, Sonic '06 style. By the way, there are timey-wimey bollocks, in case it wasn't clear. This is garbage and I do not care for it.

To see what this game was actually about, all along, further undermines whatever "political position" was presented to me throughout the diegesis. Depictions of oppression, racism and human suffering very much rooted in actual history were used as a mere thematic red herring. Meaning that there never was any real commentary, it was a "distraction" from the true narrative. Let this thought consume you for a spell. The game will have you slaughter fascist cops as well as recently liberated black men in the same gruesome, sadistic fashion while framing both groups as "equally bad", only to then pull the rug from under you and tell you it was all window dressing for the Real Story, which was about our (white) protagonist being tormented by his bad life decisions. I am beyond done.

The best I can say about the third and final chapter of the thoroughly tainted BioShock saga is that its contentious presence can be applied to a broader discussion about the nature of Art, namely if or when certain lines should be crossed, for what purpose should they be crossed and, especially, by whom. Infinite was built on the foundation of bad ideas and irredeemable execution. It presented a vapid vision of political radicalism from the obvious perspective of White Privilege and managed, bewilderingly, to not have anything to say about said politics, at all! It's the kind of idiocy that should have been nipped at the bud before wreaking untold damage - much like the main character himself. Nevertheless, it is a real piece of media that exists, a piece of gaming history and, like all history, we can learn something from it... Never Again! That would be the lesson to learn here.

-

Part 4: Something, Something, A Conclusion

As I am about to put this series inside the proverbial Tomb of Amontillado, I suppose this would be the right time to enlist my many gameplay pet peeves, my general pedantries, starting with the hacking mini-games: annoying in the first game, pointless in the second. In general, dealing with turrets, cameras and security robots was an unpleasant experience throughout the trilogy.

In the first two entries, some wise guy had the "great idea" of mapping the jump input to the upper button of the controller. I positively loathed that. They finally fixed it in the third game, just in time for it to stain the bed with several more horrible decisions! Why can't I hold more than two weapons at once in my inventory? That is such a backward step compared to the rest of the series!

Infinite must have also been one of the first AAA games to implement the hideous, horrendous, hackneyed sprint feature that would have you press on the left analog stick while the character is moving. Why was this ever considered an acceptable design choice?

I guess there were a few DLC. They sure exist.

... And with that underwhelming post scriptum, I shall now set my sights elsewhere - away from "Great Chains" and "Kingdoms of Heaven." New games await but we will always have the memories.

The memories of the giant drill, specifically.

---

BioShock and BioShock: Infinite were developed by Irrational Games. BioShock 2 was developed by 2K Marin.

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