#not just a cautionary tale to future generations

[treemaidengeek]

My wives & I showed our bestie the LOTR movies for the first time recently, & we had to stop during TT to have a context conversation about the destruction of Fangorn, Tolkien's history with trench warfare, & the relationship between his WWI experiences & his deep-threaded themes around the evils of military-industrial exploitation of peoples and land.

i think all quiet on the western front and the lord of the rings are in direct conversation with each other, as in theyre the retelling of the same war with one saying here’s what happened, we all died, and it did not matter at all and another going hush little boy, of course we won, of course your friends came back

[novlr]

how to describe despair in writing

Despair is a visceral and crushing emotion—one that echoes through the pages of a story, gripping readers with its raw intensity. It is more than just a feeling; it’s an abyss that characters fall into, a shadow that colours their every action and decision with hues of hopelessness and loss.

Behaviour

Neglecting personal care or obligations.

A lack of motivation or interest in activities they once enjoyed.

Withdrawing from social situations or avoiding company.

Engaging in self-destructive actions or habits.

Consistent signs of fatigue or lethargy.

Frequent emotional outbursts or mood swings.

An inability to concentrate or focus on tasks.

Indecisive, even on trivial matters.

Focusing on negative thoughts.

Displaying a loss of hope or a sense of defeat.

Interactions

Avoiding physical or eye contact with others.

Short-tempered and easily irritated.tempered

Speaking in monosyllables or giving terse responses.

A sense of indifference or apathy toward others’ concerns.

Struggling to express themselves or to articulate their feelings.

Misinterpreting others’ intentions or words negatively.

Isolating themselves despite offers of help or companionship.

Being unresponsive to attempts at humour or light-heartedness.

Blaming others or external circumstances for their despair.

Seeking out enablers or situations that validate their mindset.

Body language

Slumped shoulders or a consistently bowed head.

Averted gaze or blank stares into the distance.

Fidgeting, such as wringing hands or picking at skin.

Slow, dragging movements or a lack of coordination.

Heavy sighing or audible breaths.

Neglecting personal space or boundaries.

Minimal gestures or lifeless posture.

Clenched fists or jaw during moments of heightened emotion.

Visible trembling or shaking due to emotional strain.

A general lack of energy or life in physical presence.

Attitude

Pessimism towards the future.

Cynicism about intentions, whether their own or others’.

Resignation, believing that effort will not change their situation.

Indifference to opportunities or choices presented to them.

A sense of helplessness or powerlessness in all scenarios.

Self-deprecation and a tendency to dismiss their own value.

An overwhelming sense of guilt or responsibility for past events.

A fixation on the negative aspects of every situation.

An inability to accept comfort or positive feedback.

Believing they are a burden to others.

Positive Story Outcomes

An epiphany or realisation that sparks a desire for change.

A gesture of kindness from another character that provides a glimmer of hope.

The discovery of an inner strength or previously untapped resource.

A serendipitous event that offers a new perspective or opportunity.

The formation of a supportive relationship or friendship.

Minor victories or achievements that build self-confidence.

Learning a valuable lesson through hardship.

Developing empathy for others going through similar experiences.

Finding purpose in aiding others, easing their own despair.

An eventual embrace of vulnerability, leading to healing and growth.

Negative Story Outcomes

A surrender with long-lasting consequences.

The breakdown of important relationships.

A significant loss incurred because of inaction or apathy.

Descent into a more self-destructive or reckless lifestyle.

The solidification of a character’s role as an antagonist.

A missed opportunity for redemption or improvement.

A worsening of the character’s situation, potentially affecting others.

The development of a trait or flaw that hinders future happiness or success.

A downfall that provides a cautionary tale within the narrative.

A tragic ending that leaves a profound impact on the reader and other characters.

Helpful Vocabulary

Desolate

Forlorn

Wretched

Crestfallen

Anguished

Dolorous

Bereft

Hollow

Numb

Morose

Sullen

Bleak

Languish

Melancholy

Hopeless

Despondent

Dejected

Heartbroken

Miserable

Pained

Woeful

Eclipsed

Defeated

Overwhelmed

Grief-stricken

Tormented

Disconsolate

Listless

Oppressed

Despairing

[yumeka-sxf]

Today's new chapter continues the Henderson x Martha angst 😭 In just a couple chapters Endo has done an amazing job conveying how much Martha loves Henry, how volatile the war-torn world they live in is, and how Henry's ideals about education shaped who he became...but also led to regret. If Endo can weave this much of an engrossing side story about minor characters, I can't wait to see what he'll do with the main characters!

A lot of people have pointed out parallels between Henry and Martha's relationship with that of both future Twiyor and Damianya. They definitely have similarities, and while there's no guarantee that Henry and Martha's story has any bearing on the outcome of the other two relationships, my interpretation of it, at least right now, is that it's a cautionary tale...it's showing that this is what could happen to Loid/Yor, Damian/Anya, and honestly any future couples, if things don't change for the better. What we're seeing from Henry and Martha's story is how relationships can get so easily torn apart from war, as well as how clinging so hard to one's ideals - like what Henry has been doing - is also a recipe for tragedy. I mentioned in my last chapter review that I see this as a parallel to Twilight holding on so hard to his spy persona and ideals that he could be doomed to lose out on potential happiness if he doesn't realize his true feelings.

Also, if Twilight fails his mission and another war does break out, the consequences would be extreme both on a worldly and personal level. We saw in this chapter that Martha's path in life was greatly altered as a result of the war (she changed from wanting to be a ballerina to joining the army) and thus she and Henry were torn apart further. What would happen to the characters in the current generation if Desmond does do something to entice war again?

I also really liked the below panel showing what's probably the last scene of where Henry and Martha spent their most pleasant times - now it's empty, one chair has fallen, and a bird chips while war planes fly overhead. Such a great use of subtle symbolism to hammer in the tragic mood.

The chapter ends with mention of Henry potentially getting married due to pressure from his parents than because he wants to. I'm really curious how that turned out, plus how Martha ended up working for the Blackbells. Looks like their sad story will continue for at least one more chapter 😢

[mariacallous]

A little bit of alcohol was once thought to be good for you. However, as scientific research advances, we’re gaining a clearer picture of alcohol’s effect on health—especially regarding cancer.

The complex relationship between alcohol and cancer was recently highlighted in a new report from the American Association for Cancer Research. The report’s findings are eye-opening.

The authors of the report estimate that 40 percent of all cancer cases are associated with “modifiable risk factors”—in other words, things we can change ourselves. Alcohol consumption being prominent among them.

Six types of cancer are linked to alcohol consumption: head and neck cancers, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer.

The statistics are sobering. In 2019, more than one in 20 cancer diagnoses in the West were attributed to alcohol consumption, and this is increasing with time. This figure challenges the widespread perception of alcohol as a harmless social lubricant and builds on several well-conducted studies linking alcohol consumption to cancer risk.

But this isn’t just about the present—it’s also about the future. The report highlights a concerning trend: rising rates of certain cancers among younger adults. It’s a plot twist that researchers like me are still trying to understand, but alcohol consumption is emerging as a potential frontrunner in the list of causes.

Of particular concern is the rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer among adults under 50. The report notes a 1.9 percent annual increase between 2011 and 2019.

While the exact causes of this trend are still being investigated, research consistently shows a link between frequent and regular drinking in early and mid-adulthood and a higher risk of colon and rectal cancers later in life. But it’s also important to realize this story isn’t a tragedy.

It’s more of a cautionary tale with the potential for a hopeful ending. Unlike many risk factors for cancer, alcohol consumption is one we can control. Reducing or eliminating alcohol intake can lower the risk, offering a form of empowerment in the face of an often unpredictable disease.

The relationship between alcohol and cancer risk generally follows a dose-response pattern, meaning simply that higher levels of consumption are associated with greater risk. Even light to moderate drinking has been linked to increased risk for some cancers, particularly breast cancer.

Yet it’s crucial to remember that while alcohol increases cancer risk, it doesn’t mean everyone who drinks will develop cancer. Many factors contribute to cancer development.

Damages DNA

The story doesn’t end with these numbers. It extends to the very cells of our bodies, where alcohol’s journey begins. When we drink, our bodies break down alcohol into acetaldehyde, a substance that can damage our DNA, the blueprint of our cells. This means that alcohol can potentially rewrite our DNA and create changes called mutations, which in turn can cause cancer.

The tale grows more complex when we consider the various ways alcohol interacts with our bodies. It can impair nutrient and vitamin absorption, alter hormone levels, and even make it easier for harmful chemicals to penetrate cells in the mouth and throat. It can affect the bacteria in our guts, the so-called microbiome, that we live with and is important for our health and well-being.

Alcohol consumption is also linked to other aspects of our own health and lifestyle and it’s important not just to consider this alone. Tobacco use and smoking, for instance, can significantly amplify the cancer risks associated with alcohol. Genetic factors play a role too, with certain variations affecting how our bodies metabolize (break down) alcohol.

Physical inactivity and obesity, often associated with heavy drinking, also separately increase cancer risks but on top of alcohol makes this much worse. Despite this, misconceptions persist. The type of alcoholic beverage, be it beer, wine, or spirits, doesn’t significantly alter the cancer risk. It’s the ethanol (the chemical name for alcohol) itself that’s carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

And while some studies have suggested that red wine might have protective effects against certain diseases, there’s no clear evidence that it helps prevent cancer.

The potential risks of alcohol consumption probably outweigh any potential benefits. The takeaway is not that we should never enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with friends. Rather, it’s about being aware of the potential risks and making choices that align with our health goals. It’s about moderation, mindfulness, and informed decisionmaking.

Alcohol has lots of effects not just in terms of causing cancer. A recent large study of more than 135,000 older drinkers in the UK has shown that the more people drink, the higher the risk of death from any cause.

These and similar findings underscore the importance of public awareness and education about the potential risks associated with alcohol consumption. As our understanding of the alcohol-cancer link grows, it becomes increasingly clear that what many consider a harmless indulgence may have more significant health implications than previously thought.

Unfortunately, not many people appear to be aware of these risks. In the US, around half of people don’t know that alcohol increases the risk of cancer. Clearly, a lot of work needs to be done to overcome this lack of awareness.

[colorsisgoodactually]

I gotta say one of the biggest casualties of AI art is one of my favorite things in this fandom, SnapCube's Sonic Destruciton.

For those unaware Sonic Destruction is an AI generated Sonic script that is maybe one of the most batshit insane things to ever exist. I love it. It's my comfort video. I've seen both episodes more times that I can count and will constantly quote along with them. My backup choice for the name of this blog was going to be a Destruction reference.

With the movement to AI art actually putting the livelihood of real artists in jeopardy it adds a horrible, ugly cloud over something that was once very easy to enjoy. And the worst part is that destruction actively proves WHY AI writing isn't the future.

Destruction is NONSENSE. Complete and utter NONSENSE. The only reasons it KIND OF makes sense is because Penny Parker works extremely hard to tie the script into some cohesive narrative. But the joy of Destruction is that there is a very specific KIND of nonsense that can ONLY come from AI. Things that NO HUMAN IN THIER RIGHT MIND would write.

Things like there being two Shadows for no reason, the endless repetition of "large", "Sonic I think you should sit there" Shadow points to the bathtub, Charlamaigne Bee, Shadow the Hedgehog for the PS2 being a documentary but also Shadow isn't Shadow it's Silver that's Shadow and ARE YOU CONFUSED YET?, Sonic is a human for no reason, Tails and Knuckles have gone feral for no reason, and whether or not this takes place on earth or if "Earth" is a simulation inside a PS2 game.

The point is that AI can't be trusted to write a cohesive narrative. It's not smart enough. So the fun comes from watching it make the wildest creative choices possible and watching Penny struggle in vain to make it make SOME kind of sense and watching the cast react.

It's a beautiful commentary on why AI can't replace writers and also brilliantly funny and like all great Sci-Fi cautionary tales, major corporations have looked at it and gone, "actually lemme get in on that action."

Not sure what point I was trying to make here, just that it sucks that the world is a little less bright now that people are actually trying to push AI beyond what it's capable of to the detriment of other humans.

The threat was never an AI turning evil, it was AI empowering already evil humans.

[gottaarc]

Hedgehog's Dilemma

Ok so in the Obscuary chapter Edward mentions looking up something called the Hedgehog's dilemma, which I actually did go and look up out of curiosity. So for anyone curious:

Apparently this is also something mentioned in Evangelion (though I've never seen Evangelion please don't shoot me) but I think it's a pretty apt way a character like Edward would view the interactions between the MC and the ghouls. If this is the philosophy he's keen on, it might also help to explain his general isolationism; there's a take that goes with the philosophy that someone should 'move away' from others to avoid being caused harm or causing harm. Thus, it's an isolationist theory about keeping a proper distance from others.

And I mean, obviously this can be taken in the very literal sense with members of Obscuary; Rui literally can't touch people lest they die, and Lyca had to hold himself back from biting the MC mid werewolf transformation after saving them. But given the context of literally everything else that has happened to the MC, it's a preemptive cautionary tale about getting too close to the ghouls. Considering the MC's circumstances, I think it's probably the most subtle advice Ed thought to give; pretty much a 'hey, you can try and get close but somebody is gonna get jabbed eventually'. He takes a clear stance in his belief that humans and anomalies will never get along, and he thinks attempts being made to do so are just a 'folly of youth'. I don't know, I think it says a lot about him as a character and makes for some pretty interesting implications as to the future direction of the MCs relationships with the ghouls.

[ganondoodle]

you know, you could argue that totk is just "one bad game" in a series that doesnt have to mean anything for the future, and i should jsut move on and wait for the next one, and generally id agree, but these days i cannot help but feel like its the beginning of the end, so to say

we are seeing it in every type of media, be it series, games, movies, that stories that say anything are too risky so they go for generic slop instead- the recent news about pixar wanting to focus "mass appeal" (despite their reasoning being completely hypocritical?) is just yet another proof of that being a trend that doesnt seem to stop any time soon

and one of the problems that brings with it, besides just being boring, is that "generic mass appeal" stuff ... ends up turning around to repeat tired old stereotypes that often leads to really problematic framing (like even childrens cartoons featuring war somewhere in the middle east against evil arabs .. just like, as a backdrop), bc "mass appeal" in general really means "average white person able to spend money", which isnt the majority of people but its the ones who this is targeted towards and more often than not made by, and, no matter how much some people want to pretend its possible, its impossible to make anything that doesnt say anything, theres nothing non political, if they think something is non political its bc its aimed at them and they agree with it

thats what makes me so anxious about the future of the zelda franchise, bc, while its always been a problem, totk especially.. is exactly that imo, its generic and a boring good vs evil with no nuance to be found if you are in the target "mass appeal" but as soon as you arent, or know about the most widely used ways of framing, its kinda scary how clearly it turns into a white god appointed savior against the evil arabs imperialism simulator, and it might not have been intended as such, its so normalized that its considered simple and standard.. (i know i go on alot about it, and i dont mean media has to be sanitized uwu perfect and not feature anything problematic- i mean this as a critique of how its presented, it expects and wants you to agree with it, its not like a cautionary tale about serious things like some movies ARE, its a fantasy game 'aimed at kids' ..)

and if its true that they outsourced the writing for the game .. for the sequel to breath of the wild, one of their most successful games ever, then what does that mean for the future? that doesnt sound good at all

with the trends of the dominating media, and how totk turned out, i feel like we are seeing the start of a downfall into 'generic slop' that makes them more money more safely than anything more unique or interesting for the franchise like its happening with everything else that isnt indie

if all that wasnt the case i might not be so focused on it, i might be able to move on much easier, but i cant, i care deeply about it and i feel like im clawing at sand slipping into a giant garbage disposal, im not thrilled and excited for the next game like i was just a few years ago, or direct for that matter, im afraid of what they will do next, and i dont think thats good, and i dont think im the only one either, hyperfixation (special interest?) or not

[velvet-vox]

All of the points that go in favour/against Doll coming back to life.

So, originally, I wanted to make a post of theory/analysis on Cyn and the possibility of her being redeemed at the end of the show; one of the points that I was going to make for said redemption was that Doll's death was meant as a cautionary tale, the main team of the series is abuse and how trauma affects us into becoming the worst version of ourselves, Doll was a trauma victim who was so dead set in her unhealthy coping mechanism that she ended screwing over her entire life, granted said redemption for Doll wasn't unreachable as showcased by her last living moments, but by then the damage was done; Cyn, on the other hand, could have potentially realised all of the harm she was doing even as far back as before the gala massacre, but then, it kind of reminded me why I ended up never making that post.

You see, the thing is, I don't understand Cyn.

At all.

Like, I also for the longest time couldn't understand Doll despite being hyper obsessed with her, and took over a year, countless analyses done by other people and (unfortunately) episode 7 until I could finally come to understand her to the deep, narrative level that I do now, and I still don't know if I truly got everything.

But with Cyn, not only do I not understand her like I do with other characters, but..... I also kind of feel left out.

To me, it seems like the fanbase at large is obsessed with this little gremlin; I'm autistic as well, since that's the main head canon floating around, yet I don't really relate to a word she says, to me, the hype surrounding Cyn feels similar to the hype surrounding Nori pre episode 7: we have this almost blank slate character that is characterized enough to not be an head canon dump, she is super relevant to both the plot and to one of the protagonist backstory, it's one of the main antagonistic forces, and is generally super important.... Yet I still don't get her nor do I get her surrounding hype. I've read a couple of analyses, and would gladly accept if someone sent me some more, since just a single Murder Drones character requires a lot of digging to fully comprehend in its entirety.

But finally going back to Doll, I want to make a short list of all the points in favour and against a possible resurrection of her character, starting with the pros.

Pros:

- Doll is definitely a big selling point for the russian audience of Murder drones, as I have seen various people lament her death on the fact that she was russian alone; funnily enough, this was also my main reasoning to not kill her off as I and other people started learning russian all because of her.

- Gonna reiterate the fact that Doll is, currently, peak russian representation, and it just feels rather insensitive from Liam to kill her off permanently when there's already Yeva and her dad, two russians, whose death is much more acceptable.

- Doll, unlike Alice, Beau, Rebecca or others, had so much potential as a character, being Uzi's foil and all, and to not capitalize on that would be a huge waste.

- Her death, although very impactful, was not, per se, as narratively satisfying as it could have been (see Nox from Wakfu), so it might've been a mislead, and if V comes back, there's a chance Doll might come back too since Doll x V is the parallel dynamic to Uzi x N.

- Gonna mention personal bias. It's not important nor is it a valid point but it had to be mentioned.

- Doll parents are already dead but we had a whole Yeva flashback in episode 7 that I can't explain in ways other than she'll be relevant in the future, and if she turns out to be alive, even if mind controlled, Doll's death is inevitably going to lose a lot of impact because, as it stands, it's balanced, but with the twist, it could retroactively feel like drama porn.

- She wasn't unreademable, just unreachable and deeply hurt, if she had a second chance to make up for her mistakes I believe she would take it in a heartbeat, I can only imagine the immense amount of guilt she was feeling while dying, she must've realised she only caused more damage in the long run and couldn't do anything to fix it, so if she could help Uzi out even as a digital ghost, it might just give her the sense of closure she so desperately needed.

- If Nori can come back as a core, so can Doll, they just need to cut Cyn stomach in a non lethal way.

And now, for the sadly more probable cons:

- This is Liam Vickers we are talking about.

- Even with all of her potential, hers and her family backstory feel rather.... disconnected from everything else going on right now? Like, Yeva might have been this important figure into Nori's past, but as of right now, aside from her impact, she really doesn't seem too relevant to the main plot; same thing with Doll, in fact, it was Doll's own insistence to be relevant that led to her demise, because, despite everything, the story revolves around N and Uzi manages to survive because she is important to N, and even then, she still sacrifices her own life for him.

- The narrative has always been pretty disrespectful to her? Like, I'm not talking about her sad backstory, sad development, and even sadder death, (this master guide over here realistically had no end in sight as you could just go on and on forever) I mean in general there was a clear lack of commitment to her side of things from the writing team, I think I've read somewhere else that in the original animation Uzi even walked on Doll's body as she was running to N; many theorised that they only came up with her story only after the pilot dropped, and I can't help but think that it has to be true because she had this air of mystery that in my opinion went anywhere and in the pilot she's a background character. I don't know, from a supposedly sympathetic villain the writing was rather unsympathetic towards her whole situation and she felt more like your average b##ch in the episodes following the prom.

- She still fulfilled her limited narrative role, so changing it back could alter future developments and remove impact from the tragedy of this cautionary tale, since, in all honesty, Doll's side story would require the show to switch off the plot too much and unfortunately that's never been a priority for the writing team. Also bringing back up Nox from Wakfu (still gonna make that comparison post) whose Doll shares some themes with, even though his personal story was extremely tragic, it was extremely disconnected from all of the main characters as he was more of a warmup baddie for Yugo to get in the groove, and he never returned physically aside from passive mentions and an illusion.

- I don't think they went out of the way to showcase Cyn eating Doll's core just for it to be a fake out.

- Even with all of my personal biases, aside from her starring episode she never had a real purpose in the grand scheme of things so her death was probably just a way to cut off loose ends.

- She isn't a protagonist despite what she deluded herself into, so plot armour applies even less to her than it does with the main trio (spoiler: it doesn't).

Ultimately, in my heart and mind, despite what I really want, I know Doll's not coming back.

She was disrespected, screwed over by both the writing and her own twisted mind, and since this is a somewhat heavy horror show despite the comedy, I really don't think we are going to see her reunited with her parents as a ghost nor will she be in robot hell or heaven, I really think she is just dead.

That's so sad. What a shame.

Farewell, comrade.

Want more?

[animentality]

I saw Japanese audiences just got Oppenheimer in their theaters and there's been some outcry about how it doesn't show you the bomb or the true devastation and misery it caused as a cautionary tale.

And that's valid and all, but uh, if you really want to see a movie that really shows you the devastating outcomes of nuclear weaponry dropped on a civilian population that serves as a cautionary tale and warning for future generations ...

I'm afraid you need to watch Godzilla Minus One, not Oppenheimer.

[bolithesenate]

Thoughts? I don't have a penny, but I want the thoughts.

you wanna know what i think about all the time?

the jedi service corps.

they are so cool and so sexy to me. imagine having a direct line to the glue that holds the universe together and you get to do science about it!

i wanna know what that looks like!! show me the daily life of an exploracorps member who needs to find a scientific way to formulate 'yeah, that strange rock actually was an egg of an energy-based force-entity. after we made sure that we all were cool, we helped hatch it by hogtying it to the exhaust of one of our mid-size cruisers and going to hyperspace. its mother will recommend our services to their peers. that experience started another theological debate about the nature of the force itself and also about whether or not stones should be considered organic lifeforms'

gimme agricorps members who create the most fucked up franken-tree by grafting a hundred different branches from all across a system to a host tree. Gimme a medicorps member who then postulates that the same thing should theoretically be possible with a neti

give me a neti knight who immediately offers themself as a test subject. for 'science'

give me the educorps people trying to get all of this written down in a way that is not only understandable for future generations, but also carries added value for future generations (it's mostly cautionary tales of what not to do, lbr)

just,,,,

more people should get into the strange and exciting ways that the jedi experience the world around them and interact with it. i think there's so much joy and so many stories in there and i wanna read them all

maybe write some of them too

[pruneunfair]

My rewrites for TRE characters in my fanfic

so about 6 months ago I fell into the Au pipeline and it ended up resulting in a bunch of stories that's basically if maximalism was a 7 season long book series. One of those seasons combines tons of characters from different manhwas I read but it's mostly a new interpretation of remarried empress with some Oc's.

Navier

One major change I made is that Navier isn't the protagonist anymore but I didn't want her to be a cold blooded villain either. If you ever went on history tik tok specifically the tudors and the French revolution, there's a lot of people who romanticize Anne Boleyn to the extremes of villainzing Jane Seymour or babying Marie Antoinette as a sweet coquette girly who was unfairly killed by "savage revolutionaries" or claiming Elizabeth I as a feminist girlboss who only wanted to end her fathers bloodline. These historic women weren't the most awful people and they definitely were victims but that doesn't mean they didn't have noticeable flaws that affected the lives of others. That's the direction I went for my version of Navier, she still cares for her loved ones and makes good decisions but she was raised with a classist mindset, not pouring wine on maids and poor people but viewing them as emotionless husks with only one purpose which explains her apathy to slaves. I also gave Navier a backstory beyond wanting to be a perfect empress which was a relationship with her mother that is inspired by Catherine the greats relationship with her mother, so yeah not very great. Unlike the original she is fully aware of what Heinrey is doing but she barely cares (not much of a change from the original tbh) the goal is that I still want Navier to be a little likeable while also making her complex and realistic as an empress.

Sovieshu

I didn't give Sovieshu as many changes and for the most part, he's the same as he was in the original: a toxic partner who pushes his faults on other people around him. In this version though instead of becoming cold and cruel to Navier to moment Rashta shows up, the two have already been drifting apart for a while and it only got worse when Navier had a miscarriage a year prior to the story. Sovieshu is more of a cautionary tale of how misogyny is encouraged in boys at a young age, in his youth, Sovieshu had all the love of his mother since his parents struggled to conceive and only had one son. He wanted his father's love more than anything but Osis was about as interested as you'd expect, only wanting his son to be a great Emperor and nothing else, to please him, Sovieshu started to emulate the misogynistic views of the men around him which grew to be his actual beliefs. The only person that kept Sovieshu from turning into his dad was the former empress until she takes her own life, leaving Sovieshu with Osis as his influence. I still want Sovieshu to remain a scumbag but it will be more of a tragedy in how the future generations can never improve if we continue the cycle of abuse.

Rashta

I think Rashta is the most altered out of all the original characters since she's not even a villainess but rather a sort of anti hero. Her past as a slave is more fleshed out, her childish manner is age regressing to try to gain back her stolen childhood and she doesn't try to befriend Navier after getting the message that Navier wants nothing to do with her. In this version she's the best friend and later love interest of the new protagonist who bottles up her past and feelings to please others so she can keep her cozy life in the palace and that becomes a problem as the lack of care causes Rashta to grow more depressed and even has a few panic attacks. She won't do a good portion of the horrible acts she does in the original since she now had actual friends and because some of her sins are just so contrived to make her hateable, but she still is petty and holds grudges so she doesn't feel too bad when she ruins Nians marriage or snubs Lebetti, she'll even be conflicted since she feels guilty that the slaves on the Rimwell estate are still suffering but she doesnt want to risk being removed as concubine if she tries to call for slaves rights but she does find her voice and will start to push for slaves to be freed mid-way through her term as the empress of the eastern empire. In the end, Rashta does become Empress of a different empire after spending a good 7 years healing from her trauma and getting a good education, she lives her days with her kids and dies at the age of 81

Heinrey

Hes one the main antagonists here, I kept his love for his wife and family though but it's not an "uwu my queen!" Or really anything puppy like. For Heinrey I wanted to make him a true white lotus and he's has more vibes of a comforting friend with soft mannerisms and tones in voice, he loves Navier dearly because I still think even monsters like him can fall in love but the reason he tortures and kills people who don't side with Navier isn't even because he's that adamant about Naviers honor but rather because if someone were to find out his sadistic nature to those who disagree with him, he can use the "puppy husabnd" excuse to appear as a sadistic sweetheart. It not only scares the shit of his people into respecting him but it also wins him a little sympathy points since "he's just a hopeless romantic" I wanted Heinrey to appear uncanny too, like you know somethings off about him but if you said anything people would just be like "what are you talking about? He just really loves his family." His death is also pretty brutal, naturally Heinrey makes a lot of enemies and during a war arc he is shot down while in bird form leaving him at the mercy of a former maid he pushed over the deep end, she offs him, plucks him, cooks him, and serves him to the remaining family members of Lazlo.

and that's only the main 4, I did almost all of them with the exception of McKenna since he's honestly the only good character thats written well in remarried empress.

[sodomit]

How do you people say things like that and just go on with your day like it's nothing?

Fictional stories about violence towards robots are not a metaphor for some specific human minority. They're a cautionary tale about intolerance towards difference, in a general sense of it. They describe the past, the present, and the future. And you're rapidly becoming the villain.

[nathantheauthor]

With Toby already done, and Ann on her way... I present at least one change from each of the members of the main branch of Ripper Inc, I'll see the original characters from when I get to their entries.

Clockwork.

She has two major changes from the source material that I'll discuss here, one of them is he design change, I'm sure a lot of people might be mixed on. I've completely ditched her iconic Green jacket, replacing it with a dyed green and torn straight jacket. The very one she wore when held captive by the asylum.

The other change is her being a proper superhuman, between physical enhanced and across the board, I've also given her low level chronokinetic abilities, the watch eye is no longer just for show. Natalie is able to see up to five minutes into the future, as well as rewind and fast forward up to 10 seconds, sometimes a minute if she pushes herself. The clock moves through time with her! It shows the time she traveled to last.

Eyeless Jack.

Probably the biggest change I've done to him is his physical journey, I very much early on decided that my approach for his physicality was going to be starting out like the fandom depiction, but the longer he is what he is... The longer his body contains Chernabog... The more monstrous and malformed his body becomes, resembling more of a creature than a man.

Jane Richardson.

The two major things I've kind of done for her are that she has not and will not kill Jane Arkensaw as she feels somewhat responsible for her existence.

The other is streamlining her career, because of her from government agent... Her original Creator just kinda shoved and made her do countless things. So, yeah, she's got a lot of hobbies still, but I've significantly cut down her actual work.

Nina Hopkins.

Two SIGNIFICANT changes. Due to the new back story and character concept I refuse to call her Nina The Killer, instead throughout her hometown she was dubbed The Ashton Slasher. The town's first serial killer in over a decade.

Secondly, she's a recovering multiple, with what was the Nina alter being a form of protection from the trauma regarding Jeffrey Forester and the death of her family. Nina is not evil, she's a personality without a grasp of consequences, a goofier side that's lashing out without understanding. Her original legal name was Bethany Gent.

Zero.

I'm fully leaning into the idea of her being a Tulpa, a creature given Life by our own will and imagination.. and she's fully taken over Alice's body, stranding the girls somewhere deep within her subconscious much like Alice had to done to her. She's a cautionary tale, a lesson in not playing with forces beyond our control.

Homicidal Liu.

His quest to stop his brother is no longer a revenge story, I'm very much depicting it as more an elder brother feeling responsible for not being there to prevent it, so Liu Woods has taken it upon himself to bring his brother to judgment, to end the reign of Jeffrey Woods. An older brother needs to look after his younger brother, and this is the only path left he can find. The monster is his responsibility, a Woods must end the cycle brought on by another Woods.

Korbyn JumpingEagle.

I honestly haven't changed too much of her core character, it's more her story that's completely changed, as in this version of events Slender was too late to send an operative to get her, with Jack Revver sending Toby to come and bring her to his offices. She was officially secured and placed under the protection of Ripper Inc, with Ripper Inc employing her full time to train her as The Seer.

Scarecrow.

I've been giving a lot of work in general, and one of the major things I've been working on is furthering the concept for her brought on by The Seer webcomic, and that's tackling her guilt and the situation she's trapped in. Everything prior to Ripper Inc for her is a tragedy, a horror story where the monster is sympathetic.

Sally Williams.

It goes without saying I've completely changed the structure of her story, and one of the things I can say early is that... Uncle Johnny got what he deserved, and we can thank The Rake for it. Sally's death happened a LOT earlier on, and way before the detestable and fetishized stuff the author wrote could EVER occur. We don't fuck with that in this household.

Lazari.

Zalgoids ARE demons. She's a half demon. And there's going to be no weird sudden agent now, I'm going to actually see the progression of her life.

Jeffrey Hodek.

Well, to be put it out there... He's such a different character, in fact the present day depiction of him starts out as literally a washed serial killer living in a rundown apartment with his two dogs, watching stuff from the 80s and 90s as he doesn't care for many modern shows. He's a man in his 50s who just wanted to be left alone.

Rouge.

I haven't done too much with her yet, cuz conceptually she's fine, but I haven't even heard a unique thing that's not among other proxies... She's got her senses heightened all across the board, and she's got something akin to a spider-sense, but for tracking. She can detect potential prey and is incapable of losing a target.

[deadzonedenizen]

Profile Navigation

Submerged AU content:

OC Masterlist: (References and Descriptions)

Bell

Rasmus

Alix

Gibby

Main Fic: Ship In A Bottle

Mini fics (snippets from Ship In A Bottle/ scenes outside of the main plot):

Playing With Fire

Bright As Stars, Sharp As Glass

Red Ink On The Dotted Line

A Cautionary Tale

Morning Activities

Blind Eye Of Destiny

Lore-related tags:

#Shipwreck Debris

Excerpts from Ship In A Bottle, edited from second to third POV

#Flooding Memories

Events that took place before the fic

#Seafloor Scraps

Scrapped ideas for the AU

#Deep-Dives

Just rambles about AU development

#Message In A Bottle

Journal-style posts depicting messages in bottles left by child Bell

#Looking Inside The Lighthouse

In-universe classified documents

#Unseen City Files

In-universe conspiracy theories from a forum dedicated to the supernatural in Megapolis

#Sunken Secrets

Miscellaneous lore/Bonus scenes

Things to be aware of:

"What's your name? Should I call you Bell?"

-I'm not Bell thankfully, so no. I go by Rizzard/Phrog/Aesti/Atmos depending on where you know me from. But for this blog's sake, you can call me Reef.

"What are your pronouns?"

-Surprise me.

"Do you do commissions?"

-Nope. Maybe in the future?

"Do you do requests?"

-Depends on my mood. You're welcome to send requests to draw stuff, so long as it's sfw and all. Please be aware that I make no guarantees that I will actually do it.

"Do you do art-trades?"

-Same as the requests. Please let me know first if you want to do an art-trade with me, so we can avoid miscommunication lmao.

"Do you take asks?"

-HELL YEAH (I might not respond to it immediately tho-)

"Are you okay with people taking inspiration from your OCs?"

-So long as it's just inspiration and not straight up plagiarism, then why not? I'd be a hypocrite if I said no. You don't even have to credit me, since you've already added your own twist to it.

"Are you okay in general?"

-No.

[fandomwe1rd0]

Sooooo I was searching up Rick and Morty Mary Sue, to see if anyone put Elle (Only one media outlet did if you're curious, and a quick lil fuck you for Elle ofc) anddddd I stumbled upon this article:

Now if you don't want to read this article, I wouldn't blame you, it's long and it is full of shit takes. But as someone who regretfully read all of it, I'll summarize the points and show why they suck, and I know the article was made 5 years ago so I shouldn't care about it, but also heyyyy shut up, AND also, I doubt anyone will, but please do not harass the person that made this article, I hate the article, not them as a person, also harassing people is just an asshole thing to do. So just leave them alone and we can point and laugh at this article, cool? Cool. Anyway let's get started!

"People who think Pickle Rick is the most original piece of humor ever created"

Basically this was them saying Pickle Rick wasn't funny. I…don't understand how this is a dig at the show. And this is coming from someone that didn't like the Pickle Rick episode and thinks it's overrated. But I can see that's not the only reason why people like that episode. They like it for the good animation, Dr. Wong, and the action.

2. "The never ending slew of toilet humor is just not necessary"

This is just them complaining about the toilet humor and saying it's not necessary. I…who's gonna tell them humor isn't necessary in general, and trust me, some shows have way more toilet humor than Rick and Morty, and as someone who doesn't find toilet humor funny, it never really grossed me out or bothered me with Rick and Morty. It doesn't show anything gross, it isn't too detailed with toilet humor, it's just dumb cheap humor, it's really not that deep, they also crank down on it with other seasons.

3. "People actually want to be Rick, and it's wrong on so many levels"

This is basically saying that dudebros idolize Rick, and that Rick is a Mary Sue

I'M SORRY WHAT!?

This is probably the worst take the article has. Rick is meant to be seen as an asshole, he's called an asshole and is called out multiple times, by a lot of people, Dr. Wong gave him a "reason why you suck" speech. Rick has multiple flaws, and he's not meant to be seen as sexy, RICK HIMSELF and some random lil guy refer to Rick as ugly, he's not meant to be a good character. Rick is competent at science and is strong, but he gets his ass beat multiple times, and literally DIED in Unmortricken, he does come back, ofc he does, but my point still stands. He has character development, but that doesn't make him a Mary Sue?!

Also you're not SUPPOSED to idolize Rick. Yes some fans certainly do, but the show consistently shows you that he is miserable and is not okay in general, yes some far idolize him, but that's not the shows fault, also this show is meant for ADULTS, which means they don't have to have a good person as their protagonist, especially if they aren't mean to be a role model, and as long as the show doesn't glorify it, it's not their fault. Adults should be smart enough to not over idolize characters from tv shows anyways. Rick is a heavily traumatized person that the show doesn't glorify, so it's not the show's fault if people glorify him, and he definitely isn't a Mary Sue.

Also I should mention that Memory Rick, was horrified that he was eventually going to become Rick, and even called Rick his "all too real cautionary tale from the future" Rick isn't meant to be a good person or meant to be idolized. The person that wrote this article needs media literacy.

4. "Morty is genuinely a pointless character"

The summary is basically what the caption says. They call Morty pointless, saying he doesn't do anything. They DID NOT just say that about my boy. Morty is anything but pointless, he creates the conflict for some episode (Mortynight Run, Rattlesnake Ricklatica, That's Amorte), solves the conflict in some episodes (Total Rickall, These Ricks must be Crazy, Get Schwifty), and has episodes that develop him as a character (Look Who's Purging Now, The Rickshank Rickdemption, Fear No Mort, ESPICALLY Fear No Mort) he is far from a useless character, and aside from his trauma not being explored as much as it should, is a pretty good example of a male abuse victim, and is meant to show what happens when someone spends too much time with Rick, he is NOT useless, I do not know what you are smoking, what is it and can I have some? Rick wants some too.

5. "It's not diverse in any way"

Now this is one of the few I can actually understand…except for uhm…one tiny flaw.

The main character is Depressed, Hispanic, Pansexual, and Autistic. And the rest of the family besides maybe Morty are Bisexual, sooooo uhm…

6. "It thinks it's the most intelligent show ever created"

This point is basically saying it has plot holes, tries and fails to outsmart fans, and fans have to spend hours creating fan theories to make sense of the show's plot.

Now, I'm not the best person to talk about plot holes in stories, but the plot always makes sense to me, even after I rewatched it so…so many times. And I never see all too many plot holes, the only one I can really think of is how Rick alternated the memory of his backstory, but the plot episodes always makes sense, and are generally my favorite episodes. And specifically Rick's backstory, makes a lot of Rick's actions make sense, and has a good amount of foreshadowing beforehand.

They also said at the end (It wasn't a point so I'm not listing it as one) that Rick and Morty just has characters that are a bundle of toilet humor and dialogue that could've been written on someone's first acid trip and…huh?

The characters feel very relatable, real, and human. Morty is someone I relate to a lot, and he feels very real, like I could see meeting someone like him in real life, and Rick, despite being a literal sci-fi scientist, feels very real, and I even relate to him which uhm…I shouldn't. Even the characters I don't personally relate to like Summer, Beth, and Jerry, still feel grounded and real in a way, so…yeah.

Overall this article is harmless, it just has some really trashy takes, but again do not harass the person who made this article, it's not their fault their stupid and not smart enough to understand the genius of Rick and Morty…I'M JOKING! But yeah, please do not read this article, and just I dunno go outside and touch grass or smth. Also DON'T watch Big Mouth (This article thinks you should) anyways Byeeeeeeee!

[smilesrobotlover]

Yoooo- I just saw the thing about Linebeck teaching Link about the constellations and I have. So. Many. IDEAS. about what the constellations are like in the Ocean King's world vs what they're like in the sky above Hyrule. Primarily, that the constellations in these worlds are based off of *ahem* "legendary" monsters (bosses). In Hyrule, the stories around these monsters are based on how a hero (The Hero) defeated the monster. In the world of the Ocean King, however, these stories are more cautionary tales- and describe how the monsters came to be, because no one has defeated them. Yet.

(I go into a little more detail in a WIP and a future chapter of TBaBS- but man I've been sitting on this concept for at least a few months)

Oooooh 👀 that’s super cool! I’ve been loving everyone’s ideas about constellations in Hyrule and in phantom hourglass in general. I like monsters being apart of the constellations, specifically bosses. Maybe reoccurring bosses like Ghoma or something could be one of them. But I like that!