#there WOULD be extensive discussions
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Cooking à la replicator
Chapter 7.6 of the semi-canonical STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION TECHNICAL MANUAL by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda includes a description of how the replicators work that offers some interesting background for how people in the TNG era might approach food and cooking in the era of replication technology.
The first and most important point is that the molecular patterns replicators use to recreate objects are a form of compressed storage, akin to a compressed audio or image file. The text explains:
Because of the massive amount of computer memory required to store even the simplest object, it is impossible to record each molecule individually. Instead, extensive data compression and averaging techniques are used. Such techniques reduce memory storage required for the molecular patterns by factors approaching 2.7 x 10^9. The resulting single-bit inaccuracies do not significantly impact the quality of most reproduced objects, but preclude the use of replicator technology to re-create living objects. … The data themselves are subject to significant accuracy limits.
So, a replicator pattern is an approximation of the original object, just as a JPEG image scanned from a 35mm negative is only an approximation of the original negative. Data compression issues also mean that there are tradeoffs between imaging fidelity, memory storage requirements, and the power required for replication. The text notes:
There are two main replication systems on board the Enterprise. These are the food synthesizers and the hardware replicators. The food replicators are optimized for a finer degree of resolution because of the necessity of accurately replicating the chemical composition of foodstuffs. Hardware replicators, on the other hand, are generally tuned to a lower resolution for greater energy efficiency and lower memory matrix requirements. A number of specially modified food replication terminals are used in sickbay and in various science labs for synthesis of certain pharmaceuticals and other scientific supplies.
The chapter doesn't specifically discuss how these things impact food and food preparation, but there's enough information to infer a number of additional points:
There is a quantifiable difference between replicated and non-replicated food, and probably a qualitative one as well. A fresh apple is not identical to a replicated copy of that apple, so we can surmise that beings with sufficiently sensitive palates could probably tell the difference. Furthermore, a fair number of people would probably insist that they could tell the difference, whether they actually could or not!
The range of foods that can be replicated has significant practical limits. In order to replicate something, you need either a preexisting molecular pattern or an extant example you can scan. Furthermore, because each pattern is resource-intensive to store, a given system can really only retain a finite number of patterns. So, for rare, exotic, or unusual foodstuffs, no molecular pattern may be available, and finding a molecularly scannable example might be difficult.
Because of the "single-bit inaccuracies," generation loss is likely an issue, so replicating replicated food will produce a qualitatively worse result (although each first-generation replicated copy of the same pattern is theoretically identical).
The difference in replicator resolution probably has many gradations. For instance, a food replicator included in a shuttlecraft survival kit might be tuned for the lowest resolution that's still safe for foodstuff preparation, to conserve power, while replicators used for synthesizing pharmaceuticals in sickbay might have somewhat higher resolution than the ones in the mess hall.
So, what does this mean for TNG-era cooks like Benjamin Sisko and his dad? Some guesses:
Chefs might use specialized ultra-high-resolution replicators, either ones specifically designed for culinary use or repurposed ultra-high-res replicators from some other application (like a pharmaceutical replicator), to produce higher-quality replicated foodstuffs.
Cooks and bakers may prefer to replicate raw materials and then prepare them the old-fashioned way. For instance, it would probably make more sense for a baker to have replication patterns for different kinds of flour, eggs, sugar, etc. than to try to image and store complete breads and cakes, since the same ingredients could be used to create many different finished products.
People undoubtedly still cook with non-replicated ingredients where they can get them, and probably routinely combine replicated and non-replicated ingredients. An apple pie made with fresh-picked apples and replicated flour and sugar is probably still better than a wholly replicated pie.
There might be a whole genre of cookbooks focused on cooking with replicated food, aimed specifically at working around the impact of resolution-related "single-bit inaccuracies" on how food tastes.
People probably have strong opinions about the impact of replication, such as which foods or drinks can't be satisfactorily replicated, and the pros and cons of different replicated and non-replicated foodstuffs.
People on starships probably occasionally try to make food or beverages with the sickbay replicators, insisting that it tastes better that way.
#star trek#star trek the next generation#rick sternbach#michael okuda#pseudoscientific gobbledygook#star trek deep space nine#benjamin sisko#there WOULD be extensive discussions#about how or whether replicated food could be kosher or halal#except that star trek is explicitly antisemitic and islamophobic#and discovery asserts that islam and judaism were exterminated in the 21st century
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vergil is my dress up doll and i get to put him in ffxiv gear and pose him using samurai skills
bonus pic under readmore
not immune to giving him v's tattoos for no reason other than i like it
#devil may cry#dmc5#vergil sparda#dmc vergil#vergil dmc#dmc#*2024#my friends and i have discussed extensively of what all the dmc boys would play and how good they are at ffxiv#vergil is a striking main obviously and has never used feint ever in his life#support is not in his dictionary#sidebar my static is doing unreal today and i may ask my partner to switch with me so i can force everyone to look at my vergil mod again
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making an astronomy/meteoritics iterator oc when i know fuckall or at least just very basic things about those things was maybe a mistake. Looking up stuff for reference/inspo like haha i like your funny words magic man
#currently trying to figure out if it could work to make them be built in the center of an impact crater#there is one in canada that has a circular lake i might just steal that#still thinking about what even their deal is and what exactly they do.#they probably studied the rocks n minerals in the crater if their creators havent done that extensively already#and analyse any other material brought to them?#i think they would also do stuff about planets n such they observe their cycles/routes or something like that#I dont think they'd be puuuurely scientific i think there would be a lot of religious or spiritual stuff too#they dont just do the science bits but also how it would/could connect to spirituality and such#they are really really old even by iterator standards so sometimes their theories and research can be a bit outdated#“no stones this spiritual theory is wayyy outdated you cant base your calculations on that. No we will not start working with it again -#-just because you refuse to switch to the new model. Stones please we had this discussion already just give me the star charts i requested"#something like that
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@gecko-in-a-can THIS ABSOLUTELY
Resentment is such a big part of Benny’s motives towards House, feeling he’s underserving to rule and shouldn’t have the right to keep the title of Vegas just because he claimed it first long ago. Say what you will, Benny puts the effort in, through honest and dishonest work albeit, but he puts in the effort. Not saying House didn’t but House had the luxury of having a lot of that effort done before the war and subordinates to do so after. House is untouchable, something everyone wants in the Mojave, if not for the power, but because of the security. House takes that for granted seeing how easy he thinks it is to buy people. Benny, a Mojave native, has to be irate about that seeing how he has seen the heights and slums of both lives.
Also with the AIs it’s so telling because in a lot of ways, Yes Man has more autonomy than House’s major personality securitrons. Yeah, Yes Man has to be helpful but he’s aware and able to be snarky and coy. Benny has an issue with not being listened to but that’s the only perimeter Yes Man needs to act on. He can’t condescend but lord you can tell when he wants to. House’s AIs serves specific and highly detailed functions but are confined to act in accordance. They are subservient to a T and are extensions of House while Yes Man really is a creation that adapts further, hence his desire for the assertive upgrade. Benny made something, or at least was okay with a helper, that can progress for itself. House made things that replicate or facilitate an era of the past and don’t hold the power to contest it.
#for all the focus on Vegas Vegas itself in the game is not discussed enough#like I want to know more about the families relationships with each other#how Tommy and swank really feel#a meeting with all the heads of the casinos must be a major cat fight let’s talk about how like fiends are just right outside????#but let’s talk about the favoritism house has to the tops and how the other families must resent that only for the chairmen to be like#these high strung former warrior nomads cause they got big brother right on their asses cause boss man is his special boy#like no one but swank and the chairmen really complain about house in the strip so the chairmen have to have a unique perspective#but back to Benny and house it’s like a weird you owe me thing where house 100 believe Benny and the chairmen are beyond grateful and are#down to do whatever he says cause it’s like he controls your basic needs now and the culture of the boot riders is one of pride and honor#and by extension helping your own and houses capitalist ideology is alien and isolating to them socially#that it would be an insult because their relationship is already mutually beneficial and now your taking so much more that they are now#getting less than what house is giving#enough tag talking I should focus on another post but first i need to brainstorm#fallout new vegas#fallout#benny gecko#robert edwin house#mr house fnv#Benny fnv#rebloggin#gecko-in-a-can
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emailed my feminist disability studies professor to say "sorry i know that all the assignments from the second half of the semester are due tomorrow and i've already got extensions for all of them but also someone i love got incarcerated this week and three other people i love are in the hospital and one of my best friends just found out that all of her family were murdered in Gaza and we're all still grieving our comrade who was murdered in a transphobic hate crime five weeks ago and i think i might have a broken rib from a cop again and it's really hard to try to care about schoolwork when all my time is spent being in the streets and trying to make sure my loved ones can survive right now"
#personal#vent#murder tw#thinking that they will give me an extension they are one of my only cool professors#and they believe about putting disability justice values into action#i just cannot. i don't have it in me to do discussion posts and essays and tests right now#and i think out of any class i would hope someone teaching feminist disability studies would get it#feeling like right now i just need to keep going and keep going and keep going#thinking about anger and grief and love and what it means to love people enough to fight for them#thinking about how i don't want to let go of this anger
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Do the shidoulings think Kazui is fat?
the shidoulings are minified version of shidou meaning they basically have the same thoughts and feelings as him but simplified.... so in the case of 0507 the shidoulings attraction to kazui is instinctual for the most part since it's based off of shidou's own view of kazui. they're naturally drawn to him as a responsible figure or whatnot is what i'm tryna say (does that make sense i hope it does)
anwyays to actually answer the question!! i would think they don't cuz they pretty much only care about the fact that kazui is kazui lol
#milgram#shidou kirisaki#always great to share some shidouling lore... wonderful#sorry i had to like actually think of an answer for this#i even discussed it#but yeah they're basically extension of shidou in a way#whatever shidou feels gets simplified and projected through them#smth smth the shidoulings are representative of shidou's repressed feelings for kazui#maybe if shidou thought it himself they would but i don't think shidou would think that#anyways thank you for the question anon this took me out when i first saw it i couldn't stop giggling#chibi's ramblings
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how am i supposed to act like a normal person when black jason is essentially confirmed
#when i tell yall me and my friends have had extensive discussions on how being a POC would add so much depth to jason’s character#like#RAHG#thalias casting is so good#i’m so excited for this show skdjfjkdkdk#jason grace#pjo series#thalia grace
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technically alan wake 2 final draft (spoilers ahead) is a Happy ending for the characters, but the spiral writers room video calling his enlightened self a possible demiurge or demon unsettled me far more than the original ending. that version, by his nature, already existing and overlapping with past loops, influencing and manipulating things without known reasons (to us and the Alan we play). it really makes that Alan out to be something else entirely through ascension and that this is inevitable. this could partially be because I kept seeing people say that the final draft was the happy end with a happy resolution for everyone, but I can’t stop thinking about what this means for Alan—and Alice!—going forward. That, along with the direct parallels to Yötön Yö playing out. It’s SO much to unpack
#final draft spoilers#alan wake 2 spoilers#alan wake 2#I’m repeating myself in my aw2 posts about the ending but I reeeeaally love the first ending#and I’ve come around to liking the final draft but trying to wrap my head around it#and would love to know if anyone has specific thoughts on the yötön yö callbacks or master of worlds/demon thing#I’ve seen some interpretations that alice literally is the bullet of light coexisting with alan. or that maybe he’ll become an antagonist#but idk if I agree with those. but there’s a lot that the final draft opens up#and it is a Little funny to me that it’s considered the more positive or conclusive ends#apart from Logan answering the call—everything else leaves far more to question#the first end is very ‘Alan is stuck in a spiral and needs to ascend w the help of saga and Alice’#but the final draft. all the worlds are Alan’s oyster. who is he and what will he do. i have no idea#and all the ascension and becoming something else while playing the roles of yötön yö still make the entire thing feel slightly off#in a way that’s good btw. i like that the final draft is less clear and not a generic happy end than I assumed from all the buzz around it#like maybe aw3 or control 2 will roll around and he’ll just be like Mr Door and he’s just more aware of his powers#but for now I enjoy the questionable aspects of this happy end for alan and alice#😃 <- me after discussing the endings of aw2 extensively over multiple posts#also feel like i should say that I don’t think alan will be. evil or anything#it’s just the aw2 of identity and change that fascinates me with what ascension means for alan :’)
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Is there ever a hypothetical world where Jackie and Shauna’s situation is reversed (as in Shauna dies and Jackie makes it home)? And if so, how do you think Jackie would react and deal with it?
this is ANOTHER of my favorite cans of worms to open lately so THANK YOU for giving me an opportunity to talk about it!!
i was thinking about this mostly because i was thinking about how shauna's hallucinations of jackie provide us with such valuable information about shauna's thoughts/feelings/desires, how she thinks of jackie, how she thinks of herself (via jackie). hallucighost jackie i think sort of has two sides that are intertwined but serve different purposes - there's one side that's more straightforward and even sweet: it shows how shauna, in her grief and pain, wants to remember jackie (the fun, lighthearted moments; braiding her hair, joking about randy). the other side is more dark but gives us just as much if not more insight into shauna: she uses jackie as a mouthpiece for her own bad thoughts about herself. hallucighost jackie is the whip that shauna self-flagellates with. and she punishes herself, but she's also sort of repressing the fact that she even feels guilty (which maybe is why she needs jackie's "ghost" to guilt her, because she can't admit to herself that she feels guilty). and it all must hurt even more coming out of jackie's mouth - which, if you think about it, is probably why she does it (better fuel for her guilt complex).
ANYWAY, i digress (sort of). my point is, i've always wondered what we could learn from jackie hallucinating shauna. how would jackie want to remember shauna, but at the same time, how might the memory of shauna torture jackie?
if we do a simple swap and have shauna leave the cabin when jackie tells her to during their fight and then shauna freezes, that's one option. we get jackie feeling both immensely hurt by shauna's nearly inconceivable betrayal but, at the same time, feeling guilty for sending her out there. this could lead to some interesting hallucinated convos and, personally, i 100% think it could also lead to jackie doing shauna's makeup in the meat shed lmao. (and thats how you know they're made for each other!)
BUT ALSO. shauna's betrayal (i mean, combined with jackie losing her social status in the wilderness and having the other girls turn on her ofc) made jackie so depressed that she was unable to eat, and shauna dying on top of that would have the potential to completely destroy jackie's will to survive. it would be a big ask, at that point, to get jackie through to rescue. id say its pretty likely she dies of a broken heart, so to speak. like, just loses all her remaining will to live (because her will to live was literally hanging on by a thread and that thread was shauna). the only way i can imagine her surviving long enough to go home is if she has a complete and total break from reality and like, just sort of dissociates from the entire year-plus that follows. i think (? let me know if you agree bc this actually just came to me while writing this and im not sure if it holds up) that if the writers really sold it right, they could convince me that jackie basically goes catatonic and retreats into some fantasy world (one where shauna is around, of course!) for the rest of their time in the wilderness. not exactly the way shauna talked to jackie in the meat shed, because shauna knew she was hallucinating and was more or less able to walk away when she had other obligations. i think jackie would actually legitimately just lose her grip on reality, and succumbing to this would be the only way for her to survive. kind of like the bacchanal but about, like, everything.
the other scenario that occurred to me (and it's a pretty awful way for shauna to die and makes me really unhappy btw, so, sorry in advance) is what if shauna's abortion attempt had gone really, really wrong and she had gotten an infection and died from that? obviously jackie has no clue at this point about jeff/pregnancy/rutgers/etc so its pure unadulterated heartbreak. taissa could play a really interesting role in this situation as the only other person who knows this huge, earthshattering secret. would she keep it from jackie? i think that would be the prudent thing to do. losing shauna would already be almost too much for jackie to take, but she could maybe survive that by designating herself as the keeper of shauna's memory and she could probably convince herself she owes it to shauna to stay alive because if jackie dies then shauna is gone for good. but, as we've seen in canon, finding out that shauna betrayed her sends jackie into a really dark place where she doesnt have much will to live. i think she could plausibly survive with her sanity intact if one or the other happens (shauna betrays her OR shauna dies) but, as i discussed above, experiencing both would either break her sanity or effectively kill her.
and i suspect taissa is smart enough to realize this too, so if she wants to keep jackie alive she'll withhold this information (hide/burn the journals?) and let jackie cling to whatever romanticized image of shauna she comes up with. once they get back to the real world, who knows? taissa might tell her because she feels like jackie deserves the truth, jackie might read shauna's journals from before the crash in an attempt to feel close to her again and find out that way, or even jeff might tell her (worst case scenario IMO)... and im honestly not sure what jackie would do at that point, like, murder jeff maybe? (im joking but i actually am not sure how that whole situation would play out. maybe depression 2.0 but in the real world, but that's not as fun as murder.)
i haven't even said what i think jackie would hallucinate, so lets end with that. for shauna, it's primarily about self-flagellation and self-punishment, although it has some ability to soothe her as well, like when she imagines having fun with jackie.
for jackie i think its actually fairly simple: its obvious to all of us that what jackie wants most is shauna's authentic and full love, and my personal theory is that the main (and maybe even sole!) function of jackie's hallucinations would be escapism and wish-fulfillment, and imagining that shauna really did love her.
jackie doesn't have a self-destruction/guilt complex like shauna does. jackie, i think, would be able to just feel guilt in a more straightforward way. as well as anger! so in the scenario where shauna freezes after their fight, jackie would certainly be feeling a lot of guilt, but she doesn't need or want shauna to remind her, she could just apologize. and she's feeling a lot of anger, but she'd be able to say it to shauna's (hallucinated) face instead of putting it through some twisted alchemical process that turns it into something else. like, i think she actually does have a chance of getting closure in a way that shauna doesn't because shauna would never let herself get closure because then she'd have nothing left to fuel her guilt/self-destruction complex.
i think jackie would want closure for her immediate anger and guilt about shauna's death, and because she wants it, she'd be capable of getting it. but after that's dealt with (assuming she survives long enough to deal with it), or in a scenario where jackie doesn't know about shauna's betrayal/isn't responsible for her death, i really think (and i just made myself sooo miserable realizing this btw so you're welcome. or i'm sorry) that the thing that would cause jackie eternal and relentless pain for the rest of her life would be the immense regret and the feeling that she didn't love shauna enough, or didn't love her right. and her hallucinations of shauna would, by and large, simply be an outpouring of all the love she didn't get to show her in life (and imagining the reciprocation of that love that she always wished shauna would give her).
#can of worms: opened#worms: on the floor#are they good worms? you be the judge#also lol remember the ask about my thoughts on whether jackieshauna would ever be canon#that and this are two things that i have actually discussed extensively in the dms with rose @lottieurl recently#its kind of funny 😂 like u guys are asking THE most perfect questions#and they're things ive already been thinking about!#also hiding this reallllyyyy deep in the tags but#i may or may not be pondering exploring some of this through the medium of fanfic#will i ever actually turn it into anything publishable? who knwos#but its. percolating shall we say#RIGHT! well. this was fun!#ill end it here since this is already an ungodly amount of words#yellowjackets#yj asks
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Kris & Anthy - The Violence of the 4th Wall
A big thing for both Deltarune and Utena is a light-hearted simplistic 'Episode' (Chapter) structure, in which an adventure happens within the confines of the narrative. Throughout the events of the 'Episode', Kris & Anthy's behavior is highly regulated & controlled.
(Not without flashes of personality and fun, but they lack enough autonomy that 1) others' illusions of them cannot be shut down, 2) they cannot pull away from coercive/abusive situations.)
The 'inside' of the Episodic structure is symbolized by either the school-in-daylight or the surrealistic 'otherworld' - the 'outside' of the Episodic structure is symbolized by nightime and the presence of the credits. The 'inside', while oppressive, is 'safe': Kris & Anthy are accompanied by friends, and most, if not all, violence is confined to the 'Game'.
Of course, the structure necessitates that Kris & Anthy venture outside of its confines; the Episode, by its very name, is episodic, and can only last for bursts of time. What happens next is outside our ability to analyze: we only get hints at what is happening, we viewers are tied to the 4th wall.
We know this: 1) Kris & Anthy set up the preparations needed for the next episode, behaving erratically but with purpose (we've seen how the coincidences line up), 2) Kris & Anthy face a ritualistic amount of violence outside the scope of the Episode - with Kris painfully ripping away their soul, and with Anthy having to come back to her abusive (bigger, older) brother.
It is this violence from 'outside' the Episode that characterizes both Kris & Anthy - dissociation from their bodies and the people around them - they have minimal ability to participate throughout the Episode, as the conflicts and quirks are mostly driven by everyone (untouched) around them.
In both Deltarune and Utena, the presence of the 4th wall is strongly associated with the influence of a pivotal character. In Utena, this is Akio, Anthy's brother, whose gaze/beliefs shapes the 4th wall, who tries to maintain in stasis the prince-princess myth; In Deltarune, this is *Us, for whom the 4th Wall and the Episodic Structure contain and maintain, to seemingly line up with the existence of the Angel (whatever that means).
To Kris & Anthy, and their journeys of staying true to themselves while surviving, the scrutiny of the 4th wall is an obstacle in its own right.
#When talking about heavier subjects ala Utena - you're not supposed to depict violence & harm onscreen#it becomes too easy then to evoke emotion in the viewer without the viewer understanding what it is they're viewing#In both Utena & Deltarune - ritualistic violence#Instead - a symbol for the ritual allows discussion of it without encouraging fetishizing/copy-catting#deltarune#revolutionary girl utena#deltarune meta#rgu#rgu meta#soilai's labyrinth#the 4th wall is an extension of the patriarchy in the world of utena (and would be called abusive)#but deltarune isn't finished yet and thus i have to remain abstract when talking about it#hence ritualistic violence#most of kris's behaviors align with self-harm or disability or mentall illness#abuse mention
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i've said it before and i'll say it again: luffy would HATE s4 eren jeager
#ive discussed this more extensively with a mutual but like... he would not like him#aot#op#one piece#attack on titan#snk#shingeki no kyojin#monkey d luffy#monkey d. luffy#eren yeager#eren jaeger#soda speaks
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sometimes i think it’s a little odd how insistent fandom is about how you can’t discuss anything negative about a fic ever because it’s rude, but it does make sense as a backlash to the previous dominant culture of flaming and publicly mocking fics. i wouldn’t want to post in that kind of environment either. still, i think it’s unreasonable to expect that we never have a negative reaction to a part of a fic, be it characterization or plot choices or whatever else.
on the one hand, discussing that in the comments of the fic itself on ao3, a place that is for the author’s perusal and will notify them about anything you say via email, that doesn’t seem appropriate, but in another place, such as tumblr, maybe a rec list, or even the ao3 bookmarks (which are not set up to notify authors in the same way), areas where people are discussing as readers what they want to read and what they enjoyed and disliked about particular fics in order to better recommend them to each other, that feels like it should be fine?
#with the obvious caveat of like. not being a fucking asshole. its not hard not to be an asshole.#but yeah there are fics i would probably rec with a note on the side about a particular characterization i didn’t enjoy or extensive grammar#issues that are worth sitting through for the story.#in the same way you’d discuss any other book or game or whatever.#idk
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(Really long ask ahead i’m sorry!) I think your thoughts on dick and his similarities vs differences to bruce are so interesting! Personally i’m wondering how much of NTT played an influence on this kind of characterization bc i’ve never fully finished ntt but i read like nearly all the pre-80s batman 1940 issues lol and dick very much was portrayed as more idealistic than bruce in some ways while more no-nonsense (? For lack of better word) in other ways, like when it comes to batman easing up a little on selina for romance reasons LOL. Though ofc dick totally turns into - well, a dick - in team books, as i grow older i find myself far more compelled by a potential story of an 18 yr old who seemed to have the whole weight of the world on his shoulders (by his own perception) and breaking under his own impractically strong sense of duty and sky-high expectations for others, then realizing as he grows older that it doesn’t have to be that way esp after seeing the perspectives of characters like kory, wally, joey, roy, etc. Like personally as someone who never really had a huge interest in NTT anyway, i’m surprised at how desperately people want to hold on to the characterization of dick when he was 18-19 and never letting him grow past that, like it’s so difficult for me to believe that at age 25 he would be the same uptight controlling kid that he was at 19. Maybe i’m biased though bc i was like one of those insufferable INTJ internet stereotypes as a teenager, and while that worldview did bring me achievements i’m proud of like the fact that i’m in med school rn studying what i love, i still know that at age 22 i have changed SO much from when i was 18 and i can’t imagine any reasonably mature or normally-functioning person (let alone someone high-functioning like dick) not doing the same lol. Especially since dick is the kind of person who would literally die if he’s not constantly growing and evolving past his faults bc of his insufferable perfectionism, idk how he’d be willfully blind to the negative effects of his worldview in early NTT and refuse to grow from there. He even has a quote that’s like “i’ve spent years as a student of my own behavior” which i always found highly encouraging bc i know he really does want to improve himself even at his worst. It reminds me of that Marcus Aurelius quote: “if someone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, i shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone; the harm is to persist in one’s own self-deception and ignorance.” But what are your thoughts? (Thank you for reading all this 🥹)
oh i absolutely agree! i cannot tell you how many times i think about the person i was a couple years ago and who i am now like i cringe so much omg.. maturity is an ever persistent process even if we don't recognize its effects immediately and it absolutely is crazy to think that anyone would remain in such a static state of mind for several years on end. esp when like you said dick is someone who wants to be better! so despite his several hypocrisies it is nonetheless in his best interests to look internally and analyze and evolve. and i feel like that very much could have happened had there been any actual segue between dick's breakup with kory and his re-entry into the batfam. i don't think there was much of a connection between these two sets of writers at all and so what you got is what felt like two very distinct parts of dick's life that didn't necessarily reveal a bridge point. so it's not entirely unrealistic that dick may grow to be the person (at least to some extent) that bat canon portrayed him to be in the years that followed but i certainly think as it stands it felt unearned and like all of his issues explored in ntt were conveniently swept to the side without any semblance of closure (albeit i do think some of these issues are addressed in outsiders '03 but in that dickheaded way that winick explores things generally. so i'm not sure it's the kind of closure people actually want). it's very sad and ig that's what people cling to more than anything. it's not that they're opposed to him growing to be a better person but that they're opposed to a version of dick who feels like he sprung out of nothing
#ironically enough i Do think dick going back to gotham after the kory breakup made sense#like when something that big happens in your life what are you going to do. seek the advice of the one person you look up to more than anyt#ing right. but marv wolfman complicated things by writing bruce the way he did so rather than bruce playing an active part#in guiding dick through some of his issues and mistakes he instead became dick's burden to bear through extensive post knightfall trauma#and i mean you all know i Love knightfall. i really do it gives me brainworms upon brainworms#but i wish there had been just one moment. like after it was all over. that bruce and dick actually got to talk and like#discuss dick's problems yknow#i get the feeling they didn't delve much when writing prodigal bc they had to set up the next arcs and stuff but it's like#come on. come on. they could've afforded it. if dick really had to come back to gotham for a temporary stint where he tried to find himself#than a proper conversation with bruce about what he was going through should have been a part of that#bc i do think working with bruce's new cavalry of three teen heroes (tim / steph / cass) would have borne wonderful opportunities#for dick to grow as a leader and peer considering his ridiculous expectations of others and how this would measure up against teenagers#but the problem is that bat canon decided he was going to magically gel with everyone bc he was emotionally more well adjusted than bruce#was. like ok. ok. whateverrrrrrrr#like idk it's so funny they were given a dick with a plethora of issues and instead of using any of that ammo they were like nah#we're going to make our lives harder and give him new problems manifested out of thin air. totally makes sense. bullseye#outbox
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"Because Richard (III) usurped the throne, his retinue is inevitably seen as inimical to the crown and therefore in an important sense independent of royal authority. In the context of Edward IV's reign, in which the retinue was created, neither assumption is true. The development of the retinue would have been impossible without royal backing and reflected, rather than negated, the king's authority. Within the north itself, Gloucester's connection subsumed that of the crown. Elsewhere, in East Anglia and in Wales, that focus for royal servants was provided by others, but Gloucester was still part of that royal connection, not remote from it. In the rest of England, as constable and admiral, he had contributed to the enforcement of royal authority. When he seized power in 1483 he did not do it from outside the prevailing political structure but from its heart."
-Rosemary Horrox, "Richard III: A Study of Service"
#richard iii#english history#my post#Richard was certainly very powerful in the north but to claim that he 'practically ruled' or was king in all but name is very misleading#his power/success/popularity were not detached from Edward IV's rule but a fundamental part/reflection/extension of Edward IV's rule#even more so that anyone else because he was Edward's own brother#there's also the 1475 clause to consider: Richard & Anne would hold their titles jointly and in descent only as long as George Neville#also had heirs. Otherwise Richard's title would revert to life interest. His power was certainly exceptional but his position wasn't as#absolute or indefinite as is often assumed. It WAS fundamentally tied to his brother's favor just like everyone else#and Richard was evidently aware of that (you could even argue that his actions in 1483 reflected his insecurity in that regard)#once again: when discussing Edward IV's reign & Richard III's subsequent usurpation it's really important to not fall prey to hindsight#for example: A.J Pollard's assumption that Edward IV had no choice but to helplessly give into his overbearing brothers' demands#and had to use all his strength to make Richard to heed to his command which fell apart after he died and Richard was unleashed#(which subsequently forms the basis of Pollard's criticism of Edward IV's reign & character along with his misinterpretation of the actions#of Edward IV's council & its main players after his death who were nowhere near as divided or hostile as Pollard assumes)#is laughably inaccurate. Edward IV was certainly indulgent and was more passive/encouraging where Richard (solely Richard) was concerned#but he was by no means unaware or insert. His backing was necessary to build up Richard's power and he was clearly involved & invested#evidenced by how he systematically depowered George of Clarence (which Clarence explicitly recognized) and empowered Richard#and in any case: to use Richard as an example to generalize assumptions of the power other magnates held during Edward IV's reign#- and to judge Edward's reign with that specific assumption in mind - is extremely misleading and objectively inaccurate#Richard's power was singular and exceptional and undoubtedly tied to the fact that he was Edward's own brother. It wasn't commonplace.#as Horrox says: apart from Richard the power enjoyed by noble associates under Edward IV was fairly analogous to the power enjoyed by#noble associates under Henry VII. and absolutely nobody claims that HE over-powered or was ruled by his nobles or subjects#the idea that Richard's usurpation was 'inevitable' and the direct result of Edward empowering him is laughable#contemporaries unanimously expected Edward V's peaceful succession. Why on earth would anyone - least of all Edward -#expect Richard to usurp his own nephew in a way that went far beyond the political norms of the time?#that was the key reason why the usurpation was possible at all#as David Horspool says: RICHARD was the 'overriding factor' of his own usurpation There's no need to minimize or outright deny his agency#as Charles Ross evidently did
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oc questions tag
tagged by @hibernationsuit !! thank youuuu 💜
tagging @rosykims @aevallare @abetterbeginning @gortash @wrenanigans if u want to do this, no pressure! don't remember who's done this recently so i'm sorry if ur getting spammed with this bc of me hehe
anyway it's celyn time babey.. been thinking abt her a lot lately <3
name: celyn surana
nickname(s): uhhh. cel? i gotta think of some cute descriptive nicknames for her that others would teasingly use but i'm drawing a blank rn. will have to ruminate more.
she only lets Very Close Friends call her by any nickname btw. jowan (being her only friend lol) was the only person in the circle who got to call her cel. only andrale and carver have earned this privilege since (andrale only ever calls her celyn tho). leliana earns it as well ten years later during inquisition lol
gender: cis female
star sign: uhhh she was born on the 27th of firstfall which is the thedas equivalent of november sooo sagittarius??
height: 159 cm. my second shortest oc and the same height as me hehe <3
orientation: bisexual!
nationality: fereldan i guess. she was born in ferelden and raised in ferelden's circle of magi but she doesn't have a strong Fereldan Identity. she's not celyn from ferelden she's just... celyn...
favorite fruit: uuuhh apples
favorite season: i'm tempted to say winter bc her aesthetic is so cold and wintery but i think she would prefer a warmer season. maybe mid to late fall actually. she enjoys the gloom and fall colors and the rainy and stormy weather
favorite flower: i wonder if she's ever even seen a live plant actually. i wonder if there are any indoor greenhouses in the circle. wow i'm suddenly making myself sad thinking abt how she's barely seen any nature in her 19 years of life. anyway uhhh!!! gentians are her favorite actually look at how pretty they are
favorite scent: ghghjgh i struggle with any scent or smell related questions bc i have anosmia so idk what things smell like lmao. let's say uhhh whatever a spruce forest smells like. nice n fresh i imagine
coffee, tea or hot chocolate: she's a coffee gal... had to check if coffee exists in thedas and apparently it does and is a major export of antiva. fascinating. anyway she drinks coffee to stay awake late at night reading and studying (forbidden) magic. she enjoys the silence of the night and is at her most productive during that time
average hours of sleep: during her time in the circle i guess it was like... 5-6 maybe? as i said she tends to stay up late and i bet circle inhabitants are expected to wake up crazy early like 6am or sth. it doesn't get any better after leaving the circle bc andrale also expects everyone to get up and moving crazy early. and after officially becoming a warden it gets even worse when she starts having Warden Nightmares ahah
dog or cat person: cat person! she's a bit like morrigan when it comes to dogs. thinks they're stupid n gross lol. though she does eventually warm up to the dog (named assan by andrale <3) in dao.
dream trip: honestly anywhere is fine she is full of wanderlust... what living in a tower for 19 years does to a gal... the whole blight adventure is a dream trip to her i bet. yes she has to fight darkspawn and a horrible death is around every corner but consider: she gets to see ancient elven ruins and denerim and orzammar... so many sights to see and so many new experiences! she feels so alive! and she gets to use her powers to their full extent!! she gets to hone her skills beyond what the circle allowed!!! not that the circle's rules stopped her from studying outlawed magic in secret but like. now she doesn't have to do it in secret anymore.
a trip to tevinter would also be interesting from a purely academic standpoint. nevarra as well because it's more liberal with magic than most of thedas but also safer for her than tevinter? so basically she would like to see the whole world but especially places where she gets to expand her knowledge on magic...
favorite fictional character: in a real world au her favorite fictional character would be morgana pendragon from bbc merlin. this is not at all influenced by the fact that one of my inspirations for her was morgana pendragon from bbc merlin,
number of blankets they sleep with: hmmmm one
random fact: i'm sharing two random facts bc i can't decide which one of these is more interesting or whatev:
celyn is basically the toph to andrale's katara. they have somewhat clashing personalities and differing views on teamwork and the sharing of camp chores... andrale expects everyone to contribute while celyn only looks after herself. also despite her excitement she's kinda terrified to be out in the real world but she won't let it show!! so she acts hyper-independent!!! unfortunately for her andrale can see right through this facade and she calls celyn out on it (she tries to be gentle and constructive about it but she's had it with celyn's shit and fails). so. yea. my point is they argue a lot at first lol! but they become great friends once celyn learns teamwork and communication and andrale loosens up a little
whenever she does fire magic she makes the flames hot enough for them to turn blue, purely for the aesthetic. she also enjoys other ways of showing off with her magic and she was Very competitive in the circle. she simply had to be the best in her class and let the other students know that she was above them. most of her fellow students could not stand her because of this <3
#i have to wonder how she managed to befriend jowan tbh.#anyway. really in a celyn mood lately. i love her#tag games#oc: celyn#thank u for the tag red!!#also if there are greenhouses inside the circle... celyn would tend to them in her free time actually. an extra random fact for u all#ALSO what if celyn adopted a black cat with carver. would that be cute or what.....#carver is soooo fereldan tho he has to be a full on dog person right. would he be willing to get a cat. discuss#also wow some of my answers got really lengthy huh. sry abt that hope u have fun reading extensive celyn lore haha#oc: andrale#gotta tag her too since shes mentioned a few times. some important andrale trivia here...
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idk man i think maybe my lis should have some comments on my decision to become an illithid...
#cyrus bg3#bg3 spoilers#something? anything?? not the slightest bit concern???#i do in fact have a tentacle timeline save now but theres no way karlach & halsin#two people with whom cyrus has discussed extensively his martyr complex and his sensitivity around body modification#and who love him dearly#would not be fucking horrified by this decision......#i was half expecting karlach to offer to make the sacrifice in his place since i know thats a potential ending for her??#but that never seemed to be an option ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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