#they're good notes but also i wonder if they take the script in a different direction

[lifeascaty]

not sure if I'm making this script better or worse but i'm definitely doing something to it

[cyberstudious]

Tools of the Trade for Learning Cybersecurity

I created this post for the Studyblr Masterpost Jam, check out the tag for more cool masterposts from folks in the studyblr community!

Cybersecurity professionals use a lot of different tools to get the job done. There are plenty of fancy and expensive tools that enterprise security teams use, but luckily there are also lots of brilliant people writing free and open-source software. In this post, I'm going to list some popular free tools that you can download right now to practice and learn with.

In my opinion, one of the most important tools you can learn how to use is a virtual machine. If you're not already familiar with Linux, this is a great way to learn. VMs are helpful for separating all your security tools from your everyday OS, isolating potentially malicious files, and just generally experimenting. You'll need to use something like VirtualBox or VMWare Workstation (Workstation Pro is now free for personal use, but they make you jump through hoops to download it).

Below is a list of some popular cybersecurity-focused Linux distributions that come with lots of tools pre-installed:

Kali is a popular distro that comes loaded with tools for penetration testing

REMnux is a distro built for malware analysis

honorable mention for FLARE-VM, which is not a VM on its own, but a set of scripts for setting up a malware analysis workstation & installing tools on a Windows VM.

SANS maintains several different distros that are used in their courses. You'll need to create an account to download them, but they're all free:

Slingshot is built for penetration testing

SIFT Workstation is a distro that comes with lots of tools for digital forensics

These distros can be kind of overwhelming if you don't know how to use most of the pre-installed software yet, so just starting with a regular Linux distribution and installing tools as you want to learn them is another good choice for learning.

Free Software

Wireshark: sniff packets and explore network protocols

Ghidra and the free version of IDA Pro are the top picks for reverse engineering

for digital forensics, check out Eric Zimmerman's tools - there are many different ones for exploring & analyzing different forensic artifacts

pwntools is a super useful Python library for solving binary exploitation CTF challenges

CyberChef is a tool that makes it easy to manipulate data - encryption & decryption, encoding & decoding, formatting, conversions… CyberChef gives you a lot to work with (and there's a web version - no installation required!).

Burp Suite is a handy tool for web security testing that has a free community edition

Metasploit is a popular penetration testing framework, check out Metasploitable if you want a target to practice with

SANS also has a list of free tools that's worth checking out.

Programming Languages

Knowing how to write code isn't a hard requirement for learning cybersecurity, but it's incredibly useful. Any programming language will do, especially since learning one will make it easy to pick up others, but these are some common ones that security folks use:

Python is quick to write, easy to learn, and since it's so popular, there are lots of helpful libraries out there.

PowerShell is useful for automating things in the Windows world. It's built on .NET, so you can practically dip into writing C# if you need a bit more power.

Go is a relatively new language, but it's popular and there are some security tools written in it.

Rust is another new-ish language that's designed for memory safety and it has a wonderful community. There's a bit of a steep learning curve, but learning Rust makes you understand how memory bugs work and I think that's neat.

If you want to get into reverse engineering or malware analysis, you'll want to have a good grasp of C and C++.

Other Tools for Cybersecurity

There are lots of things you'll need that aren't specific to cybersecurity, like:

a good system for taking notes, whether that's pen & paper or software-based. I recommend using something that lets you work in plain text or close to it.

general command line familiarity + basic knowledge of CLI text editors (nano is great, but what if you have to work with a system that only has vi?)

familiarity with git and docker will be helpful

There are countless scripts and programs out there, but the most important thing is understanding what your tools do and how they work. There is no magic "hack this system" or "solve this forensics case" button. Tools are great for speeding up the process, but you have to know what the process is. Definitely take some time to learn how to use them, but don't base your entire understanding of security on code that someone else wrote. That's how you end up as a "script kiddie", and your skills and knowledge will be limited.

Feel free to send me an ask if you have questions about any specific tool or something you found that I haven't listed. I have approximate knowledge of many things, and if I don't have an answer I can at least help point you in the right direction.

[travellingwiththedead]

Ok, thoughts on my second watch of iwtv s2e8 behind read more (because spoilers and shit):

so sad that the season is already over but also so looking forward to next season ^.^

Does Lestat know Nicki had a grave in the cellar of the theatre? Also Nicki was only 27? Hm.

Not them paning over the bookshelves before they drop it all on Daniel later xD

I think the whole pebbles in his Achilles tendons thing Louis is pulling is the most emo shit he's said so far. Like how the heck would you even wear shoes, my man?

"or maybe he has (removed them) and he's been lying to you all these years for effect." Daniel, you got those two old men down perfectly. I bet that's exactly it. There never were any rocks and Louis is just trying to make Armand extra miserable.

Louis playing "what if" games and always getting to the same result. You're just too down bad for that frenchman, my dear, there was never any other way for this to play out.

Armand, how much are you lying right now, my dear? I doubt they'd leave you in charge of the place where they're keeping your lover in a box in the wall....

I want Daniel's powers of multitasking xD Look at him have a whole conversation with heckin Raglan while still taking apart those old vampires and not getting caught. (Also Daniel's name on the chat xD Pulitzerootwo)

Louis in his manic Blade era, gods Jacob Anderson, the actor you are.

I kinda wish they had spent longer on him taking down the theatre but I get that they only had so much screen time and a lot of stuff to cover.

At least we got him taking down Santiago with that machete, A+

"If I'm not with him, I'm nothing" oh Armand, dear, we need to get you some self-respect. See also him staying with Louis for 70 years knowing exactly that Louis is only doing it to get back at his ex.

I guess they finally remembered VC vampires are literally dead to the world by day.

But if they were sleeping shouldn't it be daytime outside? And it clearly is still night when Louis walks out.

Louis goading Santiago into acting unwise is so good. (Also the glee Ben Daniels talked about the fake head with was so cute, I love it.)

Real Rashid, you're great. Glad they didn't eat you.

Oh Lestat, you're so unwell, quoting Magnus' words back at yourself. Also the heckin shackles on the wall and the alleged bruises that might have been on his wrists at the trial....

"Does it take a lot out of you, destroying everything in your wake?" Ooooh, the way we can't really tell if he's talking to Louis or Armand because Armand is standing behind Louis. "Well, almost everything". So it can be Louis destroying everything but Armand or Armand destroying everything but Louis.

Shut up Armand, how dare you say he came home. Rude, so rude.

And again I wonder if I made it up that they said "You can't burn Lestat twice" because they didn't even burn him once.

I guess Louis being a petty bitch and saying "Your punishment is that I'll be with someone else" is a kind of burn, tho? xD

Ok, boys, you can stop trying to sell your big romance now, no one is buying it any longer xD

And then Daniel drops his bombs, gotta love this old man. Also he really is a good reporter, that's the thing. He's good at his job and also an arsehole about it xD

I wonder if the telepathy with the tractor sales man fumble was planned or if they actually just wrote Daniel bringing this up because the fans caught them in a mistake LOL

Still don't really get where they're going with the whole "Vampire Sam survived the burning at the theatre and is working with the Talamasca" thing. Except for it being a way to actually have all these documents even after the theatre burned down.

Oh the panic in Armand's face when he realises that Daniel has a script with his notes on it.

If Lestat saved Louis on stage I'm guessing Armand had a different contingency in place for later? Because I really, really doubt he'd have let Louis burn on that stage.

Daniel is having way too much fun antagonizing these vampires xD I thought you wanted to make it out alive, my dear? Poking the bears is not how you do that, usually LOL

Daniel you smug little shit xD

Also why does it take Raglan heckin James telling you to get out of there to think of maybe getting out of there? Idiot with no self-preservation instincts xD

Ghost tour guy talking about murder night is so funny. "Sebastian Melmoth", "Lesander Lioncourt", "A 'so called' frenchman", and Louis' little grin xD awwww

"a local creole hustler and his little child bride, they were running a voodoo cult in the back rooms" Louis face at this also hilarious

Lestat in his depression episode in his little moss house with the ipad and the fake piano.

Oh the acting from Sam and Jacob in this scene, so good.

Lestat remembering the date and exact time Armand contacted him in the 70s. He's literally been suffering since then, hasn't he? Not knowing what Louis did to himself and if he was dead or alive.

Ok but what happened then? Did Louis just leave him in his little moss house with the hurricane tearing it down? It's what he did in the book. Guess we'll find out in s3.

So how much time passed between Dubai and this tv show interview? Are we in 2024 now? Or is it 2023? I guess it would not still be 2022 because publishing a book takes time?

The second I saw him wearing those tinted sunglasses I knew Eric finally got to play a vampire xD good for him, he deserves to have some fun with this next season, too. Also they better show us all the things between Daniel and Armand leading up to this. All. The. Things.

Love Daniel going off at the news guy because he doesn't give any more of a shit now that he's a vampire than he did when he was a mortal LOL

Finally some colour on Louis and in his penthouse again!

"No editors next book, I promise" xD

Why do Daniel's eyes change from blue to orange like that, tho, when he takes off the glasses?

Vampire!Daniel sounds way more like his 70s self than his 2022 self and I love it. He's so far definitely having fun

Louis, you big dolt, don't tell the angry vampires to come and get you. That's Lestat's thing and he's idiot enough for the both of you LOL (EDIT: Also he got rid of Armand's tree xD)

I think, as final episodes go, this was not bad. But e5 remains my fav from this season. It was just so good.

Now bring on s3 asap, AMC

[shihalyfie]

This is potentially a very loaded question so feel free to not answer if you don't feel like it, but how do you as a woman feel about the handling of female characters in Digimon (anime of course, but also games, manga and even the Digimon themselves)? I've seen takes of all kinds from women over the years so I'm curious how you feel. But again, no pressure to answer if you feel uncomfortable with the subject or too daunted by all the material on the table.

Oh man, I don't mind talking about the subject in itself, but what makes it hard for me is just that the Digimon franchise just has so many things at once with so many different writers and different writing philosophies that I can't really treat the entire thing like a monolith. Especially when you have things running the spectrum from Cyber Sleuth (where female characters arguably drive the narrative far more than the male characters) to Next (which has gotten me angrily ranting about the absolutely awful way it treats its girls, a rant which I would prefer to not subject my followers to).

So before I go ahead, I do want to make sure anyone reading this understands that I'm just talking about my own personal experience and feelings regarding the situation, and I'm very sure that other people will feel differently. I definitely don't feel qualified to comment on what's the ideal way to write female charaters in media or whatever (as if there's even one right answer to that!); I can only truly comment on myself and my own stances on it. (And of course, the OP graciously asked specifically about that, but I just want to make sure nobody reading this post misunderstands!)

Well, I will say that if there's one thing that does seem to be consistent (and I say consistent, because Next absolutely violates this one and Frontier does kind of dangerously toe the line), it's that I haven't really seen Digimon fall victim to the problem of what I call making its female characters the Designated Girl Characters™. Explaining what that is is kind of tricky, but a lot of shounen series will have this very strong "consciousness" of its female characters like they're there to fill a quota, and thus treat them in a way that's kind of alienating. Or in other words, "they section off this character very weirdly in a way they would never do for the male characters." (Note that while Ruki's character arc is made with strong consciousness of her being a girl, the whole point is about condemning the idea she should be treated like some novelty just because she's a girl, so I don't count it as this.)

It was really refreshing to see a 1999 anime portray the girls as mingling with the boys like it was no big deal, and I do wonder if Adventure setting this precedent is a big reason later series have followed in this regard. Adventure through Frontier were made with heavy female creator influence, something that the fandom really tends to downplay (especially because a lot of people suspiciously avoid acknowledging their importance, like how everyone will talk about Hosoda but nobody will talk about the fact Yoshida Reiko wrote the scripts for everything he did, or how people virtually ignored Seki's existence compared to Kakudou until very recently). I think a lot of that shows in its writing; of course, that's not to say there aren't things that really could have used improvement (I think Izumi's treatment in Frontier is the one pretty much everyone universally agrees really left much to be desired, and Tomita even outright admitted he's not very good at writing girls, although that frankly kind of surprises me given how much of his other work has involved writing girls really well), but at the very least it does show a bit more conscientiousness about its female characters than you would see in other shows where female creators were either nonexistent or clearly had no influence in the staff room.

On the flip side, there's also things that were more tasteful in execution than may have even been intended; Sora's character arc isn't that much about her femininity in practice, and Juri does come off as better than your average damsel in distress character, but that doesn't change the fact that the nuance is still there (and that in the latter case a certain writer has outright indulged in that), so all I can do is just be grateful that it didn't get worse.

I guess in the end, my stance is "give or take". I like a lot of other kids' shows (including shounen) that have been better or worse than Digimon's average level, and Digimon itself is so varied that I think it just kind of mingles in there. There are things I like, things I don't like, but at the very least there haven't been too many things that crossed my personal boundary of "absolutely not" (there are, there just aren't many). I think Adventure and 02 in particular are often accused of being more malicious towards its female characters and "screwing them over" than they were intended to be, since a lot of it seems to be a combination of wanting to portray its characters a little too realistically and simply just accidental bad circumstances of how it presented (the fact Hikari's two most famous episodes are by two non-regulars on the series who seemed to be huge fans of portraying her with a brother complex really did not help here), and things like "the same things that feel personally relatable to me are also things that read badly to others, so I understand why people don't like it but I also feel kind of weird when they imply that this kind of concept is inherently Bad" (a lot of things related to Sora and Miyako fall into this category for me). And I mean, part of the reason Miyako became my central character back when I wrote fanfic more often was that I just found her to be an incredibly complex character for the kind you'd usually see in shounen works; I honestly don't know of many other things that would portray someone like her sympathetically instead of cramming her into a "hysterical woman" trope box.

There's also the fact that there's a lot more adult-oriented Digimon media coming up nowadays, so there's that awkward situation where "female character representation" starts having a blurred boundary with "waifu character". Which is not to say that I mind the idea of male fans also liking the female characters I like, but more so that when you get into this territory, I start getting conscious about whether the female characters are more obviously being written in a way to "please the male fans and make them into fanservice material" than it respects them as characters. And I mean, I say it's a blurred boundary for good reason; the aforementioned Cyber Sleuth characters do kind of have that (especially in their character designs), but they are actually written as good characters with agency, whereas you have things like the Adventure girls in tri. who are ostensibly written to follow up on their Adventure character arcs but came off to me as being uncomfortably shoved into the Waifu Character Fanservice troping boxes, especially Mimi and Hikari. (Hooters outfit Mimi and brother complex Hikari are among the few things that I would say have crossed a serious line with me.) So again...give or take.

I will say that the American English dub had a somewhat more misogynistic nuance in the way it treated Mimi, Miyako, and Hikari (it had a lot more condescending tone in the way it portrayed Mimi's airheadedness/materialism and Yolei's penchant for fangirling while also expecting Kari to just put up with Davis harassing her, and it exacerbated the already-kind-of-uncomfortable feelings I had about the unsympathetic way Sora is portrayed in Our War Game!), but it's not to the extent I felt it derailed the entire narrative.

As for the Digimon themselves, the feminine Digimon design sexualization didn't bother me much when I was younger (I remember I really wasn't bothered by Angewomon's design at all), but it does bother me a little more now, especially since you have more designs like Venusmon these days (really? really?). But then there are also really good designs like LovelyAngemon and Mastemon that are just plain cool! And then even designs aside, there's a difference in the way each work portrays them; for instance, you can tell certain anime had more fun with the chest jiggles on the same Digimon that other series were not weird about at all. Maybe the fact Adventure and 02 weren't really weird about Angewomon's design was exactly why I didn't notice it very much back then?

Well, that got long and very rambling, but I hope that answered your question to some extent!

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Wordsville's Official Release -- Is It Really an Odd Squad Clone? (Part 1)

You can bet your fine ass I am, because, to put it nicely, the fuck is this?

All right. Anyway. So part of what I used to weaponize my YouTube channel for was doing Seren Reacts videos on new PBS Kids shows. Basically, I'd take the first episode they'd upload and react to it. Since I don't have the capacity to actually do that for this show, and since I did tell you all I'd do a Seren's Study on Wordsville when it came out and I had a chance to see it...here ya go. I watched the first episodes of this thing so you don't have to!

...Uh...well...if you don't want to, anyway.

In this essay, I'm going to put the final nail in the coffin as to the issue of whether Wordsville is truly an Odd Squad ripoff or not. I'll also be picking apart the first episode screencap by screencap, just like I used to do in the good old days of Odd News.

(At the very least, the America's Funniest Home Videos animation I'm not a fan of. At least with Tom Bergeron it was funny.)

Below the break we go!

(Just as a side note: this will be split into multiple parts because Tumblr apparently has a photo limit now. That's...gonna make these followup Seren's Studies just a bit trickier.)

Ohhhh they're really trying, bless their little hearts.

Look at that, they even threw in a goddamn university degree like these kids up and went to Harvard. Because Odd Squad agents didn't go to university and aw God man you gotta be shitting me.

Man, the theme even follows the same schtick of Odd Squad agents explaining who they are and what they do! I guess that's one for the Half-Ass list...

(And on a related note, because I don't think I brought this up: Gabby's actress sounds like she was on Odd Squad at one point, but hell if I know where. Guess I'll know when the credits come up.)

Hm. Hah. Just like, y'know, Olive and Otto, Orla and Omar at one point in ti- really, do I have to keep going?

You could tell me this was an Odd Squad sequel spinoff in disguise and I'd 100% believe you.

(Also is that...is that a rainbow bead design in the upper right there? Does Sly is gay or am I just going nuts because this episode was uploaded in Pride Month and Sinking Ship already has some LGBTQ+ rep under their belt?)

I will say that, unlike with Odd Squad, I appreciate them not making this out to be some stupidly thinly-veiled Zoom or Skype parody. It looks like a new fresh platform that isn't supposed to reference anything. I like that!

...Nah, not even I'm desperate enough to pry an Odd Squad jab out of this title.

I am, however, getting flashbacks to Wonderful Precure and people speculating about the colors in the title. If this were one of those seasons we'd have a group of five with a blue-green Cure as the leader, which would melt the Internet. Definitely. Maybe.

Also, unless they're working on Odd Squad UK and we don't know it yet, Christin Simms is not an Odd Squad name I recognize. Seems they've worked on pretty much every modern Sinking Ship series but Odd Squad, which I choose to take as intentional just due to the similarities between the two series alone. I mean let's be honest...if it were an Odd Squad writer, it would really only reinforce a few of my points.

So I've chosen to watch "The Case of the Disappearing Donuts", mainly because I believe that's the episode that was featured in the sample script I talked about in the previous Seren's Study. Just...y'know, as a heads-up. I tried to go for the first episode.

And needless to say...I'm not sure if this is it (TVO released five episodes in a bundle and your guess is as good as mine as to which one is the series premiere) but I can already see a striking difference with Odd Squad, in that yes, Wordsville does indeed launch us clear into the plot without any warning. Yeah yeah they explained it in the intro but I do not care. Let me get to know your characters first!

Once again, I will reiterate for you all: this show being purely digital instead of live-action completely hinders it. It is 2024. The pandemic is not an excuse anymore. I'd get more enjoyment out of this if it weren't two people communicating through mock Apple laptops.

And if you aren't getting what I'm picking at, imagine if, for the nearly ten years it's been on, Odd Squad was a purely-digital show. Would we get the worldbuilding? The lore? The character development? The funny interactions? No, no, no, and no. It's like the difference between talking to someone in video chat and talking to someone in real life. One boosts your health. The other one, not so much.

Clearly they didn't really try for this bit in the audio department, because this cookie is all about that bass with absolutely no fuckin' treble.

(To be fair, though, Odd Squad has soundbytes like this from time to time too. So I can't really complain all that much.)

Something I was shocked to find out about Wordsville: each episode is all of 8 minutes long. Which...doesn't really help the series' case because the pacing is utterly atrocious. For Odd Squad, which has mostly 11-minute episodes, the pacing is smoother for a lot of them. I can take my time, understand what's going on, and enjoy what I'm seeing. Hell, even Tiny Time Travel's pacing isn't awful for the short time it has, and I wasn't gonna even touch that show for this Seren's Study because it's not made by the same people outside of Tim...until people brought up similarities, and I felt at least obligated to mention it once.

This falls squarely into the category of "if I go on an acid trip, can I drag out this episode three times longer than it actually is?"

We.

Are 55 seconds in.

And we are already getting to the conflict.

...Hand me the bong. The BIG bong. If you see dogs in my front yard, just tell 'em to get inside and glow upstairs because I'm goin' hard.

BIG BONG.

...I'm not touching the timing of this call because convenience is in literally every piece of media with video chatting ever. It's not just a Wordsville thing.

The Town Baker walked so Baker Graham could work his hand at a whip.

No but seriously, I can't look at this character and not think of Chef O from Odd Squad UK. The brainrot set in once I viewed the trailer. It hasn't left.

Hey, it's a good marketing tactic.

And it makes a great gift for your SO if they happen to have a name that starts with any of the letters. Hell, get the U, the T and the I and you'd have a winner!

...

Waaaaaaait a second-

In this era of super-powerful processors and AI seeping into anything and everything, there is no scientifically possible way Gabby can pull up a computer dictionary within milliseconds.

And when Odd Squad, the show that has ironic low-tech stuff, is more realistic than your high-tech show, you got a problem.

Minute and a half into this thing and this is the only bit that got me close to smiling thus far.

But something I wanna point out is that I've gotten cookies from bakeries that look a lot better than that. Hell, the cookies at my local supermarket look better than that! Just as big, and far yummier!

I see they switched around the personalities for Sly and Gabby, and I can see why.

Gabby emotes the most.

So does Olive.

Gabby is Olive with a braid and a fedora.

Gabby is the serious o- guys, really, must I go on?

Something something substituting bagels like in "Soundcheck" for donuts instead.

This is what happens when you let your co-CEO binge-watch all the Shrek movies, Sly.

Careful, Gabby...please don't drop the title.

Odd Squad doesn't drop the title all that much, but the fact that the episodes are referred to as cases in-universe sells the comparison. Wordsville's cases are just...different. Copyright infringement and all that. When Oprah sues, she sues hard.

Thank you. I hate it. Off you will fuck from my lawn.

...Look, I know what the "Sly-mation" is and y'all are not being slick. You don't get to wave a fucking stylus in my face and say what you're doing is animation but with a fancy name. Animation is hard. Animating stuff halfway and slapping your client's head on their animated body instead of drawing a face resembling your client is a disservice and I will abso-fucking-lutely take that personally as a fan of animation.

I mean, hey, if I were an animator, I'd fully commit. You people remember that the studio who made this worked on a Spongebob movie. Lemme repeat: a Spongebob movie. And yet this is what they decide to do for animation.

When Odd Squad does animation, it's good in most instances. (I choose to forget "Olive and Otto in Shmumberland", TYVM.) Not anything stellar, but it certainly is passable. Here? Lol. Lmao, even. God no. This feels like a way to insert animation into the show but without employing the CGI that other shows, Odd Squad included, have. Like a "lol I'm so quirky" thing.

Get out.

This is like if Disney had Disneymation. Dreamworksation. Laikation. Netflixation. Huluation. So on and so forth.

Point being, it's dumb. Just say it's animation and stop plopping flowers onto it. When you get more of a time limit, then you can be quirky all you want.

We are now 2 minutes into an 8-minute episode. I know what's happening. Kids know what's happening. Unless you're banking on the research that kids' attention spans are the size of a pea, we do not need a recap.

...Is this really the same person who wrote for Endlings? Because apparently they can't handle something in an 8-minute timeframe.

You either get the Chad Blender/Flash/ToonBoom, or you get the Virgin Mock Scratch.

I just feel cheated. Disappointed. Like when your mom and dad drove by McDonald's when you were a kid after they promised you they would get you some. I've seen good animation. They had the chance to do better, and didn't. That's what pisses me off the most. It's that complete utter wasted potential.

I know Vet Wilder is a reference to some celebrity (the name is at least somewhat familiar), but I'm at a complete loss as to if they did the same thing for Athlete Glory or if they just confined a girl named Glory to one destiny in life.

So she'll become...a Faded Glory.

(I'm sorry, I had to.)

Okay, they're reiterating this for the young children, and I- guys, this hurts. It's like they're trying to differentiate themselves from Odd Squad but tripping over their own feet in the process.

Ten cookies Gene Vet Wilder gave it to an animal named Yummy and that this series will go down another Odd Squad route and defy biology.

Either that, or "Yummy" is his pet name for Not-So-Faded Glory, which I am banking absolutely nothing on because romance.

...No, not Baker Graham's cookies. I'm sure dude's good at what he does, but I know of a better bakery, thank you very much.

*aggressively takes out the ibuprofen for the headache this shit is giving me*

This reads like TVOkids font, and I'm not even mad.

I'm only sad I didn't get the "I know so much about fonts" autism.

(Also, this is really just called The Bakery? They have one bakery? That's it? Even Toronto has more than one!)

-----------------------------

Onward to Part 2!

[bahamutgames]

Paper Mario: The Thousand Afterthoughts

Game: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (May 23, 2024)

Console: Nintendo Switch

It's that time again!! If you had told me not too long ago that I'd have to give my thoughts on 2 different Mario RPG remakes on Switch (and an upcoming brand new M&L) so close to each other, I would've laughed you out of the room. But here we are. And now I look quite foolish, don't I?

My mood is kinda in free fall and I only want to write about these Mario RPGs when I'm in a good mood, but I think I'm okay right now. So I'll capitalize on it. Similar to the Super Mario RPG Remake I'll try to focus on what makes this such a lovely remake rather than gushing about why I adore TTYD. But if you're curious, it has some of the best characters, writing, and combat in the series. While I also think it's a really padded out game. That's my micro review of the original. Okay? Okay.

As always, this isn't a review. Just me throwing up my thoughts. Go play Thousand Year Door RIGHT NOW. Either the original or the remake. I'll wait.

Now that they're gone-

SPOILERS FOR THOUSAND YEAR DOOR AHEAD, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!

Opening

I feel like I've given you my long, tragic backstory with Mario RPGs a billion times but if you somehow missed it. These were my favorite games of all time, they fell off, I get sad, so on and so forth. Thousand Year Door is one of my favorite video games ever, in the trio of greatest Mario games ever made you have Super Mario RPG, Bowser's Inside Story, and TTYD. And, yeah, needless to say. I was bummed when Paper Mario started to go in its new direction. But I'd like to not give that the oxygen of attention at the moment.

So when they were like "Oh there's one last thing" in that direct, the MILLISECOND that first note hit I was like "HUH???" And I flipped my fucking LID, I couldn't believe they were ACTUALLY gonna remake TTYD. And not only that, it was looking good! And then it came out and I couldn't afford it lol.

But thankfully my good friend (Idk if they want me to name them here so I'll avoid it for the time being) bought it for me. Which was so so so nice of them and I genuinely appreciate it cause this was such a wonderful experience. So this review is sponsored by my friend :)

And again, I'll skip the suspense. This is another WONDERFUL remake that's a total love letter to the original and understands what made it so good.

Stuff I liked

I think the best place to start would be with how faithful this is to the original. It doesn't change pretty much ANYTHING. If there's any major changes to stuff that was in the original (not counting new content) I can't remember it. Not that I was expecting them to change it but still, it's nice that they didn't like, butcher it or something crazy. It's the same good plot, pretty much an identical script (with any changes being for the better imo.), and the same wonderful gameplay.

But of course, what makes a remake interesting is what ACTUALLY gets changed. And I think pretty much right out the gate you'll notice the MASSIVE graphics overhaul this game got. It takes a more papercraft approach like the secondary Paper Mario Trilogy (SS, CS, OK) but applies it to the worlds from the original game. And it looks AMAZING! This is basically exactly what I wanted ever since we got to see the SS Flavion in Smash 3DS lmao. In addition to that there's SO many new sprites in this game for each character. It's actually crazy just how much new animations there are for everyone. Not just teammates, who now have back sprites and TONS of facial expressions and reactions, but even enemies and NPCs have TONS of new things that can do. Sometimes enemies will laugh at you if you get fucked over, people will change to match the mood of what they're saying. It's actually crazy, I had to stop playing every 5 seconds to look at all the new sprites and details. One of my personal favorite new expressions is Mario tipping his hat in respect when death is brought up. It's small but it's such a Mario thing to do and I actually flipped out when I first saw it.

Then there's the redone soundtrack. OH MY GOD it's SOOOOO GOOD. This might be a better OST than the original, and may be one of my new favorite Mario RPG OSTs in general. Every song is lovingly redone and they all sound SO NICE. In particular the battle theme, which changes for each chapter, is SUCH a treat. I adored that. All the boss remixes are great (Cortez in particular was a big shock that I loved) and I believe the teammate themes are actually new. This was also a lovely addition. Bobbery (not biased because he's my favorite partner) probably has my favorite theme. And some of my favorite songs, 'Happiness and Sadness' + 'We're Counting On You, Mario' were both SO well done!! And it's changes and upgrades like these that REALLY add to the experience and make it even better in my opinion! Or at least, wonderful to reexperience!

Then of course there's the combat, which is pretty much completely unchanged as far as I can recall? But they did actually add new super bosses which was really cool! You can fight Prince Mush which is neat, and Whacka which is AWESOME! This actually gives a reason to do the Pit of 100 Trials a second time (fun fact, this remake was my first time ever beating the pit! And I did it without dying. You can retry a floor if you die in this remade version of the pit, just as an fyi).

And the game over all is filled with nice little changes like that. Stuff that's maybe not ground breaking, or giving you a brand new reason to try it like the changes to Super Mario RPG's combat. But in my opinion, these small quality of life improvements are just as good. A much easier to access quick travel room to warp to each chapter is added in the sewers. Saving is instant, similar to Origami King and such. Most of the backtracking that people complain about has been cut out with simple pipes and springs in convenient locations. They even add more stuff to collect like letting you unlock CONCEPT ART WHICH IS SO FUCKING COOL, I still haven't looked through it all but it's actually amazing they did this and I'd KILL for Mario Art Books from every Mario game please just release more Mario concept art UGH. And of course there's the changed dialogue to confirm vivian being trans which is so nice, and I'm honestly shocked they actually did it. It feels almost un-nintendo of them to do. But I'm so happy they did it! It's a real remake, baby!!

In general, yeah, this game is perfect. It's filled with clear love for the original, without being afraid of acknowledging where improvements were made in future titles. Like, again, instant saving or the really nice graphics or music changing for each chapter. And while there aren't any WILD changes like brand new cutscenes in the Super Mario RPG remake, I'd say what they add and ultimately didn't add makes this such a wonderful remake all the same. I had a blast playing it and it felt so good to just, genuinely no coping love playing Paper Mario again!

Stuff I didn't like

But of course no game is perfect. And I do have some nit picks. Like, why don't they use Mario's official new signature when he signs up to join the Glitz Pit? No but seriously, folks-

There's not much wrong with this remake, there's some small stuff like them not fixing EVERY bit of fluff from the original. You still have to mash 100 times for the 'I Love You' scene. Which is funny! But like, no one complains about THIS but you all complain about a little backtracking? Amateur hour. I also think the Prince Mush fight isn't as cool as everyone says it is. I'm not huge on fights where you have to play 100% perfectly but I know that's just a me thing. And I wish SO badly they could've done a tiny bit more to have teammates interact with each other more. Although I do love that everyone comes out whenever you stand on the altar in front of the door. But like, I think everyone should've come out when the Crystal Stars are gathering everyone's wishes... OH MY GOD I FORGOT THEY MADE THE CRYSTAL STARS UGLY IN THIS REMAKE OH NOOOOO GAME RUINED-

But really, I think my big main complaint is that this remake feels a little... Too easy? Compared to the original. In the original the game is MASSIVELY padded out by having you get constantly fucked over by the stage elements. But this time I swear I got hit by a stage element maybe 2 or 3 times. But my enemy was CONSTANTLY getting fried or slammed to death in every fight. It's too common on the enemies, but feels like it's massively toned down on you. I think in the original you can get fucked over a bit much, but this doesn't feel like a compromise, if that makes sense?

Final Thoughts

But WHO CARES!! This remake is SO good! Genuinely, if you love Thousand Year Door, if you hate Thousand Year Door, if you've never played Paper Mario in your life. I think you owe it to yourself to finally experience this wonderful video game. It's truly one of my favorite video games ever and I think it's such a fantastic entry into the RPG genre.

From small changes to big changes, this is a wonderful remake. I don't know if I'd say it's a replacement to the original, personally. I actually think the original's more simple graphics have a GREAT and cartoonish feel to them that's lost a little bit with the papercraft look. And obviously nostalgia is a hell of a drug, but if someone told me they prefer this version? It's absolutely a no-brainer why. I'm so happy I loved this game so much...

Sooooo, how about that Paper Mario 64 remake, guys-

===

And that's that! Once again, I know I've said this a million times. But even though this remake was amazing and made me fall in love with Paper Mario all over again. I'm still waiting patiently for them to do a new Paper Mario in this style. I'm only so impressed that they made an amazing game amazing again. I want to know if they have what it takes to make something BRAND NEW with such a wonderful plot, characters, and combat. I'm very excited for the potential of future Mario RPGs regardless though, and I can't wait to see what's in store for us with Brothership. But Intelligent Systems, I AM wait for a new Paper Mario in this style. You've been warned.

That's all I have for now. Go out and play a game you adore!

[cassiesart]

Sorry if you've already gotten an ask like this and I missed it- but I just read Kila Ilo recently and I was wondering if any of the other characters might make appearances too ^^? (i also understand if you'd rather not say for spoilers or something!)

Hey, thanks for asking!

I don't have a really firm outline/script for more than the first 'issue', so I don't know the complete answer to this myself yet! So instead of answering your question in a direct and relevant way, here is a wall of text. if you don't want to read it all the short answer is 'I don't know'

I'm trying to make the newer version of the comic something that can be read and understood without being required to read the old one (the chaotic in media res opening isn't explained by the old comic either <w<) because I suspect the tone/writing/art will end up feeling different enough from the original that not everyone who would enjoy the new comic would enjoy the old comic, and the plot I'm doing isn't a direct continuation.

But I also want to give some closure on all the major characters from the old comic as a basic courtesy to the people who read and supported that story and because every character in a story is a potentially valuable asset and I really need to keep track of where my toys are just in case, so that will happen in some fashion; I regret to say that it will happen very slowly, because webcomics progress at the speed of flowing tar. But it is a high priority to me.

However, I don't know yet who will turn up in person, or when or how, because while I have tentative 'will be in' and 'won't be in' lists, they can change drastically if the storyline takes a turn I didn't plan for. (this is different for everyone but I nearly always find the best choice for me is to change plans if the flow of the story is shifting, rather than to try to pull it back 'on track'. it found a new track). I often end up just as surprised by who is in a story as anyone else is.

So whether a character will actually be active in the plot of the new story depends on whether that character is really helpful and needed there rather than my sense of how many people would want to see them again. But my plan is that if someone isn't a good choice for the plot, at least their life situation and why they're not in the plot will be discussed so they didn't just vanish off the face of the earth space. I have notes/plans for where everyone is now and what they're doing and plan to incorporate that information at some point.

...And it will be a real 'where are they now' update and not some kind of 'oh so-and-so died offscreen by the way' even in cases where the latter would be very funny. I will use restraint.

Thank you for asking! I'm flattered that you care.

[goodeye-cyborg]

In case anyone was wondering about the job situation:

They have a system for you personally to document your coworkers errors for QA. They tell you it's anonymous, but your manager and QA can see who reported the error and also every account leaves a note with your name in it when you look at it, so your coworker that you just errored, knows you're the one that got them a talking to. Also, our trainers just upfront said they use it to be petty over extremely little shit that they admitted weren't actual problems. They encouraged us to do the same. "It's a learning tool" then why are you using it for revenge? Hm?

There is a specific way we are supposed to phrase everything in the Slack chat and if we don't we can get in trouble. There are no templates or written guidelines for this. You're just supposed to idk ask your supervisor about your phrasing before posting questions. Which are time sensitive. Cuz you're on the phone. They want us to put this app on our personal phones despite the fact that QA said outright they have access to all of your shit the app has access to. DMs, download files, all that good shit.

That's also the place we go to publicly beg to take lunch. It's a fast moving chat tho, so the single manager present (who's fuckin around on their phone) might not even see.

They also listen in and watch your screen while you take calls. This includes having access to things said while the customer is on hold. It is up to QA whether they mark you down for calling someone a dumbass while they're on hold and can't hear it. People have been fired over this. I've worked in a call center before, this is not common. It usually just mutes your mic when the customer is on hold, cuz normal QA teams don't wanna listen to you mutter and beatbox while you look for stuff.

This is a call center. This is a call center for extremely low stakes calls. Why is there all of this "I saw Goodie Proctor leaving bad notes" shit? Why are you encouraging me to narc on my coworkers for small stuff that only got messed up cuz they're humans with lives? Fucking..... Cop behavior.

And don't even get me started on the fucking phone call rules. There's no script but there's very specific shit you have to say on specific types of calls. There's an AI the QA team uses to measure your tone also.

Calabrio doesn't think you sound happy enough? That's an error. Dead air? That's an error. A prolonged hold while you hop between the six different, necessary but half functioning, programs you need to look at to learn anything about what the customer's after? Oh baby thats an error. Did the call drop and you didn't publicly announce it in the Slack chat? Take a wild guess.

I am making less than a Wendy's employee in my state, and they're allowed to take smoke breaks. If I'm away from my phone for too long they start going through my shit to make sure I'm not goofing around.

Anyway, I'll be opening commissions soon cuz this is not tenable. Like I said, I've worked in a call center before this one. I've worked from home for almost four years now. I've never encountered this shit in my life. There was less surveillance in fucking retail, and those freaks get mad if you're not constantly making up tasks to do.

[carmenized-onions]

hi! this isn't related to chicago's kindest (which is amazing btw, can't wait to read ch. 6) but i saw that you're in film/tv and i'm wondering how that's going for you!! i've always been passionate about film but i'm not currently pursuing it in school, so i wanted to know what you're currently doing with that (if you're comfortable sharing) or if you can give any insight to people looking into going to school for that industry!!

Oh my lovely lovely summer child.

I'm gonna tell you a bunch of shit. And you're gonna do me a favour, you're gonna listen to none of it. You're going to completely ignore any advice anyone gives you, and you're gonna do what the fuck YOU wanna do. Not everything has panned out perfect for me, but I will never ever ever regret pursuing film, and I have every intention of coming back to it on an actual career stand point.

Right now, I'm not in film or tv (career wise. I stay fuckin' writing my scripts tho, it's vv important to do that on the side). Alas. Such is life. I do admin. Cute lil' desk job. I like it. The people are nice, as are the hours, as is the idea of consistent cash flow.

Film for a lot of people is either gig based or teetering on being laid off if you've got a permanent position or a union job that, if you're being honest with yourself, you are scared it's gonna become dead end. That's right out of school, at least. That's probably gonna be like, the first 5-10 years. I'm only on year 2. It's fucking hell. It goes by slow and you feel like everyone is succeeding more than you. I want you to know, they're not. You're not falling behind-- My mentor, a prolific director/writer (like worked with Netflix and shit) said so, so it's not just me saying so.

We're amid strikes and union busting and revolutions-- It's so complicated, rn. And honestly, I got my degree in the pandemic-- The entire industry is absolutely still feeling the effects of that. I'd also add here, while I think my information is vague enough to go for all of North America-- I am Canadian. So if you live in a major U.S city like Chicagooooo or New York or Los Angeles-- You're going to have a radically different experience than I am in Toronto.

If you feel comfy DMing me, we can chat more about your interests! I love film, I love to write-- I love to direct. That's what I did in school, and I'll be damned if I don't do that shit again. But those things do take time to be allowed to do professionally.

The best advice I can give you: When you're in school-- Socialize. Do your best on student films, because if you beef it it goes around FAST. I had a fantastic reputation in Film College ngl, and it served me extremely well. Keep up your connections.

Get a good consistent job that gives you a schedule you can work with, then work on your own film shit on the side. Get weird. Stay learning. I'm gonna start going to local improv because that's what all the writer's i've known do. And they have careers now. So. Yknow.

Things I wish I did different:

I fucking hate applying to festivals, but you have to do it, i'm so sorry.

Every. Summer. Apply for an internship. Any internship. Any film internship, rather.

You will be okay if you study a little bit less and spend time with your peers a little bit more. That didn't neccessarily impact where I am now-- But it's just something that looking back i'm like... I didn't need to take these notes... I shoulda went to that party my friends begged me to join.

And if you want bluntness? My classmates who took production management/producer courses? They're all the ones with consistent film jobs now. But like. Again. Do what the fuck YOU want. Don't follow the money, it won't end up feeding you.

This was a lot, but again, feel free to DM me if you want even more deranged ramblings. I'm happy to go into more personal detail-- It's honestly vv important that you go to a film school that's actually fuckin' WORTH SOMETHING-- Because a lot of them are snake oil. I love/hate my College tho. Love them because I learned more than I would anywhere else. Hate them because that was psychological torture everyday I think I had a panic attack like 3 times a week.

LOVE YOU HOPE THIS WAS USEFUL GOOD LUCK BABY!!!

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

The Invasion of Time (episode 1):

tldr: i took three and a half pages of notes on just one episode so that's why this part is only one episode, anyway now on to the lore. this establishes a lot of stuff having to do with the presidency, including the induction ceremony, the presidents access to the matrix (or more accurately their sort of melding with the matrix) (theres a good amount here about the matrix), its also interesting because the way its phrased its unclear just how much of gallifrey the president is in charge of. they also just don't get a replacement when the doctor leaves in the deadly assassin becuase he's the only candidate, political system that works 100%. theres also some stuff with time lord technology, they can tell something is gallifreyan by its molecules remotely, seemingly know where the tardis will land, and tell if theres sentient life inside of it remotely

leela knows how to use the tardis scanner <3, i love when companions know how to use the tardis

its andred, hi andred

theres still a lot of green around, don't think as much as last time though, more silver, and theres weird little colorful plastic chairs that are very low to the ground (and maybe some plants, idk i didn't get a very good look)

who is this guy and why are his robes gold (<- words of a man who takes the time lords color coding things way too seriously) (hes a castellan from later info but still don't exactly feel like this makes sense, but this is doctor who, you can't really expect that can you)

there's really not a lot in these offices (also they're connected? might be that way with andred and the castellan because of chancellery guard shit but idk)

they have the ability to remotely tell if somethings molecules are gallifreyan

architecture has lots of straight lines (interesting when compared to depictions of the citadel in new who where it seems very rounded but we're not there yet)

"green level" defenses and "amber alert" -> what do the colors correlate to?

this guy is making a call on a ping pong ball, classic who never change

the tardis is referred to as a capsule (might have also been in previous episodes, but i didn't write that down so we'll never know)

more examples of gallifreyan script (would have to check if its different from in the deadly assassin though)

only two time lords are currently absent from gallifrey -> both on authorized research missions (what are these?) -> renegades not counted

"unauthorized use of a time capsule has only one penalty" wonder what that is (i mean i was thinking death or something, but they could get creative with it)

they have the ability to tell if there's sentient life on a tardis from the outside

the tardis pool <3

the castellan has a weird little device that hes doing something on (hes a time lord ipad kid)

chancellery guard seem to know where the tardis is going to be landing

"guard of honor"

andreds uniform has two little golden tassles -> sign of his rank

the chancellery guard are being a little bit useless and the doctor is just pretty much doing whatever he wants

the doctor claims the presidency -> "my legal right", "the inheritance of rassilon", "the titles, honor, duty, and obedience of all colleges", "I claim the presidency of the council of time lords"

borusas robes seem more red than in the last serial, which probably only matters to me, but now you know that too

the doctor was the only candidate for president after the deadly assassin so they just never got a new one i guess

the council can't ratify things without the president

borusa just kind of made himself chancellor, like sure man i guess

can't tell if i wan't paying close enough attention last time or if the details on the weird hat things and the necklaces are new

"supreme council" again makes me curious as to what exactly the president is president of, is it just the time lords, all or gallifrey, or just a council of powerful time lords that all make the decisions

doctor is covering the walls, ceiling, and floor of the presidential office in lead

the doctor looks like a victorian ghost in the robes for the induction ceremony

the matrix -> "all the information that has ever been stored, all the information that can be stores, the imprints of personalities of hundreds of time lords and their presidents, their elected presidents" -> information from/about the future present in the matrix? and again, exactly how many time lords are there, because it was thousands last time and now its hundreds, and those are just the dead ones

the president is given access to the whole matrix, apc net was only a small part of it

"it will become a part of you as you become a part of it" -> being president physically changes you

"more powerful than anyone in the known universe"

leela and andred doing what i can only call flirting (for them at least) in the background

these two time lords are talking pretty much nonsense, but they do say some interesting things lore wise -> "aren't you due for regeneration" implies scheduled regeneration for most time lords if this is a common enough thing to come up in normal conversation

"lately" -> "in the last decade or so", different perceptions of time due to longer life spans

line that implies that hobbies are uncommon among time lords

the artifacts of rassilon are brought out on weird clear plastic red pillows (the one for the key of rassilon is empty)

"cardinals, time lords, madam" -> outside of leela, for obvious reasons, this feels like a bit of a weird distinction to make

go usher has orange gloves -> prydonian?

other time lords are given a chance to contest the candidates right to the artifacts of rassilon

okay next part is just going to be a bunch of quotes from the induction ceremony

"we are here today to honor the will and the wisdom of rassilon" -> followed by banging the staff on the ground

the guy gives a little speech that i did not write down, but i'm pretty sure its the same or at least similar to what we hear in the gallifrey audios (good on them for following through on lore, unlike some people cough cough hell bent)

"president of the supreme council of the time lords of gallifrey"

"accept therefore" -> the various artifacts of rassilon (including the introduction of the rod of rassilon)

"seek therefore the great key of rassilon"

"follow in the wisdom of rassilon"

giving the president the matrix is the last part of the induction ceremony -> gets the coronet (not called that here), which floats up from the ground, placed on his head

so i've decided to watch through every episode that gallifrey appears in and take notes on them (not doing this for every episode a non doctor time lord is in because that's too many) for the purposes of either ranking them, figuring out the lore, or later comparing eu depictions of time lords to how they're shown in the show, i'll figure it out later. this little intro thing is basically just for myself to make a post where i can put the highlights of my notes (very much not putting all of them since so far its been an average of 1.5 pages of notes per episode)

[sorcessworld]

✉ Law of Assumption Bootcamp!

Hi loves! At the start of the year, I decided to do my own deep read on The Law of Assumption and came up with my personal boot camp plan to transform into the perfect manifestor I know I am. At the start, I began with so many limiting beliefs and anxiety. And I came out an entirely different person by the end of it. Honestly, before I got into the Law, I never thought the click would happen for me- but it did, so I'm sharing what I did with you in case it does it for you too.

One thing you might notice in LOA is that you might know something from applying, but you only really 'know' what you know when you actually apply it! That's why applying is so important as you're able to see where your mind really is and match it up to the LOA and what you really should be doing.

✧ First Thing's First.

Spend time to read and understand what you're reading. I spent an hour to less than an hour on average, but if it takes you nth amount of time to read and understand, do that. Next, engage ABSOLUTELY nothing else to do with the law of assumption. Only the essentials of what you need to manifest.

While I did this, I listened to my self-concept subliminal (which later became a law of assumption playlist) while I listened to music/worked etc. It's not necessary but to me, subliminals are like affirming without taking the time to affirm. At the same time, I didn't even use it that much. That's all the extra stuff I did; now for the real 'challenge'.

✧ Preboot Camp Stuff.

••• Create a list of all you're manifesting. It can be a nice, simple script, just make it real simple. There's a high chance that by the end of this, you might find your list has changed, or some of the things have started to manifest.

••• Next, we're going to get to know ourselves. What do you like, what are your hobbies, etc. etc. What do you believe (or assume you believe) when you're creating your dream life or dream self? We'll be keeping this close to us as we work on ourselves and keep our minds healthy. I found this so important because one of the key things in Law of Assumption is trusting who you are, as a person. It really gave me a nice refresher of myself and who I was going to transform into.

••• Clean up your space, both physical and digital. Cut off all social media you could over-consume on. Get a nice Pomodoro app or just use the timer on your laptop/phone. When that's done, it's time to bury the old you. Do you remember that list you made of yourself? Did you have any limiting beliefs or nasty thoughts about anything? Delete them. Even if you didn't put anything down, you're still gonna have a funeral darling! Make space for the new and improved you!

••• Create a routine for CONSUMPTION. Manifesting is fun, but manifesting is also a lifestyle! You cannot expect to manifest without application. Again, make it very simple. Here's mine:

1. In the morning I vaunt my self-concept (which includes manifesting everything I want already and overnight etc.) if I feel like it. I also read self-concept posts, success stories and/or Neville's work. Then I turn my playlist on and take notes on what I've read.

2. After I take notes (in my own words) and understand what I've read, I manifest something random based on those notes, like food, a sign, an sp's text.

✧ Topics to look at.

••• There are so many wonderful posts in our community. They're written in a simple, easily understood way for us, so we should put those to good use. Select anything that resonates with you (but just pick one thing if too many people are saying the same thing) and use that as your learning point. For each lesson, I then take very dumbed down notes in my own words. If I choose, I'll manifest something small right after taking notes.

These are the topics, and the sources I followed!

▲ CULTIVATING BELIEF.

- one.

- two.

note: honestly, I struggled with this a lot, but once I assumed that I didn't need to work to believe anything, that I just know that it works, it made things so much better.

▲ SELF CONCEPT.

- one.

- two.

- three.

- four.

- five.

- six.

- seven.

- eight.

- nine.

- ten.

- eleven.

- twelve.

- thirteen.

- fourteen.

- fifteen.

- sixteen.

▲ UNDERSTANDING THE INNER WORLD.

- one.

- two.

- three.

▲ ABANDONING LOGIC.

- one.

- two.

- three.

▲ LAW OF ASSUMPTION.

- one.

- two.

- three.

- four.

- five.

- six.

- seven.

- eight.

- nine.

- ten.

▲ LIVING IN THE END.

1. Knowing

- one.

- two.

2. Persisting

- one.

- two.

- three.

- four.

- five.

- six.

- seven.

- eight.

- nine.

3. Creation Is Finished.

- one.

- two.

- three.

- four.

••• By the time I was finished, I had a good amount of notes, about 6+ pages. I noticed a lot of things overlapped or were just recycled into the OP's own words so it was less than what I finally had to type up for myself.

After I took all these notes, I went to Neville's work, to see what Neville is saying and interpret it for myself. Some things made even more sense for me, while others were thrown out.

••• When I finished all this, I took a little break from everything to sort myself out. Then read it back and it honestly clicked so hard for me. I'll post that write up in sections later but for now, this is what I did to really digest LOA.

- golden, 🌈

[tar-oh]

Pick a Pile: What is next in love?

Hello, all. I didn't intend on taking as long of a hiatus as I did, but life kind of got in the way. Anyway, here I am, back with another reading. This one is a short one, mostly just to get back into the practice of doing a collective reading. It's about what will be next in your love lives. Again, these are pretty short. I hope to do a longer, more in-depth collective reading soon if time permits. Now, I must do my normal spiel and say that this is a collective reading. Not everything is going to apply to everyone, so please only take what resonates. If you do find yourself curious, I do offer private readings for $6 a question. Just DM me if interested. Otherwise, if you're feeling kind and want to tip me (not required obviously, but appreciated!) you can do so on cashapp $sararms or paypal: paypal.me/sararms Now, onto the reading! For this one, pick a picture of River Phoenix because he has my favorite nose that I have ever seen:

Pile 1:

Cards: Cardinal Medicine, Sodalite, Amazonite, Justice, Temperance, The Sun, Demeter

The first thing I can say, Pile 1, is that this is beautiful to me. I see a lot of balance, so I have to wonder if what is next in love for you is what you deserve. Maybe past relationships, flings or even crushes, didn't work out for you. Maybe you've just dealt with a lot of shit in the romance department. But I get such a warm, peaceful feeling from these cards. It could also be that even if there isn't someone new coming, you're just "seeing the light", which is something I'm hearing. Another thing I'm getting is that maybe whoever this is, if it's someone new (or a new situation), they may be your opposite and that this is about you both learning to balance the differences and make them work. Like, using what you're good at to help them with what they're not good at and vice-versa.

I'm also thinking that this is something you have a feeling is coming. The sodalite card speaks of using your intuition and also, following your dreams. The Sun card from this tarot deck also makes me think of using your intuition, just from all the eyes. The amazonite also brings about this balanced feeling, but with that, also is the calmness the sodalite speaks of. So, this feels overall...calm? This could be someone you just feel at peace with. Someone you can sit in silence with and not feel the need to fill up the silence.

Another thing I want to point out is a need to detach from the outcome. Both the amazonite and Cardinal Medicine cards bring this up. I think, even though you're asked to listen to your intuition, not to let a preconceived notion about how things are supposed to turn out take over your mind. I think, when this happens, that balance that seems to be so highlighted in these cards, vanishes and it becomes something frustrating. I wonder if maybe something about this situation is unexpected. Maybe you have an inkling about who this is, but how it happens is a way you never could have imagined. Or maybe it plays out the way you expect, but who this is is not involved with this vision. Something about this feels like a surprise, but not a bad one, because again, this is something peaceful and something that is restoring balance/justice. Cardinal Medicine does also promise new partnerships that are long-lasting. I don't want to get everyone's hopes up with this since it's a general reading, but I could see that this is something some people will experience.

One thing that is worth noting is the bottom of the decks. We have Kyanite, Candle Magic, and 3 of wands. I didn't take a picture, mostly because I didn't really have that for the other piles. Anyway, I believe these are all saying that maybe you do have a vision on how this will play out, and while you shouldn't expect it to go by the script, there's reason to keep hoping and dreaming of it. There's a feeling of planning here, along with hopes and manifestations. I see this more as what you're wanting now, will play out later. I can't give you timing, other than I only asked what was next, so this could mean tomorrow, next month or even months from now. So, there's a need to keep that hope, even if that means it takes a bit of time. This feels so good, though, so I think even if it takes longer than you'd want, it will be all you ever hoped for and then some.

There's also a really small message for a few of you, which is codependency. I see that some of you could either lose yourself within this relationship/another person or that you're afraid you will. I think this is something to be aware of. You're asked to keep yourself you. This means, while you may be in a partnership and do things for the sake of keeping this partnership together, you're also asked to keep yourself in mind. What are your dreams? What are your desires? And most importantly, what do you need? I don't think this is going to be a huge issue, and it may only be a message for a few of you, but this is just something I needed to mention.

I wanted to pull you some advice for this, so I pulled a Goddess Power Oracle card, and we got Demeter. Her keyword is Nurturer. My first thoughts from this card are about growth. She's holding some wheat in her hands, and I thought about harvesting it, but also, before harvesting, how there's that cultivation. Letting it grow. I think this relates back to this idea of letting go of expectations and how you think the outcome should be. I think there's a need to let things play out, allowing things to grow. I relate this to that Cardinal Medicine card, but less from the cards meanings and more from the imagery. Cardinals appear year-round here in Wisconsin. They actually bear a lot of meaning to me, and they like to show up in my backyard on days when I'm not feeling quite like myself. For that reason, I associate them with the dead of winter. But, I also associate them with winter because of their stark redness. They really stand out in a snow-filled backyard, don't they? They blend a little better in an autumnal setting, blending a bit with the red and orange leaves. In Summer, they also stand out depending on where they are. Are they near green grass? Or, maybe a patch of dirt? So, this, to me, is a message that maybe things will feel stagnant at spots and the progress within whatever this situation brings you, appears to be at a standstill. Other times, the difference this brings into your life is going to be as obvious as a Cardinal in the snow.

If we get into what this card means according to the deck's booklet, we see that it involves harvest, but it's more so in the sense of you making sure that you're able to give. You cannot fill a cup with what you don't have, right? So, this card is a reminder to nurture yourself, but also nurture others. This, to me, goes back to the idea of codependency. I think there's a need to be sure you have boundaries with this, knowing when you should merge within this partnership, but also knowing when you need to be an individual. I'm also thinking about not shutting out others, too. I know when you're within a honeymoon phase of a relationship, it's hard to find the desire to want to do anything with anyone other than this person, but I also could see this card suggesting that you both include others within activities, or you spend time with others outside of this relationship/situation. I'm not getting this as a really strong message, but I think it's something you're asked to keep in mind. I see this card, for this pile, being more about progress and also nurturing yourself.

Pile 2:

Cards: Amethyst, Ruby, Crone, Gatherings, King of Wands, 10 of Wands, the Empress, 4 of cups

To be honest, pile 2, I see this as a fleeting thing. Something passionate, but over with quickly. That's just my first impression. This may not be what some of you want to hear, but I think what I can tell you is that from this, you're going to gain a lot of wisdom, and I think this will also renew a sense of self for you.

I think this is something that is going to change the game for you, pile 2. While I could see it as fleeting, I could also see it having a lasting impression. From this, I think you'll gain a better understanding of who you are within love and within life. It will allow you to let yourself be who you are, whether this is because this person is going to try to stifle that, or, because this person is unapologetically themselves, therefore inspiring you to do so. This situation is going to make you know where you're stretching yourself too thin. I am getting two camps here, 1 where this person will cause you to stress, introducing this realization that you need to put up boundaries and stop carrying others' burdens. And the other camp, where this person isn't going to cause you to stress, but rather, teaches you how to put up stronger boundaries with others, and even, maybe, yourself. I think, for some, you're going to grow bored with this situation. For others, this situation will show you where the others lacked. While I see this as short-lived for all, I think how this is short-lived is going to leave those lasting impressions. Whatever the case is, from this will be this growth of self-worth. It's going to teach you how to love yourself. I'm not just talking about those who are having trouble with their self-esteem, but I mean, all of you. I think it's going to highlight the ways you can care more for yourself, teaching you how to have a torch lit for yourself in ways you didn't before.

There's also a call to ask for help. I think with this situation, comes questions. These cards tell you to ask for guidance from your community. For some, this may be a mother figure of sorts that offers you these answers. For others, just a group of friends. For some, I could even see this person offering answers. Though, if that's the case, I think this may be more along the lines of after the case, rather than during.

There's also this idea of fertility here. I think this is about allowing room for change and growth, but I see this more as an internal thing for you guys. While I do think there's a part of this that involves other people, I think the biggest thing is that you're not going to be the same person you are before this situation, and maybe these changes aren't going to be noticeable for a while, but they're there. Maybe they're just hiding under a cup, like in the 4 of cups? I think, also, a lot of creativity will stem from this. Possibly just a way to channel emotions, like creative ventures. But, I see so much creativity here. Maybe you're just that group that always is doing something creative?

I see a great deal of sexual attraction here. Even if you don't get to that stage, I think this is someone you'll have a hard time keeping your hands off of. But from this, again, I think comes self-love. I think you grow a deeper appreciation for yourself through this person. This, I think, for most is an afterthought once this is all said and done. Similar to group one, I cannot give you the timing for this. I told them that because I didn't specify a time frame, this could come at any time. So, maybe tomorrow, next week or in months. For you guys, I see a lot of different seasons within these cards, too, so this is probably just a really big group, which is why it's kept so general.

I pulled an advice card from the Goddess Power Oracle deck, and your group received Yhi, whose keyword is The Sun. This card asks you to be brave and be bold. But, it also, explains that sometimes, our bright light attracts people who either bring us up or bring us down. This brings me to think that this group does have a few different situations that might happen. For some, you'll attract someone who is also shining bright, and this will only bring you up and help you expand as a person. For others, you'll attract someone who feels less than you, and this will cause some heartache, I believe, but this will ultimately raise you up, too. I think there's an aspect of "burning too bright" here. That isn't to say that you shouldn't shine as bright as you possibly can. No, rather, I read it as a passion thing. I think this is going to be kind of like flying too close to the sun; hot, full of fiery passion, but ultimately burning you up. I think this has the potential to really wound you, but ultimately, this is a good thing. I wish I had something better to say from that, and I'm sure some of you may find that a bit distressing or just a bummer. However, I see that whatever the situation is, you'll leave it shining brighter than before. Gosh. I know it sucks to hear "What's next in love is a lesson", because lessons aren't always fun to learn. Though, I could see that for some this will be fun during, but after you'll be so much wiser. In the end, you could be the Crone. Wisdom is something to respect, in my opinion, so I see this as you gaining more in the long run, like new boundaries. From this, you'll know what works for you and what doesn't. From this, you'll find your sun, your guiding star. A side note, I could totally see this resulting in an insane glow-up for some in this group, and maybe from this situation, you go onto something even more passionate, but also better suited for you. Who knows!

Pile 3:

Cards Molybdenite, Feasting, Temperance, 4 of Swords, Ace of Pentacles

Pile 3, you had the least amount of cards come out. I didn't intend for that to happen, however, I also believe that it's meant to be that way. Group 1 also got Temperance, but I read it more as balance. For you, I get that balance, however, I see more rejuvenation here. I see that what is next in love is either you pouring back into your own cup by focusing on yourself, or, something that is just going to be overall healing. For some, something that just gives you a sense of being alive. I also get a feeling of gentleness. Either this person will be incredibly gentle with you, or it's you allowing things to flow, in a gentle manner. By that, I mean, no forcing things, and, also, being compassionate with yourself. A running theme within all piles is the need to nourish oneself. But, this theme is very present here. This Feast card is about knowing that what you give, it will come back. It's about having trust in the universe, but also, knowing how to care for yourself. Being gentle by feeding your soul. I could see that for some, what is next in love is discovering a new passion. For others, it's about feeling loved by the universe. Or, for others, someone gentle is coming in.

Your message is really short, so I think I need to tell you that another pile may hold something else for you if you felt called to another. This pile is ultimately about self-love and learning to care for yourself, while also knowing that you are where you are for a reason. If you are feeling a little lost, know that you are there for a reason. I hate telling you that, especially because I've felt that way all year. But, what I have learned, is that within the confusion and the sense of directionlessness, lays lessons and opportunities. I think for a lot of you, this is money or material related. I think, there's value here with knowing your worth. I also think, there's value in knowing what you want. Maybe it's not attainable at this very moment, but I could see these cards as being a message that now, in this foggy, stagnancy, you're in a cocoon. Within this cocoon, is you laying out the groundwork for when you get out of it. Maybe that isn't for another few years, which I get is really frustrating to hear. But, I think in the long run, you're going to look back on this period and be thankful. There is something magical in the unknown, and maybe there's a bit of fear, too. But, not everything needs to be planned out right now. You are being asked to take in this stillness, and maybe you use it to plan the future. Maybe you don't. I think these cards are saying that however you use this time, is what is meant to be. I also see this, for a small number, as healing after a heartbreak? If that is the case, this cocoon is here to keep you safe while you heal your heart. But, overall, I think for most, what's next in love isn't necessarily love? Like, yes, love for yourself and maybe even life, but I think this point in your life is actually more about your abundance and how you take advantage of it. Also, your relationship with wealth...? I am getting that some of you need to look at how you see wealth, and maybe reframe this, or figure out a way to make this more useful...As in, a way not to stress yourself out so much. This sounds like a bit of bullshit to me, because I get that we all need money to survive, but I think there's a group of you that is running yourself dry, and I think there's a need to figure out where this is occurring and how you can...not fix it fully, I don't know if that's possible, but maybe...alleviate it?

For each group, I pulled a Goddess Power Oracle card. You received Oshun, whose keyword is Generosity. I view this as directly relating to that Feast card. It's about gratitude and having faith in the universe. It's also about trying to dispel any fears that you will not have enough. That can be tough, I know, but the cards seem to believe that for this situation, this will help you out. I hear, "less is more" in my head, and I think that's for a small number of you, but it was with the line of thought about how you have so few cards. I think this was what you needed to know now, and not what's really next in love. It's funny, it was like I asked this and the universe was like "Yeah, hey, this is what these people need to know right now, not about love." So, again, if you think you have more messages, try one of the other piles.

[h-worksrambles]

A certain 3h video essay made me sit down and read Adastra in like a day and I loved it of course! (This is therefore long and rambly haha). One of the characters that really intrigued me from the start was Alex. While I understand and 100% agree that he's a selfish calculating little shit to put lightly and his cowardice is disgusting, the way the fandom treats any discourse about him seems way too harsh and dismissive for me.

Isn't Marco in a similar boat by the end? He's on a mission, desperately trying to convince himself it's the right thing and that he's not just being used, while the "choice" given to him is not even a choice. We've surely seen that the parents don't give a single shit what happens to any living creature, what horrific spectacles occur, as long as the thing they want happens, cause it's all totally "pre-destined"; all threats and fearmongering coming almost overtly from the parents.

I find it a little similar to the way Alex speaks of certain things in particular to justifying his people trying to isolate the wolves and his actions on Adastra. It's like he's reading a script he learned from memory and I think it's even noted by Marco somewhere near the beginning of the story. I think they're way more similar in how both of their broader situations are sort of decided for them, even if we don't really delve deep into Alex's story or motivations to say for sure. Still, I find the similarities interesting, Marco would never step down to Alex's level per say, but what if he was pushed down?

Of course, it doesn't help that Alex almost immediately falls back to his old ways (planning to steal the ship to leave Adastra) and showing no acknowledgement of seeing Marco again after being basically dead is ice cold (I really think they could've been good friends in different circumstances), but boy does he have a lot right about wolf society and their treatment of others. Amicus is not at fault for what he was born into, but even he has to admit change will be slow. Alex and Marco agree on a whole lot more that Marco and Amicus butt heads on, which I think is an interesting way to have the two couples mirror each other, so it'd be only fair to explore their relationship next.

I really can't help but wonder how much of Cassius' feelings are based on something unknown to us, not just the few tender scenes Marco saw, and how much it's him trying to brush off Alex's actions and spinelessness to avoid being hurt. Even if it's the latter, the quality of Alex's writing to render such feelings is insane. But also them still choosing each other with all the shit they both got into is sweet? Alex is really the perfect poor little meow meow.

Oh sweet! Welcome to the fandom! I do wonder how many newcomers got into this game through that video essay? It certainly pulled me back in.

I think it’s partly a consequence that Adastra is a game that’s very good at playing to people’s feelings and giving them a very emotional response. People are invested in this story. They utterly fell in love with Amicus. And they cried buckets over the ending. And so I think it’s very easy to take a similar response to all the characters, especially the antagonists. As I’ve said Alexios’ betrayal seems to hit very close to home for a lot of people. And, it’s funny that you mentioned Keith Ballard’s essay because I think he made another very good point as to why this gets people when he was examining Adastra through a queer theory lens.

Thing is, there’s a good chance you know someone like Alexios. Maybe they’re not a spy who tears down a government resulting in dozens of deaths in riots. But you may know someone who plays up a sweet facade, puts on a different face to everyone around them and always plays the victim when they’re called out. Alex’s breed of toxic friendship hits a very familiar sweet spot, especially for queer audiences, that prompts an aggressive negative reaction from players. And he’s absolutely supposed to. Which I think is where ghat immediate dismissal comes from.

That being said, I still find him really interesting, and like you, I really like that this character is the one who makes a lot of very accurate criticisms of how awful the wolves’ society is. I definitely also get the feeling that Alex is parroting the Omorfan ‘party line’ so to do speak. It’s how he convinces himself that the consequences of his actions don’t affect him and aren’t his problem. His hands may not be quite as tied as Cassius wants to believe, but he also doesn’t entirely have full freedom of choice either. It’s complicated. And yes, I really enjoy that he voices the same criticisms that Marco and Neferu are also thinking. It makes the parallels between him and Marco kind of fascinating. Your point by the end that Marco’s servitude to the Parents puts him in a very similar situation is a really intriguing point that I haven’t considered before.

As for him and Cass, I definitely think there’s a lot more to their relationship than we actually see. Do I think their bond is healthy? No. Do I ship it anyway? Yes. A major theme in Adastra is that everyone is putting on a facade. Everyone is playing the political game and they all have something to hide and that theme of hiding identity also plays into the queer subtext. The reason Marco and Amicus’ relationship hits so hard is because it’s a rare moment of sincerity. In a setting filled with masks and deception, they’re each the one person the other can be themselves with. But even if we don’t see it as much, I do think that applies to Cass and Alex too. It’s a lot less healthy because they’re both deeply screwed up people. But that doesn’t mean it’s not sincere and I find that really compelling.

So yeah, Alexios is a despicable character, but I think it’s worth briefly putting that immediate emotional reaction aside and digging a little deeper because he’s honestly a really intriguing and well written character. Thank you for your ask. And I’m glad you loved the game too!

I do want to come back to your point about the Parents. But I don’t know if you’re following the ongoing updates of Interea so I’ll hide them in a ‘read more’ to avoid spoilers.

Thing is, Interea has already started to dig into the ramifications of Alex’s actions and to into Omorfa as a whole. He’s still immediately trying to send info back to his superiors back there, suggesting further that he’s learned nothing. And Amicus and especially Virginia are both pretty strongly in favour of having him killed for what he’s done. But what makes this especially interesting is that Omorfa is apparently making steps to isolate themselves from the Parents. And there’s movements on Adastra pushing for the same thing. I have pretty much all the same thoughts about the Parents you do. So once again, we have a character who does deplorable things the cause real harm, but who’s justifications are all things with an uncomfortable grain of truth. As someone who thinks the Parents are giving every sus vibe imaginable (I’ve played enough JRPGs to know a self-involved manipulative god figure when I see one), then I’m curious to see what role Omorfa’s distance from the Parents will play in the story and where that leaves Alex in the middle of it. Again, his role is really fascinating to me.

[indigostudies]

hi! i hope you don't mind me jumping onto this post, but there's a great deal of resources for learning arabic!

this masterpost by @rosepaige is a great starter post, with a ton of linked resources to websites, apps, etc, etc. i have yet to check any of them out, but the post is very comprehensive, and i think would be a good place to start finding out what works for you.

another masterpost, this one by @wonderful-language-sounds, geared towards beginners. it has text recommendations, websites, apps, podcasts, and more.

the busuu arabic course, if you have busuu, is, in my opinion, pretty decent. it takes you through all the letters, and explains the way they appear in initial, medial, final, and isolated forms—i grew up reading arabic, as a muslim, so i didn't really need this, but i know it's one of the hardest things for people who aren't familiar with the script, because letters appear in so many different forms. the course also explains diacritics (arabic doesn't actually have stand-alone vowels; they're indicated above or below the character, along with things like stops and pauses). the one hard point to busuu in my opinion is that there's a lot of vocab thrown at you very early on, so unless you take a lot of notes, it can be hard to get through lessons as you go along.

if you want reading materials, there's read play learn! they have reading materials designed along the comprehensible input method, and go from novice to advanced.

if you're interested in listening, i've heard good things about language transfer—they only have an intro arabic course, but it's all taught through audio.

this post by @h0neytalk has a bunch of tips for practicing your writing! writing in arabic script is a pretty challenging task if you don't have any familiarity, both because it's written and read right to left, and because of the rules for how letters appear in different places in a word. practice makes perfect!

these are just the highlights i can think of—i have more posts on my blog under the arabic tag, which you can browse here! good luck, i hope you enjoy your journey!

I wanna learn Arabic so bad 🥹🥹 does anyone have good resources?

[ambiguouspuzuma]

Character study

The man's beard was like a thicket of gorse, more sprawl than volume, less middle than edge. That was its natural state, of course - the writer knew that as well as anyone - but it struck him as distinctive for precisely that reason. In a world of increasingly curated appearances, he didn't see much in the way of nature anymore.

For today's men, facial hair was often a tamed creature: a carefully coiffured look, trimmed within an inch of its life, like one of those topiary boxwoods pruned into a perfect shape. By contrast, this was a garden surrendered to weeds, or the rough heather strewn across an empty highland moor.

The auburn brush ranged from the man's pale cheeks to the crest of his defined jawline, and then poured onwards like a cascade down his neck, making it halfway before it faded into skin. The neck itself might have been unusually long, although the writer suspected that the man's face may also have been stunted - his jaw abruptly jutting out where others would continue on - and it was too hard to determine which was which.

"Can I help you?" The man's tone, on looking up to find himself the subject of such a study, was equally short.

"Not at all," the writer said, a smile on his own thin lips. "I'm just people watching."

"People watching?" He looked around. They'd taken opposite seats in the carriage, one of those banks of four where two passengers could each take a corner and preserve their leg-room and personal space. In theory. "It's only me here. It's going to be a long journey, and I'd rather not be watched the whole time. You'd be better off looking out there."

He gestured through the window to his left, where the horizon rippled into hills and valleys beneath a gloomy sky. Their foreground was forest, and trees raced each other in fleeing their approach, hurtling along the tracks in their wake. It would be the same for the rest of their trip. A suitable backdrop for this scene, but nothing entertaining in itself.

"I'm all good for scenery," the writer replied. "At the moment, I'm casting. More portrait than landscape, if you catch my drift."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a writer. People watching is more than a hobby, you see; it's research. I observe all the little details, our patterns of speech and action, every imperfection and idiosyncrasy, and use them to make my characters feel real. I like to travel, to see how people react to different situations."

"Is that why you're here?" The man didn't seem keen to have his imperfections studied, but he was otherwise intrigued. Most people secretly longed for their fifteen minutes of fame, and winding up in a novel was an interesting prospect. "A research trip? Are you writing anything at the moment?"

"I'm hunting my muse. Looking for inspiration. I always am, really. Such is the author's lot. Once you become a writer, you cease to become a man. The storyteller cannot be a character. The photographer is always out of frame."

"Actually, they're often in them now," the man said. "They're called selfies."

"Instead, he must become a sieve," the writer continued, ignoring him. "Distilling life into the tales worth telling, panning for gold amongst the dust. In moments of great beauty, or great sadness, the writer will be there, taking notes: observing the emotions from outside, to pin them down like butterflies, stolen flowers pressed between the pages of his book."

"Right..."

"He is the filter, the place where blood congeals to ink, the screen on which the shadows play. The whole world flows through him, and the stories flow out. He is the voyeur, the watcher on his reader's behalf. The man who must transcribe the script of life. The man who puts the lyrics to the melody. The man who translates wonders into words."

"I see." The soliloquy was wasted on its audience of one. Whatever strange creatures a writer had to be, this man was far more interested in whether he might make the cut. "So... have I inspired you at all?"

"You're still just a character," the writer said. He reached into his bag, and pulled out a gun. "Now, let's give you a plot."

[bylrndgm]

you do edits and gifs right? i am trying to find a good screen recorder (preferably free and without a watermark. kind of a tall order. i know) i just wondered if maybe you knew of one? also curious what programs/process you use to create your gifs and edits if you don't mind sharing ty

Hey! I've been making gifs for the last ten years and I got some tricks up my sleeve. It's going to be such a long post (as I'll discuss my process in detail and depth, explaining all the little things), so if anyone is interested, just read under the cut! (❁´◡`❁)

Step one: finding the video

To make an HQ gif, your video has to be HQ. The best choice is to go on YouTube and download the highest-quality video:

Example -> if there is as quality option 4K, download the video in 4K.

Remember that .mp4 videos have a lower quality, because it's a compressed file.

A better extension is .mkv, which I find preserves the quality better.

If you can't get the video from YouTube, you may still want to have a good quality video -> you can still record your screen and I suggest this open source program: OBS Studio (Win, Mac and Linux!)

Here you can play with the settings -> on the output menu, remember to select the .mkv output! (NOTE: you need to play around with the settings because depending on how powerful your PC is, some will be better than others!)

Now all you have to do is press start recording and once you recorded your video, press stop recording (it's pretty intuitive!!)

Step two: screencapping

It's the slowest way to make gifs, but it helps preserving the quality.

Once you have your video, you need to make the screencaps!

Download KMPlayer

Right click on the middle of the screen > options > preferences

These are my settings:

Open your file (you screen recorded in OBS studio) and put the cursor to the point the scene you want your gif starts

Then right click (on the screen) and select this

Make sure these are your options:

Press start and press play on the player -> now let it play until you finish your scene -> then press stop.

On the folder you chose as destination of the extraction, you should have something like this.

Step three: making the gif

Open Photoshop (I have Photoshop CC - 2018).

Go on File > Scripts > Load files into stack

Click on browse -> select all the screencaps you previously made -> once they're loaded, press on OK

Now, lean back, relax, grab some coffee because it's gonna take a while!

Turn on your timeline (Window > Timeline)

And press on Create frame Animation, there in the middle

Then press on the little burger menu on top right of the timeline and click on Make frames from layers

Click again on that menu and select Reverse frames

Now, select all the frames (the ones you see on the timeline) and right click where you see "0 sec" and choose Other ...

Put 0.04 as delay!

Step four: cropping and sharpening

Select the Crop Tool (shortcut: C) and you should have something like this

Move the handlers like this (don't reduce the image size!)

I just eliminated the black stripes on top and bottom and resized the width

Then confirm

Go to Image > Image Size and these are my settings:

If you want to make a ONE COLUMN gifset -> width has to be 540 px

If you want to make a TWO COLUMN gifset -> width has to be 268 px

Height doesn't matter! Press OK.

Now, back to your Timeline, press that little icon on the bottom left

Now, this is what should happen:

On the layers panel, select all the layers and right click -> Convert to Smart Object

Now, you can use whatever sharpening option you want -> go on Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen.

I usually do that twice:

OPTIONAL -> duplicate the layer and set the opacity to 30% -> add Gaussian Blur (radius 1.5)

Step five: coloring

Now this is the fun part, and it's always different! So, just play around with the adjustments and find what suits the scene the best!

Step six: saving

File > Export > Save for Web

NOTE: .gif files must be under 10MB to be uploaded on Tumblr

REMEMBER TO SET LOOPING TO FOREVER!!!

And that is it!? If you have any questions please DM me, or send in another ask + there is a quicker way to do this, let me know if you are interested in that.