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valeffelees · 10 months ago

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Oh do tell about that snowbaz au of yours 👀

I WOULD FUCKING LOVE TO, thank you so much tumblr user pidgelikethebird (and also my most beloved and loyal companion @drowninginships) for providing me the enrichment i need to survive the winter.

ok gimme a min here to turn my thoughts into comprehensible words. i'm gonna say right now: this post is gonna be a LONG one, but 10 out of 10 scientists agree you should read to the end.

so, if you didn't know, The Beauty Inside is a Korean romcom from 2015, based off an American short film of the same name; the orig short film i linked is an extremely quick watch (only 6 episodes, each one 4-10 minutes long) and i would absolutely recommend it, but the very basics of the premise is that: a man wakes up in his bed on his 18th birthday to find he's in a completely different body than his own, and every day since then, he wakes up as somebody new.

AND OBVS I JUST HAD TO FUCKING SNOWBAZ THAT, which is how my AU, titled In the Many Ways of Loving You, was born:

Simon Snow wakes up every day as somebody new; the only person who knows the truth is Penny, his best friend and roommate, since she's been by his side since it all began ten years ago.

he works on commission as a custom bookbinder—like, he has an Etsy or some shit, i dunno, some kinda online shop where people can commission him in a variety of ways to rebind their favourite books, either by paying extra for Simon to buy the book himself and rebind it from new and send it to them, or sometimes collectors will send their personal copies to him to have him rebind them, and he's very good at it, and N E WAY the point of this is that he has a small bookshop he's been going to regularly for the last eight or so years, because it's close to his and Penny's flat, and where the story begins: Baz is a new employee that just started working there about two weeks ago and Simon has a massive crush on him.

ok, now. day one: when we meet Simon for the first time, he wakes up and he's lovely and blonde and brown-eyed and ok, yeah, i've just made him look like Agatha bc i thought it'd be kinda funny, esp since Agatha's not actually in the fic otherwise.

and Simon has to pick up a copy of some random book from the bookshop today bc someone bought a custom binding of it, so he goes down and, as usual, since it's his job, Baz has to come over to talk to him and is like, "hey, can I help you with anything?" and Simon doesn't need any help bc he's been coming to this shop for years, but every time Baz asks he says yes bc he wants the excuse to talk to him, and on this day Simon is like, wait. i'm so hot rn. so he asks Baz out—

and Baz is like [finger guns] absolutely not.

and Simon is like 👁️👄👁️ welp i'm in fucking agony.

but whatever, fine. a guy like Baz is prolly already in a proper relationship, and it's always a bad idea for Simon to get involved with someone he has to see on the reg. he had to start going to a different coffee shop that's twenty minutes out of his way bc he went out on a great date with one of the baristas at his old spot and then obvs couldn't go out again after just that one time, and it made him super emo, so really, Baz saying no was prolly for the best.

TIMESKIP, it's been a few days and Simon has to go down to the bookshop again. but this time he's a bloke. and so Baz comes up to ask if Simon needs help and he says yeah, as usual, and the two of them end up having a bantery convo about the book Simon's looking for bc they've both read it and Baz hated it, but Simon loved it, and it's just very cute and casual, and then Baz is like. so, my shift ends in liiike... four hours. are you doing anything?

and Simon is like. OH. OH!!!

that whole "it's prolly for the best" thing? yeah, fuck that, that was Simon of the past, he doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about bc cute bookshop guy wants to hang out and so they go out and have the most fucking insane romcom date ever.

'cause you gotta remember, Simon only gets one real day with people, so he doesn't do like casual coffee dates or movies or whatever. they go out and like fucking B&E a museum after hours bc Simon knows someone like the janitor or something (i dunno) leaves one of the back doors unlocked so he can step out for a cig every few hours, so they sneak in and have the time of their life running around looking at art while trying not to get caught, and we're going to use the suspended disbelief bestowed upon us by the power of romcoms to pretend security cameras aren't a thing, and it is BRILLIANT. like, Simon and Baz have so much chemistry, and when the night ends Baz is just like all smiles and creased eyes and messy black hair and, breathlessly: "I want to see you again."

and Simon's heart drops. because he wants to see Baz again, too, but he can't. no matter how much he wants to, he can't. when he wakes up tomorrow he's going to be someone new, so he can't, he can't, he can't, he—

"Yeah," he says. "Tomorrow?"

SIMON NO!!!

"It's a date."

FUCK!!!

ok, so now we have a problem. Simon can't just stand him up, i mean he could but he doesn't want to, and he really does want to see him again, so he does the only thing he can think of: he stays awake. all fucking night.

Baz, the next day: "You look exhausted."

Simon, wired asf on caffeine and trying to be smooth: "Had someone on my mind all night."

and then they go have another wicked date, but i have nothing in my notes about what it is. oh, i have them living in Canada in this fic btw bc as a rule, if a fic doesn't have to be set in England, i move them to Canada for comfort. so i might have them go cliff jumping or something? who knows. we'll go with that for now.

cue the romcom montage.

[mother tongue starts playing SO DON'T SAY YOU LOVE ME FALA AMO, JUST LET YOUR HEART SPEAK UP AND I'LL KNOW]

ok. post-date. Simon is so dumb and infatuated with Baz and does something only a boy who is dumb and infatuated and sleep-deprived would do in his situation, and he goes back to Baz's flat with him to "watch a movie", or in other words: the movie starts and then they prolly have sex, but in my notes this is written as "??? smash ???" so i guess it's kinda up in the air.

either way, Simon passes the fuck out at Baz's place bc he was properly exhausted by that point, and he wakes up to Baz screaming at him bc obvs he looks like a different person now.

Simon, half-asleep: [PANICKED FLAILING] BAZ IT'S ME!!! STOP THROWING THINGS!!! BAZ!!! IT'S ME, IT'S SIMON!!!

and Baz is like: WHAT THE FUCK

and Simon is like: I CAN EXPLAIN

and Baz is like: HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE

and Simon is like: I CAN EXPLAIN!!!

so, here's a detail from the orig film that comes into play here: in the orig movie, the MC keeps a video diary, logging every day what his face looks like, and in this, Simon does this on his phone and backs them up to his computer every hundred days, so he gives Baz his phone and tells him the whole story while Baz scrolls through these short like minute long videos of Simon on various days going, "Hey, this is me today. I have [this and such] thing to do, blah blah blah."

and the thing is, Baz recognises him in some of them. bc Simon is always coming into the bookshop. he stops watching when he gets to the day Simon looked like Agatha, and Simon has been quiet for a while at this point, just letting Baz process.

Baz: "I want you to leave."

Simon takes his phone without a word and goes. Penny picks him up on the corner a block over and drives him back to their flat. she doesn't ask what happened. she already has a pretty good idea.

when Simon's next commission comes in, he thinks about going to another bookshop, he really does. but this one is so convenient, esp since Simon can't drive bc he can't risk getting pulled over carrying a licence that doesn't have his face on it, and he's been going there for eight years and it's not like Baz will recognise him anyway.

so, to the bookshop he goes, but this time when Baz comes up to ask if he needs help, Simon is like, "haha, no that's okay," and goes back to looking for things on his own, and Baz kinda lingers awkwardly for a moment before going on his way, but then when Simon comes up to the till to pay for the book, Baz just stands there staring at him. and Simon is so uncomfortable, like, he just wants to leave—

"Simon?"

SORRY, YOU WHAT?

"What?" Simon gapes at him. "How did— how did you? But I'm—"

"Can we talk?" Baz asks.

"How did you know it was—"

Baz shouts over to the other employee on the floor that he's taking his lunch break, and Simon just slowly follows him out of the shop with the book forgotten, unpaid for, at the check-out.

and here's the deal, Baz liked Simon a stupid amount considering they'd only gone on two dates, but they were good dates, and Baz doesn't date much, so he's a bit hung up on just how much he liked Simon and the weird way shit ended, so he's basically like. i want to see it again. and Simon is like, see what? and Baz is like, you. the... whatever that you do, i want to see you change.

and that's how Simon ends up bringing Baz back to his flat, and btw: Simon has a rule about never bringing people back to his flat bc it's weird as fuck. his room is really tiny, and it's cluttered as fuck in a Howl's bedroom type way. he keeps to the same cheap, casual style for all his clothes, but he needs things in a bunch of sizes. shoes are a nightmare. he has to take care of his hair in a million different fucking ways. so he has the lives of a dozen people shoved into a room the size of a shoebox, and his mattress has no frame. that shit is just on the floor, so it takes up less space. and there's this mirror, a wide full bodied mirror, propped up against the wall facing the bed, so that the first thing Simon can do each day is roll over and look at himself.

Simon and Baz have supper together, they talk, they pretend this isn't weird as fuck and, even though it is weird as fuck, they still have so much chemistry, and this is a fanfic, so they just end up having sex again but it's supposed to be kinda emo and tender and look, it's what my heart wants, ok?

morning comes. Simon wakes to Baz's hands on his face. which is already and improvement compared to last time. Baz is looking at him very seriously, but also very like. softly. he's touching Simon's features, tracing them, and Simon is quiet for a very long time, watching him do this, until he's just like. what are you doing.

Baz: "Getting to know you." A pause. "Why does it happen?"

Simon: "I don't know."

Baz: "Are there other people like you?"

Simon: "I don't know."

Baz, sighing: "Well, what do you know?"

Simon: "That I'm still me. Inside, I mean. Like... if you had a book, and every day you gave it a new cover, the story wouldn't change."

Baz: "You must get lost on a lot of shelves."

Simon: "Yeah."

and from there, Baz is just a part of Simon's life the same way Penny is, he knows the truth, and he deals with it. for the first time in Simon's adult life, he gets to really date. he and Baz do a bunch of domestic shit together, for months, and it's so good. all of it is so good, all the time, and they fall so fucked up deep in love with each other.

(detail from this point that is relevant later: Baz and Simon make a game out of Baz recognising Simon at work on days when he hasn't seen yet what he looks like. Simon will come in and try to act like a stranger, but Baz can Where's Waldo him every time.)

but then Christmas comes. and Baz has to go home to see his family. and i don't have an exact idea of how this convo goes, only that it is not a fight of any kind, like, it is a normal convo about the holidays but Baz apologises to Simon during it for not telling his family about him, he says they'd want Baz to bring Simon home if he did (bc i just don't wanna fuck with homophobia in this so we've shot Malcolm with the ally beam) and he wouldn't know how to explain Simon's whole... thing to them, and Simon kinda realises that like. he can't ever be the type of boyfriend Baz can bring home to his family. he can't ever be the type of boyfriend Baz gets to have a normal life with.

SO SIMON GHOSTS HIM.

like, Baz comes back from his family's place, annoyed that Simon hasn't returned any of his texts or calls, only to find that Simon and Penny have literally fucking moved flats in the two weeks he's been gone. and obvs he's fucking devastated and confused by this and desperately trying to get Simon to respond to him, but he won't.

Simon goes out of his way to find a new bookshop to go to, and that's the end of things for about a week or so, and i haven't actually decided what happens here exactly, but the general idea i wanna go with is that Simon goes to the bookshop Baz works at just for the sake of seeing him, checking up on him, bc he misses him.

but remember that game they played? so yeah, Baz walks up to say his usual like, "hey, can I help you find anything?" but he fucking clocks Simon after like ten seconds.

scene change: they're in Simon's new flat, like maybe Baz demanded that if Simon is going to break up with him he owes it to him to do it goddamn properly, but i dunno. details, details. but they end up getting in a huge fucking fight and Simon reveals the reason he ghosted Baz was bc he realised Baz can't have a real life with him and Baz is like:

"You don't get to decide that for me! You're still you, you're still lovely—"

"You don't even know what I look like!"

"I don't care what you look like, you fucking moron, I care that you're Simon Snow! There's a person inside you that exists every day, even when everything else changes, and he's lovely. I love him. The rest doesn't matter, how can you not see that? Stop telling me I'm not allowed to love you however you are, I'll love you a hundred different ways, Simon. Any size, any shape. I'll love you over, and over, and over. That's a life for me. A real life for me. You!"

and then Simon throws his arms around Baz's neck and hugs him like he needs him to breathe and Baz clings to his shirt and they're both prolly crying all loud and gross, but it's fine. they're gonna be fine.

the next day: Simon wakes up to Baz's mouth on the back of his neck. "Like this one, then?" he says.

"Loveliest yet." Baz brushes his knuckles over the slope of Simon's shoulder. "Freckles, curls, broad shoulders... Mmm, maybe we should stay in bed today."

Simon laughs and rolls over to pin Baz to the mattress, grinning at him. he goes to say something, prolly rib at him the way they do, but as he does he catches his reflection in that mirror he keeps by his bed and he freezes.

"Holy shit!" he shouts, and shoves himself up onto his knees. "That's me!"

Baz rolls his eyes. "Yes, yes, I told you—"

Simon shakes his head furiously. "No, it's. Baz. I'm. Jesus fucking Christ, that's me. Baz, that's me."

Baz sits up slowly. "Do you mean—"

"Fuck, holy shit!" Simon grabs his curls with both hands. he hasn't touched these curls in ten fucking years. he looks older than he remembers himself, which is a given, but it's definitely him. his father's eyes, his mother's chin. the moles on his cheek, above his eyebrow, below his ear.

Simon freaks out in a way that kinda toes the line between being happy and being a breakdown, he throws himself at Baz, and they both fall back onto the bed and Simon is laughing and he's shaking and he doesn't understand, he doesn't get it, but holy fuck, he has his own face, he has his own body, he has his own hands. Baz pushes them apart so he can get a look at him, and Simon is actually kinda self-conscious when he does, which is a new feeling. he never has to feel self-conscious about anything, usually, since he knows every flaw or insecurity isn't really his, and will be gone the next day, but this is just... him.

Baz takes Simon's face in his hands and then, breathlessly, "Hello, Simon Snow."

AND THEN THEY KISS bc what else would they do here.

and uhh, yeah. so. Simon goes out to the kitchen where Penny is making breakfast and she loses her shit when she sees him. big hugs all around. Baz really does take the day off work to spend it with Simon, even though that just means lying around on the sofa watching movies while Simon works on his current rebinding commission. when Penny gets home that evening, they order takeaway and sit around the lounge room playing boardgames together until late, late, late into the night. Penny falls asleep in the armchair, and now it's 3-am.

Simon is tired. he's looking at the clock, sitting with his knees up and his arms around them, with Baz beside him. Baz has his forehead on his shoulder, an arm around his waist. he doesn't want to go to bed, because what if... what if it was only for today. how long will it be until the next time? what if there is no next time, what if, what if—

"We'll still be here," Baz whispers, exhausted. "And you'll still be you. No matter what, Simon."

and so they go to bed.

Simon wakes up to Baz's mouth on the back of his neck.

"Good morning, Simon Snow."

AND YEAH, that is the entire plot of my The Beauty Inside AU.

i told you this was gonna be a long one, but if you've made it all the way to the end of this mess, thank you kindly again for indulging me!

#ngl i wanted to sign up for the cobb with this fic idea really bad but at the time i wasnt confident i could manage #taking part in a fandom event. i might think about signing up for it next year if it runs again but who knows #thanks for hanging out!#snowbaz #ask #pidgelikethebird

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meimi-haneoka · 9 months ago

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I'm going to randomly copy and paste some musings I wrote on my private account on Twitter, cause I find it kinda amusing and I want to share it here too :3

"The moon is really beautiful, isn't it?"

"Because it's something about you, Akiho-san."

Kaito's behavior in the special chapter might appear "new" and sudden, but he's actually always been throwing "bombs" at Akiho, exposing his feelings just like it was the most natural and normal thing. 🤭❤️ The only difference is that now he understands what those feelings are 😁

Like, I can totally expect that one day in the future he'll just go "One day, when we'll be married..." completely out of nowhere while they're chatting & having dinner and Akiho will struggle to not choke on her plate 😂😂😂 Yeah, somehow I don't see very flashy kind of proposals from either of them, probably cause they've been through enough "out of ordinary" shit that normal and comforting is what makes their heart beat the fastest, and makes them the happiest ❤️

In this regard, I'll say once again that Kaito totally reminds me of Sakura. The way they can just blurt out their feelings in such a nonchalant, almost naive way, while not fully understanding what they are. Here Sakura is basically doing the same thing Kaito did throughout Clear Card! Saying stuff like that ☝️ and yet not understanding that she was falling in love with him herself. 😁

The nonchalant way in which Sakura and Kaito's feelings surface makes people misunderstand them for "friendship" or common affection, throughout their respective arcs. Like, I can't count how many times I've seen people say they didn't understand when Sakura started to fall in love with Syaoran, and that the realization at the end felt too sudden. It's because, as usual with Clamp, you have to pay attention to what they're NOT spelling out. That's what happened with Kaito too. 🤷‍♀️ People couldn't see that he's been literally spelling out his feelings himself since long time (that's why Momo got mad! Like "how can you say something like that and not REALIZE IT??"), they got sidetracked by the idea he was a villain (and therefore just manipulating and using her), and then by his relationship with Lilie (all stuff Clamp did on purpose, mind you, cause it was too soon for you to be sure of it yet). It's been clear for a long time, but in their Spaces lately CLAMP reiterated how they love to keep their readers guessing and on their toes till the end, so in my opinion they won't hesitate to try to sidetrack you a little bit along the way (but if you stick closely, you'll understand what's the real deal). I guess with Sakura they tried to sidetrack with her crush on Yukito. 😁

So yeah, I've been saying multiple times during the serialization how those two gave me such a similar vibe (and that maybe helped Sakura empathize with him).

Akiho is quite straightforward too, especially after she found her own confidence and voice, but I was just thinking that Syaoran is quite the opposite instead, he's very conscious of his feelings and even in Clear Card, he had to prepare himself days in advance before managing to ask Sakura, stuttering and all, for a date himself 😂 Thankfully, at the end of the special chapter he was able to make his own romantic statements without getting too flustered 😆 (at long last, after 2 years of dating! 😂)

#cosmos & crystals #clear card arc #ccsakura #💚🩷#my random musings because people need to see the connections between Sakura and Kaito #I think they're so interesting considering they're two VERY powerful magicians #but also the parallels and connections between the OG and Clear Card that too many people still insist in denying #Sakura was able to gently scold Kaito into acknowledging his bond with Akiho in ch. 77 #precisely because she went through the same turmoil HERSELF #understanding yourself ISN'T easy especially for some people

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atelier-slime · 1 year ago

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DRAGON QUEST'S LOCALIZATION SUCKS, ACTUALLY. PART 1

There's a thread blowing up on Japanese twitter right now about the poor quality of localization. It's the first time I've ever actually seen a japanese perspective on the topic, and it's been extremely gratifying to see a ton people from over there talk about specific translation issues they've seen or learn for the first time that japanese media is often given the short end of the stick here in the USA.

Most of the time over here in the US, criticism of localization gets shouted down as whiny fans who think they know better than the translators. It's been heartening to see that people from japan are also annoyed by it, and its inspired me to write up a whole long-ass rant I've had simmering in the back of my mind for years, so buckle up, long post(s) incoming:

Let's start at the beginning with the first thing that ever caused me to start thinking about localization. This little guy:

If you've played Dragon Quest in the past 2 decades, you probably know this guy by the name "Spiked Hare." Not me though! I got into DQ on the game boy, in the brief window of time where DQ's localization was handled by Nob Ogasawara, the same guy responsible for translating every pokemon game up until Platinum. In the DQ games Nob worked on, he chose to translate this guy's name as "Almiraj." Why the huge difference in translation? I'll get to that in a minute.

The almiraj is an extremely minor enemy in Dragon Quest 3. It's pretty weak, and it's only real defining feature is that it can occasionally cast sleep spells on your party members. It's just one of hundreds of monsters in that game, and aside from it's cute design, it's pretty forgettable. As a weird kid overly obsessed with linguistics though, its name always seemed odd to me. You don't really see words that end with a "J" in english. It stuck out enough that one night, when I was bored, I decided to google "almiraj" to figure out what the name meant. It sent me down a rabbit hole (almiraj hole?) that taught me all sorts of cool shit, and permanently altered the way I looked at localization. The path I tumbled down that night went something like this:

The Dragon Quest almiraj is named after the almiraj, a "real" mythical creature described as a hare with a large horn on its head.

The original inspiration for accounts of the almiraj (as well as the jackalope, wolpertinger, etc.) is likely the Shope papiloma Virus, which causes rabbits to grow weird, horn-like growths on their face and head.

It was described by Zakariya al-Qazwini, an Iranian lawyer, author, and all around knowledgeable guy who lived in the 13th century.

al-Qazwini described it in the Aja'ib al-Makhluqat, a massive cosmographical treatise that attempted to describe basically everything in the known universe at the time. It was so popular in the Islamic world that it was copied and translated into dozens of languages, which meant plenty of copies have survived intact to modern times.

The almiraj was brought into the limelight in modern fantasy when it was introduced in the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons, as a relatively weak and unassuming monster as part of a campaign to expand the game with monster suggestions from fans of the series.

Dungeons and Dragons-style role playing games were brought into the digital world with the release of the first Wizardry game in 1981.

Yuji Horii was a massive fan of Wizardry, which he first discovered as part of a developer exchange program when he visited America in 1983. Three years later, he decided to try and recreate the things he loved from the series for console gamers in Japan, and the the original Dragon Quest was born.

One little name was all it took to open up this entire through-line of history that I had no idea even existed before that night. It's a tapestry of human experiences over 800 years in the making, spanning continents, cultures, languages, and medium. It's probably because I'm the type of person who sits around thinking about stuff too much, but I honestly get a little emotional wondering what al-Qazwini would think if he could see the mythical creatures he described all those years ago as little dudes hopping around inside a computer.

And the thing is the tapestry doesn't end there! Dragon Quest is still pretty niche in the west, but in Japan it's fucking titanic. There's an urban legend that the Japanese government banned Square Enix from releasing Dragon Quest games on a weekday, because so many people would skip work or school that it would impact the economy. (It's not true by the way, but the fact that the rumor exists at all is a testament to how huge the series' influence is over there.) I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that what Lord of the Rings did to modern western fantasy, Dragon Quest did to modern Japanese fantasy. Almost every JRPG, manga, or anime with a fantasy setting has the fingerprints of Dragon Quest on it. Countless other works have been inspired by DQ, and those works will go on to inspire others. A million different threads weaving tapestries back and forth across time and borders, all over the globe. And the almiraj is a part of that! It might just be a single, tiny, white and purple thread, but it's still in there helping to tie things together.

So back to the question I asked earlier: Why is it "Almiraj" in Mr. Ogasawara's translation but "Spiked hare" in the current one? Simple: Nob actually translated the name.

You can see on the DQ wiki that the original japanese name of the monster is "アルミラージ" which is literally just "almiraj" written in katakana:

The current DQ team has instead decided that all monster names should be puns. I'm not against puns or anything. "Spiked hare" for a rabbit with a horn is great! I might even raise my eyebrows and exhale slightly if I read it for the first time. Dragon Quest in general tends to have a lot of goofiness in it, so it's not like puns are out of place or anything. My problem is that, by deciding to replace monster names arbitrarily like this, all the little threads start to come unraveled. You lose the ability to look back down the line and discover all these different connections to history and nature and art that you might not ever learn otherwise. The almiraj isn't the only monster to get this treatment. A huge portion of the monsters in Dragon Quest are taken from mythologies around the world, and many of their names are literally already in English, just written with katakana.

The almiraj sticks out in my mind as a particularly egregious example because of just how much I learned because of the foreign-sounding name, but there's plenty of other name changes that have resulted in straight up confusing, ambiguous, or otherwise stupid outcomes in the current localization.

CONTINUED IN PART 2

#dragon quest #localization #translation #long post #rant #almiraj

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gay-otlc · 2 years ago

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Hello I'm tired as shit but the Disk Horse is stressing me out so I am going to make a post about it. Cultural Christianity. Let's fucking go. Fair warning this is very long and rambly but whatever.

For context I am an atheist(?) Jew.

I can honestly see both sides of the argument. I definitely see how some people might abuse the term to invalidate atheists' struggles. On the other hand, it's a useful term to describe the way many (not all! not even a majority!) atheists still carry harmful beliefs from their Christian upbringing, which often results in bigotry towards non-Christian religions.

Also, I've seen a few too many posts criticizing the term that end up just criticizing Jews for me to be entirely comfortable hearing "'Culturally Christian' is a bad term and anyone who uses it is bad!"

I don't really think "culturally Christian" should be applied to an individual solely based on the fact that they're an atheist who wasn't raised with a different religion. Definitely not as a "gotcha" or like they have an irredeemable moral failing. But I don't think it's bigoted to tell an atheist "Hey, this comment you made was insensitive and likely influenced by your Christian upbringing, perhaps you should educate yourself more on this."

For example, someone in my class told me he thought religion was stupid because it teaches people to unquestioningly believe in something. As a Jew who went to Hebrew school and was allowed- sometimes even encouraged- to question my beliefs from at least as young as eight or nine (possibly before, I just can't remember), that was laughably false.

I told him that wasn't true, he just thought it was true because Christianity had been his only exposure to religion so far and he saw all other religions as basically identical to it.

I had every right to say that to him. He was an asshole for telling me my religion was stupid, especially considering this conversation started because I mentioned reading Maus.

However, if I told an atheist that no matter how much they educated themself, they would always be a bigoted, watered down version of a Christian? Than I would be the asshole.

I'm not sure cultural Christianity is really the best term, just because of how broad it is. There's no clear, agreed open definition*- some people use it to mean someone who actively believes Christian values minus the god part, some people use it to to mean people who secularly celebrate Christmas, some people use it to mean anyone who was raised Christian, regardless of whether they've unlearned those beliefs. *of course there's no clear agreed upon opinion, it's commonly used by jews and we can't agree on anything ever lmao

And "culture" can include so many things. I generally prefer to pinpoint what aspect of Christian culture I'm talking about rather than just saying "cultural Christianity."

For example, if I'm talking about atheists who were only ever really exposed to Christianity, I might say "atheists who think every religion is basically the same as Christianity," and talk about how this isn't much different from Christians who want other religions to assimilate and want us to be exactly like them or close enough that they can pretend we're exactly like them.

Or if I'm talking about, like, moral purity and sex negativity and whatever, I might say "atheists who otherwise still hold/haven't unlearned Christian beliefs"

Or if I'm talking about aggressive atheists who want everyone else to be atheist too, I might say they copied and pasted Christian proselytizing and just changed a few words. "Everyone must believe in my god (or lack thereof) to be a good person, and everyone who believes in a different god (or lack thereof) is an immoral sinner/bigot."

And I don't think any of those descriptions could be interpreted in good faith as an attack on atheism in general.

"Culturally Christian atheist" just doesn't give a whole lot of specific information on someone's beliefs, what beliefs are harmful, and how they're harmful. Two people might both fit someone's definition of culturally Christian, and be wildly different in how they view religion and the world in general.

My friend has Christian parents and went to church as a kid, has been an atheist for about as long as I've known him, and is really cool about other religions! He's interested in hearing me talk about Judaism and thinks our customs are neat, he just doesn't personally follow any religion. And I have another friend with Christian parents who went to church as a kid who makes "sky daddy" jokes and mocks the idea of prayer.

Both of these friends would qualify as culturally Christian, but it wouldn't make much sense to lump them together when describing how their beliefs affect minority religions.

Not every single religious person has to specify the exact type of culturally Christian atheist they're referring to every time they mention the topic. It functions to get the point across, and I don't see a problem with someone complaining to a friend saying "I hate it when I meet queer people and all the culturally Christian atheists hate me for being an observant Jew." But in a more serious discussion, I think addressing the specific issue is more helpful than just saying "cultural Christianity."

And if the specific issue is that you think someone is inherently bad for being atheist, or for being non-[insert your religion here], you're being a dick. Don't use "culturally Christian" if that's the only thing they've done wrong.

Also. I know this discourse has been around for a while but it seems to have really exploded today (technically yesterday in my timezone. January 27. Whatever) and it's kinda shitty that there are so many people attacking this term, often used by Jews to talk about antisemitism, on Holocaust Remembrance Day. The timing kinda pisses me off idk.

These are my thoughts. I'm open to hearing other people's thoughts but refrain from being an asshole.

#cultural christianity #discourse #jew crew #jumblr #god i spent forever writing this. i am still tired as shit #i hate anxiety brain i would not be able to stop thinking about this if i didn't make the post

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vees-strangeworld-omniverse · 1 year ago

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ARGONUS INFO: the other aeronoids

(NOTE: description copy-pasted from DA where i normally post my works. any context that is missing here on tumblr can be found on my DA [linked here and on pinned post] )

[this image is best viewed when opened in a new tab.]

[re-upload due to original being re-blog from main]

edit 11/21/23: i changed the native range of most avibells; instead of originating in nylus/sonias, most avibels will come form the eastern hemisphere with some species in the western hemisphere. i figured it'd make a bit more sense given how diverse gliders actually are.

AAAAAND like with the elkinets, i go more into detail about the other members of the order aeronoida.

the aeronoids are the other species of "living aircraft" on argonus. alot about their biology is similar, if not the same as the elkinet. if you want more details on that (and the elkinets themselves), look at this post here [tumblr edit: this leads to the DA post, not the tumblr one which you should be able to find via the search bar]. but, i'll go over the basics:

1-they're entirely biological, with the exception of their semi-mechanical engines.

2-sometimes there exist pygmy versions of them, usually due to lack of resources. a-however, pygmies tend to be more common due to purposely breeding them.

3-colorations is usually based of respective aircraft's, though can be almost anything. a-and like with the elkinets, there's only colors, patterns and markings.

4-hybrids can exist, and have similar statistics of getting a hybrid as the elkinets (primarily with size differences between the parents) a-however naturally speaking, it only exist within two parents of the same genus. b-there tends to be a higher chance for a hybrid for the other aeronoid species, regardless of the size difference.

[tumblr edit: most aeronoid groups are monotypic, consisting of a single genus, if not a super genus at the largest]

5-their engines are more resilient than a normal, non-living aircraft. they don't fly faster than 210mph. a-while on the topic of flight, aeronoids aren't always flying as their top speed. they only have their engines at full power for long enough to get sufficient air. after that, they lower the speed so that it's just enough to keep them in the air. b-however, there are two main groups that don't have engines, later on those.

6-they have a similar lifecycle to each other, though with varying degrees of each stages length. a-these lengths obviously vary depending on lifespan. 7- there are some foot variations with the other aeronoids, like their is with the elkinets a-however, these variations are usually either your standard anisodactyl feed or webbed feet. this is dependent more on the environment they've adapted for than it is the aircraft type.

8-they're around the same length as their real-life aircraft counterpart a-exact sizes vary between individuals and species b-some aeronoids, however, are smaller than their real-world counterparts now, before we can truly get into the four main groups of non-elkinets, we first have to go through the evolutionary tree first, so you get a good idea on who's related to who.

EVOLUTION AND BASIC TAXONOMY it all starts with the bird ancestor, a sort of stem-parrot, which may have looked similar to your average passerine, or maybe a bit like a mimicoot minus the crest and pseudoteeth. after all, on my post about the mimicoots [tumblr edit: also a link to a DA post], the tomium is purely convergent to the aeronoids. the superorder would then split into two groups: the mimicoot and the aeronoids.

there haven't been any clear fossils of an intermediate aeronoid (at least at time of posting, maybe i'll make one later), thought most people agree it may have looked like a weird theropect-bird hybrid. between the bird ancestor, the intermediate form and the basal aeronoid, a couple major things have happened: 1-the loss of feather covering the body 2-wings becoming more thicker and longer in the absence of flight feathers 3-the loss of the secondary eyes (the smaller bottom eyes that most vertebrates have) 4-the appearances of prop engines both on the back and on the wingtips.

after the intermediate form came the basal aeronoid, which looked like a theropect with an engine on it's back. it's guessed that this basal aeronoid uses all three engines to fly, though speculatively rather poorly. that didn't matter, though, since most aeronoids later down the line would develop better flight in there own unique ways.

the earliest group to branch off from the rest were a group that started using less of the engines in more favor of flapping their first forelimbs. these intermediate gliders would become the avibels, the aeronoids that returned to their flapping winged ways of their ancestor, minus feathers.

the next branch would lead to the theropects, which further developed their wing engines as their primary scource of flight, as well as re-evolving them as another set of "arms". however, before true theropects came along, another group close to them would split off and start using those arms more often than their original first forelimbs, causing those forelimbs to reduce in size. these aernoids would be the elkinet ancestor, as as they further developed their wings, not only did those vestigial arms completely disappear, but also the prop blades since they started using the actual wing itself to grab and manipulate object. this would eventually lead to the elkinet we all know and recognize. despite the multiple arms of multiplanes (biplanes, triplanes, ect), they're not a separate group as the elkinets. the multiple wings are more of a mutation that stuck around than something that was ancestral.

the final branchoff would lead to a quadrupedal aeronoid that had lost the prop engines on the wingtips in favor of the one on the back. one group would ditch the wings entirely and become the carnivoran-like stunits. the other, however, not only lost wings but also the engines entirely. what the intermediate "flightless" form looked like is also under debate, though it may have had small, vestigial wings and a heavily reduced engines. in any case, the aeronoid would instead opt for completely gliding and loosing powered flight, leading to them becoming the rodads.

alright, natural history lesson over, time to continue on.

most aeronoid species are relatively smart, and have been kept in captivity by both elkinets and later down the line humans. while most of them are really tame, some species have been fully domesticated. their reasoning for being kept by elkinet usually is companionship, though some secondary usages like hunting, transportation, eggs and meat are also common. in addition, their pygmy variation are also common due to intentional breeding. aeronoids tend to fill in similar niches to other existing animals. despite this, they rarely do ever go into direct competition with other animals of the same niche, probably due to argonus's size which allow the aeronoids to take over a niche of their own in certain areas.

ok, ok, NOW we can get into each individual (extant) groups of aeronoids.

THE STUNNITS (helicopters)

wild ranges: the stunits are found almost worldwide, but are most common in the temperate and lush habitats. they can also be found in civilizations as strays/ferals. general diet: most stunnits are generalist omnivores, but there are some variations to exactly what they eat. some of the smaller helicopters have a more carnivorous diet, as they'll hunt smaller animals and eat carrion as part of their diet. on the otherhand, some of the largest helicopter species are near-entirely herbivores, having plants as a main staple of their diet. captive stunits are usually fed their own diet-specific kibble, though with the more omnivorous / carnivores species some good grain-free dogfood have been used as a cheaper alternative. behavoir: most stunnits are social to some extent, at the very least they'll tolerate each other if food and water is plentiful. armed and attack helicopters have a more vulpine-like role, being carnivorous loners that only really get together to mate and raise young. larger helicopters have a more canid-like behavior. much like other aernoids, the stunnit's tail and prop blades can be an indicator of emotions. for example, their tails wag when happy or exited, or their props could twitch around to show frustration or annoyance. stunnits raise their young in the late spring. they'll create a shallow "nest" that's either loosely made of nesting materials or no nesting materials at all. the mother will lay about 3-5 eggs, and then both parents will protect the eggs until they hatch. the babies are precocial, meaning they're born in an advanced state to where they're able to walk, run and to some extent drink/eat on their own. the parents still have to protect them and feed them until they're truly ready to be on their own. stunnits, both in the wild and with feral colonies, have a set territory that that chase intruders off of. these fights rarely end in severe injuries/death. feral colonies tend to be less territorial. stunnits communicate with growls, howls and "groarks" (barking, but with a slight growling/roaring tone to it; best example i can give is the mane wolf's roar-barks).

additional stuff: the stunnits get the title of "man's best friend" of argonus, and it's no secret why. they're the aircraft analog to carnivorans, more specifically bears, canines and felines. most species have been kept in captivity and used for a variety of tasks, such as transportations, guarding, herding, hunting, pest control, ect. they have an actual full body. helicopters with a lattice tail (Like the bell 47 tail here) have an actual full tail, and like the cockpit/canopy the lattice rods are just extra ornaments. even with the skycrane, they're a more fuller body. just like their real-world counterparts, they're incredible fliers that can hover in places, as well as dive and make hairpin turns. when they fight in the air, most of it is just them chasing eachother around, maybe even pushing eachother a few time before one of them leaves. these fights usually dont last too and and almost always ends with both parties leaving with little to no injuries. most species of stunnits (excluding the mostly-herbivorous ones) have a serrated beak, which is good for cutting into their food whether that's be the flesh of an animals or the flesh of a watermelon.

THE AVIBELS (sailplanes and gliders)

wild ranges: most species originally were found throughout the eastern hemispheres, with some species being native to the western hemisphere. however, thanks to the elkinets they can be found anywhere where there's civilization..

general diet: while the avibel are considered generalist omnivores, they're more in line with being an opportunistic carnivores and have at least 50% of their diet consist of meat. most of the meat they eat are usually animals smaller than them, with their favorites being rodents, lizards, frogs and fish. the plants they eats, on the otherhand, are often fruits, grains and seeds of various plants. they've also been known to have an incredibly strong sweet-tooth from time to time, having been known to raid maple buckets and beehives for the sweet, sugary treat insides. this sweet tooth is most common in the spring. avibels that are kept in captivity are typically content with eating a high-quality dogfood since most contain all the essential nutrients to keep the gliders happy. however, there do exist more specialized feed for avibels, especially for ones who want them to start producing more eggs. this feed usually contains a mixture of insects, dried meat, dried fruit and grains.

behavoir: the avibels are best described as being "bootleg crows". they have the intelligence just slightly under that of actual crows and ravens, able to learn and adapt to various environments. the avibels are very social animals and are commonly seen in small groups of 3-7 (Though larger groups do occur). they're monogamous and mate for life; if one partner dies, the other will become depressed and will refuse to mate with any other glider for a while (sometimes never). avibel are expert hunters, and can be seen actively hunting small animals and insects. these aeronoids have a decent vocal range. they made a wide variety of sound, usually consisting of hisses, screeches and "chirps", all reminiscent of various bird-of-prey. they'll also slam their tails on the ground to show anger and frustration (this is especially true to broody hens). when raising young, the two parents will create a nest usually under a tree or any other covered places. unlike alot of other aeronoids, baby avibel chicks (which they have 1-2 of) are born both blind and deaf for the first week or two, much like some bird species. the parents swap places and take turns caring for the babies until after two months when they're ready to be on their own. sometimes the offspring will stay with the parents to help care for the next generation.

additional stuff: unlike most other aeronoid species, the avibels typically don't have any form on engines whatsoever. instead, the go the old-fashion route and fly by flapping their wings to take off. once in the air, they'll uses a mixture of powered flight and rising thermals to stay in the air. despite their appearances as a more bird-like elkinets, they're only distantly related to them like we are to baboons. also unlike alot of aeronoids, their beaks have sorta re-evolved into...beaks. more specifically, their beaks are curved and sharp, with the top one having a point not unlike an eagle's. the beak is much like a multitool, being able to tear, shred and cut not just their food but also really anything. elkients have raised avibels for centuries as a source of eggs, meat and companionship, and the gliders often double as a form of pest control too. humans also took a liking to them, as their intelligence and easy tamability made them great mounts as well. however, avibels have been known to act aggressive towards humans and anyone who disturbs their nest while they're raising chicks.

THE RODADS (lifting bodies) wild ranges: rodads originate from the woodlands and mountains of sonias. just like with the two other aeronoids here, the elkinets and their civilizations have made them a world-wide city animal.

general diet: the rodads are generalist herbivores, generally speaking. the specifics of what plants they eat can vary by the region. naturally speaking, they eat leaves, flowers, fruit, nuts and seeds, but they'll also take grass, twigs and really any plants they can get their forepaws and mouths on. they'll also take on insects and small animals occasionally. during it's waking hours, a rodad will spend at least 70% of it's time foraging for food. behavoir: rodad's aren't the most smartest animals out there. rodads are also not very social animals, and at most in the wild they'll tolerate each other if they're enough food and water around. however, in captivity they're alot more easier to get along with each other. wild rodads are territorial, and they can be seen fighting for the best food and mating rights. when not eating or fighting, rodads are rather slow and chill animals, and can be see climbing and/or sleeping in trees (or any other high, enclosed place), or wonder around to make sure no rival steps foot into their territory. if disturbed, they'll either run or (if in a high place) jump off and glide to safety. and if they're really cornered, they'll try and bite/scratch the threat. they're rather tolerable around other smaller animals that don't pose much threat to them. rodads are also surprisingly good swimmers, and many species have at least some semi-aquatic lifestyles. with their combined behavior and occasional affinity for the water, some humans called they "citybaras", seeing them as the capybaras of the city. the aircraft are ok parents. males usually make a small cavity in the ground, just big enough for a female and her clutch pf 4-5, and he'll mate with first female that comes in. after that, he'll make sure no other guys take his girl while she lays her eggs and protect them. once the eggs hatch, he leaves her to do the rest of the work. thankfully, the babies are born precocial, so there's not much to be done other than making sure they learn how to eat and drink on their own. rodads don't make much noise. at most they've been known to hiss and softly squeak. however, during fights they'll scream and squeal not unlike that of koalas.

additional info the rodads are the only aeronoid, both presently and within fossil records, to ditch true flight entirely. instead they use their weird body shape to glide from one place to another. they can actually glide long distances, and in addition are surprisingly good jumpers and climbers. unfortunately, they often fall prey to many predator, stunnits and avibels being a common foe. although they have no wings, rodads still have a small, thin tail. rodads also have evolved whiskers, which they uses to sense their surroundings since their vision isn't the best.

THE THEROPECTS (tiltrotors)

wild ranges: theropects are strictly restrained to the jungles and rainforest of sonias. unlike most others here, feral population are actually rare and only confined to equally warm habitats. all other theropects outside of sonias are usually part of zoos and sanctuaries, sometimes as exotic pets, too.

general diet: theropects are all around generalist omnivores. they eat anything that's edible to them, but fruits and leaves make up 60% of their diet. sometimes they'll pick up some invertebrates, small animals, and eggs to round out their diet. they're rather infamous for raiding fruit farmers and stealing the food they grow, especially during peak ripe season.

behavoir: one of the most intelligent species of animal on argonus, the theropects are only second to their civilized relatives, the elkinets. as a matter of fact, they're the closest thing argonus gets to chimps and gibbons, since when it comes to primates no hominoids themselves haven evolved on argonus (Only lemur, new world and old world monkeys). despite the likening to chimpanzees, they're more like gorillas, being plant-eating pacifists that rather would scare it's enemies than to actually attack. theropects are not only bipedal like their relatives, but are also very good a manipulating objects. they use both their forelimbs and their wings (or more accurately their prop blades) to grab, hold and move things. their prop blades are especially good at this, since they move very much like the elkinet's wings. they even have a bit of gecko-padding to further hold things. the tiltrotors are very social and very good parents. they make a very simple nest to lay their eggs in. the mother usually only has one baby, rarely ever two. while the babies are born with their eyes open, they still cling onto mom (or any other females' if she's not round) for at least two years. during that time both mother, father and other members of the group will help take care of them and the mother, and later down the line teach the offspring how to survive. theropects make a wide array of barks, screeches, whistles, coos and hisses to communicate with each other.

additional stuff: since argonus lacks any apes, this is the closest they got to gibbon, gorillas and chimpanzees. in captivity, they're about as pleasant to own as a cockatoo or macaw (aka don't get one unless you're very experienced). they've been used in laboratories and scientific studies, and are common info the film industry as animal actors. however, they're not all sunshine and rainbows, as they're very noisy, nippy and often can be seen stealing things from their owners. however, with enough proper love, care, toys and attention, those issues are brought down to a minimum. still, there is alot of legality issues when it comes to owning theropects as pets, so usually it's better off to leave it to zoos and sanctuaries to take care of them.

aaaaand that's it for the aeronoids! any other information regarding them will probably be in other post.

#argonus #planet argonus #speculative evolution #speculative biology #speculative zoology #living airplane #living aircraft #helicopter #glider #sailplane #tiltrotor #lifting body

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greensparty · 1 year ago

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Album Reviews: Sleater-Kinney / U2

This week I got to review the 11th album from the always reliable Sleater-Kinney. The Pacific Northwest indie rockers have been on my radar since 1997's Dig Me Out (got my copy on vinyl). They've done some great albums, but that still stands as my personal favorite. I saw Sleater-Kinney headline the Siren Music Festival in Coney Island in 2002 and they blew me away. After the band took an indefinite hiatus in 2006, they reunited in 2014. It’s funny that the masses now know Carrie Brownstein for Portlandia and didn’t even know her as the singer/guitarist for Sleater-Kinney. But I digress. The band’s 2019 album The Center Won’t Hold was a polarizing album that was so polarizing drummer Janet Weiss left before its release, but I actually really dug it and I even named “The Future is Here” my #1 Song of 2019. Their first post-Janet Weiss album was Path of Wellness, which I named my #6 Album of 2021. There are purists who feel it's not the same band without Weiss. But Corin Tucker and Brownstein have kept the band going and their newest album Little Rope drops from Loma Vista this week.

album cover

This is an album that came out of tragedy after Brownstein's mother and stepfather died in a car accident. Similar to how Foo Fighters' recent album But Here We Are was Dave Grohl working through the passing of bandmate Taylor Hawkins and his mother, much of this album is about grief and resilience. I am happy to say this is the First Great Album of 2024!

Sleater-Kinney at the 2002 Siren Festival in Coney Island

After Weiss left the band, there were some fans who felt it wasn't Sleater-Kinney without her. That is not true, but it does need to be said that with Path of Wellness, as much as I liked the album - it is a band trying to figure out how to go from being a three-headed monster to a two-headed monster. But with this one, Brownstein and Tucker are clearly past that transition and diving back into the indie rock sound they perfected over the course of the last 30 years. There's some serious standouts on this album like "Say it Like You Mean It" and the epic closer "Untidy Creature"! This is the definition of aging gracefully in alt-rock. All Hail Sleater-Kinney!

For info on Little Rope

4 out of 5 stars

U2 Zooropa 30th Anniversary Vinyl

In October 2023, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of U2's album Zooropa a limited edition yellow vinyl was released. This review is a little late, but better late than never! Coming off the success of 1991's Achtung Baby, their 8th studio album was something of a surprise album. They had planned on recording an EP that turned into a full album, which was very much an extension of the electronic sounds they were experimenting with on Achtung Baby. They only announced the new album a few weeks earlier. This also marked the fastest U2 album ever recorded, they did it in only six weeks in early 1993. I happen to be at Newbury Comics on the day it was released and bought it immediately. It is an excellent U2 album that rarely gets mentioned, but its one of their best. One of their finest moments is the album closer “The Wanderer”, the band’s duet with Johnny Cash! The album went to #1 on the charts and won a Grammy.

the 30th anniversary edition of Zooropa

In the past few years, I have been lucky enough to review a number of U2 re-releases including the 2017 Super Deluxe edition of The Joshua Tree, the 2020 Super Deluxe edition of All That You Can't Leave Behind, the 2021 30th anniversary edition of Achtung Baby, as well as last year's album Songs of Surrender. The thing with the aforementioned Deluxe Editions is they remastered the original album, included some B-sides recorded during those sessions and a live concert (for the most part). This re-release is a little different. Let me back up for a minute: in 2018 there was a vinyl re-release that included 2 remixes of "Lemon" and "Numb". This 2023 vinyl release is basically the same release on yellow vinyl (in honor of "Lemon" I'm guessing) and a new photo of the band from 1993 in the gatefold. It would've been cool if they had padded this with more bells and whistles but I get that it wasn't as robust of a recording session as Achtung Baby was. The 2 remixes are alright, but not worth re-buying if you already have this. The yellow vinyl is cool as is the picture, but in the end it's really just a reminder of what a solid album this was. As we all await U2's first original album since 2017 (last year's Songs of Surrender was re-recordings of older songs), this is a reminder of how prolific the band was during a break from the Zoo TV tour to knock out an incredible album that still holds up today!

For info on Zooropa

4 out of 5 stars

#sleater kinney #album review #music nerd #u2 #reissue #1993 #album reviews

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fireflyhwufanficwriter · 1 year ago

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My thoughts on Dr. Stone’s S03E11 (“With This Fist, A Miracle”)

(Safe to read for anime-only folks.)

My thoughts after watching Season Three, Episode Eleven:

01. Kohaku has a lot of skill and confidence to be about to maneuver in unfamiliar territory, at NIGHT, like that! :O

02. The platinum is so, so close! :D

03. This last-for-now episode's title is "With This Fist, A Miracle!" :)

04. I think we've seen Kohaku panic more in this half-season than the previous two seasons combined XD

05. But HOW could they have made a ball of concrete inside the Soyuz? Did they put all the science goodies inside, and then fill it up with concrete? But... that would be a huge risk... HOW is there a perfect concrete sphere inside the Soyuz?? :O

06. Yup, just like the glass record! It was up to Kohaku in the past, and now, it's up to Kohaku once again! :)

07. Oh, she's so close to what will save EVERYBODY... so very close...! :O

08. This is adorable! Senku's talking about something that's literally deadly, and he's holding out his arms to show how much damage he can do, but he's being cute about it, and Suika decided to copy him and stretch her arms out too, which is super adorable! :D

09. Soyuz cowering and covering his head reminds me of when Suika was scared about the chemicals that Senku was mixing for the antibiotic, way back in Season One! But this time, somebody else is very scared, while Suika is just a bit worried and her head is turned sideways in (sort of) Senku's direction. She's not nearly as scared as she was back then! :)

10. Plaster acquired! Uh, the island looks weird... maybe because of its 3D-ness on top of the waters 2D-ness? XD

11. Amaryllis is so good at distracting the guards! Before, it was her marveling at their muscles, and now, it's her asking them to watch her dance XD

12. Initially, I was disappointed that they made Ginro dance in that goofy way. I really should have known better, though, because the animators of Dr. Stone have been so careful, and they've been so faithful to the manga. I should have believed in them! :)

13. Senku called her "lioness Kohaku!" :D And she, of course, started to protest, as usual! :D

14. And this is were Ginro's "spear dance" comes in! :) Twirls and jumps and poses and intensity! :O He gives a slightly different explanation here compared to the manga... I think... but "I always need to be ready to escape without putting up a fight" sounds very much like him, too! XD

15. Amaryllis is both very impressed and not very impressed at the same time, hahaha! :)

16. Okay, so one set of vials has emerald green sulfuric acid, and the other set of vials has anhydrous calcium sulfate in the form of white powder... Basically, sulfuric acid and powdered seashells... oh, Senku didn't finish the explanation. Wow, that might be the very first time he HASN'T finished a scientific explanation in this series XD

17. You just need to mix those things and the plaster that forms will eventually... three hundred kilograms per square meter - THAT much force?? Ah... silent bomb acquired... for sure! :O

18. "Still, someday... Science will quietly break stone." This is so true...! :O

19. "No... This sand itself must have value. It's how Senku's always done it. He's always made use of fragments of the stone Earth. I've really found my place in the Kingdom of Science, haven't I?" Aww, Kohaku...! :)

20. A special delivery from the spy team to the science team! :D

21. There are only 0.001 grams of platinum per ton of earth... And sifting through a river for platinum would take DECADES... :O

22. They did the cartoon animation thing of two random people digging for materials really well. The small tree turned into a big tree; the whale had two whale children; the two young digging people turned into two old digging people... this was quite well done! :)

23. Did Byakuya's dedication and love make me cry when I first watched this episode? Yes. Did all of it make me cry AGAIN as I'm writing this? Also yes. Byakuya... I don't even know... I don't even think I need to say ANYTHING, because his incredible determination to work for the future of humanity as the last astronaut on Earth, and his absolute faith that his son, Senku, would break free from the petrification and find the fruits of his decades of labor one day... :O

24. The way he said, "I don't mind not being the one looking up," and the fact that Senku's name was the very last word he spoke... So much faith, and so much love... Byakuya is AMAZING :O

25. And I love that they showed the International Space Station up there! It's so fitting, in more ways than one! :'(

26. That's SO MUCH PLATINUM! And Senku, his eyes are shining - he knows EXACTLY how hard, and how long, his father must have worked to get that much, to give it to him someday... :O

27. Senku is biologically Byakuya's friend's child... but he's Byakuya's son, ten billion percent! :)

28. I wish that instead of saying, "in the way that you never buckle," they instead translated that to, "in the way that you never give up" XD But "buckle" does highlight the "never break under pressure" aspect, as opposed to "never give up," which focuses more on the "continuing no matter what" side of things, so I can see why they chose "buckle" :D

29. Just like in Season One, Senku thanked Byakuya again - but this time, it's for his many decades! :) And, platinum acquired! :O

30. Kirisame realized the connection between the boat and the Soyuz; Ibara declared in a really creepy way that they have an intruder... and Mozu's just relaxing with his axe on a tree branch, just hanging out XD

31. Super complicated-looking science setup acquired; nitric acid acquired! This is going to be exhilarating! I love that Senku was facing towards the light in the last scene - the light of hope, the light of the past, and the light of the future! :D

32. And the end title card thingy says, "Next Episode, The Kingdom of Science Strikes Back, Airing in October!! See you then!" :O

33. The scene I would have hoped they would end this sort-of-finale with didn't take place in Season Three, Part One, Episode Eleven after all, but that's alright! I am SO happy that they did such a great job animating the first part of my favorite arc in the Dr. Stone series! And, I won't go into detail because I want to keep this post spoiler-free, but I saw what the animators did in this episode, and I appreciate it! :D I'm super looking forward to watching Season Three, Part Two, Episode One, which will be airing three hours and and ten minutes from now - and there's a ten billion percent chance that it will be exhilarating! :D

https :// fireflyhwufanficwriter . tumblr . com / MyDrStoneEpisodeMangaThoughts

#dr stone #ishigami senku #kohaku #dr stone kohaku #dr. stone #dr. stone kohaku #ishigami byakuya

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cathartes-aura-shitposting · 1 year ago

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ARGONUS INFO: the other aeronoids

(NOTE: description copy-pasted from DA where i normally post my works. any context that is missing here on tumblr can be found on my DA [linked here and on pinned post] )

[this image is best viewed when opened in a new tab.]

AAAAAND like with the elkinets, i go more into detail about the other members of the order aeronoida.

1-they're entirely biological, with the exception of their semi-mechanical engines.

2-sometimes there exist pygmy versions of them, usually due to lack of resources. a-however, pygmies tend to be more common due to purposely breeding them.

3-colorations is usually based of respective aircraft's, though can be almost anything. a-and like with the elkinets, there's only colors, patterns and markings.

[tumblr edit: most aeronoid groups are monotypic, consisting of a single genus, if not a super genus at the largest]

alright, natural history lesson over, time to continue on.

ok, ok, NOW we can get into each individual (extant) groups of aeronoids.

THE STUNNITS (helicopters)

THE AVIBELS (sailplanes and gliders)

wild ranges: they were originally found throughout the old world, more specifically nylus and sonias. however, thanks to the elkinets they can be found anywhere where there's civilization.

THE THEROPECTS (tiltrotors)

aaaaand that's it for the aeronoids! any other information regarding them will probably be in other post.

#aircraft #aviation #airplane #avigeek #weird aircraft #speculative fiction #speculative biology #speculative zoology #speculative evolution #helicopter #lifting body #glider #sailplane #tiltrotor #worldbuilder #worldbuilding #argonus #planet argonus

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dragonofthestone · 2 years ago

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Child or Not

In many ways fresh out of the lab, Tim is quite like a child.

Curious but frightened of the unknown, so much to learn and understand but it also wouldn't exactly be correct to say their intelligence or mind is equivalent to that, more so in mannerisms and naivete of the wider world

They are quite smart and quick to learn, with the fastest way they learn being through copying / mimicry - not to dissimilar from a child learning

So if they see or hear something particularly interesting to them you will catch them trying to do the same. So one might want to be careful what they say around him lest he start parroting it right back- it also heavily influences his speech / how he talks, so you know around one person long enough and will start talking more like said person.

Same can be said about actions in that they will happily play along and mimic whatever the other is doing- if only cause they think it's what they should be doing and if they do 'thing' it'll make the other happy probably. But sometimes it's just a case of they want to do 'thing' too and want to feel included

So basically best way to help this lab escapee learn is include him in your activities too, and honestly despite appearances sometimes treating them like a child- such as explaining something to them the same way you would to one is often the easiest route to go. Don't worry about sounding patronizing

Least until they start clearly understanding things more, and doesn't always have to be done for everything all the time either.

Surest way to destroy any confidence they've built and stop them from trying anything new is to tell them not to do something and then never elaborate - to them all it reinforces is 'doing things on their own = bad and not to dare do anything without express permission.

Also be careful of wording as they can and will take things quite literally - especially if you tell them to do thing without further instruction he'll just do it and keep on doing it until told otherwise even if it means pushing past his own limit.

After all he has been strongly conditioned to follow orders, only listen no need to think for themselves. Yet deep inside is a boundless curiosity that's never had the chance to be fulfilled or acknowledged that at this point is nearly snuffed out.

Whether they lose that last scrap of it or it can be rekindled to something bright, well that all depends on others.

#lab!life tim #chimera in wonderland (ffu)#lab report || about tim #; teaching #idk what else to tag this with #but some morning thoughts on his learning and general mindset #it's not inaccurate to say he's got the mind of a child or call him child like #but dunno if I'd go so far as to call him a child specfically

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bookofmirth · 3 years ago

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The post that says want to see couples fall in love agree with everything.

Sarah practically said that Acotar is about romance, if you're already so in love and just need to make it official, there's nothing to say.

You know I never found Sarah unpredictable when it came to romance..

You know when you see that for example Chaol and Caelena doesn't work and when I follow my instincts I haven't even been knocked over yet.

Sarah surprised me more when she goes to tell the plot and how the couple arrives in the endgame, more when it comes to who Feyre, Aelin, Chaol was going to be with I always knew.

I always follow my instincts that to this day never made me meet the unpredictable Sarah.

I've always had doubts, do they say that Sarah is unpredictable because she changes her mind without planning or simply because she doesn't see the tips she writes?

I always discard some of Sarah's things because I think it's pretty obvious when it's just something that came up and sometimes she didn't even consciously put it in.

(this is the post anon is talking about)

I'm trying to remember if, other than moriel, I've ever been surprised by an sjm ship, and... no. And speaking of moriel, so many of the arguments we had for them are the same arguments people have for his other ship. "He loves her he just hasn't said it" "they've had conversations off page" "he just cares so much it's so intense, you can just tell" "they are mutually interested but we don't know why they haven't acted on it before" Just copy/paste from moriel to e*riel.

Sarah surprised me more when she goes to tell the plot and how the couple arrives in the endgame, more when it comes to who Feyre, Aelin, Chaol was going to be with I always knew.

Yesss there is a huge difference between there being plot twists, and having relationship twists. The couples shouldn't be a surprise because the individuals either do or don't have compatibility. They can have attraction or even love (Chaol and Celeana, Feyre and Tamlin, Chaol and Nesryn, Elain and Graysen, etc.), but that doesn't mean they are compatible in the long run, and it's always very clear why they wouldn't work out.

(The minute that one ship was mentioned as a possibility in fandom, I knew it was a "no" in terms of working out long term.)

So I'm with you, whenever people say that she likes tricking people or being super elusive or surprising, I'm like okay yeah but not with ships. All of her major twists and turns are plot-related, like "nameless is my price" or the Valkyries getting kidnapped or Nesta and Elain getting kidnapped or Nehemia dying. Even finding out that Rhys and Feyre were mates, they were... already basically together. Them being mates was just the cherry on top. That wasn't a relationship surprise.

She told us outright in 2016 that elucien are mates and idk why people are acting like she's going to pull the rug out from under us. "e*riel has been foreshadowed since acomaf" well first off you're using foreshadowing incorrectly, and secondly who needs foreshadowing when you have a neon sign saying "Elain and Lucien are mates".

#then again that's why they keep trying to discredit it #they know #antielriel #elucien #ask #anon #acotar

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mrs-bartowski · 3 years ago

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I went on an impromptu sc/Kara rant (sorry @captainmarvel-danvers 🤣😘) that I now feel like I want to just go ahead and post because I had a LOT of thoughts after these last 2 eps. So, here it is (and yes I did just straight up copy and paste because I'm lazy...don't judge me):

They're truly setting us up for either the greatest joy or greatest disappointment of our lives and I both love and hate it 🙃😭 someone called it Schrodinger's Ship the other day and I almost died 🤣🤣🤣

I genuinely can't imagine they'd ever go through with it either but if they're not it's to the point where I have absolutely NO clue where they even could take it instead ya know?? Another post I saw was basically like "if supercorp isn't endgame, what has Kara been doing for the last 2 seasons" and I was like...shit, I mean, yeah.

She literally has had no major arcs outside Lena since the reveal other than her 5 minutes in the PZ that arguably took her character BACKWARDS considering the fact that she just...didn't think to mention the fact that her father lied to her and was complacent in the destruction of their home planet?? Same way she did when they found Argo and Alura?? 🙄

It's honestly just tiring at this point like their entire lives have revolved almost 100% around each other for the last 2 1/2 - 3 years and you're telling me your big, groundbreaking takeaway is "look how strong female friendships can be 😀😀"?

It's bullshit and they know it, but even still I don't see them ever having the balls to admit it because even if they DO become canon, that doesn't change the fact that they told us for years they never would while continuing to bait us...placating us in the last 2 episodes of the last season when we KNOW if you hadn't gotten canceled you never would have done it means jack shit to me tbh, I'll still hate them just as much and honestly maybe even a little more for all the bullshit they put us through for whatever little scraps they're bound to give us one way or another.

I can't even trust that we'll get anything other than a Korrasami ending if by some miracle it becomes canon at all, and that would make me want to burn the whole fuckin network to the ground with everyone responsible inside (not trapped...they could have a chance to escape...but I'd hope they didn't).

The only other thing I could imagine is if their big thing for her is what a lot of people have been speculating and she DOES reveal her identity, and if so they have truly and utterly failed as writers. It's one thing to rewrite an ending for the shock factor because you think it's a bad thing that people can track where your story is going and see the logical resolution. That's fuckin dumb, but at least there's some way to make it make sense because you're writing it after the main storytelling process.

This is literally the opposite tho. It's like they forgot to actually write a story for Kara outside of Lena because they thought they'd have time, so now they're scrambling to put her through something that makes it all make sense but you can't...do that retrospectively if you never planned for it??

Not that they care, consistency and continuity have never even been on their priorities list, but it literally makes no sense whatsoever for Kara to reveal her identity based on the story they've given us so far because they LITERALLY KILLED EVERYONE SHE LOVES IN THE ONE REALITY WHERE SHE DID REVEAL IT.

You're telling me that "every morning I wake up and I imagine this moment" speech she gave Winn suddenly just goes out the window because she's going through the 7 Allstone trials??

How does her own personal emotional and mental journey have ANYTHING to do with the threat of revealing her identity, because it seems to me that no matter what she's thinking or feeling, she will always know that threats like Lockwood exist and it will ALWAYS be too much of a risk for her.

And if it isn't...she's not Kara anymore. I mean, they've butchered her as it is, but her whole Thing is supposed to be hope and - while the easy way out is to make the moral of the story "trust in the good in people and have hope that goodness will keep you safe" or whatever the fuck - I'm not sure how you can rely on hope (or courage, humanity, dreams, truth, love, or destiny) to...stop the bad people that still exist in the world from killing the people you love???

Like there is absolutely no fuckin way you could ever convince me that Kara Zor-El - who watched the mistakes of her family literally destroy her entire home planet and almost everyone on it (not that the way they've written her would make you think she's at all bothered by that anymore) AND saw a reality where she revealed her identity and EVERYONE SHE LOVES DIED - would ever make the CHOICE to reveal her identity...just because.

She literally said it's her greatest fear for the people she loves to get hurt because of her being supergirl. That fear doesn't just magically go away, and it's not something that personal growth could ever remove because it's a fear and distrust of evils that you KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT EXIST and have SEEN your loved ones lose their lives to.

Even with LENA'S LIFE on the line, she hesitated. She never would have hesitated if any part of her would ever have considered revealing her identity unless she had absolutely no other option. And to throw all of that out the window because you were so busy baiting us that you forgot to actually give your lead any substantial character development??? It's not just lazy, it's a complete and utter failure as storytellers.

You LITERALLY had one job. And not once in five years have you done it right. So, I'm just gonna try to enjoy the moments we get and imagine all the fix-it fics and fanvids we'll get once this shit show is finally over 🙃

TLDR: If supercorp doesn't become canon, Kara doesn't have a reasonably planned out ending, because all of her growth in the last 2 years has revolved entirely around Lena; furthermore, if Kara's main arc turns out to be revealing her identity, the writers will have failed in every sense of the word, because not one iota of her on-screen experiences or development has suggested that she'd ever reveal her identity unless given no other option, and no amount of internal growth could ever remove the external threat that keeps her from doing so.

#supergirl #supercorp #kara danvers #lena luthor #the cw #the cw network #supergirl season 6

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dean-winchester-is-a-warrior · 3 years ago

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Asked and Answered 2 - the Forbidden Post!

So, the other day, I asked @myloversgone a question (Dean x Lisa or Dean x Cassie) in the fun game we were all playing. She answered, Dean x Lisa.

Then I tried to respond back with my rambling thoughts and Tumblr flagged me for e*plic*t material. Which has to be the stupidest thing I've ever seen because it was literally all just clips and gifs from SPN, a show that aired on the C fucking W, a goddam, network TV show! So, really? That's explicit material? I tried to appeal it and they were like, no - it's explicit - shame on you and tsk tsk and we're clutching our pearls! 🙄

They were like, we haven't removed it, we just made it so only you can see it. Oh gee, thanks!

But I didn't post it for just me to see, so I'm gonna risk it and try to post it again, because there is genuinely nothing REMOTELY too e*plic*t for Tumblr. As @myloversgone said, there are straight up p**n gifs on the site all the time. So, I'm hoping it was just a weird little glitch and that this post will be fine.

I will just be copying and pasting exactly what the post was, with any questionable phrases ***'d out. 😁

Omg - these gifs - I'm dying over here! Love them!! I totally get what you mean. eevvaa chose Dean and Cassie because she felt like Cassie was Dean's first love and that they kind of brought Lisa back out the blue in Season 5 when he shows up at her house. I totally got what she meant too, I definitely wish we'd seen Lisa more often, or had some more time with them together before that happened. So he and Lisa just happening, did feel a bit jarring.

Having said that I do also love Dean and Lisa together! You're right, domestic!husband!dean is amazing! And their relationship was very romantic. I also did appreciate that she knew who Dean was and accepted him and understood:

It's a very hard choice I gave you here, cause yes, Dean and Cassie were passionate and their l*ve scene was SMOKIN' hot. And yes, I would have loved for some more of that!!

But I do love Dean and Lisa's much longer relationship, even if we didn't get to see as much of it as I would have liked.

Basically, I'm saying that I'm glad no one gave me this pairing to choose from! 😂

I'll say Dean and Cassie today, but ask me again tomorrow and it will probably change! 😁

Also, I'm gonna share the clip of the scene from the gif above because:

1. I always forget how amazingly well acted this scene is.

2. Jensen and Cindy really do have great chemistry and it 'feels' like they've been together a while.

3. Dean in a Henley. I always forget about this one, and I feel like that is akin to heresy!

4. The freckles.

5. The lashes.

6. JFC, why am I not married to him.

Sorry that last one isn't a reason, just something I lament to the gods every night! 😂

Enjoy!

youtube

Oh, oh and also, this little scene from the same episode (6x02). It's very cute, Dean is freakishly beautiful and I'm not sure why I find the fact that he's so much bigger than her so very appealing and s*xy!

youtube

Okaaaaaay! I think I'm done now! 😁

#Youtube

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mallowstep · 3 years ago

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(I came up with this au while in debate class so I'm calling it the Debate AU if you don't mind)

Tigerstar absolutely misread everything about Riverclan and fucked up so bad by keeping Stonefur, Mistyfoot Featherpaw, and Stormpaw alive and well and healthy but basically doing everything to Leopardstar that he does to Mistyfoot and Feathertail and Leopardstar in the Misty and Leopard AUs that Stone pulls a Scourge in front of all the clans and everyone looks at Stonefur in terror but Stonefur only has eyes for Leopardstar, who is leaning heavily on Mistyfoot. (Like Leopard is beat down, she's loosing hair, and she has deeply infected scratches on her shoulders.Stone and Misty fucking Hate Tigerstar for what he's done to this cat they've known all their lives.) Stonefur kicks Shadowclan the fuck out of Riverclan territory, Mistyfoot doesn't let Mudfur near Leopardstar (neither does Featherpaw, for that matter. She wasn't abused and she's healthy, but she was traumatized in-Tigerstar had her watch Mudfur abuse Leopardstar and Tigerstar himself told Featherpaw Greystripe thought the same things about her.) Featherpaw won't let any warriors in Leopardstar's den unless she's in there with Leopardstar ---so Featherpaw can protect Leopardstar. The silver furred apprentice curls around her leader, "I'm right here, Leopardstar. Stonefur and Mistyfoot are talking to the other clans and then they'll be back. Stonefur said he'd bring back your favorite." Featherpaw added, purring as she groomed Leopardstar's head. "Stormpaw said he went and got the best trinket for your new den though, and he thinks it's going to be your choice over uncle Stonefur's."

damn anon. thank you. hold on i'm going to engage.

also fair like. i'm. i'm out of the haze and not good at keeping track of au tags so. the only ones i'm really tagging for are the ones i'm like. still thinking about. stone au atm. just didn't want like. u to be. think it was a thing. i'm just tired 100% of the time. anyway.

cw: sexual assault, physical abuse, a few more detailed cws immediately under the cut

cws: parent being involved in sexual assault of child, child sexual abuse (via exposure)

cool. sometimes it's like. i dunno. anyway. sorry i said i'm tired but also very into this.

anyway /nm but also reminder to everyone that i have adhd and would prefer if you included paragraph breaks. obviously i just copy it into a document and add my own but. i appreciate when you save me the step. like i get it y'all've seen me ramble at Length in one paragraph before i just. appreciate it.

okay back on topic.

i'm going to sidestep riverclan related concerns for the sake of "angst good," lmao. riverclan related concerns being if i wasn't tired i could easily come up with a justification i'm just tired and lazy.

but like yeah like. uh. dammit i'm already opening up tpb books left and right. let me just.

"But common sense says there’ll be a battle, Firestar. I don’t need an omen from StarClan to tell me that."

oh my god can cinderpelt like. go and talk to all of the modern medicine cats so that they stop flipping out because starclan isn't answering their texts or whatever.

Remembering the wounded and devastated cats in the WindClan camp the day before, he had expected only a small group to come to Fourtrees. Instead practically every warrior must have been there.

i mean windclan has like five warriors but-

Firestar waved his tail to signal to the two united Clans—LionClan, he thought with a rush of pride. This was his destiny.

this is mostly for jace (assuming u see this) bc it's the whole "importance of lionclan existing" thing i was referring to. didn't bother to pull quotes on my dotc rant, but here u go.

so. point of canon divergence* is:

“Greetings, Tigerstar,” he meowed coolly. “You came, then. Not still looking for those prisoners you lost from RiverClan territory?” Tigerstar let out a snarl. “You’ll regret that day’s work, Firestar.” “Try and make me,” Firestar retorted.

* from firestar's pov

bc obviously that didn't happen.

no, what happens is firestar sees -- blackfoot and darkstripe and.

leopardstar.

firestar harbours no affection for riverclan's leader. but. even from a distance, he can see her ribs. he'd be surprised she was standing on her own, if he wasn't processing everything else going on.

he doesn't see this part.

Mistyfoot's tail flicks to Stonefur's shoulder, and he nods. They've only exchanged a few words, only had a brief moment, but they're ready.

Stonefur glances back. Featherpaw and Stormpaw are out of the way. He hopes, if this goes wrong, they have the sense to run. If they had the chance, he would have told them to skirt the edge of TigerClan and try to make it as deep into ThunderClan's territory as they could.

He hopes they have the sense to figure that out for themselves.

Firestar is exposing Tigerstar's plans. RiverClan doesn't react. There's not much they'd be surprised by, Stonefur muses. If Firestar told them Tigerstar killed his own kit, he doesn't think he'd be shocked.

Mistyfoot slips towards the front of the crowd. Leopardstar doesn't know, of course. Stonefur has barely had the chance to say two words to her in the past moon. He slinks around to the space between the Clans.

Firestar finishes his speech. No one says anything. Firestar looks takenaback. He glances towards Leopardstar; Stonefur does too. Mistyfoot is watching him, but she's looking at the ground.

A part of Stonefur wants to say, "That's not all." Because, as he starts to run, preparing to leap at Tigerstar, he wants them to know why. He wants them to know what Tigerstar has done. He wants them to revel in Tigerstar's death.

But he doesn't.

Tigerstar sees him, of course. Stonefur isn't trying to be subtle.

"You," Tigerstar growls.

Say it, Stonefur thinks. Tell them what you've done.

But Tigerstar doesn't.

The actual fight is a blur. He doesn't think he is himself again, until Tigerstar's corpse twitches and stills, and he looks towards Leopardstar. Mistyfoot has inserted herself between Leopardstar and Blackfoot, and Stonefur nods minutely.

It's over now.

the clans, of course, are...shocked. riverclan has no complaints, and while...everyone (more or less) is happy tigerstar is dead, but...for thunderclan and windclan, stonefur just murdered him without direct provocation. and the fact that he killed him nine times? direct violation of a warrior doesn't need to kill.

like. if they Knew, they would think stonefur just. but they don't know.

and riverclan doesn't want to explain and shadowclan doesn't want to explain and no i'm not at this moment figuring out what happens wrt bloodclan and so forth. i just wanted to set that scene.

yeah. no idea what happens next in a lot of places here. but.

everyone goes home.

("Your territory," Stonefur growls.

"Obviously," Blackfoot says.)

mistyfoot takes leopardstar to her den. stonefur tells stormpaw to run to thunderclan and ask for their medicine cat. tells him to say it's urgent and he can't explain here. tells him that if they want to send her with a warrior or two, don't argue. just get her here.

featherpaw stations herself outside leopardstar's den.

stonefur feels like he should say something. he's still covered in tigerstar's blood.

"we're taking this down," he says, "now."

they dismantle the bonehill.

once the process has been started, stonefur lets the rest of the warriors finish, and grooms himself and washes in the river until he's satisfied every trace of blood has been taken care of.

he's about to see her when stormpaw arrives with cinderpelt and...hm. sandstorm.

(cinderpelt was there. she saw leopardstar. she can start to put pieces together.)

stonefur greets them, and featherpaw goes to tell mistyfoot and leopardstar, and the adrenaline is fading, his limbs starting to tremble. when's the last time he got any real sleep?

"Stormpaw said you needed a medicine cat," Cinderpelt says.

"We do."

"Did something happen to Mudfur?"

"He can't do this." Stonefur's tail flicks. "We need someone to look at Leopardstar -- you can use our herbs, of course, whatever you need."

Cinderpelt blinks. She's a young cat, Stonefur thinks, too young to be looking at him like she understands. Maybe it's part of being a medicine cat.

"Right then. Does Leopardstar know I'm coming?"

"Featherpaw is telling her."

and stonefur isn't going to follow cinderpelt into leopardstar's den.

for one, it's crowded enough, and he'd probably just get kicked out. for another, he doesn't know what leopardstar and cinderpelt will talk about, but -- he doesn't want to force himself into it.

cinderpelt stays for a while. sandstorm runs proxy, taking some herbs to her, but then she stays with cinderpelt. stonefur has probably been up for over a day when cinderpelt and sandstorm nod.

"take some prey before you leave," he says. "riverclan won't forget this."

"i went over some things with mistyfoot," cinderpelt says. "always good to have some basic herb knowledge."

cats don't have a direct analogue for kissing, but stonefur could kiss cinderpelt for having the grace to say that without letting on why. it's not like riverclan doesn't know. everyone knows.

but.

it's still appreciated.

As the sun rises, Stonefur stands, facing into Leopardstar's den.

"Can I come in?"

Her eyes are watching him. Even they have been changed: no longer the brilliant gold he remembers, but something brassy and dull.

"Of course."

Featherpaw slips past him, taking his place as sentry. She needs to sleep, Stonefur thinks, but it might be best to wait until she's too exhausted to keep her eyes open. He's not above carrying her back to her den like a kit.

Leopardstar starts to stand.

"Don't," Stonefur says. "It's alright."

He hates that seeing her like this is not foreign to him.

Mistyfoot curls up, her eyes closed, a compromise. Stonefur sinks to the ground. "Can I -- do anything?"

Leopardstar looks at the empty space in her nest. "Would you stay with me?"

"Of course." (Anything.)

yeah. uh. i think like. i dunno. it's not like tigerstar ever showed leopardstar a single ounce of kindness. so. uh. am i using that as an excuse to sidestep angst? no. no i am not. well. not entirely. but Damn leopardstar needs a hug.

that she can initiate and control.

but still. she's desperately deprived of positive human contact and as someone who cried once because someone put their hand on my shoulder and i hadn't touched another human being in like six months. i think she needs it.

ohh boy yeah. i think y'all know me well enough to know where i'd go with that angle.

so let me turn my attention to featherpaw. i started answering this ask like an hour ago. anon i love you.

featherpaw has. uh. she's got a Lot of problems. as you can probably understand.

i'd say let's start at the top, but i'm not sure where that is, so let's start with her relationship to stormpaw, because i think that should get fucked up. i think...you know how stormpaw says, "i won't let him kill us"? and. yeah.

but there's never One Moment here and stormpaw realizes way too late and featherpaw feels like...you know like. everyone who is supposed to help her is failing her. she can't really blame leopardstar, and mistyfoot clearly feels bad, and stonefur like. idk what he was doing but she's solidly neutral on him.

could tigerstar try to fuck all of that up? of course he could. do i want to write featherpaw and stonefur arguing about leopardstar? i've already written a lot of something blindingly similar, so not at the moment.

anyway. the relationship i will freely fuck with is stormpaw. i think not because of anything specific, i think tigerstar just gets in her head and she looks like her mother (something tigerstar brings up) and stormpaw takes after their father and he keeps acting like everything is normal and.

at the end of the day, there's this gulf between them that he keeps stepping into.

so yeah. not to mention greystripe. like. fuck.

"Featherpaw!" Greystripe waves his tail at his daughter, and she flinches.

oh hey i hit the grammar cut off again. let me. i learned how to do this okay i'm going to insert some kind of dummy image or something to reset the counter.

there it's a link to my tumblr but i've got grammar checking again xd

moving on.

featherpaw doesn't want to talk to greystripe. it's not Strictly that she thinks what tigerstar said was true (although she's not sure it isn't), but that. just looking at him sets off a loop in her head.

uh. does anyone explain this to greystripe? no. because the cats who could are:

leopardstar (doesn't want to talk about it)

mudfur (doesn't want to talk about it)

mistyfoot (but only by inference, and doesn't consider explaining things to greystripe a priority)

featherpaw (doesn't want to talk about it and doesn't want to talk to greystripe)

so yeah. no. he's in the Dark.

one of the first priorities is building leopardstar a new den. and decorating it. that's part of building a den i just wanted to clarify and.

featherpaw takes it seriously. because. you know. beauty begets beauty.

she doesn't want...stormpaw is ready to jump straight into sharing a den with old apprentice friend dawnpaw. maybe they never stopped.

but featherpaw? doesn't feel safe there. (doesn't feel safe anywhere.)

especially as she's getting older and tigerstar certainly implied and-

she's not sleeping very well.

mistyfoot and stonefur are trying to help her but they're not therapists! they don't know what to do! featherpaw clearly is dealing with shit but how do they help her??? they have no idea!!! how would they?

in a very strange inverse of canon, leopardstar and featherpaw develop a close relationship. leopardstar feels like she failed to protect featherpaw. featherpaw just. doesn't know. she doesn't know what she feels or thinks or knows and like: leopardstar doesn't. she doesn't need to explain herself to leopardstar.

she's in a big sister role to the kits, i think.

uh. yeah. featherpaw. she is not taking any of this well.

sooner or later greystripe corners her (because he doesn't know) and she's having a panic attack and leopardstar is like "you are never allowed to talk to her ever again" and greystripe is like "what the fuck did i do" and someone (mistyfoot?) finally explains.

uh. what else.

stonefur + leopardstar + featherpaw cuddle pile? leopardstar is in the centre. she feels kind of weird about that because she can tell featherpaw is like. going through this whole. uh. whats the. fuck.

like. featherpaw feels like she needs to protect her and leopardstar doesn't really want to encourage that but on the otherhand it's kind of nice that featherpaw is right here because tigerstar 100% used to threaten her to leopardstar and-

yeah.

uh.

i started writing two hours ago so i'm just going to post.

#ask #anon #mine #i approve of this au so much #clearly #had a lot of thoughts #debate au

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