#this was far longer than expected

[babacontainsmultitudes]

🤔 Admittedly I was a little disappointed by the reveal (but certainly not surprised the foreshadowing was heavy in this episode lol), but not actually against how Beth (and Will) seem to be playing with it thus far- which is to say that I do think it has a lot of potential, and I suspect there's more to what we're seeing).

;) Big ol' ramble below

Mostly the theory has turned me off until now (at least insofar as I've witnessed it transpire in the fandom at large) because it struck me as so painfully ironic to see Trudy, a 1950s housewife, struggle to exist under the system that she's in, fail to fit the mold assigned to her, and be denied her personhood very literally for it (this being ironic insofar as how it mimics how she would have been treated back then). This and because frankly I just think she's a lot less interesting if she's fully a robot LOL, but I'll hopefully get to that in a bit.

Not that the hints at her mechanical nature and the relevance of Tucker's background were lost on me; I can appreciate why those would contribute to a plausible, fun and I think still mostly harmless theory (now fact). However, minus one or two specific posts I've seen on the matter (namely a recent one suggesting that if Trudy is a robot Beth is probably taking inspiration from The Stepford Wives, :( sorry person who made that post I couldn't find it I wanted to credit yoouuu), I've seen the theory just about exclusively presented in a manner that, rather than explore the metaphorical and political significance of Trudy being partially or fully mechanical, at best disregards the parts of her narrative that are at their core about sexism (among other related things), and at worst negates them entirely (i.e. Trudy only thinking and acting how she does because she's a robot malfunctioning and not because the world itself is causing harm and she rightfully wants something more than the role she was forced into, Trudy not even having any real thoughts and feelings of her own, etc.). I just think it kind of sucks to shove all those important things about her aside and say "actually, there's no person suffering here, she's just a robot" and perhaps worse yet to imply that she does have thoughts and feelings but because they result in Weird™ behavior it must be a problem with her code and not at all relate to what women were subjugated to during this point in American history.

CONVERSELY I don't think Trudy being a robot (or at least partially one) at least from what Beth and Will have presented us thus far, inherently suffers from any of these issues? First and foremost because Trudy definitely appears to possess sentience, thoughts, and emotions of her own, matters which immediately complicate her degree of personhood and don't inherently box her behavior in as a bug in her programming rather than an issue with the world she's been put in, quite the opposite in fact! I think they have a very solid groundwork laid out here to make a strong statement with Trudy's narrative (and perhaps ask the question of what is really malfunctioning here), all the more so since [I pull out a Rebecca Swallows-style conspiracy board] I don't think she's entirely robotic in nature? Actually you should just read Mack's tags in this post cause he has great thoughts on the matter (of which those are just some of them), but if I can direct your attention to one thing in particular, it would be Beth's fact (I *believe* from episode 2) about Trudy never graduating high school because of her essay where she suggested that "perhaps women could one day domesticate themselves", a statement that could of course be interpreted a number of ways but ultimately threatened the patriarchal status quo enough (in suggesting women's independence) to cost Trudy her diploma. Taken on its own this fact appears to contradict the theory that Trudy has always been robotic in nature, because it doesn't really make sense that Trudy would have been set up to go through high school (or school at all really) when Tucker's intention was/is for her to be the perfect housewife. You may then suggest that Trudy's memories of this are fabricated and not actually her lived experiences, in which case firstly perhaps you should reread my earlier point on the robot theory being used to actively negate and otherwise disregard the portions of Trudy's narrative that pertain to sexism and feminism, and secondly it really doesn't make any sense to me that Tucker would implant those kind of memories into Trudy's brain? To be completely honest if she's been a robot from the very beginning (rather than someone who became a cyborg, which is what I'm trying to suggest here), then I don't see why Tucker would program her with actual sentience in the first place (suspending my disbelief here with regards to the possibility of programming sentience to begin with). It seems much more likely to me then that Trudy was not always a robot, and instead altered by Tucker to force her into a role of subordination and remedy her """imperfections""". This option is significantly more interesting to me one, because it implies that Trudy has actually lived a life up until the present, full of its own complexities and strife (and dreams, and real actual memories worth exploring, etc.), and hence is not by any means "just a robot", and second because it amplifies the hypothetical statement being made on the lives of the real living women of the era and how they were treated and seen as being "in need of fixing" for not conforming to gender roles or otherwise acting "out of line" with what was expected of them.

OKAY THIS GOT OUT OF HAND SO I'M CUTTING MYSELF OFF HERE but I wanted to my share my current thoughts what with this ending and where I'm at so hopefully that was at least interesting to whoever has chosen to read through this one okay thank you byyyyyyyyye~

[fistfuloflightning]

I’ll never get there, but if I put the work in, maybe I’ll get close enough that I can chase just behind perfection — and have a front-row seat as you achieve it.

Chapter 20, Cultivate by @neonghostcat

[olasketches]

me and like two other sukuna stans making posts about how miserable he is

[paintingpuff]

Tadinho - also known as the Poor Boy or the Crow Child, a Harvestman known to cruelly punish wrongdoers. After days of stalking and terrorizing, he will appear at one's door in the form of a child begging for aid.

One must follow all of his requests as a host before he leaves in the morning. If the host shows a hint of fear during that time, their soul is his.

Because he represents the death that people flee from, he is incapable of hurting those who hold no fear of dying.

[ineffabildaddy]

can someone come and switch my brain off at 9pm each night because the "my fics are shit and i'm not saying anything worth saying with them" thoughts really do tend to fly at me with increasing fervour as the eve wears on

[strawbebbiesart]

Haunted // Love Affair With A House 🏡💌

[ressioo]

“Yes I did give Sig hanahaki”

if I recall correctly, Hanahaki(hope I spelt it right) is supposedly caused from strong unrequited love, so the real question:

Who is it from?

Oh boy, time to ramble about 3sig+, my beloved. Get over here @tenspontaneite

Hanahaki Peepaw exists in an au of our Assembly/Solar Flare crossover thing

These are the bitches Peepaw is getting his plants from (assembly Pibbles, Sigs and Suns)

Now, when it comes to the plants themselves, they're not strictly a result of unrequited love. One type comes from unacknowledged love (benign) and one comes from unreciprocated or lost love (malignant)

The former is harmless as long as the plants are trimmed back, they just kinda vibe. The latter will, in fact, fuck you up. Very persistent. Quick to grow n spread. A twisted version of something that was good, yknow?

(All of that is very much all sponty lmao, my worldbuilding juice has been mostly used up on solar flare)

Peepaw gets to experience both!! Because harming him is my favourite activity <3

Sig's plant is a Marble Queen Pothos (because i have one ive affectionately named 'Peepaw' after him. Symbolism also checks out). Pretty and green. Good patterns on leaves

The malevolent version however,,

White do be choking out the green. Wont kill him, but its sure making him very overheated (blocked vents cause of roots n shit, cant draw in or let out air to cool the puppet). He gets this version during a very, very bad year. Specifically because of loss, not because he's not loved.

So yeah. Fun stuff

[pinksepia]

Doc ock of earth-106

[the-legendaryboi]

There is a lesson for Jon to learn from Kon and Kenan about carrying legacies, holding up Superman's name, and still be your person. Kon, similar to Jon, was expected, more specifically, made to carry Superman's name following the disappearance of Superman, but he doesn't. Older than Jon and he lets himself figure out what kind of person/ hero he wants to be whilst bear the Hero name of Superboy.

As for what Jon could learn from Kenan, Kenan is one of the least likely to have Superman's legacy, yet he does and became better person as a result. Jon and Kenan are similar because they are the other two who carry Superman's name. However, they differ in how people saw them during the start of their journey as Superman. Everyone, including Clark, assumed Jon was gonna be Superman. As for Kenan, no one did, he was a bully and a big jerk. Like I said, least likely to have Superman's legacy.

As their stories continue on, Kenan became a better person which resulted in him becoming a better hero. He surpassed the expectations of others, like what kind of hero he should be, as well as himself, what kind of person he truly wants to be. As for Jon, being Superman hinders actual growth for himself. What he has been doing is thinking 'What would Superman do?' and not 'What kind of hero should I be/ What would I do?'

Jon is on the journey that Kenan had, that Kon had, so it would be insightful for Jon to learn from the two other people close in proximity to him who had past experience to the struggles he currently faces.

I'll put a much more personal note for the end of this post. I genuinely question why Kon, Kenan, and Jon were not written a story where they grew close and share their thoughts about their current circumstances. As of writing this post, they appear friendly with another but that differs from how deep their bonds could be. A very big miss opportunity.

[herzblutrose]

@AkuSaiMonth 2023 Prompt: Stars ID in alt. Bingo card under the cut! (1/5)

The birth of stars …

This is based on that one first anniversary James Webb picture and inspired by this artwork by @prinnay! And I just realized she also made an (absolutely amazing) drawing based on that same James Webb picture...! Check it out!

My bingo card for this year:

I have 4 out of 5 drawings planned out ... let's see how many i can get out in the two weeks left

[deltadex]

Arcane's symbolism: Meaning of Vi

Of all the Arcane characters, I feel that Vi's name carries the most meaning in relation to her character.

Besides being associated with love in general, violets are also linked with lesbian love (thanks to Greek poet Sappho, who's poems centered around the relationships between women, who often wore the flowers). It's clear how this ties in with Vi and her relationship with a certain Pilty...

As for the shortened version of her name, Vi can be interpreted as the Roman numeral for the number six (which her stylised cheek Tattoo alludes to).

In Numerology, the number six is "the embodiment of the heart". It represents unconditional love and is a powerful force of compassion and empathy. The number six's strengths include:

Supportive - will be the first to provide a shoulder to lean on, truly try to understand, and give heartfelt advice. ("You wanna talk about today?", "We've all had bad days, but we learn, and we stick together")

Protective - its unconditional love extends to all people which allows it to speak up for those that don't have a voice. Especially fierce when it comes to family. (e.g. Vi standing up for Powder when Milo complains about her, her willingness to fight for the people of the Undercity)

Romantic - works hard to create peaceful relationships and is fluent in all love languages. Only happy when its other half is happy. (Romance we are yet to see...)

Its weaknesses include:

Passive - in order to keep the peace, six may allow itself to get taken advantage of. Would rather go along with an undesirable option than make waves. (We only really see this part of Vi when it comes to Powder/Jinx. "It's alright Powder, at least you're okay", "We can just go. We can leave and never come back")

Self-sacrificing - so willing to sacrifice itself for others that it neglects its own needs and well-being. Often overlooks the the self-care that would make it feel balanced. (e.g Vi willing to turn herself in to the enforcers. She has little regard for her own safety, putting herself in danger several times throughout the series in order to find her sister.)

Idealistic - expects everyone to treat others the way it does, which it believes would lead to a perfect world. When it realises its ideals are unattainable, it may face extreme upset. ("I grew up knowing I'm less than them, that my place is down there. I want Powder to have more than that and I'm willing to fight for it". Another moment that comes to mind is the council scene, where Vi becomes frustrated with the council for not sharing Jayce's view on stopping Silco. "This is how things are, how they've always been. I was so stupid to think it could change.")

(Going off point here: I noticed that Caitlyn has many of these qualities as well, in some cases exhibiting them even stronger than Vi. In this way, they are more similar than they realise. They both lead with their hearts.)

Let's move on to the third and final meaning, which lies in the realm of Tarot Cards. The sixth card in what is called the "Major Arcana" is, very fittingly, The Lovers.

This card has two different meanings, depending on its orientation in a reading:

1. The Lovers Upright

Represents conscious connections and meaningful relationships. The appearance of this card shows that you have a strong, beautiful connection with a loved one. You may believe you have found a soul mate or life partner. The chemistry between you goes beyond just physical attraction to something that is almost spiritual (AKA CaitVi).

While it typically represents a romantic tie, The Lovers card can also refer to a close friendship or family relationship where "love, respect and compassion flow" (AKA Vi and Jinx's sisterly bond)

The Lovers card is one of open communication and raw honesty. Its appearance is a sign that by "communicating openly and honestly with those you care about, you will create a harmonious and fulfilling relationship built on trust and respect". It's an invitation to open your heart and be vulnerable around someone (the scene that comes to mind is the one where Caitlyn and Vi are lying on the bed, and Vi talks about the childhood game her and Powder used to play. She shows a surprisingly amount of vulnerability, which leads to an intimate moment between her and Caitlyn. By being vulnerable, Vi instigated progression of their relationship. )

On a more personal level, the card is about defining your beliefs and values and staying true to them. You are figuring out what your philosophy is and what you stand for. (This is something we see Vi struggle with throughout the series. Vi's ideologies are constantly challenged and therefore evolving. In Act 1, it's through Vander's teachings, and the rest of the series, it's Caitlyn challenging everything she thought she knew about enforcers and Topsiders in general. Even so, the biggest threat to her value system is in the finale, where she is faced with whether or not she should choose to put some of her own values aside to maintain her relationship with Jinx. I think we will see a continuation of this personal journey in season 2: Is she going to follow Vander's example or forge her own path? Will she choose to believe the Piltover and the Undercity's relations can improve, or will they forever be "oil and water"? Who is she when she isn't constantly striving to reconnect with her sister? Will she ever be able to forgive her for everything she's done? Will she ever be able to forgive herself?

At its heart, The Lovers is about choice. Who you want to be. How you want to connect with others. This card is often a sign that you are facing a moral dilemma and must consider all the consequences before acting. It is advised not to make a decision out of fear, guilt or shame. Your values system is being challenged, and "you are being called to take the higher path, even if it is difficult."

Finally, The Lovers card encourages you to unify dual forces and bring together two parts, one that are seemingly in opposition, to form a harmonious "whole" (very fitting for a show whose central theme focuses on duality). This is where I see Vi and Caitlyn working together to forge peace between the two sides of the city, which is the reason she eventually becomes an enforcer. And, naturally, acceptance of this unified duality may also lead to the initiation of a relationship with Caitlyn.

2. The Lovers Reversed

Reversed, The Lovers can signal a time when you're out of sync with those around you, especially your loved ones (and it's no secret that Vi and Jinx have become "out of sync"). You're relationship is strained and communication is difficult. Depending on the case, you can either try to bring love and compassion to the situation, or you can accept that you've grown apart and move on (this is the harrowing decision that Vi is facing).

The Reversed card may reflect that there are feelings in a relationship that aren't mutual. One person may be more emotionally involved than the other which, down the line, can lead to disappointment and insecurity. You may also be reluctant to open your heart for fear of getting hurt. (This is basically the "oil and water" scene beat for beat. Vi is afraid of opening up to a relationship with Caitlyn and shatters the prospect of "mutuality" by stating that it "wasn't meant to be". And then there's Vi's relationship with Jinx, which also has a lack of mutuality, at least from Jinx's point of view: "I thought, maybe you could love me like you used to, even though I'm...different". i.e Why can't you love the new me like you loved Powder? It hurts because it's not that Vi doesn't love her, it's that she doesn't love her in the way that she wants her to, thereby leading to her choosing Jinx over Powder. She can't go back to being Powder. After all, "she fell down a well".)

Not only does the card refer to relationships with others, it also speaks to self-love and respect. To what extent do accept your identity and the value you offer the world? (I doubt Vi has any self-love and respect left, which is really sad. Her self-worth was already damaged in childhood; "I grew up knowing that I'm less than them. That my place is down there." This feeling of worthlessness was only exacerbated by her time in prison, where she was beaten senseless by the gaurds on a regular basis. You can tell by the way she carelessly throws herself into danger that she doesn't believe she's of any value except for being her sister's protector.)

The card encourages you to be mindful of when you look at other people and wish you were more like them. "Understand that if you can recognize these traits in others, it is because you have them within you." (In other words, what you perceive in others is a way for you to recognize your own strengths. Vi looks at Caitlyn and sees this amazingly kind, good-hearted and empathetic person. But what she doesn't realise is that she has these qualities as well. Caitlyn even points it out: "Despite it all, I can tell. You have a good heart ". Despite her constant cynicism towards Caitlyn, this quality still managed to shine through, enough for Caitlyn to notice it. My hope for next season is to see Vi get in touch with her tender side again after having to be tough for so long.)

If the Lovers Reversed shows up in a reading, you might face a tough choice with significant consequences (Vi faces the ultimate choice in the now infamous "tea party" scene, where Jinx presents her with the question: "Where should I sit? That's your choice, really." But what Vi doesn't expect is the way she has to answer that question: by choosing whether or not to kill Caitlyn.)

Instead of making a decision based on your values, you feel tempted to cut corners. (Vi tries to evade the dilemma by suggesting that they leave together. Nevertheless, this only makes the situation worse by riling up Silco.) The Lovers Reversed encourages you to reconsider and choose the path most in alignment with your values - no matter how difficult it might be (this might be a hint to Vi letting go of any prospect of a having a normal relationship with her sister again)

Lastly, this card can also suggest inner conflicts and being at war with oneself, rather than with external forces. You may be punishing yourself for something you have done or consider yourself responsible for. (Vi clearly has an extreme sense of guilt. She was the big sister that was in charge of taking care of her siblings, and when it came to it, save Vander. Even though there are several factors at blame, she feels responsible for the death of her family and her sister's poor mental health. Not only that, she also feels guilty for not being able to support Ekko and Powder in the time following that fateful night. It must eat her from the inside out: If I just hadn't gone through with the heist, none of this would have happened. Why did I have to hit Powder? Why did I have to call her a jinx? I have no one left, and it's all my fault. I'm the real jinx.

Now, let's take a step back and see what the running theme is here. Considering each of the three meanings her name represents, it's easy to see: Vi is the human embodiment of the heart. And love is the force that drives her. Nevertheless, sooner or later she's going to flatline. A heart must both give and receive blood for it to continue beating.

From what we've seen, there is NO DOUBT that Vi is able to give immense amounts of love; it's literally permanently tatooed onto her. But the question remains; will she be able to let herself receive it?

Sources:

fnp.com

numerology.com

biddytarot.com

[pixelgleams]

playtime with Marutchi!! 🏳️

[blujayonthewing]

SUPREMELY frustrating that we found something actually really cool and intriguing and plot relevant in tonight's session but I'm still so constantly preoccupied with whether the DM is going to 100% kill us with sheer poor game design that I barely have enough brainspace left over to even enjoy it

[cactuslester]

(hi i think it was you who talked about this but if it wasn’t you can ignore this sorryyy <3)

a few months ago you mentioned how it would feel disingenuous if the tour was starting to be made pre-gaming channel return since when they were promoting it said that they were touring because of how popular the gaming channel revival was, so i was wondering, how do you feel about what they said in preshow yesterday about how they revived the gaming channel because they were thinking about going on tour? (not trying to attack you or anything, just interested to hear your thoughts!)

hi anon! thanks for the ask, but i fear you have me mixed up with someone else, i do remember seeing this discussion on my dash a ~couple months ago, but i fear i have since forgotten who it was, sorry (but if this was you and you see this, feel free to weigh in <3), but i'll toss in my two cents anyways :P

yeah i do understand the idea that things would feel a bit disingenuous if they'd been seriously planning this since before dapg comeback and yet were promoting as if this as if it was purely in response to how well the comeback was received

however, after what they said yesterday, (i wasnt there yesterday nor have i listened to the preshow recording, this is just what i understand from people's summaries and posts about what they said, so correct me if im wrong), i dont think the way they went about it was disingenuous at all! it sounds like phil was the one to first bring up wanting to tour again, and dan suggested testing the waters first w/dapg before actually deciding and planning

this honestly makes a lot of sense to me because dan had just come back from wad, but phil hadn't toured since 2018, and i think w/dan talking about wad and also just covid + hiatus, phil genuinely missed us and touring 🥺 so im not gonna fault him for being excited and bringing it up and wanting to jump into planning

dan suggesting testing the waters w/dapg also completely makes sense since it had been 5 whole years, their audience grew up a lot, and the internet ecosystem changed a lot, so it would really be smart to have a way to gauge people's interest in joint content before embarking on something as big as a tour

and while dapg comeback served as a way to gauge that interest, i dont feel like the comeback was like based on Ulterior Motives or anything because i don't think they brought back dapg solely for the tour. we now know from the mukbang that phil really missed dapg and working w/dan throughout the hiatus, and he's been wanting to bring back the gaming channel for a while, he's just been waiting for dan to be ready, so i think even if tour wasn't in the picture at all, if dan had said he was ready, they would've brought dapg back

i also don't think dan said yes to dapg purely for tour reasons (especially since he Just finished a tour). it's clear how much dan has grown and how much he's learned about himself and his relationship with his audience through hiatus and wad, so it also just makes sense that after wad he was much more open to bringing back dapg

and i dont think they fully started hardcore planning the tour before dapg cb. like dan said, they were considering the idea, and then they brought back the channel, and then after seeing how good the reception was, decided to truly go ahead with tour, which isnt too different from what they've said recently in promoting the tour. they just didnt previously mention phil was floating the idea of the tour earlier, which to me, is neither here nor there, since in all these promo instances, they were just giving a summary of their thought process leading up to the tour, not like a Full Detailed Story, and i dont think they were purposely trying to Hide anything, otherwise they wouldn't have given us more info yesterday

[barrowsteeth]

Transatlantic (2023) 1.03 | The Wilderness

GIF ID in ALT. Caption plain text: Transatlantic 2023. 103 The Wilderness. End plain text.

[gamebunny-advance]

Today's Pikmin comic...

is so f*cked.

(link)