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star-sim · 1 month

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i've read ur hello kitty meets batman and super massive black hole at least 10 times in the same day >< all ur works are so deliciously made pls tell me ur ways 😢😢

hihi! supermassive is like one of my all time favorite pieces (it’s also my longest too!) i’ve written, so it makes me so happy that you love it as much as i do!!

i have so many tips for writing long fics well, but these are my main point (very long lol):

never start a scene at the beginning, start in the middle. i really mean it, NEVER. starting at the beginning usually leads to being redundant and it makes it very difficult to express sudden and strong emotions/tension, just because the beginning is drawn out. starting in the middle makes your intentions clear as an author. cut straight to the chase, no introduction needed. it's much stronger, and makes it easier to add commentary and introspection

example:

he walked into the room, took off his coat and jacket, and looked at her. she was in the kitchen. "i love you" he said. she stared at him, before blushing. how could he say that so casually?

"i love you," he said. she stared at him with wide eyes. just earlier he walked into the room, taking off his coat silently before his looked at her. how could he say that so casually?

of course anything can work as long as it's executed well, but it's imperative that you keep the flow of your writing strong.

which leads me to my next point: purpose.

i dapple in a loooot of written media, and something i notice about fanfiction in general is a lack of purpose. i genuinely mean this, every word, every sentence, every scene, every piece of punctuation, MUST serve a purpose. otherwise, your writing will fall apart.

let me break it down

words - words are so strong, so so strong. every single word carries emotion and history, even if many of them virtually mean the same thing. a single word can change the mood and tone of your writing, so choose them wisely.

example: if i'm writing a horror scene and need to describe the setting, which set of words creates that uncomfortable environment more effectively? <dark, dusty, smelly, nasty> or <shadowy, grimy, putrid, suffocating>

i'd say the second one, the first set is too general while the second set creates a very strong visual impression

sentence - unless important or a literary device, sentences should not need to repeat themselves. it makes your writing redundant and flat. every sentence needs to build upon each other. i like to imagine them as a building block for the house that's your story. they must carry a purpose, or else it will be useless and otherwise nothing will change if you don't use it.

scene - unless it's a motif or holds symbolic meaning, try your very best to make each and every scene distinct. what i mean by this is that i've seen school fics a lot, and they have 2/3 subway scenes. this is okay i guess, but if you want to elevate your writing, only have 1 subway scene-- and make it strong. this makes your scenes memorable. it's like when you scratch an itch a lot and it stops feeling good, if you do the same setting or idea over and over, it's no longer special and falls flat. there's exceptions of course, but try to give your scenes purpose. your scenes are there to build relationships or make a point come across, so utilize them wisely. they're your tools

punctation - SYNTAX SYNTAX STYNTAX. sentence structures are your best friend, because believe it or not, the way that you construct your sentences and use punctuation WILL 100% change the meaning of your words.

my 2 favorite uses are:

if someone is paranoid, anxious, catastrophizing, or anything of that sort, drag out your sentence structure, use repeated commas and less periods.

emotions like distress, panic, and just being frantic- use em-dashes and very short, choppy sentences

in short, what i’m trying to get at is that writing is fundamentally the manipulation of language.

in the end, it comes down to developing your literary voice/style, finding out what works for you, and using your intuition, which you'll have to train (and practicing helps!!)

i hope this helps, i'd be happy to elaborate more if you need me to

i'm sorry if i yapped or got too technical

thanks for coming by!!! im so happy that you like my works!

#star-sim #vanya-talks

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fuckinuhhh · 10 months

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Architectural Finds, 06/25/2023

Today's walk was short, I was just going in to DoBro to get some things from target but of course I had to stop and take some pictures along the way. Here are some architectural highlights from the walk there.

First were these row-houses along Fulton St, and this cool corner window aspect that the end house had.

Built 1882.

Located at 664-674 Fulton St these seemed like they were all the same architect save for the third house in at 668 that looked like it been rebuilt at some point or maybe covered with a brick facade.

You can see some of the rusting from the old Cast-Iron facade that was cutting edge technology in the day in the second picture.

Another row of houses that caught my eye were this row of brownstones with their beautiful ornamentation around the door frames. This is right around the corner at 109-117 S Elliot Pl.

I have no way of knowing if they were all built by the same owners originally as I cant seem to find any records for them online :/, but they were likely built around the turn of the last century 1890-1910 when this style of building was commonly constructed. It was likely that they were built by separate owners/architects, as their ornamental stone decorations aren't all exactly the same.

Moving on, A CHURCH! That's right I love a good ornate church and this one surely delivered. Just look at that gothic stone articulation above the entrance! Its so organic looking, it sends shivers down my spine just looking at it and I want to sink my teeth into it all in one.

Built in 1931 to the tune of the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church, and today it sits abandoned, boarded up, and full of black mold.

The overall shape of the building is so interesting it has so much going on with its MASSIVE brick pillar motifs, likely intended to vertically gesture up toward the creator.

One source describes it as "Gothic restyled in modern dress, an exercise in massing brick and tan terracotta that might be called cubistic Art Moderne."

Someone with more theological architectural background could go further in depth than I can on it I'm sure, but it's always exciting to see the passionate attention to detail that a good cathedral has in it's architecture.

Next I don't know if I love this one but I just wanted to shout it out as having a BIG clock face! Like that thing is so high upppp it must be 100 feet in diameter!

Without even looking it up I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say this is maybe Brooklyn City Hall, or another government building??? It resembles the thing they're doing in all of the governing buildings I've seen up in Albany.

I don't particularly like this architectural style its boring and chunky in my opinion, but I have to say its not the ugliest thing I've seen. I respect the sense of radial symmetry its upper terraces and flanks suggest, and cmon you cant knock that clock.

Second to last, we have this red & black beauty. Love the Greek-Revival pediments on each wing of the building as well as the renaissance revival inclusions in the carved cords/ribbons hanging in between the pilasters.

After some research, this seems to be an old Schoolhouse built in 1892 that has unfortunately since been absorbed by the ultra-modern townhouse on the end of the street at 81 Hanson Pl and transformed into a massive painting studio/home by painter David Salle. Wish I could find more info on the original schoolhouse tho :/

(Second photo ripped from google images)

HONORABLE MENTION: Caught this Mansard Roof moment on my way into the subway station and oof, tug at my heartstrings this is cute.

Across the street from the dream studio/abomination this guy sits pretty at 83 Hanson Pl and is the only brownstone on the block with a cute hat (mansard roof).

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sentience-if · 10 months

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Io's marks kinda remind me of circuit boards since this is sci-fi and Val and Io both said they looked like a subway map or a root network, respectively. Also I noticed in the "I want to be holy" conversation, you speak with someone who has the same pronouns as you do. 👀

I'm not Christian nor did I have contact with many in my lifetime so many themes and motifs are actually lost on me, but I am still loving the creepy vibes. Plus anything that makes arts seem cold and creepy is a bonus for me because it's so rare.

you know too much, anon. did you hack my fuckgn brain lmao

#jk i am absolutely delighted rn #was waiting for someone to notice the pronouns thing #sentience if #ask

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raidante · 1 year

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Do you have a map of your smt thingy? I’d love to see the variety in a Tokyo that’s not had anyone to run the floodgate system or maintain the subway lines

I definitely need to draw one.... but you are correct I plan to have some areas submerged and create tiny islands, and I really like the idea of the Faerie forest being inside a huge underground metro thats covered in vines n flora that the fae grew so it's like a Lost Woods maze and you gotta follow motifs to find ur way through it. As well as new buildings being made from old ones... like the Tokyo Diet building was brought to shambles, but the Covenent of God salvages it and turns it into their Church, with the surrounding area used as a refugee camp for those who aren't in the order, but are protected by the order in exchange for labor. Sitting on the ruins of a skyscraper toppled over as you talk with another character about the hopes and futures of living a life in a world like this.... while the Ring of Gaea probably inhabit Ginza's underground, using subways as makeshift dorms and old stores for supplies. They also have their own Church with their Founder inside...meditating as its put, but no one's had an in person audience with him in a long time.

Most of the older generation who survived the War are almost dead, probably from radiation poisoning or old age not being fit for survival. A lot of Tokyo's population actually is made of a new generation of people born after the bombs, who don't remember the old world, and only were raised on the principles of the new one-- a very god fearing, technophobic society. Most of them don't even know how to use old world technology, because after the War, it became sort of a taboo among people since it was technology, as people say, what was used to create killing machines and let demons into their world to begin with. Of course, the reality is people caused it, they just used technology, and it's no different from using any other tool to do your bidding. Most of the subways are shut down and don't work because of it, but if you do a little fiddling, you can probably get one or two to work as shortcuts in between areas. Some tunnels have also become lakes of contaminated water, or demon nests, because there's huge chunks of Tokyo that humans have to avoid for their own survival and demons occupy, but also, there's places even demons avoid...like the places where those supersoldier freak units prowl. They're kinda like Nemesis from RE where you can't really kill them, you just kinda have to avoid them, until you eventually might be able to, but at that point...would you even want/need to? Depends on how you feel by then depending on your experience and exposure to the different walks of life and different ideologies of the people you've talked to.

here's a map from digital devil story 2 + a cutscene from the sega CD version of SMT1 that kinda give me the vibes of my world. I definitely want more of those cool colors of the blues impacted by a very red to purple sky, though, rather than just a warm desert blast like Nocturne did.

Notice how large segments of Tokyo have been flooded and turned into mini islands... I think its super neat!

And this is the sega CD edition cutscene, I really like the depiction of the Flooding and the cool dark colors... I think this is kinda how I want my world to look.

This concept from the SMTIV art book is one of my absolute favorite pieces. It's supposed to be the tower that connects Naraku to Tokyo, and they were exploring how it would look with the construction sights as it went from the clay and bedrock into the more modern look. To me it looks like theyre walking down an overturned skyscraper, and I fucking love it. Imagine tunnels being created from skyscrapers falling sideways you can travel through above ground...

This cover from Imagine actually really conveys how I think I want my world to look. I definitly will draw mockup maps and locations/enviroments for sure!

#just take these for now hands them #asks #answered #anonymous #smt #shin megami tensei #smt original scenario #original smt #smt original #original scenario

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synthient · 2 years

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All right, time for: obsessive shot-by-shot analysis of the neosmith fight scene

There's a part in the making-of doc where Lana talks about how, in the original trilogy, almost everything was shot indoors with controlled artificial lighting. She and Lilly were paranoid about sunlight and the uncertainty it threw into shooting. In Resurrections, she tried to embrace the sun. And this is one of the scenes that really shows it

This has nothing to do with anything lmao. It's just one of my absolute favorite exchanges in the movie, and I love that they lead into the Smith fight with "Neo's a dilf now (affectionate, gay)"

enter: He

Bugs is the first one to notice Smith watching them. Morpheus draws his gun next (Morpheus has the whole interesting "assigned Agent Smith, but rejected it to become Morpheus" thing going on, so I'll be watching those two's interactions closely). Lexy and Berg have a slightly belated reaction, and Neo's the last one to turn--he really wasn't paying attention to ~Their Connection~

We get our first appearance of the White Fashion Sunglasses (while Neo was off in Io, Smith must have stopped by the mall)

The first Matrix movie had a definite sunglasses motif going on with Smith. He takes them off during the fbi interrogation with Neo, right before pulling the "my colleagues think you're a lost cause, but I really do want to recruit you and work together" thing. He takes them off again while interrogating Morpheus, when he reveals that he wants to be free too. Over the course of the movie, the lenses get less opaque, and we can see more of Smith's eyes and expressions (contrasted with Jones and Brown, whose glasses aren't see-through in the same shots). They get broken and tossed aside during the subway fight, where he totally gives into emotion.

(the head tilttt...the little jogggg.....)

Each time Neo sees redpilled!Smith, he gives a little despite-himself smile.

In the first movie, there’s an exchange (“Ah, the great Morpheus. We meet at last.” “And who are you?” “Smith. Agent Smith.” “Huh. You all look the same to me”) where Smith seems, like. Grievously Offended that Morpheus doesn’t recognize him lmao. He gives a huge smile here when Lexy knows who he is. He’s got individuality now! He’s famous! (for trying to destroy the world)

The glasses come off almost immediately. Remember: back in their first meeting, that signified I’m trying to make a genuine (““human””) connection with you and I want us to be on the same team. Smith will keep the glasses off for pretty much the entire rest of the movie.

From Smith’s expressions, you get the vibe that he genuinely wants this to work. Even if he knows it won’t.

Neo nods at Bugs and co to put their guns down. Throwback to the “Thanks to you, I’m seemingly free.” “...congratulations.” moment in Reloaded. And to that deleted scene phone call where Neo tries to invite Smith to join him.

We get a couple minutes of perfectly affable conversation. Most of the fun is in the acting and chemistry here, so I won’t bother to screencap most of it. Of note: when Smith says “you never appreciated our relationship. Not like the Analyst,” Morpheus asks “Who?”, and Neo says “My doctor.” Smith follows Neo’s lead and keeps calling the Analyst a “doctor” for the rest of the scene, without airing Neo’s mental health laundry.

gjdfhgk the little look he gives Neo like “well? what do you think of my eyes?”

Neo’s pretty sure there’s a catch, but he still can’t stop smiling. Smith goes on a nice face journey before whispering “I have such dreams, Tom.”

is it possible he could have a type

Neo’s still smiling on “Sounds like conflict.” Smith tries to make his “stay out of the Matrix” pitch, and ominous music kicks in (there was no score before this).

Here’s the real conflict: Smith doesn’t want to kill Neo. But he wants to be chained by their bond again even less. He knows--from their last fight, where Neo stared at him like a sad puppy rather than fight back--that Neo will definitely get recaptured if he goes after the Analyst now.

At this point, Seq sees the Merovingian Gang start to enter through portals. Smith gets in nice and close to murmur his final appeal, for Neo’s ears only:

Neo would give up his freedom and go back to sleepwalking through life, suicidally depressed, for his soulmate’s sake. Smith says “huh! interesting! I absolutely the fuck would not :)”

Now here’s something interesting: Neo strikes the first blow. Basically unprovoked.

In every previous fight, Neo has been so deep in some mix of “pacifism” and “terror that he’s actually having a psychotic episode and could hurt an innocent person,” that he’s basically refused to fight at all.

Smith’s shoulder grab doesn’t look hard or aggressive. It’s a hey wait, we’re not done talking gesture. But it’s still enough for Neo to instinctively shove him across the room.

Before this rewatch, I actually forgot that Smith had a gun in this scene. He only fires it once.

As soon as he sees that Neo has some level of bullet time powers back (and isn’t just going to do the Sad Puppy Stare), Smith puts the gun away. He doesn’t try to shoot the Mnemosyne crew either, even when Bugs starts firing at him. He dodges, ignores her, and goes straight into the kung fu fight with Neo.

I would read the thought process as if you’re not going to fight back, I’ll make this as quick and painless as possible. But if you are, then let’s have a fair fight. This is a test, with Smith hoping that Neo will prove he’s strong enough to handle the Analyst after all.

He gets a few seconds of uninterrupted combat with Neo before Morpheus intervenes.

There’s a pretty nasty arm-snapping sound effect here :( (might be a callback to Neo breaking Smith’s arm right after gaining his One powers?)

Multiple times in this sequence, Morpheus goes out of his way to attack Smith, while Smith keeps trying to knock him away (but without killing or permanently injuring him) and get back to fighting Neo.

For most of the movie, Morpheus has gone back and forth between being pissed at Neo for abandoning him, and being concerned for Neo (he has a complicated relationship with his dad). Does he keep attacking out of protectiveness? Or is he trying to get an Ultimate Showdown with the program whose role he was forced to play? (His, uh...other dad? Second of three dads?)

For his part, I don’t think Smith has any idea that Morpheus is Kind Of Him. I wish the movie had let them have a real conversation.

Unlike Morpheus, Lexy sees Smith coming, remembers the he’s gonna get us all killed conversation, and jumps the hell out of the way. Good for her lol

Wheeeee!

(Sidebar: take note of Smith’s ankles here. Jonathan Groff says that when he walked on set the first day, Lana Wachowski went “hm. take your socks off actually. I’ve decided Smith is going to be a no-socks guy”)

Smith only uses “Anderson” twice in this movie: once 30 seconds after he wakes up, and in this scene while musing about “Anderson and Smith.” He’s not even referring to Neo directly this time, but the deadnaming seems to be the catalyst that finally gets Neo fighting back in earnest (Neo doesn’t seem to mind “Tom” as much. Maybe because it’s a reminder of their bluepilled sort-of-friendship?). Some psycho strings kick in in the background music while they bullet time around

Neo agrees with him, then uses the distraction to kick him to the floor and dislocate his jaw. They do this dkghdkf:

They’re evenly matched for a minute, but before long, Neo starts doing the Anime Protagonist Coughs Up Blood On The Floor thing

The mirror symbolism has been amped up in Resurrections. They’ve taken over for phonebooths as the portal in and out of the Matrix. We get the whole thing with altered reflections, where only Neo and Trinity can see each other’s true selves.

Smith follows up his broken mirror soul-searching with “I feel bad about this, Tom. After all, you are the one who set me free. Again.” So we’re probably supposed to take something away about Smith’s real motives/desires getting cracked and distorted

Speaking of Morpheus being Kind Of Smith:

If the stakes here are “prove to me that you’re strong enough to handle the Analyst, so I’m not forced to kill you for my freedom”...I think they might have both been going for the same outcome

#this is obnoxiously long. please let the readmore work lol #the matrix #agent smith #neo

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horse-girl-anthy · 2 years

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WHAT SHAPES MY SOUL (NASU KINOKO, ON IKUHARA KUNIHIKO)

—Let’s talk about “Penguindrum”. You wrote your impressions of the first episode on your website “Bamboo Broom” when it aired, right?

Nasu: “Penguindrum” had a high level of polish to it. Its character designs and colour scheme had more universal appeal, but it was bursting with the same Ikuhara aesthetic, and on top of that, the theme was “love”. Someone who had been loved unconditionally versus someone who had not been loved unconditionally—he did something great by fully depicting this in a story about boys and girls. It had true style, communicating abstract concepts while keeping them abstract.

But just like “Utena”, it was so advanced. Unless someone seriously sticks with the story or has a lot of knowledge, they might not understand its flavour right to the end. First you’re lured into the Ikuhara world with coolness and eccentricity, and then how much further you venture in is up to you—I feel that’s its policy.

When the PV for the new anime aired after a few years, I was excited, thinking “This is an omen of Ikuhara-san’s return!”, but I still only half believed it. Then I watched the first episode, and was moved by how much it rocked (laughs) If someone unfamiliar with Ikuhara’s works saw the Princess of the Crystal’s “Survival Strategy”, they’d be caught off guard a little. But we know from “Utena” that this stock scene will be core to what’s to come. The phrase “survival strategy” is normal in reference to nature, but when it’s a pretty girl dressed like a penguin saying it, it sounds like some incredible magic words. In a world that’s becoming increasingly easy to live in, she thrusts this survival strategy at two teenage boys and declares, “If you keep living like this, you will die without ever realizing you were alive. You will never amount to anything. But—seek something out.” The stock sequence is so cool and never gets old after seeing it dozens of times, but it’s very important too.

—The work had “1995” as a keyword, using the subway sarin attack as a motif.

Nasu: To be honest, I had my doubts about why he would be handling the sarin attack then. There were so many victims, and I felt like it was too early to use it as a basis for fiction. But when I learned that Ikuhara-san himself strongly felt “There’s no point if we don’t do it before the memory fades. The scars have to remain as scars,” I had to concede defeat twice over.

—What did you think of the characters?

Nasu: I like every character in “Penguindrum” as well, but this time instead of the protagonists I have to declare Sanetoshi-sensei (Watase Sanetoshi) the winner. Man, what an amazing character concept. Right in the opening sequence you see this pink-haired man in a white longcoat coming at you like a gale. He’s clearly the main antagonist, and you can tell at a glance that he’s human trash of a different sort than Akio, but he’s cool as hell. If I were still in middle school maybe I’d have thought “someday I wanna dye my hair pink, put on a white coat and say ‘shibireru nee’!”…

Everything in the final episode was so beautiful, and I still cry my eyes out when I rewatch it on Christmas. “Penguindrum” is the story of the protagonists who weren’t loved by the family that should have loved them unconditionally, as they band together to live their lives as fellow strays. Kanba and the others leave a bond, but Sanetoshi-sensei is left behind again.

He represents those who were never loved unconditionally. He’s a parallel to (Oginome) Momoka-chan, who loved everyone unconditionally. The two did meet, but Momoka said “But I’m going now” and went off somewhere, leaving Sanetoshi-sensei behind. He should have cast away his pride and said “I’m coming too!”, allowing himself to be loved. But being unloved for years was the only thing he had pride in, so he couldn’t yield that. Even after all that talk about love, he prioritized his self-preservation. But I see romanticism in that, and it resonated with me the strongest. It’s a very harsh and heavy story, told in a catchy way with penguins and strong keywords. It’s cute when you enter, but the further you venture inside the more it beats you down. I think it was more intent on conveying a message than “Utena” was.

—What do you think of the Princess of the Crystal’s line, “You lowlifes who will never amount to anything”? I think that phrase may have felt like a gut punch to many people aiming to become creators.

Nasu: I see, so you interpreted it as meaning “You’ll end as a viewer and never become a creator”. I’m in the position of being a writer, so I might have had a subconscious safety barrier there. But if you ask me, I took it to mean “If you can’t obtain true love, everything’s just for show. If you’re never loved and cannot love another, you’ll never amount to anything.”

Creators sometimes choose their own work over love. Just like Sanetoshi-sensei, you might destroy with your own hands the person who might have shared the apple of fate with you, or eat the apple by yourself. That might be what it means to live for your hobbies or your work, but if you look only at yourself you’ll never amount to anything—that’s how I interpreted it. It’s a harsh message.

#this is interesting ive been wanting to see Japanese audience reactions to MPD #he interprets all the stuff w the Princess of the Crystal differently than i have #mawaru penguindrum #commentary #penguindrum

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youngjusticeslut · 2 years

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Thoughts on today's episode?

By now you can probably tell that on the whole, I did not enjoy it. But here are my overall thoughts, touching briefly on some of the critiques I've mentioned in the past several days:

The Good

I liked that Khalid, Mary and Traci got some focus. While we haven't known them for very long, it was cool to see them get some screentime.

It was definitely creative as to how their individual issues were presented. The scenery and design were really well done. The puppet show was appropriately creepy, Khalid's water motif was beautiful, and the Shazam! subway station were awesome to see in actuality.

Islam finally got some good representation, likely a result of the episode's writer, Nida Chowdhry. It's very refreshing to see what is a well-thought out and respectful adaptation after the mess that was Outsiders.

Klarion just buzzing on the doorbell was fucking hilarious.

On the other end, Klarion in tears at Teekl's death stabbed me in the heart.

Child remains ruthless, and she may be a Mary Sue, but I love her for that.

The Bad

Zatanna still has nothing to do in her own arc. She sits on the sidelines and contributes nothing.

The Outsiders are dumbed down enough to act completely oblivious to all of BB's various red flags for a period of weeks. It's laughably unbelievable and takes away the impact from what it boiling to be a depression/suicide PSA and I'm not here for it. Not only is it unneeded, it feels forced. With all due respect, BB is the leader of the Outsiders and has been close friends with these people for over a year. Ed is literally a peer counselor. There is no flipping way they'd be this unobservant. The fact that they are stems from plot-convenience, nothing else.

I already talked about how I wasn't a fan of the way that religion took such a big role in this episode, so I won't go into it again. Khalid's segment was fine (though I still wish the focus and/or dilemma would have gone to Violet, and I really hope the show won't skip over her journey), but Zatara's felt off and inconsistent from what we'd seen from his character insofar.

Again, we have Vandal/Fate lore taking up a significant amount of screentime, and at this point I'm just sitting through it, disappointed but not surprised.

I'm tired of the repeated trope of just needing to believe in your abilities in order to overcome a significant challenge/dilemma. Touched on this earlier so I won't go into it again here, but I still really wish this episode had been a parallel to 'Denial'.

It was definitely a mixed bag, but I'm hoping with two episodes left, things will finally pick up and we'll end this arc on a good note.

#yj spoilers #young justice

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oh-phineas · 3 years

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songs to steal a train to: a district 3 playlist (alternate title: i really, really like trains)

1. Sleep on the Floor by the Lumineers 2. King of the Road (She and Him cover) 3. Hard Travelin’ by Mandolin Orange 4. On the Road Again by Willie Nelson 5. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash 6. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen 7. Atlantic City by The Band 8. Married in a Gold Rush by Vampire Weekend 9. Truckin’ by The Grateful Dead 10. Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan 11. California by Joni Mitchell 12. Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor

1. Sleep on the Floor by the Lumineers

If the sun don't shine on me today And if the subways flood and bridges break Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave Or will you rail against your dying day

This felt like a good place to start! It literally starts with telling someone to go pack lol. And it’s all about leaving behind expectations for you and pursuing adventure, using a sort of apocalypse motif. Felt very fitting.

2. King of the Road (She and Him Cover)

I know every engineer on every train All of the children and all of their names Every handout in every town Every lock that ain't locked when no one's around

Now THAT’S what I call a train song!!! Hell yeah!! I love the nostalgia for this song and its sort of nursery rhyme quality. It sounds like the kind of thing you play on the harmonica while you ride the rails. Good stuff.

3. Hard Travelin’ by Mandolin Orange

Well that whiskey'll never hold you like a good girl can When the nights get lonely it can be your only friend Hard traveling down the road I'm feeling bad boys, I'm feeling low I'm feeling bad boys, I'm feeling low

Can you tell I’m listening to one artist and one artist only during this AU lol. But yeah I think this song is all about how lonely life on the road can be, and ya know I thiiink our lil gang of rebels will be okay (looking at you, Selene/Sol and Kitsune/Siren 😉And we all know this is classic Simber). But it’s just a vibe and I bet some people ARE lonely in the legion!!!

4. On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

We're the best of friends Insisting that the world keep turning our way And our way Is on the road again I just can't wait to get on the road again

Alright this isn’t really PLOT relevant but you can’t have a road trip playlist without this song. Like King of the Road, it’s a real harmonica on the railroad type song. And it’s got a hopeful quality that I think is important!

5. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash

I was totin' my pack along the dusty Winnemucca road, When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load. "If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride." And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside. He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand. And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!"

This song is just silly and fun. I hope everyone sings along on the ride to Enchantra. Love the vibe of just people giving each other rides across the country to seek adventure.

6. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

The highways jammed with broken heroes On a last chance power drive Everybody's out on the run tonight But there's no place left to hide Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness I'll love you with all the madness in my soul Oh, someday girl, I don't know when We're gonna get to that place Where we really want to go, and we'll walk in the sun But till then, tramps like us Baby, we were born to run

This is incredibly self-indulgent and doesn’t really fit the vibe of the playlist. But COME ON!!! This song awakens something in my SOUL. Especially this last part. Love u Bruce Springsteen xoxo

7. Atlantic City by The Band

Well, I got a job and I put my money away But I got the kind of debts that no honest man can pay So I drew out what I had from the Central Trust And I bought us two tickets on that Coast City bus

This also is more about vibes than plot relevance. Society has rejected you. You have no money. Your relationship is kind of failing, but you really need to not be all alone. So what do you do? FLEE THE STATE! I’m not saying Enchantra = Atlantic City but... idk maybe I am

8. Married in a Gold Rush by Vampire Weekend

Something's happening in the country And the government's to blame We got married in a gold rush And the rush has never felt the same

Shared a moment in a café Shared a kiss in pouring rain We got married in a gold rush And the sight of gold will always bring me pain

I feel like this song can be for disillusioned Victors. This society raised you up and rewarded you with riches, but you’re left with all this pain and trauma. And you don’t know what to do with that, so you run away. Everything you were promised isn’t really what you hoped for. Everything that glitters... isn’t gold!

9. Truckin’ by The Grateful Dead

Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me Other times, I can barely see Lately, it occurs to me What a long, strange trip it's been

I love this song for a road trip. It’s got everything: long, rambling guitar solos and lyrics about being on the run from the law and a very long story about various towns. I think being in the Legion can feel like that, after many years. Being on the run in general. A loooong strange trip.

10. Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

How does it feel, how does it feel? To be on your own, with no direction home A complete unknown, like a rolling stone

This song to me is for all the rich kids/Capitol kids/Career district kids who defected. And might feel a little in over their heads. They feel idealistic about joining the cause, but they have no idea what real hardship is like. How DOES it feel???!

11. California by Joni Mitchell

Oh it gets so lonely When you're walking And the streets are full of strangers All the news of home you read Just gives you the blues

I just thought after Bob’s angry rant it might be nice to have a sweet chill song about homesickness. Because that’s for real. But Enchantra might also be California. The promise of a new life and a new home. And I just love Joni’s voice in this.

12. Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor

Dark and silent late last night I think I might have heard the highway calling Geese in flight and dogs that bite Other signs that might be omens say I'm going, going I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind

Ending on a mellow note. Maybe you didn’t make it to Enchantra. But you’re still dreaming of a better life. That things can be different. This one’s for all the people the Legion lost. And for hope! This song makes me emo sjkfaalsfh

That’s all! Hope you enjoyed ur ride

#it counts bc D3 is transportation #my second playlist is always full of 'this song was vibes alone'#i PROMISED a train playlist HERE is the train playlist #bdrptask

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lyrebirdswrites · 3 years

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3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 14 for the writing asks! 📖🖊️

Under the cut since there’s a bunch to answer here!

(From this ask game)

3. What is your approach to research?

When I do need to do research for my writing, I tend to find that first hand accounts are the most helpful. The classic writing advice is to write what you know because those personal touches can make a story come alive and feel real. So if I haven’t experienced something myself, I’ll piggyback off of someone who has in order to access those more authentic details. For example, in the long con chapter 2 there’s that scene where Itadori and Fushiguro are ironing out the details of their ~backstory~ on the train, but I’ve never been to Japan. I watched this video of a guy spending a whole day riding the trains in tokyo to get a feel for what the subway system is like. In an upcoming wip, Inumaki is a main character and he’s mute, so I’ve been looking at things like this reddit AMA. I’ve got a fantasy AU in the works with a heavy emphasis on forging a sword; my first instinct was to look up local single day blacksmithing workshops in my area (partially for Research, partially because forging my own kitchen knife would be literally the coolest thing ever and I’ve wanted to do it for ages). Unfortunately such workshops are rather expensive, so instead I’m settling for more youtube videos and in depth articles about the history of various sword making techniques. Essentially I look for little details which can convincingly immerse a reader in the authenticity of whatever I’m describing.

4. How do you structure your plots?

Answered here :D

8. What’s your philosophy on writing romantic relationships?

One thing that it always really important to me is that the romantic leads have to feel like a team; they have to actually, y’know, be in love and demonstrate that love on the page. My pet peeve in writing is when an author introduces contrived drama to drive a wedge between a couple just for the sake of some tension. Which is not to say that I would never write about relationships with internal conflict, or relationships which break down. It’s just that the specific way romance tropes are executed in some 2010s era YA/teen fiction is something I detest to this day and avoid like the plague. I still remember rage-quitting the second book in the Divergent series for committing this crime; I knew the only reason the main characters were fighting and not communicating was just to drag out the will-they-won’t-they aspect of the romance subplot. That book was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me after a string of YA novels all doing the same thing with their romances, it made me so mad I vowed on the spot that I’d never write a romantic relationship like that fghdfhgjh

I went on a bit of a tangent there lmao, but yeah, for endgame romances I prefer it when it’s 'us against the world’ instead of ‘us against each other’. No matter what happens or what comes between the characters, I want it to be clear that there’s a strong bond between them and that they want the best for each other. That’s the loveliest and most compelling thing about a romance for me.

9. How do you write kissing scenes?

Also answered here :D

10. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Generally I’ll end a chapter where a definitive step forward has been made, where a character’s outlook or perspective has changed in a noteworthy way, where characters are moving to a new place physically, or where a cliffhanger is appropriate. Something has to shift in a way that warrants a break in the narrative structure and sets the stage for what comes next. I usually already know what I need to be different by the end of a chapter, and everything that comes before it is all about consciously mapping the path to that point. For example, chapter four of the long con was all about that moment right at the end where Fushiguro decides he has to confess, and everything preceding his epiphany was me laying the groundwork for him to believably reach that conclusion.

14: Do you try to put themes, motifs, messages, morals etc in your writing? If so, how do you go about it?

Oh yes, absolutely I do! This is one of my favourite parts about writing. It’s less about deliberately trying to impart some moral lesson on my audience and more about my personal belief that good writing should always have something to say; stories are not just conga lines of cause and effect, they have a voice and a unique perspective and a thesis, for lack of a better word. I spoke about it a bit when I answered the fourth question, but before I start a writing project I always spend some time trying to figure out the themes and messages that really speak to me and make a new idea so exciting and shiny. I try to grasp what exactly I want the story to say when all is said and done, so I can work towards it as I figure out the plot and keep it in mind with every draft.

Refining my personal style re: imagery and metaphor to better incorporate those themes/motifs/messages is the biggest focus I have currently when it comes to improving my own writing. I will probably be studying books such as First You Write A Sentence by Joe Moran and The Development of Shakespeare’s Imagery by Wolfgang Clemen until the day I die because said books are a masterclass in achieving exactly that. I still feel like I’ve got a really long way to go, but I also don’t expect it to be something I’ll perfect overnight ^^;

#thanks for the ask!#actually i went to answer your more recent ask and realised i never got around to this one sdfghjk #i am here to remedy this oversight #fun fact: in tlc megumi gets a hard to find book for his bday #I left it nameless in the fic bc I didn't know enough about japanese lit to pick a title for him #but irl wolfgang clemen's book is that book for me!#i read it in high school from the library #it changed my approach to writing and also sparked my love of Shakespeare #I only got my hands on a copy of it this year so i'm rereading it rn #ask games #lyrebirds answers #kikuism

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aijee · 4 years

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thoughts on “the price of mirrors”

My head is such a tumultuous storm of thoughts right now (very thematic, too, since it stormed where I live just yesterday). But life is too short to not document what felt like a really meaningful and formative writing experience. My (very long) thoughts about “the price of mirrors” below the cut:

I’m writing this during the COVID-19 crisis. Quarantine has been a, understandably, very isolating experience for many. I’ve been living on my own for a few years already, but the self-isolation has been quite difficult and melancholy. I think “the price of mirrors” was an unconscious way for me to process that loneliness I was feeling. I first watched The Great Happiness Space documentary a long time ago and revisited it last month after stumbling on more recent Youtube videos about hosting. I remembered, “Ah, I’ve always wanted to write about those loud and drowning spaces, that experience of luxury and loneliness, the desperation for love and acceptance.” The dynamic of host/clients reminded me so much of idol/K-Pop fans, many of whom go to incredible, sometimes dangerous and unhealthy lengths for their faves. I, too, was very lonely when I was younger and used K-Pop as my crutch. But how far will that dependence go for others?

Wonwoo and Mingyu (as the fic characters, not the people themselves) are meant to represent two sides of the same coin: daytime news limelight versus shady nighttime activities. Both must be experts in their words and careful of who they trust. Both bottle up who they are because of the worlds around them, leaving them to often be “someone else” in order to do their job, which itself is closely tied to their sense of purpose (e.g. Mingyu “helping” clients) and self-worth (e.g. Wonwoo getting recognition for his writing). Work culture in Korea, and many Asian countries in general, is very serious and can impede on mental and physical health. Take your role seriously and be a good cog in society’s machine.

Names are a very important motif in the story. As Mingyu tells Wonwoo, he knows just how important names are. Idols, even those with stage names, give their names and personal history to their jobs. In the K-Pop world, are the people on screen known as “Mingyu” and “Wonwoo” the same “Mingyu” and “Wonwoo” in real life? No. But the line distinguishing fantasy and reality is so blurred because of the idol system itself. This is very prevalent in J-Pop idol culture, too, which is what K-Pop idol culture was based on. An academic paper I read discussed the over-saturation of digital images in everyday life in technologically-advanced Japan (computers, digital billboards, changing picture screens in restaurants and subways, etc.). This mixes fantasy with the real world. The digital aspect isn’t played up in the fic since it’s less relevant in hosting than in idol culture, but Wonwoo still constantly struggles to figure out which parts of Mingyu are real or fake, or if there’s a black-and-white way to analyze Mingyu at all. The same can be said for idols, who are trained to sell fantasies while still being “real.”

But names are still YOU, still a complex person with flaws and feelings. Mingyu is ready to give his away because he believes in instant openness without thinking about the repercussions for the sake of doing his “role” well. Wonwoo is the opposite because journalism is a vicious arena of keeping/losing privacy, critiques, downright hate in feedback, etc. Wonwoo addresses his journal entries to Joshua because it gives him mental direction—a familiar friendly face—in expressing his thoughts. Pretty much none of the more important clients are named. Even the hosts only refer to clients by pet names, which clients eventually feel like they embody to the host. (Imagine being called “love” every time a handsome guy sees you—is it hard to start believing that he truly does love you?)

Time is also an important motif, most obviously represented by Mingyu’s watch. It’s a simple one and yet it’s incredibly expensive. This is actually based on a famous watch owned by a racecar driver (I think), which became sought after because he became famous, and the watch was one-of-a-kind despite being so simple and relatively cheap at the time it was first bought. In the fic, the watch represents the preciousness of simplicity in how you spend your time. This is achieved chiefly through Mingyu’s simple dinner with Wonwoo, but also just through their more casual conversations throughout the story.

The watch also represents the time that needs to be let go of before a new time in your life can start. Mingyu’s ex-client gave it to him before going on a blind date and meeting her future husband. Mingyu gave it to Wonwoo after deciding to move on from hosting life to start finding new meaning. Both the client and Mingyu had strong feelings for their respective recipients. What were those feelings? Who knows? Not all feelings need words to be felt or expressed. (And MinWon went on a blind date instead of Mingyu finding a new flame but that’s neither here nor there lmao.)

I’m honestly just rambling at this point, so I’ll leave it there. Aaah there are so many more things I wanna write about!! (Precarity is a real phenomenon that fuels host club culture!!! This is what I use my university resources for omg.)

Kudos and much thanks to anyone who took the time to read this!! I definitely overthought, over-planned, and over-researched for a K-Pop fic that probably won’t get much traction these days, but I genuinely enjoyed writing “the price of mirrors” so damn much and will be reading it over and over myself. If you’re not writing for yourself, then you’re doing it wrong!

#aijeepost #shut up me

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fuckinuhhh · 10 months

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Architectural Finds, 06/24/2023

My walk today was a brief 20 minutes, I was meeting up with a friend from upstate for some chai who had come down the night before to stay with some other friends. We met up at the Chai Spot on Mott St. (which I definitely now recommend) and we relaxed in their backroom lounge with our chai's for 45 min or so. She eventually had to leave to catch her bus back upstate & I walked her to the subway stairs hugged her and said goodbye. Feeling the warm weather on my skin and the caffeine in my veins I decided to walk up Broadway, here were some of the architectural highlights.

This cute turret room on the top of the building on the NE corner of Bleecker & Broadway. Doing the smallest ammount of googling I am finding out this was Peter Venkman's (Bill Murray) apartment in Ghostbusters 2???? ok.

It just looks like it would be such a whimsical little tower to hang your hair from, idk.

Building Facts: Built in 1891 as the Manhattan Savings Institution, also known as Bleecker Tower. Architect Stephen Decatur Hatch.

Built in the Romanesque Revival style with arches and ornaments, as well as the red sandstone and signature rough cut stone of this style on the base of the building (definitely why it caught my eye, I love Richardson Romanesque/romanesque revival).

The tower on top eludes my brief internet search, but if anyone has pictures of the inside please direct them to me.

Next up we have this lil copper cutie who looks like it just got a face lift judging by the shiny copper facade on top. It is currently a FootLocker so hopefully they're treating her nice.

Building Facts: (obv) Built in 1889 by Architect Alfred Zucker.

The menacing gargoyles are cute.

(maybe more of an opinion than a fact, but) there used to be a bookstore called Shakepeare's on the bottom floor and the top floors were 1-per-floor studio spaces for artists to live/work in, & I wish that was the case today, not footlocker and high rent.

MOVING ON, we've got this pair of cuties. Don't they look like the best of friends holding hands ready to face the world side by side? These guys are 734 (left) and 732 (right) Broadway.

734: Built in 1872 by Architects David & John Jardine in Cast-Iron Neo-Grec style. Until ~2015, the facade had become a rusted brown/black mess until they cleaned and repainted it.

732: Built in 1854 by unknown.

This little building has a complicated past but ill try and summarize the small dig I just did on it. Originally it was a 3.5 peaked-roof building as a set of 3 houses for wealthy sisters (daughters of John Mason) from 732-736 designed by an undocumented architect. It underwent large renovations twice in its life, and one small renovation adding the Treffurth's sign on the roof cornice. The first renovation happened in 1885 by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh (god write a romance novel already would you) and allowed the introduction of E. A. Mac's bookstore to take the place of the earlier saloon on the bottom floor. It was then renovated in 1900 by Bruno W. Berger to the Cast-Iron more or less Renaissance Revival facade we see today.

Im going to keep these next ones brief because I'm beginning to lose steam :)

1 Astor Place

Built in 1883 by Architects Starkweather & Gibbs (they also designed the Potter Building). Brick & Terracotta above Cast-Iron ground floor facade.

Originally it was used as a hotel and boarding house with ground floor stores. The harsh vertical motifs on the exterior caught my eye, and I was drawn in even more by the harmony of the design elements and color choices.

10 Astor Place aka 444 Lafayette St

Built in 1876 by Architect Griffith Thomas to the same owner as the above building, Orlando B. Potter, who seemed to have impeccable taste in architecture.

I love the ornate implementation of the painted white Cast-Iron in the arches and pillar ornaments on this one. As well as the eye-popping contrast of the white paint on dark red brick, kind of a juxtaposed take on themes seen in the building above with the way the red and black elements seem to blend in together in harmony.

21 Astor Place aka Clinton Hall

Built in 1891 by George E. Harney.

Originally a Library for the New York Mercantile Library. I love the classic industrial look its such a strong look while they still tried to give elements of the facade some artistic nuance like in the arched windows and dark banding.

Only Caught the side of this Collonade building but doing more research on it, it's owned by the Blue Man Group????

Built 1831 by Seth Greer and historically home to family member's of the Astor & Vanderbilt families, it is the oldest building I took note of today.

And of course, how could I not be drawn into the Cooper Union Foundation building's charm. It stands seemingly so alone in the heart of Manhattan, close to a modern miracle.

Built in 1859 by Frederick A. Peterson in the (what I'm finding now to be called) Rundbogenstil German neo-Romanesque style.

I didn't realize it at the time but this picture also seems to be the back of the building. Still just such ornate and well-balanced design!

HONORABLE MENTIONS: This house on top of this building and the cute lil mansard moment next to it, which I searched and searched for but I cant seem to remember where it is.

Edit: I found it, there were street signs in the picture whoops. The one with the cottage is 203 E 13th Street also known as Pear Tree Place. And the little guy with the mansard roof is 109 3rd ave, both of them resting above Kiehls 3rd ave.

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS: This NYU Alumni building. Who designed you, they should be ashamed. What is going on with your offset, unbalanced terraces in the back? Awful. What was the point of all of these different colored brick patches?? Uncomfortable, awful. It looks like a neutral-toned Duplo set.

Built in 1986 and I cant even find the architect so you know they weren't very proud of it.

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thejakeformerlyknownasprince · 4 years

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Disability and James

@zarohk asked for my thoughts on a Disability Studies/Media Studies perspective on the disability depictions in Animorphs. [PLEASE NOTE: I am nondisabled, so if I err, please tell me so.]

I’ve mentioned before that James is one of my faves, and possibly my favorite minor character who isn’t a yeerk host. His introduction pulls off a seemingly impossible feat through not only creating a likable Sixth Ranger, but creating a likable Sixth Ranger who comes after David. James is also a complex, nuanced character whose disability is a feature but not a summation of his personality. Plus, he’s a masculine boy who is all about about nurturing others, which always makes me happy.

A few places where I commend the depiction of James:

He leads a social community of disabled kids who help each other. It’s a big part of third-wave progressivism to emphasize sub-communities and various identities helping each other out: women supporting women, queer pride, Latinx-American culture, etc. That’s what we see with the Auximorphs, especially James. James’s motivation is somewhere between 99% “help my roomies” and 100% “help my roomies.” His initial response to Jake and Cassie explaining the war is “so what, a bunch of ableds are gonna get taken by yeerks, not my problem.” It’s only when Cassie points out that the yeerks are eugenicists who murder disabled humans that he switches to “okay, I guess we’ll go fight in your stupid war.” He insists on even the kids who won’t be fighting (Pedro, Tuan) getting the power to morph, and tells Jake that he’ll take suggestions but not orders.

He emphasizes his own and Pedro’s bodily autonomy. James actually goes so far as to throw Jake onto the floor when Jake tries to grab his wheelchair — a move that emphasizes James has the right to move his own body around, and that that includes prostheses. Everyday ableism too often involves random strangers taking charge of the bodies of disabled people, attempting to guide blind pedestrians or push wheelchairs around without asking permission to move a person’s body like that. "My body, my business” is obviously a huge motif in Animorphs, and James pretty explicitly extends that to prostheses as well as fleshy limbs.

He’s nobody’s sidekick, and nobody’s fool. When the Animorphs first tell James that they’re alien-fighting shapeshifters, he assumes that they’re here to prank the disabled kids who they think must be desperate for attention. He barely gives them the time of day even when they prove themselves, and he doesn’t “play nice” even when they add him to the team. James defies the cliché of the disabled kid desperate for the approval of nondisabled peers, and specifically calls it out. He’s the leader of a semi-independent unit who has his own agenda, rather than being at the original Animorphs’ beck and call. Like Toby and her hork-bajir, he’s here to make sure that his group and his loved ones don’t get left behind when the war ends and intersectional identities threaten their rights once again.

He kicks ass. James is competent, tough, skillful, and self-confident with or without the Animorphs. There’s a fairly realistic period where he has to learn the basics of morphing along with the other Auximorphs, but once he learns he’s highly effective. He saves Jake’s life during the Air Force battle (#53), rescues the original Animorphs from Tom’s yeerk (#50), and helps Ax and Cassie escape a mob of morph-controllers who have them cornered in a subway tunnel (#52). He’s agentic and powerful, something we don’t see enough of in disabled child characters.

He emphasizes that the more-privileged communicator has to be the one to do the work of meeting in the middle. Cassie notes in #50 that James puts in a lot of work to communicate with Pedro (who is paralyzed) and Timmy (who has a speech disorder). James is the one who can hear/speak in a fairly normative fashion, so James often “translates” for Timmy — but he always does so by letting Timmy finish a sentence rather than cutting him off by trying to guess what he’ll say next. James is the one who can work the stereo in his and Pedro’s room, so he makes sure that he always lists genres and waits for a blink of confirmation before he changes the music. James also defers to Pedro’s request for country western in spite of being a punk rock fan himself, because James remains conscious of the fact that if he doesn’t like the music he can always leave the room, while Pedro doesn’t have that option.

He’s thoroughly individuated. James likes Blink 182 and dislikes reality TV. He uses his morphs for agility — peregrine falcon, lion — more than firepower. He spends a lot of time on his hair, and he treasures privacy as much as he values his friends. He repeatedly calls Cassie and Jake on their bullshit, in spite of being visibly scared to do so as the new kid on the team. One wouldn’t necessarily think that these are huge accomplishments (and to be clear, they’re not) but there are way way too many minor characters in wheelchairs, especially sci-fi stories, that don’t get characterized beyond their various emotions and thoughts that directly relate to their wheelchairs.

A few places where James falls into the common traps of implied ableism creeping into fiction, as written about in Narrative Prosthesis:

He gets “cured”. The fact that James’s body is, however implicitly, depicted as a “problem” that must be “fixed” suggests that the theoretical ideal point is the nondisabled body he would have had if not for the car accident. Like I said, it’s 100% fine if a disabled character gets written as preferring to be nondisabled, but if the series offers the unquestioned assumption that the “correct” body is the nondisabled version, then that’s... not great.

His disability is presented as a mystery that needs solving. Like Loren, James gets presented with an implicit frame of “why are you like this?” that assumes his body is “abnormal” and therefore begs a question. In James’s case, it comes in the form of Collette explaining why he’s disabled (a car crash) before we ever even hear from James himself. Again, it’d be fine if this was the only time this happened, but the fact that the series “explains” almost all of the disabled characters (Taylor, Loren, Mertil, Kelly, Pedro) suggests that disability is something that needs explaining because it’s aberrant.

Some of the physical descriptions of James are a bit eugenicist. After he first demorphs, Cassie says “standing over the group now, steady and strong, was James. He was taller than Jake, broader-shouldered... long and muscular” and describes how James helps to carry the other Auximorphs as they acquire battle morphs (#50). James gets presented as a contrast point to the Auximorphs who remain disabled, because his body is presented as “correct” while theirs are not. If it was just Cassie, that’d be one thing, but Ax says “unlike James, the others are physically helpless” (#50) and later Jake describes the contrast between James being strong and the other Auximorphs being “weak” and “faintly pathetic” (#53). In the process, the descriptions tie together the ideas of being masculine, being independent, being physically strong, and being worthy of respect. American rugged individualism, especially as it applies to white men and boys, has a dark side in that it often regards physical dependence on others as a sign of cowardice or weak will or moral failing. That assumption underwrites some of the way that James gets described by the other Animorphs.

He gets killed. By killing off James and his fellow Auximorphs, the series falls into the “kill or cure” narrative that Mitchel and Snyder trace throughout history for the overwhelming majority of disabled characters. Disability is too often presented as being necessary to “solve” through death or cure, to the point where the Fries Test (designed to be a minimum threshold for disability representation, like the Bechdel Test for women) requires that disabled character(s) make it to the end of the story without being eradicated through cure or kill as the bare minimum condition that a story be somewhat less ableist. Animorphs does not pass the Fries Test, because it eradicates its disabled characters through a combination of cures and kills.

Specifically, he gets killed to manipulate the emotions of a nondisabled character. When Visser Three kills James, the moment is presented through Jake’s point of view, and it leads up to Jake’s decision to flush the Pool ship. Maybe my biggest frustration is that that moment only serves to cause Jake pain and help push him off the rails. It doesn’t change the plot of the final battle the way Tom’s death does, it doesn’t stop to give James a conscious choice the way Rachel’s death does, it just makes Jake sad and mad and reckless. It’s the same dang dynamic as women in refrigerators: the less demographically privileged character becomes a prop for a more-privileged protagonist to have emotions about.

Anyway, to say it again: none of those individual elements of James’s story — death, cure, urgent backstory — would be necessarily problematic if there were equally-major disabled characters in Animorphs who didn’t demonstrate those elements. It’s the fact that James demonstrates all of those elements and so do most of the other disabled characters that makes me wish the series had done better.

#animorphs #animorphs meta #animorphs criticism #james #auximorphs #50 #53 #disability representation #representation #james animorphs #disability #social model of disability #long post #ableism #disability studies #media studies #q word

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dansiere · 4 years

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FIVE SONGS

list five songs associated with your muse and its meaning to them as a character, or to you as the writer. this can be applied in-character or out-of-character. it can go as deep as looking at the song’s real-world origins or meaning along with the themes it carries to the muses’ story, values, or experiences, or as simple as if your muse would listen to this kind of music, or even if you just listen to these pieces for inspiration.

TAGGED BY: @handspoken, who kinda hates me? Just kidding I love you okay. TAGGING: @rosiqe, @citialiin, @absolutia, @huntershowl, @blossomingbeelzebug, @foxcharmed, @noirtux, @hiskniight, @ndeavor, @kissafist, @ahsterism (muse of your choice!), @carvedbones, @enshijou & @ettards. -- steal it, honestly. It is a great meme.

01. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell Moons and Junes and ferries wheels, the dizzy dancing way that you feel as every fairy tale comes real. I've looked at love that way.

I have probably talked about this song so often already but BOY where do I start? I was watching “Love Actually” & Both Sides Now started playing; it’s the scene where Karen (Emma Thompson) almost breaks down & cries while realizing that her relationship is a farce, that she has been foolish & blind & delusional. It continues with her doing her absolute best to calm herself down, to not collapse but function instead; she pretends she is fine, fearing that she might ruin her family’s Christmas party otherwise. It’s a raw, emotional scene unfolding itself while Joni sings about how she came to realize that everything has two sides; the very thing we dream off, aka we imagine / how we wish things are & the harsh reality. No song could ever express Pearl’s delusion with life & love [but also realizing one’s naivity] better than this one; the aspect of pretending that she is fine in order to not ruin her family’s lives with her agony fits excruciatingly well too. -- in fact, the stanza “I have looked at love from both sides now, from give and take & still somehow it’s love’s illusions that I recall. I really don’t know love at all” has been my blog description for months & I won’t change it any time soon. Additionally, this song is about growth & personal change sung with a certain candidness that words can’t really describe -- this song single-handedly inspired me to create this blog, ngl.

02. Dernière Danse - Indila Oh my sweet torment, no point in fighting, you start again. I'm just a worthless being, without [her] I'm troubled. I wander around alone on the subway, a last dance: To forget my great misery. I want to get away, everything to start again.

Number two on my list is a bit of an oddity; it is the song that inspired me to change my URL & bottom header quote. I have always related this song to Pearl basically because it SOUNDS cheerful, has a more upbeat melody & seems positive enough on the outside; however, upon looking at the lyrics & understanding what the artist actually sings about you may or may not get chills. It’s literally a song about losing oneself, misery & the horrid feeling of loneliness after loss all wrapped up in some funky & cheery melody. It seems rather SURREAL at first & upon translating the lyrics you might believe Google is messing with you but... no. The cheery intro fools you, just how Pearl fools everyone in believing that she is a-okay. -- the song grows more & more serious / dramatic with the melody / beat becoming “heavier” over time. While still rather peppy, you can tell that something is wrong the second the background choir kicks in. -- needless to say, I consider the lyrics to be a reference to Pearl’s extreme directionlessness, her lack of purpose, severe lethargy & how she lost herself in her misery.

03. Dark Paradise - Lana Del Rey And there's no remedy for memory your face Is like a melody, it won't leave my head. Your soul is hunting me and telling me That everything is fine, but I wish I was dead.

At first, I wanted to use this meme as an excuse to gush on & on about It’s Over, isn't it? but then I remembered that Dark Paradise is a thing. Lana Del Rey simply had to be on here due to her habit of utterly & completely romanticizing tragic romance & death to an almost unhealthy degree. Pearl is guilty of the same issue. -- glorifying things you should absolutely not glorify. Dark Paradise deals with the loss of true love & the trauma that follows; not being able to move on, not being able to let go, blind devotion, stuck in the same grief, the same melancholy, the same subtle craving for death (through drowning). It’s haunting really, but these are topics that not only fit Pearl aesthetically but also motif wise. The largest part of her season 1 - 3 arc dealt with her grief over losing Rose & her inability to overcome her trauma in that regard. Dark Paradise strikes that nerve & expresses that despair rather accurately.

04. Blinding - Florence and the Machine And I could hear the thunder and see the lightning crack All around the world was waking, I never could go back Cause all the walls of dreaming, they were torn wide open And finally it seemed that the spell was broken.

I wanted to add a song that might describe Pearl’s mentality more; something from Sleeping At Last, Aurora or Sia maybe, but given how I have been gushing about Florence & the Machine lately, I felt like I had to include them because of their extreme Pearl-esque aesthetic alone. Blinding is massive. It shakes you to the core & drags you along, whenever you want it or not. Its heavy percussion & lyrics, the REALIZATION hit you like a truck; I have always associated this song with the moment Pearl realizes who she is. May it be before the war or after "Now We Are Only Falling Apart". It has a revolutionary feeling to it: she wakes up from her Homeworld induced trance & breaks her conditioning, she wakes up from her lethargy & takes a stand for herself. It works either way, really.

05. The Fantasy - 30 Seconds to Mars Do you live, do you die, do you bleed for the fantasy? In your mind, through your eyes, do you see? It's the fantasy Maybe, tonight we can forget about it all: it could be, just, like heaven. I am a machine: no longer living, just a shell of what I dreamed.

I needed a renegade song; something fast & aggressive; this one had the perfect vibe. The Fantasy it is loud, emotional, gritty & chaotic; it’s fast-paced, it’s desperate. It opposes all Past Pearl is supposed to stand for. It builds up, it swells, grows more & more apoplectic over time. -- “Dying for the fantasy” is another big motif on this blog; in fact, her dream / fantasy controls most of her early life to the point where it becomes an obsession. -- this song embodies the very compulsive drive she had, once. Reaching for a Golden Future that eventually turns out to be “just a shell of what she dreamt”; the fairytale that almost cost her her life in the end.

06. Honourable Mentions songs I need to list somewhere or I will burst.

Running Up that Hill - Kate Bush, Eight & Three - Sleeping At Last, Falling Infinite & Strangelove - Black Math, Everything I wanted - Billie Eilish, Send in the Clowns - Barbra Streisand, Bird Set Free - Sia, God is a Woman (cover) & Infections of a Different Kind - Aurora, Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benata, Beautiful Lie - 30 Seconds to Mars, Love Lockdown (Cover) & Pork Soda - Glass Animals, One Match & Romeo - Until the Ribbon Breaks, Over the Love & Hardest of Hearts - Florence & the Machine, Beautiful Crime - Tamer, Truth Is a Beautiful Thing - London Grammar, Diary of Jane - Breaking Benjamin, Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys, Far too Young to Die - Panic!At the Disco, Cut the Cord - Shinedown, The War - SYML & Reborn - Talos.

#[[ This took me years istg #I kept changing the songs around like a madwoman because I wanted to pinpoint a specific part of my portrayal?#Does that make sense?#I tried to pick songs I haven't rambled about yet. If I had the time I would fill twenty more meme templates of this kind ngl #hence why I attached the Honourable Mentions section. I just had to. Probably forgot half of my playlist BUT WELL ]]#vii. 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲.

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sanflowerseeds · 4 years

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I was gonna send it as an ask but guess I just wrote too much, so I'm better off dedicating a whole post to the amazing @atinykidult!

I'm about to gush about her new work, The Wind in His Ears, and if you love San as much as I do, you guys should totally check it out because she is an incredible writer and did San so much justice with her words! It's a little heartbreaking at first but it ends in a very cute and sweet note. You don't want to miss it!

Now, let's head on to some Sanflower rambles:

LIIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZ!!! OMG! First things first, let me keysmash: AKGOYDISTGISYOCUVSIVDIDHDHF AAAAHHHHHH!!!! Ok. I got it out of my system.

We can head into what matters: how dare you say this is one of your worst fics when it's so beautifully written and made my heart ache, and then fill with warmth and happiness all over again?!?

I got disbandment!au, travel!au AND coffeeshop!au all at once? Oh boy, am I spoiled or what?

Let me tell you: I first read it this morning on the subway on my way to work. It was somehow so overwhelming that, no joke here, I had tears gather in my eyes. It just felt amazing (and magical) to me that we haven't spoken for awhile but the way you described San's feelings, even if in complete different circumstances, hit very close to home. All the wind motif and methaphors, it's a lot like I've been feeling lately, and you put it into words so perfectly.

It was very in tune to what I believe San's personality and way of expressing himself would be like off camera, in real life. You know how much I love San, anr I am very much in love with your portray of San in this piece.

I couldn't stop thinking about it the whole day and took a break from work in the afternoon to read it again! And then I just read it once more, laying down in bed before writing this huge, emotional, non sense post 🙃

I have no words, seriously. At this point I'm just here, being a mess with my words. You put so much thought into it, and the little details (omg the einspanner kiiiilled me, so sweet of you to remember that ㅠㅠ♡), and the hardships of old people and their cracking joints, oh my, the struggle (lol j/k 😂)!

This was really well written and I loved every last second I spent reading it. I'm gonna keep it very dearly in my heart and feel very honored and special that it was dedicated to me! Thank you! Luv you! 💜 Wish I can write something just as pretty to you someday 🥰😊

#atinykidult #To: Liz #Sanflower approved #Sanflower recs

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inkblots-agent-four · 4 years

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Octo Expansion Song Opinions

Opinions on songs in the Octo Expansion soundtrack, despite me only having heard the soundtrack while watching Youtubers play. Track list taken from https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvNp0Boas723rAgtj9OdbbLtIJQMkSfcC

Introduction - its a snippet of calamari inkantation, but starts quiet and feels... tinny and slightly bass-boosted... still good, though. radio 8/10

Nasty Majesty - does not show up until end, which makes the placement strange. super powerful and badass, like the queens who sang it. love the rapping. percussion line 10/10

Cap'n Cuttlefish's Theme (Octo) / Player Editor - pretty laid-back and calm. the rattle in the background makes it more militaristic though, fitting for him. then it takes on a weird wavy part at the end with a heartbeat (player creation?) before going back. snare 7/10

#5 thirsty - scifi feel. the melody feels like blips on a radar of something. i like the electro undertones. this one is fast, but doesnt 100% tell u to go fast, like ‘take short breaks every now and then.’ i like this one. speed 9/10

Deepsea Metro Central Station - like #5 but not rushed. this one is just background. there are weird clanks which imply activity elsewhere but nearby. really captures that metro station feel. ambience 8/10

Telephone Theme - really otherworldly at the parts that sound like a person but then regresses into a bouncy bouncy tune with autotuned static clips for a melody. could do with less of those weird sections like the very beginning. trumpet 6/10

Inside the Deepsea Metro Subway Car - very dj-like. the high-pitched voice caught me off guard for a second. this theme sounds almost curious, while still being bouncy and upbeat. there are audio clips of speech interspersed with it, which really nails the “inside a metro” feel. theres a small calamari inkantation motif in some sort of muffled metal xylophone interspersed with it, which i liked. chirp 8/10

#0 shell - kinda chill but also the pulsing melody makes it feel like its urging you to do something. i like the random clashes in the background, like woodblocks. this one is very ambience. perhaps being on a high area overseeing things, being there but separated. space 7/10

#1 progress - one melody sounds like a voice being dubstepped into oblivion, with low undertones. fast percussion though, so i think this is a very ‘go go go’ song, while still ‘enjoy the scenery’ vibes. a very determined sounding song. gotta go fast 8/10

#6 frisk - sounds like someone zipping and unzipping a zipper. very clean-cut. the melody sounds like an afterthought, its a little muffled. not a huge fan of this one but its okay. zipper 5/10

#4 dunno - ah, the box one. reminds me of weird jungle-ish music with an otherworldly feel to it. very xylophone/marimba heavy. i dont really like the long held-out notes tho. plucky 6/10

#2 ripped - the beginning did sound like some intimidating dude, the melody that intersperses itself is like the sidekick who talks a lot. slowly escalates. gangsta 6/10

#9 party - i like that guitar in the background. does sound rave-like. theres weird breaks every now and then for a riff. not something i’d really want to listen to for long periods of time but still catchy. aloha 7/10

Shark Bytes - the slightly more laid back escape anthem. pearls part has a funky backing melody, and i really liked her rap that time. (i think im a bit biased tho i like nearly all of pearls parts.) i like the melody part where marina harmonizes and pearl just raps, thats beautiful. action 9/10

8 regret - chill. sounds a bit melancholy, but that could just be me thinking about its title. its slower and more laid-back, which is probably why its played because the 8-ball levels are high-stress. the rests on 4th beats is nice. irony 8/10 (hah)

#14 crush - very swingish and jazzy. pleasant to listen to. i like the different voices singing, but the nananannaaaanana part is a little (tiny) bit annoying. theres a bit that sounds like an alarm. marching band 6/10

#13 shade - sounds like its ur enemies singing, not you. the low wavering notes dont help with that. the voices sound a little like donald duck. very aptly named though, like ur enemies are throwing shade. synchronity 7/10

#16 salty - very wavy notes, then a bit that sounds like glitching. this one is minorly foreboding something. very jumpy and checkery. okay but if i had a different song i would pick it. cha-ing 5/10

#12 awake - calming. its like being in a weird, weird garden, but still appreciating the nature and stuff. i like this one. oh this played during the pool one, right? staccato 9/10

#11 above - plucky and whimsical, with guitar riffs and low piano notes. very laboratory-testing-like. the higher melody reminds me of data being entered into a computer or something. metholodical 7/10

TEST PASSED! - triumphant. makes me feel like doing jazz-hands. jingle 9/10

#19 bless - this ones the thang station music. reminds me of deltarune’s fountain music a little, but with rap. very ambience, and also makes you anticipate something. bells 7/10

Thang Jingle - oh i like this one. tinny and brassy. winning with style 8/10

Completion - a victory fanfare-ish but gets lower in pitch, like the players sanity at this point if playing nonstop. at the very end, low bass riffs with the higer melody = yas agent 3, you go. saved at the last second 7/10

Splattack (Octo) - ok this is one of my FAVES. brainwashed agent 3 is easy when compared to inner, but the theme of this one was just really good. something familiar that you can still recognize, but its different and twisted. i really liked the erratic nature of this song, and splattack was just a good song in general. plus the narrative tension at this point makes this real dramatic. chaotic 10/10

Reaching the Surface - a quiet, reflective one fitting for the moment of awe for agent 8, and then fades into nasty majesty bc off the hook is here with their helicopter army. sunrise 8/10

Actually it's Commander Tartar's Theme - the telephone is back with its true intentions. a twisted, distorted version of the telephone theme. good name though. opinion of phone 3/10

The Plan - marina’s a smart cookie with really good 2-second doodles. reminds me of mario kart for some reason. sped up and remixes a bunch of off the hook songs. i like it. hype 9/10

Last Battle Opening - like the opening of a splatfest battle but more wavy and metro-like. turf war 8/10

Fly Octo Fly - this ones super super good. i mean, a song repeating the victory motif but the scale and stakes are much larger? sign me up yo! the live versions of this are especially nice. hyperbombs 10/10

Ebb & Flow (Octo) - marina’s almost-solo but hurried to reflect the desperate stakes of the one minute left. beautiful opening, love the background music. culimination 9/10

Conclusion - pearl booyahs the statue to death. i like the fast beats that fade into ebb & flow a lot actually. but it sounds more magical and assured somehow... also that key change right at the end is just fab. killer wail 88/10

Grand Finale - this one reuses ebb & flow and lemme just say- its so beautiful to hear this choir. harmonious 9/10

Into the Light - the most beautiful, ballad-like one. i like it a lot. pearl and marina are singing more softly. it recalls color pulse really nicely too. emotion and reflection 10/10

#$@%* Dudes Be #$@%* Sleepin - very metal. much drum and guitar also really censored. it seems like she broke the speakers at the end. emo phase 5/10

Ebb & Fly (Demo) - marinas solo except shes actually soloing. i like the keyboard a lot. she sounds really happy. theres the mission complete jingle from story mode at the end. freedom 7/10

Blitz It! (Chip Damage) - when was this song ever played??? a battle theme?? its very... chirpy. sounds like an undertale song, almost. i like it! mystery 9/10

Wave Prism (Battery Full) - again. when did we hear this? is there a secret secret boss???? still very 8bit, very upbeat. like a mario kart track. but better. blue shell 8/10

thats all. im tired gn hi, so i went back to this and realized there’s a song that i know is played in the expansion but somehow either wasn’t on the list or i missed it? so

39. Calamari Inkantation (Inner Agent 3) - oh heck yeah, this song. i love the opening- it really sounds like agent 3 spinning around to face u then jumping down. it also sounds like it flows more than the original, but i may be misremembering. a bit echoey? memory 10/10

#not story mode #song opinions #splatoon 2 #octo expansion #this may seem random #i was really tired but at the same time #full of adrenaline to do this #you get me?

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mostlysignssomeportents · 5 years

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Review / Control

Rob Beschizza:

Remedy Entertainment's Control is a masterpiece of weird architecture and bold design, but a tiring shooter.

Welcome to The Oldest House, a nondescript but profoundly abnormal skyscraper. It hosts and subverts the Federal Bureau of Control, a secretive government agency that keeps the lid on paranormal happenings. The FBC made a terrible mistake setting up shop on the front lines, as the House is a shifting labyrinth, a "place of power" eerily mirroring the brutalist architecture and bureacratic imagination of its occupants—a trap too intriguing to leave unexplored.

Jesse Faden heads in hoping to find her missing brother, who she suspects is in FBC custody. But she's the one doomed to remain, chosen by the mysterious Board as the bureau's new director. Her (and hence your) first job is to eradicate the supernatural “Hiss” which somehow inspired your predecessor's suicide and has corrupted the house’s expanse of concrete plazas and office spaces. It's also turned the security guards into a legion of monsters, so there's plenty to get on with before you can even begin to worry about the paperwork.

Faden is given The Service Weapon, a weird pistol that can be upgraded to act as sniper rifle, shotgun or machine gun as her skills and experience grow. As you explore the House and her potential, you’ll unlock powers of telekinesis and telepathy that let Faden bowl over foes and control them from afar. These powers also lead to unsettling truths about Faden, her brother, and an invisible friend.

The vibe of Control's deepest state owes a lot to X-Files and Dark Skies and Half-Life and David Lynch by way of the SCP Foundation mythos. The psychedelic cutscenes reminded me of Beyond the Black Rainbow, Panos Cosmatos' moody tribute to institutional psychic horror. There's even an inverted pyramid motif, looming in an astral plane to which the Board occasionally summons you, and replicated in marble at the game's safest point.1 The deliberately stilted dialogue is fun, but also cringes from sincerity.

The Oldest House is the star of the show, a magnificent example of virtual architecture. It's partly inspired by the National Security Agency's windowless Long Lines Building, an inconspicuous but menacing brutalist tower in Manhattan. An in-game note even gives The Oldest House the same Thomas St. address. Inside, however, the House sprawls insanely and would cover half of Tribeca with its granite hallways, plush carpets, dark soaring lobbies and cavernous atriums bathed in daylight from nowhere.

Control is two games in one. The first is about exploring The Oldest House and the FBC's secrets, and the second is a shoot-em-up inspired by Metroidvania-style platform games. These two modes aren't necessarily in conflict, but the narrative adventure vanishes completely into the action. A few hours in and the Oldest House felt more like a series of deathmatch arenas than an unfolding mystery.

The various scattered letters, tapes and notes are expository snacks: with a few important exceptions (some side quests are so clever I can't believe they're not compulsory) there's not much to do in the house other than enjoy the scenery as you plow from one fight to the next.

Which gets us to the problem, because as exhilarating as Faden's powers are, the combat is a real slog. The combat system seems well-designed, with no ammo to manage, and telekinetically flinging desks and filing cabinets into enemies seems like it should never get old. But it does. Many fights repeat each time an area is revisited and there's always another one waiting around the next corner. The fights go on and on. Fights are too easy or too hard. A one-shot kill out of nowhere sends you back to the beginning of an area, with all the fights reset and waiting to be fought again. So much combat!

Perhaps it's a reminder that games are rooted in consumerism, and even the most fully-realized works of art must stick to the normative design assumptions that come with commercial viability. Or maybe I just don't like Metroidvanias, whatever.

There is a place where it all comes together: the Ashtray Maze. This creepy hotel basement lounge endlessly reforms itself around you as you tear along, battling hissed-out security guards to a roaring metal soundtrack.

It highlights the game's amazing looks, the best and worst of its action, and shows why Control's other evocative moments (a sentient furnace, a towering archive of FBC-intercepted "dead letters" from folks reporting paranormal events, a forbidden subway station, the bureau's internal information films, a dreamlike motel that proves Remedy can do puzzles, a scale recreation of ██████████, and a perfectly-formed groundhog-day sequence) don't need so much combat to work.

I loved the interoffice memos, too, exposing the daily life of a stuffy institution forced to contend with constant paranormal bullshit. Employees complain of fridges, desks, even toilets disappearing for days. Cartoon posters remind workers of incomprehensible procedures. Reports are filed on trivial catastrophes caused by improperly-stored eldritch items. If there's one place in the Oldest House I'd love to visit again, it's an office haunted by a self-replicating post-it note and its many offspring. The prospect of finding more wonders like this pulled me through the drudgery of combat.

If I wanted a different game, a less relentless one where Faden explores an FBC teeming with the everyday business of paranormal mangement, a closed world of bureacracy, mystery and shifting walls, the game I found is still a fine one.

Good enough for government work, anyway.

★★★★☆

Remedy Entertainment's Control is available now on Windows at the Epic Games Store, on XBox and on PlayStation 4.

1. Obscure references and flourishes abound. My favorite: "the Hiss" shares its name with the infamous Soviet spy, Alger Hiss, whose unprovable crimes came to represent cold war bureacratic paranoia and doubt to its own obsessive chroniclers. Hiss-infested sections of the building are duly bathed in red light. Also my favorite: the jump-scare chapter titles, thumping onscreen in massive blocks of Avant Garde Gothic Bold.

https://boingboing.net/2019/10/27/review-control.html

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