#there's plenty of other series i'd recommend too | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

when-wax-wings-melt · 7 months

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Y'all wanted the presentation? Here's the presentation. Image descriptions are below the cut!

(technically this wasnt part of the assignment, which was "write an essay and read at least one full page to the class" so the reason why there's those huge blocks of text is because that is taken directly from the essay. i can condense things if I WANT to condense them)

[ID: 15 screenshots of a powerpoint presentation. The text is either white or gray, and the theme is various shades of purple, typically with bubbles of dark/light purple and images.

Slide one: Title reading "Keeper of the Lost Cities: A Love-Hate-Love Relationship, And What It Can Do To Your Psyche" with three images on the side. The first image is a meme of two stick figures, the first saying "kotlc lore is second nature to us rabid fans so it's easy to forget that the average person only knows the average special ability count and one or two vackers", the second figure saying "and valin, of course," and the first saying "of course." with text at the bottom reading "Even when they're trying to compensate for it, experts in anything wildly overcompensate the average person's familiarity with their field." The other two images are of Shannon Messenger, a white woman with blonde hair. The images are captioned "The dastardly mastermind behind it all" and "meet Shannon Messenger".

Slide Two: Title reading "Background" with a block of text and two images. The text reads "In total, the Keeper of The Lost Cities (KOTLC) series has over 7000 pages, split between nine and a half books (Book 8.5 was, uselessly, a novella) with a planned tenth coming in late 2024, and a graphic novel dropping in November. It’s the kind of series that hooks you the same way a fisherman hooks a fish: with a promise of a treat that goes very, very unfulfilled." The top image is the cover of the first keeper of the lost cities book, captioned with "book one of what will soon consume my entire brain for years and years and years" and the bottom image is a fish staring at the top image as if it is a tasty treat, captioned "Poor, innocent little 6th grade me".

Slide Three: A block of text reading "This is to say: KOTLC is a good series, at least at first. It’s certainly been my core obsession for a good (or bad) five years. It’s a hook because you can’t escape once you’ve begun. It’s my own personal brand of heroine, as Edward Cullen might say if Bella were a too-long book series that doesn’t resolve any plotlines or character arcs and instead piles more information on top of worldbuilding until contradictions are more plentiful than the packed main cast." An image of Edward Cullen from twilight is captioned "Me, apparently".

Slide Four: A small caption at the top reads "If the series ever ends you can call me Brant when Jolie asked him to leave the Neverseen the way I will burn down my house and kill everyone I love (haha just a joke to get us going)" with an image of a huge explosion below it. Text reads, "Basically, KOTLC is a good series, but the idea of recommending it feels like I’d be violating several articles of the Geneva Conventions. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. The thought of it ending is an impossibility on the scale of the apocalypse and I hope (I'd rather) the world ends before this series does."

Slide Five: Titled "Queer-Coding in the Lost Cities" with the image of Sophie Foster and Fitz Vacker on the side. Text reads, "The queer-coding doesn't just stem from Sophie’s dedicated denial of both her worth as a human being and her desire to kiss her pretty girl friends. A connection called a “Cognate Bond” is often referred to in the text as the closest two elves can become, emotionally and mentally. Cognates exist when two Telepaths (such as Sophie) have such a deep and unbreakable trust bond that they become more skilled together than they were apart. In creating and maintaining this bond, they have to complete trust exercises and not hold back secrets keeping them from total confidentiality. Sophie’s cognate is her friend (and love interest, and, debatably, ex-boyfriend) Fitz, whose romantic relationship was in a large part focused on their cognate one. Their trust exercises involve staring into each other’s eyes, holding hands, having matching rings, and Fitz telling Sophie that she’s the only person he can truly trust. Fitz also asks his father at one point if cognates are allowed to date each other— his father affirms the statement."

Slide Six: Titled "Queer-Coding: Qualden, Tiertice, and such other 🤨🏳️‍🌈 moments" with the text, "Notably, Alden has the authority to do so since he himself was a cognate, only undergoing a nasty breakup— sorry, only losing the bond after his cognate, Quinlin, kept too many secrets. It’s implied that two other characters were once almost Cognates, only to grow too far apart when one of them, Prentice, has his sanity forcibly shattered and is locked in prison, leaving his (gay lover) best friend, Tiergan (code name Granite), to raise his son. The choice to parallel Fitz/Sophie, Alden/Quinlin, and Tiergan/Prentice was possibly not a conscious one, since Messenger has never attempted to hint at the existence of homosexuality before, but it still resonates with hundreds of queer teen readers who look at the portrayal of utter devotion and trust between two men and think, wow. this is what i see in myself." The image is a quote from Neverseen, reading "'What did you give him?' Granite asked, cradling Prentice like a baby. Prentice's head lolled to the side, his body limp and pale." / "Granite held Prentice tighter, whispering, 'It's going to be okay.'"

Slide Seven: Titled "Honorary Errol "I have five identities and they're all the true me" Forkle Mention". Smaller text below reads "Strut it Magnate "I inspired Loki but don’t even ask about the horse thing" Leto!" A picture of Mr. Forkle is next to a tumble post by me about Forkle being trans based on the Loki thing. The slide is decorated with several trans flags.

Slide Eight: Titled "Beauty Standards" with text reading "Speaking of things Shannon Messenger did subconsciously, it’s so painfully clear that this series was written by a white American woman that it makes me break out in hives. Messenger establishes very early on in the series that all elves, no matter who they are, are gorgeous in comparison to humans. For some reason that I’m sure has no correlation to Sophie and therefore Messenger’s personal biases (aka Western hetero/cisnormativity and gender roles), every single elven character is slim with clear skin and no glasses. For some reason, beards seem to be impossible for elves to grow naturally, since the only time facial hair ever appears on anyone’s face is when they take an elixir to change their appearance." An image of Sophie with her human family is captioned "Sophie with her ugly nasty disgusting human family apparently".

Slide Nine: Text reading "Valin is a member of “the drooly boys” who, had they been “human, would’ve been skinny, with acne and braces. Since they were elves, they were fairly good-looking—or they could’ve been if they hadn’t slicked their hair into greasy ponytails” (Messenger KOTLC 170). It seems elves have evolved past the need for brown eyes, acne, crooked teeth, facial hair beyond eyebrows, and variations in body fat—not to mention most other features that make people unique. There is indeed a single elf who is fat and even has wrinkles (elves also don’t physically age past 30, fun fact). He alters his appearance with berries that swell his skin, making him the only unique body type besides Sophie’s human family, who are consistently thrown in terrible comparison to her new, movie-star-looking adoptive parents. The berries also make him smell, interestingly enough." Images of Councillors Zarina, Terik, and Clarette line the right side of the slide.

Slide Ten: Text reading: "By portraying the elves as the standard for beauty and then removing any pimple, stretch mark, fat roll, body hair, crooked tooth, big nose, or any of the thousands of features that add depth to faces and bodies, Messenger tells us that perfection lies in eliminating all “flaws.” She tells her young readers that they are desirable if they look like Sophie, or Biana, or Keefe—not Stina with her curly hair, or Dex’s too-skinny arms, or Forkle’s large stomach, or my human body." The family portrait of the Vackers is also there.

Slide Eleven: Text reading: "Mostly, what defines KOTLC is how it’s interpreted rather than the content itself. I look at Sophie Foster and see parts of myself, but that does not make her me. These characters always feel so painfully real, desperately relatable, as if Messenger cobbled together a main cast from bits of my life, but they are not. In the end, they are just characters. In the end, it’s just a series made for middle schoolers, in the same way the sun is just the sun, and the stars are just there to twinkle merrily and not to be explored." Sophie on the cover of Exile is also there.

Slide Twelve: Text reading "Literally the day after I finished this presentation a new Marella short story came out in the paperback version of Stellarlune (book 9). This is a quote in the short story:" with a picture of the short story of Marella being gay about Linh. Also on the slide is "🚨🚨🚨Alert Alert!🚨🚨🚨" "🤨🤨🤨🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️" and "Everyone is excited about Marellinh canon but I think she will simply never acknowledge it again."

Slide Thirteen: Just the text "Oh, By The Way, This Series Is Off The Walls Insane"

Slide Fourteen: Text reading "Things that happen in this series: Alicorns have sex and then there is a graphic birth scene (but the Forkle as Loki thing is going too far 🤨), Love Interest confesses his feelings by telling Sophie he wants her to be assigned to marry him by the government, An ogre bodyguard plays matchmaker with her charge and his crush (successfully), There's a guy who can sense "potential" except is definitely lying about this, Villains die so disappointingly. So far we have "hit on head with rock" "smushed by door opened too quickly" "exploded" "fell into evil birthing sauce" (this last one was cool though), and A school principal becomes president" Three tumblr screenshots and memes detailing other things that happen in the book are also there.

Slide Fifteen: THE END. A screenshot captioned with "Credits for the fake book 7 cover go to @/aphelea on tumblr" shows a canva/booktok style fake cover for Flashback, with a dancing couple, a horse, and the words "he was a boy. she was a horse. could I make it any more obvious?"

/end id]

#this id was HELLLLLLL by the way. like I had to take breaks and stuff this was TERRIBLE #i hope it's good enough because fellows. my eye is actively twitching from writing that shit out manually #anyways hope u enjoy the essay might make it somewhere sometime blah blah #summer rambles #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #the essay was actually mainly about sophie's insecurity but #it's even better w the transitions #i'll have you know my class LOVED this they were giggling and chortling and such #if the quality is bad. well. good thing we have these lovely image descriptions

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antianakin · 1 year

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Antianakin's Anti-Anakin/Pro-Jedi Fic Rec List

The theme for this rec list is fics that either center on Anakin getting some consequences for his actions or are just generally more critical towards Anakin as a character. Please note that this means these fics will also be critical towards most Anakin ships, most notably Anidala and Obikin.

This list is dedicated to all of the people who have been sending me messages asking for fic recs over the last several months, there's clearly a market for fics that aren't kind towards Anakin.

A lot of these fics take things like the Tusken massacre, Order 66, and Anakin's treatment of Padme, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, and Rex very seriously. Please take that as a warning if any of those things might be triggering, and keep an eye on the tags for all of the fics included here just in case.

Here are the categories!

Anakin/Consequences: Anakin experiences consequences for his actions in some way shape or form, but doesn't die.

Spoiler Alert, He Doesn't Make It: Anakin experiences the specific consequence of dying by the end of the story, usually at the hands of someone he's hurt.

The Jedi Deserve Better: There's a bigger focus on the Jedi recovering, Jedi culture, or the Jedi being philosophically right than there is on anything specifically "anti Anakin" as such, but the story is still critical of Anakin's beliefs and/or behavior.

Helpful terms:

Unfinished: Any fic that is marked as incomplete, or a series where the fic(s) in it are still incomplete and cannot stand alone

Ongoing: Any series marked as incomplete, but the fics in it are marked as complete or can stand alone as they are

There is no specific order to this. I tried to group fics from one specific author together, but other than that, I didn't place anything in any specific position for a reason.

This is not an exhaustive list of good anti-Anakin fics that exist, obviously. If your fic or your favorite fic isn't on this list, please feel free to rec it yourself in the notes, leave a reply or reblog with a link. I'm happy to read more anti-Anakin fic, especially if it's very Pro-Jedi!

One final reminder: NOTHING IN THIS LIST IS ANAKIN FRIENDLY! If that's going to bother you to read, please just skip this entire list, it's not for you.

Anakin/Consequences:

and the tide rises, the tide falls series by @blackkatmagic (unfinished, 119k): When Anakin's actions with the Tuskens on Tatooine become known a few months into the Clone War, Agen Kolar comes in to temporarily take over the 501st while Anakin is sent back to Coruscant to face the Council. I cannot recommend this fic enough. This is the fic that introduced me to Agen Kolar as a real character (as opposed to just one of the random Jedi who immediately die going up against Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith) and now he's one of my favorite Jedi of all time. Agen is such a beautiful character and his relationship to his identity as a Jedi gives me just about every feeling I think I've ever felt in my life and the development of his relationships with Rex, Kix, and Ahsoka as the fic continues is such a well-written slow burn. I'd recommend reading more of blackkat's works just in general, too, because they're pretty much all Pro-Jedi and have a delightful tendency to focus on more niche Jedi and clone characters and rarepair ships if you're interested in that.

Commander Fox's Ultimate Bucket List by @blackkatmagic (27k): Fox is sent back in time, immediately murders Palpatine, and surprisingly nothing but good things follow so he's got plenty of time now to get to the other things on his bucket list, including but not limited to: murdering Count Dooku, murdering Anakin Skywalker, saving Senator Amidala from her atrocious taste in men, and seducing Mace Windu. This fic is BLISTERINGLY funny, Fox's very dry point of view on things and readiness to shoot Anakin at literally any moment literally had me struggling to not laugh out loud at work. This is also an INCREDIBLY pro-Mace Windu fic, with all of the clones, for once, in love with Mace Windu instead of the more popular suspects. It's what he deserves, and Fox agrees.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Time Travelers by @blackkatmagic (unfinished, 78k): Fives is stuck in a time loop where he tries to stop Order 66 from happening and his latest plan is to kidnap Mace Windu for his own protection because he's the only person capable of defeating Palpatine. Fives' opinion of Anakin is now INCREDIBLY low, and the constant comparisons to Mace and how much better Mace is, are deeply satisfying. Fives' immense distress and somewhat manic passion don't take away from just HOW competent Fives is, and I really love getting to see a depiction of him that really allows him to fully be both at once and neither one takes away from the other. I love how his relationship to Mace develops from Fives' initial desperation into something so trusting and passionate through difficult circumstances.

in search of a sky for smoke to rise to by @blackkatmagic (7k): Padme has to go on the run after reporting Anakin's massacre of the Tuskens to the Jedi in fear of Anakin's rage. She lands on Sundari to try to hide there and meets with Arla Fett who sparks her interest. Padme gets to be a total BAMF in this which is always fun, and I LOVED Arla in this so so much!

sanguine series by @glimmerglanger (157.5k) (EDIT: this AO3 account was deleted several months after I made this list and so the link below is now broken. I am leaving this series in regardless, as a record of the incredible work glimmerglanger did and as a reminder of the consequences of online harassment): Obi-Wan is a vampire in an AU where vampires exist in the GFFA and this changes some things. The ramifications of what it means to be a vampire in this AU and the biases and prejudices that Obi-Wan has to deal with are so interesting from a worldbuilding standpoint. The way Anakin's relationship with Obi-Wan CHANGES because of it is also an interesting thing to see develop in this series.

uncomfortable by @panther-os (1k): When Anakin won't respect Padme's boundaries in the beginning of Attack of the Clones, Padme requests a different bodyguard from the Jedi. Short and sweet and removes the rather unfortunate "yes means no" theme that taints Padme's storyline in Attack of the Clones.

Slices of Happiness series by @feybarn (unfinished, 40k): No Order 66 AU where Obi-Wan takes a short sabbatical after the war to handle his mental health and is joined by some of the clones before he returns to the Temple. It is, as the title of the series says, mostly just little slices of stories as the clones and Jedi heal and reconnect after the war. There's a large emphasis on Obi-Wan healing from Anakin's rejection of the Jedi and having to come to terms with his relationship with Anakin having perhaps been less healthy than he'd realized and learning to enforce healthier boundaries when Anakin gets entitled and selfish.

Wasted Training by @thesecondbatgirl (700): Obi-Wan finds out about Anakin's "training" for Ahsoka from TOTJ. Very short but OH so satisfying to see someone react appropriately to this.

Liberosis by Be_Right_Back (2k): In a No Order 66 AU, Anakin's secret marriage comes to light and the Council asks Anakin to make a choice. This one is a tad softer on the "anti Anakin" aspect of it, but the Jedi are portrayed as entirely within their rights to make Anakin choose which life he wants to live.

Stay by @amukmuk (2k): Commander Thorn has been helping Padme out in a No Order 66 AU as Padme's been dealing with her divorce from Anakin, and Padme finally comes to a decision about her feelings. I am an unrepentant Thornidala shipper, and as many problems as I tend to have with the way Padme's written and the implications about her as a character because of that, I also have a nostalgic attachment to her and wish she could just... have a happier healthier relationship with someone who ACTUALLY loves her and respects her. I would take an entire series of this AU, I'd read a longfic of this AU, but I will also happily accept this short sweet little peek into this AU and let my daydreams do the rest of the work.

The Burden of Secrets by @jedi-order-apologist (9k): In the aftermath of the Deception arc, Ahsoka discovers the truth about the Tusken massacre and confronts Anakin about it. This one is a little lighter on the "anti Anakin" elements, but his choices on Tatooine are very much called out for the horror that they are, as are Padme's for hiding it. The fic also delves a little bit into the Rako Hardeen arc, Obi-Wan's choices in it, and Anakin's reactions to it and how appropriate they are.

Consumed by Greed by virdant (900): Obi-Wan travels back in time to the beginning of Anakin's apprenticeship and tries everything to try to keep Anakin from joining the Sith, and fails until he comes to a crucial understanding about Anakin as a person. The concept of this is absolutely heart-wrenching, thinking about Obi-Wan going back over and over, changing everything about himself and the Jedi in an attempt to save Anakin, only to finally realize that the problem lies in who Anakin is at his heart, and he can't change that. The ending is a gutpunch, but it feels so absolutely true, too.

Justice by virdant (1k): Padme makes a different choice at the end of AOTC and decides to report Anakin's crimes on Tatooine to Obi-Wan instead of marrying Anakin. Obi-Wan confronts Anakin about what he's done in the aftermath and forces him to face the consequences of the choice he made. I really like that the concept here isn't just that Anakin gets kicked out of the Jedi and sort-of set loose upon the galaxy, but that either the Council or Obi-Wan decided Anakin also needed to face reparations ON TATOOINE, from the Tuskens themselves, and that Obi-Wan plans to ensure that it happens. Anakin cannot be a Jedi until he makes as many amends for that as he can, until he recognizes the truth of what he's done and accepts the responsibility for it, and even then there's no guarantee he could be a Jedi afterwards. Either way, the Jedi are not not the only people Anakin has hurt, and not the only people with the right to ask for reparations from Anakin.

The Cost by luvewan (5k): Anakin jumps off the gunship after Padme in Attack of the Clones and deals (badly) with the fatal consequences of that choice when Obi-Wan dies at Dooku's hand before Yoda can show up. So this has been a favorite of mine for just about as long as I can remember, predominantly because of just how tragic it is and the very realistic consequences of the choice Anakin makes here. This fic was written before Revenge of the Sith had come out, so none of the choices Anakin makes in that film are taken into account, but the accuracy with which Anakin absolutely unravels and devolves into darkness because he lets his guilt turn into anger that he turns on other people in the name of justice feels so immensely in character. Seeing it all happen from Padme's point of view as she watches Anakin's descent, knowing she's the reason it happened in the first place, is so devastatingly beautiful.

Spoiler Alert, He Doesn't Make It:

@glimmerglanger's fics are getting an entire section dedicated to them again. I'd honestly just recommend reading all of glimmerglanger's work, but here's some fics that specifically showcase (deadly) consequences to Anakin below (EDIT: this AO3 account was deleted several months after I made this list and so all of the links below are now broken. I am leaving this section in regardless, as a record of the incredible work glimmerglanger did and as a reminder of the consequences of online harassment):

A Treatise on Breaking and Repairs (60k): Anakin captures Obi-Wan shortly after Revenge of the Sith and it goes very badly for Obi-Wan. This shit's dark, y'all, and things get way worse before they get better, please mind the tags, there's a reason the series is labeled the oof!au. That being said, this fic is sort-of the peak example of what I want out of a really good hurt/comfort story, where both halves of that are equally emphasized.

But What We Make series (ongoing, 125.5k): Cody from post-Return of the Jedi travels back in time to just before Order 66 and this changes some things. My favorite part of this series (so far) is the way Obi-Wan, future-Cody, and present-Cody are all forced to come to terms with their respective traumas and relationships to each other and none of them are handling it perfectly, but none of them are treated as more or less important than the others either.

Convergence Zones (115.5k): A sort-of modern day fantasy Jedi AU where the clones are made of clay and brought to life via magic. It's a little hard to explain in like 20 words or less just read it, it's so great. The collaboration between the clones and Jedi in this is so sweet, and the worldbuilding of the "clones" in this verse is really good.

Haunt Me, Then (31k): Post Order 66, all the surviving clones can see their Jedi as Force ghosts except Cody and the 212th, and when Cody's chip breaks early he helps start a revolution to gain justice for their Jedi. Cody's going through it in this one, too, and things get pretty dark, but this is another really great catharsis fic if you're in the mood for that.

Make Your Bed (Lie in It) (58k): Cody and Obi-Wan share a bunk during the war and this changes some things. I love all the ways in which this AU moves events just SLIGHTLY to the left and then the butterfly effect impact afterwards. The Cody and Obi-Wan relationship development is also just impeccable.

Natural Wonders (56k): Shapeshifter modern AU with nature photographer Cody and park ranger Obi-Wan and a murder mystery they solve together. There's some really cool facts about Yellowstone National Park in this fic as a delightful bonus to the sweet relationshippy stuff and the fun murder mystery storyline.

Greater Than Your Hoarded Gold series by Quietbang (ongoing, 96k): Anakin doesn't burn on Mustafar AU where there is a different kind of rebellion in the galaxy post Order 66. This author focused in on and centered the Jewish elements to the Jedi and brought in more Jewish culture to the Jedi, which is so interesting to read. The shifting perspectives, including totally outside perspectives, on the Jedi and the situation in the galaxy at large, makes for a really cool story with some incredible worldbuilding.

Unmasked by @schizo-fractured (17k): Footage of the Temple during Order 66 is released and this causes a series of changes in the galaxy as they confront what REALLY happened to the Jedi and the person who caused it. This got recommended to me based on a post I made wishing we could've seen Beru and Owen learn the truth about Anakin and what might've changed for them as a result, and while that's not the singular plot of this fic, it is kind-of an example of the underlying theme of the entire thing. It's a nice almost wish-fulfillment style concept where the loss of Anakin Skywalker's good reputation allows the general populace to rise up in defense of those he betrayed in righteous rage. It's time for the galaxy to defend the Jedi for a change.

the time when stars align by @deniigi (7k): Cody accidentally adopts some young stormtroopers post Order 66 and escapes with them to the Rebellion after Vader finds a way to "cure" him of his accelerated aging. Cody goes through so much horror in this fic and is still so SO funny with the way he looks at the world and speaks to his loved ones, allowing this fic to still feel sweet and wholesome despite how awful Cody's life is and has been.

When Night Falls series by Penguin Kiwi (ongoing, 7k): Cin Drallig gets more of a warning in the Force just before Order 66 and is able to put up a defense of the Temple and stop Anakin at the steps. I love these AUs that allow more niche Jedi to shine through, especially when it means they get to defeat Anakin because the Force looked at Anakin's choices and decided to abandon him for a better option. The conversation between Cin and Obi-Wan in the second fic really hits home, too.

The Jedi Deserve Better:

grow bold in a barren and desolate land by @blackkatmagic (5k): Mace survives Order 66 and Anakin's betrayal and stages a rescue for two clones left in prison who he knows never would've had their chips activated: Slick and Dogma. This has literally the barest mention of Anakin, but that mention is that Mace could easily beat Anakin in a fair fight, so I'm including it anyway. This is another one of those AUs I could read an entire longfic or series for and be eternally happy. There's a follow-up to this fic that's more explicitly Mace/Slick which is by no means ever a ship I had ever even considered before, but it works SO WELL here and gives me some interesting feelings. I'm also just always down for Dogma being treated kindly and getting a happier ending than canon chose to give him.

i am creation, both haunted and holy by @blackkatmagic (800): A'Sharad Hett makes a visit to Kamino where he meets Alpha-17 and finds they share an opinion about Anakin Skywalker. I'm so intrigued by A'Sharad Hett as a character and wish there was more content written about and for him. A'Sharad and Alpha-17 bonding over thinking Anakin Skywalker is an entitled selfish jerk is the best possible beginning to a ship, I'll be honest.

that was a spring of storms by @blackkatmagic (unfinished, 9k): When Alderaan is destroyed by the Death Star, Leia's grief causes herself, Luke, and Bail Organa to travel back in time to 8 months into the Clone Wars, where they are determined to ensure things go a little differently. This fic is only 2 chapters in, so I don't know precisely what kind of consequences Anakin may or may not end up getting, which is why it's in this category, but unsurprisingly neither Bail nor Leia are feeling particularly benevolent towards him and it is so incredibly satisfying. But holy FUCK am I hooked to this entire concept. Bail and Leia's relationship is heart-wrenching as all get out, Bail's protective instincts towards the Jedi absolutely kills me, and I'm so intrigued by these ship tags!

The Crime of Grief Series by @feybarn (ongoing, 34k): Padme goes into labor early while on the way to Mustafar, so neither she nor Obi-Wan ever make it there, and they go on the run with Rex and Ahsoka afterwards instead. Sides are drawn in the aftermath of Anakin's choices that causes friction among them before they can find healing. There's a large emphasis in this series that Anakin's choices are, in fact, HIS CHOICES, and the blame for them cannot be placed on anyone but Anakin, as well as the conundrum of whether it truly matters whether Anakin's got good left in him or not and if it's even worth it to try to save him.

吃飽了嗎? | Have you eaten your fill? series by virdant (1.5k): A look at Obi-Wan and his experience of Jedi culture through food. Virdant's fics focus in on the Asian influences in the Jedi and builds out their culture from there. Not every fic in this series is explicitly anti-Anakin, but a few of them are more critical of Anakin's view of the Jedi and his unwillingness to understand their culture or point of view.

things the way we want them to be by virdant (600): No Order 66 AU, where a teenaged Leia talks to Obi-Wan about the struggles she's having with Anakin as a father and the future she knows she (and Luke) should've had but weren't allowed. Leia is just absolutely heartbreaking in this, and Obi-Wan's inability to truly help her the way they both want is equally so. It's a devastating look at a possible less happy future even in a happy fix-it AU because leaving the Jedi would never be enough to "fix" Anakin.

Not This Crude Matter series by @talesfromthebitterbeast (53k): The clones have picked up some misconceptions about the Jedi which causes the Jedi to distance themselves from the clones, even after the war ends in a happy fix-it AU. The fics showcase the situation from multiple different perspectives as misunderstandings abound, but is always firmly on the side of the Jedi. I really like the way the Jedi relationships are showcased here, the ways they communicate and lean on each other even in the face of being misunderstood and misrepresented by people they'd hoped would understand them better than anyone else.

Harmonic Oscillation by @jessepinwheel (2k): Originally a short tumblr fic that has since been posted to AO3. Obi-Wan time travels back to the Clone War era and confronts Anakin about what he's done. I always love getting to see Obi-Wan refuse to let Anakin get away with his bullshit and finally see Anakin for the piece of shit that he is.

Released by @jedi-order-apologist (6k): Cody is rescued from the Empire post-Return of the Jedi and has to come to terms with everything he's happened to him now that he's at the end of his life and spent the majority of it brainwashed and enslaved to the Empire. This is a fic I come back to a lot because I really love the way Cody works through what's happened to him and the way he's viewed from an outside perspective via Luke. I also really love how the relationship between Cody and Obi-Wan isn't made explicitly romantic, but is portrayed as immensely important and meaningful to both of them, regardless of how you choose to view it.

Knightrise by @deviantaccumulation (unfinished, 89k): Obi-Wan and Yoda choose not to try to fight Anakin or Sidious and instead retreat to Mandalore to attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order as much as they can there under Satine's protection. This is an AU where Maul genuinely dies on Naboo which is a major plus in my book all on its own, quite honestly. There's some interesting political aspects in this for how the Jedi Order attempts to rebuild an actual community within Mandalore, with Mandalore still being a member of the Neutral Systems, and the Empire having risen already and all of the ensuing issues with that.

|keep the wolves away| by littlekaracan (unfinished, 46k): Obi-Wan and Yoda find Reva in the Temple and she accompanies Obi-Wan to Tatooine where they have to survive and recover together while watching over and protecting Luke. This is such a brilliant character study into Reva as a young child survivor of Order 66, being taken care of by someone who loves her but is equally as traumatized by the same event and the way that shapes their relationship and Reva's upbringing. I love her SO SO MUCH and I adore her perspective as she struggles to figure out what it means to be a Jedi in a world where being a Jedi openly means certain death but it's the last connection she has to her home, her family, and her culture.

our caches and constellations by johanneb (98k): "Eleven years ago, the Jedi order got wind of the closing pincers of a Sith trap and scattered to the remote corners of the galaxy. Ten years ago, millions of clone commanders and troopers were introduced as the Republic’s new Army, made for fighting a war alongside people the galaxy seemed to be forgetting ever existed." I couldn't come up with a better way to explain the fic than its own summary, but Cody and the 212th pick up Obi-Wan and Luke on Tatooine, while Senator Organa has to figure out how to get himself, Leia, and Leia's "tutor" to a rebel base without their two new Coruscant Guard escorts figuring out exactly how disloyal to the Republic they actually are. I absolutely SLAMMED through this fic, it's so good. Despite some of its heavier themes, it's honestly very sweet and wholesome with lots of cute Luke and Leia, some incredibly wonderful romances, and really interesting worldbuilding for this just slightly to the left version of the gffa. Anakin never makes an appearance in this, but he does get mentioned a few times for his betrayal and his part in the current state of the galaxy, and I REALLY loved that at no point in this fic was it ever important to either twin who their biological parents were.

ring the bells that can still ring by rain_sleet_snow (22k): Reva's been working with the Rebellion in-between the events of the Kenobi show and A New Hope, but when she hears Obi-Wan has made an appearance recently and goes to try to find him, she discovers Luke and Leia instead, with nobody left to train them but her. This fic was like a warm bread roll or a perfectly brewed cup of tea, it was just absolutely wholesome and exactly everything I could have wanted from this concept. The relationships between Luke, Leia, and Reva are both hilarious and sweet while allowing their respective traumas to still remain relevant to their journey together. Their discussions about Darkness, Reva's past, Obi-Wan, Anakin, the Jedi, and the events of A New Hope are all heart-wrenching and really feel so in-character but also so in line with the tone of the original trilogy. I could sit here and list things I liked about this fic all day, but it'd be faster to just read it yourself.

#fic #fic rec #star wars #anti anakin #anti anakin skywalker #anakin critical #anakin skywalker critical #jedi #pro jedi #obi-wan kenobi #ahsoka tano #captain rex #the clone wars #star wars the clone wars #swtcw #anti anakin fic rec series

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curioushabitforarivergod · 20 days

Text

dark(ish) academia books that I don't see recommended enough

I read a lot, both fiction and non-fiction, and a lot of the stuff I've read over the past 2-3 years has had underlying academic tones. I've tried to include books I've at least enjoyed, although there are a few 3 star ratings. All of these books are ones I haven't really seen mentioned in compiled dark academia lists (mainly because some of them fall outside the general scope and are more ✨vibes✨). Feel free to add more less well-known books. I've included my own blurbs of the books but I've got shit memory and some I read like 2 years ago so yeah

Fiction

"Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world." Voltaire

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Takes place over 10 years and explores family and the destruction left behind after WWI. It discusses the feminine vs. masculine in art and while it can be a little slow to read (took me close to 3 weeks!) theres some really beautiful passages and also some funny ones as well — the characters spend several chapters at a dinner party convinced everyone hates them and constantly hating other people too.

The Dark is Rising (series) by Susan Cooper

Okay, yes this is a kids book series from the 70s/80s but it explores English, Cornish and Welsh mythology and has really good characters and world-building. Even though chronologically the series goes: Over Sea, Under Stone; The Dark is Rising; Greenwitch; The Grey King; Silver on the Tree, it's best to read The Dark is Rising first and return back to Over Sea, Under Stone. Anyway, I love this series and I read The Dark is Rising every Christmas because it corresponds pretty much with the days and is easy to place and that's kind of what makes it feel very cozy and academic. Also, theres some brief moments of time travel to the past.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This is a beautiful written masterpiece set across the 20th century featuring plenty of train rides across Europe and vampires. It explores some of the history of Walachia and Dracula, as well as the Ottoman Empire and European politics of the time. It's a hefty read but I loved it because it combines history, dark academia, fantasy and vampires.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

My favourite of Shakespeare that I've seen so far and honestly murder is so dark academia I don't need to talk any further. Strangely, I don't see this recommended enough.

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

This was quite popular a year or two ago, and honestly for good reason. I think it's only really academic because it's linked to Shakespeare and explores the less well-known lives of Shakespeare's family, but it's very good and I thought I'd include it anyway.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

This one feels really light academia to me, but I think it's mainly because of setting. It's set in this fantastical old and crumbling mansion that goes on forever. It's filled with statues and it floods and only two people live in the world. The story is told entirely through diary entries, but it's so well-written because it defamiliarises the reader entirely. It was a light and easy read for me, which is probably why I'm associating it with light academia rather than dark academia.

The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li

This book kinda mixes chaotic academia and cottagecore academia and is a reflection of girlhood and youth spent in the French countryside in the 50s. There's a toxic relationship between two friends who write a book together before one of them attends prestigious girls' school in England. Also the opening lines are amazing: "You cannot cut an apple with an apple. You cannot cut an orange with an orange. You can, if you have a knife, cut an apple or an orange. Or slice open the underbelly of a fish. Or, if your hands are steady enough and the blade is sharp enough, sever an umbilical cord."

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

Another classic! I love Waugh, and Brideshead revisited is amazing and my favourite of what I've read of his. The book is quite homoerotic — explicitly so at times, which is fascinating for something published in 1945 — and deals with romanticisation. It nestles quite snugly between Picture of Dorian Grey and Secret History in terms of a dark academic literary canon.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

This is more gothic than dark academia, but it's also a satire of the gothic genre so I feel like it counts. It's definetly not as well known as some of Austen's other works and feels much more raw, particularly because its her first work (although not published until after her death). It's not my favourite Austen, but I love it all the same, especially because of its commentary on warning the romanticisation of other peoples lives and the gothic/dark academia. Although dark academia wasn't a thing in Austen's day!

Possession by A. S. Byatt

I love the main story but because its so metafictive and explores the relationship between two made-up poets (one of whom is bi and cheats on her gf with the second) from the perspective of modern academics, it can get quite hard to read sometimes. It's also really long, but definitely worth reading.

Non-Fiction

I feel like non-fiction is pretty over-looked when it comes to the academia aesthetic which really says something, given that its… kinda the whole point of academia?? Anyway, I read a lot of history books, but I only put down the ones which I found interesting or easy to read, so they're more popular histories than academic histories. Also; essays.

The Year 1000: What Life Was Like At the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey

This explores early medieval life in England based on the Julius Work Calendar, an Anglo-Saxon manuscript believed to date to 1020BCE. It's honestly a really light and interesting read and it talks about what everyday life was like, which I think is important in history. It's in a narrative style so it's quite easy to read even if you don't consume history often.

Oh, to Be a Painter! by Virginia Woolf

This is actually a short, published collection of Virginia Woolf essays on art. I read the essays all in one sitting because they're quite short, but if you're into art and art academia, I'd highly recommend. There's also an essay on the cinema which provides some interesting insights into todays world particularly as Woolf was writing at the time when cinema was only just becoming widespread and an industry in its own right.

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

This is a satirical essay on attitudes towards the poor and it suggests that poor people might sell their children as food for the rich, highlighting the callousness of the upper classes. It's available free online and very much relevant today, despite being written close to 300 years ago.

The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer

Very useful if you ever find yourself stuck in the Elizabethan period! It's read as a sort of travel guide but includes plenty on history as well, providing a picture of what England looked like in the late-Tudor period. Also people will think you're a time-traveller if you carry it around, which adds to your intrigue and mystery.

A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh

If you like Jane Austen and haven't read this memoir, you should. It's written by her nephew, so it's quite biased and it's not amazing in any way, but it provides a lot of context to her life and is a good light-read or coffee table book. Also my copy was pale pink so win.

Thats it folks. Feel free to include your own less well-known book recs that follow dark/light/chaotic, etc. aesthetics! I'd love to compile a huge list and read more outside my comfort zone.

#dark academia #light academia #chaotic academia #art academia #cottagecore academia #books and reading #book reccomendation #book reccs #books

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sciderman · 6 months

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Can you please recommend some Cable and Deadpool comics? I have a few of them, a collection of one actually, but it's still not enough to scratch that itch of mine. I am completely in love with Cable's character and Deadpool is truly my spirit.

the cable and deadpool series (2004) is the definitive! you probably have a collection from there, but it ran for a grand total of 50 issues – though, nate was awol for like the 8 last issues. kind of hilarious that they just kept the cable and deadpool series running without cable. but that's kind of just how their relationship goes.

following that – deadpool and cable (wade gets top billing now) split second (2015), which is like, one of my favourite books of all time.

you know, someone asked me before if there were a storyline i'd like to adapt for a deadpool movie and you know - if i knew they weren't going to make a mess of it, this is the one book i'd love to see adapted. but it would be a mess. and it would need SO much set-up. but i love this book.

additional issues – you've gotta read new mutants #98 – it's just required reading - deadpool's first ever appearance, and hey, wade and nate's first ever meeting, too.

it ends so embarrassingly for wade

bound and gagged?? on the first date?????????

i don't actually really have an expansive list of all cablepool interactions – and i can't really find anyone who's put one together – that's why i'm sure there's plenty that's slipped under my nose because i'm oh-so-slowly making my way through cable's history of comics... but other such memorable moments...

deadpool (1997) #22

deadpool vs x-force (sexiest art in the world ever)

cable/deadpool annual #1 (2018) (i kind of hate it. wade has the most annoying characterisation you've ever seen, and i just get the feeling that whoever's writing it kind of just doesn't get it. but it has some fun panels to take out of context.)

uncanny avengers (2016) - nate's a bit too serious whenever duggan writes him, but... uh. i guess they stand next to each other sometimes and that's always nice to see.

also uncanny avengers #8 was so hilarious for this

always thinking about how nate just knew where to find wade. i know this means that even despite the mind-control rewriting all their memories and identities, nate and wade still found each other and were definitely having a hunky love affair (this lives in my head an unreasonable amount and i might write about one day.)

um. despicable deadpool? honestly i love when wade gets nasty. i love a nasty, nasty boy. he's so ugly and it was so bloody, and i kind of love to see it. (heart wants what it wants.)

please don't kinkshame me. but i find this very sexually gratifying. in ways i'm not prepared to explain.

this isn't by any means an expansive list - calling on cablepool nation, please add your recs in the replies!

#cablepool #sci talks comics

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theresattrpgforthat · 2 months

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Hi! I'm looking for a game in the space opera genre, and I'd love some suggestions. More specifically, I'm trying to find something that's pretty easily customizable or setting-agnostic. Pretty soft as far as sci-fi is concerned, even science fantasy. (And my players have a very brief attention span when it comes to learning rules, so some degree of simplicity would be appreciated, too, haha!)

For context, I have a friend who loves worldbuilding and has fleshed out a whole galaxy, and I want to run a one-shot set in his world for his birthday. In the past, we've tried using a homebrew amalgamation of D&D, SW5e, and miscellaneous other bits, but I want to find a system that fits a bit better.

Thanks for the help! 😁

Theme: Simple Space Operas.

Hello friend, this sounds like such an awesome idea! I think I’ve got a few pretty good options for you to take a look at. Many of these games pull from Star Wars as their idea of what a space opera is like, but not all of them do. Also, don't forget to check the bottom of the post to see what I've recommended in the past!

Laser-Ritter, by Bad Quail Games.

Laser-Ritter is an analog adventure game about swashbuckling heroes journeying among endless stars to embrace their destiny. There are rendezvous in hazy tap rooms, chases across distant moons, and showdowns with the forces of galactic evil. We play to find out how our Laser-Ritters follow their passions and face their pasts to triumph over adversity.

Laser-Ritter gives space for you to create your own saga. There's no burdensome timeline of canon events or overwhelming lists of characters, spaceships, and alien species to be contradicted. Every group begins their saga by creating their own dramatic title crawl to establish what's happening when the adventure begins!

This is a game all about embracing your destiny, with plenty of space to build your own universe. The game can be played episodically, or cover a long-spanning story over a series of sessions. This means that if you just want to run a one-shot, it can be pretty easily self-contained, but there’s also room to expand the game.

Players in this game have 4 stats and a health track labelled Vitality. You also have something called a Pathos track, which represents how attrition and trauma affect your character. If you fill your Pathos track, your character becomes vulnerable to dying. If you want a game with dramatic action and tragic scenes, Laser-Ritter might be for you.

Galaxy Goons and A Goons’ Guide to the Galaxy, by John Erwin.

Galaxy Goons is a space fantasy adventure hack of the Ennies-award winning Tunnel Goons. If you want a light-hearted game about rascals just trying to make their way in the universe, this is worth checking out. Tunnel Goons is known for being pretty light-weight, and Galaxy Goons is true to this legacy. Your characters are rolled randomly, with stats used to add onto dice rolls to try and beat a difficulty level.

A Goon’s Guide to the Galaxy is made for the same kind of setting, but uses a different set of rules, namely the 24XX SRD. This means that instead of just rolling d6’s, your characters will have a few things that they have a d8 or d10 for, and there might even be a few skills that only allow you to roll a d4. 24XX games also tend to carry roll tables to help the GM come up with obstacles and goals, so that might help the GM decide what about this homemade galaxy might be interesting to follow.

Rebel Scum, by 9th Level Games.

REBEL SCUM tells the story of how scrappy, anti-fascist heroes can fight back against a government with unlimited power (including giant lasers and space magic). Inspired by a love for a certain line of 3 and 3/4 inch action figures, this is a fast paced, feel good, space opera of rebellion and adventure.

In this TTRPG, characters are all expressed as action figures, with their pertinent stats and abilities "on the back of the card." Choose your toy and get out into battle!

So Rebel Scum borrows very obviously from Star Wars, but of course the book can’t just put the game in the Star Wars setting, so they create their own. What this means is you can pretty easily throw out that lore and build your own world, although the expectation in this game is that your characters will be working to overthrow some sort of galaxy-wide power. The rules are very simple to learn - in fact the booklet is under 100 pages, and that’s including art, setting, and example characters. If you have a standard set of polyhedral dice (and I’m assuming you do, if you’ve played D&D) then you’ll be able to play this game.

Save the Universe, by Don Bisdorf.

Tyranny and cruelty have spread across the galaxy, and only you can stop it!

Save the Universe is a sci-fi adventure roleplaying game in which the players create their own great galactic menace and then portray the brave heroes battling against it.

I think the biggest pull for this game is that it encourages you to build your own galaxy. The game even comes with a number of questions for you to answer, and if you already have a world decided, you can slot in the answers according to your friend’s world. In fact, assigning world creation to one player is actually a recommended option in the game!

Even though this game is pretty open in terms of the details of your galaxy, there’s still an overarching theme of an Empire or large enemy that your characters will be resisting. Then again, I have a feeling that’s a common theme in space operas.

Plerion: Space Opera Adventure Game, by Zotiquest Games.

Intrepid spacers ply the vastness of the Five Galaxies in search of fortune and glory.

This is Plerion, a sci-fi hack from Cairn designed to play radiant space opera. Inspired by classic science fiction and the RPGs that emulate it, but with a more modern twist, winking at transhumanism and cyberpunk.

Plerion is an adventure game for one referee and at least one other player. Players act as hardened spacers exploring, exploiting and commerce through the vastness of space in the far future.

The author of this game cites Mass Effect, the Traveller roleplaying game and the Wayfarer series by Becky Chambers. Cairn, the game that inspired this one, is a game that makes survival difficult and daunting for the players, and asks them to put the fiction first. This means that combat shouldn’t always be the answer. Instead, players are encouraged to find ways to solve problems using their tools at hand, which is a common trend in many of the games that inspired this rule system.

What’s So Cool About Outer Space, by Jared Sinclair.

WSCAOS is a tiny little system for going to space no matter where you are!

This is an incredibly tiny game, with just two pages to print out and use as a rules reference in any galaxy you like. It’s also the parent of a number of “What’s So Cool About" games that use the same philosophy - minimal rules, and plenty of agency left up to the group in terms of what possible backstories you might have, as well as what might be considered an advantage and what might not.

No-one Owns The Sky, by Free Radicals Press.

A band of misfits lives aboard a rundown starship, traveling from one frontier world to the next, hoping to make a name and a living for themselves. Along the way, things always seem to go sideways, but the crew holds on, no matter what.

NO ONE OWNS THE SKY is a sci-fi roleplaying game that is rules-light and relies on players to craft and flesh out the universe of the setting as a collective. This game was designed for two or more players. One player is always the referee (REF), a neutral arbiter and guiding force for the game. The others act and play as player characters (PCs). These players, with their REF and their PCs, will tell amazing, collective (and interactive) stories with the help of imagination, dice, roleplaying, critical thinking, and problem-solving.

This game uses a staggered success layout, which means that you could roll a failure, a success, or a mixed success during any given roll. Anything above a 5 is a success! It looks like the game uses more than just d6’s though, so the larger dice you roll, the higher your chances of succeeding. The setting is also up to the players, pretty good for folks who want to build their own galaxy.

Games I’ve Recommended in the Past

Space Fantasy Rec Post

Impulse Drive, by Adrian Thorn.

Syzygy, by Ostrichmonkey Games.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #dnd #asks #indie ttrpg #space #space opera

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the-prince-of-professors · 5 months

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hi :) im planning a presentation on why raffles books are gay- ive got oscar wilde and the rest cure but im not sure what other examples to use? i dont want to sound like im reaching- any ideas? :)

Oh, that is great! And I totally get that but I can assure you there is plenty of material in there to back up your arguments. Oscar Wilde is a great place to start cause there are A Lot of parallels that are hard to ignore (I once wrote up a simple timeline if that is helpful). Peter Rowland, who wrote the biography on Hornung, brings up the Wilde parallels too and uses them (along with some other examples from Hornung's life) as a basis for arguing that Hornung and Wilde were good friends. The Rest Cure is definitely well worth mentioning too!

One big thing you should bring up is aestheticism! The books are dripping of it and it's a movement that was heavily associated with "deviant" sexuality at the end of the 19th century, not least because of Wilde. I have written a bit about it here, and if you are able to I recommend you read D. Michael Jones's article "E. W. Hornung’s Raffles and the English Aesthetic Movement: The Rhetoric of Romance Masculinity" from 2016 in which he makes great and in depths arguments for why aestheticism is a key part of the books and how that ties in with the queerness of Raffles and Bunny. I wrote a thesis this year on how the aestheticism and the queer themes have been adapted in the 1975-77 TV series which also brings up how those themes are important in the books, and I'd love to share it with you but I'm still in the process of translating it to English! I'd be happy to share more resources and sources with you though if there is something you're not able to access! Or if you need help pulling out key quotes - I don't know how big your presentation is and how deep you'd be able to go explaining the aestheticism angle? Cause you could go pretty deep but if you don't have time there are some things you could explain in short terms. Another thing you could bring up is Graham Greene's 1975 play The Return of A. J. Raffles, in which he veeeeery much brings the queer themes and the Wilde parallels to the surface.

Just let me know if you need more help! 💎

#crime and cricket #raffles canon #a j raffles #bunny manders #e w hornung #raffles resources #telegram #anonymous

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foone · 1 year

Text

One of my few problems with adopting Tumblr as my social media outlet of choice is the way reblogging your own threads to comment on them means you get this slow explosion of longer and longer posts, and all previous versions still exist on your timeline.

This got long, so musings about the differences in how long-text posts work on different social medias and the trouble with writing them on ADHD continued under the cut.

So if you scroll down my Tumblr account after a bunch of writing, you see:

FOONE: A, B, C, D, E

FOONE: A, B, C, D

FOONE: A, B, C

FOONE: A, B

FOONE: A

And this is annoyingly repetitive especially as posts get long. Which is a definite risk, I can type SO FUCKING MUCH.

And you might say "this is easily fixed: posts don't have to be short (this isn't Twitter) so just put all the content in one post", which, no. I have ADHD. Coming back in the room to go "AND ANOTHER THING!" is my modus operandi, you know? I can't think of all the things I want to say and just say them in one place and go "OK DONE" and click a button and let the internet go read it now. I don't know what I am going to say until after I have said it, and especially not what I am going to say next.

And I worry that the way Tumblr compounds your threads in this additive explosion means that the threshold for "this is too much of this punk" is much lower than other social networks, and that's a real worry for someone who writes as much as I do. I am happy to write endlessly for my own entertainment but I don't want to be annoying, and having to repeatedly scroll past multiple copies of my endless threads is going to get old fast.

Also on the subject of "one long post vs many short ones in a thread", splitting a post and continuing in a reply post/reblog has a functional use: it's like a paragraph break, but moreso. So it's good for indicating a break in the thought, to shift focus, or to take a tangent. (and as someone with severe adhd, my brain is 90% tangents)

Anyway I'm thinking I might do something weird like build a private mastodon instance and then set it up to sync threads to Tumblr.

Like, collect a full thread of small posts, turn them into paragraphs, and post that to Tumblr as one big post. It will work better, I think.

Fundamentally the problem I am facing right now is that Twitter is the best site for how my brain works. Individual tweets in a thread are a close approximation for how I think, so writing a long series of tweets is easiest for me. In that format, I can write. I can be creative. I can express myself.

And don't get me wrong: I love Tumblr. This is easily one of my favorite places on the web. But the "big open white page with plenty of room to write" model is not a good fit for my brain. I look at that and I can't get started. If I can get started, I can't finish, because I get bogged down in going back and editing and rewording.

Short small snippets in a row, like IRC or Twitter, prevent those problems. I don't have to think about the whole thing I'm writing, because I don't have room to write that. I just focus on the current line, and once that's done, I move on to the next. Did I misspell something? Could that have been phrased better? Well, too bad. That line is done now, you can only move forward.

Yeah this may not result in a work of literary genius but it at least results in something. I am not a great writer, I'm never going to be a new york times best seller... But I'm not aiming that high. Writing like this, as a series of short snippets and not going back to fix and re-edit them? It's the only way I can write at all. (and if you have ADHD that gets in the way of your writing, I recommend trying it).

I'd rather write in this specific and limited style than not write at all. There's too many ideas in my head, I need to get them out.

Anyway the reason I'm thinking about this now is that this is why I've traditionally been a heavy Twitter user (though let the record show that I have been on Tumblr for longer!). It works for that style of writing, so I could flourish there.

But it's dying. Oh God, is it dying. And I'm having to think about what to do next. Where to "go".

And as an aside, it's always weird how we always phrase these things like migrations. Like people are backing up their bags from site A and getting on a train to site B.

Maybe it's just my ADHD talking, but that's never been how I've used the web. I am in many, many places simultaneously, and have been for a long time.

I'm active, to different degrees, on Tumblr and Twitter and reddit and discord and mastodon and cohost and Facebook and LinkedIn and IRC and email chains and BBSes. The only thing that change if I "move" is how much I focus on one over an another. If I have a shitpost in my head, where do I decide to post it? If I want to talk about something more serious, where do I go?

Obviously with Twitter dying I'm focusing more on other places. I joked to someone on Twitter that I'm currently sharding what used to be my Twitter posts to Tumblr and mastodon: Tumblr gets the shitpostier and transier stuff, mastodon gets the techier stuff. But that may change as I find the right balance going forward.

Or, regarding my "persona Jubilee" post, I might just stop. I have been this Foone for a while, it might be time to stop and rethink.

Anyway, the final wrinkle in this overlong post: I wrote this much on Tumblr, despite all my talking about not being able to do it. I think I'm basically doing this by channeling my "Twitter thread mood" and not going back up and editing. Who knows if that means I've actually managed to overcome my previous inability to just write free-form long content, or if this is just a limited trick that I can't keep up. Time will tell.

#Long post

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digitaldoeslmk · 6 months

Note

Hello there! I hope your month has been kind to you. This is the blog that deal with LMK, right? There's a theory floating around that MK is gonna shatter Wukong's staff in the middle of their predicted fight or at the start of it in the canon show. How do you feel about that?

On an unrelated note, what are your thoughts on the staff that Wukong uses? I'd say it's name but fear incorrectly saying it Have you watched the Netflix Monkey King movie? In that movie the staff is shown to be very obviously sentient with its own thoughts and options, and isn't shy about vibrating, humming about them. Do you consider this with your thoughts on Wukong and his staff too?

Have a good month, do not skip your meals and enjoy them, drink plenty of water and sleep early regularly.

this is the blog indeed! :3

hmmmm I'm not sure how I feel about that, exactly. I'm not much a fan of destroying such an iconic (and basically indestructible) weapon for the sake of shock value, since I don't really see any other reason for such a narrative decision. same about FFM being destroyed; its literally glazed over and, I kind of hate that /gen

you gotta keep in mind that yes this is just an inspired story but, FFM is a sacred mountain. in jttw its described in a way that it could easily be Mt Sumeru, the axis that sits on the center of the world and holds up the Heavenly realms. its, A Big Fucking Deal. same for the Ruyi Jingu Bang, it's the rod of celestial iron that held down the oceans by the Great Yu, it prevented floods during a time where those almost ruined the middle kingdom (China).

destroying them brings nothing to the story imo besides maybe Lego gaining the window to showcase another locations so they can sell more toy models. which, yes is the entire reason the show exists, to sell toys, but also..... eugh. in my ideal scenario, we gets to see FFM being restored and fixed up, thanks to everybody's efforts.

as for the second question, yes I've watched it though i gotta say, i am very much not the target audience x.x besides the first few minutes in Huaguoshan and the 2D sequence, i didnt like much about it. That said, im a sucker for sentient weapons hwbdhshbsbe

in the 1996 liveaction series of Journey to the West, Jingu Bang is also sentient and despite the dated graphics, it's some fun sequences when the staff gets to to its antics! plus 96 Xiyouji is just, such an emotional and genuinely good time of a series, I def recommend it to folks even if it changes A Lot about the canon and narrative. that's one adaptation that i think did the whole changes to the book source INCREDIBLY right.

while the staff is not much given sentience in the book, it does seem to Know that Wukong is its fated wielder and responds to him exclusively, which does give some credence to sentient weapons interpretations. that said, i do view the staff as an extension of Wukong rather than i suppose you could call a partner in arms. it's his signature weapon, what defines him as Him in iconography and depictions. same goes for Nezha with his artillery sash, fire-wind wheels, and fire-tipped spear!

thank you for the ask, and a good month to you too!!

#lmk critical

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boyfridged · 7 months

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Hello, sorry to bother you. I saw your post about 80s Batman comics compared to today's and i wanted to ask you if you know if there's a good starting point to begin reading Batman and Detective Comics from that era. My mind inmediately goes to post crisis but I felt i needed to ask, thanks and sorry if im bothering.

you're not a bother, no worries!

i don't think there's one good answer to it. post-crisis is a good starting point if you want to get background on the contemporary lore as a whole, but my commentary regarding it was not limited to it. there's at least a couple of pre-crisis stories that are very much worth checking out, for example:

detective comics #457 which is the first appearance of leslie (i'm cheating here because it's a story from 1978 but leslie becomes relevant again only in the 80s),

detective comics 501 - 502 which is an intro of julia remarque,

batman special #1 (1984): a storyline about wrath which was specifically mentioned by me in the post you're talking about.

i am also tempted to be a bit cheeky and to say to just read through the silver age, because while not my favourite, there is plenty that conway has to offer. and i definitely do recommend moench's run who has written both dc and batman since 1983 to 1986, wherein the first incarnation of jason appears. and don't listen to anyone who says that he's just a copy of dick – it's a fantastic and ironic story wherein all similarities are purposeful. moench's writing might lack the political and social depth that for instance that of barr does, but i think this is the era that really gets into the meaning of legacy and family in batman, and if you want to get an idea of what bruce realistically could be like as a father also to post-crisis jason (given we don't actually get to see that much), this is perfect background to post-crisis. and speaking of pre-crisis, batman and the outsiders (1983) is also quite good!

when reading post-crisis, keep in mind the office politics of the time, but first of all do not forget to read the absolutely riveting barr's detective comics run starting with dc #569. detective comics #574 (this story actually starts with #573) is a reference to dc #457 and batman special #1, both mentioned above. it's also probably my favourite batman story ever. and while for whatever reason a lot of people don't like it, batman year 2 is phenomenal too. since we're already covering barr, batman: son of the demon is one of the best batman books as well.

don't forget about annuals during that read-through either (starting with #11 for post-crisis). there are also some other series (and mini-series) that you might want to read, like legends or the cult. (<- although neither of these two are my top picks. but they do exist) oh, and the batgirl special from 1988.

in case you don't know, dick does not belong to the batman office at the time, so he sparsely appears in these comics. but the titans titles of the era are pretty straightforward so i don't think you need guidance in this matter (also, jason for example actually does get borrowed by them too.)

catwoman (1989) is another must-read and a scene from it was mentioned in the post of mine as well.

i'm probably forgetting about something...? i'm not big on strict reading guides (i think the fun of it is to just dive into it by yourself), but these are a couple of my recs. i'd say you can just start with post-crisis batman (#401!)/dc (#569, already mentioned) and later 'read around' with these titles as further points of reference.

#me personally i don't give a fuck about year 1 for example. it is absolutely not what i had in mind when i wrote the post in question #i have to stress that not all of 80s batman comics hold to the same standard.#starlin's run for example is mostly just bad <3 it has some strong moments. like dick's appearance... aditf is obviously a can of worms.#but they are too important not to read them. sadly. and there's plenty to read into anyway #i did not mention the killing joke bc it's the worst.#anyway. feel free to ask further questions #i'm not sure how much you've read #so i tried being very general #outbox #recs

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naughtygirl286 · 19 days

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So we finally went to see the next chapter of the MonsterVerse GodzillaxKong: The New Empire. I was super excited to go see this because as a Godzilla fan I have been enjoying this series. Also yes there was plenty of collectable goodies for this movie which of course you can see here.

So as for the movie itself I would say I pretty much loved it I thought it was great myself. I loved all the monster action and all the smashing and crashing. You can tell how these movies evolved from the 2014 Godzilla to now being in the 2014 movie it was very I'd say human centric and as they went on the monsters pretty much took center stage. I feel that the human involvement in this movie was very minimal and were there when they needed to be. and that Warner Bros was all "they want monsters we'll give them monsters!" because I feel this was like 85% monster action!

Now with the story I do feel much like the previous Godzilla vs Kong that the story is focused more on Kong then Godzilla. Kong is the main character in this movie and does get the most screen time. but as for the story itself if kinda is telling two at the same time a Kong Story and a Godzilla story and going back and forth until the 2 meet up again. I don't know the timeline of this I don't remember if they mention anything but I think it does take place shortly after the previous movie maybe a year or 2?

Your basic story is this Kong is living in the Hollow Earth while Godzilla is above. Kong is still lonely believing he is the last of his kind until he finds a hidden underground area with many like himself but it is ruled by a ruthlessly despotic ape known only as "The Skar King" Kong of course comes into conflict with him and gets the upper hand for the moment until the Skar King unleashes his ultimate weapon a kiju named Shimo who has a devastating ice attack causing Kong to retreat and seek help from the only one who can match Shimo's power the King of the Monsters Godzilla! after a short scuffle Godzilla agrees to Help Kong and the Monster action goes into full swing!

Now I like I said I love this movie I thought it was every exciting and very fun and delved more into the mythology of the characters of Godzilla and Kong I loved how they introduced some more new monsters like The Skar King and the little minikong Suko who was a real bastard when you meet him but of course became a friend of Kong's as Kong earned his trust. I also love the return of Mothra as well. The animation and character work for this movie was impressive too especially with Kong and the other ape characters as well as Godzilla who seemed to have a greater sense of motion in this movie as you can see him both running and jumping.

Also like I said the monster action is amazing Ken Watanabe's character Dr. Ishiro Serizawa said it best in the first movie of this series back in 2014 "Let them Fight" and this movie takes that to heart and lets them fight! the fight in Egypt is alot of fun but its pretty much not until they get to Rio and then everything goes crazy! but it is so much fun to watch and I would say it is very satisfying all the smashing and crashing and buildings going flying as the monsters tear everything apart.

but in the end this is just an amazingly fun movie. There is plenty of action and its exciting and goes deeper into the lore and I feel it is having lots of fun expanding on this world and this universe. One thing with these movies is I would like to see more classic characters appear like Anguirus and maybe Gigan but I also like how they are creating newer monster for these movies too. I'm just enjoying everything in these movies and loving it all! but yeah if you are enjoying the MonsterVerse as much as I am then I would highly recommend this one.

#godzilla #godzillaxkong #godzilla x kong #godzillaxkingkong #monsterverse #naughtygirl286 #shannonj286 #Monarch #Godzilla Monarch #Godzilla Evolved #Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire #GodzillaxKong:The New Empire #Godzilla x Kong The New Empire #Kong #king kong

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k9catastrophe · 22 days

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During my search for some games for the other list, i thought i'd share some cute [and free!] games i play when im regressed sometimes! Most are animal themed as usual. This isnt going to be a constantly updating list like the Therian Games list, but maybe there'll be another one of these someday :)

Bluey: Let's Play! : You've probably heard of this one if you're a Bluey watcher like i am, or have younger siblings, but i really like this one! Keeping the same cute artstyle and voices, made by Budge Studios in 2023 and still actively updating, there's plenty of fun to be had !! With tons of paint bucket coloring activities, and 9 Toca Boca-like scenes that you can fill and change around to your liking, i give it the BIGGEST 10/10 there is :) I love Bluey so much !! :3

Toca Life- Pets: Created by Toca Boca (That's really their name? I thought it was a series of games.) around early 2018, this game is one of my favorites to make silly stories with :) With TONS (100+?) of pets, plenty of different areas to go between, fun 'secret' places, and more, this one has a nice 10/10 aswell :) (honestly they're almost all gonna have a 10/10, i wouldnt recommend them if i hated them) I actually heard something about this game being unavailable since this year, but it works just fine for me? Most definitely reccomend it, along with most of the other toca boca games. They're all just really cute and fun :)

My Town - Pets: Honestly i have mixed feelings about this one, but i think it's just because of how i feel abt the style sob. Released in 2017 by My Town (Im not sure if that's the brand or what, my apologies), this one is just like Toca Boca, but with a different artstyle. I don't hate this one, but i do dislike the artstyle, sorry sob. With a few places to switch between, plenty of fun pets, and a highly interactive environment, i give it a 9/10.

Paw Patrol - Rescue World: (Sorry the icon is smaller? I didn't do that on purpose.) Another silly fun puppy game made by Budge Studios in 2020, you can go on fun adventures through Adventure Bay as your favorite pups! Herd chickens back into their pens, make giant banana strawberry smoothies, and collect bones for reward crates, there's always another adventure waiting for you on Adventure Bay ! My personal favorites are Rocky and Zuma, they're so silly :) ! nice 9/10 for this one too! the only point taken away because of how blurry the models look for me (but that could just be my tablet!! dont let that discourage you!!)

#Sorry this is a bit out of my usual posting stuff but #i am a #pet regressor #so this is something that will be brought up a few times sob #Toca boca #sfw agere #sfw age regressor #sfw petre #sfw pet regression #Bluey #paw patrol #sorry for getting off track haha i just got excited

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nerdy-talks · 9 months

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Do u read webcomics? If so any recommendations? I need new stuff to read so I’m asking around lol thnx!

I do, lovely anon! ^u^

My top three favorite webcomics/manwha are Killing Stalking, Bloody Sweet, and Dreaming Freedom.

I actually just started reading Dreaming Freedom a few days ago. And I'm hooked! Maybe it's just me ... but every time I look at Siyun's adorable face, I can't stop myself from imagining Yandere!Solomon (from Obey Me! obviously lol)

I am simping HARD for this man! And not just because he's beautiful... I am seriously in love with his entire personality! I tore down the red flags and raced towards Siyun without looking back lol

There's also the fact that Siyun is a lowkey(?) Yandere, which is a major selling point for me. Honestly... He reminds me of an overprotective puppy dog, which is actually a huge compliment even though it may not sound like it

Not to mention the fact that I ALWAYS have a thing for characters with tragic/sad backstories, especially characters that have white hair at one point or another (for some unknown reason... it usually just works out that way xD )

Plus Siyun says things like this :

Oof! My heart!~ 💙

Next : I was extremely happy to find out that Bloody Sweet is getting a physical release. And you can bet I picked up Volume One the first chance I got!

Naerim is super relatable, and Fetechou is beyond adorable. He can have my blood anytime >:3

I've only read Bloody Sweet once before online, and as far as I can recall.... Fetechou also has a very tragic past.

He also says things like this ~ :

Oof!! *clutches my chest* My heart!!! 💙

Fetechou's heterochromatic eyes and lil' fangs are everything. And I ADORE his personality <3

Then there's Killing Stalking. Not exactly a wholesome, heartwarming story by any means. It's actually loaded with plenty of potentially triggering content. But I still love it.

Killing Stalking is another manhwa that I was sooooo surprised to hear was getting a physical release. I'm all caught up (three volumes have been released so far), and I cannot wait to finally own the entire series! ^^

To be fair, I was rooting for YoonBum the entire time. I wanted the absolute best for him. I wanted him to get a happy ending. YoonBum deserved someone who could give him a stable, loving, nurturing home filled with patience, acceptance, and understanding. Someone who could shower him with positive affection, boost his confidence, and give him a sense of self worth in the best ways possible.

Sangwoo, on the other hand... I have mixed feelings about him lol

I really do feel bad for him. But thinking in a realistic sense.... Sangwoo's personality would keep me on eggshells, I don't know how I would be able to comfortably manage a situation like that.

Although, when he comes off with lines like this :

Bad enough you shatter legs, but then you have to go and mess with my heart and mind too?! 💙

Not gonna lie.... I'd rather stay with YoonBum. At least I'd be able to trust him better and rest easier near him haha xD

Anyway! Judging from my picks and these characters, can you see the overwhelming desperation that resides within me to receive any form of genuine intimacy and the crushing desire to feel truly needed due to being deprived of such things for so long? Because it's there! Just look closely and you'll definitely see it! Hahaha! Haha...ha.... T^T

#thank you for the ask anon!#lovely anon <3 #I definitely recommend all three #just read up on each before jumping in #especially Killing Stalking #I don't condone toxic behavior or people irl #but I need to find myself a yandere irl 😭#bloody sweet #killing stalking #dreaming freedom #manhwa #nerdy replies #nerdy responds #nerdy talks #obey me #yandere #male yandere

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explosionshark · 11 months

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I've seen like one episode of Buffy maybe but I've watched most of Angel including the episodes that had Faith in them and I feel I understand the concept of Buffy the show and the character, anyway should I read Faith/Buffy fanfic and if so which ones?

god okay i REALLY think you should watch buffy though. i mean, i'm remarkably biased because it's one of my all-time favorite shows, but if you have the time and even the slightest bit of interest i'd recommend at least season 3 (IDEALLY. season 2 + 3 because they are very much part of one big conversation, but if you can only commit to one thing then i'd say prioritize s3 for the faith arc).

BUT you didn't ask me about that, you asked me if you should read faith/buffy fanfic so - yeah! yes. there's a lot out there that's SO good, of course you should read it.

i think ground-up AUs are good for this bc you can read them with basically no knowledge of the source (i mean. it's enhanced by source knowledge, but you can get by without) for this I'd recommend the no-powers college AU 2001 by @morningsound15, which does an incredible job of translating the important parts of the characters and their relationships and hang-ups and issues to a world where they aren't wrapped up in supernatural shenanigans.

Aside from that, I think there are a few season-rewrites that are pretty accessible if you've got a basic working understanding of the show and the characters. Some of my favorites are:

Coexist by @coraniaid which is a lovely (and recently completed!) canon-divergence AU that explores what would change if it was Giles, not Jenny Calendar, who was killed by Angelus in season 2. It's a rare type of AU that consistently surprises me with how intricate and thoughtful it is in exploring the ripple effects of such a huge change and it does some great character work with both Faith and Buffy.

to hold off the lightning by @episode5s which is a season 3 AU that picks up about halfway through s3. Again we get some really amazing character work (the character voice here is just insanely good) with a lot of amazing fallout from another canon-divergence point - what if Faith was able to be walked back from the ledge after killing Allen Finch? It's a tricky proposition - I genuinely think a lot of the best parts of Faith's character arc are tied into the fact that she has her heel turn and goes dark, but here the author is able to preserve all the best of the tension and trauma of that arc, while still allowing things to play out differently. Incredible slowburn romance here, too.

Finally, I'd be remiss to write a fuffy fic rec list without touching on a truly inspirational all-timer from one of the fandom's best and most prolific writers: the Vengeance verse fics by @aliceinwondrbra. The series begins with Vengeance a Wishverse AU - season 4 Buffy meets an alternate universe version of Faith that didn't go dark and experiences a belated gay awakening in the course of working together. The sequel, Hypnopompia, is where things really take off for me - back in her universe, Buffy is determined to help Faith. There's a ton of great stuff here: shared coma dreams, Faith redemption, a really great exploration of Faith and Buffy's sexuality and related traumas. Alice is one of the best in the biz when it comes to voice - absolute, total pro. I read this fic like two years ago and it changed my brain. Left me feeling like "wow, I want to write something that will make other people feel the way I felt reading this" and I don't know if I've done that yet, but I'm gonna keep trying.

ALL those fics are great and I can't recommend them enough. Luckily for you, if you want to get into this, the fandom has been going strong for years and there's a ton of good stuff out there I haven't linked here. There's plenty to discover. Enjoy!

#replies #Anonymous #fic recs #fuffy #btvs

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7grandmel · 4 days

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Todays rip: 26/04/2024

A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams)

Season 6 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume FF

Ripped by AubyLover29

youtube

Unfortunately requested by crickqt! (Tumblr Askbox)

Oh god, uh, where to begin with this one. Do any of you remember the Raft Ride event I had on here, on April 1st? Yeah, Raft Ride ~ The Story So Far - through my commitment to the bit, I had to try and talk about a LOT of different jokes and bits, ones I'd expressed fondness for already, and ones I still didn't know what to really make of. Of course, it was balanced out by the very nature of the event being that I didn't take the posts all too seriously, I wrote a good few of them half-asleep at my desk, yet serious or not, at 10:16PM on April 1st 2024, I reached Wanna See My Raft?. Right at that moment, I had to confront the demon I'd long wanted to ignore - and today, with A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams), I've decided its time to face the demon head-on. Today, we're talking about SML, and talking about Jeffy.

Truth be told, for as much as I love to think back to my youngest years on the internet, the affection I have for Dreamscape and Paralyzer and all that which I talked about in How 2 Do Anything - I somehow managed to avoid SuperMarioLogan for all that time. Maybe my YouTube recommendations were just kind to me, or my young brain just didn't really get the appeal of plush/puppet videos, but I steered clear of the channel despite its absurd popularity. If you've never heard of SML, you've missed an absolute titan of children's YouTube, a channel that gets 2 to 3 million views per upload, with videos made at a rate of 3 per week. Whether or not the videos are GOOD is another matter entirely - to some, its just typical Kids YouTube slop, but others have been following the channel's history for years and witnessed first-hand just how outright insane its storylines have become. What began as just a series of skits with Mario characters in wacky situations slowly began to get edgier in the mid-2010s YouTube landscape: the videos would play with outright racist and homophobic jokes, depictions of sex work and drug abuse, full-on SUICIDE jokes - all still attached to a channel with Mario puppets and with a target audience consisting mostly of children. It got to the point where Nintendo themselves had to step in with a legitimate pen-to-paper DMCA takedown request - and in the years since, the channel has continued on much the same course, but with all Mario characters replaced with human look-a-likes.

It's an absolutely insane rabbithole to go down, a core pillar of kids YouTube's seedy underbelly, yet one that for some reason or another keeps being brought up in online discussion, mainly by terminally online adults like myself. And so, SML-posting began sneaking its way into SiIvaGunner's rips as early as the start of Season 4 Episode 1, but has slowly been growing in frequency as of late, all headlined by SML's new mascot post-Nintendo takedown - Jeffy. A comic relief stupid shithead character now sitting as the channel's main character, Jeffy is, put bluntly, an outright agent of chaos the likes of which I do not wish to describe in detail. A demon in man's clothing, a creature unable to be tamed, a man who fears no god. And, indeed, the main star of SuperMarioLogan, and by proxy, the main voice to be heard in all rips made of the channel.

In a way, Jeffy is akin to those "cursed" SiIva memes that have always existed in some form or another. Astronaut in the Ocean, Yankin, The Bean - I've covered the former two plenty in rips like Aquarium in the Ocean and the latter's infamy is one of the most notable events from Season 1 of the channel. Yet in comparison to those three, Jeffy's prominence on SiIva seems to have slipped under the radar in a lot of ways, his true power yet to be felt. There hasn't been an SML takeover, none of the rips have truly blown up - its as if the demon is biding his time, known to be lurking only by some channel die-hards like myself, yet still obscured from the public consciousness of the masses. And in the meantime, we're getting rips like A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams) - all paying a disturbing amount of reverence and attention to this false deity.

Kirby Planet Robobot is a very special game on SiIvaGunner, and has been since the start of Season 2, arguably even since The Reboot: Through rips like Mother's・Caption (We Paused The Channel For HOW Long?! Mix) and The Noble Haltmann, it is THE game most closely tied to the channel's ongoing lore in the Christmas Comeback Crisis, the kind of game where any rip of it is bound to catch the attention of viewers. Of the game's soundtrack, P-R-O-G-R-A-M sits above all in terms of significance, tied to everything from The Reboot to the Inspector Gadget takeover of Become as Gadget - its a theme that is at once intense and climactic, yet also sounds as if it is falling apart at the seams, a digital system being broken apart by an unknown invader. And amidst all of this context, all this weight that P-R-O-G-R-A-M holds - or at least, has held to me ever since way back in 2017 - we get a rip of it using fucking JEFFY. And I'm supposed to just understand what that means and move on with my life?

All jokes aside, I do genuinely have to admire the effort put into A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams) despite (or, god forbid, BECAUSE) of its sources. The core of the rip uses several different Jeffy sources, primarily the bizarrely-real songs performed by the character himself, Wanna See My Pencil and Why?, referencing the characer's main running gags - these are mixed together with other Jeffy-related SML clips to add to the cacophony of noise throughout the rip. Althewhile completely left-field sources are added to..."compliment" the main track - the full-blast sound of Keemstar yelling, the "Nintendo Diss Track", a section played to the tune of Penis Music (dong music, anyone?)...its all so utterly unhinged, yet remains...ominous, in a way, throughout? Like, I have to admit that it does all kind of work, I love the use of WHYYY? for the bridge - but I still can barely even discern what would drive one to gas up JEFFY of all memes to the extent AubyLover29 has done here.

Then again, AubyLover29 in general is a bit of an enigma on the channel - you may have noticed that the title A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams) has absolutely nothing to do with the joke of this rip whatsoever. This is a constant with all of AubyLover29's rips: they're titled around hit character Auby from Omori rather than their actual contents, and her online presence outside of her rip contributions is seemingly completely nonexistent. Its just one more quirk atop this pile of bizarreness - it all reminds me of when I first had to dig into waterwraith pokos all those months ago. Only here, Jeffy's prominence of the channel is gradually becoming less and less of a secret - his rate of appearances has only gone up since A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams)'s upload, and I fear for what may happen when a takeover inevitably comes. May god help us all.

#todays siivagunner #season 6 #siivagunner #siiva #AubyLover29 #sml #supermariologan #sml jeffy #kirby planet robobot #kirby

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