groveofbones

[groveofbones]

There's a tweet that's gone viral where a person laments realizing that Star Wars "ripped off" Dune, and how learning all the elements Star Wars took from its inspiration tainted it. And I think it shows how poisonous the emphasis on originality in art can be. Because yes, it's wonderful when art makes something new, but it's also wonderful seeing how art plays on what came before, and the conversations it has with its predecessors.

There's going to be a lot of people talking about how much of an impact Goku from Dragon Ball Z has made on fiction in the wake of Akira Toriyama's recent passing, and all the characters who were inspired by him and his story. But Goku himself is derivative - he's inspired by the Monkey King from Journey to the West, one of the first novels ever written. He's far from the first character inspired by the Monkey King, either, and also far from the last.

None of this makes Goku's impact any less than it is. None of this decreases how Goku's story has inspired countless imitators. Just as Toriyama created a new icon from imitating what he loved about Journey to the West, so did Toriyama inspire countless artists to make their own iconic works with his take on the Monkey King's archetype. Goku is, in many ways, the heir to a legacy that spans back to the 16th century, and likely beyond - because I doubt the original Monkey King was formed in a vacuum.

We're taught to think that originality and imitation are opposites that cannot coexist, but they're not mutually exclusive. One can follow in another's footsteps and still take a new journey with its own unique twists and turns. The great works of art are not spawned in the absence of inspiration - they are in conversation with what came before and what will come after.

[groveofbones]

Geological horror. You find a geode and crack it open and the crystal lining its walls is human blood that can't be genetically matched to anyone. You find a human skeleton but every one of the bones is made from rock, a rock that you know can't be whittled into those shapes. You find layers of clay and loam that sport ancient fossils at the top and the still-rotting corpses of modern animals at the bottom.

[groveofbones]

this is what i was talking about by the way

[groveofbones]

A thought:

At the end of The Expanse, Drummer actually ended up with exactly who she should have ended up with.

I know people are crazy for her with Naomi or Oksana, but she was absolutely meant to be with Michio and Josep, and here's why:

Naomi and Oksana (and Bertholt and I think probably Serge too) believe that family comes above EVERYTHING ELSE. Everything. They would break every moral code they have to keep their family safe, and that is SO beautiful. That's what's great about them.

Unfortunately, for Drummer, the greater good is the thing that comes above everything else. She would do absolutely anything to help the belt. *Including sacrifice her family*.

Those two things are mutually exclusive in wartime.

But Michio and Josep? They both believe what Drummer believes, that the greater good is the most important thing, and they would sacrifice anything to ensure a better future for the belt (or for *all* people in Michio's case). The three of them all rebelled when they were supposed to attack the Roci, even though they knew the outcome for Serge. Because they knew fighting Marco was for the greater good.

And when Michio told Camina "you can go"? That was Michio sacrificing Camina, because it was the right thing to do and they all knew it. Camina would have forced herself to stay with them on Ceres, because she was so guilty about everything that happened before, and because she loves them. But Michio saw the right thing to do, and instead of selfishly making Camina stay, she let her go, knowing she would likely die, because it was for the greater good. She said she would live under the inners' yoke, so that Camina could stop worrying about them and focus on the right thing to do.

Ultimately, real love is about shared values and belief, and those three are absolutely connected by that shared value.

(Plus they hot AF)

[groveofbones]

two devastating eliminations in a row. rpdr 16 is out to get me i swear

[groveofbones]

Bish :3

[groveofbones]

* takes a break from chewing the walls and banging her head on the table while listening to the entirety of the Hazbin hotel's soundtrack*

OOOHHH let me tell you one thing that pisses me off so much but that I'm also obsessed with because it shoves in your face how completely and utterly lost in their bullshit the angels are

OKAY SO ,you know that scene where charlie is pleading her case in the court ?

When the angels agree to keep watching what angel dust will do charlie is so relieved that she shouts "Fuck yeah!" and EVERYONE IMMEDIATELY GIVES HER THE STINK EYE.

Meanwhile do you know how many times Adam swears during that scene? I WON'T COUNT IT BUT IT'S PROBABLY A WHOLE FUCKING LOT

Does ANYONE even pause for a second when he does it? Do they have ANY reaction whatsoever? NO

They are so deeply convinced that the division between angels and demons is fair and right that they would never question an angel , not even when ANGELS go on MURDER SPREES FOR FUN

So obviously when Charlie swears it's wrong , it's a clear demonstration that she is one of THEM , one of those sinful creatures who belong in hell forever.

When Adam swears it's just Adam being Adam. Is he mean and obnoxious? Yes , but he's an angel. Is he a sadistic bitch ? Yes , but he's an angel. Is he a perverted asshole who swears like a sailor ? YES, BUT HE IS AN ANGEL. And that fact alone makes him powerful and worthy and good.

Okay I'm done now *goes back in her cave to rewatch all the episodes *

[groveofbones]

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[groveofbones]

Listening to Hell's Greatest Dad again (and again) and it's so funny to me that when Lucifer points out that it's his song because he started it, Alastor's response is just "I'm singing it so I'll finish it" like dear god, this man is such a fucking diva.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin hotel episode 5 #hell's greatest dad

[groveofbones]

"Cher is the queen of excess, and I am the drag queen of excess." -Sapphira Cristal, making me fall deeper in love with her by the second

#rpdr #rupauls drag race #rpdr 15 #rupaul's drag race season 16 #rupaul's drag race #sapphira cristal

[groveofbones]

One day, I will move on from the Oscar nomination and stop spamming with memes. Today is not that day

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The fact that the confrontation with Valentino ended with Niffty RIPPING OUT A CHUNK OF HIS FUR like go girl, be the chaos gremlin we all need.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel niffty #hazbin hotel valentino #hazbin hotel episode 6 #i love her so much

[groveofbones]

Holy shit I'm finally catching up on RPDR Season 16 and Sapphira Cristal is just about the most charming person I have ever seen on TV. I'm in love, y'all.

#rpdr 16 #rupauls drag race #rpdr #sapphira cristal

[groveofbones]

reblog if you’ve read fanfictions that are more professional, better written than some actual novels. I’m trying to see something

[groveofbones]

A thought that arises from the idea of tiefling babies often ending up being abandoned: A rich tiefling adventurer retiring and starting up a tiefling orphanage that takes care of rejected tiefling babies and children.

[groveofbones]

porcelain prince