#mostly because of how easily corruptible the system is

[numbertumberz]

i need to do more research on communism

#as far as i recall every single application of the system has ended up being undesirable for everyone involved except those at the highest #mostly because of how easily corruptible the system is #not like other regimes aren't corruptible you all know that they are very much so #but this has been my general understanding so far as someone who hasn't really put much thought into it

[bloomeng]

I know MXTX is a good author I want to get that out of the way before I get into this. She’s a fantastic (male) character writer and she has a great grasp on interpersonal connections. Though she’s working in an established niche genre she’s still very creative, I think SV especially is evidence of that. But there’s one thing that I just can never seem to get a pulse on, and that’s how much she means to comment on classism.

Author’s intent is always gonna be tricky especially when I have to rely on translated texts and interviews. There’s probably a lot of nuance that I miss, not to mention literally interviews I’ve never seen etc. It also doesn’t help that I haven’t read most of TGCF yet, so I can’t comment on that series, and with SV this conversation is less applicable, so for the sake of what I know best I’m gonna be using MDZS as my main example.

Classism is undeniably at the heart of MDZS’s themes, however for years anytime I analysis the text I’m usually fairly cautious to note that I don’t know if this was intentional. This isn’t because I think MXTX is stupid or can’t handle deep conversations, it’s simply because I can’t tell if it was her intent. On paper it seems obvious; WWX, JGY and XY’s wealth disparities, how privilege drives the plot, literally everything about the Wens as a whole. So much of the novel’s runtime is spent showing us how corrupt the feudal system can be, going so far as to have a protagonist who dies for the cause and two antagonists who are driven to be awful because of their poor circumstances in life. It feels intentional that WWX was granted a certain amount of privilege based on something he was born with (his parents connections) and how easily people turned on him because to the world he is a villain (also he does bad things that he likely wouldn’t have to if he had no need to defend anyone). JGY acting as a foil for WWX feels intentional and I would absolutely consider them foils regardless of intent. With all this in mind I would be inclined to say that yeah, MDZS is commenting on classism, but then WWX marries into the corrupt system and we the audience are supposed to read this as a good thing.

This has always been my biggest qualm with the book. We spend so much time showing how awful this system is and the two people who do anything to try and save it are punished for it by death. Sure WWX is brought back but as soon as he’s in Mo’s body he’s aimless. JGY is of course the secondary villain of the series, but MXTX goes out of her way to make us understand that even when JGY had power, his birth kept him from actually holding any real control, and what control he did have he mostly used to get bad people out of power and make the community better (he was biased and paranoid and vengeful but MXTX’s characters are nothing if not nuanced). Why set all this up to end up in such a contradictory place?

I get that solving such big issues such as classism isn’t easy and we want a happy ending but does MDZS even have a happy ending? None of the mc’s besides LWJ and (supposedly) WWX and LSH and LJY are in good positions by the end of the story. I remember reading MDZS for the first time and thinking that LWJ would fall for WWX because of his radical ideas and eventually see that the Lans were contributing big time to this awful system that favors wealth over everything. Especially because we have a second plot line about whatever was going on with LXC and JGY. And then it just never happens. Instead the Lan sect are painted as ok just because they’re monks. The system wasn’t the issue actually it was the people in charge but don’t worry they’re gone. Life is great now that the most powerful sects are in the hands of a 15 yr old, a man with unchecked anger issues, a council of elders that think corporal punishment is the solution to everything and a man who committed to a life long bit to get out of all forms of responsibility. What could go wrong?

I’ve always thought it was strange and ooc that WWX just accepts going back to Cloud Recesses. His literal incense burner fantasy was a cottage in the woods away from society. He never really warms up to the rigidity or their bland ass food, and he doesn’t even really respect the Lans culture more than he has to. It’s clear he only lives there for his husband and son’s sake. So why am I to believe this is his fairy tale ending?

The only answer I’ve been able to grasp over the years is that the romance genre of the novel overpowers everything else.

This is what brings me back to my original point. I don’t know if MXTX’s intended to comment on class, because if she did I struggle to understand how the ending of the story fits this intention. Which means by default it wasn’t the intention, at least not the priority. I mean ok duh, obvious conclusion, this is a danmei, it’s the bl genre, of course the romance comes first, but that’s not exactly what I’m getting at. You can absolutely have a romance that comments on other things at the same time and I think MXTX’s writing is smart enough to do this, except it fumbled so hard at the end it left me questioning if she even meant to comment on classism in the first place.

A part of me thinks that all of this commentary was just a coincidence of the genre conventions. Cultivator/ historical fantasy tends to just have classism baked into setting, so maybe that’s all it was. Perhaps she was just borrowing what was already there to make interesting character motivations and it wasn’t done with any intention of commenting on any sort of greater societal issue. Which for the record would be ok. I’m not policing what MXTX should write and romance for the sake of romance is perfectly valid, but as a reader I’m allowed to say this particular instant made me dislike the actual romance she set up. These issues in the book made me actively dislike LWJ. I’m on an island about that though. Getting back to my point, I struggle to call this commentary intentional and thus things like WWX and JGY suddenly feel unintentional as well.

I also find MXTX’s own words to be contradictory at times. For instance, she’s mentioned that after SV she found writing more than one couple to be too taxing. When asked if other characters in MDZS were gay she said explicitly they were not, yet both MDZS and TGCF have unofficial side couples that are an inch away from being canon. She’s also mentioned that XY, Sl, and XXC were old characters of hers and were originally going to be the focus of the book, which leads me to believe that they would’ve been a canon love triangle. So I am skeptical when she said all the characters besides WWX and LWJ are straight. I’m not accusing her of lying or anything like that. Tolkien contradicted himself so many times in his letters and essays, it’s sort of par for the course in my opinion. What it does mean though is that I can’t get a read on her intentions. What I can gather from what she tends to focus on in her extras, interviews, and just the fact that this is the BL genre, I’m inclined to believe that a lot of these parallels are unintentional but then I circle back to just how heavy handed it all is and I’m unsure again.

Anyway this was just the world’s longest way to say that actually we don’t have any idea what her intentions are and this is why when I’m analyzing her work I make a point to not put words in her mouth.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #txt #mxtx #mdzs meta #wei wuxian #jin guangyao

[space-spooker]

So, I've seen a weird amount of Astarion fans (mostly on tiktok) be weird about people enjoying Gortash when the two characters are...oddly similar? I'm not just saying this because they're both evil aligned men (obviously Astarion can be changed a bit as you go but I mean initially and ascended). Both characters are victims of prolonged abuse, both mental and physical, and are/were corrupt figures in Baldur's Gate's political system. Obviously Astarion's role as a magistrate didn't have as much power as Gortash's, but he was still a corrupt political figure. One of his rulings affected the gur people enough they jumped him and it lead to his death. I do think most people hate Gortash more because his choices as an antagonistic character directly affect a person we care about and can even be (Karlach). It's much more personal than Astarion's offenses against the gur. In the case of ascended! Astarion, I really don't see how he and Gortash are all that different. Yes, Gortash still has more political power, but Astarion is just as if not more controlling than the guy who's the chosen of the literal god of tyranny. In conculsion, I feel like if in all of Astarion's torment a god had answered his prayers, and it had been Bane, Gortash and Astarion could easily swap places. However, Gortash chose to keep the cycle of abuse going while Astarion has the narrative choice to put it to an end.

#clown.txt #astarion #enver gortash #bg3 #bg3 astarion #bg3 gortash #bg3 spoilers #im not excusing gortash please please actually read the post #astarion acunin #baldur's gate 3 #character analysis #ill elaborate more if asked i really struggled making this concise

[katyspersonal]

Top 5 Elden Ring's demigods

Argh... Could you've given me any HARDER top to make? :') No matter who I put below 5th place, I will feel like a huge prick @_@ Because they all deserve some praise, and some love. It is just incredibly good writing. Well, fine then, let's try.

Five - Morgott!

I talked about him already. The absolute tear-jerker character, a member of oppressed minority, that is defending the very corrupt system that deems people like HIM worthless.... He made me cry (/srs ) more than once upon just this sentiment. He is very realistic, and very easy to sympathise with and feel bad for. He certainly radiates a giant soft spot, though (and not JUST because he has dad bod that is completely naked under his robes, hahaha). In a weird way, he reminds me of Asg0re, a character from my other fandom - a big "monster" King who did a lot of bad things on his way, and because of his mental wound, but in the end might melt upon a simple hug or be easily convinced. It is just not what a Soulsborne game would've let us experience, but... honestly, he has not only huge muscles, but also a huge HEART. I love this combination a LOT, it pulls the richest spectrum of emotions.

Four - Malenia!

She is such a beautiful and impressive boss.... ...that I never talk about her. x) I can't quite explain how my focus works, sorry </3 She scares me a little - and it is not even her fault, but the thing that casually claimed her body, because superior deities have nothing better to do I guess :/ She is holding up very well for someone who has to live in a constant struggle with the horror plaguing her very being. And for someone having to hold up as a warrior of her dear brother's interests despite her body rotting as she goes. And having to repeat 'I am Malenia, blade of Miquella' like a mantra, since Rot is infamous to destroy the memories, and she must not forget what and who she is fighting for.

"She deserved better" is an understatement, I'd say. Her personality shines through the 'influence' that has been ruining her quite well, I'd say. She is a strong warrior, very determined, but very full of honor and love at the same time. I say this in every other post about strong Soulsborne characters, yeah. True bravery is not lack of fear but going despite fear, true power is not being callous unbreakable wall but to still hold your weapon firm through struggle and pain, true personality is what you ARE and not what you are 'not', etc etc. It is always about the feelings.

Three - Godwyn!

I could not explain why he made it to this place very well, honestly. First, he stroke my weird spider-sense intuition. I was going into Elden Ring mostly in blind, and still keep whatever I can to be revealed as I go! Thus, I did not know anything about Godwyn besides the fact that he was the golden child (metaphorically and literally) that went down as sacrifice during Night of the Black Knives as one having his soul killed. And that he used to be a lovely person. But one day, as I was playing Elden Ring and progressing casually, from nowhere, for no reason, I started to think of this character. Again, for no reason, I was thinking of the 'Deep Sea' and imagining him becoming a mermaid (?), and healing/truly dying/letting new soul grow/whatever by returning to the sea. I even started crying, and I swear, those emotions felt like they were not even mine.

It felt very random, but you can't even imagine my surprise when that same day, I just coincidentally travelled to THAT location, and found him. And, coincidentally, he was posed like this with a mermaid tail. I take weird 'intuition moments' (dreams or waking) very personally as I have many of them (and funny enough, they always have to do with the 'sea' theme). No matter how I feel about this character in the future, but the weird "foretelling", "intuition" bond fixed my attention, so yeah.

He seems like a very loveable person, though... From narration standpoint, it does make the most sense that he of all people had to suffer this way. It just would not have had the same effect if someone less likeable/innocent had to go down. It is... sad, how much of this character is his tragedy alone. But, he befriended a dragon and bridged the gap between conflicting forces, and from what I gathered losing him specifically was what broke Marika, and Mohg named his new dynasty after himself AND Godwyn. Clearly, the guy was the best thing to ever have been associated with the Golden Order, and manifesting everything good about it within his personality alone. Whenever I bash the Golden Order as inherently corrupt thing, I just always think back on Godwyn as a confirmed exception from the judgement. And, of course, he would have enough "kindness" to spread death as new form of existence... despite the fact that his 'true' self would've probably dreaded to manifest living in death of all things.

Two - Rykard

I talked about this guy since the day ONE I've picked even remote interest in Elden Ring, isn't it so? @_@ Well, I still stand by what I was talking about. Tanith is absolutely justified for being obsessed with this guy. He is like uh... Aldr1ch but executed much better, or rather, in more sympathetic light? I for one honor the narrative of a character who has the GUTS, the S P I N E to sacrifice a lot, their morals included, to just get OUT of the corrupt (!) way their world works. And I have a feeling that so does Miyazaki. x) I think it is a twisted sort of bravery that we are lucky to never experience and only perceive through fiction. But, unlike Aldr1ch, who revels in his corruption and the horrible things he has to do, Rykard, 1) has a loving family and 2) hinted to have or have had sympathetic traits and simply lost his way from.... heheh.... biting more than he could chew... xd heheh... :drum emoji because I am a comedy genius:

But, in either case, ya'll are lucky that the guy is happily married. Ya'll would not survive the intensity of my thirst otherwise. It is just my rule to not touch married characters. I still admire the guy though. Not to mention the fucking UNREAL AWESOME FUCKING DESIGN, one of the best I've seen ANYWHERE, and him having my favorite theme in entire Elden Ring. Like, it was legitimately hard to live down the crisis of him being "taken", because this guy is really loveable, both as a man and as a monster.

One - Ranni!

Honestly, I always liked the mysterious aura, the clairvoyance and the uhhh... I guess, machiavellianism of this character? "Ends justify the means" character who does some unforgivable things but believes there is no other choice, and the grander purpose is more important. But, she has so many layers. She stepped away from her mother's teachings yet still created a badass illusions to protect her and clearly loves her forever, she has trust issues but in the end needs true friends and true kindness (something even an idiot like Seluvis can see!).

You could see it hurt her to do all that, but whatever freedom could be was worth it. She is just a very complicated character, that goes above and beyond. Letting her own body be killed is badass but understandable, since her body was inextricably tied to the Golden Order, as an Empyrean. Letting her somewhat-brother who was a genuinely good and radiant and loveable person be killed? That's a bit... more drastic... And so on. Indeed, she IS like Rykard in how far she had to go, and how much she had to sacrifice, but nonetheless I uh... would not say she lost clarity of her mind like him? It is interesting how by Dante's Divine Comedy though, Herecy is associated with fire but only on 6th level, yet it is treachery that is considered to be THE sin of sins, and it is the lowest level, and associated with ice, like her element. I am thinking about this very often @_@"

-------------------------------------------

Honorable mention - Radahn!

Sorry, but I love the guy, despite lack of deep discussion (and becoming a mascot of the most toxic fans). This is ADORABLE that he learned Gravity Magic just so he could still ride Leonard. He appears to be such a goofy dumbass, wholesome person in the "wrong" way, opposing a character that is actually likeable and loyal to the things and people that arguably never deserved it?

But you know I am a huge fan of Rom Bloodb0rne, right? He gives off the exact same 'person that seizes and conceals the horrors of the cosmos from humanity, although their personality and intellect are gone' vibe. It is just... that same vibe of a "silly" character, the comic relief, that turns out to either face a tragic fate or reveals a much deeper personality. He is simple and complicated at the same time! And, well, him having been such a legendary and impressive warrior that so many people gathered just to give him honorable death. This is somewhat impressive. He was actually a very close tie with Malenia.

#elden ring #ranni the witch #rykard lord of blasphemy #godwyn the prince of death #malenia blade of miquella #morgott the grace given #starscourge radahn #ask replies #ask meme #use later #no seriously ya'll would not survive the raw cataclysm had rykard not been taken #all two of you who heard me simp for Aldr1ch thought THAT was bad? you don't know what IS 'bad' #good family though him and tanith hella deserve each other /pos #but yeah this is the hardest 'top 5' i've done yet because i can say good things about everyone #even mohg lol #it is just the magic of fuckin awesome writing skills #thanks for the ask! #lol i have mixed feelings talking about 'telepathy trips' as i call them (like with godwyn) #because i swear i can foretell what i will learn/feel few hours before it happens for SOME reason #but it is so weird that i don't know what to make out of it besides 'time is a social construct anyway' sfdhfdhfhds #at least it was not as bizarre as my dream about golden tree before I even LEARNED of ER let alone played #*X-Files music bass-boosted and deep-fried*

[batfan-01]

So I was watching panda redd and I came across a video on legacy characters and whether or not average citizens know legacy characters are legacy characters. It got me thinking about an AU idea I've had for a while. In this AU gothamites know there are different Robins and each Robin is known for something different. Like Jason Todd would be called the Robin of Crime Alley because in this AU Jason would patrol around crime alley a lot and would befriend the street kids and protect them (sorta like in that ao3 fic Jason Todd: The Not-So-Outlaw). So here's some headcanons:

(Jason's 12 years old when he's picked up by Bruce)

On school nights Jason wasn't allowed to patrol, but Jason would sneak out anyways and have a secret patrol of his own

At first, he just ventured where ever, but after while, he started hanging around crime alley more and more until he just stopped going anywhere else

Jason would play basketball with the street kids and all of them would want him on their team and get really competitive about it.

He'd get to know everyone on the block pretty well (including the street kids, the sex workers, bodega owners, etc)

He'd tell street kids the best places to sleep to avoid the rain and all the warmest places to go during the winter

When he catches one of them stealing instead of stopping them he'd whisper "hey, if you keep that up your going to get caught" and they'd spin around to face Jason who was perching on the fire escape and Jason would then procede to school them on the ways to steal without getting caught

He'd never turn street kids over to the cops, knowing how bad the foster system was, so he'd always try to find them safe places to sleep, protect them as much as he can, and keep them out of gangs and gang violence

Whenever he'd encounter a kid caught up in a gang during patrol, during his secret patrol, or on a mission he'd would always try to talk them out of it and share some of his own experiences.

Bruce found that Jason, having been a street kid, was great on missions with gangs that mostly recruited street kids or human trafficking rings that take street kids, because he understood them and could gain there trust easily

Jason, while he was living on the streets fending for himself always felt like no one cared if he lived or died, if he was safe or not, or if he was healthy or happy. He saw as adults who were supposed to help him (like cops, social workers, foster parents, etc) instead beat him up, ignored him, and just got him out of the way as soon as possible.

Jason found the most rewarding part of being Robin, was being able to assure kids once like himself that they are seen and cared for, like no one did for him (until Bruce)

Jason would dramatically recite stories from patrol to the kids

He Definitely brags about how he stole the tires off the Batmobile

"I would have gotten away with it if I hadn't come back for the last one" - Jason

Jason is also known by the sex workers which all think is the cutest kid ever and have practically adopted him

He makes sure that nobody disrespects them and beats up any perv that tries to hurt them

During Jason's run, crime alley became a sort of safe haven for street kids after word got out on the streets that the new Robin was protecting street kids there

One night, Jason catches a bunch of no-good cops beating the crap of a street kid he knew and he loses his crap on the cops and beats them into the ground. After a few events similar to this one, Jason starts to gain a bad reputation around the GCPD (mostly just around the corrupt ones)

Each of the Robins have a style to them that sets them a part from the rest, they wear more or less of one color, they rely more heavily on one weapon, and have different hair types/styles. This is what cues gothamites into the fact that there are different Robins.

Jason's suit was red and black with a touch of gold. He would rely more on his fists and a batarang he used more like a switch blade since he got used to having to fight with one when he lived on the streets, and he had very curly hair he'd keep medium/short and messily parted in the middle

He was also a pretty dirty fighter, as slick as a alley cat (also got that from his time on the streets)

While Dick Grayson's was known for making puns and witty remarks to make fun of the rogues during fights, Jason was just a straight up asshole.

He had a ✨talent✨ for pissing the rogues off

Bruce supposed it was useful because it tends to throw them off their game

Dick and Barbara found it hilarious

Gothamites found it hilarious

Few videos of Jason's time as Robin existed on the web, but the ones that did were comedy gold.

Batman catches Jason on his "secret" patrol one night and they have a huge fight about it. Bruce doesn't want Jason out on patrol by himself because it's dangerous (and he has school in the morning which he needs to be awake for) and Jason argues his grades are fine (more than fine actually) and he's been out on his own enough times and can take care of himself.

But Jason is still grounded and benched for two weeks.

Incidentally, after Jason got caught, a post starts to circulate online with images of Jason playing basketball with street kids, talking and hanging out with them, and even of Jason casually leaning on a counter while making small talk with a cashier at a bodega. The post is captioned "Robin in crime alley" it goes viral and the Gotham Gazette even writes a story about it. The article calls Jason "The Robin of Crime Alley" Soon media outlets start to refer to Jason as "The Robin of Crime Alley" whenever there's a story on Batman and Robin

Part two:

#dc comics #batfam #jason todd #batman #robin #dick n jason #robin!jason #batfam headcanons #headcanons #jason todd headcanon #bruce wayne #bruce and jason #batman and robin #dick grayson #barbara gordon #red hood #Robin of Crime Alley AU #park row #crime alley

[heretherebedork]

I agree with almost everything about Ray and Mew but isn't Ray also using the fact that Mew's bf just cheated on him and they broke up as a vulnerability to obtain what he wants. Which is dating Mew? Again, Ray blamed and hated Top a few episodes ago for "cheating" on Mew with Boston, but the same Ray thinks it's OK to kiss Mew and Sand at the same party.. Same Ray thinks it's OK to have both Mew and Sand.

And here's the thing. I actually don't think he's *corrupting* Mew. He's not. He's not helping, but Mew is making his own choices and Ray is incapable of pulling himself out of his own shit, let alone anyone else. Misery loves company.

But it amazes me that people can see that so clearly and *still* blame Mew for everything that's happening with Ray here, up to and including Ray definitely trying to double-dip with Sand. AND Ray is using Sand. He is using Mew too but he's very much only using one of them on purpose.

Ultimately Mew is using Ray, but Ray's also using Mew.

I'm torn between 'Ray is using Mew' and 'Ray genuinely doesn't know how to say no to Mew' and those two come at the same issue but from different angles.

I don't blame Mew for any of it. Mew's decided to try to live a fantasy with Top and spiraled when it failed. That's what happened and he is using Ray to get down that spiral more easily and he is, in a way, pulling Ray down farther with him because he wants to go farther.

But as for Ray using Mew... that's actually an interesting question about Ray's character. He is definitely spoiled and selfish. He's wanted this chance with Mew forever because Mew literally shaped his idea of love by saving him and I don't think Mew could offer Ray that chance and have Ray turn it down no matter how much he loves Sand.

Now, is that using Mew, being used by Mew, being a broken young man who's struggling with addiction and loneliness, being unable to say no to someone you love? There are so many different aspects to Ray and to their relationship and their very broken friendship that I struggle to tease them apart.

Ray, I think, wants to sincerely love Mew and be the best one for him and, yes, he's taking the rebound from Top... but it's also very clear that it isn't what he expected and isn't fulfilling to him the way he hoped this would be, the way he thought that he would be filled up by love. Mew doesn't make Ray happy, no matter how much Ray wishes he did.

Ray has a very damaged outlook on love, possessiveness, emotions and himself. He was absolutely wrong to walk away from Mew and directly into kissing Sand and he is, definitely, not respecting any aspect of the relationship he and Mew are kind of in.

So... they're using each other equally? I'd really put this fairly equal. Mew is dating Ray mostly to piss Top off and also to try to be more like him while Ray is just desperate for anything and has absolutely no coping skills that aren't addiction.

Actually, I really do think Mew is using Ray more than Ray is using Mew but Ray is doing more wrong and is less able to cope than Mew is with any of what's happening. (Mew has a steady support system in Cheum and his mothers while Ray has a father who yells at him for the cost of his car when he's in the hospital). So... they're both wrong. In different ways.

Ray's damage is not Mew's fault but Mew is using that damage without thinking about it deeper. Mew is wearing Ray's persona as if he truly believes that Ray is doing better than he is at coping when he's the one who saved Ray from himself and has watched him dig a deeper hole constantly over the years and it feels... wrong. But they're all young.

I absolutely cannot imagine blaming Mew for this. But I also don't see the point in blaming Ray for this either. They're both messed up in this and they're using each other.

I just have a soft spot for Ray that I don't have for Mew so most of my focus is on Ray's pain. I won't even deny that. I care much, much more about Ray's eventual happiness than I do about Mew's and that's just me. Everyone is gonna have favorite characters.

But, no, this isn't entirely Mew being wrong or Ray being wrong. They're both wrong and they're going to hurt each other and I hope their friendship falls apart because neither of them is a good friend to the either or, frankly, capable of it at this point.

Mew cannot be a good friend to Ray and Ray cannot be a good friend to Mew and that's okay.

#asked and answered #only friends

[fullsunrise]

Shatter - Preview

Pairing: Haechan x Original female character

Genre: Cyberpunk AU, Crime, Angst

Warnings: Themes of violence, drug abuse, sexual themes, mentions of prostitution

Summary: Donghyuck, under the guise of Haechan, is part of Seoul’s underground collective of hackers: NEO. The closest thing that he’ll ever have to a family, the members of NEO provide him protection from the outside world. In the midst of uncovering the darkest secret of the city’s corrupt elite, Haechan gets an assignment to run a background check on the new recruit, ANGEL.

Chapter index here

“Congrats, you've been promoted from errand boy to Taeyong’s bitch,” Johnny sneered. As if there was a difference, weren't they one and the same?

He aimlessly threw down the manila “CONFIDENTIAL” folder on top of the growing pile of crumpled papers and candy wrappers on Donghyuck’s desk.

“What's this?”

“What does it look like, dumbass?” Johnny blankly said, waiting for Donghyuck's response.

Donghyuck took a peer into the folder. To his bewilderment, it was empty. Was this another one of Johnny and Jaehyun’s lame excuses for a prank? Donghyuck thought those would only last the first few weeks of his recruitment, but they were persistent in their attempts. Fed up, Donghyck rolled his eyes.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?”

Johnny looked like he was about to say another snarky remark, but gave it up once he saw the annoyance written on Donghyuck’s face.

“Fill it. Taeyong wants you to do a background check on a new recruit. Their name is Angel.”

Donghyck was a hacker. What did a background check have to do with his job? Maybe it was some sort of test. In that case, Donghyuck had to suck it up and comply with orders.

“How much time do I have?”

“Not long, you know how Taeyong doesn't like to wait.”

“Fine,” he replied shortly. “But if I can't get in a week then what happens?”

“Simple, it gets assigned to someone else who's not incompetent.”

That other someone would most definitely be Doyoung. Unlike Haechan and Mark, Doyoung had been by Taeyong’s side since the conception of NEO. Haechan had only seen Doyoung a few times in passing, mostly because the latter was locked away in his room, spending days on codes. Doyoung was always sharpening his skills, a weapon that could easily break into the most secure systems. With just one quick slice, countless have fallen in his wake.

It's not that Donghyuck feared him, but instead he wished he was him. Wished he was better than him in every way. Truthfully, he couldn’t wait for the day he surpassed Doyoung as NEO’s top hacker. Donghyuck was willing to do everything. Even if it meant that he had to do the bullshit work Johnny assigned him.

Johnny’s threat lit a fire under Donghyuck’s ass.

“It won't go to someone else. I’ll have the results by tomorrow.”

“Don't keep me waiting,” is all Johnny said before the door shut loudly behind him.

#nct #nct 127 #nct fanfic #haechan fanfic #nct 127 fanfic #nct johnny #johnny suh #lee haechan

[articskele]

YIPPEEE MEADOWCLAN INFODUMP :D

Basically I took the Tomodachi Life philosophy of shoving all of your OCs and favorite characters into Situations together and applied it to warrior cats to see what would happen and it’s so fun and I already have so much lore akjfldf!!!!

OK SO. Meadowclan! This grassy hilly area with lots of flowers, a river, and a forest off to the side! Cats often decorate their fur with flowers, both bc it’s pretty and to hide their scent so they can hunt more effectively.

Kits batting at butterflies and bees (and quickly learning not to attack the latter lol). Cats mostly hunting rabbits and birds and fish, with the occasional frog or deer or fox.

And then there's the Moontree, this big old cherry blossom tree at the edge of the territory, whose petals seem to glow in the light of the full moon. Maybe there's some water pooled at the roots, and when significant events happen, cats will look up to see cherry blossom petals blowing in the wind ouo

---

Mothstar arc, aka We Didn't Start The Fire:

It's a rough concept but basically there's a prophecy from Starclan about fire overtaking the valley, something about snow and flowers. It's around the time the clan was first founded so Stonestep (Stone) was going to be appointed leader, but he dies under mysterious circumstances.

Mothblaze (August) becomes Mothstar and is appointed leader, though I'm thinking he doesn't get any extra lives? Something something the clan is just starting out, Starclan is quiet, this is new territory so nobody's there to give the lives, I dunno.

He's charismatic and pretty good at keeping the place running since times are tough, but more suspicious things happen and the rules start to get bent and changed. Cats get exiled and poisoned.

Snowberry (Artic) discovers the truth and tries to expose him for the murder of Stonestep, he tries to start a controlled fire as an exertion of power but it quickly gets out of control (a gas canister near twolegplace?) The fire is stopped and Mothstar gets kicked out, left to wander the forests beyond the territory.

Which actually lines up fairly well with canon August's story; founding a town, creating a well-managed but ultimately corrupt system, messing with forces outside of his control in an attempt to show power, and getting exiled once his lies are exposed.

(Except in the case of canon, August supposedly drives off this calamitous dragon and uses that to emphasize how dangerous the mountains are and that it's safer with him, until Artic figures out that this dragon is herbivorous and only acting this way because of people being aggressive to it and taking its territory.)

Shimmerwing (Estelle) becomes Shimmerstar as the new leader, and is given a second life by her ghost cat husband Stonestep. Also she was the one who discovered the Moontree!

Cherry blossom petals are seen flying in the breeze above camp, and Snowberry keeps one in her fur ouo

At one point Mothstar tries to come back to take revenge, but Shimmerstar just stares him down like "this is my house now bitch" alksfjdf

I was joking around with a friend about her giving him coal BUT COAL IS USED FOR FIRE SO IT’S LIKE MAKING FUN OF ALL THE DAMAGE HE DID AAAAUGH

---

Birchfall arc, aka that time the Onceler invented cat capitalism. Catpitalism, if you will:

So cat Onceler starts out as a kittypet named Ollie but ends up in Meadowclan. He's loud and clumsy and easily grossed out, pretty rubbish at hunting and fighting, and he keeps sneaking into the medicine den to eat the mallow-

But what he does have is knowledge of twoleg stuff, and he invents a system using herbs as currency. It quickly catches on and spirals out of control, because now cats are picking so many herbs that they can't grow back.

And with all these herbs being stashed away or constantly in circulation, Nettlefur (Medic TF2 the medicine cat) can't get his paws on the plants he needs to Do His Job.

So it ends with Birchfall getting exiled and he just. Goes back home to being a kittypet like nothing happened akfjakdf

---

Misc character stuff:

- Mothstar is this longhaired splotchy mix of red-orange and brown, with markings on his sides that resemble a moth's eyespots!

- Snowberry is a small floomfy white cat with blue-gray stripes and little spots on her face like freckles ouo!

- Daffodil is either a birman or ragdoll? She's Snowberry's mom, currently in the elder's den getting some much needed rest ouo

- Shimmerstar is this sleek black cat with shiny fur that turns blue in the light, like a crow! And the classic white four-pointed star on her forehead

- Nettlefur is a silvery german longhair with the messiest fur alive. He brought a cat back to life once and Starclan HATES him for it

- Stonestep and Thornsong (Cedric) are tuxedo cats but Stonestep has gotten more and more white fur with age, like this! Also Stonestep has a missing arm like in canon + a bobbed tail, and Thornsong has a rose in his fur ouo

- Unlike canon Stone who died before Cedric was born, Stonestep is still alive by that point so he was able to mentor Thornsong and be there for him when his parents dipped out ouo

- Doveheart (Dove) is this cream point ragdoll (white heart mark on chest? White lily in fur?), Maple (Mel) is this BIG floomfy orange and white tabby loner, and they and Thornsong all meet up at the clan borders to hang out. They’re friends your honor

- Cloudpaw (Cloud) is an all white cat, and Dustpaw (Petra) is a sandy brown cat with long ears and a bobbed tail that make her look like a rabbit ouo

- Cloudpaw is super fast while Dustpaw can jump super high, so they work well together! And since they never got separated like in canon, they never had such a strained relationship and they love going on adventures together!

- Their warrior names are Cloudflight and Dustbite! Which is an Another One Bites The Dust joke but also fits the rabbit theme bc dust bunnies!

- Twinkie (Wink) is a red-pink kittypet with a shimmery light blue bow and polydactyl paws!

- Birchfall is a tall, lanky gray cat with white on his belly and socks and face, darker gray stripes on his tail and legs and back, and little freckles hehe ouo. As a kittypet he likes wearing tiny hats

- I haven’t fully decided on a name for Ink but I’m calling him Leafwhistle for now! He’s a calico that was originally a loner, joined for free food, but nothing really changed and he just comes and goes whenever he pleases and nobody has been able to stop him

- Harespring (Springtrap). Yknow that one post about the green cat? He looks like that, but with a lotta scars (including burn scars from the fire), longer ears and a bobbed tail like Dustpaw.

- Harespring is the guy that Mothstar framed and subsequently exiled for Stonestep's murder, but they brought him back after everything gets resolved lol. Currently in the elder's den telling the apprentices scary stories

- Hollypaw (Holly) is one of if not the most reckless cats in the clan- She got exiled during Mothstar's rule for snooping around too much, and she has a habit of eating berries without checking if they're safe

- Her warrior name is Hollydash! Also what if she's the one Nettlefur brought back from the dead bc she ate deadly berries alfkds

- Cloverleaf (Forgetica) is the mediator aka the much-needed therapist

- Spiderfang (Sylvain) is a gray-blue oriental shorthair, very angular shapes. He thinks Nettlefur is the coolest dude ever which is such a bad influence alkfsjd

- Sporeshade (Kieran) is this short and stocky brown maine coon, with a scar over his nose like in canon. He has a rogue partner named Concerto (The Escapist), but nobody knows what a concerto is or how to pronounce it so they just call him Connie for short akjfsdf

- I'm thinking Cloudpaw is being mentored by Thornsong, Dustpaw is being mentored by Doveheart, and Hollypaw is being mentored by Leafwhistle? Also maybe Spiderfang is a second medicine cat

Heeehehehe ouo

#100% recommend making your own oc blorbo fanclan :D #look at my cats boy!!! #meadowclan #my nonsense

[yakool-foolio]

Since you plan to change chapter 1 in Death Knight Yakou AU alongside the rest of the chapters, does that mean you might try some changes to chapter 2 as well or just leave it mostly the same overall?

For the most part, chapter 2 will stick close to canon concerning the culprits n motives n all that jazz. The reason I'm changing chapter 1 for this AU is because the culprits are underwhelming to me and wouldn't really carry the same weight compared to if Seth were to be the culprit. I'll probably keep the Worshipper as the copycat killer to still convey the fact that his obsession with the Nail Man was his downfall and anyone could be a suspect (and it gives me a lot less of the mystery to rewrite o_o").

Chapter 2 works well as it is for this AU regarding its culprits because the motive of the three girls killing to avenge their friend when the police ignored their pleas to investigate her wrongful death parallels surprisingly well with Yakou's motivations. Yakou is desperate to protect his city from harm and solve the murder/disappearance of his wife while the peacekeepers refuse to give proper justice to unfortunate victims. Yakou can really sympathize with the three girls, which strengthens the emotional impact. It was an unlikely place to find a sincere connection, but some things end up working out pleasantly as I lay it all out!

Chapter 3 is also in a similar spot to chapter 2 where the culprit remains the same cause what matters most isn't the culprit and his motives, but rather the victim and how his death affects Yakou. Shachi was one of the few living testimonies he had of his wife in years and also shared in his goal to save Kanai Ward from the corrupt system. But when that ally is taken away from him so abruptly, all for an overly complex bank heist, Yakou's wrath at this truth is easily understood. It's the final push along with Makoto's hidden note (which is actually part of an old case file by Yakou) to instigate the investigation of the underground lab for chapter 4.

#death knight yakou au #master detective archives: rain code #rain code #rain code spoilers #yakou furio

[yvtro]

Very much feels like a lot of people are ignoring Jason’s foundation. Like I think it’s important to pay attention to the later Robin runs for him. Felipe is actually I think an interesting place to start w Jason because it shows a wealthy, connected, powerful man assaulting multiple women, getting away with it, mocking those victims, causing one to kill herself, and there’s nothing Batman or the police or Bruce himself can do about it. That’s what Jason sees and I don’t think the comics touched on it as much as they should but I think it’s pretty clear that a lot of Jason’s motivation comes from seeing that. How do you say “don’t kill, they’ll get there justice from the criminal justice system” when the powerful won’t. And I really don’t see how “don’t deal to children” and controlling the supply is like. Anti-poor people? He has a different stance on crime, esp things like drug crimes, than bruce, who isn’t even from Gotham and is a billionaire CEO who had one shitty day in crime alley that apparently defined his entire existence. If you wanna talk abt shitty characterizations given the background of the characters, it seems crazy to start w Jason and not Bruce, who thinks he knows best and doesn’t do what he can with his resources to fix Gotham.

okay, first of all: i talk about jason and not about bruce because jason is my favourite character. i have plenty of thoughts about bruce re: classism that i could talk about, if asked – but i don't spend much time writing about it, simply because it's not something that gives me a dopamine hit. but if you're curious about my thoughts on bruce – ask me, and i will talk. but since here you're focusing mostly on jason, i will explain my thought process a bit further.

i do think that felipe's storyline is extremely important when it comes to jason's development of his own moral code. but i also think that people forget that what jay focused in this situation was 1. the victim 2.as you said, the fact that the wealthy and connected can get away with their crimes. thus, i think the most reasonable course for jason would to become extremely wary of that power imbalance and the way it corrupts people. but what happens with jason in utrh is not that: jason might say that he is after people who will find their way out of prison easily, but in reality his killing seems completely indiscriminate. his moral code is made into a joke. post utrh there are issues where he kills random goons (the anarky/batcat wedding storyline, for example), blames lower class people for engaging with crime (batman urban legends, if i'm not wrong; "a thief will always be a thief" or something along these lines, said by a man who stole to survive as a kid no less).

i'm not against jason killing per se; if he was a robin hood kind of figure, traveling around and dealing with those in power, if he even became a sort of revolutionary, i would be delighted. but he doesn't become any of these things in his comics. what he does is assuming the power himself and becoming an authoritarian figure. and i think, re: drugs, for example: someone whose mother died of OD should be socially aware enough to know that policing drugs doesn't really help the communities any, right? what helps with drug abuse is healthcare and prevention work, not creating arbitrary laws and targeting dealers at the lowest level of a drug business ladder. "how is controlling the drug supply anti-poor people" well, do you think, realistically, people in the community would have any trust in the person who controls the drug supply?

so, tldr, i think it's specifically the positon of power that i have an issue with. it isolates him from the people, it makes their issues into an abstract that he no longer has ways of relating to. it alienates the victims further. and it strips jason off his sensitivity.

since you mentioned bruce, i will say it creates an ironic situation where there's a 1% character who has more compassion towards petty criminals than a person who comes from that background. jason's answer to bruce's attempt at fixing the system is strikingly similar in some ways because they both conform to regular, uncritical perception of crime, retribution and rehabilitation. they both still work within that system, it's just that jason is more unhinged about it. and i don't know, i think jay should be more aware of the ways society pressures people to commit crimes, but also about how acts that are labeled criminal often aren't even inherently immoral but rather target marginalised groups. but no, the way he's written is just: head empty. crime bad.

i will finish this answer here before i get deep into strain theory, but i hope it makes my stance on it more clear.

#please consider that willis wasnt originally some sort of a villain figure #he went into crime because he had no other choice #and this is also what jay did as a child when he stole to survive #and the newer comics literally make him target the same kind of people #make it make sense #it all boils down to the fact that he assumed the position of power instead of seeking to abolish it #jason todd #jay meta #dc comics

[tarobii]

The Magic System

Undersociation Masterpost here

Notice! Monsters run on a completely different magic system from everyone else. The things on this page generally do not apply to monsters.

=====

Source Crystals

Anyone and everyone can use magic, as long as they are within range of a Source Crystal (SC). SCs are what provide people with the ability to use magic. Depending on their size, they can have bigger ranges, as well as more powerful effects.

Being within an SCs magical field provides people with the option to use magic, but most SCs that people have access to are rather weak, and can only provide magic that aids with small tasks. A small convenience, if you will.

If one is somewhat well off, or more affluent with magic, then chances are that they have jewelry or clothes with small SCs embedded in them. This allows the user to access stronger magic than the main SCs. Such magic is usually used for things like combat, and as such, this jewelry is very popular with adventurers.

SCs, being crystals, are usually underground and can be mined. Most people just leave them in the ground, though, because they have magical fields that can surpass even the ground. So, as long as they are close enough, they’ll still provide magic, so there’s no real reason to mine them.

SCs are quite common, so there’s bound to be magic practically everywhere you go. However, there are some places, such as mines, where they are no longer there, and thus, those areas do not have magical fields.

On the flip side, some cities have bigger, stronger SCs. These large SCs are known as Grand Source Crystals, or some variation of that. These cities are popular areas for people who use magic often, such as scholars, adventurers, fighters, etc. These cities tend to be quite big, and contain a wide variety of cultures because of all the people it attracts.

=====

Types of Magic

Anything and everything is possible. It's just a matter of figuring out how.

The most common type of magic used is elemental in nature, but those willing to learn can use other types of magic, such as telekinesis. Sometimes, these other types of magic are so unique that they are known as “signature” magic.

“Signature” magic is not common, and is sometimes seen as a status symbol. However, any “signature” magic is not necessarily more powerful than normal magic. It’s just a matter of proficiency and creativity.

Some “signature” magic that “runs in the family” is actually more akin to techniques passed down through the generations.

=====

Corruption

As long as someone is able to use magic, they run the risk of overexerting themselves and using too much magic.

When that happens, one of two things will occur:

One: the person faints, and will stay knocked out for a time proportional to the amount of magic used.

Two: the person gets Corrupted. When a person is Corrupted, they effectively become a different person. Most of the time, these personalities go berserk and can cause serious harm. However, there have been exceptions; for example, the Association has a person who’s Corrupted state will still (mostly) cooperate.

Anyone of any magic level can have either things happen to them, and the drawbacks are proportional to their magic level. Most of the time, more powerful people get Corrupted, however, it is possible for those of a lower level to experience Corruption.

=====

Sentience

The magic is sentient. This is a big reason as to why magic comes more naturally to some.

Those the magic favors, can learn and master magic more easily. However, people can lose favor with the magic, making training harder than before. The inverse can also happen: someone can gain favor with magic and make training easier.

If someone gains enough favor with the magic, it will manifest itself in a physical form, usually an animal. These are known as familiars.

#associationverse #undersociation #undertale #undertale au #utmv

[consult-sherlockholmes]

I posted 3,242 times in 2022

That's 3,242 more posts than 2021!

1,215 posts created (37%)

2,027 posts reblogged (63%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@consultjohnwatson

@atamh

@myeyesblurry

@anonymoussherlockandmarvelgeek

I tagged 2,826 of my posts in 2022

Only 13% of my posts had no tags

#roleplay - 2,329 posts

#sherlock roleplay - 2,128 posts

#rp - 2,097 posts

#sherlock rp - 1,688 posts

#sherlock - 1,668 posts

#johnlock roleplay - 1,647 posts

#bbc sherlock - 1,602 posts

#sherlock holmes - 1,574 posts

#john watson - 1,406 posts

#sherlock bbc - 1,382 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i still did nothing wrong but people tend to disregard other people for such things thats why i dont want you to go around telling everyone

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

As everyone keeps doubting that I can actually cook, here it is.

And the bacon is vegan, as fried pork products can contain carcinogens like nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines, and I do not want John to consume such toxins and potentially shorten his lifespan that way.

The whole flat might have been filled with smoke after I finished cooking and the kitchen in disarray, but I still prepared a fine meal, which is the thing that actually counts with cooking.

117 notes - Posted October 10, 2022

#4

I've got a leg now! And I'm keeping their heart! This ones the first girl I've killed, 35 years old! Dont know her job!

-Murderous Anonymous

Good for you that you have a heart now, because you probably weren't in possession of one before. A thing I also regularly get accussed of, but who cares. So your prefered victims are males? Why? Any particular reason for that? @di-greglestrade we got another one. Looks like he is slowly building up to collecting a whole human consisting of different humans.

121 notes - Posted July 9, 2022

#3

How did you delete your emotions

Put all your emotions into one folder, and then right click on it and click delete. Or pull it into the recycle bin and then empty it, on older operating systems. Press Control+Alt+Delete to terminate the emotional process. Reboot the system and it should be cleaned from all emotions. Installing an emotional firewall can help to prevent another emotional infection. If corrupted data of emotions remain, you need to do a hard reset of your system. But all data will be lost during that process, so treat this as a last resort with caution.

167 notes - Posted May 11, 2022

#2

What's your favorite poison and why?

Finally an interesting question. There are many answers to this, depending on the used definition of poison and for what it would be intended for. Whether I find a poison interesting enough is mostly determined by how fascinating it’s biochemical mechanisms are, but also if it’s nondetectable and rare, how clever it would be in a murder. 

Some more common poisons can have very fascinating biochemical properties like cyanide, which inhibits enzymes neccessary for aerobic respiration and suffocating a person on a cellular level. But they are more commonly used in murders, making them more easily traceable, less creative and thus less interesting then. Just obvious. I prefer rarer poisons, less obvious. The more cunning and sophisticated, the better. Toxins which you can barely detect, unless you know what you are looking for, but most people are idiots and won’t think about it. Perfect murder. Unless you consult me of course.

And especially natural poisons are the most toxic, like Botulinum toxin which was used in some of my cases. Especially neurotoxins like this work in fascinating ways, Tetrodotoxin from pufferfish, shutting down nerve cell communication, slowly paralysing and shutting the body down by respiratory failure. This poison is especially cruel because the victim can still be conscious and lucid, even if they are completely paralyzed, unable to talk or move, to do nothing except to suffer and wait for death approaching. 

Another very potent and very rare poison is Polonium-210, killing by acute irradiation, no antidote and it takes days to show effects, giving the murderer enough time to get an alibi or leave the country. Of course the trail of radiation can lead to the killer if not handled correctly. Very fascinating poison, but difficult to acquire, which is why it’s only knowinlgy used by secret services, but there might be more cases where it was never detected. As you can see it’s difficult to pick favourites with such diverse acting mechanisms of poisons and their interesting ways to kill.  

However, if you meant favourite poison in a more recreational way, then my clear answer is cocaine. Which also has cardiotoxic effects so it can be used as a poison resulting in overdoses, but it’s subjective personal effects are much better than to use it to kill someone, I assure. A more poisonous drug would be fentanyl, very strong opioid resulting in respiratory depression, 120 times stronger than morphine, difficult to dosage. Though I prefer morphine for personal use. But even nicotine can be considered a poison if overdosed. But it’s all just subjective defintions, to quote Paracelsus  “What is there that is not poison? All things are poison and nothing is without poison.”

251 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Slay

Oh, I wish. I would love a slaying for a case right now.

278 notes - Posted June 1, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #sherlock roleplay #sherlock rp #rp #roleplay #roleplay blog

[embrose]

MAJOR DR. STONE SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ANIME ONLYS AND THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ TO THE LATEST CHAPTERS BEWARE!!!

So, I don't know if I'm a terrible horrible person for thinking this, but...

I don't think they should go to the past and stop the petrification from happening.

Think about it: our planet is in a pretty bad condition. We are killing it, sea levels are rising, ozone is thinning, species are going extinct, etc. And it's all because of us.

But in Dr. Stone, the planet was given almost 4000 years to recuperate. The deserts in Africa became forests again, the Amazon grew back and is healthy again, the ice caps reverted, natural resources had the time to regenerate to some extent. I would say that is a pretty fucking great thing.

Plus, now that there's less people around and they can control how fast they bring people back they can oversee production more easily and avoid ways that will harm the environment. They can test out new monetary and political systems in smaller groups to see which system functions the best so we wouldn't have to use capitalism again, and there'd be less corruption. Hell, they talked about inhabiting other planets! That sounds fucking amazing.

So, why go back and continue ruining our planet, back to war and poverty and corruption? Yes, I know why. They want to save ALL of humanity, those whose statues will never be revived, and I bet Senku could whip up new technology that could help heal our planet. But somehow the petrification felt to me like a chance to give back, and try again, better this time. I sound like Tsukasa, I realized just now XD

But then again, this IS a fictional scenario. If it happened irl my opinions might be all different, probably would be. I'm mostly just analyzing the story beats and where I think they oughta go. And imo going to the moon was a really good goal, and inhabiting other planets an excellent future. Time travel just seems a bit...extra? Unnecessary? Too much? I can't explain it...

It would be nice to see Byakuya and Senku see each other again, tho...

ANYWAY! The manga officially ended in March, and we're not sure if we'll see much more. Dr. Stone is a helluva good series, and I can't wait to see what else is in store, if we do get more content. I personally would love to know how the time travelling would work, and see adult Senku meet teen Senku.

Ples don't hate me for my opinions and thoughts, void, I'm just here to scream XD

#dr stone #dr. stone #dr stone manga #dr. stone manga #dr stone spoilers #dr. stone spoilers #dr stone manga spoilers #dr. stone manga spoilers #senku ishigami #ishigami senku #ishigami byakuya #byakuya ishigami #time travel #i'm not a huge fan of time travel #there's too much bs too often #and it's not used that well often #i believe if anyone could do it well dr. stone could

[leam1983]

System Shock (2023) - Impressions

My first serious game was Myst, and it demanded a very particular peripheral that used to be a mainstay of any serious gamer's arsenal: the double combo of a well-sharpened pencil and a generous Legal pad.

First came a story of Linking Books and filial betrayal. A little grisly in places, sure - thanks, Achenar - but mostly All-Ages stuff. I tore through two pads just to finish Myst because I had the insane idea of charting out the Selenetic Age's subway system organically. I was too dumb to realize the sounds were the same heard for the Mechanical Age's four cardinal points, too stubborn to bother, and armed with a summer's worth of game time and zero responsibilities. I charted out that damn subway for hours and screamed for joy when I lucked onto the exit.

Then came something a little harder on the nerves. A tale of corporate overreach, greed, megalomania pressed onto silicon wafers and a very Nineties vision of Cyberspace. Move over, Johnny Mnemonic, this hacker's even more hapless than you are...

Long story short, we open in a dystopian Cyberpunk future and are, in fact, a well-heeled chairjock. We've got the sick techwear to prove it, complete with glove-mounted ports for plugging portable data drives into your knuckles or socketing map-related proprioceptive enhancements to your wrist - like you do. The problem is, we've gotten a little long in the tooth and opted to steal a military enhancement that's probably omega cool, max nova or fraggin' awesome, depending on your other dystopian setting of choice. Said implant's owners and designers, the obscenely wealthy TriOptimum Corporation, sic their dogs on us. We're caught merely moments after stealing the schematics.

TriOp's Chairman of the Board, however, has some ideas. Ideas that work against the hardcoded ethical protocols of the AI system he both lords over and depends on, the Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network - or SHODAN. Space stations orbiting Saturn are complex hives of steel and flesh, you see, and designing a dispassionate and meticulous warden for it only made sense.

The problem is that thanks to your actions under duress, SHODAN is now anything but dispassionate and meticulous. She soon comes to see herself as a "living" goddess, and more or less rips a page out of AM-1's usual script. Kill the humans, experiment with their primitive flesh, turn their remains into obedient servants to her newfound magnificience - yadda yadda. On the plus side, SHODAN is once again voiced by Terri Brosius, former vocalist for the band Tribe - and she once again oozes cold and calculating menace. Glitchy cold and calculating menace, that is.

I mean - take five and go look at System Shock 2's now-famous opening CGI movie on YouTube. Look at you, hacker, said in its chilling tone of absolute contempt and utter surety of purpose, is now a bona fide classic Gamer Meme.

I might as well say that this is more or less The Game, as it were. as you spend most of your run trying to correct this very obvious SNAFU while also trying to figure out how you're going to leave a space station located halfway across the solar system when all the doors are locked and most relevant codes were either revoked or stashed away.

Oh, and the insane AI you're stuck with decided it was a good idea to start splicing tiger and gorilla DNA together into brand new cuddly murder machines. You know. For funsies.

Initially designed by Irrational Studios back in 1994 and now spruced up by Night Dive, this is a title that proudly foregoes several modern conveniences and that refuses to hold your hand even at the easiest difficulty settings you can configure. It isn't easily legible, its level design philisophy is intentionally outdated and if it could speak, it would spit in BioShock's direction and claim it was corrupted by the vainglorious promises of the Shooter Celebrity status.

And yes, I say that knowing BioShock is leagues removed from your average Call of Duty entry. Compared to System Shock, Bioshock is a Dudebro Machine designed to slam through brewskis while yelling about your KD ratio in a bad microphone. I'm also saying this as someone who loves Bioshock. System Shock the first in name is not friendly, it does not care for you or your concepts of builds or minmaxing, it almost sadistically throws a useless compass your way - and asks you to figure it out.

No handholding. No tutorials. No easing-into-things. Once you're on Citadel Station, you're on your own.

Honestly, just this is worth the price of admission. We've been coddled for decades, all because we're focused on making sure games recoup their massive budgets. System Shock sits at a lean and mean eight and a half gigabytes (yes! In 2023! It's shocking! Har har, easy puns!), it intentionally looks simple and chunky - and nothing is wasted here. Nothing whatsoever.

It's cramped, oppressive, dingy, menacing, cold, even possibly damp - and still a great showcase of any RTX-capable graphics card, with deep and believable shadows and so much Shader Porn that even the simple voxel textures that adorn the four sides of the playspace at all times feel properly anchored in the fiction. It's a beautiful game, if you're willing to understand that beauty as a concept can include pixels you can count with your naked peepers.

What it isn't, however, is forgiving towards younger gamers or anyone who skews towards more recent releases. The dual UI experience is instantly dated, the "inventory Tetris" concept stopped being fun long before Resident Evil 4 briefly revitalized it, and hitting Tab to click through audio logs and written notes for codes or clues when you can hear mutants wheezing and lumbering towards you is never really fun.

Y'can't pause, here - this is the Dark Souls of vintage PC horror games-

No, come on, that's a dated and cringey assertion, SHODAN's baby deserves better than that. What it is, though, is an encapsulation of a specific era in video game design and in what we once saw as constituting the best the Survival Horror genre could produce on our dated beige towers. The best outside of other classics in the genre, sure, but still one of the oft-cited references.

If you've got fifty or so bucks burning a hole in your pocket and the pressing need to have a skipping Text-to-Speech filter call you a pathetic insect, this is a must-have, quite simply.

#System Shock 2023 #Night Dive Studios #Review

[bonesandthebees]

Now that I think about it reading glass as someone who studied fahrenheit 451 for the entirety of last year (lit students unite) and will be tested on it at the end of this year,, me when dystopians end up being true

The first similarity that jumped out at me (or, as I should say, was strikingly portrayed through the use of—) is the police. They're everywhere. They know everything and once they're on your tail they will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. And the facial scans is. Ough. This ask will be full of f451 spoilers sorry about that. And yeah just. The firemen in f451 work in tandem with the police based off a vague informant system. They're everywhere. They know what you did and by God are they coming for you. (The Hound sniffing around Montag's door is still genuinely terrifying)

Montag's chase scene especially is when we truly see the f451 police in action — we've got helicopters buzzing around in the skies, they've dragged in a mechanical hound from a different district, they're telling the citizens to look outside their doors and search for Montag — they're going all out, and obviously it's not nearly the same as the glass chase scene but the Vibes. The Vibes stay the same.

The second thing would be all the Pythia ads. Capitalism is not safe from religion and religion is not safe from capitalism — as Faber puts it, "Christ is one of the 'family' now." (For context: 'family' is in quotation marks because it refers to the TV show-thing that's basically a family drama except it's also personalized and interactive. I have so many thoughts about the f451 parlour walls)

There's more that I don't have the braincells to talk about — corrupt leaders going to war (schlatt and angia, whoever's leading f451 and whatever the hell is happening [I don't know if the unnamed leader is corrupt or just an idiot, considering the population]), the state of healthcare (cybernetics in glass, the unnamed technicians in f451), the ruthless putting-down of any opposing schools of thought (following any other religion in glass, books in f451).

It's just. The fact that those are the points I can easily pull up for similarities. Me when dystopian stories (sorry for the essay I will come back with proper thesis statements [no I won't])

— 🌾

it's been so long since I read f451 but yes to all of this. one of the most terrifying things about the all time 'greats' of dystopian literature (f451, brave new world, and 1984) is how despite the fact that all of those were written in the early to mid 20th century, they're still scarily relevant to our world today. like my inspiration for the dystopian elements in glass is mostly just me looking at what's going on in our modern day instead of purposefully paralleling it to other dystopian novels, but the fact that the similarities are so striking just goes to show how those dystopian themes are seemingly eternally relevant

I really should reread f451 one of these days

#ask #wheat anon #through a glass divine #glass general

[hxhhasmysoul]

I find it very interesting that in the jjk fandom you can talk bullshit about almost every character in jjk ( including yuuji??!! ) but the moment you say any fair criticism on Gojo satoru you get jumped on by his dickriders

Like u said gojo putting Gakuganji on charge is so stupid of him that doesn’t do anything

Gojo said in season 1 that the reason he wouldn’t kill off the higher ups was because they were just going to be replaced by same old bullshit and guess what that’s exactly what happened

Satoru was born of the gojo clan with six eyes and limitless he was born into the problem of that society

Some people can’t see past the idea of gojo being their all powerful god chad sigma alpha who slays pussy every day who can’t do wrong

And they keep shitting on sukuna

Gojo is meant to be not perfect because guess what he’s a human being like everyone else

it used to honestly feel some time ago that shitting on yuuji was some kind of rite of passage in the fandom, surely on reddit but here too. and like every week or two you will get "meta" about how yuuji isn't really a main character... and practically always thinly veiled yuuji bashing because it's mostly about how his boring and not solid arguments why the other character, usually megumi, would supposedly be the main character. and it's blatant because these people never even entertain the possibility of there being more than one main character. while i personally think yuuji is the main character and megumi is a secondary lead, together with maki actually, i think that people arguing 2 or 3 main characters would have a solid case. but this is never about that.

i really think gojou's flaws should come and bite him in the ass, they should've come already by him being weakened by his time in the prison realm and not strengthened by it.

him going back on his words regarding the elders is a fucking let down. that's one of the reasons he didn't need to be crowned the strongest because he's the one upholding that system, he was created for this very purpose. without gojou the kinds could easily get rid of gakuganji, disregard him completely.

both him and sukuna are personifications of the corrupt and twisted system. sukuna seems to have emerged organically in the heian period, he was overpowered and the system assimilated him as it's crowning jewel. and gojou was manufactured to take that role.

i honestly don't get it that people find pleasure in gojou's win when gojou emerges out of it without a scratch. when everything worked out for him, when he never was truly de-powered by the fight.

in the beginning i didn't give a shit about sukuna winning, like about what it'd mean for sukuna to win. i just wanted the fight to be over and gojou to be removed so the kids would get up off their asses and start doing stuff. but as the fight went on and he took damage, he was getting tired, not everything he did worked. you could see the fight get to him, slight cracks appear in his self image. how he politely ignore gojou's juvenile behaviour. i started to feel that he actually deserves the win a little. as a little treat for the effort he's putting in. i don't think this fight makes him super sympathetic or something, i don't think he was humbled properly. but on his side there was some investment and some sacrifice.

i get shitting on sukuna, he's an awful guy. but his fighting style and cunning are really fun. he's really good working with a lot of various techniques. him pulling so much out of megumi's technique is really quite spectacular. for me it's really about what he gets criticised for.

idk, a perfect overpowered character, that gojou appears to be in his fans' eyes, has zero appeal to me. but like these people should like what they like. it'd be just nice if i was allowed to enjoy my stuff without them them stomping all over the fandom.

#answering asks