#or maybe it's more that the form of communication it uses when translated into human languages. doesn't. communicate names properly

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

it was just a little one off thing in a drabble a while ago but i loved doing pronoun games with the lake trio. i love stupid writing tricks like that. thinking about the way they all borrow first/second person to refer to each other. thinking about spirit holder giratina also.

#the nemesis speaks #pla analysis #mostly for what i'm about to say in the tags #but i hit on the idea of giratina using third person exclusively which WAS sort of a one off itself #but i really love it now for the implications #bc i imagine it wouldn't have been doing that back when it was STILL the spirit holder. still a full divinity in itself #but having had spirit taken from it it no longer conceptualizes 'you' or 'i' or 'we'. only 'it.' for everything. #also that opens up so much room for epithets which i loooove. we've been over this. #how would giratina refer to itself in third person? volo? its siblings? #HMMMM. #i suppose i am also imagining here that in addition to tenses giratina also doesn't have like. proper names. #or maybe it's more that the form of communication it uses when translated into human languages. doesn't. communicate names properly #the divine tongue doesn't work with identfiers in that way #WHICH ITSELF ties back into another thing i was thinking about with the plates and- #ok i don't know if this post is for anyone anymore. i'm stoppng now.

[lassieposting]

It's been forever since I made a Mass Effect post but today I'm here to talk about

Translator Shenanigans

You cannot tell me that at some point during downtime Shep and Garrus haven't swapped translator chips so they can each hear what the other one hears

So Shep gets to hear herself as a Cipritini(?) turian, and Garrus gets to hear himself the way Shep hears him in-game. And it turns out Garrus's translator actually makes a stab at giving her appropriate subvocals, which, parsing and translating emotion into a form of communication that doesn't actually exist in the original language is quite complicated for a computer program, so when she asks how good it is, Garrus pulls a face and guesses at around 80-90% for other turians with different regional languages, and more like 40-60% for aliens depending on the race - quarians have something similar to subvocals themselves, so Tali is fairly easy to read. Shepard is in the middle - tone is hit or miss, but he can fall back on body language to judge whether the translator is misreading her. Wrex is a struggle.

- That that means the other 60-40% of his ability to read other people relies on his ability to read up on, memorise and then look for behavioural cues in completely alien species. If he's not sure, he'll default to interpreting interactions as Professionally Polite, which. Explains several months of fruitlessly flirting with him, at least .

- And maybe everyone around them sounds different using each other's translators too? Because the translator programs essentially use the voices of voice actors who sound appropriate for each species, and the program picks voices to mimic like, the pitch and quality of the original speaker as closely as possible, but the pool of voice actors is different for each species and in-species language. Wrex is deeper and more growly in Shep's translator than Garrus's.

- (Shep tries out Wrex's translator chip, once. Hearing Garrus with a beefy krogan's voice is An Experience.)

- Shep realising Garrus actually knows quite a bit of English! His mouth isn't made for pronouncing a lot of her language's sounds - case in point, the sh sound in Shepard - but he understands more than he can speak, and when he's borrowing her translator chip, she can watch him recognise words in real time as his head tilts when he tries to figure out a sentence from a few words or when he goes to answer her - and then laughs when he remembers she now can't understand him. He likes listening to humans, he claims. Human speech is musical. Catchy. Lots of funny sounds.

- (She kind of thinks turians sound like velociraptors, a little bit. But that doesn't mean she doesn't like turning off her translator and listening to him hum and trill and chirp technobabble to himself in the battery, sometimes.)

#shakarian #mass effect #garrus vakarian #mass effect headcanons #femshep

[usagii-bun]

𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 ( NAMOR X READER ) PT.2

in which you find a child floating in the water and you save them only for your acts of kindness to get misinterpreted by the father who is also the king of an underwater civilization.

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST : this is a story i am writing on wattpad but my wattpad version is more in detail, slightly different and has an oc ( alora ). It has 6 chapters thus far and still work in progress if you want you can check it out with the link below or use the linktree link in my bio to access wattpad but if you feel more comfortable with x reader I'll try and get all the chapters I have currently published over here in a few hours or in a day!

hiraeth ( namor ) wattpad | oc version!

also thank you so much for all the love ! I really appreciate it <3

PART 1, PART 2 , PART 3

TAG LIST :

@f1uveryys @xxmilli @ethereal-athalia @cyberficlya @complete-randomness-2 @bobateaae @lunamoonbby

✧ : - ⭒ - : ✧ : - ⭒ - : ✧

IT HAS BEEN NEARLY a week since you had found the child, in three days you were able to gain his trust. You had also learnt his name to be Huracan- the name of the Storm God.

With the help of a translator, you was able to have basic communication with him and finding out that he came from deep within the ocean.

You noticed that Huracan's wounds had slightly healed up, it was much better then what they were a few days ago- he was healing much faster then a human but you also noticed that his skin started to look even more dry even while he was in the water so you decided on taking him to the tidal pool that was close by to your house.

The boy enjoyed spending the whole day sub merged in a surrounding he was used to while you stayed close by and made sure he was safe and that his wounds won't open up, you noticed that his wounds were healing much faster in the sea water and maybe in a days time they would be completely healed.

Huracan for his age was also very curious, on the third day while he stayed in the bath tub, his gaze would fall on the tap and he would play with it causing the bath tub to over fill , the other day he had reached out for your toothpaste and had splattered it all across his hands and then pressed his tooth paste covered hands against your bathroom walls and when you came back into the bathroom, he just gave you a toothy grin at the mess he made.

You did notice that Huracan was bored laying in the bath tub so you gave him a small house tour which lead to him touching everything and being curious, what grabbed his attention the most was a stuffed whale plushie- it was a gift from your sister but when you saw Huracan hugging it close to him and seemed to relax with it in his grasp, you allowed him to take it.

Today, the two of you left the house early to go to the tidal pool- you thought that if you let Huracan to stay in the water for a bit longer today, his wounds would heal faster , you was also afraid to release him back into the ocean as he could still feel a lot of pain in his torso and you still needed to change his bandages and check on his stitches.

Gently balancing him on your side, the two of you walked down the steps that lead to the sand on the beach- you was glad this area was isolated from tourists and locals - as you help the boy walk towards the tidal pool.

The rocks form a unfinished circle, where on the inside- water from the ocean settled in. You gently places the boy inside the pool, a large smile stretched ear to ear when his feet touch the ocean water as he slowly sinks into the water, his skin turning into a warm milky brown as he floats in it.

You smiles as you watch Huracan splashing about in the water, submerging in it as you sat on one of the rocks just watching and keeping an eye on the boy , just in case if his stitches tear open.

Huracan dives into the water for a longer time, it's been more then ten minutes but you was used to it as you just waits for the boy to come back.

The surface ripples and the boy comes back up, a grin on his face as he extends his hand up to show you something.

"Il tin beetaj le ba'ax tin beetaj!" Huracan says in a cheerful tone, your brows knit together as you understood the word 'made' and 'look'.

The boy swims towards you and then shows you a bracelet he made out of seaweed , a pink sea shell knotted in the middle. It was hastily made but the effort put in it made your smile grow even bigger.

Huracan came closer to you, the smile on his face growing wider as he hands you the seaweed bracelet.

"In tia'al ? " you ask, her pronunciation a bit off but the boy understood as he nods his head vigorously taking the bracelet from your hand to tie it around your right wrist.

You extends your hand up , the sun gently glistening against the pretty sea shell he had found- your heart swelling lightly and a warm feeling spreading through out your as you looks back to see the boy once again splashing about in the water.

In these few days you spent with the youngster, you had felt calm. You didn't know much about him due to the language barrier but from the little you did knew, he was still just a kid - who was just from a different world from yours, he was just a kid that made your days feel a bit more brighter but then the nagging feeling that you will have to let him go back from where he came from constantly reminded you.

After spending some time in the water, you decided it was best to go back inside as you could feel a storm was starting to brew and you also needed to change Huracan's bandages, you reaches a hand out for the boy and he takes it without any hesitation, you noticed that his movements are much more fluid and that he may be healed by tomorrow.

You was about to carry the boy but he stops you by walking on his own-perfectly as he now insists to hold onto your hand.

The two of you walked along the shore, Huracan still holding on to your hand as you had placed a large hat and a towel around him to try and conceal as much of his blue skin just in case someone tries to come onto this part of the beach.

"Paakat!" the boy suddenly says, letting go of your hand and runs towards one of the rocks that were close to the ocean. This alarms you as you run after him and found him looking down at an octopus that seemed to be slowly drying up and it's skin a pale white and what looks like a six pack plastic ring stuck on one of its arm.

"Oh no, it must have washed up way too far from the water and this plastic on it making it worse." You say without hesitation you gently pull the ringed plastic off of it and lift the octopus in your hands, it's tenticles trying to curl around your wrists in any type of defense but it was too weak as you walked towards the ocean, your feet getting submerged in the cool ocean water as you gently placed the octopus in the water.

You watched for a few seconds as the octopus just sat on the sand but after a minute it's tentacles started moving, it's reddish color coming back to its skin as it grew bigger and suddenly just swam into the ocean without looking back causing you to laugh.

"Well it is good now" you state but still wary at the fact that it might get tangled in some plastic again. You turn to Huracan- to find that he was frowning and staring into the ocean, a look of sadness and longing- this causes a wave of guilt to wash over you as the boy might be missing his home and his family.

The salty sea breeze harshly blows against you, the clouds slowly turning a dark grey as rain gently drizzle from above.

"Don't worry, Huracan. Tomorrow definitely, I'll get you back into the ocean." You state, placing a gentle hand on the boy's back as the two of you both walk back towards the house.

PART 3

˚✩ | AUTHOR'S NOTE ; Sorry for the lack of Namor/K'uk'ulkan, I just wanted to show the small bond that is developing between you and Huracan ♡

if you do enjoy, please do like, reblog and comment <3

#namor of talokan #namor fanfiction #namor x reader #namor smut #namor the sub mariner #namor imagine #namor #namor fanart #namor fic #namor fluff #namor x you #namor x y/n #wakanda forever #black panther #marvel #marvel mcu #marvel namor

[homunculus-argument]

The Finnish pronoun anon here! Upon further thought I realised I did indeed forget something about nuances of deciding to use either hän or se.

For those who lack context or forgot, hän translates to he/she/they(singular) and se translates to it.

I already talked about the differences, especially in spoken language when it comes to using them with in context to a human or an animal, pretty extensively too might I add, so I'm not going to repeat myself too much.

I did forget about plants and mushrooms.

While it's not nearly as rude to keep refering to a plant as se even when someone has already used hän about the plant, most people will still switch to hän pretty much automatically in that case. However, significantly fewer people will refer to a plant as hän in the first place as plants can't really show agency.

Those who do so, don't do it to highlight the agency connotation of hän, instead they usually aim to highlight the emotion connotation. Basically, those who refer to a plant as hän either believe that plants have emotions or want to showcase their own emotional attachment to a specific plant or plants.

It is acceptable for a plant enthusiast to refer to a plant as hän, especially their own garden/house plants because people generally will just take it as "this person really loves their plants". And when someone who doesn't have the connection to plant(s) uses hän about someone else's plants, they usually do so out of respect for the emotional attachment the other person has or could have, not necessarily for showing that they care about the plants.

It's also a common for a gardener or a houseplant keeper to project temperaments onto plants or talk as if they have motivations. For example, a gardener could say "hän on nyt itsepäinen" (they are being stubborn now) about a weed that is proving hard to remove. In this case it communicates frustration of the gardener towards the failed efforts to remove said weed. But they could also say "hän on hieman herkkä" (they are a little sensitive) about a plant that needs extra attention to stay alive. In this case it's less about communicating frustration and more about communicating that they care about the plants health and that they do need to pay special attention.

When someone calls a mushroom hän, it's less about the attachment to the plant and more about their enthusiasm or fascination about mushrooms in general.

For example, person A points at or pics up a mushroom to show it to person B to get their opinion.

A: "Katso kuinka kaunis hän on!" Look how beautiful they are!

To which person B might either just nod or voice their opinion, whatever that might be. If person B doesn't share the passion for mushrooms, it's perfectly normal and acceptable to refer towards the mushroom or other mushrooms as se or the plural form ne.

However, if a person refers to any and all mushrooms and plants as hän or it's plural form he, including in the wild and young ones, they are quickly branded as someone eccentric. Because that sends a message that they truly believe that all plants and mushrooms have a consciousness, maybe even a soul, and as such have personhood. It's an extremely old belief that almost died out many times throughout history and it's extremely rare to find someone with those beliefs nowadays. Even less likely is that the person is open and expressive of those beliefs in every day language. The ones that are, are also often deviating from the norm in other ways and have hard time blending in. I will refrain from commenting on my personal opinion about this, I'm trying to keep this educational.

When it comes to wild plants that very few are emotionally attached to on a personal level, it's more accepted to use hän if the plant in question is a tree. The bigger or older the tree, the more this pronoun usage is accepted and common. It's seen as a sing of respect towards trees, and when it comes to older or bigger trees, it also shows that you understand how hard and rare it is for a tree to come to this age or size nowadays in this part of the world. There are many reasons why trees are still respected, ranging from lingering beliefs and traditions of the old, to understanding their part in the local eco system, all the way to their value to our economy. Calling a tree hän doesn't necessarily give away why you're calling a tree hän unless you're keen on elaborating. Most people won't even blink, no matter if you call a tree hän or se, but in the eyes of some you might gain additional points for calling a tree hän.

So basically: if you want to communicate your passion towards plants and mushrooms, feel free to use hän. Same goes for respect towards trees. But no one will look at you weirdly or be greatly offended if you prefer to use se instead.

Welcome to the finnish language: Where nobody is gendered but mushrooms have pronouns according to your personal reverence to the fungal kingdom.

[rainbowsky]

GG and DD and queer representation

As some of you might be aware, Greece has finally legalized same sex marriage. This was very exciting news!

I had an ask related to the Greek marriage equality debate and had begun drafting a response but ended up getting sidetracked, and by the time I got back to this post marriage equality had already won.

I figured I'd finish this response because it covers some ground that newer turtles might find useful (and because I hate leaving things like this unfinished).

@rozanthi asked: Πιστεύετε πως οι χελώνες βοηθούν η δυσκολεύουν τους ggdd στην σημερινή πραγματικότητα;

Hi rozanthi!

Here's the rest of the ask(s) rozanthi sent.

rozanthi asked: Sorry l put my question in English and not in Greek by mistake. Do you thing that turtles benefit or harm ggdd in today's sircumstansies, reality. I apologize if in someway l offended you with my question about turtles and ggdd. Maybe that is the reason why you didn't answer. But you see, in my country(Greece) these few last months, a debate is going on in our parliament about voting to make political marriage between people of the same gentre legal. There has been a lot of fight and tension from our church and people with no manners or Shane minds. I asked you that question because l support ggdd as a couple in a relationship as barriors of a message as pioneers of something important for China to accept. And l wanted to know how much public support in the form of turtles help them along or make it more difficult. Here as more we support homo. homosexuality we bring thanter and more hate. In February we will know if we made a baby's step in out parliament. Support your ggdd in any way you see tat you really help them and not making it worse on them. They need support Ln the most gentle delicate way. Thank you for baring me.

First of all, it's OK to send me an ask in another language. Don't apologize for feeling better able to express yourself in your first language. I can always machine translate and ask for clarification when I feel I'm missing something (and the asker can clarify if I get anything wrong). Although I think you've done an adequate job of communicating your question here in English.

Second, as I've said many times, people should never read anything into whether I answer their ask or not. It's almost always just a result of me picking easier/quicker questions to answer.

Now, to address the ask.

Your question reflects some misconceptions/misunderstandings about GGDD's situation and about what turtles represent. Some of the topics you're discussing here are not directly related, and I'm going to try to break them down into their component parts for you.

The first and most important thing I can say to you is (and this is really, really key to understanding GGDD and understanding what turtles are in China):

GG and DD are not representatives of the queer community, and turtles are not a political movement.

Quite the contrary. I think it's fair and accurate to say that GG and DD, and by extension turtles, actively take steps to avoid being seen as part of a political movement, queer movement, protest movement or human rights movement.

(In fact, unfortunately many turtles are actually not particularly LGBTQ-friendly, don't support queer rights or gay marriage, and don't even consider GG and DD to be gay/queer. Many believe GG and DD are only 'gay' for each other, which is homophobic and a reflection of poor sex education).

It's essential for their own safety that GG and DD are not seen as political movement in China, or as figureheads of the queer rights movement. The Chinese government and even a sizable percentage of the public at large tend to take a very dim view of anyone who tries to organize and rally around subversive political causes.

Especially the current government, which is very repressive and has been rolling back LGBTQ rights and freedoms and cracking down on queer orgs, shutting down LGBTQ outreach organizations, etc. Pride events and large public gatherings are treated as disruptive protest movements, and have been banned.

There are queer male turtles in China who actively avoid openly identifying as turtles in order to protect the fandom from being seen as a queer rights movement.

Turtles are a fandom and are categorized and treated that way both by turtles and by passersby. Just a fandom of 'cute young girls' clowning over some handsome boys they ship together.

It's important that it stays that way. GG and DD cannot be seen as leading a movement, they cannot take on the role of leading a movement, and many turtles would likely not even support such a movement.

That's not because GGDD are queer, by the way - although under the current government queerness is becoming in some ways more restricted and frowned upon at least from an official perspective - it's because political movements are frowned upon*.

*That's not to say that Chinese people don't organize or protest around certain causes, but those causes tend to be more municipal or limited in scope. Broader political movements - especially ones that appear to stand against the policies of the current regime - are generally very quickly quashed.

That's also not to say that GG and DD aren't hugely inspiring to queer people all over the world, because they are.

GG and DD do not even present themselves as queer.

This is important to keep in mind. GG and DD are closeted, and are assumed by the public at large to be straight single men. 'Eligible bachelors'. This is a double-edged sword, but ultimately it protects them and protects their careers. Top stars are a lot more marketable if there's a perception of romantic availability, and relationships - even relationship rumors - can have a massively negative impact on a star's career.

Even straight married stars hide their relationship status and present themselves as single for this same reason, and straight married celebrity couples - even ones who are out as being married - who attend industry events will often pretend not to know each other in public (sound familiar?).

Coming out as (or being outed as) married or in a relationship is viewed as career suicide, and a star's numbers, opportunities and popularity will plummet. Not always, but usually. Producers and backers know what sells, and married stars just don't sell as much as hot singles do. Fans will pursue stars that appear to be single, and drop them when they marry or come out with a relationship.

Heteronormativity means the vast majority of people in China will assume GG and DD are straight, and GG and DD will not 'correct' them on that. Quite the opposite, they go along with and even at times might say or do things that help feed the perception that they're straight.

There are almost no LGBTQ public figures in China, and those who are out are not top stars.

As international fans, what we do and think doesn't matter much.

Things that happen in the international fandom are largely irrelevant to people in China, and are almost never going to have any impact whatsoever on GG and DD. What we think about them and what they represent to us is of little consequence to their careers.

For example, the ongoing i-fan debate about colored light banners is a bit of a wank because nobody in the international fandom is ever likely to be at an event where we would have to make decisions about what color of light banner to bring. Our thoughts about colored light banners are utterly irrelevant to the fandom in China.

It's really easy to lose sight of that as an international fan, and get so caught up in and wrapped up in our own ideas and arguments and debates that we forget that nothing we say do or think really has any relevance to GGDD's lives.

Our support for their projects and merchandise and brands, our subscriptions to platforms to view their dramas, our movie tickets, our fan support when they travel internationally... these things do have an impact on them and do matter, but the opinions and political ideas that we might discuss and debate here on Tumblr or even on Twitter are highly unlikely to ever reach their circle or directly impact them, whether positive or negative.

There are some notable exceptions to this. Making candy out of nationalistic posts - particularly posts about events of national mourning or major political significance - is unwise and could potentially backlash on them. More about that in this series of posts from Pie.

I talked about some of the other harmful things we should be avoiding in this post.

But the idea that anything international fans might do or say as turtles might negatively impact GG and DD is - for the most part - not a reflection of reality.

There are valid reasons to believe GG and DD value turtles and take strength from our support.

This fandom has been around for 6 years, and in all that time GG and DD have never sought to shut it down. Other dating rumors, CP, etc. have been shut down over the years, but turtles continue to be the top CP in China and the fandom is constantly growing.

GG and DD have been caught on camera many times reacting positively to turtle light banners.

LRLG rumors - which many turtles believe hold a lot of credibility - have repeatedly depicted GG and DD as enjoying our support, and have at times directly expressed GG and DD's appreciation and gratitude to turtles for our support.

Despite the fact that this fandom is hugely controversial among GG and DD's solo fans and even among some passersby, GG and DD and some of their associates continue to regularly feed us candy. This is something that simply would not happen if we didn't have GG and DD's support.

If we believe BJYXSZD, then it only follows that turtles would mean a lot to GG and DD.

There is a fine balancing act between GGDD and turtles, where we show our support and they feed us, and we all try to keep things light and fly somewhat under the radar.

But turtles aren't 'under the radar at all'. Turtles are an incredibly active, vibrant, loud fandom in China, with big events and public charity work and fan activities and banners and billboards, etc. etc. However, they manage to fly under the radar because they're 'just fans'. They're not a political movement and they're not troublemakers. They're just a bunch of fans having fun together.

They also fly under the radar by being seen as a crazy fringe group, a bunch of deluded clowns. They are underestimated and dismissed because of this, which protects GG and DD.

A lot of turtles wear that proudly because they know that they're acting as a shield for GG and DD. Turtles make it possible for GG and DD to get public support for their relationship without having their relationship outed. Turtles take all the hate and ridicule that's piled on them, so that they can show GG and DD they're loved and supported.

This is one of the things about turtles that is most beautiful and powerful. Turtles stick their necks out every day to support and protect GG and DD.

I talked about that in more detail in this post.

I hope this helps give some context about queer issues as they relate to GG and DD, and to the turtle fandom as a whole. While many people inside and outside China support GGDD and are inspired by them and view them as queer icons, the way they are framed and discussed will differ wildly between the Chinese and international fandoms, and what is said outside of China won't have much of an impact on GGDD. That's for the best.

For my thoughts on the politics of all this, please see this post.

#bjyx #yizhan #ggdd in the public eye #bxg perspectives #bxg ggdd #lgbtpride

[coochiequeens]

Technology just revealed a new name to women’s history.

For nearly 1,300 years, no one knew it was there. The name of a highly educated English woman, secretly scratched on to the pages of a rare medieval manuscript in the eighth century, but impossible to read – until now.

Academics have discovered the Old English female name Eadburg was repeatedly scored into the surface of the religious text, using a method that kept it hidden from the naked eye for more than 12 centuries.

The covert writing of the woman’s name was finally revealed when researchers at the Bodleian Library in Oxford used cutting-edge technology to capture the 3D surface of the ancient manuscript, a Latin copy of the Acts of the Apostles that was made in England between AD700 and AD750.

It is the first time this technology, capable of revealing “almost invisible” markings so shallow they measure about a fifth of the width of a human hair, has been used to record annotations on the surface of a manuscript.

“There are only a limited number of surviving early medieval manuscripts which contain clear internal evidence of a woman having created, owned or used them,” said Jessica Hodgkinson, a PhD student at the University of Leicester who made the discovery while researching her thesis on women and early medieval manuscripts.

“Most of these manuscripts are from the continent – it is much rarer to find evidence of this in surviving manuscripts which were made and used in the geographical area we now call England.”

Writing Eadburg’s name on the book quietly asserted her power and high status at a time when only a few elite, highly educated women were able to write and read both Old English and Latin. “It’s a hugely significant and very powerful text – the word of God, conveyed through the apostles. And I think that might be at least part of the reason why somebody chose to write Eadburg’s name into it, so that she was close to that.”

It is not clear why the name was written so stealthily, with a drypoint stylus, rather than ink. “Maybe it was to do with the resources that person had access to. Or maybe it was to do with wanting to leave a mark that put that woman’s name in this book, without making it really obvious,” Hodgkinson said. “There could have been some reverence for the text, which meant the person who wrote her name was trying not to detract from the scripture or compete with the word of God.”

Significantly, she found Eadburg’s name passionately etched into the margins of the manuscript in five places, while abbreviated forms of the name appear a further 10 times.

This suggests it is likely to have been Eadburg herself who made the marks. “I could understand why somebody might write someone else’s name once. But I don’t know why you would write somebody else’s name so many times like that,” Hodgkinson said.

An Old English transcription, and tiny, rough drawings of figures – in one case, of a person with outstretched arms, reaching for another person who is holding up a hand to stop them – were also discovered etched on to the small book, which is barely bigger than an A5 pamphlet.

Hodgkinson hopes further study will reveal the meanings of these figures and the ancient transcription, which has so far proved impossible to translate.

She also hopes to eventually discover who Eadburg was. Certain features of the manuscript suggest the book was produced in Kent, where a woman called Eadburg was abbess of a female religious community at Minster-in-Thanet in the mid-eighth century. However, there are at least eight other known contenders for the role.

But whether or not these mysteries are ever solved, for Hodgkinson there is something very empowering and meaningful about the discovery of Eadburg’s name. “Still, to this day, there’s this human urge to leave a mark of your presence on something that is meaningful to you or is a record of where you’ve been,” she said. “We don’t know all that much about Eadburg, but now, because of this amazing technology, we’ve seen her name, we know she was there. She’s here, in this book – and it speaks across the centuries.”

#England #Eadburg #Women in history #medieval history #old english #Acts of the Apostles #Latin #Bodleian Library in Oxford

[lacrimae23]

ANOTHER 'FELICITY-HATE' RANT. THERE ARE QUOTES SO DON'T READ IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH READING HATEFUL COMMENTS!!!

[quotes]

"How I hate this moron. It's been a long time since there was such a crappy [i couldn't find accurate translation for English language, sorry. in my native language it is meant to be even more insulting] character in the series."

"did you know that the actress playing that whiney felicity is only 24 years old? i would give her at least 30 some"

"Best Arrow ending so far. I was moved. It was just too good to be true. Our dear Felicity is finally up out of her wheelchair and walking on her own. She will finally be able to fall down the stairs and break her neck."

"- Oliver really needs to start killing people again.  - Starting with Felicity."

"THIS FELICITY IS THE WORST CHARACTER I HAVE EVER WATCHED SERIOUSLY AND THE ACTOR IS A COMPLETE WOOD" "Felicity's character used to be pretty cool, but after the last episode even I wouldn't mind if she flew out the window"

[quotes]

just a few "lighter" examples from my own playground (Arrow fandom from my country) (i knew i shouldn't even visit this website with films/tv shows and its Arrow page. i know this part of this website's community all too well) and i'm sorry because i usually try not to generalize but all of this was written by men of course (and i know this; in my language you're using form of verb which indicates your sex) and some other person wrote something which in this particular case i agree with: "why nobody likes felicity" thread

"Because she helped defeat Slade and that's basically where it started. HOW DARE an IT girl in a ponytail and stilettos have the nerve to humiliate the great Deathstroak like that. She started to be hated when she became more independent and strong. Annoying when her opinion actually mattered and her decisions affected the plot and the main character. And already when she put HER in the first place for the first time is already a chapel. This is no accident. Still too many guys feel threatened by "strong female characters" and that's the problem. And it's that kind of strong, in a way that can be applied more to "real" life."

there are maaanyy reasons why people can hate felicity (or every other character) but i think that in the most part these are the guys who don't like a strong female character, who actually has an opinion that affects the plot, her opinion counts, oliver or/and digg [so men of the show] listen to her opinion etc. it's somehow wrong, right? she should be just 'nerding in the corner' or something. and she's not a human being, so she's not entitled to human emotions. [BAN EMOTIONS!] she also can't make mistake, right? right.

and i know that in season 4 we can have strongly different opinions about the break up [i think we ALL can at least agree that this drama was so unnecessary ech] but i saw all too many men just hating on felicity because HOW DARE SHE DUMP A MAN WHO DIDN'T TELL HER ABOUT HIS SON KEPT SECRETS FROM HER LIED TO HER FACE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS DIDN'T LEAN ON HER WANTED TO LIVE ON AN ISLAND ALL OVER AGAIN - ALONE [...] HOW DARE SHE, STUPID WOMAN! yeah, so there's no 'okay, so i don't agree with her, but maybe she has her point. maybe he hurt her, maybe she couldn't be with him after that. or maybe she just run, because she was scared, or maybe she wanted partnership from him, she wanted to be a team [...], or maybe she's just a human and-blah blah blah". NO! she's stupid, how dare she, but at the same time - it's kinda good because now writers can un-alive her somehow, and show will be great again! yupi!

yeah, so amazing

so when i did this GIGANTIC rant yesterday or- when i wrote this rant, again? doesn't matter, anyway- i was writing about this kind of hate. maybe less insults and more "i think she shouldn't leave him because-[...] and it affects my opinion of her- blah bla blah something-something" and i would be cool with it even if felicity is your least favourite character of the series. it's cool! you don't have to love her, you don't have to like her or tolerate her, but stop hating like t h a t

//also, i wanted to apologise for the sound of my rants. i know they can be "passive-aggressive" and sarcastic (can't help myself, sorry) but i saw this hate too many times and had bottling everything up in me and now i just can't help it and be a little too much on the offensive[??] sorry about that, really. all of this is just frustrating. so sorry

AND I KNOW I SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS TO MYSELF AND READING ALL THESE COMMENTS BUT SOMETIMES MY EYES DISCONNECT FROM MY BRAIN OR SOMETHING OR MAYBE I'M A MASOCHIST IDK nevertheless, these comments exist, and this knowledge is sad for me, welp

stay safe, stay strong 💜

#arrow #oliver queen #olicity #felicity smoak #rant post #felicity lover #stop with the hate gee #lacrimae23 #female characters

[yulin-pop]

Could you do the Lips sealed headcanons with Crowley, Crewel, Trein, Riddle, Lilia, Malleus, Floyd and Jade?

⤷ ✧ Keeping quiet

- order 35 | Headcanons | Riddle, Jade, Floyd, Lilia, Malleus, Crowley, Crewel, Trein

P.1 — VDC group+Neige

Gender neutral, platonic for the staff

Note: It’s fun writing interesting character traits. It’s one of my favorite types of things to write. Thank you for requesting!

Riddle Rosehearts

He never really noticed you never spoke, he assumed it was just being nervous but it became obvious that you don’t speak to anybody.

He wants you to use other forms of communication but gets confused with your gestures .

“Wait so, who broke one of the rules? Uhh tail… ears? Cross? No? Here just write it on a piece of paper.”

He wonders how you can go about everyday without speaking. But maybe he’s just sort of always yelling and got used it to it.

Jade Leech

He’s never encountered someone that never speaks. He’s met shy people but you’re not shy. You just don’t speak. He lets you communicate through gestures and notes.

He can tell what you want just by looking at you. He’s naturally good at reading people.

It seems like he doesn’t care but he’s intrigued. He wants to know why. Why won’t you speak? Are you nervous? He concludes it’s out of anxiousness. Which would be right on the money.

Floyd Leech

He’s just as you’d expect. He always has something to pick on no matter who it is. Of course for you, it’s because you don’t speak.

“Shrimpy, how come you never speak?” He said while leaning forward to get close to your face.

His pestering is never ending and it’s not like you can run or fight him. Your only options are to avoid him or deal with it.

“I’m gonna squeeze you!”

“Floyd, don’t do that to the prefect…” Azul commands. “Sorry about that.”

Lilia Vanrouge

He’s one of the more understanding people. He wants to ask why but decides to just observe you first. He gets your message through with gestures, expression, and notes.

You may or may not catch him just staring at you. His gaze is soft and even loving but its undoubtedly creepy no matter how sweet it is.

He can translate for you if no one understands. He actually understands you better than Ace.

He makes teasing jokes about you never speaking but it isn’t to pressure you into doing so. He’s curious but it doesn’t matter to him in the slightest.

Malleus Draconia

He knows that humans are social creatures which is why you’re such an intriguing specimen. He thinks you’re unique because of your behavior.

You’re average, that much is clear but he decides to regard you differently because of your lack of speech. He wants to observe you. But conversations with him are nothing fun. It’s awkward since you usually have others lead the conversation as you nod. While he barely even has conversations.

“You’re here another night? Hmm.”

“…”

“Why are you giving me that look?”

He’s bad with context clues so he can’t tell you’re being passive aggressive or not. He can tell when you’re happy or sad though.

You two don’t mix well under these circumstances but there’s still a possibility of getting closer.

Crowley

How troublesome! He doesn’t get you. You’re supposed to be happy and chatty but you’re just completely silent (and annoyed).

He originally believed you were just shy because of this new environment, understandable. But eventually he got the hint that it’s something that’s not gonna change.

He can’t have a prefect that doesn’t speak. He tries to council you. It’s often very uncomfortable sessions. But since he’s “so busy” He can no longer give you counciling.

He encourages you to use a notebook to communicate. Overall, he just wants you to enjoy life.

Divus Crewel

He doesn’t really go out of his way to check on his students. It probably took a two weeks before he even noticed. He thought you were quiet and he approved of that. It wasn’t until he caught you messing around with a friend, that’s when he had to have a discussion with you.

“STAY! You two. Now get over here.”

“Aww… We’re in for it now..” Grim whined.

When he went to scold you, he expected a “yes teacher.” But you only looked at him with a bothered expression.

“I expect an answer. Now what do we say?”

“Uhhh… One problem.” Grin spoke up to get his attention, “They don’t like speaking. Actually they don’t speak at all.”

You glared over at Grim at his wording. He felt a slight wave of a guilt but not enough to stop the scolding.

He doesn’t call on you for anything but he still expects you to pay attention and preform well in his class.

Mozus Trein

He would notice a lot sooner than Crewel. His class involves a lot of participation. For a while, you hadn’t been called on, it was mostly directed at Grim since he’s a chatterbox.

But the time has come when you were supposed to supposed to answer a question verbally.

“What year was the prototype of the ghost camera created, MC?”

“…”

“Professor… They don’t speak.”

He pulled you in after class and warned you your possibility of failing this class because of your lack of participation. But he found a solution. You can have Grim say it for you whenever you’re called on. Let’s hope that Grim is at least awake.

#riddle rosehearts x reader #jade leech x reader #floyd leech x reader #lilia vanrouge x reader #malleus draconia x reader #platonic #crowley x reader #divus crewel x reader #mozus trein x reader #that feels weird to type but it’s all platonic with the staff

[troblsomtwins829]

This is an old game, but there is still so much that we don't know.

One of the first things you can unlock in Jak 2 is Big/Small head mode, and I turned it on because I wanted to see how ridiculous it was. And it WAS ridiculous. But it was also a great model to see Jak's hair because I have a PS2, and those games were designed with a very different graphics output than our modern consoles. And I noticed something.

Jak's hair is RAGGED. Not like "It's been buzzed off and grew back messy" ragged, I mean "Left alone without an ounce of care offered" ragged. Weither the unfortunate messy mop he has in 'Daxter' is due to shrinkage or matts, this is still a fairly accurate amount of growth for two straight years. (For reference, the average human grows hair at a rate of one inch per two months)

I understand, as a 3d model, his hair is one object out of convenience, but when Daxter still holds on to that mop during a spin attack and Jak's response is a visual grimace, that hair may likely have ended up being a minimum single object over his time in prison.

Other Finds:

There are signs posted EVERYWHERE, and I DO mean EVERYWHERE. Everything from traffic signs to advertisements to shop signs! And they all say and mean things! Here's a few I noted

There's even a few Zoomer ads, but I cannot for the life of me make out anything more than "Long life" and part of the model

Another neat thing I found, though probably not new, is that when and NPC doesn't have a mission for you, they just don't exist. This is me in the Underground Base while I had misc stuff going on, standing in Torn's spot because he's just not there! Maybe he really DOES get some fresh air once in a while!

There's a map in the Underground Base, and I don't see this map anywhere else in the game, nor does it appear to line up with anywhere in Haven

It's an aerial view, but of what? It HAS to be Haven somewhere, why else would it be there? Is this an old map of the city before the walls were built? How long have the walls been there? How long has Haven been without it's rightful king? It's a very large city, that has heavily populated areas, but given the existence of Dead Town and areas beyond, it clearly used to have a much bigger footprint. The wall clearly wasn't built with travel along it in mind, it intersects houses and security gates. There are no patrols along it. I haven't seen so much as a guard or turret tower. And yet the walls are so tall and so thick, that they contain a whole network of power transportation to keep the shield walls up. Who designed it? And why isn't it maintained better?

Of course we know the answer to the latter question: Baron Praxis.

Baron Praxis is so uncaring toward his people, this much is obvious given the state of the slums, but Riddle me this: What dystopia leaders of note have enough funding to put up a giant FLASHING NEON propaganda ad in the middle of the slums, and still refuses to believe that people in the flooded districts of their city have no trouble getting into their homes?

These people have no way to get to these buildings, no WONDER they build their homes on stilts! The Water Slums is filled with what look like communal hovels and ramshackle dwellings that are staying upright and afloat with twigs and prayers.

Speaking of Prayers: The oracle.

There's this tapestry in the Oracle in the Water slums. There's like eight of them, but they all say the same thing. I've found no translations of this anywhere online, so I got real close and personal and snapped some pics to translate. And it's...it's oddly specific, in context, but I can't explain why in the world it's worded the way it is.

Translation is as follows:

"THE NOBLE WILL BE ASSURED OF A PLACE IN HISTORY THUS BEING GRANTED A FORM OF LIFE TO BE FOREVER VENERATED BY THEIR ANCESTORS AS ONE WHO LIVED A LIFE OF GOOD"

That is such an odd wording. Why "Ancestors?" Why not "Descendants?" that would make more sense, giving that noble person a place in history. It's clearly meant to be a general statement to the people and the followers of the Precursor beliefs to live their best life and BE a good person overall, but the way this is worded feels so specific toward Jak. I can't shake the notion that this is some old prophecy or prayer given from the Oracle before it fell silent that's been woven into that tapestry and hung in that place of worship.

#jak and daxter #LORE HUNT #jnd #I'm probably crazy #translations! #minor spoilers? #i did this instead of playing zelda #be proud of me

[life-in-the-garden]

A Spell for the Honey Eaters

Introduction

In a lot of Slavic languages we see the word for “bear” (the animal) being formed from epithets. In Russian, the modern word for “bear” is transliterated as “medved.” That, along with the Polish “niedzwiedz” both translate roughly to “honey eater.” This same use of epithets is demonstrated in a lot of Germanic and Scandinavian languages—the Old Norse “bjorn,” the less-common English word “bruin,” and even the German “baer” all ultimately refer to the animal’s color: brown. Indeed, this use of epithets for the animal was so widespread in the ancient north that, according to The Linguistics Encyclopedia (2002) we now have no record of what the actual name for the winter sleeper was in any northern Indo-European dialect.

But why did this taboo exist against saying the name of the honey eater? Until effective post-mortem communication is established everything is speculation, of course, but the most common consensus on this issue among paleo-linguists is that the people of the ancient north were very… let us say respectful of honey eaters. Nobody wanted the winter sleepers to steal their kills, raid their camps, or—worst of all—actively hunt them. Bears (let us be brave with this name) have power; they are massive, strong, and deadly apex predators.

Who are also very cute!

photo by Mark Basarab on Unsplash

Bears also get very fat every autumn and then sleep through the winter in order to avoid the problem of otherwise not having enough food available through the lean months of the year. Smart! But also fat. Very, very fat. So fat, in fact, that the United States National Park Service hosts an annual contest called Fat Bear Week where people can vote on their favorite bear every autumn. The linked website says it best:

“For bears, fat equals survival. Each winter, bears enter the den where they will not eat or drink until they emerge in spring. During this time, they may lose up to 1/3 of their body weight as they rely solely on their fat reserves. Survival depends on eating a year's worth of food in six months.”

So what does this mean for us humans? It means… stop hating yourself and/or others for being fat. This spell uses the spirit of the bear as an animal ally (if you are white like I am, please do not use the term “totem” or “spirit animal” due to those terms being cultural appropriation) to inspire yourself towards a better sense of self-love when it comes to your weight. And if you really struggle with internalized fatphobia, then you can at least use this spell to see yourself in a more neutral way that doesn’t reflect negatively on your self-worth.

Method

When pondering the nature of the primordial winter sleeper, I was initially drawn to food-focused witchery—because is it really a spell channeling the power of bears if you don’t eat at least one salmon? (this is a joke)—but this isn’t always an accessible option for people who struggle to cook and/or have a history with eating disorders. Therefore, the goal with the honey eaters’ spell is to nourish your body—but not necessarily with food if that doesn’t work for you. Therefore, more specifically for this spell you need to give your body what it needs to not just survive, but thrive.

And you know your own body infinitely better than I (a rando on the Internet) certainly do, so you get to decide what exactly your body needs to thrive. It could be 8+ hours of sleep, a solid meal, and/or an extra bottle’s worth of of water throughout the day… but these are just the basics. Maybe you need something more complex than that. Maybe you need a lot more than that. That’s okay. It’s okay to need things, and also okay to want things that aren’t necessities. It’s okay to pursue the things you want and/or need, like a bear tearing through a blackberry patch in search of the ripe, tart fruit. If you feel like you need permission to go after what you want, this is your sign to give chase with all of your power.

Please keep in mind that this spell lasts 24 hours once begun.

You will need:

Writing supplies OR a method by which to digitally store an image and quickly/frequently refer back to it

Accouterments for self care (your choice & discretion)

Instructions, such as they are:

First, draw a picture of a bear with your writing supplies. It doesn’t need to be fancy! Arguably one of the most famous pictures of a bear ever made was created more than 30,000 years ago in a cave called Chauvet in France. It looks like this:

photo by Jean Clottes, retrieved from Smithsonian Magazine

(If you want to learn more about the cave paintings of Chauvet, you can do so here).

If you don’t have the spoons to draw, lack confidence as an artist, or otherwise just don’t want to draw a picture, you can find a picture of a bear online and save it to your phone or another device for quick/frequent reference. Remember the power of the honey eater as you do so, and know that you are keeping that power close to you throughout the day that this spell will last. The attention of the winter sleeper is upon you, and though not cruel the honey eater will ask that you be kind to yourself; winter is never too far away, and you need your strength to survive the cold.

Once your image of a bear has been created or saved, the spell is begun. For the next 24 hours, your mission as a magical practitioner is to ensure that your body thrives. Take care of yourself as much as you are able; live lavishly, indulgently, and without regret. If you ever find yourself caught in a sudden trap of shame or doubt, think of the honey eater—refer back to your image if necessary—and say an epithet or name for "bear" that feels comforting to you (some examples: Arktos, Ursus, Medved). You can say the name aloud or just think it really hard; the point of doing this is to interrupt the shame/doubt and not allow it to take root and fester in your mind and heart. Keep doing this until the 24 hours are finished. Repeat as you see fit.

The purpose of this spell is to help your body and mind escape negative patterns of behavior and thought through the power of the winter sleeper. Remember that bears are fat, and that bears were some of the most awe-inspiring and terrifying animals ever encountered by ancient humans. There is nothing wrong with being fat, and fat is often necessary for survival through the long, hard months of winter. Unlike bears, we can’t sleep away months of darkness and cold—whether that darkness and cold be mental illness, abuse, or something else entirely—but we can bring the strength of the honey eater into ourselves for the eternal quest to continue living until the next spring.

If you liked this spell or even just found it intriguing, please consider checking out my ko-fi where I share spells and witchcraft-focused zines. As a struggling college student in an abusive home, it means a lot when someone is able to toss some spare change my way!

#witchcraft #witchblr #witches of tumblr #magic #haven's original spells #spellcraft #animal magic #fat acceptance #fat liberation #body positivity

[hunted-the-amiba]

Something I’ve ruminated on today is the conversion of negative or difficult thought into creative works. More often however it’s the opposite.

There’s this unspoken understanding that an artist, whether it be through words on a page, paint on a canvas, or a singers voice (or an infinite other option considering the breadth of human expression), can translate their inner sorrows and demons into works of beauty. These works are often lauded as a premier piece of art for its medium.

I don’t know if this is healthy for people as a collective however.

Now I am by no means discounting the people who have healed from wounds by creating. Everyone’s process for dealing with those feelings and thoughts is unique, and there is magic in seeing one turn those thoughts into something that communicates a feeling or state so primal. There is wonder in those pieces and I will never insult or doubt that.

What I do not like is the way we have turned these individual expressions of individual experiences into almost an expectation. Perhaps I am uniquely alone in this observation, but I have seen a general pressure to translate what you’re going through into art. That the way an artist copes is through creation, and whilst I think that every artist does this in one or another, I don’t think it should be the one way.

There have been times where I have sat infront of a blank page, wondering why I cannot turn the hurricane of sorrow and fear inside me into… something. Anything. I think we assume that’s how we break the dam. That in order for it to be released and not ruminate in, we must create.

Perhaps this the consequence of culture that alway more and more of the people who live it. Perhaps it is because we expect so much of those who create, that because they weave great works that we see ourselves in we assume through some paradoxical form of empathy that they must be using their art to tame their beasts the same we use their art for that.

Do you know how I’ve gotten out of my toughest moments? Those situations where I feel like I’m drowning? Sometimes, albeit rarely, I have written myself to shore when the inspiration struck. But most of the time? It was my friends. I know it’s cheesy. And we are so afraid of that in these days of grim media and grimer reality.

But it’s true. You need to find the people who will lift you out of the water, and who you’d do the same for.

I have seen people damage themselves more, by picking at their wounds for the sake of arty. The extra damage is small, and maybe the end result is healing enough. But I worry it isn’t. If you keep picking a scary while it is healing, you will cause it to bleed again, and I think this is the same for mental wounds.

Yes some mental wounds require you to go in with a surgeons tools to pry out and analyze what hurt you, so that you may best deal with its consequences. But other times I think it wise to acknowledge you have been hurt, do what you can to stop the bleeding, and then move on.

Perhaps this is the raving of an exhausted writer, with to much time to think, but to little imagination to turn pain into words. Perhaps I am wrong. But even then I hope that this has made you reflect on how you cope and deal with pain, especially creatively, and maybe realize you can do it better. Self improvement is an eternal road, that is what makes it beautiful after all.

#writing #art #ramblings #sleep deprived thoughts lmao

[gumclones]

because I spend a lot of time thinking about Bonnie's early life I have a lot of headcanons for things like when she learned the languages she speaks and how.

it's a reasonable assumption that she started out not knowing any human languages, since we see when she first separates from the Mother Gum and she doesn't speak there, only vocalizes.

(arguably the way she communicates with Neddy is a form of language, though he doesn't seem to speak at all and the glowing effects read to me as an indication that she's got some sort of empathic or psychic connection to him and that the popping sounds she makes are a way of focusing on that connection.)

but we know that within the first thirty years of her life she became literate in German:

my headcanon is that she learned German from some sort of recording that had both text and audio – maybe a children's instructional video, or a book on tape she luckily found with the paper book, or some sort of movie with captions.

following from this, as of the beginning of Bonnibel Bubblegum she had at least enough knowledge of written English to read the mug and understand what it meant:

but I think she solidly preferred German at this point in time and that when she talks to Neddy at the beginning she's speaking German in-universe which has been translated for our benefit.

(there's the scene with the goblin who tries to trick her, but I think that funnily enough it makes a lot of sense if you assume that neither of them actually understand what the other one is saying and that they're reacting to each other's actions more than each other's words, but that ties into some other thoughts I have on the reliability of the flashback as a whole.)

by the time she woke up her family she'd picked up enough practice with written English to start using it to label her equipment:

I think the first conversation she had with her family was conducted in English, since I don't know if Chicle's joke would make sense in German and the way Gumbald references what the mug says flows with the conversation in a way that makes it sound like Bonnie addressed him in English.

we see that as of building the candy town they were comfortable enough with English to switch to it for publicly posted signage:

and I think that this came from them now being able to speak English with native speakers more safely and easily! Bonnie on her own likely had a lot of difficulty talking to other survivors both because of the language barrier and because of her size. but Gumbald, Lolly, and Chicle all read and presented as adults, and together they read and presented as a family unit, which would likely put people they might want to trade with at ease and allow them to be taken more seriously.

I think that, while Bonnie used a mix of German and English with her family, German made her feel the happiest – when they give her the car, they use German, and I think that Bonnie switching to "Princess" from "Prinzessin" might have been a way to emotionally distance herself from who the new candy people used to be.

#choosing not to put this under a cut bc I like it a lot #Adventure Time #Princess Bubblegum #gum family #original #text #screencap #gen

[fights4users]

Program language and the nuances of Human communication |

I will not apologize, the novelization is good you’re getting a lot more now that I finished re-reading, lol. This time I’m actually writing little analysis pieces instead of sharing photos and screaming, so that a bonus?

Conversational nuance, and the MCP-

There’s a lot here, first and foremost it’s confirmed that it is actually speaking to Dillinger and Flynn through speakers hidden throughout the office and the laser bay. (Both users marvel at how far the voice modulation has come.)

Second is how quickly the MCP is learning, it’s clear that ambition and want drove it into its tyrannical rule. It’s quick, efficient and deadly in capturing other systems and assimilating what it finds useful, but what’s not talked about is how quickly it is learning human quirks and nuance. It’s clear that it is still learning as Flynn manages to best and confuse it in the real world, but the little inflections it’s managed to add to its voice startle him and Dillinger.

This also opens the implication that program communication may lack a lot of things we see as intrinsic to conversation. It’s hard to notice as everything we see on the game grid and in the main computer seem to be regular conversations to us. On some level they are as there is that “user touch” in the world (such as the main programs we see being a reflection of Lora, Alan, Gibbs etc.) but as things go on the difference begins to be more noticeable.

I don’t think Ram is naive or as oblivious as Flynn notes when talking with him- I think he’s just a program. He can’t quite fathom why someone wouldn’t be excited/delighted to talk about their purpose. Not to mention that language is shaped by one’s surroundings- I think different domains may sound different from one another, it’s like the program equivalent of an accent. Same language but differing inflection.

Flynn confuses everyone by using sayings or expressions completely alien to them. Either because such things don’t exist in their world or theirs a similar saying that better fits it (Thank God -> thank the Users | Dumbass-> Bit brain, etc.)

Language? Maybe? Possibly?-

The Headcanon is becoming more popular and I’m a big fan of it- that there’s different languages that sort of correlate to Programing languages. There may be some sort of universal translator or just - again in your common area everyone gets along etc.

This is kind of a thing in canon? I don’t know if it’s an actual language or a reverting back to a more primitive form of communication? As Yori and other programs reduced to automation (basically work zombies) speak in numbers and the occasional word. Yori, though she doesn’t remember much of her time like that retains understanding of it where Tron does not at all.

I’m imagining it’s something close to binary that the bits use. It’s a very basic language that doesn’t need much energy, function or thought to speak. So the working drones can communicate on some level while still being given the lowest possible ration of energy from the MCP. (I can’t stress enough that they’re functioning but not at the same time)

Regardless of what this actually is, legitimate language or confused, energyless mumblings - it does prove that there are some speech not all understand 🤷‍♀️… in a round about way.

#expect a lot from me today I’m having FEELINGS #tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #the game grid #tron novelization #the Encom system #encom #Tron lore #tron headcanons #speculation #tron meta #meta #analysis #world building #kevin flynn #yori tron #ram Tron #master control program #MCP #ed dillenger #programming languages #op knows nothing on actual computer programming this is going off in universe shit

[transformatives]

The Gift Must Always Move: AI Commodification and the Fanwork Economy

Introduction: Artificial Intelligence

When you think of a fanfiction writer, what do you think of? Perhaps a teenage girl on her bed, wrapped in a blanket while typing furiously on her computer at 3 am when she has school the next morning. Or maybe some friends giggling between themselves as they brainstorm ideas. Possibly, you think of a neuroscience professor in a cozy sweater editing her Star Wars draft before uploading it. But you probably don’t think about an AI bot. You also might wonder what these things have in common with each other. However, the discourse surrounding artificial intelligence in online fandom spaces could provide an interesting look into the socio-economic practices of fandom and how AI might be contributing to online isolation. 

On November 30, 2022, the AI software known as “ChatGPT” was released, marking the start of the AI Boom. Trained on large language models, this allowed users to chat with the program, ask questions, prompt responses, make it write poetry, complete homework, and translate text. The list goes on. As with most shiny new things, the denizens of the internet quickly adapted AI into their own interests, playing around in the seemingly endless sandbox that it provided.

Fandom response, much like everyone else, has been varied. Some people immediately flocked to this new technology, gleefully typing in prompts for fanfictions and fanart they wanted to see. In addition to ChatGPT, websites like Character.AI popped up where you can “talk to” an AI based on a character, similar to classic self-insert fanfictions. Some audio-based AIs can even replicate the voices of actors, making it so that these AIs can “act out” scenarios the user requests. Many shy fans argue that AI is a way for them to interact with their interests without the anxiety of requesting fanfiction from a writer or roleplaying. Like any new toy, people just want to play with it. 

But the writers and artists themselves felt very differently. Ask a fanfiction writer their opinions on AI writing, and they’ll probably say something along the lines of “‘For fun' or not, AI fics should be banned from AO3 [a popular fanfiction website] all together” (quoted from Reddit).

These AIs work by scraping internet data and using pattern recognition to replicate it, a process that Dazed describes as, “creating software that automatically collects data from various sources, including social media, stock image sites, and (maybe most controversially) sites where human artists showcase their work, such as DeviantArt”. There’s the problem: artists and writers cannot give their consent for their works to be included in these scraped datasets, and many companies are not transparent about where they’re getting their data from. 

But what does this mean for creatives, and how are online fan-spaces responding?

A Community of Gifts

The backlash against AI comes in many forms, but has been considerable within the general online fandom sphere, especially from fan artists and fanfiction writers. I’d like to propose that this attitude towards AI art and writing is intertwined with the economic model of fandom spaces, which might be classified as a “Gift Economy”. 

A gift economy is defined by economist Paul Krugman as “an economic system based on gift-giving, in which goods or services get exchanged with no expectation of remuneration, reciprocity, or quid pro quo”. Gift economies often exist alongside other economic systems, but have also been observed in some cultures as the primary system, such as in some pre-colonial Indigenous North American tribes. Another example would be blood drives, in which a donator gifts their blood to hospitals and they might “receive the gift” again if they need blood. 

Unlike more traditional forms of art, fan created art such as fanfiction, fanart, and fan edits (henceforth referred to as “fanworks”) exist in a legal gray area. Since fanworks are often created in reference to copyrighted works, it is difficult to create any profit from it. The legal battle between fan-writers and copyright holders is infamous within fandom. 

There are, of course, exceptions. Copyright holders will usually turn a blind eye to fanart, and in Japan published fan-comics are sold alongside the canon works. But generally, it is taboo in fandom spaces to profit from fanworks. For example, in response to a recent uptick of Etsy bookbinders selling printed copies of fanfiction for hefty prices, writers deleted their works and said things like “I hate these sh*tty vultures who are destroying fandom spaces to make money before moving onto the next grift once we are burned to the ground”. The fandom consensus: you cannot and should not profit from fanworks, both because there are legal restrictions and because on a deeper level the gift economy maintains art as art, not as a commodity. 

So if there’s no monetary reason for writing fanfiction, then why would anyone do it? Well, for love of the craft, of course. That, and for the cultivation of community. Fans contribute to the gift economy by providing their creative works, which they give without expectation of a return. Except, of course, there is a return, one that comes in the form of interactions and the strengthening of inter-fandom relationships. As Potawatomi author Robin Wall Kimmerer writes, “From the viewpoint of a private property economy, the "gift" is deemed to be "free" because we obtain it free of charge, at no cost. But in the gift economy, gifts are not free. The essence of the gift is that it creates a set of relationships. The currency of a gift economy is, at its root, reciprocity.” (Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass)

The Death of Gifting

Now, the gift economy that was subliminally understood by fans seems to be dwindling. “Fandom Etiquette” asks that readers and viewers of fanworks interact with the art, whether that be liking, commenting, or sharing it with others. By doing so, they strengthen connections and expand the web that makes up fandom. But recently fan creators have been discussing the lack of response fanworks get. Long-time fanfiction writers talk about how they receive less and less comments, which almost any writer will say is more encouraging than a like. Meanwhile, newer fans feel hesitant to comment on these works, seeming to believe that it won’t be received well, especially if it’s an older work. However, an aspect of a gift economy is that no immediate response (or response at all) is expected, so longevity is created through delayed and continual reciprocity. This is in contrast to the capitalist emphasis on trends and relevancy. In the case of fandom, this means giving back and interacting with older fanworks. Even the “lurkers”, the fans that don’t post their own works or thoughts, are asked to simply reblog, as that is deemed the minimum amount of interaction. There’s a disconnect there between those who do understand the importance of reciprocity in a gift economy such as fandom and those who don’t yet understand. 

I would like to submit that this lack of fandom reciprocity is indicative of a larger trend online where people feel more isolated in spaces made for community. When art is approached from a market-economy viewpoint, it forms a wedge between fancreators and non-creator fans, without realizing that in the same way that readers are hungry for writing, writers are hungry for readers. The gift is art, and the gift is reciprocity. Both positions are equally important because they are the same: fans.  

The Consumer, The Readers, The Givers

When non-creators see themselves as viewers and readers instead of consumers, they realize that they can also be likers, commenters, dm-ers, and friends. Perhaps, they will allow themselves to be creators as well, even if their beginning is less impressive than those they look up to. There is no need to scrape other people’s art and writing to mash together something that they think “deserves” to be consumed by others. This is because they know that their art is not a commodity to impress with or sell, but a gift to be passed among a community. As Lewis Hyde writes, “We may not have the power to profess our gifts as the artist does, and yet we come to recognize, and in a sense to receive, the endowments of our being through the agency of his creation” (Lewis Hyde, The Gift). You give, you take, you pass along, you build community. 

Fandom cannot be analyzed without acknowledging the alternative nature of its gift economy in relation to the domineering western capitalist culture. When AI is used to scrape data from writers without their knowledge or consent, it creates a contradiction in the fandom economy. The reader turns into a consumer again, and the role of the writer is undermined. It is a product without purpose or thought behind it, made in an instant to be consumed without reciprocation or community. Even if there is no profit created in most cases, it turns others’ art and mixes it into nothing but a commodity. AI poses as a capitalist and isolating force within fandom spaces, furthering the idea of fandom as a solitary activity. 

A consumer accumulates, they do not share. The “gift” does not move. It remains stagnant and solitary, rejecting the integral nature of communal creation in the gift economy of fandom. Art is something that needs both a giver and a receiver. As Robin Wall Kimmerer writes, “To name the world as gift is to feel one’s membership in the web of reciprocity.” A consumer is lonely, while a gifter is part of a community. The gift must move. 

#fandom thoughts #fandom essay #long post

[negative-speedforce]

Your OCs are called to investigate a wolf on the loose!

...but when they get on the scene, they discover that the "wolf" is really just Bravo, Madison's pet wolfdog. He's a big guy, maybe a little scary-looking, but he's a real good boy and a very well-trained dog (Madison was careful to make sure he was, since he's a wolfdog and could cause a lot of harm if he wasn't trained).

What do your OCs do? (Pick as many or as few as you'd like to answer for)

Most of them just take him to go get checked for microchips at the vet, but here's the more interesting ones-

Arya: Shapeshifts into the form of a wolf in order to communicate with Bravo and find out where he's supposed to be.

Antonio: Uses his telepathic abilities to search through Bravo's mind and find out where he calls home. If he doesn't find that info right away, though, he'll probably ask his parents if he can keep Bravo.

Cory: Uses her gravity manipulation powers to fly themself (and Bravo) back to Madison, all while pretending to be riding on Bravo through the sky to fulfill his childhood fantasy of riding a flying wolf.

Reyna: Invents a collar that translates dog to human speech. Unfortunately, Bravo really wants a piece of her sandwich, so that's all she's able to get out of him until she tosses him some of her sandwich meat.

Marie: Temporarily adds Bravo to the hive mind so she can go through his thoughts and memories so she can find out where he calls home. Hopefully Madison won't mind.

Dori: Uses HYDRA's extensive databases to find out who lost a wolfdog, then brings Bravo back to Madison in the form of a random celebrity just to mess with her.

#ask revan #oc shit #practically-an-x-man #OC: aryazana #antonio rivera #cory fields #reyna blazestar #katale'si mahaery #marie kaneyama #dori payne

[bestbonnist]

Chapter 168.1

Now that we know that the people who picked the doll and Kanitarou up are friendly and just happened to see them, that means that the person who was chasing them in the last chapter was someone else. Probably the guy from Chapter 167.1. And probably gonna track the doll to where she's currently hiding out.

Two things. One: we can see a bit of a scar on the mechanic's nose that matches the one on Kai's. The mechanic being amiable with the doll while maintaining a wariness towards her is also a very Kai thing to do. He's very observant. I think at this point he's older than he usually appears once resurrected, and judging from the apparent ages that we saw on their wanted signs, I'm guessing they were freshly resurrected a few years ago.

Second thing: Kai's probably referring to the Beholder/Satoru when he talks about someone who wanted to become human, and not Fushi. Because Fushi's never described themselves as human or discussed their desire to be human after the Takunaha arc. Satoru, on the other hand, was very upfront about wanting to be human, and Kai was there when Messar insinuated that the Beholder wished he was mortal.

I really like that Kai and Eko have both become mechanics. Or Eko has become a mechanic and Kai is her assistant, it's a bit unclear. It's so nice seeing Eko having something that she's passionate about, and that her dream of being able to communicate her thoughts to others has been fulfilled without her having to sacrifice an important part of her identity. And Kai is a blacksmith, so he knows a bit about working with metal and maybe that translates over to engineering somehow? I don't know.

A few notes about this part of the chapter: first, the script that hasn't been translated (because Ooima made it up) says the same thing that appeared in Chapter 166.2 before the doll's flashback.

The only difference is that the percentage that's been restored is marginally higher.

In the original Japanese, the text for the dialogue is in a specific font that's only been used for the person with the blindfold. I've included the raws for comparison.

And finally, the pill is the same one that was around their neck.

Based on the evidence, we can conclude that the doll's "self-identification system" is for her memories, we'll get a flashback every time a bit more of that system is restored, and the pill was an essential part of the process of making her human. We'll probably get the full story when the system reaches one hundred percent, but at the rate we're going it's gonna be a while.

Kai says earlier in the chapter that the mud only responds to human brainwaves specifically and on the final page we see the doll controlling it. df;dfa;dafslkadfs;dasflkj NICE.

How the doll has brain waves and no brain is a bit of a mystery, but the point is that they're implying that it's human already and just stuck in a different form. Which :\ is part of the mystery I guess, clearly the doll has a past involving efforts to become human that it can't remember. I don't love the idea of its backstory being "well, it's not a normal doll, it's a special doll that was secretly human all along." I'm hoping we get something else, because I think the doll being a piece of technology who's human anyways is more in line with what the manga's had to say about humanity so far. Like, maybe experimenting to make it human failed, or the experiment was just to make a program that thinks it's human, because thinking you're human = actually being human. I would imagine that learning that would really fuck the doll up, because in that case everything it's been trying to do in the name of proving that it's human was just more proof that it's not. And that's what I would do if I were Ooima because she loves to think of the worst possible thing that would happen to a character and then do that (compliment).

Still, no matter what the doll's backstory turns out to be, I'll be into it as long as it adds more layers to her character and to the story. Which it will because this is Ooima we're talking about :)

#lotta pictures in this one #fumetsu no anata e #to your eternity #to you the immortal #fnae #tye #fnae manga #fnae spoilers #fnae anime spoilers #fnae manga spoilers #wish era #chapter 168.1 #the doll #kai renald rawle #kai #original post #meta #eko #iddy