#stars has thoughts

[ilovedthestars]

On System Collapse, Sanctuary Moon, and saving one another.

I said the other day that System Collapse might be my new favorite Murderbot book. The first time I thought that was in the middle of chapter eight, the chapter where Murderbot and its humans make a documentary to show the colonists what the Corporation Rim is like. The whole book was good, but that was the chapter that felt like it was reaching out to me the most.

The thing that struck me about it is how Murderbot saves the colonists with media. It was saved by media—Sanctuary Moon helped it rewire its neural tissue, process its trauma, find a place for itself in the world. And coming up with the idea of using media to convince the colonists is what drags it out of the depressive state it’s been in for the entire book up to that point, and lets it start to feel hopeful again. It literally tells us in its narration that the emotional reactions it has when it comes up with this idea are similar to the ones it had watching Sanctuary Moon for the first time. The thought of creating its own media, of finding a way to tell the truth and be listened to, of being able to keep people from being trapped in the corporate world it knows all too well, is just as much of a lifeline for it as Sanctuary Moon was.

Murderbot has been been feeling like a failure as a SecUnit for the entire book, and it finds its way out of that not through regaining its normal SecUnit competence but through art. Something it was never meant to experience or understand, let alone create, but something that shaped who it is. It takes the thing that saved it and turns it around to save others—and saves itself again, in the process.

And the other thing that jumped out at me, thinking about chapter eight, is that so many of us have been saved by media, too. So many of us have been saved by Murderbot, in big and small ways. I’m certainly one of them. Murderbot and the community of readers who love it gave me the space to stop and consider some things that (not unlike Murderbot) I hadn’t really been willing to examine. And now I get to figure myself out in a community full of aspec people who understand. Murderbot has given that opportunity to a lot of people.

Martha Wells has talked in interviews about how parts of Murderbot were based on herself. She says, in her introduction to the Subterranean Press edition, that media “probably saved [her] life as a kid,” including the kind of media that isn’t “cool” to be saved by. We’ve seen that in Murderbot ever since the very first line of All Systems Red. What we saw in chapter eight of System Collapse goes a step further. It makes me want to hold a mirror up—I hope Wells was aware, when she was writing it, that what Murderbot does for the colonists is something she’s done for a lot of others.

The colonists that Murderbot saves with its documentary are not real people. That scene, of course, is fiction. But it’s the kind of fiction that’s true in all the ways that matter.

I really love Murderbot. Not in a weird way. 💜

#stars has thoughts #system collapse #system collapse spoilers #murderbot #murderbot meta #the murderbot diaries #i was having so many emotions when reading chapter 8 #i paused after that chapter and wrote a draft of the second and third paragraphs of this post #it's about the parallels. between murderbot and its own past self #between murderbot and Wells. between murderbot and us. #it really genuinely made me want to hold that scene up to Martha Wells and say #you know that you did this for us‚ right?? #you know that you're saving people too?

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

#selfie bee #good evening friends!! how are you doing! C: #I'm very very sleepy I got a new ikea office chair and I build it all myself #I think it went okay! I don't think I pulled the back screw tight enough and now the back is a bit loose #I can probably fix it but I can also ignore it for the next 18 years #thats how long the old chair held up!! in germany it could now drink vodka and drive a car!! #not at the same time that is illegal! not at the same time!! (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ* #but the day is not over yet my uncle asked me for a big art quest and I do not want to disappoint #he wants a muppet tattoo and asked me to draw it #my uncle has started to get tattoos a few months ago #as far as I know he has now gotten 3 note clefs 3 stars a flower and multiple birds #he also started getting piercings but so far I managed not to know exactly where #I think tattoos are super cool (´｡･v･｡｀) I wish I had a good idea for a tattoo but the last time I was very sure about getting a tattoo #it was heath ledgers face as the joker #at that point I was 12 and would not see the actual movie for two more years #a muppet tattoo is a way better idea!! he asked for the count van count! that is also one of my top 3 muppets ₍՞◌′ᵕ‵ू◌₎♡ #I always thought I knew a lot about muppet lore but since I started looking up muppet pictures I think there are still a lot of secrets #can the muppets from the Sesame Street actually leave the Sesame Street? #I think Kermit is both on the Muppet Show and on Sesame Street but he is also like the boss muppet #he might have special abilities #I hope you're having a good day friends!! C: #I think I'll post a Sherlock comic later this week #miss you!! ♥♥♥

[daftmooncretin]

imagine being scotty in tos. every day your friend group goes on dangerous yet exciting adventures to new planets but you can never go because they always make you babysit the ship. also you have to stay on facetime with them the whole time in case they need a lift. you are the eternal designated driver. the seventh wheel. you dont mind as much as you should though because you sort of want to fuck the ship

#an a24 film #kidding i know babysitting the ship is his job and he loves it #i do think about scottu alot though because hes always excluded from the triumvirute and we can assume chekov uhura and sulu are all close #because they are bridge crew so scotty’s not as close to them either #no wonder scotty wants to fuck the ship #hes the seventh wheel:( #i guess he can hang with bones if you belive the mcscott shippers #still i would not want to be scotty even though he is baller af #he has no bestie on the enterprise except the warp drive #i didnt think i had this many thoughts about scotty #weird #star trek tos #tos #montgomery scott #scotty tos #star trek #jim kirk #spock #bones mccoy #the triumvirate

[monstermonger]

A Night Sky in the Woods

#art #friedrich #caspar david friedrich #another study- this time of Chasseur in the Woods #phantom is based on the feeling of lost home #and gave it textures of tree wood + stars + tears #have a version without the phantom too #but i feel he has a similar atmosphere with what the artist was originally going for so i don't feel too disrespectful posting this etc #eh etc etc im bad at caring enough to explain my thoughts well....... ;; #fantasy art #fantasy creatures #phantom #dark forest #wdhgwid #ghost #dark woods #night sky #fantasy illustration #inks #alone

[mmelolabelle]

Anakin Skywalker being that bitch, 41BBY— (ft ‘The Revenge of the Sith’ by Matthew Stover)

#there has never been a problem where this man hasn’t thought ‘whipping out a weapon will totally fix this’ #no one murders like him 😍 #look at him fighting ahsoka he’s having the time of his life #…afterlife #darth vader #anakin skywalker #star wars

[lucabyte]

traveller tips! you can drink from any standing body of water. it's fine.

#its a cute headcanon that loop's ability to watch/hear via siffrin as a guide extends to their other senses too #but its also got some funny fucking implications if you broaden your concept of 'senses' to 'general bodily experience' #isat #in stars and time #isat fanart #isat siffrin #isat loop #doodlebyte #anyway this joke entered my brain completely fully formed theres like no further thoughts behind it. #im just a staunch believer that siffrin probably has a cast-iron stomach from their eating habits pre-party #but cast iron doesnt mean immune. so watch out!

[omaano]

"Obi-Wan’s magic had always been at its strongest when he was protecting someone. Perhaps that’s why it was easier to defeat their remaining assailants after Cody went down injured."

I had the absolute best of time working on this illustration commissioned by the wonderful @wanderingjedihistorian for their fic What It Means! If you like a good fantasy setting, swords and sorcery, Jedis as mages and the Clones as knights do check it out!

#codywan #obi wan kenobi #cody #commander cody #fantasy AU #tcw fanart #star wars tcw #the clone wars #my art #star wars fanart #fanart #knight au #knight and mage #I put so many hours into this ohmygod #I also packed it full of details that are barely visible.... but at least I know they are there #feast your eyes on the peak of my artistic talent at the very moment I can literally not outdo myself after this #I've managed to pull off tricks here that I thought I will never be able to do wow #like getting Obi-Wan's face right on the first try XD I was so mad #but he has the fanciest beard I've ever drawn #for once and after 5 hours I'm kinda at peace with Cody's face which is a very nice feeling #you'll see this cross your dash a couple times you have been warned #the price of my pride you'll get to pay :D

[bolithesenate]

What happens when a Jedi Initiate dies?

It cannot always be prevented, the galaxy is a dangerous place, especially for children, and the Jedi are still only mortal.

Accidents happen. Illnesses exist.

Tragedies do too.

The Crèchemasters are highly trained to prevent that, of course, but they too are only mortal. They too can fail.

The death of an Initiate is a heavy burden, for the entire Temple. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it is a heavy burden. It is from that burden that one of the Order's most sacred traditions stems from.

They may die an Initiate, but they will not join the Force without guidance.

When an Initiate dies, they automatically gain the rank of Padawan – no matter their age. They will posthumously be taken in by a Master and be gifted a braid and a lineage. If they already found their crystal and built their saber, these too will be taken care of by their new Master.

Some Masters of such Ghost-Padawans, especially those who had a bond before their passing, will live the following years as if they had a living student. They will not take on another until the Force or they themselves deems them ready, at which point the High Council will hold a honorary Knighting.

Because while the Order might lose an Initiate, no Initiate will ever be left alone.

#a bit of #star wars meta #for your consideration :) #inspired by the concept of ghost marriages #and my staunch belief that the jedi are found family galore #for a people that has one of its core tenants be 'there is no death only the force' such a tradition would simply make sense #star wars headcanons #star wars #me writing #random boli thoughts #the jedi #jedi order #jedi padawan #also you know the inherent tragedy of other padawans of the same master having a lineage sibling that never was alive to meet them #and the beauty of them still counting as full members of a lineage #jedi as found family #to put it in ao3 terms :)

[pinkd3mon]

Dealing with Trauma while being King Dedede

Bonus:

Dealing with Trauma while being Taranza

#kirby #kots #kirby of the stars #kirby fanart #taranza #king dedede #meta knight #elfilin #gooey kirby #dark matter kirby #meta knight can be counted as part of dedede's trauma for comedic effect #not every trauma he has is about being possessed guys #it's just unfortunate coincidental that most of it is #he isn't resentful of anyone really #but imagine having a deep seeded fear by trauma of insects and this fucker you call your friend is like 'thank god im a spider' #and you just have to deal with the technicalities #dedede lives such a sick and twisted life #originally taranza said 'beforehand i'd like to apologixe' but i thought it was overkilled #meta knight is not aware he's part of the problem #im sorry for not coloring anything this wont change

[fluffmonster31513]

something about aventurine being on the path of preservation, and acting as a preservation emanator, and questioning if life is worth living. something about acheron being an emanator of nihility, the literal embodiment of emptiness and meaninglessness and saying that life is worth fighting for. that conversation either broke something in me or fixed something that needed to be fixed.

#hsr #hsr aventurine #hsr acheron #honkai star rail #hsr 2.1 #god i have so many feelings and thoughts #the fact that acheron and aventurine are also some of the only characters #whose in-game path matches their canon one #because topaz is NOT a preservation character but aventurine is #which also adds to sunday (i think it was him this quest was a blur) questioning what aven has in common with the preservation #like he and gepard are the only preservation characters who are like. actually on that path. #because march is a trailblazer and fu xuan is technically on the path of the hunt

[nelkcats]

Ember's Music Emporium

When he became King, Danny had not banned the ghosts from earth but asked them to be discreet, so instead of giving concerts that were extremely flashy, Ember decided to open a music store.

It was complicated to find a good location since she wanted to go far away from Amity, but she was aware that not all cities would accept strangers and it could be dangerous for her if they found out she was a ghost.

Money was not so difficult, Ember had collected several things during her unofficial concerts, among them: cash (besides, Danny was willing to sponsor her if that wasn't enough), and musical instruments were even easier to find as Skulker loved to build them and wanted to help her.

In the end, her little music store set up in Gotham (rusty laws, natural ecto, crazies everywhere and lots of people who looked extremely colorful, she assumed they would take her as one).

She and Skulker worked very hard at turning the dusty place they bought into something nice where everyone was welcome; they also made it a sort of temporary home, seeing as they couldn't go to the Infinite Realms every day.

And everything was a success until someone tried to attack their little business; naturally the ghosts protected it and very soon, a rare scarecrow was hit by one of Skulker's bombs.

It didn't cause much damage but it definitely drew attention. Many tried to attack after this and they kept responding (Skulker much more excited than she was about the whole thing).

But Ember was determined to not call Danny, she was sure they would get scolded about attacking people and not going unnoticed as they promised (although the rude people attacked them first and none of them were dead, or Danny would have come).

When some weird guys in bat costumes started trying to sneak into her humble music store (and they didn't even bother to pretend to be customers like the nice guy in the red helmet), she decided that maybe it was time to call the halfa. Things had gotten a little out of hand.

#dpxdc #Ember and Skulker opened a music store in Gotham #Ember loves music and thought the music store was the most obvious move from being a rock star #Skulker decided to help her immediately #he loves creating instruments for her and this is not different #they opened the store in Gotham and it did quite well #many were more interested in seeing her play than buying but Ember loved that #Scarecrow attempted to attack to “mark territory” as he heard the shop owners were new to Gotham #that didn't work out well for him #ghosts are very territorial #and Skulker has a lot of guns everywhere he goes #Ember is not thrilled with this development #dp x dc #dc x dp #ghost king danny #the bats heard that the store opened but paid no attention to it #apparently they gave small concerts and taught music to anyone #they started paying attention after the rogues started attacking the music store #and many new weapons began to be described #Skulker loves to show off #Jason has no problem with the store because they don't attack anyone who doesn't attack them #though he's a bit biased after hearing that the Joker was left in the hospital #his family doesn't think the same #Danny just wants a vacation #Is it too much to ask the ghosts not to look for trouble where he can't protect them immediately? #he is clearly frustrated that they didn't go unnoticed #but he's totally on Ember's side anyway

[ilovedthestars]

there is no "just" friends. there is no "just" platonic. i am begging people to think about the implications of this phrasing, especially when talking about aromantic people or characters.

deep emotional connection is not exclusive to romance. if you act like it is, you are acting like aromantic people can never form a deep emotional connection with someone. i hope i do not need to tell you that that is incorrect. there is no sliding scale of commitment and intensity of a relationship with "platonic" at the low end and "romantic" at the high end. either type of relationship can be at any place on that spectrum. people can and do have platonic relationships that are more important to them than their romantic relationships, or no romantic relationships at all and only platonic relationships. (a lot of those people are aro.)

if two (or more) characters are in a deep but non-romantic relationship, and you call their relationship "more than platonic, but not quite romantic," you are suggesting that a platonic relationship cannot possibly involve deep emotion or commitment. i have also seen "queerplatonic" get used as if it means "more than platonic, but not quite romantic," which is not at all what queerplatonic relationships are. they are another type of relationship which can fall anywhere on the sliding scale of intensity. the distinctions between platonic, queerplatonic and romantic are somewhat affected by societal expectations but mostly defined by the people who are in the relationship. they have nothing to do with the intensity of emotion or commitment involved.

this is probably coming out more harsh than I intended it too, but I've seen multiple posts recently talking about Murderbot and ART's relationship as if it's some kind of special undefinable thing that's More Than Friendship, and it's so frustrating. please, think about what you are saying about aro people when you present friendship as something lesser. (also, think about what you're saying about your friends.)

#stars has thoughts #aro thoughts #murderbot #aromantic #amatonormativity #aphobia #hot takes with stars #vent

[mwolf0epsilon]

How did Rex get his name?

5 year old CT-7567, running excitedly towards Cody the moment he sees him entering the CC cadet barracks: Cody! Cody! Fox gave me a name!!! Cody, surprised since Fox had initially opposed taking in '67: Really? That's great vod'ika! CT-7567, practically bouncing on the tips of his toes: Yeah! He said it means 'King' in a really old language used by ancient Jetii! He said it fit me because of two reason! Cody, curious: Those being? CT-7567, pausing to think: Well… He only said the one, not the second... But he said I had the makings of a great leader! Cody, a little suspicious: That's awfully kind of Fox. What did he name you then? CT-7567: My name is Rex! Cody, well aware that 'Rex' is a popular name for pet massiffs and dogs: Cody, looking towards Fox who has a shit eating grin: Cody, unwilling to shatter Rex's innocence well before time: … That's a great name Rex… Wear it with pride vod'ika… Rex, grinning from ear to ear: I will! -runs off happily to go tell his batchers- Cody, watching his little brother go: … Cody, looking back at Fox once Rex is gone: You motherfucker... Fox, cackling: I wasn't lying. He's got the makings of a great leader… Fox: It just so happens that he's also a little bitch that bites. Cody: Start running.

#star wars #the clone wars #incorrect quotes #captain rex #commander cody #commander fox #don't get him wrong Fox loves his little brother #but Fox also has a crude sense of humor that he enjoys tormenting his batchers and adopted ct brother with #Rex very quickly realized what Fox meant by two reasons behind his name he was innocent not dumb #he thought it was kinda funny and pretended he had no idea just to watch Cody and Co squirm a little

[devxoid]

regarding dr ratio's team join voiceline with aventurine

idk where it originated from but i've been seeing this notion that the ENG voiceline is horribly mistranslated and ratio is much more caring and friendly in the original CN. THIS IS LITERALLY NOT TRUE HE IS JUST AS BITCHY IN BOTH LANGUAGES

as a native chinese speaker i actually really love hsr's localisation and i would like to clarify the misconception + explain the cultural nuance/context behind this particular voiceline

i think this tweet might've been the original source for this misconception? op's translation of the CN line is very literal and completely lacking in cultural nuance. while the sentence 管好你自己 does literally translate to "take care of yourself", it lacks the automatic positive connotation that this sentence has in ENG. CN is a high context language -- aka the meaning of a sentence can be totally different based on context clues like tone, body language, etc.

ratio's tone in this line is not the tone of someone who is concerned for a friend. it's standoffish. when said in this kind of tone, the meaning of 管好你自己 is closer to "mind your own business", making the ENG "keep to yourself" a more accurate localisation.

in addition, the word 管 has connotations of controlling/managing something -- directly translating this to "take care of yourself" means it's missing a lot of important nuance.

granted, the second half of the line is a bit unnecessarily aggressive in ENG. the CN is more like "I have no need for your concern", and explicitly saying that he believes aven's concern to be "false" in ENG is definitely a lot ruder than the original line.

However. in my opinion it's not Too far off base. the way he emphasises the second half of that voiceline in CN carries an implication that he actually disdains aven's concern; we can extrapolate from context clues that he feels this way because aven's concern is just an act. tldr; eng line explicitly saying "false display" does make it ruder than CN but it didn't just come from nowhere -- the implication is already there in CN

this is not to say that ratio doesn't care about aven or see him as a friend. imo the reason ratio is so standoffish in this line is because any display of concern from aven here has the clear intention of teasing ratio. they both know ratio can take care of himself perfectly well. this is just how their dynamic works -- aven makes silly playful comments and ratio deflects them by acting cold.

in conclusion: ENG voiceline is not a mistranslation. hsr localisation is definitely not perfect but in this particular case i feel they've done a fairly good job of conveying the original meaning. thank you for coming to my ted talk

#SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS POST #Im just passionate about accurate localisation #if you read the whole thing thank you seriously #if anyone has other thoughts or questions please feel free to share under this post or in my inbox or wherever! #i did cross check all this with another native speaker but im open to hearing other ppl's interpretations too #dr ratio #aventurine #aventio #ratiorine #not necessarily ship but ill tag anyway #honkai star rail #hsr #long post

[frownyalfred]

I don’t trust guys who haven’t read fanfiction for their fandom. Like c’mon buddy, it’s called empirical research.

#‘oh I’m into Star Wars I know every line from the prequels’ but have you read the smut Dave????? #have you??? #did you know it has hundreds of thousands of hits #fandom #thoughts #fic #fanfic #fanfiction

[daily-odile]

everything is the same except Odile is the one looping

oh. heheheheh. muahahahaha. hold on *digs through my pile of disorganized sketches*

Odile loops au; a sketch compilation!!

Some old fic drabbles + associated sketches under cut (a6 secret spoilers):

hc: Since equipment carries over, as long as Odile uses her book in a fight, she can write down notes and have it carry over loops

toxic doomed yuri (for a more fleshed out fic I highly recommend The Sweetest Thing by soreimoon, it's amazing)

#isat #odile loops au #in stars and time #isat spoilers #isat odile #odile timeloop au #isat au #congrats on unleashing the hell gates of odile looping au!!! I've thought about it a bunch!!!!! #contexts: #candy is a reference to sasasap i think. not sure if odile likes candy though #i think it'd be funny if odile struggled with understanding how shields work for a bit. she spends several loops asking mirabelle for help #I think odile would actually spend more time in the loops once she's sure she can just loop again. They're not actually in a rush after all #and she might as well maximize her loops #under cut: #she leaves all of her excess books with loop. Loop has another thing to do while waiting #yes loop is still you know who in this one #toxic doomed yuri is just very self indulgent teehee thanks discord folks #not depicted: I also think that the more loops she does the more she views them as experiments #with variables to control and test #that's where she starts falling off the deep end and start testing stuff like. not warning siffrin about the rock #(instantly regrets it though. loops back the first time she tries) #day 26 today? #A big one! Have funnn #you can tell some of these are really old by the different colored background lmfao