stealingpineapples

Latest Posts by stealingpineapples

WORLDBUILDING RULE NUMBER ONE: PUT A FUCKING EQUATOR IN YOUR WORLD MAP

WORLDBUILDING RULE NUMBER TWO: IF THERE ARE POTATOES IN YOUR WORLD THERE MUST BE AN ANDES FROM WHERE THEY CAME FROM

WORLDBUILDING RULE NUMBER THREE: PUT. A. FUCKING. EQUATOR. IN. YOUR. WORLD. MAP.

WORLDBUILDING RULE NUMBER FOUR: ANY PLACE SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR CAN AND MUST BE AN ARGENTINA EQUIVALENT

The other color version of the illustration I did for Techtober 2024, prompt "monochrome". It's not monochrome, so it doesn't fit for the prompt, but force, I really, really love this one.

part of what makes tragedies tragic is the story being preventable from the outside but unpreventable from the inside

Shit writing Saturday <3

Haven’t done one of these in a while! To be fair… haven’t written smth I was excited to share in a while. Here’s this!! Lmk what you think 🥰🥰

Cody continues to stare, unseeing, out the viewport.

“I don’t know these stars,” he murmurs finally.

Kenobi says nothing. Cody knows he’s listening all the same.

“When I… grew up, on Kamino. There were rare cloudless nights. The seas would still for maybe only a few hours at a time, and the clouds would part around these brilliant points of light in a pitch black sky.”

He closes his eyes. He can just about see it; the rain-slicked platform, the cadets all hushing each other as they hurried outside, hoping no longnecks would catch them, no trainers would see them. Hoping that Fett himself was asleep, that his own cadet had been enough of a handful that day that Fett wouldn’t catch them either, all of them breaking rules.

“We would find our way around the biggest stars, first. The brightest. The ones that were always there. Those were our trainers. The guiding stars to direct us to where we needed to look. And then… we started naming the other stars. And we named them after ourselves. After each other. Our batchers, our squaddies, anyone. There were so many stars in the sky… but there were so many of us, too, what felt like enough to give each of those stars a name. The command formation has me, Bly, Fox, Wolffe, and Ponds, about two fingers’ width up from the star that was Alpha-17.

“Each of those names on that report—” Strato. Pusher. Scald. Cinder. Fuck, he knew where each of their stars was.

His eyes snap open again. Unfamiliar stars fall past him. It’s a cold sort of comfort, to distance himself from the urge to scream that rises in his throat.

“Cody,” Kenobi whispers, near silent.

He drops his forehead to his knees. “A swath of the sky has gone dark,” he replies. “And there’s nothing I can do.”

You know what? Fuck that.

Marshal Commander Fox is entirely unhinged. Batshit crazy. He hides it extremely well under a rock solid mask of professionalism but the second he is out of sight he will be doing something illegal.

If questioned Fox will simply say “Government property can’t break the law” or It’s not murder if I’m not a person”

He commits treason daily and has definitely murdered people.

He faked Fives’ death and regrets it because he and Dogma are too chaotic together. He fakes so many deaths. He got his grubby little hands on an entire squad of commandos somehow.

This headcanon is the ‘prove me wrong’ kind of canon compliant and I will not take criticism.

oooohhhh you found flowers in the desolate snow landscape .. of course you did .. of course you must give them to your jedi …

LOOK AT HIM HE LOOKS THE EXACT SAME AS HE DID 18 YEARS AGO

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker you will always be loved.

Honestly? My main piece of advice for writing well-rounded characters is to make them a little bit lame. No real living person is 100% cool and suave 100% of the time. Everyone's a little awkward sometimes, or gets too excited about something goofy, or has a silly fear, or laughs about stupid things. Being a bit of a loser is an incurable part of the human condition. Utilize that in your writing.

forgot to say that, without Howl chasing girls and Sophie resenting him for it, the film completely erases part of the point of Sophie being old.  Wynne Jones is using an idea that Beauvoir talked about - that being an old woman is both tragic (as we lose male attention/attractiveness) and freeing (as we are freed from the male gaze).  the idea is that with being old comes liberation, and the true meaning of what it is to be a woman, as society no longer forces gender norms on us.

Sophie is free from Howl’s attentions and therefore safe from harm (a big part of the book is the fact that Sophie believes he eats women’s hearts, and him chasing girls proves this to her).  she takes solace in the fact that she’s old, and finds it freeing.  when she learns more about Howl (notably: that he doesn’t eat hearts and that he’s not evil), she starts to curse her age and resent him chasing girls.  BUT she remains old OF HER OWN VOLITION - Howl notes that she’s perpetuating the spell by wishing to remain “in disguise”.  there are SO many layers to this, and lots to do with gender politics - if she’s still old Sophie can’t get hurt, she likes the freedom, etc.  but of course on a personal level being old is her denying her feelings for Howl, and also a representation of her low self esteem - being old is a defence mechanism and protection, both on a gender level and a personal one.

and the film kinda… loses this?  the only thing that remains is being old = low self esteem.  which really sucks.  because there’s SO MUCH MORE to Sophie being old in the book (perspective I already mentioned), and a HUGE amount of this is gender politics.  that the film just erases.

“omg you’re so creative. how do you get your ideas” i hallucinate a single scene in the taco bell drive thru and then spend 13 months trying to write it

bingewatching will never come close to bingereading. there is nothing like blocking out the entire Earth for ten hours to read a book in one sitting no food no water no shower no bra and emerging at the end with no idea what time it is or where you are, a dried-up prune that's sensitive to light and loud noises because you've been in your room in the dark reading by the glow of a single LED. it's like coming back after a three-month vacation in another dimension and now you have to go downstairs and make dinner. absolutely transcendental

the problem with reading and writing leading to a strong vocabulary is that you tend to know the vibe of words instead of their meanings.

if I used this word in a sentence, would it make sense? absolutely. if you asked me what it meant, could I tell you? absolutely not.

Ok I’m being so brave about it but a couple of days ago I saw this post claiming that the Jedi saying ‘this weapon [your lightsaber] is your life’ is emblematic of ‘the Jedi’s failure as peacekeepers’ (not an exact quote but pretty close) because why would a weapon be the life of a peacekeeper?

And like. The Jedi are a culture. They’re a religion.

You know that, right? You know that many cultures, including generally peaceful ones, have sacred weapons, right? You know that the bond between a Jedi and their crystal(s) is an extremely sacred thing that requires the consent of both parties and is integral to their way of life, right?

You know that lightsabers are not intended to be only for killing, right? That the first thing Luke learns to do with his lightsaber is to shield and defend? You know that a culture having sacred weapons doesn’t mean that they view killing as sacred, right?

Not trying to start shit, I don’t even remember who said it, but ugh

You know ever since I started rewatching ATLA I've been wondering if the Star Wars fans who consistently complained about "filler" episodes in The Bad Batch ever actually watched that show. A HUGE chunk of the character development in ATLA occurred during the less plot-centric episodes, to the point where most of the "filler" eps were necessary to the overall story. Without them the characters wouldn't have felt as fleshed out. ATLA had a massive influence on a lot of animated shows that came after it (Tangled: The Series is one that comes to mind) in terms of how it handled its storytelling. The Star Wars animated shows, TBB included, were no exception. TBB followed a similar formula of alternating between plot-heavy episodes and character development episodes, so as an already-established ATLA fan by the time the show premiered, I took no issue with the "detour" eps that just explored the characters and their relationships. Or just let them vibe in their environment before jumping back into the heavier material. These "fans" strike me as people who would've whined about the "Tales from Ba Sing Se" episode being "pointless" or complained about the "everybody (except Toph) gets a life-changing sidequest with Zuko" storyline or, the ultimate crime, raged over Appa having his own episode about getting separated from the Gaang. All of these episodes were important to developing the characters and expanding on their relationships in a way that made the show feel more complete, so imo none of them were extraneous. A lot of the "filler" eps in TBB were the same way - I don't think I'd have cared as much about the characters OR the plot if it hadn't taken its time to sit with said characters and encourage the audience to care. The thing that ATLA is often praised for is the same thing that TBB was/is demonized for by certain pockets of the fandom, and idk it just really annoys me

the tradwife movement is the same as it has always been - back in the kitchen, back to breeding - it just has better branding.

when i was younger, i hated pink. i was not like other girls. this is now something i'm embarrassed of - this was not me being a "girl's girl."

but it was expressing something many of us felt at the time: i literally wasn't what girlhood was supposed to be. this is a hard thing to explain, but you know when you're not performing girlhood correctly. it isn't as easy as "i liked x when girls liked y" - because there were other girls that liked x, too - but i never figured out exactly the correct way to like x, or to be interested in y.

now there is the divine feminine. this is the same rhetoric it has always been: women are biologically driven to like pink and ribbons and submitting to our husbands.

the problem is that the patriarchy found a better PR team. because yes, actually, i want every woman to have the choice to be a homemaker. i also want her taken seriously for her legitimate home-making labor. i want her to be recognized as also having a job, just unpaid. i want men to have this opportunity, too.

but it is no longer "i made this choice and I love it." instead it is a sixteen-paragraph rant about how selfish it is that my generation isn't having kids. instead it's long videos about how if you feed your children processed foods, you're going to kill them. instead it is "this is what womanhood is supposed to be. i feel bad for any other choices you're making."

the shame spiral is just prettier. it is large houses devoid of personality. it is the implication: if you don't have this, you aren't happy. the solid, everlasting assurance: women are actually supposed to be submitting. this is the default. this is the natural state of things. all other attempts inflict suffering.

but you can no longer say i'm not like other girls. you can no longer reject this image completely. you cannot find it revolting, even if you know that the underbelly is toxic and festering. sure, it is the same repackaged patriarchy. but the internet does not have shades of grey. you should support and reward other women! your disgust is actually internalized misogyny. not because you are seeing a vision of yourself the way they're trying to train you to be. not because you feel her ghost pass within an inch of your earlobe. not because your father will eventually ask you - why can't you be like her?

because they figured out how to make it beautiful: women will sell other women on this idea, and we will find the singular loophole in feminism. sure, she's shaming you in most of her videos. sure, she implies that a different life is obscene. but she just wants you to be happy! you'd be happier if you were listening!

and the whole time you're sitting there thinking: i'd actually just be happier if i had that kind of money.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEE BRADLEY BAKER!!!

How To Write Trauma With Humanity

This short post is for those who think that they might be so focused on writing trauma well that they accidentally forget to write an actual character.

As someone who has an "interest" (read: deeply passionate and completely consuming dedication) for psychology and character analysis, I feel like sometimes writers don't really know how to write a character with trauma.

To quote a quote:

Don't Write A Traumatized Character, Write A Character With Trauma

I'm just trying to talk about those situations where the only interesting thing that we ever learn about this character is the fact that they have trauma and that's sad.

People tend to think that PTSD and trauma in general is just:

sit in dark, crying inconsolably about death

have nightmares

hide the fact that you have PTSD with broodiness

try to revenge

die tragically or happy ever after

Remember: Nobody has time for that

These people have obligations, responsibilities, family members, loved ones, and dreams that don't allow for this type of lifestyle.

Many people with PTSD *seem* like standard members of society. They sometimes participate in community activities. They have hobbies and vague interests that they put on their dating profile but don't really care about.

People with PTSD and trauma are interesting REGARDLESS of their trauma and trauma-related bullshit, not because.

If the only thing that's interesting about a character is what something else did to your character, it's not really interesting.

What's their dreams?

What do they like to eat in the morning?

What's their values?

Stop Trying TO ANSWER These Important Questions With:

"don't care :3 trauma will make this character complete :D"

In time travel movies, when the time traveler asks 'What year is this?!?' they're always treated like they're being weird for asking.

When in reality, if you go 'What year is this?!?' people will just say '2024. Crazy huh.' and you go 'Wtf where has my youth gone.'

And if you ask 'And what month??' people won't judge you, they'll just go like 'SEPTEMBER!!! Can you believe it?!?!' and you go 'WHAT?!? Last time I checked we were in May?!?'

I wrestled with the thought of sharing this for months, but I've been deep in my feels about Tech today so I figured I'd finally share.

Art by the amazing @cobaltbeam !

Flowers used:

Forget-me-nots - (self-explanatory meaning)

Sage - Wisdom, thoughtfulness

Purple iris - Wisdom, dignity, strength, courage

I also asked them to sprinkle some white flowers in there to represent his "death"/sacrifice.

Butterflies are a symbol of rebirth. I didn't think about that when I asked for one to be included, I just thought the idea of him studying a butterfly was cute. And I like butterflies. Whether or not it means Tech will be "reborn"/return later I'll leave up to you. :P

The light halo is self-explanatory as well. I'm a sucker for symbolism in art!

yes there's a lot of things to criticize about Star Wars but one thing i will always love it for is being so unabashedly tragic

i'm sure it's been said before, but one of the main things i think powers the SW fandom (fics in particular) is the (in)evitability of it all

time travel fix-its are one of the most popular sub-categories of fics that i've seen (for the prequels at least) but i see it much more rarely in other fandoms. i know each fandom has their own niches that they dig into but star wars fic writers took one look at this decades long story of people who were doomed from the start and said 'not in my house bitch'

and i'm never tired of it, because there's so many places where just one different action could have changed the story entirely, but didn't

was it over the moment Palpatine succeeded in feeding Anakin's fears and his distrust toward the Jedi? the moment the Sith gained control of the senate? what about when the war started, when the Jedi were made generals of men designed to be their executioners? what about when Dooku left the order? when Qui-Gon Jinn died, leaving barely-knighted Obi Wan Kenobi to raise a child he had no idea how to care for? when the Jedi massacred the Mandalorians at Galidraan, leaving Jango Fett primed (hah) for revenge? when Palpatine, and thus the Sith, first gained influence? when the Jedi were tied to the Republic, all the way back at the Ruusan Reformation?

there are so many little moments that turn into this huge web of cause and effect when you take a step back. and in canon, these characters are dooming themselves while we watch, but what reason do they have to do anything different? they don't know they're in a tragedy - its dramatic irony at its goddamn finest

but there's this thing about decisions: for it to be a choice, there has to be another option. and our heroes make their mistakes because that's what they do, while we aren't privy to that other option, leaving that little what-if. it's a favorite human pastime, to think about what might have been.

we start at episode 4, though, fourty or so years after what you could arguably call the start, and find ourselves watching the dominoes fall in place throughout 1, 2, and 3.

and we can hate the choices, hate the tragedy, hate what happened to our beloved characters, but we knew. we had the luxury of knowing.

it's a love story, it's political intrique, it's sci-fi at its finest, and they were dead from the start.

I saw a post (I can’t find it!!) of clones bodies and Fox was showering with his armor and it made me think of Spider-Man showering with his suit so I did this

When I was working on this, I saw that @superiorsniper sneaked in, abolutely in character without any interaction. I think you felt that I just worked on Lula in your face 😀 That‘s it – welcome, enjoy and get Lula‘d for superior grumpyness 😀🫶🏼

This time I tracked time again on this piece. It took me 1 hour and 19 minutes. I‘m getting better 😎

Re-sharing this post I found on Twitter for people looking for alternatives to NaNo. I haven't tried any of these sites but they might be worth looking into.

We know many of you have seen NaNoWriMo's recent statements on generative AI...

Well, we have too—and that's why we've made the decision to retract our sponsorship of NaNo.

Your support and belief in human creativity, transparency and collaboration mean everything to us, and we're committed to staying true to that. Thank you all! 💙

You can read our full statement here.

The Ellipsus team xo

Get Sassed in Amazing Technicolor, Ventress.

Original inks can be viewed here.

May need to click on the image for better quality.

Image description: It's a drawing of a very young Ahsoka Tano. She's on her knees in front of a Clone Trooper's helmet. She's crying and her hands are tight fists on her lap. She's wearing a light blue Jedi robe with brown gloves and boots. The Clone helmet insta drawn in like her, it's left as a light colored sketch. The prompt for this drawing was the theme of "absence" and Ahsoka's first time mourning one of her fellow soldiers. End of description.

just a normal day at the normal office where everything is normal always

Crosshair being legitimately the baby brother of the Batch always makes me giggle, my man is just peak youngest sibling behaviour.