GGaD » Cosmic Dim. (V. XVIII), You're Correct but You're Not Right

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 19:18:20

Also adding that I lost my right to make "I can't cook" jokes in 2023, like I come here and see people literally just do not eat fruits and vegetables. Their genes superior fr (the body accumulates debt though so...yikes)
(also some of these people study Biology and Chemistry lol I can't understand)

Note, however, I have not lost my right to make "I can't cook well" jokes, so expect to see those around still.
I make edible stuff that I think tastes good. Who knows if it tastes good to others, though. (One person has said it smells good but they also don't eat vegetables so I don't trust them lmiao)

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 21:12:56

I need a third desktop screen or whatever so I can start putting pictures that make me cry there
There's no slideshow option smh
~~I start having a crisis over Zhuge Liang and "Pale Blue Dot"~~

I seriously can't believe I got to 2023 without knowing that Zhuge Liang (1994 classic series version) has just the greatest character theme
[note: greatest as in. For me. In a vacuum. Not comparing to anyone else.]
Wu Zetian has one too but it's more funny just because it's an inside joke between my mom and me. Zhuge Liang's tho.
I also found a few interpretations of Lanling Wang's March Into Battle which is so great, I'm never getting sick of any of these
(It's just me being very normal about my first few favorite characters xD nothing like me instantly deeming a poem my favorite within an entire language to prove this)

Oh btw I got an instrument (a harp?) in Sky and was testing it out by playing Zhuge Liang's theme in what I thought was a perfectly secluded area when a random player appeared and sat next to me. I hecking died.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 22:09:56

I really need to remember the order of dynasties in China one day, but until then I don't know.
I think the order of my Chinese Servants goes like this?
-Nezha (???, Shang dynasty [circa 1600–1045 BCE])
-Jiang Ziya (born 1128 BCE, orchestrated fall of Shang dynasty as an old man)
-Jing Ke (Qin, died 227 BCE) [I love the huge leap here btw lol]
-Yu Meiren (post-Qin during the Chu-Han Contention, circa 206 BCE)
-Zhuge Liang, Chitu Ma (Red Hare), Lv Bu, Zhang Jue, Zhou Yu (Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang was born 181 CE) [again gotta love the big leap]
-Sun Wukong (birth, according to Journey to the West, circa 102 CE at latest) (just adding because of the Four Classics and because it's hilarious to me)
-Gao Changgong (Northern Qi, born 541)
-Tang Xuanzang (Tang, born 602, premise of Journey to the West)
-Wu Zetian (Tang, born 624, she was an Aquarian LMIAO)
-Yang Guifei ("the ruination of Tang", named Yang Yuhuan, born 719)
-Yan Qing, Huyan Zhuo (premise of Water Margin, Northern Song, 1120)
-Possible publication of Water Margin (Yuan, mid-1300s)
-Publication of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Yuan, 1300s)
-Publication of Investiture of the Gods (Ming, between 1567-1619)
-Qin Liangyu (Ming, born 1574)
-Publication of Journey to the West (Ming, 1592)
-Dream of the Red Chambers premise (Qing, 1700s)
-Publication of Dream of the Red Chambers (Qing, mid-1700s)
-Li Shuwen (Qing, born 1864 CE)

Gosh, I hope I'm not screwing up badly somewhere, you know my mind will wake me up on the worst night possible when it notices.
Miss. Crane is a ??? because uhhh her tale doesn't give many hints and/or I can't find them. Tbh I forgot she has partially Chinese origins to begin with. Love her though.
Also I don't know the difference between BCE and BC or AD and CE, lol. I thought making a timeline would be cool though.
(*peace signs*) Yay.

-Galaxian-
P.S. when I was about 80% done with that timeline my computer tried pwning it, but I copied it seconds before anticipating it! Haha! Take that, computer!

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 22:37:57

Sometimes I try to rationalise stuff that doesn't really need rationalisation and I find "why I like this character so much" tends to get overanalysed (about to overanalyse "why I like this character" btw, reader discretion is advised)
Like for Zhuge Liang, easy. It's over-time bias combined with him being smart. And handsome and tall. Plus he's just so iconic in Chinese culture and design-wise, with his fan and hat and robe and all. Also he's sassy and will roast people.
I think now, there's the component of seeing his narrative as a whole. For a lot of characters, you get to see a crucial period of their life that leads to their development, eventual resolution (or tragedy), and maybe they continue with their lives if they didn't die. But for Zhuge Liang, the reader starts with his ambition (both from a historical standpoint and from the novel standpoint), follows his path as he leads armies alongside Liu Bei...yet when he becomes old, his ambitions have yet to be realised. He's reached his limit and dies with a substantial amount of regret. It's not incredibly melodramatic regret like you see from tragedies, when a character screams out or makes a drastic choice--he just fades away with tears in his eyes, his fan falling from his grasp as his life reaches an end. It's a realistic tragedy for a man who wasn't able to reach his aims within his confined lifespan and is forced to let go, and it's a very human death.
I just feel like his story as a whole is very realistic, y'know? In many ways, he was an extraordinary person. He had an intellect above most people (maybe exaggerated in the novel, but regardless) and ambition to bring peace to the people and to the age he lived in on a tremendous scale, which I'm pretty sure is rather rare, but at the same time he merely wished to live out a simple life. Before he joined Liu Bei--as he was waiting for a "fated" someone who would recognise his potential and worth--he was a simple man, a farmer and poet and scholar who liked sitting with his friends and tending to the fields. And he leaves that behind for the sake of his greater ambitions because he feels like it's his responsibility.
These Chinese stories based off real people really do a lot to bring out some charming elements (though they also make me sad lol), what can I say?
I haven't lived too much out of life yet, but I'm sure that like Zhuge Liang, most everyone has many dreams of their own that they try to carry out but maybe can't fulfill, and change various times over the course of their lives, sometimes not in a way that can be labelled "positive" or "negative".

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 22:43:29

I still think it would've been hilarious if Zhuge Jun joined Wei. How hilarious would it be if there was one Zhuge brother in every kingdom? Very hilarious in my view. Just imagine the family Thanksgivings
(He joined Shu along with Zhuge Liang btw lol)

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 22:46:16

Me on these days: (*actually using a braincell*)
Me on other days: Haha sassy man go brrrrr! Kill them with fire! (*about to commit arson themselves*)

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 22:50:22

Zhou Yu in F/GO, to Waver: I feel a highly irrational sense of hatred towards you but, ah, I see you are a man of culture as well! (they are about to torch the simulator)

I love the Chinese ethnicity I love being Chinese I love the crimes we are about to commit

Wait if Zhou Yu ever arrives in F/GO do I have to meme another 10 days lol

Oh noooo (genuine, last time he pwned all my work motivation for 2 weeks I don't think I could deal with it again)

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 23:02:07

If I edited the laser eyes meme for F/DA Saber would that make them eligible as a Saber, would it
(It fits so badly but also fits idk I think I depleted my brain cell completely xD)

The Saber class is made of beam-u
You see, you see? They could 220% say "beam-u" and pwn someone with cuteness, but that's different from them shooting a beamu themselves >:/

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 23:06:09

I am very well aware that it is a stereotype to say all autistic people are just cute and wholesome and whatever but also the only two people (and I do apologise if anyone else is autistic too btw) I know who have autism are (*gestures at Echo and Ishmael*) can you blame me

Joking btw, I didn't know Saber/their GGaD persona had autism until after I devved their character. I'm not too sure if that actually makes a point or not tho.
~~anyone else here who has autism also just keeps hammering my point in anyway, but the forgetting is probably super bad and another issue (with me) entirely xD~~

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 23:26:55

Thinking about how I for sure got this sort of sentimentality about stories and stuff from my mom btw, which is nice
We have an inside joke where we try tying the most ludicrous connections between us because in the past we tended to focus on the differences. And for sure we have some differences (like how we organise and go about doing stuff--in the recent years I accidentally passed my overanxious tendencies to her though so huge oopsies), but there are a lot of similarities too
Basically I'm saying my tendency to overanalyse differences and similarities probably comes from her too xD placing all the blame on her <3
Scapegoating is surely the greatest kind of love!

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 6, 2024 23:28:34

No no you see, it's fine when I blame my quirks and flaws on heredity because I have no redeeming qualities /j

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 7, 2024 19:31:05

Just noting this 'cause I forget about it a lot but I genuinely think I need to re-look Kariya Matou (from Fate/Zero)
The reason is (F/Z spoilers)

I had a pretty positive view of him as a person after watching the anime. But then when I look at comments and posts mentioning him I see a lot (a surprising "lot" btw) that denounce him as being "a terrible person", or "extremely selfish".
And I'm not saying he's a saint or anything close to one either, I mean thematically (not just plot-wise) the dude summoned Berserker from what I presume was a compatibility summon (and Lancelot is notorious for the stuff he pulled with Guinevere in addition to his strength and relationship with Arthur). But I mean, the dude went through so much, and that eventually resulted in his death (an outcome he knew could and would happen by various reasons), that I don't think it was completely ulterior motives or anything.
Maybe it's a manga difference? I'm not too sure how to expand my sources on it but I will never cease to be surprised how harshly he's judged by some. And I like him enough to want to confirm/elaborate on what I already think.

My personal reaction aside, I also think it'll be interesting to consider his character along with Sakura herself/the themes of Heaven's Feel, so maybe someday.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 7, 2024 19:43:18

Btw my view on Kariya is something like:

He's a lil pathetic and his luck was rock bottom for being born as a Matou, but also he's more than a decent person and he was more like actual family to Sakura than either of her biological parents (I'm not blaming Rin, she was just a kid too)
He's just a guy idk. Broke and plain-looking as heck, but I'd be friends with him.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 7, 2024 19:49:05

Also copying and pasting the description for the CE "Awakened Will", which centres on him:
I want to save the people I care about.
This wish of mine is engraved deep inside my soul.
They can laugh at my mediocrity, but my will shall not waver.
Even if this wish is just an illusion, filled with contradiction.

Like pleeasseee he's just a guy, please go easy on him.
~~should I mention that he's my favorite of the F/Z cast or is that not a necessary disclosure~~

"You need to stop liking people who like children and meet horrible fates"
Nooo! Neeeeveeeerrr!

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 7, 2024 19:56:37

Aoi Tohsaka's natural talent:

"smoothing things over"
LMIAOOOO HAHAHA NO I CAN'T

I'm coming to the realisation that pretty much all my favorite characters are just people who are extraordinary in some ways but who just. Why. In other ways.
Examples:

-Yes of course the Gold Saints need to ram a wall. Yes this is probably the first time they've even heard of the Wailing Wall. Don't question it, Athena lost her wisdom and war domain in this universe long ago.
-Li is great but he does nothing other than help the author ruin the story's ending (and get possessed, and act sus)
-Run...whyyyyy.
-Kariya with his extraordinary resolve but very pathetic side (he tried so hard but in the end, it didn't even matter ~~it actually made things worse lol~~)

-Zhuge Liang is great and all but unfortunately he did fail in the end, and even though it's understandable it's just, y'know. (the fact he mostly just was living his life before meeting Liu Bei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms is absurdly funny to me)
-Wu Zetian is great do not slander Wu Zetian (yes she was a ruthless ruler, but also she was a good ruler, most people slandering her tend to be guys. I wonder why, hmm?)
-Lanling Wang: The dude sucked at politics and was way too traditionally loyal, and I love him for that (*rolls r's*) verrry fact. He's a dork

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 7, 2024 20:05:25

Boy do I love spinach (*conveniently ignoring the hellscape of their Thursday schedule that starts tomorrow*)
(It feels like 11 P.M.)

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 12:03:35

Fate brings out my unique problem of "I'm not saying some of you have bad opinions, I'm just saying they contradict points I remember the series making and make me reconsider my perspective and, well, I am always correct."
No one will argue with me so I will argue with myself (joking by the way arguing with strangers would probably cause heart palpitations...and uh arguing with friends would be worse since I have a poor judgement on limits)
[I like thinking in general but this also helps with F/DA lol. I try to approach that with my own way first just to make things a bit more interesting, but still, thought provoking is almost always good]
Sure everyone's opinions are valid but you can't just back away with that as an excuse to not start anything. You see, I want a good discussion (*advances threateningly*)

(I did not sleep well)

I'm really worried about Assassin's Master's design not fitting with their personality lol, like both feel correct (characterisation will probably spear me in the gut just because it's them but it's...it's fine! We're fine!) but they're just so disjointed imo
Showing is also another matter xD

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 12:08:34

You see there is something about Assassin's Master that my mind is hanging onto but refuses to tell me, and since this hasn't been as much of an issue recently I am struggling to cope with it like I usually do
Like it's just some succinct wording on something I already know probably so please.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 12:08:59

We (I) also will continue to avoid the fact that I have a midterm on this first returning week.
lol

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 12:14:44

I'm kinda surprised that something like accidentally posting on someone else's homethread hasn't happened yet in all these years of being on the forum, considering it's me.
Just imagine the (my) horror.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 12:51:09

Changing Saber's colour palette to Saber's was already bad enough on its own, but then my mind added "Wow they look like one of those fan OCs where someone shipped Saber with their own OC and this is their kid."
Nope, I'm out. Goodbye.

(@Specter - unpinned the post because I confirmed that Saber is not a Saberface)

y'know that thought aside I kinda enjoy it, since you can see very clearly that F/DA Saber and OG F/sn Saber embody very different hero types.
Also colours really do make up Saber's design. They pull off the blond look really well imo.
Time to go analyse hair colour demographics in the AU for no reason :')

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 21:13:22

"The most loser version of attention issues possible" is now my new favorite (self-invented) way of describing the, well, most loser version of attention issues possible that I have.
Nothing like juggling who-knows-how-many tasks at the same time so I get all of them done eventually just by doing the other stuff when my attention lapses for the things I'm supposed to be focused on.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 8, 2024 22:03:14

I remembered an OC backstory and ngl, I think I wanna throw up. Uh oh.
Quick, happy thoughts!
...I like apples! The red apples at the grocery store were really fresh this time!

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 9, 2024 21:41:30

This semester is a contest to see which class will be the one to kill me
It'd be funny if philosophy class gets me instead of any one of the sciences (I am taking too many science courses but also there's no way I'd major in anything other than a science so,,,). Kinda like a dark horse.

Anyways, the conventional answer is chem, I suck at chem. When I say "science is my worst subject" I mostly mean "chem is my worst subject", at least thus far.
So I'm just putting down a hope at the start that I apparently did remember significant figures even after 4 years. Maybe I'll be able to keep up. ~~me remembering sig figs out of everything means nothing ik but pleaseeee~~

Professors matching up with their field's stereotypical personalities is still way too funny for me ehehehaha

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 9, 2024 21:45:53

Love how I actually forgot what I was going to say
Don't worry, I remembered it now.
Just mentioning that the professor of one of my new courses asked us what differences we'd take for the new semester and someone said, "I need to become an academic weapon". When asked to elaborate by the professor he says, "I gotta treat everyone like competition and knock them out of the game before they can get me first."
Scary. (the competitive atmosphere of where I am can get pretty toxic so I'm just trying to humorise it before it starts really getting me)

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 9, 2024 22:25:05

Also forgot to add that our reaction as a class was just (*nervous laughter*)

F/DA Saber will dominate my mind one of these days if I let them. Help.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 10, 2024 15:35:43

I looked more into Sima Yi just because I've always been interested in his historical counterpart and uh, wow.
Summary: Dude was ruthless and efficient. Also he was always right, unless he wasn't (and in this aspect I 100% can see why Romance of the Three Kingdoms made him and Zhuge Liang rivals; from what I can tell, the more major screw-ups of Sima Yi were only against Zhuge Liang. He was pretty much always right otherwise from what I can tell. "Sima Yi disagreed... as Sima Yi had predicted..." is everywhere lol.)
I'm thinking about the saying "Fear old men in a profession where men die young", as well as the importance of taking care of yourself (based on the words he used to evaluate Zhuge Liang).
See, Zhuge Liang did too much work and didn't eat/rest enough, and died early, and so was unable to fulfill his ambitions. This is why the turtle won the race. Sima Yi took care of himself and lived long, and made a lot of accomplishments, and his grandson became the emperor. You see? Slow and steady wins the race.
I also love how he didn't really wanna serve Cao Cao lol. The dude just wanted to retire the entire time but ended up suppressing who knows how many rebellions. I'm surprised he doesn't have a skill related to that in Fate tbh, but maybe I need to go read Reines' character info/files.
I can imagine him being like, "No, no, Lady Reines, I am on break. Please do not talk to me"

Final addition (for this post): I find it amusing just how many times he refused promotions (it was a very smart decision, but yeah, funni). I think there can be a point made about his character tying with traditional Confucian values, since from what I can tell, they're what carried him through his life and prevented him from meeting a political downfall. Zhuge Liang's connection with the symbol is great and all, but values-wise I think Sima Yi embodies them more.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 10, 2024 15:39:11

For Reines in F/GO I gotta say, I enjoy how somehow her eyeshadow(?) gives Chinese theatre vibes. And I also realised, it kinda makes sense for Waver to be Zhuge Liang's host, since (Fate/Zero spoilers)

a chunk of his character is about him continuing on and living for his king Iskandar. Zhuge Liang is also very connected to his lord Liu Bei

Overall I'm not as convinced though, so we're gonna continue believing (knowing) that Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi are literally just here but not really here for the sake of adding in the El-Melloi II cast. I mean at least Sima Yi is on standby, but it wouldn't surprise me if when he's talking he's actually halfway spacing out in earnest lol. Meanwhile Zhuge Liang is just Out

for some reason Sima Yi feels sexist to me xD so it's surprising he calls Reines "Lady Reines"
I need to look more into his side of things as well, I suppose.

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 10, 2024 16:06:25

Turns out to be my favorite character you need to have only one wife
(Zhuge Liang had one who he courted, Zhou Yu had one wife as well, Lanling Wang had one legitimate one. Meanwhile Sima Yi the bastard)
Wu Zetian about to smite me for what I was about to say/joke

Btw I am only noting this because I mentioned Confucian values for Sima Yi lol
I'm not too familiar with those, so I can't even remember most of what Confucianism says on marriage. I'm guessing that it probably would allow polygamy though (on the basis of marriages benefitting clans/continuing family lines maybe)
Please note that I only agree with Confucianism in some aspects on my own interpretation because of stuff like this. I'm not about to condemn Kongzi (Confucius) for his beliefs since it was his time, but I do believe that as part of the modern people that's just about all I am necessitated to do. I should probably read more into it too though lol

-Galaxian-

GalaxianExplosion · January 10, 2024 16:12:01

Adding again that Sima Yi's marriage with his first wife was probably arranged and that I understand where he probably was coming from; however, badmouthing someone who's been with you and acted on your best interests for so long just leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. (for context, when he was deathly sick, she visited him, only for him to rebuke her with a "Why do you even bother to visit me, you ugly creature?" which prompted her to try to starve herself to death. And then he made up with her only because their sons also tried starving themselves along with their mother, and later commented "I wouldn't care if the ugly creature died, I only made up with her for my sons." So yeah. Not that she was a good person either 'cause good and evil designations for people/history tend to be iffy but. Bastard)

Yes this is personal bias, if that wasn't already readily apparent. (:

Meanwhile Zhuge Liang being made fun of for marrying an "ugly woman" but actually loving her and living happily with her. Plus she matched him in being smart and has some inventions attributed to her under his name. Goals

-Galaxian-