The Fucking Bird That I Love

Imagine this:

Hello! Have you ever heard of a "city of the dead"?

It's a place where the living reside, but they're dead! They're doomed to die, either quickly through direct targeting or slowly due to the absence of vitality in their city

Wherever you turn, you find nothing but death, displacement, homelessness, destruction, hunger, thirst, ignorance, disease, and rampant infection.

It's my city! It was fully with life until the butchers passed through it! Since the beginning of the massacres, I've been struggling to save myself and my family, but in these circumstances, your support alone has been and remains a lifeline for us.

a 31-year-old living amidst the war in Gaza, a place deeply affected by conflict and hardship. I hold a Bachelor degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences , I graduated with very good But Unfortunately, I did not get a job opportunity.

Before the outbreak of war, my family and I had a comfortable life in our beautiful home filled with cherished memories. However, since the conflict began, our lives have been turned upside down. We now find ourselves living in a small tent, exposed to the harsh elements and constant threat of violence.

Our home, which once embraced us, is now destroyed It became a remembrance

👉 Watch the video

A picture of me and my family in front of our destroyed house.

Our house was bombed in the 2008 escalation and we built it, and also in the 2014 escalation the house was destroyed again and we rebuilt it, and in this 2023/2024 war the house was also destroyed.

Every time we start again, the Israeli occupation destroys us again

Life is unbearable. It has become hell for us. destruction, no education, no future

We can't stand it anymore

The situation here is dire. Food and basic necessities are scarce, and famine and malnutrition have become rampant. Our lives are hanging by a thread, and we fear for the safety and well-being of our children every single day.

The cost of living here has become extremely high. All of our resources are going towards securing food and trying to escape from disaster, desperately seeking a lifeline.

We are yearning to escape this nightmare and rebuild our lives in a safe place.

However, the cost of traveling to a safer area was beyond our means.

Each ticket cost $5000 per person,

a sum that was impossible for us to bear. Now, the border crossing is closed, and things continue to worsen.

We want to collect donations to leave Gaza if the crossing opens

That's why I am reaching out to you, dear friends. Your generosity and compassion can make all the difference for me and my family. Your donations will enable us to flee this war-torn region and start anew, away from the horrors of conflict and instability.

Please, consider lending us a helping hand. Your support could mean the world to us and ensure the safety and future of my beloved family..

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for considering our plea.

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters , my number verified on the list is ( #533 )✅️

Vetted by @bilal-salah0

Donation Link

gofundme.com

Donate to A Cry for Help to Save My Beautiful Family in Gaza war, organized by Khaled Qattam

My name is Mohammed Matar , a 30-year-old living amidst the war … Khaled Qattam needs your support for A Cry for Help to Save My Beautiful

I can't help but wonder...

What if I got him by my side?

Oh, cookie angst. This duo is everything to me, the themes, the contrast, the parallels, the colors 💛💙 I don't know how to properly describe it, like they are meant to be together, as foes, as friends, as companions. I felt this since Shadow Milk got introduced; but with chapters 7 and 8, this feeling got stronger.

...I would have gotten to drawing this if I wasn't busy with college.

But anyway, since you decided to read whatever I wrote here, can I comment on the legendary costumes' story?

It's a post-corruption/didn't fully became a beast SMilk, not his pre-corrupted form. His whole conversation with Truthless Recluse, I admit, got my head spinning. He talked about everyone having their truth, noting that TR's is "to protect others from anguish". He also mentioned that he went through the same despair as TR (continuing the canon of SM seeing himself in PV).

I wondered if the story shed some light into how Shadow Milk turned into a Beast. It is already known that he turned to deceit because of cookies around him choosing it as well and there's no further elaboration.

So, did he just corrupt just because? No, absolutely not. I think there were two traits of the Fount of Knowledge that were at play. First, I think he was somewhat of a crowd pleaser, as the Sage, he always tries to put on a show, make something entertaining, answer any inquiries. As a Beast, sure his showmanship is to entertain himself, but his whole deceit thing is giving those cookies what they want.

Second, and most important, I'm quite sure SMilk fears/hates rejection. Turning to falsities is rejecting knowledge after all.

Shadow Milk Cookie became who he is as a way to lash out at the rejection of his knowledge, to give them the performance they wanted to see.

Tangent but, when Pure Vanilla offers him his friendship, the whole fearing rejection explains why not only he rejects it, but in such fury, leaving the whole showman act. (Image below to break monotony, I'm just proud of this little section)

I want to go back to the truths the Sage comments on, what's his that make him curse himself? Going by the Recluse's, I guess is 'to give others knowledge', but that alone couldn't give him despair. I think there has to be a second part to the statement.

At the end of the story, the Recluse is gone, and the Sage hears cookies still pursuing the truth. So, the Truthless Recluse 'complete' truth will be 'to protect others from anguish (here, the cruel truth), but there would always be cookies seeking it' And with that logic, the Fount of Knowledge is 'to give others knowledge, but there will always be cookies that will reject it'.

No matter his title, prestige or merit, not everyone will like it. Could the Fount had gone insane searching for a knowledge that will get everyone to accept him, could it be that when he reached the Peak of Truth, he felt like the universe pulled a sick joke on him.

The Sage's eureka at the comment of the Peak of Truth having nothing be his realization that what he found was technically something he already knew, but denied for so long. Laid there, not as a sick prank, but a challenge to finally shed the lie. I mean, his other theory was that someone took all there was. (Does this make sense?, I'm still doubting my read)

But yeah, that Sage of Truth overcame his despair by accepting every part of that truth and still trying to live by the first part. And can I gush about his characterization? He's so jolly and enthusiastic, open for new ideas.

And the way he describes himself, a scholar and academic, but also a performer and an artist. Is just lovely how his showy persona is not just part of the charming liar act. Though that got me thinking, was the Fount also like this?

I mean in that era, cookies sought him out, he had his Spire of Knowledge and is very hinted he is connected to the Blueberry Yogurt Academy. Then is the Sage's "Not like those academics" line.

Wouldn't it be interesting that as the Fount, his way of giving knowledge was restricted by academia, that he wasn't able to be fully himself and when he became Shadow Milk Cookie, in a way he found freedom.

If that were the case, the Sage is even a happier situation as he can do what he wants as himself. And hey, I can make a parallel to Pure Vanilla, as he forgoes his title, like PV stops being king. He is in a humbler position, no spire but talking in a town square, where he found his crowd.

Though is kind of a sad that in a way the story still implies that he has no friends. Sure, lots of cookies see him every day, but they are there for the knowledge, not the Sage himself as they don't know or want to know about him. I guess his path would only be lonely...

Unless someone who understands came his way.

Anyway, thanks for reading my very long essay, I wanted to also speak of my early prediction of SM and PV switching sides and how this costume set somewhat gives me some of that, but again this is long, so I'll just leave it there. Have a sketch of the Sage of Truth and Compassionate Pure Vanilla having a tea party.

Below the art background without effects.

And the main part isolated.

ABC kids

That's just my nickname for them. First seeing Buddy, I thought these three could have been good friends. Not replacing Junior, to make it clear. I just think, Buddy deserves more of friends.

Ramblings below. With Spoilers.

I need more Brothership, that game was AMAZING. I've been into Mario and Luigi since 2014, with BIS as my first game. I love the combat, the story, the characters, like this is my type of game.

The only lacking part was boss density. All Extension Corps members should had gotten individual fights, so the player can get quite the surprise on how they work as a unit, like the Mage Sisters. But that's my main gripe.

Is wild it's made by the developers of Octopath Traveler. I didn't know until after beating the game. I've played both entries; so, knowing them, it causes quite the shock. But the soul of Mario and Luigi it's still there. I hope to see what more could they do with the series.

Anyway, I have a feeling that there could be DLC, despite neither Octopath, nor Mario and Luigi getting those as far as a I remember. There are a few things I perceive as loose ends.

Mainly what Arc tells you before storming Fortress Zokket again, that if we navigate all currents, something good might happen. Of course, I passed through all of my remaining dark blue currents and... nothing. Is just, what is the purpose of that line of dialogue? Am I the only one hung up on that text?

Another thing is Dewy Fightem, still saying that he will continue his monster research after defeating Glohm Pipegunk and disappearing from Shipshape after beating the final boss. It would be cool to get rematches with the final stretch bosses.

Another thing, I would be nice to be able to find Patriarc at some point, even if optional. Dude disappears from the story, and I just kept expecting him to show up. He only does in the credits.

Reviewing them again, maybe not the best "evidence", but I can dream. Besides, they could at least do a post-game with the tree Connie gives Mario at the end.

Well thanks I you got here. Have an extra sketch. I might do something out of it someday.

first time drawing them!!!

it didn’t take me long but here’s the process for those who are interested because I’m still proud of how it looks!

For the span of nearly a year, I’ve drawn all 72 Copy Abilities that appeared in the games and anime (plus a couple extras) to celebrate Kirby’s 30th Anniversary. I posted one on my Twitter account every five days.

Rest in peace, Gooey. You would've loved Mouthful Mode. 😔

Help make our wish come true! Season 2 is in your hands!

Vote for your favorite 💛

But... voting for Pure Vanilla Cookie is the only right choice (kidding).

Shadow Milk is only supporting PV so Mystic Flour can demolish him later, no other reason at all...

Kirby’s 2022

A final farewell to 2022. What a year for this fandom, quite more eventful than usual.

I just noticed a month had passed since Pikmin 4 released. I'm shocked that I've only been thinking about these little fellows for 30+ days straight.

Honestly I'm glad to finally had tried a game after getting into the series via the animated shorts and playthroughs.