Why Does Everything Need a Title?

but javik not being "good" as people see it is why he's so interesting. he's from a different time with different rules, and that's the entire point! he's there so we can see how it was done before, and why this current cycle has a chance.

we wouldn't understand the importance of uniting very different and unique people if javik wasn't there to say that the prothean empire failed by forcing people under one people, one rule. and this epic failure happened despite the prothean believing themselves so superior to others!

we also get this lesson about idolizing previous civilizations and cultures as liara has to come to terms with the fact that the protheans aren't as wise and/or as benevolent as she wanted them to be. surely it's not that distant from irl where people tend to idolize empires from before, and learn almost nothing from history.

and it's not just on a larger scale that javik has a purpose in the story. he's also a character who believes there is no honor in war and who has lost everything. symbolically, he can be seen as a ghost, but also a great warning for shepard and their future.

Want to mention @xoshepard's tags:

#i wish people would be normal about javik#i always get that paranoid tingling that it's because his va uses a very clear nigerian accent#there's no mistaking that theres a black person voicing him and i cant help but wonder if that colors how fans react to him#if he sounded like garrus would people cape for him on that level and start getting mad as soon as anyone critiques him?

Truly galaxy brain opening. It's so obvious now.

And Solas was mentioned in the tags as well as someone who is quite liked by fandom despite, well, everything.

And me, I'm a big fan of Sloane from Mass Effect Andromeda. Back when it launched, talking about her was such an exercice in caution. I had to add so MANY disclaimers to all my posts, saying I was not condoning her actions, replying to messages acknowledging the bad things she did.... Just being so careful all the time! Because yes, she did bad things, she is bad! BUT I NEVER had to use disclaimers when talking about someone like Aria. Despite, again, everything.

ironically its in a book about female sex anatomy that ive come across it (Vagina Obscura by Rachel E. Gross). everyone only wants to focus on the secondary sex characteristics and not the bazillion other functions of estrogen, testosterone, and co.

uses both of them!! for a

million reasons!!!!! aaaaaa!!!!!!!

I got the idea from cowcatchers old locomotives used to have.

Anyways, yesterday I uploaded the model to Thingiverse, and just hours after uploading it, the Community Relationship Manager of the whole website left a comment suggesting I enter the model into a competition that's currently being held on the site.

So I did... and now it's in third place not even a day later. First place is $500, but the competition still has a month to go.

Then the Community Manager contacted me again, telling me they want to feature my model in an upcoming design promotion.

Just, what is happening? I mostly made this thing for myself in, like, an hour, and now it's suddenly super popular? This is all a little bit overwhelming 😵‍💫

Other models I worked on for weeks didn't get nearly as popular. I swear, it's impossible to predict what people will like.

Anyways, if you want to print the wheel guards yourself, you can get the model here or here.

I also made a quiet version you can stick furniture felt pads on.

Also preserved in our archive