A Home That Stretches Out For Miles and Miles

28, tour guide, frustrated writer. Delights in genre mashing.

[anxietyproblem]

[lordofnowhere-art]

"There will be an eclipse of the moon in a fortnight's time, Serenity."

[needfulthings1]

Ai Weiwei, “Chandelier” (2015)

[archaeos]

Hollywood archaeology: Secret treasure! Hidden maps! Ancient tombs!

Actual archaeology:

[ivanaskye]

so I wanted to find a picture of the lobster and

behold! an archaeologist

[urbanfantasyinspiration]

There are many benefits to being a marine archeologist

[smallrituals]

MY OWN THOUGHTS by Helena Minginowicz (Polish, b. 1984)

acrylic on paper towel, 23x48 cm, 2026

[iconuk01]

I genuinely love this poster by Lucas Marangon to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of "Star Wars" (back in the days before anyone called it "A New Hope")

However, it does make me REALLY hope the handbrake on that landspeeder was rock solid.

[reddherring777]

hate when mummy movies use Imhotep as the big bad. He was an architect. Imagine a mummy movie but the mummy is Frank Llyod Wright. And he was buried at the House On The Rock. Ok nevermind that would be a sick ass movie.

[inkpressedpetals]

[graceofgosh]

Soda was an effervescent corn-based drink that was popular during the height of the American Empire. Regionally known as pop or coke in some provinces, it was prepared by extracting corn sugars into a thick syrup to be mixed with water

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Often dispensed from a many spouted font and served with small, rectangular blocks of ice. Some varieties of soda were thought to have energy enhancing properties.

[weshallbekind]

Actually this has been debunked! While many images found from the time period depict what *appears* to be small blocks of ice, evidence and testing have shown extremely elevated levels of plastic, meaning that those blocks were actually just clear plastic!

It's not yet known why they chose to put this substance directly in their drink, but our leading theory is that it was a religious ritual to show their devotion to the god of plastic. We've found much evidence of the material used during the time period in spite of their access to glass and metal, which we also believe has religious significance.

[weshallbekind]

I have absolutely no recollection of writing this at all

[ralfmaximus]

Probably the religious ecstasy from microplastics

[fravery]

"Evening In Blue"

Mark Grantham, Canadian

acrylic on canvas

[mabsart]

It’s not an ex-SecUnit.

You can’t be an ex-SecUnit until you’re dead.

[siderealcity]

Yeah, this got me, too. But mostly because it shows the arc PresAux has gone through. This is the reason SecUnit ran away in the first place! Because they treated it like it was no longer a SecUnit. Every single thing they say to it in the hotel after its been bought clearly indicates, "You aren't going to be a SecUnit anymore." No, you don't need armor. No, you won't be a bodyguard. You can do whatever you want except be yourself or fulfill your purpose.

And it's the top thing MB lists when ART asks why it left Mensah. "She offered me a home with her on Preservation, but she doesn't need me there. They don't need SecUnits there." When it's captured by colonists in Network Effect, it lists its top three issues as, "Being abandoned on a planet + locked up and forgotten with old equipment + no feed access." Like, they really managed to hit two out of three with that idyllic retirement offer. Go to a planet where nobody needs you and you can be forgotten about and put away safely as a tool nobody uses anymore.

But it comes back to help them when they need a SecUnit. They have to accept it as a SecUnit because they have come to understand that they do, in fact, need one, and that's what their friend is.

The line above from Ratthi is putting into words why they gave it a camera network in the hotel suite on Preservation Station. Why Mensah buys it drones. We get it, this is what you are, and you're our friend, so we'll make space for that.

[teaboot]

You see I too often sat in school classes and thought “when am I ever going to need this, I’m never going to be an engineer, I’m never gonna be a scientist, I’m never gonna be a linguist” and then I grew up and it turns out a lot of bigots and cults and scams and grifts hinge their entire business model on you just. Not knowing what a protein is or some shit

[tadporridge]

some low quality mb :)

(with minor adjustments)

[koitosoup]

Laios, devourer of all things horrible.

[can-of-w0rmz]

[sunatsubu]

Blending in

[teaboot]

Yeah Mr. Darcy’s proposal was a complete turd and a half but you gotta understand. You got your life together. A good career, stable income, retirement plan, all that shit together. And you meet this girl. And she’s everything. Clever, outspoken, funny, calls you on your bullshit. Grade A cutie, right? And she doesn’t go out of her way to spend time with you but she’s nice, and sometimes you catch her looking your way in a way that makes you think you might have a shot.

But her family. Holy shit.

First off, it’s p much ALL women, and mostly UNMARRIED women, which at this time means of something happens to her dad then you’re financially responsible for like. Four grown ass adults, potentially forever

Because mom in law is DEFINITELY gonna need someone to take care of her when dad in law kicks it, and they have like. NO money. So already you’re accepting that if all goes well, you’re gonna be one random old bag’s retirement home. That’s expensive and exhausting, yeah? Imagine asking someone on a first date knowing that if they say yes and things go good her high-strung chihuahua mother is gonna move in with you. IMAGINE.

And girly’s other sisters. Well, one is a sweetheart, yeah, and she’s getting engaged so she probably won’t be an issue, but that still leaves two more, and those ones are INSUFFERABLE. Never went to school, dumb as rocks, spend cash like it’s toilet paper

And while one of ‘em’s young still and might grow out of it the OTHER one is actively torpedo’ing her entire family’s reputation by wandering off with random dudes and chasing ass. She’s never gonna work, she can’t build connections, she’s a fucking sinkhole, and she’s being led on by the same goddamn con man ass leeching tit who’s been bleeding you dry while telling anyone who’ll listen that your family is full of ratty thieving bastards.

And if he dumps her after a week- WHICH YOU KNOW HIS BITCH ASS IS GONNA- you’ve got a SECOND UNMARRIABLE GROWN ASS ADULT TO PROVIDE FOR. And you KNOW she’s gonna be a tantrum-throwing little shit about it, and it’s not like you can lock her in the basement or something, you’re gonna have to bring her fucking. Everywhere. And give her an allowance and shit while she contributes zero, because again, she NEVER GOT EDUCATED AND HAS NO MARKETABLE SKILLS. She’s not even good to TALK to. FUCK

And you’re looking at this girl’s father like “please for the love of fuck get your spawn under control, marry them off, get them working on their résumé, learning to sew or be nursemaids or manage staff or SOMETHING, yall got no money and one foot in the grave” and that old man just laughs like “haha yeah, what can you do. lol”

So you’re looking to the mom and finally it’s making sense how she got that twitch in her eye and as MUCH as she is you’re starting to realize she’s the SMART one, desperately throwing her armloads of girls at random men like they’re a bunch of fucking lifeboats bobbing around a sinking ship, like yes Jesus Christ sweetly that life boat IS old and ugly and kind of boring but for FUCKS SAKE PICK ONE

And you look back at this girl who is ALSO REFUSING THE LIFE BOATS BY THE WAY and god damn it she’s still the most radiant thing you’ve ever seen so fine, fuck it, Christ alive, you’ll do it. You’ll shoot your shot. She’s everything you’ve ever wanted in anybody abut it’s not even just about that anymore, it’s about being her best fucking shot at a future, and even if she doesn’t like you all that much she’s still gonna say yes and that might break your heart a bit knowing it’s about the money but who knows, maybe it will at least be civil, or companionable, and even if she doesn’t LOVE you at least you’ll know she’s well and cared for

And so you’ll do it. You’ll take on the neurotic stress mess mother in law, the absent father, the broke ass wingnut no brain no money no future airhead sisters, the bad mannered relatives and the embarrassing behaviour and the impending future of sharing your entire shit with a clown parade of freeloaders, you’ll risk it all and accept the absolute certainty of financial ruin and emotional exhaustion for the rest of your whole ass life and you’ll make your own family deal with it too, you’ll do it, you’ll fucking DO IT, you stupid lovesick motherfucker

And so you go to this chick like “look. Your whole family’s a shitshow. You’ve got fucking nothing and you’re gonna die on the street. But for some reason- and I don’t get it either- I’ve fallen in love with you, and I wish I didn’t, but I did, so I’m telling you that whether you like me or not, I’ll give you everything. I’ll give you everything even if it’s the dumbest shit I ever done. Fuck my stupid Baka ass, I’ll marry you.”

And she looks at you- having heard or considered absolutely none of your months-long internal debate and monologue- and goes “The fuck did you just say about my family, you son of a bitch?”

And the shock of that is enough to jolt you back into a reality where you are able to actually hear and process what just came out of your damn mouth And yeah

Yeah, I think I kinda get it