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tuber-culosis · 3 years

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I've been reading through a lot of radfem blogs and posts lately. and gotta say, i'm leaning a lot towards radical feminism. And im definitely gender critical.

but one topic I want to talk about in particular is the criticism of Islam.

Which I feel is totally valid considering the current state of mainstream islam and Muslims.

Mainstream Islam (is what you see on all social media, seemingly practised by a lot of Muslims) IS sexist. And homophobic. There's no use denying it, neither do I think I'm a bad Muslim for not supposedly defending my own religion. You have to recognise the flaws in your own system to improve and progress.

Then arises the question why am I still Muslim then/ why do I still practise Islam? If I recognise the way it is practised is sexist and homophobic, which are things I'm against?

The difference lies in my belief that "mainstream Islam" is much different from the root of Islam.

Many (read: a LOT, not all) modern Muslims have been influenced by ultra conservative movements that want to return Islam to the way they believe was practised during the time of the Prophet (pbuh), ie; some centuries back. This is propagated by the ideas of Salafism and Wahhabism that frankly, prevent progress, reform or any sort of growth in Muslim communities.

I personally have witnessed this in my own country, India, where women are increasingly wearing the hijab and even full body covering purdahs, not talking to the opposite gender, men not looking a woman other than their wives in the eye, etc compared to when my mother was a child, when almost all Muslim women dressed in normal comfortable clothes and there were no much gender segregations. (Gender segregation still existed to a certain degree due to conservative Indian culture ofc)

This radicalisation led to the development of ultra conservative Muslims who enforce sexist, homophobic and separatist policies in the name of God.

They claim to want to return to "true Islam" but they add so many unnecessary rules and regulations you have to follow in order to be a "true Muslim" that are almost so impossible to follow I can vouch I have unconciously broken like 50 of them in one day maybe. These "laws" are derived from:

1. The hadith

2. Arab culture

3. Poor translation of the Quran to fit these radical ideals.

Explaining each of these in a little more detail,

1. A lot of practising Muslims might come at me for this one, but I feel that considering the hadith to be a holy source of guidance and believing everything in the Hadith when there are so many contradictions and logical fallacies, is foolish.

For those who have no clue what the hadith is, Islam basically has the Qur'an, which is, as we believe, a holy book revealed by God to the Prophet (pbuh), which acts as divine guidance on how to live life as a good person. It has rules, suggestions, and guidance to take desicions on a lot of everyday matters we face. It was a godsend (hehe pun fully intended) to women, who weren't even allowed to own property back then. Muslims believe that the Quran is guaranteed againt corruption by God, as revealed in one of the verses. Therefore, to a believer, it is THE book to consult, and the verses will never change, no matter how many years pass. There's actually a really interesting way the Quran is coded, so people can know if it has been tampered with or not, if anyone is interested. But the bottom line is, for a Muslim, the verses of Quran cannot be challenged. There are various INTERPRETATIONS of said verses, but the core Arabic text is the same.

Now there is a secondary source of guidance in the form of Hadith, which is literature that claims to record things the Prophet (pbuh) has said in his lifetime. The problem I find, along with other hadith critics, is that it was compiled much later after the death of the Prophet. Muslims argue that these hadiths were passed down in a proper recorded chain of transmitters that can assure the message hasn't been altered or tampered with. The problem is, that the standard used then was just how reliable was a person's memory and how trustworthy they were, and they did not actually judge the actual content of the hadith. So even if a hadith hypothetically said "Kill all the disbelievers", (which, fyi, it does NOT) and it had a reliable chain of recorders, it would be accepted as "sahih" (trustworthy) hadith, even though it clearly goes against the guidelines of the Quran, where it says there shall be no compulsion in religion (which implies you cannot just murder anyone who refuses to believe/ believes another religion). If one actually examined the content of this imaginary hadith, it would be easy to see it's tampered with by people with or without malicious intent (for eg, it might've actually been "You can kill the disbelievers ONLY if they attack you and will not leave you and your family alone") or some may not even remotely be the words of the Prophet, as he only followed the Quran.

Also, the integrity of the Hadith isn't guaranteed by God anywhere in the Quran. To know more about this, I suggest you read this link , and this one.

So yeah, I take hadith with a (large) grain of salt. So I will not be including them in my discussion obviously.

Now a lot of these hadith have been fabricated, as established, or reflect something that was applicable specifically in that time and setting, seeing that the Prophet was an ordinary man who couldn't predict the future or know about all the different cultures of the world.

So even if the headscarf was a part of Arabian attire, that doesn't mean it has to be assimilated into our cultures now. Just because prostitutes used to pluck all their eyebrows out to signify that they are prostitutes (sex work is forbidden in Islam, because of the negative impact on women and society), doesn't mean that women are not allowed to pluck their eyebrows now.

Following these hadith blindly without considering for a moment that hey, these might be outdated, seeing it isn't meant for all time periods like the Quran, and half of these contradict themselves, maybe we shouldn't consider this as an authority on rules in Islam. Personally, I don't believe anything is forbidden that is mentioned as such solely in the Hadith, and not in the Quran.

But the staunch belief in all of these Hadith leads to micromanaging of women, and literally everyone else. Few ridiculous examples include:

women can't pluck their eyebrows

men can't wear silk or gold, and they need to grow beards

music and dance is forbidden (seriously???)

the Prophet married a literal child of nine years (no do not try to justify it as "it was acceptable back then". According to the Qur'an it wasn't. Girls had to be mature enough to reject or agree to marriages and literal children can't do that. There is plenty of research to prove that Aisha (ra), his wife, was at the very least 19 or 20. Again a case of unreliable and maybe purposefully manipulated Hadith. Scholars and people who uphold the theory that Aisha was 9, and hence, child marriage is legal are pedophiles through and through)

I feel that if anything, hadith should be considered with the authority of historical commentary, giving us more context to the times, and should never be blindly trusted just because a lot of scholars say it is a "sahih" (trusted) hadith.

Also a main feature of Islam is that you don't need an extra priest (no offence to religions who have priests) or a scholar to tell you things and intervene with God for you. You have a holy book, your own common sense and humanity, and you pray to establish a connection with God. Scholars are secondary OPINIONS who can provide insight from their knowledge and research to people who want it, but by no means any authority on things, just like hadith.

2. Arab culture and society, especially back the times that radicals want to emulate, was heavily patriarchal. Islam gave women rights and protection, but they were still limited by the cultural norms of that era.

What these people actually want is to return society to Arabic culture in that time period. (Exhibit A: the abaya/purdah for women and khandoorah for men. exhibit B: sex-segregated spaces)

Back then, women were expected to be caretakers and mothers, and men were expected to be the strong masculine protector.

Enforcing said cultural norms into modern day Islam is ridiculous. Saying that women rarely left the house back then, hence women shouldn't leave their houses now is the same as saying there weren't phones back then, so I shouldn't use one now. Would you ever give up your phones? So how about we do the same to women's autonomy and freedom? Adapt to modern times like regular humans?

If women were meant to stay at home, and meant to just rear children, and never meant to be seen in public, and never meant to be seen by the opposite sex, as extremists say "is God's will", then why is none of this found in the Quran? Do you seriously believe that God, describe multiple times as All-forgiving and generous and kind, would ever persecute women to such a fate? If you do believe that, then maybe you need to re-examine in the nature of God that you believe in. Also if you tell me the "it's for their safety" gimmick, I will flip out. It has been proved multiple times that a woman's dressing has nothing whatsoever to do with why men rape.

Sure, Islam advocates for modesty in dressing, for both sexes. Both are called to not stare rudely (many Muslim men seem to forget that part of the verse, strangely), both are advised to dress in modest, comfortable, clean and practical attire. Never once is anything remotely like "YOU'LL GO TO HELL IF YOU EXPOSE YOUR ELBOW, WOMAN". But the way modern Muslims enforce the dress code (some even going to the lengths of saying women shouldn't wear BRIGHT COLOURED CLOTHES, so as to not attract attention!!! I'm looking at you, Mufti Menk), you'd think that God says something much worse than that. Infact God pulls out Uno reverse, and encourages us to dress as beautifully as we want, especially when visiting the mosque.

3. A lot of English translations of the Quran come from Saudi Arabia. A country famous for its conservative practise of Islam. While the original Arabic text cannot be changed, a lot of these translations include information in parantheses that add "rules" based on the above mentioned factors, that a casual reader or a new Muslim who doesn't know Arabic will consider to be authentic rules of the Quran, extrapolated from the verse, and not extra additions that are often derived from hadith. A very good example of this is the headcover verse, which you can see in this link.

Even all the hostility surrounding homosexual people has been derived from cultural influences and one set of verses. From around 6000 verses, just a single set passingly mention homosexuality. Don't you think that if it truly were such a great sin, God would have explicitly forbidden it? Also why would he create such a natural variation in sexuality and then forbid it? Why isn't it forbidden for animals then? Is all-loving God that cruel to create this natural and healthy attraction in them and then explicitly forbid it when straight people get to marry and live life in bliss? (Please don't say that "God also created pedophilia, and that's natural, so by this logic shouldn't we allow that too?" because pedophilia IS NOT HEALTHY, AT ALL. IT'S IS A DISORDER. Unlike homosexuality) I'm also not picking and choosing things to fit my lifestyle, as some might say, as I am straight, and the only reason I support the LGBT community because I have basic humanity?? And they're humans who deserve rights and joy and freedom and acceptance just like the rest of us.

There have been reformed translations of Quran which examine the verse without prior bias against LGBT people, and they have presented an alternate translation, that the verse condemns sexual assault, which happened to be homosexual in the particular story. Check out this link too, which explains how closely examining the words used could change the meaning from one thing to another.

What I attempted to prove in this extremely long post is that the practise of a religion isn't necessarily the reflection of its true nature.

There are progressive open-minded people who believe in Islam because it gives them hope and solace. People who believe because core beliefs of Islam aligned with their own views and simple logic.

NOT to say there aren't religious bigots who will totally use religion to manipulate people into oppressing themselves or other people. There are, there are a LOT of people like that who call themselves "scholars". And there are a lot of people who follow these extremely harmful regressive version of Islam without critically thinking about what they are following.

I've seen a post discussing the meaning of the word Islam, which means submission to God. It said that it implies total submission, without questioning what we believe.

That is an argument used by both religious extremists to further their beliefs, and by the opposite side, who say the religion is oppressive.

I wish to present a view that Islam itself tells us to think critically, to use our brains to question everything and anything we believe. And then to arrive at our own conclusions. And if you're a decent, kind human, those beliefs maybe align with Islam (not saying that if you're not Muslim, you're horrible, that is not what I meant at all). And if the opinion between people differs, there's always logic and reasoning behind every rule that is presented in the Quran. Don't believe me? Here's the verse that tells people not to blindly follow their parents' religion. And here's a list of verses about critical thinking.

The reason we (atleast reformist Muslims) submit to God is because we questioned it, we came to the conclusion that Hey! This is right. I can submit to my Creator by, who is basically the consciousness that created everything and is the source of all goodness, love and strength, because the rules mentioned here make sense and they privde a moral framework for me to base important desicions on. They feel right. And there is logic behind everything written in this.

I don't mean to present Islam as an all-perfect amazing religion everyone should believe and that I'm right, everyone else, especially those liberal atheists who criticise my religion are wrong and WILL BURN IN HELL. I consider Islam a perfect moral framework, and that's my business only. Anyone can follow what they want and it's none of my business. In fact there is no compulsion in religion at all, and people who say Muslim or go to hell are wrong imo.

What I intended was to paint a picture of reformist Muslims who are still out there, who follow the religion because they questioned it. And not the religion as this stringent rule book we all have to follow down to a t, micromanaging every aspect of our lives and living in perpetual fear of hell, but rather this basic moral guide that teaches us tact, compassion and justice, to bring us closer to God spiritually. I wanted to show that the majority isn't always reflective of what I think is the true core of Islam.

I feel that many practises in the name of Islam are highly questionable and should be criticized, but I also want people to know that the people who seemingly represent the religion, are not representative of the entire mass of believers. That sometimes the practises you might criticize might have nothing to do with the actual religion, atleast according to some of us. It was also for fellow Muslims who might be in the same place I was a few years ago, questioning everything I had learnt was part of my religion.

This is also NOT to undermine struggles of people forced to follow Islam and its seeming requirements like hijab. This is not to claim that nope, every Muslim is fine and ok, and we're all peaceful progressive people. In fact I wish to do the exact opposite, to show that people who enforce oppressive policies in the name of Islam aren't actually backed by the religion and neither should they be backed by other Muslims. I'm also not trying to say no one should criticize Islam. Criticism helps us grow. Criticism is necessary to uncover oppression and eradicate it. So by all means, criticize.

I'm so glad I found the subreddit r/progressive_Islam when I did because it helped me a lot, and opened me to other like-minded progressive Muslims, who actively hope to counter the negative effects of Salafism and conservatism that is overtaking Islam.

So yeah, I think I covered almost everything I wanted to talk about and here's a final link that pretty much just states my position on things.

PS idk why this thingy is in different colours it just seemed cooler and less boring to read

#religion #islamicpost #radfem #gender critical #muslim #progressive #change #critical thinking #sexism #feminism #feminist #allies #humanity #extremism #womenempowerment #freewomen #headcovering #mine

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flickeringart · 3 years

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Sagittarius Sun and Moon Combinations

Planets represent different energetic principals in the life of an individual – the signs show how these energies express themselves.

Having an inner planet (or luminary) in the sign of Sagittarius gives the personality enthusiasm, an expansive quality. No matter what other placements the person has, the energy and spirited nature is going to come through.

To simplify;

The Sun represents individuation, ideal self-expression and conscious self-expression.

The Moon represents instinct, emotional nature and personal needs.

Sagittarius Sun – Gemini Moon

This person has a difficult time keeping the enthusiasm in check. Once the ball is set rolling, it doesn’t move in a straight line, it bounces off the walls until it accidentally hits a target. The overall personality is set on being honest, but in the jungle of information one could get confused about what one’s thoughts actually are. They change so fast and move from this to that – it might feel like there’s no truth except the constant search for truth. The person would crave stimulation and be allergic to boredom. The personality would be unsuited to work that requires stamina and determination – there’s too much scattered energy living inside this individual to mobilize towards a concrete goal. The excitement of living is more important than anything that can be accomplished – to inspire, charm and have fun is what this person lives for. When potentials aren’t actualized or when the person is forced to follow a strict path it will be difficult to find any joy. But, even in the midst of restriction, there’s a light-heartedness and a willingness to provide a spark of inspiration. The person is full of ideas and pride, anything could be an adventure if one is allowed to exercise one’s creative mind and bring some life to existence. On the down side, this person would feel disinclined to define themselves in any way. To remain in a state of potential is much preferred to concretize a stance, a need or a desire. Everything depends on the moment, what arises and what is called for with this combo. The constant state of flexibility could benefit the person but be detrimental at the same time. The effort and dedication it takes to wait for something to actualize itself through a longer process doesn’t necessarily appeal to a person with these placements. On one level, it’s as if this person isn’t registering the pressures of life, but is sublimating them, dealing with them as mental concepts rather than being squarely in the experience of them. Keeping things moving and avoiding soaking in experiences could lead to feelings of meaninglessness and futility, despite the original proclivity to be optimistic. This is a healthy state, presumably, which gives the mutable personality some depth instead of mere superficial excitement. When the person matures, there’s recognition of value in the journey, and value in information. Not to mention the recognition of power in knowledge.

Sagittarius Sun – Pisces Moon

There’s a lot of optimism and sensitivity to this combo. While the Sagittarius personality might be able to brush things off and put themselves above any petty criticism of their character, the Piscean need is to be loved by everyone. Life is not worth living if there’s not a genuine belief in love, and depending on what circumstances the person find themselves in, the dream of bliss might get crushed or kept intact. Even though the process of individuation for this kind of person is to gain confidence, a spirit of enthusiasm and trust, the person is originally prone to want to retreat into a state of non-separateness. There’s a tendency to idealize people and places, to live with a kind of bitter-sweet outlook on life. While the person would strive to always have things be exciting and to explore things outside of the comfort zone, there would be great emotional sensitivity to stimuli which could hold them back. The person would perhaps more often than not end up exploring their interests and fascinations in private – exploring the inner world of dreams and images could be very satisfying. Since Sagittarius and Pisces are universal signs, there might be an enhanced capacity to intuitively know things, to intuitively grasp complex themes and patterns within and without. Both signs hold broad and inclusive perspectives and seeks to make sense of the totality of reality through meaning and purpose. The limited and the personal is not this person’s primary concern. The essence of life is sought on a general level. There’s an awareness of the unseen, a great love affair with God and an acceptance to be led through existence back to one’s source. Although the person might go through episodes of sadness and world-weariness, the Sagittarian identity that is unfolding throughout life is designed to have faith, to inspire, to convey wisdom and adopt a more or less carefree attitude - never loosing sight of the big picture. The Piscean tendency to be thoughtful and introspective adds a nice touch of depth to the personality, and a remarkable ability to feel what is taking place emotionally on a collective level. The person lives in connection with humanity and the world more than others, always picking up on trends of the times.

Sagittarius Sun – Virgo Moon

There’s a concentration and an attention to detail in the quest for knowledge. The zest for life is paired with practical reason – there’s an awareness that extraordinary life experiences won’t just fall in one’s lap, they are put together piece be piece. The tendency is to plan, to organize and process everything, which could put a damp cloth over the desire to be care-free. Anxiety over whether everything is going to work out is conflicting with the trust that the person strives to develop. Sagittarius Suns are supposed to take on a broad vision, a perspective that allows for mishaps and bumps in the road because one knows that it’s all part of divine plan. The Virgo Moon effectively counteracts this by being aware of things that could go wrong from a more earth-based perspective. To ride a bike without a helmet could end up in a disaster or eating too many sweets could make the person hyper-active. The Virgo temperament is not designed to overlook these little things, which could make the person frustrated because the Sagittarian spirit doesn’t want to be limited by petty things. The advantage, however, is that the clumsiness and boldness of the person is toned down by a careful and hyper-aware disposition that could serve to keep them out of trouble. The friction that is created between a rational and physically anchored perspective and a adventurous and freedom-loving one can produce an interesting dynamic. There’s a push and pull between self-actualization and basic personal attributes. The need to have established routines that guarantee optimal health and efficiency has to exist alongside the process of finding oneself, the process of actualizing as an individual. As long as there’s mere focus on ritual and everyday normality, there’s nothing that sparks the self-expression. Once there’s room for excitement and pursuing an intuitive path, the Virgo attributes can come in handy putting all the knowledge into practice and not loosing sight of the importance of specifics. Both signs are mutable, so adaptability is a great strength, although stubbornness and skepticism might kick in every so often. One should take care as to not let the belief in one’s intellectual capacity cause ego-inflation. Knowledge should be used for good of all, not to enhance one’s own sense of superiority.

Sagittarius Sun – Sagittarius Moon

With the Sun and Moon in Sagittarius nothing stands in the way of pure enjoyment of life. Independence, freedom, travel, exploration, adventure – life is calling them to set out on a quest for truth, a journey of the spirit. This person would not want to settle and would prefer to keep up the speed, even in old age. There’s a tendency to live as if one has already reserved a place in heaven, free of sin, free of guilt. There’s nothing to impede or hinder this person because life itself is what is treasured, not the particular form or circumstance. On the down side, this attitude could exclude the awareness of denser emotional states, making the person prone to gloss over negativity by viewing it as a betrayal of the eternal spirit. There’s validity to the experience of limitation and lack – the denial of these is to avoid going deeper and cope by flying up into the realm of belief in eternal life. Although this person would generally be open to a multitude of perspectives, there would be a strong sense of the correctness of personal opinion. The need to preach one’s stance with force could upset a few people. There’s a censoring that could happen which would seem selfish and narrow-minded. Not to mention that there can be a scatteredness to the person’s thinking that could make their message seem insubstantial and backed by confidence rather that convincing arguments. The task is to adjust and evolve into the more refined traits of Sagittarius, to cultivate compassion and understanding for people, to uplift and inspire through genuine love of life rather than going down a path of reckless and irresponsibility. It’s good to have confidence but it should not be acquired through rubbing one’s competence in other people’s faces and bragging unnecessarily about one’s broad knowledge and insight. One should watch out for the risk of viewing oneself as superior, bossiness can hardly be labeled a virtue – it’s childish and immature. The person might not be suited to lead because of their strong ambivalent and independent streak, but I could see this combo being a great side-kick, a resource of great value that would have to be kept on ”long leash” in order to be willing to work under someone else. The person would definitely need variety and freedom to act on impulses.

Sagittarius Sun – Libra Moon

The bold and fearless self-expression is slightly modified by the need to enhance the self through entering relationships. The person naturally gravitates toward self-flattery disguised as humility. The effort to be charming, sociable and well-liked is on autopilot while the more bold and uninhibited individuality needs to be developed and expressed consciously. The person cares about how other people perceive them, for better and for worse. To develop the Sagittarian traits one might need to live from an outlook of a more general and universal standpoint, viewing social interaction as an experience on the road to truth rather than an end in and of itself. The person might benefit from taking risks by speaking their mind when it isn’t socially advantageous, to push the limits of what is socially appropriate. It might not be comfortable, but it could be worth it in order to live more from a place of freedom than restriction. The Libra Moon needs to navigate carefully as to ensure optimal social and relational esteem. Personal safety and satisfaction depends on having other people to bounce their ideas off of. There’s difficulty in merely setting out on one’s own and trusting one’s gut – everything is done within the framework of a social context. Libra is very aware of the fact that one doesn’t exist as an island unto oneself, there’s other people that contribute to form one’s own life. Being with the right people at the right place and the right time makes all the difference to who one is. There’s some validity to this perspective but it’s also very limited and superficial. By developing one’s Sagittarian expression it’s possible to transcend the personal and the social and see others as fellow travelers of the world – equally independent and valuable despite all the differences. The Libra Moon is covertly competitive, giving off the impression that they’re merely out to make everyone else feel respected and seen. In fact, to be pleasant is their agenda, to ”win” at the social game. The Sagittarius Sun however, makes the person prone to be a little arrogant and blunt which could taint the perfect impression one is trying to preserve. Speaking first and thinking later could put this person in a tight spot of quickly trying to patch things up by doing the socially appropriate thing of apologizing or compensating for the slip-ups.

Sagittarius Sun – Cancer Moon

The optimistic and casual attributes of the ideal self becomes difficult to accommodate for in the midst of mood-swings, strong emotional attachments and apprehensiveness about the ”world out there”. The natural way of coping with life is through putting up strong defenses against threat. There’s great sensitivity and need of mothering, which the person seeks to provide for themselves – either through partnership, a family or perhaps a close circle of friends. The ability to care and support others through their ups and downs in life could earn them a positive reputation of being considerate and trust-worthy. However, the Sagittarian potential calls the person to develop qualities of openness, curiosity, fearlessness and trust. A spirit of adventure is worth cultivating while having a safe base to return to when the world starts to seem too harsh and inconsiderate. Sagittarius Suns are not very keen on admitting to vulnerability and weakness, but this combo requires these states to be factored in. To live as if there’s no tomorrow and as if one is immortal and exempt from frailty is not possible to get away with. Feelings should not be viewed as an inconvenience, they should be valued for the experience they provide. There’s no use glossing-over personal and primal needs - they exist in their own right. I can picture this person as a parent, capable of being soft and gentle with the children yet ready to play and take them out on little adventures when the mood hits. It’s after all not only important to provide shelter and protection but to instill an confidence that allows one to test limits and attempting to fulfill innate potential. There’s an element of trust that needs to be cultivated in order to venture outside of the safe zone, a trust in life to be helpful rather than destructive. These signs complement each other because they respresent different dynamics, on the Cancer end there’s awareness of threats to survival and a feelings of vulnerability, on the Sagittarius end there’s the pursuit of knowledge and freedom of the spirit. Cancer is primordial while Sagittarius is universal. Literary and philosophical knowledge might not make the person feel safe, but it will be how the person expresses their individuality.

Sagittarius Sun – Capricorn Moon

If this isn’t the embodiment of the dutiful pursuer of truth I don’t know what it is. There’s a need to achieve something of substance, of greatness. The feeling of abundance is not there from the get go, so the person has to summon their resources and use them wisely as to get ahead. The person is very controlled and conscious of how they present themselves, strategically trying to get everything right as to reach their long term goal. On the downside, there’s a lot of internal pressure and inhibitions of spontaneity which would take a toll on them eventually. The path ahead is to develop the Sagittarian worldview of expansion and freedom rather than discipline and scarcity. Being spontaneous and enthusiastic about things is how the person will self-actualize. However, since the need is to stay within convention, there’s a bit of a conflict present. Ideally, the person would combine the need to achieve worldly success and the pull to live a life free of responsibilities and commitments in honor of the eternal spirit. If the person decides to follow the beaten path of prestige and societal approval, there might be an inner urge to break free from all restrictions and limitations. It might be wise to try and combine the desire to move and explore with a sense of responsibility – to seek to accomplish something ”worthwhile” according to convention while being bold and passionate about it. The inner compulsion to always aim high could pay off, or it could make the person stressed and unproductive. The Sagittarian Sun indicates that there should be an attempt of freeing energy, of overcoming the burden of judgement, of rooting for life rather than mechanical and dead materia. The Sagittarian philosophy is that life is supposed to be lived, not boxed in and deemed as unworthy because of superficial lack. All life is worthy, and there need not be any punishment that is implied by the apparent boundaries of structure. The person could have a hard time accepting a more liberal world-view for themselves that doesn’t define right and wrong so clearly. The Cap Moon is more or less tied to playing within the confines of structure, but with the Sagittarius Sun there’s the potential for introducing variety, a broader perspective and a more optimistic attitude. The structures aren’t set in place to enslave the human spirit, they should work for the expansion of all.

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Sagittarius Sun – Aries Moon

The warrior that strives to gain wisdom. The inborn personal attributes are that of force, competition and impulsiveness. The task is to mobilize these in order to actualize an identity of curiosity, independence and trust in a benevolent universe. The person might be quite aggressive in the pursuit of answers to the big questions in life, seeking challenge and confrontation with life as to test one’s capacity to prevail and conquer. There’s a lot of energy to this combo – and a lot of emphasis on independence. The person would first and foremost stand up for themselves and leave others to do the same. There’s little tolerance for dependence as quality in others and in oneself. Strength is always emphasized – this person has nothing to gain from acting meek and vulnerable. Anger and frustration is the most common response to things that stand in the way – whether it’s an opinion another person holds or of it’s a literal lack of support – confrontation is the immediate reaction. Even if the person is quick to aggression, it’s usually easily diffused and forgotten. These fire signs live in the moment and are not prone to hold grudges. That being said – they won’t back down and is set on furthering themselves in all that their doing – especially if they’re continually opposed. The Sagittarius Sun indicates that the person is supposed to seek knowledge and broaden their perspective through exposing themselves to variety of culture and thought-systems. Identity is found through sharing and consuming knowledge, through breathing life back into a world of stagnation. The Aries Moon jumps on every opportunity to excel and to be the best, providing a fighting spirit to the more casually bold Sagittarian Sun. The person would be prone to provoke people unnecessarily, always wanting to compete and lead the way. However, the expression of the fire signs is usually so direct and uncalculated that it comes off as pure, even though it’s fundamentally self-centered, At least, it is honest and relatively uncomplicated. The Aries directness further enhances the Sagittarian tendency to speak the truth no matter the cost. Not to mention, the Sagittarian proclivity to be scattered and all over the place is counteracted a bit by the simple and straight-forward Arien nature.

Sagittarius Sun – Aquarius Moon

This combo represents the peak of objective perspective. The person is emotionally separated from the irrational, moody and earthy human condition. One lives for potential and that which can be found beyond the horizon. There’s likely to be a restlessness and annoyance with the current society and other people’s limited perspective. Ordinary and mundane is so ”yesterday”, it’s a pity that one can’t be rid of the current unevolved existence and jump to the future without having to go through a long and process of unnecessary in-between states. The person is likely to be the type to hang out in the thought-scape rather than on the earth-plane. There’s a tendency to get bored very quickly and be a bit uninterested in idle conversation and interaction with other people who are light years behind in the progression of thought. The path for this person is to cultivate passion and inspired involvement in worldly knowledge – to read and educate oneself in order to get a more well-rounded picture of what it means to be alive. Sagittarius is all about spreading truth and connection to essence, while Aquarius is more about the fixed thought-based blueprint that dictates form. There’s a coolness to this person that is their fundamental nature – it’s not rooted in being but rather in becoming. Sagittarius is not cool but vibrant and alive, ready to interact with the variety of expressions of the universal spirit. The person’s task is to become through being, to find the face of self in all fleeting experiences and appreciate them as they come and go. There’s value in the brokenness, there’s beauty in the imperfect. The Aquarius Moon might have a hard time viewing life in this way, having to label and categorize and put things into context. It’s worth to consciously develop the capacity to perceive meaning in experiences, to connect to the intelligent source of life that is not found through perfection but underlying everything. There’s more to life than hacking the blueprint and getting things to work better, look better or feel better. There’s mysterious inner wisdom that is untamed and unbound, intelligently guiding one’s steps on the path of higher truth. To put in a word of caution, it might be tempting to view oneself as more important or superior than people with more primordial natures and simple minds. It’s true that people are different, but everyone plays a part in life however big or small.

Sagittarius Sun – Scorpio Moon

This is a freedom-lover, an explorer and an emotionally volatile individual. There’s a need to test, to push, to provoke while keeping all the vulnerable parts of oneself tucked away where they can’t be reached. The fundamental nature of this person is extremely sensitive to violation and feels things strongly. There’s an inner fear of being controlled or deceived to the point of paranoia. This is not to suggest that the Scorpio Moon radar is faulty and sees threat where there is none, it’s just that they can’t allow themselves to put their guard down. Ever. Through developing a Sagittarian individuality, there’s likely to be an increase in playfulness and chill, but at the core there’s always going to be suspicion. The person would want to promote the truth as a part of their individuality, to inspire and lift people’s spirits. However, the personal need for secrecy and privacy would present a contradiction. There’s an impulse to live out a destructive nature, to revel in powerful emotions and let people know that they shouldn’t be messed with. While the Sagittarian tendency is to view experiences from a ”higher perspective” of belief and philosophy, the Scorpio seeks to penetrate or be penetrated energetically. There are three choices in the book of Scorpio; being attacked, attack or hide. Although Sagittarius is bold and willing to take risks because there’s an attitude of optimism in everything they do, a proclivity to say things as they are and be honest, the person will not share things that can be used against them (if they can help it). The strength of these signs are very different, but they could potentially work together relatively successfully. The emphasis could be to make people aware of the power-holds and dishonesty that takes place underneath the surface layers of society and reality, to uncover and reveal things about others or oneself that grabs people’s attention and makes a statement. Transformation and truth is what this person is ultimately after and it could be pursued in all kinds of ways. It would be important to remember to keep the Scorpio paranoia in check and to be a little careful of boasting and inflating one’s ego unnecessarily. One has to show respect in order for other people to be willing to be respectful in turn. That being said, it is appropriate to call people out on their bullshit from time to time.

Sagittarius Sun - Taurus Moon

The path of self-actualization is to expose oneself to a variety of experiences while the personal need is to provide oneself with things of material value. The need to possess and have things be tangibly present in order to feel good doesn’t really go together with the realm of spirit. The Sagittarius Sun perceives the world in terms of higher truth – and it’s not an ultimate truth that a house provides stability. Yet, the person would need the material representation of safety and could not deny the importance of the physical realm. The development of the Sagittarian identity would take the person into the realm of abstraction rather than tangible perception. Life opens up and is more than what needs to be done on a routine basis. The earthy and stubborn temperament would be balanced out by the desire to introduce new impressions and new experiences. The need for a solid ”living and working” situation would prevail, but the person would ultimately aim higher than that in terms of individuation. Some Sagittarius Suns would be content with exploring their interests in private, to explore fascinating topics that adds to their own life while other would have to venture out into the physical world – to smell, see and touch different countries, to be in the sensory experience of it all. Taurus is a very physical sign and would likely appreciate the concreteness of experiencing something in the flesh rather than as an abstraction. The ability to picture things vividly in the thought scape sometimes doesn’t come as easily to more earthy temperaments. This could make it difficult to get excited about something without actually being in the actual excitement. However, the Sagittarian Sun has the potential to provide a great intuitive and creative capacity. This combo could be indicative of a person that is keen on securing a predictable future and predictable present while not taking it all too seriously. Whatever happens, it’s fine. Life goes on and one can trust that things are going to work out – not that it’s going to fix itself but that one has the stubbornness and stamina to see things through. It also gives the person a willingness to not only be concerned with the material aspect of life, but to see meaning in experiences as they unfold and present themselves.

Sagittarius Sun – Leo Moon

Honoring oneself through living out inherent greatness is of utmost importance. The person needs to know that they are whole and magnificent without having to explore and expand through the experience of variety and diversity – however, they could use their knowledge and insight to enhance their authority. The person would feel as if they were blessed from birth with a specialness and a right to be admired and loved. The need to occupy space and claim a place of importance is pressing for this individual. Speaking their opinion, retelling stories and dwelling on the subject of one’s involvement in significant events would be typical. I make it sound as if it’s done in order to compensate for a sense of inferiority, and it could be, but often Leo Moons have a genuine air about them that is magical and captivating. The person would be inclined to dramatize their life, to demonstrate their radiance through everything they do. With a Sagittarius Sun, it would optimally be done through travel and the experience of culture, religion and ancient wisdom. Everything has to be profound and glorious with this person – grace and charm is what they embody without trying. What the person needs to develop throughout life is more of a casual nature, a broader perspective and a recognition of people’s sameness. Leo’s tendency is to enhance personhood and not be overly concerned with the universal spirit – the universal self. Sagittarius knows that the same life that is oneself is also found in the rest of the existence. By developing the Sagittarian identity, the person doesn’t have to tone themselves down and live as if their separate self wasn’t worth promoting. The person could sustain a sense of specialness and still acknowledge other people’s beauty and rightful participation in life. It would be wise to keep in mind that there’s a big risk to always assume that one is right. Although Sagittarius provide a sense of openness and willingness to adapt and blend in with the spirit of the location, Leo needs to claim and dominate the environment they’re in, the conversation they’re in. This doesn’t necessarily go over well if it’s done with arrogance– other’s would easily feel diminished and disrespected. However, if the person is more mature, this need to shine could be felt as a genuine, benevolent presence that makes other people comfortable.

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ghor-dranas · 4 years

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The Eyes of Nine - what we know

Firstly: SPOILERS for Critical Role campaign 2 episode 105! This post will go into great detail on events from this episode, so if you’ve not watched it yet, please come back once you have. Secondly: This is half analysis and half speculation, and all my own interpretation.

Disclaimers out of the way, on with the post.

When Vokodo was killed at the end of episode 105, the Mighty Nein were struck by a wave of psychic energy so powerful it made their eyes and ears bleed, and causing all of them to experience the same vision. Said vision was of the entity Vokodo was fleeing from when he launched himself into the material plane. A city moving of its own power, hungry and hunting, a thousand minds that are the city, a city that has roads that pulse and towers that bend, a city that is described as the Eyes of Nine.

As many others have already connected [this post by @lostsometime in particular bringing it to my attention], Mollymauk Tealeaf woke up in a grave with 9 red eyes on his body, so myself and others went looking for more information.

Here’s what we know about Lucien’s death, according to Cree in episode 14.

“Cree: Well, you had acquired the tome with the ritual spell that you required to attempt to reach the city. That lady-- I don't remember her name. The spell slinger from the capital. She came and oversaw and performed the ritual for you. I don't trust those folk, but I trust you, and if you trusted, than that was enough for me. You gave us a speech. We had a fine meal. We all got ready there in the forest. Molly: That's where I lost you then. Cree: She said it would be hard for us to tell whether or not it worked at first, but we went and checked, and you were not breathing. For a good hour, you were not breathing and you had gone cold. We knew then that-- that we had lost you. We checked, and I'm very attuned to vitals, as you know. There was no heartbeat. So we waited longer. The sun rose, and nothing. So, as you told us, if anything were to go wrong, we had to get rid of any sign, any trace. So not far from the Tomb Taker hideout, we buried you and we went our separate ways. She took the tome, the mage woman, it was part of the arrangement you had with her.“

To summarize, Lucien made a deal with a “spell slinger woman from the capital” to perform a ritual to help him reach a city, one where they could learn of “great many powers and secrets” [C2E31]. Why would the Tombtakers need to perform a ritual to reach a city? If it’s on another plane of existence. Such as the astral sea. Astral Projection is a 9th level spell that projects your astral body onto that plane, leaving your body “ unconscious and in a state of suspended animation; it doesn't need food or air and doesn't age. “ [thank you to twitter user @papreko and this thread for pointing this out].

Let’s go back a little further. Lucien, Cree and the other tombtakers were originally part of the Claret Order [source], but Lucien believed their vision to be clouded [C2E14] so they took another path. It can be assumed that Lucien received some kind of vision of The Eyes of Nine in the Astral Sea and began seeking a way to go there, encouraging The Tombtakers to follow him.

Cree states in the quote above that part of the deal with the “mage woman” was for her to take the book. This suggests that it was Lucien and the Tombtakers who had the book in the first place. Lucien approached her with it, asking her to perform Astral Projection on him, and in return she gets to keep the book with at least one 9th level spell transcribed in it. Who is this woman? A mage from the Capital who is part of a group that Cree did not trust and also did not want to mess with. So, most likely one of the Assembly, such as Vess DeRogna.

She agrees, but something goes wrong. Possibly because she had to perform an adapted form of the spell so she herself did not get transported with him, possibly something else. Either way, Lucien’s soul does not come back for at least a day, so his friends bury him alive. And when his astral body does return, it is without memories, only able to say the word “Empty”.

What is this city? Why did Lucien see visions of it? What drove him to seek it? Where did he get his hands on a book with a 9th level spell in? How did he lose his memories?

Here’s where the speculation comes in.

Tharizdun’s influence is leaking out from the Abyss into other, neighboring planes. It’s possible that a Gith city in the Astral Sea [the Gith who have psionic powers and are able to bend matter to their will] was driven mad by the corrupting influence of Tharizdun. Lucien saw a vision of this city and was driven mad by it. Cree says that he was “He was very charismatic in his cruelty at times” [C2E31] and the known signs of the Chained Oblivion’s influence are “bouts of uncontrollable hunger, uncharacteristic aggression, and eventually violent mania.”[C2E84] The people most susceptible to his influence are those who are “spurned, hateful chaotic souls who fell through the cracks of society”[C2E84], and a tiefling bloodhunter member of a secret order could definitely fit that bill. It’s possible that in a dark moment, Lucien saw visions of a grand city, and became obsessed with the idea of going there, it would give them untold knowledge and power. He threw himself completely into going there, and once he finally arrived, it drove him mad, leaving him without memories once he returned.

#critical role #tharizdun #mollymauk tealeaf #critical role theory

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krizaland · 4 years

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You know what? I love that random pilot from the movie. So despite not knowing his name, I'm going to use my dumbass energy and ask if you've got any relationship hcs for him?

Ooh! I love him too! He was the only one with enough courage and braincells to try to talk some sense into the Tallest!

Note: The pilot doesn’t have an official name. So I named him Skad.

By some miracle, Skad had somehow managed to survive the Florpus. However, the Florpus had left him stranded on Urth!

Needless to say, Skad was petrified! Being on the same planet as Zim aside, Skad was trained a pilot not an Invader! He had no idea how to adapt to life on another planet!

Anxious and alone, Skad frantically searched for shelter. He desperately tried to avoid drawing attention to himself. He didn’t want to even think about what the inhabitants of this terrible planet would do to him if he got caught!

Just when he thought he had found the perfect shelter the door swung open.

“HOLY SHIT! AN ALIEN!”

All of the color drained from Skad’s face. He had been caught by one of the inhabitants! This was it! He was going to die deserted on a foreign planet!

Skad took a deep breath and decided to brace himself for his inevitable doom.

The moment he turned the face the source of the voice, Skad felt his PAK spark.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you!” You squeaked as you slowly put your hands in front of your face.

Skad tried to speak but all that came out was gibberish. Never had he seen such a beautiful creature! Your eyes twinkled with stardust! And your voice! What a lovely sound!

“Ah geez, you don’t speak English do you?” Your face fell a bit as you rubbed the back of your head.

Skad shook away his infatuation and cleared his throat.

“Fear not, Urthinod! I am perfectly capable of understanding and speaking your language!”

“Oh! Sorry for assuming!”

“It’s quite alright. I take it this planet doesn’t get many foreign visitors?” Skad laughed nervously as he tried to sound professional.

“Nope! I mean, people have claimed to have seen an alien but there’s never been any actual proof. Like, I know this really creepy paranormal guy who keeps claiming that one of my classmates is an alien.” You replied casually.

“Creepy paranormal guy?” Skad parroted as he tilted his head to the side.

“Yeah, I think his name is Dib or something. He goes to my skool and he’s always screaming about exposing aliens and dissecting them. But that’s not what makes him creepy though.” You groaned.

“I’m sorry, how is wanting to dissect aliens not creepy?!” Skad gasped as he hugged himself protectively.

“Oh wanting to dissect aliens are definitely creepy but trust me, that’s only the tip of the iceberg with that guy. Speaking of which, we should probably continue this back inside. If Dib finds out that there’s another real alien running around, it’s not gonna end well for you.” You explained as you gestured for Skad to follow you into your house.

Skad reluctantly agreed and followed you inside.

“Alright, we need to be quiet because my parents are sleeping.” You whispered as you crept through the halls.

“My, this home is much more… primitive then I was expecting.” Skad muttered as he observed his surroundings.

“Heh. I guess things are a bit more advanced where you’re from.” You giggled as you led Skad to your room.

“Well, I am from planet Irk. We have the finest technology in the universe.” Skad boasted.

“Really? That’s awesome.” You gently opened your bedroom door and motioned for Skad to enter.

“Indeed. It’s really a shame how behind most of the universe is.” Skad playfully shook his head.

“So what brought you to Urth anyway?” You asked as you pulled up your desk chair and gestured for him to sit.

“Um, Well…It’s quite a long story…” Skad murmured as he slowly sat down.

“It’s cool if you don’t want to talk about it.” You reassured as you plopped onto your bed.

“Oh no! It’s not that! It’s just a long story! I simply don’t want to waste your time with my babbling.” Skad explained as he straightened up a bit.

“You’re not wasting my time at all! I’ve actually always wanted to meet an alien! Tell me everything! As long as you’re comfortable with that, of course.” You gushed as you pressed your hands up against your cheeks.

“Well, since you insist…”

Skad took in a deep breath as he begun to explain everything. He told you all about his life as one of The Massive’s pilots. He couldn’t believe that you were actually listening to his entire story! Not only were you listening but you were even asking questions!

For the first time in his life, Skad felt respected. It was a glorious feeling! Skad never wanted the feeling to end! He went into more and more detail of his life and even bragged about a few of his slightly exaggerated achievements.

However, all good things must come to an end. Skad soon had no choice but to talk about the dreaded Florpus.

He felt a twinge of bitterness bubble up as he remembered how stubborn the Tallest were. Had they listened to him none of this would’ve happened!

“So, that’s how I ended up on your planet….” Skad sighed as he hung his head.

“Oh, Skad…”

“You needn’t pity me, Y/N is it?”

“That’s right.” You nodded.

“We Irkens are highly trained! My survival skills are the best in my class! I can assure you, I will be just fine. I’m certain I could just….um…” Skad trailed off as his mind searched for the right words to say.

“You could always stay here with me.”

‘Y/N, I mean no disrespect but I cannot stay on this foreign planet! Not without supplies anyway.” Skad huffed as he folded his arms.

“Ok, well how about you just stay until you can find some supplies?”

“Well… I guess I don’t really have a choice do I?” Skad sighed as he buried his face in his hands.

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright. I promise..” You reassured softly.

“How could you be so sure?”

“Because…. you’re amazing! I know you can get through anything!” You giggled.

“Wait…Do you really think I’m amazing?” Skad’s ruby eyes lit up.

“Of course I do! You managed to survive a deadly multiverse-destroying wormhole! How is that not amazing?!” You cheered as you pointed to the ceiling.

“Well, I’d consider it more lucky than amazing b-but I’m very flattered by your words, Y/N.” Skad stuttered as he rubbed the back of his head.

You let out a yawn and stretched out your arms.

“Alright, I’ve got Skool tomorrow, so I gotta get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning if you want.”

“Sleep? You humans still require that?” Skad blinked in surprise.

“Yeah- Wait, what do you mean still? Don’t Irkens sleep too?” You asked as you raised a brow.

“We Irkens haven’t required sleep for over thousands of years. Our PAKs are equipped with special charging cells that provide us with a constant stream of energy. Therefore, sleep is obsolete to us.” Skad explained as he gestured to his PAK.

“Oh damn! That’s crazy! So you guys don’t get tired? Like at all?!” You asked as your eyes widened a bit.

“Well that’s not entirely true…” Skad muttered as his antennas drooped a bit.

“Eh? I thought your PAKs provided a constant stream of energy or whatever?”

“W-Well it’s true that we Irkens don’t require sleep but we can still get tired if we get overworked. Or when we have to deal with frustrating individuals….” Skad’s voice tapered into a soft mutter as he spoke.

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing! P-Perhaps it would be best for you to get some sleep now! We can talk more in the morning!” Skad spluttered as he waved his hands in front of his face.

“Ok then…I guess I’ll get ready for bed.”

And with that, you dug out your favorite Pjs.

“Why are you pulling out different clothes? I fail to see what’s wrong with what you’re currently wearing/”

“Oh! Well, it’s not comfortable for me to sleep in what I’m wearing now, so I’m going to change into something that is comfortable to sleep in.” You explained as you gestured to your Pjs.

“Oh I see…..W-Wait what?!” Skad’s face flushed as his mind processed what you just said.

“Well you see, we humans don’t like to be uncomfortable when we sleep so-”

“Oh that part I’m fine with! It’s the…changing part that startled me!” Skad spluttered as a few beads of pink sweat dripped down his face.

You couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Skad’s reaction.

“W-What’s so funny?!”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just… I’m not gonna change in front of you! I’m gonna go to the bathroom to change.” You explained playfully.

“O-Oh right! Of course!” Skad let out a nervous chuckle.

And with that, you headed to the bathroom, changed into your Pjs and brushed your teeth.

While you brushed your teeth, Skad let out a dreamy sigh.

“That human sure is something….Perhaps staying here won’t be so bad after all.”

Skad rested his head in his hands as he let out a soft chirp.

ZAP!

Skad’s PAK sparked a bit.

Skad’s eyes widened in shock! That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Skad begun to panic! If anyone found out about his PAK sparking, he would no doubt be deactivated!

It was then Skad’s mind came to a realization:

Most of his people, including the Tallest, have no doubt been swallowed by the Florpus.

Therefore, no one else would even be alive, let alone be able to find out about his sparking PAK.

Skad let out a sigh of relief as he wiped away a few beads of sweat off his forehead.

“Alright! I’m back!”

The sound of your cheerful voice woke Skad from his thoughts.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” You giggled as you plopped onto your bed.

“No! No! You’re fine! I was just um… Well sleep well. Would you like me to shut the lights off?” Skad offered.

“Oh, don’t worry, I can take care of that-”

“Really, it wouldn’t be any trouble for me.” Skad insisted.

“Well if you insist.” You yawned as you begun to crawl into bed.

And with that, Skad turned off the lights as you got cozy in bed.

“Good night, Skad.” You whispered.

“Good Night, Y/N.” Skad replied as he watched you fall into a deep sleep.

Skad stifled a chirp as he watched you sleep.

Yup, he was definitely going to like his new life on Urth.

#invader zim #invader zim x reader #invader zim navigator #Anonymous

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coollyinterferes · 4 years

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@chinchillasinunison

//Hi there!! Thank you so much for trusting me to answer this question! I kinda suck at explaining things, but I’ll give it my best shot :D

I’ve indeed been rping for 13-ish years now (about 8 of those have been here on tumblr). Some of the things I’ve learned about rp over the years have been through trial and error while also discovering my own working patterns and learning to work with my partners, sometimes only through basic rp etiquette, while some others by talking things out with my partners. [I’m putting the rest under a read more for length reasons ;;;]

When it comes to inspiration, it can vary, and it might sometimes depend on the muse. One of the things I’ve come to find that helps me the most for both inspiration and actual writing and keeping myself focused is music. My muses have always worked as “minds of their own” (if that makes any sense?), so they tend to react to the same music in different ways than the rest of their “muse-brothers”. In Robert’s case, I usually just need some nice melodies, catchy tunes or just a tune/lyrics that catches his attention or conveys a feeling and actually makes him feel something to have him react to it, while it was different for some of my previous muses, as some would literally refuse to cooperate at all if the music was just not their type (like, say, playing ‘loud’ types of music for a muse who has sensitive ears, for example).

Reading is also another great source for inspiration, whether it is fanfiction, a book, sometimes even stuff from magazines, or historical and period typical stuff (some of the headcanons and stories and whatnot I’ve written for Robert have come from reading about stuff from his time), and so on, but it can sometimes depend on the sort of muse you have. Same happens with looking through fanarts and doujinshi, or even talking about the character(s) with someone else. I’ve seen plenty of my partners throughout the years draw ideas and inspiration for some of their AUs from a fanart they saw somewhere, or a comic they read (just make sure to ask for permission if you do this and to, at least, give proper credits to the original author!).

Another one that can be helpful when you feel like you’re losing your character’s voice is looking at their source material, whether they come from an anime, a manga, a videogame, or what have you. Revisiting their source material usually helps a lot, for you can sometimes find things you hadn’t noticed before, or see some you may have forgotten about, and so on. Studying your muse’s canon (esp if you’re aiming to keep them close to canon) and their motivations can be super helpful. If you’re aiming for something “canon divergent”, then you can use their canon as a base as to what paths not to follow and deviate from it in any way you want to and explore their reasonings and motivations in this new canon you’re writing for them.

Doing research can help too. Like I mentioned just above, some of the stuff I’ve written for Robert here and on my fanfics and metas and headcanons has come after doing some research about things from his time, and it was similar with some of my previous muses. One of them was a bat youkai, for example, so I’d often draw ideas from bats’ behavior and adapt them to his character. He was also a bandit who knew how to fight using scythes (kusarigama, more specifically), so some of the ideas and inspiration I’d draw would come from reading about a bandit’s lifestyle, especially those from his fandom/universe as well as learning about youkai behavior in his universe, as well as watching videos of people using similar weapons to his, reading about historical usage of said weapons and so on.

Developing some your muse’s already existing relationships with other characters can help too, as they can help you see and understand better some sides of your muse that you might not have considered before (though you might need to discuss this with a partner who rps the other muse involved first if you ever want to include that in a rp, as not everyone has the same hcs). Using that bat youkai muse I mentioned earlier as an example again, I’d often explore his only canon relationship he had with another youkai, thinking of the different scenarios that ended up bringing them together, their reasons and their motivations to stick together and so on. There’s very little about this muse in his canon, so there were huge gaps to fill and a lot of room for headcanons, really, and while I had my own hcs, some of the peeps I rped with had different ones, so it was always a matter of discussing certain things first so things could go down smoothly.

Speaking of headcanons, sometimes just wanting to fill “plot holes” or exploring things that just were never fully explored or explored at all in the canon can also serve as inspiration.

In other cases, you can find inspiration/motivation through different means. Sometimes even just by wanting to give a character the love and attention they need, which was the case of the first muse I ever had (he was a “not so popular” character from an already “not so popular” animanga). And it was also part of what made me swallow my sheer nervousness and anxiety when I first started Robert’s blog, too, as I’d often see all those misconceptions about his character going around and being taken as canon, so I really wanted to change that and make people see him for who he is. But, again, it really depends on each case.

Going out for walks, or even just travelling on the bus on your way home, and looking at the world around you can help get those ideas working. So I would ultimately suggest doing some trial and error with both, the things you know or feel like might help, as well as trying those you don’t have much hope in. You might end up finding they actually work for you!

As for a thread’s end, it depends entirely on the thread and the partner you have that thread with, if it was plotted or not and so on. If it was plotted, there’s a chance you and your partner have discussed the details of it, sometimes including the end of it, or where you wanted the thread to go. In that case, you will be able to tell more “easily” when the thread is coming to an end. For “wing it” or unplotted threads, there might be times you will be able to tell when the thread comes to an end since there might not be much else for the muses to do in it. It can happen after a few replies in, it can happen after several, it depends on the type of thread but, in the end, it will be a matter of having some communication with your partner. Most of them will tell you when they feel the thread has come to an end, even if it’s only through the tags. Sometimes a simple “i think this is a good closure for the thread. what do you think?” does the trick, for it conveys the idea while also requesting some input from your partner (in case they still want to continue the thread, have more ideas for it, and so on). Just keep in mind that there might be plenty of times when threads will get dropped without a notice, and this is pretty normal in rp in general, for sometimes one (or both) partner(s) lose interest in the thread, and that’s alright. The thing about rp is exploring different scenarios for the muses involved. Some will work, some might not. The key is to continue exploring new ideas, or maybe similar ideas but with different muses as this can lead to (sometimes vastly) different outcomes.

And I get you about getting burned out. It’s quite common to go through that when you run a rp/ask blog or literally any other blog that requires periodical updating, and especially through some difficult times like those we’re living in now with all the stuff going on around the world, however, you need to ALWAYS keep in mind that these blogs and rping and creating content in general is something you do as a hobby. The moment you start treating it as a job or a chore and that you “have to update” is the moment you need to take a step back before this sucks all the fun out of it. It’s okay if you can manage to reply everyday, or as soon as a partner posts a reply to your thread, but it’s also okay to take your time with things and to work and reply at your own pace. It’s okay to take some days off, just like it’s okay to just sometimes lurk in silence, or just be active ooc replying to ims and asks, or just reblogging stuff, or simply engaging in dashboard shenanigans and whatnot. Again, this is a hobby, meant to de-stress you, and it should always be treated as such so it doesn’t have the entire opposite effect.

This got a bit too long, but I hope to have answered your questions!! If you have any more, just shoot them my way and I’ll get to them asap! :D

#chinchillasinunison #;answered #;speedwagon withdraws coolly

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malachi-walker · 4 years

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Rhythm & Blues Worldbuilding: Magicats

Since I finally got the rock star au up here and I'm working on the next chapter, I thought I'd share some of the worldbuilding ideas I've incorporated or plan to incorporate regarding how a world shaped by hybrids in addition to plain old humans would differ from our own. And since Catra of course is the protagonist along with Adora, it'd behoove me not to start off with the Magicats. ;) Though I do plan on making a post later covering the other kinds of hybrids as well (also for the love of God, crew-ra, please give me names for their individual races so I don't have to come up with shit like "lizard-kin". I'm begging you.)

World building goodness under the cut.

Quick note: although I do draw some indirect inspiration from real world cultures (specifically the clusterfuck that was colonial condescension to anyone who wasn't them) I do deliberately try to avoid taking customs from any real world culture. Because that has... Unfortunate implications. So most of what I discuss here is stuff I came up with on my own, but if something does match up with the real world it is unintentional on my part and feel free to let me know.

Standing with the other races

Out of all the hybrids the Magicats tend to be the most isolationist and closed off to outsiders, partly because they have a very small population size to begin with and partly because they along with the lizard-kin got hit hardest with the animal/predator comparisons. Although the current world has mostly gotten over that bullshit apart from some racists (note: I specifically use the term racist instead of speciest because writing speciest makes my memories of my editing teachers screech in the back of my head, but also because a running theme in the rock star au is that hybrids are still PEOPLE and should be treated as such, and drawing attention to it with words like "species" kinda defeats that purpose.) the average person on the street still doesn't know a whole lot about Magicat culture, and most of what they do know likely comes from old stereotypes or really suspect sources rather than actual Magicats. This is improving as more Magicats make their way into the public sphere and the internet has opened up new pathways for their voices to be heard, but it is still a work in progress.

Biology

General rule of thumb for Magicats for me is finding good middle ground between cat characteristics and people characteristics. Good example is that unlike cats, Magicats can eat chocolate, but too much of it in a short amount of time can build up to toxic levels. There are apps available that let them keep track of how often they can indulge. Same thing with alcohol; alcohol and Magicats is similar to a person with a very mild, non-lifethreatening allergy, i.e. they can get shitfaced very quickly on a comparitively low amount and it takes a bit longer for their body to metabolize out of their system. This is actually based on personal experience with my dad, who only drinks once in a blue moon and is thankfully a very mellow/happy drinker, so watching him get sauced on one-and-a-half rum and cokes is a pretty fun time. XD

Other dietary considerations: they're not complete carnivores, but they do have a greater meat to other food groups proportion than humans. Like sixty-forty percent, and heavy carbs and starches make up the smallest percentage of their diet because it's harder for their digestive system to process. Their front two molars are pointed like a predator's but their back molars are flat like humans'.

Like Catra has demonstrated in show, they possess phenomenal reflexes and agility, as well as heightened senses of smell and hearing--the hearing in particular is their primary dominant sense alongside vision. Speaking of vision, like cats they are red colorblind and shades of yellow are washed out compared to what we would see, but they see the rest of the color spectrum just fine. But like humans, they have a sharper clarity of vision than a cat would and aren't nearsighted.

Oh, and while it probably won't come up in the series itself, they do experience a heat cycle about once per year, but unlike in most fanfics they are still fully in control of their faculties and decision making capabilities. A Magicat in heat is no more likely to be sexually attracted to someone than they would be outside of heat, and it really pisses them off when people imply otherwise. It's kind of like when a human woman has her period but also feels horny. So if they don't want to get with a partner they should be left alone or treated like any loved one dealing with a rough period: patience and warm blankets.

Cultural Stuff

We're getting into the fun stuff now, though some of it will be saved for a future fic where Catra takes the time to learn about her own culture during her three years of homelessness. (Also please note that a lot of these are just general touchstones and actual viewpoints may differ from Magicat to Magicat.)

1. Magicat culture is an interesting mix between interconnectedness and individuality

And by that I mean that as a culture, Magicats do consider themselves to be an interconnected unit and to have a responsibility towards one another to assist as needed. However, they also have an emphasis on the individual as a complete being in and of themselves. This shows up most prominently in interpersonal relationships: unlike humans, who place a great emphasis on things like monogamy and marriage and the solidity of family units, it's not uncommon to see Magicats who are single parents of any gender, or never have kids, or maybe have a lifelong partner but never get formally married. That's because their culture makes it clear that one person is already whole on their own, and while having a partner or family is always nice it's not a requirement. It's up to each individual Magicat to decide what they want out of their lives, and there's usually no judgment whether they decide to get married and have kids or just stay single for their entire lives.

With that said, if a Magicat decides to get formally married (as in making an actual declaration of "this is the person for me") it is a BIG DEAL. Because again, culturally speaking it isn't a requirement, so making that commitment is a huge deal for them, and they often make that permanent. So if a Magicat decides to settle down completely with a partner, they use freeze branding to permanently turn a section of their fur white in a way that look similar to a quarter sleeve tattoo in a very distinct geometric pattern*. That basically tells every other Magicat on sight that this person is wholly dedicated to their chosen beloved. Younger Magicats will also use cold branding to replicate tattoos like other races, but the marriage brand is always distinct, both due to the particular geometric design work and because it is always on their dominant arm, to signify that they are offering their strength to their beloved for the rest of their lives. If their partner is another Magicat they will also get a matching brand, otherwise it depends on the particular race (humans typically get tattoos.)

*My personal mental image of what this resembles is similar to Maori or Pacific Islander forearm tattoos, but not a 100% match because 1) cultural appropriation is gross and 2) the logistical practicalities of doing that via freeze branding would be insane. So that general vibe but simplified. Feel free to flex those imagination muscles.

And before anyone asks... This may or may not come up later in the au. ;) ;) ;)

2. They have certain social rules dealing with other Magicats.

These will be explored in greater depth during the fic, but basically a lot of Magicat etiquette centers around who the other Magicat is to you and stuff like location. For example, they'll typically use honorifics to refer to Magicats who have been teachers to them or assisted them in some way as a show of respect.

The most obvious rule of etiquette to outside observers is that whenever two Magicats meet for the first time and wish to demonstrate respect for each other, the one who approaches the other will come forward slowly until they are just a bit beyond arm's reach. They will then take a half step forward with the leg that corresponds to their dominant hand and then offer that arm to the other. This is the cue for the Magicat being approached to mirror the pose regardless of what their dominant hand is (up until then they will remain in a straight and relaxed position and wait for the signal.) Once this is done, the two will clasp forearms and briefly dip their heads forward into the other's space for a single shared breath before breaking apart. This is a sign that they are now free to move closer to one another and can now interact in a way that is indistinguishable from what outsiders would consider normal conversation between new acquaintances. The purpose of the greeting is for the one approaching to demonstrate their respect for the other and ask to be let into their space; telegraphing which arm they favor symbolizes showing someone a strength of yours and is a sign of trust.

Again, this doesn't apply to all Magicats and the younger generation in particular tends to eschew or pick and choose what etiquette they follow, but in general they do like it when the old traditions are observed, especially by younglings. They don't use this system of etiquette with other races and usually instead adapt their behavior to the person they're interacting with.

Other Misc. Details

I was originally going to have Catra be a motorcycle lesbian because duh, but while doing my due diligence in researching motorcyle safety I ran into a few reasons why that isn't a good idea.

The first is that part of the reason why motorcyle helmets work in the first place is because the evenly curved surface provides an equal distibution of force when striking something. This is why novelty helmets like ones with cat ears or stuff of that type are considered dangerous; they break up that curved surface and thus can't redistribute that force as evenly. So not only would a motorcycle helmet like ours be uncomfortable for a Magicat and disabling to one of their primary senses, trying to design one to accommodate their ears would increase the danger to them in case of an accident.

The second is that I've already established in the au that overheating is a constant concern for Magicats, and proper protective clothing for human motorcyclists already carries a huge risk of overheating us without the added consideration of having fur. So it would be a trade off between solid protection at heavy risk of personal discomfort and overheating or eschewing that protection and increasing the chance of serious injuries. And yeah, Magicats have good enough senses that they could probably backflip or throw themselves clear if they're about to crash, but just getting off the bike isn't gonna do much if you then smack into another vehicle at 60 mph.

And that's kind of a shame, because otherwise Magicats would be ideal safe motorcyclists. Their spacial awareness and sense of balance is phenomenal, and they'd be great at anticipating and reacting the movements of other drivers. I just couldn't make it work with rock star!Catra because she's a lot less reckless. Canon!Catra I could see taking the risk. Don't get me wrong: if you wanna make Catra a sexy, motorcyle riding catgirl you have my full support. I just couldn't justify it in this au.

Honestly, there'll probably be more later, but I'm tapped for now. Would love to hear what if any of you have any thoughts. And of course, if you like what you've read and haven't already, check out my rock star au under the Rhythm & Blues tag or the masterpost list. ;)

#my fics #worldbuilding #rhythm & blues #the catradora rock star au #magicats yo!#mildly nsfw?#in the sense that we talk about sex from a biological level #did I just write an entire essay on fanfic worldbuilding?#yes. because I wanted to and it makes me happy.

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nestofstraightlines · 4 years

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The Dæmon-Cages

I went to a preview screening of episode six of His Dark Materials,’ The Daemon Cages’, followed by a Q&A with the senior creative last night.

I’m not even going to give broad expectation spoilers for the episode above the cut (I’ll include a bit right at the end under the cut just giving a broad overview of whether I liked it or not).

As for the Q&A, it was very interesting.

The team were asked several questions (by a very positive audience) about themes and research; things like ‘how did you decide which of the many themes to focus on? Did you go back to the inspirational material of the books such as Milton and Blake?’ and I would characterise the answers as a slightly defensive ‘we just went back to the book’.

Call it confirmation bias, but for me that tallies with what I’ve perceived of the writing/creating flaws of the series.

Because what does that mean?

I’ve been going back to the book for 22 years now and unpacking more depths and more angles. It really did feel like there was a rejection from Thorne and series Exec Producer Jane Trantor that adaptation would involve unpacking something and repacking it into your own storytelling form.

Their tone was much more enthusiastic when it came to discussing detail: they talked about wanting to know exactly what every moment of Lyra’s day at Jordan would be, what she would do for breakfast etc. And that’s got merits; it can suggest nice images (I’m guessing this is where the idea of Roger bringing Lyra breakfast every morning comes from).

But for me, in general, it’s an approach that fits badly with Pullman as a source material. Pullman writes intuitively, discovering the story as he writes is.

At one point in Northern Lights he uses the metaphor for reading the Alethiometer that it is like climbing down a ladder in the dark, and trusting that, though you can’t see the next step, it is there. I believe that he was describing his writing process there too.

He writes indirectly, using negative space to let the reader infer a fact or an idea. For example, with daemons. We are told a little and shown a lot. Pullman is showing himself the story too.

I don’t believe Pullman knew when he was writing Northern Lights what Lyra would do for her breakfast every morning. But if the story had wanted to contain a scene set during her breakfast, he would have known.

And okay, different writing processes, whatever. But actually it is fundamental to the text and I think where the problems have crept in.

Genre storytelling can be broken up into two rough camps: character-led and ideas-led. The senior creatives of this programme, almost inevitably coming from a British TV background, fall into the wrong one - character-led.

Now both camps contain both things: if I call a story idea/s-led it’s not saying its characters aren’t important and good or vice versa. It’s about which is the ultimate point o fthe story.

For instance, Harry Potter is, for me, character-led. Its fantasy trappings are rather unpacked or picturesque dressing used to heighten basically mundane human interpersonal drama. Yeah, it’s good versus evil, acceptance versus discrimination, but those topics aren’t explored, they’re not a priority, they’re a situation to throw the characters into.

Where Thorne has worked in genre shows before, the same can be said. There is a specific situation, even a mission statement, but these are not shows constructed around telling an idea as story, but rather focusing on interpersonal drama. The premises are settings, real or imagined, which are already neatly packaged for the audience. They’re not about inventing fantasy, they are about using it to tell small-scale human dramas. Events serve nothing larger than character and relationship drama.

In Pullman’s His Dark Materials, character and relationship drama are a but not the greatest priority of the series, they are in service to broader ideas and themes.

That’s the other camp of genre fiction, where the fantasy is not a static setting used to heighten charater stuff, but an active agent used to tell a particular story.

Calling this camp ideas-led sounds like its an inherently grand sort of a category, and His Dark Materials is of course an example that is grand and important and epic and so on. But for a show to be ideas-focused, it doesn’t have to be a Big Important Theme with Big Important Execution.

Some ideas are ‘what is it to be human?’, some ideas are simply ‘whodunnit?’ or ‘what if a monster got into your house?’

Anyway.

Pullman’s HDM is ideas-led. He creates a world (and later worlds) of things we need to pay attention to. This is not Harry Potter – school, castle, wizards, you pretty much got it – this is unconstructed fantasy. And it’s not constructed for picturesque ends either. Pullman isn’t inventing this stuff because it’s independently cool or pleasing or whatever, or at least not only that. He is creating it to express a set of ideas through the medium of a story.

So story and world are perfectly bound together. And he understands the difference between convincing a reader and making your world CinemaSins-proof. It’s a story, not a world.

The series is over-invested in the details; over-invested in the tools, and misses what they are used to build in the book/s. Sometimes it even breaks what they are meant to build.

I think the failure of daemons is the biggest casualty of this.

At the screening the creatives talked about the challenge there, the unprecedented challenge of making a show in which every human character is accompanied by a unique CGI creation. They mentioned the impossible budget challenge this presented as well as the challenges in visual storytelling and presentation. I.e. even if one can afford to put a whole crowds of daemons in every wide shot it looks impossibly cluttered and like Doctor Doolittle.

And yes, of course, but it baffles – and frankly annoys – me that the imagination seemed to stop there. Or rather, the understanding of storytelling stopped there.

They talked about having spitballed pragmatic adjustments to daemons, such as making them be semi-invisible, flicking in and out of visibility. But in the end they ‘wanted to stay true to the book/s’. Again, I think we’re looking at a profound lack of understanding of what ‘true to the book’ even means.

Creatives more suited to the material would have found creativity borne of limitation. They would have had a deep and confident enough understanding of the idea they were dealing with to find the solutions from within their own storytelling field, to create daemons for screen in a way which worked.

It feels like this teams’ reaction to the challenge has been ‘to do our best and tell people they don’t understaaand it’s haaard when they complain we haven’t got it right’.

I’m sorry if that sounds harsh. But they took on this challenge and there’s a little hubris in that. I’m not sure what made them feel they were the people for the job here, but they’ve failed to convince me of that fact.

People have been telling fantastical and profound stories on screen for a long time before CGI became so photorealistic. And I think CGI has both a limiting effect on the imagination, and it encourages directors and writers with a limited sense of visual storytelling to imagine that they are equipped to deal with stories that they perhaps aren’t, because they can unthinkingly assign fantasy ideas to the ‘literalist CGI’ box.

I just get the feeling that none of the head creatives, as a mix of character-focused storytellers and details-people, really get what daemons are in a storytelling sense.

They mentioned that when they had conversations with Pullman, he advised them not to focus on daemons, that he novel included them only when they were important. And that’s true, and I can’t put words in Pullman’s mouth, but it’s my belief the TV series team misunderstood what he was getting at, and I’m basing that on stuff Pullman has said elsewhere (such as in his essays and speeches collected in Daemon voices) as well as my own reading of the book/s.

Daemons don’t appear important but the story is carefully constructed, without ever seeming to be on the surface, to explore the idea of the daemon.

It’s a practical issue too. You employ people to write and direct this stuff who are used to stories made up of human characters interacting in rooms, and they’re going to lack experience in showing stuff which is vital to this story, which includes the relationship between the human heroine and her shape-shifting animal-shaped companion, a giant talking polar bear, a city in the Aurora Boreales, fights with demons during a hot-air balloon fight and so on.

A lot of the stuff that matter in HDM isn’t just mundane drama in fantastical settings. The most vital emotional scenes include a girl interaction with a giant talking solar bear; the threat tot he bond between a person and their shape-shifting soul-manifestation etc

The human/daemon relationship is like a lot of things at different times and in different ways: human/animal, siblings, friends, parent/child etc. But it’s not a mundane human relationship clothed in light fantasy disguise. It's an idea and thus needs careful building for screen just as it did on the page.

Russell Dodgson, the head of VFX on behalf of Framestore for the series, talked about how fans always focus on daemons while there are so many more ideas in the book. ‘People love talking animals, I guess.’ He joked.

And OK, he was being off-the-cuff and deliberately glib, and in any case he’s not the writer and thereby not responsible for getting the overall imagining of daemons for this series right. But he’s so off the mark here in a way which helpfully sums up the misses of this team.

Daemons are not talking animals in the book and that is what the series has rendered them as through this lack of understanding that they amount to more than an emptily whimsical note.

EXPECTATION SPOILERS FOR THE DAEMON-CAGES:

... Having said all that; a really great episode! Best episode of the series yet.

It benefits from coming from a part of the book which is perfect for an episode of TV: it is very dramatic and climactic, while also being something of a great self-contained story in form. Lyra goes into a situation with very clear parameters of tension, fears, goals and a ticking clock. The production plays on all of those very strongly.

The weakest element of the episode is predictable given what the weakness element of the adaptation has been all along: daemons of course. As with last week my feeling is that while the show is so far from doing justice to certain ideas and moments it might as well be on a different continent, it finds enough strengths in other areas to stop the bottom dropping out of the episode.

The production design is absolutely incredible. It’s the boldest imaginative leap from the book so far. The staging of some of the events plays out differently due to a differently imagined Bolvangar and I adore the new approach. Again, I’ll have more to say when the episode has aired. I can’t wait to get into the detail of this!

#His Dark Materials #The Daemon-Cages #crit

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fictionalcharactermbti · 5 years

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The Dragon Prince MBTI

General Amaya ISTJ: ISTJs are very loyal, faithful, and dependable. They place great importance on honesty and integrity. ISTJs tend to believe in laws and traditions, and expect the same from others. They're not comfortable with breaking laws or going against the rules. If they are able to see a good reason for stepping outside of the established mode of doing things, the ISTJ will support that effort. ISTJs are likely to be uncomfortable expressing affection and emotion to others. However, their strong sense of duty and the ability to see what needs to be done in any situation usually allows them to overcome their natural reservations, and they are usually quite supporting and caring individuals with the people that they love. (Source: Personality Page)

Viren INFJ: INFJs are gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals. INFJs place great importance on having things orderly and systematic in their outer world. They put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in their lives. they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubbornness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them.They have high expectations of their children, and push them to be the best that they can be. This can sometimes manifest itself in the INFJ being hard-nosed and stubborn. (Source: Personality Page)

Ezran ISFP: ISFPs live in the world of sensation possibilities. They are keenly in tune with the way things look, taste, sound, feel and smell. They have a strong set of values, which they strive to consistently meet in their lives. They need to feel as if they're living their lives in accordance with what they feel is right, and will rebel against anything which conflicts with that goal. ISFPs tend to be quiet and reserved, and difficult to get to know well. They hold back their ideas and opinions except from those who they are closest to. They are likely to be kind, gentle and sensitive in their dealings with others. They are interested in contributing to people's sense of well-being and happiness, and will put a great deal of effort and energy into tasks which they believe in. (Source: Personality Page)

Lujanne INFP: Generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease. Although they may be reserved in expressing emotion, they have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people. This sincerity is sensed by others, making the INFP a valued friend and confidante. An INFP can be quite warm with people he or she knows well. INFPs are flexible and laid-back, until one of their values is violated. In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause. INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFPs place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. (Source: Personality Page)

Callum INTP: INTPs live in the world of theoretical possibilities. They see everything in terms of how it could be improved, or what it could be turned into. They live primarily inside their own minds, having the ability to analyze difficult problems, identify patterns, and come up with logical explanations. They seek clarity in everything, and are therefore driven to build knowledge. They are the "absent-minded professors", who highly value intelligence and the ability to apply logic to theories to find solutions. INTPs do not like to lead or control people. They're very tolerant and flexible in most situations, unless one of their firmly held beliefs has been violated or challenged, in which case they may take a very rigid stance. The INTP is likely to be very shy when it comes to meeting new people. On the other hand, the INTP is very self-confident and gregarious around people they know well, or when discussing theories which they fully understand. (Source: Personality Page)

Rayla ESTP: ESTPs are outgoing, straight-shooting types. Enthusiastic and excitable, ESTPs are "doers" who live in the world of action. Blunt, straight-forward risk-takers, they are willing to plunge right into things and get their hands dirty. They live in the here-and-now, and place little importance on introspection or theory. The look at the facts of a situation, quickly decide what should be done, execute the action, and move on to the next thing. They typically makes things up as they go along, rather than following a plan. They love to have fun, and are fun people to be around. They can sometimes be hurtful to others without being aware of it, as they generally do not know and may not care about the effect their words have on others. (Source: Personality Page)

Soren ESFP: ESFPs live in the world of people possibilities. They love people and new experiences. They are lively and fun, and enjoy being the center of attention. They live in the here-and-now, and relish excitement and drama in their lives. ESFP is definitely a spontaneous, optimistic individual. They love to have fun. If the ESFP has not developed their Thinking side by giving consideration to rational thought processing, they tend to become over-indulgent, and place more importance on immediate sensation and gratification than on their duties and obligations. They may also avoid looking at long-term consequences of their actions. The ESFP under a great deal of stress gets overwhelmed with negatives thoughts and possibilities. (Source: Personality Page)

Claudia ENTP: With Extraverted Intuition dominating their personality, the ENTP's primary interest in life is understanding the world that they live in. They are constantly absorbing ideas and images about the situations they are presented in their lives. Using their intuition to process this information, they are usually extremely quick and accurate in their ability to size up a situation. This ability to intuitively understand people and situations puts the ENTP at a distinct advantage in their lives. They generally understand things quickly and with great depth. Accordingly, they are quite flexible and adapt well to a wide range of tasks. They are good at most anything that interests them. ENTPs are fluent conversationalists, mentally quick, and enjoy verbal sparring with others. (Source: Personality Page)

King Harrow ESFJ: ESFJs are people persons - they love people. They are warmly interested in others. They use their Sensing and Judging characteristics to gather specific, detailed information about others, and turn this information into supportive judgments. The ESFJ takes their responsibilities very seriously, and is very dependable. They value security and stability, and have a strong focus on the details of life. They see before others do what needs to be done, and do whatever it takes to make sure that it gets done. They enjoy these types of tasks, and are extremely good at them. They are very giving people, who get a lot of their personal satisfaction from the happiness of others. They want to be appreciated for who they are, and what they give. (Source: Personality Page)

#the dragon prince #mbti #callum #rayla #ezran #claudia #soren #king harrow #general amaya #lujanne #INTP #ESTP #ENTP #ESFP #ESFJ #viren #ISTJ #INFP #INFJ

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molefi-mahula · 4 years

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The Skills needed in a digital age.

Knowledge involves two strongly inter-linked but different components: content and skills. Content includes facts, ideas, principles, evidence, and descriptions of processes or procedures. Most instructors, at least in universities, are well trained in content and have a deep understanding of the subject areas in which they are teaching. Expertise in skills development though is another matter. The issue here is not so much that instructors do not help students develop skills – they do – but whether these intellectual skills match the needs of knowledge-based workers, and whether enough emphasis is given to skills development within the curriculum.

The skills required in a knowledge society include the following (adapted from Conference Board of Canada, 2014):

communications skills: as well as the traditional communication skills of reading, speaking and writing coherently and clearly, we need to add social media communication skills. These might include the ability to create a short YouTube video to capture the demonstration of a process or to make a sales pitch, the ability to reach out through the Internet to a wide community of people with one’s ideas, to receive and incorporate feedback, to share information appropriately, and to identify trends and ideas from elsewhere;

the ability to learn independently: this means taking responsibility for working out what you need to know, and where to find that knowledge. This is an ongoing process in knowledge-based work, because the knowledge base is constantly changing. Incidentally I am not talking here necessarily of academic knowledge, although that too is changing; it could be learning about new equipment, new ways of doing things, or learning who are the people you need to know to get the job done;

ethics and responsibility: this is required to build trust (particularly important in informal social networks), but also because generally it is good business in a world where there are many different players, and a greater degree of reliance on others to accomplish one’s own goals;

teamwork and flexibility: although many knowledge workers work independently or in very small companies, they depend heavily on collaboration and the sharing of knowledge with others in related but independent organizations. In small companies, it is essential that all employees work closely together, share the same vision for a company and help each other out. In particular, knowledge workers need to know how to work collaboratively, virtually and at a distance, with colleagues, clients and partners. The ‘pooling’ of collective knowledge, problem-solving and implementation requires good teamwork and flexibility in taking on tasks or solving problems that may be outside a narrow job definition but necessary for success;

thinking skills (critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, originality, strategizing): of all the skills needed in a knowledge-based society, these are some of the most important. Businesses increasingly depend on the creation of new products, new services and new processes to keep down costs and increase competitiveness. Universities in particular have always prided themselves on teaching such intellectual skills, but the move to larger classes and more information transmission, especially at the undergraduate level, challenges this assumption. Also, it is not just in the higher management positions that these skills are required. Trades people in particular are increasingly having to be problem-solvers rather than following standard processes, which tend to become automated. Anyone dealing with the public needs to be able to identify needs and find appropriate solutions;

digital skills: most knowledge-based activities depend heavily on the use of technology. However the key issue is that these skills need to be embedded within the knowledge domain in which the activity takes place. This means for instance real estate agents knowing how to use geographical information systems to identify sales trends and prices in different geographical locations, welders knowing how to use computers to control robots examining and repairing pipes, radiologists knowing how to use new technologies that ‘read’ and analyze MRI scans. Thus the use of digital technology needs to be integrated with and evaluated through the knowledge-base of the subject area;

knowledge management: this is perhaps the most over-arching of all the skills. Knowledge is not only rapidly changing with new research, new developments, and rapid dissemination of ideas and practices over the Internet, but the sources of information are increasing, with a great deal of variability in the reliability or validity of the information. Thus the knowledge that an engineer learns at university can quickly become obsolete. There is so much information now in the health area that it is impossible for a medical student to master all drug treatments, medical procedures and emerging science such as genetic engineering, even within an eight year program. The key skill in a knowledge-based society is knowledge management: how to find, evaluate, analyze, apply and disseminate information, within a particular context. This is a skill that graduates will need to employ long after graduation.

We know a lot from research about skills and skill development (see, for instance, Fischer, 1980, Fallow and Steven, 2000):

skills development is relatively context-specific. In other words, these skills need to be embedded within a knowledge domain. For example, problem solving in medicine is different from problem-solving in business. Different processes and approaches are used to solve problems in these domains (for instance, medicine tends to be more deductive, business more intuitive; medicine is more risk averse, business is more likely to accept a solution that will contain a higher element of risk or uncertainty);

learners need practice – often a good deal of practice – to reach mastery and consistency in a particular skill;

skills are often best learned in relatively small steps, with steps increasing as mastery is approached;

learners need feedback on a regular basis to learn skills quickly and effectively; immediate feedback is usually better than late feedback;

although skills can be learned by trial and error without the intervention of a teacher, coach, or technology, skills development can be greatly enhanced with appropriate interventions, which means adopting appropriate teaching methods and technologies for skills development;

although content can be transmitted equally effectively through a wide range of media, skills development is much more tied to specific teaching approaches and technologies.

The teaching implications of the distinction between content and skills will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 2. The key point here is that content and skills are tightly related and as much attention needs to be given to skills development as to content acquisition to ensure that learners graduate with the necessary knowledge and skills for a digital age.

References

The Conference Board of Canada (2014) Employability Skills 2000+ Ottawa ON: Conference Board of Canada

Fallow, S. and Stevens, C. (2000) Integrating Key Skills in Higher Education: Employability, Transferable Skills and Learning for Life London UK/Sterling VA: Kogan Page/Stylus

Fischer, K.W. (1980) A Theory of Cognitive Development: The Control and Construction of Hierarchies of Skills Psychological Review, Vol. 84, No. 6

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overanalyzingelswordiswhatido · 5 years

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The Elsword Anime

I see A LOT of complaining about it. And I dont understand where most of the complaints come from. Sure, the anime can be as canon or not as you want it to be really, but there are plenty of things going for it.

Aesthetically, its absolutely gorgeous. Its obvious how much effort was put into the characters and the environments. When the caves flood you can see a line where the water levels reached as they go down. I've rarely seen an animation include that kind of detail. Anime rarely ever includes the pink in the inner corner of the eye but the Elsword Anime includes it in at least some of the close up shots of a character's face. You can see that the environment around the water temple was frozen very very quickly, because you can see the leaves still on the trees and stuff through the ice.

From a character standpoint, they all live up to their in universe abilities. I saw someone complaining about how in the anime Elesis carried the group through Hamel. I actually really liked that detail. From a game design standpoint, even if you're making a multiplayer game, each character has to be able to carry themselves, at the very least in the hands of a good player, but in general is the better way to go. And having played at least one route for every character, it is possible to play every one of them solo. They can carry themselves. And an interesting detail is they can easily carry themselves up until the point where they join the El Search Party in the story, at which point it becomes more difficult. Though at no point is it impossible to solo any given character as long as you're patient and play to their play style strengths. In an anime however, none of those things need to be taken into consideration. You don't NEED to balance out a character so to speak. And its actually better to keep the focus off too large a number of characters so that the story doesn't get muddled. And Elesis has her in universe reputation for a reason. It wouldn't make sense for her to have that reputation if she wasn't one of the strongest players on the board. Also, it is implied in the dialogue scenes that Elesis may have carried them at least up to Ran as far as the actual story is concerned. Her skill is often commented on and for one of the Magmanta's Cave quests she's even described as rushing through. Elesis being one of the more powerful characters doesn't take from the others at all in my own opinion. Especially since in Lanox we barely actually see her in the anime. Also, there are multiple moments in Hamel where she steps back and lets Elsword shine. If she really was being used as a narrative excuse to get them through Hamel then she wouldn't have allowed Elsword to help her fight Victor, let alone hung back so that he could the finally hit in. She also encouraged Elsword to help Chung take on Ran. And with Elsword being the title/main character, of course he's the one she steps back for most of everyone. Even in the game that's the case.

On that note, one thing a game can include that would bring an anime down is extra details. This is another common complaint in book to movie adaptations. Details have to be left out for the sake of pacing. That's why we don't see Rod Ross, or Penensio, or even the entirety of Sander. And I know those are cool to be left out because I introduced my mom and younger siblings to Elsword via the anime and they were fine. They weren't confused. They understood what was going on perfectly fine. All of those extra details are just filler. Its crazy to me that people complain when details are left out of adaptations but then complain about filler in content created originally in the medium that's being adapted into. You have to keep in mind the kind of audience the new medium caters to. Just because a game/book fan would be willing to sit through a ridiculously long show/movie adaptation doesn't mean that the general audience for shows/movies would. And that general audience HAS to be taken into account when making the adaptation. Adaptations are never made just for the original audience. I'm not saying that adaptations can't completely butcher their source material because they can. All I'm saying is that the mediums are inherently different. A pencil sketch isn't going to look the same as an oil painting. It just isn't and books and games and movies and shows follow that same exact principle.

Another thing about the anime is that a lot of the character moments are absolutely golden. People complain all the time that no one called Add out. In the anime almost every single other character in the search party calls him out in one way or another. At one point or another. Some are more subtle than others but even so. One big huge important character moment that the anime shows us that the game doesn't do as well is that Eve is allowed to distrust Add. Often times in a narrative where you have a yandere type character the other characters are either oblivious, think its funny, or think its cute to have someone so unhealthily devoted to you. In the Elsword Anime, Eve's distrust of Add is completely validated by almost every other character. Another big moment is for Elsword. He realizes quite quickly that Elesis doesn't trust Add. And instead of simply following his sister like he had up to that point, he decides that he's still going to trust Add. That's a really big moment for Elsword because it's that same route that decides to step off his sister's path to walk his own. At the same time though when Add tells Elsword how easy of a target he is to take advantage of, Elsword calls the trust he placed in Add into question. But another important thing is that Elsword doesn't ask himself. He asks Add if he was wrong to trust him. And when Add can't answer Elsword reaffirms his decision, not just for himself but for Add. And that's a huge moment for both Add and Elsword.

Also, there are plenty of moments that allude to game mechanics. There is of course, Chung and Ara's awakenings. There's also the fact that Chung is rather conservative with his canonballs until he goes into awakening (where they essentially become unlimited). There's also the moment in Lanox where Elsword and Ara are looking for Ignia. Elsword is completely exhausted and says that Ara walks too fast and its hard to keep up. Having played an Elsword that was paired with an Ara, truer words were never spoken. There's also the fact that when Add volunteers to break the seal on Artea, he just goes right up to her and ends up getting smacked by a bunch of rocks because he was too focused on the seal to pay attention. That alludes directly to his shite defense stat.

Almost every character interaction in the anime is like that. There's weight to the things that they say and do, and their development is made painfully clear, instead of having to make an inference based on various details gathered from however many places. I don't reference it in my analyses because we don't know how canon it is but I don't really understand why everyone complains. Especially when the complaints I've seen seem to be shallow. Rarely ever does someone take the anime medium into account when they complain about the Elsword anime adaptation.

I'm not saying you have to like it. If you prefer the level of detail that's included in the game then that's your preference. What I am saying is that the anime itself is not inherently bad simply because it doesn't fit your preference. I don't like enchiladas. Plenty of other people do and that's cool. Just because I don't doesn't make them awful disgusting horrible things as a general rule. They just aren't one of my favorite things.

#elsword #elsword online #elsword anime #elboy #aisha #rena #raven #eve #elesis #chung #add #ara #lu #ciel

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sabbathism · 5 years

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People don’t like season 2, and here’s what they have to say :

tl;dr: I answer the web’s most vehement complaints about season 2 of American Gods. If you happen to recognize yourself in one of those, then I suggest thinking about it really really hard and, perhaps, giving the show another chance. If you recognize yourself in several of those, please drop the show. It’s not worth wasting your time and especially not ours. (I put a list of helpful cast and production related facts at the end.)

Hi, Nelle here, I’m but a humble fan who wishes to have fun seeing gods bicker and argue among mortals, complete with the craziest of situations, stellar cast and great visuals. And yet I can’t help but hear things when I start browsing this hellsite in quest of juicy fanworks.

Although I’m no Joan Of Arc, I hear voices from above and here’s what I have to shout back (lest I get burned at the stake) :

“The pacing is all over the place ! It’s too slow !”

Is it tho ? Pacing has been “all over the place” (really meaning: different from what we avid show-viewers are accustomed to) since season 1, we’ve never gotten straight answers out of anything unless we started listening and paying attention to details.

The book (you know, the source material) has four parts, the fourth serving as an epilogue to the whole story, season 2 is most definitely meant to close part 1 which, allegedly, had the slowest of pace to begin with. And it doesn’t even have half the new narratives the show has been creating. So no, it’s not slow. I promise you things are happening.

“It needs to follow the actual book more !!”

What’s a good adaptation ? Is it something that is 100% truthful to the source, down to every word ? Is it something that should offer something for people who don’t know the source ? Or, on the contrary, be something inseparable from it ?

American Gods as a TV show offers new things for people who have read the book and for those who haven’t, while keeping the beloved moments and aspects from the original material.

Why add or change stuff ? Well because, if you’re a book reader, you get welcomed into the state of existential dread that comes with not knowing what happen next, I promise it’s part of the fun. But also because author Neil Gaiman believes that he can do more, do better, with something that was written 20 years ago and needed the changes in a lot of places. He’s aware that he has, in fact, a show to make, and not a carbon copy of the book, as well as a fanbase that deserves to be challenged and entertained.

“Why taking the focus off Shadow ? He’s barely the protagonist anymore !”

Because there are..... characters ? who are also part of the story ? Like, actual stories need characters ? But alright, I know it can get confusing when you have a lot of those, here’s how you can still tell Shadow is the protagonist : months of advertising and the entirety of season 1 which was spent following Shadow with only minor breaks allowing other characters to breathe. Trust me they need the development too, or then we’ll really have reasons to complain.

You want a narrative focusing solely on staying in Shadow’s head ? Alright. Try the book. But here’s my take on its narrating choice, as a graduate in english literature : it’s boring. To the point where Neil Gaiman himself got sad that he couldn’t follow other characters.

“They’re not giving the POCs enough space ! Where are the coming to america segments ? At least they gave actual insights.”

Out of every piece of fiction, I truly don’t think you want to get angry at American Gods for how much room it’s giving POCs... (a 20% white cast ensemble, POCs and especially WOCs writers and directors on production, ethnically accurate casting and writing, diversity positive messages, etc) Really I’m sure there are many other places in the fictional industry were the question of diversity is more than legitimate. American Gods has yet to be one of them, by far.

As for the Coming To America stuff, well, there’s not that many in the book to begin with. There are a whole bunch for sure, but we’ve got over quite a few of them in season 1. If there’s more believers you want, we’re served with the latest episode 4, with humans worshiping both Old and New, and interacting with gods. I’m sure we can review that point again once the season is over.

“Those white directors don’t even know how to read or write POC characters !”

*cough*

here’s a list of the POC directors and writers on episodes 2 to 5 of season 2 only :

Deborah Chow (director)

Aditi Kapil (writer)

Salli Richardson (director)

Rodney Barnes (writer)

Orlando Jones (writer)

That’s half the entire director-writer team for these episodes, with Neil Gaiman being involved. You’ll have to point out to me exactly what you mean by “not writing right”.

“New Media ? 1. she’s a bitch, 2. her actress is just plain bad, 3. she’s a hurtful stereotype.”

And here comes perhaps the trickiest one of all... I’m gonna have to bear with you, as much as you’re gonna have to bear with me :

1. Yes. 2. No. 3. Yes, and it’s a problem, but not for the reasons you think.

First of all, and let’s get it out of the way : actor =/= character nor writing. You think the writing is bad and/or that the character is annoying ? Well, it’s certainly not on the actor. You wanna know the actual level of Kahyun Kim’s acting ? Starring in an Alan Cummings play alongside him. We’ve got a lot to discuss but please keep her out of this.

Second, New Media is an absolute bitch of a character. She’s mocking, manipulative, and too ambitious for anyone’s good. A lot of people seem to love her tho and to that I say good ??? I mean, great if you like her, because she’s got as much potential as the rest of these crazy characters, I’m not here to tell you who you should hate and who you should love.

But there’s a problem you shouldn’t ignore, and that its so far she’s not well written. It’s a terrible thing to say in such a show but she’s really not : because we barely see her talking, because we barely got any scene with her (remember what I said about letting character breathe ?), and because what we’ve seen of her so far is the stereotype of the hypersexualized naive asian girl. Complete with tentacle porn scene. (Whether you felt weirded out, amused or utterly disgusted by this is your own valid opinion.)

The character has been officially described as “the goddess of global content”, “a cyberspace chameleon” and “a master of manipulation.” In recent addition to that, actor Bruce Langley (Technical Boy) has said : “New Media’s willing to be perceived as naive because if she’s being underestimated, when she does make her move, you’d never see it coming, but she knows way more than she lets on.” He then goes on to compare her to Gillian Anderson’s Media.

This proves that the way New Media comes off isn’t a problem of intent (the naive part is calculated and they want the character to be duplicitous, falsely seductive), but of handling, and it’s just as bad. Sure, Gillian’s Media also knew more than she let on for about as much screen time -I’m sure New Media will get to her four scenes in one season-, but she had been grounded in the narrative as her own character, she’s had her exposition speech and time. (See her meeting with Shadow in S01E02) We’ve yet to see that much of Kahyun’s New Media.

Because they do not give her what she needs to be more than a two dimensional character, we find ourselves with a shallow character who doesn’t give too many signs of the thought process everyone seemed to have put into crafting her beforehand, including Kahyun’s acting. This is a serious issue that needs to be handled before the season ends, or she will just stand out like a nasty spot in an overall incredible piece of fiction. Hell even Laura (another very unlikable character) manages to be a great addition to the narrative. Come on people.

You can of course argue that they could have gone for another type or personality for her, other than naive and sex-oriented, for a korean actress to play. You’re right, there’s a lot of aspect of social media that could have been put to work, but not only are we gonna need more than two scenes (at least the tentacles aren’t a regular occurrence so far), but it’s just like they could have not made the Technical Boy hang Shadow.

The New Gods appear as the ‘general bad idea’ we promote through and associate with their element. Mr. World is gonna be the creepy looking government dude, Tech is gonna be the lanky rude geek, they’re gonna be cold, insensitive and selfish. They’re gonna be the things we don’t like. Throughout season 1, Tech Boy was in the same place we find ourselves in with New Media : he was the loud white racist teenager hating on anon on the net, he was unlikable from start to finish, and it’s only once we got inputs from his actor, the writers, and then now that they’re showing more of his story and personality well after season 1 that we see him as the fully complex and interesting character he is.

Let’s all keep our wits about us, not engulf ourselves in blind hate or love, and encourage the writers to prove us all that this character is worth the while like her actress says.

(I still won’t forgive the bitch, but at least she won’t stick out like a sore thumb.)

(if you want Kahyun’s input on her character and experience, here’s a lengthy interview)

"They don't even know how to write their own character, period !"

By all means, tell me your basis of characterization to declare that characters who didn’t even have enough screentime to have much substance in season 1 (except Shadow, but strangely no one complains about him) aren’t written right when their creator is literally hovering over the writers and actors shoulders, because he wants them to be developed and written right.

It’s not Harry Potter, Neil isn’t making up facts about them to make himself look better, maybe accept that the vision you had in your mind wasn’t entirely accurate to the truth of the characters and that’s okay ? You can still write them yourself however you want, tell the stories you want to tell, Neil has made it very clear that he doesn’t consider fan ideas less valuable than his.

“Bryan has such as specific, unique vision ! They’re just trying to copy it and they’re failing.”

Definitely. No really, you’re right, I’m a big fan of Bryan’s work, I lost my mind like everyone else when he said he wasn’t giving up on Hannibal season 4.

But you know who else has a unique vision ? The seven directors who took over (four of those are women) and the show-runner who had already worked with him beforehand. They’re not trying to copy his style, they’re trying to make a smooth transition so fans like you don’t have a hard time mourning the terrible loss of Bryan and Michael. And for every person who noticed the changes, there were just as many who haven’t even paid attention to it.

Concept : some people may watch shows/movies for the story and the characters, not just for who’s behind the camera. (As far as I’m concerned, I actually like the image better. Everything was killer in season 1, and I think it’s even nicer in season 2.)

“Bryan gave us Salim and the Jinn, and now they’re just gonna be cast aside because those directors lack the LGBT+ sensibility Bryan has !”

Alright, yup, sure. As a member of the community myself, I totally recognize that someone who’s also part of it will know firsthand of the subtleties and details to give the best representation possible on screen. The example of Salim and the Jinn is perfectly fine, since the entire segment was indeed beautifully made. But if we cannot allow people from outside to ponder and think about our lives through writing (which is probably the best way for them to start understanding and broadening their mindset), how can we expect wide representation to improve in any meaningful way ? Especially considering that the show has been casting LGBT+ actors, in an environment where the cast is listened to and solicited on their opinions.

And especially when Bryan was not the one who gave you Salim and the Jinn. (Because I’ve seen people genuinely believe it.) Neil Gaiman did. He wrote a gay muslim couple in his book 20 years ago, way before it was considered a political statement. He’s also the one who gave strict and specific directions as to how these very characters should be handled. Because if he expanded Salim and his fire boyfriend Jinn’s story from a one-shot to a full story integrated into his entire narration, then it’s certainly not to pull a “bury your gays” or make them miserable. No need to be LGBT+ to be a decent writer and human being.

“Production was a mess anyway, I knew it’d turn out like this. It sucks without Bryan.”

Define “mess”. Because all the incendiary reports we got throughout early production had been utter bullshit.

Showrunners being “fired” ? Bullshit. “Disastrous” organization ? Bullshit. “Screaming matches” between directors and actors ? Bullshit. Actors “refusing” to come back ? Bullshit.

Every report that wasn’t made through direct input of the cast or production team was not only wildly exaggerated, but also fake ? But please, hear it from Neil himself :

It was weirder for me to read some of the stuff online that said, “Oh, my god, American Gods, behind the scenes, is all falling apart.” I was going, “But they just shot four episodes, and everything is fine. They’re doing some re-shoots, but they’re doing less re-shoots than they did in Season 1.” [...]

I was reading Steven Bochco’s biography on the tube, going into work on Good Omens, every morning, and learning about what went down on Hill Street Blues, and then on NYPD Blue. That was worse, by a factor of thousands, than anything that happened on American Gods. A showrunner came, and a showrunner left. That’s not even an unusual thing. [...] The weirdest thing for me was putting out a thing on Twitter on Season 2, and having a bunch of people go, “We thought this was canceled.” No, it’s not canceled. In its own mad way, it’s on schedule.

(Source)

The show was never in any danger, much less in jeopardy. It's overreactions to false rumors and dramatic assumptions that can kill a show faster than a showrunner leaving. You want to be critical of a production ? Go ahead, and check your sources and facts. Please. I promise most of the time it’s not worth the worry, much less losing all hope.

“Bryan cared, they’re just ruining what he’s built.”

I dare you to watch any cast interview and tell me these people don’t care about the show, and that they do not value the work everyone else (from hair department to makeup artists, producers, writers, directors and costume team) puts into it as well.

I’ve watched my fair share of shows, I’m curious about production and behind-the-scenes material in general, and I’ve never seen a group of people being so genuinely happy and passionate about what they do and create together.

Neil took time out of preparing Good Omens (which he was showrunning himself) to be more active because he knew things would be different between season 1 and 2. Ricky Whittle (Shadow) had his contract reviewed to better accommodate shooting and planning. Orlando Jones (Nancy) contributed to writing episodes (especially regarding Black history and representation) and brought inputs on characterization. Ian Mcshane (Mr. Wednesday) participated in directing when he explicitly said during season 1 that he wasn’t interested in working as a director on this kind of show.

And that’s for the well-known names only. Go on the American Gods hashtag on instagram, you’ll find all the various artists who participated in crafting all the details found in new episodes. They’re out there talking about how excited they were to work on it all, how they did it, the love they have for the show and crew. They’re active and positive in every way you can be, please tell me how much they don’t care.

Production made the choice of taking its time making this season rather than rushing it when it’s been very clear that delaying can cause massive loss of viewers, because they care more about how the show comes out than what people actually think. They took in stride whatever problem a show of this magnitude could naturally encounter (again guys, no disaster happened) and worked to solve it the best way they could because they were perfectly aware that we fans care. And somehow that’s what made some of yall disappointed ??

If you seriously think Bryan (and Michael, some people forget about him smh) cared more about American Gods than these people -when he, in fact, cared just as much-, then by all means, leave right with him.

(Also uhm, idk if you noticed, but they’re both still credited in the fucking opening. Because, you know, they’re going by the bases they’ve settled.)

Some (hopefully) helpful facts :

+ Bryan and Michael weren’t fired, they walked out of the show after mutual understanding with the rest of the production that they weren’t agreeing on budget and realization. They concluded that pushing it would just be harmful to the show.

+ Likewise, Jesse Alexander (second showrunner) wasn’t evicted but stepped out once disagreements rose as to how to handle the end of the season. Again, they found a solution fairly quickly.

+ Gillian Anderson had only signed for season 1. Whether her character will ever be seen again (probably in flashbacks) is entirely up in the air. No promises, no impossibilities.

+ Both Kristin Chenoweth (Ostara) and Chris Obi (Anubis) have not been able to contribute to season 2 due to conflicts in their schedules.

+ Neil Gaiman has been much more involved in the production of season 2 as he had finished shooting Good Omens, something which took up most of his time when season 1 was produced.

+ Taking time producing a show =/= production being a disaster.

+ Always go for the reports/articles involving interviews and/or inputs of the persons actually working on the project (cast members, producers, writers, directors). Those are the most reliable sources you can fight. (Just remember that there’s always a possibility for fake news/drama online !)

#please do message me if you want clarification/to discuss #summary + facts in the tl;dr and at the very end #american gods #starz #freemantle media #american gods season 2 #neil gaiman #bryan fuller #michael green #ricky whittle #new media #gillian anderson #kahyun kim #rant #my writing #bitch this is so long

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wits-writing · 5 years

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Earth’s Mightiest Retrospective Ep 15: “459”

(Directed by Vinton Heuck, Written by Kevin Burke and Christ Wyatt, Original Airdate: December 12, 2010)

I write my retrospective on this episode only a few days after seeing and writing a review about the Captain Marvel movie focusing on Carol Danvers. This feels necessary to bring up as this episode features an interpretation of her classic origin, but also doesn’t feature much of her. What we get is good, she’s introduced to us as security detail at a military/SHIELD run observatory and has invited Hank and Janet to get a second opinion on a strange object they’ve been tracking. There are touches of pre-existing friendship between her and Jan, since they already have a rapport. She’s ready to go out and fight the second it seems like the object they were tracking could be an alien threat. Most important to this episode is a character we meet through her, since she introduces Hank and Janet to head scientist at the observatory, Phil Lawson, later revealed to be the Mar-Vell, captain of the Kree science navy.

Captain Mar-Vell’s involvement in this episode serves the same purpose as the entire episode, expanding the scope of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into the potential of later cosmic threats. He gives the Avengers information about the object that arrived on Earth, Kree Sentry-459, a robot designed to observe/eliminate potential threats on planets the Kree wish to colonize. He runs down why his race would want to do this, explaining the basics of the Kree/Skrull conflict for territory across the galaxy with Earth being in a valuable position.

He also explains how he was trying to prevent the Kree from taking Earth with his work at the observatory before this episode’s events. During 459’s initial attack, Carol and Mar-Vell got caught in an explosion. She’s left unconscious for most of the episode because of this, meaning she doesn’t get to hear all the revelations about his background he lays out for the Avengers from the source. Which feels like a cheap move, considering these two supposedly trusted each other before the Kree Sentry’s arrival. We’re left with Wasp being offended for this deception on her comatose friend’s behalf.

The other main thread of the episode is a bit of a character development cul-de-sac, Janet and Hank not knowing how to express their feelings for each other. Jan spends a lot of the episode making passive plays at gauging Hank’s feelings for her, namely through trying to stoke his jealousy. Carol does call her out on the passive aggressiveness of this behavior, but Jan deflects by making the conversation about how Hank wants to keep things “strictly science.” The conclusion to this portion of the story isn’t much of one. In the middle of a battle with the Sentry, Janet finally starts venting to Hank about how she never seems to be able to get his attention away from his various scientific fascinations and Hank takes a blow from the robot to save her. He manages to half-say “I love you” before passing out. Though when he recovers, he denies he was trying to say anything as Janet reminds him about it. This episode marks the first major time Janet and Hank have come close to discussing and their feelings, but by the end they haven’t made any actual progression.

The conflict against the Sentry ends as Mar-Vell, chastised in a message from his commander for trying to prevent the Kree from taking the Earth, rips a bomb from the machine’s chest meant to wipe out life on the planet. In a near self-sacrifice, he flies the bomb out into space but only succeeds in getting it out of range with Iron Man and Thor’s help. Afterwards, he thanks them for their assistance, but says he’ll need to try and appeal to his people to get them to leave Earth alone in the future. As the episode ends with Captain Mar-Vell gone and the conversation between Janet and Hank about what he was trying to tell her, they’re interrupted by Carol waking up to find herself pulsing with energy and floating above her bed.

“459” is fine at doing its job of establishing the cosmic details for this version of the Marvel Universe. The fights against the adaptive Kree Sentry are good and give Mar-Vell a chance to display his abilities, mostly relating to the weapons parts of his suit can turn into. Though I do have to knock it some points for the potential conflict between Carol and Mar-Vell being left to hang and the relationship between Janet and Hank not moving forward after teasing it.

Next time, a new enemy comes from the future to destroy the Avengers.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

#Avengers #Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes #Earth's Mightiest Retrospective #Wit's Writing #TV Review #Marvel Comics #Marvel #superhero tv #superhero animation #comics #Carol Danvers #Mar Vell

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rihanna-warner · 5 years

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Birth Date: May 29, 1997 Birth Time: 10:41 PM Birth Place: Suffolk, England United Kingdom

Gemini Sun, Pisces Moon, Sagittarius Rising

“With the Sun in Gemini, the urge for self-expression is strong. These natives are often just as interested in collecting information as they are in sharing it. Curious to a fault, Geminis have a finger in every pie.

They are flexible and changeable people. Their ability to adapt quickly to new situations generally gains them plenty of friends and social contacts. Usually quite clever and witty, they enjoy intellectual conversations and they are easily bored if they are not getting enough mental stimulation.

Often quite adept at fitting in with others, they easily adopt the moods of those around them. They are friends to people from all walks of life, and are not easily intimidated. Their ability to detach themselves can make them very objective and observant, but a little difficult to get close to. Although they often have many friends, intimacy doesn't come as easily to them.

It can be difficult to know what they really feel at any given moment. They are often very impressionable and scattered. There is usually a nervous air to Geminis that can make more personal characters a little uneasy. It is not always intuitive to trust Geminis to be loyal or to keep secrets. Geminis often flit about, moving quickly and keeping busy every step of the way. Many people with this position of the Sun have gained quite a bit of knowledge in their lifetimes, but they don't often possess specialized knowledge. This is because Geminis have relatively short attention spans. Restlessness is especially common with this position of the Sun.

Usually quite affable, Geminis enjoy the "light" side of life. This tendency to take things lightly makes them quite pleasing to be around; but it can be maddening to people seeking support on the deeper issues in life. Geminis are both interesting and interested. Their wit can be dazzling and their changeability dizzying. At the very least, Geminis will seldom bore you.”

Ria religiously believes in Astrology to a fault. Some people might think that it is counter-intuitive to be in constant search of knowledge while still believing in something like Astrology but Ria would gladly dispute that. In the wizarding world where prophecies exist, where stars and tea leaves can tell the future, how can any wixen say that the placement of the stars and the planets when one was born cannot have an effect on that person?

That being said, to Ria, there is no question that she is a true Gemini. She loves expressing herself, whether it comes through talking with friends or even decorating her room so that anyone who knows her can enter it and immediately tell it was hers. And as a Ravenclaw and President of the Book Club, no less, she thrives being in the center of collecting and sharing information beside people who are more or less the same.

She loves being around people and she finds that she can easily adapt to fit the social circles she has placed herself into. However, this does give her a tendency to say one thing to a person, but say a completely different thing to another, depending on what the person she was talking to wanted to hear. That is why in a worst case scenario, people could confront her as disloyal.

Ria wouldn’t say that she was difficult to read however. Perhaps, it’s only difficult to get a sense of what she’s feeling given that she’s always on the fence about something but her hesitations are almost always apparent to her companions. What’s ironic was that she always know how to feel in relation to others and what to feel given any social circumstance. But once you ask her how she as her own person feels about certain things, that’s when she becomes confused and when she starts questioning herself.

All in all, Ria loves to enjoy life and she wants her friends and soon to be friends to enjoy it too. The only problem is that sometimes, the way she does it leads more to complications rather than solutions, especially when problems arise in her relationships and Ria chooses the simple and easy solutions rather than painful ones that tackles the core of the problem.

Those with their Moon in Pisces are known to be dreamy and not always in touch with reality. However, though these people may not always show real-world savvy in day-to-day, practical affairs, they make up for this with remarkable intuition. They can put themselves into anybody's shoes with extreme ease. On the plus side, this endows them with remarkable compassion and love. The down side with this apparent ability to break down boundaries is that these people can easily lose themselves in the suffering of others. Their sense of humor is delightfully silly and a bit odd. These are perceptive souls who seem to be in touch with all the nuances and subtleties of human nature. Often this comes through in a strong sense of humor that is more of the receptive kind than the type of sense of humor that would make people the "life of the party". It's generally pretty easy to get them giggling.

Moon in Pisces people may get tagged as spaced out, but there's a lot more to them than meets the eye. They feel things out, and rely on their intuition. It just doesn't feel right for them to do otherwise. Their dreaminess can mean plenty of moments of absent-mindedness. These times of oblivion can land them in all sorts of predicaments with others who can too easily misunderstand these complex souls. Without plenty of space and time to daydream, Pisces Moons easily get overloaded with life. Give them room to be alone with themselves, and they're generally able to take on the world--even if their style when they do so is not always conventional or understandable. Generally considered soft-hearted and sweet, Lunar Pisceans care about others and are easily touched by human suffering. This tendency gains them the reputation as suckers for sob stories. Although this may sometimes be true, many learn, in their lifetimes, how to discern between sincerity and manipulation. Still, they definitely do have plenty of soft corners.

Intuition is what Ria uses to get a feel on how to deal with other people. This is also what makes her an effective leader because she doesn’t just simply lead projects or organizations, she leads people. She could understand what motivates them and what causes them to feel certain things once they reveal themselves to her. Along with the ability to feel empathy for other people however, is feeling their pain immensely. She has a soft spot for people in pain and she has a desire to patch them up as if their misery was her own. She feels the need to nurture others, even if help is unwelcome.

Ria’s dreaminess manifests whenever she finds herself humming the most recent tune stuck in her head and dancing as she walked along the hallway whenever she just knows it was going to be a good day. It manifests in her love of poetry. Imagining herself with the voice of the poets and placing herself in the worlds that they build within the words of the poem. It manifests whenever she gazes at the stars and loses herself in the vastness of the universe and what other mysteries it hides from her.

The world is filled with adventure for those with their Rising in Sagittarius, new things to experience, and, most of all, hope. There is an unmistakable faith and enthusiasm with Sagittarius rising people. Grand schemes, big promises, and a willingness to explore and experiment are themes, although follow-through is not a strong characteristic of Sagittarius. These individuals are somewhat restless and often active people. They always seem to be looking for something that is just out of grasp -- and many do this their entire lives. They can be quite direct at times, yet they are likable enough to forgive for their faux-pas. Most have a lot to say and offer. Their insights and opinions are usually interesting and exciting, although sometimes lacking in details.

Sagittarius rising people have opinions about everything, and they just love telling others exactly what they are. Not all people with this position are outgoing folk, but they all have a way of moving about that at least exudes a certain level of confidence. Some might even call them naive or overly optimistic. Even the quiet ones don't shrink from life and from experience. One of the most obvious and endearing traits of Sagittarius rising is their willingness to keep up a sense of humor. Even when they're feeling low, they manage to find humor in life and have fun with whatever they do have.

The faith and enthusiasm of grand schemes and big promises of those with their rising in Sagittarius, manifests in Ria through her passion for Astronomy and Divination. To her, there is no bigger adventure than trying to unravel whatever the future holds.

Given her Gemini Sun, Pisces Moon, and Sagittarius Rising, Rihanna’s sense of humor is one of her immediate sources of light that gives her optimism and the ability to always hope for the best, in situations and in people. May it be from wit, random silliness, or making fun of the situation she is in, it allows her to carry on, especially when life becomes such a drag.

#acciohuchallenges #headcanon

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internationalhouseofblupjeans · 6 years

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An Eighth Bird, Born Out of the Storm - Chapter 22

Based loosely on the Luume'irma headcanon from @interstellarvagabond

Eighth Bird AU.

We're all caught up now.

Angus reconnects. Lup gets her body back. Taako has two hands.

They all live happily every after.

Thank you to Calcu from the writer’s chat for Beta'ing!!

Also on AO3 (link in the source)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 below

Dearest Angus Bluejeans-Mcdonald,

Thank you for your wonderful letter, however I must return the admiration as I have become quite the fan of you and your family! Your work as a detective is, of course, admirable and would make Caleb Cleveland very proud. The story of your family and how they fought for a century is amazing, of course, but your story is brilliant as well.

Would you mind if I adapted some of the stories of your cases into the next few Caleb Cleveland novels? We can work out the details later, perhaps over tea with you and your family?

Sincerely, D. M. Gryphon

The first weeks were a whirlwind for Angus.

Rebuilding had to be done on all of Faerun, but people had put aside their differences to work together. Angus had seen elves, orcs, humans … all of them working together. It was as if the principles of the Bureau of Balance (now the Bureau of Benevolence) had infected the world, at least for a little bit.

His family, his giant, extended family, was helping. Was making sure that the world they had saved stayed that way.

And they were also starting to split apart.

Not in a negative way. Not really. It was just odd for Angus to see Merle suddenly deciding to live on the beach or Magnus returning to Raven’s Roost.

Lucretia stayed on the moon and Davenport … well, he couldn’t stay put. Not anymore.

Angus was relieved when Lup and Barry insisted that Taako live with them. It was at least a little bit of normalcy for the boy. Their home in Neverwinter was still being completed so they stayed in housing that Artemis Sterling had set aside for them. It was nice, even if it was temporary.

He didn’t know what he would have done if Taako had turned them down (though, having only truly known his mother for a little while, Angus was pretty sure that that would have been impossible). He was happy though. He still had some semblance of family. Something that was stable.

Most mornings, he was awakened by his mother’s spectral form hovering nearby, the lich smiling (he thought) as she greeted him and told him that breakfast was ready. Some mornings, he would find himself sitting between Barry and Taako, Taako discussing his plans for a proper school while Barry simply hummed into his coffee. Sometimes, Taako and Lup would squabble over something mundane, the argument being more entertaining than anything else.

And some days, Angus would follow his mom to the basement of their temporary home as she hovered in front of the glowing green tank that was growing her new body. She would sometimes notice him and try to ruffle his hair in a comforting way.

Angus was excited and nervous.

Lup missed sleep.

She hovered near Barry, watching as he slept, and sighed. She wasn’t sure how many more months it would be but she was getting antsy.

Back when she had known that they would just reset in a year, she could easily pass the time as Barry slept if she was a lich for a cycle while Barry was still corporeal.

But now, knowing that this was it, it made the months tick by horribly slowly.

She had missed sleeping in Barry’s arms, had missed eating, had missed so much.

And in realizing what she missed about being alive, she realized just how much she had actually missed.

She’d missed Taako, missed being there for him when he had been wandering Faerun alone. Had missed getting her revenge on Sazed (prison was too good for him). She had missed helping Magnus, meeting his wife (though now with her new job, she probably could). She had missed Barry and felt absolutely gutted that she couldn’t have been alongside him during that decade alone.

She missed so many firsts with her son.

First words, first steps … First case.

She regretted it but at the same time, this was so much better. It would not have been fair to Angus to have him have to go through everything again. To have to wait to be born. To have to wait to exist.

She left her and Barry’s room and hovered down the hallway. She drifted into Taako’s room where he was sound asleep, plans and blueprints underneath him. She wished she could tuck him in. He would be sore in the morning from the position he was sleeping in.

Kravitz needed to move in. As uncomfortable as living with a reaper while she was a lich was, he was good for Taako. He’d been such a positive influence on him. He’d brought him almost back to being the Taako that Lup remembered.

She smiled and drifted out, making her way to Angus’ room.

She paused at the doorway, looking at the boy as he gripped his sheets tightly, his eyes screwed shut and his ears pressed flat against his head.

A nightmare. He was having a nightmare.

She settled down next to him and gently stroked his hair, as much as she could, and sang to him, hoping to calm him down. She watched his breathing slow and his eyes relax and smiled.

She was about to leave when she heard his tiny voice.

“Mom?” he asked.

She drifted over to him.

“Hey Ango … Are you alright? You were having a nightmare …”

“Yeah … I … I had them a lot,” he started. “They were mostly abstract which … I guess makes sense because of that century but …”

He sniffled and looked up at her.

“You were gone,” he started. “Taako broke the Umbra Staff and nothing came out and then the Hunger took him and took Barry and the Davenport left and … And you were gone …”

Lup instinctively wrapped herself around him, channeling as much energy as she could just so she could hold her son as he cried. It broke her heart to be unable to do more for him.

“Th-thanks mom,” he started. “I … I’m glad that you’re here … even if it took so long …”

Lup smiled and kissed his forehead.

“I’m glad too, Ango … We … we waited so long and you are everything we ever wanted.”

They sat there together until the sun rose, Angus calming down enough that he could start to doze.

Merle and Magnus had both come to visit, Magnus offering to help build the Taako-Lup-Bluejeans house (and really, they didn’t trust anyone else to do it after the last foreman quit). Merle sat, watching Magnus work, when he heard a quiet voice behind him.

“Erm … hello sir … Uncle? I guess?”

Merle paled.

He had been dreading this moment for weeks now. The moment he had realized who Angus was, he had decided that maybe he should try to avoid being around the twins. He knew that Lup had seen how he had treated her child and had realized that there was probably some resentment there. He’d felt so much regret because he had once been so excited and now …

“Oh, uh … Hey, Angus …” He started. “Sorry about all .. all of that. I kinda wasn’t myself,” he chuckled, nervously.

“Oh, it’s ok, sir,” Angus started. “I mean, I don’t know why you were like that but I just sort of figured … You know … Here comes this kid and everyone’s going to pay attention to that kid and …”

“God, you’re perceptive,” Merle laughed. “You must get that from your dad.”

Angus laughed nervously.

“I’m just … God, please don’t tell your mom that I threatened to kill you,” he started. “‘Cause you saw what she did to the Hunger. I don’t get to reset this time if she blasts me.”

“Oh, I’m sure she understands,” Angus laughed. “In fact … I kind of wanted to talk to you about that …”

Merle sighed and sat up a little straighter.

“Kid … I’m really sorry-”

“Like I said, it’s ok. I understand. In fact … I kind of … I don’t want things to really change,” Angus started. “Like, there was a whole dynamic and honestly, I got used to it? Like … I knew you didn’t hate me and … I guess I thought it was just done out of love?”

Merle chuckled.

“Well, at the time, I was threatened,” Merle laughed. “You know, threatened by a ten year old because you are actually competent and I … Well, for ten years I was a pretty shitty cleric and here comes this half elf kid who’s good at everything he does and well … I guess I was a bit of an ass.”

“Yeah,” Angus started. “But it’s ok. And if you did suddenly start acting like you cared about me, then everyone would think my mom did threaten you,” he laughed. “So … I guess it can be our secret that you actually care?”

Merle laughed.

“Sure kiddo.”

Magnus watched Taako and Kravitz and tried to not let the jealousy sting him.

He’d had Julia. He’d had someone who he loved so deeply but there was still that tug in his heart when he saw Taako smile. Saw him holding Kravitz’ hand.

Saw them kiss.

He knew, of course, that their relationship on the Starblaster had never actually been defined. Had never been anything permanent.

But he could wish.

He was about to leave for the evening when Kravitz approached him. Magnus tensed up, knowing that Kravtiz knew. He knew everything that had happened, knew of Taako’s relationship with him …

And he was the fucking Grim Reaper.

“Hey, uh … So, I wanted to talk with you,” Kravitz started. “I … God, I know that you and Taako had a history and … I don’t want to come between it,” he continued. “I know that Taako has been nervous too and … I’m sorry. If you two decide that you want to start over, it’s alright. I won’t be hurt.”

Magnus froze. He hadn’t expected this at all.

“Kravitz … it’s alright. You and Taako, you have a history now too and if Taako’s happy, then I’m happy. I got my chance at love on this world and it would be selfish of me to-”

The wrapping of a hand around his waist and the sudden intrusion of the elf in question interrupted the pair.

“My ears were burning,” Taako grinned, his arms wrapped around both men’s waists. “Were you two discussing me?”

“Erm …” Kravitz started, nervously.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it and there’s honestly more than enough Taako to go around,” he purred “And you two are literally the only people I would even be ok being this close to so I bet we could make this work,” he grinned between the two.

Magnus looked at Kravitz for any sort of protestations. To be honest, this had been the best option but …

“Come on, you two,” Taako grinned, taking them both by the hand and into their temporary home. “Taako’s got two hands.”

Lup had hovered over Taako as he traced the last few runes. She had tried to tell him it was alright, that she could wait for him to do the transmutation needed to make her comfortable in her own skin again after she came out, but Taako insisted.

“Only the best for my sister.”

She smiled, watching him cast the spell as her body changed. She would be able to be corporeal again soon. Able to touch and hold people again.

The excitement was nearly electrifying. She knew, of course, that as soon as she had her body, she would need to get ready to start work for the Raven Queen, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t wait any longer.

It was only a few days later, everyone gathered around to greet her, and Lup was nearly crackling with excitement.

“Now, be careful that you don’t trip,” Barry chuckled. “And I have a robe ready for you when you come out.”

“Thanks, Bare-bear,” she smiled, pressing her spectral form to him one more time before hovering into the tank.

Her family watched, holding a collective breath, as she disappeared into her body. The tank split open and Lup staggered out, the brackish liquid spilling out around her, pressing her long, brown hair to her face. Barry quickly brought the Robe to her and helped her drape it around herself. She looked up at Barry and smiled.

“I forgot how good I look,” she smiled.

Barry chuckled.

“I’m about to smooch your fucking face, babe,” she grinned, pulling him in for a kiss.

When she pulled away, she looked over at the crew, her family, and looked for Angus. The little boy was staring at her, mouth agape. Barry helped Lup over to him and she stooped down to her knees and pulled Angus in close.

“I’ve wanted to do this for over ten years,” she whispered.

“Me too,” Angus replied, his voice cracking.

The rest of the day, Lup was near her boyfriend and her son as much as possible, enjoying actually being able to hold them, to actually be able to comfort Angus when he needed reassurance. It was everything she had wanted for ten years.

She and Barry retired early that night, needing to catch up on ten years and six months of waiting. It was slow and clumsy at points, but they didn’t care. They finally had this closeness, this intimacy once again. As they fell asleep later in the night, Barry held onto Lup as if she would disappear if he looked away, kissing the top of her head and the tips of her ears as she purred into his chest, pressing herself as close to him as possible.

It had been a year since the day of Story and Song. A year since everyone remembered.

Angus had been at school (Lucas’ school, much to Taako’s chagrin), but he still sent letters. And Lup had been able to visit and be the proud, protective mother she had wanted to be (Lucas couldn’t keep her away and often would find her in his office, scythe in hand).

And now, the crew of the IPRE and the members of the Bureau of Benevolence were watching as Carey and Killian exchanged their vows.

Lup looked over to see Taako in between Kravitz and Magnus, his hands holding both of theirs. Having Taako going on a vacation into the astral plane would be … odd, but at least she knew he would be back.

She looked back at Barry who was grinning from ear to ear. She gently set her head on his shoulder and sighed happily.

The reception was exciting, with dancing and drinks and good food. Mavis had pulled Angus on the dance floor, much to his protestations. Lup chuckled, watching him. He would have to learn how to dance, eventually.

Then the bouquets were tossed, Lup being dragged onto the dance floor by Taako who had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

She totally noticed when one of the bouquets just gently floated into her hands. She shot daggers at Taako before looking at Barry who was about to die of nervousness. She flicked her ears a little, a soft smile spreading across her face as she hoped he got the message.

He didn’t need to do this now. He didn’t even need to do it tonight.

She had waited for sixty-four years. She could wait until he was ready.

The reception continued well into the night, long after Carey and Killian had left for their honeymoon, and Barry pulled Lup aside to dance in a more secluded area. She rested her head on his shoulder as they bobbed back and forth to the music. Barry finally pulled away and smiled at her, cupping her face in his hand.

“Lup … I … It’s been so long and I know that we’re, you know, a thing. But … I still want to make this official … And … Taako wanted me to do this earlier but I was so nervous and I didn’t want to steal anyone’s moment and …”

Lup cupped Barry’s face in her own hand and smiled.

“Barry, it’s ok. I’m not quite the attention seeker that Taako is and honestly, I like it better this way,” she smiled.

Barry breathed a sigh of relief and dug in his pocket before kneeling.

“Magnus carved it. And I’m sure they want to see but … Yeah, they’re probably all drunk off their asses anyway,” he laughed, nervously. “But, Lup … I want to spend eternity with you. And I mean, I know that we will spend eternity together but I want everyone to know that I love you and that I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me … Will … Will you marry me?”

Lup beamed at him, her grin burning brighter than the sun as she threw her arms around him, kissing him and whispering “Yes” over and over in his ear.

If they had been watched, no one had said anything. They had this private moment that they could savor.

They had an eternity together and it was time to begin.

Lup stood outside the doorway to Angus’ room. She bit her lip, looking down at the doorknob before knocking quietly.

Convincing Kravitz has been the easy part. That was the thing about the twins. It was already impossible to say no to either of them and after saving reality, the Raven Queen owned some favors.

But she needed Angus’ input too.

And she needed to know.

“Hey sweetie. Can I come in?” she asked.

“Sure mom!” Angus chirped on the other side of the door.

Lup smiled and opened the door, seeing Angus sitting on his bed, books and scrolls laid out on front of him.

“Uncle Taako gave me a pretty good offer, but I'm seeing if I can maybe learn and get a little bit more out of him,” Angus grinned mischievously, looking at his mother. His ears twitched when he saw the nervous look on her face. “Is … Is everything ok, mom?”

“Uh … yeah, kiddo,” Lup started. “I just … I wanted to talk to you about something. To ask you if … If it would be alright or even a good idea if I -” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I just … I wish I had been around and I still feel bad about it, sweetie. And … I was wondering if you would be alright if I went and thanked … Grandpa?”

Angus’ ears twitched again.

“Why wouldn’t it be alright?” Angus asked.

“Because … Because I was gone. I wasn’t in your life and who knows how he thought of the mother of the child who he took care of and … God, what if he hates me?”

Angus crawled off of the bed and ran to Lup, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Mom, he would never hate you. And even without the story and the song, he still talked about your … well your case. He talked about how brave my mother must have been, protecting her son with the last of her strength. He never said anything bad, I promise. And if he did now then … well, I know that you love me and that you always have.”

Lup hugged Angus close.

“Thanks sweetie,” she whispered. “Do you want to -”

“Wouldn’t Uncle Kravitz say it was against the rules?” Angus asked.

“He took Taako over for a weekend. I’m sure a quick visit to your Grandpa won’t be an issue,” Lup laughed, ruffling Angus’ hair.

It was decided then, and on the weekend before Candlenights, Lup, Barry, and Angus went through the portal to the Astral Plane. Angus had bundled up, knowing that the air would be chillier, even in the Astral Plane, and he tried not to show how nervous he was. He hadn’t seen his grandpa in over two years now.

They walked over to an island, set up with a small cottage - a far cry from the mansion that Angus remembered growing up in. They walked to the door, Barry knocking on it sheepishly.

The door opened and Angus grinned.

There was his grandpa.

Just as he had always wanted to remember him.

He still had the kind smile that Angus remembered, but he was younger. He was as he had been in Angus’ earliest memories.

“Wow, you’ve sure grown a lot, Angus,” Grandpa McDonald smiled.

“Thank you, Grandpa!” Angus beamed.

Grandpa McDonald’s eyes met with Lup and Barry’s. Lup smiled, weakly, her heart hammering in her chest.

She had been preparing herself for this day, but even now, even with the encouragement from Barry and Angus, she worried. She worried that he resented her. She worried that, even though he was being polite, he still thought poorly of her.

It was why she nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt two strong arms wrap around her as Grandpa McDonald pulled her in for a tight hug.

“Your son brightened my life so much,” he whispered. “Thank you for making sure I got to meet him.”

Lup felt tears pricking her eyes as the embrace ended. Then Grandpa McDonald turned to Barry.

“So, you’re the BB that was giving him the birthday presents each year?” he smiled.

“Heh, yeah,” Barry started. “When I was in my body it was like I had holes in my brain, but after I ran into Angus one day and well … remembered after dying yet again, I made sure I could at least give him something every year. Even if I wasn’t sure he was my son at the time.”

Grandpa McDonald smiled and beckoned them into the cottage.

“Come on in! I am sure that you want to hear stories about him and maybe see some of the portraits? Sure you can’t take everything with you, but Kravitz and I go back a ways, so he allowed this for now. Now let me tell you about Angus’ first words …”

We pan out as they walk into the cottage on the island that rises out of the glittering sea of souls, Barry placing a hand on Lup’s back while Lup pulls a slightly embarrassed Angus in close. We fade out as they step over the threshold as a family.

#blupjeans #barry bluejeans #lup #angus bluejeans #angus mcdonald #taako #magnus #taagnitz #merle highchurch #Lucretia #davenport

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