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ablednt · 2 years

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I'm sorry if you don't give advice but I just don't know that many adult systems. How would I go about telling a long-term partner about my maybe-DID? (I'm not diagnosed and am not able too atm, its a goal but I don't even have a therapist. so I'm even still hesitant to call it DID/OSDD) They've asked before if I was a system and they(prev host/alter) just said 'maybe lol'

also do you have any good resources for system communication?

thank you and sorry if you don't want to answer this

I offer advice if it's something I'm familiar enough with so sure!

So I want to preface this- like any advice on coming out as a system- with a huge disclaimer/thing to always keep in mind. You don't owe anyone shit when it comes to your system. If you come out as plural the only reason should be that you feel ready/safe to do so and have the desire. I know there's a lot of pressure when you find out big important things about yourself to feel the need to tell everyone so it feels irresponsible not to give this disclaimer. Exactly how much you tell people is up to you& don't let anyone guilt you into telling more about yourself than you're comfortable etc.

With that out of the way though:

♠ Don't worry too much about the specific labels you use. Outside of a clinical setting (and tbh, even in clinical settings in which your exact symptoms surrounding your systemhood aren't the topic of discussion) the exact labels you use really don't matter.

I say I have DID usually if I'm in a space with a lot of singlets or where I need to be appealing to singlet level of understanding just cause it's more known than other terms and I have enough symptoms I feel comfortable with that.

♠ But you can just say you're a system/plural or if you feel more comfortable stating that your systemhood is surrounded by symptoms/a disorder you can say "I'm a dissociative system" and that will cover any inevitable diagnosis you'd get in the future. ♠ Side note before I forget: What is the reason you want to get a professional diagnosis?

Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting one however there's a huge disconnect in terms of how a diagnosis is treated by people outside of psychology than inside.

You should Not Ever just try to get diagnosed with something so you can "know for sure you have it" or to avoid harassment from people about self dx, because literally any diagnosis is going to have possibly irreversible consequences.

DID and OSDD are highly stigmatized disorders so having them professionally diagnosed can negatively impact your life and your rights, so it is important that the benefits to having the diagnosis outweigh the drawbacks. For example if down the line your dissociation is still really bad and your system is struggling a lot and it's becoming dangerous for you not to seek treatment for dissociative and trauma symptoms that would be a good time to start trying to get a therapist (and the journey for a therapist who will treat your dissociative symptoms without a lot of ableism is long and hard but it can be rewarding! We have no experience with it though really so we'll leave it here) ♠ If your partner is singlet you need to get a good idea of how they think of systems before you come out. Why did they ask you in the past about it and did you feel comfortable with the question/the way they asked it? How do they treat the systems around them etc. Not to get too discoursey but it is Imperative that you find out how they treat systems they disagree with/don't like/who may be objectively bad because that will show their true colors way more than how they treat systems they like. ♠ If your partner is in a system themselves not much changes actually you Need to figure out how they treat systems that they don't agree with as well as systems who are bad. Have they ever fakeclaimed anyone? Do they have negative views on certain types of systems? etc. all of these things can be huge factors to your safety because if there's any red flags on either of these there's a good chance they're going to fakeclaim you if you don't have things figured out. ♠ Assuming that it's safe, that's kinda all you need if they're a system themselves so I'm going to mostly go on assuming they're singlet. If they're singlet assuming you're pretty sure they'll be normal about it you need to lean into their comfort zones as much as possible.

Example being when I came out to a relative who I was not really on good terms with and who has a history of mistreating me when I came to her about my mental health, I decided instead to mostly drop any mention of my dissociation and trauma and instead to focus on the spiritual aspect of my system because we're both into witchcraft so I was able to get her comfortable enough with the concept that I could be openly plural without her getting upset.

Seeing as to how you're coming out to your partner who no doubt loves you very much this shouldn't be too difficult, just, try and be honest but talk about things in a way that makes them feel comfortable and not view it as a cry for help because even well intentioned singlets are likely to hear you're plural and be like oh my god I'm so sorry how can I help [you be less plural] and that is Not the reaction you want here.

♠ This goes back to my initial point of how little you owe people information about your system but I think, depending on your situation and how comfortable you feel, it can be good to have headmates go by aliases or nicknames and avoid anything too stigmatized at first (huge one being fictives/factives/etc. For real systems who are open about having fictives/open about their fictives sources get So Much More overt ableism thrown at them so it's a good idea to ease yourself into that. You don't Have To of course but just, keep it in mind and if you know a space isn't %100 safe for them to be themselves in, an alias can be your best friend.)

♠ You need to have some boundaries and goals for how you want your partner to treat you worked out ahead of time because most people are naturally going to wonder what this revelation means for them and their relationship. Try to figure out what you want them to do with the information that your plural, why you want to tell them, etc. so when they inevitably have these kinds of questions you can explain to them without feeling put on the spot by it.

As for tips on system communication!

♣ First and most important thing is to figure out your system's communication style. As far as I can tell from everything I've seen there's a scale between being primarily able to communicate externally to being primarily able to communicate internally, everyone is going to be somewhere on this scale.

External communication is anything that takes place outside of your brain/body/headspace/etc. so like, discord servers, apps for texting privately to yourself, notesapps, diary entries, etc. etc. it can be anything.

Internal communication is everything that takes place inside the system. So like if they're near the front/where you are as the host and you "hear"/pickup on their thoughts that's internal communication! Same as if you're inside a headspace/inworld and talk with or text them etc.

For us we almost entirely communicate internally because it is way easier for us to do so and so we tent to only communicate externally when we're in a conversation with people outside of the system so like if multiple of us are talking to our friends on discord we'll also talk to each other so people can be privy to that part of the conversation to and sometimes we feel like we oughta communicate externally more so we'll make an effort but otherwise it's all internal for us. Some systems are the opposite though and have to rely on external communication.

There's a lot of resources for communicating externally but here's my top recommendations based on what I've tried.

♣ Make a private discord server with just yourself and optionally a proxy bot (I recommend pluralkit, there's also tupperbox but the latter's commands were really confusing to me so I stick with pluralkit) so you can all have separate names and icons on there. Then you talk to yourselves and you can also use it for keeping track of things and saving/archiving images and stuff if you want it's very versatile.

♣ The app Antar lets you text each other in a classic texting UI and it's super easy to create new people and add them to conversations, we haven't used it a whole lot just cause again we mainly don't speak externally to each other in private but we recomend it quite a bit because of how easy it is to use.

♣ Simply Plural is mainly used for tracking who is fronting (if you switch in and out, we kind of don't at least in terms of who is fronting cause I've been frontstuck for 6 years but ahidfogh) and for keeping your system roster (who's in it) up to date but there's also some fun features on there like polling.

Moving on from exclusively external communication (though some of this will apply to it too)

♣ Since you're still probably really new to knowing your a system internal communication is likely to be difficult at first. We've always mainly just communicated internally but still because myself and past hosts usually didn't know we were actually talking to other people and not just outself we weren't actually very good at holding conversations and we of course had no need to develop the skill of separating out who is saying what.

So when we did have our syscovery and suddenly needed to be communicating with each other at first I could only really hold a solid conversation with one person at a time and it would take a lot of focus to figure out who said what. If you get all blurry and can't tell who is who sometimes that's super normal don't worry about that you're doing great!

♣ For that reason it's good to start small and then build up at first we could only have small conversations with two people talking at a time but now we can have over ten people all talking and can tell who is who decently well, and that came with 3 years of casual practice. It's good to take things easy.

♣ Probably the easiest/most concrete/reliable form of internal communication is when you and the headmates you're communicating with are up front/where control of the body is and thinking/talking to each other. (Cofronting is also super helpful if you're communicating externally because you don't have to wait for others to see what you said later when they switch in) Cofronting can be difficult at first so it's Also good to start small with this.

♣ If you have a headspace/inworld you should try and figure out how it works and from there you can usually do things to help figure out better in-headspace communication. Sometime in I think 2020 we invented cellphones in world that work pretty much the same as regular ones so anyone who has one can easy contact those who dont. This is not ever going to be as concrete as when they are up at the front because the brain can only power so much at once but for small things it can be super helpful. Stuff like that!

♣ Remember that you still gotta get to know your headmates, even if you already know each other better than most singlets know people on the level that you all share a brain things will feel strained and like a struggle if you don't give everyone the chance to express themselves and get to know each other. Have ice-breaker activities like taking silly uquizes and comparing results, encourage your headmates to explore different hobbies than you or even have their own takes on your hobbies, and ask them for their opinions on things and give them the chance to express that stuff. Doing so will make your system feel a lot healthier and more unified, and it will make communication easier in my experience!

Hopefully this all helps if you have any other questions feel free to ask!

#pluralFAQ #plural FAQ

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geminairsolutionsau · 18 days

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7 Air Conditioning Installation Red Flags in Shopping Malls

Have you been to a shopping mall that does not have an air conditioning system? It is impossible to pass by one, considering people visit it daily. If there is no aircon in the place, it affects the number of people who go to the mall and the comfort of the employees. So, if you plan to build a shopping mall or maybe a small version of it, do not forget the importance of an air conditioner. To help you, here are some of the considerations for air conditioning installation Sydney:

Ignoring Proper Sizing

Before having the air conditioner in your shopping mall, you need to ensure that the sizing is correct. Purchasing one that does not fit is not only a loss of money but also time for buying and looking for a new one. Have everything you need measured to know what you should and should not purchase. Better yet, leave the entire job to the professionals to ensure everything is correct.

Poor Placement of Vents

The position and placement of the vents have a crucial role in how the air conditioner will work. Having the aircon is nothing if they are placed poorly or not in the correct position. It does not do the intended job because there are only too cold spots or too hot space. When any of these happen, expect discomfort from shoppers and businesses. As a building owner, you would never want to receive complaints from them.

Neglecting Regular Maintenance

Before installing an air conditioner, you need to think about regular maintenance. Yes, the aircon can give everyone the cool air they want to feel, but it will slowly die down if the appliance is not maintained. If you do not know how to do it, here are some easy maintenance tips:

Perform regular inspections to see if there are issues that need early fixes. If you see one, do not ignore them and call for the help of the professionals immediately.

Air conditioners have filters, and you need to replace or clean them to give them a fresh look and allow proper airflow. Since it will be for a shopping mall, frequent replacement is possible. Are you up for it?

You also should not forget to inspect the ductwork. Check if they have leaks and cracks to prevent them from further damage. Seal them correctly to ensure there would not be an interruption in efficiency and airflow.

Forgetting about Air Quality

The air quality is also a huge factor in the air conditioning system. The air that the appliance produces must not only be cold but also clean. If it is dirty, people who have asthma, allergies, and respiratory conditions can have an attack. Invest in high-quality filters and ventilation systems to ensure good air quality.

Ignoring Noise Levels

Even if the mall has many people and is always busy, the noise of the air conditioner can be a big deal to anyone. Just like the aircon you have at home, you would never want a loud air conditioning unit in your place because it disrupts everything you need to do. It is not any different when it comes to shopping malls, so be mindful.

Failing to Consider Aesthetics

If you are also after the aesthetics of your shopping mall, you might want to consider installing a ducted air conditioning system. Its looks and installation position must be within the aesthetics of the place, making the look uniform and clean.

Skipping Professional Installation

Even if you know how to install and maintain an air conditioning system, it is better to have them touched by a professional. Aside from their knowledge and experience, they also have the skills needed for the job. The tools are also something you should not need to be worried about because the aircon experts have the complete and correct ones.

Air conditioners are good to have wherever you are. And in this heat, people would want to go somewhere they can chill and relax. Make your shopping mall that place, so perform careful planning and be attentive to the wants and needs of shoppers. Learn about the pros and cons of what you will do to have a better understanding and decision making.

#airconditioninginstallationsydney

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gemin3air · 6 months

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9 Crucial Factors to Check in an Air Conditioner Technician

Is your air conditioner experiencing problems? The first thing that will come to your mind is what you can do about it. Though there are things you can DIY when it comes to air conditioners, it is better to ask for the assistance of professionals. If you have never asked anyone before, here are the crucial factors you need to check in an air conditioning Sydney technician:

Experience

When looking for someone, the first thing you need to check about them is their experience. Are their works good for you and your home? Do they have issues resolving your problem? You will never know if you do not know their experience and expertise. Search for technicians with a good and proven track record because it reflects their years in the industry.

Reputation

Once you know about their experience, you must also check out their reputation. Do people say good things about them? Is their reputation proven and backed up by years of experience? Knowing these things can help you see and learn more about the company and how they do their job. Their reputation also mirrors their reliability when an issue arises in your air conditioner.

Knowledge of Brands

With the many brands thriving in the HVAC industry, it can be challenging to keep up with who to trust. They have different offers and features that you will not see in others, making the options more challenging. So with this, searching for a technician knowledgeable about air conditioner brands is necessary. Whether it is an old model or a new one, they can give you the information you need. But, of course, the professionals are still human and can forget something about the brands. Do not get discouraged if it happens, and give them time to remember what they need to say to avoid giving incorrect information.

References

If you have not had experience or partnership with the air conditioning company, you might want to look online for references. Start by checking ratings and reading reviews about the company, how they are as a business, and the pros and cons of hiring them. You will read something from their previous clients, so you can ensure that every word you read is from first-hand experience.

Pricing Transparency

Pricing is a huge factor in getting services online. Before hiring the technician you want, ensure they provide pricing transparency. This way, you can avoid hidden charges that could ruin your budget. If they also do secret amounts in their charges, consider it a red flag. Being a victim of one is not easy because it makes you think that everyone in the industry is the same.

Diagnostic Skills

If there is one skill a technician must show their clients, it is their diagnostic skills. A good and professional one can diagnose the problem of the air conditioner with ease because they are confident that they are knowledgeable enough. They can also correctly diagnose the problem, no matter how complex. The job is not a burden to them because being in the HVAC industry for years can expose them to various complex issues that air conditioners may experience.

Communication Skills

Aside from diagnostic skills, aircon technicians must also have communication skills. As a professional, they must know how to talk to their clients to ensure they understand their concerns and can attend to their needs. They must also be clear in explaining issues, solutions, and preventive maintenance.

Continuing Education

Even if the technician is knowledgeable and skilled enough, discovering continuously must not be a problem. It shows their commitment to the job and their clients. Learning the new things in their job can give them industry advancements they could use in their future projects.

Equipment and Tools

Aircon maintenance and installation are not for everyone. For homeowners who need to fix something but do not know how the aircon technicians are the ones they can trust. And if there is one thing you need to search for about them, it is the tools and equipment they use. Air conditioner experts must have them, and they know how to use each.

Aside from the ones mentioned, here are other factors you can check:

Written Estimates

Timeliness

Problem-Solving Abilities

Safety Protocols

Licensing and Permit Compliance

Professionalism

Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

Hiring the right air conditioner technician can give you peace of mind because you know they are aware of what they are doing. Someone understands your concerns and they are willing to help. With these factors, you will have a guide and foundation to see who you can and cannot trust.

#airconditioningsydney

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crowleymediagroup · 1 year

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CMG: Our White Glove Digital Marketing Process

An effective digital marketing strategy isn’t overly complicated, but there are a lot of pieces that have to come together in order to get the maximum return on an investment. Crowley Media Group has been doing this for a while, and we’ve developed a framework that incorporates different types of traffic sources.

There are a lot of various strategies that largely depend on location and industry; but we *despise* the “it depends” answer. Years of results and working inside varying industries, we quickly identified the common denominators and developed this process as a guide for our clients.

Even if you don’t hire us as your digital marketing liaison, please print as use this outline as a point of reference. There are a lot of Search Engine Optimization and digital marketing strategies out there; but they all share similar key points. Use our four phase process as a roadmap in your digital branding efforts.

Phase 0 - Website Design and Development

Website Design and Development is the keystone in the marketing puzzle. This is your own piece of internet real estate and the primary destination where you’ll be pushing your traffic. Organic and paid traffic is the goal, but if your website lacks an attractive user interface and user experience then that traffic won’t convert.

We label this phase optional because a lot of the time our clients have a beautifully designed website that works. However, we inherit a lot of sites that look like some html flyer circa 2002, and that won’t work in today’s competitive landscape.

If your website requires a redesign or facelift, then Crowley Media Group has you covered. We’ve built dozens of unique websites; everything from single landing and promotional pages, all the way to large eCommerce stores with 1,000+ products. Check out our portfolio here.

Reach out or schedule a call and we’ll gladly go over your website and your goals.

Phase 1 - Search Engine Optimization: Technical & On-page SEO

Search Engine Optimization is a huge factor in local SEO, it’s what separates you from your competitors and demonstrates your authority. SEO isn’t terribly complicated but there are a lot of factors that have to come together for it to work. In this phase we accomplish three things:

SEO Audit - This is where we run down a 100+ point checklist to identify weaknesses and deficiencies in your technical and on-page SEO.

Technical & On-page Implementations - Once we identify the technical issues we go in and bring your site up to spec. This involves things like checking security certificates, site architecture, page speed, schema and optimizing your Google My Business.

Google My Business (GMB) Optimization - A “{service} near me” search goes a long way. 76% of mobile “near me” searchers visit a related store the same day. Your business is eligible for a free Google My Business listing. Many companies sign up and do the basics, but they never optimize or leverage the true power of this platform.

Phase 2 - Search Engine Optimization: Off-page SEO

There is a second side of SEO that you don’t have full control of; this is the off-page side where people really mess up. This side is challenging but not explicitly difficult. It boils down to two components:

Content - Content enables you to target those coveted keywords. Quality over quantity but it also requires persistence and consistency. Your customers are looking for value. If you can provide answers to their questions, they won’t forget you.

Backlinks - Think politics. Backlinks are basically endorsements from industry leaders. More is better, but quality definitely trumps quantity. You need a variation of backlink types spread over the duration of your campaign. Too much too fast will get you flagged by Google and the search engines. Too few won’t get you the votes you need. Strategy and hard work beats talent.

Phase 3 - Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Search Engine Marketing is an effective part of your digital marketing campaign. Paid traffic can bring quick boosts to your announcements, sales, campaigns and website. With tools like bots, analytics, and pixels we can identify and target your ideal consumer; saving you time & resources and maximizing your return on investment.

Social Media Marketing brings trust and delivers social signals to your audience. Additionally, it provides an excellent way to circulate your content to your existing audience.

The average small to medium sized business isn't taking out a Super Bowl ad this year (although I sincerely hope you can!), social media is how you get directly in front of our audience. There are a lot of different platforms and you must be strategic in how you deliver your content on each platform.

While Crowley Media Groups focus is largely on creating optimized content and generating organic traffic, certain industries can benefit greatly by incorporating SEM and SMM into their digital marketing campaigns. We have systems and processes in place that maximize your audience and minimize your resource requirements.

The goal is to always 3-5x your campaign investment; but we also like to over promise, and then over deliver.

Schedule a call and let’s see how Crowley Media Group can get your business positioned where it should be. Let’s figure out where you’re at, where you want to be and how we get you there.

Cheers,

Crowley Media Group LLC

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daydreamrry · 3 years

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🌻 tarot here! That’s great thank you Libra sun anon. I can do a very basic interpretation for you. To the other anon, you are correct in order to get an accurate reading in the chart you do need the rising sign / time however, you can still get some basic info regarding synastry with the other placements. Given, that I can’t go into exact detail I won’t be able to be as in depth as I would like. That said, this to me looks like amazing compatibility. Dare I say, there is even potential SM indicators. I’ll explain a few reasons why 👀

The harmony of Fire and Air placements that you both have. 🔥 While the dominant placement in Harry’s chart is actually water (once you break it all down)💧if you combine the houses and the degrees three of his personal planets (presuming he is born in the afternoon of Feb 1st 1994 / Redditch Manchester GMT) Sun (ego), Venus (pleasure and love) and Mars (action, drive) are all in the 7th house (the house of Libra). The 7th house governs all matters of Libran things (ruled by Venus) such as harmony, beauty, diplomacy, romantic partnership and business partnership. Not to mention he is a Libra moon? (his emotional sector) Hunni! Please👌🏽 All in all Harry is VERY Libran. Your sun is in Libra which is your ego, your basic nature, and the personality traits that remain constant despite all. What this means is you both have a similar way of understanding how each other operates. You also filter your experiences in the same way. Now, does that indicate smooth sailing? Not necessarily. We need conflict too. Sometimes being so alike can create issues of complacency and boredom but it really depends on so many other factors of the charts (Pluto, Chiron Saturn etc) birth chart synastry is like one big ass bowl of skittles so many different colours of the rainbow. You can get a lot of varying flavours 🌈 The SM indicator here is two fold, the Libran stuff aside not only do you and H share a moon sign. Your (Tropical/Placidus) Virgo moon conjuncts his (Vedic/Sidereal) Virgo Moon. you have a Venus in Leo, that is conjunct to his rising. In my opinion this is HUGE. In my readings I view this as an indicator of love at first sight usually 👀 Venus governs love and the rising is what we project out in the world first, it’s the first thing we see and who sees us. That’s why Harry (who is presumably a Leo rising) is such an amazing showman, he can turn it on when it counts. Leo’s need the spotlight, they put a great deal of energy into being admired. They also require someone to show them love by way of admiration, courage and bold gestures. This is amazing because you’re both so similar it’s like sharing a big warm hug! Awh! Jelly! A big factor that could be a potential red flag 🚩 let’s not forget that although Harry has all these qualities he is still very much an Aquarius (Sun, Venus and Mars). 🥶😅. Aquarius isn’t the easiest, emotionally to say the least. They are for the most part pretty detached and they don’t like being tied down in any way. Which may explain Harry’s constant habit of getting into a relationship quickly only for it to end after a period of time, *i don’t want to be alone* 🎶 Libran’s struggle to be alone they need a counterpart to balance their energy, whether it be romantic or business. IMO He has trouble balancing all that Libran energy that requires partnership with all that Aqua energy that requires freedom. In all honesty, most of the time Aquarian’s need to be with someone who have at least one prominent Aquarius placement in their personal chart, either Sun, Moon, Rising Venus, Mars or a personal planet in the 11th house. Aquarian’s are ruled by Uranus, they are the freedom seeking, rebellious types. If people think they have them figured out, they’ll do something to throw them off just to regain their sense of personal autonomy. They’re turned on by unconventionality. Which can be problematic for other signs who don’t get this vibe. For instance, my moon is in Aries in the 11th house and I never stick to convention. I came from an academic household and I dropped out of school as a fuck you to my parents, just to use that as an example. You being a Leo Venus is in opposition to his Sun, Venus & Mars could go both ways. While there would be some serious attraction 🥵 it could potentially create some toxicity between how you seek and acquire relationship stability. You being about the personal and he being about the collective. You would definitely have to work on it. Of course I could say so much more. The more info I have the more I can speak on it. I hope you enjoyed anon! 🌈🔥

YOU’RE INCREDIBLE!!!!! 💕💕💕💕

#tarot

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sokayisaidiot · 3 years

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Dream SMP Assumption #4

Today’s topic: Fatal Flaws and the things with it

Please DO NOT read if you’re uncomfortable with the themes of death, depression and suicide. It’s a very complicated theme. I did NOT study it and do NOT know some aspects of it. I just go off the things I saw in the smp and made my own theories about it. If you’re even slightly triggered by this, please stop and do NOT try to read it. Please do NOT put yourself in some kind of uncomfortable zone.

Please do not. Thank you

(This is all assumptioning from the fictional world of dream smp)

(Heavy spoilers on the resent events)

(Mainly around the lmanburg way, sadly need to learn more about badlands ): )

(This Series is created by another person, that’s just too fuckin lazy to move her butt)

Trigger warning today:

“Betrayal”

Death

neglect

gray morals

Own thoughts

Good and bad. Black and white. Typical Cliche, right? Well on the dream smp, theres a lot more. The person we watch is normally the side we are thinking is right, right? Well, actually yes and no. We see from many people their goal and respective ideals. So what actually is a good side on everybody? What are they doing wrong? But what does it show for us to understand?

Tommyinnit

Good things about him

He’s one of the most complicated characters. Many see him as the hero of the story and there not completely wrong. But Tommy’s fatal flaw is loyalty and recklessness. Why loyalty? When his life is on his line, he does not stand back, no he will throw himself at the front lines of a war, to protect the things he love. His family, friends, belongings. Thats great isn't it?

The things he does wrong

But well, when he fights for those things, he leaves a mess others have to clean up many times. When you see the disaster with the railway war, the battle of the lake, burning Georges house accidentally. He is also stubborn, which comes with his loyalty but makes it for him worse to admit he’s doing something wrong.

What should we understand about that

Why is Tommy acting like this and right now not really on the way to be better? Well, Tommy isn't in a good place to get better. With his stubbornness and putting people and other things before himself, he didn't had time and now, with the manifesting of many negative traits he can't get himself really out. He needs people to help him. His father. Who left him, coming to him only once (in the lore). His older Brother. The one who betrayed him and blowing the thing up, which Tommy sacrificed a lot more than Wilbur and then died. His mento/brother figure, who is against the thing he wants to protect so bad. And with the people who manipulate him and the ones who don't think he needs help, he isn't in a place to get better or get some kind of good help. Being the youngest brings such heavy things down more and should actually explain, why Tommy has actually problems dealing with his problems, feelings and flaws.

Tubbo

Good things about him

Whats his fatal flaw? Its temptation to deliberate. For the time in Dream SMP, while being part of L’Manburg, Tubbo always relied on careful choices, compromises, and hearing both sides of a debate. He was able to take the decisions that Tommy couldn't make because of his stubbornness.

The things he does wrong

When he comes to make his own decisions, he makes them rather rash or out of emotions, which is shown when he exiled Tommy. The time he makes the decisions for a while, people don't listen to him. People turn around and forget about his ability to know how to make the right choices, and when he loses his temper once, it immediately backfires. He uses his emotions

What we should know out of it

Its his fatal flaw that brings in the negativity. While being the choice of reason, he never chose what he wanted. He never knew where he wanted to belong. He followed the choices of the others and when he wanted to do his own decisions, he gets compared to past people with terrible acts. He is one of the youngest in the world of dream smp and he just gets used as a puppet for other peoples wanting. People see him for a young boy with no actual thought of what kind of experience he had gone trough. They expect and expect without knowing how broken they made a young person.

Wilbur

What he did good

His fatal flaw is hubris. Deadly pride. He will stand for his own side/arguments/meaning even if it kills him. And well, his pride in his son, brother, family, country and friends shows his his big heart and helpful hand, getting people out of trouble and being there for others.

What he did wrong

Hubris being is deadly flaw really is shown. The way he stood his way until its been fulfilled and then wanting to die with it, shows how he has fallen. He had his pride and part of stubbornness that let him think he could just host this elections without consequences. But those have been giant. His pride to admit he's wrong and there are others, who can lead a country good.

What we should know

Wilbur feeling neglected from Philza (presumably Philza doing more things with Techno as he grew older) left a hole for attention. He tries to find reasonable ways but with his own mental state not really helping, he tried his best to lead a nation. And hey, it worked (with the timeline in the lore, which I really try to figure out) it probably has been some years for him being president. Of course would people not listen to him, but what else could he do. There where just a freshly build country out of war. But then being exiled with his younger brother, who doesn't really knows his way of exile and causes some trouble with his stubbornness he's left to die by his fathers hands, only being a ghost of his former self.

Technobalde

What he did good

Fatal flaw? Instinctive inability to resist a challenge and wrath. Techno not really being able to resist a fight gave him probably his fighting knowledge and skills. It makes him a great rival and mentor. Its also nice to have something to charge for and being really dedicated to do it.

What he did wrong

Its seeable that he thinks that the destruction of L’Manburg is the only way to stop the bad things that has happened here. And the challenge they gave him to not destroy it. He gives in to the voices and closing himself in. He doesn't want a family for the way, that he doesn't want to betray someone close to him. Looking at Wilbur and Philza. Letting his anger control him to destroy the things he is against.

What we should know

The Voices are one of the problems. Screaming at him for blood or making fun of him for not being able to do something make hims even more wanting to achieve and becoming the best at it. He doesn't really like conversations and him closing in the people around him, not letting other people in and unable to control himself from his wrath, being the main factors that he needs help to fight against his anger and loneliness.

Philza

What he did good

The best take on Philza’s Fatal flaw is hubris. Why hubris again? Its the most common flaw of all of them. He shows pride of how Tommy is getting so far and is stubborn in a good way. Taking pride in how good skilled Techno is with everything. And by Wilbur being proud of his talents of making music and the way he has around other people.

What he did wrong

Taking too much pride in Techno and forgetting his other sons. He was shocked when he found out what happened to Tommy, even when it was a while ago. He only visited Tommy once (storewide) and not noticing the state of Tommy. Being around Ghostbur after he had killed Wilbur and trying to fix what had gone wrong in the past.

What we should know

Presumably Philza was thrown in a father state, without much knowledge on how being one. Constantly being surprised what the bois are doing, despite one of them being a teenager boy, he has to learn while having his sons (lore wise). Philza is also one to not be wishy washy with the children and is rather upfront with them. Which brings the problems for the children to know more the rough sides and being more stubborn.

Nihachu

What did she good

Kindness is the thing that describes Niki the best. giving everybody a chance and believing hard and much. Its her fatal flaw and also best way to go around in the SMP. Giving other people more chances and showing the good in people. Making things easier around and helping others.

What she did wrong

The way kindness is getting wrong, is following and believing in the wrong people. Niki trusted, followed and believed Wilbur, only to realize much later, that Wilbur sunk deep into insanity already. Her kindness searches people to follow and to make a point to give out kindness. As she still followed Wilbur and he blew up L’Manburg, Niki was ready to give it all up, following the sentence “Its all gone” (I think).

What we should know

Niki believing in kindness and the things to get better, makes her an easier target to get. Thinking people would be kind and then getting ambushed is compared by the battle of the lake, that she didn't thought they would take her as a hostage, using her, for her own advantage. She being kind makes it also harder to be the person other people turn around to, since people prefer people with adamant sides.

Fundy

What he did good

When we think of his fatal flaw, then it should be hubris like his father. His has huge pride in the things he has done and will do other things when he sees his own way in it. He has his pride in his friendships and will defend them. Example with him defending Niki or visiting Tommy in his exile.

What he did wrong

Burning down the flag of the nation your father build for you isn't something to show your dad that you want him to respect you. His fatal flaw playing a role in it, is actually seeable. He had pride in the Manburg Flag he build and said that it looked good or when he choose to side with Manburg, seeing its ideals and seeing that it matched things he has taken with pride. Making Manburg a beautiful place or letting nature more happen.

What we should know

Lets just say, he was born in the nation thats destined to fall, you never really met your mum, your dad blew said nation up, your uncle and part uncle are really gone nuts nuts, your grandpa leaves you alone, your “father/mum”, that wanted to adopt you never showed up to your adoption and was also the one, who betrayed you in cold blood for a crown, your pets are brutally killed, the time your father was alive, he didn't take you seriously. Let that sink in. And you've already been in some wars at a pretty young age and you're getting harassed for being a fox. Fundy being neglected showed his negative emotions.

Jschlatt

What he did good

Fatal Flaw: ambition, the desire for power. He did have good plans (regarding making more beautiful nature, said by Fundy). He was able to start with many people, working on the things he said, not leaving it on the side. He did trust other people in their decisions of power. Tubbo staying in his positions, letting Fundy having a rank, that his father never gave him because he was never seen serious.

What he did wrong

Letting the power go to his head, he believed he did all the decisions alone, not letting another person decide in it, giving himself all the power and executing a child to show you who's in place, was his downfall. In the end he wanted ultimate control.

What we should know

There isn't much to say there, but being left alone by your hole party and the people who followed you really leaves an bitter aftertaste. After people see you're not in power anymore, they stop following because they don't see anything in you. And lets just say, do you like getting betrayed after winning an election. I mean your worker, secretary of state, he did trust him at the start, leaving Tubbo open to his own ideas. But then getting betrayed by him to overthrow you? Well for you it aint so good.

Dream

What he did good

Its actually really easy to say what Dreams Fatal Flaws are: hubris and instinctive inability to resist a challenge. We see that Dream is open to challenges and likes to win like Technoblade. He sees in Technoblade a good challenge and he takes pride in his SMP, his plans and his own IQ

What he did wrong

The thing with Deadly pride is, that you believe in yourself and your ways. You get ignorant, thinking you're better and that you already won. But then you fall on your face, because there is another way your opponent beat you. Seeing this in Dreams try to control Tommy, since Tommy is really the only one who will not let himself be a puppet to Dream. In Exile, Dream thought, when Tommy was clinging to him, that he won and he had him under his hand but ignorant that his opponent is Tommy and the person who is the most stubborn in the server.

What we should know

To see that Dream was actually more peaceful before L’Manburg or Tommy makes you think who is actually in the right. Well, its both sides and not. Dream letting himself getting tangled up in the shenanigans of Tommy and the rest to the end where he wants to have control over everybody, can either be: 1. Being controlled by an Demon or the egg! OR 2. He lost himself, and got angry for someone like Tommy to outplay him. He wanted a peaceful place but when the chaos came, he wasn't able to resist

------------------

Well... Does this make up to the other things that have happened on the server? No, defiantly not. But nobody is really right either. Everyone has flaws and the conflicts come from ignorance, pride, false understandings or just misunderstandings. It shows us who's side can be right and what brings the conflict to the levels.

Please, I really tried my best, give your own two cents to it....

And Im sorry my brain just brought it up :I

You know what, screw it. Everybody’s just in need of Therapy and I’m on everyones side kind of.

#dream smp #tommyinnit #mcyt #Dreamwastaken #Technoblade #Tubbo #Wilbur Soot #Philza Minecraft #Philza #Nihachu #Fundy #Jschlatt #Schlatt #dream smp assumption #Dream Smp lore

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whump-town · 3 years

Text

Beth

I feel like I never see any Hotch/Beth stories so here is my contribution. Beth got done so dirty by the writers and I’ll never forgive them for that. She could have made Hotch happy...

It doesn’t take long for Beth to realize that her perfect man-- come on, how often do they come tall, handsome, sweet, athletic, and as good fathers?-- isn’t all that perfect. He’s strange and it’s just as enchanting as his goofy laugh but there are just elements to him that she can’t understand. She finds herself itching to pick him apart but something tells her she’s messing with Pandora’s box. Is breaking him worth understanding him?

He freezes.

It’s like a glitch in his hardware. There’s this spot where the kitchen meets the living room of his apartment and it’s the only place the glitch occurs. She’d noticed it about a month into dating him and the first time she’d laughed a little, surprised by the look on his face. It was a shock factor kind of laugh, inappropriate, and wrong enough to make her cheeks flush. He hadn’t noticed. His eyes were glued to the carpet.

His face was pinched in concentration. Dark brows furrowed and shoulders tightly pulled back. It’s complete unease and tension like she’s never seen before. For a moment, it kind of scares her. He’s got this lost look in his eyes. Wherever he is when he’s looking at that spot in the carpet, he’s not here. He’s not anywhere she can reach him.

The thing is, no matter how many times she looks at that spot… she can’t see what he sees. There’s a bit of a disturbance in the fibers that form an edge. It looks like someone might have replaced a section of the carpet but it’s nearly impossible to tell or even be certain.

As curious as she is, she also can’t find the courage to ask. Something… Something tells her she doesn’t want to know.

Still, she can’t help but turn a curious eye to this perfect man. He’s got flaws, like anyone. It’s hard to get past his defenses and it’s a slowly learned lesson forming an understanding of his love. When they argue, he gets desperate. Voice hoarse but he never raises it, not even when she wants to shout. It’s hard to place her importance to him but whenever she starts to doubt his love he swoops back in. It’s a tiring thing, being pushed and pulled away.

He catches her smiling at him and his heart leaps to his throat. It’s hard being Hotch here, with her. So hard to keep the emotions at bay or within his control. “Wh-What?” he asks. His cheeks flush, unsure of what to do under her attention and not used to anyone really looking at him. Not with the love, he thinks he sees in her dark eyes-- but maybe he’s just imagining that.

She kisses him. Smiling when he works a hand to the back of her head, pulling her closer.

Another thing she’s noticed… he never takes his shirt off. The sex is amazing. No matter how “rusty” he’d claimed to be. He also never initiates sex. It’s not a subject to talk about or even one they really dwell on. Unless she starts putting on the “moves” nothing happens. She really can’t complain. Men can be pushy and demanding, a huge turnoff and red flag. Not Aaron.

She smiles into their kiss and playfully runs the back of her finger across the little bit of stomach his shirt has risen up to expose. He reacts as she expects, shirking away with a choked laugh. It’s positive reinforcement. Deepening their kiss, she sneaks her hand the rest of the way under his shirt. Gently, waiting and feeling every bit of his nervous inhale, she places her hand against his fluttering stomach.

“Okay?” she asks.

He nods.

She’s not sure what she’s expecting to find.

“They--They,” his chest keeps it’s panicked rise and fall. Not quite full breathes. “It’s just-- they’re just… I can’t--”

George Foyet. He won’t ever tell her much more than what she has to know. That he hurt Aaron and killed Jack’s mother Haley. She’s seen glimpses of the scars. He’s very good at hiding them. She’s very aware of his medicine cabinet, even if she’s not aware of the scars.

Clomipramine. She’s aware of the panic attacks and compulsivity he can fall into. The way that he checks the locks four times every night before he can fall asleep. Some nights venturing back out two more times to make sure. Hypervigilance but also if he doesn’t do this, he knows he’ll wake up and they’ll all be gone. Beth. Jack. Dead. She’s seen the nightmares.

Xanax. A medication that’s supposed to bring relief in 30 minutes but she’s sat on the bathroom floor while he’s sobbed. Choking on the air his lungs struggle to bring in. 30 minutes is a very long time to watch someone you love panic in pain. Convinced of something that you can’t even understand and they can’t explain. The AS NEEDED label had once convinced her it was of less importance. She’s certain that over the course of the last few years she’s nursed him through taking the medication more times than she ever has anything else.

He’d taken Lexapro for two years. It’d stopped working and that had been an awful thing to watch. She’d sat with him through the detox, trying to convince him to eat and shower when his brain slowly tried to kill him.

That’s not even the beginning. There’s an entire cocktail of anticoagulants and common over the counter things that he has to take. Some for old wounds and others for his forever skewed blood pressure and damaged vessels and arties. She just knows-- five in the morning with his coffee, three at night before bed.

But he’s… better.

He’ll make little jokes about her profiling abilities. The way she’ll steady his hands in her own and softly encourage him to go take a Xanax. Often just pulling him to her chest, stilling his anxious movement until his breathing has slowed and he never gets the chance to panic.

That’s why she stops. Hands drawing away from his chest, she cups his cheeks. “Aaron,” she whispers holding him close. Keeping calm while his hands move over her back. A motion she understands. He’s trying to reassure himself that she’s real. She’s here. She won’t let him forget that. “I love you,” she whispers.

He pulls back to look at her. Eyes darting between hers so really place what he’s seeing. To pick up on the little cues she exhibits when lying.

“I love you,” she says again, conviction strong and palm warm against his cheek.

He averts his eyes but turns his head to her palm. “You sure?” he asks teasingly, tear streaking down his cheek.

She brushes it away. “Most of the time.”

#criminal minds #criminal minds fanfiction #tw medication #aaron hotchner #beth clemmons #hotch x beth

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ravenadottir · 3 years

Note

Oh my goddd I thought graham was legit the only guy in casa amour that was actually good looking tbh I was like YEESS and then I was HORRIBLY disappointed like oh my god a sexy bearded ginger fisherman with tattoos pleaseeee and then they ripped the carpet out from under my feet so sad

the man has everything i need and i couldn’t just... have him ????

I NEEDED TO PUT UP WITH FELIX AND MARISOL GOT GRAHAM???

ARE - YOU - KIDDING - ME??

here’s a list of reasons why i find graham incredibly attractive and wouldn’t think twice of bringing him back:

he’s not a snack, he’s the whole goddamn vending machine. thiccc and big! normal guy body but still so huge!

cheeky and flirty. i repeat CHEEKY AND FLIRTY.

gets embarrassed easily as much as he tries to keep a facade. if he was a li, people would call him ‘adorable giant’

the only argument people has against his looks it’s his tattoos. UMMMMMM... lucas has a bike...he has a **picks up megaphone** 📣 HE HAS A BIKE ON HIS UPPER ARM, MA’AMS. that tattoo is ridiculous and you know it! a person in real life with such weird tattoo would make you say “you know there’s laser that removes that, right?” but do people care? nope! so fusebox’ weird choices shouldn’t be a factor on graham’s appearace either.

graham practically says ‘shush’ to lottie first thing in the morning, “if you don’t go and grab it it won’t fall from the sky, my darling.”

dives deep in a couple with no second though

kinky fuck when we’re building a pillow fort (if that was a juggling line between other characters, that’s something lucas and gary would’ve done too)

he was really dedicated to marisol even after the casa days

if marisol tried hard like that to make a speech for him on the last recoupling, you can be sure he was doing the same! she knew what kind of guy he was and marisol doesn’t go the extra mile for no one, unless it’s mc

his flaws are exactly every other guy’s in there. EVERY - SINGLE - ONE. when he gets excited by jo and elisa coming in the villa, which boy didn’t? gary was so jumpy to show the villa around and bobby was literally snaking his way into the conversation. BLOODY BASTARDS

graham looks so much older and i love that

what he said about getting a girl’s number (incredible how far you can get when you treat a woman like a person) HELLO??? the whitest of flags here!

natural leader and i have a thing for leaders

the fact that he could destroy me with a slap but won’t

the fact that he could destroy a girl in a different way and will 😏

graham wasn’t the source of marisol’s confidence, but did you notice how tranquil she was after they met each other?

he boosts us up after ‘heart rate challenge’ and i’ll never forget that

HIS SMIRK

his resting face

his majestic goddamn beard

he cooks

he’s not jealous

he’s ticklish and i can’t stress this enough ‘ADORABLE GIANT’

when he tried to be smooth he actually fell, like ????

i will continue advocating on mr. fish boy’s behalf.

#litg graham #litg s2 #casa amor #queue #litg season 2 #fusebox #fusebox games #litg #love island the game #love island the game season 2

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seriouslyhooked · 4 years

Text

When We Collide (Part 1)

Emma Swan has always known one thing: trust no one but yourself. Unfortunately she forgot her one rule and now she’s paying for it. One bad decision led her to the monstrous ‘Crocodile’ a mobster in New York who goes by the name Gold. Hope seems lost until she meets another person in this underworld, Killian Jones. Despite the place they find each other, a true love blossoms, and they manage to get away. But what will happen when Emma discovers who Killian really is? Will love prevail? Um, yeah, I’m writing this, so duh – it’s all love all the time. Fic features motorcycles, hot guys in leather cuts, and a bit of action/drama. Will end happily, and despite the first chapter, will be light on angst. Available on FanFiction Here and AO3 Here.

A/N: Hey everyone! Surprise! There’s a new fic I’m here to share with you all, and full disclosure, it is very different than my usual fare. You will be able to tell that from this first chapter, and for some of my readers it might be a bit too much. Not to worry, this is just a prologue of sorts, and next chapter will start in a brighter, more hopeful place (we will flash forward in time). Be advised that there is no graphic violence or anything like that, but the premise of this story involves Emma owing a debt to Gold (a mob boss in New York) that she has to pay. She’s working it off in a bar, but she’s not exactly free to go as she does. That’s a lot angstier of a situation than I ever like to deal with, so it’s temporary, but want to give you all the heads up just so you know. I suspect a lot of you will read this and think it’s not that bad, but I figure it’s best to give everyone the heads up. Anyway, I promise that this story will eventually be just as fluffy and feels-filled as my other stories, and I hope you’ll give it a try, even if you decide to skip this chapter and just join for the next. Also, just to shout out the excellent song that partially inspired this fic, you should all listen to the song ‘Collide’ by Tiana Major9 & EARTHGANG. It’s a really beautiful song, and I hope the fic can embody the feel of it as it continues to unfold. Thanks so much for reading, and hope you enjoy!

Maybe I’ll get lucky and everyone will forget I’m back here, Emma thought to herself as she counted up the bottles on the shelves, taking a quick inventory of what they had for the bar out front.

She also needed to keep this count to protect herself. She’d learned a few days into this gig that Gold’s men loved their liquor and they had a tendency to come back here and take it. Instead of letting them do that and then allowing her and her coworkers to take the blame, Emma came up with a system including locks on the door and an electronic documentation of what they had and when. There was no wifi hook up, obviously, as Gold made sure to keep a strict lock on their surroundings, but it did provide an timestamped trail that proved she was taking nothing from this place. Every night she cashed in her tips with Sydney, the bar’s ‘owner’ but really just Gold’s front man and lap dog, and she watched as the debt she owed grew smaller and smaller. In six more months she’d be free of this and she was doing anything and everything she could to shorten that time.

Thinking about her debt made a flare of anger rise in her belly. Truth was this wasn’t even her fucking debt, it was Lily’s, a woman Emma believed to be her friend. They’d met when they were still kids, both of them runaways, and though time had driven them apart, they reconnected when they realized they were both living in New York. Emma had managed to get steady, honest work and was doing her best to claw up from the nothing that she’d started with in life, and she thought Lily was doing the same. Boy had she been wrong.

It turned out that Lily didn’t pay her part of the rent with anything resembling clean money. She’d worked for Gold, and then she fucked him over and ran, leaving Emma none the wiser and thrust into the fallout of a crime she’d never committed. When that moment came Gold gave her two choices: pay off the money he was owed, or suffer a bit before accepting and still paying, but in a less desirable way. Emma chose the former, and she gave everything she had to the man, but it still wasn’t enough. Lily had managed to get off with almost 50k, and while that was chump change to Gold, it was more than double Emma’s savings. Still she’d promised to get him the money, to give him every paycheck she could, save for her rent and food expenses. But it didn’t satisfy the Crocodile, as people were prone to calling him. Gold decreed that she’d work in the bar and that was that. She’d also been ‘moved’ to one of the apartments above the place. But none of her actual belongings ever arrived. All she had was work uniforms and bare essentials. There was no TV, no phone, no nothing. She’d been graced with tattered linens, the most basic of household essentials (as in one plate, one fork, one of everything) and a bunch of dusty books on ranging topics left from tenants past. She also had a chip on her shoulder, created from the unjustness of this whole situation, pushing her to get out of this shit as fast as she could.

“Yo, Emma, you coming back at some point?” A voice asked from the doorway. It was one of her coworkers, a guy named August who she’d never had much to do with. He seemed pretty okay, but then again, he was here working for Gold and he didn’t even seem to have the whole debt-pay off factor going. That was a huge red flag, and one of the reasons Emma never trusted him much. “We got customers.”

“One minute,” she said, and waited until the door swung closed again. Knowing she was along she closed her eyes and took some steadying breaths, gearing up for what would no doubt be a terrible night.

It’s temporary. You just have a few more months. You’ve survived worse. You can survive this too.

When she felt strong enough to put her mask in place and face the raucous debauchery that awaited her outside, Emma squared her shoulders and headed out. Her eyes had to adjust quickly to the dimness of the lighting, and she took in the stronger scents of stale cigar smoke and piss that always clung to this place. No matter how much they cleaned after hours, there was no getting rid of the odor or the grime. This bar was better off burned to the ground and completely built over, but to the men who frequented it, this place was the closest thing they had to home. The Lair, as the neon sign outside advertised, was a total dive, and it was filled to the brim with low-rate mobsters and criminals.

This was one of those places that Hollywood constantly tried ripping off to no avail. In some ways it was completely corny and predictable, and so blatant in its criminal ties that it felt like a joke that everyone was in on. But the embellishments and adornments here were over the top and gaudy, too tacky even for a Las Vegas casino. Gold’s namesake was splashed everywhere, from the countertops to the barstools to the curtains on the back walls. When the finishing got gross and dirty, they’d be replaced, but the style was dated and straight out of the 70s. It was a mobster hideaway with no pretensions, and Emma always thought to herself that the cops should be busting in every night. This was an obvious den of misconduct, but no cops ever came. The reality was that Gold had half the police force in his pocket, and the other half were too scared to cross him for fear of what he’d bring down on them. Gold might be ridiculous and over the top, but he was powerful, and more than that he was smart, so smart Emma knew better than to ever try to run and think she could get away with it.

“Well, well, well. Ain’t you lookin good tonight, sweetheart?”

Emma fought the instinct to roll her eyes at the slurred and shouted words that crossed the bar top over to where she was standing. Two months into her captivity here, and Emma knew better than to let her baser instincts win out. Despite how gross this man was, and how underwhelming he was on any metric of attractiveness, Emma couldn’t cave to her want to blow him off. Doing so was a risk, and if she had any chance of surviving this hell hole, she could not afford to take those.

“What can I get you, Mr. Black?” Emma asked, ignoring the stench of sweat and booze that mingled with the man’s cheap aftershave. She looked at him for only a second before looking down again, knowing her best bet was to try and blend into the background and let these men set their sights on the women who actually wanted to be here.

“I’ll take a night in bed with you, darlin’.” Emma chocked down a gag but flashed an insincere smile as she shook her head.

“You know the rules, Black. I work for Gold in a strictly drink-serving capacity.”

“Damn waste if you ask me, putting talent like you up in the bar.”

A waste? Emma considered it a small miracle. Since the day that Gold’s men had swarmed her apartment with guns drawn, looking for Lily, Emma had been completely at the will of a monster. She knew from the second they apprehended her and brought her back here that she could be destined for anything. People talked about Gold in this city and there was no crime he was too good to partake in. He had brothels all over the place and a stake in the skin trade. He ran drugs and guns, made people disappear and black mailed anyone he could. He had no moral restrictions, and no love greater than the one had for money and control. He owned this city in almost every single way, and if he chose to, he could make her life even worse than it was now. So much worse. It sent a shiver up her spine to even contemplate some of the things she’d heard whispered about. But Gold, as dark and twisted as he was, did have a code, and he’d briefly explained it to her the night she was brought in.

“I’m a man who collects his debts, Miss Swan, but I am also a man who sees a whole story. You had nothing to do with Lily’s betrayal, I know this. You’re collateral damage, a source of collection through no fault of your own. The debt must be payed, but since you yourself have never wronged me, I’ll be good to you. You even think of crossing me, however, and you’ll live to regret it.”

Emma knew the truth when she heard it. Her gut was never wrong. Even with Lily, the problem wasn’t that Emma had missed her true colors, she’d just chosen to ignore the telltale signs of a problem person because she really had no other friends. She hoped that Lily may come around, that she’d get better and really try and make a go of things in an above board way, but with Gold there was no doubt as to the veracity of his threat. If he felt Emma was disloyal, he’d punish her, and if at the end of this there was any doubt that she’d turn on him, she would never be free. She had to be picture perfect in her actions. A pretty, polite prisoner who served their time and then kept silent. She was ready to do that, she just had to stick to her plan and keep her head up in the meantime.

As she made Mr. Black’s drink and got caught into the flow of the bar, serving men their beer and liquor until they all got drunk as hell, Emma counted down the seconds until the night would be over. She gathered her measly tips, and kept them guarded close, and she knew that tonight would be like every other. She was trapped here, in this darkness, destined to be unhappy but determined to survive. When she was free of this she’d go as far away from Gold’s hold as she could. She’d find a cabin somewhere, live a quiet kind of life, and she’d never put herself in this kind of position again. Her lesson had been learned – she could trust no one but herself, and though that was a totally lonely sensation, she had to try and accept it or risk hurting herself all over again down the line.

Suddenly, in the midst of the normal night’s activities, the front door blew open and Emma felt a tingling of anticipation when it did. She hadn’t looked in that direction all night long, never liking the people who would dare to enter here, but her instincts were screaming at her to turn around and look. She had no idea why, but when she obeyed the internal command, she was shocked into stillness, caught up in the sight of the man who’d just walked in.

Tall, dark, and fiercely handsome, this man was sin personified and so much better looking than the other thugs that came here every night. He didn’t look out of place though, aside from his attractiveness. The clothes he wore were made of leather and spoke to some dangerous intent. He made no show to hide the side arms he was carrying, one on his hip and one strapped across his chest, and the scowl on his face made him seem hard and unapproachable. For a moment, Emma had the chance to take him in, and despite the fierceness of his expression, she felt a flutter low in her stomach.

His chiseled jaw with the well-trimmed beard he had was hot, as was the symmetry of his features and the way his broad body clenched and she could see his muscles. But if someone were to ask her what stood out most about this mystery man it was his eyes. They were blue, like the ocean in places she’d only read about. They weren’t icy or cold, but warm somehow and so thoroughly enticing. She felt herself lost in them, and then he looked at her, their gazes connecting, and that sensation grew so much stronger. She felt a kind of pang echo through her ribcage the moment he took her in, and she watched as the hardness of his face shifted ever so slightly. It was a small tell, most people wouldn’t have noticed, but Emma did, and she knew that he felt this too. Whatever the hell this was – the man who’d just arrived was just as captive to it as she was.

“Ah, Captain, you’re here!” One of the regulars said, laughing and flailing about as only truly drunk men did. “Didn’t think we’d ever get you to The Lair. Thought you was too good for us.”

The man they called ‘Captain’ tore his gaze from Emma and moved over to the man who’d called him over. His stride was measured and almost graceful, and Emma couldn’t help but follow him with her eyes. This was so unlike her. She made it her business not to watch anyone too closely. The less she knew about what everyone was really up to the better, but she was intrigued by this newcomer in a way she’d never been before.

“Boss wants to see you, Alvin. Something about the McManus shipment.” Alvin blanched at the comment and swallowed harshly and Emma knew for certain that this man was in trouble with Gold. She didn’t have much sympathy for Alvin, and in fact most of her intention was focused on this stranger, who had the touch of an accent she couldn’t quite place. His voice was silky and low, tantalizing in a way, and she wanted to hear more of it. “Perhaps you’d like a drink for the road. Not sure when you’ll have the chance for another.”

“Bring them this,” Sydney said, materializing from nowhere next to Emma. She jumped at the unexpected intrusion into her thoughts, and looked at the two glasses.

“Is this rum?” she asked dumbly and Sydney nodded.

“The best. Captain likes the good stuff.”

“Right,” Emma said, moving over with the tray to the table where both men sat. When she got there, she was struck speechless again. Being so close to this man only added to the allure. He was even more interesting close up, and she lost her head a little bit at the sight of him, but tried to pull herself together as best he could. “Your drinks, gentlemen.”

Alvin took the drink and downed in, but the stranger took his time, glancing at her over the glass and nodding. He didn’t smile, but his eyes conveyed a warmth he’d shared with no one else here. “Thank you, love.”

Knowing she couldn’t linger, Emma moved back to the other tables, continuing her work, but when she noticed Alvin and the mysterious man standing up to go a few minutes later, she felt a dash of disappointment. He was leaving, and she didn’t even know his name.

Okay, seriously? What the hell Emma? He’s one of them. He works for Gold. You don’t care about him. You can’t care.

The voice in her head scolded her for her fanciful thinking and this completely mistimed attraction. It was so foolish to think of him as anything but a threat, but her heart lurched at the thought. She was overcome with these weird feelings. Being so drawn to a man so quickly had never been her style. Certainly not now when she was in survival mode. But as she turned around to fill a tray with empty glasses on one of the far tables, she felt a presence behind her. She whipped around too quickly, only to run into him, and if it hadn’t been for his steadying hands, one on her arm and the other on her tray, the glasses would have shattered.

“You all right, love?”

“Um,” she licked her lips as her eyes darted up to and she nodded once. “Yes. I’m fine.”

“Good. Just wanted to give you this,” he said, handing her a tip. It was generous. Like a couple hundred-dollar bills generous. It was way more than their drinks had been and way way more than she could ever accept. It felt wrong, but there was a part of her that was desperate to keep it. This would put her that much closer to freedom. It was almost a week she wouldn’t have to work. Still she pushed it back at him.

“I can’t. It’s too much.”

“It’s hardly enough,” he replied ardently and her brow furrowed as she looked at his face, the earnestness on it clear as day to her. “I know these men, love. There’s no way they give you what you’ve earned. Not tonight, not ever. So please, take it.”

“Okay,” she agreed after a moment’s hesitation, feeling gratified by the fact that she had earned this, even if he wasn’t the one who should have to pay. “Thanks…”

“Killian,” he filled in before she could decide to use the nickname that Alvin had called him by.

“Killian,” she repeated, tasting the name on her tongue and loving the way it felt as it passed through her lips. “I’m Emma, by the way.”

“Emma,” he replied with a grin that was there and gone so quickly she would have missed it as she blinked. As it was, she knew she saw it, and that look was even more breathtaking than the rest of him. No one had a right to be that sexy. No one. “Well, until next time, Emma.”

With that, he turned and walked away, cold and composed once more as he led Alvin out of the bar and headed off into the night. And though Emma knew very little about him, she had a feeling she’d just met someone very important. Through the mist of all the new emotions and excitement, she sensed, deep down, that this man – Killian – mattered, and that somehow, someway, their fates were intertwined, destined to lead them back to each other in one way or another.

Post-Note: So there we have it! This is a short glimpse into the fic, kind of like a prologue if you will. Next chapter will flash forward a bit, because this honestly was angsty enough for me to write. I do not want to dwell in the bad circumstances Emma finds herself in, and instead want to get us to a fluffier, if still a bit wilder place than I am used to. As the description says this will be an MC (motorcycle club) romance, and we’ll reveal how that will come to pass in the next few chapters. In the meantime, I would love to hear what you all think! This is a break away from my usual fare, and pretty much the opposite of the other fic I am currently writing, but I have wanted to write a story like this for a really long time. I’m eager to share the rest of this fic with you all, and hope you will join me on this fun new journey. Anyway, thanks for reading and hope you have a great rest of your day!

#captain swan #captain swan fic #captain swan au #cs fic #cs ff #cs fluff #cs angst #cs au #cs mc au #cs motorcycle club au #emma swan #killian jones #gold is a bad guy #the whole storybrooke gang #ouat au #when we collide #when we collide au

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pinterestmarketingmanager · 3 years

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Pinterest marketing strategy for 2021

Where Should You Be Focusing Your Pinterest Marketing Strategy in 2021?

Here are some areas I recommend focusing on in the New Year based on Pinterest’s recent changes and current best practices.

1.Focus On SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Pinterest is a search engine, so the same way you would focus on SEO for your website, you need to do the same to succeed on Pinterest.

There are two easy ways you can focus on Pinterest SEO in 2021: keywords and pinning to relevant boards first.

Do Your Keyword Research!

In 2021, your Pinterest strategy needs to include keyword research.

Even with Pinterest hiding pin descriptions, they are still being used to help distribute your pins!

Your descriptions might look different across Pin formats and devices. Sometimes people will see the full description in their feed, and sometimes they’ll only see the Pin title or a few words of the description. No matter what shows in people’s feeds, know that your description is working hard behind the scenes to get your content in front of the right people.

When adding keywords, use niche-specific keywords in your profile description, name, board descriptions, and pin descriptions. Then, do Pinterest keyword research for each piece of content you share and make sure those are in your pin descriptions to target the right people.

Your pin descriptions can hold up to 500 characters with the first 50-60 characters most likely to show in people’s feeds. Without keyword stuffing, make sure the description flows as a normal sentence or paragraph would. Create a description that has the most important information first, followed by more context. Lastly, include your call to action or what you want people to do when they click on your pin.

Pin To The Most Relevant Boards First, General Boards Second

This is another trick to improve your Pinterest SEO.

To help them better understand how to categorize your content, you should pin to the most relevant boards first.

That means if you are sharing a chocolate chip cookie recipe you should share it with your “cookie recipes” board before your general lifestyle boards.

Pro tip: To find out if Pinterest is categorizing your content properly, click on your pin and scroll down. If the related content Pinterest suggests is similar to what you’re sharing then you did a good job with your keywords and distribution. If the content isn’t related, consider changes your description with better keywords, sharing it to the most relevant boards first and making sure your image and copy are related to the subject.

2. Prioritize High-Quality

As a business owner, the sole goal of Pinterest marketing is to get your content seen. However, we tend to forget Pinterest’s trying to create the best platform for its USERS, not for us marketers.

This means they are actively acting on accounts that are spamming and adding content that goes against their Community Guidelines.

As a result, it’s become even more important going into 2021 to share new (“fresh”) quality content and be aware of their Community Guidelines.

What Does Pinterest Consider Spam?

According to Pinterest’s Community Guidelines, spam includes:

Unsolicited commercial messages

Repetitive or unwanted posts

Misleading content or behavior

Attempts to artificially boost views and other metrics

Off-domain redirects, cloaking or other ways of obscuring where a pin leads

Create High-Quality Fresh Pin Designs

The quality of your pins can make a huge difference in whether users will click on them or not, and whether Pinterest will distribute them.

In mid-February 2021, Pinterest made it clear they are prioritizing fresh content.

Fresh content is new images that have not been shared on Pinterest before. That means your older pins you were recycling aren’t going to drive as much traffic to your website anymore. Instead, pins that contain new images and text overlay, whether they lead to the same URL or not, are the new best practice!

Since Pinterest announced these changes I’ve played around with new pin designs for older content and the stats are definitely showing this strategy works! Users are responding and Pinterest’s algorithm loves it!

In addition to creating fresh pins, ensure you are following Pinterest’s best practices for pin design.

Pins should be:

Vertical; 1500 x 1000 px

Contain a high-quality photo

Text overlay that provides context,

Subtle branding

The elements stand out on mobile

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure at all about Pinterest’s new best practices, Tailwind has you covered with their SmartGuide and SpamGuard features. These features help you implement the new best practices by monitoring your pinning and alerting you to any issues. You will never have to worry about pinning too much or the same content to often because Tailwind can recognize it and let you know!

Only repin quality content from sources you trust

Pinterest is definitely making an effort to squash spam accounts, however, they still exist.

When I mentioned earlier that you can end up in Pinterest jail unintentionally, it’s often because you accidentally pin something added by a spam account. You wouldn’t know it either unless you clicked on every single pin to check where it leads.

Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Pro tip: A trick I like to use is to glance at the URL on the pin before scheduling them in Tailwind. If the URL looks weird, like it doesn’t match the brand name, then I will investigate further. It’s saved me so many times.

If you follow this guideline you will likely avoid Pinterest jail forever!

3. Create Multiple Pins For Each Article

Once upon a time, you could reshare the same pin after a couple of months and it would continue to drive traffic. However, with Pinterest’s effort to make the platform more enjoyable for its users they are flagging accounts that pin the same images repetitively (meaning YOU serial pinner!).

We’re sometimes asked whether it’s beneficial to save the same Pin to the same board multiple times. We don’t recommend doing this very often. Repetitive saving can create a disruptive experience and get flagged as spam. If you’ve done this in the past, there’s no need to go back and delete old Pins.

In 2021, it’s going to be common practice to continually create several pins per article and share those across the platform and Tribes. Known as “fresh pins” these will help increase your reach on Pinterest, attract new users, and stay off Pinterest’s bad side.

The goal of all this new content is to inspire Pinners to engage with, save, and click on your Pins.

You can save time by batch scheduling those pins with Tailwind. Take advantage of their free trial and schedule 100 fresh pins right now!

How To Hide Multiple Pins In A Blog Post

I currently use Tasty Pins to manage and hide all the pins I create for a single blog post.

When I user uses the “pin it” button or schedules to Tailwind they have multiple pin options to choose from and the keyword-rich description and title are attached for them.

4. Video Pins Are Going to Gain Popularity in 2021

Video pins have been around for a while, however, they’ve really started pushing them as an option for pinners.

In fact, Pinterest ran a contest in 2019 for the best video pin. If they are running a contest to promote the feature you can bet they are looking for more video pins on the platform.

2021 is going to be the perfect time to have a video pin strategy since they aren’t as competitive yet. Pinterest is putting video pins at the top of searches meaning they will get seen more often. With few users creating video pins yours will get seen more often (for now).

Video Pin Best Practices

According to Pinterest’s creative best practices, video pins should:

Be actionable (eg. teach someone something)

Start strong with a clear hook in the first few seconds

6-15 seconds for promoted pins, otherwise any length works

Be easily understood without audio (eg. text captions)

Have a strong cover image to catch someone’s eye in their feed

Follow Pinterest SEO with keyword-rich description and title

You can easily create video pins using apps like Wave.Video, Canva, and Audiogram.

Awareness vs. Action

Personally, I’ve found video pins great for impressions (they increase your reach), however, I have not had much luck getting traffic from them.

5. Create A Seasonal Content Strategy

In 2021, take your strategy up a notch and plan your seasonal content ahead of time.

When it comes to holidays or seasonal events, people use Pinterest to plan long before they turn to other platforms. Remember to factor this timing into your Pinterest content strategy.

We recommend that you start saving seasonal content about 30-45 days in advance. Activity will keep picking up as you get closer to the big day.

Ideally, you should start sharing seasonal content 2 months before the holiday. This means in October you would have started sharing Christmas and Holiday content and in December content related to being your best self and Valentine’s Day.

If you sell products or services related to specific seasons create a content calendar specifically for Pinterest.

They make it easy to find out what’s trending each month with their Insights. Use these to help guide your content strategy.

Pro Tip: I like to go through old content on my website and create pins for them with seasonal images or colors that will attract seasonal browsers. If the content can be applied to a holiday or event, I might as well take advantage of the increase in traffic by creating fresh pins for it!

6. Hire Help – Get a Pinterest Manager To Hand Your Pinterest Marketing Strategy

Lastly, if you are truly ready to rock your Pinterest marketing in 2021, I recommend hiring someone to help with the task.

Pinterest marketing is it’s own thing, separate from social media, and takes TIME. Not only that, it takes specialized knowledge to know how to get the best results.

I understand not everybody has the time or knowledge to tackle this beast, which is why I offer my services as a Pinterest Manager.

If you would like to learn more about how I can help you and your business I recommend checking out my page and portfolio.

Check Out My Portfolio

#pinterest #pinterest marketing #social media marketing #instagram marketing #facebook marketing #marketing #business

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stranger-who-writes-fiction · 4 years

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Alright 5x19 let’s DO THIS.

(Warning: This will probably be long.)

WE BEGIN...by visiting Leviathan’s underground speakeasy.

The shot of Lex in the glow of the Kryptonite is great, 15/10 iconic Kryptonian Killer.

But SPEAKING of things that are green and bad...Gemma’s outfit is stage magician meets Mera from Aquaman and WAIT, WAIT, I’m just now remembering that the character in the comics was linked to Atlantis. Is that why they’ve gone with a green motif for her all season?

Probably not. Either way, still gives me knockoff Mera vibes. (*whispers quietly* I don’t like Mera’s outfit either.)

(I’m reading the Wikipedia entry for Gamemnae and did you know: she was exiled from Atlantis for being blonde?)

Anyways!

That’s just a very long-winded way of saying that the costume is kind of a weird choice.

Then we’re back in Kara’s loft and finally, FINALLY...someone tells Lena that there are BIGGER FISH, STOP REMINISCING.

And then the Superfriends arrive on the scene and they are ready to throw down.

Honestly same bro, same.

Also M’GANN IS ON THE TEAM I love it please, SG, please, hire Sharon Leal full-time.

What is the current door-kicking tally--how many front entrances have the Danvers girls destroyed?

“Well the joke’s on Rama Khan and his big dumb gladiator outfit because I already defeated him once.” THIS. IS. WHAT. I. HAVE. BEEN. SAYING.

THE COSTUME IS SILLY AND NOT IN A FUN WAY.

Leviathan just has terrible fashion sense, is basically the theme of this season.

Oh my gosh M’gann being the one to suggest the multiple Karas and the WINK I love her, I love her so much.

PLEASE NOTE: That J’onn was like ‘the skirt is surprisingly comfortable’ but his response to the pants is, ‘they’re gonna chafe.’

J’onn J’onzz, Skirt Supporter.

Then the Alex suit reveal and ooof, ooooof, probably the wonkiest of the scenes, unfortunately. (Can’t decide if I appreciate the effort of the CGI Alex or if it’s simply too uncanny valley.)

Also, put a pin in the Alex suit reveal. We’ll circle back to it.

(Oh wait and also: Kara’s scream and J’onn’s reaction all A+.)

Breaking chronological order here to just touch on the highlights and maybe discuss particular chunks in detail SO...let’s get right toooooooo....

Rooftop scene with Alex and M’Gann! Nice! But also I was like, ‘Alex just...has a bazooka? ...Yeah that tracks.’ And then I remembered that she has the martian weapon...honestly kinda prefer my accidental headcanon that she just owns one.

Then back to Lena and Kara and we’ve come full circle because folks...they figuratively flew to Luthor-Corp...on a bus.

Oh if only that was the actual goal of this entire plot. I would applaud it.

SG writers, always: REAL threats come in groups of THREE.

I actually don’t mind it. They aren’t given a big introduction and amount of screen time, so it’s pretty unobtrusive.

Then we get a Luthor-Corp lab scene AND a good look at Alex’s suit so LET’S CHAT.

Okay first and foremost: not opposed to vigilante Alex! Especially if it means she can work with Kara a bit more directly.

Love the color scheme! Love the hood! Love that the boots are no longer the stealth wedge heel but are just...heels. Good, yes, good! Also love that you can see it’s basically built on top of her DEO suit which totally makes sense, as...I guess Alex is building the suit mentally, not physically, technically, but she’d still be using stuff she’s familiar with to put it together in...her...mind?

I also think the top portion sits better than the DEO suit, which had that awkward...square-ish portion that covered the front of the torso.

But hmmmmmm the eye makeup is...a statement.

Confused as to why they didn’t go with a domino mask...maybe it was an actor comfort thing but HMMMMM not my personal favorite, admittedly. (Also don’t love the lace up look on the front portion but that’s because it’s reminding me of some of the terrible costumes from Arrow.)

And then the hair clip, which. Okay. As someone who has been struggling to find a way to pull back short hair during this time of no haircuts...can’t be mad about it.

In fact, catch me over here, taking notes.

Alright, costume rambling OVER sorry for the tangent but, you know. New super suit, it’s always exciting.

I like that Kara had to deal with not being able to be out fighting the threat! That’s a good bit of character stuff there.

“William went after Eve ALONE?!?!?” “No super hearing!”

“Please, be careful.” “You know me.” “Yeah, exactly, that’s what I’m worried about.” And then a HUG and they’re just the best.

Dunno if I’ve mentioned it yet but I love the effects they use for Gemma’s ‘true form.’ Very cool and creepy.

Does Andrea just...not question Gemma’s evil villain outfit...or...?

Much like Alex’s super suit we’re puttin’ a PIN in the Brainy plot we’ll get there but FIRST...

THE KARA AND LENA CONVERSATION.

Do I think it should’ve come earlier in the season? Yes! Do I care at this point? ...Okay, still yes! But that’s another pinned point I’ll get back to, right now let us just bask in the beauty that is specifically, verbally laying out all the CRAP Lena put Kara through, and Kara making sure Lena understands THAT is what hurt her, not ‘working with Lex.’

“You never understood.” BINGO. “I know I hurt you by waiting so long to tell you my truth but what about all the ways you hurt me?” EXACTLY.

“I made one mistake, one mistake that was only ever meant to protect you and in return, all you did was hurt me in every way imaginable.”

Then Lena finally apologizes. For, you know, the stuff that was actually upsetting Kara. So. We got there. ...Eventually.

Then it’s off to save William and he’s talking down Eve! We love a noble journalist.

Kara cauterizing the bullet wound and William being like ‘DO IT no wait DON’T DO IT’ and Kara’s just like, ‘TOO LATE, IT’S DONE.’

RETURN OF THE POWER RANGERS SUIT NICE.

And theeeeen a lot of scenes that are fine but it’s mostly just legwork to get us to the bigger parts of the episode sooooo we’re jumping to...

Andrea! Pleasantly surprised with her part in the action of this episode. Had that nice moral conflict we saw in the front half of the season. It’s a little crammed in here, at the last minute, but. Still enjoyed seeing it.

A personal quibble on the visuals: I prefer the simple elegance of the season one hope speech, (Just a lone camera, in a rundown radio station XD) but I understand they had to convey ‘scale.’ Still think it’s a little much.

Oh man, totally forgot to mention, loved Nicole’s line read for, “Maybe you should’ve been meaner.” It was GREAT.

So there’s the fight against Rama Khan and his buddies, and Kara’s trying to talk people out of a MMORPG, AND Andrea shows up ready to kill somebody.

The drama! The suspense!

THE SCORE.

I have another quibble with the cutting back and forth on the hope speech and it’s largely to do with perhaps inadvertent implications regarding who has to grow from pain and what pain in particular, but that might just be a ‘me’ thing, reading the scene a particular way, so I’m just gonna move on and say LOVE TO SEE A HOPE SPEECH.

Also:

Supergirl: “I believe in you.”

The VR peeps and us, the audience:

Alright time to talk about BRAINY.

Admittedly haven’t loved double agent Brainy, which felt more like a, ‘let’s add some drama’ move than anything else.

I do still stand by my assessment that Brainy being a few steps behind Lex made sense given his distress re: Nia and the Superfriends.

But also...was a little wild, IMO, that he didn’t have...some way to at least circumnavigate the radiation shield? Or at the very least limit it.

But again. DRAMA.

All that said...wow. Loved the two Brainys at the end, there. Genuinely touching.

“Will you stay with me?” “Till the very end.”

BRAAAAAAAIIIINNNNNNNNY.

How do you make another Luthor reveal work when you ALREADY pulled the, ‘It was Lex all along!’ like, twice before?

You MAKE IT LILLIAN.

Like, dang it, I enjoyed it. How dare you, SG.

But THAT’S IT. NO MORE SECRET LUTHOR REVEALS.

The terminator look and death shriek for Gemma was fittingly creepy very nice.

But also WOW, she never interacted with Kara. I am DISAPPOINTED.

So anyways, that second Lena and Kara conversation!

It was fine. It’s fine. This is fine. It’s...it’s fine.

(Except that it highlights a problem with the way this whole thing was set up and it’s not something unique to SG! It’s a problem I’ve noticed with a lot of redemption arcs--which seem to be all the rage, as of late--and that is a disproportionate amount of bad things done by the one character, and putting off the turn until like, the last possible minute to increase the drama factor and thaaaaat...is not a super satisfying conclusion because it’s a HUGE amount of build up for a relatively small pay off. Like, as Kara is listing the stuff that Lena’s done, it’s kind of a stark reminder that Lena physically and emotionally hurt Kara on purpose which. Is a glaring red flag. That’s the kind of thing that needs to be unpacked, maybe! Given some space!

Which isn’t to say that characters should never be forgiven, or that they need to be excessively punished. It just needs time. So saving the ‘redemption’ part for the very end where the characters NEED TO BE HEROES RIGHT NOW IN ORDER TO HELP OUT it’s...hmmmmmm. Too rushed.)

AND SO, SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS, THE SEASON FINALE, AND THE SEASON AS A WHOLE:

Wow but I did not like the focus on Lena. Not fun. No thanks.

Which is only made worse by the trashfire that is the SG fandom.

Loved the moments of growth and agency for Kara, though.

Loved the big crossover! It kinda made for a wonky set up of Earth-38 plot vs. Earth Prime plot but honestly anything the writers set up in the front portion of the season was going to be at the very least interrupted, if not completely derailed simply given the nature of what they intended to do with the merging of the earths.

Like give me SG’s approach to handling the front half of the season over Flash’s any day.

Still too many characters! Still too much plot! Still weird pacing issues! XD

Forget it, Jake, it’s Supergirl.

Oh, honorable mention: The handling of Kelly! She was integrated so well into a nice intersection of plot points and characters that when she’s there to hack into the Obsidian stuff in the finale it’s like, ‘well naturally she’d be here.’ EXCELLENT WORK.

William and Andrea win ‘most improved over their intensely unlikable introductions.’

To be clear: I liked this season finale! And the fact that it all came together as well as it did is a testament to the skill of all the folks involved, considering the awful extenuating circumstances.

Though, upon further introspection, I think I really do dislike the CGI Alex. Too far into the uncanny valley, sorry.

IN CONCLUSION: Very, very sad that it’s gonna be a whole year, or possibly longer, before we get new SG content but, glad that the actors will have a little more time off than they usually might, and I’m all for holding off the production as long as possible, in order to keep folks safe.

WHAT are Lex and Lillian up to, like, specifically, and WHAT is Alex’s superhero name??? WILL the folks in charge of the new Superman show remember that it’s a Supergirl spinoff?!??! Find out NEXT YEAR only on SUPERGIRL! (And Superman & Lois!)

EDIT: I used the word ‘quibble’ twice which feels like one time too many, but also it IS a fun word to say. ‘Quibble.’ Ha. XD

#SG post #long post #supergirl spoilers #5x19 spoilers

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theliterarywolf · 5 years

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So... Let's talk about Hetalia. Controversies, Specifically.

Tagging @apply-force-too-begin since they’re the one who was interested.

Hetalia was one of my first big fandoms outside of 'The Big Three' anime (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece) and outside of video games (mostly whatever wee babby weeaboo me could get on the Gamecube).

And, you know what? It's a dumb, silly anime about stereotypes, poking fun at the absurdities of History, and one's relationships with clashing cultures. It's dumb... But, remember, we all need our daily thirty minutes of dumb. And some of the characters are cute.

And, you know what? Most of the most engaging aspects of the fandom were those who used the initial shallow splash of history that the anime gave them to actually research and make engaging, well-written, culturally-sensitive content.

Of course, I'm not going to ignore how... Over-the-top some members of the fandom have been. We've seen how, whenever recent political conflict or natural disaster have occurred, we have to remind younger members of the Hetalia fandom to not cutsiefy it with the Hetalia characters. Examples that come to mind are: when the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was surging up, kids kept trying to draw art of 'Russia just wants his big sister back~!', and the last major earthquake that hit Japan that had people making fanart of the Japan character which, while some was tasteful and was meant to bring awareness and donations for Disaster Relief, not... all of it was...

Hell, that’s not even bringing into account the last time I went to Anime Expo (way back during Hetalia’s hayday), I was walking around and saw a bunch of Russia and Baltic State cosplayers being interviewed by the news and the one dressed up in a USSR uniform was holding up a Communist flag and shouting ‘Whoo! SOVIET TAKEOVER!!’

However, one thing that I have noticed, while researching for this write-up, was this:

Most of the controversies and pieces of fandom-wank that have surrounded Hetalia and its fandom... Aside from one instance... Are the results of the Western-fandom and Western-localization of the anime via Funimation.

Aside from one... Most of the issues surrounding Hetalia are due to the West and not even the source media in of itself.

So, with that in mind, let's talk about the main controversies of both Hetalia and its fanbase.

Controversy 1 – The South Korea Controversy/Protests

As I recently answered a question about this, so I'll just pull that answer for this segment:

'To summarize it: there’s a Hetalia character meant to represent South Korea. As every Hetalia character has a gag related to them (America gorges himself on fast food and constantly proclaims himself to be the Hero, Italy is cowardly, Germany is constantly angry, China constantly builds Chinatowns wherever he goes and sells bootleg merchandise, etc), so did S. Korea.

His gag was calling all the other Asian countries ‘big brother’ as well as groping the chests of male characters (China and Japan mostly), proclaiming ‘these mountains belong to South Korea, da ze!’

Of course, people would draw pictures of S. Korea doing his thing but one day during a meeting between a bunch of South Korean politicians and representatives, someone brought out a piece of fanart that depicted S. Korea groping Japan’s chest with the latter looking embarrassed and what not.

They interpreted the character as being an offensive, lecherous stereotype that was somehow belittling S. Korea’s worth as a country.

There were a bunch of small protests until, finally, Himaruya Hidekazu (the creator of Hetalia) just decided to say “you know what? Fine! I’m not getting rid of the character but he’ll never appear in the anime adaptation, okay?!’

So… Yeah! Fun times…'

Magnitude of Controversy – MAJOR

Like... In what universe is 'this meme hurt my feewings, we need to take VALUABLE TIME DURING GOVERNMENT FORUMS to talk about it RATHER THAN OTHER PRESSING ISSUES' a good response? And the fact that people took to the streets to protest? Come on, guys! There's so much more to worry about in this world...

Controversy 2 – Emperor Heliogabalus and Himaruya's 'Transgender Erasure'

There was a section of time where Himaruya Hidekazu, rather than focusing on the nation characters of the series, made chapters and updates about certain historical figures. They were all done for laughs while interspersing various bits of trivia and facts about them.

One of these updates centered around the Roman emperor Heliogabalus (or 'Elagabalus'). And this is where certain portions of this hellsite got soooooo upset...

You see, Himaruya titled the update centered on Heliogabalus as 'The Emperor Who Tried to Live as a Woman... Even Though He Was Really a Guy'.

Almost immediately people were typing up callout posts about how 'transphobic' Himaruya was for the title and 'how dare he misgender my precious trans baby~!' or 'this just goes to show how ignorant Japanese people are to Western history' and so many more, all because Himaruya didn't use out-and-out female pronouns for Heliogabalus.

Now. Mm, two things!

One! This was during the time when Himaruya had an open blog where, not only did he post pictures and updates about where in the world he was traveling and what he was researching, but it also had an inbox that was open for people to send insight to him.

So, if people were really incensed by this, you would think that they would use such a means to let a creator know 'hey, this is kind of problematic; can you edit it to show this information', right?

Right?

NO ONE tried to inform Himaruya of their upset; they literally didn't want an answer, they just wanted to be upset!

But, here's the kicker: the guy that all of these people were stanning for? Emperor Heliogabalus?

WASN'T FUCKING TRANS!!

The real Heliogabalus was a sadistic little shit who was connivingly put on the throne by his mother via a bunch of espionage and assassinations... Who, as thanks, had his own mother murdered once he was emperor. Other wonderful exploits of this 'icon' that tumblr kids decided to stan was:

Getting politicians and countrymen drunk and then, while they were passed out, brought in lions to kill and eat them

Deciding 'fuck Jupiter, Helios is my husbando – We're all going to worship him now!'

Completely wrecking Rome's monetary system

Promising favors to his lovers (whom he called his 'husbands' despite not making anything official) that strictly contradicted favors to his other lovers

And just generally being a hot mess

So... why were tumblr children so insistent on him being a transgender woman?

You ready for this?

Okay.

Because he occaisionally dressed in women's clothing and called his male lovers his 'husbands'.

Yeah.

One of the earliest case of tumblr children trying to ruin someone's life because they didn't follow their headcanons.

Magnitude of Controversy – Honestly, this was just fandom-wank. But it was one of the earlier instances of fandom brats using serious terms (transphobia) to justify being upset at a creator not following their headcanons.

Controversy 3 – The Passover Photoshoot

…

I'm sorry, just...

Everytime I remember or have to go over this one, I have to stop and reflect; maybe grab a drink.

…

Okay.

So, pretty early into the Western reaches of the Hetalia fandom, a group of friends and Hetalia fans decided to meet up together at a mall for a cosplay photoshoot.

Okay. Cool. Fine.

They were all dressed up as their favorite characters from the series! Germany, Austria, Hungary, P-Prussia, Holy... Roman Empire...

Ahem. Okay. Cool. Fine.

So, they get to the mall and start taking pictures. But then someone in the group gets the amazing idea for everyone to do certain poses.

I... You know, why did I start this, I could have just not done thi--

Nazi salutes. You had a bunch of dumb kids dressed up as Germanic nations. Performing Nazi salutes and shouting 'Heil Hitler'.

Now, as bad as this was... you could have just drawn it out as shitty edgelord humor; we still have plenty of that going on today.

H-however. There were two factors that made this photoshoot 50 Shades of Tasteless.

Number one. This photoshoot took place during Passover.

And number two. The mall that this photoshoot took place at...

WAS JUST A HOP, SKIP, AND A JUMP FROM THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MUSEUM!!!

This is the one, THE ONE, instance where, anytime someone talks about 'lol, young Hetalia fans are so cringey', this is what pops into my head.

Those of us older members of the fandom can never fucking forget this. Yeah, the perpetrators were called out; yeah, they learned their lessons, yeah it opened up a conversation about appropriate behavior in fandom. But this one event will always remain as the big 'Ooh, baby, nooooo! What are you doing?!' moment in the fandom.

Even moreso than what the current batch of hatedum is about.

Magnitude of Controversy – Huge. The South Korea controversy was discussed on a governmental scale, but the Passover Photoshoot is what remains as the biggest mark on the fandom.

Controversy 4 - FUCKING FUNIMATION!!

Okay, I...

This one is so infuriating because it’s the result of Funimation just not giving a DAMN.

So, Hetalia got popular enough to be localized! Yay... And it was going to be handled by Funimation. Yay... They do quality work... Sometimes.

*kicks the Black Butler dub into the sun*

So, they dubbed Hetalia. And, you know what? So many questionable decisions went into this fucking dub.

You have Vic Mignogna! You! *clap* Have! *clap* Vic! *clap* Mignogna! You could have easily put him as one of the Axis characters or the Allied characters and you...

Don’t use him...

Until three seasons down the line...

And then you have him as Greece.

A character who barely says anything.

... And this was WAY before the clusterfuck of KickVic, so they really had no excuse.

Oh, also! For China, who is a main character, maybe we should have an actual voice-actor?

Pssh! Fuck that shit, let’s just have some random chick from accounting voice him.

... They literally had some random-chick from accounting do an overly stereotypical Chinese accent and said ‘yeah, that’s fine; print!’

And she gave us such... wonderful line-reads as: during the Hetalia movie Paint It, White! --

“SUCK BALLS! I knew za fortune cookie today was bad ruck~!”

But as bad as the dub got sometimes (Oh God, I’m having war flashbacks of Russia...), the exchange from the dub that people constantly point to as ‘see! This show was antisemitic all along!’ were these:

Exchange 1 -

S. Italy/Romano - ‘Hey asshole, I have a surprise for you~!’

Germany - ‘What is it? Another Jew?’

And, you know what? As asinine and idiotic as that brief exchange was...

IT WASN’T IN THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL!

Funimation, in their infinite wisdom, wrote that in and thought ‘yeah, that’s fine; print!’

So, there goes another issue of ‘problem that only existed because of the idiocy of a Western presence’.

Magnitude of Controversy - Well, people are still talking about it, despite it literally being because of Funimation’s laziness, so...

'Controversy' 5 – The Civil War fanart

So, this segment will be short because it doesn't even need to exist. But, you may have noticed an upsurge in people hating on the series again; even going so far as to raid Discord servers for fans of the series with gore.

Hell, I even scrolled past one person doing a 'call to arms' for people to spam any server that has to do with Hetalia as a big 'gotcha'.

And you wanna know where this fandom-wank started?

Someone on tumblr re-posted an old piece of... questionable chibi fanart of Confederate!America and Union!America. Union!America is hiding a slave woman behind him while shouting at Confederate!America to 'Pick your own damn cotton!'

(deep breath... okay)

And, while the art in of itself is... not great, the fact that it is an old piece of fanart and that someone posted it onto tumblr for the 'lol, look at this cringe' lolz, is what rallied some people to start shitting on fans of the show and raiding servers.

There also may have been some drama over on picrew by some teenage LGBT user lashing out at the whole 'stop spamming Picrew with gay shit' sentiment and then some edgelord over on this hellsite screencapping their game and talking about 'lol, of course it would be a cringey Hetalian to post some dumb shit like this; get off the site, queer' but, honestly, this last one, while being the reason why people are acting dumber than usual, is the most inconsequential.

Magnitude of the Controversy – It would be minimal at best, especially compared to the other ones in this write-up, but like I said, it does have some trickling into the current hatedumb.

So, yeah, here was my little write-up/mini-dive into the madness. You guys can let me know if you want more insight or if you have any questions, and I love you and buh-bye!

#fandom-wank #fandom history

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jesawyer · 5 years

Text

Unsolicited Opinions on Improvements for Mordhau’s Frontline Mode

In spite of not being particularly good at them, I’ve been a fan of competitive team-based, objective-oriented FPSes going back to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Battlefield: 1942. When they’re good, they’re great. The thrill of victory/agony of defeat on map like W:ET’s Fuel Dump is hard to match in either a single player game or a standard DM/TDM environment.

When I saw that Mordhau was coming out with a team-based, objective-oriented mode (Frontline), I was thrilled. Mordhau’s combat is challenging and I always appreciate when something is...

There are problems with balance (HORSES) and, as with any online competitive game, the in-game chat being a vortex of brain-destroying negative energy, but the developers at Triternion have already discussed plans to address those issues. And while they’ve also discussed plans to look at Frontline, that’s not going to stop me, who has no experience working directly on team-based, objective-oriented FPSes (other than giving advice on Armored Warfare, I guess... ), from giving my unsolicited opinions on how Frontline could be improved as a mode of gameplay.

I’m an RPG designer, so if anyone reading this wants to dismiss these ideas immediately, feel free. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, baby!

Things I’m not Going to Address (Except Here)

It’s worth saying things that I’m not going to really dive into because I don’t think they’re problems with Frontline as a mode. First, weapon balance. I have opinions on how weapons and weapon costs are balanced in Mordhau as a whole, but I don’t think any Frontline map is made or broken because of overall weapon balance. Horses and firebombs are sort of the exception here, but Triternion has already acknowledged problems with both, so there’s no point to beating on that billhooked horse.

Second, in-game chat being a cesspool of idiocy. I mean, it absolutely is, but it’s also 100% unnecessary for playing Frontline. Because Frontline has a single conflict point at any given moment of the game, it’s really rare that any deep team coordination is required. And if the mode evolves to require better coordination, it would be better served by the existing voiced in-character quick bark system (which is not dissimilar in overall structure to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory’s) than by requiring characters to type in / read text chat.

As a reminder, you can disable the chat log entirely from the options menu. In my experience, it is only an improvement.

Asymmetry

One of the first enormous hurdles to achieving good gameplay balance on any Frontline map is that every Frontline map has either asymmetrical map layouts, asymmetrical objectives, or asymmetrical map layouts and objectives.

It’s hard to un-ring the bell on these design decisions, but it’s important to recognize that when both the layouts and objectives are asymmetrical, it’s significantly more challenging for designers to achieve what feels like (to players) a fair set of challenges for both teams.

On maps where the layouts are close to symmetrical (e.g. Mountain Peak), it’s important to ensure that the final stage objectives feel like they require a similar amount of time, effort, and focus to complete. Of course, Mountain Peak’s final stage objectives don’t require a similar amount of time, effort, and focus to complete, so whether your team wins or loses once pushed back to their final spawn can feel like a tooth-and-nail struggle (pushing the ram to red) or like you suddenly lose out of nowhere without even seeing the final objective fall (burning tents in blue).

To compare these two objective types, we can look at how they work in games like Overwatch or W:ET. The ram at red is like an Overwatch payload and other than the fact that it moves, it’s not much different from flag objectives in Frontline. Blue players stand around the ram and it moves -- unless red players stand in the area and/or kill the blue players in the area. Unlike an Overwatch payload (or the train car on W:ET’s Rail Gun), the defending team cannot reverse the direction of the ram once it starts moving. They can only stop it (reclaiming their nearest flag will also halt forward progress). The ram is easy to track and players from both teams can try to dogpile onto it (or the nearby flag).

In contrast, the tents that blue has to defend are spread out over a relatively large area. A single red player can throw a torch and light up a tent and there’s not much blue can do to stop it. Of course, red can just forget to do it, which is a real and separate problem, but all of these problems contribute to making the final objectives feel massively different in terms of the effort and coordination required to accomplish them.

It would probably be easier to change the objectives on Mountain Peak than to try to use map layout as a balancing factor. On maps like Grad, where the layout is so totally asymmetrical, making the final objectives more symmetrical could help a lot. Even if both red and blue had to destroy three carts, the layouts of the final objective zones are so fundamentally different that the experience would be inherently different. And that’s really the goal, right? That it feels different winning as blue than it does winning as red? I believe most players would rather have symmetrical objectives that feel more balanced for each side than to have asymmetrical objectives that feel massively lopsided in execution.

Map Refinement

This is related to asymmetry, but is a separate issue. There’s a lot that could be edited out or changed on each of the existing Frontline maps to make gameplay more enjoyable. A relatively minor, but significant, change on Taiga’s layout made a huge impact on the viability of blue taking the central flag. There are two types of map refinements that are important: large scale and polish.

Large scale issues are things like Grad’s subterranean dungeon. I would argue it doesn’t need to exist at all, but a reasonable argument could me made that having another path into the castle is valuable for red. Still, it could be cut in half in terms of overall complexity/size and it would still accomplish the same goal.

Another large scale issue is the distance of blue’s spawn from the center of Crossroads relative to the distance from red’s spawn. Blue’s is quite a bit farther away and their path is obstructed far more than red’s. Additionally, red horses can (and do, nonstop, every match) run circles through blue’s spawn. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that the base spawn of each team should be blocked from continuous horse access.

In general, looking at each team’s spawns relative to the capture point between them, consider if each team has a similar burden to access the capture circle in terms of distance, obstruction, and vulnerability to enemy harrying tactics (i.e., prior to even entering the circle). If they don’t, address those as part of large scale map changes.

Polish issues are things like the myriad small collision hangups that exist on almost every map. E.g. on Crossroads, overhead clearance between the ground and stairs in the central fort, the chunk of debris on the ground just around the NE corner of the base of the central fort, and red’s ramps over the palisade wall. Making movement collision accurately model every bump and nook and cranny produces frustrating experiences for players. Smooth out the collision to produce walking surfaces that don’t stop player movement because of minor, almost imperceptible height differences. If smoothing the collision out makes it differ too much from the world geometry, change them both.

Catapults, Trebs, and Similar Instant Death Machines

Speaking personally, I don’t think these add any value to Frontline. When I get killed by one of them, 3/4 times I had no indication that danger was imminent and in many situations there was nothing I could to avoid death. E.g. on Grad, it’s easy for red to launch catapult shot over the wall into the smithy, giving even players who are looking in that direction less than half a second to react (i.e., realize they will die) to the enormous stone sphere as it crests the wall.

If these siege weapons continue to be a part of Grad, Camp, and other maps, please give players an audio/visual cue - regardless of where they’re looking - that death is inbound.

Airstrikes and artillery in W:ET are preceded by colored smoke and distinctive sounds that give players a window of opportunity to get out of the way. I’m not saying there should be smoke where they will land, but a better audio cue would go a long way to making siege weapon deaths feel less random and arbitrary. Yes, silent death from a catapult is realistic, but it’s obnoxious from a gameplay perspective and can instantly change an objective from being threatened to being completely cleared.

Better Audio Cues

Players have a difficult time focusing on Frontline. It’s just human nature. There’s a reason why Overwatch focuses everyone toward a single payload that they stand on.

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory used voice of god-style announcements to indicate when major map-critical events were occurring and to tell players what they were supposed to be doing. At the start of Fuel Dump, the Axis announcer says, “Don’t let them construct the bridge! Construct the command post!” When the Allies construct the bridge, the announcer yells, “Bridge constructed! Destroy it!” The announcer keeps track of every major game state and constantly reminds the players where they stand on the map. When dynamite is planted on an objective, everyone in the game is made aware of it and it focuses their efforts on defusing it / ensuring it goes off. Critically, there is a window in which the defending team can rush to the objective and stop / reverse what has been set in motion.

In Frontline, when enemies are attacking a flag, players on the defending team don’t get an audio cue until the tide has turned in the attackers’ favor. But by that point, if a player is not already involved in the defense of the flag, it’s unlikely that they can reach the flag in time to make a difference. Better and more audio cues about the state of an objective would help focus players more on the objectives than they currently do (not much).

Audio cues can also apply to player-initiated barks being broadcast across the team. Yes, spam can be a problem, but muting players should be an easy process in any competitive online game. Mordhau already has a robust set of voice barks, but they’re only heard in proximity to the player and most of them aren’t useful in any practical sense. Being able to yell for help isn’t that appealing when it’s limited to a 15′ radius around you and everyone in that radius can already see someone feint morphing a maul into your face.

However, being able to call for help or reinforcements and having it broadcast to the team with an on-screen indicator of your location or the nearest active objective -- that could be quite helpful. Arguably one screen of the commands could be reorganized to only and always be team-wide barks: Hold, Follow Me, Help, and Charge. Need Healing or Need Repairs could also be added to the list.

Point Scoring and Display

Even players who elect to play Frontline are often awful at actually focusing on the objectives. A lot of players go into it as though it’s TDM. How many times have you seen Crossroads end and the losing team has a proud player at the top of the leaderboard with a 50:3 K:D due to running down the enemy team’s spawn with a horse for the whole match?

K:D is a fine metric for success in DM or TDM, but it’s not the point of Frontline -- at least, it isn’t when it’s away from the objectives. I think there are a variety of changes that could be made to scoring and to the display of scores to help focus people on the objectives.

First, killing and, arguably, dying on or near an active objective should be weighted as more valuable than killing random enemies 75m away from an active objective. Players currently accrue points for neutralizing and capturing an objective, but if the needle isn’t moving, they don’t earn any points for fighting on the objective. This discourages proactive defense and doesn’t motivate attacking players to push fights into the objective unless the odds are already heavily in their favor.

Damaging blockades (with anything other than firebombs, anyway) and repairing them are tedious, often dangerous activities that arguably do more to aid/hinder access to the objective than killing an individual unit. Since firebomb damage is being tuned, it may be worth considering increasing the score bonus for damaging or repairing blockades to encourage more players to prioritize taking down barriers before entering melee with people in the general vicinity.

For Frontline, consider highlighting score in a lighter color (vs. K/D/A) and either adding additional stats (healing, capture, and repair/destruction score contributions) or only showing the player’s K/D/A (no one else’s) to de-emphasize the importance of K/D/A. I’ve seen a lot of posts online where players post screenshots of someone “scandalously” at the top of a Frontline scoreboard with a poor or mediocre K/D/A. Yes, it’s not DM/TDM, it’s Frontline. The point is ostensibly about pushing objectives and helping your teammates do that. The way points are scored and displayed should emphasize that, with K/D/A only being one element.

Supply Boxes and Their Placement

I have pretty mixed feelings about deployable objects in games of this type, but rather than advocate removing any of those things, I’m going to suggest rethinking the inclusion of supply boxes and, if they stay in the game, where they are placed. Supply boxes are the easiest way to build ballistae and for that reason, where they are placed can have a huge impact on the defensive capabilities of the team controlling the space around the supply boxes.

If the developers’ intention is that ballistae should be used mostly defensively, supply boxes should be placed primarily away from central objectives, and not close to lines of sight that point toward central objectives. This promotes back-and-forth gameplay across the center, rather than entrenching the dominant team’s position at the center.

Transparency and Tuning in Objective Capture Mechanics

It’s not currently obvious to most players how the capture mechanics on an objective work. What changes the objective from Attacking to Capturing? What ratio of attackers vs. defenders are required? Some UI changes could help highlight exactly what’s happening.

Finally, I urge the developers to think about the timing of captures and how that works with spawning mechanics. It’s common for a defender on an objective to die, be unable to respawn before the objective is considered “Losing” and, after respawning, be able to reach the objective before it is fully captured by the enemy.

Is this the desired pacing of objective captures? I would guess that something more forgiving is desired. Once an objective is “Losing”, if it’s technically impossible for respawning defenders to reach the objective in time to prevent it from being fully captured, it can be extremely frustrating. Tuning the pacing of objective captures can help make the back and forth feel less hopeless, more satisfying.

Thanks for reading.

#video games #game design #mordhau

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drstevemaraboliquotes · 4 years

Text

Steal Fire From The Gods

Foreword for new book, “Whispers of Genius Echoes of Madness”

Patterns repeat.

I was 22, a recently honorably discharged Military Police veteran who had just completed a decorated enlistment in the United States Air Force.

As other veterans can attest, transition into civilian life isn’t always smooth. The credentials that validate and advance your military career don’t often translate into the “real world.”

It was not uncommon to feel disheartened after sharing all the military achievements and educational courses with a potential employer, only to be asked the simple question, “But do you have a regular college degree?”

After a few missed (much needed) opportunities, I finally changed my answer… an untruth, a lie, a deception, a misrepresentation… setting the course for my undying commitment to self-education and excellence for the next two decades… “Of course!”

The joke is on me… The problem with a short lie to get in the door is that you have to keep it as long as you’re performing the function you were hired to do. What you shortsightedly see as an embellishment to check a box ends up becoming a permanent part of your resume. There’s no turning back.

Sometimes, “Fake it until you make it” requires more work than just doing the actual. I know a lot of mental health professionals who make far less effort to stay abreast of cutting edge research and findings than I do. Maybe they find security in their license and don’t feel the need to advance their knowledge beyond the minimum standard. Maybe they aren’t nervous like I am, to be caught off guard and appear anything but on the very top of the field. This feeling that I lack security has been a vital factor for keeping me at the top of the field.

But wait, wasn’t this wrong? Getting into the room by saying you’re something you’re not, then working your ass off to become it and more… isn’t that still wrong? Yes. Yes, it is. But the younger version of myself was an endless reservoir of excuses and justifications. Because of my single-minded dedication to helping others… not to marketing… not to selling seminars… not to pushing products… not to offering retreats… but simply learning everything I could to help others and sharing it freely… I felt like I was on a journey similar to Prometheus.

In Greek Mythology, the Titan Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to the people. As you can imagine, the people were greatly impacted and the trajectory of their life paths forever propelled into a positive direction… but the gods were pissed! The gods liked having that power over the people and that the people couldn’t access the fire without jumping through the god’s hoops and meeting their insatiable demands. Prometheus removed that barrier and shared the fire without condition. The people considered this act heroic, but the gods considered it the gravest of crimes and had him tortured, smeared his reputation, and finally killed.

It is those of us who have been broken that become experts at mending. Let me in…

I just wanted to be in the room with THE PEOPLE. No matter what their profession or education, I felt I had information that could help them change their lives. I wanted to share all of the things I wished someone had told me. I had a universal philosophy and strategy that, over the course of many years, has been proven incredibly effective in helping people live their best lives.

What happens in Vegas…

Every day, countless organizations are having their annual conventions… huge rooms filled with people who are waiting to hear a Speaker make them laugh and inspire them to think. I just wanted to get into that room. Let me in the room to reach these people. Let me give them something they can use in any aspect of their lives. If you had told me I needed to be an Astronaut to get in that room, I would have said, “Of Course!” and would have even told you how beautiful Space was. Let me in that room!

Was I acting on an inner calling of God’s whisper or was I living a delusional echo of self-importance by being so dedicated to a mission and service nobody even requested? I don’t know.

In the scores of years that have passed, “Of Course!” has rocketed out of my mouth (when it shouldn’t have) more times than I could possibly count. Looking back, confirmation bias provides a retroactive continuity (hindsight is 20/20) that paints a bumpy road that led to a beautiful current location. I am able to freely share my story thus far because it worked out. By misrepresenting and aggrandizing my academic and employment prowess, I forced myself to step-up and become even more than I said.

In the end, like Robin Hood, Prometheus was a liar and a thief. On my darkest days, I would see myself as no more than that. On my lighter days, I would appreciate the incredible impact my actions have had on the lives of so many beautiful strangers. On days I reflect on the length, depth, and breadth of my life’s actions, I see the history and possibility of the full range of humanity. It’s true… I can lie, I can cheat, I can steal, I can hurt, I can betray, I can help, I can empower, I can heal, I can impact, I can love, I can teach… People can ask why I sometimes choose the most difficult road, but I reply, “Why do you assume I see two roads?” Maybe your life is simpler than that. Mine is now, but it wasn’t. I have no further need to misrepresent, but I cannot forget that I was carved into the man I am now with the same sword I used to commit my sins.

I don’t always wrestle my demons; sometimes we snuggle…

After so many years of helping people around the world, I get accolades for being a good guy, and I believe myself to be one… But I am usually quick to remind people that there is no saint here. I have attained wisdom from life’s experiences… the positive, the negative, the destructive, the nourishing. I have been medicine for some and poison for others. I’ve learned a lot about heaven from aligning with angels and I have learned a lot about hell from acting like a devil.

I offer my scars… what you call “wisdom”… Seeds of knowledge that have been watered by tears and flowers of hope that are nourished by love… It’s a garden of experience made beautiful by self-acceptance… The insight I have gathered from my comfort of living within both the light and the shadow.

I know who I am. I am just as comfortable taking a selfie in Hell as I am taking one in Heaven… but who are you?

What would you do to provide for your family? What if you worked your regular job and just made it by each month… but knew you had the knowledge and ability to achieve so much more and that with just one lie, you could completely give your whole family a better life. Would you do it? I did. And because I did, the best, worst, funniest, saddest, beautiful, ugly, serene, and chaotic life followed.

I used questionable methods to get to where I am, but there is no question on the positive impact my journey has had on this world. I guess I found solace in the idea that if this were a crime, it would be a victimless one. I am merely sharing insight and practical ideas for positive changes in people’s lives. I have received THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of emails and messages from around the world from people thanking me for the amazing effect my words have had on their lives. Each day, my words reach MILLIONS around the world in some languages I didn’t even know existed.

But it’s still wrong, right? Is it worth it? Do I just have a delusional sense of grandeur? Or did I just previously have a delusional sense of insignificance? I don’t know. It’s been said that the crazy ones are the ones who change the world… It’s because time and perspective have a funny way of shaping contemporary madness into visionary genius.

For me, it was the right “wrong” thing to do. I felt like there were so many organizations claiming to help, but not offering anything that was truly helpful. Most were either complete bullshit or just helpful enough to get them to buy your product.

Chasing the “Of Course!” has propelled me to the top of two fields. I have become synonymous with the leadership in fields in which I originally lacked credentials. Schools I once couldn’t afford to attend have me speak and teach the students seeking those credentials. The small number of Academics who mock and judge me have many colleagues who quote and reference me.

In Business, I have become the go-to for many of the top corporations in the world. In Behavioral Science and Psychology, I’m quoted and referenced by all of the top publications and have become a driving influence for the advent of Experiential Psychology.

These same small number of Academics can turn their noses up at me, but if they are so brilliant, why don’t I see them in these boardrooms? Where are they at these big events testing their ideas in practical application? Where are they in the real world? Where are all the letters signifying the impact they have had on the lives of others? Why do they fear the rogue thinker and researcher? Especially since it’s the rogue thinker who had been the shaper of each field and its advancement.

It’s an interesting thing to see as people take sides. The side they chose is far more a flag of who they are than who I am. There is no doubt the people who received the fire from Prometheus were ok with his methods, even if they preferred a more honest route. But the gods, and those who felt ownership over the fire, those who were intimidated by an empowered public, they undoubtedly found his actions deplorable and dedicated themselves to end his impact.

I’m confident I understand business methodologies and the intricacies of group dynamics at an elite level. Moreover, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who can identify, understand, deconstruct, and rebuild personal behavior than I can. The road to this point was bumpy, messy, painful, grueling, and every bit of the fiery hell that forges the steel of character.

My words are everywhere. From heart-melting romance, to tear-jerking insight, to eye-opening observation, to game-changing methodologies… My impact is everywhere.

My credentials, experience, and effectiveness are unquestionable. But while the reach and positive impact of this fire… this light… is without dispute… It is the shadow of the road journeyed that sometimes weighs heavy.

With this book, Whispers of Genius; Echoes of Madness, we turn the page on these eventful years by sharing the numerous quotes you have all become familiar with and have had the kindness to share. This foreword was as much of a throat-clearing therapy session for me as it was an intro to this body of work.

To this day, sometimes when I ask for forgiveness, it’s because I know I don’t deserve it.

I have spent a lifetime catching up to lies I’ve told. The struggle to turn lies into truths has made me who I am today. It’s a struggle that continues and one that millions of people around the globe have benefitted from. For me, this makes for an incredibly complicated relationship with what many would consider reprehensible behavior.

In my heart, I know it’s “the wrong thing” to do. In my mind, the positive impact of this journey is indisputable. It’s such a weird feeling… to seek forgiveness and validation at the same time.

The brighter the light; the darker the shadow. Is it genius or madness? Will it be the case that Time and Perspective will oscillate in revealing it as both?… “Of Course!”

Love and hugs

#godsword #god #fire #steal

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knightofquail · 5 years

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Tall Girl, on Netflix

Okay so this movie has been rocking my world for like a good few hours. Mainly over the idea is being a tall woman a subordinate identity?

I do think that it can be a lot of contexts. Obviously there's the whole thing about society just not being made for people over six foot. For example, seating on public transportation (or even private sometimes, like I can barely drive my grandmothers little, yellow Volkswagen bug), doorways being too short or even just door handles not a comfortable height to open doors, beds not being long enough, the list is endless. That is generally stuff that can be applied to tall people in general regardless of other identities.

However with the tall identity it can be seen as the dominant identity in other contexts. When it comes to jobs, those who are taller are more likely to be remembered, when it comes to crowds it is easier to see over people, and when grocery shopping you can always reach the top shelf (I have been asked so many times to grab stuff for people). There is a stereotype that tall people are generally more athletic or have a higher chance to succeed in certain sports like running, volleyball and of course- basketball, but also there's a beauty component to it. There is also that whole idea that tall people are thin, beautiful, athletic people who are ripe for modeling. Which like any stereotype there are some truths to them but there are obviously people who don't fit into those ideas of tall people. For example, me. I'm not athletic or elegantly thin and my own insecurities tell me I am not beautiful but that's a whole other conversation.

However, when adding the identity of being a woman the whole situation changes. Men have the dominant identity when it comes to gender, we know, but also the whole height situation changes as well. Men are celebrated for being tall, in many social situations, like highschool (ugh) it can add to their social status and power. I'll never forget this one guy in high school who was remarkably similar to me in a lot of aspects. We were both tall, white, somewhat attractive, good at school, active in theater and sports (although him a lot more than me), and had similar tastes in media (okay we were both nerds and loved a lot of the same shows). However, in theater he was always chosen for lead male roles while I never had a chance at lead female roles because I was tall (I'm 6'3" for instance, and he is now 6'6"). He also had so much more power than me because he was accepted by our community immediately while I had to fight for my acceptance. In the movie, it showcases this with Stig being able to quickly soar to popularity, while Jodi has to march up on stage and declare her humanity.

The beginning of the movie also portrayed a frustration that many of us tall girls understand well, clothing. The clothing that is available to us darling tall people widely varies on location and our economic status. My tall friend from high school is able to express his gender identity a lot easier than I was able to because stores, even the rural area I lived in had clothing more available to him than to me. Meanwhile I felt as though I had to embrace a 'tom boy' identity because of the clothing that was available to me, which was athletic wear or farm attire- carharts, jeans and a T-shirt. I thought that the movie did embrace that at the beginning, having the main character Jodi wear pants that were short and a lot of athletic wear. However I thought what the movie didn't address was that clothing options for the main character seemed to be easier than most. For example, she was able to find clothing in a store that she could actually put herself into, and that it wasn't too expensive for her family to buy for her. In my experience and because of my rural location I could never walk into a store (that wasn't hours away) and try on clothing and have it fit the way it was meant to fit and reflect the way I wanted to present myself. The closest I ever got was the whole Maxi Dress movement which allowed for a dress that for a lot of tall girls meant actually having cloth near my ankles. But unfortunately that was not for me because I was still too tall for maxi dresses and because of what was available before I had fully shunned feminine clothing at the time. Dunkers was able to buy Jodi high heels that fit her because they were in a urban enough location to have a store dedicated to drag queens- something that couldn't be found in the very small, farmer populated rural area from which I was raised.

What was available to me was the internet, for which I am very lucky to have now, and came at a crucial time for me- again highschool. Through the internet I was able to buy clothing meant for tall women. However what isn't said a lot of the time is how expensive that stuff is. The question came to be, am I going to wait however many weeks it takes for my long pants to get here that I paid $70 dollars for, or I am going to go to the Walmart 30 mins away spend $60 dollars on three pairs of jeans that are too short and limit my wardrobe to figuring out what looks acceptable with rolled up jeans to hide the fact that they are too short for me? As someone who is now scraping every penny to go to college I was going to use the rolled up jeans look and have my ankles freeze in -30 degree weather so that I at least had three pairs of pants to wear not just one. Also, a lot of those websites who cater to tall women specifically cater to tall thin women, something that tall men would probably have less trouble because of 'big and tall' stores (although let's admit they still have trouble). But at least I can wear men's shoes and no one gives me sass for it!

Also speaking of sass about wearing shoes, I found it almost refreshing that when Jodi eventually did wear heels in the movie- no one gave her any sass for it. I have distinct memories about the few, rare, times I would wear heels everyone in my school would tell me, 'why are you wearing heels? you don't need them'. I don't think they should be necessary for anyone and I cry for anyone who they are necessary for because damn they're uncomfortable but unfortunately because of my height I was forbidden from partaking in a feminine practice of wearing heels.

Then there is just the identity of being the tall girl. I think the movie put it well when Jodi commented on how that's what people see when they look at her. They don't see that she more than just her height, only her friends do. The rest of the school sees her as an amazon, a giant etc. And yes, that's something that's never going to change. When people talk about me, they're going to say, "Oh yeah, she's that really tall girl, right?". Yes, it's a physical descriptor, but depending on the person's attitude about their height it can suck. If a person who views their height as negative, then every time that happens, every look a stranger gives to make sure you're not wearing heels or standing on something, or every comment whether it be about your perceived talent for basketball, the weather, or just 'whoa you're tall' can hurt like hell. Especially if all you want is to fit in which is a very common need/want in high school, which is exactly what the show tells us. If you had a big nose, would you like it if people checked all the time to make sure it was real? Or say 'whoa what a big nose?' I dont think you would.

I think the movie also did a good job of portraying the process of acceptance that a lot of tall girls have to go through. There was a moment where I had to accept that I will never wear a size medium t-shirt. I cannot change my height, or the effects that it has had on me. The scene where Jodi looked up how much it would cost to have height reduction surgery hit home for me. I believe that a good portion of us have been there. As I said earlier our mental attitude about the subject can drastically change our experience. By accepting that part of yourself and 'letting your freak flag fly', your entire experience of the world changes. By accepting and owning that I am tall, I am able to keep those comments about how tall I am assure me instead of making me miserable. Jodi is able to do the same thing. I believe that there is something to be said about that because unfortunately there is no other choice. I can't make everyone I encounter to not mention or think about my height, not without making a huge stink about it in a public sphere that won't really make a difference anyway because let's face it. There aren't that many of us. There's a reason that many tall girls aren't portrayed in media because there is less of a demand for it. But unfortunately, we stick out like sore thumbs.

I had a friend that I made in a music festival text me weeks after to tell me that in her highschool statistics class they were discussing heights and she mentioned me and my height. The teacher took it as an opportunity to calculate how many standard deviations I was from a 'normal U.S. female height'. 2.5 standard deviations. 2.5 standard deviations away from 'normal'. I am an outlier, and a lot of women on this page are also probably outliers. After watching that movie, even though it's catered to teens and not my specific genre type I was just so happy to actually have a movie about people like me. People who are deemed outliers. It was the first time I had seen a film of any kind that a extraordinarily tall woman wasn't the butt of a joke or just a comedic factor.

Sorry this turned into a freaking essay.

TL;DR this movie, despite some of it's flaws was an amazing step forward in representation of tall girls

#tall girl #netflix #subordinate identites #holy shit I wrote an essay

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