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finweanladiesweek · 2 years

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Prompts

(This is the mobile app accessible version of this page. Please do not reblog this post.)

This post is updated for 2022.

The prompts below are a guideline for the week’s events, though you are not obligated to stick to them when participating. They’re completely optional, and more of a source of inspiration than a mandatory guideline.

Prompts may have some overlap, especially when it comes to original characters. Which prompt your idea qualifies for is up to your interpretation; feel free to combine prompts if you want to!

DAY ONE: Míriel Þerindë and Indis Finwë’s wives never appear together on the page, but they also seem to bear little ill will to one another; after all, Míriel told Finwë that “Indis hath my love.” Were they friends before Míriel’s marriage? What was it like for Míriel to be the first elf to die in Aman, and what did she learn in her stay in the Halls of Mandos? How did Indis, a Vanyarin princess, feel as she left her people to become the Queen of the Noldor? What were Indis’ feelings towards Fëanáro, who hated her for “replacing” his mother? Did Míriel return to life upon Finwë’s death, or did she indeed remain forever in the service of Vairë? This day is for exploring the characters of Indis and Míriel and their relationships, not just with each other but with everyone in their lives.

DAY TWO: Findis and Írimë Lalwen Tolkien left us little information about Findis and Lalwen, the two daughters of Finwë. From this, how do you extrapolate their personalities and relationships? What were the difficulties of being Noldorin princesses in a world so focused on the exploits of their brothers? Why did Findis choose to remain in Aman while Lalwen followed the host of the Noldor to Middle-earth? Were they married, and did they have children? Is there a reason beyond narrative sexism that they were left out of the narratives of Arda? This day is for exploring and creating characters around the names and scant details of Finwë’s daughters.

DAY THREE: Aredhel and Galadriel Aredhel and Galadriel are the only known granddaughters of Finwë. Aredhel was as independent as any of her brothers, and Galadriel was extremely influential in the later ages of Middle-earth. What was their relationship to each other—were they fast friends or could they barely stand one another? Why did Aredhel choose to follow her brother to Gondolin? Did she and Galadriel ever meet while she lived in Nan Elmoth? How did Galadriel feel being the last remaining grandchild of Finwë save the elusive Maglor? This day is for exploring the characters of Aredhel and Galadriel and their adventures in both Aman and Middle-earth.

DAY FOUR: Later Generations There are many more women in the House of Finwë, from Idril to Finduilas and beyond. Did these ladies ever get to meet each other, in Middle-earth or in Valinor? How did Idril feel setting out for Aman with a mortal husband in defiance of the Ban of the Valar? Why did Finduilas fall in love with Gwindor, and later Túrin? Did Celebrían feel lonely growing up alone, with only stories about her fallen cousins to keep her company? Was Arwen’s choice truly that of Lúthien, or of Elros, and what did her daughters think of her decision to become mortal? Did Tindómiel ever meet her elvish grandparents? Do you have a theory about how some other canonical character is actually Finwëan somehow? And what about Faniel and Finvain, the dubiously canonical, discarded daughters of Finwë—can you reincorporate them into the family tree? This day is for exploring the lives of Finwë’s female descendants beyond the third generation, canonical or not.

DAY FIVE: Ladies Who Married In From Nerdanel to Eldalótë, the sons and grandsons of Finwë had wives of their own. What did these sisters-in-law have in common? Were Elenwë and Amarië the best of friends or the worst of enemies? What really was going on with Anairë and Eärwen? How did Amarië and Andreth feel, getting so close to the grandsons of Finwë but never quite marrying into the Noldorin royal line? Did Elwing consider herself Finwëan when she married Eärendil, and how did her husband’s family receive her in Valinor? These ladies are as Finwëan as the rest of the family, and this day is for exploring the lives of the mothers and wives who weren’t born into the great extended family of Finwë.

DAY SIX: Original Characters Throughout the line of Finwë, some children are marked down without reference to their mothers, and husbands given wives with no names. Who are these textual ghosts, and how do you create your own original characters to fill these gaps? Who are the indomitable women who braved the house of Fëanor by marrying Maglor, Caranthir, and Curufin? What welcome did the Sinda woman who married Orodreth receive from her husband’s Calaquendi family? Forget Gil-galad’s father, who was his mother? Or do you have original characters without much or any basis in canon—a sister for Orodreth, a mother for Finwë, a wife for a character that wasn’t said to be married in any version of canon, a daughter for your non-canon ship, or someone else? This day is for sharing your original characters within Finwë’s line with the fandom.

DAY SEVEN: Freeform These prompts can’t cover every woman in the House of Finwë, and one day might not be enough to explore a given prompt. This is a day to discuss and create about anything that was missed, or to go back and explore something again. You also might want to play around with gender and/or genderbending: How would the Silmarillion be different if the main characters were women? What if someone’s gender was recorded incorrectly? Do you like to play with the idea of any of the aforementioned lady characters as being men, nonbinary, or otherwise not women? (Note: The creator of this event is trans/nonbinary and asks you to please be respectful of transgender people if you choose to explore genderbending; you are also free to completely ignore this suggestion.)

#mod post #prompts #2022

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chroniclerdl · 3 years

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Seven Fundamentals to Writing Better Yu-Gi-Oh Duelfics

Ever wanted to write a duelfic just as good or better than canon?

Done right, duels are memorable action scenes.

Done wrong, duels shatter the suspension of disbelief. It’s already a big ask to imagine the world revolving around a card game.

You don’t want the tragedy where your readers yank the scrollbar past your duel, or worse, close your tab. Even the small pool of duelfic readers/writers like me will skip huge chunks of your chapters when the duels sag.

By implementing basic storytelling techniques tailored to dueling, you can hook your readers into following the play-by-play.

High Stakes

Consistent Rules

Sneaks Checked

“Balanced” Gameplay

Foreshadowing Victory

Engaging Description

Dramatic Tension

1. High Stakes

When you advertise your story as a duelfic, your first duel tells readers whether or not what you wrote is worth their time.

If your characters duel without a concrete reason to rip the opponent’s throat, readers already know the outcome:

You lose.

Why? The game is pointless. Who’s dropping whatever they’re doing just to read the equivalent of your characters sipping afternoon tea? If you’re introducing the setting and characters, why can’t you introduce exciting threats?

No reader expects your first duel to decide the fate of the world, but your characters still need to bet.

Characters wager life chips.

If your character loses, they suffer death or suicide-inducing despair.

Is it too much to start with life-and-death? No. Think of the life chip as the culmination of hopes and dreams.

As the story progresses, the stakes will rise, must rise. How? Others will entrust the main characters with their own life chips, and/or the life chips acquire additional meaning. Consider this loose analogy: at the end of a poker tournament, gamblers sit at the final table with stacks built from the chips of others.

Life chips mean different things to different characters. Let’s take the Duelist Kingdom arc.

Yugi’s life chip is the hope to save his grandfather (and later, his own soul)

Joey’s life chip is the hope to win the prize money to fund his sister’s medical operation

Kaiba’s life chip is the hope to save his little brother (and later, his own soul)

You don’t even need your final showdown to revolve around the fate of world; it just has to be one or more things that matter to your characters.

Also, make sure to communicate the stakes, or why the characters accept uneven bets.

If you have the chops, you can also play around with disguising the stakes. As in, your character thinks they’re wagering something small, but it’s actually their life chip. However, your readers still need a vague reason to believe that a defeat will devour the character.

Always make sure the characters stake one or more life chips!

2. Consistent Rules

If you watched the Duelist Kingdom arc and tried to understand the moves everyone made, your head exploded.

Ask yourself: will the clever scheme that your hero invented drive readers crazy?

If I write a magic system that requires a wand, this applies to all. I cannot become a genius and suddenly wave my hands to cast magic.

Demonstrate the rules early, preferably in the first duel, and keep them sacred.

If you must make an exception, establish it early. In that case, the exception becomes a well-defined branch of the rules that the readers can anticipate.

Can the players magically draw the card they need, whenever they want?

If you can establish the when and why, by all means. The readers proceed with the understanding that the players can reach into their deck like a glorified toolbox.

For example, Duel Links has a concept called “skills” that function like a player’s special ability. At the time I wrote this, Yami Yugi’s “Destiny Draw” skill lets the player take any card from their deck once per duel after losing 2000LP (and even if they stacked the top of the deck earlier!).

Card should also have the same, predictable effect. If the card prevents attacks, I doubt the text discusses physical properties or mentions holding things in the air. But you knew that, right?

The rules are the laws of the universe.

3. Sneaks Checked

I love duels. I also love getting what I want.

Why does getting what I want have to be through a duel?

If we talk, maybe we can come to an agreement. If I blackmail you, maybe you’ll give in to my demands. If I shoot you, I can loot your corpse. Give the readers a good reason as to why your characters would bother with the hassle of honest dueling and can’t wiggle from the consequences of losing.

Often, the duel takes place in the context of a tournament. Hopefully, the tournament officials are keeping a good eye on the players and cracking down on cheaters.

However, even that’s not a guarantee. What’s the key concept?

Power.

The competitors have equivalent capacity for coercion (usually violence) or have a neutral referee presiding over the match with the most capacity for coercion (shoutout to gambling manga Usogui).

Anyone who enters a game otherwise has lost before the first move.

In Yu-Gi-Oh, magical and sci-fi enforcement are common. The Shadow Realm can trap the loser in a desolate hell. In a digital world, the loser suffers deletion. Or just have good tournament officials.

Be vigilant when your duel doesn’t call upon these tropes.

Your amoral characters won’t mind blindsiding your other characters, and they won’t mind blindsiding you with a plot hole.

If you’re not careful, the readers will ask you why they played uncharacteristically fair.

4. “Balanced” Gameplay

Duels should be fair and fun…for the villain.

Ostensibly, everyone plays a balanced game, designed to give both sides a sporting chance. In reality, the villain tilts the field to their favor with one or more tricks up their sleeves. Why would your villain ever fight fair?

But that’s fine. We love rooting for the underdog and watching the villain get their comeuppance.

Overpowered ability to let the villain read minds? Deck full of unbalanced cards that makes the villain’s monsters invincible with no drawback? Creator who knows every strategy in the game? Readers will turn the page as they wonder how the hero will prevail.

The more obstacles you can throw in the hero’s way, the better.

Got custom cards? No problem, just follow a couple guidelines. After all, some duelists are more equal than others.

The hero’s deck is full of regular cards that have a cost to use. For every play they want to make, their cards insist that they give up their attack, discard to play, etc.

The villain’s deck is full of rare cards that power up their game for free. So long as you can justify why the card made it to print, the villain can play whatever they want.

For every step your hero takes, the villain gets two.

5. Foreshadowing Victory

How many times have you watched a duel where the protagonist comes up with this never-before-seen card that does exactly what the protagonist needs to clinch the win? In the final showdown, no less? It’s like the writers begged to be called amateurs and idiots.

No other genre tolerates such laziness.

However, readers don’t want an infodump of the characters’ decks. Show the cards in action. To cover the deck, you'll probably need multiple duels.

This also implies you have more freedom in how your character defeats their early opponents in the duelfic.

Does that previous statement contradict what I said about never-before-seen cards clinching the win as the mark of laziness? No, because here’s the rule:

Tolerance for the hero’s new cards decreases as the story progresses.

(Notice that I specify the hero’s new cards; your villains exist to make life harder by inventing unfair tricks.)

When you must include new cards for the hero late in the duelfic, at least find a way to make them first backfire.

Now, some writers have lots of knowledge about the card pool and metagame. Can they assume the readers a priori know the hero has access to any of the available cards in a given archetype?

I’d err on the side of caution and properly foreshadow the cards before they appear late in the duelfic. Not every reader is a walking card database. They have no reason to assume something exists unless you show the card.

Take the tolerance rule into consideration when planning your duels. If you know the awesome combo you want to use for the final turn in the duelfic climax, that’s your cue to scatter the cards into the earlier duels.

Plan the last duel first and your early duels last.

6. Description

Every reader wants a front-row seat to the action.

They’re paying you their time, so make it worth the admission: sleek combatants & budget-busting fights. Kaiba invented Solid Vision technology for a reason, so help readers envision your duels.

Who’s fighting? Describe the point-of-view’s impression of the monsters’ appearances. Red-Eyes Black Dragon should be self-explanatory.

What about a decorated monster like Time Wizard?

You could go into detail about how the red clock humanoid has yellow gears that form epaulets and purple, pointy boots and a green mustache made from clock hands and so on, but such a level of minutiae bogs pacing and invites skimming.

Readers just need to hear about a purple-caped, red clock humanoid with a wand to form an image. Their imaginations can handle the little details.

Paint appearances in broad strokes and one or two brief sentences.

How are the monsters fighting? Duel Monsters is a game where the target takes the aggressor’s attack like a champ. That doesn’t mean you can’t spice it up.

For example, my opponent’s dragon attacks my weaker knight with a fireball. My knight, interested in not dying, raises his shield. Unfortunately, he screams as the flames engulf him.

You wouldn’t just stand still with a straight face if someone armed with a knife lunged for your gut.

A fight scene is a string of action and reaction.

Most people also experience life in more senses than just sight.

A dragon’s fireball is a bright reddish-orange, hot, dries the air, smoky, and explodes with a boom on impact. I never tasted a fireball, and I hope I never do, but that’s still four senses: sight, touch, smell, and sound.

Include multiple sensory details.

Let’s spare a moment to talk about the heads-up display (HUD).

In Yu-Gi-Oh, cards have multiple stats and abilities. You’re free to mention whatever you deem necessary. No set formula exists. On one extreme, you can mention nothing to keep the narrative clean at the risk of confusing the readers. At the other extreme, infodumps about the monster’s abilities provide great detail but wreck the pacing. But there’s a cozy middle.

State only what you need from the card.

If your duels occurred before the era of Synchro, you don’t need details about levels. You can just display the basic stats to determine the stronger monster. If a deck has Pendulum monsters, just mention the scale numbers when they're played as scales. And so on.

You can also make an index of new cards at the end of a chapter.

BONUS TIP! Understanding show, don’t tell.

What is show, don’t tell? At its core, this concept refers to immersing your readers in the senses and feelings instead of exposition. Unfortunately, that definition is a bit vague to execute. After writing for a while, I had my lightbulb moment.

Don’t TELL the readers how to think or force-feed them a conclusion.

SHOW your readers the evidence.

Here’s a written example from Joey vs. Rex in Duelist Kingdom. See if you can spot what makes this prose telling instead of showing.

“Joey watched nervously as Two-Headed King Rex stomped Baby Dragon. He messed up his Baby Dragon-Time Wizard combo!”

You can see two failures: “nervously” and the second sentence.

Adverbs like “nervously” and other “-ly” friends get a bad rep because rookies tend to use them as telling crutches (especially beware adverbs after dialogue tags!). “Nervously” tells me how Joey reacts. But what does “nervously” look like? One character might bite their thumb. Another might fidget in their seat. The adverb in this context lacks nuance.

We also have the second sentence: “He messed up his Baby Dragon-Time Wizard combo!” When you’re explaining the “why” to something, you’re telling. It’s like talking down to your readers.

Contrast with the next example.

“A bead of sweat rolled off Joey’s face as Two-Headed King Rex stomped Baby Dragon. He stared at the Time Wizard in his hand.”

The first sentence shows me Joey’s physical reaction. I see him sweating, so I think he’s nervous.

We also see a second physical reaction: “He stared at the Time Wizard in his hand.” This comes on the heels of the first sentence, and I also have knowledge of when Joey used the Baby Dragon-Time Wizard combo in a prior duel. Combined, I think Joey is ruminating about a missed chance.

Readers are smart; they’ll catch your intention if you show the proof.

7. Dramatic Tension

I bet you know what it's like to draw a bad hand.

Imagine: The hero staggers into the arena, and the villain just needs to win one duel to take over the world. The villain draws a bunch of powerups with no monster, but the hero draws a one-turn-kill combo.

Anticlimactic. The readers throw that duelfic straight into the trash.

Don’t just write real-life duels. “It really happened” doesn’t mean it’s emotionally satisfying.

That’s why we have literary structure.

Success and setback pace together with progressive intensity to maximize dramatic tension and emotional payoff.

I’ll spare the nitty-gritty theory detail, but your duels should look like this on a basic level:

Part 1: Villain’s basic threats. Introduces the villain’s deck and style.

Part 2: Villain’s minor strategy. The villain’s first serious attempt to defeat the hero.

Part 3: Villain’s major strategy. The hero’s reversal! But the villain has worse in store.

Part 4: Hero’s imminent defeat. The hero must break through, or else will instantly lose!

Ideally, you’re also integrating the story itself into the duel; themes and duels synergize to create a stronger effect.

You may notice how the format resembles the three-act structure.

Act I is Part 1

Act II until the Act II midpoint is Part 2

Act II midpoint until Act III is Part 3

Act III is part 4.

I’ll use Yugi/Pharaoh vs. Pegasus in Duelist Kingdom as an example.

Part 1: Mind scan. Pegasus can read minds to counter combos.

Part 2: Toon World. Indestructible, cartoonified monsters attack.

Part 3: Shadow game. Toons destroyed! But playing a shadow game weakens Yugi.

Part 4: Yugi passes out. The Pharaoh must find a new way to stop Pegasus’s mind scan!

Figure out each part of the structure for your duels before writing the turn-by-turn plays.

By the way, modern real-life Yu-Gi-Oh duels don’t suit drama because the rules provide weak constraints to creating strong boards. A good modern deck usually establishes a scary turn one board and jumps straight into Part 4, whereas other card games like Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone force the powerhouse cards to wait several turns until the player builds the mana to pay costs.

You can still write a good modern duel. Here’s a basic outline of Arc-V’s duel between Sora and Shay. Technically, “tragedy” is the structure of this duel, so I’ll make Shay the “hero” to flip it and keep matters simplified.

Part 1: Basic monsters. These clash before a monster appears from the Extra Deck.

Part 2: Frightfurs. They come one after another to crush Shay’s Raidraptors.

Part 3: Sora’s wrath. Rise Falcon survives! But Sora’s malevolent nature comes to light.

Part 4: Frightfur Chimera. Sora chomps candy and summons his biggest fusion horror!

If following the four parts is too difficult for you, that’s okay. They're just logical extensions of one basic concept. Keep the following in mind, and you’ll never go wrong:

The villain’s subsequent threats become increasingly overwhelming.

Conclusion

Much of writing a duel boils down to storytelling technique.

Let’s tl;dr the main takeaways.

High Stakes: Minimum ante is the life chip, worth a character’s hopes and dreams.

Consistent Rules: Everyone plays by the same logic.

Sneaks Checked: Characters can’t skip the duels with violence and coercion.

“Balanced” Gameplay: Villains enjoy advantages.

Foreshadowing Victory: Readers have a chance to predict the winning combo.

Engaging Description: Immerse senses and invite reactions.

Dramatic Tension: The villain makes progressively stronger threats.

As a duelfic reader/writer, I can gauge a writer's ability by measuring their duels with the fundamentals. Many fan writers struggle; even the canon writers struggle.

But writing a duelfic isn’t rocket science. With practice, minding the fundamentals will become second nature.

And don't forget to tag your story as a duelfic. It's a whole genre in fanfic, so sort it properly and help readers from the future find you.

May the heart of the cards be with you.

…

Want to see in-depth examples of my advice? I rewrote the Orichalcos arc to reimagine its untapped potential without the failures of the canon presentation. You can find it on FFnet and AO3.

#yugioh #ygo #yugioh fanfiction #yugioh fandom #fanfic writing #duelfic #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #how to write #listicles

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grumpyfaceurn · 3 years

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OH MY GOD

I just realised

like. I keep struggling with the morality of RDR2 which y’know... is ridiculous seeing how it’s basically GTA, the original “seducing our kids into a life of violence and crime” game, set in another time, but then it puts that word Redemption into its title like there actually IS a moral at the core of the story.

Like. It’s presented to us that the gang are just trying to do the right thing? In that sort of hippie-reject-society-live-off-the-land (sure Dutch, let’s go join the Paris Commune - they only got gunned down 28 years ago but whatever) pastoralist fantasy and the point where that breaks down for me is the violence. Like, you can argue about the morality of crime in an immoral society (though you can also point out how *some people* probably actually had more of a shot at making something of themselves within that society than others, which is a line that in canon time runs even more strongly along the colour of your skin than it does today) but at the point that you’re hurting innocent people that’s where it breaks down for me. Robbing banks and conning the rich is one thing but fact is that you can’t make it through the game without killing people (there’s one guy on youtube who is trying just that but it looks like one hell of an ordeal). And you can say, but they’re bad people - some of them are, probably, and with the O’Driscolls or law enforcement you can argue that they’re all sort of operating by the same code of, if I don’t shoot you you’re gonna shoot me - but by the time you pull innocent bystanders into it that just doesn’t work for me any more, and killing a coach driver and robbing a coach for example just isn’t an effective way of rebelling against the system now, is it.

But. Then I was thinking about Charles, and how Arthur thinks he’s a so much more moral man than him because he actually has a moral standard of “I don’t kill unless I have to” which contradicts with Arthur’s moral guideline of “I do everything I can to protect my group”. Which is such a beautiful foil for Arthur, because we learn that Charles left his father’s home when he was about thirteen, and then Hosea says that’s about the same time that he and Dutch picked up Arthur. You’ve got a very rough parallel of dead mother, more or less useless/violent father, but then, Arthur is within this group, and Charles spends most of his next years by himself (and probably also has an all around harder life because systemic racism), and that has made it possible for him to develop or strengthen this moral code of his. While Arthur gets a whole bunch of ideas passed down to him from Dutch - not just about the world but also himself.

Arthur is frequently called stupid and calls himself stupid, too, which stands in direct contrast to the intelligence he displays in so many situations. Not to mention his journal, in which he puts so many thoughts. It reminds me of that post calling him a himbo, but not because there’s nothing going on in his head, but there is too much going on, and that’s very true. Because he doesn’t act on his thoughts. He thinks a job may be too dangerous but goes along with it anyway. He’s sure that the parlay with O’Driscoll is a trap and still gets taken captive. And that, and now here’s my galaxy brain level aha moment, does not just apply to his thoughts but his feelings of right and wrong, too. He doesn’t like collecting debts for Strauss, but he does it anyway because he needs to. He’s completely taken aback by Charles snapping at him about killing unnecessarily because it reminds him of his own moral standard that he should be upholding - he thinks he’s got an inner conflict of good and evil going on, but that’s not it, the conflict is, do I do what I feel is right, or do I follow along with what I feel I “should” be doing? And he does, until his doubts become too much for him to ignore any more, because he thinks he’s stupid, and he’s bad, he doesn’t know right from wrong so he just shrugs his shoulders and does the thing that he’s told even though he feels it’s wrong.

My problem was always that there’s several things that don’t influence each other within the game. How high or low honor you play doesn’t influence how the story turns out, you can still be a “bad guy” and John gets away. You can play super high honor and still can’t stop Arthur from contracting TB. The diagnosis does not have to change how you play his choices, and even if you’re playing high honor you still have to go through with a bunch of awful stuff, and the worst is usually the debt collecting* - Mrs. Downes after her husband is dead, the guy who gets killed by the cougar trying to repay his debt, the army guy with his pregnant Native wife... You still have to do that (yes the last one you can forgive but you still have to go up there and ask for the money first), even though you as a player know that even in the context of the game it’s a shitty thing to do. But that’s exactly how Arthur feels about it! He HAS a moral compass all along, he’s just been keeping it down all this time. Because the basic conflict isn’t, “do I do the right thing or the wrong thing” it’s whether he should act to protect his group in the way he’s been taught, which is the single most important thing to him, or follow his own individual sense of moral. The thing Arthur needs redeeming from isn’t even that he’s a violent killer (yeah...), it’s that he’s pushed his own moral insticts away for so long that he thinks that he doesn’t even have morals! And the change is learning that even within his circumstances he can decide to do what he feels is right, and that that may actually be what protects his people.

[ *I will however say this: this game does so right by so many people and even rectifies some mistakes of its predecessor, especially with its characters of color. But that makes it even worse that Strauss is such a blatant antisemitic trope, that predatory lending is portrayed as so much worse than robbing and violence and killing. And what, he just so happens to share his name with the most famous Jewish immigrant of the 19th century? Yeah I am NOT comfortable with that and whoever came up with that story beat should take a long hard look at themselves.]

Redemption has always sort of bothered me as a word because of this strong religious bent, and I keep thinking of Ghost Riders In The Sky, of the old sinful cowboy who must change his ways lest he ends up in hell, or chasing the devil’s herd across the sky or whatever. But there’s no cutscene that shows how Arthur’s afterlife plays out, and his redemption isn’t a religious one. But- here’s the thing - his redemption isn’t that he helps John get away, either. Because that’s such a bleak thought, that he could give his life to save John, only for John to go get gunned down by government agents himself fifteen years later? And even worse, shy, bookish Jack, for whose benefit John dies, then goes down that same path by avenging his father? What a fucking depressing view of the world is that, to present a vicious cycle of violence and murder, of not having Jack break of out it but repeat the same mistakes, and to call that redemption?

But it’s not. Because Arthur’s redemption isn’t that he saves these people or finally punches Micah’s face in, satisfying though that may be, it’s that he finally learns to follow his own moral compass and learns to trust his own thoughts even though he deeply believes that he is bad and stupid and doesn’t know right from wrong. It turns out Charles was right, he really ain’t as tough and as dense as all that.

#now... nah I'm not gonna tag this #it's come to the point where I prefer the rdr2 fandom at ten foot pole distance I'm sorry #also none of this means that I am just alround condemning dutch as manipulative and inherently evil but that's a rant for another day #so... am I consequently spelling it color now instead of colour? I dunno. either of them now gives me an identity crisis #yeah just ignore this it's really only for my own benefit #though if for some reason you have read this tell me? am I onto something here? or just putting too much thought into a game title?#Stupid sexy cowboys

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sandalaris · 3 years

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fanfic tropes ask: de-aging, pornstar au, disability, accidental marriage, and huddling for warmth!! 👀

de-aging:

Unlikely but I’m not opposed to writing it.

It depends on the de-aging. If we’re talking some an AU where everyone’s been aged down, then probably not. The urge has never struck me and I probably never will at least. But if it’s more of a supernatural/sci-fi forces somehow de-age one or more characters, then possibly. I wrote one before, where a couple of characters were cursed into bodies about ten years younger than they were, and had to figure out how to break the curse when everyone around them didn’t take them seriously as kids/teens.

pornstar au:

Not fully, but yes. Like I don’t think I’d ever write a fic where all the characters were involved in the porn business just because AUs where everyone is in the exact same career holds very little interest to me, but I’d be down to write a fic where one or two characters were involved in the porn industry. It’d probably be a Teen Wolf fic where Stiles, who does porn, meets and hits it off with Derek, the son of the local youth pastor - or maybe Derek’s the youth pastor - and then drama would ensue.

If I went FDtD with it, because I do see a potential fic there, it would have some er, questionable things involved in it that only a small niche would probably like and I’m not going to mention here, lol. Richie would be 100% happy with his job as a pornstar, constantly on the hunt for just the right script to interest him and willing to explore his boundaries, while Seth would be reserved, double checking each contract and having strict guidelines he follows. I’m not sure how I’d fit the Fullers in, so this would most likely be a Richie/Kisa fic involving Kisa having a truly very shady but completely binding contact with Malvado that they find a way to get her out of. She’d go behind the scenes in the end, because it may be a career others chose but she never did, making sure everything is on the up and up and that everyone’s that there actually wants to be there.

Now that I think about it, I think I could possibly write a Community pornstar AU fic where the Study Group was all involved in the the porn industry to an extent. They aren’t all pornstars, but they each do various things in the industry and that’s how they all meet. Not really sure I’ll ever write it, but maybe. Then again, that’s not so much a pornstar au so much a everyone’s in the porn business au.

disability:

Yes! As long as it was rooted in canon. It wouldn’t have to be canon, but I wouldn’t just like rewrite a character as having been born blind/blinded in childhood if they weren’t in canon.

For FDtD it would go one of two ways; I’d include Seth having an anxiety disorder into a fic, because there’s a lot of evidence in show that he has one and that could be interesting to explore. OR, much more likely, I’d write an all human AU Dakota/Richie fic where after Richie is declared Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity for the murder of Earl McGraw, Dakota sets out to prove that Richard’s recent diagnosis of schizophrenia if fake by hiding who she is and applying to be a doctor at the hospital he’s been sent to. But once there, instead of finding the monster she imagined him to be, Dakota finds a highly intelligent, socially awkward, young man who is both angry and terrified of his mind for turning against him... things would progress from there as Richie learns to manage his illness and Dakota learns to forgive him.

For just about any fandom there’s always an apocalypse AU where someone’s lost a limb or had a sense damaged or anything like that. If I ever write a canon-compliant Bethyl, I’ll go with those theories about how the bullet could’ve ricocheted along the inside of her skull and the brain damage that would’ve caused. Or in Teen Wolf there’s a good chance Stiles would’ve gone deaf in one ear after the amount of close range gunfire that been done next to his head. And Frank from the Punisher having memory issues from the shot to the head he took is 100% a headcanon of mine.

accidental marriage:

A thousand times yes, but it wouldn’t be the actual ship of the fic getting accidentally married, because I find it more interesting to subvert it.

I’ve thought about this before for SethKate actually, in two different fics; canon-compliant and AU.

AU: Kate has a horrible break up with her boyfriend just before leaving for Vegas on a.. business trip? Vacation with friends? something like that... She only means to drown her sorrows a little, but ends up getting black out drunk while meeting and befriending a handsome stranger. They decide to try and win a couple’s give-away and, in their drunken stupor, think that getting really hitched is better than just lying on the application form. The next morning, hungover and fully dressed (no drunken hook-up here), they realize their mistake. It probably would’ve just been a funny, if embarrassing, story down the line if Kate’s technically legal husband didn’t have a foul-mouthed, short tempered brother who throws an absolute fit when he finds out. Kate doesn’t know what Seth’s problem with her is, but the sooner she annuls her marriage to Richie and gets the hell away from them, the better. Of course, things don’t go according to plan, because this is a SethKate fic and they are one-hundred percent going to fall for each other while bickering.

The canon-compliant version would be much shorter: sometime after season three, they learn that in order for them both to get out of Xibalba Kate and Richie sort of accidentally got Xibalban married. It’s no big deal, it doesn’t change anything between them, they’re still fully platonic friends, and it won’t stand up in any court of law, at least not in this realm. But still Seth can’t put a finger on why it bugs him so much. Richie gets it though, smug bastard, and he’s going to use it against his brother until Seth man ups and makes a move already.

huddling for warmth:

Probably. It’d be pre-ship, either where the feelings are still soft and new, and therefore unrecognized by the characters, or fully realized on both sides but not yet ready to be acted on, like Jeff/Annie from Community. Or if I was writing post-season 1 FDtD, it'd be Seth and Kate cuddling in the convertible while broke and on the road, fighting against the desert chill at night by curling up together. Lots of secrets shared in the quiet dark, faces tucked close but unable to see the other, the feel of the other, whole and alive, against them, reminding them both that they got out, they made it, they aren't alone. Building that foundation for who they will become to each other down the line.

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adhd-wifi · 4 years

Text

MDZS Modern AU Fic Tips (Modern Chinese Cultural Stuff)

So I asked a while back if anyone was interested in some fic tips for writing Chinese modern AUs, and y’all seemed enthusiastic. But...when I tried putting it all in a single post it got...really...really long...

So I split them into a bunch of posts (Yes I copy-pasted this intro on all of them because I’m lazy)! Here are the links:

Names & Stuff

Modern Chinese Cultural Stuff (You are here)

Superstitions & Beliefs

Festivals

Living in China

Anyways, these are based on my experiences living in Singapore and China, and I hope these posts are helpful. On to it.

Modern Chinese Cultural Stuff

I’m not really go in-depth here, it’s mostly trivia for immersion really. Some apply to canon-verse and such, but was written with modern AUs in mind.

Don’t wear shoes indoors (homes & living spaces). Leave them on a shoe rack at the door and switch to indoor slippers. Socks are fine too. Maybe barefoot is fine (only in your own home) if the weather/season isn’t cold

If you plan to include dialects (such as the Gusu dialect, which is PROBABLY the modern day Suzhou dialect), keep in mind that a lot of us can’t understand each other unless we can at least listen and understand all dialects involved in the conversation. You know those annoying, “Hey, teach me how to swear in your language” jokes everywhere? Wei Ying does that to Lan Zhan in canon. Mandarin would be the common ground most people have within China. Pretty much everyone at least understands Mandarin, though they might not necessarily be able to speak it.

If we’re talking traditional dress, most people nowadays wear the modernized Cheongsam and the QiPao for celebrations and such. Typically, when we’re speaking in Chinese, “Cheongsam” refers to the male garment while “QiPao” refers to the female garment. Clothing like the Hanfu isn’t common anymore except in rural (tourist) towns or during festivals

If you don’t have tea in your household as a Chinese family living in China you have disgraced your entire family line of 10 000 years

Also when guests are over, especially for the first time, serve them tea and freshly cut fruits or some other quick snack. Hospitality is important.

On a related note, if you’re the one treating people to dinner, especially for formal occasions like business deals or meeting your future in-laws, always order or make A LOT more food than necessary. It’s considered poor etiquette to not provide enough food for everyone. If there’s leftover food at the end of the dinner (trust me you SHOULD have leftovers), let whoever wants it take it home.

Traditional weddings can be extremely expensive and rare nowadays. A lot of places don’t even offer it anymore. Most people opt for Christian-style weddings and throw the “don’t wear white/black to weddings” rule out the window. Literally no one cares. So, honestly, just write a Western wedding in a modern AU, unless you REALLY want it traditional. But whatever you do, just keep the traditional gifting rules because those are still really important

Speaking of the gifting rules (works in ancient-China settings too):

DO’s - Give things like branded/foreign goods (alcohol, tea, clothing, etc), handmade crafts, paintings, books, tea sets, potted plants (for example bonsai), jade anything, gold bangles or bracelets, fresh fruit baskets (JUST DON’T PUT PEARS IN THEM) & money, usually in red packets (I’m too lazy to explain this just google it please I’m sorry). These are the formal guidelines basically. You can relax more with casual gifting.

DO NOT’s - Give things like clocks (I read a fic where they gave Lan QiRen a clock and I almost died), shoes, mirrors, anything with the number 4, sharp objects like scissors or knives, pears, white/yellow flowers [More on this in the Superstitions Post]

Some traditions (that aren’t necessarily followed anymore): Decorative combs, hairpieces, jewellery (such as necklaces and earrings), etc are often ONLY gifted from spouse to spouse (Gusu Lan Ribbons anyone?), or from mother to child (usually daughters). I don’t know why. Please ask another Chinese human. Preferably one with an actual understanding of Chinese historical practices.

Etiquette: Always receive gifts with both hands, assuming you have both and Lan Zhan didn’t cut one off. Never open a gift in front of the person who gave it to you (unless you’re really familiar with them and they insist). If a gift is not (necessarily) expected, typically Chinese people will refuse and insist back and forth a bit in a show of humility. Personally I find this redundant, but I still do it with elders and strangers just because it’s a thing. It’s kinda annoying NGL.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #cql #chen qing ling #the untamed #chinese things #chinese fic tips #fic tips #modern au #my posts

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unpretty · 5 years

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In your mind, how is Wayne Industries structured?

wow this took like six months and ended up a lot longer than i intended and i’m not even sure if i answered the question you were asking

i am ignoring literally everything from canon because canon says that every single company owned by wayne enterprises is called Wayne Insert-Industry-Name-Here and that’s dumb as all hell and i hate it. also i made the company founding contemporary with famous olde rich people like the rockefellers and whatnot because Old Money. i’ll put dates on some of these but on some of them (like when we’re getting real granular) i just cannot be fucked to bother. let’s also agree that there are a bunch of things that are technically subsidiaries but which are actually the exact same goddamn thing just slightly altered because it’s in a different state or something, which i don’t need to list.

i am assuming for these purposes that wayne enterprises is a privately held conglomerate with control having been ceded to a board of directors during thomas wayne’s tenure as ceo-in-name-mostly as well as while the company was in a trust; the board was subsequently dissolved once bruce was old enough to make that decision. privately held companies aren’t obligated to disclose financials or maintain a board, which is great if you’re planning to be batman and also make a lot of theoretically financially unwise decisions like setting a minimum wage of $15 throughout the organization and implementing a cash profit sharing plan.

anti-trust and monopoly laws aren’t an issue because they’re way too diversified and none of their business units dominate their chosen industry. there are probably conspiracy theories that the reason for the immense diversity of interests is actually to keep different markets competitive and protect other businesses from anti-trust suits, which would be pretty compelling if every wayne from the start weren’t fueled by spite and pettiness.

anyone who wants to has blanket permission to use this for whatever because canon is for suckers but so is figuring out corporate structures yourself

tumblr is probably going to completely fuck the formatting so you might want to read this on my other blog instead

Wayne Enterprises (1864)

Wayne Capital (1864)

Technically speaking Wayne Capital was Wayne Enterprises before they diversified but I didn’t want to clutter up the big header so here we are. Ostensibly started as an investment firm, actually started as a ponzi scheme that went sideways and turned into a legitimate business. There was a war going on, things were confusing, people were dying or else just skipping town because it seemed like a good time for that kind of thing. Next thing you know you’ve got a lot of extra cash and you’re actually making a decent amount of interest on that small loan you made to that guy with the boat. One thing leads to another and now you’re a shipping tycoon who also owns some banks. These things happen.

Wayne Capital Bank (1865)

It’s a bank, you know what a bank is.

Coinsure (2006)

Bruce hangs out with a lot of pornstars who have a lot to say about how PayPal sucks and also isn’t regulated at all because they’re not technically a bank even though they hold your money so what the fuck.

Created as a secure payment processor originally only usable by members of their bank but it eventually expanded outward.

Coinsure: Unlike Some People We Could Name, We’re Regulated Like A Bank, Because We Are One

Eventually expanded into allowing user profiles, donations, recurring donations, and crowdfunding.

Does not yet offer a platform for posting exclusive content so in that regard it doesn’t quite suit as a Patreon or Kickstarter alternative but they’re debating adding those kinds of functionality.

Totally works as a Ko-Fi or GoFundMe alternative tho.

Arkenity Financial (1947)

Large-scale industrial loans in particular are handled under this banner.

Coine Realty (merger 1982)

They bought Cobblepot Real Estate Services for cheap when the parent company was having financial trouble and then merged it with existing real estate services that were previously part of Wayne Capital.

Previously Cobblepot Real Estate Services actually just owned a lot of property for slumlording purposes.

Guess who’s still bitter.

Wakewater Insurance Services (1885)

No one wants to insure my boats? Fuck this, I’ll insure my own goddamn boats, is what I’ll do. Does anyone else want in on this? Okay, cool.

Property and other insurances through Wakewater are some of the only policies to fully cover acts of supervillainy and/or heroism.

This division bleeds cash under Bruce but who cares.

Wakewater Life Insurance Company (1885)

Fuck this, I’ll insure my own goddamn self.

Wakewater Health (1983)

The fact that they didn’t have this until Thomas was in charge is depressing, I think we can all agree.

Thomas was in charge so all their plans are extremely generous.

Wakewater Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (1931)

Fuck this, I’ll insure my own goddamn cars.

Wakewater Home and Renters Insurance Company (1908)

Renters got added later, probably when Gotham got more apartments.

Tropos Energy (Formerly Wayne Oil and Gas, 1896)

When they were planning to change the name of this division, Thomas Wayne lobbied for Waynergy, and would have given up fairly quickly if someone had not pointed out that this sounded too much like Weinergy. Thomas insisted on referring to this branch of the company as ‘Weinergy’ for the remainder of his life, and no one could stop him, because he owned it. Imagine working your whole life to become one of the top energy researchers in the world just to have the guy who owns your whole company, a philanthropic brain surgeon, introduce you as ‘one of the Weiner Boys from over at Weinergy’.

Nor'easter Co (merger 2009)

Wind energy tech

Did they buy the company just because Bruce liked the name better than the old one? No one is sure.

Gotham Solar (1987)

Associating Gotham with the sun in any capacity is hilarious.

If It Works In Gotham It’s Gotta Be Good (unofficial motto)

Great Lakes HydroElectric (1904)

It’s two years younger than the hydroelectric plant near my house because I said so.

Galactomics (1954)

Nuclear power plants

This name seemed like a really good idea in the 50s.

Galactomics Lifestyle (2004)

Furniture and decor

There was a huge market for their secondhand custom kitschy office furniture so they rolled with it and made a furniture division.

Most people are not aware that they also run nuclear power plants.

GaleTek (Formerly Wayne Rail Company, 1871)

They were the Wayne Rail Company, and then the Gotham Rail Company, and then Gotham Land and Sea, then GLS which they pretended didn’t stand for anything or possibly stood for a variety of charming slogans, then they merged with about three different aviation companies to swallow them into their aviation division and the combined name they came up with was GaleTek. Welcome to corporate naming conventions, it’s a goddamn nightmare.

Hart Aviation (1927)

They used to have a lot of defense contracts but that all went down the tubes in the 80s because Bruce’s parents weren’t down with that. Now they just make cool shit for commercial use.

They also make zeppelins because it’s a comic book, someone has to make the fucking zeppelins and it might as well be Batman.

Gotham Rail Company (1871)

They’re actually a railroad so they got to keep the original name.

Well, sir, there’s nothing on Earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail.

Superior Freighters Inc. (1874)

I’m on a boat.

They’re classified as ships but generally lake freighters are referred to as boats, that’s a fun fact, enjoy.

Wayne Motors (1914)

Founded because one of Bruce’s ancestors really hated Henry Ford. You’d think it would be because of the unabashed antisemitism but it was actually the pacifism. In an ocean of good reasons to hate Henry Ford he found the bad one.

These were almost all notoriously-shitty also-ran semi-bootlegs until the turn of the century.

They also made racecars but those weren’t available for retail sale so the good racecars weren’t enough to offset the reputation of the horrible cars people could actually buy.

The racecars were good because Bruce’s great-grandpa had a liquor-smuggling operation.

Fox finally had the bright idea to just get weird with it so they brought back really old models of car with the exact same body but with electric engines. They’re extremely popular.

They have a contract with the city of Gotham to produce really nice city buses at a loss.

Gotham City Broadcasting Network Company (acquired 1972)

Patrick Wayne bought a broadcasting company just so they’d stop talking about Watergate. He was a big Nixon fan. The networks have gotten better since then. Thomas Wayne set a lot of strict advertising guidelines that continue to this day. It’s become an umbrella for Wayne Enterprise’s entire entertainment division, which is a bitch to map out because entertainment companies are structural nightmares. I did this to myself but I’m still mad about it.

Birch & White Publications (acquired 1953)

Acquired before the rest of the entertainment division because they didn’t originally have an entertainment division, just this one shitty book publisher.

Founded in 1866 by what was probably a secret gay couple who liked magazines about men being manly and fighting weasels, or whatever it is men did in 1866. I’m imagining the homoerotic covers on these magazines and they’re great. Do you think they were former cowboys? I’m going to say they were former cowboys.

I just looked it up and Patrick’s dad was named Kenneth. Kenneth Wayne. I can’t believe this. Anyway he was really into these books as a kid so when the publisher started going defunct he just straight-up bought it.

Birch & White owned shares of GCBN as part of their deal with the radio station to produce radio shows of their more popular characters, which was why patrick bought this one instead of NBC probably.

These days they publish all sorts of stuff but they also republish their huge backlog of old weird shit. Also they brought back the pulp magazine and the homoerotic covers. I’m going to say that was Thomas. He insisted.

GCBN (1931)

If you think I’m listing individual national network affiliates you can go straight to hell.

GCBN News

GCBN.com

TheGackbin.com

They use this one for entertainment news.

Did they name their website after what Thomas insisted on calling the main network? Yes.

“Can’t we put it in the Gackbin or something?” - Thomas Wayne, to the board of directors that actually runs his company for him, about a show that he wants to watch that doesn’t exist yet.

Sure, Tommy, we’ll get right on that.

The joke’s on them, Dog Surgeon had an enormously popular primetime run.

The dog surgeon had a dogtorate.

GCBN Sports

GCBN Radio (1931)

The original and still the champion

GothamRadio.com (2003)

They spotlight a lot of local and indie bands, it’s pretty great actually.

Gotham Television Company (1986)

This is all the cable channels. There’s a lot of them.

Clue TV (1986)

We’ve got your Columbo, your Poirot, your… other things. Also a lot of Forensic Files-esque true crime.

Martha loved true crime but hated reenactments and victim-blaming and bad science. So she didn’t actually like most true crime. Then she married a billionaire!

This was basically The Martha Wayne Background Noise Channel.

Now it’s The Bruce Wayne Background Noise Channel.

FunnyBones (1986)

It’s comedy but also shlocky b-movie science fiction and horror.

Experimented briefly with a Z instead of an S and everyone hated it.

In this universe they picked up MST3K because I said so and no one can stop me.

Civil History (2003)

A history channel that focuses on civil rights instead of wars and aliens and war with aliens.

Curiousities (1989)

Science news but also informative documentaries.

Bubbly (1986)

It’s a soap opera channel and lemme tell ya they’ve got some weird ones.

They import soaps and dramas from around the world but their original content is notorious for the depth of the lore. Why is there so much lore.

Rolling Stone (1992)

They gave Rolling Stone a channel because why the fuck not.

Really good political news coverage, actually.

Vaudevision (founded 1914, acquired 2003)

Pretty comparable to RKO except it lived. You can probably guess their schtick.

Vaudevision Animation (1941)

The weird cartoons that they only show on cartoon network at 2am probably.

VVA Classics (2001)

Old-ass Vaudevision cartoons on perpetual reruns

Vaudevision Home Network (1983)

Pretty standard movie channel.

Vodevista (1995)

Spanish language television.

Kale Studios (2017)

World of Kale from Kale Studios, brought to you by Vaudevision.

Bruce debated over whether this would be more of a tech/software company or an entertainment company and decided on entertainment. They’re not here for revolutionary gameplay. They’re here for artistically rendered kale.

Also “brought to you by Vaudevision” rendered across the bottom of a video game loading screen was too funny to pass up so here we are.

Northern Hospitality (acquired 1936)

I’m starting to lose steam, here. Figuring out GCBN was exhausting. Why did I do this to myself. Anyway Wayne Enterprises owns some hotels because reasons.

Red Oak Hotels (1936)

Pretty nice hotels, lots of conference centers.

Art Deco as a motherfucker and they will never update their aesthetic, ever.

They keep stained glass artisans across the country in business.

Lakeshore Motel (1962)

So skeevy

Can’t argue with the prices tho

Efforts have been made to get them less skeevy but they’ve still got a pretty skeevy vibe.

Amberview Hotels (acquired 2005)

Midrange hotels, extraordinarily generic.

Bruce bought these just to put another layer of separation between himself and the inns he wanted to open because the Lakeshore Motels were too skeevy.

Amberview Inn (2006)

Cheap like a motel with hourly rates but actually about as nice as the hotels.

Cops keep trying to set up stings because of the reputation as a favorite for sex workers but they have very good lawyers telling them to fuck off.

They hire a lot of women with large gaps in their employment history.

Grand Lighthouse Resort (1906, acquired 1940)

It’s on its own island. Maximum fanciness.

They replaced the golf course with a small farm in the 90s and now all the fancy food is grown on their fancy farm.

Wayne Health (1908)

So many supervillains used to work under the Wayne Health umbrella. Mostly because when people do evil shit they get fired. It’s not supervillainy if you’re gainfully employed doing it. If you’re unemployed and experimenting on animal brains, you have a problem.

Wayne Health (1908)

Originally Wayne Ray Tech. They made X-Rays. The name was meant to imply that they had other, even better rays. It was 1908. It seemed plausible.

Started making centrifuges and pH meters in the 30s, then expanded into spectrophotometers… why am I telling you specific devices? They gradually added more and more lab and medical technologies, that’s good enough.

Anyone who tries to make anything brain-related gets the side-eye these days. They’ve been burned too many times before.

“And it’s definitely not supposed to be used to read or control minds?” any engineer working on a brain-related project will be asked, repeatedly, forever.

Wayne Care Network (1966)

Patrick bought some hospitals. I don’t know why. Why does anyone do anything? Why am I doing this? The world is filled with mysteries. They probably own a lot of hospitals and clinics that I don’t feel like exploring.

Gotham Central Hospital System (1966)

Patrick probably wanted special treatment at the hospital. Maybe a doctor tried to start shit. Honestly that would explain a lot about why Thomas became a doctor.

St. Rita’s Hospital (1984)

Thomas Wayne’s baby and where he did most of his work as a surgeon. Ask him about the guy with the brain maggots! Just kidding, you don’t have to ask. He tells everyone that story. He’s great at parties.

ChemiCare (1975)

Pharmaceutical development.

Pretty standard pharma company until Thomas got his hands on it. Insulin! Insulin for everyone! They’re practically giving it away!

I’m making myself sad so let’s move on.

Asclepius Digital (2006)

Health software, digitization of file systems, etc

It’s boring but vital, okay?

Gotham Department Stores, Inc. (1898)

Owning a department store: all the cool tycoons are doing it. Right? Right. Started as Wayne Co, eventually diversified and Wayne Co became a subsidiary of a larger company.

Wayne Co. (1898)

Started specifically to get in on the whole 'mail order catalog’ craze.

Even more specifically, the ones full of snake oil. Just, pages and pages of horseshit potions and elixirs.

We wrapped this tapeworm in some cocaine for ultimate weight loss! Order today!

They also sold other things, eventually. But mostly weird bottles of nonsense.

Actually did a lot better in the Great Depression when they sold cheap shit by mail, only some of which still had tapeworms and cocaine in it.

These days it’s very Sharper Image. Lots of toys and airplane catalogs.

Gotham Department Store (1916)

What if we sold things in stores? Wacky idea, I know.

They didn’t stick with the Wayne Co. name because Wayne Co. had… a reputation. On account of all the coked-up tapeworms.

They tried to go for a high fashion demographic, which worked out for about ten years and then went all to hell for another ten years.

Spent many years as the store Grandma would take you to for back-to-school clothes shopping.

Saw a resurgence in the modern day with the advent of such exclusive product lines as the infamous “It Has Pockets” line of women’s fashion.

Green Market (1995)

Thomas to his board of directors: “What if we opened a grocery store that sold nothing but food produced ethically enough and of high enough quality that I would be willing to buy it for my family?”

“Mr. Wayne are you asking this just because you’re sick of not being able to make impulse food purchases while shopping”

Thomas Wayne fingerguns aggressively while backing out of the boardroom.

They really need to work on their marketing because everyone assumes it’s all pricey organic stuff instead of reasonably-priced locally-sourced products.

SuperModern Foods Company (1962)

This name seemed like a good idea in the 60s. I was going to list all the things here but have you ever looked at what Nestle owns? Or Unilever? You think I’m making a list like that? No. Fuck that. They probably used to own a lot more companies and then got rid of a bunch of them because they sucked.

Space Cakes (1962)

They should have changed the name but they didn’t and they get bought by a lot of confused stoners.

A fixture at Gotham gas stations.

Havermann Dairy (acquired 1967)

Space Cakes had a disagreement with a dairy supplier so they bought them. As one does.

Alberici Meats (acquired 1974)

They had to do something with all the extra cows.

Tucker’s Old-Fashioned Soda (acquired 2015)

“Why did Bruce Wayne acquire an obscure small-town Kansas soda company?”

“Who can possibly understand the whims of the idle rich,” says local reporter.

Saraniti Pickles (acquired 2017)

Walmart nearly destroyed their perfectly-acceptable business with shady practices.

Spite: A Valid Way To Run A Business Since 1864

GRC (1924)

I have put off finishing this for like two months because I was so deeply disinterested in figuring out the technology subsidiary, but now I’m putting off finishing something else so here we are. Originally the Gotham Radio Company, now it’s just GRC because video killed the radio star and also they mostly make weird shit that isn’t radios. In close competition with Wayne Health to see whose former employees are most likely to become supervillains.

GRC (1924)

Technically speaking they still make radios and turntables and whatnot, but mostly it’s, like. Cables. Circuit boards. The kind of shit that only gets used by other companies and also people who have to make a road trip to Fry’s because all the other stores just sell phones now. Have you ever tried to replace a fucked-up molex connector without having to order something online? It’s hell. They stock GRC products in a special section of the Gotham Department Store, I decided this just now while thinking about molex connectors and getting mad.

Did you know RCA’s vacuum tubes were called Radiotron?? Why are all the names for things so shitty now when we used to name things stuff like Radiotron. This has nothing to do with anything, except I guess for the fact that GRC probably still manufactures weird vacuum tubes that would otherwise be impossible to find.

GRC is a godsend for vintage radio enthusiasts.

Maelstromatic (1929)

I’m not saying they picked their name based on the fact that a maelstrom is theoretically a more powerful whirlpool but also that’s exactly what I’m saying.

These appliances will fuck you up and that’s a guarantee.

They’re safe now but for a long time they had a reputation of being extremely powerful and dangerous.

“If you forgot to empty your pockets the Maelstromatic washer would turn all your bills blank… those were the days.”

Old people complain about how the new energy-efficient Maelstromatic appliances just aren’t as good as the ones that would trip the breaker most of the time and regularly burn their clothes.

GRC Labs (1938)

Someone’s gotta make that weird shit!! This universe has superior grappling hook technology and they have GRC Labs to thank. I’m gonna say it was developed for the military to infiltrate Nazi castles? That seems plausible. They had a scientist thinking outside the box, and inside the grappling hook.

So many supervillains…

They’re on such high alert now but it’s really hard to tell a mad scientist from a regular scientist. You’d think it would be obvious but the guy who’s obsessed with jetpacks is just a regular ol’ nerd. He monologues about jetpacks on the reg but he’s never tried to rob a bank or become a jetpack cyborg. He just loves jetpacks. Meanwhile that guy with the robot cat for the elderly nearly killed like thirty people. Shit’s unpredictable.

Computronic Machines (1965)

It was the sixties and everyone was making computers.

The Computronic Program-o-Mat was deeply unpopular despite having what was clearly a better name than any other home computer ever made.

Nerds these days lust after original Program-o-Mat cases to put new computers inside them and then make them run Doom.

They make decent consumer tech now. Desktops, laptops, phones. Boring stuff.

Computronic Machine Programs (1972)

They made decent niche technical software and that kept the whole division afloat quite frankly.

Contemporarily they produce a lot of security software and apps, and have even released specialized forks of certain operating systems.

These days the most well-known software to come out of this division is CB Chat, a hyper-secure and super-encrypted chat program because Bruce wanted one. It is popularly assumed that this was because he did not trust Snapchat with his nudes. He has never disputed this.

They will never change their name. Never.

Telelectroscope (2003)

Internet and cable service provider.

Keeps getting sued by other ISPs for making their prices so low. It’s not fair!! They’re trying to put us out of business!! Wah!!!

This was pretty much the first thing Bruce did when he became CEO because his internet at the mansion was garbage and he was mad about it.

Spite: A Valid Way To Run A Business Since 1864

… i can’t think of anything else to add to this list. am i… am i done? am i free?

#atomic-black #original #ficblogging #greatest hits

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bolbianddolanhouse · 3 years

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Book 3 FAQ!

Need to catch up? Heres all the previous FAQs 1 * 2 Heres the master post of all three books 1 * 2 * 3

Wow...you would think that with the whole pandemic that I’d get these chapters out faster. But alas this year got the best of me too. I’ve been a lil vulnerable in the tags with y’all and the check-in messages really touched me. So thank you very much to everyone that has checked up on me and enjoyed the chapters! I appreciate all of you :3 So lets roll out the questions!

Q: Who is Iwata based off? A: Iwata is based off my self-insert, which is also me. I know that sounds a lil narcissistic but it’s that real life reference that you’re a spitting image of your parent. Iwata was designed to look and act very similar to his mother based off that. What made him a little more original and not a copy of my self-insert is the tropes I added. I mirrored the trope of that of the relationship between Steven and his mom in Steven Universe; where he adored, then hated but then came to terms that he is not his mom but someone better. A whole journey of self-discovery and self-worth.

Q: The representation is amazing! How did you come up with these queer characters? A: Glad you liked them! Like I’ve said in previous FAQs and in the tags, all these characters were dreamt and I just build upon them in writing. So yes, most of my characters were created queer in my dreams but I make them more in depth by setting up how they discovered they’re queer. I did a bit of research on coming out stories and self-discovery epiphanies to have these characters more relatable so a fellow queer reader feels seen in a way. There’s already too much hetero works out there, I just want to gay it up in a respectful way.

Q: The culture mixing is really good and consistent, how do you do it? A: For starters, I am latina. But the culture mixing stems from my knowledge about other cultures through language. I’ve been studying Japanese for almost a decade now and Chinese for about 4 years, so it’s no surprise that I’m referencing them in my work. Maybe what I depict isn’t what other half-Japanese half-Latinx families do, but it’s what I’d do if I started such a family. Plus there’s some overlap within those cultures and it makes it easy to put into writing.

Q: So. much. drama! Why is this book more dramatic than the previous two? A: Book 3 is were main on-going plot gets picked up more and shows signs of resolution. In book 2, it was to focus on not only Lili and the family dynamic but to remind the reader that life moved on with little resolve for the self-insert character. Iwata has a HUGE role in the resolution but in his own special way. And I’m not saying the answer is love...but it’s leaning there.

Q: You reference specific food and snacks in this AU/ what are your favorite Cheetos? A: Like I said, I’m latina! Of course I write in the food of my home culture. Mainly the home cooked meals my mom would make for me and my siblings. It might not seem like much to the reader, but those simple meals add to the narrative of being home and traditions that help them embrace their mixed heritage. The reference of Cheetos are all over this AU because they’re my favorite hot chip. Naturally, my favorite Cheetos are the Hot con Límon with chamoy.

Q: Love that there’s no canon character deaths in this book so far, but are there any major deaths planned? A: Just one but it’s not a tragic, hero fallen type death. It’s a natural death but it’s gonna be a tear jerker. That death won’t come until the WAY end of this AU, so I’m not gonna spoil anything yet.

Q: Can’t believe you predicted Dabi’s true identity. A: It was obvious tho. I didn’t really predict anything canon if you’re an anime only for BNHA. In this AU (without spoiling too much) there’s no Endeavor redemption and Dabi doesn’t cause that big drama on live TV. So if you’re an Endeavor hater like me, you’re gonna love what I have in store for them in the next book!

Q: I love Tenya being a dad and loving husband in this AU! Will we see more dad moments? A: Glad you like those snippets of dad Tenya! I love writing them for my own indulgence since there isn’t enough love for this character in the fandom. Plus I see a whole lot of consistent readers are Iida-stans and that makes me want to write more married fluff whenever I can.

Q: Beizu is best boi/Who is Beizu based off of? A: Beizu is the genius trope in this book. I made his character a more chill version of his mom but with that ‘who is my dad’ trope. Beizu is part of a trio that’s to mirror the agent trio of Ita, Jin and Mimi. The third member is yet to be revealed but they’re a BIG plot device in the coming book. But Beizu is one of my favorite OCs, maybe I’ll do a ranking of my OCs when everyone is introduced.

Q: The villains and Hawks plot has me SHOOK! What’s going to happen to hero society when this case gets solved? A: Without spoiling it, the truth is going to expose the corrupt higher ups in hero society. The kids in the household has a part in taking down hero society as well but in their own, special way. Iwata has the biggest part in closing the case (but it’s spoiler if I say how), Lili and twins help tearing down minor things like education systems and laws. I will say though, the case gets resolved after the trio retires because Ita gets to return to America and found an heir to the company before they could draw to a conclusion. Which is a happy ending at the end of the storyline, no major deaths!

Q: Confirmed weddings? A: Yes :) because Lili and Iwata deserve good things and love. The twins have it easy in the coming book. Lili’s comes first and Iwata’s comes later than expected (can’t say why yet, gotta keep reading :3). I guess I can say that all of them get married but Lili’s and Iwata’s are the only queer ones. All the spouses that marry into the family take the Iida name, so Lili and Hanaka don’t change family names when they get married! Y’all already know those wedding chapters are gonna be lavish and take up most of the chapter, you’ll love them.

Q: But are the kids Joji stans? A: Oh jeez...they are the same way we like 80′s music. It’s pleasant to listen to but kinda cringe when you see your parents dance to it. I don’t really portray it, but the family digital library has all of Joji’s music in a playlist called ‘Sad hours Soundtrack’. If you ask Mr Muffins 2.0 who last listened to the playlist, they’ll snitch who and how many times it has been looped. That’s how Tenya knows who needs cheering up.

Q: I love the little references to their childhood, what else can you tell us about their pre-book childhood? A: As I said a few times in the tags, I cut a ton of stuff that isn’t relevant to the plot. Most of it was their childhood and how they manifested their quirks. Lili really liked to scream before she learned to talk, a very fast learner and at 3 years old got her engine quirk and later that year showed signs of a second quirk. Iwata was very quiet child, hardly cried or gets upset but latched on to mom a lot. His first words were in Spanish but struggled a bit with Japanese before entering kinder. Tensei was born first, then Hanaka followed 10 minutes later. Hanaka’s fire quirk manifested after the first breast feeding when she was getting burped by mom in the hospital. Mom likes to believe Tensei came out first to warn everybody that Hanaka can breathe fire. Tensei didn’t manifest his metal quirk until the age of 7, making him a very late bloomer. Though very different in personalities, Hanaka and Tensei get along and get very creative when it’s playtime. Up until the age of 5, mom would place Hanaka in kindling to get the BBQ grill or bonfire started. Hanaka has been known to randomly burst into flames as a baby, so Tensei had to sleep in a different crib for his safety. Tensei spent more time reading as a child because everyone was focused on managing Hanaka’s flames, thus making him a very studious boy.

Q: Not an AU question, but how are you doing?/ We don’t mind waiting for the chapters! Please take your time. A: I’ve been getting check ins and validation in my asks for the inconsistent schedule. Too many things came at me this year, both good and bad. I was doing well in speech and debate that I went to nationals and prepared myself for some serious competition, leaving no time to do chapters. Then I fell in and out of depressive episodes during lockdown where I’m from. In the summer my grandmother passed away from the virus in Mexico, then my beloved dog Mr Muffins passed away of old age. Those deaths hurt me and my family the most that I was having a hard time trying to cope plus trying to be responsible by adhering to CDC guidelines (I’m in the immune-comprised group). In my want to get over my grief, I trained and received my certificate in ordained ministry (yea I know that’s not the best first step, but I just needed to feel like I’ve achieved something being cooped up at home). I’ve very grateful that theres some readers that see the tags and check up on me. All your kind words gives me a little strength to write and finish every chapter at my pace.

Q: More art please? A: Yes :3 I have one coming up real soon! After the end of this book is where I’ll be releasing some art as a sort of place holder.

Q: Is the the estate drama eluding to the ending? A: Yup! And it will show up every now and then in the next book.

Q: This is a really good self insert AU! There’s complexity to your character and others...how do you write these interactions/relationships really close to actual ones? A: Thanks for the complement :3 When I first started this AU, I was in the middle of my semester of a creative writing course. Near the end of book 2 was when I finished the course work for it and by then you could see the progression in writing. ALSO, I’m a communications major as well! Writing these relationships and other social things were things that I remembered learning in my interpersonal communications class. I was a bit on fence on whether or not to start this AU because I didn’t think my writing skill was at all that good. With some encouragement from my classmates and friends, I pushed myself to write this whole AU out. I don’t plan on stopping until I finish the storyline, plus I hate leaving things unfinished.

And that wraps up this FAQ! Hopefully I got everyone’s questions since most were check-ins for me. But expect the last chapter for book 3 in the next few days. After Book 3, I’m going on a lil hiatus until the end of February. I have so many life events happening in the upcoming weeks that I’m gonna need time to recharge before resuming this AU. Y’all know I bounce back as promised, in the meantime, I have some art things queued to remind y’all that Book 4 is in the works. Only 2 more books to go! Thanks again for reading and I’ll talk you y’all again later in the tags~

-Love, Palma-sama

P.S. Heres the end of Book 3 for your connivence :3 other links are at the top of this post!

#mha #bnha #self insert au #not canon #FAQ 3 #Book 3 #ask me anything

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uzuuzuking · 4 years

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so this started out as just a general post about why i like cinderella adaptations, but slowly spiraled into a ranking/review of all the cinderella adaptations i’ve seen in my short, young life. so strap in for possibly the longest post i’ve ever made on this blog. (look, i never know how much i have to say about something until i really get going lmao)

idk why i like cinderella adaptations/remakes/spinoffs so much? most of them are garbage (especially the ones within the last 10 years don’t @ me) but fuck it i like this brand of garbage. it’s fun to watch these movies and rework the bad plotlines and dialogue in my head as i go along.

i guess i like the source material and some of the aspects of all the different adaptations, but honestly i just like re-imagining them because there’s only so much cringey script-written-for-teens-but-clearly-written-by-40-year-old-adults-who-have-no-idea-how-teens-or-even-people-for-that-matter-actually-talk-and-interact i can take in one excruciating sitting.

anyway here’s my personal ranking of all the cinderella adaptations i’ve seen that no one asked for. (not including stage productions because i haven’t seen any and have no opinion of them. also not including into the woods because that’s not just cinderella, but a spectacular amalgamation of fairytale mishap and shenanigan.) and reviews because apparently i had more to say than i originally thought when i first started constructing this list:

cinderella (1997) - the absolute best cinderella adaptation of all time, hands down, this is non-negotiable. this movie has it all: an excellent and diverse cast, gorgeous costume design, beautiful sets, some of the most dazzling dance numbers i ever witnessed when i first watched it at the wee age of 4, and a positive, progressive message that was accurate for its time yet also so ahead of its time. i cannot praise this version of cinderella enough, it is my all time favorite and one of my top 3 feel-good movies. if you watched it today, the effects might not be as magical compared to what we have now, but keep in mind it was released in 1997. anyway, the cast is truly amazing and so effortlessly inclusive (and honestly the fact that the prince was asian with a black mother and white father and they literally never addressed it was such a power move). i could go on about this movie forever (i’ll probably make a whole post dedicated to it in the future) and what it meant to me and many others as young, impressionable poc. in conclusion, this movie set an exceedingly high standard for me and destroyed the chances of any other cinderella adaptation even hoping to live up to that. i love it! so! much!

ever after: a cinderella story (1998) - tbh i never saw this until i was in college but i immediately fell in love. i love the flow of the story as a whole - i never felt like anything was missing. i love the costumes and i especially love how danielle and henry’s relationship progressed throughout the film. slow-burn comes to mind when i watch their interactions and we all love a sweet, sweet slow-burn. it’s romance babes! it’s Dramatic in a few scenes and all i can say is that it really works because drew barrymore’s performance is exceptional, fantastic, engaging, more adjectives to describe how enthralled by her i was. above all, her character is compassionate - she uses her voice to speak in support for those who are suppressed by the flawed government systems and law enforcers, and influences the prince to use his status and power to better his people who lack the privileges of the nobility. she’s such a strong female lead (emotionally and physically - she literally fireman carries her love interest, who is taller than her and definitely exceeds her own bodyweight) and truly the mvp of this adaptation. watch it. watch it for Her.

enchanted (2007) - amy adams and idina menzel - ‘nuff said. okay but for real this one is so unique with its transition from classic d*sney 2D animation style to the real three-dimensional world and i adore it to the ends of the earth. the music? slaps! the story? slaps! the development of the main character? slaps!! she’s so princess-y and d*sney cartoon-y and struggles in the real world, but she adapts at a good pace and i love that she learns to be realistic while also keeping hope and love close to her heart. also her mother figure / daughter figure bond with morgan is so so precious. the only constructive criticism i have for this movie is the fact that we were robbed of idina menzel singing!!! did they know all along she was destined to play the frozen queen years in the future and decided against her singing in this one?? is that it? ridiculous. it’s been over a decade and i’m still seething over this. other than that this movie is *chef’s kiss*

ella enchanted (2004) - anne hathaway’s back must still be hurting from carrying this film. (no shade to the other cast members, they’re good, but anne is a queen and i forever love her.) this is another childhood favorite of mine. the story itself is a refreshing take - hats off to gail carson levine for the source material! i’ve talked about the differences between the movie and book before in the midst of my reread of the book a few months ago, but i don’t remember how much i focused on the movie. it’s so different from the book that it might as well be its own thing. on its own, the movie is pretty decent! again, mostly because of anne. it’s funny, it’s sad (especially that scene towards the beginning between ella and areida, i’m in stupid tears every time), and it gets weird but it’s a fun time. the chemistry between char and ella is so zesty i can feel it through the screen, i swoon over both of them. tbh i probably wouldn’t like this movie so much if not for the fact that anne hathaway is truly talented and i spend most of my time watching it just looking at her.

cinderella 3: a twist in time (2007) - i genuinely enjoyed and appreciated how the characters were written in this one. they all had clear motives and became much more dynamic through their lines and actions (drizella is arguably the most static character here but she still amuses me so it’s fine i guess). cinderella has more agency since the stakes are higher. prince charming actually has a gotdamn personality and has some of the funniest scenes and dialogue. good for him. i was kind of sad that anastasia’s story with the sweet baker boy was thanos snapped by the stepmother, but she and baker boy get a cute credits illustration together so it’s still canon! maybe i’m more biased on this one because i grew up rewatching it A Lot, but i definitely prefer it to the first and second movies.

cinderella (2000) - this one is kind of weird but i like it? the film has a really interesting vibe that i’m still trying to figure out how to describe even after seeing it like 5 times. wikipedia refers to the aesthetic style as “the glamour of the 1950s” which just might be as close as we can get. it follows the general guidelines of the cinderella plot, but the main differences were: zezolla (cinderella) was already helping with the chores before her father remarried, claudette (stepmother) was actively trying to murder zezolla’s father during their marriage, the stepsisters were much more violent and crass (they hunted zezolla’s beloved farm animals for sport and talked about getting “a man in [their] bed”), zezolla’s father was manipulated by everything claudette did and said and treated his own daughter poorly as a result, and prince valiant is honestly kind of a douchebag but seems willing to improve himself after meeting zezolla (basically his vibes are iffy but he’s willing to learn). this whole movie is pretty niche and i have yet to interact with someone who’s also seen it. and the only reason i’ve seen it so many times is because i just like listening to how the dialogue is delivered. (except for prince valiant’s random song at the ball, i kind of hated that and i skip through it every time lol).

a cinderella story (2004) - the classic hilary duff version. very cliche early 2000s high school romance, but it works for the cinderella narrative. not particularly diverse. a classic nonetheless. in my mind this is the pinnacle of the “modern cinderella movie” type. this is one of the most iconic movies for us zillennials and i’d like to think it’s known well enough for me to not go into a lot of detail about it. basically it was fresh and new for its time, had plenty of memorable scenes, and did i mention hilary duff? the film kind of plays into the “not like other girls” trope - as do a couple of the movies i listed above - but i’m just going to acknowledge that the early 2000s were Wack and simply move on. all in all, i like this movie for the nostalgia, iconic scenes, and hilary duff. also jennifer coolidge is pretty funny as the stepmother.

another cinderella story (2008) - again, an early 2000s classic, but this time with selena gomez. i liked the dancing in this one. i like selena’s quiet, somewhat timid characterization of her character, mary. and jane lynch in the stepmother role is perfection. she’s so fun to watch and is always hilarious. the story is nothing remarkable, but it’s okay and i liked it as a kid. after the hilary duff version, this one still managed to feel fresh because, though it was similar in its modern era approach, it focused more on the performing arts and dance. “cinderella” is an aspiring dancer, rather than the 2004 aspiring scholar. the “prince” is a famous popstar, not a football player. the stepmother is an outdated popstar desperate to stay Hip and Relevant with the kids, not a cranky botox lady. honestly i just love watching this one for the dancing, mary’s genuine and innocent love for the “prince”, and literally everything that comes out of jane lynch’s mouth. that woman is a dialogue gold mine.

a cinderella story: once upon a song (2011) - lucy hale is good. missi pyle is good. they play their roles and lines that they’re given fairly well. over all, it’s entertaining. lucy, of course, has them Pipes and i do like the songs in this movie. the only major downside for me was the “token best friend of color” trope. lucy’s best friend is an asian girl who’s good at sports and is there for one liners and support. the prince charming character’s best friend is a black guy who he only knew for probably a month at the most. he can beatbox, sing, and dj. basically he’s also just there as support. they really don’t do much for the plot but they’re there for diversity and whatnot. this movie is.. fine.

cinderella (1950) - the only reason this ranks so low for me is because i watched it a lot as a child when it was on vhs and it always felt like a fever dream to me. i was just really young and didn’t feel invested in any of the characters. it is a classic, though, and i would watch it again and be able to enjoy it.

cinderella 2: dreams come true (2002) - i liked cinderella’s and anastasia’s stories from this one. jaq’s was meh. it was fine.

dj cinderella or cinderella pop (2019) - netflix knows i like cinderella adaptations so, naturally, they shoved this into my recommended and, naturally, i watched it. twice. which is more than i can say for the following review... so this movie is brazillian and is pretty much the cut & mold of modern cinderella movies. but she wants to be a dj. she stars out living a perfect life as a wealthy girl with a loving family, but turns out her dad is cheating on her mom with his secretary. that’s when she “stops believing in love”. which is actually valid bc if i saw one of my parental figures cheating on the other, i honestly wouldn’t know what to believe in anymore. anyway, cíntia dorella (yes. that’s her full name.) and her mom move into her aunt’s place. a year or so passes. stepmother/secretary/cheating lady is throwing an extravagant birthday party for her daughters and hires freddy prince, a popular musician who cíntia doesn’t really like. meanwhile, cíntia gets a dj gig she’s excited for until she finds out she’s the opener for freddy prince at her stepsisters’ party. she ends up disguising herself as “dj cinderella” and freddy is super into her. it’s pretty generic from there but i was entertained enough to watch it twice. take from that what you will.

cinderella (2015) - ok so we been knew that d*sney’s live action remakes ain’t shit, and this one is no exception. d*sney within the last few years has been like 99% aesthetics and marketing. this movie was visually stunning, especially with the settings and costumes. those were the only 2 things i truly liked. everything else was forgettable. in its defense, i did read a post about the “have courage and be kind” message which is something wonderful to hold onto, especially for anyone in an abusive situation like ella. that’s valid and i respect that. i still lowkey hate this movie tho. i started getting a headache about 4 reviews ago, but remembering how much praise this movie got has reignited my fighting spirit. honestly if you like it, that’s good, you like what you like and that’s that. but this is my review and i hated how proper ella’s posture was (she’s been doing physical labor hunched on the floor for years now, how does she not slump around in exhaustion at the end of the day??), i hated how perfectly curated the whole thing was (again, that’s mostly because of d*sney and their aesthetics), and i hated how hollow everything felt. i can’t perfectly describe it, but i never felt emotionally invested in any of the characters. something about their performance was lacking and yet again i blame d*sney. i actually really like lily james, but something about the way she was directed left me devoid of emotional attachment to ella. i remember nothing about ella’s step family or the prince. that’s how much of an impact this adaptation had on me. also i just remembered the fairy godmother as i type this. i ADORE helena bonham carter, but this movie does a horrible disservice to her. if she liked working on this movie, then i’m happy for her, but even she wasn’t strong enough to sell this to me. i saw this movie in theaters and came out of it lamenting my waste of money that i could have spent on something i would have actually enjoyed. but the thing that enraged me the most, the thing i despised, i detested, the thing i seethed over and rant about to this day was the ONE (1) token black character. i don’t even know if he had a name but he was captain of the guard or some shit. if i remember correctly (but probably not tbh this movie was so forgettable), he was the one who heard ella singing and was the whole reason the prince was able to have her try on the glass slipper. this man, who had zero character development, zero relevance to the plot, an insignificant amount of screen time, is suddenly the reason the main character is able to finally connect with her love interest. um. What. i hate how the writers treated him and i will forever be filled with every last grain of salt over this. anyway he’s my favorite character and everyone else is just eh. to conclude this ungodly long review, i don’t like this movie. i tried to watch it again once but got so bored i quit 10 minutes in. do yourself a favor and watch cinderella (1997) instead. (the only reason this movie is ranked above the remaining 5 is the production quality. but i guess that’s unfair bc d*sney has the big bucks. and maybe i wouldn’t be so harsh if i weren’t sleep deprived and grumpy from a sugar-induced headache, but these feelings still come from my Chest so idk.)

a cinderella story: a christmas wish (2019) - i think we all secretly enjoy christmas-themed movies and this has got to be someone’s guilty pleasure. i was mildly entertained (but again with the cringey dialogue written by people clearly not in high school...) and i do like laura marano. but they autotuned her to hell and back - which i loathed - because the woman can actually sing and she has a lovely voice. she got to sing candidly one (1) time and i relished the experience. my ears thank her beautiful, un-autotuned voice. other than that it was.. fine. i didn’t hate it but i didn’t like it either. laura marano deserves better than this. (can’t say the same for the other actors tho because their roles were unmemorable.) also laura marano was super cute in her elf costume!

not cinderella’s type (2018) - i legit forgot about this one until after i compiled the entire list lol. i saw it on youtube and it was decent as far as i remember. it’s another modern day cinderella. i think the “prince” runs over “cinderella’s” cat or something?? i’m pretty sure it was her mom’s cat so now she has nothing left to remember her mom by. prince boy feels awful and tries to befriend her or do something to make it up to her, but she just doesn’t really like him. i think her aunt and uncle are emotionally abusive to her and prince boy does his best to be there for her without making things worse. if i remember correctly, i liked that aspect of the movie because it’s hard to be there for a victim of any kind of abuse if trying to help them could potentially hurt them more, especially minors still under the care of abusive guardians. anyway i think cinderella girl’s best friend is in love with her or something but she ends up not being into him and slowly gets together with prince boy. she eventually moves out of her guardians’ house and into the spare house at prince boy’s home (he’s rich or something). i need to rewatch this movie tbh i could be wrong about everything here lol.

rags (2012) - not amazing, definitely not memorable because i have nothing to say about its plot or writing, but it has keke palmer which is its one redeeming quality. also it’s the only one on this list where the male protagonist is the cinderella. so that’s solid i guess.

a cinderella story: if the shoe fits (2016) - this was a movie. it happened. i vaguely remember how ridiculous it was and sometimes i felt secondhand embarrassment. i don’t remember what about specifically, but i remember the emotion. sofia carson is a talented singer. i think she’s a decent actor but this script was Bad.

elle: a modern cinderella tale (2010) - i only watched this one because i was bored out of my damn mind and saw it on youtube. i felt bad for all the actors because this script was terrible. i don’t recommend this unless you’re about to sit down with your squad and make fun of it.

apparently descendants is on the “cinderella adaptations and references” list on imdb but i refuse to put it on my list because it’s not a cinderella-specific adaptation and i don’t like the descendants franchise. now, if we’re going to discuss a quality series about the children of fairytale characters, that would hands down be ever after high. but that’s a different topic for a different day.

thus concludes the ranking no one asked for but i felt compelled to make. thank you and goodnight

#summer.txt #cinderella #longpost #if anyone reads through this whole thing congrats!#i'll get u a gold star from the esteemed dollar store and bequeath it to you via uploaded photo #i didn't think i'd be typing for 4 hours straight but apparently i have a lot to say #i started falling apart at the end there lol #and around the middle bc i forgot to add cinderella 1 and 2 #god my head fucking hurts #i had a craving for sugar today but i went overboard and now i'm paying the price

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mszegedy · 4 years

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30 Days of Autism Acceptance 2020: Days 1-10

This is a list of questions by @autie-jake (full list here), where you’re supposed to answer one per day for every day of April. I learned about it a few days into April and intended to start doing it but I forgot, I guess, or maybe decided against it. But I wanna do it now, so here’s the first ten days really quick.

April 1: Introduce yourself. Talk about who you are as a person.

This is kind of a hard question for me. I think my younger sister (by 3¾ years) would say this, if she just made a new friend the same age as her and she asked about me:

“Well, she goes to college, but she’s graduating this semester. She does something with proteins, but honestly she should really be a linguist. I actually really hate discussing linguistics with her, because she gets so annoying and overbearing about it. I don’t understand why she’s doing whatever she is. She’s a pretty weird person. She has all sorts of problems with, like, depression and amnesia and stuff. Oh, but, she’s trans, so, like, that’s a thing, yeah. I don’t like talking about most things with her because she thinks she’s always right. And also, she’s kind of mean to our mom. I don’t know why she does that. But at the same time she’s, like, really sensitive, and will be offended by the stupidest things. Okay, this is making it sound like I don’t like her, but I do, okay? She’s my sister, of course I love her. We’ve bonded a lot. She’s moving to DC in October, so we’ll be able to hang out during the school year, and that’ll be really fun. I think I’m just a little fed up with her right now from having to live with her for a whole month.“

April 2: Post your red instead selfie today! Alternatively, you could talk about why you choose to go redinstead and what it means to you.

I don’t know what “redinstead” is. I googled it and it sounds like you wear differently-themed stuff from what’s recommended by Autism Speaks, to dunk on them. Like a lot of people, I’m stuck inside this April, so there’s no point in me wearing pride clothing, because nobody will see it. But I do disapprove of Autism Speaks, because they don’t treat autistic people like people, and they try to spread that ideology. If you trick them into thinking you’re a person first, they won’t change their mind; instead, they’ll say you’re not autistic. People defend them by recounting the problems that nonverbal autistic people face, as though nonverbal autistic people have an inherently worse neurotype than everyone else, and not just one that’s more difficult to accomodate for society, and as though that justifies the abuses levied against them by Autism Speaks. I could go into details, but I won’t, because it would be emotionally draining for me as a writer, and you as a reader.

Suffice to say, I love being autistic. It has inspired a lot of people to treat me very badly, and probably led to a degree of abuse and neglect in my childhood that resulted in dissociative identity disorder. But all of my autistic traits are things that I love about myself. I like how emotionally expressive my stims make me. I like how I’ve learned to dissect a lot of social stuff and I can explain it. I like how I can just dispense with all of that social stuff around autistic people. Hell, I think it gives the neurotypical people I hang out with some relief, too, when I’m straightforward and explicit all the time. I like how good I am at linguistics, and how I can use it as a way to relate to the world.

April 3: Talk about special interests. Do you have any? What are they? How long have you had them? What does it feel like to have special interests? What does having special interests mean to you? Talk about your past special interests

My special interests are unusually slow burns. I’ve had linguistics-related special interests for the past ten years. They’re peripherally useful for language learning, but mostly I’ve just accumulated academic knowledge. They’ve, however, also led me to reconnect with my Ugric heritage culture, which is very important to me. (It wouldn’t be important to me if language weren’t my primary way of relating to the world; paradox?)

I have a wide variety of other interests, but few of them are really “special”. As a kid, my special interest was marine life. Unfortunately, I haven’t retained much of that, although I do have the privilege of having a diver’s license, which I’ll use again someday when I pass better naked. I also briefly had a special interest in… building computers, or something. I didn’t have the money to make anything particularly powerful (not that I had anything at the time to use computational power for), but I did run some workshops for middle-schoolers.

I think maybe my interest as a kid in Homestuck was special? It ran pretty deep, anyway. It’s hard to say, when you can’t remember most of your life.

April 4: Do you consider your autism to be an important part of your identity?

Because we have DID (or something like it), we don’t have an identity in the traditional sense. We do have a system identity, but that’s built around our mutual goals and guidelines. However, we’d be very sad to lose our autistic traits. Also, it might mess with the standard of consistency we’ve established for ourselves; we might not be able to predict our future actions, because losing our autistic traits may interfere with our ability to follow the aforementioned goals and guidelines, which are what help keep us focused and consistent.

April 5: Talk about your living situation. Do you live with your parents? Do you live on your own? Have roommates? Etc. If you live on your own how hard was it to get used to?

Right now, I’m quarantining with my mom, my sister, and my brother (who is actually my sister’s boyfriend), at my mom’s house. The mess that’s accumulating in the house is slowly causing my mom more and more stress, I think. I’ve never really lived on my own. For a lot of college, I lived with roommates or housemates, but I don’t think I was very good at that. Also, my mom lived nearby, and I stayed at her place on the weekends. The closest I’ve come to living on my own is watching my mom’s house for up to a few weeks at a time, and that wasn’t sustainable. (To be fair, what kind of house has a lawn? When I get a house with a lawn in the future, I will make sure that it’s a wild lawn that I don’t have to mow.)

The third to last time that I house-sitted for my mom, I ended up getting hospitalized for self-harm. It took her a while to let me do it again after that. Although, not a very long while, I guess. That was at the end of last September.

April 6: Are you able to drive? If you can, was it hard for you to learn? If not, what alternatives do you use, if any

I’m not able to drive. Driving is scary and difficult for me. I went through the motions of learning it in high school, but my track was interrupted by a move across state lines (I lived in the US at the time), and I never recovered. I’ve failed the NJ written driver’s exam, which grants you a one-year permit with restrictions, a total of roughly ten times. I’ve never been this bad at a subject; it’s like I have the opposite of a special interest in driving. A special lack-of-interest. My brain won’t retain any information about NJ driving laws whatsoever. It doesn’t help that I had a traumatic car crash when I was very young.

So far, I’ve just gotten my mom and coworkers to drive me places, or taken Ubers or trains. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that if I leave NJ, I’ll probably have to get a driver’s license. Although, I’ve already got a carpool set up at my next job in October.

April 7: Talk about autism in the media. Do you think that autism is typically portayed well? Badly? Is there anything you’d like to see more of when it comes to autistic representation? Who are your favorite autistic characters? Do you have any headcanons?

The media that I consume doesn’t really have autistic characters, so I can’t comment on how autistic people are portrayed, except that I’d like us to be portrayed more, period. I’ve only really seen us in teen dramas. To be fair, one of my favorite webcomics, El Goonish Shive, is a teen drama, and has a great autistic character (Susan). I’d say I identify with her, but not really. It’s very hard for me to identify with people, fictional or nonfictional, because my neurotype is greatly influenced by autism, DID, chronic depression, and gender dysphoria, and you don’t see combinations of traits in media that come even close to that.

Speaking of another teen drama, I wish I were half as cool as Matilda from Everything’s Gonna Be Okay. I guess that makes her my favorite canon autistic character, but that’s pretty easy, because I don’t know any other ones. I can’t say that I wanna hug her, because she doesn’t like that, but her general substitute for hugs is dancing, and I can’t dance. I guess I’d learn how, to show my appreciation for her.

Archer from Archer is probably autistic. I like him a lot.

April 8: What are some misconceptions/stereotypes about autism that you hate?

“Hating” is not something I can really do, even when it’s recommended to do it. I haven’t been open about my autism, so I haven’t been exposed to too many misconceptions or stereotypes about it firsthand, anyway. I guess if I had to pick, it would be whatever made my dad call me autistic as an insult and use a bunch of ableist slurs at me a whole lot. I don’t know how he understands autism, however. He doesn’t seem to realize that he has it himself. (It’s not usually one’s place to diagnose other people like that, but one of the most degrading things that my mom says to me very often is that I’m exactly like my father. He even has some traits that I don’t, like touch-aversion and samefoods.)

April 9: How sensitive are you when it comes to touch? Are you pro hug or anti hug?

I’m hyposensitive. I’m really losing it here under this quarantine. I had a girlfriend who always made me feel so respected whenever she responded to my touch-based needs, by squeezing me, hugging me, or otherwise cuddling me very tight, but then she broke up with me because of my mental health issues, and because her parents hated me and her friends were made very uncomfortable by me.

April 10: Do you have trouble understanding when someone is being sarcastic or joking?

It depends. I think I’m as good at it as I’ll ever be, and my false negative rate is under 0.5 (and my false positive rate is very low, but not 0). But I don’t think the same thing goes on in my head as in neurotypical people’s heads when I determine something to be a joke. I almost explicitly do a Bayesian calculation; “Based on what I know about this person and this context, how well can I imagine them meaning this statement unironically in this context? How well can I imagine them meaning this statement ironically in this context?” It’s pretty automatic now, but sometimes it doesn’t work very well, when I’m not so familiar with the person and/or the context, and occasionally the intended interpretation of the statement.

#2020 #30daysofautismacceptance

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the-badger-mole · 2 months

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Hi there! So I really enjoy your fanfics and how you’re not afraid to call Aang out on things (even when people come and try to harass you over it) and I’ve been trying to get into fanfic writing myself. I was wondering could I pick your brain on a few things? I really like your insights on the series.

I’m trying to write a fic where Katara does end up killing Yon Ra which causes a huge falling out with Aang when she gets back. Aang blames Zuko for corrupting her and tries to make him leave the group but Katara defends herself and her choice and Zuko. She says if Zuko leaves then she’s going with him and that Aang is acting completely unreasonable about this. This leads to Aang getting so upset he tries to force the others (Toph, Suki, and Sokka) pick a side (either siding with him or with Katara + Zuko.) Do you think this is too out of character for Aang or could be considered bashing? I feel like your stories are always really good on characterization without delving into outright bashing so I would like your thoughts and feedback on this please if you would like to answer.

I’m also not sure what to do with Sokka and his reaction to it all because before The Southern Raiders I would never have thought he’d side with Aang against Katara when she wanted to find her mother’s killer but it happened and it’s canon so it leaves me wondering what direction to go in.

As far as Sokka goes, personally, I think you can ignore his siding with Aang. It was an OOC moment that allegedly only happened because Bryke needed Aang to look reasonable. If you want to keep it in your story, have his motivation to side with Aang be something else. In my rewrite of that scene, he wasn't so much siding with Aang as he didn't want his sister to do something so dangerous and with no back up but Zuko. It's fic. You're not beholden to canon. Think of it as the Pirate Code. It's more of a set of guidelines than actual law.

As far as Aang, people are going to complain no matter what you do. As long as your story justifies him reacting that way, you're fine. But for the record, I don't think that'll be hard. That's not OOC for him.

#writing tips

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homenum-revelio-hq · 5 years

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Under the cut is a sample application for the character of James Potter. This sample is just a guideline for where to start - don’t feel as though you have to follow exactly in your application. Just do whatever feels right to you and don’t hesitate to ask any questions!

OUT OF CHARACTER:

NAME: Karli

AGE: 28

TIMEZONE: CST

ACTIVITY LEVEL: I have a full-time job during school hours, but I’m typically available through mobile when not with clients every day. I’m usually able to post during the evenings or on the weekends, definitely once per week, if not more.

ANYTHING ELSE: Nothing!

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: James Charlus Potter

AGE: 21

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Cis-Male, He/Him, Heterosexual

BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Gryffindor

ANY CHANGES: Nothing, I wrote it!

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

PERSONALITY:

The first thing people often notice about James is that he’s extremely outgoing. He’s often at the center of attention - laughing with people, joking around, enjoying those eyes on him. What people notice less is the moments where he shies away from that - slinks off with his friends to do something he actually cares about. James is really good at staying positive. He’s friendly and charming and a lot of people like him - but there’s only a handful of people he can truly be vulnerable around. Without the Marauders, he likely would’ve grown up with a lot of “friends” but not really any friends.

He’s loyal - almost to a fault. Extremely biased towards the people he loves, it’s hard for James to see their faults. This leads him to being overly forgiving to his friends - something he’d done for Sirius after the prank in school, not realizing how hurt he must’ve made Remus feel at minimizing Sirius’ behavior. In canon, James’ trust leads to his and Lily’s demise. Convinced that none of his friends could be the spy, he dies for it - and he’ll very likely have problems within this set-up as well.

James is confident, oftentimes nearing arrogance. Having grown up with his expectations and wants met, he assumes he just knows what will happen next. He loves fiercely - holds on tight. It’s sometimes hard for him to let go of something he should let go of. An emotional person, he often wears his heart on his sleeve. This doesn’t make him the best dueler, as he tends to give away his next move to his opponent, but it makes him a good friend. It can also hurt him - when he’s struggling, it’s bad. It takes a lot to make James just shut down, but when he’s sad, it’s easy to tell. Sometimes, his emotions make him impulsive and reckless. While he’s been trying to be responsible and level-headed lately, the pull of adventure can still be hard to resist.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY:

(Note: I do not follow the guidelines of Pottermore’s backstory for James or his family. Also, due to the AU nature of the rp, I have decided his mother has not yet died, she just simply lives in another country.)

Charlus and Aizel Potter met late in life, long after Charlus’ years as an eligible bachelor. He’d given up, at that point, hopes of finding a suitable wife and had poured himself into his work at the Ministry of Magic’s Department of International Magical Cooperation. He’d met Azelia during his work in the Philippines, her upbringing far from his own, and had fallen in love with her. They were old enough, they’d thought, and decided not to wait. Married within just a few short months, Charlus had taken her back to England with him to live at the Potter Estate, tearing her away from her country, her entire family, and all she’d ever known. With him working and her at home, it wasn’t long before their first – and only – son was born. It had been a hard pregnancy due to Aizel’s age and the healer recommended against trying for a second. It did not matter to either of them – James was enough. A pureblood son who was brilliant and charming and handsome rolled into one.

James had a rather lonely childhood, however. Living without close neighbors and with all of his parents’ friends having kids much older than him, James found ways to pass the time on his own. His mother taught him from home, where he learned the basics, such as how to read, write, and do arithmetic, along with an introduction to magic. She had a spirituality about her that came from a long line of her family back home. She’d talked of a different sort of importance rather blood status – and his father agreed. Or he’d said he did. It was the more polite thing to do, of course. Prejudices were less becoming in more recent days – what with new laws and rights for muggleborns. Back in his day, Hogwarts had barely allowed them into the school, after all. But Charlus could not understand what the whole fuss was about. There had already been changes in the world – why were some groups calling for more?

As James grew older and gained insight from peers, he started to create his own sense of right and wrong. Still, it was hard to see his parents’ faults, especially the father whom he looked up to so much. It’s why he could ignore the subtle look of concern on Charlus’ face when James brought home Lily for the first time after graduation. It was hard for him to believe that his dad might think like some of the people James was fighting against - even if he wasn’t acting on it. Prejudice was hard to combat. James is aware, now that his father is gone and his mother living back in her home country, that his parents’ friend sometimes look at him differently. He hasn’t forgotten the numerous overheard comments about him and Lily - often saying he’s just in a phase or commenting on how young wizards often do experiment before the real thing. James knows what he has with Lily is real - but that doesn’t mean the subtle messages he grew up with aren’t still swimming around in his unintentional actions.

OCCUPATION:

James is unemployed - or, as he’d call it, a full-time Order member. When his father died, he inherited both the Potter Estate (which has come in handy for the new Order Headquarters) and the vault at Gringotts. It’s enough money to keep both him and Lily - and sometimes Remus - living comfortably. He and Lily don’t live at Headquarters, preferring to rent out a nice-sized two-bedroom townhome (which is technically James’, since he pays for it and it’s in his name), but James especially spends a lot of his time back at the Estate for the Order.

ROLE WITHIN THE ORDER/THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ORDER:

James was brought into the inner-circle a little less than a year ago. He’s not the newest in the group, but he hasn’t been part of it long, either. He’s still gaining traction with the group and knows that he often gets eye-rolls from the more serious members. Getting asked to have more responsibility had struck him as surprising in the same way getting the Head Boy badge was, but Kingsley has assured him that there is something about him that is important to the group. James can bring people together like no one else - just look at his friends! Without him, they would’ve all been floundering, people who might have not belonged anywhere. James has found strength in rallying the mid-level members, keeping things positive. He’s sure they’re doing the right thing here - he knows the Order will come out on top, even when things aren’t going well. James is ever the optimist, which can both help and hinder a group of people who sometimes just need to be validated.

He truly believes in the Order, though. While he might not have joined strictly for the cause, he does believe in it - and that desire to stop Voldemort has become stronger than ever as people die around him and friends go missing. In fact, he believes in them so much that it’s really disheartening when the people he loves start questioning the reason behind the group at all. Lily’s started to pull away, focusing on the Dissendium Task Force with Remus - Sirius’ reckless edge is too tempting for James, who is trying to be more responsible and level-headed - and Peter is so distant that James feels like he doesn’t know what goes on in his friend’s life anymore. It hurts James to see them questioning the inner-circle because it feels like they’re questioning him.

SURVIVAL:

James’ survival simply comes from who is he. There have been a few people at the Ministry who have suspected him to be part of the Order - he’s been brought in for questioning once or twice - but nothing has ever came about it because he’s James Fuckin’ Potter. The privilege his blood status gives him is undeniable. He’s nearly untouchable - even with his odd group of friends and his “mudblood” girlfriend. One day, it’ll catch up to him - but, right now, he’s keen on continuing to ride that wave. If it keeps him and the people he loves alive, he’ll use it.

As stated under “occupation,” James gets all his basic needs met easily, as he has plenty of money and, technically, two homes. Sometimes, he very much realizes how much easier he has it than most people - other times, he’s very unaware, which can be aggravating for the less-privileged people around him.

RELATIONSHIPS:

(I’m writing these off the basis of the bios, but anything can be changed with different player portrayals, ideas, and through plotting. This is just a basis to start!)

His main relationships are with Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter... and things are not going as well as he would’ve liked. Lily has started to pull away from him that sometimes he wonders if she’s no longer happy with him - but he loves her so much that it’s easier to hold on to her and pretend like things are alright between them, even during those moments where he actually shows that sadness and doesn’t cover it up with false optimism. Sirius is ever loyal (there’s a reason his animagus form is a dog) and, while things are going well between him and James, it’s still not the same without the others. Sirius and him have always had a bit of different relationship than James has had with Remus or Peter - and, since Sirius is always there for him, it feels solid. James just doesn’t get to see his best mate as often. Remus recently came back from his mission and things have been tense in the group since then, while Peter seems scared and James’ usual buck up speeches aren’t working like they had back in school. It sometimes feels like this war is tearing the people he loves apart - but James is determined to keep things together. He’s always acted as the glue before and wants to make sure his friends stay trusting of one another - he’s just so busy these days that it can be hard!

He also has a pretty important relationship with the people in the inner-circle. He knows that Alice and Caradoc wonder why he was ever invited and he’s spent the past year trying to prove himself. And then there’s Mary, the newest member of the group. James is still sort of confused why she’s there with them - she’s flaky and abrasive, seems to have her own agenda. He’s a bit wary of her and finds her incredibly annoying half the time, though they can be pleasant to one another in work situations. He wouldn’t call them friends, though. Whenever he complains about Mary to Lily, she gives him this look and there’s more to it, he knows - but this can’t be a muggleborn thing if he’s fucking dating one, can it?

Once Severus joins the Order, James will have a lot to say about that. He doesn’t trust Snape - doesn’t know if he ever will. But they do need a spy on their side... with all the information somehow getting passed to Voldemort from the Order (he’s still not convinced it’s anyone close to him), they need all the help they can get. James just wishes it didn’t have to be Snivellus.

OOC EXPLORATION:

SHIPS/ANTI-SHIPS: While I have a special place in my heart for James/Lily, I ultimately ship chemistry. This is war and things are stressful and strained - it’s really very likely that James and Lily won’t be able to cut it. They have different things they find passion in - different ideals. And, while James tries really hard, he’ll never truly get what it’s like to be Lily - and he doesn’t always truly listen when she tries to explain. I’m seriously open to explore whatever feels realistic and right in that moment. It could mean breaking up, staying together, breaking up and then getting back together - it could mean breaking up and James finds someone else. It could mean James never finds someone else. I’m here to explore all types of relationships, so I’m not really fussed about the shipping. I just want to see what happens!

WHAT PRIVILEGES AND BIASES DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE? James has a whole lot of privilege, given he’s a male, straight, and a pureblood. He’s also rich and comes from a well-known, respected, prominent family. James has really never wanted for anything. He typically assumes how something will happen - and things just seem to work out for him. He doesn’t always understand when others are struggling due to their lack of privilege, but he does try. That doesn’t mean he’s perfect - he’s definitely said the whole “wow, you’re really good!” with the obvious for a muggleborn implied. Being who he is, he’ll never truly understand the plight of someone who is not James Potter. I want to explore this in rp! I want to see someone call him out on his accidental shit and him try to do better - and sometimes fail at doing better. No one can ever say he doesn’t try, but he’s also human. He’ll absolutely, 100% fuck up sometimes and I want to have that happen. James is someone who has the privilege to accept a werewolf and make it an adventure - he is someone who can say hey, let’s be animagi! Yes, it was for Remus - but it was also because like how cool, man! let’s fuck shit up! He never stopped to ask Remus how he feels about their tromps around the school grounds... the same school grounds he was never supposed to get to see at all. James is lovable - and his biases and privilege make him mess up. Let’s explore that!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? Well, I made it so that’s what brought me here! What I’m most looking forward to is that exploration of nothing being black or white. Without the Death Eaters involved right now, there can’t just be a simple “these are the bad guys, there are the good.” I want to see some interpersonal conflicts - especially with James, since his group is starting to fall apart! I’m also really looking forward to doing realistic war-related things... such as character disappearances, deaths, being taken into questioning, injuries, you name it!

PLOT DROP IDEAS: N/A

ANYTHING ELSE? Nothing!

#harry potter roleplay #hp roleplay #harry potter rp #marauders era rp #marauders rp #accepted #sample application #james potter

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script-a-world · 5 years

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Is it honestly actually possible that bad people run most of the galaxy or several galaxies? Or at least even just an entire planet? It's done in sci fi a lot. However in real life that obviously has never happened. I'm not sure how to well, begin, create the circumstances that will give them that kind of vast power and not be defeated before. Even if they are the good guys, still, can't see how they can run everything either.

Bina: Totally possible since “bad” is relative depending on you who ask. If they have a believable facade of being “good” (or if they ARE doing good....... to just the right people (such as, politicians or powerful allies who will back them up)), and if they have a lot of supporters who think they’re the good guys, then it’s super feasible that they can take control of the majority of the galaxy with very little opposition.

Heck they can even get away with people just not thinking badly of them. They don’t necessarily need supporters who think they’re the right people to have in charge. Having people be neutral towards them can also be also good enough for them to take control without anyone complaining. All they need is people not caring. People supporting them is bonus, but apathy from the common man also goes a long long way in helping bad people come into power.

In the end it’s all about controlling their narrative and their own publicity. They can be totally truly evil, but if they cover their tracks with enough propaganda and efforts to appear like they’re doing nothing wrong, or even that they’re doing things for the benefit of the people (or that they’re beneficial for powerful people who have more sway than the average person and can thus override the wills and desires of the common people), then the baddies can take power and the common man would either take no issue with it or be unable to do anything about it.

Tex: The thing about leadership is that morality doesn't really calculate into it - they're two separate areas with very little overlap, especially if a leader is a successful one. The longevity of a leader's reign has more to do with their bureaucratic competency, organizational skills, competency to set and achieve certain goals that benefit those whom they rule (in some form), and ability to manipulate people. And, I hate to break it to you, but both "good" and "bad" people are manipulative, just for different reasons.

Al Capone is a classic example of how "bad" people can do good things that legitimately benefit others. He was a gangster that directly or indirectly had a hand in killing a great deal of people - but he was incredibly influential in making sure milk had expirations dates, among other things (Atlas Obscura). It could be argued that running bootleg alcohol at all was a good thing, given that a significant portion of the US population did exactly the same thing (to various degrees) during Prohibition. Is profiting off civil disobedience in such a manner against the mores of altruism? Murder or no murder, Capone straddles the line of "good" and "bad", depending on your point of view.

Martin Luther King, Jr, while on the surface might look like a paragon of virtue, did purposefully break laws with specific goals in mind - while his civil disobedience resulted in drastically fewer deaths than Capone's, he did still break the law. There are some schools of thought that believe adherence to the law is virtuous, and thus moral (and thus, "good"). Is MLK virtuous in this regard? Does his position as a minister of his faith grant him more morality than the average person, who isn't an official representative of a codified set of beliefs?

Both MLK and Capone caused immense upheaval in their respective eras and societies. Is this necessarily good? Is upheaval - change - bad? I'm sure there are proponents regarding both of them that can see the advantages and disadvantages of their respective actions. One is classically referred to as a "bad" person, and the other a "good" person. Why? And through whose lens are these judgements being made? Is the perspective itself moral?

Let me bring some fictional examples into this.

Emperor Palpatine, of Star Wars, is coded to be a distillation of evil - the evil, a scourge upon the galaxy. And yet, when he rose to power and declared himself emperor of a new empire, he was lauded as an incredible unifier. General evil-doer he may be, but his grip upon his own galaxy was ironclad, and his background as a senator and then chancellor shows that he was canny, able to organize his political agenda in influential ways that effected significant change upon the political and even economic landscapes of the respective eras of his life.

He was respected - yes, even by the Jedi - for his affable demeanour and bureaucratic acumen. His death, depending on the canon you subscribe to, did not end the vast reach of his influence, with post-mortem orders that were followed with the same fervent veneration as in life. Palpatine's opinion was trusted, and regardless of his moral compass, trust is still something that needs earning. What perceptions his followers are predisposed to, well- that's certainly another topic.

Aragorn II, son of Arathorn, of Lord of the Rings fame, ruled over the reunited kingdom of Arnor and Gondor after the war against Sauron. He is typically coded as the exact opposite of someone like Palpatine - generous, compassionate, wise. A unifier that began an unequivocal era of peace. However, his death toll is proportionally similar to Palpatine's during the war that secured his place upon the throne, and he had eschewed his responsibility as blood heir to the throne for a great deal of his life, a time during which there was famine, suffering, and death from Sauron's own influence. Are his reasons for obscuring his identity and being a Ranger good enough to justify the expansion of Sauron's reign through his relative inaction, his non-acceptance of leadership? Does the end of the war justify the means that Aragorn took to get there?

Is Aragorn more moral, more good than Palpatine, because his reign was brought about through total bloodshed? Palpatine's was wrought through the genocide of the Jedi, and yet his own reign brought a stability to his empire. It can be argued that the inaction on Aragorn's part, and the action on Palptine's part, during their respective wars pre-coronation, were a manipulation of the masses. They both chose to guise themselves for who they really were - the son of Arathorn II and the Lord descendant of Bane's line - only to unveil themselves at an opportune moment hastened on by their own actions to claim, and unify, these warring factions.

All four of these individuals, be the real or fictional, share something in common - the ability to be a successful leader. Their morality did not, in the end, impede them from swaying the masses to their opinions and leveraging the influence that they had - through argument, through force, through lineage - to assemble under a common goal. They all enacted dramatic, sweeping changes upon the society in which they lived, and utilized the power granted to them through their public's opinion to direct society in a direction that they wanted. They were good leaders, but that doesn't mean they had to be good people.

Saphira: In my novel, I am working with two different rulers. One is an Empress and the other a Tyrant. I'll see what I can glean from each of these two to provide more context in a fictional setting.

The Empress has a positive perspective from her people, as he is backed by her Goddess and her long family line of rule. She has well developed court, council and structure set by both the Goddess and generations of Empresses before her. (Yes, it's an all female-ruling lineage because they're Elephants and the species is largely Matriarchal, but I digress.) She uses generations of Faith-based morality and ideology to cultivate the values and perspectives of her subjects. Her choices are just because the Goddess has told her to do it, and our Goddess is Benevolent for all. Behold, she has given us life and freedom beyond our bestial origins. She makes her decisions and rules her people using rigid methods and strict guidelines to keep the common life consistent and rational. Whether she is aware of it or not, it is not so much the faith or the prestige of her rule that is powerful, but that selfsame consistency and rationality of her people.

What I mean is this: because the way of life is consistent, it feels rational. Any good or bad that she does is ruled by the same beliefs as those before her. That makes it easy for her subjects to accept her decisions because it makes sense in the context of their everyday lives. Of course she is going to hoard all the 'non-essential' food in storehouses for the war, because we, the entirety of our people, have been preparing for the war that dominates over other races since our inception. Of course we will put finances into the arts, because we are the great race that will take over the planet and arts show how sophisticated and glorious we are. All of the laws that control, govern and guide her people tether to the same principles, and that makes her powerful. There is minimal resistance, because to resist is to change their daily life and core philosophies.

The Tyrant, on the other hand, has by definition stolen the power for himself by force, and that leaves him with a radically different set of tools to stay in power and rule his territories.

First is the Legacy. The narrative of his glorious victory, his noble war that dominated over the nations to protect the underdogs, helps give him some positive influence, but force is force. He is still dealing with those who will be able to mentally reject or object to his power. He could have taken one of two simple routes: A. Quell or crush any rebellion, or B. Wield that rebellion and outcry as a tool for positive change. A sometimes needs to be done, but his ideal is B. This helps create a positive influence over the territories to help reinforce his Coming to Power Narrative, and also fixes problems in the nation that allows him to turn his focus to other problems. Fun stuff.

His true power is that he is cheating. He is using his arcane ability (which won him the war in the first place) to A. live far longer than anyone has any right to, and B. give the overall impression that he can snap his enemies with the thought of snapping a matchstick. This makes his greatest tools Benevolence and Fear. Or, rather, Love and Fear. This gives the people two reasons to hesitate against him: "I don't want to because he does a decent job most of the time," followed by "also I just like being alive in general."

Where he lacks in 'legitimate rule' with a long lineage, he has made up for in a single, long lifespan. The current generation has never lived outside of his rule. Their parents were under his rule. Their great grandparents were under his rule. This also introduces a fear of change, and the fear of change is the greatest tool of all. If there is no great and colossal reason why something should be different (like, I dunno, a lot of people dying) then things tend to stay as they are.

So what it comes down to are three factors, for staying in power.

1. The populace thinking it's honestly not that bad, or it could be worse.

2. Fear of change, or that this thing that claims to be better, isn't.

3. The consequences of change are too dire. This person can murder me, my family and if they die the economy dies with them.

The moral strength of the character may be a direct influence over these factors. That moral compass might be completely irrelevant. That depends on the characters you want to write and what the narrative needs to present your ideas xor experience. Either way, it's how the ruler handles these factors, ether with skill or great lacking, that determines the strength and distance of their power.

Constablewrites: Cracked just had an article about this from the perspective of the citizens: http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-ways-normal-people-allow-evil-rulers-to-thrive/ It's got some good links to sources discussing real-world regimes and historical examples.

#pylons #morality #government #Anonymous

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makerof150papermasks · 5 years

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The Three Governments of Spyro the Dragon

Today, I have something really interesting that I feel would be worth talking about. Now I remember recently reading a post titled “’Kirby Super Star’ is a Marxist critique of the Soviet Union,” which delves into the titular 1996 SNES video game so deeply and somehow matches it up with certain pieces of USSR history (Reddit). After viewing this, I began to think, “I know a few other games that I could analyze like this guy did with Kirby.” Yes, I was motivated so much by this blog that I had a hunch to work on my own research chat.

Now the games I am about to talk about are the first three games in the Spyro the Dragon series first released for the PlayStation from 1998 to 2000, titled Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of The Dragon (Additionally, all three titles recently received a remake collectively titled “Spyro Reignited Trilogy,” which makes this document relevant as of 2019). With a little research, I was able to pair those games with a government that best defined them in a nutshell. Of course, not all real-life elements of these governments may actually match up with how any of the fictional societies depicted operate, but I’ve tried my hardest to make sure the details match up strongly enough that they can be talked about.

*If you haven’t played the games yet and don’t want to be spoiled, then don’t bother reading!

Spyro the Dragon: Confederation (Left)

I want to start this discussion by saying something unique about this first third of the review: unlike the latter two titles, Spyro the Dragon seems to promote the idea of its featured form of government rather than point out the significant flaws and ensure the audience doesn’t sympathize with the concept at hand. First off, I want to give you folks a good look at how the populace of the Dragon Worlds goes about their lives and organizes themselves socially speaking. For those of you don’t already know enough about the game’s context, there are five socially-unique sectors that each owe something important to the well-being of the larger society. The Artisans represent the working class, the Peace Keepers are equivalent to a military system, the Magic Crafters are most likely representative of the business owners and upper class (As noted by the sheer presence of overly-elegant architecture in their specific area), the Beast Makers represent those who work in health, medical, biological, and other science-related fields, while the Dream Weavers can be considered a spiritually-grounded group of dragons who are experts in the field of meditation. Then there’s the extra sixth sector known as Gnasty’s World (Residence of main antagonist Gnasty Gnorc, who holds no true political power under any circumstance; therefore, I will leave him out of the equation), which I’ll just shoehorn into the sanitation sector, even though it would still easily be associated with the working class (Artisans).

With the exception of Gnasty’s World, these groups all serve an equally vital role in establishing the economic stability and societal foundation of the Dragon Worlds, in the form of a confederation. Now if you folks are wondering what that’s supposed to mean, here’s the definition; “an organization which consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.” For a historical example, the United States operated in this manner under the Articles of Confederation of 1777, which was ratified in 1781 and formed a society whose power lay mostly in the hands of the member states. Up until 1789, these states could establish laws without having to worry about a federal government trampling over those laws since the existing equivalent had far less political power than the one present (Reference.com).

Revisiting my view from the previous paragraph, it can be noted that each of the first five sectors can be viewed as separate, autonomous states that, in spite of their different approaches to solving daily situations, hold a common view of some sort that unites them into a larger entity. While it’s not known in canon if the sectors that dragons live in have ever come into conflict with each other at any point, I will bring up some backstory later on that may be worth identifying.

Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage: Empire (Middle)

Now looking at the titular villain and his path to wretchedness, picture him as this small, colonial society. From what we’re aware of based on the context provided in-game, Ripto and his cronies have no idea that Avalar (The main setting of this sophomore title) even exists at first. Now keep in mind that since Ripto despises dragons, he’s picky about where he wants to expand his influence. But anyway, once he finds himself in this dragon-free dimension, it becomes the perfect opportunity for Ripto to slowly nibble away at the land until there is no more for him to take over, aka, colonize. Of course, once Spyro shows up, the horned, red midget becomes rather peeved, prompting him and his goons to actually begin setting up the framework for his proposed kingdom.

Throughout the events of the game, Ripto not only uses his magic to spread his negative influence across the dimension (AKA: Cause various beasts and baddies to run amok and result in calamity), but we are also shown the blue banners of Avalar being rolled back in favor of emblems donning the antagonist’s mug, THRICE. According to my searches, an empire is defined as, “an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress.” In this case, Ripto can easily be seen as emperor because at his highest position, he holds control over not just his two reptilian brutes (Who serve as a metaphor for his “kingdom” at its most basic), but also numerous realms scattered throughout Avalar, each serving as their own formerly independent municipalities until he enters the picture.

Now here’s another point: even with Spyro around, Ripto still feels the need to settle in Avalar because there are no dragons around other than Spyro himself currently present to scare him away, which thereby gives him access to a shipload of land and resources. When it came to real-life empires, they were strategic regarding which areas to conquer. For example, the Roman Empire wouldn’t go east into modern-day Germany because the cost of conquest in that area was far above the monetary worth earned from the extractable resources available in that region (The Daily Reckoning).

Moving on, the western half eventually collapsed primarily due to internal conflicts over power that left them exposed to outsiders (The eastern half, dubbed “The Byzantine Empire,” managed to survive until 1453, when it fell to Turkish invaders as a result of their victory in the Byzantine-Ottoman wars). In-game, the biggest reason Ripto is defeated is because he overlooks the possibility of Spyro collecting Avalar’s sacred talismans and orbs, which collectively allow the young dragon to pass through the barriers that separate both parties.

Spyro: Year of The Dragon: Totalitarian State (Right)

Jumping ship to the final third of the original Spyro trilogy, we now examine the Forgotten Realms and its central government in the form of the despotic, blue crocodilian-esque Sorceress. Now the previous two games sugarcoated their subject matter immensely (Though the second game still views the concept of an empire as a detrimental idea), but this time the game doesn’t make things look as rosy. First and foremost, The Sorceress displays a position of superiority around anyone in her vicinity, and in an overly aggressive manner most of the time. Already, we’re seeing her being established as a straw tyrant; alas, there is still so much more to discuss regarding the Forgotten Realms operating as a political body that blatantly abides by the guidelines of totalitarianism. Now where do we begin on this topic?

My first point of conversation in this segment is that unlike Gnasty Gnorc or Ripto in the previous two games (Now although the latter does become “ruler” near the end of his respective game, he doesn’t spend nearly enough time to be officially considered a grand-high patriarch by any of the residents of Avalar), The Sorceress is a formally-recognized monarch, is referred to as such by the inhabitants of the Forgotten Realms, and to make matters much worse, has been ruling this same exact dimension, in the same throne for AT LEAST 1000 YEARS. Not only that, but at one point, the dragons currently living dwelling in the Dragon Realms once lived in the Forgotten Realms. But when they left, they took their magic with them and as the centuries passed, magic began to drain and caused their fancy-schmancy portals to stop working. We’re convinced to think that the reason The Sorceress has become so wary of Spyro’s presence is because he will disrupt her plans to gather the eggs they had stolen from the dragons; she is supposedly gathering them in order allow this upcoming generation of winged reptiles to bring magic back to the dimension she rules over.

I will bring up that part about the dragons and the eggs again, but there is an important detail that points further to establishing The Sorceress as an antagonist known for taking full advantage of her position over everyone around her and therefore preventing anyone from reasoning with her other than Spyro and a slew of animal friends she had recently imprisoned. A little more than a quarter way into the game, Spyro finds himself in a realm known as Enchanted Towers; it is here that he discovers that a slew of lavender-skinned counterculture humanoids had been tasked with erecting a statue built in their highness’ likeness.

There’s just so much to talk about regarding what the statue situation represents, but first let me define what this government is. Totalitarianism is described as being, “a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.” The aforementioned statue in Enchanted Towers is probably one of the biggest pieces of evidence pointing to the Forgotten Realms operating under that kind of system. To start, the Sorceress displays unrivaled power in the world she inhabits and no one dare beg to differ with her on that matter. This is clearly evidenced by the fact that the citizens of Enchanted Towers mention that they certainly did not enjoy creating this tremendous work of art (Though they agree that it looks prettier than the actual character herself, further driving the sense of rebellion in), but they completely understand that going against what The Sorceress is telling them to do is like flirting with death.

You, the reader, have to realize that this is a form of government where there isn’t a legislative or judicial system to limit executive power. Heck, that’s not even getting into the fact that the denizens of the Forgotten Realms have neither a right to free speech nor the freedom to vote in elections, as far I’m aware. It’s certainly no fun living in a society where one person holds all the social and political power and you’re not that one person, nothing delightful about that (And there’s nothing anyone can do to change the fact unless someone successfully uses force to overthrow the one in power so they wouldn’t be able to enforce their laws any longer).

Before getting to the climax of this essay, it’s that time I bring up a real example. Although I’d be talking about a dictatorship along the lines of Nazi Germany, I’ve decided to take a more interesting example from further back in history. The Qin Dynasty, an empire to which China borrows its name from, relied on an authoritarian set of regulations that would become hugely influential to every Chinese-based dynasty that followed. Although it only lasted from 221 to 207 BC, there’s still some valuable information to extract from this chapter of human history. It also makes sense for me to select this example because the game’s title, Year of The Dragon, references a specific birth year on the Chinese Zodiac (Speaking of which, the year the game itself originally released just happened to land on a dragon year, which only happens once every twelve years).

Now allow me to continue with the example. Under the commissioning of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the very first leader of a unified China, came a standardized system of writing and a strictly-guided formula for measuring the width, weight, and length of highways. Huang also oversaw construction of what would become the first section of The Great Wall of China and eventually went on to abolish the feudal system that flourished during the Zhou Dynasty decades earlier (In which landowners owed allegiance to the emperor as a result of kinship rather than fulfilling legal obligations). In addition, he commissioned the burning of almost all of the books currently available in that region at the time, only sparing those that provided information on topics like medicine and issued gigantic tax levies in an effort to pay for his military and construction expenses. This matrix of catastrophes led to a rebellion following Qin Shi Huang’s death in 210 BC, which went on to ultimately knock the Qin Dynasty out of power and make room for the Han Dynasty roughly 3-4 years later (Britannica).

Now what I’ll be explaining next is going to be extremely horrifying in hindsight, so grab your popcorn and hold your breath. While exploring Evening Lake, the third home world of the game, Spyro’s close friend Hunter winds up in a subterranean trap set up by The Sorceress that was meant for Spyro himself to prevent him from collecting any more of the dragon eggs that she desperately wanted to remain untouched. He is then approached by her servant, a magician-in-training named Bianca (To whom he has a developed a liking for over the course of the synopsis), who comes to tell the caged cheetah that the reason the dragons left so many years ago was because it had to do with their wonderful wings. As they began to realize that the obese blue saurian autocrat wanted to clip them off to give her immortality, they had no choice but to find solace in another reality. Linking this information to Spyro 1, we can now go back to viewing the example of confederation as the United States during the era of the Articles of Confederation, trying to recuperate from their religious tension with the monarchy of England and emigrating from there before ultimately deciding to settle in North America and establish a self-governed nation over the course of several decades. In the Spyro continuity, the dragons succeeded in building an autonomous series of societies in the then-vacant Dragon Realms following their disastrous affair with The Sorceress, where they then proceeded to push aside Gnasty Gnorc to the wastelands at some point later in time so they would have enough room to properly establish their footing in this uncharted land.

But sadly, that is not the end of the suspense; when Bianca returns to her master’s throne room, she discovers a dreadful truth she hadn’t been aware of until now. Ever since her henchmen brought the yet-to-hatch eggs back from the Dragon Worlds, The Sorceress hoarded them not because she wanted them to return their magic to the Forgotten Realms once they did hatch, but because she wanted to KILL THEM FOR THEIR WINGS LIKE SHE ATTEMPTED TO DO WITH THE ADULT DRAGONS BEFORE THEY LEFT. What she’s basically telling us is that she plans on committing an act of GENOCIDE ON AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF NEWBORNS in a similar manner to how Hitler promoted the large-scale massacre on an enormous number of Jews during the Holocaust.

With not a pinch of sympathy for anyone but herself by this point, the malevolent indigo monarch has become nothing short of a filthy caricature for the horrors of tyranny and dictatorship. By the way, she didn’t have to kill the newborns at all for that to happen, she just felt the need to do so JUST BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T WANT TO SEE THEM SQUIRMING AROUND IN HER QUARTERS. Prompting a drastic change of heart, Bianca decides to cease working for her master, opting to rescue Hunter from the trap her former supervisor had set up in Evening Lake. Fed up with the treason her lackey recently committed, The Sorceress decides to create an absurdly powerful, bat-winged monster intended to annihilate practically everyone in her opposition (Simply put, that means almost the entire population of the world she governs, plus Spyro and some of the friends he bought along).

Even though Spyro manages to eradicate The Sorceress for good, (Much to the satisfaction of the Forgotten Realms inhabitants) the atrocious myriad of actions she takes during that one game position her as an antagonist who is regarded as a dark villain for a normally light-hearted sugar bowl series like Spyro, thereby leaving an indelible mark on the narrative of that franchise’s continuity. Serving as a harsh critique for the concept of autocracy and its consequences on the people, Spyro: Year of The Dragon uses a surprisingly pathos-inducing series of events that favors a call to action for executive reform, appealing to the wants and needs of the governed rather than the desires and aspirations of the government itself.

Sources:

Kirby Super Star: https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/39dbqi/kirby_super_star_is_a_marxist_critique_of_the/

Confederacy: https://www.reference.com/government-politics/examples-confederate-government-230a5f967d7f24fa

Empire: https://dailyreckoning.com/how-empires-really-work/

Totalitarian State: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qin-dynasty

https://www.reference.com/history/feudalism-ancient-china-8ddd0bf737a29fc5

#spyro reignited trilogy #spyro the dragon #playstation games #i need to post more often #my very first critique #enjoy ur day

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theirvoices-moved-blog · 6 years

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{{ shipping info // answer the following for your muse(s) so people know how shipping works on your blog. }}

repost don’t reblog

WHAT’S YOUR OTP FOR YOUR MUSE?:

Oh man… so, my OTPs vary, depending. Gonna go with my main OTPs: Cherik, Shwatsonlock, Hartmon, Bartley, FrostIron, Arthur/Eames, Bane/Blake, Bane/Barsad, Bane/Blake/Barsad(my main OT3), Cyber Husbands, Fiskley, Feyriel/Viorlath(Moon’s DA OC) and a few others.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO RP WHEN IT COMES TO SHIPPING?:

Pretty much anything, if the chemistry is right. Certain muses have specific requirements, while others are way more open. Any muse on my muse page under the “Demisexual” category (which is also for ace/other muses) are a lot more picky about shipping, and require more of a build-up than most other muses. Though a few homo/bi/pan characters also have other requirements/guidelines. Like… Loki? SUPER easy to sleep with him, but he is primarily aromantic, so romance is a tough one. Or Barsad, who is bisexual/demiromantic; he is widowed and has a hard time imagining himself being with anyone ever again, so romantic shipping would be HELLA slowburn with him. Types of ships I dig: domestic, fluffy, purely sexual, dark/toxic(as long as it’s not romanticized), angst, hurt/comfort(Hartley’s Mutantverse js), platonic and healthy polyships as well! Slowburn is my shiiiit

HOW LARGE DOES THE AGE GAP HAVE TO BE TO MAKE IT UNCOMFORTABLE?:

Mmm… this depends? Loki is old AF, but I will ship him with adult human muses regardless, so it’s hard to put a number on that. I also have muses that prefer older partners? Like Hartley, John Blake, or Warren. There is also JARVIS, who’s android form is generally set at the age of a couple years, max. But he’s an android that has had sentience for a long while, so?? Idk. My only thing is;

NO UNDERAGE SHIPPING AT ALL. Childhood crushes that aren’t acted on until adulthood are fine, but don’t get explicit with children… I don’t care if a muse is 17, they are still a child in the eyes of the law, the Mun, and the muses.

ARE YOU SELECTIVE WHEN SHIPPING?:

Mmmmm… a bit? I am selective in general due to anxiety and my own limitations, but shipping with me takes discussion. Like…. you wanna ship with me? AWESOME, send an IM or an ask. The only pre-established relationship I am generally okay with without discussion or build-up first is either Sherlock Holmes with John Watson, or Charles Xavier with Erik Lehnsherr. And even then, chemistry is a must and if I don’t feel it, I won’t do it.

Some muses are shiplocked (Feyriel with Viorlarth) some are highly selective just based on who they are (Arthur, Wesley, and Barsad, for instance) and some are only open for specific kinds of ships. It’s all very dependent and I am more than happy to discuss a ship regardless, so feel free to hmu!!

HOW FAR DO STEAMY MOMENTS HAVE TO GO BEFORE THEY’RE CONSIDERED NS.FW?

Mmmm… depends. Essentially it’s more mentions of specific physical reactions to arousal or anatomy mentions, usually. Though like with Assassinverse Charles, sometimes NSFW// tag will need to be added simply because hatefucking that starts with beating the shit out of someone can be a bit… much LOL (looking at you @histcrian)

WHO ARE OTHER MUSES YOU SHIP YOUR MUSE WITH?:

I ship so much there is no way I can answer this omfg. I ship with canon, crossover, and OCs, depending on chemistry with muses AND with muns.

DOES ONE HAVE TO ASK TO SHIP WITH YOU?:

Sometimes things just develop naturally, which is fine, but I do prefer to be spoken to about a ship or shippy things before they are tossed at me/my muses. I have two OTPs which are exceptions, but otherwise I feel way more comfortable talking about it? Also cause I have a few NOTPs that are actually pretty popular pairings, so it’s best not to assume. *gestures vaguely*

Basically… please talk to me. I love talking to Muns and getting to know them. Friends are great, and I am way more comfortable shipping with someone’s muses that I can talk to OOC and geek with, y’know?

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LIKE TO SHIP?:

I am weak for shipping, I won’t even lie. I love all sorts of ships, and trying out new, unexpected ships(fuckin’ Vicabod, man) is always super exciting for me. even if the ship goes badly, isn’t it still fun to explore? ♥

ARE YOU SHIP OBSESSED OR SHIP MORE-OR-LESS?:

Lol I am a fucking NERD when it comes to my ships. I literally dream about my OTPs, and will reread RP logs from half a decade ago and sigh wistfully.

ARE YOU MULTISHIP?:

YES. The only muse that is shiplocked/exclusively shipping atm is Feyriel with Viorlath(who will remain so, damnit).

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SHIP IN YOUR CURRENT FANDOM?:

Oh fuck me, there is no way I can answer this for all my goddamn fandoms, but right now? I am really feeling Vicabod, Matt/Tony, HartBurn, Hartmon, Warren/Moon, Alerion/Dorian, and Feyriel/Viorlath

FINALLY, HOW DOES ONE SHIP WITH YOU?:

Message me!! Talk to me!! Send me asks!! Geek out with Mun OOC and shipping will go so much more smoothly, I promise you. tagged by: I stole it tbh

tagging: uhhh idk... everyone?? hey. hey you. do the thing. and tag me, cause I wanna know what other people say about this haha

#long post//#{{ psa }}#{{ mun things }}#saved

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