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logsfm · 3 years

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hey my loves ! i’m mia , 21 from the east coast ! i have not roleplayed in sheeeesh ... like five or six months ? but i am so excited to be here for opening with all of y’all . i spent like all morning trying to weed out this gal logan right here ... she’s a trip , that’s the best overall description i have for ya . anywho , lets get to the actual thing you’re here for her lil intro . also if you wanna mssg on discord here ya go 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐬 𝖜𝖍𝖔𝖗𝖊#7040 .

logan samara-de jaager was spotted in the fashion district adorning air force 1’s university blue , with some airpod pros on . they’re most likely listening to benz i know by kelvyn colt . you may know them as @delogan or as that bella hadid lookalike . their twenty fourth birthday just passed . while living in the upper east side , they’ve gained a bit of a reputation . they’re known to be querulous but on the other hand passionate . wonder if they’ll be the next person to hit the headlines . ( cisfemale / she/her + mia / twenty one / she/her ) + ( “ logan de jaager seen shoving ex in hotel footage during heated argument , not so sweet huh? ” / “ miss de jaager was spotted sneaking into ex beau’s apartment , what could she be up to? ” / “ sweet socialite or greedy trust fund baby ? milan de jaager publicly accuses daughter logan of stealing $1M … ” )

born into the true lap of luxury . the daughter of real estate magnate & high - profile attorney milan de jaager and his wife , british born socialite lana samara . the two of them held high favor within the 1% but were also able to find a perfect balance . they did a great job of separating personal life from the tabloids . it was rare to really know the happenings of their day to day . they had this particular kind of mystery to them , if you will .

it wasn’t long before lana began to instill the very same rhetoric she received as a child into her own . quality over quantity , was the motto . just not in the way you’d assume . the quality at which a de jaager presented themselves to you was much more important than than quantity of time you spent with them . looks ? they’re everything , in the de jaager household . time was simply a societal construct implemented to catch you on a bad day , for that very line of thinking they embodied being late . rushing out of the house to finish your make up in the car ? a literal sin in the eyes of her mother .

she was encouraged to take part in ballet and beauty pageants growing up . anything that could showcase how beautiful their daughter was lana and milan were on board for . personally logan hated ballet but she couldn’t deny she loved the applause the night of a showcase . she also couldn’t stand pageants but loved having all eyes on her as she went on stage .

it became quite clear as the years went on that her parents were much more like close friends to their daughter than like rule - instilling guardians . she would text them to dismiss her from school , get them to buy her & her friends alcohol for sleepovers / parties , was very much so that kid who got high with her parents . really anything you could do with your friends ? was fair game with logan & her folks .

at sixteen a friend of her moms who was going to be a designer for spring fashion week that year asked if logan would want to walk for him . she was quick to accept the offer and before she knew it she had multiple offers to walk in that years fall fashion weeks , because of how easy it came to her - though , she’s the first to admit she never really took modeling all that seriously .

it was just a year later that her way of life changed drastically , logan and her twin brother had been caught by paparazzi on a friends boat in the hamptons snorting a white substance , anyone with eyes knew exactly what the group of teenagers were doing . upon returning home the two received the crackdown of the century . their once friendly parents turned to strict jail like guardians . often reminded that they put the families reputation at stake . the pressure to be perfect was something logan had never had to deal with until now & she almost cracked under the pressure at every turn .

it wasn’t until she left for college that she was finally given some room to breathe , attending the university of florida was the best choice for what logan truly wanted to do with her life - become a sports analyst . growing up she was infatuated with sports & and would have been involved in much more than just cheerleading had her mom allowed for her to get so much as a speck of dirt on her . during her time in florida the paparazzi seemed to find her more often than not , something her parents often denounced both over the phone & in public . the longer she spent away from the upper east side the more she became america’s sweetheart & simultaneously a thorn in her parents side . she graduated from university in 2018 , only returning back to new york for the sake of work . she’d been offered a reporting job with espn , on top of taking up modeling gigs here & there when ever she felt necessary .

personality …

one thing is very true about the de jaager’s & is very much so the same for logan ; she is not to be trusted . she can be extremely charming when she wants to be . she could sell a bag of rocks to a beach & get a princess to sell her sole to sex work . she knows exactly what people want to hear & when they want to hear it and has no qualms about lying straight to someone’s face if it means she gets something out of it . in fact sometimes , she might lie to your face just for the sheer fun of being able to call you gullible .

she’s very much so a spoiled brat although she hates when anyone call her one , she feels like she has more layers to her than that broad term . hand in hand with that is her drama queen like tendencies , any situation were there is a simple solution she will find a way to blow vastly out of portion .

due to her mother’s heavy influence growing up , she can be rather vein & materialistic . catch her like “ i can’t date a garbage person ” to someone simply because they’re not as rich or known enough for her liking .

it’s rare that you’ll ever see her jump out of character . she’s very calculated & aware of who she is ( or who she needs to seem like ) so if you ever see her emotions getting the better of her , you’ve really broken her .

she’s the type to dabble in a little bit of anything ? she’s a rich nyc party girl who’s been partying well before anyone should have allowed her to so she’s done it all . you’d be kidding yourself to think you could surprise / scare logan on a wild night out .

she’s quick & creative with her sense of humor . she has both a crude / dry sense of humor , as well , and really just doesn’t find goofy things to be funny but more or less embarrassing ( so if she ever tells you you’re goofy , remember it’s not a compliment ) .

her upbringing & parents sentiment on tabloids once reflected massively on logan , but now she couldn’t quite care less about it all . after all she spends hours in front of cameras on a regular basis for work . although she does tend to shy away from people who she deems are hungry for fame or attention . she’s been used in the past for fame & will never let it happen again , plus she’s the type to lap up attention so she likes to have as little fame whores around her as possible , more shine for her .

when she isn’t being a total nightmare though she’s actually really fun to be around ? she’s playful & loves to keep the party alive . often can be found claiming “ i’m high on life ” although everyone saw the pictures , logan , we know what you’re really high on , girl .

very chatty girl , too . victim of foot - in - mouth syndrome , big time . she doesn’t try to be disloyal & spill people’s secrets ( or does she ? ) but she can’t help herself . if she has piping hot tea she’s gonna spill it because she doesn’t wanna burn herself .

very observant girl , who loves to people watch but her observations can sometimes get muddled when she starts judging people a little too hardcore .

she’s also a undercover couch potato & by that i mean if you give her an option to go out & do something she’ll never outwardly choose to stay home to watch netflix and snuggle up under the blankets but secretly she’s hoping & praying she gets a chance to do so .

plots ...

END THIS ( L.O.V.E ) / her first love . these two brought the absolute worst out of one another . they messed her up so much that she has a weird perspective on what love between two s/o’s should even feel like now . maybe they had another s/o at the same time as her & kinda just strung her on & when it came out were able to lie so much to her that she believed them . idk , in truth we could really plot something completely different as to what they did & inevitably what the breaking point was . maybe they broke up with her & had they not ended it maybe she would’ve still been okay with being in the relationship . idk i just feel like this one could be fun as hell . also they’d be the one whom she was caught arguing with in one of her headlines . ( 0 / 1 )

AFTER PARTY / this is a more reckless take of party buddies . im envisioning a group of people who when the parties over they all pull up to close by gulf course , indulge even more in their choices of substance , there is a naked gulf tournament going on , there are drunks driving golf carts , swerving and pouring bacardi all over the course . running from security when they pop up . it’s tradition at this point & if someone doesn’t come it’s almost disrespectful at this point . idk i just love the thought of this kinda vibe . ( 2 / ? )

SECRETS / okay so this one is messy . basically logan was very private for most of her life ( thanks mom & dad ) and during the early stages of highschool she lied to everyone saying she was a virgin . she told each one of these individuals that they were her first whether it be to make them fall for her “ innocence ” , want to chase after her , or whatever else we might be able to plot out . inevitably they compare notes at some point and find out that she’d been lying to them all . we can plot out how they confronted her i feel like we could make this real dramatic though . this would also be a backstory plot so , we can also plot out how things have transpired since for them . ( 0 / 3 or 4 )

BEST FRIEND / these two girls take best friends to the next level . they relate to one another on every level and are there for one another at all times . there is never a moment where they are competing with one another because they know that their #1 in there respective category . they are one another’s ultimate hype beasts . they truly embody chaotic goddess vibes . it’s like they were placed on this earth simply to be friends because they compliment one another that well . ( 0 / 1 )

LETS FALL IN LOVE FOR THE NIGHT / they are the one that’s there whenever she’s down . they have the ability to make her feel like they have some sort of old love whenever she’s around them . those feelings only last for the night though . they enjoy when she rambles on about sports or the novel she just recently read or really just anything she enjoys can put a smile on their face . they know better than to ever confuse what is going on between them though , they know that she’ll never be theirs . whether they’re okay with this or not we can definitely plot out . ( 0 / 1 )

MOANA / they are not a fan of logan . they see her for what she is : an attention seeking , spoiled brat and the fact that they don’t want anything to do with her makes her want them all the more . when they finally slept with her it was only to prove a point to her s/o at the time , to prove that she’s not the sweet girlfriend she claimed to be . basically they’re the person who outed her for being a ho ho ho but despite knowing that they outed her for that she still tries to hook up with them because they were the best she ever had . they often turn her down but after a while not even they can deny that they’re attracted to her . they still don’t fuck with her though . also i think it’d be cool if their were two of them & maybe they worked together to out her to her s/o that didn’t believe she was a cheater ( 0 / 2 ) also bring the s/o that they outed her to ( 0 / 1 )

ELEVEN / the type of relationship that is stuck in the grey area . they’re more than friends but they don’t necessarily admit to having feelings for one another . honestly they probably don’t even think they have feelings for one another . it’s a weird dynamic . they spend the most of their time together late at night . there meeting time ? 11pm . they go on wild joy rides to the beach . heads out of the sun roof as they let out a loud woo . the only thing accompanying them is a big bag of weed . sometimes they have deep talks , honestly they probably know more about one another than anyone else ? because of these adventurous of theirs . when they aren’t having deep talks they’re running across the beach aimlessly & rolling around in the sand with one another . it’s really just a very pure plot that i need in my life . ( 0 / 1 )

TRUST NOBODY / this is someone who used logan for fame / attention . they either became close friends or even started dating & they used everything they learned about her or what went on between them to relay back to a tabloid / would call paparazzi to come and take pictures of them together whenever they’d go out . ( 0 / 1 )

some other plot ideas i’d love to see : x , x , x , x , x , x , x , x , x , x , x .

#wealthyhq:intro #hellurrrr *

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cardentist · 5 years

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I’ve been seeing people ask about the age gap between moomin and snufkin for a little while now, with some people going so far as to label it pedophilia outright. I responded to someone asking about it politely recently and I think I went over it in enough detail and with enough sources that making it it’s own post could do some good.

that said, that’ll only work if people are actually able to see it in the tags, which won’t happen if tumblr knows that there are links. so to get around that I’m going to put parenthesis around the dots in all of the links and bold them, like this: staff (.) tumblr (.) com if you want to get around that then my original response is here: cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/185261475458

but alright, here we go first off, snufkin is canonically younger than little my ! from the official moomin website: Snufkin is Little My’s younger half brother – Little My is older than Moomintroll, Sniff and Snufkin, whose parents only meet each other when Little My is already born. moomin (.) com/en/blog/snufkins-family-tree/ with that in mind, I don’t see many people question whether little my is on the same footing as moomin emotionally (even though she’s the most likely to be significantly older than moomin jdlksj) so it's strange that people do it for snufkin

as for snufkin’s age in relation to moomintroll there are a few things to consider first being snufkin’s backstory that’s revealed in moominpappa’s memoirs, that being that his father (the joxter) met his mother (the mymble) around the same time that moominpappa met moominmamma and sniff’s parents (the muddler and the fuzzy) met, with little my having already been born this already makes it far more likely that snufkin is around the same age as moomin, but that’s further hammered home by how snufkin is portrayed and treated in the novel itself. he’s very much on equal footing with the other kids in behavior and is actively treated the same as the other kids by moominpappa, he even refers to snufkin that way ! he’s also very much so engrossed with the joxter, taking pride in the similarities between him and his dad, insisting that moominpappa only tell him the truth about the joxter, and occasionally referring to the joxter as his “daddy,” all of which are pretty heavily coded as being childish, or at the very least as not being as jaded as an adult in his position might be I’m sending the screenshots as links for size conservation: imgur (.) com/RD8xCWz imgur (.) com/LJYmo58 imgur (.) com/lerDoUA

overall it’s pretty clear that snufkin is being put on the same level as moomin and the rest of his friends by moominpappa, and snufkin himself views moominpappa and joxter as adult figures

the second thing to consider is that ! snufkin’s relationship with moomin would be, Really Really Weird if there was a significant age gap, even when viewed platonically. and I mean this both from the perspective of us observing it from the outside and from the adults in universe not having any qualms with it

for instance, the first winter after moomin and snufkin met they hibernated together, with moomin’s room even being officially recognized as also being snufkin’s room !

moreover, they’ve outright slept in the same bed together in the 90s anime during a sleepover

the moomins are an absurdly nice and welcoming family, but letting a grown adult man sleep next to their child for three months after they’ve only just met him this summer is a bit much even for them fjksld

it’s also worth noting that it’s made clear that their relationship is just as important to snufkin as it is to moomin. they both view each other as their best friends, which would be weird for a child to feel about an adult but just, Way Too Uncomfortable for an adult to feel about a child. the fact that snufkin relies on moomin just as much as moomin relies on snufkin is more or less the lesson he learns in moominvalley in november kjflsd, which there’s an excellent analysis of here: milky-red (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184933769573

then there’s also the spring tune, which I’ll admit I’m more familiar with the 2019 adaptation than the original, but they both exist somewhere along the extended moomin canon so fkljsd it’s more or less all about snufkin’s need to be alone vs his need to be with other people, or more specifically with moomintroll. while he doesn’t outright acknowledge it, not yet, his need to be with moomintroll is just that, it’s become a part of his nature just like his need to wander and his need for solitude, and one that he’s trying to come to terms with

in the 2019 adaptation snufkin outright hallucinated moomin telling him that it was okay that he wasn’t ready to come back yet, all while holding snowdrops, flowers that snorkmaiden would later tell moomintroll “herald the return of loved ones” while the 2019 version definitely leans into snufkin being more outwardly emotional, it’s also worth noting that the part of the novel this scene is referencing is well, I mean look at it kjfsld

and then of course the argument with teety-woo the 2019 adaptation puts a lot of emphasis on snufkin being physically uncomfortable around teety-woo, uncomfortable with having company at all and with how forward they are. this is especially notable as it’s something that comes up later in snufkin and the park keeper, where he ditches moomin at a party and then has to take time for himself. both because he needs to cool off after being overstimulated/overwhelmed at the party and because he very actively feels guilty over leaving moomin, though he doesn’t admit that fact outright. this is especially driven home when moomin comes up with the plan to break snufkin out of jail, as when he chooses a punishment for snufkin we’re shown a flashback to the party and snufkin says “I suppose it’s all I really deserve.” he not only thinks that moomin is punishing him for leaving him but actively accepts that it’s his fault for needing to leave him, or perhaps just for leaving without saying anything

with that in mind, it’s especially worth noting that snufkin’s lines about being able to go back to moominvalley whenever he wants and that maybe he won’t go back at all are lead up to by teety-woo riling snufkin up by invading his space and ignoring his body language to the point of very genuinely upsetting snufkin, and then is punctuated by teety-woo bringing up that it would hurt moomintroll. and when the argument has wound down and he’s come back out to play for teety-woo and sees that they’re gone it’s pretty obvious from his tone and facial expression that he regrets snapping at them, most likely feeling that he’s driven them away

this is then followed by snufkin feeling physically ill from loneliness, him desperately looking for teety-woo, and the nightmare sequence. which, is very explicitly about his fear of being both forgotten and replaced, not just in moominvalley but by moomin specifically the scene even goes so far as to have snufkin abandon his harmonica, his very excuse for not having gone back to the valley in the first place

while he’s afraid of losing his nature, of losing his freedom, the idea of moomin pulling away from him scares him even more.

moomin is an incredibly important part of snufkin’s life, one that he’s had to learn how to tailor his previous lifestyle around. one that he finds worth changing how he lives his life over. while it’s certainly not entirely out of the ordinary for an adult to have some kind of positive relationship with a child, enjoying their company and enjoying acting as a mentor, for an adult to emotionally rely this heavily on a child would just be, inappropriate and unhealthy for both parties

none of this even getting into the fact that their relationship is pretty heavily queer coded ! I, would probably go on for far far too long and there’s more that I wanna get into (and the links themselves are gonna take up more than enough room) so here’s links to references and analysis of a queer reading for these characters both in and out of universe ! moomin (.) com/en/blog/who-inspired-tove-when-creating-snufkin/ cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184309504683 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184352468223 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184529809803 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184126897018 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184305305518 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/185023635288 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/18424873269 jamiewoolleyart (.) tumblr (.) com/post/185073023200 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/185066154973 cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/185199096163 I don’t think I need to go over why an age gap between these two would be uncomfortable under the lens of them being queer coded. though with that in mind, it’s worth noting that snorkmaiden has been depicted as thinking that snufkin is cute or flirting with him in both the comics and the 1990s anime cardentist (.) tumblr (.) com/post/184569294298 imgur (.) com/7EDJ9Rt

the anime has more leeway in that snufkin is more or less just playing along while she’s having memory issues, it wouldn’t be too strange if snufkin were older than snorkmaiden here. but in the comic snufkin blushing and being “wooed” is the Punchline. the comics are more adult sure, but I don’t think tove would just casually make jokes about pedophilia

thirdly, I think that ultimately snufkin only comes off as more worldly because his upbringing was so dramatically different from moomin’s ! all we know for sure about his past is that he was abandoned when he was very small, so small that he didn’t have any memories of the mymble or his other siblings

it’s possible that he was raised by somebody for a short time, but it’s never mentioned in canon and he certainly wasn’t raised there for long. snufkin had to grow up faster than moomin did simply for the fact that he had no one to take care of him, and his worldliness stems from having more life experience than someone his age usually would and from independence being both a need for his survival and ultimately something he didn’t get to choose for himself at the start, even if it’s what he wanted for himself later

and ! for my final point ! the ages for the moomin characters, while generally consistent with their relationships to each other, are not set in stone. they’re heavily implied to be different depending on which versions you look at, both between adaptations and between the novels and comics and sometimes the novels themselves. tove played around with canon as she pleased jfklsd

the comics especially have no qualms showing moomintroll smoking and drinking, getting in fights over snorkmaiden’s hand, and just overall being more adult, which isn’t too shocking since the comics were more adult oriented, as I mentioned earlier

moreover ! it’s more or less canon that moomin is outright an adult in moominvalley 2019, as the team has said that this version of moomin was supposed to be older, he’s very much so voiced by an adult who is using an adult voice, and he outright calls himself an adult moomin in the show !

so it’s very likely that moomin is, at the very least, a late teenager to young adult in much of canon, with snufkin being close in age

feel free to add onto this with more analysis and sources if you have them and the time !

#snufkin #moomin #moomintroll #moominvalley #moominvalley 2019 #moomins #meta #long post #very long post #I'm so sorry followers jksldf

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ice-cream-nekogirl · 4 years

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Amy Martinez (Character Sheet TV Tropes Style) U-Y

Uncanny Valley Girl: Has the appearance of a conventionally cute and upbeat school girl... who’s killed at least fifteen people to date, knows how to manipulate people and can display a callous, cheerfully psychotic side whenever she’s crossed.

Undying Loyalty: To her Coven, as they took her in after her parent’s death when Hero Society felt unable to and despite the atrocities and horrors she’s witnessed she’s fiercely protective and devoted to her coven and even sets out back to Japan to connect both the world of Witches and Heroes together so her kind wouldn’t be ostracized or demonized anymore.

Unstoppable Rage: After the culture festival, she goes into one of these and beats her teachers and Midoriya when they attempt to stop her. She’s only stopped when Midoriya starts crying and when Shinsou gives her a sad look and gently talks her down, followed by Cordelia.

Used To Be a Sweet Kid: Amy’s certainly still capable of being sweet, but she used to be a relatively stable, genuinely happy child who had yet to do anything horrible. In fact, the worst thing she did as a child was steal a bouncehouse so that way Shinsou could have one for his birthday party. In modern times, while she’s gradually improved and her sanity has strengthened, she’s still a troublemaker who performs much more lethal pranks and still participates in murder.

Violently Protective Girlfriend: She knows that Bakugo can take care of himself, but doesn’t stand for Madison taunting him, and beats the HELL out of two other witches who attack and threaten him.

Amy: Get the fuck away from my Katsuki you bitches!

Vitriolic Best Buds: With Midoriya and Iida mostly. She and Midoriya’s relationship was strained for a time during their first year in UA but slowly started to patch up over the course and while Amy still likes to tease Midoriya, he holds no ill will towards her and they have managed to rebuild their friendship and Amy still adores him despite everything.

She and Iida bicker nearly every single day and Amy pranks him constantly and gives him a hard time every chance she gets, but Iida still cares about Amy and looks after her, and Amy secretly appreciates him, respects him and cares about him enough to adhere to him at times.

Weak But Skilled: Amy’s an EXTREMELY gifted witch and knows how to use her powers and spells very well, but isn’t the most physically powerful girl nor is she as skilled in combat as others are.

We Want Our Jerk Back: Inverted, Amy’s always been something of a jerk but was still a cheerful, supportive and comical friend to her class, but when she leaves the class notes that it didn’t feel right without her and missed her immature sense of humor.

Also shown in the Internship arc where Amy does briefly return to intern with Endeavor along with Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki, only she’s apathetic, bored and downright emotionless and the three boys each make at least one attempt to see if a glimpse of her old self is still in there. With Bakugo outright demanding her to crack a smile or at least laugh or giggle as she always used to in the time he’s known her.

Weight Woe: Despite what she preaches about body positivity, Amy is actually very self-conscious about her weight which is why she wears considerably more conservative and modest clothing compared to her other female friends. Doesn’t help that she gains weight easily and can even fall into a depression when it becomes very apparent.

What The Hell Hero?: Midoriya gives her one of these when she acts callously after she and Bakugo are rescued and later during the Culture Festival where Amy refuses to partake in their class dance out of spite towards him. Amy later starts to give herself these when she realizes that she’s gone too far, particularly in having the intent of seriously harming Midoriya during a fight she wins.

Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?: Amy doesn’t have much phobias, but she IS afraid of seagulls for some reason, calling them the ‘devil’. She’s also terrified of cockroaches, centipedes and holes.

Wicked Witch: She at times acts like this, mostly just to troll her friends and scare them even though she DOES have some of the habits such as the evil cackle, penchant cats and wearing black and even lives in a mansion just outside the city.

Wife Basher-Basher: Amy doesn’t hesitate to threaten to personally murder and torture Endeavor if he ever raises a hand to Todoroki, his mother or any of his children again.

Wild Card: Amy’s on neither the heroes side or the villains side, but she IS on her coven’s side which means she does as she pleases, shows no obligation to UA or Hero Society and is there primarily for Shinsou’s sake and for the sake of battling other people to show off her powers. This becomes subverted when she develops strong friendships with her classmates, falls in love with Bakugo and makes friends with her classmates, especially Ashlen.

Witch Hunt: Was the victim of one even in Japan as witch hunters broke into her house, destroyed her home, killed her dog, burnt her mother to the stake and lynched her father. She was nearly burnt to the stake herself only for the Pro-Heroes to save her, but because they weren’t willing to care for her with the risk of other witch hunters infiltrating their society as well, Amy was forced to move to America with other witches, but the hunt didn’t stop there as her godmother’s husband was a witch hunter who nearly killed her and her other sisters until they were all killed by the Axemen. Amy states that witch hunters still exist and while the war may never end, that she and her sisters fight back more.

Woman In Black: Just like her sisters, Amy loves to wear black and adorns an all-black Hero Costume.

Woman Scorned: After Amy confesses that she’s in love with Midoriya, he doesn’t think she’s being serious and instead scolds her for her lack of cooperation in the Culture Festival and overall fluctuating attitude. Which leads to a big argument but when he calls her selfish and cruel, Amy completely loses it and challenges him to a fight out of nowhere, in which she lashes out her anger at him by beating him and spewing her now negative feelings towards him as she wins the fight. She gets over this thank goodness but it’s still something she’s not proud of.

Whenever Bakugo breaks up with her, she’s aggressive and cold to him and on worse days she’ll attack him with her telekinesis.

Women Are Wiser: Generally averted as Amy’s actually the least mature girl in Class A, but can display common sense when it’s needed.

Woobie, Destroyer Of Worlds: Amy might be a crazy, spiteful and wicked girl, but was forced to abandoned her best and only friend, including said best friend’s family who loved her like a daughter, and she felt rejected by her own society when they gave her away to strangers, didn’t even bother to check on her even though these strangers ended up indirectly exposing her to even more horrors that further traumatized her the point where she suffered nightmares, bullying from eve other witches and has contemplated suicide.

Would Hurt a Child: Implied but never shown. Amy notes that with children having superpowers now, that there’s not many lines to cross since their powers can be used to fight back and has no qualms roughing up younger kids should they piss her off.

Inverted also, Amy has no problems killing adults, nor did she have any issue in beating the shit out of her own teacher.

But also Averted. Despite Amy claiming that she will hit a child should they piss her off, she’s never actually done it. In fact, even when she disliked Eri, she did absolutely nothing to (physically) harm the girl because she said she’s “not a monster” and couldn’t do anything like that to her.

However, she DOES hit a younger witch of 10 when she kicks her in the groin and Amy pays back the favor by punching her in the stomach.

Yandere: She beats the tar out of Midoriya when he accidentally spurns her feelings for him, attacks Uraraka via telekinesis in a fit of jealousy, treats Eri coldly out of jealousy due to Aizawa offering her care and also beats the tar out of him too for not stepping in to take care of her when she lost her family.

In a moment much more Played For Laughs, she threatens and shouts at Bakugo for dumping her for the first time and says that she’ll murder him in his sleep before he thinks he can get away with it. However, Amy DOES relapse into insanity when she thinks that Bakugo doesn’t love her.

Yaoi Fangirl: It’s much less to do with the fetish and more to do with Amy being extremely passionate about gay rights as she squeals whenever she sees a healthy gay couple between two men and was more than happy to help John Henry Moore into getting out there to start dating men again.

Then there’s the fact that she’s written erotic fanfiction about her own friends (much like Tina Belcher) and reveals that she ships Bakugo and Todoroki, Bakugo and Kirishima, Kaminari and Bakugo, Kaminari and Sero, Tokoyami and Shouji, Tokoyami and Kouda, Shinsou and Tokoyami, Midoriya and Kirishima and Shinsou and Monoma and even Shinsou and Kaminari.

You Are Better Than You Think You Are: To her shame, Amy tends to be uplifted when people reassure her, especially from Shinsou, Ashlen and Cordelia. Shinsou often reassures her whenever she thinks she doesn’t belong in Hero Society, and Cordelia gladly tells her that despite what her society did to her, that the coven wouldn’t be complete without her and her sensitive heart. And then Ashlen comes into the picture and appears to love her for all her flaws, as she embraces her imperfections and tells her that she wouldn’t be her best friend if she weren’t the way she is.

You Can’t Go Home Again: After her parents are killed by witch hunters who infiltrated Japan the pro-heroes were unwilling and unable to watch over and care the young witch, which urges Aizawa to call the coven from New Orleans. And when Cordelia, Fiona and Myrtle arrive to retrieve her and take her to Robichaux Academy, a safe haven in New Orleans, America for young witches such as herself to be her new home. However, they also tell her that she won’t be able to return to her former life in Japan and can’t stay in any contact with Shinsou and his family for not just Amy’s protection but for Shinsou’s protection as well. Thankfully she IS able to return to Japan, but only as she got older and witches being outed to the world which encouraged Hero Society to be more accepting of witches.

You Got Spunk: She goes with Midoriya, Bakugo and Todoroki during the Winter internship with Endeavor and because Amy has no filter with the pro-hero, openly disrespects him to the point of threatening him, he is partially amused but impressed by how ballsy she is.

Endeavor: This brat has hellfire in her...

You Never Did That For Me: The minute Amy finds out about Eri’s existence, she’s initially sympathetic... until she hears that the pro-heroes are going to take care of her and that UA is going to adopt her and place her into a more caring environment with responsible adults and older kids who look after her. As it all sinks in, Amy realizes and calls them out for taking in a girl with unstable powers, but didn’t do the same thing for her at all even though she was also a girl with unstable powers, and that instead they gave her away to strangers who did a less than stellar job and her ‘guardians’ exposed her to even more trauma. This is what triggers her into attacking and injuring Midoriya and Aizawa, and then leaving UA for 2 whole months out of anger and hurt.

You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry: No... you really wouldn’t. Amy even says this word for word at times, or just outright warning others to ‘get the fuck out’ or else she’ll ‘get angry’ and she normally lives up to her warnings as when truly angry, Amy’s powers cause things around her to break and the building to tremble if she’s really pissed off.

Yuri Fangirl: Much like it’s stated above, Amy also grows very excited and happy when she sees a healthy lesbian couple and also likes to pair her friend Mallory with Coco due to their strong friendship. Amy also adores the Steven Universe cartoon because of the prevalent lesbian relationships in it, and was disappointed when she found out Yuri! On Ice didn’t have actual yuri.

#amy martinez #tv tropes #american horror story #american horror story coven #ahs coven #bnha #mha #bnha oc #mha oc #boku no hero academia oc #my hero academia oc #ahs crossover #mha crossover #original character

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belizedeservesbetter · 4 years

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The Worst Kind of After School Special

The hand on the playbill is choking all life out of Jagged Little Pill

There’s a lot going on in this musical so trying to figure out where to start with this is going to be as messy as this show.

You know what? We’ll start with what I liked. Get those small bits and pieces out of the way.

Alanis Morrissette is an absolutely incredible singer/songwriter and has written albums worth of amazing music that is highly specific to her life and yet feels highly specific to our own. Her songs are infused with a beautiful brand of theatricality that made me surprised she hasn’t lent them to the medium before now. That being said, of course the songs in the show are great. They’re from Jagged Little Pill! The orchestrations as well were super solid. I really trust Tom Kitt with these kinds of things, especially after the master orchestration he did with American Idiot.

Lauren Patten is just as good as everyone says she is. While I had some issues with her character (will discuss this later) I loved seeing Patten get a chance to shine. I really enjoyed her performance in last year’s Days of Rage and thought she was even better in this. Her performance felt so full and rich and completely vulnerable. Of course her rendition of “You Oughta Know” is completely awesome, and the way she started off the song completely calm and composed while already belting out the notes was really lovely to see.

There was only one characters I really truly loved and that was Mary Jane Healy, as played spectacularly by Elizabeth Stanley. Everything MJ did was far more interesting than literally anything else on that stage. Her story was interesting, fresh and unique. It felt the most honest of the plot lines by far. I was so interested in everything that happened to her and her husband Steve (an underutilized Sean Allan Krill) and yet the show quickly glossed by all of their most uncomfortable moments in favor the far less interesting high school aged characters. Stanley was truly incredible and I loved every second she was onstage. Her “Smiling” and “Unforgiven” were truly the highlights of the show.

Occasionally there was some interesting staging, one of them being this cool spinning in chairs moment during “Ironic,” which should have involved main characters Frankie and Phoenix but was instead used with an unnamed teacher character who was in exactly one (1) scene. The spinning swing set for “Head Over Feet” was also cute, if not a little precarious. I was worried Antonio Cipriano was going to topple off of it the whole time. (Side Note: He’s listed on the website as Ensemble but he definitely had a named character) The staging of “Smiling” was super cool and was the one moment in the show where I thought Diane Paulus was going to do something really incredible. I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s a really cool moment.

Alas.

Diane Paulus really can’t stage new musicals. All of her revivals are divine but there’s something about new material that just doesn’t work quite right. She throws a lot at the wall, and only some of it sticks. It felt very haphazardly directed, with a bunch of different stylistic things happening that didn’t go together. She had time to see what worked/didn’t at the out of town tryout and still chose not to make the show cohesive, which is disappointing.

However, my biggest problem with the show is the show itself. It’s messy, introduces a million different plots and characters and resolves very little. Because of this, characters were paper thin and I didn’t feel like I knew any of them besides one or two little facts. This led to me honestly not caring that much about 90% of those characters.

The primary example of this is the brother character played by Derek Klena. His name is Nick, but I had to look that up to make sure because for the life of me I had no idea who his character was. I knew he was Derek Klena, so whenever he was on stage my brain went “Oh there’s Derek Klena.” He’s perfectly fine in the show, but not only is he barely in it, he has absolutely nothing to do. I don’t really know much about his character besides “Harvard” and he very, very easily could have been taken out. Nothing about the plot would have changed. Actually, this would have given us a better opportunity to dive deeper into the other characters, who, even though we still didn’t know, affected the plot in a more prominent way.

Jo is an interesting character in that she’s one of the best performances in the show and has some of the best lines, but altogether only affects one plot point and is forced into doing so. Let me explain. “You Oughta Know” is the third best moment in the show, but it is entirely dependent on Jo previously breaking and entering into Frankie’s house, finding something out she shouldn’t have, and then ending up in NYC because the plot said she had to. The song should’ve been moved up to either the beginning of Act Two or the very end of Act One, because as of now it kind of comes out of nowhere. Anyways, I feel like if Lauren Patten wasn’t as good as she is, Jo would’ve ended up on the cutting room floor somewhere.

I had this problem with a lot of the characters, actually, just about all of them. Everyone was extremely half-baked.

First of all, there’s The Frankie Problem. Frankie is an activist and adopted and bisexual. That’s all we know about her. Does she like anything? What cause specifically motivates her? She’s an activist in the most generic term. Helen Shaw from Vulture wrote something really good about Frankie’s character, which, to sum it up, basically said Frankie is super self-important and annoying but she’s not supposed to be. We’re supposed to love Frankie, but I really didn’t like her at all. Also, nothing she does makes sense. She picks a fight with literally everyone over every single thing. Likewise, SPOILER, she cheats on her girlfriend/friend/it’s-complicated-because-it’s-never-explained relationship with Jo and fights with her mother MJ and just runs away to New York and makes a situation about a character named Bella allllll about her because she can. I wanted to know what Frankie cared about. You can say “activism!” but what specifically. Most activists have a very specific cause they especially champion, but I didn’t know what that was for Frankie. She seemingly cared about everything, but she mostly cared about herself.

This leads to the The Frankie and Phoenix Problem. This is also SPOILERS but Frankie falls very in love with Phoenix very fast and as soon as she sleeps with him for the first time she tells him she loves him, and, then, when he can’t say it back, she says this whole self-important thing about being impossible to love. However! Right before he was telling her how he was busy because he was trying to help with his sick sister! We also know extraordinarily little about Phoenix, and he kind of comes out of nowhere, so it’s tough to root for him when we’ve already had “Hand in my Pocket” to establish the Frankie and Jo connection.

On the plus side, Celia Rose Gooding, who plays Frankie, is wonderful and I look forward to seeing what she does in the future.

I really don’t know how to approach Bella’s character, because the show clearly didn’t either. This is a big spoiler, but she is raped at a party and one of the many plots of the show is about this. However, she isn’t really in the show all that much. We have no idea who she is. She’s friends with Nick, but not very. She eerily appears in the light sometimes around MJ and she has one scene with MJ, but how much they try to tie these two characters doesn’t work. I wish Bella was a character we knew more. I almost wish she was Jo, or even Frankie. If we look at the characters as tiers, with MJ and Frankie being Tier 1, Jo, Nick and Steve being Tier 2, she would be on Tier 3, along with Andrew (???) and Phoenix. She is The Girl Who Was Raped, which was actually kind of offensive.

As for the rape scene itself, they do show it in flashback. That is something you should know going into the show. It was not handled well. Also, the person who raped her (I think his name was Andrew??) is in the show for exactly two minutes. I actually thought a different character had raped her because we have no idea who anyone is.

So that’s all my story qualms.

The show utilizes this dance chorus that is absolutely obnoxious and distracting and takes away from literally every scene. They come in out of nowhere and make every single song (literally!!) a big song and dance production number, which greatly took away from the story. Every time I saw them start to dance into the scene I internally was like “wait no! stay away!”

I mean it when I say

every

single

song

was a huge production number. And we didn’t need it! It actually took away from the emotional impact they were supposed to have! Likewise, there was only one solo in the entire show! Every single other song was shared between multiple characters. I think they did this because they had too many characters and had to give everyone something to do but every time it happened, the main character singing it lost some of their needed emotional impact.

If I had my way, I would cut the ensemble in half and only use them in half the songs. The dancing was far too much and it made the story messy and it made the stage far too busy. It wasn’t even that good either. There were some nice moments, but overall it didn’t work. It was distracting and dare I say it bad.

At the end of the day, the show was “woke” for the sake of being woke. It wanted so badly to say something that it ended up saying nothing. To be honest, the amount of “wokeness” felt performative and not genuine in the slightest. It felt like an after school special in the worst kind of way. The teens weren’t people but caricatures of teenagers.

I really wanted to like Jagged Little Pill. I love writer Diablo Cody and I love Alanis Morrissette. This should have been amazing, but instead it fell flat. A show that should have been filled with life felt like a well structured after school television special. And All I Really Want(ed) was something with more grit

#jagged little pill #i really wanted to like this show and yet #lauren patten #broadway #review

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thesecundus-blog · 5 years

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Character Analysis/Bio

Name: Mello (Mihael Keehl) Age: 20

Personality:

From a young age, Mello has been conditioned to win, which has served to shape the majority of his overall demeanor. Groomed to succeed L, the world’s top three detectives, Mello has known competition since he was young and carries it with him in everything he does. Life is a game and the world is his playground; he will willingly destroy everything in his way in his effort to be number one. Paired with an inferiority complex that is brought to light when he states that no matter what he does, he always comes in second to his primary rival, this leads him to make overblown, extreme decisions in his quest to accomplish a goal.

Highly intelligent, he has the ability to deduce and predict his opposition’s thought-process and form his own plan of attack accordingly. While his brilliance was originally intended to be utilized for noble purposes, he instead chose to exploit it in order to rise to a high rank of a criminal enterprise. His intelligence shows in his ability to form successful plans and bring them to conclusion, as referenced by one of the mafia members with whom he associates when the man asks his comrades rhetorically whether Mello has ever been wrong in the short time he worked with them. Another area where he is knowledgeable is literature, as when telling the story of Beyond Birthday—the failed successor who went on to defy L—he quotes Holden Caulfield and refers to him as, “One of history’s most famous literary bullshitters.” Given that he was second in line to succeed a genius, it would be safe to assume that his intellect is extraordinary. His reference to Caulfield and the flippant comment that followed is a clue that at some point, he immersed himself in literature to the point of becoming a bit of a well-versed critic.

Before the explosion that destroyed his hideout and wiped out his crew, Mello appears to practice self-preservation through delegation, a primary aspect of his personality denoting selfishness. The duties he imparts on others range from kidnapping the Japanese chief of police’s daughter (who was also Kira’s sister), having underlings seal a deal with a death god—sacrificing half of their lifespan—in order to gain the ability to see his enemy’s names and subsequently write their names in the notebook to simple tasks ranging as low as holding a mobile phone to his ear. In order to win, he has to be alive. Making others do most of his dirty work is a way to ensure this, though he will also have people do small, unimportant things for him in order to assert himself on the food-chain. However, when backed into a corner, he has personally taken drastic actions that have injured and eventually killed him, showing that he's not at all incapable of being the one who will make a move directly.

If it suits his purposes, Mello will employ his high social skills in order to gain the favor of those around him. He will seek the group or individual with the most power and align himself with them in order to exploit their position(s) for his own needs. This will often lead him to operating outside of what would be considered legal restrictions. If criminals have more pull, he will align himself with criminals. However, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that if law-abiding groups have more influence, he will turn to them instead.

Loyalty? What’s that? He doesn't understand the meaning of the word. Through his actions involving the Los Angeles mafia, he shows no loyalty to the L title or the institution responsible for educating and housing him. Through setting explosives all through the building which he detonated with his remaining crew inside, he shows a disregard for those with whom he works. Having no loyalty, he is not trustworthy when forming pacts and alliances. If someone’s motivations align with his own, he will use that to further his own agenda and show no qualms when it comes to disposing of the other party. In the world of Death Note, possessing a person’s name in conjunction with their image gives the notebook holder the ability to kill an individual. There is one picture of Mello in existence and it is possessed by Near after Mello (for unknown reasons) left it behind at the orphanage where he resided. That Mello goes to retrieve this photo and offers information pertaining to the rules in the notebook as a fair exchange shows that he is well-versed in acceptable business tactics and will employ them even if he is not particularly fond of the individual with whom he is interacting. Disloyalty does not necessarily suggest a lack of honor.

That said, Mello is most likely not apt to become close to anyone in the traditional sense. Instead, he will interact with those he holds the most confidence in on a level that may resemble camaraderie though in the end, he is only interested in what the individuals contribute to whatever his given cause may be. Manipulation, however, would be an incorrect assessment as those with whom he associates possess the opportunity to mutually benefit from their interactions.

He possesses a commanding air about him, even going so far as to frighten a god of death with his demeanor. Where the death gods make it a point multiple times in canon to state that helping the human who possesses their notebook is not something that interests them, Mello succeeds in having one not only assist him, but work under him and take orders. It even appears that he hands orders down to the head of the mafia sect to which he belongs, though he does so in less in the way of barking commands, more along the lines of making infallible suggestions that he knows will be heeded. He is frequently shown sitting separate from his gang, as though he has established spaces for himself that others simply don't enter.

In the words of the death god, Sidoh: "For a human, he's scary."

His lack of subtlety shows in the most ridiculously obvious ways: he’s aesthetically flashy, he owns any room that he occupies with nothing more than his presence. He likes to <i>sprawl</i> when he sits, he has the ability to stand at 5’6” next to a hulking mob boss and make the other man look small in comparison. However, this isn’t just limited to the physical. His actions are chaotic: he has launched missiles, killed, kidnapped, blackmailed the President of the United States</i> (successfully), blown his own hideout with himself in it to avoid capture, and he has done it all with poise and style. While many of his moves may be driven by impulse, they are also the result of quick-thinking on his feet and the ability to carry out actions with little time between conception and execution.

Despite his cool exterior, Mello operates on emotion more than it appears. It is shown that he is prone to outbursts as a child such as when he is informed by the school’s headmaster that L has been defeated and killed by Kira, he launches over the man’s desk and takes him by the collar, demanding confirmation that it is in fact true that his predecessor was killed. After this incident, he regains some form of composure and makes the impulsive decision to leave the school and set out on his own. Though given the option to work alongside Near under the L title, he refuses, stating that the two of them don’t get along. He then goes on to acknowledge his own shortcomings by claiming that unlike himself, Near is able to “calmly and unemotionally solve the puzzle.” He makes decisions based on frustration and impulse but will blanket them with a calm justification, though he is very aware that emotions drive his most reckless responses.

Victory, excitement, defeat: these things all show in his facial expressions at any given time.

All bets are off if someone is considered a fierce rival. Mello will hold a grudge forever and lose his composure in the face of said rivalry. Both as a child and an adult, Mello is shown to have little patience for Near’s presence, even going so far as to recklessly pull a gun on the other in the SPK headquarters where the majority of his team is armed. Doing so shows that despite his logic and thorough planning, when in the presence of a worthy opponent, Mello’s emotions will overcome common sense to the point where he will ignore his self-preservation instinct and risk his life in exchange for instant gratification. He is also not above cheating, as he has one of the mafia members execute most of Near's team via the notebook in order to set the other back in his race to capture Kira.

Morally, Mello cannot be defined as either “good” or “evil.” Whereas L sought to bring Kira to justice, Mello states during his hunt that he wants Kira’s head, and that he “will be number one.” It is merely a byproduct of his end-game success that thousands of lives would be saved and the world would ultimately benefit from the removal of Kira. However, this is not to suggest that he is evil in any sense. Though people may get caught in his line of fire, Mello does canonically show remorse for, not his actions, but the fallout from his actions. He expresses regret for the death of his former Wammy’s schoolmate who was eliminated in the process of kidnapping Kiyomi Takada, an underling of Kira. He also states that he originally had no intention of inadvertently causing the death of Yagami Soichiro, Kira’s father and the chief of the Japanese Task Force, during a raid on his hideout. He may be a firebomb, but he does occasionally feel guilt for his actions.

Based on how highly he speaks of L in the spinoff novel, Another Note, he appears to hold his predecessor in high esteem despite deviating from his methods to the point where he falls into the category of “criminal.” He laments the loss of a great man and states that his killer, Kira, is “Not worth the dirt beneath (L’s) shoes” and that meeting L was “The single most valuable memory” that he possessed. He then goes on to gloat in reference to L’s achievements and shows an overall awe of the man he was set to succeed. Mello’s reverence for his predecessor directly contradicts his criminal lifestyle and goes to show that with him, there is no black or white. There are only grey areas, self-serving initiatives that hold no place on either side of the “good and evil” spectrum. What he views as good is anything falling in line with his own wants/ideals with evil being all that opposes him and stands in his way.

With a fierce determination, Mello is unmitigated chaos. He will do anything and everything to dominate any situation which he deems worthy of his attention, including sacrifice himself if it will prove that no one else could have accomplished the goal. His drive is the thing that fuels him, though it can also be his downfall. His capability is often eclipsed by his sense of inferiority—his need to constantly prove himself to anyone he deems competition—and this can lead to him going overboard with his execution to the point of endangering himself and everyone around him. He is a vain, dangerous, untrustworthy, disloyal, self-absorbed genius who has somehow convinced himself that any uncouth action he takes in the grand scheme of things is for the greater good. He wants the world, and he fully intends on taking it.

#death note #dn #death note rp #dnrp #mello #mihael keehl #ooc: info-m

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comeondowntosouthparkrpg-blog · 5 years

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This app sparkled with all the girls. Bebe has been accepted! Send in your blog ASAP.

out of character info

Name/Alias: Alice

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 18

Join Our Discord: Yes

Timezone: Central

Activity: 6

Triggers: Up close pictures of rodents

Password: Yee Haw

Character that you’re applying for: Bebe Stevens

Favourite ships for your character: Micbe, Wenbe, JessiBe.

in character info

Full name: Barbara Mary-Ann Stevens

Birthday:

Sexuality, gender, pronouns: Bisexual, Female, She/Her

Age and grade: 18, Senior

Faceclaim: Molly O’Malia

Appearance:

Bebe is one of the prettiest girls someone could lay on. She was pretty in elementary school, as shown by her status as a popular girl and the fact that she developed earlier and her mother was beautiful, and she has blossomed into a gorgeous young adult. Further evidence to her beauty is by people like Cartman and Butters trying to exploit her into selling their stuff or becoming their bitch. Bebe has long curly hair, that she straightens most of the time due to wanting to style it ways she can’t whenever it’s at its full curly width. Bebe’s hair reaches to her waist, having cut it to make it more manageable. She has white skin, although frequently sports a sun tan in the summer and a spray tan in the winter. She has blue eyes with long lashes. Bebe tends to wear a lot of makeup, as she is really into it, and loves to try different approaches. She’ll never be caught without her full face. False lashes, lined lips, contour- she does everything before she even thinks of stepping out of her room. Bebe is 5’6.

Bebe has a rather large chest, and a full figure with curves. She actually has a pretty average body type, but knows how to select clothes to really accent her key features. Bebe wears clothes found at malls and department stores, although only a few designer things, she does live in South Park after all. She’ll typically be wearing whatever the trends for that week are though. She’s a fan of hoop earrings, chokers, and sunglasses though. Bebe has a particular fondness for shoes, and has amassed a great collection over the years so that she is rarely seen wearing the same shoe twice. Bebe can also be seen wearing an Apple Watch, having begged her parents to get it for her two years ago. Overall, Bebe is someone who makes the most out of her body and the limited makeup and fashion options South Park has for her.

Personality:

Bebe has a friendly and social personality. She doesn’t start off being unreasonably cruel towards someone, and tends to go out of her way if she sees someone she could potentially befriend, as seen with Douchebag, Nichole and Heidi, seeing the potential in them and quickly talking to them warmly. Bebe isn’t looking to make enemies right off the bat, and would much rather be popular by being liked and idolized than hated and feared. Bebe is truly a social butterfly, she hangs out with her friends on the regular, and is never seen alone or isolated aside from the boob incident early on the series. She tends to always have a flock of girlfriends around her. Bebe is fairly bubbly and creative, and shows aptitude for art and design, coming up with outfits and makeup looks for the other girls as well as Douchebag in the games. She’s never one to shy from showing her creative talents regarding makeup or fashion. Bebe’s bubbliness can most definitely be seen throughout the series, as she’s never really lethargic or going through the motions. Bebe is also highly ambitious, and likes to be viewed by her merits and achievements rather than her looks, as seen in Bebe’s Boobs Destroy Society. She also socially climbs the ladder, wanting to be on top cheerleading and social wise. She’s not afraid to chase after what she wants, and will refuses to back down from getting it. Through any means necessary . Bebe is a feminist, and she can frequently be seen as a strong supporter in girls and against misogyny and girl power. She makes her alignments known in the Weiners Out protest, along with finding boys dumb and immature as stated on multiple occasions, but most notably in Proper Condom Use. Bebe is also a very strong personality and person, not wanting to back down from a challenge or be a soft shrinking violet. In her mind, to just be a pretty woman with no real substance or staying in the background isn’t enough for her. Bebe tends to get excited easily, and is generally a pretty positive person. She’s the one telling Wendy to go with the flow and that everything will work out fine if she just chills, as seen whenever Bebe encourages Wendy to relax in the Kim Kardashian incident. Bebe’s positivity comes out again whenever she wanted to see the best in Cartman, although that died out pretty quickly. Bebe’s easily excited nature can translate to her enthusiasm over trends and celebrities, as seen with the Stupid Spoiled Whore things where she is the one who drags everyone to see Paris Hilton, and screams whenever she sees a band or a celebrity she likes, such as Brad Pitt in the Finger Bang episode. Bebe is an established partier, as seen whenever she hosts her own party in Stupid Spoiled Whores and most sleepovers are at her house. She’s also very good at planning, and can organize events such as get together and complex Machiavellian schemes. Bebe (most of the time) is fairly helpful and supportive, being the one to help Wendy in nearly all of her emotional turmoil involving Stan and the like.

However, Bebe isn’t just all the good things listed above, she has some pretty nasty qualities about her as well. Bebe is extremely cunning and manipulative. She has no qualms about playing someone like a fiddle to get what she wants, or manipulating circumstances and multiple people around her to achieve her end goals. While resourceful, she is also extremely ruthless, using any means needed to get the job done. She will manipulate and falsify evidence to hold her desires. She outright threatens Wendy with a gun over shoes, kills Kenny whenever he tries to get closer to the girls fort, and crafted an entire scheme in order to get some free shoes, which involved nearly causing Kyle to go crazy and Clyde getting his heart broken. Bebe did not care about any of that, all she cared about was achieving the end goal. Bebe can also be unscrupulous at times, and she’s pretty hardcore. Bebe also has a very short temper and even some violent tendencies. She gets annoyed quickly, and won’t hesitate to start fighting whenever shit hits the fan. She will tear down anyone verbally or physically who gets in her way or fucks with her friends. Bebe also is tactless, leading her to say things offhandedly that are actually kind of cruel without knowing it. A gossip, she loves hearing everyone’s dirty laundry and personal business. Bebe is also stubborn and bossy, she likes to be in charge of things she’s good at, and usually dictates what’s cool and uncool, despite being a follower herself. She’s a backseat driver basically. One thing that I like to add that many people don’t is that Bebe is insecure about her looks. She photoshops her picture in the Kim Kardashian episode to hide her flaws, and asks her mom in Bebe’s Boobs Destroy Society if she is pretty or ugly. She also seems to thrive off compliments. Bebe also has a habit of being upset and hurt whenever someone insults her looks in particular, showing insecurity within herself. Further proof of Bebe’s insecurity shows in Stupid Spoiled Whores, whenever Bebe alters herself in order to be valid and keep up with the times, fearing she’ll be left behind and lame. This to me all screams insecurity on her part.

History:

Bebe was born as Barbara Stevens to Jackie and Greg Stevens. She was everything they could want in a baby, happy and healthy, and she slowly began to take after her mother in looks, which thrilled her mother. Early in her life, before she hit third grade, Bebe was a pageant queen, and her mother treated her like a dress up doll. She consistently got tiaras and trophies, although the pageants messed her up in a sort of way. Bebe’s family used to be quite wealthy, but her mother squandered it on pageant fees and dresses, and left them in some debt. This is why Bebe is stated to get her clothes from Walmart, and why she is seen with a sewing machine and mannequin in her room, as evidence she has started to make her own clothes.

Eventually by the time Bebe hit fourth grade, they became as middle class as everyone else. Bebe learned from her mother that looks were everything, and that people would like her because she was pretty, not because of personality. Bebe first became friends with Wendy, and they quickly became best friends. She started gaining popularity in fourth grade, quickly climbing the social ladder with her budding charisma and looks. All throughout elementary school, she survived all the craziness due to her friends by her side… and her talent with wielding weaponry and guns.

In middle school, Bebe remained just as popular. Like a flower, she was blooming and growing more beautiful with each passing year. Her mother wanted to put her in more beauty pageants, although they didn’t really have the money to. Her father didn’t approve of this, and didn’t want Bebe to become spoiled and to be a proper lady. Bebe’s household was filled with conflicting view points, as her father wanted her to be smart and exceed in etiquette, and her mother wanted her to cultivate her looks. Bebe began deciding that she didn’t want to follow either path, but wanted parts of both. So, she began to think of plans to satisfy both of her parents.

She started learning makeup and hair, and would regularly practice on the elementary school kids to gain experience. This thrilled her mother, who saw her blonde cheerleader daughter who was at the top of the pack socially. However, she also had a love of fashion and shoes, and began getting really into designing her own clothing and customizing unique yet cute outfits from the mall or stories. Bebe slowly began realizing what she wanted to do, and she actually began to feel thankful towards her family for instilling different sets of values in her. Bebe learned that you had to work for what you wanted and not be a spoilt brat, but also to embrace what she loved doing, no matter if people take it seriously or not.

In high school, as soon as she was able to, she got a job waitressing at a local cafe. Always a planner and ambitious, Bebe wanted to get extra money for college. And for shoes, clothing, accessories. Mostly for shoes and clothing. Yeah most of her cash went straight into the mall or amazon. Bebe kept on with cheerleading, becoming quite flexible and good with being loud. Although she excelled in the latter quite naturally. Bebe soon cultivated a reputation as being a party girl, so to compensate Bebe began throwing parties in order to keep up this reputation, and she also really loved parties so that was a plus. A chance encounter landed her the job of becoming the Mayors personal assistant. Mayor McDaniels stopped by her cafe and Bebe waited on them. They were discussing a charity event, and her two guards were doing it wrong, so Bebe being Bebe stepped in and corrected them, leaving McDaniels stunned. She invited Bebe in for an interview and landed the role of her personal assistant because she was easy on the eyes and good at getting shit done. Bebe continued to be delightfully materialistic, popular, and a typical teen girl up until senior year, where she continues to be such. Bebe also at the start of senior year began doing makeup tutorials on YouTube, just for fun. And also to help the freshman who didn’t know how to apply bronzer learn how to do it correctly so Bebe can stop getting hot flashes looking at them.

Sample paragraph:

While many saw a store as four walls with overly helpful assistants and a lot of clothes, the blonde saw it as an opportunity. A playground. A super awesome time. She could see lots of outfits just waiting to be designed to her liking, and tons of shoes that would look so cute on her, but the young woman had a mission she had to stay laser focused on. That was helping the red haired sweater wearing socially awkward Uber smart kid who Flora insisted on making a project. Bebe personally got nothing out of this, but she did love a challenge, and she also loved helping those who couldn’t see the beauty in clothing help them. By the time Bebe was done, Kyle would be looking super hot. Flipping her blonde hair, Bebe began scanning the racks with her pale blue eyes. “Ew. Ew. Why do they even have this? Gross. Ugly. Ugh this looks like my cat’s vomit. Oh my god why.” Bebe moaned, keeping up the chatter. “Honestly it’s so hard to find good outfits nowadays, so many people wanna just go off the wall fashion wise and it’s like, hello, trends are trends for a reason! Although I do love shopping for boys, I rarely get the opportunity to. There aren’t as many options, I’m afraid, but I know way more than the sales associate-“ Bebe stopped, her eyes landing on the perfect garment. Squealing, Bebe grabbed it before going over to another rack.

She instantly saw the pants she thought would look great on Kyle’s cute butt, but she saw someone else taking them first. Bebe saw red, refusing to give up her dream outfit. Marching over, Bebe gave a once over. “Those pants are so not right for that sweater your holding. And honey, if it were me, I would toss that thing out anyways.” The lady looked unsure, so Bebe knew she would have to ramp it up. Turning on a smile, Bebe tried more subtle means of manipulation. “Is this for a date?” Looking at the shade of red on the others face, Bebe nodded knowingly. “Thought so. Now girl, you need something that will really wow him. Those pants and that shirt are all wrong. He’s probably seeing much prettier girls on social media, liking their pictures right now.” Bebe said, her tone growing more pitying. Now she could see the insecurity, time to move into the kill. “Girlfriend I know you can do better! Make those bitches pay, drop those rags and get yourself some Chanel.” Bebe said, her best hype voice. The girl looked hopeful, hanging the clothes back on the rack and dashing away. Bebe sighed, and took out her phone. Truth is, she recognized the girl from a profile picture she saw on a guy she was snapchattings comment. She wasn’t his type, a little too much braces and frizz and not enough sleek and shine. Oh well! Not to mention all of his previous girlfriends had been red heads. Bebe took the pants, feeling triumphant, and returned. “I’ve got the perfect outfit! Some bitch with transitional lenses got men’s pants that were totally worse than the bell bottoms she was wearing earlier.” Bebe said, her tone bubbly.

Headcanons:

-Has a beauty YouTube channel that she frequently updates.

-She wants to go into a career involving fashion, she can’t choose between a personal stylist or a designer. She used to want to be a marine biologist, but realized she wasn’t too much interested in spending time in a lab.

-Bebe can’t sing

-Bebe still presides over a “””list””” committee, but it’s mainly one of those anonymous social apps

-Bebe used to be in South Park Band up until middle school. Now she denies it vehemently.

-Is into trashy reality tv shows

-Works as a personal assistant to Mayor McDaniels

-Bebe is a cheerleader

-Good friends with Clyde, and in general prefers Craig and those Guys over Stan’s Gang

Anything else: (Something you’d like to add about yourself or questions you have for the admins, list them here)

#accepted #submission #bebe stevens

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scandylous · 5 years

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UNPOPULAR OPINION

I don’t talk about sims 4 enough and I have yet to meet someone who has the same opinions as me so I’m gonna rank the packs and I wanna hear y’all’s opinions here we go...

First of all, ranking the games:

1. Sims 2 (I’m biased bc it was my first game and I just LOVE the townie plot lines and all the little Easter eggs. Big fan)

2. Sims 4 (i know a lot of people don’t like it bc it missed a lot of things in the base game but honestly improved create a sim, build mode, and art style makes this better than sims 3)

3. Sims 3 (i honestly hate the sims 3. I love the plot going on in it and I think it did that the best of the other 3 but the art style makes me shiver and it was always so dark and there were just so many features of this game that made it unplayable on pc. If the playability and art style was improved I’d probably really like it)

4. Sims (never played it so I can’t really rank it)

EXPANSION PACKS

1. City Living (I’ve heard it got a lot of hate but idk why??? I think it’s so creative and I know it’s annoying that apts are only in San Myshuno but I see that being fixed in a future update and it’s honestly just a great pack, so much content was added and it completely changed the game)

2. Seasons (BIG FAN. Honestly this should be #1 because I just love seasons so much but I have two qualms: 1. Plant sims????? 2. Seasons should be in the base game and I will not let that go)

3. Get famous (Honestly I’m not the biggest fan of this pack but I really like the acting career and the fame element added to the game. The world almost ruins it but I can’t really put it any lower just because the actual gameplay is pretty interesting- but the world sucks, and it’s not very fun to replay after you’ve done it)

4. Get together (i really like get together, but it’s this low because the concept of a expansion pack centered around clubs is just a little weird. Could’ve been a game pack, or not in the game at all tbh. I really like photography though and the world is unbeatable by other packs tbh- I really like windenburg. Also the townies are pretty interesting.)

5. Get to work (I love this because visiting work is something I wanted so badly when I played sims 2, and I love being able to own my own shops. It’s actually still kind of fun to replay but it’s hard to have a family and follow the plot lines of other members in the family while also using the careers offered in this pack, and I’m not a huge fan of that. Also it didn’t come with a world so I can’t really rank it any higher.)

6. Cats and dogs (ok ok ok honestly don’t even get me started I hate this pack. I hate this pack so much. I’m not even biased against it bc pets have always been my favorite element of the sims- hence why my email is [email protected] anyways, this pack had virtually no objects for pets compared to sims 2 and 3, and the activities you can do with your pets are so limited it’s barely worth playing. I think the create a pet is kind of cool but honestly I still prefer the create a pet in sims 3. The town isn’t horrible- like in get famous- but it’s not great either. this pack had so much potential and it was wasted and I’m still pressed about it.)

GAME PACKS (disclaimer: I haven’t played jungle adventure, spa day or outdoor retreat so I can’t totally speak for them but I’m basing this on content I’ve seen)

1. Parenthood (do I even need to provide reasoning? It’s so good. I only wish they also added private schools and imaginary friends but I love the domestic aspect of this pack)

(Excited for strangerville to eventually go here :-) even if it will never beat parenthood)

2. Vampires (IK CONTROVERSIAL, but I always have liked supernatural creatures and I’m just glad they put this in it’s own pack and not in a night life pack or something... I like the system they have in place and think it’s a vast improvement on vampires from other packs. I just wish there were more supernatural creatures in sims 4)

3. Jungle adventure (I haven’t played this but I’ve watched my friends and I really like the concept- it reminds me of sims 2 bon voyage a bit and I really liked that pack so I really like the concept of this one)

4. Spa Day (again haven’t played it so it may rank higher but from what I’ve seen it’s basically just okay. Like the objects and gameplay are cool but tbh it could’ve just been a stuff pack and it doesn’t really add anything to the game)

5. Dine out (this would rank higher if the restaurant system didn’t require you to dine for like 5 sim hours. I love restaurants in my game but it’s just not worth buying bc it takes so long to play. I like the objects a lot though)

6. Outdoor retreat (again i haven’t played it but i don’t see myself purchasing it in the near future because it seems to have little replay-ability and is lacking in buy mode... it’s not the worst pack they’ve ever released but it doesn’t really compare to their other game packs)

STUFF PACKS

1. Laundry day (such a cool system where we got to vote for what we want!! All my favorite create a sim and build mode objects are from this pack and the fact that it added gameplay too is so awesome)

2. Kids room (such awesome stuff in this pack and really adds a lot to playing child sims, especially if you also have get together. I still can’t get over void critters- it really adds a lot of personality to the game)

3. Bowling Night (I’m definitely biased because I’ve had this weird unfulfilled desire to go bowling for the past two years? But yeah another pack that adds game play, and I really like the outfits in the pack. Especially those cute shorts- yknow the ones- i just wish the button downs were more flattering)

4. Toddler stuff (tbh all this stuff should’ve been in base game but i really like it and it adds a lot of stuff to the game nevertheless so i ranked it here)

5. Movie Hangout (i don’t have it but I really like the content and would love to use it for kids sleepovers and stuff. I really want this pack so that’s why it’s ranked so high)

6. Cool kitchen (again i really want this pack, i love ice cream and it seems like a really cool addition to the game so I ranked it higher)

7. Fitness (honestly not super excited about this one- it seems very well done which is why it’s next but all the stuff could easily have been in the base game ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

8. Perfect patio (don’t have it but it seems boring- HOT TUBS THO!)

9. Backyard (don’t have it and seems more exciting than perfect patio but doesn’t have the same content so idk not as impressive to me)

10. Spooky stuff (i really like this pack, but it’s release time was weird- i like having Halloween parties tho in seasons :-))

11. Romantic garden (cute stuff but tbh not that big of a deal to me- doesn’t really add anything to the game)

12. Vintage glamour (do i even have to say)

13. Luxury party (again, do I even have to say)

14. My first pet (i definitely don’t need to say why but I’m gonna do it anyways bc WTF WAS THIS PACK. My #1 complaint for cats and dogs was the lack of pets objects and they RELEASE A PETS OBJECTS PACK!!!!! AND IT SUCKS!!!! I’m so mad)

TOP 5 OVERALL:

I’m ranking by packs i don’t think i could play without

1. Parenthood

2. City Living

3. Get to work (bc of aliens :-))

4. Vampires

5. Kids stuff

TLDR; pets suck in sims 4, i really like city living, and I’m really excited for strangerville

#sims 4 #sims #the sims #strangerville #sims 4 strangerville #sims 4 city living #sims 2 #sims 3 #sim guru

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sapphirestream · 7 years

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So I’ve been watching Thrilling Intent and I just need to get a rant out or I’m going to stay mad at Gregor forever. I know that’s not a valid solution because he’s a lovable character most of the time and he sticks around and needs to be forgiven if I still want to continue to enjoy watching the show. I don’t really trust the formatting to give the issue space to breath and be properly addressed rather than just falling into the background due to the serialized nature, so I’m going to get out all my feelings here and hopefully get some catharsis doing so. I WILL acknowledge that I am a bit biased, because Ashe is my favorite character so far, and she’s the one who has the most conflict with Gregor on these issues. I still think I would hold these same opinions if the positions were flipped though. The first big conflict between Ashe and Gregor was, of course, the Charoth issue. At first, I agreed with Gregor’s stance. “Cool motive, still murder” and all that. And sometimes the only option to stop the killing IS to slay the monster even if it is hungry or just being itself. And if regular slaying would have done anything, I would have agreed that it was the right thing to do, especially since we couldn’t fully gauge Charoth’s mental state at the time and had no way to know of its childlike understanding of the world.

HOWEVER. However. Killing Charoth would not have done anything productive, and the only way to permanently slay it was to destroy it’s literally immortal soul. Just on an ethical level, that is a step so extreme it SHOULD be a last resort, as Markus stated. Even with all the monsters and even people they have killed before, this is not a step that they had taken. It is striking it beyond all chance of redemption, even after a complete wipe of identity. Other methods should be tried before it, even if they don’t ‘punish’ the creature for its wrongdoings or are risky. Fighting it is risky anyway. You don’t slay a creature because you want to punish them, you slay them to STOP them. Ideally, in the real world you relocate them before they hurt somebody, but even if a bear or something is put down, it's because you can’t control the risk, not because the bear is inherently evil and need to be punished for its sins. The goal is to STOP the monster, not get vengeance for those lost. It also bothers me on a practical level as well. Gregor did have a point that this could lead to future troubles if something happens to Ashe, but honestly, it was the option that mitigated the consequences the most. Especially after they had already talked him down! Kylil even said she had experience coaxing spirit folk back from their wispy state, and Charoth had an entire island to socialize with now that he wasn’t locked in the temple by a short-sighted father figure. Even before they decided to set up shop in the Nine Shrines bar, Charoth had the beginnings of a loving childhood and a budding support network to help him work through his grief. Also, if you ever wanted justice or remorse for those who died, this would be the only option. Charoth will eventually have to face what he did during these times, but if you kill him he will truly be a new person. Some of the spirit folk will surely still blame him and be scared of him, but as it is now he has the framework to deal with that guilt and would deserve it. He could come to regret what he did during this time and work through that fear and try to earn forgiveness, rather than being unfairly blamed for a previous incarnation. If he has to grow up surrounded by fear for something he no longer is responsible for, that can only breed resentment rather than healing. Killing him would have only put the danger off into the future, and erased whatever ground they had gained. He MIGHT have been ok, if Kylil had still taken a hand in his raising and the spirit folk had a good handle on separating out previous incarnation’s misdeeds. But you would have erased whatever good work and morals his father had managed to instill in him for twenty years. And he certainly would no longer have any love for humans and would take his cue of humanity from the clearly biased (rightly so! they’ve been burned before and we can be pretty awful) spirit folk. No way would Ashe have wanted to stick around on the island after that (nor would I blame her considering her backstory), so Charoth would have grown up with no human influence at all. Which doesn’t sound too great for humanity later, does it, if later it decides to continue wrecking ships, this time on behalf of the spirit folk? They might not have the temperament to do so, but Charoth would certainly have no qualms about it if they asked him in this scenario. This would not have helped the spirit folks goodwill toward humanity either, ESPECIALLY if Gregor had killed Charoth after a peaceful solution had been reached. And destroying him utterly? Besides it being the most morally dubious way to go, it would also have potentially the worst consequences! Charoth is a GOD. He is the line between life and death! What happens when you erase that!? Does anyone even know? BEST CASE you just get a new one forming anyway, with an entirely unknown temperament. Alternatively, everyone could be stuck on the island forever, metaphysics fucked from the missing death god. There’s no saying that death itself wouldn’t be royally fucked in the localized area, and we already saw that even just Charoth stoppering it was causing problems. That’s not even mentioning if an unfriendly death god neighbor saw that the Shrouded Isles were undefended and decided to take over! This is only an option if you care about no one and nothing on the island, because this fucks them over hard. This is NOT a good deed, nor does it save anyone but humans. The party would just be one in a long line of people who have screwed over the natives and left them the worse for wear. Legen’s Eye is actually what prompted this rant, as I had to take a break after watching the conclusion of Wizard Highschool. I have a lot less to say about it because it’s been percolating in my mind for a lot less long, but it was HIGHLY frustrating to watch Gregor shut down all discussion and go straight for destroying it. I’m still not sure whether they should have kept the artifact, but they CERTAINLY should have had a thorough talk about it without Inian and taken more than two seconds to decide. Inian should have been excluded not because she wasn’t part of the group or whatever, but because she was *actively shutting down discussion as well* If she had been willing to sit down and actually talk through everything then I would have been fine with her participating. If they felt that strongly in their convictions, they should have trusted them to shine through and convince the others. The group honestly probably would not have been able to put it to good use, but even if they had shoved it in a corner and let no one know they had it, it would have been a better option. Even setting aside if more magic would be better for equality, you never know if humanity+ is going to face some kind of natural or supernatural disaster down the line where that artifact could make a difference. You can never un-destroy something, and that's a decision that should at least have been talked about rather than decided by one person. They talk about not having the right to make those kinds of decisions, but they made a decision not just against their own party, but humanities(+) entire future, and banked against them EVER figuring out a way to use it wisely, or even the possibility of the necessity of its use. As an example, I once had a dnd game where the players went into a timestop for hundreds of years and emerged in a world overrun by demons. The gates of hell had busted open and there was a war between the celestial and hellish planes with humanity being the unfortunate battleground. Do they think such things are impossible? Do they think cataclysmic events will never happen where something like Legen’s Eye could make a difference in the material plane’s survival? No, it might not be the answer to all the world’s social ills, nothing simple will be. There is no magic bullet for our own weakness and greed. But this is the kind of artifact that should have been entrusted to future generations, as an ace in the hole if nothing else. Overall I am just extremely disappointed in Gregor’s unwillingness to talk things out and his black and white thinking. I know it comes with the territory of a Lawful Good character, and kudos to his player for a doing a good job with him, but damn is it frustrating to watch. This show is so good and so investing that I just want to reach into the screen and argue my own viewpoints with the characters, and I’m glad they cover these hard issues that other shows would skip over entirely. I really appreciate how willing they are to tackle things like this, and we wouldn’t even have had a discussion without varying viewpoints. I know Gregor’s in the hard spot of being devil’s advocate a lot of the time. (ironically it’s not Markus! Isn't he a Demon AND a ‘lawyer’?). Still. Still. I guess the counterpoint to being so invested and tackling hard moral issues is sometimes your viewers are just going to have to go rant on social media to get in their own two cents. God damn do I need a friend who watches this show.

#Thrilling Intent #Charoth #Legen's eye #Gregor Hartway #Aesling #Hit me up if you want to talk about this #though I would ask kindly for no spoilers #I wish I could convince one of my friends to watch this show too #But I think I used up a lot of my cred on Higurashi #Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it #and then I remember their face and think ah yes it was lol #(also a lot of my nerdy interests just don't align with the person most likely to actually take me up on media suggestions)#(they didnt even like fma what the heck)

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pendingdamnation-blog · 7 years

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Bio

CHARACTER INFORMATION Character Name: Mello (Mihael Keehl) Age: 20 Canon: Death Note (Manga/Anime, Another Note) Personality: From a young age, Mello has been conditioned to win, which has served to shape the majority of his overall demeanor. Groomed to succeed L, the world’s top three detectives, Mello has known competition since he was young and carries it with him in everything he does. Life is a game and the world is his playground; he will willingly destroy everything in his way in his effort to be number one. Paired with an inferiority complex that is brought to light when he states that no matter what he does, he always comes in second to his primary rival, this leads him to make overblown, extreme decisions in his quest to accomplish a goal. Highly intelligent, he has the ability to deduce and predict his opposition’s thought-process and form his own plan of attack accordingly. While his brilliance was originally intended to be utilized for noble purposes, he instead chose to exploit it in order to rise to a high rank of a criminal enterprise. His intelligence shows in his ability to form successful plans and bring them to conclusion, as referenced by one of the mafia members with whom he associates when the man asks his comrades rhetorically whether Mello has ever been wrong in the short time he worked with them. Another area where he is knowledgeable is literature, as when telling the story of Beyond Birthday—the failed successor who went on to defy L—he quotes Holden Caulfield and refers to him as, “One of history’s most famous literary bullshitters.” Given that he was second in line to succeed a genius, it would be safe to assume that his intellect is extraordinary. His reference to Caulfield and the flippant comment that followed is a clue that at some point, he immersed himself in literature to the point of becoming a bit of a well-versed critic. Before the explosion that destroyed his hideout and wiped out his crew, Mello appears to practice self-preservation through delegation, a primary aspect of his personality denoting selfishness. The duties he imparts on others range from kidnapping the Japanese chief of police’s daughter (who was also Kira’s sister), having underlings seal a deal with a death god—sacrificing half of their lifespan—in order to gain the ability to see his enemy’s names and subsequently write their names in the notebook to simple tasks ranging as low as holding a mobile phone to his ear. In order to win, he has to be alive. Making others do most of his dirty work is a way to ensure this, though he will also have people do small, unimportant things for him in order to assert himself on the food-chain. However, when backed into a corner, he has personally taken drastic actions that have injured and eventually killed him, showing that he's not at all incapable of being the one who will make a move directly. If it suits his purposes, Mello will employ his high social skills in order to gain the favor of those around him. He will seek the group or individual with the most power and align himself with them in order to exploit their position(s) for his own needs. This will often lead him to operating outside of what would be considered legal restrictions. If criminals have more pull, he will align himself with criminals. However, it wouldn't be wrong to assume that if law-abiding groups have more influence, he will turn to them instead. Loyalty? He doesn't understand the meaning of the word. Through his actions involving the Los Angeles mafia, he shows no loyalty to the L title or the institution responsible for educating and housing him. Through setting explosives all through the building which he detonated with his remaining crew inside, he shows a disregard for those with whom he works. Having no loyalty, he is not trustworthy when forming pacts and alliances. If someone’s motivations align with his own, he will use that to further his own agenda and show no qualms when it comes to disposing of the other party. In the world of Death Note, possessing a person’s name in conjunction with their image gives the notebook holder the ability to kill an individual. There is one picture of Mello in existence and it is possessed by Near after Mello (for unknown reasons) left it behind at the orphanage where he resided. That Mello goes to retrieve this photo and offers information pertaining to the rules in the notebook as a fair exchange shows that he is well-versed in acceptable business tactics and will employ them even if he is not particularly fond of the individual with whom he is interacting. Disloyalty does not necessarily suggest a lack of honor. That said, Mello is most likely not apt to become close to anyone in the traditional sense. Instead, he will interact with those he holds the most confidence in on a level that may resemble camaraderie though in the end, he is only interested in what the individuals contribute to whatever his given cause may be. Manipulation, however, would be an incorrect assessment as those with whom he associates possess the opportunity to mutually benefit from their interactions. He possesses a commanding air about him, even going so far as to frighten a god of death with his demeanor. Where the death gods make it a point multiple times in canon to state that helping the human who possesses their notebook is not something that interests them, Mello succeeds in having one not only assist him, but work under him and take orders. It even appears that he hands orders down to the head of the mafia sect to which he belongs, though he does so in less in the way of barking commands, more along the lines of making infallible suggestions that he knows will be heeded. He is frequently shown sitting separate from his gang, as though he has established spaces for himself that others simply don't enter. In the words of the death god, Sidoh: "For a human, he's scary." His lack of subtlety shows in the most ridiculously obvious ways: he’s aesthetically flashy, he owns any room that he occupies with nothing more than his presence. He likes to sprawl when he sits, he has the ability to stand at 5’6” next to a hulking mob boss and make the other man look small in comparison. However, this isn’t just limited to the physical. His actions are chaotic: he has launched missiles, killed, kidnapped, threatened the President of the United States (and got him to agree to his terms), blown his own hideout with himself in it to avoid capture, and he has done it all with poise and style. While many of his moves may be driven by impulse, they are also the result of quick-thinking on his feet and the ability to carry out actions with little time between conception and execution. Despite his cool exterior, Mello operates on emotion more than it appears. It is shown that he is prone to outbursts as a child such as when he is informed by the school’s headmaster that L has been defeated and killed by Kira, he launches over the man’s desk and takes him by the collar, demanding confirmation that it is in fact true that his predecessor was killed. After this incident, he regains some form of composure and makes the impulsive decision to leave the school and set out on his own. Though given the option to work alongside Near under the L title, he refuses, stating that the two of them don’t get along. He then goes on to acknowledge his own shortcomings by claiming that unlike himself, Near is able to “calmly and unemotionally solve the puzzle.” He makes decisions based on frustration and impulse but will blanket them with a calm justification, though he is very aware that emotions drive his most reckless responses. Victory, excitement, defeat: these things all show in his facial expressions at any given time. All bets are off if someone is considered a fierce rival. Mello will hold a grudge forever and lose his composure in the face of said rivalry. Both as a child and an adult, Mello is shown to have little patience for Near’s presence, even going so far as to recklessly pull a gun on the other in the SPK headquarters where the majority of his team is armed. Doing so shows that despite his logic and thorough planning, when in the presence of a worthy opponent, Mello’s emotions will overcome common sense to the point where he will ignore his self-preservation instinct and risk his life in exchange for instant gratification. He is also not above cheating, as he has one of the mafia members execute most of Near's team via the notebook in order to set the other back in his race to capture Kira. Morally, Mello cannot be defined as either “good” or “evil.” Whereas L sought to bring Kira to justice, Mello states during his hunt that he wants Kira’s head, and that he “will be number one.” It is merely a byproduct of his end-game success that thousands of lives would be saved and the world would ultimately benefit from the removal of Kira. However, this is not to suggest that he is evil in any sense. Though people may get caught in his line of fire, Mello does canonically show remorse for, not his actions, but the fallout from his actions. He expresses regret for the death of his former Wammy’s schoolmate who was eliminated in the process of kidnapping Kiyomi Takada, an underling of Kira. He also states that he originally had no intention of inadvertently causing the death of Yagami Soichiro, Kira’s father and the chief of the Japanese Task Force, during a raid on his hideout. He may be a firebomb, but he does occasionally feel guilt for his actions. Based on how highly he speaks of L in the spinoff novel, Another Note, he appears to hold his predecessor in high esteem despite deviating from his methods to the point where he falls into the category of “criminal.” He laments the loss of a great man and states that his killer, Kira, is “Not worth the dirt beneath (L’s) shoes” and that meeting L was “The single most valuable memory” that he possessed. He then goes on to gloat in reference to L’s achievements and shows an overall awe of the man he was set to succeed. Mello’s reverence for his predecessor directly contradicts his criminal lifestyle and goes to show that with him, there is no black or white. There are only grey areas, self-serving initiatives that hold no place on either side of the “good and evil” spectrum. What he views as good is anything falling in line with his own wants/ideals with evil being all that opposes him and stands in his way. With a fierce determination, Mello is unmitigated chaos. He will do anything and everything to dominate any situation which he deems worthy of his attention, including sacrifice himself if it will prove that no one else could have accomplished the goal. His drive is the thing that fuels him, though it can also be his downfall. His capability is often eclipsed by his sense of inferiority—his need to constantly prove himself to anyone he deems competition—and this can lead to him going overboard with his execution to the point of endangering himself and everyone around him. He is a vain, dangerous, untrustworthy, disloyal, self-absorbed genius who has somehow convinced himself that any uncouth action he takes in the grand scheme of things is for the greater good. He wants the world, and he fully intends on taking it.

#death note #death note rp #death note roleplay #Mello #Mihael Keehl #pd;bio #dnrp #dn rp #dn roleplay

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romcomathon2016 · 7 years

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Hitch (USA, 2005)

Predictions: Alex thinks she may have seen this movie at some point before, but she remembers nothing about it, including its premise. Kat predicted that Will Smith...had a job getting people hitched? But then there was a hitch? So now he has to hitch his wagon to a different...career? And along the way, he probably meets a lady. Maybe they get hitched!

Plot: Well… Kat's prediction was…partially accurate???? Will Smith has a job helping mediocre men get women to fall in love with them. But only the pure of heart, apparently, even though we do not understand how he could possibly know for sure that these men and the women they covet belong together. He creates elaborate schemes...for the purpose of allowing people's true personalities to shine through???? thus bringing couples together, such as Accountant Kevin James and an heiress that he's met once or twice. He also sends them on the tamest dates of all time, it would seem; they do not even attempt to kiss until the third date. Seriously? Is this dating for adult humans or a Duggar-style teen courtship??

Meanwhile, Eva Mendes is a gossip columnist who hates people. Now, we hate people ourselves, but boy, she really hates people. She meets Will Smith and, shockingly, kind of starts to like him, but then, because she's a gossip columnist and looking for a scoop on the aforementioned heiress and her new beau Accountant Kevin James, she discovers Will Smith's true profession and is enraged. Why? It's...confusing… Someone...like, probably hurt her one time?? But she's just, like, real betrayed for someone who's met this guy thrice.

Um, long story short, they are both just super guarded people, and then, like, they both have to be less guarded, and then they can be together. And then they are. And also Accountant Kevin James and the heiress get married. We were riveted by this film, if you couldn't tell.

Best Scene: The credits, in which Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Accountant Kevin James, and the heiress party it up at the wedding. Partly because it was the credits, which meant this...confusing? boring? movie was finally over, and partly because everyone was a bunch of weirdos dancing, and that was charming.

Worst Scene: Weeeeellllllllll… When Eva Mendes decides she's super mad at Will Smith, she does NOT handle it well, y'all. He's, like, making her dinner in his home, and all of a sudden she's just like, SHOUT SHOUT SHOUT and throwing produce at him. It's -- it's not good. Not a good way to express your feelings, Eva Mendes. Neither effective nor appropriate. Also, there were a lot of mediocre-to-bad scenes with Will Smith's clients and would-be clients. The biggest flaw of this movie was how much time we were forced to spend not caring about his clients.

Best Line: "Look, I'm really sorry. When I saw him on the computer, it said 'The Butcher of Cadíz.' I thought it was a profession, not a headline." -- Will Smith, apologizing after Eva Mendes flees their first date in tears. He has jet-skied her over to a private tour of Ellis Island (ALERT, ALERT: Will Smith, dating guru, thinks that this is the ideal first date????), during which he shows her the signature of her ancestor who passed through there. So...romantic?? She seems to think so, at first, and weeps with emotion. But then, she starts to sob uncontrollably and runs off. Cut to them walking outside and this AMAZING line. Super funny, to the credit of this movie, but wait, seriously, WHY did Will Smith think that the inspirational suffering of immigrants was the way to go on a FIRST DATE???? A FIRST DATE, BUDDY.

Worst Line: Ugh, surely anything said by Rapey Would-Be Client Jeffrey Donovan, who meets with Will Smith but is ineligible for his services because he's clearly such an abominable creep. Good acting, Jeffrey Donovan. We wanted to kick you in the face.

Highlights of the Watching Experience: Will Smith must be making really good money as a love guru, you guys! He has a fantastic apartment. So does Eva Mendes, for that matter, which is weirder, since she is a gossip columnist with a determinedly down-to-earth air. Perhaps the Butcher of Cadíz's children, as a reaction to having such a disturbing father, made good as a bunch of railroad barons.

How Many POC in the Film: So many, you guys! Will Smith and Eva Mendes's immediate supporting cast was pretty much all white, but many, many minor characters/background were POC. It was almost as if we were actually in New York City!

Alternate Scenes: The scene in which Eva Mendes approaches Will Smith calmly to discuss her feelings about his profession, and he responds truthfully, and they have an adult conversation about it, and then they sit down and share a nice salad.

Was the Poster Better or Worse than the Film: Better. The poster is interesting, though -- really not romantic-comedy-like at all. It features only Will Smith. In fact, it looks like the front of the DVD box set of a late-'90s/early-'00s sitcom starring Will Smith. The Fresh King of Bel-Air, anyone???? We would watch that, and sing along to its theme song.

Score: 4 out of 10 Butcher of Cadíz smooches. OH MY GOD, YOU GUYS. THAT JOKE. THAT ONE JOKE REALLY MADE THIS FILM FOR US. As for the rest of the movie… We're not sure we were correct to watch this as a romcom? Will Smith was admittedly quite funny at many points, but we wish this film had committed more fully to being either about his weird job or about his possible love for Eva Mendes. We also wish that Eva Mendes had committed a little less fully to being so jaded about love (and, by extension, Will Smith).

Last but not least, we have a LOT of qualms about the overall premise/Will Smith's job. We despised Will Smith's many declarations that women do not know what they want, and specifically questioned the idea that so many women did not know what they wanted that he could make an ENTIRE BUSINESS off this idea. But...clearly that would be a whole entry all on its own, and we simply did not care enough about this film, in the end, to get into it.

Ranking: 54, out of the 77 movies we’ve seen so far. Disappointing! We were disappointed to realize that we would rather rewatch New Year's Eve. That's embarrassing for everyone.

#hitch #will smith #eva mendes #2005

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otnesse · 7 years

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Galactic Empire and Fascism, an analysis.

After cruising through TVTropes, and discovering a YMMV entry under “What do you mean it’s not political” that implicitly compared Emperor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith to Donald Trump regarding treatment of aliens (which, for the record, we don’t have a problem with immigration and nor does Trump, rather, we have a massive issue against illegal immigration, which is simple distinction that people unfortunately seem to miss right now especially in media), I decided to make a post regarding whether or not the Galactic Empire from Star Wars was fascist or not. Honestly, I’d say it’s not, though that being said, it has been acknowledged by George Lucas that fascism did play a role in their development via design elements. However, in that case, it was more due to Lucas mistaking fascism for conservativism (similar to how the left constantly claims that Donald Trump is “a fascist” even when he isn’t under even the most basic observations, let alone close scrutiny). To solidify my point, I’ll quote one of my most hated pieces of dialogue from the disaster that was the second season of Supergirl (shame, since the first season started out with a lot of promise, and I don’t intend to watch the third season in large part because of what the writers did by overtly going into left-wing politics, not to mention certain social issues, and overall having a very bad plotline [sure, there have been some leftist bits portrayed positively in the first season, but on the other hand, it also promoted Conservative principles as well, such as the concept of family and actually treating eco-terrorism in a negative light with the Kryptonians that acted as the main villains of the arc, not to mention it actually managed to avert feminist messaging at one point by having Cat Grant actually express remorse at choosing her career over raising her own kid she had out of wedlock, and considering she actually had a kid there, it also implied she didn’t have an abortion either. And I can tell you, she if anything would have been utterly SLAUGHTERED by the feminists clique at NOW as well as by Hillary supporters for actually expressing remorse at choosing her career over being a mother. And either way it was definitely not to the extent that this season was regarding pushing politics and social issues.]. At most, I’ll probably watch the season premiere just long enough to learn the identity of the other Kryptonian baby that had that blood ritual.):

“one misattributed quote from a candidate and you put a fascist in the White House.” – Snapper Carr, Exodus.

Considering how they showered Marsden, a blatant Hillary expy, with love, I don’t you need two guesses as to which Presidential candidate he was referring to (and quite frankly, even ignoring the Trump burns, I hated that line because of its inaccuracy in its ideology and inherent meaning: Perfect attribution of quotes does not guarantee that a fascist [and by that, I mean an actual fascist and not someone like Trump], or a communist, or any particularly evil person will be prevented from becoming president. That, and Snapper Carr with that line and prior lines in the episode came across as acting more like Mike Wallace during that Ethics of America segment where he implied he’d sell American soldiers down the river in order to not ruin his objectivity when traveling with a Vietcong unit, but I digress…). And actually, this whole quote is actually pretty relevant to Star Wars and the Galactic Empire as Palpatine had in fact been based on an American president that the left hated in a similar manner to Trump for various reasons. His name was Richard Milhous Nixon, and he was needlessly demonized, including claiming he had masterminded Watergate when in reality he had absolutely no involvement in the situation and if anything was also irritated that this had happened and demanded to know who was responsible for it, not to mention falsely pinning him to Vietnam when in reality it was LBJ and even JFK’s war before it was his war, and if anything, Nixon was the reason why America actually left Vietnam as victors (yes, we actually won Vietnam. The fall of Saigon was due to our congress stabbing our allies in the back during Watergate. The loser of a war does not head and dictate the negotiations of surrender, which we did.).

Uniforms and Terms:

First, people have said that the Empire’s uniforms and their use of certain terms (ie, Stormtroopers) made them fascist. I won’t go into full detail on how the Stormtrooper Corps aren’t the same thing as the Nazis’ stormtroopers (or at least the Sturmabteilung) in even role, let alone appearance, since I kind of already did that in full detail in an earlier post. However, while Lucas I’ll admit did mention wanting a fascistic feel for the Empire when creating the uniforms, that doesn’t mean that the Empire was actually fascist, any more than calling Donald Trump a fascist must make him fascist as well, or the fact that Ho Chi Minh quoted the Declaration of Independence makes him a Jeffersonian lover of liberty. And besides, the uniforms for the Empire were derived more from German Uhlans during World War I, which predated Nazi Germany and fascism by a significant amount of time. And quite honestly, if you ask me, claiming someone is fascist just because they happen to wear that kind of uniform is just stupid, since uniforms don’t speak to one’s political ideologies. I mean, what, are we going to claim that NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan from Blue Bloods, Prince Eric from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, or General Pepper from Star Fox are fascists just because they wore similar uniforms (heck, Eric’s wedding outfit even resembles a Grand Admiral’s uniform)? Not to mention, they’re military uniforms, and there have been plenty of uniforms within even the Allied Powers (meaning Britain and the USA) that had similar appearances to Imperial uniforms. If anyone in the Star Wars films actually resembled fascists in terms of uniforms, and more importantly ideology, it was the First Order. The Empire, on that note, does not goose step, either, which would be a surefire sign that it is fascist (its marching style, if anything, resembles that of Geldoblame’s men in Baten Kaitos’ opening when it shows Gibari).

Military buildup:

See, one of my biggest annoyances is the conflation of military buildup, even having a military at all, and going to war as automatically making someone a Nazi or fascist. It was annoying when Paul Verhoeven did it with Starship Troopers (though at least he had the excuse of growing up in Nazi-occupied Netherlands for thinking that. Lucas should know better), and it was also annoying when George Lucas and even Hideo Kojima inferred similar things. Yes, militaries can and have done attacks on neighboring countries, and also tried to conquer neighboring countries. But that’s not their sole role. They also act as a line of defense against an opposing army, not to mention also acts in the defense of citizenry and will also aid in relief efforts should things be serious, and they also are called in to aid allies if needs be. There’s a reason why a common expression for the military is that it acts as a nation’s sword and shield. The Nazis and fascists specifically intended to control at the very least Germany and its various former nation-states, if not the world, not to mention conquered countries specifically to fund their welfare programs. Building up the military is not the sign of an incoming dictatorship or the coming of fascism. America built up its military significantly after 9/11, and it’s nowhere close to becoming fascist right now.

Nationalism and nationalization:

On that note, I also get irritated when people think merely having parades for a national holiday or prominently displaying the flag in terms of national pride and love of country makes one fascist. We Americans do that, especially those of us who are patriotic. Heck, I’ve got the American flag hanging outside my house right now, and besides which, I’ve gone around seeing some houses that have the circular red white and blue flags draped over as well. My neighborhood even has an annual Fourth of July parade that I make every effort to see and we have fireworks celebrating it. The Empire’s celebration of Empire Day is not really all that different. And besides which, being fascist doesn’t mean you actually love your country. Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi propagandist, actually made clear that he, if anything, held contempt to even the mere idea of nationalism or loving one’s own country (I believe his exact words were, and I quote, “the NSDAP [Nazi Party] is the German Left. We despise bourgeois nationalism.”). And based on the fact that Palpatine was perfectly willing to forfeit his own life to get Luke to turn to the Dark Side (even going as far as to goad him into murdering him), it’s pretty clear Palpatine probably had no qualms with the Empire running without him (unfortunately, the Aftermath trilogy had Palpatine try to have Gallius Rax basically blow up the galaxy at Jakku due to not being able to rule the Empire anymore, in an explicit contradiction to not only his actions in Return of the Jedi, but also Revenge of the Sith where he tried to goad Anakin to kill him in a similar manner, not to mention mentioned in a very eager tone that Vader will soon become more powerful than either Yoda or himself).

On the topic of nationalization, the only time nationalization was ever brought up was via Imperialization, and even that was largely limited to those that had either gone against the Empire explicitly or otherwise were originally of the Separatists (at least, it was the case in the former Expanded Universe). They actually left various companies that either were loyal or otherwise had no major issues with the Empire alone, and in fact, they even managed to expand the Corporate Sector to 30,000 star systems and even managed to create the Corporate Sector Authority specifically to allow for transparent mercantilism to go on unabated, only asking for a yearly tribute in return. That kind of thing would actually be AGAINST fascism and/or national socialism, as they won’t tolerate any form of free markets at all, and would in fact point to the Galactic Empire being a pro-capitalist institution (and I mean that in a good way, obviously). If anything, the Old Republic came closer to actual nationalization as we know it via the Trade Federation (which before it became its own cartel was a branch in the main government meant to heavily regulate trade and cut down on any growth of mercantilism if the former Expanded Universe materials are to be believed). And despite what Biggs Darklighter said in that deleted scene to Luke Skywalker from A New Hope, there is literally no indication that the Empire had any intention of nationalizing any farms, moisture or otherwise (especially when the Imperial Handbook doesn’t even mention anything about moisture farms or small business proprieters, let alone nationalizing them. And believe me, considering they had absolutely no qualms against mentioning speciecide as a government policy in the handbook, if they wanted to state their aims at nationalizing something like the Lars Homestead, they would have mentioned it directly within the Imperial Handbook, especially when that book was written around the time of A New Hope in-universe.). And don’t get me started on immunity spheres established by the Empire where it is forbidden for Imperial soldiers or ships are allowed to set foot in there, one of which included the Wheel, which is essentially a space station version of Las Vegas.

Ideology:

Now, let’s get into the ideology of the Empire and that of fascism, or more specifically National Socialism, in-depth. Let’s look, for starters, at the 1925 Nazi Platform:

1. We demand the union of all Germans in a Great Germany on the basis of the principle of self-determination of all peoples.

2. We demand that the German people have rights equal to those of other nations; and that the Peace Treaties of Versailles and St. Germain shall be abrogated.

3. We demand land and territory (colonies) for the maintenance of our people and the settlement of our surplus population.

4. Only those who are our fellow countrymen can become citizens. Only those who have German blood, regardless of creed, can be our countrymen. Hence no Jew can be a countryman.

5. Those who are not citizens must live in Germany as foreigners and must be subject to the law of aliens.

6. The right to choose the government and determine the laws of the State shall belong only to citizens. We therefore demand that no public office, of whatever nature, whether in the central government, the province, or the municipality, shall be held by anyone who is not a citizen.

We wage war against the corrupt parliamentary administration whereby men are appointed to posts by favor of the party without regard to character and fitness.

7. We demand that the State shall above all undertake to ensure that every citizen shall have the possibility of living decently and earning a livelihood. If it should not be possible to feed the whole population, then aliens (non-citizens) must be expelled from the Reich.

8. Any further immigration of non-Germans must be prevented. We demand that all non-Germans who have entered Germany since August 2, 1914, shall be compelled to leave the Reich immediately.

9. All citizens must possess equal rights and duties.

10. The first duty of every citizen must be to work mentally or physically. No individual shall do any work that offends against the interest of the community to the benefit of all.

Therefore we demand:

11. That all unearned income, and all income that does not arise from work, be abolished.

12. Since every war imposes on the people fearful sacrifices in blood and treasure, all personal profit arising from the war must be regarded as treason to the people. We therefore demand the total confiscation of all war profits.

13. We demand the nationalization of all trusts.

14. We demand profit-sharing in large industries.

15. We demand a generous increase in old-age pensions.

16. We demand the creation and maintenance of a sound middle-class, the immediate communalization of large stores which will be rented cheaply to small tradespeople, and the strongest consideration must be given to ensure that small traders shall deliver the supplies needed by the State, the provinces and municipalities.

17. We demand an agrarian reform in accordance with our national requirements, and the enactment of a law to expropriate the owners without compensation of any land needed for the common purpose. The abolition of ground rents, and the prohibition of all speculation in land.

18. We demand that ruthless war be waged against those who work to the injury of the common welfare. Traitors, usurers, profiteers, etc., are to be punished with death, regardless of creed or race.

19. We demand that Roman law, which serves a materialist ordering of the world, be replaced by German common law.

20. In order to make it possible for every capable and industrious German to obtain higher education, and thus the opportunity to reach into positions of leadership, the State must assume the responsibility of organizing thoroughly the entire cultural system of the people. The curricula of all educational establishments shall be adapted to practical life. The conception of the State Idea (science of citizenship) must be taught in the schools from the very beginning. We demand that specially talented children of poor parents, whatever their station or occupation, be educated at the expense of the State.

21. The State has the duty to help raise the standard of national health by providing maternity welfare centers, by prohibiting juvenile labor, by increasing physical fitness through the introduction of compulsory games and gymnastics, and by the greatest possible encouragement of associations concerned with the physical education of the young.

22. We demand the abolition of the regular army and the creation of a national (folk) army.

23. We demand that there be a legal campaign against those who propagate deliberate political lies and disseminate them through the press. In order to make possible the creation of a German press, we demand:

(a) All editors and their assistants on newspapers published in the German language shall be German citizens.

(b) Non-German newspapers shall only be published with the express permission of the State. They must not be published in the German language.

(c) All financial interests in or in any way affecting German newspapers shall be forbidden to non-Germans by law, and we demand that the punishment for transgressing this law be the immediate suppression of the newspaper and the expulsion of the non-Germans from the Reich.

Newspapers transgressing against the common welfare shall be suppressed. We demand legal action against those tendencies in art and literature that have a disruptive influence upon the life of our folk, and that any organizations that offend against the foregoing demands shall be dissolved.

24. We demand freedom for all religious faiths in the state, insofar as they do not endanger its existence or offend the moral and ethical sense of the Germanic race.

The party as such represents the point of view of a positive Christianity without binding itself to any one particular confession. It fights against the Jewish materialist spirit within and without, and is convinced that a lasting recovery of our folk can only come about from within on the pinciple:

COMMON GOOD BEFORE INDIVIDUAL GOOD

25. In order to carry out this program we demand: the creation of a strong central authority in the State, the unconditional authority by the political central parliament of the whole State and all its organizations.

There's plenty other sources for Nazi or fascist ideology such as table talks, but this should suffice.

Now, let’s look at each of these tidbits, one by one, and compare them to various sources within Star Wars relating to the Empire:

1. Not sure why the Empire would even need to demand that as a manifesto. It’s pretty clear the Empire was pretty much united as it is. Heck, a majority of people actually voted IN the Empire in the first place during Palpatine’s Declaration of a New Order. And I don’t think Palpatine demanded for a specific group of people to be united, just the galaxy. In fact, Palpatine doesn’t even MENTION other galaxies in said speech, nor does the Imperial Handbook voice any plans to conquer any nearby satellite galaxies, not even the Rishi Maze which is the closest galaxy satellite to that of the galaxy the Empire was situated in.

2. Again, nowhere, in either the Declaration of a New Order OR any other policy (Imperial Handbook or Imperial Sourcebook) does it even imply that they wanted equal rights with the other galaxies. Not to mention since the Republic, the Empire’s immediate predecessor, actually WON the prior war, there’s literally nothing there that’s even remotely similar to Nazi Germany there, especially the revoking of a treaty (now, that being said, the First Order might have similarities there). Heck, the Empire didn’t even need to pay reparations either, since, again, they won the Clone Wars.

3. Okay, that might actually be a similarity (though not necessarily the demanding part, just colonization as a whole). However, even there, lots of countries at the time engaged in colonialism, and none of them were actually fascist.

4. No mention whatsoever about any restrictions against people holding citizenship due to being a separate species. Heck, as a matter of fact, the Empire accepted taxes from even the likes of the Ugnaughts if one of the Marvel Comics is to be believed, which implies that even the likes of aliens, while ultimately having second-class citizenship, nonetheless are recognized as being citizens and actually having citizenship. Oh, and at one point, the Empire actually managed to save a sentient alien species from being hunted down upon discovering said alien race was in fact sentient.

5. See 4 above.

6. See 4 and 5 above. In fact, probably the only thing that’s even remotely similar about this point is the bit about citizenry being the ones who choose the government, and even then, that just goes without saying for any nation. Even America demands that only citizens participate in the voting process, and we’re the farthest thing from a fascist country right now and for most of its history. And as far as corruption, well, yeah, even here in America, we demand pretty high moral standards of our politicians. It just goes without saying.

7. Nowhere was it even remotely implied that the Empire be mandated to kick out any aliens (well, both literal aliens the figurative term of being excluded from citizenship solely based on their race) if they fail to feed and clothe anyone.

8. Yeah, considering the Emperor allowed for Intergalactic Passports, not to mention the Imperial Senate as well, it’s highly unlikely he had any problems with immigration into the Empire so long as it was legalized.

9. Don’t recall the Empire mentioning anything about equal rights, actually, whether for or against them.

10. Doesn’t really mention much in terms of sources anything about the Empire actually mandating citizenry work physically or mentally for the benefit of all. It does mention making an effort to be loyal to the Empire, but beyond that, nothing that indicates that the citizenry engage in what is essentially slave labor (and I mean those who weren’t imprisoned).

11. Nowhere does the Empire even remotely mention anything about income relating to work or any unearned income, whether it be the Imperial Handbook or anywhere else.

12. Yeah, considering the Empire built up its military for defense of its Empire from any internal and external threats, I highly doubt the Empire would have even approved of what was essentially an anti-war statement in there, especially confiscating war profits from soldiers.

13. Other than the bit about Imperialism (which doesn’t even demand the nationalization of all firms, just those that went against the Empire), it really doesn’t match up.

14. Nowhere is it even remotely implied, even under the bit about Imperialization, that the Empire demanded that large companies share profits among each other.

15. Never commented on old age pensions at all, and considering the Empire makes clear they do not want anything except the most basic elements, I really doubt they’d support increasing old age pensions.

16. See 14 above. Also, the Imperial Handbook doesn’t even imply that the Empire intends to nationalize stuff like moisture farming on Tatooine. Nor, for that matter, does it even remotely imply wanting to communalize various storefronts or renting large storefronts to small tradesmen.

17. Again, absolutely no mention whatsoever, at least in the Legends universe, that the Empire ever wanted to do agrarian reforms or nationalize farms, not to mention making land speculation and ground rents illegal.

18. Other than the bit about traitors (which, BTW, even our constitution demands the death of any people who commit treason, so it’s just goes without saying), the Empire really doesn’t mention anything about waging any war on those people, or demanding for their death.

19. Other than the bit about having prisoners undergo slavery, it really doesn’t seem to impact prior laws at all, and it certainly doesn’t use materialism as a reason.

20. The only thing that really comes to mind regarding this point is COMPNOR, in particular the Education branch of the Coalition of Progress branch and possibly the Sub-Adult Unit, regarding education (which even that comes across as being more similar to the AFJROTC than, say, the Hitler Youth). Other than that, there’s no similarities at all to the Empire’s method of education compared to that of what was demanded here. That bullet point if anything comes closer to what the creed of the Umbrella Organization from Resident Evil, or more specifically the Wesker Children, promoted, or even the Jedi’s taking of younglings.

21. Other than maybe bits relating to the Imperial Military (and let’s face it, with any military, you need to be in pretty top shape to be in it, as otherwise, you won’t last very long), there’s little to suggest the Empire demanded an emphasis on “national health.”

22. Seriously? Do you really think the Empire would just abandon/gut its entire military apparatus in favor of what is essentially a citizen militia? There’s definitely no similarity here at all.

23. Ah, yeah, about that, even Freedom of the Press in our Constitution specifically states that slander is not covered under that inalienable right, meaning we don’t have the freedom to propagate lies.

a. Kind of goes without saying, really.

b. I don’t recall the Empire ever indicating that they had any particular problem with what language HoloNet sources were to be given in, or requiring specific permission to actually publish them in a different language.

c. Doesn’t mention anything about turning a profit in newspaper industries either, whether for or against it.

24. Regarding religion, the Empire largely maintains religious freedom, especially if it doesn’t act against the interests of the Empire. The only ones who receive any negative stigma are the Jedi, and even there, there have been Jedi who become dark side converts and become Inquisitorious. I won’t comment on the Christianity bit since that religion doesn’t even exist in Star Wars.

25. Other than maybe the bit about the Emperor’s absolute status, there’s little similarity regarding the Empire to that of Nazi Germany or Fascist Italy with that point (and for the record, even with the Magna Carta, kings, queens, emperors, and empresses had absolute status at various points, in fact, probably the only ones I can think of where they didn’t have absolute status and were figureheads is with Great Britain today and Japan for most of the time barring of course Imperial Japan during World War II). Heck, even there, the existence of the Corporate Sector Authority and various immunity spheres shows the Empire doesn’t necessarily adhere to an absolute status regarding central authority. Heck, even there, the Emperor does in fact take advice from several of his officers rather than blowing it off out of some self-inflated sense of superiority.

So yeah, at most, there’s just below half that actually have any resemblance to the 25 planks, and even those that match up have also had similarities to those in countries that obviously weren’t fascist, communist, or anything like that. Also, there’s zero indication that the Empire even supports abortion towards inferiors or anything like that, or has any problems with disabled people (in fact, one of the Empire’s most loyal supporters was a cripple. And I’m not referring to Vader, or even Grand Admiral Teshik.). Not to mention, do you really think a fascist or communist, both of which are totalitarian ideologies, would so much as even THINK of creating something they would have little amount of control over such as, I don’t know, immunity spheres, or even the Corporate Sector Authority’s explicitly being a place of free trade and free market? In fact, you can find this and plenty of other information about these elements to the Empire here (http://www.galacticempiredatabank.com/RebProLies.html).

So why is the Empire considered fascist?

To answer that question, you need to go back to the time Star Wars was being created, as well as look into the background of the franchise’s creator, George Walton Lucas.

You see, George Lucas was a raving leftist, of the stripe seen during the 1960s where they viewed protests as an excuse to riot for no real reason beyond platitudes. Heck, he even admitted as much in various interviews, including a 2012 interview with Charlie Rose on CBS, where he outright admitted that he got his left-wing views from growing up in 1960s San Francisco which was a hotbed with various radical elements, including anti-Vietnam War protests as you can see here: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-lucas-billionaire-down-on-capitalism/ (the same interview also had him making some negative statements on Capitalism, more on that later). Oh, and he also at one point described his ideal movie making studio philosophy as being “the workers have the means of production” (Skywalking, p.246), meaning that at the very least he flirted with Marxism, and later on during another interview with Charlie Rose (you know the one: where he infamously compared Disney after the sale to “white slavers”) actually implied that Soviet filmmaking at the height of the Cold War was preferable to the American Hollywood model (ie, the Soviet filmmaking where you get a bullet in the head if you criticize the people in charge) as you can see here: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/ken-shepherd/2016/01/04/george-lucas-soviet-directors-had-more-freedom-i-had. In fact, during the Vietnam War, he outright rooted for the Vietcong to win. Back then, leftists often denounced any conservative principles as being “fascist” or “nazi-esque”, mostly because of a misnomer promoted by the likes of Josef Stalin shortly after World War II where he denounced the Nazis as being “right-wing” both to paint actual right-wing groups in a very negative light (the Nazis and fascists in reality were part of the far-left, and they merely viewed the Communists as rivals for control over the left, not actual feuding enemies in terms of ideology), and also as a CYA attempt to deflect any potential blame from reaching Communism. An infamous example of attempts at comparing conservative principles or conservatives to Nazis or fascists was during the HUAC investigations as well as McCarthy’s investigations into Soviet infiltration and subversion of America (which, BTW, contrary to popular belief, McCarthy had no involvement in HUAC, as he was part of the Senate, while HUAC was strictly House of Representatives territory, and he had nothing to do with the Hollywood Blacklist), where quite a few people often accused their accusers as being Nazis to deflect any potential blame of being communists, even when confronted with direct evidence to their Communist ties. This sort of thing is still in existence even today, as evidenced with the aforementioned quote from Snapper Carr from Supergirl, heck, Neo/Thomas Anderson’s “Gestapo crap” comment to the agents in the first Matrix movie even. In fact, as I alluded to earlier in this post, he even had particular ire against former President Richard Milhous Nixon, where he claimed he was responsible for causing Vietnam to happen (a lie, since Vietnam occurred under JFK and LBJ’s watch), running for a third term (of which he expressed no interest in such an idea), and probably also the fact that he exposed Alger Hiss as a Communist spy and indicted him for perjury. In fact, Lucas during the 2008 election cycle even called Barack Obama a hero (and for the record, Obama's policies came far closer to actual fascism than the Empire did), and in 2012, he also indicated he was, among other things, “a dyed-in-the-wool 99%er before there was such a thing” in an unsubtle attempt at promoting solidarity for the Occupy Wall Street group (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html).

Now, taking all of that into account, let’s start with the beginnings of Star Wars. It was 1973, Vietnam was still ongoing, and Richard Nixon is embattled with Watergate. Lucas decides to make Star Wars, then-titled The Star Wars, partially due to the fact that he wanted to cover Vietnam, and partially in response to Nixon’s Watergate bit (note, Star Wars was originally planned to be the third in a thematic trilogy dealing with denouncing America’s involvement in Vietnam, with the first film being American Graffiti, and the second being Apocalypse Now [yes, Lucas was in fact supposed to make that movie]. However, while American Graffiti played and performed as well as he wanted it to, he ultimately wasn’t able to complete Apocalypse Now before Warner Bros. shut down his studio American Zoetrope due to uncertainty regarding the film as well as the previous failure of THX 1138, so he decided to make Star Wars, his planned third film, early, and specifically include elements from Apocalypse Now.). Among the first drafts for the film included a statement on yellow sheets that detailed the theme for the film, which basically said that the Rebels, or, technically speaking, Aquilae, was supposed to be similar to a “small independent country like North Vietnam” that was being threatened with conquest, and that the Empire was supposed to be like America in 1983 (not those exact words, but he said that it was like America 10 years from when he said it, which at the time was 1973), essentially its emperor had been assassinated by “Nixonian gangsters” and elevated to power in a rigged election, and creating a total thought control police state (ironic, since the only character in the movie to actually engage in total thought control at all was Obi-Wan Kenobi with his little “Jedi Mind Trick.”), and even states that they are at a turning point, whether they support Fascism or Revolution (and based on his overall comments, I don’t think he’s referring to the American War for Independence). Although some things from that draft were changed, the overall themes based on Lucas’s later comments haven’t changed at all, which also included the whole Rebel Alliance angle. However, apparently this wasn’t enough, as when making Return of the Jedi, he decided to make the whole Vietcong promotion theme a bit more overt by having Emperor Palpatine’s best troops be taken down by what are essentially animate Teddy Bears known as the Ewoks.

Eventually, about a decade after Jedi, he decided to make the Prequel Trilogy of Star Wars, and he went even further than Return of the Jedi. Basically he made the Republic essentially a bastion of liberal-style nanny state big government, and the “Senate” was closer to the United Nation in Space, or Star Federation from Star Trek. Oh, and the government was so deeply broken, apparently not being able to enforce anti-slavery laws within what was technically its territory. The Jedi were depicted as essentially being Ivory Tower types, as well. Oh, and Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum was specifically modeled after then-President Bill Clinton as a beleaguered man (before the infamous Monica Lewinsky scandal, I should add), which Terrence Stamp, Valorum's actor, even noted. And remember when I mentioned that Lucas’s 2012 interview with Charlie Rose had him mentioning how he was anti-Capitalist and adhered to a more Communistic approach to democracy? Well he starts showing hints at this with the Trade Federation. Speaking of which, the whole Trade Federation plotline and their invading Naboo was largely made in response to the Republican Revolution of 1994 that was made in direct response to some far-left policies Clinton was making, including tax increases as well as the NAFTA agreement, policies that were obviously unpopular among the electorate. Around this time, Newt Gingrich made a speech called Contract with America, which proposed among other things requiring a three-fifths majority before making tax increases. This all occurred around the time Lucas was on his eighth day draft-writing what would become the film. Lucas, as you can probably guess, was not at all happy with this, and decided to use the Trade Federation as being essentially strawmen for the Republican Revolution regarding motives and overall characterization (and he doesn’t even attempt to be subtle about it, either: The leader of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray, for example, had his name being taken from two sources: The first from Newt Gingrich himself, obviously, and the second being Ronald Reagan, the latter was mostly out of revenge for SDI being labeled Star Wars, even though it was Ted Kennedy and the leftist media who called it that in the first place; and Lott Dod, the Neimoidian senator representing the Trade Federation, was named after Chris Lott, the GOP leader in 1997.).

But, oh, that’s still not far enough for him. The very next movie, Attack of the Clones, makes Lucas’s anti-war political views extremely apparent by revealing that, for the thousand years the Republic existed, or at least the thousand years since the Ruusan Reformation if we go by Legends, it turns out the Republic lacked a military of any kind at all. Worse, the film also obviously tries to paint even trying to form a military at all as being an inherently bad thing and would mean the loss of freedom and creating new fear, especially when Padme Amidala, as a clear expy of the Left’s view of Hillary Clinton here, goes to Coruscant as a Senator and tries to vote against the motion (and pre-release materials alongside the movie even goes as far as to imply that Padme may have in fact LIED to the Senate by implying heavily that the pro-Military senators were responsible for her near-assassination, when she in fact suspected that Count Dooku of the Separatists was responsible for the hit). Oh, and if the Trade Federation’s villainous role in the prior movie didn’t tip you off to Lucas’s anti-Capitalist agenda, this movie broadcasts it in a huge billboard by having the main villains, the Separatists, basically being composed of corporations, even explicitly giving their names to the cause, which besides the Trade Federation included among others the InterGalactic Banking Guild, the Corporate Alliance, the Commerce Guild, and the Techno Union. There may have also been a few hints at 9/11 being staged for a coup, especially in the ending, although given the timing, not to mention Attack of the Clones most likely entered development before 9/11 occurred, he was probably intending for that to be the Gulf of Tonkin Incident as an inspiration if anything.

Even that wasn’t far enough for Lucas, apparently, as Lucas then had in Episode III more overt Bush-bashing by essentially implying that the War in Iraq was an excuse for Republicans to take over America and turn it into a fascist Empire (really.), and overall seemed like it was pushing an anti-War viewpoint that you would expect to find on MSNBC or MoveOn.org for more indirect instances of Bush-bashing. For more direct indications, there’s Padme’s “So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause…” shortly after Palpatine declares himself Emperor, apparently done in relation to the Patriot Act, and then there’s the infamous instance in the movie where Vader and Obi-Wan confront each other on Mustafar. Specifically, Vader yells “If you are not with me, then you are my enemy!” in a very thinly-veiled reference to President George W. Bush’s “You’re either with us or the terrorists” line on September 20, 2001, which was directed to the United Nations, not to the American citizenry. Obi-Wan, in response, declares “Only a Sith deals in absolutes.”, one of the most stupid and confusing lines in the movie, especially when it made the Jedi seem like they were the moral relativists and postmodernists, maybe even moral nihilists. Apparently this two bits had been added in fairly early on, around the time of the Iraq War, and largely because of various protests in the Bay Area against the war and Bush, in an eerily similar manner to the protests against Vietnam and Nixon before then, and apparently thought Americans would have agreed with Obi-Wan because of this, thinking they thought nuance was lost from Bush’s “black and white worldview.” Oh, and he also promoted the movie during the 2005 Cannes film festival. You might remember that particular film festival, it was most infamous for its various film moguls using the festival and the showing their films to essentially flip the bird against Bush (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sith-invites-bush-comparisons/2/). Lucas, to be fair, acknowledges that he didn’t necessarily plan on Bush being the subject of Star Wars, but that’s solely because he already had Nixon in mind before Bush was even on his radar. He nonetheless compared Vietnam to Iraq claiming the comparisons were unbelievable (well, he’s right about one thing: thinking there is any comparison between those two wars beyond our trying to stop a grave threat is pretty unbelievable), and he divulged further into his ideas of democracy turning into a dictatorship (they’re one and the same, if you ask me, and I don’t mean that in a good way for either), by basically implying that Robespierre’s France, of all things, was good or at least preferable to Napoleon’s France, or his implying something similar to the Weimar Republic to Nazi Germany. Not to mention most of the comparisons don’t even work, and neither does the claim that wars make dictatorships and destroy democracy (America was forged from war against Great Britain, and we aren’t even close to a dictatorship). Heck, some Expanded Universe materials around the time of Revenge of the Sith even had references to the Triad of Evil, in an unsubtle reference to the Axis of Evil. And in the Clone Wars cartoons (the 3D animation one, not the one with the animation style that was similar to Samurai Jack) there was a character named Saw Gererra whose basis for that Marxist terrorist Che Guevera were as lacking of subtlety as Lott Dod’s basis for Chris Lott was.

Closing statements

Well, I’ve been an Empire supporter for a little over a year now. Not exactly particularly happy with this development, since I go by a rule that I never, ever root for villains, and I was forced to break that rule with the Empire. The reason I had to make that exception dealt with Lucas’s statements about how the Empire was meant to represent America (and more specifically, when How Star Wars Conquered the Universe by Chris Taylor revealed that even the Rebel Alliance was supposed to be Vietcong expies. I don’t root for communists, because they tried to exterminate those of my religion, or any religion, for that matter, all for the sake of atheism, which I maintain is no religion due to a lack of gods or supernatural elements). Either way, I figured I’d set the record straight regarding the Empire and Fascism, because quite frankly, barring the uniforms, they really have no similarities to actual fascism (heck, they don’t even practice any socialist principles while the Old Republic seems to be more socialistic/communistic in nature). If anyone disagrees, fine by me, but I suggest you try to find any sources that definitively match up with Nazi ideology in a very precise manner, and more than just uniforms.

Author's note:

I'm basing this mostly on the Legends version of the Empire, mostly because, quite frankly, I'm not exactly fond of what's become of Star Wars under Disney, even speaking as someone who is a Disney fan.

#meta #Star Wars #anti-george lucas

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booksbookandmorebooks · 6 years

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Wicked Deep By Shea Ernshaw Book review.

Wicked deep follows one of our main characters penny Talbot a introverted junior at the end of her school year. As the locals prepare for the scary/festive period in June. A time when the town is plagued by tourists and strangers eagerly awaiting the mysterious curse of the swan sisters to begin )Penny is far from thrilled about its arrival. In a town where three sister were killed for witchcraft, death always follows its inhabitants. For these three weeks they lure as many young men into the oceans as possible. Bewitching and luring them to their icy graves as punishment for the towns people’s sins over 200 years ago!

Amidst drunken parties and teenagers, the curse rages on with a fury this year to the concern of our main character. While Sitting alone watching the festivities from a far, tormented by the apparent stupidity of the towns people at this time, she is introduced to the new stranger in town Bo. A stranger with a different air about him and a seemingly big secret …one that penny seems to be very drawn to… will this be another summer shrouded by death and witchcraft or is this the summer where the past will finally be avenged and the curse laid to rest?

In all honesty this book I had no qualms with or at least none big enough to discuss. It was just a thoroughly enjoyable read! One I might admit I read in one day to my surprise. it just completely took over me like a witch’s spell! So here is a collection of a few parts of this book I adored!

Storyline:

The story overall has a lot of paranormal elements to it, and not in a cliché jump scare kind of way. Shea has created this eerie atmosphere which made the whole story read more like a thriller book creating a more adult feel. I find when reading book that’s contain paranormal factors they almost read like a children’s book. It’s a little patronising especially if it’s a YA book like wicked deep and I was so glad that this book had the complete opposite approach to storytelling.

I’m also a big fan of books that swap view points throughout, for example. When Dimple met Rishi or children of blood and bone. I think it’s such a clever way to show the same situation through a different perspective and help shed more light onto the various characters within the story. Although with this book it was the changing time periods not the characters but regardless it worked just as well. The scenes set in the past and current events are intertwined beautifully and were never clunky to my surprise, as it’s such a worry when reading this specific method. If anything, they add more to the story as the scenes of the past are very relevant to the progression of the current day story line and are introduced just at the right time.

The characters:

Although penny was a good main character don’t get me wrong, i just didn’t feel like I connected with her half as much as I did with Bo. Now yes there was the cliched troubled bad boy approach, the boy who went off the rails, who is mysterious and eerie yet has this protective vibe to him, if you've read enough YA you know the one. Yet the chivalrous side to Bo made all of that more endearing than anything. instead of being a creepy sex charged teenager you’d expect, he was mature beyond his years and had such a deep and true care for penny. which i hate to admit, i swooned over completely. All these quality combined with his softer side made his character one that you would easily fall in love with at any age never mind as a teenager. i can admit, i not only swooned over their romance but also Bo himself. Hes every girls bad habit. But please do not take this as a YA romance because its far from it. While the romance is a plot point it is no way near the only thing this book has to offer and if I’m honest, its not even a main focus in the book besides a few beautiful scenes shared between Bo and penny. It focuses on the terrifying deaths happening all around them. But with that, I loved the fact it didn’t have the cliche of that us against the world trope, it was used more to help them develop into a powerful twosome devoted to making a change for good.

The mythology:

This was one of the elements I loved most about the book, the mythology. It was never over explained or over exaggerated, it was described throughout so simply it almost bled slowly through the story line gradually, yet it felt so very real and made this story feel like you were reading true life events as they happened creating that suspenseful environment you would expect.

I love the history of witches and find that specific topic so interesting, so to me this was a dream come true. while it didn’t have much real witch history included it is still able to provided me with a believable story, one of which is created with a view point from the witches in response to their years of abuse and oppression. It really opens your eyes to the fact there were so many people back then who were murdered under false pretences and how these accusations were used as a means to dispose of anyone and everyone who were different and/or misunderstood. Which is heart breaking. A fact that has stuck with me ever since. Another well executed method used to help create the whole uneasy feel to this book.

With all of this I give the book a 4.5 out of 5.

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billgsoto · 6 years

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A Tale of Two Farm Bills

Kentucky Farmer Will Bowling with NSAC staff on Capitol Hill. Photo credit: NSAC.

The Senate is poised this week to consider its bipartisan version of the 2018 Farm Bill, which was passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee 20-1 earlier this month. The Senate bill, while far from perfect, was praised by many in the farm and food communities for its stark contrast to the partisan House bill (outlined in detail in previous posts), which barely passed 213-211 after eight members of the far right Freedom Caucus flipped from no to yes votes.

The full Senate will begin debate on the farm bill on June 25, and is expected to consider amendments and then vote on final passage before the end the week. Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill has broad bipartisan support and should pass easily. Once the Senate passes its bill, congressional leadership will convene a “conference committee” to negotiate the two chambers’ bills and put propose a final package to both the House and Senate. This is an important step toward finalizing the next farm bill before the current bill expires on September 30.

Given the wildly different approaches taken by the two chambers, however, agreeing upon a conferenced bill is likely to be an uphill battle. For the Senate, bipartisan agreement is likely to be a must, while in contrast House leadership has had no qualms with forcing through bills strictly along party lines. The two bills vary greatly on content as well as process: the Senate bill largely protects programs for working lands conservation, local/regional food systems, and beginning farmer and rancher programs, while the House bill eliminates, cuts, or diminishes the strength of many critical farm and food programs.

To get a better handle on what we can expect from future conference proceedings, we summarize each of the chambers’ bill progress to date, and provide top-level analysis of likely amendments in the final Senate bill.

House Farm Bill

On June 21, the House voted 213-211 to pass its version of the farm bill (H.R. 2). The troublesome bill was unchanged from the original version, which failed in May, making final passage extremely tight – 20 Republicans joined all House Democrats in voting no. The House bill was criticized broadly by leaders in the food, farm, and conservation movements for its failure to support family farmers, opening of new subsidy loopholes that facilitate farm consolidation, undermining of conservation programs and funding, and disinvestment in farm-to-fork initiatives. Making matters even worse, the bill also makes changes – strongly opposed by the anti-hunger community as well as many leading farm and food organizations, including the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) –to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that will increase hunger and hardship, and that are strongly opposed by the anti-hunger community.

The House farm bill successfully alienated so many key farm and food constituencies, that it failed to pass the first time it was taken to a floor vote (only the second time in history this has ever occurred). The key to passing the vote the second time was Republican leadership’s courtship of the conservation Freedom Caucus, may of whom had originally withheld support for the bill over what they saw as handouts to wealthy mega-farmers and low-income families alike. These members wanted further cuts to SNAP benefits, as well as the closing (instead of widening, which the passed House bill does) of loopholes that allow the nation’s largest mega farms – some of which are fully owned by non-farmer millionaires – to reap millions in federal subsidies each year.

Other Republican opposition to the bill was largely based on a calculated bet that leadership would trade concessions on immigration reform in exchange for a yes vote on the farm bill. That bet paid off when, following the H.R. 2’s initial failure, leadership committed to holding a vote on the immigration bill. That terrible immigration bill thankfully was defeated, but, as a result of it even being considered, eight Republican Freedom Caucus members switched their votes from no to yes during last week’s revote and the bill narrowly slipped through passage. Those eight members are on the record, despite their earlier interest in reform, as supporting the largest subsidy loopholes ever included in a farm bill, loopholes that will facilitate unlimited subsidies for the wealthiest operations and absentee investors.

Senate Farm Bill Consideration

Unlike the House, the Senate Agriculture Committee produced and passed a strong, bipartisan bill that advances many sustainable agriculture goals. On June 22, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed a procedural measure known as a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the bill. This motion and a subsequent cloture vote on the bill itself allow the Senate to limit the amount of time that is allocated for debate before a vote is held.

While we expect the Senate to begin consideration of amendments sometime on Tuesday, it remains to be seen exactly how many will be voted upon. Given the fervent pace of activity on the Hill over the last few weeks, we expect that dozens will be filed, even if they do not all go to a vote. Typically, the majority and minority leaders will strike a deal on the number of amendments that will be allowed, as well as the number of votes (either 51 or 60) that will be required to pass each of them.

The goal for many Senators who will file amendments will be to get their proposed changes included in the “managers’ amendment.” This is a package of amendments that are agreed upon by the Chair and Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee and then offered for a vote as a single amendment. The managers’ amendment to a bill almost always passes by voice vote.

Senate Amendments to Watch this Week

Three amendments that we expect to see a vote on the Senate floor include tackle the often-contentious issue of critical farm subsidy reform. The first of these, an amendment to tighten the cap on commodity program subsidies and ensure that only farmers who are actively engaged in farming receive payments, will be offered by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

The Grassley amendment restores common-sense rules and fiscal integrity to the commodity program by maintaining the cap on annual commodity program benefits at $125,000 per farmer ($250,000 with spouse). The amendment also limits all farms to not more than one additional payee that is not actively working on the farm on a significant basis. These provisions will crack down on the hundreds of millions of dollars a year that the U.S. Department of Agriculture pays out in farm commodity subsidies to people that do not live and work on the farm. Many of these non-farmer owners are actually investors or pass through entities that funnel extra government checks back to the owner in an abusive arrangement created to avoid the payment limitation.

In addition to contributing $100 million to deficit reduction, the savings from the amendment will also provide $75 million for emergency food assistance, $25 million for on-farm renewable energy projects through the REAP program, and $10 million to provide loans to start-up rural micro-businesses through the RMAP program.

The second key amendment on commodity subsidy reform will be offered by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who aims to reduce crop insurance premium subsidies by 15 percent for operations that make more than $700,000 per year in adjusted (net) gross income. The Durbin amendment would require millionaire farmland owners and investors to pay a little bit more of their own crop and revenue insurance costs; currently they rely on the taxpayers to cover the bulk of their insurance premiums. While this amendment does not take the additional, much-needed step of placing a cap on the total amount of insurance premium subsidy any one farm may receive in a given year, it is at least a good start. The Durbin amendment would introduce a means test to receipt of the fully subsidized insurance product, an important first step in reducing the structural inequities of current policy.

Both the Grassley and Durbin amendments have been offered and have passed with bipartisan super-majorities during previous farm bill cycles, but both have also failed to become part of the final farm bill.

Lastly, will also be watching for a third amendment would place an annual cap on the amount of premium subsidy available for any one farm. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) are expected to introduce an amendment to place a $125,000 annual cap on premium subsidies, parallel to the $125,000 annual cap per person on commodity program subsidies. It is not yet clear whether this amendment will receive a vote or not.

NSAC strongly supports all three of these amendments and will be advocating for their adoption.

What Comes Next

Once the Senate passes its version of the farm bill, likely by or before the end of this week, the House and Senate will move to establish a conference committee. Given that the House and Senate bills – as well as their approaches and overall visions for the 2018 Farm Bill – are so radically different, conferencing a final bill is likely to be no easy task. It is our hope that the conference committee will use the bipartisan Senate bill, which has much broader support in the farm and food communities, as the starting point for negotiations. NSAC firmly believes that by using the Senate bill as a template, Congress can produce a 2018 Farm Bill that advances the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.

The post A Tale of Two Farm Bills appeared first on National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

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shapedlikemyself · 7 years

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for my own purposes, as a tales fan

I’ve had some thoughts that have been bouncing around for a long time and that I want to get out while it’s still somewhat coherent. This post really only exists for my sake as a thought dump. I started it three years ago, but now I think I can finish it.

In order of preference.

In terms of overall enjoyability and story: 1. Symphonia 2. Legendia 3. Abyss 4. Graces 5. Vesperia

In terms of the battle system: 1. Vesperia 2. Abyss 3. Symphonia 4. Graces 5. Legendia

I’ve also played and own Destiny, but think it’s unfair to put it in such a list, being as it is so early made in the scheme of things. Comparing its battle system to a later one is like comparing a kindergartner to a high school student. It has a story that I enjoy though, more than Graces. For various reasons, I have not made significant progress into Xillia (but hope to, when I have time to) and so, have no real thoughts about it. For obvious reasons, I have not played Destiny II, Rebirth, or Innocence. I have seriously critical thoughts and questions about Vesperia, so if you’re easily inflamed, you especially probably shouldn’t read.

Symphonia is still my fave of all of them because of the freedom allowed in the game, comprehensive flow and believeability, and just the sheer amount of rewards and sense of completion. Its thoroughness shows with the attention given to characters and the plot path makes sense. I’m not bogged down with exasperation at the convenience of plot turn points or at contrived happenings. Things just make sense and don’t feel forced, like in other Tales games. Relationships have their growth and we see it (especially if we so choose to get even more in depth with specific party members) and nothing feels cheapened by forced dialogue/interactions that are there just to fulfill outdated and pandering relationship roles. The characters each have hidden depths, which really makes them shine as unique individuals in a genre filled with cardboard cutouts and unmemorable faces. I care about each of them, to a point, and am interested in their stories, no matter how much they annoy me, personally, with their choices. While I have my favorites and characters that I don’t personally like, I can’t say that any of them are really boring or flat. Their flaws are outweighed by their virtues and the honesty and beauty I get from them is really inspirational. I get to see people make mistakes, but they’re are never too far gone to be saved and there is just so much hope. The story really makes an impression and is lasting and worthy of remembrance, so there is a lot to be gained from playing it. I’m allowed to go where I want (usually) and play how I want, and not feel that I’m playing “incorrectly”. That's not to say that I don't feel restrictions at all, at certain points, but nothing that feels stifling and game killing like in the subsequent Tales games. I could go on and on about Symphonia, but it really is a gem of a game that I never tire of playing. It still remains as one of my most favorite games and while it has its flaws, I’m hardpressed to find anything that I actually dislike about the game. It's just incredibly fulfilling to play and yet, I always want more when I finish it.

Legendia is my second fave because it also retains a sense of freedom and of there being a grand scheme of things, of a world that actually has things and people in it that aren’t just there for my own purposes. People fill the world and have their own lives, and I’m able (usually) to go where I want without the risk of being forced to continue the main story. The main plot doesn’t leave me wondering how we got from point A to point B, nor does it shoehorn me into following whatever it deems “necessary”, without any deviations. The battle system was never one I loathed or ruined the game for me, but it definitely had restrictions that I did not like. It also does feel a little lighter on the side rewards, but not enough to make me feel cheated. The characters felt a little cliched at times, but generally broke out of their cliches in interesting ways. The story was one that I enjoyed and wasn’t forced to accept/fight through, so much so, that I found myself continuing eagerly in spite of any reservations I had with the fights. As with Symphonia, a lot of the relationships are open to interpretation without punishment for not following them “the way you are supposed to”. Friendship and trust is more important than any romantic entanglements, and there is a lot of time and energy used to show it. The reason for fighting so hard for someone else's sake is not always only because of romantic inclinations. Romance is not the be all, end all when it comes to intimacy and trust. I am not insulted with forced and fake “true love”, nor am I forced to take it in that way either. ie., I don’t like/ship Senel/Shirley romantically at all, and the game allows me that, without beating my brain in with stupid interactions that state “This is the way they are and we will make you ingest it until you accept it!” The ending is what you make of it and I love that. Tropes that I do not like and that make me ill are few and far between, and there isn’t anything major in the game that leaves a bad taste in my mouth as the credits roll. This game is very filling and also leaves me wanting more, in the same way as Symphonia. Or maybe I just really like the Oresoren because they are just so fucking cute.

the Abyss is a game that I used to actually dislike, when compared to the other Tales games I had played at that time (Destiny, Symphonia, Legendia). Like, actual, negative points. But then, over the years, as I replayed it multiple times trying to get into it and rethought my stance, I realized that there just are certain aspects, certain points that I’m not a fan of. It still has the feel of “open world” while not actually being so. I am allowed to use my characters in battle how I want and control their growth to my preferred specifications. The flow of the game and its events feel largely natural and it doesn’t feel like I’m jumping from point to point disconnectedly. The characters feel like people with actual depth and are understandable, even when who they are are people who I do not like and would not prefer to interact with (even the campy and/or super dramatic ones). Certain events are given proper consideration and the especially traumatic ones feel like they have a real weight, that they're not being waved off or used for convenience's sake. The relationships (in terms of romantic developments, as well as platonic) are a mixed bag to me. Some are seemingly natural and plausible, even when I don’t understand their developments. ie., I do not like Luke/Tear as a romantic relationship, nor do I understand why they would like each other that way, but I understand how it could happen and it doesn’t feel totally fake to me (probably due to my intake of shoujo and dramas). The fate of their relationship and the ending of the game itself is also open to interpretation, which is something I’m grateful for (being as I’m of the opinion that the surviving Fabre is the original, and that’s okay because the game allows it without any browbeating). So while I originally let my disappointment with relationship developments and the flaws of the main character drive my main opinion, I’ve come to realize that there’re actually a lot of good points about this game too, like the whole cast of characters itself, the fact that Luke does change and try to change for the better, and that there feels to be a real weight with the decisions made that affect the entire world. Like the games above, it feels like I exist in the world, but there's more to it than just me. The main relationship is not all there is (despite how it can feel that way because of my annoyance with it) and the game really feels like it understands that. I mostly rescind my earlier thoughts, but am more glad I was able to use them to work through it to see this game’s charm.

Destiny is a game that I’ve no major qualms with, but am not completely in love with either. Destiny is of a more straightforward nature in its characters and story, given the time it came out, but also indicative of the way future games would be created. In terms of complications and depth of plot and characters, Destiny was still just stepping into that aspect that would define future games. I think that Destiny falls into more classic ideas of heroes and the main story doesn’t really break the mold too much, but as I stated earlier, there are moments where the types are broken down and the staples of Tales games can be seen, even in a game this early. Most likely because of its place in Tales development history and the time, its battle system is simpler too, and less fulfilling, but I can’t really fault it for that too much. It doesn't feel bland so much as just young & immature compared the other games (obviously).It’s fun to play. And Stahn really is a cutie.

Vesperia, though, for all its polish and glitter, disappointed me immensely and it’s very unfortunate, considering how much I love the battle system. I would play just for the fighting and skip the majority of the scenes if I could. The cast of characters as whole are mostly more flat than I would have expected, and the villains just as cookie cutout evil without sense. I could predict every line and action with just the knowledge of standard anime and game cliches. Yuri is just the type of character I’m interested in, but the plot feels so disjointed and nothing really seems to matter. ie. Yuri straight up murdering two people at night, while I agree with his choices (how can I really feel bad at the deaths of two moronic assholes?), there are bigger things at work here. Yuri is the antithesis of classic Tales heroes, and JRPG heroes in general. Flynn is the model of moral perfection we’d normally get, but Yuri is the main character. The classic formula should be tossed onto its head. So all that stuff we typically don’t have to deal with in Tales games, with taking the high road, should have been addressed. And yet, when the knight in shining armor who believes in the law and the sheltered princess who hates pain and fighting find out what he’s done, what happens? Nothing. They just take it in stride and I’m supposed to believe that they’re just okay with it. (Granted, Flynn shares his disappointments and is a little more complicated in his relationship with Yuri, but in the grand scheme of things, enables and rewards Yuri for behavior he finds reprehensible. You might feel that Yuri is “stronger” because he can do things you can’t, but that doesn’t make them right). And if the honor bound knight doesn’t stir up any major personal dissatisfaction or fear in our "hero", none whatsoever, then what is the point of anything Yuri is or does? What's his story and why am I here playing his game? There’s no tension or drama when you know nothing bad is really going to happen to Yuri or that there's no real need for change.

You might say, and I would agree, Yuri is not a hero and he does what is necessary. He can't afford to fear or doubt or go back on his path. That's not his story; changing, growing stronger and taking up the mantle of a hero of legend. He doesn't have the luxury of the moral highground or optimism for humanity's potential. That's not the world he lives in. He's not Lloyd or Asbel, indeed, so of course he's not going to play the same cards as their kind. But then why does it feel like the people around him and the game itself tries to force him in that role? If his story isn’t a hero’s journey, why does the game seem to disagree? Why is he the only one that make the grand, heroic gestures and why does it have to be him to pull someone back from the edge? Why is it Yuri that's always doing the heavy lifting? Is it because he's the main character and it's his story? If so, that's incredibly boring and lackluster and makes it seem like the world only spins on its axis because of Yuri. It wouldn't have been so bad, to see such an atypical character walk through a typical Tales world and make things topsy turvy with their fresh perspective and I would have loved just that, to see the other side of the street when you have someone not so noble in the driver's seat. But not when, while you're stressing how ignoble the character is and you have him getting away with some really shady shit, you have the other characters looking at him like he has pure intentions and a beautiful soul. I don't think that Yuri is a bad person in the slightest and in fact, on his own, I enjoy him a great deal. I think he's an interesting take on the classic Tales hero. He has good intentions and is a good person overall, but you can't negate the really suspect stuff he pulls. It could have been interesting, if our main character had some real conversations and fights with other characters. There could have been depth there and real growth and connecting. He could have met half way with others, but there isn’t any of that. There might be some doubts about Yuri, but the doubters always come to his way of thinking and say no more. There's no real personal struggle at all and nothing really seems to affect him. He just exists and is a symbol of something that their world needs, but there's no real depth to him outside this idea. Yuri doesn’t have to come to terms with the weight of his vigilante actions, nor do any “real world” rules apply to him, which then dampens and almost negates later “developments”. Because what development has Yuri really gone through, if he can kill people when he decides it’s ok and not face any punishment? What challenges does he actually have to overcome? Besides the villain who makes stupid choices just to be the villain? He stays the same throughout the game, there’s no requirement for change, and it doesn’t feel like there’s any point to the things he does. Everything he does feels very -eh *shoulder shrug* I did it because it had to be done i was just here at the right moment- and the relationships he forms feel very -well we saved the world see you around maybe- which really sucks, considering the relationships have always been a favorite aspect of Tales games for me. Who is Yuri outside of this vigilante persona? Everything outside of Yuri feels very blasé .

Someone might say that he becomes more personable and welcoming, but I think even that is diminished, considering others either don’t know about Yuri’s choices or, if they do, there is never any confrontation to ignite change. Yuri doesn’t ever show regret or think back on his actions, even in a small way, (and maybe rightfully so, considering who he targeted, but a life is still a life) and when faced with opposing opinions, it works itself out with no genuine output from Yuri. He doesn’t ever have the desire to want to admit wrongdoings to make himself a better person. He does it because others need him or ask him to. It doesn’t feel like Yuri ever gets accepted for who he really is (except by his dog pal and best frenemy). He just does what he has to and says what he has to to get from one moment to the next. And later, when the story gets bigger, Yuri’s midnight strolls are not addressed again. What effect did taking out those two people even mean to Yuri, as a character? If nothing, if it’s just something he did because he could and because someone had to, then that’s in line with his attitude the rest of the game. He saves the world because someone has to and it might be dirty, but he can do it. He himself knows that he’s not a good guy, or noble, or pure and has accepted this. He doesn't try to be anything but himself or do anything else than what he wants to. The game feels like it forgets that. Characters later treating him as if he’s some larger than life, noble hero only goes to show me how much they do not see him or know him. He has friends, but friends that remain in the dark while he goes off and does whatever needs doing. He might be more willing to work with others in achieving a goal, but he still feels just as alone as he did at the start and just as likely to break off to fulfill a task. It seems like a very heavy and lonely burden to carry and I would hope that he have someone to share it with (especially in a Tales game). But that might honestly be me injecting more than I need to, given that his sharing with Repede and Flynn seems to be enough and he seems at peace with his role. I like his interactions with Flynn a lot (and that bit with Yuri wishing he could be like Flynn/do what Flynn does? Marvelous! Flynn really is the hero of this story that we don't get to follow). And with all the relationship development focus seemingly on Flynn and Yuri (which, in my opinion made their relationship as a whole the only believeable and interesting one), it was hard for me to believe that the party in any combination made any lasting impression on each other or lifelong friendships with each other. I believe that they’re friends in the common sense, but not to the level which other Tales games held friendship and that was a disappointment, because of it being such a common and expected thing from past games. Nevermind how I couldn’t buy any genuine romantic interest between any members of the party because of lack of development, I couldn’t honestly see why some party members stuck around at certain point of the game.

Getting from Point A to Point B was convoluted and foggy, and there was plenty of hand waving. It was in this game the most that I felt that progressing the story was a major chore. On more than one occasion, I felt myself rolling my eyes at just how dramatic and cliche some happenings seemed to be, not to mention illogical and random. ie. after defeating a foe who threatened the very world, our protag is rewarded not two seconds later with being stabbed by a random NPC in an emotional outburst and falling from a tower that reached into the sky (what was she even doing up there?). This same NPC who saw his value and recognized his merits in his friendship with Flynn, as well as his shortcomings, and who seemed to be trying to deal, in her own way. And her immediate response to her own sudden attack? Shock and horror as she watches him fall. What was the purpose of such an action? Yuri doesn’t fault her and neither do I, because of Yuri’s shady choices, but the bigger concern is just what was the point, aside from cheap dramatic tension? It couldn’t be anything like his chickens coming home to roost, considering how quickly the attack is forgotten, and with how nothing else comes back to bite his ass, Yuri doesn’t really ever face the music. It’s just something else that happens. He just continues to exist with no sense of urgency or purpose.

tl;dr It’s hard to see him as an interesting character if nothing really challenges him personally or if he’s never forced to see another way as actually valid. If he doesn’t change at all, then what’s the point of having him here? Yuri just doesn’t ever feel like he’s all there, nor does he seem to connect with anyone in a deep and honest way (save Flynn and Repede). Things just happen to him and he rolls with it. He fills the anti hero role well and I love him as a character on his own (someone’s who’s strong enough to take out scumsuckers, who when I said to myself while playing “Just kill him” actually did it?), but it’s just not very interesting when he interacts with his world and most of the people in it, especially with the way his story is told. Which is really too bad.

And besides the serious lack of development in terms of our main character, the lackluster cast, and the depth of the main plot, the game overall just felt lacking in its sidequests and rewards. Aside from the main story and a card game, there wasn't much to do. I beat this game the quickest out of all of them. It’s like shiny, pretty candy. Pretty to look at, but no real substance to it. I guess I’m just really disappointed in what Vesperia could have been, considering how fucking cool Yuri, Repede, Flynn and Judith are.

Graces disappointed me in a multitude of ways. I was let down a little in how character’s stats are boosted and titles are even gained, but I can't honestly say that it was a major problem. It also has a battle system I don’t hate, but do find tedious and the removal of MP and the menu placement (esp in terms of how much you can actually do) makes things feel really limited as well. It was the first game where I would put fights on auto just to get through them and generally, the battles were more of a burden then a benefit to playing. Some of the artes were cool and I thought there was a large variety in types of styles for how each character fought, but they didn’t keep me from sighing whenever I had an encounter. It’s not a terrible game, but as a Tales game, it’s not something I felt very rewarded in playing, in terms of the battles, characters, and plot development. That's not to say that it felt like a chore to play all the time and there are no good points at all. Dualizing & fulfilling requests was actually fun a lot of the time and it is a very pretty game with some genuinely entertaining scenes. The amount of sidequests and extra goodies felt more than sufficient and it definitely felt like there was more than just the main story to invest in. Little main party character moments and insights made the characters a little more interesting and a little more fun, if only by a little sometimes.

But on the point of the cast, Graces felt less developed and original in its characters and their types, and so, they are less interesting to me, but they’re nothing I haven’t seen in other such games or anime either. Whereas Vesperia’s cast mostly felt like hollow caricatures, Graces’ cast felt a little more weighty, at least. They have their roles and play out their cliches like you'd expect, even when those cliches are disturbing and nonsensical, yes, but there’s a good deal of main party interaction and building, as predictable and/or headache inducing as it is. While I'm not particularly crazy about any of the characters, when they do things that I don’t like/understand, at least I can see where they’re coming from, most of the time. (For instance, Hubert being crazy for Pascal? What the fuck? Big No Thanks.) Their journeys play out in front of me and there isn’t any twisting, generally, to make them fit certain ideas of what a character type should do or say. ie, Asbel is consistently emphatic about protecting those he loves and relentless when it comes to not letting a friend down and so, it doesn’t seem to come out of left field or be suddenly too intense. While at times I find his ideals selfish and not well thought out for the long term, he also has to face the weight of his choices and he doesn’t always just get let off with a slap of the wrist. Relationships have to be rebuilt and he doesn’t get everything he wants on a silver platter. It's another case of Asbel being a member of this world and his story isn't the world's story, as central as he is.

However, he is the main hero and there are a number of other characters that feel abandoned and very underdeveloped. Like, their potential and connection to main characters was not used even remotely well (case in point: Lord Aston, Kurt, etc. take your freaking pick). We’re supposed to feel some kind of loss or inspiration or whatever, but they were hardly around before they were shoved off and that isn’t good for making me care about them or want to learn more about them (not that there are even many such chances anyway and the ones you do get are after the characters are already dead, so they feel very cheap and pointless). Overall, the cast of characters aren’t particularly appealing to me, but I don’t hate them either. (Although, I can’t say that I like Hubert in the slightest. He’s quite annoying actually. But Richard and Malik? Big good points of the game). In conclusion, I was very disappointed in the game. Graces feels more bland, even compared to the older games and it's like I'm a spectator in the story, not a participant. Which, to be fair, may be due to the fact that I have no particular & major attachment to most of the characters or the story. And having played this after Vesperia, the bar was set low. Like with Vesperia, it got to the point where I had to force myself to finish the game while suppressing either boredom or violent irritation. I played to the end just so I could cross it off my list. After finishing this game and with my dissatisfaction compounded, I gave up on reclaiming that distinctly “Tales” feeling.

#tales of #tos #tol #tota #tod #tov #tog #personal

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