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aleksanderscult · 3 months

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Analyzing "Demon in the Wood" (book) - Part 5

(Part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4)

(TW: self-harm!, suicide!)

Did you think I had forgotten about this meta?

ABSOLUTELY NOT

I was just dealing with a small health issue and before that I didn't have the motivation.

But now my meta-analyzing-self has returned with the fifth and last part of the book.

This is the passage from the book that actually made me think "What if Aleksander himself started sleeping less and less as an adult?". He "adopted" so many things from Baghra. It's possible that he did this too. Sleeping very few hours at night and always ready to leap at the first sign of danger.

Also, not Eryk not wanting to get smacked from his mom if she catches him. 😭

“It’s not enough.” His voice made me jump. The Darkling emerged from the shadows onto the lamplit path.

He really can startle people with his silent movements.

And the fact that he has been trained by hunters!

So he has learned from hunters, seers, Kings, Saints. Through all these four hundred years he gained an enormous amount of knowledge. (I would honestly sit and listen to his experiences for free)

HE'S TOO CUTE I JUST--

He really preferred to get interrogated by his mother for his wet clothes than get naked in front of a girl. 😭🫶

We went from this "He felt too shy to remove everything."

To this "His hand slid down to my hip. I felt a little trill of panic as my skirt slid higher and his fingers closed on my bare thigh."

They grow up so fast. 🥹🥹

It's that beautiful realization that he acts like a kid that makes me happy. All giggling and smiling while playing and swimming. This is the life he was supposed to live and he knows it.

He's so happy and hopeful that he starts making plans! 😭

He just wants to stay somewhere.

The Darkling never hated the otkazat'sya. It wasn't hate he felt but (overtime) he just only came to know their nature.

Eryk really liked Sylvi and thought her a good company to have her around.

He was aware of the way men looked at his mother.

I'm sorry but I find this line kind of awkward. It may only be just me. But little Aleksander seeing men giving lustful looks to Baghra is a little awkward. Like, man, not in front of her son. 😭

It was one more weapon in her arsenal.

Actually an anon once sent me an ask saying that the Darkling was promiscuous on his earlier days out of his need for touch and to gain information.

At that time I said that I doubted it since he had other means to gain information (through his spies, his natural charisma etc.) but @stromuprisahat discussed this in the comments and now I agree with her that Aleksander would sleep with someone to gain information. And, in the end, it was this line that fully convinced me. Just like I've said previously, Aleksander mimics his mother in almost everything. He just copies her behavior and patterns. And that's one more pattern that he must have copied. If he didn't have any other choice and was desperate (also it would depend on the person he had in front of him) Aleksander would go in "flirt mode" to get what he wants. Seduction was one weapon out of the hundreds in his arsenal, ready to be used if necessary.

Well hello socially awkward Aleksander.

That might be my hot take for him I think. Aleksander Morozova was actually socially awkward in sensitive matters (this moment right here, revealing to Ulla that they're siblings, his first kiss with Alina).

He was never raised in a stable home, never had healthy friendships and was raised by his mother very strictly and to value power over love. So whatever compassion he had as a person, he had it out of his own character. He was born with it and not nurtured to feel it or have it.

He doesn't know if this question about her mother is appropriate because he normally doesn't have conversations with peers and hasn't learned to.

It's a very sad but true fact about his character.

Eryk: "Thanks mom for nothing I guess".

I don't think people realize how cut off Aleksander was from literally everyone. And it was Baghra that cut him off. Not one single word about his father like she created him by herself or something.

(Now I also remembered how Alina was the only other person Aleksander could bond and be with since she was immortal too but Baghra took that from him as well. That woman really said "You'll have no one but me")

now I'm angry

He really really tries.

I've analyzed this moment a bit here but basically Aleksander was very awkward with others showing a vulnerable side. He isn't used to being close with others since he constantly travels, so here he does his best to comfort Annika as she lays bare her thoughts and feelings. He wants to let her know that her father didn't fail but did his best to protect his remaining family.

Hell nah!! 😭😭

Not my boy being protective over his new friend 😭😭

He only knows her for a few hours and he feels already close to her.

This shatters my heart because he doesn't want to believe the truth. He doesn't want to face it in the beginning. He's like "Oh. Maybe we're playing". He doesn't want to know that his friend has turned against him.

*tears up*

Can you hear me crying in the background? 🙂

He was so ready to protect her against a boy taller and stronger than him. Because they're friends. Friends are supposed to stick together.

*I'm ready to cry*

He's still in denial. 😭

And seeing the difference between this young Aleksander to his older version. The young one being naive, innocent and weak because he lets his emotions get the better of him. While the older one never begged for anything (at least directly), shed that side of him and still died because he still wanted things.

THE STRATEGIC BABY GRISHA IS HERE!!

He cleared his head and started thinking of ways to get out. And what better way of escaping than making Annika and Lev fight each other?

I personally think he said that line for two reasons:

He wanted Lev to know what he is in order to make him come over, break the ice and even stop Annika so he could buy himself some time and escape.

It's very interesting that he said "you won't be able to push her or her sister around anymore". He could have said "When Annika wears my bone she'll be more powerful than you" but he brought up Annika's vulnerable position and that shows that he understands why Annika does this.

But still he won't sit and let her finish the job.

His determination is the one quality that admire in him the most.

Take this moment for example. Someone just hit his head with a rock and he focuses on staying awake and alive. He doesn't allow his own body to take him down.

And here the same thing happens:

He's ready to vomit and pass out but he just forces his body to do more, to escape and survive. He never lets anything deter him from what he wants. And apparently it was Baghra that made him this way too:

She nurtured his strong will and over the years he became a driven, focused and determined person. And it were these qualities that kept him alive all those centuries.

When Alina left him behind on the Fold he survived and kept going.

When Sturmhond left him with a broken ship, a wounded arm and in the middle of nowhere, he survived and kept going.

When Alina betrayed him and brought a building down on his face, he survived, took the throne and rose again.

When his mother committed suicide, he cleared his head and continued his war.

When he came back from the dead, he still continued the march towards his ambition.

Literally nothing could stop him. Even "when he wasn't so sure he wanted to go on" he put his one foot in front of the other and set his eyes towards his dream. Whether that was to provide the Grisha a safe home, or the Ravkans a safe country or himself a companion to have. Or all of it together.

It was enough to make him less a boy than a prize.

A sad existence to live. Especially in your childhood. Your own people seeing you as a trophy to have, to wear and use than a human with a life of his own.

He revealed his gift to Annika when he showed kindness to her and now he pays the price.

His relationship with his mother is one of the most (if not the most) pivotal aspects of his character. Her words and teachings have been implanted deep inside him and can hear her often in his mind (just like he did in RoW).

Did he also hear her voice whenever he was close to dying in his adulthood?

He lashed out of fury, desperation and sadness for everything that happened that day. Just when he thought he had it all, fate came and took them out of his hands along with his hope.

Let me make a mark on this world before I leave it.

He succeeded in that. The Little Palace is the greatest proof and people talked about him long after he was gone (and they'll continue to do so).

As a child he saw how Grisha came and went from this world without "touching" anything. He didn't want the same thing to happen to him. He wanted to make something.

(Also the fact that he dropped that iconic, serious line at the age of thirteen. The Darkling at thirteen "I want to make something grand before I die". Me at thirteen: *watching Shakira clips and failing school like nobody's business* 😭😭)

I don't think most of us understand that Aleksander literally self-harmed himself to survive and save his mother's life as well. Used his own power against him to make sure that they won't be burned alive for what he did.

For the Ulle to be so sure that nothing would happen at their camp makes me think that they were being established successfully there for a long time. But that surety and protection faded because of his own people who are so desperate to gain power in order to survive. It's not a matter of selfishness. I don't see it that way. But it's a matter of survival especially since the Grisha are a group of persecuted people that are hunted down for their powers, feared and shunned.

Whether you believe it or not, I've seen people say that Aleksander didn't regret the fact that he was responsible for the burning of that village.

*screaming in frustration*

So. I'll repeat that it wasn't an act of selfishness but a matter of survival. It's not a black and white situation. If Aleksander had said the truth he would be executed alongside his mother for what he did. And the other Grisha wouldn't hesitate to do it since they already feared Baghra. And what people fear, they destroy.

Aleksander opted to cut his leg deep with his own powers, lose unconsciousness and tell a fake story to save his mother and leave from that settlement in one piece. But he didn't take pleasure from it. He wasn't glad when Lev and Annika died and felt sorry for their parents and their reaction. And now he feels sorry for the burning of the village. He knew they were innocent and he supposed they were going to interrogate them or something. But kill all of them? That he neither expected or wanted.

Look. I think Baghra loved her son. But let's be honest. If he wasn't so powerful, if he wasn't immortal he would cast him away the same way she did with his siblings. Sooo....yeah. It's a toxic kind of love. She loves him for what he can offer her (companionship mostly) so it's not an unconditional love. She mostly wanted to keep him safe because, if he died, she would be left with no one.

Bardugo in a podcast called her "a horrible, horrible mother" and she is. But I still find her a fascinating character that I can't get enough of for some reason. I don't like her but I find her interesting.

Honestly, me neither. Annika was not my favorite character in this story but I don't hate her for trying to kill him. She wanted to protect her family and their position in the camp. It's a bleak world for the Grisha and they have to "eat" each other to survive.

Aleksander really said: "I will make my people matter. I'll make them touch this world and make themselves known. We will be seen".

All the Grisha characters that were trained in the Little Palace owe their reputation to the Darkling. Alina would never know who she was and, even if she did, she would waste because she would be unable to use her powers without someone to guide her. Zoya would never achieve that reputation.

Grisha would just continue to live in caves and hidden establishments. Afraid to go out and show their powers to strangers.

By S&B the Grisha were still despised but there was a minority that held them in awe. But that did nothing to change the situation. Now they are seen but used by the Crown. It was the only place they could have in the kingdom.

It rose from the trees surrounding it like something carved from an enchanted forest, a cluster of dark wood walls and golden domes. As we drew closer, I saw that every inch of it was covered in intricate carvings of birds and flowers, twisting vines, and magical beasts.

“Welcome to the Little Palace,” said the Darkling.

He did it. The crazy son of a bitch did it. 🥹🥹

He managed to create a safe home for them. Made sure for them to be surrounded by other people like them, sitting in front of a warm hearth, in unity not in conflict with each other. Somewhere to rest their heads under the gorgeous carvings of vines and birds. A place to practice their powers freely and eat luxuriously. Somewhere to come back to, like all of us do when we want to go home. Somewhere to belong and somewhere to stay.

(fuck you Tolya for what you said in that duology. Fuck you and everyone who talks shit about Aleksander's greatest accomplishment)

That was the end of the book and I absolutely loved that story. I need 20 more novellas like this from the perspective of the Darkling from his earlier adventures. I'll analyze the Graphic Novel next.

#I've missed analyzing SO MUCH #anyway hope you enjoyed this part #the darkling #pro darkling #aleksander morozova #pro aleksander morozova #demon in the wood #demon in the wood meta #meta #shadow and bone #grishaverse #baghra morozova #annika

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sepublic · 2 years

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Belos complains about the Titan probably hiding glyphs from him unlike with Luz, but tbh... The answer really may be as simple as Luz enjoying magic and wanting to learn it, while Belos hates it and only sees magic as a begrudging necessity and means to an end; He uses magic to destroy magic, that sort of thing. And was dragging his feet kicking and screaming over any progress the whole way.

Like how you learn better at a subject you enjoy VS one you hate. Someone able to dedicate six hours to playing a game VS three minutes on homework because one is actually fun. How some of us will write essays and meta and analyses, perform insane calculations regarding our hyperfixations, but when we have to do anything remotely similar for an assignment we’re practically dying the whole way.

Honestly, maybe the only reason Belos is so much more powerful than other witches, aside from the Collector’s guidance and devouring palismen? It might just be because thanks to his long lifespan, Belos was able to accumulate the time and experience necessary to make up for his lack of enthusiasm, and eventually catch up with and outpace all other witches, who’d never be able to learn as much with their limited time, even with the passion and innate talent they have! Well... Except for Eda, but of course Belos took that from her.

For all we know, any other witch given Belos’ time and resources would do far more with it than he ever did, because they actually care! They actually like magic! So even then, Belos only has the ‘privilege’ of such a long lifetime to compensate for his weaknesses. Any other witch would’ve taken things farther long ago, because they wouldn’t have been content to do what was strictly necessary and then just sit around for centuries expecting others to do all of the work!

#the owl house #emperor belos #philip wittebane #luz noceda #meta #speculation #analysis

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cookinguptales · 9 months

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25 please?

I've already done 25, actually! But if you want to hear another common fandom complaint that I'm sick of hearing, then uhhh.

Oh! I hate it when people are like "ugh, people are trying to find meaning in the shits and farts show." That nickname irritates me in general because I honestly think most of the humor in the show is ridiculously clever and to boil it down to that feels reductive (especially when other popular comedies use just as much potty humor if not more) but also like. Honestly, I think it's stupid to act like a show can only be one thing.

I recognize that I'm not always right when I write meta and that sometimes I write a little more than might be strictly necessary, but it's fun. It's all fun. It's fine to take shows seriously, even comedies. It can be fun to recognize complexities in the writing, especially because they're often there.

Not everyone has to write thousands of words of Thoughts after each episode, but I'm irritated when people go too far the other way and act like there's no depth in a show that's really tried to do some very interesting and poignant things.

I get that sometimes it's just a very twitter brand of uhhhh "humor" to say that, but I honestly think it's annoying, dismissive, and quells fandom discussion. If you don't like discussing shows or dissecting them, that's fine! But damn, just go do something else, then.

#if you meant to send me a different number that's fine too! lmao #feel free to send more than one #replies #wwdits tag

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i-did-not-mean-to · 10 months

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All aboard

Here, friends, have a very meta little ficlet.

Husband and I plan on going on a little trip this week. This story has been read and ratified by him. He says it's very accurate. LOL

Words: 1381

Characters: I, husband, ALL the blorbos

Prompt: Road Trip

Warnings: Meta, first person

I wake up 10 minutes before my alarm, startled and confused because Finrod Felagund is perched on my headrest like a cat, strumming his harp.

Attracted by the disjointed tune, Maglor starts singing “Morning has broken” at the top of his lungs before his mother comes to drag him away by the braid. Nerdanel has, of course, been awake for hours already, making sure her progeny is ready to travel.

Brushed and braided, the infamous sons of Fëanor are scrubbed clean and wearing holes into my carpet by pacing through the room impatiently.

My husband groans and swats away Asfaloth’s attempts at rousing him.

“Shower?” he asks groggily and I acquiesce, all but running to the bathroom and slamming the door behind me. Not for a second do I believe that locks and bolts would keep my imaginary guests from intruding, but I hope that they’ll respect my privacy, nonetheless.

“You’ll take us, right?” Ulmo asks from the warm spray chasing away my fatigue. “We are good. We won’t make any trouble.”

“You,” I reply sharply, “can make it there on your own. There is plenty of water and air where we go!”

Sniffing, indignant and clearly vexed, he withdraws.

Thus refreshed, I exit my bubble of relative peace to do a quick headcount that quickly devolves into a pounding headache instead.

“We’re ready!” Elrond promises, waving a hand at those under his care. So far, so good, I think—with the exception of Glorfindel insisting on bringing his horse, Imladris seems to have its shit together.

Sandwiches have been packed and his infamous mother-in-law is sitting on a huge crate that is suspiciously labelled “travel provisions”.

“Is there a weight limit? How much space do you have in your trunk?” Nerdanel asks in a tense voice. “My husband, bless his heart, is loath to leave his forging equipment behind. Moreover, the boys…”

I cock a dubitative eyebrow at her. Her sons are hardly children anymore, but I can almost guess how their proclivities would interfere with an extensive road trip.

I drive an SUV—a big, boxy, black car that at least theoretically should allow for some follies.

“Nelyo won’t leave without Fingon…” she adds sheepishly. “Also…Tyelko’s dog, Káno’s instruments…at least Moryo and Curvo have agreed to share a suitcase for their books.”

Knowing that it’s a vain endeavour, I don’t even ask if all of this is strictly necessary.

I love them just the way they are; there is nothing wrong with them or with me.

I repeat those words like a mantra as I stare blankly at Nerdanel’s tired face, sporting an ever so slightly forced-looking smile—the encouraging mien of a mother knowing full well that the worst is yet to come.

Giving up on that part of my inescapable company, I shiver and turn to darkness and evil personified.

“Ready!” Mairon assures me, brandishing his checklist triumphantly. He is dressed soberly and might be allowed to be seen by others—his companions…not so much.

Melkor, inspired by too much reality TV, has donned oversized sunglasses and a silk turban to keep his hair from frizzing in the constant stream of cold air blowing out of the AC, while Gothmog is wearing a floppy straw hat that does nothing to obscure his identity. The shiny horns and the aura of pure flame are wont to give him away and I am beyond thankful that nobody else can see him.

That, as well, is a problem for a later moment, I decide and turn to the dwarven faction to explain as gently as possible that pots, pans, flutes, and weapons are less than ideal hand luggage.

As expected, this goes over like a lead balloon.

Moreover, Thranduil has decided that he and his people will join us after all—nevertheless, he demands to be allowed to travel in the passenger seat, for privacy and to be as far away from the dwarves as possible in a restricted and closed space, and my husband shakes his head vehemently.

“I won’t have one of them on my lap,” he declares cuttingly. “Stuff them all in the trunk, with their tools and toys.”

Uproar. Outrage. Screaming in various languages. Curses upon my in-laws down to the first ancestor to have ever walked this earth—I merely smirk.

“Of course,” someone whines, “nobody wants to take me.”

Whirling around, I glimpse Túrin, his lower lip sticking out a little, his arms crossed above his chest petulantly.

The humans, I think frantically, and my mind goes blank.

“We’re ready to travel light,” Boromir promises, securing his bedroll and his pack as we speak and giving me an encouraging smile. “Gondor can set out.”

“I don’t trust the iron horse!” Éomer mutters, evidently much less inclined to just throw himself into my car without having checked the mysterious vehicle vigorously for loose shoes and bad teeth.

By this time, the Valar—immortal and indestructible as they are—have agreed that they’d survey the lay of the land from the roof of my trusty metal steed rather than be confined with a bunch of unruly children.

The thought of having to wipe away incessant rain as well as bird droppings throughout the whole voyage dismays me, but I take every win I can get and don’t demure.

“The good boy can come sit with me,” my husband declares, thankfully mollified by my obvious distress, at the sight of Huan wagging his tail eagerly.

“You’ll have to take Tyelko as well—the tall blonde with the hunting knives—and, come to think of it, how about balancing Curufin on your other leg?” I jump on that tiny concession eagerly, my eyes pleading and my lips quivering pitifully.

“Will they sing the whole time?” he asks sharply and I shrug, unwilling to admit that—most probably—they will indeed.

We start the elaborate game of Blorbo-Tetris, doing our best to separate those who love each other too well or too little in an attempt to preemptively extinguish potential fires that might otherwise ruin the start of our trip.

“At least…” he starts and then retreats as Thingol and Melian, followed by their retinue, draw up to the car, eyes narrowed in disdain. They do not appreciate the fact that they had almost been left behind—again.

“Mablung,” my husband—love of my life, light of my days—sniggers, much to the dismay of the dignified elf who is not used to being hailed in so derisive a fashion.

My car now feels so full that I have no doubt it is positively bulging, but we’ve finally made it onto the road.

My beloved spouse keeps his hand firmly clasped above the button that would turn the radio on, enduring the moaning and complaining with perfect equanimity.

The smell of various, impossibly fragrant foodstuffs being unpacked and the sound of enthusiastic chewing start to pervade the air—I open a window and shoot an apologetic look at my most cherished companion.

Discordant humming and vocalizing are interrupted periodically by raucous laughter and the odd brawl in the backseat; I throw myself onto the highway, wishing it was oncoming traffic.

All the while, my phone keeps chiming softly—Discord is letting me know that my friends are alive and well, and I smile through the agonizing migraine as discussions of wedding customs arise and are hotly debated.

Many of my obstinate and obnoxious travel companions are legacies from those people across the world I love so dearly and I owe it to them not to toss their cherished characters into the nearest gas station bin, no matter how insane they’ll eventually drive me.

At least, thank Eru the One, everyone is still dressed and decent and no deadly weapons have been deployed or old grudges dredged up to be settled within this merely leased vehicle—it would be quite a feat to explain away the huge bloodstains and deep gouges to my annoying garage.

A warm, comforting hand finds mine and I avert my eyes from the road for a millisecond to grin lopsidedly at my husband.

“Did you absolutely have to bring all of them?” he asks under his breath.

My shoulders twitch as I sigh shudderingly. “I love them,” I confess, “and wherever I go, they go.”

@fellowshipofthefics have a silly one!

Lots of love from me, I hope this little slice of my life could amuse you!

#og post #fotfics july event #IDNMT #Husband #All the blorbos #Summer Storms #Road Trip #fotfics summer stories #Week 3 #IDNMT writes #fanfiction #writing #tolkien writing #jrrt

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k-s-morgan · 2 years

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Hey! I've got a Black Butler question; I absolutely love your meta.

What are your thoughts about the times Sebastian has sexual encounters in the series? I can think of 4 off the top of my head (I haven't seen BoM and BoA yet, so if there are any there I'm missing them):

Sex with various nuns in the cult in S1 for information

Non-consensually groping Hannah at the end of S2

Examining Beast's prosthetic at the beginning of BoC, in a way that literally everyone in the room seemed to read as sexual

Having sex with Beast for information towards the end of BoC

I'm interested in any thoughts you have about all of these, and Sebastian's relationship with human sexuality in general. But for me, (3) and especially (2) are the hardest to account for.

(3) maybe works as a part of his persona construction for the people in the circus? Or maybe he was just really interested in the prosthetic and missed that everyone around him was taking his actions sexually?

(2) I have absolutely nothing! Is there any interpretation of this that isn't "it was put in for the benefit of Us, The Viewing Audience, whether we like it or not?"

Hello! Thank you so much!

This is a fascinating topic, and to me, all sexual encounters of Sebastian through canon underline his demisexuality / gray-sexuality. He's excellent at seducing and charming his victims, but in most cases, he seems bored or subtly disgusted when having sex. This is my interpretation for all these moments:

1) Nun in the cult

Sebastian looks as disinterested as he could possibly be, and in my perception, it feels like he finds the process somewhat distasteful. The fact that he talks about bad smell speaks volumes - while he means angel-related smell, the fact that he says it here creates an obvious parallel with how he feels. It is my view that he finds sex unpleasant but that he deemed it to be the fastest way to get information they need in this episode. Sebastian put on the role of a seducer after Ciel almost lost his temper. He correctly judged the fact that Ciel was feeling too frustrated and impatient to play the lead role, so he took the reins.

2) Hannah

I think you mean this moment from E9? It definitely looks like groping, but he actually searches for her weapon - he then successfully finds it and throws it away. Sebastian seems to touch her only when necessary: in this episode, he looks for a weapon; in E12, he extracts the sword from inside her. But I do think there is some deliberate sexual subtext present. In my opinion, it's a simple reflection of demons' interactions with each other - a certain power play, an automatic seduction that hides the promise of death and retribution. Claude does the same thing to Sebastian during one of their fights. I also think Sebastian finds Hannah's body fascinating because it hides the legendary demon-killing sword. He seems to treat it like a package that hides something infinitely curious inside and which he'd like to get his hands on.

3) Beast’s prosthetic

I think Sebastian is honestly clueless here. He seems genuinely interested in the prosthetic and the symbol on Beast's inner thigh catches his attention because he's curious about who might be sponsoring something like this and whether it could have any relevance for their case. You could also say that he's preparing a potential ground of seduction of Beast for the future in case it's needed, but this is not how I see this scene: Sebastian comes across as moved strictly by his academic interest to me.

4) Sex with Beast

I really love how professionally seductive Sebastian is in this scene :D But it also reinforces my impression that sex is a chore for him. His actions are methodical and by the book: entwine your fingers - check; caress her face - check; play with her hair - check; undress her slowly - check. He keeps asking her for information during every stage of this process, to the point where it feels like him deigning to have sex with her is a favor in exchange for information she has, even though Sebastian was the one to initiate it. It’s also telling that he resorts to sex only after all other ways were cut off.

So, I think Sebastian perceives sex as a favor he can bestow upon humans. He has no personal interest in it and he considers it boring, if not unpleasant. He didn’t show attraction to any of the women he slept with. I’d argue that the most lustful feelings he expresses in canon are toward Ciel. I mean...

Ciel’s soul clearly evokes hunger and desire in him, and I think these feelings are easily transferred into sexual attraction. Sebastian wanted to consume Ciel from the start, like he did most other souls, but with time, once the attachment formed and their bond became strong, I think these feelings multiplied. It’s easily seen through their interactions at different stages of their relationship, which keeps getting more and more canonically sensual. The problem is that Sebastian doesn’t understand physical attraction, so in my opinion, he attributes most of his feelings to a more typical type of hunger. Which is very interesting to explore!

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #sebastian michaelis #sebaciel #sexuality

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walkawaytall · 8 months

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For the ask game?

👽 What's the weirdest idea you've had for a story?

You know what? I wrote this out like six months ago because I thought it was hilarious at the time, but I am never going to do a darn thing with it because it's too meta and winky even for me and it doesn't actually have a plot and I'm not certain it's even all that funny anyway, so, here, y'all can have the weirdest idea I've had so far -- aptly labeled Moonlight in my docs -- as a treat:

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

“Leia, you’re basically a girl,” Wes said.

“Stunning observational skills you have, Janson,” Wedge responded, smacking Wes’ shoulder harder than strictly necessary.

“I’m just saying he’ll believe her.”

Leia looked the group over, interest piqued. “Who will believe me about what?”

“Luke thinks we’re messing with him.”

Han, who’d been pressing his fingers to his forehead with his eyes closed — Leia assumed he had a headache — looked at her. “Trust me, sweetheart, you don’t wanna know.”

Well. That settled it. How does he know what I do and don’t want to know?

But, then again, Shara was right there with them. Why didn’t they ask her? Is this a prank? Leia looked at Wes, trying to read his face. “Shara’s right here.”

Shara rolled her eyes. “Luke thinks I’m lying.”

Luke was oddly quiet, his cheeks flushed pink. He stared at the floor.

Leia raised an eyebrow and looked at Wes. “Well, let’s have it. What do you need to know that requires a woman’s knowledge?”

“Lukey here thinks you can’t—“

“You cannot talk to her about this,” Luke interrupted forcefully. His ears were bright red now.

“Why not? We asked Shara. You just won’t listen.”

Luke shook his head. “It’s different.”

Wes rolled his eyes and looked at Leia. “Luke thinks you can’t wear bras in space.”

Leia squinted at them. Wes was nearly laughing, Wedge and Shara appeared mildly amused by the situation, Luke looked like he wanted to melt into the floor, and Han shook his head, clearly done with all of them.

“What?” Leia said.

Wes kicked Luke’s boot. “Explain.”

Luke continued to stare at the floor as he spoke. “It’s just something I was told—Bodies expand when you’re in space, so anything really restricting can cause…It can strangle you basically. So it’s safer to just not—It’s just something I was told.”

“Whoever said that was messing with you bad,” Wedge said.

Leia found herself giggling despite not wanting to make Luke feel bad for his ignorance. He looked up sharply when he heard her laugh and she bit her lip. “Luke, no:” She shook her head and composed herself before continuing. “Swelling only happens when there’s no gravity, but we have artificial gravity, so…” She shrugged. “Anyway, even if it worked that way, bras stretch—What do you think they’re made of?”

Luke’s face turned even redder after she said bra. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“Ain’t made of durasteel,” Han said flatly.

“Okay, but I’m not totally wrong,” Luke said, still avoiding eye contact with Leia. He glanced between Han and Wes. “If the gravity went out and it wasn’t made of flexible material—“

“That’s a lotta ifs, kid,” Han said.

Luke finally looked at Leia. “I was sort of right, right?”

Leia snorted. “I don’t know,” she said wryly. “Next time I’m in a metal bra, I’ll let you know if any strangulation takes place.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

((and, in case anyone somehow missed the inspiration for this ridiculousness:

))

Thank you for asking! I recognize that this isn't even that weird, but it's all I could think of tonight :D.

Another Writers ask game

#another writers ask game

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crystalelemental · 6 months

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Unit Teambuilding - Sygna Suit Roxie

Well this was a surprise. I admit, these alts aren't really my speed, but they were much anticipated and well received overall, so it all works out. I got my Roxanne, I'm good for the moment. So with that, this month's introduction is for you, @megazardx2.

General Overview Roxie comes in with stiff competition. Despite its placement as the worst type in the game around 8 months ago (and arguably holding it until about four), Poison has made an unbelievable recovery, sporting some truly excellent sync pairs. Roxie continues the trend. For the first time in a while, Roxie is a Special damage dealing Tech pair. And her DPS moves are...pretty good. Buddy move is AoE and inflicts -2 Sp Def per hit, while Overdrive is a nice 160BP 4-bar Electric move. Roxie's big claim to fame is similar to the Tapu: Double Field Effect. On Max Move, she sets Poison Zone with extension. As a 2MP move, she has Electric Terrain. Fast setup with +4/+3 trainer move is excellent, and she can grid for speed, boosting team speed per field effect activated to alleviate gauge (4/5), and has access to Free Moves Next 50% of the time when attacking a paralyzed foe. Roxie seems to hold up well compared to others in recent times for the Poison type, and has good secondary Electric for people like me who refuse to pull Kantonians and have none of the good Electric pairs.

So okay, why have I ultimately decided I'm not pulling from her? Well, aside from cutting back my spending, reflecting on how I didn't actually like any of the Tapu once I had them and regretting pulling them all, and recognizing that Roxie isn't one of my favorites and I actively dislike Toxtricity...her kit has some problems.

Buddy move condition is "foe has a status." It's broad enough that any status works, but Roxie can only apply status off her Electric Max Move, which removes Max Ooze as an option without support, and it's not guaranteed which status she rolls between Poison or Paralysis, so she's inconsistent as a partner for others who need one or the other, and like Emma, bad at Gauntlet due to status resetting between phases so often. Roxie's Tech nuke also feels underwhelming, with only a 90% bonus on grid, compared to Ariana's 200% with the same Role combo. Her debuffs, while nice for her and like two other contenders, ultimately does not support the big names in the Poison meta, instead just muscling H!Iris further out of a job by being better than her. Electric Terrain summoning is nice, but unless you have the speed to manage her 4-bar move and whoever else is attacking, it's not as clean as SST Red or SS Hau, who were fairly common pulls. And of course, there's a lopsidedness to her buffs, with Buddy move and sync being Poison but requiring Electric Terrain for full power, and her multiplier on Electric damage requiring Poison Zone. Roxie's kit is good, but kinda messy, and takes consideration to make the most of it. I'm not personally concerned about her performance overall, but in an effort to make better life choices, I don't see what she does as strictly essential.

EX, Role, and Move Level? Roxie's EX is nice because Tech nuke, without it her sync is rather middling. Role is Strike. If you're going to EX, role is well worth consideration. That said, Move Level can be 1/5, and EX is not necessary. All of the really nice supportive stuff is available 1/5 in her natural kit. You get your field effects and the debuffs and the status Max Move all right there. Investment is optional, depending on whether she's your frontliner or your backup.

Team 1: SS Roxie, H!Iris, BP Janine "Hey, but you said-" Iris' multipliers are all based on Sp Def debuffing that she's shit at, and now she has a Poison partner who can do it in three turns for her while dishing out fantastic AoE damage. Roxie's entire problem on Poison Zone is one application on Max Move, but Iris can call it back when it starts to run out just fine. As specially offensive pairs, they're able to utilize a bare minimum of support, and thus enters BP Janine, whose Sp Atk boosting comes with Spd and evasion, which is just delightful for them.

Team 2: SS Roxie, Oleana, Skyla While Roxie does not offer a ton to her Poison type allies because of mismatch, Oleana offers a hell of a lot to her thanks to a consistent Max Move that applies Toxic and Rebuff at the same time. Roxie loves this. It lets her get right to attacking, with no questions around what status is applied. Skyla is here because she buffs speed, which is all this team really needs. Roxie is able to use her Max Ooze to cap Sp Atk, so there's no need for any offensive support.

Team 3: SS Roxie, C!Elesa, SC Jasmine/NC Blue The other angle is letting Classic Elesa spread paralysis and debuffs for Roxie. The spread Paralysis is really the big component, as Roxie has access to Free Moves Next application on paralyzed foes, which really eases her Electric-type damage. I don't necessarily encourage C!Elesa as an electric partner, but she can do damage if supported by someone with Sp Atk/crit competence.

Team 4: SS Roxie, Drasna/Plumeria, BP Janine/SC Jasmine I'm bringing in general pool stuff for Roxie at 1/5, because I am still tempted to take dailies for utility. Drasna is worth noting, despite being secondary DPS, because she's so strong on-type. The inclusion of direct Toxic in her kit also frees up some of Roxie's needs on Buddy move. Plumeria is the other worth noting. Both of their spread damage receives AoE penalty, but if they can quickly remove sides, that all compresses on center. BP Janine is an option as always, her Team Sharp Entry is great for Drasna, while Plumeria still needs ungodly amounts of help because no expansion.

Final Thoughts I think SS Roxie is set to be good, but not a must-pull for anyone with recent Poison and Electric pairs. Oleana feels outright better to me, while Emma has comparable conditions to the buddy move, but emphasizes single-target damage that is obscene over the spread debuff utility. I like Ariana less despite her having a higher sync nuke. I think Roxie is neat, I just think her kit is a little wonky, and I have a tough time justifying it given my current roster. But watch, something in Poison High Score will have a Crobat weak to Electric and then I'll see. Maybe I can daily discount her...

#unit teambuilding #sygna suit roxie

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voiddemon · 2 months

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Hey I always wondered this why doesn’t DMK support the relationship between SK and FP I mean yeah he’s a hateful nasty man but is there like a specific reason? Our boys aren’t hurting anyone! (Let the children be in love DMK!)

I don’t cover it a ton and my opinions have slowly changed over time AND this is strongly based on my take of DMK not being normal. Like he is edgelord supreme and a hater to me. But theres three main reasons:

This is the BIG one honestly. Dark Meta Knight just LOATHES Prince Fluff's stupid face, his personality, his joanne's fabric ass planet, and his positive contributions to Skirby's life. His insistence on trying to solve problems like a normal person annoys DMK too. Plus, Prince Fluff being a good friend of Kirby makes Dark Meta Knight soo mad. (Still hates Kirby)

Dark Meta Knight thinks Shadow Kirby shouldn't rely and commit so much on another person at his age. He also thinks that 'domestic hobbies' are stupid, and that Skirby should instead focus on becoming the most powerful person he can possibly can be since his potential is astronomical.

Dark Meta Knight thinks overall the Mirror World and Prime world interacting at all is bad. He thinks it'll only fuck up the Mirror World more, and this relationship is causing so much more crossover than he feels is strictly necessary. (Skirby used to believe this, but changed his mind, which makes him upset and further dislike Fluff as a 'poor influence') (DMK gets over this one by KSA tho)

He begrudgingly accepts things as time goes on, but still decides to be a hater for many reasons. (It makes Prince Fluff strive to become stronger, it overall makes their bond stronger, and Prince Fluff ends up becoming an endless source of entertainment for him.)

I mostly use it as a bit lol

#skirfluff #long post #rambles #ask #Tyyyy I love getting asks :ough:

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deusvervewrites · 2 years

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I'm pretty sure you've mentioned before that Bakugou isn't actually necessary to the plot, but how exactly would Izuku get OFA without the sludge incident? Because I'm pretty sure that the only reasons that Bakugou wasn't saved sooner was because either to much of a dumb fuck (Death Arms trying to punch the sludge instead of trying to pull out the kid, Mt. Lady just crab walking to get in there) or they were worried about something else (Backdraft putting out the fires,Kamui worried about getting burned).

The Sludge Villain Incident is the only time that Bakugou specifically contributes to the plot for... many arcs

(Quick refresher since I can't be bothered to track down the last post, and it was before I started tagging my metas, Bakugou does not directly contribute to the ongoing plot of My Hero Academa at all until the war arc. No, he wasn't even necessary for Kamino. They found the bar because someone reported Dabi and because of Yaoyorozu's tracker, and the LoV wanted Ragdoll, so he doesn't even contribute there.)

But the thing is, anyone with an out of control Quirk could replace him. Hell there are already two that we know live in that area: Todoroki and Tokoyami.

But for the alleged Deuteragonist, Bakugou barely shows any agency in the narrative.

And hell, if we're talking strictly about Midoriya getting One For All, then the only thing he has to do is inspire All Might with his heroic spirit! There are hundreds, if not thousands of ways that could end up happening

#asks #meta

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jonsa-halloween · 8 months

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JONSA HALLOWEEN EVENT 2023

Hello Jonsa fam 👻, we are back with more spooky fandom fun! This year we will be hosting a five day Jonsa Halloween event from 27th to 31st October.

We have included 3 prompts per day. Below is the prompt list for the event:

27th Oct: Resurrection - Bonfire - Witch

28th Oct: The Stranger - Pumpkin - Full Moon

29th Oct: The Others/White Walkers - Fall - Spirit

30st Oct: Weapon - Costume - Ghost

31st Oct: Free Choice

🎃 Feel free to use prompts as strictly or as loosely as you wish. It is not necessary for your entries to have a scary element in it. We just want everyone to have fun!

🎃 Please use #jonsa halloween & #jonsa halloween 2023 in your posts or tag @jonsa-halloween so we can reblog your entries. In case we miss out on reblogging your entry, feel free to send us link to your post.

🎃 The event will be inclusive of all types of fan creations like fanfiction, edis, gifsets, manips, playlists, moodboard, fan video, meta, poem etc.

🎃 We would be accepting late entries till our Masterlist is posted, so don't worry even if you are not able to post your creation on a specific day.

🎃 Feel free to send us ask if you have any doubts. We would love to clarify.

🎃 HAVE FUN! We are excited to see your creations!

#jonsa #jon x sansa #jon snow #sansa stark #jonsa halloween #jonsa halloween 2023 #jonsa event #actuallyjonsa

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eponymoussquared · 1 year

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Welcome to my lair.

Make yourself comfortable.

My name is Eponymous. And since Eponymous means "referring to the name" I'm technically the eponymous Eponymous, hence Eponymous Squared. This tumblr is occasionally just random thoughts on shows, comics, etc, but it's largely writing. So I thought I'd make a directory of finished stories for easy navigation. I'm very new to the whole 'writeblr' thing, but I'd love to participate in any and all tag games.

One Level Down:

My own fictional universe. The following stories take place in it. An overly meta series of people in stories realizing that their worlds are less real then they thought, and what that does to them. Add in eldritch horrors who force you to reshape your entire worldview to suit their whims and worship them like gods, and we get a surreal romp through fanfiction for stories that don't exist as the denizens of these worlds try to find meaning in their lives.

Escape from the Plothole(Finished) My first finished story. A camp counselor finds that things are not as they seem.

Discarded Darling(WIP) A story of love, hate, manipulation, magic, and more goats than strictly necessary.

Mangled Mythos

Stories of gods fighting to be remembered. Wildhunters(WIP)

The adventures of the leaders of the Wild Hunt and those who get caught up in their endless ride.

Sheidy Business(WIP)

An old, jaded woman gets caught in a war of literally biblical proportions when an orphan under her care goes missing. The king of demons tries to stop a plan to kill god. And in the center of it, a young, lost boy who no longer knows where his allegiances should lie.

This story is based off of jewish folklore from various places, and I've been workshopping it for awhile now. I should note that it is INSPIRED by myths, and not necessarily entirely accurate, especially since some of the sources I'm drawing from are somewhat vague. Nonetheless, I've always wanted to give my cultures weird and wacky stories some time in the limelight, so here we are.

Pandora(Hiatus) Pandora's life has one single moment that we define it by. But what happened after? Currently shelved until further notice.

Other

Random stuff.

#directory #have fun!

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shihalyfie · 2 years

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I watched a friend playing DigiSurvive recently so i have to ask: Is there any name for the kids in-game? Like, did Bandai/Habumon's dev team pick some term alluding to Adventure's or did they go by the Bandai's (null lore's) term "Tamer"?

So for Survive, it's a bit of a complicated scenario. They do not allude to the word "Tamer" in the game, but that's also because the word "Tamer" is a meta term anyway -- we've already seen a lot of arguments about the word being unfitting for anything that involves the more equal relationship between a human and their Digimon partner, and the term itself is a bit of an artifact word from the period of the franchise before Adventure. (You know, back whey were even selling Digimon products with them in cages.) It doesn't even work for the series called Tamers, which itself only uses the word because of the premise of Digimon being an in-universe franchise. I'd argue it doesn't even work for V-Tamer! I think at this point everyone only uses the word "Tamer" as convenience because with so many different portrayals of different kinds of Digimon partnerships, you need some kind of unifying word, and it's only natural anything you pick will be incongruous with something in there.

So if you're talking about broad franchise things, comparing one thing to another, then yes, they are Tamers, but this is strictly a term used for pragmatic reasons more than anyone takes the word literally. They even allude to this in Cyber Sleuth when Nokia declares her team to be "Tamers" instead of "hackers" as proof that her team treats Digimon as equals, which makes no sense with the meaning of the word, but does make sense in terms of meta symbolism, because she's bringing Adventure's ideals to the CSHM setting. The card game also classifies Takuma, Aoi, and Minoru as Tamer Cards, but keep in mind that the Frontier kids are also Tamer Cards despite having nothing to "tame", and when Oikawa got a Tamer Card fans were congratulating him, not for becoming a "tamer", but for being given status equivalent to a Chosen Child like he always wanted. Daisuke and V-mon used the phrase "Digital Tamer" in 2-TOP, but character songs tend to be a bit outside-fourth-wall anyway. The Survive kids are "Tamers", but purely in a franchise meta sense. (Incidentally, it wouldn't be the first time this kind of necessary forcing has happened; Super Digica Taisen, from the Xros Wars era, classified Adventure through Savers kids as "Generals", despite this also not entirely making sense.)

In-game, the kids are not "Chosen Children" in the sense they were chosen to be heroes like Homeostasis picked the Adventure kids due to their virtues. However, Aoi comments in the Harmony ending that their role in being pioneers in Digimon-human relations makes them "chosen kids" (this isn't a localization slip-up; she uses the word "erabareta kodomo" instead of the actual term normally used for Chosen Children, "erabareshi kodomo"). Ironically, this isn't as far from Adventure as you'd think; Koushirou points out in Two-and-a-Half Year Break that having a Digimon partner isn't inherently special, and that the only thing that distinguishes a Chosen Child is that they were chosen to be the first to have Digimon so they could guide this important time of first contact. So actually, it wouldn't entirely be wrong to call the Survive kids Chosen Children...but I personally wouldn't use it for them, because Homeostasis and the Holy Beasts at least "chose" Adventure and 02's kids for the purpose they ended up carrying out, whereas the Master "chose" the Survive kids for them being the nearest available human sacrifices and they themselves ended up diverting that plan. It's kind of how like, yes, according to Leviathan in Appmon episode 49, the Appli Drivers are "Chosen Children" (the term erabareshi kodomo is used here), but that's in the sense it's revealed they were all pawns in Leviathan's plan from day one, so is that really a term you want to positively apply to them?

Ironically, the dub term "DigiDestined" may arguably be the most accurate here; the term "destined partner" is brought up a lot to describe human-Digimon partner bonds (the localization handles it as "fated partner", but the word used is "unmei", which the dub has typically handled as "destiny"). So they are DigiDestined, in that they're destined for a Digimon partner (as is everyone else in Survive's universe). That would require a hell of a technicality, though, and most people would probably get confused if you used this without explanation (especially if you're like me, who rarely uses dub terms), so I honestly just call them "the Survive kids" if I need to make a distinction between them and other Digimon protagonist groups, and "Tamers" only if we are strictly talking technical franchise designations. And if we're only talking about them within the Survive universe, well...they're just normal people, and that's really the point anyway.

#digimon #digimon survive #survive spoilers #shiha's ask box #digitalgate02

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shaymcsudonim · 1 year

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I still believe in Julius Novachrono

First, though, I'll list all the reason's we've been given to doubt him.

Reasons to doubt Julius Novachrono:

As far as we know, he never told anyone about Lucius. (Then again, as far as we know, he could have been a sleeper agent, unaware of Lucius' existence during his time as Wizard King)

His sense of justice can be somewhat brutal. I'm paraphrasing, but I'm pretty sure his stance on violence is, "you're trying to kill innocent people, so any decent person has the right to kill you."

His goals are similar to Lucius Zogratis' goals: utopia for humanity, free of discrimination and under the authority of a king.

...and there are probably more, but those are the main ones for me.

Now, the reasons we've been given to trust Julius Novachrono, both textual and meta:

Julius is a dork. The narrative has gone out of its way to show the audience a more human side of the Wizard King, even when it wasn't strictly necessary for the purposes of the plot. On a meta level, I believe this was done in order for the audience to mirror Asta's reaction when told that Yami was a mass murderer: "I'm going to believe in the man that I know!" And then later have that faith vindicated by the story.

Lucius thinks that Julius is dead. If Julius had been a sleeper agent, then there would have been no need to kill him, merely to restore his true memories. Of course, I don't believe for one second that Julius is really dead. (Mostly because I really don't want it to be true)

If Julius had helped with the plan, we'd be seeing a different set of paladins. With the exception of Sister Lily, who was probably chosen to psychologically torment Asta, Lucius seems to be poaching other people's minions as paladins, while brainwashing them enough to transfer any loyalty they hold to himself, with Heath taken from Patri's Eye of the Midnight Sun, and Morris taken from Lucifero. If Julius had had any input in what paladins got resurrected, then I'm pretty sure he'd have brought back the dead Golden Dawn knights as foot soldiers, with Zara Ideale as their leader.

So, yeah. That's my take. The main thought in my head right now is that if I see a Zara Paladin, I will start freaking out mentally, but we'll see what happens.

#Black clover #Black clover spoilers #Black clover manga #Manga spoilers

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crystalelemental · 7 months

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Oh now that's interesting. 3* and 4* Field and Sprint candy is confirmed.

In general, I'm kinda stunned they'd even entertain the idea. When you look at the broad scope of the meta, field effects have been incredibly guarded, almost exclusively placed on limited pairs when we're not dealing with weather. This is a rather substantial change. We could see multiplicative field effects like Zones suddenly show up as part of the F2P meta. The same is true of Sprint; fast-ramping is the domain of limited pairs. More than likely, any F2P Sprint is going to get -1 cooldown or nothing, and instead focus on speed boosting. Which is still nice, mind. I think speed boosts are underrepresented in the meta and a pretty important option. Not everyone can just spam Free Moves Next, Adaman.

The real fun is...3*. 4* is expected, that's Lodge adjacent. But 3*? Those only happen in two scenarios: free story pairs with the first PML, and events like the NPC trainer classes they mysteriously stopped making. That's...honestly kind of exciting.

On the one hand, I loved the NPC trainer class additions. They were just little extras sprinkled into events, and I kinda loved the concept even if they never got to hard favorites among the trainer class designs (XY female ace trainer, my beloved). Seeing those come back would be ideal. These candy are going to be sparse, especially when contending with the other three types. New players will still need the main three, it's not like we'll get none of them. So getting event pairs that can be maxed out while the event is live is ideal; the candy is a backup, but not strictly necessary to use on them, to create a stockpile.

On the other hand, a new main story is going to pop up. Gacha won't just leave things without a main story. There will likely be a new OC rival/antagonist to face off against, and a whole thing going on. The Villain Arcs largely focused on powering up the free legendary pairs, but this new arc doesn't have anything to power up that isn't already receiving it. More than likely, it would be entirely new pairs, like in the PML arc. Some are calling for PML 2, I don't personally buy it. I played FEH, you can pick up and drop storylines whenever you want in gacha, but you have to keep potential threads open to jump back if needed. I think the announcement of PML 2 is just keeping options open, same as Giovanni hinting at another scheme. They aren't doind anything right away, but it's there if they need it later.

This opens up some options, which I hope we lean into. Man, we have got to fix the F2P situation for new regions. The only truly F2P pair in Galar is Hop. He's still the only fucking one. Not even a single BP pair to their name. This sucks, and there are a ton of missing characters from that region. A new arc with free story pairs would be a great chance to bring in options that otherwise aren't going to get anything, because they'd never sell as PokeFairs, and general pool spotlights are borderline dead. This would also solve for some of Paldea, which has approximately eighty gagillion characters running around; not all of them are PokeFair worthy. In fact, most of them aren't. Free pairs would be an easy way to add some options in.

On a personal level, my hopes for such additions would be:

Opal - I've accepted that she's not getting in otherwise, but Bede needs his mentor, he was completely alone in that Neo Champion event about connections and rivalries and it sucked. Bring in Opal.

Kabu - I'm just saying, he better have secondary Bug-type DPS. Like, actual secondary Bug type DPS. No pair in the game has that yet, let him be the first.

Katy - We're dying for Bug in this game. Good bug, I should specify.

Kofu - I don't like him, but this is definitely where he belongs.

Eri/Atticus - Look, you have to put in a few popular picks so people start playing for easy access, and these two are safe. Plus, free Fighting and Poison pairs, two of the types that most desperately need F2P options.

Chuck - We should also look backwards, at previous regions missing some people, and come together to agree that Chuck was never happening any other way. Just give him to me.

Cilan/Chili/Cress - It's what they deserve.

#pokemon masters

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mariacallous · 1 year

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The European Data Protection Board��s (EDPB) recent decision on Meta’s personalized ad practices might require social media companies and other online businesses to significantly revise their data-focused advertising business models if it is upheld by the European courts.

As I explained in a previous Brookings post, the EDPB’s decision is rooted in Article 6 of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires companies to have a lawful basis for their data practices. GDPR’s three main criteria for lawfulness are service necessity, consent, and legitimate interests. The EDPB rejected Meta’s claim that targeted ads were necessary to provide social media services, ruling that the ads were useful for Meta but not strictly necessary to provide the service.

Meta could now claim as an alternative legal basis that its users consent to personalized ads but, under the EDPB’s guidelines, consent must be freely given and this would be true only if users could receive social media services without being exposed to personalized ads.

Meta could claim instead that it has a legitimate business interest in serving personalized ads to its social media users, and this has some support in GDPR’s Recital 47, which says that direct marketing is a legitimate interest. However, under the absolute right to object to direct marketing in Article 21 of GDPR, Meta would then have to offer its users a personalized-ad-free social media service.

In the long run, without a court victory overturning the EDPB’s decision, Meta and other online companies relying on personalized ads will need to change their data practices.

As called for by President Biden in his recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece and again in his State of the Union address, the United States Congress is renewing its bipartisan push for national privacy legislation with a hearing on March 1, 2023 before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce. The goal, announced Subcommittee leaders Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) is to get “a strong national standard across the finish line.”

U.S. policymakers seeking to establish new privacy law should consider carefully what lessons can be learned from a privacy regime that potentially has such a powerful impact on an established business practice in the name of protecting privacy. In this follow-up post, I’m going to argue that U.S. legislators should consider a modified version of the European approach of requiring a lawful basis for data processing as part of a new national privacy law. The wording of the U.S. version need not be the same as that in GDPR, but the key idea that companies must establish that their data practices satisfy one of several alternative standards of lawfulness—service necessity, consent, or legitimate interests—should be incorporated into U.S. law.

A Legal Basis Privacy Regime

A legal basis privacy regime sets out normative standards to determine whether a data practice is lawful. For GDPR, data processing is lawful when it is strictly necessary to provide a service, when the user has freely consented to it, or when it is necessary for the legitimate interests of the data processor or a third-party. The normative theory embedded in this approach is that data use is legitimate either because it preserves the autonomy of the user or because it serves the legitimate interests of the data processor or the public.

A legal basis regime, however, need not declare that certain enumerated concrete data practices are lawful. It does not have to say in statute, for instance, that it is lawful for companies to use personal data for information security purposes. Instead, it provides criteria for showing when specific data uses such as the use for information security would be considered lawful. Such a standard can be used by companies and regulators to treat a wide range of data practices as lawful.

An alternative approach would simply list approved or permissible uses without also incorporating a normative standard. This is embodied in perhaps the oldest privacy law in the United States, the Fair Credit Reporting Act from 1970. This law names specific data practices and it labels them as lawful. It allows consumer reporting agencies to collect and process personal information only for one of several listed permissible purposes including credit, insurance, and employment screening.

Last year’s American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), which passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee with an impressive bipartisan vote of 52-3, also takes a list approach. It says companies “may not collect, process, or transfer” personal information unless “reasonably necessary and proportionate” to provide a requested service or fulfill one of a list of “permissible purposes.” These permissible purposes include authenticating users, providing security, preventing fraud or physical harm, scientific research, communicating with users or delivering user communications to others, and first party or targeted advertising. It names permissible data uses but, other than service necessity, it does not provide criteria whereby companies can demonstrate that other data uses are lawful.

The limitation in the enumeration approach is that it does not set out a standard of lawfulness, except that in some cases enumeration statutes allow the criterion of providing a service to serve as a standard of lawfulness. This means that if data use is not on the list of specific named practices and is not needed for providing a service, it is not allowed. Inevitably, such a static list will be underinclusive as business practices and technology evolve. Privacy law should incorporate some open-ended standard to allow the law to respond to innovative developments.

Legitimate Interests

The GDPR standard of legitimate interests is just such an open-ended standard. It says that any data processing whatsoever can be rendered lawful when it is “necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests” pursued by a company. GDPR even creates a balancing test where data processing in pursuit of a company’s legitimate interests still would not be lawful when these interests are “overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.”

The language of legitimate interests contained in GDPR is not the only way to create a flexible standard of lawfulness, rather than a static list of permissible uses. But it might be a good place for Congressional drafters to begin with as they move forward with a new national privacy law.

A legitimate interests standard, or something similar, should be incorporated into privacy proposals such as ADPPA that currently rely on an enumeration approach. Of course, it would be prudent for privacy legislation to contain in addition a list of data processing activities that Congress finds to be lawful. Companies should not have to prove, for instance, that data use for fraud prevention is legitimate. A list of approved uses would provide needed legal certainty for some obvious and agreed-upon data uses to satisfy the requirement of being lawful. But there should still be an additional opportunity for businesses to demonstrate, subject to regulatory approval, that a particular data use, which is not on the pre-approved list nevertheless, satisfies a standard of lawfulness. The legal basis of legitimate interests would do this.

Consent

Some privacy advocates are wary of including consent as a sufficient legal basis for data processing. Several years ago, Cameron Kerry said in a Brookings report, “Maybe informed consent was practical two decades ago, but it is a fantasy today.” A recent report from the Annenberg School of Communication demonstrates, again, that choice as currently practiced in today’s online world fails utterly to protect privacy. This ineffectiveness of the current notice and choice regime has led many advocates to agree with privacy scholar Ari Waldman who says, “Consent, opt in or opt out, should never be part of any privacy law.”

Clearly, businesses have abused the consent basis for data use and have bombarded users with uninformative and intrusive notices. Some constraints must be put on the ability of businesses to hound their users with repeated requests to consent to information processing that is not needed to provide service.

It is important for a privacy statute to avoid overreliance on consent as the sole or most important way to make a data practice legitimate. But this should not mean abandoning consent entirely. A robust consent regime modeled after the GDPR’s is very different from the current U.S. notice and choice approach, which often relies on the weaker opt out form of choice. Consent under GDPR means “any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes” and requires a “clear affirmative action” indicating agreement to the data collection and use. Importantly, refusing consent must be “without detriment” to the user, meaning the same service must be made available under the same terms and conditions if the user refuses consent, or the user must be offered reasonable incentives to induce consent. If data is really needed to provide the service, then the appropriate legal basis is service necessity and no form of choice, opt-in or opt-out is needed.

Consent can be a powerful way for consumers to block damaging data use. When Apple gave users a properly structured choice in connection with the ability of apps to track them for the purpose of advertising, users overwhelmingly responded that they did not want tracking.

ADPPA adopts this robust notion of consent and applies it at various points in the statute. For instance, in requiring consent to transfer information pertaining to a child. But the lack of consent in ADPPA’s list of permissible data uses is significant and damaging. It means that a company may not justify its data processing, regardless of its purpose, on the grounds of genuine user consent. And it means that users would not be able to protect themselves from damaging data practices by refusing to consent to them.

The Privacy Regulator

Interpreting and enforcing such a legal basis privacy regime will require an alert, flexible and well-funded privacy regulator staffed with knowledgeable technologists and industry experts. The statute should provide as much guidance as possible to guide the agency in this task, but substantial discretion and rulemaking authority will be needed for the agency to meet the demands of the future. Without this institutional support for implementation and enforcement, a new privacy law would be merely performative, the theatrical impersonation of privacy protection but not the real thing.

The work that European data protection authorities have done in interpreting their own statutory text relating to the key conditions of contractual necessity and consent provide some factors that could be incorporated into a new U.S. privacy statute. The statutory text would make it clear that service necessity is to be interpreted as strictly necessary for the provision of the service and not as merely useful for business purposes, and that affirmative consent applies in those circumstances where a business wants to collect and use personal data over and above what is needed to provide the service.

Unfortunately, the European interpretation of the legitimate interests standard is so narrow that it effectively removes legitimate interests as a practical way for businesses to establish a legal basis for their data use. But the United Kingdom has produced an especially helpful report on using the legitimate interests standard. If Congress wants to further constrain regulatory discretion and ensure some consistency of interpretation as agency officials change, it could incorporate directly into the statute some of the factors that have emerged in the UK legitimate interests guidelines.

For instance, the statute could require companies to conduct an impact study if they seek to use the legal basis of legitimate interests and to file that study with the privacy regulator within a fixed period of time. The statute could require the company to take into account the purpose and the necessity of the data processing and to conduct a balancing assessment weighing the purpose against the privacy rights of the data subjects. The statute could further require that the balancing assessment should take into account the nature of the personal data, the reasonable expectations of the data subjects, the likely impact of the processing on the data subjects, and whether any safeguards can be put in place to mitigate negative impacts.

The ADPPA requires the Federal Trade Commission to act as the nation’s digital privacy regulator with full funding, including the establishment of a separate Bureau of Privacy to implement the new law. Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler and his colleagues at the Shorenstein Center would create a separate Digital Platform Agency with authority over both competition and privacy, as would Harold Feld at Public Knowledge in his proposed Digital Platform Act and Senator Michael Bennett with his proposed a Digital Platform Commission. I make the case for a digital regulator responsible for privacy, content moderation and competition policy in my forthcoming Brookings book on digital regulation.

Targeted Ads

The ADPPA treats targeted advertising as a permissible use of personal data, but it requires companies to offer users the ability to opt-out, a policy similar to the GDPR approach of treating direct marketing as a legitimate interest while giving consumers an absolute right to object to it.

But how to provide for such an opt-out from targeted ads is by no means obvious. A key issue will be the extent to which companies can offer incentives for allowing personalized ads. The California privacy law deals with a related issue of an opt out from data sharing by banning financial incentives for data sharing that are “unjust, unreasonable, coercive, or usurious in nature.” ADPPA might need to be clarified to provide for a similar standard in connection with its opt out from targeted ads, but the details cannot be incorporated in the statute itself. For businesses and consumers to understand which financial incentives are banned under such a statutory provision would require significant guidance from the enforcing privacy regulator.

Cameron Kerry and Mishaela Robison argue in a recent Brookings piece that the U.S. privacy legislation should clearly provide the implementing privacy agency with rulemaking authority to address this tangled targeted ad issue. This makes good sense.

In addition, there are similar issues of interpretation and implementation in connection with the legal bases of data processing. As the EDPB decision revealed, determining when data use is strictly necessary for providing a service requires privacy regulators to make informed and detailed decisions about business operations. Businesses and consumers need clarity on which data uses are strictly necessary for providing a service and which are merely useful. Ex ante rules might help provide this clarity. To deal with this and a host of similar issues, the new privacy statute should provide the agency with rulemaking authority to interpret and implement the legal standards of consent, contractual necessity, and legitimate interests.

Conclusion

As this week’s hearing on a national privacy standard indicates, Congress is again taking up the task of enacting a new national privacy law. It should build upon the solid foundation in the ADPPA and require companies to have a legal basis for data processing. ADPPA effectively contains the service necessity standard of lawfulness already. It is not too late to add language relating to consent and legitimate interests to the ADPPA as additional standards of lawfulness. Such measures would enshrine in law a workable framework for evaluating whether business practices violate user privacy rights and would also powerfully express a national commitment to the primacy of privacy.

4 notes · View notes