#and it does so by implementing it's own set of rules that serves it

[paupelou]

.

[canmom]

choosing the treasure that eats you

the gods in narrative podcast The Silt Verses cover an enormous variety of motifs and subjects - and indeed, we are told how new gods are invented all the time, researched and tested by the government, competing to be the patron of companies and individuals, broken down and dumped when they're no longer needed. but they are all unified by two things: they all demand human sacrifices ('a god must feed' as Carpenter puts it in the opening episode) and they all inflict dramatic body-horror transformations (a process known as 'hallowing'), associated with their theme.

nevertheless, the idea of not following a god seems to be pretty alien to the people of this world. and you don't really get much choice: if, as in episode 7, your advertising company's restructuring decides that the weakest performers need to be sacrificed to their new 'sponsor', you don't get to opt out, it's in your contract and no doubt the police will catch you if you run. we see over and over how the gods (and their chief devotees) pick out the vulnerable, drive their believers to spiral down into life-defining obsession - by stringing them along with vague promises of some kind of final answer or fulfilment, then turn away and discard them as soon as they've served their purpose.

it is a very, very productive theme, and the writers have a gift for furnishing it with evocative words and nasty details so it doesn't get stale. so of course I reflect on the metaphor.

in nier automata, the childlike machine lifeforms search for purpose in a world that doesn't seem to offer any. the answers they find are their 'treasures': small, seemingly insignificant objects which individual machines devote themselves to protecting.

for example, one machine may devote itself to cultivating a flower (as in the second episode of the anime), or looking after a broken doll (as in the story of pathetic failmachine Plato 1728 seen in the DLC/the Deserving of Life single by Amazarashi). other sidequests lead you to encounter machines who obsess over fighting, or travelling fast (easy challenges to implement in a game engine).

the machines' behaviour seems inexplicable and even random to others, but the pointlessness is kind of the point: somewhere the chain of 'why' has to terminate. i choose this one.

sometimes i think about 'art' in the sense of a set of behaviours exhibited by humans. i don't have any interest in demarcating art vs non-art, just to understand what this phenomenon is, why it should be so compelling.

one definition that keeps sticking around in here, despite it not really working, is that 'art' is a word for the thing we devote ourselves for no other reason. you could spend your time drawing, but equally you could spend it speed cubing. we are obsessively optimising creatures so, presented with a defined scope of an activity - something like the rules of a game - we refine our skills within it, pushing the bar further and further, changing the rules as we go to keep it interesting. the art forms that stick around tend to be the ones that continue to be productive and evolve. but it's all, in a sense, pointless - and that's why it's the most important thing, because it's done for itself, not in service of some other goal.

this is not actually a good description of the thing it claims to describe. many things we celebrate as 'art' are done for extrinsic, not intrinsic motivations, like commissioned paintings. indeed, far from being purely intrinsically motivated, there are many extrinsic functions that the various activities we call 'art' perform: communication, entertainment, distraction, a tool to reason with, a safe zone to explore emotions, ideological propaganda, historical memory.

nevertheless, the idea of a thing done for its own sake, defying justification, continues to compel somehow.

art does not escape the logic of sacrifice. if you sacrifice your time, your health, your social connections in pursuit of your art - why, does that not prove the art is more important than your time, your health, your friendships? there's a romance in the narrative about burning up in pursuit of something 'great' - and if you want to undercut that narrative, you likely claim that the object is not particularly worth the effort. it's just videogames. it's just cartoons.

the slogan of The Silt Verses is the sarcastic line of Carpenter (originally her friend Vaughan, part of episode 7's corporate hecatomb): "you get to choose the thing that eats you". a very succinct statement! don't we, indeed.

not that sacrifice is always for some abstract intrinsic goal. in the story, the feeding is often done in exchange for some straightforward, material advantage - and in a sense that is the same in our world, with the threshold adjusted so you have to sacrifice a certain amount to just stay alive.

here's a calculation, because i'm fond of numbers: if you start working full-time at, say, age 21 (a conservative assumption, most people start earlier) up until the UK retirement age of 66 (currently, set to rise), working 40 hours a week (conservative, but then again most people don't actually work the hours they're paid for), the current price of a full human life is 114,793 hours to the gods of capital - pick your fave. if you sleep eight hours a night, the god of sleep gets 160,710 during that same period. harder to fit parameters on the demands of the gods of food, cleaning, caring for others, travelling to and fro, and 'being too tired to do much of anything', which certainly have their own demands.

that leaves you with a certain number to use for your own arbitrary ends. in theory, you get to choose what will eat those ones. in practice? a unified will? consistent intentions? ya joking mate. how many hours go to the god of 'responding to the thing in front of me', known by its sacred name, Aydeeaitchdee?

i used to feel jealous of people, some of them my friends, who seem to have some kind of unique vision, some sort of captivating identity to the creations that they express. the 'spark' that makes that special. i wondered - still wonder - if i will finally find my spark, a reason i'm here, a unique contribution i'm poised to make to the world, the value over replacement - the thing that all this mess was building towards all along, the thing that will make all the efforts so far feel less faltering and haphazard. but why should there be such a thing? if one day i live long enough to, by chance, find something that feels like it's an answer, it's just a retroactive reframing of the chaos - because that's what brains do. convince someone they made a decision they didn't, and they will justify it to you.

there is a song by Sassafrass, an incredibly nerdy a capella band who otherwise largely sing about norse mythology, called 'somebody will'. when i first heard this song i honestly kind of hated it (you can probably find that post if you dig hard enough). it felt like a tragic cope: facing the blatant reality that you will never be an astronaut as you (apparently) desire, to insist on narrativising your life as being part of the great project space colonisation - even if it's so remote as clerking a funding organisation or working at a scifi bookstore or attending a convention (it's from quite a specific milieu), you can claim to be one of the 'sailors' helping to 'conquer' that 'ocean'. i hated it, because why should the space program be all that? somebody will walk on mars someday - so fucking what? what then? job's a good 'un, everybody? is that really worth sacrificing shit ('sacrifice something i don't have for something i won't have') for, here and now? surely your life is about more than putting 'somebody' on Mars one day?

but considering it again today - i mean it might as well be the space program as anything else, right. you need a direction to move in. it doesn't matter what the direction, as long as it keeps you moving. change is life and stillness is death, don't you know. perhaps you drag others along with you and you get a current flowing that way for a while, until the energy driving it runs out, or it runs up against the overpressure around an as-yet uneroded bank. so we all move around and the dynamics of it all, invisible to us, build a delta, which becomes a rock, and against that flows another river one day, grinding down the rock to move it to another delta, all by the nearly-random movements of the water molecules. shit i think i lost the thread of the metaphor and now i'm just talking about geophysics

it seems... almost laughably tedious to be circling this existential drain still. in my milieu: douglas adams cracked his joke about 'the ultimate question of life the universe and everything' 30 years earlier in 1977. randall munroe uploaded 'i'll get the super soaker' in 2007. but navel-gazing has been a joke for much longer, surely at least as long as there have been people to question what the point is.

funny how it always comes back to water metaphors.

[devoqdesign]

The Art of Onboarding: Crafting Intuitive First-Time User Experiences

In today's fast-paced digital world, first impressions matter more than ever. For software products and applications, the onboarding process serves as that crucial first impression. It's the bridge between user acquisition and user activation, setting the tone for the entire user experience. A well-crafted onboarding experience can turn curious visitors into loyal users, while a poor one can lead to immediate abandonment. Let's dive into the art of onboarding and explore how to create intuitive first-time user experiences that delight and retain users.

Understanding the Importance of Onboarding

Onboarding is more than just a tutorial or a walkthrough. It's a strategic process designed to help new users understand the value of your product, learn how to use its key features, and achieve their first "aha" moment. This initial period is critical because it's when users decide whether your product is worth their time and effort.

Studies have shown that improving user onboarding can significantly impact key metrics:

Increasing user retention by up to 50%

Reducing customer support inquiries by 30%

Boosting user lifetime value by as much as 500%

Given these potential benefits, it's clear that investing time and resources into perfecting your onboarding process is not just beneficial—it's essential.

Key Principles of Effective Onboarding

1. Keep It Simple and Progressive

The cardinal rule of onboarding is to avoid overwhelming users with information. Instead of dumping everything on them at once, introduce features progressively. Start with the core functionality and gradually unveil more advanced features as users become more comfortable with the basics.

2. Highlight Your Unique Value Proposition

Make it clear from the outset why your product is valuable. What problem does it solve? How will it make the user's life easier or better? This value should be front and center in your onboarding process.

3. Show, Don't Tell

Whenever possible, demonstrate how to use features rather than just describing them. Interactive tutorials, tooltips, and guided tours can be much more effective than text-heavy explanations.

4. Personalize the Experience

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to onboarding. Collect relevant information about your users early on and use it to tailor the onboarding experience to their specific needs and goals.

5. Celebrate Small Wins

Recognize and reward users for completing key actions or reaching milestones. This positive reinforcement encourages continued engagement and helps users feel a sense of progress and accomplishment.

Crafting Your Onboarding Strategy

Map the User Journey

Before diving into design, map out the ideal user journey. What are the critical steps a user needs to take to derive value from your product? This will help you identify key moments in the onboarding process where users might need guidance or encouragement.

Define Clear Goals

Set specific, measurable goals for your onboarding process. These might include:

Percentage of users who complete the onboarding process

Time to first key action (e.g., sending a message, creating a project)

Number of features used within the first week

Design with User Segments in Mind

Different user types may have different needs and expectations. Design your onboarding flow to accommodate these variations. For example, a power user might prefer a quick overview and the ability to explore on their own, while a novice might appreciate more hand-holding.

Implement Progressive Disclosure

Structure your onboarding to reveal information and features gradually. This approach prevents cognitive overload and allows users to build confidence as they master each step.

Incorporate Multimodal Learning

People learn in different ways, so incorporate various types of onboarding content:

Video tutorials

Interactive walkthroughs

Tooltips and hotspots

Contextual help documentation

Optimize for Mobile

With more users accessing applications via mobile devices, ensure your onboarding process is fully optimized for smaller screens. This might mean breaking steps into even smaller chunks or using gestures native to mobile interfaces.

Best Practices for Intuitive Onboarding

Use Empty States Effectively: When a user first logs in, they often encounter empty screens. Use these moments to guide users on how to populate these areas and derive value from your product.

Implement Smart Defaults: Pre-fill forms or set intelligent default settings to reduce the initial workload on the user.

Provide Immediate Value: Allow users to experience the core value of your product as quickly as possible, even before they've completed a full profile or setup.

Use Familiar Patterns: Leverage UI patterns that users are likely familiar with from other applications to reduce the learning curve.

Offer Skippable Content: While your onboarding process is valuable, some users may prefer to explore on their own. Always provide an option to skip or exit the guided experience.

Continuously Gather Feedback: Use in-app surveys, analytics, and user testing to continuously refine your onboarding process.

Remember Offline Onboarding: For products with a significant offline component, consider how physical packaging, welcome emails, or even direct customer contact can enhance the onboarding experience.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Information Overload: Trying to explain every feature upfront can overwhelm and discourage users.

Ignoring User Context: Failing to consider the user's background, goals, or technical proficiency can lead to a mismatched onboarding experience.

Lengthy Processes: Making the onboarding process too long or complicated can lead to drop-offs before users even start using the product.

Lack of Feedback: Not providing clear feedback on user actions or progress can leave users feeling lost or unsure.

Forced Tutorials: Making tutorials or walkthroughs mandatory without the option to skip can frustrate more experienced or exploratory users.

The Future of Onboarding

As technology evolves, so too will onboarding strategies. We're already seeing the integration of AI and machine learning to create more personalized, adaptive onboarding experiences. Virtual and augmented reality are opening up new possibilities for immersive tutorials and guided experiences.

The key will be to leverage these technologies in ways that genuinely enhance the user experience, rather than adding complexity for the sake of novelty.

Conclusion

Crafting an intuitive first-time user experience is both an art and a science. It requires a deep understanding of your users, clear communication of your product's value, and a carefully designed journey that guides users to their "aha" moment as efficiently as possible.

Remember, onboarding isn't just about teaching users how to use your product—it's about helping them understand why they should use it and empowering them to achieve their goals. By focusing on simplicity, personalization, and progressive learning, you can create an onboarding experience that not only welcomes new users but sets them up for long-term success and loyalty.

In the end, the art of onboarding is about making users feel confident, capable, and excited about the journey they're embarking on with your product. Master this art, and you'll turn curious first-time users into enthusiastic long-term advocates.

Devoq Design is a leading UI/UX design agency with a strong presence in both Hyderabad and Warangal. As a premier UI/UX design agency in Hyderabad, Devoq Design is dedicated to crafting visually stunning and user-friendly digital experiences that cater to the specific needs of local businesses. Likewise, as a top UI/UX design agency in Warangal, Devoq Design excels in delivering innovative design solutions that boost user engagement and satisfaction. With a talented team of designers committed to excellence, Devoq Design ensures that each project is customized to meet the unique requirements of their diverse clientele, driving growth and success in both cities.

[bedlamgames]

Q&A #117

Quick bit of housekeeping. Next fortnightly will be on the 5/6th rather than this week. Right now onto some Q's also A's.

[ Anonymous asked : ] Hey, after reformatting my computer i no longer am able to get rags to open the game. Have tried all the fixes except the SQL, however that link is dead. Is there any rehost of the required SQL available? Also couldn't find any specification on what i would be looking for on my own. Also sorry if this has been addressed somewhere and I have overlooked it. Love No Haven, it is a unique game that really scratches an itch for fantasy smut I've not found anywhere else.

- - Just checked the link on the patreon help page and that still works and hope that helps. If not well next RAGS update is going to be the last one, and then it's going to be all Twine after that and won't that be lovely. Thanks for saying that, it really does mean alot!

[ jiffy999 asked : ] Bug Report No Haven v.0.983 in RAGS 2.6.10 [hope this OK, and I'm not doing anything wrong] ((snip a whole bunch of bugs)) Great game, btw ;).

- - Really appreciated, definitely okay, and thanks for the reports and compliment.

[ Anonymous asked : ] Any chance of certain traits making it to character creation? Just to list off a few immediately coming to mind, things like Beastmaster, Emotional, Debutante, various Faiths, Innocent/Virgin, Spiritual, Were-creature. Really just any that show up on slavers but not for the player. Sorry if this has been asked and I've missed it.

- - Definitely high. Faiths I deliberately parked as I have a whole update in mind when I expand on the Spiritual Leader role and where the various Faiths will matter a lot more than they do now. Of those the only one I'd rule out is Innocent/Virgin as they're not going to come up with the idea of running an encampment like No Haven, and Were as I want to keep the actual transformation more off screen and hinted at as it's really horrible/disturbing in setting.

[ From the Discord asked : ] are you looking forward to being free of rags and finally letting that engine die?

- - Oh you have no idea how much. If you think playing in it is bad, coding is so much worse, doubly so when you're doing it the second time after it's randomly crashed yet again.

[ From the Discord asked : ] How high can Lago'Mae jump

- - Depends on the Lago'Mae in question. An athletic, trained one can vertically jump 6-7 foot from a standing start. They're not so good horizontally in which the neko ability to glomp is unparralleled.

[ From the Discord asked : ] Who of the non-aquatic races is the best swimmer?

- - Lamia for sure. They are incredibly fast in the water, and it's only that they can't hold their breath even as long as human that serves as a handicap.

[ From the Discord asked : ] What happens to True Angels when they get corrupted

- - What happens on the Assignment when you get one basically. You're forcibly stuffing a purely divine being into a fleshsuit to limit their power, also so they can be boinked, and after a couple of decades the corrupting and biomantic magic holding it together will fall apart, and the divine being will return to the Dawning Light from which they came.

[ From the Discord asked : ] Since we're moving to a better engine, so to speak, will their be any in-game race changes from normal gameplay? for example, since fallen are demi's that get corrupted, would it be feasible for demi's that have corruption used on them in camp to "switch" races?

- - Woo my favourite kind of question, as that's already a thing in game. There's even specific text in Changing Places if it happens.

[ From the Discord asked : ] what's something mechanically you're looking forward to implementing now that the tools won't just crumble?

- - The biomancy additions for sure. Adding and changing menus in RAGS suuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Yes that number of 'u's was very warranted. There's way more menus needed for Biomancy currently than you might think as there's a lot of checks changing what is available, and having to update each one is both slow and vexing. It's going to be so much easier adding stuff like copious cum when I do it in Twine.

[ From the Discord asked : ] What has been the thing that really helped your creative juices most recently (I.e what shows, games, books, movies have inspired you recently?)

- - I've been playing some Total Warhammer with added lewd mods recently. Given No Haven has a lot of WFB in the dna it shouldn't be surprising that it's neat to do others do something similar. Not all of it's to my tastes. That's the problem when you're not making it yourself :D Still, there's a lot that was, and it definitely tickled me creatively. There's one idea especially in Corrupted Valkia that incorporates bondage while still being able to actually do stuff that I'm kicking myself for not thinking of myself.

[ From the Discord asked : ] How often are the so called advanced races (aka legally distinct flayers, vampires, Minotaurs, incubi etc) encountered or known about in the world?

- - It's not just them being rare, which they are, it's them being flat out illegal beings, as they're incompatible to the goals of the human empire.

These are the kind of beings who crave to be in charge by their very nature, not just over one or a few, but vast unending dominion, and if not they have the kind of power that makes them very able to have their way. See the minotaur lord of the dungeons beneath the Deep Mountains. Compared to lamia, harpies, driders, or any other weirder races they just can't be integrated into society.

Everyone knows what a vampire or incubi are because the human empire makes everyone very aware why they're so incredibly dangerous and that even the slightest sign of their activities needs to be reported so they can be stomped down on hard.

[ From the Discord asked : ] are draki the rarest non-advanced/one per camp race? (in setting, not in-game)

- - Either them or Legion.

[ From the Discord asked : ] what's your favorite race lore-wise

- - Mermaids. Really looking forward to sharing what I've done with them as I think they're super destinct compared to pretty much any other setting that has used them.

If not them then Wisps, Legion, or Oozes. They're all of the similat vein of taking the single most weakest, most fodder like races in other setting, and extrapolating them into what if they're the ones who get to be deeply awesome for once. Wisps have their blue/orange alien view on things (plus a bunch of stuff I've barely even hinted at), Legion for their being what you see being only the very tip of the iceberg of what they actually are, and Oozes are just a lot of fun.

[ From the Discord asked : ] What's your favorite area to design for, be it lore, assignments, just setting, etc.

- - That's really hard. I think maybe the Great Plains is the least as it's not really got that much of a hook so it can be a bit more vanilla. The rest though I enjoy pretty much equally.

I will say though that I do dig how Ever Forest has by far the most conflict, and it's fun to write this four way war where the big four dominant races hate the others equally so there's never going to be an alliance, but also all four really hate outsiders too, hate any of the others getting their hands on outsiders first, and so there's a lot of fun competition. Add the various natural threats and unnatural threats and it's very easy to write a reason for there to be a fail or disaster on any given Assignment.

Only issue there is now I'm in Twine and have the actual ability to do global find and replace is I'm thinking of renaming, or at least coming up with an alternate name, for the Wood Elves and Forest Goblins. That they both of synonyms for a collection of trees in their name is often a headache in writing where I need to discuss both of them and where they are all in the same paragraphs without it getting repititive. I've occasionally refered to the Wood Elves as the Kindred so that's a possibility for them, but I'm not sure what I'd do with the Forest Goblins. There's something to be said is not throwing too much made up words at someone in getting people into the setitng. It's why you'll note that all of the big major local power players have very simple easy to remember titles, so you have the Mistress, the Lord, and the Baron for example.

[nikita-shetty]

Keeping Your Policy Secure: The Crucial Role of KYC in Life Insurance

KYC is a critical component of the life insurance policy lifecycle. It entails verifying the policyholder's identity using a set of documented processes and checks. This article delves into the complexities of KYC in life insurance, shedding light on its significance, the process involved, and the challenges and innovations influencing the industry.

Why KYC Important in Insurance

KYC is similar to a personal ID check for your insurance. It does three major things:

Ensuring Policyholder Identity: KYC is similar to a personal identification check for your insurance. It accomplishes three major things.

Preventing Fraud and Unauthorized Transactions: KYC serves as a strong deterrent to fraudulent activities, discouraging unauthorized transactions and ensuring that policies are secure from malicious intent.

Enhancing Security for Policyholders and Insurers: A rigorous KYC process provides an additional layer of security, fostering trust between policyholders and insurers. It creates a secure environment in which both parties can confidently conduct insurance transactions.

How KYC Works in Insurance

The KYC process in life insurance typically consists of document verification, in-person verification, and, more recently, digital KYC methods.

Document Verification: During the application process, policyholders must provide valid identification, proof of address, photographs, and other supporting documents. These documents are meticulously verified to ensure their authenticity.

In-person Verification: In some cases, insurers may conduct in-person verification to ensure that the person applying for the policy matches the one listed in the documents.

Digital KYC Methods: With technological advancements, many insurers have adopted digital KYC methods, which enable policyholders to complete the KYC process remotely via secure online platforms.

Commonly Required KYC Documents

To ensure a smooth KYC process, policyholders must submit specific documents.

Valid ID Proof: A government-issued ID card, passport, or driver's license are widely accepted as proof of identity.

Address Proof: Utility bills and rental agreements serve as proof of the policyholder's address.

Photographs: Visual identification requires recent photographs.

Other Supporting Documents: Depending on the insurer's requirements, additional documents may be required to complete the KYC process.

Benefits of a Robust KYC Process

A well-established KYC process provides numerous benefits to both insurers and policyholders.

Building Trust: A thorough KYC process instills confidence in policyholders, assuring them that their insurer is concerned about their security and well-being.

Quick Claim Processing: In the unfortunate event of a claim, a robust KYC process speeds up the processing, resulting in a faster resolution for the policyholder's beneficiaries.

Following the Rules: Stringent KYC processes are frequently required by regulations, and adhering to them ensures that the insurer is in compliance with legal standards.

Less Disputes: Accurate identification and verification through KYC help to reduce disputes over policy ownership and beneficiary claims.

Challenges in KYC Implementation

While the benefits are clear, implementing KYC in life insurance presents its own set of challenges.

Balancing Customer Convenience and Security: Insurers face an ongoing challenge in balancing customer convenience and stringent security measures.

Evolving Regulatory Requirements: KYC regulations are subject to change, so insurers must constantly adapt and update their processes.

Technological Challenges: During KYC implementation, integrating new technologies and ensuring compatibility with existing systems can present significant challenges.

Tech Upgrades Making KYC Better

Technology is stepping in to make KYC smoother:

Blockchain: Blockchain technology ensures the immutability and security of KYC data, lowering the risk of data manipulation or unauthorized access.

Biometrics: Biometrics, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, provide an additional layer of security to the KYC process.

AI Magic: Artificial intelligence simplifies the KYC process by automating repetitive tasks and increasing efficiency.

Tips for Policyholders in KYC Compliance

Policyholders can play an active role in ensuring a smooth KYC process.

Keep Docs Updated: Regularly updating ID proofs, address proofs, and other documents ensures a hassle-free KYC experience.

Timely Response: Responding promptly to any requests from the insurer for additional information or verification aids in a seamless KYC process.

Importance of KYC: Educating oneself on the significance of KYC in securing policies encourages policyholders to actively participate in the process.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, KYC protects your insurance policy. It protects you from fraud and establishes a secure connection between you and your insurer. So, knowing about KYC benefits everyone.

[sentrient]

How Does Compliance Management Software Help With Compliance Training

Workplace compliance laws require businesses to ensure their employees are trained and aware of non-compliance risks, incidents and reporting procedures. Training can also serve as evidence of the organisation’s commitment to staying compliant with these laws.  

Businesses often fail to recognise their role in ensuring workplace compliance, or they don’t implement the required training for their employees. This blog post explains what workplace compliance training is and how a workplace compliance management system can help deploy the right training.  

What is compliance training?  

Compliance training refers to learning and development programs that are deployed to educate employees on the rules, regulations, laws, policies, and procedures that apply to their role in an organisation. These laws and regulations can both be internal and external. That is, an employee is made aware of the company’s own standards of behaviour and performance, as well as the requirements of the industry, federal government, local government, or international laws.  

Workplace compliance training can cover a wide array of topics ranging from bullying, bribery, corruption and fraud, cybersecurity, health and safety, equal employment opportunity, ergonomics, health and wellbeing, and so on.  

Why is workplace compliance training important?  

Workplace compliance training helps prevent or minimise workplace incidents. Without training, organisations can face non-compliance issues, which can lead to financial penalties. Some other factors why workplace compliance training is important are:  

Train employees to understand their obligations in regard to compliance matters.  

Avoid incidents or violations.  

Setting the behavioural standards expected of an organisation.  

How does compliance management software help?  

Traditional compliance training was performed face-to-face in physical spaces such as offices where a large number of employees would gather for a training session. This practice was not only difficult to manage, it required more of an investment. Traditional training programs were also a one-time event and required all employees to be present on a given day. Often, this meant employees would not be available on the set training day and would, therefore, not complete the training. Technology has helped address many of these problems.  

An online learning management system (LMS) allows employees to undertake training at a time that suits them. Employees are no longer required to travel to training events, and this helps reduce the costs for the company. They can now log in to the system and complete their training within the prescribed time limits. An LMS also helps set clear standards for successfully completing the training, automatically logging completion dates and assessment results, as well as issuing certificates of completion.  

A standalone LMS often needs to be integrated with the HRMS or compliance management software to exchange data and information easily. This is where modern and powerful compliance management systems come into play. They offer an integrated learning module that does not require any separate installation or costs. It is a part of the whole package and can be accessed as easily as other features.  

Combining employee training management with a compliance management system helps keep all of your compliance requirements in one program. Managers can easily report on the completion of training and other compliance-related processes in one platform.  

The costs of implementing a comprehensive compliance management program that encompasses other compliance modules, i.e., policy documentation, can be recovered easily rather than maintaining multiple platforms.  

What are the benefits of online compliance training?  

Deploying online workplace compliance training can help achieve the following:  

Greater reach of employees (no need for booking face-to-face training sessions)  

Higher employee awareness and completion rates  

Encourages safe, inclusive, and respectful workplaces  

Constant messages that remind employees of the standards and expectations of appropriate behaviour  

Learning is easier to consume and can be completed more efficiently  

Spreads consistent messages across the organisation  

Meets legal workplace compliance training requirements  

The Takeaway:  

Providing employee compliance training is an integral part of complying with regulations for many organisations. Sentrient’s workplace compliance management system can help improve compliance requirements and training for businesses across Australia.  

If your workplace does not have an effective compliance management platform yet, it is time you contact us at Sentrient. We can help you stay ahead of your compliance requirements. 

This blog post was originally published here.

[beardedmrbean]

Several papers, including Kuopio's Savon Sanomat, carry an interview by the Uutissuomalainen news group with Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho (Finns).

In the interview, Halla-aho said he believes that the bar for granting resignations by members of parliament is too low.

The issue has become a topic of much debate since former prime minister Sanna Marin (SDP) resigned her seat only five months after the latest parliamentary elections. Parliament granted Marin's resignation on Tuesday.

According to the constitution, parliament can grant a member's request to resign, if it considers that there is an acceptable reason to do so.

"I'm going to make sure that this discussion really gets going. The bar for granting separation has now fallen so low that one can justifiably ask whether the mention in the constitution of an 'acceptable reason' is just a dead letter or does it have some meaning. I find this a bit problematic," Halla-aho said.

He added that there is a danger political parties could nominate candidates who have no intention of serving.

"The fact that during the elections she [Marin] quite clearly expressed that she is fully committed to the job of MP brings its own twist to this. This brings up the question of consumer protection for voters, " he added.

Halla-aho also responded to criticism he has faced for some of his recent public comments.

Traditionally, the speaker has been expected to not comment publicly on the politics of the day. Halla-aho has been criticized for taking a stand on a number of issues, such as a recent anti-racism demonstration in Helsinki.

"Honestly, I don't think that I could act in such a way that certain segments of society would be satisfied with what I do, because their attitude is fundamentally hostile," Halla-aho stated.

Remnants of monarchy

Chancellor of Justice Tuomas Pöysti tells Helsingin Sanomat that in Finland the president still enjoys some degree of royal privilege.

Under the Finnish constitution, the president is the only citizen who is widely exempt from criminal prosecution. There is also a higher than normal threshold for the prosecution of sitting government ministers for acts related to their official duties, but they have not been completely exempt from criminal liability.

In Finland, the president can only be held criminally liable if the act in question can be interpreted as treason or a crime against humanity. According to the current constitution, the president can even be involved in corruption without necessarily incurring criminal sanctions.

This exemption from criminal liability only applies to official duties, so for example the law does not protect the president if he is guilty of drunk driving.

Pöysti calls the president's criminal immunity a royalist relic.

"If the constitution were to be revised today, such freedom could no longer be justified. This is a relic from the time of monarchy," he pointed out

The Chancellor of Justice told HS that he believes that the issue needs to be discussed.

"In modern society, the starting point is that criminal liability applies to all public use of power and there are no privileged exceptions," said Pöysti.

Changes in asylum rules

Iltalehti reports that work is progressing at the Ministry of the Interior to implement the tougher immigration polices set out by the current government's programme.

Among the moves noted by the paper is preparation of a project on border procedure. According to this plan, in certain cases, the processing of an application for asylum could be carried out as an accelerated procedure near the border area. It will also allow for obviously unfounded applications to be rejected at the border.

The government's proposal on border procedures will be considered by parliament next spring at the latest.

The number of quota refugees that Finland will take in has already been reduced from 1,050 to 500, as this move did not require legislative changes.

This autumn, the Ministry of the Interior will also start preparing for changes to the law on international protection. According to the government programme, international protection will be changed to a temporary status, and the extension of permits will require an assessment of the need for continuing protection.

The length of these residence permits will be shortened to the minimum allowed by EU law.

World-class pizza

Hufvudstadsbladet tells readers that the pizzeria Forza in the Punavuori neighborhood of Helsinki has been named the 45th best establishment of its kind in the world by the Italian pizza guide Top 50 Pizza.

Despite its name, reviewers list what they consider to be the 100 best pizzerias in the world. The ranking is dominated by restaurants in Naples and Rome.

HBL notes that there are three Danish restaurants within the top 100, but also makes a point of mentioning that no Norwegian, Swedish or Icelandic pizzerias made the cut.

Forza was founded by Luca and Salla-Maria Platania in 2022 and sold to the Olo Collection chain this past summer.

Serving both Roman and Neapolitan fare, according to Hufvudstadsbladet, Forza is one of the most expensive pizzerias in Helsinki with pizzas costing between 18 and 30 euros.

[duckprintspress]

How to Edit an Over-Length Story Down to a Specific Word Count

One of the most wonderful things about writing as a hobby is that you never have to worry about the length of your story. You can be as self-indulgent as you want, make your prose the royalist of purples, include every single side story and extra thought that strikes your fancy. It’s your story, with no limits, and you can proceed with it as you wish.

When transitioning from casual writing to a more professional writing milieu, this changes. If you want to publish, odds are, you’ll need to write to a word count. If a flash fiction serial says, “1,000 words or less,” your story can’t be 1,025 and still qualify. If a website says, “we accept novellas ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 words,” your story will need to fall into that window. Even when you consider novel-length works, stories are expected to be a certain word count to fit neatly into specific genres - romance is usually around 80,000 words, young adult usually 50,000 to 80,000, debut novels usually have to be 100,000 words or less regardless of genre, etc. If you self-publish or work with a small press, you may be able to get away with breaking these “rules,” but it’s still worthwhile to learn to read your own writing critically with length in mind and learn to recognize what you do and do not need to make your story work - and then, if length isn’t an issue in your publishing setting, you can always decide after figuring out what’s non-essential to just keep everything anyway.

If you’re writing for fun? You literally never have to worry about your word count (well, except for sometimes in specific challenges that have minimum and/or maximum word counts), and as such, this post is probably not for you.

But, if you’re used to writing in the “throw in everything and the kitchen sink” way that’s common in fandom fanfiction circles, and you’re trying to transition only to be suddenly confronted with the reality that you’ve written 6,000 words for a short story project with a maximum word count of 5,000...well, we at Duck Prints Press have been there, we are in fact there right now, as we finish our stories for our upcoming anthology Add Magic to Taste and many of us wrote first drafts that were well over the maximum word count.

So, based on our experiences, here are our suggestions on approaches to help your story shorter...without losing the story you wanted to tell!

Cut weasel words (we wrote a whole post to help you learn how to do that!) such as unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, the “was ~ing” sentence structure, redundant time words such as “a moment later,” and many others.

When reviewing dialog, keep an eye out for “uh,” “er,” “I mean,” “well,” and other casual extra words. A small amount of that kind of language usage can make dialog more realistic, but a little goes a long way, and often a fair number of words can be removed by cutting these words, without negatively impacting your story at all.

Active voice almost always uses fewer words than passive voice, so try to use active voice more (but don’t forget that passive voice is important for varying up your sentence structures and keeping your story interesting, so don’t only write in active voice!).

Look for places where you can replace phrases with single words that mean the same thing. You can often save a lot of words by switching out phrases like “come back” for “return” and seeking out other places where one word can do the work of many.

Cut sentences that add atmosphere but don't forward the plot or grow your characters. (Obviously, use your judgement. Don't cut ALL the flavor, but start by going - I’ve got two sentences that are mostly flavor text - which adds more? And then delete the other, or combine them into one shorter sentence.)

Remove superfluous dialog tags. If it’s clear who’s talking, especially if it’s a conversation between only two people, you can cut all the he saids, she saids.

Look for places where you've written repetitively - at the most basic level, “ ‘hahaha,’ he laughed,” is an example, but repetition is often more subtle, like instances where you give information in once sentence, and then rephrase part or all of that sentence in the next one - it’s better to poke at the two sentences until you think of an effective, and more concise, way to make them into only one sentence. This also goes for scenes - if you’ve got two scenes that tend towards accomplishing the same plot-related goal, consider combining them into one scene.

Have a reason for every sentence, and even every sentence clause (as in, every comma insertion, every part of the sentence, every em dashed inclusion, that kind of thing). Ask yourself - what function does this serve? Have I met that function somewhere else? If it serves no function, or if it’s duplicative, consider cutting it. Or, the answer may be “none,” and you may choose to save it anyway - because it adds flavor, or is very in character for your PoV person, or any of a number of reasons. But if you’re saving it, make sure you’ve done so intentionally. It's important to be aware of what you're trying to do with your words, or else how can you recognize what to cut, and what not to cut?

Likewise, have a reason for every scene. They should all move the story along - whatever the story is, it doesn’t have to be “the end of the world,” your story can be simple and straightforward and sequential...but if you’re working to a word count, your scenes should still forward the story toward that end point. If the scene doesn’t contribute...you may not need them, or you may be able to fold it in with another scene, as suggested in item 6.

Review the worldbuilding you’ve included, and consider what you’re trying to accomplish with your story. A bit of worldbuilding outside of the bare essentials makes a story feel fleshed out, but again, a little can go a long way. If you’ve got lots of “fun” worldbuilding bits that don’t actually forward your plot and aren’t relevant to your characters, cut them. You can always put them as extras in your blog later, but they’ll just make your story clunky if you have a lot of them.

Beware of info-dumps. Often finding a more natural way to integrate that information - showing instead of telling in bits throughout the story - can help reduce word count.

Alternatively - if you over-show, and never tell, this will vastly increase your word count, so consider if there are any places in your story where you can gloss over the details in favor of a shorter more “tell-y” description. You don’t need to go into a minute description of every smile and laugh - sometimes it’s fine to just say, “she was happy” or “she frowned” without going into a long description of their reaction that makes the reader infer that they were happy. (Anyone who unconditionally says “show, don’t tell,” is giving you bad writing advice. It’s much more important to learn to recognize when showing is more appropriate, and when telling is more appropriate, because no story will function as a cohesive whole if it’s all one or all the other.)

If you’ve got long paragraphs, they’re often prime places to look for entire sentences to cut. Read them critically and consider what’s actually helping your story instead of just adding word count chonk.

Try reading some or all of the dialog out loud; if it gets boring, repetitive, or unnecessary, end your scene wherever you start to lose interest, and cut the dialog that came after. If necessary, add a sentence or two of description at the end to make sure the transition is abrupt, but honestly, you often won’t even need to do so - scenes that end at the final punchy point in a discussion often work very well.

Create a specific goal for a scene or chapter. Maybe it’s revealing a specific piece of information, or having a character discover a specific thing, or having a specific unexpected event occur, but, whatever it is, make sure you can say, “this scene/chapter is supposed to accomplish this.” Once you know what you’re trying to do, check if the scene met that goal, make any necessary changes to ensure it does, and cut things that don’t help the scene meet that goal.

Building on the previous one, you can do the same thing, but for your entire story. Starting from the beginning, re-outline the story scene-by-scene and/or chapter-by-chapter, picking out what the main “beats” and most important themes are, and then re-read your draft and make sure you’re hitting those clearly. Consider cutting out the pieces of your story that don’t contribute to those, and definitely cut the pieces that distract from those key moments (unless, of course, the distraction is the point.)

Re-read a section you think could be cut and see if any sentences snag your attention. Poke at that bit until you figure out why - often, it’s because the sentence is unnecessary, poorly worded, unclear, or otherwise superfluous. You can often rewrite the sentence to be clearer, or cut the sentence completely without negatively impacting your work.

Be prepared to cut your darlings; even if you love a sentence or dialog exchange or paragraph, if you are working to a strict word count and it doesn't add anything, it may have to go, and that's okay...even though yes, it will hurt, always, no matter how experienced a writer you are. (Tip? Save your original draft, and/or make a new word doc where you safely tuck your darlings in for the future. Second tip? If you really, really love it...find a way to save it, but understand that to do so, you’ll have to cut something else. It’s often wise to pick one or two favorites and sacrifice the rest to save the best ones. We are not saying “always cut your darlings.” That is terrible writing advice. Don’t always cut your darlings. Writing, and reading your own writing, should bring you joy, even when you’re doing it professionally.)

If you’re having trouble recognizing what in your own work CAN be cut, try implementing the above strategies in different places - cut things, and then re-read, and see how it works, and if it works at all. Sometimes, you’ll realize...you didn’t need any of what you cut. Other times, you’ll realize...it no longer feels like the story you were trying to tell. Fiddle with it until you figure out what you need for it to still feel like your story, and practice that kind of cutting until you get better at recognizing what can and can’t go without having to do as much tweaking.

Lastly...along the lines of the previous...understand that sometimes, cutting your story down to a certain word count will just be impossible. Some stories simply can’t be made very short, and others simply can’t be told at length. If you’re really struggling, it’s important to consider that your story just...isn’t going to work at that word count. And that’s okay. Go back to the drawing board, and try again - you’ll also get better at learning what stories you can tell, in your style, using your own writing voice, at different word counts. It’s not something you’ll just know how to do - that kind of estimating is a skill, just like all other writing abilities.

As with all our writing advice - there’s no one way to tackle cutting stories for length, and also, which of these strategies is most appropriate will depend on what kind of story you’re writing, how much over-length it is, what your target market is, your characters, and your personal writing style. Try different ones, and see which work for you - the most important aspect is to learn to read your own writing critically enough that you are able to recognize what you can cut, and then from that standpoint, use your expertise to decide what you should cut, which is definitely not always the same thing. Lots of details can be cut - but a story with all of the flavor and individuality removed should never be your goal.

Contributions to this post were made by @unforth, @jhoomwrites, @alecjmarsh, @shealynn88, @foxymoley, @willablythe, and @owlishintergalactic, and their input has been used with their knowledge and explicit permission. Thanks, everyone, for helping us consider different ways to shorten stories!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Experian doxes the world (again)

The nonconsensually compiled dossiers of personal information that Experian assembled on the entire population of the USA may currently be exposed via dozens, perhaps hundreds, of sites, thanks to a grossly negligent security defect in Experian's API.

The breach was detected by Bill Demirkapi, a security researcher and RIT sophomore, and reported on by Brian Krebs, the excellent independent security reporter.

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/04/experian-api-exposed-credit-scores-of-most-americans/

Experian, like Equifax, has unilaterally arrogated to itself the right to collect, store and disseminate our personal information, and, like Equifax, it faces little regulation, including obligations not to harm us or penalties when it does.

Experian's API allows criminals to retrieve your credit info by supplying your name and address, information that is typically easy to find, especially in the wake of multiple other breaches, such as Doordash's 5m-person 2019 breach and Drizzly's 2.5m-person 2020 breach.

Demirkapi explains that the API is implemented by many, many sites across the internet, and while Experian assured Krebs that this bug only affected a single site, it did not explain how it came to that conclusion.

Demirkapi discovered the defect while he was searching for a student loan vendor. There is a way to defend yourself against this attack: freeze your credit report. Credit freezes were made free (but opt-in only) in 2018, after the Equifax breach.

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/09/credit-freezes-are-free-let-the-ice-age-begin/

Indeed, you may have already been thinking about the Equifax breach as you read this. In many ways, that breach was a wasted opportunity to seriously re-examine the indefensible practices of the credit-reporting industry, which had not been seriously scrutinized since 1976.

1976 was the year that Congress amended the Equal Credit Opportunity Act after hearing testimony about the abuses of the Retail Credit Company - a company that swiftly changed its name to "Equifax" to distance itself from the damning facts those hearings brought to light.

Retail Credit/Equifax invented credit reporting when it was founded in Atlanta in 1899. For more than half a century, it served as a free market Stasi to whom neighbors could quietly report each other for violating social norms.

Retail Credit's permanent, secret files recorded who was suspected of being gay, a "race-mixer" or a political dissident so that banks and insurance companies could discriminate against them.

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/09/equifax-retail-credit-company-discrimination-loans

This practice was only curbed when a coalition of white, straight conservative men discovered that they'd been misidentified as queers and commies and demanded action, whereupon Congress gave Americans limited rights to see and contest their secret files.

But these controls were never more than symbolic. Congress couldn't truly blunt the power of these private-sector spooks, because the US government depends on them to determine eligibility for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

It's a public-private partnership from hell. Credit reporting bureaux collect data the government is not legally allowed to collect on its own, then sells that data to the government (Equifax makes $200m/year doing this).

https://web.archive.org/web/20171004200823/http://www.cetusnews.com/business/Equifax-Work-for-Government-Shows-Company%E2%80%99s-Broad-Reach.HkexS6JAq-.html

These millions are recycled into lobbying efforts to ensure that the credit reporting bureaux can continue to spy on us, smear us, and recklessly endanger us by failing to safeguard the files they assemble on us.

This is bad for America, but it's great for the credit reporting industry. The Big Three bureaux (Equifax, Experian and Transunion) have been on a decade-long buying spree, gobbling up hundreds of smaller companies.

These acquisitions lead directly to breaches: a Big Three company that buys a startup inherits its baling-wire-and-spit IT system, built in haste while the company pursued growth and acquisition.

These IT systems have to be tied into the giant acquiring company's own databases, adding to the dozens of other systems that have been cobbled together from previous acquisitions.

This became painfully apparent after the Equifax breach, so much so that even GOP Congressional Committee chairs called the breach "entirely preventable" and the result of "aggressive growth." But they refused to put any curbs on future acquisitions.

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/420582-house-panel-issues-scathing-report-on-entirely-preventable-equifax-data

A lot has happened since Equifax, so you may have forgotten just how fucked up that situation was. Equifax's IT was so chaotic that they couldn't even encrypt the data they'd installed. Two months later, they "weren't sure" if it had been encrypted.

https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/450429891/Following-Equifax-breach-CEO-doesnt-know-if-data-is-encrypted

*Six months* before the breach, outside experts began warning Equifax that they were exposing our data:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/ne3bv7/equifax-breach-social-security-numbers-researcher-warning

The *only* action Equifax execs took? They sold off a shit-ton of stock:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-14/sec-says-former-equifax-executive-engaged-in-insider-trading

The Equifax breach exposed the arrogance and impunity of the Big Three. Afterward, Equifax offered "free" credit monitoring to the people they'd harmed. One catch: it was free for a year; after that, they'd automatically bill you, annually, forever.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170911025943/https://therealnews.com/t2/story:19960:Equifax-Data-Breach-is-a-10-out-of-10-Scandal

And you'd pay in another way if you signed up for that "free" service: the fine print took away your right to sue Equifax, forever, no matter how they harmed you:

https://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/equifax-lobbied-kill-rule-protecting-victims-data-breaches-2587929

The credit bureaux bill themselves as arbiters of the public's ability to take responsibility for their choices, but after the breach, the CEO blamed the entire affair on a single "forgetful" flunky:

https://www.engadget.com/2017-10-03-former-equifax-ceo-blames-breach-on-one-it-employee.html

Then he stepped down and pocketed a $90m salary that his board voted in favor of:

https://fortune.com/2017/09/26/equifax-ceo-richard-smith-net-worth/

Of course they did! His actions made the company so big that even after the breach, the IRS  picked it to run its anti-fraud. Equifax got $7.5m from Uncle Sucker, and would have kept it except that its anti-fraud site was *serving malware*:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/equifax-irs-data-breach-malware-discovered/

Equifax eventually settled all the claims against it for $700m in 2019:

https://nypost.com/2019/07/19/equifax-agrees-to-pay-700m-after-massive-data-breach/

But it continued to average five errors per credit report:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/02/11/rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-takes-aim-equifax-credit-scoring/

And it continued to store sensitive user-data in an unencrypted database whose login and password were "admin" and "admin":

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/equifax-password-username-admin-lawsuit-201118316.html

Congress introduced multiple bills to force Equifax, Experian and Transunion to clean up their act.

None of those bills passed.

https://www.axios.com/after-equifaxs-mega-breach-nothing-changed-1536241622-baf8e0cf-d727-43db-b4d4-77c7599fff1e.html

The IRS shrugged its shoulders at America, telling the victims of Equifax's breach that their information had probably already leaked before Equifax doxed them, so no biggie:

https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/355862-irs-significant-number-of-equifax-victims-already-had-info-accessed-by

Since then there have been other mass breaches, most recently the Facebook breach that exposed 500m people's sensitive data. That data can be merged with data from other breaches and even from "anonymized" data-sets that were deliberately released:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/21/re-identification/#pseudonymity

And while you can theoretically prevent your data from being stolen using the current Experian vulnerability by freezing your account, that's not as secure as it sounds.

Back in 2017, Brian Krebs reported that Experian's services were so insecure that anyone could retreive the PIN to unlock a frozen credit report by ticking a box on a website:

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/09/experian-site-can-give-anyone-your-credit-freeze-pin/

That was just table-stakes - it turned out that ALL the credit bureaux had an arrangement with AT&T's telecoms credit agency that was so insecure that *anyone* could unlock your locked credit report:

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/05/another-credit-freeze-target-nctue-com/

These companies came into existence to spy on Americans in order to facilitate mass-scale, racist, ideological and sexual discrimination. They gather data of enormous import and sensitivity - data no one should be gathering, much less retaining and sharing.

They handle this data in cavalier ways, secure in the knowledge that their integration with the US government wins them powerful stakeholders who will ensure that the penalties for the harm they inflict add up to less than profits those harms generate for their shareholders.

This is why America needs a federal privacy law with a "private right of action" - the ability to sue companies that harm you, rather than hoping that federal prosecutors or regulators will decide to enforce the law.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/16/where-it-hurts/#sue-facebook

Experian promises that this breach only affects one company that mis-implemented its API. We would be suckers to take it at its word. It didn't know about this breach until a college sophomore sent in a bug report - how would it know if there were others?

Image: KC Green (modified) https://kcgreendotcom.com/

[a-secret-bolton-vampire]

Daenerys Stormborn, Part 2: Wake the Dragon

Oh hey, I have part 2 already! Guess my brain is really focused on Dany now. In part 1, I talked about Dany's arcs from AGOT to ASOS, exploring the narrative and thematic purpose of her journey. However, the most important part of her journey occurs in ADWD, and sets the stage for some incredibly exciting developments to come in TWOW. For part 2, I'll be talking about the gradual transformation of Daenerys into a slightly different, darker character for the future.

Breaker of Chains & Mhysa

Slavery has been an important background element throughout Dany's time in Essos, even in AGOT, but it becomes front and centre in ASOS. She accepted the Dothraki, a society that uses slaves for many things, and wasn't too perturbed at the use of slaves in Qarth. However, it is in Astapor where she finally realizes just how bad the institution is, as she tells Xaro:

"Whence came this madness? Should I count myself fortunate that you did not free my own slaves when you were my guest in Qarth?" I was a beggar queen and you were Xaro of the Thirteen, Dany thought, and all you wanted were my dragons. "Your slaves seemed well treated and content. It was not till Astapor that my eyes were opened."

As mentioned last time, ASOS is when she begins to take control of her destiny, and she does so by beginning a revolution to free the slaves of Slaver's Bay. She believe she has a greater destiny lying ahead of her, that there is a reason for her dragons, the red comet. She also has great empathy for people and sees this disturbing injustice being played out with nobody to stop it. But she has the power to do so, and thus she begins by going fire and blood at Astapor, killing the Good Masters and freeing all the slaves. Afterwards, she leaves the city with a ruling council of a priest, a scholar, and a healer and moves to Yunkai.

She does a different approach with Yunkai, negotiating with the Wise Masters to surrender their slaves and to leave them in peace. And then when she arrives at Meereen, she decides to stay and rule as its queen. This is where things begin to get difficult for Daenerys. The ruling council of Astapor is overthrown by a butcher named Cleon, who said the council was conspiring to bring back slavery, who declares himself King of Astapor, enslaves the children of the former Good Masters to make new Unsullied, and tries to ally with Daenerys against Yunkai, who has resumed slavery.

Daenerys is not interested in any war with Yunkai. The reason she stays in Meereen is exactly because she learned what happened when she left Astapor. The fire and blood approach didn't work. You can't just dismantle such a deeply engrained system so easily. So instead she opts to rule, and protect the people she can. While a lot of readers view Dany's actions in Meereen as pointless, the whims of a naive girl, and poor leadership, I actually think it's the opposite.

For starters, Dany realized that she can't simply burn the slavers to end slavery, but she needs to stay and instill changes. While King Cleon repeatedly begs for Daenerys to join the war against Yunkai, she refuses, and warns Cleon to not do such a thing. She turns out to be horribly right, as Cleon is killed, Astapor is sieged, before being slaughtered, burned, and sacked, to be reinstated as a slave city once more. Likewise, the Yunkish siege Meereen, first by creating a blockade in the bay with ships, and then by having armies amassed outside the city walls.

In addition, refugees from Astapor begin to pile up outside the city, and a deadly plague called the pale mare (for the horse from Astapor that arrives at Meereen) begins to sweep the starving Astapori freedmen, who begin to resort to cannibalism to survive. Dany blames herself for leaving Astapor a mess, but does not wish to have the same thing happen in Meereen. She wants to protect the people she's freed, not just from the Yunkish, but herself as well.

When a sheepherder brings the burned bones of his daughter, Hazzea, who was killed by her dragons, Dany has Rhaegal and Viserion chained in the dungeons below the Great Pyramid to prevent them from causing any more harm. However, Drogon is still loose, unable to be found. In addition, when the sons of the harpy, a terrorist group opposed to the emancipation of Meereen, begin massacring freedmen, Dany decides to raise a tax on the Great Masters and have all families of suspect loyalty send a child to serve as a hostage and cupbearers. Yet, as the killings continue, she has grown close to the children and decides not to have them killed.

Now, some of you may notice that I am taking a lot from the Meereenese Blot essays written by Adam Feldman. That's not only because they are really well written essays, but ones that GRRM himself has approved of.

"I read those when someone pointed them out to me, and I was really pleased with them, because at least one guy got it. He got it completely, he knew exactly what I was trying to do there, and evidently I did it well enough for people who were paying attention."

So I am retreading some of the ground Feldman has laid, but it's important to do so if I am to build up to what I think is going to happen in the future of Dany's story.

As Feldman notes, Dany's own actions (or in the case of the cupbearers, inaction) actually made a peace possible, because the Yunkish saw that she was someone who is capable of mercy and not a (in their eye) violent mass murderer. Knowing what happened with Astapor, and seeing what happens when her dragons are unleashed with Hazzea, Dany decides to make peace with the Yunkish and marry Hizdahr.

Under the peace, Meereen itself would remain a free city, but the Yunkish would continue to sell slaves. They even sell them in markets outside the walls of Meereen, which displeases Daenerys extremely. In addition, slaveowners could bring their slaves into Meereen without fear of them being freed, and the Yunkish promised to respect the rights of the freedmen in Meereen. Yet, despite the peace and the progress made, she feels as though this is a defeat.

This is peace, she told herself. This is what I wanted, what I worked for, this is why I married Hizdahr. So why does it taste so much like defeat?

The thing is, Daenerys has had to sacrifice so much of herself and her morals to get to this point. Yes there is peace, even if it is tentative, Meereen would not be sacked by the Yunkish, but slavery is still going on, and she thinks that she has let herself and other people down by agreeing to peace and allowing the Yunkish to continue slavery. She has agreed to peace to people she loathes and thinks are despicable, she has married a man she does not love and does not love her, she has chained her dragons in the pit below, she has allowed the fighting pits to reopen. This comes to ahead at Daznak's Pit when she is at the height of her discomfort.

The boar buried his snout in Barsena's belly and began rooting out her entrails. The smell was more than the queen could stand. The heat, the flies, the shouts from the crowd … I cannot breathe. She lifted her veil and let it flutter away. She took her tokar off as well. The pearls rattled softly against one another as she unwound the silk.

And then Drogon arrives, and in the chaos of him attacking the boar and being attacked by the soldiers in the pit, Dany tries to calm him, but he spits fire at her, and she tries to tame him by whipping him into submission. Here, Dany is quite literally fighting herself. She herself in this moment represents the Queen of Meereen, someone who desires for peace. Meanwhile, Drogon represents the dragon inside her, who wants to unleash blood and fire on her enemies. In the end, Dany climbs onto Drogon and they fly away together, which foreshadows and symbolizes Dany's later decision to choose being the dragon.

Despite her frustrations in Meereen, the peace was a good first step. Not to say that it solved every issue, it didn't, but that doesn't need to be the end of it. Daenerys could forge new peaces, new agreements, and if she stayed in Meereen, she could implement great changes throughout Slaver's Bay. But what is done is done, and cannot be undone. The peace that was forged is now gone. Next comes war.

The House with the Red Door

Before we move on to Dany's final chapter and what that means for the future, we must take a look at a very important part of her backstory which is one of the main elements of her own story. Sure, destiny, greatness, prophecy, power, and identity are themes with Daenerys, but at the center of it all is the desire for home. Dany was born on Dragonstone, but was whisked away to Braavos, and there she lived in the house with the red door, with Viserys, Ser Willem Darry, and their servants.

To Dany, the house with the red door was the only place in her life she called home, and she has very fond memories of it, of Willem, or the lemon tree. But after Willem died, they were kicked out and forced to become beggars on the streets, selling off their possessions and travelling the Free Cities. The red door was closed and gone forever after, but the dream of having a home hasn't.

Daenerys has a desire for home, for love, for family. Throughout her childhood, Viserys would tell Dany all about Westeros, how they need to take back the Iron Throne, that the Seven Kingdoms were the most beautiful lands in the world. And sure enough, soon, Westeros represents the idea for home and belonging to Dany.

"I pray for home too," she told him, believing it. Ser Jorah laughed. "Look around you then, Khaleesi." But it was not the plains Dany saw then. It was King's Landing and the great Red Keep that Aegon the Conqueror had built. It was Dragonstone where she had been born. In her mind's eye they burned with a thousand lights, a fire blazing in every window. In her mind's eye, all the doors were red.

Although she takes on the mantle as the new head of House Targaryen and carries on Viserys's dream of taking back the Iron Throne out of a sense of duty, she also does so for desire to belong in a place she can call home. It's a nostalgic feeling she gets of the old days, that she wants to relive again.

But then other ambitions get in her way. She frees the slaves of Slaver's Bay, and decides to stay in Meereen to try to ensure that her revolution succeeds. Thus, her quest for home is put on hold. Throughout ADWD, she gives up parts of herself, to try to become one with the Meereenese; marrying Hizdahr, reopening the fighting pits, chaining her dragons, dressing in the Ghiscari fashion, and making peace. But in the Dothraki sea, hundreds of miles outside Meereen, she finds that she wasn't being her true self, that she can never be the Queen of Meereen, or become a true Meereenese.

I must keep walking. Water flows downhill. The stream will take me to the river, and the river will take me home. Except it wouldn't, not truly. Meereen was not her home, and never would be. It was a city of strange men with strange gods and stranger hair, of slavers wrapped in fringed tokars, where grace was earned through whoring, butchery was art, and dog was a delicacy. Meereen would always be the Harpy's city, and Daenerys could not be a harpy.

The series is all about the human heart in conflict with itself, and Daenerys in ADWD is one of the best examples of that. She was struggling with her two competing titles of Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, but in the end she was not comfortable with being the Breaker of Chains. This final transformation she undergoes in the Dothraki sea really sets the tone for what she will do in the future, and how she will change as a person and character.

Mother of Dragons

Daenerys X is one of the more bizarre chapters in the series, since it follows only one character alone with her thoughts, but it works extremely well as a character study, and the development over the course of the chapter is one of my favourites in the whole series. Through all the hallucinations and visions and dreams Daenerys has during this chapter, it's important to remember that they all (apart from possibly Quaithe) are her, so the discussions she has are with her own internal thoughts directly.

The topic of Targaryen madness reoccurs throughout the series, but it's ADWD where it is brought up the most. Now, the topic of Targaryen madness will be another post i will do in the far future and won't discuss in depth today, but the matter is that Dany is aware of some of it, even if she hasn't fully accepted the truth of her father. She fears that she is succumbing to the madness at points.

"Your Grace?" Missandei stood in the door of the queen's bedchamber, a lantern in her hand. "Who are you talking to?" Dany glanced back toward the persimmon tree. There was no woman there. No hooded robe, no lacquer mask, no Quaithe. A shadow. A memory. No one. She was the blood of the dragon, but Ser Barristan had warned her that in that blood there was a taint. Could I be going mad? They had called her father mad, once.

Later, she implies this fear again to Barristan.

I lived in fear for fourteen years, my lord. I woke afraid each morning and went to sleep afraid each night … but my fears were burned away the day I came forth from the fire. Only one thing frightens me now." "And what is it that you fear, sweet queen?" "I am only a foolish young girl." Dany rose on her toes and kissed his cheek. "But not so foolish as to tell you that. My men shall look at these ships. Then you shall have my answer."

But in an early version of Daenerys III, the answer Daenerys gave was "myself". She fears what would happen if she "woke the dragon", as Viserys put it. She's afraid of succumbing to the madness that consumed her father and probably was consuming Viserys. She's afraid of what would happen if she unleashed her dragons, how many innocents they would kill. But in the Dothraki sea, she begins to question her decisions, starting when she woke up after finding blood between her thighs:

"I am the blood of the dragon," she told the grass, aloud. Once, the grass whispered back, until you chained your dragons in the dark. "Drogon killed a little girl. Her name was … her name …" Dany could not recall the child's name. That made her so sad that she would have cried if all her tears had not been burned away. "I will never have a little girl. I was the Mother of Dragons." Aye, the grass said, but you turned against your children.

The importance of this quote cannot go unnoticed. She thinks about Hazzea all the time throughout the book, feeling deeply guilty about what Drogon did to her. But here, at the end, she cannot remember her name. The in world explanation is that, of course, she is delirious from being in the wilderness eating berries and being sick, but thematically this is her slowly turning away from the people she freed. Next comes a dream with Viserys (long quote incoming):

She dreamt of her dead brother. Viserys looked just as he had the last time she'd seen him. His mouth was twisted in anguish, his hair was burnt, and his face was black and smoking where the molten gold had run down across his brow and cheeks and into his eyes. "You are dead," Dany said. Murdered. Though his lips never moved, somehow she could hear his voice, whispering in her ear. You never mourned me, sister. It is hard to die unmourned. "I loved you once." Once, he said, so bitterly it made her shudder. You were supposed to be my wife, to bear me children with silver hair and purple eyes, to keep the blood of the dragon pure. I took care of you. I taught you who you were. I fed you. I sold our mother's crown to keep you fed. "You hurt me. You frightened me." Only when you woke the dragon. I loved you. "You sold me. You betrayed me." No. You were the betrayer. You turned against me, against your own blood. They cheated me. Your horsey husband and his stinking savages. They were cheats and liars. They promised me a golden crown and gave me this. He touched the molten gold that was creeping down his face, and smoke rose from his finger. "You could have had your crown," Dany told him. "My sun-and-stars would have won it for you if only you had waited." I waited long enough. I waited my whole life. I was their king, their rightful king. They laughed at me. "You should have stayed in Pentos with Magister Illyrio. Khal Drogo had to present me to the dosh khaleen, but you did not have to ride with us. That was your choice. Your mistake." Do you want to wake the dragon, you stupid little whore? Drogo's khalasar was mine. I bought them from him, a hundred thousand screamers. I paid for them with your maidenhead. "You never understood. Dothraki do not buy and sell. They give gifts and receive them. If you had waited …" I did wait. For my crown, for my throne, for you. All those years, and all I ever got was a pot of molten gold. Why did they give the dragon's eggs to you? They should have been mine. If I'd had a dragon, I would have taught the world the meaning of our words. Viserys began to laugh, until his jaw fell away from his face, smoking, and blood and molten gold ran from his mouth.

The dream terrifies Daenerys, but once again, Viserys (really herself here) is telling her she is stalling in a place she doesn't belong, that she needs to go home, that she should embrace being a dragon. The climax of this comes right after she realizes Meereen would never be her home, where she argues with Jorah (again, herself):

Meereen would always be the Harpy's city, and Daenerys could not be a harpy. Never, said the grass, in the gruff tones of Jorah Mormont. You were warned, Your Grace. Let this city be, I said. Your war is in Westeros, I told you. The voice was no more than a whisper, yet somehow Dany felt that he was walking just behind her. My bear, she thought, my old sweet bear, who loved me and betrayed me. She had missed him so. She wanted to see his ugly face, to wrap her arms around him and press herself against his chest, but she knew that if she turned around Ser Jorah would be gone. "I am dreaming," she said. "A waking dream, a walking dream. I am alone and lost." Lost, because you lingered, in a place that you were never meant to be, murmured Ser Jorah, as softly as the wind. Alone, because you sent me from your side. "You betrayed me. You informed on me, for gold." For home. Home was all I ever wanted. "And me. You wanted me." Dany had seen it in his eyes. I did, the grass whispered, sadly. "You kissed me. I never said you could, but you did. You sold me to my enemies, but you meant it when you kissed me." I gave you good counsel. Save your spears and swords for the Seven Kingdoms, I told you. Leave Meereen to the Meereenese and go west, I said. You would not listen. "I had to take Meereen or see my children starve along the march." Dany could still see the trail of corpses she had left behind her crossing the Red Waste. It was not a sight she wished to see again. "I had to take Meereen to feed my people." You took Meereen, he told her, yet still you lingered. "To be a queen." You are a queen, her bear said. In Westeros. "It is such a long way," she complained. "I was tired, Jorah. I was weary of war. I wanted to rest, to laugh, to plant trees and see them grow. I am only a young girl." No. You are the blood of the dragon. The whispering was growing fainter, as if Ser Jorah were falling farther behind. Dragons plant no trees. Remember that. Remember who you are, what you were made to be. Remember your words. "Fire and Blood," Daenerys told the swaying grass.

And here is where everything changes. She has spent time trying to protect innocent lives, to make peace, not war, to be loved and accepted by Meereen. But here, she decides that it is time to do away with that. Meereen is not her home, Westeros is, and it's time to wake the dragon and burn Yunkai. No longer will she be burdened by the idea of a cost of innocent lives, no longer will she fear herself, and no longer will she linger. When the time comes, she will burn her enemies and leave for Westeros.

I need to make a few things clear here, however. For one, I don't think she's mad now, this is just her resolving her internal conflict. For another, I don't care what she does to the slavers. They deserve what's coming for them. She will still care about the innocent, but she's now going to go full-blooded Targaryen and burn cities to the ground, and this will mean massive collateral damage she will try to rationalize away.

Daenerys has now transformed into a different, much darker character, which I feel will continue to define her for the rest of the series. She is now the Mother of Dragons, in her entirety, and Essos is about to bleed and burn. I really appreciate how GRRM put this together, and that she didn't stay fire and blood after Astapor. His character development is realistic, and sometimes the development is not linear. In part 3, I will be discussing predictions about Daenerys's arc and story in TWOW, more specifically what she will do in Essos.

[only-we]

Hc;; you opened this door and now you must speak about it!! In ND we actually get snippets of convo from chosen and notes you can find around Hope referencing Jacob and how a lot of the warriors of New Eden firmly believe Jacob would be turning over his grave over it/would have never allowed the banning of guns. I’m pretty sure had Jacob survived New Eden would be different from the group we meet in ND. If he’d had command of its people I firmly believe they’d have turned out very different in im pretty sure what we’d have gotten was the post apocalyptic version of Sparta/Spartans. But I want your take. How different would New Eden have developed if Jacob had taken survived and taken control from Joseph/Ethan?

Hnnnng. SO.

First off: yes, he would have never abandoned modern weapons. Guns and rifles would still be in use. Why make yourself weak by insisting on primitive weaponry? The enemy wouldn't do it either.

Spartans is a good comparison. He would have ruled with an iron fist. His psyche isn't getting any better either and he surely sees some of the cruelty as sole entertainment. Children will be trained from a young age. BUT they get a sheltered childhood. At least from the outside. They are protected and cared for. You can't have a herd, if you can't raise the offspring. And due to Jacob's own past, children will always have a special status.

The Apples of Eden surely would have been of interest to Jacob. Though he would leave that for the elite of his Chosen. I do not think he would have taken one himself. He knows his mind. he knows how fucked up it is. He does not want to face it.

Jacob's New Eden would have never left the Highwaymen to their own devices. They would not have been allowed to set one foot into the valley. Their corpses strung up on teh borders as warning for any other group.

Prosperity would have had a hard time. They would be fair game in Jacob's eyes. maybe they will bring some new family members for New Eden. Maybe they will only serve as target practice. Up to them. The same happens to scavengers and any 'silent' group of survivors, who aren't instantly aggressive.

Hunting would be their primary lifestyle. And Jacob would insist on the implementation of a whistling-system like the Seraphit/es in TL/OU2 use: HERE is a beautiful explanation of that system.

Because it is absolute badass and useful.

Rush's Crew would probably have ran into an ambush, too. But this time by New Eden. And it would have been harrowing. The crew would have not been mindlessly killed though. No, they would have been culled and harvested for their specialists. Joined by force, via breaking their minds or... well, used to feed the Judges.

Jacob as a leader would have probably continued to be partially insane/unhinged. And who knows how long he is stable enough or "having fun" with this. But he would have seen to the fact that Hope County would have been marked on many maps with a skull and 'do not get close'.

[fandom-scatteredthoughtsonpaper]

Dark Obey Me AU Outline, Breakdown, Game Mechanic + Specifics, + Some Other Stuff

{Previous post}

Kickoff and Quick Summarization:

Leviathan won a new preliminary horror game with VR aspects from a contest to test the game out before its actual release and invited Mammon and Yuki (MC) to play. This experimental immersion becomes too realistic when Yuki's latent powers takes the experience of the game to new levels when the entire House of Lamentation is sucked into the virtualization. Yuki, now alone and confused to the rules of this blended world of reality and simulation, has to venture through the house and recover the brothers from the game's influence. The game seems a little rigged the more Yuki advanced, so is someone actually pulling strings off screen or is paranoia seeping in?

Type of AU:

Mirror Universe, Interactive AU (you can help build up the world of this event)

Potential tags:

Horror, Psychological, Bloody, Dark, Angsty, Possible Sexual Assault, Death Is Allowed, Bodily Harm

Brief (and Liable to Change) Explanation of How the Game Will Work:

-After the House of Lamentation is shifted and adapted into the game's world, the seven demon brothers are also adapted to the elements of the psychological horror genre and placed as progressively harder bosses that MC has to get through to advance the game and undo the effects of what happened.

-The brothers that MC has converted back to normal will stay on their side and aid them in rescuing the other mentally manipulated boys, some even serving as necessary requirements to further progress. They can roam around the house and their rooms can serve as a temporary safety spots, but MC has to be with them to ward off the game's influence from trying to appeal to their cardinal desires based on their sin they govern and controlling them again.

-MC can try to appeal to any brother at any time, but if they don't meet requirements the struggle will be a lot harder and the emotional toll will be more effective on the chosen brother. If MC fails to convert the brother, not only does the next attempt become tougher, but MC takes damage deemed appropriate by the game based on the sin of the brother.

-The only exception to this rule is Mammon. Mammon is basically the tutorial. He's a mandatory scripted event to teach MC how the gameplay will be, and how they'll make it further in the game.

-Each brother is equivalent as a boss. The only way to progress to the next milestone is to release the grip the game has on the brothers' minds, but it's not as simple as breaking a curse like MC can canonically do with their powers. MC has to make a connection to the altered version of the demons, and to reach that connection they have to tackle each brother's insecurities and issues. Not like resolve them entirely with a heartfelt speech, and voila, they're okay again, but really reach into their hearts and remind them that they're not what the game has turned them into, that they're more than their sins and valued individually by MC.

-Thus having the proper brother on MC's side makes that connection a lot easier when it comes to certain brothers. Once that connection has been made and the game has less control, then MC can use the pact they made in the real world as the final move to disconnect the hold the game has in the virtual world.

-Again, however, it's not as simple as a few deeply passionate words and the veils are lifted from the brothers' eyes. Certain items can be found in each bedroom that helps strengthen the pact to mean something aside from a vow between a human and a demon. Requirements are necessary for progress.

-The pacts MC has with the brothers is a key relevancy to progressing the game. Without trying to appeal positively to their insecurities/fears the game has a strong hold on their minds and the use of their pacts aren't as effective

Rundown of What I Mean:

Mammon is the first demon MC bonded with and that applies itself strongly to their connection and relationship, especially in this event. I might be biased here, and not to mention I'm trial and erroring the story with my MC, Yuki, but I believe Mammon has the strongest connection with MC because of how he feels for them, how empathetic he is, and how emotionally aware he can be.

Mammon governs greed and already easily succumbs to his wants in the real world, but as of now in the canon story, he's grown a bit away from his sin, because of his relationship with MC, like most of the boys have. He can put MC above his own desires, and that influence deals a lot with how MC saves him after he attacks them in their room.

Mammon wants to sell MC's body, bit by bit, blood, teeth, hair, organs, nails, etc., as a means to pull in some serious money in the black market. Greed completely takes over Mammon, and he has very little regard for MC's life. When MC tries to use their pact's powers on Mammon the first time not much is really done, because the connection wasn't made. However, being the tutorial, Mammon becomes less influenced quicker than the rest of his brothers. MC has to remind him he's not a total scumbag that loves only money while Mammon is choking them out. So time is of the essence, because MC is physically harmed in this reality and can die as well.

I'll have a rough draft of this scene up later to better explain the process.

So Basically:

MC has to find items or something meaningful to assist them in helping the brothers become aware while under the game's manipulation, and then making a connection to their actual selves that helps absolve the mind control before using the pacts MC has made to finalize the severance, although it's not totally gone.

How I Plan to Progress the Event (Susceptible to Change) and Suggestions That Have Been Implemented by Other People So Far:

-MC starts the event off at the Lord Demon's castle with Diavolo and Barbatos before returning to the HoL to play with Levi. Before MC leaves Barbatos gives them two coins and a cautionary warning [credit to @jinxed-rose ]

-The unstable powers of MC conflicts with the game and locks the HoL and its residents inside the virtual reality.

-The game treats the brothers as bosses and turns their worst qualities up to 11. The small glimpses of how we saw the brothers in the beginning of the game before warming up to the MC is how they're portrayed in the game. They're meaner, deadlier, and heavily warpped from their original selves.

-MC can physically be hurt and/or killed, so the more of the brothers they can rescue the easier the game will be to traverse.

-The brothers are ranked by the order of when they got a pact with MC. So the optional progression between the brothers would be Mammon, Levi, Beel, Asmo, Satan, Lucifer, and Belphie. The longer MC has been in a pact with the boys the easier it is to sway them out of their brainwashing, but it doesn't have to be in this order [credit to @felix-the-lemon-king ]

-Another option of progress with the brothers can be psychological fortitude. What I mean by that is the boys' durability to withstand breaking down from their insecurities being provoked. So Mammon's biggest fear is MC getting hurt so he's automatically the first boss and Lucifer would be among the last to confront because he's mentally strongest and that's where the issues would lie. [credit to 13ineedpills13 on AO3]

-Levi is an optional boss that can be done early or late in the game, it doesn't really matter. If MC goes for Levi first, he'll be relatively easy to return to normal, but if MC doesn't get to him until later then he'll be a lot harder to help. If MC attempts to rescue the others before Levi and succeeds the game will make him aware of this. Levi will get more and more enveloped by envy and jealousy and his insecurities will worsen, making it harder to appeal to him. [credit to @sunshine-apprentice ]

-The reason Levi is an optional boss to go after at any time is because he has a mystery that reveals itself later as the event starts ramping up and big reveal towards the end. It's not really a secret if you read the notes on prior posts, but shhh. [credit to @felix-the-lemon-king ]

-Lucifer is the assumed main person to look out for, because he is the elder, head of the house, and most powerful and sadistic. He watches from the shadows and sets up elaborate snares and ambushes to sike out and slowly breakdown MC. Beel is more frequent around Lucifer's bedroom.

Somewhat Established "Rules" of the Game:

-Each encounter with the brothers during the actual moments of fighting and struggling will be violent and dangerous. Injuries will be painful and won't magically heal after the fight is done. [credit to syvintri on AO3]

-Death is very much possible, but it's tough for the brothers to die. It's not that hard for MC though. So, perma-death is plausible, but it's evened out with the two coins MC gets from Barbatos.

-The end goal is in Levi's bedroom, but it won't be accessible until after the brothers have all been released from the grip of the video game.

-MC's room is the only actual safe room in the house, so it's basically the headquarters

-Beel is the guard that routinely patrols the hallways, but he can be lured away with food from an area for a bit of time

-Each brother's room has a way to help figure out how to un-brainwash the boys, but they are dangerous to go into

-Overcoming the boys' insecurities and sins are a key relevance in progressing the game

-Line up of the boys in order as bosses (potentially): Mammon, Asmodeus, Belphie, Beelzbub, Satan, Lucifer, Leviathan

Concerns and Questions:

There's still a lot of gaps and unfilled holes that I'm not entirely sure how to connect properly. Trying to figure out how to write the encounters between the brothers that are being manipulated and MC/the brothers rescued is going to be tricky. Making sure the boys' characterizations stay close to how they would be will be a challenge.

So my questions for you will help me figure out what people would like to see and also help me connect dots in the story and plot.

A matter to discuss, for instance, is what a comment said on AO3:

"I think them interacting in a proper manner storywise when they are brainwashed is impossible, and such a drag to read. They should only interact during battles, and after battles, as they go on and save the others."

How should I go about writing the progress of the story?

Should I write it like an actual fanfiction, all detailed and specific and going at a constant pace, or should I skip moments instead of writing every scene that could occur to stay fresh and steady-paced, or should I try to base the chapters like actual event lessons in-game where stuff happens briefly and isn't very long?

Or another comment:

"So maybe this is just me, but I think it'd actually be more horrifying if the 'game' wasn't perma-death. Especially if everyone remembered despite any sort of revives or resets and with in-game injuries actually being painful. There's a high potential for angst is all I'm saying. But I guess that lends itself better for a normal fic rather than a choose your own adventure thing"

How should I write the "fight" scenes?

Should they be brief yet detailed or meaty with the conflict as MC tries to resolve the situation before anyone gets too hurt oor would this be good moments for turmoil between the brothers to arise and brawls break out ooor... I don't know what else.

How would the angst and heavy trauma best be applied according to y'all?

What kind of angst would each brother go through as MC tries to rescue them?

Some other questions:

Is the line up of the brothers as bosses okay, or should they be reconfigured to make more sense? Should it be linked how psychologically weak to strong they are or how their sins correspond to the next?

What would they be like at their absolute worst? How far do you think they could dive into their sins if they didn't have morals?

How dangerous would the brothers be?

How would the game use each character's insecurities and fears as their driving point?

How would you like to see brothers interact with MC during the confrontation? Or with each other before/during/after?

If MC were to die what would be the best way to take them out that would really fuck up the boys and devastate the psyche? Any brother is liable to maim or hurt the MC, but which one(s) could actually kill them? Or if a brother took a hit meant for MC, who would be more inclined to step into the line of fire?

These aren't all the questions that I have knocking around in my head and stumping me, but they're the biggest ones. I would like to hear inputs from others, BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't feel inclined to answer everything that I've listed. Those are just questions that I thought of and put on this post as examples of what I'm trying to figure out.

Finishing Off:

So yeah. That's the progress I've made so far, both on my own and from suggestions and opinions from other people.

I'd love to hear what y'all have in mind or would like to suggest or a take on a matter for any scenes, interactions, or whatever. Even if it's ideas of your own that relate to something that hasn't been brought up or mentioned, feel free to comment it or send me an ask.

Something this extensive will require a lot of thought and work to be done right, so that's why I had the notion of making this an interactive AU

So, if you're interested or wanna talk about the concept, hit me up! I'm dying just to ramble about potential stuff or read viewpoints about the brothers that you want to see happen or stances for whatever.

[itsclydebitches]

something just occurred to me as i was reading your ask talking abt the evacuation.... in story, the only reason they planned the evacuation at all was for penny.

they needed to get her unhacked, which is why they hatched the staff plan in the first place, and the evacuation was just a natural consequence of needing to use the staff to get penny a new body, which would begin atlas' descent. so they literally sacrificed an entire kingdom, and risked the lives of everyone in it throughout their very dangerous evacuation plan, just to save the life of one girl who... wound up dying anyway.

clearly these kids never watched star trek. spock would be appalled.

I'm by no means opposed to the idea of a plan doing double duty. Hell, if the heroes can figure something out that saves the day and gets them what they're personally after? More power to 'em! That's a smartly written protagonist right there. RWBY's problem isn't that they went, "We can fix Penny and save the Kingdom at the same time," but that, as you lay out, Anon, fixing Penny is the driving force. It's their primary goal and saving everyone else, it seems, comes second.

How do we know? Because the group fails to develop another plan over the course of these two days, is shown to spend almost no time attempting to come up with one, and the short-term goals they are implementing don't, as far as we know, actually lead anywhere. What does Ruby plan to do with this army if it arrives at the Kingdom's door? No idea. What does the B Group and the Happy Huntresses plan to do once everyone is in the crater? No idea. Do they spend their mansion time trying to think of the next step after everyone is relatively safe? No. Do they change their plans according to Salem's actions, like joining a battle once it starts? No. Does rescuing Oscar include trying to figure out how to stop the whale too? No. All of the world-saving planning is done by Ironwood and the Ace Ops—let's get the Relics and Maiden to safety so Salem can't have them, let's create a bomb to blow up the whale—whereas the group is focused entirely on personal goals—let's save Oscar, let's save Penny—which then, miraculously, happen to result in world-saving options too. That's why the cane and Ambrosius are so frustrating. The group never thought about these tools, coming up with strategies for how to use them, the plot simply announced at the correct time that, btw, the group can use this to make everything okay again. Here's a magic cane no one ever mentioned to get rid of your whale problem. Here are rules that no one mentioned and, wouldn't you know, they're all rules you're already able to obey. Isn't that convenient? How useful that no one actually had to work to achieve these goals.

So again, while there's nothing wrong with the group wanting so save their friend (that's good!) it's a matter of how their priorities are framed and the fact that the plot waves away any consequences of them not thinking about how to save everyone else by just giving them an answer to that problem at the last possible moment. The group looks bad for the portal plan because we never saw them testing out various ideas and settling on this one as the best. Nor do we see them grappling with the very obvious downsides—like destroying the Kingdom in the process—and justifying why this is the only option they have. Similarly, the B Group looks iffy because although it is good and heroic and expected that they'd want to save Oscar... they deliberately choose that over the safety of the entire army and everyone in Atlas. They overtly chose one life, the life of their teammate, over the whole (there's that Star Trek comparison) and while there's absolutely an ethical debate there, generally speaking it doesn't position them as the best people to fight on the world's behalf. Because they're not putting the world first.

Or rather, I should say there's one character actively putting the world first and that's Oscar. Rather than choosing to sit around in a mansion, he's trapped. Rather than wasting that time, he comes up with a plan to turn Salem's subordinates against her. (No matter how silly it was for both Hazel and Emerald to insta-turn on the women they've served since their introductions and however foolish I think it makes Oscar seem for thinking it would work... it's still a plan on his part.) And Oscar doesn't prioritize one life—Hazel's—over the necessity of taking out Salem's whale. He sets his own magical bomb off, presumably killing Hazel in the process, and that's just a consequence he now has to live with.

The rest of the group, Ruby in particular, have demonstrated none of these skills: no planning ahead, no utilizing resources, no smart use of their time, no thinking about the larger stakes in this war. Which is one of the many reasons why Oscar reads as the "real" protagonist at the moment. He's not only more active than Ruby, his actions and way of thinking demonstrate a better chance of keeping the people safe from Salem. Oscar wants to help the people of Mantle, Ruby doesn't want to split because that means they're "divided." Oscar wants to turn his torture session into a recruitment, Ruby wants to watch the battle from afar while drinking tea. Ruby doesn't want to interrogate anything important—not her eyes, not the vision, not Ozpin—Oscar, despite his extreme personal difficulties regarding the merge, opens up to Ozpin first and accesses the information they need. And this started back in Volume 7: Ruby, in a show about unifying, instantly writes off Ironwood and the Ace Ops when she doesn't agree with their plan, Oscar at least tries to talk to Ironwood.

Oscar very much still has his flaws (both intentional and due to ridiculous writing choices), but it really is night and day between him and Ruby at the moment. Which, again, is one of the many problems here. If you give us a protagonist that doesn't think through anything, including the horrific repercussions of implementing the first idea that pops into her head, than any character stopping to consider the situation for more than half a second is going to look better in comparison.

[perfectlytinyworkspace]

Mitchell: The World as Exhibition

"The four Egyptians spent several days in the French capital, climbing twice the height (they were told) of the Great Pyramid in Alexandre Eiffel's new tower..."

"The Egyptian exhibit had been built by the French to represent a street of medieval Cairo...'It was intended,' one of the Egyptians wrote, 'to resemble the old aspect of Cairo.' So carefully was this done, he noted, that 'even the paint on the buildings was made dirty.'"

To the West, the rest of the world is archaic, antiquated spectacle – a curious view of the past, an antithesis to Western progress "in the right direction"

"The Egyptian visitors were disgusted by all this...Their final embarrassment had been to enter the door of the mosque and discover that...it had been erected as what the Europeans called a façade."

"Together with other non-European delegates, the Egyptians were received with hospitality–and a great curiosity...they found themselves something of an exhibit."

"What [can] this process of exhibiting tell us about the modern West[?]"

modernity as defined by the West positions its own culture as the norm and the mundane, from which "the ordering up of the world itself as an endless exhibition" can be procured as entertainment, curiosity, and an object of "interested study, intellectual analysis"

how can Islam's relationship with modernity be a positive one, defined as it is by this sort of cheapened commodification of its premises as entertainment for the "civilized West"?

Yuval Noah Harari in Sapiens posits that one of the key reasons for Western/European dominance is 'curiosity' and 'the cultural backing to question tradition/history.' Does the "curiosity of the European [encountered] in almost every subsequent Middle Eastern account" following the first Arabic description of 1800s Europe then become a defining factor/formidable strong suit of Western modernity?

Does the "[demonstration of] the history of human labor by means of 'objects and things themselves'" espoused by the European exhibitions of the latter 1800s speak to the beginnings of an increased focus on the "hardware" and "observable, empirical data" of any one subject of study?

Marr's 1982 argument in computational social science: any informational system can be analyzed via 1) problem/computation 2) algorithm 3) physical system hardware; science and especially neuroscience today emphasizes (3) and thus comes away, as argued by some, as an incomplete understanding of the way the brain works

i.e., a bird's mechanisms and purposes for flight cannot be deduced from the study of its physical hardware components alone (feather)

in the same way, an "object lesson" is not the definitive experience of another culture/lifestyle as imagined by the "Histoire du Travail" display of the 1889 Exhibition but rather an overemphasis on the "physical hardware" and material of that culture and European imaginations and (mis)interpretations of its computational/algorithmic functions and purposes

One major Arabic response to Western creations of spectacle is heavy documentation, "[devoting] hundreds of pages to describing the peculiar order and technique of these events–the curious crowds of spectators, the scholarly exhibit and the model...the systems of classifications...the lectures, the plans and the guide books–in short the entire machinery of what we think of as representation."

"They were taken to the theater, a place where Europeans represented their history to themselves..." – non-Western cultures are represented in the same fashion, as spectacle, as traditions and culture from the West's own history. In unifying their systems of representation the West has relegated the rest of the world, including the Arab world and Islam, to the same status as its own history

Is a society's/culture's own history also a form of subjugated knowledge? i.e., when history is remembered as tragic and painted as a negative, primitive state rather than a series of traditions and stories to be revered, does that indicate the modern knowledge vanquishing/subjugating the past knowledge?

"The Europe in Arabic accounts was a place of spectacle and visual arrangement, of the organization of everything, and everything organized to represent...some larger meaning."

"intizam al-manzar, the organization of the view" – is this...the panopticon? Western visual organization of spaces, spectacles, and symbols to convey their interpretations of non-Western cultures feels very much akin to a disciplinary technique to exercise power subtly over the bodies and <souls> of non-Western individuals/populations.

the spectator role holds no power – the spectator can only witness and be complicit to his own objectification

'objectification' in the sense that the individual becomes a material representation of 'the Orient' or 'the East' and all of his actions, thoughts, speech, mannerisms are subsequently first filtered through the lens of this representation to fit to the Western idea of 'his culture and people' before they are attributed to him, and the resulting communication of his identity and actions is so garbled and perverted that it really only serves to reinforce the West's perception of them.

"First, there was the apparent realism of the representation. The model or display always seemed to stand in perfect correspondence to the external world...Second, the model, however realistic, always remained distinguishable from the reality it claimed to represent...the medieval Egyptian street at the Paris Exhibition remained only a Parisian copy of the Oriental original."

Is this an example of Baudrillard's hyperreality? And if it is, does that mean that, as he states, 'neither the representation nor the real remains, just the hyperreal'?

furthermore, if only the hyperreal remains, what is the hyperreal? we know that the representation is the Parisian perception of the non-Western world, and that the real is the non-Western world itself (but is that world in the past or the present?)

so in this instance I suppose neither of them remain and the strangely perfect-but-not "Parisian copy of the Oriental original" is the only thing present – the "effect called the real world"

"...the world of representation is being admired for its dazzling order, yet the suspicion remains that all this reality is only an effect."

Is the "search for a pictorial certainty of representation" unique to the West?

was the creation of hyperreality uniquely borne of Western society? The argument is that the East is "...a world where, unlike the West, such 'objectivity' was not yet build in"

does Western hyperreality alone fall between Islam and an understanding reached with Western Judeo-Christian societies?

can the obstacle of exhibition/spectacle be overcome? Who needs to make the first step to overcome it, the West or the East? What does this first step look like, and it is actually possible to achieve given the nature of media coverage and social media in the modern era that creates a new hyperreality with regards to our understanding of the outside world?

The only objects and locations of value to Western modernity are those whose "pictorial certainties of representation" can inspire awe, wonder, marvel – or fit in with the overall Western representation of non-Western cultures as an exhibition of interest.

"The ability to see without being seen confirmed one's separation from the world, and constituted, at the same time, a position of power." – the panopticon guard!!

"To establish the objectness of the Orient, as a picture-reality containing no sign of the increasingly pervasive European presence required that the presence itself, ideally, become invisible." – this harkens to covert US support of Middle Eastern regimes that benefitted its own oil interests in the area while at the same time performing espousal of the area's "democratic rule" and "self-governance," "autonomy"

in pursuing an "authentic experience" as an outsider, the European spectator necessarily creates his flawed, hyperrealistic representation of the non-Western individual by appropriating "the dress and [feigning] the religious belief of the local Muslim inhabitants" as his disguise of invisibility and non-perception, despite "...being a person who had no right to intrude among them."

"Unaware that the Orient has not been arranged as an exhibition, the visitor nevertheless attempts to carry out the characteristic cognitive maneuver of the modern subject, separating himself from an object-world and observing it from a position that is invisible and set apart."

Western modernity is the European pursuit and implementation of a hyperreal representation of Islam with the underlying desire to both observe the true nature of the spectacle within and remain unobserved (thus holding onto a position of power)

"This, then, was the contradiction of Orientalism. Europeans brought to the Middle East the cognitive habits of the world-as-exhibition, and tried to grasp the Orient as a picture."

I'm not sure if this is still the prevalent world-view, or if it is one example of the Western tendency to impose its own perspective of the Middle East onto the reality of issues in Arab and non-Western countries

i.e., the viewpoint that democratization is the best and inevitable system of governance and steps away from it are 'regression' towards 'the archaic past'

when the Orient that is not created as an exhibition fails to meet the European spectator's expectations, that reality is 1) dismissed as inferior or 2) painted as corrupted by non-Western modernity, which is always 'straying away from the true form of the Orient,' which can now only be found in European definitions of the non-Western world in the eyes of the European tourist/scholar

very similar to Christian scholars stating that they 'saved Buddhism' by 'rediscovering the pure, original form of the religion' beneath 'idolatry and other corruptions of the core Buddhism'

[chiliconsharls]

I was supposed to post a gifset of my favorite ship of the show for the JATP Week for Day 3 but I realized I've done plenty of gifsets and I haven't done the mandatory ship manifesto so, I guess this is it.

DISCLAIMER: like I did for my AlexReggie post, I'll mention again that this is me discussing why this OT3 can be enjoyed in fandom spaces rather than this is me actively asking JATP writers/producers to make this ship canon. That's not what shipping means to me.

So, let's dive in into the softest, most wholesome OT3 I have ever had the privilege of shipping:

Luke/Alex/Reggie

Ok, so first off, I wanna start by saying that if you think that polyamory inherently means something sexual or dirty then please kindly fuck off this post and my blog altogether. 

The definition of Polyamory on Wiki: (from Greek πολύ poly, "many, several", and Latin amor, "love") is the practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the informed consent of all partners involved. 

It is a way of expericing both romantic and sexual attraction, a way of living. And as so, there’s nothing wrong with teenagers being polyamorous because there’s nothing wrong with loving more than one person at the same time. It doesn’t always have something to do with sexual activities. 

So, circle back to this Power Trio: our main himbo ghosts. 

Luke, Alex and Reggie have a lot of common settings of your basic Power Trios, but to their own degree; the Comic Trio being surely the most fitting for them as they are indeed all himbos in their own right (yes, Alex is SO included even though he’s the one who holds the braincell most of the time). 

However, I maintain that other than the obvious Rock Trio (which I will get on in a beat), the most evident trope for Luke, Alex and Reggie is the Brawn, Brains and Beauty: 

“Brawn — body or the impulsive, pleasure-seeking one [Luke] Brain — mind or the academic, reasonable one [Alex] Beauty — heart or the one who ties them together, as the calming, healing influence [Reggie]” 

Luke and Alex aren’t antagonistic towards each other at all as you would expect from most of these common tropes (especially Freudian Trio; which is also very fitting for them as they all have each contrasting personalities), but Luke and Alex have the type of personalities that would ensue them getting conflictive towards each other. Enter Reggie, who’s a happy bean and hates conflict. 

They’re also obviously a perfectly balanced best friends trio, which is super uncommon. I’ve talked about how Alex and Reggie seem like actual best friends more than they do with Luke on their own but that’s only because Luke suffers from his being the male protagonist so the plot forces him to be on his own (or with Julie) oftentimes and so he leaves Alex and Reggie to develop more their Power Duo friendship on screen. 

But it is no secret that Luke is, to his core, the central and focal point of their bond. He’s the one who, according to the plot, ties them together as he is their Leader character. 

And Luke is a good one at it, too. Even if he’s not as bright or as emotionally sensitive as the other two, Luke fights for what he believes in and what they all want and he protects them. And Alex and Reggie pay back by being the most loyal and caring they can be. So it’s great.

Now, I'll get on the absolute softest side of them as both their canon platonic bond and why I tear up imagining them as something else than that:

The Family of Choice aspect

Luke, Alex and Reggie are together because of their shared interest in music and dream of making a life out of it, sure. But things happened along the way that made them have a deeper bond than that, and it's what forged them, almost by fire, closer together and no, I'm not just talking about the poisoned hotdog that drove them to an early grave at just 17: all three of them have lost their families one way or the other. And in doing so, the three of them found a family in each other. (Which then they end up adding Julie to it and it's an absolute blessing).

Luke ran away from home after a heated fight with his mom, which took an emotional toll on him and we learn that even though they had a difficult relationship, the Pattersons loved their only child enough to still commemorate him on his birthday even 25 years after his passing.

And even if we don't know a lot about them, we know that Reggie's relationship with his parents was also hard on him because they were a "fight away from a divorce", which implies that their arguing escalated to the points that even Luke knew about them.

And then you have Alex, who probably has the hardest backstory with his parents and their stopping "being cool" after he told them he was gay.

So you have three boys who are very inclined to love and appreciating family (Luke writing Unsaid, Emily is an evident example of how much his mom matters to him, Reggie being the first to ask to see his parents after they come back and then Alex voicing his 'I was always trustworthy' and the implication that he trusted his parents enough to tell them about his sexuality) losing that ground and safe place and deciding to build one of their own with each other:

The symbolism of them being a ‘Rock Trio’ - guitar, bass, and drums

As it has been discussed a few times before on this site: Kenny Ortega lives for symbolism and he likes implementing imagery and semiotics into his stuff. So, yeah, I absolutely believe you can look into their instruments as a window to who they are as characters and how they blend together -- like their music does. 

You have Luke in guitars (and vocals, but that’s not key here): Guitar is in charge of harmony. And it being a lead guitar is also very up-in-your-face. The guitar makes its presence known, it is obvious, and usually a central focus--- it’s Luke through and through. 

Then you have Drums: Drums is in charge of rhythm. It provides the ground they all follow, the stability, it is the backbone. It’s loud when it needs to, but it can blend in the back, too. And drums is usually placed behind, laid back -- if that doesn’t say Alex, I don’t know what does.

And there’s the bridge between both: Bass. “It bridges the gap between treble (guitar) and percussion (drums), providing a rhythmic and harmonic function at the same time”. (x) It serves both elements constituting music. Bass is low, quiet, and often underlooked but it is essential in a band. You just can’t be without bass -- Just like Reggie, who’s an odd mix of both Luke and Alex. 

Another set of “Rule of three” that these himbos are is the Hands (Luke), the Head (Alex) and the Heart (Reggie), meaning that Luke is the one who takes actions, Alex is the sensible one and Reggie is the sensitive one. 

All in all, they’re the whole set together. You can’t just have one without the other two, either as friends or siblings tropes-- they’re just that tight.

You just can’t pin-point if either of them love one above the other, it’s all equal. And even if you feel like one is third-wheeling, it’s still alright. You know why? Because third-wheels provide support and comfort. Just like these three do for each other.