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antimonarchy · 4 years ago

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How to Create Image Descriptions

So I’ve been creating image descriptions on tumblr for about a month, and I wanted to share some helpful guides I’ve found on how to create them as well as my own tips that I’ve picked up. Video descriptions and transcripts are also necessary, but since I mostly focus on image descriptions that’s what this guide is about. This might get a bit long, so fair warning.

What are image descriptions?

Image descriptions are a textual depiction of what is going on in an image, as shown with the image below.

[Image ID: A picture of a person with short black hair working on a computer. They are sitting at a wooden table with a large blue pot of pink flowers in front of a grey brick wall. A guitar is propped up against the wall in the background, and there is a string of lights near the ceiling. /.End ID]

Why create image descriptions?

The primary reason for creating image descriptions is to allow people who are blind/have limited vision to experience visual content. Many people who are blind/have low vision use screenreaders, which read text out loud when it is clicked or hovered over with a mouse. A large amount of online content, such as pictures, graphics, or drawings, is visual and so possibly cannot be experienced by someone with vision problems. As a general rule of thumb, anything that can be dragged or dropped most probably requires a description. In addition, if someone has partial vision and attempts to zoom in on an image, sometimes it can become pixelated and impossible to understand.

Some neurodivergent people might need a description to understand the tone of an image, such as the meaning of facial expressions of a person to understand what emotion the artist is trying to depict

Some people might not have high speed internet or have low computer memory, meaning that they turn off images in order to save space. This means that they as well might require descriptions of visual content

Are image descriptions the same as alt text?

no, alt text and image descriptions serve the same purpose, but they are different in how they are presented. Alt text, short for alternative text, is included in the html of an image and can be read by a screen reader. However, there are many reasons why many prefer image descriptions over alt text.

There is a limit of 200 words in alt text on tumblr specifically (and not in other contexts, which makes this information only applicable here), which means that detailed images or graphics are unable to be described fully without possibly cutting out important information.

People who require descriptions, but who do not use a screenreader, must right-click and search through the html of an image in order to find alt text, but with an image description they are saved that work.

Who should create image descriptions?

Everyone who is able to should create image descriptions. A content creator is best able to communicate the message of their work through text, as they are the one who created it and thus understand its message the best. While of course it takes practice when starting out, over time image descriptions become second nature when posting visual content. Always check the notes of a tumblr post for an ID rather than reblogging without one.

What should be included in image descriptions?

There is no simple answer to this question, there are a variety of resources and guides on how to create one, and you should not accept my advice as the ultimate authority, as I am by no means a professional, and only create descriptions in my spare time as part of the effort to make Tumblr more accessible. However, here is my information for those starting out.

First, consider what type of visual content it is. Is it fanart of a tv show, a screenshot of a tweet, or an informational graphic meant to educate people on a particular issue?

Then, consider what information is most important in the image. If the visual content is an image of a famous building, then in writing the description the focus should be on the building, rather than describing for instance the color of the sky, surrounding buildings, or the clothing of the people walking by, as they are not the information that is being presented.

Perkins ELearning has an excellent list of things that should generally be included, which I will include here. In my experience, these are the most important elements to describe

The people and animals in an image

The background or setting of an image

Elements that relate to the context specifically, so if it was an image of a congested highway on a news website, the description would mention the packed cars

The colors of an image (don’t overdo it however, a simple ‘light blue’ will suffice, no need to say something like ‘a color blue that is similar to the color of a robin’s egg’ unless it is crucial to the viewer’s comprehension of an image)

Context for an image. For instance, imagine if someone had drawn a version of the Bernie Sanders ‘I am once again asking’ meme, with Eleanor Shellstrop from the Good Place saying “I am once again asking for there to be a Medium Place.” Rather than provide a description to the example such as: [Image ID: A drawing of Eleanor Shellstrop saying “I am once again asking for there to be a Medium Place.” /.End ID] you would instead say [Image ID: A redraw of the Bernie Sanders ‘I am once again asking’ meme with Eleanor Shellstrop from The Good Place saying “I am once again asking for there to be a Medium Place. /.End ID]

If the image is of a social media post, include the username/handle of the creator as well as the reactions (likes/reblogs) if they are visible in the image, as they may be cut off by the original screenshotter.

If it is a drawing or piece of art, always look for the artist’s signature when writing a description

How do I write an image description?

To start off, here is an example description written for a piece of art I made myself.

[Image ID: A digital drawing of Suki from Avatar: The Last Airbender over a gold background. She is shown from the shoulders up facing the viewer, and has a neutral expression. She is wearing metal armor over a light green tunic, and is wearing her Kyoshi Warriors facepaint and headdress. The artist’s signature ‘Astra’ is written in the lower right of the image. /.End ID]

In this description:

I made clear where the description begins and ends, so that someone with a screenreader is not confused. I usually use brackets ([ ]), write the words ‘Image ID’ (or video/gif/other) and finish with a slash, period, and the words End ID. (/.End ID)

I emphasized the type of image, in this case a digital drawing

I said the character’s name (obviously this may not be known if describing a photo or something you are not familiar with)

I described the background and the character’s clothing

I described her expression

I included the description of my signature.

This is my basic process for writing a description

I first say what the content is, such as a drawing, photo, or screenshot of a tweet.

I then use what is called Object-Action-Context for the most part, which UXDesign has a long article on https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546. For example, [Image ID: A photo of a person standing in a crowd waving to someone out of view in front of a river. /.End ID] While obviously I would usually provide more information than that, Person = object, standing + waving to someone out of view = action, and ‘in a crowd’ = context.

I describe the clothing that might be worn

I talk about the position that people in an image might be in, such as leaning against one another on a couch, or standing with their fingers intertwined

I talk about the expressions on their faces, if shown

I talk about their general appearance (if important to the description) such as hair color/length

As said before, I talk about the context of an image if necessary

If the background is a simple color, I usually include it in the first sentence of the description. However if it is more complicated, such as a river winding through a dense forest, I include that at the end of the description after describing the important elements.

Typically if I am reblogging an image, I do not add on any commentary after creating an image description, as this allows others to reblog my description without my personal reaction. If I want to add on to an image, I usually reblog my description post.

In general, it is best to remain objective when writing a description, meaning not including your opinion of the content. However especially in an informal setting, say for instance you were describing an adorable cow, I would see it as fine to say [Image ID: A small drawing of an adorable cow. /.End ID] because the emphasis is on the appearance. There isn’t a clearcut answer, and it really depends on the context.

What are some tips for writing descriptions/common pitfalls?

If there is an element of an image like a line that represents an emotion, or a sound effect like ‘clang’ if something falls, include that in the description. For instance, [Image ID: ...beside the mug that has fallen on the floor, there are the words ‘sploosh’ indicating the sound of the water that has spilled out. /.End ID]

Put image descriptions first. Don’t hide them under readmores or any other text. If you have something with multiple images and you are the creator, place the description under each image in succession rather than all at the end. Readmores are ableist, as they require someone who has vision problems/one of the conditions described above to do more work to access the message of visual content.

If you are mentioning the skin color and/or race of someone in an image, make sure you describe it for anyone else who might be in an image. Don’t just describe the race of someone who appears to not be white. This doesn’t mean that you have to describe race, such as if the character is one whose race is commonly known, just that if you do, make sure you do it for all characters/people in an image.

In order to write IDs effectively, I’ve found it useful to download a screen reader. I use NVDA, which is entirely free and easy to use and can be downloaded here: https://www.nvaccess.org/download/.

Insert + Q turns it off

While my guide has focused mostly on image descriptions, video descriptions are also necessary. However they are not my area of expertise, and differ slightly, so I would recommend anyone interested in them to check out this website https://www.washington.edu/accessibility/videos/

Transcripts, for those who are d/Deaf/Hard of Hearing, are also necessary for making content accessible, and might be required for content that also has a visual format, such as a Tiktok. I would recommend this website https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/transcripts/ for anyone interested in writing transcripts

What are some more resources I can check out?

Here are a series of websites that I have found while researching how to write descriptions

UX Design - I mentioned UX Design earlier when talking about Object - Action - Context, this article is very useful and examines how to structure a description and provides very useful examples for beginners

Perkins E-Learning - This article is very useful in helping someone what to include in a description, such as clothing or background information, as well as providing some additional information on alt text if you are interested

Meloukhianet - This blog post by s. e. smith goes into detail on the elements of an image to emphasize depending on its context, using the example of a picture of their cat sunning himself.

SOAP - This article by the Stanford Online Accessibility Program (SOAP) provides a large amount of information on the purpose of image descriptions and what content requires them

HubPages - This article by SOTD and Zera discusses the difference between sparse, lush, and overdone descriptions, which is the amount of information included, and if/when each should be used.

I hope you found this information helpful, I encourage everyone to check out these websites, and my inbox is always open for questions!

#has id #please feel free to send me any questions you might have!#while I am not a professional by any definition of the term #accessibility is a large interest of mine and so I am more than happy to help #image descriptions #accessibility

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synonymroll648 · 2 years ago

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Hey this might be kinda weird, but do you have any sokeefitz fic recs?

anon this is so so so far from weird - people have dubbed me the sokeefitz person on tumblr, so you came to the right place!!!

if anyone reads through this list and thinks i missed an excellent sokeefitz fic to recommend, recommend it in a reblog!! for real!! these are just fics that are coming to mind off the top of my head - a starting point, if you will.

No Limits to Love by sweetmothiricannotwrite (@/gay-otlc on here!) is an all time fav of mine. literally one of the best sokeefitz fics ever. definitely go read that one first and foremost. sweetmothiricannotwrite also wrote another amazing sokeefitz fic called Jealousy, so i definitely recommend that one too!!

Drops of Jupiter by theunmappedstar (also @/theunmappedstar on here!) is a collection of queer kotlc oneshots, a few of which are sokeefitz. i'm pretty sure this oneshot collection was actually my introduction to sokeefitz, if i recall correctly. anyway. i'm specifically recommending chapter 4 [it's called party (sokeefitz)]. chapter 5 is good too, but in my opinion, chapter 4 is where it's at. bonus fics they wrote exclusively on tumblr (from what i've seen): sokeefitz day 6: cozy and this untitled catboy au fic that has tucked itself into a warm nook in my heart :)

Only in my darkest moments (can I see the light) by Tobi_Continued (@/xanadaus on here!) also has a very very special place in my heart. i will admit there's probably bias with my love of this one since tobi wrote this fic using one of my posts as inspiration, but. that does not change the fact that i love it.

there's more sokeefitz works in the sokeefitz ao3 tag, so if you wanna find more in case you think there's a really good one i missed, go for it! i personally recommend searching by kudos or bookmarks over the default date updated setting. good luck, though - there's only 36 works in the sokeefitz ao3 tag as of the date i'm posting this (10/2/22). and ofc, searching through the sokeefitz tag here on tumblr (try sorting by top, not recent) is a good way of getting content of various mediums that aren't just fics, such as fanart!

#sokeefitz #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fics #kotlc fic recs #anon ask #ask

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irondad-creator-awards · 4 years ago

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WINNERS LIST - NO ART

As requested by Anon, here’s the full list of winners for ease of reading.

1. THE ONE THAT MADE YOU GASP! — A story which had a plot twist you didn’t see coming. Something that caught you so off guard that you had to stop a minute and take a breath before devouring the rest. What’s the story for you?

Winner — If They Knew All About You by MsHermia — @mshermia

Runner-Up — Identity Theft by KitCat992 — @kitcat992

2. THE MULTI-CHAPTER YOU COULDN’T PUT DOWN — A story which kept you up all night or calling in sick for work so you were free to read. Who’s the culprit?

Winner — A Parent Apparent by happyaspie — @yes-i-am-happyaspie

Runner-Up — Come My Darling, Homeward Bound by Iamirondad — @i-am-irondad

3. THE ONE-SHOT THAT THAT HAD YOU HOOKED — Some writers can cram more greatness into less words than a 100k monster. What’s the one-shot that did it for you?

Winner — 5 Times Peter Sleepwalked And The 1 Time He Pretended He Did by losingmymindtonight — @losingmymindtonight

Runner-Up — Petey And The Hermit by eccentric_artist_221b

4. THE BEST THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES — A drabble can pack in all the goodness that you need in a coffee break read. What’s that story for you?

Winner — S.O.S. (Somehow Obtained Son) by madasthesea — @madasthesea

Runner-Up — F.R.I.D.A.Y, When Did I Get A Son by iwritesometimes

5. THE BIODAD THAT TOUCHED YOUR HEART — Some of the greatest stories flip canon and make Tony Peter’s biological father. Be it baby Peter taking his first steps or Tony dealing with the fact his son is following in his superhero footsteps as Spider-Man, which is the one you loved most of all?

Winner — Happy Hogan Never Forgets A Face by Jen27ny — @jen27ny

Runner-Up — Hardest Lessons (Softest Results) by mainstreamelectricalparade

6. THE ONE WITH THE FIELD TRIP — The field trip trope is one of the most popular in the fandom. What’s the story that you think pulls all the elements together to make it great?

Winner — Peter And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Field Trip by by cazei — @cazei

Runner-Up — Peter-Man - Oh, F*Ck - I Mean Spider-Man by Orphan-Account

7. THE TIME AFTER TIME ONE — There’s some great time travel stories out there, but which is your favorite?

Winner — Whatever It Takes by StarryKnight09 — @starryknight09

Runner-Up — Be Careful What You Wish For, You May Just Get It by Savana_Marlark

8. THE ONE WITH ALL THE OWIES — Another massively popular Irondad trope is hurt/comfort, and there’s some amazing stuff out there. Which is the one that you love most of all?

Winner — A Beautiful Lie by RayRox360 — @a-beautiful-lie-blog

Runner-Up — A Peter Parker Problem by Spagbol99 — @spagbol99

9. THE ONE THAT HURTS SO GOOD — We all like a bit of angst sometimes, so what’s the story that you wanted to hide from but you had to keep reading to get to the happy ending?

Winner — Ain't My Blood; Still My Boys by parkrstark — @parkrstark

Runner Up — The Room Where It Happens by Notapartytrick

10. THE ONE THAT SOOTHES THE PAIN — What’s the story that you go to when you need a pick-me-up after the angst?

Winner — 5 Times Peter Made Tony Laugh Out Loud by grilledcheesing — @upcamethesun

Runner-Up — Instant Kill Mode by Isnt_it_pretty_to_think_so —@isnt-it-pretty-to-think-so-tr

11. THE ONE WITHOUT A HOME TO GO TO — There’s some wonderful homeless Peter stories out there, so which is the one you were blown away by?

Winner — The Third Option by Uncertainty_Principle

Runner-Up — The Lost And Forgotten by Lizcraz

12. THE ONE THAT’S A WHOLE NEW WORLD — There’s lots of imaginative AUs in Irondad fic. Whether it’s Steve and Tony as baseball players or Pepper being Peter’s mom, which one is your number one?

Winner — I Love You More Than Anything Series by iron_spider @iron--spider

We have two runners-up for this award — A Soul's Best Friend by Superherotiger & Why Can’t The Past Just Die? by Enchantingwriting

13. THE TWEAKING THE SETTINGS ONE — There’s things we all wish we could change in canon — *cough* Endgame *cough* — so which canon divergence does it for you?

Winner — Built From Scraps by peterstank — @jamepotters

Runner-Up — When Peter Forgot What Day It Was by goldenambedo

14. THE ONE YOU GO BACK TO AGAIN AND AGAIN — Some fics deserve a re-read or ten. What’s the story you go find yourself going back to?

Winner — 5 Times Peter Fell, And Tony Caught Him. And The 1 Time Tony Didn’t by eva7673

Runner-Up — Child’s Play by spicyjarvis — @spicyjarvis

15. THE SERIES THAT SWEPT YOU AWAY — Some of us love to go on a long ride with a series, so which is the world of multiple stories that you binged or waited anxiously for each update?

Winner — We Forgot Peter by inkinmyheartandonthepage — @inkinmyheartandonthepage

Runner-Up — Hydra’s Not A Home by Tempestaurora — @tempestaurora

16. THE IN-PROGRESS ADVENTURE — What’s the story that has you checking your email each day, hoping for an update?

Winner — If You're Going Through Hell, Keep On Going by baloobird — @baloobird

Runner-Up — Peter's Hitchhiking Guide To The Time Heist by Randomsketchez

17. THE COMPLETE FIC THAT YOU CHERISH — Whether or not you’ve got the patience for an in-progress or not, there’s a wealth of complete stories you can devour at leisure or all in one coffee-fuelled binge. What’s yours?

Winner — The Guardian by Emily_F6

Runner-Up — Good Publicity by Bergen

18. THE ONE THAT GAVE YOU ALL THE LOVE — We all love Irondad, but some stories come with bonus bonds that give us just as much. Do you have a Peter & Bucky, or a Peter & Steve working alongside which delivers all the found family goodness?

Winner — Astronomy In Reverse by Pansley

Runner-Up — 5 Times Happy Hogan Nearly Had A Heart Attack Because Of Peter Parker by TheSpyderAargon

19. THE PROLIFIC WRITER AWARD — Irondad has some amazingly prolific writers. Which are the ones you’ve subscribed to get at that fic-wonder goodness of 10 works or more?

Winner — inkinmyheartsandonthepage — @inkinmyheartandonthepage

Runner-Up — Emily_F6 — @justme--emily

20. THE NEWBIE — New writers are joining the fandom all the time. Who’s the newbie (posting for 12 months or less) that’s delivering the good stuff for you?

Winner — spagbol99 — @spagbol99

Runner-Up — Winterturtle

21. THE OG — Who’s the writer that’s been around for a while (12 months or more) that keeps you captivated?

Winner — iron_spider @iron--spider

Runner-Up — parkrstark — @parkrstark

22. THE WILD CARD STORY — The story that does (or doesn’t) fit into the above categories but you believe deserves the prize. Which one is that for you?

Winner — Wrong Number Kid by Blackshadow030930

Runner-Up — The Case Of The Tyrannical Two by ironfamjam

ART 1 — DIGITAL MEDIA - Who has those PhotoShop skills, who makes the best mood boards? We have some wonderful artists in the Irondad fandom, and we’re here to celebrate them. Who's your favorite artist?

Winner — @spidey-art

Runner-Up —@kitcat992

ART 2 — SKETCHES — Who has the skills with the original medium of art in sketches? Whose pencil can create the characters we love best?

Winner — @broskepol

Runner-Up — @dchanberry

ART 3 — CARTOONS — Chibis, Manga, Anime, who can create the very best?

Winner — @yes-i-am-happyaspie

Runner-Up — @mjscorner

ART 4 — FANVID — Some of the greatest creators are the ones that match the music to the mood, find the perfect scenes to make us laugh and cry. Who does that for you?

Winner — Tony Stark & Peter Parker (Adoption Au) || Home By Andrea D

Runner-Up — All My Life || Tony & Peter (Father/Son Au) By Akapotatogirl

ART 5 — BEST IRON FAMILY FANART — Who can create those feeling of Ironfam with their art? Who captures the characters we love in that iconic family.

Winner — @peterokii

Runner-Up — @moonestaly

ART 6 — MOST HEARTBREAKING FANART — Art can move us to tears. Who captures those moments and brings tears to your eyes?

Winner — @monireh

Runner-Up — @cottoncandyofterror

ART 7 — BEST HURT/COMFORT — Who captures the pain of the moment best for you?

Winner — @tonystarkissist

Runner-Up — Chocolala

ART 8 — THE WILD CARD ART— The art that does (or doesn’t) fit into the above categories but you believe deserves the prize. Which one is that for you?

Winner — @rhymewithrachel

Runner-Up — @Iwritedumbshit

#Irondad Creator Awards #spider son #spider-man #irondad #ironman #irondad and spiderson #fandom awards #writers #writring #art #artists #fanfic #fanart #Marvel

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cutepiku · 4 years ago

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2020 SLAYERS SECRET SANTA INFO AND SIGNUP FORM:

Hello! Please read over the following before signing up. Thank you!

What ‘Secret Santa’ Means: You create a fanwork, and you’ll receive one in return. Everyone who wishes to participate will provide a few prompts that they’d like to see completed, and another participant will be assigned their prompts and will complete one of those prompts (which one is completed is up to the person they’re assigned to). When you submit your prompts, you are welcome (and encouraged) to tell me anything you are uncomfortable with or don’t wish to do (pairings, genre, rating, etc), that way the prompts you’re given are something you’re comfortable writing/drawing.

Rules and Regulations:

1) Watch this tumblr! If you do not have a tumblr yourself, please put it in your bookmarks and remind yourself to check it often.

2) Can I ask for ____? You can ask for whatever you want- rating, genre, etc. However, please keep in mind that if you’re asking for something super unusual, you might want to provide some broader prompts as well.

3) How long do I have to signup? Signups will end on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. That is two and a half weeks to sign up!!

4) When is the deadline? Please have your piece completed and posted by Sunday, January 31, 2021. You can post your gift anytime starting from Friday, December 25, 2020.

5) How do I post it? Post it in your own tumblr and link it to us or tag us so we can reblog it over here. You may link to where your fanwork is posted off tumblr (to livejournal, dreamwidth, ff.net, ao3, deviantart, etc) in your post.

6) How long does fic have to be? At least eight hundred words. It doesn’t need to be super-long of course, but we want everyone to get something that’s more than drabble length.

7) Are there any extra requirements for the art? It can be done in any medium (digital, colored pencil, copic, sketch, etc). Just remember that this is a gift for someone, so make sure it’s a completed piece!

8) Can I do fancomics? Yes. Absolutely.

9) What if I need to drop out? Then I would ask you to please let me know as soon as possible so we can arrange a pitch hitter for you. Failure to notify me will ban you from future events.

10) What is a pitch hitter? If someone has to drop out, I’d still like their giftee to get a gift. A pitch hitter is someone who is willing to do a second fanwork in order to make sure no one goes without a gift.

11) What type of prompts should I give? Prompts can be anything from something vague like “Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis exchange gifts,” “Sylphiel and Martina go to the beach” to something specific like “I’d like to see a fic where Lina and Gourry are pulled into an undersea world. The two end up facing an ancient source of magic, and they must team up with many witch and wizard allies. I’d like if it featured Lina/Gourry and Zelgadis/Amelia, and if possible… some Filia/Valgaav? A happy ending, please!” You must give me three prompts or I cannot fairly give your requests to your Santa.

12) I have another question! Then please ask it via our askbox (anon asks are enabled).

Okay, I’m ready to signup! Great, here’s a sample form.

RECEIVING: Do Not Want (Any characters, pairings, ratings, genres, scenarios, etc you don’t want to receive): Do You Prefer fic, art, or no preference?: Three Prompts: 1) 2) 3)

Can you pitch hit if someone drops out?:

Please SUBMIT your completed form HERE. If you have any further questions, you can direct them to this blog HERE, or to my personal HERE.

#the slayers #slayers #slayerssecretsanta2020

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whenihaveyouromione · 4 years ago

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When I Have You - Chapter 23

Read on Fanfiction.net or ao3 if you’d prefer!

Follow this story’s Instagram account whenihaveyouromione for chapter related fanart, challenges and sneak peeks.

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Chapter 23

How was it, Ron found himself wondering, August? It had been two months since Hermione and Ginny had come back from Hogwarts and a month since he and Hermione had found their flat in Diagon Alley.

And, it had been two months of happiness like no other. Ron liked living with Hermione. In fact, he loved it. This had been the longest period of time they had spent together since actually getting together, and it was going extremely well.

Weirdly, he found they argued less than they used to these days, despite being in closer proximity to one another all the time. Sure, small arguments followed them — things like who was going to cook that night, or how Hermione thought the picture frame she’d bought looked better on one side of the wall, whereas Ron would have preferred it to not be hanging up at all. But beyond that, they found themselves getting along very well, which pleased Ron.

He liked making her happy, and he liked being the reason she smiled or why she spent the day in a good mood, all because he’d kissed her good morning or told her he loved her. For some reason, he always seemed to find a way to make her laugh, even when she was worrying about what the future held for her.

Which had been the case ever since her NEWT results had arrived. She had pondered, stressed, and gone over each job offer over and over, writing a list of pros and cons for each, throwing the lists away, and then rewriting them until she had twelve inches of parchment on each one. She’d asked Ron for his opinion numerous times, where he’d simply told her she’d be amazing in whatever she chose (which was true, because it was Hermione, and she excelled at anything she did). His lack of decision making on her behalf had stressed her out even more, until he’d caved.

“Alright, well, it’d be cool if you accepted the Magical Law offer, because then we could work together.”

“But… I’m just not sure I want to do that,” Hermione replied, which had been her response to every job.

“Well, I’m sure if you asked any department in the Ministry, or went to McGonagall and asked for a job, they’d offer you something,” Ron said, stifling a yawn on the second week of discussing her future career every night.

“But you’d hate me going to Hogwarts again,” Hermione said, though Ron saw in her eyes she was contemplating the idea of teaching.

Ron shrugged. “We’d work it out. Besides, who am I to stop you from doing what you want?” He said the words because it was the right thing to say, but really, he knew she was right. He would hate it.

Hermione bit her lip, once again looking over the offers. Then, something changed in her expression. She set two of the offers aside and set the other one in front of her.

“That was a quick decision after two weeks of going backwards and forwards,” Ron said. He peered over at what she had chosen. “Magical Creatures?”

Hermione gave what seemed to be an attempt at a definite nod, but Ron noticed some uncertainty still. “I… I think this is the right place for me. I mean, I do feel very strongly about magical creatures, and… and maybe I can make a difference or something…” She scanned the letter and nodded again. “Yes, this is where I think I need to go.”

“Alright,” Ron said, grinning. “You’ll be great, whatever you do in there.” He also read the letter. “It doesn’t really specify what you’ll be doing, though, does it?”

“No… but I suppose I have to start somewhere down the bottom? I’ll be learning.”

“Well, you may as well write now and let them know. I bet they’ll be thrilled to have you. I know the Magical Law department will be disappointed, and no doubt Percy will be confused as to why you’d reject his offer, but… that’s a good decision.”

Hermione nodded, immediately jumping up to find a quill and some parchment. After she’d written her response to accepting the offer in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she scribbled down rejection letters for the other two.

“I’ll just… go and post these now,” she said after she’d sealed them. “Honestly, I’m so glad we live right near the post office — it’s so convenient.”

“Would be even more convenient if we had our own owl,” Ron said.

“Maybe,” Hermione said dismissively. “I’ll be back soon,” and she was gone, hurrying through the door and down onto the street.

Ron shook his head. He’d brought the idea of an owl up a few times, though Hermione had not seemed too keen on it. Apparently having Crookshanks — who was far from impressed about the small space he suddenly found himself confined to — was more than enough for the time being.

Every time he mentioned it, he found himself longing for his owl, Pigwidgeon, who’d gone missing at some point during the war, most likely killed on a flight to deliver a letter. Ron had never been overly fond of the owl, but he — well, he had been fond of Pig if he was being honest — and he wished they could get another one.

Hermione returned from the post office half an hour later, declaring that she’d sent off her acceptance for the Magical Creatures job, and — to Ron’s surprise — carrying a cage with a small, brown owl.

“Hermione, what is —”

“You said you wanted an owl,” Hermione said, smiling. “Have you ever noticed the post office sells some of its unwanted owls?”

“Yeah, because they’re useless at delivering mail,” Ron said, his moment of elation deflating very quickly. Of course Hermione would choose an owl that she considered in dire need of help, rather than one that would do the job it was supposed to do. He eyed the owl with disappointment.

“Oh, Ron,” Hermione said, setting the cage down in the corner by the window that overlooked Diagon Alley. She took out her wand and Transfigured the cage into a perch. “I know they do that sometimes, but apparently it’s not the case this time.”

“What’s wrong with it, then?” Ron asked, now watching as the owl flapped its wings excitedly, taking in its new home.

“Nothing,” Hermione said. “Nothing at all. They just said they had far too many medium-distance owls. People are using the Floo Network and Portkeys and Apparition more freely these days and prefer to deliver their messages in person.”

“Oh, right,” Ron said, not completely convinced. “So, this one’s alright then?”

“As far as I know,” Hermione said, nodding. “They said her name was Arwen. I thought that was a nice name.”

“Well, as long as she does what she’s meant to, then I suppose she’ll do,” Ron said, offering a finger to the owl, who nipped it affectionately.

“It will be easier to have one here,” Hermione confessed. “I just… hope Crookshanks tolerates her.” She eyed the cat warily. Crookshanks had just slinked out from the bedroom — his favourite sleeping place — and was now watching Arwen with a hungry expression.

“We’ll leave the window open,” Ron said. “For a quick escape.”

Hermione didn’t seem to appreciate the joke.

But she had been right about it being easier having their own owl, and over the next two weeks, Crookshanks and Arwen learnt to appreciate each other in the house; though at times, Ron caught Crookshanks eyeing the owl off as if hoping to have a second dinner.

The first Monday of August came two weeks after that, and Ron once again found Hermione waking up before him. Wandering into the kitchen, she was already dressed in the Ministry robes she’d been sent. She sat at the table, a piece of toast in front of her with only one small bite taken from it.

“Excited for today?” he asked, coming over to kiss her. “You’ll do great.”

“I don’t think I know anything about magical creatures,” Hermione said by way of greeting. “I know nothing, in fact. I don’t know —”

“You know more than I do,” Ron said.

Hermione glanced up, her eyes narrowing as she looked over his bedraggled appearance. “Aren’t you dressed yet?”

“Um, no?” Ron said. “I don’t start for another ninety minutes. And —” he nodded at her, “— neither do you, for that matter.”

“Yes, but didn’t I ask you to come with me early?” Hermione said, her voice higher than usual.

“Yeah, and didn’t I say that was unnecessary?” Ron retorted. “You only need to get there fifteen minutes or so before nine. It’ll be fine. You’ll do great.”

But, it seemed that Hermione was in no mood for Ron’s casual approach towards her first day. “Please, Ron. I want to get there at least half an hour early. Maybe even longer… please.”

“Hermione, you really don’t need to —” But upon seeing her expression and how terrified she looked, he stopped what he was going to say and nodded. “Alright, I’ll go with you early. Just let me shower and eat something first.”

Hermione returned his nod and reached out a hand across the table to take his. She squeezed it. “Thank you, Ron.”

“No problem,” Ron said, smiling. “Anyway, it may give me some time to catch up on paperwork. Do you know they even give trainees paperwork?”

“Yes,” Hermione said, “because you’ve only been complaining about it for the last month.”

“Well, it’s lousy. I mean, we should be learning the practical things, you know? Paperwork can be for later.” He stood up and shuffled towards the bathroom. He was going to look a right fool arriving so early at the Ministry.

…

To his surprise, however, Harry had beaten him. Ron had arrived with Hermione in the atrium a little after eight. It wasn’t as busy as he was used to, but it was still bustling with workers, all eagerly heading towards their respective departments and offices. Unsurprisingly, Ron spotted Percy hurrying along. His brother may have changed in attitude since the war, but his obsessiveness over work had not changed one bit.

“What are you doing here?” Ron asked Harry when he stepped into the Auror Office. Hermione trailed nervously behind him, suddenly terrified at being in a place she had spent a lot of her free time visiting Ron.

“Preparing,” Harry muttered, and Ron noticed he was shuffling some papers in front of him.

“What for?” Ron questioned, coming to peer over Harry’s shoulder. Spread out before him, Harry had essays written on none other than Draco Malfoy and his parents. “Oh, of course. I completely forgot about that!”

“Yeah, well, lucky you,” Harry said, and he looked nervous.

The Malfoys had spent the last year and a bit kept under twenty-four-seven house arrest. They were unable to leave their house for any reason at all. The only thing currently keeping them out of Azkaban was that the Ministry was waiting for more qualified people to deal with their case. Like the last time Voldemort had been defeated, the Malfoys immediately claimed their lack of involvement in the war, trying to save their own necks and not caring about who they brought down with them.

In the countless interviews that had followed the war, Lucius Malfoy had apparently named and shamed every single Death Eater who had gone into hiding, giving himself temporary immunity for his information, and probably making some very unpleasant friends who were now locked up in Azkaban.

But, it was finally time for the Malfoys to be trialled, and as Harry had had some dealings with them towards the end of the war, he had been instructed to testify about their involvement in it.

Ron had laughed when he’d found out, sure that Harry would send all three of them to the cold, dark cells of Azkaban (where, in Ron’s opinion, they all belonged), but then Harry had explained that he didn’t intend to do that at all.

“As much as I dislike him, Draco was a product of manipulation. And, if it weren’t for Narcissa, I wouldn’t be here.” However, Harry had nothing pleasant to say about Lucius and intended to ensure he spent the rest of his life in prison.

“They’ll listen to you, won’t they?” Ron said. “I mean, they’ll do what you want? Draco and his mother out, his father inside. I still reckon you’re making a mistake. They’d throw you under the Knight Bus the moment your back was turned.”

“I’m not so sure,” Harry said. “After all, Draco didn’t give us away at Malfoy Manor…”

“And that went well, didn’t it?” Ron glanced sideways at Hermione, who had instinctively grabbed at her arm where her Mudblood scar was still very visible underneath her robes.

Harry said nothing, but examined his notes once again. He then looked up, his eyes flashing to Hermione. “Oh, it’s your first day, isn’t it?”

Hermione nodded silently.

“She’s a little nervous,” Ron said wryly. “You know what she’s like, overthinking everything…”

“You’ll be great, Hermione,” Harry said encouragingly. “They’ll love you there.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Hermione said quietly. She looked to Ron. “Maybe we should go…”

“I’ll be back in a moment,” Ron said to Harry. “Merlin, I wish I could be in those courtrooms with you today.”

“I’d much rather be in training,” Harry said. He got to his feet. “Mind if I join you for a walk? I need to clear my head.”

Ron and Hermione nodded, and the three of them left the Auror Office and headed toward the lift to make their way to the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

They’d almost reached the lift when all three of them stopped in their tracks. Ron had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly, then glanced sideways to Hermione and then Harry to make sure he wasn’t imagining it.

Before them, looking more haggard than Ron had ever seen them, were the Malfoys. All three were being escorted to the very lift Ron, Harry and Hermione had just been reaching, by silent Aurors.

Once proud of their blood status, of their family name, people who had always held their heads high, they looked utterly defeated. They were the bottom of the food chain now, kept locked inside for over a year and it showed. Their skin was paler and more gaunty than ever before. Lucius Malfoy’s hair was thinning in places, leaving bald patches where thick hair had once grown. He didn’t smile, but when he spotted Harry, something resembling anger flashed across his face.

Draco and his mother barely noticed them, Draco only looking up when they stopped for the lift. Unlike his father, the youngest Malfoy appeared fearful at seeing them. It was their first encounter since the fight at Hogwarts, and by the looks of things, Ron, Harry and Hermione had fared much better than he had.

Ron felt a sense of smugness that he didn’t at all try to hide. There was Malfoy, who had spent his whole schooling life tormenting Ron, reminding him of the Weasley family’s lack of wealth and promoting his own, calling Ron so many names that Ron couldn’t remember them all, looking very much the worse for wear. And opposite him was Ron, the so-called ‘blood traitor,’ considered a hero of the war.

The lift doors opening and the Aurors forcing the Malfoys into it was the only thing that prevented Ron from pointing that out. Though, he couldn’t help himself entirely.

“I suppose Harry’ll be seeing you in the courtrooms. You may regret all those jibes at him over the years, considering he has your fates in his hands.”

Fear graced all three of the Malfoys’ expressions now, and Ron smirked, despite himself. The Malfoys hadn’t been told Harry would be at his trial.

Ron glanced sideways at Hermione, as he’d expected her to reproach him for his comments, but she appeared not to have heard him at all. Her eyes followed the descending lift, a look of pity in her expression.

“God, they look terrible,” she said.

“You’re not feeling sorry for them, are you?” Ron asked, incredulous. “After all Malfoy did to you over the years? After all the times he called you a —”

“I just said they look terrible,” Hermione interrupted, a little stiffly. “Besides, we know Harry is going to testify in favour of Malfoy and his mother, so we’ll have to deal with them in society if the Wizengamot agrees with Harry, which they’d be stupid not to.”

“Doesn’t mean seeing them in society is something I’m going to enjoy,” Ron muttered as another lift arrived and the three of them scrambled in. “Harry’s too nice, if you ask me. I’ll never forgive Malfoy for what he did. For all they’ve all done over the years. You wouldn’t understand — you didn’t grow up knowing all about the horrible things the Malfoys were known for.”

The topic of the Malfoys died as the lift reached level four — the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Already, there were plenty of people roaming this level, which gave Hermione a very green complexion.

“Oh, stop your panicking, would you?” Ron said, stifling a laugh. He placed an arm around her waist, guiding her forward. “Where was it you have to go again?”

“The… the Being Division,” Hermione said nervously. As she spoke, they reached a sign with arrows pointing in all sorts of directions. “Left,” she said after a moment.

The three of them headed down a corridor, very quickly reaching large double doors with the signage of Being Division embossed above it.

“You’ll be fine, Hermione,” Harry said encouragingly, and he patted her on the arm. “Good luck. Let me know how you go. Actually, why don’t you guys come over for dinner tonight?”

“Er, sure,” Ron said, surprised by the sudden invitation. “Let me know how the trial goes, won’t you?”

Harry nodded and practically jogged back down the corridor.

Ron kept his arm around Hermione, giving her a squeeze. “You really will be great,” he said. “You’ll be so great they’ll be wanting to make you head of the department within a month.”

“Oh, don’t say that!” Hermione whispered.

“It’s only the truth,” Ron said, shrugging. “Do you need me to go in with you, or will you be alright?”

Hermione opened her mouth, and Ron suspected she wanted to ask him to go in with her, but she closed it before speaking and shook her head. “I’ll be okay, I think. Thank you for coming early…”

“Not a problem,” Ron said. “And, try and meet up with me for lunch, yeah?”

Hermione nodded, turning to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. He kissed her.

“You really will be great,” he assured her. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, Ron,” Hermione said, and steeling herself, she pushed open the doors to the division and vanished from sight.

Ron beamed, making his way back to the lift. He had meant what he said. She really would be great. Hermione was great at everything she did. He had no doubt that one day she really would be head of the department if she chose to stay there.

…

Ron slumped from the training room at lunch time, feeling exhausted. They’d just spent the morning Apparating to multiple places around London, following planted leads as part of the day’s training. It had been fun, but tiring, having to move so abruptly over and over again.

However, as the trainers pointed out at everything they did — these were all real life situations they were being put in. Occasionally, once they finished training, they would be chasing Dark wizards around the country, and most likely further than London.

Dragging his tired feet to the tea room, Neville beside him, they collapsed into two chairs, not even bothering to look at what food was on offer.

“I wonder how Harry’s doing down in the courtrooms,” Neville said after a moment. “I wonder if the Malfoys…”

Ron glanced at Neville, feeling a moment of pity for him. Malfoy had made Neville’s life hell, too, and because of that Ron had not bothered to tell him that Harry planned on letting Draco off the hook. Instead, he shrugged, “We’ll find out soon, I suppose.”

A moment later, Hermione hurried into the room as well, looking frantic as she drew up a seat with them.

“Looks like you had just as fun a morning,” Ron said. “You alright?”

“Yes!” Hermione breathed. “I just… got lost on my way here…” She waved a hand around the room. “The Ministry is so much bigger than I thought…”

“You get used to it,” Ron assured her. “How’d it go?”

Hermione nodded, regaining her breath. “Oh, it was great! Do you know why they offered me this job to begin with?”

“Because you’re amazing?” Ron guessed.

“No, because they heard… they found out about SPEW! They want me…” She was so excited she could barely finish her sentence.

“Go on,” Ron said, smiling.

“Well, they want me to start rewriting laws for the rights of all intelligent magical beings.”

“What?” Ron asked, taken aback by this revelation. Not because he didn’t think it was a good idea — he had learnt a lot over the last few years — but because rewriting laws was not something they usually asked new employees to do.

Hermione nodded, beaming. “They said they were glad that I accepted them, because they thought I had a really good understanding, and Kingsley, apparently, has asked every department to start thinking about ways to change the Ministry. And after I knocked back the Auror offer, he thought it would be a good idea to have me there instead. Even if I’d accepted the Magical Law offer, I probably would have been doing something similar anyway.”

“Wait,” Ron said, “to change the Ministry?”

Hermione nodded again. “Yes, apparently he doesn’t want it to be as it has been in the past. He wants things done a better way, differently. He wants more Muggleborns in positions of power, he wants to encourage better relations with Muggles in general, so maybe one day, the Statute of Secrecy can be changed — though that’s a long way off, I think — and he just doesn’t want things to be as they once were. He envisions a totally different Ministry, and he wants us — me — to help with that!”

“Well… that’s great!” Ron said, reaching across the table to rub her arm encouragingly. “I told you you’d do a great job. And look, they’re already asking you to do something more advanced than most would. So, you’re rewriting laws?”

“Well, obviously not immediately,” Hermione told him. “It will probably take years to get such laws through and passed and then put into place. But they want me to focus on house-elves, goblins and centaurs first. I’ll probably start with house-elves, truthfully. I’ve done the most research into that.”

“Great!” Ron said again, though this time, he couldn’t help but wonder why Hermione had found all of this out on her first day, where he, Harry and Neville had been working there for over a year now and Kingsley had said nothing to them.

But there was no more time for conversation, for in that moment, Harry entered the lunch room. His eyes scanned it, and spotted Ron, Neville and Hermione. He made his way to them, grim-faced.

“How was it?” Ron asked as he pulled up yet another chair and sat down.

“Really bad,” Harry said. “Lucius… he’s a piece of work… even in chains. But Draco and Narcissa are free to live their normal lives.”

“What?”

All eyes flickered to Neville, who was staring at Harry with his mouth open.

“You mean Malfoy didn’t go to Azkaban?”

“... no,” Harry said, looking a little embarrassed. “They got off their charges. The Wizengamot deemed over a year under house arrest enough of a punishment for them. Lucius Malfoy has been sentenced to life in Azkaban, though.”

Ron noted that Harry didn’t explain to Neville that it was Harry who had testified against Draco and Narcissa. It would be in the Prophet tomorrow, anyway.

“Well, that’s good, at least,” Neville muttered, though he looked rather put out by this unexpected news.

Ron looked at Harry and Hermione, who looked just as uncomfortable as he felt.

“How’s your first day going, Hermione?” Harry asked.

“Great!” Hermione said, and she relayed what she had just told Ron and Neville moments earlier.

“Told you, you’d be great,” Harry said. “Also, Ron, Neville, I ran into Kingsley on my way up here. He says he wants to see us in his office after training today.”

“Uh, probably because we may have Apparated a little clear of the checkpoint today,” Ron groaned, looking at Neville. “Entirely my fault, but I swear some Muggles spotted us.”

“Why’d he want me there, though?” Harry asked.

Ron shrugged. “Anyway, anyone want anything to eat? I’m starving!”

…

However, Kingsley didn’t want to speak to them for matters regarding that day’s training. He wanted to speak to them about something resembling what Hermione had said earlier — about changing the way the Ministry of Magic functioned.

There they all sat, in the Minister for Magic’s office, not unlike the time where he’d offered them all Auror positions. But this time he was asking them for their ideas, not their service.

“But Kingsley,” Harry said, looking hesitant, “we’re just trainees. Surely you should be asking the more accomplished Aurors their ideas.”

“Everyone will be getting their chance to have their say,” Kingsley conceded, “However, none of them have had such involvement in a war, or contributed in the downfall of Lord Voldemort, such as yourselves — yes, you too, Neville.”

Neville flushed, closing his mouth.

Kingsley smiled at him. “You defeated a Horcrux, the final one, might I add, eventuating in the downfall of the darkest wizard of all time.”

Ron heard Neville mutter something about not knowing it was a Horcrux and clapped him on the back. “And you pulled the sword from the Hat. Can’t say I’ve done that, myself.”

Neville went even redder.

“So, start thinking,” Kingsley said. “I am pleased to have Hermione starting work around our relationship with other magical beings, and the three of you sharing your ideas would be completely beneficial.”

“But… why?” Ron asked, still coming to terms with the idea that his opinion in such an important setting was valued.

“Well,” Kingsley said, “as I mentioned previously, all of you contributed to —”

“No, I mean, why do you want to change things? The Ministry has run this way for centuries.”

“And, in your opinion, Ron, are you happy with how it’s been run in your lifetime?” Kingsley asked.

Ron thought about it for a moment. He supposed he wasn’t at all happy with the way things were run, though he’d never really considered the possibility of an alternative. Was that even possible? How could the Ministry change?

“There are still people who work within these walls that share values of old,” Kingsley continued when Ron didn’t respond. “And, while good workers, I envision a Ministry that is inclusive and accepting of all, regardless of their history or blood status. There is living proof in Hermione that just because she is of Muggle parents, it has not inhibited her ability to perform magic at all. She’s —”

“The best,” Ron interjected.

Kingsley nodded.

“But, Kingsley,” Harry began, “won’t there always be people who believe in things like blood status? We can’t entirely eradicate such old fashioned views.”

“No,” Kingsley said, “but we can work together by changing their attitudes. The Ministry has earned a poor reputation over the last few years, and rightfully so, but I seek to change many things within it, starting now. The three of you have proven yourselves as exceptional Aurors in the making, and your history shows your quick decision making is superb. I’m not asking for answers now, but I’m asking you to think about it. How can we make it a better place for everyone? How can we change things so we can ensure what happened to the last few Ministers, doesn’t happen again?” He gave a wry smile as he added, “Call me arrogant, but I wish to remain in this position for some time yet. I’m rather enjoying myself.”

There was silence again.

“I’m, of course, not expecting a change overnight,” Kingsley continued. “It will be years, I know, to get the big things happening. But I want you to be aware of it — to think about it. If you will?”

Ron looked between Harry, Neville and Kingsley, and saw that his friends looked just as perplexed as Ron felt. It felt weird that someone of Kingsley’s experience envisioned them as the future — young, barely out of school wizards who’d foolishly gone on a hunt for Dark artefacts that attempted to destroy them.

Personally, Ron thought Kingsley might have been banking a little too much on the luck they’d had along the way and less on their actual ability. Well, in Ron’s case, at least.

But he didn’t say anything as they left the office, all deep in thought. He’d still do as Kingsley asked — or at least try — and think of ways to improve the Ministry. One thing he did know that needed to change was the requirements it took to enter the Auror program. As was proven by the people who walked beside him, you didn’t need an Outstanding in your Hogwarts results to prove yourself to be good at the prestigious job. One’s experience, dedication and natural ability was much more important.

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untamedunrestrained · 5 years ago

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The Untamed and Mo Dao Zu Shi

These past eight days have been surreal.

I have drowned so fully in this story that it feels like I am just surfacing.

On Valentine’s Day, fandom on tumblr reblogged this fanart of WangXian by qulfeeh and I was intrigued. The reblog was tagged with two important key words ‘Wangxian’ and ‘The Untamed’. In the brush of a few keystrokes I came across the Wikipedia page for a show known as the Untamed that was available on Netflix. The thing that stood out was that it was based on a BL novel and that both the very male protagonists were described as each other’s soulmates and somehow that was enough. So, I opened Netflix and after like a second of hesitation I started watching the show and I didn’t stop. I started at eight in the evening and I watched nine episodes in a row which basically meant I was up till five in the morning. What followed seems like a record for me. I finished all fifty episodes of the Untamed in under seventy-two hours.

I put hardly five minutes of thought into my decision to watch this story and ended up dedicating the past eight days straight. The first three days to the live action drama and the past five to reading the novel.

If it isn’t obvious this story is that good.

The Untamed

The Untamed is a first for me on so many levels. I have never watched a Chinese show before ever and that seemed extremely significant to me because China is actually a neighbouring country yet as far as my mind is concerned it might as well be on another planet. Which seems particularly odd considering shows from English speaking countries like the UK and the US are a staple for me which makes these countries feel so much closer though they are geographically on the other side of the planet. Of course, a major factor is the language barrier but another is the political scenario between our two countries and amazingly this show made me realise how much of an impact perceiving different cultures can have on your perception of their people. It has literally opened up a whole new world for me that I have just realised I have never taken the moment to discover. Well, considering this is me we are talking about, how appropriate, that it would be a drama based on a BL novel that unlocked this whole new world for me.

I have tried reading a Danmei novel before which was awful and it completely turned me off the genre but it did have a side effect of educating we about elements of a wuxia novel which made this xianxia world seem a little familiar but even if it hadn’t, I would have still been hooked.

It didn’t take long for The Untamed to find a new fan and I have been obsessing over it ever since.

The Untamed is an amazing drama which revolves around the love Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian have for each other and the plot is so intriguing that you wouldn’t be able to stop even if you tried (I didn’t because that thought didn’t even manage to enter my mind).

It’s a love story and that is undisputable for me, they don’t say it, it isn’t mentioned but there is this palpable force influencing events and you know they love each other. I have somehow really disregarded how much a show can show you stuff without ever explicitly stating it but The Untamed set me straight in that regard. I doubt anyone who watches the show would mistake it for anything but the love story it is.

Wei WuXian was an instant hit for me. He is a lovable, gregarious character always up to mischief but is someone who always wants to be on the side of justice and I have a weak spot for characters with a hard on for justice. He is just such a lively character who keeps smiling all the time that it’s just hard not to fall for him in minutes. His antics and his demeanour are so charming that you’re hooked. He would have easily been my most favourite character in any other drama that doesn’t have a Lan WangJi.

Lan WangJi is an amazing character. In a world, which has become increasing about everyone voicing their opinions (like I’m doing at present) it is hard to believe that people like Lan WangJi exist. People who are quiet, who don’t speak unless absolutely necessary. He is literally the embodiment of tranquillity and more important he is Wei WuXian’s hero. Like literally he protects him like he’s protecting his life which on second thought he definitely is.

I literally had second-hand embarrassment from how obviously romantic these two are.

Hands down the best thing I have watched in 2020 by far! The characters are amazing, the plot is intricate and it is so, so interesting. I watched almost fourty hours of this series non-stop and I don’t remember a single point where I felt like the story became boring for a second which now that I think about it is, is… astonishing. How can such a large drama be so engrossing? This isn’t binge-worthy there is literally no other way to watch the show!!!

Mo Dao Zu Shi

But after coming down from the high of the first seventy-two hours of being submerged in this world, I was reluctant to leave this world so much so that I didn’t even contemplate it. I had a wide variety of media to choose from. The story is based on a web series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu that was made into a manhua, followed by an donghua, followed by an audio drama followed by The Untamed. It must speak to the universality of the story that the people are willing to read the same story in so many different formats, I know I’m not done.

But, high up on my list was the source material, one of the articles described the show as being extremely faithful to the novel, which made me want to jump on that wagon posthaste, and I agree whole-heartedly. I read the translation by Exiled Rebels Scanlations and what struck me was how the show and the novel were tonally the same. I had switched mediums but it didn’t feel like a different story or like I was reading different characters which is shocking because that’s literally how good the show was at translating words into video.

Differences

One of the startling things about the book is that it really ties up the plot neatly. There are tons of plot points that aren’t as completely resolved on the show as they are on the novel which I only ever realised after reading the novel. A lot of this had to do with how certain details of the plot are different. A classic example that the reason behind the scars on Lan Zhan’s back is different in the two. In the novel, LWJ whisks WWX away from the Nightless City after he massacres and pretty much beats-to-a-pulp the entire alliance of sects. LWJ then has to tend to WWX so they remain in hiding for three days. When cultivators from the GusuLan Sect finally discover the two, LWJ has to defeat all of them to keep WWX safe and that’s why he is given one whipping for every cultivator he defeated. Of course, since WWX dies on the battlefield in the show this couldn’t be the reason behind the scars so they have LWJ defend Burial Mounds which wasn’t all that fruitful considereing the LanlingJin Clan does end up with a lot of WWX’s artifacts, there was no point in defending Burial Mounds as he couldn’t have kept it up in the long run but him going to Burial Mounds after the massacre at Nightless City is important to ensure they story can credibly reveal Lan ShiZui to be A-Yuan. So, yeah differences, the show focuses on the Wen Clan and the Yin Iron while the novel doesn’t have the Yin Iron at all and focuses on Jin GuangYao. But, despite the differences the story still feels coherent between the two mediums mainly because the relationship between LWJ and WWX that is at the core of both remains central to the plot at all times.

The plot of the novel though is extremely intricate and the author does an amazing job of deconstructing it which makes it easier to understand what’s happening while the show in hindsight does get away with sweeping up certain loose ends.

Of course, the kisses and the sex are gone but I will gladly take that cliff scene in exchange. I was actually shocked that the novel actually doesn’t dwell on WWX’s first death at all. Like, we don’t even know how exactly he died in the novel and this was hsocking given how pivotal that cliff scene is in the show.

Characters

Surprisingly though a lot of the roles of side characters were expanded for the show, the novel seems to have delivered a better understanding of these characters. The biggest example for me being Jiang Yanli.

She has an elaborately expanded role in the show which does highlight how deep her bind with her brothers particularly WWX is but somehow she seems like a timid character among a bunch of very strong characters. What the novel does is that it gives you a very realistic picture of her, she might not seem like a significant influence on the story but her impact is far-reaching. The novel doesn’t showcase much of her character but the scenes that feature her in the book are some of the most poignant ones and incidentally those are the same ones that stand out in the show. I feel like novel did a better job of showing off her strength. While, in the show I couldn’t look beneath her timid demeanour the novel manages to showcase the strength of her love. She cares deeply and loves deeply and the novel manages to show you the courage it takes to love someone so deeply. I definitely admire her character more and in fact I’m kind of in awe that someone who appears so traditional was so awesome. It felt easy to dismiss her character but reading the author’s words made me realise that I would be very, very wrong in doing so.

Wei WuXian might be the luckiest guy in the world to have a shijie like her followed by a husband like LWJ who both seem very determined to spoil the hell out of him. I might be experiencing some jealousy right now.

The author somehow manages to imbue her characters with qualities that makes them real and unique. Like WWX forgetting everybody’s face which is a real world problem that I have never seen anybody suffer from in a novel but just the fact that WWX doesn’t immediately bring his old hang-ups in his subsequent meetings with side characters didn’t only have hilarious consequences but made everything that much more intriguing and credible.

This author also does an amazing job of flipping characters. There are very few villains who are black and white in this story. WWX himself is a character caught in the gray of it all, universally reviled for standing up for the right reasons. This is a theme throughout the show and the novel where bad characters might be good and good might be bad but the author endeavours to show us all sides to a character. While this most definitely applies to Jin GuangYao, I’m surprised with how it resonates with Xue Yang who’s relationship with Xiao Xinchen can only be characterized with the words “It’s Complicated”. I don’t actually know what to think of these two Xiao Xingchen was definitely betrayed but can we ignore the fact that he found himself a companion in Xue Yang his sworn enemy and Xue Yang’s feelings for Xiao Xingchen are enough to drive me crazy. This guy has no idea how frustrating he is, that piece of candy clenched in his fist will drive me crazy for the rest of my life. The entire Yi City Arc is a big mess of grey there are no whites and blacks and the show underscores that with this quote –

Once upon a time, there was a little child who liked sweets very much. But because he had no parents nor money, he could never have such things. So he’d been dreaming if only someone could give him a candy every day.

Don’t even get me started on the music that plays in the background when this quote is being narrated.

There are just so many amazing things about the show and the novel. I mean the show might have actually worked harder to make things more romantic and one scene that I’m surprised isn’t from the book is the lantern scene with both of them making pledges like that particular scene neatly underlined who WWX is and would become. The hand-fastening scene is also not from the book but then there are other scenes and other delights to be found in the novels.

This story is definitely worth reading and watching for years to come. If anyone has any apprehensions about the novel I will be glad to clarify but the everything about “The Untamed” and “Mo Dao Zu Shi” stand in the same breath.

#wangxian #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #the grandmaster of demonic cultivation #lan wangji #wei wuxian #jiang yanli #xue yang #xiao xingchen #posts #myposts #mo xiang tong xiu #the show which reminded me what it was like to be obsessed #once more

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orchidbreezefc · 4 years ago

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went to the denver art museum to see the frida kahlo, diego rivera, and mexican modernism exhibit! it was great and full of super inspiring and beautiful pieces! too bad this post will have almost no content from that because its just art museum shitposting

let's kick things off with this extremely good rendition of 'master page, anne page, and slender' by john downman that my dear friend @wwaywward-vvagabond did the world the service of memeifying:

(more nonsense under the cut)

this one i did not catch a plaque for and cannot fucking find it on the website so maybe theyre ashamed of it and hell, maybe they should be: chair tiddies, so you can tell which chair is the girl chair

(not pictured from the best angle to show it but i can assure you one of those chairs has female presenting nipples and the other does not)

here's cevita castellana by edward lear, which is some pretty sick botw fanart for being from 1844; i know the game was in development for a long time, but this is ridiculous!

me seeing this next one: lmfao homestuck

me, reading the plaque and realizing theres a fucking i in there that i didnt notice and it actually spells 'vanitas': oh god the homestuck is me im the only homestuck here

(vanitas by annette messager; i got perhaps disproportionately angry about the medium being listed as 'wood, fabric, and rope' like oh yeah so i suppose the letters were stuffed with rope too then??? fucking disgraceful, any dipshit off the street could tell you those clearly include fiber fill or cotton. let me talk to the fucking curator this is unacceptable)

this one, 'a cossack horse in a landscape' by john ward, struck me as simultaneously beautiful and incredibly fucking ugly. another dear friend, @hunterx700, who does in fact work with horses, decided to be my fucking hero and took the liberty of REDLINING IT:

quote: "You know how sometimes men draw women with super elongated elastic spines so that they can get a boobs and butt shot?That’s what that horse looks like"

fucking incredible.

for the next one the plaque's writeup is important, so bear with me:

"William Renwick, American, 1914-1992

Bubble Lamp

1953

Plastic, steel, and wire

While working at George Nelson & Associates, William Renwick developed a series of wire-framed light fixtures that took advantage of an applied white plastic developed for military use during World War II. Renwick utilized the plastic's unique ability to bridge the openings between his steel wire supports while remaining translucent enough to cast light."

the piece in question:

...yes, this bitch really did credit himself with inventing an uglier, eco-unfriendlier version of fucking paper lanterns.

in conclusion (for this post--there was a piece credited to 'follower of heironymus bosch', which as you might imagine, is a lot to unpack in and of itself), have 'madonna and child with saints' by bernardo zenale:

shout out to this guy being the fucking election mood

#but really there are tickets left for the mexican modernism exhibit #if you are in the area i absolutely recommend picking some up #sage original post #sage speaks #long post #does tumblr still break readmores? probably #i havent been on much but the idea that theyve fixed anything is laughable #denver art museum #art history #art museum

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recentanimenews · 4 years ago

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OPINION: The Lessons I Learned from Renge that Changed My Life

Non Non Biyori, now on its third season, is a joy for many reasons — its celebration of simple rural life, its down-to-earth depiction of childhood, and its quiet but undeniable sense of humor, just to name a few. But among all of its strengths, one factor has far and away stolen the spotlight time and time again, and that is the adorable youngest member of the cast, Renge. Despite having no established main character — each skit usually focuses on the perspective of just one or two members of its ensemble cast — Renge frequently ends up being the most interesting character involved in any situation. Partly because her naivete puts her in silly situations, but largely because her curiosity and open-mindedness allow us to see things from new perspectives, which can be just as insightful as they are funny.

While that childhood innocence expresses itself in things we take for granted, we shouldn't miss out on Non Non Biyori's greatest message — even if we’re older, we should all be a little more like Renge.

Where the other children are of the age where they think they have things figured out, feigning maturity to impress the others as children do, Renge isn't at all embarrassed to admit she doesn't know something. Seriously, turn on any random episode of Non Non Biyori and skip to a part that has Renge in it, the girl never stops asking questions. Do they live in the sticks? How does multiplication work? Is anything truly round? No thought is too simple or too abstract for Renge, and her curiosity pays off for her — while the older kids and adults in her life fumble trying to pretend they have all the answers, Renge's acceptance of her own ignorance just makes her smarter every day.

I've found it empowering to embody Renge's inquisitive nature because despite being four times her age and living in a world that expects me to have it all "figured out," the truth is I'm pretty dumb and there's way too much I just don't know. That means when I get curious about a subject, I try to educate myself about it as much as possible — recently that meant a binge of podcasts about old-timey pirates, but it can be as small as looking up a word when I'm not 100 percent sure I know what it means or double-checking a fact I'm pretty sure I know but might be misremembering. I also try to always have a long-term learning goal going at any given time, whether that be a language, some kind of math concept, or even just research on the production of a show I really liked. The point is to keep challenging myself — when you're always learning something new, it reminds you that you don't in fact have it all figured out, and never really will, but as Renge shows us, that's a good thing.

Another great thing about Renge is that, despite being only in first grade, she is already quite the artist. Renge tries to capture the new things she finds in the world by drawing them for herself. When the gang lands a trip to Okinawa, everyone plans things they want to do, and the top of Renge's list isn't just to see the sights. No, she goes a step further — she wants to draw the things she anticipates the most, including dolphins, despite being told how unlikely it is she'll get to see them for herself. She gets good at it, too! Some might chalk that up to the animators drawing pictures for a 7-year-old, but when you think about it, it only makes sense that she would improve with so much practice.

Now, despite fleeting aspirations to become a manga artist in middle school, I'm no van Gogh myself. That doesn't mean I can't imitate Renge's hunger for self-expression, though — in fact, I'm doing that right now, by thinking and writing about a show I love. The medium may be different, but the gains are the same — when Renge draws her surroundings, she is truly taking in the things that interest her, understanding them on a new level by trying to replicate them. Writing about my favorite shows inherently asks me to engage with them beyond the simple act of consuming them, and by doing that I learn more about the anime itself, what it is trying to say about the world, and even myself by figuring out what makes me connect with it. Writing isn't the only way to do that, of course — the same thing is accomplished through fanart, cosplay, fan fiction, or any other creative endeavor that requires you to put a little bit of yourself into the mix. The important part is that you're engaging with the stuff you find interesting because doing that not only helps you understand the world better but also yourself — and you might pick up a surprising skill or two along the way. Renge sure has, and she just started elementary school!

The last thing Renge does is probably the most simple one because it's something you can do basically all the time — play, or to be more specific, improvise. Play is good for kids because it gives them an outlet to interact socially, develop problem-solving skills, and stretch their creative muscles. That last part is the one I'm focusing on here — when Renge and the other kids are bored, they often make up scenarios and roles to embody for themselves or play nonsensical games with each other. My favorite example of this is in Non Non Biyori Repeat Episode 2, where the gang teaches Hotaru how to play "knock-down-the-ruler" — a seemingly simple game where you use a pen and a ruler to knock someone else's ruler off the table — and go on to accidentally confuse her by making up rules and special moves as they go along. That's just one example, of course, as Non Non Biyori is filled with examples of the kids, but especially Renge, starting with simple premises and adding or subtracting from them as they see fit.

We're not all kids putting buckets on our heads to pretend we're superheroes, but that doesn't mean we can't embody the spirit of that boundless childhood imagination in our everyday lives; I try to make mundane situations into forms of play themselves. When I walk to and from work, I make it a point to mix things up sometimes, taking longer or more unusual routes for my commute to change up the scenery. If I've been making the same thing for breakfast for too long, I try to mix up the ingredients a little without looking anything up ahead of time — just going with the flow based on what I have in front of me and what I think might taste good. When playing a video game I've already played a million times before, it keeps me on my toes to make up restrictions for myself or to set goals that force me to go out of my way and do things differently than I normally do. And just like for kids, changing things up from time to time keeps my imagination active, not only letting me enjoy the little things in life more but ensuring my brain is always working so when a more serious problem arises and changes life up for me, I'm well-equipped to figure out how to improvise through unfamiliar situations because I do it all the time.

Renge may be young, but the way she navigates life is not only smart but easily imitable. The next time you're watching Non Non Biyori, when Renge does something funny, ask yourself: What is she learning from acting that way? What is she gaining by challenging her boundaries and preconceptions? Often, the answer is that she is learning and growing, and though you might not be a first-grader in the Japanese countryside, you might find it rewarding to be a little more like Renge yourself.

What's your favorite hilarious Renge moment? Let us know in the comments below!

David Lynn can be found obsessing over Fate/Grand Order on Twitter @navycherub.

By: David Lynn

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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keveddrevivalbang · 5 years ago

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FAQ

What is KevEdd Revival Bang? You’ve heard of Big Bang fandom events, right? With the recent steady increase in KevEdd content, I figured now would be a good time to have a KevEdd event to encourage even more content (and perhaps convert more people to this ship). I eventually want to have a KevEdd Big Bang. However, with this being so new and this fandom not quite a big as other fandoms that have Big Bangs, I think a KevEdd Revival Bang would be a bit more appropriate right now. Just something smaller and without the required collaboration element to test the waters for a KevEdd Big Bang event in 2021.

When is the KevEdd Revival Bang? It goes from May 1 to September 30th, with the posting of the final content in September. See the schedule for more dates.

What kind of content will we see? The main aim is for fanfic and fanart to be created, but we do welcome comics, podfics, fanmixes, etc. Pretty much anything that is a form of the content you would see welcomed for a typical Big Bang event.

What is expected of me for [insert specific type of fanwork here]? Details for what is expected for each type of fanwork can be found in the rules.

What are Check-ins? Check-ins are forms sent out via email to make sure you are making appropriate progress on your fan content, as well as to gather the necessary information to help promo this event and your work.

What do I need to submit for Check-in 1? Writers: Your half-completed rough draft is due. You will need to have 50% of your fanfic completed, with an outline for the rest of the plot. Artists: You will submit a basic plan for your art piece, including what you plan on creating, medium you will use, the estimated time it will take to complete, where you plan on posting, etc. Other types of fanwork: Details for other types of content will be added as needed.

What do I need to submit for Check-in 2? Writers: Casual check-in in terms of progress. You will also need to submit promotional information (more details will be sent via email closer to the date). Artists: 75% of your artwork is due. You will also need to submit promotional information (more details will be sent via email closer to the date). Other types of fanwork: Details for other types of content will be added as needed.

What do I need to submit for Check-in 3? All fanwork: You will submit your final draft of any content you plan on submitting. At worst, you will only need to do final, final, final touches to complete your work before your posting date.

When will I know my promo/posting date? What if I can only post on certain days? You will know your promo date and your posting date a few days after Check-in 2 is due. Part of Check-in 2 is reporting your availability to post for August and September, so your schedule will be taken into consideration.

Can I sign up for multiple types of content, or make more than one fanfic/fanart? Heck yeah! But please make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew.

I signed up for one type of fanwork, but now I want to do another type… Is that okay? You must complete a fanwork of the type you originally signed up for. However, if you want to create another type of content IN ADDITION TO the type of fanwork you signed up for, feel free, as long as you complete everything you signed up for!

When can I start working on my fanwork? As soon as you sign up!

Can I create NSFW or risque fanwork? As long as you’re at least 18 years of age.

If I’m writing a fanfic, do I have to include AO3 archive warnings? YES! You must tag any AO3 warnings that apply or select “No Archive Warnings Apply” if your fic doesn’t include any. The “Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings” option is not permitted in this event.

If I’m writing a fanfic, do I need a beta-reader? (What even is a beta-reader?) A beta-reader is basically an editor. They look for things like spelling, grammar, flow, sentence structure, etc. We strongly encourage you to find a beta-reader for your fanfic, because betas can help take your fic and polish it into a beautiful masterpiece. However, it is not required.

How can I find a beta-reader? How can I find someone who might want to collab? You will have to find one via your own social media page, because this event is currently too small to have a collab element or a list of betas. However, we can post requests on the tumblr page. Just send an ask saying you would like the request form, and once that’s filled out and sent back to us, we will post the request for you on the blog.

Is Rev!Edd or Rev!Kevin allowed? Heck yeah! Someone please get me a Quiz Bowl hat for Christmas.

Sounds good! How do I sign up? By clicking HERE. But make sure you read through all the FAQs, the schedule, and rules first!

#kevedd #faq #ao3 #fanart #fanfic #kevedd revival bang

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slayersweek · 1 year ago

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2023 SLAYERS SECRET SANTA INFO AND SIGNUP FORM:

Hello! Please read over the following before signing up. Thank you!

What ‘Secret Santa’ Means: You create a fanwork, and you’ll receive one in return. Everyone who wishes to participate will provide prompts that they’d like to see completed, and another participant will be assigned their prompts and will complete one of those prompts (which one is completed is up to the person they’re assigned to).

When you submit your prompts, you are welcome (and encouraged) to tell me anything you are uncomfortable with or don’t wish to do (pairings, genre, rating, etc), that way the prompts you’re given are something you’re comfortable writing/drawing.

Rules and Regulations:

1) Watch this tumblr! If you do not have a tumblr yourself, please put it in your bookmarks and remind yourself to check it often.

3) How long do I have to signup? Signups will end on Thursday, November 30, 2023. That is all month to sign up!!

4) When is the deadline? Please have your piece completed and posted by Wednesday, January 31, 2024. You can post your gift anytime starting from Monday, December 25, 2023.

6) How long does fic have to be? At least eight hundred words. It doesn’t need to be super-long of course, but we want everyone to get something that’s more than drabble length.

8) Can I do fancomics? Yes. Absolutely.

9) What if I need to drop out? Then I would ask you to please let me know as soon as possible (and before the December 25th deadline) so we can arrange a pitch hitter for you. Failure to notify me will ban you from future events.

12) I have another question! Then please ask it via our askbox (anon asks are enabled).

Okay, I’m ready to signup! Please copy and paste the below form and submit it to the SlayersWeek inbox to sign up.

GIVING: Tumblr Username: Email or Alternate Contact: Specialty (Fanfic or Fanart- If you can do both, you may list both): Highest Rating You’ll Work With: Will Not Work With (Any characters, pairings, genres, scenarios, you won’t do): RECEIVING: Do Not Want (Any characters, pairings, ratings, genres, scenarios, etc you don’t want to receive): Do You Prefer fic, art, or no preference?: Three Prompts: 1) 2) 3) Can you pitch hit if someone drops out?:

Please SUBMIT your completed form HERE. If you have any further questions, you can direct them to this blog HERE, or to my personal HERE.

#slayers #the slayers #slayers secret santa 2023

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fatebreaking-a · 5 years ago

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☀️

I like how this is literally indecipherable on desktop, so I had to go onto my phone (where it was still indecipherable) and then open it in safari to figure out which one this was.

☀ What’s your rp pet peeve?

It’s this one and not the other one right above it that also looks like a sun.

Emoticons, man.

Well, that was fun and all but- rp pet peeves. Stuff under the cut. Pour one out for the entire community, because I’m about to take a pound of flesh from everyone.

There’s a lot of stuff in here that boils down to just being a good writing partner and all that, trying to advance the action in a natural way, and so on… and I think a lot of it can boil down to either a lack of awareness or a lack of experience. People get better at writing by writing, so I find it hard to really be frustrated and stay frustrated by someone who falls into some of these pitfalls. So you’ll notice I don’t really target things that have to do with writing skill as much as I target ‘attitude’ and ‘conscientiousness’. There is a lot that bothers me though, so here’s a short list.

Criticizing the way other people have fun. This is a big one. What this boils down to is conversations about how “this ship isn’t realistic” or “your ideals on writing are dumb” or “you take writing too seriously/not seriously enough.” I’ve seen all of these. And I used to know someone on a forum-based RP site that would actively go out of her way to criticize that people would include a lot of introspection in scenes that were fast paced. For instance, using poetic language, or talking about how they’re feeling, what the situation was, “he felt like he was up against the tide, that his heart was being torn in two, a cut made deeper with every clash of their blades” - stuff like that. She hated it. And she made sure everyone knew that she did not approve of how much they were writing, because it was ‘not realistic’. And yes, there is definite merit to the claim that people do not have time to introspect about their entire lives and their relationship to their allies and enemies between sword swings... But so what. I don’t think it’s wrong to advocate for shorter, simpler posts with less descriptive text, and to manage in 200 words instead of 600. That’s great. Simplicity has value, being concise is great, ‘brevity is the soul of wit’, whatever. But the problem, the problem was that she would criticize others for writing in a way that they enjoyed. No one got on her case for writing less, but she was so grating on this point that eventually people just did not want to be around her.

It was something I’ve experienced even here. Finding the balance between “writing to improve your ability to write” and “writing just to have fun” are two separate matters. People forget that individuals exist from both camps, and I have known people (multiple) who say ‘this is important to me, I’m growing my skills using RP as a medium’ but fail to empathize and recognize that not everyone has the same viewpoint. Caring about things that make you feel something over technically good and well executed writing does not make you a problem.

And as a big follow up, I find that this is a big issue in life in general. I think that people often forget how much time it took them to learn a certain thing, recognize their own investment, or recognize the disparity between their own idea of ‘common knowledge’ vs actually common knowledge. When I joined the community, I did not know what private, selective, independent, mun, muse, or mutuals meant. For someone who’s brand new, these are terms that can be hard to decipher. And it’s the similar with ships - I think that people forget that not everyone who comes to RP is from a writing background. Some of them may just have enjoyed reading fanfiction, or may have enjoyed their favorite bot lane duo, or they have a main and their partner has a main and they like the aesthetic. So long as it’s not inherently problematic (incest, pedophilia), it’s cruel to degrade someone and call everything that doesn’t make perfect sense a ‘crackship’. Fanart also has a big role to play in this. Do I personally like Sona with Ka/yn, Yas, Sy/las, Jh/in, or Dra/ven? No, I don’t. I don’t, but equally, it’s not right for me to get in someone’s face for liking it. If you love MF/Sona because it’s a fuckin’ sick classic wombo combo bot lane... that’s cool, more power to you. I wish people would ease up and remember to just let people have their fun. There’s a Jh/in that follows me, who politely asked if I shipped it and I said no, and then there was no hard feelings at all. And that is ideal for me. Really.

T h e f t.

And being ultra conscious of it. I am in a very unfortunate circumstance that many of my Sona hcs are very similar to another blog in the space. I found that out by accident, and we reached similar (but also different!) conclusions. But now I am terribly terrified of ever speaking to them, because gods above I want to lift all my duplicates into the air, kiss them, and scream about them... but I don’t want anyone to feel anxious that I’m copying them. It’s also why until about a week ago, I only followed one other Sona blog ever - written by one of my very, very close friends. I never want people to feel like I’m stealing from them, but I also want my duplicates to feel comfortable on my blog! I want them to feel okay about reblogging art of their characters if they like it or talking to me about things... And I’ve put in a lot of effort to be very divergent with my portrayals, but I still ended up in this situation. I won’t name names ( and I really hope that no one bothers that other Sona, because she’s a genuine sweetheart and deserves love and appreciation ), b ut... This is a big issue for me.

And it’s exacerbated by the fact that some people are lazy as fuck and actually just straight up steal ideas. It’s not ‘inspired by’, which I usually take care to do, giving proper credits or speaking about where I got information from or from whom or that it is on some level almost collaborative (because this is a collaborative space where we interact with each other, but that’s another topic). But I mean some people just recklessly steal and because we all have anxiety (TM), the line between coincidence, inspiration, and theft blurs. Understand that on some level, plagarism is an ethical dilemma, and I exist in the camp that says “hey man that’s cool come talk to me” - but I can exist in that camp because I insist on a very divergent interpretation that is almost ‘theft-proof’. I do not think any other Sona blog will ever have this combination of headcanons: “is a construct inspired by a house spirit, made up of one part crashed titan goddess, three parts demons, and each demon is represented by one of the strings of the instrument, which by the way shattered because bad reasons”. But if you’re not me, it’s hard to... stay loose about it.

And it’s hard to not get jealous.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Alright I wrote down a list when I actually got this ask, so let’s run off that. ( Yuki, you fuck, you’re not done? Fuck no I’m not done. ) These next ones are big for me.

MISREPRESENTING YOUR WANTS / YOURSELF

what does that mean, you ask me. It means this. It means pretending to be interested in ideas or interactions, even if you’re not interested. I do not ever want to be in the situation where I am happily chugging along, talking about a dynamic, and then find out that the other person isn’t as interested.

It’s fine to be mellow about it dude. I would rather know that you’re like... just okay on it all. I don’t want you to be polite and ‘spare my feelings’ and force yourself.

I want you to have fun. Have fun. God just have fun, you know? Please. There are a ton of interactions I’m “just okay” with, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I can be just okay with stuff and it’s fine. Not everything needs to click instantly but like...

Only showing interest to appeal to me or spare my feelings kinda sucks. It doesn’t last forever. It feels really bad. And eventually when things fall apart, it feels even worse. Like oh you really just did not care that much. Or you didn’t enjoy writing with me? Or what is it? See: jealousy/anxiety. Just be honest.

I think you especially have seen this with me, but I have a penchant for just being sincere and honest about how I feel about things. At least a little bit.

Don’t share things people tell you in confidence.

Fucking duh but it needs to be stated. Sometimes people gotta vent. It happens. And I get that ‘talking behind someone’s back’ is not great, but expressing frustration is a real thing that has real value. And then finding out that those things were shared. If I didn’t bring it up with them myself, I didn’t want them to know. Duh. I’m not talking to be catty but because I’m upset. S h i t. Some of the drama that I’ve seen happen from others doing this (and not to me, but in various cases) was entirely unavoidable. I’ve seen so many variants of this. It’s dumb dude. It’s dumb.

Hard vs Soft statements (Stating opinions as facts)

This is another one that gets me. I come from a world where we write, ‘Sona tries to’ and so on to others. Tumblr as a whole doesn’t seem to conceptually engage with the idea of ‘interrupting actions’ and accepting that interactions are a little malleable. And it in turn reflects how others speak about characters.

I never see, “I think Sona is”, I see “Sona is.” This is such a minor little thing, and I’ve come to accept that it’s part of the culture, but it can be terribly frustrating when others speak about your characters. I often say things like “I see Sona as” or “Because of xyz, Ori/anna would probably-” etc. But that isn’t something that I see here from some people. I know that I do this a lot less these days, in part because I have acclimated to the culture.

Incidentally, there are some joke versions of this that are also frustrating. People can really think they’re being funny, but end up just shutting you out of the conversation entirely when they say ‘No’. I might be a little too sensitive to this though, in that I often disengage from conversations because “it’s not really about my interpretation, so it’s better if I not say anything because it’s not relevant and doesn’t contribute.”

Really, I’m just a weenie baby, but I know when someone’s being rude vs when it’s just my own anxieties. I don’t expect everyone to have unshakable confidence, I also don’t expect that everyone be quivering in their boots. Some people can be really, really dismissive and it’s kind of not so great because it comes along with them otherwise being pretty neat.

Last one: Misrepresentation of data / using a ‘preponderance of evidence’ when there really isn’t that much.

How do I even put this.

CONJECTURE IS NOT FACT.

Phew. Okay that’s done. That right there is a big problem (and in combination with the pet peeve before that, it gets worse.)

Something to understand is that sometimes there is no good reason to pipe up to correct someone. Often, people are having a visceral, gut reaction and it’s very emotional. Criticizing that ignores the intent (that they’re frustrated), so it’s often a good idea to let it be.

But that doesn’t stop me from seeing that facts are poorly stated or misrepresented. The community likes to talk about league so I see it in OOC posts, and I also see claims that are just wrong. They’re misstated, exaggerated, or phrased in such a way that you could accept them - except one fact check will prove otherwise. But again, why get in someone’s face when they’re frustrated?

But this leads to some people feeling ‘complicit acceptance’. Which is in itself another problem that I won’t get into.

I as a person tend to be pretty rigorous. If I see facts and I can check them with a quick google search, I often do - especially League. It’s so easy to check a champion’s win rate or popularity. Other people do not always exercise this rigor.

“Alright fuckface but that’s talking about league and not rp.”

Yeah okay you make a fair and valid point, except for the part where you missed bullet points 2-4. I’m more talking about the general attitude people have but let’s talk specifically more about RP.

There’s content. A lot of content. And most of it is really vague, because that’s how R I O T G A M E S does things. We still can’t get a straight answer on whether Sona’s adopted mom, Lestara, is alive or not. H u h?

And this often leads to us making connections and conclusions based on the limited data we have. We’re extrapolating, taking what we know and trying to figure out something new.

Except when we get a new data set, sometimes our extrapolations don’t work anymore.

Except we just spent three months world building around our guesses ( because that’s what they are)

Oops I’m divergent now.

That happens. A lot. My entire blog was evidence of that, where I made extreme guesses and then accidentally got validated as Demacia went full grimdark. But it even happened last year, when suddenly we gained new information! Mage registration! That’s a thing! And it changes how we perceive things.

And you may be thinking, ‘ok fine but what does that have to do with misrepresentation’ and it has this to do with it. People will make conclusions based on their own view, then solidify these conclusions as ‘fact’.

For example, I wrote a small article on how “magical sight was not a reasonable power to have” and then soon after, Mageseekers appeared. Oops. Oops.

And these extrapolations get treated as though they are really fact. The line between what is ‘real’ and what is ‘assumed’ blurs. The truth is this. Unless it’s directly and unambiguously stated, it’s basically not fact. “But we can conclude-” I know. And then we’ll get new information and that’ll change. Ideas in this fandom are like balloons, you need to tie them down with text evidence or they’ll just float away before you even know it. I can talk about how Sona is a literal genius level intellect all day, and tomorrow I can be proven wrong by one little shift or clarification in the lore. ‘Within months’ - okay how many months? Fifteen months? Three months? Unknown.

And this leads me to preponderance of ‘evidence’. This one is long because it bothers me a bunch.

‘Preponderance of evidence’ (quotes required) is basically the situation in which someone goes and tells me:

“Listen buddy, I have these seven pieces of evidence, so I can reasonably conclude that [x] is true.” And that’s solid conjecture and extrapolation and I accept that.

Except that maybe you seven pieces of evidence aren’t all solid pieces of evidence.

Oh.

Oh no.

And that’s happened. I have seen evidence pieces one, two, four, and six all be good. And pieces three, five, and seven are a stretch at best.

But because they have so many pieces of evidence, it’s hard to critique back. Because they still do have four good pieces of evidence!

But the strength of the conclusion increases with more accurate and valid data points, and if your data points aren’t-

And that’s the rub, basically. Sometimes I see people fit evidence to their conclusion without even realizing it. Some of the most intelligent, rigorous, and well-versed writers on this site I’ve seen do it.

And it sucks.

And it’s a peeve because here’s the truth.

The truth after all this talk is this very important fact.

I don’t say anything about these things to people because I don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun or engagement.

People make mistakes and say many things because they are passionate about what they’re talking about. Often that’s the case. And harmless conjecture misunderstandings are not the end of the world because this is not academia.

except that one time I wrote a writeup on how Aphe/lios isn’t mute but whatever.

And so while I have said all these things and have a lot of these feelings, I also think there’s no point to saying most of them directly to the person that bugs me. What good will it do? To someone who is reacting with their emotions and just wants to get their frustration out, or is speaking passionately about something... Just let it go.

And so often I let it go, even if I disagree. I have an opinion, but I don’t go out and toss it back in your face. I just get mad quietly and grump about it.

And that’s why I end up being a very ‘stay in my lane’ person.

The end.

If you read all the way through this, I’ll give you a cookie tbh. Many cookies. This is almost 3000 words and 7 pages.

#yuhl #ooc #long post tw #//3k words I'm sorry dash.

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awriterfox · 6 years ago

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Thoughts That No One Asked For

With the huge and overwhelming support and success of the Critical Role Kickstarter, I just felt as if I had to get some thoughts about it out into the universe so they stopped bouncing around my head. I have been following Critical Role closely since the beginning of campaign two and have watched all of campaign one since then, but I in no way state that I am an expert on the show, cast, or community. That being said, I felt such a huge swell of pride and giddiness when they reached their goal in under an hour and the total continues to climb. No where near the amount of pride and giddiness that the cast has felt, not even close, but still it was there. Then I stopped for a moment and thought about why I felt so connected and so proud of this project, unlike when another one of the fandoms I inhabit does something monumental. Here is what I came up with. The first thing that struck me is that this cast, for better or worse, is so freaking genuine in everything that they do. I am not saying that they are exactly the same off the camera as they are on it, or that they are perfect, but they don’t have that polished presentation that other actors seem to have, even if they are doing an Instagram Live video. It is evident in their show and every time they are together that these nerdy ass voice actors, truly and genuinely, love one another. Honestly, half the fun of Critical Role is seeing the actors have so much fun while also weaving this wonderful and compelling story. I personally feel like I lose something if I just listen to the episodes because you miss the facial expressions and chaos that is happening outside the events of the game. You feel like you’re one of their friends, watching their game right there with them, when you watch the show. There isn’t a member of the cast that I wouldn’t want to grab a drink with or hang out with. To see people who are passionate and in love with what they are doing succeed is heart-warming. Sometimes the good guys don’t finish last. The second thing is the amount of work that the cast and crew have put in since the beginning of the show. From the late nights that the camera and sound people put in when the stream first started to the crazy schedule that the cast keeps as they run their own business and do other voice over projects shows dedication not only to their work, but also their fans. The Critters see that dedication and wanted to give it back, as seen in the fanart, convention halls filled, and support for the actors favorite charities that pour in constantly. Also, no one can tell me that the cast didn’t put in their own money, especially Matt, for the minis, battle maps, and other things needed not only for the show but also the behind the scene production. They love what they do and they work very hard at it, usually showing up to some of their commitments with little or no sleep beforehand. That brings me to the third point, that they have given their fans over five hundred hours of entertainment without them needing to pay for a second of it if they didn’t want to. You never needed a subscription to watch Critical Role, the episodes coming onto youtube in a timely manner if you couldn’t watch them live. Even Talks Machina, which wasn’t uploaded onto Youtube, could be streamed live without a subscription if you didn’t mind missing the after dark segment. I remember that when they first started, a few wish lists were out for new stage lights and microphones, but the cast has never made anyone pay for the joy of watching their show. I think that leads into the community throwing so much support out when they are given a way to monetarily support something that has meant so much to them and other people. Not everyone can draw or craft, but most people can throw $5 or $10 in a pot that doesn’t penalize those who can’t.

It is that feedback loop of dedication and love, I think, that also made the Kickstart success feel more personal than it probably should. The cast loves the fanart that pours in of their characters and sometimes themselves, which lead to them holding a freaking art gallery for fanart, which is pretty unheard of. When some of the community complained that other mediums don’t get the recognition that the fan artists get, the cast addressed this in a thoughtful response, and then went on to make a show that focuses on tapping into everyone’s creative talents with Pub Draw. There is this cycle of love and support that really drives the community in a way that you couldn’t put a price tag on. However, apparently it is more than 5.2 million, if the Kickstarter is any indication.

So, basically, I am so happy and pleased that the animated special, now series, is going to be made and that the cast and crew finally understands just how dedicated their fans really are. Now, if they could release a pic of the Trinket plushie so I can figure out if I need to drop $200, that would be great.

#Critical Role #the legend of vox machina #writer thoughts

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gumnut-logic · 6 years ago

Photo

I can paint, see above for proof.

However since falling into this fandom, I have been continually stunned by the wonderful fanart created by artists like @neontsuba @redemsi @lenle-g @the-lady-razorsharp @rika-cr-tb and @ribkadory

A good percentage of this art is digitally created and while I’m digitally fluent - I’m a freelance graphic and web designer, I knows my computer stuff - and have been building graphics since the 1990s - look at me, I has my own website - www.gumnut.net - I’m finding myself horribly challenged to create my own digital art.

There is a big difference between painting in acrylics vs painting in pixels. And you might say, but hey the style is completely different. But look at this...

I drew that with pencil and pen back in 2001. I built my portraiture skills by admiring comic book artists. I has, or had, the technical skill on paper, so why the hell am I having so much trouble with my lovely new Apple Pencil????

More proof? Here is something I drew sitting on the couch watching Ironman back in 2012.

I can do this, so why can’t I do it digitally? Aaaargh!

Now let’s rant about my inadequacies...

I will admit part of the problem is time. I’m fully focussed on writing at the moment and what little time I have is eaten by that. But this is bugging me majorly so I’m going to crack eventually.

My next challenge is the human body. I can do portraiture, but I totally suck at human anatomy, which is a major part of all the digital art I’m admiring. I’ve done quite a bit of life drawing, both in college and for fun, but the subtleties of body expression is what I lack, and probably some basic anatomy, and my drawings come out wooden. So, first on the list is to teach myself some of this - any advice greatly appreciated!

Another challenge is that I still haven’t worked out how layers work. I know they are a great tool and I have watched them being used on YouTube, but I’m not using them to their full extent and sometimes forgetting to use them at all.

I NEED PRACTISE!

Also, the faces of the Thunderbirds brothers don’t conform to human facial norms and they are throwing me out of whack. Normal portraiture rules do not apply.

And I’m raving. I finally have a medium I am happy to draw with...the Apple Pencil is divine compared to some of the techniques I’ve tried over the years, so I really just have to do this.

My eleven year old daughter draws better than me digitally, and it is really getting to me.

I NEED TO FIX THIS!

It is all about focus. Writing is so damned addictive. Work gets in the way.

Oh, and by the way, I cancelled my art exhibition. I reached breaking point and faced the fact it just wasn’t going to happen. It is not the right time ::headdesk:: It had nothing to do with all that writing, no, nothing at all. Did I say addiction?

Anyway, I will end my rant here. I need to pull my finger out and focus on my art. Killing off the exhibition should actually help with that. ::sigh::

I want to do everything at once ::wails::

Nutty (It’s all in my name)

#art #thunderbirds #raving #artists on tumblr #i really need to prioritise #man #I'm whining a lot lately #nuttyart

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violethowler · 6 years ago

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What the Kingdom Hearts Series Means to Me

Holding the physical copy of Kingdom Hearts III that I pre-ordered and paid extra to have delivered on release day is a surreal experience. It feels like a dream in all honesty. Kingdom Hearts III used to be a formless thing. A cryptid that fans hoped to catch a glimpse of but didn’t really believe existed. To put it into perspective, Kingdom Hearts II first released when I was in third grade, and I’m currently approaching my graduation from college. Six games have been released in the last decade and a half to expand on the series’ lore and set up the major pieces for the next “main” installment, but only now are we getting Kingdom Hearts III. This franchise has been with me through middle school, high school, and college. It’s a big freaking deal.

I had never been passionately into video games as a kid. My first game system was the Nintendo GameBoy Advance, and the only games I was interested in playing were movie tie-in games that adapted the plot of a specific movie. The Incredibles. The Polar Express. Ice Age: The Meltdown, Madagascar. The only other game I can remember that wasn’t an adaptation of an existing film was a weird 3D Pacman game, but I don’t remember ever playing it as fervently as I did those old movie games.

Even after receiving a PlayStation 2 for either my birthday or Christmas in 2006, the only games I would play that weren’t movie adaptations were the NickToons crossover games like Battle for Volcano Island or Attack of the Toybots. But I only played them because they featured my favorite TV character. I was never interested in the storyline. That would change one day in late-summer/early autumn 2007, when, after seeing an advertisement for it in my old Disney Adventures magazines, I rented a PlayStation title I’d never heard of called Kingdom Hearts II.

In the beginning, I didn’t pay attention to the story. I just skipped through the cutscenes and focused exclusively on the gameplay. But as I got to the more difficult portions of the game, I started to watch the cutscenes and pay attention to the story. And the more I did, the more I fell in love with it. Once I had fully digested the story of Kingdom Hearts II, I wanted more. I went back and played the original Kingdom Hearts, then I bought Chain of Memories for my GBA. I was hooked. I started buying and reading the manga adaptations of the games. I bought a couple of collectible figurines. I. Was. Obsessed.

I spent much of my computer time in those days scouring the internet for every scrap of information I could find on the next games in the franchise. Kingdom Hearts III wasn’t in the cards yet, so I focused my attention on the three titles that I vaguely recall being collectively referred to at the time as “the handheld trilogy”: 358/2 Days, Birth by Sleep, and Coded. I searched with a fine-tooth comb on websites dedicated to gaming news in general and Kingdom Hearts specifically, hoping to find out more about these next three games.

In many ways, Kingdom Hearts helped me take my first tentative steps into the wider community of fandom. My search for news on the next games in the series unearthed funny fan-made comic strips about my favorite characters. Even though Kingdom Hearts III was still a fantasy by that point, I found people using Photoshop, or whatever image-editing software was popular around 2008 or so, to create ideas for what the cover art would look like. I found detailed fan art of potential new outfits for all the major characters. I found theories and ideas and the ever-raging bonfire of speculation that grows larger with each new game released. I found fan-made music videos and fanfiction to sate my hunger for more content between games. I wasn’t as involved in fandom to the extent that I am today, but my experience with Kingdom Hearts helped me dip my toes in the water, so to speak, as I started to engage more with my favorite media beyond simply consuming it once and then going back to watch/play it again when I needed something to do.

And what makes this day so much sweeter is how much effort Disney is clearly putting into promoting this game. Almost a decade ago, and the most advertising any Kingdom Hearts title got outside of dedicated gaming magazines or events was maybe a single tv commercial per game. The only way to know a new game was coming otherwise was if you were actively following the development of each title before they even locked in when it would come out. In the last six months of waiting for Kingdom Hearts III, there’s been a concert tour, multiple commercials and advertisements on both TV and social media, and even ads playing before the previews at movie theaters. After years of trying to share my love for this series, only for a handful of people to have ever heard of it, it’s a tremendous thrill to see the games I love finally getting mainstream recognition.

It’s because of this series that I even consider myself a gamer in the first place. Before Kingdom Hearts, I just plowed through every game I had, treating each level as just another puzzle or challenge to complete. But Kingdom Hearts II exposed me to the possibility of video games as a medium for storytelling, and it was through my engagement with the Kingdom Hearts storyline that I found myself seeking out other games with their own compelling stories. Final Fantasy, The World Ends with You, Horizon: Zero Dawn… These are some of the many games with stories and worlds that have enthralled me as someone who loves to both experience stories and create them. And without Kingdom Hearts, I would probably never been enough of a gamer to know or care that they existed.

When I was younger, I was only interested in games if they were available on the systems I had. But Kingdom Hearts wasn’t limited to only one console. In the early years of the franchise, the series was spread across the GameBoy Advance, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and smartphones. So, whenever my research uncovered that the next title would be on a console I didn’t own, I would go out of my way to get it, either by putting it on my holiday wish list, or by saving up the money for it myself. And usually, I would buy these platforms years in advance of the Kingdom Hearts game I’d got it for came out, so I would search for interesting games to play on it while I waited. And unlike before, now I was actively looking for things to play.

When it was just my GameBoy, PlayStation, and a handful of movie/TV show tie-ins, I didn’t go out of my way to look for new games. I relied on advertisements in my trusty Disney Adventures magazine to tell me what games that were out that might interest me. Nowadays, I annually watch live coverage of E3, the entertainment expo where game developers show off the status of their current projects or unveil their next main title. And I keep my eyes out for every title that looks entertaining from both a gameplay and story perspective, whether I see ads in a magainze, footage at E3, a trailer on YouTube, or fanart online.

Before I realized that animation was what I wanted to do as a career, my first dream job was to be a game designer. And if your first guess as to why I wanted to pursue that career path isn’t Kingdom Hearts, then in the words of one of the franchise’s original villains, “You have come this far, and still, you understand nothing.” While I ultimately realized that animation was my true passion as an artist, it was Kingdom Hearts that set me on the idea of turning my art skills into a career. Without Kingdom Hearts, I might not have ended up where I am today.

Most of the fandom knows that Kingdom Hearts III isn’t the end of the road for the franchise. Even aside from its immense popularity, series director Tetsuya Nomura has spoken about the fact that the series will continue beyond III, but that this represents the conclusion of the current story arc that has been going on since the original Kingdom Hearts game back in 2002. It’s fitting that this arc of the series is ending the same year that I graduate from college. This series has seen me through multiple chapters of my life. Middle school. High School. College. And in May, I’ll be a college graduate looking for a job. Each time I moved from one stage of life to the next, it always felt like the end. But it never is. But life goes on. The story will go on, but this chapter of it is over.

You can imagine, then, why today is such a big deal. This series has been with me for more than half my life. These games, and other media I obsess over to a similar degree, mean so much to be precisely because the story and characters connect with me on such a deep emotional level. My opinion on storytelling in any medium is that the ones that put your emotions in a blender and take you from screaming in anguish to crying tears of joy in the span of a few hours or less are the ones that deserve to be remembered. The best stories should leave you wanting to know more, not just out of curiosity over what happens next, but also for the satisfaction of knowing that the characters you’ve grown to love will be alright.

Kingdom Hearts has consistently checked every single one of those boxes for me for as long as I’ve been playing it. Even the prequels and midquels that ended in tragedy and heartbreak still had a note of assurance that there was still hope. Even if the games that inevitably come out post-KHIII hypothetically don’t have the same emotional impact on me that the pre-III ones did, I will never be able to stop loving the series I grew up with. I’ve been invested in it for so long that it feels like it’s woven into my DNA. This series has grown over the last eleven years just as I have, and whatever the future holds for the franchise, good or bad, I will never regret the time I’ve spent with this incredible saga.

#long post #kh fandom #kingdom hearts 3 #personal anecdote

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