#but so many of you have been tricked out of not voting

[astoriachef]

Look, I’m obviously less worried about what the Chinese government would do with my data than I am, say the cops, or my employer, but everybody here is forgetting about Chinese propaganda and probably assumes they can “critical thinking” themselves immune to it.

[lizardsfromspace]

There was lots of concern about AI and deepfakes spreading misinformation this election cycle, so let's check in on that!

A lot of right-wing accounts are trying to prove that Kamala Harris' crowds are fake - that all the photos of them are generated with AI. We'll get to that, but let's look at the most...amusing example first.

There's lots of people pointing at an image of a crowd that's obviously been generated with AI, due to extra arms and gibberish writing.

So obviously someone generated this image with AI. Who was it and why? Well, we can actually find the origin pretty easily. It was...

A right-wing satire account. Who put "unexcited Kamala Harris crowd" into a AI image generator to make a "wow, crowds are electric!" joke.

An image their own side generated as satire is now being spread by the right as something Harris/Walz created as proof they're doing the thing they're doing. Incredible. Just a masterclass

Now let's look at the dark stuff.

By and large, AI isn't being used for hoaxes. AI is being used as a excuse: people aren't being tricked by AI images, they're being tricked by accusations real images are AI.

So this hoax went around recently...

This image is old. It spread in 2017, it spread in 2020, and now it's spread in 2024. The Harris/Walz rally wasn't even in the Phoenix Convention Center, or in Phoenix. But it's now a core part of the "no one's attending their rallies!" campaign going on now

This may seem strange if you experience the news by non-conservative media, where you can't escape stories of Kamala Harris filling up massive stadiums & of Trump rallies full of empty seats. All evidence in reality points to Kamala Harris being extremely popular and to Trump's campaign faltering.

But in MAGA land, Kamala Harris' crowds were generated with AI.

Their claims: the crowd isn't in the reflection, and uh, the arms look weird. But also that there "aren't any other images".

But? There are? There was a livestream of that very plane landing (starting at 25)!

They're subjecting what they think is The Only Image of this rally in long Youtube videos and on Twitter and TikTok, and just...don't realize there's full, uncut, commentary-free video of it that was broadcast live. So why don't they realize that?

Well, I did a search for this rally on Fox News' website and guess what? They reported it exactly twice: once a interview with her while leaving that slammed her for "not taking press questions" enough, and a few clips of the Palestinian protestors at it, but not many, bc if you don't follow the far right they're trying to frame Kamala Harris as, like, a radical pro-Palestinian (or, as they say, "pro-Hamas") activist who wants to destroy Israel which, uhhhhhhhh

But another thread I found debunking this, by a former Trump-voting evangelical conservative turned critic of the same, gets at the heart of it

People who said AI and deepfakes would be used to mislead the right were missing how misinformation actually works. Fox News et al don't suppress information by confusing the audience with misinformation; they suppress information by never letting them see it in the first place. They know that they have a captive audience who doesn't watch non-right-wing news (unlike the left, who are constantly aware of what's going on over at Fox).

They can just never mention or show Kamala Harris' rallies, or do so only in close-up, and they can frame Trump to only show shots where a crowd has gathered & make it seem like that's the norm, and their audience just has no chance to find out the truth. They're so propagandized that they just accept that there are no other images of that Kamala Harris rally, because, well, they were told there weren't, and would the news personalities they trust really lie to them?

And if any stray bits of reality float into the bubble, well, it was just AI. You know, how they have AI these days? AI's most important role in all this isn't as a vector for misinformation, it's as a rhetorical device for claiming real images and video are misinformation. You don't have to make images full of people with weird hands if you can get people circling real people's hands in red and pointing at it to prove reality was made in a computer.

These people don't know how popular Kamala Harris is. They don't know she's polling eight points higher than Trump. They don't know Harris is leading in right-wing biased polls. They're being told she's hiring actors at rallies, that her crowd photos are generated by AI, that Trump rallies are popular and hers are desolate.

This only likely to increase as we near the election because, well, Trump '24 is a shitshow. His campaign started out less popular than '16 or even '20, he picked maybe the worst VP pick in history, and he hasn't made a single effective attack on Harris/Walz. They were banking on facing Biden, and then on a chaotic open convention, but instead everyone closed ranks around Harris, and she instantly became the most popular Democratic candidate since 2008. We are cruising towards Trump/Vance not only losing, but losing in the closest thing to a landslide that's possible in our current system.

They're already laying the groundwork for, in the likely case of defeat, playing the "she stole the election!" card. Last time it was ad-hoc, because Trump thought he'd win. This time, they're already making "all her rallies are fake, all of her supporters are AI, they've already rigged it against Trump" a key strategy, and, I have to assume, their primary strategy as it gets closer to election day and the polls get worse. They've always lived in a bubble, but now it's a bubble designed explicitly to cause another January 6th. By claiming real photos have weird hands, and must totally be AI

[genderqueerpositivity]

I absolutely cannot wait for this election cycle to be over because genuinely what the fuck. I keep drawing parallels to the 2016 election because there are just so many similarities, but what I haven't said much about yet are the ways in which things are worse.

Having the majority of people I know or randomly encounter be Trump supporting Republicans is absolutely wild now, because sometimes they will just drop the most unhinged comments you could possibly imagine into casual conversation as if they're simply commenting that the grass is green or the weather is nice today, and every time it gives me this bizarre sensation like I am somehow the one living in a different plane of reality.

The Democrats are intentionally bringing undocumented people into the country and giving them drivers licenses so they can vote in the upcoming November election, and unless Donald Trump wins and is allowed to carry out his mass deportation plan the United States will never again have a Republican Christian president.

Joe Biden has been using the US military to release chemicals into the atmosphere for the past four years which have the ability to affect the weather in order to trick the American public into believing that climate change is real.

The attack on Donald Trump at his rally was rally a plot enacted by The Deep State, a secret group of powerful liberals who are running the country behind the scenes, and they don't want Trump to win in November because he is too powerful for them to control.

Joe Biden was replaced by a secret identical body double when he allegedly had Covid several weeks ago, and the double is the one who really dropped out of the election, gives all of his speeches, and does all of his interviews now for him.

Those are just the ones I heard last week.

And the reactions I get when contradicting these wild takes range from rage to mocking to a bizarre persecution complex. In 2016 and even in 2020 I was able to have a lot of productive conversations with many people who disagreed with me greatly on major issues, and that is largely not happening this time. If I dare to disagree, they turn to anger, attack me personally, or cry immediately that I'm denying their right to free speech. When bringing up my actual lived experiences with certain issues, I've been dismissed immediately as emotional and brainwashed. There is no room for discourse or discussion anymore, it has broken down.

I know that we've been going out of our way to call them weird, but we're not really talking about fringe weirdo conspiracy theorists anymore, we're talking about your neighbors and my coworkers and your aunt and the guy behind me in line at Aldi. These people are everywhere, they're 100% serious about believing in this shit, and they're voting Republican in November come hell or high water, truth be goddamed.

You know, the lives of millions and millions of women, LGBTQ+ people, undocumented people, and other marginalized peoples are at stake in this election but it feels increasingly like reality is at stake too.

"Alternative facts" sounded outrageous seven years ago...now they've made it a way of life. Unless we can correct course, and rapidly, it isn't going to get better.

[qqueenofhades]

I’ve had this feeling for a while, but the last few weeks have made it stronger: I feel like people are just sick of Trump, even people that are solid Republicans. Even aside from the politics and the threat to democracy that he represents, I’m just tired of hearing about him and all the vitriolic buffoonery that comes out of him. He’s a class clown that’s gone from occasionally funny to just annoying. And I’m sure there’s plenty of Republican voters that resent what an absolute cultish embarrassment he’s made of their party. Even if I had no other reason to vote, I would’ve still voted blue in the desperate hope that I might not have to hear about Trump anymore.

I mean... Yeah.

The other day, we had a whole group of Arizona Republicans (otherwise known as one of the most extreme and cultist state GOP parties in the country) coming out as the leaders of a Republicans for Harris taskforce. Republicans for Harris also immediately hit it big on Twitter. Haley Voters For Biden instantly changed their name to Haley Voters For Harris and told Haley herself to hit the bricks when she laughably threatened them with legal action. There were always a few Never Trump Republicans before, but like. Not many. And many of them have ventured like, one criticism and immediately fallen back into line when Trump posted one mean tweet about them, because they have spines like soufflés.

Now mind you, the entire national/establishment GOP is still completely and cravenly beholden to Trump in ways that defy all logical human understanding, but people who have voted Republican all their lives and did so habitually once or even twice for Trump are increasingly hitting breaking point, and that should be noted. If you want to know how much, the goddamn MORMONS are, allegedly, preparing to quit the GOP this election in larger volumes than they have voted for Democrats in at least 60 years. I don't know how much this will end up panning out, and they have always been at least somewhat skeptical of him in comparison to the completely deranged mainstream evangelical fundies, but. The Mormons. THE MORMONS. Voting for a black female Democrat for president? In my wildest fantasies, this makes me think of Blue Utah 2024 like Blue Indiana 2008 (yes, that happened, along with Blue Florida TWICE).

Trump does have and will always have his ever-dwindling base of diehard cultists, but they have not and will never be numerous enough to win a fair democratic election on their own, which is why the GOP has pulled every dirty trick in the book trying to ensure that they don't have to. But yes: there are many more of us than them, and if we finally pull together and quit arguing about dumb shit, we could get rid of Trump once and for all, and god. GOD. I long for that day so bad and I can finally think it might be coming. So let us NOT fucking screw this up, kay? Kay.

[fishsticksloser]

Can I have a future Rise turtles x reader where they're comforting reader after reader loses a limb to the Krang?

A Farewell to Arms

Future!RotTMNT x gn!reader

Warnings: angst, arm loss, tending to wounds, phantom pains, depression, comfort

A/N: Happy New Year everyone!! The finale for the Fic Tournament starts today! Get your votes in!

Donnie

When he heard, he was immediately at your side

Who cares about all the work he needs to get done when you're hurt?

Donnie starts working on a prosthetic for you

With lots of purple (and whatever your favorite color is)

He refuses to leave your side until you tell him

He will stay right next to you

Often being the one to change your bandages

He was even the one that surgically put in your prosthetic's port

While you're recovering from your surgery and other injuries, he keeps you on his lap while he works

If you deal with phantom pains, he'll kiss your stump

He'll rub your back and whisper sweet words to you

Leo

He's next to you

Whispering words of affirmation

He'll kiss any exposed skin he can

Leo, like his twin, will not leave

He'll change your bandages, he'll be there during the surgery for your port

And hey, since he's been through this, he'll show you all the tricks he's learned

Phantom pains?

No problem, he'll massage your stump, peppering kisses all over your face

If you're feeling useless or less attractive?

This man will prove how useful and attractive you are

He already can't keep his hands off of you

Get ready for more of that treatment

Mikey

He'll be busy helping anyone who's been kraangified

But once that's done, he's by your side

While you're asleep/unconscious he'll stroke your hair

Caress your cheeks

He'll whisper how much he loves you

Mikey will mumble encouragement

He doesn't understand fully what you're going through

As the only prosthetic he's gotten is part of his shell

But he's by your side, helping you figure it out

He'll ask his brothers for advice

Wanting you to be as comfortable as possible

Raph

Panic

That's all he feels at first

He's sitting next to you

His large hand holding yours, but panic still creeping into his veins

He is so scared you won't make it

That this is the last time he'll feel your soft, warm skin

No matter how many times people have told him you'll make it

Raph is still worried

But when you finally wake?

His panic subsides

He'll hold you close

Since he also has a prosthetic, he'll teach you everything he knows

He'll take care of everything

He'll make sure you know you're taken care of

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

How to Write a Pirate Character | Fast, But Long Guide

Arr, mateys! Are you ready to set sail on a new writing adventure? (Sorry if that was cringe lol) Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, creating a convincing pirate character can be a fun and challenging task. Pirates have been a popular trope in literature and media for centuries, but how do you make your pirate character stand out from the rest?

In this post, I'll help you explore tips and tricks for crafting a memorable pirate character in your fantasy novel. From subverting common pirate stereotypes to using historical research to inspire your character's backstory, I'll cover everything you need to know to create an authentic and unique pirate protagonist. So hoist the Jolly Roger and let's get started!

Crafting a Convincing Pirate Character for Your Fantasy Novel

Pirates are a popular fantasy trope, with their swashbuckling adventures and brash personalities. However, creating a convincing pirate character for your fantasy novel requires more than just the usual pirate tropes. To make your pirate character unique and memorable, consider the following tips:

Consider the Role of Your Pirate

Before crafting your pirate character, consider their role in your story. Will they be the protagonist or the antagonist? Will they help or hinder the protagonist's journey? Understanding their role can help you create a convincing and well-rounded character.

Create Flaws and Vulnerabilities

Your pirate character should have flaws and vulnerabilities that make them relatable and human. Avoid creating a perfect or infallible character, as this can make them less interesting and memorable. By giving your pirate character weaknesses and challenges to overcome, you create opportunities for character development and growth.

Do Your Research

Crafting a convincing pirate character requires research. While there are many pirate tropes and stereotypes, it's important to avoid clichés and caricatures. Understanding the historical context of piracy and the lives of real-life pirates can provide inspiration for your character's backstory, motivations, and actions.

Subvert Pirate Stereotypes

Pirates are often portrayed with common tropes such as the eye patch, parrot, and peg leg. While these features can be fun and memorable, consider subverting them to create a more unique character. Think outside the box and create a pirate character that breaks from the norm.

By following these tips and taking the time to create a complex and well-rounded pirate character, you can enhance the overall quality of your fantasy novel.

Understanding Pirate Stereotypes and How to Subvert Them

When writing a pirate character, it can be tempting to rely on common stereotypes such as eye patches, parrots, and peg legs. However, it's important to subvert these tropes to create a unique and memorable character.

Common Pirate Stereotypes

Eye patch

Parrot

Peg leg

Cutlass or sword

Grog (alcohol)

Treasure hunting

While these elements are often associated with pirates, they can also be clichéd and overused. Consider how you can subvert these tropes to create a more interesting character.

Pirates Were Not Lawless

Pirates are often portrayed as completely lawless and dangerous, but this is a stereotype. In reality, pirates had strict hierarchies and rules within their crew. For example, the captain of the crew often had the final say in any decision, but crew members were allowed to vote on certain issues. Understanding these rules and hierarchies can add depth to your pirate character.

Historical Context

When creating a pirate character, it's important to consider the historical context of piracy. Pirates were often the product of their environment, forced into piracy due to a lack of opportunities or as a result of war. Consider how your character's motivations, actions and attitudes might be influenced by this context.

Avoid Caricatures

To create a well-rounded, complex pirate character, it's important to avoid relying on clichéd caricatures. Your character should have strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique motivations and goals. A good pirate character will have flaws and vulnerabilities that make them relatable and human.

Researching Historical Pirates to Inspire Your Character

One of the best ways to create a convincing pirate character for your fantasy novel is to research real-life pirates and draw inspiration from their lives. Here are some tips:

Consider the Time Period and Location

Piracy has existed for centuries, so it's important to choose a time period and location that suits your story. Different pirates operated in different areas, and had varying cultures and methods. For example, Blackbeard, one of the most infamous pirates in history, operated in the Caribbean during the early 18th century, while the Barbary pirates focused on raiding ships in the Mediterranean during the 16th to 19th centuries.

Read Primary Sources

Reading primary sources, such as diaries and letters from pirates themselves, can provide valuable insights into their lives and motivations. Some great sources to check out include:

The journal of William Dampier

The biographies of Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Calico Jack Rackham

The trial records of pirates who were sentenced to death, which can offer insight into the legal system of the time

The pirate code, which was a set of rules that pirate crews followed. It can give you an idea of the hierarchies and structures within pirate societies.

Get Creative

Don't be afraid to take creative liberties with historical accuracy. Your pirate character can be inspired by real pirates without being an exact replica. Remember, you're writing a fantasy novel, not a history thesis. Use your research to create a unique and believable character with their own backstory, personality, and motivations.

By researching historical pirates, you can create a detailed and convincing pirate character that adds depth and authenticity to your fantasy novel.

Building a Unique Backstory for Your Pirate Character

One of the key elements of creating a memorable pirate character is crafting a unique backstory that explains why they became a pirate and what motivates them to stay one. Here are some tips for building a compelling backstory for your pirate:

Consider Traumatic Events

Perhaps your pirate character experienced a traumatic event, like the loss of a loved one or a betrayal, that led them to a life of piracy. This could provide depth and complexity to their motivations and actions.

Include Personal Relationships

Your pirate's relationships with other characters, such as a mentor or a former crewmate, can also add to their backstory and provide opportunities for conflict or growth.

Think About Career Choices

Did your pirate character choose piracy as a career, or were they forced into it by circumstance? This can affect their relationships with other pirates and how they view their role within the crew.

Incorporate Personality Traits

The personality traits that make your pirate character unique can also be tied to their backstory. For example, a pirate with a quick wit may have developed this skill as a result of surviving on the high seas.

Overall, a well-crafted backstory can provide insights into your pirate character's motivations, personality, and relationships with other characters. Don't be afraid to take risks and explore new ideas to make your pirate truly unforgettable.

Creating Authentic Pirate Dialogue That Still Resonates with Modern Readers

Pirate dialogue can make or break the believability of your character. The key is to strike a balance between authenticity and accessibility, so modern readers can understand what your pirates are saying without losing the pirate lingo that makes them unique. Here are some tips for crafting authentic pirate dialogue:

1. Use Historical Language, But Don't Go Overboard

Research historical pirate slang and language to add realism to your dialogue. However, don't overdo it. Too many unfamiliar words or phrases can confuse modern readers, leading them to lose interest in your story. Instead, sprinkle in some pirate language and mix it with modern speech patterns.

2. Consider Your Pirate's Background and Education

Not all pirates spoke the same, and their backgrounds and education levels will influence how they speak. An educated pirate may use more complex language, while a less-educated one may rely more on slang and swear words. Factor in things like regionality, ethnicity, and class to help inform your pirate's dialogue pattern.

3. Use Research and Imagination to Create Believable Dialogue

It's important to do your research and use historically accurate pirate language when possible. But when in doubt, let your imagination take over. Remember, you're writing fiction, not a historical textbook. As long as your dialogue sounds believable and fits your character, it's okay to take a few creative liberties.

4. Read and Watch Movies Featuring Pirates

Reading books and watching movies featuring pirates can help you get a feel for their typical speech patterns and common phrases. Pay attention to how the dialogue is written and how it adds to the atmosphere of the story. But again, don't be afraid to put your own spin on things. Make your pirates memorable and unique.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can create authentic pirate dialogue that still resonates with modern readers. Remember, the key is to balance historical accuracy with accessibility, so your pirates sound believable and interesting. Don't be afraid to get creative and let your pirate's personality shine through in their dialogue!

Choosing the Right Archetype for Your Pirate Protagonist

Archetypes are useful tools for developing memorable and relatable characters, including pirate protagonists. Consider which archetype best fits your protagonist's personality, motivations, and actions to ensure a cohesive and compelling story.

The Noble Outlaw

This archetype represents a pirate who, despite their criminal actions, adheres to a moral code. The noble outlaw may have been forced into piracy due to circumstances beyond their control, and they may only attack wealthy or corrupt targets. This archetype can create tension with other pirates in the crew who may not share the same moral values.

The Ruthless Captain

As the name implies, the ruthless captain is a pirate who rules their crew with an iron fist. They may have gained their position through violence or intimidation, and they prioritize their own power and wealth above all else. This archetype can create conflict between the captain and other crew members who may question their decisions or motives.

The Swashbuckling Adventurer

This archetype represents a pirate who loves adventure and thrills above all else. They may have joined piracy out of a desire for excitement and freedom, and they may prioritize having fun over accumulating wealth or power. This archetype can create tension with other pirates in the crew who are more focused on practical goals.

Crafting Memorable Supporting Characters to Enhance Your Pirate's Story

While your pirate character may be the main focus of your story, having well-crafted supporting characters can enhance their journey and provide depth to the overall narrative. Here are some tips for creating memorable supporting characters:

Diversity:

Consider including a diverse cast of characters to add contrast and tension to your pirate's story. Having characters with different backgrounds and experiences can also provide opportunities for your pirate to grow and develop.

Motivation:

Your supporting characters should have clear motivations for their actions, whether it's loyalty to the pirate crew or a personal vendetta. Their motivations can also provide opportunities for conflict and plot development.

Backstory:

Similar to your pirate character, your supporting characters should have their own backstory that explains their actions and motivations. A well-developed backstory can also provide opportunities for character growth and plot development.

Opposition:

Having opposing characters can create conflict and tension in your story, providing opportunities for your pirate to overcome challenges and grow as a character. Consider creating characters that have conflicting beliefs or goals with your pirate.

By utilizing these tips, you can create supporting characters that enhance your pirate's story and provide depth to the overall narrative. Remember to give each character their own unique personality and motivations, creating a diverse cast that enhances your story's themes and motifs.

Weaving Pirate Culture and Ethics into Your Story's Themes and Motifs

As you develop your pirate character and plot, it's important to consider the culture and ethics of piracy and how they can influence your story's themes and motifs.

Pirate Ethics

Pirates followed their own moral code, which often included principles such as equality among crew members, democracy in decision-making, and retribution for mistreatment by the authority figures they opposed.

Consider how your pirate's actions and beliefs align with the culture and ethics of piracy. Do they adhere to the code or reject it? Does their compliance or defiance create conflict or resolution in the story?

Pirate Culture

Pirates had their own unique culture, including customs such as dividing loot, flying a specific flag, and using distinct language and slang.

Using pirate culture as a motif can add richness to your story's atmosphere. For example, a treasure hunt can provide opportunities for incorporating pirate customs and traditions while also advancing the plot. A ship battle can showcase the crew's cohesion and strategy.

Exploring Themes

Pirate culture and ethics can provide opportunities for exploring themes such as justice, freedom, and morality. These themes can be emphasized through your pirate character's actions and decisions.

For example, if your pirate character is motivated by a desire for revenge against a corrupt government, this can provide a compelling exploration of the theme of justice. If your pirate character struggles with the decision to betray their crewmates for personal gain, this can delve into the theme of morality.

By weaving pirate culture and ethics into your story, you can provide depth and meaning to your plot and characters.

Conclusion

Writing a convincing pirate character for your fantasy novel requires a mix of creativity, research, and attention to detail. By understanding and subverting common pirate stereotypes, researching historical pirates, developing a strong backstory, crafting authentic dialogue, choosing the right archetype, and creating memorable supporting characters, you can create a pirate character that is unique, complex, and memorable. Weaving pirate culture and ethics into your story's themes and motifs can provide depth and meaning to your plot and characters, and make your pirate character more relatable to modern readers. So set sail on your writing journey, and let your pirate character lead the way!

Copyright © 2023 by Ren T.

TheWriteAdviceForWriters 2023

[gethoce]

"Greetings, Valfrey! It's been a while, pon... How have you been, pon? Hope Fal is not importunate, pon... Fal Uh... Fal wanted to ask..."

He hesitate, not knowing whether to continue or not

"... What do you think of Dark Matters, pon...? Being someone who judged so many souls and who witnessed so many... Do you think they deserve a chance, pon?"

(btw, VOTE FOR VALFREY!!!!!!!!!)

At one point Valfrey was tricked into hating dark matter with a burning passion. For many years they made it their mission to wipe the species out, only to find out that they had been deceived. Now they're more accepting of those of the matter most dark, however they do not regret any of their past actions as it isn't an emotion they can feel.

@kirbyoctournament

[roach-works]

im working on a thought and it’s not all the way roughed out, so bear with me:

i think western society has been so obsessed with the threat of invasion for so long that it’s poisoned all of us and seriously damages progressive moments that need solidarity to survive.

like, it’s a cornerstone of conservative, right-wing, and fascist ideology that the Our People are under a direct, continuous, obvious threat of invasion by Bad Guys who want to come into our space, use up all our resources, hurt our vulnerable members, and replace us entirely if they can. this fear has been repeated so many times we take it for granted. we assume it’s something to take into consideration when we talk about immigration, about welfare, about voting rights/suppression, about gender relations. there are bad guys out there. they want to come into our space and take all our stuff and hurt us. we have to stay alert, suspicious, hard-hearted. we can’t let them in!

men are easily made fearful of dangerous, gold-digging, manipulative, crazy women, which is of course all of them. because if men give them an inch they’ll take all their money and ruin their friendships and leave them broke and ruined.

real women are easily taught to fear treacherous, sneaky, secretly-deadly trans women. because if they’re allowed into bathrooms or women’s groups they’ll rape and pillage and replace all the real women with horrible fakes, ruining everything.

the queer community was easily made fearful and contemptuous of weird, lying, faking-it-for-attention ace people. because if they were allowed into the community, they would use up all the resources and leave the place wide open for further invasion from other fakers, which would obviously ruin everything.

some community moderation is necessary, on a case-by-case basis, to remove genuinely harmful individuals. but it’s really chilling to me to recognize this pattern of thought playing out over and over: we have to hold the line. there is an US and a THEM, there is an INSIDE where we’re safe and an OUTSIDE where the bad guys come from. we have to protect ourselves from invasion, from INFECTION. your kindness and sympathy is how they trick their way in. stay alert. stay aware. stay safe.

but like: this is such bullshit? this is SUCH BULLSHIT. the more US there is, the less THEM there is. bringing people into the circle with kindness, support, affirmation, education, makes the circle bigger. many hands make light work. many voices make a bigger noise. unions work. solidarity works. immigration makes societies healthier and more vibrant. people on welfare go on to boost their local economies. new perspectives can solve old problems.

aren’t you tired of being a pawn in someone else’s culture war? aren’t you tired of flinching, of cowering, of holding back, of toughening up? don’t you want to be a person among people? don’t you want to put your fear down and learn to love the world again?

[raptorific]

I saw your post re: the silver lining to Biden stepping down. I felt relieved to remember that Trump is now the only incoherent old guy in the race. However, the relief quickly subsided when I remembered that Hillary was very well-spoken and polished, if not quite as young as Harris.

Harris fortunately doesn't have quite the same baggage as Hillary, so I'm hoping that will make the difference. What do you think?

*I realize this could sound like I'm trying to agitate, and I'm not, so no need to post if you don't want to.

So, apologies in advance, because I foresee a lot of Words happening in my response here. It's worth getting into because I feel like a lot of what you're bringing up are legitimate fears but also coming more from a place of Anxiety than from an actual pattern forming

First things first, to be clear, my post about Biden stepping aside did not highlight a silver lining in otherwise bad news. Biden stepping aside has been an objective boon to our chances of securing the White House in November. I wasn't saying "this is bad news, but look on the bright side," I was saying "that dread you're feeling is misguided, because this is, in its entirety, good news."

To your point about Hillary Clinton being well-spoken and polished: that's true! She very much was! However, crucially, the 2016 election was not one characterized by a debate over how polished or articulate the candidates were. The reason this can be considered a "shit the bed" moment for Trump is because of a factor that is present in this election, that was not present against Hillary Clinton: in this election, he spent all his time and energy selling himself as the younger, healthier, less senile of the two candidates, and now he's without his primary selling point in the eyes of this election cycle's electorate.

Now, Trump is actually showing signs of severe mental decline while Biden only shows signs of "a speech impediment" and "being over 80" and on a physical level Biden is very obviously much more healthy than him, but nonetheless, through a series of lucky breaks and crafty rhetoric, he was able to sell the public on the idea of Biden being some sort of Corpse Puppet. The reason why that matters is because he successfully sold voters on the concept "someone who is old, who can't get through a sentence, is not fit to be president." That narrative wasn't a factor in 2016, and it is in 2024.

The other important factor to remember about 2016 is the context in which that election happened, and why the dirty tricks and bigotry leveled at Hillary by the right actually worked on the public. Specifically, at the time, we were coming off eight years of a black president, a historic first, who the republicans had spent years and years trying to oust or otherwise discredit, and who was poised to come out of office as a fairly well-respected figure.

Voters have a tendency to view white men as, for lack of a better term, "Default" or "Normal" with no modifiers. Many of the people who voted for Trump were people who had, in reality, no specific problem with a black president, but felt that after eight years it was time to get back to "Normal." They saw Clinton, another huge Historic First as the would-be First Female President, and a lot of them said "no thanks, we just had a president who's African-American, we don't want to switch to one who's Woman-American, let's reset back to a Normal-American (read: White Man) before we do any more Progress, otherwise it'll feel like the world is changing too fast."

There's obviously other factors at play. I'm not denying Clinton had other problems as a candidate, but an overwhelming amount of why she lost was rooted in the electorate's misogyny, and their desire to return to a status quo of a white man-- almost any white man-- with no other Identity Categories, as president. It's why I do think Joe Biden would've handily won the 2016 election, had he chosen to run, but I'm not here to play the what-if game.

It's also worth mentioning, at this stage, that most of the country actually was okay with having a Woman President, and, specifically, with having Hillary Clinton be that woman president-- she received more votes than Trump by the millions-- it was only due to the system-rigging done hundreds of years ago by slavers that he was allowed to become president despite the will of the voters.

So, the reason why this matters: voters tend to like a change, to a certain extent. Barack Obama was largely able to win election in 2008 specifically because he was a young, handsome, charismatic black candidate, who stood in stark contrast to his opponent, an older white guy who just kinda seemed like a redux of the bumbling old white guy everyone already hated as President at the time. Trump won largely because of a pendulum swing away from Historic First Barack Obama being the status quo.

Right now, we've been governed by two Old White Guys for the past eight years, one from each major party. In the 2016 climate, a Historic First, electing a Something-American, was scary and intimidating to a lot of voters. This year, in 2024, we're playing a different ball game: Donald Trump is selling More Of The Same (old white guys who've been in all the elections for the past eight years and who both come across somewhat bumbling) while Kamala Harris is selling a refreshing change of pace (a younger Black and Indian woman who is visibly competent, intelligent, charismatic, and let's not downplay the effect this has on the electorate, attractive).

I maintain that running a female candidate in 2016 was, unfortunately, a political miscalculation. I think that if it had been two straight, christian white guys, the election would've been made about the issues and it would've gone to the democrats. Novelty was a liability for a candidate in 2016. In 2024, "more of the same" is a liability, and novelty could prove the greatest blessing.

Hell, look at how excited people got when Biden dropped out, and suddenly people had something election-related to pay attention to other than "BREAKING NEWS: ELECTION STILL COMING IN NOVEMBER, PROBABLY WILL GO BAD."

To your point about the baggage with Clinton: an important thing to understand is that the Republicans identified her political ambitions as early as the 1980s, and started drafting their "Running against her for President" playbook as soon as Bill was president. They were ready to take her down in 2000 when they worried she'd run, and in 2008 when she was a frontrunner for the nomination, and then finally managed to use it in 2016 when she actually was the nominee. Trump lucked into a showdown with, to re-use a recent analogy, an enemy whose Kryptonite he happened to have inherited.

The misogynist attacks on Hillary Clinton largely worked because they had been thoroughly seeded over the preceding 30 years. Many people, even democrats, really didn't like Hillary, for reasons both Fair and Unfair, and a lot of the people who voted for her were, as the cliche goes, holding their nose and voting blue. A lot of the median swing voters fell hook, line, and sinker for the GOP attacks on her, and either stayed home or voted for the other guy.

As I mentioned in my previous post, they don't have much of a playbook for Kamala Harris. They've done zero preparation for the possibility of her presidential run because they thought they wouldn't have to worry about her until 2028, if at all. They've tried "she laughs weird" but it doesn't really work because people are finding it endearing and because their guy does everything weird. They've tried "she's a childless cat lady" and that offended everyone's casually conservative step-parents and lost them a bunch of support. Trump's campaign has been tripling down on bolstering support of their small but vocal Base, by hammering down on the idea that she's a "far-left radical" but that's just a page out of the playbook they use for everybody, and doesn't really play with anybody who isn't already voting for them.

And, I already hear people typing to remind me not to forget this, they have tried the racist angle, painting her as a "DEI hire" and an "affirmative action vice president," or even claiming she's ineligible to serve because her parents were immigrants. Firstly, again, they're borrowing a failed page from their anti-Obama playbook for that last one, and second, the actually competent republican strategists have been begging the public-facing parts of the party to please stop attacking her on the basis of race and gender, for one simple reason:

Mask-off racism loses you votes. It's why Trump always has to pretend like he cares about "black jobs" and that his problem with immigration is that "Mexico is sending us all their bad hombres" rather than admitting that his problem is just that the people immigrating are Mexican at all. It's why top Republicans spent the past 16 years talking about birth certificates and constitutional eligibility for Obama, instead of just calling him slurs.

You can win voters by saying "we're okay with a black president, but the Democrats are breaking the rules by letting this guy in particular be president, it's not about him being black, it's about him being ineligible." You don't win voters by saying "keep the white house white." The people who that second thing would work on? Already voting republican 100% of the time.

Which is another important reason to have hope here: in 2016, the Republicans were still maintaining the (objectively false) pretense of not being racist. I don't think anything's changed about the Republican party between the Nixon era and today except that now, they say the quiet part loud. They've spent the past eight years systematically eliminating the power-players who maintain the Not Racist masquerade and replacing them with people who will actively say overtly, unabashedly racist shit without pretending it's about something else. It's why the republican strategists keep begging people not to attack her on the grounds of race: it will lose them voters.

That's more or less the short version of my summary of why I think 2024 will go differently than 2016. I hope I'm right. I'm right about a lot more stuff than I'm wrong about, but I'm also wrong about a lot of stuff, so I might not be. Nothing's over until it's over. If you don't want to see a repeat of 2016, go make sure you're registered to vote, and then on Election Day, go vote for Kamala Harris. Either she, or Donald Trump, will become the president at the end of this year. There is no third option that is mathematically capable of happening. If you are legally eligible to vote and physically capable of doing so, voting for Kamala Harris is the only action you can take (including inaction) that can prevent Donald Trump from taking over the country and doing away with any semblance of US Democracy altogether.

We can win this. With all of our help, we will win this. Doomerism on the left benefits nobody but the right. People being genuinely excited from now until November might actually translate into electoral victory.

[sophieinwonderland]

An Anti-Endo's Playbook

Hello! Are you an anti-endo looking to convert people to your cause? Well you're in luck because I have the guide for you!

As more studies come out supporting endogenic systems, arguing against pro-endos is becoming harder every day. But let me tell you a secret, people aren't perfectly logical machines. We're emotional and irrational. You don't need science or logic on your side. Instead, your job is to exploit that irrationality.

Let's start with something simple.

Argument by Assertion "Endos Aren't Scientifically Possible."

This is your opening and is possibly the most effective tool in your toolbox. Just say something and repeat it ad nauseum.

See, you don't need to be right. You just need to be confident and state what you want people to believe as a fact. Then repeat it again and again.

Propaganda experts might also call this The Big Lie.

People are social creatures and naturally trusting, so if you say something bold and confidently, they're going to be inclined to believe you. You don't actually need to provide any scientific evidence to support your case, or quotes from doctors, or anything else. Just keep repeating that endos aren't scientifically possible over and over again.

This might not sound effective, but there's a reason a third of the United States still thinks the 2020 election was rigged. If you're confident and don't waver for a moment, and keep repeating the lie, people will believe you.

But... what about the people that don't? What if an endo starts citing actual sources that contradict your claims. Normally, I might suggest finding sources of your own, but given the complete lack of support anti-endos have in academic papers, this may prove impossible. Luckily, we have more tricks up our sleeves.

Appeal to the Masses "Everyone Agrees That Endos Aren't Real."

As we all know, science isn't determined by scientists. Science is a democracy where anyone can vote. That's why even though scientists say we use all of our brains, we can know that the truth is that we only use 10% of our brains, because that's what most people believe and there have even been movies about it and stuff.

This is an the appeal to the masses.

Likewise, most people don't believe in endos. Or at least, that's what you say. See, you probably don't have any reliable polls on hand to back up that assertion, so we're kind of combining techniques here. We're appealing to the masses, but without evidence the masses agree with us, we just kind of have to assert it. As long as it sounds true, then people will believe it.

Like how I bet most people believed me when I said "most" people think we only use 10% of our brain. It SOUNDS like it could be true, and confirms our pre-existing biases that humans are kind of stupid, and that's really good enough isn't it?

What if this still doesn't work though? What if the endos keep demanding evidence?

Well, you can just give them too much of it.

The Gish Gallop: Source Overload

(Example)

You may be wondering, since I mentioned that there aren't any sources that support anti-endos, how this will work.

First, let's take a moment to understand the Gish Gallop. This debating tactic is most commonly associated with live debates where you throw out a bunch of nonsense claims that your opponent doesn't have time to answer because refuting them would take more time than you're allotted. Then when your claims go unanswered, it tricks spectators into thinking the claims are true.

This isn't generally as effective online where people can take hours to compose a response if they want... except...

The online equivalent of this is to overload your opponent with too many junk sources so that they can't debunk them all.

These do not need to support your point in any way. And you should NEVER screenshot them. Remember, your goal isn't to make the information accessible to your opponent. It's to keep the pro-endo occupied reading a 30-page document to try to figure out what it means and how it relates to what you're saying.

If the pro-endo does debunk your first paper, call them out for not addressing your other 20 articles too. Make them out to be ignoring evidence.

If they do call out this tactic and ask for a screenshot or quote of specific lines that back up your argument, respond by self-righteously telling the endo that it's not your job to educate them.

Speaking of education, what do we do about the endo sources?

Ad Hominems: Attacking the Researchers

Ad hominems are great for combating sources.

At the most basic level, you can get a lot of mileage out of throwing around the word "quack" a lot without finding any dirt on the researchers.

You might want to also claim the research is biased in some way. Say for example that a researcher has a hypothesis and they conducted an experiment to test that hypothesis. You can say that this makes the whole experiment biased and therefore should be dismissed because the research already had an expected outcome. Someone might counter and say that most scientists start with a hypothesis. But luckily, a lot of lay people won't realize that.

Let's say, for instance, that someone cites this paper on Vineyard Evangelicals who hear the voice of God as an example of non-traumagenic plural-like experiences.

Instead of addressing the merits of this paper or discussing whether hearing an autonomous and seemingly self-conscious voice identifying itself as God is plural or plural-like, you can look up to see if any of the 200,000 members of the Vineyard Church have ever reported negative experiences. Get one article with people calling it cult-like, and then accuse the endo of using "abusive sources."

Other Strategies For Dismissing Papers: Just Make Up Reasons Why Studies Are Invalid

For these, we're going to rely again on our argument by assertion, and assert some qualifiers for why a study should be dismissed.

First, accuse a study of being outdated.

Now, science doesn't actually have an expiration date. There is some research out there that may be outdated in the way that newer research comes out that disproves it. But in the absence of further research, old papers are generally considered useful, and it's not uncommon to see professionals today still cite sources dating back to the 80s or earlier.

But if you just throw out a number of years for research to expire, you can be sure that many people will take it at face value. But be careful with this. People might believe that 20-year-old research is too old. But it will be harder to sell them on something like "any research older than 5 years is outdated." That's going to be a problem when a lot of endogenic research is actually pretty recent, coming out within the last decade.

Another tactic you can try is to Attack the Domain.

As we're all taught in middle school in the US, only .gov and .edu sources are valid.

This is an oversimplification and is no longer applicable in higher education. But luckily, you're not targeting educated individuals. If you're making this argument, the ones you're probably trying to convince will be traumatized children between the ages of 14 and 17. And for this demographic, this argument is perfect. Not only have they never been to college themselves but neither have anyone in their friendgroup.

They have no concept of what counts as valid source in academic settings, and it's your job to keep it that way. Indoctrinate them young, and they'll stay yours forever.

Demonizing The Enemy: "Endos are Harming Real Systems"

This can take many forms.

At the basic level, you can do the anecdotal "endos are bad because they said mean things about me once." (Be sure to remove any context of things you may have said or did to them first.) There are plenty of endogenic systems out there in the world, and some are going to be cruel and abusive. Just like any other group.

These people are useful to your cause. If you ever had contact with abusive endos or pro-endos before, make sure that you write in detail about your bad experiences and specifically make it clear that they weren't an endogenic system who happened to be bad, but they're bad because they're endogenic. Also, if they're a traumagenic pro-endo, be sure that in your post you just refer to them as an "endo." The goal is smearing the entire endogenic community, and differentiating between abusive endos and traumagenic pro-endos will detract from that goal.

A well known example is the term "traumascum." Despite the fact that its coiner is traumagenic and most of the endogenic community dislikes it, it's important that when you make your emotional arguments to show why endos are bad, you only refer to it as being created and used by "endos."

If you really want to go all-in on this, something else you can do is...

Blame Endos For All Ableism

For this part, you want to try to convince people that any fakeclaiming or ableism they've ever experienced is because of this small niche group of systems on the internet.

In actuality, fakeclaiming DID systems has happened for a long time. The Imitated DID narrative was heavily pushed in all the way back in the 90s. And many of the people fakeclaimed today are TikTokers who are IDing as traumagenic DID systems.

Don't let these facts stop you though.

For the first part, the good thing is that, as I said before, many of the people you're trying to convince are children. If you tell them that fakeclaiming is worse today than ever before, who are they to argue? They have no frame of reference. They're usually younger systems who have only known that they're systems for a few years.

For the second, you can just ignore it. Or better yet, just label all the "cringe" systems as endos, regardless of whether they are or not.

Is calling traumagenic systems "endos" fakeclaiming their trauma? Sure.

But really, you fakeclaiming their trauma is really the endos' fault. If they didn't exist, then you wouldn't be able to call people endos, now would you?

See how smoothly that works?

All Anecdotes of People Who Thought They Were Endogenic Are Proof Endos Don't Exist

Anecdotes are your best friend. If you can find a small handful of people who previously thought they were endogenic and turned out to be wrong, you can weaponize this against all endos.

You can use these anecdotes as both proof that endos don't exist AND that they're harmful to real systems at the same time.

This particular tactic has also been used to great effect by anti-transgender groups, using a small handful of detrans people as proof that transitioning doesn't work and as a means of limiting trans rights. The success of these groups at spinning that narrative is how you can know that this tactic is effective!

More Ad Hominems: Attacking the Opposition

Yup. We're bringing in more ad hominems. This is one of the most important tools in your belt. If you feel like you're losing an argument, you can just attack the person you're arguing with. Actually, you should do this before the argument even starts.

Discrediting your enemy right at the beginning, making people see them as a bad person, will immediately make people not want to associate with them and even make them inclined to disagree with whatever they say.

So try to dredge up anything you can on them to weaponize. Or just casually accuse them of being something-phobic or something-ist.

Calling them ableist is easy. You can shout out ableism accusations right from the start just on the merits of being pro-endo.

If they're a spiritual plural, you can call them racist. This works easiest with tulpamancers since tulpa has a Tibetan etymology. (And don't worry; you won't need to pretend to care about appropriation outside of this context, such as the tulpa appearing in creepypastas or media like Supernatural or X-Files, or Genshin Impact's Hydro Tulpa boss. This is about winning an argument, not being morally consistent.) But it can work with any sort of spiritual system. If you're feeling particularly bold, you can actually claim that all possession states around the world are closed practices and anyone who claims spiritual plurality is appropriating these cultures.

Also, if they use the word "sysmed," because this is derived from transmed, be sure to call them transphobic because they're appropriating trans words. Pay no mind to if they're transgender themselves, or how little sense it would make to appropriate their own language.

Bully into Submission

If simple ad hominems don't work, dogpile and bully them into silence. Invite your friends to join in. Bombard them with constant hate posts and harassment.

The goal here is not to convert people to your side, but to remove them from the conversation. Keep the accusations going. Make up rumors about them. Try to falsely report them to get them banned. You want to make them suffer so much that they never want to post again. To ensure, one way or another, that there is one less pro-endo in the world.

This will work best on people who themselves are traumatized and vulnerable. Luckily, there are a lot of people like that in the pro-endo community you can silence this way.

Be warned though of the emotional tank.

These people have personalities that can tank a shocking amount of abuse and emotional damage, and even turn abuse they receive around and use it as a talking point against your side. They take the old adage of "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" to heart.

If you try to harass an emotional tank, rather than silencing them, you're likely to only make them stronger and more determined.

Speaking of traumatized people...

Try To Make People Associate Endos With Trauma

Remember to know your audience. And your audience is a group of trauma survivors.

If you really, really want to ensnare them, play on that.

Use it to your advantage. One super simple way to do this is to throw around cult accusations. Just saying endos are a cult will immediately trigger cult survivors and make them want to avoid the pro-endo community.

A more complicated version of this can be done if an endo mentions that we don't have proof that DID or OSDD forms from trauma 100% of the time.

What you want to say in this situation is that "to prove all cases of DID come from trauma, you would need to traumatize children."

You can add a line specifically accusing the endo of wanting to traumatize children, or just let the implication hang in the air.

Now, someone paying attention might recognize that such a study couldn't prove what it claims to. Just like if you did a study where you hit a bunch of people in the arm with a hammer and broke their arms, you couldn't prove that 'all broken arms are caused by hammers.'

But you aren't saying this because you think it's logical. You're saying this because you're trying to get your audience of survivors of childhood trauma to think of endos as people who want to traumatize children.

If you can properly trigger them, then that rational part of their brain will just shutoff and they won't question your premise or logic too much.

How to Keep People Once Indoctrinated

Remember, the conversion process is only the beginning. After that, you want to make sure that they stay anti-endo. A good place to start is to...

Make Sure Friendship is Contingent on Them Being Anti-Endo

Pull people into anti-endo servers that have strict rules against pro-endos and even neutrals. Post "pro-endos" in your DNI to make it known that you don't ever want to interact with any pro-endos.

At the same time, encourage them to cutoff pro-endo friends and avoid pro-endo spaces. Ideally, you want the convert isolated from anyone who might be able to change their minds in the future.

Once you've cut them off from all pro-endos, their only system friends will be in the anti-endo community. And if they ever step outside of that box, they'll be instantly banned from their anti-endo servers and blocked by their anti-endo "friends."

With this, not only have you converted them, but you can reliably keep them on your side forever. Or at least, until they're willing to destroy all their relationships with other systems online in order to get out.

Just Let The Endos Do It For You

Endos thesmelves will actually be your secret weapon in this endeavor.

It's a well-known fact that hate breeds more hate. If you fakeclaim someone, they're going to be angry, and will likely resort to personal attacks. Once your newly-converted anti-endo has been successfully indoctrinated, get them to make some public anti-endo posts. The more hateful and invalidating, the better. Preferably where pro-endos can see.

When endos respond respond to the convert's hate post by sending hate of their own, it will only confirm that endos are actually hateful. It doesn't matter who started it. It only matters that you get an angry reaction out of the endos.

And the more the endos react to hate with more hate, the more the convert will double down.

The absolute worst thing for you as an anti-endo would be if endos stopped responding to hate with more hate of their own, and took a moment to consider if how they're reacting is actually in the best interest of their cause, of if they're just being baited into lashing out from hurt and anger themselves.

[traineecryptid]

NPSS Weibo Q&A (20240831) Part 1

This is a Q&A session held on Weibo. People will tag their questions with the hashtag #南派三叔藏海花在线答疑# (#NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#) and NPSS will look through the tag to pick some to answer. The event started at 1500 hours on 2024 August 31st. For comedic purposes, this translation will include the timestamps for the answers. And for efficiency purposes, I have left out all usernames. The usernames of the question-askers can be found via the screenshots in this folder if anyone is inclined to do that.

1422 Come ask questions at #NPSS Zang Hai Hua Online Q&A#. I will stay online and pick questions to answer without limits from 3pm onward. 1500 Q: Sanshu, what was the thing that Zhang Qiling wanted Pangzi to tell Wu Xie that Pangzi mentioned when he was fixing Wu Xie’s dislocated shoulder? My friends and I would love to know. 

A: Eat well, sleep well, wear socks even in the summer. 1500 Q: Lei, do you like this pic I made? [It’s an edit of NPSS’s face on a pink dressed magical girl body]

A: I feel like this pic is affecting the fengshui in my house.

1502 Q: Shu, it is confirmed that Ten Years is included in the ZHH drama. Then, will the drama show the changes between ZHH Wu Xie and Ten Years Wu Xie? In yesterday’s livestream you said that there are four turning points in the drama. Is it that Wu Xie will become Xie Di after being tricked four times? A: Every character and their fate all have big turning points. Whether he’s a good person or an evil person, whether his answers are real or fake, you must watch till the end [only then you’ll know].

1502 Q: Sanshu, what was Wu Xie thinking in the split second when he saw Menyouping’s portrait in Tibet? A: “What the fuck!” (T/N: swears are not very translatable in meaning. I tried.) 1503

Q: Pumpkin Sect (T/N: this might be an intentional typo punning of nanpai which means southern sect), what would the scene be like if Xiaoge’s mom met Wu Xie? Would Bai Ma be happy that her child had gained some humanity because of Wu Xie? A: Bai Ma would probably teach Wu Xie to sing. Something like The Night of Ulaanbaatar.

1505 Q: Shu, why have you been answering so many questions lately? Has there been some big thing happening?

A: They said that I’m a liuliang celebrity so I should shoulder the publicity mission. (T/N: Liuliang celebrity refers to celebrities who are popular (or controversial) and are able to generate a lot of social media traffic. For example: when a celeb would get on the trending searches whenever they post selfies/ attend events/ do just about anything.)

1513 Q: What would Mo Yungao from Southern Archives do if he had really found Xiaoge? A: He would eat Zhang Qiling.

1523 Q: Is the audience viewing experience taken into deep consideration when making drama and movie adaptations? For example, allowing those who haven't read the novels to understand the plot. I saw some people saying that they couldn’t follow the plot [from the drama].

A: For Reboot, in order to help the audience get into it, we introduced the characters and their occupation in the first episode. But for ZHH,  according to the number of votes, we all chose to do a cold open based on the novel. 

1524 Q: Sanshu, Sanshu, I want to know, based on Zhang Qiling’s arm strength, how many Wu Xies can he carry?

A: If he uses the strength from his waist to assist, he can throw Wu Xie up to the third floor.

1526 Q: What is the ending for Boss Jiao in the Reboot novel?

A: Became Jiao. (T/N: The character for Jiao means burnt).

1527 Q: Will Xu Zhenxuan play Wu Xie in the Heavenly Palace re-shoot?

A: Yes.

1528

Q: Shu, did Zhang Haike recommend Xiaoge’s drink to Wu Xie because he wants to show off that he understands Xiaoge? A: Hahahahaha

1532 Q: ZHH drama and novel will have two separate endings. Now that the drama has an ending, have you decided on the ending of the novel? When will you experience Tianshou? A: I always understood the dramas as the dreams of the characters from the books. That means that the changes in details in the dramas, to me, I would always explain it as the intentional and unintentional amendment to the details as they tell this story to someone else. Or that these are part of their dream and after-the-fact fears. I will explain it again after [you] see the end.

1533

Q: I would like to know the mental state of the company. It seems like it’s taking big steps towards a beautiful direction.

A: It’s rare to be able to legally go crazy. Everyone’s very happy.

Here's the first 15. There are more answers and I will chip at them at a pace that will hopefully be able to keep up with NPSS. The folder also contains a google doc that has all the complied Q&As if anyone prefers to read on that.

[inquisimer]

dragon age character study fic recs

I'm back with another fic rec list, this time focusing on character studies! There were so many more than five that I flagged as interesting 👀 when I was putting this together, so there's definitely a chance that this theme makes a repeat in the future.

Check these awesome fics out! And leave a comment + kudos to let the author know you did💜

Vote in this poll to help me choose a theme for next week's rec list (:

-

New Tricks by Penknife (@penknife)

Dorian Pavus & Cullen Rutherford, Josephine Montilyet & Cullen Rutherford & Leliana | G | 1968 words | No Archive Warnings Apply Author's Summary: Five times Cullen found that he didn't have to do everything the hard way. Mer's Rec: If you're into Cullen & Dorian friendship, or really any Cullen friendship, this fic will be right up your alley. Penknife does an excellent job of contrasting Dorian as a beleaguered academic (beloved) with Cullen's quieter intelligence. They also highlight Cullen as a strategist and commander, not just the "send the troops" guy, and the advisor interactions resonate with coworker friend energy, which I loved. I always adore fics that explore Cullen's habits and traits leftover from so many years as a Templar and this story seamlessly weaves in those details, which brings a real depth to both Cullen and his interactions.

Names Are Cloaks by EllanaSan

Female Adaar & Josephine Montilyet | G | 2963 words | No Archive Warnings Apply Author's Summary: They can’t have that, she supposes, the Herald of Andraste being called names behind her back… The only way the situation could have been worse is if she had been an elf. She could tell the ambassador that there are people in this very camp disrespecting her at every turn but she is far too used to it to care. They call her oxwoman. They call her witch. They call her chosen or your worship. They call her Tal-Vashoth. Names are weapons. For the bearer to hold and to wield. Names are cloaks. For the bearer to wrap themselves in and discard when outgrown. Mer's Rec: With Bioware's scant lore about Qunari and the Qun, I was impressed by how this story immersed me in Adaar's history. Tidbits from canon interwoven with fascinating-slash-heartbreaking details about the Qun, Vashoth, and Saarebas, plus her introspective musings on the past and her identity make this Adaar stand out from the cookie-cutter protagonist in the best way. I want to know more about her! From Josephine's dialogue and mannerisms to the uncertainty, fear, and alienation the Herald can experience in Haven, everything about this story feels like it could be straight out of the DAI canon.

I have outlived the night by lilith_morgana (@senseandaccountability)

Loghain Mac Tir, Minor/Background Relationships | T | 2106 words | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Author's Summary: He's five, he's eighteen, nineteen, twenty, forty-six, and fifty-five, he's fifty-six, fifty-seven and ready to die. Instead, he lives. Mer's Rec: The emotion in this fic is so palpable, so visceral, and it slaps you in the face the way careful consideration of complicated characters should. With repeated contrasts between Loghain in his youth versus his later years, the author takes us on a journey from hot-headed kid to weary veteran, and it just makes your heart ache😭 It features strong exposition on Loghain's motives, feelings, and regrets during the Fifth Blight, which I love to see since it's fairly absent from the game itself. Their portrayal of Loghain in Inquisition also felt fresh and different, including a conversation with Cullen, which is a dynamic I hadn't considered before and found incredibly interesting to read. And of course it ends on a bittersweet note, as it always does with Loghain.

To Yield Is Not Weak by disasterhawke

Alistair/Anora Mac Tir | M | 4018 words | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Author's Summary: She may not like her new husband, but Anora Theirin is not about to let the world treat him like it has treated her. She will do whatever it takes to earn his trust. This is not quite what he expects. An Anora character study that explores her arranged marriage to her husband's bastard brother. Mer's Rec: this 👏 was 👏 everything I wanted out of an Alistair/Anora fic! While I think antagonism between those two has a place, this fic explored their relationship through the lens of teaching and working together, rather than animosity. It works SO well and there was a definite give-and-take, with Anora running the show immediately post-coronation, but gradually softening her harsher edges and highlighting Alistair's strengths while they grow as rulers. Anora's internal monologue, not only about Alistair, but also Cailan and Loghain, does a fantastic job showing the humanity she usually has to hide, without diminishing her competence in the least.

when the bough breaks by gummies (orphaned)

Morrigan, Flemeth | G | 1124 words | No Archive Warnings Apply Author's Summary: In her hands, the mouse is kept still. The only movement Morrigan feels from it is the beating of its tiny heart. With her eyes closed, it almost seems that she is holding in her hands its heart alone. Tiny, vulnerable, and so stutteringly fast. It must be afraid, Morrigan muses. Something twinges in her chest. Empathy. She cannot help the flare of protectiveness inside her. For now, the mouse is hers. Plucked from the world from whence it came, tucked away and safe. She wonders if this is how Mother feels of her. Mer's Rec: What struck me most about this fic was the author's grasp of character voices. Flemeth is just as cunning and calculating as she comes across in game, but I was beyond impressed by their young!Morrigan. I could see and hear so clearly how Morrigan would get from the childlike hope she has in this story to the harsher, bitter Morrigan we meet in game. I don't even know how they did that, but it was incredible to read, even as this slice of Morrigan's childhood and her abuse at Flemeth's hands was breaking my heart.

Don't forget to get your fic and art recs lined up for tomorrow's Fan Work Friday!

[toskarin]

THE WAY OF ALL FLESH 《万人の途》

You need not hurry, We've got all the time in the world.

My memory has failed sadly of late.

He is violently pessimistic.

It is wildly unlikely.

There is all the difference in the world between the two.

make an unholy fuss about very little.

Dear me! What a sorry mess everything is in!

The painting is a rank imitation.

a gross mistake.

a crushing bore.

with no earthly reason.

be crass ignorance.

every trick in the book.

They have all the advantages in the world.

go native. go bust.

The proposal came one vote short of unanimous approval.

I can't reach the buttons on the back. Will you do them for me?

So many movies have had this plot that it has been done to death.

Things don't go so well in real life.

It will go hard with him if he is found out.

It makes no difference no matter which way the election goes.

some people still can go without paying taxes.

look full in the face.

The sun shone in our faces.

One and one makes one.

These make a pair.

make the passing mark.

The seal is missing on the document.

The lace on one of my shoes had god undone.

I wouldn't want to be quoted on this.

I'm not much on putting those things into words.

be short on imagination.

It seems he got mixed up on his instructions.

Who is going to take you up on your offer!

He erred grossly on that problem.

a toy balloon on a string.

a dog on a chain.

be a black mark.

He is the sort of man whose personal charm grows on you on acquaintance.

Wherever did you put?

It was a good joke, but fell flat on him.

The mood grew on me.

My mind was not on it.

be borne in on one.

Shame on you!

an experiment on animals.

It is too late to perform an operation on him.

You ought to be harder on him.

Acids act upon metals.

It is unfair on you.

His voice grates upon my ear.

The drinks are on me.

Do you know you are taking a great deal on yourself?

Don't tell on me.

She seems to have something on him.

play a neat trick on a person.

get die on a person.

They have nothing on us.

Age has begun to tell on me.

No use trying to pull such a trick on me.

be on trial.

He is unable to hold anything on his stomach.

The scene was on.

I lay awake thinking over it all last night.

I had to rack my brains over that problem.

She hesitated over her answer.

ride roughshod over the objection.

Don't pull that line on me.

pull a sanctimonious face.

He never pulls his rank.

We are running short of gas.

Time is running short on me.

One's devil's luck runs out.

Finally she ran out of patience.

The watch has run down.

let one's imagination run riot.

run short of topics for conversation.

That is not the way the world is run.

run a machine at a high voltage.

run a person on a lie detector.

leave a motor running.

He stands small chance against you.

Kids run a high temperature over nothing in particular and snap out of it.

investigate a matter to the ground.

criticize severely.

You are worn to a shadow.

boring to distraction.

It has been done to death.

The bag was filled to bursting with sugar.

What are you seeing?

They were killed to a man.

It is done to a turn.

There is another side to the coin.

There's not enough depth to the story.

There is more to it than that.

There was no jerk to his motions.

That is about all there is to it.

The words had an ironical ring.

Have you any clue to work on?

The brakes refused to work.

The machine was still in fine working order.

The plan worked remarkably well.

It is very well in theory, but will it work?

His reason ceased to work.

Flattery will not work with him

It might work and again it might not work

I'm afraid it won't work so well.

Our plan worked successful.

The trick won't work with him.

The handle doesn't work.

The warning seemed to work most effectively.

Her face worked fiercely.

The screw had worked loose.

work a spear through one's hands.

They will work you to death.

He worked on a smile that didn't quite come off.

There is no knowing how that will work itself out.

This problem will not work out.

The safe opened to the key.

a ticket to a movie.

exit to applause.

The medicine worked into the wounded skin.

Oh! I'm inside out!

You are unzipped.

No stopover on this ticket.

try to enter a country on an expired passport.

I'll come again when you are free.

The question is who will bell the cat.

The fact that he was sick was not very impressive to her.

You asked for it.

untie a tight knot.

The girl couldn't word her feelings well.

Does he really mean it? I wonder.

Let him do his worst.

a would-be kindness.

Did she agree with you?

Turn your face toward me.

I don't think I can do it,but I'll try.

What is true of them is equally true of you.

They trumped up a charge to put him in jail.

Think it over carefully before you decide.

What are you talking about?

He bothered me with stupid questions.

Can it really be mine?

Don't calculate on me helping you.

No one called my attention to it.

Watch when you talk about religion.

You have the advantage of me.

They shouted to the utmost of their strength.

She never gave utterance to her personal feelings.

There were very few passengers in the train.

How much use did you get out of the machine?

It's not us that tried to upset their plans.

There was a chasm yawning in front of us.

Let me see,where was I?

Where did the plan go wrong?

work out one's idea of one's role.

To live is to suffer.

This is playing with words.

know what you mean.

What do you see?

You ought to have been more careful.

You need not have come.

Who do you think you are?

I have no idea what the word means.

ARRIVE ON THE EDGE

YOU RECAPTURED KARNEL OF THE LOST ARTICLE

AND THE ORDER IS TOTALLY OVER.

[loliflwrs]

Band AU! Call of Duty Headcanons

Hello! Sorry I haven’t been on here in a while but I needed to get this out, its been stuck in my head for so long but I’ve been a little nervous to post/write about it, credits to @threehuskiesinatrenchcoat because I used his post for this!! enjoyyy 😘

(Characters Included: Phillip Graves, Alejandro Vargas, Valeria Garza, Rodolfo Parra)

Phillip Graves

Graves is going to be the bands lead vocalist. His country accent gives their music a catchy vibe, his voice really makes you want to turn the music all the way up and sing along the whole way through. During performances you can see him wearing a cowboy hat, ripped jeans with a brown belt and some cowboy boots. He may take off his white or gray wife-beater during the last few songs. He can get quite sweaty..

He loves his fans dearly and loves to receive their gifts. His favorite would probably be a decorated cowboy hat with his initials and a sweet note handwritten on the inside.

Alejandro Vargas

Alejandro plays bass guitar. He’s like the backbone paired with the band’s drummer and maintains a steady rhythm. He’s very skilled with his hands and his fans don’t hesitate to say so, it gets a good laugh out of him. His usual attire during performances can be a dark red t-shirt, jeans and boots. He usually won’t wear anything additional like hats, he says it kind of affects his focus when he’s trying to play. Although, on his wrists he wears some bracelets he’s received from fans.

During a world tour, the band played in Las Almas and received a large Mexican flag. The flag was signed by many fans and had some words of encouragement to every member as well. He has it set up in the band’s usual practice room.

Valeria Garza

Valeria is the drummer. She moves fast, skillfully, and hard. The tattoos on her strong arms receive a lot of attention. She wears her usual bandana around her neck, a dark gray tank top, some cargo pants and black boots. She’ll have at least one or two hair ties on her wrists, although she has about nothing to tie up. She’ll find the edits made of her online amusing, she won’t hesitate to favorite one or repost it. Valeria does those drumstick tricks, she’ll throw one up during a pause, catch it, and keep it going.

Her hairstyles change occasionally, a fan favorite is her hair braided on one side of her head with the other side let loose. The fans would love to see her in a long sleeved black turtleneck with her gold chain again but, she got way too hot the last time. What a sight to see..

Rodolfo Parra

Rudy is the lead guitarist, he plays the electric guitar. Not unusual for him to have a band-aid or two on his hands. He absolutely shreds on his guitar, he has some back ups incase something happens to his during a performance. He likes to wear a white t-shirt, light jeans and maybe some adidas sneakers too. His hands can get quite cold too, it’s a slight shock to a fan when they get a high-five or something..

He likes to decorate his guitar and he lets the fans join in on it, they bring in cute stickers for him. Back to having backup guitars, Rodolfo usually posts a story on the band’s Instagram to let their fans vote on which guitar he should use that night.

[candycandy00]

I’m working on an AU fanfic called The Doll House (read it here!) where the JJK men train sex “dolls” and each have their own specialties. I’m doing Geto’s story now but I can’t decide who to write after I finish Geto.

Some details about each story:

Toji: You work at a convenience store Toji frequents and you’ve fallen in love with him. You know he works as a trainer so you go to the Doll House and confess to him while asking to be his doll. He says no at first because dolls aren’t supposed to get attached to their trainers and he’ll just be handing you over to someone else anyway. You find out that he can pick one doll during his career to keep for himself, so you make a bet with him that you can make him fall in love with you by the end of the training. Toji, who can’t resist a bet, agrees to it.

Nanami: You’ve been forced/tricked into signing the doll contract by your family and you have a crippling fear of men due to being raised only around women and going to all girl schools your whole life. Until you meet your sexy trainer Nanami, who shows you how great a man can be.

Gojo: Needing money to pay for a medical procedure for your mother, you sell yourself to the Doll House. But to your horror, your trainer ends up being the very guy who bullied you relentlessly all through your school years. Now you’re stuck being his pet “chubby bunny” (his mean nickname for you in school), not realizing that he actually had a crush on you when you were classmates.

Choso: When you find out your younger sister, just barely 18, has been sold to the Doll House, you rush over to stop the sale. You arrive to find her being led away by her trainer (Choso). The contract is already signed. There’s nothing you can do… except volunteer to take her place! Choso is moved by your willingness to do anything to protect your sibling, and the two of you bond over that while he trains you to be a dom.

Sukuna: At 18 you were sold on the direct market as a doll. Your cruel owner abused you and breached the contract by doing “permanent physical harm” to you, leaving you covered in scars, but also letting you out of the contract. A few years later, you’re considered “unsellable” due to the scars and your numb, dead inside attitude. But the Doll House takes you on, giving you to Sukuna to train. You thought you couldn’t feel anything anymore, but Sukuna will teach you things you never knew about both pleasure and pain.

I’ll probably write them in order of how many votes they get. Any comments/ideas/feedback is appreciated!

[cringetownusa]

The Warner Tax Rant.

Being “So far below the poverty line, they’re off the graph”, doesn’t seem to be a statement only true in the movie after all. This is almost 1k words. Sit tight.

OG RANT DATE: 3/22/2023 We know the Warners pay taxes. We know they pay income tax from the “We pay tons of income tax” line from the 90s intro. Tons is subjective, but we also know based on many instances of the Warners gaining some sort of monetary wealth(even to be immediately taken away) that money is something they care about(1). There’s been jokes(2) about how little they’re paid by the studio, one of which from a cut song about tiny things where the smallest thing of all was their paychecks. We know in the comics they also just. Don't have money to treat themselves to nice outings and so they have a separate thing they call “The Cute Fund”(3) where the Warners allow people to pay to pinch their cheeks, and they use that money for things like trips. Not only are the Warners like wicked underpaid and taken advantage of for being children, but since they were originally from the 30s, when they were released from the tower for the 90’s show they didn't know what the base wage was at the time. 

So even with all their fame in the 90s (on the level that would make it a cultural phenomenon, eg: clothes, games, theme park partnerships, school supplies) they were not fairly compensated for it.

But even with them being such a household name, if they had to talk over their own contracts, they were likely tricked into thinking they were getting a better wage just by holding it up to what they were paid for their very few paychecks for their 30s films, even if they’re smart kids, they’re just kids, and between desperation and relief of being released, their judgement may have been clouded on their own contracts. They were probably also just thankful to be getting the opportunity to get them at all because it meant that they would get time outside the tower for the first time in 60 years Anyway these thoughts brought me to thinking about Yakko having to calculate their paychecks and do taxes every year since they have an income.

But based on how little the three of them make together and how expensive California is, i assume tax season is pretty stressful for poor Yakko.

In the 90s when there wasn't a ton of tech going around it meant he'd have to do all their taxes by hand with a calculator and a bunch of notes and i am thinking of this poor boy pouring over then at like 12 in the morning after Wakko and dot have gone to bed under the guise of practicing his lines.

For assistance programs that exist for humans that the warners making so little money might qualify for, e.g. food stamps, would they even be approved?

Maybe toons get rejected for that since "they don't need to eat" regardless of toons like wakko who are designed differently to eat more and always be hungry and also hypoglycemic(4). (5)So in the 30s, minimum wage was .25 an hour, which translates to a little over $4 an hour now

In 1990, the minimum was was 4.75 ($9.19 as of 2024)

HOWEVER

We can assume toon labor laws would be different since they didn't even have the right to vote until 2020 bc of Dot, and the way animals are paid for their “acting” in 2020s.

So for the sake of this exercise in taxing we’ll assume that they were convinced being paid $1 an hour for each of them was a really REALLY good deal because it was 4x the wage in the 30s.(during the great depression)

This next part was calculated with help from my friend allowing me to use his California pay stub. Thank you Mickael. <3

Toons are probably paid less because they "have less necessities" and get rigorously overworked because their bodies “don't work like humans”. If we assume that they've been tricked in this way and calculate this off a 4 week paycheck, while also saying that they're pulling 40-60 hour work weeks due to overwork, with no overtime pay, that puts their GROSS pay for a MONTH at around ($480 for 40 hours) ($720 for 60 hours). 

Taking out California and Federal withholding, and healthcare on through the studio all together at around 12%, net take home would be ($422.40 at 40 hours) ($633.60 at 60) Now let’s assume the Warners get the tower as free room and board. That includes rent, electricity and running water ONLY, so we still have to calculate their wifi and phone bills (since we know for a fact that it’s relevant in the reboot. For the state of California, I used Mint unlimited at $60 a month since all three of them have phones. ($64.35 after tax) Internet needing to be somewhere around 100mbps for all their device’s wifi in the Burbank area, the least expensive option with wiggle room for Wakko(the Gamer) would be Starry Internet ($32.18 after tax). Yakko would be able to get a (LIFE) LA Metro tap card for low income, which would also give him a certain amount of free bus rides per month,after that each metro ride is $1.75 one way, and each bus ride is $1 one way. Let’s give all three Warners together a Budget of $50. This leaves them at ($275.87 for 40 hours of work) ($487.07 at 60) Much, if not all remainder would go to food or clothes depending on your headcanons for that. It’s no wonder they can’t afford expensive picture frames! ---

I'm sure there was more stuff I could have linked back to like the amounts and how I got them, and if people want more info they're welcome to dm me, but I've been impatiently wanting to share my thoughts lol.

Back in march of last year, I first spoke to my friend @help-the-lesbian in DM's about the warner's monetary situation. As I made more friends, I roped more of them into listening to me and now it's kind of an in-joke, but I just like thinking about Yakko getting stressed out about taxes and doing them because he cares about his siblings and he needs to take care of their family.

1[Animaniacs "Temporary Insanity" 1993] 2[Rob Paulson, “Animaniacs in Concert”, 2023] 3[Animaniacs Comic #2, 1995] 4[Wakko Warner Wiki] 5[Department of Industrial Relations, state of California] 6[California state tax is x1.0725]