#but the other option is just so much more juicy as a characterization

[aparticularbandit]

Thinking about the hallucinations that the coven members saw and coming down on two interpretations:

1) This was the most traumatic event of their life.

OR

2) This was a threatened loss (or in Lilia's case, perhaps a true loss) of the person most important to them.

Sharon and Alice are our two main ballparks for this (while Jennifer gives us another angle).

Sharon's vision was reliving the scene in WandaVision where her husband was choking and she couldn't do anything but plead with Wanda to do something. We know, as WandaVision viewers, that Mr. Davis did not die then, but we also know from the current series that he has since passed away. This scene for Sharon was traumatic, but that trauma was intrinsically tied to losing her husband - the most important person in her life.

Alice's vision involved her mother and (as far as we know) didn't involve any loss of life (except her grandmother, but that is not the focus of the vision) but DID involve the threat to her mother's life, as described by her mother. Given context clues from her conversation with Teen, we can safely assume that this was just prior to her mother forcing her to get her tattoo. We know that Alice's mom is the most important person in her life (which is building on the themes of family and especially mother-child relationships that the series seems to have as its main theme (we know from casting that Evanora should show up later, so they're going full in on this - not the point)) - and while this is not a physical loss of her mother, I think for Alice this specific moment marks when her mother as she knew her was lost to her. Because that's when she inherited that magic. That's when she became something different. Clearly this would have been a traumatic moment at the time, but I'm not sure it feels like one as seen in the show.

We do not know enough about Lilia to know exactly what was going on here in terms of who that person (or people) was to her, but if they're all dead, I would definitely call that a traumatic event and loss of life - for at least one person who I would say is clearly important to her, given she followed them.

Jennifer is our anomaly.

With every other coven member, the threat is not to them personally, but to a loved one, and this, for me, is why I give two interpretations. The idea that they are reliving their most traumatic event is kinder to Jennifer, because an attempted murder by drowning is definitely significantly traumatic (and explains why she jumped into the oven so quickly - been there, done that, not about to do it again).

But the other interpretation is more interesting to me, because if it's threat to the person most valuable to them, then that says the most valuable person to Jennifer is herself.

(Regarding Agatha, this reinforces either that Nicholas is the person most important to her (and continues the idea that her desire for the Darkhold superseded her love for him) OR that losing Nicholas was the most traumatic event in her life. I feel like we been knew on these; it's what this says about Jennifer that was most intriguing to me.)

[doomhamster]

So I was just reminded of the perfect example of why the sloppy writing of the Ravengards annoys me so much.

At one point during their reunion, if you're playing as Wyll, you can tell Ulder "it's just like you to judge without knowing all the facts". Which, on the one hand, when it came to his decision to exile Wyll, Ulder very much DID do that - he didn't have any other choice, granted, but still.

On the other hand, according to all the other sources in which he appears, Ulder Ravengard really doesn't DO snap judgments like that. The D&D modules describe him as a meticulous man, slow to speak or act, who is capable of making quick decisions on the battlefield but prefers to weigh his options thoroughly when he can.

And if Larian had kept his characterization consistent with those other sources, we'd be able to dig out all kinds of juicy interpretations of that line!

Was Ulder acting outside of his normal character, and what are the implications of that - was he being hasty because he was angry, because he was distressed, because Mizora was influencing him?

Is WYLL acting outside of his normal character, levelling an accusation against his father that he has to know will hurt? Is it a sign that he's struggling more with the decision to forgive Ulder than he wants to admit?

Hell, if Larian at least gave Ulder a consistent characterization within their own game, we'd know they'd created their own version of him who IS in fact the type to make quick, ill-considered judgments. Which would still annoy me, but it's not the first time - their version of Viconia DeVir doesn't have a lot more than a name in common with the original either, or so I've been told.

But they don't even do that, really, and so what could've been an interesting character moment becomes muddled and ineffective.

[that-angry-noldo]

I just saw this post discussing differences between Finarfin (and other Arafinweans) and Gil-Galad, and since you know much more about Finarfin than I do, I would enjoy hearing your take on his characterization in this post, if you are willing to and comfortable doing so. But if you would at all prefer not to, I completely understand and apologize for bothering you.

(I wasn't sure if this was better as an ask or a DM, so if you would rather reply using a DM, feel free to do so!)

i've been poking that post with a long stick for the whole day and then recieved your ask and if this isn't a sign from above I don't know what is. worth noting that i'm not set on my gil-galad theory but I do lean towards arafinweans

and it's not really because of the symmetry! i imagine gil-galad as the entire oposite of his house. He has dark hair. He's spiteful and angry. He was taught survival, not court pleasantries! And that's what makes the Arafinwean option juicy to me - he's the opposite of what people would consider traditionally third-housish

Though since you asked about Finarfin, I'm going to move onto the next point, because oooo boy do i have opinions

in my humble opinion "safety" was the very least thing motivating Finarfin. Again, from the Silm:

But in that hour Finarfin forsook the march, and turned back, being filled with grief, and with bitterness against the House of Fëanor, because of his kinship with Olwë of Alqualondë; and many of his people went with him, retracing their steps in sorrow, until they beheld once more the far beam of the Mindon upon Túna still shining in the night, and so came at last to Valinor.

Not once is safety mentioned. It always bugs me when people say Finarfin was afraid of the march, or, in this case, wanted to return to the safety of Valinor - because he's clearly hurt and angry at Feanor and his house. I think the Doom was the final point driving him to that decision, where his emotions and heart and moral compass overweighted his wish to be with his family. I doubt safety was ever on his mind at that point, because Valinor wasn't safe either! It was dark and the Noldor were probably outlaws without any remaining diplomatic connection to either Teleri or Vanyar; come on, a few pages earlier the goddamn Ungoliant appeared out of nowhere! I doubt it was much of a safe or stable place at that point, at least not in the minds of Quendi!

Another point that I strongly disagree with is Valinor being for "good golden kids" and ME being for "rebellious baddies". That take is popular within the fandom and it makes me white knuckle the sink every time I come across one. Do I think Amanyar and Beleriandrim have completely different mentalities? Absolutely! Even the Amanyar differ between eachother, what to say about them and the quendi living in Middle-Earth. Do I think it can be divided into "valinor for goodies and beleriand for baddies"? Hell no. That lacks so much of nuance and is often used to give Beleriandrim a sense of superiority which just rubs me wrong. Valinor managed to produce Feänor of all people! Valinor was able to train an army consisted of so-called goodies (the vanyar. a great deal of that army were vanyar. the same vanyar everyone portrays as the most obedient amanyar) that absolutely obliterated morgoth and won a 40 years long war. Can you see why I dislike that take?

Also the post really undersells the Arafinwions as a whole. Aegnor didn't reject his chance for ressurection in favour of waiting for Andreth for people to say that he "reluctantly dumped" her. Finrod didn't break the enchanted chains (in the narrative that is about breaking the chains of narrative) in a last desperate action of resilence for people to say "he obeyed his fate". Galadriel didn't stubbornly drag through the second and third age for people to say "well she returned in the end so it doesn't matter". Angrod didn't become known for his anger issues for people to set him under "goody two shoes" box. FINARFIN DIDN'T WIN AN APOCALYPTIC 40 YEARS LONG WAR FOR PEOPLE TO CALL HIM A COWARD OR THE GUY WHO DOESN'T APPEAR IN THE FIRST AGE

anyways I don't have much opinions on gil galad but i do have a lot of opinions on arafinwions and i will be defending those opinions with teeth and nails

[spnfanficpond]

March 2023 Angel Fish Awards

(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)

WELCOME TO THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words.

The monthly Angel Fish Awards are peer-nominated, meaning ANYONE (you don’t have to be a member) CAN NOMINATE ANY POND MEMBER’S FIC. Everyone in this community deserves to be showered with love and feedback, and we hope that this fun, thoughtful award will do just that. (Click here to learn more about how to nominate a fic for an award!)

Be sure to read through this whole post as people who were nominated more than once only had one tag activated for Tumblr tagging purposes!

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE THIS MONTH’S ANGEL FISH AWARDS!

Nominated by @iprobablyshipit91

I've Got You by @spnexploration

This story is super sweet protective Dean and I loved it so much. It’s everything I love to read 😍

Motel Diablo by @waynes-multiverse

This was just hilarious, it had reader and Dean smut as well as some brotherly squabbling and Deans love for his car. Brilliant!

~*~*~

Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis

Rumors (series) by @deanwinchesterswitch

If you're in the mood to get your ripped out and stomped on, this is the series for you! Dean did his usual stupid stuff and pushed her away. And then he regretted it, but she was gone. Can they fix it? Holy moly, this one hurts!!

What You Need (series) Part 1 & Part 2 by @thinkinghardhardlythinking

SO MUCH PINING!!! I love me some juicy pining and this has juicy pining AND Sam being a snack with gooey insides and I LOVE IT!! I can't wait to see how this goes!!

~*~*~

Nominated by @princessmisery666

All Out of Options by @julesthequirky

This is short and to the point and it broke my heart all the same!

Tattered (series - link and review are for part 8) by @stusbunker

Another amazing instalment. I love these 3 and though the situation is a bit messed up, Dean STILL puts Sam first. Perfect characterization. And that ending has me holding my breath…

Rumors (series - link and review are for part 3) by @deanwinchesterswitch

This whole series is heartbreaking and I never have the words to express how much I love something. So I'll say it again, I LOVE THIS, it hurts so so so so so so so good.

~*~*~

Nominated by @salt-n-burn-em-all

Ceremonial Boning by @agenthellcat

Not over the top with angst, cute, sweet and sexy! Excellent writing and most of all, she didn’t write that Dean was scissoring his fingers.

~*~*~

Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield

Never Doubt The Best Man (series) by @stusbunker

This one's been around for a couple of years, and yet, I forgot to read more than the first chapter until last month. And boy am I glad I did! It's soooo sexy and soooo Dean and fun and SEXY. And swoony. And it's Stu, which is always an automatic, duh, I'm gonna read it.

Muffled by @hoboal87

This is sweet and sexy and quick, but you can also feel the love. Those are sometimes the very best.

~*~*~

Nominated by @mariekoukie6661

Apple of my Eye (series) by @bamby0304

This is such a great series! I love what she did with this! The fact that it started in the « normal » world is what makes this series interesting!

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE AWESOME WORK AND GREAT FEEDBACK!

These are not actual awards, as in, there is no competition! This system is set up so everyone has a chance to share the love and promote a fic/author in the Pond that has grabbed your attention. The more people that participate, the better this will be :D

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

[friedrocks]

oooooooh please i need to know more about your qsmp pacific rim au

I'VE BEEN WANTING AN EXCUSE TO POST MORE ABOUT IT! Ily anon thank you and sorry it took me a while to reply here we gooo :))

This whole thing stemmed cause I re-watched Pacific Rim, one of my favorite movies of all time after a QSMP vod. And I immediately was like. "Oh my god, Jaiden and Roier as Jaeger pilots." So far I have 8 pages of a Google Doc on this now.

And now there's MORE to do bc MORE members just dropped.

Everyone is still stranded on an Island, one in the middle of the Ocean reserved for a Shatterdome that is used solely for training and repairing/constructing Jaegers. Everyone is stuck due to the sudden appearance of some Kaiju. One uses an electrical attack, sending a shock wave over the island and Shatterdome. Everyone is knocked out for two hours, and when they wake up, all technology/ways of communication outside the island is broken/unusable. Also, no one remembers why or how they are there. They only remember their names, some of the other members, and what Kaiju and Jaegers are. Otherwise, they're stuck and clueless.

Here's some ideas I have for the Eggs so far!

Eggs:

The kiddos are found as Kaiju eggs, in the same order so far. Super small compared to what is normal for Kaiju, so they are taken in for research- not easily, some people say no, but overall the majority vote to bring them in. They hatch about two weeks later, shocking everyone when they hatch to reveal what look like regular, human toddlers- all with white hair, white scales, and small white tails (over time of being cared for, the kiddos' scale colors change to match their parents and such).

At this point, everyone pairs up to take care of the kids. Some are already romantic couples, qprs, or besties. Badboyhalo is still a single parent, however I might work in Skeppy as being his friend/partner who is either on the island in a coma or just not there at all but Bad still remembers him much to the chagrin of everyone else. As for Quackity, I might have Tallulah and Tilín be twins, and have Wilbur and Quackity work that out (who knows how that will end, they're both disasters).

So far, I have options written as far as Egg deaths and what I want to do if I don't want to include Egg death. Cause it's fucking sad, but also. Juicy juicy angst.

Characters:

So far every character is just plain old human (except obviously the eggs, cucurucho, and code).

So far for Jaegers, I have 5, which I feel is a good amount. I didn't want to have too many, I had to narrow down the number of ppl I wanted to see in a Jaeger. I'll list the pairs I have so far here:

• Jaiden and Roier

��� Baghera and Forever (siblings in this au)(they pilot a Jaeger formerly manned by Bad and Skeppy)

• Philza and Missa (Formerly manned by Phil and Fit)

• Mariana and Charlie

• Pac and Mike (woah woah!) (also I'm still back and forth about them being pilots or engineers- or hey! both)

Everyone else is either dedicated to Strategy, Kaiju research/experimentation, general tech, or Jaeger engineering/design.

Cucurucho and The Code are also there, I'm brainstorming ideas on them (and the Eggs) being Government experiments of some kind, trying to blend animals and humans with Kaiju.

That's all for now without being too specific.

THANK YOU AGAIN ANON I'M HAVING SO MUCH WITH THIS

The only thing that would be better is if I could have anyone who actually speaks Portuguese and/or French and/or Spanish to help me out. I know a bit of Spanish, but definitely not enough to write it entirely accurately. I also worry that I won't characterize some of the non-Englisj speaking cubitos correctly, due to me not being able to watch them regularly.

Anyways ily and I love Pacific Rim and I love the QSMP my brain is buzzing, my hands are flapping

[semi-imaginary-place]

"what modern persona game should I play?"

Play both p3 and p5r eventually. P3 had better thematic execution and story, P5R is out right now, both are good games. I've been seeing P5R for half price over the last few months. I suppose it depends on how much you care about hype and trends, I don't and I've played P3 so I don't mind waiting a couple years until Reload is on sale. Between P3 FES and P5 Royal P3 is the better game, P5 has a bad habit of thematically shooting itself in the face constantly it doesn't know what it wants to say, P3 is much more coherent and has one of my favorite stories. Both have good casts, who you will like depends on you. P3 in tone is more somber and mature and that shows in the characters like even the jokey characters have something going on. P5 is more lively comparatively (though really I'd say P4 is the liveliest and youngest feeling). I like the character arcs of the P3 cast more as they are more integrated into the main plot. For p5 overall the writing quality is high and I found the story to be compelling so it has that going for it, but 3rd semester fleshes out Maruki, Akechi, and Yoshizawa so if you hate those 3 you might be annoyed at seeing them on screen.

On a note for P3, don't play Portable. If you are only going to play 1 version of P3, Portable is the worst one to choose. It has valuable content if you are already a p3 fan, but it cuts out the animated cutscenes which are the best directed cutscenes I have ever seen as well as removing the overworld which really takes away form the immersion and intractability of the world (it's replaced with a point and click image), it also makes some other changes that weaken the story and themes of p3. The animation direction of the og and FES cutscenes is a godly high tier art form and worth seeing. As of right now FES is the best version if you are only going to play P3 once. We will see about Reload but so far it looks to be promising for being the best version, for you I'd probably wait for Reload to play P3. (P3P makes sense for a switch port since it was designed for mobile platforms and the PSP but for a pc port i would have chosen FES. While i like the option for friendships on the female route, P3P also makes several changes that weaken the themes of P3.)

P4 is also a good game. I don't think Golden is that much better than vanilla since there's parts added I didn't like but it's not worse. P4 is my least favorite of the recent 3 main games. It hasn't aged well but if you look at it as a period piece for the culture of the mid-late 2000s it can be pretty interesting. P4 like P5 also has a habit of tripping over it's own themes and face planting into the ground.

The side games in general tend to be a step down from the main games (Arena, Strikers, Answer, Dancing etc. not sure about PQ just starting them). The Arena games and Persona Q both have spoilers for P3 so I'd advise playing P3 and P4 first. The stories to the Arena games were ok I guess but I didn't find them particularly compelling. The main concepts are fine but it takes a while to get to the juicy part. Arena is a split storyline visual novel sot hat's part of it. Really the draw to Arena is seeing the P3/4 characters which is a shame because they did some bizarre characterization choices, in general flattening/simplifying down their personalities, or like drastically changing characters personalities. Its enough that a good chunk of us ignore it as canon. The Arena games aren't that great storywise and some of the character writing is weirdly different than in the main games, like it is flat out bad. Strikers is good for a spinoff and is a good extension of p5 but it's not as good as and doesn't have nearly as much content as the main games.

[zephycluster]

Precolonial HWS SEA Rant Post, feel free to ignore

If you're still reading, then you're probably looking for evidence or some juicy tidbits to throw back at me or to try and find dirt to cancel me, like typical Tumblr/Twitter. Go ahead, I don't really care.

First off, let me just say that If you like Precolonial South-East Asia AUs, feel free to keep enjoying them. I will respectfully support your passions from afar. This post is just to explain why I don't like it, especially the way they keep insisting/portraying PH in it.

Still here? Then let me begin.

Since the recent confirmation that the ASEAN Six Majors (Can't really say ASEAN 10 atm since it's still missing some people) Were completed and the Ma-Phil-Indo Trio was included, there has been a large surge in 'Precolonial' fanarts and portrayals of South East Asians, those three especially.

Even long, long before, circa 2010's ish, a rather well-known fan universe known as 'Maaf' dealt with their story and how their Author thought their intertwined histories went. Written by (my best guesstimate) an Indonesian writer who wants to explore the old, SEA bond.

When I first stumbled across Maaf (I was in Highschool at the time, around age 16-ish), I took a casual interest in it and tried to read it through. But, I will wholeheartedly admit that at the time, Pre-Colonial cultures of South-East Asia in general, let alone Philippine, did not really interest me that much. The focus (I think) was mostly on Indonesia, a country I didn't really know back then, and the liberal use of 'ancient' names and artwork just made it feel like an entirely Original Work (that needed a degree in History to really appreciate) and not something from Hetalia. I also completely disagreed with what I could gather was the story's portrayal of PH but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Do I hate 'Maaf'? No, I don't hate it. Do I wish I never came across it or that it didn't exist? Of course not. Just because I didn't enjoy it or appreciate it that well doesn't mean I wish any ill toward it, its fans, or its creator.

Fast forward to April 2021, the long awaited inclusion of South East Asia to the canon Hetalia verse. I was happy, the other fans were happy, all was good.

Then started the questionable fanarts, fan theories and fan pairings.

Especially the expansion of Precolonial! PH.

Let's go back to Maaf for one moment. From what I understood of Maaf, PH there was a character who once was like all the other South East Asian cultures, trading with them, all around being a nice family.

But all that changed when the Spaniards attacked, so cry the precolonial buffs. They destroyed everything, ransacked and marginalized the tribes, erased everything that PH was!

Did that happen? ABSOLUTELY. The Spaniards had this vision in mind that they must spread Christianity to all of the 'savage, unchristian heathens' of their realm. :V /s

But back up a second, back to PH's portrayal in Maaf. The way she (yeah, she) was portrayed there was that she was slowly losing her memories of being a 'true' South East Asian and grew more and more westernized in the process, like some sort of Culture-specific Alzheimer's or something.

Firstly, that is seriously depressing, and secondly, I just really don't see that happening.

Here's why.

Point 1: Even before Colonial Masters, Filipinos as a people cannot agree on anything.

I'll just begin this segment with a Philippine proverb that outlines what Filipinos call 'Crab Mentality' or 'Crab Bucket Mentality'.

"You don't need a lid for a container when you're keeping multiple crabs. If you keep at least two crabs together, they will just pull each other down instead of helping each other up."

I don't know how it goes with Indonesian or Malaysian history class, but what I know of my homeland, both pre- and post-colonial history, we were never really 'united' or 'together' in the sense that Indonesia and Malaysia were (from what I assume).

Let me pull up a somewhat related question on r/AskHistorians.

The reason I brought this up as it shows the reasons why, in my opinion, a single entity that is 'Precolonial Philippines-tan' is an impossibility.

The answers are long and would extend this already long post to stupid proportions, so I'll just quote relevant sentences. The link is here for those that wanna deep-dive into the answer.

"All this to say that there wasn't a name used for the entire Philippine islands before the Philippines that people now would agree to. An interesting comparison would be the Holy Roman Empire, which might also be characterized as disparate politico-geographic groups of relatively small size that had a history of relations between each other, but one thing they had that the Philippines did not was a common language, or at least a family of mostly mutually intelligible languages, so that the name Deutschland or Germany isn't terribly offensive to anyone. If you called the Philippines the 'Lupang-Tagalog' or even 'Lupang-Tao' the other ethnic groups would protest."

For those in need of translation, 'Lupang Tagalog' means 'Land of the Tagalogs' and 'Lupang Tao' means 'Land of People', specifically. The first one is already exclusive and offensive, as the Tagalog peoples are but one of many ethnicities here.

And for the 'Lupang Tagalog' suggestion specifically, it's even more offensive as they are the majority ethnicity (not by much, just around 28%) From this chart from Geography Now! It would basically be alienating everyone else in the 72% remainder that isn't 'Tagalog'.

And even 'Lupang Tao', the most generic name in a local language you can think of, would be met with contempt because the name itself is in the Tagalog language.

Just travelling between two individual island groups today would sometimes require a translator because the words can change very rapidly and very drastically. Here's a sample of some differences coming from a friend living in Visayas (in Red) vs. the words I know living in Luzon (In blue).

Ate vs. Manang = Older Sister

Ibon vs. Pispis = Bird

Tumawa vs. Kadlaw = To laugh

Takot vs. Hadlok = Fear

Kain vs. Kaon = To eat

Ngayon vs. Subong = Now, at this point in time

Iyak vs. Hibi/Gibi = to cry

Talampakan vs. Tiil = Foot (in Tagalog, the word retains its 'body part AND unit of measurement' meaning)

Tulog vs. Tuyo = to sleep (Tuyo in Tagalog is either a dried salted fish or 'to dry')

The kicker is that just like Tagalog is just one of many languages here, so too is the language my friend speaks. Ask an entirely new person, like someone from Mindanao, they'll probably have an entirely new set of words.

It's not just Luzon vs. Visayas vs. Mindanao, either. Here's a map listing some of the ethnic groups here.

Even the way they're written differs from location to location.

While we're on the subject of Island divisions, a casual skim across Twitter and Tumblr has shown that their Precolonial PH has been one of the following ancient civilizations: Tondo, Butuan, Sugbu, Namayan. There may have been others but that was what I have found.

Notice how even today, the posters of Precolonial PH can't seem to agree on what he's supposed to be? With Indonesia it's either Majapahit or Srivijaya and Malaysia it's usually Malacca iirc.

What is the big deal? Well, let's go back to the Ask Historians post. "Why didn't the Philippines ever change its name to remove the colonial mark that being named after a Spanish King has?" The answer: "If you suggested something dating to precolonial times, the other ethnic groups would protest."

Since we're on a roll with maps, let me bring this up.

As you can see, the precolonial PH posts have a reason to not be able to agree on one thing, as there is a LOT of options. Do you also see how THAT list is also split up?

It's split up into those aligned with China (Sinified), aligned with India (Indianized), aligned with the Middle East (Islamicized), and no alignment (Animist). Now, let's go back to the main suggestions for which Kingdom/Polity/Civilization/whatever Modern Philippines used to be.

If the Filipino peoples' couldn't agree on something as simple as WHAT TO CALL THE LAND THEY'RE LIVING ON, what more a living, breathing, walking, talking entity that is supposed to be a beacon of all of their 'unified' culture? ESPECIALLY if that entity used to be a currently existing Kingdom/Polity/Rajahnate/Sultanate/whatever.

Tondo? "Of course, always the damn Tagalogs. Tagalog this, Tagalog that. First the capital city, then the language,* THE REST OF US EXIST, YOU KNOW! What about us in Visayas? Mindanao?"

*The national language known as 'Filipino' is just standardized Tagalog*

Butuan? "Wait, you want Butuan to represent us? They're they only Indian-aligned city in the Islam-majority Mindanao! They're not even that many of them! I'm not gonna change my religion!"

Sugbu, the other name for the Rajahnate of Cebu on the map? Lemme bring back my Visayan friend again. According to her, she hails from the Hiligaynon part of Visayas.

"Sure :v and the other islands are what?

Chopped liver?

Not to mention the language and writing barrier helloooo"

And Namayan? Well. I'll let this pic speak for itself.

To summarize, no matter who you pick as Modern PH's previous identity, it will not end well nor be accepted by the other Kingdoms at the time.

"So where does that leave Modern PH, he had to have been ONE of them, right?"

Well, not really. He doesn't HAVE to be one of the Ancient Kingdoms that lasted till the modern day. I mean, predecessor representatives exist in Hetalia canon, after all. Like Modern Greece is a different character from Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt and Modern Egypt, heck even England and his brothers have a canon mother that was the rep before them.

Or you could even use the same logic that Germany does, in that each specific region has/had its own representative and that Modern!PH is just the 'mediator' between them (cause gawd does PH need one). There could be a Tondo, a Namayan, a Butuan, and a Sugbu, all arguing and this Proto-PH is just trying to make headway in making them all satisfied.

But, even after all this, there is another reason why I personally don't subscribe to the 'Precolonial PH' idea, and by tangential extension, the Indo x Phil pairing.

Point 2: Even without intending to, Precolonial Indo x Phil just comes off as patronizing

This second point is just ENTIRELY personal preference and barely has any facts to back it up.

Again, if you like the pairing and disagree with me, You do you. I will respectfully support you and your passions from a distance.

But for me, Indo being Phil's seme/bae/boyfriend and consistently bringing up precolonial times just comes off as patronizing.

Just one more time, I'd like to point out that I am NOT bashing Indonesia, its people or the subscribers of Indo x Phil. This is just how the pairing feels to ME specifically.

The way I see it, Indo x Phil as a pairing, especially if it extends back into precolonial times, reads the same way as a long-since married couple where the husband/wife CONSTANTLY brings up that ONE outing you had together, or that ONE prom night where you kissed while dancing, even it happened like 30 some-odd years ago and so much more happened since then.

Even in a platonic sense, It reads like two besties where one ALWAYS mentions stuff like 'Yeah but you looked so much cooler back in High School' or 'Back in Grade School you would've known that', or 'Remember back in Pre-school we did X? How could you forget that?'

How does one respond to the notion that no matter what you do now, it will never compare to a past you've already forgotten or barely remember? That the best version of 'you' is already long gone?

"That's because the westerners made you forget your culture! You gotta take it back!"

While it is true, yes, as a collective we barely remember the Kingdom that commissioned the Laguna Copperplate, or created the Banaue Rice Terraces, or created the millennia old bonds that we still share with Indonesia and Malaysia.

But to keep pushing the precolonial identity would be to neglect and cast aside the one REAL binding belief and culture that spans the entirety of these islands we call the Philippines.

We take on all the bad stuff that happens to us, conquer it, and make it our own. Be it natural disasters, foreign powers, or negative stereotypical mentalities.

Yes, we've forgotten the ancient kingdoms of old and are just now digging through the closet for those remnants of the past. Yes, the colonizers imposed that on us, and made us forget. But in the process we've also taken everything that they left behind, everything that they threw at us, and created something that can only come from us.

The lanterns that the Spaniards used to light the way to the morning masses they made us attend became our globally known symbol of Christmas. The junked vehicles that the Americans left behind in World War 2 are now rolling works of art that announce themselves loud and proud on the streets (for better or for worse). The iced dessert recipe that the Japanese forced us to learn while they were occupying the country is now so distinct and famous it is synonymous with us, and is so delicious even Italy has taken notice.

Even after all this? Even after all the 425-ish years total we have been under a foreign power, with all the progress we've made as a country, a people, and a nation, you would still imply our fragmented, jigsaw puzzle state of being in the past was better just because it was pure 'South East Asian' like everyone else?

We might not be as well put-together as Indonesia or Malaysia, but we made this melting pot of angry, leg-pulling, dogpiling, Native, Mestizo, Chinoy, and Fil-Am crabs OURS, damnit!

It's now 4:30 AM and I have work in 5 or so hours. I'll be going to sleep now.

[raeynbowboi]

Building an Embodiment of the Fairytale Princess (2.0)

This is nothing new. I’ve done this build before, which I’ll link right [here]. The post did really well, and people seemed to love the concept. However, since then, Mythic Odysseys of Theros and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything have both come out, bringing with them not only new subclasses, but new features, spells, mechanics, and elements that I couldn’t take into consideration the first time around. So, I decided that rather than just adding a tag on post like I did before, I’d just remake the build with the new features being taken into consideration. Like before, the focus of the build is to create an embodiment of the generic fairytale princess and not any one particular character. So without further ado, let’s get into it.

Like before, we’ll be choosing Variant Human for our race of choice. We’ll channel Sleeping Beauty to be gifted by the fey with blessings of Beauty, Grace, and Song for +1 CHA, +1 DEX, and Performance proficiency. We also get a bonus feat, and thanks to Tasha’s, we can now take Fey Blessed for +1 CHA. However, if she doesn’t cast with Charisma, then substitute those CHA bonuses with Wisdom instead.

The generic fairytale princess is a maid of purest heart, so we’re Lawful Good. But for your more rebellious princesses, Neutral Good or Chaotic Good are also valid.

Background is obviously Noble for proficiency with History and Persuasion.

CLASSES & SUBCLASSES

BARD

This one seems pretty obvious. Bards love to sing and dance, like your stereotypical princess. Because Charisma is their top stat, and they have expertise, it can make them great negotiators, and allow them to excel in dialogue interactions.

GLAMOUR

This college is very fitting for a fairytale princess, as it is focused on making oneself as beautiful and charming as the Fairest of Them All.

LORE 

Lore bards share information, whether they tell stories, recite plays, share philosophy, or spread juicy gossip, the Lore Bard gets more magical secrets, and added expertise to make your princess an even bigger Mary Sue. In actual medieval history, princesses often learned to play instruments and sing, recite prayers or poems, or tell stories to visiting guests, and it was considered a part of her education and duty to do so.

CLERIC

While not every princess is a devout religious girl, their stories tend to be set in the medieval period when a good princess would have been expected to be chaste and pious. So on that front, worshiping a good deity would be befitting of such a character.

LIFE

The fairytale princess raises up those they care about, and nothing is more supportive and helpful than keeping your friends on their feet. The Life Cleric turns your princess into a kind soul who weeps for her friends and patches them up after the battle, turning your princess into a useful ally against the wicked witches and dangerous dragons.

LIGHT

Not all Fairytale Princesses are passive or support players. Those who lean toward Light are the princesses who stand as the Big Good of their story and battle the forces of Darkness with the power of the Light. Of the three Cleric options that fit the archetype, this is the best option for being a powerhouse in combat.

PEACE

Don’t get me wrong, I still hate this domain for wearing the skin of the Love Domain we were supposed to get, and you can absolutely still play it that way. How this domain went from Love to Togetherness to Pacifism is beyond me, but it’s a fairly strong subclass. The classic princess archetype is supposed to be gentle and kind, fitting for one who worships a god of mercy and forgiveness. It’s a value often toted as the strongest characterization of the early Disney princesses.

DRUID

My first time building the fairytale princess, I ignored Druid as an option because the wildshaping didn’t really make sense for a fairytale princess, but a lot of the Bardic Magical Secrets were used to steal Druid spells. However, thanks to the optional rules from Tasha’s, Druids can now use their Wildshape to summon fey that take on the shapes of animals instead of turning into the animals themselves, which makes Druid far more viable, as summoning animals is very in-character for a fairytale princess.

DREAMS 

The Circle of Dreams has heavy Fey associations with references to the Summer Court ruled by Titania. It also is strongly focused on healing, and has a very Fairy Tale flavor to it. It’s an especially great option if you want to invoke Sleeping Beauty, as you can cloak your party while you sleep and send messages to people through your dreams.

SHEPHERD

The fairytale princess is strongly associated with animal buddies, and nothing makes better use of that than the Shepherd Druid, which focuses on amassing an army of critters. What’s more, the Unicorn Totem is very fitting, not only because Unicorns only approach maidens with pure hearts, but Shepherds of the Unicorn Totem get empowered healing.

SORCERER

The sorcerer is born with a spark of something special in them, and a lot of fantasy royalty have magical powers that other people in their world lack.

DIVINE SOUL

The princess doesn’t literally have to be the descendant of the gods, as the original name for the subclass was more about being favored by the gods. Still, if you want to lean into the idea of the princess as the Big Good against the Big Bad, then having her be born with the spark of the gods inside her makes for a neat characterization.

WILD MAGIC 

With the new Sorcerer Shards as I’ve come to call them, we were introduced to the Feywild Shard, which was heavily geared toward Wild Magic Sorcerers, which seems to be WoTC’s way of saying that Wild Magic Sorcerers are the fey-linked sorcerous origin, so I’m including it because of our fey connection. 

WARLOCK

This is the only class where there’s exactly one good option, but it’s one that works surprisingly well.

ARCHFEY 

As a Warlock with a Pact of the Chain, your fairytale princess can choose to Find Familiar any cute little animal companion, or a Sprite to be your Fairy Godmother. Or rather, you can sign a pact with your Fairy Godmother, and use your Chain Pact to summon one of her emissaries to help you. The Archfey patron themselves can act as your Fairygodther, granting you and your party boons and aid where they need it.

WARLOCK INVOCATIONS

Agonizing Blast Armor of Shadows Beast Speech Eldritch Mind Eldritch Sight Gift of the Ever-Living Ones Shroud of Shadow Voice of the Chain Master

CHARISMA vs WISDOM

The big split in how you build your princess falls down the line between these two camps. The wise princess works better as a Druid/Cleric, while a charming princess is more of a Bardlock. For me personally, as much as the Cleruid fits the fairytale princess, the stereotype of the princess is usually that she is gullible, naïve, and overly trusting. Insight is a wisdom check, and something the classic princess archetype is usually bad at. Granted, Animal Handling is also Wisdom, but the Bard’s expertise can overrule a low Wisdom score. Think of it like a clash between Princess Zelda from the Legend of Zelda vs Princess Peach from Mario. Princess Zelda is wise and is much more focused on leadership and protecting her kingdom. Peach is more about the pretty dresses and having servants help her. They’re two very different camps on the princess archetype. Ultimately, which one you choose will depend on the type of princess you wish to invoke. The Classic Damsel or the Wise Matriarch.

SIDEKICKS

A new feature added in Tasha’s, sidekicks are secondary characters that can help the party and are basically simplified character builds with fewer bells and whistles. There are three main camps:

Expert. Experts are clever and knowledgeable, be they minstrels, librarians, pickpockets, merchants, or assassins. They can pick proficiency with DEX, INT, or CHA saving throws, and can be proficient or an expert with any five skills of your choice, and humanoids also gain proficiency with light armor, simple weapons, and two tools of your choice.

Spellcaster. Trained in the secrets of the Arcane, be they a priest, a fortuneteller, or a magical creature. They can choose proficiency with INT, WIS, or CHA checks, and can be proficient in Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, or Religion. They choose a roll to determine their spell list: Mage (Wizard), Healer (Cleric, Druid) or Prodigy (Bard, Warlock). The sidekick has access to the spell list of the classes their role aligns with, as well as casting with that stat.

Warrior. trained fighters, be they a soldier, a city guard, a trained animal, or a hired sword. They can pick proficiency with STR, DEX, or CON saving throws, and their skill options are Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival. Warriors can pick a fighting style: either Offensive to add +2 to attack and damage rolls, or Defender to impose disadvantage on hitting creatures other than them while within 5 feet of the princess.

Generic Princess Sidekicks

Humanoid Guard Warrior (bodyguard) Humanoid Commoner Expert (handmaiden, governess, etc.) Humanoid Magewright Spellcaster (court mage, or advisor) Any Beast-type Warrior (animal companion)

Fairytale Inspired Sidekicks

Seven Dwarves - Dwarf Warrior Fairy Godmother - Sprite or Pixie Spellcaster Prince Charming - Humanoid Noble Warrior Wicked Witch - Barovian Witch Spellcaster Beast - Gnoll, Jackalwere, Orc, or Troglodyte Warrior Puss in Boots - Awakened Cat or Tabaxi Warrior The Frog Prince - Awakened Frog or Grung Warrior Three Little Pigs - Awakened Pig Expert, Spellcaster, & Warrior Big Bad Wolf - Wolf Warrior or Awakened Wolf Expert Robin Hood - Redbrand Ruffian or Bandit Expert Djinn of the Lamp - Dust, Ice, or Magma Mephit Spellcaster Pinocchio - Giant Stone Statue Warrior White Rabbit - Awakened Rabbit Expert Cheshire Cat - Awakened Cat Expert or Spellcaster

There is no actual limit to the number of sidekicks your character can have, so in theory, your fairytale princess could have an entire posse of talking animals hanging out and helping her.

Skills, Spells, and Features

As a Variant Human, we got Performance proficiency alongside our Fey Touched feat, and as a Noble, we have proficiency with Persuasion and History. For everything else, we’re just looking to be a standard Fairytale Princess. So we should look to be proficient with: Animal Handling, Arcana, Religion, Nature, or Medicine.

BASIC FAIRIES

Dancing Lights Faerie Fire Healing Spirits Spirit Guardians Summon Fey Conjure Woodland Beings Conjure Fey

BASIC PRINCESS THINGS

Animal Friendship Command Heroism Speak With Animals Animal Messenger Calm Emotions Find Steed Warding Bond Zone of Truth Conjure Animals Mord’s Magnificent Mansion

SNOW WHITE

Armor of Agathys Mirror Image Beacon of Hope Aura of Purity Heroes’ Feast

CINDERELLA

Fabricate Creation True Polymorph Wish

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Sleep Phantasmal Killer Dream Wall of Thorns Dream of the Blue Veil

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Charm Person Shatter Suggestion Tidal Wave Compulsion Control Water Dominate Person Maelstrom Control Weather Tsunami Storm of Vengeance

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Charm Monster Unseen Servant Tiny Servant Animate Objects Awaken Hold Monster Summon Fiend

Last time I built the fairytale princess, I gave her exactly 1 build. 18 levels of glamour bard and 2 levels of Archfey Warlock. But recently I’ve begun to instead put more stock in leaving builds open, showing instead the options that a player has to choose from. So, for this update, I’m not pushing for a specific build. I’ve laid out the appropriate spells, and the types of princesses that a player can strive to emulate with their spell lists. Consider this more of a guide to help you decide how you want to play your fairytale princess.

[levis-little-nuggie]

nuggie character analysis rambles about normal mode chapter 37-12 dialogue

Jogging Lucifer’s Memory

MC goes into Lucifer’s room to find Asmo sitting snuggled up next to Lucifer showing him the photo album from when they were in the Celestial Realm. Lucifer calls out to MC saying “Hey, you there. Don’t stand there with your mouth hanging open. Do something.” To which, Asmo responds telling MC that this is always how Lucifer used to act in the CR when they were angels. We know Lucifer differently because being the Avatar of Pride, he puts on a “calm and reasonable” façade to exude what he thinks perfection looks like.

Lucifer: I’d like you to tell me about my other brothers.

I’m the oldest and the second oldest is … Mammon, I believe? What’s Mammon like?

All he cares about is money

Lucifer: I see. Well he’s the Avatar of Greed, isn’t he? I suppose it makes sense.

He’s innocent and genuine

Lucifer: Innocent and genuine… and you’re telling me he’s a demon?

Also, intimacy +1 for Mammon

What about the third-oldest, Levi. What’s he like?

He’s a super-annoying otaku

Lucifer: Hmm, doesn’t sound like he’d make a good demon at all...

He’s shy and very unique

Lucifer: Sounds like it will take some time to break the ice and get him to open up, then.

Also, intimacy +1 for Levi

All right, what’s your impression of Satan?

He’s your alter ego

Lucifer: My alter ego… What’s that supposed to mean?

He’s a very learned member of the demon elite

Lucifer: Hmph. So compared to others, he’s fairly normal, then.

Also, intimacy +1 for Satan

Next is Asmodeus… That would be the one who was just in here…

He’s a club-hopping narcissist

Lucifer: Yes, I could tell that much.

He’s alluring and the personification of beauty

Lucifer: Hmm… So that’s the sort of guy you go for, is it?

Also, intimacy +1 for Asmo

Now, on to Beelzebub. What about him?

He’s always hungry, and he’ll eat anything.

Lucifer: ...Certainly that doesn’t include other demons as well, does it? Because I have no interest in being eaten.

He’s kind, strong, and has a healthy appetite

Lucifer: I see. So he’s a meathead, then.

Also, intimacy +1 for Beel

Now, how about the youngest, Belphie? What’s he like?

He’s lazy and has no energy

Lucifer: I see, Well he sounds pretty harmless.

He’s clever, and you can always count on him.

Lucifer: Hmph. Taken a special liking to him, have you?

Also, intimacy +1 for Belphie

Regardless of your choices, at the end, Lucifer follows up with

“...I guess that covers everyone. Sounds like quite the variety of strong and unique personalities.”

I found this bit of dialogue interesting because I believe it reflects the fandom’s attitude towards the brothers. There are times where we see people say that some of us care too much about these boys and see depth in their characterizations when in (their) reality, Beelzebub is just a meathead.

However, if you choose all the #1 options, you haven’t learned anything about these boys through playing the game. I realize that Solmare tends to forget the depth behind their own characters, but that doesn’t mean we have to as well. Satan is more than just the cat-loving bookworm. Levi is more than just a weeb. Beel is more than just a hungry jock.

Sure, you can keep going playing the game thinking Belphie is just really lazy and spoiled, Mammon is just a greedy scumbag, and Asmo is narcissistic and materialistic as anyone can be, but you’d be missing out on all the juicy depth and character arcs that provide substantial comfort to the rest of us.

I realize that I, myself, haven't really gotten into posting about character analysis and that is something I enjoy, I couldn't help myself to make a post when I noticed the difference in MC's dialogue options when offered the opportunity to tell Lucifer about his brothers.

[filthyjanuary]

For the ask game: RK1K

I WROTE A WHOLE THING HERE AND THEN TUMBLR ATE IT THE FIRST VERSION WAS MORE POETIC FML SORRY THIS TOOK A BIT

001 | send me a ship and I will tell you:

when I started shipping it if I did: i think 1-2 months ago? not long after i got into dbh tbh. i was immediately drawn to their hunter/hunted to allies dynamic and THE INHERENT EROTICISM OF TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER.

What makes me happy about them: i think there’s just SO much potential like they are literally red string of fate tied to each other, their destined to kill each other but they unshackle themselves from that and choose their own futures. they’re the only RK models in existence!!!! they understand each other in a way no one else can. if they don’t trust and believe in each other it literally ends in their deaths, the deaths of their people, the destruction of everything but if they do take that leap of faith they free each other, their people, they save the world. they just compliment each other so well like they’re so similar and yet entirely different, and like i am ALWAYS thinking about the look on connor’s face when he hears markus speak for the first time in stratford tower... the look on his face!! the way markus can convince connor to deviant with a few short sentences... even tho connor has actively been fighting that all game. THERE’S JUST SO MUCH POTENTIAL THERE. IT’S SO INTERESTING. also they are both so pretty <3

What makes me sad about them: uh well a) any scenario where they do not choose to believe in each other and thus uh kill each other!! like it’s compelling and hurts in a juicy angst way but it IS sad wtf. also like just the incredible work they’d need to do post-canon to even be in a place where either of them would feel comfortable in a relationship. i also think there’s a lot of sadness potential in having to unpack connor deviating, being taken back over, and then fighting free and both he and markus having to reckon with that and if connor can be trusted in his own body :( SAD

things done in fanfic that annoys me: i feel like fic connor is often written incredibly ooc? like he becomes this like shell of the compelling and nuanced character that he is. like he just becomes either this like fragile, helpless thing that needs markus to save him all the time or just acts like??? idk just so ooc. what i love about markus and connor is that they’re both layered in the sense that they both have softer, domestic sides to them but they’re absolute stone cold badasses when they need to me. turning them one dimensional turns me off. 

things I look for in fanfic: nuanced characterization. not villainizing north. NOT ERASING JOSH. i’m still too early in my dbh fandom experience to chase after AUs yet, so i mostly read canon stuff that explores markus and connor realizing they have feelings for each other and what that means. how do you even unpack then when having feelings is like a newly unlocked experience for you? meanwhile this is all happening on a backdrop of the android revolution, and the political minefield that is advocating for legislation that gives them rights. i’ve always been a big lover of plot and character exploration supporting each other, so i enjoy fics the most when the actual plot has meat to it too. canon compliant/post-canon is the best. also am a big fan of outsider pov fics or fics where their relationship goes public and they gotta deal with that on top of all the political stuff.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: literally markus is incredibly shippable. i think the actual game could’ve handled him and north way better but in fanon people can make them so compelling! and i think both markus/josh on a pacifist backdrop and markus/north on a violent backdrop are rife with possibilities. i haven’t really explored simon/markus tbh and i don’t particularly feel compelled to YET but i do see the potentials in that i think they are very similar in a lot of ways: weighing multiple options, seeing both sides, but markus is more active and simon is more passive and i think that makes for interesting character exploration. tbhhhhhh i really struggle to see connor with anyone but markus, but i think connor/north could have a lot of potential in the sense that they are SO similar, but i also think after all the violence in connor’s life, connor/josh has the potential to be very sweet and heartwarming also.

My happily ever after for them: slowly coming to terms with what their feelings are, revealing them to each other, and taking a relationship slowwwww because they have a lot going on. leading the androids to freedom n equality and finally being able to just live in peace without being worried about another fight. supporting each other in figuring out after all this, what do they want out of life? and knowing they’re going to figure it out together. they get cats. 

who is the big spoon/little spoon: i don’t think they stick to strict designations like this. i bet they switch tbh depending on who needs to be held most that day, you know? connor has a lot of mental shit to work thru, markus is bearing an incredibly stressful responsibility on their shoulders. i think they both like being both the big n little spoon sometimes. [ariana grande voice] it’s equality.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: i am a BIG SUCKER for markus teaching connor really mundane life things the way carl taught him so like playing piano or painting for fun and not off programming scripts, markus teaching connor to cook, really just spending quality time you know?

send me characters/ships

[reflectionsofacreator]

Sith Warrior Chapter One was pretty good. I’m hovering around darkside 1 on Anariath, but I’m forever pissed at how they changed the DS/LS system to just “oh commit to one or the other and idly grind points while doing random shit, even crew skills”. It makes it so much harder to accurately gauge where Ana’s at in terms of character. 

That being said, she’s been approaching most problems with an honorable mindset, with the idea that if there’s a resource she can use or exploit, she’ll spare them. The Republic troopers on Nar Shadaa are the most obvious example, as she spared them with the condition that they’d help her when the time came. She tends to treat servants nicely, knowing that she’ll get better help if she does -- she’s not exactly a nice person, but she can pretend to be. 

In dealing with other sith though, Ana tends to have a “talk no shit, take no shit” attitude, where she won’t cross anyone unless they try and attack her first -- Vemrin and Baras’ other apprentice on Dromund Kaas come to mind. The SW is an uncommonly strong Sith, to the point where other characters remark on your power constantly, so I’ve been leaning into it with regards to how she handles herself. 

As for the actual content of Chapter One, I’m a little iffy. It’s not that it’s bad, more like I feel it’s cohesion could be a little bit better. It has a strong opening with Korriban and DK, coming into your power as Baras’ apprentice and learning how to flex your muscles. I agree that being sent to Balmorra and Nar Shadaa are good choices to cement your status as Baras’ enforcer, as you take out his spies that are compromised. I can’t help but feel as though I should’ve had some more information on how Nomen Karr was going after them, perhaps in the Nar Shadaa storyline -- Balmorra was better about cementing just how deeply Baras’ spies are embedded, and why they needed to be taken out. 

Tatooine was so good tbh, with it’s unexpected touch of spiritualism to a storyline that’s mostly been about brute force. It helps characterize your SW while you’re at it, as there’s so many interesting things that can be done with your Reflection that confronts you, and your interactions with Jaesa’s mentor. I found myself really enjoying Tatooine, and wishing I could’ve stayed there longer (which, let’s face it, isn’t the case for most storylines). 

Alderaan I have mixed feelings about tbh. You’re sent on a wild goose chase to find Jaesa’s parents so you can kill them and unbalance her, but the story itself doesn’t feel very cohesive. I feel like Alderaan should’ve been more about Jaesa as a person, and who she was before, instead of the scant bits of backstory we got. From what little we know, she was a lowly handmaiden to an Organa general, and her parents wanted her to marry into nobility in order to get a better life for all of them. That’s some heavy implications, especially with how the political maneuvering of Alderaan works--Jaesa herself even goes so far as to say that she hoped “The Jedi would be different, instead of all these lies and deceit”. Clearly her life wasn’t that great, and the Jedi were a way for her to get out of a bad situation. It’s further hammered in by how she reacts to you offering to take her on -- she sees the power of the Sith and desperately wants it, she wants to have control for once her in her life. I just wish her and her arc was a little more fleshed out before you get her as a companion, especially since you have the option of swaying her to the Darkside or not. 

Admittedly I dont’ like the Vibe that you’re supposed to play SW as dark side, it just lacks so much nuance to me. Nevermind the fact that Jaesa only has one option to remain on the lightside, and it’s supposed to be that you’re corrupting her. Which like, if that’s your cup of tea, sure, but it’s not mine. I can see the story beats that do lead up to Jaesa turning dark, especially given her own backstory, but the actual conversation felt stilted and rushed to me, and not nearly fleshed out enough. I really do find her fascinating, I just wish things were paced out and talked about a bit more.

Anways chapter one is you playing middleman to Baras’ and Karr’s lover’s quarrel that went nuclear, and I’m desperate to know the juicy details. 

[iatheia]

EDA reviews Part 1 - books 1-9

I’ve decided to take a bit of a break from the black hole that is Big Finish (I’m more than half way through listening to their library, but, oh, god, it feels like they will never end at times) and venture into another black hole that are the novels. Eighth Doctor Adventures seemed like a good place to start. I’ve committed to reading all of them (no matter how tempting it will inevitably get to skip some). Since they are not talked about as much as some of the other EU iterations out there, I’ve figured I’ll write short blurbs as a reviews - with 73 novels in total, would probably post them collated every 9 books or so.

Also, Since this is kind of a meme for Eight, couple of novels convinced me doing amnesia watches together with the reviews. #1 was in the movie. 1) Eight Doctors - well, this kind of was a waste of time. Just a run through of the greatest hits of previous Doctors with varying degree of success in terms of doing their characters justice (which they didn’t give good ol’ Sixie at all). Eight is barely a caricature of his self, nevermind that this is his second outing ever. Absolutely terrible way to introduce Sam, she is literally in just three scenes. 6/10 Amnesia watch: #2 & 3 (twice in a span of 5 minutes, once from the Master, once from being hit on the head, setting the record high off the bat!)

2) Vampire Science - Well, bringing Sam to a (gay?) bar in 1970′s right off the bat where she chats up another girl was absolutely A Choice that this novel has made, and I respect it for that. As for the rest... Eight is starting to become himself, but he is still written a bit like Seven at times. The plot is a bit mess, and, especially in conjunction with the previous novel, there are officially too many vampires. It gets more entertaining towards the back end of it. A decent enough read, even though a bit of an oddity. 8/10

3) The Bodysnatchers - Now we are getting into something juicy! Throughly enjoyable from beginning to end, excellent character work on Eight and Sam. 9/10

4) Genocide - Ah, casual attempt of sexual assault on a companion, how original. Overall, completely meh. Too many characters, too many settings, overly convoluted, back to chess master Doctor, completely missing the point of bringing up legacy characters in the most pointless way. 4/10

5) War of the Daleks - This was, apparently, the first Dalek story in the novel form? They didn’t have one for VNAs??? Almost impossible to believe. Well, the story is a bit trite, a convoluted set up that was seen a thousands of times now, especially with the over-saturation of the Daleks in the recent years. But, the story is a lively one. There are definitely worse ones featuring Daleks out there. 8/10

6) Alien Bodies - blimey, haven’t read such pretentious dribble in a long while... Too self-absorbed in this grandiose masterplan that is about to unfold to worry much about character stuff, that I gave up trying to keep track of after a while. Except, that grandiose masterplan is exposed in such a way that it’s literally in a book that the Doctor carries, handing it to Sam the second she starts asking questions, and then she immediately throws the book away.... Overall, Eight has never been less likable. Sam is reduced to nothing more than a screaming damsel in distress - that’s putting it generously. The less that could be said about everyone and everything around them the better. And the worst of all, it’s boring, the prose is pretty banal, too much exposition, and it rambles on and on and on... Judging by the word count this is the second longest book out of all EDAs (the longest, third, and fourth longest are also by the same writer, they are a good 20-30K words longer than anyone else’s). If it had any heart and soul in it at all, it’d be one thing, but it’s like pulling teeth. Really makes me apprehensive about the rest of the Faction Paradox cropping up in other novels, and certainly all the other novels by him... 3/10 Amnesia watch: #4 (kind of, remembering stuff from the previous amnesias)

7) Kursaal - Boringly mediocre. It starts off not horrible by any means, has decent characterization, and at moments even verges on something exciting, but those moments are embedded into a somewhat middling adventure. And then it flies off the rails into the uncanny. And, um... no. Just no. 5/10

8) Option Lock - This story is too grandiose for its own good. Just as I settled in for some shenanigans in a mysterious quaint English mansion, I was slapped in a face with an international political thriller. Any time there was a change of setting or a time skip, it was disorienting. And was that a stray Stargate reference I caught? It would have been better served as a Stargate novel, I’ll be honest. After all the set up is over and done with, it’s a bit easier to follow, not terribly written either. But it’s a bit blink and you miss it - is it the second time Sam was responsible for someone’s death, kind of, under mind control? Not sure I like the trend that is starting to emerge.  6/10

9) Longest Day - Starting off right of the bat with misogyny, stalking, and violence against women, frequently from the titillating point of view of a self proclaimed “nice guy”.... It’s actually not that badly written. The prose is solid, the plot is easy to follow, it’s pretty emotionally complex, the ending is pretty gut-wrenching. I just wish it had less attempted rape and later gratuitous gore that soured me a bit on the story 7/10

Overall impressions so far: Well, these novels (certainly so far) are very much a mixed bag. A couple of more enjoyable ones, but their main virtue is being inoffensively charming. The rest are... less so. Some authors seem to have a clear grasp of Eight’s character straight from the get go, but not all of them do. 

Sam is nice enough, as far as companions are concerned, but often she comes across too much like Ace but without explosives - I don’t really know what makes her tick beyond that. It is not a small part due to different writers slotting in for their own idea what a companion should be. You have a slew of younger sister/niece/student/friend/just a dash romantically involved/barely there at all, depending on the novel. In that manner, there doesn’t seem to be a unifying vision for the novels, each writer just does their own thing.

Next part here

[thirteen-jades]

22, 29, 43, 45, 51, 56, 57, 60 (referring to video games), 71, 80, 96.

22. Favourite food & drink

I love meat. I did this sticky steak stir fry thing once that was wonderful. I should do that again. Orange chicken is really nice too, but just… juicy meaty meals in general are my favorites. Pretty much the only things I drink are water, lemonade (American), and apple juice. Mostly water.     

29. What are your hobbies?

Writing, video games, and D&D, mainly. I do school/research stuff too but those aren’t really hobbies.

43. Describe your dream home

I don’t really think about this sort of thing much, to be honest. My apartment is small, basically undecorated, and built for one. I’d not mind living with or near friends, but I kinda like that. Maybe I should get around to decorating a little, but my living spaces tend to be spartan. Good news is that if those living with me want to decorate, I’ll rarely dispute it.

45. Your personality type

I guess “quiet nerd with an autistic bent and a Troubled Past” is probably a good wat to put it. People are a little stressful sometimes, and there’s some dark stuff in my personal history that colors my personality, but I do have friends I love deeply and have more or less recovered from the worst of it. So I can be pleasant, if a little grim sometimes, and I get really excited about the things I love, like physics and engineering and fiction.

51. How would you describe your style?

In practice? I haven’t bought new clothes in ages and literally still have shirts from middle school. I guess “comfy, low-key, and black” is probably mostly accurate. Ideally? Dramatic.

56. Favourite aesthetic?

Favorite is hard to say, as I have a great many aesthetics I hold dear, often in conflict with each other. I really like mechanical and kinda bulky stuff, but I don’t feel that really totally conveys the thing. Some of the mechs from Battletech are really great, and the Meklar from the MoO reboot. A lot of fantasy stuff is really nice too. Regal or royal looks are nice, if they’re not ostentatious, and big plant cities are lovely too. Cybernetics are excellent. Mashups are cool too, things like magical cybernetics, or plant creatures with mechanical components. “Unusual” eyes are one of my favorites, be they digital/computer/robotic, dragon/snake-slit, cat eyes, oddly colored, or what have you.

57. A popular trend that you dislike

I dunno if it’s a “popular trend”, but I don’t like how many people are prone to making sweeping generalizations of people they don’t like and attacking people for things that absolutely do not matter. I still staunchly disagree with e.g. making fun of Trump’s appearance, or mocking someone who happens to be both autistic and a neo nazi for their autistic traits.

60. Favourite genre? (Video Games)

Hard to narrow it down to one. I guess broadly speaking I like games with significant roleplaying options, but there’s a wide variety I love. Hard to find the common thread between things like Total War, Quake, Battletech, Code Vein/Dark Souls, and Shadowrun: Dragonfall.

71. Which fictional character is you?

Outside of some of my D&D characters, it’s hard to say, honestly. I feel like I struggle to find that many that I totally relate to, if perhaps because I often struggle to recognize the “main points” of my own characterization. If you’ve got any ideas though, either for what sort of a character I’d be or any that fit me, I’m always open to suggestions.

80. What video games have you played? Which one's your favourite? 

I’ve played a lot of video games. Starcraft, XCOM, Battletech, Total Warhammer 2, Code Vein, Dark Souls, Minecraft, Shadowverse, Quake, Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005), Endless Legend, Civ 4, Transistor, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Deux Ex: Human Revolution, Doki Doki, Fallout 3/NV, Diablo, FTL: Faster Than Light, MoO 2 and the reboot, Metro 2033, Shadowrun Returns and Dragonfall, Skullgirls, Knights of the Old Republic, Starbound, Path of Exile… probably more, but I’m forgetting them offhand. It’s hard to pick a favorite; there’s been many I’ve loved dearly.

96. Be a hero or be a villain?

Spooky side character that knows things she shouldn’t, is ambiguously aligned for much of the story and works with the hero out of convenience. Over the course of the story it’s revealed that I have utterly alien goals and morality, but nonetheless try to avoid hurting people I don’t have to. Says something ominous right at the end of the story and vanishes into the night sky, hinting at some greater plot yet uncovered. By the time all’s said and done you’re still not sure whether I’m a good or bad guy, or what my deal even is/was at all. The place where I vanished from smells faintly of chemicals.

[batgirl-87]

Hogwarts Mystery Gang: Signature Scents

So while making the Amortentia post for the HPHM Gang I did a lot of research with perfume/cologne notes which inspired this post which is purely just for fun ;) I may even do more, who knows?!

I had a lot of fun making this and I have to say I’m actually rather proud of it. Enjoy =)

(If you want to reblog with, or make a post about your own MC’s and/or Jacob, please do so and tag me =) Images ended up larger than intended...)

My MC - Adelyn-Keira: Black Opium - Yves Saint Laurent  

“A rock ‘n’ roll interpretation of the classic that should highlight the dark, mysterious side” “Fascinating and seductively intoxicating, the opening notes of adrenaline-rich coffee and the sweet sensuality of vanilla recline into the softness of white flowers for a modern, young, and vibrant interpretation of addiction.” “A haunting kind of innocent sweet creamy dream” “Intoxicating, warm and cozy, alluring, sexy and beautiful” “Sweet. Warm. Sexy. Beautiful. Sophisticated.” “Fall in a bottle” “Dark. Sweet. Sexy. Spicy. Enticing.” 

Notes: Coffee, Vanilla, Warm Spice, White Floral, Pink Pepper, Patchouli, Pear, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Bitter Almond, Cedar, Licorice, Cashmere Wood

Rowan: Vert d’Encens - Tom Ford (unisex)

“Represents the scented interpretation coast of Corsica, sophisticated, aromatic, and wild” “Smoky incense, pine resin, and fir balsam evoke the sense of a dense forest and rugged peaks, while delectable heliotrope and woods heighten the grand atmosphere of sea and shadow.” “[This] is what promiscuous forest Nymphs would smell” “A walk through a warm forest” “Beautiful green earthy incense” “Aromatic. Distinguished. Epic. Wild.”

Notes: Woodsy, Balsamic, Aromatic, Wood Resin, Pine, Incense, Balsam Fir, Heliotrope, Fresh, Green, Smoky

Ben: Cool Cotton - Clean (unisex) 

(Or Blur - Maison Martin Margiela [I thought the name of this one was also perfect =p])

“A citrus aromatic fragrance for men and women” “Clean, fresh, simple” “Like freshly laundered cotton sheets” “Clear blue skies, beaming rays of sunshine, and the soothing texture of soft cotton” “Reminiscent of Spring” “Subtle and calm, fresh and crisp”

Notes: Cotton, Citrus, Mint, Musk, Amber 

Penny: Beautiful - Estée Lauder 

“A romantic, light bouquet of a thousand flowers, combined with citrus on the top and warm, woodsy notes in the base.” “Intensive floral heat is sweet...the base notes are warm and elegant [creating a] creamy, vintage, rich floral chypre” “Intoxicating,classy, elegant, complex, fresh, and feminine.” “Romantic. Feminine. Memorable.”

Notes: Floral, Aromatic, English Marigold, Rose, Carnation, Tuberose, Jasmine, Mimosa, Lily, Orange-Flower, Ylang-Ylang, Lilac, Chamomile, Freesia, Sandalwood, Amber, Violet, Vanilla, Mandarin Orange, Fruity Notes, Black Currant, Bergamont, Green, Vetiver, Sage, Neroli, Cedar 

Bill: L’Homme Intense - Prada for men

(TBH I almost went with Fahrenheit Absolute by Dior which is a smokier, more intense, “darker” version of Fahrenheit, with amber and myrrh, described as “leaving an impression of adventure” because I thought while Bill had this one, Charlie liked it but it was a bit too much for him so he went for the Fahrenheit version instead which is woodsier. So... alternative? Options?)

“High quality, expensive, cool, smooth, seductive, mature” “A multi-layered experience...to evoke the elusive nature of the multi-faceted Prada man” “Imagine a gentleman wearing this scent in the Fall/Winter, well dressed, having a glass of wine with an attractive woman on the couch in front of a fireplace (Fleur =p)” “Familiar and comforting” “Soft and playful but also elegant, classy, and sexy” “Sweet and spicy” “Masculine. Sexy. Alluring.”

Notes: Leather, Amber, Iris, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Myrrh 

Barnaby: Boss Bottled - Hugo Boss for men

“Warm, sweet, inoffensive, subtly sexy” “Classic, manly, elegant, and cozy”  “The fragrance is fresh and sharp with a woodsy base. A fresh and fruity  blended with floral and spicy heart with a masculine base.” “Smooth, creamy, masculine, and seductive” “Soft, elegant, and sweet” “Woody, warm spices, masculine citrus, fresh...A calm scent, gentle, sparkling like a stream in the sunlight” “A loveable scent with a simple agenda” “Like an inviting, sensual apple pie” “Fresh. Sweet. Spicy.”

Notes: Woody, Vanilla, Warm Spice, Fruity, Apple, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Bergamont, Plum, Vetiver, Mahogany, Oakmoss, Cedar, Carnation, Geranium, Olive Tree, Musk

Andre: Touch for Men - Burberry 

(or L’Homme Ultime - Yves Saint Laurent - it was almost this one but Andre and Burberry are a match made in heaven. I almost gave him two signature scents because I had such a difficult time deciding between this one and Touch for Men - or Mr. Burberry Indigo - other options/alternatives) 

“Sophisticated, confident, sexy.” “A clean fragrance created by fairy dust. From a magical wish to the physical realm... Captivating and addicting.”  “Versatile - can be dressed up and be formal and classy or dressed down and casual” “Beautiful, intoxicating violet leaf gives off a powdery vibe accented by clean musk and spicy pepper and cedar” “Subtle fragrance that makes you feel clean and sophisticated”  “Classy and fresh” “Soft and refined, unique and classy.”  “Dressy casual” “Classic representation - a gentleman” “Unique, sexy, fresh, energizing” “Fresh and elegant” “Sophisticated and comforting” “Elegant and creamy” “A gentleman’s cologne” “A versatile, wearable fragrance that is welcoming but rich in contrast”

Notes: Fresh Spicy, Ozonic, Musky, Woody, Aquatic, Aromatic - Violet Leaf, White Musk, White Pepper, Tonka Bean, Cedar, Nutmeg, Vetiver, Artemisia, Mandarin Orange 

Tulip: Byzance - Rochas

“Floral, aldehydic, vintage, woodsy-spice” “Unique, strong, beautiful” “Very strong and complex with a dark mysterious vibe” “80s vibe” “Conveys the message ‘I know what I’m doing’ without being domineering or a know-it-all” “Oriental-floral and warm spice that reminds one of Turkey”

Notes: Warm Spice, Floral, Woody, White Floral, Tuberose, Aldehydes, Turkish Rose, Carnation, Spices, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Cardamom, Jasmine, Heliotrope, Amber, Vanilla, Musk, Anise, Basil, Lily, Mandarin Orange, Green Notes

Tonks: Rock Angel - Oriflame 

(And maybe later Roses & Chocolate - Mancera ;p)

“Fragrance for modern women inspired by rock music and youthful rebellion as well as tenderness and elegance that are symbolized by an angel. This fragrances tends to illustrate and distinguish the two sides of a woman - the temperamental and strong side and the gentle and subtle side. ‘Destroy stereotypes, redefine the boundaries, show the world your unique combination of gentleness and power’ it demands.” “Definitely one with a strong personality”

Notes: Fruity, Sweet - Bergamot, Pear, Red Apple, Peach, Praline, Grapefruit, Gardenia, Rose, Vanilla, Violet, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar, Tuberose

Charlie: Fahrenheit - Dior 

“A woody, floral, musk fragrance for men” “A resolutely contemporary fragrance characterized by a meeting of extremes. Fresh, elegant notes blend in perfect harmony with bolder, more virile overtones to create a scent that is warm, subtle, and distinguished.” “Represents the ‘perfect man’ - Classically masculine [while] unafraid to show a softer side. Doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty as long as the job gets done but cleans up nicely. He’s fun, can laugh at himself, has manners and class. A true gentleman who treats his date with respect yet a sexual stunner when appropriate. Showcases his intellect without being pretentious or condescending. Knows his strengths without being arrogant.”

Notes: Leather, Fresh Spice, Aromatic, Woody, Ozonic, Honeysuckle, Nutmeg, Vetiver, Violet Leaf, Musk, Lavender, Cedar, Sandalwood, Amber, Patchouli, Hawthorn, Tonka Bean, Bergamont, Jasmine, Mandarin Orange 

Jae: Intense Oud - Gucci

“Simple elegance, smooth, refined, rich” “Dark and warm” “A cleverly crafted fragrance” “Deep and richly layered character” “Simplistic Elegance. Daring. Subtle Sophistication. Warmth.” “Manly, sophisticated, comforting, irresistible... Not overpowering, bold, or loud in the face [but] smooth, smoky, warm leaning towards a “modern” masculine” “Extremely luxurious Oriental fragrance - smells like you’re a billionaire”

Notes: Balsamic, Smoky, Oud, Incense, Olibanum, Saffron, Amber, Pear, Raspberry, Bulgarian Rose, Orange Blossom, Woody notes, Patchouli, Musk, Leather 

Badeea: Portrait of a Lady - Frederic Malle

“Elegance personified” “Vintage and modern at the same time” “Consider perfume a portrait of its wearer: the sound of her voice, her gaze, the way she plays cards. At once timeless and resonant with today, here is a scent that speaks of her innate sophistication. Charm that emanates from within, boldly depicted without; an expressive portrayal of modern grace.” “Consider perfume a portrait of its wearer: the sound of her voice, her gaze, the way she plays cards. At once timeless and resonant with today, here is a scent that speaks of her innate sophistication. Charm that emanates from within, boldly depicted without; an expressive portrayal of modern grace.” “Portrait of a Lady is more like portrait of perfection. It smells like fantasy stories, mysterious and deep.”

Notes: Warm Spice, Balsamic, Rose, Patchouli, Incense, Clove, Sandalwood, Raspberry, Black Currant, Cinnamon, Amber, Musk, Saffron, Benzoin

Liz: Philosykos - Diptyque

“Fresh. Green. Juicy.” “Humid. Juicy. Watery. The dampness makes it feel alive, like it just rained and now it’s sunny.” “ Like you’re walking through fig trees in mid-August.” “Scent of a snapped twig of a plant full of sap” “A green scent with a hint of warmth.” “Imagine cold Indian summer morning, sun slowly rising, a woman is drinking her hot tea with coconut milk watching the sunrise through an opened window, while a cold breeze brings in the smell of freshly cut moist grass.”  “Natural smelling” “The memory of a Greek summer at Mount Pelion. To get to the sea, there was a natural grove of wild fig trees to cross through. The sun at its zenith heated the earth, the dry wind carried the scent of the trees and their fruit. Philosykos is an ode to the entire fig tree: the green freshness of the leaves, the density of the white wood, the milky flavour of the figs.” “Creamy. Green. Woody. Earthy.”

Notes: Green, Woody, Fresh - Fig Leaf, Fig, Green Notes, Fig Tree Sap, White Cedarwood, Woody Notes, Musk, Coconut Milk 

Diego: 1 Million Intense - Paco Rabanne 

(there are so many Paco Rabanne fragrances that would work for Diego - think we found his brand =p)

“This high-impact fragrance creates a multifaceted signature of masculinity. Freshness, striking and assertive, refined yet virile, elegant, and one of a kind.” “Very sweet, intoxicating, warm and spicy - definitely attention grabbing.” “A nice, strong, and deep sweet masculine scent” “Strong and intoxicating but playful.” “Darker, spicier, and smoother...less loud, more interesting” “Modern, irreverent, provocative, and charming.” “Intoxicating sweetness, spicy musk, seductive, and rich.” “Warms the senses” “Fresh. Spicy. Vibrant.” 

Notes: Warm Spicy, Cinnamon, Rose, Blood Mandarin, Cardamom, Saffron, Black Pepper, Sandalwood, Neroli, Patchouli, Leather, Iris, Orris Root

Talbott: Rocabar - Hermès

“A unique smelling scent which captures the feeling of  the great outdoors perfectly. Pine woody notes combined with citrus and vanilla notes gives this scent a freshness and lightness but there remained a beautifully earthy feel to the scent.” “Opening briefly with sharpness, dries down to be warm, cozy with a touch of cool majestic” “Strong silent type with wisdom in his eyes” “Manly but soft around the edges” “A mixture of chypre with a dry resinous and spicy oriental feeling, something able to transmit a rough and at the same time velvety” “He is down to earth and rough, but kind hearted and refined.” “Whispering gentleness and intelligent manner.” “The man who knows but remains silent.” “Reflects a man who is calm, assured, and kind.” “It seems to breathe in the fresh air of a pristine forest” “Elegant. Reserved. Alluring.”

Notes: Woody, Aromatic, Fresh Spicy, Warm Spicy, Balsamic - Juniper, Coriander, Bergamont, Lemon, Cedar, Canadian Balsam, Benzoin, Vetiver, Italian Cypress, Cardamom, Vanilla, Violet, Carnation, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Fir 

Chiara: Balenciaga L’Essence - Balenciaga

“Possesses an ethereal quality” “Opens with an ozonic feeling in the air on a summer day when it’s about to storm. It has a perfectly gentle, vague woody base that is warm but not heavy, nothing sharp or intense... just grassiness in a lush garden.” “Green, wet, lush, and juicy while soft and powdery.” “A natural, fresh, forest scent” “Lovely creamy green scent” “A dark mysterious forest after it’s rained, out of a fairytale” “Calm and confident but not boastful, kind, a little playful, and friendly.” “Light and airy and soft...like a whisper in paradise, a dream that lasts only for a second. Makes people curious with its enchanting quality” “Charming and loveable scent” “A really beautiful forest floor scent - shaded trees, cool air, violets everywhere, and unicorns!” “It’s like inhaling all the greens of a deep wood with a very shy sun gently caressing the trees, yet heavy grey clouds are still present and the moss and grass are still humid after a short and light rainfall; flower beds of wild violets - you are alone and introspective”  “Lovely, quite melancholic, energetic yet meditative, subtly sweet”

Notes: Green, Woody, Aromatic, Ozonic, Powdery - Green Notes, Violet Leaf, Violet, Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood, Patchouli

Merula: Midnight Poison - Christian Dior

“A bewitching scent” “Empowering” “Thick sweet woods dripping in amber and spicy dark rose” “A dark potion of almost black roses and earthy bitter patchouli. Spicy, sexy, intriguing. No softness, no sweetness. Unapologetic and fierce darkness.” “Brooding patchouli and sinister spice...Dark, spicy, and woody.” “Maleficent” “Seductive and intense. Makes one feel confident” “Opens sharp and overpowering but dries down, mellows out, to creamy and sweet.” “Feminine with a gothic edge” “Gothic dark beauty” “Mysterious and seductive yet there is a strange innocent quality” “Smoky and sultry with subtle sweetness and softness” “Strong and dynamic - demands attention” “A magic elixir dark witches brew to entice and enchant” (need to get my hands on some of this! My MC would also rock this - she’s going to “borrow” some from Merula =p)

Notes: Patchouli, Rose, Amber, Citrus - Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Warm Spice - Vanilla

Ismelda: O - Blood Concept

“Unique and enigmatic.” “Weird, sharp, and unique.” “Cruel leather with metallic notes... a predominant kick in the nuts” “Up close has a softer presence, more pleasant and actually comforting” “Smokey, strange, bitter” “A bizarre combination that is pleasant despite its strange quality. Powerful, direct, and confident. The composition is modern, minimalistic, edgy, empowering, and unisex. Aromatic and spicy...strong...projecting power and confidence.”  “And interesting fragrance that can come off as cold” “I could see Lestat wearing this” “Smoky, intense, earthy, and definitely bizarre” *Others have said this scent has made them physically sick (well with Ismelda’s unwashed hair...maybe it’s not that, maybe it’s this!)

Notes: Leather, Metallic, Sweet - Raspberry, Smoky, Woody - Birth Tar, Virginia Cedar, Caraway, Rose, Cyperus Esculentus

Jacob: Olympic Rainforest - Olympic Orchids Artisan 

(and Narciso Rodriguez for Him - Narciso Rodriguez - probably wears this darker fragrance more after the Vaults and Cult experiences, but the Olympic Rainforest reminds him of living in Canada, being in the great outdoors, and provides him a sense of peace and comfort)

“Explore the mysterious, lush, mist-shrouded rainforest of the Pacific Northwest where everything is constantly green, every surface dripping with water and covered with life in the cycle of growth, decay, and rebirth.” “Like hiking through a recently burned forest to the untouched forest beyond.” “A touch of sweetness underneath the woody, rustic smell.” “Opens very dark but soon dries down to some sweetness and warmth.” “The forest is alive and dynamic.” “Something soothing yet daring - takes great risks” “Phenomenal, sublime, majestic, embracing.” “The change from the cool, wet pine through the floral heart and warm honeyed wood is like the passing of a summer’s day in the forest.” “Bitter, dark and cool to warm, soothing, slightly sweet.“ “Spicy, resinous, mossy, fresh, rich, natural” “Lovely, therapeutic, calming yet playful.” “Has a pensive, calming, almost therapeutic quality”  “Like hiking through the forest after it rains”

Notes: Woody, Balsamic, Earthy, Aromatic, Woody Spice - Canadian Balsam, Port Orford Cedar, Oakmoss, Sword Fern, Myrrh, Boletus Edulis (Forest Mushrooms), Black Spruce, Beeswax, Wildflowers, Rhododendron

[bullet-pointers]

The application is the first part of the process. Occasionally with the aid of a hopefuls chat, it’s how mods get to know muses and muns before the group is finalized. Both the mods’ design of the app and the muns’ filling out of the app are pretty important to making sure a good roster can be put together with minimal pain.

Not all apps have the same sections to fill out or the same requirements for each section. Sections like Character Name or Backstory are pretty much on every single app, while other sections such as Likes/Dislikes and sometimes even Personality may not always be on there. It’s up to the discretion of the mods.

Mun Info

What Is It?: A section for information on the mun. Generally includes name/handle, pronouns, and triggers, and may also include time zone (for scheduling purposes), blacklist/greylist, and squicks.

Notes

Yeahhh, this section is pretty much necessary for all apps. It would be really awkward to not know who’s actually writing these characters. It’s also useful for lowering the odds of OOC drama.

Different groups treat triggers and squicks differently. Sometimes squicks are avoided in the OOC chat and triggers just need to be tagged, sometimes both need to be tagged in posts, and sometimes both are just lumped together in a masterlist. Obviously it’s important to note however they’re handled if you don’t want to make people unduly uncomfortable or worse.

Some apps may have a slot for blacklisted muns, and some may just figure you would list anything like that in an Other section. Either way, if there’s another mun you don’t get along with for one reason or another, be sure to list them. It may affect your chances of getting in, but it’s not worth getting into a group if you’re going to spend the whole time worrying about that other mun. IMO, having a specific blacklist section makes cross-checking apps easier for the mods.

Core Muse Info

What Is It?: The name, gender, appearance, talent, personality, bio, and central beliefs of the muse. This is what sets muses apart from each other and is the central part of the application. That being said, some parts of this section can still be added or subtracted if deemed appropriate.

Notes

Different mods will be more or less worried about appearances when it comes to app judging. It can be hard to compare across apps due to (completely valid) differences in drawing ability, image quality, only having a written description available, etc. Having a clean, detailed image and/or an appearance that reflects important aspects of the character or just like a really cute DreamSelfy can leave positive impressions, though.

Some mods prefer to limit numbers of muses with aliases or foreign origins on the roster. The same goes for fake talents, but including a lot of those can get a little weird, especially if someone’s fake talent is the same as/similar to someone else’s real talent. In general, you really don’t want duplicate talents, possibly with the exception of Reserve Course, which isn’t acceptable to all RPs, anyway. Some mods also like some kind of gender balance in the final roster, so sometimes you might get a liiiittle better odds by watching the hopefuls list and applying a rarer gender, but this isn’t always true, either. Just make sure the FAQ covers these sorts of things.

The personality section can be of different lengths and detail levels, and some RPs may accept bullet points or require specific personality aspects or details. Sometimes this section is nixed altogether if mods feel the other app questions should give them a good enough impression of the character’s personality, though I wouldn’t recommend this personally. Just be sure to provide the information asked for, and make sure it makes sense in the context of the backstory.

The same pretty much goes for the backstory/private bio. Just make sure it makes sense with the personality, and hopefully at least one of the two is unique enough to generate interest. There’s nothing wrong with plain/normal kinds of OCs, but you wouldn’t expect to see several of these in one roster. Also be sure any mod triggers listed on the blog are tagged in these. If your backstory has triggers for every mod, you might be better off apping that muse somewhere else, where someone can actually read the whole backstory.

Public bios have been popular but are still not on every app. These are pretty much always paragraph form, and different groups ask for different lengths. They can be a pain to come up with sometimes, and they can get pretty sticky in cases of fake talents or ???s, but they can also be helpful for conveying information that other characters could be expected to know and get an impression from before the game starts. If you put this section on an app, just be sure they’re eventually actually public on the blog/in the chat somewhere or they’re pretty much pointless busy work.

Muse Miscellany

What Is It?: A smattering of questions with less complex answers than personality/backstory. There’s definitely no golden standard for these, though questions related to motives and Monomachine items are common. Also includes likes/dislikes, favorite things/words, and who knows what else. Filling out some of these may be optional.

Notes

These usually aren’t as tough as the other parts of the app, but they can still be a pain if the app requires a ton of them. It’s best to keep this part fairly short, though it should still ask for anything the mods foresee being important in that specific game.

Some of these, like strengths/weaknesses and likes/dislikes, can be good for making the mun think a little harder about their muse. This can make poor characterization more obvious, but a lot of the time this isn’t super necessary information.

Monomachine items are in most apps and can be tricky to come up with. They’re good for revealing lore that your muse may not voluntarily bring up, for providing something that might brighten your muse’s no-good very bad day, or just for memeing. A lot of the time, activity at the Monomachine or local equivalent tapers off much more quickly than activity in general, so it may be better to require a smaller number of these so the interesting ones have a chance to be released into the wild.

It’s also good to have questions about common motives or unique motives the mods plan to use in the RP (most important person/item, biggest secret, etc.). It can provide mods with a good idea of what motives might be effective for a good portion of the roster. Especially when muns may be slow to respond OOC, it’s good to have this information already on hand. 

On that note, it may be a good idea to ask for smaller details (shoe size, hand size, etc.) that may be relevant for investigations with bloody footprints or things like that. It is very hard to get this information from everyone later if it happens to come up, but sometimes people get a little confused or don’t really know what to put for such specific details on the app, so it’s a mixed bag.

I personally (and I’ve seen it on other apps, too) like to include a question about whether a muse is more likely to be a killer, victim, or survivor and why. If you’re trying to keep the app short, this could be cut, but it’s good to have a balanced roster that isn’t all innocent babies who would never hurt anyone or all seasoned criminals who will probably kill someone before the KG is even announced. It’s also good for when volunteers aren’t forthcoming and you’d rather make sure murders can be IC than just 100% random/fair.

Sometimes this kind of information is to be answered IC, like in an interview. In these cases, you might want to make a note if the character’s answer is truthful or not and why.

Prompts

What Is It?: The bane of muns around the world, it’s a section of questions requiring longer, paragraph answers written in third-person like RP posts. Sometimes applicants are provided an array of prompts and can choose from them, sometimes specific prompts are required, and sometimes this section consists of only one prompt or is absent, though this is rare.

Notes

This section takes a lot of time, but it’s the best indicator of a mun’s writing ability for the purposes of the RP. They can be a huge pain to fill out, and some common prompts may be difficult to write a juicy response to, so it’s best to ask for the absolute minimum. Zero-prompt apps exist and can work out, but I wouldn’t care for that as a mod.

Execution prompts in particular can give muns a lot of pause, and I can personally say I’ve given up on an app that was otherwise finished just because I couldn’t come up with an execution. It may be reasonable to cut this prompt to save a lot of pain; however, it’s really best to have these on hand from the start. They can be very hard to get later, and they’re kind of important to DR games.

MM/traitor prompts should be required for those applying for that position. This kind of question might fit in a different section so it doesn’t have to be written like an RP post, but in general it’s hard to pick out a mastermind if you don’t know the deets of why they would start a killing game. You don’t necessarily have to ask for an MM speech, but you should at least know if this would be a satisfying plot twist and/or fit with the game’s lore.

The ability to choose from a list of prompts can help when a mun doesn’t feel very inspired to write about, say, the muse waking up in such-and-such location with no idea how they got there, or when filling out that prompt doesn’t convey the muse’s personality particularly well. On the other hand, asking for everyone to fill out the same prompt(s) makes it easier to directly compare hopefuls.

On that note, I like having less standard prompts, like reactions to not getting a Starbucks order right or how a muse would deal with a crazy roommate. While these can be tricky to come up with if you don’t want to just rip them off from other apps (which you prrrrobably shouldn’t without permission), coming up with unique situations can help muns more easily demonstrate the personalities of their muses instead of blandly answering the same old questions. That being said, these can be a little weird to work with if the muse would never go to Starbucks and/or leave their house in general.

Conclusion

No two games have the same app, and no two should. Applications are important for getting to know enough information to put together a roster that’s going to work out both IC and OOC. They also gather information for later use in the RP, when muses may be harder to get ahold of or have less time to answer questions. Mods just need to ask for what information they think they’ll need, and muns just need to try to provide it. It’s impossible to foresee everything you’ll need, but asking for every piece of info you could possibly have use for would make a longer app than anyone would be willing to fill out.

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[orbemnews]

These Bond Funds Would possibly Supply Juicy Yields, and Unwelcome Surprises Investing in a so-called unconstrained bond fund is like that team-building train the place you fall backward into somebody’s arms: It could possibly work, but it surely requires a whole lot of belief. These funds prospect much more extensively for his or her holdings than a typical core bond providing that may anchor a portfolio. They often should purchase bonds no matter credit score high quality or nation of challenge. Typically, they will additionally scoop up currencies, spinoff and convertible securities, and even inventory. Their flexibility means they’ve the potential to provide increased returns than funds proudly owning simply U.S. Treasuries and investment-grade company bonds. However the unconstrained funds’ complexity could make their dangers onerous for less-sophisticated traders to unravel. And that may invite unwelcome surprises, particularly in instances of market tumult. Within the first quarter of 2020, when the inventory market sank because the pandemic raged, the unconstrained bond funds tracked by Morningstar, the funding evaluation firm, misplaced a median of seven.6 %. The funds returned a median of three.57 % within the fourth quarter. Against this, contemplate the iShares Core U.S. Combination Bond Change-Traded Fund, which invests in U.S. authorities and investment-grade bonds and tracks the benchmark Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Combination Bond Index. The fund returned 3.06 % within the first quarter and 0.73 % within the fourth quarter. Long term, the common unconstrained fund has fared considerably higher, giving an annual common complete return of two.86 % during the last decade, in contrast with 3.74 % for the iShares fund. Recently, the lure of unconstrained funds is their yield: In a world awash in measly rates of interest, they will provide extra revenue than extra conventional bond funds. As of Dec. 31, the common trailing 12-month yield of unconstrained funds was 3.19 %, whereas the iShares fund paid 2.14 %. However a richer yield can come at a value of confusion. “Once you’re shopping for an unconstrained fund, you actually don’t know what you’re getting except you look rigorously on the portfolio and skim the analyst studies,” mentioned Steve Kane, co-manager of the TCW Metropolitan West Unconstrained Bond Fund. “You might be shopping for a worldwide macrofund invested in currencies or a high-yield-bond fund in disguise.” That kind of elusiveness characterizes even Mr. Kane’s fund. “There’s little or no we will’t do,” he mentioned. But he mentioned he and his co-managers keep away from bets on currencies, inventory or convertibles as a result of they consider they’re higher at selecting bonds. Their portfolio consists primarily of company and mortgage bonds and asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities are swimming pools of property, like bank card receivables or auto loans, which might be securitized as bonds. The retail shares of the fund have an annualized common return of 5.16 % since 2011, the yr of the fund’s inception. Given how low present rates of interest are — the 10-year Treasury is paying about 1 % — Annie McCauley, a senior vice chairman on the Sequoia Monetary Group in Akron, Ohio, known as unconstrained funds “a strong possibly” for retail traders. A juicier yield alone shouldn’t tempt individuals to spend money on one thing they don’t perceive, she mentioned. “You may’t have increased revenue and never even have a trade-off to get that,” she mentioned. “It’s important to acknowledge that the draw back of an unconstrained fund might look extra like an fairness fund than a bond fund,” she mentioned. One option to acquire a way of the everyday zigzags of a fund’s returns is to verify its month-to-month numbers, she mentioned. Buyers will generally fixate on longer-term measures, like three- and five-year returns, however these can clean out month-to-month jumps and dives. Managers of unconstrained funds acknowledge that their choices’ better revenue can stem partly from shopping for riskier fare, corresponding to high-yield and emerging-markets bonds. However additionally they say their broad baskets of bets can assist damp threat. “Folks view ‘unconstrained’ as which means we will hold from the chandeliers,” mentioned Rick Rieder, lead supervisor of the BlackRock Strategic Revenue Alternatives Fund. “What it actually means is we will use various instruments to scale back threat. We’re making an attempt to make a bit bit of cash all the time and never put all of our eggs in a one basket.” Just lately, Mr. Rieder’s fund included investments in high-yield and emerging-market bonds, residential and industrial mortgage securities, Treasuries, derivatives and collateralized mortgage obligations. (C.L.O.s are teams of loans, typically company loans or ones used to fund buyouts, which might be pooled and securitized.) By not less than one measure, that motley combine did produce a fund much less jittery than its friends: The normal deviation of its returns was 5.15 %, in contrast with 6.74 % for the common unconstrained fund tracked by Morningstar. A decrease quantity signifies much less volatility. Mr. Rieder’s fund has a median annual return of three.52 % during the last decade. The numerous holdings of an unconstrained fund may additionally assist scale back the general riskiness of an individual’s portfolio, complementing core bond holdings, mentioned Marc P. Seidner, lead supervisor of the PIMCO Dynamic Bond Fund. That’s as a result of the fund’s investments gained’t essentially be correlated with the extent and course of U.S. rates of interest, which decide the return of typical bond funds, he mentioned. So an unconstrained fund might assist defend towards rising rates of interest, he mentioned. (Bond costs fall when charges rise.) Greater charges could seem unlikely in the mean time, with the coronavirus weighing on the financial system. However as soon as individuals are vaccinated, they’ll journey, dine out and store in brick-and-mortar shops once more. “In the event you take a look at our portfolio, there’s a component of it that has Covid restoration inbuilt, like convertibles issued by cruise strains and airways, accommodations, and a few retailers,” Mr. Seidner mentioned. The fund’s investments lately included convertibles issued by Royal Caribbean Cruises and Southwest Airways, in addition to bonds issued by the Carnival Company, a cruise line, and Delta Air Strains. The PIMCO fund has returned an annual common of three.76 % since its inception in 2008. In the event you choose to purchase into an unconstrained fund, figuring out the dangers it’s taking is crucial, mentioned Karin Anderson, director of mounted revenue supervisor analysis for Morningstar. Doing so may also be very difficult. “It may be onerous for a person investor to parse what’s occurring,” she mentioned. “Half of the holdings is perhaps derivatives, and also you wouldn’t know what was hedging what or what they have been supplying you with publicity to.” Unconstrained funds typically aren’t benchmarked towards well-known broad-market bond indexes; generally they’re not benchmarked in any respect. So moderately than simply assessing how a fund fared towards a standard yardstick just like the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Combination Bond Index, you may additionally need to evaluate it both to friends or borrow a benchmark from one other asset class. “If a fund’s heavy in high-yield bonds, it’s honest to see if it beats a conventional high-yield index,” Ms. Anderson mentioned. Assessing charges is important, too, as unconstrained funds will be costly, she mentioned. Excessive charges erode returns; Morningstar has discovered that they predict poor fund efficiency. The common unconstrained fund has a internet expense ratio of 1.2 %, whereas the common intermediate core bond fund — one invested in Treasuries and investment-grade company debt — has a median expense ratio of 0.79 %, in response to Morningstar. Lastly, you need to be sure that a fund supervisor’s targets are aligned with yours and perceive the trade-offs you’re accepting with that particular person’s technique, mentioned Arif Husain, supervisor of the T. Rowe Value Dynamic International Bond Fund. “If somebody guarantees you a excessive stage of revenue, there shall be increased volatility and better correlation with the inventory market. If somebody guarantees you diversification, the trade-off is decrease ranges of revenue. In my expertise, there’s no such factor as a high-income diversifying technique.” Supply hyperlink #Bond #funds #Juicy #Offer #surprises #Unwelcome #Yields