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multidimensionalguidance · 9 months ago

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Dominant Archetype For 2024

Intuitive/Oracle Reading for all (12) sidereal signs

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I was able to find this beautiful and insightful deck with 80 different archetypes that represent the many facets of our unconscious, subconscious, and conscious mind. This is the dominant archetype you are currently and will continue on embodying for the remainder of the year. Enjoy <3

Aries

Prince Archetype

You're filled with romantic charm and potential for power. There's a need for being generous, fair, compassionate, and full of wisdom but it must be balanced. The shadow aspects of this archetype are manifested from a sense of entitlement, and using your position and power to your own interest regardless to needs nor impact on others.

There might be matters of love that you are sabotaging, own up to your self power and bring the change you deserve for yourself. Do not allow your old wounds and triggers to dictate your present or future decisions. You've been given the abilities to see beyond the superficial and understand where real power comes from.

Taurus

Goddess Archetype

This is the light feminine expressed through wisdom, nature, life force, and sensuality. You are fitting the energy of your ruling planet very well, but keep in mind that the shadow aspects manifest in extreme self indulgence, and exploitation of the female nature and form in some way.

Make sure you're putting all of this abundant energy towards becoming an active advocate of a cause that aids your self growth along with others. It is time to focus on developing within a community, just be wary of not using this to gain leverage or superiority over others.

Gemini

Victim Archetype

You might currently find yourself dominantly playing an archetype that prevents you from letting yourself be victimized or victimizing others, but it also implies the inability to receive positive feedback without playing the victim as well. You don't need sympathy nor pity from other in order to feel validated and seen. Your opinion is the only one that truly matters, find the strength behind it.

Keep in mind that everyone has this archetype, but the goal is to recognize it enough to stop inappropriate attitudes towards ourselves and act from a place of power. This card also speaks of not being able to maintain personal boundaries.

Avoid turning your pain into a joke all the time, its minimizing it and blocking you emotionally. Even if its helpful to laugh through the pain when needed, don't deny your emotions nor others.

Cancer

Midas/Miser Archetype

You are currently being a natural entrepreneur or having creative abilities that can turn into gold. This is a state of sharing your riches happily and enjoying abundance. The shadow comes from hoarding money, emotions, and having an obsessive fear of losing it. With this archetype wealth could be your best friend or worst enemy. What are you're willing to sacrifice for money?

It can be good to use your social abilities to become a jack of all trades, but be wary of the dangers behind only staying in shallow waters with all of your knowledge. Its not about cutting corners, specially when there's ulterior motives or hidden agendas.

Leo

The Hedonist Archetype

You are inspiring others with your creative energy to embrace the good things in life, and the joy of celebrating beauty in yourself. The shadow aspects are pursuing pleasure to a detrimental degree. It makes you indulge at the expenses of others. As if it was an insatiable appetite for life, good food, wine, sex, and sensuality.

Be mindful of not using your ability to identify aggressive/hostile tactics, hidden intentions, and humility to your advantage in certain situations. Do not succumb to taking what isn't your or bullying others when you're getting what you want. You can achieve your lifestyle goals without sacrificing your power to become codependent of others.

Virgo

The Trickster Archetype

There is a strong energy of transcending from conventional, uncomfortable, and painful predictable situations or behaviors. This helps you see situations outside of the box and give others creative alternatives. The shadow sides come in manipulating by not being honest with yourself and with others. Its your ability to find loopholes in situations and the compulsive need to move forward from anything negative as fast as possible.

It is also possible you're playing double agent due to divine intervention, meaning that you cannot or do not want to disclose what you know. Allow yourself to explore uncharted territory and situations that are simply out of your control.

Focus on your potential to see the sacred beauty and possibility in all things. Feed your inner child with hope, and not with pessimism or disbelief.

Libra

Rebel Archetype

You've been challenging authority to create a social change. It has been leading you to reject spiritual or governmental systems that are unable to serve nor satisfy your needs. The shadow side comes in rejecting all legitimate authority out of frustration, rebelling out peer pressure, or for outside validation.

There might be talents for creating and supporting life that are being positively appearing or conversely there might an abuse of authority arising. Pay attention to the current patterns in which you've had to rebel, and reflect on the underlying motivations.

Scorpio

Child: Nature Archetype

There are several expressions of our inner child, and for you the rest of the year will be all about friendship with animals and connecting with nature spirits very easily. There's a real toughness and ability to survive against all odds at this moment. You're respecting very heavily the seed of life that lays within all living and conscious creatures. The shadow side is hurting or abusing animals, people, or your environment.

You are or will be heavily tapping into your inner child and filling it with lots of magic and nurturing energy. Stay connected to your belief of knowing everything is possible, and be aware of any heavily pessimist, depressed, or distorted inner views.

Sagittarius

King Archetype

You are in a state of being completely aware, and choosing to take benevolent leadership in your life. Those who are around you or close to you are benefiting immensely from your charge. You give them a real sense of stability and control that comes from strong boundaries. The shadow aspect is an excessive feeling of entitlement and as if you deserve rulership without any restraint.

There will be plenty of meaningful learning and alchemizing that knowledge into long life wisdom. You have accepted with humility and devotion to simply become a learner of life and opening up to the lifelong journey. Don't allow arrogance limit your connection with others or keep you stuck from not knowing how translate knowledge into action.

Capricorn

Angel Archetype

You are helping those in need with no expectation of what you might receive back, and staying connected to divinity and angels at the moment. This is a state of being loving, nurturing in character, and being a sort of fairy godmother/godfather to those who are in need of some love and warm.

The shadow aspects come from acting falsely innocent/unaware to manipulate and mislead others, or falsely claiming to be in touch with angelic guidance.

It seems you're tapped into divinity from an inner child level, so your aura of innocence, purity, desire for redemption, or having a special connection with divinity is real and authentic. Cherish all of it while protecting your energy!

Aquarius

Rescuer Archetype

You are and will continue to provide strength, support to others in their moments of crisis, and truly acting out of love with no expectation of rewards. The shadow aspect is assuming that those you aid in their worst moments will reciprocate or keeping those you help in a constant state of need.

You are using your gift for mediating with fairness, strategy, and respect for all parties in different aspects of life, but be wary of doing this with ulterior motives or hidden agendas.

Pisces

Destroyer Archetype

You are releasing what is potentially destructive or preparing yourself for a complete new you, life, reality, etc. There is a deep call for a complete rebuild of yourself at the moment, and it can beneficial if you're letting go of self limiting beliefs.

The shadow aspect is becoming intoxicated with your power to create chaos/destruction and drowning those around you in the process. You need to become aware of your ability to notice when someone or something is draining you life force, and ensure that its not coming from you. You don't need to deplete others energy to survive, nor need to rely on codependency.

Think of the times when you've felt exhausted from interacting with others and the times where you've noticed others feeling this way after spending time around you. Are others taking too much? And how do you notice when you're doing it too?

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hexcoreviktor · 5 months ago

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As someone in your 30s what have you learned and would you tell someone who is in their early 20s like me

bold of you to assume i've ever learned anything

jk uhm okay

holding grudges is exhausting. being upset is fine, being angry is too. but not indefinitely, you can't live like that forever.

a lot of things don't get wrapped up with a neat little bow, sometimes you don't get the answers you want or need and there simply isn't any closure.

(i guess what these two things basically amount to is that you need to learn to let things go)

being petty usually isn't the way to go. if something makes you unhappy or if someone hurts you, say it, tell them. try to figure it out. or don't and move on. you don't have to let people walk all over you, but don't play stupid ass games.

tell people that you love them. tell them they're important to you and that they make your life better. ik it sounds cliche, but it's true. life's too short not to. more importantly tho, show them. make an effort, show up for them.

you don't owe people anything just because they're family. it's okay to have boundaries or even walk away entirely when all they do is make your life worse. go and make your own family, the one you get to choose yourself.

same goes for anyone actually. cut out people who make you miserable, no one is entitled to being in your life.

being a person in this world can be hard, life is hard, so try to give others and yourself some grace.

related: being kind to others makes it a whole lot easier to be kind to yourself as well.

but also some people are just assholes. there might be a reason for that and you can try to understand, but don't let them turn you into one and stay away from them.

exercising unfortunately does make you feel better, both physically and mentally. as does going outside.

vegetables are the best thing in the world once you figure out how to properly prepare them and which meals to put them in.

turns out drinking enough water is important.

sunscreen + moisturizer. use them.

if you wear bras, make sure they actually fit and are supportive without hurting your back, shoulders or skin.

if you have a uterus, your tummy is never gonna be entirely flat. that's okay. if you don't have a uterus and your tummy isn't entirely flat, that's also okay. having any kind of tummy is okay. actually, as long as you're happy and healthy, your body is fine as it is. you don't exist to fit into some kind of ideal society forces on people.

if you're one of the very few chosen ones, you do look better with bangs than without them because you have the kind of forehead the world simply isn't meant to see and you have to accept that. (this one's actually just for me personally)

but also who cares. you can do whatever you want with your own body. like i said, the only opinion that matters irt your looks is your own.

you don't have to figure out who you are and who you're gonna be for the rest of your life in your 20s. the person you were then most likely won't be the person you are in your 30s. we keep on changing, sometimes in small ways, sometimes a whole lot, and it's so so fun.

same thing goes for sexuality and identity. speaking as someone who thought they were one thing for almost their entire life, only to realize that's actually not the case, like, last year: it's fine to put a label on yourself because it currently fits and to then find an entirely different one later down the line. you're allowed to do that. you're gonna be so much happier once you give yourself that freedom. there's also nothing wrong with not wanting to label yourself at all.

there's no such thing as too old. you're not too old to start a new hobby, learn something new, do that thing you've always wanted to do, start over, be someone else. you're also not too old to still enjoy and love the things you did when you were younger. certainly not in your 20s, but also not at any point after that.

that all i've got for now because thinking and typing is exhausting and my brain is over 30 years old!!! might come back to this once i realize i forgot some really important wisdom, like, 'killing people is bad' or something.

#typed this out on my lunch break and also it's highly personal so like 🙃#answered

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topazadine · 7 months ago

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A masterclass in how not to market your books, in one singular tweet

Yes, I have redacted the username because I don't want you to go harass said writer. Don't do that.

Now, let's look at how we can learn how NOT to market ourselves using this tweet.

Stop trying to justify yourself.

Don't bother telling me that it is a "purposeful stylistic decision" because frankly, I do not care about your stylistic decisions, same as no one cares about my stylistic decisions when reading my books. I care about how I engage with the work. Your feelings as an author do not matter to me, and I know they don't matter to my own readers, either.

If you are constantly getting criticism for your prose being too dense, then that is a YOU problem. The market is telling you that your writing is unpopular because you're making it too difficult for the average person. Instead of doubling down and insisting that you are right and special and perfect, listen to the criticisms you're receiving.

Do not talk down to readers.

If you condescendingly tell me that "it's okay to look up words when you're reading," I am not going to read your books, even if I am perfectly capable of doing so. You have just told me that you think I'm an idiot. The last thing I need in my life is to be sneered at by an author whose product I have purchased.

I have a BA in British Literature and an MA in International Relations. To say that I am familiar with dense prose would be an understatement. Read some Robert O. Keohane and you, too, can hear your brain cells liquifying in real time.

And that's fine, because not only is Robert O. Keohane a celebrated scholar of international relations, he is explaining complicated concepts that involve a lot of moving parts. Your fantasy book should not be so complicated that I need to take notes so I know what the hell is going on. (I have ranted about this before.)

I will suffer through this kind of prose if I am paying significant amounts of money to do so. I will not struggle through this kind of prose if I am under no compulsion.

Unless your book is required reading in a class (highly unlikely), people are reading for enjoyment during their limited free time. It's one thing to have a few funky words here and there that are clear through context cues, quite another to litter your books with so many weird words that I have to spend half my time hunting through a dictionary.

Don't try to tell people how to read.

You, as an author, do not get to tell readers how to read your books. That's not your job. You don't have the right to patronizingly tell people to "take it slow." You provide a product, and then the readers take it from there and get to engage with it however they so choose.

Yes, I roll my eyes at TikTok girlies who say they skip long paragraphs or only read dialogue. I have the right to say I think this is stupid, but ultimately, I don't get to tell them how to read.

If that's how they want to engage with the product they have purchased, that is their right, same as I'm entitled to make bread in my rice cooker or turn my iron into a doorstop if I want to.

Your readers don't care about you, but you need to care about them.

You know those directors who have a clearly obvious fetish because they include that same thing in every single movie? Yeah, we laugh at them. We don't think it's cute and quirky, we think it's weird and gross. If you're forcing your reader to think about you constantly by interjecting your own opinions and needs into your work, it's off-putting.

A good book does not force you to think about the author at all. You are absorbed in the story and forget that someone even created this because it feels real. It feels genuine.

Yes, it's your handiwork, and your essence will be in it, but that should not be the primary focus.

Stop letting your ego get in the way.

Your readers are not sitting there going "waow, so cool" when you churn out a 500-page screed of PhD dissertation prose to talk about two elves fucking. They're probably thinking, "wow, this author is really far up their own ass."

Then they have a few options:

Continue reading because they think it will make them cool and intellectual to finish a self-important screed about elves fucking

Put the book down because it's annoying and they don't care

Grit their teeth and keep going even though they hate it because they are a completionist

None of those bode well for your reputation as an author. Except maybe the first one, if you are attempting to appeal to an extremely limited audience of pretentious nerds.

If you are trying to sell a book for profit, then you need to know what people want from a book they purchase. Clearly, the author has faced complaints about the dense prose, and instead of realizing they have a market mismatch, they make it everyone else's problem because their ego won't let them change.

The instant you feel the need to defend yourself against justified criticism, you have failed.

Of course, if someone misinterprets your work or uses it as their own soapbox, or attacks you as a person, then you are more than welcome to defend yourself.

But if you get worked up over someone complaining about your prose and condescendingly tell them that they need to just get good, you have failed as a writer. You've failed to tell a story people want to read because you just had to ensure everyone knew you're super special and smart.

I've seen a lot of queer writers do this, sadly: get sucked into stupid drama because of their ego and then turned a bunch of people off.

This person writes books that are within my genre and interests, but they've just told me that if I want to read a book for idle pleasure and not devote all my brainpower to it, I'm stupid and not reading it correctly. So why should I give them money to spit in my face and tell me I'm an idiot? No thanks, not my kink.

I will tell you right now that you're more than welcome to dislike my books. You can think 9 Years Yearning is the stupidest fucking thing you've ever read if you want. You can say that on the internet for everyone to see. In fact, I encourage you to. Leave a brutally honest review.

DNF it, tell your friends you didn't like it. Whatever. I can't control your thoughts and I can't tell you how to read it.

That's your right as a consumer. If I failed to tell a story you enjoy, that's my fault.

Will it hurt my feelings? Sure. No one likes to be told they didn't do a good job. I want you to like my work because I wrote it for people to enjoy. I made up these little guys and put them in a situation, hoping you'd experience a fraction of the happiness I feel when writing.

But ultimately, I know you don't care about my feelings as the author. You care about your enjoyment of the work and your experience, as you should.

Don't listen to authors who talk down to you and imply that you're stupid if they write a book whose prose style you don't like. They're speaking from a place of ego, and that's their problem, not yours.

#aspiring author #aspiring writer #writers on tumblr #writers community #writerblr #writeblr #writing community #writers of tumblr #writerscommunity #creative writing #writer #writer stuff #indie authors #authors of tumblr #book writing #author #indie author

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angelremnants · 2 months ago

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Hi! I’ve been reading through some of your works and I swear i’m in awe of how you write 🥰 I think it’s really inspired me to try and write my own fanfics, but i’d like to ask (if it’s not too much!) if you have any tips on writing and i’m curious on how the writing process is like!

Nonnie! You don't know how much of a touching and big compliment you just made me! It made my heart thud faster to read your message, thank you so much! 😭🩷

Now, there's no secret formula to writing—it's an art, and art is the expression of a blend of your heart and your mind working together. Everyone's process is different and unique to each, so don't compare yourself to others, your plume is what makes you entitled to your style. That being said, here are some tips and advices I can give you based on how I proceed:

First and foremost, it's really important that you're in a good headspace—so make sure to be hydrated, nourished and overall physically and mentally prepared to write. Motivation is key, but if your brain isn’t cooperating, that’s okay! Sometimes your body just needs a break, and forcing it won’t help. It's not wrong to not write or be able to write, it's natural and human. I took years off from writing at one point, and honestly? It was definitely worth it, and I would do it all over again. You can always find another hobby or activity to entertain yourself. If stepping away for a while means coming back stronger and more inspired, then go for it. Don't stress yourself, you’re not racing against time, and no one is pointing a gun to your head and forcing you to write.

I like to keep at least two Google Docs open—one for brainstorming and one for actual writing. Sometimes even a third if I’m working on something big. It helps me to have the base and the foundation that I can switch to and get side by side while I'm writing. On the brainstorming doc, I mark down words or short sentences that sometimes wouldn't even make sense to anyone but me. It helps me keep track of my ideas without stressing about perfect sentences, as long as I can still understand and remember what ideas I came up with. The writing doc is where I put everything together.

Personally, I tend to write for hours straight, sometimes even forgetting to eat or sleep because I don’t want to lose my flow. Not the healthiest habit, I know—I do that because I know that the moment I stop, I won't get any further and it'll be it for the day. I'm also insomniac, so if I don't force myself to take a melatonin pill to sleep, this is what you'll find me doing. What I would recommend instead is to take small breaks, even if you have to force yourself and get a good night's sleep. Writing takes time, and some of the best fics I've read took years to be completed.

Thesaurus is and will always be your best friend. Though I do have a preference for that Hippo website, but it's basically the same. Sometimes I get stuck on a single word and overuse it without realizing, so I write a basic paragraph first, then go back and swap out any repetitive words for better synonyms—that way, it doesn't feel heavy to read. I also do this with character names, replacing them with descriptors like hair color, titles, or nicknames to keep things fresh. You can also use a grammar checker, but I find myself to generally use some words or a certain spelling that the checker would replace or suppress.

If you’re stuck on any part (whether it's about an opinion on an idea or your progress), getting feedback from others can be really helpful. Beta readers are great for an outside perspective. I don’t usually do it because I like surprising people with my stories, but sometimes I just wish I had someone to talk to about my wips.

I like to switch up my writing style depending on the mood and/or theme of the story. If you compare my two recent writing projects, the Stuck With You fic to the His for the Season series, one is super simple while the other has a more intricate and flowery style. To me, writing is storytelling, and I picture myself reading my work aloud to a group of people. How I write depends on how I want people to feel while reading, and what effective way would it be to immerse themselves in it.

I always, always go back and read my story from the beginning, even before it’s finished and even after posting it. It helps me refresh my mind, check for errors, smooth out the flow, and make sure everything makes sense. Keep in mind that other people will be reading your work, so think about how it’ll come across. But don’t be too hard on yourself—nobody’s going to care if you use the same word twice. You don’t have to be the next Mark Twain. A lot of nowadays bestselling books have really simple writing styles, and they still make the New York Times list. That's because everyone is here to have a good time, relax and enjoy the creativity of others.

My final and most important advice is to always make sure that you're your biggest fan and supporter. At the end of the day, if you’re not enjoying what you write, then what’s the point? I like to think of myself as my first reader, and if I’m not satisfied with my work, I can’t expect anyone else to be. So write for yourself first before you write for anyone else.

The beauty of writing is that it isn’t just about putting words on a page, it's also a kind of game that has no limit for your creativity and your imagination. Think of yourself as the architect, builder, and decorator of your next big building. You set the foundation, shape the structure, and add the details that bring it to life. Could you imagine what the world would be if some of the greatest inventors weren't passionate about their projects? That's how you should think of writing.

There’s no limit to your imagination, and no “wrong” way to tell a story. Even if your idea is a cliché trope, even if people don’t agree with your headcanons, ships, or plot choices—none of that matters. There's always the golden rule that tells you not to read a story if you don't like it. It's okay if it doesn't appeal to everyone—what matters is how you feel about your work. If you can look back at your story and think, "Hey, this is actually pretty good", then that’s all the validation you need.

You're not a professional, you're not paid to write and you don't have a deadline—you do it all for free! So at the very least, enjoy what you're doing, do it your way and do it because you want to and because you like it. That is essentially what makes you a good writer and storyteller.

If you ever do start writing fanfics and post them, I'd be happy to read what you came up with! 🩷

#angie.replies

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vro0ms-evil-twin · 11 months ago

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@rosekoite asked me to say more about assertive communication due to this post. This is very simplified but here we go.

⚠️ LONG POST! ⚠️

INTRODUCTION

Assertiveness is the ability to express yourself truthfully and honestly while respecting yourself and others, in a way that's adequate contextually and based on your personal goals. The purpose of assertive communication is to be authentic and honest with ourselves and others. Period. Its point is NOT to obtain things from others and it's NOT a "better" or more efficient way of communicating in that sense.

In fact, very importantly, sometimes assertive communication IS NOT the best choice. For example, there are work situations during which you won't choose to be assertive and honest with your boss if you want to keep your job. There's a time and place for assertive communication and it's a choice you have to make depending on what's important to you at that time (eg keeping your job or being authentic?).

So why choose assertive communication when you can? When used adequately, it helps you clarify your needs, thoughts, and opinions. It makes you feel more in line with yourself. It teaches you to listen to yourself, and to express yourself and your needs. It helps with self confidence, self esteem, and trust in others. It can also help during conflicts. It makes you feel more in control of your life and better overall. I'd say it also helps with mentalizing, which is the ability to understand your and other people's mental states.

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Communication between two people works like this :

The responsibility is shared 50/50 between the two people. As the source, you're responsible for expressing all the relevant information clearly, honestly, and in a way that's coherent verbally and non verbally. As the receiver, you're responsible for being available and attentive. However, the message also goes through the context of your relationship, as well as a communication channel (aka it's not the same thing to talk face to face, on the phone, or by text), and this can lead to misunderstandings and distorsions.

According to this model there are different types of communications that we may all use at different times :

Inhibited behavior leads you to not express how you feel or what you think because you feel like you're less entitled to do so than others, you're scared you're going to be judged, or you put others needs and opinions before your own.

Aggressive behavior leads you to force how you feel and think upon others, and not leave any space for them to express themselves. You do not listen to what they have to say, and do not take what they feel and think into account.

Manipulative behavior can be lying, or just not being completely truthful about how you feel or what you think, but also irony, sarcasm, any type of communication that's indirect (making light of things that aren't, making someone else express your opinion for you, exaggerating, etc.)

Now the goal of assertive behavior is to minimize the distorsions and respect the 50/50 division of the responsibility in the communication by expressing truthfully and directly how you feel and what you think, without justifying yourself, in a way that's coherent on the verbal and non verbal level.

Again it doesn't mean it will "work" in the end in the sense of producing your desired outcome. However it will work in 1) respecting yourself by expressing yourself instead of silencing yourself 2) respecting the other party by not overpowering them 3) being honest, truthful, and authentic.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN PRACTICE?

Assertiveness requires 3 things :

Attitude : being sincere, honest with yourself and others, but also open to hearing their side of things and accepting that it might be different to yours

Involvement : talking about yourself, your emotions, and your thoughts as long as they're not disrespectful to the other party. Do NOT generalise. This is about YOU.

Precision : stay focused on a specific, clear aspect of things. If you're talking about something else, focus on behaviors and not character. Try to stay on the factual side of things rather than get into opinions.

EXAMPLES :

COMPLIMENT SOMEONE

(eg you like someone's content)

Don't : your blog is cool! (you're not involved, you're not precise!)

Do : I love the edits you post on your blog, I find them really beautiful.

RECEIVE A COMPLIMENT

(eg someone likes your edits)

Don't : aw thanks! or nah it's nothing! (you're maybe not honest, you're not involved, you're not precise!)

Do : I really appreciate your kind words it makes me very happy OR if you honestly disagree with the compliment which is ok as well thank you, I'm not too happy with this edit myself

EXPRESS A NEED, ASK FOR SOMETHING

(eg you're getting disrespectful anons)

Don't : not say anything or answer them kindly anyway or answer them unkindly (it's not precise, it's not honest, it's not involved)

Do : I would like it if you were more polite next time, I don't like being talked to that way

(remember : sometimes being assertive is not the best choice, you don’t need to engage every hateful anon, this is an example)

SAY NO, NEGOTIATE

(eg your anon is demanding you write the next chapter of your fic)

Don't : sorry I will get to it as soon as I can or fuck off anon or the problem is I'm having so much work and I broke my favorite mug and... (you're not honest! you're not precise! you're justifying yourself!)

Do : No. You can elaborate depending on how you feel IF YOU WANT but be careful not to start justifying yourself : I feel pressured when you keep asking or I'm worried you're going to be disappointed with me, but I can't/don't want to right now.

EXPRESS CRITICISM, DISAGREE

(eg anon is hateful again)

Don't : fuck you or you're an idiot (you're getting overwhelmed by your emotions, you're generalizing, you're not precise, you're not involved)

Do : I understand that you are frustrated but it hurts me when you do this / I don’t appreciate the way you’re talking to me (and I will not accept it)

RECEIVE CRITICISM

When receiving criticism, we will initially assume the person is justified and not wishing us harm.

Don't : you're just being a hater fuck you or omg they're right I suck as a person (you're getting overwhelmed by your emotions, you're not precise, you're not listening)

Do : clarify if necessary I don't understand what I did wrong can you explain it to me? then either agree and commit to doing better I admit that I was too aggressive in my answer and I will be more mindful from now or don't agree and ask for clarification I was not aggressive towards you so can you clarify what it is that made you angry?

BUT! Maybe the person is unjustified and does wish us harm! If so, there's several possibilities

You want to keep the relationship : clarify (if necessary or if they’re attacking your character instead of criticizing specific behaviors) + concede more or less vaguely + ask the person to do better in return = I'm sorry I don't understand what I did wrong can you explain it to me? [...] Okay I hear you, there's stuff I'm doing that you don't like. I want to say it's not clear to me what you're unhappy with and it makes me confused, I would like it if you were more precise so I can do better next time.

You want to keep the relationship but the person is taking it too far : refuse the confrontation = I refuse to talk to you when you're talking to me that way / I want to talk this through with you but I'm not feeling heard right now so I'll come back later + physically LEAVE

You don't care about the relationship : stay vague + stop the conversation + leave = It's your opinion, I'm not interested in talking about this further + LEAVE

These are all very simplified examples and it may seem a bit artificial at first but it gets easier with practice. Remember to 1) talk about yourself 2) be honest 3) be precise.

On the other hand, you also need to handle the other 50% of the communication aka receiving. Listen and be attentive. Accept that they might not agree with you, might think differently, might not be able to give you what you want. We're not trying to convince anyone here, we're just trying to be honest with ourselves and others.

Finally I want to remind everyone that as with all psychological tools, it is a TOOL and some people will use it in wrong ways. First of all, using these as a way to obtain things from people is NOT assertive communication, it's manipulation. Second of all, it doesn't mean that this tool is not useful when used properly!

#mental health #assertive communication

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focusonkayjay · 2 months ago

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Unfortunately, most fanfiction is not that deep. So there isn't usually a lot to connect with. I think that's why a lot of people don't interact with fanficton writers. It's really hard to give a decent review of a 3,000 word drabble with nothing but smut. Sure, if you write a 250,000 word story that's different. There is plenty to review and connect with. But you also can't force readers to interact with you. It's a readers choice to do it or not. I love to leave writers crazy long reviews, but obviously I need a lengthy story to be able to do that. I can't connect to a short story, because it's not as fleshed out, and I don't have enough time to connect with the characters on a deeper level. I am not the type of reader that sends in a review saying "wow this was great. good job." If I leave a review, it's going to be lengthy. I mean, if someone spends months/years putting their heart and soul into writing a story, then I feel compelled to give back to them by putting my own heart into a review.

As for you saying that writing for yourself is dismissive and invalidating, I completely and totally disagree. Why do you require people to validate your writing? It's an honest question. Do you think your writing is not good? I've read many of your stories and they're all great. You have strong plots and characters. I've read stories where English is not the writer's first language, and they have lots of grammar and spelling issues. But they still continue to post without seeking validation from readers. To me, that's admirable. The best thing you can do is write for yourself, from your heart, and not need anyone else to tell you that your writing is good. Because who cares? It's your work. If you like it, and you think it's good, that should be all that matters. I do not believe that anyone should quit writing just because they're not getting reviews or likes. That just tells me they weren't writing because they enjoyed it. They were writing for the attention people give their stories. If you have two stories, and one has 1,800 likes, and the other one only has 5 likes, it doesn't mean the story that got 5 likes was bad. Interactions are not a reflection on how well a story is written. I get that writers want to be able to discuss their stories with their readers. That's a great thing. But in my opinion, it shouldn't be the sole reason why a person writes. Writing should never be done for interactions that you don't know you'll get. It's like that expression, counting your chickens before they hatch. It just leads to the disappointment you're feeling.

I see plenty of writers on tumblr that don't care about reviews and likes and continue to post their stories even if they get very little interaction. I admire them, because they love what they wrote so much that they're willing to post it without worrying if people will like it. They don't need any validation from readers to post their hard work. They write for themselves, no one else. So when someone tells you to write for yourself, that's most likely what they mean. It's not meant to be dismissive. It's meant for you to be proud of what you wrote and post it without the fear of being disappointed.

This ask took me almost an hour to write, so I hope that shows my willingness to interact with you. I hope none of this came across as harsh. I wasn't trying to be. I was just trying to explain to you why I disagree with your thoughts on likes and reviews, and why interactions shouldn't matter with regards to the desire to write. Obviously, you're entitled to your own feelings and thoughts, and you're not required to change that based upon what I wrote here. I was just trying to show you things from a different perspective.

thank you so much for taking the time to write this, and for the kind words about my writing—that really means a lot to me. i truly appreciate the effort you put into this response, and i want to acknowledge that your perspective gave me a lot to think about.

i just want to clarify that my original post wasn’t about my own writing or a personal need for validation. i actually wrote it because i was talking to someone i know, who was feeling really discouraged about her work not getting much recognition. when she shared her feelings, her friends just dismissed her and their response upset her because it felt dismissive of what she was actually struggling with. that’s what led me to reflect on how, even if it’s well-meaning advice, it can sometimes come across as invalidating when someone just wants to be heard and understood.

i completely agree that no one is entitled to interaction, and readers should never be forced to engage with something they don’t connect with. i also understand that shorter works, especially ones focused on specific genres like smut, might not always lend themselves to deep engagement in the way a long, intricate story would.

your point about the way you personally review stories really resonated with me—i think it’s amazing that you take the time to leave long, thoughtful reviews for writers whose work truly moves you.

my post also wasn’t meant to be limited to fanfiction specifically—it was more of a general thought on writing and the desire for creative work to be seen and acknowledged. i absolutely respect writers who post simply for the love of writing, without caring about likes or comments, and i admire that level of self-assurance. but i also think it’s okay for writers to wish for engagement, not out of a need for external validation, but because sharing stories is often about connection. wanting that connection doesn’t mean someone only writes for attention or that they should stop writing if they don’t get it—it just means they’re human.

i really appreciate your perspective, and i can tell how much thought and care you put into this response. it’s always valuable to hear different viewpoints, and yours genuinely gave me a lot to reflect on. i think there are so many different reasons people write, and none of them are more or less valid than others—whether someone writes purely for themselves, for connection, or for a mix of both. i’m really grateful for this discussion, and for the kindness and patience you put into sharing your thoughts with me.

thank you so much !!

#focusonkayjay #focusonkayjay asks #talk to cher

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arataka-reigen · 2 years ago

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Oiii, I don't know how open you are to hearing this so just forget about it if you don't welcome it, but, I honestly have so many issues with invisible city ah é sou brasileira vai ser em inglês agora mesmo mas tá o rolê é o seguinte it feels like a very basic supernatural mystery cop show to me and our folklore has so much creative potential that it pisses me off that they just reskinned the oldest formula on american television instead of actually telling a story that feels authentic and the representation of each legend also bothers me like oh of course girlboss Iara falls for the basic ass main character just cause he's 'special' and did you know cuca comes actually from portuguese folklore and we added the fun part of her jacaré face so by making her a pretty woman they're not subverting it they're RECOLONIZING It pretty much and and and well there's probably more but more importantly what the fuck do you mean to tell me the boto only had one kid???? Seriously???

Yeah, I get why some people wouldn't enjoy it and that's okay, but I liked it :^)

I feel like it was a nice introduction for people who aren't very familiar with the stories, so it appeals to international audiences too, which is good if we want more brazilian productions with bigger budgets. Yeah it's nothing too special but i didn't really go into it expecting that, I was just glad I could see some of my favorite stories turned into a tv show and my child self was so so so happy with it.

I also didn't interpret Iara as falling in love with Eric, I think she just understood there was something different with him and decided to help him to see what it could be, she was interested in understanding how anyone could survive her curse.

As for Cuca I agree, I wish she had the alligator thing because that is much more interesting, but the butterfly thing was very pretty so i'm willing to overlook it.

And the Boto probably had thousands of kids it just so happened that Eric was unlucky enough to have the role of the chosen one in this.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and it satisfied my inner child. Look, I am a comics fan, I read the worst stories written by men every week and I still find a way to enjoy it. I am just here for a fun time. If you're looking for criticism towards this show you came to the wrong place, i just have too much love in my heart and not a single cell in my brain.

#but you're entitled to your own opinions on it! no need to force yourself into liking something and it is okay to be disappointed #i hope we get lots and lots of more brazilian folklore movies and shows with beautiful cinematography so we all can find something we like #answered #invisible city #cidade invisível

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flagellant · 2 years ago

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Putting this on anon, because I'm pretty sure this is an opinion that might upset people, but it's still relevant to the discussion you're currently having/stuck in.

I, personally, don't believe you CAN appropriate Japanese culture, for the same reason I don't believe you can appropriate American, British, Russian, or Chinese (Beijin central official government) culture.

Because these are imperialist powers who have literally murdered and waged war to FORCE people to adopt their culture. I feel like once a group walks up, says "You will adopt this culture or WE WILL KILL YOU," everyone is allowed to do whatever the fuck they want with it.

Now, I love Japan, I love Japanese culture and artwork, and yes, anime, but I think that anyone who high on the bandwagon of "Oh, you can't do that, that's ApPrOpRiAtIoN of the Japanese culture, needs to read some fucking Japanese history. Ideally stuff written by the Japanese.

The people worried about appropriation of Japanese culture are the same ones who dog-piled on a designer for making a Kimono in an Clan Tartan (she was half Japanese, half Scottish) because they were CERTAIN she was a non-Japanese """Appropriating""" Japanese culture.

Also, I follow all the Japanese official government twitters, and about once every other week they just tweet out a whole slew of "Come join us at such and such, learn about traditional Japanese culture! Come participate in our festivals! We really, REALLY want everyone to come be part of our cultural heritage! We'll send you free books on the subject!"

Closing clarification. I absolutely believe that Cultural Appropriation is a real thing, it is a real problem. Especially when dealing with smaller cultural groups that have been suppressed in the past, one must tread with care and the utmost respect. I very specifically have worked to remove terms taken from certain cultures from my common usage and vocabulary because people from those cultures have asked. Spirit Animal, Golem, (The cannibal spirit repeated referenced in Hannibal), these are terms that have important cultural significance, and diluting and misusing them is wrong.

But, again, if a major historical factor in a culture is "We are literally going to murder you and your family if you DON'T adopt our culture," I think you lose pretty much all right to claim/complain about appropriation of your culture.

Okay so you do realize that the reason the Japanese official government twitter posts "Come learn about all these traditional cultural and historical things" is because they want people to learn about Japanese culture so that they DON'T continue appropriating it, yes?

All I'm going to tell you is you seriously need to remind yourself what, exactly, cultural appropriation is. It doesn't just mean feeling entitled to a closed culture's practices. It means the theft and misinterpretation of a culture due to a lack of knowledge and respect for that culture within its own context. Wearing a kimono as someone who isn't Japanese isn't appropriative. Dressing as a geisha for Halloween is appropriative. A foreigner seeking to become a geisha isn't appropriative; Memoirs of a Geisha is appropriative.

I am trying to say this in the most well-intentioned way I can, and I hope you understand it as such: The reason you think this opinion will upset people is because it's an opinion which literally any fucking East Asian person would see and go "What the actual living fuck is this bullshit." If you are as invested in respecting these cultures and in not perpetrating racist and dismissive attitudes towards its people as you claim, I would really suggest you need to do a better job and actually find fucking someone, anyone, who is East Asian, because the concept of "It's impossible to appropriate Japanese (and by extension of your definition Chinese) culture" is literally why the term cultural appropriation exists in the first place.

#modern day cassandra

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evilbihan · 1 year ago

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@mysticcrownwolf I haven't hidden OP's comments on my original post, tumblr automatically does that after you block a person. I have blocked OP, not because of their criticism of my post, but because of their disrespectful tone towards me and how they continued to call me something I wasn't comfortable being called. You can call me dramatic or whatever else you want, but in my opinion calling a stranger "friend", "pal", "buddy", "dear", "hun", or any of the likes is just weird. I've told OP not to refer to me like that and they ignored it.

I said it in the very beginning of my post about MK11 Kuai Liang and I'll say it again here, I know a lot of people disagree with my view on things and that's fine. I don't care. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm not gonna defend mine tooth and nails because at the end of the day it's just fiction. Everyone can have their own opinion on things.

Anyway I still think it's very disrespectful that you dug through OP's blog to get a post of them swearing which was not even directed at you to make it seem like OP is just some deranged internet weirdo who is only throwing back slurs at your well written arguments rather than someone who can see the contradictions in your post and is pointing them out with evidence

You're right, I didn't need to go back to a 7 month old post because this very same one that we are both commenting on right now is full of foul language itself and I'm not going to take anyone seriously if they use homophobic slurs and other insults towards people they disagree with.

I'm more than open to criticism, I have agreed with OP on a few points where they have proven me wrong. I have even taken my original post down, so to say that I'm unable to admit when I'm wrong is as far from true as it could be.

That being said, no one is forcing you to read takes you don't like or respond to them with paragraphs of your own.

Because you are equating your self-worth to your writing and analysis which isn't a bad thing you have a lot of posts that bring up great nuances and points that you should feel proud of but that same sentiment is hindering you in seeing things from a different perspective that's not your own. It's why you are being so defensive as if the op is criticizing you as a person rather than your writing because you consider your writing a part of yourself.

Wrong. I'm perfectly fine with people having different perspectives and views than me. If I wasn't open to criticism I wouldn't have encouraged OP to write a response to my post. Make it make sense.

Do you not see the difference between criticizing the writers at NRS and calling them a disgusting slur? I couldn't care less about moral superiority, but at least I'm not out here defending someone who throws around homophobic slurs. Have a good day.

The thirst to write some crap prevailed over laziness, hooray! Or it was spring that breathed a thirst for life into us, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that some time ago we came across a very controversial post from @evilbihan. The post.

We agreed with other posts by this author regarding MK1, but here we still want to object on a number of points. It is inconvenient to write all your notes in the comments, but there is something to say, which is exactly why we are writing this.

!Attention!: This is not an attack on the author, not a belittling of his dignity, not some kind of hatred and dislike. We want to note the controversial points in his statement and that's it. And if we've sorted it out, then let's go.

For convenience, we will split the post into the same blocks. We do not disagree with the whole post, but we will note these blocks too.

One more important warning: here we will only talk about the MK9-11. MK1 sucks cock like the latest harbor whore.

"Kuai Liang has always stood on the shoulders of others" and "Tundra as a character does not exist."

(Screenshot, so as not to be unfounded)

Considering that we are talking about the version of Kuai Liang from MK9-11 from here on, we will only touch on this version. But let's mention that the statement "Kuai stands on the shoulders of others" became legitimate only with the release of MK1, when he was given the role of Scorpion. More precisely, not even a role, but just a name that no longer stands for anything.

In other versions, adopting the name Sub-Zero made sense. And it was a plot event that was important to the character. It's like saying that Hanzo has never been able to protect his family and that makes him a bad character. No, this is the event that shapes the character. This is an important plot point for the personality and for the further path of life, a defining event, if you want to call it that.

In addition, it is confusing to mention that the character is supposedly less active because someone else saved him. In MK, characters often save each other. Yes, in the context of the post it makes sense, but in the context of the story itself, this is a completely logical development. No one broke out of the Cyber Initiative's control on their own, so it makes sense that Kuai was saved by someone. The very fact of the rescue says little about the character. Only that he was dear enough to someone to convince others to help. Besides, let's remember that he was immediately sent to spy, so it wasn't just kindness that played a role here.

"Tundra has never been relevant in Mortal Kombat until he took the mantle of Sub-Zero."

Well… yeah? Because that was the point of it. We had never seen Kuai before he became Sub-Zero, assuming the title after his late brother. This is literally his plot function, the point of entry into the plot. An event that also defined him as a character. This is analogous to the death of the Hanzo family for Hanzo himself (an important plot event) and his enslavement to Kuan Chi.

This statement is equivalent to saying that Hanzo, as a character, did not exist before being reborn into a ghost, and Johnny did not exist as a character before entering the tournament. It's just that the original source didn't bother to tell at least something more about Kuai (they just apparently didn't come up with this). As players, we simply don't have the "before" materials, because the creators didn't create them. In the plane of the foreseeable plot, the Tundra did not exist, but here we are trying to evaluate the characters as living people, and living people do not appear out of thin air. In the plane of lore, Kuai had years of life before becoming a Sub-Zero, but we just don't know anything about them, so this is a very controversial statement. Because it is based on some undescribed events about which we have little idea.

"The best proof of that is the fact that Raiden never even considered him for his team of Earthrealm's champions."

Raiden did not consider anyone from Lin Kuei as champions at all (he took Tomas to the team in MK9 because he was in the right place at the right time). And the reason for this is not that Kuai is an empty character, but that Lin Kuei are murderers, secretive and cruel, who indirectly collaborated with Quan Chi (their Grandmaster for sure, he took a contract from a sorcerer in Mythology). At the same time, Raiden does not express distrust of Kuai. So to say that Raiden ignored him because Kuai is not capable enough or not diligent enough is wrong. Because Raiden definitely didn't do it. In addition, it is with the adoption of the title of Sub-Zero that Kuai essentially comes to Raiden's attention.

Here, with all due respect, the stretching of the owl on the globe begins. From here on out.

Speaking of earning the mantle, a little clarification. "Scorpion" is just Hanzo Hasashi's call sign, which means nothing without Hanzo himself. This is not some kind of mantle/title in lore MK and never has been. You may have other information, but we've never heard of it. At the same time, as "Sub-Zero" it is not just a title, but a ancestral title that is obviously passed down in one family. Bi Han inherited it after his father's death, when he was very young. It is logical that after Bi Han, his offspring or his brother would have received the title. Because to be a Sub-Zero, you have to be a cryomancer, and cryomancers are now represented by one bloodline (not counting Frost). This is supported by the fact that cryomancers are descended from people from Edenia (which was confirmed not only in MK11). Their abilities are innate (genetic) in nature and cannot be transferred to someone else. Perhaps earlier, when there were more cryomancers, the title really had to be earned, but there are no more cryomancers (the reasons for their disappearance are probably degeneration, natural extinction of abilities, as well as violent deaths, since cryomancers belonged to Lin Kuei and moreover, they founded Lin Kuei).

In addition, this title gives nothing but a target on his back (metaphorically, of course), because even as a venerable warrior bearing such a title, Bi Han directly said that he could be killed for violating orders or failing. Outside the clan, the title of Sub-Zero is more of a minus than a plus. And within the clan, it is also a rather difficult burden. So Kuai didn't win anything by getting this title. Moreover, he got it legally, so the word "stole" does not fit here at all.

It is also worth adding here that Kuai really wanted to avenge his brother, since Bi Han's death turned out to be a heavy loss for him. From Kuai MK9's biography, we know that they are the only ones who were stolen at an early age (all other members of the clan, based on their biographies, were recruited in various ways at a more mature age), so it is logical to assume that surrounded by adults, Bi Han and Kuai were very strongly connected with each other. If you think we're wrong, then let's just remember Kuai's behavior in MK9. Smoke warns him that adopting the name Sub-Zero will attract unwanted attention, but Kuai says it's a way to honor Bi Han's memory (he doesn't even consider it a common title, which should have belonged to him anyway). He is definitely not without empathy, but in an attempt to catch up with his brother's killer, he leaves Sonya with a wounded Jax in her arms. He openly demands that Shao Kahn arrange a fight with Scorpion for him, although he must understand perfectly well that Shao Kahn is a powerful ruler, and the colosseum is located in the very heart of his empire. And it is very dangerous to make demands on the emperor of the Outside World in such conditions. And he doesn't care about that. His goal is revenge for his brother. If Kuai's motivation is false, then to whom and what does he want to prove? Who does he want to fool with this? Why would he pretend? Logically, he is blinded by grief, too young and reckless, and it seems to him that killing Scorpion will at least calm his grief and pain a little. It can be said that he really loved Bi Han (as much as it was possible in the conditions of their growing up, of course), because people take revenge for those they love.

Kuai Liang's biography in MK9. What is in the original, what is in our localization says the same thing - abducted, unlike other members of the clan. (we don't want to waste time installing MK9 right now to take one screenshot, so a photo from the screen may well be suitable).

Summarizing this block and responding to the last paragraph, which talks about people who considered Kuai MK9-11 to be kind and forgiving, we can only say that the fans really greatly distort Kuai's character, excessively whitewashing and softening his character. But Kuai is really not that kind of person - his personality has both positive and negative traits. He was not forgiving. The only time he showed strange mercy was when he let Frost, who knew the location of Lin Kuei Temple, leave. The scriptwriters could fix this by saying that Frost escaped on her own, and was not expelled.

But on the other hand, the statement that MK1 made Kuai a completely different character is also true. And then we will try to explain why.

Next @evilbihan provides an analysis of the dialogues of Kuai and other characters in MKX and MK11. And before we start talking about this, the most important clarification is that not all dialogues are canon. Usually people understand this, but we'll explain why just in case. Not all of them occur in canonical events (almost all of them occur in non-canonical events, to be honest). It can be assumed that the characters met off-screen before or after the events of the game. But, for example, in the MKX, the Revenant variations open up unique dialogues for a number of characters. Jax the Revenant has a unique intro with Takeda and Cassie, although he was healed before Cage was born (and probably Takeda too). Not to mention guest characters, characters who died in or before the plot, or mirror matches. That is, the characters could not meet, these dialogues could not happen, which means that there is a precedent for non-canonical dialogue. This in turn means that the canonicity of all dialogues is not absolute and it is completely wrong to believe them. The dialogues, which are strange and simply contradict the logic of the plot and just logic, can not be considered canonical completely. Nevertheless, this scheme mainly works for MKX and MK11, but MK1 claims to be more canonical intro. However, we will not yet claim that everything intro in MK1 is canon, because there are precedents for non-canonical events (the multiplicity of the canon is a separate topic, and we hate MK1 for its laziness and mediocrity).

About Scarlett: Kuai calls her a "perversion" because Scarlett is an artificial creation of Shao Kahn. Even if a different version of Scarlett is presented to us in MK11, for Kuai Liang she is still the same person that Shao created from blood. In MK9, she is a golem, in the MKX comic, she tells Mileena the phrase "I am the same "daughter" of Shao Kahn as you, half-breed", confirming her artificial birth. This is also confirmed by her ability to absorb blood through her skin (D'vorah says that she is aware of her abilities, so this cannot be attributed to learning blood magic from Reiko). In MK11, she says that Shao found her an orphan, but was it really? Or does she remember what Shao wanted her to remember? No one but her confirms this version. Scarlett in MK11 is obsessed with blood and longs to marry her "father", as she says in a dialogue with Sindel. She even has an equipment called "Shao Kahn's Seed". So Kuai is right in his judgment: She's a perversion.

About Jacqui's improvements: Kuai has undergone a violent transformation into a cyborg. This in itself is a cruel blow to the psyche (just read how people in reality react to trauma or a traumatic change in their body or appearance), not to mention that his mind and free will were suppressed. Kuai bluntly says that because of the CyberInitiative, he does not trust technology. He is a technophobe for quite logical reasons. At the same time, he does not call Jackie weak and does not belittle his talent, he only pays attention to the fact that she uses improvements, but there are no negative connotations in his statement.

Kuai does evaluate opponents, but from a purely practical point of view. He does not give a value judgment as a rule, but simply notes a fact or interprets a fact.

First, D'vorah is literally threatening Kuai. She is the first to say that this is their first and last meeting, making it clear that she is going to kill Kuai. What should he say to that? Be happy? This phrase has nothing to do with Kuai's words in MK1 about lower species, there is literally nothing in common here. Secondly, it is partly xenophobia. And you may be unhappy with this fact, but in the MK setting, xenophobia is justified, because there people are forced to deal with creatures that are mentally and biologically different from human beings and literally pose a danger. MK has never been smart enough to suggest a method of resolving differences between the races of humans and, for example, Tarkatans, let alone everyone else. Thirdly, the two above phrases are in no way similar to Bi Han's words about tarkatans. What kind of "elitist" worldview are you talking about if Bi Han literally expresses an adequate point of view regarding Tarkatans? They are dangerous. They are sick, they turn into bloodthirsty creatures who cannot control themselves. They're still eating other living things. There is no effective medicine yet, only something that relieves the symptoms. And it is available only to Mileena, who in the plot just showed that tarkata affects not only physically, but also mentally. Yes, these are living beings, and Bi Han's point of view is radical, but tarkata is like a mixture of schizophrenia and anthrax (or plague, if you like). It's not "elitist" thinking, it's damn common sense. And this cannot be tied in any way to Kuai MK1's words about "lower species" or to a response to a direct threat.

Tarkata is one of the cancerous tumors of this plot (ironically), and there are many problems and understatements associated with it. But we will talk about this in more detail in some other post. And now let's be brief.

NRS tried to show an allusion to AIDS, but in the end they created a really difficult topic that would not be discussed properly in the plot. It's easier to pretend that Tarkatans are just sick people who can integrate into society. But they can't. Bi Han expresses a radical point of view, but it is not without meaning. Yes, it would be more merciful to provide them with comfortable isolation and allow them to depart from the other world humanely (they die from tarkata, as we know from the plot). The creation of some kind of closed hospices would be an option, but Edenia does not have it. It turns out to be interesting. Bi Han, with his rather sane approach, is considered a cruel bastard because of this phrase, but the merciful Sindel, who simply exiled sick subjects to the wilderness, where they had to die of disease and starvation, who took care of creating a cure only when her daughter became infected, is kind in this plot.

No, it literally proves nothing, because it's not even some kind of specific formulation in a specific situation. And they literally talk about different things. Here, friend, you keep stretching the owl around the globe.

The use of the same words in different situations (and approximately the same ones too) does not mean similarity of views. Because, you know, dictionaries tend to be limited.

(By the way, here Kuai literally shows that he is not very good at the history of his native world, because in the history of the Earthrealm there were at least Mongols - a nomadic people who built a fairly large state. That's a strange remark. MK11 dialogues seem like a neural network was writing, to be honest.)

As we said above, no one but Scarlett herself confirms this version. For Kuai, she is still considered a golem, as in MK9 and the MKX comic. Besides, Scarlett is his enemy. They are literally on opposite sides of the barricades. Scarlett faithfully serves the one who longs to enslave the Earthrealm, and who has already made attempts before, which led to the fall of Lin Kuei, to the cybernization of Kuai, to the invasion of the Earthrealm and many victims. Scarlett is an enemy of the Earthrealm, and Kuai does not care about her marital status. Why should he care at all? Moreover, why should he be polite or sympathetic to a crazy lady who is asking to join his clan, even though he didn't even invite her? It is not quite correct to compare it with MK1 and Tomas. But Bi Han does not reproach him for being an orphan, he only says that Tomas is not Lin Kuei by blood. That's all. He's actually right, Tomas is adopted.

Just what is the logic of this claim anyway? Scarlett and Kuai interact only within the framework of an open confrontation, they have no other points of contact. Scarlett is one hundred percent the enemy for the Earthrealm and for Kuai. And Kuai protects his world, he's like a soldier on duty. He shouldn't be interested in the life of some random blood witch and sympathize with her. It's like blaming all the characters for not wanting to understand Shao Kahn or anyone else. And don't pretend that Scarlett is better. She literally tortured Jade in the plot and did it with pleasure, she is not some unfortunate hero worthy of sympathy.

Correction: Frost joined the clan when Shirai Ryu was considered to have been re-exterminated by the hands of Havik (who possessed Fox). Frost joined the clan when the clan was just trying to start existing again. Frankly speaking, it is completely unclear where she got so much respect for the traditions of the clan, which she did not know before, and for Bi Han, whom she had never met. We are not going to say for sure, but it is much more likely that Frost was influenced by someone from the old Lin Kuei staff (because they could have survived and escaped from the CyberInitiative). Because Kuai has definitely been making the decision to reconcile with Shirai Ryu for a while. And yes, Frost hasn't really established herself as a decent character. Throughout its history, it has desired power and strength that it could not handle. Besides, if we turn to dialogues here, then in one of them Kuai asks if he was a bad mentor, to which Frost says that he was a hindrance. That is, she had plans to take Kuai's place during her studies, BEFORE alliance with Shirai Ryu (because after her escapade, she was expelled). The only complaint against Kuai Liang here is that he did not kill Frost. He let go of a man who is clearly unkind and who knows about the secret location of the Lin Kuei Temple. This could be solved with one correction from the screenwriters - the phrase that Frost ran away on her own.

Maybe (just maybe!) our localization is a little different, but Fujin is not saying that Kuai wants to kill his brother. He's asking about it.

Oh, yes. He also asks a question in the original.

The lie here is to claim that Kuai did not want his brother to be reborn. Bi Han is reborn like the rest of the revenants and probably cannot be healed without Quan Chi's presence (by the way, later in the post you refer to the need for Quan Chi's presence and the fact that his death essentially put an end to the return of enslaved champions). Kuai was lucky that Raiden's magic worked at a specific moment in a specific way. How lucky both Hanzo and Jax are. It was further stated that Quan Chi must be alive to save the Revenants. And Bi Han is a revenant.

Besides, Kuai has no reason to hold on to the title of Sub-Zero, because it gives nothing but danger. He is not useful, he is not honorable (five generations of Sub-Zero before him were murderers and made enemies). He does this because there is no one to transfer the title to. He wears it like as bloody chevrons, as a sign of his service to the Earthrealm.

We will not argue about the rest of the dialogues that relate to Bi Han (with Cetrion or others), or with Bi Han himself. The game acts very strangely and seems to be trying with all its might to put Kuai and Bi Han against each other as enemies. We have already written about this here and do not want to repeat it.

Since the block with rhetoric and analysis of dialogues is over, we will summarize. Kuai Liang in MKX and MK11 is a man who has been through a lot. He was kidnapped in early childhood, deprived of his family and normal growing up (we still remember about his biography MK9, which says that ONLY he and Bi Han were stolen, the rest joined voluntarily in adulthood), his brother was killed, his clan was turned into soulless iron, he himself was turned into soulless iron, he was murdered Sindel (by the way, who was resurrected by order of Shao Kahn and sent by him to massacre the champions; that is, Shao is indirectly responsible for Kuai's death, which means that his henchwoman Scarlett has even less chance of gaining any sympathy from Kuai Liang, even if she were an orphan three times). Kuai was enslaved first by the CyberInitiative, then by Quan Chi. Against his will, he participated in the invasion of the Earthrealm, and the memory of the horrors that he had committed consumed him with guilt. In the comic (which is still canon in many ways), Kuai literally talks about wanting to die. After that, he entered the service of Raiden and began to look for a Kamidogu for him, which is why he was cursed and again fell under someone else's control. Which again led to casualties. What did he say to Bo Rai Cho? "I have to do hara-kiri." The topic that Kuai is broken by these events and wants to die has been raised twice. He decided to revive the clan with the light hand of Raiden (it was Raiden who sent applicants to join Lin Kuei). In the new clan, Kuai finally finds solace, but in the end his own student, whom either out of mercy or stupidity he did not kill, breaks into the temple and kidnaps his people. Kuai has gone through a lot of traumatic events, just turning into a revenant is worth it. It took Jax years and years to suppress his PTSD, and he didn't fully recover. Kuai wants to protect his home, his homeworld. He makes claims to Ryden for not coping with his role as a defender. This is not very fair in the big picture, but Kuai saw with his own eyes the two invasions and the arrival of Shinnok. Will you say that Kuai does not want to defend the Earthrealm? Well, for some reason, it was he who led his clan to defend the Sky Temple and faced the legions of Kotal. It was Lin Kuei who took the hit and gave Cassie and her team time. Not the glorious Shirai Ryu, who just got into a fight with the special forces, messed up with their grandmaster and just disappeared without participating in the defense of the Earthly Kingdom.

There is no point in comparing Kuai MK9-11 and Kuai MK1, because the life of the second one is literally sugar. He did not survive a fraction of what Kuai Liang experienced in the previous chronology. Comparing them is like comparing a veteran and a loud cadet. Kuai in MK11 has every right to be grumpy, demanding of others and himself, suspicious of enemies and even allies. The events of his life encourage such thinking. From the height of his experience - both life and combat - he can be somewhat arrogant and proud of his skill. Because Kuai MK9-11 has a moral right to do so. Kuai-Scorpion does not have this right, he is just a loud brat who jerks off at his father and traditions (if we were Bi Han, we would evict him from the temple and issue a restraining order) Like a fucking fanatic. He doesn't have the same qualities, experience. Nothing. Even biology failed, depriving him of cryomancy. In fact, the personality of Kuai in MK1 is formed in a completely different way than that of Kuai in MK9-11. Because both the events of life (the social factor) and the biological basis are different. This is literally not the Kuai Liang we knew. This is another person who happens to have the same name.

Also completely overlooked is the fact that Kuai, in his dialogues, not only criticizes everyone and everything, but shows respect to other characters (with whom he is not in confrontation). So he suggests that Jade join Lin Kuei (probably because they have lost a significant part of their personnel and need new personnel). He recognizes Sonya's fighting spirit. He literally thanks Raiden for saving his life (although he remembers that Raiden has a dark and light state). He pays tribute to Liu Kang when he speaks about Kuai's own discipline.

Most of his statements are neutral or caustic (depending on the dialogue), Kuai shows hostility to those characters who are in confrontation with his side (the Outworlders or the Black Dragon), but nothing more.

And since we've dealt with this, we'll move on.

Kuai Liang's motives for revenge and forgiveness are actually as clear as possible when you remember that more than 20 years have passed. Why do you overlook this fact? 25 years have passed between the events of MK9 and MKX (the main plot) (Jax mentions this). Shinnok's invasion ended 25 years ago. And the reconciliation of the two clans took place five years before the events of MKX (this is stated in the plot). Kuai initially rushed to take revenge because he was blinded by grief, his pain was fresh. But then the events of MK9 happened, and now he is a former revenant, crushed by life, with the realization that he did terrible things. With a years, the thirst for revenge subsides, but the moral obligation suffocates. After all, your dear man died, how can you just let go of his death? Here we will allow ourselves to say that the motives of revenge are close to us because of personal experience. That's why we know what we're talking about. To come to terms with loss is, among other things, to let go of the thirst for revenge, to get rid of a destructive moral obligation. Kuai has had at least 20 years to think about it. Scorpion's death will not bring his brother back to him, will not soothe his pain. He believed that Bi Han was lost forever. He must continue to live, which means that he needed to put an end to a long-standing and senseless feud, especially considering that the real culprit is Quan Chi. It is he who must be punished.

To claim that Kuai was indirectly involved in the deaths of other Revenants is a clear misconception. Because, first of all, Kuai needed to give himself the moral right to end the senseless clan feud. Secondly, to protect your clan from a new conflict with Shirai Ryu. And third, damn it, this conversation (in which Hanzo found out the truth) took place five years before Quan Chi was captured. Five years! It's a long time. The fact that Hanzo has not thought with his own head in these five years is only Hanzo's problem. Should Kuai have foreseen this years in advance? He has enough headaches of his own, and at that moment he didn't know Hanzo well enough to anticipate his actions. Hanzo Hasashi is the only one to blame for what happened. It was he who decided to attack the special forces, not listen to anyone and cut off the sorcerer's head. No one pushed him to do this except himself, although literally everyone around told him to wait. Hanzo has shown himself to be a stubborn ass who doesn't know how to listen.

The scene of the conversation and the conclusion of peace between Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu (chapter 9 "Scorpion").

Quan Chi has not been seen since the invasion was stopped. Sonya and Jax talk about it here (Chapter 8 "Jackson Briggs")

The same thing is in the Sony chapter (chapter 5 "Sonya Blade")

The claims that Kuai reorganized the clan just to elevate himself are simply taken out of thin air. Because although Kuai Liang is deservedly proud of his skills, there is not a single objective sign that would indicate that your statements about him are true. Where did this statement about him being narcissistic come from? Selfish? Kuai literally has no other life, he has put all his remaining years to protect the Earthrealm and hunt the scum within it (as he tells Kano). What is the selfishness here? What does he get besides constant pressure?

Perhaps there is reason to believe that Kuai wanted to put an end to Lin Kuei's dark legacy, but then again-who wouldn't? He talks a lot about honor, because he saw with his own eyes how dishonor and betrayal (the actions of the last Grand Master of the clan) led to the downfall of not only Lin Kuei, but also to larger tragic consequences. This is not selfishness, not a desire to "giving themselves a pet on the back." This is common sense and awareness of mistakes and their consequences.

Where did you get this from? The intros above do not suggest this in any way. Friend, it seems that you believed in what you came up with about the character. Kuai Liang strives for iron discipline, because he is well aware of how much damage has been done to him by the events of his life. And if he lets himself get weak, he'll just break down. And if he breaks down, who will stand at the head of Lin Kuei? Who will join the ranks of the defenders of the Earthrealm? As a responsible soldier, Kuai cannot hang a weapon on the wall because he is tired. And we have already cited above what confirms our thought (his sad experience, his desire to avoid repetition, the moral test that Kuai went through, etc.).

In addition, Kuai's envy of his brother (which is in no way confirmed by the game itself and other media) can only be said that many people would envy Bi Han, since he was really talented. It is said about him that he mastered in his youth what other cryomancers before him mastered only in old age. But again, this does not indicate Kuai's envy of his brother. There is not a single confirmation of this statement.

The whole subsequent text to the end of the block seems completely insane. To claim that Kuai was the only one who constantly survived, not because the writers wanted it, but because… for some other reason. The only reason is the desire of the screenwriters. Or perhaps an outright misunderstanding of what to do with the characters of Hanzo and Kuai (and many others). Where should they be placed? They look more like a link in MK11 and MKX than full-fledged characters. Okay, Hanzo has more plot weight because he's the creator's favorite. But everything else is just a weak plot, not the character's fault or intention. There is literally no place to analyze him as a living person, because Kuai appears only functionally in the plot. Well, maybe the studio hates him because so much shit has fallen on this particular character. He was enslaved three times, his family and friends are almost completely dead. It is wrong to say that he did nothing to bring Smoke back, because, as we remember, Quan Chi is needed to revive the revenant, there is no proven scheme, Quan Chi himself has been hiding for twenty-five years, and collectively the chances of revival are negligible. Personal aspirations are on one side of the scale, on the other is a job that will provide the homeworld with another faction of defenders. Kuai, who has gone through the horrors of two invasions, obviously will not choose personal aspirations. In addition, Smoke does not appear in the final chapters of MKX (only in flashbacks from the time of Shinnok's invasion), and it is unknown where he is. With Quan Chi's death, he can be considered completely lost (the rest of the Revenants are considered lost for the same reason, and there is no problem with that). And the fact that Bi Han survived in Soulnado was not known at all before the events of MK11. He was believed to be dead. Who should Kuai be trying to bring back? Ghostly shadows of long-gone loved ones? Prefer the dead to the living?

We can agree that Kuai's behavior in the intro and his ending are collectively confusing because they somehow contradict each other. But here you can find a dubious, but time-bound explanation. Considering that in all intros the Kronika is mentioned as still alive and active, it can be concluded that these fights and dialogues, respectively, take place in parallel with the plot of MK11. Which lasts… How much? A couple of days? In this light, it can be assumed that all of Kuai's strange reactions in the dialogues are either a defensive reaction, or simply the result of AI work (seriously, sometimes one part of these dialogues is not connected to another).

Oh, right, rhetoric again.

These dialogues are not connected in any way at all. There are only two identical words here that don't apply in the same context. This is not a common lexicon in this case and not the same specific reaction to the situation. These are literally different dialogues. And here you are really engaged in unfair interpretation.

We have already written about this above and we will not repeat it.

A fair comparison, however, the different circumstances that lead to this phrase. Bi Han in MK1 encourages Kitana to be more independent. Kuai in MK11 wants to get a valuable fighter into the ranks of his clan to protect his world. They use similar words, but in different situations and for different purposes.

Here we can agree on the similarity by about half (due to the difference in circumstances, and therefore the messages themselves).

We repeat that Kuai Liang in MK9-11 literally caught two invasions and the return of Shinnok. The latter happened because Raiden's Shinnok amulet, which he was supposed to protect, was stolen. That is, Raiden actually failed at his job. Yes, in the end, all three events ended well, but Kuai, as a man who laid down his life to protect his world and serve its interests, has reason to be angry at Raiden for his mistakes.

In MK1, Bi Han denies Liu Kang's authority for reasons that are still unclear. Bi Han wants more, but what does this have to do with Liu Kang? We, as players, know what Liu's mistakes are, but Bi Han doesn't know that. At the same time, we do not know why Bi Han is so fiercely against Liu's authority (he literally tells Kenshi, "give him time and you will understand," hinting that his dislike has some deeper reasons, but we do not know about them yet). It is also incorrect to compare these dialogues. We think there is no need to explain the reasons. Their context is strikingly different.

How is Kuai Liang considered the "good brother" when they both use the same vocabulary and share the same views?

The fact that they use similar words, but in different contexts, can only mean that they speak the same language, and not that their views are somehow close to each other.

Making such a statement is like saying that if a conditional user uses the words "cosmopolitan", "economy", "corridor" and "carte blanche" in his speech, then this makes his views close to one notorious Austrian artist who used the same words in his speech in 1939.

This is absurd and meaningless.

Yes, people say that because Bi Han literally demonstrates the character traits and biographies of Frost and Sector. He's not the best version of Kuai, he's not even a pale version of himself. He is a lazily written man who, in modern works, must be evil simply because. Bi Han in the old chronology was really interesting for his tragedy. He never wanted to be a part of the clan, he had no choice in this matter, in the original MK1 (literally in the very first game) in his ending, he leaves the clan because he doesn't need it all. His life was taken away cruelly and unfairly, he was just a man in thrall to circumstances, he was not shy about being sharp-tongued. After all, Bi Han from the past chronology, with his tragedy both during his lifetime and after his death, is many times more interesting than the piece of evil cardboard that Bi Han was turned into in MK1.

We will not stop at the fact that the decision to make Kuai a Scorpion is disgusting. We will not argue with this, because it is pointless to argue with the truth. Is he the best Sub-Zero? At least he was interesting, one of the few who really developed and changed as a character. As a result, his entire progression, motivation, and personality foundations were rewritten. Kuai Liang, whom we respected, although in some places we condemned, simply ceased to be. We hope that the NRS will choke on their money and never touch this story again.

And now to the comments that were posted. They are too small, so we want to answer in more detail here.

We literally took apart your entire post from beginning to end, not touching only what concerned Kuai MK1, because we want he burns in hell. And we still say that you are trying to substitute concepts. Their vocabulary is in no way similar (for the reasons we mentioned above). And as we have already noted, Kuai Liang MK9-11 grew up in different conditions than Bi Han MK1.

Lin Kuei himself is obviously different in different versions. If in MK1 we understand that this is closer to the traditional clan, which is connected by blood (both parents were in the clan, there is an opportunity to form a family, Bi Han refers to Lin Kuei's blood), then the early versions of Lin Kuei are more like the cult of assassins, who are united by the desire for influence - political, material and td. What kind of parenting with the idea of superiority are you talking about in the framework of MK9-11, if we have already found out that Kuai and Bi Han were abducted as children, and all the other members of the clan joined him. The biography of the Sector in MK9 literally says that there was no doubt that the Sector, being the son of a Grandmaster, would join the clan. Cyrex joined the clan as an adult, and previously he was from among the Tswana and trained among the warriors of his people. Tomas is from Prague and was also recruited at a fairly conscious age, because he attracted attention with his abilities. His exact age has not been named, but it is said that he does not remember his childhood, which means that he was hardly a child at the time of recruitment. Based on this, Bi Han and Kuai Liang are the only children who were raised in the clan. This means that there was no general idealogical system for education (we don't know much about Lin Kuei at all, but the Grandmaster decided to make everyone cyborgs for absolute submission, so we can assume that there were precedents for disobedience). The clan system in MK1, although it requires following orders, does not threaten death. But in MK9-11 (for which Mythology is still canonical), the mistake is inexcusable. Bi Han bluntly says that his failure or disobedience would mean his death at the hands of his own clan. Lin Kuei's in old chronology is a violent militarized cult, not a family. Yes, it is possible that one bloodline is present there, but it is needed only because of the special abilities (cryomancy) that give the clan an advantage.

See the difference? This already denies the possibility for Kuai MK9-11 and Bi Han MK1 to grow in the same conditions. Hell, even Bi Han MK9-11 and Bi Han MK1 are different people because of their different upbringing and different life experiences. We think that it makes no sense to explain that a personality is formed on the basis of a biological basis (psychophysiological features) and social impact, life experience. With a difference in life experience, different personalities are formed. It is for this reason that we consider the ending of the Scorpion invasion to be simply insulting and sad. The very concept of multiple timelines essentially contradicts the concept of personality. But this is such a truism that it makes no sense to explain it. In MK1, people have the same names and partially similar biography elements. And this already means, in fact, that Mileena, Kitana, Raiden, Lao, Bi Han and all the others are not the same ones we saw in previous games. These are literally other people.

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