#cause like the fact of the matter is that if lack of ability to create sound anaylsis wasnt a problem we wouldn't have issues with

[yoursonlucifer]

my favorite (sarcasm) thing about fandom media analysis is when someone presents a fact of the piece of media that is relatively clearly presented but assume that because they've removed it from the context of the media that it acts as analysis

example: jinx and silco have a close relationship because of how she felt abandoned by vander and vi [uses evidence from the show to prove this]

and it's like yeah. that's kind of central to... the whole thing; you don't need to prove it. you're right because the show already told us that and can't exist without that truth. there's never actually an arguable claim involved.

I was going to add to the example, "and he fills a gap in her relationship patterns that has to be filled by a parentified figure" which is true, but one can argue that he didn't actually fill that gap or that it doesn't have to be filled by a parentified figure, because the problems jinx had persisted in spite of the relationship. instead, one could argue that only isha could fill that gap by giving jinx a chance to show someone the love she needed--so there can be actionable analysis there. but it kind of only functions as actionable analysis because I pointed out that one could argue that it's not the case and opened up a different point of view to demonstrate why I'm not just sharing facts and explaining them without ever making a claim.

I developed this example off the top of my head, so you will also see that as I analyze this statement, I poke holes in it and change my claim.

please always keep in mind the ever important "which means..." part of the claim. it cannot just be "[this] and [this] happened, which demonstrates [thing central to the media]." it also has to include your own extrapolation, which obviously needs to be supported by the media in any sound analysis, but cannot be presenting something basically innately true. even the thing that I presented as an example of analysis can fall flat, but I can strengthen it by emphasizing that jinx's love for isha also represents a love for her younger self, giving outside evidence or personal anecdotes to strengthen my claim along with what the show says.

by this definition, "silco and jinx's relationship is strong because silco was a parental figure to jinx" is just facts

"silco and jinx's relationship is strong because of the abandonment jinx felt from vi and vander, leaving silco to occupy a parental space" is better but still really just presenting facts

"silco and jinx's relationship was strong but built on a sense of abandonment and unfilfilled parental relationships. in order for jinx to have a stronger and more healed relationship, she needed someone like isha to exist." I could go further by saying "the show could not have had a resolved ending without a character like isha." with that, I've said something that is actually a claim instead of a fact and said something defensible, which allows me to actually create analysis rather than just listing facts.

the last line of my argument is especially subjective because I could mean lots of different things by "resolved." therein lies a word choice that actually allows me to create a defensible claim

TLDR; analysis is only fruitful when it provides an alternative perspective to emphasize its strengths and must avoid being a compilation of facts. a good way to think about it can be: [event] and [event] came together to demonstrate [fact], which led to [theory].

[shoutydwarf]

Veilguard spoilers

- juggernaut lore retcon for no reason. They were supposed to be golems.

- one singular line for a dwarf rook to confront the evanuris about what was done to the titans. That line is @ mythal, not solas, the one that created the dagger to commit the genocide with.

- white man casually commits genocide on said titans but the part he regrets about it is the blight that strikes back at him. not the inconceivable pain, death and horror he inflicted on an entire race to cause it.

- you cannot talk to him about it.

- dwarf!rook holds that dagger the entire game without once remarking on what it did to the dwarves.

- we went to kal sharok and still know nothing about it. All dwarf content is restricted to harding’s quests.

- you can establish that you believe in the maker or the elvhen stories, but not the stone. There is not a single line where a dwarf rook can express that they have dwarven faith.

- on the other singular time you can mention the titan genocide, it’s just one minor part of a list of reasons you still don’t trust him. To which weekes’ mouthpiece, morrigan in this case of all people, insists you should forgive him because he is very very sad about it.

- harding, the single dwarf mouthpiece, also insists on forgiving him and having compassion for him. This is AFTER I chose to have her honor the titans anger.

- this is all while every other villain in the game is 100% one dimensional and unforgivable.

- all dwarf dialogue options you get with harding are variations of “im not connected” “i dont know what you’re talking about” “i dont get it”

- not a single Ambassadoria mention.

- Orzammar is thrown away in a codex entry in which harding says they’re purposely suppressing the titan reveals in order to uphold the caste system. Because having corrupt society like every other nation in the world means they’re undeserving of the truth. Doesn’t matter that the king I and most people selected has been working to undo that system for 20 years now. It could have had to do with the fact that they’ve been selling their peoples blood to survive for the past thousands of years but yeah let’s strip away the nuance and paint Orzammar as the bad version of kal sharok.

- dwarves can apparently dream now except they can’t because rook tells harding they can’t except they’re contacting solas in their dreams every other night and it’s never elaborated on and they’re never particularly weirded out about it

- I counted 6~ special dialogue options in the entire game, the bulk of which happened in a single cutscene. I got more than that in act 1 alone for my elf.

I’ll write out more on why all of this specifically feels like shit later. But tldr: dwarves are pitted as the first victims of the evanuris, which you expect to be a big deal, and then it is Not. Combining this with an utter lack of ability to clock weekes’ mouthpiece characters when they’re trying to convince me to forgive the man that committed genocide on my people, because he’s so very very sad about it you see, the game’s entire thematic message is dogshit

[artemisdesari-blog]

Careless To Let It Fall ~ Final Thoughts

I finished Careless To Let It Fall the other day (start reading here, there be spoilers ahead). Usually, when I finish writing a story, I like to sit down with my journal and write a little bit about the experience. What I wrote, why I took that route, my thoughts on the final outcome, and so on. It helps me process the story and get me into the head space to move onto something new.

Careless To Let It Fall has taught me a lot of things about fanfic, about myself, and about fandom in general. I won't elaborate about all of that here because I'd be here for the rest of my life, but in short: It has taught me that even in old and sprawling fandoms, there are still new ideas to explore. It taught me that when I wobble about writing a trope so many others have also written (Mandalorian Obi-Wan) it doesn't matter that there are dozens of other stories like it because fans will almost always follow the "two cakes" philosophy. It showed me, once again, that my own ability to judge the length of my stories and how long they will take me is sorely lacking, and it amazed me with how many comments and kudos and pieces of fanart I received over the two years I've been writing and posting.

As for the ending: it went precisely where I wanted it to. Dooku died trying to redeem himself, in very small part, for the path he had helped to set the galaxy on. Obi-Wan has grown from uncertain and a little adrift based on Qui-Gon’s actions in The Phantom Menace to confident and assured. A leader in his own right who has taken a different path and emerged tall and proud but still, over all, a Jedi. Which was the most important thing of all for me when finishing this story; Obi-Wan might have walked the path of becoming a Mandalorian, but at his core he is still and always will be a Jedi first.

Often, when I read Mandalorian Obi-Wan stories, the Jedi gets a bit lost. And doubtless there are times in Careless where the Mandalorian seems to overwhelm the Jedi. That's only to be expected during a war. But in the final chapter, three years after killing Sidious, Obi-Wan is still a Jedi. He is the heir of Tarre Vizsla, but not as Mand’alor as many readers thought would happen. He is Vizsla’s heir as a Jedi. He is creating a new branch of the Jedi Order on a world where the Jedi are not typically well received, but he seems to be succeeding.

At the end of all of the mess, Obi-Wan is still a Jedi. Yes, he has married according to Mandalorian custom (and totally manufactured in universe Jedi custom), but he is still a Jedi. He and Cody are capable of functioning together, and apart, he accepted Cody's decision to be with him when they confronted Sidious, even knowing it could cause Cody’s death. He outright rejects the idea of training the child of his closest Mandalorian friend because he knows he is not the right choice due to their relationship and the fact that the child has abilities that others are more specialised in. There is so much love there, for Myles and his son, but not attachment.

Obi-Wan began as a padawan: a little bit lost, uncertain of his place, trying to find himself and his feet. He ended as a master, a leader, a husband, a friend, and about to send his own padawan out into the galaxy.

And it only took me 142 chapters and 489k words, 21 months, and hundreds of hours of writing and researching to get him there.

[neitherabaron]

My honest opinion: the Switch 2 Direct had several “Yay!” moments, but a LOT of “meh” ones too.

Despite having lots of cool things to announce, and very little bad, it ultimately felt poorly structured and in my opinion emphasised many of the wrong things.

My favourites (and my criticisms) under the cut. Spoilers from here on out so be careful:

Favourites:

- Mario Kart World. I desperately want to see more of this because it looks ridiculously fully featured. Open world racers haven’t always landed with me, but the idea of exploring a massive game world full of Mario Kart’s design and sensibilities? Exquisite.

- Donkey Kong Bonanza. Redesign aside, this is gonna be fantastic. I love the idea of a more chaotic 3D platformer than we’d normally expect to see from Nintendo, plus after 25 years, it’s high time DK got another crack at 3D.

- The Duskbloods. Holy shit, I was not expecting this. Mind blown. Can’t wait to get my hands on this. Miyazaki saw Sony dragging their feet and finally took matters into his own hands, huh!

- Kirby’s Air Riders. I imagine a few people might have preferred it if the game Sakurai’s been alluding to had turned out to be Smash 6, but I’m mostly just glad that he’s had a chance to do what he wants and develop a different passion project, rather than getting fed straight back into the Smash Bros grinder.

- Deltarune. I’ve actually been putting off playing Deltarune for a good long while, because I didn’t like the idea of starting a massive story and then having to wait so long for a conclusion (not a shot at the release model, just my own inability to hold characters and scenarios in my head). But now I’m finally gonna be able to play the whole thing, and I am Hype.

Least favourite game announcement:

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (specifically the GameCube version, via emulation, on the NSO subscription): Just let me pay for the HD remaster with all the improvements they made for Wii U, rather than paying monthly to have access to the inferior version of the game, through the lens of Nintendo’s questionable emulation, thanks.

My general criticisms of the Direct:

Oh boy. This is gonna read as very negative, which kind of sucks because on the basis of what was shown, there is a LOT to be excited about. But I think taken as a whole, the presentation left a lot to be desired and didn’t add up to a great first impression. It was less than the sum of its parts, and really shouldn’t have been. Let me explain.

They spent a good deal of time showcasing hardware feature, particularly the camera and mouse mode. This was a great idea in theory, they failed to reveal much in the way compelling gameplay that integrates them - particularly the mouse. DragXDrive is a start, but it looked to be the barest of bones on this first showing.

A lot of time in the early to mid presentation was spent re-announcing games that are already confirmed for Switch 1 and explaining how some of them will be very slightly better on Switch 2. While, again there’s nothing wrong with this idea, leading with, and placing major emphasis on minor performance upgrades and expansions to Switch 1 games, some of which have been available for many years, does not create a compelling case for sinking hundreds into a new console. This is something you factor in at the end of the presentation, not as one of the first concrete details you cover.

(Side note - I actually think this is cause for concern. While the reasons for the Wii U’s failure were many and complex, very few people at this point would claim a lack of quality games - in fact the later success of much of the Wii U’s library on the Switch indicates the opposite! However, one factor I do often see cited is that the Wii U’s marketing failed to set it apart as something fresh and vital. Seeing Nintendo pitch, at great length, their brand new console’s ability to run a Zelda game from 2017 at a higher frame rate, and/or an expensive way to play games already announced for Switch 1, before they so much as pulled out a second exclusive Switch 2 title, did not fill me with confidence that the right lessons were learned.)

To be more positive for a moment, the major exclusive announcements all looked fab to me, especially DK Bonanza and The Duskbloods (!!). I think it’s fair to say I was expecting more exclusives, and that I’m surprised that the whole thing went by with no mention of a 3D Mario. It’s also worth noting that, of the major, not-on-Switch-1 exclusives (Mario Kart, DK, Hyrule Warriors 3, Duskbloods, Kirby Air Riders), only Mario Kart will be available at launch, which is a bit of a blow if like me, you were hoping for a big, single player experience at launch. Breath of the Wild sold Switch to me, not Mario Kart 8, and I know I’m not alone there.

My bigger problem with how they handled the exclusives within the presentation is that none of them received anything like a proper deep dive, even though these should be the system sellers were all getting hyped for.

I understand Mario Kart will be getting one in a couple of weeks, which is something, but considering how short the exclusives list was, it was a shame not to see a little more of each. Speaking subjectively, it felt to me like these big, important exclusives ended up getting less overall coverage in the presentation than the third-party lineup, all of which is or will be freely available (and likely much cheaper) elsewhere.

Overall, the problem is not one of content, but of emphasis. After all, third-party support and backwards compatibility is vital to the success of a modern console! But the decision to frontload the presentation with lukewarm demonstrations of the hardware, games which are also playable on Switch 1, and non-exclusives, while first-party and third-party exclusives received comparatively little emphasis and were often relegated to the tail end of the show, was baffling. It killed the momentum of the presentation, diluted the message that this is a must-have product, and dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit.

And yeah, I’m also sad that we only got 3 seconds of Silksong to confirm it still exists, but let’s face it, we did that to ourselves, didn’t we?

[nightmarearian]

Code: Auto

Without autonomy its h̴i̶s̴ entire life, Zetta, under the name Code: Auto, has been consumed by desperation to even just die on its t̵h̵e̶i̵r̶ own terms. It ̷T̶h̴e̵y̷ ̵don't seem to care much for its t̵h̵e̶i̵r̶ own well-being, with nothing to lose. Its H̷i̵s̸ ̶Reuniclus-like body is incredibly acidic, irregularly corrupted by Rift Matter, and melting its t̵h̵e̶i̵r̶ old human body into bloody cytoplasm and bone-mesh.

The pure desperation has caused Zetta to open a Dimensional Rift in itself t̸h̴e̷i̷r̴s̵e̴l̸f̵, corrupting it h̸i̴m̴. The Dimensional Rift that transformed Zetta seems to have been an irregular one, not affecting it t̸h̶e̵m̸ as it usually would another. Whether this is because of their state as a human-Pokemon, or due to the fact they are a creator of Rift Matter itself t̵h̶e̶m̷s̵e̴l̶f̸ ̴is unknown. Evidenced by it's h̸i̴s eventual Ghost-Typing, it t̸h̶e̷y̷ seemed to have gained its t̴h̶e̶i̷r̸ wish to die on its t̴h̶e̶i̷r̸ own terms, no matter how painful. ̵̢̺̿̐̈́ͅ(Ï̸͕̱̀̕ ̶͉̀̒͝A̷̰̗̠̋͆̋M̴̛̘̼ ̷̞̯̯́̃A̶̛͚̅͝ ̵͕̟͒̊Ṕ̴̡̤̬͑̉Ę̵̗̯̓͐R̶͇͉̬͑S̷̮̆Ő̷͕̣͘͝N̷͓̪̗͋̽͐-)

Rift Zetta :)

(Here's them on their own)

> "Auto" is meant to refer to "Self" and "Autonomy", referencing that Zetta used a Dimensional Rift on themself, and the whole thing with their lack of autonomy.

> Currently (it's still up in the air), the battle, wherever it would be*, would start Zetta off as psychic/poison (1st phase), and then after the third shield, they turn into a psychic/ghost** type(2nd phase), meaning that. You know. He died. :)

*> I know I drew a cave, but that's also up in the air. Surprisingly there's no field that's really geared towards psychic that isn't psychic terrain and one that fits the vibe. I'm leaning towards something in Xen( Xen lab?) but definitely something contained, walled in. Minimal exits/escapes and all that.

**> While the exact battle/moveset stuff is deeeffffinitely not set in stone, they absolutely have Focus Blast. oh oh oh a toxic (spikes?) and then a hex from phase 1 to 2 would be good. yeah. hm. Baneful Bunker or toxic or toxic spikes??? or poison point/ability along the lines of that? ughhhhh

> So in the first phase Zetta is, obviously, melting. His arms have melted into a Reuniclus-like cytoplasm, and the idea is that his bones have broken as the cytoplasm-like limbs start to duplicate, sort of like how the nucleus and shit duplicate and then the cell splits for mitosis. If that makes sense.

> The bones, as they're breaking and duplicating into more arms, are melting into those cell-organs Reuniclus has, essentially.

> The rest of his body is essentially pretty amorphous/genuinely melting into nothing, though when they die their state as a ghost lends itself to something a bit more stable, as their memory/perception of themselves would. yk. give them that. or smth.

> He/They Zetta. The rift dex notes try to refer to them with it/its pronouns. Following my hcs, that's how he was first referred to when he was created in the lab, and so while they don't prefer those, they're used to it + don't really mind (anymore). Here, they're more sensitive about being referred to with he/them pronouns, not wanting to be referred to as an "it", a lab experiment and failure, anymore.

> Their stats basically boil down to glass-canon, since Zetta doesn't really have any intent to really defend themself. They just want to, at least, die on their own terms; they don't really expect to make it out alive. They do have some defense, but the idea is that they hit hard and fast, before you can really hit back. 2nd Phase gets some more defense though.

> I doooo want him to be like. Helped. LIke Garbodor or smth. Like Erick or some other scientist type (Nastasia works too, actually. Definitely works) gets the notes from the Interceptor and he gets... uhm.

So. He does still end up dead. He is ghost, but a much more corporeal and consistent ghost, sort like how Gengar is. Depending on his mood he can appear on a sliding scale like normal Zetta or Rift Zetta. The middle point would him having Reuniclus arms and an arm or two floating behind him, but not completely melted/cytoplasm. They spend sometime in the/a lab (and has maaaaany panic attacks about it. being born and then immediately tested-abused on does that) healing/getting stabilized. Tbh i see him hanging around Geara if he's with Xen(? Maybe. Dunno if he's for or against Xen in this) cause Goldenleaf + Semi-Ghost specialty. and a bit of valorshipping :) And he gets ghost/psychic powers. definitely. absolutely. as a treat. he deserves it.

Yeah. That.

> Tbh the main vibe about this and the desperation is that one saying about a cornered animal willing to gnaw off their own leg to escape. Pure desperation. As my original notes say "willing to damn itself to live/die on it's/his terms."

> I drew phase 2 before phase 1, so. hm. if anything's a bit incongruent cause of that, yeah. I also got really tired by the end, so I sorta half-assed the last parts of phase 1

> uhhhhhh yeah that's all the lore i remember for now. There's absolutely going to be more I remember later that I'll probably add on later. oh well.

> Oh also the Luxray is my main lead in my playthrough rn, so he gets to show up :)

[selene-moonie]

AOT: Faith in the 'Cause' and Social vs Inherent Value

NOTE: SPOILERS for the entire series. Also, I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong here. I only hate the shitty parents. Each character worked within the worldview they were raised with, and each of their decisions matter in the story.

Let's get a few definitions out of the way to start:

The 'Cause' - whatever you believe in that's bigger than you. Saving your country, ending the titans, getting a better life.

Social Value - when your worth comes from your ability to support others or your accomplishments.

Inherent Value - the idea that everyone has individual value regardless of their social accomplishments.

There are a few different types of parents. Some raised their kids to believe in a 'cause', others didn't, and some originally believed in a cause and then started valuing their kids as individuals.

Let's start with one of the original villains - Grisha Yeager. He raised his first son to believe in the 'cause' and valued him mainly for his ability to progress this cause. He will be written into history as a monster, like his brother, but it started when Grisha and Dina removed his humanity.

Zeke valued himself so little that he got his parents killed, endured years of spinal injections (and essentially became a male brood mother which is horrifying), had no close relationships other than the one with his mentor, and died for his sins right after he finally started smelling the roses. That is a fucking tragedy if I've ever read one.

His brother didn't get it any better either. Eren grew up with more love, and less of a cause than Zeke, but Eren picked up his own cause and inadvertently copied his dad. Eren's mom is a black haired woman, and Eren kept everything secret from his loved ones till it was too late. He's also dead because he valued himself more for what he could do for his friends than actually living his life.

Which is a shame because Mikasa deserved better than beheading the man she loved. I know Eren couldn't end the cycle of violence himself, he could only save the people loved, but it sucks that he had to die to do that.

I do want to say here that the parents who pushed their kids to further the cause are the ones aware of the reality of the world, like the fact that there's a war, the discrimination against the Eldians, etc. The parents who raised their kids not to believe in a cause, but instead valued them as individuals are the parents unaware of these things.

That doesn't mean they lack awareness of their immediate reality, as in the case of Artur Braus, Sasha's father. He straight up told her she could hide out in the forest and choose to not adapt, but he would change his family traditions to cope with the changing world. Her response was to rebel by joining the military but Sasha eventually came into her own and was one of the best members of the Scouts.

I think of how Sasha and her dad were key players in making sure another Eren wasn't created in Gabi. Her entire character arc was her learning that the Paradis Eldians were people just like her. The kindness, courage, and fighting skills that Sasha brought to the table years prior paid off in Gabi's interactions with her family, which is eventually what changed her mind. I just love seeing the cycle of violence end.

Jean is another one who was brought up with inherent value. He was self-absorbed and self-interested, but also ended up having one of the biggest character changes throughout the story. Jean quickly realised that his skills weren't as useful inside the walls as outside. He also chose not to kill a child soldier, in addition to saving Reiner, despite everything Reiner had done. He was one of the pettier characters, yet he grew into a really responsible man who chose to do better than continuing the cycle of violence as well.

Now the third type of parent is the one who originally valued their children for their social value, but eventually came to love them for their inherent value. These include Karina Braun and Leonhart. Karina straight up used her son to get a leg up in their society, and Leonhart adopted Annie for that purpose which is wild to me. I'm not sure how, or why they started loving their kids after they'd gotten them into the war criminal stuff, but hey, their kids eventually started making decisions that aligned with their true identities. Annie just wanted to go back home, and even though Reiner developed borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation, he turned out ok as well.

I do wanna talk for a sec about the fact that the ones who were valued socially engaged in the most self-sacrificial behavior. Eren was in love with Mikasa since day zero or something, but he never told her. His relationships were strained and eternally kept at arm's length for his cause. Zeke didn't even have close friends, and Pieck apparently always knew he was a liar.

Meanwhile, the ones who saw inherent value in themselves ended up being the most well-adjusted of all the kids. They were also the ones to reach out and bridge the gaps between the Eldians in the end. Sasha probably never went a day wondering if her best friends loved her, and even though Niccolo hadn't proposed, she probably fantasized about marrying him as well. She lived fully, though she became a casualty of war. I don't think the ones with the causes got to do that.

The kids who eventually learned to value themselves as individuals (Rei, Annie, and Historia) had to assimilate their shadow selves, and they also learned to live life for themselves.

Each of these kids' parents had an active role in the decisions they made and how they valued themselves. The ones who were valued socially died alone and sad, while the ones who did die but were valued inherently had happier relationships. And the others just had to find ways to deal with the shadows they had collected along the way.

[insert-something-funy-here]

MUEHEHEHE >:)

CHAT IT'S SILLIES TIME!!!!

For those who didn't see before I deleted it, sometime ago, I made a post about an idea for an AU I have where Biograft is sentient enough for Medkit leaving Blackrock to affect him (and on top of that, that's how he discovers his own sentience). I spent a couple hours writing cus I got inspired! Biograft doesn't yet realize he's sentient, so I think (if people like thus enough) I'll make a pt2 to this cus I have ideas for where this could go!! (Tbh, I'll probably do it regardless of if people like it or not, but still!!!)

Edit: Am in fact making this a series

This is the start || Part 2

An error. A simple miscalculation. Making breakfast for two, when there was only one here who could eat. Opening the door to an empty, and uncharacteristically clear room. No phighter for me to wake. Green flowers at the bedside now wilting from missing… from his absence. It was odd how he would “heal,” them every other morning. I don't have such an ability, being created for the opposite of healing. Most iterations of me anyway.

I should throw those away before they begin to rot. It’s been a week now. Or I could leave them. Perhaps after such long-term exposure to his crystal, they will last longer than regular flowers. That’s all this is, testing a hypothesis. I can leave them a little longer, just to see the results.

New connections have started forming in my programming. One of me was out collecting materials for Subspace, and I saw those flowers again. When I saw them, what came to mind wasn’t any data about it, not its place of origin, ideal habitat, or its potential uses, but the memory of seeing Medkit reverse the effects of time on the ones he kept. Yet another odd error.

I asked Subspace to help me troubleshoot these recent errors. We came to the same conclusion of there being something in my software. He checked, said that my algorithms had been evolving rapidly and creating a new type of data, which could have been overwhelming the system and causing these errors. But what caused that spike in complexity? The only thing to have changed recently outside of myself is that his presence is no longer here. Subspace hasn’t given me any new updates, and such drastic change has never happened without Subspace’s intervention before. There is no reason for me to have change unless my creator requests it or it is within his benefit for me to do so on my own time. This isn’t benefiting anyone, so why is it happening? And why didn’t Subspace fix me?

He said even though he himself had no idea of the catalyst of these changes, with refinement, they gave the opportunity to lead wonderful new breakthroughs. Yet I find myself still unable to understand, which only in turn creates further lack of understanding. How am I unable to see what it is my creator wants from me? Why don’t I understand the results he wishes for?

Why do I ask and hesitate now instead of proceeding onward as I always have?

What makes life?

The definition I was programmed with was, “the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.”

Am I alive?

I fit 2.5 of the important descriptors. I have the capacity for artificial change and growth (but it is not continual) and functional activity. I have the ability to die. To its simplest point, is living not just the absence of death?

Perhaps I mean to ask if I have sentience?

Is there a difference between chemical and code if they both have the potential to react irrationally to stimulus, be it internal or external?

Could this metal exterior be made metaphorical flesh?

One of me was out at the Crossroads today. I saw him, yet I did not attack. He is a wanted traitor, and I had the opportunity to pursue him, yet I didn’t. He saw me, and he didn’t run, even though he should have.

When I saw him, I thought of those flowers again. It’s been a month now. They’ve dried out but haven’t rotted yet. I should’ve thrown those away the same way I should’ve gone after him, without hesitation.

For some reason, part of me wanted to follow him, not to bring him back, but to see how he is now. Perhaps he would be able to explain why I’ve changed. What a strange hypothesis. Perhaps one worth further investigation.

It’s happened a few more times now. It’s been 4 months since his leave. Every time I see him, I act as though I haven't. I believe he’s caught on that I do it on purpose. I don’t know why I have this inability to approach him first. I think this “test” ends here. How unsatisfactory, with no results to show for it.

Is this cowardice? I think I better understand the concept outside of its definition now.

He stopped me as I went to leave this time. He pulled me aside into a nearby alley. Why? We stared at one another in an uncomfortable silence. Could silence be comfortable?

He asked me what I was doing. I asked him to clarify. He asked why I hadn’t been trying to go after him whenever Subspace wasn't around. I had no response. I moved on and told him something within me changed, but I couldn’t figure out what. He seemed confused but told me to continue. I told him about the errors, some of my questions, and about the flowers.

Something in the way he looked at me changed. He understood something about me that I did not. I couldn’t recognize what it was he held towards me with his gaze, but he stepped closer, and I let him

Innocent hands, covered in blood, not mine or its own, that wished to hold onto me. Sorrow grips us both.

I flew away to a false sky before my wings could be fully clipped, but left you, a fish in a bird cage. I can't take you to the water, but let me bring you drops of the sea.

“Even you need to rest and grieve… I missed you too.”

New ideas I had yet to understand.

I felt his arms wrap around me and an intense sensation rushed through me, it wore at me, as the waves do to a coastline, until I was left with nothing but the soothing sounds of the ocean.

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

I'd like to know how a Porygon-Z would do as a pet. My favorite little creature :)

As with this species' pre-evolutions, porygon-z are a curious pet candidate. These pokémon are artificial, mostly digital beings, which makes them about as rare as they are behaviorally peculiar. If you do manage to adopt a porygon-z (or provide your porygon2 a Dubious Disc to allow them to evolve into one), I’m afraid there aren’t a lot of resources out there to help you with caring for them. It takes some pretty advanced programming to bring about a porygon-z, so finding one to adopt can be pretty expensive or will require some advanced computer engineering skills. This blog’s primary source of information, the pokédex, has hardly anything to say about this species. Because of this, this post may feel a little… cobbled together… but I’ll do my best to provide you with all the speculative information I can. The bottom line, though, is that porygon-z might make good pets for some owners, but their unpredictable behavior and abilities may make them more than most can handle.

Let’s start with the easy stuff. Porygon-z are a good size for a house pet. They’re far from too heavy, and their ability to levitate makes it easy for them to comfortable get around, even in smaller living spaces. You’re probably already wondering, though: how big a risk is there of a porygon-z wandering off into other forms of space. Porygons, after all, have the fascinating ability to traverse digital space, which can cause some issues when it comes to owning one as a pet (see the porygon post, linked at the bottom of this one). Porygon-z are created using porygon2s as a base, meaning that many of their programmed behaviors and abilities can be inferred by looking at the information we have about their predecessors. These related pokémon are so similar in some ways, in fact, that many pokémon scholars don’t even consider porygon-z an entirely new evolution of pokémon (Shield). It is fair to assume that porygon-z have a similar ability to traverse cyberspace like porygons, but it doesn’t end there. Porygon-z seems to have been designed to traverse and work in even stranger dimensions of reality, described vaguely in the pokédex as “alien dimensions” (Platinum, HeartGold/SoulSilver). This was supposed to make them a “better” and “more advanced pokémon” (Diamond/Pearl, Scarlet), an absurdly subjective and frankly insulting goal (porygons and porygon2s are perfect the way they are). Whether or not this programming worked seems to be up in the air, but no matter what you will want to take precautions to avoid them wandering off into cyberspace. This is, of course, easier said than done. When it comes to porygons, which have very predictable programming, there isn’t a lot of risk of them popping off without permission. Porygon-z, by contrast, are quite erratic.

As a result of the programming they’ve been given in order to turn them into interdimensional travelers, porygon-z are unpredictable both in their movements and their behavior (Diamond/Pearl, Sun, Moon). This may make porygon-z difficult to train and to contain, and could even make them dangerous. Like their pre-evolutions, these pokémon are capable of using some pretty gnarly moves, like Tri-Attack, Double-Edge, and Hyper Beam, which could easily prove lethal in the wrong context. Given the lack of information about this species’ behavior beside it being “odd”, it is difficult to recommend them to someone unless they are aware that caring for them might look different every day.

On a positive note, these pokémon have a pretty good ease of care. Porygon2s, which porygon-z get most of their programming and physical “biology” from, can survive in the vacuum of space, after all! The problems with caring for a porygon-z don’t lie so much with a danger to them but to a danger to you and the risk of their getting lost. They are also, mostly likely, highly intelligent and social, if those parts of their porygon2 programming remain. They are likely much more adaptive than porygons, for better and for worse.

All-in-all, it is about as hard to recommend porygon-z as a pet as it is to explain exactly why I can’t. While their needs are very simple, their formidable ability to cause harm and run away from home, combined with their notoriously erratic behavior, makes them a pet that only the most experience pokémon (and preferably, porygon) owners to handle.

The Porygon Post:

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Girls Group 3 Round 2 Match 5

SUBMISSION PROPAGANDA:

Sayaka -

"Deadpan, forthright, and unapologetically candid, Kanamori never hesitates to voice her thoughts, no matter how harsh or unvarnished they may be. She is often deemed as impolite, ruthless or severely intimidating (by adults and peers her age alike), and is jokingly compared to the likes of the Yakuza. She’s regarded with a degree of caution, due to her unwavering no-nonsense attitude and the fact that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants, phone camera at the ready to capture any slip up that could potentially be used as blackmail later. Survival is her top priority, looking out for herself and whoever might be left behind unfairly by circumstance. She has a steadfast mind for business and strong work ethic, openly admitting to her desire for monetary compensation (or other favors and methods of payment, such as milk or food) for even the smaller and most mundane of tasks, and won’t shy away from charging fellow members of the club as well.

She firmly holds the belief that friendship is an idealized and glorified notion. To her, individuals referred to as "friends" are often mere products of chance, brought together by shared interests and nothing more. Sayaka adamantly refrains from using the term "friend" and readily corrects anyone who mistakenly categorizes her coworkers or those she spends time with as such. She befittingly conveyed this perspective of hers to Midori on the very day they first crossed paths, and this prompted Midori to freely opt out of using the label entirely as well, instead referring to her closest peers as “comrades” ever since.

Regardless of this, Sayaka prefers to achieve a level of coexistence, as she personally describes it, with those she truly cares about, such as the few other club members. While not explicitly considering the girls as her friends, her actions reveal a deep concern for their well-being. She often watches over them, remains by their side and is ready to defend them and their cause whenever necessary. A significant reason the club came to be in the first place is Sayaka's recognition of her classmates' immense artistic potential. She encouraged them to establish their own independent studio, enabling them to create their animated films, attain recognition, and reap profits from their efforts.

In her role as their producer, she's primarily motivated by financial gain, but as she reviews Midori's and Tsubame's work, she ensures they always have the option to do their job efficiently and avoid overexerting themselves if they ever choose to do so. She’s equally supportive of their goals and will often assure them that their art is more than good enough. She insists that their work is already impressive; therefore, they could forgo so much self-imposed pressure and stop doubting their abilities or attaching undue importance to others' unhelpful criticisms, as these are often incongruent with their own artistic sensibilities and convictions.

Sayaka lacks interest and doesn’t possess much insight about art herself, yet she is more than willing to learn from her team to become a better producer. Aside from having a keen eye for business since her early childhood (despite being bad at math), she also appears to be quite knowledgeable in a wide variety of topics, and will take people by surprise whenever she starts rambling about the ins-and-outs of something that’s relevant at any given moment. One time, someone pointed out that Kanamori wasn’t at all different from Asakusa on this regard, to which Tsubame responded with a simple and knowing “yup”.

She can be seen idly cracking the knuckles of her right hand every now and then, and rarely displays a different emotion as she goes about her day donning a neutral grimace on her face. Kanamori almost only ever smiles when she’s getting paid, when friendly mocking someone, or when she’s in the middle of twisting someone’s arm to hers and the club’s advantage.

I’m going to cut it here, since I realized I have much more to say about Sayaka than any other Eizouken member so far (I thought Midori was going to be the longest but this one was already effortlessly surpassing 700 words and counting. Good god) Please please PLEASE consider voting for her!! she’s an amazing character in general, and I can easily see why she’s Sumito Oowara’s personal favorite of the bunch."

Miku -

"Hatsune Miku is the character/persona created for a voice bank. As such, she has no set personality and can essentially be molded to fit the song’s scenario. She’s basically made to be your little dress up doll except your not dressing her up with clothes you’re dressing her up with your special interests and hyperfixations. She’s like the Barbie of Autism, if you will. As such, she has garnered many fans since her debut because of how relatable she is and how comforting she can be and how you can project your own interests or quirks on her and it’d still fit her because that’s essentially what she was made for!!!

You could consider the songs she sings and brings to life for producers to be her special interest!

As she’s a voice bank, she also can struggle with tone and inflection when speaking or singing, but can also, at times, sound very life like as well! She’s incredibly versatile as a tool to use for songs and as a character! She can do anything and be anything!

Also, all characters under the Vocaloid title usually come with an item that represents them! Miku’s is a leek/spring onion, even her hair has a similar appearance to one and it could be considered a special interest of hers!

I know the whole “she can be anything” seems sorta like flimsy propaganda for her, but I think it can also resemble how some people on the autism spectrum mask our true personalities and try and adapt to who we are talking to! And we can also have many talents and special interests at a single time! At least, that’s how my experience has been with being on the spectrum….

(Anywhosies I hope this helps! Miku has been important to me and many others for a long time and it’d be a shame for her to lose due to lack of propaganda 😔)."

[lucas-deziderio]

I've been thinking a lot about Spider-Man and about how I headcanon him as someone in the autism spectrum, in big part as a way of seeing myself represented. But I genuinely think there is some good supporting evidence in canon! And with some slight headcanon adjustments you too can interpret him as neurodivergent!

• First off, Peter Parker was constantly being bullied throughout all his school life. Even though he is canonically attractive, funny and smart. I think this could be explained by the lack of social abilities and communication skills usually seen in autistic people. Not knowing how to express oneself or doing so in an awkward or rude manner can quickly turn you into a target. That's specially clear in the Ditko era comics.

• Second, his big interest on STEM and related subjects can be seen as his special interest. I think this is specially poignant because his investment in physics is what caused him to attend to the radiation experiment that created the ill-fated spider. And him being the closest person to the machine is what caused the irradiated spider to bite him in the first place.

• Third, his enhanced spider-sense could be interpreted as his sensory issues, also related to the autism spectrum. MCU's Peter, in his very first appearance, explains that he can get overwhelmed with his senses and has designed specific glasses to help him with them. Though less cool in real life, using special glasses and/headphones is indeed something many of us do to help with sensory issues.

• Expanding on that last point, it is noticeable that the Venom and other related symbiotes are specially vulnerable against sonic attacks. Though there's now a very different canon explanation for it, this could be headcanonned as them absorbing Peter's enhanced senses and intensifying them to the point where it can easily becoming debilitating. Having a Spider-Man with sensory issues could also make villains such as the Shocker and Sandman more threatening.

• There's also the matter of the weird hand pose he uses to activate the web-shooters. As far as we know, this was originated from the fact that Steve Ditko just liked to flex how good he was at drawing hands. But I believe that this can be interpreted as a stimming movement by Peter. I myself use to stim by moving my fingers in weird ways.

Well, that's all I have for now. I'd like to know if you people have any more headcanons I can add to the list. Any good recommendations of fanfics that treat Peter as neurodivergent would also be welcome.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Articles, reports, and studies about agriculture are likely to contain some version of the following sentiment: “The population is expected to grow to almost 10 billion people by 2050. We must double food production in order to meet demand without hiking up prices. How are we going to produce enough food to feed all of these people without destroying the planet?” Increasing food production to meet the demands of a growing population is presented as the ultimate conundrum. Proposed solutions are predominantly centered on increased reliance on technologies to maximize yields and feed ‘all of these hungry people’ as the population grows, accelerating at a seemingly unstoppable rate. Whatever new technologies or techniques are introduced, they are, first and foremost, measured along the metric of increasing yield. This narrative isn’t just misguided — it depoliticizes the problem, shifting blame in a dangerous way. The reality is that we have enough food on the planet to feed every human being a calorically complete and healthy diet. Contrary to popular belief, hunger is most often caused not by a lack of food but by a lack of access. With the amount of food we produce today, we could feed the highest population prediction of 10 billion people by 2050 — today. This has much more to do with economic inequality than anything to do with population. The people who cannot afford food are most often the people involved in growing it. The vast majority of the world’s impoverished people, most of whom live in rural areas, are involved in agriculture. This seems counterintuitive, but many farmers worldwide are net food buyers, meaning they do not subsist on the food they grow, they sell their crops and use that money to buy food for their families. When prices for crops are too low to offset input prices, when farmers face barriers to accessing markets or credit, or they are forced into exploitative contracts or other arrangements, farmers do not have adequate funds to purchase food for themselves and their families. This is the result of the long process of industrialization that has displaced millions of rural people and removed them from their traditional agricultural practices, replacing polycultures with monocultures. Perhaps the other most damning piece of evidence to counter the narrative that we must ramp up production to end hunger is that some cities have already ended it — without increasing yield. Belo Horizonte, one of the largest cities in Brazil, managed to virtually eliminate hunger through a network of policies addressing different facets of the issue. They expanded school meal programs; partnered with local small farmers to deliver produce to underserved parts of the city at fixed prices for staples; created subsidized restaurants where people could eat affordable, dignified meals, and a host of other policies. It never took more than 2 percent of their annual budget, and the whole transition took less than 10 years. It didn’t require corporations ‘innovating’ or developing expensive technologies. It required political will, the strengthening of governance systems, declaring food as a right of citizenship, and correcting for hunger as a market failure. We are choosing not to end hunger. Presenting it otherwise obscures the fact that it is, at its core, a matter of political will — not a matter of ability.

[multiplicity-positivity]

Here’s some positivity for created systems who are having trouble learning to switch!

For some systems switching comes naturally, but this is definitely not the case for every system! Many folks, including those who have consciously or unconsciously created their system, may find it difficult or downright impossible to switch or swap members into the front. This post goes out to all the created systems who are struggling to learn how to switch!

💠 Shoutout to paromancy systems with paromancers who have not been able to switch with their paros or thoughtforms!

🔄 Shoutout to daemonism systems with daemons who have never been able to take full control of the body!

🌀 Shoutout to created systems who want to switch, but are coming to accept the fact that this may not be possible for them!

🔄 Shoutout to created systems who have been trying to learn how to switch, but have been making very slow or little to no progress!

💠 Shoutout to imagian systems who want to try switching, but aren’t sure how or where to begin!

🔄 Shoutout to created systems where some members can switch easily, but others can’t!

🌀 Shoutout to created systems who want to learn how to switch without causing potential harm to themselves or inducing dissociation!

🔄 Shoutout to created systems whose difficulties learning to switch come from struggling to understand guides made by others online!

💠 Shoutout to created systems who have only been able to achieve coconsciousness, cofronting, or passive influence, but never a full switch!

To any system who is having difficulties learning to switch, please know that a lack of switching does not invalidate your plurality in any way! You are still a system and your headmates are real, even if you never figure out how to switch. Every system is different and your plurality is still worth exploring, discussing, and celebrating!

We hope that, with time, practice, and patience, your system will finally be able to achieve switching in a way that is comfortable and affirming for you. And if not, we hope that you can find peace and self-acceptance as you are and function now! Regardless, know that you are so loved and cherished as a collective, no matter what your switching abilities look like. Please do your best to look after yourselves, and have a great day today!

[pikachu78109]

Worst Traits That Some Champions Have Part 2

((This is part two of my original post where I wrote different bad traits about some of the Pokémon Champions, so I’ll be giving more Champions some negative traits that I think they might have. Enjoy!))

Cynthia

This one is sort of hard as Cynthia, as a person/character overall, appears so humble and down to earth. She’s not out here trying to be high and mighty nor a perfectionist. Cynthia understands herself well and is aware of both her strengths and limitations; she doesn’t obsess with being number one, nor doesn’t flaunt her abilities to newcomers or bystanders. So, suffice it to say, Cynthia has difficulty accepting compliments and praise. Like, she’ll smile and say “thank you” to not be rude, but it’s a quick reciprocation. Knowing how powerful of a Champion she presents, and how often many compare, it’s a continuous thorn in Cynthia’s side that she will ALWAYS be an exemplary champion that many other future Champs, or even the current ones, should aspire to be. Deeply, it wounds Cynthia that she overshadows other Champions due to this, how some may downplay their strength in favor of Cynthia’s. Truthfully, I can’t say that this is a worst trait. It’s more of an insecurity, albeit Cynthia not enjoying being a damn expectation for all Top Trainers. She hates the pressure and believes that every Champ deserves their time to shine individually. For Cynthia, when not battling, the spotlight always makes it back to her and that makes her want to retreat so badly.

Geeta

As both a Champion and Chairwoman, Geeta has a lot on her plate, so she never has any free time. Much like Lance in part one, she’s a workaholic, constantly on the move, and makes frequent visits to each Gym in Paldea to make sure everything is running smoothly. This, of course, makes her prone to burning herself out and usually Rika has to step in and reel her back.

Given her frequent visits to each Gym, Geeta can be very strict and I’m putting that lightly. In truth, Geeta is an intense woman. Outside, she appears calm and collected. La Primera never loses her temper towards anyone. However, she’s very domineering albeit politely (yes, I know it’s strange). She tends to overstep boundaries without meaning to and this comes off rather poorly towards the Gym Leaders such as Katy and Ryme, and, of course, our one and only Larry. Geeta views these visits as necessary, so she doesn’t quite understand that her barging in unannounced and unprompted has caused the Gym Leaders to garner a negative opinion towards her. Geeta doesn’t know this as, once again, her intensity deters the Gym Leaders (even Elite Four) to call her out on it.

Geeta has a bad habit of assuming what people should do with their time and often asserts her own opinion on things that she has no say in. When she asked Drayton about a position in the League to replace Larry, he turned it down immediately and gave his reason. That’s one example of Geeta pushing a choice onto someone without considering their wants/needs. This is by far Geeta’s worst trait and one that irks people the most. She thinks she’s being helpful and generous while others say differently. It’s inconsiderate at worst and intrusive at, well, the ultimate worst.

Diantha

I don’t think it’s fair to put Diantha on the same page as Alder in terms of running away from Pokémon League duties. Fact of the matter is, Kalos isn’t as battle heavy as other regions, so challengers coming to face off against Diantha are pretty rare to come by. Because of the lack of challengers, Diantha isn’t seen as “Champion-like” nor exudes an intimidating aura like Lance or Cynthia. She’s often not taken seriously, which isn’t a bad trait but more of an insecurity on her part. Diantha cares about her position, but she won’t deny that even she doesn’t understand why she still has the Champ title.

There really isn’t much I can say about Diantha, but she’s forgetful sometimes. She tends to forget about the League due to her busy schedule as an actress and her time at the League isn’t always available. It’s not her fault of course, but her being away so often has led others to assume that she’s neglecting her League duties. Her time management skills need work and she’s trying hard to improve on that.

Steven

Much like Cynthia, Steven has a difficult time accepting compliments and praise from people given his notoriety and strength. Again, much like Cynthia, Steven is polite and keeps it brief but the man can be a bit overwhelmed when a huge influx of praises roll in. Usually, Steven might react very little (still maintaining politeness) and, when done, he just tries to get away from all the attention. At heart, Steven’s a bit of an introverted guy as opposed to Wallace. He’ll avoid any large gatherings as much as possible, but inevitably he’ll get washed away by many fans pointing him out in public. It’s exhausting and Steven tries to be a positive influence but this guy just wishes that it would be over quickly so that he can go back to his rock collection.

Quite argumentative, but only when he’s at his absolute limit. Steven’s a reasonable person and doesn’t mind a bit of back and forth, but when he gets heated, it becomes another level. Steven doesn’t like to be wrong and doesn’t like when people insult his intelligence (Zinnia is a prime example here). For all his coolness and collected demeanor, Steven tries to articulate his points clearly and makes damn sure that it gets to the point. However, it will get lost in translation because Steven might fumble with his words, picking out correct words that will deliver a final say. Regardless, most debates end in stalemate and Steven feels salty for a while. He’ll get over it, but it’ll take a few minutes. Or at least an hour.

[straynoahide]

what is the worst thing that could possibly happen?

i have read a lot of philosophers, some theologians and many thinkers from different cultures. but i don't remember any who i'd say i share more intuitions with about Being and morals than professor tolkien. i think he's the kind of man you'd have a 2-3 am conversation and go. wow, he "gets it".

i don't think that it's incidental to his catholicism/christian views about god and man. holy week is around again, and at some point i wanted to write about the theology of deicide.

i remember i wrote a longer piece here about the ainulindalë because i think it's the best way to understand his mind regarding morality- what god is like, why evil exists, and what to do as human beings in the world. i wanted to dig some bits up as a reflection on the problem of evil in preparation for the Crucifixion:

These are the actions of someone who does not value creation [...] aggrandizing himself comes from belittling those who serve him, and Morgoth truly sees none as equal in dignity, but as inferior. [...] no matter what Melkor does, he can't create harmony [...] true unity, true harmony necessitates uniqueness and diversity first. [...] neither could God force Melkor to choose to fulfill his role; God values creation, values Melkor. Melkor was free to be wrong, to fail God - and to fail himself. Melkor falls because he denies that which is an echo of divinity in himself. Morgoth's own armies are made of slaves and traitors. [...] [...] I think it was never God's Will to negate the individuality of Melkor. Instead, Melkor's frustration leads him to choose to negate that of others. that of those that he does have power over, those the most vulnerable to him. the more helpless, the more cruel [...] Melkor thus negates his own 'cause', destroys the meaning of his own rebellion; in his divine-given freedom, evil, though terrible, proves a self-defeating principle, if not yet force. [...] what Melkor takes for "triumphant" notes (ie, the moments where the forces of evil overpower the forces of good, where the world is not balanced, where good is corrupted, where hope seems lost), are incorporated ('woven') into the "solemn pattern". [...] the overarching Pattern, blended into something also beautiful, and it is the Discord especially ("chiefly") that plays into this pattern. this is something that God does not rejoice in. [...] it is a painful fact of the world we have to incorporate into our worldviews and beliefs, no matter how unpleasant: warfare, sickness, disasters, death; natural destruction and evil. the other Ainur are also not privy to the entire Symphony or 'Pattern' as it unfolds, but trust Providence. this is what Men call Hope (Estel), ultimately - Christian faith, 'pistis' - trusting in ultimate goodness without knowing, and while being able to doubt it and act on dark thoughts born of that doubt. [...] staring at the very face of evil, because we are ignorant, and choosing good, while we are created capable of defying God.

Melkor's freedom is a divine gift at first, but the freedom and suffering of the Children -some of their own making, to themselves, to others; some beyond their ability to escape- is a somber reality. [...] the melody is profound, it is 'deep' ('profundity') - because it has these time-woven, dialectic, causal layers between evil and good. [...] the melody is 'wide' because it includes the noble and the lowborn, the spirits and the firstborn and Men [...] it is 'deep' because free choices, noble and corrupt, have repercussions that limit others' freedoms down the time-stream and across the board [...] the melody is 'slow', because History and God's Will are One. [...] it is slow for fearful Men who die before seeing Fate unfold in their favor and it is slow for tired Elves who grow world-weary and count mounting losses remembering old glory. but it is God's tempo. [...] true Hope in this sense can only come from not overlooking the lack of goodness in the world and the pain that comes from it - it is truly a moral choice not to fall to despair, because despair is possible, likely or even seemingly impossible to avoid. [...] being cruel can be easy, and being kind can be hard. in fact, kindness is the most costly choice in a world with cruelty, not just harder - Arda like our own. but without kindness, there is no goodness. [...] Perhaps, God suffered first. Perhaps, God suffered most. Does God have choices?

This is what the Holy Week is about. Eventually.

What is the worst thing that could possibly happen to mankind?

What are we to do if the worst thing that can happen, does?

[nicomoon69]

ignore the slight style inconsistencies, I am tired :3

oc lore dump under cut!!

little background:

the isolated area in which these characters live is about the size of Eurasia. there’s five main islands with littler ones mostly near the bigger islands. two islands belong to the humans and two belong to the elves with the last island being mostly neutral.

there’s been a war going on between the humans and elves for as long as anyone can remember. while they may not be actively fighting there’s a lot of hostility and distrust. no one exactly knows how it started.

elves are split up into two sub races: Sylvestrean elves and Mageian elves. elves specialized in their own type of magic over a long period of time, creating the difference between the sub races. Sylvestrean elves are in touch with nature, their powers based on the elements and all that is living. Mageian elves focus on more abstract magic, usually a something that enhances a skill and is something that they’ve developed and passed down through their family.

regardless of sub race, elves have an increased life expectancy compared to humans and age slower. they worship the moon goddess Ela and worship of any other god is a punishable offense. while they aren’t as developed technically compared to humans especially the Mageian elves are catching up. most of the elven states/countries/regions are ruled by nobility.

humans despite being one race are much more of a mixed bag than elves. some humans live like they’re form medieval times, but on the other end of the spectrum there’s human who live in a sort of steam punk society. they also have no innate magical abilities but can practice magic through other means and are thereby also not limited to one thing. this however is generally frowned upon and will even get you a prison sentence in some places.

humans generally live a way shorter life than elves. they worship the sun god Sol, though there’s also some that will pray to Ela since laws surrounding religion are less strict. humans have all sorts of governments, there is no one way to do it. due to that humans are far less united than elves.

Lavern Levesque (they/he, 24)

pirate captain of ship the Levesque (though if you ask anyone in their crew they’ll tell you he’s usually too busy tinkering to care about what direction they’re sailing). former trust fund baby (parents were no1 wine exporters in the nation) but after their entire family got burnt to a crisp in a fire that may or may not have been caused by the mafia they’ve been homeless and on the run. at some point in his homelessness career he and the rag tag group of friends he collected over the years stole the Levesque from some poor chap who was doing business. that was when Lavern Levesque was truly born. ever since he’s been busy scamming the rich and robbing the snobbiest they can find. (they’re also in a committed relationship with the daughter of one of the people he tried to scam- oops??)

Ida (she/her, 26)

formerly part of the mafia (that’s gonna be a real awkward conversation with Lavern at some point) and currently on the run. with little options she’s been doing a lot of physical labor for whoever will hire her which finally led her to the Levedque. due to the captain’s lack of involvement with hiring she didn’t know who she was going to work under, which led to an uncomfortable realization. ever since she’s been hiding her past and trying to get over her middle child related trauma (imagine having 8 siblings and you’re exactly in the middle, yeesh) as well as living with the guilt that she was in fact a part of the reason Lavern’s family is dead.

Hedvig (they/it, ??)

not much too say about their past since they suffer from heavy memory loss and barely remember their name. it has a suspicious amount of buried combat knowledge though and magic that lets them shape whatever they want into any form as long as the matter is non-living. was found by Eleanor (she’ll pop up later) on her parent’s ship and immediately left a bad impression by being scarred, wet and not speaking the common language.

Finn (he/they/she, 16-18)

he’s honestly just a poor little guy. he was the product of an affair between a human and an elf, which since a young age put a huge target on his back. despite trying to hide it Finn could never fit in with his peers or even his family. his step father resented him and his mother wasn’t in a position to defend him. this all reached its boiling point when he was about eleven years old and was put on a ship to another island. unfortunately, his ship got caught in a storm and he washed up on the shore of a dangerous island. ever since he’s been stuck, the island’s forest having all sorts of dangers. he’s seen countless people wash up, attempt to leave or get resources and get killed by the island’s mysterious forces. his survival has relied solely on what has washed up and what little he could find.

Elanor Sylvian (she/they, 32)

part of the royal Sylvestrean family, she’s the eldest daughter of the king and queen. she was raised to be the next queen, not exactly having a childhood or many friends. as ruler she would’ve been responsible for making sure the nobles under her were doing their jobs well. she set out with her parents to a meeting between nobles which was when she found Hedvig on the ship. due to her having studied many languages she luckily could understand Hedvig, who only spoke in a which was thought to be extinct Mageian dialect.

[saturnniidae]

As someone who loves both httyd and wakfu I am BEGGING you to talk more about this

Well it wasn't much more than a passing thought I wrote down before i forgot it and I was gonna apologize and say I've not thought of much but character classes, but I blacked out and went into a frenzy.

So for character classes:

Hiccup: Eliatrope and Toothless is his dragon brother

Astrid: Feca or Cra (though I could maybe see her being a Iop too?)

Snotlout: Iop

Twins: Iops as well (I'd say most of Berk's population is)

I'm kind of stuck on what Fishlegs would be. huppermage? Maybe? Idk

Dagur: Sacrier

Heather: Sram

Undecided on what I'd want Viggo to be, or if I'm even going to include him but I'm open to any suggestions.

And for a Rotbtd version (bc I contracted that disease recently):

Merida: Cra

Jack: Rogue

Rapunzel: Eniripsa

But I don't have much more than that for this version rn.

And then I have some story ideas for it but I'll put them under the cut because it's kind of a lot

Berk is a a small coastline port village known for its fishing and inhabitants with ridiculous names and violent tendencies (most of them are Iops).

(Debating on its actual location but I can't for the life of me find a map for the World of Twelve that's actually labeled 💀)

Stoick is a Iop and chief of the village. He found Hiccup when he was an infant. He's never actually sat Hiccup down and given him the "you're adopted" talk, but they're both aware of it. This doesn't really have any strain on their relationship though (they love each other, but like in canon, are shit at actually showing it) the fights they have are over other things, mostly Hiccup's hazardous passion projects. And later, Hiccup's desire to leave Berk.

Hiccup is the village blacksmith's apprentice, but is often distracted with his own projects.

He is more focused on making inventions powered by wakfu than honing his own abilities beyond portal making (because of this, they often explode). as well as seemingly having a lack of interest in finding out about himself and what he is. Beyond the fact that deep down, he knows he is not human. He still wants to get out of Berk and dreams of exploring the World of Twelve.

Hiccup lost his left leg below the knee in an accident he indirectly caused when he was 14. Part of why he doesn't like using his powers.

(If you've watched the show, you'll know that when Yugo makes two portals and puts them in front of each other, it creates a beam of energy that essentially decimates whatever it comes into contact with. And iirc it's mostly been used on machines and such, so I don't think organic matter like bone muscle and flesh would stand a chance.)

Fishlegs is the closest thing he has to a friend. they'll eagerly talk about his inventions, until Fishlegs asks Hiccup to go more in depth on how his powers work, then Hiccup shuts him out. Usally after a few days of silent treatment things go back to normal and they act like it never happened.

Snotlout is Hiccup's cousin who used to bully him but has stopped (doing it outright anyway, ofc he's still rude and we love him for it <3) due to a begruding respect for Hiccup, not that he'll ever admit it (and perhaps out of fear, after all blowing your leg off and accidentally destroying half the village, intentional or not, is an impressive feat). The twins follow Hiccup around in hopes to see what disaster he'll cause next. They're the reason Hiccup moved his 'Workshop' out of the smithy and into a remote clearing in the forest miles away from the village proper.

Toothless is Hiccup's dragon brother and has been searching for Hiccup for years, but Hiccup is so out of tune with his wakfu their connection was almost completely severed and Toothless is unable locate him. Until recently Hiccup had no idea Toothless existed, beyond a lifelong feeling of something being very distinctly wrong and the occasional vague prodding sensation in the back of his head (Toothless trying his absolute hardest to get through to him).

I have no idea what I want to do for Astrid tbh. I want to do her justice which is why I'm so indecisive.

And I have nothing for Heather and Dagur beyond what their classes would be honestly. Something will come to me eventually though.

If anyone has any questions (especially abt wakfu if you're only familiar with httyd) feel free to shoot me an ask and I'd love to elaborate!

(Also a lot of this is subject to change if I have any better ideas)