#high school level ultimate archer

[mint-8]

Danganronpa Fan Executions

These are pretty much ideas I came up with for some of my Danganronpa OCs. Criticism is greatly appreciated.

High School Level Ultimate Calligraphy - Bloody Red Ink: The student finds themselves in a dark room. When light brightens their surroundings, they can find 4 Monokumas dressed as judges. The student then is challenged to create the most intricate, most beautiful creation they can and are given a set time period. For them to escape the execution, they will need at least 1 approval from any of the Monokumas. They frantically wright with the ink and brushes in the room and, once they are done, all of the Monokumas stare blankly at the papers before ripping them apart, spitting on them and trashing every single one. The student then falls from a trap door into a glass container resembling an ink bottle. The bottle starts to slowly fill up to it’s maximum with ink, and the student tries their best to stay afloat but fail. As they are slowly losing air, a Monokuma appears and breaks the bottle, setting the student free. The student gasping for air then falls into what looks to be an assembling line. From behind them, thousands of hammers appear, and they start to slowly, yet strongly, fall into the student’s body, from their legs to their head. The student’s body is pulverized, and the bloody remains are sealed into a new ink bottle.

High School Level Ultimate Perfumer - Can you find the scent?: The student is put in a garden filled with different flowers and herbs. Monokumas dressed as celebrities and rich people start to demand diferente fragrances from the student, but for every Monokuma that they displease with their perfume a meter will slowly rise, indicating that a deadly toxin will start to enter the air as it becomes full. The student fails every time to give a perfect concoction to the Monokumas, for they will never be satisfied and eventually collapse, with blood leaking from their eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.

High School Level Ultimate Archer - Pin Point the Monokuma!: The student is put in a carnival-like booth where a Monokuma dressed as a circus ringleader tasks them with finding the correct Monokuma doll hidden inside a tiny box after they are shuffled with many others boxes. For every wrong guess they take, a poisonous arrow will be shot at them. The student starts to shoot at every box they believe is the correct one, yet they miss every time. Finally, they shoot at the only box remaining, revealing it to be fake as well. Then, a Monokuma dressed as Robin Hood whistles behind the student, revealing hundreds of other Monokumas, all with bows and arrows leaking a toxic green liquid. As the student slowly looks back, all of the arrows are shot, killing the student slowly as they bleed from their wounds and the poison.

High School Level Ultimate Auctioneer - To the Highest Bidder!: The student appears chained to a luxurious chair, befitting of royalty, in front of an entire audience of sophisticated looking Monokumas. A Monokuma dressed in a copy of the student's uniform appears beside them with a microphone, announcing that the ultimate action has started and for the bears to give their bids. One of the Monokuma asks for the student's right leg for a bet of 1 million Mono Coins, then a second Monokuma offers 2 million Mono Coins, and it goes on and on until a final Monokuma offers 100 million Mono Coins. The student's leg is chopped off by 2 Monokumas dressed as doctors. Then the auction continues. All of the Monokumas proceed to offer millions of Coins in exchange of the student's extremities, but are always won over by a 100 million Mono Coin bet. Once the student is left with no arms or legs, the final bet of the night starts, their head. It becomes a fierce fight for the Monokumas but, as always, the highest offer of 100 million Mono Coins wins. The student watches in horror as a saw falls from the ceiling, chopping their head off. The final shot shown is the winner Monokumas carrying the legs, arms and head as trophies.

[reiderwriter]

I’ve watching the episode where Reid kisses the actress. Could you write a fic where the reader is in the BAU and is best friends with Reid but has a secret crush on Reid which is obvious to everyone on the team but Reid and she is so jealous of the actress and the teams teases her about it?

A/N: Hello! Thanks for the request, I hope you enjoy it~♡

Warnings: none, hints of bi-reader, but like...come on.

Masterlist

Your “too obvious, plain as day, nearly embarrassing” schoolgirl crush on Spencer Reid was taking too long to fizzle out naturally. 

When you'd met the man, and your heart fluttered, you knew you'd have to go through the motions: you'd hope, grow fonder of the man, dream about him, then cringe, get ick, and ultimately you'd achieve the ultimate crush death. 

You were stuck somewhere between hope and dream, still, and had taken a wrong turn somewhere leading to nearly Hozier-levels of desperate longing. 

5 months assisting the BAU as a press liaison, working as JJ's assistant on more public facing cases had landed you here. 

And what better case for you to spread your wings on than one in Los Angeles itself, starring the famous Lila Archer. 

When Gideon and Reid had called the case in, you'd been eager not to seem too eager. You'd never been out of Quantico on a case before, usually shacking up in an office to shout down phone lines as reporters on the press room floor telling them they were scum of the earth for sensationalizing murder. JJ had obviously taught you to have a more nuanced conversation that that, but your inner thoughts were still allowed. 

But LA was a different kettle of fish, and Hotch appreciated that. It didn't quite help that you visibly perked up when you heard Reid himself had a hand in calling it into the team. A high-school classmate and a jet ride later, you were excited and ready to greet Spencer Reid. And Lila Archer. 

She was so pretty it was intimidating to even breathe the same air as her, a magnetism that drew everyone in the room closer to her just as Spencer drew you towards him. 

You tried not to see the obvious attraction the two had to each other, but the bile rose in your throat every time you thought about the case. The sour twinge of jealousy became a constant on the case, as your efforts to save Lila from her stalker also pushed her closer and closer to Spencer. 

And that wasn't even accounting for the fact that you'd suddenly become tongue-tied around them.

Spencer had asked you multiple times how you were enjoying your first time out in the field, and the most you could muster was a nod and a stammered “it's been good, I guess.”

With Lila, it was worse. You couldn't even tell her your name, and had overheard her politely asking Reid for it a few times every time you'd dropped coffee off in their vicinity. 

Your school girl crush was hitting the first heartbreak road bump at full speed, and dear god, you were not ready for the car crash. 

You tried to psych yourself out of it, to clear your mind and remain professional, but one tabloid cover after wrapping the case ended that for you completely. 

“Whooo, Spencer, my man! I knew you were a pretty boy, I didn't know you had game like that!” 

The tabloid had been dropped on his desk by Derek loudly and had quickly drawn a crowd when they'd seen the resulting red flush from the man of the hour. 

He'd snatched up the gossip rag pretty quickly, but not before you'd gotten a glimpse of the cover. You recognised Lila’s pool, then Lila herself, then the man she was passionately making out with as you felt your heart crack in two. 

You'd stuck like a fly on the wall and quietly joined in the teasing as you swallowed all of your ugly emotions at once. 

“And in the pool, too, Spencer, that's crazy. Look at Y/N. She can't believe it herself!” You forced a small giggle past your lips and hoped the others couldn't tell how fake it was. You stuck out a few more minutes of conversation before nearly running back to JJ's, thankfully empty office. 

The tears were silent. 

You berated yourself for even letting them fall. An unrequited love wasn't the end of the world - especially considering you had to work with Reid, see him every day. 

It took you months to get over it. Not that you ever fully managed it.

You simply told yourself that you'd never felt that way in the first place, gaslighting yourself into believing there was no feelings and thus no heartbreak. 

After a month of haunting the office with your general gloom, you got into the flow of it and truly convinced yourself you were over it. 

And you were until everyone started talking about it all over again. 

“Spencer, I heard your lady friend is going to be in a real blockbuster soon. Congrats!” Morgan clapped the man on the shoulder as he walked past, discarding his coat at his desk as he arrived for work. 

You gripped your coffee mug slightly tighter as you wished the conversation would blow over. 

“Reid has a lady friend? Oh, please do not spare the details,” Emily jumped in, eager to integrate herself into the team now that she was in it. 

“You know that actress, Lila Archer? We babysat her on a case a couple of months back, and she took quite the liking to our little genius-” 

“Morgan, stop-” Reid groaned, flushing yet again at the mention of the whole scenario. 

“Okay, I'll back off,” the older man said quickly. “If you can tell me honestly, you don't still have that tabloid cover in the second draw of your desk.”

You tried to stand and walk away from the conversation without drawing any attention to yourself, but the tension in your body left you stiff and less than graceful. You tripped on the corner of your desk on your way out but didn't pause to even listen to the others' call after you in your haste to clear the venom burning in your throat. 

You were fine and happy to ignore your emotions, but you realized then that kind of tactics would only work if everybody else managed to avoid them, too. 

You calmed your pace to a wall and took a series of deep breaths, trying to rationalize your departure to yourself. 

“I'm busy. There's some files I need to pull anyway, so I'm just going to file storage. That's why I left my desk. That's all, I'm fine.” 

Your small pep talk didn't rewrite history, though, and you still felt a cloud of envy following you around.

He kept her picture. In his drawer. 

Truth be told, you weren't expecting it to hurt this bad. 

You heard footsteps come up behind you, so you quickly ducked into the empty elevator, not quite ready to face anyone yet. A hand caught it just as you were about to be left alone, though, and Spencer joined you in the elevator. 

You weren't exactly shocked to see him. He'd been just as uncomfortable with the topic of conversation as you had, if not more so. You just wished you hadn't been in the same place now. 

“Sorry, I need some files.” 

Great, you were going to the same place as well. You just nodded slightly and gave him a tight-lipped smile as you travelled down to the place you'd both chosen as an escape. 

“Back there, you left…” Spencer started, fidgeting awkwardly next to you in the elevator.

“You left pretty abruptly.”

“I remembered I needed some files.’

“Right, right…”

The silence that stretched between you was thick and suffocating, and you begged the elevator to move faster. 

“I don't, by the way.” He spoke up again, awkwardly clearing his throat before continuing. “I don't still have that tabloid. There is a picture in that drawer, but it's not…that one.” 

“A different picture of Lila, then?’ You tried to keep your tone light, but even while trying your hardest, you couldn't keep the bitterness out of your tone.

The elevator reached its destination, but you both held back for a few seconds, and neither of you was quite sure what to say anymore. 

“She kissed me, you know.” Spencer said, facing you now, pinning you in place with his attention. 

“Yes, Spencer. Well aware, I saw the photo, too.” 

“No.. no, I mean, she kissed me.” 

“Loud…loud and clear,” you said, raking a hand through your hair as you tried to drown out all of the noise. 

“Y/N, I don't think you're hearing me.” 

“Oh, and I should be paying attention to you recounting the time an actress decided you were worthy of your time and tried to mount you in a swimming pool? I need to hear about how her tongue felt being pushed down your throat?” 

The words jumped out of you, and you had no way to stop them once they started. Instead, you simply shoulder checked your way out of the still elevator and marched your way to the file room. 

“Y/N, I'm sorry, please just hear me out,” you heard Spencer calling out to you, but you didn't stop or turn around. 

“Y/N, I'm trying to explain, please just-” You heard him groan in frustration as you kept up your pace and felt slightly satisfied that he was having such a hard time. A solid hand on your wrist pulling you back wiped any smile you had on your face clean off, especially as you were pulled into a somewhat solid chest and a hand tipped your head up to meet his own. 

To say you hadn't imagined the moment that Spencer Reid kissed you for the first time would be a lie. You thought it would be sweet and small, an awkward peck if nothing else that led to giggles and more innocent chaste kisses and possibly an illusive hug. 

Instead, you were pushed back against the nearest wall, pinned up by your wrists, and robbed of all of your breath as Spencer kissed you until you were seconds from passing out. 

Even after you both came up from air, he released your wrists so he could angle your head back up to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss the second time around. 

Stunned was not the word. 

And though you were completely taken unaware by the kiss, that didn't mean you weren't eagerly reciprocating. 

You kept your wits about you as his tongue parted your lips, leaning into him as you savored the moment. 

It didn't stop the confusion after you finally broke apart, though. 

“What…the…fuck, Spencer?” You said between gasps, chest heaving. He let your wrists go awkwardly, hands trailing down to your waist as you rested yours on his shoulders.

“You weren't…listening. Needed a different strategy.” 

“Well, I'm all ears now.” 

He nodded and then took another moment to catch his breath before relinquishing you from his hold and putting a bit of space between you. 

“I didn't kiss Lila Archer. I didn't particularly want..to?” He cleared his throat and continued. 

“She kinda just grabbed me? And did it? There was a pool too, so I was trying not to choke on water and chlorine and hair everywhere. Like, she just grabbed me-” 

“Like you just did?” 

“Like I just… did, yeah, like that.” 

You weren't sure what to do or say anymore. So you just nodded and stood there, and so did he. 

“That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this kiss. It wasn't just to illustrate the point. It kind of was, in the sense that it helped you understand what happened before, and that I hope it will help you realize the point of this conversation-” 

“Which is?” 

“I like you.” He said, finally pausing his rambling to look you in the eyes. 

“I like you, and I didn't want you to misunderstand.” 

“Oh. Oh right.” 

You both stood there looking at each other and looking away in a loop, neither talking or breaking the silence until you both tried to. 

“What about y-” 

“Kiss me again.” 

Reid blinked at you a few more times, trying to work through your words. 

“Kiss me again” you repeated, stepping away from the wall and closer to Reid as he still just stared at you. 

“We're still working, what if someone walks past?” 

“Didn't stop you the first time.”

“But-”

You cut him off quickly, grabbing his tie and pulling him down to your level, locking lips with him again. 

When you again came up for breath, possibly much longer after the time a second kiss should last, both of you just laughed again. 

“I was jealous.” You said, looking up at him, ready to bare yourself to him now that he'd given a confession of his own. “Of Lila. Of you for being adored like that by someone so cool. But mostly of Lila.”

“Because?” 

“Because I like you, too,” you said, rolling your eyes at him. 

“Nice. Cool, that's great. I like that you like me, too. I like you, hey, I like us,” you cut off his rambling quickly with another small kiss and pulled away.

“So the picture?" You asked, backing away down the hall as he stood and watched you.

"Hmm?"

"The one in your desk."

"Oh," he said, scratching the back of his neck as the tips of his ears turned bright pink.

"Penelope gave me this picture from the Christmas party. It's, uh, me and you."

You smiled brightly before turning to leave, the bile of jealousy that had been consuming you turned magically to butterflies in the space of two kisses.

[bruiscdviolets]

I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey. Who could ever leave me darling, but who could stay? | Marina Basualdo

STATISTICS

NAME: Marina Aracely Basualdo

AGE: Thirty-Two

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cis Woman, She/Her

FACE CLAIM: Ana De Armas

EYE COLOR: Green

HAIR COLOR: Brunette

HEIGHT: 5'6"

DATE OF BIRTH: September 16, 1989

ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: High School Education

OCCUPATION: Ballet Instructor

HOMETOWN: Miami, Fl

CURRENT TOWN: Nightrest, MA

NEIGHBORHOOD: Low Point

CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY (TW: CHEATING)

Every time Marina looked in the mirror, she was told to cherish her beauty. ‘Eres hermosa mi querida’ was a sentiment her mother repeated to her every day in hopes of making her daughter feel important, but all it did was fester and grow into an empty hole inside of her that could never be filled. Since the moment her father walked out of the door and never returned, Ines Marin attempted to provide her daughter with everything she could as a single mother and she worked hard for it. However, it didn’t matter because her mother was still damaged and distraught at the loss of her father and infected her daughter with insecurities that would last to adulthood.

Marina’s beauty persisted and thrived in Miami where she grew up as her mother nurtured her. What started as a way to socialize her daughter by placing her in ballet classes as a child grew into her passion and Marina focused on becoming the best. Using the only discipline she knew, Marina kept her physical appearance as picture perfect as she could, even if her mental health suffered. In her’s and her mother’s eyes, she succeeded when she became the prima ballerina for the Miami Ballet.

Obsession and insecurity would wrought Marina’s entire being as she reveled in the spotlight that followed her. Her beauty and skill attracted the attention that she craved, a misplaced notion to replace the love of a father that never existed. Her own insecurities led her to a man that she blindly fell for and soon what came was an engagement. Marina hoped it would fill the void inside of her, but her self esteem suffer when the man ended it because he had no desire to commit. All her failed engagement seemed to do was drive her more into her compulsive behaviors and she worked harder in her craft.

Soon, she felt as if she grew out of the city she lived in. Ultimately, she wanted to be a part of the New York City Ballet, so when an opportunity arose to take the prima ballerina position at the Philadelphia ballet, she took it. It may have not been her final goal, but it was a stepping stone to get there. Marina said goodbye to her mother and Miami and left everything behind her in search for something that would make her feel whole.

Soon, she felt as if she grew out of the city she lived in. Marina had big aspirations when it came to her career and her dream was to be apart of the American Ballet Company in New York, so when an opportunity arose to take the prima ballerina spot at The Boston Ballet Company, she took it. It may have not been her final goal but it was a stepping stone to get there. Marina said goodbye to her mother and Miami and left everything behind her in search for something that would make her feel whole.

It seemed the other piece of her wouldn’t come until she met another man, this time there was more hope she held for this relationship and thought that maybe, this would be the one she searched for all her life. That this would be the one. What started out as a small tattoo on the inside of her inner wrist ended up with her number scribbled on the palm of her tattoo artist's hand. Marina continued her ballet career as her relationship with him progressed and eventually the two became serious and she decided to move away from Boston to a small town only thirty minutes away to live with him. Marina pushed herself in both aspects of her life and was awarded the prima ballerina position, but it was short lived. All her hard work until a breaking point: she continued to dance on an injured ankle until she tore her Achilles tendon.

Marina’s ballet career was practically over. Even with surgery, she could never move her feet the way she did before. All her life, she had been working towards something that had ended suddenly and with that all her insecurities emerged, tearing her already fragile ego down even further. The loss of her joy affected her relationship with boyfriend too. Losing her way, every little comment or dig his friends made at her for what she was pushed her deeper down into a hell she never imagined. Marina had fallen so far that she felt like a shell of her former self and in a moment of corrupt character, she fell into their bed with his best friend.

She had successfully ruined everything in her life in a night and now she’s still picking up the pieces of her shattered former self. Instead of facing her mistakes, Marina ran. She left Nightrest to go back to Boston, but without the career that gave her all the joy she had once had, she moved back to Nightrest, the only place that felt like a home.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

a best friend that's on her side, even when she's an idiot

other friends, because a girl needs them after everything she's been through, they could be parents of children she teaches or anything else

FWB/hookups because she is fragile and needs validation

more when i'm better at thinking

[gossip-girl-of-middleearth]

Accepting? Got it. Walking away? Sure. But,.. the mental image of determination bard/ rebellious rogue that you are just. Like I'm blown away. Own it. You go Captain

Something snapped in me months ago when all these character-building trials first started, and I haven’t been the same level of sane since

Me: *fresh baby high school graduate about to follow her normal dreams*

My life, in the span of just five months: *explodes in being trapped in mansions with my cat, homelessness, couch-surfing strangers’ houses, stuck in the desert with no food, fuel or water, is threatened with jail unless I can make $2000 in 2 weeks, loses my entire family, moves to a wilderness island, loses my license for 6 months because of infringements, Ruin gets released, my wages get exploited at work, I change my name and identity only to still be tracked by my psycho family 4000kms away, my undercover identity in the mountains gets blown, I discover I need to hop islands again, and ultimately, accidentally, become a skilled archer along the way*

Me:

[scatteredinspirations]

ABOUT SEBASTIAN: Was this mess all your creation? or did I just embrace temptation?

CHARACTER BASICS

FULL NAME: Sebastian Cade Archer

NICKNAME(S): Seb, Sebby, Archer

AGE: Twenty-Six

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Cismale, He/Him

FACE CLAIM: Thomas Doherty

EYE COLOR: Blue

HAIR COLOR: Dark Brown

HEIGHT: 6′0″

WEIGHT: 169 lbs.

DATE OF BIRTH: June 7th, 1995

ZODIAC SIGN: Gemini

LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Bachelor of Music

LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English & Latin

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin

OCCUPATION: Musician 

HOBBIES: Singing, Guitar, Drums, Darts, Poker, Smoking

HOMETOWN: Rockland, ME

NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown

FAMILY

MOTHER: Emilia Archer (née Sinclair)

FATHER: Michael Archer

LITTLE SISTER: tbd

CHARACTER HISTORY

Sebastian was the boy in the back of the classroom constantly tapping his fingers against the top of his desk. The class clown who had a secret brain hidden safely behind distracting blue eyes. 

There wasn’t much to do in his small town in Maine, Sebastian picked up a guitar on his own when he was 9 years old, mastering songs by Nirvana and Alice in Chains. He couldn’t stop there, the passion for developing music was too strong to resist the urge to ask his parents for a drum kit. 

By his 12th Christmas he got his wish, two years later his parents had enough of loud music at odd hours of the night and sound proofed the basement. 

He spent most lunch periods multitasking between strumming chords and shoveling food in his mouth, little did he know that it’d bring him into his first band once he reached high school. The songs were flowing but Sebastian wasn’t ready to take the main mic, finding it better to stay in the shadows at the band’s drummer. The boy soon met Cheryl, their budding relationship landing the new woman in his life the lead singer spot in the boy’s band. 

Bittersweet Surrender, the band he started at 15, kept him going throughout high school, school work soon becoming a chore though it never gave him much trouble other than the fact that it ate up his time for music. 

They went bigger than the man could ever imagine at his young age, he graduated high school at 18 and was picked up by Ascendancy Records. Taking two years to build up a fan base with a few EPs it wasn’t long until sold out clubs turned into halls, from there they even landed themselves a stadium gig and world tour. 

Things seemed too good to be true recording back to back records for five years, never having to take too much time off the road and constantly having opportunities to connect with fans and exploring his dreams. One night on the last night tour he was approached with an offer to liven up the party, it took some convincing but the man was ultimately swayed to have their after party go off with a bang and thus experimented with the mixing of cocaine, molly, and alcohol. He didn’t remember much from that night, most of it being drowned out by laughter, blurred vision, a quickened heart rate, and the shadow of a young producer trying to earn a name. Sebastian had his back against a wall, caught up in a heated moment as they traveled up to the safety of an upstairs bedroom. He was lost in desire, completely unaware that his phone had butt dialed Cheryl amidst all of the friction. 

Sebastian came down from his high sometime the next morning, just in time to watch his entire world explode in front of his eyes. A clouded night tore the band he dedicated everything to apart as well as his long term relationship.

There was a release of one final album and goodbye concert to mark the end of his beloved band, but this was far from the end of Sebastian’s career — he wouldn’t allow it.

PRESENT DAY UPDATES

Most of his days are spent very low key, trying his best to keep attention away from himself. 

To this day he still has loyal Bitter Surrender fans, people refusing to see him as the enemy and though he appreciates it Seb knows that he doesn’t deserve it. 

Last year his manager hooked up with the deal of a lifetime, a new band and an opportunity to keep himself hidden from the public eye’s drama. 

Sebastian became the secret lead singer and a public song writer to an up and coming pop punk band called Clairvoyance, a band that had it all but someone that had enough vocal range to take the center mic. 

He usually did a lot of the background vocals for his old band, keeping his talents focused on drumming rather than the main point of focus but now that he had a chance to write music again — he was taking it. The band would go on to perform live, lip syncing along as Sebastian’s voice was what played. He hated lying to his fans, but it was all he could think of to have the best of both worlds. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Ex Girlfriend

Person he cheated on his Ex with

Hookups

FWB

Casual Drinking Buddies

Ex Bandmates

Current Bandmates

Bromance

Someone he met smoking outside during intermission at a concert

Fans/Followers of Band (either one)

Rivals

[wrestlingisfake]

Full Gear preview

Jon Moxley vs. Eddie Kingston - Moxley is defending the AEW men’s world championship.  (He’s also the IWGP United States champion, but that title is not at stake.)  This is an “I quit” match, so the only rule in effect is that the match cannot end until one participant verbally concedes the match; the other participant thereby wins and will be the champion.

Kingston is an unlikely headliner for such a stacked show.  Despite a long and storied career, he’s mainly known for his work on the indies, and his reputation among wrestlers who hold his work in high regard.  It took him until 2020 to get to this level (when he was on the verge of retiring), and even now that he’s in the majors he’s not a top contender.  Lance Archer “eliminated” him to win a September 5 battle royale for a title shot, but the elimination was a blown call.  Kingston bellyached about the finish until he was granted a title match of his own, which Moxley won by ref stoppage.  Kingston continued to make excuses, and had his “family” beat down Moxley.  At this point, Mox is so pissed at his former friend that he’d probably demand this second title match even if Kingston hadn’t issued the challenge.

A big part of this match is that wrestling fandom has woken up about how great Eddie always was, and there’s a lot of excitement about him possibly disrupting the AEW topcard to score a rich reward for 18 years of hard work.  But to me the real selling point here is that it’s an “I quit” match where I genuinely believe both guys would rather die than say the words.  When WWE does these matches, they usually have a heel give in to cowardice, or a babyface surrender to save a friend in distress, or some screwjob with a tape recorder.  I don’t think any of that stuff is going to happen here.  These guys are going to endure some sick shit just for the sake of pride.

I think Moxley has to win and retain the championship, which means he has to make Kingston verbally quit.  I don’t know what the fuck Mox can do to achieve that condition, but it should be fun/gross finding out.

Kenny Omega vs. Hangman Page - This is the final match in an eight-man elimination tournament to determine the next challenger for the AEW men’s world title.  Page defeated Colt Cabana and Wardlow to get here, while Omega defeated Sonny Kiss and Penta El 0M.

I was gonna run down the whole Hangman Page saga, from the day he lost to Chris Jericho to the day Omega walked out on him.  But then AEW did that “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” video, so now any summary I can provide seems superfluous.  The point here is that Page fell into depression and let his friends down, so Omega broke up their tag team to return to singles competition, and now they’ve managed to cross paths once again.  Is Omega slowly turning heel?  Will he complete that apparent heel turn by mercilessly destroying Page?  Or can they work out their problems in the ring and shake hands when it’s over?  We’ll soon find out.

The smart money is on tonight’s show setting up Jon Moxley vs. Kenny Omega.  However, I don’t think AEW needs to get to that destination right away, so we could potentially see a Page win here to keep the story going.  Expectations are high for this match being very, very good.  Will the story be enough to put it over the top?  I’ve got a good feeling that it will, and that the icing on the cake will be an upset by Page.

Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson - Wheeler and Cash are FTR, the AEW tag team champions.  Matt and Nick are the Young Bucks, and they earned this title shot by winning a four-way match on October 21.  Matt Jackson has vowed that if the Bucks cannot win this match, they will never again challenge for this championship.

This match has been in the making for years, going back to when Wheeler and Harwood (as Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson, the Revival) emerged as rivals for the Bucks’ status as the top tag team in pro wrestling.  “Fuck The Revival” became a running joke on the Bucks’ Youtube show, right up until Wheeler and Harwood got their releases from WWE in order to come here.  FTR stands for the kind of old-school wrestling that the Bucks thumb their noses at, and FTR’s gimmick is that they bitch just like the kind of old-school wrestling fans who thumb their noses at the Bucks.

The Bucks have been trying to win the tag title since it was first introduced, but they’ve always managed to come up short.  After FTR manipulated Hangman Page into screwing them out of a potential title shot (clearing the way for FTR to win the gold), the Bucks snapped and started trying to regain their edge.  This hasn’t really made a lot of sense, though, because instead of getting more ruthless and intense against their opponents in the ring, they’ve just been behaving like dicks to non-wrestlers backstage.  If their bad attitude had directly led to them getting this match, I think the story might have landed better; as it is, they were selected literally at random to enter the 10/21 four-way, so it didn’t really make any difference.

The stipulation has people buzzing because a) Cody Rhodes had a similar stip a year ago, so we know it’s not a joke, and b) Matt Jackson is working through a knee injury, so it may not make sense for him to win a championship right this minute.  I suppose it’s possible that Matt knows his in-ring days are numbered and this stip is the beginning of the end of his career.  But I think it’s more likely that they just want to set up a scenario where we know the Bucks are behind the 8-ball, to build to more drama when they finally win the belts.  The knock against a Bucks title win is that it’s too soon for FTR to drop the title, but then again I think it would work for the two teams to trade the championship back and forth for a few months.  I’m going with new champs here.

Hikaru Shida vs. Nyla Rose - Shida is defending the AEW women’s world championship, after somebody finally remembered Rose exists.  I’m fine with some major title matches in AEW being thrown together without an epic drama behind them.  But in this case it’s just annoying because everything in the women’s division feels thrown together without much consideration.  I’m guessing Shida retains to keep everything on the same treadmill it’s been on.

Chris Jericho vs. MJF - This is a rare heel vs. heel battle.  If MJF wins, he will be permitted to join Jericho’s stable, the Inner Circle. I was curious what MJF’s next move would be after losing to Jon Moxley on September 5, and this is it.  He’s been angling to get into the group through a series of goofy skits, and he’s assured Jericho that he will do anything to win this match.

The main intrigue here is that the Inner Circle seems divided on whether they even want MJF to join.  Sammy Guevara and Ortiz are so down on MJF that they tried to take him out so he couldn’t get to this match.  Jake Hager and Santana are apparently cool with him, or at least uncommitted.  Jericho acts like he sees MJF as a kindred spirit, but he’s too wily to trust the guy, so his real intentions here are unclear.

The easy way to book this is for MJF to do “anything” by way of convincing some (or all) of Jericho’s lackeys to help him win the match and kick Jericho out of the group.  I think the only fans who aren’t expecting that are the ones who think it’s too obvious.  Of course, any such breakup doesn’t have to be on this show, so everything could be civil here and then the big angle happens in six weeks, or six months.  One way or another, though, we’re going to see how far MJF is willing to go to win, and we’ll be starting the next chapter of the story.  And I really think that chapter has to begin with an MJF victory.

Cody Rhodes vs. Darby Allin - Cody is defending the AEW TNT championship.  This will be their fourth match; Cody currently leads the series 2-0-1.  It feels like they’ve been building up to Darby getting a big win over Cody, and I don’t see the point of going back to this match now unless that win’s finally going to happen.  If Cody retains I think it’ll leave a sour taste in everyone’s mouth, regardless of whether it sets up a Darby win down the road.  So I sure hope Allin wins, because I can’t imagine what else will work in this context.

Matt Hardy vs. Sammy Guevara - This is being billed as “The Elite Deletion,” and I’ve heard it was pre-taped, so I’m guessing it will be a mini-movie kind of match like Undertaker vs. AJ Styles.  Matt Hardy fans will of course recall that he was doing that kind of nonsense before it was cool, going all the way back to 2016′s Final Deletion in TNA and 2018′s Ultimate Deletion in WWE.  (How many deletions can one guy have?)

Everybody knows Hardy and Guevara have had a string of bad luck in their feud, with blowoff matches getting cut short or botched spots leaving Matt injured.  They were supposed to settle things once and for all on September 5, but that turned into a trainwreck so I guess they decided to call a mulligan on that.  The best thing you can say about this match is that, because it’s pre-taped, you can be assured that if anyone got severely hurt it would already be in the news, which makes it easier to watch.

I can’t remember Matt ever losing a mini-movie match, and I don’t think he’ll lose this one either.  Even if I’m not sure how one wins an elite deletion.

Orange Cassidy vs. John Silver - After going 2-1 with Chris Jericho, Cassidy made three unsuccessful attempts to win the TNT title, so he really needs to regain some momentum with a win.  Silver is a prelim guy, so he should be perfect to put Orange over...except there’s a lot of buzz around Silver lately, which is probably what got him booked for this show.  I don’t think Silver can win here, but watch for them to do some stuff to let him look good on his way to doing the job.

Serena Deeb vs. Allysin Kay -  This has been announced for the pre-show.  Deeb is defending the NWA women’s world title, as part of an ongoing collaboration between the NWA and AEW.  What makes this unusual is that Deeb recently signed with AEW, and Kay recently announced her NWA contract has expired, so no matter who wins the belt will be in the hands of an outsider.  I expect this is something of an AEW tryout match for Kay, and if so I doubt she would win here, but I’m rooting for her to do well because the women’s division can use all the help it can get.  I think Deeb retains, although I have no idea what that means for the future of the NWA women’s division.

[ncppera-bo]

@forwardmoved​ | requested sato

The Super High School Level Archer arrived at the student lounge almost an hour ahead of the scheduled meeting time, woven basket in hand. Three weeks ago, Hope’s Peak spontaneously announced a nonsensical, cross-class cooperation within year 77. The excuse came from an unneeded worry of potential animosity between Class A and Class B. Somehow, someone got the incomprehensible idea that that all 32 students were competing with each other in off campus activities rather than focusing on developing their talents. Thus came forth this “baby project” in which they would have to...CO PARENT a child’s stuffed animal. Choosing their own partners were out of the question given the intent of the idiotic project. She would have convinced Mahiru by now to partner up with her if they were allowed to.

While the thought of coparenting with Mahiru made her heart flutter, the name of her actual partner made it sunk. In fact, her initial reading led to a disgraceful, audible gasp leaving her cheeks red from embarrassment. She knew the kanji all too well-- more than she would have liked to be familiar with. 

It’s not as though she had specific qualms with the Ultimate Yakuza himself; she hardly knew anything about him beyond the exaggerations told by that nuisance. There were rumors by other students describing his attitude-- usually, as aggressive and crude as his sister. Perhaps it was a family trait? No, it’s not like she could expect any decency or “model citizen” behavior from well known criminals.

Even if his arrival took her by surprise, she regained her composure and reminded herself to maintain the bar of expectations on the ceiling. 

     ❛ Y-You actually showed up... ❜

[qs63]

Heaven’s feel vs Matt/Elektra

Oh boy. I really don't know where I'm going with this, other than to get it off my chest, but here we go. An analysis between Fate/Stay Night and Marvel's Daredevil, specifically about the Heaven's Feels route and Matt/Elektra.

Spoilers and lots of feelings ahead. You’ve been warned. x)

At this point if you Googled it or know both series you're probably wondering what I'm smoking. One is a grounded vigilante story, the other is a high school magical anime. Technically both couldn't be further away from each other, but by coincidence or not, the more I think about them the more similarities I find.

THE HERO

Matt: That’s what I was trying to do, was trying to help people.

Shirou: Maybe I got something wrong, but it doesn't matter because the thought of wanting to help others definitely isn't wrong.

For those unfamiliar with Fate Stay/Night, the story follows a seemingly normal high school student who is dragged into a mage war for the Holy Grail, an artifact capable of making any wish come true.

Matt and Shirou despite being in very different stories, share some strong similarities, mostly in their drive/motive. They both want for their own -perhaps selfish- reason to save people and be heroes. They're also orphans by tragedy whose view of the world is shaped by a mentor/father figure who ends up being the cause of a lot of their suffering.

They also have a lack of self-worth that more often than not translates into a willingness to put themselves in harm's way for the sake of others. This quality of self-sacrifice, and their drive to uphold justice at all cost is perhaps what makes their path so similar.

THE HEROINES

Another similarity both series share are the heroines. In Fate the hero goes through three stories in which he ends up with three different girls. It's hard to explain without going into too much detail, but each of them represents different values and levels of acceptance of himself. 

Surprisingly enough this parallels Matt's own romantic journey quite well. 

The first girl is a representation of his ideal. She herself is a self-sacrificing person who lived her life for the sake of her kingdom. She's the definition of knighthood and the values the hero wants to live up to. Through her path the hero becomes the savior he wants to be, much like how Matt becomes Daredevil with help from Claire. In this path the hero doesn't get the girl, as this is all about becoming their ideal self, a true selfless hero capable of giving up even love for the sake of others.

The second girl is not as lawful as the first, or as chaotic as the third. She's a middle point that mirrors the hero's own true flawed self. She's also a companion to him in all the stories, whether as a friend or a lover. Through this path the hero comes to realize his own darkness and weakness, which stands in the way of achieving his ideal. In Fate the hero gets the girl, but she's not the main goal. She's his partner and support in his struggle to achieve his ideals.

Then we have the third girl. She represents the darkness the hero wants to conquer. A girl of quick smiles and gentle manners that hides behind a mask her hate/disdain towards the world. A hate that was mostly cultivated by her adoptive grandfather, who saw her as a tool for his goal. Through this path the hero accepts his own darkness and the selfish desire to save the girl above all, throwing away the ideals that caused him pain. 

Sounds familiar, no?

The third is definitely the one that shares the most similarities, and that's why Elektra and Sakura are the focus of this. 

THE JOURNEY

There's so much conceptual common ground between the series and, particularly, with The Defenders. A lot of it was, in my opinion, handled better in Fate Stay/Night. This isn't surprising, Fate is all about the hero's journey and his relationship with the heroine, while Defenders had a lot more going on. There was just not enough time to work the relationships.

Both heroines start their journey with their grandfathers, both were adopted into a family they don't love. Due to the way they're raised, and their eventual destiny, both see the world with disdain. And for both the only redeeming thing the world has to offer is the hero they love.

All they want is to be loved in a world that has showed them no kindness. 

All the heroes want is to save them from their fate, which eventually makes them the villain.

And this all leads to the hero "dying" for them.

Now that we see the similarities, let's explore some of the common moments.

FRIENDS TO ENEMIES TO ALLIES

Out of the three heroines, the third is the one that has known the hero the longest. They met years before the story begins and their happy uncomplicated days progressively get darker as their story unravels. Eventually the heroine's own destiny puts them on opposite sides of a conflict with both of them unwilling to fight each other. 

Then the hero pledges to help the heroine fight a common enemy, even if it comes at a high personal price.

THE SACRIFICE

Elektra: They have nothing now. I took everything. I know now what it feels to be good.

Sakura: Thank you for everything, Shirou. It might be too late, but I can't cause any more trouble than I already have.

One of the most beautiful moments for both Elektra and Sakura is when they decide to sacrifice themselves for the hero's sake. Both of them are aware of the potential danger they represent, but neither would willingly give up their life for the sake of saving strangers. Self-sacrifice is not part of their nature, and they don't hold any love for the people that need saving.

Their drive to stop the enemy (before they become one themselves) is rooted in two things.The desire to protect the hero, who won't let them go even at the cost of himself. And the satisfaction of spoiling the plans of those who hurt them.

It's the ultimate gesture of vengeance and love. It's also ironically, the turning point of their story, as they fail in their goal, and are awakened as true monsters.

TRUTH

Stick: The girl I trained, the woman you loved she ain’t there anymore. When the time comes, whatever is living inside the body of Elektra Natchios is gonna have to die.

Zouken: Once Sakura’s consciousness is gone, the catastrophe from ten years ago will repeat. If you want to hold your father’s ideals and save everyone by vanishing evil, then no one but Sakura is your enemy.

I really love these moments, and how similar yet different they're. 

The hero is confronted by the grandfather figure and told the truth he had been avoiding, the heroine will bring chaos if allowed to live. While Matt falls into negation at Stick's words, until he’s unable to deny it, Shirou falls directly into despair. Both know that perhaps it's a mercy for everyone to stop the heroine before it's too late. Saving the innocent is what they'd pledged to do all this time, but the reality that hurting someone they love is the way to do so is something they’re unable to accept.

STRUGGLE

Shirou attempts to kill Sakura.

Matt grieves over Stick.

One of the moments or feelings I wish The Defenders had explored more is Matt’s own struggle to facing Elektra as an enemy. We only ever see him in a state of denial or desperation, and the only acknowledgement we get from him about the death that Elektra's caused, are the few seconds in which he grieves Stick and swears to save Danny. 

In contrast we have a full scene dedicated to Shirou contemplating on killing Sakura for the sake of the people she will undoubtedly kill. This scene is so powerful, showing Shirou's internal struggle between his love and his values. You can see the pain in his face, as his ideals slowly crumbling. He can’t save everyone, someone will die, and he’d rather it be strangers than the heroine. 

Granted, Matt’s own nature would never allow him to consider such an extreme method. Shirou has always been more willing to go to the extremes, but we have seen Matt mulling over right and wrong before. Showing more of his struggle, more of his pain at the face of Elektra’s destruction, would have only enriched the story.   

RESOLUTION

Shirou: I'm not going to kill her. I'm going to save her.

Matt: No, I'm gonna meet you out there. I know I can get through her.

Despite everything he knows and the damage the heroine has already caused, the hero resolves to save them at all costs. It is in a way their only choice at this point in the story. It's the path they have chosen to walk, even by betraying their own justice. To make both their sacrifice worth it, they need to succeed and save the heroine.

The apparent answer to their dilemma comes as a form of self-sacrifice. For Matt it's staying behind to try to reason with the Black Sky, for Shirou it's using Archer's power -which will consume his body- to destroy the curse that Sakura is holding.

In the end both stories diverge as Fate comes to a satisfactory conclusion for the hero, while Matt fails to save Elektra and goes to grieve her in the coming season.

Shirou and Sakura's happy ending.

Matt wakes up without Elektra.

[mewmewchann]

Can you tell me a bit about ur dangan oc’s? They all seem very interesting and it would be cool to learn more about them! I like Haruto he’s so cute

Sure thing! And thank you!(and yeah Haruto is best boy)

I’m putting this under a cut because this is very long. (I mean I’m giving an infodump about my OCs, of course it’s long. XD)

Please send me more asks if you want to!

Let’s start with the Despair From the Heart cast. (my HC for Danganronpa 52)

Kokoro (Ultimate Lucky Student) is basically just endless bouncy optimism. She has a part-time job as a stage idol and wanted to do it full-time before getting her letter from Starlight Academy. She’s basically best girl.

Jasper (Ultimate ???) didn’t actually forget his talent like the Ultimate ???s we’ve seen in canon. He refuses to say it for his own reasons, but he insists he does have one. He initially comes off as a smooth and polite person, but does have a bit of an unsettling and mysterious aura about him.However, (this isn’t really a spoiler since I’ve revealed this already) he’s also REALLY twisted and fucked in the head. The extent of this will be explored later in DFTH.

Haruto (Ultimate Broadway Actor and Ultimate Best Boy) admired Broadway shows for a long time and vowed to be up there on stage one day. It took a lot of work, but he finally got there. Personality-wise, he’s cool, charismatic and a flirtatious ladies man. But he doesn’t have a big ego like you’d expect and is a nice and genuine person. However despite this, he does have the capability to be useful in the trials.

Amai (Ultimate Digital Artist) is a very popular online artist (SweetDevil45chaotic dumbass not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, and does sometimes believe that she’s nothing without her fans behind her.(also, her and Kokoro previously knew each other as they were friends online.)

Ahmya (Ultimate Archer, yeah I know it’s been done a lot) is an excellent archer despite her age. However her skill got her targeted (pun not intended) by a rival competitor, who hired someone to shoot her eye out during a competition. She still managed to win though, which led to her earning her talent. Ahmya is cold and bitter, to the point where she seems emotionally detached. However, this is mainly because she feels satisfied with her own company. But she becomes less cold if you warm up to her.

Sachiko (Ultimate Delinquent) is the group’s resident badass. As a result of being kicked out of multiple schools, her parents decided enough was enough and sent her to a prestigious private school to reform her bad behaviour, but she managed to topple the school’s hierarchy in a week. She’s aggressive, sarcastic, bitter and a LOT stronger than her thin physique suggests, and she doesn’t respect rules and authority at all. However, she does have a (repressed) softer side and is a bit of a tsundere.

Saiko (Ultimate Historian) ended up studying history after becoming interested in the subject as a result of his father working as a history professor at a college. He wrote a number of reports and papers on different time periods, and his intellect caught the other professors’ attention, leading to his work getting published by well respected sources and him becoming devoted to the subject. Saiko is charismatic and a bit of a flirt, but can come across as entitled and cocky. He also has a habit of saying something blunt or hurtful or that kind of thing, then immediately saying that he’s kidding.(his hair also has a gelled-down ahoge. I think that’ll give you all you need to know.)

Miko (Ultimate Bladesmith) lived with his uncle in the Japanese mountains for a lot of his life. (he never talks about to his parents and deflects the question when asked about them) His uncle was a blacksmith, which lead him to learning the art of making blades and excelling despite his young age. Miko is sensible and polite (with some people comparing his personality to the grace and honour of a samurai), but even though he comes off as intimidating and serious (which he can be), that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to have fun. However, despite his talent suggesting otherwise, he hates unnecessary violence, but he does know how to fight if he needs to defend himself.Also, a kind of running joke is that as a result of living in the Japanese mountains with no access to television or the internet, he knows practically nothing when it comes to millenial/pop culture. (at some point he asked Amai what a meme was and she laughed for 10 solid seconds before she realised he was serious)

Kaoru (Ultimate cinnamon roll Paediatrician) was bullied a lot for his weak-willed nature, which lead to him spending most of his time helping at the hospital where his parents worked. By chance one day, he found himself helping a young girl with a checkup in the paediatric ward. Due to his naturally gentle and kind demeanour, Kaoru found that he was talented in helping children and his parents were impressed with this, so he worked exclusively in the paediatric ward as a result. Kaoru is very kind and polite, but he’s also shy, fragile and has low self-esteem. However, this does a complete 180 when he’s doing medical work, where he becomes more serious and confident. He also has useful medical knowledge thanks to helping at the hospital for a long time.

Ayano (Ultimate Physicist) was sent to a specialist high school, and worked VERY hard in order to please her parents, excelling in the difficult subject of physics as a result and eventually studying at a university level while still at high school and even teaching younger year groups while in her senior year. Ayano is well-meaning and VERY smart, but can be blunt and pessimistic, and tends to overrule emotion with logic in her reasoning. Also, because of all the work she’s done, her sleep schedule has been permanently fucked up.

Rikona (Ultimate Chess Player) grew up in an orphanage as her parents weren’t in a position to raise her. Despite this, she yearned for a life of riches and found her calling one day when she easily beat an older girl at chess when she played for the first time. Despite her age, she managed to get a number of competition wins under her belt. Personality-wise, Rikona is kinda a mix between Hiyoko and Celeste. One moment she’s an entitled princess, and the next she’s a bitchy little girl who likes belittling people. (she also calls people “peasant” a lot)

Yuuma (Ultimate Jeweller) lived with his father after his parents divorced when he was 11. His father runs a jewellery company known as The Velvet Box, so Yuuma learned how to make jewellery to help. However when he was 15, his father suddenly fell sick due to copper poisoning and wasn’t able to make jewellery anymore, so Yuuma had to continue running The Velvet Box in his place. In the years that followed, The Velvet Box grew into a larger company mainly due to his designs. His appearance and height (him and Rikona are the shortest members of the cast) kinda gives the impression of him being like an overactive child, but even though he does act like an overactive child quite a bit, he is a lot more mature and cunning that he seems, as well as being cheerful and a generally good kid. However, he does have the tendency to be reckless and hotheaded, and is really, REALLY sassy.

Okay, that’s the DFTH cast done, is there anyone else I should-Oh yeah, I should mention Nisetaro, shouldn’t I.

Nisetaro was originally a very minor character in my rewrite AU thing of V3, but I ended up falling in love with him so much I ended up giving him a personality. He doesn’t actually have an Ultimate talent. He works as an intern for Team Danganronpa. He has anxiety and is pretty self-deprecating (and also apparently has depression), and kinda uses sarcasm as a front for that. However he is a genuinely nice person, and really hates Tsumugi.(he is also chaotic gay and has a crush on Shuichi)

[learnerteachergentleman]

Pathfinder Second Edition: Introductory Character Guide

If you’re reading this, there’s a decent chance you’re at least familiar with Dungeons and Dragons. Pathfinder is a game system which grew out of D&D 3.5E, and emphasises breadth and depth of choice in character building, and diversity and tactical complexity in encounters. PF1 in particular is a min-maxer’s paradise, with immensely powerful feat chains and functionally invincible high level spellcasters.

PF2 is a humbler creature, with very tightly refined math. Combined with it’s three-action system and +/-10 system towards crits and crit fails, it makes for a wonderfully balanced (and thus hard to break) system.

But it can still be a daunting system to jump into. Character creation has multiple steps, each of them meaningful. Here’s a quick summation of the ancestries and classes you’ll be choosing from.

Ancestries

Dwarves

Strengths: CON and WIS boosts, good ancestral HP, and their feat selections all combine to make them very sturdy and resilient. Dwarves are typically lawful, honorable and reliable

Weaknesses: CHA penalty means they’re usually not the make sociable of folks. Their movement speed is also the slowest of all ancestries.

Elves

Strengths: DEX and INT boosts, plus access to variable skills, and the best movement speeds make elves highly versatile in and out of combat. Elves tend to be a little aloof and detached as a consequence of their vast lifespans and experiences.

Weaknesses: CON penalty and low ancestral HP makes them very fragile.

Gnomes

Strengths: CON and CHA boosts combine with their feats to make gnomes the most innately magical folk. They’re curious and friendly and constantly seeking new experiences so they don’t die from boredom (literally).

Weaknesses: STR penalty, and they’re seldom taken very seriously.

Goblins

Strengths: DEX and CHA boosts. They have an eclectic selection of feats which can provide bonuses to stealth, setting things on fire, annoying enemies, and using/eating garbage.

Weaknesses: WIS penalty, and thus a tendency towards impulsiveness. They’re still seen as vermin in most parts of the world, so expect racism.

Halflings

Strengths: DEX and WIS boosts, plus their feat options enabling stealth and luck bonuses make halflings surprisingly hardy. They’re great at flying under the radar and getting ignored.

Weaknesses: STR penalty, and like gnomes, being a small and humble race means they’re not automatically taken seriously.

Humans

Strengths: Hugely versatile, with their choice of two ability boosts and feats that enable them to go in any direction. Humans encompass the full spectrum of possibilities.

Weaknesses: Humans don’t really have many weaknesses- their adaptability ensures that- but they also don’t have special strengths they can lean into.

Classes

Alchemists

Why play an Alchemist? Do you want to play with fire? Plan ahead and outwit and outplay your foes? Throw bombs, do drugs, and poison your enemies? Alchemy might be the path for you.

Core Mechanic: Alchemy. Alchemists can make a large supply of alchemical items daily for free.

Subclass Options: Bombers specialise in the use of bombs to damage and debuff foes. Chirugeons specialise in healing potions to cure wounds and remove poisons and diseases. Mutagenists specialise in augmenting abilities through the use of mutagens.

Strengths: A good support class, since they can alter their loadouts daily to meet the needs of the party and the situation. They bring good healing and lots of little debuffing conditions to the fight.

Weaknesses: Their proficiencies and damage don’t keep up in the endgame, and they need a lot of system mastery to play well. They’re also dependent on having both a good Intelligence for their crafting and a good Dexterity for their throwing arm.

Barbarians

Why play a Barbarian? Do you want to hit stuff really hard? Do you like shrugging off damage? Do you have deep seated anger management issues? Do you want to be in the thick of every problem, and use violence as the answer? Barbarian might be the solution to your problems (or therapy).

Core Mechanic: Rage. While raging, Barbarians hit harder, but are easier to hit themselves.

Subclass Options: Animal Instinct enables one to transform to fight with fang and claw. Dragon Instinct brings elemental damage, and eventually breath weapons and wings. Fury Instinct is just pure anger. Giant Instinct grants you an oversized weapon to do more damage than any other build in the game at cost of even worse defenses. Spirit Instinct makes you better at fighting ghosts and spooky things.

Strengths: A powerful frontline striker and tank, with great damage output and plentiful HP. They can also be pretty mobile, and chase foes down with ease.

Weaknesses: Mediocre Reflex saves and lowered AC means they get hit very hard. 

Bards

Why play a Bard? Do you have an innate desire to perform and inspire your friends? Do you want to know lots of weird and useless trivia, random lyrics, and tricks to befuddle the mind and heart? Do you have a deep seated urge to fornicate with dragons (pls no)? If so, Bard might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: Compositions. Bards get some really powerful supporting abilities which can boost the entire team with ease. Occult Spellcasting (spontaneous). Bards have a strong selection of debuffing and illusion spells.

Subclass Options: The Engima muse grants you ALL the knowledge. The Maestro muse drives you to be the ultimate performer. The Polymath muse enables you to apply your performance skills in all kinds of different situations.

Strengths: Easily the most powerful support class in the game. Their composition cantrips put many actual buffing spells (which they also have) to shame. Strong Perception and Will saves keep them alert and sane.

Weaknesses: A little fragile, and have really poor damage output.

Champions

Why play a Champion? Do you want to protect your friends and stand your ground? Do you want some healing magic with your martial might? Do you want to SMITE EVIL? Have you heard of our inheritor and savior Iomedae? If so, maybe you want to be a Champion.

Core Mechanic: Champion Causes grant them unique defensive reactions which protect allies from damage, and holy focus spells for healing and weakening foes. Divine Allies grant either boost to one’s weapon, one’s shield, or come as a mount.

Subclass Options: Paladins are Lawful Good, and are here to put evil into the ground by beating it the hell to death when it goes after their allies. Redeemers are Neutral Good, and seek more peaceful outcomes by weakening foes or preventing damage completely. Liberators are Chaotic Good, and keep their allies moving and away from threats and bondage.

Strengths: The premium tanking class, with the highest AC proficiencies, their ally protecting reactions, damage reduction on armour, and their healing Lay on Hands.

Weaknesses: Their damage output is decidedly mediocre for a martial class.

Clerics

Why play a Cleric? Do you want to channel holy magic to heal your friends and weaken your foes? Do you want to spread the good word and will of your god? Do you want to wreck evil and praise the sun? If so, Cleric might be the class for you. 

Core Mechanic: Divine Font gives Clerics a bunch of extra healing spells. Divine Spellcasting (prepared). A good supply of supporting and buffing spells, and heaps of things to really punish evil.

Subclass Options: Cloistered Clerics are fully fledged casters with extra focus spells. Warpriests trade off a little casting power for weapons and armour.

Strengths: The divine spell list punches well above curve when fighting foes opposed to your alignment. Cleric healing is very powerful and efficient in combat.

Weaknesses: Over-reliance on alignment based spells leaves them in a bad place when dealing with neutral threats. The Divine list lacks a lot of overall power.

Druids

Why play a Druid? Do you want to run wild with a 6-foot wolverine animal companion? Do you want to turn into a dragon and unleash hell? Do you want absolute command over the elements? If so, Druid might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: Primal Spellcasting (prepared). Lots of good blasting and support spells.

Subclass Options: Animal for those who want an animal companion. Leaf for those who want a familiar and extra healing. Storm for those who want more firepower. Wild for transformation specialists.

Strengths: Versatile to build, good defenses and proficiencies for a caster, plenty of quality blasting.

Weaknesses: Limited control options. Summoning is quite weak.

Fighters

Why play a Fighter? Do you want to cleave foes in twain with big-ass weapons? Dance across the battlefield with a sword in each hand? Snipe foes from afar? Hold the line with endless shield blocks or parries? Crit everything you can see? If so, Fighter might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: Fighters don’t really have a core mechanic like other classes. Instead, they’re a full proficiency rank ahead of every other martial, and get flexible extra class feats, making them highly consistent, powerful and adaptable.

Subclass Options: Likewise, Fighters don’t have subclasses. They’re differentiated by their feat selections (broadly speaking, one-handed fencers, two-handed brutes, dual-wielders, sword-and-board defenders, archers, and other niche options).

Strengths: Numerically superior to every other class in terms of offenses. Only Giant Barbarians beat them for damage output (but are way weaker defensively). Only Champions beat them for armour rating (but fall well behind on offense). Hugely flexible in build and tactics. Good Perception.

Weaknesses: Not many. Will saves are average, and one can’t do everything, but otherwise Fighters are overall very good.

Monks

Why play a Monk? Do you want to beat everything to death with your bare hands? Run faster, jump higher and dodge better than everyone else? Use moves right out of an old-school wire-fun martial arts film? Name every one of your attacks like it’s a shounen anime? If so, Monk might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: Stances. Monks can learn a variety of stances which grant access to special unarmed attacks and other bonuses. Ki. Monks can learn to channel mystical magic known as Ki for extra mobility or special attacks.

Subclass Options: Like Fighters, Monks don’t have subclasses, instead being defined by their feat choices. Crane, Dragon, Mountain, Embers, Tiger, Wolf, Ironblood and Tangled Forest stances each offer different playstyles, as does the selection of various Ki feats.

Strengths: Highly mobile. Excellent AC (only the Champion can get better), good HP and the best saving throw proficiencies all combine to make them very tough to kill.

Weaknesses: Damage output isn’t the best.

Rangers

Why play a Ranger? Do you want to snipe foes from hundreds of feet away? Unleash flurries of arrows or swift attacks? Go into battle astride a feral direwolf? Be able to find (and kill) anyone or anything that pisses you off? If so, Ranger might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: Hunt Prey. Rangers focus on a single target at a time, gaining benefits against their selected prey.

Subclass Options: Flurry Edge enables Rangers to make multiple attacks with a great reduced downside compared to everyone else. Outwit Edge makes them superior trackers and better defensively. Precision Edge grants them more power on their first hit. 

Strengths: Excellent single target damage. Decent defenses. Better archery range than anyone else. The only class which can actually make crossbows viable.

Weaknesses: Awkward against swarms of enemies, since they need to keep spending actions to shift their Hunted Prey.

Rogues

Why play a Rogue? Do you like stabbing people in the back and watching them bleed out helplessly?Do you like stealing from anyone and anything you can? Do you like your character being really edgy and good at everything? If so, Rogue might be the class for you (and prison might be the place).

Core Mechanic: Sneak Attack. Rogues get more damage against flat-footed targets while using precise weapons.

Subclass Options: Ruffians are tankier and better with brutal bludgeoning weapons. Scoundrels are experts at deceiving and surprising their foes. Thieves are light and lethal with finesse weapons.

Strengths: Twice as many skills and skill feats as any other class means that Rogues can literally be good at everything. Sneak Attack keeps them competitive with other martial classes for damage.

Weaknesses: A little fragile compared to the other martial classes.

Sorcerers

Why play a Sorcerer? Do you like being naturally gifted at stuff? Do you like the feeling of power at your fingertips and your enemies beneath your boot? Do you want to make stuff go BOOM? Did your granny engage in appropriate relations with magical beings? If so, Sorcerer might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: Bloodline and blood magic. Sorcerers get focus spells and extra powers depending when they cast spells. Spontaneous spellcasting. Sorcerers to choose if they’re Arcane, Divine, Occult or Primal spellcasters.

Subclass Options: Aberrant and Hag bloodlines for Occult magic. Angelic, Diabolic, Demonic or Undead bloodlines for Divine magic. Elemental and Fey bloodlines for Primal magic. Draconic and Imperial bloodlines for Arcane magic.

Strengths: Solid feats chasis enables particular niches other spellcasters can’t access (like Divine counterspells or Arcane healing). Extra spell slots keeps them going longer and harder than other casters.

Weaknesses: No armour, poor AC, and weak saves means that Sorcerers earn their designation as ‘squishies’.

Wizards

Why play a Wizard? Do you like planning ahead for exact eventualities? Do you like delving deep into lore and legend to truly understand your art? Are you a massive nerd (if you’re reading this, probably)? Do you think writing an entire thesis is the best way to demonstrate one’s mastery of a subject? If so, Wizard might be the class for you.

Core Mechanic: School specialisation. Wizards choose a school of magic and get extra abilties and spell slots for that school only. Arcane spellcasting (prepared). Arcane magic gives wizards a wide breadth of tactical options, with buffs, debuffs, blasting, controlling, and heaps of niche silver bullets for opposing magic. Everything excepting healing, basically.

Subclass Options: The Improved Familiar Attunement thesis grants the wizard a useful familiar. The Metamagical Experimentation thesis grants the wizard additional metamagic options for altering their spells. The Spell Blending thesis enables wizards to trade out weaker slots for a few stronger ones. The Spell Substitution thesis enables the wizard to swap out their prepared spells, keeping them adaptable to new information.

Strengths: Solid feats chasis enables them to get the most out of their abundant supply of spells, with metamagics and other spell augmenting options. The arcane list is powerful and deep.

Weaknesses: No armour? Check. Poor AC? Check. Weak saves? Check. Yep, Wizards are squishy.

[chicago-marlena]

Trip IV: Adventuring to Bridgeport

An overview map of Bridgeport | Source

Hi everyone and welcome back to the finale of my Chicago neighborhood adventures!  

For this week’s blog, I’ll be sharing experiences from my trip to Bridgeport, a residential neighborhood in Chicago. While this entry documents the ending of my Global Chicago class, I hope to still share the excitement this trip brought me in exploring the area’s diverse groups of people, arts, and community identity. 

Full disclosure, despite the neighborhood being so close in proximity, this trip was the first time I had been to Bridgeport. Recently I’ve been considering finding an apartment to live off-campus in this area, so you can imagine my excitement to not only uncover the environment and learn the history of the neighborhood itself.

Street panel showing a brief visual history of Bridgeport in relation to other areas of Chicago. Found while walking. | Original photo 

Historically, Bridgeport was established in the 1830s by Irish laborers who had originally migrated to help build the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Irish Canal workers settled in what is now known as Bridgeport, and the area later became home to rail workers, slaughterhouse laborers, and many other hard laborers during the beginning of Chicago’s mass industrialization period (WTTW). Following the completion of the canal in 1848, Bridgeport thrived as an industrial center and birthed the popular commercial strip known as Archer Road. This commercial strip thrived in the neighborhood with the later creation of many Catholic parishes, shops, and schools (Encyclopedia of Chicago). 

Reopening the Illinois and Michigan Canal in Bridgeport (1871) | Source

In addition to the Irish, Bridgeport soon became home to many Germans, Czechs, Croatians, Poles, Lithuanians, Italians, Hispanic, and Chinese settlers (and many more!) (Lockzero UIC). This migrational pattern can best be observed through Bridgeport’s abundance in diverse churches still present in the neighborhood today. When walking around, there are many European and Asian ethnic group parishes heavily present in the neighborhood, example churches being the Ling Shen Ching Tze Temple (Chinese), St. Mary’s of Perpetual Help Parish & St. Barbara (Polish, as can be seen through the cathedral style architecture), and St. Jerome’s Catholic Church (Croatian).  

Inside of St. Mary’s of Perpetual Parish. Note the Polish Cathedral style. | Source

This Polish parish, in particular, caught my eye the most, as I greatly enjoyed seeing the difference in architectural styles based on the ethnic demographics. In regards to the current day community, I believe these churches are a reflection of the neighborhood’s residents and the extensive diverse cultural history of the community itself. In regards to how Bridgeport’s demographics are today, according to Statistical Atlas, 41.4% of the population identified as Asian, 31.9% as White, 21.7% as Hispanic, 3.2% as Black, 1.2% as Mixed, and 0.5% as other. 

Race and ethnicity demographics of Bridgeport | Source

Although this was my first time in the area, many of my peers and classmates had informed me of Bridgeport's diversity in residents, and I felt that sharing this demographic would help provide context and understanding for my trip (for my peers were definitely right). Additionally, what was specifically interesting was the small 3.2% Black or African American population in Bridgeport versus the abundance of Black or African Americans in the neighboring area of Bronzeville; were there reasons for this community to gravitate more toward the latter? This was something I wanted to keep in mind for my trip. 

Beginning the trip itself, I thought it would be helpful to include the sites I had planned to initially visit when organizing my trip (not limited, just some ideas in mind). The general theme I chose to pursue on this trip was centered around the neighborhood’s art and how it contributes to community identity, especially considering the variety of cultural identities in the area. 

Map of my personal itinerary | Original photo 

I began my trip by taking the 35 bus heading westbound, riding from 35th St & Federal to 35th St & Halsted. Upon arrival, I decided to walk down Halsted street to get a feel of the neighborhood and most important make observations on the businesses and any signs of cultural diversity (and there was so much of it!)

Diverse businesses in Bridgeport | Original photos

One observation I was quickly able to make was that a lot of the businesses in Bridgeport are very diverse and reflective of the community’s ethnic demographics. A lot of the buildings I encountered were restaurants, a lot of them being of Asian or Latinx descent. Structurally, the buildings are very close together, and some are even right next to housing units with little to no space to spare. This commercial street was almost overwhelming initially to me because of this, as every amount of space seems to be occupied with a business, house, or apartment building. It was also interesting for me to see that the quality/upkeep of a lot of these buildings varied greatly; one side of the street could show restaurants in pristine condition while the other side of the street showed evicted buildings, there was a lot of inconsistency here. Overall, this just made me question the area’s levels of gentrification even more, and if this puts the area at a greater risk of being gentrified or not; some of these buildings seem to be struggling to survive, while others seem to be doing just fine. I was able to observe many people walking around and coming in and out of the establishments, and could tell that community residents valued the businesses. I kept my initial observations and ultimately continued on to explore the rest of the neighborhood. 

Jackalope Coffee & Tea House exterior | Original photo

Upon recommendation from my professor, my next spot was Jackalope Coffee & Tea House, located at 755 W 32nd St right off Halsted St. The shop itself was filled with color: the walls had Chicago memorabilia, stickers, flyers, posters, you name it. It was also filled with many young adults chatting, studying, or simply just enjoying the cafe. 

Interior/exterior decoration of Jackalope Coffee & Tea House | Original photos

While both in and outside of the establishment, one can notice the abundance of local flyers and events happening in Chicago, many centered around themes of education, art, and millennial culture (concerts, UberEats, cocktail clubs). To me, this appeared reflective of the community residents and caused me to initially question if the neighborhood was leaning more toward a “hipster” one, with the plethora of “hip” style events. With this question in mind, I continued my trip on shortly after ordering a small hot latte (yum)! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the cafe, and plan to return sometime with friends or homework. 

Small hot chai latte from Jackalope Coffee & Tea. Delicious, 10/10 would recommend | Original photo

Next on my list, I planned to visit as many art centers or buildings that I could find, and this venture began with the Chicago Youth Center, located at 844 W 32nd St, a short walk from Jackalope. 

The exterior of the Chicago Youth Center | Original photos

The Chicago Youth center was formed in 1956 with a vision of implementing “community inclusion, strong and effective leadership, thoroughly tested programs and continuous innovation” particularly in high-need communities and in partnership with early childhood providers and community schools in neighborhoods (Chicago Youth Centers). This specific Chicago Youth Center is known as the Fellowship house, and the mural is in dedication to the neighborhood's ethnic diversity and those who had migrated to Bridgeport during the building of the canal.  The mural itself illustrated images of children and youth, with the repetition of the words “fellow” and “other”. The “other” is referring to someone whose life is unfamiliar to yours, in this case, those who are culturally different, while the “fellow” is referring to someone whose life is familiar to yours, someone who you consider one of your own; both of these words includes stereotypes and associated adjectives painted on the mural as well.  

The artist’s explanation of “fellow” versus “other” in reference to the terms included in the art | original photo

This mural was my favorite to see so far on my trip. At first, the concept of “fellow” versus “other” was foreign to me, but the artist does a good job ob explaining the differences between both as your eyes progressively view the mural. The concept is particularly special being in such a diverse neighborhood, as it pays homage to the many “Italian, Croatian, Chinese and Lithuanian immigrants and then Mexican immigrants” that called Bridgeport home by the 1950s (Chicago Youth Centers). Ultimately, as my trip progressed, I was quickly able to deduce that art was a prominent part of the area’s culture and members of the community. This was especially interesting to me considering the variety of ethnic groups that live in the area; art seems to be the uniting factor in bringing cultures and values together in Bridgeport. 

This piece of art resonated the most with me after watching Vice’s Streets by VICE: Chicago (Halsted Street), when considering the shift in how ethnic groups previously interacted with each other versus how Bridgeport is demographically structured today. In the video, local Bridgeport business owner Ed Marszewski shares that Bridgeport previously used to be “one of those neighborhoods where if you were a person of color, you would never come here after dark, or you would be chased out”, further illustrating how the bordering expressways of Bridgeport, (Stevenson and Kennedy), were created to “keep the other out” (VICE). Looking at the current racial and ethnic demographics of the neighborhood, it’s fascinating for me to believe that the area has drastically changed from where it’s used to be, especially considering the largest demographic is an ethnic group comprised of POC. This convinces me all the more of how unique Bridgeport truly is as a neighborhood, as I can’t imagine a mural like this, fitting so well in another place in Chicago. The demographic transition makes me hopeful and curious about what the future of the neighborhood holds, and interested to see in how the racial biases change overtime. 

Defining racism in the words of the Chicago Youth Center | Original photo

The next stop on my trip was The Research House for Asian Art, however, upon arrival to the location, the building appeared to be closed/unused for the time being. While this was a minor setback, just down the same street I actually stumbled upon the Co-Prosperity Sphere, a cultural center located 3219 S Morgan Street. 

Window exhibits displayed at the Co-Prosperity Sphere | Original gif/video

While the cultural center itself was not open to the public during the day of my visit, the art displayed in the windows deeply captivated me as many of the pieces related to today’s political climate in regards to people of color, teachers, the Black Lives Matter movement and children in detainment centers. 

A piece titled “Dignidad Rebelde” translating to rebel dignity. The artwork shows many images referring to themes of white supremacy, catholicism, border control, families being split, immigration, and empowering the Latinx community. I found these very profound considering today’s political climate & the negative sentiments/stereotypes about the Latinx community. | Original photo

Regarding one of the exhibits offers this quote from contributing Xicano artists Melanie Cervantes & Jesus Berraza, who believe in “empowering reflection of community struggles, dreams, and visions. These works were created to amplify people’s stories and to create art that can be put back into the hands of the communities who inspire it”. 

A look inside of the Zhou Brothers Art Foundation, part of the Zhou B Art Center | Original photo

The next stop on my trip was the Zhou B Art Center located at 1029 W 35th. This was my first time hearing about the Zhou art centers, and I was slightly confused upon arrival, as I couldn’t tell if they were open or closed for the day (because I was on this trip alone, I chose not to enter for safety reasons.) 

Statue right outside of the Zhou Brothers Art Foundation. | Original photo

The Zhou Brothers, ShanZuo and DaHuang are globally well renowned contemporary artists, with their extensive 40-year art history of paintings, performances, and sculptures (ZhouBrothers). The Zhou Brothers began their work in the United States after moving here in 1986 and opened the Zhou B Art Center in Bridgeport, Chicago in 2004 with a “dream of providing a platform and creative freedom for international artists” (ZhouBrothers). These values alone made me consider the high population of Asian residents and how this helps them feel represented in the community of Bridgeport, particularly through the art center’s goal of preserving cultural values and providing creative outlets for international individuals. 

The exterior of the Zhou B Art Center | Original photo

Overall, when leaving the center, I was left to consider how art can serve as a medium for bringing different cultures together, and for others, it can help connect you to your roots. When considering how this impacts Bridgeport overall, I believe that art centers like this provide opportunity for outside visitors to come and see the neighborhood for all it has to offer. Alternatively, I do acknowledge that an art center like this can potentially make the neighborhood vulnerable to gentrification or developers looking to capitalize off of the area’s cultural richness, as these events would further fuel a potential “hipster movement” in Bridgeport. As for now, Bridgeport’s colorful art scene seems unique and personal to the community, growing and serving as space for community members to showcase their talents, historical roots, and cultures.

To end my trip, I stopped at Stix n’ Brix Wood Fired Pizza for lunch and actually ran into a fellow schoolmate eating at the local establishment (this is my friend Ryan!) While I’m not sure if this restaurant directly lies in Bridgeport, it was right on my walk back to IIT’s campus, located at 220 W 33rd St. The establishment is located right by a neighboring red line train stop and conveniently shares the building with a coffee shop known as the Red Line cafe, where a lot of local students and residents go for studying and mingling. Additionally, this area is home to the notable Guaranteed Rate Field, home to the Chicago White Sox and serving as a popular attraction for tourists all over. The overall ambiance of this area in combination with the quality of the meal made it a location I plan on revisiting in the future.

Lunch break at Stix n’ Brix | Original photo

Pizza rating: 9/10

Overall vibe: 10/10

An up-close pizza shot. Delicious. | Original photo

As I ended my trip, the neighborhood itself left me to question what the future holds for the area and if it’s at risk for gentrification. What compels me to believe the area may someday turn into the next “hipster” neighborhood is that a very prominent part of the area’s culture is centered around the arts, much similar to what I was able to observe when venturing to Pilsen. 

Mural located outside of the Co-Prosperity Sphere art and cultural center. Very reminiscent of the murals previously seen in Pilsen: colorful in art and in cultures represented. | Original photo

A lot of parallels can be drawn to the area when comparing them: rich in diversity, culture, and art through mediums of murals, commercial businesses, and tourist attractions. While these elements, particularly the arts, can serve as strong opportunities for communities, they run a financial risk of attracting investors and businesses capitalizing off of the neighborhood’s cultural and artistic richness. This is best understood through Aimee Levitt’s illustration of the hipster in her work, The Migration of the Hipster, asserting that hipsters are “colonizing and commercializing everything that made the neighborhood so great, transforming it from bohemia to brohemia”. I’m deeply conflicted about this question, purely because Bridgeport’s history shows me that the neighborhood is built on the efforts of the working class, and I can imagine that residents of the neighborhood care for their community’s roots and maintaining its value. While it someday maybe the next new “hipster” neighborhood, I feel that the neighborhood’s current-day wide range in diversity helps with cultural preservation and combats gentrification. I’m hopeful (yet cautious) that Bridgeport will continue to blossom into the complex and diverse neighborhood that it is. 

Mural located outside of the Chicago Youth Center. My favorite part of the art: “Remember. Life is Precious” in regards to judging others. | Original photo 

Ultimately, I thoroughly enjoyed my final neighborhood trip and was glad that I was able to spend it in Bridgeport, and know it will not be my last. For my next trip, I’d love to focus more on the religious themes of the neighborhood, but this will have to wait for a warmer climate. Learning about this historical and cultural gem only further excites for what the city of Chicago has to offer, and I highly recommend you visit the area yourself.

Global Chicago, thank you.

References: 

https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Illinois/Chicago/Bridgeport/Race-and-Ethnicity#figure/relative-race-and-ethnicity

https://interactive.wttw.com/southside/near-southwest/bridgeport

https://www.chicagoyouthcenters.org/history

http://www.zhoubrothers.com/about.html

https://lockzero.org.uic.edu/I.html

https://openhousechicago.org/sites/site/st-mary-of-perpetual-help-roman-catholic-church/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8WwazfHlhY#action=share

[hermioneisavirgo-blog]

Lover Album Review

After listening to Taylor Swift’s 18-track album all the way through, my mind is blown. I grew up with Taylor’s music, as I first heard “Fearless” when I was 12 years old and have been an avid listener ever since. I just moved into my first apartment in Minneapolis, and I am so pleased that “Lover” can be the soundtrack to the beginning of the rest of my life.

“I Forgot That You Existed” is a banger for a first track. This song emulates a different emotion than we have heard from Taylor before. The upbeat background and snaps create a foundation of optimism, goofiness, and sheer “indifference”. The lyrics are words that anybody can relate to - who hasn’t experienced that blissful feeling when you recognize that you haven’t thought of that dreaded person who shall not be named for days, or even weeks? I was instantly pulled in with this opener.

“Cruel Summer” made me fall in love even more. The beat immediately made me feel like an August night of sitting in the back of an Uber with my friends on a Friday night, windows rolled down and hair going crazy. With this track, we get our first “blue” used in the album. If you’ve listened, you know that the word “blue” appears all over the place. Taylor exemplifies the poetess in her with lines like, “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, and if I bleed you’ll be the last to know.”

“Lover”...what can I even say? Not much - this is first dance wedding reception material. This gives me such flashbacks to some of Taylor’s older country-esque songs, with bright-eyed excitement. I get the same feeling here as I do when I listen to “Enchanted” or “Hey Stephen”. However, in contrast to those songs, here she is taking control and stands in a pool of her own confidence as she boldly professes that she has grown and made strides from her days of hopelessly pining for men who weren’t really worth her time.

“The Man”. Okay. Thank you so much for this, Taylor. Made me think of “If I Were a Boy” by Beyonce. This is infused with the feeling of being “tired and angry” like “somebody should be”, which is how Halsey describes similar feelings of being bothered how the lowly boys of this world seem to get whatever the heck they want. You really would be the man, Taylor. Think, for real, as she’s even said in interviews: if she were a man writing songs about even the shortest of flings, that would never be considered taboo and worthy of shaming. This is made evident by the thousands of male singer-songwriters who do just that and are widely accepted.

“The Archer” gave me “Red” album vibes, but that’s just me. “I hate my reflection for years and years...” really got me. From the very beginning of this song, the underlying line grows steadily. It almost feels like one of those never-ending videos where the tone appears to be increasing but never really does...gave me a sense of infinity. Very lush, injected with an emotional pen as she recalls different perspectives from different lovers and relationships.

“I Think He Knows” made me want to DANCE. And I did. A lot. The beat is almost hip-hop club-ish with the bass. It seemed like such an interesting song in contrast to “I Know Places”, from “1989″, which has a haunting sound and alludes to the idea that it’s hard for Taylor to ever feel like she has privacy with her private life. With this song, she isn’t focused on the people looking in at her life, but instead she delves into that private relationship. It makes me feel like she is caring less and less about what people see and what people know. She’s just LIVING her life.

And now, we have reached my favorite song of the album. Thanks for this one, Taylor. Seriously. “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” doesn’t even sound like any “type” of Taylor we’ve heard before. With the very beginning notes, I called it that I would cry by the end of this. The first verse immediately made me picture the “You Belong With Me” music video with the band uniform and prom dress. Taylor portrays two different sides of a coin in that video, and I feel a bit of that in this song. I really hope she does a music video of this song. I have always loved her more haunting melodies, particularly in the “Red” album (or in “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” - the most underrated song on "reputation”), but this took it to an entirely new level. I am OBSESSED.

“Paper Rings” is so playful, and a great mental break after processing the absurd depth in the previous song. Gave me “Stay, Stay, Stay” vibes. She sound so jovial and happy in this song, and I am so glad to hear her this way.

“Cornelia Street” is one of the fully Taylor Swift-composed songs on the album. This type of song I see myself rocking out to as I power walk down the street in autumn. In the lyrics, she talks about how losing this love would be devastating to the point of taking eternity to heal from. It is a familiar feeling, when you are in so deep with someone who you feel has become a part of you, impermeably and forever.

“Death By a Thousand Cuts” starts off by explaining just what she means. “Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts...” which is an interesting line to hear right after “Cornelia Street”, which invests in the narrative that saying goodbye would be an impossible feat after experiencing connection this strong. The instruments in this song are layered (clear guitar at the beginning with shuffling beats that come in and even something that sounds like a harpsichord??) and even though the message is a painful one, this baroque-poppy feel makes me want to DANCE MORE. But maybe with a lot of moves that make it look like I am in excruciating pain lol.

“London Boy”’s beat is fire flame. It’s a give-in that this song is about Joe Alwyn and as someone who has seen “The Favourite”, I can attest to the dimples and the accent. It’s clear her relationship is not only a a deep love, but also lots of fun, adventure, stepping outside her comfort zone, and recognizing that she can find home in someone who doesn’t live in her own backyard (*ahem* “White Horse”).

“Soon You’ll Get Better” (feat. Dixie Chicks) is simply beautiful. Reminiscent of her country days, as well. Reminds me of “Never Grow Up”. Since the speculation is that this song is about her mother, I find it poignant and very “Taylor” that it’s track 12. “The Best Day” is also track 12 on “Fearless” and was always one of my favorites. Underneath the main message of trying to find comfort in a super tough and scary time, I find that Taylor is enunciating the idea that she is growing up and things will change in her relationship to her parents no matter what. That’s just the way of life. Very moving.

“False God” begins with a sexy little saxophone riff. Shortly after, we get to hear that poetic line she teased on her Spotify playlist: “And I can’t talk to you when you’re like this...staring out the window like I’m not your favorite town - I’m New York City!” The message with this song gives me a “bigger picture” sense. Even though she is making references to heaven and hell within interactions with her lover, I can also view the “times like this” that “they warned us about” as the times we are living in now: terrifying and unclear with a leader who professes division and tearing down much more than love and building up. 

“You Need To Calm Down” is by far the single that I listened to the most before the album dropped. As a queer woman who “passes” as a “straight” cis woman and who took a very long time to admit to herself and others the truth, this song greatly boosted my confidence in Taylor as she opens up about where she stands, loudly and proudly. And that beat is so VIBRANT and fun.

At the start of “Afterglow”, we get yet ANOTHER use of “blue”. (There are lots that I didn’t mention, but it just is so prominent here.) This is a beautiful, lush, apology song in which Taylor unveils how deeply she wants her lover to stay despite her shortcomings and miscommunications. I felt this one hard and wish I could play it for a lot of my ex-best friends.

“ME!” (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco) is colorful, glorious, confident, cheerful, and is something that I could see being played at a pep rally. The message is clear: being yourself will ultimately win you every prize that is yours to win. Whether that be a lover or whatever your heart desires!! This is a truth I have come to realize recently. It’s a hard, treacherous lesson, and I feel that Taylor is showing that she’s finally finding out what it means to be truly herself with this tune.

“It’s Nice To Have A Friend” is the cutest song Taylor has ever written and recorded, by far. I think I hear steel pan in the background, adding to the layered sound of playfulness. That trumpet in the middle is so triumphant and an interesting addition to the dynamic! It feels very innocent and loving, maybe she wrote this with her cats in mind :)

“Daylight” is a gorgeous closing track. As this wraps up the album, it is quite clear that Taylor feels like she can breathe more deeply now that she has met, known, and loved her lover. It appears that everything has changed, and she can see much more clearly. This song made me think of “Clean” from “1989″, due to the notion that she is leaving the darkness and fogginess and entering a world where she feels fresh and sees everything clearly. Her lover is obviously a wonderful match for her spunky, stoked, sensitive, Sagittarius self. “You are what you love.” What a precious way to close my favorite new album.

Overall - Taylor’s “Lover” incorporates many familiar Taylor sounds while also introducing lots of new things we’ve never heard. From the lush synths in “Cruel Summer” to Cautious Clay’s influence in “London Boy”, it is clear that Taylor has crafted something that signifies a new era for her. As she turns 30 at the end of this year, she has seven studio albums to be extremely proud of. Thank you, Taylor, for being such a strong beam of light as I navigated high school hallways, college parties, and the ups and downs of falling in love.

[rpgsandbox]

About the ADOM Roleplaying Game

Ancardia was a peaceful world. Of course, there were stories of horrors lurking in the deepest caves and forgotten ruins of ages past. Also, kobold and goblin raiding parties were known to terrorize the wilderness, a danger only for the most careless of wanderers. But now a Gate has opened in the deepest of caves, and the corrupting powers of Chaos seep into the world to twist and conquer everything. The very nature of the world is in danger, and the forces of Order are preparing for war.

           Andor Drakon, Lord of Chaos, battling an unknown hero...

Welcome to the wondrous Ancient Domains Of Mystery. The ADOM RPG is based on the computer game ADOM, one of the biggest five ancient rogue-likes and the only one still in active development. ADOM caused hundreds of thousands of players over the course of over 25 years to lose countless heroes to the many dangers in the dark, cavernous dungeons littering Ancardia. A few brave and lucky souls managed to secure a victory either by defeating the Lord of Chaos and bringing peace and prosperity back to the world, or even usurping his position and declaring themselves a God. Its sequel Ultimate ADOM is currently being developed and part of another soon coming Kickstarter.

Now is your chance to adventure together in the Ancient Domains Of Mystery in a pen & paper roleplaying game, heavily inspired by and fully compatible with the Old School Renaissance (OSR) while still providing a modern touch by streamlining complex rules to allow for simple and quick gameplay without studying tomes. Unless you are a magic-user, of course. Those do tend to like tomes.

                     ADOM RPG: Ancient Domains of Mystery

In 2012, we launched a resurrection campaign on Indiegogo to allow us to develop ADOM again. As an exclusive-to-backers reward, we created the ADOM Lite RPG. This was a one-time only event, never to be printed again, and have we ever regretted that decision - especially since fans keep asking us for it.

                 The no longer available ADOM Lite RPG (2013)

While the ADOM Roleplaying Game takes many ideas from the ADOM Lite RPG, it is a complete redesign from ground up with a fresh new rules system based on the best OSR games out in the field, extended by what makes ADOM unique:

A tantalizing Corruption mechanic representing the powerful lure of Chaos. How far will you go down the road of damnation for the powers to help you defeat the very thing you are fighting?

A non-Vancian spell system based on power points providing many tactical options to caster classes. Will you draw on your very own life force to power the vital spells needed to survive an encounter? Will you give in to the whispering madness of Chaos to provide your spells with that special extra kick?

A morality system where Law and Chaos should never be confused with Good and Evil.

ADOM RPG: Player's Handbook & Game Master's Guide (draft versions)

Barring any stretch goals, ADOM the Roleplaying Game will consist of two books: The Player's Handbook features all the rules required to create, play and grow your characters, and the Gamemaster's Guide includes everything you need to create countless adventures allowing the player characters to evolve from simple villagers to immortality - if they survive the mounting challenges ahead of them. After all, ADOM the roguelike videogame is characterized among other things by permadeath, something we seek to emulate in the pen&paper variant. Death is quick and brutal and all the wits of the players will be needed to overcome the forces of Chaos arranged against them... or perhaps join them to take their rightful place as rulers of the world.

Old School Soul in a Modern Dress

Our goal is to recapture the feeling when we played our first roleplaying game. Remember that feeling when you saw the swinging blade in your mind's eye and not the die on the table? When playing a thief was a very different game than playing a warrior? When picking a race was more than just a few boni to a stat? This is our core vision.

                             ADOM RPG PHB: Character Creation

At the same time, we value the fast and furious gameplay approach of modern roleplaying without having to go through hundreds of tables to calculate damage modifiers depending on the direction of the wind and the nearest city. We aim to provide the best combination of both worlds - a modern roleplaying game with an old school soul.

ADOM RPG PHB: The Danger System - Advantage/Disadvantage with a Twist

Player's Handbook (PHB) in Detail

The player's handbook will feature all 12 races (dark elves, drakelings, dwarves, gnomes, gray elves, high elves, humans, hurthlings, mist elves, orcs, ratlings, trolls) and the 22 classes (among them chaos knights, mindcrafters, duelists, wizards, elementalists, necromancers, assassins, priests and many more) available, as well as how to play and progress them as their characters grow in power and unlock more abilities unique to their class and race.

               ADOM RPG PHB: The Archer Character Class (Draft)

Here, you will also find detailed descriptions of the over 350 spells, and how to employ power points to cast them, as well as sections on the skill system and mindcrafting (which is, as all mindcrafters will tell you, something very different from spellcasting).

                                   ADOM RPG PHB: Mindcrafting

The Player's Handbook will also describe the Danger System - an elegant take on the advantage/disadvantage mechanics to simulate and resolve complex situations without complex rules.

The book will have over 300 beautifully colored pages filled with amazing artwork.

                                 ADOM RPG: Layers of Mystery

Gamemaster's Guide (GMG) in Detail

The Gamemaster's Guide contains extensive background information on the world of Ancardia, its monsters and minions of both Chaos and Order. Here you will find everything you need to run your adventures - no matter if your party is delving a dungeon in search for treasure, traversing the wilderness or even the high seas.

                                     ADOM RPG: Invasion!

There is a very special and lengthy section on the corrupting effects of Chaos and how corruption grants powers and risk to the affected players. There are many reasons to give in to the temptation, and they are all listed in here.

Additionally you can find information about several mysterious factions taking active interest in the war between Order and Chaos, tying into the mythology of the upcoming Ultimate ADOM computer game.

                                ADOM RPG GMG: Factions Leaders

The Lord of Order and Lord of Chaos reward levels will allow you to define a new faction each - and these factions not only will show up in the roleplaying game but also appear in the Ultimate ADOM computer game.

The book will also have over 300 pages featuring gorgeous artwork.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Wed, February 13 2019 5:00 PM UTC +00:00

Website: ADOM RPG

[userpluto]

°✧｡ [DIANE GUERRERO, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER] IT’S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE PLUTO JOINED VELIA FROM HENDERSON, NEVADA. APPARENTLY THEIR NAME IS VERONICA MUÑOZ AND THEY’RE AN ARCHER. THEY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AS A SOLO PLAYER FOR A WHILE NOW. DIDN’T PEOPLE SAY THEY WERE NOT A BETA TESTER? I HEARD THEY TURNED THIRTY TWO THIS YEAR. LET’S HOPE THEY MAKE IT OUT ALIVE.  

what up y’all, it’s me again, im jared im 19 and i never fckng learned how to read !! aka binx 26 but i still cant read, and this is vero, aka pluto! she’s a financial analyst aka big on strategy and v Upsetti that everything she worked on her whole life is meaningless in this dang bideo game. lmk if you wanna plot w her, i have some suggested connections in here and am open to more ! yeehaw ! 

[ LOADING USER INFORMATION ]

NAME : “vero” veronica muñoz ALIAS : pluto LEVEL : 58 CLASS : archer GUILD : solo POSITION : n/a CURSOR: orange SKILLS : appraisal, listening, luck, communication  WEAPONS: bow and arrow, fists in close combat 

[ LOADING GAME … ]

WARNINGS : MENTIONS OF DEATH, CAR ACCIDENT

vero was born in henderson, nevada, close enough to vegas and business convention centers to see the lights but far enough for it to feel boring. she was the eldest child of three, and she was always protective of her younger siblings. vero’s family was scattered, some on the east and west coast, and others back home in colombia. the family often got together for holidays, usually at her grandparents’ home in connecticut. 

when vero’s younger siblings were in high school, their lives took a sudden turn from one day to the next. it was just another day, unremarkable except for the sudden phone call that would uproot their lives. vero was coldly informed that her parents had been in a car accident, and neither of them made it.

all at once, everything changed, but somehow felt the same. neighbors and friends were concerned, but the condolences and the food and the visits tapered off within a few weeks. life moved on, and everyone had to return to school and work. the bills had to be paid, and exams had to be taken. vero’s siblings didn’t want to leave school or move at such important points in their lives, and she couldn’t begrudge them that. 

difficult wouldn’t begin to describe the last two years of vero’s university career. between moving home, continuing her classes online, completing her internship, and her newly instated role as her siblings’ guardian, she hardly ever had time for friends or fun. vero threw herself into everything that was thrown at her, always carefully avoiding the reality of everything she’d lost. 

vero tried her best to be a replacement parent and a good big sister to her siblings. it was difficult to play so many roles, but they made it out within a few years, and her career never took a hit. vero’s laser focus and refusal to take any breaks made her an asset at work, and the money helped the family in the meantime. for all her worries, she felt that she was successful, and that was all that mattered. 

when her youngest brother graduated from high school, he went across the country for university just like their middle brother. with her siblings scattered and busy with school, pluto threw herself fully into her work. she spent countless hours at her desk, crunching numbers and reviewing possible investments for the company. the certainty of the numbers and the ability to take control of situations were comforting in a way, and she preferred it to the instability and unpredictability outside of it. 

most people that knew pluto would have called her a workaholic. her work was her life, and that often negatively affected everything outside of work. relationships were often short lived, and those that lasted usually ended when girlfriends realized that they would always play second fiddle to vero’s work. 

when the company made the acquisition of redmaster studios, it presented another assessment for vero. velia was slated to be a big hit, with promising reviews and feedback on the beta version. vero liked the bottom line and the incoming numbers, and she looked forward to what else the gaming market could do for the media company she worked for. as an employee and with a vested interest in it’s launch, she was given a free access code to play the game when it released. always one to do some extra research on the company’s investments - and with no other plans that night - vero decided to check out the game. 

[ FILE CORRUPTED ]

it wasn’t long into the game that vero understood the hype. the virtual world was a nice escape, and the realistic immersion would make anyone want to stay for a while. it seemed promising, and with what little she knew about video games, she liked what she saw in terms of the company’s possible return on investment.

that was until she tried to log out.

vero thought there was some glitch in the game, and her first instincts were disappointment and frustration. glitches and bugs this huge would only hurt the game’s bottom line, and she hoped that it would be fixed quickly.

the message from the gamemaker didn’t help things. an unhinged and dangerous leader didn’t look well for any company, and his association with vero’s parent company wouldn’t be good. these were her worries, and she focused on them to ignore the obvious problem - she was probably not getting out any time soon. 

after some time in the game, vero has come to accept that she’s stuck for the foreseeable future. still, she resents the fact that she worked hard her whole life and has nothing to show for it. the money, connections, and clout she accumulated in her real life mean almost nothing in game. she had some insight on the game’s early development, but nothing that would really translate to something beneficial living in it.

pluto studied and learned the game’s odds, rng, and boss statistics during her time in the game. she’s worked to understand the inner workings, crunching the numbers the way she did in the real world. her analytic approach to successful outcomes have come in handy for some battles, and she hopes to make herself an asset and use that to stay alive as long as possible. 

pluto hasn’t decided on a guild just yet. while it seems like her odds would be better if she had a stable group she wants to make the right decision. she’s actively vetting groups and when the time is right, will use her knowledge to leverage a position in one. she hopes that such an alliance will get her closer to her ultimate goal - getting back to the real world, to the life she worked so hard to build. she just hopes it’s still there when she gets back. 

[ POTENTIAL CONNECTIONS ]

coworker: someone she knew at her old company, that she spent some late nights working with (potentially could be a romantic connection or eventually become romantic) 

ex-girlfriend?: vero had quite a few short lived relationships, and a couple longer term ones, in her real life. she would’ve broken up with some girlfriends due to her workaholic tendencies. this person could hold ill will toward her or still have some feelings for her (and vice versa), and potentially could see if vero’s changed and maybe try to spark something again (or just tell her how she’s still working too hard and no fun even in a game lmao) 

guild connection(s): pluto is currently a solo player, but she enters battles and brokers information to guilds in exchange for in game currency and favors. she could have a connections with someone in a guild (or multiple people), providing advice or analytic information based on past battles, the odds of winning certain battles, etc 

etc: i’m open to other connections and will probably add more as i think of them, but if you have any ideas and want to plot something, pls just im me and we can talk!! 

[modernlcve]

*  —  stats —   kelsey dyer !

* — basics !

full name:   kelsey nicole dyer. nickname(s):   none standard. age:   twenty-two. date of birth:   december fourth. place of birth:   boston,   massachusetts. gender:   female. pronouns:   she / her. sexual orientation:   bisexual. level of education:   high school graduate.

* — physical !

tattoos:  none. piercings:   ears pierced twice,  right cartilege pierced.   used to have her belly button pierced, but she’s someone’s mom now. notable features:   big ol’ doe eyes. weakness(es):   too trusting :pensive: scar(s):   a faint one,   right above her left eyebrow.

* — domestic !

occupation:   front end clerk at the superstore. residence:  lives in an apartment with anthony. social class:   upper middle class. parents:   joseph dyer,   age 49,   a contractor,   he can’t relate to kelsey on much, but they try their best to get along. heather dyer,  age 48,    the parent kelsey has historically been closest with. siblings:   joseph dyer jr,   age 26,   the most supportive member of her family by far.   he takes being the oldest serious.   cameron dyer,  age 9,   a fundamentally good kid,   even if won’t stop getting caught drawing dicks in the window on the bus. children:   indigo harding,   who is born the second i post this.    she’s an aries destined 2 overpower kelsey One Day. extended family:  her father has 3 sisters,   they spend holidays with her paternal grandparents and then all her cousins and stuff.

* — personality !

positive traits:   lively.   big-hearted.   encouraging. negative traits:   naive.   judgemental.   holds a grudge. myers-briggs ( x ):   enfp,   the campaigner. temperament:   sanguine. moral alignment:   neutral good. horoscope:  sagittarius,   the archer. hogwarts house:  gryffindor.

* — favorites !

movie:    uptown girls. tv show:   america’s next top model. book:   the wizard of oz by l frank baum. drink:   cherry cola. food:   mac n cheese. animal:   raccoons. color:   lavender. song:   long live by taylor swift. artist:   britney spears. celebrity crush:   chris hemsworth.

* — impressions !

first impression:  she makes a decent first impression. she lacks a filter and can sometimes cross a line with things she says without realizing it,  but,   for the most part,   she’s pretty bubbly and friendly and all that. self impression:   she’s got a healthy self esteem,   for the most part.   she thinks she has a good head on her shoulders and a strong moral code.   she thinks she treats people well,   and that’s what really matters. lover impression:   she’s a good girlfriend,   i think. supportive,   tries to relate to their interests  ( even if she simply cannot get baseball ).   she thinks there’s power in little things and rolls with that.

* — et cetera !

turn ons:   tall people.   ambition.   kindness. turn offs:   condescension.   hipsters.   mustaches. drink/drugs/smoke:   yes/weed/no. dominant hand:   left,  but claims to be ambidextrous,   her right hand just sucks. clean or messy:   messy. early bird or night owl:   night owl. hobbies or special talents:   she did ballet for years,   she’s a pretty good dancer.   she’s also double jointed and can do that thing where u flip ur eyelids inside out.

* — QUESTIONNAIRE !

01. where was your character born? what brought them to boston? what do they like most about the town?

kelsey was born in boston.   she’s stuck around because of circumstance,   she couldn’t afford to go off far after she graduated,   and her family needed her to stick around a little,   but she doesn’t know if she would have left,   even if she could.   she doesn’t think about it much anyway,   because she knows boston is where she’s meant to be:   if she hadn’t been here,   she wouldn’t have met anthony,   she wouldn’t have had indigo,   and it just feels like it’s where she really truly belongs at this point in time,   at least.

02. who are your character’s friends and family? who do they surround themselves with? who are the people your character is closest to?

in the past year,   kelsey’s really been Figuring this out.   her relationship with a lot of her friends and family changed after she got pregnant.   she’s never been exceptionally close with her father,   and he’s tried his best to be cool about all this,   but it took a toll on her relationship with her mother.  they were always close,   but her mom is just Simply not jiving with the decisions kelsey’s been making.   her brothers have passed less judgement,   and of her actual family,   she’d say she’s closest to them  ( even her mom has Limited her access to cameron lately ).   but anyways all that is part of the reason she’s so apt to call her palls from the superstore her family.   she really does consider them her closest friends,   as they’re people who didn’t start treating her different.   she feels like nobody skipped a beat.   outside of that,   there’s anthony,   of course,   and by extension of him,   the college Gang.   she doesn’t feel as Welcome among their ranks:   she knows she isn’t as fancy or smart as most of them and just tries to keep to herself when they’re all out.

03. what is your character’s biggest fear? who have they told this to? who would they never tell this to? why?

kelsey’s current biggest fear is that her mother is right,   and she is messing up her life or anthony’s with having this baby,   or that she just generally won’t be a good mom.   most of her is confident she’s doing the right thing:   she’s excited to be a mom,   she loves anthony,   she feels like they’re gonna get through this.   but she knows it won’t be a walk in the park,   and she’s not stupid enough to not realize that people don’t see her as the Most Competent.   she’s ready to give it her all,   and work to make it all fall into place,   but she’s worried she won’t be enough,   and she’ll screw up indigo,   and ruin things for anthony,   and mess up her life.   she’s probably pretty open about this,  in the kind of way where she’s looking for validation.   its a conversation she’s had with anthony more than once.   she’s never tell her mother this,   she’s not about to give her the satisfaction.

04. has your character ever been in love? had a broken heart?

kelsey had two “”serious” partners before anthony:   a high school sweetheart  ( a football player who proposed to her before they graduated,   prompting her to call it off )  and a Grown Up relationship  ( a girlfriend she had fresh out of high school,   she dumped kelsey before she studied abroad,   didn’t want to be held back ).   she thought she loved both of them and felt pretty heartbroken after they were out of her life.   being In Love with anthony has definitely  made her reconsider how intense she thought those relationships were,   but ultimately,   she doesn’t discredit them because they were so important to her at the time,   she’s taken the thank u next approach.

06. it’s saturday at noon. what is your character doing? give details.

if she’s not working,   she’s probably either goofing off on youtube enjoying a grilled cheese or,   in recent weeks,   she’s taken to scouring mommy forums online that,   quite frankly,   scare the shit out of her.   she’s been trying to do things like take midday naps and go see rated r movies while she still can,   so maybe she’s out there just fucking around and enjoying her freedom.

07. what is one strong memory that has stuck with your character since childhood?

kelsey did ballet for most of her life,   from age 5 through all the way through high school.   she remembers sitting in her mother’s bathroom before one of her first recitals,   getting all dolled up in the mandatory makeup:   mascara,   lipstick,   all that jazz.   she remembers how grown it made her feel,   even if her eyes watered and ruined the mascara twice,   and it frankly stands out to her more than the recital itself.

09. what is something that upsets your character? where do they go when they’re upset?

kelsey is a Bit Tender and a lot of things make her upset,   at least on a surface level.   but it takes more to actually get under her skin and make her Truly Upset.   its mostly people related,   rude little comments with bite,   feeling like people don’t like her or judge her/someone she loves.   she’s protective of her brood.   when she’s upset,   she likes to curl up in bed with junk food and watch a little mindless tv.   maybe it doesnt fix things,   but its a distraction.

10. when your character thinks of their childhood kitchen, what smell do they associate with it? why?

her dad is one of Those Guys that has a special chili recipe he’s Very much a diva about.   he made it at least weekly,   and the smell of it all sitting out to simmer for hours stands out to her.   she liked to help him with it,   it was one of the few things they could bond over.

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/caribbean-women-in-sport-morwenna-on-her-passion-for-archery/

Caribbean Women in Sport: Morwenna on her passion for archery

“Archery is not just a sport or practise, it’s an art, elegant yet fierce. It’s a way of life!”

That’s according to one of Curacao’s premier archers, Morwenna Minguel-Meijer.

She told Loop: “It all started when I got a videogame called Track & Field II on the very first Nintendo platform. It consisted of many of the Olympic sports, including archery. I would always choose archery and before long I was really good at it. I wanted to do what I was doing in the videogame. A lot of math elements were involved. Wind direction, elevation, how much do you draw according to the distance you were shooting… No matter the difficulty, I succeeded. I always hit the bullseye”

Morwenna said she mastered the sport through a video game and wanted nothing more than to test her skills on an actual field.

Unfortunately at the time, there was no way for her to practice the sport on-island.

Even so, her passion for archery never died.

Years later she happened across a Facebook page inviting applications for the Curaçao Archery School so she signed up.

Morwenna said when she threw her first arrow, there was no turning back. She’s been practising ever since.

The Curacao Archery School

The Curacao Archery School was founded by Domingo Wever in 2015.

Prompted by his love for the sport he started it in his backyard.

Morwenna said having observed his commitment to teaching those interested and raising awareness of the sport in Curacao, she needed to contribute to his efforts.

 “I am known for making things happen. Coach wanted more members, a bigger place to be able to shoot longer distances, become a federation and so much more. So I took all of this and started to do something about it. I studied the sport and expressed my interest in becoming a level 1 and 2 Archery instructor. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed. And guess what, everything was set for a coach from Trinidad and Tobago to come to Curacao to provide the course in becoming a level 1 and 2 archery instructor in May 2020. I hope that he’s still able to come this year as we do need extra instructors if we want the school to grow. I’ve created social media platforms to promote the sport and our growing school on the island. So yes, my hands are full, and it’s my utmost pleasure to give a helping hand to our coach.”

The passionate archer said they are now one step closer to realising their dreams to expand the school.

“We started with the process of becoming a Federation and we’re also planning to organize a workshop at our neighbouring islands Aruba and Bonaire with the ultimate goal of opening a school in Aruba.”

Who is Morwenna?

Archery is a huge part of her life but there’s so much more to Morwenna.

Born and raised in Willemstad, Curaçao she told Loop that as an only child she was the apple of her parents’ eyes.

She credits her success and the essence of who she is to their unwavering love and support.

“I was this skinny girl with huge glasses. Yes, I was a nerd. I was an A-student, always top of my class, from elementary through high school. 

My favourite childhood memory would be that I started practising Taekwondo and Iaido since I was 6 years old. By the time I was 12, I was the first female martial artist to obtain a blackbelt in both arts. I appeared in International Taekwondo magazines. To me, even though I hated to be the centre of attention, no one would dare mess with the skinny nerd at school. I was friends with everyone. I treated everyone equally, the popular ones and outcasts, I still do. It’s one of my foundations, treat everyone equally and with respect.”

Now 39 years old, Morwenna is happily married and has a daughter of her own.

She’s employed at the Dutch Caribbean Air Navigation Service Provider (DC-ANSP) where she is tasked with training Air Traffic Controllers.

“I’ve been working at DC-ANSP for 13 years now. Of course, I’ve had my ups and downs, but it was the love for my job that kept me there. It was my first ‘official’ job. If it will be my last? I don’t know what the future holds. But if I tell you that since I was 4 years old, I already knew what I wanted to be, you’d be surprised. I wanted to become a Gynaecologist/Obstetrician. I was obsessed with that profession. 

I was so ready to pursue my dream and then I changed my mind, one year before leaving to the Netherlands for my studies. I didn’t want to study for 12 years before I could work as a gynaecologist/obstetrician. Back then, I thought I would become too old before I would start to work. Hahahaha…it’s so funny when I think of it now.

Any regrets? No, not at all. But I still admire that profession.”

Accomplishments and challenges

Morwenna was the first female martial artist from Curacao to qualify for the Olympic games.

She was scheduled to represent her country at the 2000 Olympics, but as fate would have it, she suffered an injury while training.

Despite the disappointment, Morwenna said she drew strength from her family who supported her through rehabilitation.

She said one of the greatest takeaways from experience, is that despite the best-laid plans, things can be delayed or derailed.

What’s important she said, is ones ability to recover and move on.

“I have a back problem, a condition called scoliosis and I have been dealing with this since I was 11. Everything was fine until I got pregnant with my daughter. The perfect posture that I was taught for so many years was gone and the problems worsened to the point that if I sit for too long, I will lose feeling in my legs. Even though I am treating this with heavy physiotherapy, the best medicine is to be constant on the move. Archery, the form and posture you need to draw a bow, is helping my back greatly. And even though it took me a while to get accustomed to the movement as it something you don’t do every day, I didn’t let it intimidate me, let alone stop me. I studied the form and technique to its core and I have learned to adapt to execute it the best way I can. My challenge has always been my back…but I have managed to use it to my advantage In archery that it made me an ambidextrous archer.”

Plans and projections

So what’s next for Morwenna?

She plans to pursue courses that’ll allow her to coach up and coming archers and organise archery workshops in Aruba and Bonaire.

“In the meantime, I’ll keep practising, keep perfecting my form, and technique and who knows, maybe you’ll be seeing me in Trinidad competing like we did last year in December 2019. Even though I did not participate, I was so proud that we took home 3 silver medals for our country. The next tournament, I’ll be there, to meet new people, to learn and of course, to win!”

A message for the youth

 Morwenna hopes to be an example to up and coming archers in Curacao.

She had this message for the young people in her country:

“Don’t let anyone change who you are. You are unique, and destined for great things. Find something you love and do it with passion. Give it your all and never give up. 

And most importantly, you have something free yet so powerful in your hands. It’s called free will. Use it wisely because no one can tell you or force you to something you don’t want to do but yourself. Stand up for what you believe. Because everyone has the power to make a difference in this world.”

Archery in Curacao

Curaçao has a population of approximately 160 thousand.

Morwenna said at present only 28 people practice archery on the island.

She has accelerated her efforts to raise awareness and encourage participation in the sport that she loves so much.

“I have launched Facebook and Instagram pages, Archery in Curaçao, to create more awareness of the sport on the island. And it’s working!”

Misconceptions about archery

Contrary to popular belief, Morwenna said archery is not a dangerous sport.

In fact, she claims its one of the safest sports in the world.

“Believe it or not, according to the National Safety Council statistics, it’s safer than golf and even bowling. Safety is the number one priority when practising the sport. If you practise good form and follow all the safety rules, you will eliminate almost all risk of archery injuries.”

She said archery is ranked as one of the worlds most inclusive sports.

“You can start at any age, the moment you’re tall enough to hold a bow and you can keep shooting until the age of 90. At our club, we have a senior who’s over 70 years old and he beats me all the time! It’s one of the few sports that can accommodate people with various injuries and disabilities. For those who call me Robin Hood, I don’t feel flattered. Robin Hood’s technique is all wrong, hahaha.”