#i diverged from the original subject matter. which is silly

[aromanticannibal]

silly silly aaaaaa silly silly silly

so very silly

[gravitascivics]

THE ANGLO-SAXON INFLUENCE

[Note:  From time to time, this blog issues a set of postings that summarize what the blog has been emphasizing in its previous postings.  Of late, the blog has been looking at various obstacles civics educators face in teaching their subject.  It’s time to post a series of such summary accounts.  The advantage of such summaries is to introduce new readers to the blog and to provide a different context by which to review the blog’s various claims and arguments.  This and upcoming summary postings will be preceded by this message.]

This blog currently is looking at the effect identity, that factor that defines a person (for example, as an Irish American), has had on polarizing the American public.  While this has become particularly virulent, identity always exerts itself in politics.  It is ubiquitous.  And it is not only in politics but in other realms of life.  Take sports.  There, teams count on identities based on localities or educational linkages to sell tickets or paraphernalia to a fan base which results in gobs of money for those teams.

         Usually, such expression does not cause any or much antagonism – yes, there are the occasional fights and strains, but they are usually considered a source of good-natured ribbing or put downs.  One usually speaks of “bragging rights” if one’s team wins.  But of late, the identity factor is being expressed in the political arena seriously and persistently. And when ethnicity, race, and/or nationality serve as its source, identity, as the historian Schlesinger warns, threatens to debase the nation’s unity.[1]

         Of course, this usually is related to immigration, but it also has to do with race relations, an ongoing source of animosity and violence in the nation’s history.  And it does represent, among unjustly treated people (due to their identity), legitimate protests – e.g., the Black Lives Matter movement.  

But a troubling question is:  to what extent should immigrant, racial, or indigenous groups divorce themselves from the nation’s overarching cultural base?  That is an argument that multi-culturalist pose and its aimed at the adoption of the Anglo-Saxon cultural base – the base upon which the nation’s culture has developed.

That base, it should be remembered, has provided the basic constitutional structures, processes, and legalities upon which the nation rests.  Of course, this reliance has not of necessity staved off influences from other cultures. And the nation has during the years of its existence entertained and adopted elements of those other traditions.

Most of them are aesthetics in nature. Influences in food, music, art, and so on have been a continuous part of the American story.  But in addition, there are other areas – beyond aesthetics – in which varying cultural influences have made their marks.  For example, the whole notion of professional policing originates with the Romans, not with the Anglo-Saxons.

         But today’s expression of heightened allegiance to some political/national/ethnic based identity – an allegiance approaching or expressing a tribalism – does not originate from a communal sense.  It instead stems from an extreme individualism and, as such, reflects a nuanced concern.  David Brooks makes this connection.[2]  He explains how individualism allows for uninhibited natural motivations to go unchecked and part of that package of dispositions is to favor one’s tribe and to degrade other “tribes” – other nationalities, ethnicities, and/or races.  

The classic Us vs. Them mentality is spurred by such thinking.  And consequently, it becomes the fuel that feeds the polarization the nation faces.  One should point out, counterintuitively, and ironically, it serves to undermine the basic individualism that brings it to the fore.  

That is, the individual is subsumed under resulting movements by which this identity is expressed.  Again, the historian Schlesinger warns that the individual is absorbed into a united expression of national, racial, and/or ethnic messaging and his/her personage is subsumed with that process.  The analogy, a silly one, that illustrates the point, might be how people lose their identity when they apply makeup that exhibits team colors to the point one cannot identify who they are.

         But one should not misidentify this allegiance.  It is not an example of commitment.  It instead reflects a type of transaction.  The exchange is this mindless devotion to the source of the identity for an enhanced ego.  “I belong to this group, and it makes me special” is the basic message one projects.  Shouting “USA, USA” when so motivated is basically one that proclaims the shouter’s importance; he/she is an American and, therefore, superior.

And when this is expressed in terms of a nation, one can discover the main difference between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism promotes a sense of commitment that one is willing to sacrifice for the common good within the context of one’s nation.  Nationalism, instead, calls for sacrifice so as to be able to promote an expression of oneself.  

The main difference lies in this ultimate targeting, but one can describe it practically:  with patriotism one can protest what one’s nation does if what it does hurts the common good, where nationalism does not allow such a divergence from national policy or for some leader.

As for the Anglo-Saxon influence, why should one be an adherent to its provisions or basic ideals?  First, it should not be seen as a static entity.  It has a long history of evolving even before arriving on these shores.  It either adopted or developed those ideas and ideals that became this nation’s basic constitutional framework and not all of that originated in Britain.  And, in part, that framework calls for a commitment to a union of volunteers that comprises the American republic and its basic values and norms.

Within its tenets, it establishes a partnered arrangement among those volunteers to work toward the common good – a more perfect union. And the path toward establishing this partnering was not arrived at smoothly.  Religious tribalism predated the other forms mentioned above.  Intolerance among the different Christian sects was common, not to mention the antagonism toward Jews.[3]  But through them, usually for practical reasons, the evolving cultural base found itself accepting more variance within the population.  And with that, a level of secularization gained ground.

By doing so, that commitment to a partnered populous eventually became institutionalized.  Its adoption to a meaningful degree did not take hold until well into the nation’s history. This commitment assumes and holds that any polarization in which the populous is divided into two uncompromising alliances – which religious divisions resembled – serves as an antagonistic expression to those federated ideals.  

It is instead a form of tribalism while the Anglo-Saxon based tradition – the one this nation inherited in a more crude form from the British in the eighteenth century and grew through complex developments – calls for a committed congregational arrangement.[4]  The two, the partnered view vs. the nationalist view,  are basically different.

[1] Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Disuniting of America:  Reflections on a Multicultural Society (New York, NY:  W. W. Norton and Company, 1992).

[2] David Brooks, The Second Mountain:  The Quest for a Moral Life (New York, NY:  Random House, 2019).

[3] Kenneth C. Davis, “America’s True History of Religious Tolerance,” Smithsonian Magazine, October 2010, accessed November 1, 2020, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance-61312684/#:~:text=In%20the%20storybook%20version%20most,followed%2C%20for%20the%20same%20reason.

[4] More specifically, this congregational tradition stems from the Puritanical influence that in effect were being encouraged to leave Great Britain in the 1600s.  But one can argue, the established view of formal religion reflected the Roman Catholic Church’s vertical structure while the Puritanical congregation more closely reflected a traditional Anglo-Saxon tradition. It is their congregational bias that seems to have encouraged the federal structure of the US, with its supporting processes, that this nation implemented.

[bluelovesstufff]

Favorite Bagginshield Fics I’ve Read/Currently Reading (in no particular order) Part 2/?:

It’s been a little over 6 months since I gushed Bagginshield fic rec and I decided a few weeks ago while reading my pile of bookmarks on AO3 that I need to post a new one. I have 33 fics below out of the 9,085 fics on Bagginshield’s AO3, so I’d recommend taking a look there as well for those I’ve missed. As always, buckle in boys. 

Part 1 Ask

^^ rating descends from G to E this time for organizational purposes! also, a lot of these are all complete because I have no patience and have to read an entire 100k fic in one sitting like a maniac.

** (to reiterate) are extra, extra favorites, but these are all absolutely incredible fics worth every second of your time.

Call You Home by northerntrash - 12k, rating: not rated, complete, hobbit culture, everyone lives nobody dies au, it’s all fluff folks, Thorin’s making puppy-eyes at the Burglar again, hobbits have a secret language (sign me up!)

Summary: In which the Company are entirely too nosy about matters that are supposed to be a secret, and Bilbo learns that being concerned about propriety is overrated when you could be making friends instead.

** Wasteful by northerntrash - 6k, rating: not rated, modern au, coffee shop au (squeeee), in which awkwardly staring does not make for good flirting, and you should probably just tell people when you are interested in them, fluff, author writes modern Thorin so goddamn well!

Summary: Bilbo just didn't understand; why would anyone come in every day, order cake, and then not eat it?

** Customary by an_odd_ducky - 3k, rating: G, fluff, hobbits rub noses as a greeting!, thorin is jealous!, Fili and Kili insist on learning!

Summary: Hobbits rub noses to greet each other - a fact the dwarves don't know until they arrive in Rivendell and Elrond greets a surprised Bilbo by rubbing their noses together. Some of the company find it quite amusing, but Thorin is less than pleased. Fluff! Fill for the Hobbit Kink Meme.

** Para Bellum by RyuzzaKochou - 4k, rating: G, complete, basically hobbits are secret kung fu masters, company bonding, humor.

Summary: Hobbits always survive; even where trained and experienced soldiers don't. Has no one ever wondered about this? Thorin and the Company learn that it takes more than luck to be small in a big world. OR - Bilbo has unexpected skills and Thorin finds he likes them.

Silly Trinkets by The Feels Whale (miscellea) - 16k, rating: G, complete, fem!Bilbo, Thorin has no game, lies of omission, part of a two part series.

Summary: There are no words adequate to describe the Last Homely House or the wonders of Lord Elrond’s hospitality, which seems impossible to strain even under the burden of thirteen empty dwarfish stomachs and their even more trying attitudes.

Having played hostess to those same stomachs in her time, Briar is duly impressed and endeavors to add to the burden as little as possible. This is made somewhat more difficult by the fact that elves, apparently, are better able to differentiate between hobbit gentlemen and hobbit ladies that dwarves seem to be. A fact Briar learned when Lord Elrond pulled her to one side after their meal and put her into the hands of his daughter and her women with a gentle smile.

Briar feels that she probably owes him a swift kick in the shins for that.

You Got Me by drunkonwriting - 19k, rating: G, complete, dwarf culture & customs, everyone loves Bilbo and gives him shit, fluff, everybody lives nobody dies au.

Summary: The Company shows their affection for Bilbo in accordance with dwarvish tradition. Bilbo... has no idea why everyone keeps giving him gifts.

Comes Around Again by scarletjedi - 205k, rating: T, complete, a fandom favorite obviously, Gimli and Legolas are the main pairing, lovely art!, time travel fix-it, established relationship.

Summary: Gimli closes his eyes, an old Dwarf on the brink of death in the home he had built with his husband in the Undying Lands, and opens them again as a young Dwarf in his childhood home in Ered Luin. He's returned to the tumultuous week before The Company set out to recruit their Burglar from his cosy hobbit hole. Gimli, once again a impetuous teen in the eyes of his family, must get into that Company--the lives of his loved ones, and the very fate of Middle Earth--depends on it.

** A Dragon’s Tale by vtforpedro - 132k, rating: T, complete, canon divergence au, dragon Bilbo, timeline? what timeline?, Bilbo is so Done (same), Thorin is an Idiot, emotionally constipated Thorin (my favorite, jk), everyone is dramatic, lore? what lore?, minor character death, minor war violence, minor ring influence.

Summary: Bilbo Baggins has been a hobbit for many long years and he should very much like to keep it that way, thank you very much.

An old friend drops by Bag End with the offer of an adventure and despite Bilbo's refusal, the idea of only thirteen dwarves and a wizard facing a dragon may just convince him yet. After all, he has experience with the Great Dragons of the North. Once upon a time, he was one.

An Eye For Quality by Linelen (Linelenagain) - 85k, rating: T, complete, fem!Bilbo, au canon divergence, wonky timeline, family by choice, crazy courtship rituals (we love a good courtship).

Summary: Fíli lived his life by an old dwarven proverb: when a fool drops a treasure, a wise man picks it up (it sounded better in the original khuzdul).Bella Baggins never quite fit in the Shire. Perhaps she was made for the mountains, instead.

** A Shot in the Dark by Silver_pup - 213k, rating: T: complete, I read anything this author writes basically, time travel (I love this trope), fix-it fic, au, bamf!Bilbo, bamf!Dwarves, Bilbo is determined to save everyone, friends to lovers, eventual happy ending.

Summary:  When he opens his eyes again, he finds himself in his old bed in his old home in his old body. Is this death? Or a trick of magic? Either way, Bilbo recognizes a second chance when he sees one, and this time his adventure with Thorin is going to go a bit differently.

** Flowers and Ice by BlackSmile - 54k, rating: T, complete, fem!Bilbo, frozen au (she has gloves, I repeat, Bella has to conceal don’t feel), some angst, author blames tumblr, no ring au.

Summary: Thorin wasn't really impressed with the idea to hire a burglar for their quest. He was even less impressed when he found out this burglar was a Hobbit. And all his hopes were lost when he found out their burglar was a woman. But still he can't help himself but to feel a bit attracted to this damned sweet Hobbit. Just why does she have to be so stubborn? And why does she wear gloves all the time anyway?

** Flowers of Yavanna by SOABA - 22k, rating: T, complete, overprotective dwarves, dwobbits!, fem!Bilbo, post BotFA, magic, families of choice, assassination attempts, Bilbo remains in Erebor au, cabbage patch hobbits (yesss)

Summary: Because the belief that Hobbits grew their babies in a cabbage patch had to come from somewhere.“What’s on your wrist, Bella?” Tauriel asked from her place at the dining table when Bél walked past her, nodding toward Bella’s right side.

Bella frowned and looked down at her right hand and then her mouth fell open in shock. Printed on the inside of her wrist, directly underneath her palm, plain as daylight, was a circlet of lily-shaped blossoms connected by an emerald green vine.

lay down your sweet and weary head by Elenothar - 125k, rating: T, complete, very slow burn, more pining pre-slash actually, time travel (again, a gift to this fandom because BotFA broke all of us), fix it yet not really fix-it it’s complicated, durin family, thorin-centric.

Summary: Thorin dies. Thorin wakes up. He is understandably confused by this, especially since he appears to be in the Erebor he knew as a young dwarf, about to be attacked by a dragon.A time-travel fic with Thorin as the one living his life twice.

The Nine Lives of Bilbo Baggins by captain (theoddoodisnude) - 15k, rating: T, complete, community: hobbit_kink, AU (sort of), multiple temporary character deaths, slightly gory, descriptions of death and dying, THERE’S A HAPPY ENDING FOLKS.

Summary: He's not scared, but rather resigned. He doesn't want to die, not when he knows that it will be permanent, but he doesn't regret his actions. He's died many times on this journey; first for his Company, and then for people he could proudly call friends, who then turned into family.

And now Bilbo will die for them again.

For the first time in his life, he will also die for love.

Nugel (Flower of all Flowers) by aquileaofthelonelymountain - 2k, rating: T, complete, post BotFA, everybody lives nobody dies au, fluff, flower language.

Summary: Recently, Bilbo seems distracted, even unhappy. But what Thorin interprets as homesickness is something different. And although Bilbo knows very well why he feels so strangely out of place, he lacks the courage to tell Thorin. It's only good that even dwarves know a thing or two about flowers...

** A Passion for Mushrooms by Chrononautical - 90k, rating: T, complete, all the dwarves, dwarf culture and customs, cultural differences, gift giving, language of flowers, flower crowns, everyone lives nobody dies au, Bilbo remains in Erebor au, slow burn, need I say more folks?

Summary: There are many trials for a hobbit attempting to make a life among dwarves. A hobbit wants a garden. A hobbit wants to eat regular meals. A hobbit wants friends, good books, and comfortable chairs. Bilbo does his best to carve out a little hobbit life for himself in the mountain. If only there were not one final obstacle. For a hobbit heart wants love, and among dwarves that is a sticky subject.

"Hobbits have a passion for mushrooms, surpassing even the greediest likings of Big People." - The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien

** Plaits and Weaves by ArgentAconit - 53k, rating: T, complete, braids, hobbit culture, dwarf culture, fluff, listen Bilbo goes through most of the company and gives them each Hobbit worthy braids (??? that’s fucking adorable bro), grooming, cultural differences, Thorin is jealous (big surprise), sort of a fix it.

Summary: Bilbo misses home, he misses his armchair and his books, but right now he misses his kitchen the most. If only he had something to keep his hands busy, he wouldn't so dearly wish he could turn back and delay their quest even more.

Fili is the first to take notice how restless he is, and quickly comes up with a solution. Bilbo, of course, doesn't seem to understand what he is being asked and how it would affect the company over the course of their journey. Or how it would affect one Thorin Oakenshield.

Raven: An Unexpected Adventure by Aerlinniel722 - 165k, rating: T, 32/? chapters completed, fem!Bilbo, everyone lives nobody dies au, post BotFA, overprotective dwarves, family feels, there’s a MINI, female dwobbit Thorin and you expect me not to read it, as if, Bilba really struggles in this one folks.

Summary: After the Battle of Five Armies, Bilba Baggins fled Erebor and her new King in disgrace with a secret. Fifteen years later, when Dís swears she sees a hobbit who looked like her brother… well, perhaps a certain burglar isn't as dead as it was initially assumed.

** Recovery, Redemption, and Romance by Moonbeam - 118k, rating: T, complete, Bilbo is a surprise healer, injured Thorin, rebuilding Erebor, Bilbo is awesome, Thorin is smitten, Dwarves are amused and sneaky, gifts and courting, slow build. everyone lives nobody dies au, developing relationship.

Summary: When Thorin is injured in the Battle of the Five Armies, Bilbo surprises everyone with his healing abilities.

Then as Erebor starts to rebuild he continues to surprise people with his knowledge and skills. On top of everything else that is occurring there is a dwarf king and a hobbit who might be trying to court one another without the other knowing - while their companions are either helpful or confusingly gleeful.

An Unexpected Proposal by Earenial - 100k, rating: T, complete, romance, character study, oblivious!Bilbo, frustrated!Thorin, Kili is a flirt, Bilbo-centric, fic follows (most of) the canon events of the book ( = no hug on Carrock), slow Austen-type romance, slow burn.

Summary: As Bilbo sat smoking in his empty hobbit hole, he couldn’t help but wonder – when did his life become so boring? Or better yet – when did his old life stop being enough?

He suspected the answer to that question lay somewhere around the time when he had refused Thorin Oakenshield’s offer of marriage.

** Feathers that Flutter and Fly by orphan_account :( - 14k, rating: M, complete, wing!verse, Bilbo’s wings are beautiful and I’m in love with wing fics sue me.

Summary: The Shire is taken by Orcs, ravaged and destroyed but Bilbo, who is still very young, managed to escape. He runs, travelling through Middle Earth until he reaches Erebor, where Thorin finds him, cold and starving.

Good Morning by Luckyhai5 - 57k, rating: M, complete, fem!Bilbo, major character death warning, imprisonment, PTSD, it’s really a nice story I swear, it has a happy ending.

Summary: There was a strange, tall man walking up the path. Bilbo recognised him, of course; how could one forget that tall, grey silhouette now making its way up towards her? Gandalf.

AU. What if Bilbo had already left the Shire once before? What if she had seen things she could never forget, and lived through things she couldn't speak of? In this world, Bilbo has a secret, a secret waiting for her in Rivendell, a secret that has changed, and will change, everything...

A Home for my Heart by Moonrose91 - 54k, rating: M, complete, social isolation, character death, miscarriages, infant death, barrenness, body shaming, bullying, mention of mpreg, Erebor Never Fell au, smashing of timelines, canon what canon?, slow build.

Summary: For things Bilbo could not change, he was condemned to a life of isolation, with the belief that none could love him. And then a Dwarf came to Hobbiton.

** Hurricanes in Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire by 61Below - 126k, rating: M, complete, fem!Bilbo, post BotFA, pregnancy!, language barriers!, cultural misunderstandings!, durin family feels, tbh if Dís is in it I’m in love, ALSO author pictured Bilbo as Margret Hale from North and South??? that’s beautiful.

Summary: Bilbo was banished. That's it, the end. She wants nothing more to do with dwarves. Now all she needs to do is get back home, but there may be some complications along the way.

** The Oak and The Ash by sunryder - 67k, rating: M, complete, timeline? what timeline?, au sentinels and guides, sentinel/guide bonding (I love this idea of sentinels and guides, it’s like soulmates but more intricate?? and better almost?? read it, it’s fantastic).

Summary: Bilbo Baggins was not a particularly talented Guide. He knew that. His family knew that. Every last Hobbit in the four Farthings and Bree knew that.

But that meant nothing when one morning an agony that wasn’t Bilbo’s ripped right through him, dropping him to his knees with a scream. Wrapped up in the pain there was a presence. Someone fierce and determined, nestling himself in the blank space in Bilbo’s mind for the barest of moments before he slipped away. It was like fingertips brushing across the outside fringe of his soul, and Bilbo wanted it back. Wanted him back.

And so help him, Bilbo was going to find him. His Sentinel.

Something Blue by Lapin - 34k, rating: M, complete, fake relationship (ayyyyyy) au canon divergence, politics, gardens & gardening.

Summary: Thorin marries Bilbo after the Battle of Five Armies, a marriage of convenience, not love. Slowly, they must come to make the best of it, Bilbo resolves. After all, he's a Hobbit. They make the best of things.

** An Expected Journey by MarieJacquelyn - 295k, rating: E, complete, time travel, sex and violence, fix it, eventual happy ending, temporary character death, BotFA fix it, everybody lives nobody dies.

Summary: “I just wish…”

“What do you wish?”

“I wish I could have changed it all.”

For years Bilbo has written about his adventures and told stories about his dealings with dwarves and dragons. To most it seemed like fanciful nonsense but to Bilbo it was all very real. A weight followed him home from his travels, one called regret. Now in his final moments Bilbo has a choice to make – go quietly into death’s embrace or go back again and face all the fear and pain for the chance to make things right?

Of course, change is a fickle thing and not everything can be done again as Bilbo is about to find out. In the end, it may not only be salvation that he’s fighting for.

** Durin’s League by hobbitgrl - 73k, rating: E, complete, superheroes/superpowers au, fem!Bilbo, angst, romance, all the dwarves all the things all the feelings.

Summary: When the mysterious Durin's League takes the national spotlight in the battle against the super-powered villains of the Smaug Corporation Bilbo Baggins doesn't think much of it. At least not until Thorin Oakenshield crashes through her living room wall and Gandalf tells her she's their only hope.

No Matter What We Breed by fideliant - 37k, rating: E, complete, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, omegaverse, alpha Thorin, omega Bilbo, courtship, cultural differences, love at first sight, implied mpreg, a lot of sex folks, angst, attempted rape/non-con, Gandalf is a mega troll.

Summary: In a world where omega males are slightly less rare than Arkenstones, Thorin doesn't do himself much of a favour by falling in love with the first gentlehobbit he lays eyes on. Much more is expected of virile alpha male dwarves, after all, even more so for kings, but when Bilbo is revealed to be the first omega male in centuries, Erebor is suddenly not the only prize that Thorin has set his sights on winning.

** Office Hours by lilithiumwords - 9k, rating: E, complete, takes place after What Happens in Gondor, modern au, college/university au, Kili is a literature student and Bilbo is his professor and Thorin is a jerk (not really), smut, Thorin might be deranged, (I love the ending to this, read it).

Summary: When Professor Bilbo Baggins sent Kíli Vinson's paper home with a bad grade, he never imagined that his relaxing office hours would be interrupted by Kíli's terribly rude uncle.Whom, incidentally, Bilbo had met before and knew rather, er, intimately.

** The Riven Crown by The_Kingmaker - 254k, rating: E, complete, friends to lovers, misunderstandings, mutual pining, middle earth politics,  everyone lives nobody dies au, hurt/comfort, nightmare, alternating POV, slow burn.

Summary: ‘We may have won the battle, but I fear the war with winter is just beginning.’

The aftermath of war is no laughing matter. Those who died must be honoured, those who are wounded must be healed, and those who remain need food and clothing, peace and sanctuary. With Thorin's life hanging in the balance, it is up to Bilbo and the rest of the Company to rule the rag-tag remnants of Erebor in his place.

Then there is the matter of the gold...

Can Bilbo save both king and kingdom, or is Erebor destined to fall deeper into ruin?

Safe and Distant by Lindzzz - 45k, rating: E, complete, slow burn, everyone lives nobody dies au (everyone knows but bilbo), thorn is an idiot, post BotFA, cultural miscommunication, 50k sequel!

Summary: "Bilbo never bothers denying that he is a slight, little bit, probably infatuated with Thorin. It’s not something that bothers him. Really. He’s pretty sure that everyone very likely has a little flutter in their chest for the dwarf. He’s something grand and unattainable.And it’s really much safer if it stays that way."

** What Happens in Gondor by lilithiumwords - 15k, rating: E, complete, modern au, smut, one night stand, REINCARNATION, anyone?, Gandalf is a troll, Thorin and Bilbo are beans, so much sex, prequel to a 3 part series.

Summary: The one night stand that Bilbo will always regret leaving behind.

[rochibolettieri]

Let’s talk about writers and fanfiction

Over the past weeks I saw a lot of writers in my dash receiving tons of nasty anons criticizing their style of writing, writers I really  appreciate even if they don’t know me. Then came the plagiarism thing, so i decided to write a few things about the matter (forget my English, is not my first language 🙃)

I have to be honest, a year and a half ago, I thought of fanfiction as a silly thing until I decided to give it a try and read and definitely changed my mind. I have no idea how to write fiction is, the only approach I have about the subject is the journalistic writing I have to do for school and even if it’s different, I get that the feeling of posting something you’ve done can be scary, nerve-racking, gives you a lot of anxiety. Will people like it? Is it a silly thing to post? What if I said something wrong, if I’m misunderstood?

What I intend to say with this, is that it takes a lot of courage to publish something so intimate, something to which you dedicated a lot of time, effort and what you did with love, and also, for free. And I say intimate because I firmly believe that when writing fiction, a part of each writer appears there, a piece of how they are, what they think, their believes. As for example in the last chapter of BTY. I don’t know @balfeheughlywed , we never talked but I read a post recently about how that chapter meant for her to be a love letter to motherhood and it perfectly reflects her intention while mixing it with the story (beautiful chapter btw, I end up crying when Jamie started to talk to their bairn)

When it comes to feelings, many times the way to channel them is through writing. Other times it is through music, painting, dancing, etc. there are a lot of ways to express them, but since we are talking about written stories, let's keep it that way. I think what Lauren did was something beautiful, I’m not a mother but I thought of my mom and what she has been through, and it must have been a terrible yet beautiful experience. Other author I can think of right now is @whiskynottea with Death dreams. Her writing there is so beautiful yet so painful because she talks about things that happens in the real life. I sort of know how it is to live with someone suffering depression and let me tell you, it breaks your heart. Her portrayal of Claire as the partner of the one suffering, and Jamie as the depressed one seems so real, like you can feel what they feel in every chapter, and is a clever decision to add topics maybe not everyone is brave enough to talk about, be it depression, abortion, PTSD, miscarriages, some terminal disease…

Also, I want to comment on the subject of plagiarism. Since the beginning of last year I read OL fanfiction, and I can *shamefully* say that I read a lot, much more than all the books I have on my shelf that I didn’t read yet. And in many cases things are repeated, such as the meeting of the main characters, how they fall in love, the use of quotes from the original books, even the personalities of the characters involved. That doesn’t mean to plagiarize anyone’s work, in my opinion, it’s because within this community, many people think about the characters in a way (i.e. Frank being an abusive sexist who cheats on his partner and doesn’t care), many topics are repeated (Jamie being librarian, Claire being a doctor), what really changes is how each one writes a story based on it, and among everything I read, it's always different, because as everyone is different, so is their writing.

But also, we are in 2019 guys, I doubt there’s something that hasn’t been invented yet, everything gets recycled, so what’s the point in blaming people for writing similar things? Also, what a waste of time to be searching some specific quote of a fic and compare it with another one, i’m tired with only think about it.

For me, writing it’s a very difficult thing to achieve since I suck at words and have no idea how to express my feelings/what I want to say properly (you are seeing that now, haha). But these people out there who week after week transmit magic with each chapter, who write them in such a poetic way, research enough to give a quality content, deserve nothing but praise. If you don’t like what they write, there is only one thing to do, don’t read it. And if you have nothing good to say, it is better to say nothing. There is no reason to be filling their inbox with horrible comments, insults, pointing their mistakes if there’s no a constructive reason behind. Im always saying this but we don´t know what’s in each other lives, so maybe by leaving those things, you’re ruining their day.

There is a huge variety of styles to choose from, so it's a matter of looking for what you like and keep going. There are stories that are simpler to read, others more complicated, with metaphors, more description, maybe more elaborated (I don’t say that the simple ones are bad, but they are easier to read, at least for me, and I like it), some have shorter chapters, others longer. There are about J/C, about secondary characters, one shoots, multichapters, fluffy, angsty, canon divergence, AU... And luckily, the number of people who dare to write their own stories grows day by day, and the ones we already know improves every week, with every new story so, why don’t we go for kindness, good comments, and constructive criticism instead of sending hateful inboxes?

For writers: I can’t express how much happiness you give me every day, how I improved my English since I started reading. Reading every story makes me understand how you write the characters we love (and hate), how you understand them, how can you put them in different scenarios, different eras, in which they are presidents, florists, doctors, professors, businessmen, swimmers, make them go through difficult times, beautiful ones, and that so and all you make them shine. The possibilities you have are immense and I can’t wait to read everything they have to offer, because I’m sure is going to be a masterpiece. I know is easier said than done but it’s better to focus in the ones who really cares for the time you put into this, who waits impatiently for a sneak peak, an entire chapter, background information about your story, pics, whatever. Haters gonna hate and I personally believe it had nothing to do with you, they are just mean people, maybe bored ones who thinks is funny to send those kind of messages and don’t really care if they are hurting you in the process. Keep doing your thing, you are free to do it and there are a lot of people willing to read whatever you do.

Thank you for being brave enough to share a piece of you, of your creativity and sorry for being lazy and sometimes forget to leave a comment, or read the chapters 657946 years later, believe me when I say I do love everything you write and I end up laughing, crying, jumping in my bed when some characters kiss for the first time after a long slow burn, and sometimes completely shooked at the end of every chapter and wanting for more ❤️❤️❤️

@imagineclaireandjamie @missclairebelle @notevenjokingfic @abbydebeaupreposts @kalendraashtar  @jmoonrise  @sassenachwaffles @lenny9987 @curlsgetdemgurls @bonniebird17 @wunderlichkind @julesbeauchamp @sassenachwriter @ladyviolethummingbird @jack-andthestalk @balfeheughlywed @claryclark @thatsoccercoach @kkruml @whiskynottea @laythornmuse @magnoliasinbloom @written-rebellion @phaedrecameron @takemeawaytocamelot @thefraserwitch @gotham-ruaidh @mybeautifuldecay @mo-nighean-rouge @monigheandonn1743 @suhailauniverse @anoutlandishfanfic @owlish-peacock36 @devaigh @holdhertightandsayhername @dancinginadaydream @crossinginstyle (i’m sorry if i forgot someone 🙏��) 

I hope this makes sense since I’m writing this with the help of google translator bc I’m tired, sleepy and my English sucks lately 😊

[killiansprincss]

Chapters: 8/? Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Characters: Emma Swan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Neal Nolan, Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Prince Charming | David Nolan, Alexandra (Once Upon a Time), Phillip II (Once Upon a Time), Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Neverland (Once Upon a Time), Curses, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Emma Grows Up Happy, Evil Queen curses Emma, season 6 AU, Angst, Magic, Hurt, Canon Divergence Summary:

Emma Swan is happy. She has finally found her family and has a great relationship with her son. She also has her boyfriend who means the world to her. So it’s great right? Wrong. The Evil Queen is still at large in Storybrooke and when she casts a curse on Emma, she is turned into a toddler. Her family are forced to watch her grow up not remembering anything of her former life. So Henry and Killian run off to Neverland, and when Emma finally remembers, will it be a happy reunion? Or will there be challenges in this Neverland that is no longer ruled by Peter Pan?

My next chapter of my Neverland story is here! This chapter you learn more about Mini Charming Neal Nolan, and also the villain of my story!! I hope you enjoy it and please tell me what you think, it sounds silly but this story is close to my heart it’s the first multi chapter fanfic I’ve written in probably 8 years and I’m super proud of it, so if anyone wants to leave me a comment telling me what you think I’d be so grateful! 

A03

Cecelia had lived in Neverland a lot longer than that Pan boy. So when she and her sisters were banished to the Enchanted Forest, those were the worst hundred years of her life. The Blue Fairy insisted on calling them by their colours rather than their names, so Cecelia was ‘purple’, which made her want to cast a dark spell on Blue more than a few times.

“Late again Purple.”

“No messing with the humans Purple.”

“Light magic only, Purple you know that.”

It was her high pitched voice that drove her insane, thinking that just because she was the oldest fairy in the Enchanted Forest she was better than they were. Well she was a Neverland fairy, she did not have to follow her rules.

Cecelia wasn’t the only fairy Blue disliked. Of course she hated all her Neverland sisters, but there was one fairy who was born in the Enchanted Forest. Tinkerbell. Or “Green” as Blue so annoyingly referred to her as.

“But I don’t understand why we can’t just help the humans we want.” Tinkerbell would argue with the Blue Fairy.

“Oh Green. I wish we could, but it’s fairy law. We aren’t able to help who we wish, only those of pure heart.”

Bullshit. There was no “Fairy Law”, fairies had their own free will. If Tinkerbell wanted to help that young Queen who wasn’t in love with her husband, why shouldn’t she. Arranged marriages between royals were bullshit anyways.

Sooner or later the little green fairy would majorly piss off the supreme Blue Fairy and banish her and Cecelia would take her under her wing and set a course for Neverland once more.

__

A mere few days later and Cecelia’s plan was falling into action. Poor Tinkerbell was exiled by the Blue Fairy for meddling in a human's life. She knew Blue was way too hard on her, so she told a human who their soulmate was, big deal. She didn’t curse anyone or use dark magic. If Tink was exiled for something so small, Cecelia was next.

“Tink. I have a proposition for you.” And so she told her all about how she was banished from her home, and Tinkerbell could have a home among fairies that understood her, where the Blue Fairy couldn’t control her

“So this Neverland, isn’t it ruled by a corrupt king?” Tink asks.

“Pan? Oh no, he is not a king. He’s a man who abandoned his child in exchange for eternal youth.” She says thinking about her hatred for Pan. “He doesn’t have the power he thinks he does, our magic is far more powerful than he is.”

Tink smiles, “And there’s nobody like the Blue Fairy that will control us?”

Cecelia smirks, “The Blue Fairy controls this land, Neverland will be ours.”

And so Tinkerbell travels with the other Neverland Fairies, 2nd star to the right and straight on to morning. Without her wings, she held tight to Cecelia, under the impression that her wings would be restored once they reached the Island.

Of course, this was a lie, she just needed an excuse to go back home, and Tink would be a healthy distraction, a new fairy running around for Pan to play with. Tink resented her for this for years, especially as she was on the run from Pan whilst Cecelia and the other fairies she escaped with were able to fly to their fairy home which Pan was forbidden to enter (plus he couldn’t fly or make himself small). But it didn’t matter, Cecelia was home.

Cecelia didn’t know how Pan fell. It was only 50 years after her return to the Island, but all she knew was Tink told Pan of the Native Neverland fairies whereabouts and he made sure they were not able to get out. All she knows is the boy Pan was looking for played a hand in his defeat. She had seen the boy in the pictures that Pan had years before. With Pan gone and the magic of the Island gone, Cecelia and her sisters whilst were free from their entrapment were powerless and as good as dead.

But the boy returned. He was much older, but it was him. He was the boy from Pan's prophecy. And he was with Captain Hook, the one handed Pirate. The pirate that many of the fairies had been involved with once upon a time.

They were alone. Just the two of them. Hook, she was not surprised to see him, he had been in Neverland for 300 years, he clearly got tired of human life and wanted to return to eternal youth. She would have to keep an eye on him, make sure he stays around.

________________

“Good Evening Captain.” Cecelia says flirtatiously when she sees Hook in the Lost Ones clearing.

“Cecelia.” Hook replies.

“You seem different today Captain.” She notices how he seems distanced, maybe it’s too much rum.

“Just Neverland playing tricks on my mind, it’s nothing. How many lost ones are expected tonight?” He asks, quickly changing the subject.

Cecilia notices this, but doesn’t say anything. “About the same as last night, possibly

more.”

Just as he begins to leave, Cecelia grabs his hand, his only hand, “Are you sure you’re okay Captain? I can help you to relieve the trauma of this place for a few hours if you wish.” She tells him seductively.

In the past he would’ve accepted Cecelia’s offer, but not this night. “Thank you Cecelia. But not tonight.”

And so Hook leaves the fairy alone in the clearing wondering what was going on.

Cecelia was hurt and embarrassed, in the 25 years Hook had been here he was wrapped around her finger, he could get her to do whatever she wanted. While he hadn’t taken her to bed since he’d been here, she still used her enchantment on him.

Cecelia turns back into fairy size and flies away to her home.

Pixie Hollow was the home to fairies for thousands of years, long before Pan. It was ruled by a King and Queen who shared True Love so strong, the pixie dust was always flowing around the Island.

When it became an island lost children visited in their dreams, the fairies became scared and fled the Island. Eventually the King and Queen fled too and that’s when the Pixie dust slowly became scarce. When there were very few fairies left, Pan was able to control the Island.

—————

Cecelia flies to where the former Pixie Dust tree was. Nowdays it doesn’t cover the entire tree, but more a small crater of dust at the centre of the once grand tree.

She was going to find out what was going on inside her pirates head.

She gathers a small handful of dust and whispers,

“ Show me Captain Hook’s day ”

And she throws the dust in the air and forms a golden circle showing Hooks memories that day.

She sees Hook in his house on the Island. He sleeps, eats and does nothing else.

But then...

Cecelia sees him walking over to the Lost Ones clearing, but taking a detour. And then a blonde woman comes into shot. She isn’t able to hear what they’re saying, but if she had to guess, it looked like this woman was trying to get him to go home with her.

If she had to take a guess, this woman was Hook's supposed ‘true love’. Emily, or something, she never paid attention to the woman. She was cursed, and one day she would return, it seemed today was that day.

Not if Cecelia had anything to do with it.

_____________

Talking to her brother about Henry had made Emma feel a lot better about this situation.

Last time they were in Neverland was very different, she was naïve and didn’t have great control of her magic, she didn’t know the Island. This time was different, as far as she knew neither Henry nor Killian were in any immediate danger, Pan was gone and it was fairies that controlled the Island. Although her years of training with the Blue fairy had taught her not all fairies were good or trustworthy, especially those in Neverland.

She understood her magic now. She had years of training, she could feel magic and feel what was light magic and what was dark, and Neverland was mainly dark. Having faced darkness in her previous life, she was somewhat confident she could take it on.

Hope. That’s what they needed right now.

Hope had always got them through the dire situations. And Hope would get them out of this one too.

She just needed a plan.

“Why don’t we just keep exploring the Island?” Snow suggests. Emma was devising a plan on how to get Henry and Killian to cooperate, or listen.

“No, it’s too risky all of us exploring. We still don’t know if the fairies on this Island are evil.” Emma replies, still trying to think of the best way to do this.

“Well why don’t I explore?” Neal proposes, “Say the fairies are evil, they’re more likely to want to trap you. I can explore and find out what’s going on, and if need be I can flirt my way out of it.”

Emma rolls her eyes. Her little brother was such a flirt, a real ladies man. She’s shocked he actually had a girlfriend. But then again Thalia was very different to a lot of the girls Neal flirted with growing up. And when she met her brother, they brought out the best in one another.

“Aside from flirting with fairies which I imagine you will so enjoy,” Emma mocks, rolling her eyes, “that’s not a bad idea. If you can scout out the Island, figure out where Henry and Killian are and then you can report back to me through our link.”

The siblings shared a magic link in their mind. It wasn’t like mind reading, although most of the time Emma felt she could read her brother's mind (but that was more to do with him being predictable), they were able to communicate. As the two products of true love they were bonded and could easily communicate from miles apart, which was perfect if one were to be trapped or abducted.

Noticing the worried look on his wife’s face, David adds, “Neal will be fine. Worst case scenario you can magically poof yourself back here, back under the protection spell.”

“I got this mom, don’t worry.” Neal smiles at his mother, trying to convince her it’s the best plan, when in reality he is shit scared.

“Good Luck baby bro.” Emma says, throwing Neal his sword.

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

“VERENA!” Cecelia screams as she flies over to where her sister was attempting to make water rise from the stream.

Verena looked nothing like her sister. She had a honey skin tone and long black hair in a sleek ponytail. They were not sisters in a biological sense, but they were born at the same time and worked together and banished by Pan together. They had been through it all, and she was all Cecelia had.

“Oh good you’re here. I fear our time back here may be running out, look.” Verena reaches out her hand to the stream and flicks it up from the water creating a small ball. But it doesn’t quite keep its form and splashes back into the stream.

“Yeah the magic in this place is running out, we need more of Henry’s blood.” Cecelia says so matter of factly.

Verena gets up from the ground and looks at her sister, “No. You know we can’t do that. That boy has given us 25 years of magic on this Island that was dead thanks to Pan. I don’t think you remember what it did to the poor boy. If the magic is running out, we need to leave while we still can.”

When Gold had told Henry and Killian that Henry’s blood would restore the youthfulness of Neverland, they assumed just a drop or two. But when he cut his hand to let a few droplets into the magic stream it took a lot more than a few droplets. Henry was almost drained, Killian feared what would’ve happened if he hadn't been there.

Cecelia rolls her eyes, “Please. The boy has the heart of the truest believer and he’s the author. He has so much power but he’s being weak. He could easily write down that Neverland has magic again.”

“Cecelia you know magic doesn’t work like that.”

Before Verena can fly away, she suddenly realises. “It’s been 25 years, the boy's mother is here to collect him. Hooks true love. You’re trying to keep her away from them so you can have Hook for all eternity.”

When Cecelia says nothing, her sister takes that as a yes. “Whatever it is you’re planning, I want nothing to do with it.”

When the magic in Neverland runs out, Cecelia and Verena’s wings will be rendered useless as they need pixie dust to fly. They either need to fly away from the Island while they still can, or be flightless and possibly suffer a much worse fate.

_________

Neal Nolan was a smart guy. He was an English teacher at Storybrooke High, and he was highly skilled at his magic.

He was also a Charming, so people always liked him because of who his family was. His family practically ran storybrooke, his mother was a fifth grade teacher, his dad was the sheriff until he retired and his sister was deputy until their dad retired and then she became sheriff. They had good ties to the mayor, and it also helped that his girlfriend Thalia wanted to run for mayor too.

Thalia didn’t always like him though. The Charming family still had a lot of rivals in Storybrooke, but they didn’t speak up or try to overthrow them. Thalia's father was one of those people, as a former knight for King George, her father still had a hatred for them, so Thalia grew up thinking they were evil. All throughout school she and Neal were academic rivals, but as she went through high school, she realised maybe mini charming wasn’t so bad. Not that she would admit that until well after they graduated.

Now, here in Neverland, he was unknown. He was able to use this to his advantage. He was a nobody. And that was a first. He could easily fool these fairies into believing he was anyone he wanted to be.

A few seconds later though, he feels cold silver on his neck, and he finds himself struggling to breath. It’s sharp and cool like the blade of a sword, expect he thinks it feels more like...

A Hook.

The Hook tugs on his neck and forces him to turn around to face whoever the Hook belongs to. That is when he realises the Hook is a replacement for a hand.

Wait, was this, Emma’s boyfriend?

“Well what do we have here?” His accent definitely sounded like he was a pirate. And he was pretty sure it was Emma’s Hook. He was dressed in all black leather and his hair was messy. His blue eyes seemed dead inside. Neal hadn’t seen anyone look so sad before.

“My name is Neal. Neal Nolan.” He offers, hoping he will understand who he is.

“How did you get to this Island?” Hook asks, then looks at his modern clothes, “Are you from. There?”

Neal assumes by “there”, he means Storybrooke. “I live in Storybrooke. My sister is Emma. She’s come to save you.”

Hook suddenly looks uncomfortable. “Follow me if you want to live.”

Neal doesn’t exactly have a choice, so he follows the pirate into what seems to be his home on the Island. It’s a hut with stairs leading up to a bed. It doesn’t exactly look comfortable, or homey.

He also considers linking with Emma, to tell her what was going on, but quickly decides against it. He wants to talk to him, and get him to trust him.

Hook looks at Neal, almost as if he’s examining him. Neal considers himself to be pretty identical to his parents, blonde hair and green eyes. His mother’s features dominate most of his face, but his nose is his fathers. He would say he looked like Emma too, seeing as they both got their father's hair and mothers eyes.

“Rum?” Hook asks as they enter his makeshift home.

Neal shakes his head, “I’m okay.”

“Talk boy. If you are really who you say you are.” Hook gestures for the Charming boy to sit.

He takes a deep breath, hoping he can convince his sister's boyfriend not to kill him. “My name is Neal Leopold Nolan. I was born in Storybrooke. My parents are Snow White and Prince Charming, I along with my sister am the product of true love. My entire life I believed my older sister Emma was only a year older than I was. It was only on her 28th birthday, I was told the truth. That she was born right before the Evil Queen cast her dark curse and sent to the real world. And I’m not sure on the details, but a few years later the same Evil Queen turned her into a toddler and that’s how she’s grown up with me as my older sister. Now we’re here because her son Henry, and you ran away here to wait for her until she breaks her curse. Now it’s broken and we came with her to come get you both.”

Hook stands there, taking it all in. He takes a few more sips of Rum before he says, “You. You were a baby. Zelena, she stole you when you were born for her time portal. The portal Emma and I fell into. It’s where she fell in love with me, not that she would ever admit that.” He smirks.

Neal smiles, that sounded like Emma, not admitting what was so clearly the truth.

“I guess I am that baby.” Neal replies shocked to now know he almost got sacrificed by Robin's mother. He had to get the full story on this.

Hook takes another look at the grown up baby he once knew. “Your parents entrusted Emma and I to babysit you a number of times. They said it was so they could have a night off, but I knew it was because they wanted us to practise for when it was our time. Emma of course had no idea, she never liked to think much about the future, too afraid it wouldn’t come true.”

Now that was something that did not sound like Emma. She always had a plan, she would graduate high school and work for dad until he retired and become full time sheriff. He knew her love life wasn’t the best, but their parents had always told her that her soulmate was out there. Now he realises, they knew exactly who was out there for Emma.

“I can take you to her. If you like.” Neal offers, not sure what to say.

His tone suddenly changes from reminiscent to cold and raw.”No. No. I can’t. She can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

“She has magic, she can just poof herself inside your home here.” He offers again, not trying to sound too forceful.

Hook starts pacing around his home, mumbling to himself. “No. No. I can’t. She won’t. It’s best if she stays away. I caused too much hurt. Too much. Far too much. She-stay away.”

Before Neal can say or do anything, they hear a female voice.

“Oh Captain!”

“Cecelia.” Hook curses. He looks over at Neal. “You need to leave now. You have magic?”

Neal nods.

“Use it. Get away. She can’t see you.” Hook gets up to the window trying to see how far Cecelia is.

“I’ll get Emma. Well be back. She’s okay.” Neal says before a poof of light blue magic magic makes him disappear from the scene just before Cecelia arrives at Hook’s door.

[shirlleycoyle]

This Computer Mouse Combined With a Telephone Once Made Sense. Kind Of.

A version of this post originally appeared on Tedium, a twice-weekly newsletter that hunts for the end of the long tail.

“An iPod. A phone. An internet communicator.”

These were the words Steve Jobs used to describe the first iPhone immediately before introducing it during a landmark keynote in January of 2007.

Of course, it was a single device, and it combined all those things—and more—into a slab of glass, metal, plastic, and silicon.

Convergence can sometimes be amazing in practice—the new Raspberry Pi 400, which shoves a whole computer in a tiny keyboard, has been getting some good notices in recent days.

But not every attempt at convergence makes much sense. Sometimes, it’s just hilariously misguided.

Let’s discuss why we combine things—even when they have no business being combined, such as the computer mouse with a built-in telephone.

That product, I promise you, exists.

Why convergence often means things get combined when they shouldn’t

In many ways, the iPhone represents the ideal pushed by a generation of techno-futurists, many of whom had an idea of what the end result might look like, if not the actual result.

The guy who came up with this idea, way back in 1978, has cast a long shadow over the technology space in general. His name was Nicholas Negroponte, and the MIT professor came up with a concept that was audacious for 1978 but seems absolutely pedestrian now. Effectively, it’s pedestrian because of how right the concept was.

Negroponte, with the use of a group of circles, posited that the major information industries of the time—film and television, printing and publishing, and computers—would eventually start to overlap more completely, to the point that their missions and goals were basically the same.

I don’t know if you’ve used Netflix recently or read The New York Times on your computer, but this 41-year-old theory proved more insanely correct than anyone might have imagined during the days of Three’s Company and “Disco Duck.” Negroponte had given voice to a trend that has basically dominated modern technology over the past four decades. And it has shaped not only Negroponte’s life, but also the university in which he works.

In 1985, a little more than five years after he started giving voice to this prediction, he helped found the MIT Media Lab, which effectively is this general concept of convergence in academic form, essentially built around the idea that divergent disciplines will essentially merge together.

“The idea was marketed to the broadcasting, publishing, and computer industries as the convergence of the sensory richness of video, the information depth of publishing, and the intrinsic interactivity of computers,” Negroponte wrote in his ’90s book Being Digital of the Media Lab’s creation. “Sounds so logical today, but at the time the idea was considered silly.”

Helping to make the sale was The Media Lab, Stewart Brand’s 1988 book that helped to explain the concepts to a broader audience. 

“Negroponte’s vision: all communication technologies are suffering a joint metamorphosis, which can only be understood properly if treated as a single subject, and only advanced properly if treated as a single craft,” Brand wrote. “The way to figure out what needs to be done is through exploring the human sensory and cognitive system and the ways that humans most naturally interact. Join this and you grasp the future.”

Negroponte has made his voice known on these issues in other ways as well. Wired magazine, which he was an early investor in, gained much of its philosophical vision from Negroponte’s early columns, while his heavily hyped One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) effort is seen as something of an ambitious bust, though it remains active to this day.

(And—it must be noted, because it’s important—Negroponte faced significant controversy a year ago for his comments about the MIT Media Lab accepting money from Jeffrey Epstein, a controversy which led to the departure of the Media Lab’s director at the time, Joi Ito.)

No matter what to make of Negroponte’s legacy at this time, he is ultimately tied to this idea that has defined how we look at technology—that things that were once separate will inevitably combine and take new forms, with the goal of eventually converging into a single object.

The iPhone may be the best-known example of this, but so many examples of things that tried to merge different technological tools together, to mixed success and even failure. For every Roku, there were dozens of false starts in bringing streaming video into the living room in an efficient way. Video-editing tools once required lots of hardware and software, and a giant suite like Video Toaster was once seen as revolutionary; now it can be done, quickly, on a smartphone.

I’d like to call this kind of innovation, the type that happens before a Roku or iPhone comes along to make things easy, “messy convergence.” It’s what happens when something is clearly designed to help build upon a potentially innovative idea, but it does so awkwardly, in a way where the seams are very much showing. It’s not a slick product on a stage. It’s a jumble of wires on a workbench that barely works but shows a bigger idea is possible.

Image:  Wikimedia Commons

In many ways, the original OLPC, forever tied to the guy who helped to popularize convergence, is a perfect example of the messy part of convergence in action. It was a lovely device in many ways ahead of its time, but it promised the world at a tiny price point. 

Still, there were things it did that would become much more common a few years later—anyone with a 2-in-1 laptop likely has OLPC to thank for creating a mainstream example of the form factor. With wireless access, a screen that worked well even in sunlight, and a design that was both light and rugged, it stretched far beyond what most computers could do at its price point because it started by trying to solve a different problem than, say, Steve Jobs was.

And there were things that it just couldn’t do. It never got its much-ballyhooed crank, however, nor the ad-hoc networking capabilities that sounded good but were ineffective in real-world use cases.

So why all this thinking about convergence? Well, I found an incredibly weird device on the internet recently, and it made me think about how much we often “screw up” convergence before we get it right.

Let me introduce you to the Tele-Mouse, a friggin’ mouse with a built-in telephone.

NOS

A common term used on auction sites to describe items sold as “new old stock.” This term often is in reference to stock that never sold to consumers, either because of commercial failure, supply chain problems, or because an item was overproduced. (Two classic examples of tech items that frequently appear in NOS form on auction sites such as eBay include the TI 99/4a computer, which was discontinued somewhat suddenly after Texas Instruments lost a price war with Commodore; and the Aladdin Deck Enhancer, the NES add-on, affiliated with Codemasters, that was sold on home-shopping networks.) The Tele-Mouse, which we’re talking about here, is but one such example of a NOS item floating around eBay and similar sites.

For people who want to own a mouse with more buttons than an Atari Jaguar controller, here you go. Image: Ernie Smith

Why there was a time where a mouse-telephone combo seemed like it made sense … to somebody

I’ve seen a lot of weird things over the years, but never has it struck me that there might be a market for a computer mouse with a built-in telephone.

It’s not something obvious, right? After all, the image of someone putting a computer mouse up to their face seems undeniably silly. Even using one as a speakerphone feels like a bit of a stretch.

But nonetheless, there was a short period in technology history where it kind of, sort of, maybe made a little bit of sense. That period was between the years 1998 and 2000, when many computer users were getting online on a regular basis for the first time, often on phone lines in which actual telephone calls were competing with modems that were saturating the line at all hours of the day.

If you didn’t want to get up from your desk just to take a call, why not take it from the speakerphone inside of your cursor machine? That was the apparent line of thinking behind a device called the Tele-Mouse, which came out around 1998 or so.

This, my friends, is an excellent example of messy convergence. The person who first came up with this idea, whomever it is, made the realization that we would be taking calls from the same general area where we’d be using our desktop computer … but they solved the problem in the most wrongheaded way possible. The solution was not to add a speakerphone to the mouse; the solution was to put voice calling, and later videoconferencing, capabilities into the computer itself.

The issue is that there was a clear limitation to doing a conference call over the internet in 1998, because home modems spat out a minuscule amount of bandwidth, barely enough for a single voice, let alone two.

So, having done some research on this device, here’s what I can tell you—it was part of a mini-trend. This specific device was developed by a Canadian company named Curtis International, which still exists today and often sells products labeled with RCA and Sylvania brand names, among others. (Another company named Curtis that existed during the same period and also specialized in computer accessories was not involved.)

This particular device was sold at cut-rate retailers like Value City, and ultimately seems to have been sold to people who don’t usually buy gadgets. I mean, just look at the box. Does it look like something a serious gadget nerd would buy?

In many ways, the Tele-Mouse isn’t even in the same league as the OLPC on the innovation front. But Curtis International wasn’t even the only one to think of this idea. Some of the largest technology companies in the world have patent filings implying that they at least thought about releasing a device like this.

A patent drawing for the Micron version of the telephone mouse. Image: Google Patents

In 1998, Micron Technology—today one of the largest manufacturers of computer memory, but back then a PC manufacturer—filed for a patent for a computer mouse with a built in telephone handset; unlike what Curtis developed, the Micron handset literally unfolded, revealing a full-fledged telephone.

They were far from alone: Dell also filed for a patent, as did Samsung (outside of the U.S., as far as I can tell).

Fittingly, Sony has the best example of this type of device. Image: Sony Vaio press photo

A more interesting example of this comes from Sony, which released a device called the Vaio Mouse Talk, which removes the necessity of a phone line connection, and instead allows calls to happen over Skype. (It also removes a lot of cables, because it works over USB, allowing functions to be combined.) That seems to have been released a mini-generation later, and perhaps a step closer to actually being useful for regular people.

But ultimately, we don’t take phone calls using our mouse. We use video, or our headphones, because we’re not obsessed with the idea of a phone having to work like a phone, but we want a way to use our voice to communicate.

One might look at the Tele-Mouse and think that it represents the ideal of the “As Seen on TV” generation—in which convergence happens in ways so minuscule that the innovations come off less as useful and more as an excuse for novelty.

And certainly, at first glance, that’s what I thought. But then I realized that real companies with real brand names also went down this road and tried this exact same stupid idea of combining a device for calling your boss with a device adept at playing Minesweeper. The difference is that most of them played with this idea and never let it leave the R&D department.

In much the same way as an iPhone, a telephone mouse combines user input functionality with communication functionality, even if it did so in the most functionally useless way possible.

It was a bad idea, but perhaps it was an essential one, in a way—because it showed us what we shouldn’t do when it comes to innovation.

“If all you want to do is send hard-copy faxes, a fax modem system is overkill. And for many electronic files, a standard data modem may be sufficient.”

— Byte writer Don Crabb, describing the value (or lack thereof) of the fax modem, which can accept faxes in digital form and, in combination with other computer components such as a scanner and printer, handle the hard-copy form as well. This approach, which appeared on Macintosh computers around 1988 and 1989, was even natively supported by Apple, which sold a $699 AppleFax device. Despite his skepticism of the concept at first, he ultimately came around after reviewing the devices—though he found AppleFax, the most expensive of the three he reviewed, to be the least capable. “I am convinced that these products have a legitimate niche alongside standalone fax machines,” he wrote. The fax modem is one of many great examples of how convergence can often look messy and complicated in retrospect.

Five examples of “messy convergence” in action

Google Glass. This is such an obvious one! Clearly this device attempted to bring the basic concepts of wearable computing and augmented reality to the potential masses, but the problem was that nobody thought of a use case for the thing, and even the die-hards eventually took the devices off. I actually wore one of these around for a week or two a while ago, and let me tell you: It sure felt like a glorified camera to me—and at some point it makes more sense for this functionality to be inside of a smartphone.

CueCat. The idea that people would want to scan information into their computers from their printed reading materials was absolutely astute, but the problem with CueCat, a late-’90s device that was literally given away to millions of people, was that the computers we had to use with the barcode scanners were simply too big and cumbersome to actually make this a useful thing. It would take smartphones and QR codes to make this general idea functional.

Mobile ESPN. People who are really into sports want up-to-the-minute scores and news updates, yes, but do they want it enough to pay more than $60 a month for a dedicated phone plan? That was the bet ESPN made in 2005, when it created its own mobile service, complete with custom feature phones. It failed, but as Motherboard reported in 2015, it may have secretly set ESPN up for digital success, as many of its ideas were basically perfect for the smartphone age. (Side note: The promotional site for Mobile EPSN is still online.)

Palm Foleo. A few years after the iPhone came out, Steve Jobs made it up on the Apple stage once again to tell phones that there was a need for a third device between desktop computers and smartphones … a device that turned out to be the iPad. This must have felt like salt in the wound of Jeff Hawkins, the founder of Palm, as his company’s Palm Foleo, a 10-inch subnotebook, based on Linux, for checking email or surfing the web without having to carry around a larger device, was heavily criticized for not being more full-featured. (Even Jakob Nielsen took a shot at it!) It was cancelled before it first came out, but almost immediately after that happened, netbooks—the very line of device the product was trying to introduce—became popular.

Samsung Galaxy Fold (the first one): The company has since come out with a better version of this device, but the original, easy-to-break version is an excellent example of a device that feels like it’s on the cusp of something amazing—combining a large screen into something pocketable, helping potentially pave the way for the future where one fewer daily device is necessary. In a few years, it will likely stop looking like messy convergence and more like actual convergence.

The above products, some of which were released, others which likely will never see the light of day, highlight how technologies that seem seamless today sometimes emerge into the world with seams all over the place, looking awkward as all-get-out.

Some are failed experiments in which those experimenting admit that they didn’t get it right; others are ideas that just need a little bit more time in the oven.

Eventually, someone, or a group of people will come along with just the right level of polish to hide the seams away from view. So, did I write this piece just to trash on a computer mouse that has a built-in phone in it? Perhaps that’s where I started. But then I realized that it was perhaps a stepping stone. Maybe a misguided stepping stone that might cause you to twist an ankle and fall flat on your face, allowing the information superhighway to trample you before you can get back up again.

But that’s the nature of convergence; keep experimenting, and eventually the circles will overlap.

This Computer Mouse Combined With a Telephone Once Made Sense. Kind Of. syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[the-undertale-mouse]

Handplates: Tempus CH 1

    Handplates is a really cool if dark take on the Papyrus/Sans/Gaster origin story by @zarla-s and if you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend it. This is a spin off of that in which a human enters their lives. This takes place some time before Justice falls. Tempus(Patience) would be the fifth soul. Some things may be inaccurate, but please be patient with me. I just need to get it out of my head and I need some feedback. I am reposting some chapters because I have revised a few things for greater accuracy. ~Miamouse

Chapter 1 Contact

* * *

    “Say hi to King Fluffy Buns for me. Us war survivors got to stick together.  Maybe we should have a cards night or-,” Gerson said as Gaster paid for his groceries.

    “I’m sorry, I have a very tight schedule,” Gaster said, cutting the conversation short. Not that he didn’t appreciate everything the ‘hammer of justice’ did in his time, but the old war vet had a tendency to ramble, and Gaster really did have a schedule to keep. Any time away from the lab not working was time wasted to Gaster, except he still needed to go out every now and then to buy food.

    “Don’t be such a stranger,” Gerson called.

    Gaster took his leave and started back along the road to hotland, taking special care to avoid the nonsensical beings dubbed ‘tems.’ he just didn’t have the time to deal with the silly creatures. He made it safely past them without an encounter and sighed with relief as he stepped into the darkening lantern room. He could use his one functioning eye socket to glow and show him the path, but he didn’t bother. He knew the path so well, he didn’t strictly need to see. Not many monsters came this way, it was too dark and depressing. He liked this room, it was peaceful and solitary. He did not expect someone to bump into him. He did not expect to drop half the groceries he just bought. Most of all, he did not expect them to be human. But it happened anyway.

    Panic flooded his chest cavity, despite its words of apology and concern directed towards him. A human? Here, now? Right in front of him? What to do? He had confidence he could easily capture it and bring it to the king, as was protocol, but he couldn’t stand the thought of the look in the king’s eyes after he killed yet another human. He could kill the human himself and bring the soul to the king. It would be no trouble. By the look of it, this one was a chil- not yet full grown. Weak. Inexperienced.  He would just say he found the soul like that. Tragic for the human, good for the monsters. How long could it last in the underground anyway? He was surprised it made it this far. He was doing it a favor, cutting its misery short.

    He shifted into ‘fight mode’ turning its soul dark blue from the get-go. This would be over with soon, if he worked straight through lunch, he could be back on schedule. It wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to.

* * *

    Tempus accepted that her apologies didn’t work the moment her soul became heavy and the skeleton across from her started sending bone-shaped bullets her way. The increased gravity made it difficult, but she was very good at detecting patterns and timing her movements just right. She managed to avoid all of his intricate waves of bones with the least amount of energy possible. She was able to catch a breather and “check his stats.” She did this with everyone who chose to fight her in order to understand them a little better and find a way to appease them.

    “Wing Dings Gaster. LV 4. Hurt some people on purpose. That’s probably bad. Though maybe some of it was in self-defense or something. I don’t know, I wasn’t there. HP 2000/2000 AT 36 DF 36. Royal Scientist obsessed with breaking the barrier.” Tempus gulped. Even if she didn’t lose her cute ribbon, he could kill her in easily (she was weak for a human, she only had 10 HP.) If she could negotiate a solution, she would always try that first. She had to think fast as she dodged the next, trickier volley of bones.

* * *

    The human was exceptionally skilled at dodging. Gaster would have been impressed if it weren’t so annoying. It was just making the battle drag out longer. Between the volleys of bones, the human attempted to reason with him. Its efforts were fruitless. He just tuned it out. Nothing it said mattered. They needed its soul for the barrier. There was no discussing it. Gaster did not indulge it with replies, it probably wouldn’t understand his language anyway, and he doubted it knew how to read his hands. Talking to it would be pointless, and he did not like to do anything pointless.

   He was, however, intrigued that it wielded no physical weapon. This was odd for humans since most of them could not wield magic. On the off chance it could use magic, why didn’t it? It was in very real danger and did not defend itself besides dodging and expelling useless chatter. Perhaps it was luring him into a false sense of security. Its soul signature was patience after all. It could be waiting for the right moment to strike, for all he knew. As he was thinking that, the human changed tact, but not in the way he expected.

* * *

    Tempus had four different logical actions she could use on Gaster: reason, plead,  threaten and joke. In addition to actions, she could manifest magical versions of her toy knife to attack him. She dropped the real one back in the ruins when she promised herself she wouldn’t use it to hurt anyone. With magic, you could manipulate it so that the person on the receiving end could be left with 1 hp, no matter how many times you hit, but that was her most desperate move. More desperate than attempting to actually spare him or run away, both of which would be very desperate indeed, considering his strength. She was getting to that point of desperation though.

    She tried pleading and reasoning several times, hoping to wear him down, but to no effect, since he didn’t seem to be listening. Maybe he was deaf. An idea occurred to her: perhaps he wasn’t ignoring her, perhaps he actually couldn’t hear her pleas. He didn’t have ears after all. There was no guarantee he understood ASL, but it had a better chance of success than sparing him. She gave it a shot, thanking her stars she knew sign language since she was little.

  “Please stop. I’m not going to try to leave the underground. I don’t want to hurt you or your king. I know you need my soul for the barrier, but you don’t have enough anyway. Can’t I stay in peace, at least until the last two humans fall?” She had studied the plaques on the walls carefully, in an attempt to understand the history here. She knew they needed the equivalent of 7 human souls to be free. A member of the Royal Guard informed her that her soul would be the fifth in their collection, right before they threw a spear at her. Tempus made a split second decision to run for it and she ran all the way back to the darkening lantern room and right into this guy. 

* * *

    Once again, this human surprised Gaster, this time by speaking in hands; a highly unusual trait, even among monsters. He was so stunned, he forgot to ignore what it was saying. ‘It made a good argument,’ he begrudgingly acknowledged. That didn’t mean it wasn’t lying about being a pacifist. True, it didn’t have any LV or EXP but, who’s to say it would never gain some? No matter what it said, he couldn’t let it roam free. Humans were far too dangerous and unpredictable. But perhaps it didn’t have to be killed yet. If it’s power could be harnessed, then maybe freedom was closer than it seemed. Plans formed in his head for how to get and use that power. The possibilities it presented were endless. It would almost be a waste to kill it so soon.

* * *

    Gaster considered for a moment then said both out loud and with his hands, “If I let you live, will you come quietly?”

    Tempus did not like the idea of a scientist with an LV of 4 taking her captive, but what choice did she have? “Yes. I’ll come quietly.” she signed and spoke. The battle ended. 0 EXP and 0 G gained.

    “Oh, I can hear you just fine. I was just ignoring you earlier.” Gaster said bluntly.

   She had a feeling this was the case, though she had hoped better of him. “You don’t have to sign for me either. My hearing is just fine.”

   He paused and looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. “Really now, you can understand me?” he spoke out loud only, not using his hands to sign. His tone was colored in disbelief as if he highly doubted a human like her could know what he was saying.

   Tempus had no clue what he was implying. He did have a bit of an accent, but it was nothing crazy. “Yes, I can understand you. We’re speaking the same language, aren’t we?”

    “Indeed. But for now, I would rather you didn’t speak unless spoken to until we get back to the lab. You did agree to come quietly.” Tempus decided to obey him, for now. She was patient. She would follow along, do as he said...at least until she figured something out.

* * *

     As they walked on in silence, Gaster’s mind was buzzing.  ‘The human, hereby referred to as ‘subject 3’ or ‘3-T’ diverges from the norm in several notable ways. First, it understands me, signs or no signs, furthermore, it is capable of using the signs itself. Second, it speaks in a font differing from the norm: ‘Tempus’ hence the ‘T’ in ‘3-T.’ Third, it chooses to wield no physical weapon though it may be in possession of magical ability, a rarity among humans. That is yet to be seen, but upon further inspection, it is noted subject 3 possess a certain aura and frailty unusual to its kind. This aura and frailty are reminiscent of the wizards who sealed us away nearly 1000 years ago. I’d be nostalgic if I didn’t still have the emotional scars. Last, Subject 3 is adept at timing its dodges perfectly. I suspect it has something to do with their soul signature ‘patience.’ All these things ought to be looked into and studied. Subject 3 is lucky to have piqued my interest so thoroughly...or maybe unlucky. It’s too late either way.’

Next

[fireinclined]

capella worldbuilding

capella’s closing off

about 47 years before capella’s destruction, the coup on ioavis occurred, which lead to it becoming a condemned planet. at the same time, there was a revolution on capella itself, as the government was nearing the end of what is called the “capellan cycle.” capellans have embraced the idea that no government remains uncorrupted forever, and so every 500-750 years, a revolution will take place where the old government will be torn down and a new one will be put in its place. however, the revolution failed, but was incredibly destructive, and it was this and the events on ioavis that led to capella pulling back all of it’s ships from wherever they were. no one was allowed to leave capella, and no one was allowed to come into it. this had a lot of effects on the rest of the galaxy, considering capella was like. a galactic superpower. the economy of pyrrah collapsed since capella wasn’t trading with them anymore, the situation on ioavis deteriorated more and more…and so on. a lot of people felt that this decision was not only unjust but also a betrayal of capellan values- they eat, breath, and sleep exploration, and to trap them on one planet? it was against everything capella stood for.

the language

the capellan language is just song. the vocabulary and grammar is easy enough to learn but the musical aspect makes it super hard to learn, because if you’re a half step off a note, then you’ve either changed the meaning entirely, or you’re saying with a very different tone that what you intended. because music is tied to phrases, instrumental capellan music can be used to suggest certain phrases or ideas. this could be used to communicate as well in a pinch. instead of speaking, one can whistle a tune and imply a certain phrase or command

what planet capella would be in real life

we humans know capella as kepler-442b! it’s an exoplanet orbiting kepler-442, which is located in the lyra constellation! it’s a k-type main-sequence star, which is actually really good, because they emit less ultra-violet radiation that harms dna and stuff.

the gravity on kepler-442b is 30% stronger than that of earth’s, which jives nicely with how capella has stronger gravity than earth’s. the temperature on kepler-442b is 233K, or −40 °C; −40 °F. which…admittedly that’s very low, even for how cold i wanted capella to be, but…i’ll take what i can get. another thing that irks me is that kepler-442b was discovered/identified as a planet that might be able to sustain life in january of 2015, and the way i write it, cassandra already knows about what humans call capella when she gets there.

ANOTHER thing that doesn’t match up is the distance from earth- in “in the morning” and perhaps even on this blog, i’ve said that capella is 10,000 light years from earth. kepler-442b is only 1,120 light years away. but this is something i can easily change- the important thing about capella’s distance from earth is that it has to be far enough away so that capellans really don’t give a shit about earth, and that it has to be greater than 30 years or so, so that capella is still visible from earth when cassandra gets there.

biological differences from humans

second eyelids- they’re to protect the eyes but also allow the capellan to see through it

four lungs, and larger chest cavity in general. ribs round out in the back a bit

more muscle mass

bones have a smaller radius and are denser

capellans can just barely float in water, since they are heavier than humans without necessarily being much bigger and their bones are denser. 

they’re fucking giants- cassandra is 6′5 and average height for a capellan. tall for a capellan is 7′5.

their blood is almost rusty looking bc there’s more oxygen in it

can grow back lost teeth

very high tolerance to alcohol 

capellans are very auditory based creatures- for example, hearing is to them what smell is to humans, taste wise. so the food has to be noisy when eaten to taste good

capella’s sun was either smaller or farther away (or both) than earth’s sun, so capellan eyes are more sensitive to  the sun’s rays, and cassandra (and all other capellans) have to use special eyedrops as well as wear sunglasses on particularly sunny days to protect their eyes.

capellan art

capellan art is usually 3d stuff- very rarely do capellans just sit and paint on a normal canvas. this is because of their inclinations! many famous capellan artists utilize their inclinations to create art, or create art based off their inclinations. fire inclined capellans will typically use their powers to melt and shape metal, or do something with pottery. ice inclined capellans will typically make huge ice sculptures- or really small and intricate stuff. they can also freeze off bits of rock- like how potholes are made?- and create sculptures that way.

light inclined capellans usually create huge structures or hanging mobiles made of glass that reflects light just so. and…unfortunately, life inclined capellans get the short end of the stick, since their inclination doesn’t really affect the environment the same way the other three do. however, life inclined capellans get a lot of props for being able to create amazing works without using an inclination.

anyway- this is why cassandra does like sculptures from the renaissance, but not really paintings. the only earth paintings cassandra really enjoys are more abstract ones or very colorful ones. cassandra does adore vincent van gogh, both for his subject matter and the colors and techniques in his paintings. but cassandra has a particular fondness for 3d art because that’s simply what art was on capella.

touch

since i just read a post about touch s.tarvation, i got thinking about capellans and touching. and thinking on how physically affectionate cassandra’s relationships with other capellans are, i’ve come to the conclusion that capellans are just very physically affectionate. like it takes less time for them to feel comfortable being physically affectionate with someone new, and platonic cuddling and kisses are super duper common. sharing a bed is something that’s often done by close friends or roommates, especially for comfort.

surviving off world capellans

it’d be silly if every single capellan in the universe was on capella while it was shut off- there are entire societies descended from capellan explorers on other planets, and when they settled on other planets varies. some groups have diverged pretty heavily from capellans born on capella, and some groups had kids with other species, creating new, hybrid species.

so there are groups of capellans or people descended from capellans sprinkled across the galaxy- cassandra runs into a few of these groups on her travels.

capellan merfolk

after my hc that capellans aren’t the best at floating & considering capellan seas are so stormy…capellans had to work with merfolk to survive on the seas. and i don’t know if i’ve mentioned this here or in my fic, but capellans sailed their seas before they sailed the stars.

capellan merfolk have huge 10 foot long tails and webbed hands with razor sharp claws on the end. they have super sharp teeth and tusks- honestly, capellan merfolk are kinda walrus like? and they have to be! to survive such frigid waters. they have a thick layer of fat to keep them warm, and the most beautiful voices. they originally came up with the capellan language, and taught it to capellans.

capellans and merfolk were very close, with a team of merfolk staying near capellan sailing ships to make sure everything went well, and capellans in turn providing merfolk with things that could only be found on the surface. the two species viewed each other as sisters on capella, and for a very long time, they were tight knit and everything was hunky dory

as capellans started to travel the stars, however…merfolk were left behind. without a lot of modification to capellan ships, merfolk couldn’t be brought on board. more and more, capellans turned away from merfolk  and the sea in favor of the stars.

there are plenty of planets that are completely covered in water, and on those missions, merfolk would be brought along to help however. and maybe a bunch of those merfolk stayed, or merfolk just…left capella. capellan merfolk do still exist on these aquatic planet, but have no real interest in going to new capella.

capellan griffins

capellans do have something akin to a griffin, except instead of being half eagle it is half owl, and is actually (ironically) quite small. it’s about the size of (normal earth) dog, and has snowy white feathers and fur to blend into it’s surroundings. they usually live by lakes and eat fish and small game. griffins, like most capellan birds, will move to be close to capellan people when they make their nests and lay eggs- this is in hopes that the fire inclined capellans will help them keep their eggs warm. because of this age old bond between species, there are huge nesting areas in most capellan cities. huge, glass domes with easy to access entrances for griffins and birds flying in, and a beautiful park inside. capellans are free to walk around and visits, so long as they don’t disturb the animals. fire inclined capellans will frequently volunteer at these parks, though the temperature is usually high enough on it’s own inside. griffins do imprint, so that’s something capellans have to be wary of, lest the griffins imprint on them.

volume

how loud you speak is determined at least partly by your air stream, and therefore the more air you can put behind it, the louder you can speak. so capellans, who have four lungs, can speak much, much louder than a human when they needs to.

i’d imagine cassandra already speaks a bit louder than normal, but i’ve always hc’d her as being a naturally loud person. but yes, when cassandra yells, it’s extremely loud and powerful.

the suffix -ndra

-ndra is the orphan’s suffix, but more specifically…its the suffix of the unwanted. only children who are given up at birth, are completely disowned from the family, or choose to cut ALL ties to their families have this suffix.

the reason that the suffix -ndra has a negative connotation to it is because…well, if a kid is born with the suffix -ndra, that means they were given up at birth, and while adults aren’t going to being mean about it- just the opposite, adults regard -ndra kids with a great deal of pity (which boils cassandra’s blood btw)- it’s kids that will tease and bully and make fun of. and this is…sadly frequent.

as they get older, however, the reason why they have the suffix -ndra isn’t so apparent. the other way to receive the suffix -ndra is to be disowned by your family and stripped of your family suffix. you have to REALLY fuck up to be disowned. but anyway- people will start viewing those with the suffix with suspicion. were they born with it, or were they stripped of their family suffix? most capellans with the suffix -ndra will take their partner’s suffix when they get married.

capellan war songs

there is such a thing called capellan war songs, and they work like this- you know you can sing-speak something in capellan only a certain number of ways. it’s a variation or small edits to the same musical phrase. in capellan war songs, what the music that the capellans are singing and the words that they’re saying don’t match up. so the music is what’s really important- they’re using that to suggest a specific phrase, but the words that are coming out of their mouth are inconsequential.

only someone who is fluent in capellan would be able to pick up on this, which is why it works so well when at war with non-capellans. no one wants to learn capellan

singing vs. speaking

capellans, as their language might suggest, adore music. the difference between speaking and singing in capellan in generally found repetition of phrases, and be a lot…smoother than regular speech. there is a particular…emotional component that separates speech from song, and this is generally the biggest factor.   this means that passionate speeches can quickly transform into powerful music if the speaker gets swept up by their emotion, and love confessions are generally considered to be song by default. it should be noted that because capellans are singing anyway, the transition into song isn’t…weird at all to them. it’s completely natural to them.

capellan festivals

at least three holidays celebrating the different inclinations

i say three, because the ice and fire inclinations are largely regarded as two halves of one whole, or at the very least, sister inclinations. they’re celebrated on the same day. 

i feel like this would be on the same level as mother’s day & father’s day? like “it’s time to appreciate your local life/light/fire/ice inclined capellan.”

you just take the time to let them know you appreciate them.

a capellan’s inclination is a huge part of their identity, and the four inclinations are a huge part of capellan culture and society 

a festival in the darkest, coldest part of winter

this is capella at it’s worst, and came about as a way to provide hope and light in the darkest part of the year

it’s four days long, and is a time to come together and share warmth and food and love

note: these are just the barebones. more will be added as i develop them.

not meant to live alone

i don’t think i’ve said this but…capellans aren’t meant to live alone. like humans, capellans are meant to live in groups and rely on each other. cassandra is very much an anomaly with regards to her situation - fire inclined and ice inclined capellans in particular need each other to balance themselves. so the way snowball will damn near give herself hypothermia when she uses her powers without her suit? not supposed to happen. the way cassandra brushes with death every time the center of her inclination shifts? not meant to be that way. their powers are not supposed to put themselves at risk because they are not meant to be living alone.

[the-undertale-mouse]

Handplates : Tempus Pt 1

    Handplates is a really cool if dark take on the Papyrus/Sans origin story by @zarla-s and if you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend it. This is a spinoff of that in which a human enters their lives. Some things may be inaccurate, but please be patient with me. I just need to get it out of my head and I need some feedback. ~miamouse

  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5

“Say hi to King Fluffy Buns for me. Us war vets got to stick together.  Maybe we should have a cards night or-,” Gerson said as Gaster paid for his groceries.

    “I’m sorry I have a very tight schedule,” Gaster said, cutting the conversation short. Not that he didn’t appreciate everything the ‘hammer of justice’ did in his time, but the old war vet had a tendency to ramble, and Gaster really did have a schedule to keep. Any time away from the lab not working was time wasted to Gaster, except he still needed to go out every now and then to buy food.

    “Don’t be such a stranger,” Gerson said well-meaningly.

    Gaster took his leave and started back along the road to Hotland, taking special care to avoid the nonsensical beings dubbed ‘tems.’ he just didn’t have the time to deal with the silly creatures. He made it safely past them without an encounter and sighed with relief as he stepped into the darkening lantern room. He could use his one functioning eye socket to glow and show him the path, but he didn’t bother. He knew the path so well, he didn’t strictly need to see. Not many monsters came this way, it was too dark and depressing. He liked this room, it was peaceful and solitary. He did not expect someone to bump into him. He did not expect to drop half the groceries he just bought. He did not expect them to scream, “Ah! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Most of all, he did not expect them to be human. But it happened anyway.

    Panic flooded his chest cavity, despite their words of apology and concern directed towards him. A human? Here, now? Right in front of him? What to do? He had confidence he could easily capture it and bring it to the king, as was protocol, but he couldn’t stand the thought of the look in the king’s eyes after he killed yet another human. He could kill the human himself and bring the soul to the king. It would be no trouble, he’d killed his fair share in the war, and those were adults. By the look of it, this one was a child not yet full grown. He would just say he found it that way. Tragic for the human, good for the monsters. How long could it last in the underground anyway? He was surprised it made it this far. He was doing it a favor, cutting off its misery short.

    He shifted into ‘fight mode’ turning its soul blue from the get-go (well, darker blue, since it was already a pale blue.) This would be over with soon, if he worked straight through lunch, he could be back on schedule. It wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to.

* * *

    Tempus accepted that her apologies didn’t work the moment her soul became heavy and the skeleton across from her started sending bone-shaped bullets her way. The increased gravity made it difficult, but she was very good at detecting patterns and timing her movements just right. She managed to avoid all of his intricate waves of bones with the least amount of energy possible. She was able to catch a breather and use a little trick she called “check stats.” She did this with everyone who chose to fight her in order to understand them a little better and find a way to appease them.

    ‘Wing Dings Gaster. LV 6. Hurt some people on purpose. That’s probably bad. Though maybe some of it was in self-defense or something. I don’t know, I wasn’t there. HP 200/200 MP 55/60 AT 6 DF 7. Royal Scientist obsessed with breaking the barrier.’ Tempus gulped. Even if she didn’t lose her cute ribbon, he could kill her in 2 hits (she was weak for a human, she only had 10 HP.) She could use one of her tricks like “redo” or “teleport” but those always left her feeling tired and hungry. If she could negotiate a solution, she would always try that first. She had to think fast as she dodged the next, trickier volley of bones.

* * *

    The human was exceptionally skilled at dodging. Gaster would have been impressed if it weren’t so annoying. It was just making the battle drag out longer. Between the volleys of bones, the human attempted to reason with him. Its efforts were fruitless. He just tuned it out. Nothing it said mattered. They needed its soul for the barrier. There was no discussing it. Gaster did not indulge it with replies, it probably wouldn’t understand his accent anyway, and he doubted it knew how to read his hands. Talking to it would be pointless, and he did not like to do anything pointless. He was, however, intrigued that it wielded no physical weapon. This was odd for humans since most of them could not wield magic. On the off chance it could use magic, why didn’t it? It was in very real danger and did not defend itself besides dodging and expelling useless chatter. Perhaps it was luring him into a false sense of security. Its soul signature was patience after all. It could be waiting for the right moment to strike, for all he knew. As he was thinking that, the human changed tact, but not in the way he expected.

* * *

    Tempus had four different logical actions she could use on Gaster: reason, plead,  threaten and joke. In addition to actions, she could use a ‘trick’ to manifest magical versions of her toy knife to attack him. She dropped the real one back in the ruins when she promised herself she wouldn’t use it to hurt anyone. With magic, you could manipulate it so that the person on the receiving end could be left with 1 hp, no matter how many times you hit, but that was her most desperate move. More desperate than attempting to actually spare him or run away, both of which would be very desperate indeed, considering his strength. She was getting to that point of desperation though.

    She tried pleading and reasoning several times, hoping to wear him down, but to no effect, since he didn’t seem to be listening. Maybe he was deaf. An idea occurred to her: perhaps he wasn’t ignoring her, perhaps he actually couldn’t hear her pleas. He didn’t have ears after all. There was no guarantee he understood ASL, but it had a better chance of success than sparing him. She gave it a shot, thanking her stars she knew sign language since she was little.

  “Please stop. I’m not going to try to leave the underground. I don’t want to hurt you or your king. I know you need my soul for the barrier, but you don’t have enough anyway. Can’t I stay in peace, at least until the last human falls?”

* * *

    Once again, this human surprised Gaster, this time by speaking in hands; a highly unusual trait, even among monsters; many understood, but few actually knew how to use it themselves. He was so stunned, he forgot to ignore what it was saying. ‘It made a good argument,’ he begrudgingly acknowledged. That didn’t mean it wasn’t lying about being a pacifist. True, it didn’t have any LV or EXP but, who’s to say it would never gain some? No matter what it said, he couldn’t let it roam free. Humans were far too dangerous and unpredictable. But perhaps it didn’t have to be killed yet. If its power could be restrained, harnessed, then maybe freedom was closer than it seemed. Plans formed in his head for how to get and use that power. The possibilities it presented were endless. It would almost be a waste to kill it so soon.

* * *

    Gaster considered for a moment then said both out loud and with his hands, “If I let you live, will you come quietly?”

    Tempus did not like the idea of an LV 6 scientist taking her captive, but what choice did she have? “Yes. I’ll come quietly.” she signed and spoke. The battle ended. 0 EXP and 0 G gained.

    “Oh, I can hear you just fine. I was just ignoring you earlier.” Gaster said bluntly.

   She had a feeling this was the case, though she had hoped better of him. “You don’t have to sign for me either. My hearing is just fine.”

   He paused and looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. “Really now, you can understand me?” he spoke out loud only, neither using his hands or magic to sign. His tone was colored in disbelief as if he highly doubted a human like her could know what he was saying.

   Tempus had no clue what he was implying. He did have a bit of an accent, but it was nothing crazy. “Yes, I can understand you. We’re speaking the same language, aren’t we?”

    “Indeed. But for now, I would rather you didn’t speak unless spoken to until we get back to the lab. You did agree to come quietly.” That’s not what that meant and he knew it, he was just being smug. But Tempus obeyed him. She was patient. She would follow along, do as he said...at least until she figured something out.

* * *

     As they walked on in silence, Gaster’s mind was buzzing.  ‘The human, hereby referred to as ‘subject 3’ or ‘3-T’ diverges from the norm in several notable ways. First, it understands me, signs or no signs, furthermore, it is capable of using the signs itself. Second, it speaks in a distinct font, as a skeleton would. Said font could be seen as a mix between the fonts used by Subjects 1 and 2. Given a name, the font would be ‘Tempus’ hence the ‘T’ in ‘3-T’ but I’m not telling it that, lest it feels special or something. Third, it chooses to wield no physical weapon though it may be in possession of magical ability, a rarity among humans. That is yet to be seen, but upon further inspection, it is noted subject 3 possess a certain aura and frailty unusual to its kind. This aura and frailty are reminiscent of the wizards who betrayed their monster kin(as far as I am aware, all wizards have some monster blood in them) and sealed us away nearly 1000 years ago. I’d be nostalgic if I didn’t still have the battle scars. Last, Subject 3 is adept at timing its dodges perfectly. I suspect it has something to do with its soul signature ‘patience.’ All these things ought to be looked into and studied. Subject 3 is lucky to have piqued my interest so thoroughly...or maybe unlucky. It’s too late either way.’