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absentialucis · 5 years ago

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( a thompson family meeting )

( a completed thread between Noel Thompson, Raylin Thompson - @fromthegodz, Finn Thompson - @oceanic-finn, and Dante Ledingham - @xxmythopoeic )

Raylin had big news to share with her brothers and things go a little haywire.

raylin thompson

The young brunette sat on the couch watching her brothers and her boyfriend “ok well uh I have news for you,” she started. How do you tell your two older brothers who practically raised you the biggest plot drop of your life. “I uhm.. I figured out what’s going on with my powers” she mumbled.

noel thompson

Being invited over to his sister's was both a concerning matter and a nice surprise. It had felt like so long since they had gotten together. But now that he was here, being sat down and talked to like he was going to be told his parents were splitting up. It felt ridiculous. Who was older in this scenario? "Okay? Want to enlighten me as to what that is?" Suddenly nervous that there was something else going on. "You're not hurt right? She's not hurt, right?" The last statement being aimed towards Dante more his sister. The boyfriend would know, right?

dante ledingham

Dante had to admit that he had been afraid of this moment. The relationship between Raylin and her brothers was of a kind that he couldn’t truly grasp, not even after a year of being with the girl. They were tight, the brothers were overprotective, and there had been a sense of tension between him and them. “No, she’s not hurt.” He replied to Noel, but stayed silent afterwards. This was something that Raylin had to do by herself.

finn thompson

Finn has honestly not worried about going over to Raylin’s until he’d seen Noel arrive as well. That made him incredibly suspicious, because this wasn’t a normal thing. If the two were going to see Raylin, it would be as a pair, invited together and not separately. He fiddled with his hands anxiously on the sofa as his sister started talking, his eyes never leaving her, not even when Noel spoke. “Good, that’s good right? If you’re not hurt though, what is it that’s causing the issues?”

raylin thompson

Raylin looked at over at Dante suddenly changing the idea of telling them, or the thought at least. It probably wasn’t a good idea, but she knew she had to tell them. They would figure it out eventually. “Uhm, I.. were..” she sighed and just let it out “I’m pregnant” she said quickly and sort of mumbled.

noel thompson

Once his sister broke the news to him, Noel took a moment to process the information. Pregnant? How had that even happened? Well, he knew how that happened but that was not a thought he was going to entertain at this current moment. "You're what?" he croaked out, turning to look at Finn to see how he was taking this bomb. While overprotective, Noel had never been as vocal about it. He preferred to allow Raylin a little breathing room. "And you're sure?" Of course, he knew that her boyfriend would know for a fact but part of it was still difficult to comprehend.

raylin thompson

She nodded slowly “yep” she said looking up at him trying to read his reaction. Dante was still alive so.. that was good. “I sort of blacked out at work and woke up in the hospital” she added to explain how she knew. They knew.(edited)April 12, 2020

finn thompson

Finn was stunned into silence at the revelation from Raylin. He couldn’t believe that she had been so silly, to allow this to happen to herself at such a young age; she had all the time in the world to settle down and have a family, at her age was not the time. Turning his gaze to the man that he had seen as a friend only moments before, his eyes narrowing and his jaw clenching. “And you let this happen, how? You fucking idiot.”

raylin thompson

Raylin opened her mouth to talk but quickly closed it. "I" she squeaked. Nope, words weren't coming still. "It's m-my fault" she said quietly, her confidence shutting down quickly and it was easy to see in her face. She looked defeated.

dante ledingham

He had tried to remain silent thus far, and somehow he had wished that the focus wouldn't shift to him as he sat there on the couch. But, he knew the temperament of Finn and as he saw the muscles clenching in the man's face, his eyes widened as a response. "Hey." He raised his hand almost pleadingly. "I...I did everything by the book."

noel thompson

Noel knew when to keep his mouth shut. Growing up with both Finn and Raylin made him the perfect person to handle the situation. If he weren't having a mental breakdown in his head. His baby sister was pregnant? He knew that she was an adult and therefore perfectly capable of living her life the way she wanted but that didn't mean he liked it anymore. Turning his attention towards Finn, watching his brother's move. Dante was not doing himself any favors at this point and Noel figured it wouldn't be long until Finn exploded.

finn thompson

“No, it’s not your fault.” Finn was quick to answer his sister, almost dismissing her as he kept his gaze on her boyfriend. He felt eyes on him, not just Dante’s but Noel’s as well, but he didn’t care. Balling up his hand into a fist as he sat there on the sofa, doing his best not to get up and kill the man then and there, he shook his head. “Well you obviously didn’t, did you?” He snapped. “she’s twenty-fucking-one, Dante!”

dante ledingham

Suddenly, he felt the need to stand up and create some distance between him and Finn. Dante knew that the atmosphere wasn't ideal for a pregnant woman, and that upsetting Raylin could have a negative influence on the baby. "She's an adult, Finn." He said quietly, gaze fixated on the girl. "She's an adult, she's amazing, and I love her, and I'm going to make their life absolutely wonderful."

raylin thompson

Raylins cheeks reddened but she couldn’t help but smile for a minute. Even though she was barely an adult, and honestly probably couldn’t take care of herself if she had to right yet, she loved him a lot. Her smile quickly faded though “it is my fault” she mumbled pulling her legs to her chin to rest her head on.

noel thompson

Hearing the bickering between Dante and Finn, Noel stewed inside his head. He had always been the more level headed between the three of them and he was proud of that fact. No reason to resort to violence when things could rationally be spoken about. Yet, as he looked at Raylin close in on herself, Noel stood to his feet. His brain was telling him to go and comfort his sister, yet as he faced Dante, Noel's body reacted on it's own accord. Fist cocked back, Noel slammed it forward until it connected with Dante's face. Without much of another look, Noel stormed his way through the house and out the front door to cool off.

raylin thompson

Raylin squeaked “Noel!” She called tears filling up in her eyes. “Dante?” She asked getting up quickly to make sure he was ok. “I’m so so sorry” she whispered tears flooding her face.

dante ledingham

To tell the truth, the hit did not come from the person he had expected. What hurt more, the actual punch or the fact that it was the calmer one of the brothers? Staggering back from the power of the blow, his hand quickly went to his nose, covering the flood of blood suddenly trickling down. "What the fuck." He mumbled, now losing his patience completely. "You are acting as if I had put a devil in her. It's our a baby, your nephew or niece, and as you are talking so much about age, I would expect you to act like yours."

raylin thompson

Raylin quickly ran to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth and got some ice for Dante bringing it back. Her hands were shaking as she passed it to him.

finn thompson

Finn watched as Dante stood up and without a doubt was ready to square up to him, no matter if the bloke was taller or not. However, what happened next surprised him and he watched as Noel’s fit swung out and hit Dante right in the nose, something that oddly made him feel satisfied despite the fact it wasn’t him that had done it. Watching as his brother stormed out, he paused for a moment to see why Raylin did, shaking his head when she quickly picked looking after her boyfriend then going after one of the two people that had raised her. Standing up from the sofa silently, he walked over to his sister, completely ignoring the male now as he was so sure he’d follow Noel’s lead, and probably wouldn’t be able to stop. “Give us time to digest this, and do whatever you can to keep this dickhead away from us.” He didn’t mean to be harsh to Raylin, but his words came out sterner than he’d expected - but she’d already decided where her loyalties lay. Turning on his heel, he quickly moved out of the front door, chasing after Noel.

raylin thompson

“Wait!” She said looking at Dante she followed him “please just wait you know I don’t do good with blood” she mumbled hoping that somewhat explained her actions though she knew it probably didn’t matter, she should have gone after Noel in the first place. Her chest felt like it was on fire. She couldn’t breathe.

dante ledingham

Though he appreciated Raylin's actions more than he could express in the moment, he felt a jab at his heart when hearing the words spoken by Finn. Dante knew how important the two men were for the girl, and to be the source of any kind of conflict between the three was a horrible, heavy feeling. As the three of them suddenly disappeared, the man walked into the bathroom to clean the blood off his face - somehow, he knew that this was something that they had to talk through themselves, and the only thing he could do, that would hurt Raylin the least, was to be there and comfort her when she gets back. Until then, he would stay in the background.

#noel | interactions #interactions | noel+raylin #interactions | noel+finn #interactions | noel+dante #a thread we did on discord and are posting it here now #plus it'll make things clearer with the siblings threads

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noelgarcias · 5 years ago

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[ tommy martinez, cismale & he/him ] did you know that NOEL GARCIA was on full disclosure? yeah, apparently the TWENTY FIVE year old CHEF was hiding HE’S LIVING UNDER A FALSE IDENTITY TO AVOID HIS PAST. i never would’ve expected it from our resident ARTISAN. i wonder how they’ll deal with this, considering how PASSIONATE & STUBBORN they are. // written by pepper: twenty three, est, she/her.

it is i, pepperoni mcpony back once again to bring you yet another messy ass muse. i am once again on that new muse juice, but also kind of on the recycled muse juice like i’ve used this fc and this name before but it didn’t work out, so i’ve changed a lot about him and revamped him and so now he’s better than every babeeyyy. down bellow will be a bit about noel, or rather dante if we’re being technical. you can just call him noel though. full disclosure (badum tss sdkjsdkj) this is gonna be messy as hell, because noel’s inspo is more scattered than percy’s but we’re gonna push through folks.

BIO ;

okay so noel’s family is kind of inspired by the quinns (from ‘you’ on netflix), the castillos (from how to get away with murder) and like henry gouldings family in crazy rich asians.

dante isaac campana was brought into the world in madrid spain with a silver spoon dangling out of his mouth. you’d never guess from looking at him, what with his hobo chic style and generally unkept appearance but it’s the truth. he came in this world out of a well paid surrogate as the second child of the infamous sofia and gabriel campana. and he wanted for nothing because of it, his parents made sure of that.

gabriel was a ceo and sofia was a wildly successful author, and from the moment noel could breathe his parents had his whole life set up for him. after all they wanted their son to be successful and they planned to make sure of it. a hefty trust fund in his name, to be accessible at the age of eighteen. a place in the family business that he would fill the moment he finished university. they even had an arrangement for who noel would marry eventually, before he was even old enough to understand what the concept of marriage was. it was all planned out for noel without the slightest bit of input from noel himself, and dante was just supposed for accept that. the funny thing is at first he did.

after all he was young and he had no reason not to. he loved his parents deeply at first, and they probably loved him in return, even if they had a bit of an odd way of showing it. dante’s parents were the type to shower their children in superficial affection. buying them things. kissing and hugging them when there was someone around to see. encouraging them only when it came to pursuits that they approved of. sure noel could draw, and learn guitar, and learn piano, as long as those things were just hobbies. as long as he didn’t forget the plan because The Plan was law.

dante only became aware of how conditional his parents love for them was when his elder sister started to slip under the pressure they put on her shoulders. anya campana was about fifteen at the time, and dante, six years her younger, had to watch as his sister crumbled. anya had always cared too much about what their parents thought of her, about impressing them and making them proud. it didn’t help that her parents made it clear that they would not accept anything less than excellence. the pressure drove anya to substance abuse, just to take the edge off, just to make things easier. it wasn’t long the weight of their parents expectations had drove anya to a full on addiction, all in the pursuit of success. but of course when dante’s parents found out they had no sympathy for her. only disappointment. their father had every plan to make anya, his eldest, the head of the company when she came of age, but that ‘slip up’ cost her the role. instead the position would be given to dante, and anya would be sent quietly to rehab. it was an eye opening experience for dante, honestly. to see just how replaceable their parents saw them.

the truth is the campanas were fake. plastic. sure they smiled in the public eye and the relationship between the siblings at least was genuine, but the truth was gabriel was cheating on sofia when he thought no one was looking, and sofia had openly slapped each of her children across the face at least once, usually when she got a bit too much wine in her. the older dante got the more and more he felt his love for his parents becoming more of an obligation than anything tangible.

when dante was thirteen, around the time anya’s second stint in rehab, all hell broke loose in the campana household. initially dante thought that his mother had uncovered one of his fathers many affairs again, but instead it was much worse. his mother had discovered his father had an illegitimate child with dante’s favourite childhood nanny of all people. considering sofia couldn’t have children herself (hence the surrogate for both of the campana children) and even gabriel was struggling with impotence, this was a shock and a slap in the face. only emphasized by the fact that dante’s ex nanny had passed away, leaving dante’s father as the kids legal guardian.

and so suddenly dante had a younger sibling. it was a situation that took getting used to but it wasn’t long until dante adored them, and the feeling was quickly mutual. while dante’s father could barely interact with the child without inciting his wife, and dante’s mother treated them with coldness, dante and his sibling became painfully close due to circumstance.

for years it went on like that. the three campana siblings all attempting to impress their parents for different reasons. his youngest sibling to feel less like an outsider, dante just because he knew no other way, anya because she desperately wanted to get back into their parents good graces. but anya never could do anything quite right, always somehow ended up messing up spectacularly and publicly. until one day, anya disappeared.

dante and his younger sibling were the first to notice. his parents just assumed that anya was on another bender, and when the siblings brought this to their attention that’s exactly what they said in reply. but they were wrong. in 2012 anya campana was kidnapped and held for a ransom of one billion dollars. dante can still remember getting the ransom call. he can still remember the sheer panic, the cold fear. and he can still remember his father refusing to pay the money. trying to negotiate with the kidnappers, as if anya’s life was just another deal. he can remember begging his father just to pay the money, because it wasn’t like they didn’t have it. but his father was convinced he could get the kidnappers to lower the price, or that the police would find anya before he had to pay it. they didn’t. anya campana died in the winter of 2012 at the hands of a couple of common criminals, all because their father apparently had his own idea about the worth of each of his children.

dante was furious and disgusted and grieving. his sister, his confidante and likely one of the two people in his life to love him unconditionally, was gone. dante officially snapped when his mother had the audacity to write a book about the experience. by the time the book was picked up by a publisher, dante had packed his bags, liquidated his trust fund, taken his younger sibling and fled spain with two new identities for them both. his sibling was under the age of eighteen at the time, so the campanas really could have called the police and reported dante for kidnapping, but dante knew that his parents wouldn’t risk making a scene so soon after the spectacle that anya’s death was. he and his sibling would be safe for a while as long as they laid low. and they did. dante -- now known as noel garcia-- and his sibling moved to san francisco and have been keeping a low profile ever since.

honestly, noel adapted to the american dream like a fish to water. having a new name, having no one in this continent knowing who he was, finally being out from under his parents thumb -- it was all so freeing, and noel really dove head first into that feeling. ever since he’s just been living the life he always dreamed of having. doing exactly what he wants and nothing less one hundred percent of the time (which is exactly how and why he got married, and is still married honestly). he lives his life on pure free spirited impulse one hundred percent of the time, with exception of rare show of responsibility he puts into helping raise his younger sibling. he tries to live his life in a way he hopes would make his sister proud. he’s determined to live enough for the both of them.

somehow, despite the multiple private investigators his parents have undoubtedly sent to find them, they’ve remained undetected. that is until full disclosure decided to expose him. now noel is just waiting for the day one of his parents shows up at his door demanding he come back to take over the family business. he isn’t looking forward to it, but he is kinda looking forward to finally telling them to fuck off, which is really the only silver lining.

PERSONALITY ;

god who knows folks like i said dkjsdjksd noel is a mess in my brain

PASSIONATE THOUGH! god he’s so passionate, like noel just feels everything on 10 one hundred percent of the time. The type to get teary eyed over a dead bird, but also the type to like stay up five days straight working on a project because he can’t get it out of his mind

despite this thinks romantic love is a straight up myth lmao because of his parents relationship, so we love a contradictory king. a bleeding heart but also a philiophobe.

nurturing honestly? but only with people he actually cares about like his sibling and wife. a dad friend i suppose.

but also impulsive. like the type to suggest going to vegas on a whim and get WILDLY FUCKED UP DRUNK, but also that really coherent drunk who can be doing body shots one minute and be trying to gently coax someone else to drink water the next.

thinks he’s funny! sometimes he is tbh. very sarcastic honestly.

a big ol’ flirt just naturally. also bi, so equal opportunity for everybody.

very touchy feely tbh because he’s a tactile person.

a live and let live kinda guy like actually,,, so close to a hippie that percy is triggered.

a bit promiscuous but he’s okay with it. he’s a hoe but he knows it you know.

the most generous person when it comes to money and kindness. the type to sit down with a homeless person and end up giving them his jacket, five hundred dollars, and a new outlook on life.

the type to hold a grudge until the day he dies, but also the type of person who can’t NOT help someone who needs help you know. like he hates his parents but if his mother called him tomorrow like i want to see you one last time before i die, he would fly out to spain to see her smh he might not talk to her the whole time because he’s petty and like ‘there, you’ve seen me’ efjkdsfj but he’d do it.

very liberal. literally can’t talk to conservatives without wanting to physically fight them. has definitely gone to a protest and gotten arrested for punching a nazi. luckily was released before the whole living with a fake identity thing could be found out.

HEADCANNONS ;

alright now onto the fun stuff.

deaf in his left ear and has been all his life. it’s kind of difficult for him to hear a specific person talking in a crowd of too many people, especially if you’re standing on his left so he might straight up text your instead. also if you’re standing on his left side in general, he might turn to face you better to hear you.

noel’s occupation is a chef at a restaurant but in truth at heart he’s an artist. like his art is his heart, and it’s actually very popular and he gets a lot of offers from people wanting to buy it but he can never part with anything he’s made so he always refuses the offers, no matter how much money the customer is bidding. he has refused offers on grounds such as ‘i didn’t like the vibes he was giving off’ or ‘that asshole was wearing a jack johnson shirt’ or even, once ‘pretty sure i saw that guy in a dream once. he fucking sucked.’ so most of his art decorates his and evie’s apartment instead, and he’ll even give some to friends for free. noel actually wants to become a full time artist but considering how picky he is about who actually buys his art, it’s unlikely because he’ll literally make no money. hence, being a chef. no matter what noel enjoys seeing people enjoy his food, so it works out.

actually learned to cook from his family chef, and hasn’t really had time to get any professional training but he really wants to. he has absolutely snuck into culinary school very briefly before just to sit in on a few classes. just pretended he went there and made a bunch of friends and learned a lot of stuff, and even taught some culinary students a few things. but he was eventually discovered and kicked out rip, but it was a great time while it lasted.

honestly pretty good at anything having to do with his hands, hence the artisan label. noel is the type of person who knows nothing about like mechanics but can like fix something if you put it in front of him. likes to make furniture as a hobby so hit your boy up if you want a sexy chair. also makes sculptures and does a bit of pottery, like your boy has his fingers in more than a few pots

intelligent in the way that he just has a lot of pretty well informed opinions like if you want a fun fact don’t go to noel but if you want a good insightful conversation he’s your man.

a big defender of the environment.

has a bunch of tattoos. i imagine him with at least one sleeve and he’s probably starting another. is seriously considering a neck tat. his parents would hate it and that just makes him love it more.

honestly got married a bit because it was a choice he got to make for himself that his parents had no control over. the thought of his parents still believing he will be playing into the arranged marriage they had laid out for him only for him to tell them he already married his bandmate was super satisfying.

doesn't do drugs at all, the most hell do is smoke weed. used to see his sister at her worst (aka withdrawal symptoms, two overdoses) and so he doesn’t even want to be close to anyone who does drugs, cause he can’t do that again.

if you watch jenna marbles i want you to know that noel is julian in the kitchen and julian in the kitchen only

surprisingly has a green thumb? can revive almost any plant with relative ease

never learnt how to ride a bike tbh

surprising the type to get into physical fights when he’s drunk, which he hates, because it reminds him of his mother.

WANTED CONNECTIONS ;

younger sibling ; if you’ve guessed that i’m going to put a wc into the main for noel’s younger sibling than you’ve guessed right but if anyone here wants it before i put the message into the main let me know!

claire to his brad ; ... please. i’m begging here. noel is a chef but i haven’t decided where and i really want him to have a chef friend or baker friend who he just messes around with in the kitchen. maybe they even make amateur funnily little gourmet-makes-esque youtube videos where noel doesn’t show his face because he doesn’t want his parents to see but sdkjsdkj he’s like julian behind the camera, making comments and having a good time. give me this.

a virgo ; speaking of julian, noel does have julian energy and so he therefore probably needs a jenna. please give him someone to help with his impulse control. someone to say, hey, maybe you shouldn’t deep fry that turkey in a huge vat right outside your apartment in the middle of may. maybe you should just take a nap. you know?

a love hate relationship ; honestly i just want someone who noel actively despises but still helps out anyways. like he doesn’t like who they are a person, but he can’t leave them alone, because they’re usually in some sort of trouble and unfortunately noel just can’t watch people implode.

one night stands / hookups / previous dates ; noel’s marriage is open but since he was keeping his whole marriage a secret in the first place these people probably wouldn’t have known that at the time sdkjsdkj but noel is perfectly willing to explain that now that full disclosure has exposed them and he’s got no more secrets to keep.

a best friend ; or two! i’d love a bromance for him and another close friendship that doesn’t have to be a bromance, just someone who he’s really close to.

okay this has gotten hella long so i’m gonna stop now but like this if you want to plot and i’ll come running! and to anyone who got all the way to the end of this... you’re the real mvp. <3

#fdintro #n.g. | bio.#i... think this is longer than percy's #how did that happen #drugs tw #death tw #kidnapping tw #i think that's it!

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softfuzzyships · 5 years ago

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grade A friendship: noel and kai. both mild and polite and care a lot. kai makes bad jokes and noel actually laughs at them. genuine friends that enjoy each other's lowkey company

silver friendship: dazai and nagito. they just reinforce each other's bad habits but they also vibe together and get along just fine. goofballs but can turn on a dime

mid tier friendship: lio and claude. opposites in nature but same ideals. probably work better in a fight. lio thinks claude is a dumbass but will admit he's really smart and reliable. both want to make the world better and they're valid

could be friends if they tried: kyoko and sirius. both smart, purple, most likely have good taste in literature. thinks people around them are dumb. don't really like each other because they're both lavender but if they got over that, they'd be pals

true acquaintances: claude and elizabeth. both aware of each other but just never really interact on deeper levels. are polite in passing and hold no ill will

Not Friends(TM): muzan and dantes. will never stop being mad that the other stole their look. both angry jerks with eyes that could kill. avoid each other instead of confrontation

low tier enemies: kai and tohru. kai knows everything wrong w tohru and kinda feels pity for him. tohru thinks kai is always plotting to kill him and he's probably right. will never be in the same room together

true enemies: lio and lelouch. they are alike but will never amount to it. lelouch may be taller than lio, but lio could kick his ass anyday and be fine w it. lio is not a jealous person at all and lelouch is 100%. opposite personalities that just Do Not get along ever

#my f/os #this was a fun one gjhdjgjsbgjrhsbcn

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glapplebloom · 7 years ago

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About time I finish what I started.

Before we get to the top 10, since this season has 25 episodes, let me sum up the ones not in my top 10.

Greninja VS Espio - That Greninja sprite just looks ugly. Makes me wish there were better ones out there.

Kratos VS Dante - Loved that they used the MUGEN Kratos, but the match up didn’t thrill me.

Iornman Vs Mega Man X - It is a great way to start the new season. But other matches topped it.

Broly VS Doomsday - This is what it looks like when Doomsday skips leg day. Other then that, two over hyped guys fighting each other. But thank Dawn of Justice it was Doomsday Vs Hulk. I would hate the idea of Broly getting a win before Goku if Broly replaced Doomsday in more ways than one.

Ken VS Blaziken - Its my Street Fighter love that keeps this low. Otherwise, great fight and excellent use of those Wild Type Blaziken sprites.

Sasuke VS Killua - If I knew more about Hunter X Hunter, this would probably be higher.

Noctis VS 2B - About time someone used those FF:BE sprites. They look so good! Shame I have no clue who either of these two are.

Goku Black VS Black Adam - A fun way to end the season. Would like to see in a real DB.

Link VS Meta Knight - I was rooting for ya Link. But sadly, Meta got the win.

Guile VS Paul Phoenix - Oh, this was just too funny! Would have been the funniest if it wasn’t for others.

Cloud VS Guts - Excellent choice of Cloud Sprites. Was rooting for Guts but it does show Cloud would look good in 2D.

Aigis VS Noel Vermillion - Another case of having no clue who these two are, but it was animated beautifully.

Iron Fist VS Akuma - I love the idea of Akuma going all the way to New York just to beat him up because of the Netflix series. And I haven’t even seen it yet.

Blue MaryWii Fit Trainer VS Dhalsim - Outside the recolor, this was a surprisingly fun fight. Would love to see Dhalsim in a DB as long as this guy is animating it.

Captain Falcon VS Viewtiful Joe - This is just fun animated. Would love to see these two again in another DBX.

And now to my top 10.

#10 - Alucard VS Dimitri

The only issue I have with this fight is that, despite how beautiful the Castlevania sprites usually are, comparing them to SNK’s take on the Darkstalker’s Vampire is just hard to see. But the animation is beautiful, the fight was thematically perfect and that ending! I so want a Castlevania Rep in a Death Battle!

#9 - Magneto VS Darth Vader

Magneto is another fighter I would love to see in a Death Battle and this is a teasing taste of him in action. Also a 3D animated fight not by Torrian. I have to say, the person did an excellent job. I would love to see him do a DB. But as is, this was a great fight and shows how skilled these two are.

#8 - Zero VS Strider

I love the choice of the Project X Zone sprites being used here. It makes the two look more interactible than having clashing styles. The fight was animated beautifully and showcased what the two are capable of.

#7 - Mario VS Luigi

A friendly tennis game turns into violence while the villains try to celebrate a Birthday. This was just funny. And its nice to see my favorite Nintendo Villain get the win.

#6 - Raphael VS Wolverine

This is what I would call a Roller coaster ride of a fight. It may seem short when you’re looking at it from the outside but when you actually experience it its amazing. Its like a three minute fight packed into one. And excellent use of the rarely used GBA sprites. They may not be as pretty as the Capcom Fighters, they still got plenty of moves.

#5 - Samus VS Master Chief

My only complaint is Chief’s sprites being MMZ Edits. Which really doesn’t look as impressive as the Super Smash Flash sprites of Samus. Other then that, this was an amazing battle. Of all the DBX fights to be an official one, this one tops the list. And the first Lose of the Halo series too.

#4 - Genji VS Raiden

Did you know Metal Gear is undefeated? Three matches they were featured in and they won them all. I think the only other series with that claim is SNK’s Fatal Furies of Mai and Terry. But once again, awesome job on this 3D Animation.

#3 - Kenshin VS Zoro

This one was just beautiful. The camera work seeing them go all over the place and that final clash. I dare say it was one of the best looking DBXs.

#2 - Mega Man VS Bomberman

Funniest DBX of the season has to be this match. Seeing Mega panicking to the bombardment of Bomberman was just hilarious. And his method of escape was frikkin funny.

#1 - Vegeta VS Zod

Forget Ultra Instinct, the real ultimate power in Dragon Ball is Fighting for Pride. As seen in Dragon Ball Super, that pride of Vegeta is more powerful than a God of Destruction Replacement. And in this case, more powerful than a Kryptonian. The voice acting, the story, and that final scene all wrapped around awesome animation. It shows why Vegeta is just sometimes more of an interesting character than Goku.

And that’s my Top 10. What are your Top 10 of DBX?

#other

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akayamadanjaydotcom · 7 years ago

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Writing with a Virtue Wheel

In their article The Wheel of Virtue: Art, Literature, and Moral Knowledge Noel Carroll claims stories are written to convey systems of morality. Sometimes it’s obvious: Dante’s Inferno and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory have clear messages conveyed through character interaction and arcs. Sometimes it’s less straightforward: we could argue for hours what kind of morality is presented in Harry Potter, where characters are routinely rewarded for breaking the rules.

Carroll interprets this as a story’s characters being aligned on a wheel of virtue. To express the subtleties of their message, authors must include characters who represent a wide variety of different positions. If all the characters are either good or evil, there’s not much material to express points outside “these people are good, these people are evil.” When we add another spoke to the virtue wheel—another axis with which we may compare characters��we increase the depth to which we may express our themes.

What if characters in a book are either good or evil, and they’re either greedy or generous? How do good, generous people view good, greedy people? How do evil, greedy people view their generous counterparts? Do you think a good, greedy person could even exist, or is that a contradiction? The conflicts between these groups and the outcomes of those conflicts would demonstrate the author’s answers to those questions.

A virtue wheel is a valuable tool for generating characters. What’s your theme? What kind of characters are needed to express that theme? On what sliding scales of virtue must they be aligned? If two characters occupy almost the same spot in the virtue wheel, consider cutting one of them. They’re probably a waste of words. Suddenly creating characters is like sliding beads on an abacus and seeing where they end up. Then it’s easy to assign meaningful names.

The more characters you want to include, the more refinement the virtue wheel requires. Any pair of enemies should be able to find common ground, and any pair of friends should have a topic which sends them at each other’s throats. This tension between any two characters provides the opportunity for a deep moral. Where do characters draw the line between friend and foe? A complex wheel of virtue enforces shades of gray. The hero must make moral concessions to achieve their goal, and the consequences of betraying a virtue will be on full display to the reader.

But virtue wheels can be beautifully simple. A love triangle is a sort of three-pointed wheel, in which three characters chase each other while running from one another. Detective novels have at least a detective, a criminal, and a false suspect. These smaller virtue wheels are perfect for generating conflict, as any interaction must be between two characters with obvious agendas. As a conflict generator, the virtue wheel is the engine of the book.

If your story has lots of characters on a virtue wheel with so many spokes there’s too much room for nuance and you can’t write anything, let individual scenes focus on smaller sub-wheels. While broad strokes play out in the political theater at a snail’s pace, keep the plot moving with a rapidly spinning love triangle or mystery. With wheels within wheels we may express multilayered themes; what would it say if a protagonist acted one way for love, but another way in war? If two sub-wheels follow a similar beat structure they may imply meaning through parallels; if two characters choose different paths at the same fork in the road, that’s the perfect chance to show the value of a virtue.

Thinking of characters in terms of their virtues also helps clarify their moments of transition. A greedy character donating to charity shows movement along that spoke of the virtue wheel. If a criminal starts to hunt the detective and the detective has to ask the false suspect for protection, the wheel has reversed direction. The shifting of power dynamics is invaluable for conveying messages. Let characters change, and if they won’t, force them to.

Thanks for reading my thoughts! I hope this helps some of the people I see asking about how to make characters, or when to cut characters. Let your story be lean; cut everything you can. First drafts can be bloated, but subsequent drafts should be ruthlessly utilitarian.

If you’d like to read something from me, check out Akayama DanJay. It’s a serious religious discussion hidden by surrealism and giant anime robots.

#writing #books #novel #writer #wheel of virtue #virtue #character #making characters #writing characters #theme #writing advice #writing tips

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fleurtyherald · 7 years ago

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Did Starbucks know they were paying homage to a 7th-century Italian motif when they chose their logo? The first one below, on the left, is a melusina (melusine) or mermaid in the facade of San Michele, Pavia, Italy. The second one, on the right, is from the crest of the Colonna family.

I’m taking some time off from my hometown and am on a three-month cross country trip. If you’d like to see some of the stops I’ve made feel free to visit countryboycitygirl.com to read about them.

For now, I’m in Washington State and boy do they love Starbucks. I’ve been here for three weeks and what is that saying, “when in Rome”? So, I’m at Starbucks right now and wondered a little about their logo. I know the name comes from Moby Dick but I wonder where the mermaid with two tails came from. Did a little digging and found a cool Italian connection that I thought I’d report on.

I found an article from 2015 by Angelica Calabrese that explains it all titled, ” The Siren on Your Starbucks Cup Was Born in 7th-Century Italy”:

Three two-tailed melusines with mirrors. (Photo: cea +/flickr)

ON A LATE OCTOBER MORNING, the wind howls through the winding streets of ancient Otranto. Whitecaps curl up from a bright blue sea, smashing against the fortified walls of the southern Italian city. Otranto was once considered the easternmost tip of Western civilization, with just under 50 miles of Mediterranean sea separating the city from Albania. From the city’s bay, Crusaders left on missions to the Orient, early Christian travelers returned from pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and in the 15th century, the Ottoman Turks launched their attack on the city. All of these parties passed by the Otranto Cathedral at some point during their journey.

In the sunlight, the exterior of the cathedral is golden. The structure, built in 1088, is simple, with a few arched windows and carved capitals. But inside, wild animals, biblical characters, and fantastical creatures cavort across the cathedral floor. A monk named Pantaleone and his team of artisans created the enigmatic mosaic in the 1160s. It’s one of the largest in Europe and depicts all the important stories and figures of the time: the Tree of Life, the expulsion from Eden, Alexander the Great, elephants, sphinxes, centaurs, and much more.

How all of these stories and images from distant cultural traditions made their way onto the mosaic is still a mystery. But most intriguingly��at least for the contemporary coffee consumer–is a detailed image of a long-locked, sweetly smiling, twin-tailed mermaid.

The interior of Otranto Cathedral. (Photo: Lupiae/WikiCommons CC BY-SA 3.0)

Indeed, she looks a lot like the stylized green lady gazing staring serenely back at you from the white cup on your desk holding your cooling coffee. Though Starbucks claims that their image was originally drawn from a 16th century Norse woodcut, a little exploring reveals that the world’s most famous mermaid was famous long before the 16th century–and long before Starbucks.

On the backs of a male and female elephant, the Tree of Life stretches towards the apse of the church, with various stories documented on the branches of the tree. One segment is a medieval calendar, depicting every month of the year with its zodiac sign and related activities: for example, in September, a peasant pounds grapes with his feet underneath an image of Virgo. Another segment depicts heaven and hell, with punishments similar to those that would be described 200 years later in Dante’s Inferno. The fabled King Arthur rides his horse next to Cain and Able, laborers construct a soon-to-crumble Tower of Babel, the Roman goddess Diana shoots a deer, and in the mosaic version of a medieval bestiary, sphinxes and lions claw at one another.

With stories and symbols drawn from the Bible, the Koran, Greek mythology and medieval stories, the mosaic is a testament to the diversity of ideas that circulated in southern Italy during the Middle Ages.

The exterior of Otranto Cathedral. (Photo: Angelica Calabrese)

Inhabited since in the 8th century BC, with a strategic position at the center of a rich trade between the East and the West, Otranto would clock time as a part of the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Norman empires. The Cathedral, commissioned by the city’s Norman rulers for completion by local Greek-Italian monks, combines early Christian, Byzantine, and Romanesque styles. Otranto was also home to a thriving Jewish community from its inception, and some hypothesize that Kabbalah is the key to understanding the unusual mosaic.

The twin-tailed mermaid is located in a section of the mosaic typically thought to represent virtues to aspire to and vices to steer clear of, in the form of various mythical creatures and historical figures. Along with a unicorn, a leopard, an elephant, the Queen of Sheba, and others, the mermaid likely served to remind the many travelers who passed through the cathedral to beware the temptations, carnal and otherwise, that might lead them to stray from their path.

The twin-tailed mermaid mosaic at Otranto Cathedral. (Photo: Angelica Calabrese)

But in cities such as Otranto, with long histories of various rulers, cultures, and belief systems, no interpretation is certain, and it’s nearly impossible to trace the precise origin of an image like the twin-tailed mermaid. In many different ancient civilizations, from West Africa to Mesopotamia, the mermaid was a fertility symbol uniting man and nature. The first recognizable mermaid image appears on an Assyrian palace in 800 BC, with later cameos in Homer’s The Odyssey, and Etruscan funerary urns from 300 BC. Others claim the mermaid is related to Sheela-Na-Gig, a fertility symbol found in Ireland and Britain, and still others say that she may have been inspired by the allure of women from Eastern countries.

The particular split-tailed and long-locked mermaid whose descendants populate coffee cups all over the world first appears on the mosaic floor of a cathedral in Pesaro, Italy. This mosaic was created during the Byzantine era, in the 7th century. Five hundred years later, she became a focal part of the mosaic in the Otranto Cathedral.

It’s difficult to know where else she might have been depicted in the centuries in between, what mosaics and sculptures and frescoes may have been lost over time. But Otranto was a highly trafficked port city at the time, and it is possible that the image in the cathedral may have inspired other artists and travelers.

The mosaic’s depiction of Satan in hell. (Photo: Angelica Calabrese)

Also popular in port cities like Venice, by the 13th century the twin-tailed mermaid began to travel through Europe. She became a crucial member of the medieval “bestiary,” a collection of animals used to decorate church capitals, porticoes, and religious texts. These fantastical figures served to warn men and women against the vices condemned by the medieval church, like temptation, greed, and pride. In the 14th century, a French text was published that described the story of Melusine, a beautiful queen whose bottom half became serpentine while she bathed; this character soon became associated with the twin-tailed siren.

When Starbucks was preparing to open its doors in 1971, the founders were in search of an image that could represent their fledgling Seattle coffee company. “There was a lot of poring over old marine books going on,” Starbucks staff writer Steve M. wrote in a 2011 blog post, and “suddenly, there she was: a 16th century Norse woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid, or siren.”

The original Starbucks logo. (Photo: Blanca Garcia Gil/flickr)

While some have tried to track down the “16th century Norse woodcut” from which the original image was culled, others, like blogger Carl Pyrdum, argue that such a woodcut never existed. “By the time woodcut images on paper arose in medieval Europe, around 1400 give or take a decade, there weren’t any people that you could properly call ‘Norse,’” he writes in a post on Got Medieval.

The “woodcut” was likely drawn from an image of Melusine, who was popular in France and Northern Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. This first siren had bare breasts, a plump stomach with a belly button, and promiscuously splayed tails, though redesigns have hidden these features. Howard Schultz, the businessman who transformed Starbucks into a contemporary global coffee empire, described her as “barebreasted and Rubenesque,” in his book Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time.

Today’s Starbucks logo. (Photo: Noel Reinhold/flickr)

The mermaid was supposed to be “as seductive as the coffee itself,” he writes. Seductive, yes–but a medieval consumer confronted with the symbol would have known that she was a reminder to resist temptation, rather than to succumb to it. According to the company’s website, Starbucks also believed the siren’s image could “capture the seafaring history of coffee and Seattle’s strong seaport roots.”

Seen on the logos across the world as well as in the mosaic of the Otranto Cathedral, the siren is a potent symbol of globalization–but a globalization that was thriving long before Starbucks came around. With her roots (or rather, her tails) in the Mediterranean basin, she is the inevitable production of the countless cultural interactions and exchanges that took place in the region–like coffee itself, and, in fact, like Starbucks. After all, it was Italian coffee culture, its espresso drinks and leisurely cafés on every corner, that inspired Schultz to create his own coffee behemoth.

Maybe someday the mermaid on the mosaic of Otranto will be face to face with her modern reincarnation on a glass-walled coffee shop on the other side of the church’s piazza.

Italian Connection: Starbucks Logo Did Starbucks know they were paying homage to a 7th-century Italian motif when they chose their logo?

#Italian #italy #melusine #origin #otranto #starbucks #twin-tailed mermaid

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ncghtshifts · 2 months ago

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Struggling to keep their composure, Frankie felt their stomach threaten to all but backflip and leap right out of their mouth. Fingers twitched to squeeze tight and simultaneously let go, ready now to skate across wherever they could reach Dante. They struggled with feeling unsure, where they’d usually leap forward with anyone and everyone, but Frankie at least made an attempt to not bother Dante with any clinginess or too-soon confessions. It wasn’t like he made it easy, though. Any doubts were usually swatted away before Frankie could even lift a finger, Dante already beating them to the punch. Between the delicate kiss to his palm, pet names, and compliments - it was a wonder Frankie didn’t lean in sooner than they did, surging forward to press a less than chaste kiss to Dante’s mouth. Still holding onto his hand, but looping their free arm around his companions waist to tug him in closer, greedy to their core and resolve slipping where it stood. If it weren’t for someone passing by and clearing their throat while doing so - a child gripping onto their hand, staring up at the two with wide eyes - Frankie probably would’ve just accepted the inevitable public indecency charge.

“Sorry.” They coughed sheepishly, giving the child a small, apologetic wave, but the group had already turned the corner to the next hallway. “Your fault - you’re… supposed to be focusing on the, uh, the sharks.” Feigning frustration, Frankie gestured around them, despite never even walking past the main lobby yet. The realisation filled them with momentary dread, unsure how they’d survive the entire outing if Dante was going to be so vocal and hands on - no one has ever been braver than they were in that moment. “You’re giving me a headache.” Frankie complained - though it was far from the truth - before finally dragging Dante forward. “Is this… really your first time here?” With how often Frankie came here in their childhood alone, the feat seemed impossible. They were on a first name basis with some of the older aquatic life here. “There’s - there’s some pressure now. Stop ogling me, I… I can’t focus. And I wanna give you, y’know. A worthwhile time here. I’ll feel… kinda lame if this is, uh, a total dud. I’m trying to impress you.” They were always trying to impress Dante, it must’ve been obvious, but Frankie still felt a need to express it verbally.

Ironically enough Dante had never truly set foot inside of an aquarium. He’d never been the type, not even as a child, to entertain himself with animals of any kind. Today was a treat and a treasure, as was any time spent with Frankie. Just as he rounded the corner, car parked a short distance away, he laid eyes on the other. A smirk instantly dressed his face as he grew closer, “As I you, sweet Frankie.” he responded with a bite of his lower lip. Dante stood back quietly, watching and admiring at his own pace while Frankie seemed to ponder over thoughts and words. The display was not unfamiliar to him, but he did enjoy the face of focus that took over his dear companion, as if they had far more to say than they allowed themselves to speak. He didn’t feel the need to fill in the packed silence between them, allowing his gaze to speak for itself because words simply didn’t compare. With a chuckle, Dante followed, reaching down to grab Frankie’s hand and bringing it towards his lips where he planted a kiss right inside their palm. “How are you, darling?” Dante asked, falling into step as they entered the building, “I must admit, this is a first for me.” He let his eyes wander around the place, the smell of fish and dew already thick in the air. “I’m not sure what I’m most excited for, the sharks or you.” Dante turned back to face Frankie, ready to deliver his own compliment now that he’s fully drunk him in. “Although, with how good you look, I fear the sharks don’t stand a chance.”

#frankie | interactions #frankie noel | dante kidd #i didnt proofread if theres mistakes no theres NOT!!!!!!!!

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