#it makes them interesting and it provides good conflict when focusing on them

[bibliophilicstranger]

I investigated the TV trope page and noted something you may have missed: there are numerous examples of the same trope far predating the Harry Potter series. The idea of turning a good character bad for one reason or another, including for shipping, is not a new one. It wasn't started by Harmony fans. Someone could easily have named the same trope The Roman's Odysseus, Zeus the Rapist, or Raoul the Alcoholic. The trope may have been used by Harmony fans, and the existence of those fics may have given the name to the trope, but frankly that says more about the media preferences of the people writing the article. If I had to guess, it was created during the heyday of Harry Potter, as that coincides with when TV Tropes was getting popular (there are approximately 24 pages with Harry Potter-related titles, three of which, including "Ron the Death Eater," are fanon terms). Based on the current Trope-naming guidelines, were the same page created today it might well not mention a character at all but be named "Good Guys Go Bad."

I'm going to have to ask you to provide some kind of credible article on Harmony shippers sending death threats as unfortunately Rowling gets so many of them that my searches are turning up more recent events. Were that to be true it would be unfortunate. Disappointment is warranted, and the expression of that disappointment is allowed, but one should not send death threats, especially not over this.

I can't comment on "classist body shaming and look shaming comments" as I've never seen those particular attacks made. Unless you're referring to the bit from canon where he's got dirt on his nose? Ron is canonically tall and thin-- who on earth is body shaming him for that? And in comparison to whom? Harry is also skinny, with knobby knees.

Attacking Harmony shippers for their reading comprehension is another ad hominem attack and I must request that you desist on that front. For one, it's inaccurate to say that someone who ships Harmony lacks reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is simply the ability to read a text, process it, and understand its meaning. Two people can have equally good reading comprehension but reach a different understanding of the text by focusing on different aspects or bringing different theories to bear.

You seem to adhere to the opposites-attract, pigtail-pulling-is-cute, antagonistic-bickering-is-a-sign-of-attraction school. I concede that is a common enough trope of its own. You focus on the expressions of jealousy toward other romantic interests, the virulence of their squabbles and the explicit details provided. The very things you seem to favor, the "love-hate relationship" are the same things which concern Harmony fans, who worry that such a relationship would ultimately be unhealthy and devolve into domestic violence. If the 'hate' part of love-hate got significantly better over time, then it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but as late as book six Hermione has escalated from trading insults with Ron to sending birds to attack him. In book seven, when Ron returns Hermione punches him, yells at him, and wants her wand to curse him. We don't see them practicing a lot of healthy conflict resolution-- Hermione rightfully bears a grudge that doesn't seem to be resolved until after they visit the Lovegoods, and we don't see them have a discussion where they talk it out as much as they just go through another particularly dangerous event and it makes them ignore and forget any previous conflict-- just like books one and three. Once they're no longer fighting trolls, death eaters, and Voldemort, can Hermione and Ron actually resolve their disagreements?

In contrast, I, and many other Harmony fans, look for exchanges of support and comfort, understanding one another, prioritizing one another. I look at details such as Hermione's words to Harry in the Potions Challenge in book one, her bringing him toast the morning after the Triwizard champions are selected in book four, and his trust in her and prioritization of her desires in book five. There are also the details in book six of Harry comforting Hermione and talking her up to Slughorn and her comforting him in book seven when they visit the Potters' grave or when they learn about Dumbledore. There are a variety of times where they display compatibility by knowing what one another is thinking, or how they're likely to act. While Harry and Hermione do argue, they still treat each other with respect and even while at odds Harry usually acknowledges that Hermione's position is well-meaning. There are other examples where he expresses anger around her, but acknowledges he's not angry at her, but the situation or other people.

Before the explicit introduction of romance in book six, there were only hints in either direction. Even after book six, there was a chance that any romance or attraction wouldn't last. There are many couples who make it through all of high school only to break up as they get older. A first attraction between Ron and Hermione could have flared and burnt out, and Harry and Hermione could have gotten together in the end. Neither Harry's attraction to Cho nor Ron's to Lavender lasted, after all.

Now for the Ginny "fanfic" you mentioned. Are you talking about the forum post of that name from twenty years ago? The one that's not a fanfic, but a conception of ways that Ginny could be removed in book seven? That only actually has only 196 ways? I'll grant you they're not the most tasteful, but this has been done for many characters over the years, including Hermione, Draco, and Edward Cullen.

I'd disagree about who the most toxic people in the fandom are. You yourself reblogged a post acknowledging the toxicity of the Romione fans. In addition to having seen numerous attacks on Harmony fans by Romione fans (including yourself), I've often seen incredibly toxic behavior from Marauders era fans (ex: 1 2 3), especially the ones who ignore most of canon. I think there has been a decent amount of hatred towards Tonks and Remadora (ex: 1, 2, 3) but it's also easy for most Wolfstar shippers to ignore her existence, considering most Wolfstar occurs before the Remadora relationship is even remotely possible. I can't be bothered to expose myself to HarryxDeathEater ships to find examples of them being abusive to Ginny-- I have most of those tags blocked-- but I'm fairly certain Drarry fans have engaged in just as much Ginny bashing and the use of that love-potion trope you don't like.

Accusing someone of "playing the victim card" is a common form of gaslighting and I suggest you remove it from your vocabulary before your erroneous use causes harm. You're also applying it in a situation where it's false. To play the victim card, one must be fabricating or exaggerating victimhood. To see two asks where someone called me a bitch, look here and here. I've deleted others. Here's an out of the blue attack on Lily and here and here are some against Hermione. In your above response you validated what I said about attacks on reading comprehension, but here's another example. And here's the call for negativity against Harmony shippers. As you can see, these are neither fabrications, nor exaggerations and therefore your accusation is false.

Further, you would really rather preach that all Harmony shippers should accept being victims of cruelty, simply because some may have engaged in negative behavior in the past (and a past that in some cases is twenty years and a whole generation of fans ago)? That seems a rather slippery slope, don't you think? It's thinking like that which has synagogues in Canada and Australia firebombed, when those with particular views on Israel/Palestine attack all Jews over their disagreement with the Israeli government, even when those Jews have no say in what the Israeli government does. It's one thing to disagree with a particular person holding views you don't like, it's another to call for an attack on all shippers. Such an attitude only perpetuates toxicity in fandom.

Defend your ship if you like, but if you want a less toxic fandom, constrain yourself to arguing over the text. After all, don't you want to sow positivity for yourself, lest you dislike what you reap?

There is one thing in common with the PeterMJ (Spider-Man/Marvel) and Romione (Harry Potter) shippers; both of their pairings are 'canon' and have everything going for them thanks to favoritism by the author (J.K. Rowling)/ comic writers (Marvel). Despite all that, these

'canon' shippers aren't satisfied with having an already huge following and seek/continue to tear down on other ships (Harmione & PeterGwen) just to push their pairings to front and center. People like these are why we hate fandoms.

I can't comment on the Marvel portion of this ask as my knowledge of that universe is limited in scope and I'm not an active member of its fandom.

As for the Harry Potter part...

I think Romione fans have the issue that while their pairing is canon, it's not well developed in the text (very few pairings in Harry Potter are). We're told that they get together, marry, and have children, yet we don't actually see a lot of development of the relationship blocks that would support the longevity of their marriage. Yes, they went through the war together (although Ron abandoned them for a good portion of that) and yes they were friends, but their friendship was highly contentious and they spent significant portions of each year not speaking to one another or not hanging out (first year before they were friends, second year when she was petrified, most of third year, part of fourth where Hermione was more with Harry, part of sixth year, and part of seventh). Now, technically, first and second year don't count, but honestly, the only year they spend the entirety of together where they don't have a major fight is their fifth year. We know they like each other from Hermione's actions in book six and Ron's in seven, but we don't really see why they do, why that would turn into love rather than a teenage crush, or why they'd make it as adults.

Supposedly Hermione likes Ron because he's funny. Supposedly Hermione's maturity makes up for Ron's lack and he gets her to open up. While there's something to her liking someone who can lighten things up, if that's all then she could just as easily have liked one of the Weasley Twins instead. As a Hermione-type myself, I've often liked guys who were funny, but them being funny isn't enough. The guy I dated when I was 17 was funny, but he also lacked drive and dedication and in the end that made us incompatible in the long-run. Yeah, it's nice to have friends that can make you laugh, but in a partner for life you want someone you don't have to nag all the time when you need them to do something.

We also know that JKR admitted that Romione was her personal wish-fulfilment, clinging to her original idea of the plot, whatever that was, rather than a natural outcome of what she actually wrote. She also said they'd have needed counseling and their relationship was further questioned in the Cursed Child.

This puts Romione shippers on a weaker footing than most canon-pair shippers in other fandoms, making them defensive. Yes, they have the benefit of canon, but not the textual support, other than 'well, our people got married.' They can be threatened by Harmony supporters, who have fairly well crafted arguments grounded in the text for why Harry and Hermione make sense as a pairing. This makes Harmony a greater threat than pairings which are more loosely grounded in the books: Dramione, for instance, is never going to happen in a close-to-canon universe, but it takes very few tweaks to make Harmony work. Additionally, many of the arguments used in favor of Romione are equally as powerful for Harmony, such as the length of their friendship. Indeed, many of the arguments regarding Hermione's feelings for Harry specifically are a lot stronger, because we do see instances where she chooses Harry over Ron, such as in the seventh book.

It is unfortunate that these tend to become rather nasty fights that devolve into personal attacks on the sanity, demeanor, or reading comprehension of the Harmony shipper. I've seen many people go after another Harmony shipper on here pretty nastily, and I've heard tiktok and instagram are worse. Some screenshots I've seen are basically Romione shippers vowing to spread negativity about Harmony just because they don't like some of the fanfic people have written. As if it weren't possible to just, you know, not read the fanfic you don't like.

It would be nice not to get people randomly calling me a bitch in my inbox, but you know, such is life. I don't know if they dislike me more for shipping Harmony or Jily at this point but I really don't care.

[the-owl-tree]

on that note, if you were going to rewrite the sisters/write a similar group, what sort of approach would you take? ( planning on doing something like that if the motivation gods bless me)

i've made some big changes for the sisters for my beanie blog (pspspsps @askwcbean) but I think it really depends on the group you're trying to create. I wanted to keep the Sisters as a sustainable, self-growing group but keep some of the flaws (their strong sense of a gender binary). I don't want to make a utopian society out of spite, but I do want to make a society that could reasonably survive. Soooo (a combo of my ideas & stealing from others):

my collection of bullet point ramblings under the cut

The Sisters are very open to those willing to join and learn. They are a collection of loners, rogues, and kittypets. Not only does this keep our bloodlines less janked up, but it makes sense as to why the group can keep a reasonable amount of cats - they aren't closed off like the clans.

They'll often adopt abandoned kits, cats who are in bad situations, and generally anyone who is willing to learn and work with the group. This is a group that relies on diplomacy and good relations with others, they should be very open to outsiders.

Get rid of the super special bloodline thing. It's both a personal and practical thing, it doesn't work for a group like this. Have being able to see spirits be something you can be taught

I'm not giving Tree super special ghost powers. Sorry, I'm going to forever make fun of his novella it's so fucking stupid. He can see ghosts and has a heightened sensitivity to them, but it takes multiple Sisters and Brothers to be able to summon ghosts into views.

Keep the "Mother" kittypet origin story.

But how do they function? Well, the Sisters seem to operate a fairly small group, it doesn't really make sense to me for them to need a centralized structure. So, going for a decentralized system in the Sisters, power is distributed across the group and there is an emphasis on teamwork and decision making on all parts.

Choosing representatives for when meeting new groups tends to fall on reputation, charisma, and experience. Moonlight was chosen for these reasons, but she does not control the entirety of the group, though cats will lean on her words when she gives advice. She doesn't have legitimate power like a Clan leader, she relies on social influence and respect. Her word isn't law, but she does carry some weight due to her experience.

The Sisters have a fairly strong gender binary: Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, Fathers. You can be one or the other, they'll try to work around those who feel they don't fit for either role....but it doesn't always work out. I lean towards this not being decided by agab, you can shift from Brother to Sister and vice versa, it's those cats that don't exist in that binary who may feel out of place (but this is a wip idea and I want to tweak it more before i commit. i know for sure that Bean is one of those cats who doesn't want to fit this binary and is why she left to take up a "Brother" role despite not seeing herself as a Brother. I don't want them to treat them poorly, though it can happen, but that there's a lot of...reluctance to try and expand their ideas for these cats).

Toms don't get kicked out as babies. It's dumb, sorry everyone who likes that. There's no real logic to it besides a very half-assed attempt at trying to expand on the Sisters beliefs and even then, a kid with no training would get the shit kicked out of him by the wilderness lol

So, Brothers are socialized and trained on how to survive on their own. They're given information on medical herbs, hunting and gathering skills, best material to build dens and where to find a makeshift one in case of an emergency. Once again, this is not suddenly thrust upon them, they are socialized, this is something that they are believed to be as completely natural and an expectation for them.

When they are sufficiently deemed to be ready, the Brother is sent out to find a territory. They just don't just wander around (because I mean...the Sisters fill that role. They're nomadic). This is where I am yoinking a bit from others (notably bonefall's take on them), these territories act as base camps for the Sisters during their travels when they need to restock on herb supplies, have an injured or pregnant member, young kits, etc. That's why it's so important to them to have as many wide varieties of camps across their travels, and it's why Tree and Moonlight have some tension upon their meeting.

Boy picked a bad territory in their opinion, but in his defense, he didn't pick it for the Sisters. My base idea for these is Tree had a bad bad outing, but it needs work. I'll keep their strained relationship, but I'd like a little more depth to it just than the Erins beloved eeeeevvuuuulll mommmmyyyy (sooo scary!).

The Sisters believe they have a duty to help put spirits to rest, as well as help more malevolent ones find peace in the afterlife. They help with hauntings, lingering spirits, malicious spirits, etc.

They work in groups! The more malicious the spirit, the more Sisters it will take to pacify them and eventually release them from whatever is trapping them to the mortal plane.

Annnd so far that's what I've got! I have some more spirit lore over on my Bean blog, but this has been my working ideas for the Sisters themselves. Hope it helps :D

[astroismypassion]

Astrology observations 🟠🟠🟠

Credit goes to @astroismypassion

🟠 I previously wrote about how Aries Moon native didn't receive much attention from the opposite sex in younger years, which is why some when they receive much more attention, kinda turn into players. But now I concluded it's not only Aries Moon that didn't receive attention. It's also Pisces Moon. But for different reasons. They didn't receive much attention from the opposite sex, because they were focused on their own interests and were nerdy, bookworms, loved expanding their knowledge instead. Beware though, adult Pisces Moon can easily turn into players too. However, they usually just have some imaginary people that they think are after them haha, they invent fake stories of people thirsting after them to make themselves more appealing and to make others jealous.

🟠 I noticed real life Pisces Moon men try to “buy” their partner’s love and affection. They think if they won’t share resources with them or provide for them, buy them with gifts and favours, that the partner will leave. Some Pisces Moon men even pay women for sex. Now I also found a celebrity astrology example. Rapper Offset who is Pisces Moon native was accused by wife rapper Cardi B of paying women to have sex with him. My conclusion is Pisces Moon natives feel undeserving of love and feel they need to pay for it in order to get it.

🟠 I noticed a lot of women being fed up with Cancer Sun men stereotypes. They feel Cancer Sun men are being misrepresented of being clingy and needy due to many of them turning out cheaters. But honestly, I see Cancer Sun men cheating or not based on his Moon sign. It really depends on the sign, degree and how it is aspected. I most often noticed Cancer Sun men cheating if their Moon sign is Scorpio or Aquarius, Sagittarius and Pisces. While other Cancer Suns with Taurus, Libra, Virgo for example being fixated on their partner. There are a lot more traits in astrology community about Cancer Sun men, that people feel are slept on about them. Such as financial abuse, emotional manipulation, degrading, use of control. Some say never let a Cancer Sun man to move in your home.

🟠 One combination that is so under-rated, but one that I see often is Aquarius Sun and Scorpio Sun friendship. It’s much more rare to see these two date (but some still do!), Scorpio Sun most often goes for Virgo Sun instead Aquarius Sun, since they both are cerebral and logical. But Aquarius and Scorpio Sun friendships can be really common.

🟠 Scorpio Mercury/Mercury in the 8th house is just as bad to have as Gemini Lilith. You guys both see the worst traits of your sibling(s). The difference is that with Mercury you probably have a nasty way of communicating with each other, cursing each other out a lot, making threats or backmail each other. But with Lilith, there is so much jealousy and envy going on. You noticed your sibling being privileged in certain aspects of life starting by parents, later on by co-workers, the boss in the workplace.

🟠 Having Virgo Descendant is always easier than Gemini Descendant despite both being similar due to being Mercurial Descendants. With Virgo Descendant you are still able to be really organized, methodical and have a good sense of time management. While Gemini Descendants either have ADHD, poor time management skills, can be scared of certain social interactions, like calling in for a dentist’s appointment, having social anxiety, poor focus and concentration and can’t sit at once place for too long.

🟠 Also, Gemini and Virgo Descendants are both guilty of preparing words and what they are going to say before an interaction in advance.

🟠 Why are we not discussing enough how Gemini Sun people are misanthrope/dislike people despite being so communicative? I noticed so many not enjoying people and socializing with them as much, kinda fed up with people energy haha.

🟠 Taurus Sun people are the most conflict avoidant (even more than Libra Sun), but not due to being a people pleaser, but because they are not able to see when they are at a fault. They also don’t know how to even behave and reaction to a conflict. They have very poor conflict resolution skills. That’s why most of them avoid it in the first place. That and oh, their stomach gets upset or their whole body starts shaking.

🟠 Virgo Sun is prone to have health issues or catch a cold easily, but I beg to differ, have you seen a Cancer Sun? These guys have what it seems a never-ending cold the whole winter season. They seem to have weak immune system and really sensitive bodies. I have yet to see a healthy Cancer Sun.

🟠 Leo Lilith, Lilith in the 5th house, Lilith at a Leo degree (5, 17, 29) people attract people that date them for how much attention the native is receiving. They attract people that want to “still their light”, make them feel less confident and self-assured. These natives also often attract Capricorn Sun/Venus or Venus in the 10th house, Venus at a Capricorn degree (10, 22) people.

🟠 I always see couples that don’t make sense to me. Those couples you kind of don’t know what attracted them to each other, because they seem like they are not that similar? It’s because there’s usually a Sun Moon conjunction. This usually makes people enter a partnership, even if they are complete opposites. You know how Kourtney Kardashian looked so different from Travis Barker when they first started dating? Now they dress in a similar manner and look much more alike, but at the beginning, they seemed mismatched. You would probably never suspect that they have Aries Sun Aries Moon conjunction with how they were at the very beginning. That’s why people were surprised to hear that their children were friends and had family play dates for years before they started dating, you would never suspect it, because Sun Moon conjunction is such a “quiet”, not-in-your-face aspect.

🟠 I studied the Natal charts of married couple Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. And they are such good definition of being complete opposites literally (he is a Capricorn Sun at 11, an Aquarius degree) and she is a Cancer Sun at 26, a Taurus degree), but they match each other’s freak.

🟠 A moment of silence to all Scorpio Moons who have dated an Aquarius Sun or Moon at least at one point in their life. Also to the Scorpio Venus and Aquarius Venus couples.

🟠 Gemini Descendant natives can be prone to vitamin deficiency.

🟠 A lot of opposite Moon signs really do work, because there are so many traits in common. Such as one being Aries Moon and the other Libra Moon, Scorpio Moon- Taurus Moon etc. But one Moon opposition I see doesn’t work is if one is Leo Moon and the other is Aquarius Moon. Leo Moon wants to be treated differently than the rest and being treated differently than other makes them feel special. While Aquarius Moon treats everyone the same, friends, family members, lovers, partners.

Credit goes to @astroismypassion

[haru-natsuka]

The Unending Daze Part 1 (Malleus Draconia x Wife Reader x Ace Trappola)

*Chapter start from below trailer*

>> Trailer <<

"My darling wife, the joy you have brought me throughout the years is without compare. Our children are fortunate to have been gifted with such a loving and caring mother as you,"

Malleus spoke with affection, his voice like honeyed words that melted the hearts of everyone that heard it. He leaned down to kiss your forehead, his warm breath brushing against your skin.

But just as you were getting used to this blissful scene, your old friend, Ace arrived in an unexpected turn of events. He claimed that he was your husband, which left you perplexed and bewildered.

"Wait a minute, that's not right! I'm your real husband! He's just trying to manipulate you with a dream. Wake up, now! Our children need you! I need you, Y/N!"

You were unsure how to proceed, caught in the middle of a confusing situation. In this situation, you feel conflicted and uncertain about whether your old friend or your darling husband had spoken the truth

>> PART 1 <<

"Malleus dear, this is cheating"

"My wife, this is not cheating," Malleus's soft and gentle voice responded softly, his eyes looking in confusion at your declaration. He spoke with composure and maturity, displaying a gentle side of himself, his expression and tone showing a mixture of empathy and consideration for you. In this instance, Malleus is exhibiting a side of himself that is rarely seen to others, allowing you to see the more caring aspect of his character. He was a grown man who is worthy to be called a father.

"This is simply a fun and harmless game of hide and seek. We are merely adding an extra element of challenge for them to make the game more interesting. It is not forbidden to use magic in hide and seek.You are spoiling them too much, my dear."

His tone has changed, becoming a bit more stern and accusatory, expressing his jealousy and dissatisfaction with your attitude toward the children. He seems to feel that you are prioritizing the children over him, and he does not appreciate your behavior. He did indeed love seeing your lovable and motherly side when you interact with the kids. but he felt that he deserves your attention as well.

"Are you sulking, Malleus?" You expressed sincere concern for Malleus as you gently stroked his cheeks and was met with a hint of surprise from him. You could sense that he was attempting to hide his emotion from your view by maintaining a neutral expression. Malleus's eyes flashed momentarily with jealousy as he looked back at you, unable to resist the urge to return your gaze. You had caught Malleus off guard with your direct gaze, and he was temporarily powerless to avoid showing his emotions.

"I am merely expressing my concern that you seem to be overly focused on the kids, forgetting that I exist too," Malleus answered softly.

"How could I forget about you. I admit that I was rather busy during the days with Levan and Marcellus but still, you have me during the night" As you kiss him gently on his forehead and cheek, Malleus wraps his arms around your waist to support your balance and provide comforting closeness. He presses his face against yours, his arms encircling you, as you stand on your tiptoes to reach his height.

Malleus's breath catches in his throat, his heart beating rapidly in his chest, as he savors the feeling of your tender and reassuring kisses, never wanting this moment to stop. Malleus's lower face shows the happiness emotion in his heart, but his eyes hold the reflection of a darker truth. His eyes gleam with a slight darkness, as he stares at you for a moment with hidden motive. Before you had the chance to catch his subtle gaze, two young boys came into view.

The two young boys exclaimed excitedly, "FOUND MAMA AND PAPA!" They ran over and embraced tightly, signifying the end of the hide-and-seek game.

"Both of you are really good in this game, Levan, Marcellus," Malleus added, praising the boys for their accomplishment. "So good at beating mama and papa."

Levan's response, being the older boy, was a little more direct and expressive. "Because you are so loud that we can hear you," he exclaimed, accusingly and somewhat jokingly. "That's not how the game should be played, papa. Was it your attempt to woo mama again?"

"Huh? Woo? What do you mean? I don't recall hearing such language before. The world does evolve faster, I presume" Malleus formed an amused smile as he replied, somehow surprised at the boy's word choice.

"Papa knows what brother means. Mama, papa is so childish! When I grown up, me and Levan will marry mama and replace papa"

"My precious children, mama only belongs to papa. Mama's brain is filled with me and me alone. I don't know what will happen if someone takes her from me"

Malleus' jealous and possessive intensity has reached a fever pitch, as he expresses his paranoia about someone else taking his wife from him. His voice now has a chilling and ominous edge to it. There was a sudden sound of thunder outside, as Malleus's face twisted into a dark and grimacing expression. A shiver ran down your spine, as the temperature in the room dropped with each passing second, and you know Malleus the one who did it.

"Malleus, you are scaring our boys. Stop joking around" You tried to stop him, but his glare continued to remain fixed on his sons, as his anger and jealousy grew increasingly intense, his loving and gentle facade shattered apart.

"I don't even want to create these children! I only wanna live with you! You keep on leaving me! If only you didn't love him so much. Y/N, you should only let me control the dream, and stay here with me without ever questioning me and without ever waking up. Never betray me and never break my heart. Let me devour your soul" 

His regal and dignified emerald attire instantly shifts, changing into a more sinister-looking purple and black dress, with a more intimidating and ominous aura. Malleus cupped both of your cheeks while gazing fiercely straight into your eyes, reciting his unique spell with intense focus and dedication countless times.

"Spinning wheel of fate, keep pulling the thread of disaster. As King of the Abyss, I shall bestow this upon you. Fae of Maleficence."

Your mind begins to become hazy after Malleus finishes his spell. Slowly, you feel your exhaustion and fatigue becoming a burden, as you become increasingly sleepy. Like a heavy blanket, the feeling of sleepiness begins to envelop you, threatening to swallow you whole. You can feel the grip of sleep becoming stronger, and the thought of closing your eyes and surrendering to it becomes too tempting to resist. Your body slowly becomes limp and lifeless, as you begin to sink deeper and deeper into the darkness of unconsciousness.

"Ace..." You whimper out the name at the end for help as you see the image of a man with red hair.

>> PART 2

[bestworstcase]

is there anything about rwby that you would have done differently as a writer? i.e. introducing certain ideas of characters earlier, complete wholesale changes, etc.

in terms of major narrative choices, adam attempts to assassinate sienna as in canon but her personal guard remains loyal, there’s a scuffle, and she’s able to escape wounded but alive, showing up at haven to pincer adam’s forces with the faction of the white fang that refuses to go along with his coup.

the albains are loyal to sienna but still weird and disliked – not for sinister foreshadowing but because sometimes people are just sort of weird and off-putting, and that’s a fun trait to give a couple of good guys who show the fuck up to defend an ally who’s hitherto been a bit distrustful and cool toward them when the violent splinter group tries to assassinate him; narratively the albains being like this while aligning themselves firmly with sienna also provides an opportunity to cast the belladonna’s alliance with and support of sienna into sharper focus and perhaps allows for blake to bounce off and talk to some guys in the “yes direct action and tactical violence, no whatever the fuck adam’s doing” camp to refine her understanding of the white fang and make it clearer how adam corrupted what sienna does and believes.

and the arc resolution is sienna reclaiming leadership of the white fang and preparing to clean house while ghira and ilia plan a second, separate but allied organization focused on advocacy with the overall point being that expecting one group to do and be everything is part of the problem.

i talk about this more here. the white fang arc really isn’t as bad as its frequently maligned but suffers from a lack of clarity in how it’s intended message is delivered; the point of sienna surviving and having genuine allies to represent her side in menagerie is to address that lack of clarity by articulating her philosophy and underscoring that the belladonnas support her and ally themselves with her because the objection isn’t “violence in bad” but rather “indiscriminate violence that materially harms the cause and violent infighting are bad.”

aside from that, i wouldn’t change anything significant presuming that i had to work under the same conditions as the actual writers (<- if they hadn’t lost those two episodes in v9, 9.10 wouldn’t feel so rushed and we’d have got that animatic as a full episode; if there hadn’t been budget issues in v5 mistral wouldn’t feel so empty; etc it’s very easy to fix problems like this in hypotheticals where you imagine you have infinite time and money, but in the real world if this were my story and i faced these sort of logistical challenges it would be to the detriment of the narrative in the same ways and i have no interest in pretending otherwise).

all that said

if i were the one writing this story and either i had more money or it was, like, a series of novels (<- which is what i’d be writing, realistically) – the religious layer of the story would be a lot more overt, not just in terms of the religious conflict with regard to the brothers but i would flesh out 1-2 other religions too. blake’s arc would feature wrestling with complicated feelings about god-of-animals-worship. ruby and yang would’ve been raised monotheistic light-worshippers; weiss would be a lapsed orthodox brother-cultist (in my head this is comparable to, say, the chasm between evangelical protestants and a lapsed catholic). oscar would be stolidly practicing some other religion that has nothing to do with the brothers, to ozma’s consternation, because that’s funny. salem would be still a polytheist but pointedly not worshipping Those Two, because that’s also funny.

<- this is not to “”fix“” anything i just think it’s important as a writer to be self-indulgent. and i like fantasy religions. bfrgscbk

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

How to Write Good Scenes in Your Fiction Novel

Introduction

As a writer, you know that a novel is made up of many scenes. Each scene is like a building block that, when properly constructed, creates a solid foundation for your story. But how do you write a good scene? What makes a scene memorable? In this post, I'll help you explore the elements that make up a great scene and provide tips on how to write them effectively.

Section 1: Setting

One of the most important elements of a scene is the setting. The setting is where the scene takes place and it can help set the tone for your story. To write a good scene, you need to create a vivid and believable setting that draws the reader in. Here are some tips:

1. Use sensory details: Use all five senses to describe the setting. What does it look, smell, sound, taste, and feel like? This will help create a rich and immersive world for your reader.

2. Use setting to reveal character: The way a character interacts with their surroundings can reveal a lot about them. For example, a character who is anxious might fidget with objects in the room or avoid eye contact. Pay attention to how your characters interact with their environment.

3. Use setting to create tension: The setting can also be used to create tension in a scene. For example, a dark alleyway can create a sense of danger and unease. Use the setting to create an atmosphere that fits the mood of the scene.

Section 2: Characterization

Another important element of a scene is characterization. Your characters are the heart of your story and the way they interact with each other can make or break a scene. Here are some tips for writing good character interactions:

1. Use dialogue: Dialogue is a great way to reveal character. The way your characters speak can reveal their personality, their background, and their goals. Make sure your dialogue sounds natural and fits the character's voice.

2. Use body language: Body language can also reveal a lot about a character. Pay attention to how your characters move and interact physically. Are they fidgety or confident? Do they avoid eye contact or stare intensely?

3. Use conflict: Conflict is the engine that drives your story forward. Use character interactions to create tension and conflict in your scenes. This can be anything from a heated argument to a romantic moment that is interrupted.

Section 3: Plot

The plot is the backbone of your story and each scene should move the plot forward in some way. Here are some tips for writing scenes that advance the plot:

1. Use scene goals: Each scene should have a clear goal. This goal should be related to the larger plot of your story. For example, a scene goal might be for the protagonist to find a clue that leads them closer to solving the mystery.

2. Use obstacles: Obstacles are what make a scene interesting. Your characters should face challenges that prevent them from achieving their goals. This could be anything from a locked door to a character who is actively working against them.

3. Use cliffhangers: A good scene should leave the reader wanting more. Use cliffhangers to create tension and keep the reader invested in the story. A cliffhanger can be anything from a shocking revelation to a character being put in danger.

Conclusion

Writing good scenes is essential to creating a compelling novel. By focusing on setting, characterization, and plot, you can create scenes that draw the reader in and keep them invested in your story. Remember to use sensory details, dialogue, conflict, and cliffhangers to create memorable scenes. With practice, you'll be able to write scenes that are both impactful and enjoyable to read. Hoped this helped!

TheWriteAdviceForWriter 2023

[bellestarot]

Bangchan's Reading

August 06, 2024

Right Now

He is making a choice. I feel that he has many opportunities recently in various aspects of his life, and he intends to make a significant decision. It might be related to his career or an offer that has come his way, and he feels this could be the right chance for a leap forward. He seems committed to making the best choice for his career, although he's feeling a bit sensitive right now.

He wants to isolate himself; I don't see him seeking contact with others at the moment. He is focused on protecting his space and energy, which might come across as rude to some people.

Currently, he is working with others, probably referring to the group, and is earning a good amount of money from this collaboration.

He has been keeping an eye on someone from his past because he hasn't completely moved on from their connection. This is causing him anxiety and frustration.

Love Life

He is still attached to someone from his past, but at the same time, he is considering other options available to him because there are other people interested in him. He's not rejecting them, but it's still a bit difficult because his heart was quite broken, and he hasn't had the time to heal properly.

He has been praying a lot and having conversations with God, or whatever he believes in, because I'm not sure what his religion is, but he's seeking spiritual guidance during this time.

He definitely adores this person, and I think they connected in a way he believed would never end. There was a mutual understanding between him and this person from the start—everything flowed smoothly, the conversations, the laughter, their tastes were similar. It seemed like a fairy tale.

He might have introduced this person to his family, or he met their family, but I also think the connection felt like family, as if he had known this person for a long time. This person might be around the same age as him or younger, seems very fun, creative, and connected to the arts, possibly dance. They might have blonde hair, strong Asian features, and possibly tattoos.

They could also be a Leo or another fire sign.

Career

He thinks he has everything under control, but in reality, he doesn't really know what's going on around him. I believe there are some issues related to the group or his solo projects that he is unaware of and not part of these conversations or discussions. It's as if he's being fooled by others while he thinks he's in charge and knows everything that's happening.

I think when he's on stage, it's captivating; when he makes music, the feeling for him is incredible. His heart fills with love and happiness. But when he's alone, it's silent and lonely, and he feels empty in many ways.

The person he likes is part of the music industry, and they are still somehow in his world, so they are very present, even in his career reading.

He doesn't feel good about how the group or its management is being handled. He feels they lie and often sabotage the group. It's as if they punish people who speak the truth and stand up for their rights, finding ways to silence them.

To him, it's completely chaotic, and he's very frustrated with it.

Family

He loves his family, but at the moment, he's financially supporting them. I see that, in a way, he is the provider for his family. Somehow, this hurts him because it's as if the relationship between him and his family is currently just about money, what he earns, and what he gives to them. It's not about an emotional bond, but rather a materialistic one, and he actually feels a bit dirty because of this. His family is currently expecting him to make a money transfer.

Friendships

He is not satisfied with his friendships at the moment. There is a friend he cares about a lot; he has known this person for many years and considers them like a brother. However, he has been in conflict with this person, and they may have ended their friendship, which has upset him a lot.

He misses this person greatly, but he feels that what they did and what they continue to do is not something he wants to be around or maintain a connection with.

Overall, he feels he doesn't have time for friends right now because he is very focused on work. He also wishes to have new friends and meet new people.

Future

I see that he and the person he's currently separated from will reconcile in the future; I believe their story isn't over. He is very passionate about this person, and I don't see their connection ending anytime soon. He will definitely be in a long-term relationship with them.

I also think he will mature a lot emotionally, evolving from the Page of Cups to the King of Cups—much more emotionally mature. I see him being able to set stronger boundaries because he might have some difficulty expressing himself without seeming rude right now, but in the future, I see him improving in how he asserts himself.

Unfortunately, regarding work, there will be a lot of stress. He will continue doing what he does, but I foresee many problems related to the money he earns from work. There will be some headaches concerning finances, and he will feel very upset about this situation.

[day-at-rhodes-island]

My main issue with the seaborn is that they are the least interesting part of the situation they are in, and the fact that they have been given center-stage is frankly criminal.

As always, this is my opinion and not objective fact, but I'm right and would die on this hill.

Let us imagine for a moment that literally nothing is different except that Skadi killing Ishar'mla worked, and all the sacrifices of the abyssal hunters actually did something (we'll get back to this). The only seaborn left are in scattered groups, cut off from we many, that occasionally get attracted to the Abyssal hunters so Hypergryph has an excuse to use those game mechanics.

The first theoretical abyssal hunters event is fairly similar to the Under Tides we do get. It focuses on introducing Iberia and exploring how the inquisition rules with an iron fist even after the danger has passed. Talk about the mass killing of AEgirians and how the terrified communities just let it happen. Glaadia is smitten by Kal'tsit, we get to meet Laurentina, roll credits.

The second abyssal hunters event is about exploring the golden days of Iberia before the profound silence as the Abyssals search for a way to safely return home. Focus on how the partnership with the AEgirians made them strong, and how the inquisition rose to power in the chaos and fear of the silence. They eventually find an old ship and after fighting off the obligatory small swarm of sea terrors set off to finally go home.

The third abyssal hunters event introduces us to the Atlantean AEgirian civilization. It explores the program that created super soldiers with an early expiration date, and how the political situation in AEgir allowed it. People get mad at the abyssals for attracting yet another group of sea terrors. The boss is what is left of an abyssal hunter fully lost to the transformation (perhaps this is a good time to introduce The First To Talk?).

That would be better right? I mean most of what I've described (for the first two) is actually in Under Tides and Sultifera Navis, it just gets overshadowed by the focus on the big spooky ocean monsters and how big and spooky they are.

So, enough talking about what could have been, let's talk about what is, and why it's bad enough that it got me thinking about this in the first place.

The seaborn have no personality. This is intentional. Practicing art and maintaining a sense of self is how the abyssals we do meet have managed to last this long, their self expression literally protects them from the consuming uniformity of we many. This is not, on it's own, a problem.

The fact that this is true and that the seaborn are treated in the story as the antagonist is crazy. They could have been presented in a 'man against nature' conflict sort of way, providing a situation in which the protagonists could shine on their own. Unfortunately, they didn't even do that, as is clearly shown by The Bishop and Amaia.

The most compelling enemies in Under Tides and Sultifera Navis are the church of the deep. You know, the characters that aren't seaborn. Arknights likes having complex villains, and nothing is a less complex character than a seaborn (again, by design!) so they have to bring in characters that aren't seaborn. Just don't make the seaborn the focus in the first place!

Also, by presenting the seaborn as a genuine threat they are giving justification to the Inquisition and the Abyssal Hunter project. I know there are scenes that are meant to show that these things were actually bad, but they're a bit hard to get behind when you have a whole fucking game mode set in an alternate future timeline where the seaborn are an existential threat to all other forms of life.

Another issue with going 'the seaborn are still a genuine threat' is that all the shit Skadi and the other abyssals went through apparently didn't do much, I guess. It feels like they are retroactively ruining a story we didn't even get the chance to enjoy.

I'm going to cut myself off here. There's more narrative nitpicks I have about the seaborn (Like how, just because they don't have personalities doesn't mean they have to be boring, and yet!) but they get even more into how it was executed rather than fundamental issues, and this is long enough as it is.

In conclusion: If the next abyssal hunters event's main story is 'there are spooky seaborn doing bad things, got to go stop them' again, I'm going to scream.

Part 2

[ordophilosophicus]

What it means to be a Moreau:

An essay and analysis of Jean Moreau's character-conflict  (Aftg and TSC - spoilers)

What this will not be about: The actual content of the book. Ok, that's not fully true. I am not about to discuss if something that happens itself is good/bad, in character etc. Or criticize topics.

What this will be is an analysis of parallels, character-motifs and questions concerning their trajectory and hindsight of actions. Questions AND Ideas how to answer these questions.

What does it mean when Jean states "I am a Moreau '', Why does TSC feel a bit like a crunched up Aftg? What constitutes the actual conflict of Jean - since either choice (staying or leaving) appears to be certain death? Why does Rikos death and Kevin's betrayal (the hand thing) matter to Jean?  

The book came out and my heart went racing. These books (aftg and tsc) bring me great joy, all I will criticize and analyze in this tiny, a bit too long essay, is said with greatest love and sincerity towards these books. But there can be said a lot - especially about TSC.

Get a snack and hop on.

Parallels between aftg and tsc - Stories about identity:

First of all let's begin with Nora's great writing of POV's. In this book we do get two pov's, giving us contrast to Neils in Aftg. Meaning we see the world, the characters from three different perspectives. And Nora makes them all matter. In the end I will tie it back with interpreting Jeremys pov, but for now let's only look at Neils and Jeans. A lot of characterization is made by what is focused on in their respective povs. What characters are interesting, how much rumination (thought) vs action is expressed. Both are unreliable narrators, and both tell us so much about what matters to them.

Both Aftg (Neils arc) and TSC (Jeans arc) are about the loss and gain of identity. From the retrospective, the arc consists of questions such as: Who am I?; Can I change who I am?; and what am I worth? But both arcs start with a clear sense of identity which is threatened.

However, somehow Neils arc is more concise and clear cut. Of course, part of this can be attributed to the simple fact that there will be a (second and maybe third part) to come for TSC, but it's mainly the groundworks I think which are "lacking". They are not necessarily lacking but rather not as (clear/spelled out).

The theme of "Identity" is special, since the stakes in the book/ark are about identity and its loss. Other stakes (death, loss of friendship, love etc) are not the main focus. The characters struggle and peril is about the loss of identity, which would mark a step into an unknown world they cannot navigate, and bring other dangers they avoided or dealt with the current identity. (Example: Lying vs telling the truth. Former obstructs the consequences of the truth, the later means you need to deal with the consequences.) On the other hand, it is the alternative identity which provides something of interest for the charatcer, creating a conflict of WANTING and perception of SELF. They WANT friends, but would need to GIVE UP their former sense of protection.

We are introduced to Neil Josten, and his very solid perception of identity. He is "nothing" = He has no right and no attachment to anything. He is a liar and alone. The conflict is created by offering him Exy and later on a team. Security stands in conflict with ending his loneliness and the feeling of not mattering. Nora introduces this conflict very early and very clearly. It is what makes us sympathize and, more importantly, understand and buy into the crazy thing Neil does to keep his secrets.

However, there is another identity which rides that one of "Neil Josten." Nathaniel Wesninski, the identity attached to that name, becomes more prominent throughout the books, and in the end, Neil needs to accept this identity to move on.

Nathaniel Wesninski's identity is very much spelled out in AFTG and it must be so, to make this shift of identity so impactful. A Wesninski is: loyal, does not lie, cruel but true. The very opposite of Neil Josten.

Nathaniel Wesninski is tied to the Moriamas, and is tied to his father. To pain, loss and a life of consequences and responsibility. (Not to run). The stake to shift to this identity (to be this person) is made clear by showing throughout the books how each of these parts are dangerous. And every step Neil takes (especially in the first and second book) is to avoid having to lose Neil Josten and be Wesnisnki.

And it works excellently. We fear WITH Neil when he makes the shift to Wesnisnki in Lolas car, and it is an epiphany when Riko dies and Neils makes a deal with Ichiro. When he wins in Exy and can play Exy. Because he not only shifted in the identity, he did not lose Neil Josten. He successfully changed to a Wesninski, to then further to a NEW Neil Josten. (Important: It's not losing an identity, which makes the arc powerful. It's the change of self. Nora is very explicit by making it a three step program. Josten. Wesninski, and "New" Josten.) We see what is the conflict, we get the stakes, and we see how Neil resolves the problems and takes on a new, stronger identity.

TSC is about Jean and a similar problem. However the swap, or rather the whole conflict does not appear as strong as with Neil. And the reasons for it are very simple, though still relevant for the trajectory of the story and possibility for the reader to emphasize and root for Jean.

TSC starts out with the bonus that we are already entranced with the fate of Jean and understand The Nest and Riko. However, what we do not know is Jeans' identity. Who does he think he is?; What stakes does he think hinge on being "Jean Moreau, the Raven, belonging to the Moriyamas' '? WHY is it so tremendous to leave the Nest, and what does he have to gain? What is the trade and what is the challenge? Etc. All that we have established with the Neil example prior.

Through Jean's mantra we get told that Jean has some kind of values attached to being "a Moreau '' and being "part of the Nest/belonging to the Moriyamas". The fatal problem is, we are never told what this actually means.

As readers we can understand why Jean is afraid to leave the nest, what Riko has done and could do to them. But this does not create the conflict we are looking for and plays out in the book. The conflict is happening, but the pov Nora gives us through Jean does not sufficiently explain what this conflict actually is about.

The answer is given implicitly and between the lines. These few bits I will try to spell out and interpret. Further, there could be a stronger case in certain scenarios, to make the conflict around Jeans identify stronger, and his relation to other characters more impactful.

First let's consider:

"What does it mean to be a Moreau?"

When Jean realizes he had been taken from Evermore, he tries to bargain with others and himself that he cannot leave. "Because he is a Moreau", and he belongs to Riko/the Moriyamas. But we are not let in WHY this exactly is a problem. Oh no, how horrible to not be beaten to death. If Jean leaves, Riko and his family will be angry and could try killing him. But the same appears to be possible if he GOES BACK. The whole first chapters establish that Jean is neither safe in nor outside the nest. (He might think it's safer inside, but for the reader, it  is clear this being not the case.)

Therefore, this conflict is not of external stakes, but internal. If Jean leaves, it would mean breaking with his identity, losing himself, creating or letting in problems he formerly avoided or dealt with through the identity he is trying to keep. It is essential that we understand WHAT HE IS TRYING TO UPHOLD.

Duty and being reliable:

I think we can define "being a Moreau" by being a person who has a strong sense of duty. Who is reliable and  sensible. I mainly read this from the fact that Jean asks Jeremy to add "being conform with USC appearance" to his contract. He has a duty to serve Ichiro, and by putting conformity in the contract, by extension he has a duty to be conform.

""You will have to pen it in," Jean said. "I won't sign it unless you do." It was the only way this worked: If Jean signed something that said he had to behave to be allowed to stay on the lineup, he could bite his tongue and stay his fists. It'd piss him off beyond telling, but he could follow orders if it meant surviving another day." p.71(kindle)

But this does not fully explain why breaking with the ravens is problematic for Jean in the beginning of TSC. Nora has not forgotten or overseen this, but it's not explicitly put in the text. Jeans backstory is about being sold to the Moriyamas. He is given the duty by his parents to serve Moriyama. Nora had portrayed it very much in a way that Jean was very reluctant to do. Although understandable, I propose to read this character more strongly. Make this matter more:

Jean is an older brother, prior to being sold, he had already understood himself as a reliable and dutiful person. An older brother to take care of his baby sister. A Moreau to in the future take care of business. resourceful and reasonable. Dutiful and compliant.

When he is told by his parents he is sold "as Moreau" - not as anybody, he is sold with a duty to represent and pay off the depth(?) of his family. Perform on the court, show the worth, protect his family, his baby sister.

His place at Evermore and belonging to Riko would be/is tied to his understanding of being a Morou. Leaving Evermore, would mean to not fulfill his duty, to give up, to be unreliable, since his parents and his sister counted on him.

If we accept "duty" and "reliability" to stand in the center of Jean's identity and conflicts, all other relationships and actions are to be seen from the perspective of Jean trying to protect this identity and stay conform with it. Most notably this strengthens both the events and dynamic between Jean and Kevin, and Jean and Riko respectively.

Riko & The Ravens:

Imagine Jean had been brought to the Nest, unwilling, hurt by betrayal, but with a strong sense of duty to go through with this. Take this burden given to him, and perform. Riko would have picked up on this. The amount of violence, the "breaking in" of Jean was not simply cruelty or any weird family feud thing. It was Rikos testing, an attempt to break Jean's sense of self. If he would not be able to perform on court, not achieve it - he would break his promises. Jean's small but consistent rebellions against Riko are an expression to keep his duty. He plays games even if he is hurt, he does not kill himself. For Jean to fulfill his duty and sense of self(worth) means going along with whatever, and holding out whatever.

Giving up on Evermore is not only breaking his sense of identity and purpose, but also making the pain he insured pointless (as Jeremy notices so fittingly). It means Riko wins by breaking him. His fear of Riko is tied to his fear of losing his sense of self. And him losing Riko means he has failed his duty to play for him on the court. The ravens are described by Jean as "loving and hating" each other respectively. And that nobody in USC could ever understand. But nor can we truly. Why does Jean not hate them, why is he not happy Riko is gone? because it means he failed, and they all contributed to his identity and achievement of his promises. The deal he made with Zane was one of the best insights or examples we are given to understand the Nest. To FEEL the Nest dynamic. Survival, reliance, schemes, dependance. Cruel intimacy to others, to know their secrets and fears. If you are not tight with someone (Jean and Zane, or Jean and Kevin) you also cannot find a way to protect yourself. Knowing Zane loved that one Raven girl and wanted that number, gave him the ability to stay away from Grayson and not break. The ravens, and Riko are not only an obstacle to his success and upholding of his promises, they are the means to an end. He needs them as much as he despises them. That's why leaving them, and Rikos death matters for Jean.

Kevin:

On the other hand we have the relationship between Kevin and Jean. We are given more insight on how Kevin got out of the Nest: by fucking over Jean. This scene or event is gutwrenching BUT it could be STRONGER if Jean would have known and been complicit with Kevin. Jean loved/liked at least cared about Kevin. Although his sense of duty is tied to Riko and the court, there would also be such a sense towards Kevin. Especially if Kevin came and asked him, directly. Confronting Jean with concieving him as a reliable, to be trsuted person. The one friend you count on the get you out of the shit. If one can help him, it is Jean. Because he is a Moreau. If we would read it as Jean accepting the consequences of helping Kevin, we would lose this ark of betrayal. But we would not need to erase the discontent and hurt Jean holds towards Kevin. For Kevin would have known and relied on Jean's self understanding, and played him. Used him as means of an end. Asking a person who is used to compromising their own safety, who understands themselves as a rock at a shore and understands the pain and fear one goes through - calling/playing on that is as much as a betrayal and use of a person as it is simple "not telling him". It makes it worse in some sense, because it highlights the intimacy between Kevin and Jean. They knew each other very well, and Kevin used that knowledge, in raven fashion, to survive.

(On the other hand, I would agree one could read it in the original way, Jean not knowing, because Kevin is aware of Jean's understanding of duty. That Jean would feel the sense that he NEEDS to betray Kevin. So there is still room for interpretation.)

SUMMERY:

Okay, okay. That was a lot. Let's surmise what I claim: That Jeans sense of self is shaped by duty, more explicitly the one he holds from his parents to be perfect court, please the Moriyamas and protect his family (sister).

Leaving the Ravens endangers all of this, all his sense of self and all he has done to achieve it.

Riko dying means there is never a way back, and he has failed. It upheaves all he is and wants, even though Riko and the Ravens did horrible things to him.

Neil making the deal with Ichiro formed a new duty, and gave him a way out. A compromise. Play court, but with USC. And still Jean loses a lot, or everything he considered constitutive of himself when he leaves the Ravens and comes to USC.

Whom he has duties to? Formerly his Raven partner, now? Jeremy offers to take the role. His experiences and background make him take duties towards the other Trojans to give him a sense of worth (asking if Cody is ok with touching/flirting with them.)

Neil drags him to the FBi and Stuard, and he comes to know all of his efforts to protect his family had been in vain. And it is that point in which his last tie of "old" sense of duty, breaks off. He cannot hold onto the same ideas and rules, duties and objectives as before.

For Jean, this break  is what is for Neil the end of a whole arc.

Whilst AFTG and TSC are similar in theme, they are very different in their outset. Whilst Neils whole arc is about getting and learning his new identity, Jean has to go through that all in one book. That's why we see and feel a great parallel between both characters, but also the arc itself. The telling of information, the parallel of fear of losing the old and gaining the new. Of betraying one's old identity/family in the end, and offer of a new, better, alternative.

However, Jeans arc does not end there. His story appears to be more about healing and the disconnect between outer, imposed, duty and value, and self-worth.

I think that's also why we get so little insight of Jeremys conflict in the first book. We get enough hints that have very likely to do with Jeremy being gay, stepfather, cops, maybe drugs and the family being publicly known. It has to do with imposed identity from the outside, self vs outer worth and dealing with that. We get so little from Jeremy, not only because he is an expert in talking and thinking around his own problems and issues, but because the story has Jean not ready yet. Jean first has to come in the same state Jeremy has been, or is in, before they both start pushing and pulling each other. Like Andrew and Neil could only start developing after Neil starts to compromise and change his sense of self, his willingness to be more than simple lying Neil Josten.

The same applies for Jean and Jeremy. But the end goal is about healing, and creating one's own self worth, rather than becoming a whole new self.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

p.s. I love Kevin, don't touch him.

[thewrittenpaige]

Thinking of how the characters of Sonic 06 (Blaze, Silver, and Elise) would work in my Amyswap AU, I had the following ideas:

For Silver:

Silver would take Blaze's role as heir to the throne of the Sol Empire and guardian of the Sol Emeralds, who meets Amy during the events of Amy Rush (???) and the conflict with...Either Eggman Nega or whoever I replace that with, since that dude's in a weirs situation due to his Mainverse retcons.

Since I'm more or less against swapping powers in this AU so as to mess around with ideas more, Silver retains his psychic powers, which also can provide an interesting connection with Amy, as it's implied she may have slight psychic powers herself. It's something they can bond over.

With the power of the Sol Emeralds, he can become Sol Silver, capable of throwing entire buildings with his powers and devastating enemies.

Not sure how to handle his appearance in 06. I know I want to keep his Sol dimension backstory, but how to handle the relationship with Blaze is tough. One idea I've considered is the theory that Mainverse Blaze was sent to the Sol Dimension when she bound herself to Iblis, lost her memory, and was adopted by the royal family and become the Sol guardian due to her powers. In this case, Amyswap Silver could have a similar history, though 06 would show Amy remembering Silver from past adventures.

Regarding Blaze:

Meanwhile, Blaze takes the role of the time traveler from the future. First appearing in Amy 06 (these names do NOT roll off the tongue), she has a unique skill set related to Iblis itself, having learned to control the very powers of flame that she fights against. When Mephilles convinces her that Amy Rose is the Iblis Trigger, she journeys to the past to confront her. This leads to a conflict between Blaze and Amy, with Princess Elise and the tyrannical Professor Gerald trapped in the middle of the conflict.

If the events of Amy 06 are erased (something I'm unsure of), then Amy will remember the game certainly. Whether Blaze remembers...I'm not sure. Could be interesting to have her recall the past timeline due to the effect of fighting Solaris giving her Ripple Effect Proof Memory from that point onwards.

Blaze would then go on to reappear whenever the future is threatened, most notably in Forces. Compared to Mainverse Silver, Amyswap Blaze is more fierce and devoted to destroying whatever problems face the future, compared to Main!Silver's uncertainty. This passion helps her connect with Amy, who is also quite devoted and--at times--angry with injustice. The two become good friends.

For Elise:

Following the general idea that one-shot characters (characters who generally appear in only one game and are focused solely on that game's story) keep their roles, Elise is still princess of Soleanna. She forms a friendship with Amy when the latter saves her from Professor Gerald during a ceremony.

Elise would have more agency in this rewrite. She would play an active role in the plot, using clever thinking and maybe even her locked away powers so that she isn't fully reliant on Amy. She may still be a damsel in distress, but she's one that controls her own plot and story. In general, Elise would be as much a protagonist as Amy.

I don't think Elise would have a crush on Amy, for a few reasons. While Amy is the same age as Elise in this AU and I definitely wouldn't have them kiss a corpse, there are some issues. Namely, Elise would is a one-shot character, so the crush wouldn't really go anywhere. Also, Amy is already more focused on Sonic; any relationship would likely end with them choosing to remain friends. I also don't want elise's story to focus on a love interest fixing her problems. I do think Elise would be close friends with Amy, though, and they'd do anything to protect each other.

So those are my ideas for the 06 characters! Tbh, it would be nice to see how that game could be changed for an AU, and how its plot could be tweaked to make it a little more stable. Giving Elise more of a chance to shine and streamlining the Sol Guardian's backstory would be very nice. (If I had a scrap of drawing ability, I'd also draw this in maybe the Sonic Unleashed style or how Sonic Channel depicts characters like Elise.)

Overall, a fun idea to mess around with~

[blurscolours]

The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea | Part Two

Masterlist

Summary: An attack on Arthur’s imprisoned brother Orm leaves him with no choice but to rely upon you, a friend made due to unfortunate circumstances nearly a decade ago, to provide safe haven while he restores peace to Atlantis. Suddenly tasked with sheltering a sullen former king results in a very different summer vacation than you had originally envisioned, but changes both of your lives forever.

Warnings: Interpersonal Conflict, Orm Is Self-Righteous, Reader Is Tired

Word Count: 2174

When you woke the next morning, the sun filtered through the gaps in your curtains. You stretched slowly, everything peaceful until your brain filled with the events of yesterday. You sat up fully…right…your gaze went over to the door thinking about your unexpected guest. You shoved the covers off your body and slid out of bed, grabbing a pair of shorts and a top. You dressed and managed your hair before opening the curtains.

You winced and blinked furiously into the bright of day before your eyes adjusted and focused on the figure standing at the end of the dock. You couldn’t tell what he was looking at, could only imagine what was going through his mind. Surely, he must be feeling utterly displaced so far from the ocean. With a sigh, you turned and headed toward the kitchen to start thinking about breakfast.

Meat did not seem to suit his palate…maybe some eggs instead? You really needed to make a point of finding out what food he would eat. You looked up as the door opened and he stepped back in. He must have heard you up and about.

“Good morning” You smiled warmly, trying to keep your tone understated in respect of what he’d recently been through. “Are you interested in some breakfast?”

His reply was a nod as he assumed the same chair he sat in the previous evening.

“May I ask what kind of food you like?” You leaned your back against the counter as you faced him.

“I do not know much of human food.” He commented. “But in Atlantis we eat a lot of fish, shellfish, kelp, and things of that nature.”

“Of course, that makes a lot of sense. I’ll make a trip into town to get some more food today, I really only packed for one, and I’m sure you’ll be wanting some clothes and things. Would you be open to trying some eggs for breakfast?”

He nodded again and you wondered if he was usually this quiet or if pain and circumstance had taken his voice.

“Ok, breakfast will be ready in about twenty minutes. I’ll make what I normally would, and don’t worry about offending me if you don’t like any of it.” You shrugged, it would be better once you’d shopped but at this moment you were stuck with what was at hand…and your mutual unfamiliarity with each other’s culture.

You scrambled the eggs; that seemed safest as yolks could be a controversial texture and made toast. You washed some strawberries and took out the hulls, the prevent any confusion, and sliced an apple. He watched as you boiled a kettle of water and poured it into a tea pot with tea bags. His eyes followed your every move, in fact, as you laid out plates and cutlery, milk and sugar for the tea, and at last the food. You filled two mugs with the steeped tea and brought them to the table, sitting at last.

As you served some of each item onto his plate, you explained what it was and then talked him through the ketchup you put on your eggs, the spread you put on your toast, and the milk and sugar you put in your tea. Then you respectfully left him to make his own decisions and started eating.

He took a sip of the tea without anything in it and made a slight face. He considered both the milk and the sugar before adding a sprinkling of the sugar and sipped again. He gave a single nod and moved onto the next thing. The eggs. His approach was so methodical…almost scientific. You bit your cheek to remind yourself not to let on how adorable it was. He ended up eating the eggs plain, demolished most of the fruit, and had peanut butter on his toast.

He looked to you as he finished his plate. “That was quite tolerable.”

You blinked a little, not exactly sure how to take it but decided it was all-in-all fairly positive.

“I am glad to hear it.” You collected the plates to the counter before returning to the table with a pad of paper and a pen. “So, we definitely need more fruits, vegetables, eggs…and I will get some clothes for you as well. I doubt anyone here knows where your outfit originated but it is obviously a more advanced technology than we have for swim wear.” You wrote out the list as you spoke before looking to him. “Have I missed anything?”

He shook his head silently.

You bit you lip in thought, adding a few things to the list before you felt like everything was covered. “I will leave you here, it’s a bit of a trek. I’ll show you what you might like to eat if you get hungry while I’m gone?”

He stood to follow you, leaning in as you opened the fridge. You pointed out some cold cuts, left over chicken from your first night at the cabin, and showed him where the fruits and veggies were.

“I’ll just do these dishes and be on my way. Any other questions?”

He shook his head again and sat back at the table.

“You’re welcome to sit wherever you wish, please make yourself at home.” You smiled hopefully before quickly doing the dishes. You grabbed your purse and a cooler bag before turning to him.

“I should be back in about four hours or so. If you need anything...” You trailed off not exactly sure what to say. Asking the neighbours was not a good idea, telling him to give you a call would be utterly unfamiliar to him…

“I will be fine, and here when you return” His voice cut through your inner musings, and you nodded with a smile.

“Great, see you shortly.” You replied.

Heading down to the dock, you grabbed a lifejacket out of the boat house, before hopping into the motorboat tied up alongside the dock. It was a simple sixteen-foot aluminum boat with outboard motor, but out here it was a crucial piece of transport. You checked the gas levels and started the engine, leaving it in neutral while you untied the bow and stern, stowing the ropes inside the boat. You looked up at the cabin to see him watching you from the veranda. You gave a wave. He did not wave back. You pushed off from the dock before easing into reverse. Once you’d cleared the dock, you pointed the bow to the west and took off towards the parking lot where your car waited for you.

The boat ride took about ten minutes, and it was easy to find a spot to tie up for the day while you ran your errands in town. You climbed into your car, chuckling to yourself as you had not expected to be back in it so soon, and headed off down the gravel road. It turned into highway after thirty minutes and within another fifteen you were in town.

You headed to a big box store to pick up as much as possible in one place. You started by stocking up on the produce he so obviously enjoyed, along with what seemed to be the nicest fish they had on offer. You also found some kelp and wakame, a Japanese seaweed apparently. You paused at the meat alternative section and shrugged before grabbing some tofu…maybe that would be to his liking…and rounded out the groceries with more eggs as they were ‘tolerable’.

You then headed to the pharmacy section and pondered over the kinds of things men used…you ended up buying a toothbrush, a good quality razor (though who knew if he needed to shave? Arthur did so there was a good chance…), shaving cream, body soap, and deodorant – all with the least offensive scent you could find. You also bought more first aid supplies to replace those he had used.

The last stop on your shopping tour was the clothing section. You guessed his size and picked up two pairs of shorts, a pair of pants, several tops with short and long sleeves, sleep shorts and shirts, a rain jacket, a bathing suit, sandals, runners, socks, and then you came to the underwear. Based on the way the suit fit Orm’s body, you guessed he would be a briefs man…Great you were blushing now. In the middle of a big box store. Staring at men’s underwear. You grabbed two of the three-packs quickly and vacated the aisle before anyone could witness your shame.

The bill was not small, but you had no hesitation when the ‘tap to pay’ popped up on the payment system screen. This was all the help Arthur and his brother. You tapped your credit card, relieved to hear the payment accepted chirp, and carried your bags out to the car. As you finished loading the trunk, you took a pause to take your phone off airplane mode and ensure you hadn’t missed anything important. There was a message from an unknown number, time stamped to the day before.

I need your help. I will be there soon.

Arthur…the man was constantly jumping into the ocean, destroying his cellphones so often that you never had his latest number saved. You shook your head a little as that was clearly meant to have arrived before he and Orm leapt onto the end of your dock yesterday.

It was well past lunch when you were headed back, so you grabbed a meal from the drive thru and polished it off happily as you drove back to the main dock.

By the time you parked and hauled everything to the boat, the energy you’d been expending over the last twenty-four hours caught up with you. You were tired. Just a little bit more effort and you’d be back at the cottage. You crossed the lake easily and pulled up to the dock. He was not there to greet you, but you had managed a solo docking many times. You easily tied up the boat and collected the bags, hauling them up to the cottage. He was not waiting at the door either. You juggled the bags and managed to get the door open.

You stepped in to find him sitting at the table again and may have let an exasperated sigh slip. Setting the bags on the table, you looked to him.

“Can you please look these things over and let me know what you think?”

All you wanted was to get a glass of water and take a break. This was supposed to be your vacation, after all. You filled a glass of water and went to sit across from him, taking a grateful sip. He had a pile of food unpacked on the table to his left, and was examining the fish closely, reading the packaging.

“This is all from commercial fishing.” He said coldly.

You blinked and looked to him. “I only bought wild caught, I promise.”

He raised his gaze to yours and for the first time you actually saw an emotion there. It was anger. You tried not to bristle. You’d just gone above and beyond to get this for him.

“Any fish caught by commercial fishing is unacceptable. I will not eat it.” He tossed it to his right, carelessly.

You set down your glass with a bit more of a thud than you would have liked.

“I am very sorry to hear that as that is all I am able to purchase for you out here…” Your left hand was clenched into a ball against your thigh under the table. Stay. Calm.

“You will just have to do better. Your kind is so oblivious to the suffering your convenience causes throughout the oceans. As long as it’s fast and cheap, the cost paid by the inhabitants of the sea is not your problem. Out of sight, out of mind. You’re all the same.” He scoffed coldly in the haughtiest tone you had ever had the misfortune to hear.

You clenched your teeth, lips pressed into a thin line. Not only had he never once expressed gratitude for what you had been doing for him since he set foot on your dock…now he was generalizing with his prejudice against the surface. You took a deep breath and stood.

“I will not engage with you when you speak like that. You are displaced and angry – justifiably so. But I will not tolerate being spoken to in that manner, especially as I am doing everything I can to help you after you were delivered to me unannounced. I am going for a walk. I will be back when I am able to have an actual conversation with you about this.” Your words were short, but you were quite proud to have kept your tone even…and to have contained the waiver in your voice.

Stepping into your shoes, you headed out the door, pulling it closed firmly behind you. You did not chance a look back at his stunned face.

Read Part Three

Masterlist

[thatsgeeky]

Building a Legendary Dungeons and Dragons Campaign: A Guide to Worldbuilding and Adventure Writing

Creating a compelling and immersive world is a crucial part of playing Dungeons & Dragons. As the Dungeon Master, it's your job to bring your world to life and make it feel like a real place that your players can explore and interact with. Here are some tips for building a world that will captivate your players:

This may be quite a long list so we advise you to grab a pen and paper to jot down any information that you find relevant.

Start with a Concept

Start with a central conflict: A great way to create a compelling concept for your D&D world is to start with a central conflict. Think about the main struggle or tension that exists in your world, and how it affects different characters and factions. This conflict can be anything from a war between kingdoms to a struggle between good and evil.

Consider the scope of your world: Before you start creating your world, it's important to consider the scope of your project. Are you creating a small region or a vast continent? Are you focusing on a single city or exploring an entire world? Understanding the scope of your project can help you create a concept that is manageable and focused.

Incorporate player input: Your players are going to be the ones exploring and interacting with your world, so it's important to incorporate their input into your concept. Ask them what kind of world they want to explore and what themes and tone they are interested in. This can help you create a concept that is tailored to their interests and preferences.

Use inspiration from other media: If you're struggling to come up with a concept for your world, don't be afraid to draw inspiration from other media. Books, movies, and TV shows can provide great inspiration for your world, as can real-world history and mythology.

Focus on unique elements: Finally, when creating your concept, focus on unique elements that will set your world apart. Think about what makes your world different from other D&D settings, and incorporate those elements into your concept. This can help your world stand out and provide a fresh experience for your players.

Create A Map

Start with a basic outline: Begin by sketching a basic outline of your world. This can include continents, oceans, and major landforms.

Add details: Once you have a basic outline, start adding details such as mountain ranges, rivers, and forests. Think about how the geography of your world affects the climate and resources of each region.

Consider the cultures: Think about the different cultures and civilizations that exist in your world, and how they relate to each other. Consider their languages, religions, and customs.

Create landmarks: Create unique landmarks such as ancient ruins, magical towers, and important cities. These landmarks can serve as points of interest for your players to explore.

Add labels: Once you have created your map, add labels for different regions, cities, and landmarks. This will help your players navigate your world and understand its geography.

Populate Your World

Create different races and cultures: Populate your world with different races and cultures, each with their own unique customs, languages, and history. Think about how these races and cultures interact with each other and the impact they have on the world.

Develop unique characters: Populate your world with unique and interesting characters, both good and bad. Think about their personalities, motivations, and how they fit into the world.

Create organizations and factions: Create different organizations and factions that exist within your world, such as political parties, religious groups, and guilds. Think about their goals, methods, and how they interact with each other.

Add supernatural elements: D&D is a fantasy game, so don't be afraid to add supernatural elements to your world. This can include magic, mythical creatures, and powerful artifacts.

Create A History

Consider history and lore: Populate your world with a rich history and lore. Think about important events and figures from the past, and how they have shaped the world your players are exploring

Incorporate player backstories: Consider incorporating the backstories of your players' characters into the world. This can help make the world feel more personal and relevant to the players.

Start with a timeline: Begin by creating a timeline of major events in your world's history. Think about important battles, wars, and alliances, as well as significant cultural and technological developments.

Consider cause and effect: Think about how different events in your world's history have impacted the present. Consider cause and effect relationships, such as how a major war may have led to the rise of a new empire.

Incorporate mythology and legends: Incorporate mythical elements into your world's history. Create legends and myths that explain the origins of your world and its inhabitants.

Add complexity: Avoid creating a simple, black-and-white history for your world. Instead, add complexity and nuance by including different perspectives and motivations. This can make your world feel more realistic and interesting.

Create significant figures: Create significant figures from your world's history, such as legendary heroes, conquerors, or religious figures. Think about how their actions and beliefs have shaped your world's history.

Incorporate player backstories: Consider incorporating the backstories of your players' characters into your world's history. This can help make the world feel more personal and relevant to the players.

Use real-world history as inspiration: Draw inspiration from real-world history when creating your world's history. This can help make your world feel more grounded and believable.

Add Magic & Monsters

Create a magic system: When adding magic to your world, create a system that explains how magic works. Consider the limitations and costs of magic, and how different spells and abilities are learned and cast.

Add magical creatures: Populate your world with magical creatures such as dragons, unicorns, and griffins. Consider their origins, behavior, and how they fit into your world's ecology and mythology.

Consider the origins of magic: Think about where magic comes from in your world. Is it a natural force, or does it come from a specific deity or source?

Create magical artifacts: Create powerful magical artifacts for your players to discover and use. Consider their history, powers, and the consequences of using them.

Create magical locations: Create magical locations such as enchanted forests, ancient ruins, and hidden temples. Consider the history and purpose of these locations, and the dangers that may lurk within them.

Use existing lore and mythology: Draw inspiration from existing lore and mythology when creating magic and monsters for your world. This can help make your world feel more grounded and believable.

Write Adventures

Create clear objectives: When writing an adventure, create clear objectives for your players to achieve. Think about what the players need to do to complete the adventure and what obstacles they will face along the way.

Develop interesting NPCs: Populate your adventure with interesting non-player characters (NPCs) that your players can interact with. Consider their motivations, personalities, and how they fit into the story.

Include puzzles and challenges: Add puzzles and challenges to your adventure to keep your players engaged and interested. These can be riddles, traps, or obstacles that the players need to overcome.

Add twists and turns: Keep your players on their toes by adding unexpected twists and turns to your adventure. This can include betrayals, unexpected enemies, or sudden plot twists.

Create memorable moments: Create memorable moments that your players will remember long after the adventure is over. This can include dramatic battles, emotional scenes, or epic encounters with powerful monsters.

Consider player agency: Give your players agency in the adventure by allowing them to make meaningful choices that impact the story. This can include different paths to achieve objectives, or moral choices that impact the outcome of the adventure.

Keep it flexible: While it's important to have a clear objective for your adventure, be flexible in how the players achieve that objective. Allow the players to come up with creative solutions and don't be afraid to improvise if necessary.

Conclusion

In conclusion, worldbuilding and adventure writing are essential components of creating a memorable and engaging Dungeons and Dragons campaign. By taking the time to create a detailed world, populate it with interesting characters and creatures, and craft engaging adventures, you can create an immersive experience for your players that will keep them coming back for more.

Remember to be flexible and open to the unexpected, as player agency and creativity are key to a successful campaign. By following these tips and exploring more resources on our Tumblr blog, you can hone your skills as a Dungeon Master and create unforgettable gaming experiences.

And if you're looking for even more ways to express your love for Dungeons and Dragons, don't forget to check out our Etsy store "thatsgeeky" for a wide range of D&D-themed merch.

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 23

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “At what point did I become life’s punching bag?”

Number 23 is…Joker’s Favor.

In my earlier entry for “Christmas With the Joker,” I mentioned that the creators behind B:TAS felt they had a hard time “settling” the Joker at first, and his first few episodes in the show are widely considered among his weakest stories in the DCAU. This was the episode that changed things; according to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, it was with “Joker’s Favor” that the team felt they finally “nailed down” how their take on the Joker should really work. While, of course, I have no real major issues with those first few episodes – and I particularly enjoy “Christmas With the Joker” – I will concede that this is when the character went from just a good Joker to an AMAZING Joker. It’s the episode that officially secured Mark Hamill’s tenure as the Clown Prince of Crime. The episode is probably most famous now because it introduced Harley Quinn. And while, yes, Harley’s introduction is a big plus for the story, she’s not the focus here by any means, and is a little different than how she’d be portrayed for the rest of the series. It’s the story that really makes this one unique. The plot focuses on a thoroughly mundane man by the name of Charlie Collins. One night, after an absolutely miserable day, Charlie gets cut off in traffic by a mysterious driver, and impulsively starts to road rage at them…only to discover the man he’s cussing out is the Joker. The Harlequin of Hate chases Charlie down, corners him, and seems ready to kill him…but agrees to spare Charlie’s life if Collins will agree to do “a little favor” for him. Charlie: “O-Okay…what?” Joker: “I DON’T KNOW! I HAVEN’T THOUGHT OF IT YET!”

The Joker thus departs, promising to call on that favor at some undetermined point. Grateful to be alive, but horror-stricken by this whole ordeal, Charlie moves his family out of Gotham and changes his name…but two years later, the Joker – who has been keeping tabs on Charlie all this time – calls to collect on the debt. Charlie must find a way to escape this proverbial Deal with the Devil, before good people get hurt. Something interesting about a lot of the best episodes in “Batman: The Animated Series” is that Batman, himself, isn’t always necessarily the focal character. A lot of times, he just kind of ends up getting roped into the action and conflict as a result of things other characters do or do not engage in. This is a good example. Batman has very little direct impact on the story; the focus is really on Charlie and the Joker. While Collins isn’t the most interesting character in the show, that’s actually part of the point: the episode plays Charlie up as something of an audience surrogate, a completely ordinary guy who is just going through the motions, but – because of one bad day – he ends up in over his head in a fantastic duel of the fates, sandwiched between the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime in their endless war. It’s a unique perspective for the show to play with, and while there were other episodes that tried similar tactics of fairly ordinary people ending up in extraordinary situations, this is easily one of the best, as well as one of the earliest.

I love the subtle way the episode plays with the Joker’s own dark philosophies on life. While his origins are left somewhat vague in the series – we know he was once a gangster named “Jack Napier,” inspired by the Tim Burton movies, but that’s about it – I think most people are aware of the comic book version’s ideology on how “all it takes is One Bad Day to turn a normal man into a monster.” The conflict between Charlie and the Joker, and how it ends (I won’t give away that twist) provides an interesting twist on that idea. I also love, once again, how diabolically petty the character is in this story: he decides to spare Charlie’s life basically on a whim, but once he declares he’s going to collect on a favor, he takes it VERY seriously. What’s hilarious is that, when he DOES call on Charlie, both the man and the audience themselves are expecting this favor to be something like “Chuckers” being forced to shoot somebody or whatever…and instead, the Joker literally just needs him to open a door. That last bit, alone, probably says a lot about why this episode is so revered. Again, how much more Joker-ish can you possibly get?

Tomorrow we move on to Number 22! Hint: “All I wanted from you, dearie, was a little friendship! That would have cost you nothing!”

[quetzalpapalotl]

How did you begin liking Sentinel Prime as a character? What are your thoughts on each version of him (Bayformers, Animated, One, both IDW runs, etc.)?

Sorry for the delay, Sentinel anon. Under the cut bc it got long.

So I started liking him because I got really into IDW1's pre-war politics. Like, the ruling classes are usually thought of as just some asshole oppressive guys that are there to set the stage for the Autobot/Decepticon conflict and that's not entirely wrong, but they're not just a hivemind of evil. They're people with their own interests, The Functionist Council is in conflict with the Senate, the strongest faction of it being led by Proteus who is a highly active schemer in contrast with Nominus Prime who is kinda lame, doesn't seem to do anything and gets killed by either his Senate or the Council depending on the timeline. I like that!! It provides context for the main character's choices that I consider very important, but it also makes the world feel alive. Like these politician bastards really are people who exist on their own and not just in service of the plot.

So Sentinel also plays a role here, as Proteus' puppet Prime. We are told in Chaos Theory that the Senate suddenly changed his mind and became okay with Decepticonism (obviously this is a front, since Proteous still wanted to blame them for a terrorist attack) and later during Sentinel's time as Prime, we learn that hardline functionism is losing its hold over the planet, and by extension so is The Council. So it's very likely that Sentinel and Proteus allowed the anti-functionist sentiment to fester in order to diminish the council in favor of the senate, naturally having a Prime that works for the Senate instead of the ambivalent Nominus works great for that. The Council really seemed to have lost all power since when Megatron rose up, his efforts were focused on the Senate and later Zeta Prime could do away with (official) Functionism no problem.

Obviously they didn’t do this because they cared about the unfairness of the caste system and Cybertron was still a place full of inequality. But it's funny like, they probably thought they could deal with the masses, I mean Sentinel was the leader of security forces, he must have thought there wasn't a pest he couldn't stomp. But allowing Decepticonism to grow just ended up killing him (...or well, not actually killing him, but you know).

Also his whole speech about romance being for people who are deranged is hilarious ngl. Just overall a fun guy.

IDW2 is very good. I liked this take after it seemed that Sentinel being a self serving asshole and/or a villain was now the default. I mean, he acts somewhat antagonist to Orion and he's not exactly nice but he has some very interesting stuff going on. He's trying to keep Cybertron going after being devastated by a war caused by their own greed, he is truly the heir to the Nominus edict, he truly is trying to work for the greated guy and I would hate to have his job. As stagnant as Cybertron may feel, the population really is looked after, everyone is fed, people can choose their own paths, inequality doesn't really seem to be a problem, but he's also had to do some awful stuff for this, like how the titan sparks were locked away. I liked how he went out fighting and felt bad that he died bc a guy who misses colonialism and Wants to Make Cybertron Great Again exploited the dissatisfaction with his movement to further his radical agenda. So yeah a complex, flawed guy in a difficult position. A tired politician.

TF One is great fun. He reminds me of IDW1 Zeta and I kinda like him for that. He's just a self-serving asshole. Narratively speaking, he is a very efficient villian, he does his job. I also love how D-16 used to admire him and that Sentinel will probably continue to haunt Megatron in the future because of it. There's something interesting in how he complains about the Primes not dealing with the Quintessons efficiently and uses it as justification for his actions (which included giving the planet to the Quints). I also think it was fun how he was like "Shut up, old man" and killed Alpha Trion fwjgdjdkfjd mood. Except not really because that was an Alpha Trion I actually liked. But yeah, he is evil and fun live him.

Animated!Sentinel is mostly just annoying. I don't think this is a bad thing and I do not dislike him as a character... or rather, I don't dislike him as a narrative tool. His purpose is to be annoying to get us rooting for Optimus and he does that well and the story wouldn't be the same without him. He's just not the kind of asshole that's endearing to me, so I don't really care about him, ah. Sorry if this dissapoints you.

I have never watched any Bayverse movie so I can't say anything about that Sentinel.

[dolphin1812]

The third paragraph of this chapter is really long, but it’s actually only two sentences (although there’s a very real possibility that I miscounted - either way, it’s definitely not a lot of sentences for its length). The first sentence consists of the events of the battle. As I’ve noted before, the “lists” for casualties and military events resemble epic poetry and make the battle feel overwhelming and chaotic. While the names included here might have been more familiar to a reader in the 1860s, I’d imagine that the sheer quantity of information would still be hard to process, and the lack of a true break (as it’s all one sentence) enhances that feeling of being bombarded. This is particularly true because of how long the first sentence is. It takes up most of the paragraph, and this is the longest paragraph in this chapter. 

The second sentence is still fairly long, but it’s short enough to include here:

“Napoleon was accustomed to gaze steadily at war; he never added up the heart-rending details, cipher by cipher; ciphers mattered little to him, provided that they furnished the total—victory; he was not alarmed if the beginnings did go astray, since he thought himself the master and the possessor at the end; he knew how to wait, supposing himself to be out of the question, and he treated destiny as his equal: he seemed to say to fate, Thou wilt not dare.”

If the first sentence was about the chaos of battle (in contrast to Napoleon’s “admirable” plan, as discussed in the preceding paragraphs), this one “zooms out” by “zooming in:” by focusing on Napoleon, we see the battle as a step towards his goal rather than an unpredictable and messy conflict. At the same time, we also stop seeing the combatants as people. We may not recognize the names of all of the combatants, but many of them are there in the long first sentence; Hugo tells us who is doing what, and when he can’t give names, he gives numbers (for example: “eighteen hundred men overthrown”). To Napoleon, all of these people are “ciphers,” which “matter little to him” as long as he wins. His strategy may be “admirable,” then, from a technical standpoint, but his perspective is also a callous one. He also doesn’t see himself as vulnerable to the violence of war in the same way his men are, “supposing himself to be out of the question;” he assumes not only that he’s destined to win, but that he’s invulnerable.

The subsequent paragraph is also very interesting:

“Composed half of light and half of shadow, Napoleon thought himself protected in good and tolerated in evil. He had, or thought that he had, a connivance, one might almost say a complicity, of events in his favor, which was equivalent to the invulnerability of antiquity.”

Firstly: the light and shadow symbolism is back! And it’s with a reference to the classics! The “half” of light/shadow brings back the image of the phantoms struggling over Napoleon’s memory, but here (now that we’re seeing things from his perspective), they’re both overshadowed by his (perceived) power. What mattered was not his good or bad deeds (which he thought were “protected” or “tolerated,” respectively), but his “complicity” with destiny, which he felt was in his favor. Therefore, his actions couldn’t be judged on the same scale as those of others (a concerning idea that, as we saw with his judgment in the eyes of the populace, was very wrong). Seeing himself as possessing something equal to the “invulnerability of antiquity,” he couldn’t imagine failure.

Spoilers below:

But who actually possesses the “invulnerability of antiquity” in this novel?

Technically, no one does, as no one is completely invulnerable. But one character does come closer than any other: Enjolras. He’s constantly compared to classical figures and is unscathed by the battle at the barricades up until he dies. And while he believed the barricade would succeed to an extent (more in the sense that he had hope that it would than he believed that he was Destiny, but he wouldn’t have rebelled if he hadn’t thought there was a chance), he approaches battle very differently from Napoleon. He saw everyone at the barricade as a person, not a “cipher.” We see that he values his friends, and many men there are given the option of escaping by him and his friends so that their families don’t have to suffer from their deaths (showing a recognition of the personal lives of each man even when we don’t know how well they all knew each other). Enjolras’ comparative invulnerability, then, glorifies him in comparison to Napoleon in the same way his strategy does. The Empire reduces people to numbers for the sake of one man’s glory, but the Republic cares about the circumstances of each of them and is stronger for it.

[luna-loner]

Hmm, if you still ship it, how about 002 for SugiKano (though, not all of them can be answered, huh? ^^;)? If not and/or as a bonus, KaruMana/KarmaNami? You seem real excited for the week, so here’s another chance to talk about it in the meanwhile.

Yay! Thorn's here!

Of course I still ship it, I just don't talk about it or any other ships because my mind is mostly focused on Gakuyuki. Due to recent events though, Karmanami is top priority, hence why we'll be doing both.

Suginkano

When I started shipping them: I think it was like a day after @blueberry-4 told me she shipped them. Rarepairs have a habit of occupying my mind rent free for a considerable period of time, but you already know that, my dear friend 😅

My thoughts: I can't believe I never thought of shipping them prior to meet Blue. They're perfect for each other. They have a lot in common, like sports, one-sided crushes, love chicken (which you pointed out to me, Thorn), etc... but have enough differences to balance things out. It's especially great for Okano, not only because she deserves someone to treat her right after the Valentine fiasco with Maehara, but also because I can see Sugino aiding in her growth.

For example, I can see Sugino praising and complimenting her skills whenever they hang out and play sports (We're at friendship stage here) He may not realize how impactful his words are, how they provide validation for her hobbies and interests. This alone won't diminishes her insecurity about being "unfeminine", but it does help, and Okano will gradually learn she doesn't need to change herself for others or to fit the mold.

What makes me happy about them: All the possible cute moments and scenarios, the chance for them to be with someone after their one-sided crushes, the height difference, the blue and pink combo, and the fact this ship can work both platonically and romantically.

What makes me sad about them: That they barely interacted.

Things done in fanfic that annoy me: No fanfics so no answer. Instead, I'll tell you about the things I did in my own fanfics that annoyed me:

Alot of times, I had Sugino tease Okano and her respond with anger in true tsundere fashion. It was funny at first, but then I felt it was too OOC for Sugino. I don't think he's above teasing, but he wouldn't tease someone just to get a reaction. Since then, I toned it down, and even outright abandoned it. He'd still tease her, but very lightly and she either teases him back, or playfully swats/kicks him with a smile on her face.

Things I look for in a fanfic: Good characterization.

My wishlist: For them to move on from their crushes and just be happy.

Who I'd be comfortable them dating with, if not each other: Kurahashi for Sugino and Kimura for Okano. Basically, my old ships for them pre-Sugikano, or OCs (for Next Gen purposes...)

My happily ever after for them: They get married and have kids and a dog.

Karmanami

When I started shipping them: From the begining, right after episode 8.

My thoughts: The delinquent x nerd dynamic what sold me on the this ship. It's endearing to picture Karma being the first to fall in love, but can't bring himself to confess, but he hangs out more often with Okuda as a result.

What makes me happy about them: How Karma trusts Okuda enough to let his guard down around her. It's this honest and open nature that prevents the chances of conflicts between them. I also love how Karma prompted Okuda to improve her skills, even if it was for nefarious puposes...

What makes me sad about them: That they never became canon.

Things done in fanfic that annoy me: Nothing, actually. I've read my fair share of bad Karmanami fics, but they were mostly crack. Overall, I liked what I've read for this ship.

Things I look for in a fanfic: Nothing in particular, maybe more of Okuda unintentionally flustering Karma.

My wishlist: For them to keep in touch even after graduation, showing that even after years, they still have the easiest boy-girl relationship.

My happily ever after for them: They get married and start a family.