#just as another example one of the main reasons I remember people saying they voted for bush's 2nd term

[just7frogsinapeoplesuit]

I was going to be done with this post, but just came across something I want to add because it's a lens anyone who primarily interacts with politics online is completely missing:

This is the heart of what I was trying to get across. People are not black-or-white, they're messy and diverse and a lot more malleable than you might think. If you gauge party politics by what you see online and in the media you do not understand the average American at all.

If you see right-wing voters as a distinct class of people it just shows that you exist in a bubble. Only people with a certain level of education and access to information talk about politics the way it's discussed on the internet, and if you refuse to exit that bubble out of fear, hatred, and classism you will not be able to successfully organize resistance to the coming administration.

ETA: I recommend reading this post of a conversation with a transphobic mom for a perfect example of how targeted compassion can almost immediately change a nonviolent person's mind about an issue. I am linking the version with information about the VERA framework since it explains the methodology really well.

Also want to mention that a political historian I follow just posted a whole piece about how the past few years there has been a level of censorship and misinformation in the South that we haven't seen since the 1850's during the abolitionist movement. The fascists got very scared and right now they think they've won. We can show them they're wrong.

Young people have GOT to stop talking about conservatives like they're scary menacing monsters. Yes the policies they back are horrifically destructive but that's entirely because of how individually stupid, fearful, emotionally stunted, weak willed and catastrophically gullible they are. That all is what made them become right wing to begin with. Just the most easily manipulated zombie sheep on earth.

[allamericansbitch]

How do you reason if taylor doesnt speak up about palestine in the near future? Because there’s an air of finality in her silence about this cause. Especially now that we know an israeli supporter (capital one) sponsored her US leg of tour, even her eras tour seems dirty. She is so quick to release new versions of ttpd (31 versions as of now), after billie indirectly called her out.

(Sidebar— yes billie may be a hypocrite to talk about wasteful variants of albums to be produced one after another to supplement chart topping. BUT she wasn’t wrong and not only was taylor in a position to set an example of reducing waste in music industry because of her titan status, she used that position to punch down further on billie’s release week, despite it not affecting ttpd’s #1 rank. Talk about stepping on her gown and taking her crown. Olivia creating a distance from taylor since the royalties incident has left a bad taste in my mouth.)

Also, its not helpful that she dated and defended a racist last year, wrote an album about him.

small tangent before i get to the main point: i've said this before billie isn't a hypocrite for the vinyl thing. i think y'all really need to start looking into the actual articles instead of just reading headlines or hearing out-of-context quotes. the entire article with billie was about sustainability and how she works hard to make her variants out of 100% recycled material so they're less wasteful. she wasn't saying she was against all vinyl variants in general, she was saying she's against people who make a bunch of variants and not put the effort in to make sure it's not wasteful like she does. she was just asking people to be more sustainable with their variants.

now to the main point: i've already made peace a long time ago that she's not a good person. when she doubled down on dating a vocal bigot who says slurs for fun and gets off to black women getting brutalized and tried to make it look empowering for her, releasing a song about anyone who doesn't like bigotry as 'vipers dressed in empath's clothing', and just becoming the embodiment of true white feminism and being a huge hypocrite, fully abandoning her activism and regressing to the generic apolitical 'remember to register to vote' posts that she made before she promised to do more, all that plus she's also been openly ableist with parts of ttpd in terms of using problematic displays of mental hospitals/breakdowns and using them as an 'aesthetic', mocking/invalidating other peoples addiction/depression but then asking for empathy with her own mental issues, working with and befriending multiple abusers, zionists, etc all while remaining silent on a genocide that is dependent on gaining traction and attention so people can raise money to help (also releasing the eras tour movie in Israel actively during the genocide, then later selling it to disney+ which is on the boycott list) but making sure she's still the biggest star in the world, maintaining her platform but never using it for anything important or good, asking for more money for herself and fully showing that charts are more important to her than injustice or helping fellow humans, and showing all the causes she once said she cared about don't really matter to her.

i've fully accepted that she's not gonna talk about the genocide she can easily help. and if by a shocking turn of events she does, we'll all know it's because she was losing fans not because she actually cares (which i know isn't the point, it's not about her, and her speaking up will help the cause so much so she still should; but i'm speaking in terms of how it reflects on her and her intentions). none of this should be surprising, i've seen a lot of people say this might be their last straw with her and that's completely valid, but my last straw was used up about a year ago. none of her new behavior is causing frustration to me because i was already frustrated to begin with. i don't need to reason with it because i did a long time ago.

[5and3nevermind]

Sorry if you want to wait on getting this information until after the poll is over but, if not, I wanted to share some thoughts about how I feel about my take on Yoonmin. As you mentioned, none of us know for sure about the nature of their relationship outside of what they show us and bits we've been told by others, so I never feel confident saying/believing in romantic relationships.

There were two options on your poll that I think I fall into though, the I like it as a 'ship' option, whether I believe it's real or not doesn't really change the fact that I enjoy anything that looks 'shippy' when it shows up, I get a lot of joy from ship content and do enjoy the thought of them as a couple.

But I ended up having to choose Close Friends, because no matter how reluctant I am about saying I know for sure about the nature of someone's relationship, there is something about these two that from the moment I first was getting into BTS and saw their interactions, both as the main subject of the camera as well as what was going on between them in the background I remember thinking 'oh, those two are best friends'. I soon realized that the majority of the fandom didn't really see them that way, but I'll always maintain, regardless of whether it's romantic or platonic, those two are way closer than just the way all BTS members are close with each other. There is a genuine friendship that exists outside of the group between them that I feel like I can see between them.

So, I had to go with Close friends, but I'm not opposed to the 'close friends leaning to lovers' option that was suggested either.

Thank you! This is super helpful. My purpose for creating the poll was to better understand how people who are seeking out yoonmin content actually feel about them.

I should probably wait for the poll results but I’ll go ahead and give my two cents. For a long time, I felt similar to what you’re describing: I thought they hovered very close to the line between platonic and romantic. I think two things pushed me over to the romantic end of the spectrum (of course this is just my opinion)… ⚠️ speculation ahead!

First, I felt that they were both fulfilling the role of “special person” for one another. Like Jimin calling Yoongi right after his surgery, before he’d fully gotten over the anesthesia. If Yoongi had a significant other, wouldn’t Jimin have left that role to them? Let them talk to him first? Figured Yoongi was in good hands? And it’s not just that one example; I see it other places as well. And it goes in both directions. Like Yoongi saying that if Jimin goes on the music shows “of course” he would be there. He “should be there”, even. As if it was a given. Not a friendly, “yeah I’ll try to stop by.”

And the second thing that solidified my views was the web show. Everything about it. I remember talking to a friend about it and we began to wonder, “what more could they have done?” We came up with “Not much!” They talked about their dynamic together, talked about spending time off camera, talked about mutual friends, expressed a great deal of familiarity and fondness…and the body language! They held hands multiple times! What more could they (reasonably) have done to show us their bond? It felt significant.

All of that said, I see the people who voted in the Close Friends category and our new Close Friends Leaning to Lovers category as being very similar to those in the Couple category. There honestly isn’t much difference. We agree on most things; we agree on the important things.

I have so many questions I’d love to discuss, but I’ll try to wait til the poll is finished! I hope you’ll stop by again. I’m curious to know more about how people end up in those three categories in particular, and what it would take to move them to a new category. (Not in the sense of me trying to convince someone to change their mind, but in the context of what they’d need to see between ym in order to change their pov.)

Thanks, anon! I appreciate your thoughts.

[thirst2]

I was going to reblog some further news I’d seen a few days ago regarding yet another anti-Trans bill being passed but I can’t find it; probably for the best: I don’t think anyone I follow is unaware or is remotely unsympathetic to what’s going on, right now.

But one of the thoughts that’s kept running through my head (other than the utter…disappointment I’ve been feeling for our own community turning on our own) is that, just a decade or two ago, we wouldn’t have been so defensive as it’s seemed we’ve been, thus far.

Maybe that’s a bit of a simplification; it took many years to get to that point (probably, at least, 3 decades) and we didn’t have to do it with the specter of full-blown fascism possibly arising in the process.

But I remember, in the late 90s (I think) and the 2000s, us outting closetted Republicans who passed anti-Queer legislation (https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/mike-rogers-outed-gay-republicans-108368/ is from 2014 but it covers some of what went on).

And – again, granted – that was a controversial decision within the community then, as well (even though it was as restrained as could be: the individual had to be actively foisting or helping pass anti-Queer legislation, etc.; if they were voting Republican but weren’t facilitating our destruction directly, they weren’t outted; but, again, I think the cravenness of today’s Republicans calls for more proactive measures).

It’s not like they’re acting smartly; they’re sloppy and the success of this trajectory is tenacious, at best.

We should be fucking burying them; Madison Cawthorn is example enough of how easy that should be.

Sure, I doubt many of them have done many of the social-conservative–transgressions that Cawthorn had but it’s not like they’re being any less hypocritical than when “Family Values” was their main cry.

We should be tarring them with every unsavory legal fight they have going on at any given moment; we should be (surreptitiously) invading their radio networks and pumping every “news” source they use with every passing rumor and image, the stuff we wouldn’t even begin to roll our eyes at but they rely on denouncing to keep up the charade of their political “platform”.

We should be keeping them in a state of disarray even further than they, already, naturally inflict upon themselves if for no other damn reason than they went after our own. I think it should be exactly the same tit-for-tat that outting was 2 decades ago – want to sponsor or cheer on a bill that bans hormone therapy? We make sure every OAN and Newsmax and smaller organization know about every story that ever made it to the light of day that would cut down any notion that you are what you say you are.

Ruin them; make them fucking terrified that, should they even start to talk about sticking their grubby hands into Trans issues, they can expect their past to get poured over and their currency amongst their base stamped the fuck out.

I know I don’t remotely have the spoons to begin figuring out where to start with something like this but, c’mon, it’s so obvious that the ground they stand on is shifting sand; they need a wedge issue to scapegoat because they have no idea how to govern or excite people; their base is getting smaller each year and they barely know how to keep captive their current one; and the majority of people just don’t care (which, admittedly, is a problem on its own) about whatever the Hell they’re blabberring on about.

And it was us who did it, 2 decades ago; not any kind of formal institution. Granted, it was in part because we were able to know who these people were because they wanted to have sex with us and then go write up bills that hunted us down; we don’t have that, right now.

But I don’t see us fighting back, in the same way; obviously, there’s groups working to get resources to those who need it (as usual) but that’s defensive, not offensive.

I feel like I definitely have more Queer friends and people around me, now, than I did in high school and I can still just be totally out of the loop but I don’t feel the same level of (informal) leadership we had back then. We have people out there providing insight and education (which is important!) but we don’t have…teeth.

I dunno; this is mostly just a train of thought, if anything; I wish I had something more substantial; but we need to do something different, soon.

[transhawks]

(PART 2) So things I've noted down. RE: The Hawkie-Talkie

Who do you think wants to hear that? Stain maybe?" Strike one for implying the heroes are trying to please the guy culling corrupt heroes instantly making the room go silent. Yeah wouldn't wanna come off that way right, from what it may imply about yourself? I remember you saying the anime added the Stain bit, but it actually was in the manga! Just super tiny light colored text next to Edgeshot.

Everything he said was a direct response to what Ryuku, Crust, and Yoroi Musha said. As for the part where he goes, "Today's a turning point, so what I don't wanna hear-" which is made more obvious in another translation, "they're calling this a critical juncture, so why is it that you people-" which is a direct response to what the HPSC President said, and I just love the call-out. This and that time in 192 is the most we're getting out of him.

"I just hate holding back how I feel." Ironic statement of the century. Is that why 245 Endeavor was all, "A grinning braggart with his heart on his sleeve, that's who I thought you were. At least around me, you were always playing the fool." Oh Endy, I love how Prohero!Arc Persona Hawks was the only guy you ever knew. For the main time at least. It almost sounds like he's questioning if that Hawks was real, but he did think he was real because believing that is what made him think serious!Hawks was off in some way, unlike him. Nothing amuses me more than these two's relationship. Please Hawks, you gotta make people's heads spin more with how rapidly you change multiple games nobody realizes they're playing. I know he's got a thing for foresight, but I don't think this was placing down cards RE: Endeavor's impression of him in case it was needed, but he def wanted to come off a certain way back then, it just seems to have continued to be useful. MVA book too maybe, which I love how only him and Shigaraki take note of it.

"You wanna talk public support? Best Jeanist would be Number One if that was all that mattered thanks to the boost he's gotten during his leave of absence." Strike two for essentially saying 'public support is fickle.' When it's the main thing the hero system runs on, what made vigilantes "heroes" instead of villains, why Endeavor could never beat All Might, the thing heroes love to chase after or take advantage of, that popularity (like Mt. Lady to get out of paying for food, though it's a minor example) that don't matter, none of it.So I always get miffed when people say Hawks cares about popularity when his whole intro was a call-out for it. Lol at how it kinda sounds like a jab too, that Jeanist got pity-voted up the charts.

"Sure...it matters more than anything else now, but c'mon..." Because what did Dabi say? "That loss of faith will spread like wildfire." Sure matters to the HPSC a lot since they're putting up this ceremony, at a time with no All Might, the people desperately need to trust in their heroes. And here they are!! Saying things like, "Yeah um, I have a lot of regrets, wish I could've done more, I don't deserve this ranking, sorry about that." So reassuring you guys. I feel so confident things are going to work out. 

"Jeanist would be number one, I'd be second, Edgeshot'd be third, Endeavor forth and so on."

Bringing up Jeanist tells us a few things. Someone who hasn't been doing any work ranked higher than you, he's the most popular hero, knowing that, is that still what you want to focus on? If that was all that mattered, go ahead, go take a break too.

But it isn't all that matters, you have to put in the work. Endeavor has the most solved cases out of any hero, yet a ranking system relying on approval would put him at 4th, so what's more important, the work we put in or the adoration we chase? And that angry glare Endeavor gives at his "new ranking" laying it all out like this could be a subtle way to encourage him to be a bit more likeable, seeing as that's the other reason Hawks was doing all this. A few things going on. 1) Prep Endeavor for the Nomu fight in two days, 2) Give people a new Leader to believe in (not a new All Might, we don't need Symbols) 3) Keep up the Hawks Persona all while doing it to keep your real intentions hidden since nobody thinks deeper about you when you're like that + without putting your mission at risk since Dabi is likely watching 4) That whole speech was improvised on the spot after hearing what everyone else said. He was making faces while thinking of what to say and how to act so people would think that was all he was doing, it's whats shown outwards after all. 5) Slight jab at the HPSC President because why the hell not, what are they gonna do, complain when he gets results later? It's also kinda funny to me that he keeps himself at No.2 when the other thing he says is, "what I don't wanna hear, from the guys and gals below me." it's like he's saying he's the only one out of them who actually deserves his position, popularity and work in balance huh instead of popularity shifting it? "please speak more like real heroes" instead of people-pleasers because the HPSC wants a nice, proper formal event showing how shiny everything is despite calling it a "critical turning point" if that's the case, then why do we still cling to the old ways? funny coming from the guys who sounded sooo regretful about their old ways in the meeting in chapter 95.

"Dude with a lower approval rating than me." Lol, ok forgot about this for a sec, so maybe that "listing everyone's ranking" really was a subtle jab here because he wants Endy to work on being better, and he does it while being so annoying. But Endeavor buys it hook-line-and-sinker. Acts all mature like "after that novice stirred the flames like that" you wanna contrast your personalities as the more reliable adulty-leader huh? A strong and steady guy? Exactly what Hawks wanted, he knows your character. Best make that roughness look reliable since his back isn't broad enough to put the people at ease, and you've never been good at fluffy P.R interviews and talkshows.

I remember you saying the anime added the Stain bit, but it actually was in the manga!

I think you have me confused with someone else, I've never said this. When I have analyzed the scene, it's more on how Hawks is shown to be a master manipulator in this scene and as he responds to each hero. Why I don't have an individual meta on it, I'm pretty sure I broke it down years ago in Thyandra's asks as an anon and then deanon-ed rbing it here. But this was like ....October/November 2018. Don't remember if I ever did a more fine-toothed breakdown that didn't focus on how Hawks plays Endeavor like a fiddle.

"I just hate holding back how I feel." Ironic statement of the century.

Hawks in the running for top repressor of his feelings in Japan.

Strike two for essentially saying 'public support is fickle.' When it's the main thing the hero system runs on, what made vigilantes "heroes" instead of villains, why Endeavor could never beat All Might, the thing heroes love to chase after or take advantage of, that popularity (like Mt. Lady to get out of paying for food, though it's a minor example) that don't matter, none of it.So I always get miffed when people say Hawks cares about popularity when his whole intro was a call-out for it. Lol at how it kinda sounds like a jab too, that Jeanist got pity-voted up the charts.

I think Hawks is both aware of the necessity of public opinion and also fairly inwardly derisive of it. He's a "charismatic" hero, more like All Might than Endeavor in that regard, but he's not a fan of it, it seems. I do think he was very much taking his fellow heroes to task for the absolute milquetoast and apologetic responses they had in front of the cameras.

Anyway, the important thing is he actually set the stage for Endeavor not to fail.

"Dude with a lower approval rating than me." Lol, ok forgot about this for a sec, so maybe that "listing everyone's ranking" really was a subtle jab here because he wants Endy to work on being better, and he does it while being so annoying. But Endeavor buys it hook-line-and-sinker. Acts all mature like "after that novice stirred the flames like that" you wanna contrast your personalities as the more reliable adulty-leader huh? A strong and steady guy? Exactly what Hawks wanted, he knows your character. Best make that roughness look reliable since his back isn't broad enough to put the people at ease, and you've never been good at fluffy P.R interviews and talkshows.

Exactly. His whole goal was to make sure the only thing Endeavor could say after all that 1. had the most impact than anyone else 2. was minimal as possible. No apologies, no excuses, no promises to do better - just watch me. Gruff, to the point, etc - no chance to misconstrue his meaning. The best way to handle Endeavor.

Hook, line, sinker. Hawks played those awards, also came off as maverick for Dabi's purposes, bolstered himself (good for the HPSC), took a few potshots at the old system (where the HPSC can't complain much because he has 'reasons'), told the heroes under him to get their shit together and stop groveling for approval, and also made sure that Endeavor would have a reason to not storm home and approach him (and ofc set a stage up to get his ranking solid because we were told a few times that people were nervous about Enji becoming no. 1).

[goblin-enjoyer]

Ok now that both polls are done time to compare results and see if i can gleam anything from this.

(spoiler alert: the second one only got slightly over half of the votes as the first one so this aint going to be useful or that interesting either way.

First poll was about what was you gits favorite troll blood type.

Ranking at the bottom of the barrel with no votes are Blue and Indigo. Trolls from the franchise with these blood colors tend to be controversial or just uncomfortable characters in general. while still having their fans, this poll did not reach them and thus 0% all for the "bluebloods".

Up next with only a bit more votes, are bronze,gold,olive,jade,violet and fuchsia all with just 5.9% of the votes. while not that high in the polls individually, its nice to know that even from this smaller sample size, almost every color has its fans. heck, i bet blue and indigo would have added on to the even all rounders here if there was more people voting. hard to tell anything from this, but still somewhat neat to see.

Last tied castes are purple and karkats candy red, or muties as i have called them. what can i say, do enough ork impressions and play them enough and (other than invade any setting while you're making neat little adventures in your head while daydreaming) you start to affectionately call things with orky terms. like i call octolings and inklings from splatoon beakies but that's starting to get off-topic. with 11.8% of the votes, i suspect the reason these got this far is because the characters associated with those blood colors are popular fan favorites, with karkat being a "sudo-main character" as ill call him for now and gamzee being an important and prime example of a fun trope where the comic relief turns into an actual threat, that and the purple bloods being generally some of the more beloved characters to come out of hiveswap/friendsim, it's no wonder they ranked as they did, however the next one may be my fault here.

With 17.6% of the vote are the teal bloods. terezi is another fan favorite character with plot relevance and the teal bloods from hiveswap/friendsim are up there with the purples for top characters people got out of those games. why did teals rank higher than purples then if they are liked for pretty much all the same reasons? well you see i kinda hit the limit for poll options (honestly kinda lucky there, got to fit all the blood types in there. [well except lime but that doesn't count because it has no trolls in it]) so I disgraced the post by omitting the mandatory other option. a grave sin, I know. so i voted on this poll myself. this was recently after finishing homestuck but before doing the extended zodiac quiz or playing friendsim, so my favorite character at the time was Terezi Pyrope. So I voted teal and that one vote pushed the teals ahead of the curb like a raid team that found an exploit. didn't mean to sway the vote as i did, as i expected there to be a bit more votes but in midnight post all polls being done hindsight I probably should have gone the tf2 route and put the characters names in the tags, but I think I got enough votes and interaction with this one.

and finally with a whopper 23.5% of the votes, surprising me greatly it's the rust bloods! I honestly have no clue on how they got ahead here. from what i remember the rust bloods from both homestuck proper and friendsim/hiveswap didn't do much and weren't all too relevant. but i guess i was mistaken and underestimated the power of underrepresented blorbos and the working class. i honestly do not know what to say at this point, even after trawling around poking at the general fanspaces I still don't see much talk around these characters and this caste. still they managed to get roughly 4 or so votes without the poll maker throwing in er hat into the ring so good on them!

Onto the second poll which probably got a lot less traction due to the fact that it was based on the extended zodiac quiz.

Yeah maybe i should redo the polls with the characters actually tagged huh? redo at 100 likes? hekekekekek

with 0% of the few votes i got here are rust, bronze,teal,blue,purple and fuchsia. don't know how the extended zodiac works so i don't really have anything to say other than man do I wish this poll got more votes.

with 11.1% of the votes each are gold,lime(idk why but the wiki says its an available option so i went with it),jade and violet. an even amount distributed amongst the crowd, maybe people's favorite blood caste is the same as the ones they have maybe it's not. like i said it's hard to tell with the small sample size i got i hand here.

next is olive with 22.2% of votes and i'm just going to get threw this quickly because reading makes me tired, its 1:51 am and i slept horribly last night. I got olive blood on the test, no other option. bada bing bada boom. onto an actually surprising thing next.

Indigo unlike last poll is the opposite of 0% with a solid 33.3% winning the poll thing. very surprising, tells me that either the people who did the first one didn't do the second or that peoples zodiac blood type are the opposites of the ones they actually like. i don't know but it's interesting to say the least.

well while confusing to say the least, this set of polls was pretty fun and interesting to dissect. I hope you all can get as much fun as I did with these bad boyes. while I didn't get as much as a sample size as i wanted to get, the results did show me some wee stuff about the homestuck fandom, at least on tumblr. maybe i'll do another set of these in the future but more to the point and including all the troll names (zog that sounds horrid but oddly satisfying to type) but either way feel free to discuss this stuff in the comments or tags or whatever, idk im not a mathy goober. Im Goblin Enjoyer and I remember it so you don't have to, good night everybody.

[teecupangel]

Ooohhhh. Well, whenever I decapitate someone in Valhalla, I don’t stick around the scene of the crime for other guards to find me so I never realized that pigs appear to eat it. Considering AC Valhalla is rated Cero Z, I won’t be surprised if they still edited some of the gorier stuff though. CERO Z isn’t exactly the same as ESRB M even though ESRB M says 17+ and CERO Z says 18 and above, CERO Z still requests more revisions than ESRB M.

A great example of the difference is how in Resident Evil 2 Remake, there’s a scene that has a certain character be chopped in half in ESRB M version but they kept the entire body in CERO Z. So yeah… Absolutely not surprised if JP AC Valhalla has helmet eating pigs XD

(This is the main reason why Callistro Protocol wasn’t released in Japan too)

So true. And Haytham says it best:

The only difference between myself and those you aid is that I do not feign affection.

Honestly, I think Ubisoft saw how a lot of people flocked over Haytham during the first release of AC3 when Ratonhnhaké:ton was underappreciated and that’s the reason why they pushed for more ‘character depth’ to Haytham. (I’m sure his accent helped too). I read some say that one of the main reasons why Ratonhnhaké:ton wasn’t well received was because he was so different from Ezio and a lot of Ezio fans hated that but I never really believed them because my college best friend was a huge Ezio fan and played the AC games when they came out and when we were talking about my own experience, she was like “I don’t remember a lot but I hated his (Ratonhnhaké:ton’s) dad. He was such an asshole to him.” so, really, Ubisoft is very… white-centric. I will admit that they did well showing that both sides were selfish in many ways and Ratonhnhaké:ton really didn’t have a good side to join. Then Syndicate happened and they did Karl Marx dirty and Ubisoft definitely decided which side they are. (And I think the writers know it since they do show Abstergo partnering with AC world’s Ubisoft for the games)

Haytham is just… he’s a good character and can be considered one of the best AC characters but there’s really a dissonance on what kind of ‘good character’ he is meant to be.

I feel you. I wanted to learn more about Bloodborne, I really really do, I love gothic horror and god Yharnam is sooo pretty to me but I. Can’t. Even. Get. To. The. First. Boss. (I am actually dreading the upcoming Armored Core because I love that series but if it’s FromSoftware being FromSoftware, I probably won’t get far TTATT)

I blame Dynasty Warriors, tbh. (not gonna lie, I’m one of those who thought Xiahou Dun eating his own eyeball was pretty badass even if my Wei preference is Cao Ren) Although John Woo’s Red Cliff is probably the main Romance of the Three Kingdom adaptation that got mainstream attention. Probably. Oh definitely, the west is definitely trying to suck on that golden peach. And it’s not just the movies focused on China but a lot of movies right now are being edited to tone down or flatout remove anything that would ban it there. Anything owned by the big mouse is like that and even sports (I think???).

Also… Ubisoft is partly owned by Tencent right now so its focus on the China market was bound to happen:

Tencent invested another €300 million into Guillemot Brothers Limited, the company that holds part of the Guillemots' ownership of Ubisoft, in September 2022. This gave Tencent 49.9% ownership in this holding company and increased the Guillemots' share of voting rights within Ubisoft to about 30%. Yves Guillemot said that Tencent would be working closely with Ubisoft, helping to bring their games into China while assisting in paying off Ubisoft's debts and preventing the company from potential buyouts

I’ll keep that in mind and I don’t mind reading subtitles XD. We’ll just see what’s available in my region hahahaha. Oh yeah, that sounds about right. Some things do get lost in localization and that’s why I like checking the original and dubbed versions. It’s interesting to see the difference.

Irt Shao Jun's Name

Why is it even spelled "Jun"? Even in her first appearance in Assassin's Creed: Embers, Ezio and Sofia pronounce it "Shao Yun."

It's...a mixed bag in Chinese fandom, as far as I've seen. There are no official characters for her name, and without them, we don't know what her name means or even how to correctly pronounce it because there are no tones. Fans usually pick a number of characters to spell out either Shao Jun or Shao Yun, which means her name is usually pronounced differently, with different meanings.

Tbfh, I always favored 绍君 for her name, AKA Shao Jun with "Shao" being a surname to mean "carry on" and "Jun" being a word to describe a gentleman/someone of noble birth and bearing. It bears a lot of power.

In the official AC novels by Yan Leisheng, he uses the 少芸，or Little Yun, which has me taken aback because I've always read Shao Yun as her full name, meaning "Shao" would be a family name, not a prefix. I guess both would work, given that she's a palace concubine. The "yun" he uses means "rue," the flower, which is fitting for a concubine, but doesn't bear the same weight and power as the "jun" I chose for her.

Either way, Ubisoft can't commit to her name. They spell it one way, then pronounce it another. Even the novelization is apparently officially non-canon, meaning once again, the VIBE of this girl is completely up to fanon.

[cienie-isengardu]

New Canon Mandalorians

I had time and access to (re)watch episodes of Disney’s live action and animated TV series concerning mandalorian culture. Which wasn’t the best idea to spend my free time cause now I need to talk about a few aspects I currently don’t like about New Canon Mandalorians.

For one, treating Darksaber as the most important symbol of power and even being like oh no, leader who doesn’t deserve the saber will bring misery to all Mandalore, like dude, if you pick a wrong/unqualified person to lead you, the outcome will be like that no matter if Darksaber was part of it or not, so maybe it is time to stop blaming ancient items for your own failures, ya know? 

Also, why the hell would Mandalorians use the Jedi weapon as the most prominent symbol of leadership when the history of the Darksaber itself is only a small slice of the otherwise long history of their culture? (TCW at least made Darksaber simply connected to the Vizsla clan as the valuable trophy/family keepsake before the rest of source material exaggerated its importance to all Mandalorians). 

And why Darksaber must be won in the fight if we have Legends & New Canon examples when warrior Mandalorians actually made a choice to follow certain people like it happened with Jango (chosen over Montross by True Mandalorians) or Bo-Katan Kryze (accepted as leader by various clans), without a bloody fight to secure their reigns? Not to mention the probability that Mandalores actually named their successor in case they died in combat to avoid breakdown and internal struggles that would weaken society while the ancient laws provide the opportunity to challenge a leader to take over if they prove to be unworthy.

I get that Mandalorians are the main star wars proud warrior group and so on, but that does not mean they aren’t capable of making their own decisions in that regard or that they should be without any say in the current course of action because the leader is the one and the only authority whose opinion matters. The best example would be The Old Republic: Revan book, who strongly suggested that the most important (controversial) matters could be decided by vote of all clan members. I mean, hell, even Pre Vizsla put to a vote should Death Watch work with Maul before they agreed to be allies against a common enemy (Jedi) so not everything must be decided alone by one Mandalorian fighting another. Frankly, the way Death Watch fractured after Pre’s death may even suggest that in modern times defeating a previous leader does not guarantee loyalty of warriors who may refuse to obey for whatever reason.

The other matter that irritates me frequently is New Canon making Mandalorians focused on person’s aristocratic roots and titles (Lady/heiress Bo-Katan, Countess Ursa Wren, Lord Saxon) or talking about their claims to “throne” like Mandalorians were a typical hierarchical society. The mandalorian hierarchy in Legends was always about personal skills and courage not connection to nobility or a certain family/House/Clan (with special exception of Boba Fett and Spar (ARC-02) whose connection to Jango Fett was a significant factor in making them new Mandalores, all due to Fenn Shysa’s wish to unite shattered Mandalorians under “son of Jango Fett” because even Mandalorians needed a symbol and Jango Fett was still remembered as one of the best warriors then. Still, most people did not know who was under the helmet and it was as much needed symbol for Mandalorians as a warning to outsiders that Mandalore is once again united and strong). 

So, the Mandalore title wasn’t usually given to a person just because someone happened to be blood related to the previous ruler and the fact that Mandalorians have laws as old as the ancient times that anyone can challenge the current leader strongly suggest some social equality. Which is much better in my humble opinion than making mandalorian society act like the rest of the galaxy just because the majority of planets is in fact ruled by kings, queens and other aristocratic bullshit. Mandalorians didn’t and still don’t need such nonsense and I would be feel much better if New Canon stopped basing one person’s claim to Mandalore title on their biological blood-ties and/or nobility roots, especially when it comes to Bo-Katan Kryze who spend most of TCW trying to overthrone her sister - a New Mandalorian ruler whose Death Watch did not even accept in the first place but whose existence is now a good foundation for Bo-Katan’s claim to the so called Mandalore Throne? Can Disney even follow its own canon somehow or at least give us a real character/story development explaining why the mandalorian warriors suddenly are fond of Satine Kryze but have like zero memory of Pre Vizsla or what Death Watch did to take over Mandalore?

I don’t mind Bo-Katan being an ambitious woman who wants to take over Mandalore and be the ruler but I mind other characters thinking she has any claims to the title just because her sister was once a Duchess herself. What the hell is wrong with the New Canon?

I should also talk about the whole Children of the Watch and their weird rule of not taking off their helmet otherwise you are no Mando anymore but to be honest, I’m too tired of other nonsense. At least material sources treat this as a not-typical Mandalorian group but it is still weird to watch TV series with that custom as one of plots. 

[renegadewangs]

Van Zieks - the Examination, part 4

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).

Disclaimer: (see  Part 1 for the more detailed disclaimer.) - These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything I’m outlining stems from my own views and experiences. If you believe that I’ve missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. -The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. - I’m using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare what’s said. This also means I’m using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent. -It doesn’t matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

It’s time to take a close look at Episode 2 of the second game, The Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro!

Episode 2-2: The Memoirs of the Clouded Kokoro

Remember how in the last episode we vaguely got Barok on our side near the end of the trial by proving Mrs. Garrideb was actually involved in the crime? … Yeah. Forget that progress. It's being undone. Case 2-2 is the first case of the second game which features Barok, which unfortunately means he needs to be 'reintroduced' to the audience and it takes him back several steps in his growth. It makes sense, I suppose, it would've been weird starting a new game with him already being lightly on Ryu's side. Even so, it's a bit insulting how this case acts as if the chronologically previous one accomplished nothing.

So anyway, this case flashbacks to something which supposedly happened right after the first game's fourth case. The day after Soseki's acquittal, even. Turns out, Soseki awoke to find one of the other tenants in his building dead and asked Ryu for help, but (S)Holmes tagged along. Gregson is at the crime scene, keeping an eye on the place and on Soseki in particular since he's suspicious. (Sure, Gregson. Sure. Has nothing to do with the Reaper's curse, probably.) After some investigation with (S)Holmes, Gregson has enough evidence to actually arrest Soseki, which definitely feels like a step backwards. A bit later, it turns out the victim is Not Actually Dead Yet. Again! The Great Ace Attorney really enjoys throwing us for a loop by pretending we're in for another murder case.

Anyway, during the course of the investigation, I found two mentions of Van Zieks. The first is when you investigate the broken glasses and bottles in the victim's room. Susato is immediately reminded of Lord van Zieks.

And when examining Garrideb's old army uniform, Susato points out it might suit Lord van Zieks.

Haha, as if his usual outfit isn't ostentatious enough already. So we learn that Susato doesn't have a very high opinion of him at all, and I should hope it's not still related to that time he called detective novels pathetic. It's fun of them to refer to him in an investigation that he's not involved in in any way, especially when they don't know yet that he's the prosecution again.

Speaking to Soseki in the gaol, we're once again told that he's had a dreadful time in England so far. He sees foreigners everywhere and he's sure they're all laughing at him. He's been so on edge the past year that he's moved 'more times than he can remember'. So once again, we're reminded that racial prejudice in 1900s England is a focal point of this game's story. Once the conversation is over, Gregson appears to let the gang know that the victim has regained consciousness and is accusing Soseki of poisoning him. We're going to trial for an attempted murder charge, y'all!

The next day, in the defendant's lobby, Susato comes bursting in with the dreadful news that Barok van Zieks has once again taken on the prosecution. It's definitely safe to assume now that either Ryu or Soseki is the reason he's taking on these not-really-murder trials when he normally wouldn't. As I mentioned before, this is his reintroduction in the second game and so the game feels compelled to remind the player of what went down in case 1-4:

He sure did! The game also once again reminds us what the Reaper's Curse entails, and that perhaps that's the reason why Soseki is on trial yet again. He's doomed, perhaps. Susato also informs us that (S)Holmes is running late, just as he was two days ago, and Ryu thinks that's a good thing because if the Great Detective were there, Ryu might come to rely on his help.

… I suppose? He already relies on Susato for help and I feel like that would warrant far more 'preying' from Van Zieks than relying on a male, adult British detective for help. Though knowing (S)Holmes, he'd end up stealing the show and taking the words from Ryu's mouth, but that doesn't seem to be what Ryu's worried about here. I suppose the main point to take away from this remark is that Ryu wants to do as much as he can by himself. He wants to appear strong in front of Van Zieks to avoid presenting an easy target, and I think this might actually be the first time we see a sentiment like that from him. Is he afraid of Van Zieks? Does he actually care about the man's opinion? Anyway, he swears to show Van Zieks what a Japanese lawyer can do.

Inside the courtroom, Van Zieks does the usual prosecutor spiel about how the defense needs to be ready for defeat. Ryu thinks to himself that Van Zieks has a particular animosity towards Japanese people for some reason.

Good thing we got a second game in the series, eh? So because the defendant was on trial only two days ago, the same jurors were chosen where possible. The only juror not returning is Mrs. Garrideb, who's too busy being in prison. Her spot is now taken by a very fancy lady we later learn to be the wife of the Altamont Gas Company's owner. She may as well be the CEO herself with how she's acting, though. Anyway, Van Zieks addresses the jurors directly.

“However, the innocent verdict afforded to this eccentric Nipponese before... has had dire consequences. Did the accused repent for his wrongdoing in that affair? Far from it. Instead, he used his freedom to perpetrate a most blood-curdling crime!”

Van Zieks makes record time by taking off his cloak immediately after this line. He's gone straight into overdrive. The witnesses summoned this time are Inspector Gregson and... Soseki? It's very irregular for the defendant to be testifying, especially this early in the trial and especially by the prosecution's request. I can't really make much of it. It feels like the only reason Soseki is testifying is for this joke:

Also found when examining the testimony is a remark from Van Zieks that I honestly found shocking in how ferocious and scummy it is.

Unnecessary, that remark. It didn't need to exist at all in my opinion. So after Ryu shatters the testimony and scatters Gregson's fish 'n chips, Van Zieks calmly pours himself a glass of wine. I have to be honest, by now whenever he does this I'm left wondering what he'll do next. Will he crush the chalice? Will he throw it? Will he actually take a sip? The versatility of the action and unpredictable nature of Van Zieks add a bit of suspense. Turns out, his mind wandered during the testimony.

And then he ends up crushing the glass in his hand anyway. Alas, poor chalice. We knew it. So after a bit of debating back and forth about whether Shamspeare drank the supposedly-poisoned-tea after Soseki left the room, Van Zieks suddenly falls silent. We get three different, consecutive frames of him going “......” and when the judge asks what's wrong, he says this:

Supersonic hearing, this one. That is, unless the carriage entered the courthouse and literally pulled up in the hallway outside the room? Haven't we learned our lesson from the last time a carriage was driven into the Old Bailey?! So Shamspeare was apparently subpoenaed by the prosecution and has shown up to testify (with his doctor's permission). Bad news for us, since he's the one accusing Soseki in the first place. There's also a second witness to support Shamspeare's insistence there were no other visitors to the room and therefore only Soseki could have poisoned him. After that testimony is over, Van Zieks gets his wish and all the jurors vote guilty.

Van Zieks really seems to think that Soseki is a terrible person deserving of justice, huh? He was right there during the previous trial, saw Ryu prove without a shadow of a doubt that Soseki was innocent and still insists that justice will be done “this time”. Calm the heck down man, you're the one who sided with us when Mrs. Garrideb needed to testify, remember? And here comes another example of the game pretending the previous trials didn't leave an impact; when the Summation Examination is brought up, it's with disdain and this remark:

Bro, we used the Summation Examination successfully like five times already. Sit your butt down and watch the show. The jurors once again give prejudiced reasons for their decisions:

And unfortunately, instead of changing their minds by proving Soseki is a morally upstanding, innocent citizen, Ryu instead gets through this Summation Examination by basically proving Shamspeare is a worse person than Soseki. That's... not the direction you should be taking here, narrative. After convincing four of the jurors that Shamspeare is a fishy liar, Van Zieks flings another chalice of wine in frustration. The judge still thinks he could technically pass a ruling on the trial, since the new information didn't exactly disprove that Soseki is the culprit, but the jurors have been influenced so thoroughly that they can't let this new info go ignored. Testimony from the Altamont Company is allowed! Van Zieks thinks it's a waste of time, of course, and if this were reality it would be. Since it's an Ace Attorney game, we know Shamspeare's gas thievery is bound to somehow be related to the incident. Van Zieks flings yet another chalice after hearing the testimony (how many has it been already? Five?) and very shortly after, he tosses the entire bottle over his shoulder. Susato points out that he seems to be in a violent mood. I feel like someone must've pissed in his oatmeal that morning, because I've got no real explanation for why his character regressed this badly in the course of what chronologically was only two days.

Van Zieks flings two more chalices as the testimony progresses to prove that Shamspeare made fake coins to fool the gas meter. At the end of it all, he supposedly 'throws his hand up in despair and happened to catch his hallowed bottle along the way', flinging yet another one of those into the gallery. I'm starting to feel very bad for the people seated behind him now. Is the game overdoing these quirky animations to compensate for his regressed attitude? Because I'm not sure it's working... Van Zieks continues to insist that the situation hasn't changed and only Soseki could have poisoned the victim, so he calls for immediate adjucation. The game gives Ryu the option to either object or wait and see, and I have to be honest, this gave me pause. After what happened with the penalties in case 1-4, I was sure Van Zieks might dish out more punishment for waiting and seeing. Turns out, he doesn't. Ryu points out that Shamspeare likely used the tea to make these fake frozen coins of his, meaning there's still tea left at the scene of the crime which can be tested for poison.

Head in my hands right now. Again, I get it, they basically had to reintroduce Van Zieks to newcomers of the game (however few there might've been) so they had to regress him a bit, but I really don't like this. He honestly felt like he'd grown at the end of 1-4 and the game's not only undone it, it feels like they've made him even more of a scumbag. This line and this gesture honestly doesn’t quite correspond with the character established in the previous game. Anyway, court adjourned till the next day so the police can test the tea for poison.

During the investigation segment, we get a conversation that I'd quite honestly forgotten even exists. Turns out, (S)Holmes and Van Zieks are acquainted! ...or are they? (S)Holmes says he 'must pass the time of day with Mr. Reaper again, as it's been too long' and when asked whether they're acquainted, (S)Holmes replies that there isn't a person in the world who doesn't know his name, expertly dodging the question. Naturally, a new conversation topic opens up about it, so we can still attempt to needle more details out of him.

He explains the history of the Reaper's curse a bit more. Previous defendants found not-guilty would 'disappear from the capital' by falling under a passing carriage, drowning in the Thames, succumbing to a sudden fever... Etc. Susato points out that if those rumors are true, then surely the obvious conclusion would be that they were killed by Van Zieks's own hand. (S)Holmes points out that's impossible, since Van Zieks was already investigated on the matter before and for every single incident, he had a solid alibi. (This... doesn't disprove Van Zieks had anything to do with it, but okay (S)Holmes. Sure.) (S)Holmes also rubs it in yet again that Van Zieks retired from the courts five years ago and didn't return until the day Naruhodo arrived. I honestly don't know why they keep bringing that 5 year hiatus up in every single case, because as far as I can recall it was never fully explained or relevant.

I love how “foul smell” is wedged in-between those two topics as if it's also related. Anyway the conversation continues when Ryu brings up that Van Zieks seems to have a particular disdain for Japanese people. Susato demands to know whether (S)Holmes knows a bit more about it and while he's silent at first, he relents and tells us a tale (which will apparently be forgotten by Ryu and Susato in case 1-5). Van Zieks “chose to enter the legal profession ten years ago, but before that time, the man's closest companion hailed from the empire of Japan”. Which is a wording that baffles me, because it implies that Van Zieks chose to enter the legal profession at the same moment that Japanese person betrayed him, which we know is not the case. He was already in training to be a prosecutor before that, otherwise how could he possibly have prosecuted the Professor trial? Ryu is shocked and asks to know more, but (S)Holmes says the veil on the events from the past will be lifted soon enough. I'll get back to the implications of what this means for Van Zieks's backstory when we hit this exact same reveal in case 1-5.

Van Zieks is mentioned very little in the rest of the investigation segments. We only learn that he tasked Gregson with finding new clues, much to Gregson's dismay, as there isn't much to be found. The Inspector does immediately leap at new information when we uncover it, which implies he's eager to either please Van Zieks or avoid being scolded by him. I'm assuming the latter, but it's also possible Gregson feels guilty over the whole Reaper thing and Klint's autopsy, and is now compensating by working his hardest to fulfill Van Zieks's requests.

At the very end of the investigation, when evening falls, (S)Holmes reminds us that “it'll be hard to escape the grip of our friend, Mr. Reaper”. The next day, in the defendant's lobby just before the trial begins, Ryu thinks to himself that he doesn't believe in the legend of the Reaper any more than he believes in the convict's curse Soseki keeps mentioning. What's interesting here is that Ryu isn't dreading the confrontation anymore. After the McGilded trial he seemed genuinely intimidated by the concept of going up against Van Zieks (not because of the racism but because of what happened to his first defendant), but now he's not so hesitant anymore. He's beginning to see that Van Zieks can be defeated, that the Reaper thing is nonsense and that protecting his client is a fight worth fighting.

Into the courtroom we go for day 2 of the trial! When the judge asks about the results of the tea test, Van Zieks is silent for a moment. He pours himself a glass of wine, asking for a moment to “savour a liquid of a more sanguine hue”, then refers to Gregson for the full report. Gregson confirms no poison was found in the tea remains, but the prosecution wouldn't be the prosecution (and the game would be pretty boring) if they didn't have a backup plan. When Ryu proclaims Soseki is innocent, Van Zieks accuses him of jumping to conclusions, “a typical Nipponese reaction”. It's also a typical prosecution reaction to be hypocritical, no surprises here. He throws his chalice (first one of the day) and summons Shamspeare back to the stand to testify about how Soseki's unpoisoned and undrank cup of tea had been used to make the ice coins.

There's some lines here that I thought I might as well include:

“Yet on occasion, tedium distracts me and I pour more times than I intended until the bottle is dry.”

You know, it occurs to me that this drink is pretty much confirmed to be wine. He's very extra when talking about it himself, but he had his silly little wine analogies in the previous case and Susato referred to his glasses as “wine glasses”. And you would think it's obvious that it's wine, but we know Ace Attorney's long history with 'grape juice'. Either way, this dialogue leaves a pretty harsh implication that Van Zieks drinks alcohol simply to distract himself from troublesome moods. Sure, he says “tedium”, but this is a stoic prosecutor in the year 1900. They referred to depression as “melancholia” back then, and since he doesn't appear to have any friends, I expect he experiences “tedium” quite often outside the courtroom. He apparently set a rule for himself not to fill his glass more than seven times during a trial which, in turn, implies he's aware any more would cause problems. All of this is moot, of course, since 80% of the wine he pours for himself ends up on the floor between shards of glass. Still, though... Zieks, are you okay?

I don't think he is, because he pulls a very dirty trick here. Ryu proves Soseki drank all his tea and therefore it couldn't possibly have been used, so Van Zieks insinuates to Shamspeare that perhaps he misremembered using the tea from Soseki's cup and instead used tea still left in the teapot. An excuse Shamspeare happily takes, of course. Not gonna lie, I got angry, not because it's a dirty trick but because it's inconsistent. This is the very same character who all but dragged Mrs. Garrideb down from the juror bench to testify when it became clear she likely threw a knife out the window. And now he's feeding slippery excuses to a man who's very clearly lying about all sorts of things? What??? And remember this incident, because I'm going to be referring back to it later.

He crushes another chalice, removes his cloak and continues to insist that we should believe this thieving liar at the witness stand. The jurors for some reason buy the baloney served to them on a tinfoil platter and even twist Ryu's sentiments around, with some bloke going as far as to interpret the situation as 'the lawyer lad believes anyone who steals gas deserves to be poisoned'. Summation Examination gets very funky this time around, with the outcome being that Shamspeare probably blew the gas pipes (s-snerk) and the poison was laced on the pipe.

Van Zieks pours himself a glass of wine and pretty much immediately flings it, saying these are all empty assertions without a shred of proof. When Ryu presents the picture with the skin prints, Van Zieks once again breaks the rule of the prosecution staying silent during Summation Examination to point out that skin prints cannot be used as evidence, since that method is not recognized by the court (yet). Aaand he crushes yet another chalice in his hand.

Susato claims it was never meant to be used as official evidence, it was only a tool to demonstrate a new possibility to the jury. Jumping through some loopholes here, we are, since the picture is clearly in our Court Record as evidence. But, well, the prosecution cheats too so what's the harm? Some jurors vote not-guilty, but there's still one more that needs convincing on order to keep the trial going. Ryu says he has a witness who's already testified that the pipe-blowing incident did indeed occur that night, as Soseki stated the other day before the court that his stove went out in the dead of night. (Hang on, is this why the narrative made him testify alongside Gregson?) With that the majority of the jury votes not-guilty and the trial has to continue, but Van Zieks is extra rattled now. (Another bottle goes soaring.)

He once again reminds the court that skin prints aren't admissible evidence and therefore, there is no real proof Shamspeare put his mouth to the pipes (ghghhh I'm sorry this is such a silly thing to have to type out). Ryu asks for an investigative team to test the mouth of the gas pipe for poison, but since it would've evaporated by now, that's a no-go. Also, Van Zieks says that “what appears to be simple is my Nipponese friend's mind” and that's a scumbag point. Ryu attempts to turn the trial around by claiming that Shamspeare attempted to kill Soseki, making the defendant the victim, but Van Zieks ain't having it. The aggrieved being the accused is an interesting notion, but doesn't change what actually happened. In fact, if anything, it establishes a motive for Soseki to lay a trap for Shamspeare. Because who else could have known about the gas pipe trickery and put the poison there, right? Why, the true culprit, of course.

Our man Van Zieks really doesn't like (S)Holmes, huh? A tidbit which the games will never bother to explain! Either way, Ryu raises the name of Olive Green, the victim of the previous case. And I gotta say, I do genuinely like the way they integrated these two Clouded Kokoro cases together. The chronology of everything that went down is very fun to decipher, but long story short, Olive Green was at Briar Road the day she was stabbed for a reason and knows more about the 'convict curse' Soseki and Garrideb kept mentioning, so let's drag her into court! Van Zieks agrees to subpoena Miss Green in order to 'see his Nipponese friend's farce through to its conclusion'.

So during intermission some more evidence is handed to Ryu and when trial resumes, Van Zieks continues to be his usual self.

“The prosecution has tried to extend every courtesy to this amateur newcomer from dubious Eastern shores.”

Ryu sweats bullets as he meekly thanks Van Zieks “(for his backhanded consideration)”, but once again the judge is the one to call Van Zieks out on his attitude.

Amazing. It's so refreshing to see a judge who actually disagrees with the prosecution's haughty attitude problems and acknowledges it has no place in a courtroom. Nothing against Udgey, because we all love Udgey (and his Canadian brother), but this man actually grows and learns. So Olive Green takes the stand alongside Shamspeare (maybe not the best idea since Ryu just accused her of trying to murder this man) for dual testimony. When Green brings up what a dreadful ordeal the knife to her back was, Van Zieks says this:

Hang on, empathy? He's giving her advice? This reeks of humanization! Green seems taken aback and thanks him for his words, so the sentiment was genuinely accepted. This in itself is a very nice scene to see in action, similar to Van Zieks allowing Roly Beate to keep his job. Unfortunately, Van Zieks's character is in a wild rollercoaster of moral inconsistency during this particular case which sours the experience somewhat. Case in point:

YOOOU hypocrite! This actively angered me, because at the very start of this same trial day he was personally feeding lies to Shamspeare. Now he's warning Green not to lie? It gets even worse a bit later on when Green gets cornered about stealing the note, she asks him whether it could all be some sort of misunderstanding, and he says:

ACTIVELY FEEDING SHAMSPEARE A LIE. THE VERY SAME DAY. I'm all for prosecutors using dirty tactics. It helps to juxtapose them further to the honest defense attorney we play as. However, it needs to be consistent. Either a prosecutor condones a witness's lies to help their case, or they feel that they're above it. The third, most used option is for them to start off condoning it, only to learn that truth takes priority over victory. This sloppy back-and-forth morality that Van Zieks has going on here is insanely frustrating, so it's no wonder some players end up disliking him. It honestly feels as if they rewrote this case so many times, they screwed up the exact growth trajectory Van Zieks has.

Anyway, it seems Van Zieks is suddenly fully on our side now to help Ryu prove that Green was in Shamspeare's room and laced the gas pipe with poison. And I mean help help. When the judge points out that if Green had laced the pipe the very same day she was stabbed, the attempted murder would have happened six days ago. Van Zieks is the one to say “Perhaps not, My Lord” and explain Briar Road was full of police at that time. At this point, Van Zieks and Ryu (and also Susato) actively start to take turns to explain the proper chronology of events. So the defense and the prosecution are in perfect sync right now, working together to explain the whodunnit. This is the ideal outcome to any trial, usually not seen until the last case of the game, so it's curious that this dynamic abruptly shows itself in a case like this. Van Zieks does still have one moment of gaslighting when he claims Ryu may have inhaled some dubious gas, causing his judgment to be clouded, since there's no motive behind Shamspeare's attempts on his fellow lodgers. A matter that's very easily resolved, of course. Once the name of Selden is brought up, Van Zieks continues our little game of back-and-forth-truth-reveal until (S)Holmes shows his face.

“Your usual haunts are the filthy backstreets of the capital, are they not?”

To which (S)Holmes replies that it's been too long, and Van Zieks's complexion has worsened since last they met. Alright, so Van Zieks and (S)Holmes definitely have met in person before, some undetermined amount of time ago. You'd think that going by (S)Holmes's friendly attitude they might've even been friends once, but our great detective is like that towards everyone. This is evidenced by an earlier encounter with Gregson where (S)Holmes insists they're friends and Gregson says that they're not friends, to which (S)Holmes quietly agrees. So really, this little exchange tells us nothing about the history between the great detective and the Reaper.

Some shenaniganry, a breakdown and admittance to guilt later, the court is finally ready to deem Soseki innocent. Van Zieks once again has some interesting lines here:

“And one I certainly didn't envisage walking... with you.”

Considering he attempted to trip us up for most of this walk up until the very last stretch, I don't like this remark very much. It feels very unearned. This is another one of those things that would've been more suitable in the last case of the game, but instead it's being crammed into a messy mid-game moment with the pretense that Van Zieks learned a lesson about being our ally.

In the defendant's lobby, the game basically gives the exact same dialogue as at the end of the original Clouded Kokoro case; that Soseki is returning to Japan and hopes to pen his own literature there, with the rest of the cast pointing out that the Reaper's Curse must factor into his decision to some degree. So we're still holding onto that question of whether Soseki will escape an untimely death or not. Anyone who's already played the last case of the first game will know the answer, of course.

So to summarize... I genuinely didn't enjoy Van Zieks's portrayal in this case. It really feels as if something went horribly wrong and they got some notes mixed up about where his character was already headed in the previous game. It's a crying shame. There was a lot of potential for a case set between 1-4 and 1-5, but they really dropped the ball when it comes to consistency and I've no doubt that it reflected badly on people's opinions of him. Though I think when we return to the first game for The Unspeakable Story, everything will right itself out again to some degree. Stay tuned!

[dinopopduck]

Ezekiel Only Being Unaffected By Certain Kinds of Magic

Let’s just start with me saying this isn’t exactly a new theory. It’s the demigod thing, and it’s a fairly popular one. If you haven’t heard of this headcannon, I put as much as I can find here. If you have, I found a bunch of new stuff that I haven’t seen anyone else mention, so reading this isn’t a complete waste of your time, I hope.

I tried to keep this from becoming wordy, but it got really long anyway, because there was a lot to talk about here.

Ezekiel being unaffected by magic is sort of an ongoing thing in the show. He is influenced by it much of the time, such as by Santa’s Hat, Pan’s Flute, Prospero’s spell, lycanthropy, etc. When it comes to the stuff he was seemingly completely immune to, there is one link that connects them all.

Apple of Discord: Everybody knows this one. The Apple is a Greek artifact, meant to turn you into the worst version of yourself, and Ezekiel was only one completely unaffected. It’s blamed on “he’s already the worst version of himself” or whatever.

Zeus Lightning Bolt: the episode where Ezekiel ends up decked out in Greek armor, and is sent to pick up Zeus’ Lightning Bolt, which was freaking out and zapping everywhere. He picks it up just fine, and he’s then able to hand it off to Flynn. It may have been purely because of the Greek armor he was wearing, but Flynn did not seem so sure about that working.

Cindy’s Love Potion: Ezekiel is able to be near the potion without becoming obsessed with Cindy. At first, it’s blamed on him being obsessed with himself, then later Jacob tells Ezekiel that he was already in love with Cindy. It was an obsession, not a love, potion you literally spent the episode proving that blah blah, he didn’t even recognize her at first blah blah, anyway, I have a better reason.

There are two Greek mentions in this episode. First, the potion project itself is called Project Aphrodite, a Greek goddess. Second, the sunflowers; when asked, Jenkins mentions how sunflowers are a Greek symbol of unrequited love. In addition, “love” potions may have originated in Greece, or at the very least, were common enough to have multiple sites claim that, lol. At the end of the season, where each librarian uses their gifts to turn Apep mortal, this greek potion is what Ezekiel ends up using.

See a pattern here? Everything that he was completely unaffected by was Greek in some way. So, he has an immunity to these kinds of artifacts, but why? I vote demigod.

Anyway, moving on.

Here’s some magic he could have been immune to, or could not have been. Its pretty debatable.

Fortuna: Technically a Roman Goddess, but the show does acknowledge how similar they are to Greek Gods. He may have been affected by the spell, but broke out of it pretty quick. Some think he may not been affected at all; slot machines aren’t exactly fair, especially in a casino that exists to cheat completely. As for Ezekiel getting so upset over losing, what he says, “Not the guy that loses, I’m the guy that wins” sounds very similar to what he was saying in Point of Salvation, but that’s a whole nother topic.

Alternately, he was affected and this point shouldn’t be here. I don’t know, I’m not the writers.

Libris Fabula: He was a little bit affected, just far less than the others, as he acted pretty much the same. He did get a barely noticeable clothing change, became luckier than normal, and was just able to cast a spell for some reason? Speaking out that spell, it froze the guy, and a certain Greek God does have the ability to put people to sleep. Not really the same thing, but worth thinking about. Maybe. More on that later.

Most people think he was immune, but he could have just been similar enough to the character he was portraying that he didn’t need to change a whole lot.

These ones are barely worth mentioning, because have other reasonable (though I guess your definition of reasonable may be different from mine) explanations, but you could see them as magic immunity as well:

Silver Screen: Ezekiel gets into character the least, while Cassandra and Jacob are out singing and calling people by their character names. Maybe less affected, maybe just a spoilsport. Probably the last one.

Point of Salvation: Was the only one able to remember previous loops. Since they were in a video game, it’s explained that since he was the first through the door, he became the player while everyone else became NPCs. I mean, sure.

Christmas Thief: Saint of Thieves only used his truth telly power on Ezekiel’s mother, not him. Ezekiel did not feel obligated to say anything. Could just be that the guy wasn’t talking to Ezekiel. Or, earlier in that episode Ezekiel tells his mother he doesn’t steal anymore (at least for anything other than the Library, I assume, cause he still kinda does) and therefor that made him immune to the spell, since it only works on thieves.

Image of an Image: Both Cassandra and Ezekiel got their pictures taken, and Cassandra was the only one affected by the transfer spell. However, Ezekiel wasn’t one of the “chosen ones” because he snuck in, and jumped in front of the camera while Eve (one of the “chosen ones”, who was later able to be affected) turned away. Either that, or he just didn’t have time to feel the effect, since his picture was taken after Cassandra’s, and Eve’s was placed in manually.

That’s all the possible instances of magic immunity I could think of.

Next, we have some other stuff that is relevant to this point, but wasn’t necessarily artifact/magic immunity.

Prophecy Cube: Created by the Oracle of Delphi, who is from Greek mythology. This isn’t about whether Ezekiel was affected by something, as he was still able to use the prophecy glass/get stuck in the cube. Rather, it’s about the Zeus Challenge in the cube. They probably would have died in there, but luckily, Ezekiel had just happened to steal, and keep on him, the exact thing they needed to get through– a bunch of golden coins, and a prophecy that ensures at least one coin can’t be destroyed. Luck? Prophecy? Divine Intervention? Plot convenience? Okay its probably the last one but STILL

Also, Ezekiel getting pissed at Zeus.

Zeus’s Bolt (again?): There is a promo image I think for season 4? that has each of the Librarians holding their tools. Jacob had his axe, Cassandra had a notebook, Flynn had Excalibur, all normal, except for Eve and Ezekiel. Eve had this big staff thing I didn’t recognize, and Ezekiel had Zeus’ Bolt for some reason?

Lightning, just, in general: If there is wild electricity in an episode, Ezekiel is probably around.

Examples:

City of Light: Gets shocked and knocked backwards into Jacob by a very electrified fence, gets up right afterwards and is fine.

Broken Staff: The Zeus Bolt thing, you get it.

Image of an Image: Ezekiel electrocutes Jacob. Jacob was not really fine. He lived, though.

Point of Salvation: Ezekiel electrocutes Jacob part 2 Electric Boogaloo, but this time on purpose. He was not fine. He died. But don’t worry, he lived.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Mentioned a little bit above, Ezekiel, Jacob, and a student get stuck in the Zeus Challenge, and Ezekiel uses some coins he just so happened to steal recently. Throwing them on tiles shows whether or not lightning will strike if it was stepped on. Seriously, why is it ALWAYS Jacob?

The Dark Secret: Ezekiel is the one sent to wrap a cord around a lightning rod constantly being struck by lighting. “Why am I bloody doing this”, he asks? I mean, Zeus probably isn’t going to kill his descendent(?), right?

Werewolves: Have you heard of the Lycaon of Arcadia? It’s a Greek myth. Basically, this dude named Lycaon wants to test how smart and all-knowing Zeus is. To do so, he kills his own son, cooks him, and serves him to Zeus to see if he notices, ya know, no biggie. Zeus was like “wtf man” and brings the son back to life, and turns Lycaon into, you guessed it, a wolf. So, Zeus creates a werewolf of sorts, maybe one of the firsts. In Fangs of Death, Ezekiel just so happens to be the one (main) character to be turned into werewolf. So, if he was a descendant of Zeus, imagine how big of a “fuck you” that was to the god. That all being said, Ezekiel was turned by an Egyptian god, so that might not have been intentional. Also, they may have just been avoiding turning Jacob, because there is already a werewolf named Jacob and they didn't want another Twilight reference in that episode.

Family/Name: Ezekiel is adopted, and his adoptive mother mentions how she took him in off the streets. Because of that, we don’t know who his birth parents are, and whether or not he, or anyone else, knows is unknown. Soooo, we can take some creative liberties as to who his parents might have been.

As for his name, it carries some religious connotations. It should be remembered though, the meanings I’m talking about here are Biblical, not Greek, so again, might mean nothing for this argument. “Ezekiel” is “God’s Strength” or “God will Strengthen”. Jones might also be something like “God is gracious” or “God has favored”, thought different sites say different things. However, I’m pretty sure the name Jones came from his adoptive mother, and apparently Jones is a common last name in Australia. His first name is more relevant, because all of his siblings have themed names; Mercy, Charity, and Honor. So, either his mom named him differently because she knew something we don’t, or he already had the name before she adopted him. Either way, this probably means absolutely nothing. But what are we here for? To analyze a dead show like an English teacher analyzes the color of curtains in an 100 year old text. If it wasn’t for all the other stuff, I probably wouldn’t think about this too much.

Okay. So Greek stuff, lightning, and Zeus himself come up a LOT when it comes to this guy. So is Ezekiel the son of Zeus? Possibly, but a more popular theory is that he’s Zeus’ grandson. Because Zeus’ son just so happens to be Hermes; god of things such as luck, travel, money, trade, and most importantly, thieves. Oh, and animal husbandry/shepherds and sleep, I don’t know how much those apply but I will try.

Time for some comparisons, honestly most of these don’t even need to be explained so I’ll keep it short-ish, cause this shit has gotten way too long already.

Luck: Ezekiel, especially in the first season, likes to rely on luck, and tends to be very lucky in general. Examples where this is mentioned include Fables of Doom and Apple of Discord. “Smarter to be lucky then lucky to be smart!”

Travel: We can assume that he ended up traveling in his previous job (that being heists all over the world) fairly often, even before the Library. Becoming a Librarian with a teleporting door increased that of course.

Money: Steals very high-value items to sell. Also apparently likes to take money from his coworker’s wallets. And probably everyone else’s.

Trade: The aforementioned high-value pieces he steals are traded/sold for money. In Christmas Thief, we find out he kept none of the money or items, giving it away to others who needed it. That kinda fits this category, I think.

Thieves: I really don’t need to explain this. Unless you haven’t seen the show.

Animal Husbandry/Shepherds?: Basically the care of animals. Um, well he doesn’t keep cows or anything, but he has a tendency to “adopt” magical creatures that need help. Stumpy, Nessie Jr., maybe Frankenstein’s Monster as well?

Sleep: I mentioned earlier how Ezekiel froze a guy (not really in an icy way, just couldn’t move) by hitting him with his coin. Hermes is able to send people to sleep with his Caduceus (the snake wand thing). Yeah, it’s not really the same thing, though you could consider being frozen a kind of sleep. He could have just been lucky enough to find a magical coin, and lucky enough to figure out how to use it at the exact right time without even knowing what it did. It’s a stretch either way, really, and was never explained in the episode at all. Yeah, I can't find anything else that fits.

Hermes is considered to be a thief and trickster, and a lot of the things he is god of are Ezekiel’s main occupations. With all those similarities to Hermes, frequent events related to lightning and Zeus related things, and immunity to Greek artifacts, we can conclude that he is perhaps the son of Hermes, taking after his father in abilities and getting visits from grandpa.

Alternatively, his somehow IS Hermes, but I doubt that. He’d probably be way more powerful. He was also able to see the future with Prophecy Glass, which Jenkins claims is impossible for immortals to do (although in that case he was talking about a Prophecy Cube, but close enough). It’s more likely that he is a demigod.

Okay, that is all I can think of that is relevant. I binged the series about two months ago, and have been thinking about this theory. I went ahead and re-watched the episodes that I mentioned in more detail, as well as parts of others that I remebered. The reason I bring this up is because I may have missed things. I did not rewatch a majority of the episodes, more that I looked at a list of episodes on wikipedia and tried to remember what happened in them, watching clips and episodes if I needed to.

The show was cancelled, so we’ll probably never get a confirmation as to who Ezekiels’ birth parents were, and as such, you can’t prove me wrong! That being said, if I got any facts incorrect in this, please tell me so I can fix it. I’m not well versed on Greek Mythology, in fact I know basically nothing, and did the research as I went along. So again, there could be more. This is just what I found in like, less than a day of searching.

Join me next time on “How is Cassandra magical, where’d she get it from? Also, were we ever gonna meet her parents?” And “In the first episode of season 3, Jacob is just able to hit a heavy punching bag of its chain, across the room, at bullet speed, just because of a shift of his wrist, and later in that episode do the same thing to Apep, and it’s just…never addressed or spoken about again? Like wtf man?”

I'm probably not doing that

If you managed to get through all of this, thank you, and I hope this wasn’t too painful to read.

[peach-astrology]

Natal chart:Ariana Grande

Hi! I want to create a new category in my blog,where I talk about the natal charts of famous personalities.I've been listening to Ariana's songs since 2015 and watched TV shows with her on Nickelodeon.I love this Princess! She and Dalton are now engaged and I'm so happy for her.I also want to suggest that this is an incomplete analysis of her natal chart,otherwise this article would be too large,here I looked only at the main positions(for youuuuuuuu ahahahaha)

The first thing I noticed was that there were no planets in the fire element(not counting houses).Although many astrologers say that this means a lack of optimism and fire in the eyes.But look at its conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon in Libra.She went through difficult times in her life,but she went on and wrote beautiful songs.We'll talk about this later.

Its ascendant is in Capricorn,but it doesn’t,fortunately,create an opposition to the Sun.This gives her a beautiful face shape and beautiful cheekbones(Capricorn is responsible for the bones).Also in the interview,we can see how comfortable she is to communicate,as if she is confident in herself and her words,even when joking.In this,in addition to the ascendant,Mercury in Cancer(gentle and sweet communication)and the 7th house are also involved.This position can’t but fascinate.

Let's talk about the Sun(Oh,this is Ariana ahaha).But seriously,it's in the 6th house in Cancer.People with this position can choose a certain vocation and grow very much in their career.Cancer is responsible for the beauty and soulfulness that is in her songs.The Sun has many aspects.The Sun square Moon cause it to fluctuate between the impulses of the soul and the mind.Sun trine Saturn,I notice that this situation indicates a late marriage or a good career.Both planets are in water signs,which indicates the importance of feelings in a relationship.Sun sextile Mars another indication of fame.

In a recent interview,she said that she tries to be sincere in front of fans,but at the same time tries not to divulge too much.She also said that she didn’t want her current relationship to be too public,as it was with the past.Here comes the influence of the ascendant opposition Mercury.The ascendant is responsible for what we show to the outside world(strangers,for example),and Mercury is responsible for our communication.Mercury's opposition to Uranus shows its rebelliousness.You've noticed exactly how often she supports social movements.She helped in the voting and actively disseminate information about the BLM.Moreover,both planets are in cardinal signs.Ariana has a song called "Just like magic" that fully describes Mercury's opposition to Neptune.This position gives a rich inner peace and interest in psychoanalysis,but also obsessive thoughts and anxiety(which she also spoke about in a recent interview).Sometimes indicates a good intuition.

She has a Venus opposition to Pluto,which makes frequent changes in her personal life.Venus controls the sphere of love and relationships(including friendship),and Pluto controls revolutions,changes and transformations.Pluto,like Saturn,gives difficult and morally difficult lessons,but thanks to them,a person becomes stronger and more experienced than others.Venus is in Taurus in the 4th house,which makes her so cozy and caring.It's a very romantic position.Only sincere feelings and their best manifestations.Ariana has two trines(Venus trine Neptune,Venus trine Uranus)that indicate the possibility of development in music.Remember when I said that trine gives us chances,sextile gives us opportunities,and conjunction gives us talent?All of them differ from each other in that the trine requires the most time to develop.You know that Ariana has been developing in show business for a very long time(if you believe the Internet,then since 2008),which is why she has achieved such success and such a strong vocal.Venus trine ascendant makes her so beautiful OMG.

I want to pay special attention to Mars,because it has greatly influenced her life.You probably remember the terrorist attack in Manchester.This event is indicated by 2 positions in her Natal chart:Mars opposition Saturn and Mars in the 8th house.These aspects create accidents and dangerous cases,severe damage.Even if a person tries to get out of this situation,he will not succeed.This event affected her career(Mars sextile MC) and her personality(Mars sextile Sun).After the terrorist attack before the concert,people began to search for security reasons,and Ariana still sends money to the affected people.

Jupiter in the 9th house in Libra also hints at our favorite work and study.Jupiter in Libra gives the ability to cooperate and meet people,and the 9th house shows a person's desire to constantly learn and develop.Jupiter square Sun also indicate to us the desire of a person to develop(but a little in a negative sense).They are competitive and a bit of a gambler.They respect themselves and appreciate their merits and sometimes it is difficult for them to accept criticism.

I consider Saturn trine MC to be one of the best positions for a career.Saturn,though strict,loves the field of work(MC is responsible for this),so it isn’t a pity to give him several opportunities for a good career.Remember the times of Nickelodeon,don’t underestimate them,because they brought considerable popularity to her,although they were not associated with music.Here Saturn gave her the opportunity to gain a little fame.Saturn in the second house and Saturn square Pluto force you to be a perfectionist in the field of Pisces,that is,music and creativity.Remember her shows and how she and her team carefully prepare for them.Also,this situation is often found in people who often take on someone else's fault.

Uranus and Neptune in the first house make her stand out.She has a photogenic appearance,interesting images and style.Also,such positions bring sensitivity,empathy and a rich inner world.Uranus square Neptune make her be honest,a little moody and intuitive.She is interested in politics,society and a bit of astrology(during Cancer season,she posted posts about it in stories).I've noticed that people who made some major changes somewhere had Uranus sextile Pluto or Neptune sextile Pluto.Remember her albums,which are filled with their own atmosphere and their own era,vocals and a style of voice that can’t be confused with anyone.She made a big contribution to the pop industry and made it more sincere and unusual.

Pluto sextile ascendant forces her to also be active in the affairs of society(notice how many provisions say this?).She is interested in the topic of magic,money,personal growth and is very curious and inquisitive.Scorpio is at home(in Pluto),so it plays an important role.You know how famous Scorpios are for their stubbornness,love of success and power,and since he is in the 10th house,this is another position that indicates success.In a recent interview,she said that she doesn’t set herself boundaries or specific goals,she just wants to develop her creativity every day.

Lilith in the second house indicates that a person in a previous life was careless about his money and property,so in this life he should invest and protect his money.Often the sign in the 2nd house indicates exactly how a person should invest them.In this case,the Pisces are in the second house,so Ariana had to invest in creativity and music.She creates great shows,gathers a huge team of professionals and spends a huge amount of money for music.But don’t forget that later this amount is returned to her in a much larger amount.That's about how Lilith works in the second house.Simply put,"The more money and labor you put in,the more you get back".

Thank you for reading this! Write if you have similar provisions.Love ❤

[irestmycase]

On senators and congressmen

I always fancy how Filipinos choose who to vote whenever there is an election. I remember two years ago when a woman was interviewed and asked why she was voting for a certain senator, she merely stated that because the senator is good looking. Another notion that is common with people is that if the candidate is rich, it is less likely that such will be a corrupt official since they are already rich. It's sad that a lot of our countrymen choose based on other factors that are not related to the position they are vying for.

1. What is the main function of the congressmen and the senators?

To start off, senators and congressmen are part of the legislative branch of the government. There main function is to draft and create laws. This laws will dictate how life in the Philippines is to be conducted since this spans from telling what your rights are to how much taxes a person pay.

This is crucial since laws are the tools of the government in protecting its citizens and promoting the rights of individuals. A notable example of this is the labor laws of the Philippines which protect workers from oppressive and unjust working conditions.

Another main function of the congress is to make sure that the system of checks and balance, or in simpler terms the power of the branches of the government to check one another in order to make sure that no one abuses their power, are running. Congress has the power to remove a government official through the ever famous impeachment process, this can be an official from the judiciary or the courts , or from the executive branch or those under the direct control of the president, even the president himself can be subject to impeachment.

2. Why is choosing the right candidate crucial?

This is crucial for one main reason, we need someone who will put the interest of the masses as the highest priority, someone who won't use the office to further his personal benefit or those around him. If a senator or a congressman will have really close ties with businesses, or if that said official will be supported by those businesses to the point that he will owe them a debt of gratitude, that official might use his office to further the interest of those businesses who supported him. A good example of this is the recently amended tax laws, for the average worker especially those in the middleclass, the burden of taxation will affect you greatly since 1/3 of your salary will be destined for tax payments, while the businesses were given tax breaks, additional or higher deductions, and a lower tax rate just to name a few. Those who are earning marginally more than me and you are paying lesser taxes in proportion to what they are earning. Seems unfair right? But that is what we get when we elect people who promote self-interest into office.

3. What can we do to choose the best candidate to vote for?

First, find someone who is active with his cause even prior to running for office. For example, a senatorial candidate back then is actively campaigning to help solve human rights issues and help improve the country's legal system, that candidate is an active human rights lawyer and also does a lot of free legal service to the underprivileged. Second, choose someone as if you are choosing your partner in life, ask the right questions like "does he have knowledge about the job he is applying for?", "does this person seem like the kind of person who has the tendency to abuse his authority?(I'm looking at you Tulfo)", "is this persons campaign promises realistic or are they merely baseless promises?", "what is this person's stand on the issues relevant to our country?". By asking the right questions, we can screen candidates better. We must be selective since our taxes are the one paying this people, we are their boss as PNOY used to say. In a democracy, the power belongs to us, the people, we are merely entrusting them to those officials, we must choose them as if we are hiring an employee to do the job.

In the end, I just want to say that in the internet age, we have a lot of resources available on our hands to be informed and to be wiser especially in elections. If we have time to watch vloggers who are telling us how better their lives are compared to us, then we should have time to be informed and to know about politics.

Vote as if your life depends on it.

[polar-stars]

Nene Kinokuni & the main theme of “Shokugeki no Soma”

You thought I was done talking about Nene? HA

Okay but I’ve been looking at a specific manga panel again & eventually a train of thought started to roam my head.

What we see here are the reactions of four of the Elites that voted Central into power after having witnessed Rindou’s and Eishi’s loss, therefore Central’s loss as a whole. 

Can we talk about the fact how Nene actually looks the most...hurt about that maybe? 

I mean, Somei honestly looks kind off glad about it, which does make sense since he seemed to visibly regret his decision after his match against Soma. Somei is that guy that acted with good interest in mind, and a sense of justice, but was lured into an extreme solution. Which is something I can’t really say about any of the other Traitor Elites (I mean, being real we have barely gotten much detailing to their individual reasoning for helping out Azami but that’s another problem for another day.)

Momo looks completely unaffected by what just happened, while Eizan looks...kind off bummed ig? 

Out of these four, Nene really does looks the most like what I would call “sad”. She looks truly crushed by this revelation. 

A little mind game for you: Imagine having devoted your entire life to something, imagine already being insecure about people surpassing you in an area you studied so hard for, imagine being beat at the thing that’s most important to you while the person who was always ahead of you succeeds right next to you.

My girl really went through quite some suffering if you really start thinking about it. 

Top student of her class, who always aimed for perfection. And then the RDC comes along and she suffered through what might have been her first major failure in front of over one hundred eyes. 

Now this is the part where I try my best to sound smart and talk about themes. 

I’d say that the closest to a major theme the series of “Shokugeki no Soma” has would be the thematic of failure. 

Our main hero Soma Yukihira talks of “failure” as a sort of inspiration. He recognizes mistakes he made, learns out of them and improves through them. That’s his philosophy & strongly opposes that of our main heroine, Erina Nakiri who starts out as a through & through perfectionist who was never allowed to make the tiniest of mistakes. 

The theme of “failure” constantly reappears in the story, in both the strong parts & weaker parts of it. 

Soma’s dish in the Autumn Election Premlins is basically a fusion of two dishes that “failed” him before (his omelette from the Trainings Camp that had him in danger of getting expelled & the risotto he made in his cook-off against his father, which he lost), the major antagonist of several arcs named Central is all about perfectionism with the 1st seat Eishi Tsukasa being a notorious perfectionist as well, in his final fight against Asahi Soma makes a dish inspired by his mother who was known for being a bad cook, but who had fun being one...

I think what “Shokugeki no Soma” wants to teach us is that it’s natural for us to stumble at times, but that it’s nothing we should beat ourselves up over. No one can walk a straight, perfect line in their life and it’s okay. Mistakes can teach us and we can get up again as well...!

I can’t really say that it was always done very well, but still this message resonates with me on a very personal level. I really like it. 

And now let me spiral back to Nene.

Nene is another character that strived for perfection and is characterized as someone who works incredibly hard to master whatever she picked to study. She also sided with Central, which is also all about perfectionism as I said. 

Remember when I said that there’s still work you could have done with Nene after the RDC arc was over?

Yeah, honestly with that failure Nene ended up suffering I really think there could have been a loot of character work done with her. 

Like how about just showing her cope with what happened? Show her, trying to understand why the philosophy of the rebels beat theirs? Something like that?

I just genuinely believe that Nene is a sort-off person who’d struggle dealing with failing in the way that she did and that it would have an actual impact on her. And her working through that would fall perfectly in line with the main theme the manga has going on.

Post-RDC could have been a perfect chance for her to also understand the people surrounding her a little better as well, I think? Like take Eizan for example! No, this is not for shippy reasons. I promise...hear me out, okay? She belittled him for his loss against Soma & also considered herself superior to him because she has an actual moral-code. But eventually she ends up in the same boat with him: she also looses against Soma, Central (something which they both supported after all) looses as a whole and while their senpais get to run off little later through graduation, they have to stay at Totsuki, dethroned. What a perfect chance to getting to know and understand each other in a way that wasn’t there before, finding a way to get those seats back and maybe giving Eizan an actual redemption arc instead of just inserting him back into the council over night with no real indication wether he’s still a bitch or has become more tame, which surely isn’t something Tsukuda would do, right? Heh. (Okay maybe...this....did get a little bit shippy, pardon ahdhd)

ANYWAY

The point I’m really just trying to make here, through many, many words is that while Soma’s Shokugeki against Nene heavily scratched her character and I’m still very bitter and unhappy over it, I do not think there was any need to shaft her as much as the manga did when the RDC got concluded. 

There was a good chance for actual character work and character development here, that could have also played into the series’ centric theme. 

& She frankly could have come back as more stronger and badass than ever. 

But yeah, instead she was ignored in the manga while the anime adaptation...tried but I feel she was reduced to much of a satellite character in that one, personally. And I just think they could have done better and more, meep. 

In the end all I can do is......write a Nene-centric multi chapter fanfic of course and take 6 years to finish it because I’m very slow and- 

Okay but I think one thing that I want to achieve with these posts is just to get the community think about her a little more, because...ultimately I feel she’s being a little bit overlooked by the fandom as well, and maybe I can inspire some people to work with her in a way that Tsukuda wasn’t able to...Idk, I just want justice for Nene ig. 

Now anyway, you finally made it to the end of this post...Congratulation! Here’s a cookie! 

Hopefully what I said made any sense and any of you could get a little something out of it! Thanks for reading ;v; !

[a-student-out-of-time]

Rambling about V3 Again

Today I saw a really interesting quote from author Brandon Sanderson and it honestly got me thinking. He talked about what he considers the single worst thing you can do with critique in writing, and that’s if a critic “tries to make your story into one they would write, rather a better version of one you want to write.”

That got me thinking about V3.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that V3 is a very polarizing game, and I’ve seen many people talk about how they would’ve preferred to see the story play out, from character arcs to deaths to story conclusions. And while I do honestly enjoy seeing alternative perspectives and takes and AU’s, I feel like a lot about the game, what it’s trying to say and be, is skewed by those ideals.

I’m not saying that the critiques about the game are invalid, because there are a fair share of flaws with the game. What I am saying is that we end up talking so much about what we wish V3 could’ve been that what V3 was trying to be often ends up lost in that, and I want to talk about it.

It wasn’t until I really saw this quote that I was able to articulate all my likes and dislikes about the game and the reactions to it into a cohesive whole, which is what I’d like to do here.

So let’s ask this: what was V3 really trying to be?

Let’s start from the game’s theme: the relationship between truth and lies. This is best exemplified by the fact that you have the option to lie during trials, that you can use deception to find the truth. That’s a very different take from the previous games, where hope was associated with finding and confronting the truth.

Kokichi is another example, as he’s a self-admitted liar who claims to lead a criminal organization and it’s hard to tell exactly what he’s thinking or saying. Yet Kokichi actually helps bring the group to several truths: he helps find the culprit in trials, he reveals Maki’s identity as the Ultimate Assassin, tells the truth about Gonta murdering Miu and it’s thanks to his actions that the group later discovers the reality of their situation.

Throughout their journey, the group is confronted by numerous truths they don’t want to acknowledge, even refusing to do so and attacking people who continue to push them through. And with every revelation, there’s always those lingering details that don’t really make a lot of sense.

Let’s look at the game’s main narrative. At the start of the game, Kaede remembers she was kidnapped in broad daylight, thrown into a van, and brought to some abandoned school with a bunch of other people. She doesn’t act like a particularly nice person and is dressed differently, at least until the Monokubs arrive and give everyone their new clothes and memories. From that point, the narrative shifts considerably.

Kaede is suddenly an outgoing, optimistic leader and Shuichi is a sullen, withdrawn detective who serves as her deuteragonist for Chapter 1. She’s resolved to escape the Killing Game and tries to rally the group together. However, when her methods don’t prove successful and they start drifting away from her, she considers saving them by any means necessary and goes so far as to attempt murder against the mastermind. When that happens, she’s found guilty and executed, leaving Shuichi to take up her role as protagonist.

As you go through the game, using devices called flashback lights that apparently reawaken lost memories, you learn more and more about the reason that the group was brought here: the Gofer Project. When meteors began raining down on earth, all seemed lost until they established this project to send a group of survivors into space to colonize a new planet. A group of Ultimates.

They had established early on that Ultimates have even greater rights in this world: they’re the only ones allowed to vote and hold office. As the meteors came down and the news of this project got out, some people formed a cult that believed it was divine judgement and that mankind should be destroyed. That’s when they began the Ultimate Hunt, pursuing the candidates for the Gofer Project across the world. The Ultimates, with no other way out, decided to erase their memories of talent and live their last days as normal people.

To protect them, the people in charge spread a false story that the Ultimates had died, even holding a fake funeral for them and sent them into space secretly. However, while everyone was in cold sleep, one member of the cult- Kokichi- had sneaked aboard and piloted the ship back to the ruined and now inhospitable earth. They have no way back and no way to survive outside, and thanks to Kokichi’s claims to be the mastermind, they’ve been killing each for nothing. The group ultimately loses hope.

However, they’re resolved to continue on in their fight against the mastermind when they find a flashback light that reveals they weren’t just any ultimates: they were the next generation of ultimates from Hope’s Peak Academy. It wasn’t really the meteorites that got everyone, it was an alien virus that pushed mankind to the brink of extinction. That the cult that rose in the wake of this was Ultimate Despair.

That seems like a definitive way to link this game with its predecessors...until you really begin to stop and pick it apart. If this was about saving mankind, why did nobody have their memories right away? Why would you only bring 16 people? Why students who don’t make them suited to colonization? Why people like a death row inmate, a serial killer, a self-proclaimed liar and criminal, and an assassin?

Furthermore, going through many Fte’s highlights how much of the characters’ backstories seem very out there. Gonta wasn’t raised by wolves but a race of dinosaur people living in the woods, Kirumi is so hyper-competent that she became prime minister during the meteor crisis, Korekiyo’s killed almost 100 women and yet has never been caught, Maki can attend high school despite Japanese orphanages being too underfunded for kids to usually attend, Tenko’s neo-aikido breaks all the rules of traditional aikido and she's impulsive, has low pain tolerance, and disregards fair rules, none of which are very befitting of a martial artist.

And to conclude, even I thought that the reveal of their connection to Hope’s Peak felt very fanficy and out there, especially when the game had made no references or implications of it beforehand. But the reason for all of this is simple and effective:

None of this is real. It’s all staged.

Chapter 6 reveals that everything from their identities to the outside world they thought they knew was all just a fabrication. In truth, Tsumugi shows herself as the mastermind and that they’re actually in the 53rd season of an in-universe show called Danganronpa. Something alluded to even in the beginning of the game with the Team Danganronpa logo. This moment was very make or break for a lot of people, but let’s treat it fairly.

According to Tsumugi, the outside world has become a peaceful, boring place and Danganronpa is the only source of real entertainment the people have. A place where people literally come to have their identities replaced with those of Ultimates and then made to kill each other. This, as it turns out, was an outgrowth of the actual series we’d played before. A game that’s gone over 53 times.

This revelation is devastating for the characters. The lives and memories they’d known were all fabrications, which Tsumugi claims to have intentionally written. The Flashback lights were designed to implant fake memories to manipulate them, which is why that Hope’s Peak connection was set up after everyone gave up following the reveal of the outside world. A truth that could lead the world to despair, a lie that could lead the world to hope.

She even goes so far as to show everyone’s audition tapes, claiming that Kaede, Kaito, and Shuichi himself were willing to participate in the killings out of sheer misanthropy, popularity, and morbid excitement 

Kiibo is also revealed to be the audience’s means of interacting with the game, able to carry out their wishes and can even be hijacked and used as a way to fight against the characters’ decisions.

In the end, Tsumugi claims that the ongoing battle of hope vs despair needs to continue in perpetuity and that the survivors need to sacrifice someone, since only two people can survive Danganronpa. Shuichi, however, convinces Maki and Himiko not to vote for anyone and actually convinces the in-universe audience to give up on the series. Kiibo then blows the set to hell and allows Shuichi, Maki, and Himiko the chance to escape and see the world outside and what sort of influence they could have.

Now, let’s this break this down piece by piece here, because I feel like this part of the game is often conflated. Often I’ve seen people say that Chapter 6 is a giant middle finger to fans of the series, that nothing about the series really mattered, or that the flaws of the game can simply be attributed to bad writing on the creator’s part.

I honestly used to be in that camp myself, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I feel those statements don’t hold up to scrutiny. We often conflate writing and narrative decisions we don’t like with bad writing. However, if the creator deliberately wants the narrative to move in that direction and has made intentional foreshadowing, references, and motivations that match it, we can’t simply equate that with it being “badly written.”

It’s not bad simply because we would’ve preferred they do something different. There’s a lot of very acclaimed books out there that I’ll admit I don’t care for because of their narrative decisions, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re badly-written.

Furthermore, if something intentionally doesn’t make sense in-story, that is not bad writing. That is purposeful on the part of the creator, not a plot hole. The Gofer Project is not supposed to be a logical narrative, it’s meant to serve V3′s role: deconstruction of the nature of the series. It does this in many different ways:

Sequelization: 53 is a ridiculous amount of entries in a franchise and as I’m sure we’re all aware, as the number of entries goes up, the writing quality tends to go down. The Gofer Project story was purposefully meant to be nonsensical because it’s a story in an in-universe franchise that jumped the shark long ago.

A lot of people found it confusing or ridiculous that Shuichi and Kaede would have a romantic connection despite knowing each other barely a few days. That’s also the point; quick romances are a convenient narrative device to establish a means for character growth, followed by fridging her, a bad narrative trope designed to propel Shuichi toward development. Tsumugi even said as much during Chapter 6.

Similarly, Maki’s role in the story and her feelings for Kaito were reminiscent of that as well, with him helping her come out of her shell. 

When you go back, you can see Danganronpa is loaded with references to other series. Tsumugi is an obsessive otaku and went so far as to fill the entire story with deliberate references and callbacks to things she enjoys.

The Monokubs are deliberate references to executive decisions to add more marketable and merchandisable characters as the series drags on.

The fact that there are (supposedly) people willing to sign up for a killing game deconstructs the idea that some in the fandom may have had. That is, actually being in a killing game would not be fun or exciting, but horrific and traumatizing. Most of us wouldn’t be badass detectives or heroes, we’d be scared out of our minds, afraid, and want to find a way out.

Furthermore, Shuichi being repeatedly told that he’s just a fictional character and that his role is to be the protagonist, to go through hardships and come out stronger for the audience’s entertainment pisses him off so much that he wants no part of it. 

The climax is ultimately a deconstruction of what the series is famous for: the battle of hope vs. despair. In-universe, this has been reduced down to a simple narrative where the audience wants the same thing again and again: to see hope win in the end. Because hope keeps winning, the audience keeps wanting more. It’s become so formulaic that the audience doesn’t want to break out of its shell and just wants to see it over and over.

The final PTA against Kiibo is not meant to be an insult to the audience, but a representation of fighting against toxicity and entitlement in the fanbase, especially the ones that don’t want change. It’s not saying “you’re stupid for liking this series,” it’s saying “don’t be like these people.”

And how does the game? An unsatisfying ending that’s so bad that it drives the audience to give up on the show, finally allowing the killing to stop. Tsumugi decides she can’t live in a world without her favorite show and decides to die.

And that brings me to what I think is the ultimate thing that people conflate about the ending: that it’s all fiction, so nothing about it matters. That the entire franchise was fake, so it’s not worth your time.

That’s exactly the opposite of what V3 is trying to say.

First, Tsumugi is a completely unreliable narrator. The kind of person who let fiction consume her entire life, yet she believes it can’t change reality. She’s a liar and a hypocrite, and there’s no way of knowing if anything she says about the outside world is even true. It could be like she says or it might not be.

The fact that they have technology that can remove memories and add fake ones adds an entire dimension of ambiguity to everything she says, especially when you consider how the beginning of the game does not match up with what she says. We have no idea what the kids were really like before the killing game, so why should we believe anything she says?

And how can we be certain of her claims that she just wrote everything as planned? Kokichi and Kaito managed to put together a plan that completely threw her and Monokuma for a loop

Shuichi, Maki, and Himiko ultimately choosing to take the words of Kaede, Kaito, and Tenko to heart, even if they were part of a fictional narrative, is proof that they still had an influence on the trio. They choose to take something meaningful from their experiences regardless of the reality of their situation. And that’s something we all do.

The media we consume has an influence over who we are as people, and it’s part of why so many of us have such strong attachments to works we love. They were often influential in help shape who we are as people now, for good and for ill, and it’s important to take that into account.

V3′s message is that yes, that is important, and that you should read and enjoy stories and fiction, just as long as you don’t let it consume your life. They can influence you and even the world at large, and so it’s our responsibility as writers, artists, and creators to use that influence positively, to use the medium as a way to change the world for the better. That the only way for stale franchises that we’re tired of seeing over and over is to demand change, even if that means walking out on them. That the only way for things to change is for us to take action and demand change.

And by the end, we may not see immediate results, but we can at least work hard at trying to bring them about. V3 ends with Shuichi, Maki, and Himiko facing an uncertain future in a world they really know nothing about, but hopeful that their actions can and will change the world for the better. Real life doesn’t have solid, satisfying conclusions and it always doesn’t play out like a story, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on ever finding something satisfying or hopeful out there.

This, by no means, is me saying that V3 is a flawless story. I can point to numerous critiques that I still think hold water. However, Sanderson’s point is that we shouldn’t criticize a work based on what we wish it was rather than how it is and what it was trying to do.

I know there’s a lot about the story that bothers people, I know there’s a lot that wasn’t polished and a lot that feels uncomfortable and hard to swallow. Like Shuichi, coming out feeling confused, lost, unsure of what to do, but choosing to see merit and things to take to heart even in a story that turned out to be full of lies and uncomfortable truths.

If you didn’t enjoy V3, I wouldn’t force you to enjoy it. If you did love it, then you should love it. These are all just my thoughts on a story that, as time goes on, honestly feels more and more relevant to me.

[kellyedith]

She is so noble, so enthusiastic, and at the same time such a naive child, and in fact so like himself in character.

She is so noble, so enthusiastic, and at the same time such a naive child, and in fact so like himself in character. Yet, he tries. From my three hours’ conversation with Katya I carried away among other impressions the strange but positive conviction that she was still such a child that she had no idea of the inner significance of the relations of the sexes. All donations will directly help the refugees at the border.. Cersei sat as still as a stone statue as the shears clicked. However, using that as a statistic is misleading, since many people gave up their voice and their say zapatillas de tacos futbolin the election by not voting. One of Illyrio’s chests had been packed with a child’s clothing, musty but well made. Great Wolf would only say the facility would reopen next winter though city planning documents indicated the refurbishing of the complex was to be completed in November.. If you doubt me, ask Bronn. An event was recorded the first year

pantofi sport cu scai barbati

during follow up that a N05 medication was dispensed and the event date was set to 1 July (we did not have access to the date each respective year the medication was dispensed). I know, for instance, that one can’t fight single-handed, and I mind my own business. When seas fell again, these ooids rapidly hardened into limestone rock, preserving a detailed geologic record in the process. It certainly presents the most extraordinary view of justice and equity, and is the most remarkable exposition of the principle of doing to others as we would others should do to us that it has ever been the good fortune of the civilized world to observe. The supervisor does not act as a boss but is a consultant to the superviseeAll counsellors, trainee therapists and psychotherapist, regardless of experience, need supervision. AUSTIN Whether appearing on TV/film or lending his voice to animated characters, 21 year old Jake T. The big question is, how well does Haswell E overclock compared to previous gen processors? From what we have been told, the average overclocked frequency for 5960X processors is 4.5GHz. Academic camps, courses enrichment experiences. The gods gave me only greendreams. I’ll explain; that’s just what I’ve come for, to explain. Idea Generation This is the initial stage where a business sources for ideas regarding a new product. The seats are also sharp looking in a patterned black leather with red sport stitching and an embroidered "Sport" insignia. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. disco duro externo pitaHe says this "fuel of the future" could be used in other industries and other countries. The most popular costumes from the past include corsets, big skirts with petticoats for the ladies, and wigs for the men. It only got better from there: he registered nine five fors in his first 16 Tests and in 2013, broke Erapalli Prasanna's Indian record for the fastest to 100 Test wickets by reaching the landmark in his 18th game.. Destriers began to perish of exhaustion and exposure. However, Swara doesn shy away from the fact that she has had a career She says, have done supporting parts and lead roles simultaneously. In the age of digital distribution, cloud backups, and Google Fiber, an optical drive can be much less valuable than a good CPU heatsink.. A small, malicious, treacherous man, as stupid as he is cruel. No answers, until someone noticed and called them on it.. Marami ang hindi nakapanood sa interview ng TV Patrol kay Richard. “Then we must needs find some other way. On the other hand, a car speeding down the freeway for miles suggests something else, either something wrong with the car or else fraud on the part of the driver. The rest of the murder flew ahead or lingered behind. Venus, thanks to its thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, is the hottest planet in our Solar System. Drogon especially ranged far afield

bocanci grisport 480

and could easily devour a sheep a day. I talked warmly, convincingly. Thrice that day she caught sight of Drogon. Ser Clayton’s face cried out for an axe between the eyes. He had just been seeing the others off and had come to Natasha’s straight from the railway station. She would need underclothes too. There is an immense range of design and material options available. You can still see, kind of, but not well enough to use it practically.. Even that took a certain courage, though; he could never return to the isles. She was really sad when she couldn't play,"said Fairview senior Becca Thompson. Her main goal was to help her students succeed, and she was always there to offer special coaching. Still remembers the first sum he sent back to the Philippines, after a few weeks work in Dubai: $350, almost three months wages under his old rate. This election isn't about Republicans or Democrats. And for what? Jeyne, her name is Jeyne, and her eyes are the wrong color. Presently Mr. The team has recently inked several players to contracts for the 2013 season, including 7'4" center Moussa Seck of Senegal, recording artist TreVonn "Diego Trinidad" Campbell, and former Harlem Globetrotter Anthony Cox.. When Gerris made to pour himself a cup of wine, Quentyn stopped him. "It gives us the chance to present segments of our spring

sandisk mp3 mode d emploi

production, which will include two world premiere works choreographed exclusively for Salt Creek Ballet. Little wise men of the forest would have been closer. I’m only sorry for Ichmenyev — to pay geci de fas dama scurteten thousand to that scoundrel. She hadn't taken a close enough look yet to see if she recognized them as customers..

scaun rulant inchiriere

This man is bikes btt usadas no Blackheart, no Bittersteel, no Maelys. Dear husband and friend, much loved and loving father, devoted dog owner, masterful story teller, honoured CBC radio humourist and host. “Yes, as for that only, let me tell you,” he interrupted, dashing out into the entry and putting on his coat (I followed his example). We��ve been late in getting to know one another; we ought to have met long ago, though I’ve known you for ages. Some stared with cold dead eyes as papuci de casa din pasla they went by, fingering their sword hilts. Family members remember when she was bikes btt usadas about 8, we tried to talk her into playing soccer. He brought us only grief and death. In his right ear gleamed a garnet cut in the shape of a drop of blood. To hear many men talk, one would think that they supposed that unless negroes actually were whipped or burned alive at the rate of two or three dozen a week, there was no harm in slavery. “Come, Masloboev,, old boy, you’re talking nonsense!” I interrupted. An innocent man does not go on the run without reason of guilt of some crime unless he is afraid for his life because of being a witness. She became emotional as she recalled getting in touch with them late Sunday."They are now safe, they are back in our province," she said, breathing in sharply and waving away tears. If you're into birdwatching, a pair of binoculars won't weigh you down too much. He loved her no less than before; perhaps, indeed, his feeling was stronger, more poignant than ever, from remorse and gratitude.

[courtneystriker]

My Thoughts on the HG Prequel

I just finished reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and I got to say, my feelings are mixed. Below I have an entire review  for the story which included how I felt, the expectations, the biases I had going into the new book, and how I felt after reading. Please note there will be spoilers. Also this review isn’t meant to hurt anyone and if you absolutely love the book so far...good! Enjoy it fully! As an aspiring writer myself and someone who studied in college/loves creative writing I’m well aware that people just have different takes on writing. Glad you are enjoying it :)

Anyways, here it goes…

The Expectations

As the Hunger Games series is one of my favorites of all time, I had a strong bias to like this book. Since it was first announced, without knowing any details, I was extremely excited and optimistic. I re-read the entire Hunger Games series twice beforehand in preparation; once with my fiancé and once on my own. The only thing I really wanted, knowing that it took place during the tenth hunger games, was that the arena reflected how new the hunger games were. Then, when we learned what the series was about, people started voicing some concerns or were disappointed by the plot, instead wanting it to be something like Finnick’s arena, Haymitch’s, Mags’, etc. etc. I was not among this group. However, I understand where they were coming from, because I always thought the idea of the first Quarter Quell (the one where the districts voted for the tributes) was an extremely interesting concept. 

Yet I think these things are best left explored in fanfiction as they add nothing to the series and Suzanne Collins did an excellent job just giving us enough information to get the idea. At that point it’d just be a book on details, which could fall short or be a gimmicky, cheap way to keep people reading the series and keep her name relevant. And wasn’t that part of the message in her series, the thing Katniss so heavily criticized that gave a great irony to the books? Who would watch children killing each other for entertainment? Meanwhile, we as the reader are reading these books as a form of entertainment. Plus, Suzanne Collins so skillfully painted the illusion of knowing but not fully knowing their stories that it’s haunting, and I think that is one of the many reasons (along with the battle royale trope being naturally compelling, liking the characters, etc.) that a lot of us are more drawn towards these stories rather than (at least for me)  a book on Snow. 

That being said, I was not against the idea of a book on Snow because I find villain characters, especially grey ones, to be very interesting to read about, and I was pretty certain Suzanne was going to handle this beautifully, especially since you could already feel this atmosphere coming off of Snow in the Hunger Games series. I know some were really concerned about a Snow redemption arc, but to me it felt very obvious that it couldn’t be and it would be more of him sliding into evil.

I did have other concerns when I read the description for the first time. I could not believe they went with the whole tribute from District Twelve thing again. I loved Katniss and District Twelve, but I did not want Katniss 2.0. I said right from the beginning to my fiancé that she’d have to make the tribute from District Twelve extremely different for me to get on board (though I was holding on faith that Collins would). It just felt cheap and gimmicky to rehash the District Twelve thing, it sort of made me feel the same way I would have if she had written about one of the games I mentioned above. Sure, it’d sell, but it wouldn’t add anything to the series. I was thinking she better not hunt, sing, or have any qualities resembling Katniss really.  

Another thing I worried about was the love story they hinted at in the description. It just didn’t make sense to me. Because how was Snow going to ever support the games if from an earlier age he fell in love with a tribute and vowed to protect her? Then later he’s all like pro-hunger games? Just this itself could weaken the entire series if done poorly, because it would weaken the main antagonist’s motives for not only the prequel but also the Hunger Games series as well. I kept thinking either the girl has to die in the arena betraying Snow somehow (which is what I was hoping for), Snow will have to betray her, or perhaps he would have been faking love for her for some sort of personal gain I couldn’t imagine. Either way, I thought it weakened the story's appeal to me. Yet overall I was still excited, desperately waiting for the book’s release. 

And now that I have read it, I have to say it felt forced at a lot of parts and lackluster overall…

*Spoilers start here*

My Review:

Suszanne Collins’ writing style is one I’ve always loved and has consistently appealed to me. Even though this book is written in 3rd person (which some may like less if you don’t particularly like third person) it holds up well against the original series. So I really had no complaints in this regard besides the excessive use of songs (felt like fanfiction a bit). I think if you liked the original series and don’t mind third person you’ll feel right at home with her style.

The concerns others had about Snow’s redemption are completely dismissed in this book. Like I had predicted, she writes about his fall into evil, and although it’s not black and white evil (as I don’t like anyways) you can very much tell he’s a bad guy and that the hardships he faced in life only further pushed him towards obtaining status and power. Overall, he feels true to the character when we end up seeing him in the Hunger Games series, and his journey to power fits the images Finnick painted in Mockingjay. He is very well characterized in the book and perfectly unlikable while maintaining an intriguing internal dialogue (although it does occasionally feel tedious, but not enough to bother me; others may feel differently).

 The way he is written is very much in line with Collin’s great characterization, one of the reasons I always loved The Hunger Games. All the characters felt like real people. They all had an extreme depth to them and I felt they all resembled people I had actually met in real life. There were little to no characters that relied solely on gimmicky personalities to get by. Even very minor characters that seemed depthless and swallow at first--like Katniss’s prep team--had more to them. So I thought going into this book I had nothing to worry about in that regard. I didn’t even really spare it a thought, but boy was I wrong. 

I think Snow and Lucy Grey were the only characters that had (at least partly) the depth that the original Hunger Games cast had. I’ll discuss Lucy Grey later but first let me talk about some side characters. Where to even begin really? There’s a LOT of characters in this book. Frankly, way too many, which I think contributes heavily to the lack of depth in the characters. Honestly there’s so many that the names of characters were hard to keep track of while listening to the audiobook (my hard copy of the book was still in the mail and I didn’t want to wait). Things got a bit clustered in my mind quickly. There were twenty-four tributes, twenty-four mentors,  Snow’s family, The Dean and Drs at the university, Snow’s Peacekeeper crew, and the Covey, and those are just the groups that I can cluster together. At least, the ones I remember having names and getting introduced, but I think that’s everyone really important. There was no real time to develop or get to know them really, which made the tributes’ deaths more meaningless as I could barely recall their names. It caused impactful scenes to weaken significantly overall and it made characters serve only to characterize and amplify Snow’s fall into evil. 

Here’s what I mean by that. The head Gamemaker, Dr. Gaul, really was the character I hated the most while reading this. She was just evil without reason (one of the weakest villain types with little to no personality besides being evil). She even made creepy rhymes as if she was in some sort of horror movie, and the entire point of her character was to contribute a lot to some of the forced plot points driving Snow’s moral decline. For example, there were all her tests, which seemed contrived and all directly connected to getting Snow to think the Hunger Games was a good idea. She was seemingly supposed to be a Dr. Mengele type character, as this book has a lot of Holocaust-esqe imagery. I’m fine with irredeemably evil villains, but instead of getting the depth that a Dr. Mengele character could offer (as some may know, many children that were part of his experiments actually said he was kind and gave them candy, and I find that deeply haunting to this day.) She is a flat, one-dimensional character whose entire personality could be described with one word: sociopath. Evil people are master manipulators, which is how they get away with evil things. I think at one of the funerals she puts on a good public face, and she seems to have power, money and influence. Yet the book doesn’t show this seemingly present quality nearly enough to make her a haunting character. Instead we get nursery rhythms and clearly driven lessons towards evil at are contrived. Like “Write about what you most liked about the war” or the assignment to improve the hunger games? Like what class is this? Why are they taking it? And why are the young kids of the influential deciding this instead of the influential people themselves?

Another character I feel was just there for Snow’s development and to represent an opposite viewpoint but lacked Collin’s usual depth is Sejanus Plinth. As a District 2 citizen whose family got rich off the war and moved to the Capitol, he is the main opposing viewpoint of the book, presenting Snow with a chance to do the right thing. I’ve seen people say he’s a Peeta-like character, but I completely reject that idea. He lacks in the charm Peeta has, relishes in self-pity (although he’s completely justified in his sadness and has a right to be upset), and while he has a heart like Peeta, he ultimately doesn’t know how to use it. Instead of working within his position to get influence like Peeta so masterfully does, he’s hot-headed and continuously makes poor decisions that ultimately don’t help anyone. It’s like he wants to help but doesn’t know how as he’s driven completely by emotion without reason. He too contributes to some forced scenes, particularly my least favorite in the book; when they sneak into the arena. Overall, he just falls flat for me. Again, I feel I don’t know anything about him beyond what he contributes to Snow’s story line and he doesn’t come across as realistic. It’s like Collins just wrote how someone would normally react to the hunger games, slapped a district number on him and went on her merry way. 

I just wasn’t prepared for these sort of characters when the Hunger Games series made even the smallest of characters stand out dramatically. I feel neutral to annoyed by most characters in this novel. I could expand this portion, and maybe if people inquire I’ll elaborate on some of the other characters as I have strong opinions on them, but this post is already getting long, so I’ll move on to Lucy Grey.

Lucy Grey is by far my favorite character even though she is bordering towards being a character from a fanfiction. Not quite a Mary Sue in my opinion but there is a certain connection to fanfiction I made with her. You may have guessed some issues I had with her by reading my expectations earlier in the post, but that has not displaced my love for her. Her personality is very different from Katniss’s, or even Peeta’s or Haymitch’s. She had a different type of charm than all of them, is a natural performer, and seemed more extroverted. Also, the whole idea of the Covey and her “not really” being district was intriguing. It really highlighted the displacement that war can cause and how people can just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Although I was confused on how much mobility between the districts there were….and did District Twelve have a fence or no?) It really emphasizes one of the main themes of the book, extreme prejudice against both Capitol and District. Her spot sort of in between really drives home the point that there's literally no difference except extreme poverty, and even then there was poverty in the Capitol, only better hidden. Her bright mood (and clothes), her poised attitude, and her optimism made her endearing. She was confident in her skin yet still held the fear of a sixteen year old going into the hunger games.

There were only two main things that bothered me about her, which was of course the direct connections made to Katniss (which I’ll elaborate on) and the forced “love” story between her and Snow. I suppose that has less to do with her and rather more to do with my dislike of that subplot. And I'm a sucker for some good romantic subplots, but yikes!

I think having one strong connection to Katniss was all that was really needed in this book. I really liked the idea of that connection being the Hanging Tree Song, as I can only imagine how it made Snow feel watching “The Mockingjay” sing it in the propo. Despite me not liking that fact that Lucy Grey is also an enchanting singer as that felt like directly stepping in Katniss’s territory, I did enjoy the little twist of Lucy Grey writing the song. Yet the connections between the two when the plot took us to District Twelve went too far. It felt like it took away all of Katniss’s special places and things. The lake, her katniss roots, her gift towards music, her fondness for the meadow, sneaking into the woods, etc. I think one solid connection would have solidified their bond beautifully. Having so many seemed like it was really trying to force the reader to make the connection when it was already painfully clear I guess? Plus, having Lucy stand out at her reaping ( the whole song part read like a bad, contrived fanfiction bit to me) and having people care about her in the Capitol while moral questions of the hunger games were still surfacing made me start to think...isn’t this how the rebellion for Katniss got started? At least partly. I get it’s a different time. Too close to the war. It just felt way too similar. I guess Collins was going for the idea of a lost rebellion that in a way Lucy Grey started that Katniss later revives. Yet it feels like that invalidates the specialness of what Katniss does in the original series as it’s already happened; it just got erased. I guess history repeats itself, but I really just didn’t like it. I could see the appeal to some extent, and it could be a beautiful connection, but it just wasn’t for me.

Now on to the plot, which is the last thing I’ll talk about as this post is getting ridiculously long. A lot of the plot felt very forced or contrived, which was another shocker coming from Collins because her pacing and plot was done really well in the original series. Of course, a lot of this was driven by Dr. Gaul and Sejanus Plinth as the entire plot hinged on the moral debate of the hunger games these two represent. Other plot points just hinged on what happened to establish the games. I mean the rebel bomb explosion seemingly only happened to change the terrain so Dr. Gaul can then bring up the idea of the different arena and how that made the tributes act differently, thus creating the crazy arenas we see later in the series. I do have some praise for how Collins established the disparities between the earlier hunger games and the ones we see in Katniss day. From the way they lock the tributes up, don’t feed them, the spotty coverage of the arena, etc. All of that was exceptionally well done. The only complaint I have was that so many tributes died before they even got to the arena (though not because I wanted to see them fight). I had been expecting one to escape or something to further establish that this was new territory and was waiting to see how they handled it in earlier times, but I wasn’t expecting that many to die before the arena got started. It just seemed like a huge Capitol failure that they advertised loudly. I really wasn’t expecting that level of incompetence, just an escaped tribute that threatened to embarrass or harm the fragile beginnings of post-war Panem. Instead, most of the pre-arena stuff felt disastrous. A lot of the mentors' deaths felt forced, and it was weird that the academy never really came under fire at all from all the rich and powerful parents whose children were getting killed because of the mentor experiment. Like it seemed there should have been some interaction there, but there wasn’t. Maybe some was passively mentioned but still, it could have been a whole subplot that further established the debate of the hunger games.

While the pre-arena up to the break-in to the arena felt like the most forced part of the book and certainly I felt it needed more workshopping plot wise, it also harbored some great and powerful scenes, like Arachne pulling the sandwich away from the tribute while she was starving and laughing about it. Basically, all those interactions of poverty and captivity meeting the citizens of the Capitol were done well, but nothing spectacular (unlike the scene of Katniss screaming at Buttercup at the end of Mockingjay which is heart wrenching.)

The last plot point I’ll talk about is the “love” story. I wasn’t a fan, but it was sort of what a lot of the plot hinged on and led to the great scene at the lake between Snow and Lucy Grey. How easy it was for him to betray his “love” for status. This led to some of the most interesting and evil internal monologue Snow had in the entire book. I honestly feel the ending scene, the interaction Snow had with the jabberjays and Mockingjays in District Twelve, and the lynching scenes were among the strongest and most memorable.

The love story again felt forced (sorry I’m using that word so much it’s just so accurate) into the story. This hindered the book from having a strong plot in the same way the weaker characters caused forced interactions and plot points to move things along. Yet at the same time the kind of abusive and lackluster nature of their relationship throughout the book fit perfectly with the ending. Unfortunately, it didn’t really make it very compelling for the reader. Luckily Lucy’s  personality kept my interested during these parts. I wouldn’t say their relationship was poorly written at all; in fact the way it was written makes perfect sense. I just think the plot relied too heavily on their “love”, which was gross because of the way Snow is, and the reader knew it had to inevitably end in some kind of betrayal or reveal that there was no love at all. This creates tension for the reader, but I kept wondering: if the love plot had been ditched could we have gotten a stronger plot altogether?

So overall, like I’ve said I’m really conflicted. I know I focused heavily on things I didn’t like, but honestly the book was well written in some regards, plot bouncing between really compelling and a little contrived, the two main characters being written well enough but other characters not so much. Some connections between Lucy Grey and Katniss made at the end were powerful, I loved the Covey, Collins still excelled at writing a lot of the social issues/scenes in the book, and honestly the idea of Lucy Grey being completely forgotten in the Districts that hurts my soul a little. Nothing compared to the feelings I got in any of the Hunger Games books but there’s still something there.

I really hope someone made it through this long ass post. The book was entertaining. I mean I listened to all 16 hours of the audiobook in like a day. I can’t wait until my hardcover comes so I can look through it. Maybe once I know what I’m getting into I can enjoy the book a little more than I did, because right now it’s sitting at very average for me. Maybe I went in with my expectations too high? I certainly like the Hunger Games a lot more and probably always will. Honestly, I love new content, but I’m also the type that likes firm, planned endings to stories (even though it hurts to let things end and the fandoms can suffer from lack of content). I think fans can oftentimes get caught up in what they want and pressure the writer into writing more, which ends up a disappointment since it wasn’t originally planned in the series from the beginning. While I don’t think this is by any means the case with Suzanna Collins or that Lionsgate even pressured her to write this book (I don’t like conspiracies of that sort of thing as a writer myself that plans to have a series in which a book comes out many years after the original part of the series is released), I do wonder if this is the end of the Hunger Games for good. I sure hope so, especially if she would be writing about the other victors. I love them too much and really don’t want to feel similarly about their books, and like I said at the beginning, it wouldn’t add to the series just to my guilty pleasure lol.

Hope you all have enjoyed your reading of the book more than I did :) Again sorry if I wrote anything to upset you! Please if you loved this book ENJOY IT! I’m actually kind of jealous if you did. Feels like missing out on something special.