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danwhobrowses · 6 months ago

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One Piece Chapter 1117 - Initial Thoughts

The breaks always feel long but they always end

because One Piece is back! Which means we have to see more of Vegapunk's transmission and the Straw Hats' escape

Let's not linger on it, let's see what we have!

Spoilers for the Chapter, Support the Official Release too!

Yamato is still yet to start his voyage, this time stopping by Nekomamushi and Hyou's neck of the woods

Seems Neko is living among the Yakuza, which to be fair does fit his style

The reveal last chapter that the Roger pirates knew about the world sinking causes some to wonder if the One Piece is underwater

Or at the least, great treasure hidden at the bottom of the sea

Seems the Polar Tang wasn't the only known ship able to dive underwater, but they're expensive

Also made myself sad because we lost the Polar Tang...and the Victoria Punk

EDIT: I didn't even see it the first time but the Krieg Pirates are there, you see Pearl even more decked out, Krieg has a mane and GIN! HE'S ALIVE!

There are however 2 other ships that know how to dive, an alliance of Romance Chasers

Montblanc Cricket and the Saruyama Alliance react to the news, and consider doing some more diving to investigate a new romance

Cricket also notes how it was before Noland's time, so it would be uncharted territory, just regulate yourself so you don't get the bends again

In the G-5, the SWORD agents lick their wounds

Hibari is defrosted, and Koby is struggling to process everything

Kujaku notes how a captain is recovering, but I'm not sure who that is, Koby's the only known SWORD captain and he's in the panel, plus they use male pronouns so it can't be Tashigi

Koby looks to Grus about the shitstorm about to go down, which Grus is also concerned about, Kujaku however relishes a chance to step up

X DRAKE'S ALIVE

He's out of Wano and in a recovery bed, what about Hawkins? Did he make it?

Tashigi's also making a call to Smoker

Missed ya Smokey, driving all badass across water with your motorbike, no need to guess who you learned that from

Vegapunk continues his message, noting that anything else would be speculation so he won't delve deeper - much to audience chagrin

Back to the Labophase and the barrier has been lifted by Stussy

Nami and Chopper notice that the clouds have also stopped moving, but Usopp assures that they can make it to the sea

Lilith however notes the ships they'd be landing on, some of them friendlies as well

Brook charges up the Coup de Burst so it's all waiting on Jinbe and Zoro

Speaking of whom, they are nearly there, but they're on the tail of something bigger: V. Nusjuro

Nami thinks Zoro and Jinbe ended up getting distracted and chasing a monster, but I would assume Zoro (since Nami wouldn't take that tone with Jinbe as often I don't think) notes that they're going the same direction

Whoever it is, they note the Gorosei's 'special presence'

Usopp, Chopper and Lilith go into an eye pop as the Gorosei prepares to bisect the Sunny

Jinbe and Zoro are doing the Fastball Special!

V. Nusjuro blocks Zoro's Nitoryu, though the clash isn't a simple swat away

Zoro confirms what we've theorized with V. Nusjuro having the final and most powerful Kitetsu blade, Shodai Kitetsu

The impact sends both swordsmen being knocked back, and the twitter fans go wild

Jinbe catches Zoro, as Zoro tells Nami to launch the ship anyway, intending to latch on before it flies away

With Sanji's group, he, Bonney, Atlas and Franky are still waiting for Luffy, but they're also under heavy fire

Comms are down, but Luffy's voice is unmistakable

Dorry and Brogy also call on Oimo and Kashii to get the ship ready, sending the legendary Giant Warrior Pirates into action

Out they come taking on a warship each by themselves, the one in the lower middle looks like he's about to eat a dude

Bluegrass isn't some easy shmoe though, using a commandeered Weaponized Sea Beast to attack and encouraging the marines to step up

The laser blast from the sea beast blows a hole in the longboat, and then Kashii is battered by Doll's Rock n' Roll Blaster (which seems to be a Gatling-esque series of punches)

The marines much like they do with Hina fawn over Doll when she gets violent, wonder if she trained under Garp with such fisticuffs?

The felling of Kashii has motivated the marines to not back down from the giants either

Luffy meanwhile is curious where Warcury went, since he's no longer on their tail, but the giant captains are too relieved to wonder about that

Alas, all but V. Nusjuro surround the Iron Giant, realising that it's the same one that attacked Marejois

Of course this is where Vegapunk is about to deliver a closing juicy statement

'To those who carry the letter 'D.' in your name' !!!???

Dragon with the classic ellipsis, Sabo thinks of his brothers, Koby thinks of Luffy and Garp, Blackbeard interest piqued, and Bepo calls out to his captain - so Law is very much alive

'Among you there is mo-' and the giant is knocked down, along with the transmission

And a collective wail among the audiences of the world in and out of the manga is heard

Morgans, Vivi and Wapol react to the cut off, as the Gorosei and York breathe a sigh of relief that the transmission is over.

Well god damn

We expected the blueball and yet it still sucked to be blue balled XD Unless we aren't that is. Pride comes before the fall maybe?

I would say it's 70/30 on the side of the Gorosei succeeding, we don't need to know any more at this stage right now - but I do blame the 10 minute delay for picture. But what could 'mo-' - the chapter's title - mean? What more was it. Among you there is mo-what? Someone with the D. has something, and it's important.

But it does look like we're reaching the final escape from Egghead. I hope Sentomaru made it out, X Drake can survive and leave Wano after all. There are still some fights going on among the Giants and the Marines, plus we don't know how the CP0 lot will resolve itself, but we tend to take for granted just how insanely jam-packed Egghead has been, and Elbaf is next!

Glad Zoro got a little bit more cred back for matching V. Nusjuro, plus I liked it was a fastball special it's just fun when groups fight in sync with each other. Also kinda glad we put some respect on Bluegrass and Doll, shows there are levels to vice admirals outside of just Garp.

All the cameos were good too, would've liked to have seen Tashigi and Bogard again but happy to see Smoker and Cricket was a nice surprise.

Unless Vegapunk has one last trick up his sleeve, it's time to get off this island.

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markantonys · 9 months ago

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while i'm on the subject of trakand speculation, i'm going to properly lay out my theory that moiraine won't be related to them in the show.

the show is very good at planning ahead. since s2 introduced elayne and they knew s3 would introduce the rest of the family, the s2 damodred family plotline would've been an absolutely perfect opportunity to set up moiraine's connection to the trakands (numerous occasions where she or anvaere could've mentioned having a now-dead brother, or there could've been a little boy included in the young sisters portrait). since that didn't happen and s2 very very strongly implied it was only ever the 2 sisters and their 2 parents, it makes me suspect that connection has been axed.

per a leak from the actor's cv, it seems galad is named galad trakand in the show. this could certainly just be a change made to group him more explicitly with the trakand family without removing his damodred heritage, but it could also indicate that his dad was not a damodred in showverse.

the only thing their dad being a damodred matters for that i can think of is that it gives elayne a claim on the cairhienin throne. but the show could easily just say their dad was from a different cairhienin noble family, and depending on how many seasons it gets, elayne claiming the sun throne may get axed as a plot point altogether and so this may be irrelvant.

let's be real, moiraine being their aunt is a funny piece of trivia but it does not matter in the books at all. it just doesn't. and the show going "oh moiraine's their aunt btw" but not doing anything with that information - that just raises too many unnecessary questions and curiosities, especially since moiraine is a bigger character in the show than in the books so we'd naturally want to see her spending time with elayne if it was revealed they were aunt and niece. so imo, the show has 2 choices: 1) keep her as their aunt but actually do something with it (not the best use of time, and tricky to squeeze in since s3 is likely moiraine's last for a while and she won't have much opportunity to interact with elayne, gawyn, or galad) or 2) just make her not their aunt.

they could say that their dad was a damodred but just a more distant relative rather than moiraine's brother (although s2's whole Fallen House vibes did make it seem like moiraine, anvaere, and barthanes are the only damodreds left), or they could say he was a cairhienin noble from a different house, or they could say he was an andoran noble. but i'm not going to bank on him being closely related to moiraine in showverse. (now, there is the alleged s2 gawyn audition script that referred to an aunt that ruined his life, but considering that not a single line from that script, let alone gawyn himself, came even close to being in s2, i'm taking the whole thing with a massive block of salt lmao)

then, what about galad and rand's family connection? this one, i could go either way on.

i would put it in the same bucket where, for me personally, i think the show should only include it if they can do actually something with it in a way the books didn't, or else they should cut it. and i can see strong arguments for cutting it - the show's already on such a condensed schedule compared to the books that it might not be wise to allocate time to delving into a rand-galad brother relationship that isn't important even in the books; rand's love life is already unusual and ~controversial~ enough without getting into "he's dating his half-brother's half-sister" territory; galad's overall story hinges on his relationships with elayne, gawyn, and morgase and so that is where his family-related screentime should be focused; galad and rand's relationship is never relevant to rand's story and is only relevant to galad's very briefly during the last battle and in a way that's easily cut (it feels more like sanderson cramming it in out of obligation to try and make the relationship relevant, rather than that the relationship actually IS relevant).

my hot take is that the only reason so many readers care about rand and galad being brothers and want the show to get into it is because they love those two characters, but hate elayne and gawyn, and thus they subconsciously lend more importance to rand-galad than is merited, sometimes to the point of placing that relationship over galad's other sibling relationships. but if you actually look at the story, it's the galad-elayne-gawyn relationship that's crucial; galad-rand doesn't matter for jack shit. so i can very easily see the show cutting it and i don't think anything would be broken by this. just say that tigraine was unmarried & childless when she went to the waste, and that galad's bio mom was some other andoran noblewoman (or even morgase herself to really simplify the family tree, though him being her stepson is something i WOULD be kinda sad to lose because it's a very sweet relationship and we don't often get to see positive stepparent/stepchild relationships in media).

okay where was i. anyway, i won't say that i strongly predict the rand-galad connection WILL be cut, or that i would be upset if it was left in and touched upon in more detail than the books did (i wouldn't be upset at all!). the show HAS historically been good at making more of some emotional beats or connections than the books did. for example, i could see them keeping the whole galad-tigraine-rand backstory & connections intact, and using the fact that his bio mom abandoned him to flesh out galad's character and explain why he is the way he is, in a similar way to how nynaeve's parents' deaths went from "just briefly mentioned and never seems to affect her" in the books to "major formative event in her childhood that explicitly shapes who she is as an adult" in the show (yeah you can argue that galad's backstory shaped him in the books, but that idea is barely in the text from what i remember because he truly does spend just about all his time & energy dwelling on his stepfamily). so it really is just a question of "will the show choose to streamline things by cutting an extraneous connection that isn't important in the books" or "will the show choose to take an extraneous connection that isn't important in the books and make it important", and that's hard to guess at because there have been plenty of examples of both approaches in the show so far.

so time will tell on the rand-galad connection! but i do feel fairly confident in predicting that the moiraine-trakands connection will be cut. but am still prepared to put on my clown shoes once 3x01 has a scene of elayne being like "oh hey aunt moiraine" jkdjfg

#wot #wot book spoilers #maybe i should have a proper s3 speculation tag at this point given how much of it i do!#wot s3 speculation

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blondehairstripe · 3 years ago

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So I think that as of S3, Varian is crushing hard on Rapunzel. And in this case, it goes deeper than mere infatuation, given the nature of their relationship and everything that’s transpired between them within the series.

Read on for in-series analysis with screencaps and some bonus post-series fanon speculation!

IN-SERIES ANALYSIS

Before he went villain, I’d say that Varian’s feelings toward Rapunzel were more hero-worship, so he likely thought she was pretty, but undoubtedly out of his league and already taken to boot. No signs of crushing yet—he instead becomes infatuated with the only unattached person who came to visit him: Cassandra.

In my humble opinion, Varian didn’t have a romantic attraction to Rapunzel until it hit him like a bolt of lightning when she told him “It’s your mess, but it’s my kingdom” in Rapunzel’s Return.

Though he was oddly flirty with her while she was in that dungeon cell...

There is also the distinct possibility that the cell was where the first stirrings of a crush began to form during their reconnection. The basis for this theory comes from the absolutely adoring look he gave her when she said “we need him” and how he looked pretty well smitten as she pulled him along.

By the end of the episode Rapunzel frees Quirin, and hoo boy, is that the final nail in Varian’s coffin of feelings. She’d forgiven him his atrocities, kept her word, freed his father—honestly, it’d be weirder if he didn’t fall for her if you ask me.

Then Be Very Afraid rolls along, and we learn that Varian considers Rapunzel “wondrous and magical,” something Rapunzel notes rather slyly and Pascal seems to think is sweet. The look on Varian’s face when she takes his hand and pulls him along again says it all. Boi is smitten.

Additionally...just look at this dork when Rapunzel catches him being a nerd about metals and drinking hot cocoa in Cassandra’s Revenge. This is the reaction of a teenager who just got caught doing something embarrassing by his crush. He zeroes in on Rapunzel specifically and doesn’t seem to care that any of the others caught him.

But through all of these new feelings for Rapunzel, Varian loves Eugene too (90% platonically in this case), so my take is that he’s resolved to not interfere in their relationship. And after everything that’s happened, he likely feels that Eugene is a better match for her and that they truly deserve each other. Though after his stint as a villain where Varian completely lost his respect for the ruling class, the whole “she’s a princess I’m a peasant” thing would likely not be a factor for him anymore. Also, he’s clearly never given a crap about age gaps, and the 4 year gap between him and Rapunzel is even smaller than his canonical S1 crush on Cassandra with an 8 year gap.

Now that we’ve covered the analysis of canonical events, we can delve into pure fanon speculation territory.

POST SERIES SPECULATION

While Varian has indeed resolved to not do a single stupid thing to mess up Rapunzel and Eugene’s relationship, he can’t keep himself from wanting to be close to Rapunzel and craving her affection. Luckily (or unluckily, depending on how you look at it) Rapunzel is a very affectionate person, so she’ll hug Varian, hold his hand, even cuddle him because he’s her precious friend. Also, she’s a pro at giving him the verbal validation that seems to fuel him (aka his love language: words of affirmation).

This results in Varian coming up with excuses and ways to stay close to Rapunzel, and at times when he ends up being sandwich-snuggled between Eugene and Rapunzel (because let’s face it, we’ve seen that Eugene is huggy) he sometimes catches himself trying to pretend Eugene isn’t there, which he instantly feels super guilty about.

Side note: Ruddiger is completely aware of how he feels because Varian is an open book when he’s alone with his little raccoon buddy, and the devious little critter sometimes manipulates situations to try to get Varian alone with Rapunzel or to set them up for what he believes is a romantic encounter (what do you mean being trapped inside a dumpster together isn’t romantic? Intimate dark setting, and all the garbage you can eat!). These setups only work about half the time, and so while Varian appreciates the sentiment, he’d prefer Ruddiger to stay out of it because the failures tend to end with Varian being horribly embarrassed.

And if Rapunzel ever gives him what she views as chaste kisses on the cheek or forehead, Varian’s over the freaking moon and always blushes so hard he almost passes out. Rapunzel finds it cute while Eugene thinks it’s the funniest thing ever and teases Varian he’s gonna have to get over that habit if he ever wants a girlfriend/boyfriend of his own. Whether he’s aware of Varian’s crush or not is up for debate, but he for sure has no idea how deep it runs and thus considers it harmless if he’s aware of it.

Varian probably also frequently gives Rapunzel gifts in order to get her attention and favor in the form of inventions/discoveries he thinks she’ll like. He might even bake her things since we’ve seen he has a knack for it. His favorite thing is if he can get Rapunzel to come work on a project with him, giving him the one-on-one time he craves while doing something he loves.

Also, I think that if anyone were to insult Rapunzel in Varian’s presence, they might find their shoes sticky bombed to the floor. Looking at you, Uncle Monty. Varian might become the second person in Corona to not like him.

Of course, he’s not so obsessed with Rapunzel that he has no life outside of her, since he very much enjoys one-on-one time with both his dad and Eugene (Lance is kind of a 50/50 shot for him, and the girls are like little sisters to him). And of course he spends most of his time in his lab doing alchemy. But he lights up every time Rapunzel enters the room and gravitates towards her, and would do pretty much anything for her.

And for a while, Varian convinces himself that this is fine, and that he doesn’t need Rapunzel to love him back the same way he loves her. Though he feels small flares of jealousy whenever she and Eugene kiss or indulge in other romantic gestures that Varian would never hope or dare to try, but he stomps the jealousy down for the greater good of everyone involved.

The wedding would be super bittersweet for him, since he’d be so happy that his friends have found happiness together, even while knowing that Rapunzel is unquestionably out of his reach now. But that doesn't stop him from continuing to love her. His dad says he’ll get over her one day (his only human confidant, the dude is legendary at keeping secrets), but Varian isn’t so sure.

And from this point, the fanon possibilities are pretty much endless, some of them running the gambit from Varian continuing to respectfully pine for Rapunzel in secret, to him getting over her and finding his own happiness with someone else, to him gradually descending into madness and going just a touch yandere. Depends on what flavor of Varian you’re in the mood for: pining Varian, happy Varian, or villainous Varian. And of course, you can get real fancy and combine different Varian flavors to make something unique!

@varipunzel

#Varipunzel Appreciation Week #varipunzel #varian #rapunzel #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #tts #rta #tangled #analysis

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infinite-xerath · 4 years ago

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Runeterra Retcons 2: Aatrox and the Darkin

I did another one. There’s one more character I have in mind to do, but then I’ll probably take a small break from these))

Aatrox is an interesting case; while I don’t necessarily believe his current lore is BAD per se, I think he’s more-so a case of missed opportunity and wasted potential. Aatrox, to me, reeks of a case where Riot gave zero forethought to the future of this character when they created him. To fully understand why I feel this way, we’re going to have to take a step back and analyze some of the history of League itself, as well as some characters connected to Aatrox. So, with that all said, let’s look back at the history of this angry red swords and see if we can make sense of the changes given to him over the years.

Aatrox was released into the game back in 2013, under the title “The Darkin Blade.” Now, what’s a Darkin, you ask? Well, at the time, we didn’t really know, and it kind of became obvious that Riot didn’t either. Let’s have a read of his original lore, shall we?

I was always a fan of Aatrox’s original lore: an ancient, mysterious figure who shows up to help you turn the tides of a war, but only after you’d effectively surrendered your own humanity for the sake of victory. The fact that there was an entire race just like him became the center of fan speculation of years, and countless theories cropped up as to who and what the Darkin even were. Some assumed that they were related to the Seven Deadly Sins, while others thought they might be akin to the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Some thought they might just be a dying race, and that some might actually be benevolent, unlike Aatrox.

Unfortunately, Riot wouldn’t give us an answer for quite some time. All we knew was that Aatrox was a Darkin and that he looked a lot like typical modern depictions of demons. That does raise the question though: why didn’t they just make Aatrox a demon? He helps turn the tides of conflict with no apparent goal beyond just prolonging the chaos and suffering brought about by war. A lot of his voice lines even painted him as a psychotic “artist” of sorts, prior even to Jhin, that viewed conflict and bloodshed as elegant. Well, to better understand the full picture here, we need to take a step back and examine the broader picture here.

Now, admittedly, we’re delving in some speculation territory here, as it’s impossible to really say what Riot’s original plans for the Darkin were, if any. That being said, the inclusion of something like a demon would have had a lot of implications back in the day, as the Runeterra as we knew it then didn’t really have a “Heaven” or “Hell.” Sure, we had “angels” with Kayle and Morgana, but they were treated more like how Asgardians are treated in Marvel: more like a race of super powerful aliens than actual divine entities (keep that in mind for later.) If anything, what little we knew of an “afterlife” in League came from Yorick’s old lore, in which he acted like a psychopomp similar to Charon from Greek myth.

It wasn’t until Tahm Kench came out in 2015 that Riot properly introduced demons as a concept in the lore, retconning several other champions like Evelynn and Nocturne into being demons. For a bit of context: in Runeterra, demons are effectively malevolent spirits from the spirit realm that feed on negativity: fear, pain, hatred, and so-forth. When other characters started getting turned into demons, a lot of people, myself included, thought that Aatrox would meet the same fate. After-all, they hadn’t actually DONE anything with the “Darkin” outside of Aatrox’s bio, and he functioned in a manner similar to them. Some even theorized that the Darkin would be made to represent a specific breed of demon, and this theory gained even more traction when Tahm Kench was given special voice lines for taunting near Aatrox.

Then, on July 12, 2017, we got Kayn, and with him: Rhaast. Rhaast is the second Darkin character added to the lore: a talking scythe with an eye that possess its host. Kayn is able to hold back Rhaast’s influence, keeping it to a single arm through the use of shadow magic, but depending on your actions in-game, you can see what happens if Rhaast manages to win their struggle and take over Kayn’s body completely. With Rhaast’s introduction, it pretty-much cemented that the Darkin were living weapons that took over the hosts of their wielders, which made sense given that Aatrox’s sword was always hinted to be alive and have a mind of its own. In fact, the idea of the Darkin being living weapons, or at least being bound to their weapons in some way, was one of many fan theories raised since Aatrox’s release all the way back in 2013.

Unfortunately, the new champion’s bio didn’t give us a lot to work with. Rhaast was the weapon, but Kayn himself is the Champion, so a lot of his bio tells us more about Kayn’s backstory: how he joined the Order of Shadows, how he acquired Rhaast in the first place, etc. While this isn’t exactly a problem, it gave us no further information on the Darkin; what they really were, where they came from, and why there are only five left in existence all remained mysteries for the fans to speculate about. It still wasn’t even clear if the Darkin were connected to demons, or if they were something else entirely.

Now, it’s around this time that another theory began to start blowing up in popularity; technically, this was another old fan theory, but now that we had a general idea of what the Darkin actually were, there was another Champion wielding a living weapon that fans started to speculate might be connected to them: Varus. Varus is an old character, and though we won’t be deep-diving into him too much into this video, allow me to give you a tldr of his original story.

Varus was an Ionian archer set to guard the Pit of Pallas, a giant hole where his people had long ago sealed some unexplained corrupting purple entity that seemed like it maybe should have related to the Void somehow but didn’t. Varus resisted the entity’s influence for years until Noxians one day showed up and started slaughtering his people, wanting to get their hands on Pallas so that they could use it as a weapon because of course they did. Varus was faced with a choice: stay and guard the temple built around the pit or go back to his village and help his people fight. Varus chose the former and was apparently SUCH a badass archer that he single-handed kept the invaders at pay with his arrows, though this choice came at a cost: when Varus returned to his village, everyone he knew and loved was dead, including his wife and son.

Enraged, Varus returned to the pit and struck a deal with Pallas: he would allow the entity to inhabit his body in return for vengeance against the Noxians. Varus proceeded to wander the world with a bow made from the entity’s own solidified essence in the hopes of finding and killing… Basically every Noxian he could. Yeah, Varus wanted nothing short of full-on genocide, starting with the surviving soldiers that attacked his village. There’s a lot to go into there, but you’ve probably figured out the relevance of this by now: Pallas turned itself into a bow for Varus to take his vengeance in exchange for possession over his body. Not too dissimilar a living sword and scythe who also possessed people and had an insatiable hunger for death and destruction, right?

Riot seemed to agree, and in 2017 they released a music video along with a comic and an entirely new bio for Varus. Together, these updates served to not only retcon Varus’s backstory (a topic for another episode) but finally give us an update as to who and what the Darkin were. In a word: they were aliens.

In short, the Darkin were a race from another planet/dimension drawn to Runeterra for its abundant use of magic. They tried to conquer the planet, causing the Great Darkin War, which ended only when the races of Runeterra figured out how to seal the Darkin in their own otherworldly weapons. Varus, Aatrox, Rhaast, and two others were trapped in their weapons, which an unnamed warrior queen (possibly an Aspect) used to drive back the other Darkin and seal the portal to their world. The five that were imprisoned in their weapons were then scattered and hidden across Runeterra.

This, at last, brings us back to Aatrox’s new bio:

“One of the ancient Darkin, Aatrox was once a peerless swordmaster who reveled in the bloody chaos of the battlefield. Trapped within his own blade by the magic of his foes, he waited out the millennia for a suitable host to wield him - this mortal warrior was corrupted and transformed by the living weapon, and Aatrox was reborn. Though tales of the darkin have now passed into legend, he remembers only too well the destruction of his race, and wreaks his vengeance one sword blow at a time.”

So Aatrox was made into a general for an alien race who sought to finish what his people started by having the Runeterrans fight and slaughter one another in a series of bloody conflicts… For a few months, at least. Literally the next year in 2018, Aatrox finally got his visual and gameplay update, turning him into the World Ender we know today. Along with this came entirely new lore for him, as well as the Darkin.

Insert lore here

So… The Darkin are no longer invading aliens, but Ascended who went nuts and were trapped inside their own weapons. In other words, the Darkin went from being a race to being more of a derogative term for fallen demigods. What’s more, Aatrox received a VERY substantial alteration his character and personality: he went from being a war-loving “artist” who causes conflict for the sake of it to being a tortured soul who wants to die so badly that he’ll end all of creation to do it.

Now, like I said before: I don’t think this backstory is bad. I don’t hate it. It does a lot to flesh out Shurima as a region, gives us more info on the Ascended, and it adds a bit more nuance to Aatrox as a character. Imagine being trapped inside a weapon, losing all access to your senses. Imagine that the only chance you get to move is when you take over someone else’s body, transforming it into a warped version of your own former glory, only to realize that you’re on a time limit and the only way you can continue to walk, talk, see, hear, or feel anything is by slaughter’s people and consuming their blood. Imagine spending CENTURIES trying to find a way out, only to repeatedly learn that any means to free or even kill yourself ends in failure. Imagine being SO desperate to rest that you’re willing to end all of existence just to find peace.

I like Aatrox’s new story. I do. Honestly, the only real complaint I have is that Aatrox doesn’t exactly have a PLAN for how he aims to end existence? Like, he calls himself a World Ender and a god-slayer, but we only know of one god he’s actually slain (Pantheon) and given that Runeterra is still around, it seems like his world-destroying count is still at zero. Honestly, if he wants to end all of existence, I feel like turning the Void, a reality-consuming threat that he has FOUGHT BEFORE would kind of be the obvious solution? Honestly, I imagine that just chucking the sword into the Void would be a good way for him to end his own existence, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

So, if I like Aatrox’s new lore, why am I rewriting it? Simple, really: even if I overall like his current lore state, I feel like the road we took to get here was… Kind of long and unnecessary. It seems kind of obvious looking back that Riot didn’t have a clear long-term plan for Aatrox or the Darkin, as years of unanswered questions followed by multiple retcons kind of entails. From being the last survivor of an ancient race, to MAYBE being a demon, to being an alien, to finally becoming a fallen demigod. Aatrox’s history is practically a whole story in-and-of-itself, and I’ve long wondered how things might have turned out if Riot had, you know, picked a direction and gone with it a bit sooner?

So, here’s the basis of my rewrite: I’m gonna try and incorporate elements from all of Aatrox’s various backstories into a single, coherent biography. Can I manage it? Well, I’ll leave that for you all to determine…

When the skies are blackened by the flames of war and the earth is dyed red with blood, Aatrox draws near. For as long as conflict has existed among the races of Runeterra, the Chaos Blade has manifested to those deemed worthy, turning the tides of battle in exchange for the flesh of whoever wields it.

The true origins of the Darkin have long been lost time. Some say that they are the first weapons ever forged, corrupted by the malice of those who have wielded them over ages. Others claim that the Darkin are a rare breed of demon, of whom only five remain. Only one thing is certain: the Darkin exist only to bring death and destruction, and none embrace this more than Aatrox himself.

Tales of a wicked blade manifesting amidst the heat of battle exists across all cultures, from the frigid north to the blistering south. The sword is said to appear before warriors on the cusp of defeat: those who would give anything, even their own lives, for the sake of victory. Those who wield the Chaos Blade are granted inhuman strength and endurance, often haled as heroes for turning the tides of battle. With every foe slain, however, the Chaos Blade grows stronger, consuming the mind of its wielder and warping their flesh. In time, the hero becomes a mindless vessel, slaughter all in its path until slain. When its host falls, the Chaos Blade returns from whence it came, waiting for the moment that another might heed the sword’s call.

For ages this cycle persisted, until the day the sword manifested before a warrior of Shurima’s Ascended Host. After the Fall of Icathia, the Sunborn were called to face the encroaching threat of the Void, wielding celestial might and magic great enough to crush a hundred mortal armies. Before the Void, however, even the mighty Ascended began to falter.

The horrors summoned by Icathia steadily pushed north, consuming everything in their path and twisting the earth into maddening shapes. As their numbers dwindled, many Sunborn called to retreat, hoping to regroup within the capital and think of a plan. As some fled, however, the Ascended general Aatrox stood his ground. Pushing his draconic form to its limits, Aatrox struck down one abomination after another. When his great blade, soaked in the Oasis of the Dawn itself, was wrenched from its grasp, Aatrox fought with tooth and claw. Even if he were to fall, Aatrox would do everything in his power to slay as many Voidspawn as possible, resigning himself to death so the other Sunborn might rally their forces.

It was then, amidst the sea of madness woven by the Void, that Aatrox saw a sword embedded into the twisted earth. The blade seemed to call out to him, and Aatrox took it without question. In an instant, the general was filled with unimaginable strength and fury, and his allies watched in amazement as Aatrox fought with strength of ten Ascended warriors. Inspired by his newfound fury, the Sunborn rallied, their fighting spirits renewed at last.

When the conflict against the Void drew to a close, Aatrox was haled as a hero among heroes, though many of his former allies became wary of him and the wicked sword he now carried. Some suggested that the blade should be destroyed, while others, such as Aatrox himself, argued that its power would be instrumental if the Void ever returned.

Resentment and suspicion began to grow amongst the Sunborn, and the cracks only grew larger as Aatrox aided the other Ascended in summoning weapons similar to his own. The warriors of the Ascended host began to distance themselves from one-another and the capital, taking up posts across Shurima’s vast empire. They remained united only in the shared goal of protecting their empire.

And then the Sun Disc fell.

Following Xerath’s Ascension and the death of Emperor Azir, years of growing tensions erupted across the desert. Some Ascended raced for the chance to fill the now-vacant seat of power for themselves, while others insisted on finding a means to restore the royal dynasty. Debate soon turned to bloodshed, and Shurima was engulfed in a war that lasted centuries. It wasn’t until the Aspects of Targon intervened that the war was finally brought to an end.

Those wielding Darkin weapons were bound to their armaments with powerful magic, in-turn trapping the wicked weapons in the physical realm. The Darkin were scattered across Runeterra, and yet the souls of the Ascended persisted, stripped of bodies and senses.

For ages, Aatrox stewed within the sword that had become his prison, his soul slowly being corrupted further and further by the Chaos Blade until the two had become a single being. Ages passed and the sword was slowly forgotten, until a band of thieves broke into the Darkin’s prison in search of ancient treasure. When the thieves’ leader touched the sword, his mind was overwhelmed in an instant, his body transformed into a twisted likeness of Aatrox’s Ascended form. The Darkin slew the other thieves in an instant, drawing strength from their blood before breaking free of his long confinement.

Aatrox emerged into a frozen landscape with but a single goal: to bring about a war so violent, so destructive, that it would be the end of all things. He would be the World Ender, herald of a conflict to end all others. With every foe he slays, with every swing of his sword, Aatrox sews the seeds for violence and carnage, drawing one step closer to his magnus opus.

So, what did you think? As stated before: my primary goal this time around was to try and combine Aatrox’s various origin stories into a single narrative. Admittedly, I could only manage to do this by adding an air of mystery to the actual origin of the Darkin; maybe they’re demons, maybe they’re aliens, maybe they’re something else entirely. I know that might seem like a bit of a cop-out, but a large part of what made the Darkin so interesting to the community in the first place was the air of mystery surrounding them, and the room it offered for speculation and theorizing.

Another main concern, though, was that I wanted to find a way to blend old Aatrox’s personality with his new one. The thing I miss most about the OG Aatrox was that, despite being obsessed with war and bloodshed, he wasn’t just another rage monster. He was calm and composed, and a lot of his lines hinted at a deeper philosophy toward the inevitability of conflict rather than just “I wanna kill everything because I’m angry!” League has way too many of those, in my honest opinion. I thought that, by combining his mind with a semi-sentient sword that brings about carnage because that’s simply its PURPOSE, a little but of that old Aatrox might shine through.

But, as always, this is all just my opinion; how I, personally, would have gone about reworking the character. If you prefer Aatrox as he currently is, or think my version of the story is inferior, that’s fine! Feel free to share your thoughts and comments, but please, let’s try to keep it civil. After-all…

The last thing we want is to start a war over this…

#Outofpower #Runeterra Retcons #League of Legends

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kyouminaine · 5 years ago

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Frankly, this doesn’t even really belong on this blog, but it coincides with my decision to exclude any new plot from that reality into my portrayal. Yes, I’m talking about the Remake. Yes, I’m calling it a “reality.” Now before anyone starts hissing about me being a purist, I’m going to break down why I cannot and will not use material from the Remake (abbr. 7R) in my writing.

(Spoilers under the cut. Beware long post.)

And let me make this clear: 7R was a good game. It was not a good story.

What 7R did well was create a new system that combined SE’s past experiences from the KH series and previous FF games (I see a lot of influence from XIII). It provided a challenge --- whether good or bad is partly dependent on RNGesus favoring you or not --- and created an environment and interrelationship between characters that gave the gamer a chance to connect with the world and understand the repercussions of certain actions. It gave gamers a chance to develop feelings for certain characters that previously had no strong standing in the original. This was good. (I first played on Normal and got a decent challenge out of it during certain boss fights, particularly during endgame. Currently I’m running through Hard mode and utterly regretting my life choices, so the challenge is certainly there.)

As someone who played the original and delved into the rest of the Compilation over the years, it was enjoyable to see nods and easter eggs to those plotlines. A story I didn’t think would have any part in 7R somehow made its way in. People I thought would be skipped over were brought up. It was nice.

But here’s where it fell apart: all these nods and the expansion of the world (yes, we’re only experiencing Midgar, but I’ll still label it as a “world” since that is the extent that the gamers are exposed to) were haphazardly applied to the main plot, and not only that, when it came down to the endgame all those little nuggets ultimately didn’t mean anything.

Why? Because of the new plotline that was introduced. It’s been speculated and the general consensus is that 7R is a different reality. You can call it a sequel, AU, whatever. It’s a different plot altogether, particularly with how the ending unfolded. The Whispers / Watchers of Fate / Arbiters of Fate are what everyone has summed as being a physical manifestation of what fans expected to happen, or what the creators tried to preserve over the years through the many works that elaborated on the original VII storyline. Because the characters in 7R have destroyed the Whispers, this essentially has ripped apart the expectations that old (and new) fans had for the Remake series. We don’t know how many installments there are for 7R, but it’s pretty clear from the ending line that there’s going to be another part. (Hell, you still have to fight Sephiroth again... or something. Or maybe he becomes your ally. Who knows...)

Which makes a lot of mental gears grind, heads tilt, and plenty of frustrated fans raise their voices. The Deus Ex Machina concept is nothing new. A “do-over” plotline is not unique either. (Doubt me? Go look at all the fanfics that have been circling the internet since the day the original game came out.) Taking the original VII plotline and conjoining it with a “do-over” plotline is... well, it’s bad.

There are ways to make something like that work. Ways to rewrite history and attempt to make it right. There are people who speculate that 7R considers the original VII as the “bad ending” --- as if this is a dating sim and you picked the option where Lover C decides to murder you instead of marry you, so now you wipe your save file and change all of your choices so you get the happy ending with Lover C. The major plot events are the same, but now you’re alive and Lover C never goes apeshit on you.

I can understand the desire to get a “good ending.” This just isn’t the smartest way to go about it.

So with that in mind, we are now on that separate save file trying to make all the “right” choices. No one knows what will come of it, no one knows if it even is a “good” ending that awaits us. So what does that mean?

Quite plainly, it means everything we knew, every relationship that was built upon in the original, even all the work that was put into the other games and that particular reality, are all dumped in the trash. 7R is an AU scum save game file that tosses out the original values and lore that were taught to us and the characters too. In an ugly way of explaining it, 7R is spitting in the face of all the other pieces of the Compilation and what lessons came out of them.

These are lessons of the value of life, the value of relationships, the gravity of truth and the price of lies, struggling with flaws and shortcomings, change, love, and personal growth. These aren’t new or unfamiliar tropes, but their weight of worth still remains. (I won’t call VII to be the greatest game in existence, but it did create a strong connection with its audience through the story it told.)

What 7R does in face of these lessons is push them all aside for what is basically fanservice. Wish fulfillment. People who are dead in the original may/may not be alive in 7R. People who are alive in 7R are supposed to be dead in the original. 7R’s reality robs the audience of a chance to experience those values and struggles in a new yet familiar way. Fans who have no idea what happened in the original or only have a vague grasp of the plot will not have the same connection that old fans do. Yes, new fans can still understand that Aerith’s death was supposed to be a sad event. Yes, Sephiroth is a meteor summoning cockroach. (He has a bad habit of resurrecting.) However, they don’t have the firsthand experience. They did not personally go through the journey.

There are heavy hints of it in 7R, but the experience isn’t the same. And now considering that the Whispers are defeated, there probably isn’t even a reason to go through the original content anymore. Just open up a wikia and get the most basic summary, because what lays before us in the 7R series is uncharted territory.

The story of Cloud’s past and who Zack is will most likely still be introduced and explained, but how? Will it still hold the same meaning? Will fans be able to experience the same joy and pain, not knowing how big of an impact Zack had on the story particularly on Cloud’s, Aerith’s, and even Tifa’s lives? They made a whole game with him as the main protagonist; that was how big of an impact he made on those around him, and how much fans thought he deserved more screen time than what was given in the original VII.

Though the ending cutscenes of 7R implied that Zack may still be dead and his survival is probably in a completely different reality outside of both VII and 7R, the idea that it is possible for him to live takes away the meaning behind his death. It takes away how he made such an impact on those he met. Is it sad to always have him die? Certainly. But that’s the point. You, the gamer, and those in the game itself feel the weight of his presence and his loss. Him living diminishes it. Perhaps not completely, but it does stick a knife in the tapestry that wove together this important and surprisingly strong bond between even the most minor of characters.

The same can be said about Aerith’s death. I do enjoy that in 7R Cloud and Aerith got to interact and you could see more of how their personalities played off each other; I enjoyed Aerith’s portrayal in 7R. Yet, with the speculation of her possibly surviving and maybe being omnipotent (or dimension hopping, take your pick), we don’t see how strong of an impact she made on those around her. We don’t see how her death changed the cast, became a driving point of their mission. Particularly for Cloud, she became a pivotal part of his growth. Regardless if you consider their relationship to be friendship or love, it’s undeniable that she made a strong impression and her death hit Cloud like a sack of bricks to the face. The value of her life was so great in his heart, she became one of the major reasons he was so hell bent on fighting Sephiroth. She wasn’t the only reason, but she certainly was fighting to be at the top of the list. Even in the sequels that followed, she was always on their minds. She taught a priceless lesson that still sticks with gamers today. People still weep over her death.

So let me bring it up again: 7R spits at VII. Not just in the lessons it brought, but the lore as well. The introduction of Whispers, Aerith’s unexplained new powers, Sephiroth’s early appearance and his ability to cut through the veil of reality... It all brings about the question of Gaia and how she works as both a habitable place and sentient entity. Gaia had WEAPON --- colossal creatures that were meant to safeguard the planet. When Gaia perceives herself to be in danger, she brings out the giant no-no stick. (This is mainly in response to the threat of Jenova, but it is plausible that WEAPON will tear apart every major threat and hit the big reset button on everything. Otherwise, why did Ultimate attack Mideel? There’s no Jenova there, unless you count Cloud. But that’s a different topic for a different day.)

There is speculation that the Whispers that meld into the Harbinger of Fate / Whisper Harbinger is another WEAPON. This is a theory to take with a fat grain of salt, but the point is this: what did the Whispers uphold, and how does that alter the rest of the lore of the game? Do we consider the Whispers to be beings completely exempt from the rest of the lore? Are they some kind of god? Are they related or unrelated to WEAPON, and do they have their own agenda or do they also work to safeguard Gaia? No one knows, and there are a bunch of videos that try to tackle these questions.

I don’t have the answer. What I do have is a major side-eye at the whole concept of the Whispers existing and how they interact across the different realities, and how in turn they alter the overall lore of VII. Vague telling of the main plot points from the original are present, yet there is a giant question mark as to how much of said plot points will remain present in future game(s). Is there even a need for WEAPON anymore? Is Aerith not the last living Ancient/Cetra? Is Sephiroth blood kin to her? (Anyone remember that old concept?)

What about Holy? The lifestream? Hell, you can create summon materia now, not find godly creatures slumbering inside giant marbles scattered throughout the planet. Can Meteor be created too, or is it still hidden in the Temple of the Ancients and deemed too dangerous and the magic too great for anyone to handle? Do I even want to touch the subjects of Project G and Deepground??

That’s too many questions that don’t need to exist in the first place. What 7R created was a large stew of wtfery. I don’t just say this out of saltiness, it really is a giant “wtf” where almost every fan doesn’t even know where to start when they try to deeply analyze what happened in the game.

Personally, I believe the “do-over” plot that was introduced in 7R was a mistake. Not only did it mess with the lore of the world and open up a rotten can of worms that no one knows how to decipher, it took away from the value of certain actions from different characters, whether main cast or secondary. (I feel cheated. Tifa’s tears were practically wasted because Biggs is apparently alive, Jessie is probably just comatose somewhere, and Wedge probably survived too despite being tossed out a skyscraper.)

What I expected, and I believe what many frustrated fans expected, was not a “do-over” plotline/reality but a retelling of the same familiar story we have come to love over the last few decades. Whether some fans picked it up as soon as it was first published on 3 discs, or played it later down the line on PC, or even waited until it got ported to PS4, we came to enjoy that original plot. The original reality that has been told and retold, and adored even across different games with cameo appearances from the main cast. Flesh out the world, make it bigger, make it grander, show me Cloud in a fugly purple dress and Tifa in a miniskirt, show me Sephiroth’s Vidal Sassoon flowing silver locks, show me Jenova’s eye nipple... but keep the rest the same. By all means incorporate plotline from the other installments of the Compilation --- tell me more about the Turks, the original/main faction of AVALANCHE, Rufus and his relationship with his dad, other perverted projects Shinra had hiding under its mako skirt, the full story behind the failed rocket launch, the Wutai war, Nanaki’s youth, Zack’s early years in Shinra/SOLDIER, all that --- but don’t suddenly throw all that work, all those relationships and stories, all those valuable lessons out the window.

7R had plenty of potential and even if I take away the “purist” expectations I wanted from it, the game still managed to be disappointing.

Coming back to the topic of why I won’t use 7R in my portrayal, it is because of all this. Because it takes away too much from VII and warps it into something it shouldn’t be. My idea of Cloud sits strongly with the Compilation (namely the original game with some minor inspiration from the other materials). His hardships, his pain, his personal growth... I will hold onto those because they make Cloud who he is at the end of the game. They are why Cloud leaves such an impression on people. Yes, recent adjustments to his features have really ramped up how handsome he is (especially in 7R, though I’m salty about his hair being wrong) and that sticks with people. Everyone swoons over how he looks in that crisp HD. It’s his journey that is more worthy of noting though.

I expect that there will be people who are not/less bothered by these details. There are plenty of people who embrace 7R and what it introduces --- I’ve heard people say they’re tired of the same old formula and a “do-over” plot is fresh and exciting for them --- but I’ll stick to what I’ve come to learn to love throughout my life. Because there are plenty of people who favor 7R, the door is open for people to head that way. This isn’t me kicking anyone out. This is me firmly establishing where I stand and why.

TL;DR --- 7R is a high dollar AU fanfic and I don’t appreciate that. (But I’ll still snag icons and reblog gifsets of the cutscenes because I’m opportunistic that way.)

#{ 1 phoenix down } | ooc #salty rambling

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ohstardust · 6 years ago

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Rose Coloured Boy - [7/11]

Summary: Sebastian Stan & Eleanor Egan spent the better part of six years being the European outcasts of Rockland Country Day School. Despite growing through their teens as best friends, college soon broke down their friendship until nothing remained. Ten years later, a turn of events in a city as large as New York City, finds them running in the same social circles once again with nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. Pairing: Sebastian Stan x OFC Word Count: 4.5k Masterlist / Story Background / Playlist / AO3 A/N: It’s taken me six long months to finish this (I’m so sorry!), life has been busy, I’ve finished my degree and I’ve been generally struggling with motivation. Would you believe that I’ve had that last segment of this chapter written for almost a year?! It’s one of the very first things I wrote for this story. Part 6 / Part 8

JANUARY 2013 It was early January when Eleanor found herself tucked into a fold down seat, eight rows back and out of sight in the American Airlines theatre. She’d found herself with a week’s vacation post-filming, snagged a last-minute ticket and told all of no one that she was going to see Picnic to support Sebastian. She hadn’t even told the man himself, she wanted to surprise him post-show and not give him a reason to feel put off during the performance. Eleanor knew that feeling too well, as soon as she knew someone in the audience, she’d immediately feel unrested and more nervous.

This wasn’t his first rodeo, but it was his first theatre gig since his name had really been put out there and Eleanor felt a hundred shades of pride for her friend. She knew little about the play, and Sebastian’s character, neither really discussed their work together - it just wasn’t them, keeping their work separate, especially when they delved more into each other’s territory – it was what they did best. Not knowing what to expect was always half of the fun of a new show anyway, there was nothing to compare it to, or compare her friends to. To say she was captivated by Sebastian would have been an understatement - a gross and barefaced lie – not that she would dare to admit, not even teasingly to the man himself. The moment he stepped out onto the stage, she was acutely aware of all heads turning to face him, to get the first glimpse of this new Hollywood actor on a small New York theatre in mid-winter. They may not have known anything about him, or the fact his home was here - they were likely more aware of his new action-hero status – but the fact still had Eleanor smiling into her palm. The story in itself was interesting and something Eleanor would have jumped at the chance to star in, it was her kind of love story, forbidden and wrong and sparkled with a glimmer of hope. Her head was reeling with thoughts and feelings that needed squashing, ones of bare-chested best friends that made her chest tight and gulp half of the water from her bottle, thoughts that made her stomach swirl with butterflies and guilt and she had to keep her gaze on Ellen or Mare or Maggie or – anyone that wasn’t Sebastian for a good fifteen minutes. This was dangerous. Eleanor closed her eyes for a few moments and took a deep breath during the interval, she touched up her make up in the bathroom and wondered if it was even a smart idea to return for the second act. She swallowed her feelings and slinked back to her seat in the auditorium and awaited the second act to begin. The following hour passed by in a breeze, her head was clearer, and her earlier thoughts refused to resurface. He was an attractive man, it was just a momentary glitch, I’m only human she wagered, and she had a Patrick. And he had a Jennifer. And this was a stupid thought about her friend that wouldn’t rear its ugly head again. It couldn’t. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* She double wrapped her scarf around her neck and slipped her hands into her gloves, body shivering from the brisk winter chill as she exited the theatre. New York may have been her home for almost twenty years, but the harsh seasonal weather was nothing she could grow acclimatised to. Her toes wiggled in her boots and she ran her hands up and down her crossed arms to retain some warmth, her breath visible in the air in front of her. There were few waiting places on West 42nd Street where she could stay anonymous from the speculative eyes of fans, not hers, at least she didn’t expect any of hers to be there, but of Sebastian’s. The steps of The New Victory Theatre lay just ahead, a little further up the street, so she sat herself down half way up the flight and pulled on her bobble hat, head rested against the railing with her phone in hand to scroll Twitter to pass the time. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Eleanor could hear the sounds of Sebastian leaving the theatre before she even glanced down the road, the cheers and screams were deafening, and she winced when she lifted her head and caught sight of him being mobbed at the front entrance. Why he insisted on ever leaving through the front door was still beyond her, he knew as well as she did that it was chaos; the hordes of fans, the camera flashes, the incessant noise of car horns beeping people to step off the road. It appeared that the more people who left the theatre, the more the crowd grew, whether or not they’d seen the play. She hadn’t seen anything like it in all her acting years. There were yells and chants for the actor, “Sebastian! Sebastian! Sebastian! Over here!” and Eleanor was so sure that the vast majority of the crowd were not seasoned theatre-goers, they were simply standing here just for him, it wasn’t custom to shout in the faces of the actors, especially not after a long and tiresome double show day. She wanted to march over there, grab his arm and pull him from the throngs of people - to save him from the masses - and then she caught his smile as he signed autographs and leaned in close for someone to take their picture, and she pulled herself further back onto the step and rested her chin ion the heel of her palm with a smile. He was fine, he was more used to this than she was, and it was only going to expand from here. Eleanor fired off some texts to friends whilst she waited for the crowds to disperse; made coffee plans with Chace, a lunch date with Sasha and promised Damon they’d grab takeout pizza later that week. She chipped away at the peeling burgundy nail polish on her fingers and made a mental note to treat herself to a salon appointment sooner rather than later, perhaps gather the girls for a pamper afternoon, the year had taken a slow start and heavens knows they needed something to brighten up the dull and dreary season. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* “Didn’t take long for a woman to get you out of your shirt, Seb.” Eleanor’s eyes sparkled and she pushed her back off the wall with a grin and stepped towards her friend as he approached. She watched as Sebastian’s eyes widened and lit up before he pulled her into a tight embrace, his palms clapped her back. “Don’t be so sour, jealousy isn’t cute, El.” He laughed into her cheek and quirked an eyebrow as he unwound his arms from her, “actually it’s pretty cute on you.” Eleanor eyes rolled and she backhanded his bicep with a snort and a weak stomach flip, “Sod off.” “To what to do I owe this pleasure?” “Thought I’d come and see what all the fuss was about,” she thumbed to the theatre further along the road and shrugged, content and amused in equal measure as Sebastian’s mouth quirked upwards and cocked his head to the side, “’was alright I suppose.” “Oh you ‘suppose’ do you?” “Yeah, I mean I could have given Maggie a run for her money, but she was pretty decent.” He snickered in response and flicked the overhang of her scarf into her face, his arm looped through hers and pulled her along the road away from any lingering fans. It had been too long since they’d had free time to spend more than fifteen minutes together and he didn’t need prying, speculative, eyes on them as they interacted. He was fond of their less public friendship, at least for the time being where they were both still in a position that no one cared all too much who knew who. “Jen in town?” “She’s filming out of state, back next weekend for a couple of days.” “Omelette’s and coffee at yours then?” “Let’s go.” As it approached one-thirty am, Eleanor yawned and stretched out across Sebastian’s plush sofa, across from where he was curled up his oversized living room chair, a seventies thriller movie played on the television in the background, long forgotten in favour of his stories from the play and hers from filming. The conversations never strayed into the relationship area which neither paid a thought to until a few days later, almost like they didn’t need to discuss that with each other or didn’t want to. Sometimes it still felt like a strange and sketchy topic, for reasons neither were all too sure of and Eleanor later began to wonder if they’d always been so vague about romantics when conversing together. “It’s time I head off and hit the hay,” she softly spoke as she pulled herself up into a sitting position to stand, the early hours leaving way for a hushed and relaxed atmosphere. “What time is it?” “It’s –“ she paused to check her watch in the lamplight and cursed, “too late for me to be keeping you up when you’ve got an early start.” Eleanor stood and started to bustle around in her haste to leave, regretfully so, she thought briefly and tugged on her shoes. “You can’t leave now, it’s too late. C’mon, I’ll find something comfortable for you to sleep in and you can crash here.” “No no, don’t be silly, I’ll be home in no time.” “Stay here for me then, for my peace of mind.” She glanced at him, just as she was about to take her coat from the hook, and sighed at his pleading expression, how was she supposed to refuse that? Instead of answering, she picked up a biro pen from the side table by the front door and lazily flung it at him in mock annoyance, “Fine then, oh protective one, I’ll stay. But I expect breakfast in the morning.” “There will be tea and croissants waiting when you wake up.” “Now that’s the service I expect from Casa de Stan.”

MAY Finished. Over. Cancelled. Not renewed. Final. Done. Finito. Two seasons in and the ratings had fallen so low that there was no hope of any network picking the show up to renew it, and as much as everyone could see the end looming, no one liked to admit their work was coming to an end and they’d be unemployed. Especially not Eleanor who’d made her new home on the show. She’d known since her early acting days that this industry was a tricky one, and everything was destined to end sooner or later, but she wouldn’t have minded a bit of stability for a while longer. “So, I guess that’s me out of work again then,” Eleanor huffed and sighed wearily. She pulled the clothes in the dryer out one by one and shook, folded and placed them onto the kitchen countertop. Sasha stretched out across the surface; a coffee mug cradled between her hands and a confused look etched onto her features. “What the hell happened?” “Show got cancelled, should have known it wouldn’t last much longer,” she snatched a dropped shirt off the floor and shook it with a touch more vehemence before setting it down on top of the pile. Her hands scrubbed over her face and she leant forward for a moment, elbows planted on the wooden counter and sipped her tea. “Kids might enjoy coming to see the shows but who wants to watch a dramatised version of our lives on telly? Not many apparently.” “You’re not surprised then?” “Only that we made it this far.” Sasha eyed her friend warily and chewed on her lip, “What’s your next plan?” Eleanor pushed herself off the counter and began to finish folding her clothes, “The only thing I can do is throw myself into a shit tonne of auditions, at least I’m more open to television gigs now.” “I’m sure the guys will give you a helping hand if you -“ “No.” She turned to the younger girl and shook her head with fervency, “I’m a big girl, with my own career, I’m not relying on them to get me any work.” “I knew you’d be too proud.” “Everyone has their pre-conceptions of me now anyway, I’m not giving them any ammunition to fire back at me.” It was true, Eleanor had made a name for herself, on her own terms, the last thing she wanted was a common understanding among the public that she was receiving help in advancing her career. Her friends were there to be her friend, not a helping hand or as a career enhancement. Especially not with the success of her circle of friends. “That’s wise, it’s not really worth the aggravation I guess.” “It’s fine, it’ll all work out,” Eleanor kept herself busy and occupied, the clothing was sat at the bottom of her wardrobe to be dealt with when she had the energy to sort it and she sat down on one of the bar stools beside Sasha, her feet pulled up to her chest, “besides, I’ve got Maria on the case, she’s sending a tonne of options and auditions my way for consideration so I’m keeping positive.” “If anyone can get their shit together, it’s you El.” Eleanor was hopeful, she just hoped beyond anything that her friend’s faith wasn’t misplaced in her. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Her schedule for the following week found her with eight auditions, three meetings and a callback, it was the most she’d had in months. Despite the show she was constantly on the lookout for new projects to fill gaps in her itinerary and, although she wasn’t as concerned about having a new gig immediately after the season wrapped, this time it felt different and she felt sparks of hope igniting. Maybe a new challenge and a new start to reinvent herself again would be a good thing. She can’t say she wanted to be known as that theatre actress for the rest of her life anyway, she was just very good at pigeonholing herself. MAY The month of May had really taken its toll on Eleanor, with the cancellation of Smash and the constant auditions she’d been enduring for the past two weeks, she was beyond exhausted, she’d barely remembered her looming birthday and the plans to head out of town for the weekend. Sebastian had let himself into her apartment a little after noon whilst she was vacuuming her bedroom, short of anything to do for the remainder of the day, he’d crawled into her bed and watched her for a few minutes as she grumbled about him using his key without an actual emergency. “Well I tried knocking.” He reasoned, arms folded around the pillow under his head and burrowed into it. Sometimes she forgot how much of a petulant child he was. “I had the hoover going, idiot boy.” “Precisely, I wasn’t standing outside of your door like a lurker until you’d finished. It’s called ‘friend privileges’ of having your spare key.” She glared at him and shook her head, incredulous, “I give up.” “So, what’s with the spring clean?” Eleanor shook out a few cushions and arranged them on the white painted wicker chair sat in the far corner of the bedroom, and straightened the pale grey throw draped over the back, “I’m not coming home to a dusty and untidy home after a weekend away.” Sebastian’s head shot up and his eyebrows scrunched, “Wait, where are you going? “Just out of town, birthday relaxation treat.” He pondered for a moment before a frown overtook his face as his head dropped and he clutched the pillow a little tighter, “You’re really not going to be here for it?” “No, I thought I’d told you, Patrick’s taking me away for a long weekend,” she glanced over at the man curled up in her duvet with a defeated expression, she softened and added “but I’ll be home on the 28th, we can do something then, alright?” “I suppose, he could have told everyone in advance though, what if we’d planned something for you?” “Did you?” “Well no, but -“ “There you go then, no harm done.” She swatted his calves with a rolled-up magazine, “Now get off my bed and stop pestering me, go and annoy your girlfriend.” “She’s out of town.” “Well boo hoo sweetcheeks, don’t think I’m gonna entertain you for the time being. You’re cluttering the place up.” His face soured and he batted her hands away from him that tried to pull on his legs to drag him off the mattress, “You used to be so much fun, now you’re horrible.” “I’m an old, tired woman, Seba. I can’t be dealing with the youth today.” With a huff he pulled himself up and stretched, a yawn overtaking his face. He straightened out the sheets and smoothed out the crinkles, pumped the pillows and left it in the state he’d found it before he’d crashed on it, “Fine, I’ll help you pack then.” *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* New Haven was beautiful, and Eleanor questioned why she hadn’t been out there sooner, she’d been in the city for all of an hour, but she was quick to admire and enjoy the slower pace of this particular city. Everywhere felt like a slower pace than New York. She’d jumped at the opportunity to visit the moment Patrick had suggested Connecticut. For only being a state over, she hadn’t ever crossed that state line, but Patrick was keen to show her just a small piece of his home state and the city closest to where he was raised. Seeing a place that had been so important and integral to her partner’s life, and upbringing, was as exciting as it was intriguing, like everything has its own little Patrick stamp imprinted upon it. She hadn’t experienced this with a boyfriend before. They’d walked hand in hand down treelined streets, wandered the Saturday morning farmer’s market, roamed the grounds of Yale University (Eleanor insisted she wasn’t coming to New Haven and not seeing such a prestigious school) and picnicked overlooking the river at East Rock Park. The tranquillity was idyllic, and Eleanor wanted nothing more than to cosy up in this part of the state for a while longer, forget her responsibilities, her callbacks, the uncertainty, and just enjoy her time with Patrick. She loved her friends with all of her heart, but the overwhelming birthday fuss was not missed this year, her previous birthday had filled her fuss quota for a lifetime and this year she felt more the adult she was than ever before. This felt serious, and permanent, and perhaps she could see herself moving here with her boyfriend one day and having a more permanent family than she had had growing up. For a few days she wondered what it would be like to have a forever with Patrick. SEPTEMBER Eleanor had hurt for a while after her relationship ended with Rhys, far more than she thought she would. She’d known it wasn’t going to be the relationship that carried with her the rest of her life, she knew they wouldn’t get married, have kids, grow old together, but she’d been pretty fond of him and she’d just wanted him to stick around for a bit longer. She’d grown used to sharing her spare time with someone again, used to the comfort and excitement that surrounded a relationship in its infancy. In all honesty, she’d just missed having her own someone. And then Patrick had all but swept her off her feet and gave her hope, the feeling that maybe she wasn’t a total disaster in the romance department and perhaps someone could actually love her one day after all. He’d told her he loved her months ago. So, when their relationship fell apart three days before their first anniversary, Eleanor wanted to smash anything breakable, have a hissy fit and cry until she ran dry. And possibly break his nose. Sweet, poor, stupid Patrick. But it wasn’t Patrick that was stupid, she felt stupid for believing she could have the happy ever after, that she was capable of being loved and being part of someone’s long term plans. She’d never felt more temporary and disposable as she did right now. Eleanor had grown up around broken relationships, failed marriages, heartbreak, but there was still a hopeful part buried deep inside her that wondered if she could break the family curse and perhaps have a more permanent happiness with her relationships. The older you grow, the harder it is to have your heart broken, every cut feels deeper and hopes of marriage, children, a white picket fence and a family dog is pushed further out reach. His excuse had been weak. Whilst insistent that he loved her, he ‘couldn’t see their relationship expanding any further’, he thought they’d ‘run their course’. Eleanor wanted to be fucking sick. And definitely break Patrick’s nose. She didn’t think she deserved much from life, but she knew she deserved better than that. OCTOBER “I always thought you were too good for me, even in high school.” “You’re kidding me right?” “Not one bit. I had such a school boy crush on you when I was about fourteen.” Sebastian’s eyes were resting shut as he drunkenly confessed his old feelings for her, his voice was lazy and drawn out and he had a reminiscent smile stretched over his lips. His left arm hung down between them with a half burned out cigarette resting between his fingers, too much tequila on his breath and with a burnt red hue to his cheeks after his admission. They were lying on sun loungers on Chace’s balcony, their friends inside chatting, and drinking and singing for no reason in particular, just sharing their love for one another. Everything felt pleasant, time felt slow and she took a drag of her own cigarette to curb the butterflies in her stomach. “And then you grew up,” she laughed lightly. “I’m not so sure about that,” he opened one eye to glance at her in amusement, “you were so dorky but in a really cute way and you were there for me through everything. I hit that point where I realised I actually liked you, so I told Nina and obviously she already knew because apparently I wasn’t very subtle.” “You must have been subtle enough because I had no clue. How come you didn’t just tell me?” “I knew that you’d never have looked at me that way, and I was fine with it, really I was. I ended up kissing Nina and that’s when she told me she knew how I felt about you.” “You kissed Nina?!” “I know, I know. It was so stupid, she smacked me in the head after it, my lesson was very much learnt.” Eleanor chewed on her bottom lip, pausing the conversation and swirled her wine around the glass, “It sounds a little bit more than a crush.” “It was. And part of me wishes I’d told you years ago, but I didn’t and maybe that was for the best. A part of me just wants you to look at me that way now.” “You can’t say something like that to me, not all blasé and nonchalant,” she raised her cigarette to her lips again and inhaled then exhaled, watching the cloud of smoke disappear into the air, “Not when you’ve just split up with your girlfriend.” “I thought now was the perfect time. If there ever was one.” “Patrick & I have been split up for six days, Sebastian.” “I know, but I need to be honest with us both.” She sighed and tried to find the best response to give her friend, he wasn’t thinking straight, he was too drunk, he was vulnerable and so was she. For as long as she’d know him, he’d always fallen too hard and loved too much. Now wasn’t the time and part of her suspected there never would be a right time for them both. No matter how she cared for him, on some level it didn’t seem right. “You’re a no good pretty boy Seb, always have been, your heart is two sizes too big and you have more than enough love for more than one person,” she smiled as wide as she was emotionally able to but Sebastian had known her long enough to see her falter and the sadness interlaced with it. “It’s not a bad thing, but someone always ends up caught in the crossfire and I don’t think I’m strong enough to deal with that. Not even for you.” “It sounds like you’ve already written me off.” Her fingers laced through his and their hands dropped between them, slowly swaying. Her eyes wandered over the city before them, the twinkle of lights, the high-rise building, the endless city scape. The sounds of beeping horns, and too much traffic and the hustle and bustle that was so soothing and calming to her now, it was serene, and this conversation was borderline dangerous after three glasses of wine and a gin or two, “I haven’t but I should do.” “It’s different now El, I’m different now.” Eleanor’s head turned to face him, and her eyes fluttered, “Maybe that would have worked on me a few years ago, but I’ve been around you again for too long to know you’re fooling yourself. You’re not a teenager anymore, Sebastian, and I’m no longer naive. There’s always someone else. This year it was Jen, last year was the aftermath of Leighton and you flirting your way around New York. You fall too easily, my love.” “There’s never anyone else when you’re around.” “I can’t tell myself that I’ll be enough for you when I know it’s not true,” the thought sobered her all too quickly and the air between them was too heavy. It felt like her birthday again when they’d lapsed into unfamiliar territory and she was concerned, worried, scared to shit that this was heading south, and they couldn’t reel anything back before they were sober enough to think rationally about this all. They’d barely been friends again for two years and this all felt too soon, he’d opened his heart to her again and let her in after all that had happened, she wasn’t prepared to do anything to ruin that again. She gave a pathetic laugh and breathed in some fresh air and shook her head with a smile, “Anyway, this is all silly talk, yeah?” Sebastian didn’t know how to make her see how wrong she was, didn’t know how to tell her that his decisions these past two years had been centred around her, maybe even longer than that. Instead he rubbed his thumb over hers and squeezed her hand tight, his head nodded in confirmation if only to appease her. He’d try again once he was sober enough to not feel so emotional about this. If that time ever came. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Rose Coloured Boy tags: @lovingfionn, @lowdenglynnstyles, @outofworkactress, @prettyboytgc, @ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes, @kyber-hearts-and-stardust-souls

#sebastian stan #seb stan #sebastian stan fanfic #sebastian stan fanfiction #seb stan fanfic #seb stan fanfiction #sebastian stan x ofc #chace crawford #chace crawford fanfiction #chace crawford fanfic #chace crawford series #sebastian stan series #rose coloured boy

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cinnbar-bun · 6 years ago

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Dragon Knights + Aglovale as MysMes Routes

@raechelpapaya: “ hello! May I request something? It’s kind of the same energy as the previous wildcard ask (MysMe as GBF units), but how about about the reverse? Maybe the Dragon Knights (+ Aglovale if you’d like) as MysMe routes? Like how to win their affection/how to get on their route, what their route focuses on, maybe even good/bad/best endings?”

A/n: HI HI HI YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! YESSSSSSSS!!!

Part 1: Vane and Lancelot

Vane: Quite possibly the easiest route. I wanna say the equivalent of a mix between all the casual story routes into one, because while it touches upon a larger story, it mostly is cutesy!! And happy!! Because Vane is best boi!!

How to get on his route:

Be kind and sweet

Encourage him

Don’t call him stupid or dehumanize him

Say he is just as good but do not directly compare him to Lancelot

Try to get along with the others; those are his friends, and you need to treat them well too!

Plot of his Route: It’s not as deep as the others. His is the most basic, spoiler-free route that mostly focuses on his day-to-day life as Vice-Captain while he grows as a person with you. Hardly any mentions are made about various threats, and it’s very light-hearted. Unlike in MysMes, where there are party guests, you instead do mission quests to help around Feendrache/the skydom. You need to have completed over 10 missions to get a good ending.

Endings:

Normal Ending- If you did not do enough missions, you are greeted by Vane one morning. He asks if you’d like to relax a bit with him as he’s carrying a picnic basket. He takes you on a picnic and talks about random things. After a while, he pauses and looks at you before he grabs your hand and asks for your attention. Vane then mumbles about how he hasn’t felt happier until he was with you, and wonders if you would like to continue pursuing a relationship with him. You agree and he excitedly brings out two small cakes and a glass of champagne. He tells you a heartfelt speech and muses about how much he really loves you.

Bad Ending 1: If you acted rather mean and cold to Vane, on Day 7, he becomes a lot more emotionally unstable and reactive. Lancelot, noticing how different his best friend has become, confronts you and tells you how he disappointed he is in you before expelling you from his sight. You insult Vane and Lancelot one more time before leaving, causing other Knights of the Order to see the commotion. Your reputation becomes soiled due to that encounter, and Vane has a hard time overcoming his own insecurities.

Bad Ending 2: If you compare Vane to Lancelot or tell him to be like him too much, Vane immediately becomes obsessed with acting like his best friend. His overall attitude and outlook has changed, as to become exactly ‘like the person you wanted him to be’, he threw away his old personality and looks. A cutscene appears where Vane is talking to the player, having dyed his hair black and changing his armor to match Lancelot’s and talking like him. He talks about his day to the player, and wonders if this is how Lancelot would treat you. At the last second, Vane thinks to himself about why he feels so incomplete despite having you. He berates himself right after, insisting Lancelot would never be upset about this.

Bad Relationship End 1: If you don’t put enough care to talk to Vane, the two of you grow rather distant. Vane sadly walks up to you and asks if he can discuss something important to you. In private, he breaks down and says he cannot continue with you. He explains how he thought you would make him feel complete, but he can’t help but feel as if you two rushed with things too fast. He hugs you one more time before saying you two can ‘just be friends’, and apologizes for hurting you.

Bad Relationship End 2: If you don’t have that well of relationship with the others (as well as acting rather controlling of Vane), Vane gets confronted by the other knights and they ask how you treat him. He of course is confused as to why they’re asking that, and they talk about how you’ve been rather rude and confrontational with them, and almost territorial of him. He tries to deny that you’re mean, perhaps misunderstood at most, but they don’t relent and try to get him to see he’s not in the healthiest of relationships. After Lancelot tells him of how you tried to keep him away from their picnics in the mountains, Vane gets upset and lashes out, insisting you’d never do that to him. He breaks down and claims how he thought the men were his friends, and resigns from the Order as per your idea. Years pass, and you and Vane have moved to a small cottage at the edge of the forest. Vane greets you as you come home, saying he missed you since you left him alone for the day. You coddle him a bit and assure you’d never leave him, in which he smiles and says that dinner is almost done.

Good Ending: If you have completed over 10 missions, a cutscene appears where Vane is waiting impatiently at a candlelit dinner, fiddling and mumbling about his appearance and everything around him. You show up moments later and he gasps, complimenting you for how wonderful you look. He fumbles with pulling out the chair for you and thanks you for coming. Fast forward around an hour later after you two finished dinner, Vane pours you a drink and laughs nervously. He then asks if he is someone you feel genuinely happy with, and if there’s something he needs to improve on. After you assure him, Vane muses on his feelings and discusses how he never really imagined he’d be here. He talks about how much he loves you and how he can become a better person with you by his side. At the end of his monologue, he gets on one knee and proposes to you, apologizing for not exactly being a ‘prince charming’ (BUT LIKE HE IS????) but hoping he can be the perfect man for you. You accept and he rejoices in his luck, lifting you up and kissing you as the other Dragon Knights clap from a good distance away. They discuss how Vane truly has become a knight and a damn good man. Siegfried then makes a joke about walking you down the aisle as a father-figure.

After Ending: The AE starts with you and Vane’s wedding, biting into the wedding cake he made. You compliment him and he laughs how if he wasn’t a knight, he’d probably be a patissier or chef. You then remark how you two should start a business, and he gets instantly excited. As the years go on, Vane says how you two have been saving money to start your own little cafe. Around the fifth year, with a lot of help from the Order and your Crew, you and Vane get to finally open your cafe, and celebrate with all your friends. You and Vane are in the center, making a toast as thanks to all your friends. At the end, Rosetta and Katalina walk over and hand a box to Vane, stating he’ll ‘need it soon’. Confused, he looks at you for an explanation and you tell him you’re pregnant with his child. He screams about how he’s going to be a father, and the news sends the group into an uproar as they congratulate you both. Vane holds you close and marvels at how he got so lucky to have met you. He seals it with a kiss and promises to be the best father to your child, and he cries tears of joy.

Lancelot: The ‘Yoosung’ level route. His delves a bit more into some of the mysteries, but they are mostly just speculation and don’t explain too much, merely leaving you with a bit of doubt and questioning the true motives of those around you.

How to Get On His Route:

Be polite and courteous

Encourage him to be healthier

Work hard to become better

Show your loyalty to Feendrache and your comrades, but also point out corruption and wrongdoings

Put honor above all else

Plot of His Route: Lancelot’s is a lot different than Vane’s and requires more critical thinking. It focuses a lot more on Lancelot’s role as the Captain of the Order and him dealing with where his loyalty lies.

Normal Ending: If you manage to get through all the days but don’t complete enough missions, Lancelot pulls you aside and asks what he should do about his feelings. He feels betrayed by the Council, but still feels like fighting for the good of Feendrache. He ends up deciding to become a full-time member in your crew, going with you from place to place and helping around the sky. He acknowledges how he cannot be a god, since he is only human, and because of that, he can’t expect to do things perfectly. The scene ends with you two watching the sunset atop the deck of the Grandcypher as he embraces you, thanking you for opening his mind.

Bad End 1: If you don’t help him learn better stress management or cause him more stress, Lancelot ends up having a meltdown in front of the Order. He screams at you and asks for everyone to leave him the hell alone. Vane tries to comfort him but he runs out before anyone can calm him down, and ends up holing himself in his office for few hours. The damage has been done, and in a flurry of emotions, Lancelot quits and leaves Feendrache in shame and anger, feeling as if everything he tried to work hard for meant nothing. Due to his impulsive departure, the Order quickly dissolves into chaos and Feendrache is in a crisis, leaving Vane to get promoted to Captain without any formal training. Although he manages to get it under control, something feels missing...

Bad End 2: If you don’t save Lancelot in time, he ends up being kidnapped and tortured by Isabella. Broken and battered, he tries to stay positive, insisting that you and his friends will come and save him. Isabella laughs in his face and remarks how it’s been nearly a year, and nobody has come. With this new revelation coming to life, he freezes up and finally loses all hope, becoming in a near catatonic state. He states he doesn’t know how much time has passed since he learned the truth, but he can’t even think properly to do anything about it. He remains in the prison for many more years before his deteriorating health catches up to him.

Bad Relationship End 1: If you act too immature or unrefined in public with Lancelot, he steps you aside and explains how your relationship cannot continue like that. He’s warned you many times that you cannot embarrass him like that, or refer to him with nicknames in front of the King. He sighs and says that you two need a break, since both of you are looking for something completely different in a partner. He apologizes and sadly gives back to you the ring you both bought for each other. He tearfully asks for you to find someone ‘normal’ who can give you all the affection and attention his rank simply can’t allow him to. He kisses your forehead one last time before telling you goodbye.

Bad Relationship End 2: If you make Lancelot question everyone’s true intentions, eventually he caves in and seeks solace in you. He claims everyone is out to hurt him and ruin him, but you’re the only one who’s cared for him. He begs for you to stay with him and never leave him alone, saying he’ll do anything so long as you continue to look at him. He resigns from his post and follows you as you take him far away from Feendrache.

Good Ending: If you completed the route and did over 10 missions, Lancelot meets with you at the Feendrache palace and embraces you, crying as he thought he almost lost you. He feels awful that you could have gotten hurt because of his blind loyalty, and promises that he’ll make Feendrache prosper and change to the best of his ability. As he calms down, he asks if you can do one favor for him- love him. He admits that he needs to work on seeing the bigger picture, and says if you keep loving him and encouraging him like you always do, he’ll be the best man he can be. Despite knowing the truth about the Feendrache councils, he decides to stick around and minimize the corruption inside, vowing that he will protect those in need. Towards the end of the scene, he hugs you and thanks you for everything you’ve done for him. He states that he may just be a man, but with you, he feels invincible. He goes down on one knee and proposes to you, giving a romantic speech about how much he truly loves you.

After Ending: Lancelot is seen in the AE giving commands to a bunch of new recruits to the Order. After dismissing them, he turns to you and greets you, saying how much he missed you. He asks you to follow him to his office and once you get there, he pulls out a gift box and hands it to you. You’re puzzled, and he claims he just got it for you because he thought of you while buying that. Lancelot stumbles with his words and laughs, mumbling about how he can’t contain how happy he is with you. You’re about to leave when he stops you and says he has one more gift prepared, and he pulls out two tickets to a hotel in the Auguste Isles. He explains he saved up his vacation days to make sure you two could spend some quality time together, relaxing. The scene fades and returns to you two at the resort, where he is floating lazily on the water. As a little prank, you splash him and knock him off his floatie, causing him to fall into the water. He retaliates and splashes you back, insisting you started a war. You two play fight a bit before, and he thinks to himself how carefree and wonderful he feels now. Being a Captain was hard work, and to think...he’d be able to have this much fun. He can’t help but smile, thanking the gods for giving him the chance to be with you.

#long post #Granblue Fantasy #Granblue fantasy imagines #Dragon knights #aglovale

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multiply014 · 6 years ago

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#31 Days of CoAi, start!

Happy ShinAi Day (4/1), everyone!

Today marks the first day of 31 Days of CoAi!

If you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, 31 Days of CoAi is this project spanning April 1, ShinAi Day, up to May 1, CoAi Day, where I (and, hopefully, you, too!) post every day, celebrating our lovely little submarine ship, CoAi!

Thus, I will be spamming your feeds, posting anything CoAi every day from 4/1 until 5/1: one post talking about a fic I’ve written, and another post with a (short) fic for a given prompt.

Please send me your energy so that I manage to fulfill my promise for these next 31 days, haha!

In addition, since today is a special day (it’s the first day after all!), I’ll share how I started shipping CoAi! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

How did I start shipping CoAi?

My one-word, catch-all answer would be: Shiho. (≧▽≦)

You know what, the first time I knew of Haibara Ai, I didn’t like her. Seeing how much I adore her to bits now, isn’t this surprising? Still, I don’t think she was likable then, and I think her introduction wasn’t written to be likable anyway, too. She literally scared Shinichi out of his mind, making him think that one of the people he loved most in his life, Agasa, had been killed. All the while, she had been insinuating that it had been because of Shinichi.

How was I supposed to like her? We were given nothing on Haibara Ai. When she confessed that she was Sherry, that she had created the drug that shrank both Shinichi and her, what did she want? She says, “Since I have no place to go, my only hope left was you. Because I thought you could certainly understand me who was sharing the same fate as you.”

But the title of the chapter where she says this is literally “The Girl Made of Lies”. How are we supposed to believe her, when the first thing she does is lie, and the next thing she does is... lie?

At the end of the university professor’s case, it tells us that there is at least one thing she truly wants, which is what she did: she wanted to ask why Shinichi wasn’t able to save her sister if he was that good... And it is at this moment that Shinichi notes that this is the first time he’d seen her true face.

Perhaps, that point should have humanized her and endeared her to me. But, at that point, I still didn’t like her.

Then the baseball match happened. Then the castle case. Then—and this is where I just knew I’ve already fallen—the hotel case with the Black Organization. With that, they… they... just… happened.

In short, it was a series of chapters and interactions that made me fall for Shiho and into the doomed rabbit hole that was CoAi. In every chapter that had the two of them, it just brought out such a different and refreshing side to each of them that I can’t help but want to see them more, together, to see what else they could bring out of each other.

I could probably make a separate post on how each of their interactions are just so nuanced, and so amusing! But, let’s keep it short for now (just a warning, though, the paragraphs below delve into speculative territory and should be treated as a meta or a headcanon, and NOT as canon):

Let’s start from the beginning. Before Shinichi met Haibara, there were four people who already knew of his situation: Agasa, his parents, and Heiji.

On the other hand, Shiho had no one. We were not introduced to any other person she could have gone to. She just lost her sister, who had been her purpose in life. I say this because she drank APTX once she knew her sister had been killed, expecting it would kill her, too.

But it didn’t.

And so, she went to the Kudo mansion.

What did she want to do? As previously quoted, she had said that Shinichi would understand her as they share the same fate.

But we also know that she’s a liar. And from their succeeding interactions, we would know the extent of her uncanny (since they barely know each other!) ability to read Shinichi and how her thoughts and words run deep. We would know how she keeps her emotions in check, and how easily she can cook up half-truths even mixing in outright lies and present them as facts, if she so determines it necessary, or amusing if it’s about something frivolous like her age.

So I can only conclude, that I don’t know for sure what she wanted by running to Shinichi.

Did she want revenge? —She’s always telling Shinichi not to involve himself with the Organization.

Did she want forgiveness? —Maybe, but if it was something she wanted to do, its priority must not have been high on her list, since she didn’t apologize to him the moment they met, and, she was hot-and-cold in urging him to hate her and drive her away.

Did she want to know why Akemi died?—She did ask why her sister was killed “countless times” before she left the Organization, and she did ask Shinichi why he wasn’t able to help her sister, but... no, the moment she met Gin again there were no questions about her sister at all.

Did she just want to hide? —This is the most logical reason, because Shiho had no one. She might have known of Akemi’s professor’s name and gone there, but it would be very out-of-character for early Shiho to go there, since she is very cautious and would have thought (correctly) that the Organization would clean up that professor asap. And though she could have gone anywhere, create a new life for herself in a town far away from all the cities she had gone to as Sherry, it would be unlikely for her to pull off without alerting the police, who I think she would have known to have connections to the Organization. Besides, going to Shinichi to employ the same methods that he used to cover up that he is someone who had de-aged would certainly up her chances of survival.

Still, for someone who had taken APTX knowing that it’s poison, would Shiho really prioritize hiding and surviving just because she survived once? Would that be really what she wanted?

I personally think she had been seeking her purpose: Now that my sister is gone, why am I still alive?

Without anyone to ask, she can only set her short-term goal of staying alive for now while she still doesn’t know and doesn’t know how to know, and bet her chances on the best plan of survival: the one person who’s still going through life as a de-aged person, who also happens to be the one person who could have helped her sister.

And, I find it so fitting that Shinichi gave an answer to her: he gave her an immediate purpose, to create an antidote. And as we go on with the story, along the way, Shinichi, Agasa and the kids build on top of that answer that he initially gave her. It helps her find the courage to move forward. And, a new purpose: to protect.

A big part of how I think Shiho reached such a change within her is her relation to Shinichi. Shiho, who had always been surrounded by black, is looking at how someone who has been tainted, who had every right to hate, did not.

I think this is what fascinated her about him: his fascination with mysteries, and his dogged pursuit of the truth, at the same time his unique approach upon finding out these truths, is something that Shinichi kept even as Conan.

At the same time, I think this is also what frustrates her about Shinichi. At first, I think, she thought he just didn’t get how the Organization was so frightening… But then, after some time, she knew that Shinichi is so intelligent it’s impossible he didn’t understand. It’s more like, he understood, and that’s why, even more so, he fights. You know how the darker, the bigger the shadow, that just means there’s a brighter source of light that makes it so? This frustrates her because he, that fascinates her, would be snuffed out the closer he gets to the shadows.

My shipping lenses say she gets frustrated because she cares.

Anyway, after all that talk that somehow got carried away into a character analysis of some sort, my answer really comes down to one thing: I started shipping Shiho with Shinichi because Shinichi is a major catalyst and component in getting to know who Shiho is, and in accompanying Shiho through her change. When the two of them are together, Shiho’s character unfurls and it’s wonderful seeing such colorful layers of her character, which is just so rare to see.

So, if you noticed, this reason is ridiculously Shiho-centered.

Well... yes, I am, in fact, a proud Shiho stan. (≧▽≦)

At the end of these 31 days, I’ll talk about my take on the “Shinichi part” of the ship, which is the perfect answer to why I keep on shipping this submarine, sunk into the deep abyss of the ocean as it is.

If you could tell me how and why you started shipping CoAi, that would be great, too!

See you, and I hope you don’t get tired of seeing me every day for the next month, haha! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

#31 days of coai #coai #haibara ai #edogawa conan #detective conan #dcmk #x meta #now that i think about it #maybe i should have added a gif on this post too #but i cant right now because my friend is out for the day #sigh

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mittensmorgul · 7 years ago

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Hi there, I wanted to know what your headcanon is about how the Apocalypse started in the AU world. Who broke the first seal, if Dean didn't exist? Could it have been John?

Hi there! I’m gonna start by saying this is like 99% guesswork and we have no idea of actually knowing for sure unless they decide it’s important for us to really know. So as long as the AU remains accessible and a part of ongoing canon, any of my headcanons can be overturned by actual canon. So, just a reminder not to give too much credit to anything else I say in this post. Since I see this more as headcanon territory and not speculation of future events or revelations, I’m perfectly willing to explain how I’ve personally rationalized the existence of... a lot of stuff in the AU.

First off, I’ve been under the assumption that everything in the AU is just... not quite the same as it is here. I mean, from the very start, one of the first things we saw of the place was that when Cas stepped through the rift from the bright sunshiny day in the real world, he landed in a place where it was night and stormy with dark clouds and strange red lightning. Cas had left a place surrounded by water and forest and arrived in a desert landscape filled with death and oversize symbols of weaponry in place of the forest.

Then we had demons with demonic faces and angels who wore military uniforms and never spoke of heaven. So I’ve had ongoing doubts that anything in that world is the same as it is here... right down to the basic notions of what angels and demons even are.

I don’t know if Sam and Dean Winchester were the prophesied vessels of the apocalypse in that world. I don’t know if the apocalypse was even prophesied in the same way, or required the same steps as it did in the regular world.It’s just... so completely different. I’ve been hoping since 12.23 that we’d learn a little more about any or all of this. Not because it has any real bearing on the plot, but because I nerd out over it and find it fascinating. :P

As for who broke the first seal in the AU... we don’t even know that there WAS a first seal (or any seal) to break. I doubt it could’ve been John, simply because according to AU Mary’s story she told Bobby, John Winchester died 40 years ago, which was about 25 years before the Apocalypse started, if the apocalypse timeline at least runs about parallel to the SPN universe’s apocalypse.

We don’t know the circumstances of that John’s death, if they were similar (and at the same time) as “our John’s” death, because the events of 4.03 only happened because Dean Winchester traveled back in time to make them happen, and in the AU, theoretically Dean Winchester was never born... and so never traveled back to 1973, never brought Azazel’s attention around to Mary Campbell...

I’ve been trying to find a logical reason for Azazel to have even targeted Mary in 1973 in an AU where Dean never went back to poke that hornet’s nest. Before Dean showed up, Mary didn’t want anything to do with that hunt, and even Samuel wouldn’t have taken notice of Azazel’s activity in town.

So we don’t even know the basics of Mary Campbell of the AU’s personal history, aside from what Bobby knew from her drunken reminiscences. I’ve REALLY been hoping we’d have some way of uncovering more of that story, you know? Because pretty much everything we know of Mary’s life before 1983 was what we learned through Dean’s trip back to 1973, and then Sam and Dean’s trip back to 1978 chasing after Anna... who never would’ve had her grace restored to her without Sam and Dean’s interference and likely would’ve been killed by the demons who killed her parents, you know?

Like... SO MUCH in the AU just couldn’t have happened the same way without Sam and Dean having existed there, it’s just mind-bending to think about.

At the very least, the mechanics of how the apocalypse began over there had to be entirely different, and not reliant on Winchesters being willing to die for each other.

Comparing the AU to what we know about “our” world’s apocalypse through such things as 5.04 as the planet’s human civilizations slowly fell to things like Croatoan and demon incursions, and the fact that even back during s5 talking about what the result of the apocalypse would be, it was never instant and complete annihilation of the earth. It was always described as this slow but inevitable collapse that the War World seems to exemplify.

DEAN: Look, I know this is a lot of information, everything I'm telling you, okay, but... we're running out of time here. I need to know where the Nephilim is -- Jack. And -- and my mom's with him, right?AW CHARLIE: Your mom?DEAN: Yes. She's from our world, too.AW CHARLIE: Uh...Last I heard, they were fighting somewhere in what remains of Dayton, Ohio, but I don't... Wait. Your mom?

(first off, I love how she’s called AW CHARLIE in the transcript, because AWWWW)

But the vast majority of humanity just seems to have been... ended. “what remains of Dayton, Ohio.” I mean... We’ve now seen four distinct locations in the AU, and NONE of them resemble modern human civilization, you know? It’s like Fallout.

How did it get this way? How did it start? I hope it’s actually relevant to the plot and we’ll learn more about it, but I have an increasingly sinking feeling that the rift is gonna be shut permanently by the end of the season, and we just may never know, because whatever story’s been mirrored through the exploration of the AU may have been concluded without delving any deeper into its metaphysics and history.

#spn s13 speculation #the war world #i really do hope we find out more though since it's been a frequent topic of daydreaming for me this year :P #bilibiche

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mortythesp00k · 7 years ago

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Egg of the King

I know I’m not alone when I say that I miss Kaneki. I know he’s technically still around in the form of Dragon and we did recently get blessed with this panel:

But that’s not quite the same. To make up for his absence, I am going to dedicate this post to some speculations concerning Kaneki’s current state and what will happen when he (finally) emerges from his massive kakuja.

First, a quick rundown of the current situation. We have not seen Ken’s face since chapter 144. The last truly coherent statement we got from him was this chilling line:

In the following chapters we got to see Dragon rise up from the 24th ward and create a path of destruction through Tokyo:

After this initial rampage, Dragon has gone dormant. The question we are left with is: what is happening to Kaneki within this monster?

The first theory is that Kaneki is asleep within Dragon and has no conscious awareness of what the monster is doing. This seems like the most popular theory within the narrative, but there is still an element of speculation:

We get a slightly more scientific opinion from Kimi:

Basically, Dragon is operating on instinct alone and is not being actively controlled by Kaneki.

This theory is definitely plausible and I would not be too surprised if it turns out to be accurate. This theory would also keep some consistency with the properties and narrative roles of kakuja in this series. As we saw here:

A kakuja tends to leave its user with little conscious awareness of what they are doing. They also tend to create a state of delirium that exposes the id. The kakuja is a means for the narrative to explore some interesting themes dealing with madness and the nature of power, but delving into those is not the focus of this post. If Kaneki does not have any control or even awareness of what Dragon is doing it raises some questions about responsibility. Naturally, it is hard to pin the blame on him if he was not in his right mind, but his choices did lead him to this point. I think if this theory holds true, Kaneki will emerge in a state of confusion and will struggle to come to terms with the damage Dragon caused.

The next theory is basically the opposite of the preceding one. According to this theory, Kaneki is awake within his kakuja and is in complete control of his actions. Dragon does seem to have woken up in recent chapters:

This might mean that Kaneki is also awake within it. Additionally, dragon released these somewhat rudimentary kagune soldiers:

One one hand, this seems like too advanced of an action to just be a “response to stimulation.” On the other hand, we have limited information about how kagune clones work, which makes it hard to use this as definitive evidence.

If Kaneki really has been controlling Dragon this whole time, he has gone through a much darker transformation than I anticipated. This seems like quite a stretch considering how far he has gone throughout the series to safeguard the lives of others, but I suppose it is possible. I think it makes the least narrative sense of the three theories I am discussing. If Kaneki did actively carry out an act of mass murder and mass destruction, his character arc would be completely derailed. It would also make much of his character development throughout the series seem pointless. It could potentially represent a big step in the wrong direction that he will have to overcome, but I do not think there is enough time left in this story to deal with that.

The final theory is a blend of the last two. This theory states that Kaneki is awake within Dragon, but has no control over the monster’s actions. This theory does make some sense in the context of how kakuja’s tend to work as I mentioned before. Many people have also pointed out this odd behavior:

The eyes on Dragon seem to be intently watching its surroundings (especially Touka). This continual observation might just be a reflexive behavior of Dragon (we are kind of in unprecedented territory here), but Kaneki might also be looking through those eyes from deep within his kakuja.

This theory has the most room for interpretation in terms of its potential narrative significance. Being forced to watch as Dragon destroyed Tokyo against his will would undoubtedly have a negative impact on Kaneki. It seems like this would be just another opportunity for Kaneki to agonize over his decisions. This might leave him in a dejected and helpless state similar to when Yamori was torturing him. However, I can also see this leading to an entirely different outcome. Having his agency stripped away but retaining his awareness of the world around him might be an ideal catalyst for Kaneki’s growth. It seems obvious that he would not be unaffected by witnessing the devastation caused by Dragon, but seeing (hearing?) all the important people in his life working together to save him and witnessing the conflict of the Qs without being able to help might force him to actually think about his choices and what he can do moving forward (wouldn’t that be nice?).

I have another bonus theory that I am just going to throw in here for the heck of it. I call this the “just according to keikaku” hypothesis. I have seen some people speculate that all the events following Kaneki’s crowning as One-Eyed King have been according to some scheme of his. I will admit that I am slightly suspicious about certain conversations like the one he has with Takizawa:

And his remarkable amount of calm when Goat was facing increasingly dire circumstances:

However, I do not think that is nearly enough evidence for such an outlandish idea. First of all, it would make almost no sense within the narrative. Furuta’s plan borders on the edge of being too complex to be believable. It seems completely outside the realm of possibility for Kaneki to have not only foreseen every move Furuta would make, but to also to have decided that letting Furuta win was for the best. Furthermore, this theory would make the excellent inner monologue in chapter 144 meaningless and suggest that Kaneki was willing to accept the deaths of the Squad Zero kids and who knows how many others.

Now that we have gone through some of the theories about Dragon’s current state I have seen floating around the internet, I will advance a final piece of speculation about the nature of Dragon and what it might produce. The gist of this theory is that the monster we are seeing right now is not the final form of Dragon (THIS ISN’T EVEN MY FINAL FORM intended).

First, I would like to look at what Furuta has said about Dragon so far. He introduces us to the idea when he it talking to the other clowns about his plan:

While Dragon’s current state is indeed formidable, Furuta seems to suggest a level of intentionality behind its actions. Being “merciless” seems more like a characteristic of someone making choices. An avalanche or earthquake is not merciless, but a man willing to kill others without hesitation is (if the second theory discussed above is true, then this does not apply). Additionally, his comment about defeating Eto and Arima seems a little odd to attribute to a beast that, though it may be impossible to defeat, does not seem like much of an offensive threat to a powerful individual. Anyone who can avoid being crushed or eaten as people like Juuzou (with a comparable skill level to Arima), seems safe from Dragon.

On top of that, Furuta uses rather interesting language when Dragon appears. First he says:

Followed by:

This might just be Furuta’s usual weirdness, but it may also suggest that the creature in front of him is only the infantile form of what is coming. Dragon does grow quite a bit after this moment and apparently ate some kind of “nucleus” that Furuta had inside of him, so he might not be referencing anything beyond that.

This kind of vague language returns when he confronts Ui after the emergence of Dragon:

Ui wanted a treasure that would bring back his dead comrades, but what is Furuta actually talking about with this metaphor? Is Dragon’s current form the treasure or simply the “X” marking Furuta’s true objective? This would be good foreshadowing for the current efforts to “dig up” Kaneki if it were the case.

So far all I have presented are alternative interpretations of Furuta’s notoriously vague dialogue (not the most compelling evidence, I know), but there is a more general problem that this theory addresses. Over the last 30+ chapters we have gotten a general understanding of what happened to the One-Eyed King of old:

It is clear that this king failed at his goal (whether that was the destruction of the Washu or a liberated ghoul society). Furuta likely knows the fate of the previous King. He knows that he (or she?) was unable to break the birdcage. The problem is that history is repeating itself. Kaneki has become a giant kakuja monster and collected a strong base of allies. However, it was at this point that the previous King was pushed back. While Kaneki might have some support from parts of the CCG, it is unclear whether or not that will be enough to make the difference (and it’s still anyone’s guess what the CCG will want to do with him or the other ghouls once he is out of Dragon). The point is, Furuta might have known he needed to create something that could go beyond what the previous One-Eyed King was able to do. That thing might not be Dragon itself, but rather what emerges from it.

This idea is further supported by how much Dragon’s current appearance resembles an insect larva (especially a caterpillar):

(I was going to put an actual picture of larvae here for comparison, but I know bugs make some people uncomfortable. A quick google search will be all you need if you want a side by side comparison).

A larva is a creature that has hatched from its egg, but has not reached maturity. Perhaps Dragon’s current form is similar. This might have some connection to all the butterfly imagery in this series, but I am not about to dig into that can of worms (also intended).

The implications of this being true are hard to pin down. On a more practical level, this problem:

Will most likely be solved (which is great because I will actually cry if Kaneki dies of old age before he gets to see his child).

It is clear that Kaneki has undergone a value/personality shift of a still unknown severity. This makes it hard to predict how he will act when he does finally emerge, but if the current form of Dragon really is only a means of creating an even more dangerous entity, then Kaneki might be a real nightmare when he emerges:

Thanks for reading my post! I hope it was somewhat enjoyable (I know I had fun putting it together) even if these ideas are a bit far-fetched. This year ought to be a wild one for Tokyo Ghoul and I could not be more excited for it. See you wonderful people in 2018!!!

#yes the title is a Berserk reference #I guess there is a Dragonball one in there too #tokyo ghoul #tokyo ghoul re #tg meta #tg #tgre #ken kaneki #kaneki ken

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armeniaitn · 4 years ago

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Controversy Over Proposed Educational System Overhaul: A Coincidence or By Design?

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/culture/controversy-over-proposed-educational-system-overhaul-a-coincidence-or-by-design-43710-04-08-2020/

Controversy Over Proposed Educational System Overhaul: A Coincidence or By Design?

ARF Youth of Armenia protest the education minister in Nov. 2019

BY VICKEN SOSIKIAN

Azerbaijan has attacked Armenia and Turkey has joined them in carrying out major joint military drills as we speak. The country is still in a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, there is one other significant controversy brewing in Armenia that has gotten the attention and sharp criticism of rapidly growing circles in Armenia – a wildly ambiguous and highly criticized set of changes in the entire educational system, which many believe strip young Armenians of vital education that is necessary for the youth of a nation with such a rich culture, heritage and history; a country surrounded by enemies and country with a cause that has yet to be brought to its rightful and just conclusion.

Ever since coming into power Prime Minister Pashinyan and his Education Minister, Arayik Harutyunyan have talked about carrying out educational reforms. However, they have failed to review and address the educational strategic plan the previous government had prepared for review and adoption by the newly elected government in 2018. Contrary to the PR spin Pashinyan gives on things – not everything from the old is by default bad, as may be the case with the mentioned strategic plan. Nonetheless, the government has had more than enough time to review and (even) debunk the presented plan and create their own.

But the fact is they have done nothing regarding strategic planning. In addition to making one wonder what tangible work the Education Ministry has actually done in this regard (especially when lavish bonuses have been distributed quite generously to ministry employees), there is significant speculation that the absence of a strategic plan is not just another failure of the ministry, but done intentionally – leading to further mistrust of the already unpopular Harutyunyan.

Now, how can the Education Ministry plan to overhaul the entire education system without a plan? Perhaps, if we shed some light on the planned changes – it would help provide some clues:

Pre-military Education Armenian men are required by law to serve in the military upon graduation from high school. The current educational system includes a dedicated preparatory course where all students are taught about military strategy, tactics, history, and even practical on-field lessons. The fate of this critical subject is uncertain and unclear in the planned changes. Consistent with its ambiguous nature, the plans discuss changes to this important course and subject without specifying what those changes are.

Armenian Church Currently students in Armenia must take a required course dedicated to the Armenian Church. The proposed changes remove the Armenian Church as a dedicated course and combine it with Armenian History – another currently dedicated course. The proposal aims to replace two vastly significant courses with one. Regardless of individual faith, the Armenian Church is a national treasure for Armenians. It makes up a vital component of our history and identity. In fact, the Armenian Church is not only significant to Armenian history but to world history, as well as Christian history. Additionally, most critics of this change argue that the course is a source of moral and spiritual education for the youth.

Furthermore, Article 18 of the Armenian Constitution states that the country recognizes the exclusive mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (as a national church) in the spiritual life of the Armenian people, in the development of their national culture and preservation of their national identity. Various circles are concerned that the removal of the Armenian Church course is a precursor to a possible future attempt to remove Article 18 – something that will in fact be more easily accomplished given unconstitutional amendments made recently that is now resulting in the replacement of three Constitutional Court judges.

Armenian History The course of Armenian History is also undergoing some changes, the most significant of which is the omission of the origins of the Armenian people. Our origins as native to the land that makes up a large swath of present-day Turkey is not only important because it is an undeniable fact, but it also serves as an important component of territorial claims made by Armenians.

Textbook and Faculty Changes The proposed changes also require the publication of new textbooks and combining of classes. In addition to the concern of changing the country’s textbooks to remove (or reduce) the history of our origins, our church, our military and so on; there is concern about how (and who) will teach the new courses. For example, currently, the Armenian Church course is taught by religious experts who do not necessarily have expertise in Armenian history. By combining teachers to accommodate the proposed changes, the students may be left with inadequately prepared or insufficiently knowledgeable teachers – which in turn leads to another concern; combining classes will result in widespread layoffs of faculty members.

The Turkish Connection However, the most concerning aspect of the textbook changes is the individual(s) who have been selected to develop the new textbooks. The lead on this project is Lilit Mkrtchyan. Although she is an associate professor at the Department of World History at Yerevan State University; Mkrtchyan’s involvement in various western backed projects that attempt to re-write Armenian history would have anyone with a slither of concern for the Armenian Cause up in arms. Mkrtchyan, now tasked with revising dozens of Armenian textbooks, is co-author of “History Education in Schools in Turkey and Armenia – A Critique and Alternatives.” If the title alone doesn’t cause alarm, you can go ahead and delve into the details of her work (https://bit.ly/319HE5i). The short of it (as titled by one of the projects she worked on) is an attempt to “challenge the image of the enemy as well as the current exclusivist narratives that the history education in Armenia and Turkey promotes.” I don’t know what Turkish schools teach (though I can take a guess), but in Armenia calling Turkey anything short of an enemy is unacceptable, for me at least – until the full resolution of the Armenian Cause.

Lack of Transparency and Accountability The above noted points have justly caused an uproar among virtually every segment of the Armenian population – including many who otherwise have supported the Pashinyan administration. However, the Education Minister’s failure to engage in public discourse on such a major overhaul of the educational system and his unwillingness to listen to input from students, teachers, administrators and academic experts has turned into widespread calls for his resignation. However, Pashinyan has not (at least publicly) called on Harutyunyan for accounting on this matter – leading the public to insinuate that his silence means agreement.

Of significance is the fact that the plan to overhaul the educational system is not going to be presented to the National Assembly but can be adopted by the government during one of its weekly meetings. The Pashinyan camp maintains total control over both the parliament and the government, but if it were to go through the parliament, the changes would at least be given more attention by the public through their elected representatives.

Coincidental or By Design? One would think that in addition to being led by a strategic plan, engaging a wide network of stakeholders for input, and being clear and transparent with its plans and intentions – the government would heed the recent Azeri attacks on Armenia and Armenians and Turkey’s call to combat the Armenian lobby (June 2020) as a sign to ante up on their efforts to enhance our education system, to teach more history to the youth, to provide more preparation for military service, and to instill a greater sense of love for our culture and heritage.

All this amid a state of emergency, which just happens to prevent the assembly of citizens in protest and just after illegally bull dozing through constitutional amendments, which shake the most basic principles of democracy in the country.

Coincidence or by design?

Read original article here.

#Armenia #Armenians #Covid-19 #Yerevan #Culture

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sinditia · 6 years ago

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Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin - A Review

I devoured this 700 page monstrosity in a single weekend and it was the best thing ever. I really enjoyed it. But I suppose before I start, a few disclaimers are in order. I'm a HUGE fan of the Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF) series with a particular fascination with Targaryen history, so this thing was pretty much made for me and perhaps any review I'd make about this would be skewed in the book's favour, but I'll try to be as objective as I can.

Basically, Fire and Blood Volume I is an expansion of the Targaryen chapter in a World of Ice and Fire (AWOIAF), but only like half of it, up to the end of Aegon III's reign. I suspect GRRM will release a Volume II someday. If you haven't read AWOIAF, then great, this is an awesome read. You don't even need to have read the ASOIAF series since the events chronicled in Fire and Blood precedes them. It holds up on its own as a stand alone medieval fantasy epic with great plot and political intrigue and battle action scenes with dragons.

If you've already read AWOIAF, then plotwise, you've basically got the gist of it already since it's basically a summary of everything in Fire and Blood. But if you're interested in a more in-depth look of what happened between Aegon's Conquest up to 150(?) AC then you would enjoy this. There's a lot of little subplots and side characters that aren't mentioned in AWOIAF so it's not like you aren't getting anything new at all. It's written as though it's a historical textbook existing in the universe, but one that takes quite a few liberties so there's still a good amount of dialogue and narration, making it feel more like a novel and less like a dry piece of non-fiction. You get to know more about the personalities of each Targaryen royal, making them a lot more memorable and sympathetic than the brief reports you get in AWOIAF. That being said, it doesn't fully delve into "story mode" and at the end of the day, it's still a history textbook of sorts and it's definitely not like ASOIAF in that way, so some people may not enjoy that.

I've always been a fan of GRRM's writing style though. I really like that ASOIAF is written in a POV format so that we don't have a "God's eye" view on what's happening. It's always rumours and hearsay and the sense of the unreliable narrator is always there. It's great fun as a reader because we can't always take events as "canon" necessarily but rather "it's canon that this character believes this". We can't always know what's truly true and we're encouraged to think about things and make our own judgments. I really like that.

Fire and Blood is "written" by a Westerosi maester who takes his material from written accounts of other maesters past, correspondences between key players, and survivor interviews, and put them together in a sort of dissertation, compiling sometimes conflicting accounts and drawing conclusions from them. It's really impressive. My tinhat is flashing everytime a rumour is mentioned and dismissed as exaggeration or "calumny". For every paragraph there's always something to see and speculate between the lines and it's just really fun.

I read somewhere that GRRM said that Danaerys (Stormborn) could learn something from reading this book and I sorta took that as him implying that there might be something that's relevant to the ASOIAF or Game of Thrones series as it stands now. I might need a few more days in meditative contemplation about this, but nothing super stands out at first glance. I have a few thoughts, but it's probably kind of over-reaching and bordering on spoiler territory. Perhaps I'll seek revelation from internet meta-writers and theory-crafters.

The book comes with supplementary material in the form of an ancestry chart, which was super useful because Targaryen matches can get very "Days of Our Lives" in their convolutedness, not to mention all the incest mucking everything up. It's good to have a visual representation of it. There's also a linear summary of the Targaryen Kings, which is not super useful but may be handy for those not yet familiar with the timeline. I got the illustrated version of the book and boy there's A LOT of them, like every few pages. Totally worth it. Unfortunately, they didn't provide us with a map like they do in ASOIAF and I wish they did because my Westerosi geography isn't THAT great.

TLDR: If you're mostly interested in what happens next in the ASOIAF or Game of Thrones series, this is definitely not for you. It's really long, written in a textbook format, and doesn't directly hint at any possible endgame for the series we know and love. If, like me, you're really, really into GRRM's universe and enjoy the unreliable narrator style of writing, this is a great book, 10/10 would recommend. (Content warning, it's perhaps common knowledge that the ASOIAF book series as well as the Game of Thrones TV show on HBO is quite graphic in terms of violence and sexual content, as well as sexual violence, and Fire and Blood isn't any different. I find that it's slightly less graphic than ASOIAF because it's supposed to be a textbook, but only slightly.)

#asoiaf #awoiaf #fire and blood #grrm #george rr martin #a song of ice and fire #game of thrones #got #danaerys targaryen #targaryen #aegon #my writing #review #book #book review #hbo #aegon the conqueror #westeros #a world of ice and fire

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absentinquiries · 8 years ago

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AbsentInquiries Title Masterpost Part 2, Page 1: The Sylph

WR: So, I looked into this one fairly early on before wrapping up the first part of the Index posts, so I have a rough know-how of what I’ll be discussing here. That being said, this will turn all of my prior statements of Sylphs on their heads.

WR: So, before I start theorizing about the new territories Sylphs encompass, I need to first delve into the history of the word. Also, for those who want the links to my research, I’ll cite them with numbered bubbles.

WR: The term “Sylph” originates from the works of a Sixteenth-Century Alchemist by name of Paracelsus.(1) Using the four Classical Elements as a basis for his work, Paracelsus created embodiments of these Elements, of which Sylphs were to Air.

WR: The word “Sylph” itself appears to be a portmanteau of “silvestris”(2) and “nympha”(3) - making it “a (demigodess) or woman of a forest.” (it’s worth noting that the portmanteau is somewhat redundant, since nymphs are lesser deities associated with forests already.)

WR: Something very much worth noting(1) is similarities to the two most well-known Sylphs - there are possible roots in both Ancient Greek and Latin, in Ancient Greek, the glossing is “moth” - although the Greek-English Lexicon defines the root word - “silphē”, by the way - as “cockroach” or “book worm” - moth being similar to Kanaya Maryam’s genetic closeness to Moths, and Aranea Serket, ironically, being the metaphorical bookworm.

WR: The other root in question is “sylphus”, which is Latin, and generally glossed over as “genius”, and in a sense, some type of spirit. I believe it goes without saying that the word “genius” can easily be applied to both Kanaya and Aranea, within their respective talents.

WR: I’m going to cut this next part down to what I think matters most to the discussion at hand, but know that there’s more worthwhile stuff to read, which is why I’m leaving links.

WR: So(1), “Pope pretends to have a new alchemy, in which the sylph is the mystically, chemically condensed humors of peevish women. In Pope's poem, women who are full of spleen and vanity turn into sylphs when they die because their spirits are too full of dark vapors to ascend to the skies. Belinda, the heroine of Pope's poem, is attended by a small army of sylphs, who foster her vanity and guard her beauty.”

WR: And also, “The poem is a parody of Paracelsian ideas, inasmuch as Pope imitates the pseudo-science of alchemy to explain the seriousness with which vain women approach the dressing room.”

WR: I’ve bolded the parts that I feel matter most to the discussion: Peevishness and vanity are used to describe Sylphs here, albeit as a mockery, but interestingly enough, it seems to fit with what we know of the two cases I’m using, doesn’t it? Or, at least the vain part. I can’t personally say how easily irritated Aranea is, and I don’t think I can count Kanaya’s snark as peevishness.

WR: But, vanity - I’m sure most of us who peer into the Bubbles have seen the failed session where Aranea tried to exert control, and failed miserably? And, Kanaya’s dedication to aesthetic appeal over most other things - both are good examples of vanity, with all respect due to the both of them. That last tidbit in bold, “the seriousness with which vain women approach the dressing room”, applies well to Kanaya, too.

WR: And why I’m pointing this out as majorly noteworthy is: Vanity and irritability are notably ACTIVE traits. “Me” traits, focused not on others, but on the self. So, hypothetically...Sylphs would have to be - based on this information, parody or not - an Active Class, not a Passive one, like I’ve said for...Pretty much ever.

WR: So, what should we consider the personality traits associated with Sylphs, as an Active Class? My personal hypothesis is vanity, irritability, romanticism or flightiness, and a lack of interest in generally understood rules. (they do happen to get a lot of shit done, after all.)

WR: But, of course, there’s more to talk about: Powers, and Polarity. We’ll be moving on to Powers, since that’s been speculation territory for far too long, and I really, really want to ground it.

WR: Since there isn’t necessarily anything said about the abilities of Sylphs in the link I’ve been dropping, I’m going to take from the most generally acceptable root of the word, Nymphs(4). “nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, who love to dance and sing.” - and(4), “They might appear in a whirlwind. Such encounters could be dangerous, bringing dumbness, besotted infatuation, madness or stroke to the unfortunate human.”

WR: It’s still very unlikely that I’m right, but I think I’m drawing the right conclusions that, a Sylph would generally be able to apply their powers to “animate” or “empower” their Aspect, but the wrong application - such as, with Aranea, using her gift of Light to heal Terezi’s blindness in the failed Session - could have ruinous consequences for those that initially benefit from the blessing.

WR: This could be interpreted as mending their Aspect, rather than the previously supposed mending of others /through/ their Aspect. So, one might ask, “is that really the head-flipping you were psyching us up about?” - and part of my answer is...Yes.

WR: The other part of the head-flipping is going to cost me much, much more time in research, but I believe it is worth it in the face of being a groundbreaking hypothesis. (i hope it’s groundbreaking, anyway.)

WR: I propose that, unlike what I have previously stated as the Active counterpart to the Sylph being the Witch, is that the Sylph is actually the Active counterpart to what I previously dubbed as an Active Class...The Maid.

WR: To give the gist of it before I can go on to an at-length discussion of the Maid, I believe that the Maid serves their Aspect by “tidying up”, and can use their powers to the benefit of their teammates, whereas the Sylph serves their Aspect by “mending” or “revitalizing” or “animating”, and can use their powers to the detriment of those they desire to “bless”.

WR: This is...An exceedingly long post, but it is chock full of information that I think (and hope) helps everyone frame Sylphs differently from our old, dated knowledge of them. Thank you all for reading and, in general, the patience it probably took to read this. <_ “

#Homestuck #AbsentInquiries #Title Masterpost #Titles #Classes #Sylph #Regent #wreckedRegent

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goldeagleprice · 7 years ago

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Bowers on collecting: Facts, fantasies, and opinions about the Bank of the United States

By Q. David Bowers

I love history, and over a period of time, I have immersed myself in many accounts published in early newspapers, books, and directories. These include Niles’ Weekly Register, launched in Baltimore in 1811, and continued for decades afterward. I skimmed every issue and read anything that had to do with finance or numismatics. The result was an “I was there” experience, such as in late summer 1814 when Hezekiah Niles, editor, was at his desk in Baltimore while British forces were approaching the city. Of course, we all know they didn’t make it, and the rockets fired from Fort McHenry forced the British ships to flee from the Chesapeake, with “The Star Spangled Banner” memorializing this event. I have looked through the Congressional Record, the National Intelligencer, and other early print matter—this in an era when it had to be done by hand. Today, most of these sources are on the Internet and are searchable. Probably, what took me a year to do a decade or two ago could be done in a month now!

1776 Continental Dollar. Newman 1-C. CURRENCY. Pewter. MS-62. Hover to zoom. Image courtesy of Stack’s Bowers.

As it is, there are still things I am seeking that I have not found on the Internet. The subject of the 1776 Continental dollar (most of which are struck in pewter and grade from Very Fine to About Uncirculated, indicating use in commerce) has come to the fore in recent years. Where were they made and by whom? Ever since the mid-1950s, I have studied the 1785–1788 coppers made for the Republic of Vermont (it did not become a state until 1791). Even with Internet searching, I have found very little new information to add to what I gathered earlier. And then there is the little town of Arcadia, New York, where some of my ancestors settled in the late 1850s after emigrating from Germany.

However, I am getting off-topic, so now to the history of the Bank of the United States—an interest of mine for a long time, and the entity, actually two entities, that I read about in the aforementioned Niles’ Weekly Register and other publications, including quite a few books written in the 19th century into the early 20th. Andrew Jackson is one of my favorite 19th-century personalities, and I have read a lot of source material about him. I have delved into Senator Thomas Hart Benton, his daughter and her connection in a way with the San Francisco branch mint, and more. Lots of fun. On the other hand, I haven’t paid much attention to Henry Clay (except for his 1844 presidential campaign) or New Hampshire native Daniel Webster (honored here, but did he have to move to Massachusetts?).

In writing this article I sent a draft to several people, including John Kleeberg and Joel Orosz. Both are rocket scientists, so to speak when it comes to history, and both have written extensively. Their feedback, including corrections, has resulted in a rewrite and expansion of my original narrative.

By any account the two Bank of the United States institutions were controversial: Were they essential to the health of the American economy in their time, or were they partially helpful but also an interference? Today, in my opinion, later accounts of them are often confusing and muddled. Congress chartered the first in 1791 with a 20-year life. This became standard with many state-chartered banks and, beginning in 1863, with federally chartered national banks. The idea was to allow two decades for a bank to go into business and, it was hoped, prosper. Near the end of the term, the officers of the bank could petition to have the charter renewed. The charter of the first Bank of the United States expired in 1811. Its operations were quite controversial, and the charter was not renewed. Fast-forward to 1816, and a new contingent in Congress, plus optimism following the War of 1812, furnished the basis for establishing the Second Bank of the United States, also with a 20-year charter.

Neither bank was a federal bank in the sense of being owned and managed by the government and the Treasury Department. Instead, they were what can be called public-private enterprises. Most of the stock was held by private individuals and interests.

Both were headquartered in Philadelphia, with branches in other cities. The second Bank of the United States, the main subject of this article, was headquartered in Philadelphia in a new grand building in the Greek Revival style. In time 26 branches were opened in various towns and cities, a very short list including Boston, Baltimore, Portsmouth (New Hampshire), Washington, and Charleston. The bank issued paper money in various denominations, printed by private engraving and printing companies, which circulated widely.

The Bank of the United States.

A Bank of the United States note, of, say, $20, could be cashed at face value in Portland, Maine, in Charleston, South Carolina, or in Chillicothe, Ohio. As such, they were a stable unit in commerce, accepted everywhere. In unfortunate contrast, in the same era, this was not true for money of the several thousand state-chartered banks that as a group issued a far greater number of notes. These state banks were owned by stockholders who formed to seek state charters, after which capital was raised by selling shares to the public. However, unlike the bills of the Bank of the United States, which could be cashed almost anywhere for full face value, the notes of state banks were mainly of regional interest. For example, a $20 note issued by a bank in Portland, Maine, could be redeemed at face value at that city or even in Boston, where there was a currency exchange, but someone taking the note to Savannah or Charlotte or Pittsburgh would find it would not be accepted at all, or, if it was, only at a deep discount. State-chartered banks had thousands of stockholders and their officers were often leaders of the various states (including governors and legislators), so the Bank of the United States was viewed as unfair competition. Great resentment developed concerning this. Most of the state-chartered banks were sound financially and well managed. However, as a further complication, there were many exceptions, and some notes of state-chartered banks were basically of questionable value, even in their places of issue. In contrast, there was no question about Bank of the United States notes, except for occasional counterfeits (which merchants and banks either were unaware of or simply passed along to the next customer).

President Andrew Jackson.

In 1824 Andrew Jackson ran for president against John Quincy Adams. Jackson, a rough-cut military hero, contrasted the New England gentility of Adams. Jackson won the popular vote, but Congress decided the outcome and named Adams. A great brouhaha was caused, and Jackson and his followers formed the Democratic Party. In 1828 the same two men faced each other, and Jackson won by a landslide, with the results uncontested. He took office on March 4, 1829. His term, while controversial (mostly arising from the threatened secession of South Carolina from the Union due to a tariff viewed as unfavorable), was quite successful in an era of growing prosperity in America. (Whether he was significant in this expansion is a matter of controversy among historians.) Members of the old-guard, the friends of Adams and others, were distressed. In 1832 Jackson was elected to a second term. This had its own “situations,” including the “Petticoat Affair” with the flirtatious (and more, according to some accounts) Peggy O’Neal causing the resignation of some Cabinet members.

With advice and counsel, Jackson, casting himself as a “common man,” formed a strong dislike of the Bank of the United States, thought to be controlled by the aristocracy, and stated that he was against having its charter renewed (scheduled to happen in 1836). Certain of his followers agreed. In Congress, an alarm was sounded and it was decided to advance the renewal of the charter to 1833, so that the Bank of the United States could operate with confidence after that point, during Jackson’s second term, continuing to the stated charter expiration in 1836, and possibly even have the charter renewed by Congress for another 20 years to 1856.

That did not happen, as after Congress approved in advance the 1836 renewal, Jackson vetoed the legislation. The death knell was sounded for the Bank of the United States. In the mid-1830s it wound down with the various branches being liquidated and buildings sold; by late 1835 there was not much left.

Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

In the meantime, in the 1830s there was great speculation and prosperity in the Prairie lands, these comprising territories west of Pennsylvania, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other districts. The federal government was selling millions of acres of land, and it could be purchased by giving promissory notes or notes of state-chartered banks, some of which uncertain value. The matter got out of hand, and in the summer of 1836, President Jackson issued the Specie Circular, which mandated that, henceforth, federal lands could only be purchased by paying in gold and silver coins. By that time the Bank of the United States was nearly completely defunct. Not all was well, and on the other side of the story, as John Kleeberg reminded me, there were many problems in the cotton market, the issuance of state bonds that defaulted, and more. Due to various causes, investment and speculation ceased, values fell, and the stage was set for an economic adjustment. Early in 1837, there were economic disturbances in New York and elsewhere and a chill was felt in commerce. In the meantime, Jackson had not run for reelection, and in March 1837 Martin Van Buren, his vice president, was elected to the position. Economic matters went from bad to worse, and beginning on May 10, 1837, nearly all the banks in the East stopped paying out silver and gold coins at face value in exchange for paper money. The Panic of 1837 ensued, an economic depression that lasted until early 1843 (which seems to have been the end of the “Hard Times” era), after which prosperity gradually returned, and continued into the late 1850s, later checked by the Panic of 1857.

That is my well-studied (in my opinion) view, taken from original sources, plus, as noted, some recent adjustments by John Kleeberg.

It is my opinion, not at all widely shared, that the idea that it was President Jackson’s veto of the Bank of the United States charter in 1833 that was the primary cause of the Panic of 1837 is not correct. However, excellent studies have been made on both sides of the question. Perhaps of related complexity: Who was the greatest president of the United States? Washington? Lincoln? FDR? Who was the worst? (I won’t go there!)

Portrait of Nicholas Biddle by William Inman.

Whatever the case, once the bank closed, Nicholas Biddle, who formerly had been a president of the Bank of the United States, formed a new institution, chartered by the Pennsylvania State Legislature, called the Bank of the United States of Pennsylvania. Cleverly enough, the words “of Pennsylvania” were not used on the bank’s currency including those of face value of $1,000 or more, which to all appearances seemed to be issued by the earlier Bank of the United States! However, they are nothing more than notes of a state-chartered bank. They are interesting to collect, but few numismatists know of their history. Biddle, a leading member of Philadelphia society, did not do well as his bank was charged with fraud and failed in 1841. He died on February 17, 1844, while still enveloped in civil suits alleging misdemeanors.

Today, original notes of the First Bank of the United States and the Second Bank of the United States are extremely rare. These bear the names of the different bank branches that issued them. Most denominations from various offices are completely unknown. Genuine bills sell for four-figure prices.

Image courtesy of the Eric P. Newman Collection.

In contrast, notes from the Bank of the United States (of Pennsylvania) are rather plentiful, including those in large denominations. In most instances, they are offered by sellers who are not aware that this is a different, unrelated enterprise. Some have even called this the Third Bank of the United States.

A display of the notes of Biddle’s 1836 to 1841 bank is interesting to view, as hardly any notes of denominations of $1000 or more survive from other state-chartered banks. In connection with these their history is interesting to contemplate.

❑

Comments

@NCM Collector “..Wonder if the coin medal sets will come ... by Tinto

Engaging story – I often wonder how the financial structures ... by Numismatrix

Wonder if the coin medal sets will come with individual COAs. ... by NCM Collector

Very nice article. I'm really pleased to see the Biddle ... by just another dave in pa

Wow, super interesting! Thanks so much for the information. by ClevelandRocks

#Precious Metals

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entergamingxp · 5 years ago

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Towards more speculative sex • Eurogamer.net

Hello! All this week we’ll be celebrating Pride and the power of positive representations in games. Every day we’ll be bringing you stories and insights from different parts of the LGBT+ community. You can also help support Pride with Eurogamer’s newly redesigned t-shirt – all profits from which will be going to charity.

In 2015, the Wachowski sisters asked a very important question via their sic-fi TV show Sense8: If eight people were psychically connected to share each other’s senses, how would they have sex?

The answer – enthusiastically and at a distance – notwithstanding, the question itself proves important. By asking it, the Wachowskis applied a fundamental lens of speculative fiction-a view towards questioning what is, can be, or will be possible-to sex.

“Resistance and change often begin in art,” said speculative-fiction giant Ursula Le Guin in her 2014 National Book Award speech, with a pointed nod towards science fiction and fantasy. Especially now, with the rise of “geekdom” as a mainstream, socially acceptable hobby, the idea that speculative fiction helps reimagine and perhaps pave the way for new socio-technological realities is neither contentious nor particularly novel. Since people began telling stories, we’ve been imagining the impossible and subsequently using these stories to expand the boundaries of the possible. After all, long before Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov’s 1965 spacewalk in a nylon and metal spacesuit, Icarus soared to the sun on wax wings.

Which brings us back to sex. While sci-fi/fantasy authors spend a great deal of time conceptualizing various aspects of our humanity, reimagining how we have sex is often passed up for more “socially acceptable” topics. For queer folks, this is significant: who we have sex with, how often we have sex, and how frequently we choose to have sex is often the basis for discrimination against queer people around the world. There absolutely exists in culture an idealized, normative sexual praxis. And to seek out representation of anything else is to delve into the world of independent artists, of queer subcultures, and niche hobbies.

Consider, for instance, representations of the bodies we have sex with, especially the sentient but non-human kind. If we can conceive of intelligent aliens with whom we form emotional attachments, we can conceive of the desire to have sex with them. And while we can dream up scores of weird, unusual or monstrous bodies against which to wage war, our depictions of aliens to have sex with is sadly lacking in diversity. Mainstream film and television, at least, are mired in the heteromasculine gaze, where fuckable aliens tend to be lithe human women with brightly coloured skin. Hell, even Jabba the Hutt, a giant desert-slug, favours oddly Western-human ideals of beauty.

Star Trek (2009)’s take on alien sexuality.

In fact, we’d rather show no body than one that deviates from our beauty standards. While 2013’s Her is a deep, fascinating look at how humans might bond with and come to love artificial intelligences, that love is a rather chaste one. Joaquin Phoenix’s Theodore is utterly content with the occasional bout of late-night dirty talk (with a hint of fade-to-black masturbation) with his disembodied, AI-girlfriend, the same activity he used to engage in with human sex-chatroom lurkers. He clearly has never heard of sex toys, nor the (rather ridiculously named, true) field of teledildonics. The movie does enter interesting territory when he tries to sleep with a human mimicking the AI-girlfriends moves according to instructions whispered into her earpiece, but this look into the sexual politics of human-OS threesomes fizzles out quickly and never resurfaces.

Contrast this with Naomi Clark’s Consentacle, a 2-player card game that embraces a monstrous, speculative beauty. You play a human astronaut and an alien attempting to maximize each other’s pleasure while in joyous flagrante delicto. The alien, Dup, is basically an enormous blue-purple head with extra eyes and multiple tentacles, complete with octopus-like suckers. The astronaut Kit is a human woman. And yet, despite the anatomical gulf, the game models their sex acts (represented via cards), as joyful an uninhibited. The two characters tease each other, bite, kiss, and caress each other, exchange soulful gazes, and insert arms into each other’s “hungry orifices”. There’s even a comic.

Naomi Clark’s Consentacle.

And why not? When we conceive of queer sex and queer bodies, we reject what is considered “normal” and embrace the unusual, the taboo, and yes, the inconceivable. Consentacle, for the most part, is a game about how partners can communicate healthily, but it’s also a game that encourages you to think about who your sex partner is and what their body could be. As a piece of speculative art, it emphasizes possibility; as a game, it invites players to make decisions and choices within these possibilities, picturing themselves, perhaps in a wholly new sexual light.

Consentacle is probably a more extreme depiction, but even when media try to depict “unusual” sexual proclivities here on earth, we’re served the same old 50 Shades of Grey: bland, sanitized representations of sexual practices that were once fiercely queer. Small wonder that “kink” has become synonymous with BDSM for many (straight cis) folks.

Games are not so shy. Alex Robert’s game POP!, which I had the pleasure of editing for an anthology of erotic games, focusses on the lives and loves of balloon fetishists. Far from mocking the practice, the game portrays its subject matter in a sensitive light. As a larp, where players create much of the story, it encourages players to be just as attentive: “keep love in your heart. Looners, as they often identify, are real people.” It tasks the players with sensitively exploring the community and society of those who have sex with balloons.

These social impacts of a more speculative sexual practice are often simplified by mainstream media. HBO’s Westworld might be attempting to question the nature of consciousness and intelligence, but when it comes to sex, the show’s message never really advances beyond, “have robot, will fuck.” Similarly, if we examine depictions of VR sex (I’m recalling Arnold Schwarzenegger’s little romp in Total Recall) the social consequence of being able to have constant idealized sex aren’t really discussed.

By contrast, Troels Ken Pederson’s larp My Girl’s Sparrow‘s zooms in on the physical aspects of sex in a futuristic world where VR is the only (acceptable) mode of sex. In Pederson’s game, the near-future world considers meatspace sex to be gauche and gross. The freeform game’s main focus is on a group of friends who rent a cabin for the sole purpose of taboo physical intimacy, and much of play consists of describing, in minute detail, the blow-by-blow of your sex acts. The game never feels pornographic, however. Rather, the detailed erotic descriptions serve to highlight the fact that these characters never get to do this in real life. “Sex isn’t an indeterminate mass – its details matter,” Pederson writes. “What we do together and how we react to each other says a lot about who we are.” How does it feel?, the game asks of you, and then constrains you further by forbidding you to ever discuss your feelings. How does sex feel when the norm is taken away from you? Or under another interpretive light, how does it feel to have queer sex?

Troels Ken Pederson’s My Girl’s Sparrow.

The concept of feeling and sensation is studied through a different lens by Kat Jones and Will Morningstar in You Inside Us-another title in the Honey & Hot Wax anthology of erotic art games I mentioned earlier. In this two-layer larp, one player takes on the role of a human colonist of a distant planet, while other plays an alien symbiont that comes to live inside the body of the former. The game asks us to examine the physical sensations we might often take for granted, and ask ourselves what physical pleasure and eroticism really mean. The two players, who maintain some form of physical contact throughout the game, describe mundane actions the human performs with their body in their day to day, and explore how it feels now that an alien is in residence. Has the nose become an erogenous zone? Does the act of eating soup now trigger tingles down one’s spine? “Be indulgent, intense, and weird,” the designers urge you, because the game is about, “making familiar sensations alien, [and] making alien sensations real and intimate.”

Jones and Morningstar position sex as something present within the banal, quotidian world. In the tiny, indie video game Stick Shift, Robert Yang does the same-only he focusses on the hyper specific act of, well, masturbating a car. Or perhaps you’re masturbating yourself via the car? Or is the car just your kink? Either way, Yang asks:

“What if sex in games was something we did, instead of something we obtained? One way to do sex is to see sex everywhere. Sex here, sex there, sex behind yonder tree!… and sex through the tender caresses that seduce gay cars everywhere.”

Robert Yang’s Stick Shift.

Yang, Jones, and Morningstar want us to normalize sexuality, want us to explore erotic possibility where society says there is none, want us to break out of the confines of “here and a this time are when you receive sex, as a result of this action.” By replacing “ordinary” with “sexual”, these games allow us to reject heteronormative dicta of what constitutes sex, give us permission to question what we ourselves desire, what we lust for, and what, for each of us, makes sex sex.

Finally, on the topic of queerness and sex, gender must inevitably come into play. Gender and the possible deviations from our binary norm are still relatively taboo topics in mainstream media. More than fifty years after Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, where the inhabitants of the planet Gethen have no gender as a default and shift gender once a month, most science fiction does little to speculate on our notions of gender. Now consider Avery Alder’s indie tabletop roleplaying game Dream Askew. You play members of an enclave of queers, attempting to “live, sleep, and hopefully heal” and maybe carve out a utopia in a post-apocalyptic world. At character creation you choose a gender. The game, however, eschews, “male” or “female”, and instead presents a variety of new options: “gargoyle”, “dagger daddy”, “ice femme”, “raven”. Alder writes:

“Creating a character in Dream Askew involves contending with gender, but it’s a gender exploded, extracted from the society intact and made mutant. What do some of these words even mean? […] When you encounter a gender word, imagine. Ask your fellow players. Flirt with a search engine. If nothing comes up, invent. No matter how you come to your initial understanding, it’s yours to continue to define through play.”

Avery Alder’s tabletop roleplaying game Dream Askew.

Not content with simply offering new ideas about gender, Alder encourages players to come up with their own, and in an unusually intersectional move, links these gendered markers to other dimensions of identity like ethnicity or social class.

If speculative fiction is to offer us a vision of a better, queerer future, we need to stop ignoring a facet of the human experience as significant as sex. Like Sense8 with its multi-gender psychic orgy, Black Mirror and its virtual-crossplay-coitus, or the legion of indie, underground games that explore the hornier side of life, sci-fi and fantasy media should strive to explore the future of fucking. We should be unafraid to poke at our conceptions of gender, prod our communities and reactions to intimacy, and probe at our kinks and desires. We need to play more with sex.

The Effing Foundation for Sex-Positivity’s mission is to reduce sexual shame and normalise conversations around human sexuality by fostering sex-positive art and education. Two generous grant from them was what made “Honey & Hot Wax” possible. You can donate to The Effing Foundation here.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/06/towards-more-speculative-sex-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=towards-more-speculative-sex-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

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