#this specific element is something that comes down to our ability to foster in the Youth

[devoqdesign]

Gamification in UX Design: Implementing Game Elements to Increase User Engagement and Retention

In today's digital landscape, user engagement and retention are critical factors for the success of any application or website. As designers and developers, we're constantly seeking innovative ways to captivate our audience and keep them coming back for more. Enter gamification – a powerful strategy that borrows elements from game design to enhance user experience and drive desired behaviors.

What is Gamification?

Gamification is the process of incorporating game-like elements, mechanics, and thinking into non-game contexts. In UX design, this means applying game design principles to create more engaging, motivating, and enjoyable user experiences. The goal is to tap into the same psychological triggers that make games so addictive and apply them to practical, real-world scenarios.

Why Gamification Works

The effectiveness of gamification lies in its ability to tap into fundamental human desires and motivations:

Achievement: People love the feeling of accomplishment.

Competition: The drive to outperform others is a powerful motivator.

Social interaction: Humans are inherently social creatures.

Progress: Seeing tangible growth and improvement is satisfying.

Rewards: The prospect of earning something valuable encourages action.

By leveraging these psychological principles, gamification can significantly boost user engagement, retention, and overall satisfaction.

Key Gamification Elements in UX Design

1. Points Systems

Points are a fundamental gamification element. They provide immediate feedback and a sense of progress. Users can earn points for various actions, from completing profile information to making purchases or contributing content.

Implementation tip: Ensure your points system is transparent and meaningful. Points should translate to tangible benefits or status within the platform.

2. Leaderboards

Leaderboards tap into users' competitive nature by showcasing top performers. They can be global, segmented by categories, or personalized to show a user's ranking among friends or peers.

Implementation tip: Consider implementing dynamic leaderboards that reset periodically to give new users a chance to compete and prevent discouragement.

3. Badges and Achievements

Badges are virtual awards given for completing specific actions or reaching milestones. They provide a sense of accomplishment and can encourage users to explore different features of your platform.

Implementation tip: Design visually appealing badges and make them challenging but attainable. Consider creating a badge collection system to foster completionist behavior.

4. Progress Bars

Progress bars visually represent a user's advancement towards a goal. They can be used for profile completion, course progression, or any multi-step process within your application.

Implementation tip: Break down larger goals into smaller, more manageable steps to maintain user motivation.

5. Challenges and Quests

Challenges provide users with specific goals to accomplish, often within a set timeframe. They can be individual or team-based, encouraging both personal growth and social interaction.

Implementation tip: Vary challenge difficulty and types to cater to different user skill levels and interests.

Implementing Gamification: Best Practices

1. Start with Clear Objectives

Before implementing gamification, define your goals. Are you looking to increase user retention, boost engagement with specific features, or encourage certain behaviors? Your objectives will guide your gamification strategy.

2. Know Your Audience

Different demographics respond to gamification elements differently. Understand your users' motivations, preferences, and pain points to design a system that resonates with them.

3. Keep It Simple

Start with a few core gamification elements and gradually expand. Overwhelming users with too many game-like features can be counterproductive.

4. Ensure Meaningful Rewards

The rewards and achievements in your gamified system should have real value to users, whether it's exclusive content, tangible benefits, or social recognition.

5. Balance Challenge and Achievability

Make your gamification challenging enough to be engaging but not so difficult that users become frustrated. Provide a sense of progression and accomplishment.

Potential Pitfalls to Avoid

Over-gamification: Don't let gamification overshadow your core product or service.

Neglecting non-competitive users: Ensure your system caters to users who aren't motivated by competition.

Focusing on quantity over quality: Encourage meaningful interactions, not just a high volume of low-value actions.

Ignoring long-term engagement: Design your system to maintain interest beyond the initial novelty period.

Conclusion

Gamification in UX design is a powerful tool for increasing user engagement and retention. By tapping into fundamental human motivations and providing clear goals, feedback, and rewards, designers can create more compelling and sticky user experiences. However, successful implementation requires a thoughtful approach, a deep understanding of your audience, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

As you explore gamification for your own projects, remember that it's not about turning your application into a game, but rather about enhancing the user experience with game-like elements that drive desired behaviors and outcomes. When done right, gamification can transform mundane tasks into engaging experiences, fostering long-term user loyalty and satisfaction.

Devoq Design is a premier UI/UX Design Agency in Bhubaneswar, renowned for providing tailored design solutions that cater to the unique needs of businesses. Additionally, as a leading UI/UX Design Agency in Cuttack, Devoq Design excels in delivering innovative and user-centric design services. Their team of skilled professionals is dedicated to creating seamless and visually captivating digital experiences that enhance user engagement and satisfaction. Whether in Bhubaneswar or Cuttack, Devoq Design ensures the delivery of high-quality design projects that help businesses stand out and achieve their strategic goals.

[astralstudiosza-blog]

Virtual Event Management: Best Practices and Insights

I remember the first time I hosted a virtual event. It was during the height of the pandemic, and everything had shut down. Our usual in-person events were no longer possible. We had to pivot quickly. Sitting in my home office in Johannesburg, I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement. This shift opened up a new realm of possibilities and redefined how we connect with our audiences. Plus, it was nice to wear pajama bottoms during a "work" event!

Why Virtual Events Matter

Virtual event management involves planning, organizing, and executing events over the Internet. Unlike traditional events, virtual events happen in a digital space, allowing attendees to join from anywhere in the world. This offers several advantages, such as reduced costs, greater flexibility, and the ability to reach a broader audience. For corporates, NGOs, and government departments, virtual events offer cost savings on travel and venue hire, increased accessibility, and detailed analytics on attendee behaviour and engagement.

Choosing the Right Virtual Event Management Company

Selecting the right virtual event management company is crucial to your event's success. Look for a company with a proven track record in virtual event management. Ensure they have the technical expertise to handle all aspects of the event, from live streaming to interactive features. A good virtual event management company will offer creative solutions to make your event engaging and memorable. Johannesburg boasts several top event management companies that stand out for their expertise and comprehensive services, making them ideal partners for hosting successful events in South Africa.

In Johannesburg, several top event management companies stand out. These companies have established themselves as leaders in the field, offering comprehensive virtual event management services. Their expertise and local knowledge make them ideal partners for hosting successful events in South Africa. Just make sure they’re as good at virtual events as they are at dodging load-shedding schedules.

Planning a Successful Virtual Event

Planning a virtual event involves several key steps. First, define your goals and objectives. Understand what you want to achieve, whether it’s educating your audience, promoting a product, or fostering networking opportunities. Choose a platform that suits your event's needs, considering factors such as ease of use, features, and technical support. Create an engaging agenda that includes a mix of presentations, panels, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities. Promote your event using social media, email marketing, and partnerships. Ensure you provide clear information on how to join and what to expect. Prepare for technical issues by having a plan in place and conducting thorough rehearsals to ensure everything runs smoothly on the day.

And remember, Murphy's Law is alive and well in the digital age. If something can go wrong, it will. But with good preparation, you can at least make sure it happens to someone else’s event and not yours!

Types of Virtual Events

Virtual events come in various formats, each serving different purposes and audiences. Webinars are typically educational sessions focused on a specific topic, involving a presenter or panel of experts sharing knowledge with an audience, often with opportunities for Q&A. Virtual conferences are larger-scale events that mimic traditional conferences, including multiple sessions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities.

Online workshops and training sessions focus on skill development and hands-on learning. Participants can engage in activities and receive real-time feedback. Virtual trade shows and expos allow companies to showcase their products or services in a virtual exhibition hall, where attendees can visit virtual booths, watch demos, and interact with exhibitors. Hybrid events combine in-person and virtual elements, allowing attendees to choose how they participate, offering the best of both worlds and reaching a broader audience.

Just think of hybrid events as the mullets of the event world – business in the front, party in the back.

Virtual Event Logistics

Managing the logistics of a virtual event is crucial for a smooth and successful experience. Ensure you have a reliable Internet connection and the necessary hardware and software for streaming and interaction. This includes cameras, microphones, and streaming platforms. High-quality video and audio equipment are essential to deliver a professional experience.

Have a team of technical support staff available to assist with any issues during the event. This can include troubleshooting connectivity problems, helping attendees navigate the platform, and resolving audio or video issues. Conduct thorough rehearsals and testing before the event to identify and address any potential issues. Have contingency plans for common technical issues, including backup Internet connections, spare equipment, and alternative methods for delivering content if needed.

And let’s be honest, nothing brings out a sweat like a mid-event Wi-Fi glitch. It's always good to have a backup plan – and maybe a spare set of sweat-proof clothes.

Content Creation and Selection

High-quality content is essential for engaging virtual events. Ensure your content is relevant to your audience and provides value, whether it’s educational, entertaining, or inspirational. Tailor your content to address the specific challenges and goals of your audience. Use a variety of formats to keep your audience engaged, such as presentations, panel discussions, interviews, live demos, and interactive sessions. Mixing up the formats prevents monotony and keeps attendees interested.

Invest in professional production to ensure your content looks and sounds great, including good lighting, clear audio, and visually appealing graphics and slides. High production values enhance the overall experience and reflect well on your brand. Select speakers who are knowledgeable and engaging. They should be able to communicate their message clearly and connect with the audience. Choose speakers with expertise in the event's topic and the ability to captivate and inspire attendees. Incorporate interactive elements such as polls, Q&A sessions, and live chats to engage your audience and make them feel part of the event.

If your content is as dry as the Karoo, your audience will check out faster than you can say "Wi-Fi". Keep it lively and relevant.

Services Offered by Virtual Event Management Companies

Virtual event management companies offer a wide range of services to ensure your event is a success. They help plan and strategize the event, aligning it with your goals and objectives. They provide expert advice on format, content, and engagement strategies. They assist in selecting the right platform for your event and managing all technical aspects, including setting up the platform, handling registrations, and ensuring smooth operation.

Virtual event management companies can create and curate high-quality content for your event, including designing presentations, producing videos, and developing interactive elements. They help promote your event through various channels, including social media, email marketing, and partnerships, ensuring high attendance and engagement. They provide ongoing technical support during the event, addressing any issues that arise, ensuring a seamless experience for both organisers and attendees. After the event, they offer detailed analytics and reporting, including data on attendance, engagement, and feedback, helping you measure the event's success and identify areas for improvement.

Think of these companies as your event’s fairy godmother – turning your pumpkin of an idea into a digital ball.

Future of Virtual Events

The future of virtual events looks promising, with several trends shaping the industry. Increased adoption of hybrid events will become more popular as restrictions ease. These events offer flexibility and can cater to both in-person and virtual attendees. Future virtual events will incorporate more interactive features, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These technologies can create immersive experiences and enhance engagement.

Virtual events will become more personalised, using data and analytics to tailor the experience to individual attendees. Personalised content and recommendations can increase relevance and satisfaction. Virtual events are more environmentally friendly than in-person events, reducing the need for travel and physical resources. As sustainability becomes a priority, virtual events will be a preferred choice. Enhanced analytics tools will provide deeper insights into attendee behaviour and engagement. This data can inform future event planning and improve overall effectiveness. The industry is evolving rapidly, and staying ahead of these trends will be crucial for event management companies. By embracing new technologies and innovative approaches, virtual event management companies can continue to deliver exceptional experiences.

Just imagine the possibilities – virtual safaris with AR, personalised networking lounges, and zero jet lag!

Conclusion

Virtual event management offers numerous benefits and opportunities for corporates, NGOs, and government departments. From cost savings to increased accessibility, virtual events are a powerful tool for connecting with audiences and achieving your goals. As you plan your next event, consider the advantages of going virtual. By choosing the right virtual event management company, you can ensure a seamless and engaging experience. Whether you’re hosting a webinar, a virtual conference, or a hybrid event, the possibilities are endless.

For expert virtual event management services in Johannesburg, look no further than Astral Studios. Our in-house green screen studio ensures top-quality video production, making your events visually stunning and highly engaging. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your virtual event needs. Let's create unforgettable experiences together!

[hotelsmarket]

Hospitality Stakeholders on Fixing the Data Silo Problem

Despite years of work across the hospitality industry, hotels are still struggling to connect guest data across multiple systems, inhibiting their ability to provide an optimal guest experience. That was one of the key messages during a panel last week at the Highgate Tech Ventures and Independent Lodging Conference's Indie Cultivate event in New York City. And at a time when competition for bookings and loyalty - both between properties and between hotels and online travel agencies - is high, fixing these issues is a top priority. “I think where our frustrations come from is the tug of war between customer journey and customer data,” said Kerry Mack, chief revenue officer of hospitality investment company Highgate. Mack continued: “A lot of the boxes are truly boxes, everyone brings us these great ideas of technology, but they still don’t talk to each other.” Panelists also discussed specific problems created by data silos that exist as a result of disjointed systems - such as an inability to see details about preferences or other personalization elements that could prompt a return visit or higher revenue long term if noted and attended to by the hotel. “The best way to foster repeat business or make more money - or doing what these systems are supposed to help us do - starts with that data,” Mack said. The root of the problem is “selfishness,” said Rod Jimenez, CEO of SHR Group, provider of a hotel technology platform. Jimenez said his company has shifted from operating as a central reservation system provider to offering a complete suite of solutions that includes an internet booking engine, revenue management system and customer relationship management provider as a result of the disconnect. “We want it to be able to control the ability to have interoperability between the systems and be able to give the hotel the data that they need and to serve the guests,” said Jimenez. “Because frankly … after that guest checks in, that's where the competition with the OTAs ends, the OTAs don't check in again.” Jimenez continued: “Right now, it's a mess,” he said, noting the mess that exists is “actually detrimental to innovation.” Mack said at Highgate they wouldn’t be opposed to an all-in-one system but have stayed away from that in favor of expert-type systems for each function. It should be intuitive, she added, noting, “everything should just be seamless and perfect.” Panelists see this as within reach. ��I just think the APIs are just a modern version of serial cable, [connecting] some on-premise technology to another system,” said Adam Harris, CEO and co-founder of Cloudbeds. Cloudbeds, Harris said, has already entered beneficial partnerships, including one with Jiminez’s SHR and with IDeaS. “We actually want to further connectivity so that that data gets to you … but it can't just be data - it actually needs to be the action and the recommendation as well,” Harris said. “And I think that's what we're most excited about.�� But to complete a task like interconnectivity requires resources, which can be challenging. “So the way we deal with it is we try to gauge all of those factors as far as scalability … how many hotels could be interested in this, how easy the integration is … where in their development is this particular provider because sometimes if it's super early, then you're just running a pilot and putting resources into something that's not going to be there a few months down the road,” Jimenez said. This article originally appeared on PhocusWire. Adblock test

[dailysuna]

Hello, yes, I heard requests are open!! I would like to know your thoughts on the economic repercussions of Suna losing the battle of the chunnin exams? I thought they were already in a depression before and I think I remember that things ere pretty dire to have them need to make Gaara, but the loss at the Leaf must have hit even harder. What do you think some likely strategies were, and by whom, to stave off complete economic ruin and widespread starvation among their citizens? Thank you!

Okay first off thank you so so so much for sending these in! I kid you not we were overjoyed at seeing them because they are just the type of content we like to see!!! We think about these types of things in depth so its great to see others thinking about them as well. Now let me separate these questions and answer them for you.

Question One

You are very right! Canonically Sunagakure never had great economic standing, but during Rasa’s reign as Kazekage it got worse. Now, this has nothing to do with Rasa’s way of ruling himself, but rather that the Wind Daimyo, ruler of their specific country, not Suna, started giving shinobi missions to Konohagakure instead of Suna. So, Rasa used his abilities to extract precious metals to sell so Suna didn’t collapse; however, their economy never really got back onto their feet because of many reasons I will not get into at this moment. The economy was already suffering under Rasa’s leadership, which was good even if he sucked as a father, so the sudden absence and loss of the battle during the exams would cause much chaos. 

Rasa was killed meaning the country lost their best source of procuring income as well as their main leadership position (although the fact they have a council means they won’t be thrown into complete chaos without a kage good job Suna). His death alone would cause much turmoil and trouble. With the added loss of ninja, supplies (any war requires supplies and loss only means losing all that effort put in), and already strained relationships would not help. How can they even come back from this?

Well first, who is the one implementing the methods? The way we see Suna formatted almost seems to be based on a democracy where the kazekage is but one voice amongst that of the council, thus, the kazekage and the council would be the ones to brainstorm and make the changes necessary. We think that their main method in fact is to lower wages. When shinobi cash in on their missions, they take some of the profit and the government takes the other amount. They would need to start taking more from their already small amount of missions. (In fact in a discussion us mods had about similar situations one time I, mod K, have an oc family I have based in Suna that we figured would be the first to have wages cut.) In consequence I believe they would order local businesses to drop their prices. Suna has no fertile land in sight, their small plot of land in the Land of Fire they acquired years ago their only place where growing is possible, so they rely heavily on importing goods. The government would likely prioritize trying to keep the country running, while reforming relationships with Konoha. I could see them purchasing larger quantities of non-perishable food or ingredients to give out rations. They are also going through a change in power which most likely made the situation very difficult and required the council to do most of the work while Gaara listened and learned.

The important thing to remember is Suna shinobi are extremely patriotic and loyal, so here at dailysuna we think the village as a whole would do their best to cooperate and help one another should it mean the success of Sunagakure, aka a more stable economy.

Question Two

I briefly addressed some of these questions at the end of the last one, but yes we actually have planned a lot of this out in varying degrees of depth. As for the change in power, I already established Suna was facing ruin and shifting power creates another hard element in harsh times. Sometimes it is what you need but sometimes it doesn’t help in the slightest. In the case of Suna, the job of the kazekage isn’t one where someone can jump in after assassination and immediately change it all. The council is there to provide checks and balances for the kazekage as well as advice, its no coincidence we see council members mostly i their middle ages or later. This abrupt shift in power from the dead fourth kazekage to his 12-13 year old son is just a crazy change. Gaara is continuously not trusted by the council, in Shippuden they even discuss his death being beneficial in a meeting, so Gaara needs to not only learn the ropes in his young emo preteen years but to foster a better relationship with the council and the citizens as well. I don’t believe it is actually ever confirmed when Gaara officially took the seat of kazekage, so there could be a few months or even years in there where there was no official fifth kazekage. During this time, the council likely ran Suna, as they have the power to do so. Even a bit into Shippuden I believe the council was still pulling a majority of Sunagakure’s puppet strings as Gaara simply lacked the life experience for certain decisions. As far as for Gaara, we are told that he had a very rough time gaining everyone’s trust but had started doing so before being stolen away by sparky sparky boom boom man and Suna’s original angsty emo preteen, but they never really explain it? Either way, its clear based on everything I said so far that Gaara’s main focus in his transition was mostly on building those relationships others had decided to break out of fear. He is very successful and everyone loves Gaara now including us mods!

Baki. I love this man so so dearly. In an old rp discord server that no longer exists, may it rest in peace, I actually role played Baki so I workshopped an entire backstory for him based on our millions of Suna headcanons that us mods have all accepted as our canon (you’ll find we all share the same exact headcanons). As far as his ascent to council member, I thought long and hard to develop it. Everyone starts out as a basic ninja, and, without going into my headcanons for his childhood, Baki was the same. He slowly rose with his skill, as he is extremely skilled - his stamina is awful but I am convinced its because he is so good none of his battles last long and thus no need for it anyways - and became a trusted aide to Rasa. In our collective brain that contains headcanons we have also determined this is due to the personality we gave Baki, which is he is so dedicated to the village he doesn’t stop to take care of or think of himself. In other words, he can be a pushover when it comes to doing work because he only wants to be of use. This makes him the perfect target for paperwork which we believe is how he got closer to Rasa. Baki and Rasa are never explicitly said to be close or anything of the sort, but the fact that he is entrusting his precious children, one of which has a giant chaos beast inside of his little emo body, plays to the fact that he is familiar with Baki in some regard. Serving as the Kazekage’s aid, aka errand boy in this case, Baki would gain experience with paperwork, the jobs of the council and kazekage, form connections, and display his skill in all assets. 

Now, there are some nasty little children needing to be taken care of. Who better to send than the man who you know will do anything for you, for the country? I am convinced very few ninja would willingly teach preteen Gaara, I mean, I don’t think I would even want to, so no one would be willing to have such an assignment and would do anything to get out of it. Even Baki was likely wary of it and for the longest time debated quitting, although, after some time, the siblings likely began to realize he cared about them (this is something I would love to talk about in more depth some other time) and weren’t as awful towards him. Hence a successful team. Did being the kazekage’s children’s sensei help Baki? Because he was their teacher? No. Because he was able to gain their trust and lead them? Most definitely. This experience likely helped him gain prestige and respect for his abilities which is how we mainly believe he got his position on the council, as that is what the council members seem to have as well as dedication to the village.

As far as being kazekage goes, we love Bakikage! This is what I mentioned earlier about a role play server. What happened is we had a plan for Rasa to be taken out of power in this AU but we didn’t wish for Gaara to suddenly be ripped from the rest of the role play by being stuck with kage duties. So, we sat down to think and realized Baki would actually be a great person to wear that fancy greenish hat. As stated earlier, he has the respect, the strength, the intelligence, the ability to prioritize things, as well as many other necessities for a good leader. The big thing that stood in his way was Gaara’s character development because the angsty emo preteen needed to turn soft boy cottage core obviously. But in all seriousness, I believe what stood between him and his theoretical throne - which he deserves - was honestly himself. Baki serves the village. Baki loves the village. Baki wants the best for the village. Baki is, as we call it, villagesexual. He only desires to be of use, not to gain power or prestige, they just happened to be given to him along the way. His own lack of drive, as well as care for Gaara, because of course if his adopted son wants those fruit snacks he will get them for him. Please Baki, you spoil them too much. So yes, Baki could be the kazekage, he has all the equipment for it, but Gaara’s own desire to be something no one expected and show them he wasn’t a monster was all Baki would have cared about. Even in our rp AU Baki was going to be reluctant about taking the power. Even if he did have that desire and drive, his care for Gaara would likely win out. 

Honestly, it might be best he didn’t have that drive. You know, all the kazekages are assassinated and Baki is not an important enough of a character to Kishimoto to be brought back to life. I will gladly hold onto council member Baki if Bakikage means he dies. But its nice to think how Gaara would actually get to be a kid while Baki gets a hard earned role, huh?

I hope you enjoyed my very very long winded answers - believe it or not I tried to keep it short - and that they actually answered your questions. We all look forward to more submissions/asks from you as well as others! And we’re working on getting those lovely drawing requests planned out.

[siliquasquama]

This Cerulean Sea is an optimistic place

Which I don’t necessarily mind, but -- I worry that it’s too close to naïve.

There are a fair few stories that treat societal prejudice in an unrealistic fashion by downplaying the government element. RWBY, Zootopia, and X-Men come to mind. These are stories where such prejudice arises from the common people and becomes strong without being fostered by the government. Zootopia is the strongest example of this, because its police force has less discrimination than its general populace, which is the reverse of the usual case.

The House in the Cerulean Sea offers a more realistic treatment of prejudice by making it clear that the oppression of magical beings is strongly promoted by the government. The Department In Charge of Magical Youth seems to have a vested interest in keeping magical children marginalized, and there are all the “See something say something” posters everywhere constantly prodding mundanes into fearing magical people. 

It is hard to tell if prejudice arose from the common people or not, but it is easy to see how the government amplifies the attitude for its own purposes. The “See something say something” posters especially remind U.S. readers of the years in which their federal government promoted the fear of scary middle easterners in order to prop up public support for its military operations in the Middle East.

And yet -- what The House In The Cerulean Sea misses is the actual source of hatred and violence. It asserts that these things arise from difference, and the lack of understanding, much like X-Men’s take on the subject. But that is not so. Such hatred tends to arise from the fear of loss, and the resulting violence is typically an attempt to forestall potential loss. 

For example, Anti-semitism is Europe’s oldest prejudice because the Catholic Church has been around for a very long time. Jewish people live outside a social order that the Church says is necessary for stability. Thus their existence historically unsettled people who thought that everything depended upon obedience to the Church.

For another example, American housing markets from the 1930s onward. Banks were convinced to dis-invest from vast swathes of American cities, thereby sending their economies into a tailspin for most of the 20th century, because they were told that having black people in a neighborhood meant unacceptable financial risk. Owners of houses were convinced of the same thing on the small scale, and whenever black people moved into a neighborhood, they either sold as fast as possible for fear of losing their own investment, or they formed angry mobs and drove the newcomers out. 

For a third example, Home Owner’s Associations. Their members police the outward appearance of neighborhood houses in order to shore up their housing prices as much as possible, to the level of measuring the height of someone’s grass with a ruler. They get very mean when someone violates The Rules because they see it as a threat to their ability to borrow against the value of their houses.

For a fourth example, American midwestern farmers after the civil war. They saw black people becoming citizens, and felt that the change in the nature of citizenship was a loss of the privileges they had enjoyed, so all across the plains they drove black people out of their towns.

For a fifth example, the homophobia of the late 20th century. Heterosexual people saw queer folks as a threat to an order that they thought was founded on heterosexual marriage. Thus their rhetoric usually included prophecies about societal collapse.

For a sixth example, the Millennial Anger I see on this website and twitter, which, if I am being frank, seems mostly like the domain of white people scared that they will never receive the stable and profitable life they were promised. (Such as me.) Folks who never had the expectation of owning land have a different perspective on the current economy.

For a seventh example, the eternal cry of “they’re taking our jobs” when any new immigrants arrive, legally or illegally.

For an eighth example, the entire kerfuffle with the lobster fishing industry in maritime Canada, when white folks thought the Mi’kmaqs were fishing too much for the lobster beds to be sustainable. The idea of having white folks catch fewer lobsters didn’t cross their minds because that would have meant economic loss on their part, so it was easier to blame Mi’kmaq fishers for being there at all.

And then there’s police officers, who see their jobs as shoring up local order. Any crimes that happen quietly behind closed doors, such as child sexual abuse, barely evoke a yawn from such people. But as soon as people start marching in protest of the current economic order, they’re out there swinging cubs.

All of this has economic uncertainty at its foundation. 

In the village of Marsayas, I do not see any such hatred arising out of economic fear -- only responses of disgust which are relatively easy to overcome. Solving the troubles with Marsayas is as easy as getting the mayor on side and talking down an angry mob. 

But when people think their own power is threatened, well -- you can’t allay those fears by appealing to basic decency.

And the one government element that makes no appearance in The House In The Cerulean Sea is how political parties leverage social prejudice in order to stay in power. Speaking as a citizen of the United States, I have grown up seeing one party in particular using every bit of racism possible in order to secure its electoral victories. I have seen them attack the funding and integrity of the federal government itself, in order to promote the idea of governmental disfunction to their voting base. 

I have also been informed by a friend in India that the BJP is promoting existing prejudices against Muslims in order to shore up its own political power. And then there’s China with the Uighrs, Hungary with the Roma, Chechnya with queer folks, Poland with queer folks...prejudice may exist among the common people, but it usually gets worse when the local government thinks it will be useful for political power. (We tend to call this Fascism.)

So if the book wanted to be very realistic about the government’s actions, the final chapter would show politicians rallying a party around the fear of magical beings. The book would have this party making a great fuss about the whistleblower and demanding his head. It would have Extremely Upper Management also demanding the whistleblower’s head in order to shift blame away from themselves.

Instead, we get a government without politics and political parties, without specific groups of politicians rallying around hatred, without any of the things that continue to make governments dysfunctional. The government here is bland, boring, implacable, and generally good-hearted, with DAICOMY being more of a bad apple than an outgrowth of deeper issues. The ability to change its function is as easy as firing its leaders.

The House In the Cerulean Sea gets closer to the truth than most fictional treatments of prejudice, but not close enough. Its conflict and resolution feel too easy to be real.

[arecomicsevengood]

“Follow Your Own Star”

Lately I’ve found it hard to shake the feeling that everything of value is being destroyed, but we are being given simulacra in exchange, while we wait, to soften the blow. The relationship between the U.S. economy and what actually has value is basically nil, obviously, and COVID has only highlighted that, but beyond that, being in isolation has brought to light how much of what I consider “real” because it exists outside the bounds of money is nonetheless vulnerable. We’ve been given podcasts to fill our working hours with parasocial relationships where once we may’ve had genuine camaraderie with our coworkers. We’re given desultory political candidates to vote for in the absence of those who would govern in accordance with our actual beliefs. It feels like an elaborate art heist is taking place, where the masterpieces are exchanged for forgeries, and the endgame of those seeking to enrich themselves is to set a bonfire of all that’s made us human, all we’ve invested our true selves into. All this can occur only because our relationships have been made increasingly transactional already. I wondered at the start of quarantine how many couples, with the ability to see one another in the flesh compromised, had switched to having “sex” over Skype, how many intimate relationships were compromised by distance into resembling cam shows. Partly this curiosity was a way of comforting myself, as I came to the understanding that I would not be entering into anything approaching a real romantic relationship for the foreseeable future.

In the context of all of this, reading a book that feels reminiscent of the work of another artist feels like a minor thing, but it slips easily enough into the larger pattern. After reading Roaming Foliage by Patrick Kyle, I thought “Huh, this is very much a CF/Brian Chippendale thing.” Then, after reading Eight-Lane Runaways by Henry McCausland, I thought, “Oh, this is even more like a CF thing.” Both are, I think, appropriate for kids, which Powr Mastrs isn’t, but I also never read Powr Mastrs and felt like the thing that made it good was its BDSM pornography elements. People have been biting CF’s style for years — enough for him to address it with a little note in the third Powr Mastrs book, instructing them to “follow your own star.” Simon Hanselmann admits the similarities between the character design for Owl and a character in CF’s story in Kramers Ergot 5, Hanselmann’s subsequent popularity seems to suggest a moment where something becomes less of a direct influence and more just something that exists generally in the world. It’s art: Inspiration, influence, and appropriation are all part of the game. Reading Hanselmann, I’ve wondered what his work would’ve been like before exposure to his most obvious influences; reading these, I wondered instead if they would still have been made had Powr Mastrs 4 ever come out, to finish out the story and close the system; it feels like, in a transactional relationship between artist and audience, the fact of a work remaining unfinished makes it more socially acceptable to steal from. For instance, think of the debt Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain owes to Rene Daumal’s Mount Analogue. It feels like an attempt to create something with an ending, to satisfy a desire for the logic to reach its conclusion. The comics fulfill a certain set of expectations, I found them a pleasant enough experience, satisfying on a certain level. However, on a deeper level, I found them completely unsatisfying, because they speak so directly to a sense of unfulfilled potential. They lack the thrill that CF’s comics provide, of totally transcending any expectations placed on them.

Measuring the impact made by CF, Paper Rad, and the Fort Thunder contingent is difficult to calculate, because there were so many radical gestures inside that work, and while some have been metabolized, others have not. The “reclamation of genre material in an art-school context” is maybe the most readily understood. Johnny Ryan’s Prison Pit probably wouldn’t exist were it not for these comics, but that’s such a “who cares” for me, such a dumbed-down and simplistic understanding of what makes these comics good. The silkscreening of covers is close behind, in terms of something that people really ran with. That’s fine, no one owns silkscreening, it looks great. What hasn’t really been reckoned with are the gestures against commodity fetishism. Paper Rodeo is progenitor of the free comics newspaper format, but the work that ran there is so much wilder than what you see in what followed, and most of it was anonymous. I understand why that was a gauntlet that wasn’t picked up, but is still one of the things that made an impact on its initial readership. Similarly, I haven’t seen anyone steal the CF format of the single-sheet xerox, with comics on the front and back. I guess that’s not surprising! But honestly? Sick format.

I’ve just been talking about comics, but Lightning Bolt playing on the floor is its own radical gesture, albeit one with an obvious precedent in the form of Crash Worship. The Forcefield oeuvre is its own thing. Those videos are great! The animation made out of photographing the cutting layers of multicolored clay… I wonder how much of this stuff hasn’t been picked up on because it’s the last stand of working with real world physical materials, before the coming of digital as the default medium for art students to work in. Obviously, the silkscreening has similar roots in physical media, and playing on floors relates directly to how you communicate with people when you’re in the same physical space as them. Real world community has distinct advantages, but many that came after took the trade for the benefits working digitally provides. Anyway. I could write a 33 1/3 book proposal for Lightning Bolt’s Ride The Skies that addresses all this stuff, but I also believe I would not be the best person to write such a book; I suspect those better suited would not be interested.

There is something so exciting about artists whose work feels overflowing with ideas, not just on a level of concept or drawing but also in terms of how the work is presented. That whole Providence/Picturebox crew was so abundant with this creative ferment that when I see others picking up on individual threads it makes sense on a certain level — you want more of a certain thing — but if it’s not backed up by something distinctly unique, as a reader I’m hyper-aware of what’s absent.

These artists also made books, and records, and it was their doing so that brought their work to a larger audience, including me. Not everything has to be a gesture against making money. But at the same time, radical gestures suggest the benefits made in fostering community work out better in the long term than leveraging oneself to be consumed as a commodity does. This is not to suggest that McCausland or Kyle are doing something wrong that will sabotage some sort of grand plan for utopia: I’m really just riffing here. If I buy electronic music mp3s online, I’m not necessarily going to lament the death of live music performance the same way I do when buying the mp3s of a jazz act. Looking at a contemporary superhero comic that feels dire and ugly will make me nostalgic for the Mike Parobeck comics of my youth, but a contemporary black and white zine exists in a completely different universe and might not remind me of anything. Certain things make you miss the world that was more than others.

It’s also worth noting that by all accounts Patrick Kyle has a bunch of people online ripping off his style but I have successfully been able to avoid such people. While Roaming Foliage is consciously modeled after the sort of weird adventure comics of not just Powr Mastrs, but also Brian Chippendale’s If N Oof,  What I am most often seeing and thinking “that’s a ripoff” is the presence of these geometrical patterns which are also similar to design choices made throughout his oeuvre. There’s a chaotic, obfuscatory energy approach to comics that he works with frequently, but so much of his other comics feel dark, melancholy, or paranoid whereas this feels much lighter in its tone. At the same time, compared to the claustrophobia of Don’t Come In Here, having his characters move about makes for an adventure narrative. Watching them wander, interact, and be given quests and goals belongs to this tradition that’s not unique to the Picturebox artists — but the feeling that this fantasy material was arrived at through adventure games like Zelda moreso than Tolkien makes for this sort of… generational level of familiarity, rather than seeming to occupy some sort of Campbellian myth-space, if that makes sense. The strangeness of Kyle’s art, where backgrounds overtake figures, suggests a sort of PC glitching, almost like the Cory Arcangel/Paper Rad collaboration Super Mario Movie, but achieved through photocopier technology of blowing up and distorting images. It is the sensation of a feeling being chased after that makes the book feel less exciting and more melancholy, though subsequently, that darker feeling might make the book slot into Kyle’s oeuvre so much that bigger fans of his might not even notice the resemblance I’m seeing.

McCausland has a list of acknowledgments in his book which includes CF alongside Herge and Otomo. I can sort of see them all, but Herge especially is an influence that’s been so widely absorbed by comics as a whole that I really only feel particularly aware of it in the case of Joost Swarte or something. McCausland’s resemblance to CF is reinforced by things as molecular as a resemblance in the lettering, which is really odd. The figures all have this youthful smallness to them, and I can’t tell if the characters are meant to be young specifically or if it’s just the way he’s learned to draw. I can see Otomo, but it’s definitely approached through the CF filter. Other trademarks, like the rendering of geometric shapes, the patterns of parallel lines, seems integrated, highlighted, by the “racetrack” premise that gives the book its name. However, he distinguishes himself because his work is more constantly busy, with the same general level of detail. There’s also these trees in the background, which seem like they’re rendered as these painted soft grey daubs, a type of texture you don’t see in CF’s darkened pencil work.

His storytelling is different, prone to large spreads, or showing the same character multiple times in a panel as they move across the landscape. (The dimensions of Eight-Lane Runaways are considerably larger than those of Powr Mastrs.) There are nonetheless panels that seem exactly like CF drawings, but with a less cryptic sense of humor. It feels more populist, like it’s based around what a person liked, and in the act of working it out, subtracted the mystery. What would’ve been a detailed “money shot” in a CF sequence is here the baseline level of drawing detail that never gets subtracted from. It’s really fascinating to me how this makes it less good, I think many people would prefer it.

I wrote most of this before learning that Anthology is releasing a new CF book next week. You can order it and see preview images at the Floating World site. You can draw your own conclusions. CF’s on his own path such that you might not even note a resemblance between his new images and McCausland’s. We’re all living on the same planet, orbiting the same sun in an expanding universe, subject to the will of an accelerating time.

[trishyeves]

Poorly Planned Halo Post

TO START WITH: SPOILERS FOR ALL OF YOUNG JUSTICE SEASON 3, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT. NOT PLANNING ON SPOILING THE WHOLE SEASON, BUT WHO KNOWS WHERE THIS WILL GO

So, because my brain is weirdly cyclical and I’ve randomly gotten back into Young Justice, I’ve been trolling through Tumblr regarding the show. In doing so, I’ve run into a lot of posts that deal with Halo, and they inspired me to write this poorly planned, probably a trainwreck post.

Before I say anything else, I feel like I should make something clear: people react to media really differently (obviously), especially if the material is personal to them in some way. For a lot of people what was done with Halo is season 3 of Young Justice isn’t just hard to watch, it was a travesty that completely ruined the show for them. That is totally fine. I would never pretend I have the authority to tell people if they should or shouldn’t be outraged by something, or mediate their reaction to a show. This is all just a splattering of my thoughts and feelings on this messy as hell lump of topics. If you read this and think my point of view is bullshit and hate what I have to say, I can totally understand why. This is just my two cents, as someone who is genderfluid/non-binary and queer. (Though I am not a person of color, I do not identify as a woman, and I have no connection to the Muslim faith.)

To start with the smaller issues: how Halo does at representing nonbinary people, women of color, Muslim people, and Bisexual/Pansexual/Queer people. I 100% agree that they could have done better in all of those departments, full-stop. In the scene establishing her as nonbinary, it would have been much better if they had established what pronouns she prefers (I’m using she/her throughout because that is what is used in the text and she/her nonbinary people are valid), how she wants to be seen, and it should have been brought up more often. The fact her only brush being interested in a girl/feminine person was a kiss that made her feel guilty for cheating on her boyfriend sucks, as it conflates her kissing Harper with shame. I don’t really feel qualified to wade into the area surrounding the portrayal of her wearing a hijab or the fact that she wasn’t really Muslim, Gabrielle was, but I have heard a lot of people’s thoughts on those topics, and I think they’re important to hear and consider.

On all of those points, I don’t think it’s possible to not consider them at least partial failures. That said, I do appreciate the attempt to give us this intersectional character who can be so many different pieces of representation at once while also being a lovable and well-developed character. I know for a lot of people the failings of her portrayal invalidate any good will their attempts at representation could have fostered, but that’s not how I feel about it.

Onto the big thing: Halo dying, graphically, a lot. It is, to say the very least, a bad look. A lot of people are upset about the fact that one of the handful of queer characters on the show, a woman of color, one who is associated with the Muslim faith, is shown being violently killed episode after episode. They have every right to be. I find it pretty abhorrent too.

It was a bad idea, a really bad idea. BUT I also don’t think it taints the entire show, and I don’t think it signifies that the people creating the show wanted to show women/queer people/poc dying graphically. That was the effect, but I highly doubt malice, sadism, or bigotry was the direct cause.

From here on out, I am talking based on my understanding of worldbuilding, character writing, television production, and what I know about the development of this show in particular. But I am not an insider with special knowledge of what went down behind the scenes, and I could be totally full of shit on a number of points.

First off, Halo is basically a completely original character. The Outsiders comic series had a Halo character who was also a gestalt entity created by a being related to the Source taking over a dead woman’s body, but from what I can tell on the whole they have little to do with her. They made the decision to change her host body’s nationality to Quaraci, probably for better representation, and changed the entity in her body into a Mother Box’s soul, which I am fairly sure was to tie her in better to the overall season’s New Gods focus, the same way they did with altering Cyborg’s origin story.

Second, they changed some of her powers, but one of the ones they kept was the idea of healing and being able to resurrect herself from death. Now, the only way to really make that work in a visual medium is for her to die sometimes, then resurrect. That does create a weird narrative element, since no other characters get badly injured/fatally wounded at the rate Halo does, but it’s a way to show her using her abilities. Of course, a lot of people have said, rightly, that there’s no need for those deaths to be so graphic. They could have been off-screen, or hinted at, or a number of other things. If the season was aired on Cartoon Network, as was originally planned, I am certain that’s what they would have done.

Thirdly, and this is the big one, I am fairly sure the decision to make her deaths as graphic as possible was tied in with it being aired on DC Universe. Sure, the platform means they could do it, but I also think it’s related to why they did it. It’s possible that Greg Weisman wanted to show off some gore thanks to the liberties granted him, but I think the more likely option is this was studio interference. They looked at the audience Young Justice had developed, one that tended heavily towards older teens and adults, and made it a condition for the show being brought back on the new streaming service that they needed to up the age rating of the show itself to match. Specifically, they probably requested more violence and for it to be more gratuitous where possible. After all, this is DC, and we all know how much they adore making things far more graphic and violent than they have any right to be, all for the sake of making their properties look more ‘grown up’.

Now, clearly some of that violence went to other characters. Victor Stone’s transformation into Cyborg is easily the most gruesome version of that story yet, and several characters throughout get pretty terrible deaths. (Baron Bedlam, for example.) But Halo got the brunt of them. After all, they needed to have more violence on the regular, but Greg Weisman hates killing characters, especially in this show. It’s a huge sandbox with as many DC characters from various eras as they can possibly fit inside it, so they don’t want heroes or villains dying when they don’t need to. But they do have this main character, one who can die again and again and again, and who can come back every time. So, Halo became a gore magnet.

I���d also wager that her being non-binary was a late addition to her character, something they only threw in as a scene once they realized that, as a living machine in a human corpse, there was no reason for her to have an attachment to any gender, and when they realized they could use that to bump up their LGBTQ+ representation, they did the scene.

None of this makes what they did good, or right, or acceptable. It still isn’t. I really, really wish it hadn’t been in the show, it turns my stomach. But at the same time, I don’t think they wrote that element for the season in an attempt to sadistically torture a marginalized character. They absolutely should have hired some sensitivity writers to look things over and catch these things, and I hope the controversy all this caused means they’ll be more careful in the future. But I am still happy they created Halo as they did and gave her to us as a fanbase, even with those disgusting death scenes. If Season 4 does actually happen, I think there is a chance they’ll have heard our voices and work to do better. This is a case where ignorance, rather than cruelty, was the cause, at least from what I can see. If you still hate that part of the show, or the show itself, I’m not expecting this to change your mind, and I don’t want it to. I just wanted to throw out my thoughts, before I collapse into sleep from a long shift at work.

[rutilation]

Does mulching a prisoner of war into shiny little woodchips before burying them alive indefinitely count as a violation of the Geneva Conventions?  Asking for a friend.

(Hi guys, I’m back, and I brought 4,400 words with me.)

First of all, my apologies for the nearly five month wait.  Ever since last spring, I haven’t had much time at all to devote to writing and I’ve only been able to work on this essay in small increments.  And yet, despite the fact that I don’t have the time to do so, this essay somehow turned into a bloated treatise on the failings of gem society.  Truly, I am a slave to my obsessions.

I’ve refrained from reading chapter 80 because I just know that if I do, it will insinuate itself into my brain like a tumor and I won’t be able to concentrate on finishing this essay.  (That said, I did happen to see someone on twitter make a joking reference to third impact in regards to said chapter, so I am certainly Afraid.)  Though my takes may be ice cold by this point, I hope that there are some nuggets of insight to be found in this.  With that said, here are my thoughts on chapters 78 and 79.

While the past two chapters have certainly been…hard to read, I think that their contents have been a long time coming, primarily regarding the parallels between Phos and Kongou, and the uglier undercurrents of gem society reaching their logical conclusion.  (And I gotta say, this display of—for lack of a better term—inhumanity on the part of the gems jives quite well with all the Shirley Jackson I’ve been reading lately. When I get tired of one display of flagrant mob violence, I can quickly flip to another.)  

And then there’s the matter of the gems on the moon…  I remember that when I first got into hnk, which was right around the time when Phos and the others left for the moon, everyone was afraid that Phos would go off the deep end and the gems stuck on the moon would end up as collateral damage in Phos’s quest for vengeance.  But since Ichikawa is too powerful us, she said “what if it was the other way around, and Phos is the one getting thrown under the bus while the moon gems start a death cult?”

So there’s a lot to talk about, but let’s address the earth gems first, because these characters sure do live in a society.  (In order to make my prose more tolerable, I encourage my readership to take a shot every time I write the words “gem society.”)

First of all, I’ve seen a number of people interpret Kongou’s line about the gems forgetting Phos very literally, and assume that the earth gems all have Phos-specific amnesia. I highly doubt this is the case, and he probably just means that Phos is now out of sight and out of mind.

As bleak as the situation is, I think it’s been a long time coming.  From the beginning, one of the major philosophical elements of the story has been how the gems’ desire to give meaning to their long lives has compelled them to create a society in which only those with a concrete purpose have value.  The characters see themselves and each other as instrumentally but not inherently valuable.  With so much of the story focused on how this ethos hurts those individuals who aren’t seen as useful, how much it fosters shame and self-hatred, and how much it makes the gems unable and unwilling to help each other through hardship and depression, it makes sense to me that this inhumane mindset would eventually boil over into something truly cruel, and thus the other shoe has finally dropped.  In a strange way, I have more respect for Rutile’s attitude towards the situation than I do the rest of the earth gems (sans Euclase, who I’ll get to in a moment.)  Rutile is treating Phos like an enemy that must be vanquished, whereas the others are treating Phos as a kid treats their dirty clothes when they don’t want to do laundry—by shoving it in the back of a closet and trying to forget about it.  The former strikes me as less dishonest and dehumanizing than the latter.

Even before chapter 79 made it official, I had a gut feeling that the timetable for figuring out what to do with Phos was nonexistent.  I’ll be generous and assume Cinnabar was being sincere in the moment when they implied that they’d put Phos back together eventually.  But just like how everyone ignored Cinnabar’s suffering because there was no compelling incentive to do anything about it, or how they all turned a blind eye to the Kongou/Lunarian situation for millennia, I figured that Phos would end up as another problem they wouldn’t bother solving. (Regarding Cinnabar, while I hope they’re still on good terms with everyone after the time skip, I would not be the least bit surprised if the earth gems started ostracizing them again once it became apparent that there would be no new attacks from the moon and thus no further reason to tolerate their mercury.)

(Bort, please stick up for them.)

And to be clear, this is a problem that the earth gems are refusing to solve in exchange for a short-term sense of security.  If Phos and Kongou had been allowed to hash things out, and this stalemate hadn’t festered for 220 years, then maybe the moon gems wouldn’t be entertaining the idea of starting that aforementioned death cult.  (Tbh, this mostly applies to 84, Yellow, and Dia, since Cairn has been their own personal death cult since chapter 33.)  Even leaving aside how bad things have gotten already, if this state of affairs had continued to drag on, I think the situation would have gotten very ugly the second Aechmea got tired of waiting.  While playing fruit ninja or whatever with Cairngorm, he says something to the effect of losing a battle here or there isn’t important as long as you win the war in the end, which I’m pretty sure is meant to communicate to the audience that Aechmea is playing the long game.  And since he hasn’t done anything in the interim other than reluctantly and incrementally humor Cairngorm’s pet project, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that he’s biding his time specifically for Phos, and that he’s counting on them eventually being reawakened.  In that case, what would have happened if Kongou had been too meek to interfere, and the gems succeeded in getting rid of Phos for good?  If Aechmea eventually gave up on his current scheme, scrapped working with Phos, and came up with a new plan, I’m betting things would quickly devolve into heinous war crimes since he’s only played nice so far in order to keep Phos on his side.

In chapter 78, we get to see two instances of the most common nugget of gem wisdom: only act when you’re guaranteed to succeed, and never take risks.  It been a common refrain, with Antarc, and more subtly, Dia being the only gems aside from Phos to push back against that sentiment.  And to be clear, I’m not saying any one of these iterations necessarily are bad advice, but it’s become increasingly obvious that it’s the only acceptable mode of dealing with problems in gem society.  More on that in a minute.

So, uh, regarding Euclase, here’s an exclusive picture of me, after I’d spent months writing: “Gee, this Euclase character seems pretty shady, but I have faith in Cinnabar, Bort, and Jade to act humanely!’

That said, I think I got at least one aspect of their characterization right in my Euclase-focused essay—that they have a greater comprehension of their mortality than most.  Unlike the other gems, they’re not childishly naïve enough to believe that ignoring their problems will save them; they understand that death is always around the corner, and that the (mostly) tranquil life the gems lead requires constant maintenance.  Simply sliding down the path of least resistance will come back to bite them all in the ass later down the line, and Euclase knows it.  That’s probably why they at least went through the motions of asking Kongou to pray every day for two hundred twenty years.

This is a bit of a tangent, but regarding my earlier point about the gems not commiserating at all, Peridot and Sphene come across as anomalies in that they helped each other through their grief over their lost partners, but that doesn’t seem to happen all that often.  As we see in the aftermath of the winter arc, it seemingly did not occur to any of the gems who had lost friends of their own to try and help Phos through their grief.  And I think it’s likely that they weren’t given much comfort in their hours of need either.  Yellow bottled up their grief, Alex and (presumably) Red Beryl threw themselves into their work to the point of obsession, and Ghost seemed to have largely withdrawn from everyone else.  But none of them really healed or helped anyone else heal.  Despite their society placing a high value on interdependence, the gems are truly alone when they have to reckon with complicated or inconvenient emotions.

It may be hard to remember, but Phos was once influenced by all these toxic mindsets as well.  Recall Phos’s conversation with Benito in chapter two: it implies that Cinnabar did live with the other gems during Phos’s lifetime, recently enough that Phos expects to find them in their room.  From this we can infer that our kindhearted Phos never reached out to the clearly lonely Cinnabar while they were actually around, and didn’t even notice when they left the school for good.  They may have had the potential for kindness from a very young age, but it was only when they were hit with with the stark truth of Cinnabar’s suffering that they snapped out of the fog of apathy that seems to surround the gems.

In fact, it almost seems like the struggle to drag the gems kicking and screaming out of their comfort zone is a macrocosm for what Phos had to grow out of at the beginning of the series.  You’ll recall that once upon a time they were lazy, wanted easy solutions to their problems, and had no faith in their ability to effect change.  In fact, I’d go so far as to say that in the eyes of gem society, the problem wasn’t really that Phos was lazy, it’s that their laziness manifested in the wrong ways.  They were supposed to be fastidious and reliable about things like crafting, or fighting, or writing reports, but apathetic towards anything that requires more nuance or imagination than that, kindness or cruelty be damned.

All this is cast into even sharper relief if you think back on the arc with Ventricosus.  She was in far more dire straits than the earth gems are now, and had a compelling incentive to throw Phos under the bus.  But in the end, that wasn’t a line she was willing to cross.  Her final line: “If we’re not willing to change our ways, we’ll end up just like the Lunarians,” seems quite portentous in retrospect.  I don’t think Ichikawa is positing that being immortal makes you a sociopath, otherwise characters like Kongou, Yellow, and Padpa wouldn’t be such cinnamon buns.  But I think she is insinuating that someone who refuses to change is dooming themselves to a state of perpetual immaturity, and that being truly kind requires growing up a bit.  It’s a harder for someone who knows they’ll die one day to remain in a state of arrested development than it is for someone who could indefinitely procrastinate on growing up, and just focus all their mental energy into making paper or whatever for all of eternity.

And this seems as good a point as any to stop harping on gem society and start talking about the gems on the moon, starting with my muse, my most problematic of faves.

I brought up in my chapter 77 essay that Aechmea may not be willing to divulge what he was about to tell Cairn, and that was exactly what happened.  Since he’s only willing to share this mysterious information if he literally would not be around for the fall out, I’m guessing that whatever this secret is, it’s not benign.  And while Cairn has probably put it out of their mind by chapter 79, it’s clear that it’s bugging them before the time skip.  I smell a shocking revelation brewing and I dread to imagine what could possibly top mind-control eyeballs.  Make no mistake, I’ve devoted an embarrassing amount of brainspace the past nine months or so to contemplating what it will look like when the other shoe finally drops for Cairn’s character arc.  (Is there a German word for the ambivalence that arises from wanting to call future plot twists for bragging rights, but not wanting to look like a dipshit if your predictions are wrong?)

Their line from chapter 78 that I alluded to earlier in this essay is rather interesting to me, because although they’re referring to Phos, they might as well be talking about Aechmea.  They exhausted themselves to their breaking point trying to look after someone who didn’t take care of themselves, but they’ve nonetheless latched onto someone who is also seeking self-destruction.  And as I pointed out earlier in this essay, this line also serves as yet another iteration of the defeatist sentiment that the gems often espouse.  But, for a while, it had seemed like Cairn was moving away from that.  The decision Cairn made in chapter 67 was certainly…fraught.  But, one can’t deny that it wasn’t a brave one on their part, to leave behind everything they knew and cared about for a shot at living authentically; the only problem was that they undercut that step forward by returning to their chronic doormat tendencies.  And again in chapter 70, they took a risk by sneaking off to earth knowing that Aechmea would pitch a fit later.  But ever since chapter 75, they’ve been backsliding.  As said chapter pointed out, their wish has shifted from wanting freedom to wanting what amounts to eternal codependency.  I also find it interesting that Cairngorm apparently hasn’t bothered with getting a new name, and is just copying Aechmea’s shtick of going by his title.  They’ve gone from sharing a name with Ghost, to having their own name, to not having a name at all.  In conclusion, my child is a god damned mess.

I know I said I was done talking about gem society, but I guess I’m not.  Going back to what I said in the last paragraph, about Phos not taking care of themselves, that’s been a reoccurring element throughout the series, and in my opinion, it was a significant contributor to the breakdown of Phos’s relationships.  The reason Phos never just tried to make friends with Cinnabar—which is what the latter really wanted, and only focused their efforts on following through on their promise, was because Phos’s self-loathing runs so deep that it doesn’t occur to them that anyone would actually want their company for its own sake. Chapter 14 is the most direct allusion to this in my mind.  Phos clearly wants to talk to Cinnabar, but instead they hide away and mutter that they’d have nothing to say to them.  And as I touched on a moment ago, Phos’s self-destructive tendencies wore down Cairngorm over the course of their partnership.  

But, here’s the thing: Phos’s self-loathing isn’t some immutable part of their nature, it was instilled in them by their society from the moment it became apparent that Phos couldn’t slot neatly into a role.  This is very apparent in the early chapters, in which no one ever misses an opportunity to remind Phos of their uselessness (except Dia, bless their heart.)  Back then, they pretended to not care about it by way of snark and bravado, but in truth, I think it warped their self-perception in an incredibly negative way.  

There’s also something that illustrates this which has been on my mind for a while, but I haven’t had the opportunity to talk about it.  When Phos was trapped by their arms during Antarc’s fateful capture, the insult they yelled at their arms to get them moving is the same one that Bort lobbed at them a few times in volume one.  I usually see different translations of the word between the two scenes, but to my non-Japanese-fluent ears, it sounded like the same word to me when I watched the anime.  It was a striking way of implying that this moment of personal growth had been seeded with something more insidious, that their self-loathing is a taint that has followed them across their many incarnations.  I’m not the first one to point this out, but there’s always been a certain tension within the text regarding Phos’s changes.  On one hand, their courage to change is framed as admirable and heroic, but on the other hand, they’re also hurting themselves because of social pressure to avoid being useless, which is kind of awful.  I think the narrative resolves this tension by making Phos’s quest for validation something which would eventually lead them to try and tear down the status quo that they hurt themselves for in the first place.  

Okay, back to the moon gems.  I’ve reread the part of chapter 79 focused on the moon several times, and it just feels more ominous with each iteration.  What exactly was their idea of administering therapy for Yellow?  Why is Amethyst on board with Cairn’s death bullshit?  Why is Dia okay with it?  Why did they stop fixing the dusted gems?  And most concerning, where are the other three gems—especially Alex who would probably be extremely opposed to halting the gem restoration?  It feels as if there’s something terrible just out of our field of view and chapter 79 is dancing around it.  (But hey, my intuition was wrong about Euclase so maybe when I read chapter 80 Ichikawa will tell me that Alex, Goshe, and Benito were at moon-disneyland the whole time, and that Aechmea is a real swell guy, actually.)

(No, I’m not bitter in the least.)

I also find it interesting that in chapter 79, Cairn is espousing a lot of the same sentiments as poor Yellow, but since they can mask the dysfunction better, they’re treated as an expert rather than a victim.  In reality, both of them are in serious need of a therapist, which is apparently non-existent in the post-post-apocalypse.

And finally, Barbata continues to be the truest audience surrogate.  I find it interesting that he clearly doesn’t approve of all the bullshit going on, while at the same time being too reticent to do anything about it, aside from some side-eyes and passive-aggressive comments.  Perhaps there will be some payoff to this down the line?

At this point, let’s talk about Kongou, because both his actions and his role as a sort of parallel to Phos in the narrative are fascinating.  I think this is the first time in the story that he’s really done something proactive.  I touched on this in a cursory character analysis I did for him, but to reiterate, the impression I got from his at times obtuse and contradictory behavior was that he had completely given up on trying to solve the Lunarian problem long before the series had begun, and that the only thing cutting through his despair and compelling him to get up in the morning and not just “meditate” forever was the prospect of spending a little more time with the people he loves, even knowing that he couldn’t protect them in any way that mattered.  But watching Phos’s struggle reignited a tiny bit of hope in him, enough that he wanted them to succeed in their efforts, but not enough for him to believe that he himself could make a difference.  To me, that seems like the only explanation that accounts for both his obstinacy when Phos directly confronted him along with his casual acceptance of the path Phos has been walking.

So for him to go behind everyone’s back to fix Phos is quite the departure from his usual passivity, and it tells us that he’d rather subject himself and everyone else to Phos’s brand of chaos than endure stasis that comes with their absence.  And it really does seem like the world enters a stasis along with Phos whenever they end up comatose.  Nothing moves forward, and the only thing to mark the passage of time are small deteriorations: Morga and Goshe are captured, and Cairn quietly becomes suicidal, and this time around, Yellow gradually loses their mind, the Admirabilis that Phos tried to spare overcrowd the tiny waterways they were released into, and the gems on the moon stop caring about whether they live or die.

For a while now, various characters both gem and Lunarian have called Phos their hope, or their savior, or some variation thereupon, and with each new iteration, the sentiment feels more and more ironic.  Time and time again, Phos rises to the occasion only to buckle under pressure, their noble intentions haven’t gotten them good results since, like, chapter 10, and everyone who at one point had faith in them is completely done with them.  And at the end of it all, they don’t have it in them to ask Kongou to pray on anyone’s behalf but their own, as if they’ve become so exhausted that they don’t have the energy to be kind anymore.  And just to rub salt in the wound, their ambiguous phrasing makes it unclear whether Phos is asking to Kongou get rid of the Lunarians or themselves.

All of this seems to mirror what Kongou is implied to have gone through.  He was created to save the souls of humanity, but was ill-equipped for the task, and he’s spent god knows how many millennia dogged by his failure to deliver.  Aechmea’s line in chapter 55 about how his human creators didn’t bother to think about what would happen to him after everyone was gone, in my mind, parallels how Phos has been abandoned by the people who once supported them once they became too much of an inconvenience.

So now that these two failed saviors are finally confronting each other with no lies to hide behind, and nothing to get between them, what’s going to happen?  I get the feeling that chapter 80 is going to give us some long awaited catharsis, for better or worse.  (Please Ichikawa, make things a little better for once.)

On a related note, I’m hoping this possible catharsis might clarify something else for me.  For all that the series is steeped in Buddhist symbolism and philosophy, I’ve never been able to tell what Ichikawa actually thinks of Buddhism.  On one hand, the assumptions that life boils down to suffering and that the self is ephemeral and illusory are certainly present, but on the other hand, the characters who lean most heavily on the Buddhist aesthetic are villains, the characters most invested in reaching nirvana are portrayed as…let’s say misguided at best, and as I’ve already noted above, our two would-be Buddhas are chronically ineffectual.  If I had to take a stab at it, I’d guess that the aspect of the philosophy that she takes issue with is the idea of relying on a savior figure and the idea that there exists a nirvana that could save anyone from samsara.  But if the Lunarians’ wish were a complete pipe dream, then Shiro et al wouldn’t have already disappeared?  Unless that was a misdirection and their souls were actually reincarnated?  Idk, I don’t have enough brain cells to parse The Most Viable Interpretation at this juncture in the story.

Lastly, assuming Phos doesn’t ascend to nirvana via pure rage next chapter, I think their next replacement is going to be imminent.  All of Phos’s other changes have been accompanied by death and birth imagery: they lost their legs out at sea, which is where inclusions are said to emerge, they lost their arms and their head at the site of their birth, the time they spent comatose evoked the image of a shrouded corpse in a morgue, their first trip to the moon in which they got their new eye apparently lasted the length of a Buddhist funeral, and now, they’ve literally been buried.  (On a side note, it’s interesting that there’s a lot more death imagery for their later transformations, while their earlier changes alluded to birth.)  I’m not the first person to point this out, but it seems likely to me that Rutile made good on their threat to throw Phos into the ocean, and discarded whatever pieces they were assigned to bury.  And indeed, there seems to be a gaping hole in Phos’s torso.  I still think Padparadscha is the most likely candidate for a replacement—the red stone from the lotus sutra has been alternately described as ruby, carnelian, amber, or coral, and Padparadscha is the closest we have to any of those—but who knows.  Ichikawa might even decide to stop short of all seven treasures in service of some greater thematic purpose.

And with that, this belated essay is finally done.  Except it isn’t.  This is a complete tangent, but I recently looked up the one and only region where gem-quality phosphophyllite was briefly mined, a mountain in the Bolivian Andes called Cerro Rico.  Hundreds of thousands have died there since the 16th century while mining silver, and that figure may be lowballing it, as some scholars think the death toll is actually in the millions.  It is colloquially known as “the Mountain that Eats Men,” and the miners pay tribute to this fellow in hopes of avoiding cave-ins and pockets of toxic gas, but are otherwise doomed to die young from silicosis.  According to a forum post I found belonging to a mineral collector, the mineshaft where all the phosphophyllite came from had to be walled off with a concrete bulkhead because the poisonous gases that accumulated in the tunnel had killed a number of miners.  The idea of gem mining already conjures up images of exploited workers in abject conditions, but I must say that Maneater Mountain exceeded my expectations.

Okay, now I’m actually done.  I’m going to get some sleep on account of the fact that it’s 2 AM, but afterwards I shall read the new chapter and repeat this whole grueling cycle over again, but like, in a timely manner.

[triptychgames]

The Big Four

I thought I'd kick of this inaugural blog post by talking about a design philosophy that I discovered (Adam Koebel is where first I learned about it) and am currently using to help shape what Fortunes & Frontiers will become.

The theory behind The Big Three Questions is something that was developed as a method for examining what the core elements of your game are while acting as a guide for keeping your designs inline with those elements throughout development. From what I have read, the concept was first talked about by Jared Sorenson and Luke Crane during design seminars they held at conventions. John Wick also appended an additional question to the mix that we will look at later. Asking yourself these questions can help you to look beyond any setting or mechanical noise to discover what your game is really about.

Today I am going to attempt to answer these questions about the game I am working on with hope that it can illustrate what I am trying to accomplish with the game and maybe even act as a tool to help you with your own designs. I will try to answer each of these questions as concisely as I can and then follow that up with a brief overview of what the question means and a few examples. The way I am presenting this is merely my interpretation of the idea and you can obviously retool this for your own needs.

Question 1 - What is your game about?

It is about feeling hopeless and desperate in a world that wants to break you and having enough courage and determination to do something about it.

Take note that nothing in that statement gives any indication of what setting the game takes place in or any of the mechanics or systems of the game. It merely sets up the notion that you are portraying a character who is fed up with the way things are and is ready to do whatever needs to be done to change it. Many people would initially think that a game is about its setting but what we are really seeking to understand is the idea or concept behind the game.

So, if we were having a discussion about Dungeons & Dragons and I were to ask you, "What is that game about?", you would probably scoff at me and explain that D&D is a game about brave adventurers in a fantasy world full of dragons and magic. Now, if we were talking about the setting, then you would be correct, but the question isn't asking about the setting or the characters...it asks what it is about. If you were to really pick it apart, D&D is about killing monsters, stealing their treasure, and becoming more powerful so that you can proceed to kill even bigger monsters and loot even more treasure.

Here are some more examples:

The Burning Wheel — It is about dynamic characters who are driven by their beliefs, instincts, and traits.

Blades in the Dark — It is about a group of scoundrels trying to build a criminal enterprise.

Question 2 - How does the game accomplish this?

The characters constantly face new threats and must push themselves to their limits and be willing to pay whatever cost necessary to overcome them.

We aren't necessarily looking for mechanics at this point. We are simply trying to understand how the game will allow the players to feel as if the answer to the first question is legit. Let's try to break this down even further—if the world that the characters are living in wants to break them, how do we simulate that? By always providing new or persistent threats and obstacles for them to overcome. They are always being tested and this can lead to feelings of hopelessness and desperation and forces them to push their limits and pay whatever cost needed to succeed.

Falling back on our Dungeons & Dragons example, you might say that the game accomplishes its core concept because the characters are given weapons and abilities that allow them to kill monsters and take their loot.

Once again, the two examples from the previous question:

The Burning Wheel — The Game Master is encouraged to create problems and challenges that test the beliefs and instincts of the characters which then fosters significant changes in their motivations.

Blades in the Dark — Players seek out opportunities that force them to take risks and put their characters into danger. Everything the characters do has consequences and shifts the balance of power in the city.

Question 3 - How does the game encourage or reward this behavior?

Players are rewarded for making desperate choices, overcoming obstacles with their specific abilities, acting on their beliefs, desires, or heritage, or when stress or trauma causes them to struggle.

The players are encouraged to push their characters to their limits to achieve their goals. These characters are desperate and should be willing to do whatever it takes to survive. They are hopeless and using their abilities to overcome struggles should be a beacon of hope—an indication that they can make a difference. Sometimes the choices characters make in desperation bring about more stress or harm. Players should be rewarded for their willingness to take action knowing there will likely be consequences.

This question seeks to understand why the players should care about the first two questions. Why should I care about my character feeling hopeless and desperate? Because you are rewarded for taking desperate action despite feeling like there is no hope.

Looking back to our Dungeons & Dragons example, we see that the players care about killing monsters and looting treasure because they are rewarded with better gear and more powerful abilities for doing so. If killing monsters didn't make the characters more powerful then why bother fighting them at all? This was especially true in old school D&D. Players earned way more XP for the treasure they looted than they did for killing things. This reward structure encouraged players to try and avoid fighting monsters because it was more profitable to avoid them and focus on looting.

The answers to the third question for our two examples:

The Burning Wheel — Players are rewarded for acting in accordance with or in opposition to their beliefs, instincts, and traits.

Blades in the Dark — Players are rewarded for making desperate choices, overcoming obstacles with their specific abilities, expressing their core values, or when vices or trauma causes them to struggle.

Notice how similar the answer for my game reflects the answers from these two examples?

Question Four - How can I make this fun for the players?

Even though the game is difficult by design, the players should always feel like they are in control of their character's destiny. In order to achieve this, players ALWAYS get to decide AND describe how they succeed AND how they fail and they should ALWAYS have the opportunity to resist the consequences of a failed roll.

Fortunes & Frontiers is a Forged in the Dark game. As such, it employs fictional positioning and the effect of an action is determined by how well you rolled against the determined position. If you fail or succeed with consequences, the GM will offer a number of different options based on the results of the action roll. You get to decide which option happens and you also have the opportunity to describe what happens to your character as a result. The Game Master never gets to force actions and consequences on the players' characters. Their job is to help with the narrative and provide opportunities for the characters to propel the story forward.

The inspiration for this occurred while watching John Wick talk about his game, Houses of the Blooded, in which he detailed how much he wanted to avoid what he called 'the whiff factor'. I don't recall the exact details of how he mechanized this concept, but it essentially boils down to giving players control over what happens to their character even when they fail. You set your character up for this big, pivotal moment and then the dice cause the whole experience to come crashing down because the roll failed. Using the above idea we can mitigate that feeling by allowing the player to decide and describe what happens even if their character failed in their actions.

In summary, Fortunes & Frontiers is a game about feeling hopeless and desperate in a world that wants to break you and having enough courage and determination to do something about it. The characters constantly face new threats and must push themselves to their limits and be willing to pay whatever cost necessary to overcome them. Players are rewarded for making desperate choices, overcoming obstacles with their specific abilities, acting on their beliefs, desires, or heritage, or when stress or trauma causes them to struggle. Even though the game is difficult by design, the players should always feel like they are in control of their character's destiny and they always get to decide and describe how they succeed and how they fail and always have the opportunity to resist the consequences of any roll.

I hope this was informative and gives you an idea of what the design goals are for this game. Please feel free to hit me up on Twitter if you have any questions or ideas that you'd like to share!

[thedeadflag]

so this is something I've been mulling over for a while now - do you reckon it'd be possible to make a version of a/b/o that isn't fundamentally transphobic, or would it reach the point of "this is so different that you might as well not call it a/b/o" before that? off the top of my head you'd have to take out all elements of g!p, mpreg, and biological essentialism, and it'd probably be possible to write a version of a/b/o with that framework, but I don't know if I'm missing anything.

a/b/o is a reactionary trope that relies on cissexism-derived biological essentialism to function. Like, that’s the engine that powers the bdsm/power dynamics, cisheteronormative breeding/family building, “dub/non-con”, etc. elements that draw people to it, and led people to create it in the first place. 

Like, my best attempt at describing a non-transphobic, non-shitty typical a/b/o adjacent fic would include:

Werewolves (let’s face it, werewolves can be really cool if written well, and there’s a lot of really good ways to write them, a lot of ways to subvert tired subtropes within the trope)

Found Family-focused family/pack building (because wolves often adopt wolves from other packs into their own, blood lineage isn’t really a thing; much like vampires being created, newly turned werewolves of any age can be considered their sire’s child; if it needs to have a pregnancy arc between two men or two women, there’s IVF/IUI, or magically/spiritually-induced pregnancies, and of course writing a fully fledged complex trans character with their own non-pregnancy arc and virtues/flaws/goals/etc. and getting relevant trans beta writers who aren't your friends to keep it on track if you’re a cis writer)

A flexible, non-binary gendered society (rather than the rigidly structured biology-is-destiny a/b/o society) that’s trans inclusive either explicitly, or implicitly if it’s a new social universe with different rules. 

If mating seasons have to exist, they’re cultural more than biological, and no biological processes that could impede or trouble a person’s ability to properly consent. 

No inherent, glorified or reified power dynamics, certainly none rooted in or fostered through biology. 

That doesn’t seem very much at all like a/b/o to me. It’s a werewolf AU, which is the reason why a/b/o was created in the first place. It wasn’t enough. It needed something more than just a supernatural bent

I’ll continue on below for a bit on some simplified functions of a/b/o, but it’s mostly just some ramblings.

-

Like, to quote the originators of the genre/trope:

I'd like to see Alpha male Jared, and Bitch male Jensen. Jensen is a snotty prude (think Lady from lady and the tramp) he may be a bitch male but he's not just going to let anybody take a go at his sweet little ass...until he meets Jared...then prudey little Jensen turns cock slut for Jared. Bonus points for J2 being OTP, Jensen was a virgin before Jared, and now that they met each other, it's for life.

...

There are three types of men, alpha males, beta males, and omega males. Alpha males are like any ordinary guy with the exception of their cocks, they work just like canines (the knot, tons of cum, strong breeders, etc) The beta male, is an ordinary guy without the special cock. Omega males are capable of child bearing and often called bitch males.

Like, I want you to look at that real close and see what’s going on in there.

This was created to be a trope where there’s a world where women, as we explicitly know them, don’t exist, but where a subgroup of men take up the functional role of the woman in the heteronormative social structure of the world. It’s also not surprising that (assumedly cis) women created and initiated the spread of this trope.

Look at the language used. This is heavily, explicitly gendered for a reason. If you’ve read much of anything about how the male gaze impacts female sexuality, you’ll know a common response is for women to position themselves out of the proverbial frame entirely, so that no part of them can explicitly exist as an object, where they can take on the role of a subject. There’s no women whose experiences will directly link to her own and her own perceptions, comfort/discomfort/etc.

However, many of these women also have been heavily affected by the male gaze and heteronormativity, and that combined with not knowing what a real gay male relationship is like, what it looks like, what experiences might be unique to it...they fill in the blanks with their own conditioning. 

And maybe seeing a lot of that toxic masculinity in media content was unsettling because of how women get treated in that content, and how they in turn might feel in those shoes. But if a MAN, even if it’s a heavily female-coded man, were to undergo that...well, it’d be easier to appreciate those tropes and dynamics they’ve been force-fed to believe were arousing, hot, desirable. Especially if they can have two hot men in it. They can enjoy that self-created taboo, bypass their own discomfort and insecurity, and project it onto a type of person different enough to suspend their disbelief and maintain that difference, even if they’re pumping that guy full of all the typical misogynistic tropes and experiences they’re not comfortable having directed towards them and other women.

In short, it’s a way to get off on heteronormative norms/tropes, using another as a vehicle in order to keep up their cognitive dissonance.

Of course, this eventually spilled out into the Het fandom (makes perfect sense, since many of the a/b/o originators and proponents were het women), and then worked its way into Femslash fandom by piggybacking on g!p in order to meet the necessary criteria for PiV sex. 

Just, in this case, you necessarily shift some of the puzzle pieces around. Trans women take the place of the “alpha”, acting as an acceptable vehicle for a toxic masculine cis man, since lesbians aren’t into men. Even if the trans woman is generally written, in nearly every way aside from part of her body, as a toxic cis man. The original a/b/o’s “Bitch Male”/Omega Male is swapped out for the  Omega Female, usually a spunkier, more in your face version outside of romantic/sexual contexts in the media content, but let’s be real here, she’s still by and large submissive when it comes down to it. 

In a world where more wlw grew up feeling predatory for their attraction to other women, for feeling sinful, for being rejected from female intimacy het women enjoyed with each other after coming out, etc., it’s pretty common for a lot of lesbians to lack initiative, not be able to read or communicate romantic/sexual cues between each other...to essentially be “useless lesbians’ as the joke goes,and to feel isolated and undesirable. 

So writing a F/F fic where some hot woman modeled in the image of some hot cis woman pursues you? Takes the initiative sexually/romantically? Doesn’t beat around the bush, but is blatant? Who can’t control her lust around you? Who can give you the perfect nuclear family you’ve been conditioned to want in order to feel value in our heteronormative world, but were told you weren’t worthy of or could never feasibly attain? Who gives you a sexual encounter you have some education in and some emotional stake in due to common conditioning of PiV sex > all else? Who can give you plausible deniability for a number of contexts due to a lack of ability to explicitly consent? etc. etc.

Like, yeah, that’s going to feel comfortable for a lot out there. That’s going to seem pretty hot/arousing. It’s a way to get off on the norms and expectations thrown on women in society, but in a way that lets them distance themselves ever so slightly from men by shifting it from text to subtext, explicit to implicit.

Don’t just take my word for it, though. Here’s a few snippets from one of the most popular g!p/omegaverse femslash writers (if not the most popular) that help illustrate how/why this trope has found an audience

Why Do I Write G!P?The elephant in the room. It arouses me, but it’s also a form of self-comfort. I grew up in a very fundamentalist home. Women being with women was at first unspoken, and then derided, both by my church and at home. I felt insanely guilty for my attractions, so I developed ‘cheat codes’ to deal with it.

It was okay if the woman I had sex with in my dreams had a penis, for example. It was okay if she forced me to have sex with her. It was okay if we basically simulated heterosexual sex.

Because of my childhood (which included conversion therapy), I found myself falling into heterosexual roleplay patterns, at least sexually. It was a lingering thing from my childhood.

It’s still there, and I know I’ll never be rid of it.

...

I associate penetration with power. You know, being steeped in sexism from an early age turned some problematic thoughts into kinky lemonade. And since I’m a femme sub, taking power away from the top by ‘penetrating’ them can ruin the mood for me. I mean, I can write power bottom scenes with the best of them, and I enjoy them, but… *shrug* if I’m going to write omegaverse or g!p, someone’s getting fucked, and it’s not the top.

There are rules to a/b/o. There are specific reasons it’s sought out, read, and created, and that’s why it’s hard to imagine a version of it without those harmful elements, because the trope requires them for the audience to be satisfied.

It’s why all gay male a/b/o fits a pretty specific pattern. it’s why femslash a/b/o fits a very specific pattern. There’s nearly no deviation as a rule, because there are so many parts that have to be in play and functioning in a specific way in order to get the desired result. 

I could go on for hours about this, and the above is all a pretty damn simplified take of what’s going on in a/b/o for it to exist in the way it does and meet the needs of the audience, and I’ve already written a lot about this in the past, so I’ll try to cut it short here.

[the-roanoke-society]

How did Mothman come to Roanoke? What was his beginning like?

that’s an excellent question! let’s talk about our boy joseph moretti.

joe, unlike some of our other members, didn’t develop his abilities until a good decade after puberty hit him like a freight train.

he was in college in southern florida when he first began to notice with not a small amount of irritation that he seemed to lose everything he put his hands on—only for it to abruptly reappear in his hands either hours or sometimes even days later. this went on for about a year before one of his rooomates—joe was a member of the alpha phi alpha house on campus, so he had plenty of roommates in his time living in the frat house—suggested that he try to control it.

“dude, dude just—like. focus. do like mr. miyagi said.”

“what did mr. miyagi say that would help in this situation, chris?”

“uh—something something balance?”

“excellent, thanks for that contribution.”

“i’m trying to help you bro!”

it took practice. a lot of practice. joe had to learn how to meditate, how to train his mind to keep things very separate and aimed in specific ways. he’d never sent a person into the nowhere zone (as chris stine had so christened it around 1985), and it wasn’t something he necessarily wanted to try.

but he, like almost all of the men and women who would go on to be members of the roanoke executive board, eventually did learn to bring his abilities under his own control. … at least, for the most part. he would be a grown man before learning the more intimate secrets of the strange unseen universe that was tied to him.

now, all this wasn’t super great for his dating life (he accidentally bopped a few dates in the back of their heads with books, mugs…), but it was stellar for his frat brothers.

you need booze but don’t have an id? you need to sneak something into or out of somewhere? joe was your man. his abilities won him the coveted title of worst-kept secret on campus. worst-kept because chris couldn’t keep his mouth shut, but even with his wide-eyed insistence and stories—most of the student body shrugged it off.

physics doesn’t work like that. impossible. absolutely not. not real.

but the people who believed, the people who saw? they didn’t know it was a peek into something bigger. they just thought joe was—gifted.

and thank god that chris stine had a huge mouth, otherwise it wouldn’t have to led to one joaquin foster—at the time, roanoke’s mothman—to finding him.

of course, it wouldn’t have led to paul todd finding him, either.

once joe graduated, he had already been on the radar for some—we’ll say seedier groups of people. people familiar with drug-running, the business of underground narcotic trails and cartels.

the money was hard to say no to.

joe has not always been as… upstanding, as we know him to be. he thanks all the gods he knows that he didn’t meet louise until later in life, after all of this was nothing more than a shameful closed chapter.

and he decided that chapter would have most likely been titled ‘joseph moretti - the single greatest drug smuggler in the history of mankind.’

he doesn’t like to talk about it much. and even though it was something he was technically good at (and that paid exceptionally well in pretty much every single way you can think of), it didn’t exactly leave him feeling fulfilled at the end of the day, no matter how many people were in his bed with him, how choice the drugs, how luxurious his surroundings.

paul todd was an excellent boss. do what he said, don’t ask questions, and your reward is getting to be a mule and not having to help draw lines through the names on a chalkboard paul kept in his office.

but joaquin would prove to be a bit better.

he trailed joe for a while. a few months, at least. got to witness how easily he committed felonies, the party boy lifestyle that had become the bow that wrapped up his life. but more importantly joaquin knew that once every few weeks, joe would go to the beach all by himself around midnight and stare out into the ocean for hours at a time.

so. he waited until joe was at his usual spot, and silently walked up next to him. his face caught the orange glow of a cigarette. “… penny for your thoughts?”

looking back, joe couldn’t tell you why, exactly, he proceeded to unload every single thought he had onto this man he didn’t know.

but he reckoned that maybe it had something to do with the fact that no one had asked him even a simple ‘are you all right?’ in a very, very long time.

by the end of the word vomit that joe couldn’t quite seem to stop, the stranger had gone through his cigarette and an entire second one.

“… uhm. i’m uh.” there was no easy recovery from this one. “sorry. about that. i’ll figure it out. nobody’s problem but mine.”

and for a beat, joaquin didn’t say anything. until: “… what do you call it?”

“… what?”

he repeated. “what do you call it? the place that you keep the drugs in.”

all the color drained from joe’s face and he found himself rooted to the sand in fear.

this was not one of his college friends, this was not anyone under paul’s direction, this was someone that he’d never seen before in his life and he’d somehow pieced together his biggest secret--which joe was, y’know, pretty sure he hadn’t explained in explicit detail. his existential crisis, yes, but his powers, absolutely not.

but joaquin smiled. he looked like a wolf and joe wasn’t exactly comforted.

he watched joaquin walk closer to the water and realized this guy had no shoes on, and that his pants were rolled up and cuffed just below his knees. then he—started doing tai chi?

joe frowned, staring. nope, not tai chi. what was this dude—

he almost screamed as a glob of saltwater hit him scare in the face, sending him to his knees reflexively. it was so dark that he hadn’t seen it. but when he opened his eyes again, sputtering and tearing up, he did see a second ball of water, rotating in perfect peace a few inches above joaquin’s open palm.

“… please don’t throw that at me.” was what came out.

but what he had meant then, was oh—you’re like me.

“i have some people that are very, very keen on meeting you. and i’ll be upfront, they’re just as interested in what you can do as who you work for now. but could i perhaps take advantage of any curiosity you have in being on the right side of the law?”

“but i can’t—“

“yes you can.”

“but paul w—“

“we can take care of it.”

“but what ab—“

“joseph.” that stopped him. “… we got you.”

joaquin put a broad hand on joe’s shoulder. joe didn’t shake him off, and it felt more like a burden being lifted than a weight being set down.

of course, it took a little bit more persuasion than one inspiring speech on a dark shore. but joseph was instated as agent cambrion before the year was out.

given the space to grow upwards and outwards, he absolutely blossomed under joaquin’s mentorship.

sometimes to get the best out of a person, you just have to give them the circumstances to prove that they can be good. joseph understood that his jagged path had been his own choice, but he’d been walking around completely unaware that there were groups of people—good people, even!—who not only accepted him for who he was and what he could do, but celebrated it. they taught him how to use his abilities for the benefit of others (not the same-shaped benefits from his previous line of work, either—better. much, much better).

he didn’t like to contemplate for too long why he went with paul.

paul had given him an opportunity to be his truest self. in the wrong direction, sure. but joe at the time hadn’t seen any other alternatives, beyond getting inevitably squared into a safe, 9-to-5 cubicle job.

he chose being able to use his powers for nefarious reasons over living a life where he wouldn’t really get to use them at all. he didn’t like what it said about himself as a person, but there had to have been a point, he thought, that he was who he was. there had to have been a reason.

when roanoke found him—the reason found him, too.

of course, there remains the question: how did joe inherit mothman’s title?

joaquin got the honor of being one of the executive offices chosen to go on an initial trip to a new gateway, gate point ninety-three point one, in the early 90s. a kingdom, not too far off from earth’s own medieval history—but with the elements of magic and fantasy that roanoke was familiar with. he tagged joe to come with him.

joaquin, to make a long story exceptionally short—fell in love. both with a place, and a person.

their first diplomatic visit was a success. as were the next two.

but joaquin couldn’t bear to make the trip of a fourth time, mostly because he couldn’t stomach the thought of having to keep making returns trips to a timeline where impa never existed, nor her people, or the royal family they served.

joe was very, very lucky. a lot of agents inherit handles from mentors due to death afield, or other violent circumstances.

joaquin was granted permission to remain a permanent ambassador of roanoke to the kingdom of hyrule. this title translated to captain of king’s guard, which meant that joe wasn’t just given the name mothman in some boring way lined with paperwork—there was an entire knighting ceremony. lilith and the white lady had been one of the few human witnesses.

so. all in all. it’s sort of a good beginning and a bad beginning all in one. joe’s made peace, for the most part, that he needs both parts to make up the whole of who he is today.

and who he is today is pretty damn great, if you ask me.

not that it’s very important to this story, but i would like to point out that almost three decades later, another set of roanoke agents walked into that same castle without having any idea who joaquin was.

“welcome, travelers! i can see by your dress you’ve come a long way. tell me, who sent you?”

“oh! uh—hi! i’m agent seraphim, of roanoke. and this is agent nova and agent zenith. we caught word that something was happening in the far reaches of the kingdom. we’ve come to help. it’s nice to meet you, sir—?”

“joaquin. sir joaquin. … formerly of roanoke.”

[imagine-loki]

Giftless

TITLE: Giftless CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 24/50

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: 

Imagine that you are Stark’s niece and you secretly share a strong relationship with Loki since he entered the crew. One day you get hurt so bad during a mission that you are about to die.  Loki knows a spell that will save you and share his immortality with you but you and he will be linked forever sharing thoughts, pain, emotions…

RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

Loki woke you fairly early the next morning. Your cat ears were gone and he was back to his male form. They’d both gone back before you’d gone to bed that night.  

“Wake up, darling. I have a surprised planned,” he told you gently as he shook you awake. You opened your eyes and smiled up at him.

“What kind of surprise?” you asked, too curious for your own good.

“The kind that is a surprise,” he replied dryly. You laughed and climbed out of bed. “Allow me,” he told you warmly. He took your hand and with a shimmer of green magic, you were suddenly wearing a dress that could have worked as a Sigyn cosplay. The dress was floor length and beautiful.  It wasn’t quite her dress from the move, but it was very close. You wondered why you needed a cosplay outfit for this outing, but Loki wasn’t sharing.  

Loki kept hold of your hand and you realized that he was wearing a tunic and leggings, clothes that could have come from the movie too, but more casual than the battle leathers. He opened a spellbook in front of him and rattled off the spell. You saw the effort it took him, so you knew it was major magic. A swirling green portal appeared in front of you when he had finished. Loki laughed in delight and looked immensely proud of himself.  He took your hand again and half led, half pulled you through the portal.

You stepped through the portal

And into his bedroom. 

That was a disappointment.

“Loki… you can teleport us from your room to yours,” it was just across the hall after all. “You don’t need a big, draining magic for that,” you reminded him. He could be careless with his magic, but usually not this careless.  Not to use major magic just to teleport across the hall.

Loki laughed, the sound full of true joy. He was so excited and full of mirth. “Not this bedroom, darling,” he told you warmly. “You did a good job with it, but look closer,” he gestured to the window, as if the answer laid there. You took the couple of steps over to it and looked outside to a city with three moons over it.

“We’re on Asgard?” you asked, surprised. You didn’t know he had the power to get you all the way to Asgard.  You thought only Heimdall had that ability with the giant sword and the Bifrost. Loki inclined his head with a proud grin. “I thought you were banished?”

“I said that banished was the closest word for it. I am allowed to visit home,” he replied warmly. “It just took awhile to find the correct spell for it.  I could have asked Heimdall, but I hate relying on him,”

“You did clear this with everyone on Earth, right?” you asked him, warily.  You didn’t want him in trouble.  Especially with Tony.  Tony would kill him if he took you off world, even if you were technically of age now. 

“Of course. Now, come, I would like for you to meet my family, though of course you know my idiot brother already,” He offered you his arm with a warm smile. He was so excited to be home, you could see it in his eyes.  You laid your hand on his arm and let him lead you from his suite.  He had a whole suite, not just a bedroom, you realized. 

When he was living on Earth, it was sometimes hard to remember that he was a prince.  It wasn’t hard to remember now.

You walked down the halls of the palace on Loki’s arm. Servants bowed to you, murmuring polite greetings to Loki as you walked by. It was so strange. You weren’t used to being bowed to, even if you knew they were only really bowing to Loki.

Loki led you to a cozy dining room in what he said was the family wing of the palace. When you entered, you recognized his parents, Thor, and Thor’s wife Lady Sif, at once.  The movies had portrayed Odin, Frigga, and Sif fairly accurately, and Loki had shown you an illusion of them once before.  Plus you’d lived with Thor when he was at the tower. He wasn’t around much lately, as he had duties on Asgard with being official heir.  

That didn’t make you any less terrified to have breakfast with them.  Especially since you weren’t expecting to have breakfast with the royal family of Asgard that morning.

Hell, you hadn’t expected to be in Asgard that morning.  

Loki’s family looked up when you entered and it took every single ounce of willpower you possessed to not hide behind Loki. Frigga was the first one to move. She stood gracefully and rushed over to Loki with a speed that would be unseemly for a queen.  “Loki! You came home!” she exclaimed, hugging him around the neck. “How are you dear? How is your journey going? Have you been eating?” she asked all the questions you expected a mother who hadn’t seen her son in awhile to demand.  Especially a son who was so far from home.

You took a step back, letting them have their moment while Loki reassured her that everything was going well. That he was eating, and happy, that everything was going well with the team. He was making friends and making his way in the realms, as was his duty to the throne.  

Frigga finally looked over at you. “I’m sorry, dear. It has just been so long since we last saw Loki,” she told you with a warm, gentle motherly smile. “I am Frigga, queen of Asgard, it is a pleasure to meet you,”

You desperately wished Loki had prepared for you to meet his parents. Especially since his parents were the King and Queen of the fucking realm.  “Mother, I would like to introduce Lady Y/N Stark.  She does me the honor of being my Kærasta,” you heard the word translated as ‘girlfriend, love, dear one’ in your mind when Loki spoke it.

“It is a pleasure to you meet you, ma’am,” you replied politely, hoping it was polite enough. You were way out of your element talking to royalty. 

Though the moment Loki had said Kærasta, Frigga’s focus had turned from royalty meeting a foreign visitor, to mother grilling her son’s girlfriend.  She grilled you on every detail of your life and your time with Loki.  It was a long time of grilling and Loki eventually had to save you.

You spent the entire long weekend on Asgard. He showed you all of his favorite sites, especially the library and gardens. There were feasts and introductions to all of his friends and family. Lady Sif even showed you some new dagger tricks when she found out Loki had been teaching you. 

There was a huge farewell feast the night you had to leave. You knew it was bittersweet for Loki.

“We can come visit again,” you reminded him gently when you caught his mood. 

He nodded, though looked sad. “However, for today, we must return you back to your home. There is still school tomorrow,” he reminded you. 

You groaned. “I didn’t get any of my homework done,” you whined at him. You hadn’t been able to plan ahead for the trip, so you hadn’t done your homework.

Loki laughed. “Do not worry about that. I completely it for you before we left,” he told you warmly.

“I shouldn’t accept that, but I’m not going to complain.”

Loki opened the portal back to Earth and you stepped through into your sittingroom. You were both laughing until we saw that Fury and Tony were waiting on your couch for you. Neither of them looked happy. The portal snapped shut behind you. “You two are in so much trouble,” Fury growled. 

Loki held up his hands in surrender. “Place all of the blame on me,” he insisted. “Lady Y/N did not know that this trip was not authorized,” he told them.

“You lied to me?” you demanded incredulously. You had specifically asked him if it was approved or not.  You hadn’t wanted him to get in trouble.

“I had to, darling. You cannot be blamed if you did not know. I wanted to take you on the trip and knew that it would never be approved,”

“Your damn right it wasn’t approved,” Fury yelled, standing to face down Loki. “I don’t care if you are an adult. You’re grounded for this stunt. You can’t take a girl under our protection off world without permission!” Fury rarely had to punish the supers under his command. Usually it was extra chores or training for being late, or losing control of their powers or something. Never for deliberate disobedience. “You come with me,” Fury grabbed Loki by the arm and dragged him from the room to hash out his punishment.  Loki went willingly, he’d expected to be punished for this stunt.  

Tony jumped up from the couch and pulled you into a tight hug before you could run after Loki to protect him from Fury. “Kat, I was so worried about you. All we had was a note from Loki saying you went on a long weekend trip to Asgard,”

“It was amazing, Uncle Tony!” you told him, gushing about how awesome and palace was and how much fun you’d had with Loki’s family.

Tony rolled his eyes. “Can’t you even be a little sorry you left with no notice?  You’re my responsibility, kid,” he reminded you.  Your parents had left you in his care in their will so you hadn’t had to go to foster care.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” you finally admitted.  You didn’t want to scare him.

“You’re such an imp,” he growled at you. “At least he made sure that you stay out of trouble for this,” he sighed. “It’s late. Get some sleep,” 

He left your room, but you weren’t actually going to sleep until you found out what happened to Loki. So you changed into your pajamas and waited for him in your sittingroom. He came back up a couple hours later in his typical pajamas of black pajama pants and a green t-shirt. His wrists were shackled again.

“Fury is quite upset with me it seems,” he grinned at you as you let him in to your room.

“Loki,” you worried over his wrists and the unfair punishment.  You were 18.  You were allowed to go on trips with your boyfriend.  Though apparently Fury disagreed when you were a ward of the Avengers and he hadn’t been told of the trip.  Control freak.

“I’m fine, love. This will blow over and he will remember that I am more useful to him with magic than without,”

It didn’t blow over for a month. The only real effect was that you and Loki couldn’t go out on dates. You spent a lot of time watching movies inside the tower instead. Loki was still your guard in the evenings. You felt like you were the one who was punished more, since you had to have Nat come with you to all of your classes, and couldn’t talk magically to Loki during them. It made Loki’s life more difficult when he couldn’t use magic openly, but he still had a little, even through all of the blocks the chains put on him. It stopped him from carrying you to bed, but didn’t stop the kisses, or from him waking you from nightmares with his ice cold hands. 

Fury did finally remember that Loki was more useful when he was on patrol and set him free on probation. You were left alone for a few nights, but Loki somehow wormed his way back onto being assigned as your guard. His silver tongue was very useful against Fury, it seemed.

Though the most worrying thing was that you found that Loki’s nightmares and visions of you dying hadn’t dissipated when you heard him scream your name one night, tossing and turning in his bed.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Supernatural: Moriah (14x20)

Well then! Yeesh!

Cons:

I wish we could do a bit more to sort out this whole Cas vs. Dean thing. Now that we've got bigger fish to fry for next season, it seems like Dean and Cas' pretty intense disagreement will likely be pushed aside in favor of... you know... surviving the end-times. But maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised, and their relationship drama will continue to be a factor as we enter into the final season of this show.

I really, really like the direction this is going, but I can't help but wonder if there were re-writes once the decision was made that Season Fifteen would be the end. It seems to me that several elements of the story, especially the stuff with Lucifer coming back, wound up being scrapped in favor of the ridiculously awesome reveal that Chuck is our final Big Bad. So while this finale on its own kicked some major ass, there were definitely some elements that didn't add up for me in terms of the buildup from the rest of the season.

Pros:

What a smart episode this was, though. Honestly. Usually the finales of Supernatural have to escalate things to some new extreme height so that we know what's coming in the next season. Oh no, we've started the apocalypse! Oh no, all the angels have fallen from Heaven! Oh no, the Darkness has been released! This season is, in some ways, no exception to that. Apparently, God is the villain. And he's done playing nice. While this might seem like just another classic Supernatural power-creep escalation, it's actually something a little different. And I love it. This is an opportunity to pit early show vs. late show against each other, by bringing back old villains, but letting Sam, Dean, and Cas handle it in the way they've learned to do over their many years of being hunters. It's an opportunity for nostalgia while at the same time a chance to focus on the one and only true central theme of Supernatural: free will. Honestly, this show goes all over the place with its plots and messaging, but at the center of it all, from day one, has been the idea of free will, and I love that we're setting up the final season to be a direct reckoning of that theme.

This episode was also a lot more down-to-earth than some other finales we've got. It's very focused - Jack is out there. Dean wants to kill him. Sam admits that killing him is maybe their only option. Cas is not on board. Three different approaches to one big problem. Meanwhile, Jack is trying to do the right thing without a soul to guide his conscience. And then God is there, and we learn once and for all that he truly does view the Winchesters as a story. That they've been puppets all along, dancing for his amusement. The end. I love that a lot of this episode really was just sitting around talking things out, making plans. It felt real, and grounded, in a way that I really appreciate from this show.

Let's talk Dean and Sam for a minute - I loved the scene when Dean said he was going to take the shot at Jack, effectively killing both Jack and himself. They don't even need to have the full conversation, because they've been there so many times before. And Sam says no - he's not going to be okay with a plan that makes him lose Jack and Dean in one fell swoop. He's lost enough as it is. Dean, who has over the last few seasons grown into a person who actually respects his brother's right to make his own decisions, has been having a bit of a relapse on account of Mary's death. He takes the gun and leaves without telling Sam. It's predictable, and frustrating, and it was easy for me to feel Sam's pain.

I love how angry Dean is, how his tight grip on his control seems to be in constant danger of snapping. He loves Sam, he loves Cas, and he loved Jack, but he can't bring himself to process those emotions in a healthy way right now. He needs to be a man on a mission, otherwise he'll fall apart. Jensen is doing such a great job with this. There's the moment in his conversation with Sam where he talks about the fact that God told them that Jack needed to die, so that's the end of the discussion. It's just so Dean to be such a hypocrite about this. Billie tells him that locking himself in a box is the only way to save the world? Cool. He'll do it. God tells him to kill his foster son? Cool. He'll do it. Because Dean Winchester kind of hates himself. And he definitely hates himself for Mary's death. It's just that in this case, he can kill Jack, the person who he outwardly blames, and himself, the person who he blames for everything, in one fell swoop. Yeesh. Poor Dean.

The moment when Dean shows up to kill Jack, and Cas is there and tells Jack to run? I fucking lost my mind. I am so in love with the way they've positioned Dean and Cas on opposite sides of this debate. These are two men who would die for each other - who have died for each other in fact. And in this moment, they are as opposed as they've ever been. Not since Season Six have we seen Cas and Dean at such odds with one another. There's this delicious tension to knowing that Dean is going to kill Jack at any cost, and Cas is going to stop Dean from killing Jack at any cost, and yet the thought of either of these people doing anything to hurt the other is so ludicrous. This is the stuff good drama is made of.

Then there's Sam Winchester, who easily gets MVP from me for this episode. We've seen, from the very early stages of this show when angels were considered an unrealistic fairy-tale, that Sam has always had faith. Maybe he hasn't quite understood the specifics of his own belief, but he's believed in a higher power and he's believed in the essential goodness of that power. We saw the way he behaved with Chuck when they met the last time. He was worshipful. Dean didn't quite understand it, but Sam... even when Sam was annoyed or frustrated with Chuck, he actually believed in him. So the moment when Sam says "hey, Chuck," and shoots God in the shoulder is honestly just... exquisite.

Sam spends this episode trying to contextualize everything that's been happening to them recently - he blames himself for Mary's death, because he's the one who brought Jack back without a soul. He tries to understand why Chuck hasn't been showing up to help them before now. He tries to explain himself to Dean, to make his brother hear him. He tries to reconcile his love for Jack with what Jack has become. And then he picks up a gun and he shoots God, even knowing he'll hurt or even kill himself to do it. And it's not a brave sacrifice play, or a planned moment - it's done in anger, in desperation, in fear. The realization that Chuck doesn't care about them is the biggest betrayal Sam Winchester has ever faced, and that's saying something, given the life he's lead. It's so hugely important to me that Sam is the one to make this move, and not Dean. It represents a breaking point for his character that I cannot wait to see play out next season.

Obviously I figured that Dean wouldn't really kill Jack, but I admire how much tension they still managed to put into that scene, and how, as Cas says "writers lie." The magic gun doesn't kill Jack; Chuck does that directly once he realizes that Dean isn't going to play the little game he's devised. We get this final shot of Sam, Dean, and Cas all standing back to back, ready to fight against the hoard of returned villains that are closing in on them. Cas has the angel blade, but Sam and Dean are practically unarmed, and Sam is bleeding from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. It's bleak, and on top of it all there's Jack's corpse just sitting there, a reminder of their failure.

We see Jack awaken in the Empty, and Billie seems to have plans for him, so now we've got a Billie vs. Chuck situation, with Jack, Cas, and the Winchesters as potential pawns. I am beyond excited to see how this plays out, and where Team Free Will lands in this battle for their own agency.

Before I finish this review, I want to praise the episode for suggesting the apocalyptic scope of Jack's powers. This show has never managed to really convey the way the whole world is affected by the various apocalypse-y type things that have come up over the years. But here we see that Jack's order to "stop lying" actually throws the whole world into chaos. If Chuck had wanted to see that play out, he would have; it's only his ability to reset things that saves the world. We see how people's inability to lie leads to instant resentments and chaos. It's actually a pretty great trope to explore some inter-character drama, so at first I was a little surprised that Sam and Dean didn't accidentally drop any uncomfortable truth bombs on each other when they both lacked the ability to lie. But then I realized - while Sam and Dean are having a rough time because of Mary right now, they are firmly on each other's sides and fighting to preserve their family at all costs. They actually aren't hiding anything from each other, and they haven't been for quite some time.

As a plus, all of this stuff is actually pretty humorous too - I loved the Celine Dion bit, and Dean going on and on about internet gossip, and the guys fighting about yogurt, the newscaster confessing his love, and the not-so-subtle dig at Trump.

Okay. This review is long, but I think that's allowed, given that it's for a finale. I greatly enjoyed it. I thought the smaller scale and the more character-driven story worked in its favor, and I love that everything from the plot to the framing is placing Castiel on equal footing with Sam and Dean as a protagonist for the finale season. I can't wait to see what we get next year! This time in 2020, I'll be sobbing my eyes out as "Carry On Wayward Son" plays over one last montage... it's going to be a wild ride.

9/10

[soapboxsocrates]

What I Tell Young Newlyweds

I am a writer, and as a writer I must, absolutely must write. I think during this Pandemic Season we have all come to realize that routinely doing certain things for our emotional and mental health is necessary and is good, but what I am talking about as a writer is something different. The simplest illustration -- one which I might use, say, with a child -- would be to try to imagine a bird which can’t fly, a fish which can’t swim. Close, but not quite. A better example (but one which incites a lot of non-artists) would be to try to imagine a man who can’t sire children, a woman who can’t bear children: these are (pro)creative activities (having children) which are hardwired and constituent parts of our identity on biological, foundational levels. There is a sense of death and grieving when one learns they can not have children, sometimes even social stigma and shame.Not being able to write is a little like that, not being able to have a child.

The basic gist of what I am saying is that I have to write… I have to write, and to write is nothing short of midwifing and serving (as a servant) the Story which I am writing. And in no less an affectionate, fully committed, delighting way than as I would sit upon the floor with my toddler child, and play whatever game she choses to have us play. I would equip that Story as I would that child (say, who delights in baking together) with the finest elements I can supply, that she/the Story would be enabled to fully be all she can be in the outwardly creative manifestation of herself/itself. And in this case, as I have done in my previous writings on what I would tell a young parent, I find myself listening and serving Story which I would not expect I would write about, nor for which I expect I personally warrant any reading by you. I don’t think I necessarily have any place but to serve the Story as I feel it leads, which very well may be to show something beyond how poor a servant of the material I might be, yet, at the end of the day, knowing I have done as I should while getting to do as I must.

The Story this morning leads me to this: an older man, right around the time of my wedding, gave me perhaps the most centering piece of advice I’d ever been given in all of life: the two of you will often find yourselves in different emotional spaces, and that is okay. It is both strange and hurtful to me that there are so few moments of sage wisdom (such as this between an older man and a younger me) in my memory, while there are yet countless episodes of impersonal and didactic … “intellectual firehosing” of me. So many times when I speak with younger friends who have just married I try to offer them that little nugget of sagacity I received from that older fellow because it was so good (yet try to do so in a way which isn’t coming across as obnoxiously unsolicited advice).

What I don’t tell my young, newly married friends (likely because I am just now getting a handle on it myself) is that it is actually some process intself to learn how to identify moments when you are (or/and are not) in the same emotional space, despite seeming to be in the same situation together. To throw in a little philosophical flavoring, it is a coming to the subjective awareness of the utterly objective alterity of the other (ie the otherness of your spouse), and the irreconcilable phenomenological subjectiveness of your experience, and that of your spouse, from each other. But, honestly, all philosophical fun I have aside, it might be true to observe that seldom if ever are the two of you in the same emotional spaces, and you certainly aren’t ever in just one emotional space, nor merely in one singular experience. For instance, with the moment of the closing of a new home purchase, one of you may be both excited over owning and stressed about a work situation, while the other is relieved but apprehensive because the mortgage lender was trying to play footsie during the signing, yet both of you have dreamed of the back yard for your children and are thankful to have it now in hand. For one of you owning a home means you finally feel like a real adult, while the other associates home ownership with a dreaded feeling of being situationally tied down. Somehow you have to find a way to be happy and to be sad and to be brave and to be scared around each other, not minimizing the other in their space while you occupy your particular space. A lot of times, for seasons at a time, this means nothing short of dying to your legitimate wants for the sake of the other’s needs, putting what the other needs ahead of getting your want’s met. Oftentimes it means that what you need God will meet, but not through your spouse; God may meet the needs through a friend. I tell the story that while my wife was having to deal with bad bosses at work (an utterly demoralizing set of circumstances causing her to feel entirely unprotected),  I was her listening ear while God supplied my need to be heard not through her but through others, some guy buddies  (even to this day who listen to me, who cause me to feel heard). I took it as God’s gentleness to my wife that He did not put the burden upon her already heavy laden shoulders, and His goodness to me to supply my needs as even I poured out to her. To my single friends all this should say, however, that if they have not learned how to let God help them not to be entirely lonely when single, being married sometimes won’t help answer that experience: sometimes you are the most lonely in marriage when you suffer but your spouse can not reciprocate, and God your only recourse.

And it may not seem to flow here, but what I also like to tell my young newly wed friends is this: even being often in different places, seldom in the same spaces, there is yet still a magnifying of each, a magnifying of both through being “together” in marriage. Going through the different spaces differently you are yet still “home” for one another. You grow together, even if it is not the same growth, or kind of growth. As a male I am biologically predisposed to want to “share my seed everywhere,” and yet in my soul I am made more, I am finally allowed to actually be and to become, when all other options are given up for this one I call my wife. Some might find that a bawdy thing  to say, but when I say my wife makes me more than all the “possibilities” offered in being single, it is an expression at least as true as the bawdy truth. I dafre you to be more demonstrably true.

As I meander through this ponderously long wondering…. It strikes me that there are passages other than 1 Peter 3, for their call to submissive behavior, which generate more dispute, but not many. I necessarily read this passage as a cis-gender male who stays in the home specifically to raise the children, and to support a wife who has a very “toxicly masculine” work environment. (I do this, like Jacob, who did not do “manly” things like hunt as Esau did, but preferred to stay around camp and do “unmanly” things like cook, or so as the ancient, toxic masculinity looked at such things.) I thoroughly believe and insist that it would be a moral crime to deny my wife to function as she were made, as she is called vocationally; similarly it would feel a crime to deny me -- me the more “parenty” or maternal one -- the ability to foster my children’s sense of their worth as my being at home provides me the opportunity for. Moreover, by virtue of who she is and her vocational calling, my wife causes me to feel safe where I have never felt safe, to feel defended where virtually few have ever done, and more than those few others who did ever have done. (I am saying my wife defends me more than my other friends, far more.) We actually joke and say I am the more “maternal”, and she is more “paternal,” and we see the truth in both comments, and accept it. I am the one the kids come to when they seek comfort for a skinned knee, so to speak, and who she is as a mom has little to do with who she is in the home. My wife is the mom who models to her children what it means for a woman to be (vocationally) called into a passion, and what a strong working woman looks like. My grandmother stayed in the home, showing what a strong woman who stayed in the home looked like. Strength is strength, but it seldom looks the same, and my strong wife sings the praises of the strength which stays home to care for children and pray for strangers in the grocery store (praising it as something she isn’t capable of doing).

This is where things must already seem -- and may seem even more (ponderously) -- rambly and messy, but bear with my… well… my gist. For myself, what I read of 1 Peter 3 is “nuanced” to the point that it doesn’t mean what people argue about, and doesn’t at heart need defenses made to circumvent those arguments. What I read is kinda in the same vein as was my father-in-law’s advice: essentially there are going to be differences between each of you, and you are going to need to act relative to those differences if you want to demonstrate Christ to the other as the other needs. Being fully Christ to another is no less than subjecting yourself to them, thus demonstrating a greatness greater than the position or person to which you subject yourself. As is said of Christ, a bruised reed He will not bend… so neither should we.

I read that passage as an artist, a writer, who sees the intent like that of performance installation art: it is meaning, and worth, and value not seperable from being experienced.  The winning and respectful, pure conduct, the beauty of the gentle and quiet spirit, the doing of good and not fearing frightful things, these are things which are aspects of God’s character in whose image Male and Female were created. There is no excuse for either male or female to fail to show such things as these qualities of God to one another. I am a cis-gender male and I want to be beautiful, want to be considered as a beautiful thing, so surely my adorning out to be that of an imperishable beauty of character (and not an athletic prowess the likes of which equal an olympian competitor but for which Christ was never described nor applauded), right? Male and Female are equal in the sight of God, or so I assume, so when my equal shows me a respectful, pure conduct and gentle spirit, not fearing either my frightful temper nor the stigma of submission to me, am I not then won over by the representation of God as Christ himself exhibited himself to me, and thusly am challenged by someone equal to me (not lesser) to be better than I am behaving in that moment with my frightful temper? I see no suggestion here that women should be and are to be subjected to memn, but that their choice to do so is for a purpose whose worth is nothing less than the full value of humanity as such resides in either and both of us, male and female, husband and wife. Put simply, wives here are asked to be Christ, which is not “less than” but fully all, to their spouse. If Christ’s death on the cross was meek, and meekness is power unexerted, then is submission not itself a wilful non-exertion of power triumphaning over my “ish” no less laudable (after a fashion) than Christ’s meekness and death on a cross which triumphed over death and Hell?

Julian of Norwhich made the case about the necessary esteem and value inherent to God’s love of Man this way:

“It is the most worship that a solemn King or a great Lord may do a poor servant if he will be homely with him, and specially if he sheweth it himself, of a full true meaning, and with a glad cheer, both privately and in company. Then thinketh this poor creature thus: And what might this noble Lord do of more worship and joy to me than to shew me that am so simple this marvellous homeliness? Soothly it is more joy and pleasance to me than [if] he gave me great gifts and were himself strange in manner.”

Is that not the very submission or subjectifying which Peter is suggesting, but one which is predicated on there being no inequality between male and female? The submission of my wife is not to a role in the home, nor to my (laughably) telling her what to do, but in a way (and from out of her strength) which shelters me in my weaknesses and lifts me up in my lowliness -- just as I hope I do for her. Again, strength (and weakness) look different, and that is okay.

As I understand it, the point of this life (as understood by one receiving the promises of God) is not this earthly life, not the roles we play nor the societal meanings ascribed to those roles, nor the values this world ascribes to such things. And neither are our actions defined according to what those actions “mean” in this world, or within our society. God’s kingdom is about goodness, humility, truth, nobility, righteousness, justice, purity, excellence, praiseworthiness, gentleness, kindness, joyfulness, love, peacefulness, patience, self-control; it’s about living out the classic virtues (and especially those mentioned above) because those things are writ in the fabric of reality as meaningful, and beautiful, and good. A mother is not made a valuable and strong mother simply and only by being in the home and being subject to her husband, but it is her strength to be Christ to her husband as Christ was to the Father in Heaven. “Christ who being in every way equal to God did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but humbled himself, taking the very nature of a servant,” and thus, in such a way, a woman and a mother model to her husband and the father of her children the strength he should exhibit in how he should live towards her… yet it looks different in each situation. My wife’s submission is a form of holy performance art, enacting Christ to me in no other way than one through which I can participate in and experience it. A holy performance art much like a ritual, but a ritual performed over / through the course of lives spent together.

So, yeah, here’s where I try to pull some (if you’ve been paying attention) three disparate streams into one, multi-dimensional thought. Yes, you’re going to be in different places, and that is okay. Yes, you’ll find in each other a home, as even you represent Christ to one another. Yes there is submission involved, but it is a strength itself submitting in order to cover and model to another. Most times (and here’s the pulling together of it all) you submit to the other in their places of need, for their support and healing, being each other just as Christ was in the world to us -- and that for the short time we occupy this life before we are all any longer in different places. There is indeed purpose and beauty to be had, in the suffering, of being in different places so often times. For what this is worth…

[octavejohn2-blog]

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We can wonder what modern-day workplace/organizational functions will certainly see comparable change gradually, as today's specialisms come to be tomorrow's really regular abilities had by every person. The slang 'big cheese' is a fine instance of language from a far-away or entirely international society locating its method into modern life as well as communications, in which the users have very understanding or admiration of its various cultural origins.

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While pregnant scans, low-frequency acoustic wave (between 3 - 7.5 MHz) are sent out by an ultrasound gadget over the mother's bump.

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As with slowcoach, slowpoke's rhyming quality enhanced fostering right into typical speech and also proceeding use. People like to claim points that trip off the tongue conveniently and, in a manner, musically or poetically. loose - careless, messy - messy originally meant putting on sandals or loosened footwear, from the earlier expression 'slip-shoe'. The careless/untidy significance of messy is stemmed from 'down-at-heel' or worn shoes, which was the first use of the expression in the feeling or poor quality. The very early reckless definition of loose referred to worn-out appearance. More just recently the expression's meaning has actually prolonged also to reckless activities or initiatives.

The uploading do with the pointer that an old Italian expression 'a tredici' meaning 'at thirteen' could be connected with the beginnings. offer the pip/get the pip - make weak or uneasy or upset - Pip is an illness influencing birds characterised by mucous in the mouth and also throat. The expression seems initially to have shown up in the 1800s, however offered its much older beginnings might quickly have actually been in usage prior to after that. Remarkably while the pip expression refers to the bird condition, the origins of the definition actually take us full-circle back to human health and wellness.

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weak breath/baited breath - anxious, expectant - the previous punctuation was the initial variation of the expression, yet the term is currently typically incorrectly damaged to the last 'baited' in modern-day usage, which mistakenly recommends a different origin. Many individuals appear currently to presume a definition of the breath being metaphorically 'baited' instead of the original non-metaphorical initial meaning, which just defined the breath being shortened, or stopped. The expression appears in Shakespeare's The Vendor Of Venice, which dates its beginning as 16th century or earlier. Words bate is a shortened type of abate, both bring the very same definition, and also initially appeared in the 1300s, before which the previous tense forms were baten and abaten. transform it up - stop it, stopped talking, no chance, quit doing that, I do not believe you, etc - Cassells Vernacular Dictionary recommends the 'transform it up' expression corresponds to 'stop doing that' and that the very first usage was as early as the 1600s.

According to Bartlett's, the expression 'Too try to find as needle in a container of hay' shows up partially III, phase 10. ' Container' is an old word for a bundle of hay, taken from the French word botte, implying bundle. Maker (thesaurus as well as alterations) lists the complete expression - 'seeking a needle in a container of hay' which informs us that the term was first utilized in this type, and also was later on adapted during the 1900s into the modern-day kind. Mum has absolutely nothing to do with mom - it's just a phonetic spelling and metaphorical word to signify shutting one's mouth, so as not to utter a noise. The same logical onomatopoeic derivation almost certainly produced words mumble, murmur and also mumps. Just as in modern-day times, war-time governments after that wasted no opportunity to overemphasize dangers and also dangers, so as to instill respect amongst, and to maintain authority over, the masses. So there you have it - mum's the word - possibly an item of federal government spin.

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The 'rock pip' would certainly appear to be a distortion/confusion of simply providing or obtaining the pip, probably as a result of misinterpreting the significance of pip in this context. Words pip in this expression has absolutely nothing to perform with stones or fruit. The pituitary gland is located in the mind as well as is accountable for specific physical functions, yet in the late midlifes, around 1500s, it was thought to manage the circulation of mucus or phlegm to the nose. Phlegm had actually long been believed to be just one of the crucial four 'humours' determining life equilibrium as well as character. So while the existing expression was based at first on a bird illness, the origins paradoxically associate with influential ideas of human health. Variants still discovered in NZ and also Australia from the very early 1900s consist of 'half-pie', as well as 'pie' indicating great or expert at something.

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Sadly this really attractive alternative/additional derivation of 'take the mick/micky' appears not to be supported by any type of main resources or referrals. If anyone can refer me to a reputable referral please let me recognize, until such time the Micky Happiness cockney poetry theory continues to be the most popularly sustained beginning. The loon bird's name came into English from a different root, Scandinavia, in the 1800s, and also arguably had a larger impact in the United States on the expressions insane as a loon, as well as also intoxicated as a crazy. The highly derogatory slang maniacal bin, referring to a mental home, initially showed up around 1910.

Nowadays, regardless of still being practically appropriate according to English dictionaries, resolving a combined group of individuals as 'promiscuous' would certainly not be a really suitable use of the word. pernickety/persnickety/pernickerty/ persnickerty - fussy, particular, fastidious - pernickety seems currently to be one of the most typical contemporary kind of this odd word. hifu Luton happen possibly because no clear derivation exists, providing no obvious reference indicate secure a punctuation or pronunciation.

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Dollar derives from thaler, which is an old German word for a coin, from earlier Reduced German 'dahler', whose vital root word 'dahl' implies valley. Dahler, later ending up being thaler, is a 500-year-old abbreviation of Joachimsthaler, a very early Bohemian/German silver coin. Words Joachimsthaler essentially referred to something from 'Joachim's Thal'. This was Joachim's Valley, which currently corresponds to Jáchymov, a spa community in NW Bohemia in the Czech Republic, near the border to Germany.

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The word appears initially to have been recorded in between in Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language, in the type of pernickitie, as an extension of a Scottish word pernicky, which is probably a better clue to its beginnings. This is all conjecture in the lack of trustworthy recorded beginnings.

On which aim a combination of words particular as well as picky may have been an element, specifically when you consider the earlier pernicky type. Odds implying the various chances of challengers, as used in betting, was very first recorded in English in 1574 according to Chambers, so making use of the 'can't probabilities it' expression might conceivably be very old certainly. Cassells and also other credible jargon sources say that 'take the mick' is cockney rhyming vernacular, c. 1950s, from 'Micky Happiness', rhyming with 'take the piss'. No-one appears to know who Micky Happiness was, which maybe shows a little weak point in the derivation. Conversely, and also maybe in addition in the direction of the fostering of the expression, a much less well-known possibility is that 'mick' in this sense is a reducing of the word 'micturation', which is a clinical term for urination.

Partridge states initially recorded regarding 1830, but implies the expression might have been in use from perhaps the 1600s. This is absolutely possible because board meant table in older times, which is the association with card games used a table. It was formerly bord, traceable to Old Saxon, also implying guard, regular with comparable international words dating back to the earliest beginnings of European language.

This table sense of board also gave us the board as related to a board of directors and the boardroom. slowpoke - slow individual or employee - slowpoke is USA jargon initially tape-recorded in print according to Chambers. Probably from cowpoke - words initially used to describe the males that pushed cattle onto slaughterhouse trains. Poke represented the photo of work, being based on an usual work activity of the times, as did punch.

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This to a particular level explains why a lot of English words with French beginnings occur in way of living and social language. Incidentally the word French, to define people or points of France and the language itself, has actually existed in English in its modern-day form since concerning 1200, before which it was 'Frensch', and also earlier in Old English 'frencisc'. This stemmed from Old High German frenkisc and also frenqisc, from as well as directly related to the Franks, the very early Germanic individuals that overcame the Romans in Gaul around the 5th century. The name of the Frank people is also the origin of the word France and the Franc currency. The most enticing concept for the ultimate beginning of words Frank is that it comes from a comparable word for a spear or lance, which was the favoured weapon of the Frankish people. whatever drifts your boat - if it makes you happy/it's your decision/it's your choice (although I don't always agree and I uncommitted anyway) - a fairly contemporary expression from the late 20th century with oddly unknown origins.

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In the late 1400s, silver ounce coins were minted from silver extracted at Joachim's Valley, Bohemia, by a regionally powerful household, the Matters of Schlick. These early local European coins, called 'Joachimsthaler', shortened to 'thaler', were basic silver in that area, which would nowadays expand into Germany. The high quality and also online reputation of the 'Joachimsthaler' coins consequently triggered the 'thaler' term to spread and also be made use of for more main generic variations of the coins in Germany, as well as elsewhere also. Later on, from the 1580s, the term was likewise utilized in its adapted 'buck' type as a name for the Spanish peso (also called 'piece of 8'). Clergy and clerics as well as clerks were as a result among one of the most able as well as extremely valued and valued of all 'workers'.

For such a well-used and also well-known expression the information of origins are oddly thin, as well as an usually not referenced in any way by the common expressions as well as etymology resources. Other recommendations describe feasible links with card video games, in which showing up a card would expose something hidden, or mark completion of a flow of play. It's specifically challenging to hypothesize concerning the origins due to the fact that the word 'turn' has a lot of different significances, specifically when combined with other very versatile words. If you can include anything to assist identfy when and also where as well as exactly how the 'turn it up' expression developed please contact us. The original wording was 'trend nor time tarrieth no male' (' tarrieth' suggesting 'waits on'). taxi/taxicab - fare-charging automobile, although taxi can be a fare-charging boat - taxi and also taxicab are words which we have a tendency to take for granted without thinking what the derivation could be.

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Actually the origin of taxi is the French 'taximetre' and also German comparable 'taxameter', integrating taxi/taxa and also metre/meter. Taximeter appeared in English around 1898, at which time its usage was moving from horse-drawn carriages to automobile. Taxi is an abbreviation of an additional French word cabriolet, which came into English in the 1700s, and also it appears in the complete French taxicab equivalent 'taximetre cabriolet'. Cab appeared in English meaning a steed drawn carriage in 1826, a steam locomotive in 1859, and an electric motor automobile in 1899. Chambers suggests that the French taximetre is really originated from the German taxameter, which surprisingly triggered an earlier similar but short-lived English term taxameter videotaped in 1894, applied to horsedrawn taxicabs. move the board - win everything - based on the metaphor of winning all the cards or money risk in a game of cards.

Mojo probably derives from African-American language, describing an amulet or witchcraft beauty, and also is close to the word 'moco', meaning withccraft, made use of by the Gullah of the United States South Carolina shore and islands. Words as well as the significance were popularised by the 1956 blues track Got My Mojo Working, first made famous by Muddy Seas' 1957 recording, as well as subsequently covered by just about all blues musicians ever since. The term provided the beginning for words mobster, suggesting gangster, which showed up in American English in the early 1900s. Hitch utilized in the feeling is American from the 1880s although the general hitch significance of action by pulling or jerking is Old English from the 1400s hytchen, as well as prior, icchen meaning action from 1200.

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On Drawing and its Utility as a Communication Method

Given the reaction to my methods the last time I pulled a linguistic subversion of an implicitly visual assignment, I want to take a moment to discuss written forms of representation in the context of the discovery process. 

While blue chip design firms like IDEO aspire to be visual in all things brainstorm, they are also in the business of selling a product and the magic behind their services. For IDEO, drawing is a crutch upon which they lean heavily; it effectively separates those who have visual communication skills (e.g. IDEO and its army of well-trained right-brained influencers) from the monolithic members of the Fortune 1000 who are largely represented by non-visual thinkers and from whom IDEO and firms like IDEO seek to win monetary favor. The trickery of your friendly neighborhood Blue Chip Design Firm is sales and marketing genius- they utilize an apparently common skill (everyone drew when they were kids, right?) and strongly demand that their clients engage in this same practice. By comparison to the trained designers, it quickly becomes apparent to the client that visual communication is actually incredibly difficult. This makes sense because visual communication is incredibly difficult. In fact, it’s so difficult that the client would rather pay Blue Chip Design Firm to visually communicate for them. Blue Chip Design Firm won the business of the Fortune 1000 company the moment that the Fortune 1000 company agreed to come in for an exploratory meet and greet.

If there’s such a thing as a B2B micro-aggression, that visual brinksmanship is it. Design and engineering education are irrevocably intertwined with the latent desire of the consulting design and engineering firm; students go to school to get hired and the firms look for students with a talent profile which will ultimately command the highest labor resale value. So, we all draw despite its flaws as a communication method and its steep learning curve.

Before coming to Brown, the scenario I laid out above was my life on repeat. I hired people that could draw well simply because it worked when trying to sell services. This may be apocryphal: Henry Dreyfuss, one of the early titans of industrial design, realized that he could win clients every time by drawing their solution at the pitch table in front of the client and upside down so that they were looking at it in the correct orientation. Can you imagine the majesty of that trick unfolding in front of you in real time? While we can all aspire to the apparent cleverness of Dreyfuss, reality is far different:

1. Even those people who can draw incredibly well only draw well when they have time. No one draws well on a Post-It Note or in a free flowing brainstorm session because there’s not enough time to actually render something well. Drawing well- and therefore communicating by drawing- takes immense time and effort. When such time and effort is allowable, drawings communicate effectively in the sense that they can be made relatively information dense but even then they are generally limited in their ability to communicate nuance and complexity. Don’t come at me with some comic book stuff; those people are masters and they have all the time in the world.

2. Drawn ideation, and especially drawn ideation that is well-rendered, sets expectations at a point where they are unmanageable and ultimately leave the client unhappy. Either the drawing is garbage and the client fills in the missing details with their own inscrutable minutiae which they fail to communicate as they believe their insight is common knowledge or the drawing is perfect and the client expects it tomorrow and exactly as shown on paper. Either way, the client is disappointed at best.

I left the world of commercial design specifically because I wanted to break free of such short sighted methodology like drawing as a means of communication. Communication should be just that; there’s no room for anything that doesn't strongly prioritize the complete transfer of information.

Alternative Methods of Holistically Communicating New Ideas

As those who are responsible for building what comes next, it is critical that we move beyond the sales and marketing tactics of the design and engineering firm and into something that didactically honors the value of our own intellectual output. The methods of the design firm are immediately persuasive but are ultimately empty calories at a time when the growth of novelty is increasingly demanding of nutrient. There are alternative methods:

Writing/Discussion

While it takes more time to ingest a new idea when it’s written, this increased time on task is precisely what makes the method so successful. On a level playing field, good writing stands above because it demands attention and requires that the reader ultimately comprehend and it implicitly encourages reflection. Good writing is only as successful as a following discussion and it is this discussion where the design work is really computed. Discussion offers an opportunity for consensus building which is critical in the collaborative bloodsport that is design.

Prototyping

Whereas drawing is limited by the contortionist translative abilities of the visual thinker, prototyping- and especially prototyping that encourages or displays some degree of functionality- leaves nothing on the table. Even the worst prototypes beat the best drawings because they allow a group of people to collectively and physically interact with an idea in a way that fosters discussion, collusion, and progress. 

Material Studies

Material studies are often reserved as a back-end means of finding a substitute to a physical inadequacy in material properties. The reality is that material studies are an effective front-end solution to opening the discussion around form and function. Think processionally from the user perspective; when interacting with an object or arrangement of digital glyphs, we first notice that which requires the least amount of translation by the brain: color, texture, smell, temperature, etc. It is only after all this is processed that we begin to digest complexities like utility or desirability. 

Design Research

Design research is highlighted in many different forms using many different descriptors by any number of adherents. Prior to the era of the consulting design firm, design research was known as market research. In that era, companies sought to understand the market as an entity. What does the market want? What does the market think about XYZ? This is a flawed line of inquiry as it undermines the agency of the individual in a purchasing decision. Rather than understanding the market as a whole, design research seeks to understand the needs of an archetypical individual or a group of individuals so as to better address their needs directly. Data collection is imperative as a front end exercise because it immediately uncovers insight which can be iterated upon for the sake of the creation of the new. Without inquiry into need or desire, subsequent creation is ungrounded in reality; success at that point is a matter of chance and not a matter of the intelligence or ability of the design team.

Experiential Journeys

Tune in, turn on, drop out. Experiential journeys could be considered a subset of design research on the whole but, given their power as a stand-alone methodology of inquiry, I think it’s important to separate the two. Pontification about the nature of existence as an idea is useless without the facts that back those assertions up. When in the early stages of designing a chef’s knife, is it better to learn about the anatomy of the hand from a textbook or does it make more sense to find a chef and work with them to understand their desires? Both are important for the success of the knife but the answer should be obvious given the context here. Experiential journeys are also different from design research in that they nearly always develop empathy for the problem and for the people experiencing the problem within the creator and researcher. This development of empathy, above all else, is the most critical element of the design process. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.