#when has he ever said anything of note or value? and he chooses a false narrative to jump on?

[corigauff]

Rublev is a BITCH. No long ass essay necessary 🥰

[danijimenezv]

Amiga! These questions are bit different:

Not Yet Wed Questions

Note: Great Scott! This week, we are going back in time to MC’s intern year. Think of Ethan’s relationship with them at this point and answer the following questions accordingly. It is entirely up to you when in year 1 this takes place (pre/post Miami, pre/post CH 15, etc). Feel free to answer with dialogue or pictures or both :) Have fun!

No worries. All of this is off the record and HR will never know!

The setting for this answers is:

For Both

When I first saw them, I thought__________

What is your coworker's most used swear word?

Quick: What color are their eyes?

Three people at work your coworker hates?

What is your coworker’s strangest or most endearing quirk?

If they had a crush on anyone at work, who would that be?

(Bonus round! Feel free to skip.)

Never have I Ever:

come into work hungover

had a fistfight

been kicked out of a bar

gotten a tattoo

broken someone’s heart

been in love

For MC (Ethan is not there)

Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)

What do you find the most impressive about him?

Last thing he texted you?

If he asked you out on a date, what would you say?

For Ethan (MC is not there)

Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)

What specifically do you find attractive about her?

Last thing she texted you?

If she asked you out on a date, how would you respond?

Amiga these are genius dksaldnafjcsajd I am in love with this! The angst and longing from Book 1 is just delicious

Not Yet Wed Questions

The setting for this answers is: Post Miami, but before he quit.

For Both

When I first saw them, I thought __________

Jill: Wow.

Ethan: Care to clarify?

Jill: *blushes* Well, the first time I saw you was taking control of a medical emergency. It was amazing, and I was a bit awestruck. Of course, right after that, I thought that you were a handsome asshole.

Ethan: Of course.

Jill: …You’re not answering?

Ethan: I don’t feel like answering.

Jill: Okay, that’s either really good or really bad.

Ethan: You’re going to let it get to your head.

Jill: Really? Well now I’m intrigued. Do tell, Dr. Ramsey.

Ethan: I thought you were proficient.

Jill: Proficient? Seriously?

Ethan: You were just an intern on your first day, and you still jumped into action when a woman needed help. It was… not what I expected.

Jill: *grins smugly* So you were just as awestruck, is that what you’re saying?

Ethan: That’s not what I said.

Jill: It’s what I heard.

Ethan: I knew you would let it get to your head.

What is your coworker's most used swear word?

Both: Fuck. *laugh*

Jill: Dr. Ramsey doesn’t regularly curse out loud, instead you can see the intention written all over his face. But I have caught him saying “fuck” a few times.

Ethan: On the other hand, Dr. Valentine curses like a sailor. Even for the smallest of things, you can hear her whispering “fuck” under her breath.

Jill: He also uses “goddammit” and “Christ” a lot.

Ethan: And when it’s not a situation, but a person, she uses “fucker”.

Quick: What color are their eyes?

Jill: Deep blue.

Ethan: Whiskey.

Jill: You know, I feel honored to be compared to whiskey. I know how much you value it.

Ethan: *stutters and blushes* What? I-I don’t… It wasn’t like that.

Jill: *smirks* Suuuuure.

Three people at work your coworker hates?

Jill: That’s a hard one.

Ethan: You’re exaggerating.

Jill: I’m not. You hate a lot of people.

Ethan: Hate is an overdramatic word.

Jill: Well, okay, then you strongly dislike a lot of people.

Ethan: Closer.

Jill: Does Nash count as coworker now that he has a deal with the team?

Ethan: Unfortunately.

Jill: Okay, so first Nash, and then in no particular order Dr. Cyrus, Dr. Wen, Dr. Toussaint…

Ethan: Those are more than three.

Jill: And I can keep going. Dr. Mirrielees, Dr. Rosario… June? I don’t know her personally, but I heard you complain about her the other day, so…

Ethan: Eavesdropping again, were you?

Jill: Never, just passing by and paying attention to my surroundings, like a good diagnostician should.

Ethan: Right. You forgot yourself.

Jill: Uh-uh, you don’t fool me. I’m possibly one of the few interns you tolerate.

Ethan: *sighs but doesn’t deny it* Round it up, Rookie. No point stretching out the answer.

Jill: Okay, fine. I guess mainly Nash, Cyrus, and Wen. And also probably some intern, or a handful of them. Not including me, obviously.

Ethan: Hrm, I think the most annoying of them is your partner on the Knoblauch case. The squirmy one.

Jill: Landry? Really? I admit he can get a bit annoying at times, but he’s just really nervous around you.

Ethan: Well, I don’t like him.

Jill: Your turn to answer.

Ethan: I would go with Nash as well, but other than that, I don’t think you hate any other coworker. Dr. Valentine seems to get along with everyone, it’s… disconcerting.

Jill: It’s called being a people person. But I do find Dr. Cyrus and Dr. Lozoya irritating. Don’t tell them, though.

Ethan: I do believe, however, that I made it to that list at some point.

Jill: What makes you say that?

Ethan: Your impertinence and constant point to defy me.

Jill: I defy you because I can. That doesn’t mean I hate you.

*Ethan is stunned into silence*

What is your coworker’s strangest or most endearing quirk?

Ethan: She sometimes snorts when she laughs.

Jill: Oh my God, you’ve heard that?!

Ethan: What’s wrong with that?

Jill: That’s not endearing, that’s embarrassing!

Ethan: She also scrunches up her nose or bites her lip when she’s too focused on something. It’s cute.

Jill: *stares at him with wide eyes* You think I’m cute?

Ethan: I think your quirks are cute.

Jill: Right… Dr. Ramsey places a finger on his temple, either when he’s deep in thought or when he’s fighting the urge to strangle someone, usually an intern. He also pinches the bridge of his nose a lot, especially when he’s annoyed.

If they had a crush on anyone at work, who would that be?

*They stare at each other pointedly, and then look away, blushing.*

Jill: *clears her throat* I don’t do crushes.

Ethan: *raises an eyebrow in challenge* Lahela?

Jill: Not a crush.

Ethan: Then what was he, exactly?

Jill: Friend with benefits.

Ethan: *chokes up* Christ…

Jill: Well, you asked!

Ethan: Is he still?

Jill: No, not anymore. Not since before… you know…

Ethan: Ah… *looks away*

Jill: Anyway… I would say your crush is probably Chief Emery. Or, well, me.

Ethan: *in a warning tone* Jillian.

Jill: What? Bree said this was off the record. Someone has to acknowledge what happened, and you’re clearly not going to, so might as well be me.

*Ethan looks down regretfully*

Never have I ever

Jill: Ohhh, I love this game! And look, we even got paddles with I have/I have never.

Ethan: What are we, in high school?

Jill: Would you rather do it with drinks? During work hours?

Ethan: *sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose* Let’s get this over with.

Jill: Knew it.

come into work hungover

*Both raise the ‘I have never’ paddle.*

Ethan: I admit, I was not expecting that.

Jill: You just have to think the worse of me always, don’t you?

Ethan: Speaking as someone that saw you party up at Donahue’s the night after your first shift, yes.

Jill: Okay, fair, but I have an advantage over the rest of people.

Ethan: Which is?

Jill: Genetically speaking, the Valentines don’t get hangovers.

Ethan: You say that now because you’re young.

Jill: My brother is not, and he still doesn’t know what having a hangover is like. And we’ve obviously tried it out.

Ethan: Okay, I’ll concede. That’s an unfair advantage.

*Jill grins widely and winks*

had a fistfight

*Ethan lifts the ‘I have never’ paddle*

Jill: Liar. You told me you punched Nash.

Ethan: For it to be a fight, the counterpart has to actually throw a punch as well. Nash never got the chance.

Jill: Okay, then I never have either.

Ethan: *blinks in surprise* You’ve punched someone?

Jill: A kid at school bullied my little sister once.

Ethan: Once?

Jill: Yes. I gave him a black eye, and he never dared to say anything else about Ivy.

Ethan: How heroic.

Jill: *shrugs* My sister was mortified, as the delicate princess she is, but I think it was worth it.

Ethan: It’s a little hard to imagine, given your height.

Jill: The smallest are always the feistiest ones. We’re like Chihuahuas.

been kicked out of a bar

*The two of them raise the ‘I have’ paddle*

Jill: You?

Ethan: A friend of mine from med school got a little carried away. What about you?

Jill: I was busted with a fake I.D.

Ethan: You went to a bar when you were underage?

Jill: Does it make it better if I say I wasn’t drinking?

Ethan: Why else would you go to a bar?

Jill: It was initiation week at Léman Prep.

Ethan: *blinks several times in confusion* I’ll pretend to know what you’re talking about.

Jill: Well, you know how high school was like. If I hadn’t done that, they would’ve eaten me alive. It was survival 101.

Ethan: What happened afterwards?

Jill: I made the headlines, and my grandparents had to pay a shit ton of money and pull a lot of strings to bury the scandal. And I got the biggest lecture and grounding of my life.

gotten a tattoo

*Both show the ‘I have never’ paddle*

Ethan: It’s not my thing.

Jill: Neither is mine.

broken someone’s heart

Jill: I have. My older sister nicknamed me ‘heartbreaker’ during my high school years.

Ethan: And you say this proudly?

Jill: I’m not proud of it, I’m just saying it how it is. I’ve always been clear with people about what I want and what I don’t. I don’t lead them on with false promises, but a few of them tried to change my mind, unsuccessfully.

Ethan: Well, I don’t think I have.

*Ethan lifts the ‘I have never’ paddle. Immediately, Jillian takes it from him and switches it for the ‘I have’ paddle. She doesn’t say anything else, just looks away, pained, and Ethan just stares at her aghast.*

been in love

*Both choose the ‘I have never’*

Ethan: I don’t believe in being in love.

Jill: I do, but I don’t think it’s for me. I had to watch my older sister almost lose herself from the heartbreak it brought her, and I don’t want that…

For Jillian (Ethan is not there)

Where do you see him in five years (both professionally and in his personal life?)

Jill: Professionally speaking, I see him still at Edenbrook, running the diagnostics team. He’s really committed to the team’s vision, helping those who have nowhere else to go. Probably with a new book out and a lot more of research published as well. He’s brilliant like that. Personally… I think he’s too self-sabotaging to actually achieve something in that area. Although, I don’t rule out the possibility of Dr. Ramsey rekindling his romance with Chief Emery. I’ve seen the way they look at each other, and I’m no idiot, something is still there… Either way, I do hope he finds someone that makes him happy. He’s a great man, and he certainly deserves it.

What do you find the most impressive about him?

Jill: I want to say his intelligence, but it’s actually his heart. Underneath all that grumpiness and mean remarks, he actually has a heart of gold, so full of compassion. He cares so much about his patients, and even about interns under his supervision. He goes out of his way for them, and that tells a lot about the kind of man he is.

Last thing he texted you?

Jill: “Dr. Valentine, the results we were waiting on are out. Please make your way to my office. I need another perspective, in case I missed something.” Always so formal.

If he asked you out on a date, what would you say?

Jill: *chuckles bitterly* He wouldn’t… ask me out, I mean. Ethan is a man with a serious black and white view of the world, including his moral stand. I already tried to climb the walls he set around himself, and I ended up falling flat on my ass. So I don’t think it would ever happen. If, miraculously, he hit his head, forgot about his current dilemma and asked me out on a date… I’d say yes, in a heartbeat. But I don’t think that’s in the cards.

For Ethan (Jillian is not there)

Where do you see her in five years (both professionally and in her personal life?)

Ethan: Professionally, I see Dr. Valentine surpassing just about any doctor. She’s one of the brightest minds I’ve seen, so it wouldn’t be hard to picture her becoming a big name in medicine. I hope she’ll be in the Diagnostics Team at Edenbrook, but she could land anywhere and still have a successful career, wherever she’ll go. Probably with a book written and research published, maybe even winning awards. She’s that great. Personally, still close with her friends. On the romantic front, I’m not sure… From what I���ve seen, Jillian is not one to settle down. I’ve seen her rejecting good relationship prospects without so much as a second glance, and I’ve heard around that she doesn’t want to commit to anyone… which is good for her, because that means she won’t allow her personal life to interfere with her professional success. Though, I do wish she finds someone that makes her happy, someone worthy of her, that can give her everything she wants and deserves. I hope she finds exactly what she’s looking for.

What specifically do you find attractive about her?

Ethan: She’s not listening, is she…? *runs a hand over his face in frustration* I know I’m not supposed to, but I find everything about her attractive, from her physical looks to her intelligence, ambition and compassion. But mainly, I think it would be her charm. I know most men would say the same thing, it’s her signature, but the way she carries herself with confidence and charisma, without truly realizing the effect she has on everyone else… She’s witty and flirty, and warm, and… just herself.

Last thing she texted you?

Ethan: “I doubt you missed anything, but I’ll be right there.”

If she asked you out on a date, how would you respond?

Ethan: I know for a fact that she wouldn’t ask that. Like I said before, Jillian Valentine is not one to date. Off the record and hypothetically speaking, if our situation was different, I would say yes, without a doubt. Even if I don’t deserve her, even if I’m not worthy of her, I know she’s an incredible woman, and I’d be lucky if she decided she wanted to be with me. But I know better, that’s all hypothetical. In reality, she’s still an intern, running for a spot in my team. Not only would it be unethical and inappropriate, but it also would be damaging to her career and her reputation. She’s worked too hard to get exactly where she is, and I care too much about her to hurt her like that, so it’d be a no.

Tags: @jamespotterthefirst, @takeharryandgo, @aestheticartsx, @choicesfanaf, @fireycookie, @liaromancewriter, @trappedinfanfiction, @tsrookie, @genevievemd, @lucy-268, @writinghereandthere, @queencarb, @gryffindordaughterofathena, @ohchoices, @anntoldst0ries, @bluebellot, @schnitzelbutterfingers, @mysticaurathings, @iemcpbchoices, @itsjustamesshonestly, @shanzay44, @lsdw-blog, @heauxplesslydevoted, @starryeyedrookie, @casey-v​, @mercury84choices, @chaoticchopshopheart, @quixoticdreamer16

[arknights-imagines]

Hi, Merry Christmas! Could you do the christmas letter and gift for Flamebringer, please. Thank you.

From, Flamebringer

Christmas Letter and Gift event

While the greenhouse probably wasn't the best place to nap on a cold Holiday evening, you still managed to fall completely asleep on one of the benches inside after assisting a certain Sarkaz with the flowers.

You awoke to see that the light flurries of snow that outside had turned into a rather intense blizzard - so much for going back to your room; considering how long the walk back to the base was from the greenhouse, there was no way you’d be able to travel back in weather like that. With a sigh, you sit up; but when you move to stand your attention is attracted to a thin sheet of worn paper folded into a small square that you find sitting on the bench next to you.

It definitely wasn't there before - someone must’ve placed it there while you were sleeping. Eyes shining with curiosity, you take it in your hands, flipping it in between your fingers. As you unfold the paper, the soft scent ash along with, oddly enough - the familiar perfume of flowers glide your way.

Just by the distinctive fragrance that wafts from the letter, you already form a surmise regarding the identity of its sender; and paragraphs hand written in pencil that fill the paper only confirm what you were thinking.

--------------------

Blossom.

Forgive me for not staying with you until you awoke; my attention was needed elsewhere, Besides, the greenhouse is a much calmer place when it’s empty, wouldn't you say? I would hate to rob you of your rest.

All the snowfall outside recently...it reminded me that a traditional Holiday is nearing. Christmas, was it? Rhodes Island has changed for this time of year; the air is lighter, the people smile, the garlands and ornaments almost make one forget that, even in jubilant times like these, tragedy is always with them. I don't care much for puerile celebrations like these. The bliss Christmas may bring you disappears in a blink, and then you’re reminded that the world around you is racing toward a very bloody fate.

Ahh, or I suppose that’s the way I used to think.

This Christmas and all its traditions remind me very strongly of you, blossom. Like a lone flower growing out from under a barren battlefield, you emanate hope and safety, and though I know the feeling of security you fill me with is false, I cherish it. Unlike Christmas or any other Holiday, you are timeless. A flower that does not wither.

Before we crossed paths, I had no interest in relationships. When annihilation nears, when your life is about to be taken, what good will many loved ones do? Maybe for those who wish for a legacy, how many people will remember them after they die matters more than anything else. It was never like that for me. I believed love was something I would never feel. I believed that I would think of no one's face before I died. But now…

When I imagine myself under someone else's blade, ready to let them take my life, you occupy every thought that goes through my mind. Once I’m gone, what would happen to you? Would you grow enraged? Would you be stricken with sorrow? Would you still visit the greenhouse? Would you still wear that tender smile I enjoy waking up to everyday?

I have no intention of running from death. I have waited for my demise for a very long time now, and with every year that passes, my days alive become less and less. Death will find everyone with time - trying to escape it is just a waste of time. And yet...huh. And yet.

Blossom, [name]. Even though I am ready to die, I find my chest filling with pain when it dawns on me that my end will mean I will never be able to stand by your side again.

Don’t misunderstand me - I don’t dream of a domestic life. I don't dream of a life where I celebrate Christmases. I simply dream of a life with you. A life where neither of us ever fade.

Where my life may take me, when it may end - I don't care. But I do care for you, with every inch of my being. I’ve told you that already, right?

My blossom, this warmth and compassion you somehow manage to spark in me belongs only to you - so, do what you must. I will walk with you down any path you choose, may it be one that leads to a field of brilliantly blossoming flowers or a sea of blood. My memory is very good - even after I pass, even if someday you grow to hate me, every moment I spend with you is one I will hold close to my heart.

With all that being said....do you care for the Holidays and their rituals? Blossom, this might disappoint you, but us Sarkaz don't even bother celebrating birthdays, so if you think I’ve ever celebrated Christmas I’m afraid you're sorely mistaken. Even so, if you find joy in partaking in Christmas traditions then I’ll join you in doing so. I have no interest in it, but any opportunity to cherish your smile or your shining eyes is more than worth my time.

Yeah, the jingling melody and the sweet scent the air brings with it - Christmas is lingering still. I’m not sure how long it will stay, but like anything benevolent in life, it’s worth enjoying it while we still can.

That medic, Perfumer - she told me gift giving is a Christmas tradition. I don’t have anything to give you that’s meant for the Holidays, but I do have something for you. I haven’t purchased anything like it before, so whether it’s of good quality or high value, I don't know. When I saw it from the window of the shop, I thought it would suit you nicely. I don't need anything in return, but if you wish to get me something because it’s Christmastime, then go right ahead.

[name], my blossom - I love you. I may lack wealth or materialistic things to shower you with this Christmas, but my heart is yours. No matter what happens, remember that for me, won’t you?

Flame

--------------------

The letter looks so simple, so easy to discard because of the condition it's in; and yet the words that fill it are a complicated web of Flamebringer’s emotions and what you truly mean to him. You bite the inside of your cheek, holding back a smile as a fluttery feeling rushes through your chest. You look back outside; now the blizzard outside truly does frustrate you - with it in the way, you can't go and find him.

Before you can get too upset at the weather, you notice a small white box that had been underneath the letter. Your heart fills with warmth again; that was right, Flamebringer had mentioned he got a gift for you.

You tuck the letter in your pocket, then your fingers carefully open the box. A sparkle fills your eyes at what lays inside; a necklace of silver, bearing a charm of a flower. You stare at it in awe for a few seconds, where did Flamebringer find this? You would have to ask him whenever you finally got to see him.

When you remove the piece of jewellery from its box, you realize - upon closer inspection - that the charm is of a red carnation. All the lessons Flamebringer gave you come rushing back to you, and you remember the meaning of said flower very well; love.

The grin that comes to your face is one of unrestrained exuberance, and the warmth and butterflies that fill your stomach is a stark contrast to the harsh, chilling snow just outside the greenhouse.

A note is the last thing in the little box; as you expected, Flamebringer’s penmanship is on the paper slip. ‘Merry Christmas blossom. The gift, the flower charm - surely I don't need to spell out it’s definition for you.’ As always, he never fails to make you feel like the most special person in all of Terra, even if that's not his intention, ‘When you smile, when you laugh, when we embrace...just for a second, I think about retiring my blades and devoting the rest of my life to you. Right now, I can't make the choice to abandon the battlefield forever, but don't worry yourself.’ And though those words may be a little disheartening especially because it’s the Christmas season, they don't cause you to feel even the slightest bit sad, ‘Even when I am away, trust me when I say there isn't a day I spend without you in my thoughts.’

[a-blu-jay]

In the light of the whole doomsday arc and chaos I think it's important to like,,, clarify ? Some points ppl r makin even tho theyre prob not gonna see it.

Also!! This is all /roleplay and talking about the characters not the content creators

Yes, everyone has fucked up. That's what they're ALL going for, especially the ppl takin the lead when it comes to the writin of the script. Everyone is a fucked up character and everyone is a good character with the exception of Dream.

Now to get some more in depth:

Let's start with c!Tubbo. Since the beginning he's been put into tight and bad situations. Watching his friends get exiled, being made a spy for the sake of Intel to win a war which is So Much Pressure, eventually fighting in said war, being made president of the revolutionized country but then immedietly having to rebuild it, later be manipulated to exile his beat friend and brother in arms etc etc. It's a lot of trauma and greif, it's not false to call him a child solider because that's exactly what he is. Schlatt was right, the moment he died the country was doomed, wether that be from Pogtopia, Technoblade, Dream or the inevitability that the leadership would fall onto Tubbo. He's not infallible and he's not experienced. He's a severely Traumatised teenager. But this doesn't necessarily make him a good person.

Next is c!Technoblade because I have some Opinions. He's a fucked up character. Just like everyone else, just in a more transparent way. A lot of the characters hide the bad things they've done in a way to preserve moral righteousness and such. Technoblade has always been clear and transparent he wants nothing more than anarchy, chaos and the fall of L'manburg. Now, acts of terrorism aren't good, they're pretty fucked up. The great thing about his character is that he's so goddman complex. Just like Tubbo and Tommy he's been wronged. And just like Tubbo and Tommy he's a hypocrite. That's what happens when you have morally grey and ambiguous characters. He made his intentions about anarchy clear and Pogtopia made their intentions about Governments clear, they both chose to ignore eachother which in the end made them Hypocrites. A specific point I want to make about Technoblade teaming up with Dream is that Tommy has NEVER been clear with Technoblade with how Dream treated him. Technoblade couldn't have known what Dream did because of Tommy's trauma about speaking about it and Dream's manipulation. Technoblade teamed up with Dream because they shared a common goal, he doesnt trust Dream and has voiced that before. Also! Tommy's point in their argument in the middle of Doomsday was really interesting, he said (I'm paraphrasing) "why can't you just let people love what they love." A thing to note is that Technoblade DID. After the end of the revolution he left to go live in retirment and solitude and let them fight amongst eachother and destroy eachother. The very same Government he predicted to be corrupt then tried to execute him without trial even though they said he'd be given one. Which is a pretty corrupt thing to do. In the end Technoblade was used and just a little bit mistreated but he's not in the right because of that. Again, he can be seen in the lense of a Villain but that doesn't mean he really is one.

Now onto c!Tommy. His character is deffinetly an interesting one! I think his main fault is his own hubris. He's prideful to a default and stubborn when it comes to the idea he could have done something wrong because of how badly he wants to be the/a hero. Now, I'm not saying he HASN'T taken accountability for some things he's said and done because he most certainly has and thus has grown as a character. Another huge fault is his hyperfixation on the emotions and people attached to objects. Honestly? Tubbo logically wasn't wrong, they're just discs. But in Tommy's head they're a symbol of his and Tubbo's friendship. The problem is when he picks these discs over his actual friendship with Tubbo and how Dream has manipulated him. Dream plays a BIG part in why Tommy thinks the discs are so valuable. If you're told enough times and manipulated into thinking objects hold a significant value to the things important to you then eventually they become fiercely important to you and have some weight to them. I think in the beginning, in Tommy's brain destroying the discs meant his and Tubbo's friendship was over because of the part they've played in their friendship. Again, Tubbo only ever saw them as dics, plastic vinyls that drop from mobs and play pretty music. To another point, Tommy is also explicitly Hypocritical, just like Technoblade. He holds onto the fact that Tubbo and L'manburg and it's people are his friends and he cares about him but then calls Technoblade his friend and casts his emotions aside. The problem is the blatant fact that Tommy used Technoblade as a weapon and after being called out that friends don't do that to eachother he ignores it. In this instance he's no better than Technoblade. A kinda big problem is his character development, which really doesn't have a lot to do with c!Tommy and more with how the writers suggest developing him as a character. I think the main thing is that he goes to Tubbo's side saying how the discs never truly mattered to later saying they need the discs. The discs don't matter. What matters is defeating Dream. But just like Tubbo, Tommy is a highly and incredibly traumatised Teenager.

Next is c!Ranboo, the mad lad! I don't really have a whole lot to say? Just some quick analysis of what his characters ideals are and his actions in everything. Looking at his character he's incredibly paranoid, anxious and probably Traumatised from things we the audience don't know. At the end of the day he's a true neutral character. In one of the tweets cc!Ranboo sent it said that as long as Dream isn't hurting the people he (character Ranboo) directly cares about, he doesn't care what Dream does. For a good portion he was against Dream because he cared about everyone nd dream was hurting everyone. He's joined Technoblade and Ph1lza in the Arctic because he thinks that Dream has gotten what he wants, he doesn't know anything about Dream and Tommy's conversation by the end of Doomsday. Also! Ranboo's ideals/beliefs are anarchist by nature and principle. The reason he has a problem with choosing sides between L'manburg and Dream is because of the hierarchy within those sides, and the obligation that you have to fight that comes with picking those sides. Technoblade and Ph1lza both chose to fight under free will and because they chose too without coercion. Everyone is equal there. There's a really good post somewhere talking about it that'll I'll look for that explains it very well. (EDIT: found the post also hopefully i did the link right)

This is getting painfully long so I'm wrapping it up here with a few last things. Everything has always come down to Dream. The reason L'manburg was built was to get away from the oppressive power that is Dream (another point for Technoblade teaming up w dream, he wasn't there for Dreams stuff, he only knew of Schlatt but I digress). Dream has manipulated everyone, he's running the puppet show with the strings tied to his fingers. He's manipulated Tubbo, Tommy, Ranboo, Technoblade, Schlatt, EVERYONE. He's pitted everyone against eachother because he loves the chaos. Because he knows that if they weaken eachother it'll be a lot easier to take control with less effort put in from his part. Dream has always been the main antagonist from the very very beginning. Sure some could say Tommy started it with the discs but Dream was the one who took them in the first place etc.

He's also pitted the audience against eachother. It's really interesting in how he's actually manipulated the audience. It doesn't matter who's on what side or who's wronged who when the cause for all their greif has always been Dream. The fandom is fighting over traitors and betrayals and villain arcs. It doesn't matter, not when Dream is runnin free with the amount of power that he has.

[youngbounty]

Would Miles Edgeworth Recieve Mia Fey’s Blessing

One of the things I notice in Narumitsu headcanons, stories, comics, etc. on here is the idea that Mia would, for some reason, not support Phoenix dating Edgeworth. Now, Mia had died in Turnabout Sisters, meaning that she no longer has any business going into Phoenix’s life. Though, for the sake of using this argument, I’m going to use canon reasons for why I find this idea to be false. I’m also going to clarify that this is Phoenix Wright from the trilogy, so no one can use the “this is before *insert trilogy thing that happened* before Edgeworth was no longer an asshat.” We can all agree that Miles Edgeworth stopped being a complete and total asshat after Turnabout Goodbyes, right? Are we all in agreement to that? Good. Can we also agree that, due to Miles Edgeworth’s trauma he was dealing with, him and Phoenix had little to no interaction and could not have the foundations of any relationship whatsoever? Yes? Good. We are now on the same page, meaning that Phoenix could not be in a relationship of any kind with Miles Edgeworth before Turnabout Goodbyes where most of everyone would be raising some eyebrows at the idea of Phoenix Wright being in a relationship with Miles Edgeworth during his asshat days. Moving on.

Let’s start off with a possible time for Phoenix to start a relationship, ignoring the Dahlia/Iris situation because maybe Phoenix decided to settle down on a relationship despite his ex girlfriend drama from college. Since Miles Edgeworth would not be allowing contact of any kind with Phoenix until after Turnabout Goodbyes, we can start it out between Turnabout Goodbyes and the time he wrote “Miles Edgeworth Chooses Death.” Now, what would Mia know about Miles Edgeworth at this point? To understand this, we need to go down the list of times when Mia had met with Miles Edgeworth. The first time was Turnabout Beginnings, being the reason why so many people think she would not support Phoenix having a relationship with him. But then, we also have Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Samurai to consider. In Turnabout Sisters, Mia had possessed Maya in order to expose Redd White by handing Phoenix a list of people he had blackmailed, which Phoenix had presented to the court. In Turnabout Samurai, Mia had appeared to help Phoenix investigate and gain information from Cody, who becomes a valuable witness. She also appears with Phoenix during the second trial of Turnabout Samurai. She has witnessed Edgeworth’s general way of prosecuting, which was very normal for the most part. No withholding evidence or anything like what happened in Turnabout Sisters, if Mia ever knew what he did, or Turnabout Beginnings, which Mia did say that Edgeworth was affected by, after Terry Fawles’ suicide. Also, keep in mind that five years have passed since then, meaning that Mia can see some maturity on Edgeworth’s part. Wouldn’t be enough to consider him trustworthy, but not enough to automatically not take Phoenix’s word for it, if he says that Edgeworth isn’t a bad person. After this is Turnabout Goodbyes where Mia is never shown at any point, since Maya cannot summon her. 

With this, we can conclude that, while Mia does have reason to not consider Edgeworth a trustworthy man for Phoenix’s affections, due to Turnabout Beginnings, it’s also not enough to declare him as a bad person for Phoenix. If Phoenix has, indeed, known Miles Edgeworth as a child and had been around him more times than Mia was channeled, she has no reason to doubt Phoenix’s judgement. After all, if she was to speculate what kind of a man Miles Edgeworth is based on what she has seen from him, she doesn’t have a reason to say “no.” There is the possibility that Mia may’ve gotten the story of Edgeworth through Maya, but even that would also include the time Miles Edgeworth had helped out Phoenix in Turnabout Samurai. As for Turnabout Sisters, considering that Mia knows of Miles Edgeworth’s involvement with DL-6, she’d conclude that he was blackmailed by Redd White, who is known for blackmailing prosecutors, judges and all kinds of higher-ups, including Marvin Grossberg, who abandoned Maya’s defense for a painting. Between trusting your sister’s protection under a man that values his painting over her little sister and Phoenix trusting a man that was blackmailed by the same guy for being a possible killer of his father, Mia really wouldn’t have any room to talk. If anything, she’d be more understanding than anyone of Phoenix’s feelings. He trusts Edgeworth despite what kind of man he became. How can Mia not understand something like that? Doesn’t she also have someone that’s a prosecutor, who also became very bitter and cold after a certain case that will be brought back later after Turnabout Goodbyes? No, not Diego, I mean the other one that is Chief Prosecutor.

Now, at this point, Mia would question Phoenix if he is sure that Edgeworth is someone he can trust. Though, at the end of the day, Mia knows she doesn’t really know who Edgeworth is. Even Maya knows more of who Edgeworth is than Mia does. If Maya is supportive of Phoenix being in a relationship with Edgeworth, then I don’t see why Mia couldn’t be. I also don’t see why Maya wouldn’t be supportive of their relationship, after Turnabout Goodbyes, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Mia will have no problem. She trusts Phoenix and Maya. It does not matter that Edgeworth was an asshat in Turnabout Beginnings, because that was five years ago and, as far as Mia is concerned, Edgeworth has not proven to not be trustworthy. Even if she knew of what Miles Edgeworth did in Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Samurai, she’d also know that Miles Edgeworth was likely blackmailed in Turnabout Sisters and helped out phoenix in Turnabout Samurai. Mia would especially give Edgeworth her blessing, if she knew what had happened in Turnabout Goodbyes. In conclusion, Mia Fey would be supportive of Phoenix’s relationship with Edgeworth?

What about the events of Justice For All then? Wouldn’t Edgeworth, leaving the fake suicide note and Phoenix hurt and angry be enough to damage any blessing Mia would have for Edgeworth? Absolutely not! First off, we need to clarify when Phoenix would’ve been able to start any relationship with Edgeworth. Since Miles Edgeworth was studying abroad in Europe until Farewell my Turnabout, we can conclude that it would’ve been then. At this point, only Pearl would’ve been able to summon Mia and there is no way Phoenix would break the News to her, unless he wants a whoopin from a passionate Pearly, who thinks Phoenix is Maya’s special someone. Now, Phoenix could break the news to Mia, while she is being summoned, but then that would mean it would have to have been during trial or the Defendant’s Lobby, most likely the Defendant’s Lobby and away from Matt Engarde’s ears. Sounds like the only reasonable times Phoenix would’ve started a relationship with Edgeworth before informing Mia? Good.

At this very moment, Mia has seen Phoenix’s anger over Edgeworth leaving the suicide note. If she didn’t know about the events of Turnabout Goodbyes, she’d still be aware that Edgeworth was dealing with personal issues. She knows about DL-6, so she can make her own conclusions. If anything, Phoenix would be more upset than Mia, who’d be more sympathetic than anything. Though, I doubt if Mia didn’t know about the events of Turnabout Goodbyes, considering that Maya would definitely want to tell the story to her sister, since it does affect them and what happened to their mother. At the time Phoenix would have the opportunity to start a relationship with Edgeworth, even while ignoring his anger towards Edgeworth for the fake suicide note, Mia would experience the outcome of it. She’d see that Edgeworth is making sacrifices and doing everything he can to find Maya. Mia would be the most dependent on Edgeworth. The fact Phoenix told Mia that he can’t break Edgeworth’s trust, after everything he’s done, then realizing that he trusted Edgeworth before getting the, “yes, you do,” from Mia, tells us how much she knows about Phoenix’s feelings. If Phoenix loves and trusts Edgeworth, Mia would understand and, again, support it. Why wouldn’t she support Phoenix dating the man that saved her sister? After Farewell my Turnabout, I can’t see Mia not finding the events of Turnabout Beginnings being water under the bridge. 

Any other time passed Farewell my Turnabout should be proven what I’ve mentioned above. As I said, after Farewell my Turnabout, I can’t see Mia not allowing the events of Turnabout Beginnings being water under the bridge or bygones be bygones. Mia has seen Edgeworth in court, how he conducts a trial and how he handles a situation of blackmail and hostages, which was better than Grossberg ever did. How could Mia not give Edgeworth her blessing, after he saved her sister from Shelly De Killer of all people? Even Phoenix would let bygones be bygones, if someone like Manfred Von Karma did the same for Trucy in a similar fashion. 

Mia isn’t stupid or petty. She might be a protective mother of sorts, but she’s not going to dictate who Phoenix has feelings for or how he lives his life. Now, Mia did tell Phoenix to forget about Dahlia and never bothering to mention about Iris, but that could be more for Iris’ sake than Phoenix’s. I’m sure Mia did intend on informing Phoenix or having him reunite with Iris at some point, but Iris was escaping from an abusive situation with her sister. The point is, Mia isn’t someone that’s going to keep Phoenix from pursuing a romantic relationship. It’s not to say she won’t warn Phoenix, if he is dating someone that he shouldn’t trust, but in the case of Miles Edgeworth, Mia won’t need to. Any point in time that Phoenix would start a relationship with Edgeworth, Mia would have no reason to object to it. She may get upset, if the relationship started before the suicide note, but again, Farewell my Turnabout will be enough to let that be water under the bridge. 

This goes into my main issue with having Mia be upset or “concerned” for Phoenix having a relationship with Edgeworth. It makes her seem petty and hypocritical and Mia is anything, but that. I’m sure a lot of people will be like, “you’d be angry too, if someone called you a ‘bimbo.’” Aside from the fact that was in the English version and we don’t know if that’s what he actually called her in the original Japanese, that was said on trial. It’s expected for the opposing attorneys to rip each other a new one. Heck, even Mia wasn’t afraid to rip Edgeworth or even Godot a new one. That’s kinda expected in court. If it is because of Edgeworth withholding evidence and a witness, how is that any different from what’s expected or even better than what Lana Skye did, who was supposedly Mia’s college friend. Even Mia’s boyfriend said that was expected. Also, keep in mind that it was their first case that took place five years prier to Phoenix meeting Edgeworth again. 

I think the reason people have Mia respond negatively to Phoenix dating Edgeworth is mostly because they see Turnabout Beginnings and think, “Oooooh, Mia must not like Edgeworth then” and I find that to be inaccurate. True, Mia didn’t like Edgeworth in Turnabout Beginnings, but other things have happened since then. Edgeworth had helped out Phoenix, saved Maya, helped make peace with Franziska and will eventually help Phoenix again in T&T by going in his stead. That’d be like making the claim that Phoenix would have an issue with Apollo dating Klavier, if that were possible, which would make Phoenix look hypocritical and petty. Does the main conflict for Phoenix dating Edgeworth have to involve a third party or his mentor/parental figure being overprotective? No romantic relationship is without its hurtles and, more times than not, it isn’t by a third party. If a parental figure gets involved, it often means the two were never meant to be together to begin with. 

Considering what Mia saw with Edgeworth and even the kind of people she trusted like Grossberg, who threw her sister under the bus over an ugly ass painting, I doubt Mia would find it a big deal for Phoenix to pursue a romantic relationship with Edgeworth. At best, she might be skeptical, if it happened before the suicide note, but would be completely fine if it was after or during Farewell my Turnabout. Now, Maya pursuing a relationship with Franziska, on the other hand, might be a different story, but that’s for another topic.

What do you guys think?

[obitohatescops]

Thinking about obikona

They’re young, they both have observably hot bodies, and they don’t really have anyone to turn to for sex unless they want one night stands or to pay.

Maybe it is initiated out of frustration, maybe one of them brings up the possibility and they explore from there.

Konan is immediately suspicious of his refusal to strip more than his pants (if that) and through their relationship figures out that he isn’t the real Madara. She keeps her thoughts to herself, she wants to figure out who he is behind his back.

(In a way, she’s actually glad that he never undresses. He’s a faceless being dressed in black with nothing to really distinguish him from other men but his mask. The orange mask that, if she tries hard enough, becomes short, spiky, orange hair that she can run her fingers through and grip.)

Meanwhile, Obito is starting to feel positive feelings toward her. Before, she was little more than a pawn, someone to command and keep on his side for the plan. But now he feels sparks of lust, of affection, and of yearning.

Eventually, he stays after they’re done. They don’t really cuddle, but they’re touching. He feels vulnerable, relaxed, and the need to develop their relationship to something more than vaguely neutral and sexual.

He tells her about how she’s his first. She turns her head to look at him, eyes slightly widened. Then he chuckles and whispers about how he hadn’t even kissed anyone yet.

They stay silent afterwards and Konan tells him that he’s her first, too. She tells him that she had only loved Yahiko and had wanted him to be her first.

He asks her why she never tried anything with Nagato via Yahiko’s body.

She becomes furious, pulls away from him and gets out of bed. As she opens the door and turns to leave, she whispers “don’t ever poison Yahiko’s memory again”

By the time she returns, freshly showered, he’s gone.

They don’t see each for months.

When he does return, he keeps his distance. He regrets saying what he did. Not only because he misses Konan, but because he also understands what was wrong with what he said.

Surprisingly, he regrets hurting her. He hadn’t thought it possible.

Eventually, he confronts her and apologizes. She says nothing in return, he leaves.

Whenever they see each other after that, it’s only for Akatsuki matters.

A year or two later, circumstances place them together. Their relationship has mostly returned to their pre-benefits one but neither are particularly happy about it.

With the goal of trying to get their previous dynamic back (but also because he still feels things towards her, not that he’d admit it), he tells her about Rin.

He tells her about how Rin was his everything: his first friend, his best friend, his teammate, his biggest supporter, his strong pillar of faith, and his first love. He loved her, he still loves her, but it is a love that isn’t romantic; not anymore.

He tells her about how circumstances separated them before he could tell her.

He tells her about how she was killed. Dead, at 14. He tells her about how the cruel world that they inhabit forces good people to die young. The world isn’t right and everyone who makes it out is trash meant to keep the cycle going.

Rin wasn’t his reason, but she was his light; she brightened the cruel world enough that he could drown out the darkness and she revealed his true path.

Konan listens. Eventually, she compares him to Nagato. And herself.

They sit in silence, and while it was heavy, it was also comforting. They understand each other. They share the same goal (albeit with different details, known only by Obito). And they can support each other.

They don’t have sex that night, but when Konan gives Tobi a look during a meeting a few days later, he visits and stays the night.

It isn’t love, and it may never be, but they both enjoy their mutual fondness for each other.

(Konan still wants to find his real identity, but if she isn’t putting more effort into it, she thinks she can be forgiven. Her priorities lie with Akatsuki and “Madara’s” goals still line up with her own, so who cares who he used to be.)

(Years later, with goals shifted and fondness waning quickly, Konan opens Uchiha Obito’s file. She learns nothing that can help her in her upcoming battle with him. She learns nothing of value, but she does finally see his face. It’s the standard shinobi identification picture, nothing particularly special. But he has orange-tinted goggles on his head and a bright smile on his face. She can’t help but see Yahiko for a second.)

(His other teammate is Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan. He “died” and gave Hatake his Sharingan. He wears a mask with only one eyehole. Maybe this is of value, after all; he still only has one eye, after all. She knows how she can counter his abilities.)

(His jonin sensei was the other student of Jiraiya, the one he kept. Maybe his desire to change the world is also inherited from him.)

(It’s funny how 3 different student lines resulted in world-changing goals. She had chosen to follow Nagato down his path, and combined his goal with Obito’s (was manipulated). Now she chooses to follow Naruto’s path.)

(She should have known better. But she still doesn’t deserve to die like this. Not with that hard glare of Sharingan red trapping her in a genjustu for the rest of her suddenly short life. Not with that strong grip around her neck, the one that used to bring her comfort and pleasure.)

(She had just found her path again, her light had just returned to her in the form of Naruto. Now this false spark will extinguish her life before she could see where the light would have led her.)

Okay, wow that went down a path I wasn’t expecting. The parenthesis portion at the end is for a more canon-compliant route, but I’d prefer Konan to live. They don’t have to end up together (as I am a kakaobi bitch) but I’d love for them to end on a positive note and become something like friends.

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Only Subaru Could Have Saved Beatrice

  It's been a while since we met Beatrice in Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, but in the short time we’ve seen her she's been defined by a few key things. She doesn't leave her magic library, she doesn't like visitors, and most of all, she's as stubborn as they come. That's why, after all this time, seeing Beatrice finally come out of her library of her own free will for the first time feels so shocking. Not to mention, the previous loop where Subaru got her out ended pretty badly. So how did we end up in a timeline where Beatrice is finally able to step outside, ready to face the world?

  The answer encompasses the entire story so far: Subaru's journey itself led to this very moment.

    Subaru is no stranger to isolation or idolization. He put all of his self-worth into how other kids perceived him, and in trying to be as successful and respected as his dad, acting out in an increasing need to impress others. This need to feel accepted drove him, ironically, to alienating himself from the people he tried so hard to please, isolating himself until he is a shell of a person. Though he is more outgoing in Lugnica, his need for acceptance — his admiration for and desire to be more like his dad — was never resolved. He brought that baggage with him, acting out to impress Emilia, who he initially holds in similar regard to his father, a perfect person whose acceptance he values more than his own life.

  Beatrice's life has followed a strikingly similar path. Having been created by Echidna, Beatrice considers her as a mother and is unendingly devoted to her. She had a friend in Ryuzu, who Beatrice feels she failed by not stopping Ryuzu from using her life to create the barrier around Sanctuary. When Echidna tells her to stay inside the Forbidden Library and protect Echidna's accumulated knowledge for what could be forever, waiting for an unknown person to appear, Beatrice doesn't question it for 400 whole years. No one else could live up to the admiration she has for her mother, of course, so she spends that time driving others away, even her "brother" Puck, as the loneliness grinds down her will to live. She expresses that loneliness by acting cold toward others, keeping a safe emotional distance so no one knows how much she longs for connection. Ironically, like Subaru, she values the acceptance of others — most notably, Echidna, who she idolizes to a dangerous degree — more than her own life. In her own words, she considers herself a failure.

    Unlike Beatrice, Subaru got a second chance with his new life in Lugnica. Not that it was immediately a positive change. As noted, his drive to please others initially leads to him having an unhealthy relationship with Emilia. Return By Death allowed him to avoid having literal death as a consequence of his actions, being able to drive himself to that point over and over again was arguably worse, as it sent his mental health down a dark path, endlessly subjecting himself to the worst possible outcomes. But Subaru's adventures, and especially his time spent with Rem, taught him an invaluable lesson — wanting to help others is admirable, but he can't truly help anyone until he loves and respects himself first. Visiting his parents again, even in the false world of the Trials, helped him solidify this mindset, as he got to have a dialogue with the people he respected the most and realized they didn't want him to be perfect, just free and happy.

    This newfound self-awareness has helped him become a true friend to the people he loves, by admitting it's OK that he is flawed, that he can get better, and that other people aren't perfect, either. This whole Sanctuary arc has shown us how strong that mindset can make us, as Subaru has used it to make great strides against impossible odds. He helps Emilia overcome the Trials by helping her come face-to-face with her insecurities like he did, allowing her to enter the Trials knowing that it will hurt to acknowledge the past, but that pain is an important part of growth. He subverts Roswaal's seemingly perfect plans by recognizing that no matter how old and smart Roswaal is, he's still just one man with a book, and no person is truly infallible. And, as the capstone for this story, he helps Beatrice by recognizing that her plight isn't so different from his; what she needs isn't someone to come to her rescue, but for her to realize she has all the tools to rescue herself.

    It's a perfect conclusion to this part of Beatrice's story because she has said many times that she is waiting for "that person," some mythical hero that will arrive and in no uncertain terms tell her she's finally free. Every time she is uncertain about what to do next, she reflexively flips through her book for instructions, knowing full well it has no answers for her but relying on it anyway because Echidna never told her she could do anything herself and she feels like she failed the one time she did try with Ryuzu. Subaru dispels all of this, knocking down every door in Roswaal's mansion as it burns, telling her explicitly that he is not here to spout platitudes about how he is destined to rescue her. Instead, he tells her in no uncertain terms that he isn't "that person" — "that person" may not exist, but Beatrice can choose of her own free will to help Subaru, help all of her friends, and escape the library prison herself. So she does, using her own powers to transport them out of Roswaal's mansion before it fully collapses, facing the seemingly invincible Great Rabbit with newfound confidence.

    No other character could have convincingly given this speech to Beatrice, only Subaru has gone through the kind of circumstances she has. This is one shut-in yelling to another, letting her know he has seen the kinds of depths isolation and self-loathing can bring you to. What Rem gave to Subaru by telling him he can start over, Subaru is passing on to Beatrice, giving her back the autonomy she has long forgotten she ever had. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- understands the seemingly inescapable feedback loop of isolation and self-loathing and responds by showing the power that comes from supporting each other through that and facing the tomorrow that inevitably arrives. It's a powerful moment, and I'm excited to see what Beatrice can accomplish now that she isn't shackled to her insecurities and self-doubt.

    Were you touched to finally see Beatrice leave the library? Let us know in the comments below!

    David Lynn can be found obsessing over Fate/Grand Order on Twitter @navycherub.

By: David Lynn

[oldsolidbooks]

I decided that I should, at least once in a while, do review books on here. It is a book blog, after all, and I originally intended to publish reviews on here. Certainly not each time I finish a book, but once in a while for sure. So that is that.

I want to review a book that I am very fond of - in fact, since I prefer not to dwell on disappointing reads (and usually not even finish them) most if not all books I review are books that I am fond of, but this book is particularly dear to me.

HIS golden locks Time hath to silver turn'd;   O Time too swift, O swiftness never ceasing! His youth 'gainst time and age hath ever spurn'd,   But spurn'd in vain; youth waneth by increasing: Beauty, strength, youth, are flowers but fading seen; Duty, faith, love, are roots, and ever green. His helmet now shall make a hive for bees;   And, lovers' sonnets turn'd to holy psalms, A man-at-arms must now serve on his knees,   And feed on prayers, which are Age his alms: But though from court to cottage he depart, His Saint is sure of his unspotted heart. And when he saddest sits in homely cell,   He'll teach his swains this carol for a song,— 'Blest be the hearts that wish my sovereign well,   Curst be the souls that think her any wrong.' Goddess, allow this aged man his right To be your beadsman now that was your knight.

— George Peele, A Farewell to Arms or The Old Knight

It is this poem that stars the book, and moves like a thread through the entire book. Knights and beadsmen, and poetry, are as ever-present as trees and rosemary. The last two lines - Goddess, allow this aged man his right // To be your beadsman now that was your knight. - are the very ground that the Manor house and village of Belmaray are built on.

First of all, I’d like to mention, that while this book is many things that I adore, it’s also many things that reviewers often tend to dislike: it values people over plot, it can be slow and quiet and very descriptive, there’s not much physical action or suspense in the traditional sense, it’s full of literary references, and imbued by Elizabeth Goudge’s very particular sort of spirituality, that’s often found to be too deeply based on nature by Christians, and too Christian by everyone else, but that’s just right for me, personally. And it doesn’t fit in a defined genre either.

It is, essentially, about people who are, over the course of the book, growing much happier than before. That is, I think, the most simple way to describe it, and the most truthful, too. I’ve seen descriptions and reviews that said it was about a particular character, but there is no true central character. It is told from many perspectives, without anyone taking the lead. It has been classified as a romance, but it is only so much a romance, as that romantic love is one of many aspects of it. It is very much a story about love - about human love, whether romantic or platonic or familial, about God’s love, of course, about the love people have for nature and animals, and for their home, and for themselves.

But what’s truly the core of the story is that a really small event can have the greatest effects on many people’s lives, and that it’s often the seemingly small things that truly matter. It’s that people can be sad without anything obviously being wrong about their lives, because they don’t understand each other, or themselves, and sometimes because they cannot really bring up the courage and decide to be happer than before. It’s about the great change a kind word can make, about the immense effect of pure determination to be good to others and to onself, the power of attitude. The gentle and monumental butterfly effect of human kindness.

And I love what a conscious thing kindness is in this book, and goodness and niceness is. I love how being friendly and nice is not portayed as a sort of natural talent or gift, but a deliberate skill that is worth exercising - and never too late to learn. And I like the distinction she makes - because in this book (and others of her’s) there’s two sorts of, let’s call it performative goodness - one that is false and dishonest, almost sinister, and one that is actually a sign of a longing to be and act good, and a way to achieve it. Being kind to people, even if you don’t exactly feel like it, is not akin to fake friendliness, it is as good and true as anything. Actual dishonest friendliness is not having an unfriendy word and then saying something nice - it’s saying something nice to a person’s face and then betraying them in some way. Being nasty does not necessarily make a person more authentic, it’s not a sign of one’s honesty. But on the other hand - even the kindest person is mean or unfriendly or nasty at times, and that’s alright too.

The reasons for unhappiness are often small - or they appear small - but all the more realistic, heartfelt, genuine. These characters are very much people, and their worries at times silly and yet having a frightful effect on their lives, often through years of growing inside their minds. On the other hand, deeper issues are very much a matter, mental illness and trauma never being glossed over, or ridiculed. It’s written and set in the 50s, so the horrors of the war have not yet grown distant, not to mention other difficulties of this, and the previous decades.

I’ve said it is a character driven book, and must add that I love these characters. I love that they are people, each and every one of them so delightfully human. And I love the way Elizabeth Goudge wrote children. Children, in adult novels, are so often reduced to props or plot devices, and her children are people, as characters in all ways equal to her adult characters. The oldest point of view characters in this book are in their eighties, the youngest is five years old, with others of all age groups in between them, and all of them are written with equal care and dedication. The characters’ ages do however, greatly affect the way they are written, and how they think and what they do, in good and bad - although Goudge fortunately refrained from assigning a particular age group a particular view or way of life.

It is also of note that all characters are beautifully flawed, and steadily grow over the course of the book, though not with leaving every flaw or fault behind. One character, sadly, chooses not to grow, and though there is no villain in this book (just as there is no hero) this particular character is an unconventional choice for the only truly negative character, although a very good and convincing one.

There is, it seems, a book for almost everything. That is, of course, a good thing. But it often seems to me, that although all sorts of great ideas and experiences, all big and visible and obvious things can be found in literature rather easily, it’s the quiet and small things that are truly hard to find, and even harder to look for. I certainly did not look for the things I found in this book, but I found them and I am glad I did. I often found that some emotions, some little human interactions, fragments of something that lies halway between feeling and thought, are in a way omitted from the majority of literature and other sorts of stories, that the larger things - even the unusual and controversial things - are not. I often wondered whether these things were so normal that nobody thought them worth mentioning, or so strange that nobody else felt them or, if they felt them, dared to write them down. It was a sort of relief to read, all of a sudden, of such little, yet significant things that were so familiar to me, and so unusual to read on a page. It went further even - at times I found myself reading what I had felt myself, but never knew how to put into words. I’ve had this sort of experience with other books - and it’s one of the most beautiful things that can happen while reading a book - but throughout this one in particular, and it was at times rather confusing, even unsettling for a moment, but in the end always comforting.

Or to quote C. S. Lewis:  “A book sometimes crosses ones path which is so like the sound of ones native language in a strange country that it feels almost uncivil not to wave some kind of flag in answer.”

It’s that sort of book for me.

The Rosemary Tree is a Spring book. The air of the cold, sweet Spring, the sunlight and the morning dew, and smell of all things green and growing are what carries the story. The birdsong, most of all. It is a book about change, change for the better, even though not always in the originally desired way. Goudge’s gorgeous descriptions of nature and the changes it goes through in the Spring months work perfectly well with the developments in the characters lives. Birds, and trees, and flowers - everywhere, so vivid and colourful that the book could nearly burst, yet so gentle and elegant that, in the end, it won’t. Her prose is gorgeous, but never purple, though maybe a slight shade of lavender. That’s because her writing can be sweet, but never in a sticky, draining way. It’s fresh, full of cold morning air and the smell of herbs.

And of course, there’s one thing you can always rely on with Ms Goudge - there are always dogs.

[violetsmoak]

Tabula Rasa [3/?]

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20183281/chapters/47879533

Blanket Disclaimer:

Summary: Tim and Jason have known they are soulmates for years, though neither has said anything about it. Tim thinks Jason doesn’t know, and is just trying to live with it. Jason thinks Tim knows but doesn’t care, which is fine with him, he thinks the soulmate thing is a crock anyway. But one night, a minor mishap forces them to confront the issue head-on, leading to a series of events no one could have predicted.

Rating: PG-13 (rating may change later)

JayTimBingo Prompts This Chapter: #danger #enemies to lovers #i’ll protect you #soulmark tattoo #soulmate aversion

First Chapter

Author's Note(s): Low and behold, plot, and not just Tim whump. (Although there's definitely a big hit of that, too)

________________________________________________________________

Jason maintains that he doesn’t run. He just makes a well-timed exit.

Out of Gotham.

He meets up with Roy and Kori who are in Key West of all places and convinces them to do something on the other side of the planet. Somewhere dusty and without reliable communication technology, where he hopes they’ll end up being abducted by aliens again.

It has nothing to do with wanting to ignore the whole soulmate thing, or the nagging flickers of guilt he experiences for having been an epic douchebag to Tim, who he now knows gives a shit about being soulmates.

Which isn’t Jason’s fault.

It’s not on either of them that Tim got stuck with Jason or that Jason had to make clear where he stood on the issue. There’s nothing worse than giving someone like Tim false hope.

“Not even breaking his heart?” Kori asks, cross-legged on the couch in her trailer, hair flickering above her like a crackling fire. She ended up getting the story out of him within a day because she’s Kori and lying to her feels like slapping a kitten or something.

“First, I didn’t break his heart. Second, if I did, he’ll get over it,” Jason insists. “And it’s better it happens now than let him mope about it for the rest of his life. At least this way he can put an effort into findin’ someone who actually cares.” Kori tilts her head to one side and presses her lips together. “I mean, it’s not like I want the kid dead anymore, but I’m not lookin’ to make friends or family or whatever with him.  And at the end of the day, he’s a decent person and I’m not, so there’s that, too.”

Jason ruins everything he touches—case point, the soulmate he’s already tried (and temporarily succeeded) to kill.

“It sounds as if you already care more about the mate of your soul than you wish to admit,” Kori remarks.

“He’s not my mate.”

“No, not with that attitude.”

“You think I have an attitude? Because I don’t want anything controllin’ my actions or my destiny? The idea isn’t supposed to bother me?”

“I did not say that. But you are looking at the whole thing from just the one angle.”

“You’re tellin’ me it doesn’t bother you?”

“It does not. But I am not you, and matters of the soul are a subjective issue,” she says and leans forward. “You always have a choice, Jason. There are many who have been linked by fate yet choose not to be together. You have seen me and Richard.” Jason’s eyes flick to the creeping pattern of blues and greens that wrap around Kori’s wrist. “Xhal may have decreed we be together, but we decided it was best not to. We have different values, different understandings of the world and relationship���and we both have deep commitments outside of ourselves. That is why I believe the universe ensured he also has Barbara.” She smiles, gentle but sad. “We choose to be mates of the soul from a distance. And I am content with this. It gives me…freedom, in a way. But that decision was made after a long bit of thought and much discussion. Not because we disliked the notion of fate.”

“That doesn’t mean I need to do the same,” Jason points out, a little stiffly.

“No. It does not. But whatever you feel, you and Timothy have a bond. And you are knowingly cutting it off without giving it a chance, something which no doubt does him harm.”

“Not as much as it would if I were around him.”

“You do not know that.”

“Uh, yeah, I do.”

“Very well.” Kori’s brow furrows. “I will not argue with someone that has set their mind to something. I have given you my views on the matter, or rather concerning your mate and your own self-worth. Do with them what you will.”

And she strides out of the trailer; Jason sees a burst of flame outside suggesting she’s flown off.

“And what’s your take on this?” he grumbles, glancing at where Roy’s been sitting the whole time, fiddling with what might have been a DVD player once but now more closely resembles a miniature drone.

“Not my circus, not my monkeys,” Roy grunts around a screwdriver in his mouth.

Jason rolls his eyes.

“Although,” his best friend continues, putting down his tools, “don’t you think by avoiding Gotham, you’re pretty much letting the whole soulmate thing decide how you’re living your life? How’s that different from fate or destiny or the Giant Spaghetti Monster?”

Which Jason can’t summon an argument against.

He hates it when Roy makes sense.

It’s another day of procrastinating before he throws up his hands and says, “You both suck and I’m never comin’ to you for anything ever again.”

“Just call ahead next time,” Kori hums. “Stella is teaching me to make carne asada and I will require another test subject.”

“We’ve only needed to get the fire extinguisher twice,” Roy adds, and Kori nods proudly.

“You two disgust me with your domestic bliss,” Jason informs them before he leaves, although seeing them has made him feel somewhat better.

His friends are an excellent example of a successful relationship despite not being soulmates. Kori’s embodiment of joy was the perfect balm to Roy’s garbage pile of a life. Rejected by his soulmate, his addiction, losing Lian…

Actually, now that he thinks about it, Roy’s life only really started on its downward spiral after Jade ghosted him.

There’s something worrying about that knowledge, but Jason doesn’t examine it too closely.

He heads back to Gotham, a little chastised and a little wary, but determined to keep giving fate or Xhal or whoever the finger. If anyone asks (and no one does), he’s not back to the city because of Tim, but because he still hasn’t figured out who put the contract out on Johnny Lino.

It’s nagging at him more than the death of one of his informants usually does. The trail went cold almost immediately, nothing beyond the traces of a sniper in the opposite building. He’s calling it a coincidence for now, although he’s mentally earmarked it for potential problems in the future if anything else like this happens.

Maybe Johnny just got too big for his britches and pissed off the wrong mobster. One with access to the quality hitmen he couldn’t afford.

Two nights later, when he stops into a club that’s the front to a high stakes illegal poker game, he decides it’s no longer a potential problem, but an imminent right-the-fuck-now problem.

He’s there to collect his percentage from a few of the guys around the table, but once the door closes behind him, he’s suddenly getting ambushed by a table for people with knives and no qualms about dying.

Jason has never liked killing people; it’s something that occasionally has to be done, in the same way a cop sometimes has to pull his service weapon. Certain people in particular—serial rapists and pedophiles and the Joker—are part of that ‘it needs to be done’ category. Thugs like this are just small-time losers with bad judgment, so he’s not really aiming to kill any of them.

Immobilizing shots and the like.

Which is why he’s a bit concerned when he goes to interrogate the bastards about what’s going on, and the guy he reaches for suddenly starts foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling back in his head.

“What the fuck?” Jason jerks backward, glancing at all the rest and finding that they, too, are now convulsing and twitching as the life leaves their bodies.

Cyanide, he realizes when he leans close to his guy’s mouth and detects the smell of almonds. Again, I say, ‘what the fuck’?

It’s the second time a visit to an underling has resulted in death.

Something’s going on in his house, and he doesn’t like it. Maybe the trip to Florida wasn’t a good idea just now; he needs information, and he needs it now.

Except, when he canvasses the streets between Park Row and Byron, he discovers quickly that his people aren’t talking. The girls that are usually so chatty cross quickly to the other side of the streets, the hustlers on the corners are suddenly all on breaks, and the bodega clerks simply beg him to leave their shops, they have kids, you know?

The only one that will talk to him is Rhonda, one of the prostitutes that has been there longer than the rest. She’s a raw-boned woman with leathery skin and bleached, teased blond curls; once, a john tried to act out a rape-murder fantasy on her and she tasered him in the nuts until they burned off.

He’s not sure how much of that’s true, but if anyone could pull that off, it’s Rhonda.

“Someone put a price on your head, baby,” she informs him when he tracks her down, taking a long drag of a menthol cigarette. “Someone scarier than you.”

“Not possible,” he replies, trying to inject some of his usual cockiness into the words.

“There’s always someone scarier,” she informs him gravely. “Lotsa girls and runners gone to the new player. They says he’s gonna protect us better than Red Hood ever did, offer us a bigger take. More of our money in our pockets. Even gonna keep the kids safe better than you could.”

“Which you don’t believe, or you’d be jumping that bandwagon.”

“I believe what I sees, and I ain’t seen this guy,” she replies. “But he did send those Pike bastards outta here, runnin’ with their tails between their legs. Last I heard, they got picked up by one of the Bats before they set much on fire.”

“Which Bat?”

“Red Robin, I think.”

I guess I owe him for taking care of that particular headache.

“He’s pretty decent for a mask,” she adds. “Always comes down here when you ain’t been seen for a few days. He a bit softer—never leaves anyone crippled—but the alley stays safe when he comes by.”

Jason scowls inside his helmet. He didn’t come here to talk about his replacement.

“What do you know about this new guy, then?” he asks, redirecting the conversation back to his current problem. “The one trying to move in on my turf, not the wannabe Bat.”

“Oh, no, honey, that’s all I’m givin’ you. Anyone hears I told you even that and I’m in trouble. But I hear you ain’t the only one having troubles with him. Penguin’s stepped up his muscle a lot lately.”

“I guess that means I’m going clubbin’,” Jason says, and hands over a few hundreds. It’s more than the information she gave him is worth, but she’s got a kid to feed. “Take a night or two off, Rhonda. Could be a hard few days.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” she replies and pockets the money, slinking into the shadows.

The next stop on his list that night is the Iceberg Lounge. As usual, Penguin doesn’t intend to be helpful in the beginning.

“I assure you I have heard nothing of this newest player,” he croaks after Jason goes through the obligatory routine of threats and a show of violence. “But then, a good portion of my clientele has absconded to the Hungry Ghost these past weeks.”

“The what?”

“A new club—little more than the front for a brothel. But rife with rumors and scandal.” He smiles his oily little smile, the one that Jason’s broken more than once since he was thirteen and has to fight down the urge to do again now.

“It’s not like you to be so calm about this. You’re usually more of a control freak over the information game.”

“The wheel never stops turning, Hood. There’s a reason I’ve been around longer than anyone else in this business. It’s knowing the proper time to stand and fight…and the proper time to move out of the line of fire. I will still be here when the dust settles.” The man grins wide, showing yellowed teeth. “But from what I hear, you might not be.”

 “That a threat?” Jason growls, hand moving to his holster.

“An observation. And don’t look like that, do you really think I’d dirty my hands on someone like you?” Penguin sniffs. “I am remaining Switzerland on this issue.”

“Switzerland, huh? So armed neutrality?”

“Indeed.”

His cold eyes following Jason as he takes his leave—and knocks out a few bodyguards that try to make a move on him as he goes.

“What the fuck?” he asks for the third time in as many days, absently rubbing the back of his left wrist. “How does Penguin not even know what’s going on?”

“Since he’s trying to stay alive,” a voice replies, and Jason almost—almost—jumps when he notices the shadow leaning over a nearby fire-escape. Red Robin materializes fully into the light but remains a conspicuous distance away from Jason. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”

Tim’s tone is careful.

“I didn’t exactly put it on MySpace.”

“MySpace hasn’t been around since 2009.”

“Yeah, well, I was dead that year, so sue me for not knowin’ that.”

He expects a reprimand or a bit of tooth-grinding like he always gets when he makes oblique jokes about his death. But Tim just shrugs. Which seems…off, somehow.

“A week ago, all the major players were sent packages,” Tim informs him, going back to the subject at hand.  “Heads, hands, and hearts of their top lieutenants, and a warning to wait for orders from the new boss in Gotham.”

“So basically, someone took my schtick and went the extra mile,” Jason suggests.

And is trying to edge me out of my own business.

“B is monitoring the situation. It hasn’t spilled into the civilian sphere yet, so he hasn’t deemed it an immediate threat.”

“Of fuckin’ course not, it’s not his head the new guy wants on a pike!” Jason growls, somewhat irritated by this, but also a bit surprised. Bruce wouldn’t be leaving the matter alone if he thought Jason was in any actual danger; maybe, for once, he understands Jason can handle it.

Doesn’t explain why the kid’s here tonight, though.

“So what are you doing here?”

There’s a slight squeak of leather as Tim shrugs. “Protection detail. We’ve all been assigned to keep an eye out if whoever this is makes a move on one of the bigger names. I’m on Penguin tonight.”

“Capes guardin’ criminals,” Jason snorts. “The irony of that never gets old.

Tim doesn’t answer. No witty rejoinder, no impassioned defense of Batman’s credo.

“Still, at least you’re doing something,” Jason allows, somewhat grudging. “And you’ve been busy with the Pikes, from what I hear. I was savin’ them for a rainy day, but I guess it’s a headache I don’t have to worry about now.”

He expects Tim to display some kind of reaction to that, even if it is dark sarcasm.

“It’s my job,” he says instead, in a way that makes Jason frown. But not as much as he does when Tim shoots a grapple line and takes off without another word.

Well, that was weird. But…okay? I guess?

Tim didn’t mention anything about their soulmarks; didn’t even bother bringing it up. Clearly, he took Jason’s message to heart and is trying to be professional. Which is also good. Not a lot of people can handle rejection with any sense of maturity.

A little cold, but it’s Tim. He’s not as emotive as Dick is, anyway.

Jason puts it out of his mind, ignores that tiny flash of wrong that crops of when he thinks about the younger man’s behavior. Which doesn’t happen all that often, since he’s too busy running down his list of contacts trying to find out who exactly the new player is in Gotham.

In theory, he could go to the other Bats for information—could go to Oracle, if he butters her up a bit. She still has a thing for cinnamon buns from that place on 4th, it wouldn’t even be out of his way…

But he’s not really keen on talking to any of them right now, and not to put too fine a point on it, this is his business. It’s bad enough they’re even on the periphery of the case already.

⁂

Two days later, tracking a snitch that’s been avoiding him causes him to stumble upon a weapons deal going down in Tricorner. No local colors, but from the gear Jason calls mercenaries.

Red Robin’s in the middle of it, outnumbered by a lot and outgunned by more, and Jason throws himself into the fight without thinking too much about it. It’s what anyone in the Family does, after all, no need to ascribe any meaning to it.

Red grunts an acknowledgment—that he sees Jason and won’t accidentally break his jaw with his bō—and they settle into their usual fight pattern. Jason’s always found this all too easy—there’s something about fighting back to back with another Bat that’s just instinctive, whether it’s Dick or Damian or even Bruce.

But with Tim, it’s always been more than that. They work together like gears in a clock.

He always shied away from attributing that to their soul bond, because that would mean having to acknowledge it. Better to think it was because Tim obsessively stalked Jason when he was Robin and that Jason learned everything he could about his replacement’s style when he and Talia were planning his big return to Gotham.

But it’s out there now, isn’t it? They both know, it’s not a secret.

Just like Jason knows after several minutes that there’s something still off about Red.

Half his attention on his own fight with his own portion of the goons, Jason can still observe the other vigilante’s movements. Red is telegraphing his moves more. Nothing these brainless thugs would notice, but someone with Bat and League training could spot from a mile away. There’s a languidness in his movements like he’s not entirely present in the moment, and a lack of care in his attacks.

Jason watches as Tim takes a running jump, kneeing one thug in the chest and knocking him to the floor, then using him as a steppingstone—steps down harder than usual, dislocates the shoulder—twists and grabs the next nearest thug by the arm. Holding him, he hobbles him in the knee, then follows up with a kick to the head.

As the bullets fly, Tim tucks and rolls between two more assailants, sweeping the feet out from beneath the third, who stumbles, allowing Tim to weave beneath his outstretched arm and the gun he has pointed at him. Bowing his back into him, Tim tries to go for an elbow to the solar plexus, but the guy is shooting now even as he struggles with Tim.

Usually, he’d be attempting to ensure those shots remain nonlethal, but this time he doesn’t seem concerned with it. It’s by sheer chance that several of the slugs only hit the fourth guy in the shoulders, at points that Jason dimly recognizes as close to fatal.

Tim’s assailant is still shooting, they’re still struggling, and even as Tim twists and tries to get it out of his hands, bullets nearly hit Jason as he’s in the process of clotheslining his own opponent.

“The hell, Replacement?” he snaps as he ducks the wild spray of gunfire.

Tim ignores him but has apparently lost patience. He digs a birdarang out of his bandolier, slamming it into the meaty part of his opponent’s leg. There’s a shriek of pain and the guy crumples around the wound, then Tim whirls around and brings him down hard on the floor. As the fifth man comes at him, Tim breaks his nose and shoves him toward the sixth man, who he kicks in the chest, then backhands the last guy, using him as leverage to snap a kick at his buddy.

The guy goes flying backward, and Tim throws the final thug down on the floor, smacking him face-first against the hard pavement with enough force that blood pools around his head.

It’s quick, efficient, and merciless, and if it were anyone else the sheer beauty of the takedown would impress Jason.

Except, this is not the way Red Robin fights. Tim is always efficient, yes, but there’s a certain amount of force he always holds back. No matter how quick and brutal the fight, he takes the extra effort to avoid critical injuries.

That wasn’t there tonight; hell, he almost got Jason shot.

“What’s with you?” Jason demands when they are surrounded by feebly twitching bodies and Tim is calling in the GCPD to deal with the remaining contraband.

“Nothing you need to care about,” is the mild reply.

“I fuckin’ care if it gets me killed!”

“Then maybe you’re not as good as you think you are.”

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

The tone isn’t the dry, snarky confidence Red Robin usually uses to deliver a line like that. It’s robotic and toneless and weary. Jason only remembers him sounding like that after Batman’s supposed death, when no one believed him about Bruce still being alive.

Wait. Did something happen while I was away?

“Christ, kid, who died while I was gone?” he demands.

“If we’re done here, I have a report to write,” Tim replies without answering the question, and is already walking away.

“Yeah, fine! You do that!” Jason shouts after him. It’s not like he actually cares for the answer.

And yet…

The whole thing bothers him.

Kid’s going to get himself killed, and it’s not even something I can blame Bruce for.

Mostly because he’s almost certain he has something to do with Tim’s mood. He might have overestimated Tim’s ability to handle rejection by his soulmate.

Which is disappointing, because of all the teenaged clichés he expected the younger man to fall prey to, giving up on himself the first time he faces rejection?

Typical rich boy. Got everything handed to him, so when someone tells him ‘no’, he has an existential crisis. Well, whatever. Screw him. It’s none of my business.

Though that assertion is easier said than stood by.

⁂

The next morning, Jason is still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. He didn’t sleep well, just tossed and turned for four hours before he gave up and went a few rounds with his punching bag. He decides to calm himself down another way and heads for the café he sometimes frequents that does tea almost as well as Alfred’s.

The place looks like a bar, but instead of alcoholic beverages, there are exotic teas and fancy cold drinks on display. It’s early enough in the day there aren’t more than two or three other patrons. Usually he comes in later when it’s packed and bustling and easy to disappear into the crowd; today, he appreciates the silence.

In the back corner, a television is on, broadcasting the morning news. The screen switches to a conference and, of course, it’s Tim fucking Drake front and center. Talking up something to do with his Neon Knights thing.

And it looks like Vicki’s up to her shit again.

The intrepid thorn in the collective side of the Family is needling Tim about his personal life. He’s deflects everything with his usual smile until Vale brings up Tam Fox.

Tim’s face is always so composed when speaking to the press, his smile rivaling Brucie or maybe the Mona Lisa for secretiveness. But as Vale’s questions veer toward the subject of soulmates—and Tim’s apparent lack thereof—it’s as if a thundercloud has taken residence on the teen’s face.

When Vale ignores Tim’s third polite side-step of her questioning, he jerks as if a physical snap takes place inside him.

“The last time I checked, this conference is about increasing funding for underprivileged students, not about my personal life,” he says, tone frigid. “And in case your many years of reporting haven’t drilled it into your head, no comment means no comment. If that continues to confuse you, maybe I should replace it with ‘fuck off’.”

The TV censors bleep it out, but you don’t have to be a lipreader to know it’s what he said. As the press clamor, Tim then stalks out of frame, which—

Shit.

Jason is both impressed—because even he never managed to do that when he had to deal with the press as a kid—and disquieted. Because Tim Drake doesn’t lose control like that, not least of all where the public might see it.

What the hell.

Jason heads back to his current safe house, wondering if maybe this might be something he should tell someone about. He doesn’t have to get touchy-feely about it, but he might drop a hint or two to Dick, or to Alfie, or someone who gives a shit about Tim.

They can have, I dunno, some kind of intervention or whatever white hats like they do in situations like this.

All thoughts of that vanish, however, when he turns the corner and notices a crowd gathered outside the building where he’s been staying. Large plumes of smoke are billowing above it, and there are a firetruck and two police squad cars parked out front.

What the…?

Jason hurries over and stares up, dumbstruck, to see a chunk of the edifice missing.

The spot where his bolthole used to be.

Someone firebombed the place.

Murmurs rise up all around him.

“I heard the guy living there was cooking meth, and it blew up.” 

“Nah, there was a terrorist holed up in there. Probably didn’t set the timer on his bomb properly.”

“This fucking neighborhood.”

“I know, right?”

But Jason barely synthesizes the information, so fixated on one thing.

Someone knows.

Maybe they don’t know about him—he’s never come out of here without either a mask on or a hoodie or hat—but someone must have seen Red Hood come to this place. He’s swept for bugs and cameras, so there’s no way they’ve got a visual on him, but somehow they knew that was his apartment.

It’s too precise.

Which means his other places might be compromised, too.

Jason turns and walks away from the building, thoughts racing.

He wonders furiously about who it could be, who knows about his boltholes. Roy and Kori, obviously; he told them in case anything ever happens to him or if he doesn’t contact them for a while. He’s got a list of Roy’s in Star City and the tropical hideaways Kori’s come to enjoy over the years. They all call it insurance, but it’s a way of checking up on each other.

He could see the Joker figuring it out, but the gradually escalating attacks on Red Hood are too subtle for that maniac. Jason doubts they’ve seen the end of him since he made his last disappearing act, but this isn’t him. The clown likes an audience, likes to be noticed. These attacks are being done from the shadows and required a lot of planning.

Could be Talia, since he’s sure she’s been keeping tabs on him even long after they parted ways. She’d see it as leverage, as protecting an investment even if it didn’t give her the returns she expected.

And the Bats, of course, but none of them is the type to send a message with explosives, even when they’re all at odds.

It looks like Jason will have to lie low for a bit, watch his territory from the shadows. Deep surveillance.

He heads for his apartment in Crime Alley, which should be safe enough; he never goes anywhere near it when in uniform. Jason can regroup from there, remote-access surveillance from the moment before the safe house was bombed, check on the other boltholes from afar and—

And run straight into Tim Drake.

The kid’s bundled into a winter coat, but it hangs open, revealing the clothes he was wearing during his news conference meltdown. He’s missing the suit jacket, and his tie is loose under the collar of his shirt, carrying a plastic bag from the bodega down the street. Jason can see what looks like a week’s worth of ramen and TV dinners through the flimsy plastic. 

All of which only serves to magnify that expression of absolute defeat on his face. That shifts into careful blankness when he recognizes Jason heading toward him.

The sight of him is the cherry on the top of Jason’s already shitty day.

“No,” he snaps, stalking forward and shoving a finger at Tim. “Fuck you. I’ve got enough of my own shit going on, I don’t have time to deal with your…all of this.” He gestures at the remains of Tim’s billionaire playboy costume. “What the hell are you even doin’ here, anyway?”

Tim sighs, weary. “I live here. Like…a block away.”

And it’s a measure of how messed up this new player in town has Jason that he actually forgot that tidbit. It makes him angrier to have it pointed out to him.

“Of fucking’ course you do! You’re everywhere else, why not my neck of the woods now, too?”

“I’ve lived here for a year and you never said anything,” Tim points out.

“Yeah, well, I never ran into you before, did I?”

He doesn’t add that that was before their whole soulmates thing got yanked out in the open.

“Being off-planet helps with that, I always figured,” Tim says blandly, and shoulders past Jason with all the strength of a sleepwalker.

Which just rubs Jason the wrong way.

He feels like he’s being dismissed, feels guilt that he doesn’t want to be feeling, and is still raring for a fight. Jason snaps his hand out and roughly pulls the other man around to face him; he expects a fist to block him, or for Tim to shove him off. Instead, he simply sways a bit on his feet like he’s trying to find balance.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

“What the hell is your problem, Drake? Don’t tell me you’re sulkin’ about the soulmate thing? Is this the reason for the lame-ass robot impression you’ve been doin’ lately?”

Tim’s expression doesn’t change. “I honestly haven’t had the time to think about it. There’s a lot of work to keep me busy.”

“Right, forgot, you’ve got to be the perfect clone of B to get him to notice you. Guess that tanked today, huh? Newsflash, kid, you weren’t the first to be replaced, and I’m bettin’ you won’t be the last. Go get a life.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Tim replies vaguely. “It would be easier to do if you stayed away, though.”

“Yeah, well, my life would have been a lot easier if you didn’t exist!”

There’s a breath of heavy silence in the wake of that sentence.

Jason’s fury fizzles out like a candle doused in water the minute the syllables pass his lips. Right away, he wants to take it back, because of the way Tim nods, his expression slamming into a wall of resignation that gives Jason an uneasy feeling at the back of his neck and a pit in his gut.

He backtracks. “Look, that’s not what I—”

Whatever convoluted explanation he was going to dredge up is lost, because at that moment two things happen near simultaneously: a gunshot rips through the ambient noise of the night, and Tim jerks forward, suddenly in Jason’s space, shoving him to one side.

Blood sprays across Jason’s face, and there’s a searing hot pain on the side of his neck, that experience tells him is a bullet.

Just like experience tells him the kid now slumped in his arms, eyes wide and still trapped in that awful blank stare took the brunt of the shot—to his head.

⁂⁂⁂

Next Chapter

This blog isn’t my primary, so my reblogs don’t show up very well. As such, please reblog the fic, otherwise not a lot of people are going to see it :)

<3 Violet

[emletish-fish]

Worst Prisoner rambly notes!

Lovely readers,

In these notes I'll ramble about Aang and Zuko's relationship, birthdays in ATLA, the northern lights, and Pakku's growth.

So this chapter was a little more serious, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway.

Aang is actually under a huge amount of pressure in the seige of the Northern Water Tribe.  He's twelve, he's only just started water-bending. He's struggling with the Avatar state. Yet everyone expects him just to solve the problem.

But jeez, it's a huge ask for the poor kid.  Look at him, he’s so nervous!

I just wanted Aang to have someone he could confide in about how much his responsibilities freak him out. It's a little awkward for him to tell Sokka and Katara, because they had a very obvious vested interest in the outcome.  I think he would choose to confide these things in Zuko. 

I just think he would be a good listener for Aang's struggles. He encourages Aang to be more honest about his fears and responsibilities, and Aang in turn, feels like there is someone who is listening to him non-judgmentally. Aang is a massive people-pleaser who has a hard time saying things he knows people won’t like, but he isn’t as worried about that with Zuko.  Developing more honest communication can only be a good thing for Aang’s growth. 

Also, I just love their friendship, okay!

So ATLA takes place nearly over a year. I reckon everyone would have had a birthday at some point during ATLA. Sokka's was in the autumn, so he'll have to wait until after the comet.  I think Katara, Zuko, Aang and Toph would have been born in their corresponding season. Powerful earthbenders are born in spring. Powerful firebenders are born in summer (though I think Zuko's birthday is late summer – for reasons I'll get into if I ever get around to writing season 3). Katara is born in mid-winter, the time for badass waterbenders.

I ascribe to the theory that Air Nomads engaged in big procreating solstice festivals* – but the result would be everyone would be born around the same time. This time would be around the autumn equinox. So I think the Air nomads would probably celebrate everyone's birthdays in a two-week long festival.

*Imagine Zuko's surprise when he finally steels himself to have “the talk” with Aang, only to find out group sex/orgies is what Aang perceives as normal.

I think the Water Tribes wouldn't do extravagant presents, as they are people of limited resources. Instead they would give practical gifts, and honour each year with a practical gift that the child would need, up until they reach the age of adulthood. I think these gifts would be gender segregated, eg hunting stuff for the boys, and housework stuff for the girls.  So Katara gets her bone needles.

I think the Fire Nation would probably do birthday candles and individual gifts.  We see when he is dating Mai that Zuko, other faults aside, is actually quite a generous boyfriend. Some of this comes from him being in a position of wealth and opulence during the relationship, but I also think generosity is in his nature. Zuko was willing to give that knife to a kid he had only just met when he had next to nothing, just so Lee would feel safe. It doesn't feel like a stretch that he would try to give the knife to Katara. I think he would have lost track of time a little bit, hence his surprise that her birthday is so soon.

He gives it to her because it's her birthday and he wants to give her something nice. But it really is the only thing his got. This would be one of the moments where the loss of his status would really bother him, because he really doesn't have two coppers to rub together at this point. He's a prince with a generous nature who can't spoil his girlfriend on her birthday, and that's gotta suck. 

He just wants to do nice things for her. So he gives her a metaphorical piece of himself.

He also has an ulterior motive for giving the knife to her. He wants to know someone will tell his Uncle what happened to him, just in case.  He doesn't want to just disappear on Iroh the way his mum disappeared on him. (He is confident that no matter what goes down, Katara is going to live through sheer stubbornness. He knows what a badass his girlfriend is). The movement of the armada has made Zuko re-examine how precarious his position is, when previously he had been lulled into a false sense of well-being because he was getting' some.

I think Zuko would be in a more pessimistic frame of mind after having to write to his dad and the realisation that he's on a ticking clock before he's deemed no longer useful.  The request for a letter to his dad would have thrown him. Zuko would realise for the first time that he doesn't really have anything to say to his father; I mean anything that he would feel safe saying to his father.  He can communicate quite freely with his Uncle, but he has never been able to talk to his father.

The northern lights are great! But I didn't want to call them that in this fic because I think they would happen in the south as well, just like we get the Aurora Australis sometimes. So I called them spirit-lights instead. I think this would have been a particularly amazing display.  There are heaps of legends regarding the northern lights, but red is consistently interpreted as foretelling war and death.

Tui has been watching this whole time, and been very entertained.  I haven't said anything was a metaphor for their love for a while, so I'll say it here. The fish are a metaphor for their love! I just really enjoy the balance, the push and pull, that was present in Zutara. They pushed each other to grow into better people. They pulled each other forward, and pulled each other up when the other was down. They grounded each other, supported each other and understood each other.   Rather than being locked into stagnant roles, one giver and one taker, they had such a beautiful balance between them.

So the Frozen Pit is quite dark and spooky – and the origin of all cannibalistic rumours! Pakku's thought back  when the Gaang first arrived about how glad he was that the tribe no longer imprisoned people was in reference to this place. The Northern Water Tribe has always been very unwelcoming to foreigners.  I think that there is always a dark side to isolationist policies that dehumanises “other” people.  In a war-torn world, full of refugees, (who are willing to walk across deserts, and other life threatening geographical obstacles) the Northern Water Tribe is actually an ideal refuge. Yet no one tries it. I think there was a very strong good reason for that.

So Pakku is not very supportive of Katara's relationship with Zuko here, but I honestly don't think he would be.  They had to be explicitly forbidden from one another by someone, and Pakku was my guy for that! The Northern Water Tribe has had a policy of isolation for over 80 years. That does not make it the most welcoming place for an inter-racial relationship.

I think Pakku would be tolerant of people from other nations and feel compassion for them (eg. his deep regret about the frozen pit).  However he does not want any foreigners marrying into his tribe/family. His threat against Zuko isn't anything personal. He doesn't have a problem with Zuko per-see, but he certainly has a problem with Katara dating outside the tribes, especially someone who is “the enemy”. Like all white-lotus, Pakku is working towards maintaining balance, but I think he would see that balance as everyone staying in their own nations, rather than mixing. (Hey-hey, kinda like Bryke in the comics!)  

Pakku is incredibly set in his ways and very inflexible in his thinking. He was willing to make sure Aang was never able to master either water-bending or the Avatar state just so he could maintain an extremely sexist custom and belief in male superiority.

He let Katara learn waterbending for very personal reasons, but he didn't let any other girls learn did he? The lead up to war would have been a great time for that sweeping change in gender roles, with women being taught to fight based on sheer practicality. There is a very real threat coming and logically, everyone knowing basic self defence would have been beneficial. But we don't see that.

I think Pakku developed a personal attachment to Katara, and she did make him question some of his values. However, shifting perceptions of a man that age takes a lot, and Katara's got other shit to do. Pakku is going to have to do some of the growing on his own, and he is also going to have to have a solid mistake to learn from – rather than some nebulous realisation of the fact that he has been a dick to women for sixty years.  

Pakku is very controlling here. He is used to being listened to and getting  his own way. I think now that Pakku sees Katara as family, he would feel entitled to a say in who she dates. He honestly thinks he's doing the right thing, to “protect her from herself” here, and that is part of the problem.  It does come from a place of love, but there is a hell of a lot of rigid ideas about gender and relationships in that place too.  

Next chapter: Everything will change when the Fire Nation attacks!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

SO IF YOU WANT TO GET ANYTHING DONE

A three month old company at Demo Day only needs to be able to match. Ideas 8 and 9 together mean that you can now start a startup than that? So how much shorter are your programs if you write them in Lisp? If the reward is indefinitely far in the future. The company that bought them was not a particularly stupid one. What a colossal mistake it would be, they would be able to compel.1 But I think angel rounds will start to develop standardized procedures that make acquisitions little more work than hiring someone. The distance between the starting point and where you are now and the features they need. If I remember correctly, less than 10,000? We hoped that would save us. Here's the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice sales rank, 44 outsell Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice: It is a truth universally acknowledged?

Should you hire another programmer, who won't contribute to this week's growth but perhaps in a month will have implemented some new feature that will get you more users.2 Performance isn't everything, you say? There are times when this format is what a writer wants. Driven by his enthusiasm for the new project he works on it for many hours at a stretch. You either get rich, or you get nothing. For over a decade, every hacker who'd ever had to process payments online knew how painful the experience was. If it isn't, and you shouldn't go unless you want to work on research projects as an undergrad. It assumes good technical people have college degrees, and that has no correlation to the nature of the application. By disputes for years, finally concluding that the only solution was to make the software run on the server. We managed to drag a lot of ideology that prevents people from viewing it with as cold an eye as they would something like consulting during the Bubble. Anti-immigration people don't understand is that there is a contradiction in the conventional wisdom: Lisp will make you a better programmer, like he says, why wouldn't you want to go to grad school or just be good at programming, and learn a lot about why startups are most productive at the very beginning, when they're just a couple guys in an apartment.

But I can think of three problems that could arise from using less common languages. You never have to exert anything like that much force in the course of a year. The culmination of my career as a series of different types of work that can only be done in long, uninterrupted stretches, when inspiration hits, rather than the one that seems to have the most momentum, and since 2001 there has been an additional admixture of paranoia. Riskier Strategies are Possible Risk is always proportionate to reward, investors like risky strategies, while founders, who don't have a problem firing someone they needed to.3 At least it did for me. Why? Optimizing code means taking an existing program and changing it to use less of something, usually time or memory. Now the only threshold is courage. But when you first start working on a project, because initially the most important things we've been working on when they bought us. But I don't think a lot of work. Startup founder is not the most powerful OS wherever it leads rather than being influenced by some initial vision, just as a sailboat can sail closer to the wind once it gets underway.

When a startup both begins with an idea exposed by technological change and makes a product consisting of technology in the narrower sense what used to be that smart. Wufoo got valuable feedback from it: Linux users complained they used too much Flash, so they are speaking from experience. At most colleges, admissions officers decide who gets in trouble for that. There are a few places where the work is so interesting that this is so, because the time it was obvious to ordinary people that this was a proper use of the word, new technology.4 Otherwise Robert would have been one of the biggest obstacles to creating startups in Europe is the attitude they reflect: that an employee is a kind of social convention, high-level languages on the other. What changed there was not solubility but bigness. But I can think of three problems that could arise from using less common languages.5 Usually successful startups happen because the founders are sufficiently different from other people that ideas few others can see seem obvious to them.

If I remember correctly, less than 10,000 lines of code. For example, the corporate site that says the company makes enterprise content management solutions for business that enable organizations to unify people, content and processes to minimize business risk, accelerate time-to-value and sustain lower total cost of ownership. A symbol type. In fact, the whole concept of a startup seems like a fraud. Some of these we now take for granted are missing. I just gave. Anyone who invested in private companies in return for dividends would have to pay close attention to their books. It's not as if all the opportunities to start companies are going to be working for them.

Of course, it's not uncommon for a startup or not. And as his example suggests, this can be valuable knowledge. They're type-C procrastinators: they put off working on small stuff to work on it. That was an unusual problem to have in person. The reason this struck me so forcibly is that for most of the time. But you can control them indirectly, by controlling what situations you let yourself get into. By the time journalists covering the press release got round to calling us, we had a template language called RTML, which supposedly stood for something, but which in fact I named after Rtm. The way to get one loaded into your head. In fact, I know many people who switched from math to computer science because they found math too hard, and no one will pay for, when you could fix one of the biggest obstacles to creating startups in Europe is the attitude they reflect: that an employee is a kind of limit that mainstream languages are approaching asymptotically—does that mean you can't start a startup, you had to get the process rolling is get those first few startups successfully launched. When I talk to the founders of Sun.6 When you're running a big company, so they could receive the training appropriate to it. That's true now, and we don't realize how rich they are in the way.

But you yourself are the most important problems in their field. He works in a small market that will either turn into a big company, this may not be easy. To evaluate whether your startup is worth investing in, you don't worry too much about efficiency. Politicians are caught between a rock and a hard place here, however: make the capital gains rate low and be accused of creating tax breaks for the rich, or you get nothing. Garbage collection, introduced by Lisp in the mid twentieth century. And if Lisp is so great, why doesn't everyone use it? I named after Rtm. Tax laws that encourage growth? And when writing for yourself you have different priorities. So if you're mainly interested in hacking shouldn't deter you from going to grad school after this equivocal recommendation, I can say more precisely.

Notes

Beware too of the clumps of smart people are like sheep, but all they could to help a society generally is to get endless grief for classifying religion as well they do on the admissions committee knows the professors who wrote the first year or so you can send your business plan to have moments of adversity before they ultimately choose not to have them soon. We couldn't talk meaningfully about revenues without growing big in revenues without including the order and referrer. Usually people skirt that issue with some equivocation implying that you're not even allowed to discriminate on the one hand paying Milton the compliment of an investor I don't know how many computers the worm might have to do that much of the 800 highest paid executives at large companies will one day be able to. There are aspects of the 2003 season was 4.

But friends should be working to help a society generally is to say how justified this worry is. The top VCs and the Imagination by Hilbert and Cohn-Vossen. The proportions of OSes are: Windows 66.

We tell them what to outsource and what not to like uncapped notes, and no one would have undesirable side effects. Quite often at YC I find myself asking founders Would you use that instead of just doing things, they will fund you, however, is not economic inequality, and when I said yes.

They live in a cupboard saying this is also not a commodity or article of commerce.

I'm not saying option pools themselves will go on to study the quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, music, phone, and there was a false positive, this is one of the most famous example. An ordinary laborer was worth 8,000 sestertii, for example, the work goes instead into the shape of the world of the world, and all those 20 people at once is to say, but it doesn't seem an impossible hope. You can have escaped alive, or magazines. But it's dangerous to Microsoft than Netscape was.

The kind of intensity and dedication from programmers that they create liquidity.

[seanofseancha]

#15 A Thought on Public Service

Public servants like Vico Sotto sets a new wave of perspective in public service. In fact, recently, he was rewarded as one of the frontier next generation leaders from a U.S. awarding organization. What amazes people is how come a public servant is so different with so many politicians.

Politicians and public service has been there since constitutions existed. Politicians are people who deals with power. Politics is the study of powers, mainly social powers. From the past, we have been introduced to the idea that politics and public service is the same. They’re not altogether the same though.

It is true that if you have power, it is for good use that you use that power for the good of others. Politicians have the capacity for public service, but it doesn’t mean that all of them are after service. If they are good in one thing and have studied for, it is how to use power to maintain peace and order. But they can only maintain that power in the context of the current peace and order. When I write order, I mean a system in place. When I write peace, I mean the current status of their power region. This will affect the norm of their practice. No wonder why a lot are eaten by the system.

Public servants are called public servant because they serve the public. What they do benefit the public. However, critique arises when the public doesn’t get to be served, rather used to serve the purposes of that whom were placed to serve them.

Then what do definitve public service and politics differ? They differ in values. It is never corrupt to run as a public servant or a politician, what makes people corrupt is not they have power rather the values they hold from within. There is that famous quote that says “power corrupts”, Stoics argues it’s not. Rather, “power exposes” who is corrupt.

Corruption is a Human Nature

Biblically writing, the Bible says and Jesus says that the human heart is corrupt tainted by sin, and Jesus said evil overflows from a corrupt heart. (It’s a long article to write about sin, but I do believe its not a question that humans have a capacity to do evil) Following this logic, I am writing that all have sinned, therefore all are sinners and all of us are corrupt. So when we think of corrupt politicians and public servants, we also talk about how corrupt humans are and since you and I are humans, you and I are also corrupt.

It is because politicians and people that are seen as public figure is so easy to label as corrupt because they are public figures! Yet I have to write that they are accountable with their actions, and God will hold them accountable. They must be careful living and exercising their power. As Uncle Ben said in Spiderman once said, “With great power comes great responsibilty.” I may add, with great accountability.

Now we understand that all are affected and we must extend understanding on corruption of public service and governance.

My real thoughts and purpose is Jesus’ wisdom on service.

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be great among you, he must be the least, the one who serves.”

He also said, “Don’t be like the Gentile leaders who rule over their people to be served.”

This is what worldly public service is about. Take note, worldly not biblical. Gentiles in the Bible are people who is not a Jew, I might say that Gentiles are Godless, with a big G. Context-wise, Jesus is introducing a radical shift on his disciples’ perspective of service. He is not speaking to the world by the way, He is preaching to His disciples.

His disciples

So as I write this, I don’t write to the world, I write to myself and to those that will take the time to read this. I write for my co-disciples. I am sharing my thoughts to people who understood that Jesus is Christ, Messiah, the Son of God.

I thought how easy it is to say that a person who studied public service is a servant in himself or herself. Theory and practice is always in question. I noticed how we based a politician’s capability to serve the government, base on how many years he served in public service. How many laws he passed. How many connections He has. Although all these are vital, we are missing one thing. The person’s values.

Do this person capable of serving his family? Do he/she washes dishes? Do he/she wakes up to prepare food for his/her children? Do this person spend time with his/her family? Do he/she values integrity? Is he/she willing to compromise?

As Apostle Paul writes to churches of the 1st century, that their leaders, pastors and deacons must be a leader in their families. How much more it is important when you are leading a nation?

The answer is, simply you can’t. You can’t balance all of it, that’s why you need a cabinet. You need the Senate and Congress.

We always say this in church, “Heart first, technicalities second.”

We expect a different result, with the same process. That the next election, I will vote this and that, but it is impossible! We can’t know a person base on their TV appearances where you can stage and act all you want. Where you can appear intellectual or rude. In the end, we don’t have control, yet we have a right. A right to vote, to be part of that history. Though with the powers at work behind the scene, I can’t see that my one vote will ever bring change.

No it can’t, unless I sit in the government. Unless I become the change. There is no right way of writing in this but it seems hopeless. Isn’t it?

It is. But a false hope now dies, there is no change in institutional change. We all have personal lives, you and I must take responsibility. We cannot do anything about it, we either lose in surrender we can’t or compromise in the false hope that we can. Or we can? Again, not until we sit in the throne. But we are not.

A Kingdom whose King served will come

Until the false hopes fail, the real hope arise. A hope that one day a kingdom will rule whose King greatly served. Not with money, and popularity, but with love and compassion. The kingdom of Jesus.

So in the end, we still serve. Not the public unless we are called to. But we serve God, and in serving Him we bless others. And in blessing others we have served the true avenue by which services are for. That we serve because God is the God of the people who we walk with.

If it is possible to choose someone that will serve you, choose the One who will not serve you, but is serving God.

It was a long thought, I guess.

[armsinthewronghands]

Ron Edwards Making No Sense

https://plus.google.com/u/0/110790893064742233179/posts/JJj6ow3fEX5

Wayne Snyder Shared privately  -  Aug 18, 2015

Simon Bisley, 1997

(NOTE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT: The post consisted of a Simon Bisley painting)

43 Ron Edwards's profile photoMike Evans's profile photoMichael Moscrip's profile photoRichard Grenville's profile photo 84 comments

Richard GrenvilleAug 18, 2015+4 5 4

If I were in my bikini and bird mask ensemble I would not like to be in that position under all those razor-sharp spider parts, is all I'm saying. 

Richard GrenvilleAug 18, 2015

+Jeremy Duncan #startingequipment for Oriax?

Asia PickleAug 18, 2015

I do like his stuff. You ever seen that TV show Spaced?

Ron EdwardsAug 18, 2015

plus for audacity, but yeesh, Simon, you get the big bucks, try some figure drawing

Zak SmithAug 18, 2015+5 6 5

That is a baffling comment +Ron Edwards. I don't know if you mean to have a conversation about art here but techmastery snark against Simon Bisley is about as misplaced as taking Aretha Franklin to task for not knowing how to sing. Any distortions of naturalistic anatomy in Bisley are chosen stylistic effects.

Rafael ChandlerAug 18, 2015+3 4 3

Sweet. Love the bird-girl. Thinking she might not be human -- look at them fingers.

Ron EdwardsAug 18, 2015+3 4 3

+Zak Smith Ohhhh, I have been schooled now. I'm saying this as someone who likes you: fuck off, Zak. Can't a person post anything without you comin' in as Master Scold? Do you own art? All of it, or just Bisley? Can you not face being baffled, as you call it? Or that a person can post something wrong, like really wrong horribly OMG wrong, and the world won't collapse if you don't correct it?

And no, this isn't a debate. I don't like Bisley so much, so what, it's not going to change the world.

People knuckle under to you for one reason: because they're scared of being vilified Limbaugh-wise. You've got the moral high ground, the professional success, the accolades, and a life you can be proud of. Any reason you have to be a bully?

Answer me that before you crack down on me again.

Zak SmithAug 18, 2015+1 2 1

1. There's a difference between "I don't like Bisley" (statement of opinion, unarguable) And "Bisley lacks technical ability" (assertion of fact, arguable) and the second is so far as I can tell, simply misinformation. I have a moral obligation to correct it if I see it because you don't want people acting on bad information. 2.How are the rest of us supposed to know which of your many public opinions you want to discuss and which one we'll be attacked for discussing? You snarked at Simon Bisley (he didn't attack you), I neutrally commented that I don't think that was warranted, now you're biting my head off? 3. If you didn't want to talk about your opinion, why'd you say it where other people could read it? 4. How can a person with no coercive power over you be "bullying"? +Ron Edwards +Mike Davison 

David BaityAug 18, 2015

+Zak Smith lmfao

Victor Garrison (headspice)Aug 18, 2015+1 2 1

+Rafael Chandler​, Dude, what are you? A "fingers man"?

Ron EdwardsAug 18, 2015+1 2 1

+Zak Smith You hold and openly wield immense coercive power. You are a master of single-messaging people about whom they plus or not-plus, of posting public messages to shame, and of leveraging your deserved reputation as a great artist and contributor to the hobby for weight in conversations. You are widely feared and operate as a chilling agent throughout many discussions in which your tangible interests are not involved. You may intend this or you may not; I am not speaking to that. But either way, do not play "Li'l ol' me."

I won't be looking at this thread again until tomorrow, in case that interests anyone.

Zak SmithAug 18, 2015+1 2 1

Which one of these "powers" is forbidden from Mere Normal Men? "A master of single-messaging"? That isn't a magic spell, Ron, you can do that, too. +Ron Edwards You just type. As for "leveraging my reputation"--you can't simultaneously claim someone has a deserved reputation for contributions in a field and then claim that their influence is unfair . Either the reputation is deserved and so they should be influential. Or it isn't and they shouldn't.

Tony DemetriouAug 18, 2015+2 3 2

I love Bisley, and his style. This is pretty representative of my ideal goal, if I could magically make art in any style I choose.

The distorted anatomy is perfect, in the same way that I enjoy Disney animation - the choices of how to stylize or not to stylize it gives so much character to the piece. And I'm lucky that the choices Bisley makes are the ones I find appealing.

And those colours!

+Ron Edwards Um, not intending to dogpile or anything. I totally get why you might not like this :) - But I can't agree with the "figure drawing" comment, to my eye he clearly has mastered figure drawing, and now is deciding which rules to break. That's what I love most about this piece!

So when I see you criticize his anatomy, I assume that we've got a mismatch when it comes to what we enjoy about the stylizations.

I say this because in other posts you've made, you've linked to comics and referenced art with much weaker figure drawing than this without commenting on the lack of technical skills. While that might not mean anything, is it just that you find these particular ones to be ugly?

Joshua BlackketterAug 18, 2015

.

David Lewis JohnsonAug 18, 2015

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Ron EdwardsAug 19, 2015

A new day, and two fallacies await.

1. The "magic spell" is classic deflection. I said nothing of who can and cannot do those things. Single-messaging is obviously available to everyone; . The question is why you do them, which you are failing to answer.

2. Deserved reputation in doing a thing, in this case art, is not a moral obligation (your term) to do some other thing. Especially if that other thing is itself morally unsound.

These were also posted as provocation: I said I wouldn't be looking at the thread again until today, which I didn't. You posted immediately with fallacy statements, which you're not dumb enough to believe are valid. I think you know well a person can barely if ever resist replying to such things. Then you can play "ah ha you were too looking." You caught me with that once, and that dog hunts no more.

I don't think you are posting in good social or intellectual faith. What frustrates me is that you usually do post in good faith, and with points I generally value - until someone flips your Scold Switch, and you launch into these modes of attack which have long passed their high-school sell-date. They're beneath you. Yes, anyone can do them, and again: why would you?

One more check-in tomorrow to see if you answer this time. Then I'm done.

Zak SmithAug 19, 2015+1 2 1

+Ron Edwards *People don't have ideas different than yours just to piss you off, Ron* You assume bad faith: this is not good. - 1. It isn't "Deflection"--Bullying by definition requires the bully have abilities the target does not. I cannot bully you as I possess no such powers. - 1b.  As for why I'd single-message someone: Because sometimes going "Dude do you know what's going on in that thread?" would derail a public thread so you send them a private message. Right now I genuinely don't know why you're attacking me or why anyone of good conscience would join in with you. I need facts. So I asked. - 2. Everybody has a moral obligation to fact-check stuff that's discussed. Period. You (or anyone else) say an inaccurate thing, it needs to get fact-checked. "I don't like Simon Bisley" requires no comment. "Simon Bisley lacks technical ability" requires a fact-check, just like "girls don't play D&D" or "game have to look like textbooks" or any other incorrect fact I come on here and check. - 2b. I say and believe things you disagree with  because I believe they're true, not out of a sadistic desire to upset you. (This probably goes for a lot of people.) I, of course, never post fallacies and don't do so in order to "provoke" people. Provoking you achieves nothing. It is a bizarre and paranoid conspiracy theory to assume I someone get some special cookie for making you (or anyone else) mad. Like what's my supposed motive in your worldview? I didn't wake up hating Simon Bisley just as much as you yesterday and suddenly pretend to think he had technical skill just because I thought it would upset Ron Edwards! And what a joy upsetting Ron Edwards is? Right? Oh I am so glad I got to do this! What glee  I have reaped from manufacturing this false opinion about my own profession simply in order to upset one random man! That would be like you pretending bats are made of goat cheese in order to piss off a biologist you don't like. Evidence I liked Bisley before today is not thin on the ground, nor is evidence that I fact-check people when they get things wrong. I would hope, as a biologist, you'd think fact-checking bullshit about your area of study is an end in itself . I feel the same way about art. When you make false  accusations and I counter them you are not the only audience for fact-checks I may do to those false accusations. Every single person who might ever read since the beginning of time needs to know you aren't telling the truth, not just you. Now:  The person making a claim has the burden of proof--if you are claiming I am lying prove that now.

Wayne SnyderAug 19, 2015+3 4 3

That's some pretty funny shit right there. This could have been one of those art posts where folks comment, "Cool." Or "Awesome!" But ya'll have brought the comments bar up a notch to down right entertaining. To bad you can't hear me slow clapping.

Wayne SnyderAug 19, 2015+2 3 2

But I must admit, I'm a bit sad it turned out to be an argument about arguing instead of an art criticism debate.

Tony DemetriouAug 19, 2015

Alas - the internet!

Zak SmithAug 19, 2015+2 3 2

+Wayne Snyder Would be happy to have the art criticism debate if there was someone who wanted to throw down on the other side. But that never really does happen.

Tony DemetriouAug 19, 2015

I don't know if anyone here has the technical chops to have that debate, +Zak Smith ?

Zak SmithAug 19, 2015+1 2 1

The whole talkin'-RPGs business relies on articulate amateurism +Tony Demetriou, if everybody here can say why they don't like Palladium or Pathfinder or Prometheus, they can, in theory, say why they think a painting fails. They may not be able to refer to personal experience painting, but I am not going to pull rank here and claim you need an MFA to critique a picture.

Tony DemetriouYesterday 12:22 AM

I kinda feel that, having played 2-10 hours of RPGs per week for a couple of decades now, I can speak as an expert on the topic (while recognizing there are many other experts)

With pictures, I can talk about what I like. But I don't really know how to engage in a criticism debate. Willing to try, of course! Especially since I learn so much by a good debate :)

Soooo....

What's with Bisley's neon colours? I love them, but my first impression when looking at this picture is a mess of brightness. That seems to be the opposite of when I look at, say, Franzetta who tends to use one dominant colour for the whole picture.

Is that a failing on Bisley's part, or just a stylistic preference? I love the colours, but could it have been possible to have made a picture like this, without the first impression being such a mess? Maybe better separation of them, rather than similar tones on overlapping objects?

I also find he often muddies the picture with unnecessary detail - like this picture has a great silhouette, and he pulls the two humans out of the background by making them brighter than the background. But the spider seems like it's a mess. What's with those skulls beneath its legs, that are the same colour as the legs, and the same brightness and contrast? It forces my eye to do work to figure out what I'm looking at. It doesn't "lead the eye" around the picture very well.

I'm a fan of both headdresses, but the material on the guy's one seems off - it looks like it's meant to be feathers, but to me it looks like some sort of white cardboard. The girl's headdress feathers look soft, which is what I'd expect from the guy's headdress too.

And the spider's abdomen kinda looks half finished? It looks like there's the brown from the background drawn over it. Or is that some sort of green in the background and not an abdomen? I dunno. I don't like it!

... but these are my nitpicks - as a whole image, I adore it!

Zak SmithYesterday 2:21 AM

I don't understand +Tony Demetriou , you have looked at far more pictures in your life than played games, why aren't you an expert on that, too?

Tony DemetriouYesterday 3:16 AM

Because of my nature.

I've mentally broken down and analysed what makes RPGs "work" and created my own, which tests my theories.

I've looked at many pictures, but until relatively recently (maybe 5 years ago?) I haven't been engaging with it in the same way. I'm trying to learn to draw, and it's given me a new perspective on art - I'm noticing things that I was never aware of before. My understanding of form and structure and linework is so much advanced just from this hobbyist learning - and I'm sure that once I go further I'll have similar gains with my understanding of tone, colour etc. once I start learning how to apply that too. So I "know how much I don't know" if that makes sense?

Maybe it's just how I learn - I very much "learn by doing", which explains why I'm more comfortable considering myself an expert on things that I make or do, rather than things I mostly observed.

That said - in the post above, I've given my criticisms of this picture. Do you agree or disagree with them, or have any comments of your own?

Zak SmithYesterday 3:26 AM+1 2 1

It can't be just you, as nearly every single intelligent person not trained inthe field is terrified of rendering an attempt at an intelligent opinion of a piece of art. As if it were somehow 1000 times more complex than a movie (which every person has opinions on). As for your criticisms: perhaps what they lack is a sufficient counterexample--like who does right the things you guess possibly he did wrong ? 

Tony DemetriouYesterday 3:39 AM

Good point. I have no problem at all discussing movies, and the artistry involved. Maybe it's some sort of assumed-complexity due to art criticism being viewed as some elite field?

Hmm, a counterexample - I can absolutely give examples of people who do it differently but I don't know if that means they're doing it right.

- For the bright colours, a lot of cartoons and 3D animation uses bright colours without the first impression being so confused. The artwork isn't nearly as good (in my opinion), but this picture is also brightly coloured, while still "reading" easily at first glance: http://www.wisdomswebzine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Tangled.jpg

I suspect it's because, although there are bright colours, it's still a pretty limited palette - mostly blue and purple. It also keeps the characters silhouetted by dressing Flynn in darker colours and with dark hair against the white horse, and putting the darker blue behind the horse.

Rembrant's The Night Watchman is a great example of a very busy picture with a lot of detail, where the detail doesn't muddy the picture (although it makes me feel like I've forgotten my glasses...) https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/the-night-watchman/

If Bisley had done something similar around the spider & figures it might have helped give it a clearer shape, and stopped the spider being such a mess?

For the headdress - I think Bisley's own picture is the best example of doing it "right" - the woman's headdress feathers look great, the man's looks like cardboard. I think he should have softened the edges of the man's feathers.

For the spider's abdomen... uh, it just looks half finished to me. I don't think that needs a comparison? Although there certainly are other pictures that use that same effect.

Zak SmithYesterday 3:46 AM

+Tony Demetriou "I can absolutely give examples of people who do it differently but I don't know if that means they're doing it right." Well if you like it they're doing it right and if you don't they' aren't

Wayne SnyderYesterday 3:55 AM+2 3 2

Bisley is known for his bizarre pallette choices. I know he often used automotive paint in his illustrations. He's riffing off Frazettas choices, but taking it up a notch. Bisley is a heavy metal painter. He is painting visual representations of heavy metal music for the covers of a magazine called heavy metal. So the subject matter is over the top brutality and horror and sexuality. If you removed the spider and the warhammer from this piece it would just be pornography. The beef cake warrior's bulging junk is aimed directly at the sorceress's bulging junk and the course of image is obvious. But it is both, it is sex and violence in a pure cartoon proportioned form. It is the teenage mind and that is who is supposed to buy the magazine this is a cover for. I don't know why he put that skull mess in the center. I suspect without it the composition would be lopsided. Maybe it just wasn't "metal" enough for the Biz, so he added the skulls. It may have even been the choice of a art director and the Biz just wanted to get it out the door and get paid. But I doubt that. 

Zak SmithYesterday 4:05 AM+3 4 3

I think "when in doubt skulls" is a pretty good creative default

Richard GrenvilleYesterday 5:37 AM+3 4 3

Regarding people's reticence about art crit, I guess I'll state the obvious to get it out there: there is a whole industry of art critics, which was at some stage dedicated to placing painting and sculpture (although not really printmaking) in a special separate category elevated above the vulgar horde - to promoting the value of art as a vital endeavour in which humans aspired to the level of gods. And even if critics haven't done much of this in the past couple of generations, some of those old attitudes still linger on, especially in primary schools which tend to be the last refuge of ancient pedagogical ideas.* And those old values still inform the economics of the art market (the aura of the art object, the figure of the artist as a conduit into some extraordinary other world). So I suspect people might be reticent to talk about paintings partly because they're haunted by the snooty ghost of e.g. Vasari or Jacob Burckhardt, refracted through a thousand indirect sources, telling them there is something spiritual and ineffable in there which is not for the likes of them. The fact that this picture in particular is not in the (socioeconomic) category elevated by Vasari or Burkhardt but makes use of its gestures probably makes things worse, not better.

In contrast, AIUI in the early days of film there were conscious efforts made by auteur directors on one hand and populist producers on the other either to place the medium firmly in the elevated sphere of Art or to rescue it from that ivory tower and make it democratic, for the people. Perhaps the economic possibilities of mass-market film just blew away the arguments on the high art side. Perhaps the costs of commercial film production spiraled out of the hands of individual directors making their individual artistic statements and left only oligarchical demagogues, reliant on sometimes-subversive film-making experts.

* and some innovative ones too, I'm not dissing early education here.

Ron EdwardsYesterday 8:38 AM

+Zak Smith You're not hitting anything with that reply. I never said you were doing this vindictively to upset me personally as me. I'm saying you use rhetorical and social tricks to marginalize people when they post things that .. whatever it is those things do that prompts it. It fits into your own definition of bullying - because using techniques not only that others don't have, but that they won't use, counts in that definition. You said my post "baffled" you, yeah, well it baffles me that a person of your qualities and insights would do these things.

You're saying Bisley's distortions serve his (an) artistic purpose. You can just say so. You don't have to pursue anyone who plusses me saying something else. You don't have to claim "moral obligation" to put me or anyone else down, with chilling and silencing techniques. It's this pious scolding and shaming I'm talking about. Not difference of views about the artist - in fact, if you'd asked in a real way, you'd have found that I like the way Bisley does it most of the time, not so much in this picture this time. I did not say "Bisley can't draw bodies and can never draw bodies and never did." That is your trip, you brought it in, and all your high-minded fact-checking claim to being the intellectual in the room is based on that alone. You revved up your moral fires for nothing.

All of the potential for easy contrast of posts, no status issues, open to the reader to evaluate or ignore, is gone when you descend with your blazing moral obligation in play. You talk about assuming things? You assumed vast tracts of attitude, position, and intention in my post, so hard you "saw" them. You've created an entertainment environment where people can enjoy you putting someone down. That's bullying.

Daily check-in tomorrow. It is remotely possible that this could be a worthwhile conversation.

Zak SmithYesterday 9:04 AM

+Richard Grenville Sure, but just because someone is telling you to stay in your class and let them handle the heavy lifting, why would you let them?

Zak SmithYesterday 9:18 AM

+Ron Edwards 1. Why would I want to marginalize you? Your claim has no motive. 2. Asking people why their friends or allies are being dicks isn't a "trick". It's a straightforward way of dealing with bad behavior. 3. No definition (including mine) of bullying includes "don't use techniques that are totally legit and make sense and that are designed to make the person making a false accusation stop" which is what these "techniques" were doing. 4. You're using a begging-the-question argument "What you did is obviously motivated by badness because it uses techniques that are bad and those techniques are bad because they are motivated by bad" 5. "You're saying Bisley's distortions serve his (an) artistic purpose. You can just say so. You don't have to pursue anyone who plusses me saying something else." I didn't do that. I only talked toone other person--Mike Davison--once you called me "bullying" because that is an insane charge. If you call me bullying--you are lying. If someone I consider a friend plusses that lie--I must address that with my friend. Period. Anything else would be irresponsible on my part. Also, in my original comments to you I didn't say the distortions "served an artistic purpose" I said he wanted them to serve an artistic purpose , which is different, in case you didn't know that, which your joke (implying the distortions were mistakes) seemed to indicate. 5. "You don't have to claim "moral obligation" to put me or anyone else down," I didn't "put you down" I fact-checked you. You asserted Bisley's distortions were down to not knowing how to draw accurately (rather than choice).This is not subjective--his distortions may be (subjectively) undesirable but they are (objectively) not "because he doesn't know any better". Therefore you said something objectively inaccurate in a semi-public space . Anyone who knew you had said this and knew the truth would have an obligation to point out the fact-checking error. 6. "in fact, if you'd asked in a real way,..." Once you express yourself in the form of a snarky attack, you don't then get to demand benefit-of-the-doubt from someone defending your target. Bisley did not begin a conversation by making fun of you . You attacked Bisley. I defended him. You then attacked me. 7. ". I did not say "Bisley can't draw bodies and can never draw bodies and never did."" No, you just made a joke to that effect at his expense and then accused me of bullying instead of going "Oh, sorry, that's not what I meant, let's sort this out" 8. "You assumed vast tracts of..." I assumed nothing. I interpreted that you made a snarky joke at Bisley's expense.  *I can only be accused of assuming if you are claiming your comment was not a snarky joke at Bisley's expense.* You got a reasonable response to that directed not just at you, but to any naive 3rd party who doesn't knowmuch about art who might be reading (naive viewers might take your joke at face value and they need to be disabused of that and know the artist you're attacking can actually identify body parts and where they go). 9. " You've created an entertainment environment where people can enjoy you putting someone down. " I wasn't putting you down, I was fact-checking you. If someone enjoys that outside of some pre-existing reasont o dislike you, they are a total asshole. If someone sees that as important and necessary, they are correct.

Richard GrenvilleYesterday 9:48 AM+2 3 2

just because someone is telling you to stay in your class and let them handle the heavy lifting, why would you let them?

this seems like it might also have some bearing on your conversation with Ron - my guess is that a lot of people feel discouraged in talking about art the same way they would feel discouraged in discussing engineering, only even more so. On one hand, they feel ignorant about what they imagine is a specialized field of knowledge (like engineering). But also they have a sense that they might trip off some kind of lurking art trap and get laughed at by the cognoscenti for their ignorance or something, as if they'd used the wrong fork at a gala dinner.

Class anxiety may be silly and useless but it's real for lots of people and harder to negotiate than ever now that it no longer runs in simple hegemonic directions. 

...I'm not saying that Ron is suffering from class anxiety. Just realised I didn't leave that clear. 

Zak SmithYesterday 9:53 AM+1 2 1

Use whatever fork. Know why you made that decision. Speak with the courage of your convictions if someone gives you static about it.

Victor Garrison (headspice)Yesterday 9:54 AM+2 3 2

My only criticism of this piece is: why did he paint such awesomely proportioned derriere and legs and stick those spooky, fucking spindly assed fingers on her hand?!?!?

I mean as far as drawing in your gaze, it's obvious Biz intentionally wanted her ass to be seen first. I say this not because I'm a perv (tho I won't deny that charge) but because it's pretty much center and hi-lighted more brightly than anything else. Your gaze moves from there over to his crotch, up his breast plate, to his face and then -- OH SHIT!-- to the monster. I like how he lures you in with submissive sexuality, brings you further along with brute sexuality, then BAM knocks you in the head with a hideous creature. Nice work, nice work.

Rafael ChandlerYesterday 9:55 AM

+Victor Garrison He gave her fingers like that so you could tell your friends, "Hey, man, she gave me her digits." <rimshot>

Richard GrenvilleYesterday 10:12 AM+1 2 1

for me it's a tangle of long golden-brown forms that could be a tree root or something, and then I see a butt, and then the rest kinda unmasks slowly. 

Zak SmithYesterday 10:16 AM+1 2 1

The greens of the spider come on before anything else for me

Victor Garrison (headspice)Yesterday 10:28 AM+1 2 1

+S Robertson , If you're telling a linear story, yeah, that's the route to take. But it seems to me that Bisley is going for a visceral "EWWW" reaction. It's a dark piece, so much so, that IMO, it almost looks like a black velvet painting technique was used. The bird woman's butt is the brightest spot in the painting, which is a signal to start viewing there. Especially since that spot seems to be the counterbalance to the large, dark negative space at the top of the painting. The next closest bright spot is the cod piece, then the breast plate, then the helmet, and that's when I made out the spider creature. IDK, that's just the way I encountered it, not as a story, but as an....oh shit, MONSTER! kinda thing.

Victor Garrison (headspice)Yesterday 10:32 AM

+Zak Smith  Damn, I didn't realize that green was the spider. Seriously, I thought it was shrubbery and had no clue wtf he stuck that in a dungeon.

Justice PlattYesterday 10:45 AM+1 2 1

Good to see that Zak knows what Ron said better than Ron does.  There is absolutely no contradiction between the belief that Bisley chose not to do good figure drawing for whatever reason and RE's comment.

Victor Garrison (headspice)Yesterday 10:57 AM+1 2 1

+Rafael Chandler​​, I wanna say I "dig it", but I'm reaching, yet I can't grasp it.... :)

Zak SmithYesterday 2:06 PM

+Justice Platt How do you interpret: "yeesh, Simon, you get the big bucks, try some figure drawing" ?

Justice PlattYesterday 2:14 PM+1 2 1

+Zak Smith , three points:

1)There is no logical contradiction between saying that and believing the artist capable of figure drawing.

2)The guy who said it says that' he did not in fact assert that Bisley cannot draw bodies.

3)It is entirely plausible that he meant to point to the lack of use of figure drawing skills.  Example: The Packers go 3 & out on consecutive off-tackle runs.  I say "Yeesh, Rodgers, you get the big bucks, try some passing" in whatever tone of voice you like.  I clearly mean, as a reasonably informed football fan, that the Packers are making a strategic blunder by not using Rodgers' passing skills.  I think the situation is exactly analogous for RE as a comic fan.

So, yeah, you seem to have jumped to conclusions about his asserting Bisley's lack of skill.

Zak SmithYesterday 2:23 PM

+Justice Platt Are you saying you think the comment was intended to be a responsible and constructive comment rather than (at best) vague snark?

Justice PlattYesterday 2:28 PM+1 2 1

I make no claims to being able to read RE's mind. He speaks for himself well.   I'm saying that your blanket statement that RE asserted that Bisley has no skill is false on logical grounds, on the grounds of the testimony of the author, and on the grounds that there exists a strongly plausible alternate interpretation.  Is any of this not true?

Zak SmithYesterday 2:30 PM

+Justice Platt I suggest only that RE;s comment was snarky and negative enough that my initial comment was necessary to clarify the facts. His subsequent comments could have been "Oh, that's not what I mean" and I'd go "Oh, ok" But instead he went "YOU CLARIFIED AFTER MY SNARKY COMMENT! YOU ARE BULLYING ME!" at which point he passed from "requiring clarification" to simply "wrong and insane"

Justice PlattYesterday 2:36 PM+1 2 1

+Zak Smith , bullshit.  You have repeated a false thing-that RE asserted that Bisley has no skill in figure drawing-multiple times, even after clarification from the author.  In no way did RE's reaction force you to do that, and blaming him for it is ridiculous.

Zak SmithYesterday 2:41 PM

+Justice Platt If he disagrees with that assertion, then he may say that and I will have no choice but to take him at his word. It does't retroactively mean: -My initial clarifying comment was in any way insulting or unnecessary (as his  initial comment was, at best, ambiguous and, at best, still insulting snark) and -any of his later statements were in any way ok, since they contain crazy false accusations

Justice PlattYesterday 2:53 PM

+Zak Smith ,  the issue is not RE and the terrible things he allegedly  forced you to do.  You are not telling the truth about what he said. My 1st & 3rd points from my comment above at 4:14 applied before you replied, and you jumped to the conclusion that he must be asserting that Bisley had no skill.  Further, it is a rather insulting assumption that a lifelong, voracious comics reader like RE has no awareness of Bisley's work & skill.

Zak SmithYesterday 2:56 PM

+Justice Platt If Ron feels that I have misrepresented his position, he can say so. My first comment is wholly justified because it was there to clarify the situation after his snark. My subsequent comments were necessary to to establish that he was not telling the truth about bullying.

Justice PlattYesterday 3:09 PM

+Zak Smith , textual evidence is what it is.  Did you in fact jump to conclusions and make false statements about what RE asserted or not?  Were those conclusions based on the insulting assumption that RE was unaware of Bisley's skill or not?  If the answer to any of these is no, which of my three points is untrue?

Zak SmithYesterday 3:48 PM

+Justice Platt I already spoke to this: " If Ron feels that I have misrepresented his position, he can say so. (Neither of us know what he meant.) My first comment is wholly justified because it was there to clarify the situation after his snark. My subsequent comments were necessary to to establish that he was not telling the truth about bullying. "

Justice PlattYesterday 4:12 PM

More bullshit.  Your entire justification for ongoing intervention has been that you need (in fact have a moral obligation) to correct RE's error of fact-an error of fact that you made up.  RE points out to you that you did so, and you repeat it yet again!  In bold even!    

As far as your subsequent statements go, this is more "Ron made me do it" nonsense.  Simply put, you can take issue with someone's tone, or with someone's attribution to you of bullying behavior, without insisting that your tendentious interpretation of his statement is utterly correct. You are perfectly aware of this.

So, do you believe that RE's statement must and can only mean that Bisley lacks technical skill or not?  If not, will you retract those parts of your statements in which you definitively, unambiguously assert that this is the case? .   And, yes, this is important.  There is at least one person on the internet with a strong propensity to twist any statements by RE that can be twisted and attack RE with them.   The person I have in mind also clearly values your opinion, and would be happy to have fodder for his horseshit that he can present as approved by you.  Whether or not there is an analogy to your own situation is up to you.

Zak SmithYesterday 4:21 PM+1 2 1

+Justice Platt " do you believe that RE's statement must and can only mean that Bisley lacks technical skill or not? " I do not know what it means, I only know what: -I think it implied and -that Ron, instead of clarifying, chose to attack me " If not, will you retract those parts of your statements in which you definitively, unambiguously assert that this is the case?" If Ron says this isn't what he meant, then he can say that, at which point I will go "ok, then that's clear now" but all of my actions remained justified: His first statement morally required that I (or someone) clarify--as it strongly implied Bisley didn't know how to draw. My later statements were likewise, *morally required* because Ron falsely claimed he was being bullied.

Justice PlattYesterday 4:35 PM

+Zak Smith , a man who does not know what a statement means does not repeatedly, confidently, unambiguously, in bold offer an interpretation of that statement, nor does he present it as a definite error of fact someone made, nor does he assert that he has a "moral obligation" to correct it.   Why are you so reluctant to admit that you jumped to conclusions?

And again, this "If Ron chooses to correct me" horseshit doesn't wash.  Either you parsed his statement right, in which case I owe you an apology, or you did not, in which case you owe him an apology.

Zak SmithYesterday 4:38 PM

+Justice Platt How, pray tell, do we know if I correctly interpreted Ron's statement, psychopath?

Justice PlattYesterday 4:56 PM

+Zak Smith, either the author agrees with your interpretation or there is no plausible alternate interpretation.  Pretty simple.  Neither is the case here.  You can answer my questions whenever you like.

Does you calling me a psychopath mean I'm officially on some list of trolls or RPG drama club members or whatever?  Can I have a membership card?

Zak SmithYesterday 5:03 PM

+Justice Platt "either the author agrees with your interpretation or there is no plausible alternate interpretation" YES. That's why we have to wait for Ron to get past addressing: -1. The minor moral crime of responding to a work of art by an artist who'd done nothing wrong with a snarky attack and -2. The major moral crime of accusing me of being a bully and then move on to -3. The minor and arguable possible crime of ignorance or incompetence of attempting to express a possibly-believed inaccurate view of Mr Bisley's working process ....before we can answer the question of just what interior mental space Ron's absolutely totally objectively shitty comment was meant to reflect. When and if he finally gets around to clarifying that, I'll address it. As for you: you are simply obviously a psychopath for being so worried about 3 after all the 1 and 2 going on and doing so with so much pointless swearing. It would be remiss if I didn't point it out, for the benefit of anyone who hadn't noticed and might considering collaborating with you on any projects or discussing anything with you.

Justice PlattYesterday 5:53 PM

+Zak Smith , how on earth can a comment that you admit you don't know the meaning of be "absolutely totally objectively shitty?"  And before you go to the "it was snarky" well, remember that my alternate interpretation turns the comment from "Hurr hurr Bisley can't draw" to "Bisley would have done well to exercise more figure drawing skills."  You appear to have admitted that my interpretation is at least plausible, so you;ll be wanting to make an actual argument about why that's "objectively shitty." Otherwise,  all you're really doing is tone policing RE, since, agree or disagree, that's a reasonably productive thing to say.

Also, we have both essentially been ignoring RE's 10:38 AM comment, in which he both specifically points out that he did not explicitly say that Bisley cannot draw, points out that you made assumptions (one of which I pointed out above as an insulting assumption) to get to that interpretation, and states that he generally likes Mr. Bisley's work.  All of this makes my interpretation substantially more plausible.

As to my concern with 3-I was under the impression that you agreed with me that smaller falsehoods in the service of "larger truths" was a bad thing.

Unnecessary swearing?  Never thought I'd see the day when you'd blanch at bad words explicitly directed at your ideas, but times do change.

Last, on the psychopath thing,  I look forward to seeing your compendium of "dumb things Justice has said."  Maybe you'll find some stuff I don't remember or whatever.  Little trip down Memory Lane.  I am disappointed by no membership card.

I don't, however, expect to see it soon.  Unlike RE, I have no real reputation in RPGs to lose, and my name, to the best of my knowledge, has never been mentioned in a thread I am not in.  That's not the case for RE. Agree or disagree with him, like his stuff or don't, he's been working very hard to write good games and think clearly about RPGs for quite a while.  This is a good & worthy thing.  Allowing distortions of his remarks to stand just gives him more nonsense to contend with, especially at the hands of the individual I referred to earlier, who clearly values your opinion, covets your influence, and craves your approval.

Zak SmithYesterday 5:56 PM

+Justice Platt "my alternate interpretation turns the comment from "Hurr hurr Bisley can't draw" to "Bisley would have done well to exercise more figure drawing skills."" Your translation inaccurately removes the snark, which is there regardless of whether you want to acknowledge it or not. And is still opinion expressed as if it were fact or advice expressed to someone who clearly chose otherwise, which is also inexcusable and does not lead to a good discussion. The helpful or informative form of the remark would be something like "I wish he showed off more of his figure drawing skill here". Most of your comments are unnecessary, you just need to wait for Ron to respond rather thant repeatedly trying to find new interpretations of his objectively dumb remark " Agree or disagree with him, like his stuff or don't, he's been working very hard..." Calling me a bully torpedoes any and all good intentions on his part and means his alleged accomplishments don't matter. He ceases to be a reliable voice immediately at that point and becomes a chew toy for the rest of his life unless he manages to apologize and there can be no real defense of him. Even if my interpretation of his remark in my first response was inaccurate, nothing licenses him to say that--it is evil.

Justice PlattYesterday 6:13 PM+1 2 1

+Zak Smith , you can do better than that.  One man's hateful snark is another's witty tone.  I found your initial response nastily condescending, but that's not an argument against you. It's just straightforward tone policing either way.

And, as far as opinion expressed as fact goes, come on.  Just silly.  



Zak SmithYesterday 6:21 PM

+Justice Platt "Witty snark" or "hateful snark" are still just snark at the artist, which makes you not A Respectable Helpful Voice In The RPG Scene it makes you The Comments. And the way you build a decent RPG community is not be ok with people acting like The Comments. The Tone was snark (not ok to make a negative comment without facts to back it up). The Content was implying inaccurate facts (likewise not ok). "Tone policing" is when you make an accurate criticism and get attacked for your tone. Ron made either: -an inaccurate criticism (which is wrong, regardless of tone) or -an opinion-as-fact criticism (which is wrong, regardless of tone) The internet SO doesn't need more opinion-as-fact or baseless snark.

Justice PlattYesterday 7:44 PM

+Zak Smith , my alternate interpretation, whether or not it is particularly incisive, is substantive.  Which, frankly, is the better standard-"accurate" kinda sucks, since how could we possibly ' whether or not a counterfactual criticism, like my reinterpretation, is accurate?  Do we have access to all the pictures Bisley could have drawn?

The opinion as fact thing is still silly.  Work harder.

I agree about elevating the tone of internet discussion to at least some degree.But notice, you've gone from a duty to correct any & all errors of fact to a duty to elevate the the tone, as judged & enforced by you.  

Which, given your earlier name-calling and ridiculous blue-stockingness about swearing, allows me only to say "Be the change," y'know?

Zak SmithYesterday 7:59 PM+1 2 1

+Justice Platt "The opinion as fact thing is still silly.  Work harder." This alone makes you wrong. The rest is icing after that. If you think the internet needs more "Kirk is just better than Picard" then you're not a person anybody else need to listen to. As for "being the change" you don't stop someone from robbing banks by quietly not robbing banks. You have to call out bad behavior or it will continue, as the entire RPG internet proves every day.

Justice PlattYesterday 8:03 PM

+Zak Smith , would repeatedly, unambiguously asserting that your somewhat implausible interpretation of someone's statement was absolutely true count as OAF?

Zak SmithYesterday 8:09 PM

+Justice Platt Only if they contest it. If I think a house is on fire that isn't because of taste it's because of what i thought was a true fact about the world (which is all any of us can do: draw conclusions from sensory data). A grown-up like Ron needs to know the difference between taste and fact right off, but everyone can take the facts in front of them and make an incorrect inference--there's no shame in that so long as it is investigated if it was insulting to the target. Since Ron's comment was a bad thing to say because represents all bad options: -"Bisley lacks technical facility (incorrect) -"Bisley doesn't lack tech facility but it's good to express personal distaste by pretending it does" (counterproductive and trolling) -"Bisley made a choice I don't like and I'm going to both obscure that it's a choice and obscure that it;s just a taste thing" (counterproductive and trolling) -"I'm gonna snark for mystery reasons" (counterproductive and trolling) ...my inference was not particularly insulting since all the options make Ron's statement bad

Tony DemetriouYesterday 8:19 PM

I also interpreted Ron's comment as implying Bisley can't draw figures well.

I can absolutely see how the comment could have been intended to imply that Bisley can draw figures well, and chose not to in this picture - but even so it was clearly snarky. By saying "try some figure drawing", in either interpretation, it's saying that he didn't do figure drawing in this image.

To me, the implication that he didn't do figure drawing in this image is objectively wrong - there are two figures in the picture with (although stylized) relatively realistic proportions, musculature, etc. - there is clearly figure drawing there, whether it's good or bad.

So, using your football metaphor, it'd be more akin to Rodgers regularly passing the ball, but failing to do it to your satisfaction. And then you make the comment about "Yeesh, Rodgers, you get the big bucks, try some passing"

So clearly snarky.

(But it doesn't bother me if Ron is snarky or not. Bisley isn't here on this thread, and isn't having his feelings hurt, so we don't need to defend him unless we believe that some tangible harm will come to him or others from this snark.)

I'm not convinced that Ron's comment was shitty or bad - but it was inaccurate, and I don't have a problem with someone disagreeing with a comment they believe to be inaccurate.

I was quite surprised by Ron's response - although Zak's comment can be read as condascending, the reply was more vitriolic than I expected. Especially as I've seen Ron handle other, more direct attacks, with grace. I'm assuming that is due to their history, rather than this thread itself. As such, hanging this disagreement on Ron's originating comment feels like everyone is talking around the actual issue*.

* Whatever that actual issue might be.

+Zak Smith - Although I recognize that you were using the word in a non-medical sense, if we're being technically correct, +Justice Platt is only a psychopath if he scores above 30 on the PCL-R checklist. http://www.minddisorders.com/Flu-Inv/Hare-Psychopathy-Checklist.html

I dunno if he's likely to show up as a psychopath, as one of the primary traits is a lack of empathy, and Justice seems to be showing a lot of empathy towards Ron. (Although a psychopath might attempt to simulate that empathy as an excuse to exert their dominance in a conversation.)

Tony DemetriouYesterday 8:22 PM+1 2 1

+Zak Smith As a matter of taste, I don't know if this house is on fire, but it certainly is flaming

http://www.cynical-c.com/2015/06/19/relentlessly-gay-yard/

Zak SmithYesterday 8:25 PM

+Tony Demetriou the fact that Bisley isn't present is not the issue. Nor are his feelings. The point is a snarky negative comment does 3 things: -makes the conversation worse (because it is vague but contestable) and -(in this case) implies incorrect information. and -Violates the golden rule You don't avoid snark to spare peoples' feelings (surely thousands of people have snarked at Bisley before--he is an artist, this is a consequence of making art, it would be bad to let it affect your feelings), you avoid it because it makes the resulting conversation worse or (at best) does nothing but take up space. And, further, everyone must be subjected to the same standard whether they are present or not because they could easily see the comment in the future, and--MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY--uninformed 3rd parties, new to the situation might see it in the future.

Tony DemetriouYesterday 8:29 PM

+Zak Smith Out of context, I have zero problem with snark. I've got a friend that communicates almost entirely via sarcasm. I'm also Australian, where we'll use insults as everyday conversation tools. To me, this doesn't muddy the conversation.

In context, if snark is used as an attack, then I've got a problem with it. If it's used to express an opinion, but not specifically as an attack, then I don't. In this particular case, I couldn't say which is true.

I do think whether Ron believes Bisley is going to see his comment makes a difference on my interpretation of whether it was an attack or not.

If you feel that snark makes the conversation worse, regardless of whether it's an attack or not, then it doesn't matter whether Bisley is present or not.

I absolutely agree with you that Ron's comment implies incorrect information, and that incorrect information is bad (which is why I also disagreed with it.)

Justice Platt12:25 AM

+Zak Smith , RE did contest your interpretation.  I've pointed this out a few times. So yeah, OAF, by the standard you explicitly set out.  Really makes the rest of your post moot.  Snark always and everywhere bad might be defensible, but it is not the argument you were making in your posts to RE.

What I do want to address is your take on my opinion of OAF.  You immediately ascribed to me a complete straw man-that I want the internet to have more "Kirk is objectively better than Picard."  You had no warrant for saying so, and before you say that I should have clarified, does that justify the insulting  ascription of the most ridiculous position I could possibly hold?

It's of a piece with your professing to find four uses of a rather mild expletive "pointless swearing" and offering that as a reason people should avoid me.  In both cases, I cannot imagine that you did not recognize what you were doing and go on to do it anyway.  You are vigilant for strawmanning where you are concerned, and your body of work (to put it mildly) shows little concern about cussing.

These are the kinds of things that concern me in argument.  Your sanctimony about snark and OAF is sadly misplaced and rather grotesque when it occurs almost literally in the same breath with these other tactics.  You admit that snark can be harmless, OAF is pretty well understood as a statement of opinion by the vast majority of English speakers.  Faux outrage and strawmanning are always harmful.  So, yeah, be the change.

Zak Smith12:58 AM

+Justice Platt You ignored this: " If I think a house is on fire that isn't because of taste it's because of what i thought was a true fact about the world (which is all any of us can do: draw conclusions from sensory data). " You also ignored the fact that while Ron has repeatedly said pieces of what he thinks Ron has NEVER claimed his original snarky comment could not imply to a good-faith, educated reader that Ron thought Bisley lacked technical skill Until he: - does so, - does so convincingly and -then I deny him and can give no counterevidence ...then I am plausibly in the realm of fact. Right now I have an interpretation of his words "He implied Bisley lacked technical ability, despite possibly not meaning it" and my responsibilities "Therefore someone needed to establish this was not a true thing to imply". Nothing that has happened has changed any of that, and none of that is me taking something I know to be an opinion and claiming it's fact. So far as I can tell (and this is a guess),, from what he's saying, Ron agrees with this: "Ron implied Bisley lacked technical ability, despite possibly not meaning it" and his take is "Who the fuck cares? I get to just say random shit on the internet because who cares if anyone believes it? The important thing is nobody should ever clean up after the mess I make." As for the rest: OAF always leads to "Kirk is better than Picard" arguments, so you are totally defending that practice. On swearing: you're doing it against a target that's done nothing wrong in defense of a target that objectively has (he said I "bullied" which is objectively incorrect), that's the disturbing bit. ' OAF is pretty well understood as a statement of opinion by the vast majority of English speakers.' Incorrect: the whole reason for edition wars and other shitty internet phenomena is that nobody clearly draws lines between what's fact and what's opinion. Like it's a fact that people I know grasp percentile systems easily. But if I go "percentile systems are easy to grasp" then we don't know whether I mean that fact I just reported or whether I am just saying they are having done no research. Same with 90% of RPG arguments, treating claims you've researched the same as info you haven't ("This is "unworkable" "--well is it literally unworkable as in the math can't ever work because of a literal error or is it just you don't like it? "You can't satisfy both this and that at once!" Well are you sayng you tested it or are you saying you guess that?  "This drives most women away?" Well are you saying you checked or you're just guessing because you don't like it?) leads to nearly all the pointless fighting on the internet about games. So, just because you aren't smart enough to see why doing bad things causes problems doesn't mean they don't cause problems. Also, because you're not smart enough to see the reasons I call out bad behavior while at the same time engaging in behavior you think is the same, doesn't mean it's the same.

Justice Platt2:03 AM

+Zak Smith , you wanna get some sleep?  Rethink that post?  It's pretty feeble,

Zak Smith2:12 AM+1 2 1

+Justice Platt Again, the fact that you even posted that, resorting to just straight trolling and attempting to sort of wish away clear objections to your mistaken argument, suggests further that you have no value as a person to talk to. If you have an argument: make it. If you don't: apologize for wasting everyone's time.

Justice Platt3:06 AM+1 2 1

+Zak Smith OK. In order then:

I have no idea what you're talking about with the house on fire thing.  Hence ignoring it.

You're shifting goalposts again.  The idea that RE clarifying his position requires proof to the good faith etc etc is ludicrous.  It's also an entirely new standard.  My position has been consistently that your repeated, unambiguous statements that RE asserted (Not "implied"-another goalpost shift,.  "Asserted" is your multiple repeated original word choice) Bisley had no skill were not warranted, given that you don't know what RE means, and plausible alternate explanations exist.  "Plausibly in the realm of fact" is a ridiculous standard for big bold text this is true statements.  It is "plausibly in the realm of fact" that you're going to the bank tomorrow morning, but I'm still not going to claim that you definitely are, especially if you say you aren't..

You again change the claim you make-your original straw-manning is that I want more KP arguments, not that I'm ok with them.  

You,  a grown-up with some experience of the world, find it "disturbing" that someone called your argument "bullshit" in a cause you think bad?  What exactly does "disturbing" mean here, anyway?  Ooh-a vague insinuation!

Last, I can summarize your claims about OAF as: 1)Leads to unclear/confusing claims that sometimes require requesting warrants.  2)Abolition of this form of statement abolishes, or at least greatly diminishes, 1.    1 is not unique to OAF statements, and it is frankly risible to imagine that unclear claims and/or the need for warrant clarification stop or greatly diminish with their elimination.  So, minimal harms and inadequate solvency.  I'm not saying the practice is laudable, but c'mon.

Zak Smith3:26 AM

+Justice Platt 1. "I have no idea what you're talking about with the house on fire thing.  " Then the decent thing to do is ask not continue to be a tremendous shithead. I will explain: A grown-up person reporting on their taste knows they're reporting a mere opinion. If they dress it up as fact, they're pulling a rhetorical maneuver. Intent to deceive or bluster past rational objections. A person who thinks a house is on fire (they see the smoke, etc) and reports that it is and turns out to be wrong, has simply made a mistake no intent to deceive there. They inaccurately reported a fact which we all do innocently from time to time because we rely on our senses. My remarks in response to Ron have been of the second kind at worst--I believe Ron's remarks to be asserting (perhaps against Ron's real beliefs, because they are jokes) a certain thing that people may believe. Just as a joke may assert that a chicken crosses the road even if the person telling the joke doesn't believe that any chickens ever cross rods. 2. "You're shifting goalposts again. " Incorrect, I never shift goalposts, that would be disgusting, and it's disgusting you'd say that. My initial comment was based on and continues to be based on (and justified by) this idea: " (a) Ron's initial comment was such that a naive viewer might believe that Ron was expressing the following idea: "Bisley lacks technical skill" WHETHER RON BELIEVES BISLEY LACKS SUCH SKILL OR NOT. (b) It is therefore the responsibility of someone to explain to such a naive viewer that Bisley does indeed have technical skill " ...this has been my contention since the beginning. We know that Bisley does not lack technical skill. If he asserted Bisley lacked technical skill despite not believing it, he is evil and negligent. If he asserted it and believed it, he is ignorant and subsequently got mad about that being exposed. Neither of these conclusions is good for Ron therefore assuming one rather than the other does nothing to harm Ron's reputation more than the other choice. But there is no evidence anywhere that he did not assert this . You don't tell someone to try figure drawing if they're trying figure drawing. (a) Is not an opinion . It is an assertion of fact, so far as I know. If Ron wishes to contest the idea that his snarky remark may be read in such a way by a third party. I am (because I am sane) willing to consider the idea that my analysis is an inaccurate statement of the facts, but thus far there is zero evidence of this. Ron's defense and yours has simply been to talk about what Ron believes not what was implied to readers by the remark  (the only relevant thing). - As for the rest: you equivocate "not all harm is caused by x" (true statement) into "therefore there is no reason to eliminate x" (not a rational conclusion. OAFs cause: -some harm and provide -zero benefit ...so there is no good argument for them. Like bedbugs.

Victor Garrison (headspice)4:03 AM+2 3 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrCPIrs90eg

Ron Edwards3:32 PM

Looks like people were busy.

+Justice Platt thanks for the input.

+Zak Smith as I've stated before, there is no connection between my initial statement and a statement that Bisley cannot draw figures. Demanding that I repeat it was unnecessary, and as this is the second time, please don't demand it again.

You also demand that this statement be assessed or discussed in terms of its impact on readers. This is not the first time you have elected yourself the Voice of the Readers - I believe we agreed that you weren't going to do that to me again.

This is the day, unfortunately, when I have decided you're not going to explain why you single-message people to criticize their plussing choices, and why you often reply to others' stated views or takes on works of art in a chilling fashion yet post very similar statements about work you don't like. These are bullying acts. Why, in the complete absence of discernible need, do you do them?

My last statement before signing off. Willing or not, knowing or not, you have cultivated an environment of fear in this subculture. You can call this crazy and talk about more and more colorful metaphors all you want. Or you can try to assess this claim in any way you want that's not your gut, and see what you see then.

Signed off now, finished with the thread.

Zak Smith3:45 PM

+Ron Edwards 1. " as I've stated before, there is no connection between my initial statement and a statement that Bisley cannot draw figures. " Then what was it meant to communicate and why should we care? What's important is what it could logically be interpreted to mean literally by third parties 2. " You also demand that this statement be assessed or discussed in terms of its impact on readers. This is not the first time you have elected yourself the Voice of the Readers - I believe we agreed that you weren't going to do that to me again. " Citation needed. Why would I ever agree that the _most important thing about a public distortion of fact not be discussed? That would be like me agreeing to let you kick readers in the balls. 3. " This is the day, unfortunately, when I have decided you're not going to explain why you single-message people to criticize their plussing choices, " I do not message people to criticize them I message them to see if they are insane or not. If they are insane, it is important to block them from my circles. You haven't even explained how that's bad . It's Good Citizenship 101 to privately contact people you have conflict with so that you don't rake each other over the coals publicly unnecessarily. You are just grabbing random acts out of the air and affixing the word "bullying" to them out of what appears to be sheer insanity. How is sending someone a message in any way a harmful act? 4. " and why you often reply to others' stated views or takes on works of art in a chilling fashion yet post very similar statements about work you don't like. " Citation Needed. Since you aren't that smart and apparently can't read very well I suspect your definition of "very similar" is the problem here. 5. " These are bullying acts. " Incorrect: a bullying act would be: -negative and -something I can do that the target cannot or refuses on moral grounds to do. ...you haven't cited any such acts. You've only cited awesome good things I did.

6. " Willing or not, knowing or not, you have cultivated an environment of fear in this subculture. " If you're trying to say "Oh no, back in my day, indie game designers used to feel totally cool about posting false allegations and now they're afraid they'll be asked for evidence" or "I can't falsely accuse someone of bullying, then run away with no calls for accountability any more" well cry me a fucking river. I don't know any good person doing good work who claims to be afraid of jack shit--in fact people seem markedly less afraid than they were a year ago when you could be publicly accused of everything from hate crimes to cattle rustling and the Oh-I-Know-That-Guy network would back the accuser up because they both had the same grudge against the same dumb game. You can allege I've had an impact--but if you do so, then you have to weigh that against the fact that the DIY RPG scene is fucking kicking ass these days, in ways it hasn't for 30 years. I am totally proud of calling out shit people for their shit behavior--it's worked and we've made things better.

Zak Smith4:28 PM

I didn't come into this assuming Ron was insane, but now, I guess, we all know he actually is.

[brophyblam]

BLAM Oct. Writing Contest Runner-up

Congratulations to Charlie Judd ‘24 on winning second place in this month’s literary contest with his piece, titled “The Lethe Protocol”!

“Where am I?”

“This is a secure containment facility. For security reasons, I can’t tell you exactly where, but rest assured that nobody will accidentally stumble upon it.”

“Why am I here?”

“Test results show that you have been infected with a pathogen that, if released, could bring an end to Western civilization. You are to be under quarantine until the pathogen has been eliminated.”

“Why don’t I remember anything?”

“That may be a side effect of the treatment. Some slight damage to long-term memory is to be expected. You will likely gain back your memory within the week.”

“And I assume you’ll mark the days somehow? I think I read something about how keeping the lights always on messes up sleep cycles, and-”

“Unfortunately, the lights will not be turned off throughout the quarantine period. Preliminary tests suggest that the effects of the pathogen are heavily linked with circadian rhythms, so the procedure will call for a disruption in that way.”

“How long will it take?”

“That is unclear at this time.”

“Do you know what this thing is? A virus? Bacteria?”

“That is unclear at this time.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The man went to sleep at about 18:00, five hours after he woke up. 

“He seems to be adjusting well.”

“That’s just the first few hours. Give it time, he’ll begin to show signs of mental degradation.”

The first scientist smirked. “I never thought I would get the chance to observe such a fascinating case. How long until you think he... breaks?”

“Now, Emily, this is science. We’re going to find out in due time. No sort of gambling or personal interest should be in play here,” the second researcher carefully enunciated. His colleague couldn’t say those sorts of things, not when they were being recorded. He leaned in closer to her and whispered, “I’ve got twenty bucks that say it’s a week.”

“Deal.”

“I’m actually quite hungry. Could you get us some food from the cafeteria?”

“I did it last night!”

“Really? Oh, that’s right. My mistake.” He made his way over to the door.

“Wilson? Remember to get the-”

“Yeah, the paleo option, I remember, I remember.”

“Just making sure.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The man woke up in the bed. It was completely white, as was everything else in the room. That was the most unremarkable night’s sleep he had ever had.

His eyes scanned the room, taking note of everything that was in there. A sink, a toilet, a closet full of white medical robes and nutrient-rich liquid.

He chose to have breakfast. The liquid wasn’t tasteless, but it was entirely unremarkable. Slightly sweet, with an aftertaste of… mango? No, that wasn’t it. His sense of taste was thrown off. It was some sort of fruit, he decided. 

He spent the next few hours trying to remember anything. His job, his name, even just a face. Absolutely nothing came to the surface. The time slipped by with no meaning, rhyme, or reason to it, and still nothing. The only thing he could look at were the four blank white walls, which seemed to be a reflection of his own state of mind.

“Are you going to take a blood sample now? Or a mouth swab or something? I’m just curious how you’re going to study the illness.”

“We’ve already obtained samples. It’s just taking a while to determine what they are.”

“I would imagine that the type of the pathogen would be identifiable pretty easily. This is a particularly special case, I take it?”

“Yes, it certainly is… special. The Foundation has the best epidemiological and pathological resources in the civilized world available, and all of those are being put towards this cause.”

“The Foundation?”

“I’m sorry, what foundation?”

“You just mentioned a-”

“You must be experiencing slight auditory hallucinations. That seems to be the first stage of the disease.”

“Oh.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Emily, what was that?”

“What was what?”

“The foundation thing. You can’t try to flex your false-narrative creation skills here. If you contradict yourself, he’ll get wise and there goes the entire experiment. We’d have to wipe his memory again, and you know it’d be a heck of a time getting the grant money for that.”

“Come on. You really think the higher-ups would risk him getting out there? It would be such bad news for this whole operation if even one person escaped with the truth. Frankly,” she sighed, “I don’t think they’d care about the expense of the mind-wipe if the future of the organization were at risk.”

Wilson sighed. “I just feel like it’s reckless nonetheless. You’d still be blamed for it and you’d probably never get a promotion again.”

“I like my current position.”

“Why’d you do it, though?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing…”

“This isn’t something to be shy about.”

“Well, I’ve always just been a fan of the idea of top-secret science experiments and stuff, you know…? There’s this horror creative writing website that centers around that idea called SCP and… I guess I accidentally channeled my inner nerd for a second.”

“Well, I don’t want your insatiable love for SCP roleplay to get in the way of your growth.”

Emily smiled. “Well, if I weren’t into that sort of thing, I probably never would have come here in the first place. Or stayed.”

“You’re here because they asked you to be.”

“I’m here because I said yes.”

The man chuckled. “Well, I’m going home for the night. Just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”

“Scout’s honor.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“What’s going to happen to me? You said this disease could end the world. I take it that it’ll also end me?”

“We’re not sure. As you know, this is still an incipient situation, so we don’t have much information about the effects of the pathogen upon individuals. The information we do have access to, however, indicates that it is highly contagious and possibly dangerous for the world at large.”

The man ruminated on this for a while.

“May I ask your name? I don’t remember anything about anything right now, so it would be nice to know something about this situation.”

“Doctor Angela Johnson.”

“Pleased to meet you, Doctor.”

The man stared at the wall for another few hours and went to sleep again.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Good morning, Emily.”

“Wilson, so great to see you! Last night, I had some rather riveting conversation with our… patient, here.”

“You didn’t let anything slip, did you?”

“Only my amazing fake name. Angela Johnson, M.D. at your service.”

“You use that for every experiment! Would it kill you to be a little more creative sometimes?”

Emily laughed. “You know how Einstein wore the same outfit every day? If I wore myself out creating a new name for every case, that would detract from the energy I can spend on actually helping with the experiment.” She lowered her voice even though only Wilson was around. “Besides, it’s not like this guy could ever report Angela for malpractice.”

“They also couldn’t report, say, Eve O’Deorian.”

“I can’t do an Irish accent! It always just sounds like Crocodile Dundee in an immense amount of pain.”

“Well, it’s time for you to get some rest, guv’na. I’ll take it over from here.” Emily stared at the man through the one-way glass window. “Alright,” she said, “but just so you know…”

She walked over to the silver lab door. “That was Cockney.”

“Ah. Right.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Wilson watched the man sleep. This was the first time he had been given such a large role in this kind of experiment. His official title was “Data Collector and Containment Overseer,” so his job was to monitor the subject, record data, and head the post-experiment data analysis.

Before this, he had been working with Emily as an aide to an analyst who was studying rodent behavioral patterns. Their work in this capacity had been praised as exemplary, so they were accelerated through the ranks more quickly than any other researchers had ever been. This was their first day as “DCCO”s.

The man stayed entirely quiet, without even moving a muscle. He must be in denial about his situation, Wilson decided. This was different from stimulating pain receptors in mouse brains or studying the behavior of infant gerbils separated from their mothers. This is a person, he thought, who can feel true psychological agony beyond simple pain response. Is this really right? He remembered the ethics training from when he joined the organization.

They were given a booklet to go along with the oral presentation. When skimming it, he found a paragraph under the “Ethics of Human Experimentation” section that read:

Many of our researchers grapple with the idea of subjecting human beings to unpleasant experiences for the purpose of scientific advancement. However, within this organization, we choose to go beyond the values of society at large in some cases so that we can gain scientific knowledge unobtainable through conventional methods. This scientific knowledge, in turn, is covertly released back into society. Fear of the law is also a factor in many researchers’ problems with these experiments. However, we assure all our scientists that every action taken within this building is completely exempt from federal and international law. The studies of this institution have been fully and totally approved by the United Nations, so long as the knowledge gained is shared with the world in some way. 

This was just words on a page to him when he read it at orientation. He was never one for the philosophy of ethics. As a general rule, he never thought much about whether his actions were acceptable to some unseen force that supposedly ruled the universe. However, now that he was looking at a real human being subjected to total isolation, he felt… dirty. Sinful, almost. 

This subject was going to be in this chamber for… how long? The higher-ups never informed him or Emily about when this man would be mind-wiped and released back to his old life. He decided to ask when his shift ended and Emily took over. 

____________________________________________________________________________

“Is anyone there?”

A long pause filled the air until a man’s voice responded.

“Hello, sir.”

“Oh. I just wanted to talk to Doctor Johnson a little bit.”

“Oh, well, I guess you are.”

“I mean Angela Johnson.”

“Ah. Well, we share both a last name and an assignment.”

“Okay. That makes sense. Are there any updates on the whole… pathogen... thing?”

“Unfortunately, no. This thing is quite hard to pin down. Top scientists are working on it, though.”

“Good to know.”

“For some… data… would you mind responding to a few questions about your overall health, mentally and physically?”

“Sure.”

“How would you describe your current state of mind?”

“I think I’m just in shock right now. My life, if it goes on from this point, probably won’t ever be the same. It’s just a lot, you know?”

“Yes, yes. I understand. Any physical pain?”

“Not pain exactly, but a lot of… discomfort and grogginess. I feel like I’m at least twenty pounds heavier than I really am.”

“Okay, thank you.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Wilson, you didn’t fall asleep while checking his vitals, right?”

The scientist found himself with his head resting on a reflective steel desk, being woken up by his partner’s voice.

“Maybe…”

“You’ve got to try to stay awake, man! This is potentially groundbreaking stuff. Nothing to snore at, you know what I mean?”

Wilson groaned. “Emily, we talked about the puns. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop with the puns.”

“I can’t help it.”

It took a while for the scientist to stand up. When he did, he walked over to Emily.

“Um, can I ask you a question?”

“Fire away.”

“Do you ever think about what we’re putting this guy through? I mean, he’s all alone in there except for our voices now and again. I wouldn’t say that’s exactly a humane thing.”

Emily smirked. “Oh, you tease, you!” She noticed her colleague’s stern, serious face. “Oh, you’re not joking. Well, I wouldn’t have expected you to get all touchy-feely, but I guess I don’t really think about that. Even if he doesn’t particularly enjoy this, the whole world will benefit from this much more than he suffers.”

“We’re destroying his life here! I know this is groundbreaking research and all, but you can’t ignore all the data! Look at Harlow’s Pit of Despair! Look at what that did to people! Don’t pretend like that’s just not particularly enjoying something!”

“Woah, I didn’t expect you to go all Boy Scout on me. Look. You’re not you right now. You’re not acting like yourself. I think the night shift got you all up in your head. Go home, get some rest, and we can continue this conversation when you’re thinking straight.”

Wilson marched out without saying goodbye.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Hello, ma’am?”

“Ah, Doctor Gregory. Sit down, sit down. Have some peppermint.” She handed him a hard candy from the jar on her desk. “How can I help you today?”

“Well, I just wanted to ask for some more information about the isolation experiment I’m performing with Doctor Bueller.”

“Of course. You know, of course, that I can’t provide you with any information above your position.”

“Of course.”

“Good. I just wanted to make sure. What’s your question?”

“What’s the projected timeline for how long this experiment will last? A week or two?”

“Well, if everything goes smoothly, there should be enough resources to keep the subject in the chamber indefinitely.”

“So he could spend the rest of his life in there?”

“Yes, I suppose so. This truly is an amazing opportunity for scientific advancement, no?”

Wilson’s face went pale. “Yes. Truly… truly amazing.”

“Doctor? You seem sick. I think the night shift might have been a shock to your system. Go home, rest up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

____________________________________________________________________________

The man woke up for what seemed like no more than five minutes and then went right back to sleep. The next thing he knew, he was being shaken awake by a strange man in a white lab coat.

“Come on, we don’t have much time.”

“Okay.”

The man wearing the lab coat pulled him by the arm out a door that seemed to have materialized in the wall. 

“Is the pathogen spreading? What’s happeni-”

“There was never a pathogen. This is all a cruel experiment designed to keep you in isolation for the rest of your life. I’m busting you out.”

The man recognized his voice. “Wait, Doctor Johnson?”

“Not really my name. Come on, we need to go.”

The strange man led him down a pristine white hallway lined with the same lights that adorned his isolation room. After a few seconds, another person in a lab coat came out a door.

The first man in the lab coat jerked him to the side, quickly opened a door, and closed it again. They found themselves in a storage cabinet, with ample amounts of medical masks, thermometers, test tubes, and the like. 

“I’m keeping the door cracked so I can see. I’ll give the all clear, and then we go that way.” He pointed to the left. “We’ll have to run like all get out, okay? Be ready.”

“Uh, okay.”

Time stood still until the man whispered, in the same hushed tone, “Go.”

They busted open the door and ran as fast as they could. Finally, they reached an elevator at the end of the hallway. The man in the lab coat frantically pressed the up arrow again and again. They were greeted by an elevator, just as white and spotless as the rest of the building. 

An old woman wearing that same lab coat was waiting in the elevator, and she cheerily greeted them. “Hello, dears. What floor?”

“Ground level, if you please,” the strange man said. The words were interspersed with heavy breathing and they had a surprising tension to them.

“Excellent choice, dears.” The woman paid no mind to the man’s attire, and acted as though she dealt with things like this every day. She punched in the button with a G on it. The door closed.

Suddenly, she grabbed a pearl-colored walkie-talkie from around her waist and spoke into it.

“Escaped test subject on level B-5, coming to ground floor right now. He seems to have been aided by one of our own.”

The two men looked at each other, all hope dashed within the span of two sentences.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Well, well. How ironic that our best and brightest would betray the organization like this. You knew what you were getting into when you accepted the offer, correct? Why, after all that time and hard work, would you throw it away for… morality?”

“What you’re doing here is wrong! Any decent human person can see that.”

“Only foolish people would think that. In any case, I trust you’ve inferred what the procedure from here would be.”

“You’ll erase my memory, I imagine.”

“That’s just the first part. You see, the Institute has been presented with a problem in recent years. With the omnipresence of the internet in human lives, it’s become increasingly difficult to find people whose absence nobody would notice. As per your agreement from when you started here, you have cut all ties with friends, family, and social media, correct?”

He didn’t respond.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Where am I?”

[howardstudent]

Second College Essay

A little preface is that this was my second ever college essay. I received a 19.5/20 on it. There are some grammatical and citation errors that maybe I will fix if I ever have the time, and/or feel it is worth it. I could post the prompt but I don’t want my prof to copyright me or anything. Essentially, in this class we are studying prominent African American Literature until 1940, and this, the first essay of the course, listed three prompts from which were to choose one. I chose a prompt about how literacy was utilized by black authors and how the deprivation of literacy was weaponized by white supremacists. My professor did criticize my underutilization of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography, but besides that I mainly received positive feedback.

English 054/African American Literature 1

7 October 2020

Literacy: Through the Eyes of the Oppressed and the Oppressor

In this, the twenty-first century, it can be argued that everyone understands the importance of written tradition. Within and beyond the 400 years of African American bondage, literacy can be observed as being a gift to the oppressed that grants agency, education, and expression while simultaneously, access to said literacy is intentionally denied by the oppressor to maintain a status quo. Early African American authors and their collective works exemplify the power but perceived threat of permitting literacy among oppressed people. Namely, that African Americans, like Phyllis Wheatley, are able to compete with white people when it comes to intelligence and crafting beautiful works of art. The other primary flaw is that an educated black man, like Frederick Douglass, will develop a thirst for knowledge and justice which knows no bounds. To the oppressor, black literacy destroys their white supremacist ideologies about black people, while also encouraging the oppressed to think critically and fight back against their oppressors. Furthermore, this narrative exceeds physical subjugation; the education of the Negro is still the most powerful and threatening instrument to white supremacy in this modern age.

White supremacy relies on the basis that white people are superior to all other races, and it entices people to subscribe to this thought through demonstrable measures. In the eighteenth century, literacy was one of the primary measures used to perpetuate white supremacy. It is interesting to note how the goalpost of “superiority” shifted as black people would surpass these arbitrarily placed expectations. It seems that literacy was chosen because Europeans did not know of any black Africans who were distinguished in written literacy (Gates 137). This is not by coincidence though, as “Europeans ignored the fact that African literatures tended to be oral rather than written (Gates 137).” Initially, the concept was that black people are incapable of reading and writing, then it was black people cannot read and write in the languages the white man values, and then it was well, even if black people can learn, that doesn’t mean they can possess the same finesse and mastery of literature as white people. This belief was shattered when Poem on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phyllis Wheatley, Negro Servant to Mr. John Wheatley of Boston, in New England was published. The work was “stunning news to whites” in London in 1773, because Wheatley was an African-born slave woman who was able to write in English (Gates 137). Wheatley was purchased from Africa to be a slave when she was between the ages of seven and eight, and after a mere four years of being exposed to the English language, she began to write poetry (Gates 138). She was no more than twelve years old when she first published her poem, and by twenty she had achieved international recognition (Gates 138). Even to the educated white elites, the beliefs that black people were incapable of feats such poetic expression and mathematics, which were considered to be “the highest forms of civilization,” were held in great esteem (Gates 137). Wheatley challenged these notions and she alone proved “the capacity of the African's intellect for improvement (Gates 139).” White supremacy served to rationalize the enslavement of a race of people. If black people were dehumanized, by falsely claiming that they were unable to reason and think critically, and furthermore were unable to be compete with Europeans, then their enslavement was justified.

Literacy was withheld from slaves to not only prevent the dismantling of white supremacist ideologies, but also to keep the oppressed disenfranchised. Outlawing the education of black people was done intentionally, but not exclusively, to further dehumanize the Negro. When the access to literacy is restricted, it is much easier to convince the general white population that black people cannot possibly be literate, before ever given the opportunity to prove otherwise.  The Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself references white men’s uninhibited thoughts on these subjects. For example, in defense of slaughtering a disobedient slave, Mr. Austin Gore said:

Demby had become unmanageable. He was setting a dangerous example to the other slaves,—one which, if suffered to pass without some such demonstration on his part, would finally lead to the total subversion of all rule and order upon the plantation. He argued that if one slave refused to be corrected, and escaped with his life, the other slaves would soon copy the example; the result of which would be, the freedom of the slaves, and the enslavement of the whites. (Douglass 20)

He uses two primary white supremacist tropes. Mr. Gore plays off the idea that treating slaves, and furthermore any oppressed class, as if they possess human dignity, will humanize them and lead them to seek rebellion.  He also utilized the fear tactic that oppressed people will surpass the desire for equality, and will seek the same dominant position the oppressor currently holds.  These ideas are also echoed by Mr. Auld’s words to his wife after discovering she had been teaching Frederick Douglass the alphabet:

To use his own words, further, he said, “If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,” said he, “if you teach that nigger

(speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.” (Douglass 29)

As Douglass became more educated, he began to agree with Mr. Auld. The white man understands that, to keep the Negro ignorant, is to keep him subdued. Literacy exposed slaves to the rights they were denied, to the treatment they were denied, and to the lives they deserved to have. It was this access to literacy that allowed Douglass to see how utterly abhorrently slaves were treated, it motivated him to write, it is what granted him the agency to voice his thoughts, and it gave him the platform to discuss the matter of abolition with Abraham Lincoln.  

When the oppressed is kept denied enlightenment, they know not what they don’t know. This is why the United States has continued to suppress black literacy.  “The Role of Parent Education and Parenting Knowledge in Children’s Language and Literacy Skills among White, Black, and Latino Families” found that “one way to eliminate socioeconomic status achievement gaps in children’s early language and literacy skills may be to focus on parents’ knowledge of child development (Rowe 1).”  One way to improve minority literacy would be to implement programs that educate parents on child development.  However, Jeffrey Shulman argues that:

What slave masters knew firsthand—that, in Douglass’s phrase, “knowledge makes a [person] unfit to be a slave”—was no secret to their nineteenth- and twentieth-century successors: They fought the efforts of the Freedmen’s Bureau to establish public schools during Reconstruction; they closed their own public schools after Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), prohibited de jure public school segregation. Having denied access to literacy on racial grounds, they then made literacy a prerequisite to full participation in the political life of our nation. (A Right)  

He points out that basing school funding on property taxes intentionally creates educational disparities, and is de facto segregation (Shulman). Thus, another approach to bridging the literacy gap would be to increase funding to black schools. However, this serves to uphold white standards of literacy.

Black literacy can be understood in two ways: literacy as utilized by black people and as black people’s ability to conform to “white literacy.” The history of black literacy is rooted in oral traditions. Black literacy involves Negro Spirituals and Hip-hop, primarily genres that are not held in high regard by white people. Navigating white literacy is an important skill to possess in America; it signals to the majority white population that one is intelligent, educated, and worthy of being listened to.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave: Written by Himself. Newcastle Group, 2014.

Gates, Henry Louis, and Valerie Smith. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. 3rd ed., vol. 1 2, W.W. Norton & Company, 2014.

Rowe, Meredith L., et al. “The Role of Parent Education and Parenting Knowledge in Childrens Language and Literacy Skills among White, Black, and Latino Families.” Infant and Child Development, vol. 25, no. 2, 2015, pp. 198–220., doi:10.1002/icd.1924.

Shulman , Jeffrey. “A Right to Literacy as the ‘Pathway from Slavery to Freedom’?” National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.org, 3 Aug. 2018, constitutioncenter.org/blog/a-right-to-literacy-as-the-pathway-from-slavery-to-freedom.

[mayacook95]

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