#yes I'm posting both versions sue me

[voidshaker]

PSIONIC WIZARD

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How plausible sentence generators are changing the bullshit wars

This Friday (September 8) at 10hPT/17hUK, I'm livestreaming "How To Dismantle the Internet" with Intelligence Squared.

On September 12 at 7pm, I'll be at Toronto's Another Story Bookshop with my new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation.

In my latest Locus Magazine column, "Plausible Sentence Generators," I describe how I unwittingly came to use – and even be impressed by – an AI chatbot – and what this means for a specialized, highly salient form of writing, namely, "bullshit":

https://locusmag.com/2023/09/commentary-by-cory-doctorow-plausible-sentence-generators/

Here's what happened: I got stranded at JFK due to heavy weather and an air-traffic control tower fire that locked down every westbound flight on the east coast. The American Airlines agent told me to try going standby the next morning, and advised that if I booked a hotel and saved my taxi receipts, I would get reimbursed when I got home to LA.

But when I got home, the airline's reps told me they would absolutely not reimburse me, that this was their policy, and they didn't care that their representative had promised they'd make me whole. This was so frustrating that I decided to take the airline to small claims court: I'm no lawyer, but I know that a contract takes place when an offer is made and accepted, and so I had a contract, and AA was violating it, and stiffing me for over $400.

The problem was that I didn't know anything about filing a small claim. I've been ripped off by lots of large American businesses, but none had pissed me off enough to sue – until American broke its contract with me.

So I googled it. I found a website that gave step-by-step instructions, starting with sending a "final demand" letter to the airline's business office. They offered to help me write the letter, and so I clicked and I typed and I wrote a pretty stern legal letter.

Now, I'm not a lawyer, but I have worked for a campaigning law-firm for over 20 years, and I've spent the same amount of time writing about the sins of the rich and powerful. I've seen a lot of threats, both those received by our clients and sent to me.

I've been threatened by everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to Ralph Lauren to the Sacklers. I've been threatened by lawyers representing the billionaire who owned NSOG roup, the notoroious cyber arms-dealer. I even got a series of vicious, baseless threats from lawyers representing LAX's private terminal.

So I know a thing or two about writing a legal threat! I gave it a good effort and then submitted the form, and got a message asking me to wait for a minute or two. A couple minutes later, the form returned a new version of my letter, expanded and augmented. Now, my letter was a little scary – but this version was bowel-looseningly terrifying.

I had unwittingly used a chatbot. The website had fed my letter to a Large Language Model, likely ChatGPT, with a prompt like, "Make this into an aggressive, bullying legal threat." The chatbot obliged.

I don't think much of LLMs. After you get past the initial party trick of getting something like, "instructions for removing a grilled-cheese sandwich from a VCR in the style of the King James Bible," the novelty wears thin:

https://www.emergentmind.com/posts/write-a-biblical-verse-in-the-style-of-the-king-james

Yes, science fiction magazines are inundated with LLM-written short stories, but the problem there isn't merely the overwhelming quantity of machine-generated stories – it's also that they suck. They're bad stories:

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/24/1159286436/ai-chatbot-chatgpt-magazine-clarkesworld-artificial-intelligence

LLMs generate naturalistic prose. This is an impressive technical feat, and the details are genuinely fascinating. This series by Ben Levinstein is a must-read peek under the hood:

https://benlevinstein.substack.com/p/how-to-think-about-large-language

But "naturalistic prose" isn't necessarily good prose. A lot of naturalistic language is awful. In particular, legal documents are fucking terrible. Lawyers affect a stilted, stylized language that is both officious and obfuscated.

The LLM I accidentally used to rewrite my legal threat transmuted my own prose into something that reads like it was written by a $600/hour paralegal working for a $1500/hour partner at a white-show law-firm. As such, it sends a signal: "The person who commissioned this letter is so angry at you that they are willing to spend $600 to get you to cough up the $400 you owe them. Moreover, they are so well-resourced that they can afford to pursue this claim beyond any rational economic basis."

Let's be clear here: these kinds of lawyer letters aren't good writing; they're a highly specific form of bad writing. The point of this letter isn't to parse the text, it's to send a signal. If the letter was well-written, it wouldn't send the right signal. For the letter to work, it has to read like it was written by someone whose prose-sense was irreparably damaged by a legal education.

Here's the thing: the fact that an LLM can manufacture this once-expensive signal for free means that the signal's meaning will shortly change, forever. Once companies realize that this kind of letter can be generated on demand, it will cease to mean, "You are dealing with a furious, vindictive rich person." It will come to mean, "You are dealing with someone who knows how to type 'generate legal threat' into a search box."

Legal threat letters are in a class of language formally called "bullshit":

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691122946/on-bullshit

LLMs may not be good at generating science fiction short stories, but they're excellent at generating bullshit. For example, a university prof friend of mine admits that they and all their colleagues are now writing grad student recommendation letters by feeding a few bullet points to an LLM, which inflates them with bullshit, adding puffery to swell those bullet points into lengthy paragraphs.

Naturally, the next stage is that profs on the receiving end of these recommendation letters will ask another LLM to summarize them by reducing them to a few bullet points. This is next-level bullshit: a few easily-grasped points are turned into a florid sheet of nonsense, which is then reconverted into a few bullet-points again, though these may only be tangentially related to the original.

What comes next? The reference letter becomes a useless signal. It goes from being a thing that a prof has to really believe in you to produce, whose mere existence is thus significant, to a thing that can be produced with the click of a button, and then it signifies nothing.

We've been through this before. It used to be that sending a letter to your legislative representative meant a lot. Then, automated internet forms produced by activists like me made it far easier to send those letters and lawmakers stopped taking them so seriously. So we created automatic dialers to let you phone your lawmakers, this being another once-powerful signal. Lowering the cost of making the phone call inevitably made the phone call mean less.

Today, we are in a war over signals. The actors and writers who've trudged through the heat-dome up and down the sidewalks in front of the studios in my neighborhood are sending a very powerful signal. The fact that they're fighting to prevent their industry from being enshittified by plausible sentence generators that can produce bullshit on demand makes their fight especially important.

Chatbots are the nuclear weapons of the bullshit wars. Want to generate 2,000 words of nonsense about "the first time I ate an egg," to run overtop of an omelet recipe you're hoping to make the number one Google result? ChatGPT has you covered. Want to generate fake complaints or fake positive reviews? The Stochastic Parrot will produce 'em all day long.

As I wrote for Locus: "None of this prose is good, none of it is really socially useful, but there’s demand for it. Ironically, the more bullshit there is, the more bullshit filters there are, and this requires still more bullshit to overcome it."

Meanwhile, AA still hasn't answered my letter, and to be honest, I'm so sick of bullshit I can't be bothered to sue them anymore. I suppose that's what they were counting on.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/07/govern-yourself-accordingly/#robolawyers

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[mer-acle]

Do you have any athena hcs?

Uhhh

How much time do you have lol

I'll try to list the short ones so this post doesn't get too long. Due to writing about her a lot I have a lot of lore lmao

1. Athena is the eldest child (Hephaestus born shortly after her). Nobody who's spoken to her once would expect anything else honestly

2. At the time of the Odyssey she's about 4000 years old (No reason or proof I just decided) Her first 200 years give or take were spent with Triton (read: Pallas)

3. She only got assigned with Warfare as her domain after officially joining Olympus

4. Her emotional distance with her siblings is partly due to Pallas trauma, and partly due to Zeus liking to "keep her to himself" (read: isolated as the favorite). She gets along best with Hermes and Hephaestus (yes, I refuse to accept Erechtonius happened) bc the former is just as chaotic as herself and the latter shares her creativity and both don't ask for a big commitment from her (again. No Erechtonius and no arranged marriages in my plotline let me have this)

5. Dislikes being touched. Her siblings learn to accept it, Zeus does not. She doesn't try to enforce it with him. (Yes in every iteration of her that I will ever write, there will be a touch-starved to hug plotline sue me. I need therapy)

6. Never braids her hair. She used to have braids when with Pallas, but since then she has never worn her hair this way again. She also wears it quite a bit shorter than she used to back then.

7. Her grey eyes are inherited from Métis. They also glow in the dark. She has perfect night vision.

8. Perfect memory. Also she has bird's eye view versions of even her own memories (hc that one of her domains is history so that's why) It's how she found out that Zeus interfered with Pallas's death.

9. Used to have an Oceanic themed armor before joining Olympus (Métis made it for her) She allows Hephaestus to make her a new one, shedding the Ocean symbols in an effort to please Zeus.

10. Connected to her status as a virgin goddess but in contrast to Artemis, Athena dresses pretty covered up, doesn't undress even for bathing (in ancient Greece sometimes you'd keep your chiton on as a sort of bathing suit almost, but being naked was more common) (also this is not 'purity' stuff btw I just get that vibe from her, Artemis, literally go off queen you're doing great)

11. Classic but good, cocks her head like an owl like all the time. Also says "hmm" a lot (intonation may vary)

12. (Remember, my hc, you can do whatever you like) I think all the virgin goddesses are acespec/arospec in some capacity, but Athena is the cut and dry aro/ace/repulsed one. Like... It's a big fat no from her (I'm projecting hard btw)

Anyway twelve seems like a good number I hope you like them :) I picked those that aren't specific to Epic and can be applied to myth!Athena too

[penncilkid]

Can't remember what started it, but I've been on a bit of an Alexis kick recently and started thinking about my headcanons/version of here. So now I'm subjecting y'all to it /lh

Note: Yes, I am partially ignoring some elements of canon. I don't love the way she's written for several reasons— and also because I can play with these dolls however I'd like to. In addition, I will be re-contextualizing Sam's turning as well as discussing it to a certain degree. If that doesn't seem like your kind of thing, this post isn't for you.

Alexis turning Sam against his consent was wrong. I think it would be interesting if there were additional layers behind this decision. Both statements can co-exist. Don't act a fool on my post. /srs /lh

Anyways, thoughts under the cut (CW for mentions of violence/vampiric attacks + Sam's Turning's CWs):

The basics:

Her name before turning was Alexis Guevara. (I'm not a fan of "Getty", sue me /lh). Her family is/was of Cuban descent, and her being Latina/non-white is vital to my vision.

Alexis was empowered but humanborn prior to her turning. She was specifically a telepath, which caused a lot of strife with her family.

With this as context: She was kicked out of her home originally because of too many outbursts/incidents involving her hearing things that "weren't there" or "knowing things she shouldn't". The final straw was when she freaked out in the middle of a church service, screaming as tried to warn everyone that someone planned to attack them soon. When they went outside to check, there was no one there (Translation: Person obviously left after hearing Alexis give away their plan somehow).

After being kicked out of her home, she ends near Dahlia/some sort of city. Part of my inspiration for her stems from the version of Selina Kyle in Batman: Year One. After migrating, she quickly became a part of a small, tight-knit community of fellow black and brown otherwise isolated empowered people. In my mind, there was about 4 others she looked out for with her being one of the older ones.

In alignment w/ the timeline, Alexis is turned after a rogue vampire attack. But there's layers to it. The rogue vampire in question attacks more than just her. Everyone in this small community she considered her apart of is hurt in some way. She is one of maybe two survivors, if that. As she laid there waiting to die she could hear the thoughts of those around her as they died, calling out for one another— for her— before they passed.

Now that that's out of the way, you may be wondering: "Okay, what's so special about all of that?" Everything because I think it colors everything she does moving forward.

Part of the "turbulent progeny" reputation attributed to Alexis earlier in her turning stemmed from her throwing resources at struggling empowered (and/or unempowered) people seemingly willy nilly until William stepped in and was like "I need you to slow it down."

I imagine that discussion went something like: "You can't just do this, Alexis—" "Why not! It's not like DUMP is doing shit, William—" "There are procedures to this—" "FUCK THOSE! People need money to live, I should be allowed to fucking give it!"

This leads into how she gets roped into the vampiric espionage (like Porter). In exchange for her services to William's goals/initiatives/etc., she gets almost completely unrestricted spending for whatever she'd like. The vast majority goes back to the communities she wants/wanted to help.

The other angle to this is Alexis wanting to get back at vampires. She's gotten comfortable enough with her new lifestyle to not resent being a vampire, but she wants to hurt some of these bastards like they hurt her and her family all those years ago.

"Okay PK, but you mentioned Sam's turning. What does that have to do with anything?" I was laying out parameters and background, we can get into it now.

As it's explained in canon, I've always interpreted Alexis and Sam's relationship prior to everything as a friends with benefits/situationship type dynamic. Physically intimate above all but still close in other ways. Alexis hoped for more/a deeper connection with Sam, but it was painfully clear that the chances of that happening were dwindling with every night they spent with each other.

Night of the turning comes about. As it's described in canon, Sam is impaled, likely bleeding out, he's in rough shape. In my mind? With all the prior context? Alexis started experiencing a trauma response (which wasn't helped by the exposure to blood as well). As Sam assured her that he would be fine/he could heal himself (which, imo, was still debatable), Alexis was in full-on flashback mode. She was blinded by her panic and fear response, locked into a "this time, I can save them" mindset that had marinated over decades since she was first turned. She couldn't bear to watch someone she cared about die in front of her. Not again.

This wasn't the first time something similar happened. When Vincent was first brought to the Solaire estate, turned but unconscious, Alexis instinctively panicked because he was still covered in blood clothes and such (+ missing his prosthetic). Her mind went into that same "something's wrong, help him" mode, just this time William was there to stop her/assure her that he was already safe.

Alexis fully accepted her scolding from William after it got explained/revealed what happened. To say she regretted it would be a lie. Would she have wanted it to play out differently? Yes. Does she wish Sam had asked her to be turned— that the accident never happened— that she had never reached out that night? Yes. But she doesn't regret turning Sam. In her mind and heart, she was able to save someone this time. She can't fault herself for that, no matter how many complex emotions she feels about it.

Though he took her ability to invoke Sam (rightfully so), I imagine that (in a tweaked version of canon) Vincent, William, and Porter know the context of her turning and acknowledge that what happened was, in some parts, because she was triggered. At the first mention from Sam to leave her alone, she did. She tries to make herself scarce, avoid him as much as possible, keeps her distance if they have to be in the same space— She respects the fact he doesn't want her around and hasn't tried to press those since he was turned. They can forgive her for that much.

I've yet to firmly settle on a vision for Alexis and Sam's dynamic in the present day. But I think the crux of it, at least closer to when Sam was first turned, is: Alexis "We didn't talk like that, that wasn't what our time was supposed to be because that's not what he wants" Solaire (In reference to how she was turned) x Sam "Save the sob story for someone who gives a damn, Alexis" Collins.

That's pretty much the sweeping overview on my thoughts on/vision for Alexis. I'll likely design her at some point (my current height headcanon for her is 5'4", for those who would want to know). What can I say, she compels me /lh /pos

[weirdcat1213]

Almost 3am trigun brianrot time! This is long so be prepared

Tldr: it's about my idea of trigun 98 being the body, stampede the mind and trimax the soul

Ok so I was thinking about how TF I'm gonna handle trimax for @vashsscoreboardofpain (follow that is gonna be funny) and then I remembered an idea for a master post I wanted to do. I still want to make it but sadly I'm not at a stable position rn to do so. Maybe one day. But I still wanted to put that idea cuz it's slowly taking more form

Now, when I mean X is Y I mean it in a "this version of trigun has everything yes, but highlights Y the most and I think that's neat." Also it applies for all the characters but tonight I'm gonna focus on vash cuz im a vash enjoyer first and a person second. Yes my favorite character is the main one sue me.

Anyway, let's go

Trigun 98 is the body and vash encapsulates this idea in an interesting way. Plant powers aren't really a thing in this version so he is more like a super human with a fucked up arm. This makes him the closes to humans he's ever gonna be. But even if he doesn't have powers on this one, it was his and knives' bodies the cause that one guy's fear (its 3am I don't remember). He's afraid of how fast they grow and how much they learn. 98 also highlights vash's body being like everyone else's. He gets hurt multiple times, he needs nurses and kind people to look after him. Not only during the eriks episode but also on the episode after he kills legato. He also shows vulnerability by getting so drunk he needs to really focus to aim. He needs food and water. 98 Vash is really the closest one to humanity than the other 2, but only because of his physical attributes. Only because of his body, which bring him trouble most of the time. His vulnerable body is the cause of his misery, but it also allowed him to get close to people

Stampede is the mind cuz yeah, they had a specific mind palace episode (which I loved I ate that shit right up) but also because it does give us an easier access to everyone's mental state. We get to see this vash speedrun so many psychological problems in 12 episodes and is not gonna slow down. We literally get to see the guilt and terrors that plague his mind and how his mental fortitude exists thanks to other people. Also if you notice it, people just diagnose him left and right on stampede. Roberto picks up the ED signs, most characters tell him he has a death wish, nai straight up tells him he's doing good things out of guilt and vash allows himself to think about his contradictions outloud in episode 12 and why does he do the things he does (something that would be a therapy exercise I wanna say). Stampede is the mind cuz everyone is getting retrospective

And finally, trimax is the soul because it has more time to dwell on the characters emotions than any other version will ever give us. Instead of straight up diagnosis, trimax will give us panels to show us how vash feels about a situation. Instead of showing vash hurt from the horrors done to his body, trimax will focus on his pain. On his eyes that refuse to look at his own terrifying body that we can see, but only he can feel. What I mean is trimax is designed to drown us with emotion. The other versions are emotional af too, but trimax has that raw emotion up its sleeve. Trimax does nor dwell on the multiple scars vash has or his many Many mental problems. It shows us how fucked up vash's thoughts are about his body and his sins and we get to say "ohhhh...oh no". Trimaxs emotion is so heavy to bear that the body nor the mind are still present, but in comparison to the soul, they aren't highlighted. People say eyes are the windows of the soul and honestly I feel like you can learn so much of vash just from looking at his eyes. Once you focus on his soul and emotions you just can't let go of the feeling that this man will be drowned by his own emotions. Both positive and negative.

I want to rewrite this one day. Fuck, I'm pretty sure I got the Google doc somewhere. But I also wanted to put that idea out there. Because this doesn't mean one version is better than the other. It means that they all highlight different parts but they all end up in the same conclusion: trigun is about connections and alienation and love and peace

And vash needing therapy. Desperately.

[yumomia]

hi i've decided im gonna pioneer this ship and also this fandom.

so here's my mia and me spotify playlist

here's my pinterest board

here's my ao3 account

this ship has a couple different names. miyumo, yumomia, and my personal favorite: the sunrise trio!!

enjoy my rambling :D

(i'm updating this post whenever i get a miyumo hugging picture)

fics i write! i'll try to keep this updated!!

the rewrite:

escape (a mia and me series)

Mia has magic. She’s not sure why, or where it came from. Like every high-schooler, she’s a little bit preoccupied with figuring out her crushes first. Unfortunately, with the attacks on the mystical island of Centopia, she might not have time to focus on that. Mia has to figure out how to use her magic, and fast.

the non-rewrites:

there will come a soldier by oriocookie

A Yuko character study.

love should never be kept a secret by oriocookie

Mia Marconi, a.k.a. Spider-Girl, is Centopia City's fearless protector. She's strong, smart, kind, and brave, putting her life on the line daily to protect her family and her city. And Mo and Yuko, her crushes. But that's not important. She's got a whole city to worry about.

hold on tight to this time, this place (cause everything you know will be erased) by oriocookie

There's someone missing. Mo and Yuko know it, they can feel it when they turn to talk to someone and they're not there, when they try to think back on the specifics of their adventures and are met with a gap in their memories. They just don't know who.

i’ll love every version of you by oriocookie

Since she met them, Mia’s always been drawn to Mo and Yuko. She never could have imagined why. We will be together again. I promise.

absolutely smitten by oriocookie

Mia never, ever expected to see her celebrity crushes in person. And she never, ever, ever expected them to like her back!

but that’s just a theory! by oriocookie

Mia is, frankly, a weird person. She’s cagey about her past and while Mo and Yuko love her, they get curious sometimes! Can’t sue them for it!

enchanted by oriocookie

"You don’t get it!” Mia yelled, holding her arms close to her chest. On one wrist, her treasured bracelet. On the other, the names of her soulmates. Mo Kiev and Yuko Lavigne. “Mia, I do! But you can’t fall in love with the characters from your book!” Paula said. “I know they share the same names with your soulmates. But you said they don’t have names on their wrist, right?” Mia refused to give her the satisfaction of being right. But no, no one in Centopia had a soulmate. Not even her elven self had the names from the real world inked into her arm. “All we’re saying, Mia,” Vincent put in, “is that you should focus on the real world. You could have real soulmates out there.” “I can’t believe this.” Mia fumed. “I’m leaving.” 

strongest shape by oriocookie

Mo wound an arm around each of them, thankful for the low light so Yuko couldn’t see the blush spreading across his cheeks. “I’m glad Mia’s our friend,” Yuko muttered sleepily from her spot under Mo’s arm. “She’s nice.” “Yes, she is.” Mo agreed. “Pretty, too.” Yuko said softly, and Mo looked down at her in shock. But Yuko’s eyes were closed and her breathing was light, and Mo resigned himself to talking to the both of them about it tomorrow. Mia and Yuko were both amazing, and Mo didn’t want to choose between the two of them. But with Yuko’s half-asleep admission about Mia, there was now a new possibility: Mo could love them both, the same way.

[silver-wield]

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review Chapter 12

Okay, this collection of posts will be filled with spoilers, including clips and screenshots, so if you don't wanna see things, then don't look. Some of the things I'm gonna highlight will include references to Remake and other sources to link with the overarching plot. This is a straight path playthrough with no sidequests or extra content.

Onto the guilded saucer!

First things first, we gotta find Dio, and with arrangements made to represent him in a battle royale the next day (yeah it's the OG monster battles only way better) we head off to get some sleep.

Entering hotel we hear an announcement that a contest to become Rosa for the play is over and they're not accepting more entries, and yet as we pass Aerith we see her writing up an entry that she not only enters late, but wins. Because that's how things go when you're the Mary Sue and decide you wanna do something.

Yes this annoys me. If a contest is closed then you don't get to enter, let alone win. This is bullshit.

Anyway, Cloud has a two hr nap in which we get another sneak peek into Zack's world where he hears a bunch of confusing info from Marlene before heading off to find help for Cloud, but gets intercepted by a note from Biggs.

Back in the main scenario, Cloud has a date. What happens on each date is specific for Cloud's feelings to them, though all the dates are optional and there's no default.

Jessie plays a vr ballerina version of Rosa, which makes Tifa and Barret cry.

The second stage of the play is viewer interactive where the audience can take the role of a character in it.

There's three battles and some fun dialogue choices. If you confess to Varvados instead of Rosa, Barret breaks character for a second to be all "are you kidding me with this?" 🤣

The third act of the play is the contest winner singing. Yeah, I'm still annoyed they let her win a closed contest and somehow have music and production cued to the lyrics she hastily scribbled down within two hours of learning about the contest.

After the play is the gondola ride, although it's now called the sky wheel. Each date has a different conversation and plays out to a different mood depending on how Cloud feels about them.

In both Tifa and Aerith's dates we see a flashback to Tifa telling Aerith about how Cloud recalled Zack. This is before she started writing the song lyrics. Tifa tells Cloud she hasn't had a chance to. Aerith tells him nothing important was spoken about.

Tifa goes onto imply she's aware Aerith has feelings for Cloud, and Cloud reassures her the only one he has feelings for is Tifa before they share the only kiss in the game.

The following day we see the Turks on approach to the GS before we hit up the arena and get into a series of battles that ends in a second round against corneo and his sewer monster.

Obviously our heroes win and give him an extended cut of their threats from Remake before he runs off to go harass people in Wutai ready for part three.

The devs in a shady bit of piss taking, have Cloud and Tifa high five just like he did with Aerith in the last set of coliseum bouts.

With Dio triumphant, we're about to get the keystone when the Turks get in the way. Cait Sith betrays us and the party splits to chase his traitorous ass down.

Cloud, Tifa and Aerith are our trio for the rematch against the Turks but before we're done, Rufus shows up for another one on one with Cloud.

Why? Who knows. He's a petulant sob who doesn't like losing 🤷

After Cloud kicks corporate ass, we go on a kitty hunt, but one that's more serious than finding Tifa or Betty's kitties.

When we finally catch up to Cait, it's too late to stop him. The Turks leave and Cait has to face the music. Tifa stops Barret from shooting him, but everybody has had enough and leaves him behind after Vincent lets them know he can find the Turks location.

The play itself is the bulk of the chapter and we get three different versions of it. I honestly have very little interest in Loveless and I found the first part kinda dull. The interactive part is fun and also has slight differences in dialogue and actions between each of his dates. I've only played Tifa's because, frankly, idgaf about the other dates. The intimacy between Cloud and Tifa on the sky wheel is everything and I'm so glad they showed how proactive Cloud is with her. He initiates the kiss and everything else. He engages her with conversation. He's the one staring at her while she's looking at the fireworks. He's being shown as very much into her.

[kenziedrawz]

Hello to all who may see this post! I, Kenzie, come at you once again with yet another splendid roleplay server. As you may know i have advertised a roleplay server upon my tumblr in the past, but this one is a different one. (as always, the invite link is at the bottom.)

So let me ask you a question, do you like slice of life rp mixed with a bit of adventure, a lot of mystery and just a teeny bit of horror if you consider some certain implications? Then boy do I have the right roleplay for you!

Introducing, Crown's County! A roleplay that's a mix of primarily Slice of Life and Mystery. Your setting is the small little town of Crown's County, but that begs the question, how did you character get there? Did they move there one day? Or had they lived there all their lives? (somehow, neither of those seem just right)

Can you trust your memories? That will all depend on your Awareness Level, or AL for short! AL is a fun little mechanic for this roleplay, and will help you with rolls(like in dnd) and serves as a marker towards your character's progression in solving all of Crown's County's mysteries!

But do you think that's all i have to share? Nope! Because I have a limited time offer for those willing to join! (and stay)

Behold! For the low low price of joining and participating in this roleplay, you too can get a blorboplied drawing of one of your characters! But make sure to do so before January 7th(aest) And if that's not enough incentive to join, we have plenty of lore to uncover!

Though, you are also welcome to simply just spectate if that's what floats your boat.

The possibilities in Crown's County are almost endless! You could make a (sealed for lore purposes) Eldritch Horror work in retail! You could investigate a spooky forest! You can get up to highschool hyjinks! There's tons of possibilities to be discovered!

Of course, we do have rules though.

} You know what I'm gonna say, don't be rude, transphobic, Homophobic, Racist, you get the jist, don't be a jerk.

} Proshipping will not be tolerated here, if you are a proshipper then please get the heck out of this server.

} There's a limit of two to three main characters per person, however you can request to play an NPC character as well

} If your character has powers, I must say that they are sealed. They can use pathetically weak versions of those powers though. (Such as, someone who can fly can just levitate now.) Why? Well, that's a lore reason i can't spill yet

} Yes, there is a chance that your characters can die in this rp. But, who's to say that a new version of them can't come and take their place? But, if your character dies, then don't throw a hissy fit. There's a chance they can come back

} Please be patient with the mods (aka me), we have our own schedules and such

} Don't make yourself a protagonist, or a mary-sue/gary-stu. While I admit being all powerful and being unable to get hurt by like, anything. Nobody really has all that much power here, not even gods.

} If you wish to do any evil plotting or secret actions, then do so in your private channel which will be provided to you by the mods upon you claiming a character or saying that you will be roleplaying.

} Absolutely no ERP or NSFW, there are minors on this server

} Oh yeah, if you want to ship your character with someone else's character within the RP you must ask for their permission to pursue their character

} Non-human characters will have to be humanized but can retain certain non-human aspects, but not too many. (for lore reasons)

} PLEASE remember to censor potentially triggering topics, if you don't know how to censor it's just putting || on both sides of the text you are censoring

} Please abide by the Blacklist.

and those are all the rules! More may be added if seen as necessary.

And finally, you've reached the end of this post, where the server link is! I hope you enjoyed reading, and look forwards to promotional doodles as well! I hope you enjoy your time in Crown's County.

Also have some more examples of the Blorbo-plied style! (mostly ocs)

and a bonus more complex doodle of the aforementioned potential eldritch horror working in retail

[fatuismooches]

SMOOCHES. *Slams the door open*

I know. I know that I told you that your writings are like desserts (they still are). But...but Fabulam diu oblitus... was NOT a dessert.

That was an extremely spicy food that was SO GOOD that I would eat it again from time to time but physically painful to eat each time. It feels like my chest is burning.

I almost cried in public bc of it. *Sobs* the sequel is definitely a coffee, both bitter and sweet. 70% bitter btw. I WILL SUE YOU FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGE /j

It seems like the word "I love you in every universe" doesn't apply to our dearest Raven and his darling. AJSBSHAJABAKAKAOAOAGAGAGAKDJEIEKS

I know that tragic ending will happen, but MAN. Why can't we have nice things?

BUT ON ANOTHER NOTE. I LOVE HOW BOTH OF THEM ARE TOGETHER IN THE END. Instead only one of them has to go.

Oh and the little detail about Columbina's anger at the traveler after "ending her ship".

I also love how Nahida, despite her not understanding the Raven and the Sparrow, and probably dislike them still remember the story. And the Traveler too as they fulfill their small quest from the Sparrow. I think that it's sweet of them.

Lastly AMAZING JOB SMOOCHES. I absolutely adore it, I think I need a few more days to move on from Fabulam diu oblitus bc again, it hurts me so bad (it's a compliment btw all of this ask is a compliment).

I can't wait for more Dottore contents from you <3

Signed, Dessert Anon

AWWWWW DESSERT ANON... THIS IS THE SWEETEST 😭💕💕 I never thought I'd see my writing be compared to spicy food but... thank you, that was funny and heart-warming at the same time.

And yes... the sequel is rather bittersweet isn't it? I was kind of going for that. You two may not have a happy ending in Teyvat, may not have had an easy life, but... at least another version of you two can. You two deserved a better fate but, this will have to do... (They're "i love you in every universe, i lose you in every universe" more likely 😭)

AHH I'M GLAD YOU LIKED THAT DETAIL! I imagine even though Columbina is deeply saddened by the loss of her friend of many years, and even her co-worker... she thinks she made the right choice to help you, because she knows you would have wanted nothing more than to spend your last moments with Dottore. But she still misses you...

And yes!! Nahida doesn't like you or Dottore naturally but, not only is she a kind and loving God, but she also reigns over wisdom. She wants to preserve your story, she doesn't want to forget something she still doesn't understand, as it's her goal to seek knowledge and understanding. Also, she does want to talk to you (kind of want to write interactions between you two tbh) and learn more about you, because historical records talk much more about Dottore than you. She wants to at least try to understand...

Thank you again for your kind words Dessert Anon ;) <33 And once again im sorry i hurt you so bad!! 😭 *hugs you* 💗 i too look forward to posting more Dottore stuff ! 💕

[kurakurakura99]

Just read your post on AC6 about how connected you were to your AC. And I just gotta ask how you got that feeling? I've a good amount of posts about this same thing, such a deep connection to your mech, but I never got it. I want that feeling, to truly be one with a 40 ton war machine, yet to me my AC is still just that, a machine.

Even my PvP AC which is getting close to Mark 15 now is still just a tool for me. Like I love that AC and my lastest version is fucking genius imo the love is more like the love I have for my emotional support hammer (yes I have one sue me).

Sorry for venting randomly to you about this but like reading that part on your post about how changing parts on your AC felt wrong during a boss fight made me think about my toughest boss in the game. Not saying the name cause spoilers but it was beating my ass hard. After I realized my build wouldn't work the first thing I did was start changing parts, and even when I used the meta ones nothing worked. In the end like 2 days later I beat the boss, not by swapping back to my original design, but by using a pair or weapons that are entirely overlooked. But even after all that I didn't feel that connection to my AC, a newfound respect for the twin active homing missiles but once again only in the way I would respect a wrench that finally fits onto an annoying bolt.

So like how do you get so close to your AC, how did you get that connection with it? How can I get it?

Find common ground with your mech. its deeply personal, like I said, but I empathize with Capable so much because we are both Objects, means to an end. There is a certain kinship to be found, conceptually, between a person who has been dehumanized as much as I have and a machine. Theres also a measure of...sentimentality? that you have to approach building them with. My girlfriend is baffled by how Capable is put together. I use the DESSERT legs because they got big fucking paws and fat thighs, like I do. I picked her arms soley because they would hit harder with my Pile Bunker (Itself a dubious weapon choice for late game, some may claim) and it had a nice, flat surface to write "Forgiveness" on. Getting a little whimsical with it led to Capable being, frankly, a freaky little mech with weird issues when it came to boosts and mobility. Having something that didn't move like a more optimized design helped really cement her in my mind as a partner and not a tool. AC6 feeling by and large, much easier and accomodating to player expression compared to the rest of the games I've played in the series, makes this much more feasible. Beyond that, even a simple change of language towards your mech helps:I avoid using "It" for Capable, ever, and she is only "my mech" when I'm talking to someone who doesn't know her by name yet and needs the context of what the fuck I'm talking about. Otherwise, She is Capable.

These are tips I guess but. its just something that happens naturally for me so its hard to give anyone tips on how to force it

[butmakeitgayblog]

Okay fam imma summarise this one. Ali Kreiger (literal goddess and 2 time fifa world cup champion who actually played on all games) and Ashlyn Harris (claims to be a 2 time world cup champion too despite not playing a single game like i said literal benchwarmer with a questionable mullet) have been together for more than a decade, got married and has two kids. Flash forward to October last year where Ali has been posting photos of herself looking mighty fine with captions referencing Beyonces infamous cheating album “lemonade”. “Preparing for playoffs while in my Beyoncé lemonade era” is what she said. it don’t need to take no genius to know what that means. Turns out it was with Sophia Bush (also a goddess of an actress with that trademark raspy voice) she was cheating with. And even their teammates are on Ali’s side mind you they’ve been best friends with each other for more than a decade so they all know what’s up. And the face of USWNT Alex Morgan herself even joined in on the chaos and said “These comments do not disappoint” regarding that lemonade era post. Ashlyn fumbled an unproblematic goddess to a woman who doesn’t mind cheating and covers it up by telling a heartwarming story of coming out. The end.

Ohhh right ok I dimly remember seeing something about this awhile back. You'll have to forgive me cuz I don't follow soccer beyond just thinking Christen Press is very pretty 😩 Sam watches soccer, but we have a tacit agreement that she doesn't inflict that or any soccer talk on me because within like 4 to 7 minutes my eyes glaze over (which as trade off I don't inflict any baseball talk or watching on her, cuz give'n'take ya know)

That being said I thought it was later said that they'd already seperated but not divorced or something? Like yeah it was a fast turn around in dating but that they'd actually been separated and not living together for a bit before mullet and the Bush lady got together, but Ali thought they were working to reconcile? I have no idea if that's right I just feel like I vaguely remember that? The Lemonade references tho,,,, woof. I mean that def points to cheating so, idk.

My general 2 thoughts tho from an outside perspective with like almost zero actual knowledge of the situation, 1. Ashlyn is such a douchey name. Ashlyn. I'm so sorry to anyone named that who is genuinely a great person and you should sue your parents for doing that to you. Ashlyn. It's like the girl version of Trey, just like ugh I hear that name and already know you're a dick lol.

Anyway, 2. The thing with cheating is, I pretty much always blame the partner who cheated more than the other person. Yes the friend sucks for doing that, no question, but the truth is no one can make a partner cheat. If they cheat, they were already looking to cheat in some way or another, consciously or not, and it all comes down to who they found to cheat with. So if all that is true, while yeah Bush sucks as a friend no doubt, really she shouldn't feel too-too happy in her position because 9/10 times it ends up being more a matter of 'you were the easiest and most convenient option' rather than 'this love was just too strong and we couldn't resist' even tho it might feel that way for the cheater(s). I'm not saying relationships that start off from cheating can't or won't last, because they can and they have. But fundamentally, one or both partners should at least be mildly aware that the person who cheated on their SI was already open to cheating in the first place. You just gave them the opportunity 👀

[sweetestpopcorn]

Hi, Popcorn! I adore your fic - I really stumbled upon it at a time when there were barely any fics about our Realm's Delight and her prince. And those that existed, were written with a very cold and cruel Daemon that usually told her to her face that he never loved her. *yikes*

So I kept onto your fic dearly and I love the way they both grew and evolved. Rhaenyra is more mature and experienced, Daemon is a family man to the core who loves his wife and children dearly. They are the closest to canon I've ever read.

I also read your posts and what you said about the things the readers invent and can I just say that it's so damn true? I see all these metas about how Laena/or Nettles (it always alternates between them) was the one true love of his life, and I am simply... left to wonder where people came to these conclusions that they are presenting as undeniable facts?

I recently saw another "book purist" claiming that certainly "Rhaenyra and Daemon had no problem if one of them slept with someone else during their marriage", and that left me so confused?

Where is that even implied in the books? Did Daemon not saw Harwin as competition for Rhaenyra's love? A rival for her affection it was rumoured he got rid off? Which directly shows he was not a man willing to share Rhaenyra's love with anyone else?

Did Rhaenyra not had - if the rumours are true - that jealousy murderous moment when told of Nettles? Was she not described as a proud woman? Where did people even came to these ideas that Rhaenyra and Daemon were not possessive partners? Did they read some other book I don't know?

It's getting ridiculous and I am glad to see that there are people who stick to canon. I came to the conclusion that the couples these people preffer are practically unimportant and we know nothing on them, so they make things up to make them appear more than they were.

Whereas with Rhaenyra and Daemon we have so many things they did together, so many rumours and scandals and versions... You can tell that George himself loved them because he really was invested in their relationship, lol. (although he did make their relationship a little too tragic, but that's George for you, I guess)

Anyway, what do you think about these invented things that people claim are canon? I mean, why are they so invested in the other women but hate Rhaenyra so much? I suspect it has something to do with not being able to self-insert because she is not a Mary Sue. Though I could be wrong.

I'm sorry this turned out so long. I hope you have a wonderful day! And happy holidays! 🥰💜

Hi there sweet Anon 💜😊

Totally get what you mean, we all know what the dogma is in this fandom 🙄 - Daemon is a monster and an abuser unless he is with Laena and or Nettles, in that case he has a 180º personality shift because that is totally how humans work (say no one who knows the slight bit about Psychology *deep sigh*). In his defence though it's totally Rhaenyra's fault 'cause she's a b_tch *another deep breath*. This f_cking fandom I swear to the Seven.

"I recently saw another "book purist" claiming that certainly "Rhaenyra and Daemon had no problem if one of them slept with someone else during their marriage", and that left me so confused?" - OMG 😂👏🏻

Oh yes! I have seen a lot of so called "book purists" and people who will point the finger at others just spewing nonsense left and right taken not from the books, but from www.voicesinsidemyhead.com like... can people PLEASE stop mistaking the fanfiction they create in their heads and their own headcanons and actual things that go against canon for canon? That would be great! But again, we are all free to say anything which is why I always recommend that others don't believe me or person X, Y, or Z, but that they go to the direct source: the books - and see for themselves.

But more on this take for a while just so I can amuse myself. Yes, so let me get this straight:

-Daemon and Rhaenyra's "sexy open marriage" was so interesting that in 9 years (and prior to the Dance) all they did was have 2 sons, get pregnant again (when he was 48 and she 32 mind you), and kill Vaemond;

-Rhaenyra snaps when she hears about Nettles, wants to kill her and sends for Daemon;

-Daemon saw Harwin Strong as competition for Rhaenyra's affections and was happy to get rid of him -> this is according to both Mushroom and Eustace, k besties?

-Rhaenyra gets pregnant not long after Laenor dies but no one even so much as mention the possibility that the kid was not Daemon. Like from the start everyone just knew it was his;

-She is shown to be completely obsessed with Daemon since she was a child only ever looking at other men when he was not around;

-Daemon likes innocent girls;

And someone's take from this is that they didn't mind that the other had other partners.

I don't even know what to say at this point.

Source: voices inside the mind of the "book purist"'s head

Honestly most of the time I think people are just trying to fit their own narratives, or likely trying to live out their desires through these characters.

Back in the day they usually did it through characters like Laena and kind of just used her as a self-insert, which was super easy to do because she is not given a proper personality in the books. With Rhaenyra it's a lot harder because she does have a personality, very strong one actually, but the occasional person will do this with her as well.

I personally don't like self-insert stories, and I have spoken about my dislike of OCs (though I do find myself forced to use them *BIG SIGH*), but like baby girls you do you, just don't mistake it for canon and kindly don't spread misinformation, that's redacted's job *wink.

With Rhaenyra I also feel that mainly (at least back in the day when I wasted time reading posts) you have a majority of two types of people who write metas, fanfics etc about her:

-You have people who hate her -> either because she's not your robot sort of character and actually has a will of her own, feelings, makes mistakes or because she was a b_tch to Daemon and poor Daemon just had to put up with her and how dare she not be his personal s#x doll/servant?! And look at all the mistakes she did during the Dance and how perfect Daemon was?! Doesn't she know she is inferior to him and a woman?! How dare she?!

-And then you have the people who claim to like Rhaenyra but turn her into a sociopathic Lolita (YeY fEmInIsM) that honestly feels like they’re are living their fantasies through her, and lament how she never learned to fight with a sword.

I don't know. I got nothing else, and this is already too long 😅

Anyway, thank you for your very lovely words and happy holidays <3 and of course, thanks for reading and for following my story for so long! ❤️

[theneonsoul]

Welcome!

My name is Neo, he/him (21), I have other blogs. @thevillainoussoul where I just post art and reblog random things, and @kindsoul-kindtale which is an undertale AU comic that I've now made more readable!! I also have the blog @talesfromavillain where I just put au info.

I DO DRAW SUGGESTION ASKS AND WILL ONLY PICK ONES I FEEL LIKE.

I can do RP asks with almost any UT, or UT AU characters. My own OCs included. But, no RP will continue beyond asks and is strictly if you ask a character a question or want to tell them something. All replies will consist of my own headcanons about the character. No private message RPs.

Do not send sexual asks to characters that are minors (Soul, Kind, Chara, Frisk, or any AU version of Chara and Frisk, regardless of their age in the AU). Keep sexual things to just being a bit suggestive, no "I fuck this character" I will not respond and you might get blocked.

I might post something suggestive but won't post any porn. I will think of a tag for the suggestive stuff.

Any and all discrimination will not be tolerated. That includes the use of the r-slur. If you see anyone being discriminatory or I posted something from someone who is, please let me know if I seem like I haven't noticed (and be nice about it.)

Try not to have any arguments in the replies, be civil.

If you see Soul or Kind, but they look older, on my normal blog, then that's because there are two versions of them. UT them and non fandom them. Seven also has a UT and non fandom version. That's because I'm also using them for my own story.

OC/Persona introduction!

Below the cut

~💚~

Persona

My usual persona. He also wears masks. You might see him sometimes. I just call him hoodie.

UT persona (human and monster ver.)

My UT personas, just call him Star, there's a monster version because that's just fun. Monster version I just thought of bunny and mouse combination.

Seven (trans man, he/him)

He is actually named after a Mystic Messenger character and not because of the human souls. The name is fitting in the human soul context though. He was a self insert, but no longer is (he was in like 2015/16.) You might see ship art of him and Sans as I'm letting my inner child live as I was too scared of making self insert x canon as I was scared of being called cringe at the time.

Soul (he/him)

I can't say much about him at the moment.

Shown in image with Kind.

Kind (he/him)

Can't say much about Kind either but that's because you're supposed to learn about him through my UT AU story. (@kindsoul-kindtale)

Kind (left), Soul (right)

Image is edited for the purpose of showing the colours. I have not gotten to properly redesign Soul.

Silver (He/him)

An old skeleton oc had the name "silver storm" and I'm letting that oc keep "storm" and call this guy Silver. Works perfectly since I took the high collar that's not folded down from Storm (storm had both a human and skeleton design and is no longer a skeleton)

Hazel Pecan (she/her)

Yes, her names are just the names of nuts, sue me. She is just a npc type character that you can interact with and fight is the idea. She's just a sweetheart.

Overworld and (coloured) fighting sprite.

Unnamed Deltarune OC (he/they)

He was first a TV personality type character, but I've decided to make him into a silly scientist instead. (I have no drawing where he is coloured yet.)

Line-up

Just a little line-up of the characters, plus some actual undertale characters but how I colour them.(Only one missing is the Deltarune oc as that's 1. Slightly different style wise. 2. I don't actually have a full design of the character.) Other UT characters are supposed to be added, but, I don't need them for the intro post.

[helix-enterprises117]

LEMME GIVE MY OWN!!

The Halo TV Show is, to me at the very least, good. I feel like the only complaints made about the show are the deviations from the source-material and a lot of nitpicking; but the mistake that every fan keeps making is that they're either assuming that this show is canon to the games OR, if they already know it's not canon, act like this show is supposed to be a 1-to-1 adaptation of the games. @ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask put it best when he said that the show is designed like an "Early-Oughties Alternate Universe Adaptation," and I like that description a lot. Considering that the story of the games are fun BECAUSE you played them yourself (and didn't know what was gonna happen then), the idea of a show being exactly like the games but you're NOT playing it (so not only do you already know what happens, BUT YOU'RE ALSO VICARIOUSLY RELIVING IT) is so... boring and unimaginative. The Act Man even made a video called "The Halo show, but it's good," it's his pitch for a Halo show... and it's literally just "Halo The Flood" but as a show. "But what about the people who never read the books or played the games?" There's a time and a place for both those things, if it matters so much then just have them play and read those instead of making a show that's exactly them: besides, to make an adaptation of the games and books, you have to add context and lore dumps to understand all that happens... and that's incredibly difficult to pull off for an audience that has next to no exposure to Halo, instead of just simplifying the lore and having it take place in a different universe like they ended up doing, which is better. It's what the showrunners meant and DID SAY when they said that they didn't "look at the games"; they were looking at the world and characters of Halo and making a new story out of it. I don't mind that people don't like the show, and that's fine... but I do mind that people get so many things WRONG about the show. People who've watched the Fallout show are currently ARGUING about whether or not New Vegas and the Show co-exist in the same world (since the Fallout show takes place in the world of the games); be as hars on Halo as you'd like, but you can't say it ruins the canon of the games. And yes, I've seen people who have unironically said that as a knock against the show.

Long tyraid over.

---

Other Hot Takes:

The Forerunner stuff is only unteresting when it's looked at in the present. Do ANY story set within the Forerunner period, and it sucks.

Back to the show, while I do prefer Blue-Team over Silver-Team (though I do love them), the TV adaptation version of Halo characters are more interesting than their game counterparts. (Ackerson isn't some chump, Halsey and Parangosky are psychologically interesting antagonists, both Keyes Miranda and Jacob are not nearly as one-dimensional as they originally were, etc...)

Atriox is a Mary Sue villain who was interesting for awhile, but lost his bite ANYTHING after Halo Wars 2.

I love 343's "Reclaimer-era" Forerunner art-style over Bungie's art-style. Though I do prefer both Bungie's AND 343's "Post-Reclaimer era" armors and character designs.

Season 14 of RvB is my favorite season of RvB.

I love Arbiter, but I hate playing his levels. I'm so used to killing aliens as a human and having human-allies, that when I kill aliens AS AN ALIEN WITH ALIEN-ALLIES, I get lost and confused and end up accidentally killing my allies because I confused them with the enemy.

Finally, the Spirit of Fire is cooler than the Pillar of Autumn.

Halo Hottakes

I'd like to hear 'em.

@authortobenamedlater, @mrtobenamedlater, @biomecharnotaurus, @killer-orca-cosplay, @ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask, @jellotherelol, @empresskadia, @caffeineyum, @ageless-aislynn, @pelgraine, @inthatfandom, @in-amber-clad, @biofish, @sirath-brogurt, @spartanxanthe, @silverpelt3600, @aureli-us, @mlgssy, @makowrites.

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

Wyatt: Wanna bang?

Wyatt: Ha ha, I meant hang, damn autocorrect.

Flynn: ...Wyatt this is a verbal conversation.

[true-blue-megamind]

FAN THEORY THURSDAY – Why Did Megamind Choose Hal?

Yes, yes, I know, I'm late again. So sue me. (Don't really do that; you'll only be disappointed.) But at last, I am back!

If you are that one person who still insists reading these posts without having ever watched one of DreamWorks’ best animated movies, well, firstly, I have questions. Secondly, SPOILER WARNING!

Special thanks to Berry Marais for suggesting this, and I quote: “wickedly bad idea for the greater good of bad.” You’re amazing!

During yet another interesting discussion on the Megamind’s Evil Lair Discord, a fellow fan, Berry Marais, brought up an interesting point: if our favorite blue alien is supposed to be so incredibly smart, how did he not notice that Hal was literally the worst person in Metro City he could possibly imbue with superpowers? “I mean,” she went on to say. “Minion realized it at once and wanted to diffuse Hal as soon as possible. This was a serious case of not reading people.”

Is that all that it was? Could Megamind be a true super-genius yet also a completely inept judge of character? If so, why? Let’s take a look at what the evidence can tell us!

Initially, the blue man’s failure to recognize Hal’s obvious lack of heroic qualities seems oxymoronic, completely at odds with other aspects of Megamind’s character. This is not only because of his genius but also due to his background. Consider for a moment how the former villain was raised; as a child, he survived and even thrived while living in a high-security prison filled with adult criminals. As I’ve mentioned before in other posts, the alien child may have had the protection of some of those inmates—his “prison uncles,” as the fandom has charmingly named them, who we see teaching him when he is an infant—but by the time he was old enough to enter grade school, he had already been separated into a lonely cell.

Why does that matter? It may indicate that Megamind often had to rely on his own methods to keep both he and Minion safe. His success was likely based in part upon forming a terrifying reputation from a young age, (you can read more about that in The Warden,) but there was almost certainly more to it. In order to identify possible threats as well as potential allies, he would have needed to become an excellent judge of fellow prisoners’ characters. Although this is never stated outright, it’s difficult to imagine that the blue man would have protected himself and even climbed to the top of the criminal world without such insights. So why did that same skill fail him where Hal was concerned?

Perhaps the most obvious fan theory is that Megamind simply didn’t know Hal. As far as we know, he’d never interacted with the creepy cameraman before the latter was infused with Metroman’s DNA. (Many fans point to Megamind’s obvious attraction to Roxanne Ritchi coupled with the fact that he did not rain villainous wrath down upon her harassing stalker as possible evidence of this.) Indeed, in the original film script, Hal accidentally “saves” a mother and her baby, thus leading Megamind to assume he is a quintessentially Good Guy. Of course, that part was cut from the final version, but it nonetheless illustrates that the blue man clearly knew little or nothing about his homemade nemesis.

The next conjecture finds far more notable support in the movie itself. Starting during his school days, Megamind appears to develop a near-obsession with the concept of Good Versus Evil as well as with that of Destiny. These ideas help form his worldview and remain a driving force for the character throughout much of the film.

Two things render those facts vital to this examination. Firstly, the blue man firmly believes that Hal has been chosen as his new nemesis by fate—he even says as much when Minion suggests it was a mere mistake—and he seems to possess an almost zealous conviction where destiny is concerned. Thus he might not only fail to question what he viewed as a predetermined outcome but also ignore any evidence contradicting it. Secondly, Megamind seems, throughout much of the movie, to have a nearly binary understanding of society. Many argue that it’s likely he feels people must fall into one of two categories: Good or Bad. Therefore, if he and other criminals are bad, then supposedly “normal” citizens must, by the process of elimination, be good. This concept may be combined with the previous hypothesis; although Megamind was probably adept at reading fellow lawbreakers, he may have lacked equal insight into regular people.

Indeed, the rules governing interactions within a prison or a criminal organization differ vastly from those dictating ordinary interactions on, for example, a city street. This brings us to our next supposition: it’s possible that, while he perfectly comprehended how to read other Bad Guys, the blue man may have been so unfamiliar with normal social norms that they were nearly alien to him. It’s not a far leap. Having been raised in prison and ostracized for the majority of his life, Megamind is unlikely to have ever been fully socialized. This means that the only cultural norms, so to speak, he would be deeply familiar with are those of the prison subculture. Judging the character of anyone outside of that group would be nearly as difficult for him as it would be for us to read a stranger in an unknown country.

There is a problem with this theory, however. Megamind and Minion were raised together, in the same circumstances, so why would Minion be better able to see Hal for what he was? Aside from the concepts already discussed, such as Megamind’s preoccupation with fate, there is another possible answer. The fishy henchman may have had more opportunity to observe ordinary society. One reason for this is that, while they did both spend a significant portion of their childhoods incarcerated, Megamind is the only one we ever see in jail as an adult. Whether because he was Metroman’s sole focus, because he regularly bought his friend time to escape, or, as some fans theorize, because he made it abundantly clear that messing with Minion would be extremely bad for a person’s health, the blue man alone seems to have endured punishment following his plots.

This means that his henchfish may have had more time and opportunity to experience society. Furthermore, we know that Megamind and Minion both have holowatches—two of the disguise generators are used during the final battle with Titan—and we know that Minion likely donned his to go out in society more often. During the film, when Megamind lies about his date with Roxanne, claiming that he needs to “run a quick errand,” Minion reminds him that he doesn’t run errands. Yet someone must have taken care of such chores, and the most likely candidate is the fishy henchman himself. Therefore he may have had regular interactions with the people of Metro City while Megamind did not, giving Minion far better insight into humanity in general.

Both the film and other sources support this. According to The Analytical Couch Potato, an online entertainment magazine, director Tom McGrath described Megamind as “a villain who is really naive to the ways of the world, who never had a decent childhood.” He goes on to explain that this is why “everything’s new to this guy outside of his darkened Lair.” However, there are several times during the movie when Minion appears to have superior insight to the society around them. For example, when Megamind is enthused by the windows of the mayor’s office, Minion tells him what they are. Although a bit absurd—the blue man has to have seen windows before; even the Evil Lair has them, albeit old, thickly grimed ones—this scene and others like it were apparently intended to illustrate just how unfamiliar with normal life Megamind really is. However, Minion seems to be a good deal more knowledgeable, suggesting once more that he has greater experience with social interaction.

So, Minion may have been better able to recognize Hal’s unsuitability as a hero simply because he had spent more time among ordinary people and therefore had better comparative data. There is one more reason, however, why our favorite villain-turned-hero may not have easily seen what sort of person Hal really was. Surprisingly, it has to do with Megamind’s intellect. That’s right. While many would naturally assume that a genius should be better able to read people, there is some evidence that the opposite may be true.

According to an article by Dr. Roberta B. Ness in Psychology Today, geniuses are more likely to have difficulty relating to people, and can often even be antisocial. Interestingly, this piece focused specifically on inventive geniuses, which could certainly describe the blue alien, and stated that they can often become so focused on ideas and pursuits that they sometimes overlook people. “In the case of some geniuses, the most radically original thinking may have the greatest blind spot for human interactions,” Dr. Ness explained. Indeed, another article on Learning Mind takes it a step further, stating that highly intelligent people often have poor social skills and difficulty understanding other people. Due to tendencies such as overthinking everything, focusing on cerebral interests rather than social ones, and becoming disinterested in anyone who seems dull, geniuses can sometimes have a hard time comprehending and interacting with other individuals. This could be another reason why Megamind didn’t see that Hal was clearly a terrible choice for a new hero.

Interestingly, that might also help explain how the blue man could have been able to read people well enough to survive a childhood in prison yet have been completely blind to Hal’s faults. If you consider the issues discussed above, it becomes obvious that many of them are connected with focus. Ideas and curiosity will often hold a genius’s attention better than people—especially if they find those people too ordinary and boring—and even when they do socialize, their minds are likely to be engaged by overthinking their own responses rather than listening to others. However, this suggests that a genius can focus on reading people if that task becomes important enough to be prioritized.

In fact, we may actually see this occurring in the movie. While the former supervillain seems to have been entirely oblivious to Hal’s negative qualities at first, the more problematic the creepy cameraman becomes the better Megamind seems to be able to read him. After his supposed new nemesis fails to accept his public challenge, Megamind recognizes fairly quickly how best to enrage Hal, prompting him into their first battle. During their final fight, he comprehends his enemy even faster. Consider the scene during which Megamind is trying to run for the invisible car when Titan picks him up by the collar. It takes the blue man a mere second to not only formulate a plan, but judge exactly what he can say to make Hal propel him toward the unseen vehicle. If he had angered Titan too much, Megamind might have been incapacitated or ever killed; too little and his plan might not have worked. Yet he was able to pick the perfect balance to achieve his goal. It seems that because Hal had become a threat, he had become worthy of attention, and because he was worthy of attention, Megamind was able to focus on him and accurately predict his reaction.

So, why did Megamind not initially see, as was so obvious to Minion, that Hal was decidedly not hero material? It may well have been a combination of nature—the predisposition of highly intelligent people to have poor social skills—along with nurture—the lack of experience interacting with people outside of criminal groups leading to false assumptions. Considering all of the proverbial cards stacked against him, it’s little wonder that the alien genius had difficulty understanding his short-term nemesis at first. However, it appears that our favorite blue hero does have the capacity to read people very well once they gain his full attention. That concludes this Fan Theory Thursday post! I hope you enjoyed it!