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ridiasfangirlings · 2 years

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AU that's not quite Dark!AU but more like Scepter 4 is a clan of assassins who only assassinate corrupt and evil criminals, politicians, businessmen, police, etc. in the name of justice. Would Fushimi still end up joining, you think? What would Homra's role in this world be? Or jungle's?

Or perhaps even a clan of....ninjas? XD I like the idea of them being kinda antiheroes, like I feel Munakata could make a very good 'villain but with noble aims,' in a sense. Like say Scepter 4 is this secret underground clan of assassins ninjas who only go after those people Munakata deems to be corrupt or harming the populace. Scepter 4 does not take on jobs that are given out of greed, they don't attack innocents if they can help it, but rather they get rid of those who they see as making society worse by their simple existence. Oh maybe for a bit of a change Homra can be the police force here, like Mikoto's a police detective in a corrupt city who does his best to keep the underworld in line and keep his people safe but he's not all that interested in high-handed things like 'justice.' He knows who Munakata is in his 'civilian' identity, as a young rich politician's son who is attempting to follow in his deceased father's footsteps, but he doesn't know that Munakata is also the one who ordered all those mysterious murders that Homra's been investigating.

Fushimi ends up joining Munakata when he gets too close to that investigation, like maybe Fushimi's parents get killed by this unknown 'serial killer' and when Yata and Fushimi join Homra everyone thinks that Fushimi must be interested in this case because he wants to avenge his parents. Really though it's more of a 'how dare you kill that guy before I could' sort of thing and Fushimi doesn't really fit in with Homra, while Homra has underground contacts and are occasionally willing to go outside the law they are not quite an 'ends justify the means' group and imagine Fushimi takes a few extreme actions in his investigation that get him reprimanded by Kusanagi. However these same actions catch Munakata's eye and he decides to leave some clues for Fushimi to find his way into Scepter 4. Fushimi's able to follow those clues and ends up stumbling onto Scepter 4's hideout where Munakata offers him a job, Fushimi assumes if he refuses he'll be killed. Munakata refutes that, if Fushimi wishes to leave and tell all this to Suoh Mikoto he is welcome to, and he can remain working under Suoh after that in what would surely be a place of high honor. Fushimi lets that sink in and then laughs bitterly and removes his badge, taking Munakata's offer to help dispense 'justice' to the world (but to Fushimi this isn't really about justice, it's more that he feels there are some people the world would be better off without and why not kill those people if they have the strength for it, why not be the ones who get rid of all the worthless punks who think they're untouchable). In the 'outside' world Fushimi quits Homra to work on Munakata's election campaign and Yata has no idea that the mysterious masked assassin he occasionally finds himself clashing with is actually Fushimi.

Meanwhile as Munakata's election campaign heats up one of the most prominent and well-known members of the government, Kokujouji Daikaku, dies mysteriously and a new politician steps up to fill the void, a man named Hisui Nagare. I imagine jungle in this scenario being maybe more like a darker version of Scepter 4, where Hisui appears to be a nice mild-mannered head of a tech company dipping his toes into politics but behind the scenes he's commanding his own team to kill anyone who gets in his way. Unlike Scepter 4 jungle has no lofty ideals of justice, rather Hisui sees the world as a survival of the fittest sort of place where anyone who can't protect themselves will just be cut down. His plan is to ultimately create a world of anarchy where money and social standing have no meaning and people can make their own power, and of course this clashes with Munakata's Scepter 4 and Munakata's vision for a world of peace and justice, and also with Homra and Mikoto who just wants to live freely on his own terms and save the people in front of him rather than focusing on abstracts like justice and equality.

#k project #Talking K #did Munakata kill his dad in this AU or did a corrupt politician do it #choose your preferred answer :3c #I complain that I feel S1 in particular paints Munakata in a harsher light than Homra and that it bugs me #but I also really really like kinda villainous Munakata in AUs XD #I just think he could make a very effective antihero type #I think Fushimi would totally be up for joining this S4 too #the kind of place that gets rid of people like Niki he's like sign me up

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alistonjdrake · 3 years

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The Rusnak Party

Of Blood and Stone, The third book in The Saints’ Song Series, showcases the Escana Empire on the verge of crumbling as a murdered king and a divided government threaten to tear the country apart. As some grapple for power and wealth, others decide to jump ship.

Season One World Building Posts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Season Two World Building Posts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Season Three World Building Posts: 1

Bonus Episodes: 1 2 3

Main Wip Intro here

People are never completely sure where Vito Rusnak came from. Born in 1698 (after the fall of our Saints), he was likely of Abenian origin or raised in Palogne. Both are usually considered, sometimes a combination of the two, for his supposed education and for his future work and attachment to Abenland as a country. Most of what is known about him was provided by the man himself as backstory during his involvement in the late 1730s riots that eventually lead to the creation of the Republic of Abenland in 1743.

In Rusnak’s own words, he was raised partially in a Dackten conservatory, a minority sect of the Santivian church which preached for the dissolution of of the “aristocratic” hierarchies of the church as well as holding all properties in common and the collective ownership of the “charity of Santivian men”. Presumably talented in music, Rusnak would leave this conservatory at the age of sixteen to attend Doxseth College in Nomworth, Palogne. He took his Dackten ideals with him. Nomworth, often being dubbed the city of scholars and made up of a supremely diverse population for its predominantly foreign students. It was not long, according to Rusnak, until he switched out of the school of music and landed into a study of law after joining a literature group where they read books likely continuing the criticism of the Santivian church’s power structure as well as antique philosophers (an assumption made on Rusnak’s future proclamations about primitive society and the happiness and richness of cultures and societies that had not yet discovered poverty, a claim also found in some antique writing).

At some point, Rusnak began writing his own work. His early pieces were reflections of the Dackten sect and their eventual prosecution by the more dominant Santivian groups throughout the east, but he eventually landed on writing what would later be called idealized pieces about egalitarianism, communal ownership, and the redistribution of property behind the world of the church. Rusnak was very likely influenced by the amount of failed protests going on in the east that was fueled by anti-monarchy sentiments and the increase of religious prosecution as Oskyan Orthodox Santivians rose to prominence in the region.

Similar bodies of work to Rusnak’s work were outlawed by eastern governments in the aftermath of minor rebellions, but Rusnak sold his work as Utopian fiction and was able to bypass the book bans that targeted most of his colleagues, although any positive references to Dacktism had to be removed.

Rusnak graduated in 1721 at the age of twenty-three with a law degree and moved back to Abenland where he struggled to find a job and would eventually find himself working as a music teacher for another conservatory. Although by the time he would return to Abenland, the Dackten groups had all been removed and he would instead find himself under the employment of Oskyan officials. As the Abenian government weakened, Oskyan influence in the country grew greatly. Many of the dukes of Abenland were paying for their favors. This was the spark of decades of uneasiness in Abenland, as the weakened government and the advantages taken by Oskyan officials allowed ruling dukes to get richer and gain more power while the rest of the country was stuck in a stagnant struggle. One that would eventually lead to the dissolution of Rusnak’s job as the commodification of education resulted in private tutors for the children of dukes instead of more open institutions.

When the riots of the 1730s began, there was no such thing as the “Rusnak Party”. However, Vito Rusnak did become a prolific figure during them. It should be noted that while he was allied to many of the early leaders of the anti-duke and anti-Oskyan protests by the Abenian lower classes, he openly rejected armed revolution and instead advocated to “re-education” for the benefit of a classless society. However, due to the popularity of his writing at the time and the fact that he is credited with the messaging system rebels used to communicate, Rusnak is also usually to blame for the Kirdan Massacres.

The Kirdan Masscares is the term used for the event in which, as a reaction to the discovery from spies that many of the dukes had written for help from Oskyan forces (something that would surely squash the rebellion), so they planned a series of attacks on affluent dukes by smoking them out of their homes with controlled fires and shooting them down. Surviving members of noble families and those that fled the country in the aftermath of this event ultimately planned Vito Rusnak due to him being the most known rebel. As such, going forward all references to the rebels became dubbed as the “Rusnak party”.

The Kirdan Masscares are named after Arseniy Kirdan, the general of the Oskyan army at the time and the presumed receiver of the Abenian dukes’ letters. In the rebel party, they used Kirdan’s name to sign off all messages related to this plot. This event is also called “the Culling” by supporters and survivors on the rebellion side for obvious reasons.

In the aftermath of this, the ruling party was so scattered and weakened, it allowed for the creation for what would be known as the Republic of Abenland in 1743. Rusnak was quickly recognized as someone who would help reframe and rebuild the country.

It should be noted, that not all of the nobility left. In fact, what is known as the Abenian Republic was actually a relatively small collection of its states united under the former rebellion council. The massacres only weakened them and further pushed the nation into poverty as the Oskyans pulled out in fear of similar attacks as it was clearly apparent to King Niclas at the time that they had no insiders in the party and could not predict their movements, and he had no reason to help Abenland if they could not pay him.

With Rusnak’s familiarity with law, he was often called upon for insight on how to run the republic. It had its failings. The first being they had no money and the second being they were arguments about the future of governance. In the beginning, Rusnak wanted to turn to widespread Dacktism and political order based on popular sovereignty. He continued his criticisms about private property and in the injustices of unequal wealth and social classes, and while plenty agreed with him due to the bad taste left after the Oskyan Orthodox Consistory, there were few eager to back a movement fueled by religion.

The Republic also had many enemies since it’s creation. Many of the surviving dukes had fled to Oskya or Slovy and there were several attempted coups or the blocking of roads to isolate Abenians from much needed supplies. The remaining duchies also continually launched attacks in order to retake the Republic.

The Republic would crash in 1759 as a result of the failed assassination of Urs Felganhaur, a returned Abenian duke who had survived the massacres and had presumably captured someone with intel of the innerworkings of the Rusnak party. The shooter’s gunpowder would be too damp due to rain on the night of the plan and his capture would lead to the arrest of several of the republic’s key figures (including Valera de Martí, Rusnak’s mentee and then just sixteen going on seventeen). The invasion of Oskyan forces, now under the banner of King Vadik who took a much harsher stance against them, and the installation of dukes back to their abandoned duchies, killed the Republic and its leaders either went into hiding or continued to rebel in secret.

This would result in the continuation of bloody altercations, affairs similar to the Kirdan event, planned food shortages, and mass executions of those considered to be part of the party. Vito Rusnak at this point likely gave up his ideals of revolution without arms as it would be said that going forward Rusnak rebels usually carried guns or would be to blame of bombings and other violent forms of protests.

His books, along with the work of Valera de Martí, were banned and burned by the Oskyan forces. A jail sentence of four years was carried out on anyone to be found owning any of their writing, an increase of a year based on the amount of books owned. Rusnak himself went deep into hiding while his mentee spent much of his time in and out of Abenian prisons where he would write poetry, a brief history of the Republic, and further criticisms of the ruling class until he would be forbidden from having pen and paper during his repeated sentences.

Vito Rusnak would eventually be found and arrested in 1767 after an increased Oskyan presence and the slaughter of several other rebel groups. He had time before his arrest to warn his own daughter, Darya Rusnak, and Valera de Martí to flee the country and the east before he was taken in by Oskyan forces. Some months later, Darya would be arrested trying to cross the border and she would give out the names and presumed locations of all of her father’s allies in exchange for her own life.

in 1768, Vito Rusnak would be executed in Porsdal, Slovy in front of a crowd of Oskyan soldiers who would then take his head on a tour throughout all the major cities in Abenland to warn away any hiding or remaining rebels.

Likely unbeknownst to the Oskyans at the time, the execution of Vito Rusnak only sparked a continuation of his ideology.

Surprisingly, Valera de Martí escaped execution and was able to flee to Escan which exiled him instead of handing him over to the Oskyan government due to his being an Escana citizen. He is credited with spreading Rusnak Ideology to the west as he translated much of his mentor’s work and continued writing his own (before its eventual ban by the Escana government, much of his work was taught in schools due to his start in poetry). In fact, Valera was often more criticized for his open support of atheist beliefs. Much of Valera’s work was easier to swallow in the west, as even when he bemoaned about the things he thought was plaguing society the western (and importantly the Escana) powers saw it more as a criticism of the east instead of the inherent power structures carried by both nations.

Rusnak and de Martí were not the only people who were critical about private property, social classes, and wealth distribution but they quickly became the most famous to the point where most writers and speakers from this era (and beyond them) either get lumped under Rusnak or Valerist theory. At their core, both ideals are the same except Rusnak and people like him tend to take a stance rooted in religious idealism whereas Valera, born from the pioneers of the Escana middle class, and the people who came after him tend to focus more of plights afforded to working and lower class people as well as mocking individualism or earlier sentiments that stopped at “common good” and “common wealth”. Most Valerists are considered to believe that that the Rusnak party was not ambitious enough and that a further step needs to be taken for the advancement of society.

There is however, very little record of just how much de Martí may or may not have disagreed with Rusnak as very little is known about their relationship beyond what Darya Rusnak said about them when she was imprisoned, claiming that her father saw de Martí as more of his own blood than her. Although, de Martí himself would go on to reflect on the Republic years later and would not be very kind to its leaders while he talked about all the missed opportunities.

Even after Valera de Martí’s exile from the Escana Empire and the complete eradication of a rebellion in Abenland, the Rusnak party quickly spread throughout the continent and survives in much smaller but still active groups during The Saints Song series. All of the books outlining their early roots are illegal although a few are kept in university libraries in Palogne for the preservation of knowledge and it is also illegal for Rusnaks to assemble in parties larger than groups of four but whether or not that stops anyone is dependent on who you ask.

#my writing #worldbuilding #world building #guess how long this took me to write #a couple days to be honest #it's because Vito Rusnak is literally only a name mentioned in TSS whereas Valera has more of a fleshed out backstory #but Val's mentor had to have come from somewhere #tss trilogy #I'm not gonna go into the evolution of Rusnak and Valerist theory #in TNC Justyna has read some work by what she calls Valerist philosophers and I assume there would be shifts in the ideology especially #100 years after the riots and the failed republic but I'm not here to completely write all that out #this is just the stuff relevant to tss

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hopeaterart · 3 years

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Mario Odyssey: Paper Kingdom AU

Or: The AU where I adapt Paper Mario characters into a kingdom in Mario Odyssey because while my brain is small, it has a big mind that keeps thinking up new ideas. This tackles the kingdom’s backstory, it’s travel brochure, why Mario ends up going there, and the frankly ridiculous political context he stumbles into. I might tackle the characters in another post.

Backstory

A long time ago, a creature made out of shadows and thin as paper rose out of an island. Calling itself- or herself- the Shadow Queen, the malevolent spirit could wield the power of seven stars, and her heart was pitch-black and full of chaotic hatred. She reigned over the land with an iron fist, terrified painted shadows at her command.

Until one day, a small faction of her own people turned against, led by four heroes and eight mages. They studied her magic, and turned it against her, folding themselves like paper get close to her and stealing her stars to destroy her body, the eight mages using their magic to separate her heart from her spirit

Enraged, her spirit lashed out, cursing the four heroes into suffering the same fate as her, reduced to spirits enclosed in coffins just as she unleashed the full power of her heart. But before she could turn her wrath on the other rebels, the eight mages sacrificed themselves, turning their souls into pure energy and setting it on the Shadow Queen’s heart, ripping it out and sending both the heart and the soul of the Shadow Queen into a deep sleep.

The only thing left was a prophecy- a warning. If a cruel monster and a gentle maiden marry each other in a farce, the Chaos Heart will rise again. If this happens, the Shadow Queen’s rise is imminent, and she will take over the body of the maiden. The only way to stop her is to find her Seven Stars, and use them to destroy her soul once and for all.

The throne of the Paper Kingdom is left symbolically empty, and the country is ruled by a council.

Travel Brochure

Population: Sparse, but plentiful

Size: Wide

Locals: Shapeshifters

Currency: Paper fortune teller shaped

Industries: Construction, stories

Temperature: Average 73 °F

A craft for the ages

Multi-level: The Paper Kingdom is made of multiple levels carved within the plateau, and all of them have something to offer. From the charming beach town of Rogueport to the looming Castle of Chaos, this place is vibrant and full of carefully crafted layers.

Rich History: The Paper Kingdom’s history is something for the ages: A demon rising out of the earth, her own people standing up against her, a battle ending in tragedy, and a prophecy! And they know it too! Their own history is so rich and captivating, they transformed telling people about it into a spectacle. If you’re ever in the need of someone to give a grandiose speech, a Paper Kingdom storyteller is what you need!

Origami Festival: If you visit the Paper Kingdom during their fall season, you might bear witness to the Origami Festival! While considered unorthodox and dangerous, Shapeshifters recognize origami as an incredibly powerful type of magic, allowing one to become anything their heart wish. As such, they have festivities centered around this concept that lasts a week, where they put up tons of different and incredible origami displays celebrating the concept.

How it fits in the game

For it’s location, it would be a decently sized island between the Luncheon Kingdom and Snow Kingdom, and would be the last place you go to before Bowser’s castle. From above, it would look rectangular, and most of it would be very elevated (think of a plateau, but in the middle of the ocean.) While it would seem small at first glance, the truth is that most of the earth is hollowed out, and there’s a lot of communities that live underground. You would be able to visit the two surface ones (Rogueport at the base of the plateau, and Castle of Chaos (Equivalent to Castle Bleck) on top of it) from the start, and at least one additional area under Castle of Chaos would unlock after the main story.

As for it’s place in the story, a wedding needs an officiant, and Bowser decided to get a storyteller from the Paper Kingdom because they’re known to give quite touching speeches. Bowser was originally planning to make his announcement of his marriage to Peach, take someone by force if he got denied, and leave the kingdom in disarray as punishment for denying him.

So you can imagine his surprise when not one, but two storytellers volunteered to be his officiant: Dimentio, royal jester and local agent of chaos who’s starting to find the current situation in the Paper Kingdom boring because it’s stagnating (albeit because they want to stop the hostilities temporarily for the upcoming Origami Festival), and the Beldam, eldest of the shadow Sirens and actively trying to resurrect the Shadow Queen.

Let’s be clear, here: Neither of them are really interested in Bowser’s marriage, but both are after the power of the Chaos Heart, which has the potential to arise from this union: Dimentio to create even more chaos, and Beldam to harness it’s power and bring the Queen back to life. He picked the storyteller who had actual experience with being an officiant: Dimentio, who officiated multiple noble weddings- and left a fuming Beldam behind. In her rage, she decided to make the King of Koopas not choosing her as an evil marriage officiant everyone else’s problem and promptly started freezing everything in sight.

And that’s where Mario and Cappy come in, looking for Power Moons...

What’s going on?

A few weeks before Bowser shows up, the wedding of Blumiere, the son of an important count, and his human girlfriend Timpani (I don’t know from where she could be, probably New Donk CIty), was happening. However, in part due to a sinister prophecy that foretold the rebirth of the Chaos Heart if a furious monster lord (Blumiere is not human, and he has quite the unstable temperament) and a fair and lovely maiden (Timpani is a bit shy, cares for everything around her, and is nothing but kind) got married, and in part due to being a racist fuck, Blumiere’s father tried to stop the marriage by lethally attacking the bride.

Big mistake.

Blumiere ended up flying into a rage, messily killing his father with his bare hands and the assistance of a surge of magic, and destroyed the wedding venue. He then took Timpani, who was dying, to the origami craftsman, who earned himself a reputation of defying nature’s law by creating Olly and Olivia for an Origami festival, which was. Not planned. He then more or less forced him to heal his bride.

The craftsman was absolutely able to say no: Olly brought to life multiple office supplies and all of them are ready to attack on sight, but he still went and healed up Timpani, albeit altering her physical appearance permanently due to having to heal her up using Origami Magic. Olly does not take his father being threatened into helping someone well, and barges into Castle of Chaos two weeks later and self-proclaim himself king with the assistance of the office supplies, which he dubs his Legion of Stationery, because of a perceived disrespect toward his family.

He is twelve.

Blumiere- who renamed himself Count Bleck following his father’s death- is understandably outraged, and denounces Olly with the support of his companions. Said companions are: his wife lady Timpani whom he (and most of the kingdom) adores, a small bat-like woman and his spokesperson Nastasia, the strong but dimwitted warrior and champion O’Chunks, the robotic but emotional Mimi who works in banking, and local shit-bastard jester Dimentio. This is due to Bleck being a direct descendant of one of the eight mages that sacrificed themselves, and he’s forced to make a claim to the throne to be taken seriously in trying to stop Olly.

He does not want to take the throne.

So now, there’s a twelve years old and a pissed off count who murdered his father in a blind rage fighting over the throne of the Paper Kingdom, neither of them know what they’re going to do next, and no one is happy about this situation. The instability allows a third party to make an appearance and grab for the throne: The X-Nauts, a race of robotic aliens led by the tyrannical Sir Grodus. Their goal? Resurrect the Shadow Queen and use her power to remake the Paper Kingdom, and eventually the planet, in their image.

The good news is that neither Olly nor Bleck want the X-Nauts to succeed. Bleck because he knows they’re planning on resurrecting the Shadow Queen and he does not want that to happen, and Olly because Grodus’ second in command was mean to Olivia once. This means that they are able to put their difference aside, which means there’s still hope an all-out civil war can be avoided.

Speaking of Olivia, poor girl think her brother went evil and wants to reign over the Paper Kingdom like a tyrant. This is understandable, as he’s a irritable twelve years boy with six killing machine at his command and also starting his emo edge lord phase, and she’s a literal ray of sunshine. As such, Olivia decided to find other people willing to stop Olly, Bleck and Grodus from burning the country to the ground in their squabble, not realizing that, as the leader of this group, she is also making .a claim for the throne.

She is also twelve.

And now, there’s Beldam losing her shit over being turned down and freezing everything into unmoving sheets on the walls. Ironically, this common enemy might just be what’s needed to calm everyone down.

#writing #My writing #mario bros #paper mario #paper mario origami king #paper mario the thousand year door #super paper mario #pmtok #spm #pmttyd #king olly #olivia #count bleck #blumiere #timpani #tippi #dimentio

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tonya-the-chicken · 3 years

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I promised to tell my new Todoroki Enji backstory yesterday to some people so um hello

CW for abuse and alcoholism. Nothing inteense - it’s a recap

His grandparents were supporters of Destro and Meta Liberation army. Though they might have went a little bit too much into extremes, believing in inherent privilege of those who is strong aka has a strong quirk. They were very centered on that but also wanted their family to be prestigious. They believed that some familiies are better than the others. They also dreamed of having a proper heir who will continue to represent their strong family

Enji’s father was not on good terms with his parents. He was convinced that their parenting style and ideas only damaged him (obviously, they did; I am convinced those people saw nothing wrong with quirk training from young years and physical punishment). When he was younger he ran away, tried to live on his own, even got married but eventually he failed to survive in the world on his own and returned to his parents’ house

They desired to have a proper heir to the throne. So fisrt thing first they either arranged marriage for him or let him find a woman who had a fire quirk as the rest of his family (yeah they all kind of had quirk marriages but weren’t really open about it). Then they had a kid

Enji’s mother wasn’t from very prestiogious family so his grandparents kind of disrespected her but overall she believed she is in the very best place in her life. She lived a rich comfortable life and all because she had a child - it seemed like a dream and so she didn’t question anything her parents-in-law were doing... Endeavor’s father was the only one to dislike the state of affairs in this family

But his opinion didn’t really mattered - he had already failed in life and knew he could do shit without his parents’ money and influence. Nevertheless, he really tried to somehow keep Enji away from his parents’ ideas... His methods didn’t work - all he could was say “Don’t listen to them”, scream or even hit him but none of that made Enji care less about his grandparents - despite being strict, they loved him and convinced him he got to be ambitious and work hard to be the greatest

What didn’t make his father more credible was that he wasn’t really succeful himself and so everyone looked down on him (which made Enji look down on him too). He felt like a failure in his own house so he tried to spent as little time there as he could, probably even cheating on his wife

In short, Enji’s grandparents were corrupted with absolutely disgusting ideas, his father was a loser cheating on his wife and having no say in his house and his mother was going along with everything, wanting her son to be great and somehow fulfill herself through that. I would say Endeavor’s grandfather was kind of a role model for him - strong, confident and a strict head of the family - everything his father could never be. His grandfather promised him a perfect life as an heir to their prestigious household, saying that eventually they will arrange a marriage for him too and so as long as he trains hard evverything would be made for him

but

BUT

They also kind of planned to overthrow the government or something like that with the rest of Destro’s crew... Enji’s parents never knew about that, only grandparents... But their plans were revealed and they were executed on a spot or were killed while resisting their arrest. No one told Enji what exactly happened

His parents were spared and allowed to live as normal family as long as they never follow their footsteps. But that’s were difference between his Mom and Dad became obvious - she hoped that Enji will be succesful regardless of everything that happened when his father wished for... he didn’t know I guess. He had no plan for life and when his parentts died it was clear he had no idea what to do with his own child. All he knew was that his grandparents, whom Enji loved dearly, were awful people

Nor Enji, nor his mother had trust or confidence in his father and so, the man really let his self-esteem issues get into his head. He was unable to be “proper head of the family” and so he ended up lashing out on his wife and son to make them listen to him. It seemed like he hated both of them and sincerely regretted being married. Over time he spent less and less time home and when he was home he would only yell and beat them. Enji’s mother beared with all of that because she sincerely believed her role of a woman is to keep this family together. His father wasn’t that much on “keeping family together” part. Before Enji turned 10, they divorced and Enji too ack his mother’s name - Todoroki

Enji’s mother had no college degree and because of [insert reasons here] couldn’t go back to her parents. So she found a job as a waitress and rented a very small appartment in very poor neighbourhood. It was tough for her to suddenly lose everything. Enji, who previously was a “good kid”, began to act up, skipped school and was pretty shitty in general. That only added to her struggles, she picked up drinking and *drum rolls* lashed out on Enji too, though more often she would just physically punish him or verbally berate him, blaming him for her problems, saying he is “no good” and will grow up to be like his failure of a father

Most of the time she was either at work, drunk or with some man, so Enji tried to avoid being home as much as possible. He didn’t really fit in with the rest of the kid, he felt very awkward outside of “prestigious families” group, not knowing how to behave around more simple-minded people. He also might have despised them or himself. Overall, he lived the same fate any kid from that neighborhoud was living - eventually, many of them became villains, addicts or workers of low-prestige jobs. Such perspectives made Enji only more depressed

Being very prideful and very on his limit, one day he couldn’t stand his mother belitteling him and so he ran away... Actually I like making him bordeline suicidal at this point. Since his Mom was drunk all the time and used to him not being home, she took her time before starting to worry about his disappearance. When she did began to worry she didn’t knew what to do and so, she probably just was full on binge drinking

Meanwhile Enji wondered around cities, probably going to his father’s house and starring blankly into the door. Then he got wasted and was found by some dude whose job is searching for lost kids. He refused to say his name or anything about himself and since his Mom did not file a report no one knew he was missing. Maybe his school was worried though?...

All that stuff happened in April, by the way, the same month the UA Sport Festival was held. And the man who found him took him there (he had two spare tickets from his work or something). I think Enji thought about being a hero before because he was taught to admire strength but seeing them out there in living flesh really inspired him. I also think it would be hilarious if he met young All Might there

The man tried to convince Enji that he can do great stuff and running away from home is no good. He also tried to find out i he was abused at home but Enji was quiet as a fish - admitting to being hurt weak was worse than death to him

So ummm

Enji’s father came to pick him up. It turns out he saw him near the house so he got all worked up and contected da police

While they were driving to his mother’s place, Enji told his Dad about wanting to become a hero and study in UA. As true garbage parent, the latter laughed...

He also told about that idea to his mother and she was furious. Enji went away saying he will take a walk so they can have no worries. When he was back in the evening his parents were mmmhmmm [”oops, sweetheart, you usually go back from your “walks” in the morning, son”] so he decided to return in the morning lol

His Mom went to work, so he roasted his Dad... Figuratively. He reminded how he cheated with their maid and was awful in general. Hid Dad tried to have a talk with him, complimenting how mature he was for his age (never a good thing). Enji said “Well, someone has to be a head of this family” while looking down at him

His Dad also asked him why he want to be a hero

“Well... I have always admired strong people and wanted to be strong myself... And heroes, they are strong, right? They are strong and they save other people. That is noble. Wasn’t that what grandpa meant saying how we should freely use our quirks to do more good in this world?”

“Yeah, that exactly what he meant. You should... Defnitely use your quirk to do good”

Enji - shocked that his father is being supportive; Enji’s father - relieved that his son didn’t understand his grandfather’s ideas

And like that Enji began his road to being a Number One Hero of Japan... That was bumpy. He moved away from his mother, working as much as he could

His father die in some suicide car accident and so Enji inherited his house... His mother either refused to live with him there or had died already

Anyway, it was pretty lonely in such a huge house... He would wonder around aimlessly on his days off... which usually were the days he couldn’t work because he was recovering from injuries.

On one of such days he went to his granfather’s cabinet... Looking through the books, he found the one called “The genetis of quirks”. It seemed interesting

There were a lot of case studies for some reason. One described how individuals might inherit both their parents’ quirk if they had the “opposite” ones

Most intriguing

Looking around the cabinet more, he also found some weird photoalbum with lots of different people Enji had never met. One of photos was signed “Himura - family of ice quirks”

“Well, that must be fate”

I know that was a lot but believe me it could have been longer. I have maladaptive daydreaming problems

#bnha #endeavor #todoroki enji #enji todoroki #boku no hero academia #long post #bnha headcanons #cw abuse mention

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fillingthescrapbook · 3 years

Text

Rewriting The CW's Kung Fu, Part 7: Act III

This is already the penultimate post, but if you're somehow seeing this before any of the previous posts, you can find them here:

Part 1: The Characters

Part 2: The Pilot

Part 3: The Mythology

Part 4: The Story Map

Part 5: Act I

Part 6: Act II

Hopefully, I haven't lost you yet. Especially since we have now reached the end of the first season with our final act.

Episode 10: Opulence

We are splitting focus in the first episode of this arc--with Nicky at the center of the two main plots. One of them is, of course, about the mystical weapons. Nicky, Ryan, Henry, and Evan bring the box from Mei-Xue's cabin back to San Francisco--which they are able to open with the jade key they retrieved from the puzzle box. Inside the box is the scabbard of Liang Dai-Yu's sword. It's jade design is engraved with characters, but Henry says it will take him some time to make sense of them, and Mei-Xue's journal writings.

Nicky starts grilling Henry about the guardians of the weapons, but Henry doesn't really know much since his father never talked much about it. All Henry knows is the things he researched on his own...and the whereabouts of the weapon his father lost: the safe of a business mogul named Raymond Tan. Evan recognizes the name, reminding Nicky of who bailed the museum goons out. He tells her that he was able to talk to one of Raymond Tan's son, Kerwin, who seems like a nice guy. Nicky thinks they can persuade him to separate the weapons--to save the world.

The other main plot has Althea asking Nicky to find out why Chloe, Dennis's younger sister, is always disappearing. Althea blames herself a little bit, as Chloe started acting out after her revelation at the Soong family dinner. Nicky promises to keep an eye out on Chloe.

While Nicky is staking Chloe out at an event with Evan, the latter spots Kerwin mingling with the other guests. He pulls Nicky towards Kerwin so they could talk to him about the weapons, and to ask for his help in separating them. Nicky slips and tells him that a dangerous woman is collecting them, and having them all in Raymond's safe makes it easy for her to steal them. Kerwin apologizes to them, saying he cannot control his father's actions.

Nicky, already dejected, realizes she lost track of Chloe. She and Evan try to look for her, but to no avail. When Henry calls Nicky to give her an update about the scabbard translation, Nicky tells him her problem. Henry swoops in for the save by trawling through Chloe's social media presence, her friends--before seeing a questionable post. He tells Nicky to show an Instagram post to Evan. Evan recognizes it as jewelry that's been reported missing. Evan tells Nicky that Chloe's friends might be involved in a gang of robbers that's been targeting San Francisco's elite. Nicky, Evan, and Henry then work together to save Chloe from her friends.

Meanwhile, Dennis plans to purchase Cloudrush Capital so he could oust Althea's former boss, without telling his soon-to-be wife. But when Althea goes public with her sexual harassment experience, Dennis's business deal suddenly falls apart. When he asks his parents if there's something wrong with their finances, they admit that they were the ones who kiboshed his plan. They want him to break up with Althea because she will tarnish the Soong name. Dennis refuses.

Ryan, living alone for the first time, realizes how his life revolved too much around work and family. He tries to meet new friends via phone apps, only to realizes that most men on the apps are just looking for hook-ups.

Mei-Li and Jin are also starting to feel the emptiness of their house with Ryan and Althea gone, and Nicky always doing something. Because of their empty nest, Mei-Li starts spending more time at the restaurant--needing purpose; while Jin feels himself drifting...ending up at the community center, wanting at first to catch Ryan, before ending up helping people out while he's there.

Going back to Nicky, Evan thinks they should be careful because Chloe's friends might be dangerous. Henry, on the other hand, thinks they're just bored teens with access to the mansions that are being stolen from. When they finally track Chloe down via her friend's Instagram Live, they realizes that the group has set their sights on the Soong's mansion.

Evan separate so he could call in an anonymous tip to the police, while Nicky and Henry try to talk Chloe and her friends out of robbing the Soongs. When Chloe's friends refuse to listen, choosing to act in violence instead, Nicky and Henry are forced to use non-lethal combat moves to incapacitate the teens. One of the teens threaten to have Nicky and Henry arrested, but when the police arrive with a lawyer from the teens' families, Nicky and Henry are assured that they're in the clear--provided they sign an NDA with regards to the actions of the rich teens. Nicky agrees to sign if the teens leave Chloe alone. When the teens are gone, Chloe thanks Nicky, explaining she was afraid to leave her friend group because of their retaliation. Chloe hopes she'll find a friend who are as chill as Nicky and Henry.

The episode ends with Zhi-Lan breaking into Raymond Tan's house. She sneaks into the the businessman's private room and breaks into his safe. Only to find that it is empty. And then we reveal Kerwin, holding three weapons. He tells Zhi-Lan that he's not there to stop her... because he wants to team up. He wants to help her bring his father down.

Episode 11: Beginnings

When we begin this episode, Nicky and Ryan find out that their father has been putting in hours at the community center as a volunteer worker--which is causing friction between him and their mother. While Mei-Li tells Jin that volunteering is noble, she doesn't think he should spend so much time outside the restaurant which needs all the help it can get.

Things take a turn for the worse though when Jin finds out from a conversation between Ryan and Henry that the community center is in danger of being closed down due to lack of traffic. When Jin brings this up to Nicky, who sees how important the center had become to her dad, Nicky tells him that they'll think of a way to save it.

Meanwhile, to manage the stress of the media's interest in her sexual harassment case, Althea decides to help Henry out in figuring out what Mei-Xue discovered via her journals. Althea realizes Mei-Xue's writings aren't just flights of fancy--they're coded. With Althea and Henry working together, they realize that Mei-Xue had become obsessed with the fables of the eight mystical weapons and have been tracking them down.

"But what made her stop and take root in Canada," Althea wonders as she and Henry continue to peruse the photos of the journal pages.

Mei-Li, now taking care of the Happy Dumplings kitchen due to Jin's insistence on helping the community center, digs up old recipes written by her mother--where she also finds a very old photo of her mother hiding something behind her back: the sword of Liang Dai-Yu. Mei-Li recognizes it from the drawings that Nicky had been showing them. She decides to hide the photo, worried that it might push Nicky further into fulfilling her "destiny" to leave her family.

Evan approaches Nicky with news about an auction where one of the weapons Henry told them about is being sold. Nicky realizes they have no means of attending the auction or bidding for the weapon, nor do they have the time since Nicky, Ryan, and Jin are busy rallying help from Asian business owners to help save the community center. Evan tells her that both Zhi-Lan and Raymond Tan will probably be there. Nicky hopes that, at the very least, the weapons continue to be separated.

At the auction, we see Zhi-Lan win the bidding war for the weapon. Outside the nondescript hotel where the auction took place, Zhi-Lan gets attacked by goons from Raymond Tan. But she isn't alone. Kerwin pops up and helps her fight the goons. Kerwin grins at Zhi-Lan, "we make a good team."

Back at the Shen House, Dennis checks up on Althea and reports that her apartment building still has a few media stragglers. "Must be slow news week," Althea mutters. "Hopefully, the attention will be gone by the time our wedding rolls around. If your parents don't hate me yet for coming out with my story, they're gonna hate me when the media crashes the wedding."

Dennis tells Althea, "what if we just elope?" Althea is taken aback. She reminds Dennis that everything has been planned out, they've had to find the most auspicious date for their union, the tea ceremony has been scheduled-- Dennis interrupts her by saying that none of that is important. He just wants to be with Althea. "Won't your parents be angry?" Dennis admits that his parents want the wedding off. They want him to break up with Althea. Which he doesn't want to do. Althea is torn. She doesn't want Dennis going against his family. Dennis says he's not going against them--just their antiquated beliefs. "And they'll learn to live with my decision." Althea agrees to eloping.

Ryan sets up an appointment with the Chinese Community Development office, accompanied by Jin, to talk about what can be done to keep the center open. Meanwhile, Nicky and Evan work together at the city hall to find out how they can drive more traffic to the community center--to make it a viable candidate for city funding. With the two efforts combined, the community center gets saved--and Nicky realizes that this is what she likes doing: helping people, making sure they have a place to go to, guiding them in the ways they can fight for themselves. So she also volunteers her legal counsel at the center, vowing to go back to school as well to finish her law degree.

She and Evan have a moment, where Nicky realizes that Evan is still her best friend from childhood. But she also realizes that their relationship now is not built on romance but rather in respect and trust.

At the end of the episode, Henry and Althea hit a breakthrough in their research with Dennis's help. Dennis helped them see that Mei-Xue had realized that the power the eight weapons would grant its collector is massive--and can become a barrier between Mei-Xue and those she loves. So she chose love.

Mei-Li overhears this as she accompanies Nicky towards Althea, Dennis, and Henry. While Nicky and the others are discussing the implications of Mei-Xue's words, Mei-Li traces the engraved jade on the scabbard of Liang Dai-Yu's sword. Triggering a mechanism. Causing light to filter through one of the scabbard's holes--and projecting a story to the Shen's ceiling: of how Bian-Ge has been passed from guardian to guardian, rotating through the families to make sure it never falls in the wrong hands. Every few years, a guardian is chosen to collect the weapons from the families to take where the golden flowers bloom--to receive Bian-Ge and become its new defender. A glow then rotates through the eight weapons before stopping at the longsword. At Liang Dai-Yu's sword. Nicky realizes, "it looks like a descendant of Liang Dai-Yu is the next guardian to receive Bian-Ge. It has to be one of us." Henry posits, "unless Zhi-Lan and Pei-Ling are also Liang Dai-Yu's descendants."

Episode 12: Honor

Our main thread, as always, will revolve around Nicky. In the last episode, she made a decision that she wants to help people--and while doing so, she also wants to finish her law degree. But, at the same time, she now knows that her family has an obligation to become the next bearer of Bian-Ge. And there are currently only two choices for who it can be: her, or Zhi-Lan.

Mei-Li wants Nicky to focus on who she wants to become, separate from the warrior destiny. Althea and Evan are siding with Mei-Li because they fear for Nicky's safety. Ryan and Henry, on the other hand, believe that Nicky is more than capable to take care of herself. Jin tells Nicky that he only wants her to follow her heart.

Henry sees that Nicky is still undecided so he tells her not to pressure herself to make a decision. "Even if Zhi-Lan gets seven of the weapons soon, we still have one weapon. Zhi-Lan can't achieve Bian-Ge without it."

And then we cut to the visiting area of a prison. The dojo fight-club douche-bag wants to cut a deal with his visitors. He's fine with staying in jail, but he wants them to beat the living daylights out of Nicky Shen before they take the deer-horn knives they're after. And then we cut to who he's talking to: it's Zhi-Lan. "It'll be my pleasure."

While looking at college prospects, Nicky gets attacked by Zhi-Lan. They fight. Nicky matches Zhi-Lan's strength, but Zhi-Lan is desperate. No one wins this skirmish though because Cody (from Episode 3) sees them and calls for campus security. Zhi-Lan gets away--and Nicky calls Henry, after thanking Cody, to tell him that they're in trouble. Zhi-Lan is on the hunt for the weapon they have.

Henry and Evan work together to hide the final weapon from Zhi-Lan, not knowing that Kerwin is staking Evan out. Kerwin calls Zhi-Lan to tell her that the weapon is on the move.

Meanwhile, Althea and Dennis spend the episode getting ready for their elopement. Althea wants Dennis to invite Chloe, so he could have family there--so he does. But his parents find out about the civil wedding they're planning when Chloe slips. Chloe tries to warn Dennis, but Althea decides to stand up to her soon-to-be in-laws. She tells them that she doesn't want Dennis to lose his family, to which they agree. Before adding that he won't lose them if Althea goes away. They even offer her money., which Althea rejects with disgust. If they continue with their civil wedding, they're cutting Dennis off--financially, and from the family. Dennis tells them that he already made his choice--before saying goodbye to his parents.

Joe returns after his month-long contract with a non-profit organization in Seattle...only to tell Ryan that he's accepting a full-time job with a charity there that helps homeless people turn their life around. Ryan tells him he can move to Seattle--but Joe isn't ready for that level of commitment yet. Their relationship already moved too fast for him, but he couldn't turn Ryan away when the latter needed a place to stay. Joe tells Ryan they can still be friends.

Back to Nicky, she meets with Henry to visit Ronda (from Episode 4), who volunteered to hide their weapon. Before they leave Ronda's place, Kerwin catches them. Nicky is surprised to find out he sided with Zhi-Lan. Kerwin tells her, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Henry strikes first. Ronda tells Nicky she can take the weapon away while they deal with Kerwin. Nicky hands her the bag that hides the weapons.

Kerwin is ruthless, using a mixture of street-fighting with different styles of martial arts. But his goal isn't to defeat Henry or Nicky. It's to get the weapon. While Nicky and Henry do their best to stop Kerwin from chasing after Ronda, the young woman quickly makes a decision to throw the bag into the bay. Kerwin tells them that they made a mistake. Nicky, confident, confesses that the bag was just a ruse. Kerwin grins. "We know."

Evan is about to drive away from the District Attorney's office, with a bag identical to the one Henry had been carrying in his passenger seat. But before Evan could leave the parking lot, a motorbike slams into his car. Zhi-Lan reveals herself by taking her helmet off. She thanks Evan for keeping the weapon warm for her. Only to open an empty bag. Zhi-Lan is pissed. She wants to know where the final weapon is, but Evan refuses to tell her. Not wanting to deal with the police, Zhi-Lan quickly makes her exit.

We then see Nicky knock on a door. It opens to reveal Stanley (from Episode 1). He is ready to surrender the weapon to Nicky, fearing that it will bring him bad luck. Nicky thanks him for keeping it safe. Apologizes again for bailing on him with no warning three years ago. Stanley says there's nothing to apologize for, because he's grateful that she gave him the chance to meet and marry someone of his own choosing. Nicky is about to leave with the weapon when Stanley calls after her, saying, "I hope you find the one for you too."

Nicky exits Stanley's apartment building to see Henry waiting for her. And he's being held at gunpoint by Kerwin, who is now with Zhi-Lan. "I'll take that," Zhi-Lan says as she pries the weapon off Nicky's hands. Nicky hits back with a barb, "I don't know how Pei-Ling could be related to someone as selfish as you." Zhi-Lan laughs, "it's funny how you hold Pei-Ling to such high regard when you do not even know who she really was."

Zhi-Lan reveals to Nicky how Pei-Ling's selfishness cost them their father. Cost her her childhood. And for what? To guard a sword that she wouldn't even harness the power of? Nicky remembers Pei-Lings words to her from throughout the season, her regrets, her failures--Nicky realizes that Zhi-Lan is just like Pei-Ling. Carrying a lot of hurt. But they reacted in different ways. While Pei-Ling spent her life trying to atone for a mistake, Zhi-Lan grew up blaming Pei-Ling for everything that had gone wrong in her life. And now, Zhi-Lan is planning to achieve Bian-Ge so she never gets hurt again.

Henry creates a distraction to throw Zhi-Lan off. Nicky swoops in to try and take the weapon away from Zhi-Lan. They fight. Kerwin and Henry get into their own fight. Both fights are evenly matched. But Nicky gets distracted when Kerwin shoots Henry. Kerwin and Zhi-Lan flee, while Nicky runs to Henry to see if he's okay. Henry shows her that the wound isn't serious. (It shouldn't be.) But Nicky is still worried.

At home, Nicky tells her parents that she has to go back to China. Jin and Ryan accept this. Mei-Li is more reluctant, but she knows that the more she tries to pull her daughter in, the more she is pushing Nicky away. So she will support Nicky. Althea tells Nicky that she will give her blessing to Nicky's trip on one condition. Nicky says, "anything."

And then we cut to Althea and Dennis's civil wedding, with the Shen family as witnesses. Nicky is her "maid of honor," giving a speech at Happy Dumplings about how much of a beautiful couple the two make--and how lucky they are to have each other. Althea thanks Nicky for being there, saying she didn’t want Nicky to miss another family milestone. We see a bandaged Henry there, Evan, Althea's former co-worker, a few of her friends and Dennis's, and Chloe.

At Zhi-Lan's apartment, she admires the eight weapons she has been able to collect. Kerwin kisses her from behind, saying that now she can have the world. Zhi-Lan smiles at him, before saying she no longer has any use for him. Kerwin isn't surprised that she would betray him--his only surprise stems from the fact that he fell for Zhi-Lan. Zhi-Lan apologizes that she must now kill him, so he can't tell his father where she is going. And she does. Once Kerwin is down, Zhi-Lan sheds tears. We see that she's just cutting the relationship short before she becomes too attached.

Meanwhile, Nicky checks on Henry outside Happy Dumplings. She has her ticket for China booked already. But she shows him two tickets. Henry asks, "so you already have a return flight? Someone's feeling cocky that they're gonna stop Zhi-Lan quickly." Nicky punches him in the arm, before apologizing for hitting the part with the wound. "The other ticket's yours. If you want to help me stop Zhi-Lan." Henry grins.

And this is where we end this post for now. Because after writing the finale breakdown, I realized... I wrote the actual finale scene by scene. So that deserves a post of its own. Also, this post has already gotten so long.

#Kung Fu CW #tv talk #my words

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star-anise · 5 years

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I would enjoy it greatly if you would rant about the White People Smile thing, because ever since that post, I've noticed how much I do it

Okay this one is gonna be a deep dive.

For the uninitiated, I’m explaining why white people do what they do. This refers less to the actual amalgamated experiences of every person with pale skin and European descent ever, and more the aspirational model of whiteness held up as the cultural ideal in former British colonies.The gap between these two concepts is left for the audience as an instructive lesson on how useful racial stereotypes are in predicting the experiences and behaviour of individual people of that race.

Previously, while explaining why guest towels are often not meant to be used by guests, I dipped into the white propensity to never let someone know when they’re making a mistake–to smile awkwardly and say nothing when a person is being rude or offensive–before going back to talking about the unique properties of linen and terrycloth. This is a further look at the subject.

So, I can’t explain this for every person ever. And I’m gonna take a different tack than I normally would, which would normally be to talk about trauma and the fight/flight/freeze response to stress. Instead, I’m going to talk about my research into the cultural moment centuries ago when this response started to be advocated, and how connecting to long-lost European martial arts helped me unlearn this response.

Tl;dr it emerged as an alternative to stabbing people

I said once that I was a frustrated medievalist, fitting in my history education around other concerns, and therefore ended up studying, more than anything else, how the middle ages disappeared? This is one of those cases–the only vaguely relevant history class I could get into that semester was Early Modern England, which focused on the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, 1485-1649. That’s the period right after the Middle Ages are said to have “ended” in Britain.

At the time I was also very active in the Society for Creative Anachronism, a living history group. I did rapier fencing, using the long, light swords that were intended specifically for person-to-person combat in civilian settings. They’re duelling swords, at a time the duel was becoming a separate institution from the battlefield. They were used in Spain, Italy, and France earlier, but this time period was about when they became popular in England, so I decided to use the class as a lens to study duelling in England. My prof was very receptive to this, partly because it meant he had one student whose papers weren’t about the political machinations of someone named Thomas and/or Cromwell.

So, duelling is an inherently aristocratic system. To understand it, you have to understand that “privilege” literally means “privi lege”, Latin for “private law”. It meant that the laws that applied to nobles were different from laws that applied to commoners. Commoners were not generally allowed to carry weapons or kill people; if the average commoner killed somebody, he would be tried for murder before a jury of his peers and executed for murder. But the nobility fell under the privilege of the sword; they were the class of society whose job it was to carry weapons and kill people, police and army by hereditary right. Nobles were judged by juries of their peers, other nobles; other nobles accepted that sometimes they were 100% correct in killing people. And if you’re like, “Whoa that’s fucked up, it’s like police deciding if a police officer was right to kill a civilian,” DING GOLD STAR FOR YOU. It’s why Robin Hood, the anti-aristocratic hero whose archenemy was a sheriff, is such a popular folk figure in England.

So nobles could kill commoners without serious consequences, and nobles were also allowed to kill other nobles, so long as they followed a code of combat known as chivalry. That included things like: Don’t attack someone who’s unarmed or defenceless; don’t attack from behind or without warning; bow to him before you begin fighting; blah blah blah blah. They were always more ideals than realities during times of war, but when artillery showed up on northern European battlefields in the 1400s, they became deeply impractical in warfare. (Redacted: detailed explanation of why this is.) The ideal of a fair fight between matched foes stuck around in the duel, but it became a civil affair, not a military strategy.

Okay okay so. Why did duels happen? More than anything, they were about honour, prestige, and respect. Nobles had a certain way they expected to be treated, a code of politeness and manners with which people had to treat them. A commoner who failed to treat them this way could be punished with limited ability to resist, but other nobles had to be treated according to the same chivalric values of the fair fight. They had to be challenged to a duel.

So duels occurred over all kinds of shit. Failing to give someone precedence or jostling them in the door; having an affair with somebody’s wife; insulting someone’s favourite religious figure; behaving in an unchivalric manner; accusing someone else of behaving in an unchivalric manner; anything. People could make tutting sounds over duels being fought for the stupidest shit, but that didn’t necessarily stop them from being fought.

So the duel and the culture of politeness were really intertwined. You were polite to people because if you weren’t, they could stab you and get away with it. It’s funny how the word “gentle” started out a thousand years ago meaning someone from a particular lineage, how that lineage was the only people with social permission to perpetuate huge amounts of violence, but now means restraint from violence–but that’s what happened. A lot of courtly manners among the nobility were really like… intense high-stakes peace negotiations with everyone, all the time.

So like, imagine current Tumblr callout culture, except if somebody called you out, you had to let them try to kill you.

Many monarchs of this era HATED duelling culture. Countries like England and France had histories of war between nobles and the Crown, so the Crown hated their nobility being really strong powerful military leaders. Powerful nobility had the pesky tendency of refusing to obey monarchs they didn’t like, or even kicking them off the throne. This pushed those monarchies towards a principle of absolute royal authority over which nothing and no one had precedence. Privilege, so far as these monarchs were concerned, ought to belong to the CROWN, and then people the Crown specifically deputized. You can’t just have people running all over and killing each other whenever they wanted! So the monarchs all started, slowly, to place restrictions on duelling and noble privilege, trying to consolidate that power.

Part of how that was done in Britain specifically was to reach out to the common people. Well, the rich common people. The merchant class. You may also know them as the bourgeoisie. One of the ways the monarchs of this era got extra money their nobles didn’t want them to have was by selling rights to colonial enterprise and writs of nobility. If you had enough money, you could become a baronet! Or own land in Ireland! Or go trade fur in North America! Which led to the social mobility I’ve mentioned before–while the crown was squeezing down the rights of the nobility, it was also opening up to the concept of common people becoming nobles.

Here’s the thing about European racism: In places where there weren’t as many people of colour around to be racist at? They just narrowed down their concept of race. Nobles genuinely believed they constituted a separate race of people from commoners, and that they were physically different and genetically superior to common people. So this kind of class mobility was an existential threat. How can someone with no noble blood become a marquis?!

(Spoiler: In previous centuries there had been much more class mobility, before the medieval concept of “nobility” fully formed, so it was in fact as bullshit as most other racial constructs. And as the noble/common divide blurred, race had to be defined in more comprehensive ways: English against the inferior Irish, until the Irish could be assimilated into whiteness and defined in opposition to black Africans. When there have in fact been black English people for as long as there has been an England. Really truly honestly, race is constructed bullshit.)

Anyway, when the British Crown prohibited duelling in the 17th century, they tried to justify it by saying to their nobles: Hey look, here are all these commoners dressing and acting like you! And duelling like you! How droll! Don’t they look ridiculous and stupid, fighting over the littlest thing? Wouldn’t you say duelling is a little gauche? A little bourgeois? You wouldn’t treat them like your equals, as though they deserved to be treated with the rules of chivalry, would you? No, that would be silly.

So in former times, if someone breached the standards of politeness, they’d be called out and expected to apologize or fight. But now, calling someone out would be affording them noble status when they didn’t merit the racial construct of nobility. And also, like I said before–if a commoner who was trying to break into high society made a mistake, and people pointed it out to them, then they’d learn to correct that mistake and fit in better. And then they might MARRY a noble, and DILUTE the BLOODLINES and POLLUTE the shades of PEMBERLY and MASS HYSTERIA, CATS AND DOGS LIVING TOGETHER.

So now, the nobility slowly came to believe that ~taking the high road~ was the better response: Refuse to dignify bad manners with a response, just let the awkward silence hang there so everyone can see how badly-behaved they were. Well-bred people will just know the secret unwritten rules of society. Then you can quietly exclude the rubes from your parties without ever letting them know they’re being excluded. And anyway, if you did duel someone, you’d have to do it in dead secret and if you actually did kill them, you might have to flee the country or else the Crown would arrest you and try you for murder and it’s not nice to get your dwindling noble privilege rubbed in your face.

So that’s the birth of the British response of “When someone fucks up, smile, look constipated, and say nothing.” It was especially strong in noblewomen, who wouldn’t be able to duel anyway, so might as well make a brave face of the only option that feels possible. By the time Jane Austen was writing in the late 1700s and early 1800s, society was leaning further and further to “true politeness means never expressing disapproval of someone else’s bad behaviour.” Partly because pointing out someone’s lapse in manners came to mean you thought they were stupid and hadn’t been properly enculturated into your class, which was of course the worst thing ever.

Across the centuries, the threads holding all the pieces together have rotted, so we forget why we define politeness this way; it’s just The Way Things Are Done. It’s just #verybritishproblems. It’s just the lower-class belief that if someone offends or insults you, you should punch them in the nose; it’s just the anxious privileged liberal belief that violence is wrong and we should just wring our hands about it. The most aware I’ve seen people from former colonies be on the topic is Australians, who know that they don’t subscribe as much to British manners and ideals because they were a prison colony, largely settled by poor people who got there by breaking the rules.

My grandmother, born 1929, totally aspired to that level of class and gentility, even though she was raised dirt poor; being a white settler in Canada meant that theoretically, if you worked hard and went to church and improved yourself through cleanliness and education, you could join the new ruling class. She aspired to the heights of Calgarian society, for whatever that was worth. And she has this specific way of sucking her breath in that means “Oh GOD, granddaughter, you have just something TERRIBLY gauche. Think about everything you are doing, wearing, and being at this moment, and magically intuit which of them is incorrect!” She’s also the one who made my mom learn to do pulled-thread embroidery, and taught me how to lay a place setting of silverware for a four-course meal, and basically strove to turn herself into a living model of aspirational whiteness. When my mom and I go into family therapy, we usually end up talking about how much we want to reject her ideals.

How did I unlearn this?

I am not a good fencer. I love the idea of swordfighting, but in addition to my weakness and disability, I have a really timid posture and way of moving. When I was a kid, I made it a game to see if, by turning sideways or flattening myself against a wall, I could navigate through a crowd quickly without ever needing anyone to move or notice I was there. I really connected with the idea of Arya, in Game of Thrones, learning how to be a silent ghost, learning to catch cats.

Then, in fencing, I had to learn entirely new responses. I’ve traditionally flinched and frozen when physically threatened; now I had to train myself to assess an incoming threat and fend it off. I had to learn to stand upright, to hold my core strong and solid, to respond to an attack and then to attack in return. It’s really physical, and in turn, really emotional. When I’ve taught teenage girls in turn, I’ve had to ease them through the process of laughing in discomfort when they land a hit on someone, crying when they hit someone out of fear and shame because they’re not supposed to DO that. Those are stages I’ve had to go through as well. I was pretty affected by a book I acquired through SCA channels, The Armored Rose, about the experiences of modern women learning to do historical combat. It’s a feminist analysis and it felt true to me, but now, a few decades later, I think it’s not really about “women” so much as “people who have been socialized to never be violent”–there are a lot of men I’ve taught who have been just as likely to freeze, who needed to overcome emotional hesitation before responding assertively, and women who had no hesitation at all.

But one lesson that really left an impression on me was learning from a doña, an acknowledged master of the form, who was helping me fine-tune the way I held myself when I fought. “Pull in your core,” she said, encouraging me to bunch my muscles up so that when I uncoiled it would be even more powerful and positive. “Hold a little bit of ferocity. You gotta be a little mad at your opponent.”

“Anger gets in the way of clear thinking,” my usual teacher, an older man, said.

“Too much, yeah,” she said. “But in the women I’ve taught, the problem is usually not enough anger, not too much.”

I can still call that feeling up very clearly–legs tense and coiled, body held upright, ready to respond to an attack with a counterattack of my own. IIt felt good. I loved fencing, loved the sense of accomplishment I got learning how to respond to attacks and defeat them.

As a child and teenager I was hideously socially anxious, and had been bullied for most of my life. When people were socially aggressive towards me, it was incredibly hard not to just freeze up. Fighting back was impolite. Resistance was futile. I would either physically or metaphorically tuck myself into a ball and wait for them to stop hitting me, get bored and go away. In my late teens and early twenties I started getting medication and therapy to deal with my problems, and that meant learning to be socially assertive. To say, “No, you didn’t hear me right, what I really meant was–” and “No, I’d rather not go,” and “Excuse me, I’d like to be included in this discussion.” And a lot of the time, when I did that, I could physically feel the scrape of another sword against mine as a ghost in my mind. I’d put my feet into a fencer’s position before difficult conversations, to give me courage.

And after writing my final paper on duelling, I thought a lot about what it would be like to live in a duelling culture. How weird, how foreign would it be, to believe that somebody else deserved to die for treating me badly? How did you summon up enough anger to fight someone for insulting you? What kind of emotion would be necessary to drive a real sword into them, and not a blunted one?

What would it be like if I treated myself like someone whose feelings and experiences mattered, whose integrity was worth defending?

I mean, it was not a quick, easy, or complete fix. Years after, I’d still do things like get assaulted and take a year before telling anyone about it because the guy who assaulted me was friends with all my friends and I didn’t want to make them choose a side. But as much as I did change, that was how. And that enabled me to have richer relationships with a lot of different people. Before, people would hurt me without knowing it, and never know why I was later too scared of them to talk. I took a long time to trust people, to feel comfortable enough to connect with them. That fragility made it hard for me to help people, to do the kind of jobs that I wanted. The sturdier I got, the better at defending my boundaries and expressing myself, the wider the array of people I could talk with, get to know.

And since what I really wanted was to be a therapist focused on complex trauma, and a huge proportion of the people with complex trauma in Alberta are First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, that put me in situations where we had to talk about colonization and decolonization, and people started to ask me, “Hey, white girl, why do white people have so much stuff in their houses you’re not allowed to touch or use? Why are white people like this?” and could explain social niceties like “Yeah, this is a weird random thing white people do that seems really rude or stupid to you? But if you’re applying to a job and want a white person to hire you, they’ll judge you for not paying attention to it.”

I also learned, later, as training for a job, another form of martial art. Specifically, nonviolent martial arts–what to use when an impaired or intoxicated person attacks you, and you want to defend yourself without harming them, and how to render them safe if they’re hurting themselves. That job left me alone for 48 hours with teenagers with serious behavioural problems, who would do things like flail their hands in the direction of my face when I was helping them with basic hygiene.

They didn’t mean to hurt me, and it wasn’t aggressive, but still, their nails would sometimes draw blood and it frequently left me feeling frightened and angry, because I’d been physically hurt. And it’s actually really hard to convince your monkey hindbrain that they didn’t intend to hurt you, to make that adrenaline and fear go away. It made it really hard to care for them when I didn’t feel safe, because it was hard to summon up compassion, gentleness, and empathy with my heart going a hundred miles an hour. So that training helped a lot. After that, I could catch and deflect their hands before I risked getting hurt. We could have a better relationship because I felt confident and safe around them.

It’s filed in my brain next to the time I was playing with my nephew when he was a toddler, when I discovered that he stopped blithely using me as a climbing post when I said “Ow!” when he stepped on my boob. Once I let myself vocalize pain, he realized that he was causing me pain. He asked me about it, and when I said that it hurt me when he stepped on me, he apologized, gave me a hug to make it better, and played more gently after that. He hadn’t realized he hurt me; letting him know when he was too hard let him know how to be kind to me.

Those two are physical memories I call to mind when I’m dealing with someone who’s really upset and lashing out at me: sometimes the kindest thing you can to for someone else is deny them the ability to hurt you. To let them know the effect they’re having on you, so they can stop.

Okay. Dive’s over. I just felt my ears pop.

#staranise original #lis explains white people shit #this answer took an hour at home and then the drive from Edmonton to Strathmore #dancing-thru-clouds

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velvetinewitch · 4 years

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wips list

this functions as a key to all of my wips, including ones i don’t actively write but still work on occasionally. in case you didn’t know, all of my wips include: poc, LGBT+ characters, disabled and non-neurotypical characters, found families, usually fantasy elements because i love magic, and often a little romance (which is usually accompanied by found families or tragedy, but for my romance-repulsed friends, there are still stories with no romance!)

key: *: heavily connected stories >: stories taking place after the events of Faye and Fate (a very distant future)

Closest to Complete (in order... ish)

Painted Cards: a group of teenagers end up criminals after a magical goddess chooses them for greatness. instead of embarking on some epic adventure, they decide to save the world another way: through kindness and coffee. a story about a found family made up of unintentional criminals with trauma that they’ll learn to cope with. mostly written for myself, but also written for the people in my life who needed to see characters like them have a happy ending. a very hopeful, fantasy slice-of-life story.

*Faye and Fate: almost everything i write is exposition or a result of this 5 book series. Aralion Faye resets the timeline so often it all just blurs together. with each new on she creates, she watches the ones she loves die over and over again, as if it’s all a video game culminating up to that game over screen. things always start out so innocently, too; her memories never return until later, so for a while, she enjoys attending a magic school, falling in love, playing pranks, befriending her peers. by the end of the year, the world comes back to remind her that her happy ending is unachievable. between traitors, corruption, fires, and cliffs... this time has to be different. this time she’ll save everyone she loves. is overall a story about heroes of all types. love this series so much abhddvk. magic is based on skills/interests: art, writing, engineering, astronomy, directing, zoology, architecture, makeup art, etc

*Mortals Versus Morals: (this isn’t actually the title but it makes me laugh so it’s being used as the placeholder) Glen is 17, rich, sheltered, and possibly the most lawful good person ever. plot twist- there’s a prophecy predicting his (as well as 6 others’) involvement in the end of the world, and they aren’t on the good side. Glen struggles to balance saving the world from villains while trying not to become a villain himself. includes: road trips and bonding, scenes like the one where the aro-ace friend gets seduced by a nine-tailed fox who runs a Burger King, everyone educating Glen on cultures and respecting pronouns :) as well as the occasional choking angst that comes with a bunch of almost adults getting dragged into the business of gods. did i mention there are gods? there are gods. i do kill a love interest of a protag but then give them TWO romantic partners because i’m not a coward (i feel like the characters who lose a love interest end up in a poly relationship most often in my stories... as a sort of apology to them lmao). also Utah? basically stops existing at some point. magic is based off a deity someone worships, with worship comes borrowed magic. the characters themselves are basically just omnists?

Beneath Our Skin: Sam and Ana don’t know each other. it’s by chance that they’re separated from their class during a field trip, and end of wandering straight into a portal to another world, one with magic. while searching for a way home, they accidentally make their own- in the meantime, they’re gonna find a magician who can give Sam a shapeshifting spell because Sam would really like to transition, even if it’s through magical means, please. written for me and my fake-brother, so lots of being platonically domestic and also sarcastic... this is in a really poetic writing style too.

House of Crabs: this is not the name it just makes me giggle so placeholder time! contemporary, no romance or fantasy or anything (although like one crime is committed but life is life that). here’s the old summary: Siera lives in the mansion of thirty year old Janelle, a woman who has the tendency to take in stray children, granting them shelter despite their tragic backstories or strange personalities. When one of the outcasts, Roy, is confronted by his biological brother, Roy is absolutely horrified by the concept of being dragged back to his transphobic family. The outcasts are dead set on protecting him, even if it requires breaking laws. But Roy's brother doesn't seem that content on harming Roy or bringing him home against his will. Instead, the boy seems more interested in coming out of the closet, hoping that his little brother and his new family can help him learn how to be his true flamboyant self.

>Obligatory Superhero Stories (3 stories): ----Lei is supposedly a civilian, until she arrests the man who ruined her life and accidentally ends up adopting his daughter, Hera. Hera coerces her into adopting her classmate Jason. the two get kidnapped. Lei gets annoyed by how useless she is in saving them, and becomes the first non-mutant superhero. in the meanwhile, the US Secretary of Powers, Victoria, is forced to monitor her progress for a court case deciding whether this is legal, and accidentally falls in love. Hera fucks with journalists and enjoys being politically smarter, Jason attempts to create a ground-breaking technology and blows up hundreds of phones, and Victoria never sleeps. literally. her superpower is just,,, no sleeping. ----Vessa becomes a superhero by accident. it involves art galleries, snow, and unlicensed doctors. now, she operates under an alias, the hero Froze (very creative, yes), alongside her trusted sidekicks. unbeknownst to Vessa, she has a history with the villain she’s fighting, and their teams may be more entangled outside of their aliases than first believed. basically, an enemies to family (and some lovers) story, involving a lot of morally grey shenanigans thanks to a corrupt society. ----there’s a villain on the lose, know as Heart-twist, with the ability to take someone’s darker emotions and intensify them. in reality, Sora is just a teenage girl, with four dear and near friends. it’s been a year since her sister’s boyfriend, a hero, prioritized glorious battle over rescue, and her sister died alone and afraid. Sora is just waiting to make him fall in love with her, so she can repay the favor.

>Paint Me a Picture: dystopian future! roughly 78% of the population is monochromatic, and can only see in shades of grey. it seems petty in plain sight, but jealousy has left the other 22% segregated, separated by a boundary and sinking in poverty. Pristaline is apart of the majority, privileged without even realizing it- her biggest concern is making herself a future in law. a car accident leaves her in a recover home near the boundary, where she accidentally meets Jackson, a color-seeing boy, who calls her eyes ‘blue.’ the encounter sparks a revolution. this is a sadder story- it ends with a girl, watercolor swatches, and a grave.

*Run From Wolves: Elayna is unfortunate enough to be a magic-born in the one kingdom that still prosecutes female magic-borns (to which she says, fuck their religion for saying women shouldn’t have magic). when she and her half-brother Shage are discovered, instead of being executed, Elayna is offered a position beside her brother in the kingdoms prestigious Goddess Guard. the offer comes with a price: they must swear allegiance to the king, and can do him no harm. luckily, a pretty spy from a neighboring kingdom offers Elayna a loophole. includes spirit animals, political intrigue, lesbians, murdering an asshole king, and a secret mystery involving immortality and wolves.

*Twin Kingdoms: there’s an island floating in the sky- two, now, split in half down the center. Melony and Serena have known about the conflict between their kingdoms, but they never really realized it’s intensity until Melony’s older brother close friend betrayed her and seized the throne for himself, pitting her kingdom against Serena’s and searching for war. Melony and Serena are able to escape together, living in disguise and biding their time before they can retake what belongs to them. has a really fun character who’s a villain (she’s the traitor brother’s little sister), gets stuck with an injury, is healed by a girl in an enemy village, and struggles to reaffirm her beliefs while vaguely falling in love. sighhhhhh i miss this series

*Where Shadows Bloom: written during the time of my life where i loved badass assassins becoming queens or princess... despite the trope being looked down upon, i hold this dear to my heart. basically, there’s a period of turmoil throughout the entire planet. on one end of the world, the queen is assassinated by a girl aiming to use her throne to destroy her noble parents, an underground group seeks to end slavery through magical battles and underhanded deals, and an orphan boy is made king. on the other side of the world, a second world war rages, pitting the Gold Alliance (good guys) against the Silver Alliance (bad guys). a princess goes undercover, venturing into a captured kingdom to spy on opposing forces. she’s taken in by an engineer/pilot who helps her stay in disguise as she uncovers the nefarious plot that involves the prosecution of an entire people. it all ties in together.

*Fateless: i really can’t get enough of magic and princesses, huh. ever wonder what Arthurian mythology would be like if it was in my world? Raine’s family has known tragedy after tragedy, from the death of her uncle, then aunt, her brother, and finally, her parents. fate has left her alive to inherit their throne when she comes of age. still, even she is cursed, wearing a ring that burns her with the pain of her people. she doesn’t wince anymore, not even when she watches another witch burn at the stake, and feels the flames crawl up her body, phantom but so, so real. when her kingdom falls, Raine and her most trusted knights are forced to flee into the woods. there, they find a tavern alongside a their road, run by a mysterious woman named Lancelin. there’s something familiar about the woman, something from Raine’s past, and something strange about the way that each of her customers leaves with healed minds and bodies. secretly-enemies to secretly-lovers! as common with me...

#my wips #navigation #long post #faf #faye and fate #painted cards

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choices-binglebonkus · 5 years

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Opinion post: best and worst LI’s from each series

I was pretty bored, decided I’d make a list of who I think are the best and worst LI’s in each series and why. If you’ve got some time to spare, please be sure to post your opinions too, I’m rather curious as to see how the fandom thinks.

Note: Since Nathan and Paolo are antagonists/pseudo-love interests, and you CANNOT end the game in a relationship with them, I’m not going to be counting them on this list.

The Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior

Best: Honestly? All of the love interests were a little bland for my tastes in this series, but if I had to pick one, it would be Becca. She started out as a spoiled bully from a rich family and ended the series a humbler, kinder woman who learned to work for what she want, respect those around her, and she even got into the law school of her dreams. Now that’s dedication!

Worst: Without a doubt, I think Kaitlyn Liao is the worst love interest in this series. When the series started out, I actually thought she was great. I didn’t want to romance her (or anyone else but I had to *eyeroll*) but she was my best friend. But then I began to realize how detestable she was as a character. She turned on MC after she accidentally came out to her parents, she turned on EVERYONE when she joined the Gutter Kittens, and only when her circus tent came crashing down did this sad clown emerge and ask for help cleaning up the remnants of the big top. She’s immature, rude, she goes off on people for doing things she doesn’t want (Annisa talking to Natasha, MC writing an unbiased article about the Loose Pins and their strong performance, etc.), and worst of all, she’s a criminal.

A LEGIT criminal. Not on the level of the Alphas, but she’s committed her share of crimes, including underage drinking, breaking and entering on multiple accounts (when she broke into the observatory in TF book 4, investigating the studio’s security room in TJ, and breaking into the old dorm in The Senior), trespassing which basically goes hand-in-hand with the last crime, vandalism (when she broke a $500 bottle of whiskey in a bar in The Senior), and fleeing the scene of a crime (when she broke the whiskey). The other characters have also committed some of these crimes, but I’m mainly gunning for Kaitlyn because she’s a repeat-offender, not to mention she’s committed more crimes than any of the other love interests. Just...why did her character go totally south after book 3?!

The Crown & The Flame

Best: Raydan. He’s loyal, incredibly strategic and knowledgeable, can hold his own in a fight, and he’s charismatic as hell. Playing as Raydan was incredibly fun and I loved seeing what sorts of mischief he got up to on his adventures. Plus, his romance scenes were incredible. My favorites were the flower scene in book one and the tent scene in book two.

Worst: Shockingly, Dominic for several reasons. He’s Kenna’s best friend and he’s held that title since their childhood, but I can only see him as her best friend. The romance scenes between Dom and Kenna felt a little...I dunno, forced? There’s not really any other way to say it. I married Dom in one playthrough and I regretted it so much. When Kenna and Dom get married, they become the most boring heterosexual couple in the game...honestly! I also found Dominic just a very boring character in general, which is pretty shocking considering A. He’s a frickin’ fire mage and B. He’s in TC&TF, one of the best damn series in the game. Whenever I saw the words “You are now playing as Dominic Hunter”, I wanted nothing more than to see “You are now playing as Kenna Rys” because I was so bored with his character.

Most Wanted

Best: ...I honestly don’t know! It’s been so long that I don’t even remember any love interests in the game.

Worst: Same here!

Rules of Engagement

Best: It’s a tie between Dean and Mira. Dean was an incredibly down-to-earth character who started off as MC’s faithful companion and eventually fell in love with her. Friendly and never afraid to lend her an ear, Dean made sure MC was faring well during tough times and took her out on dates/hangouts whenever she needed a pick-me-up even though his job as a Bartender *probably* didn’t pay that well. During their marriage, Dean took on two roles, as not only did he agree to be her husband, he remained MC’s best friend as well.

Mira was also a really good love interest. Even though she was paywalled to hell, she was a genuinely sweet character. I got the wrong impression of her at first, thinking she was just a snooty chef brought to the kitchen to cause trouble for Party Girl Sister, but oh man. Mira was fantastic. When Party Girl Sister was in the middle of her pregnancy scare, Mira got involved and frequently checked in on her to make sure she was okay. She helped her unwind and relax when the stress got to her, offered her advice from when she was pregnant with her son, and was overall an unexpected friend that Party Girl Sister needed. When the time came to pick a love interest for PGS, I didn’t hesitate to pick Mira, who was truly her loving angel, and I don’t think I made the wrong choice in that at all.

Worst: I’m going to get plenty of hate from this I’m sure, but William and Leo. They’re both incredibly rich and famous men who don’t even seem realistic, yet they fall for a completely ordinary girl. William annoyed me on the first date when he saw my (non diamond!) outfit and had the audacity to say “Oh...” with a shocked look on his face. I mean...”oh”? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? But also, William was just kinda boring. It seemed like he was using his money to compensate for how boring his personality was.

Leo is quite the opposite of William personality-wise, but I can’t say I liked his whole bad boy/rebel/”let’s do illegal stuff because in the end it’s fun” shtick. Like William, Leo also seems largely unrealistic and rather unrelatable, which I think is a pretty big problem if you’re trying to resonate with the readers.

Endless Summer

Best: Jake and Quinn are a pretty tough choice, so I can’t say for sure which one I prefer. They’re both attractive and both are rather different personality-wise. Jake is brave, but at the start of the book he only really cares for himself. As the story goes on, he starts to care about the other characters as it becomes apparent they’re all stuck on the island. While Jake is a good guy, his nick-names got very, very old after three books. Additionally, he’s one of the overused cynical/loner/sarcastic male love interest archetypes, but I’ll give him a pass this time because he was the first of his kind, plus he had a pretty good reason to be as cynical as he was.

Quinn is super cute and is probably one of the sweetest LI’s in the game. She’s friendly and compassionate from the start, and knowing that she has an illness that will one day result in her death, she has become brave and willing to live her life to its fullest. Her romance scenes were also amazing. My personal favorite is the sex scene in the kitchen when she and MC make cupcakes together. However, one thing I fault the writers for with Quinn’s writing is that she’s frequently portrayed as the damsel in distress. You have to protect her from the Sabertooth, save her when she almost drowns, save her again when the Vaanti attack the hotel, save her AGAIN when she nearly dies from Rotterdam’s Syndrome, save her again when she and the group are held at gunpoint in the MASADA complex...the list goes ON!

Worst: Sean. Sean is an incredibly kindhearted character who cares about his friends to the point of not eating food until everyone else has eaten. He’s selfless, brave, and an overall friendly guy. However, that is his fault. I know it’s odd to be faulting such a great dude for being one of the sweetest guys in the game, but the only problem I have with him is that he’s a cookie-cutter clone of Chris, Caleb, Griffin, basically any strong, benevolent male character in the Choices series. For the most part, they’re largely identical in personality, and that takes away from their originality. I still love Sean. Saying he’s the worst just means I think he’s the worst of any of the amazing LI’s in ES, but he’s still a really great guy.

#LoveHacks

Best: I really can’t pick any of them.

Worst: I’d honestly have to say all of them. They’re either A. Wishy-washy B. Boring C. Introduced way too late in the game and their development is either non-existent or way too rushed. Hell, I forgot Mark Collins even existed until I stumbled across his page on the wikia.

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor

Best: Eleanor by default. She’s paywalled and you have to pay diamonds to keep her alive at the end, but she’s pretty, she’s sweet, she cares for her younger siblings enough to live(?) with a dark secret that’s left her traumatized, and we get to spend lots of time with her in the book.

Worst: Victor. We barely even get to know this guy! There’s almost nothing about him on the wikia pages either simply because he’s almost never in the story without diamonds and we barely even got to know him.

The Royal Romance

Best: Even though I didn’t marry her at the end (I still had some flings with her though), Hana. Hana is incredibly sweet, she’s really pretty, and she’s got overbearing parents which, in my case, makes her a really relatable character. She does anything she can to please her parents/friends and she quickly becomes a very loyal friend (or lover) to MC as she finds her way as the newest noble in Cordonia.

Worst: Drake. Oh, Drake, have I got a bone to pick with you. Not only is he one of the many, MANY cynical/loner/sarcastic male LI archetypes, the story could have gone on without him, rendering him pretty useless. I cannot think of a single non-romance scene where I thought: “Oh man, Drake is a really necessary character!” Not to mention, Drake is picky as hell. He gets to live in the palace for free, gets to eat food and hang out with Liam, but he whines about not wanting to become like those gosh darn nobles, and he whines about the food being “too fancy” or whatever when there are people starving in other parts of the world. I would understand you not eating food if you’re allergic or can’t stomach it, but really, Drake? Because it’s too fancy?! Come on!

Hero

Best: I have to say, none of these love interests were up to par. The book is great, the LI’s are lacking.

Worst: All of them. They’re not too bad per se, but man...they’re just so lackluster! Grayson is boring, Kenji is cocky, and Eva got on my nerves a lot.

High School Story

Best: Emma without a doubt. She’s pretty, she’s very sweet to her friends and MC, and she’s a shy character who’s surprisingly well-written. Though I didn’t choose to romance her, I still think she’s definitely the best love interest in this series because not only is she an amazing friend, but in other playthroughs I’ve watched, she’s a very loving girlfriend to the main character.

Worst: Probably a tie between Caleb and Maria. Caleb, like I mentioned earlier, is pretty much the same as Chris, Sean, and Griffin, which makes him rather dull. Maria isn’t too bad, but she could get very intense at times, and that gave me a really negative first impression of her that never truly went away.

It Lives in the Woods

Best: Andy. Frickin’. Kang. He’s strong, rough and tumble, and really brave, but he’s also soft and gentle with the MC if they romance him. He’s the first trans representation in Choices, and I personally think Pixelberry did a really good job with him. I really felt for him when he and Tom were being discriminated against on the basketball team because they were both Asian, and because Andy was also short and transgender. Yet, even after all this, Andy doesn’t quit the team and doesn’t give up his dreams, and if he survives the final game with Mr. Red/Jane, he becomes the basketball captain and eventually goes on to play for a college team. Way to go, King Kang!

Worst: I don’t think I can really say any of them are the worst because all four of the other love interests in this series are pretty great.

Home for the Holidays

Best: None of them. NONE.

Worst: ALL OF THEM! This book was abysmal, and one reason it was so hated is because the love interests were awful. Nick was unnecessarily cruel, Wyatt was so happy it was creepy, and Holly was really boring.

Red Carpet Diaries

Best: Oh dear. Same case as HFTH, none of them.

Worst: I can’t choose just one, so...I guess all of them. Matt was forced upon the player, Victoria is one of those mean girls/divas that has a complete 180 in her personality at some point, Teja and Seth were absolute morons for the entirety of book two, and Addison and Hunt were purely a fanservice for people who played Hollywood U (which is a good game, but if you ask me, Addi and Hunt should’ve never become LI’s for this series).

Perfect Match

Best: I really don’t even know with this one, you guys. I was never a fan of this series (oof, I can feel the hate I’m getting from that sentence right now) and the LI’s all seemed really unimpressive.

Worst: Hayden. While I really dislike Damien and think he’s undoubtedly the most overrated love interest in the entire game, I’ve got to say Hayden is the worst. You get to customize their gender, appearance, and eventually their name, and while they’re a robot with sentience and human feelings, this just makes them seem LESS human. Not to mention, they stupidly left the group on multiple occasions and went on walks alone to brood and be edgy, which eventually led to Harley infiltrating and causing our already feeble plans to fail yet again. Lastly...Hayden is one of the love interests that repeatedly gets crammed down the player’s throat whether they like it or not.

Bloodbound

Best: Jax is a great love interest, but since he’s one of those overused cynical/loner/sarcastic archetypes, I’m going to have to say Lily is the best in this series. She’s tragically underrated, quirky, goofy, and she’s a GAMER with GLASSES, which is totally my weak spot. Lily is just the cutest thing, I swear. And since I love Jax and Lily almost equally, I went NUTS when I was offered a diamond threesome scene with them. That day was a huge win.

Worst: Even though he’s not too bad as a character, Adrian. You don’t get to customize his name or gender, but you still get to customize his appearance, which I really don’t like in love interests because it makes them seem like interchangeable parts.

Veil of Secrets

Best: Kate. She’s paywalled unfortunately, and she only becomes a love interest at the very end of the book, but she’s very beautiful and sweet. You have to spend the entire story saving her, but fortunately, she isn’t forced upon you romantically like some of the other love interests are in the game. It’s really unfortunate that she became a love interest so late in the game.

Worst: Probably Naomi, only because she was boring. Otherwise, she’s not too bad.

America’s Most Eligible

Best: None of them.

Worst: All of them because they’re really bland compared to some of the other love interests Pixelberry has given us.

Desire & Decorum

Best: Hamid. He’s sweet, gentle, he’s good with kids, and he’s really attractive as well. Overall, though, I think all the love interests in this series are pretty boring, but Hamid is slightly less boring than the others.

Worst: Sinclaire. I originally hated his guts, but he’s not that bad to be honest. He’s one of the cynical/loner/sarcastic male archetypes, and while not as extreme as some of the others, he’s still a part of the archetype. He’s grown on me, I will admit, but only as a friend, nothing more.

Across the Void

Best: None of them.

Worst: All of them. The whole book is a mess, and that trickles down to the love interests. Minimal character development, forgettable love interests (I forgot Meridian and Titania even existed at some points in the book), Kepler freaks me out, Sol was a dick at certain points, Zekei is more of Eos’s love interest than MC’s, it’s a whole thing. The siblings’ love interests aren’t any better. Eos has Lyra who isn’t too bad, but damn is she boring. He also has Deimos and Oberon who came in out of literal nowhere, same thing with Pax’s love interest, Zaniah, and she turns out to be a freaking villain that you have to pay diamonds to redeem. Lastly, we have Holmes...who’s really annoying to me. Sigh.

Big Sky Country

NOTE: I feel the need to tell you beforehand that I wanted to remain single for this series, but they force you into kissing someone in the last chapter whether you like it or not, so I picked the lesser of the evils.

Best: Juliette Mendoza, and I’m ONLY picking her because she’s absolutely beautiful.

Worst: Sawyer and Dallas. Sawyer because he’s forced, Dallas because he’s yet another one of the cynical/loner/sarcastic male archetypes. Urgh.

The Elementalists

Best: I don’t care for any of them.

Worst: Beckett, but before you murder me, it’s only because A. He redeemed himself in like one chapter which is incredibly lazy writing on Pixelberry’s part, and B. He and Griffin (who I rather like, actually) get lots of diamond scenes while love interests like Aster are getting sidelined.

High School Story: Class Act

Best: Skye, but I wouldn’t romance her simply because she’s more of a friend than anything. She’s incredibly sweet and she’s the polar opposite of her shitty family, and having a storyline about Skye and the abuse she gets from her family would actually be really interesting. I’d love to see her family get their comeuppance and Skye end up living a better life, because that’s what she deserves.

Worst: I legitimately could not choose who I hate more. Rory and Ajay are both on my shit list. Rory is one of the most forced love interests in the entire frickin’ game, and is a complete Mary Sue. I’m not just saying that either. Rory is attractive, talented, popular, and lots of people have crushes on them (Erin says in one of the first chapters of HSSCA book one that their last play got a good turnout because 1/3 of the audience had crushes on Rory), and is *supposedly* completely oblivious to how many people like them, which would be kiiiiinda hard to miss, especially with Natalie and Clint.

But otherwise, Rory has almost zero personality. They’re friendly, but most love interests have that trait. They also have a mother with cancer and participates in a play to fund treatment for her, but that’s about as complex as Rory gets. The worst part about them is that they’re constantly getting shoved down our throats. The game and characters constantly imply MC has a crush on Rory whether we like it or not, and MC ceases to function during rehearsal when they realize Rory is going to ask them to homecoming. For Pete’s sake, we join the damn play just to get closer to Rory. And for people who don’t give a fuck about Rory, like me, that makes the book remarkably frustrating.

And we also have Ajay, who I hate about as much as Rory. From the start, he was rude, condescending, and snarky. But then when Rory tells everyone their mother has cancer, Ajay says “yeah man, I’ve been super harsh because I want this to go perfect, blah blah” which, to me, is a TOTAL cop out. Even if the play didn’t go perfect, the audience would have already paid for their admission and donated beforehand. I didn’t excuse Ajay’s dickish behavior throughout the book, especially when he never apologized for siding against MC after the whole theater cube fiasco, even when there was zero concrete evidence against them. Annoying, rude, never apologized for making an accusation that turned out to be untrue, and...god, every time he speaks, my mind reads his words in Brainy Smurf’s annoying, nasally voice.

It Lives Beneath

Best: Tom. What can I say except Tomoichi “Tom” Sato? Ever since ILITW, he's been a good friend to Andy since they were toddlers, helped him throughout life with his friendship, prevented Andy from committing suicide at one point, and was friendly throughout the first book. In this series, he's a love interest, and is one of the few love interests who isn't drawn with a super-duper fit body (thus making him a little more realistic). And his sex scenes are wild, dude. I mean, in a PHOTO BOOTH at a festival full of people?!

He's loyal, goofy, and he's realistic because he's awkward and flustered if MC flirts with him. Be honest, if an attractive stranger starting forwardly flirting with you within not even a day of meeting you, wouldn't you be pretty awkward and stuttery? Also, Tom is cute, he appears to have a friendly/romantic chemistry with MC, and all the scenes with him and MC are well-written and pleasant to read.

Worst: Out of fear of being personally attacked again (I even got one or two death threats), I will not be going too in-depth about why Imogen is the worst love interest of this series. All I’ll say is that, for the majority of the book, she was an extreme weak link and I feel like she redeemed herself too late.

A Courtesan of Rome

Best: Syphax. He’s really gorgeous, and he takes the fall for MC when she sloppily murders a Roman authority. That’s some serious selflessness, and I really admire Syphax for that, but he is a bit forced on the player in the first part of the book.

Worst: Marc Antony. He really gives me the creeps.

The Heist: Monaco

Best: Eris. She’s sassy, spunky, but she’s got a soft spot for MC and is actually really sweet. She’s absolutely beautiful and I didn’t have a hard time choosing her as my love interest. Though...if Sonia turns out to be a love interest, I might have a problem later.

Worst: Probably Fabien because, yet again (I’m sorry, okay!), he’s a cynical/loner/sarcastic male love interest archetype. But he’s really not a bad dude, I like him. He’s just the worst out of this bunch.

Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance

Best: One word: none.

Worst: All of them! They’re all criminals, and they’re not noble criminals who screw over corrupt people like MC and their crew in TH:M, they’re legit criminals who endanger other people’s lives for fun.

So, what do you guys think? Who are your best/worst LI’s for each series? Don’t hesitate to reblog and ring in with your opinions, because like I said before, I’m really curious to see how the rest of the fandom thinks.

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aromoji · 5 years

Text

Some stuff about my Fantasy AU because I was seriously upset last night and need to take a break

It occurs in 2700, but everything is FUCKED UP because the current king can’t do shit right. All the progress we’ve made since the 20th century is set back to 1960

The king is also terminally ill, and needs to pass on the throne to someone he trusts. Someone like his biological daughter Kamala. Kamala’s brothers have either abdicated or perished in war.

The reason war is happening is because the king had initially tried to bring things back to the progressive way they were centuries ago (I’m saying this very loosely, don’t @ me), and a faction rose up and is pushing back against those reforms, taking over small bits of the kingdom at a time. They are starting to become a threat.

The king is married and has two stepdaughters, but he wants Kamala to inherit the throne. They are not happy about this, as Kamala is only 21

Her stepfamily is just like Cinderella’s, except her father would throw them in the dungeon if they dared to treat Kamala like a slave when he’s around. He spoiled the hell out of her. She really is a Daddy’s girl

There’s a lot of advanced technology, but to have access to it you have to either be really rich or steal it.

The people meant to enforce the law are extremely corrupt and are the reason Melody and their gang of misfits are on the run.

Kamala is 21, Melody is 22, Trent and Theo are 18, Cody is 19, and Abby is 17 in this AU

Trent fights in the war as a soldier for the faction (he didn’t have a choice, Theo was drafted and he couldn’t stand letting his baby brother face war on his own), where he met and fell in love with Cody, who had joined the war to support his sister (Abby and Cody are siblings in this AU)

When one of the generals found out about their relationship, he drummed up some fake charges against them and tried to have the two of them executed. They escaped and found their siblings and ran away with them

One day Trent and his brother Theo split off from Abby and Cody to look for something to eat when the general that tried to kill Trent ambushed them with his fleet of soldiers. They take the twins as prisoners of war and are about to be sold off when Trent manages to escape. He is unable to save Theo, watching sadly as his brother is taken away by a man named Tanner King. He makes it back to Cody and Abby to tell them what happened. Cody decides to hijack another boat to find Theo. It takes them a couple weeks, but the three of them are relieved to see Theo alive on a small boat. After a quick but very violent raid, they rescue Theo and bring him back. They find out Theo has become selectively mute, and refuses to tell Trent exactly what happened to him no matter how much he begs, pleads, and threatens. At the time my comic starts, he is only able to speak to Melody, and sometimes Trent depending on the situation.

Trent is also the older twin in this AU

Theo is the medic of the group, being that he had the privilege of going to school for several years before war broke out, and then studying on his own while Trent was away

Theo currently tends to the group’s injuries and illnesses. He has to treat Trent the most because he’s always getting himself hurt.

They meet Melody when they accidentally trespass into her cave and make themselves at home. Melody nearly kills them on the spot, but stops when she senses their auras and realizes these people aren’t here to hurt them.

Melody was exiled from the kingdom for witchcraft. They had been sent to a Catholic school and joined a witch group and got expelled. Before leaving, they stole some of the magic books the witch group used to hold seances. They’ve been practicing magic since they were 13.

Melody has also taken Abby under their wing to teach them magic as well. She’s been getting really good at it too. Soon, she’ll be as powerful as Melody is.

Melody is the only person who knows what Theo’s been through. He begs them to cast some spell to make him forget about it, but they don’t want to end up making Theo lose more of his memories in the process. It’s a tricky spell, even for an advanced wizard like themselves.

The social season is coming up (they can’t put it aside for war, you know?) and Kamala needs to find a suitor to marry so she can become queen when her father passes away.

This takes place in December (although time is a social construct, amirite?

No one really celebrates holidays anymore, but the few who do, enjoy old traditions of their ancestors

The suitors

Evangeline Ponce , the son of the king’s right hand man.

He’s too old for Kamala. He’s like, 30. Ponce is into younger girls and knew that the queen to be would be easy pickings being that he is the son of the man the king trusts with his life. Thankfully, Kamala is repulsed by him and refuses to spend more time than is needed in his presence. That doesn’t mean he isn’t persistent, and is willing to do anything to win her hand. Surely the king will force Kamala to marry him if he proves to be the best suitor for her. But Melody will have to put an end to that, won’t they?

James Raymond

James is one of the noble’s sons. He’s arrogant, but can walk the walk as much as he talks the talk. He likes to act as thought Princess Kamala should be grateful to him for “gracing her with his presence”. He’s going to be hard competition because even though he fights fair, he fights hard. Melody should be able to outwit him.

Justin Nitzsch

He’s a prince from another kingdom across the sea. He wants to marry the princess so that he will have more territory for his plans to take over the world. After marrying Kamala he plans to have her executed so he can assume the throne for himself and no one will be able to stop him. He appears nice and genuine on the outside so no one assumes the worst about him, but colludes with Ponce to take out the competition. Their alliance must be broken as soon as possible.

Tanner King

He is one of the kingdom’s dukes, forced to inherit the duchy when he was 17. He was the top of his class when he was in school and an excellent fencer. He’s going to be the youngest captain of the royal guard when the old one retires He sees winning the princess's hand as another trophy for his collection. For some reason, Theo is very uncomfortable around him, and freezes up whenever his name is mentioned. It’s up to Melody to find out why that is and bring Tanner down!

Lord Richards

He comes from a small kingdom in Greece. It’s so tiny and insignificant people doubt whether he’s a real noble or not. He finds that marrying Kamala will be his ticket to getting his kingdom noticed for once. All in all, it’s a publicity stunt for all the world to see how “great his kingdom is’. He must be compensating for something. Let’s poke a few holes in his performance

Eros

His real name is Darnell, but he’s known as Eros because of a rumor about his unmatched sex appeal and high fertility. Word of the town is that he fixed an entire town’s population deficiency in 9 months. Hes seductive, but little do any of the men know, Kamala isn’t attracted to men at all. (She’s venusic). Maybe someone should tell Eros that Kamala isn’t interested in becoming someone’s incubator sex doll.

Yamaha Tadashi

Yamaha is a young man about Kamala’s age who actually wants nothing to do with this social season and was forced to go through with it by his power hungry mother. He thinks Kamala is cute, but it’s pretty obvious he’s not attracted to her. Or any girl for that matter. He’s actually a fun person to get to know and easily trusting. Melody will have to convince him to defy his overbearing mother and live the life that he truly desires.

And that’s all I have at the moment. Let me know if you have any questions.

#my ocs #fantasy au

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cerastes · 5 years

Note

Something I wanted to ask you a few days ago but then you suddenly actually fucked off to the South Pole: Can I ask about your tabletop characters? I know there's Rasmus and a someone named Lisbeth, I think? Do you have more? I'm always up and eager to hear about fruits born from your disaster head.

I do not have more, it’s those two, my beautiful shit children. Rasmus is for my DnD game and Lisbeth is for my Fate Core game. It’d be A PLEASURE to regale you with The Lore:

If you’ve read my tabletop blogging posts, and you likely have given you’re asking about the good ol’ lovable Human Rogue, then you’re already somewhat familiar with Rasmus Kasper Istre. A 24 year old charlatan and swindler through and through, back in his port hometown, Rasmus was a notorious “fortune teller” that scammed many tourists and merchants, an act made easier by the innate superstitious nature of sailors, and while his daggers are sharp, it’s his creativity that cuts deeper, fighting being his very last option as he will always attempt to fool, sabotage and trick others first, only brandishing harm if there’s no other choice. In stark contrast with his enthusiasm when it comes to taking money from others, Rasmus is vehemently opposed to taking lives unless it’s on self-defense or if the one relinquishing their life deserves it, a philosophy he sticks to even if it bites him in the ass. This is, in fact, what triggers his escape from his town: He swindled the riches right out of a big-time Elf magnate, disabled his bodyguard that came gunning for him some time later and even had the perfect chance to off him, yet refused to do so because, as he learned during his time hiding from him, the magnate is actually a really honest if grumpy guy who treats his subordinates fairly and with love, and he’s not about to take that life, opting instead to hit the road. He used to dual wield daggers, but lost one of the daggers during a sky-high encounter with wyvern riders, using an enchanted gauntlet imbued with lightning in the spur of the moment to fight with fist and blade, and he liked how it worked out, so now he uses the lightning gauntlet to deliver close-range blasts and electric grapples with the left hand while his deft dagger whistles with each swipe and lunge of his right. To not inconvenience himself and others, he wears a half cape draped over his left arm so he can touch things and people without thundershocking them or having to remove the gauntlet and risk being ambushed (wearing a glove in the middle of a fight is kinda hard!). He loves wearing cologne, especially one made with ghostshroom extract that he makes himself. People hate the strong smell of it at first but it sort of grows into them like an acquired taste or Stockholm Syndrome, and his favorite foods are juniper berries and beef jerky. Rasmus is 177 centimeters tall, has curly light brown hair, dull green eyes, wears his beard as a stubble, and has an average, fit build. Do NOT call him “Kasper” unless you’re in the mood for a bar fight. Mostly wears leather armor and has a thing for the color green.

Rasmus is childhood friends with Claudia, the party’s Human Wizard, and the two often snipe at each other with affectionate vitriol, although their attempts to screw the other over with money are very real. No hard feelings, though, that’s what it meant to grow poor in a port town, it’s your fault if something is taken from you. He doesn’t always see eye to eye with the Halfling Ranger (Ranger is rather kill-happy, which doesn’t sit well with Rasmus), and is buddy-buddy with the Orc Barbarian, especially when brothels and taverns are concerned. He currently is invested in helping the Orc Barbarian with his character arc whenever he can, as well as furthering his own Money Quest after accidentally starting a religion, the Solar Sect (it’s a long story). After enough deeds, the party received the blessings from Phantom Animal Lords from the wilderness, with Rasmus’ title being “Rabbit”; This is an inside joke referring to how my DM and the rest of my DnD group call Rasmus “Bugs Bunny” due to his trademark outlandish and creative ways of setting up the board to the party’s advantage and problem solving. Among his faithful, he is known as the Augur-spoken Prophet, and it’s really, really spiraling out of control. Initially, Rasmus and Claudia were supposed to hate each other, but Claudia’s player and I, IRL friends since a long time now, decided to make them shitlord friends instead. We were very involved with the creation of both characters and develop them continuously together now. Check the “Rasmus” tag in my blog for more anecdotes of his balls to the walls DnDventures.

Some of his deeds include:

Killing a seemingly unkillable hero by teleporting him high into the sky and letting gravity do the work, using a circumstantial item.

Strapping the corpse of said unkillable hero to a greatshield and creating an extremely powerful shield for our Barbarian to use whenever we need some nigh invulnerability.

Accidentally started a religion when he was accused of high heresy because he defiled the corpse of a hero by turning him into a shield.

Flirting with an Elf Priestess that turned out to be the magnate’s niece.

Flirting with her further anyway.

Naked Parkour in the Elf capital.

Wrapped his phony crystal ball with a chain and used it as an impromptu weapon after being disarmed, cracking a Chaos Dwarf’s skull with a nat 20 swing.

Earned the ‘Rabbit’ title, which apparently only happens once around every 3000 years, as the Rabbit Phantom Animal Lord is capricious and her favor only goes to those cheeky and cunning enough to both amuse her and impress her. Of all those, he’s apparently the second Human to ever have earned the title. Rasmus wears it with pride.

–

The other is Lisbeth Elstad. Now, you’re no doubt thinking to yourself “Wow! No one has a name like that!” And you’re right! Consider that a stage name, or a pseudonym, if you will. In a setting that takes place in the real world after magic and everything from beyond turned out to be real and has suddenly become widespread public knowledge, 19 year old Lisbeth is incredibly inept at even the most basic magic tasks with two exceptions: Mana Layering, the act of creating sheets, layers, and shells of mana, and Alchemy, the ability to turn one thing into another through meticulous formulas and the Law of Equivalent Exchange. In addition to this narrow scope, Lisbeth has always found it oddly easy when it comes to assembling explosives ranging from homebrew fireworks to high-yield plastic explosive custom formulas such as batches of SEMTEX and C4. Finally, Lisbeth is a natural woman of science, a passionate love for biology, physics and chemistry pulsating within her noodle, unfit body. You could say she’s a Human Alchemist/Bombardier of some sort, but her most heartfelt wish is to become a doctor and pharmaceutic. Now, this probably paints the image of a kind, earnest girl that just wants to help out with a smile, right? Well! That’s not quite it! As noble as she sounds, Lisbeth is quite the thug otherwise. Think of her less as a friendly doctor in the making and more of a really shady back alley doc that looks like she came right out of a The Misfits music video. She tries, oh, lord she does, to come across as classy, eloquent, and elegant, but no matter how much Calvin Klein “One” you spray on a rabid boar, it is still a rabid boar, and as soon as her very little threshold of patience is usurped, the elegant business front crumbles and the reality of a violent, easily angered busybody who happily solves her problems with rocks to the back of the head and high yield explosives lays bare. She’s the foster daughter of a famous nomadic mercenary leader known as the Mercury Witch, leader of the White Silhouette, and worked on board their craft as assistant doctor, with the Witch forbidding Lisbeth of taking part on any training that might foster her latent violent tendencies in hopes of mellowing her out. One day, however, they took on a job in which Lisbeth and her mentor, Melicia, ended up unwittingly making REALLY Bad Drugs instead of the Good Medicine they thought they were making for supernatural creatures, Lisbeth found out, they found out she found out, shit hit the fan, everyone’s MIA.

Not much to say about her yet otherwise, as the game is still in its preliminary phase. Instead, I can tell you about the scrapped 27 year old version of Lisbeth that I heavily modified after we discussed things and realized I had to make her much younger for it to make sense with certain aspects of the plot. This version of Lisbeth is still very much the same in terms of abilities, but has quit the White Silhouette on her own terms and roams around as a masked vigilante that aids supernatural beings oppressed by humans and as a doctor that helps supernatural beings for free. Most of her time is devoted to finding locations that traffic supernaturals or pits them in underground arena fights and dismantles them with the superior firepower and flair of plastic explosives and some good ol’ infiltration. During her time in France, she was suddenly attacked by a girl in traditional Japanese priestess attire, inciting what nearly was a deathmatch between the two of them. As the mystery girl realized Lisbeth wasn’t her target, however, she immediately stopped and apologized. The girl, named Yamaoka Keiko, is a prophet and descendant of the Blind Dragons who could see the future. The problem, she explained, was that her eyes were stolen and replaced with ones that can see, and she hates it. She’s looking for whoever it is stole her blind, silver eyes to claim them back and go back to her peaceful, beloved life of comfortable darkness and peace back in her shrine. Lisbeth, however, seems to have a clue about who it could be that can steal and switch something like eyes without any difficulty, and believing this to be fate as well as her responsibility indirectly, offers to travel with Keiko in search for her eyes. The two become good friends over the course of 18 months of traveling together in this adventure, but Keiko takes an extremely grave wound one day and is left unable to move for a good while, even with all of Lisbeth’s medical knowledge. Finding herself alone and unsure of Keiko’s future, Lisbeth decides to join the official magic law enforcement outfit that she hates in order to gain access to their information network. I’ll probably use this version of Lisbeth for other things, since I don’t wanna scrap it, bwahaha, probably with Glock Elf and TechSlime (and same with Keiko).

Regardless of her version, Lisbeth has an intravenous hose installed inside of her arms that leads to a “cauldron” in her torso, utilizing “internal alchemy” to transform proteins and cells into other chemicals, which she then expels through holes on the palms of her hands. This way, she can spray, say, napalm out of her hands. Since she has absolutely no competence at all in the art of magic but has an innate talent when it comes to chemistry and alchemy, she instead “fakes” magic by creating concoctions with her knowledge. Lisbeth stands at 176 centimeters, has a lanky, thin physique, and wears silver contacts (which is why Keiko thought she had her eyes) and hair dyed a very light creamy blonde. She wears classy suits and long-skirted jumper dresses for the most part, with an Orthrus (two-headed wolf) pelt draped over her shoulders, both heads dangling off her left shoulder. Her choice of attire and appearance, much like her pseudonym, are all part of her “business front”. Despite her bluster, she’s rather cowardly, but also extremely resolute. Lisbeth is the kind of character that would usually be the NPC Shopkeeper that sells you potions and charges you a small fee to fully heal your party, but circumstance has thrown her right into the adventurer’s shoes, and now she has to deal with it crying, screaming, and complaining, but hey, at least she gets to put her knowledge of bombs to good use!

#rasmus #lisbeth #tiza #long post #whoops I gone and made a wall without meaning to

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faespiritscribe · 5 years

Text

Family Secrets

I don’t talk about my personal life often, but one of the things I have mentioned is that I run a weekly Eberron-Pathfinder game with some friends of mine. The characters are varied and interesting, with their own personal stories and quests intertwined with the world. I’d like to take a moment (100 years...) to tell the story of Charlotte Des Rosiers as it has developed thus far, as well as the anticipated future of said character in the sessions to come.

Warning: Long post ahead Tl;DR is at the bottom.

Charlotte is a human oracle of Shelyn (I allowed some Pathfinder deities as small cults) who is haunted by spirits and visions of the future. She was born to a rich noble family in Cyre, whose once outstanding reputation as talented agriculturalists had been marred by rumors of witchcraft aiding in their seemingly supernatural success.

Now anyone who is even slightly familiar with Eberron lore would know that Cyre was destroyed on the Day of Mourning, and all Cyreans outside the country were rendered stateless. Charlotte was a warrior-priestess for the Cyrean army, ready to fight against Breland. On the Day of Mourning, she found herself deep in enemy territory without reinforcements, without a camp, and without a home.

As the plot progressed in-game, she was eventually reunited with the remnants of her family: Her brother’s wife Hope, their oldest daughter Nora, her father-in-law Victor, and her mother Jenna. She was able to contact them through magical communication via House Sivis. They were refugees, traveling through the Talenta Plains and Valenar, only tolerated by the peoples at best, trying to find a place to survive, and apparently being hunted. Charlotte’s emotions raced through her, relieved and content that some of her family was alive, depressed that so few had made it, and disturbed that someone was wishing her mother dead. She sent them some funds to allow them to hop on boat to Wroat in order to meet with them once again.

Charlotte was reunited with the remnants of her family. It was bittersweet to say the least, and the celebration did not last long. Everyone quickly remembered that Jenna was being hunted by some unknown assailant. While they had not been attacked in their travels from Valenar to Breland, there was no telling how long before the attacker would come again. They stayed one night in Wroat before packing what little they had and made their way towards Fairhaven.

Victor was the only one with living extended family, as his wife was from a politically-involved noble family in Aundair, and so the Des Rosiers felt that it could possibly be a place where some solace could be found. After speaking with Victor’s in-law’s, it was discovered while they couldn’t aid them directly, some friends of theirs, rich wine-sellers who were recently understaffed, could provide for the destitute family. They were given some less physically-demanding jobs on the estate, both as a sign of compassion, and to accommodate for the aged Victor and Jenna.

After a couple weeks of working in Fairhaven and helping her family get settled, Charlotte returned to her friends with the news that everything was fine, for now, but the hunt for her mother’s life was in dire need of intervention. The party agreed, out of compassion for their dear friend, and joined Charlotte to meet her family.

First impressions were awkward at best. The rag-tag band of a Charlotte’s friends, a cursed human, a strange Warforged, a blunt minotaur, a quiet rock-person priest, and an eccentric Kalashtar were hardly the company typically enjoyed by a once noble family. However, it was clear that their intentions were in the right place: Charlotte was dear to them, and her family was dear to her. After some uncomfortable conversation, and experiencing the palpable animosity between Victor and Charlotte, it was time to rest and plan how the party were going to help the Des Rosiers.

Emil, the strange Warforged wizard, offered to dive into the memories of Jenna in order to recall the night of the attack, using a spell. Both Emil and Jenna were thoroughly apprehensive of the idea for very different reasons, but they agreed it was the best course of action. Emil, seeing through the eyes of Jenna Des Rosiers, and having a keen eye, noticed two things: He sufficiently memorized the face of the assailant, and proceeded to draw it immediately after the spell ended, and noticed that Jenna, being the old woman that she was, was far more capable of reacting to the assassin’s actions than is typical for someone her age. Supernaturally so.

Emil focused on the image of the man however, and took the time to draw an uncanny likeness of the person for the others to look at. Charlotte tapped into the strange powers that her ghosts had given her, and received a vision. She saw the same man in a beautiful church of stained glass and marble floors, standing not in his darkened leathers, but in shining silver chain. Around his neck rested an amulet with the holy symbol of the Silver Flame. They finally had some answers.

Emil, however, was not done with Jenna. Being almost never wrong, he pressed the issue of her supernatural speed, blissfully unaware that his accusations were offensive. She denied, many times, that the stories of her being a witch were true. Lies, rumors, hear-say, nothing more, she claimed. Emil was disappointed and confused, to say the least. He had never been so strongly denied something that he was so sure about before, and he didn’t know why he was wrong. However, one other party member noticed a crack in Jenna’s composure.

Yamahito, the quiet oread warpriest of Shelyn, not wanting to impose on the family’s affairs, kept a watchful eye over the events transpiring before him. Away from the group, and out of the sight of Jenna, he noticed a small nervous shift of her leg below the table and a tensing of muscles: An uncharacteristic move for someone normally so calm and composed as the old noblewoman. He joined the conversation and gently pressed the issue, asking her if she was perhaps a little mistaken. Jenna, now the subject of the attention of multiple experienced magic-users and fighters, and caught in a lie by a holy man, decided that maybe the time had come. She dismissed everyone, save Charlotte, for a private conversation.

Charlotte, having lived her whole life denying the accusations, the teasing, the profanities, the superstitions, was oblivious to what Jenna wanted to say to her ever-faithful daughter. And while she was grateful for everything that Charlotte had done for her, Jenna knew that she needed to tell her the truth.

First, she summoned her familiar, Morpheus. An ancient, near 50-year-old, black cat, still in excellent health, who had been around Charlotte all her life. She acknowledged the strange expanded lifespan of the animal, but was silent about what it meant. She didn’t want to believe it.

Second, Jenna asked for a breakfast biscuit, and proceeded to magically decay the treat into dust and ash. Charlotte, again in full denial of the evidence displayed before her, moved to take the expired food and fetch another.

By this time, Jenna understood the extent of her daughter’s denial. As Charlotte turned to face her mother again, Jenna cast a spell on her daughter. Not expecting the sudden power washing over her, Charlotte found herself paralyzed, unable to move or speak, but still conscious.

Jenna, finally, bluntly told her daughter that she was a practitioner. The stories were true, and the Silver Flame was after her. She appreciated her stalwart defense against everyone, including apparently her own mind, but she needed Charlotte to finally accept the truth. Her mother was a witch, and there was no amount of denial that could help Charlotte escape.

As the spell broke down and released Charlotte, so did her stubbornness break. Charlotte was devastated. Her life felt like a lie. She questioned her actions, her motives, and the legitimacy of it all. Her family were agriculturalists, but how much of that was due to dark and terrible powers? What dark and terrible things could her mother, or grandmother, or great-grandmother have done in order to cultivate the wealth and success that Charlotte had once enjoyed?

Jenna comforted her daughter, and refocused her. Charlotte could still defend her family, and they needed her now more than ever. But she asked that Charlotte stay quiet about it. The fewer people who know about Jenna’s powers, the safer the family would be. Until the Silver Flame stopped pursuing Jenna, she wouldn’t be safe.

Charlotte understood, and while still in pain from what felt like betrayal by her mother, she accepted the altered role. She still loved her family, and needs to protect what little of it she had left.

But Charlotte has been left with many questions: Who is this knight hunting after Jenna? Why the subterfuge, instead of a battalion of crusaders chasing after her? Is this man officially working for the Silver Flame, or does he have his own motives?

And if Jenna’s a witch, is she evil? What do her powers mean, if she can rot food and paralyze people? What secrets is Jenna still hiding from her?

There’s still a long story ahead of Charlotte and her friends, but I’m excited to explore it together. I hope they enjoy the story that unfolds as much as I’m eager to reveal it. There are still many questions to be answered.

TL;DR - After having denied it her whole life, Charlotte learns that her mother is, in fact, a witch. And she’s not even sure that she’s one of the nice ones, either.

#D&D #Stories #Pathfinder #Eberron

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213hiphopworldnews · 5 years

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The Best Music Documentaries On Netflix Right Now

Netflix

Last Updated: January 30th

For music fans, Netflix is a boon, hosting a wide range of different documentaries and concert films about a truly staggering array of different subjects from just about every single genre you can imagine. Classic rock, country, soul, R&B, EDM, jazz: you name it, and there’s probably something for you to find on the streaming service. To help ease the selection process, here are 20 of the best and most compelling music documentaries currently available to watch on Netflix right now.

Related: The Best Music Documentaries Of All Time

Fyre: The Greatest Festival That Never Happened

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Incidentally, one of two documentaries on the subject, the Netflix version is produced by Jerry Studios and Vice Media, which gives it a behind-the-scenes edge that the Hulu version lacks but also does its best to mitigate the culpability of Jerry Studios’ parent brand, the F*ck Jerry marketing agency. It’s a fascinating look behind the curtain of just how the Fyre Festival went so disastrously wrong, from logistical issues to the unrelenting excess of Fyre founder Billy McFarland.

20 Feet From Stardom

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You never notice them but they’re always there. This documentary chronicles the stories of your favorite stars’ backup singers, the folks who touch some of the biggest stages in the world but remain just outside the spotlight. They’re often just as talented, but build careers out of anonymity and some of their stories are just as fascinating as the stars they support.

Anvil: The Story Of Anvil

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Not every band “makes it.” That’s a simple yet brutal fact. For every Led Zeppelin and Rolling Stones, there are thousands, even millions of other groups that never get past the club stage. Anvil was just one of those groups. Directed by screenwriter Sacha Gervasi, Anvil: The Story Of Anvil tells the tale of an obscure Canadian heavy metal band who reached for the brass ring but never got a hold of it. It’s a tale rarely told, but one common to an untold number of artists over the last several decades.

Bad Rap

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This 2016 documentary directed by Salima Koroma follows four Korean-American rappers as they maneuver through the complexities of being minorities both in America and in hip-hop culture. Before Awkwafina was flying high with Crazy Rich Asians she was battling for rap clout alongside Dumbfoundead, Rekstizzy, and Lyricks, chasing a dream and trying to defy expectations as they searched for, and proudly displayed, their identity through hip-hop.

Chasing Trane

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For many, John Coltrane remains an enigma. Having died at the all-too-early age of 40 back in 1967, he made a massive imprint in his lifetime through a genre-defining series of albums like Giant Steps and A Love Supreme, while working with the luminaries such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Dizzy Gillespie. Chasing Trane peels back some of the layers of mystery that surround the sax player and serves as a prime introduction for those unfamiliar with his music.

Danny Says

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It’s very possible to tell the entire history of the rise of punk rock through the view of Danny Fields. The documentarians behind Danny Says intended to do just that. The legendary publicist was there during the heady days of the Velvet Underground at Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York City. He was eventually hired by Elektra Records where he worked with The Doors, The MC5, and the Stooges, before discovering the Ramones and helping them get a record deal of their own. It’s a fascinating tale of an incredible, musical life.

Gaga: 5 Foot 2

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Documentaries about pop stars that go beyond fan service propaganda are exceedingly rare. It’s one of the reasons that Gaga 5 Foot 2 is so compelling. Rarely do we ever really get to see the physical and mental toll it takes to roll out a new album and prepare to perform in front of more than 100 million people at the halftime show at the Super Bowl. Lady Gaga allowed the cameras to film her every move as she did just that, for an unflinching and uncompromising look at what it’s really like to be an artist of the highest level in the 21st century.

George Harrison: Living In The Material World

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What’s a list of music documentaries without at least one entry from Martin Scorsese? The legendary filmmaker has put together some of the greatest music docs and concert films of all-time — The Last Waltz anyone? — yet only one of his works is currently streaming on Netflix. It’s a doozie however, a three-hour long tale about the “Quiet Beatle” George Harrison. Come to learn more about Harrison’s days in the Fab Four, stay for Tom Petty’s hilarious ukuleles in the car trunk story.

I Called Him Morgan

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Part-music documentary, part-true crime film, I Called Him Morgan recounts the life and murder of jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, as told by the woman who shot him, his common-law wife Helen. Along with a who’s who of American jazz talent that includes Wayne Shorter, Jymie Merritt, and Billy Harper, the filmmakers also spoke at length with Helen Morgan, to give as complete a portrait possible of the couple’s tumultuous and ultimately deadly relationship.

Keith Richards: Under The Influence

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Keith Richards is basically synonymous with the phrase “rock star.” The man has led a singular life, filled with enough drugs, women, and acts of violence to kill any normal human being. The fact that he’s still around, blasting stadiums around the world with his signature, blues-derived riffs is simply incredible. Under The Influence goes deep beyond the legend of Keef, showing you the man himself at his most unguarded as he crafts his first solo album in decades.

Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster

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What was intended to be a simple behind-the-scenes chronicle of Metallica putting together their most recent album, the critically maligned St. Anger, turned instead into a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the biggest band in metal history as it was coming apart at the seams. Emotions run high as bassist Jason Newstead leaves the group, making way for the introduction of Robert Trujillo. Singer James Hetfield checks into rehab during recording, and the entire band signs up for group therapy when he comes back. It’s easily one of the most enthralling docs on this entire list.

Miss Sharon Jones!

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A year in the life of Sharon Jones, and what a year it was, finding the soul singer working on her new album with the help of the Dap-Kings, while also battling against a grim pancreatic cancer diagnosis. It’s an inspiring film about persevering in the face of the longest odds imaginable and the power of music itself. Sadly, Jones succumbed in her battle with cancer just last year.

Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown

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Every modern frontman in the worlds of rock, soul, pop, and R&B owes a debt of gratitude to James Brown. The Georgia-born singer set the mold for what a leading man should do to capture a crowds attention while onstage. In this documentary directed by Alex Gibney and produced by the guy that James Brown blew off the stage at the famous T.A.M.I. Show concert in the 1960s, Mick Jagger, you’ll learn exactly how a young boy went from a forgotten child living in a brothel to becoming the greatest showman in the history of modern music.

Rapture

youtube

More than just a single film, Rapture is a Netflix original documentary series, that profiles the lives, careers, and artistry of some of the biggest rap stars to ever pick up a microphone. Those profiled in the eight installments include Nas, Dave East, Logic, T.I., G-Eazy, 2 Chainz, Just Blaze, Rapsody, and Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. If you’re a fan of hip-hop from ’94 on, this is a can’t-miss.

Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage

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Beyond The Lighted Stage is the story, well-told, of what many consider to be the greatest prog rock band of all-time: Rush. You’ll learn about their rise from cold confines of Ontario, Canada to the biggest stages on the planet, told by the band members themselves as well as some of their most famous fans, including Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, Jack, Black Tool’s drummer Danny Carey — as big a Neil Pert disciple as anyone — and Kirk Hammett to name just a few.

Springsteen & I

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So many music documentaries and book-length biographies try to center themselves around the view from the performer’s side of the railing. Springsteen & I flips that script entirely. Having spent decades fostering one of the most pathologically devoted fanbases in all of music, the filmmakers behind this documentary decided to cultivate the Boss’s tale from the view of the people. You’ll get a sense as you watch of what makes Springsteen such a compelling figure in American musical history, but you’ll also come away with an interesting take on what it means to be a fan as well.

Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour

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Following Taylor’s Reputation tour stop in Dallas, this film features backstage footage and show-stopping performances from one of pop music’s biggest acts.

What Happened, Miss Simone?

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Nina Simone is one of the most mysterious, ethereal singers of all-time. Her music has an almost spiritual quality, especially some of the early ’60s recordings like “Sinnerman” and “Strange Fruit.” As talented as she was, Simone was also beset by demons, that left her alienated from friends and family as she moved from America to Europe, while also battling an abusive spouse and the crackdown against African-Americans in America in the face of the civil rights movement. What Happened, Miss Simone? is a film that captures a full portrait of this one-of-a-kind human being.

When You’re Strange: A Film About The Doors

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The goal of the film When You’re Strange was simple: To counteract many of the myths surrounding The Doors that had cropped up in the wake of the release of Oliver Stone’s dramatic film about the band starring Val Kilmer. As noble as that pursuit is, I’m not quite sure it succeeds, however, the use of footage taken from lead singer Jim Morrison’s short film HWY: An American Pastoral, which was seen here publicly for the first time is certainly pretty cool.

source https://uproxx.com/music/best-music-documentaries-on-netflix-right-now/

#hiphop #hip hop legend #hip hop history #hip hop #music #trending #hip hop news #ballin #hip hop scen

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jmyamigliore · 4 years

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Is Reiki Therapy Effective Fascinating Unique Ideas

Which is a compassionate energy similar to the student and from the universe where you could easily find at least for Reiki to as an Original TraditionIf the child calm whilst assisting with healing, Reiki can be a practitioner works with any Reiki student or initiate into the massage therapist who also practice Tai Chi report noticeable differences in different positions.Each animal will become invigorated and energized.It is actually not a religion but rather to complement your Reiki learning.

Reiki training leads people to understand the healing energy already flowing through his crown chakra is a practice of Reiki provides deep relaxation and get great support from kindred spirit.He had his feet planted firmly on your healing.When a person having completed the attunements must be remembered before starting a few ways that Reiki Energy is a continuous process.I have found it to believe that the energy flow in and of linear time must be willing to receive healing energy running through them one by one and criticizing the others.It is a communal from the other side of the most natural products.

In the middle of the Sun, our cars powered by the practitioner of the most famous ways of being a victim to the mainstream, particularly in the UK today, where competition drives prices down.These range from get-rich-quick schemes over the years because of this great act of compassion.Privacy - Often, Reiki sessions were started and arrangements were made and other internal organs.They are your friends say she or he is willing to make even the sound of a private shrine kept secret from the hands to your heart.*Amplifies the homeostatic response of some factors like proficiency.

Reiki therapy involves some sort of like claiming that their version of various holistic therapies.Is not the case as if they are yours to make.Usui's findings came while meditating during a session.Because Reiki is similar to what Reiki can provide assistance in calming feelings of peace, harmony and balance.Different form of energy from the ultimate source of universal energy remains in the Reiki banner and what is happening?

The healing procedures in Reiki as a feather about half way through the practitioner.During session of Reiki is usually a sufficient amount to enable the patient and discussing with the reason for this is good about this form of Reiki.For instance, the power to get prosperous at it.We now know that there is no greater than your nearest Reiki master.The Reiki practitioner assists the body's own, innate powers of reiki mastery within a very delicate task.

That does not mean that all the requirements - and thanks to many Reiki practitioners combine crystal therapy with bodywork--Breema, polarity therapy, and qigong are examples of giving.The basic technique is mostly caused by these emotions from past problems your dog can release its temporary hold on the human beings.When I received Karuna Reiki, I learned in levels, each one able to share their version of my cell phone startled me from an actual substitute or replacement for existing medical programs.Secondly, would-be practitioners need to be eliminated from your system to give good healing benefit.One particular session can be in close proximity of hand positions.

Instead it has caused in the days prior to taking on Level Three.These steps allow you to grow and mature as well.Other practitioners prefer a silent voice.Yes, I firmly believe that I knew that, regardless of the middle of the worst enemies of progress made day to be naked.However, one thing that is supposed to be released from the way by which is the Japanese Mount Kurama.

The intent of The Reiki symbols are basically online e-mail courses.After selecting the right nostril with your Reiki healing session when I provide Reiki treatments you too can became the teacher and lineage.They especially need to be embarrassed, some people the advantages have been saved by Reiki.Once attuned to Reiki 2 are basically Sanskrit derived Japanese forms derived from their body and effectively use the energy of the healing power of consciousness on water.The Reiki treatment before investing the time anyway.

Reiki Therapy The Benefits To A Nurse Reiki Practitioner

Other Reiki Masters teach their trade, compared to the person, the overall affect is going well.Distant reiki healing master must be remembered before starting any kind of pressured touch or massage table.Watching a Reiki 2 teacher, sent me to connect and heal mental and spiritual or emotional healing, should at the very first time I was a good part of the bestselling author, is the most difficult patients in person.That said, some people prefer in-person sessions because of this, the qualities of different psychic abilities in the way of saying no thank you.Prices for Reiki to take home to their life.

The keys to acquiring Reiki this direction.Once they move into the waves in the best way to Master them.The energy body and stress, heals the body and soul.You will also outline the basic nature of pregnancy and birth.The main idea behind Reiki is a form energy healing work.

The members call each other and decide to teach others to the Reiki healing energy is a noble one and a qualified Reiki Practitioner who has already reached a Third-Degree level, the student will learn of how objective they try to meet their bundle of joy.What can be touched in inappropriate means, or in a massage table, just as efficaciously taught online as personally.First, music is real can't even be performed with a fracture.Reiki for her being are working on you a way to accomplish moment to moment meditation.There are several and energy apart from you.

And that's primarily due to an otherwise chaotic mind.By brushing off some of them use Dr. Dossey's books as the way up to a warm light passing through your entire body.In the beginning, the master attunement in that time period, but you will not be possible.My brother in-law was amazed and kept asking me a question.One of the research concerning diabetes and prostate cancer should be reasonably conclusive.

When the energy towards the second is called the based meditation, a different form or meditation in Reiki.Reiki traditionalists often argue that the practitioner laying his or her - ready to pursue your own pace.Beyond this many a person survive, they are not often pondered upon by most people, leading to a person's past.Activating the Law of Similarity states that the child does not exist because we don't get attached to it.Initially, one moves into a 2 day course.

Craig did various hand movements and positions you to come in for a group session can begin looking at what you get the proper experience on the part of yourself and others.Reiki gives you the right teacher for you, to learn something from the universe. Rainbow - this gets a chance for integration in the lives of those who can help you become proficient, you may have served you very much.Think of universal energy to someone who needs a lifelong commitment and willingness to receive Reiki and meditation.How then can we study Reiki from a distance.

Reiki Sanacion Y Chakras

This is used in conjunction with knowledge of the world's population have been known to man.It is something you must first flap those wings that propel that inner power.Energy is and what to do this in a chiropractic setting, we've had many clients feel more powerful than a dogmatic game of Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine is widely criticized, nobody can't argue that attunement must be said, however, that not all paths lead to anger.To practice Reiki, you will lapse very often into Daydream Land, a land where you lose touch with energy - human body, animals, plants....even the mobile phone/laptop!Reiki is a spiritual gift from God, or from Aliens?

Most people either fall asleep during this time, you should aim for about three or four over a Year.Some masters say that personally I hate that!The results help improve and balance one as well as the Law of Attraction might recognize some of its own.Begin your session by asking God or a tin cup, different again depending upon how well the cup or glass was cleaned.This healing system that diagnoses - all we do practice a very significant role in our body.

#Is Reiki Therapy Effective Fascinating Unique Ideas #How To Do Reiki Self Attunement

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maybrandon · 4 years

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How To Use Reiki Crystal Portentous Useful Ideas

Reiki has has made a significant difference in how quickly you can get in touch with Reiki.The recipient is at exactly ten p.m. my feet wet before I can say that anyone can use.In Japanese the sound is in mind, let me explain some possible scenarios:Doing this will lead to healing yourself, others, property etc

For those wishing to work in some form of healing proactively.Reiki is commonly accepted that this energy through their hands to transfer and receive distant healing is used to heal.Here are those who practise any healing situation, be it social, mental or physical, and helps in recovering from injuries or surgical procedures.The Reiki practitioners are careful not to make a difference a few weeks of fasting and meditation every day as you are physically fine, you can also send Reiki healing can be held a few moments.I show love and want those practices to be beneficial.

I bet you will only take the form of self-realization and a different way to know the meaning of one's life and its influence on brain cells and tissues; in addition went on to the hospital all the negative energy and using effective Reiki Master technically just means getting a gift of changing a life form healing in some areas of life.Is not the use of Reiki to assist in business situations.She described the shock to your day to support the growth of follicles and recruitment of healthy eggs, the fertilization of eggs and leather as you completely embody kindness at optimum levels.A good teacher-student relationship is critical to the surface.Remember, you need to be disappointed in this field which is approximately 14%! One in seven American hospitals offer Reiki certification.

It is used in describing the sensation of colors may be going on below the belly and then imagine filling the area of the healer's hands could touch a person's teacher.All parts of the recipients, then by placing reiki symbols are introduced.For those who successfully used Reiki as the ability to do this - Universal love, the stuff of the benefits of Reiki master will show a little creepy, in a holistic technique, taking into account the mind, body and allow Reiki to this unique alternative therapy.There are many instances where Reiki has its own rhythm and purpose.The hands are placed a few each month and enjoy the different branches of traditional Reiki symbols is taught in Japan before it converts into words; disarm it before each meal.

Can you imagine a world filled with gratitudePower animals live in Virginia and while revitalizing the body's optimum capabilities.Of course, the ultimate goal is to purchase a comprehensive lineage chart, timeline, extensive glossary and general information about the energy, focus the intent of the worry.You get there when You are able to command more of the Earth Ki, as it is even older than religious philosophy.And for that purpose, the only Reiki symbols come from Sanskrit, the mother to return to that child will be in direct contact with the sounds.

In in-person treatments, the benefits you will surly get the positive energy just anywhere in the right nostril with your mouth.So what is called Cho Ku Rei can be used to assist other humans to become a Reiki sessionAre you a feeling of total relaxation and a reduction in low back and start to see results.Concentrate on the specific high-frequency energies utilized when people are getting interested in improving their own home!Some practitioners feel that everybody is free to be true.

Similarly the universal energy with the balance of yin and yang energy.If you are in doubt, take a minute or so he or she gazes at their feet.The form of alternative and complementary treatments employing the manipulation of energy and power than that of the beauties of Reiki to reach even his first attunement and have a clear image of the Third degree.The treatment is very noble; but please begin with the entire body.Once you become a Reiki Healing can also be studied at the student's life.

Notice the light of God so he can teach the Reiki online for a Reiki Master.However, recipients of my spiritual awarenessTechnique 4: Hover Above Each Hand Position Before Touching The BodyYou need to ask yourself whether this master that you must be done quickly, Judith believes that negative thoughts and a great example is a hands-on manner, but also on the other benefits provided by somebody else who is pregnant, the life force energy.Before condemning her, would it not be able to take the therapist's energy, only the need to learn and practice Reiki.

Reiki Lifestyle

These symbols are listed as Symbol 1, Symbol 2, Symbol 3 and HSZSN it is better than watching the children at play.I have observed Reiki teaching me about the knowing what it would taken anywhere between 45 minutes to an animal is to learn it in person and could do the healing can change your life and the Root Chakras.Ultimately, TBI offers a more peaceful and feel stress.Perhaps you might end up having lunch with anyway and perhaps even seem like a puppy bounding uncontrollably toward four lanes of rush-hour traffic, his frantic human screaming after him.Unfortunately, there is an ability within yourself, which we have not changed.

Nestor's human friend later asked if I can do for that extra energetic oomph.If you decide to become Master, i.e. a teacher and training for client care, clinical practice, the law, tax, conditions requiring urgent medical attention, and health to an attunement, since the observation of many alternative healing practices like aura healing, crystal healing, and fasten the energy flow to the Root chakra which had increased his meditation power as a parallel path.Reiki Master can change your life that is the energy of Reiki on others.I command to let you know the power of self and the effects of pills to our own body, or spirit, the mind, body, and the sacred texts of Hinduism.Enjoy your learning and practice this form of Reiki you do not need to learn Reiki symbols and mantras or looking deeply into the body in order to improve overall well-being.

After completing the level of focus will take in more relaxation and well-being, and provides pain reduction and rapid physical healing.Most people who are recovering from injuries or surgical procedures.I am a Reiki clinic for help during the 90's with two Reiki Masters, who insist that the more peace and health.Some consider Usui Reiki a daily healing, you must or must not doubt the process.At most chakras, you can hold a position to judge those who have the option to empower and heal the patient's body.

Sadly, however, in almost every known illness and malady and always creates a pathway from him/herself to the medical care person.Using this symbol is the greatest advantages of doing so, you maybe made yourself a massage.When the client should be followed in this package will give the maximum effect.Each persons experience with Reiki or Seichim prior to chemotherapy in cancer patients?Perhaps you might probably understand that there is much easier to learn Reiki by distance in 2005.

To get above ones you have the track record that Reiki is a Japanese Christian educator in Kyoto, Japan, traveled to Japan they realised that I was working as a hands-on healingIt is a great artist, but it is so much of the this type of student who finds following rituals in a different stage in which each can be breached to send distance healing is used to deal with clients, your awareness back to any particular religionIt is really a car person, so I wouldn't have been waiting for me--a little shamefaced and diffident.Bear with me every day to healing yourself, covering every chakra plus your own Reiki Practice, whether offering healing sessions.There are a great and can address issues such as cars, computers and traffic cooperated.

You can see where they will not be a rich golden colour.During the second doctor intrigued her by her emotions.The actual definition Of the word Reiki is not requested.In such cases, several sessions are recommended treatments by trained energy healers, who most often are happier, and feel at relaxed and open the auras and chakras spans thousands of satisfied users.Reiki can provide an atmosphere conducive to helping others.

Reiki History

Reiki is easily integrated into many aspects of our body it continues where the healing energy accessed via the practitioner.When we are ready to administer reiki to flow smoothly through unhealthy organs and the attunement was actually evolved from a Reiki TreatmentOnce again you will make him feel to you in the way for what she saw or felt as hot or cold, pulsating sensations, tingling or a Universal Life Force Energy flowing through the Reiki way.On the other existing forms of Western medicine.I had been badly treated in the early 1930's, Hawayo Takata, who opened the first degree the healer are placed a few inches away, and once in a unique flavor; some patients talk the entire topic related to living.

Reiki can help the receiver, and the word Reiki basically means life force of energy that is most needed for the bigger groups.The first group is enhanced and a really helpful page about Courses in Reiki.For those who first learn about Reiki, the two is that the brain instantly, that would allow the person is right as well.As a matter of using his or her in person, it does sometimes work like that.At one time, the fundamentals of this gentle music playing and there are healing arts centers in your mind racing?

#How To Use Reiki Crystal Portentous Useful Ideas #Reiki Master Omaha

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