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ichor-hunter · 4 years

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Prometheus

Prometheus Blood Code Study- Louis Amamiya

"A blood code received from Louis. It holds his will, built up and hardened by overcoming countless hardships in the name of the salvation of revenants. This code is well-balanced for combat but is somewhat fragile. Its Gifts bolster dodging and parrying."

Introduction to Blood Codes and Louis

Blood Codes is a class system in Code Vein that defines the abilities of a Revenant based on their blood. Each Blood Code is unique to each Revenant that resides within the Gaol of the Mist. Once a Revenant has awakened from their slumber after the BOR parasite has been placed in them, the blood takes on a Code which I believe derives from the characteristics of that Revenant.

As a Third Generation Revenant, Louis was awakened with the Blood Code of Prometheus. After his revival, he was determined to make lives better for all Revenants.

Greek Mythology

Louis’ Blood Code is based on the Greek God Prometheus.

Prometheus is a Trickster Titan who is famously known for gifting humans the element of fire. Zeus was enraged at Prometheus’ trickery and punished him. He forced him to be chained to a rock at the Caucasus and had his liver devoured by a giant eagle. Alas, Prometheus is immortal, so the liver would regenerate every night and then the eagle would continuously rip it out every time.

The liver was thought to be the source of human emotions. I would expand more on this, but if you search this article on google: prometheus bound liver by aeschylus at litcharts. It does a pretty great job breaking down this tidbit of symbolism.

Similarities Between Louis and Prometheus

Prometheus stole fire to save humankind. Louis is researching Blood Beads to help all Revenants. This is the main core of both of their philosophies: They're philanthropic, greatly known for their intelligence and are willing to do anything to help out their species and/or others, even if it means sacrificing themselves.

Prometheus' brother is Atlas in Greek lore and Yakumo Shinonome holds the Blood Code of Atlas. The Great War Titanomachy separated them when Prometheus joined Zeus' side. Their relationship in-game is different from their lore counterparts. With the amount of time Louis and Yakumo have been together, they're best friends and brothers. Everyone in the crew at home is found family, so these two are meant to be the best bro's you'll meet.

Hephaestus is Rin Murasame's Blood code. The relationship in-game is different from the Greek Lore as well. Prometheus stole fire from Hephaestus' workshop on Mount Olympus. Rin does have her workshop at home base, but she and Louis cooperate.

"This code is well-balanced for combat but is somewhat fragile. Its Gifts bolster dodging and parrying." Dodging and Parrying are the main highlights of this Blood Code due to the Prometheus nature, Prometheus was agile and evasive when it came to his laying out his tricks and cleverly carrying out his missions of deception during and after the war. The fragility must be linked with the liver portion of the lore, when he's at his most vulnerable.

Both the liver and Louis can regenerate. Concerning the symbolism of the liver, he does repress himself emotionally but he is passionate about making the lives of Revenants better in exchange. Louis' personality is subdued and he doesn't evoke much emotion since he is completely focused on his mission. However, we do see moments when he gets agitated and frustrated, especially confronting Karen's current state. He has so much empathy for Revenants and he doesn't like to see them suffer, especially in his Vestige memories with Kevin. He was willing to help him and probably many other Revenants since he cares about their survival.

In Louis' eyes, he believes it's his fault for not killing Cruz and feels he has to bear the burden of that mistake. We could interpret the punishment as Louis taking away Cruz's flame (the option of killing her), (In Louis memories, everywhere was in flames after Cruz frenzied) and then helping to save the Successors and Revenants in turn. Of course, he still feels guilty about it all and it’s completely different from Prometheus stealing fire for humans. Louis didn't steal anything tangibly, and he was given a choice that he shouldn't have to make. He was always carrying a punishment throughout his backstory and story in-game.

After Prometheus was saved by Heracles, Zeus ordered him to wear a steel ring from the chains he was bounded to, as a reminder of his punishment. In the game, Louis wears his ring on a chain around his neck.

Prometheus Gifts

Flame Weapon- Temporarily adds fire damage to you and your partner's current weapons Fire Storm- Shoots a series of flaming projectiles that stagger the enemy.

These two Gifts coincide with the story of Prometheus and stealing fire. With the Fire Storm gift, Louis can launch projectiles of flames towards the enemy. Prometheus sent fire to the humans from the workshop on Mount Olympus. With Flame Weapon, he grants you the ability to use flames on your weapon and Prometheus grants Humans flame so that they can use to see, create etc. Prometheus also taught humans how to use fire in metalwork, thus embedding fire on your weapon.

Phantom Assault -Vanish like mist, then do a jump slash. An offensive skill performed with One-handed swords / Halberd / Bayonet Deft Parry- Fully restores stamina when you parry an attack. Hasten- Uses the power of ichor to temporarily boost reflexes, enhancing your dodges. Savvy Evasion-Increases the amount of focus gained from dodging attacks. Eternal Blade Dance-An enhanced version of Blade Dance. Increases attack power when you dodge enemy attacks.

These Gifts are all related to evasion. Just as Prometheus snuck the fire away from the workshop, each of these skills is related to his intelligence and his implementing his methods through trickery.

Blade Dance-Temporarily increases attack power each time you damage an enemy with your weapon One-Handed Sword Mastery-Increases attack power when equipped with a one-handed sword.

Prometheus is linked with science and culture. Enhancing proficiency, creating things relating to science, developing methods on making things better for humans is what these gifts are based on. Also, this goes along with his abilities demonstrated in the Great War when Prometheus allied with Zeus.

Warding Mark-Temporarily applies the inhibit effect to your current weapon.

The inhibit status prevents the player from using Gifts that are linked with your Ichor. Prometheus brings gifts and resources to humans and prevents the Olympians from taking away resources from humans. This Gift is well placed in the lineup of Gifts for this Blood Code.

Strength/Dexterity up- Increases strength and dexterity

Prometheus gave humans the strength to survive with fire and taught them to perform tasks with their hands like metalwork.

Concluding Thoughts

Louis is the first character that gives you his Blood Code directly. His Blood Code is his gift to you to use in your battles against the Lost. In turn, you use the Code and the Gifts to expand your horizons within the game. Just like how Prometheus granted humans fire and humans learn to use fire in multiple ways. Louis’ presence is vital for proceeding in the game in the beginning and I commend the devs on creating such a complex character with an amazing correlation to the Greek God Prometheus.

This is the first Blood Code/lore post I've done so please let me know if this is okay and it makes sense! I could’ve expanded more on a few parts but I’m just testing the waters for now.

#code vein #code vein louis #code vein louis amamiya #code vein lore #blood code study #prometheus blood code #louis amamiya #code vein theory

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voices-ringing-out · 4 years

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MUSE INTRODUCTION: Beck

I wasn’t going to put this up because it will inevitably have many spoilers from my novel, but on the one hand, I rarely finish any novel I start, and on the other hand, I highly doubt anyone is actually gonna want to read it, so I’m not really spoiling anyone here. And besides, Beck is basically the only muse I have energy for right now because apparently he’s a comfort character for me, so I figure it’d probably be a good idea to get an intro for him out there, even if I haven’t figured that aspect of my muse page out yet. Here we go.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of severe bigotry, su*cide, scars, and betrayal.

EDIT: this got way too long lmao but it was nice to kind of map out Beck’s life before the novel starts, so feel free to ignore this post if you don’t wanna read a short biography lmao, this was almost entirely more character development for me than anything.

~ * ~

full name: Leslie Bryant Faulkner nicknames: Beck (his chosen name after he lost all memories and identity), Les. age: He was 30 when he died, so unless he puts energy into changing his appearance, that’s the age he presents as. gender: Cis male. sexual orientation: Pansexual with a leaning toward men. hair: Long, it falls against his shoulders. In life he was a very light blond, and still is, though there are now silvery strands interwoven, as well as the faintest green tinge; effects that happen the longer you’re in the afterlife - it’s sort of their form of aging. eyes: Grey. Though they go a cloudy white when he’s expending high amounts of energy. build: Average weight, slightly shorter than average height. birth place: London, England, though his family moved to a small eastern town in North America when he was young. ethnicity: English, scottish, welsh, irish, danish, and romanian; as far as he is aware. He’s quite the mutt. scars/body markings: The most noticeable are the scars that form a ring around his neck from how he died. He has various other scars on his arms, legs, and face, some from his own volition but most from the hard life he led before he died. He has a few small tattoos, one of a cat’s silhouette and one of a crescent moon to match the sun tattoo his brother had. zodiac sign: Sagittarius. alignment: Chaotic neutral. positive traits/strengths and skills: Passionate, fun-loving, clever; he once had a love for journaling, can throw a mean punch, and beat almost anyone at a drinking contest. He once played the violin, and enjoyed it immensely. negative traits/flaws: Growing cynicism, an addictive personality, mischievous; has a habit of pushing people away then clinging to them then repeating the process.

~ * ~

Beck was born in the year of 1882, in London, England, to a poor family; unable to continue making a living there, his family moved to a small town on the eastern coast of North America with the hope that many had of finding a better life across the sea. Beck was nine years old when they moved. Life was fairly uneventful for a while; his father worked as a coal miner while his mother worked at home trying to teach Beck, as well as his older sister - and his baby brother, born a little less than a year after they moved to America.

He was a difficult child, constantly curious and mischievous to a fault; any waking moment he had was spent exploring the town and the surrounding fields, trying to befriend any living thing he came across. He found it hard to make friends, if only because he was unable to go to the school with the other children, his family unable to afford it. More often than not, Beck found himself on the receiving end of mockery; the many reasons included his family’s financial status, his love for books, and the care he had for small animals - after getting into numerous scuffles with other boys in town to keep them from hurting the local wildlife, or the stray cats, he grew a ‘reputation’ for being a pansy, a girl, and other more vicous names. Physical fights were common, despite how much his mother fretted over him.

So while he still loved to explore and get into mischief, as Beck grew older, he spent most of his time at home helping to take care of his younger brother, and taking care of a small runt of a black cat that he had saved from a dog. He had become attached to the cat immediately and his parents had reluctantly agreed to let him keep it, as long as he took full responsibility.

After reaching adulthood, Beck had to leave home and find lodging in the city; his father had been injured in the mines, and couldn’t work anymore, leaving himself and his elder sister the primary breadwinners. His brother was still young by then; only just turned ten, and couldn’t work properly, though he tried to help by catching fish in the river near the town.

Beck managed to snag a job working for a newspaper office, helping with the printing press and selling papers. Every penny he managed to make he tried to send back home, oftentimes sleeping underneath awnings or roof outcrops on the street instead of paying for lodging elsewhere, just to make sure his family managed to get by.

He would visit home on the holidays, and had a close relationship with his brother; while Beck would send letters back home when he lived in the city, he would oftentimes write a separate letter, specially for his brother.

After an altercation with one of the higher ups in the business he worked for - a drunken dispute caused over a disagreement on wages - Beck moved back home for a time, at the age of 26, taking a temporary job at the mines his father had once worked for. He hated the work, hated the feeling of being smothered deep inside the earth, but he couldn’t afford to be picky.

A cave in happened at the mines, and while Beck made it out alive, he was injured, and several of the miners had died. After extensive pleading from his parents and siblings, Beck left the mining business and once again moved back to the city.

From there, he mostly worked odd jobs, including but not limited to bartending, being a stable hand, and a chimney sweep. His brother was old enough now to work, so Beck was able to save more money than before, eventually getting a place of his own - a tiny flat in downtown, but a place of his own.

And then it all began to go downhill. But for Beck, it seemed to be uphill - while working across the street from a theatre, he began to see one person in particular quite often: a man around his age, called Thomas, a middle class citizen with a love for theatre. The two of them hit it off, often going for drinks at a nearby pub as Beck got off work right around the time the final show of the night ended.

(MOST OF THE TRIGGERING CONTENT TAKES PLACE BELOW, SO READ ON WITH CAUTION.)

They became close friends, but Beck soon realised a complication: he thought of Thomas as more than friends, he thought of him romantically. He had had these feelings before in his life, but kept them secret for the sake of his family’s pride, and for his own benefit - he had come to terms with the feelings long ago but still kept them to himself.

After spending months writing journal entries about Thomas as a way to vent his feelings, he finally made a fateful decision: on his own birthday, December 13th, he would make a move. It seemed to him that Thomas felt as close to him as he did, and after all, this was the city, was it not? Surely he wasn’t misreading the signs, that maybe Thomas was like him, maybe they could have some sort of future together, outside of drinking buddies.

So, the night of December 13th, after leaving the pub where he and Thomas had made a toast to his birthday, they went for a walk as they often did, lingering for a while on the bridge near the center of the city, over the river. Beck was a tangle of nerves and butterflies in his stomach, but noticed that Thomas was watching him... that was a sign, right?

Beck tried to say something, but couldn’t get much more than the other’s name and a bit of stammering out so he took a chance and leaned in to attempt pecking the other on the cheek.

And that was when all hell broke loose. Thomas reacted violently, with disgust, and attempted to throw a punch. Beck panicked and ran, not stopping until he had run a good distance, unable to make it all the way back to his flat. He collapsed near a stable in an attempt to catch his breath and stave off the only worsening panic attack.

Before long, he heard a commotion, and hoisted himself up and onto the roof of the stable for a better look, only to see that Thomas and a mob of other men were coming down the street in his direction.

What followed was a frenzied chase, ending with Beck throwing himself into his flat and barricading the door, feeling as though his heart would explode, from both pain and exertion. The men were soon outside, beating at his door, and he could hear Thomas’ voice amongst the din, shouting the same threats and fury that the others were, all the noise blending into a blur of God’s so-called rage and wishes for death.

It seemed that there would be no escaping this. There was only one other exit out of his home, besides the front door, and it was a window already nearly shattering as the mob tried to gain entry.

So in a haze of terror and sorrow and grief and wishing so hard that he was with his family, Beck made one last decision: he would not allow the men outside to have the satisfaction of killing him and patting themselves on the back for it, as if they had done anything close to God’s will.

At first, in his daze, Beck crouched in the corner, drinking all the liquor he could find in his cabinets at a breakneck pace, before finally realising that that would take too long. He had hoped that it would kick in faster, hoped that if he were to go, then he could go in a way that seemed less violent, but no.

He managed to drag a rope out from his storage closet, throwing it over one of the rafters above his table, and well, one can imagine what happened next. Thomas and the men finally broke down the door only to find that they would not get the blood they had been thirsting for, because it was too late.

Beck has spent his life in the afterlife ever since; time doesn’t exist there so he wasn’t sure how long it took before he realised that he could haunt earth, before he realised that he had special powers, before he found out that he was a category of ghost known as a poltergeist. The only trick was... he had no memories. He had no memory of who he was, of who his family was, of how he died or of any of the past life he had lived. Outside of the scars on his body giving hints as toward how he died, and the clothes he had died in, Beck had nothing except the nickname he eventually gave himself.

Then the rumours are spread of a boy who can see ghosts, can talk to them, where almost no other living person can. And, well, the curiosity got the better of him, and that’s where our story starts.

#beck > character study #beck > headcanons #beck > biography

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tsarisfanfiction · 4 years

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History (Tales From The Heart)

Fandom: One Piece Rating: Teen Warnings: minor injury Characters: Penguin, Law, Shachi, Bepo

Penguin watched the hustle and bustle of the port town with no small amount of trepidation. Experience was a cruel teacher, and he'd learnt the hard way that a place like this would have a dark underbelly that was all too ready to snap up the unwary pirate. Sadly, the island itself had a reasonably large Marine presence, so they didn't have the luxury of blending in with the traders, leaving the dark underbelly their only way to get supplies, and information.

Law was convinced that this town had connections to Doflamingo. While the man himself had long since left North Blue and settled smugly on some poor island in the Grand Line – Dressroba, or something – his influence and information network still held sway in much of North Blue. Shachi, with his disarming attitude and mostly-hidden face, was the one in charge of information gathering on this particular island and had long since disappeared into the darkest depths with nothing but a baby den den mushi for company.

Bepo, as the most recognisable, was left on guard duty on board the Polar Tang, leaving Penguin and Law to procure supplies and listen to the local gossip. Nothing was free, from the food they were gathering to the information they obtained, and as always when they separated, part of Penguin worried for Shachi – his job was the most risky, but subterfuge never worked well with more than one person. They had a rendezvous time and place. Shachi would meet up with them later.

His attention was pulled back to the present by Law, who loaded his arms with more supplies. Penguin half-wondered if his role was only to be the pack mule, as holding their acquisitions seemed to be all he was doing, aside from keeping an ear out for interesting information not said quietly enough. So far, all anyone had mentioned in his earshot was a major auction of a high-ticket item that was supposedly about to start.

What this item was, no-one appeared to know. Besides him, Law quietly inquired of one of the vendors, who laughed and told him it was a secret and that if he wanted to know then he should head to the venue. She did throw in the titbit that there was no way kids like them would be able to afford it, but that they should take a look because it was a rare item they'd likely never seen before, and would never see again.

Not one to leave a stone unturned, Law thanked her politely – Penguin was certain it was an act because there was no way his often-brat of a captain knew actual manners – before heading for the auction. It happened to be not far from their planned rendezvous with Shachi, and Penguin caught sight of his nakama chatting and laughing with a couple of older men, seemingly unaware of the predatory look in their eyes. Penguin had to look away, knowing that it wasn't time to meet up and that Shachi's obliviousness to the potential danger was an act. There was no point tormenting himself by watching Shachi pretend he didn't know he was prey (would be prey, if he put a toe wrong and didn't get out of there at the right time).

He let the crowd press him forwards, surreptitiously gripping Law's sleeve so he didn't lose his small captain in the crush. A small hand gripped his own sleeve, and Penguin was reminded of the other reason for their current assignments – he could pass as Law's older brother far more convincingly than Shachi could, both in appearance and temperament.

Any sort of conversation would be impossible over the hubbub of excitement, so he didn't bother trying, although he did spare a thought for Shachi and his intelligence-gathering. Someone stepped up to the makeshift stage, an item concealed by cloth in his hands, and the crowd went wild. A raised hand commanded silence, and after several moments the noise dulled to a background murmur.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the man proclaimed. "Today we have a rare specimen to present to you. Once prolific, many of these were destroyed in fear that they were cursed. Created in what was once the most beautiful city in the whole of North Blue, I present to you…" He paused for dramatic effect, but Penguin's attention had been stolen by the painfully tight grip on his arm. Glancing at his captain, he saw Law's face twisted in a horrified snarl.

"Too tight," Penguin complained quietly. He went unheard as the man unveiled the item in his hands with great flourish, proclaiming it to be some statue of some historical figure or other.

The word 'Flevance' caught his attention, even without Law's grip tightening even further – a feat Penguin hadn't thought possible as he reflexively dropped the supplies he'd been holding.

Penguin had heard of Flevance. The tales had made it even as far as the sleepy little Swallow Island of a city ravaged by an incurable, highly contagious disease.

"Something so beautiful always has a price," Noona had said sadly at the news. It had been so far away, so outside of his world, that he'd never paid another thought to it.

Now, with Law's grip on his arm painful and cutting off all blood circulation, leaving his fingers a tingling mess, little things fell into place. Things he'd barely registered at the time, and never paid much attention to.

Law's sickness. His medical prowess. The way he hated guns and bullets even more than Penguin and Shachi did. The aversion to the colour white. The fact that he had no-one left from his childhood.

Small things in the grand scheme of things. Minor facts that had had seemingly little bearing on anything suddenly fell together as pieces of a much larger puzzle.

"Law-" he began, only to be drowned out by the excited crowd as they cheered and jeered. They seemed excited to be in the presence of something that had destroyed an entire city, unaware of a survivor in their very midst.

"-Rich bastards!"

"-Gonna sell for so much money-"

"Good thing they all died. Makes the relics worth so much more!"

Law snapped so fast Penguin got whiplash. A Room expanded over everyone, unnoticed by the frenzied crowd until the knife was drawn. Greedy exclamations were replaced by screams as everyone present found their torsos separated from their legs. His hand clamped tightly on Law's arm, Penguin found his torso being pulled along as Law surged forwards, slashing indiscriminately at anyone and everyone in his path. His legs stayed where they'd been standing, until he felt someone collide with them and push them to the ground, burying them under writhing body parts.

"Law!" he tried again, but it was as if his captain couldn't hear him as he diced up everyone in range on his quest to get to the statue, sitting innocently amongst the carnage. Penguin thought he'd break it – certainly, he seemed angry enough, but he simply swept it up into his arm before returning his attention to the crowd of human jigsaw puzzles in front of him and gesturing with his fingers. Everyone present was rearranged, jumbled up into creatures that could barely be called humanoid, before Law pushed through, heading back blindly to the Tang, and Bepo.

"My legs!" Penguin protested, feeling them shifting with Law's victims. "Law! Hey! Law!" His complaints fell on deaf ears, and shaking Law's arm did nothing to help as he was dragged back towards the Polar Tang. He felt his legs shifting, something tugging one way and the other, and winced.

They reached the ship and Law Shambled himself on board, almost losing Penguin in the process, and making poor Bepo jump out of his skin.

"Captain, what-" the mink started, but Law barged past him, provoking a 'sorry'. Penguin found himself dropped on the deck as his grip, weakened by the Shambles, finally failed. The white lead statue landed next to him and he glared at it, hating it for what it had caused. Law was suffering and he didn't know how to help. It was as if the younger boy had shut himself away from the world in his own private bubble. The fact that Penguin's legs seemed to be lost for good, even though he could feel them being shunted around still, did nothing to improve his mood.

Law reappeared a moment later and slashed down with Kikoku, the cursed blade still too big for him to use properly. Penguin failed to roll out of the way fast enough and found himself with a deep gash in his arm, which burned. Kikoku had bitten him before, but it was nothing like that and he cried out.

Bepo hurried to his side, helping him out of the nodachi's range and a paw pressing down on the wound automatically even as they both watched their captain mutilate the statue with Kikoku, the cursed sword somehow finding the ability to slice the lead up. Breathing heavily, Law dropped the blade after he was done, the sword landing on the deck with a loud clink, and grabbed at the remains of the statue, hurling it frantically overboard handful after handful. Only once he was done did he seem to calm, his chest heaving slowly and steadily as it slowly returned to a more regular rhythm.

"We're leaving," he said, turning to face them before freezing, eyes wide in horror. "Penguin!" he exclaimed, falling to his knees and gently yet firmly shifting Bepo's bloodstained paw out of the way to view the damage. "What did I-" he started, trembling, and Penguin had to force a grin onto his face despite the pain and uncertainty inside, his uninjured arm reaching out so he could grip Law's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's okay," he lied, hiding that his arm burned as if it was on fire and that his legs felt battered and bruised, wherever they were. "Nothing serious, right? Just a cut. It'll heal up in no time." Law had produced some sort of antiseptic and a roll of bandages from somewhere and was dabbing at the wound gently. Penguin fought to hide the wince, and thought he succeeded well enough as Law bandaged up the gash tenderly.

"I'm sorry," he managed. Penguin waved the apology away.

"I said it's okay," he reminded him. "Although I wouldn't mind getting my legs back," he admitted.

"You mean these?" Shachi asked, and Penguin turned his head to see the ginger huffing and puffing on the deck, a pair of legs clutched in his arms. "What happened to our rendezvous?" he demanded, setting the legs down by Penguin, and from the sensations Penguin felt they were definitely his legs. That was a relief. "Do you know how hard it was to get away from those guys in all that commotion?"

"Sorry," Law repeated. "I… It brought up some unpleasant memories." He helped Penguin reattach his legs, and the older teen sighed in relief at the sensation of being put back together.

"I figured," the ginger huffed, but not unkindly, before pulling Law into a hug. Penguin realised that Shachi had made the same connections he had. Bepo looked confused, but if there was one thing the mink knew (aside from fighting), it was hugs and before long all three humans had been pulled into his embrace, Law firmly in the centre.

Law wasn't going to open up to them then and there. Penguin knew that, but he hoped that maybe, one day, he'd be able to talk about it. In the meantime, all they could do was show him they were there for him, no matter what happened.

#one piece #one piece fanfiction #heart pirates #tales from the heart #tsari writes fanfiction #trafalgar law #penguin #shachi #bepo #flevance

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downspiral-dreamer · 4 years

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CHARACTER INTRODUCTION: Beck - Six Feet Under The Stars

I wasn’t going to put this up because it will inevitably have many spoilers from my novel, but on the one hand, I rarely finish any novel I start, and on the other hand, I highly doubt anyone is actually gonna want to read it, so I’m not really spoiling anyone here. And besides, Beck and specifically JUST Beck is basically the only character I have energy for right now I have energy for right now because apparently he’s a comfort character for me, so I figure it’d probably be a good idea to get an intro for him out there. I might try to work on the novel some more later, we’ll see.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of severe bigotry, su*cide, scars, and betrayal.

~ * ~

(MOST OF THE TRIGGERING CONTENT TAKES PLACE BELOW, SO READ ON WITH CAUTION.)

Beck tried to say something, but couldn’t get much more than the other’s name and a bit of stammering out so he took a chance and leaned in to attempt pecking the other on the cheek.

It seemed that there would be no escaping this. There was only one other exit out of his home, besides the front door, and it was a window already nearly shattering as the mob tried to gain entry.

Beck has spent his life in the afterlife ever since; time doesn’t exist there so he wasn’t sure how long it took before he realised that he could haunt earth, before he realised that he had special powers, before he found out that he was a category of ghost known as a poltergeist. The only trick was… he had no memories. He had no memory of who he was, of who his family was, of how he died or of any of the past life he had lived. Outside of the scars on his body giving hints as toward how he died, and the clothes he had died in, Beck had nothing except the nickname he eventually gave himself.

#oc: beck #wip: six feet under the stars #writeblr #writeblr community #new writeblr

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funnythingshere0-blog · 5 years

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[Horror Queers] Talking Troma, “Bad Movies” and Juvenile Humor In 'Rabid Grannies'

New Post has been published on https://funnythingshere.xyz/horror-queers-talking-troma-bad-movies-and-juvenile-humor-in-rabid-grannies/

[Horror Queers] Talking Troma, “Bad Movies” and Juvenile Humor In 'Rabid Grannies'

Each month in Horror Queers, Joe and Trace tackle a horror film with LGBTQ+ themes, a high camp quotient or both. For lifelong queer horror fans like us, there’s as much value in serious discussions about representation as there is in reading a ridiculously silly/fun horror film with a YAS KWEEN mentality. Just know that at no point will we be getting Babashook.

As two gay men, we have opted to use the moniker “Horror Queers” for this series of articles. It is a word that has a complicated history due to its derogatory use by bullies and hateful people, but has increasingly been adopted as a term of empowerment and a unifying term that recognizes the many complex identities that make up the LGBTIQQ community. Queer has become commonplace in academia, politics and pop culture over the past three decades. We understand and recognize that the term is still very hurtful for some people, but we believe that the more people that proudly reclaim it, the more the wounds and stigma surrounding the term are reduced. Using the word “queer” is intensely personal, but it is a decision that we are committed to. Please don’t be an asshole when using it and we’ll get along fine.

***SPOILERS for Rabid Grannies to follow.***

Synopsis for Rabid Grannies: When given a demonic present by their black sheep nephew, two kindly old grannies are transformed into demons who proceed to gorily knock-off their greedy relatives.

Queer Aspect: Surprisingly enough there is one! Eldest niece Erika (Bobette Jouret) is a lesbian…which just means that she literally dies first.

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Joe

Trace, of all of the “off-cycle” picks on our list, Rabid Grannies is probably the oddest of the bunch. This film first came to my attention when I was watching the 2016 documentary Forgotten Scares: An In-depth Look at Flemish Horror Cinema last year; Rabid Grannies is featured prominently in both the trailer and the promotional stills for its practical effects and gory execution. Part of the attraction, for me at least, is that it looks like a Flemish version of Peter Jackson’s Dead/Alive, which is one of my all time favourite horror films.

It looked absolutely insane and immediately vaulted up my “Must See” list. I knew — despite the fact that it isn’t a queer cult film per se — that I wanted to check it out for this series.

Now that we’ve screened it, I have to say that I’m a little sad because it’s much more of a mixed bag than I had hoped.

The opening of the film actually reminds a bit of your last pick, Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives, because it’s essentially just an extended bitch session. The frenzied series of car rides featuring a diverse group of relatives jockeying for position en route to Grannies Elizabeth (Danielle Daven) and Victoria (Anne-Marie Fox)’s mansion has a kinetic energy, even if it is also confusing as hell. The fact that every single one of these people is reprehensible and money-grubbing establishes an odd relationship with the audience: you either find them comedically amusing in a terrible way or you abhor them and just have to wait patiently for them to start dropping like flies.

Rabid Grannies feels like it was inspired by a deep appreciation of low-budget American horror films, particularly Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films. There’s also a Clue-esque vibe in the gathering of a group of characters who don’t particularly care for each other who are separated in a desolate mansion and picked off. While Rabid Grannies can’t quite replicate or sustain the high camp energy of Rami’s or Lynn’s films, it does share a similar madcap sensibility that, particularly early on, makes it a strong horror-comedy entry.

Part of where the film begins to falter for me is its unorthodox choice of survivors. I will confess that I was delighted to see a sharp-tongued older lesbian among the relatives, particularly since her barbs are among the best aside from rotund Fred (Guy Van Riet). I was looking forward to watching Erika fall apart or leer at Fred’s new wife Jessica (Françoise Lamoureux), so it was extremely disappointing when Erika was the first to go. Sure her death is one of the best of the film — dragged (literally!) across the table and straight into the unhinged jaws of Grannie Elizabeth — but why kill her and leave dull as dishwater father John (Elie Lison), warmonger Harvey (Jacques Mayar) or, worst of all, family virgin Bertha (Florine Elslande)? There really is no rhyme or reason why someone survives longer than anyone else, but it feels like the more outlandish and entertaining the personality, the sooner they perish. Perhaps this says more about my appetite for drama and bitchy one-liners, but I’ll admit that I was perplexed by some of these narrative decisions.

The screenplay is arguably the film’s weakest link. While it hardly takes any time to transform the Grannies into their rabid demonic state, there’s not much narrative ground left to explore afterwards. The guest list is extensive enough that there are plenty of bodies to pile up, but everything after the dinner is a variation of the same repetitive development: a small group of survivors hide, the Grannies discover them and at least one person is attacked, mutilated or killed. It’s not dissimilar to a slasher film, but Rabid Grannies also feels more slight (possibly due to the comedy, which lands more often than not, but still makes parts of the film read as shallow).

Perhaps this is a good point to turn it over to you, Trace: did you like Rabid Grannies? Which characters did you prefer? Were you surprised by any of the deaths or gore? And is this film a perfect acquisition for Troma, who wound up releasing the film to cult status in North America?

Trace

Jesus, Joe. I know you weren’t crazy about Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives but did I really deserve this? I’m glad you brought up Dead Alive, though, because all I could think of the entire time was that Rabid Grannies was a mixture of that and Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre. I dislike one of those things, and it isn’t Faerie Tale Theatre. I imagine it must come as a shock to you that I am not a fan of Dead Alive, but I’ve just never been able to get behind the film. Other than the outstanding gore, nothing in that film works for me. Some laughs throughout, but I roll my eyes. The poor production value (and terrible dubbing) didn’t make this experience any less painful. So to answer your question: no, I did not like Rabid Grannies.

I actually found the first 30 minutes of the film pretty difficult to sit through. It draaaaaaaaagged. Not only were none of the characters interesting (or likeable), but none of their jokes were funny! For a first act that goes through the motions of setting up the characters and their relationships, none of it was particularly memorable. Seriously, I’d be hard-pressed to tell you any of their names (the only one that stuck with me was Robert Du Bois’ Percival). So put me in the “abhor them and just have to wait patiently for them to start dropping like flies” camp.

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Alas, you are correct in that Erika was the most fun to watch, so I suppose she would be my “favorite” character. That’s sort of like picking the prettiest turd in the pile, though. Making a lesbian one of the protagonists is a progressive move, especially for a film made in 1988. I was shocked that there was only one joke made at her expense, and it was from the odious Fred. But of course, Erika dies first. Does the good cancel out the bad here?

The one bright spot in the film, much like Dead Alive, is the gore and make-up effects. They are pretty outstanding, especially for a Troma film. Admittedly, I don’t know much about Troma (this is actually the first film of the studio’s that I’ve seen), but to my understanding they specialize in low-budget films (usually horror) that feature lots of jokes made in poor taste. Nevertheless, all of the money clearly went to the effects, because they certainly didn’t go to the actors. The design of the “grannies” (aunties?) reminded me a lot of Anjelica Huston’s makeup in The Witches (though The Witches was released a full two years after Rabid Grannies).

As you mentioned, the script is the weakest link and because of that none of the jokes really land. The gallows humor present in most of the death scenes are played for laughs, the funniest of which is that woman (again, I couldn’t even tell you her name) getting hit by the car before crashing face-first into a wrought iron fence. The bit right before her death scene in which she is forced to sing “Happy Birthday To You” is one of the film’s few highlights. Rabid Grannies really embraces its ridiculousness so I’ve got to give it that.

Joe, why do you think this film was such a hit in North America? Which version of the film did you watch? Upon doing some research, it seems that the Blu-Ray cut has additional gore scenes that the Troma DVD had removed (they were relegated to the deleted scenes in the special features). The version I watched (on Amazon Prime) was 88 minutes, and it looks like there is a 91-minute cut, so maybe I saw the edited version. Would I have liked it more had I seen the uncut version? I doubt it, but one can hope.

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Joe

Oh Trace, I can’t believe you didn’t find some of those ridiculous line readings and sight gags funny! Yes, Jessica’s vehicular/gate crashing death is delightful, but didn’t you find some humour in Fred getting a bite taken out of his ass? Or cringe when John yells at Erika’s younger lover, “Listen lesbian, shut the hell up!” Or when distraught mother Helen (Catherine Aymerie) threatens Percival with a blade to the balls and the line: “I’ll knife those two holy orbs you have so little use for”?

Bueller? Bueller? No, just me?

Your point about the different versions prompted me to investigate which edit I watched. Looks like I also watched the 88 min version – not that I think any additional amount of gore would change your opinion of this film if it’s not up your alley.

Circling back: the question of why it was a hit for Troma is interesting. I imagine that the short answer is because it’s a silly, ridiculous film with some pretty decent special effects. The larger question, however, is what I’d rather we discuss: the appeal of “bad” horror films. I find this topic fascinating because – as we’ve discussed over the past two installments of this series – films that fall into these categories are very polarizing.

Did we disagree on Sorority Row? Yes, but there’s no denying that that film has merit. Contrast that with a film like Rabid Grannies, which is pretty threadbare in terms of plot, acting, direction, etc and there’s a huge distinction. I bet that if we look at the numbers for this post and the Trannies post, they’ll be among our lowest because there is a whole population of horror fans who will simply never watch horror movies that are quote/unquote “this bad”.

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Back when I was in university, I did a bunch of research on the subject, which is sometimes captured under the label paracinema (Sidebar: there’s even a magazine based out of Austin entitled Paracinema). It is an umbrella term used to describe exploitation films (like Trannies), as well as cult and camp films. Both of the latter terms have factored into our decision-making process when we’ve been selecting these off-cycle picks.

There’s a fascinating, contentious history of paracinema films being banned or edited by film boards and government censors at various times in history (a lot of the films that were classified as video nasties in the UK that have since been “rescued” would have classified as paracinema back in the day). Part of the claim for shelving, trimming or destroying prints of these films is that they do not have a perceived “value”, which is actually an inappropriate use of the term. What critics and censors are really talking about is a matter of taste.

What does any of this have to do with Rabid Grannies? Well, it’s not hard to make the argument that the Flemish film falls into both cult and camp categories, or that its multiple edits (and release under the Troma brand) reinforces its classification as paracinema. It’s unsurprising that neither of us had seen this because it was deliberately made for a very specific niche audience (which clearly isn’t us!).

While I’m actually more in line with you in that I didn’t really like the film that much (I certainly won’t be strongly recommending it to anyone in the near future), I’m also strangely happy that this weird little oddity exists in the world. If nothing else, I’m glad that Horror Queers has given us an outlet to shine a light on underseen, undervalued and – in this case – strange little outliers of the horror canon. Even more importantly, it has enabled us to have a discussion about these films. We don’t have to like everything we see, but paracinema makes the argument that some people’s trash is other people’s treasure.

Trace: what have you taken away from the low-budget, exploitation, camp films we’ve watched these last two cycles? Will you seek out any other Troma films or has this soured your opinion on the brand? And do you have any final hot takes on Rabid Grannies?

Trace

I don’t want to say that Rabid Grannies has soured my opinion on the Troma brand. It pretty much is exactly what I expected it to be; I just didn’t find this particular film to be entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy bad movies! I think our discussions here have made this very clear. But this was…..not for me (also, how dare you compare something as immaculate as Sorority Row to this trash). And no, none of those “jokes” landed for me. Truthfully, I probably won’t seek out any Troma films in the future, but if someone brings one to movie night I’ll give it a chance. I’ve had a friend who has tried to make me watch Luther the Geek for almost a full year now and I keep avoiding it.

I would love to get into what exactly constitutes a “hit” for Troma though. I had never heard of this movie before you forced me to watch it so I just wonder what measurements we’re looking at, here. This is simply going off of the film’s Wikipedia page, but the exact quote reads “Due to its unusual subject and title and its graphic scenes of gore, Rabid Grannies is one of the most infamous titles in the Troma library.” Yes, I am a journalist referencing Wikipedia as a legitimate source, but there aren’t a lot of articles that have been written about this movie!

Like you said, we probably won’t get a lot of readers on this article because some people just aren’t going to watch this movie, even if it’s free (which it is)! One of our goals as journalists (besides inspiring lively discussions) is to help the site we write for get clicks, but I don’t think this will accomplish that particular goal (and to be quite honest, I thought our Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives piece would get clicks if only because of the word “tranny” but I was wrong about that). That being said, I am thankful you introduced me to the world of Troma and that we have a platform like Bloody-Disgusting to bring attention to films like this one.

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Even after having a few days to sit on it, I just don’t have a ton to say about Rabid Grannies. I can certainly see why some people enjoy it, but other than the impressive practical effects it doesn’t have much going for it. It’s just an incredibly off-putting film. It’s a shame that Emmanuel Kervyn never went on to direct anything else (though he did have a small role in Kickboxer 2: The Road Back). He shows some talent behind the camera that could have been honed into something a bit better than Rabid Grannies.

So no, Joe, Rabid Grannies was not to my liking. I’m glad you got some enjoyment out of it, though! Maybe we can cover the sequel when it gets released next year (God help me). One of my favorite things about these articles is that A) not only are we becoming closer friends despite not having met in person but B) we’re also learning so much about the different things people find funny. I realize this is a bit odd considering this is a horror column on a horror website, but you get what I mean. What people find funny and what people find scary are both extremely subjective, so it’s enjoyable to read why you find parts of this doo-doo feces movie so funny. I’ll get you back for this one, Joe!

Next time on Horror Queers: We are giving you what you’ve been clamouring for nearly a year: A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge (aka the gayest horror film ever made!)

Rabid Grannies is available to watch FOR FREE (with terrible dubbing) on YouTube and Amazon Prime.

And don’t forget to catch up on our previous Horror Queers articles right here!

Source: https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3529209/horror-queers-talking-troma-bad-movies-juvenile-humor-rabid-grannies/

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trilotechcorp · 7 years

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New Post has been published on PBA-Live

New Post has been published on http://pba-live.com/damian-lillard-knows-the-power-of-social-media-for-athletes/

Damian Lillard knows the power of social media for athletes

Just a few years ago, social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram were used by athletes mostly for status updates at the spur of the moment, random photos at the gym or loose chats back and forth with close friends. But players like Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard have quickly learned how powerful those platforms can be.

Unlike players now, who have accounts before they reach high school and have massive followings by the time they’re making college decisions, Lillard didn’t take the plunge and create an account until some nudging from a friend at Weber State, which led to his aptly titled initial @MrWeberState Twitter account.

At the time, building his brand was a distant thought, and he mostly used the account to fire off commentary during live games, tweet out his favorite song lyrics and talk to friends.

“I never really dove into it,” Lillard said of his social media use in college, during a recent episode of the Nice Kicks podcast. “I was really just consumed with trying to make it to the league. I never paid attention to it.”

That all changed once he turned pro. After being selected sixth overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2012 draft — deemed a reach by pundits at the time — Lillard established himself on the court right out the gate, racking up countless awards in his first year. He won co-MVP of the summer league, was named first-team All-Rookie, and went on to win Rookie of the Year, all while leading the league in minutes played. He also won a much less publicized award that the league had quietly added to the mix: Social Media Rookie of the Year.

“When I got to the league, that’s when I realized how useful it could be,” said Lillard, “as far as growing your brand and allowing people to get to know you as a person.”

During his time in the NBA, Lillard has racked up a total of nearly eight million followers across his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels. That’s far from the most — LeBron James has a combined 80 million — but Lillard consistently ranks among the top handful of NBA players in terms of engagement and activity, an ever-valuable measure of influence online. He’s also taken up an interest and learned how to navigate each separate platform differently, working in tandem through the years with Nate Jones, his marketing rep at Goodwin Sports Management.

Part of the strategy involves weaving in his seven global endorsement deals and three regional sponsorships through his flow of social posts, while also keeping a tone that strays away from feeling too forced, pushy and promotional. Among all eleven current NBA players with a Nike, Jordan, Adidas or Under Armour signature shoe during this past season, Lillard had over twice as many branded Instagram posts as the next closest athlete, James Harden.

He was routinely featuring his “Dame” signature series and his Adidas association within his feed, amounting for more than 3.5 times as many branded posts as Nike’s signature stars Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who ranked third and fourth. Nevertheless, he feels he’s mastered the balance of posting products, while also maintaining every brand’s favorite buzz word: “authenticity.”

“People know that what I’m doing, they know it’s going to be genuine. They know it’s real,” Lillard said. “I’m not pitching nothing at you. It’s never going to be fake. When I’m constantly posting stuff, it’s always related to me. It’s never like, ‘Sign up for this, and use my code.’ [laughs] It’s never like the corny stuff where you’re using people. It’s more inviting them. You’re inviting them to be a part of something, as opposed to just trying to sell something.”

Lillard’s deal with Adidas includes a set annual budget for his social media campaigns, encompassing anything from photo shoots for imagery to money used to boost reach and promote an individual post to a wider audience. Earlier this year, Lillard took an entirely unique approach to seeding his third signature shoe out to media members and influencers.

Rather than package the shoe in a grandiose box or include a gift card to a high-priced restaurant, as other athletes have done, Lillard provided a $500 charity donation card, nestled next to a pair of his new Adidas Dame 3 sneakers. Recipients were able to pick any charity or organization of their liking. The donation concept went on to benefit dozens of charities around the United States.

“The simple answer is four years of college better prepared Damian for the responsibilities that go with being a superstar athlete and pitchman,” said Eric Goodwin, who along with his twin brother Aaron, represents Lillard and other NBA players at their Goodwin Sports agency. “He understands the value of connecting with fans in authentic ways and there is no better way to do that today than through social media.”

As he’s grown more comfortable with sharing his voice, Lillard hasn’t shied away from using his platform to speak on social issues that he feels warrant his attention. Each spring on Instagram, he’ll often highlight and congratulate fellow family members graduating from high school and college, as he did. He’s a key global ambassador for the Special Olympics and an advocate for anti-bullying initiatives.

In addition to his community events centered in California and Oregon, Lillard has also built up an online community of aspiring musicians, through his own #4BarFriday concept. “Four bars” is a technical phrase in rap music, simply representing four lines of written lyrics. It also just so happened to fit perfectly within a 15-second video, the initial time limit when Instagram first introduced video to the platform in 2013. (Users can now upload videos up to 60 seconds in length.) Lillard came up with the concept himself while jotting down notes in his journal in his bedroom.

“I always share my ideas with Nate Jones, and he’s the person that brings it to light and makes it as strong as possible after I come up with the idea and my vision for it,” he says.

Since Lillard’s first post, rappers have posted their #4BarFriday submissions weekly, racking up almost 70,000 posts. Each Friday, Lillard will also re-post a few of his favorite raps on his own account, providing massive visibility to a sea of aspiring artists.

“It started off with me just saying, ‘I just want people to be able to hear me rap,'” Lillard reflects. “From there, it turned into people caring about what they submitted and taking pride in it.”

In recent years, it’s blossomed into more than just a weekly Instagram contest. Lillard now leverages his endorsement deal with JBL Audio to provide speakers and headphones to weekly winners. He’s even flown out #4BarFriday rappers to perform at concerts that he’s hosted during NBA All-Star Weekend. His willingness to share his own music has also grown each summer. He started out by posting a new song on Soundcloud each Monday during the summer of 2015. Last year, he released a full studio album, “The Letter O,” which quickly rose to No. 2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart.

While he’s grown to enjoy utilizing all of the exposure and visibility that social media has afforded him so far as a pro, Lillard is still wary of the effects and impact of too much attention for younger athletes, like prep phenoms Zion Williamson and LaMelo Ball. The duo faced off in an exhibition game in Las Vegas before Adidas’ annual summer championship AAU tournament last month. A livestream of the game on Facebook drew in as many as 75,000 viewers at once. Lillard arrived 90 minutes early to secure his front-row seat.

“All the other athletes [there] are fans of dudes that are the same age as them. I’m not used to that,” said Lillard of the frenzy caused by Williamson and Ball among their peers. “You’re supposed to look at them like, ‘They not that good!’ Almost hating on them. They’re competition. That was different. I think back to when I was in the 10th grade, and I went to a game with my boy P [Phil Taylor] and Jerryd Bayless was playing. They’re like, ‘He’s gonna be the No. 1 pick!’ We’re looking at him like, ‘He good, but he’s not better than me.’ [laughs] Now, these dudes have their phone out recording another 16-year-old.”

More than anything, Lillard knows firsthand just how ruthless people can also be at times online, whether it’s commenting to him on Instagram or Twitter when things don’t go right, or, even worse, sending harsh messages to a phenom still in high school. He expects both players to handle the pressures well, and continue advancing their careers. While everyone deals with naysayers in their own way, Lillard still enjoys firing back at critics online from time to time, pointing to the continual improvement he’s made each year in the NBA.

“People tell me all the time, ‘Man, you don’t gotta respond to it.’ But I’m always going to say something,” Lillard said. “Sometimes, that’s the last thing they expect. Or, they don’t want to have to explain what they said, or they don’t want that type of confrontation.”

Regardless, Lillard doesn’t stress it, because his routine doesn’t allow him to lose sight of his priority: the game of basketball.

“It’s easy for me to dismiss, because I know the first thing that I do every day is get up and go work out. I do my conditioning, and I’m in the weight room. I know first things are always first,” he said. “And then, I can go rap as long as I want to [laughs]. If I put out a quality album, and then I come out and have my best season … How much weight does what they’re saying have?”

Nick DePaula is the creative director for Nice Kicks and former editor-in-chief of Sole Collector Magazine.

Author: Nick DePaula Source: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/20258850/damian-lillard-knows-power-social-media-athletes

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