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raidante · 1 year

Note

Hey just stumbled on your blog and I LOVE YOUR OC DESIGNS and would love to know the lore to them are

THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME!! LIKE SERIOUSLY!! THIS SHIT MAKES ME WANNA CRY!! Thank you so fucking much.

Well it's pretty transparent that they are all SMT based OCs, the scenario they're from is essentially my fan SMT game scenario because I just... really want a really good true to form SMT game that leans into stuff that made the series unique... as well as I love imagining the idea of what if this game came out in like, the early 2000's like Nocturne did for funsies with limited hardware pushed to it's fullest extent.

Each character of course has their own individual backstory and eventual motivations for their alignments and relationship with the world + the protagonist, but some of it I am sortttt of wanting to keep hush hush cuz it's like...spoilers! But at the same time, there is no way this will ever actually become a game cuz I know next to nothing on how to develop games :( But idk how else to translate the way I want to tell the story without it being one you know? I think the most transparent I am in terms of lore and story is protag cuz he's the one who's most fleshed out + the one you experience everything through so obviously everything about him is pretty transparent to the Player from the get-go.

The story involves themes of identity, ego, and birth. Heavy on the birth and rebirth aspect, physically and spiritually. Our relationship with ourselves and what it means to be born into a new person as we progress through our lives, being shaped by our experiences and understandings. Even when we think we truly know ourselves, there will always be aspects of ourselves that go through reactions and changes in response to things. Overall, I think SMT is about change and how people react and reflect to that change. Each character goes through their own interpretations of what they want the world to change into, and to achieve it by their own actions... be the change you want to see in the world and all that.

Its a reason why I want the protag to be someone who was very average and just one of the many many youths living in Tokyo when the bombs dropped. In fact, I'm pretty sure he was one of the first victims of it. I don't want it to be explicitly the same bombs from SMT1--you know, the ones that were dropped on Tokyo to fight the demons, but it's pretty much implied. Those who didn't die to the intial hit probably died to the after effects of the radiation, or became pickings for demons. It doesn't really matter how he died, just that he did, and it's the last thing he remembers before waking up as we know him now.

Don't know why the visual image of fetuses and birth intrigues me so... but it does. Like, as a narrative, because there's something powerful and beautiful yet absolutely terrifying about it. And it can sort of encompass every aspect of our lives, too... it also can mark the beginning of something new. That's what it's like for this Protag...he knows who he is but at the same time he doesn't understand it all together. He had accepted his death and now he was here, alive, again, made into something new from the recycled old parts of him. almost like a second chance, but who really believes in that kind'a stuff?

One thing I really wanted to make sure was to translate the fact that my protagonist is Human. Human physically, Human down to his core. He might not be the traditional sense of a human, but he is made of the same parts as humans are, with the same functioning organs, and the same level of understanding. He is human, just like... a human made in the true image of Man, because his body was fastened together by tools created by Man. Like how God made man with tools created by God?? Imagine that but Man creating his own, like a real true son of mankind...

Maybe it's evolution's way of adapting to the new world? Co-existing with the state of a post war, post society earth.

#art tag #smt #shin megami tensei #smt oc #smt protag oc #smt protagonist #smt original scenario #smt original #asks #answered #anonymous #i feel like i sound like gibberish #I actually am working on a real official reference for him with his colors and such #and then I wanna make a moodboard of all the inspirations for the design

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davidbyrnemspaint · 2 years

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Headcanons for The Gman under the cut since it's not story enough for my AO3 but way too weird for my main blog

Half Life

•Uses he/him pronouns.

•Cold-blooded

•Completely blind in human terms. He navigates through infrared detection using pit organs in his mouth. His non-human form doesnt have eyes and the pit organs are external. This explains why he is never quite looking at you in HL:A and why his eyes never seem right in the other entries. He just doesn't have the need to focus them. This might also explain why he sounds out of breath so often, as inhaling through his mouth would give him a better sense on where someone/something is than his nostrils. He would have a pretty clear idea where Gordon or Alyx were at all times due to the fact that Gordon's a walking microwave and Alyx is probably irradiated. In terms of living by himself in human society he would probably need extra assistance via a cane/braille/etc

•His eyes aren't useless, though. He uses them to get into humans' minds for hypnosis, illusions and various manipulative purposes.

•Probably also has a sense of electroreception considering the fact his species are all cold-blooded, they'd have to be able to see each other without body temperature. Maybe they can communicate where they are verbally/telepathically

•His true form cannot be perceived by most Earth species. Because of this he can shapeshift alongside his mind manipulatory stuff

•His way of speaking could also be chalked down to the infrared/heat pits mentioned above. However its more likely that he just isn't used to vocalizing like that

•Doesn't understand the concept of human sexualities he actually couldn't care less (he's pan)

•Had trouble acclimating to the pressure and air composition on Earth, and still gets sick from long or repeated visits.

•He can manipulate light to some degree

•Doesn't have to eat as often as the average human, but needs more protein intake than such a diet would allow. His species are purely carnivorous

•Zero sleep schedule. He just sleeps when he gets tired. Probably sleeps a stupid amount like a cat

•Actually really baby crazy, be the baby human or whatever alien Gman is. He hasn't had any of his own so he often helps his kind watch over new litters whenever they arrive

•I'm not getting into anything nsfw that's AO3's job

•He has the outward appearance of a human but still has the innards of whatever alien he is

•He made Gordon listen to Talking Heads for 20 years in stasis no I will not elaborate

Hlvrai

•Uses they/them pronouns.

•The reason Tommy says he's an orphan is because Gman never officially adopted him. Gman found Tommy as a child, abandoned. They had just begun infiltrating the human race so they had no clue what adoption papers were. They thought you could just claim children as your own if they didn't have parents. That's how it would work logically. Somehow this didn't hinder Tommy from going to school or college. Tommy calls Gman his dad but doesn't actually recognize them as a parental figure because it was never officialized and Tommy is very serious about policies (My more serious HC on why Tommy says he's an orphan is because he didn't want to freak Gordon out by telling him his dad is some omnipotent eldritch alien, or Tommy legitimately didn't know about them)

•They are more integrated into human society and understands sexuality. They identify as bi with a male leaning.

•Didn't have an official last name before Tommy showed up so they let Tommy choose it. They answer to any name that'd vaguely fit a middle-aged man (Garry, Greg, Jim, etc) because they don't have one in an Earth language

•I've drawn this one but I'll mention it again. Gman (and by extension Tommy, if they're blood related) subsists off of glucose alone, like a hummingbird. That's why Tommy says he sees faster after he drinks soda

•Benrey is partially the same species of alien that Gman is but his geneology is mixed with other sentient aliens (from Zen specifically)

•Gman was highly involved with Bubby's creation, often coming in to see how things were coming along (and was tasked with disposing of the failed prototypes)

•Gman got along well with Coomer and Bubby before ResCas

#half life #gman

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gorgonarcher · 4 months

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Game 4 - Fate Core

All right, some recent discussion about RPGs has brought me to look at Fate Core again and decide to use it for the next gorgon archer build.

Now, this is a bit interesting because character and world creation in Fate Core is meant to be collaborative. I could go ahead and just make up these other characters, I've done it before, but I might reach out to some other people this time.

So, character creation is the last bit of creating a game. And I'm going to be thinking about what sort of setting for this.

The first character I did on this blog was for a modern Earth superhero setting, the next two were standard heroic fantasy... well, I was never specific about the Hero System character's setting, but I had in mind some sort of medieval European-based heroic fantasy. I have a couple of good options for urban fantasy coming up in other games. In this case... I think I'm going to go with a sort of sci-fantasy such as Star Wars.

We're going to say the scale is a bit mixed, personal stories against epic backdrop. So instead of being the lead elements of a rebellion or war, they're people trying to survive the collateral of the ongoing issues. So we have two issues to make, a current issue and an upcoming issue.

Current Issue: Corporate Overlords

Upcoming Issue: War of Regimes

The galaxy is one run by oppressive megacorporations but they are soon facing a threat from the outside the form of another empire pressing a war of conquest over the area. I may be leaning a bit into Stellaris here. I haven't named the external empire making the press, yet, they might not even be public knowledge yet. Something coming along later maybe for the GM to shape themselves, or something the PCs will shape with their stories.

This is also sci-fantasy more than sci-fi, so there'll be some weird magic stuff. In this regard it's similar to Babylon 5 or Star Wars. (Or Stellaris in many ways, now I think about it).

So now, to start with we choose some Aspects... Aspects are used to note things that are important about the scene, the story, or the characters. Every location and character have some permanent Aspects attached that rarely change. Even the campaign will have some Aspects.

So, anyway, going to move onto character creation with that decided.

So the first thing we do is determine our character's aspects. We're going to start with two before we get to the collaborative part. These are:

High Concept: a summary of your basic concept.

Trouble: a summary of the most common and pressing problem they have.

"Gorgon Archer" is actually a perfectly fine Aspect to start with as a High Concept, but I do like adding a bit more flavor.

For a moment, I was going to go with "Project: Gorgon Escapee" as High Concept. This establishes a lot about the character and about the world at large as we now have "Project: Gorgon" and what it is to consider. In this case, I'm considering it as a secret gene-splicing project by some corporation meant to produce super-soldiers. (And now I'm drawing on Dark Angel). But I think this better fits a Trouble as while it implies some benefits in the form of whatever enhancements she has, the problems it suggests are much more pressing.

So, back to the High-Concept. The thought I had was "Star-Trekking Enhanced Archer." I'm getting the feeling that she wanders around traveling with different space craft and uses a bow of some sort. I've also referenced potential enhancements her a second time. Having Aspects overlap like this isn't a bad idea. I thought about using "Ship-Hopping" but if one of the other PCs turned out to be a pilot with their own ship, then that wouldn't fit since the PC would likely be spending their time on that one ship instead of switching ships. "Star-Trekking" has the benefit of implying traveling the stars without necessarily suggesting it's all in the same ship.

We're also supposed to name the character now, it occurs to me that I forgot to do that in the Pathfinder and Hero System characters. I might go back and fix that. In this case, let's name her something that we'd get off an experiment and turn to Google translate with "Experiment 15" to come back with "peírama dekapénte" (Experiment 15). And adjust that so that not everyone who speaks great does a head tilt when she says her name (granted, the snakes for hair might do that). "Peira Madekapen" which is the sort of silly thin cover name that might come out of a TV show.

The Phase Trio

Now we start to work on the remaining three Aspects. These come out of their first adventure and how they involved themselves in the first adventures of the other characters.

This is called the Phase Trio and the phases are:

Phase One: Your Adventure - Your character's first spot-light adventure pre-game and an Aspect that gave them.

Phase Two: Crossing Paths - A way your character was a supporting role in someone else's Phase One and an Aspect you gained from that experience.

Phase Three: Crossing Paths Again (It's literally called this) - Same as Phase two but with a second character.

In a 3 player game, you would all end up being each other's Phase Two and Three and be connected twice over. In a four player game, you'd be a supporting role in one other character's story, another character would be a supporting role in yours, and for the third comrade you'd be both supporting and supported by them in your Phase One. And in a 5-player game everyone would have two other people show up as support in their stories and show up as support in two other character's stories.

Her first adventure was about how she got clear of Project: Gorgon and shook the trail of their hunters.

Agents attached to Project: Gorgon tracked Peira to a farming colony run by a rival colony. While there, some type of intrusive creature appeared on the colony, threatening everyone. Maybe the first sign of the empire that will be invading soon, or maybe some project of the corps they needed to test. Peira helped several of the colonists escape the danger and the colony as a whole was written off, leaving Project: Gorgon at least temporarily convinced she was dead.

From this, I'm going to focus on her rescuing some of the local colonists even though it might have been better for her to just escape herself. "Guardian Serpent" comes to mind... it's also starting to hit on the fantasy part of sci-fantasy. But let's add a bit more maybe "Secret Serpent Guardian".... or... you know, let's go for some alliteration and more flavor. "Shadow-Stepping Serpent Sentinel"

Okay, so I reached out to some friends and I got two characters:

A cyborg waitress with base-tech upgrades.

A human nekomaido waitress, bright-eyed and unprepared for terrible things.

For first stories, the cyborg waitress gets hired to do some grocery shopping for a merc and gets caught up in a robbery that she has to fight out of with her not too-impressive tech.

The human found herself stolen from her planet find herself deposited somewhere strange and she's trying to figure out why this happened and figure out how to move forward.

So now, I have to decide how Peira served a supporting role in those stories.

For the cyborg waitress, literally on a milk run, what if there was a chase sequence in both stories and at one point the chases crossed paths, giving each of the two characters an opportunity to gain an edge. In this case, the aspect Peira gets out of this, I'm going to call "Convenient Chaos".

For the other case, Peira probably also recognized the other person's look as a fish out of water and gave her some advice on how to get by in a new place with little to no resources. And we're going to call this aspect "Experienced Drifter".

So, no pilot, but maybe this group does indeed hop from one ship to another. Also, I foresee some light-hearted moments where the gorgon gets roped into doing server work in one place or another. At this point the other two characters would state how each of their characters served a supporting roll in two other stories.

Note that there might be more than 3 players, and the way you decide who's story you had a supporting role in is that character sheets are passed around, clockwise or counter-clockwise, or some other predictable method. And then the sheet is returned. So, everybody is connected to at least two other people. I'm not going to get into the other stories, even the ones where people had a supporting role in her story, because those don't affect her character sheet.

An alternate way to do this is for a person to determine how they were a supporting role in someone else's story as normal, but instead of taking an Aspect from how you supported someone else, you instead take an Aspect from how you were supported. I chose to use the default method from the core book.

Side note, if I were to actually play this, I'd predict some shenanigans with Peira being drafted to do server stuff with the two waitresses.

Skills

Now we come to the part that, admittedly, I long found the most obtuse.

It took me a long while to realize that Skills don't actually refer to skills in the way we talk about them in common day to day parlance. They are instead descriptions of how the character is able to reliably influence the story. Their "skills" from a common sense are often more shaped by their Aspects. I used to get upset that the pyramid structure they use (see below) doesn't represent how skills are built based on my training as a teacher and that some of the things they call skils aren't skills.

I figured this out once they released Fate Accelerated where they used the term "Labels" rather than skills, and the labels were basically personality types. Very much similar to how Monster of the Week or other Powered by the Apocalypse games do.

My best example for this is Bones from Star Trek. He would have an Aspect to be a skilled surgeon and medical professional, but the skill most often related to medicine wouldn't be his highest skill. This is because his primary role in the story has nothing to do with his medical skill and "he's dead, Jim" is one of his most iconic lines. Medical issues are either trivial for him or else very strange and something that takes a lot of effort. So his medical skills could do with a mild to low bonus and be fine. Bones' biggest impact on the story and biggest role is to call people out for being stupid. So his highest skill would likely be "Provoke". He's often the voice of common sense and reminding people of basic morality.

So, now let's get to assigning skills.

You get the following:

One skill at Great (+4)

Two skills at Good (+3)

Three skills at Fair (+2)

Four skills at Average (+1)

In most (not all) Fate Games, +4 is the highest a skill can get. As a farther note the way skills improve at Milestones is that you can either choose a new skill at +1 or you can improve an existing skill by +1 or you can switch the position between two skills. But also there have to be at least as many skills at the lower values as those above.

So you can't improve one of your +1s to a +2 right away, because then there would be four +2s and three +1s. This is the pyramid thing I was talking about... there has to be a foundation for the skills to rest on. You CAN do a column, but getting to that takes some effort.

This was another case where my brain couldn't accept this because you don't suddenly switch from being good at seeing things to being good at punching them, but once I realized these are personality and attention focuses rather than objective capabilities, that was a concern that faded away. I'm still not especially fond of the pyramid structure, but meh.

Anyway, let's list the default skills:

Athletics

Burglary

Contacts

Crafts

Deceive

Drive

Empathy

Fight

Investigate

Lore

Notice

Physique

Provoke

Rapport

Resources

Shoot

Stealth

Will

When I said some of these are not skills, I was thinking: Contacts, Resources, Physique, and Will. These are things that you can improve with effort though, but they're not really skills the way most games mean the term. And again, that's because these aren't skills so much as roles in the story.

So let's see how Peira has the most impact on the story. I don't think it's Shoot, but I am going to put that as a Good skill. I'm also going to take Burglary as a Good skill... but I think her biggest impact on the story is going to be Willpower. Stealth, Physique and Investigate will be the the Fair skills. Then I'm going to go with Empathy, Athletics, Notice, and Fight.

So her skills will look like this:

Will +4

Shoot +3, Burglary +3

Stealth +2, Physique +2, Investigate +2

Empathy +1, Athletics +1, Notice +1, Fight +1

So, she doesn't impact the story much at all with Resources or Contacts, and she doesn't like to attract attention so Deceive and Provoke are also not present. She also doesn't do much with making stuff, knowing things, or piloting vehicles.

So, now we come to Stunts.

Stunts and Refresh

Refresh is the number of Fate Points you start each session with. Fate Points are gained when your Aspects cause you problems and they are spent to activate Aspects or Stunts. (You can also activate Aspects for free via the "Create an Advantage" action). You do not have a maximum number of Fate Points.

Important note from someone whose run a lot of Fate: it is vitally important for a GM to keep the Fate Points flowing. This means you are engaging the characters' story arcs and giving them the fuel to be awesome.

You start with a Refresh of 3 and three free Stunts. You can get new Stunts by reducing your Refresh one for one to a minimum of 1. So you can get to a maximum of 5 Stunts.

Stunts do one of several things:

Add a new action to a skill.

Add a bonus to an action in certain circumstances.

Create a Rules Exception

They very much function similarly to PbtA moves.

There are a number of example stunts for each of the skills in the Core book, a large library of stunts available online by the communities that run Fate, and lots of guidelines for how to build Stunts.

The first thing I'm going to do is make a Stunt for the petrifying gaze. I'm going to say that she can Attack using Will by activating her gorgon powers. This will be a paralysis rather than true petrification. This is fairly powerful, especially since I chose Will as the strongest roll. But I also don't want it to be a commonly used thing, so I'm going to balance it by making it cost a Fate Point to use.

Basically, she can project a psychic jolt through a flash of light, allowing her to paralyze people that can see her face. Making it an AoE introduces collateral damage potential for drama and also balances making it cost a Fate Point, because otherwise attacking with a Skill that normally isn't used to attack is usually fine on its own for a Stunt.

Paralyzing Gaze - Peira can direct her snakes and gaze together forward, forming a psychically active light show and attacking those that can see her face using Will.

For her other two stunts, I'm going to take two of the prebuilt stunts from the core book.

Indomitable - +2 to Defend against Provoke attacks specifically related to Intimidation or Fear.

Always a Way Out - +2 to Create an Advantage whenever you're trying to escape from a location.

Stress and Consequences

Now we come to Stress and Consequences.

Most of this will be gameplay talk so you have context for what the values mean. The actual creation is pretty simple. Default is two Stress Boxes and it will be improved by Physique and Will.

Stress represents the temporary harm a person takes in the course of doing dangerous things. It heals up as soon as you have a chance to take a breath. There are two tracks by default: Physical and Mental. Some versions of Fate will also have other tracks such as the following:

Social - representing your reputation with other people and societal consequences.

Wealth - representing money.

Various power sources like "Energy" or "Soul"

Characters also have 3 Consequences (in some versions of Fate, they will have three Consequences for each track, but by default the consequences are mostly shared). Also, unlike Stress, they don't immediately go away just because you had a minute to catch your breath.

You have to take a deliberate action to recover from a consequence. After this action, the Consequence will recover at a time determined by it's severity.

Mild - After one full scene has occurred. (so if you do the recovery in the middle of a scene it will recover in the middle of the next one)

Moderate - After one full session has occurred. (so if you do the recovery in middle of a session, you will finish healing in the middle of the next session)

Severe - One whole scenario (adventure/mystery) after the recovery action happens.

When you recover, the consequence will either drop one level of severity or will go away completely if it was Mild. You name your Consequences to match the source of the harm.

So if you were attacked emotionally via Provoke trying to scare you and suffered a Moderate consequence you might name it "Frightened" if it was Severe you might name it "Terrified" or, if you want to be more flavorful, "The Fright of your Life" and you would change the name to represent healing after the recovery. So, "Terrified" might change to "Deeply Unsettled".

On the other hand a "Broken Leg" might turn to "Walking Cast".

So, how damage happens. An attack is rolled and the amount by which it succeeds determines the Stress coming in. If you can't account for even 1 Stress, then the character is Taken Out and will no longer be able to take part in the current scene. What this means generally depends on the situation. It could mean that they flee or get knocked out. They might be captured. Or they might be dead. This is largely determined by the players and GM at the moment.

Each box has a value equal to it's position.

Let's say you have 3 Stress Boxes and you suffer 2 Stress from an attack. You would go from this:

OOO

to this:

OXO

If you took 3 Stress instead, it would look like this:

OOX

If you took 1 Stress it would look like this:

XOO.

Now, if the Stress Box for the value you just suffered is filled, you have to go to the next higher value. So, if you were at this:

OXO

And took another 2 Stress you would have to fill in the third box even though it is worth 3 instead of 2 and you'd look like this:

OXX

Alternately, you can suffer a Consequence.

Mild Consequences are worth 2 Stress

Moderate Consequences are worth 4 Stress

Severe Consequences are worth 6 Stress

And again, if you suffer 1 Stress but all of your Stress Tracks and other consequences are filled... you might have to suffer that Severe Consequence for that 1 damage.

Now, that bit of gameplay away, let's get back to character creation.

Physique and Will improve Stress Tracks and give extra Consequences.

Physique of +1 or +2 means she has one extra Physical Stress box. While Will of +3 or higher means she has two extra Mental Stress boxes. For games that allow skills of +5 or higher, the character would also gain an extra Mild Consequence purely for the type of harm related to the skill.

So This is the final result for Peira Madekapen

Peira Madekapen - Refresh 3

Aspects

High Concept: Star-Trekking Enhanced Archer

Trouble: Project: Gorgon Escapee

Shadow Stepping Serpent Sentinel

Convenient Chaos

Experienced Drifter

Skills

Will +4

Shoot +3, Burglary +3

Stealth +2, Physique +2, Investigate +2

Empathy +1, Athletics +1, Notice +1, Fight +1

Stunts

Paralyzing Gaze - Peira can direct her snakes and gaze together forward, forming a psychically active light show and attacking those that can see her face using Will.

Indomitable - +2 to Defend against Provoke attacks specifically related to Intimidation or Fear.

Always a Way Out - +2 to Create an Advantage whenever you're trying to escape from a location.

Stress Tracks:

Physical: OOO

Mental: OOOO

Consequences:

Mild

Moderate

Severe

#gorgon archer #tabletop roleplaying game #roleplaying games #tabletop rpg #archer #gorgon #tabletop rpgs #gorgons #ttrpg #character creation #Fate Core #Fate #Evil Hat

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thrythlind · 4 months

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Game 4 - Fate Core

All right, some recent discussion about RPGs has brought me to look at Fate Core again and decide to use it for the next gorgon archer build.

So, character creation is the last bit of creating a game. And I'm going to be thinking about what sort of setting for this.

Current Issue: Corporate Overlords

Upcoming Issue: War of Regimes

This is also sci-fantasy more than sci-fi, so there'll be some weird magic stuff. In this regard it's similar to Babylon 5 or Star Wars. (Or Stellaris in many ways, now I think about it).

So, anyway, going to move onto character creation with that decided.

So the first thing we do is determine our character's aspects. We're going to start with two before we get to the collaborative part. These are:

High Concept: a summary of your basic concept.

Trouble: a summary of the most common and pressing problem they have.

"Gorgon Archer" is actually a perfectly fine Aspect to start with as a High Concept, but I do like adding a bit more flavor.

The Phase Trio

Now we start to work on the remaining three Aspects. These come out of their first adventure and how they involved themselves in the first adventures of the other characters.

This is called the Phase Trio and the phases are:

Phase One: Your Adventure - Your character's first spot-light adventure pre-game and an Aspect that gave them.

Phase Two: Crossing Paths - A way your character was a supporting role in someone else's Phase One and an Aspect you gained from that experience.

Phase Three: Crossing Paths Again (It's literally called this) - Same as Phase two but with a second character.

Her first adventure was about how she got clear of Project: Gorgon and shook the trail of their hunters.

Okay, so I reached out to some friends and I got two characters:

A cyborg waitress with base-tech upgrades.

A human nekomaido waitress, bright-eyed and unprepared for terrible things.

For first stories, the cyborg waitress gets hired to do some grocery shopping for a merc and gets caught up in a robbery that she has to fight out of with her not too-impressive tech.

The human found herself stolen from her planet find herself deposited somewhere strange and she's trying to figure out why this happened and figure out how to move forward.

So now, I have to decide how Peira served a supporting role in those stories.

Side note, if I were to actually play this, I'd predict some shenanigans with Peira being drafted to do server stuff with the two waitresses.

Skills

Now we come to the part that, admittedly, I long found the most obtuse.

So, now let's get to assigning skills.

You get the following:

One skill at Great (+4)

Two skills at Good (+3)

Three skills at Fair (+2)

Four skills at Average (+1)

Anyway, let's list the default skills:

Athletics

Burglary

Contacts

Crafts

Deceive

Drive

Empathy

Fight

Investigate

Lore

Notice

Physique

Provoke

Rapport

Resources

Shoot

Stealth

Will

So her skills will look like this:

Will +4

Shoot +3, Burglary +3

Stealth +2, Physique +2, Investigate +2

Empathy +1, Athletics +1, Notice +1, Fight +1

So, now we come to Stunts.

Stunts and Refresh

You start with a Refresh of 3 and three free Stunts. You can get new Stunts by reducing your Refresh one for one to a minimum of 1. So you can get to a maximum of 5 Stunts.

Stunts do one of several things:

Add a new action to a skill.

Add a bonus to an action in certain circumstances.

Create a Rules Exception

They very much function similarly to PbtA moves.

Paralyzing Gaze - Peira can direct her snakes and gaze together forward, forming a psychically active light show and attacking those that can see her face using Will.

For her other two stunts, I'm going to take two of the prebuilt stunts from the core book.

Indomitable - +2 to Defend against Provoke attacks specifically related to Intimidation or Fear.

Always a Way Out - +2 to Create an Advantage whenever you're trying to escape from a location.

Stress and Consequences

Now we come to Stress and Consequences.

Most of this will be gameplay talk so you have context for what the values mean. The actual creation is pretty simple. Default is two Stress Boxes and it will be improved by Physique and Will.

Social - representing your reputation with other people and societal consequences.

Wealth - representing money.

Various power sources like "Energy" or "Soul"

You have to take a deliberate action to recover from a consequence. After this action, the Consequence will recover at a time determined by it's severity.

Mild - After one full scene has occurred. (so if you do the recovery in the middle of a scene it will recover in the middle of the next one)

Moderate - After one full session has occurred. (so if you do the recovery in middle of a session, you will finish healing in the middle of the next session)

Severe - One whole scenario (adventure/mystery) after the recovery action happens.

When you recover, the consequence will either drop one level of severity or will go away completely if it was Mild. You name your Consequences to match the source of the harm.

On the other hand a "Broken Leg" might turn to "Walking Cast".

Each box has a value equal to it's position.

Let's say you have 3 Stress Boxes and you suffer 2 Stress from an attack. You would go from this:

OOO

to this:

OXO

If you took 3 Stress instead, it would look like this:

OOX

If you took 1 Stress it would look like this:

XOO.

Now, if the Stress Box for the value you just suffered is filled, you have to go to the next higher value. So, if you were at this:

OXO

And took another 2 Stress you would have to fill in the third box even though it is worth 3 instead of 2 and you'd look like this:

OXX

Alternately, you can suffer a Consequence.

Mild Consequences are worth 2 Stress

Moderate Consequences are worth 4 Stress

Severe Consequences are worth 6 Stress

And again, if you suffer 1 Stress but all of your Stress Tracks and other consequences are filled... you might have to suffer that Severe Consequence for that 1 damage.

Now, that bit of gameplay away, let's get back to character creation.

Physique and Will improve Stress Tracks and give extra Consequences.

So This is the final result for Peira Madekapen

Peira Madekapen - Refresh 3

Aspects

High Concept: Star-Trekking Enhanced Archer

Trouble: Project: Gorgon Escapee

Shadow Stepping Serpent Sentinel

Convenient Chaos

Experienced Drifter

Skills

Will +4

Shoot +3, Burglary +3

Stealth +2, Physique +2, Investigate +2

Empathy +1, Athletics +1, Notice +1, Fight +1

Stunts

Paralyzing Gaze - Peira can direct her snakes and gaze together forward, forming a psychically active light show and attacking those that can see her face using Will.

Indomitable - +2 to Defend against Provoke attacks specifically related to Intimidation or Fear.

Always a Way Out - +2 to Create an Advantage whenever you're trying to escape from a location.

Stress Tracks:

Physical: OOO

Mental: OOOO

Consequences:

Mild

Moderate

Severe

#ttrpg #roleplaying games #rpg #tabletop #Fate Core #Evil Hat #character creation #theorycrafting #gorgon archer

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buglesgirlfriday · 2 years

Photo

Betty’s Friends: (left to right, top to bottom) Tati Gabrielle as Gloria ‘Glory’ Grant. Madelyn Cline as Haley. Michelle Veintimilla as Mary Jane ‘MJ’ Watson. Lucy Boynton as Gwendolyne ‘Gwen’ Stacy and Joyce Delaney. Alexxis Lemire as Elizabeh ‘Liz’ Allan. HoYeon Jung as Cindy Moon.

#the ages are a little all over the place but they're all similar #and the vibes are there #also i'm leaning into the idea that this blog is it's own earth #so avoided any canon castings #but yeah these are betty's babes #i really need to give them all tags

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blackcatfromthevoid · 3 years

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Hi, I'm new to your blog and really love it!

Could you with a headcanon about a predator trying to court a S/O that is trying to court them as well? Like he gives her a skull and she makes him food?

Hi! And thank you so much! I'll try my best with these headcannons

(Sorry this took so long I had to get my creative juices flowing)

You courting your Yautja and them courting you at the same time:

Confusion- At first the both of you are aware of your feelings however neither of you are entirely aware of the others courting methods

At first things started off small. Your Yautja friend would hunt game animals from earth and gift them to you. It wasn't uncommon for you to see the polished skulls of deer, moose, etc, placed nicely as a centerpiece in your living room. You were uncertain as to why they started to give you such gifts. You knew it ment something important in Yautja culture though. Little did you know, they were trying to court you.

You knew how you felt about them so eventually you return affections in your own way. You couldn't hunt like they could but there was perhaps something else you could do? You settle on the idea of fixing meals for them. I mean they were a big alien warrior and they have to eat, right? So everytime when they returned to your home you always had something nice and hot for them to eat. You were happy they always accepted the meals you made.

Your Yautja friend enjoyed these meals and was thankful for them of course. They were confused as too why you started feeding them though as they usually found their own food. This made them wonder, was this a form of human courting? The thought made them very excited and determined to bring you only the best trophies.

Things went on like this for a while. More trophies appeared around your home and more meals were being made. Things naturally escalated. The trophies and meals got more elaborate and grand. Soon it was like you were becoming a chef and your yautja was making a museum out of your home.

The both of you realize what was going on rather quickly after things picked up. One day the both of you confess that each other needs to have a talk. So the both of you take a seat in the living room ready for the big discussion.

Your Yautja friend speaks first. They explain very directly that all those trophies was because they wanted you as a mate. They got all those various different skulls and such to impress you of course. Only the best for who they're courting. Since you didn't reject their gifts they just kept on giving. They do admit to being unsure whether you felt the same way or not.

You confess that you suspected that might the reason why they'd started but wasn't entirely sure. But you also admit all those delicious meals you prepared for them was your own way of flirting back. You were aware receiving these kind of gifts from a Yautja was very important so you wanted to give back you said. But you had no idea what to give so you defaulted to something everything needs, food.

There was a brief moment of silence after you both confessed. The air was awkward until it was broken up by your Yautja friend laughing. You were pretty surprised since you've never heard or seen them laugh, so you just sat there stunned.

After they stopped laughing they explained that the both of you were courting the other but neither was totally sure. They compared this to one of those "movies" you told them about. You began to laugh too.

It was funny the both of you tried courting the other without words. Both of you picked up on the others actions and both of you had uncertainty about each other. But now that you've both chatted about it, the air was clear. Now you both had that nagging question in mind. Will you be my mate?

You blurted out the question. You ask, "So are we going to be lovers now or..." It was pretty frank but both you were dying to know. It doesn't take long for your friend to reply with a trilling yes.

Ecstatic, you jump up and hug your now mate. At first they're a little surprised at first but they wrap their big strong arms around you too. You both share a long warm embrace, with deep purrs bellowing from your mate.

After you both let go, your mate asks what that if that's a common way for humans to show affection. You say yes, you're curious as well so you ask how do Yautja commonly show affection. They simply say, "Like this." Next thing you know your small face is being cupped in their giant hands. They lean in and gently rest the crest of their head upon your forehead. You lean your head towards theirs too. After a while you both pull away from each other.

"Wanna know one more common form of affection? " you ask them. They're eager to learn so they quickly say yes. "Lean a little closer to me," you tell them. They do that and you put you hands on their broad shoulders. Despite them leaning over for you they're still super tall. Standing on your tippy toes you manage to place a kiss on their crest. They look a bit confused by this at first. But it quickly turns into enjoyment.

"What is this action called?" Your mate questions. "A kiss," you reply. "I like this kiss gesture...will you give me another?" They say. "Of course! As my mate you are granted with infinite kisses!" You say going in to smooch them again.

Hope you enjoyed reading this!

#alien vs predator #avp #predator #yautja #exophilia #ask #request #my writing

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

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Hi! I was just watching good omens and I came up with some questions, but I didn't know whom to ask, so I was digging around for go analysis blogs and found you. *takes a breath* So, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on why Heaven's camera angles are the way they are. I noticed that, in heaven, the camera tends to focus on the characters' heads specifically, so they fill most of the screen. Either it's a meta reason or a reference to something (like Newt with the Office) that I'm not getting. That's the main thing, but I've also wondered why exactly Aziraphale uses the verb "fraternize" in the 19th century. It seemed an odd pivot from caring about Crowley's safety to Heaven's rules. Thanks so much!

Hello! Omg yes, let's talk Good Omens cinematography.

First, the obligatory Analysis Disclaimer: I doubt there's a specific interpretation that you're just not getting, some singular, "correct" reading of the scene(s). Two years past release, I'm positive the fandom as a whole has come up with plenty of ideas (I mostly hang on the periphery. I'm far from up to date with GO meta), but any and all of it will, by nature, be subjective. Thus, all I can offer is my own, personal interpretation.

So for me? It's about intimacy.

Not intimacy in the sense of friendship, but rather the broad idea of closeness. Confidentiality. Emotion. Knowledge. Understanding by means of literally getting into the thick of these conversations. I love the camerawork in Heaven (and elsewhere) because the camera itself acts like a person — an additional party to these interactions. And, since we're the ones watching this show via the camera, it makes it feel as if we're peeking into scenes that are otherwise private. Obviously all cinematography does this to a certain extent, the camera is always watching someone or something without acknowledging that we're doing the watching (outside of documentary-esque filmmaking), but GO uses angles and closeups to mimic another person observing these scenes, someone other than the characters involved.

The easiest example I can give here is when Michael makes their call to Ligur. Here, the camera is positioned up on the next landing of the staircase, as if we're sneaking a look down at this otherwise secret call. There's even a moment when the camera pans to the right to look at them through the gap in the railing, briefly obscuring Michael from our view.

Here, a standard expectation of any scene — keep your character in focus — is done away with to instead mimic the movements of someone actually hiding in the stairwell, listening in on the conversation. It creates that feeling of intimacy, as if we're really there with Michael, not just watching Michael through a screen. The camerawork acts like a person overhearing an illicit conversation prior to falling back on mid/closeup shots. We're spying on them.

To give a non-Heaven example, the camera helps us connect with Aziraphale during Gabriel's jogging scene. It's hard to show through screenshots, but if you re-watch you'll see that the camera initially keeps them both in the frame with full body shots, allowing us to compare things like Gabriel's unadorned gray workout clothes with Aziraphale's more stylish outfit; one's good jogging form and the other's awkward shuffle. However, this distance also creates the sense that we're jogging with them, we're keeping pace.

That is, until Aziraphale begins to lag. Then the camera lags too, giving them both the chance to catch up, so to speak.

Until, finally, Aziraphale has to stop completely and the camera, of course, stops with him. We're emotionally attuned to Aziraphale, not Gabriel, and the camerawork reflects that. Even more-so when we cut to a low shot of Gabriel's annoyed huff at having to stop at all, making him appear larger and more imposing. Because to Aziraphale, he is.

This work carries over into Heaven's other scenes. The closeups are pretty much a given since, whether it's Gabriel realizing Aziraphale has been "fraternizing" with Crowley (more on that below!), or Aziraphale choosing to go back to Earth, the scenes in Heaven are incredibly important to the narrative. Closeups allow the viewer to get a good read on each character's emotional state — focusing on minute facial changes as opposed to overall body language — and that fly-on-the-wall feeling is increased as we literally get an up close and personal look at these pivotal moments.

Compare a shot like this one of Gabriel to the line of angels ready for battle. We don't get closeups on any of their faces because their emotions aren't important. Yes, that's in part because they're background characters, not main characters, but a lack of emotion — their willingness to enter this war without question — is also the point of their presence in this scene. So they remain a semi-identical, nearly faceless mass that runs off into infinity down that hallway, not any individual whose inner life we get a peek at via a closeup.

I particularly like Aziraphale's conversation with the angel... general? Idk what to call this guy. He's just gonna be Mustache Angel. But, getting back on track, his scene has a lot of over the shoulder shots which, admittedly, are pretty common. From a practical perspective they're used to help the audience situate both characters in the scene — you're here, you're there, this is how you're spaced during this conversation — but it can also help emphasize that closeness between them. Keeping both characters in the shot connects them and though Aziraphale and Mustache Angel definitely aren't on the same page here, those shots help cue us in to the unwanted intimacy of this moment. They're both angels... even though Aziraphale no longer aligns himself with them. They're both soldiers in a war... but Aziraphale will not fight. This angel has a list of Aziraphale's secrets, including that he once had a flaming sword and lost it... but Aziraphale doesn't want to admit those circumstances to him. This angel wouldn't understand, even if he did. Intimacy here, connection and closeness, is something discomforting because Aziraphale can no longer embrace those similarities. They put him (and us) out of sorts, so when we get them both in frame, that connection creates tension, not relief.

And many of those over the shoulder shots are given sharp angels, or the camera is placed too close to the "off screen" party. Compare a shot like Luke and Rey to Aziraphale and Mustache Angel. Here, Luke is a clean, solid line on the left side of the screen, just enough there to cue us in to where he is in relationship to Ray, In contrast, Mustache Angel's mustache is Too Close and proves rather distracting. Rey and Luke are connecting here over being Jedi with responsibilities to uphold (or at least, Luke will acknowledge that connection later lol); Mustache Angel is forcing a connection with Aziraphale that makes everyone uncomfortable.

We are too close to him here. He feels too close to Aziraphale too. This whole conversation is upsetting and discomforting, pushing Aziraphale to finally choose which side he's on (his own with Crowley). The shots aren't meant to subtly keep the audience from getting lost and then otherwise be unobtrusive, we're supposed to be Very Aware of this angel's body and how close he's getting to the character we've come to identify with — both literally (he's leaning in) and in terms of forcing Aziraphale to finally make his choice.

When Mustache Angel marches forward and gets all up in Aziraphale's face, the camera positions itself behind Aziraphale in a way that makes it feel like we're hiding behind him, with Aziraphale taking up far more of the screen than Luke does. Like the scene with Michael or running with Gabriel, the camera often likes to mimic a "realistic" response to these events. This angry, shouty angel is getting closer, best take a step back and stay out of sight behind Aziraphale, holding his ground.

These closeups also serve as a nice contrast to the wide and longshots we get of Heaven. It's an imposing place with skyscrapers in the distance, lots of steel, immaculate floors, and endless white. It's overwhelming and it's cold. But then we cut to those mid-shots of Gabriel and Michael, telling us that they're in control of it all.

Aziraphale? Aziraphale is not in control. Not now, anyway. When he appears in Heaven we get a longshot to show off this endless void and he's just another, tiny speck in it. If he weren't flailing around — an acting move that likewise helps sell how out of his depth he is — it's unlikely you'd even notice him. Aziraphale's clothing and hair blends in perfectly with the background. He's forgettable. Easily overlooked. Someone to underestimate. And when he moves, he has to come to the camera. We don't cut to Aziraphale to establish control like we do with Gabriel. He's left to awkwardly shuffle up to Mustache Angel until he's finally come into view.

Yet when Aziraphale makes his decision, he aligns himself with the brightest, most colorful, most interesting thing in the room: Earth. Earth, with all its messy individuality, is the antithesis to Heaven's controlled uniformity and a bright blue orb hanging in the midst of all this white helps remind us of that. Aziraphale rejects becoming one of the identical soldiers and instead literally reaches out for the one thing in Heaven that doesn't fit in.

When he leaves, we get an extreme closeup for the first time. Mustache Angel is pissed and as such we not only get a good look at his face in the aftermath of Aziraphale's choice, but that extreme closeup on his mouth as he's shouting too. It's like he's shouting directly at us, the viewer who is currently cheering on Aziraphale's decision. There's a war, dammit... but we don't care. Not in the way he cares, anyway.

So there's a lot! And I could probably go on, but apparently I'm only allowed to add 10 images per post now (tumblr what the actual fuck if anyone knows a way around this please share!) and I've already had to merge a bunch of images like an animal. So let's awkwardly finish up with the duck pond scene.

...without a GIF because they apparently count as images too 🙃

Simply put, I don't think Aziraphale bringing up fraternizing is a pivot from one to the other — from caring about Crowley to caring about Heaven's rules. I mean yes, Aziraphale is lagging behind Crowley in terms of rebellion and a part of him is, at this point, absolutely concerned with how he'll come across to the higherups, but that worry doesn't stem solely from a (now very shaky) desire to obey for the sake of obeying. The thing is, Aziraphale's disobedience is, by default, also Crowley's disobedience. If they're friends and they're ever found out, they'll both get in trouble. Which, we know from the end of Season One, basically means being wiped from existence. That's horrifying! And it's a horror that threatens them both. I don't think Aziraphale cares about rules for the sake of rules; after all, he started off by giving away his sword, lying to God, is currently meeting with Crowley anyway... this angel has always ignored/bent the rules — established and implied — that don't suit him. Rather, he cares about the rules if he thinks they have a chance of being enforced. If there will be consequences for breaking and bending them. This is still about caring for Crowley (as well as saving his own, angelic skin). If they're found out, Crowley dies. And, as we the viewer learn, Heaven was indeed observing them that whole time. There was always legitimate risk attached to this relationship. Aziraphale's fear, hesitance, and at times forceful pleas to stop this stem as much from Aziraphale worrying about Crowley's safety as they do a learned instinct to obey the rules without question. He pushes to end the relationship because the relationship threatens the only thing Aziraphale cares about more than that: Crowley himself.

As for the term "fraternizing," that's a loaded one! I won't go into a whole history lesson here, but suffice to say it has military roots: to sympathize as brothers with an opponent. That is literally what Crowley and Aziraphale are doing. They are an angel and a demon, supposedly innate enemies, supposedly poised for an inevitable war... yet they've formed an incredibly strong kinship. They've both learned to love their enemy, the thing every army fears because, well, then your army won't fight (just as Aziraphale won't). However, beyond the enemy implications, "to fraternize" eventually took on a sexual meaning: to not merely love as a brother, but to lay with the enemy too, usually women from enemy countries (because, you know, heteronormativity). Nowadays, "to fraternize" often implies a sexual component. I've been rewatching The Good Wife lately and in one subplot, the State's Attorney cracks down on fraternization in his office. He doesn't mean his employees are forming bonds with assumed enemies, he means his employees are having sex on his office couch. So Aziraphale's phrasing here carries a LOT of weight. He's both reminding Crowley of their stations in the world — you are a demon, I am an angel, us meeting like this can have formal, irrevocable consequences for us both — as well as, given the fact that this is a love story, drawing attention to the depth of this relationship. They love one another, as more than just friends. Though whether Crowley's scathing "Fraternizing?" is a response to Aziraphale falling back on the technicalities of their positions, or acknowledging a love he's yet to overtly admit and commit to — or both! — is definitely up for debate.

#Good Omens #Ineffable Husbands #Air Conditioning #mymetas #whew #long post!#with too few images imo #with this done I'm gonna steam #about tumblr's absurd limitations #how's a girl supposed to do meta on this website anyway

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missallsundaes · 3 years

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Hi! And congrats on this new page. I'm excited to see what is to come.

Could I request some drabble on either Law or Zoro + female reader who is kind of reserved ? They get paired up on a trip to town (or possibly a mission?) after a long stretch at sea being with the rest of their crew. They have had mutual feelings for one another and now that they have alone time it is brought to light. Some fluff, maybe NSFW, your call; I'm not picky. I hope this isn't too vague and thank you for considering.

Thanks so much!! I used to have a mildly popular overwatch writing blog a couple years ago (and was a mod on a VERY popular dangan ronpa one years before that). I missed writing a lot and one piece is my current hyperfixation SO naturally that’s where we are now.

I chose to do Zoro because I have a Law one in my inbox as well, so that will probably be coming out soonish. Also because I thought of one particular scene I wanted to write with Zoro based on his prompt. Gonna do fluff and confessions and being flustered since that is my big idea right now, hope that’s okay!! Also this is definitely not too vague! My fave kind of requests give about this much detail~!

The Sunny was barely docked before Luffy ran off into the distance, shouting something about going out to explore, with Nami running after him, yelling something along the lines of he needed to be more careful now that he was more notorious and had a bigger bounty. Earlier that day Sanji had given you a list of things to get at the market in town, asking politely but giving an excuse for why he couldn’t go himself, giving you big puppy eyes that you kept telling him that you wouldn’t fall for, no matter how many times he did it. It was fine though, you had been on board the ship for so long you were starting to go stir crazy. Not to mention you hoped that you could get a certain someone to come with you.

You caught him right before he was sitting down for a nap in one of his usual locations, he was used to staying on board and watching the ship, and it meant quality nap time between training sessions.

“Ah Zoro!” You said, catching him before he closed his eye and settled down. Gathering all of the bravery you had in you, you spoke perhaps a bit too quickly, “Uhm Sanji asked me if I could go into town and get some supplies from the store and I’m not really sure if I’m okay going alone I mean I’d rather have someone to walk with at least and well everyone else is busy doing their own things and Sanji and Usopp are staying on board so I guess what I’m asking is--”

“I’ll come,” He chuckled, standing up, “Calm down before you choke on so many words.”

“Dunno why the damn cook couldn’t go himself,” He said, sounding a bit irritated once you were on land and walking the well worn stone path to town, “Some chivalry he’s got, making you do it on your own. Luckily, I’m the bigger man here and knows when to step up.”

Well at least he seemed like he was happy that he had some kind of an upper hand on Sanji, you thought to yourself, smiling at him. Was he always this handsome or was it just your huge crush on the swordsman talking? You couldn’t help but just watch his face as he talked, mostly to himself, admiring the light catching on his strong brow, nose and chin. It was highlighting his cheekbones in just the right way to cast handsome shadows along his face and make your heart flutter.

Though maybe daydreaming was getting the best of you, as your foot caught on an errant root, sending you on a one way trip to the earth below your feet.

Not missing a beat, Zoro caught you in his arms. Oh wow, your heart was in your throat now.. His arms were warm and muscular against your skin. How had he managed to catch you so fast?

Wait-- more importantly. How had your foot caught on a root on a paved path? Surely you weren’t daydreaming too long that Zoro had gotten the two of you lost.

“T-thanks,” you stuttered shyly, having gone beet red. You looked away from his face shyly, standing to your own feet again and looking around. Yes. You were in the middle of the woods. Good. Great.

Zoro nodded, “Now where did that path get to..” he mumbled and turned around, looking around the woods for some kind of sign. You could swear you saw blush dusting his own cheeks before he turned his face away. Was that just your imagination?

“Wait, maybe, uh, I should lead?” You suggested meekly, trying not to sound too bossy. Not that you really could.

He frowned, but nodded, “Yeah I guess that’s probably a better idea.”

“I think.. It’s this way..” You said after studying the woods for a bit, and looking for your footprints from before. You felt his hand touch yours lightly, before lacing his fingers with yours.

You froze in your place, looking first down at your hand and then up at Zoro’s face, cheeks laced with the smallest traces of a blush.

“Listen.. It’s just so we don’t get separated,” He said, cheeks turning a bit more flushed. Your face must have betrayed you and expressed the disappointment that it wasn’t anything more than that, because he quickly added, “Unless…”

Unless..?? You could feel your heartbeat in your throat. It was now or never. Your internal monologue screaming that this was the perfect chance.

“It’s fine I like it,” You stammered, blushing bright red again, “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you since I’ve joined the crew and.. Well. I really like you.”

He smirked, “Yeah, I know. You’re not exactly the most subtle. I’d be a terrible swordsman if I couldn’t pick up on those hints.”

He leaned down and kissed your cheek, before locking eyes with you and kissing your lips softly. “Besides,” He spoke softly, lips nearly touching yours, “I’ve fallen for you too, you know.” He kissed you softly again before backing away, “Come on, lets hurry into town, maybe we can make a proper date of today before we get the stupid cook’s shopping list.”

#zoro x reader #zoro x you #fluff #confessions #one piece fanfics #one piece x reader #roanoa zoro #roanoa zoro x reader #reader insert #i love this stupid samurai man #himbo energy: maximum

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queerprayers · 3 years

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Hi Johanna! :) I'm currently (and have been on and off for a few months) struggling with my view of Jesus' divinity. I have Christian friends who think Jesus = God and friends who think He was just a normal human like us and that's it,, and somehow i feel as if I'm somewhere in between rn? Learning that titles such as "the son of God" were used for normal human leaders at that time really threw me, and also that Jews now and I guess in Jesus' time think the Messiah will just be a normal human, and the "I am" statements in John's gospel were probably not actually said by Jesus but were written by John to kind of describe Him but also John said Jesus was "the word made flesh" not "God made flesh" and like what even is the word exactly??? now I'm thinking there's really nowhere in the new testament that claims that Jesus is God, but then there are things like Collosians 1:15-17 which sounds like it's suggesting it but doesn't explicitly say that Jesus is God...?? So essentially I'm just v confused and was wondering what your beliefs about it all are and why you believe what you believe?? and just really any information or resources you have on the topic would be v much appreciated, thank you so much (also I love your blog!) :))

Hello! This is such a wonderful question that I don't know a ton about, but I love thinking about it and I hope I say/find something that's helpful to you!

I grew up and still identify as Lutheran, so that theology is what I'm familiar with and am influenced by. I and my Lutheran siblings, as well as many other Christians, believe that Jesus was/is fully God and fully Man. Your phrase that you're "somewhere in between right now" makes so much sense to me, although for me it's not so much in between as both! Jesus on earth was born physically, had a human body and genes, ate, laughed, pooped, and died. I believe that, simultaneously, Jesus was God, fully divine. I don't have the words or the knowledge to spout perfect Trinitarian teachings right now (and probably never will), but my favorite description/representation of the Trinity is that God is love, and love is an interpersonal action. So love made manifest cannot be a sole being: God as Lover, Jesus as Beloved, the Holy Spirit as Love. That's only one way to look at it, but even looking a tiny bit into this kind of Trinity theology, you'll learn that we see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three representations of the same God, three in one. This is batshit crazy to many people, including many Christians, and I acknowledge and respect that! It is crazy! Anyway, all that to say that I do believe Jesus is a manifestation of God, but that God took human form and saw through our eyes.

A thought about Martin Luther's opinion: "Luther repeatedly argues that the basis for attributing divinity to Jesus is that the person of faith understands that Jesus Christ has done for humanity what only God can do" ("Martin Luther: A Pure Doctrine of Faith" by Micharl Stoltzfus, Journal of Lutheran Ethics, 2003).

Whether you think anything Jesus said was Him verbally claiming to be God, He, over and over, places himself in the role of God, forgiving people, healing people, and making promises/interpretations for them. I realized this while watching Jesus Christ Superstar (yeah, sue me)— whether or not you believe Jesus is God, Jesus obviously thought so, or at least thought himself at the same level as God. C. S. Lewis has a great point about this in Mere Christianity.

I think your statement that something was ". . . not actually said by Jesus but [was] written by John to . . . describe Him" is a good point about how we look at the Bible— if one believes that every word in the Bible comes directly from God, then that is God describing Themself as Jesus, so Jesus saying something and God dictating it to John would be the same thing! This isn't a criticism, I was just pointing out that what you believe about the Bible will definitely affect how you look at this— just something to think about! I'm not a Biblical literalist (or whatever you want to call it) by any means, but I do lean towards divine inspiration and the Spirit having a hand in the writing of the Bible, as well as acknowledging that the human writers' personal perspective and prejudices shine through.

Your question "What is "the Word" exactly?" is a great one! John uses the Greek word logos in John 1, ("word," "discourse," or "reason") as a title for Jesus, and it's absolutely beautiful. In the Bible, "the Word" is used to describe something that God has decreed, something that God has said when addressing humans, words that God spoke through the prophets, God's written Word (the Bible), and Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus is referred to as the Word in John 1 and Revelation 19. Jesus is these things! He's something God decreed, He is God addressing humans, He has spoken through the prophets— Jesus is the physical manifestation of God's Word.

Oh, one more thing! It's so interesting to talk about what the early Church believed, but I think it's funny when people use it as a "gotcha" when the early Church didn't believe something, and other people do. Like, was the early Church perfect and right all the time? Why can't the disciples and early saints get something wrong that later people got right? So obviously it's important to learn about early Christian theology, but it's not some pure teaching that we have to get back to— it's proof that we're constantly evolving!

Here are some sources/resources/thoughts on stuff I've talked about!

What are the strongest biblical arguments for the divinity of Christ? (Got Questions)

Was the divinity of Jesus a Late Invention of the Council of Nicea? (Canon Fodder)

The Divinity of Jesus: An Early Christian Debate (Cynthia Stewart, Saint Mary's Press)

The Divinity of Jesus & 5 Reasons it Matters (David Guzik, Calvary Chapel)

What the Early Church Believed: The Divinity of Christ (Catholic.com)

What Does the Phrase "the Word of God" Mean? (Don Stewart, Blue Letter Bible)

Logos (Christianity) (Wikipedia)

Scholastic Lutheran Christology (Wikipedia)

A Lutheran-Orthodox Common Statement on Faith in the Holy Trinity

Who is God—The Trinity? (Holy Cross Lutheran Church)

The mystery of the Trinity (Delmer Chilton, Living Lutheran)

The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy: Studies and Expositions of the Messiah in the Old Testament by Michael Rydelnik & Edwni Blum

Christology: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Study of Jesus Christ by Gerald O'Collins

Is Jesus Truly God?: How the Bible Teaches the Divinity of Christ by Gregory R. Lanier

I'm not sure that I actually answered any questions— I may have just created more, but that is the nature of theology, I'm afraid. Good luck in your learning and thinking, and may you come to your own idea of how to think about and relate to Jesus— there isn't one right way, don't worry. I'm not even claiming that I or my denomination's beliefs are "right," although I do think they're true. (I like differentiating those.)

Thank you so much for your support of my blog, and I hope you have a lovely day/night!

<3 Johanna

#asks #resources #theology #jesus

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ihatebnha · 2 years

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hiii sorry to bother you!! I was just wondering how you grew your acc and got traction on ur posts when u first made ur account? <3

Aww, you're not a bother at all! I always love getting asks, so this is nothing.

I know I'm not supposed to be on here, but... I've always wanted someone to ask me this so I got a little excited LOL. I really hope this helps, and feel free to send in any specific questions if I'm unclear about anything because I know for a FACT that I've probably missed some stuff.

Disclaimer: this is just how I did it during an interest boom as someone who doesn't write long fics... obviously, it's different for everyone and there's no wrong way to have or run a writing blog esp. since viewership has changed <3

I think I should start off with saying... one of the main ways I gained traction was by writing and posting my own prompts. Daily.

I actually wanted to start a blog specifically because I'm bad at coming up with my own ideas... but when I was just starting out, I figured it would be really difficult to get anon requests (and especially those that were in tune with what I wanted to write) if I didn't actually have any content out... so I personally worked SUPER hard at just posting a handful of my own drabbles every couple days in order to get the material flowing and the repertoire established with or without any interaction/response.

I think... this and this were two of my first posts? Nothing too complex obviously, but both being unrelated to requests.

It's also important to note that posting pieces specifically is what I did and DO believe keeps the influx of followers steady. Sure, you can be the funniest person on earth and have banger reblogs, but as someone very picky about the blogs I follow and the content I see on my dash, I have found there always needs to be some flow of writing and/or serious content discussion... even if it's just a think piece... for people to really, truly care about talking to you.

It's very likely that you'll have less people following you specifically to interact if all your posts are non-writing related reblogs of things. It is possible to get followers by just supporting authors that way, but you'll never have people banging on your door to chat unless you make stuff of your own and post it somewhat consistently.

For me, I had a couple of regular anons at less numbers, but I wasn't getting all that many consistently til I had about 800-1000+.

I also... worked really hard at ONLY posting writing related things... even if it was hard or I hated the prompt LOL... and I even kept personal posts kept to a minimum for the longest time. I'm still recovering from that LOL.

But... I think it really helped that I started out writing smut first? People LOVE smut... and it doesn't even have to be that long (or good) to get attention, so that definitely helped me.

...Let's see. Another thing that I think I was benefitted by was having a good URL and an easy to navigate, DISTINCT theme (my theme was a meme for like four months LOL).

I've always refused to lean on those fancy, term-coded ones because I find them rather..................... access-unfriendly, but being recognizable is SO important as I ALWAYS notice people in my inbox when their urls are cool or their themes standout, even if they don't actually write.

And though it's not required, I also think it's easier to find moots that way, too (esp if it's your main).

(And if someone you like follows you, make sure to say hi or send an ask off anon!!)

ALSO, I think it's super important to set up a masterlist the second you have content out and to either put it either as or on your pinned post. Back when there were more blogs and I read content more regularly, I literally wouldn't go through blogs if it wasn't easy to find ALL of their work... and I'm sure theres a few people who remember this, but for the longest time, my pinned post was literally just "masterlist."

A masterlist is what proves to people that you have work you want to share and that it's worth looking at!!!

But to continue, and I say this not just as an author, but as someone who's been on tumblr since 2011.... all that shit about tagging posts with 5 billion things? That's mumbo jumbo tbh. Your posts may end up more places... but no where that important because tumblr only tracks the first five tags.

"____ x reader" is really the MAIN thing I worried about... and I always made sure it was the FIRST tag I put. I kept all my personal thoughts TIL AFTER I established where I wanted the post to be found.

As an example, when I first started, I would tags pieces: "bakugo x reader, bakugou x reader, bakugo, katsuki bakugo x reader, katsuki bakugou x reader" and that's IT.

These days, you can probably get away with even less than that as the tags are a fucking mess and no one important really looks at them.

And mainly... I think I was just patient. I definitely got asks at first but... it took me MONTHS to get anywhere close to where I'm at now... and even then, I think I've lost a lot of regulars due to inconsistent posting.

The thing about this all though, is that... running a blog is a different experience for everyone, and frankly, SHOULD REMAIN DIFFERENT. I know my views are very biased based on how I interact on tumblr... but that's what makes the community stronger, you know? Coming together.

SO, TL;DR: post content DAILY, be identifiable, tag well, and HAVE PATIENCE... and you should be fine. I'm sure there will come a day when you reflect back and miss being a smaller blog.

Good luck❤️

#just do whatever u want tho it doesnt matter as long as ur posting #once u get to a certain stage it stops mattering lol #but eeeeee #gotta go now before i panic and delete everything #ask #caitie chats #caitie thoughts #anon

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thread-theocracy · 3 years

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Have you ever come back to a WIP and started worrying that the art looks familiar? Like you might of subconsciously been inspired by someone else's, or is it just because it's an old wip? Would you still post something like that? I'm having this problem rn

I absolutely have felt the same way!!! (Personally) When I run into these thoughts, I (try to) always tell myself that there is no such thing as an purely original idea. We’re all inspired by someone one way or another, and that’s okay! Usually when someone copies another artist’s idea, it’s a fully conscious decision with intention (at least in personal experience).

There are many pieces on this blog where I felt that (and this is especially emphasized with any design-based artwork) but I went ahead with posting it because I consistently track my own inspirations/ideas down to the bone to ward off any paranoia 😭. I personally use PureRef or Pinterest (imo PureRef has quicker access/navigation)! All of my demon form redesigns and other design work have entire boards filled with concept art, interesting text/excerpts, and more!

Below is my general inspiration board (<- too embarrassed to show everything up close ><):

I may have misinterpreted this ask, but if this was leaning towards an art style instead of conceptual ideas, then I might be a little stupid there _(:3 」∠)_! I think everyone’s style is an amalgamation of influences ranging from their environment, perception of self/others, and more so it’s okay to have it fluctuate (we all change and mold like play dough ^^)! In my opinion, purely copying someone’s style (and just only that style) is a conscious and intentional decision as well. If you’re worried about your style looking like someone else’s, always try to take in inspiration from multiple sources (this also works with ideas as well). I had like five different art style phases and it slowly built up into the monsters I create today :]c.

Even if it came to the point that someone messaged me about my works, I would just be open to talking and maybe delete the post and move on if it correlates that much.

Ultimately, communication is just so sexy and important <3!!! Follow your heart!! Be ethical!! Love your neighbor!! Peace and love on planet Earth ^_^

#ask #anon #long post #ran out of thought juice on this one #idk if this even helped at all but 😳 I love rambling like a mad man hehe

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orionsangel86 · 3 years

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Regarding this whole drama or whatever the hell is going on, I'm finding it very strange that from "their" point of view and what they're posting about, they're making it seem like you're the one who's bringing all this drama back and attacking them and constantly tagging you to stop it...which honestly leaves me very confused by their behavior because I've seen barely a peep from you about this (at least on tumblr, I'm not very active on twitter). They're tagging you, telling everyone that you're the one instigating it but yet I havent seen anything at all from you trying to defend yourself on this, and this seems like something that if you had supposedly started then you would probably want to defend yourself on. So it doesn't really add up when they're making claims that they're the ones being bullied here. And I'm also less inclined to believe what this person says when I've seen them routinely mock and insult their anons and calling them stupid. At least with you, I can always trust you to be respectful and classy when dealing with things you don't agree with.

I havent always agreed with you on things but you were the first SPN blog I ever followed when I joined the fandom a few years back (the first post I ever saw from you was a meta on the Scoobynatural episode and I thought it was really interesting but I was much too shy to tell you that at the time, so I decided to follow you instead). Despite not always agreeing with you, Ive always still kind of stuck with you because I can handle differing opinions and I appreciate different points of views and you seemed like a very passionate but also still down to earth individual. And I'm not really here to pick a side, just more here to say that I respect you.

And even though I'm not really a Destiel shipper anymore, I lean more towards Sastiel these days, but I do still consider myself a multi shipper so here's my destiel head canon. The oh so famous destiel mixtape, obviously we can bet that Dean has his usual classic rock types on that tape, but I also like to think Cas's tastes in music kind of stem towards more modern style so my head canon is that while Dean was making this mix tape, he was just kind of racking his brain trying to come up with music he thought Cas might like as well. So he just turned on a top 40s radio station and listened and just pulled a few songs he heard on there. But he actually picked music Cas doesn't really like but Cas cares about the gesture too much to tell him so, plus Cas also thinks the songs are on there because Dean genuinely likes them and because these two are so bad at communicating they're now having to pretend to eachother that they like these songs that they both hate.

First of all thank you so much for this ask. I really appreciate you taking the time to give me the benefit of the doubt. Though I will say I did respond to the hate in a post further down my blog in my #fandomwank tag and put it under a cut. I responded once they started making accusations that I was racist and ableist. That is the last post I will ever make about those people. I am trusting regular people like you to consider and make your own judgements on the matter (those that are actually interested that is as I know many people just wanna stay as far away from drama as they can!)

I appreciate you taking the time to reach out. Thank you for that. Just be careful now since you didn't send this on anon.

As for the headcanon ahhhh thank you! I love the idea of Dean sitting down and wondering what other kinds of music Cas likes! He'd be grimacing while listening to some very modern popular number (though he totes nods along to Taylor Swift :P)

LOL they really would do something like that! Both so desperate to please the other they keep up an activity they don't enjoy just to please the other one. Utter dumbasses :P

Headcanon accepted my friend. Thank you so much for that and your kind words. <3

#lovely people #fandom drama #personal #asks #destiel headcanons #fandom wank

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wellwornwornwell · 7 years

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Continuing to have a 'casual wear' dilemma. I'm good at work with my tailored clothing, even better in the evening on date nights but I seem to really struggle with what to wear for casual affairs. Think nephew's weekend sporting events, car show on a Sunday and the like. What do you think strikes a good balance these days with everyone leaning toward sloppiness and workout gear? I tend to look to Ralph, Syd and Bastian for inspiration. Good start?

There is no better indicator of a man’s comprehension of style and dress than what he wears when tailored clothing is not an option. Granted there are guys out there who will say tailored clothing is always an option, but those guys should really do less. Unless you are a part of a very select set of politicians or global elite, you shouldn’t reach for a suit by default. As I’ve said before, you don’t want to be the guy sweating through a three-piece suit at your brother-in-law’s backyard barbecue, furiously mass-posting, “Style is for men, swag is for boys!” to your subreddit.

Getting back to casualwear as a barometer of taste, all too often we see guys who look perfectly acceptable during work hours reaching for jeans their wife picked out, un-tucked Robert Graham contrast-cuff shirts, and Ferragamo loafers as soon as they are invited to an NFL game. Those guys don’t realize it, but that’s the official uniform of dudes most likely to sexually harass the suite attendant before halftime.

While I won’t pretend to have casual dress down to a science (casual dress is inherently more fluid and at the mercy of more palpable trends or fads), I do have some concepts that I think about when heading out for the weekend:

Stealth WealthAlright, so the term “stealth wealth” is objectively cheesy and trite. However, I’ve yet to find a more succinct way of putting my preferred approach to dressing. While the aforementioned designer clod goes out of his way to remind you that tacky designer button-front shirts NEVER go on sale (for less than 70% off…), trying to signal status is almost never a good look. We all know a guy who tries to put on every noticeably designer item he owns just in the hopes some girl ten years younger will overhear him talking about his personal shopper at Neiman’s and ask for a ride in his Porsche. It’s much better to stay low-profile.

I really like label-free basics from the Japanese streetwear brands like Loopwheeler, Nonnative, and Nanamica. In fact, turning to the Japanese for inspiration on how to wear sedate, really expensive clothes in a natural way is never a bad idea. By keeping away from logos or markers of excess, you can bet you’ll always look in-step, regardless of who is around you. I would caution not going off the deep-end, however. Dressing all-Japanese-everything often results in looking like a goth ninja, technicolor robot, American cowboy, or all three at once. As always, pick your spots and let your taste dictate.

An Investment in BasicsPiggy-backing off the above, it’s never good to try and reinvent the wheel when dressing casually. While there is certainly a temptation to step into outlandish colors or avant-garde designs after a long week of soporific charcoal greys and sky blues, it’s best to keep things grounded. A lot of guys give into this temptation on weekends, often with results ranging from new-money Mediterranean at Easter to color-blind gay guy just off a flight from Key West. Though you’ll never turn heads in earth tone solids, it’s also worth remembering your clothes should never be what someone remembers you for.

LayeringA great way to mix things up is by layering. This time of year there are a ton of interesting outerwear pieces, from airy linens to chunky boiled wool, that can be mixed and matched with relative ease. Maintaining the above guidelines on basic, tasteful designs and colors will make this all the easier. Granted, if you live in a climate similar to mine, layering becomes much less enticing from April to September, but more mild climates can enjoy the extra layers more or less year-round. Just make sure a white crew-neck undershirt isn’t in the equation. That doesn’t constitute layering.

And on the topic of outerwear, some of the best casual brands are those who specialize in outdoor gear. Patagonia and Arc’teryx specifically make up a decent chunk of my casual wardrobe. While you never want to look like you’re heading to or from a mountain climb, the athletic cuts and minimalist designs are generally flattering for most body types. They also sell a ton of different items, so you can usually work something in regardless of climate or weather.

Lived-In Aesthetic The biggest piece of advice when it comes to wearing casual clothes is to turn to items you’ve worn the shit out of. While the name of my blog hints at my bias on this topic, there are few better places to turn when dressing down than to t-shirts you’ve had since college, shorts that you wore to paint your house, or button-downs that have long since been too frayed for office appearances. Granted, you want to maintain some semblance of sanity (the Derelicte look is never good), but a pair of worn and whiskered jeans, a beat-up and frayed OCBD, and loafers that have been resoled more times than you can count is always a good play.

In terms of people to look to for inspiration, I think you have a good list amassed. Without knowing your lifestyle or proclivities it’s hard to say who makes the best model, but picking and choosing from people who catch your eye is always the best starting place.

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kane-and-griffin · 7 years

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Hey so I known you don't particularly ship bellarke, but what do you think of the bellarke/kabby parallels? I'm only asking because I'm curious to see what the other side of the fandom thinks?

I actually do ship Bellarke! Kabby is my #1 but I’ve always been invested in Clarke and Bellamy’s relationship. I have very strong opinions about Kabby/Bellarke parallels and have talked about this at LENGTH on Meta Station, where @reblogginhood, my co-host and best friend, is a ride-or-die Bellarke shipper, so most of the time I feel like I have dual citizenship through Erin (and vice versa, since the Kabby fandom loves her too). We both love both those ships, and we both love all four of those characters, just in rearranged order, and we like to yell about this a LOT.

I’ve meta’d on this before a number of different times, but I’m too lazy to go back and dig up old posts, so here goes.

First of all, if you are a Bellarke shipper (are you a Bellarke shipper? Am I reading this ask correctly? HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIIIIIIIIIIDE), the most important thing I want to say in aid of positive fandom-to-fandom relations is that the phrase “Kabby/Bellarke parallels” has begun to elicit a knee-jerk primal scream reaction among Kabby shippers over the past few months, since we regularly find the Kabby tag full of posts that either describe Kabby as the “old” version of Bellarke, or that it only exists to pave the way for Bellarke, or that the parallels that exist (and they do exist, and we’ll get to that in a second) essentially make Kane and Abby metaphors instead of people who only exist in the narrative to shed light on Bellarke instead of being their own characters with value and storylines of their own. Articles or blog posts highlighting the things that make Kabby special to Kabby shippers will get reblogged with someone saying “if you change the names, it’s about Bellarke!” or with lengthy meta about how Bellarke had that thing first or that the Kabby version of some particular moment or symbol or metaphor or visual cue or phrase only exists because it will become MORE important later, when it’s attached to Bellarke.

So I’m frustrated because I love this ask, I love getting this question, I love talking about the relationship among these four characters, but also it’s hard - as you can imagine - to feel like we’re told over and over again that the things we feel make our ship, and these two characters, really special to us, don’t really matter on their own merits.

Anyway, I’m saying that both A) so the Kabby fandom, where we are perpetually having this conversation, knows MOM’S ON IT, and B) so that you as a Bellarke shipper who seems delightful and asked a great question has some context for why sometimes other asks or posts about this - which aren’t phrased as nicely as yours was - receive a negative response or make Kabby shippers upset. I think the context is important here, because this has been a BIG thing in our world of late and we’re all a little thin-skinned about it right now.

Okay but that being said LET’S MOVE ON TO THE FUN PART AND TALK ABOUT CHARACTER PARALLELS BECAUSE I LOVE CHARACTER PARALLELS AND I THINK ABOUT THESE ONES ALL THE TIME AND I’M FULL OF OPINIONS AND YOU ASKED FOR THEM SO YOU’RE GONNA GET ‘EM

oh wait I found another post where I already did this STILL GONNA YELL ABOUT IT THOUGH, MY HOUSE MY RULES

Okay so FIRST OF ALL let me just real quick BLOW YOUR MIND with my Kabby/Bellarke parallels theory, which is that the REAL parallel is Abby/Bellamy vs. Clarke/Kane and everyone else has it backwards.

I think the easy, default place most people go to when we talk about this is to contrast Kane and Bellamy - the self-doubting, tortured, wannabe martyrs who carry the weight of every sin on their shoulders well past the point of reason - with Abby and Clarke - the resourceful mother and daughter who never give up and will drag all of humanity kicking and screaming to their salvation if it’s the LAST THING THEY FUCKING DO. And I think there’s a lot of interesting character stuff to be mined there, for sure; I think Kane and Bellamy’s parallel redemption arcs are some of the best stuff they’ve done in the whole series (until 3A Bellamy regressed back to an asshole but let’s skip past that for the moment), illustrating the way that for both of them, the Culling was really a turning point where they realized that they will forever carry the burden of having been complicit in that massive loss of innocent life (Bellamy for throwing away Raven’s radio and Kane for not waiting like Abby asked him to) which could have been prevented if they had listened to the Griffins. It’s beautifully executed, even in S1 when these two characters have never interacted onscreen, and it ramps up even more in S2 where we see them meet and immediately butt heads with each other before in S3 developing a real partnership. (Which then got torn to shreds. I’m still bitter over 3A Kellamy I’M GONNA NEED A HUG IN S4 JASON DO U HEAR ME) (I mean I need Kane to hug Bellamy, not like I’m requesting a hug from Jason, TO BE CLEAR). And I think the mother/daughter parallels are drawn beautifully as well, especially in S1 where we see Abby on the Ark and Clarke on the ground filling similar roles and working towards the same goal, barreling through the opposition however they must.

BUT. If we’re talking about which characters are MOST SIMILAR, then I think you CANNOT get away from the reality that the parallels are actually gender-flipped.

Clarke has a lot of her mom in her, clearly, as well as a lot of her dad. But she’s not actually the kind of leader her mom is. She’s the kind of leader Kane is. Abby and Bellamy are the ones with the crowd charisma and the stubborn recklessness; Clarke and Kane are the cool-headed, deliberate strategic thinkers. Bellamy and Abby have quick minds and no fear and will do absolutely anything, no matter how insane, to protect the people they love. You can map, beat-for-beat, so many of the things Bellamy does for Octavia onto the things Abby does for Clarke, and vice versa. Abby sneaking the kids out the back door with guns in the middle of the night to go find Clarke? Bellamy would do that in a second. Bellamy sneaking onto the dropship to make sure Octavia doesn’t go to earth unprotected? ABBY AF. They both begin the show as people who are fiercely focused on keeping the person they love most safe, and it makes them blind to ancillary consequences. Bellamy will fight anyone. Abby will tell any lie. There is no such thing as too far, when the person you love is at stake. WE know Abby’s hope that the kids are alive is borne out by fact, but NO ONE ELSE ON THE ARK KNOWS THAT. From Kane’s point of view, she’s being as unreasonable and reckless as Clarke thinks Bellamy is when she yells at him about the radio. Or think about Abby sneaking Bellamy and Finn out the back door with guns to go hunt for Clarke, even knowing she would get in trouble for it. You know who else would do THAT EXACT SAME THING in those circumstances? BELLAMY BLAKE. I bet they cooked up that scheme together off-camera. So what I think is interesting for both of them is how their circle expands over the course of three seasons to change the way they are as leaders, and the ways in which their recklessness is tempered by their leadership partners.

I’m fascinated by the relationship between Clarke and Kane, and I hope we get more of it in S4. I heard rumblings that they go together to find Kenza, the Nightblood scout, and I’m hoping we get a lil’ dad/daughter road trip bonding, because I think they have a really strong connection and they share a similar leadership brain. Where Abby and Bellamy are quick and passionate and make snap decisions, Clarke and Kane are more calculating. They’re thinking in the big picture and the longer term. Floating 300 people to save the whole Ark, and irradiating the residents of Mt. Weather to save all the Sky People, are identical decision-making processes; not everyone can live, someone is going to have to die, so how to we map out the most effective path where the fewest of my people die as possible for maximum survival? Whereas there’s nothing Bellamy wouldn’t burn to the ground to save Octavia. Leadership isn’t PERSONAL for Clarke and Kane, not right off the bat. It’s about the numbers. It’s about as many people as possible surviving. And so sometimes you have to let the bomb fall on Tondc, because letting those people die is the only way to give your own people the chance to live, even though Abby “there has to be another way” Griffin finds that notion so appalling she can hardly even recognize her daughter in that moment. But you know who understood it immediately, and didn’t judge her? Kane. Kane and Abby’s scene underground in 2x13 is such a beautiful, crucial moment in their relationship, but it’s also the moment the show really begins to lean in on this idea that Kane can see Clarke more clearly than Abby can, because she’s Abby’s baby girl and Abby is still trying to protect her from harm - including from the harm of having to make, and then face the consequences of, terrible decisions. But Kane is the one who tells Abby not to diminish either Clarke or Lexa’s leadership skills just because they’re young. Kane is the one who calmly talks Clarke down when they’re trying to figure out who poisoned Lexa’s drink, using the same kind of coolheaded, rational language we can easily imagine Clarke using to one of the delinquents if the shoe was on the other foot. And so it makes perfect sense that it would be Clarke and Kane who make the strategic decision, together, that Skaikru joining the Grounder Alliance is the smartest long-term tactical decision - a notion we see that Abby and Bellamy don’t like, because they, emotional thinkers that they are, still haven’t forgiven Lexa or decided they can trust her again.

I’m really interested in where the lines end up getting drawn in S4, but it definitely seems to me, from the bits and pieces we’ve seen and heard, that Clarke has some kind of crazy-ass save-the-world plan that other people think is too reckless or too dangerous or will have too high a casualty rate, and that the group sort of divides itself into factions based on who is willing to get on board and who is resisting (or just giving up and waiting to die). And it does seem, from the trailer, that Kane and Abby are using the same language Clarke is using. We’ve also heard that Bellamy and Clarke are back as a power duo again, so my guess is he’ll be on the squad too. So what I’m really excited about, because we’ve never really had this before, is the four of them working together as a co-leadership team. I want to see Chancellor Kane and Ambassador Clarke negotiating with Roan and Luna. I want Abby and Bellamy working together in Arkadia to convince their people to go along with Clarke’s plan. I want Clarke and Abby to talk about Lexa and Jake, about how you go on with a hole in your heart and how to grieve and heal. I want Kane and Bellamy to talk through all the things that happened in S3, how Bellamy almost got Kane executed because he stopped trusting him, how ALIE made Kane almost murder Bellamy in cold blood, and where they go from here. I want us to see the parallel relationship dynamics - the big-hearted, loving Griffins who are used to giving and receiving affection reaching out to the isolated protector men who are still getting used to the idea that they have a place they belong and people who care about them.

TO CONCLUDE: Abby is Bellamy and Clarke is Kane and they’re a big beautiful leadership power squad family and I love them all with my whole heart THANK U AND GOODNIGHT

#Anonymous #From the Inbox #kabby #marcus kane #abby griffin #metas and headcanons #the 100 #the 100 meta #clarke griffin #bellamy blake #bellarke meta

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