#but there is simply no way to put all that nice and concisely for a tumblr post
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19, 20 and 22 for the ask thing 👀
(the ask list)
God, these are all really tough. I always struggle talking about/identifying things that I find ~meaningful~ lmao. That said, here's an attempt <3:
19: A song that makes you think about life
Living Room Floor by Sammy Rae
20: A song that has many meanings to you
Dary by Hot Mulligan
22: A song that moves you forward
Na Na Na by My Chemical Romance
#there is like. SO much explanatory context for my reasoning on 20#and 22 as well. but especially 20#but there is simply no way to put all that nice and concisely for a tumblr post#so you're just getting the song links lol#anyway thank you for the ask bestie!!#love 2 inflict my music taste on people#even if a song from an old hot mulligan ep is not necessarily the most wide appeal part of my music taste lmaoo#magical-alien#ask#invasion of the frogs
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Just a short post on the topic, since I intend to reserve the long version for my culture sideblog where this kind of post should belong:
Since many people (esp people in the west) tend to misunderstand what “Mandate of Heaven” really is, I’ll just explain it in a concise way. “Mandate of Heaven”, or 天命, which really should be translated as the “Will of Heaven” or “Heaven’s Will”, actually reflects “the will of the people”. I’m too lazy right now so I’ll just copy paste what I wrote in an addendum to someone else’s post:
Instead, "heaven" is better understood as "nature", one which can "reflect" the opinion of the people like a weird mirror of sorts. To understand what Mandate of Heaven means, one absolutely must understand what "Unity of Heaven and Humanity"/天人合一 means. In this concept, the opinions, thoughts, and actions of humans (not just ruling class people) are echoed by "heaven". Which means that, yes, this concept is really all about the people. Ideally, anyway. This also means that every time a natural disaster happened, it was seen as the people's discontent or the ruler's mistakes/wrongdoings reflected in nature. Thus, we see that when natural disasters happen in history, the emperor might issue a public confession (called 罪己诏, or "Edict of Self-Blame"), in the hopes that "heaven" (people by extension) might cease its wrath. Sometimes these "signs from heaven" were also used as justifications for rebellions and uprisings like OP mentioned above, sometimes also usurpations.
And:
Now we come to the part of why I said "ideally". In ancient China, there was a special social class that held just as much power as the emperor (sometimes even more than the emperor, for example the Three Kingdoms period). This class was called shi/士 (sometimes translated as "scholar officials" or "literati"), and may be understood as the class of "elites" in ancient China. Shi elites often exist in the form of clans or families who have a sort of "monopoly" on governmental positions, and they are not simply rich people or landowners or nobles. Most importantly, they have knowledge, and they can control the dispersal of knowledge. It was the shi elites who came up with this concept of "Unity of Heaven and Humanity", which meant they have the final say in what the "signs from heaven" actually meant. In theory, the "humanity" in this concept should encompass all people, but in practice, it really only meant the shi elites. So in the end, it was a nice idea, but its overwhelming reliance on human interpretation made it so historically the situation often became a tug of war between the ruler and the shi elites, and not the people putting a check on the actions of the ruling class.
To add on to that, here are more concepts associated with 天/Heaven:
天 (Heaven): Heaven in traditional Chinese thought represents the supreme morals and natural laws of the universe, and is not a god (which means it is also not “the” god). It’s above all gods. It does not have a form and unlike many other deities in Chinese religions and culture, is not visually anthropomorphized. It is also different from 老天爷 (”Old ‘Ye’ Heaven”) in common vernacular.
天道 (Heaven’s Way): the natural laws by which everything in the world exists, operates, and changes. Can also mean causality, as in the phrase “天道轮回，报应不爽” (”The Way of Heaven cycles around, and retribution will come sooner or later”; the implication is that if one does bad things, because of this cause and effect it will eventually come back to bite them in the ass).
天行 (Heaven’s Workings): literally the way Heaven operates, or just the laws of nature. As in “天行有常，不为尧存，不为桀亡” (”Heaven’s Workings is constant; it shall not exist because of a benevolent ruler like Yao, and shall not disappear because of a tyrannical ruler like Jie”) from 《荀子·天论》.
天理 (Heaven’s Principles): the natural laws of the world, the supreme morals, and the ultimate truth. Often used as the ultimate moral basis, as in “天理昭彰” (”Heaven’s Principles are clear and evident”; means that Heaven will uphold justice, punish those who are evil and reward those who are good).
天命 (Heaven’s Will): the will of nature (which includes all people). See above.
#mandate of heaven#chinese philosophy#chinese culture#天#天道#天行#天理#天命#may delete when i actually come out with the longer post on the sideblog
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Headcanon - Majora's Origin
I love Majora's Mask. It is nice to the game get the recognition after spending so much time in the shadow of Ocarina of Time.
However, since the beginning, fans have had an obsession about the origin of Majora's Mask. The oldest / most popular theory that often get repeated is - Majora is a DARK GOD rejecting the Goddesses and planning the destruction of everything!
It's a fine enough theory, but I never hear people really expand on the normal origin explain in the game. They never seem to grasp what "Majora's Mask" is - the Mask is very simply a Demon.
A unique demon, but a demon none the less.
First of all, let's take the time to acknowledge that the world of Legend of Zelda is full of demons. Nearly every side game features some kind of powerful demon terrorizing the local population.
[Nightmare art by JMatchhead on DeviantArt]
Anyway, Majora is a Tsukumogami, a type of "spirit" born from an item. (Never forget the Zelda franchise's Japanese influences.) In Shinto, it is believed that items can come alive after a long period of time (usually more than 100 years.) Items that are regularly used and maintained, birth helpful spirits. Items that have been neglected, birth angry spirits.
When you think of it that way, the origin told in the game makes a lot more sense. Majora's Mask is a mask used by an ancient tribe to cast curses. The Mask might have absorbed some of the dark magic that they used, so it was already brimming with dark energy when it was sealed away. Then it remained sealed away for a long time, growing resentful of those that had sealed it away.
(I mean, it might be a hexing mask, but items are happy to fulfill their purpose. If it's been neglected, it's because either no longer good enough to do it's job, or they are ashamed of the job it did before.)
By the time the Happy Mask Salesman found it, it was probably already alive waiting for someone to pick it up.
[Sidebar - the HMS is not a God either. He's just a Mask collector. In a land of powerful masks, that means something, but it's not necessarily sinister. He probably buys and sells regular masks, but keeps rare masks for his personal collection. And his drive for collecting masks did push him to raid an ancient temple for Majora's Mask. But, he was also smart enough on how to transport it. He knew it would be trouble for anyone else. He might have planned a ritual to banish the spirit inside the Mask, if he could get the mask back. However, Link destroyed the demon the old fashioned way.]
When the Skull Kid put it on, it secretly wielded him like a puppet. Fascinatingly, being a hexing mask, the Skull Kid took great delight in cursing people, but hardly ever actually killed anyone. (I struggle to think of anyone the Skull Kid killed directly.) It enjoyed bringing misery to all, likely drawing power from people's despair.
It turned the swamp waters into poison. A terrible blizzard hit Snowpeak. Storms were making Great Bay unpleasant for the Zora, and all Ikana Canyon was cursed to relive a war that no one remembers what they were fighting for. On top of more personal curses like turning Kafei into a kid. And causing great despair from pulling the moon out of the sky.
Finally, it was this increased energy of despair that allowed "the spirit of the mask" to manifest a true form for itself, that you fight as "Majora's Wrath."
And in the end, Link is able to destroy this demon, the Mask becomes an ordinary item once again, and the people of Termina are freed from depair as they greet a new dawn, after that third day.
(btw, some people think "Majora's Mask" created all of Termina, and that this is some kind of pocket dimension. If so, why doesn't it disappear when the evil spirit dies? Because Termina is a real place. It's just another country. There are other countries in LoZ. Just that NIntendo doesn't want to explain things.)
And that's it. I feel it's more concise. Instead of speculating on a cosmic pantheon we will never know, the story is much simpler. The land of Termina was cursed, suffering in despair, so the Gods (Or Goddess) sent the Hero to save them.
#Roy-DCM2#Headcanon#Zelda Theory#Triforce#Ocarina of Time#Legend of Zelda#Majora's Mask#Ganon#Zelda#Link#Hero of Time#Goddess Hylia#triforce#Nintendo#Wind Waker#Majora#Skull Kid#Happy Mask Salesman
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Todays rip: 25/09/2023
Aquarium in the Ocean
Season 6
Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume FF
Ripped by Zielony Szpieg
youtube
If you ask any avid SiIvaGunner fan to recount the most important parts of Season 5, you'll find two songs to be nigh inevitable to be brought up. There's many concise ways to identify the fifth season by today - it was one of the lightest years on the channel in terms of new lore, it was the season tasked with succeeding the indescribable scale and success of the King for Another Day Tournament and its celebration the year after, it saw the official debut of SiIvaGunner Fusion Records, and it overall was one of the highest-quality years in terms of rips uploaded. Yet two icons remain dominant in the minds of many a SiIvaGunner fan, two songs that caused an absolute uproar during their heyday - Astronaut in the Ocean and Yankin'.
Its hard to really overstate just how much chaos these two songs alone put the channel audience in: I once previously tried to summarize it all in my post on Knowledge of the Depths from the same season. Put simply, Astronaut in the Ocean began to appear frequently in low-effort, unsynced mashups in reference to its origins as a TikTok meme, which gave it a sort of perception as an anti-hero for the fanbase - the joke that, no matter what it was attached to, would never even try to deliver something that sounded conventionally "high quality". If the astronaut was an anti-hero, Yankin' was a full-on villain - the crassness of the song paired with the somewhat hard to listen to vocals and immediately identifiable beat made the song into a source of downright hatred within the comment section, on a level only really previously matched by Season 1's "Bean" (more on that guy at a later date). It was fascinating, for a year without much in the way of proper story progression, to see so much community discourse still happen althesame regarding the state of the channel.
Months later, when Season 6 arrived, the dust had settled´. Astronaut in the Ocean had gotten a sort of cult following for its apathetic, inconsistent use in rips very much unique to it, and Yankin' even had its own takeover, to directly address and cement the meme's status as a villain on the channel. The memes are now a staple of SiIvaGunner despite - or perhaps because of - our ire, and they've been infrequently appearing in rips the same way that Grand Dad, Snow Halation, The Nutshack and so many others oft would back in the early days. And to me, no rip better illustrates that new status quo than Aquarium in the Ocean.
Aquarium in the Ocean follows the style of several rips preceding it as a "mashup medley", most easily comparable to something like Memey Hell from Season 1. While that rip acted as a sort of celebration to Season 1 as a whole, Aquarium in the Ocean feels like it does the same for Season 5's two big jokes as discussed above. Despite featuring both the Season's bringers of hell, they're used in very genuine, serious ways - Astronaut in the Ocean leads the song off and is actually, for once, tuned to the original song's key, and Yankin's vocals play surprisingly softly when paired with different instrumentation. The two are blended together with several other memes from the channel's history, be it old-school like Soulja Boy or more recent ones like Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney's Epic Rap Battle of History - its a sort of scattershot selection of jokes, yet each one is given enough time to sink in as funny whilst matching the Aquarium Park instrumental backing quite nicely.
Really, though, above its quality and sound its the meaning to the rip that I really care about. There's no longer any sort of panic in the comments over the presence of Yankin' - many are even surprised and delighted to hear the track finally sounding *good* in a rip. The two are now just jokes amidst the many others, accepted tools within the arsenal of the SiIva team - and permanent member of the channel's family. I can't say if Aquarium in the Ocean was really the rip to cement that, but something about its assortment of various jokes paired with its somewhat sentimental sound really carries that energy through. Zielony Szpieg, as far as I'm aware, is someone who submitted this rip to the team through email as a fan, and they did an excellent job at both making a good-sounding tune and something surprisingly poignant for the subject matter at hand. I know not how to contact him or if he'll ever see this, but if he does: Ya did good!
#todays siivagunner#season 6#siivagunner#siiva#Zielony Szpieg#sonic#sonic the hedgehog#sonic colors#sonic colours#sonic colours ultimate#sonic colors ultimate#sonic prime#sonic frontiers#sonic superstars#sonic music#astronaut in the ocean#yankin#Youtube#Bandcamp
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definitely would like to hear your take on this situation! if you feel like sharing ofc!! i feel like everyone shares the same discourse of disappointed but not surprised 😭
i'd love to share !!! i started typing this all out and realized i was not gonna be able to keep it nice and concise so i do rlly apologize this is long LOL
my first point is that just nothing has made my blood boil more than the people who, in defense of matty and in an attempt to ridicule hurt fans, say "this is what you get for idolizing someone," or "but he never claimed to be a good person -- you shouldn't have gotten attached." because while these may be true statements to a certain extent at times, they completely deflect from the actual issue, which is matty's actual behavior
i think a lot of my feelings on this circle back to my own experiences of being in fan spaces starting from like. age 12 all the way up to now. it is so genuinely difficult for young girls especially to enjoy anything without having it minimized or ridiculed simply because it attracts predominantly teen girls/young women. and so when a band like the 1975 shows up, it's wonderful because so many young people feel so welcome and accepted in that space. matty himself has reiterated many times in interviews that he has respect for the intelligent young women that make up the fanbase, and that you can't take your fans' intelligence for granted.
that's part of why it is so disheartening when time and time again he's so ok with openly making lame, weirdly misogynistic jokes at the expense of so many people who care so much about what he does. and it is true that maybe no one should be surprised, but it's so shocking that he has shown zero sign of maturation. he's nearly 34. there's no excuses for him atp.
my friend and i were talking about this, and it came up that matty is in a position of power where he will never have to take substantial action on his own claims of caring about women, or any sort of marginalized group for that matter. it's so deeply frustrating to see that he is clearly capable of compassion and understanding, yet he makes the active choice not to follow that, because he has the privilege of treating everything as a joke.
you can call it a bit, a joke layered in irony, as much as you want, but after awhile it begs the question: is it really a joke anymore? does this really not reflect who he is as a person? because i, personally, am done with people who hide behind the excuse of irony and satire to explain the shit they say. just because it's a joke doesn't mean it's fucking funny!!! like, at all!!!!
not to mention the fact that this band would NOT be where it is now if it weren't for the young women that put so much time and energy into showing the band support and love. and how fucking awful does it feel to have that returned with what i can only rlly describe as the kind of comments a 17 year old little white boy would make. feels awful
#is this dramatic?? yes definitely#but am i fed up with supporting a man who simply does not care?? yes definitely#matty healy#talk!
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Imagine you’re Luxu for a second. Your master/father (figure?) has told you that your role is to watch over the future until you die, pass on the Keyblade he gave to you, and keep tabs on a box. He also told you that you couldn’t interfere with events. Except you’re clearly the wrong person for the job, being as impatient and concerned about others as you are. So what do you do?
Violate the Master’s direct order and body-hop through the ages, learning to imitate—no, to become your current body to such a degree that you start losing your sense of self, just a little. Your personality is made up of bits and pieces you’ve collected over the eons. You brush it off, you would’ve changed over time anyways with new experiences and interactions. That’s what you tell the mess that is “yourself”, anyways.
Your current body was a loner, standoffish. Kept to himself. Perfect target. You’d started possessing the outcasts and abandoned, easier to assume their roles or invent an entirely new persona for them that way. You still had to observe their mannerisms to pass as them, but it wasn’t as much work.
His Your name was Braig, before you had your heart ripped out and the Sigil placed in your anagram. You, as Braig, somehow managed to get into Ansem the Wise’s good graces and became a guard and apprentice. These days they call you Xigbar.
You wouldn’t be able to fulfill your role if you’d actually become a Nobody; that (non)existence defeats the whole purpose of possession. So you waited until the opportune moment to insert your heart back into “your” body.
“Mar” something had a familiar air to him. The youth’s heart was ancient, like yours. You’d gotten a feel for how different hearts shone in the many you had to release from your victims. It had been an age since you felt that special light of a Daybreak Town wielder. Well, there was Ventus, but he didn’t count. Based on what the old coot had told you, it was obvious he was from the Age of Fairytales.
Same with the only lady of the Organization at least until Poppet came along. It was odd that they found Larxene in the same world as Marluxia, but you put the thought aside. No need to focus on such coincidences when your role was nearing its completion. The scapegoat was finally here in the one thought to be the Child of Destiny, and that meant the Keyblade War would happen again. And you would live to see it again, but not before your “death” and subsequent recompletion at the hands of the true Child of Destiny.
The Graveyard was the same as when you’d left it over a decade ago. Of course it was. Why wouldn’t it be? Time does not touch this place.
You told Luxord to find the Box. Not because you’d lost it, that’s just silly! He’d confronted you in Thebes later, immediately calling your bluff. That’s what you get for dealing with a gambler, you thought to yourself. But you took comfort in the hope knowledge that the Box would be safely back in your care by the time or directly after the Keyblade War was over.
Your old companions, in all their colorful, animal-themed glory, coalesced from the dust and wind. They gathered around you. All were exactly as you remembered them in personality and mannerism, from Aced’s insistence he knows what’s going on to Gula’s quiet and pointed observations. It was nice to see everyone again, but you’d changed. Ira pointed out as much: “Is that you, Luxu? You look different.” Looking back on it, if your Master had simply given you all roles which matched your strengths, none of this would’ve happened. But he chose the wrong roles on purpose, you recall with a roiling in your chest, in order to create conflict and allow Darkness to feed on it.
“I hope you like long stories,” you’d said, before explaining everything as concisely as possible. You conveniently left out the Master’s true intentions. They didn’t need to hear that part. When the tale was done, the horror settled on your friends’ faces behind their intricate masks. They hid their identity with them, as you had with your semblances through the years.
“It’s still me, underneath it all,” you’d told Invi. But was that really true anymore?
#Moon Speaks#Meg Writes#Luxu#Braig#No. II#Xigbar#Master of Masters#Ira#Invi#Aced#Gula#Whoops didn’t mean for this to be a fic#It was just gonna be some character exploration! How’d it turn into this#Sadly no Bragi but he wasn’t really important for this#Maybe I’ll do a final mix of this and add Luxu’s time as him in somewhere#character exploration
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Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines, and the Health of Nations
Author: Simon Schama
First published: 2023
Rating: ★★★☆☆
This is a difficult one to rate. On one hand, the research and language are top-notch, and the story Simon Schama had chosen to tell is extremely interesting. At the same time the book, from its title and synopsis, promises something other (a more or less comprehensive look at pandemics in history and the development of vaccination) than what is eventually given. Instead, the author focuses on several little-known personalities from the medical fields of the 19th/ early 20th century, who saved an incomprehensible number of lives through their discoveries and application of science - yet the world did not thank them. Schama has a talent for telling stories, but more often than not he elaborately explains what could be a footnote, which can be irritating at times. Simply put, there is a great deal to learn from this book, but it is not necessarily the exact lesson that you wanted.
The Marriage Portrait
Author: Maggie O'Farrell
First published: 2022
Rating: ★★★★★
A stunning book that truly feels like a series of paintings. The author, just like she had done it with Hamnet, is capable of creating an extremely sensory experience of capturing a moment in time: it is not just visual but evokes the feelings of touch, smell, and sound. Entrapped in the mind of a young girl, the reader cannot help but follow her at every step with feelings of profound sympathy and worry. Exquisite.
Olga Romanov: Russia's Last Grand Duchess
Author: Patricia Phenix
First published: 1999
Rating: ★★★☆☆
This is one of those books that are rather simplistic in their approach to the subject matter and thus quite easily and quickly readable. It does provide the basics on Olga Alexandrovna and even provides some little-known anecdotes from her life (that I have not yet read anywhere else), but given casual errors and mistakes scattered throughout the text I was a little apprehensive about their validity. Where the book really gives you something new and interesting are the last few chapters, which deal with Olga´s later life and especially behaviour of her sons and other family members. Those parts truly made me sad.
One For My Enemy
Author: Olivie Blake
First published: 2003
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Once upon a time, for whatever reason (probably because their names sounded cool - and that was also why they were repeated multiple times on every single page), Baba Yaga with her daughters and Koschei the Deathless with his sons ran a drug market in New York. There was some serious hanky-panky between the kids, who would just not stay dead so there is no point in being emotionally invested throughout. And they all talked way too much and it all became extremely, extremely boring. No, seriously, why were these "Russian" people in the US in the first place?
The Little Book of Saints
Author: Various
First published: 2009
Rating: ★★★★★
A lovely collection of vintage pictures of various saints accompanied by short and concise hagiographies. For a non-Catholics a good basic resource on the "saints" part of the Catholic history and a visual study of what our ancestors found appealing to look at. For Catholics, a nice "keep by the bed" or a "Christmas stocking filler" book. For me personally also a souvenir from the Melrose Abbey in Scottland.
The Moonstone
Author: Wilkie Collins
First published: 1868
Rating: ★★★★☆
Probably one of the first (if not the first) "Who Done It" books that I must admit hold up. I very much enjoyed the format, found genuinely amusing places, and did not unravel the mystery myself. that said one should be patient while reading, because the tempo is anything but swift - which I did not mind, since I found being in various heads and meeting the characters intimately, but might grate on the nerves of other readers looking for a thrill instead of a slow unraveling of a secret.
Royal Education: Past, Present and Future
Author: Peter Gordon, Denis Lawton
First published: 1999
Rating: ★★★☆☆
The book introduces the basics about how the English monarchs from the Tudor era to Princes William and Harry were educated, however very little is drawn out as a conclusion of that education. Not bad if you are solely interested in the subject, but if you want to learn more about the monarchs themselves, pick up a biography or two.
Atalanta
Author: Jennifer Saint
First published: 2023
Rating: ★★★★☆
Of the three books by Jennifer Saint, I think I enjoyed this one the most so far. her books are "telling" rather than "re-tellings" of classical Greek myths and Lord knows the Quest of the Golden Fleece had always struck me as an over-long sausage fest (with sausages being mostly rotten), so to see it from the point of view of Atalanta, the only Greek female hero who was allowed to actually hero, was refreshing. On one hand one could decry the fact that Saint sticks to the original story a little too much, not taking the chance to twist the turns and change much more. On the other hand, the same thing could be seen as a positive, and since I found the book very readable and Atalanta´s inner search for herself the main backbone of it all, I can declare myself a satisfied reader.
Cuckoo Song
Author: Frances Hardinge
First published: 2014
Rating: ★★★★☆
I was enticed by the beginning and very curious about how it would all come about, the creepy vibes were present and yet again one is just surprised at how many ideas are born in Frances Hardinge´s head. Unfortunately, I felt the book was a bit too long and the last few chapters made me impatient for the ending.
The Burgundians: A Vanished Empire
Author: Bart Van Loo
First published: 2018
Rating: ★★★★★
Fantastic! Bart Van Loo proudly presents the history of his region, which tends to be overlooked for the sake of "greater" countries and personalities, but as he shows, the Burgundy played an extremely vital role in the historical evolution of European geography and politics for centuries. He skillfully manages to guide the reader through the names, battles and years by doing exactly what a good historian should always do: connect the facts to real people, their culture, and their individual personalities.
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Hey! Agree that erasure sucks big time. As a lesbian, I very often see that devs make every character in a game bi, with no lesbian rep at all. That puts me in a difficult situation when I want to respect bi people but also want to have rep of my own. :(
Though I admit, I can kind of read a bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment into this message (which could just be me feeling defensive in general over this topic, I'm fully aware that I am and definitely mean no ill will towards you), but I'll take you at face value on this and assume you meant no ill will either lol.
Honestly, I'll definitely always agree that there need to be more canonically queer characters and experiences portrayed of every orientation and gender, only I'd definitely argue that bisexuality specifically is kind of in a unique position where it's... it's so often used purely as a game mechanic that, despite its theoretical existence in a narrative, it can often, and to many players, not even be interpretable as any sort of real representation either. Especially with how many games, past and present, kind of conceal their characters' queerness behind the players' intentions to seek it out (basically treating them as "straight until proven gay"), which often implies monosexuality (at the lack of a better term) in the text regardless of the existence of another mechanic, even if the character could technically be considered bisexual.
There is a very clear difference in my mind (and in the minds of -as far as I can tell- the majority of other bisexual players) between characters being canonically bi, and them being mechanically bi, in that in that the latter case, you can often play and engage with, or even romance characters without ever needing to acknowledge them as anything other than monosexual (again, lacking a better concise term) in a way that happens to coincide with your PC's sexuality. They can be seen as gay if you're the same sex, and as straight if you're not. But in BG3 specifically, even though the dialogue with the player themselves doesn't really seem to address the companions' sexuality head-on (you can't, like, walk up to Wyll and ask him "so, hey man, what's, like, your.... whole deal, or whatever?", you have to listen to him and connect the dots), it IS really nice, and a nice change of pace that this is not a thing. That no queer content is hidden behind "the gay button", that you aren't limited to being exposed to their queerness while in a romance with them, and that you cannot, literally cannot, play the game in a way that would make the world less queer, or make it seem like the characters are merely adapting to the gender of the player character.
Because they all hit on-, or express attraction to at least a few others regardless of gender, without it immediately implying anything beyond them all just... being attracted to people of different genders.
I watched this slightly older video essay by verilybitchie just a little while ago that went into this exact thing in a lot more detail, and I honestly recommend it to everyone. Since the video is two years old now, she of course doesn't address BG3 specifically (I'd love to hear her thoughts on it though! the end note where she talks about how excited she is for what might be coming next really warmed my heart!), but otherwise it's a good runthrough of my thoughts and experiences on- and with the issue as well.
youtube
(And, to be honest.... as a side note, romancing a bi character is.... still respectful, if you play your own character as monosexual? Like I do that all the time too, so that part of your message... kind of confused me?
Like... the only way romancing, say, Karlach for example as a woman can be considered in any way disrespectful to us bi people, is if you play that in an angle that erases her bisexuality, simply because she happens to be in a same-sex romance in your game. But that's less an issue of representation in the game itself imo, and more just... this strictly theoretical player themselves being at least a little bit biphobic and erasing her sexuality based on the gender of her partner, even if that isn't their intention.)
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Hi lunette! I just wanted to say I love your wip so far, and I'm excited to see where it goes next. The vibes are already amazing :) Question: How do you separate your story from the original when you're writing retellings?
Hello Sab! :D thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!! ♡ This is gonna be a slightly lengthy answer, I'm so very sorry, but I tried my best to be articulate and concise :,)
There's mainly two ways most retellings (in my experience) are written; Deconstructing/reconstructing, and borrowing the narrative structure.
Borrowing Narrative Structure
The narrative structure one is a bit simpler and straightforward, so I'll start off with that one! This means that the story is pretty much the exact same as the original, but it's usually put in a different setting/scenario. For example, taking the story of Snow White and setting it in the 1950s, or gender swapping Little Red Riding Hood. The narrative structure is pretty much the same and runs parallel to the original (as in it hits all/most of the same plot beats in chronological order), it's just a "reskin" of the original tale. Personally, I don't enjoy this form as much (both in my own creations and other media), but there are a lot of fun things you can do with it (such as A Cinderella Story replacing Cinderella's shoe with a music playlist on her phone).
Examples of this type of retelling include; Most Disney classics borrow from Grimm, A Cinderella Story (2004), Sydney White (2007), The Lion King (1994), Clueless (1995), The Lunar Chronicles (2012-2015) <- that last one is arguably a slight reconstruction as well, but I'd argue that it generally follows the overall same plot beats of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White individually before the stories converge!
Again, I don't usually write these, but these are generally easy to tell apart from the original from an aesthetic and visual standpoint. I will say, if I were to write one of these, I'd want to keep in mind exactly why I'm changing the setting/scenario, and what that change brings to the story. I think that's why A Cinderella Story remains so popular, because while the story is very generic and predictable if you know the original tale, the changes are compelling because the movie ties a seemingly timeless story to a specific time and place, and that brings about organic changes in the story here and there (such as replacing the magical glass slipper with something that exists in its given setting).
Deconstruction and Reconstruction
Deconstruction and reconstruction is probably what most people think of when talking about retellings though, and that's mainly what I enjoy as well! Unlike the previous method that essentially reskins the original structure, this method takes the structure, picks it apart, and puts it back together in new and (ideally) compelling ways. I think Disney's Maleficent is a good example of a reconstruction, because while it does contain the same plot beats of the original (evil fairy visits royal family during the princess' birth, the princess is cursed to prick her finger and fall asleep, she's sent off to live with good fairies and meets a prince, returns home, pricks her finger, falls asleep, awakened by true love's kiss), the entire story is reconstructed in two primary ways; The evil fairy (maleficent) is not the antagonist, and the prince isn't Aurora's true love's kiss. This forces the story to reconstruct itself to fill in those gaps, making Aurora's father the antagonist, and Maleficent becomes Aurora's true love's kiss (also a nice trope subversion, which is often applied to these types of retellings). It deconstructs an important role in the story and an important principle in the story and reconstructs them to retell the same story with slight alterations.
I will also add that some retellings reconstruct the plot/narrative, while others simply reconstruct characters. Some do both!
Examples of this type of retelling include; Maleficent (2014), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Heartless (2016), Ever After High (2013), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Ella Enchanted (2004), Frozen (2013), Hoodwinked (2005).
On a last note; I wanna add that these two categories definitely operate on a spectrum! Especially since there really is no such thing as an "original" version when dealing with things like fairytales and folktales, because the written versions are usually based on various oral versions that have changed and developed with time and have regional variations! Plus, some reconstructions can still largely follow the same plot beats! But I find these categories to be an accessible way to distinguish various types of retellings and figuring out where you want to go with your own.
And ALSO! I lied there's technically a third category of retellings that's pretty common where they just switch POVs (like Maleficent kinda does) but these often wind up still leaning more towards deconstruction/reconstruction or borrowing the same narrative, so ^^;
Separating my retelling from the original
Personally, when I want to write a retelling, it's usually because I want to deconstruct the story, pick it apart, and put it back together to see how the elements of the story change and can piece back together in different ways. I enjoy retellings that borrow the same principles of the original, but tell a new story! I think that's why I unironically find Ever After High to be one of the more compelling retellings out there, because it's essentially this huge meta story about how some characters wish to defy the original narrative structure they're presented with, while others want to preserve it, so it's almost like they're the different types of retellings fighting against one another.
I think if you want to make sure that your retelling is different from the original story, you'll want to look at your story consequentially. What happens if the prince isn't Sleeping Beauty's true love's kiss? What happens if the evil fairy starts to care for Sleeping Beauty? What happens if Little Red Riding Hood is the big bad wolf? What happens if you put Little Red Riding Hood in a modern setting, how would that affect the narrative? What happens if you put Cinderella in a realistic setting with no magic, how would that change the glass slipper's role in the story? What's forcing Cinderella to leave at midnight if there's no magic? I think a lot of (particularly YA) retellings fall into the trap of changing things here and there without considering why they're making those changes or how those changes organically impact the story, and that's when a retelling can either feel a bit stale or difficult to distinguish from the original (Disney's Beauty and the Beast 2017 remake is a great example of this). I think a lot of Disney's live action remakes fall into this trap in general (as they are technically adaptations of Disney's retellings of Grimm).
Very sorry for the lengthy answer! I just wanted to make sure that I really explained my process, and I find that picking apart other media/retellings and gauging why I enjoy them and what makes something a compelling retelling is a good way to figure out how I wanna go about writing my own retellings! As long as you borrow the principle elements of a story, you can really do just about anything with them and create something very unique and different that can offer a different perspective of the original (an example being that I've always found the Nutcracker to be a somewhat tragic story, seeing as it's about a man who's been turned into a decorative toy which gives a lot of room to explore one's own humanity and what it means to be human, and that's something I wanted to explore in my own retelling, since that's more or less absent from the original). Figuring out why you enjoy a certain story and expanding upon that or reconstructing the story to highlight that aspect is a great way to take a story and make it your own! I hope this answered your question! And if it didn't, don't be afraid to let me know! ^^;
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card layout tier list
while i'm at it with the longposts, here's a tier list of trading card layouts (also this only counts the default because otherwise magic has like six million different layout at this point)
A tier:
these are my favorites. each excels at what they set out to do. the original magic layout gives the feeling of pages from a magic tome, describing monsters and spells alike. the disney TCG works on another level, as it's able to display all the relevant gameplay information while prioritizing the art and name yet making it a functional. the disney game will, like pokemon, be primarily sold as collector pieces for disney fans, and for that purpose, this is fantastic. i especially appreciate how it manages to fit all of the collector's information, not just the artist, trademark, and set distribution information, but also the expansion symbol. the original magic card design was perfect in its simplicity, but the disney TCG is perfect in being able to convey so much information yet keep it concise and clear. i will never play that game, but i am in awe
b tier:
i especially love how the attack and defense on old yugioh monsters was presented. it has the same old tome feeling of old magic cardsbut feels refreshingly different. the problem is that for effect monsters, which didn't exist for several sets, their information is much harder to fit into the text box. thankfully, the replacement design, with a larger textbox, had a similar feeling, and remains a strong and iconic design magic's modern design also goes in this tier. visually, i think it's a step back from the original, but as a gamepiece, it's far superior. like the disney game, it's great at portraying all the information players and collectors need in a concise manner. it also shows off the art well and has a good downward flow. of the designs in this tier, it's definitely the best
c tier:
here's where designs start getting iffier. i love the Future Sight border, but it is rife with gameplay issues, such as being unusable for right-handed players, as well as concerns about costs fitting in it. i like the way the border overlaps with itself in the oval and art, but it's otherwise hard to defend from a practical perspective however, it's still striking and visually interesting. it's remembered well for a reason and i would like to see wotc return to it, even if only for a secret lair or the like
pokemon layouts, new and old, haven't changed much from a practical level. i think they convey all the information that they need to, but a lot falls flat in terms of the layout. in both cases, the use of flavor text feels off. the collector's information in the corner is nice, but things like video game information is really unnecessary. the reason why it's there is because the pokemon trading card game is as much or more about being collector's pieces over game pieces. while there is a thriving competitive scene for the game and people do play it casually, most cards sold are because of the demand for fans of other parts of the franchise. as collector's pieces, i think they're compromised, since so much of the card is being dedicated to effects and the text box. things like flavor text or species information are neat and do add to the mystique of the card, but i don't think they're enough to make it better than a passing grade
d tier:
the worst designs that i'll talk about today are Cardfight Vanguard and Weiss Schwarz. they're pretty similar in terms of design, as Weiss Schwarz is a spinoff of Vanguard. simply put, they both run into information overload. abilities aren't listed in a good order, type information is smushed together with attack, and things like shield, grade, or trigger are visually overwhelming. it's a trainwreck of design, which is a shame because the game systems themselves are pretty neat. i will say, at least, that i respect Vanguard more for having its own art and designs, and thus, aesthetic, while the art used in Weiss Schwarz is all screencaps and promo art being reused. i'm sure that makes the game much cheaper to produce, but it also makes it feel cheap. and once again, it runs into the problem of making a game meant as a game and a collector's item. if you're buying weiss schwarz cards, getting screencaps from the show or reused promo art can feel really underwhelming
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Internet Designing Company instructions Hiring A Web Designer Verses Video Designer
Today, the net building company comes upwards as an excellent way to obtain relief regarding all those company owners who find this hard to carry away the efficient campaign of their products and services. The Web Planning Services offered by different software firms have been involving immense help to be able to such business masters.
A web creating company hires the two web designers simply because well as typically the graphic designers. The web designers hired by simply a web building company are nicely aware of all kinds of programming approaches which are essential to be able to highlight a website inside the best possible manner. These types of web designers offer efficient Web Developing Services which include features which can be nicely capable of putting an extra color of elegance plus functionality to a website.
The graphic designers on the particular other hand are generally not entirely aware concerning all of the programming techniques which are required in order to provide a fresh outlook to a website. The basic working of the graphic designer consists of illustration (digital or fine art illustrations including painting), magazine design and book structure, textile design (carpets, materials and upholstery), print design and advertisement design (concepts to promote campaigns plus silkscreen printing for clothing), video effects and editing (shooting and editing regarding corporate video and commercial video as well as effects and animation). The graphic designer is definitely not that very much capable of developing the codes of which are required for net designing.
The task of a web developer is completely different from that of some sort of graphic designer. The web designer is definitely involved in creating web pages intended for the internet. An online designer designs the particular graphical display associated with content and pictures which can be further exhibited on the web in typically the form of web pages. An online custom made uses different applications such as HTML, CSS, XHTML, JavaScript, PHP, Photoshop, and images such as JPG. Visit this page of a new web designer is far more inclined towards the particular technical side. Inside contrast to the work of a website designer, the job of a graphic designer is incredibly concise. Some sort of graphic designer may become unable to give you a shape to every single considered yours.
The particular Web Designing Providers offered by distinct software firms range from the working of both web designers mainly because well as the particular graphic designers. There are some firms which rely on employing only the web makers for all the particular major programming routines. For the reason that the web designers not simply have the technical abilities but are in addition aware about all the particular tricks that need to be applied in order in order to boost the ranking of a particular web site.
A web developer is more useful in nurturing your thoughts into truth. He/she can in fact offer a better form to your suggestions when compared to a graphic artist. I, personally think that if you wish to create an excellent website for the promotion regarding your firm, next you can often trust the website designers. If your store is an online one, then this Web Designing Solutions offered by some sort of perfect web building company will help you obtain immense level of recognition worldwide.
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12/17/24 3:14 am
Two parties and a lot of new friends
woke up trying to wake up early, but laid there sleepy til 9. Got up 40 min before class and went to climb a tree on campus while I waited. rediscovered the indie underground unknown hit pleaser by wallows
Sat through a class learning about the Russian conquest of the Mongol steppe and Kazakh lands, which was pretty cool if you're a real one, and then I rushed home to prep for my lab. instead of prepping, I rushed to finish off the end of hazbin hotel which I had almost completely finished the previous night. the ending was amazing and the songs were honestly peak. And then I had to rush to study for my lab. my laptop broke earlier in the week, so I had to print out all the instructions as well as the datasheets, and then I spent the next 3 hours turning knows, typing numbers, writing results, and drawing diagrams. fun times. but it went pretty quickly luckily. 5pm turned the corner and I got out as quickly as I could. with a single bar of gas left, I meant to go get some gas on the way home, but as usual passed it and completely forgot. lol. I got home and began trying to shape the rest of the night. After some unremarkable time staring at screens, I ended up attempting to get dressed for the party I was going to for the evening. I invited someone I'd met recently in complex circumstances, but it ended up not plausible, still the night was to go on. The initial theme was lace and leather, but my only leather jacket is unreasonably large on me, so non viable
but then I went to ask advice from roommate and girl friend, only to find out during the convo that they are coming to the second party, one where he would end up coming I contact with another friend who invited Mr to that same party (his ex)
now pretend I said all of that very concisely and eloquently.
Anyway so I decided to come to make sure she was okay if they came into contact, but the party was one that started much later, a rave at that. In the meantime I put together a unique outfit primarily aimed to show of my dragon emblazoned fishnets, and stole a skirt from a friend such that I had two to wear, nicely layered with a suede jacket to match. Then I took it all off, including the ~10 chains I put in for fun (with some assistance), changed into salsa clothes, and rushed to make it to campus before 8pm. sadly, the 1 bar of gas came back to haunt me when I was almost there, so I had to turn around and get gas.
at that point, the timing simply made no sense any longer, so I chose to go back home, get showered, and then rush to get dressed in time to pick up a sturdy flock of lesbian friends. I make it back to campus and after a wait, get my car loaded up with all the girlies, and head off to the first concert/party. We get in, and then immediately all scatter. I put on one of the relationship status bracelets, and then depart to corral my friends. Ironically, I made a lot of friends while searching, and met a ton of cool people. Even better, only one of them thought I was trying to flirt and looked at me weird, the rest got the memo and were really fun to talk to. After meeting a group or two of people, I would find a stray arrival party member, and then promptly lose them again. This went on steadily as I met more people, one or two being people I knew from classes, and one was a friends little brother out trying to get over his ex. He dropped something, and after I turned on my flashlight to help, another girl came to help and asked what was lost. I chatter a bit more while looking but was about to give up when the girl found his ring in the dirt. I introduced them and they realized they live in the same dorm, which looking back I wonder if this was a coincidence or if that girl was playing the long game. Anyway I talked to them for a bit longer and then left to find other pastures, meeting plenty of other cool things. I talked to a blue haired girl and made a joke about how I love having lesbian friends and she was like 'yooo I'm a lesbian' and then we got hype. I wandered around more and met someone I recognized but neither of us remembered where, so we made jokes about when we re-meet in the original context and remember that convo, so I'm curious if that will pan out lmao. I talked with a few other cool people, one guy who I could not read at all he acted like a frat bro being mean except the things he said were never mean, they just sounded like they were going to be until you heard all of it lol but that's hard to explain absent context. but that's honestly just a nice twist on standard man operating procedure
and then the cops showed up, and the music got shut down. Everyone started flowing out and I finally reconvene with the initial colle(s)ction, and eventually wrangled everyone such that we could walk back home.
Upon arriving back, I brought el horde back and let them meet shar and em, before they eventually decided to go home instead out further, which worked out since I wouldn't have to be d.d. anymore. I drop them off, get back to the other house, and find that they're all gone. I call mak and realize a miscommunication that occurred. To my luck, shar left her phone, so I got to bum a ride after all (after searching all inside, it was laying on the ground outside...)
We tear off to the second party, and upon arrival I realize it's $20 at the door which would be a nice fee to avoid, so I used some sneak and deception and managed to get past both security guard layers.
notable at this time is the fact that this party was taking place in a HUGE old factory building with motorcycles and punching bags and graffiti and particularly one that I HAVE BEEN TO PREVIOUSLY. somewhere in my old journals I described coming here probably more than 2 years ago, with a friend and a drug dealer that was unilaterally interested in my friend.
we go in to a crowded room with flashing lights and hella loud speakers,
I had WAY too much fun watching the dj mix the songs and transition them smoothly, and dancing was cool for a little while I guess. a guy asked if he could touch my skirt which was nice because at least he asked. but I said no and then he made a joke that I didn't understand and then he giggled and ran away. I saw a bunch more people I knew there, some people I hadn't even seen since high school which was interesting. after a little while standing listening to music, I left to explore more.
I suppose this is a good time to mention that the party theme was BDSM 💀 luckily my previous party outfit mostly worked
see? innit slay? Anyway I found some hanging rings and decided to try and hang upside down from them. This coincided with the start of a brutal pattern where my glasses KEPT falling off and coming apart, but I had fun swinging and people cheered when I did a quick flip so I felt cool. lol. I then offered to take some pics of some girls on a motorcycle, and went all out getting angles, and then they offered to get pics of me. however, instead of just taking pics of me, two of them stayed on and we took pics together which was super slay lol
I don't want to include their faces or mine but imagine a dozen more photos with me & them like this lol. I also had them take the obligatory photo of me awkwardly just standing up on top of objects, as one does.
I went downstairs and made friends with a dude who was around that place fairly often apparently, he offered me a shot so that was timely, and then I continued to journey around. I found a fire outside and met some more really cool people, one who I'd known from college but never quite spoken to lol.
The rest of the night was bouncing between friends, talking to strangers, and then eventually chaotically finding our way to our uber home.
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ep46 (1/3): *feverishly* lwj wwx and jc emotional fallout time
coming hot off the donghua, sect leader yao's speech seems far more engaging and dynamic to me. he's walking around gesturing, emoting. shots are spent to give other charcters' reactions
a lot of lwj's dialogue seems to be like this - translated as the passive voice, precisem objective, and seemingly arising out of thin air. ik in the original mandarin he sounds very elegant and concise, and this translation gives similar but not quite the same energy
wwx and jc's faces at this...the main and grief is still so fresh
these shouts EXACTLY like the ones they were just calling for wwx's blood with. of course he's bitter and disaffected with the cultivation world! of course he turns away
wait hold on I just googled disaffected to make sure I was using it right and I was way more spot-on than I thought
adjective: disaffected
dissatisfied with the people in authority and no longer willing to support them.
and NOW they want his help? now they'll suddenly start groveling to him when it's clear there's a new threat and he's needed? no wonder he doesn't respect any of them. only lwj actually stuck to his guns. but wwx shakes his head and walks away
and then his face seeing the shrine...ough. lwj gently asking him if he wanted to see it was nice bc I think he may have denied himself that, had he been alone
I can't do this man it's so fucking sad. like I'm so glad he gets this with them after everything especially jyl but god. it's so sad. that's his family and he feels like he ha to apologize for paying his respects
also the fact that myu's temper and dislike of wwx was so legendary that even up in gusu they'd heard of it...yeah he's clearly still working through that too
this was kind of funny I shan't lie. in front of her plaque he says this
I've struggled in the past to understand why wwx is so respectful to her here even though it was clear she hurt him so much in the past. I think it's like, he doesn't resent or hate her. she's dead, that was in the past. he pays respects, he apologizes. but he's not going to pretend like it didn't hurt or that it was easy.
and I think that's a healthy place to land. certainly he doesn't need more guilt over hating one of the people who raised him long after her death. but he's not shrugging off the hurt entirely, or plastering on a smile for lwj. admitting to lwj that it was a lot is a big step for him. I'm proud
the line I point to whenever fics are like 'lwj tries to sapotage jc and wwx's reconciliation and openly hates jc and makes things really difficult for him' NO!! he loves wwx far more than he hates jc! he wants wwx to be happy above everything, including his own dislike of his family! and he KNOWS how much wwx has lost, unless jc is outright hurting and attacking him lwj will leave it. even later in the temple lwj moves to protect wwx, who simply puts up a hand to stop him. wwx is fully in control of his interactions with jc when it comes to lwj
might be due to the translation choice but note he's not just saying 'he resents me'; this grudge is deep for him as well.
ohh this is really painful. obviously I'm on wwx's side here, this is his family, over whose deaths he feels tremendously (wrongfully, for myu and jfm) guilty. he killed himself because he lost his sister and he never saw her again, never got to pay his respects or apologize. and jc DID invite him in
but on the other hand, jc sees this as a breach - how dare wwx? this isn't HIS family, it's jc's. and his house, and his shrine, and his lakes and ponds. jc is extremely possessive over his family no matter their actual living wishes - and not just possessive, but exclusively so - this is MY family, you can;t have it. you don't belong here. yu have no family. your only companions are a dog I wish was dead and a man whose loyalty to you is unfathomable to me. he is staining his reputation by his association with you. and so on. all jc has is his title and position, but it's his. he earned it, after all. born to the jiangs. the heir. fighting and winning the war against the wens, with his own bright golden core...
this is one of the most hurtful things jc can say, and he knows it. he also knows that wwx literally killed himself but I guess in his mind that's not enough suffering for him. I can't fathon why people want wwx and jc to be best buddies postcanon with zero change in behavior bc literally all jc does is hurt wwx and make everything about him
also this is remarkably polite for lwj
HE LOOKS LIKE HIS MOM SO MUCH IN THIS SHOT. the bitter, cruel sarcasm. did wzc study myu's actor's performance or what....
I've always loved this shot. so intimate...he could have used his arm but instead he puts his hand on lwj's lower belly. like, remarkably low
also unfair and patently untrue but jc is a 36 year old minor so he can say whatever he wants and it's fine because he's a sad little baby brother boy or something
first time I saw this I saw someone describe it as a gay person bringing their partner to a family event and now I can't really see it any other way
saw another post like 'oh this is so sad for jc he just wants proof that wwx CARES and fighting is his only way communication uwu' but I have zero sympathy for that because it's a juvenile ass mode of expressing himself and I think it's far more just pathetic and maladjusted of him. especially when wwx is just doing the mature thing and trying not to fight because he's a fucking adult. and even when jc deliberately provokes him he looks up and sees her tablet there
and remembers what she would have wanted and how she loved them both and he walks away!!! I'm so proud of him. in so many ways wwx was a better and truer brother to jyl than jc ever was
see what I said above, jc is so angry but he can't seen to fathom that wwx doesn't want to interact like they're teenagers anymore. he's stuck in his traumatized adolescence to the extent that he sees wwx looking as exhausted and miserable as this and still tries to fight him.
and of course this rich concoction of miscommunication and misery couldn't be complete without lwj, who functions to be wwx's caretaker and protecter. jc looks almost disgusted when lwj intervenes - this isn't your business! butt out! but of course wwx is lwj's business. he physically pushes himself in between them. you're hurting him. step away. don't touch him. you no longer have the right to attack him
didn't get a great shot but this really sums up the trio relationship so nicely in a lot of senses. lwj supporting wwx, completely focused on him and his needs, except to briefly shove past jc and then to defend them from zidian. primary mode support, and secondary defend. wwx trusting and leaning on lwj, quietly speaking to him, defending him, being intimate and together with him in their little bubble . and jc, seething, jealous, heartbroken and bitter on the outside, not ready to let wwx walk away and trying to get him to stay through violence, trying to punish him. but wwx isn't alone anymore.
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Super Mario Brothers, A Brief-But-Concise Overview, By RPG.
Super Mario Brothers in undoubtedly an icon...both in the video game world and generic pop culture.
This could be down to its absolutely awesome and very distinctive level designs...but we all truly know its because of Mario.
Movement wise...very basic...but very complex? In short, there are a lot of different motions Mario can actually put himself in. One that could potentially spark an idea would be the use of pipes in the game, the way Mario can simply slide into them and it reveals a whole different world that was just sitting right under his feet. This feature, although simplistic, is a very nice addition to the game and allows for a little bit of exclusivity whilst trying to get to the ending objective.
Another bone to pick at with the game is its change in movement within its change-in-appearance, what I mean is that as Mario becomes almost superhuman he is subject to change in jumping and just general movement; a good example being the amount of distance Mario can jump.
In a aesthetics-wise approach, the game is just so damn retro.
Its use of 8-bit styling, makes it looks clean but gritty.
The iconic likeness of Mario, and his companion Luigi are easily recognisable based partly off their simple design.
In a historical sense, the game came out in the 1985; that makes it part of the (opinionated) best time period in history.
Colour palette is golden, seems so rustic but works in a calming way.
youtube
Finally, I would like to add that this is by far the most influential game for game design...it was the make-or-break and the pinnacle of classic NES-style side-scrollers.
RPG-7
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As 10 commandments, 10 communication skills for teachers
1. Listening
Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator.
No one likes communicating with someone who cares only about putting in her two cents and does not take the time to listen to the other person.
If you're not a good listener, it's going to be hard to comprehend what you're being asked to do.
Take the time to practice active listening.
Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, asking clarifying questions, and rephrasing what the person says to ensure understanding ("So, what you're saying is…").
Through active listening, you can better understand what the other person is trying to say, and can respond appropriately.
2. Nonverbal Communication
Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone of voice all color the message you are trying to convey. A relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly tone will make you appear approachable and will encourage others to speak openly with you.
Eye contact is also important; you want to look the person in the eye to demonstrate that you are focused on them and the conversation (however, be sure not to stare at the person, which can make him or her uncomfortable).
Also, pay attention to other people's nonverbal signals while you are talking.
Often, nonverbal signals convey how a person is really feeling.
For example, if the person is not looking you in the eye, he or she might be uncomfortable or hiding the truth.
3. Clarity and Concision
Good verbal communication means saying just enough – don’t talk too much or too little.
Try to convey your message in as few words as possible.
Say what you want clearly and directly, whether you're speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email.
If you ramble on, your listener will either tune you out or will be unsure of exactly what you want.
Think about what you want to say before you say it. This will help you to avoid talking excessively and/or confusing your audience.
4. Friendliness
Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your coworkers to engage in open and honest communication with you. It's important to be nice and polite in all your workplace communications. This is important in both face-to-face and written communication. When you can, personalize your emails to coworkers and/or employees – a quick "I hope you all had a good weekend" at the start of an email can personalize a message and make the recipient feel more appreciated.
5 Confidence
It is important to be confident in your interactions with others. Confidence shows your coworkers that you believe in what you’re saying and will follow through.
Exuding confidence can be as simple as making eye contact or using a firm but friendly tone.
Avoid making statements sound like questions. Of course, be careful not to sound arrogant or aggressive.
Be sure you are always listening to and empathizing with the other person.
6 . Open-Mindedness
A good communicator should enter into any conversation with a flexible, open mind.
Be open to listening to and understanding the other person's point of view, rather than simply getting your message across.
By being willing to enter into a dialogue, even with people with whom you disagree, you will be able to have more honest, productive conversations.
7. Respect
People will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and their ideas.
Simple actions like using a person's name, making eye contact, and actively listening when a person speaks will make the person feel appreciated.
On the phone, avoid distractions and stay focused on the conversation.
Attend the calls. Someone is searching your number and connecting you for some cause. Respect their calls by attending to it. If you find it as a fake, block their conversation with you.
8. Picking the Right Medium
An important communication skill is to simply know what form of communication to use.
For example, some serious conversations (layoffs, resignation, changes in salary, etc.) are almost always best done in person.
You should also think about the person with whom you wish to speak, if they are a very busy person (such as your boss, perhaps), you might want to convey your message through email.
People will appreciate your thoughtful means of communication and will be more likely to respond positively to you.
9. Feedback
Being able to appropriately give and receive feedback is an important communication skill.
Head of the institutions and coordinators should continuously look for ways to provide employees with constructive feedback, be it through email, phone calls, or weekly status updates.
Note: Giving feedback involves giving praise as well – something as simple as saying "good job" or "thanks for taking care of that" to an employee can greatly increase motivation.
10. Empathy
Using phrases as simple as "I understand where you are coming from" demonstrate that you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions.
Important: Even when you disagree with an employer, coworker, or employee, it is important for you to understand and respect their point of view.
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Jody Benson Sharp Turn Yourself Into A Master Of Lead Generation
Jody Benson Sharp Qualified tips provider. When it comes to developing a successful business over the long term, lead generation is essential. Learning how to build a network of contacts and potential future business prospects can give any business a new lease on life. Keep reading to gain some terrific insights on how the most successful entrepreneurs do just that.
Make an offer to potential leads that is hard to refuse. This can be a discount, a give-away, or some source of information that they've been dying to have. It needs to be relevant to them, or else you'll never get them to respond. Try a few different things to see what works the best.
Test a small market sample if you are trying to generate leads in a new way or area of consumer spending. While online marketing can be very economical, you don't want to waste a lot of resources on something that's going to go bust. Test a sample and if it generates a few leads, go for it! Otherwise, simply live and learn and move on.
If people think you're trustworthy, they will become a lead. Don't use ads that have too much hype or are too garish. Help consumers to understand that the offer is reputable and valuable. Be transparent and honest, and then people will probably be more likely to trust what you say.
Open up your business to the world. There are events such as Doors Open at which businesses allow customers to come in and see how they work. Even if you're an architect or real estate agent, you can let potential customers in to see how organized and authentic you really are, which can generate leads.
Door knocking is always an option, so don't rule it out. This can even be true if your business is B2B. Visit businesses and ask them about who they're currently using for whatever it is you're selling, then let them know why you're the better option. Leave some materials behind and move on to the next location.
Don't be afraid to cut certain tactics that aren't performing as they should. Even if a tactic is generating a ton of leads, it may be that the leads just really aren't that strong. If there's low to no conversion, why continue spending in the channel? Rather double down on tactics that are converting.
One of the highest visitor to lead ratios you will find online is with LinkedIn. Therefore, this platform should be high on your list of tools for lead generation. Put together a polished and professional profile that includes links to all your landing pages and make LinkedIn a valuable part of your lead generation success.
When trying to optimize your lead generation efforts, it's important to remember that visitors can happen upon any page of your site. Therefore, placing complete contact information and sales info on every page should be a top priority! If you consider every page a potential landing page, you understand what the visitor needs to see there.
Consider giving a yearly gift to those who bring you the most referrals. It doesn't have to be something big, even a bottle of nice wine will do, but it shows them you care. Be sure to deliver it by hand and personally so you can tell them how much you appreciate their help.
Consider who might have an insider's view on who would be interested in what you're selling. For example, real estate agents could get tips from local HR professionals on people moving to the area to start a new job. Who would know of people who would need what you are selling?
Is your website clear? Regardless of your product or service, folks need to understand how to get it. Keep it clean and concise, with direct wording to make things easy.
Provide quality content that is interesting on your website. Publishing content that is already of interest to folks can gain you leads. Clean up any typos and incorrect facts. Never lose a customer as immediately as you have their attention due to such errors.
Jody Benson Sharp Expert tips provider. Don't overlook the concept of actually paying for quality leads. It can take some time to generate leads on your own using SEO or pay-per-click methods, but paying for leads can help get your business off the ground. If you are looking to pay for leads, make sure that you do so from a reputable company.
In order to generate leads, you need traffic going to your generator. No matter if it is a stand-alone splash page or a full survey, you cannot get leads without traffic. You should focus on bringing traffic to the page just like you create a campaign to get traffic to check out your product site.
Keep lead gathering simple. Do not force your potential lead to fill out endless amounts of information. Use simplicity such as name and email gathering at first and as they look further ask for more. Your initial info gathering gets you a potential lead, but the further information you gain will allow for qualifying potential.
Create landing pages for each type of marketing campaign you engage in. For example, have a page just for those you target with direct mail - are they local? Then mention that on the page. Your email newsletter won't be going to local people, but they will be tech savvy, so focus on that.
Consider publications which fit your niche and write for them. For example, real estate agents could write an article in New Homes Magazine about what to look for when checking out new homes, or what sort of fees one should expect when buying their first home, and then include a byline with a call to action.
Jody Benson Sharp Expert tips provider. There can be little debate about the essential nature of lead generation in creating and sustaining a winning business. Sadly, not enough businesspeople have taken the time to learn new techniques when it comes to building these critical contacts. The information presented above should start to remedy that problem for many.
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