#like I understand HOW the misconception starts and I understand where it comes from (once again been there done that still unlearning)
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Art Advice: The Misconception Behind "Study Realism"
Most people who draw anime/cartoons have, while asking for ways to improve, at one point or another been told to "study realism." A common response to this is, "But I don't want to draw realism!"
But, did you know that the purpose behind this suggestion is NOT so that you draw realism? They're not suggesting you change to a more realistic style. What, then?
Let's look at this through an analogy:
Say you don't know music yet and decide you want to learn how to play the Happy Birthday song. You're not interested in playing anything else, just the HB song, and you haven't started learning anything related to music at this point. OK, that's fine, and now we have our situation set up. Once you've decided this, you set yourself to learning the sequence of notes to the HB song. You practice and practice, and, after a while, you can play it really well without a hitch.
After a few years, it starts feeling bland to you, and you ask, "How can I make my HB song better?" And someone tells you, "Learn all the other music notes," and "Study classical and other genres of music." And you reply, "But I don't want to play that type of music; I want to play the HB song!" (And that's FINE! It's valid; it's what you want to do.[*Footnote 1])
But without having learned all the other notes and other types of music, you can't make a remix of the HB song, or an "epic version," or a hip-hop-fusion version; you've capped at the end of the first paragraph of this story.
So drawing anime or cartoons is like playing the HB song, or any one song in our example.
And here's where our misunderstanding comes in:
"Study Realism" DOES NOT MEAN "Draw Realism"
Yes, you'll have to draw it to study it (not only your brain, but also your hand needs to learn the skill), but it doesn't mean that's what all your artwork will look like. It is meant to give you more tools to make your anime and cartoon work stronger, more appealing, and more unique.
How will it do that? The more music notes you know, the more types of music you understand and can play, the more original a remix /version of the Happy Birthday song you'll be able to make - and it will be unique. Because you will be able to take all that diverse knowledge and apply it to your song, making it stand out, and the next time you play the HB song, people will go, "Wow! This is a really cool version!"
So now we can be clear: There is a difference between learning something and performing it. You can perform whatever you choose, but by learning all the things, your performance of your "Thing of Choice" will be stronger.
What, Exactly, Will Studying Realism Teach You, Then?
I. VALUES
If you learn how to paint/shade with a full range of values (by learning realistic shading) that properly depict both volume and lighting, you will have no trouble simplifying that to cel-shading or gradient-shading in your anime or cartoon drawings, because you will at once spot when something is undershaded or the shadows are in the wrong spot.
On the other hand, if you try to do cel- or gradient-shading first, you are way more likely to a) undershade, and b) have an inconsistent light source. And when these things happen, you won't be able to tell *why* your drawing looks "off" or bland.
II. COLOR
By studying realistic coloring, you'll be able to learn how color varies across an item (say, a shirt) that is a "solid color." Example: you're drawing a character with a pink t-shirt, standing in the sun, at the end of the school day. The t-shirt is solid pink, however, the colors on it will vary from orange-ish to purple-gray, with some areas almost a bright red (and that's not even considering items around the shirt that would bounce light back onto the shirt and change its color). But you'll only know this (and how to do it) if you study realistic coloring.
Then you can apply that knowledge to your stylized artwork and make it stand out more.
Painting of a stylized pear, where I studied real pears to understand their coloring and texture. See how studying realism can enhance your cartoon work.
III. MAKE BETTER STYLIZED ANATOMY
By studying and learning realistic anatomy, you will be able to make stylized art that, for example, doesn't have one arm longer than the other, because you will have learned how to measure proportions, even if you don't draw realistic proportions. So that if you decide you want to draw unrealistically long legs (eg: Sailor Moon), you'll be able to make them look good and keep them consistent.
You will also be able to draw figures in any position, because you will have learned how body parts are made up and how they move, as well as foreshortening/perspective. Then, when you go to draw a pose you haven't drawn before, it will be WAY easier.
IV. UNDERLYING SHAPES
Although this is one of the least-mentioned aspects of art-learning, it is, in my opinion, one of the most important, because when you learn to see underlying shapes (the quasi-geometrical shapes that build up a figure), coupled with learning how to measure a form using other parts of the same form as reference (measuring the length of one body part by the number of times another body part fits in it, as mentioned in Section III, above), you will be able to DRAW. (Period.) You won't be able to draw just people. Or just wolves. Or just cats. You will be able to break down a new subject into its building blocks and come up with a very reasonable likeness. And whatever's different, you'll easily be able to make relative measurements to spot why and fix it.
Once you learn to identify underlying shapes and how to measure proportions in anything, you will also be able to pick up and reproduce any existing style without much trouble.
[link to Tumblr post with this artwork]
For example, this was my first time drawing anything Peanuts. I didn't have to do practice sketches for it (though there's nothing wrong with doing that). But I knew, from realism, that to achieve a good likeness, you need to measure body parts relative to other body parts, so I looked at Schulz's drawings and was able to determine: OK, Charlie Brown's head is roughly this shape, his body is so many heads tall, his eyes are this % of the head, the ears are this far in, the arms reach down to here, etc. I knew what to look for.
V. FOR THOSE WHO WANT SEMI-REALISM
If you want to do "semi-realism," you'll have a way easier time of it by learning realism and then stripping it down as much as you like, than by starting off with "100% anime" and trying to build it up without knowledge of realism. People think the latter is easier, because it *seems* less intimidating, but it's like trying to drive to a store you've never been to without knowing its address: you'll be driving around forever trying to find it, and it will be frustrating. What people call "semi-realism" is stylized realism, and you can't really hit it without knowing how realism works.
CLOSING NOTES
It also doesn't mean you should stop drawing anime/cartoons and focus solely on realism for X amount of time - you can do both concurrently. In fact, the most fun way to study realism is to do so on your favorite subjects; you can even turn your reference into your favorite character!
Studying realism is also one of the best ways to help develop your OWN, unique style; one which, when people look at it, say, "Oh, that's [your name]'s work!"
[*]Footnote 1: It is fine as long as you are drawing for yourself. As soon as art is a job and you're drawing for an employer, you have to draw in the style they tell you to. So, in this case, it's to your advantage to be flexible.
I hope this was helpful and helps clear up a common misunderstanding people go through when receiving feedback. 💞
MORE ART ADVICE ARTICLES
You can find the index to all Art Advice Articles [here] including:
How to Deal with Art Block
How to Have a Positive Outlook
How to Develop Your Own Style (coming soon!)
etc.
#art advice#art tips#art help#art resources#art learning#artists on tumblr#art#how to#art tutorial#anime art#cartoon#semi realism
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Dorne, Shown not Told: how Darkstar is more than his reputation.
Darkstar used to bug me as a character—not necessarily because of his edgy dialogue, but because the way he was written: he's not on-page for very long, so we're really told much more about him than we are shown anything.
I've seen this same complaint voiced before, and almost always it's brushed over as an inherent failure of Gerold as a character, or other arguments that presuppose a lack of faith in Martin.
I can understand why, without deeper analysis, some people try to make the Doylist argument that Darkstar must be lazy writing by Martin, something along the lines of "I have to introduce this guy quick, so here's a bunch of backstory told by a bunch of characters". Instead, though, I argue that this situation of being "told" so much about Darkstar is actually the Watsonian perspective of his character; it is Arianne who has been told so much about him, and we're experiencing her misconceptions.
I've come to realize that the feeling of being "told" about Darkstar, with a focus away from what we're "shown," is fully intentional. With this different approach to interpreting Darkstar's character, I've found that not only do I like him so much more as a character in-universe, but I also like him so much more as an element in George R R Martin's writing. Melisandre might be his "most misunderstood character," but I think Gerold Dayne must be up there too.
I don't understand why it took me so long to see it: ASOIAF is all about the way that information—or misinformation—spreads and changes the course of action and history. Of course this would be a theme to look out for. Once I started to dig more into this idea in relation to Darkstar, I realized just how prevalent this theme was in the Dornish arc, which is entirely about the way that people are told something, and the way that being told these things—even without evidence—has such an impact. That's what the companion post to this one is about.
If you've read that post already, and now I've got you on board to doubt the reputation that Darkstar has, and to doubt the story Arianne was told about him, this is the post where I rebuild Gerold's character from scratch, and convince you that he's actually an alright guy, a trustworthy one, and possibly even a true knight. Maybe, even, he's worthy of Dawn, and the title of "Sword of the Morning."
I'm sure I'm not the first to suggest this, as it's been so many years, but it's exciting to experience a moment of realization that makes me see the writing itself in a new light, so I wanted to share my thought process here.
2.0 Gerold Dayne, shown not told.
In this part, I attempt to look at Gerold Dayne as if I were Areo Hotah, not Arianne: to watch what he does and says, on page, rather than take anyone's word for it, and rather than interpret his actions against a prejudice that he is as dark and dangerous as Arianne thinks. This way, I want to see what kind of man Gerold Dayne actually shows us he is, through his actions and interactions, rather than who we're told he is.
Beyond just doubting Doran's story because I don't believe Doran to be trustworthy, here I'll be explaining why I think that once we get to know Darkstar as best as we can, maiming Myrcella doesn't even really sound like something he would do.
This is a long one too, like the other one, so the rest is after the cut
2.1 Early good impressions—by being early
We don't see very much of Darkstar on-page, so let's start with our very first impression of him, in the second paragraph of the chapter:
Arianne Martell arrived with Drey and Sylva just as the sun was going down, with the west a tapestry of gold and purple and the clouds all glowing crimson. The ruins seemed aglow as well; the fallen columns glimmered pinkly, red shadows crept across the cracked stone floors, and the sands themselves turned from gold to orange to purple as the light faded. Garin had arrived a few hours earlier, and the knight called Darkstar the day before.
We don't know when they arranged to meet, but I think there's room for a symbolic meaning to Arianne arriving just as the sun goes down. Symbolically, the day ending as soon as she arrives mirrors the way that her plan is going to end as soon as it begins.
In addition, it's a signature of Arianne's character this chapter, moving just slightly too slowly. In this way, Arianne is already more like her father than she wants to admit—remember the overripe oranges falling in The Captain of the Guards, or how Areo knew that Doran saying they would leave at dawn meant midday. Arianne is the same—she arrives to her own plan at dusk.
Even without that comparison, Arianne's late arrival is emblematic of her inability to structure a plan as carefully as she believes she can, which is also something that haunts her for the rest of his arc. Consider the meaning of this for her: she is the head of this plan, and yet she and her two companions are the last to arrive. Garin beats her to the rendezvous place by a few hours... and Darkstar is almost the opposite extreme. He gets there a whole day early.
Perhaps that's suspect, perhaps that's responsible; this alone is not enough to say. For a certainty, though, this clearly positions Darkstar as someone who is, say, the opposite of the "Late" Lord Walder Frey. He's a man who comes early, not late.
As the chapter continues, it's not the only time that Arianne lags carelessly while Darkstar vouches for a more responsible course of action, so keep this in mind. This passage sets the tone for the rest of the chapter.
2.2 What makes a man "Great"?
The next time we see Darkstar on page, we get his first line of dialogue and his first actual on-page action. He juts in while the others are talking about the storied hero who is Garin's namesake:
"Garin the Great," offered Drey, "the wonder of the Rhoyne."
"That's the one. He made Valyria tremble."
"They trembled," said Ser Gerold, "then they killed him. If I led a quarter of a million men to death, would they call me Gerold the Great?" He snorted. "I shall remain Darkstar, I think. At least it is mine own." He unsheathed his longsword, sat upon the lip of the dry well, and began to hone the blade with an oilstone.
There's a lot to unpack here for such a short passage. To begin with, we can interpret some of Darkstar's values from his additions to this conversation. He clearly has a certain pragmatism, because he chooses to see through the veneration that the stories have afforded "Garin the Great", and points out that his cause was actually poorly met. In this way, Gerold might come off like a humorless spoilsport, but we can also consider the fact that he's already learned some of the lessons that other characters, like Sansa, have been forced to face: reality does not match the songs, and not all "heroes" are good people.
Gerold also shows a concern for the ranks of the military. It's not about one man's veneration for him, it's about the success of the plan—and the survival of the men who act on it. This is actually the same concern for Dorne that Doran is obsessed with, at the end of The Watcher:
"Until the Mountain crushed my brother's skull, no Dornishmen had died in this War of the Five Kings," the prince murmured softly, as Hotah pulled a blanket over him. "Tell me, Captain, is that my shame or my glory?"
Doran has spent a lifetime hemming and hawing over this notion, unsure of whether to act or to wait, and choosing inaction over decision. By stark contrast, Gerold speaks with a casual certainty: "Garin the Great" was no good at all, because all his men died, and he lost. It might make him sound like a cynic, but Dayne knows what he believes in. Leading men to their death is no greatness at all.
2.3 Choosing one's own name
And, now knowing his thoughts on blind veneration, we might reinterpret his decision to invent his own nickname. Rather than grasping for approval from in songs (like Tywin's Rains of Castamere), his act of naming himself could be seen as a sign of honor, not blind pride.
"If I led a quarter of a million men to death, would they call me Gerold the Great?" He snorted. "I shall remain Darkstar, I think. At least it is mine own."
He does not believe in misjudged "bravery" for the sake of a title, and therefore is unlike so many others who we see across ASOIAF ready to die fighting in their desire for glory. Rather than dreaming of becoming immortalized in a song, Darkstar has no lust for public approval—he's given himself his own title, and means to prove himself against his own standard.
And at least it is his own. ASOIAF is a story where so much weight is put into names and epithets—Arya and Sansa losing their names and even their chapter titles, Brienne and Jaime fighting against the disparaging nicknames they are given. Here, Darkstar has already proven himself past all of those troubles with this one action—regardless of whatever names others should call him, or even remember him by, he shall go by this one, the name, and the fate, that he chose for himself.
2.4 Honing the blade
And then, immediately, Gerold starts caring for his blade.
He unsheathed his longsword, sat upon the lip of the dry well, and began to hone the blade with an oilstone.
Interestingly, the list of people who hone their blade on-page is surprisingly short. This shared action puts Gerold in league with the likes of Brienne:
I will, she promised his shade, there in the piney wood. She sat down on a rock, took out her sword, and began to hone its edge. I will remember, and I pray I will not flinch.
And also the likes of Yoren, Arya, Jon, Meera, Barristan, and Hotah himself; all of whom are dutiful if not also generally good-hearted. Ilyn Payne and Rakharo, care for their blades on-page, too, and though I'm not sure if they get enough story time to argue whether or not they are good-hearted, they are certainly pragmatic, skilled, and committed. Bronn, too, hones his blade on-page, and even if not good-hearted, he's these other positive qualities, the ones that make him likeable even in his scoundrel status: Bronn is skilled, pragmatic, dedicated to his craft, and even committed after his own fashion (he does name his adoptive child Tyrion, after all).
Better tying this to a morality case, the first time we see Sandor Clegane caring for his blade is after the Red Wedding, after he fully commits to taking in Arya. Similarly, Jaime is only seen caring for his blade in Feast and later, after he begins to have his own character turn towards searching for honor.
In stark contrast, Theon pulls out his blade to "sharpen" it before facing his father in Clash, but he only "gave it a few licks" with the whetstone ... what a total poser.
(It's a silly thing, but the most minor character we see sharpening a blade is a stray Blackwood... so you know these are the good guys, haha. Oswell Whent, too, which I don't make much of myself but I know others have.)
So, when we see Gerold Dayne start to sharpen his blade as his first on-page action, we might think: here is a man who is responsible, who is committed to duty, who believes in taking care of his person and his honor. Tying little actions like this to character qualities is the kind of thing GRRM does frequently.
2.5 Sober attitude
To a similar end, we also see that Gerold Dayne doesn't drink, preferring water with lemon.
Once the kindling caught, they sat around the flames and passed a skin of summerwine from hand to hand . . . all but Darkstar, who preferred to drink unsweetened lemonwater.
Which puts him in league with Brienne again:
"I would prefer water," said Brienne.
"Elmar, the red for Ser Jaime, water for the Lady Brienne, and hippocras for myself." Bolton waved a hand at their escort, dismissing them, and the men beat a silent retreat.
As well as Stannis, paragon of "duty":
But not today, I think—ah, here's your son with our water."
Devan set the tray on the table and filled two clay cups. The king sprinkled a pinch of salt in his cup before he drank; Davos took his water straight, wishing it were wine.
Again, this is the kind of quality that is associated with people who are attached to their sense of duty. (Note also that as Brienne feels increasingly lost during her search for Sansa, we see her increasingly drink wine. Roose, for his part, doesn't just drink wine, but wants wine sweetened with sugar and spices, which, like Littlefinger's minty breath, covers up his harsh reality).
So Gerold Dayne, in word and action, seems to have more in common with duty- and honor-bound characters, rather than being the heartless rogue which the Martells seem to believe he is.
2.6 Arianne's imagination versus Gerold's reality
Arianne asserts that Gerold would go so far as to exterminate an entire clan... but it's while she's fantasizing about ruling Sunspear with Myrcella as Queen:
Once I crown Myrcella and free the Sand Snakes, all Dorne will rally to my banners. The Yronwoods might declare for Quentyn, but alone they were no threat. If they went over to Tommen and the Lannisters, she would have Darkstar destroy them root and branch.
So we know what Arianne thinks he's capable of, but we also have heard Dayne's own thoughts that war for its own sake is not laudable. Would he really be the type to eradicate a whole family, like Arianne says? So far, he seems otherwise like an alright guy, and potentially even a true knight, so far: he takes care of his sword, he stays sober, he arrives early, he's not searching for glory from others, and he doesn't believe one should be rewarded for idiotic wars.
If I were to put this in a single quote—if I could create a single moment where I might show that Arianne's mental image of Darkstar is one way (hard, dangerous, mean) and his reality was a different way (dutiful, pragmatic, and good-hearted)—I might show it like this:
He has a cruel mouth, though, and a crueler tongue. His eyes seemed black as he sat outlined against the dying sun, sharpening his steel, but she had looked at them from a closer vantage and she knew that they were purple. Dark purple. Dark and angry.
He must have felt her gaze upon him, for he looked up from his sword, met her eyes, and smiled.
Does he have a cruel mouth, and dark, angry eyes? Or does he have an easy smile? Arianne tells us the former... but so far, we are shown the latter.
And what does Gerold himself say with that "cruel tongue"? What counsel does he give, what courses does he suggest?
2.7 Gerold's bloody suggestion
Before Myrcella arrives, Gerold Dayne has the chance to offer counsel to Arianne. This moment comes directly following that moment where all of Arianne's other conspirators confide that they don't trust him, and that they don't need him for the plan. Immediately afterward, Darkstar returns and suggests that the plan isn't very good to begin with.
Dayne put a foot upon the head of a statue that might have been the Maiden till the sands had scoured her face away. "It occurred to me as I was pissing that this plan of yours may not yield you what you want."
While all of Arianne's friends have warned her of Darkstar, why is it that Darkstar is the only one to warn Arianne that this is a poor plan? It's important to remember that he's right, after all, because this plan gets thwarted, and as he goes on to say, was ill-concieved to begin with. If he can see it, why have none of Arianne's other allies considered this? Or, more interestingly, why have none of them told her?
This conversation continues, and notice how Arianne is never straightforward with Gerold about how she feels in response to his questioning. She says one thing, and then thinks another to herself. Already, we are being shown how we might be distrustful of what we are told—and again, Arianne has more in common with her father than she thinks. She knows how to speak carefully when she really has another objective.
"And what is it I want, ser?"
"The Sand Snakes freed. Vengeance for Oberyn and Elia. Do I know the song? You want a little taste of lion blood."
That, and my birthright. I want Sunspear, and my father's seat. I want Dorne. "I want justice."
"Call it what you will. Crowning the Lannister girl is a hollow gesture. She will never sit the Iron Throne. Nor will you get the war you want. The lion is not so easily provoked."
"The lion's dead. Who knows which cub the lioness prefers?"
"The one in her own den." Ser Gerold drew his sword. It glimmered in the starlight, sharp as lies. "This is how you start a war. Not with a crown of gold, but with a blade of steel."
At first blush, it's easy to get caught up in the notion that Darkstar is simply offering to kill Myrcella for the ease of it all. We're told the whole chapter that Darkstar is a violent man, and here's the evidence.
Arianne herself only considers this interpretation, and it's how she remembers the conversation once she's imprisoned:
He wanted to kill her instead of crowning her, he said as much at Shandystone. He said that was how I'd get the war I wanted.
However, this conversation, though brief, is not so simple as that. Instead, while Gerold's advice to Arianne here at first seems unnecessarily violent, he's actually displaying wisdoms that we learn elsewhere in the story.
For a start, we see Gerold's disdain for vengeance for it's own sake—and his suggestion to Arianne that this quest of revenge and authority will not actually get her what she wants. In Gerold's words, she wants "a taste of lion's blood." He knows this song, as he says, as well as Ellaria, who gives an identical warning with far more impassioned language to the same audience ADWD The Watcher:
"Oberyn wanted vengeance for Elia. Now the three of you want vengeance for him. I have four daughters, I remind you. Your sisters. My Elia is fourteen, almost a woman. Obella is twelve, on the brink of maidenhood. They worship you, as Dorea and Loreza worship them. If you should die, must El and Obella seek vengeance for you, then Dorea and Loree for them? Is that how it goes, round and round forever? I ask again, where does it end?" Ellaria Sand laid her hand on the Mountain's head. "I saw your father die. Here is his killer. Can I take a skull to bed with me, to give me comfort in the night? Will it make me laugh, write me songs, care for me when I am old and sick?"
Gerold says it more simply, and more harshly: this quest for vengeance and lion's blood will not get you what you want.
He then tries another angle, saying that "Crowning the Lannister girl is a hollow gesture. She will never sit the Iron Throne. Nor will you get the war you want." This sounds, at first, like a complaint of the plan's futility, but he offers a suggestion of how to achieve said war instead: "Not with a crown of gold, but with a blade of steel."
I have to point out the metaphor at use in this moment:
Ser Gerold drew his sword. It glimmered in the starlight, sharp as lies.
A blade as sharp as lies—yet another allusion to this constant Dornish theme of lying and deadly misinformation. Seen from another perspective, we might put it another way: that lies are as deadly as a blade. This, too, is Doran's message: that the grass which hides the snake is just as deadly.
This too is Gerold's message, because in combination, his suggestion that crowning her is empty and to kill her is simpler sounds like an allusion to another wisdom we learn later in ADWD Tyrion I, given by Illyrio when Tyrion alights on the same bright idea as Arianne, to crown Myrcella:
"In Volantis they use a coin with a crown on one face and a death's-head on the other. Yet it is the same coin. To queen her is to kill her."
Gerold understands this, and he displays it in this conversation. His offer here, then, is to skip the trouble in between—the girl will never sit the Iron Throne in any case, so Arianne should just kill her and be done with it, and have your war that way.
Rather than a threat against Myrcella's life, the way Arianne remembers it, we might see this as a challenge: if Gerold sees that both acts end in Myrcella's death, and both in war, he's presenting Arianne reality of the lack of choice.
In a way, this is consistent with his earlier complaints about Garin the Great—was it worth it to make Valyria "tremble" at the cost of so many of his own? Gerold's question, though harshly put, makes Arianne face that question now, before they start off with the plans.
Like her father, though, Arianne defers the problem, preferring not to address it this night.
I am no murderer of children. "Put that away. Myrcella is under my protection. And Ser Arys will permit no harm to come to his precious princess, you know that."
Arianne makes the choice, but she does not say it aloud. Why? Because even she sees that it's contradictory to raise her up and expect her to live?
As we see so often with Arianne, she foolishly answers that it's not her responsibility. Myrcella may be under her protection, but Arianne relies on Ser Arys' action to keep it that way. Arianne tries to argue that the weight of this threat to Myrcella is not Arianne's burden to take, but rather Arys'.
Darkstar disagrees, pointing out the longstanding rivalry between the Dornish and the Marcher Lords.
"No, my lady. What I know is that Daynes have been killing Oakhearts for several thousand years."
His arrogance took her breath away. "It seems to me that Oakhearts have been killing Daynes for just as long."
"We all have our family traditions." Darkstar sheathed his sword. "The moon is rising, and I see your paragon approaching."
Finally, though, actions once again speak louder than words. Rather than pull his sword here against Arys, like he was just threatening to do, he sheathes his sword when he spots Arys, obeying Arianne's command. So far, whatever he's said, Gerold is still committed to following Arianne's wishes.
His threats about Daynes killing Oakhearts has another layer of meaning, though, in this complete context: Daynes have been killing Oakhearts, yes, but it's not just Daynes who wouldn't blink at killing a Marcher, it's all of the Dornish—as Arys is so intimately aware of in his one chapter.
As much as Arianne is dodging responsibility, she's also right that Arys is the final obstacle in anyone's way should they wish to do harm to Myrcella. Note, though, that despite the story Doran and Arianne later tell the Sand Snakes, it is not Darkstar who slays Arys—it's Areo Hotah. If we say that actions speak louder than words, hear this: Gerold sheathes his sword when Arys approaches, and it is Doran (through Areo) who kills Myrcella's most leal protector.
Given all the trouble Doran later goes to in an attempt to smooth over Arys' death, Gerold is probably right here that a dead Arys means war. Once again, Gerold is a pragmatic thinker, in theory. In my opinion, despite the cruelty of his suggestion, his conversation about the death of Myrcella is a reality check, not a call for wanton violence.
2.8 Gerold's good counsel and care
Later comes the second time where Arianne lags carelessly... and here, Gerold steps in to give Arianne good counsel.
Arianne had hoped to reach the river before the sun came up, but they had started much later than she'd planned, so they were still in the saddle when the eastern sky turned red. Darkstar cantered up beside her. "Princess," he said, "I'd set a faster pace, unless you mean to kill the child after all. We have no tents, and by day the sands are cruel."
Here, contradicting the stories of Gerold Dayne as a cruel man, Darkstar seems to show more direct concern for Myrcella's wellbeing than any of the other plotters. Arianne—like her father—moves to slow, and Gerold wants to make sure that the girl isn't killed. He's not just pragmatic in theory, he can also be pragmatic and considerate when it comes to the young girl with them.
Here, also, we see that Gerold does not actually mean the girl harm. The accusation that Darkstar slashed Myrcella implies this narrative where Darkstar took advantage of the chaos to finally take his chance to kill the girl and make good on his threat. If that were the case, then here Darkstar could have simply said nothing, and let the girl suffer or even die from the heat. Instead, he speaks up in order to spare Myrcella from the sand's cruelty.
2.9 Gerold's opinion of Arthur Dayne
With all of this context, I'll finally take a look at Gerold's opinion of Arthur Dayne.
As she led the princess to the fire, Arianne found Ser Gerold behind her. "My House goes back ten thousand years, unto the dawn of days," he complained. "Why is it that my cousin is the only Dayne that anyone remembers?"
"He was a great knight," Ser Arys Oakheart put in.
"He had a great sword," Darkstar said.
"And a great heart."
He clearly loves the Dayne house, but seems to have less respect than most for Arthur. Many and more have taken this to be a sign of petty envy, that Darkstar is questioning Arthur's skill at swordplay, perhaps in comparison to his own.
But consider the quote another way: we know from his opinion of "Garin the Great" that Gerold resists the idea of blindly idolizing heroes only because they have become great in the telling. This newer hero, Arthur, is no more special to him. What has he actually done, not what stories have been told of him?
Once again, this is a return of our theming: being shown, not told. Gerold is quick to resist the allure of the songs of Arthur Dayne—to Gerold, there are plenty of other Daynes just as special, or perhaps even more so. This is not a lack of love for his house, nor for honor and glory—quite the opposite. Like with choosing his own name, Darkstar wants to create his own context to see Arthur in, as part of a ten thousand year old lineage of great Daynes (ha) and not some special, magic knight.
Perhaps Gerold Dayne is pointing out that there is more to a knight than having a sword; perhaps he is condemning the idea of equating "swordplay" with "greatness".
What we hear about Arthur is more often than not about his prowress with a sword, but consider the context in which Arthur Dayne was brought up in this chapter. When Myrcella brings him up, his reputation is marred by the fact it's own existence:
"There was an Arthur Dayne," Myrcella said. "He was a knight of the Kingsguard in the days of Mad King Aerys."
Not the most good-hearted of details to remember him by, truth be told.
I suggest that this passage instead serves to suggest that Gerold has a stricter sense of what is valorous than most. Even the great, seemingly infallible Arthur Dayne was a sword in defense of the Mad King. Does serving the Mad King still make for a "great knight"? Or only a "great sword"?
Of course, there's another interesting aspect to this quote: despite his disregard for the particular qualities of Arthur, Gerold is more than willing to acknowledge the greatness of the sword Dawn. I'll get into that at the end.
2.10 Gerold sues for peace
Finally, in his final appearance on-page, we get a last word from Gerold Dayne, who, this time, says exactly what Arianne is thinking... when she, again, is too slow to act, and is unable to say anything herself.
You reckless fool, was all that Arianne had time to think, what do you think you're doing?
Darkstar's laughter rang out. "Are you blind or stupid, Oakheart? There are too many. Put up your sword."
Darkstar suggests to all that they surrender. He suggests they put up their swords. Yet again, this is a consistent characterization for Darkstar: a man who speaks against the honor of leading others in a death charge, a man who is a sober thinker, a man who plans to arrive early, and a man who considers heavily the consequences of the actions at hand, especially when they end in the death of a young girl.
After all this, I don't think it sounds like Darkstar to make a wild, reckless, opportune grasp for Myrcella's life, no matter whatever Doran says. Instead, Gerold Dayne has all the trappings of a dutiful knight, and even his brusque edges come from a certain brutal realism, not a sense of jilted pride. He may even be a good and caring man at times.
3.0 My predictions for TWOW: GRRM's next moves
I used to really not like Darkstar. I don't mind him being a little cringe, because this whole series, as well written as it is, still has plenty of pulpy 80s underpinnings which I love just as much as the highbrow stuff. I can handle a little melodrama, fine... but why is Darkstar so flat, I wondered. It felt so incredibly—uncharacteristically—clumsy to have this hurried introduction of a character, and have everyone in the chapter rush to tell the reader how dangerous he is, just so he could do the "dangerous guy" thing and run off to become the next MacGuffin of Dorne.
That is, if everything, or anything, that we were told about him is true.
If we understand that not all we're told is true, then GRRM hasn't actually spent a whole chapter telling without showing. Instead, he's been consistently playing with the same notions of actual reality vs. stories and lies that the rest of the Dornish plot revolves around (and the rest of the series, for that matter, but I'm staying focused here).
In addition, all of that telling we got about Gerold Dayne wasn't at all for the purpose of giving us a quick, surface level introduction to the character (which makes sense, because George is otherwise so good with character). Instead, all that telling is part of a larger, longer plot about Doran's scheming and lying, and Arianne's own susceptibility to Doran's stories.
Finally, and most of all, it all sets up one of GRRM's favorite things to do: a subversion of a character in a twist that involves a sudden change of perspective.
If Arianne and Doran have spent 4 (or 5, including TWOW previews) chapters now telling us what a nasty guy Gerold Dayne is, won't it be a shock once he's granted Dawn rightfully and is named the next Sword of the Morning? What's even better is that, looking back, it will be clear to see how much he isn't a nasty guy—he's actually a pretty good candidate, dutiful, smart, aware of the consequences. He's the kind of guy to take care of himself, keeping his mind and blade sharp, and to be considerate of those lesser than him, as with Myrcella or Garin's army. He may not be a nice guy, but being nice and kind are not always the same. That character of Darkstar, the knight worthy of Dawn, was there all along—except that it was all obfuscated under Arianne internal narration and Doran's repeated lying.
After all, he is of the night... which sounds super edgy, but is foreshadowing too. What comes after the night? The Morning.
Being "of the night" might not be Darkstar being an antihero, but instead being anti- heroes, he's against the concept of the overinflated hero. Like Sandor Clegane, who starts to seem more and more a true knight despite despising knights, Darkstar may be set up to take on a legendary mantle, like Sword of the Morning, despite his utter disdain for legendary heroes, like Ser Arthur and Garin the Great.
And actually, I suspect that Darkstar is quite familiar with Dawn already—after all, despite his cool words about Ser Arthur, Gerold Dayne does seem to recognize the greatness of Dawn. I expect that he's seen its value for himself.
Gerold is the type of man to take himself seriously ... and while that's very easy to make fun of from a reader's perspective, it's a very admirable quality in a knight. It's the same trajectory Jaime has been on: everything used to be a joke to him, but no longer: Jaime is learning how to shed that shield of humor and to take himself and his honor seriously. Can we begrudge Ser Gerold the same?
Rather than hunting down a villain, Areo Hotah, Obara, and Balon Swann are on Doran's truth-suppression mission. For after all, as Lady Nym pointed out, loose ends make for exposed lies. If I replace some of the names of her cautionary message from The Watcher:
If Gerold Dayne is alive, soon or late the truth will out. If he appears again, Doran Martell will be exposed as a liar before all the Seven Kingdoms. He would be an utter fool to risk that.
And so Doran sends his unbeatable Hotah, with his massive and lethal axe that already killed one Kingsguard and might well kill another. How is Gerold Dayne going to match up against that?
Well, he'll have a great sword.
#jozor thoughts#asoiaf meta#asoiaf analysis#Doran Martell and Gerold Dayne#valyrianscrolls#twow speculation#darkstar#Dorne Told not Shown
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Hii, hope you're doing good!
There's quite confusion about a little thing as some are saying that some things are mistranslated but others going it's correct so it'll be helpful if you can translate this clip 😅
https://twitter.com/Jimin95themoon1/status/1624589256151732225?t=e6VHIt5Muec5n6j8HXbqKw&s=19
It's this one...
Hi, thanks for your message.
As always chronically online losers are creating something out of a normal interaction, I would assume trying somehow to use this translation of a 3 second clip as some kind of 'proof' that Jungkook was in some way 'opposing' the members coming in and commenting(??) while completely ignoring the rest of the interactions and even the footage where Jungkook is in no way using an angry tone to complain or show disagreement... How predictable 🥱 Though I wish to stay out of Twitter bs drama, I'll comment on this in the following way:
To start here is a longer clip:
Let's first of all take the whole situation into context and not only 3 seconds out of around a 2 min long conversation. Jungkook turns on the live, sees Jimin's comments and relays Jimin's appearance to the trainer. He invites Jimin over and explains to the trainer how the comments from the members appear. The trainer extends his invitation to Jimin and then Jungkook just keeps reading more comments while Hobi's subsequent comments appear. So then the subject of the convo changes to Hobi and Jungkook says:
Hoseokie hyung came too. (호석이 형도 왔다.)
*turns to the trainer* J-hope hyung came too. (제이홉 형도 왔어요!)
*turns back to the camera* Why.. why are (you) coming? Are (your) notifications popping up? (왜.. 왜 오는거야? 이게 알림이 뜨나?)
Here we arrive at the typical issue arising from Kor-Eng translations meaning it falls upon the translator to add pronouns to the sentence according to the context as Korean sentences do not rely on their use.
The sentence on its own only contains 왜 - why and 오는거야 - coming so as a translator you have "why ..... coming?" and the rest is self-assumed.
Now looking at the original translation of that account, they self inserted *they all* into the English translations, which heavily relies on being 100% sure from the context that he is addressing multiple people, therefore to avoid any misconceptions typically it is safer and more logical to use you.
*later edit: And moreover it is clear he is directly speaking to the member(s) when he looks back on the screen, even judging from the casual language, so the usage of 'they all' here in the translation is really not accurate.
And then the debate turns to how you perceive the situation and what is more logical. Was he addressing Jimin and Hobi at the same time? The original translator claims yes, from my perspective though and when being in such a situation where you have 1 sec to understand and react when talking to someone, the shortest and most logical answer is he is addressing the last subject of the conversation, which was Hobi. At that point he already acknowledged Jimin's presence in the comments and communicated with him, it would appear very weird if all of a sudden he turned and asked why is it that both Jimin and Hobi came.
This point is something that could be debated from the translator's point of view and could have multiple approaches. Overall, though I find it less likely, I don't find anything bad about Jungkook wondering how the members knew he was live, whether they got the notification. His tone and the overall context does not indicate ANY NEGATIVE CONNOTATION and this is purely a discourse inspired by malice.
Hope I explained it in a way that is understandable. Thank you for your question once again 😊
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More time travel AU thoughts that were originally a reply to @softesttangerines' fantastic thoughts here. This was a reblog, but then I got carried away (like 700+ words of carried away), so I'm making it its own post to not break my mobile dashboard lol. Includes some stuff on teenage Shanks' mindset, current Benn's perspective on meeting teenage Shanks again, and a little bit of Mihawk's perspective on teenage Shanks + their relationship both past and current at the end.
I agreed with everything too hard and then ended up with a megapost. Oops.
Teenage Shanks’ mindset and misconceptions is something I’ve thought about a lot for this AU. Arguably too much. First off, his recklessness? He doesn’t have a fantastic value on his own wellbeing, and it’s still a bit different with his crew — he wouldn’t want to get hurt and leave them high-and-dry without a captain because it wouldn’t be fair to them, but he still doesn’t fully get that they’d be upset about it because they care about him, not just his title.
I think Benn in the original timeline eventually comes to understand this through some odd comments/implications/behaviors from Shanks, but it isn’t stated outright and takes a good while to hit. Plus, by the point Benn has a real inkling about it, Shanks has gotten with the program, so it never lines up to have a time where Benn would really intervene.
(Adding in a note here for me yelling into a pillow because yes that’s 1000% what I was going for with Benn meeting teenage Shanks again and I am Elated. “You might as well take his title” brb going to go cry a whole puddle at that.)
Current Benn? Absolutely yelling at his younger self about how obvious it is and how did he miss it?? (Actual answer: Shanks hadn’t told him a lot about his childhood yet, and he’s not a mind reader. He’s still upset about it, though.) Teenage Shanks is a conundrum of keeping people too close and too far away all at the same time. He loves his crew, but with how recent it’s been since the whole Oro Jackson disbanding and him basically being on his own… the kid has some funky abandonment issues of letting himself believe this crew really is going to last.
And this crew isn’t even his crew. Their captain is missing because he’s the one there now — what are they going to do if he doesn’t return? What’ll happen to him? (Benn’s definitive breaking point is Shanks finally hitting his limit of how much he can bottle up and asking what’ll happen with him if their Shanks can’t come back? Because to him, the answer is he’s not entirely sure but it certainly involves Shanks still staying with them, and to think Shanks doesn’t implicitly understand that is upsetting, and he’s fixing that, now.)
(That part is actually somewhat written, so I really want to post it soon now, haha.)
Fic plot side tangent: while they know it’s likely Devil Fruit shenanigans that caused the whole fiasco, they don’t know if it’s a swap of the two Shanks in the same timeline, a swap with a different timeline, or something else (ex: de-aging). The actual answer is that it effectively creates an alternate/split timeline, so there’s nothing to worry about, but there’s the concern that if they change things for Shanks too much, something will go Wrong.
Benn is by far the one to stick with that the most at first (maybe tied by Mihawk) and he does end up sticking with that to an extent — it works fine for major “plot points” so to speak. But interpersonal stuff? Once Benn starts realizing what he missed the first time around… yeah no, that’s getting fixed like you said. If doing that causes issues down the line, then so be it, but he can’t in good conscience let some of that go.
Mihawk’s bits keep getting cut short because I go on for so long about Benn’s perspective RIP. But yes 100% to all of that. Mihawk may not admit ever (or even fully to himself) that he had his own share of mishandlings in the past, but he’s at a point where there definitely is a hint of regret of how far away he held Shanks for so long, knowing what was to come now. (However, I like to equally think his slight moments of conceding are also out of the knowledge that Shanks wormed his way into his life once — he can definitely do it again in his own time, even better and quicker with some guidance.)
He does 100% think this Shanks is endearing, though — how could you not? At the same time, it definitely reaffirms his appreciation for his Shanks and who he grew into being once day.
(Also: wheezing over Shanks asking Benn for love advice to win over Mihawk. That man has really been put through it, haha.)
#@ time travel anon there's actual fic content coming too but i hope you like this as well haha!#one piece#red haired shanks#benn beckman#mishanks#dracule mihawk#akagami no shanks#time travel au#anyways if you can't tell: i'm more than happy to ramble about this AU at any and all times haha
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//breeding, sex-based victimization stuff, violence stuff, dehumanizing language (?) incredibly degenerate, enjoy this quick thought I had (but ignore the existence of female oni and the genetic logic here for me okay I need this)
I've been remembering the concept mentioned in the Itto profile about how historically, oni were probably feared to an extent by humans, which (combined with the fact that Itto is prime candidate for absolute caveman behavior) leads to the concept of a darker alternate history where they're both 1) even stronger and 2) neither subspecies made any effort to become buddy-buddy with the humans, and instead just sort of utilized their strength to terrorize them and thus get what they want from the humans (including mates!). Seeing as thus the species staying a far ways away from each other, there's also some mild dialectical language differences and thus a pseudo-language barrier where they can sorta understand their victims, but not fully. No need to try and understand, the humans are the inferior species anyway, and are essentially just vulnerable creatures asking to be raided and terrorized.
Like these super strong humanoids could probably take on a considerable amount of people at once. So if they come and take something, no one is going to stop them. If an oni comes bumbling into your farmland and picks up a sheep? That's their sheep now. Not a damn thing you can do about it if you don't want to be picked up and hurled to the other side of the property, if not just get your head caved in, so most humans will just have to accept it.
Rural living and farmers are still a thing, but the average farmer would much rather have their livestock picked off by predatory animals. One, because the oni are much smarter and will be more likely to come back in the future for seconds, and two, because they often also may spot some equipment or tools that seem useful, and they'll just snatch that up with the other hand as well. The more fearless (or stupid, seeing as they have no way of knowing how well-armed a village is) ones will sometimes find themselves stumbling across small defenseless villages and similarly take whatever they find. If one decides to raid your property, they'll take anything they see that looks appealing -- your livestock, your harvests, your tools... and, if you're particularly unlucky, potentially any daughters, wives or sisters you have who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and cross paths with the creature.
Of course, humans initially thought they were some monstrous, barbaric species looking to eat humans, but it doesn't take long to recognize some patterns in the victims. It's usually sex-based on which victims are chosen (aside from the occasional small boy that was unfortunately mistakeable for female), not the plumpest or biggest individuals, which would have been more ideal if eating them was the intent. Instead, they just seem to take the opportunity of stumbling across a human female of a grabbable shape and size (which, for their race as strong as theirs, means pretty much any shape and size) and grab them, sling them over their shoulder and head back off, ignoring all the squealing and kicking. And once people start spotting and interacting with half-oni that start popping up, the actual fate of those presumed eaten individuals becomes clear. They're not being taken as prey for eating, just as brood sows.
The thing is, despite how all of that may sound, and in contrast to human misconceptions, they're not necessarily mean or anything. They're not some heartless, unfeeling creatures, nor like animals with no complex thought. Maybe some are mean, but most aren't; they have individual personalities, just like humans. Some are perfectly nice! They're just following basically the standard, a custom so normalized that it's never questioned. None of them think of it as wrong or harmful in any way, nor stop to consider that the human's will is meaningful in any way.
Think of it like how humans have dogs. Sure, maybe if left unrestrained, the dog would go wandering all around, far beyond the limits of the walls or fence or leash that normally restrains it, but that doesn't mean that it's somehow doing the dog a disservice or transgression, nor making it unhappy, by keeping it in said fence or house. The dog is perfectly content with it's limited range, and more importantly, letting your dog go out unrestrained would eventually almost certainly lead to it getting lost, injured, or even killed. Which is sound logic in that case.
Except in their minds, humans are no different! That's if you asked the oni and not the humans. Besides, if the human was unhappy, it would attack. But they don't. Sure, sometimes if frustrated they will punch and kick and bite and pull and stuff, but it's so weak that certainly not their maximum strength right? It's only play fighting, or cathartic, not a serious effort. If they really wanted to be freed, they'd hit way harder than that. And if the humans were running around all the time, they'd get hurt, they have a knack for getting their weak bodies injured, so it's good they're kept from doing so. And their human male counterparts are super weak, they could never keep them as safe.
So yes, they don't perceive themselves as cruel or as doing anything wrong at all. If you asked the average one, he would probably think of himself as a great caretaker! Anything that sets foot near his human gets its skull caved in, and he keeps the human well-fed. Sure, it's not like he asked the human if it wanted to come along or anything, but that's just... how it's done. And even if it protests, again, it's more like a dog howling at the front door wanting to go run in the yard during a storm -- it's just not good for it, but the dog doesn't know that.
They don't really think about the complexities and potential feelings of the humans regarding the rituals and norms, they just register in their minds as what one does. It's the standard behavior they're raised to mimic. For an oni, once you're grown, you go out, prowl about near human societies, find an ideal human, pick it up by the leg and carry it back home! Then you lock it up and keep it stowed away forever, breed the human and have lots of halfling offspring, and raise them to do the same. Is that not basically the same as what humans do amongst themselves? Thus, there's no reason to question it.
Sometimes, though, the acquisition of a human girl can be a bit difficult, because for some reason they always stay close to their villages and rarely ever go out by themselves. And if they see oni, their eyes get all wide, they freeze up for a second before they run off, squealing like a pig all the while. Thus, there are some common pieces of wisdom and warnings and tips passed on communally and generationally. For example, if you chase the screaming she-human and follow it into its village, sometimes the villagers will try and chase you away with pitchforks and beans and other defensive measures, and you might end up with a pitchfork stab wound or worse. They tend to sort of gather in groups to defend the place, making you have to go through them to get to the one you were after. And while one human would be easy to take down, they can get frustrating to deal with in larger numbers... besides, when you start pulling them apart, it makes a mess. Can't blame them for wanting to keep the breeding creatures to themselves, though.
The goal is to find one that strays a bit too far from the other humans, and preferably isn't paying close attention to its surroundings. The best bet is in the rural areas -- less walls, less population, less weapons, less humans hear the screaming, lots of such advantages.
That being said, oni know also that there is no need to be discriminate, except in a few select areas. There are advantages and disadvantages to any shape of human. If the human is small and narrow, that just makes it easier to pick it up and toss it around. If the human is one of the more curved-looking ones, it makes it better for breeding. So on and so on. The only real area where it's good to be discriminate is to ensure it's a weaker one, just makes it more easy to deal with. Not that the strong ones can really compete with oni strength, but they break out of restraints more easily.
Regardless, upon stumbling across a human, a good strategy is to kind of move around the human first, get on its other side so you're in between it and its village, so the only direction it can run in is further into the wilderness. Then it will get all disoriented and start running in circles, and often basically end up getting turned around and running back towards you. However, humans, particularly this smaller, weaker half, are not particularly athletically capable by oni standards, so they get tired really quickly, so it's easy to just chase them until they exhaust themselves and collapse, doesn't take very long at all. The downside being they may trip and injure themselves in the process.
Notably, they squirm around and squeal a lot when you try to breed them, but that's totally normal too, that'll stop after a while. Their bodies aren't really made for such large insertions, human males are much smaller in that department. But just because they're not used to it, or that it's not what their bodies are idealized for, doesn't mean they can't handle it, or that it harms them. Maybe hurts in the sense that they might flinch and whimper and squirm a bit, but it doesn't actually do any damage.
...So yes, all of that information composes the mindset that you are going to be dealing with. Likewise, humans do the inverse. Human society deals with it the same way they dealt with every danger in older times, warning children through some kind of cautionary folktale about what to not do once they're grown up. Making up something about how people who go off on their own, or even just don't stay within the boundaries of their village, will get snatched up and taken away by some horrible horned monster. Of course, they leave out what happens after the matter to make it more child-friendly, but it scares kids nonetheless, which thus accomplishes the goal of making sure they're wary once they reach adulthood, and thereby enter the primary age for being targets. As an adult, you're given the more bluntly honest and true to reality version of the warning meant to be conveyed, that if you stray too far away from your home by yourself, you might end up getting dragged off and kept as some breeding toy forever.
But as with all potential dangers in life, people simply get so used to safety that they start to take chances. It can't hurt just this one time, becomes the mentality. You did something similar -- you had been on a day trip, with a group of course, and noticed a missing object when you returned. You're aware of the dangers (there's plenty, since wild animals are also a threat), but... you allow yourself to follow that line of thinking, that it's just one quick trip outside. It won't be hard to find. And if you see anything, you won't be far from home, so you can run back fast if you need. You'll find it in no time, anyway, you'll only be gone a few minutes.
And you do. You spot the missing object within seconds. If you grab it now and run back home, the whole ordeal would only take a few minutes.
You bend at the knee and stoop down, extend your arm to reach down and grab it. But your hand doesn't make contact with it before you feel a harsh tug at your throat where the collar of your shirt is pulled taut against it, the fabric being pulled at from behind you. In the blink of an eye, your feet leave the ground.
You flail. You kick. You spew curses and snarl. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the creature holding you up in the air. Of course, that's expected for a human girl to do. They think they're going to be eaten, and they're just not used to being held up in the air and all that, which is why the human will panic when their feet aren't on the ground, and even in your weird little human dialect, the "put me down!" is distinguishable. But there's ways to handle that.
After a moment of your thrashing, you feel your center of gravity flip as you're quickly rotated upside-down, head hanging down and held up by a single hand gripped around your ankles. It helps the human get all of its panic out and eventually makes them calm down (if you hold it like that long enough, it will even go to sleep!). Sure enough, you do in fact stop struggling, after a few minutes.
You soon realize, contrary to the common depiction of the oni species, this one doesn't seem to be mean. He seems pretty happy, flips you back upright, smiling and patting you on the head. He says something you don't understand, and then moves to grab both your arms before throwing you upward, hauling you over the shoulder so your hips rest on top of it while your upper body hangs down.
You make some noise to the best of your ability. Your head is spinning and you're disoriented from the sudden movement, but you cry out and yell, hoping to catch the attention of anyone that can hear you.
Why do the humans do this? Who knows. Oh well. You chose this.
You're set back down on your feet, very softly and with great care. Humans are fragile. This is another piece of critical information told to young oni as a warning to be cautious, as their frail little human limbs and skulls crack far too easily, and their bodies take forever to heal from such wounds. So while you can sling them around as needed to some extent, it's common advice to be careful not to grab them too hard, and be careful of where you toss them, make sure they always land on a soft surface, and make sure you put them down softly when you're putting their feet to the ground.
...However, despite the two pieces of conventional wisdom perhaps contradicting, there's another way to deal with the noise. You stand disoriented for a moment, just about to take off running before there's an sound and a jolt of pain and everything goes black. A technique in which, if you hit the she-human's head with one good thwack, it will fall asleep instantly. It's very convenient for situations such as these. But no need for worry, it doesn't hurt the human... At least that's what others have said.
As it turns out, it really works! Now you're nice and quiet, not to mention completely limp aside from breathing. It makes it much easier to quickly carry you off, far, far away from your home. The humans have a decent sense of direction after all, so there's a risk of you getting out and running back home if you're not far away enough. And then he'd have to go in and most likely bludgeon a bunch of other humans to a pile of meaty mush just to get you back, and that's just such a hassle, you know?
#I WILL continue this at some point I cannot be stopped#I WILL expel the degeneracy from my system#.it#yan.txt
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Mission Jealousy (1/2)
Pairing: Cassian Andor x Reader
Warnings: Angst, implied violence, injury, jealousy.
Summary: You and Cassian return from a difficult mission and emotions bubble to the surface.
Part 1 | Part 2 (coming soon)
You followed Cassian into the hull of his U-Wing and noticed how heavy his footsteps were. But marked it exhaustion as you were just as tired from the last gruelling few days to accomplish the Rebellion’s latest mission.
Pressing a palm against the panel on the wall, you activated the ships door to close. The last you needed was to be caught or overheard. Reaching to your sides, you began unloading the weapons that you had carried in.
“I’ll contact home base to let them know the mission was a success.” You told Cassian while setting the metal items onto the bench.
“I’m sure you were satisfied.” He muttered.
He thought he was discreet but you caught the bitter remark loud and clear and stilled to look up at him. He was fixated on taking off his second glove and tossed it onto the freight box in the corner. He started to unzip his jacket silently, offering no explanation to his comment and you couldn’t let it stand.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Where was this change in attitude coming from when everything was firm up until their return to the ship?
Cassian turned to you with a light scoff and beamed a fake smile.
“Nothing. We retrieved the intel. Mission accomplished.” He replied, sliding out of the outer layer and roughly tossing it to join the gloves. Cassian folded his arms against his chest and stared back. You frowned at him. There was a smile on his face but his eyes… they were telling a different story. It was more than obvious that something had happened to make him mad.
“We went into that cantina. We found our guy and got the intel faster than we originally planned. And as an added bonus, no one died. If everything was good, why are you acting like this?”
Cassian shrugged. “Like what?”
Stars, this man could be so infuriating. You should really listen to K2 when the droid lists all of their captains behaviours.
“This.” You repeated. “Silence on the journey back and when you do speak it’s to question my character?”
He scoffed again. Shaking his head, Cassian stepped back. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
As he attempted to leave, you crossed the floor and grabbed his arm to keep him rooted. When Cassian looked at you, his smile was gone. It should have been enough for you to let him go but you refused to back down.
“No, we’re going to clear the air right now.”
A few beats of silence passed until Cassian turned his body towards you. “What do you want from me?”
“Recap the day from when we left the ship.” You instructed.
Fixing his stance so his feet were planted firm against the metal of the ship, Cassian looked like he was ready for a fight.
“Fine.” He said coldly. “We left the ship and went into that cantina. I found the description of the man who had the intel. He was heavily armed and I left to survey the area. When I came back, you were gone. I searched everywhere for you and when I found you…” Cassian paused. The images of what he had seen flashing before his eyes once again and making his stomach churn. “You were kissing him.”
A stupid kiss, that’s what he was upset about?
“It was a kiss, Cassian. We went to retrieve that intel no matter what it took. You know that better than anyone.”
Cassian shook his head. “No he had you up against a wall for several minutes. It’s a miracle that no one else saw it.”
As he spoke, it hit you like a bantha. Cassian was struck with a bout of jealousy. You didn’t understand why but you could tell that it would be an intense fire to put out. Right now, you weren’t sure how to do that but you did know how to clear a misconception of what he saw.
You stripped yourself of the warm layers as the heat from the ships engine started to seep into the hull.
“What are you doing?” Cassian asked genuinely baffled.
“He kissed me for a second. Then he pushed me against the wall while his fingers were busy leaving these.” You lifted the shirt to expose your midriff.
There were small bruisings that resembled fingertips littered across your skin.
Cassian felt his breath hitch - this explains why you were holding onto the target so tightly - not out of pleasure but pain.
You lowered the fabric to cover up once again and glared at him. “I did what I had to. Not what I wanted.”
The expression on Cassian’s face was surprise mingled with regret and something else. He stepped forward but you didn’t plan to continue the conversation at the moment and walked around him to where K2 was preparing to fly the ship.
Part 1 | Part 2 (coming soon)
Masterlist here
#theladyofmanyfandoms#theladyofmanyfandomsfanfiction#gif is not mine#cassian andor x reader#cassian andor imagine#cassian imagine#cassian x reader#star wars imagine#star wars x reader
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Okay so, we know the show is over, and that shortening is not the sole reason for the show's decrease in quality but with that begs the question.
We know that dana was offer to produce the owl house in other channels under the condition of the episodes would be 2 segments of 11 minutes each per episode.
Could have this formant change benefit the owl house, helping it to streamline storylines from the start and dedicate shorter episodes to more simple concepts?
So this feels like a misconception with storytelling. See, I've talked about characters getting full episodes to themselves, specifically Hunter's Arc versus what time we may have gotten with The Collector in a full S3. Technically, one could say there is no difference. Every episode is a full episode so claiming Hunter gets any half episodes is wrong.
But that's where A and B plotting in stories comes into play. So as to fill time in an episode, or cover an idea more expansively, a show will often implement a B plot that usually has less importance than what is going on in the main plot. King gets a LOT of these in S1. In fact, like 80% minimum of King's plotlines in the show are in B plots. A lot of them also serve zero point to ANYTHING.
And technically B plots do not have to be this way. They can actually be covering something just as important as the other things going on. Knock Knock Knocking is actually a good example of this because all three plots, so even a C plot, are theoretically of true importance. They're all moving characters forward, they all have developments that matter to the story as a whole, etc. like that. Lumity is weirdly the least important in that episode because Amity is never actually important to the plot in a meaningful way which sucks.
But the larger point in general is that this is a critical part of TOH. Very few episodes stay focused on a single pair of characters during its entire run time. After all, how different really is splitting two plotlines between two halves and constantly, as an example, cutting back to King who is having his stuffed animal boot camp while Luz and Eda are off training at the Knee? There is none except that you can have an ebb and flow of tension by those cutaways that I would argue commonly just hurts the show more than anything else. It's hard to keep tension when all of your B plots are constant comedy.
But this may have been also why Dana wanted this. She could allow characters like Amity and Luz be more serious in their interactions while claiming it was a comedy because the B plot is the main source of comedy in the episode. That's why TOH has comedic relief characters when in most kid's shows, you can't just point to one character in each group of characters as the comic relief. They normally all pull that duty or none. TOH makes it very pointed that certain characters are the butts of jokes and they commonly get B plots.
This actually leads to the hilarious fact that Willow has one conversation with King in the whole series... While Gus has two plot lines with him. One in Understanding Willow with the B plot of the interviews and once during Grom with King and him being Masters of Ceremony. Even HOOTY gets more plot lines that are genuinely about him and King than say... Amity, who never properly interacts/has a plot line with either Eda or King despite how many plot lines she has the show. And no, Eclipse Lake doesn't count because she's practically talking past the other two the entire time. It shows how they interact but has no weight or meaning behind it. It's easily forgettable and disposable.
Now this actually touches on the one strength TOH could have gotten from the other format. See, the problem with the full episode format with B plots is that commonly the multiple plots don't interact so each episode can only have one plot line per character. If Amity has fourteen plot lines with Luz, Luz literally loses a third of the plot lines she can have in the WHOLE SERIES to Amity. Amity, Gus and Willow altogether take up roughly half of the entire storytelling potential Luz has like this. That's why during a lot of S1, Eda is either doing things alone, with King or with Lilith. King has even less characters to interact with so he gets plots alone, with Eda or with Hooty.
This problem directly is part of why the Found Family Theme doesn't function for The Owl House. Luz literally has no time to spend with King and Eda because she's constantly with other characters. After all, she has one off characters like Viney or Vee to spend time with. She has Hunter to deal with for two episodes. She has two episodes dedicated to facing Belos alone or with friends. She has three episodes in S2 where she either effectively isn't there, like Eclipse Lake and Thems the Breaks, or literally never shows up like Labyrinth Hunters.
This is really the only strength TOH I think would have gained from twin 11 minute formats. Luz can have plot lines with her friends and her romantic interest and now they only take up a quarter of her time rather than close to half.
There's one problem: This also requires the idea that the 11 minute episodes would be good. There's no guaranty they get spent on plot after all. In S1, they would more likely be spent on shenanigans like the B plots or villains like Tibbles. Most people point to the one villains and the more traditional kids show episodes like Once Upon a Swap as when TOH is at its weakest... And I don't disagree. TOH has very few narrative tricks up its sleeve to make these characters interesting, the best one being when they make crunch culture literal, and none of them are ones you can take seriously. Frankly, The Owl House is so against its genre that having to come up with more plots for its world, its magic, etc. like that...
Now, one last note: The B plots likely couldn't have been just made half episodes either. Not if the show wanted to be taken seriously at all. How much more annoying would King's B plots in most episodes feel if you couldn't cut away from it? Him constantly trying to make an army and obviously going to fail because of it. It's too repetitive, the point is made within five seconds and then drawn out and it would be repeated too many times to be VERY noticeable.
King would have had to be MUCH more a real character than his one note self in order for the 11 minute format to work... Or it'd become even more noticeable that he's just mostly absent or inconsequential to most of the series. You weirdly enough need MORE distinct characters for 11 minute episodes than you do in a longer format. The more stories you have to tell with them after all, the more they have to be capable of multiple types of stories. This is part of why the Plantars are all so distinct from one another because they all have different tales they can then tell and have a full range of tales to tell, whether they be fully comedic or emotional. Even Polly has that with her tomboy nature, her age, her immaturity, etc.
And that is the real killer for if the writers of TOH could even do it. As someone who watched some Rise of the TMNT just yesterday, that show is WILD. But do you want to know what it doesn't do? It doesn't waste time. It doesn't waste a damn thing. You are bombarded with EVERYTHING a concept can be at all times at 11 and even that still allows morals and character to somehow shine at times, or let the creativity of the writers shine and how they're making this different from other TMNT interpretations.
And TOH is not good about not wasting time. It loves its languid pacing. It loves its setups even though could be cut. Gus and Willow contribute NOTHING to Covention after all so why not have Eda, King and Luz just show up at the Covention hall with a couple lines of "Now, I know you're grumpy but thank you so much for taking me to this."
"I only did it because otherwise, you were going to read that fluffy witch dreck at me the entire day. Let's just get this over with and quickly if we can."
We could have had that ten second exchange instead of the full two minutes that is spent on the intro before the title having Gus and Willow show up, having the banter, having the admittedly good, fun joke of Eda trying to leave through the portal but with King on her head and THEN going to the Covention. Not to say these other shows don't waste any time but they'd never waste two minutes setting up to the good stuff with characters who are going to vanish in almost just as many minutes, even if that makes little sense. Seriously, why doesn't Willow comment at all about the Witch's Duel?
So I don't think it would have fixed the problems of TOH. I think, quite honestly, it would have just doubled down on the issues and made them more glaring to more people because constraints have never helped this show.
Just look at their unwillingness to make obvious, required changes in the face of the shortening.
=======
I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!
I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past.
I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead,
If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.
And finally a Twitter you can follow too!
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Personal Writing Challenge(2 Weeks) Day 4
Date: 9/8/23
Title: Misconception
Universe: DC
Pairing: Dick Grayson/OC
Part 1?
She honestly couldn’t understand why she had to see superheroes on the news. All. The. Time. Like, seriously? Batman stopped the Joker from killing the Mayor! What else is new? Okay, so Robin stopped a robbery, what of it? Redhood killed a man?! Shocker. Red Robin was seen fleeing the scene! Is Wonder Woman and the Batman fucking each other?
Who knew he had a heart?
Ayla sighed, sinking further into her couch, watching as the news reporter once again, described how Nightwing, Bludhaven’s very own vigilante, saved the day. While also so very obviously thirsting over him and his, “incredible ass”.
And, OH! That bod…
It was really, starting to get on her nerves. Where were the heroes without the cape? The Good Samaritan? Where were the people who pulled a lady out of the road before she got run over? Were there any of those people left in the world?
Drumming her fingers against the leather, she sighed heavily before getting up and storming out her front door, keys, phone, and wallet in hand. She probably should have turned off her TV, but, eh. Who cares? If someone wanted to break into her apartment and steal something from her, what was she going to do to stop them?
Movement came from her left and she looked out from the corner of her eye as she locked her door. Her neighbor, whom she had actually never met in person (having only seen him from a distance) was walking up the stairs. Talking enthusiastically to a young man, a late teen, a child, and…
Was that Bruce Wayne?
Shit.
Turning towards the elevator (her right and her only escape) she paused in horror as she saw the “out of order” sign on the doors.
Double shit.
The only way out was to go through Bruce Wayne and her neighbor. Who she had been avoiding, in all honesty. She could practically feel them, him, coming closer to her and the door that was beside her. Making her decision, Ayla turned back to her door to unlock it, her mind fumbling with an excuse to use and-
“Hey! You're my neighbor, right?”
Damn. It.
She stopped turning the nob, forcing a smile as she turned back around. She was greeted with a brilliant smile and gorgeous eyes. She didn’t realize blue came in that color. Against her will, she felt her smile go from forced, “I don’t want to deal with you” to a soft, friendly, “I’ll gladly have a conversation with you!”.
“Um, yeah uh, hi. I’m… your neighbor…” There was the social awkwardness, she was wondering when it’d show up.
While the child rolled his eyes, letting out a ‘tsk’ sound, the man in front of her seemed to perk up, brighten, even. He extended his hand, and exclaimed, “Hi, it’s nice to finally meet you! I’ve seen you around a lot but I can’t seem to catch you at a good time. My names Dick by the way.”
She looked at his hand a moment and hesitated. In quick succession, she glanced from his hand to his eyes and back again a few times before she practically peeled her hand off and away from the door nob. Like the idiot she was, she floundered with her hands before finally grasping his in a single handshake. Dick’s hand was warm, and to say it dwarfed hers would be an understatement. Blushing red, and looking down at the ground, she practically wheezed out a reply.
“N-Nice to meet you… I’m, A-Ayla…”
Instead of shaking her hand (like a normal person), Dick instead brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it lightly. Heart pounding, blush worsening, Ayla shot her head up and locked eyes with him. Part of her wanted to smack him, but the other part, the larger part, was swooning and she was pretty sure her legs abandoned her (traitors). What's worse, is that she was almost 100% certain she looked like a deer in the headlights. A red deer, Radlpoh in particular. But what was she going to do about that?
Unbeknownst to her, her savior came from the young man behind him. He groaned, rolling his eyes as he pulled Dick away from her and (attempted) to shove him through the now open door. “Come on Romeo, we haven’t got all day. Flirt on your own time.”
Ayla watched with wide eyes as the teen, and fucking Bruce Wayne passed through the doorway, ignoring the scene she was now blessed with. The man with a tuff of white hair had Dick in hand, struggling to turn him towards the door. The child, who never lost his, “I’m better than you” arua, was also pushing (mostly shoving) Dick. Dick who never lost his smile as he was herded back and away from her.
“If you ever need anything, knock! Or better yet, I’ll slip my number under your door!”
With that, the door slammed shut behind them, his words echoing inside her head before disappearing into the abyss. She was left standing there, no real thought passing through her. She just stared blankly at where they used to be, failing to comprehend what she had just witnessed.
Eventually, she managed to walk pasted his door and start down the stairs. The scene rerunning in her head, only to give her a headache she didn’t have before. Stepping out onto the street, she couldn’t help but notice the shiny black limo. With what she was assuming to be the butler as he proceeded to clean one of the windows. The old man paused to look at her, nodded, and then returned to work.
Feeling slightly creeped out by the weirdness of it all, Ayla turned and started her normal trek to work. A million thoughts seemed to run through her mind, but one stood out above all else.
What. Just. Happened.
@batsyforyou
#The batman#batman#bruce wayne#dick grayson#Nightwing#Jason Todd#Redhood#Red Robin#Tim Drake#Damian Wayne#Robin#The Bat Fam#alfred pennyworth#Writing#Personal Writing Challenge#Writing Challenge#2 week writing challenge#Dick x OC#OC#Fem OC#LynnHF
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A Tip on Writing Creatively
Here’s a misconception that I think a lot of aspiring writers and authors have: that every published novelist has had every idea for their novels just appear to them out of the ether–that every author that has published a work had the entire idea, fully formed and developed, just pop into their head. That could not be further from the truth, as I have learned. Creativity is not some God-given gift parted upon lucky individuals from on high. Instead, I fully believe that “creativity” is a skill that can be learned just as well as the most practical of professions.
I think a major roadblock a lot of beginning writers have is that the ideas they have are not quite enough to go anywhere, but they have so many of these little ideas, they get discouraged that they will ever finally find that one big idea that will finally birth a novel. In reality, the writer already has that big idea, they just haven’t put it together. Every writer has all of those little ideas, those little fragments that don’t amount to much on their own. We are always collecting them, like how a kid collects cool looking rocks and puts them in a shoebox, and by the end of a certain period of time, we’ll end up with a shoebox full of little ideas, kept wherever you choose to keep them: your mind, a notebook, a document on your computer, or on sticky notes on your wall.
What separates somebody who aspires to write, and somebody that everyone will see as a truly creative person, however, is that the “creative” person knows what to do with all of those little pieces, because they realize that the larger idea is hidden in those little ideas. Because very rarely does anybody have the full idea just materialize into their head all at once. Instead, the “creative” writer understands that there is a bigger idea, and that they have to craft it.
An idea that can write a book is an idea that came from the melding of many smaller concepts, scenes, themes, characters, and situations that the author has accumulated and curated over time. The very beginning of the writing process for that author, therefore, is not writing the first sentence, but instead is looking at their collection of ideas, and deciding to do a bit of analytical and logical thinking. It’s a bit like solving a puzzle, where not all of the pieces are a part of the solution. The author might take a single piece, and compare it to each and every other piece, one by one, seeing if they, first, are from the same scene, and second, fit together snugly.
A piece of advice that I partly love and partly hate, comes from Stephen King, where he says (paraphrased) that a writer should not keep a notebook of ideas, because the best ideas worth writing should not have to be kept in a journal to remember. Part of it I like, which is to say that the best ideas are the ones that stick with you, but that doesn’t mean that you should let yourself forget the ideas that don’t stick out to you. Sometimes, good ideas need context. Think of the really good, attractive idea, the one that has stuck with you for years and years, as the piece that you start with. You take that one piece of the puzzle, and compare it to every other idea that you have in your collection, and sometimes, two pieces might fit together.
Another concept that a lot of writers need to understand is that, if you don’t write, you won’t get better. Numerous authors have the misconception that in order to publish a creative work or a novel, they have to first learn how to write the novel, which in part is true. To write a good novel you have to understand how it, as an artform, works, but a lot of people take that advice to mean that they have to do what authors like Brandon Sanderson have done–that they have to write three or four or five novels, and scrap all of them, before publishing one. This misconception paralyzes people, and causes them to not write at all, because writing anything other than their first novel is wasting words. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Instead, what the “good” author does is returns back to their collection of ideas, and takes one that they find rather attractive. This time, instead of comparing it against all their other ideas with the intention of making the basis for a new novel, they just take this one single fragment, this single scene, or character, or simply a single vibe, and write with it, without a single intention of making a finished product. They write simply to practice. What happens then is, once the author starts writing, once the author starts putting words to the page, the idea suddenly expands. It becomes more than just the little fragment, and evolves into a fully fledged piece, maybe it performs mitosis and becomes a few pieces.
Writing, and putting these little fragments that could never stand by themselves as even a short story to the page is the most efficient thing you can do, because at the same time, you are becoming better at writing, and you are nurturing a single fragment into something much more mature and capable. Once you start writing, more ideas tend to just fall out for free. And once you finish writing that little segment, you have something that you can incorporate into a future, larger work of yours. You just saved the future you the stress of having to write that hundred-or-so word passage, because, with a little retooling, you can just slot it into your manuscript no problem.
Creativity, at its core, is being able to solve an open ended problem. It is asking yourself “I need a concept that I can turn into a book,” just like how an employer might ask you “I want you to come up with three ideas on how we can improve profits next quarter.” A good employee does not just sit around, waiting for the solution to fall into their lap, they work, research, and think critically to solve the problem. We as authors need to do the same.
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Recently bought a new tarot deck and keep thinking of the old post about saeyoung with a witchy MC. the deck is cat themed. It's funny to image Saeyoung wary and maybe a little spooked by Witchy Stuff(tm) but also... he canonically cannot resist a cat picture. I show him The Emperor. it's a big fluffy white cat. I show him The Lovers. "that's us" I tell him.
Saeyoung is a certified Good Catholic Boy™. He was raised in that cathedral and found security in God. His faith is personal. He keeps that to himself because he hasn't had time to settle into church each week nor has he had time to share his faith with anyone since he has to stay hidden. The only time he was able to go to church every week was when he was a child, and when he spent time abroad in America since it wasn't hard to find a Catholic church.
He enjoyed that. But, over time, he started to value his relationship with God in a more private way. So, he practices at home and only goes to church on holidays if he can. He keeps to himself unless he needs to be in a church to feel peace. There are only so many times when he does that, though.
Some people think he would be wary of dating an MC outside his religion, but that will never be the case. You can be religious, atheist, or agnostic and Saeyoung will love and support you all the same. He is respectful and a good boy, so never think for a second that he will not love you for what you find comfort in.
Faith, after all, is about finding peace and comfort in something that is higher than yourself, be it gods, goddesses, or nature itself. He might have a few misconceptions about your faith or not even have a clue if he hasn't heard of it before, but his knowledge is rooted in the Abrahamic religions. So, he's familiar with those first and foremost, but give him some time, and he'll learn as much as he can about what makes you comfortable in your faith, or the lack therefore.
Saeyoung hasn't had to research much about witchcraft before. His mind is likely rooted in Halloween metaphors and misconceptions in the Catholic church about what it means to practice witchcraft. He's a little clueless and wary, but not disrespectful. He has a lot of tough questions you might not know the answers to, but that's from a place where Saeyoung devours information. You know how he is. He wants to learn everything.
He may be skeptical about tarot, in particular, but he'll warm up once he has a better understanding of the craft. It's not fear in his eyes, he has no room to fear things he doesn't understand. If he feared things, he would never be able to learn. His God would want him to question things and learn to be a better man by relating to and understanding others, even if they're different from him. I think he would settle into an area that's healthy, where he supports you and your feelings with wide smiles and beckoning arms.
Do you need something for your altar, if you have one? Do you want more crystals? Is there anything he can get you to cleanse your area? Do you want candles? What can he do to help you feel at peace with your faith in the same way you're always considerate of his faith? The fact alone that you can relax around each other with that has got to be comfortable. You both talk a lot about your overlap in what your practice is like, and where it differs.
Don't think for a second once he's more comfortable that he won't ask you for a tarot reading. He will. He wants to learn, and he trusts you.
But, you're right, he would gush over the cats. Cats help everything and he wants to understand the artist's thought process in trying to fit the theme of the deck with different cats. Watch out, though, he will ask you to recreate the cat art if it's feasible. What can I say? He is nothing if not consistent when it comes to his love of felines.
#ask#pastelsapphy#mod kait#mystic messenger#mysme#mm#mysticmessenger#saeyoung choi#choi saeyoung#luciel choi#choi luciel#707#seven#seven mm#seven mysme#mysme seven#mm seven#seven mystic messenger#mystic messenger seven#i made a custom deck using CGs as the major arcana and party guests as the minor arcana#just for personal use of course. but I still wish I had time to print it off on my card stock#but then I'd have to write out a little guide for it if I wanted to share that with others
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Almost Perfect (Sebastian x Fem!Farmer) Chapter 11: Dance, Dance, Dance
Warnings: Slow burn, personal struggles, anxiety, depression, eventual smut
Summary: Angeline grapples with the uncertainty of Sebastian's feelings and wonders if there is a chance for something more between them
A/N: Honestly, I can't decide if I hate the dance or the luau more. I'd imagine that if I had to go to the flower dance I'd do my best to hide til the next day too.
READ ON AO3
Chapter 11: Dance, Dance, Dance
Spring 24
Angeline smiled and gave a sigh of relief as she somehow managed to zip up her red dress by herself. She looked in her mirror and swayed a little causing her skirt to swish. She had straightened her hair and put on a matching red headband. She thought that while red wasn’t a spring time color that she looked cute. She had always been told that red was her color and today she truly believed it. She grabbed her necessities and walked out her front door. Just as she made it through the threshold she stumbled back when she ran into someone’s chest.
“Oh!” Victor gave a surprised sound and placed his hands on Angeline’s bare shoulders to stabalize her. “Good morning, Angeline.”
“Morning.” Angeline said and gave Victor a confused smile. “Is something the matter?” She didn’t mind Victor being here but she couldn’t understand what brought him here in the first place.
Victor shook his head. “No, I was just a bit worried about you.” He confessed.
He rubbed the back of his neck feeling slightly awkward and glanced away. “After that day it seemed like you disappeared.”
“I didn’t want to bother you, but since today is the day of Flower Dance it seemed like a good time to come check on you. I guess I could’ve waited until a little later at the dance…” He trailed off.
Angeline took a step aside to stand next to Victor and offered him a smile. “Oh, thanks…” She looked down at her hands a bit embarrassed as they started to walk towards the forest. “I’m sorry about all that. I just was feeling a bit overwhelmed.”
“But you’re feeling better now?”
Angeline nodded. “Yeah, I just needed some time to myself.”
Victor hummed in agreement. “I think people have a misconception of small towns sometimes. It’s easy to be alone, but it’s just as easy to feel suffocated here.”
“Y-yeah…” Angeline agreed sheepishly. She didn’t want to admit that she felt upset over the thought of Abigail and Sebastian being in a relationship. She had no right to be.
The two walked quietly for a short time, but as the music grew closer Victor spoke up once more. “Do you have anyone you want to dance with?”
Angeline shook her head vehemently. “No, I would much rather just watch.”
“I don’t blame you.” Victor mused. “Those outfits are awful.”
Angeline laughed. “They can’t be that bad!”
Victor shook his head and chuckled. “No they’re worse.” He nodded ahead towards the trio near the buffet table. “Take a look.”
Angeline looked ahead and saw Sam, Sebastian, and Abigail in various states of misery. “O-oh no..” she said as she placed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from bursting into a full on laughing fit.
She made her way over to the trio with Victor and did her best to hold back her laughter.
“Hey you guys!” Sophia greeted Victor and Angeline. “We were wondering where you guys were.” She mentioned giving Angeline a curious look.
“Yeah, I was thinking you died.” Abigail joked as she raised her glass of punch in greeting.
Angeline rolled her eyes. “No, I just needed some time to myself.” She smoothed at the fabric of her dress.
Abigail nodded in understanding. “You’re starting to feel how stuffy it can be, huh?”
Angeline shrugged and changed the subject. “You guys look nice.” She said with a small smile creeping on the her face. She glanced at Sebastian and he looked more intense than usual. If looks could kill, she would be dead.
“Oh thanks.” Abigail said dryly and gave a curtsy. “Nothing like putting on these itchy outfits and putting on a show for old people.”
“Not just old people.” Sophia interjected. “For all of us that don’t have dance partners, too.”
Angeline nodded in agreement as she shrunk back a bit. Sh felt a bit wary of being so close to Sebastian in the moment. “I-I’m excited to watch you guys.”
“You can always take my place.” Abigail offered Angeline oblivious to the raven haired man getting ready to erupt beside her.
“If you want to dance I wouldn’t mind.” Victor said to Angeline. Sophia was nodding excitedly at Angeline from behind him, but Angeline shook her head.
“N-no thanks. I really would rather watch.” She was starting to understand why people seemed to dread this dance so much. The tenseness alone made her want to run back home.
Angeline glanced over at Sebastian and frowned seeing a scowl etched on his pretty features. What was it about this dance that seemed to make him so upset? Or was it more than the dance? She dismissed those ideas and wondered if it was her fault. What did she do? She followed Sebastian's line of sight and looked at Victor. Was he just upset that Victor didn’t have to take part in the dance? Whatever it was Angeline couldn’t imagine why it would make Sebastian so angry.
And just like that, it was time for the dance to start. Angeline watched on with Sophia and Victor as the pairs lined up on the dance floor. The old music started to play. The record sounded so worn that it gave the brightly colored party a rather eerie feel. It only added to the strained atmosphere.
The worst part however was how she felt like Sebastian’s eyes were burning into her. Was he truly that angry because she laughed a bit at his and his friends expense? While she didn’t know him well enough to be sure she couldn’t imagine that was the case.
The feeling of Sebastian being upset with her left her feeling anxious though. It reminded her of that night where they first met. Except now instead of ignoring her completely she was at the center of his vitriol. She felt like they were finally becoming friends. Especially after they spent those quiet moments by the lake. She just desperately wanted to know what she did and apologize. She couldn’t handle the hatred.
Angeline frowned as she watched Sebastian storm off when the music finished. She understood that Sebastian wasn’t a fan of crowds and parties but leaving seemed a bit out of the ordinary, even for him.
Angeline scanned the field for Abigail or Sam and made her way over to them.
“Oh hey Ange.” Sam said between his sniffles. “Did you enjoy the dance?”
Angeline shrugged slightly and brushed off the question. “Is Sebastian okay?”
“Oh him?” Abigail said as she looked towards the forest path. “He hates this kind of thing. I’m sure he’s at his social limit.”
Sam nodded as he pinched his nose to try and keep from sneezing. “Yeah, he’s just a grump. No need to worry.”
Angeline nodded, despite the two assuring her she couldn’t help but feel like this was more than Sebastian’s normal attitude. But what did she know? “...Okay.”
She sighed and hugged herself as she felt the cool spring breeze hit her. “I-I think I’m going to get out of here.” She told the two before retreating back towards the farm. She didn’t take the time to say goodbye to Victor or her other friends but she just wanted to go home. For some reason she felt exhausted.
As she walked quietly back to the farm Angeline thought about Sebastian. He seemed so tense. She felt like she was being iced out despite their most recent progress and it felt crushing. She could feel tears well up behind her eyes.
When Angeline entered her humble home she took off her heels and attempted to unzip her red dress. After a few tries Angeline plopped herself on her bed and sighed in frustration. Maybe Sophia was right and she should put her focus on someone nicer like Victor. Yet, as nice as Victor was he wasn’t Sebastian. Sure, Sebastian was moody, hard to read, and a bit unpredictable, but he was nice too. Unlike Victor, Sebastian made her feel excited.
Was Sebastian just upset that she laughed at him and his friends outfits? No, Angeline didn’t think so. Who wouldn’t laugh at those outfits?
Angeline placed her face in her hands and groaned. “I like him…” she admitted.
Saying the words made the feelings she was trying to keep at bay only amplify. He would never like her. He seemed to tolerate her at best anyway. Now though, he must hate her.
She laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. What was she going to do?
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Flashback | BIOHAZARD 9
Writer: Akira (日日日)
Characters: Koga, Rei, Kaoru, Adonis, Keito
Keito: That's... Otogari, was it? And what's this about "vampires"? What are you going on about?
Rei: (Genuinely, what am I going on about?)
[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]
Koga: (Nn~…?)
Rei: (? Whatever is the matter, Koga? Is there something bothering you?)
Koga: (Sorta. I'm just wonderin' how Adonis is holdin' up. I mean, we barely had anythin' to do with him around this time, right?)
Rei: (I was acquainted with him prior to this. If memory serves, after I facilitated his introduction to thee, the two of you began to take lessons together, yes?)
Koga: (Yea. But it was only from time to time, we didn't really make a habit of it or anythin' 'til way later… Not 'til he officially joined us.)
(In other words, we only started hangin' out regularly after DEADMANZ was reborn as UNDEAD.)
(What the heck was he actin' so reserved for back then? He wouldn't even show up to lessons unless I kept botherin' him about it.)
Rei: (That child can be surprisingly shy for such a tough-looking boy. 'Twas especially so back then.)
(That said, once he opens his heart to someone, he becomes sweetly, wholeheartedly devoted to them. That part of him is quite reminiscent of thee, is it not? Both Kaoru-kun, as well as Puppy¹ ♪)
Koga: (Hah? Who the hell're you callin' a dog when you're the one who can't stop waggin' your tail at us right now?) ²
Kaoru: (Ahaha. To be honest, I'm kinda curious about Adonis-kun's whereabouts too. In a situation as incomprehensible as this, I'd like it if we could stick together, y'know?)
Koga: (Ngh~ Hnnnngh~! Damn, it's no good. Seems like we really can't separate from our past selves, huh? It's gonna be hard to search for Adonis like thi—)
Adonis: (There is no need to search.)
(I am right here.)
Kaoru: (Is that you, Adonis-kun?!)
(That gave me quite a scare… You've gotta, like, properly let us know if you're there, okay?)
Adonis: (I'm sorry. I was confused by the situation and did not understand what was going on until I heard your conversation.)
Rei: ('Tis completely understandable. After all, though we can hear one another's voices, our eyes perceive naught.)
(Even when in close proximity to one another, 'tis impossible to discern another's presence until words are spoken.)
Adonis: (Yes. I'm not a very talkative person, so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage and having a hard time dealing with the situation.)
Koga: (Speakin' of which. We're just standin' around chattin' like it's normal, but why are you even here, Adonis?)
Adonis: (Do you mean that philosophically?)
Koga: (That ain't it! I just mean there's that whole thing where we can only exist here if we stick close to our past selves 'n— Ah damn it, now I'm lost too!)
Kaoru: (Feels like I'm gonna lose my mind at this rate… But um, basically, if Adonis-kun is here, the past Adonis-kun should also be nearby, or something like that?)
(That's like, totally weird, right? I mean, we didn't hang out at all back then?)
Adonis: (I also thought it was weird. For some reason, Sakuma-senpai attacked me earlier.)
Rei: (Huh? Have I erred again, somehow?)
Adonis: (It wasn't the "wagahai" Sakuma-senpai, but rather the "ore-sama" Sakuma-senpai.)
Rei: (Thank you for the easy-to-follow explanation. However, thinking back on it, I do not believe I ever truly referred to myself using "ore-sama.")
(Just where has that misconception come from? I, for one, would lay the blame solidly at Koga's feet. As he has modeled himself after my former self, everyone is simply swept up under the mistaken assumption that I once spoke as he— )
Koga: (The hell? You tryin' to say Adonis gettin' attacked was my fault?)
Rei: (Nay, 'twas not my intention… I meant only to say this situation is truly bizarre.)
(All four members of UNDEAD, whose paths rarely crossed back in this era, have now gathered together here. Yet I have no recollection of any such event. Just what is the cause of the discrepancy between this scene and our memories? And, more pressingly, what meaning does that discrepancy hold?)
Adonis: (If you cannot figure it out, then there is no way we can.)
Rei: (Yet I am also not an omniscient and omnipotent god… Ah, quiet a moment. It seems something important is occuring between our past selves.)
Rei: Haha. Sorry ya had to go through the trouble of comin' all the way out here, but the case has already been solved.
The culprit behind the "vampire attacks" is this guy.
Adonis: …
Keito: That's… Otogari, was it? And what's this about "vampires"? What are you going on about?
Rei: (Genuinely, what am I going on about?)
Adonis: (Even if you ask me, I do not know either.)
(I do remember an incident occurring around this time. But I do not remember anything about vampires.)
(Actually, wasn't that incident the reason we became UNDEAD?)
Rei: (Ahh, now that thou dost mention it… I do indeed recall something of the like. What fond memories.)
('Twas both DEADMANZ's final case, as well as UNDEAD's first.)
[ ☆ ]
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Rei doesn't actually call Koga "wanko" here, however…
This line translates literally to "Who's the one wagging his tail at who?"
In JP, to "wag your tail" is a saying meaning to flatter/suck up to someone. So, following on from Rei's speech about how sweet they all are, the implication is very much a combination of "man, you're being embarrassingly mushy right now" and "okay now who's the dog here?" but the latter would be a nonsensical statement to just suddenly insert into this convo in ENG, and I didn't want to ditch the dog pun completely (Koga makes so many dog puns).
#ensemble stars#enstars translation#undead#rei sakuma#koga oogami#kaoru hakaze#adonis otogari#keito hasumi#flashback#biohazard
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Sicktember Day 18: "Wear Your Coat, You'll Catch a Cold"
Fandom: Ace Attorney
Characters: Gregory Edgeworth, Winston Payne
Notes: At the local bar, catching up with Winston Payne, Gregory Edgeworth reflects on not heeding the phrase he found himself saying more often than his younger self may have liked. Set in the January of 1999, so there’s nothing really spoiler-y going on because, well, the 90s in the Ace Attorney timeline is pretty much 90% births. Guide for names: Marie = Miles’s mother, Constance/Connie = Winston’s wife, Perrianne = Raymond’s mother.
As the new millennium drew another year closer, it was generally agreed upon in modern science that merely being cold is not enough to catch a cold. Gregory Edgeworth knew that, and he also knew how embarrassed he would be when his mother still held onto the misconception of purely cold-borne viral illness. Becoming a father seven years ago, however, changed Gregory's view on the matter a lot.
For starters, the warning of a common cold resulting from neglecting to wear proper outerwear now frequently passed his lips. Not a moment went by where he was completely unaware of how he once couldn't stand those very words, though. Perhaps, subconsciously, he found it to be more convenient than to scare his son with the harsh realities of hypothermia and frostbite; colds were easy to understand, hardly serious, and just unpleasant enough to be something one would rather avoid.
Secondly, there was the small caveat that while cold temperatures were not the cause of the common cold, they did have enough impact on the immune system to make colds more likely. Combining the cold weather and Gregory's son attending a public school filled with all sorts of microbes that the human body would rather do without made for a good reason for Gregory to at least try following through with the words he now preached.
These things considered, Gregory was well aware of the mistake he had made in making his trip to the local bar without a proper coat. He could defend himself all he liked, insisting Payne’s invitation came so quickly that he hardly allowed himself time to check the evening’s weather, but it just didn’t matter once he sat at the bar, doing his damndest to keep his snuffles quiet.
“Winston!” Gregory waved his friend over, forgetting the napkin in his hand that was used as a last resort tissue. “I thought you’d be here first.”
“Well, you know the missus. Connie wouldn’t let me leave without a coat.” Despite the words used to explain his late arrival, Winston made it clear in his tone that his wife’s advice was always much appreciated. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be wearing one? I always hear you telling your assistant to bundle up.”
“I guess it just slipped my mind.” Gregory answered honestly, fighting for dear life not to cough as he spoke. “Funnily enough, I told Miles and Raymond to bundle up if they were going to play outside just before I left. Kids come first and all that, though Raymond’s hardly a kid anymore.”
“I understand.” Winston nodded. He and his wife didn’t have children of their own just yet, though they were actively trying, and therefore regularly had discussions often reaching a similar agreement. “Hey, Ray’s graduating high school in the spring, isn’t he? I think you told me his mom invited you to the party, too.”
“That’s right. Perrianne, er, that is,” Gregory’s face flushed as he started to correct the impromptu first name basis, “Mrs. Shields is really going out of her way for this. I’d hate to make any assumptions here, but I think she deserves something nice to keep her mind off her late husband.”
“Damn,” Winston couldn’t help but comment, “it really makes you think about what could happen, you know? Worst case scenario happening and leaving a grieving family behind?”
“I try not to.” Gregory absentmindedly wiped his nose with the napkin crumpled up in his hand. “What with both my parents passing and Miles’s mother making it clear she never wanted to see me again.” He sank into a slouch. “That worked out for her, I suppose. I never heard anything from Marie after she dropped Miles off, and then four years later, I got a call from her father inviting me to the funeral. I’m pretty sure her entire family lives off the grid, so if anything were to happen to me…”
“Okay, that’s enough!” Winston exclaimed, eager to change the subject in order to save Gregory from the pit of worry that was pulling him in. “We’re just breaking into our thirties, we’re smart, we’re healthy–”
“E’SSHHOOUH!” Gregory’s sneeze was followed by him frantically grabbing another handful of napkins to clean himself up.
“You give people’s hearts a good workout whenever you sneeze like that, Gregory. You do know that right?”
“I’ve been told that from time to time, yes.” Gregory snuffled before giving a raspy laugh. “But you’re right. It’s too early to be worrying about such matters. My health has been pretty good.”
“I don’t know, Gregory.” Winston raised a brow. “Sounds like you might be catching a cold.”
“What? No, I don’t think so. You know how long my hay fever goes on for.” Gregory’s excuse was rather flimsy.
“Gregory, it’s January.” Winston tsked. “Maybe I should have Constance call you up once in a while to make sure you wear your coat.”
Gregory wanted to laugh at the teasing suggestion, but his lungs obligated him to cough harshly into one of the already abused napkins he held.
“E-Excuse me.” He said sheepishly before coughing again.
“That’s it. I’m ordering you a hot toddy.” Winston stated, clearly unwilling to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Heck, I’ll get one for myself, too. You’re probably contagious anyway.”
“Hey!”
With no real energy to object, Gregory let Winston place the orders. Going to a bar was a rare enough occasion for him that he was actually surprised this establishment took the order without issue. Whenever he and Winston did go out, simply asking for beers from the tap just to serve as evidence against any accusations of loitering was fine enough.
Once the hot beverages were placed in front of them, they both savored that first whiff of the drinks’ soothing scent. Even Gregory, whose congestion was gradually proving to be stubborn in allowing the registering of scents, found it to be quite pleasant.
“Well, cheers.” Winston initiated, but was disappointed when the clinking of glasses was followed by only him taking a drink. “What are you hesitating for?”
“Ah, you see,” Gregory scratched the back of his neck, “I have what Marie used to call a ‘cat’s tongue.’” He chuckled softly. “I’m not particularly eager to burn my tongue when eating or drinking.”
“How are you going to fully benefit from the hot toddy’s warmth then?”
“I’m sure it–,” Gregory paused to clear his throat, “I’m sure it won’t lose its healing benefits if it cools off just a little bit.”
Winston sighed in exasperation.
“First you won’t stay warm by wearing a coat, now you don’t want to warm up by drinking a hot toddy while it still lives up to its name.” He teased.
Gregory shook his head and proceeded to take a sip, burning his tongue in the process, just as he predicted.
“Next time, I think I’ll just wear my coat.”
#snez attorney#my writing#my fics#sicktember#sicktember 2023#Perrianne is a real name spellcheck is just mean
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What if 'Gundam SEED' was told from Flay's point of view? How would they approach it? Would it have been better?
For a long time, watching Gundam SEED, I would have said Flay was the most interesting character so I understand the appeal. 'X manipulates Y to exact revenge for Z while simultaneously being what Y needs in the moment and using this to avoid dealing with their own grief, fear and bigotry' is definitely a meaty premise.
However, this is also very clearly not the story SEED was interested in telling.
SEED is fundamentally about Kira and Athrun, and when I say 'fundamentally', I mean the show commits to the day being saved by two blokes in magic space robots who successfully blow up various bits of evil technology and/or bad guys because they're just that special. And to my mind, it's with this notion of 'special' that SEED's underlying flaw lies.
See, the Coordinators are definitively special. Textually, they can do things other humans cannot. We are told (and shown) that people are scared of them as a result. Yet this and Kira's struggles to be defined beyond his genes are obviously poor analogies for any real-world prejudice. It's 'being bullied for being smarter than everyone' logic, rather than how oppression or ethnic conflict actually work.
Basically, it's the X-Men. Hated and feared for being the brilliant ones, why oh why can't we just be treated as people.
Now, I like the X-Men. Always have. It's just, once you commit to inherent genetic 'specialness' of any kind, you back into a corner from which it is extremely hard to extricate yourself. Despite its token protests about Coordinators still needing to train, SEED presents a world where some people are just better. It embraces the idea of functional eugenics. There's nothing here of the nuance allowed by 'new-types' being analogous to new ways of thinking that emerge naturally from a changing world and are subverted or maximised by people who want to control the future. Nor does SEED turn around, as Gundam X did, and saying, nah, you're all random quirks of nature and/or incredibly lucky.
Eugenics is the explanation for why Kira is special. Someone literally bred a super-protagonist. That is a thing that is possible in this world.
So is Flay therefore right to fear the Coordinators?
Even as it presents her hatred and anger towards them as a flaw, SEED allows the possibility that the answer is 'yes'. Because it is reasonable to be wary of those who hold power over you, and the Coordinators come with power built in. Which is an exact inversion of the ways prejudice ascribes particular malevolence to groups who are, in fact, more vulnerable than people holding the prejudice.
I think a story centred on Flay over Kira would automatically be more interesting. If that's the criteria for 'better' then I must answer your question in the affirmative, straight up. The thing is, given all of the above, I can't in good conscience say it would address the stuff I don't like about what SEED is saying. As much as there are stories I love whose politics and worldview are quite at odds with my personal beliefs (currently delighted by Dracula, adore The Man Who Was Thursday, etc), I draw the line at centering lazy misconceptions about bigotry and oppression. And you would need to centre those things if you spent more time with Flay because, within the confines of what is presented in SEED as it stands, they form a significant part of her character.
If you were to take out the whole concept of the Coordinators and simply make Kira a talented member of some group responsible for killing Flay's dad, then tell the story of how she uses him as her instrument of vengeance before growing as a person and confronting the fact Kira is a person too? Sounds like a fantastic set-up with which you could do some very entertaining, very messed-up stuff.
That, however, essentially brings us back to my one big idea for improving SEED which is this: rip it up and start again.
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I think one of the misconceptions both sides in the anarchist debate have is about "warlords" and where they'll come from and how they'll take over and how they'll be resisted; that, once the state is gone, groups of violent criminal thugs will begin to pour out of the woodwork and take control through force (unless stopped by the common citizens voluntarily working together for their own good).
I think this is probably inaccurate. The warlords will be homegrown and take control under the guise of "protecting their volunteerist society".
Let's say that there was a massive revolution, the Deep State was uprooted, and the common citizens decided that they don't need a formal government or elected leaders or a king or anything like that, because almost all interactions between people take place without those. No taxes, no police, no military; all interactions are just people working things out between each other. We've got our volunteerist society based on mutual respect between individuals, not fear of cops or government thugs.
And gangs of criminals do arise...but they're held in check by common citizens defending their own rights and coming to the aid of their neighbors. There's gangs and bandits and cartels, as well as foreign powers coming to try to claim land and tribute, but they're opposed by armed common citizens protecting their rights.
Thing is, organized groups (like gangs) are able to concentrate their force; to effectively oppose that, you need similarly organized and concentrated force. Moreover, not everyone is young and healthy and a good shot. Not everyone's physically up to fighting off bandits and invaders and shit all the time.
So a volunteer militia forms. Let's call them the Liberty Keepers. They're a group of folks - mostly young men - who join voluntarily, bring their own equipment, and do their part to make sure that folks aren't being robbed and coerced by gangs and cartels and shit. They're good people voluntarily protecting their friends and neighbors.
And the Liberty Keepers are very effective. So effective, in fact, that people start donating to them so they can be more effective; to do what they do full-time. All voluntary, of course; it's all charitable donations to a volunteer group that's looking out for their communities.
Well, in any society there's going to be folks with irreconcilable differences, and in such cases it can help to have a third party in the community handle things. And so the Liberty Keepers start being called in to handle disputes; to mediate when two parties claim that the other one is violating their property rights and violating the NAP.
The Liberty Keepers become very popular. They're heroes! They represent the best of our anarchist society: volunteers from within the community doing voluntary work to make sure everyone else can live life free of government coercion. People tell heroic stories about the Liberty Keepers. Kids grow up wanting to be Liberty Keepers.
Turns out, though, that the Liberty Keepers keep tending to side with the folks who donate to them more. Clearly a coincidence; or perhaps, the folks who understand the importance of the Liberty Keepers also have a clearer understanding of anarchist philosophy. Of course the Liberty Keepers would side with them more! They're real anarchists!
Also, certain people start taking priority in the Liberty Keepers. They're not really organizational leaders in the governmental sense; it's just that everyone keeps voluntarily siding with them. They're community leaders. And the folks within the Liberty Keepers who don't side with these leaders...well, people stop voluntarily associating with them. And maybe they start having some bad fortune. Their houses burn down. They go missing. But who can say why? It's a volunteerist society, maybe they just voluntarily left town.
Businesses start giving more and more to the Liberty Keepers - voluntarily, of course. Businesses that don't? They start to lose business as they get badmouthed. "You don't want to support the Liberty Keepers? Why do you hate anarchy? Do you want an oppressive government back, demanding high taxes and sending your kids off to war and telling you what you can and can't do? I'll take my business elsewhere!"
And, much like the folks who opposed the community leaders within the Liberty Keepers, bad things happen to them. Their shit gets stolen, or breaks a lot, or shipments go missing. They get robbed more often. And the Liberty Keepers aren't under any obligation to do anything about it; after all, it's a volunteerist society, and they choose not to. Besides, self-defense is ultimately everyone's personal responsibility.
After a while, every business is giving the Liberty Keepers a cut. The workers find it taken out of their paycheck; the customers find they're paying extra. But the customers can always choose to shop elsewhere, and the employees can always choose to find another place to work...if they can find somewhere else that isn't giving the Liberty Keepers a cut. (Good luck with that!)
People start complaining that the Liberty Keepers are siding with folks who pay them (I'm sorry, voluntarily donate) more...so, to "make things fair" and "ensure there's no coercion in our volunteerist society", the Liberty Keepers just start taking a flat 15% from everybody. And if you don't pay, well, they can't be blamed for what happens to you. (And if you do pay extra, well, they can't stop you from voluntarily giving extra, now can they?)
Eventually someone says that the whole reason the Liberty Keepers were established was because not everyone's equally capable at armed self-defense, and it's impossible for them to make voluntary uncoerced agreements with their heavily armed neighbors intimidating them...so maybe - to ensure that the NAP goes unviolated - the Liberty Keepers should be the only folks allowed to have guns. The Liberty Keepers think this is a great idea. The act of having a gun while not being a Liberty Keeper is declared to be a violation of the NAP and gun ownership is restricted.
Also, the government of the country next door is looking kind of threatening, so in order to prevent our free anarchist society from coming under government sway, the Liberty Keepers are going to need to build roads for mobility purposes and they need updated weapons systems and food and supplies and gasoline and morale-boosting entertainment, so they're going to start collecting more taxes voluntary donations from everyone. Also they're conscripting your son.
This is all necessary to protect our free anarchist society with no taxes or violent coercion by armed government thugs, you understand.
"But that's not how that works!" you cry. "That's not what the NAP is! That's not what volunteerism is! This is a bunch of twisted, bad faith definitions! This isn't an anarchist society!" Yeah, that's my whole fucking point.
Anarchists seem to think that the slow creep of government control can't happen under their system, because there's no government and the people will be ever vigilant. But the people are not ever vigilant, and they have always been vulnerable to sophistry and hypocrisy. Vast numbers of people will always gladly become the very thing they claim to hate in the name of fighting it.
Look at how many people right now are actively supporting political violence, the restriction of free speech, and absolute government control under the guise of "fighting fascism", when those things are exactly what fascism is. People under an anarchist system will fall for the same shit, because people are people. They will gladly give up all freedom and control and a whole bunch of their livelihood to a group of armed elites who make rules for them "so they don't have to have a government".
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https://www.quora.com/
"Do women simp over extremely good-looking men?
Have men given up on women?
Why are some men simping for women and have no standards when it comes to dating?
There is another side to this. It doesn’t simply happen in a vacuum. You see, women are also exhibiting equally dysfunctional behavior. And social media is a key component to it.
The men are simping out of desperation, it’s extremely difficult for many of them to get a woman, as such they’ve sunk to new lows trying to attract one. Or just given up entirely and going for the nearest semblance of it. The other side of this is that the women are all now promiscuous and chasing only the absolute top of all men, they all will only date a 10, and think if they sling enough sex at them they’ll snag th
Society brainwashes men to be in this simp culture. Being the male provider, paying the whole date, buying her gifts, paying all of her bills, giving the girl money, being a “gentleman” that runs to open the car door(when she can easily don't it herself), walking on the outside of the side walk to sheild a women from passing car so the man can get dirty instead are all apart of simp culture. If you have dignity, self respect and arent a coward you wont Simp/Grovel/ put women on a pedestal.
Maybe if we men stopped simping for women so much, we could finally get girlfriends. Right now the female ego has been inflated to an unjustifiably high level. Do you agree with me?
Yes stop simping. She Will never suck your dick.
Like everyone says it's desperation created by feminism. It's years in the making. Feminism is essentially the female nature at work. Low, sneaky, petty and conniving. But feminism blinded us with their flaws and red flags that are right in front of us. They basically have no shame in the game as long as they get the attention they want. At the end of it all just like in a movie the plot twist is that woman are the biggest failures not men. Sorry to be mean and frank but it's been a long time coming and many men have struggled because of this issue.
Because many of them are midgets. They can’t get women any other way but to beta bux and be a cuck
How do people avoid/stop becoming a simp?
Start by respecting YOURSELF.
No matter how attractive a person may LOOK, if they are asking you do act in ways that violate your own respect, your own rights, and your own values, WALK AWAY.
How do I avoid ‘nice guy syndrome’ in a relationship?
Be honest. Be honest about who you are, what you want, and how you want to live your life.
Want to date someone? Stop putting friendship tokens into your lady friends and ask them out.
Want sex? Ask for it.
Not interested in a long term relationship? Say it and own it.
Want a commitment? Ask for it. If you don’t get it, move onto someone who wants the same things you want.
Understand yourself. Know what you want. Go after your goals. Live your life. Nothing is sexier than confidence.
What are some things men get wrong about women?
I’m a guy, so maybe I’m not the best qualified, but recently I had an experience that pointed out a bit of a misconception men have.
I was at a speech festival yesterday. Basically, speech is a competitive performance event where you go compete in public-speaking, acting, improvisational acting, etc. This festival was a workshop for those skills.
Now, I’m an extrovert. A massive extrovert. When I’m around new people I get a tremendous amount of energy and I am extremely outgoing. So throughout the day, I talked and interacted with lots of random people just for fun.
During the lunch, I even went
What do most men get wrong in approaching women?
Hi. First…I don’t ever want to over-generalize, as there are very few things that “most men do” in approaching women. They are certainly all individuals. Also, older men are often much better at approaching us because they’ve learned what gets them shot down.
Here are things that don’t work:
Trying to be something you’re not. I kid you not, once I was in a bar with a friend when I was in my 20’s, and these two dudes, around our ages at the time, came up and started talking to us. We were all like, OK…they’re kind of cute and all…until one of them tried to tell us, in a very serious, conspiratorial tone, that they were “secret agents.” My response? “Well, you’re not very good at it, are you?”
Listening to those booger-eating-level-stupid “pick up artists.” OK, look, you don’t need a damn “strategy.” Be kind, be polite, be interesting, be clean, be well-dressed. Tell us about your life in short doses (save how your ex broke your heart for the 5th date, of course, but you know…). Even if what you’re looking for is a one night romp in a hotel room, you still don’t need a strategy. You need an eye for picking up on the vibe of a woman who would be open to it.
Not knowing what you want. I’m not talking physical characteristics, here. I’m talking about having a clear understanding of what you seek. Like above, if you want a one night stand, then don’t waste your time trying to talk a girl or woman into doing that who just simply doesn’t want to do it, just because you think she’s hot. Learn to read people. If you’re looking for a girlfriend, maybe just decide that all you want that night is a foot in the door. Invite “her and her girlfriends” to “a party my buddies and I are having this weekend.” Then, when they show up to your party (“Dude…I need to use your pool on Saturday. I know, but I asked a bunch of girls to come to a party and now they’re coming and I live in a studio. Do me a solid, OK?”), be nice to ALL OF THEM, EVEN THE UGLY ONES. Hellz, ESPECIALLY THE UGLY ONES. Women watch how you treat women with whom you don’t want to have sex, and if you knew the numbers on the amount of times a man was gonna get some from me before he treated my overweight friend like shit, you’d need a drink.
Not being realistic. No, that daughter aged girl doesn’t want you. She wants your son. OK? Sure, some girls like older. Older is like 10 to 15 years. Not 30 years.
Assuming that she’s too pretty for you. I had a friend in college who was so stunningly beautiful that most girls didn’t want to be her friend and men either practically pissed themselves in her presence or treated her like a piece of meat. She was so lonely and had horrible self-esteem because women actively hated her (I was her only friend, seriously) and had literally never had love. All she wanted was a boyfriend who would be nice to her.
Wrong time/wrong place. Know where you’ll find women for no strings sex? On vacation. If that’s what you want, put yourself where it’s more likely that you’ll get it. Other good ones…conventions. Don’t go looking for a one night stand at a church social. Learn to improve your odds by thinking a little. See, THAT’S the kind of “strategy” you need. Not the kind that tells you to say this or that.
Approaching us to tell us how much you like how we look. This happens when young men have alcohol. “Hey…your body’s amazing. I like you. Wanna dance?” Not anymore I don’t. We know if we’re pretty or not. We know if we have big boobs. Don’t tell us about it. Tell us about you"
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-so-many-men-simp-for-women-What-do-they-really-get-out-of-it-especially-if-it-is-the-wrong-woman#:~:text=Do%20women%20simp,us%20about%20you
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