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opbackgrounds · 4 years

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so I was doing some research after watching movie 6...

...and apparently it was originally written as a comedy

Yeah, I was surprised, too

Baron Omatsuri is not my favorite One Piece movie—Film Z has too many of my favorite tropes to be usurped from that position—but I do think it is the most daring. Of all the supplemental material I’ve seen and read, it feels the least...One Piece-ish.

Yes, that includes the noodle commercials.

If you haven’t seen the movie and can stomach a little spookiness, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. Unlike movies like Strong World or Z that have the look and feel of a manga arc, Movie 6 transplants the Straw Hat Pirates into a world that doesn’t feel like a One Piece story, taking risks and exploring themes that would never fit in the manga proper.

In addition to the obvious changes in art and animation style, there are supernatural elements that don’t make sense within the One Piece world. None of the Straw Hats win a fight—Luffy included, although he is heavily implied to have killed the big bad at the end. The moral of the movie, if it can be said to have a moral, is if you lose the people closest to you, the answer is to forget about them and make new friends. The story ends with many questions left unanswered and the main drama between the crew unresolved.

And, if you allow me to get philosophical for a moment, I wish there were more movies like it. As I wrote in my review of Novel A, I don’t go to supplemental material or side stories looking for a repeat of what’s in the manga. Oda has written 1000 chapters of One Piece—why not spice things up a little and try something different for a change?

I know the answer isn’t that simple, and by their very nature not all risks will pan out. There will be people who don’t like this movie because it’s different, both in look and tone. But there’s something to be said about a creator putting their heart and soul into a work and having it show in the final product.

Which brings us back to the original premise. How does a movie go from a light-hearted comedy based on a variety show theme to...this

Baron Omatsuri was directed by Mamoru Hosoda and came out in 2005. To put that into perspective, the movie was in production when the Luffy vs Usopp fight was first seen in the manga. Manga!Luffy had not yet faced the challenge of an inter-crew disputes when the story was being written and boarded, nor did the creative team have the events of Sabaody and Marineford to see how Luffy would react to the loss of his loved ones. They were working without a full understanding of Luffy’s character, and to a lessor extent the character of the Straw Hat Pirates, and it seems like Oda was much less involved In production than has been in movies since Strong World and beyond.

Likewise, Hosoda had just left a tumultuous situation at Studio Ghibli while working on Howl’s Moving Castle, and if this interview is anything to go by (https://instrangeaeonsblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/mamoru-hosoda-on-omatsuri-danshaku-animestyle-interview-part-1/) was going through a lot of personal shit when he was brought on as director. The script he was given was originally written like a variety show—something that was carried over into the various trials seen in the final movie—and meant to be a lighthearted affair after the relatively serious Movie 5 (which I have not seen am thus unable to compare tone).

With that backstory in mind, it’s easy to see how the bickering and backbiting between the Straw Hats early in the movie is a metaphor for Hosoda’s time at Ghibli, which is something he admits to in the interview. Movie 6 feels different than any other One Piece movie because it’s the project of a man who has had to endure the loss of those who he was close with, at least in a professional capacity.

There are moments in Movie 6 where Luffy doesn’t feel like Luffy. More than once a member of the Straw Hats ask him to intervene during arguments, moments Luffy either ignores or doesn’t notice. It’s a version of Water 7 where instead of fighting Usopp, Luffy ignores the underlying differences within his crew, and as a result loses everybody.

The structure of the three trials follows a clear path of deterioration within the crew, the initial goldfish scooping game showing the Straw Hats at their best and inciting the jealousy of the Baron, the ring toss sowing discord among the crew even as they snatch a narrow victory, only for them to be utterly crushed in the third and final challenge as they’re unable help one another survive.

It is somewhat implied that the Breaking of the Fellowship(TM) is magical in nature—that like the One Ring, the Lily Carnation was able to influence the Straw Hat’s thoughts and actions, but this is never stated outright and I prefer the more mundane interpretation: That without strong leadership the Straw Hats fell victim to the manipulative machinations of the Baron, and simply self-destructed as a result. In the end, it’s up to the interpretation of the viewer.

And speaking of things up to interpretation, I love how the Lily Carnation isn’t explained in the slightest. The plant that initially absorbs the Straw Hats looks more like the stem of a devil fruit than a flower, it for some reason rings like a gong when hit, and somehow is able to turn pieces of itself into facsimile of the Baron’s old crew who can somehow move around despite being plans. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and the element of the unknown works so well in the horror-lite setting.

My personal theory is the island somehow managed to eat a devil fruit which manifests itself as the Lily Carnation (which due to the L/R conflation in Japanese, is pronounced ‘reincarnation’, which I think is a nice touch of foreshadowing that may or may not have been intentional).

(Also, I can’t decide if little chewing animation it makes when it’s eating people or the weird bullseyes it makes when shit gets real are the most terrifying thing in the movie.)

Hmmm, tasty.

Anyway, this is getting long, so here are some final thoughts:

1) This movie has some low key fantastic outfits. The Straw Hats all look very cool without being over designed like a lot of recent movies. Big hat Robin is of course a fave, and makes me really want to see her in a Carmen Sandiego getup.

2) Screenshots do not do the animation of the movie justice. It’s very fluid and has a lot of excellent expressions/poses, although I admit the 3D is jarring at times. Do not let the art put you off if you haven’t seen it

3) Also, I don’t think there’s any shading? Like at all? The movie does a lot of cool stuff with color instead. For example, the scene where Luffy initially loses to the Baron his skin goes all grey, and I thought it was because he was fighting at night, but it stays grey even in the better lighting of the underground tunnels and stays that way until he finds out the Straw Hats are still alive, where it returns to his normal color

4) There’s an extended Benny Hill-type gag when Luffy first chases after the little mustache pirate that’s perfectly timed to the music, and ends when Luffy just uses his power to grab him. The comedic timing is amazing and it’s probably my favorite funny moment in the movie, of which there are several despite the overall darker tone

5) The extended jungle shot from Nami’s POV? Very cool

6) I love how from the earliest scenes nothing is as it seems. The opening text is Robin reading the map, but the storm that’s seen on screen is the one that sank the Baron’s crew. Likewise the whole fancy city is shown to be fake panels early on, the goldfish catching game is a trap, etc., etc. It does a good job clueing the viewer in early that’s something’s very wrong on the island, even if they don’t realize it at first

7) I don’t think this type of movie would work in modern One Piece without somehow nerfing Luffy. Horror works best when the protagonist is weak and vulnerable, and that fits best with a pre-Gear 2/3 Luffy (same with the rest of the crew, tbh. I was waiting for Nami to use her lightning stick during the games, forgetting it hadn’t been boosted yet).

8) I like how there are four captains on the island representing different levels of loss—the Baron has lost his crew and wants to destroy all others because of it, mustache pirate lost his crew and is willing to put it behind him to make new friends, Luffy has freshly lost his crew and hasn’t decided what path he will go, and coward dad hasn’t lost his crew yet but is at risk if he doesn’t change his cowardly ways

9) I think the reason why Chopper was the first Straw Hat to disappear is he’s the most likely to play the part of peacemaker. He’s also the only crew member needing rescuing at the end of the goldfish scoop game, when Luffy foolishly puts his life at risk trying to save him from drowning, just like he recklessly charges the Baron at the end of the movie. Except that time there was no Sanji to save him, leaving Luffy to get his ass thoroughly kicked

10) This is a very good Halloween movie, and I’m glad I watched it in October

#opbackgrounds #long post #movie 6 #review #one piece #Baron Omatsuri

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ilikelookingatthings · 4 years

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Miraculous ladybug love square part 3

As for ladybug’s treatment of chat. She cares about him. They are clearly friends and she can play with his jokes sometimes as well. She trusts him to get his side of the job done most of the time. She doesn’t treat him with kid gloves andcan get angry at him but also make up with him. She had faith that it wasnt the real chat in copycat. She proclaimed he was important in antibug on the roof and was willing to risk her identity to untie himfrom a pole. and she trusted he’d catch adrien if she was unable to. She isn’t the best listener when it comes to chat. assuming his flirting wasn’t serious. Didn’t trust his advice when facing volphina, or antibug, or miraculer. she often leaves him out of the lop but it can be argued thats more tikki and master fu’s call on the situation. She does worry about and care about him. even if sometimes she might think its a given he’ll be there. and her comfort to express her emotions means sometimes she can go a bit too far like when she said she didn’t trust him anymore and she didn’t think about how that migt affect their dynamic because she was used to the fight and make up route and it was her way of expressing how upset she was. she alsohas the double standard when itcomes to treating civilian adrien super nice compared to chat noir. but thats kindof a given with crushes. Ladybug did listen to his feelings in glacatiour and doesn’t force him to stop expressing himself entirely like with the yellow rose. but honestly its easier to argue adrien has a secert mini attraction to her civilian self than it is to picture ladybug having a crush on chat. but we have seen her jealous over herself when it comes to chat. and ladybug was more likly to believe adrien betrayed her idntity in a timeline than the idea that adrien and chat could be the same person.

I love maribug and I know how much she cares. but even if her nerves and fears are relatable...its hard to give my all in supporting her when she isn’t honest with him about her feelings.

Adrien has a bunch of loved ones who are all really weird at communicating. They all love him but they are ALL realy bad at showing it to him and aren’t always good at loving him even if they do love him. like his dad(yes even his participation trophy of a dad), nathalie, gorilla, chloe and plagg aren’t very strait forward in their affections. pretty emotionally stunted and arent the best at emotion talks. Kagami is still learning to be more expressive and vulnerable even though she is strait forward. but as much as I love mari and knows she cares....her loving him doesn’t exactly do adrien any good if he never knows she cares. as much as I ship adriennette adrien deserves someone to tell him they love him and mari isn’t doing a good job of getting that across. and due to how deeply mari feels I can’t help but imagine she would not be able to take a rejection very well and stay adrien’s friend like how chat is with ladybug.

and now lets dicuss the lukanette and kagadrien ships.

Luka is a sweetheart. he is mature and stable. he can understand mari’s feelings very easily and he never pressures her. she can easily talk to him. He is very supportive and mari is comfortable being vulnerable around him and talking about feelings. Luka also picks up mari’s social ques unlike adrien who struggles with mari at times. they are both creative people. He gives her a place to relax without judgment and support no matter what she chooses. and He made it clear that he likes her romantically and clearly let her know he likes her. That takes away more anxiety. He also knows about her feelings for adrien. He has good hero qualities(was even chat/adrien approved). and he lets mari go at her own pace which is refreshing when you think about her friends and even herself who tend to get impatient for romance and shov extreme shipping moments down our throats. luka makes mari feel wanted and he DID turn her compass. somthing chat hasn’t even done. though mari had decided to stay focused on adrien for a while still. She doesn’t put herself own or think luka is out of her league unlike what she does with adrien. and luka is available to hang out whenever unlike adrie who has to bale due to his dad alot

downsides is luka might be too chill. mari often needs boosts that prompt her to certain aths and lukas chillness might make her not commit as much since it seems fine. Luka is selfless an its great for mari to figure her own feelings. but it does let mari someone be insensative or hurt luka due to not thinking of his feelings. and it gives the impression that luka could easily let her go. that he wouldnt fight for her or specifically for HIS feelings for her. he is also a year older and mature which could have issues because she ISN’T mature at times. luka soothes but chat is good at cheering her up or distracting her from her issues and chat actually points out when he disagrees with something. we don’t see luka standing up for his own feelings or admitting mari might have hurt him at times. like in desperada with her reaction toward kagami and adrien. or her choosing adrien to play guitar rather than the obvious luka. anf if luka has issues he doesn’t strait up tell mari unlike what chat or drien does. so mari might miss extra stuff when it comes to luka as a friend or romantically because luka seems good at communication.

Kagami has good things and bad things with adrien.

Kagami is straitforward about her feelings so thats good because expecting adrien to guess feelings and respond isnt exactly fair. both of them enjoy fencing and competeing against one another. they both enjoy the adrenaline rush in fencing or in akuma battles. both understand the other aren’t the best at social Qs. They both can hand out during parent schedualed activities unlike adrien’s other friends. kagami and adrien make jokes together. sneak out together. and cal talk about their over baring parents and understand eachother in that regard. Both admire ladybug and both admire marinette. both know the importance of validating your own feelings and can be honest with eachother. Adrien can teach kagami that winning isnt everything and the more softer emotions and jokes like how adrien got her her fencing sabre after she lost and was upset andfelt like a failure. and adrien can introduce kagami to even more friends. and kagami knows about his other crush. and kagami can teach adrien to be firmer with boundaries.

down sides is kagami might be straightforward but she also does hide some of her vulnerable and soft emotions from adrien and how invested she really is. they both move pretty quickly when it comes to love. and kagami isn’t the most sensitive I guess at times. and Kagami might treat him like a regular friend but they ARE both a little pressured by their parents to make this work. and kagami is still working through her own perfectionist tendencies and her seeing things as matches. winning, losing and points. adrien also can be prone to pressure at times. so kagami might accidentally pressure him with her aggressive stances at times. and we know adrien still has some feelings for ladybug so that could trouble thingsif that persists. kagami seems like a open book that adrien might forget to look deeper o find moe of her issues. and kagami isnt exactly a expert on softness or feelings. and they might be feeing the way they do out of expectation from the parents. or just wanting more time together and mistaking that for love when they don;t have much experience.

plus of course the secert identity issues. and they might forget to let moments breath.

both adrien and kagami are similar.

and mari and luka are similar.

only adrien has a selfless streak in him and mari doesn’t always want to be selfless and wants to be selfish about feelings.

#miraculous ladybug #ladybug #luka #lukanette #kagami #kagadrien #marinette #adrien #chat noir #ladynoir #ladrien #marichat #newyork

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plutoswrath · 4 years

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What are your favorite venus, Mars and mercury signs and placements?

I think I’ve answered a similar question before regarding venus signs! You can search for it in the tags! So, I’ll just list the Mars/Mercury signs down below!

Mercury: I usually like every Mercury sign, the only ones I personally have more conflict/ problems with are Leo, Virgo and Pisces Mercury. Haven’t met an actual Scorpio mercury so far, so I’m neutral with them. My total favorites are though:

- Cancer Mercury: basically a walking safe space, for some this may sound a bit over the top but they give everyone in need free therapy session basically, they usually have good and pure intentions with others (especially loved ones) and really can be the best positive influence/help out there, many creative gifts lie here, one of the funniest people in general. They really embody the gift of emotional knowledge, cardinal energy at its finest here!

- Sagittarius Mercury: The negative traits or tendencies really can get the best of me sometimes, but when focusing on the positive they win out of all fire mercury signs in my opinion! They are funny, know how to have genuinely meaningful discussions most of the time and gladly share their wisdom with you! Truly someone that offers new perspectives and fun times! Then again, I usually have a weak spot for most Sagittarius placements, I just truly believe there is some sort of symbiosis between Cancer and Sagittarius energy that not a lot of people know about or can get behind.

- Gemini Mercury: The bubblier version of Sagittarius Mercury, they make small talk easy and adjust well to new people (despite them having a fear of talking/social situations often). Never turn down opportunities to try something new, especially with their friends or s/o! The person to have an instant connection with, because they adjust well to others (similar to a Libra mercury).

- Capricorn Mercury: Opposites attract haha! I like their sterness, ambitiousness and determination; they usually are not that great at talking about emotions, but even their very logic advice can benefit emotional problems, they can give you the boost of confidence you need, much like Cancer and Leo Mercury they remind you of your already existing inner strength! Also: when they are genuinely proud of you and tell you, it’s the best feeling in the world! Big softies or children underneath the closed off, cold exterior, tend to have a very egoistical side to them that they need to work on next to being more authentic and honest with their close ones.

- Aquarius Mercury: I like their ways of thinking, they always surprise you with their opinions and ideas, because even though you may sense what lies underneath, it’s always very pleasant when they willingly reveal their inner world. Very observant and attentive to their surroundings, great at pointing stuff out you haven’t notice before, therefore great when you struggl with seeing the bigger picture/different perspective of a topic or issue! Passionate about their opinion, they are a fixed sign after all, very headstrong.

My favorite Mars signs:

- Capricorn Mars: At this point I try to be objective but Capricorn mars (and Venus) just trigger my marriage response haha! They can be very indecisive and put on some sort of ‘act’ earlier in life but once they know who they are and what they want they get it and work towards it! They have a plan, set boundaries, know who or what’s worth it, know on what or who to work on/with without wasting too much time and effort, cardinal energy in its best form here! (i swear I don’t have preferences but I do have preferences)

- Aries Mars: Can have the tendency to be quiet chaotic, but depending on the chart and how the individual develops the mars sign/grows into it, it’s just like a more spontaneous (or reckless) Capricorn mars, I love their passion and willingness to go lengths for what they want and love! They are willing to take risks and I really adore that!

- Libra Mars: I appreciate their objectivness and true intentions when it comes to justice and peace making. The negative potentials and inner struggles aside, they bring harmony and can tie groups together like no other. Creative individuals, want to bring comfort to others, self reflective and to be fair they do really have a unique charm to them usually (that is easily noticable as well). Great leaders. (cardinal energy really comes through in this ranking oh well)

- Taurus mars: just as hard working as Capricorn and Virgo mars people; they want it? They get it! Perfect balance of pleasure and work combines here in my opinion, they are the people that enjoy a good treat even more after knowing that they gave their all for it, but also someone to spontaneously ask for a movie marathon or to go shopping for the weekend because the feel like it. Extreeemly loyal and loving, you can truly feel safe with them, it’s so heartwarming!

- Gemini Mars: I like that their life line is not “consistant”, they take many turns, ups and downs and willingly need to do so and want to. These individuals will fill their life and yours with a breat of fresh air and the twists and turns you experience will tie you closer and closer together!

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a-trainers-tale · 4 years

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Hello there! I'd like to request a paid pokemon team description if you please! I had previously sent in the ask for the free one but changed my mind and decided to pay for one instead. Hopefully that's alright. Lol. So where to start. I'm a 21 year old female Leo. Personality wise, I would basically boil it down to, I’m an amiable introvert. I’ve always been really shy and quiet around strangers, maybe even a bit cautious of friendships as I’ve had too many experiences in the past of (1/?)

toxic friends. However, once I perceive a person to be real and genuine, I can open up to them easily, becoming who I truly am around them: fun-loving, excitable and talkative. I have MBTI personality type INFP also known as The Mediator, which makes sense as I'm definitely the peacekeeping type. In my small group of friends, I'm basically the one who keeps them from getting into fights with each other or other people. I'm also the one who diffuses situations. I myself dislike conflict and (2/?) will do everything in my power to actively ignore it, which may be one of my downfalls. For more positive traits, I have a high level of patience, meaning that I won’t give up on people easily even if everyone else has. I’m also very nurturing towards the people I love. I love raising people up and giving them all the support and affection I can. I’m definitely a hugger. However, more negative traits include my stubbornness and pride. These two go hand in hand really. I pride myself in my (3/?) ability to lead and keep a cool and level head when stuff hits the fan but sometimes even a situation can be too much for me and I’ll quickly begin to crumble. However, in an effort to still appear as the cool, kind leader everyone looks up to, I’ll straight up lie about how I really feel and oftentimes will refuse help. This isn’t just with feelings either. It’s with anything from homework to projects, etc. It’s probably worth mentioning that I can also be incredibly lazy sometimes. My (4/?) bursts of hardworking spirit can often be met with equally long periods of me just going, “Meh…” My hobbies and interests include my top three: Drawing, writing and playing video games. I draw mostly cartoon looking things with maybe a dash of anime sprinkled in there. There’s definitely a lot of video game fan art in there too. When it comes to my writing, I generally like to write a lot of fanfiction (the non-cringy sort. lol.) about different video games and of course, I write my own (5/?) do, so much so that sometimes the story never even gets written. My favorite kinds of video games range from adorable friendly things to horrifying video games. Things like RPGs, strategy, action, horror, etc. I don’t have any consoles so I mostly play PC and mobile games. My top three favorite franchises are Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I also enjoy Minecraft, Destiny 2 and Tomb Raider. I’ve also been playing Pokemon since Generation 2 with my first game (6/?) Pokemon Silver. Other things I love include baking, reading (especially history), movies (love studio ghibli, anime, horror, action, thriller, comedy, etc.), TV shows about true crime, history and the paranormal. Speaking of, I'm a huge fan of the paranormal and come from a family of people spiritually sensitive to those sorts of things. I also love animes like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Hetalia and My Hero Academia. My favorite music includes hardstyle, edm, pop, 80’s/90’s hits, etc. (7/?) My favorite artists consist of Gorillaz, Melanie Martinez, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, etc. I also love going on hikes, swimming and just getting to experience nature. I will admit, I’m a kid who loves to snooze. Sometimes when there’s nothing else left to do, nothing’s better than curling up in bed with the blinds closed and room freezing cold with a warm blanket. I think the reason why is because I’m a vivid dreamer. Most of my inspiration comes from the things I dream up of and my dreams (8/?) always provide me with what may not be obtainable in real life. I’m currently going to school to become a preschool, elementary school or daycare teacher. I’m glad knowing that someday, I could make a difference in a child’s life with my kindness. I love Pokemon because it's given me a sense of joy all these years later after initially discovering it as a child. It's the one thing that had always stuck. This had been a lot of asks but I hope it's enough. Thank you for your time. (9/9)

Trainer class: Nurse

You have a naturally nurturing and caring heart and mind. You like to be able to help people and take care of people, this comes from both a genuine desire to help and also a likely subconscious desire to hold that kind of power in any relationships you have. You have a lot of patience and are willing to wait for things. Nurses do not initiate battle, they will wait for people to come to them directly, and after the battle will heal their opponent's pokemon. This is similar to how you approach your relationships with people, you wait for them to come to you and then dedicate yourself to listening, helping, and diffusing problems. Some people might not really understand you and think that your way of life seems boring or irritating but the way that you view it, helping others is also helping yourself. By not going out of your way to be a rockstar pokemon trainer, you are able to better focus on what you care about, namely helping those who need help and bonding with your pokemon who are safe in your care. Your determination comes and goes, some days you are content to relax with those closest to your and your pokemon, but other days you are out trying to find new methods of helping trainers and pokemon alike. You are creative in how you help pokemon and you pride yourself on your work when you are feeling passionate

Starter: Chikorita

Your starter pokemon is Chikorita. Like you, Chikorita really loves laid back activities and taking naps. Chikorita is often found sunbathing and relaxing in comfortable spots outdoors. Chikorita spends a lot of time looking for the perfect nap conditions and once it finds them it is hardpressed to leave before having its fill of a wonderful afternoon nap. You and Chikorita spend a lot of time relaxing and napping together, and you bond over enjoying simpler activities. Chikorita's lower energy makes it a good fit for you, and it doesn't often pick fights so it will never be a cause for concern for you.

Partner: Steelix

Steelix is also a very patient pokemon, living for over 100 years sometimes, these pokemon will slowly become harder than diamonds. Steelix is also a very stubborn and very individualistic pokemon, which makes it somewhat of a challenge for you to get it to work with your other pokemon sometimes. You relate to your Steelix's desire to hole itself up in a cave somewhere and ignore any responsibility it may have, but you also relate to how it very often pulls itself out and helps out the rest of your team with you. Steelix is also fiercely protective, you so never have to worry about your other pokemon getting into trouble with Steelix around.

Team: Meganium (starter), Bastiodon, Darmanitan (zen), Dragonair, Hatterene

Hometown: Icirrus City, Unova

Your hometown is Icirrus City in the Unova region. This town is very humid and covered in wetlands, so most of the buildings are on higher ground and there are a lot of inclines. This town is also nearby Dragonspiral Tower, which is the oldest building in Unova and is said to be the home of legendary pokemon Zekrom and Reshiram. Because of your early life consisting of brave trainers venturing here to seek these legendary pokemon, and people fighting over the right to study and unearth these pokemon, you came to realize that you prefer to stay out of the mess most of the time and sometimes help people stuck within it. Your dedication to yourself and your pokemon is very rooted in your decision when you were younger to live a simpler life than a lot of the people who came through your hometown. You also gained some creativity due to growing up in an area that required creative architecture. Your experiences with rather difficult terrain and an interesting social climate made you the kind of person you are, namely that you keep your head when things get weird and you are willing to wait and be patient when others are more inclined to rush in head first.

Battle style: Slow and steady wins the race

You are a very patient and slow battler. You take your time and are very cautious. You tend to come overprepared, with lots of healing items and stat boosting items. Your pokemon are not necessarily hard hitters, but you prioritize their ability to be reliable and predictable for you to use. You prefer pokemon who will consistently do a set amount of damage, for instance, over a pokemon who might or might not do a ton of damage in one hit. You prefer pokemon that work well in groups, you like a team that can work together and help each other over individualistic and self reliant pokemon. You help your pokemon learn to work together and learn to love being a team instead of competing with one another. You enjoy being able to take your time in battles and observe your own pokemon and your opponents for areas they could be more creative or more consistent. Your pokemon all trust you deeply and know that if they take any damage or have any conflict they can't solve themselves, you will be there to help them out of their bind and comfort them after the fact.

#pokemon #pokemon trainer #pokemon request #steelix #chikorita #unova #ajarfullofink

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norwegianpornfaerie · 4 years

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I was tagged by the delightful @arcanemoody!

Pick 10 ships without reading the questions.

Thorki

Hiddlesworth

Rimmer/Lister

Stony

Stucky

Venom

Peter/Ned

Jeeves/Wooster

Ineffable Husbands

Tennant/Sheen (Staged-version)

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

Hah, probably the trailer!! No, that was an instant thing. They just have such great chemistry, and every single frame of that movie confirms it. The banter, the jealousy, the compatibility, the way they care for one another... 2. Have you ever read a FanFiction about 2?

Yes, but not many. I’m VERY picky about the fanfic I read, particularly RPF fanfic. It’s not so much that there’s bad stuff out there (though there is, and you have to search to find stuff you really like), but people also have very different takes on RPF characterization, and again, I’m picky. :p 3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr? No, not those two. But they were part of a password of mine once, if that counts! 4. If 7 were to suddenly break-up today, what would your reaction be?

Aw man... I mean, they’re not canon, but if they were to break up in an universe, I would be heartbroken. They’re one of my comfort pairings, and so, so sweet. I’d like to see them together forever.

5. Why is 1 so important? So many reasons. I got into Thorki after Ragnarok, which is a movie that I share a love of with @roadsterguysblog. Seeing that film was such a boost to my creativity, and made me start writing more again. And as for the ship itself, the characters are so interesting and sweet (yes, even Loki), and because they’ve known one another their whole lives and lived as family, it’s a unique dynamic. It’s very fun to play around with. I guess they’re also a comfort pairing of sorts, which is odd for something with so much angst potential. But I suppose I love them enough for them to feel very familiar? Something like that. 6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

Both! Like most ships, but definitely this one. Good Omens is a comedy, but also serious, in that perfect way both Pratchett and Gaiman has. It’s funny in that their situation is absurd, and their bickering is clever and biting and funny, but it’s serious in that they’re both super intense people, living through very serious times, and surviving serious scenarioes. 7. Out of all of the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

Oh man, that’s a tough one. I’m tempted to say Ineffable Husbands, but Hiddlesworth is UP there. I mean, I ship RPF couples because the chemistry between them is blatant, and quite often more present than for a completely fictional couple. I think it’s a tie, there. 8. Out of all of your ships listed, which ship has the strongest bond? I mean, possibly Ineffable Husbands again? Just by virtue of their roles, and their age! But there are many contenders here - Venom, for one, as they are literally one person. But it’s going to be Ineffable Husbands, I think, though I feel like they’re cheating. 9. How many times have you read/watched 8’s fandom?

Read and watched, for this one! Oh, I honestly don’t know. I watched the Jeeves & Wooster when I was a kid, and there were a lot of reruns. As an adult, I read the novels, and rewatched the show.... so, so many times. I literally have no idea. PLEASE, if you get a chance, read the books. Some are even available for free, due to copyright. They’re amazing, Wodehouse was a genius. 10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

In terms of interpersonal relationship, that’s got to be Ineffable Husbands, again. But in terms of how long have I shipped them - Rimmer/Lister, no question. I don’t think I shipped them when I watched the show while I was a kid, but I think the embers of what became that fire was definitely there. 11. How many times, if ever, has 2 broken up? Well, they’re not canon! :D In as much as an RPF-ship can be canon. So thankfully, never. :) Though they aren’t seen together as often as they used to be, for obvious reasons, as they don’t work together, they seemed to be great friends and I’ve no doubt they still are. 12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8? If it’s an either/or question, definitely Jeeves and Wooster. Because Jeeves is basically magic, and would just make it happen. But I think Chris would do pretty well too, and Tom is a great runner. 13. Did 5 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

They’re not canon, so it’s not applicable. Though if they WERE a couple in the 40s, they would have had to hide it, of course. 14. Is 4 still together?

WE DON’T TALK ABOUT ENDGAME.

15. Is 3 canon?

Very few of these are, so nope! 16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win? Again, even though we’re dealing with a literal angel and demon here, Jeeves would win. Because Jeeves. 17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 10’s ship?

Staged the show is basically the story of other people and David and Michael themselves all continually trying to sabotage them as a ship. :D (And also encourage it.)

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond? All of them. 19. Do you spend hours a day going through 1’s tumblr page?

There are some accounts on here that basically are that, so yeah! 20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she´d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

Oh man. I can’t imagine any of them, honestly. But maybe Tennant/Sheen, because they’re in a constant state of fluxx anyway, so maybe it wouldn’t hold! :D

Tagging anyone who wants to do it, though obviously I’d love to hear from you, @roadsterguysblog!

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okietrish · 5 years

Text

House Party

Yall, I dreamt about this a few nights ago a decided to write it down. Please enjoy! Let me know what you think and all that! I haven't posted a fic in forever, but feel free to request. FEEDBACK PLEASE! (Boost my ego)

Word count: 2,919

Warnings: none it’s flufffffffff

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The party was going well. The boys had gotten to LA around a week ago but wanted to settle in before they threw, “totally the best party ever,” as Sammy referred to it. They were staying with you, which they have done for the past few years since you’ve all known each other. Your home was their home while they were in town, it was an unspoken rule at this point. Admittingly everyone seems to be having a blast. The house is filled, people are laughing, dancing, and getting piss drunk. You were thoroughly entertained, to say the least. You filled up your drink for the eighth time that night, or at least that’s what the sharpie tallies on your arm that Jake forced you to put there were telling you. You black out ONE time, strip on top of a bar and Jake has to pick you up and carry you home leading you to stick your fingers up his nose in protest and SUDDENLY you have to keep track of your drinks on your arm for all the Kiszka boys to see. They just don’t know how to have a good time. You giggle to yourself.

“Y/N!” Interrupted from your daydream, you turned towards the funky hobbit running your way.

“Josh, darling, how is your evening? What are you doing?!” You smile wide at the goof standing in front of you. His tanned cheeks were flushed bright pink and he was decently out of breath.

“GREAT, have your seen..” He was cut off by his two brothers jumping onto him, pushing him to the ground. You look around at the people surrounding you, making sure that others were witnessing what you were, that this wasn’t some drunken state of your imagination. You happened to catch eyes with Danny who was laughing hysterically at the situation and just shrugged his shoulders towards you, miming a simple ‘I don’t know’ gesture before going back to his conversation.

Looking down at the pile of Kiszka limbs you cough loudly, “Um hi boys. Can I help you?”

They all scrambled to your feet and straighten themselves out, still not saying anything to you, but just mumbling to each other. It wasn’t until you made eye contact with Sammy that he cued you in.

“Oh sorry, we were racing!” He said nonchalantly. You looked at them, confused.

“Racing?”

“Yeah!” Jake chimed in.

“I’m so confused, why?” You questioned while sipping your drink.

Josh laughed and explained, “Well we were playing a drinking game and we all tied and couldn’t decide who won. We would usually ask you, but none of us had seen you in a while, so I screamed ‘first one to Y/N wins.’ And here we are.” You looked at the other boys for confirmation and they just nodded their heads in agreement.

“You all are weird.” You laughed at them and continued to talk to them about random things. They were telling you about the tour and the chaos in it all. Their music got brought up and you gave your opinions and your best advice. Working in the music industry is what brought you to meet this chaotic crew 2 years ago. The conversation always came naturally between you all, it’s something you loved about them.

As the music got louder, not that you thought that was even possible, it became a little too chaotic for the group’s casual conversation so you promptly excused yourself and walked away, making your way out back to get some peace and quiet for a moment. Suddenly feeling very overwhelmed by everyone.

It was quiet back here since there wasn’t any speakers, booze, or drugs no one else was out there. Perfectly juxtaposing the inside atmosphere. Walking over to your fire pit in the very back of the yard you quickly struck a flame and created the perfect aesthetic for you to calm down. With the fire going you laid down on the large wooden swing and just looked out into the trees, losing yourself in the moment, laying there alone for about 15 minutes.

“Y/n.” You turned your head to see Josh gesturing towards where your feet laid on the swing, asking permission to sit, you nodded and went to move your legs when he placed his hand on your shin.

“Don’t move mama, I got it.” He lifted your legs and sat beneath them, placing them onto his lap. He immediately fell into tune with your serenity. It was quiet for a few minutes while you both just appreciated your surroundings.

You naturally fell out of your trance eventually and flicked Josh’s arm, breaking the silence.

“Hey.” He turned to look at you with a small smile.

“Oh hey! Didn’t see your there.” You rolled your eyes at him, causing him to playfully smack your thigh as he looked back to the fire. You got caught up into your thoughts again as you let your curiosity get the best of you.

“Josh, why did you come out here?” You questioned. Studying his strong profile. His jaw was relaxed, his breathing pattern now calm, tranquil even, in comparison to earlier. His cheeks, however, were still dusted with pink, probably due to the shots he was convincing everyone to take early on. He then took a deep breath.

“I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He began stroking your leg with his hands, absentmindedly drawing shapes on your shin.

“I am.” You cut short, not liking to get into it too much.

“I know, I just like to make sure.” He finally looked at you, smiling purposefully big to get a laugh out of you, a trick that always worked.

He knew that if you wanted to talk about anything you would bring it up to him. That was what your friendship was, it was close and open-minded. You bounced your existential crises off of each other. He often came to you for lyrical advice, knowing your mind drifted to creative depths that most people didn’t have the luxury of venturing to.

“You are something else, Joshua.” You began and suddenly got the drunken urge to touch his face. You quickly sat up, still with your legs over his lap, and lightly booped his nose.

He looked at you and giggled.

“Do you have a thing for noses when you’re drunk or what?” He laughed, recalling the memory of your wild night out. You looked at him in shock.

“Woah, the judgment I’m feeling right now. I don’t like it. And I was defending myself that night, thank you very much!” You crossed your arms over your chest in protest.

He was properly cackling now. “Defending yourself from Jake who saved you before you showed a crowded bar your tits!?” You leaned against his shoulder in defeat.

“Ehhh wouldn’t have been that bad, would have given them a good show. Give the crowd what they want and all that.” You giggled to yourself, Josh quickly joining in, but stopping after a moment.

“You intrigue me, darling.” He began rubbing one of his hands and down your spine, as you leaned back to look him in the eyes, you gave him a questioning look and he continued.

“I mean, I’ve known you for a while, we all have. Yet, I am still surprised by just about everything that comes out of your mouth.” He looked at you and smiled tightly. The toothless smile that pulls his dimples in deep, a smile that usually tells that he is holding something back.

“I am one for a stupid comment, that’s for sure” You replied back, looking out onto the fire again. He adjusted his seating, sitting a bit more straight-up before he continued.

“It’s more than that Y/N. The way you process things and develop your thoughts. It’s… It’s something I haven’t come across before. The boys and I talk about you all the time. We try to guess, sometimes, the reaction you’re going to have to stuff. None of us are ever right, you know.” He was rambling on as he kept moving his fingertips on your spine, goosebumps beginning to show across your body in reaction, it sends a chill down your spine. Josh notices and breaks his trance with the fire to look at you before continuing.

“I mean, two years and you’ve kept me on my toes. Whenever I get stuck with my writing, whether it be lyrics or whatever, you help me effortlessly. It’s as if you know my mind through and through and can direct my emotions into phrases. They are always so poetic too. You’re so poetic…” He trails off looking out into the trees once again. You don’t know what to say, so you just snuggle into his side, your head pressed neatly into his neck as his breaths become quicker than his before steady rhythm.

“Thank you,” you mutter out, sitting back up, placing your hands in your lap, fiddling with your fingers before you continue. “Josh you make it easy for me. You and Jake, Sam and Danny, you all just stumbled into my studio one day and everything changed, I believe you still had a rat tail at that point.” You laughed at the thought.

“Oh god,” he commented back smiling down at you, keeping eye contact as you went on, continuing to rub your back in comfort; he knew it was difficult for you to be this vulnerable. You had this way about you that let you navigate other people's minds easily, but when it came to your own you were often at a loss for words. He was always patient with you.

“Josh. You’re one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. Growing up I was outcasted for the way I thought. I always felt so alone for thinking the way I do, for being so ‘poetic’ as you say. I felt deranged at points, I felt too odd to deserve a place in the world. Then you lot came along… Joshua Kiszka your crazy ass almost makes me feel normal.”

You were breathing heavily after your quick rant. Josh kept his eye contact with you, but something changed within it. It wasn’t familiar anymore, something more than that. It was intense. Chaotically taimed with fear. You both stared at each other for a few moments in silence before Josh spoke up, keeping eye contact.

“Y/N.” He said wearily quiet. His face fell into a look that could only be described as gentle.

“Josh.” You whispered back, afraid that if you spoke too loudly you would scare the moment away. You could see the flicker of the fire that was dwindling down in the reflection of his eyes, his kind eyes. The eyes that feel like the truth to the universe, coaxing you in, not allowing you to look away. His hand that was on your leg lifted to cup your cheek, his thumb immediately began moving back and forth as if this was the most natural moment in the world. You allowed your eyes to flutter closed as you leaned into the feeling.

“You’re beautiful, doll.” He spoke lowley with precision, sounding like he was in a haze, a haze that was caused by you. You opened your eyes to meet his once more, but he was looking at your lips that were pressed into a blissed out smile. Under his stare, you licked your lips causing him to flick his eyes back up to yours quickly, a slight second of shock shown on his features before he settled again.

Both of your breaths picked up again. You didn’t know what was coming over you. Whether it was the chaos of the night, the mixed drinks, or the serenity of it all that caused the blissed out feeling that was washing over your body. Whatever it was you didn’t care when you broke into the silence in a voice smaller than a whisper, so quiet you weren’t even sure you spoke at all, maybe this was all in your mind; those words echoed through the silence.

“I want to kiss you right now.” Your small-phrase carried the impact of a scream. Josh sighed to himself, screaming just as quietly as you did just before with his own confession.

“Oh thank god.”

He leaned in, pressing his lips to yours. You were both gentle with each other at first, equally holding back the long awaited passion that viced you. It wasn’t until Josh pulled back with a low grunt that all filters where lost. Cravings took over as he pulled you to straddle his lap. His hands gripped you in any attempt to get you closer, one falling to the back of your neck, the other to the small of your back. Your hands fell into his hair, keeping is lips close, never wanting them to leave yours again.

You both were kissing as if it were a conversation. Allowing all the pent up, unknown frustration of your passion escape through your lips, only to be reciprocated with perfect understanding and authenticity. How long it lasted went unbeknownst to both of you. Time faded in the most delicate way, but eventually, you pulled back, out of breath.

You looked down at Josh who still had his eyes closed, a smile slowly coming to his cheeks as he opens his eyes and laughs out at you.

“What?” he pushed your hair off your shoulders as you continue to take in the sight before you.

You shake your head softly, “I just want to look at you.” You reached up to his face began tracing his features with your fingers, following your fingertips with your eyes.

“I love looking at you,” You confess. Josh takes your wrist in his hand and begins kissing your fingertips, one at a time.

“You’re exquisite.” He sighs as he begins to pull your body back into his so he can kiss you again. You fall into him easily, quickly becoming addicted to the feeling. You lips press into Josh’s once more before you hear the heavy pounding of feet racing towards you both. You don’t tune into it quickly untill you hear a bellowing voice.

“Y/N?!? Y/N are you out here?!” An out of breath Sammy comes to a halt right in front of the fire turning to look for you. Quickly making eye contact with you and smiling and looking back towards the house, only to quickly snap back to take in what he is actually looking at. You straddling Josh.

This caused Sam to stutter out, “Oh what.. Umm… uhhh…” Quickly interrupted by a pissed off, equally out of breath Jake running up to Sam unknowingly.

“Fuck you Samuel and your freaky lanky alien legs! You winning is just fucking cheating and I’m sick of it! Did you find Y/N?” He questions and turns to look at Sam’s line of sight and lets out a shocked gasp as you slowly sunk into Josh’s chest.

“Well, I’ll be damned… Josh finally made his move.” Jake smirked at his twin with a cocky stance, a face that held a lot of emotions, but primarily pride in his brother. Josh groaned at his brother, hiding his face in your neck while you giggled at the situation.

Sam came back to the conversation and huffed out a loud breath before saying, “About fucking time you both realized you were made for eachother! You are the same damn person, fucking weirdos. You both like nature and weird clothes and fucking odd music that no one else in the world listens to and you both, like, read eachother minds and shit,” he looks to Jake for confirmation.

Jake nods his head and continues, “It’s weird right? Like Josh could be in the middle of a sentence and Y/N just comes in and finishes it.” They were now talking to each other as if Josh and you weren’t even there at that point. Jake continued, completely turning his body to Sam.

“Dude no one ever knows what Josh is saying, I was born with the kid and I still feel like I have to carry around a fucking dictionary to fully comprehend the bullshit he spits out. But Y/N she just… She just knows!” Jake threw his hands up in disbelief.

“Okay that’s enough!” Josh barked out, obviously not as amused with the situation as you were. You were still giggling at it all.

Josh then abruptly stood up from the swing, wrapping your legs around his waist and walking past his two brothers who drunkenly looked at us with dopey smiles.

“Excuse us fuckers. Put out the fire would you?” Josh yelled as he walked both of you back towards the house. You nuzzle your face into his neck as you looked over his shoulder at Sam and Jake who were cracking up at their feisty brother.

“Use protection big man!” Jake yelled out to us, leaving Sam in stitches, collapsing onto the swing.

Josh tapped your butt slightly, getting your attention, “Y/N, flip them off for me would ya?”

You did just that, causing the two boys to blow you kisses in return, sending you into another fit of giggles.

“Thanks babe,” Josh replied as he set you down to open the sliding glass door.

“Babe huh?” You looked up at him, smiling at the cute moment before continuing, “I quite like that.”

Josh smiled down at you, pulling you into another passionate kiss causing whistling to come from the drunk and giddy Kiszka brothers by the fire pit.

Josh broke away from your kiss to flip them off, then promptly throwing you over his shoulder and carrying you inside.

“Joshua put me down!” You yelled through your laughter. He quickly patted your thigh and hiked you up even further onto his shoulder.

“Never again love, you’re mine now.”

#joshua michael kiszka #Josh gvf #josh kiszka #josh x reader #josh kiszka imagine #jake kiska #sam gvf #jake gvf #sam kiszka #danny wagner #GVF #Greta Van Fleet #personal Writing #This makes me smile omfg it's so cute

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magog-on-the-march · 5 years

Link

The idea of exploiting workers in order to tell a story condemning the exploitation of workers is grimly ironic to put it mildly, so when we sit down at E3 to speak with Lanning and Oddworld executive producer Bennie Terry III, we ask what crunch was like for Oddworld on Abe's Oddysee, and if it's improved since.

"No one wants to say, 'This product was done by people who worked 9-to-5, and they all had great healthcare, weekends off, three weeks of vacation, and everyone had that. Here you go.' If it's not great, everyone goes, 'Who cares? Why didn't they lose some fucking sleep to get it done and get it better?'

"The audience is absolutely ruthless, and we should never suspect for a second that they're not. They're absolutely ruthless. They don't care how many people died making the product. [laughing] I mean literally. They don't care. We're ruthless with how we spend our money. We live in a culture that's based on 'Wal Mart's cheaper. Let's go there for our stuff. Amazon Prime delivers without shipping costs. Let's go there.' And that shapes our world. At the end of the day, it's about the quality of what's on screen."

(Full article under the cut for posterity)

The Irony of Oddworld

Lorne Lanning on crunching to make games about the exploitation of workers

Brendan Sinclair | North American Editor | Thursday 25th July 2019

gamesindustry.biz

The 1997 PlayStation-exclusive Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee is very clearly concerned about the exploitation of workers. It centers on the Mudokons, a race that has been enslaved and forced to work in factories by a ruthless company willing to literally putting them through the grinder in an attempt to boost profits.

Clearly, creative director Lorne Lanning has some opinions about capitalism, and he's not exactly shy about it.

But Lanning is also the co-founder of the company behind the game, Oddworld Inhabitants. He was the boss of a company making a video game for profit, in an era where crunch and overwork were pervasive, when the subjects were talked about as virtues in the press on the rare occasions they were mentioned at all.

"It was always terrible," Lanning admits. "And it's still terrible. It's not a burden we try to put on every individual, but for Bennie and I, it's just terrible. And different people at different times rise to the occasion."

He says the idea of a 9-to-5 job in game development is increasingly possible, particularly for "huge companies that have mega-IPs that are doing billions and billions of dollars." Even so, he adds it doesn't seem to be a very common situation for developers.

"I mean, we're past EA Spouse," he says, referring to a 2004 LiveJournal post from the wife of an EA employee detailing numerous issues with the company's treatment of workers. "We're past that, where everyone realized they were basically being exploited for the extreme gain of a select few of the executive class. That's still going on in different places in the world."

Ultimately, Lanning says the problem of crunch in games stems from its nature as an entertainment business.

"I tell this to people we work with all the time, particularly young people," Lanning says. "You have to realize something: we are a luxury class. We're not doing anything important. The important people are picking up your garbage, fixing your medical problems, growing your food, supplying electricity. Those are the important people in civilization; they actually provide a benefit. We're just entertaining people. It's complete luxury; they don't need us."

On top of that, Lanning says entertainment media are in a difficult position because the audience is concerned only with the end product, not the methods of its production.

He likens it to athletes who want to win Olympic gold. They're expected to sacrifice to achieve that goal, from strict diet and exercise regimens to not having a dating life.

"In entertainment, if you want real stability -- and this is where I feel I'm just being honest and not necessarily saying what's politically correct -- if you want to make entertainment that stands out, show me where you can do that where people don't put everything in to get there," Lanning says. "The only ones that are able to do that are the ones who have reached the bar where they now have perfection."

He points to Pixar as an example, saying the animation studio has never had a film that wasn't a hit (although he adds some were bigger than others).

"In the beginning, if you watch [Pixar executive] John Lasseter's videos, he [points to a corner of the room and says], 'And that's my sleeping bag. And that's where I sleep to get these projects done. And if you want to be a great animator, that's what you're going to do too.' That's the legacy of entertainment."

He adds, "I don't believe there's anyone you could talk to who built anything in this business who didn't really persevere night and day to get it done. I've been doing that my entire career. I've had health issues because of it. I wish it weren't that way, but it kind of is."

Lanning asks if we've seen Bohemian Rhapsody. When we say no, he asks if we have a problem with Queen, the band the film was about. We love Queen, we say, but weren't interested in a film that played so fast and loose with the facts.

"Maybe, but see, this is Hollywood," Lanning says. "We're not trying to replicate what was actually true, we're just trying to make something that's inspiring, that you felt was a moving experience."

He then talked about an inspirational scene of the band working through the night to create the song Bohemian Rhapsody.

"Usually with great art, that's what it takes," Lanning says. "I think it was Martha Graham, the founder of modern dance, who said the dilemma of being an artist is living with the dissatisfaction of feeling like nothing is ever complete, done, or as good as it could be. And I think that goes for designers, for directors, for people that are really craftsmen in an artistic sense. The ambitious team is usually going to beat the unambitious team unless you're so fat, like some of the biggest media companies are so fat they can fail and still succeed because they just keep throwing money and bodies at the project."

Given that Abe's Oddysee and the upcoming Oddworld: Soulstorm are about the player character's attempts to organize an exploited labor force to gain power against their oppressors, we finish the interview by asking Lanning about his stance on unions.

"It's kind of like my stance on the death penalty," Lanning says. "Philosophically, I'm fine with the death penalty. I think lots of people deserve not to be here with the rest of us. Practically, I'm concerned about who has that power. If we have such a thing, is it going to be abused and are we just going to shut up political dissidents and stuff like that? Unions are kind of similar.

"My stepfather was a teamster. I saw a lot of things and heard a lot of stories about unions through there. Part of the problems with unions is that they start to encapsulate power and use that in a different way that becomes counterproductive, possibly sometimes, to the industry they're trying to unionize. If we lived in a really healthy, honest world where everyone was fair, we wouldn't need them. But because it's not a fair world, sometimes we do. What would happen to this industry is it would put out most of the small people, but the big ones would survive just fine."

#Oddworld #Lorne Lanning #GamesIndustry #interview

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itsbenedict · 6 years

Text

No Driver’s License: Session 27

No Driver’s License is a Madoka Magica game I’m running for five players, using a homebrew of Yaruki Zero’s Magical Burst system. It follows five magical girls as they deal with an upheaval in the world’s magic system caused by some strange new three-eyed Incubators. They have to figure out what’s going on, who to trust, and how to put a stop to the cycle of despair.

I post session logs and omakes weekly sporadically, both as a reference for the players and for anyone who wants to follow along with the party’s misadventures.

[adventure log- read from the beginning]

[session 26]

Last time on No Driver’s License: the party hashed out an agreement with the Devil, with regard to how the contracting system might be ended and the Devil’s ultimate aims satisfied, in a sort of win-win situation. One useful thing that the Devil told them... well, remember when Sakura and Makoto spent Hope bursts to keep the Hell Engine from crashing into the planet?

They elect to use both bursts to repair the Hell Engine, such that it lands on Earth completely intact- and such that it somehow is improved or fixed in some nonspecific way at my discretion.

And that nonspecific way- which they were until now unaware of- is that the Hell Engine has been converted into a massive, near-bottomless Grief Sink that they can use to dump all their Trauma whenever they want. This is... needless to say, a game-changer. Particularly because it allows them to do very expensive magic-item crafting more or less for free- I had to come up with special rules to determine how all this was going to work.

And so... this session was entirely devoted to crafting. No mining, though.

someday..............

So, first: the Artificing rules! I’ll paste them directly from the doc:

You now have functionally infinite magic to spend on Sorcery artificing! Congratulations. Of course, now we need to figure out how this is going to work mechanically.

Contrary to what some of you seem to be assuming, you cannot spend ridiculous amounts of Overcharge to perform ultra-sorceries above 3OC. You may have infinite mana, but your underlying stat is still the same- you can only produce so potent an effect at once. That’s a big reason this artificing stuff is necessary- because storing up magical power in artifacts that can be used in tandem with each other lets you get away with more than just a Sorcery can do.

Artificing will involve a few different rolls, on which you can fail/barely succeed/succeed/crit as usual. If you get an unfavorable roll on crafting something, that doesn’t mean you can just try again- the results of these rolls represent the outcomes of a concerted attempt to get what you want, and if you fail, that becomes a retroactive limitation of how your attempt to create something like that can turn out. No do-overs.

You can craft magic items using your Domains. Domains are categories of thing you’re capable of using your power to smith- for instance, Ibara isn’t going to be bringing anything to life, and Makoto isn’t going to be making anything out of candy.

Gomu Sakura:

Candy (substrate): Candycraft allows Sakura to generate material. Physical objects of arbitrary size and complexity are allowed, making it versatile- but they will lack motive force, and dissolve in water. They can’t do stuff unless wielded or powered somehow.

Armor: Sakura can create objects which protect things, shielding them against interference or damage in various ways. Except from water.

Blocking: Related to armor, Sakura can create effects that prevent movement. Like her taffy ties things up, and like her carrier blocks teleportation, her artifacts can impose restrictions on physical movement.

Tsutsui Makoto:

Animals (substrate): Makoto can create living things with intelligences. They’re simple, and incapable of speaking to anyone but her, but are versatile- things she creates can be alive.

Earth (substrate): Makoto can make objects out of stone, dirt, clay, etc. Physical objects of arbitrary size and complexity are allowed, but are rigid and easily broken by magical levels of force.

Attention: Items that apply mental effects that manipulate the attention of their user or their target.

Takamine Seina:

Flowers (substrate): Seina’s items are restricted to plantlike forms. They can be alive and move, but only according to very simple conditional instructions. They are fragile and susceptible to flame.

Empathy: Seina’s items can… non-permanently move feelings around. They can make people feel things that other people are feeling, or maybe do some weird shit with Trauma Tracks and Important emotional mechanics.

Healing: Consumables or passive regen equips- or more complicated stuff, potentially, as long as it involves moving hit points around.

Kazama Ibara:

Friction: Friction is pretty versatile, as an “element” that really defines an abstraction used to deal with molecular integrity. Ibara’s stuff can interact with physics in weird ways, changing the physical properties of their surfaces (or the surfaces of their targets) on a microscopic level.

Visibility: Subtly different from attention magic, Ibara’s items can do stuff with what is seen. Hearing and other senses are generally unaffected.

Overdrive: Sometimes you just need to buff your damage output, and it doesn’t matter what you give up to do it. Ibara can make weapons or tools that increase damage output at some kind of cost or risk.

Kotono Yukari:

Time: Yeah, no, Zero, you can’t just arbitrarily time travel. Slows, stops, haste, predictions, all manner of temporal party tricks are available to Yukari’s items, but I’m gonna be really vigilant for funny business.

Guns (substrate): Yukari can make all sorts of conventional firearms- with whatever complex firing mechanisms she can devise.

Sound (substrate): Yukari’s musical items can manipulate sound, hearing, and vibrations. Items of this sort typically produce music as a side effect of whatever they’re doing. The music also lends itself to bard-style support effects. ...Wait, when has this ever been a thing with Yukari?

Creating/Enchanting/Combining

To craft an item, you’ll describe what you’re intending to make, and then negotiate something fair with the GM. You’ll then make two rolls to determine the outcome. (The GM may apply bonuses or penalties to these rolls depending on how simple or complex what you’re going for is.)

The first step of artificing is using your raw Magic stat to create your item’s form. You want a gun that shoots rainbows? Okay, well, you gotta make the gun first. You’re summoning matter into existence in a particular form, and preparing it to be occupied by an enchantment. Laying the groundwork for what you want it to actually do.

A summoned item must match a Domain with the (substrate) tag. That is, Sakura can make candy, Yukari can make guns and musical instruments, Makoto can make animals and rock, and Seina can make plants. Note that Ibara lacks any Domains with the (substrate) tag, and therefore cannot perform this step. When enchanting a mundane object, you must use a mundane object as the base for an enchanted item, treating the creating roll as an automatic 8-10.

Roll 2d6!+Magic.

On a 7 or less, the form of your item is badly broken or warped somehow, and is incapable of serving the purpose its shape implies- though if the enchantment in step 2 doesn’t rely on the form, this might just mean that the enchantment ends up weak.

On an 8-10, or when using a mundane base, your item comes out pretty much as intended, with some small flaw that keeps it from reaching its full potential. Whatever you intended the magic to do, it’ll do something closely related but in some way lesser.

On an 11-14, your item has no physical flaws, and is ready to accept the magic you’re about to pour into it without causing any problems.

On a 15+, you go a little overboard, and- while the strength of the subsequent enchantment is either unaffected or increased- something goes wrong that’ll mean the enchantment does something more than you meant it to on top of its intended effect.

The second step is enchanting the item, shaping the magic you poured into it to have the effect you described. Depending on whether the effect is intended to support your team or hurt an enemy, roll either Heart or Fury. This roll cannot be Boosted.

Roll 2d6!+Heart or 2d6!+Fury.

On a 7 or less, your effect comes out wrong, and comes with a costly drawback or complication that means it’s almost certainly not practical to use, unless you do some work to make it useful even with the drawback.

On an 8-10, the effect is correct, but not as potent as you’d like, having a limitation that makes it unreliable or just less effective than it could be.

On an 11-14, the effect is exactly as negotiated before rolls were made. Congrats!

On a 15+, the effect is way too much- it causes some kind of collateral damage or endangers those nearby when used. It can be used for its intended purpose, as long as you’re prepared to deal with the fallout.

Normally, this is the point where you’re done. But… what if you want to combine your Domains to make something really useful? Unfortunately, magic isn’t that simple- while it can abstract away a lot of the implementation details when you’re exercising your own magic, it doesn’t play nice with others. There’s no combo magic (unless you’ve developed a power for it, or used a Hope burst).

This doesn’t mean you can’t do it, though- it just means you have to get creative. Maybe Yukari can’t make a gun that shoots entangling vines, but if she makes a gun that accelerates time for its bullets, and Seina makes seeds that grow into entangling vines, you can load one into the other for a similar effect. You need to actually figure out how distinct parts can interact to produce the effect you’re interested in.

All players involved roll 2d6+Real, and pick the preferred result.

On a 7 or less, there’s some irritating incompatibility with the way one of your items functions that scraps the whole plan. Your parts might have some utility on their own, but can’t be combined.

On an 8-10, it’s kind of a kludge, but it works- though there’s something that makes the resulting assembly unstable or difficult to use without ensuring certain conditions are met.

On an 11+, you’re golden. Nice work.

(This roll of course assumes that your combo idea is not incredibly stupid, and actually stands some chance of working, even if magic has to smooth over some of the cracks in the plan.)

So... with that said, here’s what they ended up crafting!

Sakura tries to create a jetpack using the same principle as her moon rocket- mentos-and-diet-coke rocketry. Unfortunately, she gets an 8-10 on both rolls, so the effect is limited- in this case, by fuel requirements.

Next up: Ibara’s got plans.

So, the idea with her Casey Bats was supposed to be like, high-risk, high-reward- increase the miss chance for bonus damage. But, uh, we couldn’t really balance the numbers on that to be worth it, so what we ended up with was:

Yukari tries to make Synapse Bullets, thingies that give you extra actions when you attack with them, in hopes of producing a combo-hit chain reaction to oneshot her foes. She does not succeed- but what she makes is still pretty sick.

Next up: Sakura and Seina try to work together to create a combo armor that regenerates over time. Unfortunately, Sakura fails her substrate roll, and her armor comes out so brittle that it shatters in a single hit. The end result is a breastplate that can absorb one attack- after which it shatters. However, the regen part from Seina works fine- so the armor will knit itself back together in two turns, unless the wearer takes a second hit before it regenerates. If that happens, the cracked armor is completely destroyed and does not regenerate.

Undaunted, she goes for another combo- this time with Makoto. They’ve got an idea apparently inspired by something from Dungeon Meshi- a suit of autonomous armor, piloted by a bunch of weird flat mollusk creatures that act as musculature. Makoto’s Animals domain makes the pilots, and Sakura’s candy and armor domains make the armor. There’s some complications in the rolls, though:

Makoto then does some stuff of her own- particularly, she wants to create a guard for Yoshe, so the team isn’t forced to rely on their unreliable allies or else leave a member of the team behind all the time. She decides to create a gorilla with stone powers, which can earthbend stone restraints around Yoshe that’ll keep her from killing herself to escape.

So- her other roll is just fine, so it does what she wants, which is nonlethally incapacitate Yoshe- but the limitation is that the gorilla can’t create stone or anything, which means if they use the ability, they need to pull stone out of the ground and crush the cat carrier they’re using to block Kimiko from teleport-rescuing Yoshe. As a failsafe, it’s one-use and pretty risky. Still- big gorilla with earthbending powers, not bad in combat.

Then Seina makes Leech Seed, and it comes out perfect. Just use a support action, and an enemy is tagged with a 1hp/turn health drain. Bam.

Makoto’s turn again- and she wants to make a castle. Like, castles are made of stone, right? And she has earth powers? That counts? It’s... there’s high penalties on the roll, but she manages to nail them both, and the result is a little seed thing that can be deployed to grow an instant mini-castle across two zones, which acts like her old Labyrinth ability- blocks ranged attacks. And also it’s a castle. It’s pretty sick.

Lastly, Yukari decides that it’s Guns Time, and does some combo work with Sakura and Ibara. The combo with Sakura is a gun that can allow anyone to use her taffy ability- though because the rolls go a little overboard, the gun’s got hella recoil and pushes back the user one zone.

With Ibara... oh boy. They decide to just make a Very Big Very Strong Gun, Stronger Than Any Other Gun, Ever. Yukari’s rolls:

Ibara gets an auto 8-10 on the substrate, and:

And they combine just fine, but... oh boy. They deliberately tried to make an Overkill Gun, and then they crit on every single roll, for maximum overkill.

So, the thing with this sniper rifle, the Dis Astranagant...

Yeah. You want overkill, you get overkill. You’re welcome.

So, first artificing session, let’s review! (item counts are higher than they were at the end of this session, since they’ve had time to make more since then, and the doc was updated directly.)

Plus the Dis Astranagant.

Uh- by the way, before doing this, Seina tripped her Overcharge Fallout, and rolled on the random tables to get a change of some kind- which in fiction we had as the result of overusing magic during crafting. And it landed on, uh...

Yyyyyyyeahp. This is a thing that happened!

Anyway, after all this... the plot shows up again! Hatsu-chan- just some random incubator, kinda sleepy-sounding- shows up to deliver a message, much like the nameless one (”Nagato-chan”, nicknamed by Sakura) did to invite them to ride Seelenfaust to the Hell Engine.

So- they follow, more confident this time because of their arsenal and small army of minions. What could go wrong?

Makoto summons a fleet of sea turtles to ride across the bay to the city, and the team follows Hatsu-chan to where Nishi invited them to help out. Makoto’s Amulets of Somebody Else’s Problem (from the original artificing session) make this a little easier.

And there, next to a witch barrier the size of a city block, the exterior of which looks like a giant oven... they find Akagi Anzu. (The little terrified girl, if you recall.)

Anzu- fighting back panic- explains that Nishi also invited her to help with this witch, but that- while Nishi went inside to deal with it- Anzu was too afraid to follow, and has been sticking around outside out of shame and indecisiveness. With some good Heart rolls, the party is able to calm her down, more or less, and she accepts a gift of one of the now-cheap Somebody Else’s Problem amulets, which is kind of a godsend for her.

Except... she doesn’t quite trust the party, and uses Sense Magic on the amulet to make sure it’s not trapped. And... she gets a crit. On a crit with Sense Magic, your magic sense is detected and you draw unwanted attention somehow.

Now, I was planning this anyway, but- remember Sokokoko Sokoko? The feral cannibal girl who the team defeated as a witch, and frozen temporarily by Tama-chan, but which would eventually regenerate if they didn’t deal with permanently?

Anzu runs like hell, the team prepares for combat, and that’s where we leave off. Next time: A rematch against TRIGGERED??, and the oven witch barrier.

#no driver's license

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lamgrace1993 · 4 years

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journeysintowebcomics · 6 years

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Worm Liveblog #46

UPDATE 46: Nothing Good Ever Happens to Him

Last time Flechette had gone to her first patrolling since she arrived to Brockton Bay to be a temporary member of the Wards. She had intended to bond with Shadow Stalker, wanting to have a friend of her same age and gender. You can guess how that went, given Shadow Stalker’s vigilantism tendencies. At least she managed to connect with Parian, so it’s not all bad. Let’s continue with the next chapter!

“Welcome to Parahumans 103: Theories and Patterns. I see we have a packed auditorium, and according to the enrollment list, we have no less than three hundred students taking the TV course. A bump up from the last two trimesters, so I must be doing something right.”

Oh, nice. Looks like this chapter may have some explanations regarding parahumans. That’s always nice. Given that most Wards and some PRT members are here, I suppose there’s some credibility regarding the accuracy of this course, unless they all came here to watch if this guy knows what he’s talking about – unlikely. You don’t need all Wards to be here for that.

Although...some of the Wards aren’t paying attention. Hm. Maybe being here is something they can’t avoid, maybe it’s mandatory?

Only thirteen people present, altogether.

...well! This must be a hella tiny auditorium! They’re lucky three hundred students are taking the TV course, although I’d bet only around 75% are taking it with some seriousness. This is a college class, it seems.

“For this class, I want you to think. Parahumans. People with powers. They’ve been around for nearly thirty years. Where did they come from? Why are they here? It’s common knowledge that parahumans are ordinary individuals who gained abilities. It is too easy, however, to assume that this is the sum total of our knowledge. I want you to think further on the subject. For example, why does virtually every parahuman ability have some application in confrontation and combat? Is this the nature of humans, to turn any progress to violent ends, be it science or superpower? Or is it by design, an individual’s hand at work?

Huh. Well, I’m not completely sure every single parahuman ability is meant to be used in confrontation and combat, but yeah, everyone knows a trait humans have is that we can get really creative when we want to be. It’d be no problem for a parahuman to think of a way to use their ability during a strife. The amount of parahumans who don’t want to use them for any kind of confrontation seems to be rather low, at least I judge that by the number of known rogues so far, compared to the amount of heroes and villains there are.

I suppose there’s a possibility it is by design, that something in the parahumans’ brains change at the moment they obtain their abilities, something that makes them be predisposed to fighting and combat. It’s already known trigger events and gaining skills can affect a person’s brain and behavior. It’s possible it happens to everyone and nobody has realized it yet.

Miss Militia’s...vision from when she gained her own skill is a bit puzzling, though, now that this guy mentions it could be an individual’s hand at work. Wasn’t the colossal being breaking down, wasn’t it dying? Hard for it to be controlling anything when it’s dead. I can’t rule out the possibility parahumans are influenced in some way, though. That is, if such vision wasn’t something kind of metaphorical. It could have been Miss Militia’s mind coping with the newly gained power.

With the destructive potential of these abilities, why do so very few individuals perish in the chaotic and unpredictable emergence of their talents?

Instinctual knowledge on how to use the powers, perhaps? Studying what went wrong in those few individuals who died at their awakening may be a good idea.

Wow, it seems this chapter will be filled with a lot of worldbuilding. A good time as any to learn and try to see if my understanding of the powers here is accurate enough.

Throughout the course, we’re going to be looking at correlations and patterns, both in relation to trigger events and other things. For example, how does the nature of the trigger event shape the power? A study by Garth and Rogers suggests that psychological stress leads to a higher prevalence of mentally driven powers. Tinkers, thinkers, masters, shakers. The more physical violence that is involved, the higher the bias towards physically driven powers.

It’s true that trigger events seem to be related in some way to the powers, but in some cases not directly – not that I can say much about this stuff, I only know a total of two awakenings: Taylor’s and Brian’s. Taylor’s was filled with a lot of anguish and desperation, she felt the insects not in the locker but in a considerable ratio. I’m not sure how what happened to her is related to the bugs, but...yeah, it could be said there was a link between her awakening and her power, even if it is a very tenuous link. Brian’s awakening doesn’t seem to have much in relation to his power, but I should point I don’t know the exact circumstances of the moment he triggered. Maybe it was dark. Maybe he had wanted to blend with the shadows to stay out of that man’s sight and attack stealthily. All I know about Brian’s awakening is the broad details. Maybe if I ever see another trigger event described here in Worm, I can have a better idea of the correlation, or maybe it’ll be answered here in this chapter, anyway.

Yeah, it seems families have an easier time awakening to powers, most likely without the need for triggers. There’s something rather curious about the fact powers can be passed to future generations or siblings, it suggests some sort of genetic predisposition, which is...unlikely, I think.

Turns out none of the Wards are interested in this in the slightest. As I thought, they’re not here because they want to be! This is Piggot wanting to give them an education. Does she think knowing the details about how their power works will help them? Maybe it will, but...yeah, given the current state of the city, it’s unlikely they’ll have much use for this stuff. I sympathize with Clockblocker here.

Hell, it was on videotape, a recording of last year’s lectures. Why couldn’t they watch it in their off hours? It was just a fucked up set of priorities enforced on them from the people in charge.

Oh, it wasn’t a live class? I suppose that explains why the teacher’s words didn’t fit the, you know, the fact there were only thirteen people here. I’m pretty sure most Wards wouldn’t watch this, not even in their off hours.

More women than men have powers, for example, and there are more powers in undeveloped countries than there are in industrialized ones

Hm. More chances for powers to awaken in those undeveloped countries, I suppose. A harder life gives you tougher situations to battle, and when you’re losing, you get that boost through a power. It’s not like parahumans are rare, though. Don’t get me wrong, I know that in a city like Brockton Bay, which surely has dozens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people (or even more than that), the number of parahumans isn’t going to go over a hundred or two hundred. Parahumans are rare. But these few parahumans are very known, the effects of their presence is felt by everybody. Undeveloped countries must be quite...difficult to live in, if more awakenings than usual happen in those places.

Witch burnings in Uganda, most likely because people feared parahumans and their weird abilities. Oh joy.

“Another pattern we will be exploring is the apparent effect of multiple trigger events occurring in the same time and place. There is a very strong correlation between coinciding trigger events and individuals displaying three or more powers rather than one or two predominant ones.”

It took me a few times to understand this paragraph. So…those capes that have several powers…it may be because more than one cape awakened at the same time than them. I wonder…if that happens, then all capes that awaken at the same time in the same area would all have more than one power? It’s unlikely they’d have the same ability, but would they both have lots of powers?

Unlike the other teachings so far, this does have some immediate practical use, Kid Win asks Flechette if she knows about other parahumans awakening at the same time than hers. There was a villain…but it’s not confirmed if that has anything to do with Flechette. Still, it’s worth thinking. Weld has no patience for people talking during class, and tells them to shut up and pay attention – in kinder yet blunter terms than these. Yeah, Weld’s not endearing himself to the rest yet. It’s a shame, I know he has good intentions, but it’s going to be hard to lead the team if nobody likes him.

Scion is a deviation to the norm – I’d think so, being the first parahuman ever. The Endbringers are deviation to the norm – I’d think so too, I mean, they weren’t ever human, according to Tattletale. Nilbog may or may not be a deviation to the norm – who the heck is Nilbog? The last deviation mentioned are the Case 53, the one with the tattoos. Weld is one of them and Clockblocker knows it. I wonder if anyone in the Wards will ask him about how he got powers? It could give us readers some information about this clearly abnormal situation.

Weeks five and six, assuming we’re on schedule, we’ll pull all earlier material together and discuss the beginnings of the parahuman phenomenon. Not for the individual, as with trigger events, but as a whole. Where do capes come from? There is the patient zero theory, typically working under the assumption that Scion is the source of these abilities. This, however, raises questions about where Scion came from. The theory is corroborated by the case of Andrew Hawke, who came into contact with Scion on the very first sighting of the hero, only to manifest powers of his own… but there are others who manifested powers without ever coming into contact with Scion or entering a location where Scion had visited.”

“There’s the viral theory, supposing some advanced virus, though it is flimsy at best in justifications, with no identified culprits, method of transmission or explanation as to how it provides the actual powers. The genetics theory is popular, but has been thoroughly debunked.

Okay, this is a lot of information. Let’s see what theory I think it more likely…genetics is off the table. While it’s true families have powers and those powers are similar to each other, this wouldn’t explain how people awaken to powers. The theory about Scion being the source of these abilities…unless he was floating around Taylor’s school when she had her trigger event, that sounds unlikely. Viral theory…that may be it. If I remember biology correctly, viruses modify the host’s DNA in the cells it invades, and multiplies to continue invading the body. I think there’d be some logic in that theory. The problem I see is that they’d have to determine where the virus came from, and that’s going to be hella tough. Then again, nothing is easy when it’s about doing science.

The Parahuman Theory Power Hour is interrupted when Clockblocker receives an urgent message. He should go see his father in the hospital. Dang…did his father get injured recently, during the Leviathan incident or during the riots happening right now? This isn’t going to help Clockblocker feel any better about having to sit around listening to year-old classes.

At some point, Clockblocker’s father got sick with an infection, and he’s now dying. He won’t last long. That’s why Clockblocker has to go to the hospital right now. I suppose it’s not impossible the infection happened because of the attack or because what’s going on now. He doesn’t leave immediately, first he asks Glory Girl to have a word with him outside.

“New Wave may be disbanding. My mom suggested that if I wanted to keep being a hero, I should consider joining the Wards. So I’m here, checking things out. Your leader and director okayed it.”

Oh. Dang, the two deaths this family suffered really hit them hard…is Panacea going to join the Wards too? Maybe. I don’t think Lady Photon will stop being a hero, maybe Laserdream will…hm. I never thought someone would stop being a hero after the attack. Glory Girl isn’t sure if she’ll join or if she’ll be like a vigilante. The portraits in the lobby don’t help leave behind the pain and sorrow, that’s for sure. It’d be tough to walk through there, with Gallant’s portrait watching you.

The reason why Clockblocker wanted to talk with her is because he wants to ask Glory Girl if Panacea could heal his father. He has leukemia, he has an infection because he got injured during the Leviathan attack…I feel bad for him and Clockblocker, that’s really awful. I hope Panacea does heal this guy’s father. Glory Girl won’t promise anything, but…maybe it’ll happen!

Weld and Vista exit the room to let Clockblocker know they paused the video for when they return – a tacit ‘permission granted’ for Clockblocker to leave. He doesn’t want to tell the rest about what’s going on with his father, he doesn’t want to make anyone else worry.

“I’ll trust you have reason for this,” Weld smiled slightly, showing a row of white metal teeth, “But don’t take too long. You’re on patrol at two this afternoon, and that doesn’t allow us much leeway for delays if we want to finish watching.”

Oh my god. I know Weld has the best intentions, and I know he’s not aware of what’s happening with Clockblocker’s father, but he really has an uncanny skill to say the wrong stuff at the wrong time. Are we sure that’s not his secondary power or something? I’m amazed Clockblocker managed to not say anything besides ‘alright’ until Weld returned inside.

At least Vista is willing to give him a chance, and defends him when Clockblocker comments what it’s he doesn’t like about Weld – that Weld is asking them to work as hard as he’s working, which is no mean feat. Something about this all makes Clockblocker snidely ask Vista if she’s channeling Gallant—oh my goodness, this whole team is falling apart. Brockton Bay may be falling into pieces right now, and so are the Wards! There goes Vista, running away, and this didn’t earn any brownie points with Glory Girl, either. At least she kind of forgives him.

“But you’d better go after that girl and apologize. Because the way I heard it from Kid Win, you were the one who told everyone else to be extra nice to her, because she was taking it hard. You convinced Shadow Stalker to play nice, and from what Kid Win said before class started, that was a pretty big deal. Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know your team like you do, but I’d guess that if you don’t fix this, your team won’t forgive you for a long time.”

Well, yeah, they hardly will forgive him, even with the stuff about his father. ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ is not a good leadership style – even if Clockblocker is not the leader. Spurred by Glory Girl, he hurries down the hall to look for Vista.

No wonder Vista was hit so hard by Gallant’s death. She had a crush on him. Even though she knew she had no chances with him, she still liked being with him. That’s rough…it seems it wasn’t a secret, and Gallant never had anything bad to say about Vista. He never had anything bad to say about anyone. Well, no, he had bad things to say like any normal teenager when he was forced to do stuff that was a huge hassle.

But what Clockblocker wants to make Vista see, is that Gallant enjoyed spending time with him and with her, using as an example how he smiled or replied ‘great’ when he was assigned to patrolling with Clockblocker or her. Ah, that’s a rather nice detail. Good show-don’t-tell, even if it was a secondhand account from another character.

Clockblocker has so much frustration inside it’s a wonder he hasn’t tried to punch Weld.

I was, am, angry. At the pointlessness of what happened, what’s still happening out there. I get frustrated and angry when I’m here, because I feel like I should be out on the streets. I get pissed off when I’m out on patrol because I feel like I should be with my family… but when I’m with my family, I feel frustrated and helpless because I can’t do anything there…

There are very few emotions worse than knowing there’s nothing you can’t do about something you’d like to change. Asking Panacea for help must have been his very last resort option, and it’s not guaranteed she’ll do anything. Heck, he hasn’t even talked to her face to face.

At least this sincere heart-to-heart is helping Vista cheer up a little, so I’d say he is forgiven. The team’s weakened bonds will last for a while longer. With some luck they’ll all get a break, the civilians will stop rioting, and everyone will be able to mourn properly.

…

…it’s only going to get worse, isn’t it? Since the first chapter, everything in Brockton Bay keeps escalating. It’s hard to imagine something more brutal or deadly than an Endbringer attack, and there are like twenty arcs left. What else do you have in your box of frightening surprises, Mr. Wildbow?

“…I was taking it out on the new guy, when he probably doesn’t deserve it.”

In all fairness, the new guy isn’t getting A+ in sensitivity.

“I miss the old Dennis. The guy who picked a sorta rude codename and announced himself in front of the news so Piggy and the other people in charge couldn’t really make him change it. Because it was funny. Because he liked pushing the limits and because he saw this all as something fun. The new Dennis is so angry. Now I guess I get why.”

“Aren’t you? Angry? At everything that’s going on? At the unfairness of what happened?”

She shook her head, which amounted to rubbing her head against his shoulder. “Yeah. But you can’t let it consume you. If you really don’t like Weld, you don’t have to force yourself to get along with him. But don’t stay like this. Don’t stay angry.”

Wow…are we sure Vista is just thirteen years old? She’s being rather mature right now, and generally I’d say she has good control over her emotions. This is a very mature kid. I’m starting to be fond of her.

I know she’s a secondary character and therefore I don’t think she’s going to make lots of appearances in the main story, but here I do this, as a token of appreciation. What a good kid. Chances are she’s the only Ward that’ll have a meter.

Say, since I gave her one, I better give Armsmaster one too. I meant to do it before but I forgot.

Sure, I despise him, but as a character I’m rather interested in what he’s doing and where it’ll go. I wonder how his “retirement” is going? In the Birdcage? Is he really there? Anyway, yeah, I’m interested in him.

The poignant emotional moments are over when they go to return to the classroom. There’s trouble. Wards away!

Alright, this goes beyond ‘trouble’. I’ll spare you the description. All you have to know, is that it’s not a pretty scene. It’s rather brutal, three mutilated bodies in three different ways. That kind of hints to three different attackers, doesn’t it? Because the MOs are so different. It’s also said there are another two crime scenes like this one. As if the riots and the destruction of the city hadn’t been enough trouble. I knew things were going to get worse! Knowing this story is full of people with powers, I suppose there are three superpowered murderers on the loose.

The Travelers are here. It’s unlikely they’re the ones who did all this, but since they’re, you know, villains and therefore are untrustworthy, Weld tries to get them to come, because they’re suspects anyway.

“Let us go. Whatever happened here, it deserves your full attention. You should be trying to find and capture the real criminals. This guy here was still alive when we arrived.” Trickster pointed at the man with the chain limbs.

I wonder if he said anything. Well, even if he did, it’s unlikely the Travelers will be cooperative, what with Weld’s request of turning themselves in. Not wanting to be imprisoned, a fight ensues.

Until now I had only seen Tricker’s power as a way to help, I hadn’t seen it during a fight. While Ballistic keeps Weld on the defensive through continuous assaults with thrown objects – some of which may get stuck on Weld, if he throws something metallic – and Genesis is the close combat fighter of the team, Trickster gives support by swapping people around and causing confusion. Clockblocker is taken away before he can freeze anyone, Kid Win’s shot is countered by swapping him with Trickster himself…it’s going to be difficult to get a good grip on this guy, with all these teleportation hijinks.

Sundancer’s sun is also rather effective at keeping people away, nobody wants to be close to a superheated orb, and it can also set nearby wood on fire.

To try to counter Trickster, several of the Wards charge at once towards him, so if Clockblocker is swapped with anyone he won’t be taken too far away. Vista’s space-warping skill also helps get there faster. Hm. Shadow Stalker is still away, isn’t she? Clockblocker could be swapped with her, or Trickster could swap himself with one of the Wards. Catching him is going to be rather difficult.

Weld ducked one of Ballistic’s attacks, then charged for the orb, striking it out of the air with one fist. The blow dispersed it enough that Sundancer couldn’t draw it back together, and a wave of hot air washed over everyone present.

Weld, for his part, staggered back, his hand glowing white-hot. He flexed his glowing hand, and it moved slowly, stiffly. Even as far down as his elbow, the metal of his arm was an orange-red.

How fortunate it wasn’t hot enough to melt! Still, that’s going to stay hot for a while. Good thinking, Weld, if a tad risky. Sundancer is much easier to deal with than Trickster, he keeps getting Clockblocker in situations where he could freeze one of his teammates. My mind is blank regarding ideas about how to capture him.

There’s not much progress, soon the Wards are in the center and the Travelers are to the sides. Easy enough position to attack, if they wanted. Escaping, though, that’s going to be difficult, at least for two of the Travelers. Guess the fight won’t be over yet.

Genesis exhales lots of a vapor that seems to be created specifically to make them have a hard time breathing. Even a trace of it makes Clockblocker cough.

So, that’s what a changer nine brings to the table. Different forms, each with their own powers.

You got that wrong, pal. If I remember correctly, this here is a projection, the real Genesis is not present here during the fight. She’s somewhere else, most likely nearby. In that case, can she be defined as a changer nine? Maybe, yeah, but it’s possible another classification is needed. Then again, it’s possible the Wards and the Protectorate aren’t aware of how Genesis’ power works!

At least it seems that one way for Clockblocker and Weld to get along is to fight villains. Thank goodness! You know what they say, fire-forged friendships are forever. Who knows if they’ll reach such level.

He realized what it was, this calm. Whatever else it was, this fight was a refuge from that feeling that had plagued him since the fight with Leviathan ended. The feeling that he was always in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, in the face of a city in crisis and a dying father. This, right here, was where he was needed.

This is what I’m here for.

Hm. I’d chalk it up to the adrenaline, but if Clockblocker is feeling better and can take his mind off the lots of problems his life has, then it’s good. Good luck, guys.

So first it was Weld, then it was Flechette, then it was Clockblocker...I suppose Vista, Shadow Stalker and Kid Win are still yet to come. I wonder which one will be the next? Guess that’ll be for next time!

Next update: in six updates

#worm #worm liveblog #story liveblog #liveblog #book liveblog

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silverscribblesuniverse · 7 years

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MORE ADHD VIKTOR HEADCANNONS!

Hey Friends! So one of the most beautiful parts of Yuri on Ice is how Yuuri’s anxiety is depicted, right? It’s a really interesting detail, which makes him a much more complex, 3-dimensional character – which in turn gives the story more emotional stakes, and makes the viewers want to root for him.

Another lovely thing about it, is that lot of viewers who have Anxiety in real life found a character that they could relate to – a strong, wonderful, precious character who achieves great things, despite his mental health issues.

SO, keeping that in mind, I’d like to share a long-held head cannon of mine (though I certainly wasn't the first to think of it) about another beloved YOI Character.

Since October is ADHD Awareness Month, I present for your consideration: ADHD Viktor!

(Based on my personal, real-life knowledge and experiences managing my own ADHD)

ENJOY! (it’s a VERY long post, sorry not sorry, lol)

- Viktor has Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive Type ADHD.

[According to the DSM-5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, *which is the most recent edition, published in 2013) ADHD is broken down into three sub-types: Hyperactive Type, Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive Type and *Inattentive Type (*Previously referred to as “ADD” – or Attention Deficit Disorder without Hyperactivity).]

- He’s never been FORMALLY diagnosed though, because OBVIOUSLY talented/“gifted”/successful people can’t POSSIBLY have an Executive Functioning Disorder/Neurodevelopmental Disorder.

[*SARCASM*]

- When he was a little kid (like 4 or 5) he had SO MUCH ENERGY. TOO MUCH ENERGY. ALL THE ENERGY ALL THE TIME. He was ALWAYS talking too much and “getting into trouble” – his constant outbursts were nearly impossible for the adults in his life to handle. So, his parents/guardians enrolled him in various sports, hoping to channel some of that energy into something “more productive”.

[Hello, Hyperactive Symptoms!]

- That’s when he FELL IN LOVE with skating – it was all he ever wanted to do, all he ever wanted to think about, all he ever wanted to talk about, all he ever cared about.

[Ahh, yes, there’s that typical ADHD fixation/obsession]

- And he was good – INCREDIBLY GOOD. So he kept going; He kept getting better and better, and eventually got into Jr. Competitions, where he started winning. And then . . . he kept winning. Suddenly, everyone (especially adults) started praising him for his “dedication” and “focus” – he wasn't constantly being reprimanded for his behaviour anymore; he wasn't being told to “sit still” and “stop fidgeting” anymore.

[People with ADHD often tend to develop a very low self-esteem, because, as children, they are constantly being scolded for their behaviour (Behaviour which they cannot control, because their brains are literally wired differently).]

- But, the praise and attention was only a tiny piece of the puzzle. What REALLY mattered to Viktor was that he had found something he loved, and he was GOOD at it. He finally felt like he belonged somewhere; completely at home on the ice.

[Subconsciously, skating may have given Viktor an incredible creative outlet (People with ADHD tend to be “creative types”), while the exercise during practice may have given him an awesome boost of serotonin, endorphins and DOPAMINE (The leading theory is that ADHD is linked to/caused by an imbalance/lack of dopamine – that’s why stimulant medications can sometimes help. Exercise is also a highly encouraged lifestyle management tool for those with ADHD).]

- So, Viktor kept skating because he loved it, because he excelled at it, and soon he was the Junior World Champion. Things still weren't perfect though – Yakov always yelled at him for spacing out during practice, getting distracted during interviews, forgetting things all over the place, constantly being late (or outright forgetting commitments altogether) and just generally showing a lack of interest/care in anything that didn't involve him physically skating.

[There you are, Inattentive Symptoms; welcome to the party!]

- But like . . . it isn't Viktor’s fault that interviews are so boring. And, besides, Yakov always took care of the scheduling and stuff – if something important came up, Yakov would just remind him!

[People with undiagnosed ADHD tend to subconsciously develop their own “coping” mechanisms to counteract their symptoms – like perfectionism, avoidance, excessive procrastination, or dependency on others.]

- As an adult, Viktor made a name for himself as a figure skating LEGEND. So . . . If he was late sometimes, or distracted, or overly-emotional, it’s totally FINE – LEGENDS like himself are ALLOWED to be ECCENTRIC.

[ADHD can often go unrecognised/undiagnosed/misdiagnosed well into adulthood – especially in “gifted” individuals. ADHD symptoms are also often overlooked, as it can present comorbid with other conditions such as Depression, Anxiety, OCD, ASD (Including Aspergers Syndrome), Tourette’s, Dyslexia, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder (just to name a few).]

- But now, Viktor’s reaching the end of his career – he’s a 5 time World Champion and . . . nothing is as easy as it once was. He has no more inspiration. He can’t surprise the audience anymore. He’s still winning . . . but it isn't fun anymore. It doesn't make him happy anymore.

[Maybe it’s because no one is good enough to challenge him, so competitions aren't interesting anymore. Or maybe it’s because he’s lonely, with no time for Life or Love . . . but part of the boredom/malaise could ALSO be the lack of DOPAMINE taking its toll. DOPAMINE is responsible for regulating the “reward centre” of the brain – people with ADHD might not feel the same “rush” as others when they achieve things – like getting good grades, being promoted or receiving an award].

- AND THEN comes the infamous banquet – where Viktor meets Katsuki Yuuri, HIS FUTURE HUSBAND AND THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE. Now, Viktor LOVES skating . . . but he can’t remember EVER being happier than when he was dancing with Yuuri. And sure, he’s had lovers before, but NOTHING ever felt like THIS. He is 100%, absolutely, irrevocably, unquestionably IN LOVE. IT’S ALL SO NEW AND EXCITING AND SCARY AND WONDERFUL AND YUURI IS PERFECT AND VIKTOR IS FEELING ALL THE THINGS!!!

[Another symptom of ADHD (and many other psychiatric conditions) is “Emotional Dysregulation” – people with ADHD can find it hard to control their emotions, often have rapidly shifting emotions, feel their emotions INCREDIBLY INTENSELY, and then tend to act on them impulsively. They often view problems/life in “black and white”; It’s pretty much “all or nothing” feelings-wise.]

- One thing leads to another, and suddenly Viktor has dropped EVERYTHING to fly to JAPAN to be Yuuri’s coach on a WHIM because he is overjoyed and excited and in love – AND THERE’S NO WAY THIS COULD POSSIBLY BACKFIRE! THIS IS THE BEST DECISION HE’S EVER MADE EVER.

[There’s that classic ADHD impulsivity/recklessness/risk-taking.]

- He expects Yuuri to be overjoyed to see him – they’re going to skate and talk and have “slumber parties” and fall in love! But . . . that doesn't happen. Not right away, in any case. Instead, Viktor shows up and Yuuri runs away – he doesn't want to have slumber parties and he starts avoiding him and he acts like he doesn't even REMEMBER the banquet! It’s like Yuuri isn't happy to see him at all. So, Viktor may have been a bit teary-eyed, as he went to sleep ALONE (apart from Makkachin) that first night in Hasetsu.

[Some people with ADHD also experience something called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) – an extreme emotional sensitivity to PERCEIVED rejection/criticism].

- Viktor and Yuuri slowly become closer over time; working on their relationships (both personal and coach/student) and figuring out how to communicate . . . even though Viktor has a tendency to be too blunt/push too hard/be too clingy at times.

[EPISODE 2]

VIKTOR: So, do you have feelings for Minako? Do you have a lover now? What about ex-lovers?

YUURI: I’d rather not talk about it . . .

VIKTOR: Then let’s talk about me! Let’s see, my first –

[EPISODE 3]

VIKTOR: The truth is, you’re actually both FAR MORE mediocre than you think. You need to be more self-aware.

[EPISODE 4]

VIKTOR: Yuuri! Why don’t we get some food?

Yuuri! Want to soak in the springs together?

Yuuri! How about a slumber party?

[EPISODE 5]

VIKTOR: It’s amazing you got such a high score after running your face into a wall, but thanks for proving me right about your ability to get a solid PCS! And don’t worry about letting me down, I know you’ll do better next time!”

[EPISODE 7]

VIKTOR: I'm not very good with people crying

Skater’s hearts are as fragile as glass – let’s try shattering his into pieces . . .

[People with ADHD tend to have communication issues. They might not easily pick up on the emotions of others, interrupt often or otherwise steam-roll conversations. They commonly tend to talk too much, talk too loudly, speak before they think, or say incredibly blunt/hurtful things (all without even realizing what they are doing), which can make them come across as callous, self-centred or tactless. Impatience can also be a HUGE problem – they may tend to dive into new things head-first and don’t always take the time to properly assess situations/build relationships. People with ADHD are often described as being “intense”/“overbearing” or having “BIG PERSONALITIES”; opposingly, they might also be perceived as “flaky”/“aloof”/“uncaring”(depending on ADHD Type and Symptoms Exhibited).]

- Eventually, things start heading in the right direction. Viktor is a fully-fledged coach, and Yuuri just keeps getting better; constantly growing and surprising him. Coaching is exciting for Viktor, because it’s new and novel and he gets to be with Yuuri – but it’s also exhausting, because now it’s HIS job to take care of all the scheduling/organizing/memorizing/time management – things that Yakov used to do. Things that definitely DON’T play to his own strengths.

[EPISODE 2]

VIKTOR: Uh, oh, that’s not a happy face. Let me guess, I forgot to do something I said I would do?

[EPISODE 2]

VIKTOR: Ha, ha, ha, yea, I remember now, it totally slipped my mind! I'm sorry, but you know how I forget stuff sometimes . . .

[EPISODE 5]

YUURI: I must have told you a million times – but in last year’s nationals I BOMBED EVERYTHING . . .

[EPISODE 5]

YUURI: Do you have any idea where Viktor is? It’s about to start and I can’t find him!

VIKTOR: Sorry, were you waiting?

[EPISODE 6]

YUURI: Come on, Viktor! We’ll miss the flight if we don’t get moving!

[EPISODE 6]

VIKTOR: I'm hungry and this is boring, can we go get hot pot now?

YUURI: I'm kinda in the middle of an interview here . . .

[EPISODE 10]

VIKTOR: Do you want to try my hot wine?

YUURI: No, I don’t like to drink before a competition

VIKTOR: Oh, right, I forgot.

There are other little quirks of Viktor’s coaching too; but maybe that’s just because it’s all so new to him. He doesn't have the most experience – but he DEFINITELY has the most enthusiasm.

Like, THAT KISS - (you know the one ;) )

[Pretty impulsive, wouldn't you say? (In the BEST WAY, of course :D)]

And whenever Viktor is rink-side, watching Yuuri skate; he’s always SUPER animated – he gets so invested he even does the quad flip along with Yuuri at the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona!

[EXCITEMENT - INTENSE EMOTIONS! HIGH ENERGY/RESTLESSNESS – SOMETIMES IT JUST GETS EXPRESSED AS A QUAD-FLIP!]

Viktor also gets super into the other Skater’s short programs at the Grand Prix Final, and doesn't notice how his words/actions are affecting Yuuri.

[Perhaps it’s just because he loves skating and misses it so much . . . or could it be attributed, in part, to his ADHD brain fixating without him realizing it?]

[So, to sum up; forgetfulness/memory issues, tardiness/poor time management, easily bored/distractable, impulsive . . . those are all pretty much par for the course with ADHD (and other Executive Functioning Disorders as well).]

- In the end, Yuuri wins silver at the Grand Prix Final; but more importantly, he gives Viktor two very important things: Life and Love. And while the road to the GPF is rough and rocky, (managing both Yuuri’s Anxiety and Viktor’s ADHD); their love only grows, changing them and challenging them . . . and making them BOTH stronger for it.

So, there you have it; my ADHD!Viktor head cannons! :)

He may be forgetful and flaky and blunt and pushy and impulsive and emotional – but he’s also energetic and outgoing and supportive and talented and creative and brilliant and charming and loving.

I see a lot of myself in Viktor – good things and bad things – so this head cannon has a very special place in my heart. Almost all our ADHD-related stories/characters in pop-culture are inaccurate, disregard the realities of ADHD, or just blatantly depict it COMPLETELY WRONG – so when I saw these traits more accurately mirrored in Viktor, a character that I love with all my heart, I couldn't help but expand on the idea.

Having said that, ADHD is a complex disorder; here are some basics:

- ADHD is an Executive Functioning Disorder/Neurodevelopmental Disorder.

- The name: “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” is a bit of a misnomer; it’s not a “lack” of attention, so much as it is the brain’s inability to filter out stimuli, and direct “focus” where it needs to be at any given time.

- According to the DSM-5, there are 3 subtypes of ADHD – Inattentive, Hyperactive and Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive.

- Not everyone with ADHD will present ALL Symptoms of ADHD, due to the different subtypes.

[There are also many more common Symptoms/Comorbidities that go along with ADHD, which I did NOT head cannon for Viktor – things like Sensory Perception Issues/Misophpnia, Coordination Issues/Dyspraxia, and Low Frustration Tolerance/Hot Temper, just to name a few]

- ADHD is GENETIC and HERITABLE – and is linked to a lack of Dopamine.

- ADHD is not a “Childhood Disorder”. It’s not something you “grow out of” or “cure” – it’s something you learn to manage and live with. Medication is one option – but treatment may also include making lifestyle changes (like diet, exercise, and getting proper sleep), working with ADHD coaches, going to Therapy, and investing time in creating an organizational system that works WITH one’s symptoms.

- An ADHD diagnosis does not mean that one is stupid or lazy or out of control – plenty of highly intelligent, “gifted” or otherwise successful individuals have ADHD (and in fact, with the right diagnosis and treatments, many people who struggle or “under-perform” at school/work due to ADHD are able to harness their previously untapped potential, leading to great improvements in their work, and enabling them to start on a path to success).

- ADHD isn't a “fake illness” or an “excuse”. ADHD is a very REAL disorder, with a very REAL impact on the lives of those that it affects. However, with the proper diagnosis, knowledge, skills and tools, ADHD is also manageable – and you can absolutely learn how to work WITH your ADHD to become your best self.

***

So, if you've stuck with me this long, thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed these little head-cannons for one of my most favourite characters of all-time – and maybe learned something new that can help you or a loved one living with ADHD.

Thanks again! This has been my contribution for ADHD Awareness Month and the YOI One-Year Anniversary!

See You Next Level! ;)

#Yuri on ice #yuuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice #yuuri!!! on ice #yuri on ice headcannon #viktor nikiforov #victor nikiforov #adhd viktor #adhd awareness #adhd awareness month

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drag-family-trees · 7 years

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WreckRoom Idol Meet the Performers (2 of 3)

In NO PARTICULAR ORDER, here are five more contestants in the running for WreckRoom Idol!

Oliver Angelo, 18

What attracts you to drag? How and why did you start doing drag?:

For me, the appeal of drag is the versatility of performance, as well as the freedom to present in a performance as whatever gender you like. As a gender fluid individual, drag is very rad because under all that makeup you have no idea what the sex or gender of the individual is- or rather, it doesn't matter! I started doing drag just a couple weeks ago to see if I would like it, and, sure enough, I do. It's very liberating.

Describe your drag persona. Who and what influences your art?:

My drag persona is a proud bisexual drama major and angsty writer. He's a happy-go-lucky chainsmoker and a sort of beatnik attention whore- I am influenced by the beautiful boys of tween dramas and cheesy romance movies, the cynicism of William Burroughs, and some of my favorite comedians (specifically Robin Williams and Bo Burnham). He's probably the result of my oppressive Catholic school experiences. Oliver is an impulsive, in-the-moment kind of guy just trying his best to bring some fun in this otherwise dank world.

How has drag impacted your life?

Drag is making me more comfortable in my skin as both a performer and an individual. To be honest it has helped me to have others recognize and acknowledge my gender fluidity when very few will.

Why did you decide to compete in WreckRoom Idol?:

In all honesty I'm auditioning for Wreckroom Idol because I've been watching Rupaul's Drag Race for five years and would jump all over an opportunity to try something like it. I'm here to live my drag race fantasies.

Can you give me a glimpse at what people can expect from you in this competition?:

I am so new to drag I honestly don't know what to tell people to expect. I don't even know what to expect from myself! But I expect I will be playing with androgyny a lot- there will be a lot of exploration, self-discovery, and definitely some booty shaking. Oliver is all about the ass. Expect tight pants.

Do you have a favorite WreckRoom Idol? If so, who and why?:

I'm quite excited for Alotta Vahjeen. Don't know much about her but her aesthetic looks stunning, and I love good aesthetic.

Quick catchphrase: GO!:

To Boldly Ho where No Man has Ho'd Before

(Photo credit: Carrie Strong)

Bay Valentine Turrelle, 22

What attracts you to drag? How and why did you start doing drag?:

I had a rough time growing up due to being bullied cause I was 400lbs and gay and so getting to become someone else that doesn't have all the insecurities is what originally attracted me to drag. I've always been super creative and loved theatre so it was just a win win situation.

Describe your drag persona. Who and what influences your art?:

I refer to my Drag persona as fish, meaning I stick with the more kind of drag make up, but at the same time still a beautiful campy woman. My drags really inspired by more of like the now, really modern and up-to-date 2000s kinda stuff, because everything evolves for the better, why shouldn't drag?

How has drag impacted your life?:

Drag has impacted my life in multiple ways, it's made me a better person, teaching me how to express myself in ways I couldn't before drag, i've met so many great people that have had huge influences on who I am as a person today and I can honestly tell you the person I was before drag is not the person I am now.

Why did you decide to compete in WreckRoom Idol?: because my Drag has grown so much in the last year, and I want to show people that it doesn't matter if you've been doing drag 6 months or 6 years as long as you go in there and give it your all honey the sky is your limit.

Can you give me a glimpse at what people can expect from you in this competition?: Face Cracks of the Century.

Do you have a favorite WreckRoom Idol? If so, who and why?: I don't really have a favorite, no T, I just wasn't into the drag scene or even around the OKC area until this year and I'm just now starting to meet the more seasoned queens and girl they are fabulous!

Quick catchphrase, GO!:

Play with Bay

Angelica Cyrus Monroe, 18

What attracts you to drag? How and why did you start doing drag?:

I’ve always loved drag and drag queens. Their personalities and lifestyles are so loveable. Their costumes and makeup and everything they do has always interested me. But honestly doing drag myself was something I had never once considered. I had never heard of girls being drag Kings and I especially had never heard of faux queens. Growing up my mom told me stories of how she always hung out at the Wreckroom on weekends (in the 90’s, when she was my age) and watched the drag shows and she even lived down the road in a house with drag queens for a little while. So I already knew what the Wreckroom was, but I didn’t think it was still around. But when I heard they were reopening in July I was like “DUDE I HAVE TO GO” I went the first weekend and have been there every weekend since. But still, doing drag hadn’t crossed my mind. Until I met Knight Monroe and Black Widow one night at a show sometime in August. I guess you could say they’re both faux, which at this point I had still never heard of. But by then I had already made good friends with some of the regular performers up there, and one night they convinced me to perform the following week in Face Off, as a drag king. Knight Monroe performed the same night as me, but that’s about all I remember from my first show. Around that time was also when I learned that I could be a faux queen, so my second weekend that I performed, I did it as a queen and it just kinda stuck. I’ve been performing as a faux queen every single Friday for about two and a half months. Once I started performing I guess I caught the attention of Knight Monroe, because he offered to help me with costumes and my performances, and then he just became my drag dad. Honestly doing drag is everything I never knew I wanted. Everyone at the Wreckroom has become my family now and the Wreckroom is my new home.

Describe your drag persona. Who and what influences your art?: Honestly, since I haven’t been doing it very long I’m still figuring out what my style is. My real name isn’t my drag name, but the name I use in drag is what I’ve always been called (except Monroe, that’s new). So Angelica Cyrus was always this sort of alter ego for me. She’s really badass, she loves leather, she doesn’t take any shit, she’s confident. Honestly I’ve kind of modeled myself after Miley Cyrus, Halsey, and Melanie Martinez. They’re probably my favorite female celebrities for so many reasons.

How has drag impacted your life?:

I struggle with a mental illness, so after I finished high school, I kind of lost all my high school buddies and so I didn’t have much of a social life, which contributed to my depression. But since I found this and started doing it, not only do I have something to do every single weekend, I also fell in love with doing this and it’s boosted my confidence so much and I’m learning new things about myself as I go. I think it’s helped make me stronger.

Why did you decide to compete in WreckRoom Idol?:

This one made me laugh. Because Knight (Kain) is my drag dad, I kind of heard about Idol first, and he actually asked me to help him get people together to invite people to compete. So since he’s running the whole thing it’s not much of a surprise that I’m in it. I mean of course I wanted to do it, but it’s not like someone asked me “hey we’re bringing back Idol, wanna be in it?” It was more like, “you’re already in this”. But either way I’m super excited to do this. I don’t even care if I win, I’m just happy I get this opportunity at all.

Can you give me a glimpse at what people can expect from you in this competition?:

Definitely something different. I like to be very out of the box, I don’t like to be just like every other drag queen because I’m not. I’m a real girl. So for me this isn’t drag, it’s just me taking my life to the next level. So you can expect to see me definitely bringing out elements from the people I look up to and just generally being myself and not fitting into any mold. I’m very high energy and outgoing, I’m kind of all over the place sometimes but not in a bad way, just in general as a person.

Do you have a favorite WreckRoom Idol? If so, who and why?:

I actually can’t say I do, since I’ve never actually met any of them or seen them perform. I’m still pretty new to all of this, so I’m still learning who certain people are.

Quick catchphrase, GO!:

“girl, trust your intuition.”

Jasper Jaxs, 20

What attracts you to drag? How and why did you start doing drag?:

The vibe, I love the people. Jexa is who really made me want to start. I love her. I have gender issues and was told I should try it. Since I have started I have felt more comfortable in my own skin.

Describe your drag persona. Who and what influences your art?:

Jasper has always been a name I liked. When I was young I had this character I loved to day dream about that i made up. His name was Jasper and he was mysterious and everyone liked him. But only a few really knew him. I always wanted to be that. So I guess in a way the cool "bad boy type" haha.

How has drag impacted your life?:

I have met so many people who become family. I have been able to figure myself out a little better.

Why did you decide to compete in WreckRoom Idol?:

Because I wanted a chance to prove to myself I could do it. I'm not looking to win. I'm ok with getting kicked out the 1st week haha. But I have already loved the excitement and friends I have gotten from this.

Can you give me a glimpse at what people can expect from you in this competition?:

I'm going to be growing and trying my hardest to become better better each time. I will be here for anyone who needs me.

Do you have a favorite WreckRoom Idol? If so, who and why?:

I don't know anyone who has been in Wreckroom idol.

Quick catchphrase, GO!:

I don't really have one "but if I did.. it would be "alright alright alright" because it always puts a smile on people's faces.

What attracts you to music? When did you start singing?

What attracts me to music is the ability to reach others through song. I started singing at the age of three years old.

Describe your stage persona. Who and what influences your art?:

My stage persona is a mix of soul and rhythm. God influences my art.

How does music impact your life?

music has impacted my life by having the ability to relate through song/music.

Why did you decide to compete in WreckRoom Idol?

I decided to compete for Wreckroom Idol because it has lots of different talent an I think that JuzP Johnson would fit in great.

Can you give me a glimpse at what people can expect from you in this competition?:

People can expect originality, quality, professionalism, and of course a great experience

Do you have a favorite WreckRoom Idol? If so, who and why?:

My favorite wreckroom idol is all of them because they are all original in their own way.

Quick catchphrase: GO!:

Be original.

#wreckroom idol #OKC #drag king #drag queen

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klimtsonian-unofficial · 7 years

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i absolutely love my current job you guys? i’m a bike guide at a local tour company and at first i was so nervous, because the whole thing involved a lot of things i was insecure or worried about -- riding a bike for the first time in years, being personally responsible for the safety of others, wearing shorts, sweating it out in hot and humid dc weather, etc. but i love it!! my whole job is talking to people about art and history and stuff, so i’m learning a lot and getting lots of good, on-the-job educational experience. i get to go outside and exercise every day, so my legs have gotten more toned and i’ve gotten more tan than i can remember being in recent memory, and my skin has been staying pretty clear! i’ve gotten to the point where i barely wear any makeup, and it feels really good because maybe a year or so ago i would have been way too worried about how i look to ever consider going out without spending at least half an hour on my makeup. plus, the tours ensure i get out and socialize every day, and i meet lots of interesting people who think i’m the cool tour guide i always dreamed of being! and of course i’m making really good money, with tips on top of an hourly wage, so i actually feel at least sort of financially secure!! good stuff

one thing i am really stressed about rn is my italian student visa for next semester; i have my materials, but there are no open time slots to submit them in time. the consulate has open office hours, and i’m going to the very next ones, but i’m worried they won’t let me submit my application and do my interview during office hours? i sent an email to the consulate explaining my situation (w/ getting my passport and everything) but haven’t gotten anything back? guess i gotta show up and start crying and hope they take pity on me

i wish i had more time to do creative stuff but i’m either always on tour or waiting to go on tour or my roommates are here and i feel embarassed doing cosplay shit so??? but u bisof t is holding fan creation contests and otakon is coming up, and i wanna have my ezio cosplay done for those as well as a digital painting i’ve been working on and am really liking so far!! winning this contest would be incredible bc i could get an actual gaming console to play ac on, but even submitting an entry would feel so good because I just want to prove that i did something creative and worked hard for something i genuinely love!! when the official ac account acknowledged my ldv cosplay it boosted my confidence So Much!!

also just sort of hoping wishing praying cute boy asks me to go do something? soon? i don’t want to be the one to ask again, after only a couple days again, but he’s not here all summer and. i do. want. to see him again aaahhhhhhh he’s so sweet but i’m so worried i’m bothering him too much like i do everyone that i like i forgot how horrible having new crushes is this is awful!!!

#musings

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thirstyfortom · 7 years

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i can't exactly see if the requests are closed or opened so if they're closed, please feel free to ignore this ^^ how would the RFA react to MC being a past pageant queen who was very successful, yet is very insecure because her pageants had brought her attention to her flaws that she became obsessed with trying to be beautiful, even to this day when she isn't doing pageants. i'm so sorry if it's too much to ask!

Such an interesting request, and it feels very close to home. As I said before, I used to do pageants as a kid, and up until these days is still very bittersweet. So… I honestly don’t know if I did s good job with this, I aplogize in advance if this wasn’t what you wanted :(

Anyway, here it is… don’t hate me if this is bad.

RFA react to MC being a former pageant queen

Zen

Hecaught you going through some photos one day. Tons of photos of you smiling,waving, holding the crown and probably the tears.

Youmentioned your pageants before, but very superficially. So he thought it wassomething you weren’t really proud of.

Buthe’s watching you seeing these photos and… oh, he knows this look, you’relooking for flaws. Yeah, he does that occasionally watching himself, which parthe can improve, what he could correct, these kind of things that perfectionistsenjoy.

“Hey,babe, what are you up to?” you show the photos and tell him the story behindevery pageant, you don’t talk much about the ones you won, your attention isall on that one you’re a runner up.

Youkeep on going about the winner of that particular pageant. She’s so beautiful,so nice, so talented, so charismatic, ugh… she’s just… flawless.

Sohe gets it, he’s usually very worried about what other people think, and you…are struggling because of what you think of yourself. He would be sad for anyperson on this situation, but being you… it hurts him a lot more.

Becausehe keeps telling you how perfect you are, and how you two are such a perfectcouple… is he pressuring you on the same way these pageants did?

Andthe press isn’t really helping, talking about “power couple” “just imaginetheir kids” and all that shallow bullshit.

Sothere’s one thing he can do, it won’t solve your self-image problems entirely,but maybe you’ll be able to at least move on from that one pageant.Hetakes you to meet the girl who beat you. It’s so weird, you haven’t spoken withher for years… you feel so embarrassed for all the jealousy you felt back then.

“Jealous?Girl, you won every state pageant you’ve been on since you were a teenager, youmade the word pay attention to South Korea and showed million of women howasian is beautiful. I know all that because I’ve been your fan for so long, andbeating you was the most bittersweet feeling I ever felt. So, on that note… Ithink you should have this…” and she hands you her sash.

“Ohno… I can’t take it, it’s… no, this is wrong.” “Please… you have to! Wouldn’tyou do this for the winner?” you sigh and reluctantly let her put the sash onyou.

Zengives you a bouquet and hugs you, then he whispers to you: “Now, prance, myqueen.” You blush and weirdly stride, waving and smiling with the two of themclapping, and now you don’t hold your tears.

Yoosung

Hesaw you looking those photos, he would stare at them like this too as you lookstunning in all of them.

Youtold him about the pageants and he didn’t feel less than impressed. Wow, hisgirlfriend is a big deal on something huge like this, he’s proud of you, morethan that, he’s proud of being with you.

Butyou don’t look amazed, you’re more like scanning those photos or something, asyou were seeing something really wrong.

“Hey,honey, what’s up?” you tell him about the pageants and how you lost that one inparticular, nobody ever mentioned this, but you’re pretty sure you lost becauseyou fell on the stairs.

Youaccess Youtube and look up the video of your fall, it’s painful to watch. No,not your fall, your face while you’re watching this.

Youkeep telling him you still don’t understand what happened, did the gown crawlup on your heel? Did you miss one of the stair’s steps?

Well,he doesn’t know much about gowns, and heels or pageants, but he knows all aboutbeing self-conscious. So he gets your struggle, and it hurts him even more thatyou would feel like he used to feel almost everyday before you came along.

Yes,he has you always lifting him up, telling him how great he is, how he can doit. Why can’t he be like this to you?

Hesees you as the most amazing person in the world, sometimes he feels he’s notenough for you, and you’re struggling for something it happened years ago, anddoesn’t represent you or your pageant career?

Butthis isn’t about him, right? No… it’s time for him to lift you up! He’s notsure of what he can do, but he has a goofy idea that can at least bring somesmile on your face.

Sohe appears in the living room, you just notice his legs trembling, when youlook down… you see your boyfriend wearing a pair of heels. “Can you teach mehow to walk on these?”

You…aren’t sure how to react, is he… making fun of you? “N-No! Not at all! I just…think it’s a very difficult thing, and I saw how you move so elegant on these,so you might be the right person to teach me. Please don’t let me destroy themor Seven will kill me”

“Andwhy would you want to learn something like this?” “For the same reason youwanted me to teach you how to play LOLOL.” Your heart flutters, he just wantsyou to show him something you’re really good at it.

Soyou give up and teach him. The right posture, some tricks to don’t look souncomfortable, stuff like that.

He’strying so hard, you can see the pain on his face, but he keeps on going, youwould never laugh at him, but you can’t hold back a chuckle when he falls inyour arms and blushes. “That’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with fallingsometimes.”

Andyou realize what you just said, did he… did he do this just so you could cometo this conclusion?

“Notreally, I… just wanted to make you laugh at me for being a dork. But let’s staywith your way of seeing this.”

Jaehee

You’vealready show her the photos prom your pageant days, she loves your smile oneach one of them

Actually,she loves all the stories about it. The places you went to, the people you met,the works you did, it’s very impressive.

Andthen there were the photos about that one pageant, that one you won, but didn’tfeel like you deserve it, as all the rumors pointed out that you slept with oneof the judges

Youhaven’t told her this, she knew because of a little research she did aftergetting so fascinated with your pageant career.

Andshe knows you pretty well by now to know it wasn’t just because of the rumors,it was because you couldn’t understand why people would think you couldn’t winthis by your own merits.

Yes,that’s the problem. You really didn’t deserve it? Why? What was wrong with you?Did you answer the questions too vaguely? Did you look dumb? But that kind ofdumb who’s smart enough to make a move on one of the judges?

Itkills her to see you like this, you have no idea! She used to have a very lowself esteem, but you and your encouragement boost her confidence so much!

You’rebeautiful, no doubt, but your ability to make other people feel beautiful, inside and out, it’s somethingcompletely hors-concours

Soyes, you should be more aware of this talent of yours, so she organizes a lady-onlyday in the café.

Andshe asks you to give a small workshop about ways of finding your inner beautyand boosting your confidence.

“But,Jaehee, I know nothing about this, I’m not… smart enough to give a workshop!”“Of course you do! You’ve been giving me these workshops ever since we met.”

“Well,that’s different…” “Okay, so before you start, shall I tell these ladies whatyou’ve done for me?”

Andshe shows pictures of her before meeting you, she didn’t look hideous, ofcourse, but she looked tired and unhappy… a very different person from thisglowing woman standing in front of all these ladies.

“Looksaren’t everything, but it’s so fulfilling when your outside reflects yourinside, I learned that thanks to thisamazing woman here. She won several pageants and agreed on doing this for free,so listen to all of her wisdom with attention, it can change your life like itchanged mine.”

Well,nothing you say can sound more amazing than that, but you did your best, mainlybecause your super amazing girlfriend was watching.

Jumin

Youtwo were on a business party and one of his associates recognized you.

“Iheard you won Miss Congeniality, good consolation prize, huh?” “Yes, it feelsvery special knowing the other girls saw me as the most congenial.” Oh, thissmile… this smile is so fake, Jumin can tell very easily.

Andyou didn’t smile genuinely for the rest of the night, he couldn’t help to beconcerned.

Whenyou go back to his place, he observes you looking to your Miss Congeniality’ssash, it isn’t pride, it isn’t admiration, it’s disappointment.

“Youare, indeed, very congenial” he hugs you from behind. “I was also not really athreat, not real competition, that’s why they gave me this, because I’m sooooonice.”

He’sconfused, being nice isn’t something good? Oh, but when it comes tocompetition, if you’re just seen as nice, maybe you’re not taken serious… butwhy wouldn’t be taken serious, didn’t you make it to the top 5, after all?

Ithurts seeing you like this. You not taking yourself seriously and valuing whatyou accomplished bother him a lot.

Yes,you’re nice. But you’re also smart, and spontaneous and creative, and don’teven mention your beauty, sometimes he even wonders if you’re real.

What could he do to make you feel better?Generally, you’re the one thinking of ways to cheer him up.

Showeringyou with gifts? Body worshiping in bed? Giving you Elizabeth so you can pether? How does this pull these self-loathing thoughts away from your mind?

Sohe comes up with this very goofy solution. Not only because he thinks it’llwork, but also because you keep telling him how you would love to see him beingsilly sometimes.

“Jumin,do you really want to play Monopoly at this time of the night?” “Well, Ihaven’t realized there’s a right hour to play Monopoly, my dear. Give it achance, maybe you’ll enjoy more than you think…”

Andyou’re killing on Monopoly, seriously, who’s the business man around here?“You’re letting me win on purpose, Jumin?” “I wish I could say that, but no, Iguess this is your doing, my love. You are fierce competition, after all.”

“You’reso goofy!” and you smile, but right now is genuine.

Saeyoung

Heknows basically everything due to the background check. You’re a big deal onthis, aren’t you?

Whathe didn’t know is how sometimes your jokes can be very self-depreciative, whywould you be so mean with yourself?

Andwhen you’re taking pictures together, you always refuse to make funny faces,also, you never let him post it in the chat room if you think you don’t lookpretty enough.

Thatbothers him, you’re so amazing and beautiful, why would you doubt this and be sohard on yourself?

Youexplain him how strict some of the rules of your pageants were, you could neverget out of this plan they made for you, so acting silly was pretty much off thetable most of the time, but you couldn’t control yourself, and that’s probablywhy you didn’t make it to the finals on that pageant.

Hefeels really sad for you. Restraining yourself like this for something it’sover? For one particular pageant among all the ones you won? Jesus, what kindof brainwash they do on these girls?

Heknows self-loathing thoughts very well, so he knows how torturing it can be.Hiding your truly self like this… you should never hide your wonderful self!

Whatcan he do to make you understand you don’t need to be perfect all the time?That your flaws also make you this special and sweet girl too?

“Oh,MC… could you come to the kitchen for a moment?” you go and don’t even have thetime to respond, he welcomes you with a pie in your face. “What the hell,Saeyoung?”

“What?I thought you like whipped cream!” “Yeah… but not like this! I… I… oh! I mustlook hideous right now!” “You look always beautiful to me, but I’m kind ofbiased here, so…” “Oh, yeah? So take this bias!” and you shove a pie on hisface too, yeah, your boyfriend prepared a bunch of these pies so you can justthrow it at each other’s faces.

Andwhen you ran out of pies, it became a truly food war, that only stopped whenSaeran showed up: “What the fuck?”

“Hi,Saeran! Wanna join?” you ask throwing the spaghetti that was all over your hairon him. “Oh no! I must protect my lady!” Saeyoung runs to you, falls on thefloor and drags you with him, now you’re rolling on this mess, you don’t evenhear Saeran cursing, you’re having so much fun! And you show everybody how muchfun you’re having spamming the chat room with pictures of your mess.

#mystic messenger headcanon #rfa #yoosung #mystic messenger zen #jaehee kang #jumin han #saeyoung choi #mystic messenger

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keithtlamb-blog · 5 years

Text

19% of resolution-setters don't even know if they reached their goal last year

I don't do New Year's resolutions. When planning out goals, I focus on “themes” a lot more, since they let me look at the year ahead with a broad lens. Once I know what my theme is for the year, I can start thinking of creative and meaningful ways to drive toward that theme.

Here's an example I like to give: if my theme is “make new friends,” I can plan events to meet new people or think of ways to meet new people at events I already planned on attending (e.g., check the guest list beforehand and email them to grab coffee).

But just like there's more than one way to live a Rich Life, there's more than one way to think about what you do at the beginning of a year to set yourself up for success.

So the team at IWT was curious to hear what YOU think about New Year's resolutions.

Do you set them? What are they about? What do you do to set yourself up for success? DO you actually succeed?

Here's what they found.

We sent our survey to the entire IWT community and wanted the full picture of your 2018 resolutions: the goals, the strategies, AND the outcomes. So instead of asking about what you're planning to do this year, we asked you to reflect on what you resolved to do last year, in 2018.

A few of the key takeaways:

66% of you said you set a resolution for 2018. That's higher than the 44% of people setting New Year's goals this year, according to an NPR/PBS/Marist poll.

Of those who did set a resolution, 44% said they achieved it.

36% said they didn't quite get there.

20% said they weren't really sure whether they met their goal or not.

The most popular areas where you set resolutions were:

Career (23%)

Money (21.6%)

Fitness (16%)

The most popular system used to hit goals:

Creating a schedule (56%)

Getting an accountability buddy (28.5%)

Setting up rewards for yourself (29%)

“Why wait until January 1 to start something new?”

33% of people say they didn't set a resolution last year. The biggest reason: viewing the first of the year as some be-all-end-all of goal-setting is pointless.

“If you want to do something you should start doing it,” one person said. “Why wait until January 1 to start something new?”

That's fair. There are 365 days in a year - proclaiming January 1 THE day to set goals because that's when advertisers break out their best “New Year, New You” banner ads is pretty arbitrary.

And if you missed the New Year's deadline this year and wait all the way until next year to set goals for yourself, all you've really done is cost yourself 364 days when you could be taking action.

Need help following through on your goals whenever you set them? Check out this post on how to motivate yourself.

The “Big 3” resolutions: Career, money, fitness

We asked the 66% of respondents who did set resolutions last year to tell us which category their resolution fell under, and the top three were:

Career (23%)

Money (21.6%)

Fitness (16%)

Those first two categories in particular are pillars of I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Here's more detail at the kinds of career, money, and fitness goals readers are setting - and the results they're getting.

Goal #1: Get out of a soul-sucking job

When it came to career-related resolutions, people talked a lot about wanting to advance in their career. And for most of them, moving up meant moving on.

So long, cubicle.

For some, that meant transitioning out of the corporate world to try their hand at freelancing. (Sound good to you? Learn how to start earning money on the side.):

“I resolved to quit my corporate job to freelance. I assessed my finances, secured some part-time income to supplement my savings early on, and made the leap. I made myself commit to leave by April of 2018. My last day in a cubicle was February 9, 2018.”

Another reader told us about hatching a career plan with a friend over Facebook Messenger that they called “The Escape”:

“Every time one of us would slack on something or show signs of laziness, we would say to each other 'What happened to escaping X company in a year?' … In just under a year, we both landed new jobs. He now works for a bank with a $20K raise, and I completely pivoted industries from finance to marketing at a large media agency.”

Sometimes setting a goal and not quite getting there can be better than not setting a goal at all, since you still wind up farther along than where you started.

One person told us about the work they put into boosting their salary from their current $65K toward a $105K goal:

“I read books and watched YouTube videos, and practiced negotiating skills. I networked and set myself up to be an ideal candidate for 8 different jobs that I wanted … I landed a job that paid $96K. I chose that one because it had the most opportunity for career growth and development in my field.”

Aiming for $105K and landing at $96K might sound like a failure on paper. But the important thing is: they set a goal, they made a plan, and then they TOOK ACTION. They took control of what they could control.

Plus, they're putting themselves in an even stronger position for 2019: “Next year, with my promotion, I am aiming for closer to $120K.”

If a pay raise is on your to-do list for 2019, check out our Ultimate Guide to Boosting Your Salary.

Goal #2: Break down money barriers and go after Big Wins

On the financial side of things, a big theme was taking control of financial situations on two fronts: getting out of debt, and boosting savings for retirement and other goals.

“I made a promise to myself to save a total of $10K by the end of the year between emergency fund and retirement contributions. I put $3,000 into an emergency fund before the end of last year. Now, my e-fund is at $6,500, and my IRA contributions YTD are at $3,500. $10K achieved! On top of that, I was able to pay off my car, double my student loan payments, and go on vacation, guilt-free. Thanks, Ramit!”

We love stories like this, because they're all about focusing on Big Wins. Not how many lattes you can cut or micro-managing your budget to within an inch of its life. Big Wins, like automating your finances and investing early, pay dividends for years after you start them - and they put you miles ahead of everyone else.

You can't print money. It's illegal. But you CAN take control of your finances by focusing on the Big Wins.

There's a limit to how much you can save, but there's no limit to what you can earn. If our survey responses are any indication, it's a lesson a lot of you have taken to heart.

One reader told us about their goal to add $100K to their net worth OUTSIDE their day job by the end of 2018:

“I finally decided it was time to get serious about making money. I set a goal of adding $100,000 to my net worth by the end of 2018 (outside my day job) and I'm on the brink of accomplishing it.”

On top of looking for ways to increase their earning potential, some respondents mentioned financial goals that involved changing their relationship to the money they already have.

For one person, that meant committing to a year of no shopping:

“I unsubscribed from emails from all the brands that I followed (makeup, yoga clothes, kitchen stuff, etc.), and throw out catalogs as soon as they come in the door,” she explains. “I haven't been 100% for the year, but I've determined that what some people call 'shopping' is, for me, 'looking for things to want.'”

Spending money, in and of itself, isn't the problem. The problem is when the way you're spending doesn't line up with what you value (i.e., your Money Dial), or what allows you to live your own personal definition of a Rich Life.

Goal #3: Putting that gym membership to use

On the fitness side of things, the big recurring theme was looking for systems and strategies that get you into the gym - even when every ounce of your energy is pulling you toward the couch.

Here's one respondent who was so determined to make fitness work for them, they picked up knife fighting. KNIFE FIGHTING!

“Fitness can be boring, so I committed to stick/knife fighting, which was lethally exciting enough to keep me engaged for a few months and build up some strength/endurance.”

She's talking about her workout routine, guys.

Somebody else shared how, after more than 10 years of making fitness their New Year's resolution - and falling short every time - they finally found a model that set them up for success:

“The cool thing about having failed to achieve my fitness goals is that I figured out what doesn't work for me … I schedule my sessions, three times a week, and I set them in stone on my calendar. I have had to move a couple sessions, but I have not missed a single workout since I started.”

The lesson here: If a goal is important to you, don't stop pushing because ONE strategy didn't work out. Regroup, rethink your approach - and then try again.

How to follow through: Set a schedule. Talk about it. Treat yourself.

Talk is cheap. There's setting New Year's resolutions - and then there's actually following through on them. According to our survey, 44% of resolution-setters said they succeeded with their 2018 goal.

Here's a rundown of the most popular ways respondents stayed on track to achieve their goals:

Created a schedule (56%)

Got an accountability buddy (28.5%)

Put a rewards system in place (16%)

Digging deeper, we found they're also the top three most effective at helping readers reach their goals:

Created a schedule (56% of successful people)

Got an accountability buddy (22% of successful people)

Put a rewards system in place (16% of successful people)

Put it in your calendar. Or … shower.

“Creating a schedule” isn't the sexiest strategy there is. But with more than half of the successful resolution-setters saying that setting schedules was a secret to their success - simpler can mean smarter.

One reader explained how the act of just committing to a schedule for their weight-lifting goal made it easier to follow through:

“People wanted to schedule things on Tuesday or Thursday night, I didn't have to think about it, I just knew the answer was 'no' because those were lifting nights.”

There are plenty of easy, user-friendly apps out there to help with scheduling. Our readers told us all about their favorites, from OmniFocus to OneNote to JotForm to Evernote.

Dr. Who has an app for that.

One person even told us that finding the right tech solution was the thing that convinced them they could make a resolution stick in the first place:

“I have learned to change my scripts from 'This habit isn't for me' to 'How can I make this habit for me?' And in that arena using tech is my usual go to.”

For others, good old-fashioned pen and paper (plus a laminator) is all it takes to get the job done:

“I had [my goals and targets for 2018] laminated and put it in my shower. The idea was to read it every morning and every night … Having the plan and seeing it daily kept me on track more than not having it at all.”

Hit your goal? Treat yourself.

Good old-fashioned bribery. It's simple, but it works - and many respondents said they put it to work to help them see their goals through.

One person told us how they built a reward system on their phone that transferred money into their bank account whenever they completed a positive behavior.

But rewards don't have to be monetary. For example, every time one respondent followed through on their goal to practice piano more regularly, they rewarded themselves with something simple, like a soda or a piece of candy.

And you can even get creative with this.

“In January, I used a random number generator to pick four numbers between 1 and 52 - I marked those weeks in my planner as 'reward' weeks,” said one respondent.

The randomized reward weeks added spontaneity and surprise along her path to reaching her goal.

Get your friends to ask you: “Hey, how's that goal coming?”

There's value in telling other people what you plan to do solo, according to our survey.

“I shared my goal with multiple friends who I knew weren't afraid to keep me accountable,” one person said. “After having a few of them check in with little to no progress made, it made me want to take a step in the direction of accomplishing the goal.”

Telling other people what you're trying to do doesn't have to mean putting pressure on them to keep you honest either.

“I made sure to tell people about my goal. Not that they would hold me accountable necessarily - but it made me feel like I owed it to them to keep my resolution.”

There's a caveat to having an accountability buddy: only 22% of readers who used this strategy actually succeeded in reaching their goal.

“My friend and I got gym memberships and agreed to start going 4 days per week,” said one person. “It started off well but then came scheduling conflicts and eventually he stopped coming. Guess what? Soon after I stopped going also.”

The takeaway: when you tap others to work toward goals together, things get complicated - you're only really as motivated as the least motivated person in your group. So don't depend on other people to BE your motivation. That's on you.

Learn how to create habits that stick for life

It's easy to be excited about new goals at the start of a new year, when everything is bright and shiny, and there are motivational posts coming at you from all sides amping you up.

But the real test is what you actually do in the boring, ordinary, unsexy everydays that come after.

And that's when things get tough.

One thing to remember - failing to create habits and meet goals is not about laziness. It's about not having the right systems in place to create your own success.

We've spent years studying the systems that set people up for success and put all of our best insights in our Ultimate Guide to Habits.

Enter your email below, and we'll send you the Ultimate Guide to Habits now.

19% of resolution-setters don't even know if they reached their goal last year is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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