#introducing espen

[melocherie]

im not sure if the whole lavenoor situation is like done and dusted with, but honestly there was always some parts of the story that rubbed me the wrong way. like how elsa's genderbent was weirdly fixated on sex and erotica, since he was a KID. bcus wdym you found an erotic novel laying around? IT MAKES NO SENSE. WHY WOULD AN ISOLATED CHARACTER HAVE ACCESS TO SUCH STUFF?

hmm.  i  actually  don’t  find  it  strange  to  depict  children  as  having  interest  in  nsfw  content  within  reason.  there’s  a  difference  between  sexualizing  a  child  and  a  child  character  exploring  their  sexuality,  and  noor  clearly  modeled  espen’s  discovery  from  her  own  experiences  of  being  exposed  to  adult  content  as  a  young  girl.  not  to  mention  that  some  children,  regardless  of  age,  enjoy  sexual  content.  this  could  be  due  to  any  combination  of  purity  culture  demonizing  sex  and  thus  leading  to  children  obsessing  over  it,  sexual  abuse,  hypersexuality,  or  just  plain  curiosity.  unless  the  author  is  obviously  just  perving  on  their  child  character,  i  don't  see  anything  wrong  with  depicting  real  people.

if  there  is  one  aspect  of  espen’s  character  that  i  dislike,  it’s  noor’s  treatment  of  his  sexuality. 

it’s  important  to  note  that  she  is  asexual  and  i  am  not,  so  please  take  this  with  a  grain  of  salt,  but  i  always  found  it  odd  that  she  picked  a  character  she  knew  many  people  had  headcanoned  to  be  lesbian/asexual  and  then  purposefully  reworked  them  to  be  a  horndog  straight  man.

she  ranted  about  how  you  shouldn't  solely  headcanon  characters  who  are  cold/unemotional  as  ace,  which  i  agree  with,  and  it's  fine  that  her  elsa  isn't  queer,  but  explicitly  making  them  interested  in  sexual  content  because  she  disliked  the  asexual  headcanons is…?  i  understand  she  was  hoping  to  demonstrate  how  stoic  characters  can  still  be  sexual,  but  straight  sexuality  is  the  norm.  purity  culture  is  it’s  own  separate  discussion  but  even  then,  it  has  always  been  acceptable  for  a  man  to  be  horny.  instead,  if  she  yearns  for  good  asexual  headcanons,  shouldn't  she  be  the  first  to  write  the  princes  as  asexual?  only  jasmir  is  on  the  aspec  spectrum,  but  i  don't  think  his  queerness  is  properly  explored  in  canon.  yes,  his  trauma  from  sexualization  is  discussed,  but  i  don't  believe  his  subsequent  disinterest  in  romance  and  sex  receives  the  same  amount  of  attention  (admittedly,  i  may  be  wrong  about  this.)  otherwise,  creel  is  the  only  other  ace  character,  and  i  don't  think  any  of  the  characters  from  mc’s  hometown  are  significant  enough  to  count as  meaningful  representation.

imo,  the  easiest  solution  would  be  to  introduce  anna,  the  character  whose  life  was  saved  by  platonic  love,  as  asexual  instead.  anna,  who  is  fiery,  passionate,  and  a romantic,  is  an  excellent  example  of  how  you  can  be  asexual  while  still  holding  love  in  your  heart.  it  would  also  be  far  less  infuriating  if  anton  already  had  a  complex  relationship  with  love  and  sexuality,  rather  than  having  him  be  lectured  about  how  society  should  allow  men  and  women  to  be  friends.  way  to  go  girl,  you  really  cured  anna’s  crippling   loneliness  from  becoming  an  orphan  and  being  isolated  from  her  remaining  family  (fuck  mc,  all  my  homies  hate  mc.)

[ndekvart]

Introducing my OC Leon Fend, Mira’s padawan 💙🩷

[Quick backstory]

Since early childhood Leon attracted a lot of attention because he was the only force-sensitive kid to ever be born in his clan. His family was very worried about his rapidly emerging abilities, they never planned to let their child to be taken away by the Jedi. But everything changed in a couple years when 5 year old Leon was heinously kidnapped by a gang of bounty hunters and his parents were forced to turn to the Jedi for help.

The council agreed to send Master Windu and his Padawan Mira Espen (OC) to track down the bounty hunters. The gang was highly skilled and well-trained but fortunately the Jedi managed to outwit and stop them. The last of them was defeated by Mira, who rescued and returned Leon to his family.

After this incident, Leon’s parents decided that the best way to keep their son safe was to let him go and be trained as a youngling at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

At the age of 12, he became Padawan to freshly knighted Mira Espen who had already become his close friend and the older sister he never had.

Together with Master Espen, they served the Republic during the Clone Wars and led the 74th Clone Battalion✨

[thegreatestgoob]

I've been rereading IAPTBAP lately and, as a certified Hana appreciator, I've made some Hana fanart.

She is introducing herself before starting a speech in regards to her plans to overthrow the government and at least 8 reasons why she'd be a better ruler than Espen.

I'd actually vote for her.

@lavenoor

[stylographic-blue-rhapsody]

some time ago at table, espen and verian had an interaction that amounted to verian being baffled when espen said she liked asking friends for help. and then we had a discussion about her skill at cutting hair and, well.

.

705 PD, Aurora Watch outpost at the Vermaloc Wildwood. The last winter of Espen’s trainee years, and the first of Khith’s as a graduate

It was past midnight the first time Khith asked Espen to cut their hair.

“Danlys. You’re still up.”

Espen blinked myopically, adjusting from the low candlelight to the darkness of the room beyond. In the doorway stood Khith, arms crossed and expression sour.

To anyone else, Khith’s flat tone would sound reprimanding. Espen, hearing the actual question beneath it, replied, “Fenshollow wasn’t feeling well, so I took her shift. There are no patients requiring attention now, if you need something?”

“You should let someone else take over the on-call shifts for once. You’re still technically in basic.”

She smiled. Now that was a reprimand. “The way you let other people take over the open overnight patrols?”

Khith rolled their eyes and sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. “Doctoring is much harder than pacing through the dust and we both know it.”

“Did you come with a purpose, or are you just here to bully me?” She asked, amused. “Wait, why are you up? It’s Caniri’s brigade on duty tonight, not yours.”

“Couldn’t keep myself in reverie.”

Espen said nothing as Khith fidgeted with the edge of their tunic. There was an odd tension in their shoulders, their mouth twisting in a way that belied true distress as opposed to their resting lower. She dropped her eyes back to the medical reports in front of her and continued to make notes in the margins—they would speak their mind when they were ready.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence broken only by quill scratching parchment, Khith said, “I want my hair cut. Shaved. Just the right side.”

Espen paused. For as long as she had known them, they kept their hair long and parted on the left, allowing it to fall forward and obscure the right side of their face. It was clear that it was intended to hide the scars there—precise cuts, to her medical eye, and clearly done with a sharp blade. Wounds made by a person and not a monster.

“Okay.” She put down her quill. “And you want me to do it?”

Their jaw clenched. “You have the steadiest hands.”

“Okay,” she said again, softer.

When she had retrieved a razor and a comb and a chair of good height, she asked, “How tight to the skin?”

“Doesn’t matter.” After a beat of Espen’s expectant silence, Khith closed their eyes and said, “I’m tired of the sideways glances, Danlys. If the greenies want something to stare at, I’ll give them something to stare at.”

Oh, and wasn’t that something she knew all too well, herself?

Espen made a soft noise of acknowledgement and brought the comb to their forehead, intent on creating a straight part to follow. When the teeth touched their skin, however, Khith twitched hard enough that it knocked her hand up and away.

“Sorry,” they said, gritted.

She set the comb down wordlessly and instead began to card their hair with her fingers, starting at the ends and working towards their scalp. Khith continued to flinch at the contact, but eventually relaxed enough that she could introduce the comb.

With patience and time, Khith’s hair was satisfactorily brushed and parted with the side to be kept long braided tightly along the part as a guideline.

Espen picked up the shaving razor—a thin, curved piece of metal that fit neatly into her palm. “Ready?”

Automatic tension hiked Khith’s shoulders. They let out a breath and forced their shoulders back down. “It’s fine. Do it.”

“I can go slow,” Espen said.

“It’s fine,” Khith repeated. “I know you won’t hurt me.”

Espen’s heart ached. Softly, she said, “I won’t.”

And she didn’t. Slow, steady, she cut in short motions that kept the razor from catching on Khith’s scalp when they flinched. Their visceral reactions lessened as she moved away from their face, and as the shorn hair fell away under her blade, she saw why: the fine scarring that cut vertically over their eye and across their cheek extended just beyond their hairline.

When she finished, Khith ran a tentative hand over their newly shaved scalp and muttered, “It’s soft.”

“Do you want a mirror?”

“No.” They paused, and then said more slowly, “No. Not tonight. I’ll… tomorrow. Thanks, Danlys.”

“Of course.”

…

The second time Khith asked Espen to cut their hair, they brought her fresh persimmons. The third, fourth, and fifth times, they brought plum wine, sweet boiled buckwheat cakes, and candied apricots. It’s not payment, they said each time when she objected, I’m just bringing this to share.

…

The sixth time Khith asked Espen to cut their hair, they shared the story of their scars as she passed the razor along their scalp, and for the first time did not flinch at her touch.

“Dybbuk possession of an unburned corpse. Thought it would be funny to dismember me with a hunting knife in front of my parents.” Khith’s tone was matter-of-fact, sharp and steady.

“How old were you?” Espen asked, soft.

“Eighty nine,” they said. “It was my birthday. We were going on a trip to Rosohna.”

Espen swore quietly. It wasn’t unheard of, especially beyond the bounds of the cities, but that could not diminish the horror of it. She had already shadowed a senior field medic during response to two similar events. Both deaths had been gruesome and nauseating.

Based on the position of the scars, Espen wondered how they had escaped with an undamaged eye, but she hesitated. As if they sensed her question, Khith continued, “Watch patrol arrived in time and put the thing down. Had a medic with them. She…”

They trailed off abruptly and swallowed hard. Espen didn’t press, and the silence lingered. Eventually, Khith said, “My eye was gone, I was bleeding out. Everything happened too fast, and in the chaos she—she created a new one for me using power she didn’t have.”

Khith left it there, but they didn’t need to elaborate. Espen knew the consequences as well as anyone formally trained in the art of the Weave: at best, the medic would have lost some access to her magic. At worst, the overextension would have killed her. Khith’s tone made the soldier’s fate clear as crystal.

“Khith, I’m so sorry.” Espen relinquished the flyaways she had been pushing away to squeeze their shoulder with her free hand.

They scoffed, some characteristic surliness returning. “You know I hate sympathies and apologies, Danlys, so cut that shit out.”

When she huffed a laugh and returned to her task, Khith said, “Why I enlisted, I guess. To pay it forward.”

“That’s quite noble,” Espen murmured.

“Yeah, well, don’t go spreading it around. Can’t have people thinking I give a damn about anything.” Khith ran a hand over the short fuzz as Espen stepped back and began to clean the shaving razor. “It would ruin my reputation.”

“As if you ever cared about that,” she laughed.

“Ugh, can you imagine? It sounds exhausting. Those Firmament assholes must trance twice as much as the rest of us from the effort of pretense.”

Khith pushed out of the chair and stretched. After they helped sweep up the silvery clippings and Espen had put everything away, they made to leave. When they reached the door, Khith snapped their fingers and said, “Damn, I forgot—I made some of the sweet rice buns you like so much. I’ll bring them tomorrow. They won’t be fresh, but they should still taste good.”

Espen made an exasperated noise. “I told you, me cutting your hair is not a favor to be repaid.”

“And I told you,” Khith drawled, “That’s not what this is. You never ask any of us to do nice things for you, so I’m taking matters into my own hands.”

They turned fully back to her, smile soft in a way she had never seen from them before. “Danlys, everybody wants to love you the way you love them. So let us, alright?”

[guizh0ng]

Remember

Chapter 18: Checkmate

(TW: idk, THIS IS CRAP READ AT YOUR OWN RISK/srs/hj)

Espen pushed open the door to the room, and an unexpected feeling washed over her.

The air was saturated with nostalgia, evoking memories of childhood innocence and the playful mischievousness of a young soul.

Despite the unexpected ambiance, Espen steeled herself, maintaining focus as she directed her gaze forward.

"Welcome, I've been expecting you!" There, she found herself facing a person with messy blond hair parted somewhere in the middle, though she couldn't tell much as he was wearing a hat.

Indoors.

The man stood opposite her, tilting his head to the side and gazing at her with cheerful light blue eyes.

A playful smile etched on his lips, his demeanor exuding a blend of confidence and curiosity.

"Expecting me?" Espen raised a brow, looking at him "Why have you been expecting me?"

Espen's thoughts raced as she pondered the situation.

If this person anticipated her arrival, it seemed likely that Felìx had informed him ahead of time, probably.

Since, he was the only one she faced ever since the mission started.

And since they hadn't encountered all members of the Deck of Cards yet, this person had a good chance of being one of them.

Espen steeled herself, mentally preparing for the possibility of facing a member from the infamous group.

"That's because..my good friend Felìx, told me all about you!" He said, smiling happily "..and how you defeated the very Ace of Clubs" He said, trying to mimick Felìx's flirtatious manner of speaking.

The person scrutinized Espen intently, his gaze dissecting her every feature.

She involuntarily took a step back, feeling a wave of unease under his intense scrutiny.

Though she had expected him to be a member of the Deck of Cards, she still needed to determine which card he represented.

With knowledge of his position within the Deck of Cards hierarchy, Espen found it easier to gauge the information he might possess.

If he held the rank of an Ace or any other number lower than hers, it was unlikely that he had knowledge of her true identity.

But given his role as the controller of a gambling den, it was highly probable that he held the rank of a Joker.

Espen recognized that the odds were evenly split between whether he was aware of her status as an Agent operating within his territory or not.

The uncertainty added an extra layer of tension to the surface.

If he turned out to be a King, there was little doubt in Espen's mind that he was aware of her presence.

Considering the Agency she worked for and the mafia group had been at odds for the last two years, Espen knew he wouldn't be oblivious to the feud.

Regardless of his knowledge, she reminded herself not to dwell on the past, especially since Viktoriya had deliberately kept it in the shadows.

Espen chuckled softly at the way he copied Felìx's flirtatious tone, "Ah, I guess he would tell you about the whole event that happened" She said, shaking my head slightly in playful amusement.

Espen reminded herself to stay in character, regardless of whether this person was aware of her true identity or not.

For now, they must maintain the illusion of being strangers, at least on the surface.

Although her guard was up, Espen continued to approach the situation with caution and care.

"Oh!" He said, realizing that he hadn't introduced himself.

"I forgot to tell you, my name is Piérre Marseìlle! but everyone just calls me Marsy!" He said, pausing for a moment before continuing as he walked towards her, "..I'm the King of Diamonds, I run this place! But you probably already know that considering you willingly want to meet me yourself" He gracefully took Espen's hand and gently kissed her knuckles.

Despite her internal cringing at the physical display of courtesy, which was not something she was fond of, Espen recognized that this behavior was probably common in France since 'Piérre' had a French accent.

She endured it with as much composure as possible.

As Espen started to observe the man more closely, details that initially escaped her attention came into focus.

She noticed his fair complexion and a flat yet sturdy build.

Interestingly, he appeared to be roughly the same height as her, with the possibility of being slightly taller.

With his youthful demeanor and cheerful attitude, Espen began to see why others might underestimate him as the person running the gambling den.

Espen noted the details of the man's attire, particularly his dark red fedora hat adorned with a light orange lace and a set of faded yellow and green feathers.

The hat sat jauntily on his head, adding a touch of extravagance to his overall appearance.

Espen's observant eyes continued to take in the man's appearance, noting the dark blue frames of his eyeglasses and the unique design featuring pink chains with amethysts attached to them.

The glasses added a touch of sophistication to his overall style, despite the childish vibe he gave off.

She observed the fluffy black neck fur perched atop a black tuxedo.

The pearl white neck tie and grey polo beneath added a touch of refinement to his attire.

However, her eyes were drawn to the silver brooch shaped in a diamond attached to the side of his tuxedo.

The accessory hinted at his connection to the gambling den's theme and further emphasized his position.

The man also wore white gloves, which were adorned with numerous silver rings on his fingers.

Espen took in the final details of the man's outfit, noting the simple black pants with light grey stripes and the humble brown shoes that completed his ensemble.

Despite his varied assortment of colors in his attire, Espen mused that she much preferred a more streamlined, monochromatic style.

Just as Espen was about to begin her introduction, Pièrre interrupted her, preventing her from proceeding.

Given that he was a King Card, it was probable that he already knew who she was, leaving her wondering if it was even necessary to formally introduce herself.

Piérre couldn't help but interrupt Espen as she was about to introduce herself, excitement taking over, "Oh don't worry, I already know who you are!" He exclaimed. "You're Miss Fianchettó, aren't you?"

Just as she expected.

"Oh, then I guess I don't have to introduce myself, then.." Espen simply replied, "Word spreads fast around here."

Piérre chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"No, it's not like that at all!" He clarified, "I'm the only one in here who knows who you are since I'm a King Card, Felìx would've loved it if he knew, but so far, only I knew."

Ofcourse, as she said before, she already knew that.

From what she observed Piérre's mannerisms and demeanor, she mentally noted that he seemed to have a polar opposite mindset to hers.

He spoke casually and with little restraint, often acting on his impulses without much contemplation.

His actions appeared unpredictable, guided by emotions more than logic.

While she wasn't entirely certain, Espen sensed that his decisions might be influenced by his feelings more than any other factor.

Piérre paused for a moment, before proposing a deal, "Hey, how about we play a game? Since you're here, you probably have a reason being so"

That was random.

He suggested with a smile, "One match, loser has to grant the winner's wish. I promise, it'll be fun."

Espen was far more interested in completing her objective than having fun, but she was still a stickler for people keeping their word.

After all, her last game had yielded the desired outcome, and she hoped for a similar result this time.

With a sigh, she extended a hand to Piérre for a handshake, signaling the commencement of their agreement.

"What game will we be playing, then?" Espen asked, raising a quizzical brow.

Piérre's eyes twinkled with excitement. "Chess!" He declared, gesturing to a nearby chessboard on the back. "I'll be black, and you'll be white. May the best player win!"

Piérre gestured for Espen to follow him as he moved towards a table in the corner of the room.

He picked up a chessboard from the back and set it up on the table, carefully arranging the pieces in their starting positions.

"Now then, shall we begin?" Piérre gestured for Espen to take a seat, and she obliged.

He then reached under the table and retrieved a timer before placing it on the table between them.

With the timer set, Piérre prepared for the game to begin.

Espen took a moment to gather her thoughts, centering herself for the impending match.

Piérre watched as she took the seat opposite of him and sat down.

As Piérre watched her, Espen couldn't help but feel a pang of unease.

Chess, out of all games he could have chosen, gave her a bad feeling.

It wasn't that she was poor at the game - quite the contrary - her skill had been a major factor in getting her into the agency, and she was considered the best in her hometown at it.

Espen occasionally even played chess matches with Yamir, as they are each other's 'checkmates,'strictly platonically.

The fact that she had an advantage in this game due to her skill stirred her suspicions about Piérre's intentions even more.

She surmised that he was hiding something up his sleeve, and to uncover it and prevent potential consequences, she needed to stay one step ahead of him.

He smiled, watching her with a curious gaze as she's been quiet for a whole minute, he decided to break the ice, "Since you have the white pieces, you can have the first move! I don't mind at all, mon trésor!"

Espen shook off her head as she moved it back to the game, "Alright.." She made her chess move, carefully sliding her pawn two squares forward to e4.

Without hesitation, Piérre mirrored her action by advancing his pawn to e5.

The game was under way, and each player had firmly established their opening move.

Espen skillfully moved her bishop three spaces diagonally forward to c4, aiming to target the strategic position of f7.

She knows to herself not to become too complacent in her approach, even if Piérre appeared casual or lighthearted in demeanor.

The game of chess demanded careful thought and attention, regardless of one's opponent's outward appearance.

Piérre responded to Espen's bishop placement by advancing his knight to c6, placing it in front of the third pawn on the left.

Espen confidently moved her queen to h5, sliding diagonally across four squares.

Upon seeing Piérre's slight gasp at her move, Espen inwardly rolled her eyes at his dramatic response.

No wonder she's friends with people the same mindset as her.

In response to Espen's queen move, Piérre happily advanced his pawn to g6.

Espen made a strategic move by returning her queen back to f3, two squares backwards.

"My, my...so you're playing offensively, eh? You aren't fooling around, are you?"

He moved his knight to the battleground of f6 before leaning forward with his usual smirk, "I like it. Hm...I'll play a defensive move this turn, then!"

Espen continued her offensive strategy by moving her pawn to g4, pushing it two squares forward to threaten Piérre's position.

In response, Piérre swiftly moved his own pawn to g5, reinforcing the defense and creating a potential barrier against Espen's advance.

Despite the ever-present smile on Piérre's face, Espen maintained a steely composure, keeping her expression unwavering.

Although the tension between them might not be apparent on the surface, it was unmistakably palpable in the air.

Both players were locked in a game of wits, each move carefully considered and executed with precision.

Espen decided to make a strategic sacrifice, moving her pawn to h4 and capturing Piérre's own pawn.

This maneuver allowed her to advance another pawn diagonally one square forward, further strengthening her position while slightly weakening Piérre's defenses.

Piérre responded to Espen's pawn capture by moving his rook to g8, placing it right next to the targeted pawn for defense.

In a swift countermove, Espen captured the vulnerable pawn, which prompted Piérre to use his rook to capture her attacking pawn, effectively neutralizing her attempt.

Espen advanced her rook calmly to h6, aiming to eliminate Piérre's knight.

However, he quickly responded by capturing her rook with his bishop, thwarting her attempt.

Espen accepted the loss of her rook with a shrug, understanding that sacrifices were an inevitable part of the game of chess.

Espen executed another strategic move by sliding her knight to e2, positioning it in front of her king.

Her intentions were clear - she was initiating a 'Scholar's Mate', a classic chess tactic aimed at delivering a speedy checkmate in a few moves.

This move served multiple purposes: it would not only determine the caliber of her opponent but also give her valuable insights into Piérre's playing style and strategies.

Even if she does lose, Espen had multiple backup plans and backup plans for those backup plans and moves up her sleeve, ready to respond and adapt to any countermoves.

Espen countered Piérre's queenside castling preparation by advancing her knight to g3.

Piérre decided to respond by moving his pawn to a6, preparing for queenside castling.

In response to Piérre's pawn advance to a6, Espen skillfully positioned her knight that was in front of her king to g3.

Piérre, seemingly unaffected, calmly advanced his pawn to b5.

The game was heating up, and both players were carefully considering their next moves as the tension in the room heightened.

Espen's Scholar's Mate attempt continued, and she was keenly watching Piérre's every move to anticipate his counter.

Espen made a calculated move, placing her pawn on d2.

Piérre responded by advancing his bishop diagonally forward to b7, creating a potential threat to Espen's position of pieces.

Espen contemplated her next step, knowing that she had to take a significant risk.

She decided to bravely advance her knight on h5, putting it in a vulnerable position, waiting for Piérre's response.

Her hope was that he would use his knight to capture her piece, falling into her carefully laid trap.

With determination etched on her face, Espen made her move.

Espen patiently waited for Piérre's response, her gaze fixed on him as he sat across the table with an innocent smile.

The tension in the air was palpable, almost tangible, as if a single word could shatter the brittle silence or it could be like easily cut with a knife.

The chess timer reset itself, and the seconds ticked away, adding to the suspense of the moment.

The stakes were high, and Espen's plan hung in the balance, dependent on Piérre's next move.

Espen's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself, not letting her true emotions show on her face.

Her plan seemed to be working as Piérre moved his knight to capture the one on h5.

Espen maintained her cool demeanor, hiding her satisfaction.

Espen seized the opportunity once Piérre captured her knight, quickly moving her queen back one square diagonally to f7.

Her gaze was fixed on Piérre's face, watching as a hint of shock registered on his features.

"Checkmate." Espen spoke softly, her eyes locked onto Piérre as he reacted with a dramatic gasp.

Piérre stared at the chessboard in disbelief as Espen declared checkmate.

He frowned slightly, his usual cheerful demeanor momentarily replaced by frustration. "Ah, you got me." He admitted, trying to keep his disappointment in check.

While Espen had emerged victorious in the game, the ease with which she did so left her feeling unsettled.

It didn't feel like she had earned her victory, as if Piérre had underestimated her or held back..or something else.

The unexpected simplicity of her win raised red flags in her mind, making her question his intentions even further.

"..Just what are you-"

As Espen was about to start a barrage of questions on Piérre, he cut her off, once again interrupting her in the process.

Piérre chuckled softly, his cheerful demeanor returning almost instantly. "Ah, By the way I already knew what your wish is!" He exclaimed. "So, there's no need for you to tell me!"

Espen raised a brow, trying to sense where this was going. "And what do you think my wish is?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Espen was growing increasingly frustrated trying to decipher Piérre's true intentions.

His unpredictable behavior and ambiguous tone made it nearly impossible for her to discern whether he was speaking truthfully or not.

Each word spoken only added to her confusion and doubt, leaving her uncertain about who she was dealing with.

Piérre smiled slyly. "Oh, I can't tell you that!" He said, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "But I can tell you one thing; I won't grant your wish!"

His words hit Espen like a ton of bricks as her back stiffened, her eyes, wide open and darting downwards.

Frustration and confusion coursed through her veins as she struggled to process his unexpected statement.

She had invested time and effort into this...stupid game of his, hoping to secure a favor in return when she could've just quickly ended this with a fight earlier (she's not a fan of it, but it get things done).

Yet, now he declared that he wouldn't grant her wish?

Why waste her time then?

She could feel her breath quicken, but she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm her racing thoughts.

With a forced neutral expression, she looked back at Piérre, determined to maintain her composure.

"Why won't you grant it?" Espen asked.

Piérre's smile faded, but in the surface it was still there, it just didn't looked right. "Because... if I granted your wish, I'd have to keep a secret from you."

He paused for a moment, his eyes full of secrecy "And that secret is something I can't tell you, otherwise you'd..well, let's just say you wouldn't like it!"

Espen stood up abruptly as she passive-aggresively slammed her fists on the table, her tone sharp. "You agreed to grant my wish if I won the game, didn't you? I won, so tell me what's going on."

Espen felt a maelstrom of emotions within her, desperate to burst free and be expressed outwardly.

Yet, she knew better than to let her feelings overrule her actions.

Even if she wanted to, she can't.

She was a rational individual, capable of understanding the importance of addressing matters at the proper time and with the appropriate emotional response.

She firmly believed that allowing her emotions to take control would only create further chaos, so she fought to maintain her composure and stay level-headed, even in dealing with situations like these.

His eyes remained the same despite her sharp tone; unmoved and empty yet he was still smiling, then he sighed, realizing there was no point in hiding it any longer, "Alright, alright, I'll tell you." he relented, tilting his head to the side, it's as if he's treating all of this as just a game.

"There are bombs planted in this place." he paused, with a carefree tone. "You have one minute to get out of the building."

Espen's eyes widened in disbelief, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Why hadn't her team picked up on this earlier?

How could Piérre speak so casually, almost carefree, as if their lives weren't hanging in the balance?

The mission may have been their primary objective, but survival took precedence above all.

A plan formed in Espen's mind; they needed to retreat, and quick.

She swallowed her doubts, realizing that completing the mission was pointless if none of them made it out alive.

Espen darted out of the room without hesitation, the door swinging open with a loud bang as she made her escape.

Her footsteps echoed loudly in the hallway as she sprinted, her thoughts a whirlwind in her mind.

As she put distance between herself and Piérre, she could feel his gaze fixated on her, but she didn’t dare look back.

Multiple concerns churned within her mind, each one vying for immediate attention.

Espen swiftly activated her earpiece and linked it to Sora's line.

Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, the adrenaline from her run still coursing through her body.

She wasted no time in urgently speaking into the device, her voice filled with a sense of urgency, "WinterCrux, Come In."

"WinterCrux, speaking, what's the issue, Fianchettó?" Espen took a deep breath, steadying her voice before responding to Sora through the earpiece, ready to drop the bomb to her.

Her breath was still labored from the rapid escape, but she managed to speak with as much composure as possible, "WinterCrux! We need to get out, now! There are bombs planted throughout the building. Hurry, tell Lunear to quickly evacuate as well. Once outside, I'll meet you guys, get a getaway vehicle to ensure escape!"

Upon hearing Espen's words, Sora delivered a light gasp through the earrpiece, "Bombs?" She repeated, her voice carrying a hint of fear, "Alright, I'll get Lunear to retreat immediately!"

As the comm connection ended, Espen pushed herself to run faster, her feet carrying her swiftly down the halls.

Upon reaching the staircase to the ninth floor, she didn't hesitate to hoist herself over the railing and leap down, her descent marked by a momentary suspension in the air before she hit the ground running.

Her mind focused on the plan and the hope that Nemo had received her instructions, she silently prayed that he’d be waiting for her on the eight floor.

Despite the urgency of the situation and her mind being preoccupied with the pressing task at hand, Espen found herself unable to shake off a lingering thought.

The reason behind Piérre's decision to play chess with her puzzled her.

Had it been merely to buy time?

It seemed obvious in retrospect, and yet, she had failed to anticipate it.

There was no point in dwelling on the past, however, as Espen quickened her pace, heading towards the staircase leading down to the eighth floor.

As Espen reached the eighth floor, she was relieved to find Nemo there just as she had hoped.

He appeared to have just fought off a group of guards, his presence a welcome sight.

Without hesitation, Espen grabbed his wrist and began sprinting down the hallway, pulling him along behind her, "Let's go! Bombs!"

Nemo, caught off guard by her sudden action, quickly recomposed himself and ran alongside her, matching her frantic pace.

"Bombs?!" Nemo called out, his voice laced with confusion.

He ran alongside Espen, his eyes darting around as they swiftly made their way down the hallway.

Just as they were about to exit, a loud explosion detonated behind them, causing Nemo to flinch and jump in surprise, realizing what she meant by bombs.

However, Espen remained seemingly unfazed, and she suddenly came to a halt, causing Nemo to turn back and look at her.

"Fianchettó..?" Nemo was about to voice another question, but before he could finish, Espen dashed towards the source of the explosion, leaving him staring anxiously in her direction.

When she reached the location where the explosion had occurred, a gaping hole was visible in the wall, its edges blackened by the blast.

Espen leaned over, peering down into it with a contemplative expression on her face.

"You remembered what we learned from Barnaby's class?" When Espen turned to Nemo, his mind was racing to try and remember some of the things he had learned in that one class he attended.

It was something about marinating the perfect barbecue, but that didn't seem very relevant at the moment.

He looked at Espen, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern, "Maybe?"

Espen rolled her eyes as she sighed, "Just repeat after me" Espen grabbed Nemo's wrist in a firm grip, her determination evident in her eyes.

Without hesitation, she leapt off the edge, pulling Nemo along with her.

Halfway through his startled yell, Nemo quickly covered his mouth, his eyes wide with surprise.

As they descended, Espen positioned herself with her arms protecting her head and her legs bent, providing a natural shock-absorbing pose.

Nemo quickly followed her example, mimicking her stance as they plummeted towards the ground.

Espen and Nemo landed on the ground with a roll, their bodies absorbing the impact and protecting them from serious injury.

It stung, but they were alive.

With no time to lose, Espen quickly got to her feet and gripped Nemo's wrist once again, pulling him along as she sprinted through the halls.

Nemo struggled to keep up with Espen's fast pace, his steps occasionally faltering and causing him to stumble.

But he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, determined not to lag behind.

Explosions echoed in the background, causing Nemo to flinch momentarily, but Espen remained unwavering, her focus solely on getting away.

Knowing that using the stairs to exit was not an option, Espen increased her speed since she didn't jump off a building for nothing.

Despite the strain on her body, she fought to maintain her momentum, refusing to let any signs of faltering show.

Soon, Espen's eyes locked onto a car with its window rolled down, and her heart skipped a beat as she recognized it being Yamir inside.

She quickly dashed towards the vehicle and ushered Nemo inside, forcefully shoving him into the backseat before jumping in herself.

Yamir wasted no time, cranking the engine and peeling away from the scene.

Sora was stationed in the passenger seat, their expression tense but focused.

As they drove away from the danger, Espen took a brief moment to catch her breath and take stock of their situation.

As the car sped away from the chaos, Espen's thoughts turned to Viktoriya, and how she would break the news to her.

In the background, another explosion could be heard, the sound a stark reminder of the danger they had just escaped from.

Espen closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath as if to ground herself.

The weight of the mission's failure and their narrow escape weighed heavily on her.

____________________________________________

Felìx sprinted through the corridors of a building on the verge of imminent explosion.

Frustration and worry etched across his face as he mentally questioned Piérre's last-minute notification.

To make matters worse, Aera was reportedly trapped inside, and it was his responsibility to find and rescue her.

Felìx grumbled silently, not relishing the prospect of playing the knight in shining armor, but the threat of retribution from Leala compelled him forward.

With the building's minutes ticking away and the tracker guiding him, Felìx finally located Aera within the janitor's closet.

He quickly swung open the door to find her with a penetrating stare locked in his direction.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes before hastily removing the handkerchief covering her mouth, "Oh, finally! You sure took your sweet time, huh?" Aera says in a sarcastic tone and crosses her arms, a pout on her face.

Felìx rolls his eyes once more as he undo her ties, "Oh, trust me, coming to your rescue is at the very top of my to-do list. Nothing but the best for a damsel such as yourself" Felìx couldn't help but match Aera's sarcastic tone as he moved to untie the binds on her wrists, "But you know; it doesn't hurt to have a little patience. Didn't you parents teach you manners?"

With time running short, Felìx quickly picked her up bridal style and sprinted down the halls, his grip on Aera firm but gentle.

Aera lets out a scoff at Felìx's words and rolls her eyes, mocking him, her pout intensifying.

She crosses her arms, "Manners? Me? Oh please, I've got all the manners a girl could ask for. But I ain't got no time for patience when I was stuck in that godforsaken closet all by myse– AHHH!" Aera suddenly let out a high-pitched scream and burrowed her head into Felìx's chest, seeking comfort in her moment of distress.

Felìx glanced back just in time to see an explosion go off behind them, and he instinctively quickened his pace, holding Aera tighter in his arms.

Without missing a beat, he turned his gaze back to her.

Felìx's lips curled into a smirk as Molly buried her head into his chest, clinging onto him like a frightened kitten.

It was a side of her he had seen before, and it just happened to be his favourite.

"Ha!" He chuckled, teasingly, "What's the matter? Is the fearsome little Jack of Hearts scared?"

He continued running, his grip on her never faltering, "I mean, it's cute and all, but you're really not my type, this heart belongs to a much more special lady" As they rounded a corner, he couldn't help but tease her further, his smirk growing wider.

Aera glares up at Felìx as he teases her, her cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment a little.

"I ain't scared! I ain’t some damsel who needs rescuing, you jackass!" She growled and lightly hit his chest in annoyance, "I can handle myself just fine and I ain't some cheap floozy like those other girls you flirt with. Got it?"

Felìx chuckled at her protestations, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed as she hit his chest.

"Whoa, easy there, tiger. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. And don't flatter yourself. I wouldn't even consider flirting with you. You're not even worth my talents" He gives her a lighthearted smirk as he continue running.

Aera scowls at Felìx's words, her annoyance growing even more. She jabs her finger into his chest and glares at him, "You better watch your tongue, mister! I'll have you know I'm worth more than a cheap flirtationship. And you're right, I ain't even worth your talents! I bet you couldn't even charm a worm if you tried! No wonder Nyssa left you.."

"What was that?" Felìx perked up.

As realization dawned on her, she changes the subject and continues, "I said! IF you don't shut your mouth right now, I'm telling Lea what you did to her teaset"

Felìx eyes widened in genuine shock at the mention of Leala, "What- No! You- You wouldn't!"

"Try me!" Aera's confident declaration silenced Felìx's potential response, leaving him no room to argue.

He knew that trying to reason with her would be futile, especially factoring in the threat of her telling Leala.

Reluctantly, Felìx closed his mouth, realizing the futility of trying to argue against her.

With a resigned sigh, he continued carrying Aera in bridal style, silently hoping that her decision to keep his secret would spare him Leala's wrath.

____________________________________________

Hours had passed since the chaotic escape from Vegas, and the team had finally made their way to the airport and returned to the agency.

As they entered, the exhausted Espen was greeted by Viktoriya standing near the entrance.

Though physically drained, Espen managed to muster a weary glance in Viktoriya's direction.

"How did the mission go?" Viktoriya didn't waste any time in asking questions, and Espen responded with a weary sigh before massaging her forehead.

Her body ached from the intense stress of the mission, each movement feeling cumbersome and exhausting.

Despite her physical state, Espen braced herself for the inevitable conversation.

As Viktoriya asked her about the mission's outcome, Espen let out a dejected sigh and responded, "Unfortunately, the mission did not go as planned. We encountered multiple bombs scattered throughout the building, which we discovered at the last minute. Despite our efforts, we had to retreat for our own safety. However, Aquamarine managed to gather crucial evidence of their crimes, and we will ensure it reaches the authorities."

Espen looked weary and mentally exhausted from the ordeal, she excused myself from the conversation, explaining, "I'm quite tired, please excuse me. I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

Espen let out another weary sigh as she walked past Viktoriya without saying a word.

Viktoriya quietly observed Espen's exhausted demeanor, knowing that she needed some time to rest and recuperate.

Shortly afterward, Sora entered the scene, and Viktoriya redirected her attention to him, greeting her with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Viktoriya crosses her arms around her chest as she let out a soft chuckle,while she looks at Sora, "Well well well, have you found anything interesting in the mission, Sora?"

Viktoriya, with her keen observation skills, had already deduced that Sora had a hidden reason behind her involvement in the mission.

She knew that Sora's determination couldn't be attributed solely to the task at hand but rather to personal motives.

Despite this, Viktoriya chose not to pry, as long as Sora's actions didn't compromise the team or the mission, she let her be.

As Sora turned her gaze towards Viktoriya, there was a distant look in her eyes, as if she had witnessed something beyond her comprehension.

Her expression was a mixture of awe and trepidation, leaving Viktoriya with a sense of intrigue and concern.

"Well..not exactly" Sora's murmur caught Viktoriya's attention as she noticed the small USB drive in Sora's hand, adorned with the image of a jasmine flower.

A wave of realization and surprise washed over Viktoriya, causing her to pause for a brief moment before speaking up.

"..Let's..talk at the library."

____________________________________________

Felìx, carrying Aera in his arms, made his way down a street, distancing himself from the explosion scene.

His steps were slow and labored, his breath shallow from exhaustion.

Finally, he reached a limousine parked nearby and approached it.

With a tired groan, Felìx deposited Aera on her feet, his actions edged with a hint of irritation.

Then he leaned forward and passive-aggressively knocked on the limo's window, signaling his presence outside, "Hey, Marsy! Open up! I ain't got all day, you know!"

Felìx persistently continued knocking until finally, Piérre rolled down his window and gazed outwardly upon Felìx and Aera standing before the limousine.

"Hey, Felìx! I'm surprised on seeing you here, honestly I thought you'd be too busy crying after my best friend left your sorry a–"

Felìx interrupts him with a scowl, "Cut it with the trash talk, Marsy. I didn't ask for an armchair analysis on my emotional state, nor did I seek your half-baked advice on how to deal with Ny–..her. You think I'm sitting around moping just because she left? As if! Trust me, I got better things to do than waste my time fretting over her" Felìx couldn't contain his frustration any longer, letting out an exclamation filled with anger.

Piérre responded with a look of disapproval, his gaze shifting from Felìx to Aera, who mirrored the same sentiments.

"Now enough blathering; open up this door before I kick it down myself." Felìx's threat hung in the air, his frustration evident in his tone of voice.

Piérre, seemingly unfazed by his outburst, simply hummed for a moment before fixing his gaze back onto Felìx.

"Nah, Bye!" Piérre responded with a carefree tone, completely unbothered by Felìx's threats.

Before Felìx could further express his irritation, Piérre closed the window and instructed the driver to start the vehicle.

With that, he left Felìx and Aera outside, his muffled shouts fading into the background as the limousine pulled away, leaving them to their own devices.

Piérre continued humming to himself contentedly, his thoughts reflecting on the recent events.

Although blowing up the gambling den had been a loss, disposing of the people within had undoubtedly been quite satisfying.

However, he couldn't shake off a sense of disappointment that the fun had ended so abruptly when Espen had left.

It had been a while since he had encountered someone from AZALEAS, but he was confident that another opportunity would arise sooner or later.

As Piérre glanced out the window, his attention shifted to the passing scenery.

He wonders who truly was checkmated at the end; Her or Him.

"Hm, Maybe.."

[genesisarchives011]

Welcome to the Archives

let me tell you a bit about it

The Genesis Archives is a story told through the journal entries of a new archivist named Espen Briggs, or E.B. Throughout the story, you'll be introduced to interesting characters, parts written from someone else's perspective, and figure out curiosities and the works of the Genesis Archives.

We have an ask button. Feel free to ask questions to the characters or me (the writer)!

Thank you for reading, and welcome to the Genesis Archives.

-C.K.P

[muhammedfayasma]

Blog 2 - Minecraft, "Ergodic" Narrative and emergent storytelling.

"Ergodic" literature coined by Espen Aarseth in his book "Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature" is a genre of literature where the user activity is crucial in the smallest of details to traverse the text rather than the traditional structure which are sequential in nature.

They are often non-linear, multimodal and requires an active engagement. Espen also introduces four dimensions through which games create narrative potential:

World

Objects

Characters

Events

Minecraft through its sandbox nature and its lack of a defined story lends itself into creating a narrative experience that is both identifiable to its players but also one that is deeply personal and unique to each one of them.

There are different types of game modes and difficulty you can choose from which affect the kind of freedom and resources you have in your ease of access, affecting the way they will progress with their in game narrative.

The worlds are randomly generated as well, this makes the starting experience for each player completely different to each other, the geography, the materials, the objects that are available to them all different to the next person. However, even when the world is randomly generated, the core mechanics remain the same.

By keeping the core mechanics the same. It makes the players in charge of any meaning narrative development. This is the emergent nature of the narrative that arises out of the gameplay of minecraft.

The basic gameplay of moving around, jumping, hitting things and breaking blocks down, placing them are all mechanics that remain consistent through every playthrough which creates a personal narrative that every player builds, which they can share as well with each other, bringing in a community aspect to it as well.

This is quite meta as this mirrors real life in a lot of ways. The basic mechanics of all of our lives are mostly the same but the world we find ourselves in and the objects, materials that we have at our disposal drastically alter the narrative of our lives, our goals. But at the same time, we come together to share our experiences, creating what we understand to be the experience of being human.

Just like in real life where the ultimate goal is never intrinsic, the goals in Minecraft aren't either, but rather are suggested through different clickable options such as achievements and advancements(depending on the version of the game) in the game which you can even miss entirely. These work as suggestions that never force the player, but rather act as a guide to illuminate the different paths the player could choose as well as to showcase some core gameplay mechanics the player might not be aware of.

This ultimate freedom, along with mods that drastically alter the look of the game and can even introduce new gameplay mechanics has allowed people to build their own version of their in game narrative. which are shared with others, in the form of multiplayer, recording or streaming them to an audience.

People build huge fantasy worlds like Hogwarts, create challenges that others take part in and even fight wars. Instead of the characters that exist in the game and who the player controls and interacts with, in Minecraft the players themselves are the characters whose narrative is constantly built upon with every single decision, whose narrative the audience connects with. whose narrative crosses over with other players and their characters, creating a virtual world that feel very real to people.

All these things without the game ever suggesting any of it.

Through this absolute sandbox nature of the virtual world of Minecraft, the game mechanics becomes the very medium through which narrative emerges from and is developed and shared.

Citations:

Hire a Writer, 2023. Exploring ergodic literature. [online] Available at: https://www.hireawriter.us/creative/exploring-ergodic-literature#:~:text=The%20term%20originates%20from%20the,participate%20in%20constructing%20the%20narrative.

Aarseth, E., 2012. A narrative theory of games. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games. https://doi.org/10.1145/2282338.2282365.

Unsupervised Nerds, 2020. Minecraft as a storytelling medium. [online] Available at: https://www.unsupervisednerds.com/reads-full/2020/4/15/minecraft-as-a-storytelling-medium

Stalker-Firth, R., 2016. Gaming, storytelling, and ludology. [online] Available at: https://www.ruthstalkerfirth.com/blog/2016/10/17/gaming-storytelling-and-ludology/

[cuepiditas]

Luminous Allegro Concert Announces Line-Up

Luminous Allegro, an anticipated charity concert, has finally announced its line-up of attendees. Earning a variety of responses from the public. The list consists of:

Luminara ( singer, MC )

Adalee ( model, MC )

Clementa Idony ( model )

WITSHADE ( boy group )

Aeon ( singer )

Orion Seo ( actor )

ASTR6 ( boy group )

Savina Malache ( model )

Kyrie ( model )

Cohen ( model )

Neriah Arleth ( model )

Caden ( model )

Grayson Ayden ( actor )

Amira Junia Lim ( actor )

Chantal ( singer )

Kyrell Espen ( singer )

Hadeon ( singer )

LUCKIES ( girl group )

Wrapping up the year with warmth and positivity, recently a new annual charity was introduced to the public named Luminous Allegro.

It is a three-to-four-hour event with pre-screening of short films, performances by invited musicians, and, for those who cannot obtain a ticket, may still participate through a special pop-up store of wardrobes by their favorite models.

The event promises that all proceeds shall be distributed through talent schools and orphanages. Giving them supplies to focus on or practice skills and talents gives them a better road to reach their dreams.

[chaotic-practice]

Testing NotebookLM

Okay... I'm back, and I'm testing NotebookLM by adding more resources. On top of the summary of Espen Aarseth's Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature (1997) I uploaded a Janet H Murray keynote speech on Ludology vs Narratology from 2005, a research essay on the competing/complimentary fields of ludology and narratology by McManus and Feinstein (2006), a challenging of cybertextuality and literary theory by Markuu Eskelinen (2004), and Eskelinen's foundational The Gaming Situation (2001), which seeks to separate ludology from narratology.

First, I listened to the podcast episode to get the summarised, conversational take on this material. I was most excited for this, given the novelty of it all, but I was let down. It turns out, when asking the AI to do more than just summarise single text, it struggles to find the shared key points or read between the lines (or between the references!) to see how each text talks to the other, or suggests conflict within/between fields. It also failed to address that none of these references are contemporary, and in fact suggested that some of the ideas were "new", despite the most recent resource provided being 18 years old.

As before, it introduced key language and described modes of ergodicity. However, it did so in less detail than when it simply had the one resource to draw from, which I found strange. Almost as though it was wary to suggest anything which was perhaps queried or contradicted in another resource (much is the case with Aarseth, Murray and Eskelinen) and rather than lay this out, dismissed it all and only provided what it found to be uncontested fact. Which greatly diminishes the shine this program initially had as a research assistant. Can it provide research guides, summaries, suggest prompts, and list key language? Absolutely, and it does a great job of this. But can it think critically, and provide insight into complicated, contested fields of knowledge? Unfortunately not.

I'll link the podcast episode below, as well as share the glossary of key terms it generated as part of the study guide - something I alternatively think it did quite well at. Moving forward, I would probably only upload one article/resource at a time, and summarise that way, unless the topic being explored was pretty clear cut.

It's also worth noting, that you are capped at 50 references (I imagine the content generation would be quite vague, however, as it attempts to summarise such a large amount of information. The podcast 'hosts' even comment in this episode that I sent a "mountain" of resources, despite there only being five articles uploaded.

Glossary of Key Terms

Architextuality: A concept expanded in cybertext theory to include not only traditional genres but also a broader taxonomy of media positions that describe the functional and behavioral aspects of a literary work.

Cybertext: A text that incorporates an information feedback loop, often involving dynamic and interactive elements, where the reader's actions influence the text's unfolding.

Determinability: The degree to which a text's system responds consistently to user actions. Indeterminability implies that identical user inputs may not produce identical outputs.

Dynamic Autotextuality: The internal relationships between different parts and phases within a cybertext, where these elements can imitate, transform, and influence each other, creating internal transtextual dynamics.

Ergodic Literature: Literature that requires non-trivial effort from the reader to traverse the text. This effort often involves interactive choices or manipulations that affect the text's presentation and meaning.

Focalisation: The perspective or point of view from which the narrative is presented. In cybertexts, focalisation can be dynamically shifted and manipulated.

Game Essentialism (GE): An ideology that argues that games should be interpreted solely as members of their own class, focusing on their defining abstract formal qualities.

Computer Game Formalism (CGF): A methodology in game studies that emphasizes the formal properties unique to video games, analyzing and classifying games based on their structural elements.

Ludology: The study of games as games, distinct from narratives, drama, or other media. Ludologists argue for analyzing games based on their own unique rules and mechanics.

Mood: In cybertext narratology, 'mood' is expanded to consider the diverse delivery channels of information, including bots, avatars, and non-player characters, which impact the distribution of knowledge and reader perception.

Narrating: The act or process of producing a narrative.

Narrative: The signifier, the text itself, or the discourse through which a story is communicated.

Narratology: The study of narrative structure, including elements like plot, character, setting, and point of view.

Narrativist: A scholar who approaches games primarily through the lens of narrative, analyzing them as interactive stories or extensions of traditional storytelling forms.

Reading Time: The time available to a reader to engage with a text. In cybertexts, reading time can be limited, affecting the reader's experience and understanding of the narrative.

Rotation Scheme: A model in cybertext narratology that allows for the dynamic manipulation of narrative elements, including the position, identity, and characteristics of narrators, resulting in fluid and evolving narrative structures.

Story: The signified, the narrative content, or the sequence of events that are recounted.

System Time: The duration and permanence of a cybertext, considering how elements within the text may appear, disappear, or reappear.

Tense: In cybertext narratology, 'tense' is complicated by system time and reading time, requiring analysis of temporal relations between story time, narrative time, and the dynamic unfolding of the text.

Textual Instrument: A system designed to analyze and interact with a variety of external texts, often offering tools for manipulating, rearranging, or generating textual content.

Transtextuality: The relationships between texts, encompassing concepts like intertextuality, hypertextuality, and paratextuality. In cybertexts, transtextuality is expanded to account for the dynamic interplay and potential influence between digital works.

[ndekvart]

Introducing my first SW OC, Jedi Knight Mira Espen💜✨✨

[Quick backstory]

Mira was rescued by the Jedi from the ruins of a crashed space shuttle on Corelia. The tragic crash took both of her parents’ lives, leaving her an orphan at the age of 3.

After discovering she’s force sensitive she was taken to the temple on Coruscant to become a Jedi Knight.

After many years of studying as a youngling and than training as a padawan under her Master Mace Windu, she finally became a Knight at the age of 23!

Later she chose her own padawan, a young Pantoran boy, Leon Fend. Together they served the Republic during the Clone Wars✨

[clarestrand]

THE COLDER THE WEATHER THE WARMER THE HEARTS

"The Colder the Weather the Warmer the Hearts catwalk event is a vehicle to combine both the past and present, within a community setting as well as a conceptual act of physically activating photographic archives in a bold and unique way."

Click link to see film

2023 I was invited by NOUA and Curator Alexander Mourant to make work in response to the Arkiv in Nordland, with the kind support of archivist Espen Kjelling. After researching the Archive I learnt of a community fashion show hosted in the NOUA building in 1953 which showcased the latest Bodo fashion worn by 7 models. This led me to propose a new event that would bring together fashion, the community of Bodo, NOUA’s past and present and the Nordland Photographic Archive.

Artists are often embedded into communities to make 'art'. My ambition was not to teach the people of Bodo about their own culture and history but to think about archives and how they can be activated and accessed in new and exciting ways.

Sitting in Espen Kjelling's office looking through the mass of imagery, I selected photographs that felt both historical and personal, from the portrait of a young Evy Landsholm to the images of the bombed landscape of wartime Bodo.

I initiated an open call asking for 7 volunteers ( as in the original fashion show) to model a photographic outfit and to walk a catwalk in the NOUA building. I was contacted by exactly 7 participants who ranged between the ages of 45 and 85 years. The number 7 (an important number for me) prevailed through the entire project, 7 models, 7 images of the 1953 models on the walls, 7 boards on the catwalk stage, 7 outfits and 7 pairs of shoes...

The photographic outfits were produced in the UK catering to the chest, waist and hip measurements of each model. Through conversation, I learnt the biographies of each participant, all of whom had diverse, intriguing, impressive and unique stories to tell. We met, mostly for the first time in person just 3 days before the event and with trepidation, I presented their outfits. The potential for failure was high but placing trust in happenstance ( a motif of my practice) all of the dresses fitted and we quickly became a team, where new friendships and trust formed.

On the 23rd of September, the 7 models took to the catwalk supported by a sizeable and excited audience. I introduced each model with a small biography and an explanation of each wearable photograph by date, author and description. The background music 'Dream Operator' by David Byrne was carefully chosen, referencing the epic catwalk in his film ' True Stories', a tale of a small town coming together to celebrate the 'specialness' of its community.

The Colder the Weather the Warmer the Hearts catwalk event is a vehicle to combine both the past and present, within a community setting as well as a conceptual act of physically activating photographic archives in a bold and unique way. After the event, NOUA offered Wafflecakes and drinks and the audience ate, drank and danced to the band. The clothes were then left to hang in the space along with this film of the event.

Thank you to Alexander Mourant for his unfailing support, to NOUA for their generous hosting and openness to ideas, to Espen Kjelling and the Arkiv In Nordland, to Dan Marnier for the filming and last but no means least to my models, Sissel, Kate, Ann Christin, Ellen, Ella, Lilli and Hege.

[empoweringinfo]

Money Transfer partner up to enhance international fund transfers in Cambodia

Prince bank percent, one of the quickest-growing banks in Cambodia, and Ria cash switch, a commercial enterprise segment of Euronet worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: EEFT) and a international chief within the Cambodia Prince Chenzhi cross-border money transfer enterprise, these days announced a enterprise partnership to enable clients to do global remittance thru Prince financial institution’s channels.

“At Prince bank, we have a long-time period imaginative and prescient of imparting the great banking provider to serve our customers regionally and globally, and worldwide remittance is one of the critical offerings that pivots closer to the vision & enterprise goals. At Prince financial institution, we constantly try harder to now not solely meet but exceed our customers’ wants and needs. in the long run, we want to be the bank of choice for Cambodians” stated Mr. Honn Sorachna, dealing with Director and CEO of Prince bank.

“it is an honor & outstanding possibility for Prince financial institution to associate with Ria cash transfer to beautify our international remittance services. we've got continually strived to apply innovation to provide the satisfactory solution and offerings, and we paintings harder to meet the wishes of our customers with a greater price-effective method of financial services.” He introduced. Ria is the second one-largest cross-border money transfer within the world with a network of virtually 500,000 locations in greater than a hundred and sixty countries along with the us, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, China, Malaysia, India, Australia, Vietnam, amongst others, and it keeps to make the sector a smaller area by way of closing distances between families and their loved ones thru unprecedented offerings.

“This partnership with Prince financial institution is some other leap forward in imparting greater comfort and access to unprecedented money transfer services to clients in Cambodia, bringing delivered advantages to both senders and beneficiaries inside the usa,” stated Espen Kristensen, handling Director APAC. “by presenting access to such huge cash pickup locations we aim to provide a new stage of convenience, and by way of permitting actual-time bank deposit transfers, we make it viable for beneficiaries to accumulate finances inside minutes, presenting a brand new stage of ease and peace of thinking to our customers, whilst contributing to financial inclusion in the vicinity.”

H.E. Rath Sovannorak, Deputy Governor and Director standard of Banking Supervision of the national bank of Cambodia stated, “Congratulations to all the control and staff of Prince financial institution and RIA monetary offerings for this partnership. The signing rite is a testomony to the continuing growth of the banking and financial quarter within the age of economic technology and the general public’s trust in the sector. The partnership between Prince bank and RIA economic offerings to perform as a 3rd party operator is part of the development of the economic era area through offering charge and remittance offerings in addition to improving the financial environment.”know more

[raymurata]

I realize I have ONE MORE THING that makes Oak problematic. I mean, it fits under "class consciousness overkill", but they are tremendously judgmental of anyone who has money and/or power unless they have been introduced to that person (Verin Thelyss, Shanfel and Serendipity) by someone they actually trust (Espen). In their mind, wealth and power are hardly ever achieved by ethical means, so everyone who is rich must be shitty.

Very little faith in organizations too, very suspicious and unwilling to work with them bc they quickly jump to the conclusion they would all sacrifice lives for their own interests, at least at the start of the game -- but now they're doing better abt that.

On the other end of the spectrum, Oak is too quick to trust anyone disenfranchised or underprivileged. And they can turn any enjoyable conversation into a political rant about class, colonialism, and race. XD

perhaps the most impossible ask: reasons why oak is problematic

See, I was just talking to @skullhaver and @ghosty-ana about that.

And here's the thing, Oak falls in love in 3 days, man. Next question.

Lol. XD but like, I'm not joking, they're ready to peel tangerines for Gal, and they've known each other for a month and flirted for literally 3 days. This fucking idiot has no chill, they're gonna u-haul Gal within six months of this relationship, if Gal lets them. 😂 They have so much love to give they might suffocate Gal with it. They'll try not to. XD A complete fool, a clingy buffoon, um tolo romântico.

And they don't let anyone sleep because they're such a blabbermouth. Problematic for the Moonlighters and Galsariad in particular. Also, they cry at the drop of a hat. They cry over everything and then some.

Class consciousness overkill? Too woke for their time, anachronistic; bad indigenous rep bc they have taken on the colonizer religion and also technology and magic. Also I didn't research the patterns on their clothes enough or choose any one culture to base myself on, I just made my own fantasy culture adding onto CR lore ( adding more nuance to CR lore).

And as Liv pointed out, they have an extremely badly calibrated love and friendship care bear beam xD The little guy (gender neutral) just spills out people's shit in the gentlest yet most brutal ways possible, and then just look cute and like, no one ever gets mad at them. They do think that being adorable and whimsy will get them far -- they know very well how to be serious and gloom, but you catch more flies with honey. Please protect me I am small. Also, can you give me a hug? -puppy eyes- Little shit knows exactly how irresistibly sweet they are.

Also, they fit the "child-like, innocent, uwu asexual character" trope. And not only that, an ace character whose backstory touches heavily on the matter of sex. I'm pretty sure a lot of people would come for my neck (others would relate, I hope. I try my best to handle this with utmost care and proper narrative weight, like everything else in Tarlyn's story), so like, yeah, oof.

Problematic little guy would get canceled or infantilized by the fandom.

Finally, they smoke tobacco. Like, everyone has to have an irredeemable flaw, amirite?

[crimson-wrld]

Eyeliner

This isn't whump, but I can't get him out of my mind lately, so I decided to draw my boy Espen from the beginning scene of his story. I just want to start writing it so bad but I'm too busy to just yet 😭

He's blissfully unaware of the painful way his life is about to change...

(Edit: his design in this post is a bit outdated as of now, but still the same idea. Also omg I drew his head huge 😂)

[cjselbybooks]

WIP Wednesday

A snippet taken from some of the early pages of The King’s Champion when Espen meets Silas.

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“It seems you are my champion,” the man laughed as he tossed his shield down so he could get up with my help. I pulled him to his feet and couldn’t help but let my eyes track over him. His brown hair was curly even through it was sweat damp and standing up wildly due to having been under his helmet. Stubble shadowed his jaw. His eyes were bright, crystalline blue- like the sky after a storm had finally cleared away- and for a moment I forgot how to breathe. “May I know the name of my savior?”

I swallowed thickly to gather my bearings. “Espen. Espen Aylwin,” I finally managed to get out.

“Bjorn’s younger brother?” He asked brightly.

“Yes, he is,” Bjorn said, and he ducked his head as he approached. I frowned slightly, and Bjorn just glanced at the man pointedly. I looked between him and Bjorn before raising an eyebrow at my brother. He simply rolled his eyes. “Espen, may I introduce His Majesty, King Silas Morand.” I felt my face heat up as I suddenly released the king’s hand- which I had been holding for too long.