#they are both willing to give all of themself and make sacrifices for a goal they truly believe in. Just in different ways

[cluescorner]

We need to bring back Gun Batman immediately where the FUCK is he

titans of tomorrow

aftermath:

[simpforsolas]

thoughts on how veilguard could've improved rook's and solas's character arcs

So I've been thinking about Veilguard nonstop since I finished it last night. I want to preface this with the fact that I liked many things about it a lot. While I do have my criticisms, it was probably the most fun I had actually playing a Dragon Age game. They made a lot of improvements in a lot of ways. But while I enjoyed (for the most part) what was there in the game, the entire time I just had the feeling that it was missing something (or maybe more accurately, a lot of things). This post won't go into all of those things, but I want to really delve into the biggest missed opportunity in the game: Rook's character arc and how it could have impacted Solas.

I found that Rook’s character arc was somewhat overtaken by the companions. But there was great potential for a phenomenal arc for them: what kind of hero will you be? From the beginning, Rook was set up to be a mirror to Solas. They remind Solas of who he was when he first started his rebellion: passionate, idealistic, wanting to make the world a better place. Basically, the quintessential hero. But Solas didn't stay that way. In pursuit of his noble goals, he made so many sacrifices and caused so much destruction that he accidentally became the villain. So if Rook is Solas's mirror, the logical conclusion is that Rook should've had the opportunity to reflect BOTH sides of Solas with two different paths: the "pure" hero path, or the "dark" villain path. Allowing two different paths for a protagonist in a game like this is tough, so I understand why it doesn't usually happen, but in this case, I think it would work because "pure" or "dark" path, Rook's ultimate goal would remain the same: stop the gods. The only thing that would change would be the way they go about pursuing that goal.

How would this work in practice?

For the pure path, Rook would err on the side of protecting people. Examples of this could include: giving characters like the mayor and Illario a second chance instead of killing them, making the choice in an either/or scenario to save lives instead of going after the gods, refusing to make deals with demons for more power to help them in their fight. Pure Rook is basically what we got in the game so I don't need to go further on this, but Solas watching a pure Rook would be moved by what he sees. In Rook, he would see a reflection of what he could've been if he hadn't been corrupted and trapped by his own overwhelming guilt.

For the dark path, Rook would be willing to get their hands dirty and make questionable choices if it helped their ultimate cause of defeating the gods. Examples of this could include the opposite of above: killing Illario and the mayor, choosing to sacrifice people (such as the Dalish hostages) in order to not lose an opportunity to go after the gods, and making deals with the demons in Hossberg in exchange for power to help the fight. The motivation behind each of these decisions wouldn't be selfishness, it would be pragmatism. Making the choice that would give us the best chance against the gods, no matter the cost. Solas watching this Rook would feel validated in the choices he made. Rook reflects Solas's own downward spiral of a journey, in seeing yourself become the villain as you try to be the hero. He would see that when tasked with the near impossible task of stopping tyranny, Rook was willing to get their hands dirty, just like he was.

Giving Rook the agency to choose what kind of hero they want to be would tie in with themes the game already started, but didn't exactly deliver on. Solas asks the question "what will they call you, when this over?" and by the end of the game it's like, "well they'll probably call me that one nice dude who saved the world through friendship." But if they had the chance to become sort of Dread Wolfy themself, then that line would carry a lot more weight.

Now that we've established what a two-path Rook could've looked like, I want to explore a little more how that could've impacted Solas. I, personally, wasn't the biggest fan of Solas changing his mind only being made possible by Mythal releasing him from her service. For a few reasons, but what I'm going to focus on here is that it made his redemption into this one-event thing, instead of an overarching journey that could've taken place over the course of the game. What I think should've happened is that depending on Rook's path, Solas is either a) shown a new path that he could've taken or b) validated in the path that he took. Additionally, through conversations with Solas, you could challenge his worldview, or you could reinforce it. If you did a pure path Rook, Solas would basically be prepped to ultimately be receptive to the inquisitor/Mythal's attempts to appeal to him and get him to change his mind, while dark path Rook would reinforce Solas’s worldview so strongly that no one would be able to get through to him, and his mind couldn’t be changed. This way, his outcome would feel more like a culmination of choices instead of a one moment thing, you'd have more of a chance to see the gradual shift of his attitude, and Rook would have a more interesting character arc.

[seventhdoctor]

A Trapezoid of Foils: Judai/Yubel and Amon/Echo

I'm back on my bullshit, and my bullshit is yelling about the trashfire that is Judai Yuki and Yubel. This post is a collection of thoughts on how Amon and Echo were clearly meant to reflect Judai and Yubel in some way or other, and how it feels like it should be neater than it is. The parallels are there, but it's not fully symmetrical and some of the angles are kind of weird...so yeah, kind of like a (non-isosceles) trapezoid!

(Geometry Tumblr do not @ me, I'm doing my best with this metaphor)

Spoilers for GX season 3, naturally. I haven't said it before, but for this post as well as previous ones I'm basing all information and characterization on the sub version of GX rather than the dub (which drastically changes Yubel's backstory and motives).

Yubel and Amon

This is the most obvious one, because Yubel spends two whole episodes and honestly some of their most iconic monologues trying to tear Amon down after building him up the whole season.

They're both antagonists willing to cause harm to the one they love for their goals. For Amon, that goal is the power to build a utopia. For Yubel, the harm is the goal - or at least, the metric by which they will have achieved their goal (showing their love for Judai).

Yubel, of course, claims that Amon is more selfish in his use of harm. Pain is love in their philosophy, but it's mutual pain - dishing out the pain without taking any back would only be mere cruelty. This of course misses the nuance that Echo wanted Amon to use her as a sacrifice, while Judai didn't welcome any of Yubel's twisted affections.

Still, from what I've seen most people agree that Yubel comes across as more "honest" one way or another. And to understand why things feel that way, it's important to look at their backstory and motivations, as well as how their motivations change.

Yubel dedicated themself to Judai's past life, tying themself to him through lifetimes, and in the present remained true to that devotion in unwanted ways. When Judai sent them to space and it ended up being Oops! All Torture, Yubel developed their sadomasochistic philosophy as a coping mechanism and an attempt to reconcile Judai's past promises and present actions.

Upon their return to Earth, they planned to return the "favor": by sending Yubel to the pain and isolation of outer space Judai made them stronger (i.e., infected by the Light of Destruction, with all that entails), so they'll give him his own painful experience (all of season 3) to make him stronger (awaken his power as Supreme King). Then they'll reunite, having both demonstrated their love for each other, and [this part is where the Light of Destruction really twists up their thinking]. Everything they do is in the name of this motive*, whether Judai really likes it or not.

Amon dedicated himself to the Garam conglomerate with Echo by his side before being replaced by his younger brother Sid, the sole blood Garam sibling. He nearly murdered Sid before changing his mind and dedicating himself wholly to his brother instead, a decision Echo and Yubel both describe as willingly chaining himself to their service. Even when given an opportunity to become the heir (all it'd take is watching his brother die to illness, not even murder) he rejects it, and begs for a way to save him.

And yet, when when given the opportunity he made a deal with the devil to break the chains he put on himself and abandon that same family. Then when he gets the chance to obtain power by sacrificing someone he loves, he does exactly that. Then he plans to become king of a utopia free of suffering, and always remember Echo.

So then, what are Amon's motives? Is he somebody who got tired of being abandoned or unappreciated? An ends-justify-the-means idealist? Just a power-hungry hypocrite? It's hard to tease out a consistent character and ideology from him. And in a show where people wear their hearts in their decks, I think this part of why people hate him - and so does Yubel.

Yubel hates Johan because he's terrifyingly like Yubel in some ways, focused and protective and dear to Judai.** Yubel hates Amon because he can't be like Yubel at all, resenting the brother he dedicated himself to and sacrificing the person he loved for power in an empty world forever devoid of that same person.

No way Yubel can be that kind of person, right? Otherwise, what was it all for?

* To be fair, you don't know all of Yubel's backstory by the time of their final duel with Amon. However, even removing the context of their past life that duel together with Yubel!Johan vs. Hell Kaiser establishes Yubel's central motivations more coherently than they do Amon's.

** Help, I know there's been other essay segments on this topic, text and video alike. But I saw a lot of them back in early 2023 when I was mindlessly going through GX material in a haze of hyperfixation and now I've forgotten all the other good sources.

Yubel and Echo

If Yubel's parallels with Amon are about their dedication, Yubel's parallels with Echo are about who they're dedicated to. Both believe in their loved one's destiny to become a king, and take actions to make them that king.

Yubel has historical basis in that Judai is quite literally the Supreme King, bearer of the gentle darkness. To help him achieve that role, Yubel enacts a plot to break Judai until he awakens his Supreme King side. It fits neatly into their schema of things: this is how they make the person they love stronger, so that they will thrive and survive. Make Judai stronger and awaken his old power, and all will be as it was meant to be.

Echo just believes that Amon is amazing enough that he would make a better king than anyone. When the chances arises to help break his chains and give him a world to rule, Echo takes it.

...And boy does she.

Both Yubel and Echo believe their loved ones are meant to be a king. Both give their lives in support of their loved one, and become weapons wielded in their service.

No wonder Yubel was shaken by Echo's devotion remaining within Exodia for just a moment - it's not all that far from their own.

Unfortunately Yubel's only direct interaction with Echo is goading her attack on field-Yubel during the final Amon duel. Otherwise they only speak of Echo as someone used and abandoned by Amon - which in itself has potential, given Yubel's own feelings about Judai sending them away.

I think GX could definitely have explored this connection a bit more. There's space to fill here.

Judai and Amon

As noted above, Judai and Amon both have roles as kings - at least, in the eyes of their single most loyal people. Judai holds the title of Supreme King as the wielder of gentle darkness, and while not confirmed his past life sure looked like a prince. Amon simply has ambition, talent, and an ideal world in his mind.

And in operating with the ambition of kings, they both do terrible things to achieve power. Judai lays this out explicitly in the Edo vs. Amon duel:

Amon lets his need for power get in the way of his other relationships and priorities, and sacrifices the ones he loves to obtain Exodia similarly to how Judai sacrificed his friends and eventually uncountable innocents for his own goals - finding Johan, and then ruling as Supreme King. Straightforward, right?

But I think there's another parallel between the two that's a lot more interesting. Or...most of a parallel. Namely, their relationship with their other halves and the responsibility of a loyal follower who would give up anything for you, be it their life or their humanity.

What do you do when the person you love most dedicates their existence to you - to the point of throwing everything else away, even their very life?

Of course, the Judai-Yubel and Amon-Echo situations aren't exactly the same even putting aside the issue of reincarnation. (For the purposes of this essay I'm not making huge distinctions between Judai and his past life, but if you want to get into the details I've written about that previously.)

Yubel went ahead and made their sacrifice without Judai's input, and all he could do was decide how to respond. He chose to dedicate himself back to them so hard it crossed lifetimes, so hard he chose to risk his own existence for them as well in his next life.

Amon, on the other hand, is the one who proposed Echo sacrifice herself for him. Echo agreed to it, and even by the end she stood by her decision. But Amon loaded the gun and pulled the trigger.

He tries to honor her sacrifice, of course. He's always mindful of Echo's sacrifice and what it means. But in the end, he did choose to sacrifice her, ultimately using her as a pawn. Their love never trumped his own objectives.

And I think the example of Amon and Echo leads to the question: if Judai had the choice of letting Yubel become a dragon or stopping them, what would he do? When it was explicitly their will?

This is another missed opportunity, one that could have solidified the parallels neatly. But GX never asks that question, so the answer is unclear. What could have been a parallel is just kind of...askew.

Judai and Echo

Okay, I admit there isn't a lot here off the top of my head. Probably the best parallels between them are in relation to their other halves, as the people "harmed" by their villainous partners, and how they respond to that harm.

Judai rejects Yubel's torments as unwanted attention, until he remembers the past and flips to understanding why Yubel did they did and makes moves to unite the two of them forever. Echo, meanwhile, understands Amon's motives from start to end and...lets herself be sacrificed, the end.

I don't know about this one. Really, ultimately Echo is supposed to be a willing participant in her own sacrifice but in the end I still don't feel like the narrative gave her a strong sense of agency in the matter and it really weakens my attempt to write this section.

In Conclusion

Some of these connections are stronger than others for sure, but I argue that they're all there in some way or another. They're very uneven and overall I'm not entirely sure what you're meant to take from the parallels, and I wish I could give something neat and concise for this section. Instead, it's a bit messy and misshapen - hence, the trapezoid metaphor.

Still, I think there's interesting room for thought in this awkward space. I was certainly thinking about these parallels while working on the latest chapter of Need (accidental last-minute plug?) and trying to figure out exactly what the prince felt while Yubel was in the middle of dragon surgery. What must it be like, to be in these relationships of sacrificial devotion?

[utilitycaster]

I also really like that because of the choices that unavoidably make things bad for companions you really do get a very obvious case of "good story for a character" and "good story over all". I've talked about this a little in regards to Actual Play, both in terms of romances (an unrequired crush is super important for a character's narrative but pretty much irrelevant to an overall one) and other major events, death being the obvious one as it's often crucial to the overarching narrative but obviously ends the majority of the personal one.

Really the two main decisions here for Veilguard that actively cut things off are the Minrathous/Treviso decision, and the character who sacrifices themself so the party can get Ghilan'nain, and the latter is much more a "what if" for post-canon speculation. I'm no longer as sure as I was (and I am planning a second run post-Thanksgiving, to be done rather more slowly) but I think that it still makes more sense narratively to save Treviso, since Minrathous being weakened sets up the final encounters better, in my opinion, and there's something nice about the Crows coming to Minrathous's aid here (vs the Fire and Ice fight, where they initially came for their dragon and then gladly assisted with Minrathous's as well). However, this limits Neve's narrative. She isn't faced with a decision to embrace a more public and hopeful approach; she has to work with more unsavory elements in the service of a goal. And while there's still a lot of satisfying elements in how I played her story (the "whatever it takes" of it all playing nicely into her being willing to use the blight to wrest control of an archdemon in the end) it might not be the one that serves the character as best as it can.

I also had Davrin give his life for Ghilan'nain, and that one is much harder because there's a case to be made that having him live through the Wardens adjusting to a radically different purpose is the natural and satisfying conclusion to his story. I think the fact that I don't have a sense of Harding's legacy at all if she dies whereas if you did Davrin's quest, his legacy very much lives on, is part of it, as is to be fair the fact that you cut to credits immediately at the end so you don't see the ramifications play out over months as you do for the city choice. But either way, the story is about moving forward after the death of a character who served in many ways as a beacon, and what serves a character and what serves an overall narrative might be different. (I've also seen that the choice you make here really influences how your Rook feels going into the final choice for Solas; that if you lose Harding, it makes the forgiveness option more appealing. This is really interesting to me because the way I played Rook, it really did have to be the forgiveness option no matter what, and when coupled with the fact that I picked Harding embracing her anger and she was also deeply angry at Solas I think if anything her death might have been a slight push towards trickery that wouldn't have outweighed Rook's inclinations in the end, but I can definitely see a more cynical Rook being swayed one way or the other by Harding's compassion for Solas vs. Davrin's firm principles, and so that's also a case where the overall story vs. character story might be at odds).

[codenamesazanka]

actually thinking about it, HeroAca sets up the potential for a bit of an unusual take for the Shigaraki-Deku stop-the-villain problem.

Like. I know there’s lots of readers who wishes Deku would just kill Shigaraki and be done with it; lots of readers who think Shigaraki should die, whether by someone’s hands or in an act of sacrifice to defeat AFO probably. It’s what happened before in a whole bunch of stories and/or it’s what a bunch of people think should happen in stories: No redemption for the Villain, but instead death. If we’re squeamish about dirtying the Good Protag’s hand with blood, then it’s up to the Villain to off themself somehow.

With Shigaraki though, he is literally impossible to kill right now. Like, the Heroes have tried. Multiple times. They didn’t perform CPR, they tried to burn him alive, they tried to blow him up. I think Eraserhead wanted to straight up shank him. Thanks to regeneration, Shigaraki bounces back each time. If Shigaraki can’t be killed, Heroes have no choice but to capture him alive and contain him.

So the question of ‘Will Deku be able to kill Shigaraki if it comes to it’ wouldn’t make sense unless Shigaraki stops being immortal. That’ll probably happen one way or another, but until then, considering what’s known and what the characters are working with currently in the story, the only option Deku has is to, again, capture him alive. This then gives Deku two later options: to execute Shigaraki in a planned, deliberate, methodical, possibly extreme way given the immortality thing, a way that’s very much *not* shonen protag - in fact that probably goes against the traditional plucky heroic concept of not dealing a blow to someone unarmed and defeated/surrendered; or to just keep him alive and unable to act on his destructive impulses.

The whole idea of Heroes vs Villains and the Final Battle is to settle a problem: The Villain hurts people. It’s time to stop them, forever.

As we well know from many stories, there are multiple ways to do this. There’s sealing them away somehow, whether via jail or vessel; there’s taking away their powers; and then there’s changing them, set them on the path of atonement, and not only do they stop harming people, they’re making up for it. Lately, it seems like people have found these options to be unsatisfactory because…

Well, I’m not sure. Because it’s tiresome and cliché? Because it’s unrealistic to believe evil can change? Because it’s not as cathartic? The logistics are too much? Because they don’t deserve to be alive?

From what I’ve gathered, the idea of a Hero killing a nasty, irredeemable Villain is most often justified as a precaution to prevent the Villain from ever harming someone again. Meanwhile, the idea of death as simply a punishment seems to be less popular of a given reason, probably because it seems rather savage in modern times, and especially if the Hero isn’t meant to be seen as someone ruthless or vengeful.

But if the goal is to stop harm, if the goal is to prevent the Villain from hurting anyone ever again, then having them change is just as effective as killing them, if not better because they can spend the rest of their lives repaying the world. From what we know of Shigaraki, we know this is possible: he’s not ‘born evil’, he was a sweet kid, he was purposefully raised to be a Villain, he’s currently trapped in darkness unable to see the light. Shigaraki changing is entirely possible and believable; and as someone so willful and determined, he can probably do a lot of good in atonement for the rest of his life. Even if not, him not doing bad stuff is already a good outcome.

Frankly, saving Shigaraki - not killing him - is sorta a given. If he remains immortal, then he can’t be killed anyways. If he stops being immortal, and also stops his rampage of destruction, then he doesn’t need to killed, since the goal is ‘prevent him from doing harm ever again.’

The only reasons to have Shigaraki die, are 1) he continues hating to the very end, which would be quite a pessimistic ending for HeroAca; 2) he sacrifices himself to bring down All For One, which is less pessimistic but still tragic. In both cases, the Heroes explicitly fail to save Shigaraki in all the ways that matters. Maybe that’s the bitter ending we’ll get, but that just feels strange as a conclusion for My Hero Academia’s ‘we’re the greatest heroes who saves everyone.’

anyways, basically, here are my rude opinion. i think readers wishing for Shigaraki to die in whatever way simply doesn’t want Heroes to save him because they just want to see death as retribution and punishment. Which is fine, but I think that’s missing the point of the story.

[megashadowdragon]

ironwoods tragic fall from grace

comments on youtube

When a hero becomes the villain, all hell breaks loose. Especially when the fallen hero is general of the Atlesian army.

The only thing that I noticed was that Ironwood has constantly grown a Beard as time passes. He's slowly decending towards from Hero to Villain as a "Fallen Hero" Catagory. James Ironwood WAS a good man, utterly dedicated to protecting his people. It was with the best of intentions that he charged down the path he’s taken... but you know what they say about good intentions.

I didn’t think his semblance was much of a factor into his decisions before Vol 7 but now as he’s become more unhinged every chapter, it’s becoming even more strikingly obvious that he’s become a slave to it. The fact that his semblance increases his resolve to go through with bargaining with Watts, willing to blow up Mantle just to save Atlas.

He's like the antithesis of Leonardo Lionheart

You know, this is a really good counter for all those people saying Ironwood is suffering character assassination. He's not. He's giving in to fear and letting his worst aspects take command.

I’m personally asking again why would the writers talk about something like Ironwood’s semblance outside the show when for the most part the majority of people only watches the show, that’s like how the Russo brothers (the writers and directors of Avengers Infinity War and Endgame) choose to answer the hows and why on Twitter when the majority of people are only watching the movies I personally love those movies but it also would’ve been nice to see those things get explained or talked about in the movies just like how it would be nice to at least mention Ironwood’s semblance in the show

Honestly, I love what they're doing with Ironwood. His slow, inexorable descent into extremism is a wonderful exploration of how an idealistic person who believes themself to be the hero can tumble into villainy without trusting others to keep them grounded. It's the very real problem of the philosophy of "The ends justify these particular means;" if you can justify one morally gray decision to achieve a good goal, it gets easier to justify the next, darker gray decision. Without someone outside to call you on your bullshit, you're eventually justifying genocide because it will be for the "greater good."

Ironwood is literally the Darth Vader of RWBY. He starts of as a respectable character, commanding his own army for the good of all. But he gives in to all of his fears, looses a limb or 2, and slowly turns misguidedly evil, willing to kill ANYONE who stands in his way.

I've said before that Team Rwby is a foil to the Headmasters. Ruby keeping secrets like Oz, Leo/Blake, the faunus who ran away when things got hard, and Ironwood's parallel is Yang.

Not just obvious stuff, like both having metal arms. But both of their semblances are double edged sword. Yang get stronger taking damage, but if she leans on it too much, an enemy that takes one hit just destroys her since she can't fight back. Volume 4 has her training with Taiyang to correct this flaw in her thinking, leading to her overcoming Adam in her rematch in V6.

Ironwood's semblance can be incredibly powerful. Just off the top of my head, he basically no sells the Apathy, which is an incredibly dangerous Grimm in a group with other, stronger Grimm. But it has downsides, and we're seeing it. The correct way to use it is after you've made a choice, to focus on the task at hand. But making large choices while under the semblance is not smart. He's too focused on one action to see others that have opened. Atlas has to be raised, because that's what he's already decided to do. The idea that they've made contact with the world and reinforcements might be coming never entered his mind. Similarly, he's so focused on forcing Penny to heel that he's not seeing he has a chance to have her come willingly by aiding in Mantle's rescue.

He's so focused on winning this one battle (Having Penny raise the city to escape Salem immediately) that's he's making choices to doom the larger war (defending the kingdom's people, defeating Salem, reuniting the world).

He clearly knows that it isn't smart to rely on it this way, since he's shown the ability to take criticism and adjust his thinking in Volume 7 (Nora would've been Slate'd if he couldn't). But the combination of Yang/Blake going behind his back to tell Robyn, Ruby/Oscar not telling him the truth, Qrow seemingly killing Clover, and, right when he thought that he'd saved everyone, the idea that every single thing he's done might've been exactly what Salem wanted has fairly understandably shaken his faith in the others around him. He can't rely on them to rein him in, he has to do that... which is exactly the problem with his semblance. If the only person who can stop you is yourself, and you're convinced you're always right, you've doomed yourself.

I'm assuming that he could probably be talked down by Glynda or potentially Oz or Qrow (fat chance of that one) if they can break his aura, but as it stands, unless someone beats him down, he's not going to be able to stop himself.

With Ironwood I am reminded of a very profound quote from CS Lewis, that I feel summarizes him very well: "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals."Show less

Dude Ironwood didn't have a problem with trusting people and didn't have a mentality of not being able to trust people. He trusted to much and trusted people who both betrayed his trust (Yang/Blake) and didn't reciprocate the trust he gave them (Ruby and the rest of the main cast). Honestly, he would have been perfectly right to have immediately put the relic of knowledge into the vault at the start of v7 and then send the students on their way and have nothing more to do with them.

Ironwood saw Atlas and his fleet as a way to inspire hope. It's ironic that his plan was one of lifting them up so high that nobody would ever be able to see them anymore.

My only criticism with Ironwood is that I really really wish his semblance was brought up in the show. Are they ever going to bring it up? I absolutely LOVE how he has been written and watching his tragic descent into becoming a villain but having his semblance mentioned in show would be great. Is someone going to have to break his aura or something before he or someone else mentions it?

In a way he is. His semblance is a double edge sword, as someone in Ironwood's position is all about making calls. Ironwood was able to climb through the ranks because his semblance allowed him to follow through with his actions to save people (I also still wonder what happend to halve of his body as he already had a metal leg and arm in volume 2, we can asume the paladin project, but some confirmation would be wonderfull). Now he's following through on his words agains Salem, that Ironwood isn't going to let Salem take the relic of creation. Ironwood essentially only has this thought he is focused on and is disregarding everything else. Right now Salem is piecing herself together again and Penny is going to the vault, if Ironwood semblance of Mettle wasn't interfering he would be able to see the bigger picture of let Penny open the vault, take out the staff of cration and chuck whatever goop Salem is right now with the bit of land she is piecing herself on right now and throw that into the vault and close it for good by blocking off the entrance with concrete. Voila. Ironwood doesn't notice at this point his actions as he even thought councilman Slate, who was asking Ironwood to explain his action got put down by Ironwood himself. Same for Marrow later on, but Winter was able to step in. Ironwood needs to be saved from this mindset and I think the team up of Qrow and Robyn (also who ever was on the elevator, I think it was Winter and Marrow as Winter was taking him away to be put in jail) could save Ironwood to the point of breaking his aura that way the influence of Mettle will loosen.

Gonna be honest, I dislike the whole concept of his semblance and it being what's driving him to this is just dumb to me. I loved him as a character and this entire volume feels like every bit that made him an interesting character has been ripped away. It's likely just me, but prior to Oscar using the built-up magic to beat Salem it felt like they had painted themselves into a corner. Either Ironwood was proven right that some sacrifices had to be made for the good of the people, or Salem was going to be beaten and even if she can come back, she no longer feels like a huge threat to me. I loved Ironwood in volume seven and many of team RWBY's choices have infuriated me for how contrived and stupid they manage to be while also contradicting themselves so easily. To be frank, I feel like his semblance was just an excuse for this utterly stupid character assassination they're trying to justify.Show less

I kind of feel like the writers 'forced' Ironwood to become a villain. Some of his decisions just don't make sense.

[ardenttheories]

Can I get a Prince of Doom analysis?

The Prince of Doom is someone who Destroys Rules, Restrictions, Inevitability, Futility, Obligations, Pessimism, Decay, and Lacking Energy. 

Princes of Doom are fervent people. They are filled to the brim with determined Energy and tend to be larger-than-life people, Powerful and Optimistic to a fault. They are constantly Changing and evolving, almost unable to stop things from influencing who they are and what they do; they are activists for Change and embody that wholly, expecting nothing to ever stand still.

They can be highly contradictory people as a result. They can rally everyone behind an idea for Change and Growth - and believe completely in this idea as the best way to attain what they Desire - but then utterly denounce that thing weeks or months later with scathing hatred. As soon as something is “out”, or has lost its spark, or even slightly hinders the cause for Progression, the Prince of Doom will show no mercy in Destroying that which they once saw as their sole cause. 

They are headstrong and wild, and stubborn as anything. There’s no stopping this force of nature - someone who’s so highly opinionated it might be hard to get a word in edge-wise, or who might quickly shut you down if you go against their cause - and they will almost inevitably take on some sort of leadership role. 

They will always be at the head of the pack with vigour and determination, and will have no trouble rallying people behind them - whether they’re right or wrong. They imbue people with their natural Energy, too - and as a result, they can quickly form mob-like groups that are highly reactive and highly dangerous. 

Naturally, this comes with issues. There’s no Limiting the Prince of Doom, and no way to hold them back; they throw themselves into things wholeheartedly, and that sheer force of will can knock down anyone who stands in their way. They aren’t scared to stomp over anyone who hinders their Progress, and will spend an excessive amount of time trying to convert people to their cause. 

They might also be a bit… much. They’re hard to handle, hard to talk to, and hard to ignore - and they can be incredibly brutal if things stand in their way. They have the potential to be cutthroat, and they truly have no idea when to give up; in their mind, there is no giving up - there’s only push onwards to the end Goal at the cost of everything else. 

They also have no capacity to deny themselves anything. If they want it, it’s theirs - end of discussion. 

In Destroying their Aspect, Princes tend to leave only the purest form of their Aspect’s opposite in its place; in this instance, by Destroying Doom the Prince leaves only Life. This means they have an overabundance of Life, however, and that can become quickly toxic.

The Prince of Doom will Destroy every Rule and Restriction that stands in their way, from actual legalities that stop them from doing certain things - such as money laundering - to things that exist in everyday life that might stop them from Growing - such as people who are dragging them back. They have no guilt for doing this, and are ironically accepting of the Sacrifices they have to make in the name of Growth. 

The Destruction of Obligations and Inevitability can naturally have incredibly dangerous consequences. The Prince of Doom is bound to nothing and no-one; they are highly unlikely to keep up with contracts, to accept that something is dead and done, to give in when everyone else has been told no. 

They refuse to accept that Inevitability is a thing, and thus (especially in a game like SBURB) won’t actually play their part in things that have to happen. If they are required to do something, they’ll fight against it, and they will utterly refuse to accept that certain things are impossible, or can’t be avoided.

This can become an issue in SBURB. They are the Player most likely to screw up Paradoxes and Stable Timeloops, simply because they Destroy the Inevitability of the concept. This’ll be a session that struggles to make things like Ectobiology and Frog Breeding work as a result, since both require Paradoxification, and one that will have to fight tooth and nail to actually Godtier. 

 Well, either that, or the Prince will force everyone to Godtier upon realisation that it’s the next step in their Progression - whether the Player is ready to Godtier or not. 

Of course, there are significant benefits to the Prince of Doom’s Destruction. They can destroy the Pessimism in any Player, and can imbue them with a sense of Energy that makes them far more active in the session than they normally would have been. This can make it one of the most productive sessions possible! Everyone will be running around with nigh-endless Energy, and with absolutely no Rules or Restrictions holding them back from doing what they need or Want to do. 

But this comes with consequences, too. Such ferver can quickly reach a fever pitch, and people can completely lose their morals if the Prince isn’t careful. It’d be like Trickstermode but much bloodier, with people being all too willing to break conventional Rules (such as robbing or murder) for their own Progression and Growth. 

This can be taken as darkly as you can imagine, although this is never going to be the Prince’s intention - chances are, they just wanted people to have the power to do what needed doing. 

On top of this, Princes of Doom have the ability to destroy Decay. This isn’t quite Healing, but it isn’t not, at the same time. They can, for instance, get rid of the rust from a blade with a wave of their hand, but it might be that the actual body of the blade isn’t Healed. 

They could also destroy a poison flowing through someone’s veins, but they wouldn’t be able to Heal what’s already been damaged - so, while they could stop the heart from taking even more damage, they can’t really fix it. 

Of course, part of the issue is that Death is more of a Time-based aspect. Once something is Dead, the Prince of Doom has no power over it. Using the heart example, they can “Heal” the Decay in each cell and keep the person alive that way - but if the cells are already Dead, or if the person themself is Dead, then there’s nothing they can do. In that sense, Destroying Decay would probably outright destroy the remains.

It would take a lot of work for a Prince of Doom to be able to “Heal”, and would likely be a late-game ability. So long as there is some form of Life still left, the Prince of Doom can “Heal”. 

To become a Realised Player, the Prince of Doom needs to understand that some Doom is acceptable. There are some Rules that need to stay in place, some Inevitabilities that really do need to be Inevitable. They have to understand that Acceptance doesn’t always stop Growth, but that it can stop bad or chaotic Growth - and that Stagnation in some areas is important. 

They’ll start to calm down a little. They’ll recognise that their Energy can’t be spread around so widely, and that focusing it on some areas is a good idea. Some things will Decay as a result, but the things they need to focus on will Flourish in ways they’ve never seen before. 

They’ll also, in some cases, become a little bit more Accepting. They’ll start letting go of things they can’t win, or that should be left to Rot. They’ll start fulfilling their Obligations and - at least in some situations - will accept the Futility of an action. This will make them a little more down and dour, and they might not be entirely happy about this at first, but they’ll slowly become more and more Accepting as time passes. 

In other words, they’ll still be filled with boundless Energy, but they’ll be directing it towards the things that matter, ensuring that Growth happens without going wild. They’ll lose that Energy for things they can’t focus on, and may just become a little more reserved when they have to face Acceptance (the sort of Doom sourness that always follows the Inevitable). 

[slugbeaker]

@delta-orionis I definitely do not mind the addition lol Catherine is a fascinating character to get into the mind of.

I definitely agree that Simon being someone with no prior knowledge of who Catherine is helps her open up to him a bit more and explain some of the difference between her human and copy selves. In one of the audio logs with her and Sarah she even says that she feels like she can't just suddenly start acting more confident because everyone would know she was faking, or something along those lines. But Simon allows for almost a clean slate lol.

I think part of it is also that Catherine feels more comfortable as a copied mind without a body than she ever did as a human. Without all the extra stuff to worry about that having a body entails she seems more free to just focus on the tasks she has at hand. The ease with which she transitions from terminal to terminal and giving Simon instructions on how to proceed very matter of factly is very different to how she stutters out the questions to people when getting the initial ARK opinion interviews or when awkwardly informing Strasky someone just killed themself in front of her.

I def agree that Simon encouraging her that they should make the trip to launch the ARK was the catalyst Cath needed to set that as her now number one goal no matter what. I think the parallel between her and Ross is very interesting because both circumstances end in similar ways too, with a betrayal or perceived betrayal with the final scan and the death of the person who had been using Simon rip. I think Catherine and Ross also have different reasons for how they go about using Simon other than overall willingness to sacrifice him too as I think Cath's main goal a lot of the time is to just get the job done while causing as little tension between her and this person she's just met as possible. I don't see any of the moments where I see a lot of people say she tricked Simon as real tricks, she just doesn't know how to cope with some things and doesn't want to upset Simon since she deals so poorly with outright conflict; while Ross ultimately also just wants a job done but doesn't care for Simon at ALL beyond that and is very willing to lead him on, Simon is the venemous snake he made to strike the WAU, no rapport being made as you said with Cath and Simon.

And yes, absolutely all Cath really needed at the end of the day was a friend. 😭 Her and Sarah's friendship is such a wholesome part of the game, how protective Sarah is of Catherine/the ARK even once she's gone truly is something to see. I hope once in the ARK Cath and Simon were able to continue their friendship because goodness knows poor Cath needs more people in her corner that understand and respect her for her. 🤧

something that makes me really sad about catherine is that throughout the whole game - in every mention in writing or audio or memory - of the human catherine, we are told that she is a quiet, shy woman who goes far out of her way to avoid conflict. she's a scared mouse, a doormat, a pushover - at least according to a majority of things we find describing her. yet she's told that if she would just speak up, if she'd just put herself out there a bit more - stood UP for herself instead of withdrawing in - things would go so much better for her. she'd be more confident and more respected, more approachable.

and then in the one memory we witness where she does exactly that it ends with her bludgeoned to death by a colleague. the one time we see human cath stand up for herself and for the ARK ends in her murder, and that just breaks my heart 🥲🥲

[four-loose-screws]

Fire Emblem 5 Umemura Novelization Translation - Chapter 5 Part 1

If you would like to start from the beginning, read a missed part, etc., click here!

Leif and the others continued south.

The Manster Army sent out multiple search parties and relentlessly chased after them.

Since the Manster Army specialized in cavalry units, they were gradually able to close the distance between them and Leif, and caught up after ten days.

-

“This is bad. We’re clearly outnumbered. What should we do?” Fergus whispered while looking back at the imperial soldiers chasing after them.

Lifis blurted out, “I hate to be the one to say it, but all we can do is run!”

“You’ve got a point...”

Karin flew up to them. “Don’t just accept it! I know it seems impossible, but we need keep it together! Or have you guys really given up already?!”

Fergus frowned at Karin’s words, looking a bit troubled. “Maybe…… I have. If things get bad, you should take the prince and fly off on your pegasus.”

“No, I won’t do that!” Leif yelled. His words came out louder than he had expected them to be, and drew all eyes on him. “There’s no way I’ll let you guys sacrifice yourselves just so I can get away!”

Fergus placed a hand on Leif’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Prince. As that old man August said, you have to fight for a lot of peoples’ sakes. You need to stand on the center stage of all of this. Got it?”

“But……

“You don’t want anyone to sacrifice themselves, right? Then become the best leader you can be. That’s all I have to say.”

Leif furrowed his brow, then moved his head in a way that made it unclear whether he was nodding or shaking it. He wanted everyone to get away safely. He couldn’t stand to see even one person sacrifice themself for him.

But he had no confidence that they could do that.

“C’mon, guys! There’s no time left, they’re gonna catch up to us any minute!” Lifis pointed back and screamed.

The dust clouds kicked up by their pursuers’ horses were getting bigger and bigger.

“What should we do, August?”

“Our best bet is to continue south and seek sanctuary at Mease Castle.”

“Mease Castle!?”

“Yes.”

Leif’s infuriated voice contrasted deeply with August’s calm one.

“Isn’t Mease Castle within the Kingdom of Thracia’s domain?”

“That’s correct.”

“You know who they are, don’t you, August?”

“What about them?” August’s blank expression made it completely unclear as to whether or not he understood what Leif was referring to.

“They’re the ones who killed my parents!!”

“Yes, I know.”

“You think I’d seek sanctuary from them?!” Leif glared at him.

He frowned. “Is that really what’s most important right now? Would you like to see your friends sacrificed for your personal feelings?”

“Um, well……”

“If that is your decision, then I have nothing more to say.”

Leif was at a loss for words, and simply stared at August.

“I don’t care where we go, just please, get us out of here!!”

Their pursuers were now so close that they could see them coming.

“What would you like to do?” August asked calmly.

“……You really think that Mease will take in fugitives from Northern Thracia?”

“Probably, due to the fact that we are being chased by Manster. Plus, the master of this castle is General Hannibal, the man known as the Shield of Thracia. I’m sure they’ll take us in.”

Leif thought about August’s answer for a moment. “Okay. We’ll seek sanctuary in Mease Castle. Everyone, head south as fast as you can! We will cross this valley!”

At Leif’s words, everyone once again started heading south.

-

After they had cleared about half the valley, they noticed some swordsmen on standby before them.

“They… don’t look like they’re part of the Thracian Army.”

“No, they’re a mercenary group. They look rather powerful, too. But what are they doing here?” Fergus examined the swordsmen and furrowed his brow.

August suddenly started grinding his teeth. “They intend to be the first ones to get us.”

“What do you mean, August?”

“It seems that there’s already a price on your head.”

“So they came here of their own free will the moment they heard the news. That explains why they got here faster than the army.” Brighton muttered to himself and nodded his head, admittedly impressed.

“So that means…”

“Yes. That these mercenaries would like to claim the bounty for themselves.”

“And there’s no chance that we can just talk to them.”

“Obviously.”

“And we can’t possibly slip past them in this narrow valley. And we can’t turn back… and we don’t even have time to think of a plan.”

“So we have no other choice.”

Leif unsheathed his sword.

“We’ll force our way past these mercenaries! Don’t fight if you don’t have to! Just keep going! Our only goal is to make it to Mease Castle! Move out, everyone!” Leif shouted and dashed ahead, leading the charge.

-

“Look out, Nanna!”

Leif stepped inbetween her and a swordsman and blocked with his sword. Then, he swung upwards and pushed away the swordman’s sword.

The swordsman staggered backwards.

Leif took a step forwards.

The swordsman chuckled. He readied his arm to attack once again.

Leif tried to take another step forward, but his thigh muscles gave out. His knees sunk.

The swordsman brought his sword down.

The tip cut Leif’s chest and left a vertical wound. Blood spurted from it, and he fell backwards.

“Leif!” Nanna caught him from behind. Her pale hands were dyed red.

The swordsman had a triumphant look on his face. He swung his sword upwards yet again.

Leif tightened his grip on his sword and tried to stand up. However, his trembling limbs refused to move.

“Run, Nanna!” Leif yelled, his voice hoarse.

His vision started to blur. He could hardly make out the features on the laughing swordsman’s face.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the air.

The swordsman’s expression changed to one of shock, and the next moment, he was gone.

“Are you okay, Lord Leif?” Asbel called out as he ran up to Leif with a worried look on his face.

“Yeah… So it was you that did that, Asbel? Thanks. You saved me.” Leif tried to laugh, but his face twisted in pain instead.

“Nanna! Hurry and heal him!”

“Huh? O-Oh! Right!” Nanna snapped to attention and held her staff above Leif’s wound.

It lit up. Leif’s pain vanished and his wound healed. He could feel strength come back to his arms and legs.

“I’m sorry that you had to get hurt and protect me, Leif…”

He softly wiped a tear off her cheek. “It’s okay. But please, Nanna, understand that it’s too dangerous for you to be on the front line. Please stay in the back and focus on healing everyone. Okay?”

“Yes. I’ll be more careful.” Nanna nodded and continued to cry.

―

The mercenaries were much stronger and better organized than Leif had predicted them to be. They saw through Leif’s plan to rush past them in an instant, and formed a wall around Leif and the others. Any time they saw a hole in their formation, they quickly patched it up.

At this rate, Leif wouldn’t be able to break through the mercenaries without sacrificing someone. And the Manster troops were closing in on them, so they couldn’t take the time slowly defeat the mercenaries, either.

At this rate, their best bet was to try to get the Manster troops and mercenaries to fight each other over the bounty, but there was still no way they would be able to outrun any cavalry units that might pursue them, so he wasn’t confident in that plan, either.

“We’re out of time, Prince! They’re here!”

The Manster troops were now right behind them, ready to attack.

Leif clicked his tongue and surveyed their surroundings. “Karin!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Fly ahead to Mease Castle, and ask for back up. If there really is someone there willing to hear us out, then maybe…”

“Yes sir!” Karin pulled her reigns and her pegasas neighed loudly.

“Lady Karin!” August called out to her before she could fly off. “If we’re wrong about this, then put Leif’s safety above anything else.”

“I understand.” She nodded slowly before turning towards Mease Castle and flying away.

“Assuming that General Hannibal does decide to help us and sends out his troops, it will be some time before they arrive. What should we do until then, Lord Leif?” “All we can do is wait.” He answered and ground his teeth together. “Hang in there, everyone! Don’t fight to win, but to keep your life! Please, hang in there just a little longer!”

Just moments after Leif finished giving his orders, a troop of Thracian armor knights flying Hannibal’s flag appeared, traveling at a speed so fast that everyone was dumbfounded.

“We’ve received your message. Leave the fighting to us, and flee to Mease Castle.” Said an elderly soldier standing in the middle of the troop. There was no doubt that the man was Hannibal himself.

“Sorry to impose. Thank you for saving us.” Leif bowed deeply to him, then walked past him and hurried towards the castle.

―

“Lord Leif!” Just before they reached Mease Castle, they heard an unexpected voice call out to them.

Leif whirled his head around. His eyes widened when he realized who was there. “Finn!”

Finn and Safy were walking over towards them.

“Finn, Safy! You’re safe! Thank goodness!”

“And nothing makes me happier than seeing that you are safe as well, Lord Leif.”

“Yeah……” He looked down the moment the memory of Eyvel’s petrified body came into his mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, but didn’t look up.

“Father!” Nanna had just caught up and seen Finn. Her feet pattered against the ground as she ran up to him.

“Nanna! You’re safe. Thank the gods. If anything happened to you, I……” Finn got off his horse and hugged her. He wasn’t crying, but his voice was shaking.

“Father…” Nanna, on the other hand, was bawling into his chest.

“What happened to everyone else, Finn?” Leif asked.

Fin looked at Safy. They both lowered their heads.

“We all started to make our escape together, however we were captured by the imperial army, and separated……” Finn looked up and stared at the castle.

“If they were taken to Mease Castle, then it won’t take long for us to explain. Let’s go, Finn!”

“Go? Go where?”

“……We’re going to stay there for the time being. We can finish catching each other up to speed there.”

“But Lord Leif, that place, it’s…”

Leif bit his lip and sucked in his breath. “I know, Finn. But right now, we need to do whatever it takes to get back on our feet. We have to put our pride aside.” He balled his hands into fists.

“……Understood. Let’s go.”

Leif nodded and continued running towards the castle.

[merigreenleaf]

Sort Your MCs Writing Tag

Here's the info: First put down what Hogwarts house you’re in, and then sort each of your MCs into a house and explain why you think they belong in that house. It’ll be interesting to see how many of your MCs are in the same house as you. This is the coolest writing tag that I’ve been tagged in! Thank you, @elizzawrites :D I've actually been thinking about this for a bit, trying to figure out where my characters would go. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be!  Me: Hufflepuff Adair: Hufflepuff. This was the character I had absolutely no trouble sorting. He's so incredibly loyal to his friends- his friends quickly become his family and there's nothing he wouldn't do for them. He's nurturing and loves taking care of them (especially if it involves cooking for them!) and he has a bad habit of adopting any stray animal that he sees. He's the character who most "plays fair" I guess you'd call it- the one least inclined to break rules or cause trouble, but also the one most likely to go along with what the others want. He hates having to make decisions and tends to be more than a little wishy-washy. He hates rocking the boat and is the perpetual peace-keeper. He doesn't care if someone insults him or does something to hurt him, but his claws come out if someone dares do this to someone he loves. And he's just so *practical* which is a weird, weird thing considering that he's an Artisan and artists in his culture are prone to being melodramatic and eccentric. Etri: Ravenclaw. He's the character I waffled over second least. I thought briefly of putting him into Gryffindor because he has something of a habit of self-sacrifice, but he's just too Ravenclaw. He's all about knowledge and learning and books and history. He's the logical one who comes up with the best plans because he's the one who puts the most thought into what the group should be doing. He's incredibly open-minded and this takes Adair by surprise more than once because it's not something you'd expect from someone with Etri's stoic personality and indoctrinated childhood. He loves learning anything about pretty much everything, but it's in *weird* subjects that he reads most. His favorites are astronomy and mythology, which also takes everyone by surprise because he's so grounded and logical. Sol: Ravenclaw. I waffled for a little longer here because he's pretty dang Hufflepuff with his constant cheer and a desire to see everyone around him as happy as he is. If anything he's even more family-centric than Adair. But he's just so... well, I call him my eccentric inventor and that's why he's better in Ravenclaw. He's not books smart like his brother- I think Sol has dyslexia so bad that he can't read- but he's come up with an entire writing system for himself involving pictures and dots to use in his notes that he uses for his inventions. And he's *always* creating things. Sometimes practical, sometimes bizarre. His mind is always going a mile a minute and it's difficult for the other characters to keep up, so it ends up sounding like Sol’s talking nonsense. On the surface he looks silly and dumb, without a thought in his head, but he's always thinking at a speed that rivals even Etri. And here's where things start to get weird and not what you'd expect. Blythe and Firedrake are the two that I spent forever thinking about because my first instinct was absolutely wrong for both of them. Blythe: she's the team mom, the one with her own head on her shoulders who makes sure that the others don't end up neck-deep in trouble. She's the one who runs into danger to rescue those who needs it- *anyone* who needs it, regardless of if she knows them or not. While Adair tends to adopt animals, she tends to adopt people and kind of assigns herself the role of their protector even if they don't need it. She's a healer, for pete's sake. My gut instinct was Gryffindor. Nope. Slytherin. While she's willing to help out anyone who needs it, her default state of being is her own goals and career and she'll sacrifice and work her butt off to reach those goals. She has a tendency to be judgmental with a better-than-you attitude (or more like a "you're about to do something incredibly stupid and I'm smarter than that" attitude). She doesn't think things through, she just goes with her gut even if it ends up being absolutely the wrong course of action. Gods does she need Adair's heart and Etri's brains to balance out her need to be right in the middle of the action- or to just plain balance out her need to be right. She's constantly taking risks even when she'd simultaneously be complaining about someone else taking the *same* risks. I'd say she's a leader, but I don't think she's actually any good at leading. What she tends to do is decide her own course and assume the others will follow her. These things make her sound like a horrible person and I guess that's inevitable for someone in Slytherin. :-/ Firedrake: I think I may have spent even longer trying to sort Dray! I mean, they're egotistical and cynical and tends to think of themself first (or at least second). They love being the center of attention- infamy is fine because it means at least people *see* them. Dray's a prankster with mind-control magic who sees nothing wrong with inconveniencing or embarrassing someone they feel deserves it. Dray's had the hardest life of the five and this definitely shows. My gut said Slytherin. Nope. Gryffindor. Almost all of Dray's showboating, their ego, their sarcasm, their "me first" attitude... it's all an act. A lie they tell themself so they don't get hurt, to keep people away. But it doesn't work. People get into Dray's heart and these people absolutely become the center of Dray’s world. Most of the bad things Dray does are a misguided attempt to protect the ones they love. They try to do what they think is right and it just ends up backfiring because Dray tends to not think things through past the first fiery burst of inspiration of an idea. Dray will absolutely do something reckless and dangerous to protect someone they care about. They'll even do this for someone they don't know well- they'll question this decision later and maybe even while they're helping, but they'll help anyway. Dray will *always* fight back against things that are wrong or people who are cruel, even if this isn't currently being directed at them. Dray's been on the receiving end of this too often to be willing to let others experience it, too. Despite the pranks and the mind-control magic, Dray will *never* voluntarily hurt anyone. I can't say the same for Blythe even with her whole "do no harm but take no shit" mindset. ---------------------------- This is long, but such a fun thing to do! It really did give me new insight about characters I know incredibly well. I don’t think Blythe or Firedrake are happy where they ended up and both assumed they’d be reversed lol. I’m absolutely not surprised that Adair’s in the same house as me, though. I mean, we’re both pretty much the epitome of Hufflepuff.  I’m not sure who to tag because I’m not sure who’s into HP, so if I tag you, feel free to not do this if it’s not your jam. @agwitow @s-the-dragon @iamwritehere @prideandpen @thatwriternamedvolk @a-sundeen @writerlydays @draconako @writerintraining-us (Seriously, I have NO IDEA who to tag in this so if you see this and you’re really into HP, please consider yourself tagged! Just tag me back so I can read it. This has me super curious how other writers would sort their characters!)

[patriciacortes]

The Main Function Of The Entrepreneur Is To…

Whether you run your own business or you’re close with somebody who does, there’s one thing that you’ll start to notice over time- entrepreneurs change the world around them. Sometimes these changes are small and sometimes they rock the surrounding world.

Entrepreneurs are a breed apart from the usual people who are content with a 40-hour work week and a steady salary. They have the guts, instinct, charisma, and pure luck to succeed where the average person would fold under pressure. When the storm comes, they stand strong and keep on going.

What are some of the functions that an entrepreneur must be capable of? What drives them to be these kind of people?

Unless their dad happens to be Jeff Bezos, most people aren’t born to be entrepreneurs. They spend their lives consciously and subconsciously developing the skills and qualities that all successful entrepreneurs must possess. Some start this journey at a young age, and others catch the itch later in life.

What are these functions and qualities that create a successful entrepreneur, though? Today, we’re going to take a look at the main functions of the entrepreneur, both in society and in the workplace.  

The Main Function Of The Entrepreneur Is To Provide

While some entrepreneurs come from a wealthy background, most do not. Growing up without the resources that the wealthy take for granted, one develops a hunger. Hunger, when combined with quick-witted business savvy and a constant desire to learn and work harder than everybody else, creates a dangerous cocktail.

These are the kids who are 13 and 14 years old cutting grass, selling candy in school, and writing their friends’ papers for money. One of life’s most important lessons is that it takes money to make money. The sooner that you learn this, the better off that you are in life.

The kid who’s cutting grass at 13 will have saved up enough for a cheap car by the time he’s 16. With transportation and years of strong work ethic under his belt, he’ll be well-equipped to go out into the workforce, learn new skills, maintain a healthy balance between work and school, and be far more independent than most of his peers.

This brings us to the main function of the entrepreneur, which is to provide. If most people had their way, they wouldn’t want to work 12-hour days, deal with the stresses of running a business, and put up with their friends and family doubting their every move. The entrepreneur, however, can see past all of these “roadblocks” to the future; a life where they make the rules, and where they can provide for themself and the people who they care about.

As self-gratifying as being your own boss is, being an entrepreneur is a sacrifice. You’ll work harder and later than everybody else, and you may not be able to get an hour of free time until years after you start your business. If a person wants to provide and give back to the world around them, then this is the sacrifice that must be made. Most people aren’t willing to make this sacrifice, which is why the entrepreneur is special and why they go on to impact the world more than anybody else.

Other Functions That Define An Entrepreneur

To be a provider, however, requires the development of other functions. Unless you just won the lottery, you’re going to have to work hard for the money that you need. When it comes to running a business, anything other than 110% effort, creativity, and decisive leadership will lead to failure.

Let’s take a few minutes to look at some of these functions, and how the aspiring entrepreneur can develop them.

Innovating The Marketplace

One of the first things that people think of when they hear the word “entrepreneurship” is innovation. In a capitalist society, the small businesses are the players who change the world, drive progress, and find innovative new ways of doing things.

A great example of this is Apple and Samsung’s longtime rivalry. This rivalry has done more to improve mobile technology than any amount of independent research. When two companies are constantly trying to out-innovate their competitor, the result is rapidly advancing technology and business growth.

People like a fresh perspective, and if you can give it to them, they will reward you with their money. Entrepreneurship is as simple as that. Dyson became the world’s most popular vacuum because they introduced a funnel system that didn’t clog and a vacuum the could roll around on a ball. They’re some of the most expensive vacuums on the marketplace, but people are willing to pay the price for the innovative new experience.

As an entrepreneur, you should always be thinking of ways to innovate your products and your services. Look at your competition, ask your customers what they want to see, investigate common problems and find solutions to them. If you can do all of these, then you’ll be an innovator.

Making The Tough Choices

Entrepreneurship isn’t the path for the indecisive. It requires constant thinking, quit decisions, and sometimes dealing with the consequences of those decisions. On a daily basis, you’ll be required to make tough choices and see them through. Perhaps you’ll have to fire an employee who hasn’t been doing their job, maybe you’ll have to make the final decision on a marketing campaign, or take out a loan for your company’s survival.

Leading Your Team

Unless you’re just working for yourself (which never goes far in the long run), then you’re going to build and lead a team. A company can either be built or ruined based on the quality of the team. The quality of the team is based on how good that their leader is. As a company-leader, you’ll need to prove yourself capable and worthy of respect. Remain stable, give constructive criticism, be demanding, and reward those who go the extra mile.

Risk-Taking

Any entrepreneur whose never had to take risks in their life is not telling the truth. Risk-taking is something that entrepreneurs will never stop facing. The more you grow, the bigger your risks will get. However, it’s important to develop a discerning eye that can tell the difference between a bad risk and a good risk. Bad risks offer require a lot of sacrifice and very little reward. Good risks require a decent amount of sacrifice, but have the potential to give you a huge reward.

How To Develop These Functions

Nobody can develop these functions overnight. They’re drilled into your head through experience over the course of months and years. To be an entrepreneur, you need to possess a strong desire to provide and be successful. Those who are just looking to “get by” never last very long.

However, if you have large goals, the willpower to do what’s necessary, remain firm and decisive, and constantly innovate your products and services, then you’ll be the entrepreneur that you always wanted to be. Your time will be your own, you’ll walk into work with a sense pride and accomplishment, and you’ll be able to provide for the people who you care about the most.

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