#OPs work was not in any way derivative of mine

[xephia]

someone posted a link to my art in the comments on another artist's Tumblr post - please don't do this, I'm sure you mean well but it's very disrespectful to the original artist. If you want to support me you can like or reblog my posts

[harudnae]

✨ One Piece brainrot zone ✨

🔸 About me

Nae [naˑe]

awkward potato born '89

queer as fuck - any pronouns

fanfic writer & casual cosplayer

speaks English and French plus a secret third thing, some Spanish and Italian, a few words of Japanese

has no idea how to run this blog [WIP]

You can find all my works on AO3, there's a lot more there than on tumblr, though my newest fics will be posted on both sites.

🔓 My fics were locked for some time on AO3 but I always wanted them to be available for anyone so fuck it: they're fully accessible again. Feed them into an AI and I'll curse you to walk barefoot on Lego pieces every single day.

📚 Tumblr masterlist - latest update: 2024.04.20

🔸 Local rules

✅ DL;DR = Ship And Let Ship + YKINMKATO.

⚠️ Minors DNI with 18+ content.

⛔ Queerphobes of any kind, SWERFs and other bigots are welcomed to fuck off.

💢 Trespassers and haters will be blocked, harassers will be reported.

🔎 Main tags available under the cut!

🔸 Main tags

Canon is tagged as accurately as I can:

#op manga, #chapter xxxx for manga panels

#op sbs for the extra data Oda gives us with each volume

#op anime, #episode xxxx for anime screenshots, gifs and videos

I'm usually up-to-date on the manga so I'll tag #op spoilers for those who follow the anime only (I need to find a better system, suggestions welcomed)

#op film: xxx for movies

#opla for anything related to the Netflix adaptation, episodes content are tagged as #opla spoilers just in case

#op merch for figures and other goodies

#romance dawn, #skypiea, #wano, and every other arc will be tagged whenever relevant so you can block any if necessary

I tag characters with first names only: search #shanks for Red-Hair Shanks, #luffy for Monkey D. Luffy, etc.

And there are a few groups I tag too: #mugiwara no ichimi for the Straw Hats, a few iconic groups like #asl brothers, #monster trio, #sabaody trio, #cross guild and other crews you'll find under #roger pirates, #whitebeard pirates, #heart pirates, etc.

Fanon-wise, you'll find :

#op art -> Fanarts from everyone but me

#op fic -> Fanfics from everyone and me

#op hc -> Headcanons and other ideas

#op poll -> Tumblr polls, One Piece style

#op x reader zine -> X Marks the Spot: A One Piece XReader Zine. Find it here!

#RogerPiratesWK2023 -> My contributions to the Roger Pirates Week 🏴‍☠️

#nae's writing -> Works I posted on AO3 and other things I wrote

#x reader -> If you're here for gen or canon x canon only fics, I suggest you blacklist this one

#nae's ramblings -> Mainly extrapolations from canon, some writing updates and blorbo thoughts, and the occasional shitpost

#nae's other skills -> Other things I made

#nae's goodies -> Merch I have

#nae's recs -> Fanfic recommendations

🔞 NSFW will be tagged #thirst material with appropriate Community Labels -> adults might want to check their preferences for said labels and blacklist said tag, minors interacting with these posts will be blocked on sight

Please let me know if any link is broken, if I missed or mistyped a tag somewhere!

🔸 About derivative works

✔️ You liked an idea I had and want to expand on it? You didn't like the way I ended a story and want to fix it? Go wild, have fun! Fanart, translations and podfics are happily welcomed too! Just tell me beforehand so I know about your work and I can link it into mine, and I'll also ask that you credit my work for inspiration too.

Caveat : I'd prefer all derivative works to be posted on AO3 (their "Related Works" system is great, let's use it), but I may give permission to post them on another platform too.

TL;DR : I'm pretty chill, so reach out to me before you do anything with my fics, please, and thank you.

❌ That being said, I do not, ever, consent to my works being reposted on Wattpad or FanFiction.net! I have accounts on both sites, and I will report if need be. (That includes translations and podfics, I'm familiar with DMCA takedown requests and I will fill new ones if necessary.)

💀 Don't feed anything I ever write or post into an AI. Period.

Latest update : 2024.04.20

[confessionsofa-roleplayer]

op of 676604381130571776 - so I asked them once the published confession started getting replies/feedback... it's been a while with no response and I'm kindof freaking out now and unsure what to do.

I sent those confessions in to the inbox over a week ago and have been amping up my development and individualization since. I'm terrified of a No because I've put so much work into developing these characters to make them my own, been through a bunch of concept designs, rewrote over 75% of the world lore completely, gave everybody a custom backstory, did literally everything I could short of changing core features (I didn't want to whitewash or blackwash the characters I was inspired from, for example. Hair/eye/skin colors are the same but hairstyle and outfit and other color pallets are totally different.)

However.. I have been doing a lot of research into copyright law, and according to the principles of: purpose or profit = nonprofit/noncommercial / nature of work = creative / amount of content used = less than 25% / effect on market = none, it likely falls under fair use and i also even checked with a lawyer family member who does copyright litigation, framing it as a "a friend of mine" had this issue to prevent bias.

I'm trying to do the right thing for both my own creative progress and for other people's freedoms and emotions and it's really rough. I don't want to get kicked out of my group for stealing. Some friends of mine said I did the wrong thing by fessing up about my personal project & asking for permission in an 'ignorance is bliss' fashion but the guilt was eating at me, and I wanted to follow advice i was given.

I don't want to erase my hard work, i'm so depressed... people make derivative works of canons all the time. I know so many OCs on tumblr that started out as Fancharacters for a franchise or even Canons themselves. I've even had some people tell me they have OCs based on former ship partner's OCs to fill the void. I don't know if everything's ok or not, or if everything will BE ok or not.

Referencing this post. Mod Note: This reply is cobbled together from a private chat I had with the OP. They requested that I also post it here on COAR. I'm sorry it took me so long to get this put up, OP.

Okay, so the fact that you've altered personality and backstory is good. That makes the characters much more your own, and far less identifiable. For example, I would be much more upset to see a friend writing as a half-orc cook with a backstory that mimicked my own character's, than I would to see a half-orc cook with a backstory that was completely different. Plus, I know I'm not the first person to envision a half-orc cook character and I won't be the last. It's the meat of the character that would matter to me - the stuff that took me time to come up with - not the surface stuff.

And I get what you're saying about skin tones/physical characteristics - but at the same time, since you're trying to distance yourself from the original characters, that would be the quickest and easiest way to help you do it. You're not really washing anything away because, step by step, you're making brand new characters. Now, if something about their physical features is important to the story you're wanting to tell, then yes, keep that, but otherwise altering doesn't hurt anyone. And if you're already altering backstories and such, I think about the only thing you'd probably need to keep the same would be... class, maybe?

Also, I wouldn't worry so much about the 'legality' of it. The initial point was that you were worried how your DnD friends would feel if they found out, not whether of not they'd try to sue you for infringement.

I hope it all works out for the best, but if any of your friends come back with a 'no, please don't do this' then just be prepared in advance to look at what you can do to make each character fully unrecognizable. Although it sounds like you're already well on your way to doing that.

Until you hear back from people, just keep moving forward with how you're doing things. If you get no response, or you do, and people seem cool with the efforts you've gone through to make your versions of their characters unique, then you're good.

If any of them express concern, I think the next step would be to introduce them to your version of their character and see how they feel.

If, after seeing your version, they're still not happy with it, then I would reach out to them about what they think you'd need to do in order to fully distance your version of the character with theirs. Listen to their input and then the two of you can work together to find a version that works best for the both of you. One that works for your character, but also leaves them feeling comfortable in the fact that it's moved beyond who their character is. That might require redoing artwork, which is frustrating, I know. But at least this way, you don't have to redo everyone. And with any luck, it won't even be a thing that crops up.

~ Mod MJ ~

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: I always think of you as Kristin Scott Thomas’ character Fiona in Four Weddings and a Funeral as a beautiful woman who is scarily clever and classy. So with my upcoming wedding (next year!) and especially wedding music I thought of you. I really would appreciate your advice on Mendelssohn or Wagner as they seem to be the traditional choices of music to play at a traditional church wedding. My fiancé isn’t bothered what music we play but I can’t decide. Please do help as I value your unvarnished truth.

Thank you for the flattering words which while well intentioned are nevertheless entirely misplaced.

Swiftly moving on, a sincere congratulations on your forthcoming wedding. I can only imagine how stressful it must be running around like a headless chicken trying to desperately organise everything. And desperate you certainly must be - perhaps even certifiably insane -  if you’re turning to me on Tumblr for advice!

I’m not married....yet ( oops! better get that caveat in before I am chastised by those who really know me)  but I am a wedding veteran - some would even say, a jaded one (thank you, mummy).

Every season there is a string of wedding invitations that I can’t turn down and I feel obligated to attend. While great fun, one wedding starts to blur into another especially when the champagne starts to copiously flow. I have my own thoughts on the good, the bad, and the tacky about wedding etiquette but I don’t want to disappear down that rabbit hole. Instead let’s talk about Mendelssohn and Wagner.

Both music pieces have traditionally struck a chord (pardon the pun) and have become a staple of traditional weddings since time immemorial.

Mendelssohn's ‘Wedding March’ was originally composed in 1842. He got there first.

Wagner's ‘Bridal Chorus’ came later in 1848. The ‘Bridal Chorus’ became a popularised piece to play at weddings around Europe after it was most memorably used as the processional at the wedding of Victoria, the Princess Royal to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858. Nowadays - certainly in Britain and the US -  it is generally known as "Here Comes the Bride”.

I suppose the straight forward answer is that it doesn’t have to be Wagner vs. Mendelssohn. Why not both?  Wagner’s ‘Bridal Chorus’ can be used for the entrance processional of the bride walking down the aisle and the Mendelssohn ‘Wedding March’ for the recessional walk out of the church.

But you did say you wanted my ‘unvarnished truth’ so allow me the small luxury of an arm chair rant from the Coronavirus self-isolation of my Paris apartment. 

Of the two I would definitely ditch the Wagner piece. Please don’t misunderstood me. I am a huge fan of Wagner’s music - like any true Wagnerian I have taken more than one pilgrimage to Beyreuth - but in this case playing Wagner’s music would show a frightful ignorance of the meaning behind the ‘Bridal Chorus’ piece.  

I don’t know why more people haven’t picked up on this but I’ve always found it a terribly odd piece to play at a wedding especially as it originates from Wagner’s masterful opera, Lohengrin.

Wagner came upon the opera's inspiration around 1845 when he took interest in the legend of the Holy Grail through the poems of Wolfram von Eschenbach and the anonymous epic of Lohengrin. Composed by 1848, Lohengrin features "Bridal Chorus" as the prelude to a very short-lived, doomed marriage between Elsa and Lohengrin.

The famous ‘Bridal Chorus’ is lustily sung by women of the bridal party serenading Elsa to the bridal suite after the wedding in Act III. Elsa is not allowed to know her true knight’s true name and identity. But this is a romantic German opera and so of course Lohengrin is found out with dire consequences for all.  A sad Lohengrin ends up revealing that  he is in fact a knight of the Grail and son of King Parsifal, sent to protect an unjustly accused woman. The laws of the Holy Grail say that Knights of the Grail must remain anonymous. If their identity is revealed, they must return home. Lohengrin is lead back to the castle of the Holy Grail. Elsa is grief stricken at being left behind.  Poor Elsa (naturally) collapses and dies with a broken heart.

Charming.

To say it’s not the happiest of allusions of looking forward to a long life of wedded bliss would be an understatement.

However my objections against Wagner’s ‘Bridal Chorus’ goes beyond this. For one thing I find it rather too sombre - Oh dear God! Is marriage really like this?!

My main ire is that it overly used and therefore boring to listen to. And when one is bored the mind wanders.

In my case, without sounding malicious, my mind just drifts to whispering mischievous lyrics under my breath that go like, “here comes the bride, big fat and wide, here comes the groom, skinny as a broom.” Try as I might I can never get those words out of my silly mind whenever I hear the organ music playing “Here come’s the bride.” Not my finest hour.

Now Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’ is different beast entirely. Beast being the operative word as we are dealing with Pagan deities.

Typically used in church wedding recessionals, the ‘Wedding March’ piece has sparked controversy due to its literary origins. The Prussian monarch Friedrich Wilhelm IV commissioned Mendelssohn to compose incidental music for many pieces that were based upon Greek mythology and tragedy in order to revive the genre of literature and performance. Among his commissions, in 1843 Mendelssohn composed a setting for William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream; the setting comprises twelve musical numbers and a finale. The plot of Shakespeare's play focuses on a pagan god and goddess and is filled with fairies, magic, and fantasy. Due to the piece's pagan, fantastic inspirations, some puritanical leaders and musicians - particularly in Roman Catholic churches - have found the piece to be inappropriate for a Christian religious ceremony. In its defence at least Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream was a comedy with a happy ending.

If you’re feeling traditional rather than puritanical then the joyous Mendelssohn ‘Wedding March’ might still be a great option either as a processional or recessional.

If you’re looking for options outside of either Wagner and Mendelssohn then it’s really a matter of exercising good taste alongside what suits the personal tone of your wedding.

Off the top of my head I keep coming back to Johann Sebastian Bach.

Bach’s many cantatas and fugues seem to tick all the boxes. In particular there is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (derived from the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, "Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life”). There is also the Toccata and Fugue in D minor ‘Dorian’ BWV 538 and the Toccata and Fugue in F Major, BWV 540.  Arioso in A flat for solo piano from Cantata No. 156 "Ich steh`mit einem Fuss im Grabe is softly elegant. A particular favourite piece of mine is Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202, the ‘Wedding Cantata’. Of course many would point out that Bach’s Ave Maria would be perfect for a processional but I would think twice about that. As beautiful as the piece is it is about the Virgin Mary after all and you may invite unwanted speculation from your guests if you are (cough) chaste.

Trumpet Tune in D by Jeremiah Clarke is a little more festive. Or consider his more famous Trumpet Voluntary ‘The Prince of Denmark's March’.

Charles-Marie Widor  was a fine composer and his Toccata (from Symphony for Organ No. 5) is spiritually intense for traditional organ music.

Eugène Gigout's famous Grand Chœur Dialogué might appeal to you as well.

G.F. Handel’s Water Music Suite - Air has a graceful and calming tone. The Arrival of The Queen of Sheba (Solomon) HWV 67 is upbeat and was made for a processional.

Beethoven’s Für Elise is perfect to calm last minute panic attacks before you go up the aisle.

And how can one forget Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?

The Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K. 525 or more commonly known as Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV. 525 - II. Romanze: Andante is a beautiful melody familiar to many and sets a soothing tone. Ave verum corpus, K.618 is profoundly spiritual and lifts your hearts up to the angels. ‘Alleluia’ from ‘Exsultate, jubilate’ is wonderful if you can get your hands on a competent soprano. If you are feeling more adventurous then the Spanish Wedding March from The Marriage of Figaro which might be to your taste. 

Elgar’s Salut d'Amour, Op. 12 is soft, inviting and makes one feel you’re in some 19th Century romance novel set at court.

Elgar finished the piece in July 1888, when he was romantically involved with Caroline Alice Roberts, and he called it Liebesgruss ('Love's Greeting') because of Miss Roberts' fluency in German. When he returned home to London on 22 September from a holiday at the house of his friend Dr. Charles Buck, in Settle, he presented it to her as an engagement present. The dedication was in French: à Carice. 'Carice' was a combination of his wife's names Caroline Alice, and was the name to be given to their daughter born two years later.

Edvard Grieg’s Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Op. 65, no. 6 is magnificently playful.

Jean-Joseph Mouret’s Rondeau from Sinfonie de Fanfares is a beautiful Baroque piece. What’s a wedding without trumpets that could be heard all the way into the heavens?

Gluck’s Dance of the Blessed Spirits from his Orfeo et Euridice can be an elegant choice to do a recessional. Perfect for sensitive souls.

Gabriel Fauré’s Pavane, Op. 50 is sublime. I can never get tired of listening to it. Would make a worthy piece as a processional.

I would also throw into the mix Gaetano Donizetti’s ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ (A furtive tear) is the romanza from Act II of his delightful opera L'elisir d'amore.

It is sung by Nemorino (a tenor) when it appears that the love potion he bought to win the heart of his dream lady, Adina, works. Nemorino is in love with Adina, but she is not interested in a relationship with an innocent, rustic man. To win her heart, Nemorino buys a love potion with all the money he has in his pocket. That love potion is actually a cheap red wine sold by a traveling quack doctor, but when he sees Adina weeping, he knows that she has fallen in love with him, and he is sure that the "elixir" has worked. It may not fit your idea of a processional but I would try and use it some where in your wedding - perhaps at the reception.

I feel guilty about trashing on Wagner and Mendelssohn so I will leave you with two final thoughts. Reconsider Wagner’s opera Lohengrin. Forget the Bridal Chorus but instead listen to the chorus ‘Gesegnet soll sie schreiten’ in Act II. The various horns give this chorus a dreamlike quality and you feel like you are floating on air. Mendelssohn’s On Wings of Song is a powerful and poignant piano piece and quite suitable to play as your guests away your arrival in church.

I am sure there are other great classical music pieces that I have neglected to mention but others reading this might give their thoughts in the comments below.

If knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, then wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. So give careful and considered thought to what music you throw together into the mix as your church wedding processional and recessional.

Congratulations again and I hope it’s a special day for both of you and your families and friends.

Thanks for your question.

[inkbun]

If you arenct busy, could you maybe do a (romantic)Roadhog x Fem!Reader angst? Maybe Roadie finds poor reader in a severe depression/anxiety episode(you decide how far it goes, I don't want to make you uncomfortable), and he tries to calm her down? Hurt/Comfort, Romance

Back at it again @ Krispy Kreme. Took a career change and a major move, but I’m back babeyyy. Anyways, this was more serious than I intended, but I like how it turned out. Enjoy! 🐷

(FYI- I’m in a completely different timezone than before so uploads may be random for a while until I figure out what works.)

Words: 1886

Genre: Hurt/Comfort

Your back slammed the rusted wall, pocked surface snagging your well-worn henley. Clawing your chest, you tried to regulate your breaths: In for seven, out for eight... only to hyperventilate on the second exhale. Though the panic was an old foe, its trigger this time was wholly unfamiliar.

Living in Junkertown brought its fair share of terrors: thieves and the cowards who stab them in the — two-faced swindlers, and the head of it all, the ruthless Junker Queen. You were by no means a native, having spent most of your adult life in cities like Brisbane. Which while wild in their own right, were far from the barren wasteland that daily threatened your mortality.

Even so, you’d rather a cage match in the Junkertown arena than deal with the situation at hand.

“It’ll be f-fine,” you stammered, pulling the flimsy stick from your pocket. It was decidedly unremarkable—tapered white plastic with a tiny LCD screen in the middle. Funny how something so simple could remain unchanged for over a century since its invention.

Wish it was as simple to get one. Depsite its proclivity for debauchery, Junkertown dealers didn’t often traffic in women’s wellness. Diesel, angel dust, mech parts? Name your price. But a pregnancy test? Everyone loses their minds.

“Rightly so,” you muttered, hands tremoring as you clutched the device.

Your own carelessness had landed you here. Junkertown had a finite supply of...protection dealers and you’d exhausted their existing supply—not that it stopped you.

To be fair, Mako had egged you on—dragging you to the edge of pleasure, dangling you over while his solid arms clutched you close. Granted, you tried to warn him of the line he was toeing, the very real danger the two of you were toying with. The words came in sputtery, pleasure-choked breaths: “Mako p-please, not inside...it can’t...you can’t—”

Mako answered, voice so deep it murmured in your chest. “Don’t care, you’re mine. I want them to know...” At the time the words thrilled you, a sharp departure from his usual level head.

Your tryst with the infamous Roadhog began rather simply. You were an apprentice for Bruce, Junkertown’s master engineer; Mako occasionally brought his motorcycle in after hours for hush-hush repairs. For months you’d tried to figure him out, drawn to the man who always kept his mask on and relegated all responses to appropriately-timed grunts.

Though frightening at first, you grew to enjoy—no, crave—his presence, especially delighted when he brought shop presents from his exploits. They usually consisted of food, like Bruce’s favorite cinnamon vines and your own, powdered sugar donuts. Occasionially he brought trinkets, though you didn’t dare ask where from. The most expensive of these, a solid gold set of brass knuckles, served as a welcome supplement to your growing treasure stash.

Bruce ribbed you about the blossoming...something between you two, smile poorly hidden in his scraggly white beard. “I haven’t seen ‘Hog get excited over anyone in a long while. Hardly looks my way if you’re in the room.”

You waved him off, calling him a silly old man caught up in daydreams. But he was right, even if you only admitted it in your quiet moments. So, when Mako came by late one evening for repairs on a blown gasket and Bruce wasn’t around, you stepped in to help.

Tension-laden, you worked on the bike, doing your best to keep your mind from straying to his large hands, or your eyes from the plethora of tattoos and scars across his skin. Somehow you could feel his gaze, even beneath the mask, felt the curious intensity even though he said little.

“Thanks,” he said, once you were done, drawing just close enough for you to examine him up close.

Strange, you thought, taking in the hulking man before you. Mako’s wiry demolitionist sidekick had tried flirting with you, but on nights when your hand snaked beneath the band of your cargos, you dreamt of thick arms and a shock of white hair accompanying deep, pleasured growls. And that’s when you knew you were in trouble.

You flashed a sultry smile, not bothering to adjust the fallen strap of your denim overalls. “No bother at all. I know I’m not Bruce, but my touch ain’t half bad.”

“That so?” he chuckled, timbre-rich sound warming your bones. You nodded vigorously, dislodging the other strap in the process. Reason told you to pull it back up, act like nothing happened — for god’s sakes don’t fuck the outlaw.

You promptly did the opposite, drawing nearer until you hit his stomach, fingers boldly exploring the skin there. Mako went very still, strangled groan escaping him as you kept on. At last he stopped you, taking your arm gently in his large hand.

“I’m a bad man, ____.”

You snorted, spirit too consumed to let a little self-deprecation stop you. Gently you reached up, bracing on his stomach for balance as you tugged the bottom of his mask up. Mako flinched, grip on your hand tightening before at last giving a single nod: a silent “Continue.”

With some difficulty you unfastened it, fascinated with every inch of the face it revealed. He was younger than the white ponytail suggested, honey brown eyes alight with quiet mischief; his snub nose was adorned by a septum ring, with sharp cheekbones punctuated by stubble and facial scars. He was oddly handsome, despite the apprehension and want warring on his face.

Breathless, you stilled your thundering heart and braced both palms against him, fingers spanning in search of more. “Show me.”

That was nearly a year ago, the months since filled with snuck rendezvous in Bruce’s shop, your apartment, and a host of “we’ll be killed if we’re caught” locations. Neither of you publicly claimed the other, both of you citing op sec as the reason. Mako was wanted in far too many towns, and you didn’t need any of Junkertown’s nastier characters—including the Queen herself—knocking on Bruce’s door with questions.

Still, the past few months had seen a palpable...something growing between you. Mako had started staying the night instead of returning to his hideout with Jamison, clutching you in slumber like one of his beloved pachimaris. You began keeping apricot jam, his favorite, in the fridge and doubled your grocery order just in case he stopped by.

You were serious. Maybe not in love—Was that even possible in the Wasteland?—but definitely serious.

“And I’m about to fuck it all up,” you whispered, tears welling your eyes as you pondered taking off the cap. It’d been at least an hour since it chirped, announcing the results were in. Three times you gathered up the courage to look—three times you failed, panic robbing you of breath and vision blurring whenever you even considered the possibility of a positive result.

Your brain whirred, spitting questions with no good answers: Would he still want me? Would he blame me? Would he leave?

Would he, would he...on and on it went until you were queasy.

The swirling dread robbed you of awareness, so much so that you failed to hear your the click of your a door as someone unlocked it, or the thumpy footsteps on the stairs accompanied by inquisitive “hmms” as Mako searched the workshop for you.

You’d gone totally numb, shivering against the wall; just then, a familiar hand tapped your shoulder.

“Roadie!” you jumped, test stick clattering to the floor. You tried to rein your voice in, aware it likely teetered on hysterics. “What are you doing here?”

He had forgone the mask as you liked, tattered t-shirt straining against his tummy and large arms. His was hair out of its usual ponytail, gathered around his neck in a shaggy white crop. Every bit of it screamed relaxed, as did the takeaway boxes tucked under his arm. Mako had come for a date, and you were about to ruin it all.

“I was around,” he offered, watching you for a moment. Then, nodding at the ground. “What’s that for?”

Realizing the test was out in the open, you scrambled to snatch it up. “N-nothing! Silly business really, don’t worry about it, I just—”

“Don’t lie to me, ____,” he said, snatching up the test with deceptive speed.

The words were gentle, softer than anything you’d ever heard from him. Of course I can’t hide from him. He might be an internationally-wanted criminal, but Mako was one of the most perceptive people you’d ever met. Not that it’d take a savant to derive the source of your current meltdown.

He held the damning evidence in front of you. “This yours?”

You nodded, biting your lip to quell your tears. Mako nodded, face drained of emotion. He watched you a moment, eyes resting on your middle.

“Would it be mine?”

You nodded again, momentary incredulity granting you courage to speak. “Whose else’s?”

That got a slight chuckle, quickly replaced by the first instance of worry you’d ever seen on his face.

“You look yet?”

You shook your head no.

“Scared?” he asked, face full of comprehension.

You nodded, trembling progressed to sobbing tremors. Without another word Mako pulled you toward him, willing you still with his solid warmth. By degrees you stopped, reduced to sniffles and quiet babbling.

“I’m so sorry, I ruined everything. You came to have a good time and you face so much out there and I-I—“

Mako kissed your head, lips lingering against your clammy skin. “Stop. We’ll look at it together.”

It wasn’t a question and you had no will left to fight. Still, the unspeakable question prowled your thoughts, compelling you to ask.

“And if it’s...” you said, trailing off as you stared at him with welling eyes.

“Then it is,” Mako said, training his quiet, determined gaze on your frightened one. “But I’m yours, ____. No matter what.”

You cried out in relief, so flooded with happiness you could only hug him tighter. Mako laughed, sound soothing like summer rain on desert sand. Standing on your tippy toes, you kissed him, leaching every ounce of gratitude and affection you could into your lips. He answered ferverently, flicking his tongue across yours before pulling away.

“Ready?” he asked, holding the test up. Taking a deep breath, you nodded. With him by your side, you could do anything. Using his thumb, Mako slid the shutter covering the screen, both of you holding your breath as you uncovered the result: Negative.

The sound you made barely qualified as human, but Mako just laughed, ruffling your hair with his free hand. Crisis averted, turned your attention to the fragrant takeaway boxes, sure you detected the tang of greasy noodles.

“Hungry?” Mako asked, scarred cheek quirking as he smiled.

You stood, temporarily stunned by the pure affection on his face. He wouldn’t say it yet, and neither would you until you got good and ready, but right then you knew that Mako Rutledge, criminal extraordinaire, loved you.

Stomach grumbling, you answered with a smile. “For you? Always.”

[titleknown]

Thinking about this post because I didn’t want to derail it with my own tangent, but I do wonder why we don’t talk about how copyright distorts cultural exchange and turns it into theft/appropriation.

Like, Cory Doctorow talked about it more intelligently than myself*, but more or less the idea is that the way the cultures that’re mined from have their stuff declared as PD, but any modern addition/derivation is essentially walled off from the original creators.

And, the OP of that post said on another occasion that they think “white people should stop trying to engage in cultural exchange at all.” because they can’t “seem to tell the difference between and exchange and an infringement.“

And I can’t help but wonder if that’s because the system sets us up to fail.

Which makes me think about how we should talk about how A) Works from outsiders drawing marginalized cultures should add their contributions/additions to the same “commons” they’re drawing from.

And; more relevantly, if you have the money to make something with that reach, B) It is your obligation to hire people from the cultures you’re taking from, not just as sensitivity consultants; but in a full-on creative capacity, because they deserve cash and input too.

*locusmag.com/2019/03/cory-doctorow-terra-nullius/

[gascon-en-exil]

Lords and their Knights: When FE Chivalry Goes Gay

@mwritesink prompted me to write about my favorite tropes in FE and how they evolved over the course of the series. I already crossed a few others off in an earlier post, but this one is a particular favorite of mine where M/M romance in this series is concerned and one I felt had enough examples to constitute a piece of its own. Let it not be said that this is merely the gay variation on the well-worn heterosexual romance trope of a lady and her knight (ex. Eirika/Seth), because negotiating the fundamental power imbalance in this type of relationship takes on different dimensions when both parties are male. I draw a closer comparison to courtly love, which in the traditional sense is also socially transgressive (being adulterous) and not consummated via marriage or other public means...which in FE terms means an S support and possibly a eugenics baby. A vassal in love with his lord rather than his lord’s wife is not only cutting the female intermediary out of what can already be a very homoromatic scenario, but it’s directly tangling together a kind of martial romantic love and ideas about what knighthood/vassalage even is or ought to be - two topics FE loves to explore. I’ve therefore compiled a few of the most notable examples of this trope across the series to talk about in more detail, because if one is willing to be liberal with subtext there’s surprisingly quite a few to pick from.

(And yeah, this is also in part because I like hot rich men who take orders, and this series already has plenty of gay or otherwise ambiguously non-straight mages, thieves, archers, and their ilk without my help.)

The Sad Gay Knight: Quan/Finn

This one I’ve talked about before in a fair amount of depth, from my hopes for how a Genealogy remake will treat Finn to speculation on just what Quan got out of this relationship besides a devoted retainer and (we may assume) a nice piece of ass. The summary here is that Finn’s love for Quan supersedes anything he’s shown to feel for any of the various women he can hook up with and quite frankly astonishes in its ramifications for the future of Leonster and Thracia as a whole. It’s poignant, adulterous (but Ethlyn’s probably ok with it?), and messy as all hell once you factor in whatever’s up with Glade and whatever Lachesis wasn’t feeling about the whole situation. It is also, naturally, very sad; Finn loses his lord when he’s only around eighteen, and with their kingdom collapsing around him and the entire continent consumed by war he dedicates the next twenty years of his life to raising Quan’s son to be the king Quan himself had wanted to be. And for all his labor he apparently derives no lasting satisfaction, spending his epilogue wandering around the Yied desert and at last returning only to (possibly) pen the history he’s helped to make. 

Finn is the embodiment of knighthood loyal unto and beyond death, and that paired with all the romantic and erotic subtext surrounding the two of them - Finn as Quan’s treasured favorite, his catatonia after Yied, the obsessive polishing of the brave lance that Quan gave to him, his inability to satisfy women in some vague way - makes them the defining example of this trope in Fire Emblem. I look forward to seeing how remakes will handle them; Finn’s presentation in Heroes is definitely cause for hope there. As for the issue of yet another story in media of gay men beset by tragedy and death, I did draw up a long headcanon on the technically crack pairing of Diarmuid/Tristan that specifically plays into the lord and knight trope while also allowing Finn a chance to pass his experiences on to a later, happier generation. IS is free to take notes, just saying.

Pretty Blond Twinks and the Men Who Love Them: Perceval/Elffin and their lasting influence

Moving on from Jugdral, I’ve got to say that I’ve really been sleeping on the original gay Elibean duo. Before Raven and Lucius (but chronologically after, because these games are out of order) there was another feminine young man with long blond hair beloved of a severe-looking warrior. Binding Blade gives us the bard Elffin, who in another life was Etruria’s Prince Mildain and Perceval’s liege. The Knight General takes Mildain’s alleged accidental death about as well as Finn takes the death of his lord and lady; he turns grim and humorless, and without a dying dream to guide him he follows the command of the corrupt revolutionary faction of Etruria with little protest. It takes learning that Mildain is alive and in Roy’s army for Perceval to drop the halfhearted Camus routine and switch sides, and the strength of his fealty not to his nation or even to his king but to the prince he’d thought dead is absolutely touching in the moment not to mention incredibly useful since the guy is one of FE6′s best units. 

Binding Blade doesn’t give anyone but Roy and his harem paired endings, but there’s still a fair bit to be gleaned from their support lines, both what is in them and what isn’t. Perceval and Elffin each have supports with women, but nothing remotely romantic - Perceval’s support with Larum is particularly amusing since he clarifies that her, ahem, dancing does nothing for him. Also worth noting is that neither of them can support with Clarine, even though one would think they’d make fine romantic choices for her given their statuses and physical resemblances to her beloved brother. Their own support line is quietly intimate. Elffin has changed since his near-death experience, and Perceval is still struggling to accept that their relationship can’t be as it was, that in fact for the time being they can’t now be a knight and his prince. Perceval also frets over Elffin’s refusal to see his father the king, and he later extracts a promise from Elffin to come home to Etruria after he’s done traveling the world as a bard, in one of the series’s several instances of writing what sounds like a marriage proposal in ambiguous terms. Per Elffin’s ending, he’s only gone for a few months after the war, so their promised reunion isn’t long delayed. I’m interested to see what a remake would add to their relationship, because as it stands Perceval/Elffin has an established romance arc that deserves a paired ending or at the very least more suggestive epilogues.

Further compounding their underrated signficance, it’s not too difficult to trace a line from Perceval/Elffin to a number of other M/M pairings in the two later GBA games and in Tellius that present some variation on this theme:

As mentioned above, Raven/Lucius is physically similar and performs a nearly identical gameplay function, with the pretty blond waif again responsible for recruiting his surly but protective boyfriend from the ranks of the enemy. 

Gerik/Joshua meanwhile borrows the character of the end of their support line and turns it into a genuine paired ending, with a prince incognito recruiting a swordsman to come work for him. They being who they are however, it’s all handled a bit rougher, with Gerik being impressed by Joshua’s “swagger.” Take that as you will.

Ike/Soren may be the defining seme/uke dynamic in Tellius’s overflowing fount of queer subtext, but Tibarn/Reyson smashes that trope together with this one and FE’s power couple unit archetype plus a dash of whatever the avian equivalent of furries is for wholly unique results. Although both of them are technically royalty, only Reyson is a prince by heredity whereas Tibarn presumably became king of Phoenicis by beating the crap out of any rival contenders as most laguz prefer to do. One can therefore read shades of a courtly relationship in Tibarn’s decision to zealously take up the cause of justice for the Serenes massacre in Reyson’s place. Combine this with Reyson’s characteristic edge that even Tibarn is forced to rein in at times and their relationship comes off as surprisingly more egalitarian than the sum of its parts. Oh yeah, and blond waif dancer + premade OP unit with ludicrous physical stats and movement again.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the conflict of the Tellius games Zelgius -> Sephiran explores what would happen if a gay Camus archetype chose instead to dedicate himself to an antagonistic lord. Sure, you can still recruit Sephiran via a convoluted and unintuitive process, but Zelgius is doomed no matter what.   

They Can Say It, But They Can’t Do It: Awakening and Fates

Ugh. If I must....

I’ve made no secret of my ambivalence toward FE13 dragging the series into open acknowledgement that same-sex attraction is a thing that exists, handled as it was with a lot of explicit homoerotic denial and an assortment of cheap gay panic jokes and...whatever the hell Victor and Vincent are supposed to be. Chrom/Frederick, hot though it may potentially be in fanon, is one of those jokes, making a parody out of a knight enamored of his lord and leaving it to mean absolutely nothing since Awakening’s relationship endgame is invariably S supports for time traveling eugenics babies. FE has taken cracks at the overly dedicated knight before - see just about everything involving Kieran from Tellius, up to and including his overzealous devotion to his superior officer - but Awakening plumbs the depths of Frederick expecting Chrom’s nude image to raise the army’s morale. Just..what do you even say to that, apart from the awkward sputtering that comprises most of their support line?

FE14, for all its stumbling steps toward something less completely offensive, fares little better in this particular regard. Leo/Niles is a deeply troubled albeit thought-provoking callback to the subtextual lord/knight relationship, one where it’s hard to imagine them finding a healthy way to navigate the power differential. Then there’s Ryoma/Saizo. It’s nothing special in localization, but the never-localized festival DLC involves Saizo’s ardent desire to warm Ryoma’s clothing in his cleavage. That sounds like absolutely normal behavior for a servant and not a rehash of Frederick’s shenanigans, uh huh. Fates may indeed be said to be slightly better about playing palpable homoerotic tension for drama rather than comedy...but only slightly.

Paving the Way for an OT3: The Deliverance

This is, incidentally, yet another reason to appreciate Echoes for doing so much to redeem the 3DS games in the realm of (male) queer content. Yes, there’s a large and unaddressed divide between the openly gay and very modern Leon and the heavily subtextual faux-historical queerness of the Deliverance, but taken independently the two presentations work for what they’re each separately aiming to be. Among Clive’s gay entourage are not one but two men who’d dearly love to be the knight to his lord, and Forsyth’s strong desire to put Clive on a pedestal evokes the earlier spoofs of this kind of relationship precisely because Forsyth is that kind of vassal, the kind that would read Ribald Tales of the Faith War and cry like a heavily erect virgin bottom getting his first taste of dick at the brief interludes of tender manly love between Quan and Finn. He’s played for comedy just as much as Kieran or Frederick are, and yet Echoes comes across as less down on the concept as a whole for several reasons, being that

1) Python’s snark over Forsyth’s attraction to both Clive and Lukas is genuinely funny, much more so than when it’s the object of these affections quietly groaning his way through them,

2) Lukas is also there, and his desire to be Clive’s beloved knight is not played for comedy at all but is allowed to be unrealistic and unsatisfying because Clive will never get it,

3) everyone wants to screw Clive for some reason, not just his subordinates but also his sister and the estranged BFF who dies in his arms...and the guy is shown to be unworthy of all of them, and

4) all the characters involved are allowed other avenues for romantic attraction outside of a lord who’s just not that into them. Forsyth has Python, Lukas has both of them as friends and possibly more later, Clair has Gray (...at least he’s not her brother?), and Fernand has a bad rebound that goes to hell in the manner of Zelgius and Sephiran but at least ends with him getting to reconcile with his former friend before he dies. 

The setup for the Deliverance’s overarching queerness is a bit strange as it rests on all these characters somehow finding Clive attractive, but nonetheless it makes for an unexpected and refreshing critique of the lord and knight trope, given a situation where the lord just isn’t that into it and in fact doesn’t seem to realize that he can be into it. It’s a good reminder that this isn’t a particularly good dynamic for a stable and lasting relationship, and that as hot as it can be it takes more than impassioned one-way devotion to make it work in the long term.

The good news if you’re into this kind of relationship like I am is that it’s a trope with some life in it yet. Echoes came at it strong, and prerelease information on Three Houses suggests a few possibilities for this dynamic in that game. I’m especially keeping my eye on Dimitri and Dedue, whose relationship appears to contain echoes of the original duo of Quan and Finn. I highly doubt there will be anything on the level of S supports acknowledging this type of attraction, but I’ll settle for some suggestive A supports.

[hydrus]

Version 446

windows

zip

exe

macOS

app

linux

tar.gz

I had an ok week. The client does not have a huge changelog this week, but the server has a neat privacy improvement.

The PTR is going to be doing a heap of maintenance this week. It will be 'busy' a lot, approximately one hour of busy and then three hours free. Please bear with it, and if you have a million mappings to upload, I recommend you just give it a break and come back later. I am not totally sure how long it will take. Best case it is a day, worst case it might take four or five.

null account

tl;dr: The hydrus server is now even more anon. You don't have to do anything.

As the PTR has moved to multiple accounts, we've had several good discussions about privacy. Separate accounts, despite being anon, could potentially leave a fingerprint of preferences on the server. If the server were to fall into bad hands many years from now, someone could mine those records--maybe mixed with one time you casually said 'yeah, I added that sibling'--and perhaps derive something from it.

There is no technical need to remember which account uploaded what long term, so now all hydrus servers completely anonymise their content after a certain duration, default 90 days. A new non-useable 'null' account takes possession of files, tag mappings, siblings, or parents after the delay, letting the original uploaders be forgotten. Janitors will still have time to work on recent account-based problems, but the historical record works just like the old shared public account: all merged together.

I have updated the privacy document in the help to talk a little about it. As long as you do not tag your own face in pictures or something, I think we are pretty great now, especially if you use a VPN.

https://hydrusnetwork.github.io/hydrus/help/privacy.html#account_history

It will take some time to anonymise the PTR or any other big server, as it has to go through its whole historical record to catch up. Please bear with it.

full list

misc:

fixed a typo bug in the latest pending upload routine when it was cancelled/errors out early

fixed a problem with the new subscription gap downloader, where when the page opens with the first query, it could sometimes assign 'already in db' to items in that query that were actually 'successful'. some other downloaders may have been rarely hit by this, but it was mostly the gap downloader

the client _should_ now support a service host that has path components (e.g. one hosted on a proxy), like myserver.com/hydrus_repo. the port will now be correctly inserted in the address before all requests. hydrus and ipfs both should work, fingers crossed

when an admin modifies the account types, the server now only prints the 'updated account type' log record if there were actual changes

.

downloader UI:

the confusingly named 'file import status' and 'gallery search log' in the downloader system are now renamed 'file log'/'search log'/'check log' for the file import queue, gallery downloader, and watcher respectively. the 'table' bitmap buttons are also replaced with simple easy (and easy to refer to!) label buttons.

when you open the file/search/check logs from the downloader page list right-click menu, they now spawn properly inside regular windows, not modal dialogs (which were inhibiting interaction with the rest of the program while open)

relabelled the awkward 'even if url/hash recognised' checkboxes in file import options. 'do not skip if' becomes 'force download even if', and the text matches that in tag import options for page content. also improved the tooltip on these checkboxes

all of the downloader layout boxes have also been renamed and harmonised with each other. gone are overly technical 'import queue' and 'gallery parsing'. now it is generally 'imports' up top and 'search' or 'checker' etc... below

layouts have also been harmonised a little. the url downloader page now has boxes for file vs search URLs, the hard drive import pause button is moved up as other pages have, and several off-by-a-pixel sizer layouts have been fixed

.

null account:

to further improve server privacy, particularly after the PTR's multiple account switch, all repositories now forget which accounts uploaded which content after a certain age. by default it is 90 days, but you can check in _review services_ once a server updates. this defends against a variety of hypothetical attacks where someone very clever gains access to the raw server database files, maybe years from now, and tries to crawl its anonymous account history for derivable information--now there is no history!

it will take some time to retroactively scrub a huge server like the PTR. for the PTR, it is mostly a relative no-op of moving account ids from the old public shared account to a new 'null' account, but it'll still be about 1.2 billion rows! this happens in the background, so the server will still be useable most of the time, but it will have spikes of 'busy' for about one hour every four (i.e. one hour of mostly busy, three hours of free), probably for several days. it may be a pain to try uploading a bunch of stuff in that time, so if you have a million pending mappings, you might like to just give the PTR a break for a few days. once it has fully caught up, the anonymisation should only be 20-60 seconds of 'busy' a day

the way the anonymisation works is all serverside services now have a single non-useable 'null account' that will take possession of all content after the delay. the original uploader is lost, and the whole historical record is merged together.

the privacy help doc has been updated to talk about the new anonymising system. overall, I think the null account pretty much eliminates the speculative account cross-referencing worries we had, and I am happy

.

admin/janny info:

for admins, all repositories now have an 'anonymisation period' option that you can edit in the service admin menu, defaulting to 90 days (min 1, max 360). you'll also see summary statements in the server logs as updates are anonymised. anonymisation will kick in two minutes after boot, so if you want to change this value immediately on update, get ready and be quick about it!

for jannies who can see accounts, you will see the null account pop up in reference to older content (moreso in future when I expand janny UI and permissions). it being special is highlighted, and various account modifying UI shows it cannot be edited

also for jannies/admins, I had to do some wickity woo to get the null account to work without a network update for everyone. if you try to look at the null account on 445 you may get an error. normal users won't run into this, but there's a kind of 'soft' network version update for you today

next week

The null account took most of my time this week, and I now have several extra little jobs to catch up with. So I'll bash away at that small work, and I'd really like to crack the multiple column lists that keep growing in width.

[ohcaptaintarthister]

What's Mine and When Is It Yours?

I watched the first season of Game of Thrones along with everyone else. It wasn’t the kind of show you watched to chill back and turn off your brain. The intrigue, the violence, the insane plot twists and the general unpredictability kept me on the edge of my seat. Alas, with grad school giving me a final beatdown and plus a most unexpected job offer, I forgot about the show and spent more time at the desk than on any comfortable surface. It wasn’t until 2015 when there was finally time to catch up, from season two to four.

You know how it is. A binge lasts for only so long. In less than a week, I was done. Boobed out (hi, Season 2). Done with everything else an adult should be busy with–no deadlines because everything was turned in early, no more school for the moment. There was a sort-of beginning that surprisingly became a romance. I eagerly waited for the next season of Game of Thrones.

And found out it was gonna premiere later than usual.

I was a show watcher before reading the books. My introduction to Brienne of Tarth was by way of Gwendoline Christie trouncing Loras Tyrell. Her lines were few in that episode but the character had already made an impression. I looked up the character and ate more junk food than any human should eat in a year as Brienne sparred with Jaime Lannister, beating his ass and basically calling him scum right to his face. When his hand paid the price for defending her honor, my allegiance swung not only towards the Kingslayer but even more with Brienne. I would stop breathing every time they were together onscreen, wondering if this was when they would–you guessed it–kiss.

Having caught up and not having much to do (I was oddly productive in 2015), there was no choice but to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

I cruised online for anything about JB. That’s when I discovered fan fiction.

Aside from my day job, I also write. Newspapers, magazines, books–the only place where I haven’t been published was online. It never entered my mind to write fan fiction. No self-respecting PUBLISHED author would waste her time reading and writing fan fiction. No one. At least that’s what I thought until I read my first JB fan fiction, Beast and The Beast by SigilBroken.

It was fucking awesome!

It was Modern AU. Jaime an athlete with a hand injury. Brienne, a competitive swimmer. I loved every word of it. I was floored with how the author captured the relationship that at that time, I’ve only seen on TV. I was so gobsmacked that I read her other JB works, like In This Light and Honor Thy Regard. I discovered other JB fanfic writers like RoseHeart, Ellaria, Just A Girl and Lady In Red. To this day, they remain my favorite writers and wish so fervently they will write again.

Because of them, I had a new appreciation and respect for fan fiction. Yes, fan fiction is derivative, it builds on a canon world but also deviates from it too. It is also original even when the characters are not yours. The works of the authors I mentioned above told me that fan fiction was a different ball game but also the same with all writing: it’s hard work. Very hard work. Fan fiction is strangely freeing, in my experience but it is very hard work!

I lurked around AO3 reading whatever JB fanfic struck me. When I couldn’t find any more interesting stories, I plucked up the courage to write my first JB fan fiction, Loving Harder and More. I was anxious, excited, terrified. It my first time to publish online and not under my real name. How will my story fare against the others I’ve read and loved? Later, I realized I shouldn’t compare myself to SigilBroken and company.

Hand on heart, they really are the best writers in the fandom. Their stories taught me how to dive into the characters but also be able to extrapolate sensibly. I still look to their stories for inspiration, unbothered that no matter how much I write, I never be as good. What mattered was I was writing and challenging myself.

In my fan fics, Brienne has been a professor, a black ops agent, hairstylist, masseuse, bodyguard to royalty. She has is always loved and appreciated, but also went through the nightmare of a sexual assault and an emotionally abusive marriage. Jaime has been a scientist, a devoted husband and loving dad, a creative director, actor. He is loved and has a full life with Brienne despite having gone through several levels of hell too.

What strings my work together is the smut. I’m proud of that. And I’m glad when people comment on its quality because it’s hard to write! It really is.

Which finally (fucking finally!) brings me to the point of this long-ass (one of SeleneU’s favorite words) piece.

Imitation is the best form of flattery–to an extent. I see no harm when someone compliments me on my shoes and goes out to buy the same pair. It’s hilarious and make plans to wear the same pair with the person. But see, in this kind of imitation, at least the other person makes the effort to go to the store and buy the shoes. He or she also has the right to get those fucking shoes.

It’s not imitation at all when scenes and even plots from stories I worked hard on are copied word-for-word. It might be buried under all the other paragraphs of another’s work but I find it. And it is always distressing because someone is getting praise over something that’s blatantly and even proudly copied from mine. That’s not right. There’s no effort at all no, you SHOULDN’T FUCKING DO IT.

It’s not the kudos and hits that concern me. It’s the copying. Word-for-word. It’s not even done subtly. How hard is it to come up with your own plot? Writing is difficult but it’s never a justification to copy someone else’s work. It’s like taking a dagger in the back when someone comments on my work and then…takes the thing she precisely commented on and presents it as her own! Holy hell. That takes a huge pair of really entitled balls!

How do you get out of bed? Don’t they snag or graze across the ground when you walk? Don’t they fucking hurt?

I write for myself and am thankful when people love my stories enough to leave encouragement and kudos. I’m happy whenever I finish another one and still get excited after posting it, waiting for when it gets its first comment. And people who love them, in a way the stories are theirs too, isn’t? Theirs to read and read, to download and read again. But it never becomes theirs that they have the right to copy and post it as their own.

It’s fan fiction so there’s no way to nail these cheating asses by any legal means. But as someone who would rather believe that decency still triumphs in the era of Trump, if you are of right mind, you don’t have to be told it’s not nice to copy other people’s work. Right?

If you like an author’s work so much, gestures of appreciation that do not involve copying will go a long, long way–possibly as far as Sothoryos. Say your work was inspired by a favorite author. Or at least give a shoutout. If you want to build on a story by a different author, please ask for her permission. But never, never, absolutely never copy another’s work.

I realize how easy it is to copy but it is not going to help the current situation of the fanfic in the JB fandom. Personal opinion, but there’s only one way of peeling a fucking banana and what’s been done is the fruit and the skin have been diced and spliced to death but there’s no denying it’s still the same fucking banana. That’s the kind of stories crowding AO3 quite often (I’m being conservative).

Nowadays, there’s hardly an author who tries to do something different and writes so well, except for isavedlatin (A Star Within the Mere), SeleneU (Pieces of You and A Story Without End), LuxEvergreen (A Walk with Frost and Fire), ShirleyAnn66 (Jaime Lannister Investigations). Off the top of my head, they’re the writers I follow and whose work are original and a pleasure to read. I’m reading some new fan fics but it’s still too early to tell how they’ll turn out. They are promising, that I can say.

I suppose prompts can help with creativity. It depends on the writer. But from what I’ve been seeing, a strong dependence on them will be a hindrance to the good writer you can become. Yes, they’re fun but you’re writing a story that’s not really what you want to tell. I don’t know. Its not helping the writers I used to follow and are now stuck in prompt rut. Still, despite prompts, there’s copying…of my work. Nearly word-for-word.

Which really sucks.

When someone says, “Hey, this person writes like you!” I see come similarities but the story is still different from mine. That’s nice. But when I’m told, “I swear this was your story until I saw the name and it wasn’t,” I check and holy shit, it really reads like I wrote it because it’s practically a scene from one of my stories. Word-for-fucking-word!

Sad, isn’t it? Never thought I’d rather be slammed for writing a threesome story of Jaime, Brienne and Tormund. Being copied is a lot worse.

I’ve calmed down a bit since making the discovery but my resolve to limit access to my fan fics remains just as strong. It’s hard, you know. Aside from it being a slow process, this step means my work won’t appear in public unless one logs in on AO3. On the heels of this, I realized that people who like my work aren’t part of any group. That tells me I don’t need to be a part of anything to be read–and it’s stupendous knowing that people legitimately like what I write instead of being liked just because I’m part of a group.

With the audience most definitely fewer, I’m encouraged more than ever to write. It means less snark and hateful comments when I experiment. It may also lessen the possibility of being copied. My fan fics are my babies and I make the time to write them as well as I can. If restricting access makes me a better writer, I’m still taking it! I will never pass up any chance to improve just as long as I never run out of my OWN ideas and keep writing. Because I the end, that’s all that matters, right?

Also, if you claim to love the story of Jaime and Brienne, don’t you think they deserve original stories? I don’t believe they’ll end up together in the books but in fan fiction they have, over and over. And as fans, it’s our responsibility to explore the different ways we can bring them there–through our own imagination and creativity.

[hg47]

47 Reasons Why I Fear Islam - (Reason 35)

-35-Earthly Islamic success seems more about loot, taking possessions from Infidels rather than self-actualization. ++++------- http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Islam-Crusades/dp/0895260131/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380255775&sr=1-1&keywords=POLITICALLY+INCORRECT+GUIDE%E2%84%A2+TO+ISLAM In POLITICALLY INCORRECT GUIDE™ TO ISLAM (THE) Robert Spencer shows through historical research that the temporary growth of culture and science in the Middle Ages under Islamic rule had nothing to do with Islam, but came instead from Infidels who served Muslim masters.  Even the architectural design for mosques is unoriginal; the foundational structure and shape for mosques was stolen from Byzantine churches, and only slightly modified to eliminate references to Christianity.  So when Muslims show pride in their fine mosques, they are being arrogant about a design they ripped-off from a culture they smashed: “We steal from the best!  It’s ours now!  Soon everything you have will be ours!” ++++------- tweet ~ Koran TweetNotes: Muslims are forbidden to become friends with Non-Muslims. (It’s OK to *pretend* to be a friend.) ++++------- http://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Usual-Punishment-Terrifying-Implications/dp/1595551611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380310980&sr=1-1&keywords=CRUEL+AND+USUAL+PUNISHMENT+by+Nonie+Darwish In CRUEL AND USUAL PUNISHMENT Nonie Darwish gets into the blind greed of Muslims.  Muslims dare not blame Islam for the economic failure of their countries of origin, because Islam is perfect; it must be the evil Jews who wrecked the Arab lands, or the Great Satan America.  Muslims look at the economic success of Britain or France or the United States, and think they must impose an ideal Islamic Government on these prosperous nations!  They will do Islam right on these countries.  In Nonie’s words: “They want to take over a ready-made civilization and claim it for themselves and Islam.” ++++------- A quote from Mawlana Abul Ala Mawdudi (the entire Islamic world considers him a leader who will be remembered throughout history): “Islam is not a normal religion like the other religions in the world, and Muslim nations are not like normal nations.  Muslim nations are very special because they have a command from Allah to rule the entire world and to be over every nation in the world.” @hg47 says – I agree with Mawdudi when he says that Islam is not a normal religion like other religions.  For that reason, Islam is more to be feared.  Other religions are after the soul of the woman or the man in disagreement with the particular religion.  (This is a slight over-simplification; doing “good deeds” and achieving “peace of mind” also factor into other religions.)  Islam is after the property and the lives of any man who refuses to bow down before the Islamic God.  (This is a slight over-simplification; women are also useful as property, things which must be owned by a male Muslim; things to be enjoyed sexually, things to produce future Muslim warriors.) I agree with Mawdudi when he says that Muslim nations are not like normal nations.  Muslim nations are abnormal.  Muslim nations protect rapists from prosecution.  Muslim nations are ruled by Islam, a set of obsolete laws fixed unchangeably 1,100 years ago, which Muslims insist must rule all men everywhere, which call for the elimination of the Jewish people from the earth.  Wait, didn’t we just go through that mess with Adolph Hitler half a century ago? Mawdudi didn’t quite say it, but I will.  Muslims are not like normal people.  Muslims insist that the holocaust never happened.  If Muslims lose that argument they say that the Jews got exactly what they deserved: death.  This is what Muslims teach their children.  Muslims, all Muslims, believe that the perfect written down laws of their God must rule all men everywhere, everywhen.  Muslims, all Muslims, take as their standard of reference for the Perfect Man someone who married a girl when she was six years old and had sex with her when she was nine years old, setting the ideal sexual standards for all men for all time. ++++------- http://www.amazon.com/Cruel-Usual-Punishment-Terrifying-Implications/dp/1595551611/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380310980&sr=1-1&keywords=CRUEL+AND+USUAL+PUNISHMENT+by+Nonie+Darwish In CRUEL AND USUAL PUNISHMENT Nonie Darwish gets into how whatever wealth and power of Muslim states acquired were the result of jihad battles with Infidels. In the words of the Islamic Prophet: “I have been awarded victory by terror, so the treasures of the earth are mine.” ++++------- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/opinion/12brooks.html A captivating article by DAVID BROOKS about the accomplishments of the Jewish people, especially the tech boom within Israel, compared to the Muslim people and their pathetic nations.  One conclusion was quite scary.  The Muslims may win not by nuking Israel, but by fomenting sufficient instability so the key Jewish leaders of the technological boom relocate to California. ++++------- tweet ~ Koran TweetNotes: The Koran counsels deceit in dealing with Non-Muslims. ++++------- http://www2.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=b73e7965-830c-4c76-9601-f071e8fa3a55 Perceptive article by Robert Fulford on the emir-like behavior of powerful Muslims, where personal status is everything, but actually accomplishing something is a petty trifle.  This article also illustrates why Western notions of representative democracy will never work in Islamic lands, by describing a meeting of social scientists in the Middle East who accomplished nothing through their association but each member got a chance to make a fine speech. Lebanese proverb: “Plenty of ejaculations but no pregnancies.” ++++------- http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2013/03/egypt-ethiopia-water-war.html Egypt versus Ethiopia: the first of many Water Wars?  Muslims in Egypt are so busy praying in military formation, bitching about the government leaders, burning the occasional Christian church, and blaming Infidels and Jews for all their problems that they may soon have no drinking water. ++++------- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/opinion/friedman-backlash-to-the-backlash.html?ref=thomaslfriedman Thomas L. Friedman’s fascinating Op-Ed piece on occasional slight stirrings of moderation within the Muslim world.  Friedman is a great thinker with his head screwed on straight.  When he writes, I read. ++++------- tweet ~ Koran TweetNotes: 61% of the Koran is about Non-Muslims, the worst of creation. Allah hates Non-Muslims and plots against them. ++++------- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443866404577566770697427382.html?mod=googlenews_wsj RICHARD LANDES on Mitt Romney’s comments comparing Israel with Palestine. Some points Richard Landes brings up: 1) The Muslim leaders are contemptuous of hard work. 2) Muslim economic life and Muslim political life is governed by the Islamic principle of RULE OR BE RULED.  Cooperation?  Nope.  Compromise?  Nope.  “I win!  You lose!  Why?  My AK-47 is pointed at your head!  And now that it is pointed at your head, give me your wallet!” 3) Intellectual openness is un-Islamic!  We can’t have that! 4) Innovation is sinful and against perfect unchangeable Islam!  “Now memorize that Koran.  No, you missed a word, recite from the beginning, and shout with joy the part about killing Jews.” 5) Law & Order?  Nope.  Protection rackets! ++++------- Quote from Richard Butrick: We should never forget that “Islam” means submission -- the opposite of self-determination and Enlightenment values. ++++------- A quote from Amil Imani: Islam is a charter of submission. It is a sworn enemy of freedom and views the Cyrus Charter as heresy. ++++------- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/07/wikileaks-cables-saudi-princes-parties Heather Brooke on the astounding underground party night life within Saudi Arabia hosted in the private homes of wealthy royalty, revealed by Wikileaks. Some Muslims really know how to party like it’s 2014-jihad! ++++------- A quote from Mawlana Abul Ala Mawdudi (the entire Islamic world considers him a leader who will be remembered throughout history): “Islam is a revolutionary faith that comes to destroy any government made by man.  Islam doesn’t look for a nation to be in better condition than another nation.  Islam doesn’t care about the land or who owns the land.  The goal of Islam is to rule the entire world and submit all of mankind to the faith of Islam.  Any nation or power in this world that tries to get in the way of that goal, Islam will fight and destroy.” @hg47 says – Please note that Islam is here to destroy the American way.  Please note that there is no compromise with these people drunk on their savage religious laws from the Seventh Century; they don’t care about you or me or which of us owns what, because they are out to acquire all of it for themselves.  Muslims will fight and destroy you and me if we resist them in their quest to die fighting Infidels for the glory of Islam. ++++------- http://www.hudson-ny.org/1610/sharia-advancing-in-west Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury on how the wild growth of Sharia banking helps Sharia law to gain traction within Western nations. @hg47 says – Confess that “Sharia Banking” may be a soft-target for “Infidels Irritated by Islam” to attack.  As I understand it, the whole notion of “Sharia Banking” is a BIG LIE, pretending to be one thing, All Islam All The Time, while actually just covering up the exterior with Islamic trinkets and describing the transactions in obscure Arabic that hides the essential function of the “supposed” Sharia Bank.  In other words, ALL the evil and forbidden Western financial transactions proceed as normal, absolutely nothing is changed, except the obfuscation for the Mullahs and the Ayatollahs back home in Muslim lands.  Charging interest?  Check!  We’ll just call it: “Boo-boo-de-goo-go!”  Derivatives?  No prob!  That’s when the foot washes the hand while the toes hold the money! The only real difference between Sharia compliant banks and Western banks is the tellers with scarfs in the lobby and the money laundering for Muslim terrorist organizations. I know that Islam is never concerned with the spirit of the law, only the letter of the law.  But I’m wondering if the Mullahs back home “get” that by describing the Western financial transactions differently, that they are re-writing the letter of Islamic law.  This is a precedent. My question is this: how many other forbidden behaviors in violation of obsolete laws from the Seventh Century may now be described differently to obey the letter-of-Islamic-law? ++++------- http://www.meforum.org/ - awesome info on current Middle East events and Islam +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +Go-To-36+ +Go-To-Beginning-Of-47-REASONS-WHY-I-FEAR-ISLAM+

[janadaniel4grassroots]

THE DIRTIEST DATA

TARGET FOR TORTURE

A TRUE ACCOUNT OF

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM

September 2020

Contributor: Jana Daniel

Grassroots Guardians of Truth

UPROOT a DV Movement

The goal was to torture me through my own account that way no trace.. I did it to myself because I'm insane. Covert ops in a time where technology is impressive but vulnerable to data corruptions and lack of understanding especially in the legal arena where a firm understanding is needed the most. I was researching and running pilot programs to discover ways to truly keep women who make it out safe without cutting them off from society. This experience has proven that I'm a textbook case with tenure. Everything happens for a reason and my advocacy and philanthropy pursuits are far from over. The following is a percent of what occured and what I saw, technology throughputs allowed manipulative imagery and allowed changes to text photos before sent. The need is abundant whether we are ready or not.

Amazing what a year can do. I've learned an excessive amount of information now that I've acclimated to the happenings. By now, everyone has heard of predictive text and I'm sure it comes in handy. However, my experience was quite different. The global keyboard uploaded without my prompt, by a second individual who accessed my account on a seperate device and through the Google Play Store selected and downloaded the app. As my phone updated around 3 am the keyboard app uploaded and would change automatically while typing. I write a lot, so this became problematic and prevented me from continuing my endeavors until a solution is found. It would be another 7 months little did I know, before my life was my own again. A virtual kidnapping essentially the best way to describe this systematic, continual abuse and crime against a person. It's killing me faster than the physical abuse because I couldn't identify the perpetrators.

Deep-thinking and clear understanding of what is occuring and where protections and oversight will be needed. Automated decision making isn't a human function and nor what we're accustomed to. In less than a year due to the reality that someone or something is communicating data to me, i began to rely on the predictive guideline set before me just as an officer would be able to predictively policy enforce. But that in fact is exactly the point, there is a violation of human, civil, and individual rights to not be infringed upon. For my own pursuits in life I try to maintain a secure system and in doing so through my ordinary course of business I conduct certain procedures. One being, data mining, another being continued education, pilot programs when available, etc. I had experienced a different breach around December and I began seeking the identity of the criminal.

Initially, unsupervised or monitored only, (permission not given for either) coded script played out on my screen. After I reported, the game changed. Suddenly, an advasarial context is all that I'm receiving and I'm suddenly the victim of targeted surveillance that I'm very well aware of. Let's face it, you normally wouldn't know that you are being placed under surveillance. I now know that this in fact was, an example of Deep learning of general advasarial Neuro network a GAN with a generator and a discriminator being put against each other. Understanding that what your brain fires on it wires on as well. They fed the deepfake scenarios to me each with enough truth or probability that I had no choice but to seek the remaining info that they failed to disclose and that is described as (mask) words. It took a lot of time initially but I became more efficient as I continued to learn.

As protected individuals by order of a domestic violence protective order, to have the Thomas Co Sheriff Dept. And the Pelham PD testing my ability to decipher the information, realizing that I see what is happening and being further disrespected and even asked to park and contact an ambulance to let them know that I need help finding the right person, who at the time someone was insinuating that my deceased father was alive. The cops didn't even investigate.. couldn't get more obvious they violated my constitutional rights and mine and my children's rights as victims of DV. My children, by the way, utilize the phone as well, the constant changes to the screen and location of the apps was noticed first by my son. No matter what I did they had control of the content in the phone. Using face recognition to identify if I'm telling the truth and constantly surveilling me. My vehicle too, equiped to note my every move. Taunted by my home devices such as the ring light that would switch off when I needed the lights on. I haven't had moment's peace since the leave. I'm to blame according to the Sheriff Dept. Odd doesn't seem reasonable but okay, I have to use the healing process to investigate.

I wish I could say that is where it ended, far from it actually. Social engineered to stop trusting in everything, creating discord with people I'd just began to connect with after years of isolation. Then in state of grieving the loss only father, vulnerabilities exploited, cognitive dissonance attempted to create an unstable demeanor because who could possibly explain that cards- Google search pages- are leading to videos that contain AI image alterations so that what you see is familiar. Someone was available twenty four hours a day and when I wasn't seeking the information, someone was threatening me predictively and also implemented sounds that at first I didn't distinguish as just sounds. This would occur throughout the night sometimes. I honestly believed that we were in danger. I fell from the healthy state that I had just had a glimpse of into a sickened, deregulated state that would continue for months. Words uncommonly used by myself such as Tactically, vie, omniscient, etc. would flash and storyline would clearly be laid before me. Other tactics were used such as Fuzzing, quasi-imperceptible, emotional extortion at it's finest. It will be blamed on AI technology, but they failed to understand the identifying bits of info that I detected and categorized chronologically and per device or paper that they derived from.

I will be blamed for not seeing my children who were removed due to DV. I'll take the blame because it was a decision I was able to make due to the fact that I was being encouraged to have all four of the children together in order to get the money. Seemed like a ploy so I went alone to Rundown the people who had become increasingly more than I expected. Conspirators, bribe takers, and there's us… Collateral damage. It seemed to have turned into a game where death was the intent. I held on because I knew that someone has been made aware and I had reported to different agencies and to my trusted friends. Time lingered, and three months became six and suddenly they were threatening to arrest someone else. Realizing that they've violated our rights and worked diligently to destroy the security that I had worked so hard to establish after escaping DV with the belongings in my vehicle. They still were far from done. I had been forced to live without AC and the plumbing problematic after an attempted repair by the landlord left my room flooded. The Corona Pandemic began the same time, also the first and last time that my spouse had paid child support. After three months, they came to collect the rent. It now June, I demanded the air be fixed to no avail. I then had all repairs done myself. I spoke with him expecting a negotiation and then received an eviction notice. Upon filing a response and counterclaim, I was ordered an extra month rent above the amount petitioned for… I received no credit for the repairs that I had just had made, and I had seven days to vacate. I did not mention that the entire three months of No child support, no AC, no response from the landlord, that I had been receiving predictive context stating… “We built a prison just for you” forced to sleep with our windows open, remain outside during the day.. in a matter of no time, our happy home had become our misery. I offered the landlord the full judgement amount cash in hand, he denied to take it , he said he prefered that I move out. I didn't get my appeal in because I had confirmed that our family land has been sold under the premise of an invalid will and just as ten years before, heritage stolen from us all. Seven days came quickly and I didn't have but one who I still trusted at that point. I was granted a couple days and demeaned in the process. On that last day I left with my children who were unaware that we no longer has a home. We hadn't enjoyed any of the summer so I took my children on what they knew as a vacation. I was a nervous wreck managing them and their little hands, don't touch, don't breath, the virus! As I searched for options within my budget and tried to predict the next time that he networks and deprives. I decided that I will use the land that I own and homestead. No one can ever put us in that situation again. Now how can I make this work? I haven't built the house yet due to the lengthy divorce and the other intentionally created variables. Without revealing everything, I made it work and the house will be built soon.

After all of that, if it were a LAN network and the neighborhood and city were to blame then it's over… The worst has yet to come. My lawyer dropped the ball, so there was no contempt hearing, meaning no support from the abusive spouse. The final divorce scheduled for Monday August 24th. On Thursday prior, I advised my attorney that I wasn't a lamb being led to slaughter and neither are my children. I am not impressed with her demeanor seemingly in defense of the opposing side and reiterated that she needs to advise me of what the correspondence is rather than knowing everything they're saying and leaving me in the dark. She said that was mailing a check for $1500 of the $5k he owes. I explained how I intended on explaining everything to the judge with physical example of two clean devices in which he could type a sentence structure and I across the room could in fact with acceptable accuracy through mining relay his message… I was placed on hold, then she was going to return my call. I received an email the next day stating the hearing had been cancelled. I guess I was close enough to cause cleanup on DiVorce-20. I couldn't make up the incompetcy if I tried… it's been over a year and she let my protective order expire when she let the scheduling fail the kids and I. She's knowingly prolonged everything working an agenda.

Meanwhile, I'm mining data, and see threatening communications about my mother being the price that I will pay. For two days and there was even a signature of 4umud:\3 I had seen threatening messages all the while through, they wanted me to harm myself, so I didn't realize the gravity of the situation until the morning of August 27th, when they told me she had passed away. I am trying to hold it together, my heart is broken into pieces. In the last year and a half I lost my father, escaped DV so I thought, pandemic, bought a household full of furniture, got evicted after being tormented, burned most if the furniture that I had bought just a year ago, and then have to accept my mother's passing after being told of it prior to. How? I write sometimes into the night… Only to wake up and see everything has been deleted or modified to look like jibberish.

The plan was to make me appear alone and unstable. Then with a signature they could get the rest of what I have. The Underwoods made everyone think that I had a big check, that's so they would attack me and funny how I said to him.. your plan isn't going to work… He said they have a new one and the two days before my mom died he didn't call.. he has and did call every single day but those two days. So no, I don't believe that anyone has been here to help there is no reason that I could. The full story would take forever to explain a hundred different things … Deep learning of how sick these people are. That statement is inclusive of some judges, some lawyers, some landowner, some banker, some ex's, some banker, and some evils.

Regarding the factual basis for my findings… an advasarial context targeted at DV Victim and At some point to gain a new level of trust an observer weighed in - ALL CAPS- it appeared to be but this is stalking and Harassment using the same protocol as a guideline. Being that I worked for the Baldwin's and the quantity of equipment, servers, and technology couples with security… I'd say that BYOD could have easily attached to any device that I've had especially if someone made the mistake of hacking the email that I had as a corporate address. Quasi-imperceptible as everything in convulsion is nearly impossible to figure out. Casual reasoning nearly out the window now that I've used the Ai tech inappropriately due to the advasarial context intended to disrupt and destabilize.

Disquis was an app that he or someone loaded to my account and I did go back and test most of the apps I saw because I needed to know what info was obtained and how to prevent in the future. Red team, that's me. ResGN to reinforce the learning and GPT-2 is quickly being replaced by GPT-3 a natural language system that whether forward or back will remember the context of the usage of the specific word. Cryptography circles implemented initially to create a trustless environment. Deepfake tech that I've lived for ten years without the fancy assigned label's. Ultimately the same as always… Doubt your reality and make sure everyone doubts your capabilities because how else can they suck the soul out if you. If you see me and don't recognize me… Know it's because he is wearing my reflection… If I take it back he is the one who looks like an empty shell. I am not empty.. I have a flicker.

I hope this helps you understand that I'm capable of handling the delivery of proof and facts that will assist others to understand that this is a very sophisticated form of technology and weaponry all the same when abused and causes one to harm another or one to harm themselves then I'd say the prosecution rate will increase significantly. Once recognized for the heinous malfunctioned personality that takes the time and devotion to harm another in such a way that is worth what I just endured teaching myself because the law and legal representation failed to do anything to help ... Oh except drop the contempt, postpone the final, and my protective order expired too.

"If you really have to do something ... Go alone!" generations of wisdom... William Kirby Daniel

[entergamingxp]

Dealing With Insecurity in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

April 20, 2020 2:00 PM EST

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a cute, fun game. So why do I feel bad whenever I play it?

For me, one game has risen apart from the rest in recent months. One of the few AAA releases that doesn’t focus on performing wrestling moves on zombies or using a demon’s spine as a pull-up bar. One that’s rather gentle and has become a great comfort to people recently. If you don’t know what I’m talking about yet, it’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

This latest entry in the adorable village simulator has hooked me and millions of others. It’s sold insanely well in the U.S, U.K and Japan, and amidst the ongoing pandemic, it’s been used as a stress ball for so many players. New Horizons is something that you can launch and play for about ten minutes, getting away from the problems of the world.

But there’s one part of Animal Crossing that makes it really stand out, not just this entry but the series as a whole. It doesn’t judge you. There are no scores, no wrong or right choices. You, the player, can do no wrong in the world of Animal Crossing. Everyone’s more or less just happy that you’re there.

“You, the player, can do no wrong in the world of Animal Crossing. Everyone’s more or less just happy that you’re there.”

Games often use scores to reflect your performance. Sometimes they’re literal scores like in sports titles, others offer up completion rates, and in first-person shooters, your K.D. ratio tells others whether you’re a badass spec-ops kind of player or a baby with a Nerf gun. And while these metrics are all good in their own respects, they open up a player to judgement. Not just from outside sources I.E your friend who won’t stop giving you the business for your low rank in CS:GO, but also internally.

So many games somehow punish or reprimand a player for not performing their best. In some of the 3D Sonic titles, when you’d receive a low grade at the end of the level, Sonic sounds disappointed. And who’s he disappointed in, himself? No, Sonic knows he’s fast, it’s you that he’s disappointed in. How could you, the player, make the fastest creature alive, slow? What the hell’s wrong with you?

That’s where Animal Crossing is different. It doesn’t care how you play. So long as you play, the game offers up nothing but good vibes and positive reinforcement. Seriously; you can give a villager a tree branch and they’ll react with “oh my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever, you’re so great.” To a tree branch. It’s unrealistic levels of support, and I’m here for it.

I’m not saying that games are too harsh or anything. Hell, I’m proud of my good K.D ratios, and my (extremely) modest rank in nearly every single competitive game I’ve ever played. But sometimes you just want to pick up and play a game without feeling like you need to perform to some metric. For once, there’s no stakes – nothing to unlock after exploring a level, no shiny medal, no prestige levels. It’s just you and the game, without any conflict, and that’s a hole in my gaming heart that’s needed filling. It’s this sensation that Animal Crossing delivers in spades.

Sometimes.

Yes, I know I just went on for six paragraphs about how Animal Crossing is endlessly supportive, yadda yadda. And it is. That part of it hasn’t, and most likely won’t, change for me as long as I play it. What does change that sensation is other people.

Strangely enough, for a time the worst part of Animal Crossing for me was looking at other people’s creations online. It was a weird case of impostor syndrome. I had built a small town, don’t have terraforming yet or anything, but I’m proud of what I’ve made and what’s there. Then I log on to Twitter and say “wow, did that person really make their island into a full-on city already?” What am I doing wrong? How is this possible? In order, the answers to those questions are not time traveling, and time traveling.

But that feeling remains, even if I’m just looking at a little garden someone made, or a playground. I immediately start thinking “why didn’t I do that?” and eventually, I think that I’m playing the game wrong. Not only is that antithetical to the entirety of Animal Crossing – it just sucks.

I made a vapor wave area for my island. It’s coming along nicely! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/nv3MPjw99S

— Ross O’Donovan (@RubberNinja) April 15, 2020

The whole point of Animal Crossing, to me at least, isn’t to amass the most bells or get the rarest items. It’s to create something you’re proud of. That’s part of why I’m so happy the village is on a deserted island that you’re free to eventually change however you want. Players get to take a blank canvas and paint what they feel, and it always comes out beautiful. But just like real artists, you eventually look at someone else’s art and think that yours is garbage.

It was only when I stopped looking at other player’s Animal Crossing posts on Twitter that I started to feel better about the game, like how I felt when I had started playing it. When I totally ignored the often amazing creations of others, I looked at mine with an actual sense of pride; like my time was worth putting into this little beach-side with palm trees and fishing equipment. It’s not a lot, in fact, it’s quite small, but it’s personal and I’m happy about it.

“The whole point of Animal Crossing, to me at least, isn’t to amass the most bells or get the rarest items. It’s to create something you’re proud of.”

Recently though I had a change of heart around this whole issue. I was talking to my partner about this piece, and she said “so it’s about you getting over feeling bad about what you make, right?” And I didn’t really know how to answer that. So far this has been about blocking out what other folks have made and well, that’s not really a good way to cope. I realized how childish that is, and decided to take a new approach.

It’s difficult to avoid being self-critical, especially in games. If you’ve ever been outplayed in a fighting game or dominated in a shooter, you know what I mean. But being self-critical in Animal Crossing is different. The skill barrier doesn’t relate to tech, inputs or aim: it’s all about creativity. It’s my desire to be as imaginative with the tools that I’m given as other players are.

So instead of turning away from other people’s work, I’ve been looking at them critically. How do these pieces bring a room together, how is furniture spaced out and pathing used to make an outdoor area look delightful and inviting? If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not the best at decorating things, but it’s something I’m working on.

“It’s a disservice to Animal Crossing to be endlessly concerned about how your island looks compared to everyone else’s.”

This has been a strange thing to write about. At face value, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a simple game. It’s cute; you manage an island paradise and money literally grows on trees. At the same time, this game made me take a good long look at how I approach playing games and the feelings derived from them. It’s not what I expected when I picked it up, and it’s still surprising as I type this sentence.

If there is anything I want you to take away from this piece, it’s that you shouldn’t play like me. It’s a disservice to Animal Crossing to be endlessly concerned about how your island looks compared to everyone else’s. Earlier on, I said that this series is about giving players a blank canvas to paint something beautiful on. That’s still a point that I very much believe. I just have to work on getting there.

April 20, 2020 2:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/04/dealing-with-insecurity-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dealing-with-insecurity-in-animal-crossing-new-horizons

[spicynbachili2]

Scary Games to Play on Xbox One This Halloween

So, you drew the brief straw and bought positioned on sweet obligation, leaving you at residence ready for trick-or-treaters to reach on the lookout for a candy deal with — what an ideal time so that you can go to a few of our favourite and scariest video games to play on Xbox One! From survival horror to post-apocalyptic wastelands, there’s just a little one thing for each horror fan to be discovered under, lots of which can be found on Xbox Sport Move and assist Backward Compatibility. Now shut off the lights, flip up the amount, and set out on a spooky journey… in the event you dare! Shortly, earlier than the subsequent spherical of tricksters arrive in your doorstep.

Resident Evil 7: biohazard (Xbox One X Enhanced)

The latest entry within the Resident Evil franchise delivers not solely one of the realistic-looking chapters, however ranges up from its leap scares and campiness to downright horrific and terrifying encounters with the residents of the Baker mansion. As Ethan Winters, you’ll enter the creepy property in search of solutions to the disappearance of your spouse, solely to return face-to-face with essentially the most vile and ruthless household molded after these present in horror movie classics like “The Hills Have Eyes” and “The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath.” Their antics and conduct will all make sense ultimately, in addition to the overarching connections to the RE franchise itself as soon as the credit begin to roll after this hellish journey. – Mike Nelson

Little Nightmares

If you happen to scare your self with how a lot you’re keen on Limbo-likes, Little Nightmares is the stuff of screams. As a toddler captured on an enormous ship and doomed to turn into delicacies for its grotesque clientele, you run – normally from left to proper, however extra usually from upsetting monsters that leapt out of Tim Burton’s nightmares after he fell asleep watching Swedish marionette theater (once more). This creepy enterprise by way of creaky crawl areas proves as soon as extra that the most effective horror comes from a easy premise, like: “What if cruises had been even worse and there have been cannibals?” – Ludwig Kietzmann

Slender: The Arrival

If being stalked by a creepy monster in the midst of the woods with nothing however a flashlight and camcorder wasn’t terrifying sufficient in Slender: The Eight Pages, simply wait till you strive Slender: The Arrival. With a brand new storyline and improved visuals, the official online game adaptation of Slender Man takes survival horror to a brand new stage. Like the unique recreation, Slender: The Arrival begins with one easy mission: Acquire all of the lacking pages with out getting caught. However every web page collected solely ratchets up the issue, finally making Slender Man practically not possible to flee. – Lisa Eadicicco

Useless House (Backward Appropriate)

All of it begins with a misery name. Whereas Useless House takes its sci-fi cred critically – the hero is known as Isaac Clark – rigidity and leap scares rule the day as you slowly discover the deserted mining spacecraft USG Ishimura. Thought that hallway was clear? Not anymore! However Useless House’s intriguing, slowly unfurling a backstory retains driving you ahead by way of a sequence of unlucky and horrifying, even grotesque occasions. Whether or not you favor the tense and atmospheric unique, the extra bombastic Useless House 2, or the expansive Useless House three, all can be found on Xbox One through Backwards Compatibility and included within the EA Entry vault. – Jeff Rubenstein

Among the many Sleep

Once you’re a toddler, the world feels prefer it’s continually in one among two states: both every thing is superb or every thing is terrifying. In Krillbite Studio’s Among the many Sleep, the main focus is firmly on the latter, presenting a world that’s directly acquainted and hauntingly nightmarish. Accompanied solely by a stuffed bear named Teddy (which emits mild into the murky setting if you hug it), you play a toddler that’s navigating his home in quest of his mom. Issues aren’t at all times as they appear although, with every setting feeling increasingly more indifferent from actuality. Ultimately, Among the many Sleep is much less a horror recreation and extra a rumination on the challenges of life, however that doesn’t make it any much less scary. – Will Tuttle

The Evil Inside 2 (Xbox One X Enhanced)

Issues are going actually badly for Sebastian Castellanos, and never simply because his dad and mom named him after a designer champagne label. In The Evil Inside 2, he willingly re-enters STEM, a digital world that’s identical to “The Matrix,” besides it’s a simulation derived from “Twin Peaks” and one has to decide on between the blue tablet and a cup of screaming milk. With actuality out for the rely and freaky multi-mouthed monsters all over the place, The Evil Inside 2 is a shocking, atmospheric seesaw with hold-your-breath stealth on one finish and bullet-counting battles on the opposite. How will we not have you ever with atmospheric seesaw??? – LK

Alien: Isolation

Not solely is your complete recreation dripping with authenticity, treating its supply materials with the utmost care because of unimaginable world element and sound design, but it surely additionally continues the legacy of getting a Ripley again on the middle of the Alien mythos. You play as Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen, desperately in search of solutions to her mom’s disappearance from the primary “Alien” movie (considerably required viewing). The thriller slowly reveals itself over time on board Sevastopol station, as soon as a extremely populated hub in deep house which has given strategy to lawlessness. Better of all is the title character who exists as an at all times studying, listening boogeyman that’s ready within the shadows so that you can give your self away. This can be a horror gaming expertise you don’t want to overlook. – MN

Oxenfree (Xbox Sport Move)

A bunch of garrulous teenagers sneak out a wooded island after darkish and uncover mysterious phenomena in a cave. What’s the worst that may occur? Properly… Oxenfree’s model of slow-building dread and X-Recordsdata-eque creepiness are the best “scary recreation” for individuals who aren’t into extra hardcore horror. Greatest performed in a single (prolonged) setting, Oxenfree is price a second playthrough (or at the very least a visit to YouTube) to see alternate endings, as issues can finish fairly in another way, for higher and for worse. Bonus: no recreation earlier than (or since) has nailed the movement of pure dialog higher than Oxenfree, all of the extra cause I’m trying ahead to Evening Faculty Studio’s subsequent title, Afterparty. – JR

Resident Evil four

What hasn’t already been stated about this Shinji Mikami basic? Unfaithful issues, in all probability: Like the way it lures you in with a household barbeque, nestled in a humble Spanish villa. There’s an intimate meet-and-greet with everybody on the native church. The townsfolk don’t even like chainsaws and their pitchforks are purely meant for stabbing … wily produce! You catch a whopper of a fish, dispense some headache reduction and assist a person good his intense Wolverine cosplay. There aren’t any decapitations in any respect and each time somebody screams in regards to the “Los Plagas,” they’re making a spirited suggestion about that new dental clinic. – LK

Friday the 13th: The Sport

Ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ah, ch-ch-ch-ah-ah-ah. If you happen to acknowledge that music, there’s a great probability you spent a while within the 80s and 90s peeking by way of your fingers as serial killer and hockey masks fanatic Jason Vorhees hunted down nubile camp counselors within the woods round Camp Crystal Lake (and, in a single case, outer house?!?). In 2017, developer IllFonic gave gamers the possibility to step into Jason’s boots, in addition to these of his prey, with the discharge of Friday the 13th: The Sport. This asymmetrical multiplayer title discovered one participant (as Jason) looking down as much as seven others in a gory model of hide-and-seek, with the advisors in a position to work collectively in an effort to beat Jason’s otherworldly looking powers. That includes dozens of memorably over-the-top kill animations by grasp particular results artist Tom Savini, Friday the 13th: The Sport may really be higher than a number of the films (we’re taking a look at you, “Jason Goes to Hell”). – WT

Layers of Concern (Xbox Sport Move)

Because the online game equal of a portrait with eyes that observe you across the room, Layers of Concern has, effectively, precisely that. It makes you witness to the whole meltdown of a superb painter, crushed by a stroke of tragic luck, left unable to discern between occasions on the canvas and people in his head. If you happen to hate doorways disappearing and rooms respiratory and rearranging themselves in upsetting methods, you must play this – and perhaps contemplate shifting out of your clearly haunted home. Plus: As a scary recreation sans fight, Layers of Concern makes for a great palette cleanser. – LK

Left four Useless (Xbox One X Enhanced / Backward Appropriate)

This practically decade-old co-op zombie shooter is all about working together with your crew to beat swarms of the Contaminated – as a result of surviving the zombie apocalypse is not any enjoyable alone. Seize your shotgun and prepare to mow down the subsequent mob of frenzied mutants earlier than it’s too late. Simply you’ll want to be careful for these Boomers and their zombie-luring bile. And even higher, this Halloween you’ll be capable to fend off the hordes with an unprecedented stage of element now that Left four Useless is Xbox One X enhanced. – LE

Soma

It doesn’t take lengthy in your time in Soma so that you can notice that navigating your method by way of an deserted and slowly crumbling underwater analysis station is the least of your considerations. It’s the mysterious and creepy machine inhabitants who stalk you thru the hallways when you search to grasp how you bought right here and what you might be. And why do all of the machines assume they’re individuals? With an exquisite sci-fi bend on the fears of merging humanity with expertise, Soma just isn’t solely one of many creepier video games you possibly can play, but in addition one of many smartest with some nice philosophical factors to ponder with an ending that may go away you speechless. – MN

Condemned: Prison Origins (Backward Appropriate)

There was a time in my life once I trusted mannequins. That each one modified with the 2005 launch of Monolith’s Condemned: Prison Origins for Xbox 360. In a recreation crammed with memorable setpieces, none was extra terrifying than the deserted division retailer crammed with mannequins in varied states of undress (and dismemberment). As you progress by way of the extent, beating the sport’s deranged derelicts in a visceral first-person perspective with no matter melee weapons you could find, you’ll discover rooms filled with deserted mannequins. All’s effectively and good (effectively, pretty much as good as it may be if you’re preventing to remain alive and clear up the thriller of who’s pinning murders on you) till you discover one thing out of the nook of your eye: did that model simply transfer? I actually don’t assume I’ve ever screamed as loud as I did the primary time one lastly lunged at me. – WT

Metro 2033 Redux (Xbox Sport Move)

Not solely an incredible technical achievement on the time of its unique launch, giving players one of the distinctive and atmospheric settings in gaming, Metro 2033 launched us to an epic post-apocalyptic journey that mixes equal components of stealth, survival horror, and first-person shooter fight. Oh, and a solid of darkish characters and a well-paced story that retains you shifting by way of the chilly metro tunnels of Moscow in a bleak, miserable future. The Redux model cleans up the unique launch and enhances the graphics for the present gen, making it the quintessential model to play. – MN

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from SpicyNBAChili.com https://www.spicynbachili.com/scary-games-to-play-on-xbox-one-this-halloween/

[feathersandblue]

hansbekhart

reblogged your post and added:

I’d rather discuss what you think of my argument.

Then I hope you don’t mind me putting this in an extra post, as the original thread is getting quite long. 

I’m copying/posting your last reply here:

I don’t think it’s a contradiction though. I think it’s a miscommunication, stemming mostly from privilege. The disconnect in this argument is over what, exactly, is problematic.

Fandom has always imagined itself as a place of progressive values - a place where (predominately) women can explore their own sexuality and recreate community in a way that isn’t hostile to them, as a lot of the real world is. But this world we’ve created still has all of the prejudices that each member was brought up with - there’s no way that it couldn’t, firstly because many of our prejudices are invisible to us, and secondly because a lot of fandom works were created specifically to remix that already-existing culture: fan fiction is a mirror that we bend to find stories that include ourselves.

I think that the expression “fandom has always imagined itself” is a bit of a generalisation that does not hold up to close scrutiny: fandom is extremely diverse, and I don’t necessarily think that everyone who participates in it - or even the majority of people who participate in it - frame their contribution in these terms, or see it in that light. 

So while such a narrative exists, especially when it comes to the defense and representation of fandom in media, I wouldn’t agree that this idea of “progressiveness” is at the center of fandom for a majority of fans - at least not for those who never engage on a meta level. People often politicize fandom, but I’d argue that fandom, as such, is personal rather than political.

I absolutely agree wtih you that fandom content reflects our perception of the world, and all of our biases. But for me, that’s pretty much a given, and I’d like to add that the same applies to every kind of art and literature: whether we try to avoid it or not, everthing that we create is a reflection of our environment (geographical, historical, political), our personality, our prejudices and biases, our personal issues. 

And since it’s squeezed through what could arguably be called a feminist lens (because it positions female sexuality and self-exploration at its center), we fool ourselves into thinking that all the bad stuff - the parts of the world we were so alienated by that we were compelled to fix them - all that ugliness, we think it all gets left on the other side of the glass.

I don’t think that is the case, actually. At least I can’t confirm that from my own perspective and experiences. Very few people that I’ve spoken to - very few people who I argue with - would claim that fanworks are necessarily “better” or “less problematic” than the sources they derive from. Such a statment, I think, would be difficult to uphold when one takes a closer look at the average fanwork, the 90% between “My Immortal” and your Personal Favorite. 

I think that there might be a bit of confusion - or disagreement - about the nature and purpose of fanworks. In my understanding, fanworks are a form of wish-fulfillment and self-empowerment for those who create it. Fanworks can be progressive, sure, and they can be political, but I see that as side effect rather than a primary purpose. First and foremost, fanworks are hedonistic. They are the self-expression of individuals, the purely self-indulgent outlet for personal creativity. 

Of course, I have no idea what goes on in the mind of any given fan creator or writer. But speaking from my own perspective, when I write fanfiction, I write things for my own, personal enjoyment, for my own, personal amusement, or, if I wanted to be flippant: Because I can. Nothing inherently progressive about that. 

I’m saying “we” not just as a fan, but as a demographically representative one. Fandom is majority straight, white, and female - I’m two of those things, and can pass for the third. The reason I called this the White Feminism of discourse is because that’s where I think it comes from: a centering of a certain sort of narrative and victimhood to the exclusion of all others. Not necessarily out of maliciousness, but because a large proportion of fans don’t see the persistently racist problems in fandom - because it doesn’t affect them. Because they’ve never experienced racism personally, and are blind to the way they (we) perpetuate the microaggressions or outright racism that literally every fan of color has experienced in fandom. It’s a language we can’t hear unless we really, really listen.

Fandom is mostly white and female, though not necessarily straight, but that’s another matter. 

I think we need to make a distinction here, and that’s between fandom as a space for individuals, and the idea of fandom as it is currently presented in media by pro-fandom voices, which indeed often paints fandom as a beacon of progressiveness and female empowerment. 

When it comes to the individual fan and their contribution to fandom ... I hate to say it, but there is no reason why any given fan should priotitize anything but their own, selfish enjoyment. I’m not in fandom to contribute to the joy and happiness of other people. I’m here for my own. 

Creating art of fiction is always a selfish act. No writer writes something they don’t want to write (unless they’re paid for it, or course), no artist paints something that they don’t want to paint. That’s how we create: it’s our personal, self-indulgent vision that we turn into something that other people might enjoy. Or not enjoy, whatever the case may be. 

The argument that I often hear is “if your personal enjoyment comes at the price of other people’s hurt feelings, it’s oppressive and immoral”, but that only applies when I actually force people to consume the product of my imagination. But as long as they have the freedom of choice, why should their feelings take precedence over mine? 

Especially, and I feel that this is an important point that doesn’t get stressed often enough, when I don’t even know who these people are? We’re on the internet. I have no idea whether the person I’m dealing with is actually who they claim to be. I have no idea what their life looks like. I have no idea whether they were actually “triggered” by something (I’m using quotation marks because the way the word is used here on tumblr, it can mean anything, from mild annoyance to great anxiety) or are just striving strive for power and control. 

I can totally get where the people who write this sort of positivity posts about fandom are coming from, and I can get why it seems like these are attacks out of left field. But when you (and not meaning you specifically, OP - all of us) claim essentially that all media/fandom is good, and all ways of consuming media/fan fiction are good, that ignores the way that media/fandom continues to be a really hostile and ugly place for a lot of people. You may mean, “There is no bad way to explore your sexuality,” but it can sound like you really mean “Even if it includes explicit, unqualified racism.”

But who says that media/fandom has to be “good”? Who made that rule when I wasn’t looking? When I “joined” fandom, I never agreed to limit my own, personal enjoyment to what minorities find acceptable. And while I get that some people think they’re entitled to that - that it should be my goal as a “decent person” to make them feel included, safe, welcome, and cared for - that’s not what I’m here for. 

You may find this a controversial statement, but actually, it shouldn’t be controversial at all. I get that some people would like me to sign a metaphorical contract, with the fine print written in their favor, but the truth is that such a contract does not exist within fandom.

No other person has the actual authority to tell me that my own enjoyment should not be my sole and ultimate goal. People might think they have the moral authority to tell me that, but there is no reason why I should have to accept that.

Why should I let other people dictate what my contribution to fandom should look like? Or, what’s more to the point, why should I let a bunch of strangers with funny urls do that, who willingly choose to engage with the content that I post on my blog or to my AO3 account? 

ESPECIALLY because, when confronted with that exact challenge, a lot of people double down on that and admit that yeah, the racism doesn’t really bother them. Which is what’s happening here.

It’s not a contradiction, but an unwillingness to confront an ugly truth about fandom because it doesn’t personally affect you. Fandom has a huge problem with racism, and pointing that out is not an act of The Morality Police.

Well, I’m one of these people. Though I think it’s fair to say that while racism does, in fact, bother me, my understanding of racism does not conform with the US American definition, and I’m not inclined to re-frame my worldview according to US American sociological theories just because fan culture happens to be dominated by US Americans. 

It’s not only racism, though, is it? It’s  “abuse” and “homophobia” and “transphobia” and “ableism” and “misogyny” and so on, and I can tell you that most of what I’ve written and published would raise the hackles of one minority or another, if they came looking. 

Or rather, raise the hackles of some individuals, which is another issue: very rarely, in my experience, has there been an agreement within a minority group on whether something was actually “harmful” or “offensive”. So, when I’m faced with a couple of people who come to my inbox, often in a very hostile manner, to tell me that something is offensive to people of color, or Jewish people, or trans people, or disabled people, and so on, they might be making a lot of noise, but I have no real means to say whether they are actually representative of the minority they claim to speak for.

In reality, it might look a little like this: My piece of dark fic, which was clearly labeled as such, got twohundred hits. Ten people left kudos, one left a positive but trivial comment, and now suddenly three people, one after the other, leave their comments in quick succession, neiher politely worded nor inviting a discussion, informing me that this piece of fiction is problematic and needs to disappear. Because they say so. 

That’s the point where I have to ask myself: if I give in to that kind of intimidation and pressure, am I doing it because these people are in the right, or because I’m afraid? Am I willing to follow their moral code, which apparently includes dogpiling, intimidation, and name-calling, or do I trust my own? 

Meanwhile, the people in my comment section are in all likelihood not willing to take my opinion into account. Any attempt on my side to justify myself just leads to statements like “check your privilege”, “you’re a nazi apologist”, “white (cis, straight, abled) people don’t get a say in this”. Disagreement is not an option. They’ve decided that my content problematic, that I am problematic, and that’s that.

I’ve seen this play out in a variety of instances, and quite honestly, I think it’s very important that people don’t give in to that kind of bullying. 

Finally, let me just add, for good measure: I think you’re right in one point, and that is that we might want to stop pretending that fandom is all about progressiveness, when progressiveness is mostly accidental, and yes, we can absolutely point out that fandom content reflects the preferences of those who contribute to it. If that’s mostly white women, the content will reflect that, as we’ve basically agreed above. 

On the other hand, if everyone keeps making the kind of content that they want to see, instead of bemoaning that others don’t make it for them, fandom will continue to change.

Just don’t expect fans to go to great length to make fandom a better place for others if that’s not what they signed up for. 

[donnerpartyofone]

So I’m going to assume that this all is from the same irritatingly coy Cigarette Smoking Anon who, mostly during the election, would send me copied and pasted mid-stream chunks of Wiki Leaks or conspiracy-obsessed far right op eds from unknown sources (often about people like Clinton who I’d never even mentioned), as if this would spontaneously obliterate my naive little grip on reality, and I’d have to faint into the arms of Alex Jones or somebody for reprogramming. I have so many questions about this. And I mean, we can even skip the questions about why, if people like anon believe that all “non-western” men are clit-chopping baby-raping nightmare people, they don’t seem to give shit #1 about legal aid or shelter or health care for these women and children to whom they’re supposedly so sympathetic from refugee countries of origin. My questions are mainly about why trolling randos on social media is a better, or any kind of good use of anon’s valuable time and superior intellect.

What is supposed to happen when a person performs this kind of trolling? My most reasonable assumption is that I’m expected to work myself into a liberal frenzy where I pompously hurl invective at the invisible xenophobe who nervily tramples the rose garden of my utopian world view, until I exhaust myself, thusly making myself out to be a big stupid asshole with no self-control or real confidence in my beliefs. If that’s definitely the intention, I have a lot of questions about THAT too–mainly, what’s the point of it? Bear with me, if you feel like it.

Taking the anon’s perspective: If I thought that I knew for a fact that every human being from outside of the US and Western Europe posed a violent threat to everyone else, my priority action would probably NOT be to go around starting flame wars with random private internet citizens whose defeat would make not the slightest ripple in the universe. I would probably see the most important thing, well, other than full participation in my government and organized demonstrations for what I believe to be right–after that, I would probably see the most important thing as helping to eliminate dangerous ignorance through effective and direly needed education.

Let’s be specific: I use the word “education” to mean the spread of verifiable historical fact, and strategies for interpreting it critically. I do not mean, shouting at strangers like a lunatic with a doomsday sandwich board, vacilating between hyperbolic insults and paranoid grumbling about vast coverups.

(Like, whoever sent me, with zero context, that random sound bite about how the minimal Swedish news coverage of a violent rape attempt represents a vast conspiracy to protect refugees, is like…who in their right mind could even begin to believe that the dark inner workings of government or mass media, which are notoriously swayed only by power and money, actually serve to protect disenfranchised asylum-seekers from wartorn countries? I mean we would just live in a really different world if that were the priority of people powerful enough to orchestrate a “coverup”…)

This is behavior that seems HILARIOUSLY unlikely to change the perspectives or political behavior of random passersby, right? In fact, the more likely result is that the audience thinks, “Wow, I hate this guy. He’s calling me a piece of shit and he talks like a fucking crazy person. When I hear opposition to my ideals come out of this guy’s mouth in this maniacal way, it makes me feel even more assured of my preexisting beliefs than ever, and it makes me even less likely than ever to listen to anybody spouting the same type of bullshit.” But, for whatever reason, this seems to be a very popular method for far right bigots to surface their ideas. Surely there is some way in which this behavior contributes to the strength of their party and the success of what they see as justice, or why would they do it? I guess I’m just too stupid and shortsighted to derive from this anything other than a bunch of disorganized, childish raving that increases the confidence and political activity of their enemies, if not the sheer NUMBER of their enemies. Fun fact: my #1 inspiration for reblogging that antifa master post of thoroughly cited data regarding refugees in Sweden, was conspiracy anon sending me speculative fiction about how migrant crimes are hidden by a coverup. Good job anon, what an effective way to create change

But about my intellectual deficiency and my tragically limited perspective…what is supposed to be the value of harassing me? I mean me personally: Someone with a tiny little Tumblr that has a higher number of asks than followers, someone whose public political activity is (as far as Tumblr has any idea) limited to reblogging petitions in support of Chelsea Manning or Standing Rock, none of which remotely makes me an “influencer” of any kind. Maybe Alt Right Deep Throat Anon thinks this is grassroots campaigning, maybe they think that every big change has to begin with one small step, and that in the long run, people like them sending nasty insults and citation-free “news” to people like me represents a means of positive transformation into a better world for everyone.

I mean, the alternative is that anons like this are actually chronically frightened bigots who are easily led by anyone who attempts to justify their amorphous fear of brown people with foreign accents, thus relieving them of the scary responsibility to learn about and take action toward the protection of anyone other than the rich white scumbags who they droolingly invite to dominate them. Or maybe anon doesn’t even believe anything they’re saying and this is all a big joke–I mean, they don’t have the conviction or courage to attach their actual identity to any of these ideas, so I have tacit permission to just assume that none of this is “real” and there’s no reason for me to spend a single moment thinking about what “they” are trying to say to me, since they’ve unburdened themselves of any subjective individuality. But, as these mean anonymous messages suggest, I’m just a pinko liberal white feminist idiot who thinks everyone should hold hands and sing Kumbaya, so I’m only capable of assuming that anon is just and sincere, and their potent wisdom about how to change people’s minds is just lost on a tiny little dinosaur brain like mine. Sorry, try next door.

TL, DR: Anon’s methods of educating and debating are garbage, they undermine whatever point they’re trying to make if there even is one, and they will never have the slightest effect on anyone other than the choir to which they already belong.

Meanwhile, if you’ve actually read this far and you know anything about identifying and/or blocking anons, hit me up! I really don’t want to turn off anon, or alienate other anons, because I enjoy them. Even the unfunny performance artist anons and the sexually frustrated anons who need me to know that they think I’m ugly–yes, even you are valid (insofar as you are grist for my comedy mill). But I don’t need this shit on my blog. Sociopolitical issues rarely even make an appearance here, and I’d love to be able to keep it that away, with some stronger gatekeeping in place than me just learning to ignore specific kinds of trolling better.

[aaronsniderus]

Stocks Shrug Off Government Shutdown – Market Update

It was a crazy weekend. We know who’s in the Super Bowl, and the government shut down. It’s Monday, so I’m going to ease you in and stick to the lighter side for the moment, so congratulations to the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. We’ll have a little more on the government shutdown below.

In terms of economic news, there was lots of important housing data last week, so let’s jump right in.

Headline News

MBA Mortgage Applications

Mortgage applications were up 4.1% last week, with refinancing applications up 4.0% and purchase applications rising 3.0%. The average rate on a 30-year fixed conforming mortgage was up 10 basis points to 4.33%.

Industrial Production

Industrial production was up 0.9% in December, coming in well above estimates. Much of this was due to increases in both utility production, up 5.6%, and mining production, up 1.6%.

Manufacturing gains were modest, up 0.1% on the month and 2.4% annually. Vehicle production was up 2.0% and high-tech production was up 0.4%. Production of nondurable goods went down 0.1% and construction supply production was unchanged.

Factories are utilizing more of their available capacity in these December numbers. This metric jumped 0.7% to 77.9%.

Housing Market Index

Home builders have lost confidence in the housing market this month, as January’s numbers are down two points at 72, which is still strong. It’s also worth noting that last month’s numbers were the highest of any since the recession.

The traffic component came in at 54, which is very high, but four points below last month’s 13-year high. which was very Current sales came in at 79 and sales over the next six months were at 78.

In terms of regional data, the West led the way at 83. The South was at 72 and the Midwest came in at 69. The Northeast is still lagging behind the others, but it’s up 12 points since November to come in at 62.

Housing Starts

Housing starts were down 8.2% to a seasonally-adjusted annualized rate of 1.192 million in December. There’s some thought among analysts that this might simply be a return to normal after hurricane rebuilding really boosted the number of starts in the last several months.

On the single-family home side, starts were down 11.8% to 836,000. There was a 1.4% uptick in multifamily starts to 356,000.

Permits were up just a little bit, coming in at 1.302 million. Single-family permits were up 1.8% to 881,000.

Jobless Claims

Initial claims were down 41,000 to the lowest level in 45 years last week. However, part of this might be based on the fact that six states had to estimate claims. One of them was California, which was potentially affected by the mudslides. This report may have also been affected by the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday. The four-week average was down 6,250, coming in at 244,500.

Continuing claims were up 76,000 to 1.952 million. The four-week average was a little less volatile, up just 4,000 to 1.921 million.

Consumer Sentiment

Consumer sentiment fell 1.5 points in initial January readings to 94.4. This is the weakest the reading has been in six months.

The current conditions part of the reading was down more than 4.5 points at 109.2. This is a 15-month low and indicates potential weakness in consumer spending as well as the labor market.

Expectations did come in at a positive 84.4. Inflation expectations over the next year were up 0.1% to 2.8%. There was a matching gain for five-year expectations, which were up to 2.5%.

Mortgage News

There’s not usually much mortgage news outside of rates on a weekly basis, but with the government shutdown, there are a couple of things to be aware of. For all loans, we won’t be able to get tax transcripts from the IRS until the end of the shutdown. We’ll have to get proof from you that you filed your taxes.

The FHA and VA have automated systems for loan approval, but USDA loans with conditional approval may see their closings delayed. Hopefully this doesn’t last too long, but we’ll provide updates on anything you need to know. For more on the broader impact of a government shutdown, ABC News has a nice breakdown.

Turning to actual rates, fixed rates were up last week in Freddie Mac data, although not as much as reported in the MBA numbers. It remains a great time to lock your interest rate, as they are still very low.

The average rate on a 30-year-fixed mortgage was up five basis points to 4.04% with 0.6 points in fees. Last year, the average rate was 4.09%.

Looking at shorter terms, the average 15-year fixed rate was up five basis points to 3.49% with 0.5 points in fees. At the same time a year ago, the rate was 3.34%.

Finally, the average 5-year treasury-index hybrid adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) rate was 3.46% with 0.3 points. This was flat for the week. At the same time last year, the average rate was 3.21%

Stock Market

The looming government shutdown didn’t affect stocks Friday, as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record highs again.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up 1.04% on the week after rising 53.91 points on the day to close at 26,071.72. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 finished at 2,810.30, up 12.27 points on the day and 0.86% on the week. The Nasdaq finished Friday up 40.33 points to 7,336.38. It was up 1.04% on the week.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, January 24

MBA Mortgage Applications (7:00 a.m. ET) – The mortgage applications index measures applications to mortgage lenders. This is a leading indicator for single-family home sales and housing construction.

FHFA House Price Index (9:00 a.m. ET) – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI) covers single-family housing using data provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The HPI is derived from transactions involving conforming conventional mortgages purchased or securitized by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Existing Home Sales (10:00 a.m. ET) – Existing Home Sales tallies the number of previously constructed homes, condominiums and co-ops in which a sale closed during the month. Existing homes (also known as home resales) account for a larger share of the market than new homes and indicate housing market trends.

Thursday, January 25

International Trade in Goods (8:30 a.m. ET) – The Bureau of Economic Analysis has begun breaking out the goods from the remaining international trade numbers to get an idea of import and export estimates for GDP calculations.

Jobless Claims (8:30 a.m. ET) – New unemployment claims are compiled weekly to show the number of individuals filing for unemployment insurance for the first time. An increasing trend suggests a deteriorating labor market. The four-week moving average of new claims smooths out weekly volatility.

New Home Sales (10:00 a.m. ET) – This measures the number of newly constructed homes with a committed sale during the month.

Friday, January 26

Durable Goods Orders (8:30 a.m. ET) – These are based on new orders placed with domestic manufacturers for factory hard goods.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (8:30 a.m. ET) – This measures the monetary value of all final goods and services produced within the U.S. This report is released on a quarterly basis.

It’s quite a packed week of economic reports. We’ll have this and any important government shutdown developments ready for you in Market Update next week.

It might be the weather, but I’m having a really hard time making my brain work this morning. If you find yourself in a similar situation, maybe these brain training activities will help. January is also national brainteaser month. If you like that, we’ve got plenty more home, money and lifestyle content where that came from if you subscribe to the Zing Blog below.

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