#a person sticking to their ideals so strongly until they truly do make the world a better place is compelling

[devotedlystrangewizard]

gnawing on corrin fire emblem

[arcann]

Hiii I'm bothering you again cause I thought of a question and I was gonna DM you but instead I'll force you to do a little ask answering dance again

What's Taigat's relationships with the Scions like? How do they grow and change as the game goes on? (This was originally gonna be about Estinien specifically but honestly it's for all of them now teehee. Or as many as you feel like)

*I still need to watch more of legacy and replay coils of bahamut to talk more about Taigat's relationship with Louisoix so that part is Under Construction*

Ok! Let's goooo

Minfilia: To Taigat she's a big source of inspiration and someone who can perfectly mix patience and decisiveness that they tried to emulate when in doubt. They were very close in ARR and once Taigat got back their memories from before the calamity they realized they had romantic feelings for her but they never had time to confess and they truly regret it. I imagine that as the voice of Hydaelyn she tells them she did reciprocated but fate was already pulling them apart. It felt like closure to Taigat even if they're still discomforted by the thought that their romantic endeavors never end well and the unnerving knowledge of Minfilia sacrificing herself to save another world sticks to them until they see the results of it in The First. She might not be there but she's one of the many reasons why they fight so hard to save the First.

Papalymo: Taigat really fell for the facade of him being Yda's tired and forlorn teacher and they never gave much thought of how powerful he was until his very last moment. He's the one who invited them to the Scions and while they didn't have too much time to grow close they miss him and they feel Yda's pain when she loses him. Z-nos gets a +1 in personal injuries for undoing all of Papalymo's hard work.

Alisaie: She is the one Taigat grows the fondest of as time goes by since they match each other's energy perfectly and feel strongly about the tragedies that surround them. If Alisaie admired them by the time she had her opportunity to talk to Louisoix in the Coils, they admire her just as much once stb is over. She's the reason they start to train as a red mage and move away from dark knight, noticing that it was just a way to sink themself deeper in the pit that is grief thanks to her. The world needs them and it needs them here, not stuck in the past and she makes them see that.

Alphinaud: I've talked about it more on other posts but Taigat feels from the start that Alphinaud is one of the few people who can back up having a huge ego so they're not bothered by it and his vitriol is rarely directed at them so there's no conflict between them even in earlier days. They easily see through his facade and can look at the teenager when they look at him interacting with his sister.

Yda: She's the person they're the second closest to by ARR and they're sure they will have a good time if she is there to accompany them. The reveal comes as a shock but they quickly empathize with having to live in the shadow of a sibling and how her unique conditions drove her to that. I am once again using your stb rewrite uwu. They try to be there for her as much as they can once she loses Papalymo and she has to be convinced she's the ideal person to reconfigure the resistance's military aspect after all the subterfuge mixed with combat that she has learned from the Scions. After stb they still write to her and they try to visit from time to time, pointing out how much she has grown and changed and how proud it makes them to be her friend.

Y'shtola: From the get go they admire how she pushes back against the way things are and how she isn't afraid to express what she thinks of the leadership in Eorzea. They make an effort to not make her feel uncomfortable with all the questions they have for her and, to their joy, time goes by and they stop feeling like they're interacting with this person who is too cool and too smart and they genuinely have a solid friendship where they listen to each other and the doubts they have of the world that surrounds me. Taigat seeing their voidsent blorbo like "oh my GODS my cool friend is going to LOVE yyyyyyyusing you for her experiments."

Thancred: They aren't exactly close like I've said before but they have each others backs. Outside of that they disagree on a lot of things and have different hobbies. They do like to party together though. If they keep it lighthearted they're cool with each other.

Urianger: *Taigat crying* i love you but i don't understand a thing of what you're saying to me. Urianger took some time to grow on Taigat but they figure out that it has to do with the way they both are. They're introverts with not much in common but their objectives to pull them together. Despite that they both care about the people that surround them their own way but Urianger is way more independent when making decisions and like Thancred it shocks Taigat. They still stick together at parties because they're the lightweights in this group of friends.

G'raha: He's just a silly little guy to Taigat in the crystal tower arc until shit hits the fan and they can't help but feel like things could have ended differently. Somehow. They worry for the exarch slowly consuming himself until he's always tired and looking unhealthy. They owe him better for being there to be their guide and protector in the First so when the time comes to get G'raha out of the crystal tower in the Source they're happy to welcome him into the scions and enthusiastically let him participate in the new tasks that appear in their way. They did promise to share an adventure with him and they plan to keep it, tenfold.

Estinien: *two spidermans pointing at each other meme* They don't like each other, no they do. They see each other as a bother figure, no they see each other as a brother figure. They love each other, they've been through hell together and they want to see the other happy but they would never tell. Wouldn't want to make it awkward.

Tataru: Taigat protects Tataru fiercely while being exiled in Ishgard but they rarely spend time together. They also have sewing as a hobby so that's their point in common because everything else, they're like oil and water. (Oh god can you see that i do not care for her)

Krile: Like Urianger they're very different people and they also took some time to grow on each other. They're there for her after they rescue her from Z-nos' lab and onwards they are very gentle with each other, asking constantly how they're feeling and reminding each other not to overwork themselves. They never listen but that's kind of their inner joke. At some point Taigat asks her to help them improve the conjurer training they left incomplete way back when and while it's not enough to heal a party through lasting combat, they can heal others in a calm environment. The only person with whom they'll eat Archon's loaf and pretend to like it.

[thefanficmonster]

For Better And Through Worse

Rodney Skinner (The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen) x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Romance

Summary: Y/N is a simple girl with big dreams. She works hard towards her goal of travelling the world, seeing all it has to offer. She’s also a devoted student, one with the hopes of one day fulfilling yet another dream of becoming a fashion designer and leaving the town her and her sister have been stuck working in. Her stars align and fate smiles down upon her one day when a rather mysterious man makes his way in the café she works at.

Requested by Anon. Hello there! I’m so terribly sorry to be posting your request so late, dear. I hope the fic makes the wait worth it. This is the first time I’ve been introduced to this character and this movie in its entirety and I absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for the request and for your patience. Please enjoy! Love, Vy ❤

“Close that book, Y/N! Your shift’s starting!“ My manager scares me half to death when his voice suddenly booms throughout the empty diner. 

It’s close to one in the morning and I’m stuck with the shitty overnight shift tonight because my older sister wasn’t feeling well. I arrived early while my friend still hadn’t finished his shift and decided to kill time productively by studying behind the cash register. Even though my shift has started, there is no real reason for me to abandon my book considering how dead the place is. Dead, eerie and unsettling. It’s 24/7 diner in the middle of seemingly nowhere. Well, our town in general is a big ‘nowhere’. If you came here on vacation - no you didn’t. You probably got lost along the way to a different destination. If you live here - good luck, hope you get out soon.

A young, 5′2 girl with only a can of pepper spray to defend herself with left in a café working the shift from one to eight AM. That’s simply ludicrous! I can hardly believe my manager has the audacity to leave like this. Not even a ‘call if you need anything’ out of politeness. Nothing! He doesn’t like any of the workers here so I don’t take it personal but he’s EXTRA mean to me because my sister turned his offer of a date down. It’s a surprise he hasn’t fired the both of us yet. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know if he’d be doing damage or doing us a favor by firing us.

I wait for the jerk to leave before reopening my book and proceeding with my reading. I can’t contain the smile that automatically appears on my face whenever my mind wanders into the contents of the pages. Seeing the pictures of the fashion creations gives me hope that one day I’ll be standing in front of a mannequin that will be displaying a piece I’ve designed. A piece won’t be enough though. I want an entire clothing line. Several even! The fiery passion in me won’t be easily satisfied - I have a vivid goal in mind and I won’t rest until I have it in my hands, until I’m looking at my clothes in the windows of shops and in magazines.

I unintentionally stop reading let myself daydream - well, it’s more like dreaming with open eyes considering it’s one AM. My imagination is sometimes so real it scares me. It all feels like I can reach out and grab it, hold it close, live it for a little while. However, that ideal life is soon ended by the sound of the bell that hangs above the door of the café ringing. I come flying down from my daydreaming cloud with a startled jump. My heart is beating quickly for no real reason other than the fact that there’s a person here at this hour. Knowing the type of town this one is, they are either one of the local drunks or not local at all. An outsider. The ones that everyone assumes are criminals on the run.

I couldn’t blame them if they said that about this guy. Mysterious, shady, suspicious - all adjectives that describe him perfectly. His sudden presence makes me uneasy. Many outsiders who choose to stick around for a bit frequent this bar, therefore I know some of them. This one I have never seen before. He almost looks unreal - a walking doll. He’s got an abnormally pale, sheet white complexion, a top hat and sunglasses. Sunglasses?! At the dead of an already pitch black night. I’m surprised he hasn’t stumbled into something yet. Maybe he has, what do I know.

“Good evening. One beer please.“ He says, hopping onto a bar stool and resting his elbows on the counter top of the bar that some ways down from the cash register - the two counters are connected.

“Coming right up.“ That’s the usual response I give to customers but I’ve never said it so hesitantly. He’s not being creepy or anything, he’s not even doing the staring most customers do which while uncomfortable, I still have to tolerate. The only truly off-putting thing about him is his appearance and the fact that he’s here at this hour. Drinking beer.

I keep my gaze on him out of the corner of my eye as I go fetch a cold beer bottle from the fridge behind the bar. I typically do waitressing, but I know my way around the bar as well. I see him reach for yesterday’s paper one of the previous customers has left there. He’s still distracted by it when I approach him and put a coaster down in front of him as well as the beer bottle, mumbling a quick: “Here you go.”

He lifts his head only enough to give me a nod with a small smile. From that proximity, the color of his skin looks more like paint, which is even more unsettling. He has also taken off his sunglasses, his eyes now free to make direct contact with mine which makes me pause for a second before asking the second routine question, “Anything else?”

“Uh, yes....“ His eyes go down to my nametag, “Y/N, could you tell me where this address is?“ He slides a piece of paper over closer to me. 

I reluctantly nod and look at the note he’s handed me. The letters are written in poor handwriting but I can still decipher the majority of what’s written. “This address is from the next town over, sir.” I inform him with a tightlipped smile that’s my way of sort of apologizing for the inconvenience.

He nods slowly, “Well, how far is this town exactly?” He furrows his brows at me and takes out a pen, taking the note back so he could write something at the back of it. 

“It’s a city compared to this one. It’s a two hour drive from here.“ I tilt my head to the side, discreetly looking at what he’s writing down.

“Thank you.“ He puts the note and pen away, “By the way, don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?“ He gives me puzzled look.

I scoff and shrug my shoulders, “Working, as you can see. I’m covering this shift for someone else, I don’t usually work it.” I respond nonchalantly. 

“No, I mean what are you doing working here at all?“ He points at me, “That dress, it’s self-made, right?“ 

Ok that’s off-putting. Either he is clairvoyant or it’s so obvious that an amateur has made it that he couldn’t help but notice and point it out. All I can give as an answer is a slight nod, a baffled expression on my face.

“That’s what I thought. It’s incredible.“ He probably realizes that he has caught me off-guard and has confused me, so he shakes his head with a small chuckle and a wave of his glove covered hand. “I saw the book you were reading on my way in. Fashion and design. So you’re an aspiring clothing designer?“ 

I feel relief wash over me as the confused furrow and pursed lips are replaced by a relaxed smile. I take the few steps back to where I was previously sitting and where I’ve left the book. I hand it to him once I return for him to see. “Yes, but the course here is expensive and I can’t afford it without this job.”

He nods slowly as his eyes carefully scans the pages he turns. “Impressive, so a goal-getter as well.”

I can’t help but giggle, “And a traveler at heart. I also need the money for that...” I open the book to it’s last page and show him the list I have written of places I’d like to visit. 

His eyes widen a bit in amazement as they go down the neatly written list. “You know, I’ve visited some of these places. I plan on visiting the rest as well. I could use a partner.” He winks at me playfully.

I roll my eyes, “As I said, I can’t afford it. You think I’d still be in this town if I could?” I say rather bitterly. Feels like the subject is an open wound and talking about it is the same as pouring salt on it.

“Who says you’ll have to pay a penny. I said I’d like some company, you’ll be paying me with your presence.“ His gaze is firm on mine, his tone suggesting he isn’t kidding around. I unintentionally let my disbelief morph into a ‘bullshit’ expression of distrust that causes him to raise his hands up as if surrendering, “No funny business, though I know what this looks like to you. Trust me, I wouldn’t offer that to just anybody. I sense how strongly you wish to fulfill your dreams. I see it all in your eyes, there’s a flame behind them. And...I’m gonna be honest, I’ve done many less than honorable things in my life. But when I see a chance to do good, I want to take it. Now it’s on you, take it or leave it.“

I’m stunned and frozen. I can’t even answer him. I’m just standing here with my mouth hanging open and eyes wide, staring at him awaiting for him to burst out laughing at any moment like ‘Did you really believe that?!’  But he doesn’t. He remains serious and after what feels like forever smirks, putting a hundred bucks next to the untouched beer bottle. 

“If you change your mind...I swing back the same time tomorrow.“

Before I can even shake free from my shock he has already left. I didn’t even get the chance to tell him I won’t be here the same time tomorrow. I feel my heart sink as my mind races, two sides of me battling - one that wants to take the chance that’s being offered to me and the other scolding me for even considering it.

Dumb or not I’m rooting for the first side. 

Eyes don’t lie. Just like he read me so well just by looking at mine, I read him by looking at his. All he said was true, not a doubt in my mind about it. He meant all he said and for some odd reason I believe him despite him being a complete stranger. I don’t even know his name, for goodness’ sake! But I want to go with him. The hard part for me would be leaving my family behind though.

Well, I have a little less than twenty four hours and a seemingly never-ending uneventful shift ahead of me to ponder it.

                                                              *  *  *

I can’t believe any of this - not what I’ve done, not what I’m doing and most definitely not what I’m about to do.

I have packed my bags and snuck out of the house, running at full speed to the café. When I arrived I was breathless, with a heart beating faster than a galloping horse.

I’m now waiting for the man. The stranger. The person who could be anyone or anything - including dangerous - but right now all he is to me is my path to success, the person who’ll guide me to achieving my goals.

I’m about to go running away with this man, off to God knows where. No one guarantees he won’t do harm to me. I can’t be 100% certain this won’t end badly for me. All I can do is take this chance if I want to. And I really REALLY want to. 

Just as the clock strikes 1:25 AM, an old car pulls up at the curb in front of the café. I’m standing in the shadows, away from any windows to avoid being spotted by the worker who’s on the dead shift as I call it. The way the car has parked it’s positioned directly underneath a street lamp, almost like it’s under a spotlight. The door to the drivers side opens to reveal the same man from last night. When he steps out in the lamp’s light he looks to be glowing, his unusually pale complexion shinning in the light. 

“Y/N!“ I call out to him, startling him for once instead of the other way around.

He stops and looks around, taking the sunglasses off and narrowing his eyes at his surroundings. I chuckle to myself and step within the line of light, “My name’s Y/N. You already know that.” His eyes land on me and a smile spreads across his face as well as mine. “I don’t know yours though.”

He takes a step towards me, “Rodney. Rodney Skinner. Though, please don’t let that name throw you off. It was given to me for far less sadistic reasons than you may be imagining right now.”

I can’t help but laugh, “All I ask is for you to not skin me alive.”

He gives me a small bow, “I shall respect your request. Now...“ he straightens his posture and turns to motion to his car, “To freedom and adventure?”

I don’t know what takes over me and drives me to close the space between us, but it is also to blame for the fact that I pressed my lips against him. Even after realizing what I have done, I don’t pull away. I don’t see my doing as wrong - in fact, I feel like I’m doing all the right things for myself tonight. He responds to the kiss after a second or two of stunned hesitation.

The little kid in me can’t wait for this journey to commence anymore so I pull away abruptly, giving him a bright, wide smile and my eyes bright. I watch as he comes back to the present moment and nods, mumbling as if to himself a quick, “Right...” before circling around the car and opening the passenger side door. 

I gladly take a seat and fasten the seatbelt while Rodney takes my suitcase and backpack and puts them in the trunk of the car. Here it is, I’m seconds away from the biggest step in my life so far. A dangerous and risky step for sure, but the sense of freedom I feel is worth it all. The joy and excitement I feel as the car starts moving is all I need to keep looking forward and keep my mind off my family’s reaction when they find my goodbye note.

“By the way, what’s at that address you showed me yesterday?“ I ask to keep myself distracted from the aforementioned thought which is stronger than I thought it would be.

“Ah, a friend of mine, Nemo. He holds the vehicle of our travels. Tell me...“ his hand nonchalantly rests on top of mine between the seats causing me to blush, “have you ever traveled by a submarine?“

I physically jolt at the absurdness of the question, “You’re not serious!” I turn to look at him, my free hand covering my mouth which is hung open in disbelief.

He laughs, taking the hand he’s holding and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to my knuckles which relaxes me. “I’m deadly serious, Y/N. Speaking of Nemo though, do you know of any good barbecue places in that town? He loves a good barbecue.”

I grimace, “No and I’d much rather never know or enter one.” He gives me a quick puzzled glance, careful not to take his eyes off the road for too long, “I’m a vegetarian.” I clarify with a snicker.

I see the realization be processed and show on his face, followed by a laugh when he says, “Oh Nemo’s gonna love ya.”

I don’t know if that was sarcasm or ironic. I just know one thing - I have so much ahead of me at the moment. Travelling, studying, meeting new people, seeing a submarine, for the love of God! And even a potential romantic relationship. The future has never looked so bright for me, and this is all thanks to this abnormal yet hypnotic man next to me.

Freedom and adventure, here we come!

[dikiyvter]

23 & 31? :eye: for either or both

Of course aid anything 4 u <3

Uncommon Questions [ accepting ]

23. How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?

For Gio: Envy is... kind of a scale of ugliness for Gio, to be honest. First and foremost his envy is typically not something ugly; It's typically something that turns more into a hopeful longing other than any sort of truly resentful behavior. Just because he wants what someone else has doesn't mean that he needs to take it from them necessarily; the world is not a pie to be split among it's inhabitants. He views the world as an endless wealth, and if he wants something someone else has, all he has to do is work to get it himself. Ultimately his longing to be human and to take a quiet role in human society spawns from envy of the lives that humans lead.

... And then there's the far uglier envy. Gio is a rather childish individual who experiences emotions very strongly; In part this is subconscious acting, and in part it's genuine truth; He's really never been good at things regarding emotions primarily because he's never been taught a whole lot in regards to control of ones emotions or ways to manage them. He's a bit... emotionally stunted but more in the 'seems like an erratic mood swing-y mess because he feels very strongly' sense and less, you know, [gestures at Baal and Zhongli]. There is thus always a chance that when Gio becomes envious of something, his first reaction is that of intense resentment towards whoever it is that has what he doesn't- This is partially true even for his love of humanity. Even though he starts off with the thought of "this is beautiful" it was still interlaced with a lot of bitter resentment that he would never really have that; Coming to terms with his worldview is what got rid of that. But it's a bit harder to have a mentality of 'the world isn't a pie; someone having a bigger slice than me doesn't mean i can't have more if i want it' when its... say...

A person whom you love whose fallen for another or is having all of their time taken up by them.

For Riga: ...Riga gets a much shorter paragraph and for that I apologize, but I have a lot more thoughts regarding Gio on this subject considering that lil clowns got a lot of conflictions and nuance to ramble about. Riga, on the other hand, tends to be far more simplistic in the things he is feeling and how he is feeling them; though this isn't to say he feels any less strongly or erratically than Gio does.

Rigatello typically feels envy as a genuinely ugly awful emotion that typically results not just in resentment but in a very, very intense form of frustration. A major part of his character is that he is someone who wants very little, but the few things he does want are things he perceives more as needs; Case in point being he doesn't perceive wanting Gio to care about him as being a want, he sees it as a need, and when your needs are denied you become... what? Angry. Frustrated. Depressed. Envy turns him violent, because why should others have what's rightfully his? Why are others entitled to the few things he truly needs? Why is he not deserving of these things? There's a tangible cycle to a lot of Rigatellos emotions, and it's that he is confronted with something ( or someone ) he wants; He becomes reliant, he thinks he needs them ( using gio as an example; He cannot imagine who he is without Gio nearby. He cannot imagine himself in the hierarchy that is set between them both and Dottore without Gio there, because Gio has always been the one to provide a release of tension, even if the relationship the two of them shared was at times very far from healthy; The change of something he sees as being integral to his identity and his place in his little corner of society is something that throws him VERY badly; Rigatello is someone very afraid of any meaningful change because the fear of what comes next and that change leading to potential failure is one that haunts him ) ; They move away from him, and he panics, because he has very little and thus clings desperately to what few things he has; Cue the cycle of seeing that which he 'needs' with someone else, being angry, being frustrated, falling down the rabbit hole of wondering why he isn't worthy, arriving at depression, resparking that frustration, and... repeat.

A lot of his envy spawns almost purely from a place of this frustration-depression loop of wondering why he isn't good enough-- something that ties in heavily with the way he was 'raised', where threats of being scrapped were thrown freely, and any failure could potentially result in his literal destruction.

Wait this wound up being longer than Gios. Whoops.

31. Who are they the most glad to have met?

Okay here's where we ease into me being able to make coherent sentences again bc i'm not bound purely by my muses emotions <3

For Gio, It would be Venti, in more ways than one. First he had technically met Barbatos. The ideal Barbatos gifted to Mondstadt that rubbed off on the freshly-created and quite impressionable Gio; It was Mondstadt and their talk of freedom that lit the little fire that eventually turned into Gio pursuing his autonomy and humanity. Then was the archon; Barbatos gave his vision to him, and without that Gio never would have managed to escape Dottore, and if he didn't currently have it he wouldn't have been able to evade capture for this long. It also served as a constant reminder of Mondstadts ideals -- And not just that, but the special shape that the vision takes has always been a symbol that although Snezhnaya was his home-- Mondstadt was where he belonged. Then came Venti; Someone who made him feel welcomed in Mondstadt when he was initially very nervous about being there. He and Venti became dear friends ( possibly more ) and now that's someone he looks forward to every time he's on his way back to Mondstadt. The city truly feels like home to him now, and that's mostly because of Venti-- and even if his friend doesn't wish to be seen as Barbatos the archon, Gio cannot help the appreciation he feels for those previous actions, nor for the general ideals that Venti / Barbatos inhabit.

For Riga, that would be Lio, no contest. It.. it would take me ten years to explain all of Rigatellos feelings towards Lio there's so much shit at play they mesh so fucking well together their traumas and mentalities are such similar echoes, Lio is literally the only person in the world that Rigatello has felt genuine love and affection for and not in some way panicked and tried to burn the bridge before it could burn him; He feels genuinely safe and happy with Lio, and the fear that constantly haunts him is eased in their presence; He trusts not just Lio but himself, the fear he typically fears when he touches others is gone because they trust him so thoroughly that in the midst of their love it's hard to be afraid of himself. He feels for once that he can be something that protects instead of something that exclusively does damage; He feels cared for, wanted, loved, when all his life he's felt rejected and constantly on the brink of destruction. Where he once was told his wants and thoughts don't matter he has now found someone who cares very much for what he wants and what he thinks and FUCK I have a lot of thoughts about these two.

40. How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

Oh god, here's another thing I can't fully explain.

For Gio: Immensely. Gios current mentality is essentially that if he just closes his eyes and refuses to think about it then he doesn't have to deal with his flaws, and if anyone points them out he can just get mad about it and avoid them until he dies because he does. not. want. to. think. about. it. He HATES feeling bad, he hates feeling negatively about himself, he doesn't... know how to genuinely change things about himself; And I think that. That itself can be very much shown in how he treats the fact that he's not human? A person? Yes, he's a fully sentient person with his own thoughts and expressions and free will, a human? Not exactly. He's made out of metal and circuitry and artificial materials, and this is simply a factual statement, its not opinion; But he almost treats it like it is. He sees this idealized version of humanity that he wishes to be a part of but he cannot fathom how he can be apart of it if the core thing about himself isn't changed, but its NOT something he can change; Instead of accepting that, however, and still going on with his goal to pursue his autonomy and humanity despite this, Gio would... honestly rather stick his fingers in his ears and go "lalala" because he doesn't really have the toolset to mentally deal with the contradiction of "I want to be human but I can't". He perceives a need to change that isn't there, and instead of trying to address it he ignores it entirely in hopes that... it'll just stop being an issue that he needs to address with himself at some point. The same mentality applies to a lot of his flaws. Does he know hes being avoidant of his problems? Does he know that it's going to cause more issues in the future? He does. But he can't even address it with himself because it makes him feel bad, let alone with someone else who could actually provide him with skills that he needs to change his behaviors and mentality.

For Riga: Okay he genuinely gets a shorter paragraph this time because in short? Rigatello doesn't care. Admittedly he kind of wears his flaws on his sleeve. He's a "says it right on the tin" kind of guy most of the time, where he's typically mostly open about the less positive parts of himself-- If not exaggerating them as a means of keeping people away. There are of course the flaws that he hides due to them stemming from traumas, and his general desire to hide all things relating to his personal thoughts and feelings-- But this in and of itself could be perceived as a flaw, though one very unexplored considering Lio is his first close relationship with another person where he's been in any form open about his own thoughts and feelings, away from the influence of Dottore or the Fatui.

Rigatello does have... slightly less healthy perception of what counts as flaws in himself, though, such as having his own thoughts and emotions. He perceives his traumas as weakness, and weakness is a flaw, to him-- So too, then, are his traumas. He's not sensitive about this in the sense that Gio is where he's willfully ignoring something he's doing wrong; Riga doesn't... know that this isn't a good mentality. He.

Riga is kind of hard to explain this regard because of how severely impacted Rigatello is by the traumas hes endured, the people he was 'raised' by, and the current lifestyle that he leads. His emotional understanding is extremely limited and always has been, and I'm not entirely sure how to put it in coherent wording; Because typically when I try to talk about Riga and emotions it devolves into word vomit because his thoughts are just... nonsense screaming pain mush that he doesn't know how to cope with so he tells himself to toughen up, shoves it in the closet, and goes on with his day until he can lay down at night and have a meltdown--

E) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

Honestly? The general rule of thumb is that I don't typically write people that I myself would get along with, if only because I know way too much about my own characters and their flaws? When. I look at people that I get along with, its primarily people who are patient enough to deal with my memory issues and my general lets say... low iq, to be nice. They're mostly laid back people who don't give too much of a shit one way or the other, but are friendly and fun to talk to because they have interesting ideas to contribute to a conversation, give room for others to contribute, and don't mind a bit of chaos when things inevitably devolve.

When I look at the characters I write... They all have some sort of flaw that directly contradicts the core things I typically find in someone I get along well with?

Gio is someone who I think I could get along with for a while; But inevitably his flaws, his distress regarding those flaws, and his subsequent refusal to acknowledge them in any meaningful form would inevitably stress me out and it would start to get tiring.

Bluntly put Riga is scary and I feel like I'd be stressed out 24/7 that I'm going to irritate him... And his general mindset of emphasizing his own flaws to push people away would just make me angry and I'd probably wind up letting him isolate himself because, having once been someone who was very much that way, I no longer deal well with that degree of self-pitying behavior b/c it pisses me off.

Outside of this blog, Ku Shen and I could probably get along pretty well, but I think the issue is that he's a massive introvert who would go Weeks in-between texting, and I have the memory of a goldfish and i'd inevitably find myself in a position where i have a text from him that's been waiting for me to answer for the past week and I'm too nervous to reply because I feel awkward being like 'hi i have untreated adhd sorry', and then suddenly three months has passed and I just can never talk to this man again.

...I'm going to include my Morax on here as well even though it's blog isn't super active; Look I might actually be able to chill with Morax if only because we vibe in either 'i am listening to you ramble for 3 straight hours with occasional questions or commentary' or 'we have both been dead fucking silent for the past 3 hours' and these are both my ideal ways to exist in someone elses presence. Also I feel like it'd wanna do fun shit and likes going on walks or smth. 10/10 I think I could get along with Morax.

H) What trait do you admire most?

Ah fuck okay. Uh. For Gio... I admire his optimism and hope. I consider myself to be a generally hopeful person but I'm not typically the kind of like... ~ * direct action * ~ person, and Gio VERY MUCH IS in most regards. He's generally super fucking ambitious and if he WANTS something he will GET IT and you cannot STOP HIM and I just wish I had that level of

I. Dedication II. Energy III. Optimism in actually completing the goal

For Riga? I guess it would be his general tenacity and endurance. He goes through. A lot of shit. Constantly. And he just keeps trudging on forward without pause. He does what he needs to do, and if you get in the way of him and what he needs to get done, then he'll make you fucking regret it. Top tier shit 10/10 good for him.

[jaybug-jabbers]

Review: Pokemon Gold and Silver 97: Reforged

The Review

What a fantastic game. I went looking for a hack that fully realized the sort of pokemon game we glimpsed in the Spaceworld ‘97 demo, and I was not disappointed. 

This alternative version of Gold and Silver takes that Spaceworld demo and builds on it with loving care and attention to detail. All the beta pokemon sprites were freshly made from scratch or edited to update them for the final, polished Gameboy Color look. The pokemon movesets and stats were crafted so that they were balanced and didn’t contain placeholders, and the pokemon were populated throughout the world in a logical fashion. Dex entries were written and the pokes were integrated smoothly into the world. There are even different sprites and different encounter rates for Gold and Silver-- although you can ‘catch them all’ in either version, an excellent choice.

Meanwhile, the world map was colored, tweaked and polished, allowing us to explore that beta world that was stunningly different from the final Gold and Silver. It’s a place that in many ways seems even more vibrant and varied than final Gold and Silver, and is truly exciting to explore.

Along with this fully realized map, this hack’s creators also gave us a fresh new plot for Gold and Silver. This one was inspired by the differences glimpsed in the demo, including Oak’s increased involvement in the story, Silver’s different personality and role, and the inclusion of an Imposter Oak. The plot stays true to the style of pokemon games and doesn’t seem out of place. 

All of the exciting little beta details were included too-- including the original Type alignments, the original Gym Leader designs, beta pokemon moves, new hold items, access to the Skateboard, being able to name your Mom, and even the minigame on the game start screen. The attention to detail and the polish on this hack is truly impressive.

Essentially, I feel like this hack can be considered the definitive edition of the beta Gold/Silver that we never knew. It gives us a chance to experience this alternative world, and breathes life into these wonderful pokemon that never were. Giving us a chance to know and love these beta creations is truly a gift for pokemon fans.

Perhaps the only downside is the sadness that this is not the official version of Gold and Silver. I experienced Pokemon a little bit differently then my peers. As a child, I adored Red and Blue, but once I’d finished with those games, I moved on from pokemon. I have no nostalgic memories of Gold and Silver to hold onto. I only returned to pokemon years later as a teenager. At that point I played several generations, one after another, at the same time, as a sort of “pokemon binge.” While most would call it blasphemy, I was never too terribly fond of Gold and Silver. I think it was largely because I didn’t happen to like a lot of the pokemon designs in those games. In many ways, this ROM hack presents a Gold and Silver that I adore and can love even more than the originals. 

That’s not to say the official Gold/Silver games are all terrible, of course. There are still definitely some beta pokemon that I feel were axed or altered for good reason. Not all of them are better then the final cuts. And there are other elements that are an improvement, too; for example, I actually really like Silver’s storyline in the official games and the fact we dealt with a character who actually stole pokemon and treated them poorly. 

That said, there is an awful lot to love in this ROM hack, and I’m grateful that we have it. Pangshi, Bellrun, Warwolf, Madame, Volbear and others may not be officially recognized by the Pokemon franchise . . . but they will always be very real in my heart.

The Team

Cinnamon (Flame Wheel/Crunch/Scary Face/Earthquake - Charcoal)

Selecting the starter was difficult, because both Honooguma’s line and Kurusu’s line appealed to me. Ultimately I think I went with my old Fire bias. Cinnamon was everything you’d expect a Fire starter to be-- powerful, intimidating, and very reliable. My only real complaint would be that I happened to strongly dislike the sprite the team had created for Dynabear. This isn’t really anyone’s fault, because the team did an excellent job with spriting-- for example, their sprite for the mid-evolution, Volbear, was incredibly good and I adored it to bits. I think it was just a matter of personal taste; I just didn’t like the final evolution’s face. (I’ve actually replaced the sprite in this picture with the original sprite, because I don’t want it to dampen my love for this species) Other than that, seriously, they did this evolution family justice. It was a joy to have on my team.

Doomsday (Curse/Confuse Ray/Body Slam/Shadow Ball - Power Wings)

The second member of my team was found in Brass Tower, to my great excitement: Kurstraw. This was possibly my favorite evolution line to come out of the beta discoveries. This pokemon’s stats were not exactly breaking any records; he went down pretty easily if I wasn’t careful. However, that never really mattered. Doomsday still did his job anyway-- pulling his weight just fine, relying on Confuse Ray and Curse a fair bit to take care of foes. He often was an excellent team player, messing with especially troubling pokemon before passing them over to an ally to finish off. His Normal Immunity also was a strong advantage at times, which I made sure to make use of. Basically, he was a fantastic companion, who helped me all the way through to the Elites and Champion fights.

Rumtum (Slash/Thunder Wave/Thunderbolt/Crunch - Leftovers)

Along with a Rinrin, this round good boy was added to the team next. I was slightly wary of Kotora because it seemed to be one of the most popular beta pokemon among fans. But, the pokemon does seem to be worthy of praise, as it turns out. It is an excellent, cute, cheery little creature and seems to do Pikachu’s job just as nicely as Pikachu, both in fighting and in charisma. Where Pikachu is focused more on speed, though, Kotora and its evolution focus a little more on bulk. The tanky tiger was able to take hits long enough to outlast the competition, even when working with relatively low basepower moves. When he *finally* learned Thunderbolt, though, man, look out -- he was quite a force to reckon with.

It’s funny, actually. When I first saw this tubby tiger, I assumed it was a fire type. Electric was somewhat surprising, but I quickly grew to like it as that typing. Most electric type pokemon are rodent-focused, as Pikachu clones, or Magnemite’s kin. Having a big, bulky tiger is unexpected for the archtype of electric pokemon, but it’s a very refreshing change.

Poprocks (Fire Blast/Surf/Body Slam/Flame Wheel - Mystic Water)

Next on the team was this awesome fellow. Well . . . sort of. Technically, next on the team was TRICKY the Bomsheal, which I traded a Rinrin for with an NPC. Later on, I felt like being able to name the pokemon myself, so I bred Tricky with Cinnamon and trained Poprocks up from scratch. This seal was the cause of some angst for me. I loved Manboo’s evolutionary line a lot, but I also loved the fire seal. They both vyed for the position of the water type on my team. For a while, I used Manboo (and Anchorage) . . . intent on keeping it. But I missed the seal so much, eventually I went back for it to retrieve it from the PC. Yes, it only added to my team’s Rock/Ground weakness, but I didn’t care. I loved this guy too much.

I’m not sure what it is. The freaking amazing typing of Fire/Water? That was definitely a big part of it. But there’s also just something so appealing in its design, simple as it may be. He’s just a cool seal with a fireball. And boy . . . I sure learned how INTENSE its stats were. This seal was RIPPING through the competition. Using it was basically pushing the win button. Honestly it might need to be nerfed a little, it was nuts. But yeah, Bomsheal is a badass and doesn’t need any evolutions to be cool. Best surfer ever!

Darkwing (Slash/Fly/Swords Dance/Faint Attack - Stick)

Right around when I was handed the TM for Fly, I ran into an area that had two types of birds available, depending on the time of day: Hoothoot at night, Farfetch’d at day. As cool as beta Noctowl looks, I eventually decided I needed to have a Madame. I just had to. Like many others, I always, always felt Farfetch’d deserved an evolution and was kind of screwed over. Learning it used to have one was a revelation.

Madame on this team was kind of funny, though. Next to all of these exotic beta pokemon, Madame seemed so . . . normal. She had moves and performed pretty much the way you’d expect a Normal/Flying type to act. It was much like using a Pidgeotto or Fearow. She couldn’t take many hits but usually could take out one pokemon. Her typing had her as an ideal Generalist pokemon-- something that could be used in various situations, not to any amazing effect but usually to a passable one.

That may sound a little underwhelming to you, but honestly, it’s what you’d expect of this cool-looking swan; it’s a Normal/Flying type. It fills that archtype as a familiar, dependable generalist. And I am someone who can really appreciate a generalist pokemon. I think the pokemon world’s richer for having Madame in it, even if only in our dreams.

Alpha (Strength/Blizzard/Screech/Ice Punch - Nevermeltice)

The final member of our illustrious team. You have to wait until fairly late into the game, when you reach the snowy towns, to get a hold of one of these fellows.But the wait is well worth it. What a beautiful pokemon design these two are-- mysterious little creatures hiding inside their wolf pelts, a perfect mix of cute and creepy. Wolfman/Warwolf actually struggled for quite some time on my team, unfortunately, just because of its movepool. I was left with the very weak Icy Wind for a long time. To compensate, I taught Strength, which worked somewhat, but I could still tell Warwolf wasn’t reaching its full potential. I taught it Blizzard, but the poor pokemon had a rough time ever landing its hits. What I SHOULD have done from the start is buy and teach it Ice Punch for a reliable STAB move with decent base power. I FINALLY decided to do that around the time I reached the Elite 4. I kind of had to-- its learnset wasn’t providing it with reliable, decent Ice moves, for some reason. Once Warwolf was properly equipped, he did great work. Admittedly, a pure Ice type pokemon isn’t the best, defensively. They have four weaknesses to some very common move types-- Rock, Fighting, Fire. (Steel moves weren’t really implemented in this game). That said, when used wisely, a pure Ice type can still be a valuable team member.

There was one hitch, though. Warwolf was mainly a physical fighter. This makes sense if you look at him. Of course he’d be a physical fighter. Thing is, in gen 2, Ice moves were all special. So I suppose technically Warwolf still isn’t hitting at his full potential-- not until the special/physical split in gen 4 so he can take true advantage of physical-type Ice moves. Still, despite that fact, he did a great job anyway. He landed the final blow that defeated Lance and won the game, after all.

I think my only real regret is how relatively little time I spent with him when compared to the others. This is, of course, just the nature of the game; you find some pokemon later on when you’re nearing the end of the game. If there’s any sort of post-game, perhaps I can spend more time with him.

And the Ones Who Didn’t Make the Cut . . .(This Time)

There were so many beta pokemon that it was impossible to have them all on the team, of course. I was especially sad about leaving my Bellrun, Tibbs, behind. I adore Rinrin and Bellrun’s line, as yet another set of pokemon that should have been included in the final cut of the official games. Alas, ultimately I removed Tibbs from my team, though. The reason was simple enough. With the beta Type alignments, Dark type was heavily disadvantaged. It was weak to Normal-type and Dark-type moves (as well as Bug), which was extremely significant. Pokemon’s movepools were positively saturated with Normal and Dark type moves, and it was impossible to avoid. With her already weak stats, and her lack of any decent basepower moves for so long, there was just too much stacked against her. It’s my hope that Rinrin/Bellrun get a bit of a buff in future updates, because they really seem to struggle. 

In any case, there were also plenty of others not on my team: Aquarius, Noctowl, Belmitt, Jumpluff, Turban, Plux, Grotess, Girafarig, Leafeon . . . and so many more. Honestly, that’s fantastic. It gives such replayability to the game. I have no doubt I will return to do more runs and get the chance to try out other pokes.

And, who knows? Maybe in the future they’ll even update this hack to include even more beta pokemon that were uncovered last year. If they don’t, I’m sure someone else will.  

(This hack is largely the work of lvl_3, who created ‘Pokemon Super Gold 97.’ Then, the hack was further changed and refined by a team into ‘Pokemon Gold and Silver 97: Reforged.’ Both can be found at the PokeCommunity as patches.)

[ramblingguy54]

How do you feel about the sudden shift in pacing in SUF? Personally, I was so disconcerted at first, I thought that it was /worse/ than the original series, then I rewatched, and realized that it was just really different. It's definitely a lot more blunt in the humor, and of course there's the whole Steven-not-knowing-everything-anymore-thing. What do you think?

The overall pacing of Steven Universe Future has been very enjoyable!

I genuinely find it to be pretty damn good actually, as its focus is crystal clear on where it should be. That being Steven Universe’s inner dilemma of what he’s supposed to do now the whole massive conflict with the Diamonds has been solved. As much as I loved Steven Universe’s story when it focused on the main conflict surrounding the Crystal Gems against their own planet and learning more about each of them, along with Rose’s entire backstory too, it still suffered from some of the Beach City episodes dragging it down in the pacing when it could’ve focused more on the other characters, like further exploring Lapis and Peridot’s chemistry for example. That isn’t to say I hated every single one, as some were actually enjoyable and gave me an appreciation for them in a sense. Sometimes it’s okay to take a breather and have a simple slice of life episode. Fun fact, I didn’t get into watching the OG series, until the movie was released last year, so that gave me more of a tolerance for the Beach City episodes. Makes me very glad that I waited this long because hoo boi some of the hiatus issues I’ve heard about from a close friend of mine, who got into watching this series when it first aired back then, weren’t pretty. LMAO!

Anyways, the idea surrounding Steven’s characterization of not-knowing-everything-anymore-thing, as you’ve put it, isn’t actually as weird, from I’ve heard some people make it out to be for a form of criticism that people on Tumblr have made rebuttals against before. It’s wonderfully consistent with what Steven’s character is all about and that’s trying to figure out his place in the world. This has always been a consistent struggle for himself, like the lyric mentioned in the full version of the series opening from Steven.

“I will fight to be everything that everybody wants me to be when I’m grown!”

Steven’s whole internal conflict surrounds not knowing whether or not he can exactly be like his mother, which puts a shit ton of insecurities on his own self-worth into trying to fit in with the other Crystal Gems because he’s not your average-every-day-kid that you see in society. He’s a special hybrid of human/gem that neither side of the species connected to him has ever seen before and that puts a ton of pressure onto how the boy feels a need to connect with both sides of himself. While he already has a deeply loving relationship with his father, Greg, Steven also wants to better understand that Gem lineage and why his mother was so revered by what he perceives to be these amazing warriors, who fight evil. Never mind putting this onto a kid’s existence, as soon as he or she’s brought into reality, but even an adult would struggle a lot with all this stuff. As the original story progressed, Steven learns all of the hardships the Crystal Gems faced many centuries ago and what his own mother did to protect the Earth in exchange for many issues Steven would have to handle, as soon as Pink Diamond gave up herself to create the child.

Holy shit, did he ever have to handle the baggage from Pink Diamond.

You should’ve shattered me back then. At least if I were in pieces, I wouldn’t have to know how little I mattered to you. You didn’t even tell em. You bubbled me away and didn’t ever tell your friends! MY friends!

I’m going to tell them. I’m gonna tell them everything.

Then you really are better than HER…

Pivotal moments, like in the episode centered around Bismuth, paint everything in an entirely different light for Steve’s ideals based around his mother. At first, Rose Quartz was implied to be an individual who could do no wrong to any living thing, but hindsight from Bismuth’s trauma paints everything in an entirely different light for this poor boy having to take on the entire blunt of this figurative dagger. A question that is represented in the episode, Storm In The Room.

Did you make me, just so you wouldn’t have to deal with all your mistakes!?

Is that all I’m here for…?

I’ve went into more detail about this episode in a previous ask surrounding this topic, so you can check that one out in your free time, but the point I’m making here is Steven has centered a lot of himself around the idea of Rose Quartz being a self-less individual and helped many others through her actions that put this entire series into motion in the first place, but when all of that from this kid’s perspective is thrown out the window through tragic events that also happened in part because of her decisions, Steven starts questioning everything about his life. I’d like think in these moments Steven’s internal dialogue is worded around these types of statements.

“I wanted to be a savior, like her. Although, she did bad things, too! Am I no different from her? Can I truly help people without hurting them in the process?”

That’s why he helped the Crystal Gems in The Test Season 1 episode feel better about their own issues, while hiding how hurt the boy felt about being lied to about the obstacle course being 100% percent un-failable because Steven adopted the selfless image of his mother in this important moment. Steven listened in on a private conversation he had no business hearing from Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl that fueled this idea further of becoming a savior to all living things and put into perspective that these “amazing warriors” were in fact very insecure like himself and needed Steven in their lives, just as much as he did.

That’s why he helped heal Lapis before.

That’s why he helped Peridot open her eyes and come outta her shell.

I could go on and on, but in a nutshell Steven has made life revolve around others so much that feels only natural to help anyone he can, considering that’s what his mother believed in. Even if they’re morally questionable individuals, Steven still tries to see the good in everyone. His angry statements against Lars attitude about Rose put all of that into perspective to contemplate about.

What do you know about my mom!? I didn’t even get to know my mom, but I do know she saw beauty in everything! Even in stuff like this and even in jerks like you!

Steven’s only known what to do because he’s adopted the ideals of his mother so much. Kind of like being brought into existence like your typical Gems, where they’re programmed to feel that way and commit the actions they’re all built for. It’s poetic honestly that he’s helped everyone, but not himself in the long run. These issues were piling on since the start because Steven didn’t have to worry about feeling inferior because he could always help everyone in this series, but now that the events of Steven Universe Future have occurred this puts everything into a more deeply poignant light for the kid entering a more mature phase of his life now and is going to reflect on every little aspect of himself.

There’s no such thing as happily ever after. I’ll always have more work to do.

But if there’s nothing to work out…

Steven Universe Future is a brilliant character study pay off to all those five seasons that were paving the way to this cementing the idea that Steven has issues that are spiraling outta control from putting all of independence into the idea that he has to be a savior like his mother was. Much like how Spinel was so attached to Pink Diamond as a “best friend”, Steven puts so much faith into the mindset that he has must stick his guns and stay that perfect savior everyone knows/loves. It’s unhealthy emotional attachment that is coming to light with these Pink outbursts of his. While he still loves what his mother stood for, despite feeling very conflicted about her in general these days, still strives to be the best parts of her and not the worst, hence the ending of the Rose Buds episode where he puts the painting of her pure persona into Lion’s mane realm.

It’s entirely reversed roles now where the Crystal Gems and mostly everyone are fine, but Steven is far from being emotionally stable currently in recent events. Steven Universe The Movie built the subversive punchline that this epilogue series has been delivering strongly on so far and hope it will continue to do so. I’ve loved how they’ve deconstructed Steven’s characterization.

To end this lengthy post, I’ll refer to these words from Jasper that sums up everything on Steven’s issues. She may have been seriously harsh, but Jasper aint wrong in some ways about Steven feeling very low on himself in general.

You think everyone needs help, but its only you! No one is as pitiful as you!

On a side note, regarding the humor real quick in Future, I can see why you’d think its more blunt. It’s very on the nose with how much it pokes fun at itself, but honestly I don’t have issues with it all. I don’t know about you, but I find it fucking hilarious how they’ve been openly taking potshots at their previous ideas in the story line. I’m always down for a creative team being snarky with themselves!

Thanks for taking the time to read this detailed post of mine! =)

[kitauji-king]

‘Liz and the Blue Bird’ Recap Part 3

Our favorite trumpet and euphonium duo are getting ready to practice.

The cracks in Nozomi’s facade are beginning to show.

Nozomi still attempts to preserve the illusion nevertheless.

Speaking of being perfectly in-sync with each other, say hello to the poster children for a perfectly healthy relationship. To me, KumiRei has to be one of the best pairings based on how well they get each other and how they consistently support each other throughout all of their endeavors. They both see the other’s flaws but they still remain devoted to each other regardless. This is represented by them playing Mizore and Nozomi’s duet perfectly in time and in tune with each other.

Mizore overhears the duo practicing too and stops to take a look. She doesn’t stick around for too long though.

We love to see it.

It was a confession of love, after all.

That’s true, if Kumiko and Reina were in the position of Liz and the bluebird, their parting would take on a different meaning. As I said only a moment ago, Kumiko and Reina are always in support of each other. If one of them felt as though the other one was being held back from achieving their full potential and becoming special, they wouldn’t hesitate for a second in letting the other one go. They’d have no doubt that letting the other go would be the correct choice.

Nozomi second guesses herself.

Mizore has read the story through multiple times, but she still can’t seem to get into Liz’s head.

Another area where Mizore and I are quite similar. Just like her, I find myself getting extremely attached to certain people I care deeply about and I even go as far as creating this idealized version of them in my head. The idea of letting that person go is almost unspeakable.

Yuuko is extremely passionate about this because after Nozomi quit, she was the only one Mizore had left. She saw firsthand how strongly this abandonment affected her, even to the point of her getting physically sick. So, it makes sense that she’s frustrated at Nozomi for doing the same thing all over again.

Well, sometimes, but communication is also important too. When was Mizore supposed to find out, then?

Niiyama makes a very astute assumption about Mizore and her sentimentality, to which Mizore can’t deny. Then, she gives Mizore a different perspective to think about.

Back in the fairy tale world, Liz finally breaks the news to the blue girl. She takes it pretty well.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the rug was pulled out from underneath the blue girl. She had been living with Liz and the two of them had been pretty much attached at the hip for a while now. They had come to love each other deeply, but now Liz is telling her she has to leave. 

Liz has come to terms with the fact that the blue girl cannot truly be free or happy if she chooses to stay with her.

This particular shot with the way Liz looks at the blue girl and the way she speaks this line really melts my heart. All of her love is being reflected in her eyes. I think what makes this even more emotional is the addition of Liz pulling back for a  moment to recompose herself before she speaks. It’s a painful decision to make, but she has to peel off the band-aid. The blue girl is reluctant to leave, but she does so anyway out of respect for Liz’s decision.

Also, I’m going to use this shot to reaffirm my statement that this is a queer movie. Liz’s one line in this shot hints at the nature of her relationship with the blue girl. It’s not platonic. In Japan, there are quite a few ways to say “I love you,” all of them having their own nuances and context. Liz uses “aishiteru,” which is normally used only in romantic situations; for instance what two spouses or two lifelong partners would say to each other. “Aishiteru” marks a very deep, committed, romantic relationship. It has such great meaning that the word isn’t even that commonly used in normal settings. Yes, it’s a bit bold of me to label their relationship as romantic, but I still find it a little ridiculous to assume that the two of them are just friends and nothing more. I would even say that it was willful ignorance. Clearly, whatever this relationship is, it transcends friendship.

But also, it is just a fairy tale.

Suddenly it starts making sense.

All this time, Mizore had been restraining her playing so that she wouldn’t leave Nozomi behind. The whole reason she plays the oboe in the first place is because of Nozomi. Now she realizes that because she loves her, she has to convey her love and all her emotions through her playing to give it back to her. Music is the best way for someone like Mizore to express themselves after all.

Here Nozomi finally comes clean and comes to terms with her own jealousy. She admits that it hurt to see Mizore getting all this attention when Nozomi is also passionate about music. She has to learn to accept that Niiyama just happened to see a greater potential in Mizore that Nozomi just didn’t seem to have. She has to accept that Mizore is going places where she cannot follow.

Originally, they thought of Mizore as Liz, and Nozomi as the bluebird. Nozomi was a strange miracle that came into Mizore’s life when she least expected it. And then, just like the Avatar, when Mizore needed her most, she vanished.

The roles have been reversed.

The bluebird has gone away to be free with others of her kind, and Liz is left to watch as the bluebird soars higher and higher and farther and farther away.

A stray bluebird feather descends from the sky. Liz grabs it and holds it closely, accepting is as something to remember her companion by. Ultimately, she made the correct decision in letting the bluebird go free, but god it still hurts. Now Nozomi knows she must do the same as well.

This last shot is so stunningly gorgeous from color to composition. I like that the film lingers here for a good few seconds.

Act 3 begins at the start of another rehearsal. In a seemingly uncharacteristically bold move by Mizore, she asks if they can go all the way through the Third Movement in Liz.

Niiyama approves.

As they begin playing the duet, Nozomi immediately notices that something is different.

Mizore is playing her part now with a new vigor and liveliness. All of her inhibitions have been thrown out the window and she doesn’t restrain herself to allow Nozomi to keep up. She’s soaring like the bluebird.

This specific portion of the song gives me chills and goosebumps every single time. The music is at a low rumble, Mizore leads as the piece is building up and building up until the cymbals crash and a trumpet fanfare begins, marking the climax of the movement.

Nozomi is so overcome with her emotions she can hardly play. She can’t focus enough to even move her fingers and fake it. The camera going in and out of focus really enhances this.

Nozomi finally drops out, laying the flute down in her lap in defeat. She just can’t keep up anymore.

She firmly grips the instrument in her lap as the tears begin to fall. It’s no use, and she knows it. Mizore has flown too high and far away for Nozomi to even reach her anymore.

Mizore concludes the solo on a literal high note.

The film goes silent. Everyone in the room is left utterly speechless or in tears because of Mizore’s solo. I had the same reaction. Not Niiyama-sensei though. She knew all along that Mizore could play like this; she’s merely proud.

If even Reina offers her kudos to your playing, that’s how you know you’re an amazing musician.

Even with all this praise, there’s still one thing on Mizore’s mind.

Mizore finds Nozomi sulking alone in what was previously her own hiding spot: the blowfish tank in the science lab. 

Mizore’s in a difficult position. She doesn’t have that same type A personality that someone like Reina has. Mizore is happy to play as long as she gets to do it with Nozomi, the competition aspect isn’t that important to her. So I can see why she would hold herself back for Nozomi’s sake.

Nozomi’s in a tough position as well. She’s extremely passionate about music and she is a skilled flautist; she was the president of Minami Middle School’s band, the principal flautist to boot, and she only quit Kitauji’s band because she couldn’t stand being around the upperclassmen who didn’t take it seriously. We know this. So it really sucks for her to realize that she’s coming up short in her playing. Now this girl, whom she introduced to concert band in the first place, is turning out to be more skilled than she is and is even getting more attention for it. I don’t care who you are, that’s gotta hurt, petty or not.

This is reflecting the part in the short story where Liz claims to be just “a cage that confines you” and tells the bluebird that with her flight she can go anywhere she chooses.

Mizore is done being talked over and is ready to finally speak her mind.

Nozomi severely underestimates how much of an effect her disappearance had on her friend. It’s even affected how Mizore saw her other friendships (though she didn’t have very many to begin with). For the entire year that Nozomi was gone and Yuuko stuck by her side, Mizore was so sure that she was only doing that out of pity. She didn’t see herself as being worthy enough to be considered someone else’s friend. And now that Nozomi’s back, Mizore felt she had to live with the fear that it could happen again.

Mizore’s main fear is that she’s just another one of Nozomi’s many friends, and that if she ever stopped doing it, there would be no reason for Nozomi to continue to be her friend. Whether or not she actually liked band was irrelevant in that equation. And as we learned in season 2, when asked why she never quit the band even after Nozomi did, she explained that the oboe was the only thing keeping her connected to Nozomi.

Mizore’s as serious as a heart attack when it comes to how much she loves Nozomi.

Nozomi is referring to the part of herself that she doesn’t let anyone else see. The part of her that is petty, jealous, and selfish. She doesn’t feel she lives up to the perfect, kind hearted, divine being that her peers have made her out to be.

It is physically impossible for Mizore to even entertain the idea of hating Nozomi. She loves her, flaws and all.

Cutting Nozomi off from downplaying her confession, Mizore raises her hands in another I Love You Hug attempt. Nozomi is rendered speechless.

Mirroring the last I Love You Hug attempt, the two are froze in time and we, the audience, are left wondering “will they, or won’t they?” Boldly, Mizore is the first one to move; she wraps her arms around Nozomi and clutches onto her. Very hesitant and calculated, Nozomi slowly places her hands on Mizore’s waist.

For some reason, I don’t believe that, Nozomi.

In true I Love You Hug fashion, Mizore gushes about all of the good things Nozomi has brought into her life just by saying hi to her that one day.

Just typical things straight people platonically say about their friends.

This line can be interpreted many ways as I’ve seen when I look at other people’s analysis on this film. Some people say that this is Nozomi rejecting Mizore’s love confession seeing as she doesn’t compliment her on who she is, only what she does (her being a hard worker, and being skilled at the oboe). But I don’t agree with that interpretation. The point of this scene is for Nozomi to let go of the bluebird, just like Liz. I think that’s why she puts herself down, saying things like Mizore had to hold herself back for her sake, that she is very talented and has the whole world ahead of her. She does that so that Mizore will see how great her potential is and choose to live her own life and be free. I believe that if she had returned Mizore’s confession at this very second, that would defeat the entire purpose of her trying to release the bluebird.

Nozomi suddenly bursts out laughing. Maybe at the realization that all they needed to do was communicate with each other? I still stand by my opinion that giving each other cute nicknames would’ve resolved all of this a lot sooner.

See, I think you remember it perfectly, Nozomi.

We get this silent shot of two birds flying side by side in sync with each other.

I hope the school is paying this girl.

Mizore is trying to renew Liz again after who knows how long it’s been, and the librarian’s still trying to nag her. Luckily, Nozomi is there to save the day. However, she’s also there on a mission: she’s here to study for college exams. 

This scene is meant to mirror the one at the beginning of the film with both of the girls walking to the band room and with Nozomi leading. In this scene, now the girls are independently following their own paths for the future. Mizore is practicing her oboe to get ready for music school, and Nozomi is studying up for a regular college.

Nozomi left a little doodle for Mizore on her sheet music as a reminder.

Looking through the windows of both domains, we see the same lone bluebird fly across the sky, showing us that both girls have learned to let go.

Some time later, Mizore is leaving the school building and up ahead is Nozomi’s smiling face waiting for her. She hurriedly runs up to catch up to her. Overtop of this is a voice over of Nozomi and Mizore deciding what they should eat on the way home. What’s significant about this scene is that now girls are being depicted as equals; gone are the days of them walking with Mizore trailing behind from a distance. Now they are walking side by side and both of their opinions for what they wanna do are being taken into consideration. It’s not just Nozomi calling the shots anymore.

Some things never change.

This line has kind of a double meaning. Yes, she really is going to practice and learn to play her solo with as much fervor as Mizore, but she also wants to use this time to work on herself as a person. She needs to get over her jealousy and learn to support her friend. And then maybe someday she’ll be able to return Mizore’s confession. She just needs a little time first.

Mizore agrees to keep practicing too, for a different reason though. She’ll keep following her own path.

Further demonstrating that they’ve never been more on the same page with each other than they are right now, Mizore and Nozomi hivemind for a second. Mizore recalls the conversation with Hazuki and Midori she eavesdropped on and uses the ‘Happy Ice Cream’ trick. I don’t think Nozomi realizes she’s going to be the one who has to pay for those ice creams, but you guys can cross that bridge when you come to it.

My god, what do you think she said!?

Wow, what a ride.

If you’ve actually managed to make it to the bottom of this review, I just wanna say welcome, and also thank you for taking the time to read this!

Like I said back in the intro ages ago, this immediately became my favorite film upon watching it. This is becoming one of those films that I can look back on every now again and still love it just as much if not more. KyoAni never fails to disappoint. Shoutout to Naoko Yamada, the amazing director. Would definitely recommend this film to anyone who has eyes and ears.

I’m really glad this film gave us all a chance to get a deeper look at Mizore and Nozomi’s relationship. After their 4-episode arc in season 2 of Hibike is concluded, we don’t hear much about them. This was a lovely aftermath to see how they’ve both changed and grown since their falling out and reuniting.

Now I wanna open this up for further discussion on the film. What are your thoughts and interpretations? Do you agree or disagree with me at any points? What did Nozomi say at the end!?! Leave a reply or send me and ask and I’ll try to respond to as many as I can.

Part 1

Part 2

[marshmallowprotection]

What would the choi twins do if their mc dissociated a lot? Example, I'm just reading through stuff on here, no triggers, and suddenly started dissociating really intensely! (Used to it, so no worries, I'm not distressed by dissociation itself, just the occasional lost time lol) Like they just don't have big reactions to stuff most of the time, but sometimes they can't focus on anything at all. On rare occasions you can see the moment it hits, because they'll move their head and blink a bunch.

I'll add the warning here: If you suffer from Dissociation or can't read about the topic, look away now.

Well, you've come to a place where somebody totally understands and gets how you feel lately. I've had very intense derealization for a couple of years now, while it isn't the same as blatant out of body dissociation, it's in the same family. It can feel very scary and upsetting when you don't know why or how it happens. Here's hoping you keep your head up and get through it when it happens!

If you ever want something more specific, don't hesitate to ask again!

Saeran

We're going with our handy dandy Another Story!Saeran here, who utterly understands what it feels like to be fractioned and disconnected from himself. So, when Ray realizes what's up in his research, he feels a kinship to you. He also feels dreadful that you have to struggle with any condition. But, he understands that it's not always something that you can control.

You get it.

You feel what he feels. Your heart is with his own. You just understand the feeling of your body going numb or your hand looking so unlike what you believe it to be.

That's perhaps why it was so easy for you to deal with him and see the pain in his eyes. It was your empathy, your shared pain that let you see him how he truly is. He never had the words for his problems but you give it a face and a reality to him. He's not some oddity, no, your existence is a reminder that the outside world while cruel, has so many who have suffered needlessly.

Ray is gentle.

He coaxes you when he sees that something is amiss. His voice may sound panicked at first, but once it clicks that it's happening, he changes his tune and he ensures that he has some consent to touch you. Stimulation can really help and God, he's always wanted to wrap his arms around you in a hug. He's wrapped up in both that feeling and the thought that he's able to help you.

You may be out of sorts, but underneath the moonlight in the garden, he's happy that he can be with you.

He whispers gently nothing to you until you come back down from your high. It's a small gesture but it's one that he's always craved when he feels like no part of his body is his own.

When you thank him, his cheeks turn blush and he looks away.

Saeran doesn't use that knowledge to exploit you, when he emerges. He's cruel and mean but he is never so bad that he makes you feel so numb to your body. He could have, but, he felt sickened by the thought of using such a cheap tactic.

If you did have a fit, he might momentarily show his weakness and without realizing it, comfort you. It never lasts long but it's a sign to you that he's not lost. There's still a boy that cares underneath all of that misery and pain he's endured.

His voice will drop in volume and he won't appear as harsh. It's a little detail but you'll figure that out well beyond the time that he's left you alone.

He won't touch you but he will change considerably.

After the two of you escape from the Mint Eye, life starts to find a new normal for the both of you but that doesn't mean that your illnesses just disappear into thin air or anything.

He still struggles with his identity for some time as Ray and Saeran bounce in and out of control as they slowly merge together, and it leaves him with plenty of hours of time where he feels lost or like he just missed an entire event.

You have the same issue but you're more quiet when it happens and he has to look for your physical cues to know that he needs to help. You've got a system that you've sorted out together to make things work.

You're there for him and He's there for you.

That's the most important thing when coming into or out of a fit. That you have somebody who can ground you or bring you back down to Earth when your consciousness isn't quite where it needs to be.

For him, it helps to be holding your hand.

It might not be the same for you but he's willing to do whatever you want for him to try.

Saeran doesn't worry much about it in regards to himself. He's used to living his life this way but he does make a point of trying to learn more and find new ways to help you get by. It happens often but he wants to ensure your comfort at all times.

Often times, if you don't respond, he'll cover your shoulders in a blanket and take a spot next to you, humming, talking, doing little things to help ease your mind off of the situation. He knows that it might not click at first but anything is better than silence.

He's probably the best person to help you in general. However, sometimes it's not always the most ideal because he can't control if he had his own hits at the same time that you do. He'll feel bad time and time again because he wants to be better for you but you'll reassure him that it's alright.

You feel much better knowing that you have somebody like him in your life. That's for sure.

Saeyoung

If you've been treated before then he has information about your condition, and being the techy boy he is, he respects if you don't share that with him right off the bat. He does look into it to make sure that he has a good understanding of what the warning signs are and what exactly he needs to do in the situation.

He's had a lot of experience with anxiety and panic attacks but none such to the point where he's been overwhelmed to the brink of dissociation but he sort of understands it.

Saeyoung gets why the pain would try to shut down and remove oneself from the situation, but his heart aches for you because for so many people, dissociation comes from trauma.  It's a safety net for a lot of people and for others it's something that is there so strongly at times it can feel hard to cope with.

It is probably more nerve wracking for him than it is you. If you've lived a painful life like he has, it hurts him to imagine it all.

The idea that somebody as sweet and as kind as you could have been through awful means makes the world seem like a farce. The thought of you petrified as a young person makes his skin crawl. He was like that once. He came out alive but so many did not leave unscathed.

You chatting with him helps him cope with his own issues, and he doesn't know this until way after the fact, but there was a time when you were chatting on the phone that you stopped messaging him mid conversation but he assumed nothing was a miss since you were laying on the couch.

You spaced out and lost time for a little bit. It was nothing out of the normal for you and you moved on your day after that. Saeyoung's first real experience with this came later when he stayed with you at the apartment to fix what had been broken.

Seven didn't realize that by pushing you away from him and trying to keep a distance would make things much more different on your mental health. He caused what he was trying to avoid, but you don't blame him given all the weight he was dealing with.

He had become accustomed to you trying to reach out to him but as it turns out, that afternoon you had gone silent. That made him cautious. He glanced over his shoulder to you but you didn't seem all that out of the sorts. You weren't doing anything but staring at the wall in front of you.

It took a moment but he realized what was going on rather quickly. His instinct is to rush to your side but he knows that it can be worse at times to do that. Shaking or jostling people is not a great idea. Rather, he silently climbs onto his feet and heads over to your side of the room. He takes a seat next to you and the first thing that comes to mind is:

“Y/N. It's pretty insufferable in the corner so I'm going to sit here with you for a little bit.”

Saeyoung realizes that you may quite be there at the moment but he does press his hand to yours and squeeze. Your hand twitches back against his and it's a good sign. He sticks close to you until he's sure that you're feeling much better and alert.

From that point, he makes sure that he understands exactly what you need and what will work best. He doesn't want to do something that will make it worse. He wants to know that he can provide what you need, be it comfort or grounding when you feel the symptoms coming on. Be it verbal or tactile, he makes sure that he has an idea of what you need.

He often pulls you into his embrace or lets you borrow his hoodie for a sense of comfort. It's those little things that allow you keep your mind off of the edge when you still have some awarness, and when you don't, it's nice to come back to his scent or his smile.

He looks for your cues. Sometimes you can give him a head's up but he likes to know your body well. He develops a mixture of verbal and nonverbal talk with you for the future.

He'll often talk to you and keep talking to you throughout the process about this and that so you don't have to worry about slipping too far into the numbness. Saeyoung is persistent and his help with you in the long run helps him understand what to do with Saeran in the future.

He loves you and you're glad that you have somebody so understanding and caring in your life.

[bearingwater]

Aquarius Sun, Libra Moon: A Visionary Personality

Constant and positive, the Aquarius Sun Libra Moon personality seems to be very acceptant of how diverse people are but is still underpinned by some controlling tendencies.

People with their Sun in Aquarius and their Moon in Libra think only of how to be more refined and how to use their intelligence to help as many people as possible.

They are true revolutionaries who are able to make people rise and support their own opinions. What makes them tick is questioning others’ authority and imposing their own.

Aquarius Sun Libra Moon combination in a nutshell:

Positives: Kind, imaginative, and witty.

Negatives: Gullible, proud, and self-conscious.

Perfect partner: Someone who accepts that they are quite detached.

Advice: They need to care more about themselves and less about others.

These natives will always think ahead of their time as they are true progressive creatures. But they need to impose their ideas more strongly. This would be very important. It’s essential they don’t think of themselves as radicals when doing it because their impact would be truly valuable, and the results of their actions will most likely be very impressive.

Personality traits

Aquarius Sun Libra Moon natives will go where the wind takes them. They are strong and true forces, but they can’t keep being constant and they immediately subject themselves to change.

They will have a great impact as long as they’ll continue to be interested in something. However, it’s very possible they will leave projects half done. The more they concentrate, the more bored and interested in change they become.

So they will move to something more appealing as soon as they will feel like they have committed for too long and too much. And it will be the same no matter if it’s about people or projects.

The Aquarius Sun Libra Moon individuals can jump from one relationship to another in a similar way. While having a large social circle, only a few will be really close to them. They will never need to deal with any psychological problems because they are honest and always express what bothers them.

These natives can have many talents. What they would require is a constructive way to express themselves. They also want to take their loved ones in every emotional journey they are taking. But they need to be methodical about this because people can be difficult.

Optimistic, these natives don’t like to deal with people who are negative and shrewd. Their ideals are high but if only they would learn how to be more practical.

It can be contradicting to know them closely because on one hand they need peace and serenity, and on the other, they are highly active and can’t rest.

It’s their desire for harmony that’s more elusive. Imaginative, they are visual creatures who can fantasize of a better life. But they have to be careful not to confuse reality with fantasy.

This would only mean they have a troublesome imagination. If disciplined and focused, they could use their creativity and become great artists. A job in human relations would suit them too because they are sociable and interested in helping others.

People with this Sun Moon combination give marriage a lot of importance, however, it will be difficult for them to settle as they don’t want to be like the rest of the world.

Many will criticize them for this reason. Or won’t want to have anything to do with them. Because they are open-minded and understanding, they will forgive others when they will make mistakes. And they will hope to get forgiveness for their mistakes too.

The Aquarius Sun Libra Moon natives are able to judge and label people in the most efficient way. As they know how to advertise themselves or anything else, they will convince many to go with what they want.

Their success will very much depend on this trait. The fact that they are persuasive, and a force will help them succeed in business.

They accept and respect people and they are appreciated exactly for this reason, not to mention adored and admired for their optimism.

Because they are honest and trustworthy, they will be disappointed to see others are not the same. Usually detached and aloof, these Aquarius Sun people are also alluring and magnetic.

When their friends will criticize them, they will want to do something about their attitude. But in general, they will have a good opinion of themselves.

Their relationships will be peaceful and strong because they don’t like conflicts and are emotional. They need a home that is cozy and as free of stress as possible because they often meditate and contemplate.

Not to mention where they live is also the place where they retreat from the hectic world that can sometimes make them lose their individuality. Giving themselves a push would only help them in life.

A tricky lover

Lovers with the Aquarius Sun Libra Moon combination want to have things only their way. They will hold on to what they know until their partner will accept them.

Known as the stubborn rebels, these natives are true revolutionaries with eccentric habits. That’s why they need a partner who agrees with the fact that they’re unconventional and often detached.

More than this, these natives have to be trusted they’ll be loyal all the way through the relationship. While efficient loners who are better off without someone, they are completely devoted lovers.

Moon Libra people need to know they’re important in someone’s life. These people really don’t like to be single because they develop a lot according to how their partner sees them.

The biggest challenge of their life is to care more about themselves and less about others. Only through self-awareness, they will manage to balance their needs with their partner’s.

While they have to connect with a lover, they are still not the best when it comes to intimacy. Ruled by Venus, these natives are graceful, elegant but sometimes an emotional mess.

The Aquarius Sun Libra Moon man

The Aquarius Sun Libra Moon gentleman is most likely very good looking but there is more to him than his appearance. When it comes to love, he can be unstable and look only for one-night stands.

That’s why the ladies may not agree with him all the time. Not that he isn’t alluring and kind, he simply can’t hold on to the same relationship for too long.

While many women will know all this about him, they will still be attracted because he’s charming and a true gentleman. But no one should expect him to be deep for he’s only flirtatious.

He will usually get a lady from the first date. But he will be gone for the next one. Borrowing from the Air influence of both the Aquarius and the Libra, he will be just like the wind. Not at all marriage material, he will break many hearts.

It’s normal for the Aquarius Sun Libra Moon man to go for strange women who don’t want something too serious. It simply works for him not to get involved. As soon as he will feel tied down, he will look for another woman.

But he’s fun and a true comedian to be around. The most unreliable and eccentric girl will be the love of his life. If disappointed by or because of a girl, he will throw many parties where only a few of his friends will be invited. His house will be neat and ready for partying even if as a child he never cleaned his room.

Not cheap and crazy about everything artsy, he will probably have antique furniture. Not to mention it’s very possible he will be a painter or a musician. Sitting behind a desk is not at all his style. Smart, he will know where his money is. Not that he won’t spend, he will just keep a good track of his income and what goes out.

The Aquarius Sun Libra Moon woman

The Aquarius Sun Libra Moon woman loves to love and will take pleasure in every relationship and fall for people very fast. But she’s changeable and never committed. That’s why she can become infatuated.

It’s normal for her to fall for men who don’t share her feelings. Or those who don’t bother their mind with love so much. While she wants attention, this lady will still insist on having her independence.

The man who will be unavailable and will not allow himself to be captured by her will be the one to whom she’s paying all of her attention.

But she won’t tell anyone about her crush. It’s possible she will even marry someone else and still won’t admit to anyone she has a secret.

This lady has many friends from different corners of the world. She won’t necessarily be too close to any of them, but she will feel great being admired.

Her attitude towards these people will be that of a kind, attentive and gallant person. She will always give a hand when her help will be required. A little bit traditionalist and a good worker, she will make friends with colleagues at work too.

Because she’s convincing, she could be a great salesperson. People have to trust her because she’s devoted and likes to join her close ones in their pursuits. But it’s suggested they also put up a fight before they become her friends for she doesn’t like to obtain things easily.

Those who are in love with her can send her flowers and her favorite music on a memory stick. She will love it. Only other Air signs can truly understand this woman.

[beinglibertarian]

New Year’s Resolutions Suck! – Red Dirt Liberty Report

Welcome to a new year, everyone! I’m not a big fan of the New Year’s holiday, but I wish you well, all the same.

It seems a little odd to me that people celebrate the passing of one time to the next, to celebrate having to remember to use a different year when dating every signed document. I really hate having to recreate a document just because I used the wrong year!

This is also the day of the year that many people decide to make resolutions to determine some better outcomes in their lives. According to Business Insider, 80% of such resolutions fail by the end of January. I strongly suspect the other 20% resolved to do something simple — like getting a haircut or eating some pizza. That’s the real way one sticks to a resolution. I personally hate making promises that I know I won’t be able to keep, and I treat myself as I do others in that regard. So, I make no New Year’s resolutions.

In truth: Real, significant, and lasting change does not come by neat little dates on the calendar. Instead, real changes come from taking advantage of the daily opportunities that come our way. Truly good resolutions come in the form of resolving to do something about something as it occurs. For example, instead of telling myself that I am going to lose weight this year, I tell myself at my next meal that I’m going to choose some smoked fish instead of of a burger, and I don’t worry about the rest of the year (or the month, or even the rest of the day).

There’s nothing wrong with having goals, but don’t lie to yourself by saying that you’re going to achieve them by resolving to do something for the rest of the year that you are likely to fail at keeping. It isn’t even really about making shorter-term smaller goals. It’s about deciding to do something differently at a time when an opportunity to do so has presented itself.

I’m sure that if you have read this far, you are wondering why this article is appearing in a publication devoted to libertarian philosophy and ideals.

Libertarians often complain that the world is not changing quickly enough. They complain that it seems like only a few care about reinstalling liberty into our lives and the way we govern ourselves. It can seem like a hopeless cause and, sometimes, a waste of time.

So, forget about the larger concerns. If you want to do something big, that’s wonderful, but those larger gestures aren’t a necessary focus altogether.

You don’t have to resolve that this year, you will work for a campaign to make a change. You don’t have to resolve that this year, you will write all your government representatives every week until they change their ways. When an opportunity for something comes your way, do things a little bit differently than you would have done them before.

If someone you know loses his job and is in a bind financially, perhaps you could offer something to help — even $20 is something. By doing so, you have contributed $20 less than what might have been stolen from someone else if they had to rely on public assistance.

If your government representative makes a great error in the way he votes on a particular law, make a single call or write a single email to voice your concern. You’ve spoken your mind and said your piece.

If you love to debate, that’s fine. Find people who are open to it. But for those of us who don’t seek out debates, it’s okay to mention your opinion on a particular subject when it comes up. You don’t necessarily have to back it up with a long dissertation and make everyone angry.

I have noticed that grand gestures and broken promises to oneself rarely get much accomplished in the way of making significant change. It is most typically the small things that inspire others to do more. Show other people with a small gesture that they don’t need government assistance, and others will be inspired by it. Forget about waiting around for someone to lead you into a new revolution.

It’s by focusing on the small things that you can do yourself, that really makes substantial changes as those around you become inspired by these small acts. Take advantage of opportunities as they come and don’t worry so much about the world picture of things.

Forget silly resolutions you aren’t going to keep. You become the person you want to be on a daily basis — even an hourly one. You apply that to your personal life or to your political aspirations. It doesn’t matter, as long as you apply it to those things you wish to change.

This article represents the views of the author, and not those of Being Libertarian LLC.

The post New Year’s Resolutions Suck! – Red Dirt Liberty Report appeared first on Being Libertarian.

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[uomo-accattivante]

For the entire run of Charles Soule’s Poe Dameron comic book series, readers have gotten the chance to experience the wit, bravery, and unselfish nature of the best pilot in the Resistance. We also have been introduced to Black Squadron, a muscular Hutt, and a compelling new villain. With a new storyline coming this May, StarWars.com e-mailed with Soule about what makes Poe Dameron unique, his Black Squadron copilots, and why Agent Terex is the perfect foil for the titular character.

StarWars.com: Ever since fans were introduced to the characters in The Force Awakens, people have been drawn to Poe Dameron. What is it about the character that you find so compelling, and how do you channel that into the Poe Dameron series?

Charles Soule: I won’t lie — writing a swashbuckling expert pilot with charisma for miles won’t ever be a drag. Poe the character brings an energy to his scenes that’s pretty undeniable, like a feedback loop of fun and focus. Now, I know I’m writing about a fictional character as if he’s a real person, making me just the scribe jotting down his adventures as they happen, but sometimes it feels like that. Poe is sort of a force of nature.

StarWars.com: While Han Solo and Poe Dameron are a type of foil for one another, and both use unconventional methods at times, they are more dissimilar than they are alike. Compare and contrast the two pilots and what makes them tick.

Charles Soule: I’m tempted to do this in terms of Dungeons & Dragons alignments, but I don’t want to mash together too many fictional worlds here, so I’ll stick to Star Wars. Han is just a darker guy in general than Poe. You can rely on him, if he decides you’re worth his time and energy, but that’s not a foregone conclusion. I don’t think you’re ever quite sure where you stand with Han Solo, which is part of what makes him a great character. Poe is a more selfless character, just in general. I don’t see him ever trying to cut and run as long as there’s still someone he might be able to help. That said, Poe’s rampant idealism and self-confidence absolutely gets him into trouble, much the way Han’s sense of self-interest causes problems for him, as well. They’re both pretty awesome, though!

StarWars.com: Let’s look at your incredible run on this series so far. The series is initially set before the events of The Force Awakens and has taken Poe on a number of adventures. What stands out to you from your run so far, and what have been some of your biggest challenges as a storyteller?

Charles Soule: I’ve been really happy with the new characters we’ve introduced to the Star Wars universe, especially Poe’s nemesis Agent Terex, former Imperial stormtrooper and sometime officer in the First Order Security Bureau. He’s always a blast to write, almost a negative-image of Poe himself. Suralinda Javos and Oddy Muva are standouts as well, but even fleshing out characters from the films like Snap Wexley and Jess Pava has been fun, too. As far as challenges… I’d say the biggest thing was creating a compelling, strong adventure for Poe and Black Squadron that fit within what’s really a pretty small window in the Star Wars timeline — directly before The Force Awakens. We knew where the story ends, to a degree, so finding drama in the journey to get there was a tricky proposition. However, as is often the case in writing, solving the challenges was not just a great time, but resulted in a better story.

StarWars.com: Agent Terex is not the traditional “bad guy” in a First Order uniform and is much more than an archetypal villain. And, despite Captain Phasma’s best efforts, he seems to have an iron will. How much fun is this character to write, and what can you tell us about his character arc?

Charles Soule: Right — Terex! As I mentioned, he was an Imperial stormtrooper, even present at the Battle of Jakku. He became a galactic crime boss in the intervening decades, a truly ruthless man, but he was always pining away for the lost Empire, which he thought was a pretty cool institution. So, when he heard rumors of this thing called the First Order, he signed up, offering his immense network of contacts and favors owed to them. For a while, that was fine, until he began to tangle with Poe, as they both searched the galaxy for the missing explorer Lor San Tekka, in the hopes he could lead them to Luke Skywalker. Poe can be a frustrating opponent, and we’ve seen all sorts of things happen to Terex on his journey in the series. Personally, though, I think he ends in a really good place, and I’d love to see him pop up elsewhere. We’ll see!

StarWars.com: Through this series, we have also gotten to know the elite pilots of Black Squadron. What makes them such a perfect complement to Poe, and how do they keep one another “grounded,” especially considering how gifted they are at what they do?

Charles Soule: Black Squadron has evolved a bit over the course of the series, as any cast of characters should. We began with Poe, Temmin “Snap” Wexley, Jessika Pava, Karé Kun, L’ulo L’ampar, and their loyal(ish) ground tech and aspiring pilot Oddy Muva. We lost both L’ulo and Oddy, as well as more than a few astromechs assigned to Jess, but a new member joined — the one-time journalist and New Republic Navy veteran Suralinda Javos. Snap and Karé got married at the end of #25, too, which was a storyline I built for a long time in the series. I think they all love each other, and would do anything for each other, but these are fighter pilots. They’re competitive. Still, they usually manage to channel those tendencies into the fight against the First Order, where it should go.

StarWars.com: We also meet Ivee, the incredibly brave astromech (see Poe Dameron #25) that has a rather strong bond with BB-8. What inspired this storyline, and what has the response been like?

Charles Soule: It’s been so fun! Ivee and BB-8 clicked immediately, becoming extremely fast friends, connected in a deep way that organic beings probably can’t completely understand. I thought it might just be fun to give BB-8 sort of a… well, I don’t know if you can call it a romance, exactly, but certainly a very close friendship with another droid. The response has been strongly positive. It’s sort of amazing to me what you can do in comics, and storytelling in general, to imbue a hunk of metal, plastic, and wires with what really feels like “humanity” — whatever that means in a universe filled with all sorts of non-human sentients.

StarWars.com: You clearly have a talent for finding the voice of so many iconic Star Wars characters, and nowhere is it more apparent than when you write Leia Organa. It’s a tribute to your writing prowess that you are able to add to her wonderful legacy. How do you maintain the nuance of this character and keep her so fresh and engaging?

Charles Soule: Leia’s awesome, and really, writing her is not that different from writing any of the characters in any of my Star Wars projects. I just do my best to put myself in their position and let them talk. Leia is a master politician, incredibly empathetic, but also wry and funny. She’s faced with the re-emergence of an evil force she thought she’d defeated decades before, and now she’s doing everything she can to prevent it from taking over the galaxy. She’s under enormous stress, but she handles it with charm and grace. She also takes zero crap from anyone — that’s a big part of writing her, too.

StarWars.com: The “Legend Found” arc features a poignant conversation between Poe and Lor San Tekka in which they discuss the nature of the Force. It’s a great way to see the Force from the perspective of non-Jedi characters, but also teaches us a bit more about this mystical energy field. What do we learn from this conversation?

Charles Soule: The biggest thing, I think, is the way a character like Lor San Tekka who’s been studying the Force his whole life views the “hero Force-wielders.” Jedi and Sith, essentially. Lor understands why they get all the attention, as agents of the Cosmic Force, but he knows they’re just a small part of the immense whole that is the Living Force. For Lor, and for the vast majority of beings in the galaxy, it’s all about the Living Force. I hadn’t seen The Last Jedi yet when I wrote that sequence, but now that I have, I think it’s pretty fair to say that Luke Skywalker would probably agree with Lor San Tekka’s point of view, at least in part.

                    The cover of Poe Dameron #27, coming May 16.

StarWars.com: In May, you have a new arc in store for readers. What can you tell us about it?

Charles Soule: The bookends of Poe Dameron issues 26-31 are set moments after the events of The Last Jedi. I don’t want to suggest that it’s a direct mini-sequel or anything like that; the story is told as a flashback in a conversation following the Battle of Crait. It just gives fans a taste of where things are after the film wraps up. It also takes a look at both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi from the point of view of characters we didn’t necessarily see in the movies, and will catch us up on what Black Squadron was up to during Episode VIII in particular. I can’t wait for these issues to begin coming out — they were so much fun to write!

###

[foolishheadstronggirl]

Served - Chapter 5

New chapter time!  I meant to post during the week, but we had multiple softball games and then a field trip this week, and there was just no way!  Anyway...

This is an important chapter to me.  I feel really strongly about the subject matter here, and it’s what drove me to write this story in the first place. More author notes at the end of the story - I’ve got some personal stuffs for you today lol

Thanks as always to the most excellent @13starbuck42 for some really outstanding beta-ing (I don’t care, mr. dictionary, it’s a word now) in this chapter; I wrote pretty emotionally, and you helped so much!!  Tagging @today-in-fic

Catch up with Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 and Chapter 4!

Chapter 5 – Escape

By Monday, it seemed Daryl had all but forgotten about the scene at the bowling alley.  Dana still felt a little weird about it, but it seemed odd to bring it up again, so she decided to drop it and move on.  She didn’t mention it to anyone either, especially Melissa; she knew exactly what Missy would have to say.  Besides, she was completely in control.  Dana Scully didn’t let things get out of control.

School plodded along as expected for the rest of the week, but Dana felt a bit uneasy when she was with Daryl.  It was actually a little off-putting, because Daryl seemed oblivious. Dana may not have had much experience with relationships in her young life, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was completely innocent when it came to guys and expectations.  Her sister had made sure of that.  While outwardly it seemed she let the startling episode slide into oblivion, Dana had, in truth, logged it away in her mind for further study.  She knew one thing for absolute certain - she didn’t intend to be caught unaware again.

The football field was a bustling hotspot of activity in September.  In December, however, the only thing going on there after school was people training for cross-country, which made it an ideal place to hang out.  And that was exactly what Dana found herself doing on a blustery Thursday afternoon.  After school, Daryl shepherded her to the bleachers where a few friends were waiting, despite her insistence otherwise.

“You know I’ve got a huge Chem test tomorrow, Daryl.  I really need to get home,” Dana said, exasperated.  She was getting a bit tired of being pushed around and treated like she wasn’t able to make her own decisions.  She had a life, damnit.

“Come on, babe, we’re just gonna go sit and hang out for a few.  Lisa and Sharla said they were really hoping you’d be there; something about “testing trones” or whatever.  I don’t know,” Daryl shrugged, flipped his hair back, and slung his arm over Dana’s shoulder as he steered her toward the football field.

Dana was afraid if she rolled her eyes any harder they would stick.  She knew Daryl was completely full of shit. He was just manipulating her; he was not that stupid.  She was not going to stoop to that level; he knew that wasn’t right, she did not have to correct him, damnit.  Her brother was always calling her an insufferable know-it-all, but that ‘testing trones’ bullshit was so stupid it made her stomach roll.

“Testosterone, Daryl.  I know you know that; don’t try to sound like a dumbass.”  Dana glanced over at Daryl, prepared to continue arguing with him about why she couldn’t join them, only to meet his slightly crestfallen face and downturned eyes.  She melted a little, despite her resolve.  “Fine, I’ll come for like, half an hour.  Then I’ve got to get home.”

They found their friends in the bleachers just as the track athletes were stretching and getting ready to put in a few laps.  The group chatted amicably about the upcoming Winter Semi-Formal, but before long they started to trickle away in pairs.  Eventually, Dana found herself sitting alone with Daryl on the aluminum bench.

“Let’s walk, babe,” Daryl said.  “This seat’s getting kinda cold.”

They meandered along the track until Daryl suddenly turned back toward one of the buildings, and Dana got the distinct impression that she was being herded again, though she couldn’t figure out why would they be going back toward the school.  The buildings would all be locked by now, and Daryl didn’t exactly crave scholastic achievement.

It didn’t take long, though, for Dana to discover just what Daryl had in mind.  There was a narrow alleyway between the equipment shed and the locker room. Daryl slipped in, pulling her behind him.  It obviously wasn’t a newly discovered hiding spot; there were cigarette butts and beer cans on the ground.  But the squiggly feeling in the pit of Dana’s stomach told her Daryl wasn’t interested in lighting up or drinking.

Dana took three steps into the small space and Daryl shoved her roughly up against the brick, digging his hips into her hard and pinning her to the wall with his hands on her shoulders.  The shock of such force took Dana by complete surprise.  Their physical relationship had been fairly gentle up to that point.  Dana had even tried to take things further with him once, but either he hadn’t been interested at the time, or it simply hadn’t gone as well as she’d expected.  She wondered if she had been completely wrong about Daryl...but at the same time, she thought it was kind of sweet, respectful even.

This was not.

This was crude, and pushy, and wrong. Daryl had her shoulder pinned back with one hand while the other sharply grasped her hair, forcing her face up to his.  He pulled her into a jarring  kiss, pressing into her hard enough to be uncomfortable. Dana tried to put her hands on his chest and push away, but he ignored her and tightened the heated embrace.  She finally managed to break the kiss by wrenching her mouth away and turning her face.  Daryl continued his assault on her neck as she tried to catch her breath.

“Daryl, stop it!  What the hell are you doing?!” Dana exclaimed.  She pushed again, harder this time, and managed to get him to disengage long enough to meet her eye.

Daryl grinned at her, feral.  “What?  I just think it’s time we take this to the next level.”  He leered at her now, and winked like he was letting her in on some big secret.  “Don’t fight it, Dana.  You’ll enjoy it, I promise.”  He reached for her again.

“Are you insane?!  I’m not having sex with you in broad daylight; we’re practically on the football field, Daryl.  This is ridiculous!  I’m going home.” Dana turned on her heel, ready to stomp away, but as she glanced out between the buildings, she noticed the group of Daryl’s friends.  They had seen everything, the whole show.  Her blood was boiling; she was furious.

Daryl’s arm shot out and savagely gripped her wrist.  “We’re not done here.  You’re not going anywhere.”  He ignored it when she flinched slightly as he twisted the skin of her wrist painfully.

Dana look back at him with a glare so razor-sharp it could’ve cut glass.  “I don’t need your permission to leave.  Let me go, Daryl.  Now.”

Daryl yanked her hard, slamming her back into his body, and smirked at her.  “And if I don’t?  You’re awfully tiny to be bossing me around.”

“I won’t ask you again, Daryl.” Dana’s voice had lowered to almost nothing; she was livid.  “Let go of me and walk away.”

Daryl sneered.  “You didn’t ask the first ti—”

Dana drove a sharp knee up into Daryl’s groin as hard as she could, intent on driving his nuts into his brain.  When he was doubled over, yowling in pain, she grabbed the back of his head and shoved him face-first into the brick wall.  Daryl smacked his smug face so hard that he bloodied his nose and knocked out a tooth before he fell to the ground groaning.  Dana covered her mouth in surprise and hurried away.

“You bitch!” Daryl yelled, and she heard his friends laughing from across the field as they made their way over to check out the wreckage.

Sometimes it really paid off to have an older brother, especially one who loved to mess with you all the time. Thanks to Bill, Dana had learned early on how to physically protect herself.  Not that she’d ever kneed Bill in the groin, of course, but she sure was glad she knew how.

~Author Notes:  In case you don’t know this about me already, I’m a junior high librarian, so I’m with kids aged 10-13 on the regular.  That’s a tough age for everyone, and now more than ever, we have an extremely high percentage of students living without stable homes and little in the way of stable parenting situations.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t get the love and attention they need, it does sometimes mean we see kids who don’t get the sex education they need.  Unfortunately, we have seen a lot of these kids at such young ages engaging in things they just aren’t ready for, and then are so confused and upset.  The worst ones, though, are the ones who are victims to being forced in some way.  At my level, that’s usually through rumors and gossiping, which is painful in itself.  Anyway, I spend a substantial amount of time now talking to kids, especially girls, about how to protect themselves and be strong and intelligent, but we all know that sometimes that’s just not enough.  I’m trying to do my part by raising kind, respectful boys who know what’s right, but the world is an ugly place.  If you need help, or if you know someone who does, don’t ever be afraid to reach out to someone.  A teacher, a pastor, a parent or a friend’s parent, someone you trust that you can talk to.  Despite what you see in the news and various media today, there are still some good people in the world.  And no matter where you are, my door (and my inbox) is always open.  I learned a long time ago through my own personal trials that a successful life didn’t necessarily mean standing on my own, but learning to lean on those that loved me and could help me find my way until I truly could.  I love you, @acefamilydawg . You have been a rock for me for 23 years, and I am beyond blessed to have you.  You’re my homie for life, boo.

[with-a-martyr-complex]

Rolling Back The Clock: Perils from Personal History

Some prominent social critics, most visibly Sohrab Ahmari, believe that the path to a moral and right world is to get the reigns of state power and institute various societal reforms to impose a vision of society to set things right in some important sense. A lot of this entails rolling back the clock on a number of 20th century social changes brought about the the left (and certain elements of the right) that are, for one reason or another, considered immoral.

A lot of ink has understandably been spilled over what sparked this nascent reactionary revival and various issues that arise from it. But I’d like to focus on an example from my own life to explain an important point. 

The things that need to be jettisoned for this view of society are way more ingrained and important to the material and emotional reality of Americans than anything less than a full scale social revolution will make the goals of this movement unachievable. 

So let’s address a basic and fundamental part of the modern American experience: moving. 

---

My parents were Good Catholics by a lot of important metrics. One went to Catholic high school, they met and started dating at a Catholic university. And they went to get married. 

However, their local* priest objected based on the fact that they were living together, “living in sin” is term. 

My family eventually leveraged their connections with assorted catholic priests until they found an old friend willing to marry them anyway. 

To avoid the social stigma of priest shopping and family pressure related to the whole affair (and for particular work opportunities) they uprooted their lives, including all of their close family ties, and moved to the other side of the country.

From that point on, their ties to their local Catholic community that they’d been raised in, and The Church as a whole, was permanently dampened. While they’d eventually move back (with tiny baby me in tow). They would remain permanently estranged from The Church, and, while I was raised Catholic, it never took to me as it did the rest of my family. My parents and I** would eventually drop the Catholic faith altogether.

So, I wanna know, which step in this process is this societal change supposed to intervene and stop things from happening? 

---

I can think of a few potential options, and problems with them: 

1) Prevent the “living in sin” thing in the first place. 

I suspect that this represents the ideal long term solution for this movement, and a few generations of cultural programming would do a lot to minimize this as a possibility. However, in the short/intermediate term, dictating who can live with whom would require a massive state apparatus that tracks everyone and their marital status and a legal regime that somehow strongly disincentivises the practice (whether that be “you get locked up” or “you miss out on some of the benefits of the theocratic welfare state” probably depends on who you’re talking to). 

I’m going to assume that anyone on board with this undertaking is necessarily not a principled small government type, but even then, building a bureaucracy at this scale with this kind of authority is HARD, and going to run afoul of a lot of the ideological allies that a movement like this would find necessary for any number of its other social changes. 

2) Prevent one priest from being able to act independently of the decision of another. 

For all the talk of institutional level control and change, I don’t think I’ve seen much talk about fundamentally changing the internal dynamics of major religious institutions (save for occasional calls to rid the priestly class of abusers and other “yes everyone wants that” level reforms). I’ll admit, I’m no expert on the internal politics of the structure of low level Catholic decision making, but it’s my understanding that local parishes operate largely independent of one another on day to day matters. 

So, what is to stop a priest with a personal connection to a parishioner look the other way on some disqualifying element that is supposed to prevent a marriage? Near as I can tell, “finding a priest who will perform your marriage even though it’s clearly not within the bounds” has been a core element of religious practice since 1533 (hey, Anglican jokes). 

3) Prevent the family from escaping social censure by relocating. 

Here’s the one that I think is the most tempting for the social engineers, and the one most likely to run afoul of people’s day to day lives. 

Travel and relocation used to be ENORMOUSLY difficult enterprises. At the height of the Church’s power in the Middle Ages, a lot of folks lived the overwhelming majority of their lives in the same community, and only saw*** the rest of the world on religious pilgrimage and trading expeditions (both things accessible to certain classes more than others). A single household may contain generations of family, who all had to get along with one another. Communities ties that tight are often pretty damn good at enforcing some type of orthodoxy in the “nail that sticks out gets hammered down” model. 

In an environment where you are dependent on your family and the rest of your community for both your physical, material, and emotional stability, it’s often quite easy to enforce some kind of orthodoxy. The threat of social censure**** can chill a lot of “antisocial” (anti-community specific values) behavior, at least in the open. 

A modern, mechanical world in which you can...pick up and move to the other side of the country is going to be EXTREMELY resistant to any effort to move back to that mode of society. Large sectors of the economy rely on the ability of people to relocate to where the jobs are for particular kinds of high-skilled or heavily credentialed work. Travel is safer than ever before. And while licensing regimes and government records make us far less “truly” anonymous than we might have been when “pack up and leave and make a new name and no one will know who you were” was a possible life path, a relative lack of direct personal connections between communities make it possible for most non-celebrities and non-criminal record havers to be practically as anonymous as ever. 

And I have no idea how one can possibly overcome that massive technological, economic, and cultural shift at anything less than a Khmer Rouge style “Year Zero” campaign, and I doubt many in any movement are calling for THAT.

It turns out, culture really changes when someone can just leave.

---

If you’re on the other side of this debate (or just feel like steelmanning it), I’d like to hear your solutions to this problem.

---

*I’m actually not entirely clear on the timeline of events as to when the move happened/was planned vs. when the priest kerfuffle happened. My account may then be factually off in this respect, but I think that’s immaterial to my broader point.

**I actually have a lot more respect for the theology, history, and institutional power of The Catholic Church than I ever did as a (very young) practicing Catholic. This, at times, extends to a reflexive, irrational, resistance to other forms of Christian practice.

***Okay, yes, I’m oversimplifying the nature of Medieval Peasant/Artisan life A LOT, and trade in material goods and the spread of important ideas was quite substantial. That doesn’t change the fact that movement of individuals outside of a community was, outside of extraordinary circumstances, pretty rare. 

****I’d be remiss not to note that you can also make a good case for these kind of small scale, tight knit, unchanging communities, can also be really good at accepting former sinners back into the fold and practicing forgiveness. “These are your people, forever, so you’d best get along with them” cuts both ways. Atomized culture where you can get kicked out of community and be expected to find a new one doesn’t have nearly as strong a reason to be as forgiving and rehabilitory. 

[vermillionworks]

Applying Horror To Webcomics

Hello, I'm SarahN, author/artist of the vampire webcomic, DANIEL.

I also wrote the post on Writing Vampires quite a while ago. Honestly, I'm not sure if this one will be as good as that one for a couple of reasons... One is because I tend to have a hard time putting my thoughts on writing horror into words for some reason. That and I think because horror is such a broad genre, it's hard to suggest guidelines for it.

A few of my suggestions are based on opinion. So if you don't agree with me on some things, that's fine, I expect that, so there's no reason to message me with a rant about why I'm wrong about so and so. XD If you REALLY don't agree with something, then just ignore it and continue with your own plans.

Secondly, I also feel like I had a lot more "trial and error" experience with writing vampires than I have with horror in general. So yeah, I believe I have a BIT of knowledge on the subject but by no means consider myself an expert.

Nonetheless, trying this out anyway since people showed an interest in me doing this.

Sooo, click "Keep Reading" to see my rambles on the subject! (There’s some horror gifs in here and please excuse any typos.)

First, A Word About Jump Scares

For the most part, forget about trying to make your readers jump out of their seats and run away with a webcomic, that's near impossible to do unless your reader is VERY sensitive (and if they are that sensitive, they probably won't be sticking around anyway). Besides, there is more than one way to 'scare' people.

Your aim instead is to plant an idea in the readers' heads that leaves them unnerved and maybe, just maybe, make them lose a little sleep (not a guarantee, but nothing wrong with a momentary creep-out either XD).

If you're REALLY looking to use jump scares in a comic, then you might want to consider making a comic VIDEO instead, or going the Bongcheon-Dong Ghost route (IF YOU LOOK UP THIS COMIC, YOU WILL BE JUMP-SCARED) and learn to make some clever coding to 'possess' the reader's mouse to shoot downwards (thus 'animating' the comic) and have sound effects play in the background at the same time.

Otherwise most webcomic pages are static images that people see right when the page loads, so throwing people off with an unexpected sight is hard to do. However, if you don't have a need to publish your comic and you want to catch readers off guard with imagery a little, consider the vertical "webtoon" look that's big these days. It works well for horror, I think, though even that is not essential to apply good horror to webcomics.

Frankly, I find jump scares overrated in general anyway. Anyone can catch someone off guard; startle them. They're sometimes a good, momentary thrill, but don't usually have a long lasting impact like good atmosphere, slow building tension, and terrifying ideas can, and I find that is really what horror is about.

The Power Of Disturbing Imagery & Actions

These are kind of no-brainer suggestions, but here it is anyway.

There are LOTS of options with disturbing imagery and there is no better medium for it than webcomics. A person's body twisting unnaturally, monsters, possession, a walking sin against nature, mind fuckery, world distortion and any other horrible concepts your mind can come up with. The sky's the limit, especially if you go the supernatural route.

And then there’s the disturbing behavior and actions of characters, which can be scary enough at times and feel closer to home. Remember that this DOESN'T just mean a knife-happy psycho jumping right into the comic and causing havoc. It can mean behavior just off-kilter enough to leave the reader tense and uncomfortable that slowly gets worse and worse until the inevitable conclusion. Play on the fact that something is very obviously...off.

The same thing can work for dialogue; people really underestimate the power of words in horror. Dialogue can leave a knot in your gut, leave you nervous of a character's intent, or force you to use your imagination of what they're describing, which can often be even worse than seeing it.

Which brings me to the next subject....

Subtlety and Ambiguity Can Be Your Best Buds

To me, horror is often what you CAN'T see. Horror is not knowing exactly what's happening. Horror is not having a clear solution.

Giving the gist of it and dropping lots of hints is fine for the most part, but sometimes if you give a clear explanation that leaves no doubt in the reader's mind about what's happening, why it's happening, and what the protagonists need to do to escape/win/whatever, there is a lot less tension and uncertainty to be felt by the reader. These things are ideal for horror comics since that mystery can keep the reader invested and continually disturbed.

Horror doesn’t have to “explode in your face” either, consider more subtle creepiness to amp up the dread. Someone twitching and staring in the background might leave more impact than a brutal murder scene.

Even In Webcomics, Silence Is Golden

Consider more 'silent' moments with little or no dialogue or sound effects. Your comic may naturally have no sound, but you may be surprised how unnerving it can be to a reader when there's only images and nothing to read.

A silent monster can often be more scary than a gabby one, too.

Psychological Horror

....is IDEAL for webcomics. XD

Use Violence & Gore Wisely

First off, if all you want to do is a make a comic with an endless supply of blood & guts, that's fine, nothing wrong with that. It can work well in a more campy story or just for those who are entertained by constant, mindless violence...just don't expect it to REALLY scare people. Oh, they might get a kick out of it or at least be plenty grossed out, but that's it.

You see, gore fest comics/movies/whatever really are just for a certain audience. Some love it, others are repulsed by it and won't touch it with a ten foot pole, and some are only fine with it at select times.

If you want your violence to actually leave more impact and not make portion of your audience decide they're no longer interested because pointless, brutal violence is all that's happening, then you're going to have to think about how you use violence a little more deeply.

I do truly believe violence CAN be scary, but it must be used at the right time, and in the right way. You must really consider at what point would be the most disturbing for graphic violence to suddenly occur, and then sure, make that crap as brutal as possible. XD

Violence that shows everything in detail at a relatively slow pace can be particularly cringe-worthy at the right moment, or at least I personally find that more unnerving than just seeing someone fly apart in pieces out of nowhere or something, that can actually come off as unintentionally funny, or at least too abrupt to leave the reader traumatized.

Though even though I suggest not holding back with violence, also consider that way over the top, silly ways to kill people may be too unrealistic to cause fright (think being killed by over-elaborate traps, ridiculous weapons, or...death by hairdryer). This...MIGHT work on some people and definitely works for more campy horror, but if you're really trying to scare people, you might instead get, "Seriously?"

And as for anything in horror, use the imagery and angles to your advantage. Make the viewer feel what the poor victim is feeling - terror, pain and all. ;) I'll be going into this more with the next subject...

Unnerving 'Camera' Angles

Obviously there's no cameras involved in the process of a webcomic, but there should be an imaginary one in your mind's eye as you consider the scenes you make.

Dramatic shots and angles are just as important in comics as they are in film. In fact, to push the impact of a horrific scene, they're almost essential. Panels full of talking heads won't cut it if you're trying to give people goosebumps. If this is something you're not used to doing, then it's time to start experimenting!

Good use of perspective can really push your horror comic's atmosphere over the edge. Look at movies by Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King-based movies, or any of your own personal favorite horror flicks (I could make more obscure suggestions but I won't here XP), comics, ect. Really consider the shots and angles and what moods they establish. You CAN use the same methods that are in film in webcomics while also taking advantage of the medium you're using by doing clever things with the panels and art.

Atmosphere

I think scary atmosphere can go beyond "very shadowy places". Sometimes the above mentioned use of perspective, and creepy characters that chew up the scenery, can create a disturbing atmosphere even in a bland or brightly colored world.

Not to say using darkness doesn't work VERY well, too. Definitely experiment with lighting and coloring for cool, spooky effects.

Beware Of Using 'Cartoony' Art Styles

OKAY, just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt. If your greatest desire is to make a brutal comic with kawaii anime characters, then do it, but if you're aiming to make things really scary, I STRONGLY believe that by combining an adorable or extra cartoony style with graphic horror, the contrast makes them more hilarious than horrific, like unintentional dark comedy. Or even if it isn't funny it may still "soften the blow" considerably.

That's not to say manga-inspired or more unrealistic art can't work with horror (my art style certainly isn't realistic, I draw VERY over-exaggerated expressions), but I believe there needs to be at least a certain level of realism so the style doesn't clash with the feel you're trying to go for.

Is This Scaring YOU?

An important thing to remember is that if you're not creeping yourself with your story, then chances are your readers won't be creeped out either, don't assume your readers are more sensitive than you are. Plus it's just more boring to work on something that doesn't really bother you. XD Take those common horror formulas out of your mind for a minute and think about what truly disturbs you. Then again...

Don't Be Afraid of Cliches

As I also kind of said in my "Writing Vampires" article, tropes can be a good thing. Take the ones you love and brainstorm different ways to approach them.

Webcomics Burn Slowly

Remember that you're working with a webcomic that usually update a page at a time. Don't let readers make you feel pressured to jump to the point sooner, it could ruin the tension and destroy your original plans.

Take Inspiration But Don't Try To Be Another Horror Creator

It seems like, with horror in particular, people think they have to take one creator and do things exactly their way rather than taking inspiration from several sources and using what works for them.

You know who's great and is brought up a lot? Junji Ito. He's a manga artist who has made some very surreal, very creepy horror comics with great visuals...and tons of body horror. I have checked out a couple of his comics, but I have never attempted to create as he does. It's just not me. Oh, I've learned a couple of things from him, certainly, but trying to do things exactly as he does would bore me, and I wouldn't be able to match his style anyway.

Find many inspirations and work the way that’s best for you.

I will end on that note. GO GIVE THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES, WEBCOMICKERS!

[taleoftheuchihas]

What kind of wood would Uchihas wands be made of?

So...I kind of went too passionate about this and it’s ridiculously (RIDICULUS!) long but I think it was worth it. I really like the way it turned out and just....enjoy it everyone.

Madara Uchiha

Cedar- perceptive, not easily fooled, very strong

Now the first thing that striked me was Blackthorn for warriors. I highly associated Madara as a warrior mainly because the Warring states period but this is Hogwarts AU, no ninjas in here. Although I still think Madara is definitely warrior even in HP universe (we all know you can have some really good fights with magic) I do not think it would be the main attribute in his character.

I imagine Uchihas as some old, very fancy and very respected family, probably pure blood, and maybe some of them were well-known wizards in magical history. Maybe some of them fought great battles, mainly as some kind of „generals“ and for that they needed to have sharp and strategic mind. So then DNA worked and is no wonder Madara is really perceptive human, even without Sharingan. He can see danger or possible benefits in various types of situations, he knows how to speak to different kinds of people and also when to back off and when step out. He just knows.... naturally he knows.  

Also that Madara is no easily fooled is just something that fits him. He thinks a lot and he kind of can be a Ravenclaw but yeah, no one dares to mess with Madara because Madara can see thru all of your shit.

Very strong – can we really need to explain this? He is strong, like DAMN strong. He always was and always will be and that god damn wand would recognize that too.

Izuna Uchiha

Black Walnut- good instincts, powerful insight, sincere, self aware

I kind of see Izuna like someone who relies a lot on his inner feelings, way more than to his heart or his mind. And he is doing right because his instincts and intuition are his biggest weapons.

As for powerful insight, again I choose this mainly because I am used to him as a Sharingan user and we all know his eyes were almost as powerful as Madara’s so I think he kind of preserve this even in HP universe. But of course it is not just about what he can see with eyes, but also what is hidden inside and Izuna is an expert for it. Don’t even try to lie to him, he always see though your words. No verita serum needed.

Sincere – any time, all the time. Madara can be brutally honest but with Izuna I see him as a type of person who will always say a truth but depends on the situation he can give it to you in way you will always love to hear it even it’s something critical. He just knows how to use words and also hate affectation so sincere he will be no matter what.

Self aware oh yeah. Izuna is much more down to Earth than Madara so this applies to him very well. He of course knows he is powerful and talented but he is not cocky and he kind of can get along with everyone thanks to this self aware attitude.

And bonus for Izuna – Black walnut wood is particularly good at charmwork, which I have a feeling would be the field of study he is interested in the most.

Kagami Uchiha

Vine- seeks a greater purpose, vision beyond the ordinary, hidden depths

Sweet oh sweet Kagami! He was always kind of “before his time” guy and all he ever wanted was to make a world the better place. He won’t be somebody to graduate at Hogwarts and then spend the rest of his life in Ministry office. No, no and no. He would seek a grater purpose not just for himself but for everybody on planet and he won’t stop until he finds it.

Vision beyond the ordinary is something that also perfectly matches him because in Warring states period he was the only (or one of the few) Uchiha that was close to Tobirama. So close he trust him with his life and that was probably because he can see further than the rest of the Uchihas – meaning he was well aware of both Uchiha’s best and worst traits and could independently analyze them. I am sure he can do that also in HP universe and not just with his family. He can see beyond lots of things – it’s his biggest talent and something that you would say about him if you need to describe him.

As for hidden depths I think everyone sees Kagami as a moral and loyal guy but I also think he has some pretty dark and rebellious sides inside. He is really multiplexed human and just a few people can see this.  

Bonus – vine wood wands can emit magical effects upon the entrance of a suitable owner which I think fits really well cause Kagami also emit almost magical feel of trustfulness around him.

Naori Uchiha

Poplar- clear moral vision, integrity

I personally love Naori to pieces even she is just an anime character I strongly believe someone as she existed in Uchiha history and that also Uchiha history need somebody like her. Considering she was the one who redeemed her friend by creating Izanami she was really kind and selfless. She didn’t want bloodshed but still wanted to end foolish battles for power so she found a way and succeeded. Her moral principles are something that is typical for her as is smile for Naruto.

Also she is a pure soul. Even she is a warrior (and can be really tough and intimidating one) and understands the need of doing difficult decisions from time to time, she always tries to do the compromise and avoid anything kind of evil. Her integrity and sense of honour is legendary.

Fugaku Uchiha

Ebony- courage to be their self, holds to beliefs

When Fugaku was chosen by this wand he was eleven years old but even then he was very strong personality. Somebody that was not afraid of his goals, beliefs and conviction and that is maybe the main reason why he was chosen to be a leader of the Uchiha clan. He was always…how to say it…..himself. And he was never sorry about it.

As a head of Uchiha family he is very traditional and holds to beliefs but again – he was like that even as a child. He always knew what is right and what is wrong and he always did his best to stick on the right path and hold on those traditional virtues even it was the hardest thing to do. Fugaku is not somebody you can convict into doing something he personally consider inaccessible or lame which can makes him boring sometimes but also very loyal.

Bonus – ebony wood wands are really good to all manners of combative magic and Transfiguration which is really handy for a Head of Uchiha family and the future auror to be (yes, Fugaku would definitely be an auror)

Mikoto Uchiha

English Oak- loyal, strength, courage, fidelity, powerful intuition

There is no question Mikoto is loyal. She is the most loyal Uchiha you can ever met, with strong sense of fidelity and for that she is perfect material to be sorted into Hufflepuff but I think that in the end the Gryffindor would be better for her. Why?

Well we did not see that in Naruto but she was a jounin before she gave birth to Itachi and I think she was pretty badass one. The same applies in HP universe as she would be really strong and skilled witch and lot of other girls would be envious to her abilities. That envy will even deepen when Mikoto became Prefect and also Head girl so all the other Gryffindor girls would need to obey her. How spicy.

Oh her lightheartedness... she has it and it’s strongly bonded to her courage. Not always is this courage the best thing for her but it’s one of the main trait in her personality.

Also she is really gifted not just because her perfect charm work but also because of her inner sight. Her intuition is kind of familiar to Kagami’s and it’s mostly the only think that divides her from getting into trouble when she is too courageous.

Bonus – English oak wood should only be collected from winter solstice to summer solnice which makes it as special as Mikoto.

Itachi Uchiha

Cypress- noble, heroic, brave, self sacrificing

As an older brother and successor of Uchiha family Itachi would from the young age needed to understand his position and everything that is associated with it. Not necessarily means he loves it from beginning but he eventually he quickly learns to be proud of his heritage. That noble side is born out of this. He is a future leader and he acts like it. It became a part of his personality and nobody is nobler than this Uchiha. Such perfection.

Heroic of course. Even if Itachi would not be a future head he still has this strong feeling for helping others. Presumably his heroic actions would be first the small things like helping Sasuke to learn the basic charms or helping his classmates with homework to Transfiguration but when he will be adult he for sure would be that hero (auror) who slays every dark wizard he met.

Related to this he is naturally really brave person. Of course he is scared of death but he is way more scared that bad guys destroy this world and for that he is willing to put himself into danger, as long as his loved ones and he whole world is safe – in other words he is self sacrificing as hell.

Sasuke Uchiha

Fir- staying power, strength of purpose, focused, strong-minded, sometimes intimidating

Staying power, strength of purpose and strong-minded is a go for Sasuke. His determination is truly legendary and as soon as he wants something he will get it. There is no other way. It doesn‘t matter how hard it is or how long it will take, it will happen. He would be kind of guy to play hardball but of course would not be literally so drastically – he is not a criminal or death eater okay, but let’s say he would not be afraid, from time to time, use some improper ways to achieve his goals. It feels kind of „marauders-ly“.

Having Itachi as his ideal and also shadow he would be truly focused being at least the same or even better than Itachi ever was. And Sasuke would excel in it. He will overcome Itachi in classes, having the best scores and also would be really charming in his behaviour. Uchiha brothers will simply take over Hogwarts – one as magnificent as the other and the only thing that decide which one you choose to cherish is your age – if you are in the same age or younger than Sasuke, than you will be at Sasuke’s side, the older ones would stick to Itachi – because otherwise there is no other way how to decide which Uchiha bro is better, smarter, more powerful etc. They are equal. End of story.

Funny fact – Itachi and Sasuke are in their house quidditch team (Slytherin) but it would be more like fun for Itachi, failing from time to time and not really doing big deal about it, while for Sasuke it would be main purpose of his life and he would be natural talent for it. He never disappoints and he is aspiring to be one of the best quidditch players in the world.

Other thing that Sasuke has and Itachi is lack of is intimidation. Sasuke does not use it on purpose but sometimes when he has a bad day he just irradiates this intimidation kind of aura and in those moments no one is dare to be around him. But as soon as Sasuke realize he is doing it, he would stop it immediately. But of course if somebody deserves it (for example that somebody bullying others) then Sasuke will get this trait into good use.

Bonus – fir wood suited to Transfiguration. Remember how I wrote Sasuke won’t always play fair? I can perfectly picture him as an Animagus. And in his changed form he can spy on others or maybe sneak into places he is not allowed to go, for example Flitch’s cabinet? Oh yeah, he would be a rebellious brat.

Shisui Uchiha

Dogwood- playful, quirky, mischievous, clever, ingenious

Such an easy pick for Shisui. He is playful like no other Uchiha. Sometimes you have a strong suspicion he is not really Uchiha but that lasts just until you look at his dark eyes and hair haha. But yeah Shisui is definitely a big playful ball of joy and nobody question it.

So if there is some Uchiha that is in one thing way different than the other Uchihas then of course there must be some other ways he is different in. That would be his unconventional personality or if you want – his quirky personality. You can really never tell what he is up to. Yeah, you can say it would probably be something mischievous but he is full of surprises so it can also be something super sweet or super serious. He is a man of various layers.

One of the other things that came up to my mind about Shisui is that he is genius. Like really. His mind is sharp and naturally resourceful, he is witty and brainy and for this he has a lot of fans but also a lot of enemies. You can either love him or hate him, that’s how unfairly gifted he is.

Bonus – dogwood wood is not good for performing non-verbal spells and it’s rather noisy when is used. That’s really not a big deal for Shisui because a) he prefers to talk rather than to be silent and mysterious and b) with his talent he can make even dogwood wand performs a non verbal spells.

Obito Uchiha

Alder- helpful, considerate, likeable

Obito has a big heart and he makes no secret about it. He is there for everybody day and night and he will help you with really everything. Even when it’s something trivial like carry your bag or something he never did before like translating parseltongue to mandarin Chinese, he will do it. In this kind of meaning he can be consider stubborn or strong-minded just as Sasuke, but unlike Sasuke, he helps others simply because it makes him happy.

This Uchiha is also really thoughtful and always think about consequences of his actions. If they may somehow negatively affects others than he will back off. Even if it means he needs to give up on his dreams or desires he would always considerate others well being.

For all of above he is genuinely likeable person. It’s true he would be more like brother to girls rather than objection of their love but it’s just the way he is. The friend of everyone. On other hand boys would like him too there would be no bad blood between him and other guys, all good all good. So yeah…. Obito the one who is always there for the others.

Izumi Uchiha

Rowan- clear-headed, pure-hearted

I see Izumi as a character that has all the shit together. Even as a child. She is smarter than anybody in her age (there can be a healthy rivalry between her and Shisui) but it’s just not about studying or good memory but also about social interactions, seeing bigger picture and being down to earth. She just understands everything without long explanations and don’t over thing things that doesn’t have to be over thing. Mind clear as glass, might be a Ravenclaw.

As her brain can be a little bit “cold” her heart is just the opposite. She is really similar to Obito in these instances but on the other hand she does not do things she knows are beyond her limits (for example translating parseltongue). And besides – she is more like a person who does little invisible acts of kindness – saving a set for you if she knows you are late, filling up your inkwell if she sees it’s empty or leave you a spot near a fireplace if you are sick. In that moment you not always realize that it was her who did it, because she is totally cool or leave before you get all the prompters together but it’s always her. She is the one who percept needs of the others even before they know they have them.

Bonus: Rowan wood is perfect for all manners of defensive charms, and Izumi is for sure a great witch and has the best scores in Defence against Dark Magic but attack is not her first response. She is more defence type of person (but if she chooses attack then you better start praying).

[geopolicraticus]

Nietzsche’s Secret Garden

Having made the case for the impersonality of science (if not the self-abnegation of the scientist) in Scientific Self-Abnegation, it now remains to make the case for the uniquely personal, private, and idiosyncratic side of science—if indeed there is any such side of science, or if there is any such case to make. 

What would an idiosyncratic scientific research program look like? It is not difficult to imagine, as for the greater part of the history of human science, scientific research programs were nothing more than the life work of a single man—an Archimedes, a Galileo, a Kepler, a Huygens, a Newton. This is the de facto condition of science in human history, but not necessarily the ideal of science, and not the reality of the large-scale research programs of big science that have come into being since the industrial revolution.

Scientific research programs in the time of Archimedes were the insights and ambitions of one man, but by the time of Newton there were printing presses, universities, scientific societies, and scientific journals (on which cf. Boundary Conditions of the Scientific Revolution). Newton had a community of scientific researchers to which he could communicate his work and from which he could anticipate an informed response. Even if Newton and his colleagues did not have the instantaneous global communications that we take for granted today, books did make their way around the world, and some scientists were well-traveled and worldly men in Newton’s day. And this was true to a much greater extent than was the case for Archimedes in classical antiquity.

Archimedes was a man a Syracuse, and his fate was tied to the fate of his city-state. The greatest institutions of learning of which we know from the pre-modern world—Plato’s Academy, the library at Alexandria, and the House of Wisdom in Baghdad—could be said to be regional centers of learning, or even centers on a civilizational scale that attracted the best minds within that civilization, but it is nothing like the international scientific collaboration of today.

Kenneth Clark made an astute observation related to this:

“The great churchmen of the eleventh and twelfth centuries came from  all over Europe. Anselm came from Aosta, via Normandy, to be Archbishop of Canterbury; Lanfranc had made the same journey, starting from Pavia. The list could be extended to almost every great teacher of the early Middle Ages. It couldn’t happen in the Church, or politics, today: one can’t imagine two consecutive archbishops of Canterbury being Italian. But it could happen—does happen—in the field of science; which shows that where some way of thought or human activity is really vital to us, internationalism is accepted unhesitatingly.” (Civilisation: A Personal View, Harper & Row, 1969, p. 35)

Clark is right to point out that the church was an international institution (regionally confined to Europe) in the Middle Ages, and similarly the Roman world had its international institutions in the Mediterranean Basin in its time (though the use of “international” here is misleading and unhistorical). However, these earlier international institutions did not involve science, and despite their internationalism they were confined within a geographical region.

Science today thrives on a planetary scale, and so its institutions are planetary-scale institutions. But science began as a regional institution within Europe—this was science during the scientific revolution, from Copernicus to the industrial revolution—and before science was a regional institution, it was only the institution of gifted individuals and their immediate circle, if indeed a gifted individual had any circle at all. Many did not.

Previously I wrote about Nietzsche’s secret garden in Philosophies of the Secret Garden, in which I quoted the following: 

“…out of my answers there grew new questions, inquiries, conjectures, probabilities—until at length I had a country of my own, a soil of my own, an entire discrete, thriving, flourishing world, like a secret garden the existence of which no one suspected. —Oh how fortunate we are, we men of knowledge, provided only that we know now to keep silent long enough!” (Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, translated by Walter Kaufmann, Preface, section 3) 

I strongly identify with this. I have been working on my philosophical ideas in isolation for so many years that I have layers upon layers of concepts that are my own, so that concepts that I worked out several years ago I have since used to work out additional concepts that presuppose these earlier concepts. I have iterated this process to several generations with my own ideas, and this makes it extraordinarily difficult to explain what I am doing to others. Any explanation would make use of concepts that would have to be explained in turn. 

It often happens that the bulk of a philosopher’s most original thoughts are to be found in their manuscripts. Probably every philosopher experiences what I have noted just above, and so holds back the strangest and least familiar flowers from his secret garden, instead presenting the public with only those arrangements that appear sufficiently conventional that they will not be rejected tout court.

Husserl wrote tens of thousands of pages in Gabelsberger shorthand, and Husserl’s industrious intellectual heirs have continued to transcribe, to edit, to publish, and to translate this enormous body of work almost a hundred years after this death. Godel’s notebooks, also written in Gabelsberger, are only now beginning to be transcribed and published (though they are already available in digitized form to anyone who can puzzle them out). I previously discussed these efforts in The arc of cognitive astrobiology is long, but it bends toward rationality. The impact of these philosophical efforts—the secret gardens of Husserl and Godel—will only be felt by the wider intellectual community in the coming century.

While philosophy in our time has started to follow the scientific model of international collaborative research, it is far behind science in this respect, and most philosophers doing truly original work do so in relative isolation, much as science was done in classical antiquity (though I might well argue that philosophy was an international collaboration in the ancient world, along the model that Clark described in the passage quoted above).

This is significant for science, because new scientific disciplines are suggested by novel philosophical research, and a new discipline in its nascent state is a fragile thing, easy destroyed if mishandled. It would be entirely understandable if a contemporary philosopher chose to work on ideas at the border of science and philosophy and kept this entirely to himself because this work would not likely be welcomed in either in the scientific community (being too philosophical) or in the philosophical community (being too scientific). Nevertheless, this is where most of the interesting ideas come from, and we tacitly and implicit rely on such efforts for the overall advancement of science.

I have often said that one of the advantages of the heightened individualism of western civilization is that it allows societies so organized to explore more possibilities at a lower social cost. Collectivist societies that insist upon joint social effort explore new possibilities at a high social cost, and failure can be catastrophic. This makes collectivist societies more risk averse than individualistic societies.

Additionally, the individualism of western civilization allows for the indulgence of eccentrics and splendid individuals, who, if they are successful, will be celebrated as individuals. And they may even be financially rewarded as individuals for their individual effort. Thus there is both a carrot and a stick for the individual researcher who attempts to make a contribution without being part of any wider research community.

The paradigm of “big science” represents a mainstreaming of a particular research program—a program that defines the wider research community—which enjoys disproportionately large social investments: university facilities, funding, personnel, equipment, etc. This has been crucial for the growth of what Kuhn called “normal science,” which is an enormous cooperative and collaborative effort. And with the conceptual framework of normal science being more comprehensive and more adequate than ever before in the past, normal science practiced as big science can continue almost indefinitely.

This potentially indefinite growth of normal science has been further facilitated by an awareness of Kuhnian philosophy of science, and this has meant that scientists are more clearly aware than at any previous time of the ellipses incorporated into the body of scientific knowledge, and many are open to considering alternative theories as long as those theories are competently expressed in the technical jargon of the discipline. We know that general relativity and quantum theory cannot be brought together in our current physics framework, and we know that we cannot explain large-scale cosmology (which often invokes “dark matter” and “dark energy,” which are merely ciphers that mean, “something to explain gravitational anomalies” and “something to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe”), so that the scientific community is actively seeking more adequate formulations of these problems.

Be that as it may, the most striking developments of science are likely to come out of the work of philosophical scientists (as indeed the theories of relativity and gravitation came out of Einstein’s work, and Einstein has rightly been called a “philosopher-scientist”), and these philosophical scientists will probably develop the most crucial and distinctive concepts that later serve to advance science in a Nietzschean secret garden of their own.