#and she would've been alive

[fieryncbles]

Gosh, I'm so in love with Castle (the show & the man) but the fact that sometimes I make up better endings for cases than the writers is beginning to frustrate me

[nellasbookplanet]

In the wake of FCG' fate I've been thinking about death in ttrpgs, and how it kind of exists on three levels:

There’s the gameplay level, where it only makes sense for a combat-heavy, pc-based game to have a tool for resurrection because the characters are going to die a lot and players get attached to them and their plotlines.

Then there’s the narrative level, where you sort of need permanent death on occasion so as not to lose all tension and realism. On this level, sometimes the player will let their character remain dead because they find it more interesting despite there being options of resurrection, or maybe the dice simply won’t allow the resurrection to succeed.

Then, of course, there’s the in-universe level, which is the one that really twists my mind. This is a world where actual resurrection of the actual dead is entirely obtainable, often without any ill effects (I mean, they'll be traumatized, but unless you ask a necromancer to do the resurrection they won’t come back as a zombie or vampire or otherwise wrong). It’s so normal that many adventurers will have gone through it multiple times. Like, imagine actually living in a world where all that keeps you from getting a missing loved one back is the funds to buy a diamond and hire a cleric. As viewers we felt that of course Pike should bring Laudna, a complete stranger, back when asked, but how often does she get this question? How many parents have come and begged her to return their child to them? How many lovers lost but still within reach? When and how does she decide who she saves and who she doesn’t?

From this perspective, I feel like every other adventurer should have the motive/backstory of 'I lost a loved one and am working to obtain the level of power/wealth to get them back'. But of course this is a game, and resurrection is just a game mechanic meant to be practically useful.

Anyway. A story-based actual play kind of has to find a way to balance these three levels. From a narrative perspective letting FCG remain dead makes sense, respects their sacrifice, and ends their arc on a highlight. From a gameplay level it is possible to bring them back but a lot more complicated than a simple revivify. But on an in-universe level, when do you decide if you should let someone remain dead or not? Is the party selfish if they don’t choose to pursue his resurrection the way they did for Laudna? Do they even know, as characters, that it’s technically possible to save someone who's been blown to smithereens? Back in campaign 2, the moment the m9 gained access to higher level resurrection they went to get Molly back (and only failed because his body had been taken back by Lucien). At the end of c1, half the party were in denial about Vax and still looking for ways to save him, because they had always been able to before (and had the game continued longer it wouldn’t have surprised me had they found a way). Deanna was brought back decades after her death (and was kind of fucked up because of it). Bringing someone back could be saving them, showing them just how loved and appreciated they are. Or it could be saving you, forcing someone back from rest and peace into a world that's kept moving without them because you can’t handle the guilt of knowing you let them stay gone when you didn’t have to. How do you know? How would you ever know?

[starry-bi-sky]

I'm so annoyed. @kingcrow01 tumblr ate your ask about Danny's opinion on the League. tumblr i pressed 'save draft' why didn't you sAVE DRAFT.

ANyways I'm making a post instead. For everyone else, the ask was in summary:

What was Danny's opinion on the League now that he's left it? If he missed the familiarity of it, if he recognized the cult-like behavior inside it, and if he now detested his grandfather.

And to answer (again, grrr): It's complicated! We love complicated <3. Yeah, Danny does miss the familiarity of the League, it was still his home for the first ten years of his life and he has a lot of memories there. Plenty of good along with the bad, and while he's less homesick than he was when he was 10, it still hits him like a truck at random intervals.

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz are great, and he likes the Drs. Fentons enough that he's contemplated murdering Vlad for his meddling, but if he wants to eat the same food his mother used to make him and Damian, he has to do it himself and he can't get the taste right. No one knows arabic so he speaks it to himself because he doesn't want to forget his mother tongue, and he has a few books too. Frankly? He genuinely misses training.

Getting to use Sam's gym helps with his restlessness, same with training with Maddie, but he has no one on or above his level to go against other than his mother. And he only sees her twice a year at most. He knows that he's getting stagnant and he fucking despises it like a bad itch he can't scratch.

He feels conflicted about missing the League, however, since by now he recognizes the flaws and what was wrong with it, and he recognizes that it was cult-like. But even that is kinda, hrm, complicated? If this was a fic I would be able to go better into depth about what he has and hasn't unlearned because cult deprogramming is hard and Danny's doing most of this on his own.

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz have helped with the more obvious stuff: like the ecofascism, the disregard for human life, his emotional constipation; the more obvious stuff that shows in his behavior and personality. But none of them are professionals nor do they actually know the full extent of what Danny's life in the League was like. They only have snapshots since Danyal is very tight lipped about it. So they can only help with what they see themselves through Danny's behavior or word of mouth.

But in summary: He sees, for the most part, what's wrong with the League and disagrees with some of the stuff they do now. But he's very conflicted, and trying to dissect his feelings on the League confuses him. His protests about it whenever Sam and Tucker joke about it have at this point become mostly empty (altho it still causes him some discomfort), and its an inside joke between them three.

As for Ra's? Despises him. If only because Ra's wanted him to kill his little brother -- thinking about his motives with the League confuses Danny, cognitive dissonance and stuff, -- a lot of his hatred stems from "He wanted me to fight my baby brother to the death. I destroyed my relationship with Damian because of him, I had to fake my death and leave my home, and I will never meet my father or see my brother again because of him. Fuck that guy."

[elysabeththequeene]

would like to say one thing that really took me the hell out with my lady jane was seeing margaret beaufort turn into a tortoise cause like. i knew this show was crazy but i did not expect these levels of insanity

[thirddoctor]

as a long time hater of Donna's original ending I'm feeling so vindicated right now

[cadaverette]

went to the beatrix potter exhibit w my old rm today n__n i learned so much about her & there were many original drawings & letters of hers there! it was so fun

[memphisflash]

📖 The below excerpts are from the book "Priscilla, Elvis & Me" by Michael Edwards. (source: Karine Blanc on FB.)

I want to indicate, as it’s important to note, that Michael Edward's behaviour towards Lisa and his obsession with a child was repellant and sickening. I want to emphasise that in no way do I think he was a decent guy, nor will I ever justify his behaviour's or character !

I'm putting these excerpts up because it demonstrates just how unfair at times, Lisa's life was with her mother. I think after reading this book which I read 6 years ago and read over again more recently, that this was the book that opened my eyes real wide to the personality and self centred persona of Priscilla Beaulieu. Her mothering instincts I feel were shocking at times and her inability to be faithful to any man is extremely telling.

Priscilla moved in Mike Edwards as soon as she moved Elie Ezerzer out. She moved Elie in after Mike Stone and Robert Kardashian. She was with Mike Edwards from 1978 until 1984, a 6 year relationship where Michael has indicated that she cheated on him with at least 4 men within that time. He cheated also.

What stood out was her manipulative behaviour and her deceitful character, constant lies and secrets. Another issue that alarmed me was that after Priscilla caught him taking Pictures of Lisa out at the pool in make up, she approached him in a jealous manner asking "Isn't she a bit young for you Michael"? A normal mother would have seen the dangers and instantly thrown him out for good, but no, Priscilla pursued her highly sexual relationship with him and after 2 times were she witnessed unacceptable behaviours, continued to live with him and allow him to be a babysitter to her young daughter whilst she pursued her need for stardom.

🗒️ The below extract is regarding Michael's daughter and Lisa sneaking out for some drinks when they were teenagers.

"When we drove up, Lisa and Caroline were so scared they went crying into Caroline's bedroom. Grace told them not to worry, we wouldn't hurt them. I went inside the house and got the girls.

"Priscilla wants to see you both," I said.

When Priscilla saw them come to the doorway, she walked up to them.

"I'm so disgusted with you, I can't believe you," she said.

Before either one of them knew what had happened, Priscilla reared back, swung, and slapped Caroline in the face in the exact spot her boyfriend had slugged her in.

Then she swung again, fast, and slapped Lisa.

Caroline turned and ran like lightning, and Lisa was directly behind her. I blocked Lisa, and Priscilla grabbed her by the hair. She dragged Lisa to the back seat of my mother's Cadillac in the driveway, where she started spanking her.

Lisa was screaming at the top of her lungs, and Priscilla was trying to hold her mouth with one hand while hitting her with the other.

Grace and I were in the doorway, and Grace said, "If you don't go out there and stop that, l'm going to” !

At that point, the police pulled up. Grace and I went out to the patrol car and tried to explain that everything was okay, we'd just had a family misunderstanding. The cops walked up to the back of my mother's car and shone their flashlights on Priscilla and Lisa in the back seat.

At that point, the police pulled up. Grace and I went out to the patrol car and tried to explain that everything was okay, we'd just had a family misunderstanding. The cops walked up to the back of my mother's car and shone their flashlights on Priscilla and Lisa in the back seat.

Priscilla had seen the patrol car coming and when the cops asked Lisa how she was, she made Lisa say she was fine.

The cops had no idea what they were investigating in the back of the Cadillac".

🗒️The below excerpt is regarding the housekeepers leaving after Priscilla moved Mike in. Lisa loved them and spent most of her time with them as they made her feel like she had a family ....

"Nearing twelve, Lisa was beginning to blossom, and it was clear that she was going to be a beauty. She resembled Elvis to an extraordinary degree, and looked more like his twin than his daughter. She had the same hairline, eye-brows, and heavy lids. Her hair was light brown, like Elvis's before he dyed it black, and her eyes were pale blue.

In the privacy of her room, she loved to listen to blaring rock 'n' roll. Dressed in black tights like her favorite singer at the time, Pat Benatar, she clutched a toy microphone as she sang along with the records and danced in front of the mirror. Occasionally Lisa played her dad's records, but when she did she always turned the volume down, as if keeping him to herself.

When I got home each evening, I often found her visiting in the servants quarters, watching the soaps with the live-in couple. She looked quite at home, curled up in their bed while the couple sat nearby on the sofa.

The live-in couple were very much a part of the family.

Weekends they spent alone in their room, watching television -Lisa loved the couple like family and didn't want any strangers taking their place.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she asked me. "Who have I got to talk to?"

She was just beginning to accept my moving in, and was upset over yet another change in the household. She continued to remind me that I was to blame for her losing the couple.

"I want to go back to Memphis," she said. "I don't like it here any more."

Graceland had been Elvis's sanctuary and he'd returned there regularly, just as Lisa wanted to do now. Elvis had kept his family together there throughout his life.

"Lisa, they wanted to leave anyway," Priscilla said.

"No, they didn't."

“It was a horrendous period for Lisa, who continued to grieve over her loss of the live-in couple. She was becoming more and more introverted. Priscilla and I were so wrapped up in each other and preoccupied with nightlife, being photographed, skiing, condo-buying in Colorado, charity events, Boozing and having lost weekends together, that Lisa was constantly being left with her grandparents or with Priscilla's sister."

Priscilla was in a relationship and living with Mike Edwards longer than she was married to Elvis.

They were together 6 years.

[breakfastteatime]

Feel free to stick more details in the tags ^_^

[psychofreakforc]

I'm convincing myself more and more that richie and Amber planned to actually kill tara.

This was supposed to be richie's movie, and Amber and him(specifically) were obsessed with respecting the original. Why would they change it up and not have an opening kill? Opening kills are iconic and a very important in the stab/scream movies, and fans love a good death scene as an opening scene.

And i know you might be thinking that they did that because they needed sam to go back to woodsboro, but i don't trust richie to be that smart tbh. Maybe he thought he could convince or manipulate sam to go there either way. He thought he could control sam easily, she probably opened up to him about tara and how important she was for her, and that she felt bad for abandoning her and He wanted to use this guilt against her.

But then something in their plan went wrong, and tara was not their opening kill, but at the same time, their ruined-plan worked better because there wasn't a lot of convincing to do, sam immediately rushed to woodsboro for her sister.

Tara was never supposed to come out of that house alive, she was never supposed to get attacked again at the hospital or to even reach act 3. Tara was not supposed to be a final girl. They didn't want to make a movie about their opening kill surviving 3 attacks.

[askharpymonet]

It has its benefits though - I am spared from all this drama that's been happening in the world.

@trafalgar-law-ask

[wholesomey-artist]

Look y'all, I'm sorry but. The fans are better than the artist.

Bigger Than The Whole Sky wasn't a homage. She didn't say Ana Benevides once in the concert. Okay, maybe she was too "full of sorrow" to speak of her but damn, a slideshow wouldn't be words but it'd still send a message. Katy Perry did it for Marielle Franco, why couldn't she?

Nor she nor T4F offered financial help for the poor woman's family who had to take her body frozen because they couldn't afford the funeral.

For someone who sells such a benevolent image, the fans had did a better job than the rich singer herself.

[communistfries]

Sometimes i'll be watching a reality show and have truly the most mommy issues thoughts a girlie can have,,,,,,,,like,,,,,,why did i just think "mm i don't think you should bring your mom to buy a wedding dress actually"

[youngpettyqueen]

a whole intruder shows up in the mess hall with a version of Seven actively shooting at him and the ONLY person who does anything immediately is Harry. shoutout to Harry for that why does literally everyone else just STAND THERE

[mad-hunts]

currently thinking about the verse that i labeled as 'a match made in hell' on my carrd right now because that is honestly one of the most WILD ones in my humble opinion tehe <33 spoiler alert: it may, or may not be the only verse in which marcy is still alive but she is definitely not the same person ahahhh

[philtatosbuck]

I saw someone say that if Elena or Caroline were in the prison world instead of Bonnie they wouldn't have stayed there as long, do you think that's true?

taking into account that they fully thought bonnie and damon were dead and didn't know about the prison world for the first four months (?) i assume you mean the other like. four? five? months she was there (she was there for almost a year wasn't she??)

yeah that's true idk what you want me to say. for one bonnie is good for trying to resurrect bitches she would've been trying to resurrect either one of them and coming up empty BUT let's say for the sake of it that they found out after four months as they did in canon and damon comes back but caroline/elena doesn't

if it were elena and damon stuck in the prison world damon wouldn't have accepted elena was 'dead' so easily even if she was stuck with kai he would have been doing his usual shit and threatening any and everyone into finding a way back far quicker than he did for bonnie (that's nothing against bonnie or their relationship at all. that's just his canon behavior towards elena and stefan to a degree that he does not display towards bonnie in canon until later on)

if it were caroline and damon i'm ngl i don't see him working hard to get her free or anything but if he came back and told everyone else about it then they would be trying to save her immediately

[alexanderhamiltonhasafatass]

I can only stand to be around my mom for a day and then she'll become insufferable for the rest of the time she's around me. And she wonders why I don't talk to her for long periods of time.