#but all of those ideas need to be expanded upon more and an adaptation like Anne with an e would be so good

[emily-mooon]

Emily of New Moon deserves to have its own Anne with an E. It would work so well too considering the fact that the books are very dark and it would do a good job of expanding the characters, particularly my boy Teddy Kent because he was done dirty in the show from the 90s.

[summitclan-chronicles]

SUMMITCLAN CHRONICLES (SCC) is an 18+ roleplay inspired by xenofiction like Warrior Cats, Watership Down, Ratha's Creature, Zorba and Lucky, and the New York State Adirondacks.

Life is hard in the mountains. Creatures fight for every mouthful - for every birth is a death.

But does it have to be cruel forever, always? The cats of Summitclan came together not for battle but for the color of the leaves, the shine of the moon, the hush of fallen snow; together their ancestors brought forth a world where cats have carved a gentle soul into the slope of the harsh mountains. Where food is hidden away to feed the sick when the cold times come; where there are plants that quicken the healing of splintered bones; where one's newborns are always safe and loved. A kitten of Summitclan is a kitten that was told through act and word how wanted they were - and an elder never passes alone.

Life was hard in the mountains. So they changed how life was lived.

Could Summitclan be the perfect refuge, high on those wooded mountain peaks, in the eye of those ancestors who cared so deeply?

We offer you..

• A calm, loving, adult Warrior Cats community that assumes the best in you & others.

• A unique single-character model where every member has one cat with whom they experience Summitclan - in birth, through life, and in death.

• Exclusive lore and worldbuilding that must be taught to new generations & incomers.

• A system of real-time years and seasons with extended days and nights for extra roleplay time, with weather reflecting the Adirondacks themselves.

• A slow-burn style experience where characters are expanded upon as if they were living beings, evolving as they experience, conflict, learn, reflect and adapt.

• A series of unique festivals year-round to bring the community and clan together as a unit, each themed after a season and its associated needs.

• Resources and prompts members can access to give them ideas for interactions & relationships during slow periods or writer's blockages.

• Staff with high expectations and explicit instructions on how to settle disagreements and keep members lighthearted.

• A support system for less experienced roleplayers to learn from more experienced members.

• A stable design made to last beyond any single member, easily passed down so that it does not abruptly die.

And before you join, I want to inform you ...

This roleplay features feral cats living wild in the Adirondack Mountain Range. Everyday activities including hunting small to medium animals, possibly fending off small to large threats, cats being born + possibly not surviving long after, and cats recieving varying injuries, contracting varying sicknesses, or even losing their lives in tragic ways. All things will be handled with grace, and the roleplay is designed to be balanced rather than leaning toward good or bad events, but you will not be able to avoid these themes upon joining.

Who Are You Looking For?

We are looking for people that are creative, gentle, patient, open-minded, friendly and considerate. If you're someone who indulges in lightheartedness just as often as you do the dark side, and can see the gentle edge in everything, this might be for you...

Our Application:

Grand Opening applications have closed! This area will soon have a link to an app for kittens & loners.

[whateverthought]

The Umbrella Academy Seasons Ranked

Season 2. It was weird and wacky, with bright colors and cute moments between siblings. The 60s aesthetic worked well with the oddness of the Hargreeves Siblings. Everyone had their own strong plotlines and character moments while also reconciling in very wholesome and meaningful ways. Similarly expanded on Reginald, Pogo and Grace.

Klaus becoming a cult leader, with his personality and powers makes so much sense! Luther finally making decisions on his own and them being so uncaring of his own wellbeing while also following his trauma in a way that left much to be chewed on. Five dealing with his past actions, all done because of the family and for their safety, while dealing with his siblings' at their most authentic. Ben trying to strike out on his own despite being tied to Klaus and thrashing against those constraints but ultimately loving his family and finally being there for them instead of as an observer. Deigo's obsession with JFK and the Assassination was hilarious. It melds well with his insecurities and need to be a hero, while also reconciling with Luther, an unfortunate object of his problems, and Vanya who he was antagonistic toward despite learning to understand they're both just fucked over by their father and he's the problem. While having an odd relationship with Lila that becomes genuine at least a little. Vanya growing and gaining a human connection and love not tainted by their Powers and Upbringing, learning to stand up for themselves and forgiving and being forgiven by the family. Processing their trauma. Allison fighting for a cause that's selfless, growing to not rely on their powers and only using them for other people. Falling in love with a man that made her better, uplifted her and loved her at her lowest, loving her for her, while breaching the emotional divide from the former season with her siblings. And of course Lila, complex and badass, not a good person not a nice person but one who was only beginning to fight against her abuser.

Season 1. It was good! And it was the closest to a Faithful Adaption. The grim dark aesthetic was odd and weird and it solidified the show as different from others. A very good basis and foundation for the odd characters and World.

That being said I didn't like the grim dark aesthetic as much, not that is was bad but the funky 60s oddness was more fun in comparison. I also understand that the show would need to set up the broken relationships before we can reconcile but I do like the reconciling more. Most of the differences between this and the next is just preference, they're both solid seasons.

Season 3. It had a lot going for it! The Sparrow Academy was a very interesting idea, meeting the other 43 children born was exciting and the heartbreak of getting Ben back but he's not our Ben but he's Ben. Unfortunately it suffers heavily from its 8-episode structure.

There was so much I wanted to see with these new characters and even the other other 43 but they ended up dying in quick succession and leaving me feeling kinda cheated. Not only that but the mothers topic only really being brushed upon was a loss. There were so many What-If scenarios that could have happened with this idea. Who are you if you change your childhood? Your economic living situation? Who could they have been if not for Reginald. I did like the Allison descent, it felt very in character and well done but the follow-through was abysmal. Similarly the way other characters reacted to it felt inexistant. It felt like no one was reacting to Allison's increasingly worrying actions and degrading mental status. Sure Five kills people but Allison is an actress and no one seemed a little perturbed she killed someone important to their sibling without talking about it? She assaulted Luther and no one thinks that's worrying? If my sibling sexually harrassed someone I'd be in their face, asking a million questions. Sure there were other things going on but that's important, Allison is important. I did like her and Deigo beating up racists and trying to connect but its odd that Deigo who arguably had the biggest subplot was checking on her. I did think the Sloane and Luther romance was a little rushed but they themselves were very cute. As were Kalus and Sparrow Ben! So was Viktor's transition! And seeing the Marigold reacting strangely and learning about it was interesting but ultimately everything needed more time.

Season 4. Unsurprisingly the worst. Not only did it have the least amount of time, only 6 episodes, but it felt very disconnected. It felt like someone else made it and they themselves only watched the show once. It had the broad strokes, Lila and Deigo had their kid, Allison had her patchwork family, Reginald had his wife, the Sparrow Timeline happened but it didn't fit.

They did reference something from past seasons, The Jennifer Incident, but it doesn't make sense in context. Sparrow Ben had his Jennifer Incident but he didn't die he was just demoted. So what does that mean? And why didn't He know who Jennifer was? What she would do? What happened to His Jennifer if not a World Destroying incident or Murder-Brianwashing? And the fact that they set it 6 years later takes out things we wanted to see. Luther looking for Sloane, Ben being in Korea for some reason, confronting Hargreeves and Allison, Lila and the baby. I did like the Careful What You Wish For idea for episode 1 but they didn't follow it through with Abigail. She was upset with her husband but we don't see much of it. It felt like something they should have connected more in rewrites, like when you write a story and realize you can foreshadow more in earlier chapters. And that's the overall vibe of the season, its a Rough Daft they didn't work on. The cinematography was amazing but it feels like all their time and money went into CGI and Practical Effects and none into the writing.

The Sparrows all disappearing only to be mentioned by Ben so we get a reason for why he feels disconnected to the others and by Luther, to remind us that he remembers but he never found her. Lila spends the beginning being overwhelmed by her children and not happy in her domestic life but a few episodes later we see her almost let the Apocalypse be rewound so she can spend a little more time with them. The story would have been more meaningful if it revolved around Lila and Deigo realizing they weren't meant for this White Picket Fence life. Not everyone is! Its the reality that everyone gets married and has kids because they think they should not because they want to. Giving Five a romance was unnecessary, it felt forced beyond compare and lazy because they needed someone close to Five, because he's too guarded, to pair him with.

I didn't hate that Klaus became a germaphobe that lived with his richest sibling as he recovered. And Allison who probably felt guilty let him, that makes sense. I was apprehensive about his relapse because despite how odd he was now at least he was clean! And getting better from something like that can take years! Its implied he's only been sober for 4 out of the 6 years which both is and isn't a lot of time. But it didn't matter I guess. Ben forcing Marigold didn't matter I guess.

And the attempt to gaslight the audience into believing that its always been Allison who picked up the pieces of Klaus when we never see it and know she ran off to become famous was frustrating. So was the forced fight they had after the van, it did not have to be Allison she was not the only one with him, but since we wouldn't be getting any real confrontation about the Season 3 finale they gave us this. Because, let's not forget, the follow-through with her descent from last season didn't happen. It was years ago so any lasting hurt feelings feels petty, right? Its similar to her actions in season 1, she did it when she was a child its not her fault even though Vanya/Viktor had a right to be upset and the fact she tried to fix it again with mind control while also implying she always knew and never said anything led to me disliking her but the narrative didn't think that was important. She was punished wasn't she? Why talk about it? It happened years ago, why talk about it? Its forced character development, or maybe forced plot moving? It was something they didn't want to deal with so they didn't talk about it and rushed past it.

And of course Luther, who loses literally everything and becomes just the Butt of the Jokes. No wife, no job, no house, no plotlines, no character development.

God and Jennifer who literally only existed to be a Plot Object. A McGuffin if you will. You could have switched her with a Cursed Ring and nothing would have changed. Ben gets Cursed by a Ring, hears it talking to him, goes crazy. No change. And no reference to Sparrow Jennifer. It wasn't a romance more than it was a mutual delusion. Which would have been interesting if it was played straight.

Much like Viktor and Reginald, it COULD have been interesting. But we had no time! Also, why did he get to live till the end? Why did Reginald get a Good Bittersweet Ending?

The Ending. The ending felt bleak and hopeless, and while the show itself wouldn't contradict a sad ending, the way it was done felt hollow. To be abused your whole life, to struggle with everything you attempt to do, to fight with your family till the end and to have it be said your existence is why all these bad things happen, that you are the cause of all this horror, that everyone you ever met would be better off without you... For a show who's main theme is abuse and living past it and forgiving your siblings for reacting differently than you and fighting you for your abuser's love, that ending sent the wrong message.

[chaserainbows]

RP GET TO KNOW YOU QUESTIONNAIRE.

NAME?: Amano

PRONOUNS?: He/they

MOST ACTIVE MUSES?: Lucas here, Ethan and Cordie at @ambivalentatmosphere, Nico at @catadioptrics the Amano Cinematic Universe is very large

RPG CLASS I'D BE: Probably a healer because I like support classes

FAVORITE COLOR: Pastel blue

FAVORITE TYPE OF THREAD: I definitely like comedy-based threads but I also really enjoy more dramatic plot-driven stuff, I like to put my muses through the wringer and see what comes out on the other side

FAVORITE THING ABOUT MY MUSE: I have a lot of muses here but in broader terms I like to take what's already there in canon and expand upon it to make the characters have their own Amano Identity(tm), I feel like Calem's a really good example of this because he has all the elements that make him who he is in canon but I recontextualize those traits to take him in a different direction, he's well-connected and takes the initiative to get to know people so I play him as a very outgoing character that's well-informed about the things going on in his home region because it makes sense and adds a fresh layer to his characters

As for my OCs I like the potential they have for worldbuilding as well as the cool new connections that can be made with them, like Ethan and Cordie really allow me to write about different perspectives on Hoenn based on their respective upbringings and I think that's super cool

HOW YOU LIKE TO RP: I usually prefer to wing it at first when I'm getting to know a muse I haven't written with before, which is why I have a preference for less serious threads since they allow me to explore the Vibes without having to restrict myself too much or follow a specific script, but when I know what I'm working with I definitely like to plot and consider different scenarios and directions that I can take with each character, if I plot with someone they'll definitely know that I'm a yapper

FAVORITE PLOTS: I definitely like to write plots where I get to put my characters in uncomfortable situations where they have to adapt in order to navigate their way through the Chaos, one particular example was this Blair thread I had with a N muse a while back where he went to confront N after BW2 to settle their differences because while it was overall pretty low stakes there was also the Tension and the Storyline and he even started facing his fear of bugs because of it that was fun

WHERE YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM: Many different sources like anime, games, music as well as just spinning ideas around in my brain until something cool happens, there's this recurring joke with my RP partners from the old testament era that you can usually tell when I get into a new anime because it's reflected in my writing

FACT ABOUT YOU: I'm realizing that I need to update my rules pages across my different blogs because I graduated college like a year ago but I never know what to write there

SNATCHED FROM: @touyatiredforthis

[booktomoviebrawl]

We are not judging how bad the movie is, we are judging which adapted the book the worst. There are good movies that are bad adaptions.

Propaganda below the cut (spoilers may apply)

Ella Enchanted:

Literally just They Would Not Fucking Say That the whole time. Also wtf is up with the holding hands and singing with the ogres??? BOOK ELLA HELPED GET THEM KILLED

The movie completely missed the point of the book. The characters were changed, the plot was changed, the message was changed!! The book is a coming of age story that expands upon Cinderella, explaining all bizarre set ups on the story. Ella's autonomy is taken away from her constantly and it is a horrible struggle for her! In the movie, it is mostly treated as a joke. And we don't see Ella come up with creative ways to defy her curse, like she does in the book. The romance in the movie is a strange "not like other girls" story we see over and over again in movies. In the book, it is a friendship formed by two people who have a lack of control in their lives and become close friends who then fall in love after years of knowing each other. There are more reasons it was a bad adaptation but those are my main points of contention as of right now.

The book was subtle, witty and generally amazing. Ella is a strong character, the exploration of her grief over losing her mother takes up a good 1/3 of the book, all the characters are complex and interesting, and she and Prince Charmont are a romantic couple who actually like each other. Its messaging is about autonomy and strength of will, and its world is rich and interesting and well-built with all its magical creatures. Meanwhile, the movie strips out all of the complexities, completely changes the plot from Cinderella to Hamlet, makes Ella and Char a standard Bickering Romcom Couple, and makes its message more about "we all need to get along!" by making all the fantasy races boring and one-note. As a movie, it's...meh, but as an adaptation, THEY MURDERED MY GIRL!

Fahrenheit 451:

The attempt to modernize the story to include the internet really didn’t work. Neither did replacing the book people painstakingly preserving knowledge with dumb technobabble about rewriting a bird’s DNA to include the text of every book ever written. Worst of all was what they did to Clarisse McClellan; turning her from a blithe spirit who inspires Montag to be a better person into a traitor selling out the book people. They also aged her up to make her a love interest for Montag because of course they did.

Okay so I don't remember the plots that well since I only watched the movie once in middle school BUT I do remember how VISCERALLY ANGRY the movie made me feel. For one, they didn't stick to the plot of the book AT ALL. The movie killed the protag, Guy Montag, at the end, when he got to live and rebuild society in the book. In addition, there was a character, Clarisse McClellan, who was a teenage girl (and possibly a daughter figure to Montag) in the books, but then was aged up to be Montag's LOVE INTEREST in the movie, which felt incredibly gross to me. There are probably other things that I'm missing, but these are the two that I remember.

The original book is a perfect example of what happens when you suppress the written word. It focused less on the relationship with humans and technology and more on the freedom of press access. In a world only a few books are allowed, that would also mean only a few ideas would be.

Now I’m talking about the modern movie by HBO. The wife is gone, who stood as an amazing parallel to Guy Montag’s thoughts of her just being okay with living in her dystopia while Guy questioned it. The girl is now a love interested, while in the book she was there to help Montag explore his worldview more. Also, books was more about censorship than human’s relationship with technology. Yes there are themes of it. But the movie makes Montag into a social media star.

Speaking of Clarisse (the girl), she’s a traitor to the resistance in the movie, she tells Montag where the books of the old lady are. It’s the resistance against a world where free speech is limited. And the old lady goes “heres the code word” *sets herself on fire* while in the book after the books are set ablaze she just burns with them.

the books are also in the DNA of a bird.

Like what the fuck is this movie Fahrenheit 451 is an A-B type of story! If it ain’t broke. Don’t fix it

[baysaentrepmindinsights]

BMC Presentation, Feedback, and Adjustments

In this entry, I will be discussing the few changes that our group has decided to adapt to make our venture or business more appealing to future customers, as well as to our future investors and partners.

After the BMC Presentation, we are given pieces of advice by our panelists regarding our venture. Regarding the presentation, the panelists emphasized that it is important to specify all the necessary data needed for the BMC to be clear to the investors or whoever is interested in the venture. It is also best to include the source of capital which is the financing of the business. They then emphasized the importance of clarity in every aspect of the BMC, especially in the Revenue streams, Value propositions, and Customer relationship strategies. These suggestions are taken into great consideration.

As to the validation of students for our venture, we formulated a few questions that will be very helpful in making and improving our venture. Those questions are then incorporated and transferred in a Google form and 15 students answer the questions. Upon retrieving answers from our respondents, we analyzed and narrowed down their answers to come up with conclusions relevant to the improvement of the venture. In terms of having rental lockers, more than half of the respondents answered that they often need a place where they can place their belongings while on campus. Fourteen (14) respondents find this idea convenient in managing their belongings, while only one (1) answered slightly. They find it important to have a safe and secure place for their valuable things. Overall, the survey showed their interest in availing of this service and would recommend it to others. As to the rental umbrellas, the respondents answered that they are very likely and likely to rent these umbrellas given the changes in the weather while on campus, with only three (3) of the respondents answering unlikely. More than half of them believe that it is useful to have an umbrella rental service inside the campus. Ten (10) of the respondents answered that they often experience changes in the weather and wish that they could have an umbrella. The survey shows that they are likely to recommend the venture to others and agree that the combined locker and umbrella rental service would improve their campus experience.

The existence of a Public-Private Partnership in the University makes it easier for starting businesses to operate inside the campus. This will be a channel for us to introduce and build our venture. they also facilitate the necessary approvals and implementation processes of the business. This is beneficial, not only for us in the form of revenues but as well as for the improvement and enhancement of the facilities on the campus. In this way, we can be able to provide a good academic environment for the students. Partnership with the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) and the Security Office can also help us conduct a smooth transaction or operation with the students and provide safety in their valuable belongings when talking about leaving them inside the lockers during the day.

As to the cost structure, the initial plan was to provide rental stations to all ten (10) colleges. However, it is discussed among our group that it is better to cater to two (2) colleges to cut our start-up costs. This is a great move for us to assess what aspect of the business needs improvement and what other ways for us to handle the business better. In this way, we could prepare for more growth and expand the business efficiently.

The changes and adjustments made through our collaborative discussion truly helped in making a more efficient plan for the venture. We are also able to assess what other aspects of our business that need to be improved and enhanced.

[tammyhybrid21]

Generation 2 Iterators

(More Highlights)

Once again, won’t be a deep, deep dive, but-- Yeah. Just some more babble and headcanons, with a few bonus things.

Firstly, just like with the Gen 1 lineup, let me tell you who all above is:

No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns, Chasing/Grey Wind, Spire of Standing Clouds, Loss of Words, Branches Over Redwood, Deep Seas to Fathom, Sight of the Valley, Blue Rabbit Foot, A Pleasant Tone

Not all of them are important for the headcanon babble today, and some of them here aren’t even represented 100% perfectly in this lineup because it’s an older picture... Doesn’t really matter in the long term though. Generally consider a few of these guys still in design flux, but the canon characters do now officially have some form of references!

No Significant Harassment, Seven Red Suns and Chasing/Grey Wind in vague order of importance, or more like, in the order of how much I like them. There are hints for timeline, but honestly the only key thing you really need to know is deterioration happens.

I suppose you folks do want some more information, but I only really have some basic ideas for them. NSH has pretty obvious case. Basic, with or without Scarf, and then with the Rot. Because I am fully upon the train that it’s possible Hunter was a hint that NSH’s equipment failure was... a lot more than what we could immediately tell. Also I just think it’s a compounding, complementary tragedy, but that’s me. Suns meanwhile. Well you have the basic design, and then... Consequences is what I call the other ones. Not really going to dive into them so much but-- My view on Suns isn’t so great as people know I’m not impressed with them... which will carry. Then there’s Wind, basic. Lost communication and fallen. Again I don’t have so much to say about their design. Mostly because Wind is as hard for me to catch as the wind.

And just like with my other refs, my Avatar is basically just there as a reminder to myself about the heights... even if I do have other somewhat proper height charts for those... here it’s a good visual to have. Their antenna add so much extra height to them all except NSH, rest in pieces. Short antenna club is real.

Anycase, now that’s out of the way, what about some actual headcanons then?

Two pages of NSH headcanons first. Mostly because I LOVE NSH. Absolutely has to be one of my favourite of the canon iterators. Can’t beat Pebbles(or Moonie), but boy does he come close. Mostly because I really, really love characters who hide themselves. For one reason or another.

We get hints at depth and the tragic clown... and I just took and ran with it. My version of NSH is very much a complicated boy. Even if I mostly here expand a bit into his past. Boy was made as a science facility. Not specifically bioengineering although that’s definitely become his focus in the present time of Rain World, but he has... all the sciences I do think. I’ve seen other takes where he was a medical facility, but I think general science seems more in line.

NSH is THE SCIENTIST of the local group, the smart guy who is also funny. Yet tragic. “Liked by many, Known by few” type.

He also didn’t adapt well to having citizens, albeit different reasons that Moon. But I didn’t feel like I needed to repeat so much those factors. It just wasn’t an enjoyable time for him, he also is definitely a character who I think finds the hunt for the solution the most... boring thing to be working on.

That said, he will keep doing it. Just relegates it to the backburner a bit.

Oh Suns... And my lack of explanation on NSH unmasking in front of Moon and Pebbles... I think that can wait for a later set of headcanon scribbles at another point in time. But Suns, this guy, gal, non-binary fool.

Suns is full of abandonment issues in my eyes. I still cannot stand them very well, but am slowly coming a little bit closer to been more forgiving of their flaws as I linger in the fandom. But still, I am not kind to their depiction. But do lean more towards the head empty interpretation than any intentional maliciousness.

Just more desperation. My Suns got basically ignored by their local group, as well never quite had the full ball drop from their ancients. The benefits of their secondary purpose been host to a religious community I suppose. Religious and artistic community, who continued to highly view and value them. Unlike NSH who got the same shift from God to Tool...

Suns is just... also REALLY, REALLY BAD AT CHARISMA SKILL TREE. Suns can dress things up in pretty words and metaphor but man... they cannot read the room at all and tend to make things so, so much worse. As well they still buy into a lot of the more... problematic ideas handed down by the ancients...

Self-fulfilling prophecy of loss.

Finally Wind, with a few extra notes. I really wish I had more to say about Wind but this is kind of the best I have. Initially I was headcanoning them as group therapist, but it didn’t feel right with how they dropped the Erratic Pulse information, then I started to wonder why like that and well... we eventually ended up here with this... not very smooth interpretation.

Wind is a bit of... a not great person. To be fair all the iterators are traumatised messes, but yeah. My Wind, a bit of a trouble stirrer and gossip, even if they wouldn’t necessarily do the dirty part of spreading it themself. Their goals are very, kept to themself, they fade into the background and I think that’s how they like it.

They keep their secrets close to their chest, play it softly.

They have also unfortunately as a result had to deal with witnessing folks simping and despairing over their local group in gossip... also NSH is FEARED.

Sorry none of the OCs got highlights... they’re really going to stay on the backburner for the most for me. Even in my stories for now.

[greythrsoftware]

Key Takeaways from the Panel Discussion by HR Leaders

During the panel discussion at greytogether (greytHR’s customer meet in Bengaluru), six seasoned HR leaders put their heads together to deliberate on the HR Trends to Look Forward to in 2023. They shared a wealth of knowledge while touching upon emerging challenges, trends, best practices, and technologies every HR professional must know.

Top-of-Mind HR Challenges in 2023

Employees have now gotten used to working from home. Therefore, the HR folks are trying hard to engage them remotely to keep them happy and make them stay with the company.

During the pandemic, many people and teams worked in silos. According to a Microsoft survey, employees have not yet gone back to the level of collaboration that was happening before the pandemic.

The territories for doing business have expanded. Companies have started to do business remotely with various communication tools. Data protection is a formidable challenge in this scenario.

The existence of different generations has created a gap between the new guard and the old guard. Meeting room battles and ego clashes have become common.

Budgets and peer influence are the primary criteria for technology selection. Only some people are able to pinpoint the actual requirement to choose HR tech wisely.

HR acknowledges that burnout and stress among managers and leaders have becommajor problems for many organizations.

People work in different environments. Safety is a significant concern for those based in production facilities like factories. HR is tasked with identifying the risk factors and creating initiatives to deal with them.

Today’s interview candidates are eager to learn more about the company since they are concerned about job stability. Therefore, hiring has become a tall task. Also, employee retention is a major HR challenge since salary is not the only criterion for joining and staying in an organization.

When remote work happened suddenly, team members started working in silos. Although the managers did their bit to connect with people, HR faced a major hurdle in engaging and motivating employees remotely.

HR should be able to understand people from their perspective and show empathy when it matters. They must be made to feel confident and secure in the organization. In order to do this, every HR department has to rethink its policies and processes.

Nowadays, HR has the onus of connecting the goals of an individual with the bottom line of the business. They should also help employees see their contributions the same way the business sees them.

Every employee has to be happy and successful in an organization. Organizations should also be aware of the expectations of Gen Z. Only then can they succeed in retaining them. This can happen through engagement, training, and retraining.

The world is currently witnessing a lot of economic and political uncertainty. This affects the HR function and poses different challenges. Therefore, these team members need to be on their toes and strategize while performing their day-to-day activities.

In today’s work environment, the capabilities of managers and leaders matter a lot. They also need to be trained to be empathetic, adaptable, and resilient at all times. HR has to navigate all the emotional barriers to help them.

Employee well-being has gone beyond physical health. It covers multiple aspects, like emotional, mental, and financial well-being. All these aspects must be considered while designing and rolling out employee assistance programs.

Solutions, Best Practices & Technologies

It’s important to be cautious and prudent while choosing an HR tech solution. It’s a bad idea to pick something just because it is interesting or cost-effective. The choice has been based on multiple parameters, like the actual requirement, and vendor credibility, among others.

When it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, people think it’s only about training. But there’s a lot more to it. Conversations and training programs around DEIB and PoSH have to go beyond the head office. Today, technology has made it possible. The Internal Committee can connect with people at different locations.

Technology makes complex tasks easier. Grammarly, for example, allows recruiters to know how inclusive or gendered a JD or communication is. Such measures can help increase the chances of attracting more diverse talent.

Before investing in technology, it is crucial to have use cases and goals in mind. Productivity increases and employee experiences are usually the reasons for any tech implementation.

There are various wellness apps on the market. But not everybody will offer the kind of experience every employer seeks. Therefore, choosing vendors based on their experience and credibility is important. Also, the actual requirements of the organization are the most crucial criterion.

HR folks are akin to product managers! They too need to be versatile. They have to understand people, technology, and business to be productive and successful in their functions. Once these three dimensions are addressed, it becomes easier to choose the right technology.

Due diligence is critical for the selection of HR software The intelligence the tool offers, its interoperability, and the result it promises are crucial considerations when choosing a tool or platform.

Source Link

[rebrandedstoryline]

Rebranded - 14.1 - Moon’s Den

Here, we expand upon why Moon is so inclined to hide in the closet. We have a little 1 on 1 chat with Sun and Moon. Just a nice little segment for insight purposes.

Word Count: 1,714

There was a peculiar comfort to be found in the concept of confinement. The darkness and the tight space brought him a strange sense of security.

In a way it was reminiscent of the confinement he once experienced at Fazbear. Back when the virus still ran rampant in his code. Back when there were legitimate reasons to keep him locked away.

To verbally describe that period of his existence would be a difficult task.

Back then, it was the light which was used to keep him sealed away. Yet the binary space that he inhabited when dormant had always been perceived as complete and utter darkness. When he had been locked away, his sense of being became something of a dream. For as real as his fears were; for as real as the virus was; everything became so distant.

All the while, he could see through Sun’s eyes. He could hear through Sun’s ears. He could even feel the fear and the sorrow which had come to plague Sun’s code.

He felt the pain of the flames as their circuits had been fried.

None of those sensations had been his. They were all things that Sun felt and experienced, but thanks to their physical connection, he experienced these sensations all the same. He experienced them through a dark, unending fog. A fog which muffled and blurred every sense and sound which found its way to him.

If an animatronic could dream, then certainly that must be what dreams felt like. Something so real yet so undeniably not.

Those shared feelings had been the only form of comfort he had access to throughout his period of madness.

Now, after having been physically separated from Sun, it seemed that their connection had become little more than a distant memory. He could no longer achieve that distinct state of suspended animation and surrender his sense of being to Sun.

He could sleep. He could go dormant. But try as he might, anything he perceived now was entirely real and felt entirely so. That special disconnect no longer existed, because he and Sun no longer existed in a unified state. They were now two animatronics in two separate bodies. The rules which once governed their ability to function no longer applied.

And still, he craved that familiar seclusion. He craved the ambient state of being that once provided him security.

The closest that he could get to that feeling was this confinement. This tight space, where every movement was a tedious task; where the light could only peek in through a few small cracks. When in here, the voices of the outside world became muffled. If he closed his eyes and allowed his body to slump wherever it may, he could create the illusion of suspended animation.

It was not the same as the sensation he once experienced. But it was as close as he could get, and so it brought him comfort. Comfort that he needed now that he had been thrust into so many strange and unfamiliar situations.

He was not as keen as Sun when it came to adapting to the outside world. He was not so content with the idea of warming up to a stranger who had not yet proven themselves trustworthy.

Ayala was most definitely keeping secrets from them. Just as she was keeping secrets from the others around her. He would not be so quick to accept her attempts as lulling him into a state of security. His brother could be afforded the chance to indulge, but Moon felt the need to remain on high alert.

Everyone that he encountered was either an immediate threat or a future threat.

He could not afford to let his guard down. The instant that he allowed such weakness to take hold of him, it was over. Someone would come along to take advantage of it. If not Ayala, then certainly someone else. Most likely someone that would wind up having access to he and his brother through their connection to her.

Ergo, it didn’t matter whether or not she was being genuine with them. It didn’t matter if she was being earnest when it came to their care. Trusting her brought risks. Risks that he was not willing to take.

All he cared about was being able to protect Sun.

The ever familiar sound of his brother encroaching upon his space roused him from his state of ambiance. A soft and gentle tap was delivered to the wood that formed the barrier between their robotic bodies.

“”May I come in~?“” The chipper voice of his twin resonated within the confines of his mind. This was a communication silent to all else outside of them. These words were delivered electronically, through signals that could only be picked up by their intended recipient.

“”Of course.“” Moon replied in turn, his voice silent to anyone aside from Sun.

The door leading to the outside world was carefully opened, revealing the daytime attendant. They greeted him with a friendly expression. A wide smile and kind eyes.

What followed suit was some mild amusement as Sun proceeded to crawl his way into the closet to join his brother. Given how little room there was, this effectively meant that Sun wound up sitting on top of Moon.

Their limbs became tangled to some degree. Not enough to risk them actually getting stuck, but enough for them to require mutual cooperation in order to separate themselves.

“”Hmmm... Cozy~“” Sun remarked, playfully teasing his brother about the tight space as they proceeded to pull the door closed.

The nocturnal animatronic might have been in the mood for his brother’s company, but he was in no mood for the light. Which was somewhat ironic, given that both of them glowed in the dark to some degree.

At least Sun’s light was more appealing than the light of the outside world.

“”You’re the one who wanted to squeeze in here.“” Moon retorted, at least mildly amused by his brother’s playful antics. Though the space had grown even more cramped than it had been before, it was admittedly more comfortable now. The two once shared a body. Their AI had once been linked on multiple levels. A physical embrace like this was the closest that they could get to reliving that point in their lives.

“”Well, I thought you and Henry might like some company~“” Sun uttered in turn, admittedly confusing his brother a bit.

“”Henry?“” Moon inquired, confused as to who his twin was referring to.

“”The vacuum~ Ayala told me their name was Henry. Henry Hoover.“” Sun explained, awkwardly shifting about as best as he could to point to the vacuum in question.

Henry, meanwhile, did nothing. He was just an ordinary vacuum. What made him feel unique when compared to other electronics, was that he had a pretty coat of yellow paint and a happy smiley face painted on him.

The nighttime attendant offered something of a quiet, verbal hum in response to this information.

“”Henry, then? Hm. I suppose it suits him.“” Moon commented, seemingly having accepted that that was indeed the name of the little vacuum that he had grown so possessive of. To his credit, he probably wouldn’t have been able to think of a better name. Up until now he had simply referred to them as “V”, for Vacuum.

“”Well. Outside of giving me some company, what have you been up to today?“” He then inquired, curious as to what his brother might be wanting. While he did enjoy their company, he also assumed it was somewhat out of boredom. Ayala had been gone for most of the day. Ergo the house felt much emptier than usual.

“”Oh, me~? Well. I’ve been researching~“” Sun replied, sounding quite proud of himself as he did so. This rightly piqued the nocturnal animatronic’s interest.

“”Researching? Researching what, exactly?“” Moon questioned, admittedly rather curious of what his brother had been up to. He knew that they had been taking advantage of the recent internet access in order to broaden their horizons, so to speak. Sun was always eager to learn how to do new things, especially if he felt that it would make him more useful to others.

“”Gardening~!“” Sun exclaimed, shifting as best as he could to put physical emphasis into his silent proclamation. His statement only coaxed a mildly confused expression out of his twin. The solar attendant reacted to this by offering a chipper little chuckle.

“”So, all of those trees and other plants outside were planted by Ayala and her family. Apparently, most of the fruit trees only recently started to yield fruit. I decided that I would start to help her with the gardening, soooo I’ve been doing some research~“” He explained. Moon offered a quiet laugh in response.

There it was. Sun had just gone and taught himself about something specifically because they wanted to be helpful. It was cute. But boy oh boy did Moon wish that his brother would take advantage of their new freedom and actually learn to do something just to make themselves happy.

He likely would have commented as much, had his sensors not honed in on the arrival of a living entity. While he knew that it was most likely just Ayala returning home, he could not help but become somewhat uneasy. It was an instinctive response at this point. He was unlikely to even attempt to vacate the closet until after it had become clear that Ayala was the person who had just arrived. Given that Sun was somewhat tangled up with him, it also meant that they could not try to leave the closet just yet.

Moon simply responded to the sudden presence of a human by going still and silent in order to gauge the situation. His brother had little choice but to go along with it. Not that they would complain.

Whether Moon knew it or not, Sun had been given a rough estimate as to when Ayala was due to return home. So part of him wanting to keep his brother company was a sort of attempt at making them more comfortable during this inevitable period of tension.

As of now, it was hard to tell if he was doing a good job.

[expert-111]

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[ravnicaforgoblins]

Ravnica for Golbins

The Simic Combine

History: All we know about the Parun/Founder of the Combine was that they were known as “Simic”. With its original purpose being to preserve and nurture lifeforms, the Simic also made up doctors, hospitals, and medical institutions on the plane. As the city expanded, the Combine, in what would become iconic for the Guild, adapted & evolved. The three most important periods in the Guild’s history (those being the three we know anything about) are during the eras of Guildmasters/Prime Speakers Momir Vig (Pre-Decamillennial), Zegana (Post-Decamillennial-Living Guildpact Era), and Vannifar (Living Guildpact Era-Present).

Momir’s Era was marked by the visionary’s desire to not just nurture lifeforms, but to improve on the original design. He developed & championed the cytoplasts, which could be used to improve the lives of Ravnican citizens with missing limbs or even voluntary upgrades utilizing biomancy technology. We can restore sight to the blind, yes, but why settle for normal eyes when chameleon eyes are so much more useful? Which is about when the city’s fear of the unusual but well-meaning denizens of the Guild began finding solid ground to stand on. Momir’s cytoplasts were such revolutionary technology that he became frustrated with the slow pace of acceptance by the rest of the city. The average citizen was significantly less excited about the idea of body modifications than members of the Combine were. At which point, his next idea was to develop cytoplasts that could bond with hosts on contact, negating the need for consent. And with that, the worst fears of Ravnican citizens came to life (literally). The final straw came from Momir’s secretive Project Kraj. On a basic level, Project Kraj was simply a larger form of Cytoplast utilizing cerebral fluid from Izzet Dragons. Momir’s intended purposes for the enormous organism, however, were never discovered, as he was assassinated moments after activating Project Kraj. The Gargantuan Ooze went wild, calling forth every cytoplast in Ravnica to be reabsorbed into it. This was immediately problematic for every Ravnican citizen using a cytoplast for injuries and medical conditions, and then problematical shortly thereafter for all of Ravnica that had the misfortune to be in the path of the rampaging Kaiju-sized experiment. Project Kraj was ultimately stopped after the Demonlord Rakdos was swallowed whole, putting both himself and Project Kraj into respective comas and allowing the rogue cytoplast to be disassembled.

Zegana’s Era was marked by the Fathom Edict, which marked a new start for the Combine after the downfall of Momir Vig. The discovery of the Zonots & underground oceans beneath the surface of Ravnica, introduction of the Merfolk to the plane in greater numbers, and attempts to earn back the trust of the rest of Ravnica were the most notable events of this period. It marked the beginning of recognizing the Simic Guildmaster as Prime Speaker for a council of leaders chosen from the major Zonots of Simic territories. This decision was one of many made to prevent radical biomancers from using Combine resources for more uncontrollable experiments like Project Kraj. Zegana proved a strong choice for the role, being much more reserved than her predecessor, insisting she held her position as Prime Speaker only at the behest of the Council, and would graciously step down if the Council decided her leadership was insufficient.

That time came following the ascension of Jace Beleren to his role as Living Guildpact for the city. Vannifar, a much more radical Zonot Speaker who had been building up followers during Zegana’s era, put forth that Zegana’s leadership was far too passive. She believed Zegana’s Utopian approach to Simic technology advanced too slowly to adequately prepare for impending violence should the Living Guildpact falter in his watch (as he does often). Rival Guilds were amassing armies and encroaching upon Simic territories at alarming rates, and the Combine needed to reassert its power. Vannifar argued in favor of a big risk/big reward system of experimentation, citing her own proto-plasmic form as an example of the rewards of pushing the boundaries. Her method brought about the Guardian Project, a secret army of super soldiers pushing adaptation to the limits of science, law, and morality. This secret project proved itself a major boon when Ravnica was invaded by an army of unparalleled scope & might, but the question remains what will become of the Guardians & Vannifar’s rule now that the war is over.

Organization: The Simic are split up into two main factions; Utopians and Adaptationists.

Utopians, led by Zegana, Speaker of Zonot One, seek to pursue slow, steady growth towards an ideal balance between nature & civilization. These Simic very much keep out of Ravnica’s politics between other Guilds, remaining impartial & neutral as best they are able. It is very much a peaceful philosophy built on ideals.

Adaptationists, led by Vannifar, Speaker of Zonot Three, are those who believe Utopian science to be moving too slow, and that the Combine needs to be prepared for inevitable war. They believe in taking bigger risks, pushing boundaries, and taking a more aggressive approach against future Guild attacks. It could be called a philosophy built on emotions.

Alignment Spectrum: The Simic Combine probably has the broadest spectrum of alignment among the Guilds. Utopians occupy mostly Lawful or Neutral alignments in their efforts to preserve balance, nurture lifeforms, and put the Guild’s dark past behind them. Adaptationists occupy the more Chaotic alignments, spending more time asking “can I do it?” than “should I do it?”. This is not to say Utopians cannot have Evil force mages (druids) who see Ravnica’s titanic cityscape as throwing nature out of balance and seek to correct this imbalance. Nor does this mean Adaptationists cannot have plucky young Lawful Good biomancers (wizards) who believe they are opening the eyes of Ravnica to the good the Combine can do. Every Guild suffers from the misunderstandings between the Guilds, and every Guild makes their share of mistakes to add to the constant state of conflict that is the Ravnican status quo.

Signature Elements: The Simic Combine is the Blue & Green Guild, which has its foundational identity in Intelligence & Growth. This is where Science & Nature combine. All Simic draw their power from nature and use their brilliant minds to advance & apply it to solve conflicts. Theirs is a living, breathing science, as opposed to the more theoretical & elemental science of the Izzet League. Simic science is organic, long-term, and resilient. In addition, as most Simic territory is underwater, everything they do has aquatic elements to it. Clothing, armor, weapons, and modifications contains elements from jellyfish, octopus, crabs, sharks, seaweed, anemones, coral, and every kind of fish imaginable. Every Simic not only learns to swim, but thrives underwater. Merfolk, Tritons, Vedalken, Elves, and a surprisingly vast population of humans make up the Combine, in addition to thousands of experiments that range from housecat-sized to Leviathans. Plus, whereas most aquatic species suffer disadvantages on dry land & especially in urban environments, Simic philosophy has problem-solving as a core tenet. A member of the Combine works at a problem until they devise a solution to address it, meaning that no problem can ever stop you for long. You thrive on change, more so than any other Guild, and are always making progress on a project of some variety. Your magic typically has swirls, coils, and undersea nature elements to it. As is fitting for the Combine, it also leans towards bolstering and adapting your allies, yourself, or nature around you to resolve a situation. If a Simic is locked in a prison cell, they might adapt themselves to an invertebrate form to squeeze through the bars, grow a lobster appendage to break the lock, or camouflage themselves to make the guards think they’ve escaped before ambushing them when they get close. Simic magic always calls back to nature, be it an electric eel for Shocking Grasp, stonefish spines for Poison Spray, or angler fish for Dancing Lights. Last but certainly not least, high-level Simic are known & feared for their Kaiju-sized Krasis, which may lack the inherent strength of a natural creature that size like dragons or elementals, but is still plenty good for a display of power.

Your Role in Ravnica: Simic usually keep to themselves and their Zonots, working on their experiments and making advances in their respective fields. They do projects for the city above relating to bolstering nature in such a manner as to allow it & the city to coexist together, but mostly they focus on the nature in their underground oceans as it has far less people, buildings, politics, and other Guilds in it. The city often forgets (or tries to), but the Simic do have their roots as the medical professionals of Ravnica, meaning almost every doctor’s office, clinic, and hospital is owned, operated, and staffed by the Simic. In this world, that universal fear of healthcare has less to do with affording it and more to do with “I just wanted you to make the rash go away, why do I now have scales?!”. You are the Guild whose doors are always open but whom rarely have visitors. Which is a shame, because Simic are extremely passionate folks who make great drinking buddies. Too many people just can’t see passed the gills and extra limbs.

Your Territory: The Simic territory is largely unmapped, but unmistakable when you see it. Zonots, massive sinkholes that lead into the underground oceans, opened up within the last hundred years and quickly became centers of Combine activity. There are Nine Zonots (numbered as such) that are the largest areas of Simic society, each one represented by a Speaker. Lore & information has only been released regarding some of those nine.

Zonot One, led by Zegana, is the smallest of these nine, but always maintaining their Utopian vision and keeping tabs on Vannifar’s more extremist propositions.

Zonot Three houses the Guardian Project’s secretive headquarters and is led by Vannifar, pushing biomancy as far as it can go.

Zonot Four is led by Trifon, a rare subspecies of amphibious troll, and used to trade with the Golgari Swarm for valuable biowaste materials & fungal specimens, but has become increasingly militaristic as the Swarm has begun encroaching upon its territory with new undead equipped for underwater combat in the lightless depths. The Simic in this ecosystem are also the largest among the Guild, and focused almost exclusively on defending the Combine from potential invaders.

Zonot Five is the tourist Zonot of the Simic, where citizens from the city can explore Simic and stare in wonder & awe at the world under the sea. Very much the olive branch between the Combine and the world above.

Zonot Seven is the most public Zonot, as well as the only one located in Ravnica proper. It houses Zameck, the Simic Guildhall where the Speakers convene. By far the busiest & most populated Zonot, it can be found in Precinct Five of the Tenth District.

The Simic are further divided into Clades, each of which specialize in specific fields of research & study. Hull Clade, which focuses on the military side, develops new armor, weapons, and adaptations to improve durability. Fin Clade works in resources & transportation. Gyre Clan studies magic, patterns in nature, and revitalization. It is also the Clan most likely to cooperate with other Guilds, specifically those with ties to the natural world (including the Gruul).

Your Guildhall: Zameck is where Speakers from all Nine Zonots gather to discuss new developments, update on projects, and propose new ones. It is reserved for only these meetings, never diverging from this one purpose. It has a spiral central table and a podium for presentations by individual Speakers. The whole thing has a very underwater base feel, with glass walls and aquatic features to create the feeling that the chamber is, in fact, underwater.

Your Guildmaster: Depending on your Era, your Guildmaster may be one of a few individuals. Pre-Decamillennial (which I never recommend) would be Momir Vig, the embodiment of the mad scientist who takes science too far and answers to no one but his own undeterred ambitions. Post-Decamillennial would be Zegana, passive, peaceful, and cooperative. Post-Living Guildpact would be either Zegana at the end of her tenure of Vannifar at the start of hers. Tensions are rising, extremist voices aren’t being overruled as much as they used to, and the race to weaponize biomancy is already passing the halfway point. Your relationship with your Guildmaster regardless will be one of receiving orders from above and applying them to your research. You may encounter your Guildmaster in their respective Zonots, labs, or in passing, but you’re usually just as busy as they are. In battle, all are capable spellcaster combatants, but the real threat is almost always their most prized experiment, an apex among Simic creations. A kraken, a sky swallower, a stage 3 krasis, or something along those gargantuan lines.

Why You’re Awesome: You are the most customizable & adaptable Guild on Ravnica. Not only can you change your spells if they aren’t working out, you can change your own biology if features aren’t working out. Being Simic combines the best aspects of being an Artificer, a Druid, and a Ranger into one package. The limitations to these resources will be based on your level & renown within the Guild, but once you’ve started making a name for yourself you can have your own laboratory and bioengineering pods for your experiments! The best way to make progress is to show how your work adapts in problem-solving scenarios, and the best way to engage in problem-solving scenarios is out in the field, or, more accurately, the streets of Ravnica. Your greatest asset in being an adventurer is having your eyes opened to new ideas outside those developed within the closed ecosystems of the Zonots. This Guild is a promising fit for Wizards, Druids, Rangers; as well as Fighters, Paladins, Barbarians, and Rogues if you wish to be on the receiving end of experimentation more than the experimenter. Simic are progressive, it’s the very essence of the Guild.

Why You’re Problematic: It’s been 80+ years, but Ravnica has not forgotten Momir Vig & Project Kraj. Nor will they ever. To many, those of the Simic Combine will always be seen as mad scientists & mutant makers dabbing in laws of nature that should be left alone. They will experiment & create until they are satisfied, and they are never satisfied. This paranoid viewpoint is not helped by the presence of the Krasis, living examples of everything the average citizen fears about the Simic. It also does not help that Krasis are widely known to break out of their stasis pods or off their leashes and wreak havoc in the city. It’s hard being the only one of your kind in an unfamiliar & noisy place. It’s harder when you are a 2-story Frogodile whose natural instincts are to flee, climb, and spit acid at threats. Even under the best of leadership circumstances, you are constantly at war with the "life finds a way” scenario of Jurassic Park with your experiments. At least when the Izzet blow something up, it’s their own property that gets wrecked. Izzet experiments stay in the lab, yours do not. Add in that certain leaders hold more extremist views that push even Simic boundaries of morals & ethics for experimentation, and all that work put into the campaign for acceptance by the general public is in serious danger of being shot in the face.

Myths: You’re all mad scientists.

The Simic play God.

You’ve lost touch with your own humanity.

You’re weird.

Aquatic races suck.

Krasis are abominations that will eat children.

You want us all to end up freaks like you.

Reality: You are passionate.

You see possibility where others don’t, can’t, or won’t.

Simic experiments never strip one’s identity, that defeats the purpose.

On Ravnica, being weird is normal, being normal is weird.

You are the only population on Ravnica that can swim, at all.

A krasis, like any pet, only bites when it feels scared or threatened.

Better half-fish than full-asshole.

[azureflight]

So, I have just binged the first season of The Remarried Empress

And I have some thoughts:

First of all, I am really curious as to how Navier will react when she learns that her new husband has been preparing for a war of conquest against the country empire of her ex-husband, which also happens to be her home country. That war, is gonna be doozy.

Beyond that, however, their reputation is at an all time low and their have their work cut out for them in the Western Kingdom.

There was some merit to the argument that marrying an experienced, well respected lady who knows state craft would help with Heinrey’s image to become more serious, however, the circumstances of their affair did the exact opposite.

For now, it looks like their playboy king went and involved himself with an international scandal, having an illicit affair with the empress of the neighboring kingdom and getting himself in trouble.

Far from looking mature, he looks like a fool who almost got himself killed and a war started over his dick.

Navier, on the hand, looks like a cold and calculating seductress. It looks like as soon as her husband brought a mistress she immediately began to work on an out, seduced the obviously foolish prince and then jumped ship. It makes her look greedy, power hungry and potentially vindictive.

Not to mention, I won’t be surprised if people start to assume the real reason for the divorce was partially the affair between Navier and Heinrey and that Sovieshu didn’t like being cheated on.

Being a foreigner with an image of too reserved and “shrewd” was enough for the people of Western Kingdom to demonize Naiver, but with all the surrounding scandals, it is almost a given. This is some Helen of Troy level shit show, The Diplomatic Edition. 

And I don’t think her simply being a good queen will be enough. Yes, Navier is pretty great in the affairs of the state, understands how actual ruling works and is a highly qualified bureaucrat. Unfortunately, none of that matter to common folk, they don’t see it. They can tell when their own life gets better/worse, but it takes time for those effects to cascade, and the credit can easily be stolen, blame easily shfited, her normal queenly work, along with charities won’t be enough.

Not to mention, any future tensions with Eastern Empire will be blamed on her. People will either think she is the one doing it as revenge, or it is happening because of her. Either way, future war can easily be blamed on her, which would rapidly erode whatever goodwill or sway the crown has over their subjects.

They need to find a way to quickly ingratiate both of them with the public.

Looking at the way the relations were perceived in the Eastern Empire before the whole divorce shit show, it doesn’t look like actual politics of war has been initiated by the Western Kingdom. Heinrey and his crew were getting prepared, yes. But it doesn’t look like they had started to sell the idea of a war to the public. Before any action can be taken, the population and the army, nobility, merchant class and various other key holders need to be convinced that the war is righteous, just and necessary.

On that regard, I think Heinrey’s plant o declare himself emperor and rename his realm an empire can work, if done right.

People like bold young kings who try to grow the power of the realm. His declaration is sure to take over the news and scandals of his marriage, as that would be a major diplomatic shift involving all other realms. 

Symbolic as it may seem, titles and names actually hold a lot of weight. A peer suddenly starting to call themselves with a higher and more prestigious title, is sure to not only irk potential rivals, but also make them feel agitated and threatened. After all, why would you start calling yourself emperor, if you aren’t gonna try to exert dominion over fellow kings, or try to directly challenge the other emperor?

This move has the potential to be seen arrogant and foolish, but done right, it could be a moment of national pride for Western Kingdom’s folk. I might be reading too much into this, however, from Heinrey’s inner dialogue as well as his brief conversations with comrades, it looks like the people (or at least some people) in the Western Kingdom feel like they are being looked down upon by the East, and have immense pride in their own military might.

So this declaration could be their moment of standing up for themselves and their own worth, refusing to be content with a lesser position. If done right, if sold right, this could immensely chance the current dynamic. Then Navier being a well known and skillful empress would actually come into play.

People may not care about it by default, but once conversation shifts to whether Western Kingdom deserves to be an empire or not, having a “real” empress, a highly regarded lady with exceptional breeding, would actually work to legitimize them. While Eastern Empire will have a lowborn, tactless, potentially fugitive slave, as their empress.

This could help rebrand any tensions between Western Kingdom and Eastern Empire. Instead of being about or caused by Navier, it would be about the west calling themselves an empire and the east trying to stop them. That could galvanize the public, the army, and would work well with the pride and ambitions of the nobility.

Another thing that could work, is a trade deal with Luipt to expand reach to another continent. It certainly fits the image of wanting to elevate the status and power of the Western Kingdom. In this case, Navier and Kaufman already being familiar, having a relatively close relationship and having already done the bureaucratic aspect of it once, helps. They could quickly arrange the deal and it would be a move that helps them not only domestically, but internationally.

The empress of the east gets divorced and the diplomat of the Luipt immediately goes to her new kingdom and gets a deal there? That makes it look like the actual power and potential of the east was the empress. It sends the signal that Western Kingdom’s imperial ambitions have merit and international support. That would shift the other kingdoms from hostile to adaptable, willing to change to whom they give more regard.

Another kingdom so readily and swiftly accepting their deal would also makes westerners feel validated. And again, an ambitious trade project to another continent would quickly make the whole imperial deal legitimate act of national growth, instead of it seeming like a foolish playboy’s attempt to appease his manipulative lover.

There shouldn’t bee too much of a time gap between those two however, and it shouldn’t take too long to declare the whole empire thing either. Otherwise their impact on correcting the images of Navier and Heinrey as well as justifying their new titles would be lessened to the point of being irrelevant.

Beyond those, I wonder how the dynamic between east and west will playout. Sovieshu is a fool who is way in over his head. Can Heinrey use it?

We have seen both courtiers and loyal aides, as well as other nobles make loud and quite indignant objections to the whole divorce. They won’t all just change their loyalty, obviously. However, this could be a sticking point for many years to come, a wedge that can be exploited.

If Sovieshu antagonizes Navier’s family, that could greatly alarm and upset the other high ranking nobles. Surely, there will be those who will enjoy it as they would be rivals with Trovis, however, no noble, especially no duke, will like how quickly the emperor discarded and sabotaged such an elevated family. It goes against all of their senses of safety and specialty.

In these type of societies, most of the loyalty is owned to individuals, not to “people” or to the land. There are exceptions, obviously, however, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that with Navier’s marriage to Heinrey, several nobles who may be displeased with Sovieshu could start looking to the Western Kingdom as a better patron. If the west can start stripping nobles from the eastern empire, that whole war would not only be an easier sell, but way easier to win. Remember, all those nobles have their own armies.

Overall, I am quite excited for the second season, let’s see how it all goes. Maybe all of my guesses and prediction are wrong, maybe the story will go in an entirely irrelevant direction. I’m just here for the right and speculating is fun while waiting :D

[teruthecreator]

okay. thoughts on the grad finale

gonna slap it under a readmore bc i’m Sure i’m gonna ramble. 

uh spoiler warning for the finale of taz graduation, as well as spoilers for the season in general.

also, these are my own thoughts of how the season went, what the themes were, etc! if you don’t agree with me, that’s fine! but i don’t wanna have a convo w you in the replies about it i’ll be honest. if you want to share your opinion so badly, make your own post, alright? that good? we cool?

aight. so. finale thoughts.

to make it short: i think the finale was a satisfying end of a very good arc. 

to expand upon that, let me share what i think the themes of graduation were and why the finale satisfies those themes. 

i made a post about this a while back (here it is if you want) but my honest belief was that the theme of graduation was self-reliance: the concept that you don’t allow yourself to be governed by forces that go against your own beliefs. this concept was coined by essayist ralph waldo emerson to talk about how the american people shouldn’t allow the government to create laws that go against the will of the people. now, understandably, this feels very anti-capitalist which is what i think a lot of fans believed was reflected through the season. 

but, in reality, self-reliance has more to do with being active in your government and making sure you’re being represented the way you want to be by your representatives. that’s sort of the vibe emerson was going for in his essay, and i think. in a sense? that translates to graduation. but i took self-reliance in the more metaphorical about breaking away from those things that are controlling you. which, in graduation, was A Lot Of Things. 

the way i saw it, there were two major groups that inflicted order upon the world and the thundermen--conveniently separated as order and chaos (not the deities though, just the concepts). 

the order half of control existed mostly through the school and the HOG. the HOG created the economic reliance on the heroes and villains system, which removed all literal meaning from those terms and turned them into bureaucratic titles. society existed under these very strict checks and balances; heroes and villains supplied money to the kingdom in terms of entertainment, which then boosted that kingdom’s creditability and allowed them to contribute more to nua’s economy, which then led heroes and villains to have a higher demand, thus perpetuating the cycle. it’s important to note that this term does not represent the sort of morality we expect for heroes and villains--hell, even the term “evil” turned into an arbitrary term used to show those heroes and villains who failed the system. this is the more prominent representation of control that the thundermen break away from in achieving their own self-reliance. they don’t see the value in a system that holds no real moral code (fitzroy Especially, but i’ll get into that in a bit), and can’t help the public when there’s actually a serious situation. as we saw with althea in the beginning, the HOG had no way to help the thundermen when they were dealing with the whole Demon Prince situation (as he had already placed some of his own people in there, proving these kind of systems are easily corruptible). so this wasn’t a system meant to Actually create heroes and villains--it was just a way of boosting the economy. 

the chaos half of control existed primarily through grey and Chaos. grey represented how chaos could be controlled, through various means. he planted that tree for the centaurs to fight over because he knew it would constantly create conflict, which he enjoyed. he kept the school under a watchful eye to prevent anyone from stepping out of line with his grand ideas, and used several manipulation tactics to try and get his way (most notably, his own admittance of grooming fitzroy into joining his side, which didn’t work). grey was the perfect example of how chaos does not automatically mean a lack of control. he was very controlling in how he did things because he had an endgoal: find hieronymous and have a war. but he didn’t even realize he was contributing to a greater idea, that being Chaos’s insistence on causing general disarray. as we realize now, Chaos’s plan was both for them and Order, but i’m leaving Order out for a second because they only really rear their head in towards the end. for the most part, audiences were led to assume that Chaos was the Big Bad(TM); they were the one pulling the strings, allowing things to happen to cause general chaos and disarray. them supplying random mortals with their endless power was a way to plant chaos into the world of nua; but it was a chaos they controlled. fitzroy resisting them was not simply a refusal to bend to Chaos, but it was resisting the control put on him through his magic. 

these systems were constricting the thundermen on both sides. when they thought they’d find help in one side, they were disappointed to find that there was nothing anyone could do. the only people who could fix their problems were...them. so they forged a new path, set new ideas, and became self-reliant. that’s what i think is the most important aspect of graduation; not the anti-capitalist implications of turning over the economic and political systems in place, but the idea that if nothing that is supposed to help you is actually helping that you can just...do your own thing! 

and i think that’s what the finale really shows, at the end of the day. that these forms of control were not doing anything helpful, and were in fact ruining the fabric of space-time! that’s where i think Order comes in because Order is really...the ultimate culmination of control. they are aware that Everything being done will benefit their cause. the HOG? well, they make sure everybody’s so incompetent that they can do their work. grey? well, he’ll contribute to the plan without even realizing it. they even manipulated Chaos and enacted their own form of control over Chaos to make sure that they had no reason to believe that this plan couldn’t go wrong. but Order knew. Order always knew there was a chance for error, and that chance was very great. but they didn’t care! so long as they had control of things, they could try a hundred times to get it right. they had no care for mortals, unlike Chaos. 

the thundermen showing Chaos the truth is the final jenga piece that collapses this tower of control. which is why the finale is so great. 

travis does a phenomenal job of incorporating chaos (general chaos) into the battle mechanics. it may be stupid and slightly arbitrary, but having them change forms randomly and having to adapt to those new circumstances really does exemplify the season!!! the thundermen were constantly forced into new situations (being sidekicks/henches, fitzroy becoming a villain, being let in on the heiro dog situation, the unbroken chain trial, joining forces w grey, etc.), and in all of them they simply found a way to adapt and keep working their way. which made the finale generally interesting and also thematically interesting! 

i think my favorite part of the entire fight scene is right at the end, when argo chucks the shark’s tooth necklace at Order. and time stops. and they’re given a choice. 

the fact that they leave it to a coin toss?? oh my god...how fucking FITTING!! like, that’s disorderly. that’s going your own way. it’s new, it’s terrifying, it has DIRE UNKNOWNS ON EITHER SIDE, but it’s what they do! and...it ends up working out! i think it would’ve worked out either way, but the fact that they left it up to chance really shows how they aren’t allowing anything to control their actions. 

AND THEN WE GET TO THE EPILOGUE. MY GOD I LOVE THE EPILOGUE I’M GONNA GO OFF SO MUCH. 

first off, i loved hearing how Nua adapts to losing this very significant form of government/economic contributor and turns to more people-based work. citizens uniting together, fixing things, making amends, THAT’S SELF-RELIANCE BABEY!!! THAT’S THE WHOLE EMERSON SHIT! HAVING A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THAT ACTUALLY HAS THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE AT LARGE!!! YEAHHHHHHHHH THAT’S THE WHOLE SELF-RELIANCE THING!

now, i’ll break it down by characters: 

fitzroy

GOD. LOVE IT. FIRST OFF, absolutely ADORED how his character arc involved him stripping himself of these self-assigned titles because he actually has an identity that is all his own and he doesn’t NEED arbitrary titles to prove his worth because HE HAS IT IN HIMSELF. not to self-plug or anything, but that’s ssoss!fitzroy’s WHOLE SHIT. I’VE ALREADY BEEN ON THIS TRAIN, BITCH, AND TO KNOW I GOT IT SO RIGHT...GOD. FEELS GOOD. 

but also, i just really enjoy how his ending went in general. the fact that he doesn’t really know what he wants to do, so he just...does stuff he likes to do? that’s so good! because, if you remember, fitzroy had a Very set schedule of life events when the campaign started. he was going to get his wiggenstaffs degree, go back knight school, get his knight school degree, and then go to goodcastle. but all of that was based on a very limited understanding of himself. 

fitzroy’s character arc has primarily focused finding himself, specifically in terms of identity. for someone who was bullied for his past, the present formation of himself was Extremely important to fitzroy. he thought that shutting out his past and taking on this grandiose title of knighthood would make him something more than himself. he would no longer be fitzroy; the poor, country kid trying to make it in a big world. he’d be Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt; respected, honored, revered, with a title to prove it. 

he explains to fauxronymous (pre-reveal grey) that the reason he wanted to be a knight was because he wanted to assist in doing good. morally good. fitzroy has Always had a very clear sense of his morality; this comes through when he refuses Chaos on the basis of many people having to die if he agreed. but being a knight also had the added of bonus of a very respectable title that no one would want to look beyond, which fitzroy felt he needed because...i don’t think he Saw anything beyond that. in himself. he wasn’t himself for a very long time, and i don’t know if he ever thought he would be again. he’d wear this new identity, start a new life, and be happier....he hoped. 

then, things changed! and he started to realize that arbitrary titles don’t do shit because plenty of people with Big Important Titles ended up being Awful People! so he started to value himself For Himself; his wit, his humor, his strength, his magical prowess. and, i think, he started to wonder what knighthood was Really about. was it about upholding a moral good? or was it just another bureaucracy filled with people who won’t do shit when things get bad. 

i think this is why him becoming a lawyer is fitting. especially because of the reasoning he gives sylvia nite. now for A LOT OF PEOPLE, i’m sure they hear lawyer and assume some corporate hotshot who doesn’t give a shit about people. but fitzroy is Not applying to be a corporate laywer. he SPECIFICALLY telsl sylvia that he wants to help people who cannot help themselves, and he wants to do good in that way. THAT kind of lawyer is more of the pro-bono, district lawyer. the ones that don’t make crazy amounts of cash, but help those who cannot afford lawyers and represent them when the government is fucking them over. those lawyers don’t rely on title, they rely on principle. 

that’s the perfect representation of fitzroy’s growth. holding his identity within himself, while still trying to do good by those who need it. 

firbolg (aka gary) 

i think the firbolg’s ending is so unique but so...right for him. his character arc has really been focused around finding his family. he had one, in the beginning, in his clan. but that didn’t end up, y’know...working out that much. so he had to go out into the world alone--something that firbolg’s are rarely--and try and navigate these foreign spaces all by himself. 

we see very early on how he latches onto the idea of groups. he likes being considered a part of the thundermen; he very much hoists himself upon the CFO title and wears it proudly. i think, where fitzroy needed to find identity within himself, the firbolg needed to find it within other people. which is completely okay! he’s still an individual, but you can tell he finds comfort in numbers because that’s what he is used to. 

him going back to his clan was, i believe, his finally severance with his identity as “firbolg”. he would never be welcomed back to his clan, and one of the few people in his life who supported him was now dead. but his father was proud of him; his father was happy he seemed to find his own clan, even if it wasn’t with other firbolgs. from that moment on, i think the firbolg begins to try finding himself within the thundermen. within his friends.

so his epilogue is neat! it definitely captures the loneliness he feels on his own, and how he feels lost with himself without others. i think it might seem silly to some that he would become a gary, but i think it’s fitting. the garys were always present in his time at school, and they were always helpful. they didn’t mind how long it took him to talk because the gary’s are stone gargoyles--what the fuck do they care about time? it was a group that the firbolg saw as familiar to him--always willing to help, slow, stony, and attuned to a larger group. 

and i think the way gary takes this idea of unity and family and puts it into financial assistance just...it just ties everything together! we saw how attached he got to the concept of finances, thanks to his very confusing accounting class. so he had all of this new knowledge--this knowledge that represented a separation from firbolgs--and this new clan. and he used it to help other clans and families!! i think the fact that the Garys financial advice works specifically with groups is what makes this so fitting. because gary wants families to feel stable within themselves; he understands how finances can create struggle and divides, and he wants to provide relief. 

giving financial advice to communities so they rely on themselves and not the government (aka inviting them to be controlled once more) is a VERY self-reliant concept. not that i think gary’s goal is to have no social networks to exist, but he wants to give communities the ability to rely on one another and foster that feeling of togetherness. so groups aren’t fighting over things, but are trusting and loving and relying. 

just like gary’s always wanted. and just like what he has with the thundermen.

argo 

argo’s ending is probably the funniest, but also the sweetest. i think that argo’s character arc revolved around finding his place. we see how argo’s early personality and motivations revolved around his past. he very much had a revenge story since the start; he wanted to enact revenge on the commodore for murdering his mother, no matter what it took. which made him very limited!! in terms of the self. he saw himself less for what he was now, and what he was then. and what he couldn’t do then. 

we see how much he finds comfort in being a part of the thundermen, but also how he feels...out of place. i think this is because a part of him is still attached to his past and doesn’t think he can do anything beyond his set plan. the unbroken chain certainly contributes to this, by not only separating him from the trio but also reinforcing his connection to his past through his mother’s involvement in the unbroken chain. 

the commodore also being a part of the unbroken chain is, i think, what causes the shift from past to present within argo. his life’s goal is standing right in front of him--attached to the group his mother once was a part of--with his friends at his side. letting the thundermen in on his history is the start of bridging these two halves of argo. and the fact that the thundermen are so willing to helps makes argo feel more a part of the team and more a part of this reality. 

when he kills the commodore, it isn’t intense. it isn’t overly dramatic (minus the fight prior, which was BADASS), it isn’t crazily staged. it is argo, staring down the commodore who lies prone on the ground. 

he kills himself unceremoniously and completes his life-long mission. 

what becomes of him in the epilogue is the culimination of both past and present. he takes what he knows and loves (the sea, the mariah, sailing) and blends it with what he’s come to love now (his friends, this adventure, and making people happy). there are SO many instances where argo uses performance to his advantage. this man is piloted by clint mcelroy, of COURSE he’s going to have a flair for the dramatic. 

so for him to open up a themed cruiseline, based on the stories of him and his friends? SO FITTING. and it isn’t forcing himself to leave his past behind or to completely ignore his present circumstances. because he’s found a place in the now, in the merging of these two sides. and by merging them, he paints a bright future for himself. a future that is partially known, partially not. partially old, partially new.

but it’s all his. 

after that, i think their final scene is just...sweet. a nice, jovial, joking send-off to a nice season. it proves these people have grown and will continue to grow, even when we no longer see their story. it does exactly what graduation does--shows you a struggle, a triumph, and a glimpse into the future. 

i’ll miss it so much, but there’s nothing more i could’ve asked of this ending. it was exactly what it needed to be; nothing more, nothing less. 

[fbfh]

I mean, you did ask - leo x reader

all  characters are aged up to 18+ for smexy subtext

word count: 2k

pairing: leo x gn child of calliope reader

genre: adventure, romance, hints at a lowkey soulmate au

summary: after a bumpy reunion turned interrogation with your friends, you finally prove to Leo that you’re someone worth catching up with

warnings: swearing, friends hold you at knife point (for good reason) memory loss, dimesion/reality travel, the phrase “horrible sexy little goose” not about an actual animal, moderate time difference between worlds, reader is acting like a cocky piece of shit half the time, you call yourself sexy a lot, annabeth slaps reader and reader is unbothered, reader and leo hae very visceral reactions upon seeing each other, piper picks up on this, moderately aggressive face grabbing, discussing personal info with someone somewhat privately, brief mentions of hand holding and hair pulling during sex, you spill tea about the rest of the demisquad, I think that’s it pls tell me if I missed any

song rec: choke - i don’t know how but they found me

a/n: this is from a very vivid daydream I had so er ah if reader seems op coded that’s cause she is uwu

You were excited to reunite with your friends after so long, but being tied up and held hostage at knifepoint by the people you love who don’t even remember you wasn’t the welcome wagon you were hoping for. Then again, as a child of Calliope, you can’t say you’re surprised. 

Apollo has a lot of kids, but demigod children of the muses are exceptionally less common. They’re volatile, really powerful, extremely engrossed in their art, and usually care more about their latest thesis paper or painting or manuscript than going on quests, and more often than not have very specific powers. You, for example, love quests but feel like you never get to go on any, usually because you’re fighting monsters somewhere else. One fun little power you inherited from your mom is - somewhat involuntary - dimension shifting. 

A lot of times you just get summoned somewhere else, with a little inherent background knowledge and your weapon, set free into the new world like a horrible sexy little goose. There’s usually some kind of objective you need to meet; find this person, set something in motion, give someone support in a time of need, deliver a package. After that, you get sent back to your family at camp half blood. The catch, one of them at least, is that a few days Somewhere Else could be no more than a few minutes in your homeverse. 

Another catch is that because of all that, and the fact that you wouldn’t know how to begin explaining, let alone if anyone would believe you, no one knows you can do this yet. Chiron has an idea, but you’ve never told anyone outright. 

You guess now is as good of a time as any to come clean, as Percy holds his sword threateningly close to your neck. You let out a disbelieving laugh, and bite the inside of your cheek.

“Okay, okay… you want the truth?” he starts to back off, and you continue, leaning forward, “I’m not surprised you’d want to know where someone this sexy-” your words cut off as Annabeth’s hand slaps you across the face. You let out a laugh of disbelief, cheek stinging.

“A cheap shot, Annabeth? Wow, I really didn’t take you for the type,” she grabs your face, leaning in close, knife once again against your throat. 

"How do you know my name." She hisses, and behind her, the door opens. Messy dark curls peek over her head in your vision and you know instantly who it is. Your heart starts pounding, loud and hard, and something heavy starts swirling deep in your gut. Your eyes lock as soon as he enters the room and an instinctive smile blooms on your face, knowing what's inevitably on its way. 

"Hey Sparky…" 

Your voice, slow and drawling (and, he'd be lying if he didn't say kind of very sexy) impales him as soon as he enters the room. He watches your pupils expand, eyes locked, immediately swept away by your magnetic aura. A fox like grin decorates your pretty face, and he gets the feeling you know more than you let on. Way more. He's so drawn to you on a guttural level, way more than he's ever been to someone before. His face is hot, and when you slowly wink at him, he feels flames erupt on his cheeks. It takes him a second to put it out, feeling your white hot gaze on him the entire time. 

Piper, who's been helping with your interrogation, looks back and forth between you two as this progresses, taking in a breath and mumbling a shocked, "Oh," as she begins to understand. 

"How are those repairs coming?" Jason asks, oblivious to everything that's happening between you two. 

"Uh… nearly done…" Leo mutters, watching as you hold back an elated giggle at the sound of his voice. You never forget how good it feels to see him again, but the fresh feeling is always better than you can imagine. Jason glances between you two, and walks over to Leo, suspicious of your interest in him. 

"I'll walk you back," Jason says, glaring at you. Your eyes stay locked with Leo's until the door finally closes again. Piper stares at you, bewildered by the tension turned to frantic energy crackling around both you and Leo. She can sense it on him even after he's out of the room. 

Annabeth finally drops your face, pacing and pinching the bridge of her nose. Percy slams him hands down on the table and levels his face with yours. 

"I'm gonna ask you one last time. How do you know us?" 

You stare at the table for a second, still thinking about him. You have to see him again. You’ve waited for too long, you just can’t do it anymore. 

“H- okay. Um,” You blink a few times, facade falling away almost instantly as you look up in a silent prayer that this doesn’t go as badly as you feel like it will. You sigh, looking back up at the other people in the room, a new, deliberate intention in your eyes that they hadn’t seen before. 

“You want to know why I’m here?” 

Their answer is the silence that follows.

“You’re not gonna believe me.” They look around at each other, collectively thinking about everything they’ve been through in the last year alone.

“Try us.” Annabeth replies. You sigh again, and introduce yourself. “...I’m a child of Calliope, muse of epic poetry, and I know you all because we grew up together. One of the fun - quirks, I inherited from my mom is traveling into different stories, or realities, I guess. It’s hard to control, and sometimes happens involuntarily. I adapt to wherever I am, and the universe sort of auto adjusts to follow the rules that stories have to follow. 

The reason you don’t remember me is because I was gone for a really long time, and your story had to keep going. Trying to find me wouldn’t have moved the plot forward, questioning where I went would have been confusing, so it did the simplest thing and edited me out so you could get closer to meeting your objectives.”

Once again, their silence is your answer. 

“Guys, sidebar.” Annabeth says, pulling Percy, Jason, and Piper out of the room for a moment. The come back in a little while later, and she looks you dead in the eye.

“If you really know us as well as you say you do, prove it. Tell us you’d only know if we were as close as you say we were.” 

You sigh yet again, having lost count at how many times that’s happened today alone. You roll your shoulders and bob your head, irritable that you’re still restrained and itching to move. 

“Is there anything we can do before the whole tell me something really personal thing?” 

Percy looks at you, challenging.

“Can you do it or not?”

Another noise of exasperation leaves you, and you agree, resignation all over your face.

“You know what, yeah. Okay, we’re doing this. Someone go get Leo.” An involuntary smile once again launches onto your face at the mention of his name. Jason starts to object. 

“Hey, I’m not going to spill something personal about someone when they’re not in the room.” They agree reluctantly, and Jason leaves, returning again with Leo. You look at him again, enraptured by his presence. He can’t say he doesn’t like the attention - a hottie like you looking at him like that? Yes, please - but something about it feels different, and he gets the feeling there’s a lot more going on than they’re aware of. 

You nod your head once, indicating for him to come closer. He gets a little closer. You widen your eyes, nodding two more times, and he hesitantly gets within whispering distance. 

You turn your head to your left, dangerously close to his face. He can feel his pulse already speeding up. Heat radiates between your faces, your breath fanning over his neck as you whisper slowly,

“You really… really like holding hands, and when I pull your hair during sex.” 

He pulls away from you quickly, beet red, bewildered expression obvious to everyone in the room. “H-how-”

“How do you think?” You reply calmly, loving everything about him, “Okay, to be fair…” you nod once more, eyes flaring, and he leans in once again, equally hesitant and curious. Your words tickle his ear, seeming to light up his entire nervous system like a firecracker.

“I really really like when you bite that spot on my neck, just below my ear.” 

He pulls away again, trying not to literally and figuratively combust. He stares in your eyes intensely, searching for anything besides the truth. He finds absolutely nothing. He turns around, unable to look his friends in the eye. 

“They’re legit, guys.” 

“Wait, what did you say to him?” Piper asks, unsure if she wants to know the answer. 

“Yeah,” Annabeth agrees, “what if it’s some kind of mind control-” Your deep, burning desire to finally hold Leo after god knows how long is starting to beat your better judgement, and you really, really want to be untied from this stupid chair. “Annabeth! Your favorite show was Cyber Chase growing up, you used to come up with plans on how to defeat Hacker, your best was cutting off his food supply - good strategy, I’ve used it before, myself. 

Percy, you feel like you can’t sing because you were forced to participate in an elementary school recital and some kid called you tonedeaf behind your back, it kicked you right in the RSD balls. 

Piper, you’re a closet weeb, you watched Ouran High School Host club obsessively and still do sometimes, you fell for Jason because he had, quote, 'Tamaki's looks and Kyoya's brains, the ideal man'. 

Jason, that scar on your lip is from biting a stapler as a child-"

"Okay, everyone knows that-"

"-and," you continue, showing no signs of stopping, "the reason you ate the stapler is because you were pretending to be a trash compactor because you saw one on TV. 

Nico is totally not right outside the door keeping guard right now, but if he were and you asked him if he likes the diary of a wimpy kid movies he'll ask how the hell you know that - should I continue."

Again, the answers are in the silence hovering in the room. 

“I think it’s about time to catch me up on what I missed.” 

A beat passes.

“Right,” Annabeth says, blinking and readjusting her ponytail as she sits down across from you, Percy already taking the bindings off of your wrists, “so, about the quest…”

She starts to fill you in on the details you missed, bringing you up to speed. After a little while you all decide to call it a night. Piper senses your energy ramping up in spite of the exhaustion settling in. You finally bid them all good night, but Piper’s not sold by your forced yawns. After what feels like another lifetime, you finally leave the room you’ve been in for hours with one objective. 

You can’t stay away from him anymore, you have to find Leo. 

After navigating a maze of hallways and doors, you finally push open the right one to see him looking up at you, and find yourself saying for the second time tonight,

“Hey, Sparky…” 

His heart is racing, and he gets that heavy, full feeling in his chest again, not having fully shaken it from the last time you saw each other. Looking into your eyes makes him nostalgic for something he can’t quite remember, and he knows with full certainty that you have more history than he’s aware of. He wants more than anything in this moment to remember. He sets down the wrench in his hand, taking a step toward you.

“Hey…”

[dailycharacteroption]

Blossoming Light (Cleric Archetype)

 While the notion that a deity will provide protection from all harm is considered trite at best and outright suicidal or negligent of others at worst in the real world, there is a certain nobility to that level of faith, even if it is misguided. Sometimes “divine protection” takes the form of medicine and knowledge, folks.

However, in a fantasy setting where divinity is confirmable and divine protection undeniable, it can be a profound act of faith to eschew all other forms of protection other than those provided directly by their deity.

In the Lost Omens setting, the so-called “blossoming lights” first appeared in the wake of Sarenrae’s smiting of Gormuz. Horrified by the rift she had accidentally opened, allowing the spawn of Rovagug a path into the world, Sarenrae came to a survivor of her wrath and offered her divine power of protection, healing, and redemption, a start on the path of finding her own forgiveness for her short-sightedness.

Since that time, the practice has spread to other goodly faiths, and has become particularly popular among The Lantern Bearers, as their command of divine light makes them especially effective against evil drow and their minions, while also offering redemption to those drow seeking to escape the wickedness of the cruel civilization of their birth.

Even outside of that setting, however, the idea of faithful who eschew armor and shields in favor of relying entirely on their divine magic, being gifted powers of light and life in return can be quite appealing.

 As suggested above, not only must these clerics be goodly servants and not be worshippers of evil deities, but they must also eschew armor and shields, their vows preventing their powers from being used for a short while if they use such things.

They also lack domain spells, though they still gain access to the other benefits of their domains. However, they are skilled in diplomacy to not only guide the goodly but also redeem the wicked.

In return for these restrictions, they gain additional uses of channeled positive energy. Additonally, when they channel said energy to harm, the viable targets for such harm expand to also include demons and demon-like outsiders, worshippers of similarly malicious entities, and wicked creatures that fear the light.

With a bit more power, they can even fill such a blessed area with bright light, illuminating it for others and overwhelming the night-adapted.

Finally, these priests can offer evil a chance to atone and move down a different path, performing ceremonial magic to start them on that path. Sadly, this power cannot be used to redeem those who fell off the path, requiring a full spell to do so.

A fun archetype for fighting many classic evil foes, the fact this archetype lacks access to armor means that it plays a lot more like an arcane caster than normal. With that in mind, you will definitely be taking a back-row support role, relying entirely upon the many defensive spells available to clerics to protect yourself and others. Meanwhile, being able to heal large groups and harm many foes at once more regularly will be a major boon for the party. You do also lose some of the diversity of domain spells, but a specialized archetype like this more than makes up for it.

 I feel like the biggest advice for roleplaying this archetype is answering the question of why they chose to leave their own safety almost entirely in the hands of their deity. They might be especially devout and faithful, or they might belong to a sect of their faith that believes much the same. Some might come from religions where all clerics are blossoming lights, convinced of the absolute authority of their god.

  Devotees of the harsh but wise sun goddess, the Sunbearers are a clan of gnolls that carry the light of fire into the dark to face the evil therein. Their leaders eschew all weapons and armor, calling on the radiant light to protect them.

 In order to travel the fey realm’s seas, the party will need to enlist a guide from a pacifist order of devotees of the Bountiful Sea. When the party is beset early on by a fey sea drake, it becomes immediately clear that this will be no easy trek.

 The temple of the Open Palm is well-known in the underworld, a place that offers salvation and redemption to those who seek it, and many stories circulate in back rooms of the priests there providing support for those who wish to leave the harsh life beneath the earth, but most, if they believe it exists at all, see it as an easy target, guarded by mere priests.

[marireadshellblazer]

Constantine TV Series Episode 4 “A Feast of Friends”

Aight, I feel the need to express some feelings about this episode. I’m not sure this is going to be terribly articulate, but I’ll do my best. Let’s do this.

First off, it’s obvious to anyone who has read Hellblazer that this episode is based off of the first two issues of the comic book series. As I wrote in my post about my experience reading it, these issues were the perfect way to start off the series. It’s like “BOOM! This is how it is! Get ready for some serious shit! This is your only warning; this is what you’re in for.” Even though they did change the story for the episode, I still absolutely loved it. The storyline from the comics is a favorite of mine, but even with the changes made in order to adapt it for TV, this was an awesome episode. In fact, it’s my favorite episode of the TV series. Here’s why!  

   Why is it episode 4?

  Unlike the comics this story was adapted to be episode 4, meaning it doesn’t start the TV series. So, why wouldn’t it start the TV series? I think that you have to look at it from a few different perspectives.

  Let’s start with the comic: Issues 1 and 2, titled Hunger and A Feast of Friends respectively, make up the first arc of the Hellblazer series. Most fans know, however, that Hellblazer is not John’s first appearance in comics; he got his own series after appearing throughout the American Gothic story arc of Swamp Thing. Consequently, many people came into Hellblazer at the time having some familiarity with the character. While this chapter does expand on John’s character some, this doesn’t serve as a major introduction to him. They just drop the reader into one of his nightmare-inducing everyday situations with little to no preparation. Those who are familiar with his role in Swamp Thing will, odds are, not find these issues to be terribly weird or particularly jarring considering it’s in a series about John; they have a good idea what they are in for.

   Here is a quick run-down: John returns to his apartment in Paddington after dealing with the horror show that is the Brujeria in the Swamp Thing comics. Exhausted, he comes back to an unwelcome guest; Gary Lester. Gary is one of the friends who was involved in the Newcastle incident (which is fully explained in issue #11), which left each of them scarred in their own way. Gary dealt with the aftermath via drugs, which have left him wide open for other issues. After foolishly releasing a demon from a sacrificial victim, Gary runs to John for help dealing with the destruction said demon is causing. In this case it’s a hunger demon that causes people to feast upon whatever they greatly desire; food, a crucifix, and even an athlete committing autocannibalism. With help from club owner and Voodoo practitioner Papa Midnight, John betrays his vulnerable and trusting friend in order to stop the demon by instead making him the new sacrifice. Trapping the demon inside of Gary, the literal and figurative ghosts of John’s past haunt and torment him mentally as his friend dies slowly and in agony, ending this arc with a melancholy feeling. John stopped a demon, but at the cost of a friend who truly trusted and cared for him.

Using this story to begin the TV series as is, however, would have been more than a little strange. In the minds of most people outside of the comic book world, John Constantine was first introduced to them via the horrifyingly inaccurate Keanu Reeves film. (I love Keanu, I really do, but that film give me agita). Or, if they were introduced to the show after it had already aired, they are introduced via Matt Ryan’s masterful work portraying him in Legends of Tomorrow. While he does an incredible job in both Constantine and Legends (to the point where I find that I may simply be unable to accept anyone else taking on the role in live action) it depresses me terribly that Legends toned down John’s character so much with all the goofiness. It did not suit John at all! If anything, I find myself feeling sorry for Matt Ryan, who tried so hard to do John’s character justice. Uhg.

   Anyway…Already, a lot of the audience is going to be more than a little taken aback by the Constantine series’ portrayal of the character, however comic book accurate he may be. This show is tailored to as wide of an audience as possible, meaning they expect that pretty much no one has read Hellblazer or Swamp Thing before. Consequently, having the series start by just dropping the audience into his crazy world, especially with this particular story arc, might not be the best idea. I’m not saying that his introduction is done super well with the first episode (it’s not a total wreak, but there are issues) but it would have been much harder to start with A Feast of Friends.

     Characterization

    Now, let’s look at it from another angle: characterization. As the 4th episode this was, odds are, done assuming that there would be a lot more episodes after this (oh, the painful reality), but really the viewers are still just getting to know John. So, these early episodes are supposed to establish his character. They see him as knowledgeable and ready to handle the weird and scary in the first episode, and in 2 and 3 you see that he is serious about his work, a loner, weirdly well prepared, and how he interacts with others. While in some situations he does come off like a douche, his douche-ness is on full display in this episode. Honestly, this is accurate to how he is in the comics; he’s a nasty piece of work, after all. A world class bastard. He gives Gary shit for his drug addiction pretty much the entire episode as well as his choice to mess with a demon and the chaos it made that he now has to fix. He, like in the comics, tricks Gary into helping him and it results in a slow, painful death for the man. Gary really did trust John, and not only did John betray him, but he was callous about it. Now, that’s not to say that the situation and Gary’s death doesn’t bother him, and this is also seen in both the episode and the comic, but John solders through a lot of it with his mask of stoic indifference; he blatantly a deliberately betrays his friend without much hesitation.

    John’s characterization in the show is really important. While fans of Hellblazer know what they are in for (John being a dick, betraying people, sacrificing friends, etc) the wide audience the show was meant to appeal to might not respond well to that. How is the audience supposed to relate to a character whose major personality trait in this arc is to basically be a douche (even if it is justified in a way)? Generally speaking, TV shows try to have a lot of characters with redeeming traits and very basic bitch personalities so that as much of the audience as possible can relate to them in some capacity. They can describe the main character as “cool, quirky, sweet, loving, etc” because that is what network television strives for. The point is for the audience to relate to and find a lot of reasons to like the character, especially the main character. The audience is supposed to be able to see the qualities of the character in themselves. An example of a douchy character being changed for network television is the titular character in TV series Lucifer. He can be an asshat at times, but his redeeming qualities shine through in pretty much every episode; he’s helpful, has a strong sense of justice, and cares about Chloe. He often goes out of his way to understand others, although he often misses the mark, and tries to fix problems and issues that he accidentally creates in order to keep relationships with others. These are things people can relate to, and although he can be rather uncouth, it’s played for laughs, and he has more redeeming qualities than not. If the Constantine series started off with John coldly betraying a friend after giving him shit for his addiction the entire episode with not a lot of his positive traits coming through, from the perspective of most people, this might not be a good way to try and connect with the audience. I’m not saying there are people who don’t/won’t, but again, this is network television and they tend to play on the safe side.

    Comic book -> TV

    Ok so let’s move onto the meat of this; the changes made to the story. People always complain when something isn’t totally accurate to the book down to every last detail (Harry Potter *cough cough*) and making story and character changes to adaptions of comic books is nothing new. However, to be fair, there are some legitimately good reasons for this. Time, money, limits technology wise, and pacing are good examples. The most important thing to consider, in my opinion, is that we are going from a comic book to television. Literally, that is the most important thing. Essentially, what the writers had to do when adapting this story for the show was carry over the plot from one medium to another, which is tricky.

    What’s a medium? A medium is a platform that allows a message to be shared or presented. So, using the medium of a comic book is how Jamie Delano was able to share his message; the story of John Constantine. The writers of the television series then had to adapt the story from comics, a visual and written medium, into a different kind of visual medium with different features to it; stage craft, voice, music, etc.

    Comic books have features for story telling; the size and placement of the panels, the writing, word bubbles, narration bubbles, colors, art style, etc. The pro’s to this are that you don’t get paragraph after paragraph describing a place or a person; they literally show them to you and the art presents those details. They also allow for the art to take in the reader emotionally through what the images convey; messy art, sudden loss of color, or even a sudden blank page after a tragic event are simple yet effective ways to convey emotion that are, at times, difficult or downright impossible to put into words. And sometimes the writer wants to leave things to interpretation or allude to something without saying it outright. While this can be done in writing, it can be done through the art as well, and depending on how skilled the artist or creative a set up can be just as effective if not more.

     In television storytelling can be done with another wide array of features. Close-ups on the actors, the actors and their performance in general, music, background narration, changes in location, lighting, ect. This allows for emotions to come across in different ways; the quality of the acting can make or break the effectiveness of the scene, and music and lighting can alter the message or feel of scene in order to change or heighten the point, pacing, the use of CGI or practical effects, etc. So, keeping this in mind, there are many features that are exclusive to film that are not in comic books, and vice versa. So, as you can imagine, adapting the stories or message from one medium to another is nowhere near as straightforward as people like to think it is. In other words, I tend to give the writers/actors/etc a break when it comes to adaption because, honestly, there is a lot that goes into it and it’s not like I could do better, honestly. I mean, there are piss poor adaptions, I’m not gunna lie, but there are a lot of them that I think don’t get enough credit simply because it’s “different” in some ways.

     Aight, let’s first refer back to what I said earlier concerning the comic; these issues aren’t so much an intro to John as they are literally following him from the end of the American Gothic arc in Swamp Thing and to his apartment where he gets involved with more shit (no rest for the wicked, amirite?). So, again, not a good way to start the TV series. In the TV show, they also have to tie in the changes they set up in the previous episodes. Continuity, my friends.

    So, what is different? Here are a few things: John having a safe house, being in the US, Chaz being American and also not involved, Zed being involved and being Latina, the new angel character Manny, and the absence of Papa Midnight really change a lot about the story. The heart of it is John’s relationship with Gary and the defeat of the demon, which thankfully remains unchanged at it’s core. This is the central idea that drives this story and I think that idea was actually done a bit better in the film medium than in the comic.

   Keeping all of these factors and all of these changes that needed in order to keep things consistent with the TV show’s changes, let’s get into why I think that this episode is good even with the changes, but why I love it.

I love It

      After taking some time to consider things, I realize that what really makes this episode great is the actors; specifically, Matt Ryan and Jonjo O'Neill. The chemistry between them is undeniable. The way they look at each other and how they talk to each other really makes you feel like, at one time at least, they were friends. The scene where Gary swipes the ID badge and says “I learned from the best” is a great example of this. The look on his face and John’s; I don’t have a real eloquent way to say it. I just sort of feel it.

The retcon of Gary’s character really helps with this. Being that Gary is introduced and then killed off in two issues, you don’t really get to know his character in the comics. He’s only in one episode of the TV series, yet he feels more fleshed out. Soul was added to the character. Showing his struggles with addiction, as well as what I suspect to be depression and PTSD, really humanized him. In the episode, he was more than just a desperate, annoying junky; he was a flawed and relatable human being. Who hasn’t made a mistake? How many people have made BIG mistakes with consequences difficult to handle? How many people are haunted by their actions from the past? Addiction and the effects is has on people is devastating. I’m glad that they kept the ending true to the comics, but the way he was portrayed in the episode really made me feel for Gary in this case. It almost made me hope that maybe he really would get better, and have the chance at redemption that he was trying so desperately to find. But it wouldn’t be a John Constantine series without an ending like this one; John loses a friend and slowly digs himself deeper into hell.

Of course, it’s the ending of the episode that people really remember best. It’s the scenes that solidified, at least for me, Matt Ryan as John Constantine. It’s what really helped me have faith in the series. Watching it now, and seeing what really could have been, makes the episode somewhat bitter sweet for me. I felt like this is when the series really found it’s footing; the acting, storytelling, and how well arcs from Hellblazer could be adapted. This is where I think Matt Ryan hit his stride and we could see what he was really capable of as an actor if they let him spread his wings. In the earlier episodes I was honestly unsure. He looked the part, but the soul of the character had not really had a chance to shine through.

How John treats Gary at the end really made a difference, too. Holding him while he was in pain, and sitting with him as he died in agony; these simple yet effective changes really drove home John’s humanity in the face of evil and the tough decisions he has to make. The look he gives many at the very end, the anger and sorrow he seems to be struggling to hold back, is haunting.

In this episode, Matt Ryan’s love and dedication to John’s character shine. Seeing the story in live action gave this story a stronger impact. Even without a lot of the social commentary that was present in the comic, the live action element is what really helps drive the story home. I think it’s because it’s real people showing these very real emotions that can be hard to translate into art. Not to say that John Ridgway did a bad job, but it’s different in live action.

I hope I was able to get these thoughts across. I wasn’t sure if I should share this or not, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. I know this is sort of jumbled, but hopefully it’s not a total mess to read.